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Readers’ Poll
Contents
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR COMMUNITY
ISRAEL Israel News
37
8
Readers’ Poll 8
Community Happenings 42 TJH Purim Photo Album 108
NEWS
Global 12
National 30
Odd-but-True Stories 37
22
World Builders
JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha
The Ideal Way to Serve G-d by Rav Moshe Weinberger Parsha Ponderings Delving into the Daf
PEOPLE
80
72
74
76
78
The Wandering Jew Jewish Doctors in the Civil War by Avi Heiligman
HEALTH & FITNESS
82
106
Parts in Love by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn National Nutrition Month by Cindy Weinberger MS, RD Parenting Pearls
FOOD & LEISURE
88
90
92
TJH Speaks with Chef and Cookbook Author Paula Shoyer 94 Instantly Delicious 97 The Aussie Gourmet: Stovetop Seder Chicken 100
LIFESTYLES
Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW 84 Your Money 134 The Hunt for the Elusive by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS 135
HUMOR
Centerfold 70
POLITICAL CROSSFIRE
38 Notable Quotes Someone Else to Carry Trumpism’s 101 Banner by Marc A. Thiessen 104 Iowa’s Governor Beat the Teachers Unions and Reopened Schools by Marc A. Thiessen 105
CLASSIFIEDS 130
Dear Editor,
There are those who are more machmir (stringent) in their practices. The term usually refers to Jewish religious practice, but people are stringent in many aspects of their daily life.
Uncompromising, to those who do not follow one’s practices, is often considered intolerant or inflexible. Those of us who follow a strict level of kashrut or Sabbath observance often get remarks from others less observant. I’m a firm believer of “live and let live,” as long as it does not affect me directly.
So, here’s my dilemma. As someone who is very “machmir” in not using one-time use plastics, who firmly believes that we are filling up our Earth and oceans with this plastic, I do believe those who do not adhere to this precept does affect me, my generations to come and Hashem’s beautiful creatures who ingest and get entangled in this plastic morass. Each year, 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die from ingesting plastic. Sadly, many of my friends are either nonchalant, ignorant or, at worse, selfish when it comes to refraining from one-time use silverware, plates, cups, tablecloths, and takeout food containers.
Recently, I have been invited to Shabbat and other dinners at friends’ homes, where over the course of a meal 50 -75 pieces of one-time use plasticware consumed and discarded into the waste stream, where they will stay for generations to come. I love getting together with friends, especially since I live alone. In the past, I’ve requested a regular dish, glass, and metal silverware for myself. However, knowing the severity of the global plastic pollution problem, I no longer enjoy eating at a meal surrounded with so much plastic. I realize that I have no right to inflict my standards on others, but I also realize that I’m terribly unhappy at such gatherings either at homes or shul kiddushes.
Regretfully, I now decline invitations where I know these practices occur. I guess having standards sometimes has their consequences. Joseph M. Varon West Hempstead, New York
To the Editor,
I read with interest the “Delving into the Daf” feature on p.75 of your Purim issue.
There is a point related to it that calls out for clarification, however, as follows:
The difference in shitos with regard to zmanim, e.g., what time day ends and when night starts for halachic purposes, is actually not Continued on page 10
Do you clean your light fixtures and windows while you’re cleaning for Pesach?
82% 18%
Continued from page 8
a matter of chassidic vs. misnagdic dispute as portrayed, since many chassidim do not follow shitas Rabbeinu Tam in the matter. For example, Litvishe chassidic groups, such as Lubavitch and Karlin, and Polish chassidim such as Ger, are similar or identical in this area to their Litvishe misnagdic counterparts, who focus on the standard sunset for this matter.
The chassidic groups that do follow Rabbeinu (Yaakov) Tam, on the other hand, and hold day to end, and night to start, later, tend to be of Galician and Hungarian background.
Thanks for the illuminating pieces in general. A Regular Reader
Dear Editor,
It has been a hard year for all of us. Imagine the pain of those who were quarantined for extended periods of time and waiting anxiously, davening, and doing all their hishtadlus for the yeshua of having their own children. And, it’s just the two of them. Too hard to talk to others about their struggles. Too difficult to bring up with their own parents. Who were the ones who helped them through these trying times? The incredible team at ATIME.
We all know someone struggling with infertility and we all want to do something about it. Is there a greater zchus than limud Torah? Can you imagine the merit of learning the entire Shas?
On Sunday, March 7, our community will be strongly represented in joining hundreds of lomdim for a vigorous day of learning, and together we will finish the entire Shas in one day under one roof! Each lomeid has been preparing his 10 blatt for the past few months. We are represented this year by Team Far Rockaway. Many people on these teams are your neighbors, relatives and friends.
The Shasathon was created by the organization called ATIME. This wonderful tzedakah helps these young couples with their struggle providing many services, many too delicate to mention. Couples who have gone through this nisayon have said that they could not have made it without ATIME. The founders of ATIME themselves suffered through infertility at a time when there was no one to talk to and help them. To learn more about this organization, check out their website https:// www.atime.org.
You, too, can be a part of this amazing zchus! Go to the shasathon. org website and find who in your neighborhood is learning and sponsor him. When the couples who are suffering see how many people care enough to learn or support, they feel that we really care for them.
Thank you for your involvement, and we forward to you the unspoken thanks of those couples who are surrounded by too-clean walls and too-quiet rooms every minute of their lives. The hope and dreams your support will enable is more potent than one can fathom. Sincerely, Rabbi Moshe Shonek Member, Team Far Rockaway
Dear Editor,
Is the Iranian regime stupid?
The United States, Russia, China, England, France, India, Pakistan, Israel, and probably a few others, all have the atom bomb.
What’s taking Iran so long to build one?
While Trump was in office, he instituted inane sanctions on the regime, which only cozied them up closer to China. Hasn’t China by now given them all the info for even a 4-year-old to build The Bomb?
I know a lot of Persians here in America who are far from stupid. So, again, as I’ve been asking for a while: is the Iranian regime stupid? Charles Tal Fresh Meadows, N.Y.
Dear Editor,
Queens County Democratic Party clubhouse endorsement of State Assemblymember David Weprin for NYC Comptroller may make no difference. Since 2001, Weprin has run and lost races for NYC Council Speaker (2001 & 2005), Congress (2011) and NYC Comptroller (2009). It has always been in his blood to seek higher public office. The only problem has been that he lost each time. His colleagues and voters have never found him qualified for a promotion to higher office.
Despite his claims of financial expertise, he was never considered a serious candidate by colleagues in the State Legislature to replace former State Comptroller Alan Hevisi in 2007.
NYC Comptroller John Liu and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli never hired Weprin for financial knowledge as a Deputy Comptroller.
NYC councilmembers never promoted him to NYC Council Speaker in 2001 and 2005.
His experience as Deputy Superintendent of Banks under Governor Mario Cuomo, Secretary of the Banking Board for NYS, and Wall Street career made no difference in his previous races. The same will be true when he promotes past time as chair of the Securities Industry Association, as a member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, or Chairman of the Corrections Committee.
In his State Assembly Democratic Primary race, despite holding public office for 19 years, he only garnered 46% of the vote. Lucky for him, his two opponents split 54% of the vote. There is no reason to believe that his luck will change in the June Democratic Primary for NYC Comptroller. Sincerely, Larry Penner
David Weprin political historian since 2001 when he said, “The position of the next NYC Council Speaker is too important to allow Republican councilmembers to be included in the voting”
