Five Towns Jewish Home - 5-28-20

May 27, 2020

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

L

lar popstar was talking about how he changed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although I am relieved that we have, baruch Hashem, moved past that very difficult period at the beginning of the quarantine, I wistfully think about that spiritual urgency we all had then which made it easier to think about growth and change during that time. Now that it’s more about getting back to normal as quickly as possible, the spiritual inspiration that I had back then has worn off to an extent. Hearing Aviv’s story and listening to his penetrating words reminded me about those spiritual peaks that I thought I was going to scale.

Perhaps, over the last few weeks, I have forgotten about the journey I had been intent on making.

Truthfully, though, this situation has changed us all. We have all changed and recalibrated our priorities – we all just don’t have the opportunity to address our changes in an empty amphitheater on a lonely night.

Right now, we may be busy rebooting Kindles, preparing myriad meals, fixing bikes, doling out band-aids, and folding mountains of laundry, and yet, deep in our souls, the changes that we promised we would make, the journeys that we were intent on going on, are still there. We may not feel those metamorphoses but we will, surely, each emerge as a beautiful butterfly.

Like Rabbi Akiva observing water dripping on a stone, each time we do something a little different than before, we are accumulating change, making small steps on our road to transformation.

Shavous, the yom tov of kabbalas haTorah, is coming as we – hopefully – begin to emerge from quarantine. It’s a time to celebrate the beauty of receiving the Torah which we acquired on our journey through sefiras ha’omer one step at a time. And it’s a time for us to look back and follow through on those commitments we made just a few weeks ago.

Wishing you a wonderful yom tov, Shoshana

ast week, Israeli popstar Aviv Geffen was interviewed on Israeli TV and related an incredible event that had recently happened to him.

Aviv is the son of noted leftist writer Yonatan Geffen, who has made a career out of provoking those who are not on the extreme left, including the religious people in Israel.

During the recent quarantine, Aviv played in an empty amphitheater in Binyamina in a show that was broadcast across Israel. During that show, he dedicated a song in a display of unity and love to the people in Bnei Brak, who had seen themselves vilified by some because of quarantine violations by some residents.

As soon as he left the stage, Aviv received over 400 messages of gratitude from people in Bnei Brak. He explained that someone must have given out his cell phone number in Bnei Brak and those living there reached out in appreciation.

“The love I received came from people I had denigrated since I was 19,” Aviv acknowledged.

“I was sitting on the stairs, the amphitheater was empty, and I was reading the messages and crying. At four in the morning, the theater staff got me up and told me: ‘Go home.’”

While relating the story on TV, Aviv began crying again. The interviewer asked him why he was so emotional, and he replied: “For years, we learned how to hate the other. ‘He’s religious, he’s secular.’ I, too, was a soldier in this game. Suddenly I saw the other.

“So how did the corona change me? Just like this: I learned to respect. A flame of love, simply amazing, was lit. I cannot even describe it in words, only in tears.”

It’s humbling to hear how someone can, in a very vulnerable way, publicly acknowledge that his lifelong beliefs and prejudices may have been skewed. What struck me more, though – or maybe I should say, what jolted me – was how the secu-

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

8

COMMUNITY 8

Readers’ Poll Community Happenings

32

NEWS Global

12

National

25

Odd-but-True Stories

30

ISRAEL

90

Israel News

18

Spirited Youth by Rafi Sackville

74

JEWISH THOUGHT

Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

60

Our Stormy, Committed Relationship with Hashem

by Rav Moshe Weinberger

62

A Difficult Matan Torah; The Best Matan Torah

by Rabbi Yaakov Feitman

64

Reenacting Matan Torah by Rabbi Yissochar Frand

68

PEOPLE The Wandering Jew

70

Hollywood Ending by Tammy Mark

76

It’s All About Perspective by Yossi Hecht

92

The Blue Angels by Avi Heiligman

104

HEALTH & FITNESS Tips From a Homeschooling Mom, Part IV by Sara Rayvych, MSEd

84

Shavuos by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

86

How to Get Through Covid-19 by Rabbi Dr. Dovid Felt

88

Accepting the Torah the Right “Weigh” by Aliza Beer, MS RD CDN

90

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Tres Leche Cake

95

Fresh & Flavorful

96

Dear Editor, This is for your Notables Quotes/ Say What? section: 1)What did Marie Antoinette, queen of France before the French Revolution, say when she was told that the French Jews were so poor that they couldn’t even afford to buy challah for the holiday of Shavuos?

“Let them eat cheesecake!”

2) In these pandemic times, if I am eating a meal that included bread, via Zoom, with 2 Jamaican Jews, could I make a Me-ZoomMAN?!

A gut yom tov & chag sameach!

Dr. Paul Brody Great Neck, NY Dear Editor, Now that it is nice outside, many children are biking around the neighborhood. Parents, please, remind your children about biking safety. They should be wearing helmets. They should not be biking in the streets. When they cross the street, they should stop and look both ways (and around the corner) to make sure no one is coming. I have had to stop short at least once this season – so far – because of a child on a bike.

Please, be careful.

Sharon Lang

Cover painting by Tikva Sadik, www.artbytikva.com

Dear Editor, I am writing as a concerned local citizen.

In just a short time, we will have elections for the local school board.

Two longstanding members of the school board, Murray Forman and Asher Mansdorf, will be up for election. It is imperative that we all vote for them. They have been there for the community, and there are up against those who do not have the community’s interests at heart. Our votes will make all the difference!

Remember, the school board affects many of us even though we don’t necessarily send to the local public schools. School boards are involved in our busing and books and special education programming.

During this time, they are working on providing essential food distributions for our neighborhood. We must keep both Murray Forman and Asher Mansdorf on the board!

This year, because of the situation, there is no in-person voting.

That means that all voting is being done by mail. Paper ballots are being mailed out – do NOT throw them out! It will take you only a few moments (or less) to fill them out. And it will mean the world to our community if you do so.

Ballots need to be mailed back

by June 9. Remember to vote, mail it out (it’s postage paid!), and send it in on time!

Your vote will make all the difference!

A concerned neighbor

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer 80 Mann, LCSW Your Money

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Shavuos Made Simple by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS 110 HUMOR Centerfold 58

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

98

Stacey Abrams is the Democrats’ Sarah Palin by Marc A. Thiessen

101

Cold War Reversal by David Ignatius

102

CLASSIFIEDS

106

Which cheesecake flavor do you prefer: plain/chocolate/ caramel?

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Tens of thousands of people took to the streets over the weekend in Hong Kong to protest China’s new national security law.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, demonstrators chanting anti-China slogans jammed the Causeway and Wan Chai districts.

Images posted on social media on Sunday showed protesters gathering.

Demonstrators erected makeshift barriers and fought pitched battles with police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons.

More than 100 people were injured amidst rising anger over what Hong Kong residents see as a new attempt by Beijing to reassert control over the semi-autonomous country.

“This is the first large demonstration in Hong Kong since COVID-19 arrived here,” reported Al Jazeera. “The protesters are not just defying social-distancing rules, they’re also defying an order by Hong Kong’s police not to hold this unauthorized assembly – and, of course, they are once more defying Beijing.”

The national security laws were unveiled last Thursday and outlaw “subversion, separatism, and acts of foreign interference.” They also allow Chinese authorities to operate in Hong Kong “to fulfill relevant duties to safeguard national security in accordance with the law.”

The legislation is expected to be passed later this month in Hong Kong’s National People’s Congress (NPC) and is hotly controversial, with Hong Kong natives calling it a Chinese effort to end the country’s “one coun-

Despite strong U.S. opposition, the first of five Iranian oil tankers arrived in Venezuela on Saturday.

Accompanied by Venezuelan warships, the tanker Fortune steamed into the poverty-wracked socialist country, where it was met

by Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami.

The ship is expected to proceed to a large oil refinery in Puerto Cabello.

“The ships of the sister Islamic Republic of Iran are in our exclusive economic zone,” tweeted El Aissami.

The other four ships – Forest, Petunia, Faxon and Clavel – are expected to arrive within the next week and are carrying an estimated 1.5m barrels of fuel.

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro hailed Iran for supporting the South American nation, saying during a press conference that the oil delivery was evidence of a partnership between “two revolutionary peoples who will never kneel down before North American imperialism.”

“Venezuela and Iran both want peace,” added Maduro. “We have the right to trade freely.”

Iran has sent the oil to help alleviate Venezuela’s acute fuel shortage. Despite sitting on the world’s largest energy reserves, years of underdevelopment, corruption, and crippling U.S. sanctions have left Caracas unable to sell its oil on the worldwide market.

The tankers arrived despite strong U.S. opposition to the move.

Vowing to enforce sanctions blocking Iran from exporting its oil to other countries, the Trump administration threatened to dispatch a flotilla of U.S. Navy ships to intercept the shipment but eventually backed down.

Amidst American threats of using force to prevent Iran’s oil from

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Johnson put his own authority on the line to back Dominic Cummings, his most powerful adviser, who is under attack for his decision to travel more than 250 miles to seek care for his 4-year-old child at a time when the official advice was to “stay home.”

The premier said that while he understood the confusion and dismay over the episode, Cummings’ actions were “sensible and defensible.”

reaching the South American country, Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López responded by deploying his country’s navy “to welcome them and to say to the people of Iran, thank you, thank you, for your solidarity.”

The Trump administration is attempting to prevent the strong alliance between the Islamic Republic and Venezuela from expanding. Viewing the Maduro regime as

illegitimate, Washington also fears that Iran could transport weapons and proxy fighters that could assist in propping up the socialist regime.

“Venezuelans need free and fair presidential elections leading to democracy and economic recovery, not Maduro’s expensive deals with another pariah state,” said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus.

London Lockdown-Gate U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing his most serious political crisis since his election victory last year. Politicians from all sides are demanding the resignation of his top aide over claims he breached lockdown rules.

Conservative Tim Loughton said Johnson’s defense of the aide was not good enough. He told BBC radio on Monday that he had been “swamped” by emails from constituents about Cummings. “What I wanted to hear was a proper justification of why what Dominic Cummings did was fine,” Loughton said. “I fear I didn’t get that and what’s more worrying is my constituents didn’t get that.”

Sixteen Tory lawmakers have called publicly for Cummings to step down.

The leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said Johnson’s decision was an insult to the sacrifices made by the British people since the country went into lockdown in late March.

The controversy comes at a highly sensitive moment for Johnson, with Britons beginning to chafe after two months of restrictions in a country where fatalities from the virus have topped 36,000. That gives Britain the worst death toll in Europe and the highest in the world after the U.S. Recent polls also show support is waning for Johnson’s pandemic response.

Speaking at the government’s daily press conference on Sunday, the prime minister faced a relentless barrage of questions from journalists over the adviser. The central charge against Cummings is one of hypocrisy – with one rule for the governing elite and another for the rest of the country.

“As far as I can see, he stuck to the rules,” Johnson said. “When he had no alternative, I think he followed the instincts of every father and every parent and I do not mark him down for that. I believe that in every

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

respect he has acted responsibly and legally and with integrity and with the overwhelming aim of stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives.”

been ill-treated by prison guards and been denied medical attention. Russian authorities have accused him of faking health problems to draw attention to his case.

Russia Asks for 18 Years for U.S. “Spy”

Auschwitz Renovation Uncovers Items

On Monday, Russian prosecutors asked a court to sentence former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who is on trial accused of spying for the United States, to 18 years in a maximum security prison.

Whelan, a U.S. national who also holds British, Canadian and Irish passports, has been in custody since he was detained in a Moscow hotel room in December 2018. He says he was set up in a sting and has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The court will announce its verdict on June 15.

The trial, which began on March 23, has been closed to the public as its content broaches classified information.

U.S. Ambassador in Moscow John Sullivan said the proceedings amounted to a “secret trial” and a “mockery of justice.”

“There is no legitimacy to a procedure that is hidden behind closed doors. It is not transparent, it is not fair, and it is not impartial,” he said.

The prosecution accuses Whelan of being at least a ranking U.S. military intelligence colonel and say that he was caught red-handed trying to obtain secrets. The defense said Whelan had only believed he was receiving photographs of a trip that he and an acquaintance had been on, not classified material, and that he had been tricked.

U.S. authorities have called the charges against Whelan spurious and have called on Russia to release him, describing the case as a “significant obstacle” to improving bilateral ties.

Whelan, 50, has used his appearances at hearings to allege he has

A number of objects that may have been used to plan escapes were discovered during renovation works at Auschwitz, said Austria’s National Fund for Victims of National Socialism last week.

The items, found hidden under a chimney flue in block 17 of the main camp, included spoons, forks, knives, scissors, and parts of shoes. Block 17 had housed manual workers. The renovation and restoration had been commissioned in preparation for an exhibition scheduled to open in 2021.

“These utensils, kept out of sight of the SS guards, were perhaps used by shoemakers, or to prepare an escape or simply to be able to eat,” said fund secretary general Hannah Lessing.

The found objects are not expected to be displayed as part of the exhibition, and have instead been given to the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum for conservation. Auschwitz-Birkenau was the biggest of Europe’s death camps, and items scattered throughout the camp and its surrounding are periodically uncovered during works.

97 Killed in Pakistan Plane Crash At least 97 people were killed after a passenger jet plunged into the ground near Karachi.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-8303 had taken off from Lahore with 91 passengers and eight crew members on board. Slated to touch down a little after 2:30 p.m. in Karachi, the pilot issued an emergency mayday call and soon disap-

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The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

UK to Curtail Huawei Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the United Kingdom will phase out its use of Chinese-made equipment from his country’s 5G internet networks.

According to British media outlets, Johnson will sign a directive mandating that cellular companies

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In audio broadcasted by Pakistani television stations, the pilot can be heard telling air traffic controllers that he had lost all engine power.

“We are proceeding directly, we have lost engines,” said the pilot, before shouting, “Mayday, mayday, mayday.” While initially reports said that everyone on board perished, the Pakistani military said that two passengers managed to survive the fiery inferno.

“97 bodies recovered. 2 passengers survived. 25 affected houses cleared, their residents accommodated at various places with the assistance of Civil Administration,” confirmed Pakistan Armed Forces spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar.

Rescuers found the black box in Karachi on Sunday and hope that it will be possible to glean what went wrong from the findings. Pakistani safety investigators are reportedly ready to blame pilot error in their preliminary report but the probe is ongoing.

According to PIA, the aircraft had been operational since 2014 and had passed all of its annual safety tests.

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peared from radar screens.

The aircraft then attempted to perform an emergency landing at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport before slamming directly into the ground. Video footage circulating on social media showed the smoking aircraft hitting the ground and then bouncing before being enveloped in a ball of fire.

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reduce Huawei’s involvement in their infrastructure to zero by 2023. Previously, the UK had set for itself as a goal to reduce the Chinese tech giant’s penetration by only 35%.

Bibi on Trial

Liu Xiaoming, Beijing’s ambassador to London, blasted the announcement and warned that steps against Huawei could lead to diplomatic fallout.

“Regrettably, a few politicians in the UK have been addicted to the Cold War mentality to compare China to the former Soviet Union and urge a review of the China-UK relationship, and even call for a new Cold War,” he said. “If they go unchecked, they will poison the China-UK joint effort, and even international solidarity just as it’s needed most.”

The change comes amid concerns that the Chinese government will utilize Huawei for its worldwide spying effort and follows pressure from the Conservative Party and the Trump administration to take action.

In March, dozens of Tory MKs signed a petition calling on Johnson to scrap Huawei’s domination of the country’s 5G sector. Johnson was expected to lose next week’s vote in the House of Commons on the matter.

In April, a slew of senior Conservative MPs established a lobby titled the “China Research Group” in an attempt to force Johnson to outlaw Huawei’s activities.

The Trump administration has also been putting heavy pressure on Johnson to phase out Huawei’s operations in the UK as part of its campaign against China’s battle for worldwide hegemony. In a contentious phone call between the two leaders in February, Trump reportedly hung up in anger after Johnson refused to commit to phasing out Huawei.

Since taking office in 2017, Trump has pressed allies to refrain from cooperating with Huawei, arguing that the company enables Chinese espionage agencies to build backdoors into network infrastructure. In early May, the U.S. unveiled new sanctions outlawing the use of American intellectual property in the production of Huawei equipment.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in a Jerusalem court on Sunday to kick off his hotly-awaited trial on multiple corruption charges.

Surrounded by Likud ministers and mobbed by supporters, the prime minister arrived at the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday morning, where he unleashed a harsh attack on police and prosecutors.

Alleging that he was the victim of “a left-wing Deep State” that framed him with trumped-up charges as a way to remove him from office, Netanyahu announced that “the entire right-wing is on trial today.”

“The people recognize…that this is an attempt at a political coup, against the will of the people,” said Netanyahu, repeating frequent claims that the probes were politically-motivated. “I want to reassure you all, with your help, and with G-d’s help, I’ll continue to fight; I won’t let them bring us down.

“For more than a decade the left has failed to do this at the ballot box,” Netanyahu added. “In recent years, they have found a new trick – police and prosecutors have joined the ‘Anyone but Bibi’ gang to drum up these delusional and fabricated cases, this delusional trial. They aim to bring down a strong prime minister from the right and to keep the right away from power for many years.”

With his face covered by a disposable mask, Netanyahu’s appeared expressionless as state prosecutors read out the lengthy 67-page indictment. When asked if he understood the charges, Netanyahu simply answered, “Yes.” Also attending the trial were Bezeq telecommunications owner Saul Elovitch, who is on trial for al-

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

legedly giving Netanyahu favorable press coverage for regulatory benefits, and Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon “Noni” Mozes.

Throughout the trial, Netanyahu was surrounded by a collection of the Likud’s most senior ministers, including Amir Ohana, Israel Katz, Miri Regev, Yoav Gallant, Tzachi Hanegbi, and David Amsalem.

Now, the court will take a twomonth intermission in order to further review evidence before Netanyahu takes the witness stand.

Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust in three separate criminal probes nicknamed Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000.

Case 1000 revolves around lavish gifts of cigars and champagne he received from wealthy friends, while the other two investigations involve Netanyahu’s attempts to push favorable legislation in exchange for glowing press coverage.

The investigations started in 2016 and were closely watched throughout the past four years. With his trial beginning on Sunday, Netanyahu is the first-ever sitting prime minister in the country’s history to be tried on criminal charges.

Khameini Wants to Destroy Israel, Not Jews

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini clarified that he does not desire the elimination of world Jewry. Rather than support mass genocide, the cleric tweeted that he seeks for the State of Israel to be destroyed without any harm occurring to the Jewish people.

“Eliminating the Zionist regime doesn’t mean eliminating Jews.

We aren’t against Jews,” Khameini tweeted. “It means abolishing the imposed regime & Muslim, Christian & Jewish Palestinians choose their own govt & expel thugs like [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu.”

The cleric added that the Jewish State only understood force before he

launched into a long anti-Israel diatribe.

“The nature of the Zionist regime is incompatible with peace because the Zionists seek to expand their territories & will certainly not be limited to what they have already occupied,” he said. “Comprehensive struggles by the Palestinian nation – political, military & cultural – should continue till the usurpers submit to the referendum for the Palestinian nation,” added Khamenei.

Khameini’s comments came after he uploaded a controversial cartoon on social media earlier in the day. The meme shows the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City with the Al Aqsa Mosque in the center, along with soldiers carrying Palestinians flags together with slain Iranian General Qassem Sulemieni. The words “Palestine Will Be Free” are slashed across the picture with “The Final Solution” printed in big block letters underneath.

The use of the infamous Nazi slogan led to allegations that Khameini was calling for genocide and resulted in condemnations from all around the world.

In a tweet on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted the Islamic Republic for sharing the poster, accusing Tehran of “echoing Hitler’s call for genocide.”

“This depravity should dispel any notion the regime belongs in the community of nations,” said Pompeo. “We stand with Germany and Israel against this oldest & most vile form of hatred, and say #NeverAgain.”

Abbas Ends Security Coordination

test over Israel’s plan to annex Judea and Samaria.

According to sources, PA security officers refused to answer phone calls from their Israeli counterparts, while PA police departed areas they were responsible for in East Jerusalem. Cooperation with the Civil Administration, which coordinates civil matters for Palestinian residents of Judea and Samaria, also came to an abrupt halt.

In addition, the PA said that it would stop sharing intelligence with the CIA due to anger over U.S. support for annexation. While it is unclear to what extent the intelligence cooperation is, the CIA is thought to have close ties with the PA. CIA Director Gina Haspel had visited Ramallah earlier this year.

“Israel’s annexation of any parts of the West Bank constitutes an existential threat to the Palestinian national project and an end to the twostate solution,” asserted PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh.

Shtayyeh added that Israel “breached international law and violated all the agreements signed with us” by advocating annexation and that “we will no longer abide by these agreements.”

Last Tuesday, the PA chairman suddenly announced that the Palestinian Authority had decided to renounce all signed agreements with Israel and the U.S. – including the security agreements. In a speech in Ramallah, Abbas emphasized that “from this moment on, Israel must take responsibility as an occupying power over the Palestinian territories in accordance with international law.”

However, his remarks were initially ridiculed by senior Israeli officials, who noted that Abbas had already vowed to end the PA’s coordination with Israel no less than six times over the past two years. Even so, Israel’s defense establishment worries that Abbas’ move could result in spiraling violence in Judea and Samaria ahead of Israel’s plan to annex the Jordan Valley on July 1.

A Yamina and Liberman Alliance?

Israeli sources confirmed on Thursday evening that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has cut all ties with Israel in pro-

The Religious Zionist Yamina party strongly denied reports that it was considering establishing a de-facto alliance with the anti-haredi

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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Yisrael Beytenu.

Reports surfaced on Thursday that the two parties would use their combined 12 seats to form a political bloc that would challenge Prime Minister Netanyahu from the opposition. The would-be bloc would also prevent the left wing Yesh Atid, Meretz, and Arab Joint List from turning the Knesset’s opposition into an extreme-left wing platform.

Yamina fiercely denied the reports, however, saying in a strongly worded statement that it would never consider joining forces with the fiercely anti-religious Yisrael Beytenu.

“Yisrael Beytenu has become a symbol of hate towards Judaism, the religious and the haredim, and it is the reason Israel was dragged to three rounds of elections by preventing the creation of a right-wing government,” said Yamina. “We have no intention of supporting that in the opposition.”

Yet despite Yamina’s denials, Yamina and Yisrael Beytenu members were spotted working together since the government was sworn in last week. Among other things, the two parties are said to be working to torpedo anti-Zionist bills proposed by the Joint List.

In addition, Yisrael Beytenu and

Yamina are working together to ensure that one of the Knesset committees afforded to the opposition will be headed by one of the two factions as opposed to the left-wing bloc.

“MK [Ayelet] Shaked and I are working in full coordination to get a Knesset committee for both parties in accordance with the mandates ratio,” said Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer. “I am confident that cooperation continues when we vote on the law proposed by Yisrael Beytenu to apply sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, as I am sure that, as a religious party, Yamina will oppose the draft, the conversion law and the civil marriage law we intend to bring to a vote.”

Soldier On the Way to Recovery The condition of Druze IDF soldier Shadi Ibrahim continues to improve a week after losing his leg to a ramming attack.

Ibrahim was seroiusly wounded after a Palestinian terrorist ran him over with his vehicle near Hebron earlier this month. Having lost a copious amount of blood, his leg was

amputated and he was not expected to survive.

IDF officers, Ibrahim begged to “return to the battlefield and perform my duties.”

“I feel good. I want to return to my soldiers,” he said. “Nothing will break me.”

Women in Special Forces?

However, Ibrahim has since made a startling recovery and was released from the intensive care unit at Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva last Saturday.

“I left the emergency room. Everything’s fine, I’m alright,” Ibrahim said in a video he released on Facebook.

Ibrahim thanked the thousands of Israelis, both Jewish and Druze, who had been praying for him ever since the attack. “I couldn’t answer but I send my greetings. I love you and trust you,” he said.

A soldier in the Armored Corps, Ibrahim reportedly asked to return to his unit after waking up in the hospital. Hailing from a Druze family of

Four female soldiers want the High Court to force the IDF to allow them to try out for the military’s most elite special forces units.

Currently, women are allowed to serve in four infantry battalions, the artillery corps, as fighter pilots, and on missile battleships. While the IDF has drastically expanded gender-integrated combat units in recent years, women are still barred from

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tanks, the five elite infantry brigades, and special forces units.

Now, these women want the chance to gain admittance to the most legendary and secretive units.

In an appeal they filed to the High Court last week, the teens argued that they should be allowed to participate in a grueling day of tryouts designed to weed out weaker soldiers known as a Special Forces Day. “We are not asking for the conditions to be changed for us, but just let us try – and if we are found to be compatible, to have us join,” said 18-year-old Mor Lidani.

Another one of the women noted that they didn’t ask for standards to be lowered, but to simply be given a shot.

“I want everyone to understand that we are not just trying to do something out of spite. We are here because we want to contribute and we want to volunteer,” said Mika Klieger. “The military needs to see this important opportunity for women to serve in all units.”

In order to enlist into a top commando unit, high school aged Israelis are invited to a full day of exhausting physical and mental tests. The ordeal is designed to sort out the weaker soldiers and see how they perform under extreme stress.

Those given a passing grade are then allowed to proceed to a five-day test in extreme conditions including little food and insufficient sleep.

The IDF has historically barred female troops from contending for positions in elite units, arguing that they would be unable to handle the demanding physical requirements.

70% of Israeli Corona Cases Linked to U.S. A new genome study has found that seventy percent of coronavirus cases in Israel can be linked to the United States.

The study, conducted by researchers at Tel Aviv University, sequenced the genomes of virus samples from over 200 randomly selected patients at six different hospitals and compared them to sequences of the virus found worldwide.

It was discovered that, while only 27% of U.S. travelers to Israel had tested positive for corona, those travelers accounted for seventy

percent of the coronavirus cases in Israel, according to The New York Times. The study has not yet been peer-reviewed.

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Make More Happen This Summer at Lander College for Men Online Israel began halting flights from European countries beginning on February 26, but did not do the same for U.S. travel until March 9.

The study opined that if U.S. travel had been banned at the same time as European travel, “a substantial fraction of the transmission chains in Israel would have been prevented,” the Times reported.

“Those who returned from the U.S. created transmission chains,” Adi Stern, from the School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology at TAU’s George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, told The Jerusalem Post. “There was this gap in policy, and this gap allowed people to return from the U.S. who thought that they could go wherever they wanted, so they probably spread the virus that way.”

The study also found that “super-spreaders,” about 5% of patients, were believed to be responsible for the spread of the virus to 80% of everyone infected, according to the Times. Furthermore, the study elaborated that closing the country off from tourists, enforcing social-distancing rules, and imposing a lockdown on citizens all appear to have cut the transmission rate in the country by two-thirds.

Ex-Green Beret Arrested in Carlos Ghosn Escape A former Green Beret and his son were arrested in Massachusetts for their role in helping former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn flee bail in Japan.

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Ghosn, an auto executive who helmed Renault, Mitsubishi, and Nissan, fled Tokyo in 2019 while awaiting trial on a slew of alleged crimes.

U.S. Slaps Iran With New Sanctions

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Make More Happen This Summer at Lander College for Women Online Michael Taylor, 59, and his son Peter, 26, were taken into custody on Tuesday after Japan issued an international arrest warrant. Michael is a longtime veteran of the U.S. Special Forces and ran a lucrative business that extricated people taken hostage or imprisoned. Both men remain in custody while the U.S. negotiates with Japan over their extradition.

Japanese prosecutors claim that the two Taylors played a central role in spiriting Ghosn out of Japan to his native Lebanon. While their role in Ghosn’s escape remains unclear, Japanese police say that the ex-commandos were in the country at the same time as the millionaire’s escape and helped him evade security checks on his way to freedom.

In early May, Turkish police detained seven people who authorities say assisted Ghosn in his escape from house arrest to Beirut. These include four pilots, two flight attendants, and a mid-level manager from a prominent airline.

Ghosn was taken into custody in 2018 and charged with financial misconduct. After months behind bars, he was freed on bail under restrictive conditions. The guidelines mandated that the auto magnate remain under house arrest, without his passport, and could not talk on the phone without police listening.

Yet despite the restrictions, Ghosn disappeared in late December, only to reappear a few days later in his native Beirut. Reports say that he was smuggled out in a large container designed to transport musical instruments and then surreptitiously transported to an Osaka airport, where a private jet was waiting. He was then flown to Turkey, after which he boarded another flight to Lebanon.

In his few media appearances since his dramatic escape, Ghosn has alleged that he had no chance of getting a fair trial by the Japanese justice system.

The United States announced a new round of sanctions against Tehran last Wednesday targeting Iran’s interior minister for “human rights abuses.”

According to the U.S. Treasury, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli had instructed Iranian police to open fire on protesters back in November, resulting in hundreds of casualties – at least 23 of whom were minors.

Other punitive measures by the U.S. targeted officers in Iran’s security and police forces, senior personnel in two prisons, and law enforcement personnel. Each of them had played either a direct or indirect role in the shooting of unarmed demonstrators.

“The United States will continue to hold accountable Iranian officials and institutions that oppress and abuse their own people,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Iran blasted the U.S. for implementing fresh sanctions, with Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Abbas Mousavi calling it a sign of American “failure, weakness, and desperation.”

Thousands of young Iranians had taken to the streets in November to protest a regime they alleged was corrupt and disconnected from the people. The demonstrations soon mushroomed into a full-blown political movement, with demonstrators burning pictures of Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khameini.

After the rallies refused to die down, Fazli allegedly ordered police to open fire on demonstrators, killing hundreds of people.

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NASA Head Resigns Abruptly Doug Loverro, NASA’s head of human spaceflight, resigned only days before two astronauts blast into space for the first time in a decade.

Loverro tended his official resig-

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

nation on Thursday, less than a year into his term. NASA did not reveal what prompted Loverro to step down days before meeting the agency’s goal of resuming manned spaceflights.

However, rumors spoke of a falling out earlier this year between Loverro and his colleagues over an unmentioned experiment. In an email, Loverro wrote that he had “taken this court of action because I judged it necessary to fulfil our mission.

“Now, over the balance of time, it is clear that I made a mistake in that choice for which I alone must bear the consequences,” continued the email.

Loverro had taken up the post in October after rising through the ranks to become a senior official at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Ken Bowersox will replace him as the head of human spaceflight following his resignation.

The study, published in The Review of Economic Studies, presented subjects with questions including “Should I propose?” or “Should I quit my job?” Participants also had the option of asking their own questions. A third party watched as the subjects flipped a coin, with yes and no choices having been previously assigned to each side. Participants were surveyed two months and six months following their coin flip, and while people tended to favor the status quo after the first two months, by the time six months had lapsed participants whose coin flip resulted in them making a major life change were much happier.

Levitt said participants reported that if they had to choose again, they would make the same decision. “A good rule of thumb in decision-making is, whenever you cannot decide what you should do, choose the action that represents a change, rather than continuing the status quo,” he noted.

happen is we’re going to pull out and they’re going to come back and want to make a deal.”

Russia slammed Trump for leaving the accord, charging that the U.S. had imposed onerous demands that made its continuing impossible.

“The conditions the U.S. has presented are absolutely unacceptable...

They are senseless, they are unfounded,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov charged.

The Russian official blamed Trump for “sowing discord and uncertainty among its own allies” and alleged that the U.S. desired “for us to stand at attention and then march in the direction they point.”

The aforementioned treaty is only the latest agreement with Russia that Trump has withdrawn from. Last year, Trump abandoned the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF), a Cold War-era deal that curbed tests of short- to medium-range missiles.

Trump Pulls Out of Open Skies Treaty

CDC: 35% of Corona Patients are Asymptomatic

With a Flip of a Coin

A new study suggests that people who make big decisions on a coin flip are happier when the coin tells them to make a drastic change.

According to University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics, people should actually embrace quitting in their lives. His study indicates that those participants who followed through with their coin flip choices were living happier lives half a year later.

“Society teaches us ‘quitters never win and winners never quit,’ but in reality, the data from my experiment suggests we would all be better off if we did more quitting,” said Levitt in a statement.

President Donald Trump announced that he is pulling the United States out of a treaty designed to reduce military tensions with other countries.

Known as Open Skies, the accord dates back to 1992 and allows the 35 participating countries to perform military flights within one another’s airspace. Under the terms of the deal, the flights must be unarmed and must be coordinated in advance.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump said that the treaty was “useless” due to Russia refusing to commit to the terms despite being a signatory.

“Russia didn’t adhere to the treaty, so until they adhere, we will pull out,” Trump said, adding that he predicted the U.S. leaving Open Skies would force Russia to negotiate.

“There’s a chance we may make a new agreement or do something to put that agreement back together,” Trump said. “I think what’s going to

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly a third of coronavirus patients do not exhibit symptoms. The agency also stated that around 40% of virus transmission occurs before patients feel sick, and that its “best estimate” is that 0.4% of people who exhibit symptoms will have fatal cases of corona.

The CDC said that these estimates are based on data collected before April 29, and that these numbers are subject to change as more is discovered about the virus. The numbers are part of five planning scenarios that “are being used by mathematical modelers throughout the federal government,” according to the CDC. Four scenarios represent “the lower and upper bounds of disease severity and viral transmissibility,” while the fifth scenario is the CDC’s

“current best estimate about viral transmission and disease severity in the United States.” For people age 65 and older, the mortality rate for those experiencing symptomatic COVID is 1.3%; for people 49 and under, that number drops to 0.05%. The CDC also stated the assumption that asymptomatic patients are just as infectious as those with symptoms.

“While most of these numbers are reasonable, the mortality rates shade far too low,” said biologist Carl Bergstrom of the University of Washington, an expert in modeling and computer simulations. “Estimates of the numbers infected in places like NYC are way out of line with these estimates. Let us remember that the number of deaths in NYC right now are far more than we would expect if every adult and child in the city had been infected with a flu-like virus. This is not the flu. It is COVID. “By introducing these as the official parameter sets for modeling efforts, CDC is influencing the models produced by federal agencies, but also the broader scientific discourse because there will be some pressure to use the CDC standard parameter sets in modeling papers going forward,” he said. “Given that these parameter sets underestimate fatality by a substantial margin compared to current scientific consensus, this is deeply problematic.”

The CDC reported that the numbers do not “reflect the impact of any behavioral changes, social distancing, or other interventions,” and that they are merely “intended to advance public health preparedness and planning.

“They are not predictions or estimates of the expected impact of COVID-19.”

Texas Shooting Was Terrorism

The FBI says that it is treating last week’s shooting at a Texas naval base as an act of terrorism.

In the attack, 20-year-old Adam Alsahli from Corpus Christi drove to the entrance of Texas Air Station and

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

opened fire on troops guarding the front gate. After hitting a military policewoman in her Kevlar vest, he accelerated his vehicle and crashed through the barrier. Then, the terrorist exited his car and began shooting until he was killed by security forces. A bomb squad inspected his vehicle but found no traces of explosives.

Now, the FBI says that evidence shows that the attack was likely a case of terrorism. According to agents, the Syrian-born Alsahli had been in contact with known jihadists prior to the attack and was a known adherent of radical Islam.

“We have determined that the incident this morning at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is terrorism-related,” said FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Leah Greeves. “We are working diligently with our state, local, and federal partners on this investigation, which is fluid and evolving.”

Greeves added that agents were determining whether Alsahli had an accomplice but refused to provide additional details. The FBI also searched Alsahli’s home and could be seen on television footage carrying out multiple boxes of evidence.

The attack comes only a few months after Mohammed Alshamrani killed four people after opening fire at Naval Air Station Pensacola, killing four. Alshamrani was a lieutenant in the Saudi air force and had been posted to Pensacola for a threeyear training program. During a search of his cell phone, agents discovered a trove of radical jihadist propaganda that led them to believe that Alshamrani likely carried out the attack for ideological reasons.

Biden Seeks Black Vote

Former Vice President and Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden found himself in hot water for saying that African-Americans voting for President Trump “ain’t

black.”

Biden’s comments came during an interview last Friday with an African-American radio host known as Charlamagne Tha God. During the 18-minute segment, Biden spoke repeatedly about his campaign’s outreach to the black community, citing his landslide wins in heavily African-American states during the primaries.

“I won every single county. I won the largest share of the black vote that anybody had, including Barack,” said Biden, referring to former President Barack Obama. Biden went on to say that his strong support for the African-American community rendered it inconceivable for them to support his rival Donald Trump at the ballot box.

“If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black,” said Biden.

The 77-year-old Democrat’s remarks caused a storm, with Republicans and Democrats alike condemning him for questioning African-Americans’ racial identity. Tim Scott, the only Republican black senator, tweeted that “1.3 million black Americans already voted for Trump in 2016. This morning, Joe Biden told every single one of us we ‘ain’t black.’”

Katrina Pierson, a prominent GOP activist who founded the Black Voices for Trump group, added that Biden “proved what a growing number of black Americans and I have always known: Joe Biden does not deserve our votes.”

Derrick Johnson, who heads the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said that Biden should not “take the African-American vote for granted.”

Stung by the criticism, Biden quickly apologized for his “cavalier” remarks.

“I’ve never, never, ever taken the African-American community for granted,” said Biden. “I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy.”

He added, “No one should have to vote for any party based on their race, their religion, their background.”

Despite the controversy, Biden is expected to earn the support of the overwhelming majority of African-Americans come November.

According to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, 81% of the black community intends to vote for Biden, while only 3% favored Trump.

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

A Prize Painting

Oorah better step up its game.

An Italian woman recently won a Picasso painting worth 1 million euros in a fundraising raffle.

The initiative, “1 Picasso for 100 Euros,” is organized by the Aider Les Autres (Help Others) charity, with the permission of the Picasso Administration. More than 51,100 people participated by buying a ticket for 100 euros ($110) each.

Claudia Borgogno was the lucky winner.

The 1921 oil painting known as “Nature Morte” (Still Life) had been in a private collection in France before this raffle. It is signed by the artist in the top left-hand corner.

“There are so many people who need help around the world. We wanted to make something different to enable lots of people to take part in charity actions,” said Péri Cochin, a French TV host who came up with the idea.

The initiative started in 2013, when a $1 million Picasso drawing “L’Homme au Gibus” (Man with Opera Hat) was raffled off to save an ancient Phoenician city in Lebanon.

All proceeds from the raffle went towards financing two arts and cultural projects in the UNESCO World Heritage city, with 50,000 tickets on sale. Back then, the winner was Jeffrey Gonano, a 25-year-old project manager in a fire sprinkler contracting firm from Wexford, Pennsylvania.

Another raffle is due to take place next year. Word is out that Fiveish is hoping to get in on the action.

Overdressed

An Idaho couple broke a Guinness World Record by teaming up to dress the husband in 32 T-shirts in one

minute.

David Rush, who has broken more than 100 Guinness records to promote STEM education, teamed up with wife Jennifer to break the record for most T-shirts put on in one minute (team of two). In a video of the feat, Jennifer is seen dressing her husband in 32 shirts within 60 seconds – beating the previous record of 31.

“She had a slick motion where she would catch the shirt coming down over the back of my neck and in one swift motion pull it down my back,” David Rush said.

This attempt marked Jennifer Rush’s first official Guinness World Record after previously acting as helping him achieve a world record for fastest time to wrap a person in cling wrap. She did not receive a mention in the official listing.

Sounds like they won this one at the drop of a hat.

Two-Faced Kitten

Last week, Kyla King woke up to find that her pregnant cat had given birth. Part of the litter was a kitten born with an unusual phenomenon.

The new kitten was born with two mouths, two sets of eyes, and two noses. Kittens born with two “faces” are known as Janus cats and are pretty uncommon.

Most Janus cats, though, only live for a day. Kyla’s kitten, which they named Biscuits and Gravy, lasted four days before she passed away on Saturday night.

Kyla tried everything she could to keep her cute kitten alive. She bottle-fed the cat and kept it warm inside her shirt. She even slept in a separate room with the cat.

“It doesn’t really know how to nurse properly because it has two mouths so I’ve been trying to feed it,” Kyla said. “And, I mean, I’m gonna do the best I can, but these animals don’t usually live too long.”

Unfortunately, Biscuits and Gravy only lived a short while. There has been only one known Janus cat that lived way longer than expected: a cat named Frank and Louie lived 15 years until he died in 2014. He was named

the world’s longest surviving Janus cat by The Guinness Book of World Records.

Meow.

College Boy

poked it with a stick. After being bitten, the first symptoms of the venom appeared within a few minutes. The boys’ mother rushed them to the local health center, and they were then transferred to a hospital and released within a few days.

Seems like they learned the hard way that comic books don’t depict real-life scenarios.

Meal Models Thought that your child was smart? This kid is one for the books.

A 13-year-old boy has become the youngest person to ever graduate from a California college after earning four associate’s degrees in two years.

Jack Rico, 13, who enrolled at Fullerton College at age 11, graduated this week in a special drive-by celebration in La Mirada after the traditional graduation ceremony was canceled due to the coronavirus.

According to the college, Rico is the youngest-ever graduate from the school. He had accumulated four associate’s degrees from the school and is now headed to the University of Nevada on a full scholarship.

Rico said he is planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree in history, but he does not expect that to be the end of his education.

“I’m 13, so I don’t want to rush everything,” he said. “I’m still trying to figure it out, but I just want to focus on learning right now. That’s what I love to do.”

Sounds like a real genius.

Spider Silly

Three young Bolivian boys were hospitalized earlier this month when they were stung by a black widow spider while tending goats in a small Bolivian village.

The boys didn’t shy away when they saw the eight-legged arthropod.

Instead, they eagerly approached the spider so it could bite them – hoping that the spider bite would give them Spider-Man-type powers.

The boys, aged 12, 10 and 8, approached the spider on May 14 and

If the diners sitting next to you in your favorite restaurant looked a bit stiff, don’t be too concerned.

As restaurants are complying with coronavirus social distancing requirements, many of them are left with empty tables. Hoping to make their eateries appear fuller, some restaurants are employing mannequins – decked out in the latest fashions – to sit at the empty seats.

In Vilnius, Lithuania, the Cosy restaurant has started the trend.

“Empty tables inside our restaurant look rather odd, and we don’t have any way to remove them,” explained Bernie Ter Braak, the owner of the Cosy restaurant. Braak is credited with creating the initiative with local designer Julija Janus.

“Therefore, we decided to reach out to our neighbors, fashion boutique stores, and invited them to use our empty tables to showcase their newest collections,” the ingenious restaurateur continued. “The news spread, and well-known designers joined this project, which keeps gaining interest across the city.”

More than 60 mannequins modeling local designer’s clothes from 19 boutiques are featured in dozens of restaurants and cafés in the city’s Old Town Glass Quarter. The mayor of Vilnius, Remigijus Šimašius, called the idea “a perfect match of communal spirit and creativity.”

The fashion-forward idea doesn’t just take root in Europe.

In Virginia, a Michelin-starred restaurant began taking a similar approach earlier this month, using mannequins in period costume to liven-up their dining rooms when reopening rules dictated that customers can only be seated outside as eateries were opening back up.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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Community

Over 300 families were served at the JCCRP Shavuos Food Distribution this week. A special thank you to Tag High School for hosting and to the many volunteers for helping out!

YCQ Names, Not Numbers Program

T

he Yeshiva of Central Queens gratefully acknowledges the Names, Not Numbers Program that has taught our students about the Holocaust through the accounts of eyewitnesses, provided them with interviewing, filming and editing skills and, most importantly, enabled meaningful relationships to be forged between the survivors and our students.

Students in the eighth grade are chosen each year to participate in the Names, Not Numbers project. They are placed into groups, and each group is matched with a Holocaust survivor. Throughout the year, the students meet several times with their survivor, learning about their lives before the war, their struggle to survive during the war, how their lives changed after liberation, and about who they are today. Though the Holocaust happened over eighty years ago, the horrors faced continue to haunt the survivors, and as each year passes our opportunities to learn from eyewitnesses to the world’s most horrific tragedy lessens.

This year, students, faculty, administration, parents, and community members joined with the survivors for a Zoom program where a representative from each group spoke about the survivor they interviewed, the experience of what they learned,

and the importance of passing on this knowledge to others. Following the program, guests were invited to view the oral history documentary presentation.

Debra Orenbuch, grandparent of several YCQ students, was interviewed by her grandson, Siggy Oren-

who took her in eventually left her on the steps of a nunnery. They began to raise her as a Christian and kept her safe throughout the war. Her parents survived as well, and when they came to get her, the nuns at first would not give her back but in the end let her choose. She chose her parents.

buch, and his group. She told of her parents leaving her with a Polish woman because the people hiding her parents would not take children and she was not even two. The women

Survivor Jehudah Lindenblatt, from Budapest, Hungary, grew up in an Orthodox home. When the Nazis came, he was given a yellow start to wear. His mom always defended her

faith. She sold her wedding ring to buy a ham to feed her children, but she would not eat it. Though they had papers that said Christian, that did not always keep them safe. After the war, Jehudah went to Israel and then came to the U.S. Each survivor has a story so different in physical detail, yet so much the same. The fear they faced at every moment, the struggle with faith and trust, the physical suffering and humiliation, the loss of loved ones, and the strength it took to step out of the ashes of a broken past and rebuild needs to be shared over and over so the world never forgets and so that the strength and courage it took to survive will never be forgotten.

Mrs. Tova Rosenberg, creator of the Names, Not Numbers project, has made it her passion to document these stories. In its 16th year, with over 2,500 survivors being interviewed and over 6,000 students participating, the message that she continues to get across is “how important it is that, we learn, remember and use these tools to combat anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and intolerance.” Through her work with this project, she is creating personal connections between students and survivors, while keeping “the heart and spirit of individual eyewitnesses” alive.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

! y il m fa e r ti n e e th r fo New titles ַ Mattos ‫מּטֹות‬ rs Parashah Pointe

NEW Sefer Bamidbar!

to all shevet and then nesi’im of each (promises) to the the laws of nedarim Moshe teaches people. the rest of the Jewish shevet. war against Midian. soldiers from each Moshe to go to 1,000 tells , soldiers Hashem

take army of 12,000 and trumpets to Jews to raise an him the Aron, Tzitz, Moshe tells the soldiers, and gives Pinchas with the Moshe sends also kill five kings. They Midian and their to the battle. all the men of the war! They kill The Jews win the war. their cities. in Midian during and burn down Bilaam, who was Midian of from and animals when they return take the wealth meet the army Many The soldiers of all the shevatim allowed to live. and the nesi’im te women were evil Moshe, Elazar, of the evil Midiani Moshe said these is upset that some Parashas Balak).

Midian. Moshe die (see end of Jews to sin and of them had caused they Mishkan area unless be killed. not to enter the Midianites should are tamei meis the soldiers who Adumah.

Moshe warns dishes, and cups ashes of the Parah pans, the pots, using the metal become tahor kasher (make kosher) into a mikveh before the Jews how to to put these items Elazar teaches He also tells them d from Midian. go they had capture the booty should says that half of g using them. and people. Moshe Jews. The survivin d many animals to the rest of the The Jews capture half should go , and the other soldiers Jewish the to To show servants. their soldiers died. that not one of Midianites will be Hashem to l . nders are thankfu of gold for the Mishkan The Jewish comma give an extra gift a lot of sheep nders have They . comma with a request their gratitude, the two come to Moshe and cattle. These of Gad and Reuven for raising sheep The shevatim and Og are good the lands of Sichon into Eretz Yisrael. and cattle, and This there, and not go will stay behind? they want to settle to fight and you shevatim tell Moshe brothers are going you doing this?”

He tells them: “Your Yisrael. Why are Moshe is upset. conquer from going to Eretz They will fight to Jews the River. age Yarden the will discour land is certainly will cross them until the answer that they They will stay with . they The shevatim where shevatim Yarden, r with the other on this side of the Eretz Yisrael togethe flocks and families will leave their divided. But they and fight to Eretz Yisrael the rest of the Jews want to settle down. and agree to go with Moshe tells Elazar them that if they of Sichon and Og. they lands the lands Moshe tells Reuven the then they can have to give Gad and together with them, He commands them Eretz Yisrael. the agreement. wars to conquer Yehoshua about and fight in the on the east side to their agreement conquer more land want, if they keep of Menashe’s families build cities. Two Gad and Reuven them to live in. of the Yarden for

Y PARASHAH 150 THE WEEKL

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fa F a m i l y Ed i ti on

THE

Weekly Parashah An illustrated retelling of the Chumash with Midrash

SEFER BAMIDBAR

This picture is not drawn to scale.

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Ja f he

THE WEEKLY PARAS

HAH

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The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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Around the Community

Yom Yerushalayim at Shulamith

DRS administrators visited every senior and delivered graduation lawn signs and muffins this week

A Virtual Shabbos Party

T

his past Friday, the 28th of Iyar, we celebrated the 53rd anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem at Shulamith School for Girls. After Hallel and a meaningful ceremony in the morning, in a perfectly orchestrated, safe setting, teachers, principals and administrators lined up behind tables at safe distances, with masks and gloves, as our families’ cars passed through the aisle formed and the staff waved and greeted the children with brightly colored signs in hand. Cars passed through a festive archway of blue and white balloons. A fun gift of sidewalk chalk, as well as a blue and white cookie with a smiley face and blue and white lollipop, was given to each child in the car! A beautiful poem called “Color-Me-Yerushalayim” issued a challenge to color a picture of Yerushalayim and submit a photo!

Kudos to everyone who helped make this dream a reality.

One parent described the amazing feelings generated by the event as follows: “There are no words for what we just experienced at the Yom Yerushalayim parade. Our family has been a part of the Shulamith family for 10 years. We have four daughters in the school. We have attended many, many

school events over the years. Today was l’maaleh min ha’tevah. There was no Mordechai Shapiro concert. Shimi Adar wasn’t there pumping up the girls. There was no world renowned speaker. No pomp, no circumstance.

Simply a school parking lot filled with women who educate, love and nurture our daughters. Women who have led a school through a most difficult, trying and challenging time. Women who show up every day, sometimes with babies hanging off their hips, and teach our girls with positivity, excitement and understanding.

“Driving through the parking lot today had a lot of parents crying. They were tears of joy for choosing a school that was able to convey such a strong sense of love and achdut, simply by showing up and waving. The presence of so many staff members who uttered three simple words: We miss you. There was such a strong sense of loss that many of us felt because of the time we have lost of actually being in school. But what was especially overwhelming was the enormous sense of gratitude, appreciation and love that was felt by parents and students. Thankfully the parade was held outdoors – the building wasn’t big enough to contain all the love that was expressed today.”

A

Shabbos party during a pandemic, how can that be?

GiftofUnity organized an amazing way to make Shabbos special during this difficult time!

100+ candy bags were distributed throughout the Five Towns and Far Rockaway. Then, on Zoom, Rabbi Tzachi Diamond and Rabbi Nafi Orlofsky led the fun Virtual Shabbos Party!

A few songs, a captivating story and delicious candies is a great recipe for any Shabbos Party. Rabbi Diamond led the children in saying brachos – which was all in the merit

of a refuah shleimah for Chaya Esther Yitta Bas Faiga Dena, amongst all the cholei Yisroel.

Giftofunity looks forward to an even bigger Shabbos Party next time!

GiftofUnity is an organization that focuses on uniting Jews. The goal is to give a gift that will enable one Jew to feel recognized and love by another. “Giving creates Love and Love creates Unity.” If you would like to get involved or have suggestion,s please email Giftofunity@ gmail.com or call 516-524-8479.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

‫חגיגת יום ירושלים תש"פ‬

THANK

YOU

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

SHULAMITH

FOR

S OUR FAMILIES!

COMING!

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Yom Yerushalayim at HAFTR

I

t was a busy week at HAFTR, getting ready to celebrate Yom Yerushalayim!

Students at HAFTR Early Childhood learned the significance of the day. Early Childhood Hebrew teacher Morah Yael held a Zoom session in Ivrit for the yeladim and yeladot to learn about how Yerushalayim is the most special place in the world. Afterward, they each made their own drawing of themselves at the Kotel which included a note to place in the crevice saying what they would daven for.

HAFTR Lower School held a slew of events on Thursday and Friday celebrating the 53rd anniversary of the reunification. Special tefillot were recited, and activities held.

On Thursday, Early Childhood through 5th grade joined together for a live tour of the Old City with tour guide Tzvi Saat. Kindergarten then had their own special activity learning about all the Gates of the Old City with Principal Ms. Joy Hammer. Fifth grade closed the day with a tour all around Israel with tour guide Rabbi Tzvi Weiser.

Friday morning began with schoolwide davening in Lower School, including a special musical Hallel led by Rabbi Schwab and Rabbi Weiss. Assistant Principal Ms. Tova Zucker ran a beautiful program reminding the children about why this day is meaningful, which was followed by a video compilation of students performing a daglanut. Rabbi Feigenbaum then ran his usual Friday morning Oneg, but with a Yom Yerushalayim edition.

Over 200 families were signed on the Zoom in anticipation of being picked to play along with him! The lucky families were chosen play an interactive

SKA’s senior class may not be physically together but school spirit is still there!

Mazel tov to our 2020 graduates who each received a sign to place on their lawns.

Family Feud with questions about Yerushalayim.

HAFTR Middle School 6th grade students in Mrs. Shachi’s class wrote notes to “put” in the Kotel, starting with the writing prompt, ratziti levakesh, what I want to ask for. Responses included peace in the world, an end to coronavirus, and more personal messages as well.

Seventh grade students in Mrs. Rabinovich’s Hebrew class learned a story about the Kotel and created their own 3D models to accompany the lesson. The Middle School choir joined together with a beautifully haunting rendition of Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, which can be seen on HAFTR’s Instagram account, @haftrschool.

Also on HAFTR’s Instagram is a beautiful video celebrating many HAFTR families’ memories from Yerushalayim and Israel.

Although we are still apart, it is even more meaningful to celebrate together. We hope to be together in person very soon!

L’shana habah b’Yerushalayim!

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Hundreds Join Yachad’s Virtual Family Week-Long “Shabbaton”

T

he Orthodox Union’s (OU) Yachad, the leading group for individuals with disabilities in the Orthodox community, has taken its annual Family “Shabbaton” online in order to allow participants to experience the program’s unity and support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Where the program would traditionally be an in-person retreat for families, the event has been turned into a week-long virtual conference with the same inspiring speakers who would have been at the weekend event.

Yachad has already been offering digital and virtual options to its members through Yachad On Demand and a partnership with the Sruly App and Moxtra. The Sruly team created a safe and secure app for individuals with developmental disabilities to connect with Yachad staff and to foster meaningful personal relationships with pre-assigned “buddies” during these times when they cannot be together in person.

By going virtual, the Shabbaton expands upon the avenues of impact Yachad is able to utilize for helping individuals with special needs throughout this time of isolation and uncertainty, and where the annual in-person event is more limited based on geography and ability to travel, the online program allows Yachad families from around the globe to attend the sessions. The format also allowed those interested in joining for a specific session to do so without committing to joining the full multi-evening program.

Presenters included Yachad International Director Avrohom Adler; OU Incoming Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer; Charlie Harary; Dr. Eli Shapiro; Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb; Rabbi Michael Taubes; Rabbi Shay Schachter; Dr. Izzy Klein; Dr. Eric Fier; Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman; Michelle Steinhart; Tobey Lass-Karpel; Shira Wiesenberg; Sara Cooperman; Yakira Begun; Chani Herrmann; Jack Gourdji, and comedian Eli Lebowicz.

“Yachad has a rich history of bringing best-in-class inclusive programming to the Jewish community.

By working together, their team was able to adapt this annual program which so many families with children with disabilities look forward to attending,” said Orthodox Union President Moishe Bane.

“While we all feel the impact of social distancing, it is particularly challenging for those with special needs who heavily rely upon in-person connections and looked forward to this annual event,” said Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Allen Fagin.

“Yachad’s virtual family Shabbaton offers them the aspects of the program they look forward to in a manner consistent with keeping each and every participant safe during these turbulent times.”

“The special needs community has been impacted tremendously by social distancing requirements,” said Yachad International Director Avrohom Adler. “For so many of our families, this virtual event served as a reminder that we are not alone and are here to inspire each other.”

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

TOURO’S LANDER COLLEGE GRADUATES DO MORE. LEARN MORE. ACHIEVE MORE.

Congratulations to Our Class of 2020

Best wishes to our graduates at Touro’s Lander College of Arts & Sciences (Men’s and Women’s Divisions), Lander College for Men and Lander College for Women as they pursue careers in a wide range of professions including health sciences, medicine, dentistry, law, psychology, computer science, engineering, accounting and speech-language pathology. To learn more visit www.touro.edu

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

BBY Responds to the Needs of the Far Rockaway and Five Towns Communities 4 Truckloads 1,015 Boxes 730 Families 3,300 Children 16 Volunteers

B

nos Bais Yaakov of Far Rockaway recognized the position that many families in the community find themselves in during the current situation.

Many are facing significant hardship that impacts a family’s ability to provide three healthy meals for their children every day. Under the leadership and direction of the school’s Trustees and Executive Committee, BBY’s executive staff is spearheading the coordination of a free weekly

food distribution program.

The program provides breakfast and lunch free of charge to all children in Far Rockaway and the Five

Town communities regardless of income status.

Thank you, Senator Joe Addabbo, Councilwoman Stacey Pheffer Am-

ato, Mr. Yoni Dembitzer, and Rabbi Mosey Kaplan for helping to arrange this wonderful program.

MTA Launches New Career Development Program

I

n an effort to help talmidim explore various career paths, MTA recently launched a weekly workshop series entitled “What Do People Do All Day?” Through the series, talmidim learn about different careers from successful and inspiring speakers who are leaders in their fields. The series aims to inspire talmidim to discover the professions that best match their skills and interests and provides them with a unique

opportunity to learn from experts in these sectors.

“Think back to your teenage and even your college years – the career paths you considered were likely constrained by your immediate experience. For the students, hearing an inspiring speaker might spark interest in a career they might otherwise never have considered,” said MTA parent Clive Lipshitz, who originated the program.

The first wave of speakers includes MTA parent Gedaliah Friedenberg, a Lead Engineer at Facebook; Greg Zuckerman, best-selling author and Special Writer for the Wall Street Journal; Ahron Herring, Chief Investment Officer at Yeshiva University; Michael Eisenberg, a leading venture capitalist in Israel; and Dr. Joel Finkelstein, a computational neuroscientist and visiting fellow at Princeton University.

“One of the main goals of our yeshiva is to build a strong foundation for our talmidim on which they will build their futures,” said MTA Head of School Rabbi Joshua Kahn. “This program provides the ultimate platform for our talmidim to research the career paths that interest them and gain valuable first-hand knowledge of what careers in their desired fields actually look like.”

Dr. Shoshannah D. Frydman Appointed to COVID-19 Response Group

A

s there is increased concern for victims of family violence that are sheltering in place with their abuser, Shalom Task Force’s Executive Director Dr. Shoshannah D. Frydman has been appointed to the Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) COVID-19 Response Group. The Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) has convened a COVID-19 Response Work Group to identify challenges in serving survivors of domestic and gender-based

violence, coordinate public awareness efforts and highlight best practices.

The group is made up of 20 providers representing multi-disciplinary services for survivors across the City. Participants will include providers serving culturally specific populations from community-based organizations. Dr. Frydman is extremely honored to be invited to participate in this response group.

“Having worked with victims of domestic violence int New York City for most of my professional career, it

is my privilege to be invited to be a part of the ENDGBV COVID-19 Response Group. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues in the field and city officials and with Councilmember Helen Rosenthal to ensure all victims of domestic violence in New York City are protected and safe during and after the pandemic.”

Shalom Task Force remains on the forefront of the Jewish community’s response to domestic violence.

Since the COVID-19 Crisis started, all Shalom Task Force services remain available to those in need. The

confidential anonymous hotline is available at 718-337-3700 or 888883-2323 (toll free).

Sarah’s Voice, Shalom Task Force’s legal department, is now offering email and text options for victims to safely reach out. They can be emailed at legalintake@shalomtaskforce.org or call/text (347) 592-2124.

Visit the COVID website for more information and resources at https://www.shalomtaskforce.org/ covid-19-resources.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

Around the Community ‫בסיעתא דשמיא‬

Recognizing the heroic service of our fallen war heroes, the Village of Lawrence placed a wreath in Zion Memorial Park on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.

Pictured here with Mayor Alex H. Edelman are Deputy Mayor Michael Fragin, Trustee Syma Diamond, American Legion Commander Syd Mandelbaum, Lawrence Association President Paris Popack, and Village Administrator Ronald Goldman.

Inspiration Continues at Shevach HS

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hevach High School has been moving forward consistently with remote learning and even enrichment during these trying times. Under the leadership of Shevach principal Rebbetzin Rochelle Hirtz and her dedicated staff, the students were logging on to their classes, with almost perfect attendance, immediately after schools closed in the New York area. Teachers went beyond their responsibilities to reach each and every student at the right time and guarantee that her learning would go on uninterrupted.

In continuation of an ongoing popular program coordinated by Associate Principal Mrs. Miriam Krohn, every Friday morning prior to their regular classes, the students hear words of inspiration gleaned from the talent of the Jewish community. On May 8, the students were fortunate to hear Mrs. Faige Kramer, chair of the math department at Bais Yaakov of Baltimore, who spoke from the heart about the ability to see that Hashem is with us throughout these turbulent times. He opens the door for us, as it were, to come

closer to Him. We have to come out stronger on the other side, she said. There is more time to daven, more time for Tehillim and for other forms of growth that we can sign on to with the extra time we have.

On May 15, Mrs. Chaviva Pfeiffer, a favorite teacher and mechaneches at Bais Yaakov of Queens, spoke about the bracha and simcha that we are each meant to have. Sometimes we get that now, and sometimes later, but Hashem has a plan of when to give it to each one of us, in the right time. As much as we think we are in control, in essence we are all in His hands throughout our lives. She infused her talk with anecdotes and stories that brought home the points she made.

It is everyone’s hope that by September all will be back in the Shevach building to take on the new year. In the meantime, as this school year draws to a close, the students of Shevach High School can celebrate a year of growth, both in the real classrooms and the virtual ones.

The resilience of both students and staff has proven to be a great asset in these unusual circumstances.

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Limud HaTorah as Strong as Ever in Belle Harbor

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ven under the current Covid-19 conditions the hasmada and commitment to

shmiras hasedarim at Mercaz HaTorah of Belle Harbor has been very strong. In addition to learning three

teleconference sedarim and chavrusos each day, many bochurim have taken on extra learning including a late night bekiyus shiur, weekly shmussen with the Rosh Yeshiva, and extra learning between seder.

Many rebbeim have commented that they see that the bochurim have

grown tremendously and had aliyah in learning even as they are not in the yeshiva building. As strong as the learning has been, however, bochurim and rebbeim are eagerly awaiting to once again learn together in the yeshiva’s beis medrash.

OHEL Delivers Crisis Response with Compassion

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s the COVID-19 pandemic persists, individuals of all ages are left feeling isolated, helpless, and looking for support like never before. Despite the resiliency of the human spirit, this “new normal” is taking its toll on countless members of our community – family members, neighbors, friends and colleagues.

Thousands of individuals have turned to OHEL for care, comfort, and mental health services, and OHEL continues to be the central address for the heavy lifting necessary to support the community during these trying times.

The OHEL ACCESS line has been ringing consistently with urgent requests to actively and directly aid with domestic violence, anxiety, caregiving for individuals with disabilities and older adults, coping, loss and grief.

OHEL’s numbers tell a story of impact, compassion and care. OHEL’s immediate March launch of “TheraZoom,” a hub for tele-mental health services to anyone in need, has impacted the lives of countless children, adults and older adults with over 8,000 tele-mental health sessions offered to 1,250 individuals. There have

been 75 TheraZoom Webinars and Support Groups with over 5,000 participants, 30+ programs (concerts, magics shows, kumsitzs, and game shows) with over 5,000 children and adults with disabilities and their families, 20 special direct service virtual sessions with OHEL DayHab clients, and over 32,000 masks and other PPE equipment distributed to 450 OHEL Direct Support Professionals who lovingly provide care 24/7 to 500 OHEL residents.

The obstacles have been significant, with trauma emerging from an entire shift in communal life...an inability to bury and adequately mourn the loss of a loved one, the interruption in simchas planned, reimagined celebrations and the subsequent disappointment, persistent demands from parents as they navigate daily childcare while managing a profession, lack of support, and beyond.

OHEL has been there, with love and compassion freely given, and will continue to help individuals face each obstacle day to day...attending to the needs of each individual who reaches out and providing easily accessible resources to those who do not.

The uncertainty of what the summer will bring looms over parents and professionals who face the unknown with their livelihood at stake. Summer camp has been a mainstay of the American Jewish experience for two months a year; many have already said they can’t run this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to publish guidelines for summer camp operations; however, the fear has set in as families wait for answers. Secondarily, the profound concern over a second wave of infection presents fear, and, without a roadmap, families are faced with a sense of desperation. OHEL will develop ways to support these newly-developing struggles into the coming months, as the situation develops and as we all adapt to the new normal.

If you or someone you know can benefit from OHEL’s many supportive services during this challenging time, visit www.ohelfamily.org/covid19 or call us today at 800-603-OHEL. To help elevate someone’s life today, please visit: https://www.ohelfamily. org/donate.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

Around the Community ‫בסיעתא דשמיא‬

SKA Chemistry Award

C

ongratulations to SKA student Alyssa Dachs on receiving an award for outstanding school achievement in high school chemistry from the American Chemical Society! Special thanks to SKA Science Department Head Dr. Chana Glatt for her support.

Cholent and Good Cheer

A HISTORICAL MOMENT, TWELVE YEARS IN THE MAKING: TEHILLIM KOLLEL MARKS THE BEGINNING OF

Jacob Fish of Woodmere with Rabbi Friedler

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he name Hebrew Academy of Nassau County High School might imply a student body limited to the boundaries of a small area in that county. In fact, though, HANC HS prides itself in an enrollment of students hailing from Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties. But the distance does not stop HANC teachers and students from connecting, as can be evident from the recent excursions of one dedicated rebbe across the three counties.

On two consecutive Fridays, Rabbi Aharon Friedler took to the road to visit his students at their homes.

Not being content to just meet with his students in person for the first time since the initiation of online distance learning, Rabbi Friedler wanted to simulate a real Friday morning at HANC HS. For many years, Rabbi Friedler has treated his students to an occasional Friday morning pareve cholent l’kavod the upcoming Shabbat Kodesh. Reaction to this tradition and the excitement it generates is high enough that it has become one of the top items bid for at the annual Chanukah auction. But how to serve a pip-

ing hot cholent while on the road for over six hours required a little bit of creativity. Rabbi Friedler connected his car battery to an inverter, allowing him to plug the cholent into a regular outlet. From Forest Hills in the east to Dix Hills 35 miles to the west, from King’s Point on the North Shore to Cedarhurst on the South Shore, and with West Hempstead and Plainview in the center, Rabbi Friedler replicated the Erev Shabbat Kodesh atmosphere of HANC High School.

His students (and quite a few parents) enjoyed the treat and experienced the tradition of to’ameha – tasting the beauty of Shabbat before sunset.

The experience could best be summed up by one parent who exclaimed, “I’m not sure if my son will remember thirty years from now what he learned during those online learning months. But one thing is for sure – he will always remember that Friday morning cholent brought to his house by his rebbe.”

This is but one of many acts of the HANC faculty that demonstrates the concern and care for the HANC family.

Writing The Oisioys Of Sefer Tehillim On Klaf

718.705.7174 INFO@TEHILLIMKOLLEL.ORG WWW.TEHILLIMKOLLEL.ORG

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Gan Chamesh’s Pre-Shavuos Drive-By

The tree in front of Steven and Esther Mochan’s home held a bird’s nest with baby birds and the mother bird. The type of bird nesting in the tree was one that was allowed to be used for the rare opportunity of performing the special mitzvah of shiluach hakan. Shown here are Avi Lloyd performing the mitzvah this week with his wife Tracy and their family.

May we all be zocheh to arichus yomim tovim, and may Hashem send refuos and yeshuos for all of K’lal Yisroel.

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an Chamesh students and their families came out in droves for a drive-by that celebrated Rosh Chodesh Sivan and the upcoming holiday of Shavuos.

Archways of balloons, an elaborate banner, and the upbeat music of Gary Wallin contributed to the

festive atmosphere. The children were thrilled to receive a “Shavuos in a Bag” kit along with a delicious ice cream treat. The excitement in the air was palpable, and the warmth of Gan Chamesh was felt by one and all.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and meaningful yom tov!

OHEL Creatively Supports Jewish Youth, One Smile at a Time

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he Smile Club is a groundbreaking, smile-inducing initiative designed to elevate the lives of the other heroes facing the current COVID-19 pandemic… the children.

This program was developed and customized by OHEL Children’s Services Department in collaboration with Sara Younger, owner of Summer Playland Entertainment Corp. The program utilizes the evidence-based disaster module of Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) and has made great strides in supporting children and professionals in this crisis.

“Just like it is important to support young children’s physical needs, addressing the emotional health of a child during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial,” says Tzivy Reiter, OHEL’s Director of Children’s Services. Children often lack the tools in their emotional toolbox to adjust to this new “shelter in place” existence. OHEL recognized the need to develop a safe, smiling space for children to be “free” as they would on the school playground.

A team of licensed OHEL Mental Health professionals moderate this innovative program while Sara Younger, a tutu-wearing, charis-

matic motivator, facilitates innovative programming. Her mission is to make the world a happier, more colorful, more loving place, one life at a time...a vision that aligns perfectly with OHEL’s commitment to protect and strengthen individuals and families by meeting the diverse needs of the community through programs of excellence.

Picture a screen of smiling young faces experiencing a virtual playground, only being asked to laugh, dance, stretch, and virtually connect with other children. With two cohorts already in place – Preschool (ages 3-5), Elementary (ages 6-11), and a third planned program for middle school students coming soon – this weekly program inspires carefree joy in a time of stress and concern, while helping children develop critical skills such as emotion regulation and problem solving. Remaining happy and strong in this health crisis is a major challenge for children; they miss their friends, freedom and the structure they once knew. The OHEL Smile Club actively delivers tools for young children and their educators to remain positive and optimistic that life will return to the normal they once knew.

This fun, interactive program is resilience building in disguise and serves as yet another resource in OHEL’s arsenal of supporting communal needs at this critical time.

To date, hundreds of children have participated in each of the sessions and OHEL is now extending the program through June and expanding the program to include Smile Club Junior aimed at programming for pre-schoolers.

Whether it is a program like the Smile Club, countless webinars to provide coping strategies, or accessing the COVID-19 Time Capsule that transforms family time into productive healing, OHEL Children’s Home & Family Services evaluates and addresses the unmet mental health needs of individuals of all

ages. The sky has always been the limit at OHEL, and as the pandemic evolves, along with the diverse needs of clients (new and existing), OHEL will lend a smile, a helping hand and a strong arm of support at all times.

There is no cost for children to join the Smile Club, and we know we all want to keep them smiling!

If you would like to learn more about the OHEL Smile Club, the schedule and handouts, visit www. ohelfamily/COVID19/smileclub. If you or someone you know can benefit from OHEL’s many supportive services during this challenging time, visit www.ohelfamily.org/ covid19 or call us today at 800603-OHEL.

Did you know?

At one point, the Austrian Postal Service sold cheesecake-flavored postage stamps

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

HALB celebrates Yom Yerushalayim with an awesome Drive-Thru event!

In honor of Rabbi Dovid Sitnick, ‫שליט"א‬,, Menahel

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

At Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s second grade pre-Shavuos package drive-thru

12 Years Without a Single Break

A

s we approach the yom tov of Shavuos, the yahrtzeit of Dovid Hamelech, Tehillim Kollel marks an incredible milestone: 12 years of continuous, uninterrupted recitation of Tehillim. The beautiful, heartfelt words have shined their light into the homes and hearts of countless, with far-reaching influence across the Jewish world.

There is no doubt that over the past 12 years, Tehillim Kollel has been transformed into a globally-recognized powerhouse for awakening Rachamei Shumayaim through tefillas ha’rabim! Tehillim Kollel has been the facilitator of an abundance of shefa, bracha, and mazal tov for Klal Yisroel. After all, it is well-known that the sweet songs of Dovid HaMelech have the power to bring yeshuos for all, whether it is said in beseech of children, livelihood, shidduchim, or any other request.

For 12 years, 365 days a year, 7 days a week, in the wee hours of the

morning while the rest of the world still slumbers, the chashuve members of Tehillim Kollel leave their homes and head to mekomos kedoshim, their minds focused on the awesome and lofty mission they have been entrusted with. The locations, which range from the Dinub Bais Medrash in Williamsburg, to the zion of the gaon in Satmar, to Meron at the kever of the heilige tanna Rashbi, to the individual batei medrashim of the shlichim all over the word that have been elevated by the daily recitation of Tehillim Kollel. The chashuve members recite the perakim with strong kavannah and fervent emotion, day after day, storming the heavens on behalf of Klal Yisroel.

The World Runs on Tehillim Over the past few months, and the deadly and fearsome virus has spread its reach, the daily minyanim of Tehillim Kollel has been forced to be put on suspension. However, through it all,

not a single day has been missed in the daily recitation, as members turn the rooms of their homes into a private, kedusha-filled corner of Tehillim. The power of the words of Dovid haMelech have not been stopped from reaching the heavens. Even while shuls, yeshivos, and shteiblach have been forced to shutter their doors, and the Jewish world has been shrouded in sorrow and seclusion, the powerful voice of Tehillim has kept going strong, with not a single day being missed thanks to the hundreds of members enrolled!

The precise, efficient system of Tehillim Kollel means that, even while apart, every member remains connected to the whole, reciting their Tehillim day-in, da- out, whether or not they are able to access their minyanim. Twelve years have gone by without a missed day, and that remains true even now!

Indeed, the power of Tehillim, which has for time immemorial brought Jews closer together, is felt

even stronger now. Tehillim Kollel has inspired enthusiasm, and an uplifting of the soul, as Jews share stories of joyous news, miraculous salvations, and Divine assistance. The fountain of bracha that has accompanied Jews for thousands of years continues to be profoundly influential for every member of Klal Yisroel.

It is not without reason that Tehillim Kollel has garnered such a strong reputation within every sect of our nation. Our dear Jewish brethren know and feel that it is the constant emissaries saying Tehillim, who ask for the needs of the entire Klal Yisrael with warmth and connection to Hashem, that the age-old segulah of Tehillim is able to profoundly affect us every day. It is our honor and privilege to bring salvation to each other as Jews through the awe-inspiring words of Dovid Hamelech.

May we be zoche to see the final Salvation speedily in our days, thanks to the words of Dovid ben Yishai!

TMM Shabbaton Uplifts & Inspires

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Shabbaton during lockdown, you’re wondering? Well, leave it to the creative minds at TMM to pull it off!

This week, TMM hosted a very unique Shabbaton titled, “The Power of ONE.” The fun started on Thursday with a drive-through “Toameha” where girls drove up to school to receive some kugel and cholent. Every girl also received some special nosh to enjoy over Shabbos.

Then followed an entire evening

of activities, beginning with the theme song presentation. The girls were privileged to be addressed live by the renowned Rabbi Yoel Gold on the topic of “The Power Of One Yid” and then played a game of “Which ONE,” in which teachers competed to identify students who were wearing masks. A live cooking show followed and then a workshop just for seniors.

Friday was also chockfull of activities and presentations. The girls sang the theme song together, and

then the inimitable Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson addressed them live on the topic of “Together As One.” A roundtable composed of two seniors, two juniors, and two sophomores followed.

Then we watched an inspirational short about “The Growler,” a nuclear bomb carrying submarine from the Cold War. As Shabbos approached, the girls viewed a “Rabbis’ Panel” discussion and were addressed by our very own Menaheles, Mrs. Chaya Gornish.

On Motzei Shabbos, the girls played another round of “Which One.” This time, students had to identify teachers’ voices. The girls then watched a moving and singing drama. Finally, Rabbi Gornish gave closing remarks after which the girls broke into an impromptu kumzitz.

“I had an amazing time,” says one student. “Rabbi Gold and Rabbi Jacobson were amazing, and the achdus was so strong. It really felt almost as if we were all together.”

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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HALB Provides Blended and Personalized Learning Over Zoom By: Rabbi Adam Englander, Head of School, & Mr. Richard Altabe, Lower School Principal

W

ith the Covid-19 global pandemic, our schools have faced the tremendous challenge of reaching students remotely. Among the many aspects of this transition have been training and onboarding staff, planning instruction, technical setup for teachers and students, keeping students on-task at home, and parents managing multiple children of varying age groups in one home. The list is never ending.

In many schools, kids are spending hours a day on Zoom, the video conferencing software, hoping to recreate the school experience while recognizing the unfortunate qualitative difference between video and actually being in the classroom.

While HALB Elementary School found itself in the same position, it has leveraged its Blended Learning program to go remote and provide the quality education already established in the school. For the last seven years, the school has implemented this model emphasizing instructional computer programs, data-driven decision-making, and small group instruction to provide an individualized education. When concerns about the virus started to appear and officials were discussing closures, we knew we were ripe to successfully transition to remote learning and still provide the quality education expected of us.

Like many schools in the area, right after Purim, HALB declared two professional development days to prepare for the potential closure.

However, as Mr. David Marks, Director of Education Analytics and Blended Learning, said, “In the beginning of March, the administration had already met regarding going remote, and we understood early on that, with some dynamic planning, we already had a strong foundation to succeed.”

Two days after those training days, HALB@Home was launched with a centralized website acting as a hub and teachers ready for the challenge.

In the blended classroom, students participate in rotations, where half of the students independently use individualized instructional software while the other half participate in

small group instruction. After the lesson is over, usually about 20 minutes, the student “rotates” from computers to small groups, and the teacher works with the new group. At its core, the blended learning model seeks to promote small group instruction as it has been proven to have a significant positive impact on student achievement.

In small groups, students are able to receive differentiated instruction, corrective feedback and are pushed to engage in classwork as they cannot “hide in the back of the room.” In a typical HALB general studies classroom, students are split into groups of no more than six based on academic needs.

Working in close proximity with their students, teachers are effortlessly able to check for understanding and modify instruction. Since its implementation, the school has tracked a significant improvement on the NWEA MAP assessment as well as state tests.

Initially, when HALB@Home started, students were receiving between 45 to 60 minutes of instruction in Limudei Kodesh and in General Studies, but teachers and administrators quickly became concerned that students were not engaged enough in classwork. As they were sitting with 25 of their peers on a video call, some looked disinterested while others appeared distracted. To provide an adequate educational experience, active student engagement was key. While there was no substitute for human contact, it became clear that moving to small groups would raise the quality of the live sessions. Planning, piloting, and implementation followed. Mrs.

Dahlia Augenbaum, the third grade general studies teacher who piloted the concept, said, “I was eager to move to small group instruction because it enabled me to meet the needs of all the students.” The difference was immediately noticed as students were engaged with their work and asking more questions. “Since moving to small group instruction,” Mrs. Augenbaum noted. “I find that each child is given an opportunity to talk and share his knowledge during a session. Furthermore, I am really able to check for understanding in a way I couldn’t when teaching a whole class over Zoom.”

Every General Studies teacher has now implemented small group instruction and used the “breakout room” feature to reduce group size. In the breakout rooms, Learning Center teachers are also deployed to ensure that even the students struggling the most are reached. Over the ensuing weeks, HALB expanded small group instruction to Limudei Kodesh. The first grade rabbeim and morot are teaching kriah in small groups, while in other grades they have set up tutorial groups. Learning Center teachers are supporting student learning in Limudei Kodesh as well. “ “I am extremely pleased as to how seamlessly our academic supports have transitioned to our online distance learning and enabled even our struggling students to succeed on Zoom,” said Mrs. Lisa Hecht, Director of HALB Learning Center, Grades 1-5. With small groups, the school has been able to provide a quality personalized education, not only keeping stu-

dents engaging with school, but actually continuing their learning.

The other aspect of the blended learning model is the computer programs. The applications used provide individualized instruction so that students move at their own level and pace. The programs are intended to provide substantive work with the goal for students to be working on skills they are ready to develop to ensure ongoing growth. Through custom reports, HALB uses the data generated by the programs to monitor student progress and ensure they do not fall through the cracks. When work is individualized, students are constantly in, what educators call, the “Zone of Proximal Development,” continuously pushing themselves to learn. However, Mr. Marks noted, “students are going to get stuck when they struggle.

It is a feature, not a bug. So through our Blended Learning Support program, we provide instructional support to all students when they need it. All students get this regardless of ability.”

For the last three years, the blended learning team has been providing one on one instruction when students get stuck on an activity on their digital programs. Furthermore, support is provided during the student’s computer time, without disruption to the regular schedule. For example, if a student is stuck on the “silent E rule,” an instructor will provide the relevant instruction the student needs. Between appointments and walk-ins, 5070 students received support daily. By March, 95% of students at one point or another during the academic year had received an appointment with the blended learning support team.

As HALB transitioned to remote learning, it was clear that the independent computer work was going to play a key role. The first step was to make sure students were able to log on to their programs and resolve any technical difficulties. The support team fielded more than a hundred phone calls and emails as students were using different devices in their homes.

Then the team went back to the drawing board to determine the logistics of providing students with support.

They piloted the concept from both an instructional and logistical standpoint. It became clear that digital Continued on page 52

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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It was another wonderful week of learning at Siach Yitzchok this past week

“Jamaica Estates-Tough”

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ere in Jamaica Estates, much of our daily spiritual and religious life revolves around our shul. It was a somber moment when the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates opted to shut its physical doors temporarily in the face of the Covid-19 health crisis.

However, due to the tremendous efforts and talents of our leadership and our members, the community is not only surviving, but thriving.

Without missing a beat, President Sam Herskowitz, with the help of his team, is masterfully hosting and coordinating a myriad of thoughtful and informative Zoom programming. Our newly minted rav, Rabbi Dov Lerner, continues to warmly and dynamically lead the helm in these uncertain times. Along with the requisite daily communal

Continued from page 50

programs were suitable for remote one on one instruction. Using tools like screen-sharing and screen annotation, engaging instruction can be provided.

Mrs. Daryl Martin, a member of the support team, explained, “When a specific lesson or puzzle is particularly challenging for a student, I have the ability to take a picture of the screen, and then share it with the student, so that we can both see it. I am then able to draw on it. Together we can figure

Shacharit and Maariv, he simultaneously teaches and entertains with his weekly shiurim in parsha and sacred texts. We all welcome Shabbat together inspired by the rabbi’s divrei torah and sparkling personality and reconvene to bid Shabbat farewell with a communal zoom havdala led by the Rabbi and Miriam from their home.

Every day we get an email summarizing the many opportunities to interact and learn. Our beloved Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi Shlomo Hochberg, and Karen graciously meet with us every Monday morning to schmooze and share divrei chizuk and comfort. It’s almost like getting a big hug to get us through the the week. Many women from our community and former members who have made Aliya come together on

Friday mornings for Tehillim and on Sunday mornings to learn Pirkei Avot. Additonal shiurim are available every day in Talmud, Tanach and Halacha given by our esteemed and learned members.The Thursday night Medical Update Zoom session is especially well attended.

Our in-house doctors and friends Drs. Gita and Jay Lisker and Dr. Chanie Traube, who are working on the frontlines of this pandemic, give of their time to apprise us of the situation as it changes and address our questions and concerns. Dr. Michelle Lowenwirt, in her capacity as a psychiatrist, also lends her advice in assuaging our anxiety and nurturing our mental health.

Finally, our tireless and dynamic Youth Director, Zach Herskowitz, has energetically and creatively kept

our kids playing, laughing, singing, and dancing, coming up with new ways to reinvent our traditional celebrations. Prizes arrive in exciting packages, and Yom Haatzmaut props were delivered to every home to enhance the spirit of our Zoom Chagiga. We missed our traditional bonfire in Cunningham Park but the Lag Baomer Family Car Parade that included fire trucks, vintage cars, and Jumpin’ Joe the fire juggler was a huge success.

There are many more Sunday fun-days and learning opportunities in store so feel free to zoom in and get a taste of Jamaica Estates. We are “Jamaica Estates-tough,” and though we can’t wait for those doors to open, we now know our community is tied together by far more than just physical walls.

out the lesson seamlessly because I am able to draw on the screen and talk about it at the same time. This is a great way to be more ‘hands-on’ while teaching virtually.”

A real connection is being made between instructor and student, thereby allowing for high-level instruction. At this point, with the remote support in place, 40 percent of students have received an appointment based on alerts from the digital programs. Some have even gone out of their way to ask their parents to request an appointment for help with

their digital content. One parent recently remarked, “We are especially appreciative of the private support lesson for the ST Math program that was set up for our son. It’s really nice to see that someone is watching out to make sure the children aren’t slipping through the cracks during a time when it would be so easily missed.”

With these appointments, HALB has leveraged its already existing program to provide students with individualized attention catering to both their academic and affective needs.

HALB would like to thank its

incredibly devoted staff who have shifted to distance/online learning in a way that ensures each child continues to grow. The total package of small group instruction, our dedicated teachers, our blended learning program and the individual support provided has made distance learning a productive experience throughout this Covid-19 crisis. We hope to return to our building soon, but we are confident that our students have maximized the online learning experience and will return to school ready for continued growth.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Honors at Shulamith

S

ari Gross, Valedictorian of the Class of 2020, resides in Woodmere with her parents and two brothers and has been attending Shulamith School for Girls since she was in kindergarten. Over her years in Shulamith, Sari has grown both academically and spiritually under the guidance of her caring teachers and principals. She is a highly motivated student who works hard to achieve her goals. She is a member of Math Olympiad and is part of the Science Scholars program, where she independently learns topics in science and teaches them to the class. Sari is a sweet girl who cares deeply about her friends and was honored to receive the Keter Shem Tov award last year.

She was also the proud recipient of the Leadership in Tefillah award two years in a row.

Sari is grateful for the many extracurricular opportunities Shulamith has provided for her over the years. In her senior year, she was a business manager of the yearbook and worked hard to raise funds for the eighth-grade yearbook. Sari is an avid basketball player and developed leadership skills as the captain of the Shulamith Mustangs basketball team.

She helped lead the Mustangs to the semifinals and was named MVP of the team. Through her passion for basketball, Sari was able to raise money for Israeli soldiers by participating in Yashar LaChayal’s Hoops for Heroes basketball tournament. In addition to basketball, Sari enjoys snowboarding, running, and many other outdoor activities. She also loves spending time with family and friends.

While Sari is looking forward to attending high school this fall, she will always look back fondly at her years in Shulamith. She has made so many great memories and life-long friends, and she wishes all of her classmates much mazel and hatzlacha in their futures. Sari also feels tremendous hakarat hatov toward her teachers and principals, for not only providing her with a stellar education, but also for serving as role models she looks up to.

Sari Gross

Mimi Feinberg

She is so thankful for her wonderful family who always love and support her in all of her endeavors.

Mimi Feinberg, a Shulamith School for Girls eighth grade 2020 graduate, is honored to have been named salutatorian of her class. Mimi has spent the past ten years learning and growing as a Shulamith student. She resides in Woodmere with her parents, two sisters, and brother.

Mimi truly earned her title, and she is appreciative of everyone who has contributed to her success.

Mimi is an extremely driven and hardworking student who strives for greatness. Always willing to help out others, she is well-liked and respected by her classmates. For these reasons and more, Mimi was voted to be chessed head this past year in Shulamith. Along with her fellow chessed heads, she arranged food drives, visited nursing homes, and spent time with members of the local JCC Chaverim group. Mimi has a passion for donating her own time and effort to people in need, so she truly enjoyed her time as a head of chessed.

Mimi is grateful for all of the amazing principals and teachers of Shulamith who have taught her and supported her over the years. She learned many valuable lessons in Ahavat Yisrael, Ahavat Medinat Yisrael, and Ahavat Torat Yisrael, all of which will, iy”H, continue to guide her for years to come. Mimi is thankful to her family, friends, and classmates who were also an integral part of her

Did you know?

Cheesecakes were served to athletes during the first Olympic Games

Miriam Landau

journey. Mimi would like to wish a mazal tov and good luck to all of her fellow graduates.

Leorah Rivka Shetrit is honored and humbled to have received the Keter Shem Tov award of her eighth grade graduating class. Leorah is a bright, creative, and caring girl who has blossomed in her spirituality, middot, and academics throughout her years in Shulamith School for Girls. Leorah resides in Woodmere with her parents and her six younger brothers.

Leorah feels very fortunate to have been given so many opportunities to excel in her growth throughout her years in Shulamith. Leorah was an English editor for the eighth grade yearbook and had the opportunity to be a member of Torah Bowl and make it to the championships. Leorah placed in the Inter-Yeshiva Science Fair and is an honors student. Leorah received the Keter Shem Tov award in seventh grade as well.

Leorah is thankful for all of the creative outlets Shulamith has provided her with. Leorah had a starring role as the Cowardly Lion in her school production of The Wizard of Oz and has been given many opportunities to showcase her talents. Leorah enjoys learning new things, singing, playing guitar, and drawing, but most of all she enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family.

Leorah looks forward to attending Shulamith High School in the fall and would like to acknowledge and give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has brought her to this point. She would like to thank her parents, Jon and Hadassah Shetrit, and her grandparents, Ami and Debbie Shetrit and Zev and Sarah Cohen, and her brothers, for all of their love and support, and express her hakarat hatov to all

Leorah Rivka Shetrit

of her dedicated teachers and principals. Leorah wishes a huge mazal tov to all of her fellow graduates and wishes them hatzlacha in all of their future endeavors.

Miriam Landau, a proud member of the Shulamith School for Girls Class of 2020, has been chosen by her teachers and classmates to be the recipient of this year’s Keter Shem Tov award. Miriam’s anivut is only one of the many wonderful qualities that earned her this award.

Miriam resides in Cedarhurst with her two sisters and two brothers. She is well liked by her classmates and is also popular among the students in lower grades. Miriam’s leadership qualities and desire to work for the greater good are reasons why she was elected last June to be GO president for the 2019-2020 school year.

As president, Miriam helped arrange fun-filled activities that enhanced school spirit.

Miriam puts the needs of others before her own and makes chessed a priority. She is also a diligent, hard worker who takes her school work very seriously. Miriam attributes so much of who she has become as a person to the education she has received at Shulamith over the past decade. Her teachers and principals have been strong and consistent role models in middot tovot and avodat Hashem. Miriam has learned so much from them and from her classmates, who always treat everyone around them with the utmost respect. Miriam will, iy”H, take these lessons with her as she embarks on the next stage of her educational journey. Miriam is delighted to have this opportunity to wish a hearty mazel tov to the entire graduating Class of Shulamith 2020!

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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OCTOBER 29, |2015 | The Jewish MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome

TJH

Centerfold

So You Want to Speak Chinese?

Start by matching these Chinese names with their English translations A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R. S.

Hu Yu Hai Ding Kum Hia Nao Tai Ni Po Ni No Bai Ting Wai Yu So Tan Ai Bang Mai Ni Chin Tu Fat Wai So Dim? Hao Long Wei Ting?

Wai Yu Mun Ching?

No Pah King Wai Yu Sing Ai No Pei Wai Hang Mi Wai Go Nao? Wai Yu Kum Nao Hia Dei Kum Lei Lo Wa Shing Ka

B-D C-A D-O E-Q F-E G-R H-F I-G J-I

K-K L-L M-N N-P O-S P-B Q-H R-J S-C

Mah Cheng

A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R. S.

Small Horse You are early He’s cleaning his car See me A.S.A.P. I bumped into a coffee table It’s very dark in here Sorry I am late They have arrived Thought you were on a diet Stay out of sight This is a tow away zone.

Please stop singing Are you harboring a fugitive?

I got this for free Your price is too high!

I am not guilty Did you go to the beach?

Jay Leno Please, stay a while longer.

Riddle me

this?

When do we have kri’as haTorah five days in a row, other than on Pesach, Chanukah, and Sukkos?

See answer below

You gotta be kidding Yentel is at a bus stop and walks up to a man, “Excuse me,” she says.

“Are you Jewish?”

“No,” replies the man.

A few minutes later, Yentel once again approaches the man. “Excuse me,” she says. “Are you sure you’re not Jewish?”

“I’m sure,” says the man.

But Yentel is not convinced, and a few minutes later she approaches him for a third time. “Are you absolutely sure you’re not Jewish?” she asks.

“All right, all right,” the frustrated man says. “You win. I’m Jewish.”

“That’s funny,” says Yentel. “You don’t look Jewish.”

Answer to Riddle Me This: When Rosh Hashana falls out on Thursday and Friday. The third day is the regular Shabbos leining, the fourth day is Sunday which is Tzom Gedalyah, and the fifth day is Monday, in which we always lein.

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The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015 The Jewish | MAY 27,

TORAH TRIVIA 1. Who were the four men who never sinned in their lifetime? a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

Binyamin Mesushelach Amram Yishai Kilav (the son of Dovid HaMelech and Avigayil) Rabbi Akiva Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

2. Which yom tov was Yitzchok Avinu born on? a. b. c. d.

Shavuos Pesach Chanukah Shmini Atzeres

9. Before he died, Moshe went on top of which mountain to see Eretz Yisroel? a. b. c. d.

Har Chorev Har Mistakel Har Seyir Har Nevo

10. Under whose rule did Klal Yisroel split into two kingdoms? a. b. c. d.

Rechovom Shlomo Hamelech Azaria Achav

 Answers

3. What did Hashem create on the fourth day?

2.

2)

1.

1)

B A, C, D, E

8) 7)

8.

7.

A B

Tamar Michal Avigayil Batsheva

D

a. b. c. d.

9.

8. Which of the following women was not married to Dovid Hamelech?

9)

Peretz Oved Ram Hezron

B

a. b. c. d.

3.

7. What was Boaz and Ruth’s son’s name?

3)

The luchos His walking stick A small Torah A copper serpent

10) 10. A

a. b. c. d.

D

6. What object did Moshe hold up which healed the Jewish people in the midbar when they looked up it?

4.

Adam Lemech Mesushelach Enosh

4)

a. b. c. d.

C – He lived 969 years

5. Who was the oldest person to have ever lived?

5.

Serug and Terach Serug and Nachor Charan and Terach Nachor and Charan

5)

a. b. c. d.

D

4. Who were Avraham Avinu’s brothers?

6.

Animals Lights in the sky Plants Scorpions

6)

a. b. c. d.

 Wisdom Key 8-10 correct: You are a true Torah scholar!

4-7 correct: Learn hard on Shavuos night and before you know it you too will be full of knowledge.

0-3 correct: Oy vey.

You gotta be kidding Jimbo is getting married and wants to get a pair of dress shoes. He walks into a shoe store and tries on a pair. He tells the shoe salesman that they are too tight.

“Try pulling the tongue out,” suggests the sales clerk.

Jimbo replies, “Nah, theyth sthill feel a bith tighth.”

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3

Torah Thought

Shavuos

By Rabbi Berel Wein

E

very biblical narrative has at its heart a main character, a hero or heroine. Even though the book and the scroll of Ruth is named for her, the true main character and heroine of the story is Naomi. This is confirmed in the book itself when the prophet Samuel, the author of the book, relates that when Ruth gave birth to Oved, the women of Bethlehem declared, “A male child has been born to Naomi.�

It is obvious that they did not mean this literally, for Naomi was widowed and no longer of child-

bearing age. Nevertheless, the wise women of the town recognized that, if it were not for Naomi, Ruth would never have met Boaz in a matrimonial relationship. It was Naomi who planned the entire series of events that would lead to the birth of this child and the beginning of the dynastic monarchy of the Jewish people.

The book instructs us not to view things in a superficial manner but rather to analyze and understand the causes and circumstances that eventually lead to the details of the narrative. The whole linchpin of the

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story is the steadfast commitment of Naomi and her determination not to be crushed by the tragedies that engulfed her. Because of her, there can be a Ruth, a Boaz, and, eventually, a King David.

Life is oftentimes very difficult, and its burdens can be crushing. For many of us, we are passing through such a time currently. Everything that was familiar, and, in fact, taken for granted, has been struck from our daily lives. Our future is certainly murky and mysterious. Because of this, strength of character and an

devotion to Naomi even though it meant the forsaking of everything she had known, and of her worldly positions, became her strongest asset. Her commitment was complete and boundless. Her determination not to abandon Naomi, and the faith and tradition of Naomi, became the turning point in her life and brought her to unimagined glory and success. Sometimes in life, forsaking everything becomes the key to acquiring greater things. Judaism teaches that we are measured not by what we take and acquire but by

Judaism teaches that we are measured not by what we take and acquire but by what we give, donate, and forsake.

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iron will to persevere and overcome is vitally necessary.

Naomi is the symbol of these strengths that we desire for ourselves and our community. It is her resourcefulness and true understanding of human nature that will stand us in good stead in our hour of difficulty and adjustment that is upon us. The challenge is how to summon up these characteristics and apply them to our own lives.

In this we can also be instructed by Ruth herself. Her selfless

what we give, donate, and forsake.

This is a difficult lesson to put into practice since it runs counter to much of our innate nature, but both Naomi and Ruth rise to greatness on the basis of what they were willing to give up for a higher and nobler goal in life. One has to be willing to humble oneself and to sit amongst the gleaners of fallen grain in order to become, eventually, the matriarch of Jewish eternal monarchy.

Chag Sameach.

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From the Fire

Shavuos Our Stormy, Committed Relationship with Hashem

By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

A

fter reading the book of Rus on Shavuos, we are struck by the stark difference between how it begins versus how it ends.

Megillas Rus begins with the death of Na’omi’s, Orpah’s and Rus’s husbands and famine in Eretz Yisroel but it ends with (Rus 4:22) the birth of Dovid Hamelech and Moshiach. In contrast, the book of Shir Hashirim begins with love and hope but it ends with loss, (Shir Hashirim 8:14) “flee, my beloved.”

The relationship between the young people in Shir Hashirim is fleeting and unstable, as it says (Id. at 3:2), “I sought out the beloved of my soul, I sought him out but I did not find him.” And when her beloved finally comes for her, (Id. at 5:2), “The voice of my beloved knocks [and he says] ‘open up for me my sister, my beloved, my dove, my perfect one,’” the heroine of the story is apathetic, saying (Id. at 5:3), “I already took off my cloak; how can I get dressed? I already washed my feet; how can I now soil them?” And when she finally summons up the will to go open up the door for her beloved, it is already too late (Id. at 5:6), “I opened the door for my beloved but my beloved had already left.” The whole Shir Hashirim is filled with longing, searching, finding, and losing.

The heroes of the story even manage to meet but it does not last. Shir Hashirim is full of beautiful images of spring but nothing ever ripens.

The pasuk says (Id. at 4:16), “[in the future,] my beloved will enter his

garden and eat of its fruits.” Now, however (Id. 4:12), it is a “a locked garden.” The heroine’s beloved went down to see (Id. at 6:11) “whether the vine had blossomed and whether the pomegranates were in bloom.”

All the images of the spring refer to a hope for the future, but nothing in the present. It is all in the way of (Id. at 7:14) “my beloved I have longed for you.”

Shir Hashirim is filled with ups and downs and stormy love, as it says (Id. at 8:7), “The mighty waters cannot extinguish the love.” But at the end of the story, we do not even know if the two of them are ever able to unite. Do they live happily ever after?

Rus, on the other hand, is quite a different story. That story is populated by adults rather than the youthful figures in Shir Hashirim, and the story is filled with famine, exile, sickness, and death.

Rus and Orpah’s husbands were named Machlon (sickness) and Kilyon (obliteration), both names which denote suffering and death. It is not a story of young lovers, but rather a story of three widows and their travails. As Na’omi says (Rus 1:20), “Do not call me ‘Na’omi’ (pleasantness), rather call me ‘bitterness.’”

The book of Rus is not a love story but a story of commitment and loyalty. It is the story of Rus’s loyalty to Na’omi and her nation and Boaz’s commitment to uphold his deceased brother’s name by marrying his son’s widow, Rus. This story lacks any beautiful women roaming

around in blossoming vineyards, but it has young men working hard in the fields.

In addition, the relationship between Rus and Boaz lacks any kind of “romance.” It is based entirely on both sides’ sense of responsibility and commitment. Despite, or perhaps because of, that, the story evolves from one of sohu, desolation, to one of tikkun, repair and rectification.

Shir Hashirim was filled with gardens, orchards, and springtime, with hope and longing for a time where the relationship between the hero and heroine of the story would come to fruition. Rus, on the other hand, takes place in the harvest season, when the fruits of everyone’s labor finally ripen and blossom.

Shir Hashirim is romantic, stormy, filled with fickle unpredictability, while Rus is a story of marriage and family and responsibility. If one had to compare these two books to two masechtas, one would say that Shir Hashirim corresponds to mesechtas kiddushin, relating to the laws of marriage, and Rus corresponds with mesechtas kesubos, relating to the laws of the kesuba, the financial commitments of a husband toward his wife.

Both Shir Hashirim and Rus personify different aspects of the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people.

Shir Hashirim is connected to the exodus from Egypt, as Hashem says Shir Hashirim-style to the Jewish

people (Yirmiyahu 2:2), “I remember the kindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, how you followed Me into the desert, into a land not sewn.” That aspect of Hashem’s relationship with the Jewish people involves revealed miracles and passionate love, which is also fleeting and fickle, ebbing and flowing. It is a story of great miracles, but it is also a story of great failures like the spies, Korach, the frequent complaints, and ultimately the departure of Hashem’s presence from among the people and exile. It is a story of (Shir Hashirim 8:14) “flee, my beloved.” While it is a story of springtime and love, that love is temporary and fleeting.

Rus, on the other hand, concludes with the rectification of Hashem’s relationship with the Jewish people, with (Rus 4:22) the birth of Dovid Hamelech and Moshiach.

The story of Rus, which, takes place at harvest time, the time of actualizing that which previously existed only in potential, is the story of first fruits, of (Devarim 26:9), “And He has brought us to this place and given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” That fulfillment at the end of the story of Rus, however, follows a period of suffering. Similarly, Shavuos follows the period of the sefira, during which we observe the customs of mourners.

We also find the two paradigms of Rus and Shir Hashirim within each individual person’s life.

Each person’s neshama is the woman, the perfect one and Hashem

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The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015 The Jewish | MAY 27,

is her her Beloved. Just like in Shir Hashirim, each person’s relationship with Hashem is also one of mountains and valleys, longing, and ups and downs. This is illustrated beautifully in Rav Yoshe Ber Soliveichik’s classic work, U’Bikashem Mi’Sham.

If one just considers the following chapter headings, one takes away an impression of the turbulent relationship between a Jew and Hashem: The Yearning Heart, the Disappointed Heart, the Fearful Heart, the Divided Heart, the Heart that Runs and Flees, and the Comforted Heart.

That essay corresponds to the aspect of our relationship with Hashem personified by Shir Hashirim.

Rav Soliveichik has another famous work, Ish Ha’Halacha, “Halachic Man.” In this work, man’s stormy relationship with G-d is completely concealed. This work is like the world of Rus, Na’omi, and Boaz; it exhibits the Brisker side of the Rav. His essay, “And You Shall Seek from There,” however, expresses the Chabad background in the Rav’s education.

In our lives too, we have two types of stories. We have stories of breaking and fixing, ups and downs, failures and successes, love and unrequited longing, and stories of family and commitment. Nothing is completely certain, as it says in

people by intermarrying), Elimelech (who abandoned the Jewish people at a time of famine), Orpah (who abandoned Na’omi upon her return to Eretz Yisroel), and “Ploni Almoni,” the anonymous man who passed up the opportunity to fulfill the

Rus takes place in the harvest season, when the fruits of everyone’s labor finally ripen and blossom

Pirkei Avos (2:4), “Do not believe in yourself until the day of your death.”

The common denominator between the stories of Rus and Shir Hashirim, that applies equally to our lives, is that the heroes in the stories never gave up. The only losers in the story of Rus were Machlon and Kilyon (who gave up on the Jewish

mitzva of yibum with Rus in order to reestablish her husband’s name in the Jewish people. Similarly, in Shir Hashrim the only losers are the friends of the Shulamis, the young woman who said (Shir Hashirim 5:9), “What makes your beloved better than anyone else?” But no matter how many ups and downs there

were in the relationship between the young woman and her beloved, neither of them ever gave up on finding the other.

The period of the counting of the Omer links these two aspects of Shir Hashirim and Rus. Our job during that period is to develop ourselves and our relationship with Hashem in order to create a sense of consistency and commitment to our Beloved and to believe and never give up on our relationship with Hashem, no matter how much that relationship is sometimes concealed.

With that, we should see the happy ending of both stories with (Id. at 2:8) “the voice of my beloved comes” and (Rus 4:22) the birth of Dovid Hamelech and eventually Moshiach, may we merit to greet him soon in our days!

Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and serves as leader of the new mechina Emek HaMelech.

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I

t certainly seems that we are heading for a yom tov of Shavuos like no one can remember. Many of us have not davened with a minyan in several months and haven’t been able to learn in a shiur or even with a chavrusa, yet we are about to celebrate receiving the Torah 3,332 years ago. However, on one level, this apparently unusual situation may be the most ideal way to commemorate Matan Torah. Please allow me to explain.

The Rambam once wrote a famous

letter to the besieged Jews of Yemen which later became famous as the Iggeres Teiman. In it, he gave chizuk and encouragement to the Jews of Teiman who were struggling for their spiritual existence and survival. One of the timeless bits of advice he gave them was “to remember Ma’amad Har Sinai – the day we received the Torah – and it is appropriate for you to raise your children based upon that event… This incredible happening was revealed to us so that we would be able to withstand any test which

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should come upon us.”

In other words, the yom tov of Shavuos is not simply a way of celebrating an ancient event. It is a tool for the Jewish people to overcome whatever difficulties come our way.

Let us analyze how to utilize this tremendous gift that Hashem has given us, especially in these days of coronavirus, isolation, and the uncertainty which still hangs over us.

First of all, let’s review a famous line from the Gemara (Shabbos 86b), which those of us learning Daf Yomi

out from not having a place of tranquility to be able to think and prepare properly for the most important moment of their lives. Indeed, the Sfas Emes (Shavuos 5643) indicates that just as Klal Yisrael was commanded to prepare for Matan Torah for three days (the Shloshes Yemei Hagbalah), Hashem annually gives us these three days to uplift and energize ourselves so that we can absorb Hashem’s holy Torah once again.

What is the nature of this preparation? Shlomo Hamelech teaches (Koheles 2:9) “Af chochmosi omdah

That is the only way to receive the Torah – when we rely solely upon Hashem and realize that all we have is from Him.

will actually study on the day after yom tov. We arrived at Har Sinai but “Hashem did not say anything because of the fatigue of the road.”

Superficially, it seems that we were too tired to receive the Torah until we had rested from our arduous journey. However, the Sifsei Tzadik by the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, zt”l, asks a powerful question about this seemingly logical plan. The Medrash (Shemos Rabbah 25:6) teaches that Klal Yisrael was transported from Mitzrayim to Har Sinai upon the Ananei Hakovod – the Clouds of Glory – so why were they so tired and worn out?

Perhaps, in light of our recent experiences, we can answer that, despite the protection they received from the Clouds of Glory, Klal Yisrael was worn

li – Still, my wisdom stayed with me.”

The Medrash (Koheles Rabbah) here turns the words around and explains the pasuk as follows: Chochmah shelamadeti b’af hi omdah li, meaning, “The Torah which I learned under difficult conditions is what sustained me.”

Many stories abound which illustrate this primary rule about Torah study. Rav Shach, zt”l, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh, used to tell the poignant story of his early youth. His father had passed away when he was about 9 years old, l”a, and there were a number of children even younger than him in the house. Not wanting to be a burden and another mouth to feed, he wandered around until he found an empty shul, took out a

The Jewish | MAY 27, The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015

Gemara, and began learning. It was the dead of winter in Lithuania, the building was frozen solid, and there was no food. Eventually, a kind woman brought him some minimal provisions, and later, his future uncle by marriage, Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer discovered the dire situation and took care of the young orphan. Rav Shach, however, used to speak fondly of those days when he learned Torah b’af, still remembering nostalgically the chiddushim he had thought of during those difficult days.

The takeaway is rather simple.

Our Kabbolas Hatorah must be to learn and commit ourselves to the Torah under any and all conditions. Rav Sholom Schwardron, zt”l, also related the amazing saga of his father-inlaw, Rav Chaim Leib Auerbach, zt”l.

Although he was the rosh yeshiva of Shaar Hashomayim, Rav Auerbach also undertook to provide Jews with passports so they could avoid being drafted into the Turkish army, a spiritual and physical death sentence for Jews in those days. At one point, Rav Auerbach had to go into hiding for his clandestine actions, and he lived under conditions of hunger and thirst for many months. Finally, the Rosh Yeshiva was freed amidst open miracles and siyata d’shmaya.

After the grueling ordeal, Rav Auerbach revealed to his son-in-law, later to become famous as the Maggid of Yerushalayim, the chiddushim that he had recorded in his secret hideaway.

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his aspect of Matan Torah is actually the foundation of the most basic building blocks of our upcoming yom tov. The Medrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7) teaches that “the Torah was given with three things: with fire, water and in the wilderness.”

What do we learn from each of these associations with Matan Torah? The Steipler, zt”l, (Chayei Olam, chapter 17) teaches that fire represents the one element into which a human cannot normally enter. In order to make clear to Klal Yisrael that we were entering a new world, a world which is permeated with kedushah – holiness – and beyond our wildest imagination, Hashem appeared in a burning fire. The Tur (Orach Chaim 47) states that when we make the bracha upon learning Torah we should have in mind that Hashem gave us this great gift in the midst of the fire.

The Bach adds that this also applies to the second bracha of Birchas Hatorah, where fire represents the pure spirituality of the Torah. The fire, however, also evokes the Crusades, Inquisition, Holocaust, Churban Europah, the fires of anti-Semitism, and the tremendous responsibility of keeping the Torah properly, even in the midst of adversity.

Water stands for the thirst with which we must approach the Torah. The Gemara (Berachos 44a) teaches that we only make a bracha upon water if we thirsty. Why only

water? If one drinks juice to take a pill, he makes a Shehakol. However, if he drinks water only to swallow a pill, he does not. Rav Shach, zt”l, explains that it is because water is our metaphor for Torah and that Torah cannot be absorbed unless one is totally thirsty for every word and thought.

Finally, the midbar – the wilderness – is the place where we turn our eyes totally toward Hashem for our sustenance and salvation. There is no civilization or place to settle down.

We are totally in the hands of our Creator. That is the only way to receive the Torah – when we rely solely upon Hashem and realize that all we have is from Him.

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his is why this may be the best year to be mekabel the Torah.

We have all seen dramatically that Hashem is totally in charge of our lives. We may have thought that we live in a civilization, but we are in the ultimate midbar. We have been thirsting for Torah and minyanim, for ruchniyus and the presence of Hashem. And finally, we have seen the fires and realize that without Hashem, we have nothing, and without Torah, we are completely lost.

Let us indeed accept the Torah b’ahava, and in that zechus, may we welcome Moshiach k’ish echad b’lev echad.

Rabbi Yaakov Feitman is the rav of Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi, Cedarhurst, NY.

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a v i h s e Our Y s l l a W t u o h t i w

Building Worlds.

Beis h g u o y thr lmid of r e s r ta Nu s From sh, every orah stay iT ra Med a Darche s rabbeim i i iv Yesh cted to h th limude e o s, conn day. In b ral studie o e every and gen e rising t t r sh kode lmidim a king grea a a g our t casion, m hallengin c c the o ss under re prog stances. m circu

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

More photos can be viewed at darchei.org/photos

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n a regular year, Parshas Bamidbar is always immediately prior to Shavuos. In fact, the Tur notes that this factor is part of the system by which the decision is made when to read two parshios on the same week (such as Acharei Mos and Kedoshim).

When we read the Aseres HaDibros, there are two sets of trop that are associated with these Biblical passages. The first is known as ta’am elyon (the upper notes) and the second is known as ta’am tachton (the lower notes). When we read the Aseres HaDibros publicly (i.e., with a minyan), as we do on the yom tov of Shavuos, we read them using the ta’am elyon. When someone is merely reviewing the Torah portion privately, he reads them with the ta’am tachton.

The Chizkuni writes that when we read the Aseres HaDibros on Shav uos, we read w ith ta’am elyon (what he calls the neginos haGedolos – the “large notes”). One of the distinguishing features of the ta’am elyon is that it parses the associated pesukim into ten distinct “commandments” (something which is not apparent when reading with the ta’am tachton). For example, even though the prohibition against idolatry and the mitzvah to observe Shabbos (Commandments 2# and 4#, respectively) each consist of multiple pesukim, the sof pasuk (end of sentence) note is ignored in the ta’am elyon, so that multiple pesukim are read as if they are one long pasuk, emphasizing that each group of pesukim is a single “commandment” within the Aseres HaDibros. Therefore, it is most appropriate that on Shavuos, which commemorates the giving of the Aseres HaDibros, the narration is read with these “upper notes.”

The Chizkuni comments that in the month of Shevat, when we read Parshas Yisro, we read this same section containing the Aseres HaDibros with the ta’am tachton, such that the pesukim dealing with idolatry and the pesukim dealing with Shabbos are each read as four distinct pesukim.

This is an interesting custom — which we, in Chutz L’Aretz, to the

best of my knowledge, do not follow. I am told that in Yerushalayim, where there is widespread practice to follow the Minhagei haGra, they do read with ta’am tachton on Yisro, even b’tzibbur.

Regardless of our custom, the Chizkuni is informing us of a fantastic concept: Krias HaTorah on Shavuos is a reenactment of Kabbalas HaTorah. On the original day of Shavuos, the Al-mighty gave us Ten Commandments. So, when we

sukim otherwise, we read them together. There is no such thing in the Torah as a two-word pasuk! In fact, according to the ta’am tachton, Lo Sirzach; Lo Sin’af; Lo Signov; Lo Sa’aneh b’Reyacha Ed Sheker (commandments 9-6#) are all read as a single pasuk [Shemos 20:13].

But on Shavuos, we are not reading pesukim; we are reading Ten Commandments.

The Chizkuni adds (again, this is not our custom) that on Shavuos,

We try to make it as real as possible, involving a total reenactment

read the Torah on Shavuos, we need to reenact the original scenario.

Therefore, we read the Torah portion in a way that emphasizes that there were ten dibros. For this reason, on Shavuos, we read “Lo Sirtzach” and “Lo Sin’af” (Thou shalt not murder and Thou shalt not commit adultery) as two separate pesukim; even though when reading those pe-

when we read the Aseres HaDibros, we read it with the Targum as well.

This, too, is part of the reenactment of the Har Sinai experience.

The question is, what was the source of the Chizkuni for these specific customs? I heard a tape of Rav Isaac Bernstein, who quoted something he heard from Rav Shlomo Fisher, a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivas

Itri, Yerushalayim, who apparently was a student of the Brisker Rav. Rav Fisher told the Brisker Rav that he has a Talmudic source for this Chizkuni.

In the Gemara [Berachos 5a], Rav Shimon ben Lakish expounds the pasuk, “And I shall give you the Tablets of stone, Luchos, and the Torah, and the mitzvos that I have written, asher kasavti, to instruct them, l’horosam” [Shemos 24:12].

Luchos refers to the Aseres HaDibros; Torah refers to Scripture; mitzvah – refers to Mishna; “asher kasavti” – refers to Nevi’im and Kesuvim; “l’horosam” refers to Gemara. This teaches that all of Torah, Nevi’im, Kesuvim, Mishna, and Gemara were all given to Moshe at Sinai.

Rav Shlomo Fisher asks: why is “Luchos” (i.e., the Aseres HaDibros) listed separately as if it was not part of “Torah”? It must be, he says, that we see from this Gemara that there was a separate place for the Aseres HaDibros, independent of the rest of Torah. The Ribbono shel Olam gave Moshe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai something called the Aseres HaDibros that must be related as ten separate utterances. The rest of the Torah is known as “Mikra,” but the Aseres HaDibros has its own status.

There is also another indication that the Aseres HaDibros is special.

The Gemara says [Berachos 45a] that Rav Shimon ben Pazi taught, “How do we know that the one reading the Targum cannot raise his voice louder than that of the Torah reader?

As it is written, ‘Moshe would speak and G-d would respond to him in a voice.’ [Shemos 19:19]. What is the meaning of the seemingly unnecessary words ‘in a voice’ at the end of that sentence? They teach that the Al-mighty would respond ‘utilizing the same voice as Moshe.’”

This means that at the time of Matan Torah, Hashem uttered one commandment and Moshe offered the Targum, the interpretation. Hashem spoke the four pesukim prohibiting idolatry as one utterance and that is why we need to read it as one commandment. As

The Jewish | MAY 27, The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015

Moshe interpreted each utterance, so do we need to say Targum for each utterance.

This is the Chizkuni’s source for the Shavuos customs he quotes, because Shavuos is a reenactment of Matan Torah.

Rav Bernstein further quotes from a Rav Zev Wolfe Hildenheimer that the latter found a 750-year-old Shavuos Machzor, and in that Machzor, not only did the Torah reading include the Aseres HaDibros, but it also included the Targum for the Aseres HaDibros along with the reading.

This answers one of the great questions of life: Why, on Shavuos, do we recite Akdamos prior to the Torah reading? At six o’clock in the morning, when people can hardly keep their eyes open (following being up all night at a Leil Shavuos Mishmor), the Baal Koreh reads Akdamos.

99.9% of the people in shul do not have a clue about the meaning of Akdamos (even with an ArtScroll).

Where did this come from? There is no comparable public reading the entire rest of the year!

The answer is that this came from the ancient Jewish custom that on Shavuos they read the Revelation narration including the Aseres Hadibros just as Hashem gave it to the Jewish people through Moshe, when they translated the entire section!

As a preface to the Targum they were going to say during the Torah reading itself, they wrote something called Akdamos Milin [words of introduction]. This is how it happened on Har Sinai. This is the reason for Akdamos.

The question still is, when did it stop, such that we no longer read the Targum of the Aseres HaDibros, and we only say Akdamos?

I don’t know where or when that happened, but apparently it was sometime between 750 years ago and the modern era. But at least we understand the source.

Shavuos is a reenactment of Kabbalas haTorah. This is why the Abudrahm argues with the Rambam. The Rambam says that a person should not stand for the Aseres HaDibros (because we do not want to give the impression that some

parts of Torah are more important than others). The Abudrahm insists that we should stand during the public recitation of the Revelation narrative on Shavuos because “they stood beneath the mountain” [Shemos 19:17], and we reenact that scenario with all its details.

We do not merely commemorate the giving of the Torah on Shavuos, we try to make it as real as possible, involving a total reenactment. Just as on Pesach we try to see ourselves as if we are actually leaving Egypt that night; so, too, on Shavuos, we try to see ourselves as if we are standing by

Har Sinai, receiving the Torah that very day!

This article was transcribed by David Twersky and was reprinted with permission from Project Genesis, Torah.org.

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The Wandering

Jew

Balkan Journeys Part III: Bosnia & Serbia

By Hershel Lieber

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he flight from Zagreb to Sarajevo was only one hour, and we arrived at our hotel by 10 p.m.

It was the beginning of July 2007, and the evening was extremely humid. As soon as we stepped into the dark and musty lobby of the Soviet-era hotel, we already imagined what our room would look like. And we were right!

There was more light coming from the moon outside of our window than from the two lamps that were in our room.

The faded and bulky furniture took up so much space that we barely had room to put down our luggage. They had an air conditioner unit in the middle of the room with aluminum vents going across the room to the window.

The room was hot, and there was an unidentifiable odor which permeated the entire airspace. We did not have another choice and decided to make the best of it. We ate a quick supper and climbed a ladder to a tiny loft area, which was our sleeping quarters.

It is amazing what a little sunshine can do. The early sunrise gave the room a rather charming appearance, and our moods were suddenly transformed as well. We davened, ate some breakfast, and were ready to tour the town.

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, played a very prominent role in the Balkans. It was an Ottoman stronghold for over four hundred years.

During that time, it earned its reputation as the Jerusalem of the Balkans because of its religious and cultural diversity. Similar to Yerushalayim, there were Catholic and Orthodox churches in the same neighborhood as mosques and synagogues. Moreover, there was general tolerance and understanding between the different groups. Following a short period that the city was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it

The view of Sarajevo

became part of Yugoslavia. In recent history (1992-1996), Sarajevo was under siege and was bombarded by the Serbians, which caused large-scale destruction and many deaths. This was the historic background to the city that we were about to explore.

And explore we did! From ten in the morning until four in the afternoon, we walked and walked and then we walked some more.

The picturesque hills with the surrounding mountains are the backdrop to the winding Miljacka River with its

spanning bridges. The dusty road leading to an exotic open bazaar was intermingled with small shops displaying their wares on stands stretching into the street. There were children spilling out into the courtyards of the madrasas, and from the minarets of the majestic mosques, loudspeakers were chanting passages from the Koran.

Almost eighty percent of the population are Muslims, and a fair amount of them dress in traditional garb. We only stopped for some coffee and to pick up a souvenir. The sights and the enchant-

ing atmosphere kept us going.

One of the most rewarding ventures of this day was our visit to the late sixteenth century Old Synagogue.

Besides the reconstructed features of one of the earliest shuls still existing in Europe, the building serves as a Jewish museum highlighting Jewish ritual and ceremonial items and the history of the Jews of Sarajevo and Bosnia. We took the opportunity to say some Tehillim at the site where the local Jews were detained and deported to the concentration camps.

We also had an opportunity to visit the Sephardic Synagogue, which is the largest and most ornate in the entire Balkans. Being that the Jewish community has less than 5,000 members in the entire country, the synagogue’s enormous tall interior was split in half and two floors were created. The upper women’s section is used sporadically for davening, while the lower men’s section was partitioned into rooms for community activities. We were given a private tour by the woman who was the director. Topping off a jam-packed day, we took a taxi to the Castle Ruins on the top of the hills for a spectacular view of the illuminated bridges and monuments overlooking the river below.

The next day we went to visit the 500-year-old Jewish cemetery in the center of Sarajevo. There are monuments dating back to 1650 representing important rabbis and personalities and a genizah which has been excavated and is under scholarly examination.

The beis olam was a front-line artillery range during the 1992 Bosnian-Serbian War, which suffered a lot of damage and was heavily mined. After we left the cemetery, we were informed that, from time to time, active mines have still been found, which made us

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

Miljacka River in Sarajevo

thankful that we did not experience any incidents.

Our next stop was Izliza Park on the outskirts of the city, where we hiked, ate our lunches, and took a lovely buggy ride through the tree-shaded

vage during the ravages of the Bosnian War – constitute the subject of many books. Suffice it to say, we were in awe standing from afar and gazing at the storybook of Yetzias Mitzrayim with so many stories of its own.

The picturesque hills with the surrounding mountains are the backdrop to the winding Miljacka River with its spanning bridges

pathways. Then we rushed to National Museum, home of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah. The story of the oldest existing Sephardic document (1350) – its history from creation to its perilous journeys to Sarajevo, its concealment during the Nazi occupation and its sal-

The bridge over Miljacka River in Sarajevo

We ended our day at the site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, which sparked World War I. In the aftermath of the Great War and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bosnia and its capital Sarajevo became part of the

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Inside the synagogue in Sarajevo

A page of the Sarajevo Haggadah

Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Standing at this historic site gave us a deeper perspective of the shifting borders and the political realities that were the precursor to the next World War, which our parents experienced.

After a full day of activities, we cooked and ate our supper and went to sleep early. The next day was basically

Ruins from the Bosnian War

The synagogue in Sarajevo

occupied with travel. In the early afternoon, we took a flight back to Zagreb.

We spent the day strolling the streets, sipping drinks at an outside café where we kept dozing off and finally picking up our luggage which we had left at the Dubrovnik Hotel. We then headed to the railroad station for our overnight trip to Belgrade, Serbia.

The train ride was not so bad. We had a warm compartment with an upper and lower berth, and minutes after boarding at midnight we were soundly asleep. After about four hours, we were woken as we were about to cross the border into Serbia to show our passports, a process which took about an hour. The rest of the night we could not fall back asleep, and we were exhausted when we finally arrive in Belgrade. We only had one day to discover the city but knew that we would accomplish little in our condition. So, though we had a flight leaving on that very night, we took a hotel room simply to be able to take a nap when we would return from touring.

At the Sarajevo bazaar

Our first stop where we spent a considerable amount of time was the Belgrade Fortress and the adjoining Kalemegdan Park. This attraction has a history stretching over 1,600 years, which is fascinating. We also walked down the pedestrian-only Knez Mihailova to the Republic Square where stores, plastered with signs and announcements using the Cyrillic alphabet, sold only modern style merchandise which did not catch our fancy. We managed to see the Jewish Museum which depicted Jewish life present and past in Yugoslavia.

Tired and hungry, we headed back to our hotel for some refreshments and a well-deserved nap. When we got up, we repacked and took a taxi to

the airport. As usual, I tried to make some conversation with the driver who spoke some English. When he realized that we were Americans, he blasted our country and blamed President Bush for the imposed peace that ended the Bosnian-Serbian War and the subsequent hardships that was caused to – to quote him – “the Serbishe people.” I did not want to debate the issue, so I changed the subject by telling him that we were Jewish. At that point, he became so friendly and said that he admired the Jews and he respected Israel.

He then dropped us off at the terminal where we were taking an Olympic flight to our last leg of this long trip: Athens, Greece.

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people.

Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.

The synagogue in Belgrade

The entrance to Kalemegdan in Belgrade

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Israel Today

Spirited Youth.

Beware!

By Rafi Sackville

A

t the beginning of May the government opened 11th and 12th grade classes throughout the country. The opening sputtered as each school struggled to ensure they could rewrite their schedules to accommodate the smaller groups permitted to assemble at any given time.

The considerations were complicated. The class size limit was now seventeen students. If one considers that pre Covid-19 the average class was sometimes double that, you can imagine the just how hard adminis-

trations had to work just to open. How does one do the math of subtracting students while maintaining efficacy for all? Increasing the number of lessons was not an option because that would only lead to rewriting teachers’ contracts in an economically fragile climate, and no one was going to even consider that scenario.

Or there is the sad fact that some students’ parents are at risk with pre-existing conditions. They don’t want their children to attend school for obvious reasons. Or the parents

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who are simply too worried to send their kids to school.

Some teachers were given extra time off to deal with small children at home or pregnancies. At 63, I’m no youngster. I was in regular contact with my principal who was hesitant to bring me back unless I could produce a doctor’s note.

How could we be assured that students attending school were healthy?

The answer to this question remained unanswered. Students were given forms that had to be signed daily by their parents attesting to their good health. At the school gate, we’d collect the forms and check temperatures.

Yet, in order to survive this period, it behooved me and others to rely on the Ministry of Health guidelines.

It was a Wednesday, and I had been rostered to monitor the school entrance. By 8:35 a.m. some 70 students had handed in their forms and had their temperatures taken by me.

Three couldn’t produce a form. I sent them to the office. Let the secretaries deal with them.

The temperature device oftentimes displayed numbers so distorted I had to retest students over and over.

Many of them had the temperature of lizards.

Inside the teachers’ room, a similar form for staff had to be filled out daily. After a day or two, the administration had figured out a way to get us to sign a declaration of good health via the school’s application. We still needed to have our temperatures taken, but the form was valid for a week. Like the

students, we claimed we were healthy, confirmed it by having our temperature taken, without being tested for Covid-19. I would have thought that teachers, who have now placed themselves on the “front line,” warranted testing. Aren’t we vital workers? One of my colleagues disabused me of that notion by wryly commenting that “no, we aren’t considered vital by many.”

I wondered how long this would continue. What I mean is that Israelis have a tendency to take things seriously until they don’t. An example in point is the first class I walked into.

There I was, sitting at the front of my 12th grade class face-shielded because there were complaints about my mask-muffled voice. As they entered the room, my students, who were wearing masks, took them off and sat apart but not before some of them were hugging one another after not having been together for two months.

This, despite my most vociferous protestations.

Some of them were excited, not about school, but because the army had deferred their date of conscription by two weeks.

There was less physicality in my 11th grade class. It might be because it is predominantly male. Maybe.

Reflecting on my second week of school, I realize how overcome I was by a perceptible, adrenal change in spirit. I can only put it down to being infused and energized by the exposure to youth.

Having been starved of social interaction, our teenagers were ebul-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

lient, full of vitality, drunk on sociability. What’s more – they were eager to learn. I cannot recall them looking at my face as closely or with such intensity. Then again, it could have been the mask.

For weeks, Zoom was the option of choice. For students in grades lower than 11th grade, Zoom lessons continued, the only difference being that teachers had to conduct lessons from school.

Zoom’s major flaw is the choice it gives students to open their video cameras. The lockdown resulted in a major shift in circadian rhythm. Many (lots) students were going to sleep after 3 a.m. During the closure, school wisely cancelled 8:30 lessons, choosing instead to begin at 10:30. This meant that the invitation to enter a Zoom class usually arrived while students were still under their bedcovers.

In my highest-functioning class only one student chose to utilize his camera. Most chose not to be seen in bed.

In response to this, I would call

out names, asking questions as I did.

At one point I called upon a female student. She didn’t respond. Twice, three times I turned her audio on and up. She was snoring peacefully.

A few moments later, she cried out in embarrassment, “Rafi, I’m here!”

mise by running the lesson after 5 p.m. It was a most successful pedagogical experience.

The irony is that, once back at work, these same girls didn’t come to school because, as they complained, the hour was too early. They asked if I

I cannot recall them looking at my face as closely or with such intensity. Then again, it could have been the mask.

One of her friends had awakened her

by WhatsApp. The situation ran deeper than that.

I divided one class by gender. The girls wanted it this way. “What about video cameras?” I asked them. 12:15 p.m. was too early for them. They refused.

Some claimed they couldn’t be seen without makeup. I found a compro-

was prepared to Zoom them from the confines of the teachers’ room sometime late in the afternoon. I politely declined and marked them absent.

And then, just when we had settled down to a new format, new scheduling, a new mode of teaching with social distancing and masks, the government quite abruptly changed course

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and sent everyone back to school.

Masks and permission/admission slips are the norm, but students are far too often lax.

This occurred during an unrelenting heat wave; air-conditioners are now in full flow and classrooms are full. I have warned my students they must maintain distance themselves from one another, which is like asking them to perform a magic trick; there are only eighteen desks in classes with almost thirty students. I have forbidden them to approach my desk without masks.

For someone like me in my mid60s, I am not relishing the thought of exposure in confined spaces. Like most residents of planet Earth, we have no idea how the re-opening of our societies is going to affect life.

Here in Israel, people seem more interested in the new government than the risky future we are about to embark upon.

Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.

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N

es and Ari Blau are living out their dreams – not the dreams they had when they were kids, nor the dreams manufactured by Hollywood.

An actress and a writer respectively, Nes and Ari were two rising stars who found each other and together found Torah. Just on the cusp of success, they walked away from their burgeoning careers and the goals that they had chased for many years.

1 Jew in Cape May Ari Blau grew up in a Conservative Jewish household in Cape May, New Jersey. He attended Jewish day school near Atlantic City where his mom taught third grade. It was there that he learned to read Hebrew and received the fundamentals of Judaism, skills that would prove invaluable later on in life.

As his bar mitzvah approached, Ari began questioning the meaning behind “becoming a man” in Judaism. He wasn’t satisfied with the simple answers he received such as “just be a good person”; at that young age he already understood that “good” was subjective. Several of the teachers at his school came from the Lakewood Jewish community, and one of the rabbis invited Ari to spend a Shabbos in Lakewood to learn more.

Ari accepted and brought his best

friends, Ben and Izzy, along.

“That Shabbos was life-changing for me – everything about it. I davened in Beth Medrash Govoha Yeshiva. I didn’t know what that was but for the first time I saw people really praying.”

His only prior experience with communal prayer was attending a Conservative synagogue in Margate.

Ari was also struck by the sense of community when he saw people greeting each other on the streets.

“Everything about it was so amazing that I started going back time and time again to Lakewood for Shabbos, as a 12-year-old boy.

I started wearing a kippah out of school and put on tzitzit.”

Though they kept a kosher home, Ari’s family would eat at non-kosher restaurants. Ari began keeping fully kosher, and his mom would accom-

modate him with kosher food on paper plates.

Ari wanted to continue his Torah studies at yeshiva high school with Ben and Izzy in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, Ari’s parents had divorced when he was around nine, and his father had eventually left the family completely. It was a really difficult period, and Ari decided it was best if he didn’t leave home; he reasoned that he could go to public school and still keep up with Ben and Izzy and learn with them by phone.

Ari started off strong as he entered high school with a kippah and tzitzit, the only Jew in a school of 1,500 students. There were no other Jewish families in Cape May; it was largely a “summer” community with racism pervasive amongst the yearround families. It wasn’t long before Ari became the subject of anti-Se-

mitic bullying – from having pennies thrown at him to swastikas being drawn on his locker. Ari found protection and camaraderie among the few black students at school. He also began to rely on comedy as a defense mechanism, responding to derogatory comments with clever retorts. Yet it soon became too much for him to handle. He eventually removed his kippah and tzitzit, and dropped his attempts to keep kosher and observe Shabbos.

“I even stopped talking to Ben and Izzy on the phone… You get a new group of friends and you’re into different things,” he recalls. “I thought that phase of my life was over.”

Ari’s affinity for comedy led him to follow the work of Jewish comedians like Adam Sandler. He attended film school at New York University

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

Ari with his friends in high school

and began performing at open mic sessions in local comedy clubs. He landed an internship at the Daily Show hosted by Jon Stewart. Stewart suggested Ari create YouTube videos to showcase his talents, and Ari went on to establish a huge online presence.

Other advice that Stewart shared was that “the only way to succeed is to not have a plan-B.” This fueled Ari to pursue his goals of succeeding in the entertainment industry full-on, and he soon made the move to LA. A friend at The Late Late Show with James Corden got Ari a part-time job as a gofer. Ari spent the next few years honing his skills and hoping to work his way up the ladder.

In 2015, Ari went on Birthright, the heritage trip that provides an introduction to Israel for those who have never been to the Holy Land.

There was very little focus on Judaism, and it was only on the last day that they were given a chance to visit the Western Wall. Ari’s fond memories and emotions were stirred when he reached the Kotel.

Nes’s Miracle Vanessa Elgrichi grew up in Los Angeles in a traditional Sephardic home. They observed basic rituals of Shabbos and acknowledged the major Jewish holidays but weren’t versed in the rules or the meaning behind their customs. She grew up with a solid belief in G-d, but wasn’t connected in her everyday life. Her Israeli-born mother had named her Nes, “miracle” in Hebrew, since she was born around Chanukah and was considered a miracle as her mother was told she couldn’t have children.

Nes’s parents dreamed of her be-

Ari on the Late Late Show with James Corden

coming an actress and began driving her to auditions when she was eight years old. She soon became obsessed with stardom herself. By age 11, Nes had appeared in successful TV series such as The X-Files and Everybody Loves Raymond.

When Nes was 13, her family relocated to Las Vegas, and her career was put on pause. Undeterred, Nes got her driver’s license at 15 and began driving to LA for auditions several times a

for a few months – he dreamed of being an actor but was instead stuck living a lie.

During this time, Nes had joined a Birthright trip to Israel, and she, too, had a moving experience at the Kotel.

She returned to LA longing to explore her new feelings but had nobody to turn to. At her agent’s suggestion, Nes tried her hand at stand-up comedy, and she crossed paths with Ari at an open mic session. The two hit it off

“Those 20 minutes we spent were more meaningful than anything I ever did in Hollywood”

week throughout high school. Oftentimes she made the 4-plus-hours trip for a brief few minute audition before driving the same long way back home. Nes’s parents both struggled with health issues, and her desire for stardom was further intensified by the belief that her success could help them as well.

Nes attended film school at University of Las Vegas while still booking roles in Vegas and LA before making the difficult decision to leave her parents and younger sister to live in LA. She took the cliché waitressing job and attended acting school. There, Nes learned some of the harsh lessons of the entertainment industry. One of her classmates was crying and explaining that he had been on a “reality” dating show and was contractually obligated to be married to his costar

and began dating.

Heading to the Holy Land After returning from Israel, Ari couldn’t stop thinking about his trip.

He connected with the Los Angeles Jewish Experience and began celebrating Shabbos once again. He eventually started learning with Rabbi Eden Markowitz, who invited Nes for her first Shabbos meal. Both Nes and Ari learned that LAJ was running a trip to Israel that upcoming summer led by Rabbi Alex Landa and his wife and offering Torah based content.

The two had their hesitations about joining the trip.

“I really wanted to go but couldn’t imagine getting off work,” says Ari. “Then James Corden announced that he’d booked a role in a movie and our show would be on hiatus for the sum-

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A yarmulke with a message from Above

mer – and that those were the exact dates of the trip to Israel.”

Nes was encouraged to join the trip, but she and Ari had only been dating a couple of months, which was a very short time in their secular world.

Eventually, they both decided to make the trip. It proved to be an experience that changed the trajectories of their lives.

Nes and Ari were overwhelmed by their visit to Israel, the countless inspirational moments, and all of the emotions that they experienced. They knew they wanted to become Torah observant but had no idea how they would possibly combine Judaism and Hollywood, since they had each experienced enough to know the worlds were not in alignment.

“We had this amazing experience and we’re in Mamilla sitting on the stairs and we are in tears,” recalls Nes. “We don’t understand how we just learned all of this emes and we feel so connected – how are we going to go back to America and do our jobs?”

As a comedy writer, Ari was painfully aware of the inappropriate material that was the norm in Hollywood.

Then there were additional apprehensions. Throughout his career he would observe celebrities, even those with a comedic or happy persona, seem miserable and even rude at times.

“The more time I spent around celebrities, the less I wanted to be one,” Ari shares. “Celebrities aren’t the people that you see on the screen.

A lot of them are unhappy and lost.

They’re famous and rich, but they’re not happy. It’s an overwhelming majority of them.”

Throughout her years in the in-

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Ari at the Kotel on his Birthright trip

dustry, Nes too grew more aware of the dark side of Hollywood, though she managed to stay above it as much as possible. She was struck by both the constant objectification and the fakeness in LA. Actors and actresses sign up to “do or die,” explains Nes, often doing inappropriate or humiliating things without any guarantees for the opportunities. She is grateful that she never did anything regrettable, but knows she definitely lost out on opportunities.

“I’m lucky I had a good head on my shoulders thanks to my parents – thank G-d I never did anything [inappropriate], I always got out,” she says. “I always felt like there was something more and that my work was more valuable than using yourself to get it.”

She adds, “Actors who are celebrities are real people, but they’re being told what to do. They can’t make their own decisions – they’re contracted to do certain things and they’re addicted to the fame and everything being scripted. It comes to the point where they don’t have a choice. They get told who to date, what to eat, what to wear.

They don’t have meaning because they don’t have control or say over their own lives.”

Nes remembers thinking, “It’s not just not kosher; it’s not real – it’s a total lie. How are you going to write jokes for the show that are inappropriate? How can we make this work into our lives? These are our dreams from when we were young. We had no answer at that point.”

Nes and Ari continued to contemplate how they would manage it all when they saw the encouraging sign

they were hoping for.

“We walked to the bus and saw a man wearing a kippah that said, ‘Don’t worry, be Jewish.’”

Suddenly, it all made sense.

“We understood that if we move forward with that attitude, everything will work out.”

They made the decision to keep Shabbos once they got off the plane.

Shabbos in Hollywood Rabbi Landa had advised them that they’d likely be faced with tests, and the challenges indeed came immediately. As Nes returned to LA, she received the big break she’d been waiting for. One of Hollywood’s biggest and most connected agents reached out to her looking to represent her.

With her newfound commitment to Yiddishkeit, Nes understood she would now encounter new hurdles.

Nes bravely told him, “I keep the Sabbath, and I can’t work from Friday night through Saturday night, and he said, ‘OK, that’s fine.’”

Soon enough, the High Holidays approached, and Nes realized she never knew how many days of yom tov there were. She told her agent she needed the month of October off, which meant missing out on auditioning for all TV for the next season. She thought he’d fire her but he optimistically said, “OK. We’ll get ‘em next year.”

Nes was elated. “I was like, I’m going to be the first frum actress in Hollywood. I felt like this is all connecting – thank you Hashem.”

As Nes began to envision being a fully Orthodox Jew in Hollywood, she

Ari and Nes at the Kotel

still had many concerns. She began to feel more and more uncomfortable and would skip certain auditions.

She told her agent she would no longer touch those of the opposite gender and he understood, as he had a Christian client who said the same.

He eventually told her, “You realize this is no longer a career anymore for you. This is a hobby.”

Nes contemplated ending her Hollywood career altogether, but this had been her entire life. As she prayed for clarity, an email came from her agent informing her that he no longer wanted to represent her. Nes immediately felt relieved.

“There was a little part of me inside that was crushed, but I knew I was making the right decision,” she says.

She and Ari got engaged a week later. She also began fully using her Hebrew name.

Wishing Corden Clarity Meanwhile, when Ari returned back to work from Israel, he received a promotion to producing and made it to the writer’s room. He worked with the monologue team and was one of the producers for the first 25 episodes of Corden’s famed “Carpool Karaoke” segment. The popularity of Corden’s show shot up meteorically and became an Emmy award-winning phenomenon.

Ari still had to write inappropriate jokes, and to joke about celebrities he’d also have to read all about them and speak with them, and then go home to his wife and his Torah life.

“They don’t blend,” he acknowledges, “Torah and Hollywood are

complete opposites.

“I made the decision I was going to leave.”

Ari met with Corden to tell him his plans. He explained that he was getting married and planned to spend the next year living in Jerusalem, taking some time to work on himself.

“James paused, looked me in the eye and said, ‘Ari, I’m so jealous of you.’”

Corden admitted that, though he “has it all,” he had no time with his wife and kids and often wondered if he was doing the most meaningful thing with his own life. Stunned, Ari wished Corden clarity and left.

As his time in showbusiness wound down, Ari’s Hollywood story came full circle. Adam Sandler, Ari’s early role model of success, came on the show. Though Ari’s enthusiasm for Hollywood had waned, meeting Sandler in person seemed special nonetheless. As Ari chatted excitedly with Sandler, instead of seeing the happy-go-lucky energetic comedian that Ari idolized, Sandler seemed sad and drained as he wearily rattled off his upcoming projects. Ari’s decision to leave the Hollywood life was solidified.

An Emotional Journey Nes and Ari went on another trip through LAJ, this time to Poland and the Auschwitz concentration camp.

One of the most startling experiences came for Ari as the group of 30 people worked together to salvage shards of Jewish bones from a field in the concentration camp of Chelmno. He thought of the 150 people on staff at The Late Late Show and the millions

The Jewish | MAY 27, The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015

of dollars spent to produce a TV show, and all of the efforts made simply for the sake of entertainment.

“I knew once again that it was the right decision to leave Hollywood behind. Those 20 minutes we spent were more meaningful than anything I ever did in Hollywood,” he says.

The trip to Auschwitz hit Nes hard and brought her observance to another level. She saw a room filled with piles of hair taken from Jewish women in the infamous concentration camp.

“It was very emotional, very depressing,” Nes says. “I couldn’t stop crying when I saw it. They knew this was special to us, so they took it from us.”

Three months later, after her wedding, Nes made the decision to cover her hair.

A Life of Substance Ari spent a year in Israel learning at Machon Shlomo in Har Nof, with Nes at Neve Yerushalayim. The Blaus returned to the States and had baby girl. They worked for Tomchei Shabbos LA and other Jewish nonprofits, but ultimately made the decision to return to Israel, where they reside today. Ari is currently learning for a second year at Machon Shlomo, while Nes learns at She’arim. The Blaus have started speaking and sharing their story and recently completed a speaking tour with Aish UK. They’ve visited schools and camps in Jewish communities around the world and hope to inspire others with the message that you can achieve anything in this world – as long as living a Jewish life is your top priority.

Nes’s parents have accepted her new lifestyle proudly. Her father even took on new observances and began putting on tefillin every day. Ari’s family was accepting as well.

Asked what advice he has for those on the path to observance about how to relate to their families, Ari shares, “It’s a fine balance; just try to look at it from their perspective. Any family that has a child or anyone in their family that becomes religious when they’re not, they just want what’s best, but they don’t know that that is what’s best. They really do have the person’s best interest in mind, if you

could just look at it from their perspective. The basis of it comes from a loving place.”

The Blaus recognize that the Hollywood lifestyle is intriguing to many.

“It’s a shock to people when they

was important in my life before, and being off social media has probably helped me connect even better. It was consuming my time.”

Ari assures, “We do need laughter, and I still try to incorporate it into my

“If you really want to live a real meaningful life, with true happiness and get the most out of life, you’re so lucky because the answers are all there in the Torah.”

hear the truth that celebrities are not happy,” he says. “And if you really want to live a real meaningful life, with true happiness and get the most out of life, you’re so lucky because the answers are all there in the Torah.

It’s way more prestigious to be giving back to Klal Yisrael and doing a job that has real meaning to it.”

Ari cautions people to be aware of what they watch and not to get caught up by how relationships or families are portrayed on the screen.

“Hollywood spends millions of dollars to make what you’re watching feel real,” he shares. “They do a great job of convincing people. Even if it says in the beginning ‘based on a true story,’ it’s based on a true story that was then fabricated by Hollywood because they need to make it juicy! The relationships you see on TV or in the movies are not real.”

Even for those who avoid TV and pop culture in general, the genre of the fairytale romance, complete with heartbreak and resolution, is long engrained in our collective psyche and manufactured by writers and producers. So-called reality TV shows are scripted as well – from the bickering to the marriages. “A façade,” explains Ari. “It’s complete olam ha’sheker.”

Ari had spent years creating his YouTube videos and promoting his comedy career on social media.

“One day I just deleted it all, and it was the best thing I ever did. I have not disconnected from anyone who

daily life.”

Often asked if they miss their old lives, the answer is clear.

“Not at all. Not one bit,” says Ari. “Like someone who loves TV dinners

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and found out about a fancy steak that they never knew about it – they would never say they ‘gave up’ TV dinners for steak. It was a blessing. Becoming religious saved our lives from what would have happened had we stayed in Hollywood.”

Nes also realizes how she spent her whole life playing characters, but was never able to be herself.

“Leaving Hollywood, aside from all the fakeness and everything else, I realized how unique each individual is and how important it is to just be yourself and live in your own shoes.”

N

es and Ari are today living their lives far away from the world they once knew and building a future very different than the one they had imagined. Though they’ve had their share of Hollywood moments and a few fond memories, leaving Hollywood for the opportunity to live an authentic Jewish life is their ultimate Hollywood ending.

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Dating Dialogue

What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

I’ve been on a Zoom speed dating group that has been going amazingly. Everyone is around the same age range/hashkafa, and it gives us an opportunity to meet a few people and decide who would be good for each other after a series of Zoom speed dating. It’s been a recurring group, and we have spoken both as a group and individually two times. So far, I’m very interested in two guys I’ve met through the group, and I can’t choose who to proceed with. I know, I know. I should be counting my blessings. The problem is the one I am more interested in lives far away, and would be less likely to meet up in person with social distancing. The one I’m a little bit interested in, but as of now see less potential in, lives closer, so meeting could work.

I’m scared if I don’t pursue the opportunity with the one I am more interested in first I will lose my chance with him. On the other hand, it may not be smart now because we can’t meet in person anyways.

I would love to hear what the panel thinks.

Thanks, Sara

Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions.

Our intention is not to offer any definitive

conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.

In last week’s issue, the Single’s answer was attributed to Michelle Mond instead of Rena Friedman. We regret the error.

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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. ara, it’s smart of you to join this form of dating now. While in-person dating is very limited, you are continuing your efforts to meet men. I applaud your efforts to keep moving on and trying. However, do not overthink things. If within a compatible forum you encountered someone who seems to be a good potential dating partner, go for it or him. It is the healthy thing to do. Although the current restrictions on meeting people are limiting dating, you should go for someone who interests you and seems to have the personality and values you appreciate.

Part of dealing with the current life is the narrowing of choices for day-to-day life. If you need to purchase something, you buy from the safest place. Your entertainment and socialization choices are restricted for now and perhaps the next few months.

However, choices for big things matter, especially life partners.

Dating remotely gives you the opportunity to showcase your personality and be creative about it. It gives your wit, humor, and style a new way to shine. Focus on the opportunity to engage with someone who is interesting to you and see where it goes.

And enjoy it! Don’t worry and figure so much!

And if it is indeed your style to calculate, weigh, and measure, do some deep thinking about it. Understand yourself better and grow with the challenge. You will be smarter and in a better place to make choices because of it.

S

The Shadchan Michelle Mond very time I get a question these days, I have to pinch myself due to the reality we are living through.

E

Every age group has their own unique challenges, and singles are no exception. I am hopeful, however, that we are at the tail end of strict quarantine. (Hey, I can be optimistic, right?).

At the time I am writing this, things are progressing positively in regard to places opening up. Minyanim are being conducted in some states around the U.S. under strict guidelines. Some date places such as pottery painting and parks are open with proper social distancing. Baruch Hashem things are looking up!

Your date with Boy Number Two (BNT), the one you are less interested in, will likely be pointless if you go out with him now. Human nature is to gravitate towards that which might be better. In this case, you will continuously be thinking about Boy Number One (BNO), wondering if that would have been the better choice. This will not be fair to BNT and will waste your time, as well as your chances with him if he is your true bashert.

I know many stories of women who pushed off going out with someone because there were things that were not ideal at the time. Eventually, after dating many others, the previously suggested guy was given a chance, and things worked out. In almost all of these stories the woman relates that she would not have gotten to engagement without the lessons she learned while dating the others.

If your gut is telling you to say yes to BNO, it is the right decision for now.

Go for it, you will figure it out. Who knows? By the time this is printed maybe you’ll be able to travel to meet each other.

Hatzlacha and hope to hear good news soon!

The Single Rena Friedman ara, I appreciate your sensitivity towards each of these guys and

S

yourself and for striving to do what is right. When it comes to counting our blessings, even the biggest of blessings can come with their fair share of stressors and challenges. It is always important to recognize both sides of the equation. Lastly, shkoyach for going to these events and putting yourself out there.

For the sake of simplicity, let’s call the guy who lives nearby Moshe and the guy who lives farther away Dovid.

Also, let’s make the assumption that both Dovid and Moshe are interested and willing to go out with you, too.

As I write this, I wonder what I would do in this situation. I try to imagine the emotions and thoughts that would go on in my head. If we were to perform a cost benefit analysis, saying no to Dovid now, which

Even the biggest of blessings can come with their fair share of stressors and challenges.

is painful and almost feels wrong in the short term, is saving you from immense amounts of pain later on. From a tachlis-oriented perspective, it is clear what to do and I have outlined that below. But not everything in life

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can be boiled down to the logistics.

From an emotional standpoint, it is extremely difficult to say no to a guy you are interested in. It does not feel right because it goes against nature.

The emotional and mental runaround of shidduchim causes all of us to think and rethink our moves as if we are playing an intense game of chess. In some way there is something Romeo and Juliet-esque intertwined within all of this where you want to date but the circumstance just doesn’t allow for it. As we all have learned over the last few months, sometimes life is just not fair. Hashem runs the world and it’s our avodah, especially during a time like this, to accept, adapt, and learn to roll with the punches.

If there is no way to meet Dovid in person, both of you should agree that there is mutual interest and under these conditions it would be better to wait. Each of you should date other people and meet in person if you’re both available in the future. Spending months Zooming with no in-person meeting in sight is signing both

of you up to hurt yourselves and the relationship. A real relationship cannot progress over Zoom with proper vulnerabilities, relationship building, and chemistry. The reality is you do not actually know the guy sitting in “front” of you. You only know a small fraction of him and allow your imagination to conjure up the rest. Remember, the right guy at the wrong time is still wrong.

If you are even a little interested in Moshe, then definitely give it a shot. Go on another Zoom date and then meet in person. Moshe is around the corner, and there is no harm in giving it a chance, granted you are in the proper mental state that giving that idea a shot will not hurt you.

P.S: I would love to hear more about this event, and what made it so successful. Please feel free to reach out to me at renafriedman1@gmail. com.

Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

D

ear Sara, This may be my shortest response in the history of “What Have a question for the panel? They’re here to help you with your dating conundrums.

Email your questions for the panelists to Jen at thenavidaters@gmail.com.

Wou ld You Do If...” I begin with the caveat that you must do what you see fit. No one can tell you what to do and ultimately the decision is yours.

In my opinion, follow your heart.

Go with your gut. Trust your instinct. You are excited by the guy who lives further away. I think you owe it to yourself to work through the difficulties and challenges that dating will present to you during

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler ld anecdote: Everyone in the shul and in the neighborhood knew that Margie was a horrible, hateful, miserable human being. One day, she went to her rabbi and asked, “Rabbi, you are a holy man, and I need your advice.

Morris and Seymour both proposed marriage to me, but I can’t decide which proposal to accept. With your Ruach Hakodesh, can you please predict, who will be the lucky one?”

The rabbi considered the question carefully, and answered gravely, “Morris will be the lucky one. You are going to marry Seymour.”

Sarah – I’m just kidding. Don’t be insulted!

No one can recommend the proper course of action for you. But following your gut instinct is always advisable. If you take the easy way out and date the local candidate, you will always wonder if you should have chosen the more

O

COVID19.

For now, you can speak on the phone and Zoom date. It may blossom into more and you will figure out a way to meet if it is meant to be. If it doesn’t blossom into more, you will sleep soundly knowing that you followed your instinct.

I can’t tell you how many young women I have worked with in the dating parsha who, for one reason or another, did not trust their guts.

We always work on strengthening the ability and permission (which is often taken away by well-meaning people) to trust themselves - even if the person taking it away is themselves. Hashem gives us instincts, and for all different reasons we choose to ignore them.

Following your gut instinct is always advisable.

difficult path.

You are already pursuing innovative pathways with Zoom speed dating. Why not go for it and try long distance dating with the young man that seems more attractive to you?

If it doesn’t work out, you can always see if the local fellow is still available.

And, as an added bonus, the two young men, living far apart, will probably never get a chance to compare dating notes with each other.

I am sensing how deep your desire is to make a reasonable decision. But in this area, instinct and feelings trump reason. Go with your gut and be proud.

Sincerely, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516-224-7779, ext. 2. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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TIPS FROM A HOME SCHOOLING MOM PART IV: SHAVUOS

BY SARA RAYVYCH, MSED

A

few years ago, I was in a CVS pharmacy picking up a prescription either just before or after Shavuos. The gentile pharmacist explained they purposely keep the pharmacy open a bit longer to accommodate the frum community’s postyom tov prescriptions needs, and she asked me what the holiday was about.

I briefly explained that it was the day we celebrate receiving the Torah. I don’t think she had expected that answer, and she responded how it must be such a happy/special day for us. I was taken aback both by the sincerity and simplicity in how she responded and recognized the meaning of the day. After the intensity of Pesach, unfortunately, too often Shavuos doesn’t get the appreciation it should.

I know our rebbeim and moros have been busy teaching about the importance of Shavuos and the gift of the Torah. Despite their heroic efforts, I also know that a number of children have been unable to properly focus when lessons are given over technology. I am not trying to replace the school’s hard work but to simply give a few options to parents who

don’t feel their child fully absorbed the lessons.

As a homeschooler, it is up to me to give over the uniqueness of each yom tov. It is both a responsibility and a privilege. The truth is that in a frum household we do so much hands-on work to prepare for, and honor, each yom tov that it’s nearly impossible to miss some of the important lessons we want to teach. Keep it enjoyable, fun, and a way of bonding with your child while passing on the beauty of our mesorah.

TORAH IN THE KITCHEN I feel like so much of Judaism is taught in the kitchen. Each yom tov has those special foods we serve.

Preparing and serving those foods is a perfect time to explain to your child why you’re eating those dishes.

Kids are naturally curious and pick up on the unusual, and cheesecake/ blintzes/lasagna is definitely a change of menu. Take advantage of the natural learning environment that meal

preparation offers.

Many families make a dessert that is parsha- or yom tov-based. It’s a wonderful, creative outlet and an easy way to give over timely lessons. Har Sinai cake has been a highlight of our family’s Shavuos traditions for many years, and my little ones remember the story of Har Sinai for months afterwards.

TORAH AT THE TABLE Many families may be used to children coming to the table already knowing about the parsha or yom tov from school. The yom tov table is a natural place to discuss some aspects of yom tov, but don’t think you need to cover everything in one meal. In fact, we have four meals to talk about Shavuos. You can discuss the usual things that are taught in school but it’s also an opportunity to inspire your child to think outside their usual lessons. My husband often comes to the Shabbos table with a question on the parsha that highlights a point that

nobody ever notices, and this really makes all of us think.

TEXTUAL LEARNING Take out a Chumash or Megillas Rus, and read it to your child. If you or your child are not up to the Hebrew, then read it in English. Read the pesukim describing Matan Torah with your children. You’d be surprised how few children can differentiate which parts of the story are written in the pesukim and which are medrash.

ArtScroll has a children’s Megillas Rus with an easy-to-read translation.

The megilla is rather short, and the storyline is quite interesting. This involves no preparation but teaches so much. I’ve read Megillas Rus to even young children who can appreciate it on their own level.

ART PROJECTS The magazines and newspapers usually have fun projects for the kids.

Pick a project or two that you like and

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let the kids have fun doing it. Even if you’re buying real flowers, your children can draw beautiful bouquets or make ones from napkins/tissue paper to add extra color to the house.

The Siyum Hashas booklets included some wonderful projects for families.

You can find coloring sheets online (for example, chabad.org and aish. com).

Explain to your child why each project is geared to yom tov. It’s fun, it’s a lesson, and it creates great childhood memories.

READING MATERIAL As a homeschooling family I try to make sure our homeschool library is well stocked but most families have a home library for their children. Go through the books and pick out the ones that discuss Shavuos and the chashivus (importance) of Torah. We are so fortunate to have biographies discussing many of the great Torah leaders we have been blessed with, including many women such as Reb-

betzin Kanievsky.

Before each yom tov, I separate all the appropriate books and arrange them attractively on the dinner table. The books are whatever we have available on the relevant topics and

Many adults either don’t have the background or the comfort level to give over lessons informally.

There are so many resources available to assist parents. With a little prior preparation, any parent can

KEEP IT ENJOYABLE, FUN, AND A WAY OF BONDING WITH YOUR CHILD WHILE PASSING ON THE BEAUTY OF OUR MESORAH.

on all reading levels, from picture books through novels. The kids come down in the morning and pick from the selected books for their morning reading. My older children told me how much they used to enjoy coming down yom tov morning and finding a special yom tov library set up. Feel free to read one of the books to your child; it need not be long.

have something to say to their child about yom tov. Go online and find a resource you like; there are so many options available. The Book of our Heritage goes through the entire year, month by month, and describes the significance of each special day.

The Journey through Nach series by Rabbi Daniel Fine and Chaim Golker has a book on Kesuvim that has a

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thorough but brief and easy-to-read summary of each perek of Rus. The Navi Journey series by Rabbi Ilan Gilian is wonderful and includes a sefer on Rus. There is a review of each perek followed by a closer, in-depth look at issues or topics that come up in that perek. It provides a rich look at each perek and provides thought-provoking material for you to discuss at your yom tov table.

I know parents are stressed, and parents are busy, juggling more than they can handle. I hope I provided some simple ways parents can incorporate the beauty of yom tov into their routine, often with no prior preparation needed. Whether or not you teach your child about Shavuos, make sure to enjoy the day with them as that will provide them with special memories that last a lifetime.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

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MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29, |2015 | The Jewish

Dr. Deb

Shavuos

By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

B

ut it appears Hashem wants us to each stand at our own, private Har Sinai this year.

There was a tiny, tiny chance that I could spend yom tov with one of my children and grands. They all, apparently, tested positive for the virus antibodies. Which meant that if I, too, tested positive, I could throw caution to the winds and spend yom tov there.

Of course, I tested negative. I’ve been hibernating in my lovely, cozy apartment, venturing for a walk on the boardwalk once in a while and just around the block when I’m antsy to get back to work, but that’s about it.

Taking such good care of myself that I did not contract the virus. Not that I would want it. Well, kinda. I wanted a mild version like my daughter had.

Truth: I can daven on my porch; it’s very pleasant on warm days. On Shabbos, every neighbor is out on their porch, and we all wave at one another. We even shout, “How’r you doing?” without being afraid of disturbing the services since it’s the porch and not shul. I miss shul, yes, but this isn’t bad. I do enjoy picking out my own groceries, too, but I really don’t mind getting my food delivered, either. Kind of nice. So, all in all, I can tolerate the daily stuff that has been imposed on us. Wearing a mask still looks so strange; I can’t get used to seeing people’s faces covered up, but it’s part of the game.

The thing that stabbed me in the innards, though, when I first went to Kew Gardens Hills was that first moment I saw my adult son and realized we would not be able to hug. Now, that was difficult. I kind of choked up at that moment. That was difficult. Then the small grandchildren wanted their hugs and that was hard, too.

So, yeah, to have the antibodies so I could put that particular restriction behind me would have been worth ev-

erything.

But it appears Hashem wants us to each stand at our own, private Har Sinai this year.

The great thing about this go-italone mode is that it’s a lot quieter.

Even with the friendly shouting from front porches, we can hear ourselves think. At least those of us who are, actually, alone. And maybe that is a good thing. Certainly, it seems to be a good thing for a chag of reflection.

Someone I once knew could not be alone. She could not handle hearing her own thoughts. So if she found herself alone she would listen to music or a lecture. Others have been known for the volume at which they keep the devices playing in the background.

The owners of those devices did not want to hear the sound of their own thoughts.

And since the restrictions are persisting, it seems to me that we should meet the challenge: honor ourselves more than we have by actually listening to our thoughts. Reconnect with ourselves. Get to appreciate and value what’s going on in our heads. So many of us have been running in the other direction – and what has that accomplished? Only more disconnection from ourselves.

And once we finally, finally can hear ourselves – and have a real conversation! – then it’s time to talk to G-d. I have a feeling that most of us don’t do that. Oh, yeah, we daven, some of us, but we’re going through the motions. Put the machzor down and have a conversation with G-d. I imagine you might find that scary.

“Who me?” might be your thought.

But, yes, you. Because every one

But it appears Hashem wants us to each stand at our own, private Har Sinai this year.

But what I’ve found as a therapist is that paying attention to pain often makes it disappear. There’s a trick that is done to help people with chronic physical pain: they have to pay attention to it, describe what color it might be, and so on. Eventually, it fades. So focusing on emotional pain might not be the worst thing. Focusing on thoughts could conceivably be productive. Then again, if the thoughts are simply a lot of self-flagellation, then we can lovingly remind ourselves to stop that and think positive thoughts.

But this whole line of possibility is lost when we don’t even want to listen to our thoughts.

of us is G-d’s child. We forget that; we don’t really believe that. We have moved so far away from feeling special. But we are special. And we each have that creative spark, a unique take on the world, a personal mission, our own purpose for being here. And it’s high time we connected back to that and to the One who put the spark inside.

Think of it this way. The cheesecake is so much more mouthwatering when you’re celebrating for a real reason. It’s awfully hard to make such an ephemeral thing as “G-d” become real. And we can’t. But what we can do – and it works and I will prove it

momentarily – is become less real ourselves. By that I mean, we can become less connected to the material and take just a few minutes to feel what it would feel like if we were ourselves more ephemeral.

After all, we are just that.

The “reality” is that we will not be here forever. We actually are ephemeral beings. We just don’t want to think about that part of ourselves because it’s either scary or depressing. But it needn’t be. Here’s the proof I was mentioning: did you ever walk along a garden path or the beach or on a mountain on a spectacular day, or drive that overlook towards Jerusalem any day when you’re high, high up, and feel absolutely glorious? When you feel as if time had stopped because everything was so perfect and so beautiful?

That’s what I’m talking about.

Those precious moments. They’re all too few, aren’t they? The goal is to recall that they exist. The memories are implanted somewhere in the back of the mind. Those moments lock us into our ephemeral side. They are clear reminders that we can escape, however briefly, our material selves. So the object of the game is to create – no, admit – more of those. Those moments are available any old day, really.

You don’t need gorgeous weather. You only need to let go of the here and now.

You only need to reach for that part of you that is not chained down to kids’ homework and laundry and making a living.

Just take the time this yom tov. You owe it to yourself because that ruchniyus-dik part of you is just as real as the rest. And it needs watering..

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. If you want help with your marriage, begin by signing up to watch her Masterclass at https://drdeb. com/myw-masterclass.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Madraigos

How to Get Through Covid-19

By Rabbi Dr. Dovid Felt

T

he one certain characteristic of the Covid-19 virus is its uncertainty. There is uncertainty about how it is transmitted, its symptoms, and who is more susceptible.

What medical strategy is the most effective? Does it mutate? Do antibodies protect? Are we able to produce a viable vaccine? and so on. For all of us attempting to make sense of the Covid-19 virus, the explanations have only been successful in contributing to an already stressful situation. For some, the level and duration of uncertainty, coupled with no clear end in sight, is having a serious impact on their mental health.

Recently, I attended a Zoom meeting with members of other civic and mental health organizations, and we each shared our experience working in the trenches. In what amounted to a clear consensus, we found a startling trend. When Covid-19 shut down shuls and schools, it opened up the floodgates of anxiety. The elderly, who had their routine of going to minyan three times a day, were suddenly boxed in. Not being tech-savvy effectively isolated them from the world. Parents now had to become principals, teachers, and disciplinarians overnight. Teens felt the strain in their social life, and children lost their ability to run free. As the numbers of the sick and dying kept climbing, depression started to set in. Everyone was affected; there was no one who didn’t know some-

one who needed their tefillos and Tehillim. The constant barrage of bad news made it difficult, for even the most balanced among us, not to feel depressed. Making Pesach under these conditions led to many not being able to regulate their emotions and feelings, and little things had the potential to cause major outbursts.

The post-Pesach season ushered in a new reality, and with it an upsurge in suicidality. While these findings are anecdotal evidence, they resonate with anyone working as a health or mental health provider.

While we are still waiting for legitimate and evidence-based answers, our focus should be on trying to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress. The basic signs and symptoms of stress can be categorized as either emotional, physical, or behavioral. When observing emotional signs and symptoms, one should look at the language used. Individuals under stress will talk about the future being hopeless. Their conversation will be dull and detached. It will contain expressions of sadness, fearfulness, and nervousness. Any of these should alert you to pay more attention to what they are saying and feeling.

Physical signs and symptoms will be easier to detect. Someone who starts complaining of stomach pain, trouble eating or sleeping, headaches, trouble concentrating, or making decisions should be evaluat-

ed. Certainly, if their heart is pounding or they are breathing excessively, they may need to be seen first by a medical professional but it is very likely these symptoms are a result of anxiety and stress. While some behavioral symptoms are to be expected in the current environment, the concern is when its frequency and duration is excessive. For example, being irritable, having outbursts of anger, becoming easily upset, or agitated – there may be sufficient justification for such behavior, but if it isn’t allowing the person to function, they should speak to a professional.

Other examples include blaming or having negative views of oneself, distrust of others, getting into conflicts, or being over-controlling. With all of these, it would be wiser to err on the side of caution and speak to a licensed therapist.

For parents and caregivers, the signs and symptoms are less forthcoming and subtler. Babies and infants do not have the capability to describe events or feelings to others, thus making it difficult for a parent or caregiver to help them. Reactions that may be of concern include being more irritable, crying more than usual, or wanting to be held and cuddled more often. Studies have shown that while those children exposed to a disaster were not able to communicate their fears and anxieties at the time it occurred, when they became older, they were able to recall those

feelings and emotions. While preschool- and kindergarten-age children may not understand what is happening, they are aware that they are experiencing an overwhelming event. The challenge with these children is that they often feel helpless and powerless, which can result in them feeling an intense fear and insecurity when separated from their parents or caregivers. If possible, pay attention to their play. Look to see if they are re-enacting a stress or concern repetitively as this may give you an insight into what is causing them stress.

School-age children have the ability to understand what is happening around them and communicate fears and concerns. Parents and caregivers should look out for the child that becomes intensely preoccupied with the details of the stressful event and want to talk about it continually.

Other behaviors to look out for are sadness, generalized fear, or specific fears of the trauma happening again.

In addition, they may exhibit feelings of guilt over action or inaction, anger that the event was not prevented, or blame directed at others (including parents and caregivers) who may have contributed to the stress.

As children grow older, they develop a more sophisticated understanding of the disaster event. Their responses are more similar to adults.

Much of adolescence is focused on moving out into the world, so for

The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015 The Jewish | MAY 27,

them the stay-at-home requirement will be the most challenging. The concern post-Covid-19 is that their view of the world will be that it is more dangerous and unsafe. Ironically, as a result, we will find teenagers becoming involved in dangerous, risk-taking behaviors, such as reckless driving, or alcohol or drug use.

For other teenagers, a post-Covid-19 reaction can be fear of leaving home and avoidance of previous levels of activities. As parents and caregivers, the signs and symptoms will be much subtler, and as with typical teenagers, their inability to discuss their feelings with others will hamper their recovery.

Parents and caregivers should try to be aware of the way they talk about Covid-19 as it will impact how their children internalize the disaster. Their tone can model hope and calm, instead of stress and anxiety.

A report, published in 2016 in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology found an 80% correlation between the stress levels of primary caregivers and their children. The results indicate that parents who perceive themselves as more stressed by the

quarantine report that their children had more emotional problems.

Parents and caregivers can best help their children when they understand their own feelings and have developed ways of coping themselves.

When parents and caregivers or other family members are able to deal with the situation calmly and confidently, they will be the best source of

times of uncertainty. Another powerful medium to channel our fears and anxieties is tefillah. Davening provides an opportunity to care and support ourselves and others through this disaster.

Helping our children begins with active listening. Knowing that there is someone who cares is extremely beneficial in helping children with

Helping our children begins with active listening.

support for their children.

Selfcare is the key to dealing with a disastrous situation. Try by maintaining a healthy diet and having an exercise regimen. Set aside some time to talk to friends and family and be open to sharing your struggles, thoughts, and feelings with someone you trust. Bolstering one’s bitachon and emunah in Hakadosh Baruch Hu allows us to navigate through these

their anxiety and stress. When answering questions posed by young children keep it simple without the elaboration needed for an older child or adult. Children vary in the amount of information they need and can use. If a child has difficulty expressing his or her thoughts and feelings, then allowing them to draw a picture or tell a story of what they are thinking may help. Other things one

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can do for children is limiting their exposure to the news. The media is the primary cause of their fear, anxiety and confusion. Spend extra time with children but also allow them their own space. Involve children in the planning for the family’s ongoing safety by giving them specific tasks to let them know they can help. Finally, and most importantly, establish daily routines for schoolwork, play, meals, and rest.

At this point, the restrictions are being eased and while that will go a long way towards reducing the anxiety and stress for many individuals, the after-effects will continue. At Madraigos, we continue to support the community with a wide variety of services. We have a general support line as well as one specifically for parents. Our case management services are continuing, as well as all the programs we have for teens.

For more information, call me at 516371-3250 x111 or email me at rdfelt@ madraigos.org.

Rabbi Dr. Dovid Felt is the director of School-Based Services at Madraigos.

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Health & F tness

Accepting the Torah the Right “Weigh”

By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

S

Chuck the Cheesecake? Cheesecake is the number one most fattening cake! Make low-fat variations with low-fat cottage cheese and lowfat cream cheese, or buy a diet cheesecake like the “Say Cheese” brand. If you are desperate for the real thing, then please take a sliver and treat yourself to it in the morning, not late at night. What you eat at night will only stick to you, but foods that you consume earlier in the day you will more likely burn off.

Watch your portions – my motto is moderation not deprivation. Also, never eat standing up! It doesn’t register in your brain that you are eating, so put your cake or other treat on a plate, sit yourself down, and enjoy!

A great alternative to cheesecake for dessert is low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt with berries and some sugar-free granola as toppings. Baked apples, grilled peaches, and grilled pineapple can be delicious desserts too, especially heading into the warmer months.

havuos is my favorite holiday!

This chag requires no extra cleaning, building of temporary structures, or extra-long davening.

This particular year it falls out in the most perfect scenario possible— Friday and Shabbos, eliminating a threeday yom tov. This set-up will result in less dairy meals, and since most dairy delicacies are high in fat and carbs, this situation is a win-win for all of us.

The following are some simple strategies to avoid piling on pounds this Shavuos, and can be applied for future chagim as well.

Challah Control: Challah is like cake. Keep repeating that until it really sinks in. Challah has oil, sugar, flour, and eggs – just like cake. The modern variations of this biblical staple, such as crumb, chocolate, and pulled beef, are only multiplying the caloric, fat, and sugar content. Treat challah as you would a piece of cake.

Take one thin slice, and not two, three or more!

Diet tip: if you bake challah 1) Swap out at least half of the white flour for spelt flour; 2) Use monkfruit instead of sugar; 3) Bake some challahs in cupcake tins, and eat only one cupcake challah per meal.

Have matzah leftover from Pesach? Use it instead of challah for at least one or two meals! Matzah is a clean carb and only consists of flour and water.

Fortuitous Fish: Most of us will be having no more than two dairy meals. The healthiest dairy or parve option is fish. Fish is jam-packed with omega-3 fats and should be your number one choice. Any fish

that you desire is fine, be it salmon, branzino, sea bass, cod, halibut, mahi mahi, etc. I typically make salmon for my family twice a week with lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and basil. I also make a poached salmon with lemon juice, water, monkfruit, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and garlic powder (see recipe).

Fish hack: in order to reduce the fishy odor that inevitably results from cooking fish, soak the fish in a mixture of water and vinegar for at

least 20 minutes before cooking.

Dairy Debate: Dairy delights are usually high in carbs, i.e. lasagna, baked ziti, mac ‘n’ cheese, etc., and cheese which is very high in fat. Some healthy alternatives: homemade pizza on cauliflower crust, a high-fiber wrap with no sugar added marinara sauce and part-skim shredded mozzarella; cauliflower pancakes, Aliza Beer blintzes (see recipe), no sugar added marinara sauce and low-fat cheese over zoodles or spaghetti squash, instead of pasta.

Walk This Way: The current situation of sheltering in place has led most of us into an extraordinarily sedentary lifestyle. Now that the weather is improving, take advantage, and walk every single day that it’s weather permissible. The physical activity will help burn off any extra calories consumed over yom tov, not to mention the mental health benefits.

Sides of Salads: As we head into the summer, our produce is only getting better and better. Side dishes should consist of an array of roasted veggies and salads. Cut up veggies a day or two in advance and store them

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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

‫בס"ד‬

in airtight containers in the fridge.

For each meal you can simply construct the salad of your choosing, or offer a salad bar – always a big hit!

I roast my veggies with an assortment of herbs and spices, usually on cookie sheets lined with parchment

the kitchen and table as you are able.

One advantage to our current reality is the inability to entertain friends and extended family. Everything should be simpler, and simpler is better and healthier.

Enjoy the special yom tov foods,

It doesn’t register in your brain that you are eating, so put your cake or other treat on a plate, sit yourself down, and enjoy!

START THE SPREAD… of jobs!

DID YOU RECENTLY LOSE YOUR JOB? CAN YOU HELP SOMEONE WITH A JOB?

paper, and almost always with a little bit of olive oil, but avocado oil works just as well. For my roasted cauliflower, I use garlic powder, Mrs. Dash onion and herb, and thyme. For my sweet potatoes, I use just kosher salt and black pepper. For my Brussel sprouts, I use kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and a drizzle of silan syrup. Experiment and have fun – there is no right or wrong way of doing it!

Shavuos falls out at a particularly beautiful time of year. Spend as much time outdoors and away from

but be mindful of your portions. There should be healthy and clean options at every meal. Keep up with your hydration, especially before each meal.

Wishing all of my readers and clients a wonderful and healthy yom tov!

Aliza Beer is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com, and you can follow her on Instagram at @alizabeer

DO YOU KNOW OF WORK-AT-HOME JOBS? DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS FOR SALE OR A BUSINESS IDEA WHICH CAN HELP PROVIDE JOBS? WAS YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESSFUL AND NOW IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE OR FINANCING?

Sweet and Sour Poached Salmon Ingredients 8 pieces of baby salmon 1 large onion, sliced into rings 1 cup monkfruit Preparation Sautee the onion in the monkfruit (no oil!) on a low flame for about 25-30 minutes until brown.

Add in one cup of lemon juice. Place

salmon in pot, and cover salmon with enough water to cover the salmon completely. Add salt, garlic powder, about 30 peppercorns, and 20 bay leaves. Cook for 45 minutes-1 hour on a low flame covered.

After it’s completely cooled transfer to an airtight container together with the juice for at least 24-48 hours before serving.

Aliza Beer’s Blintzes Gluten- and Carb – Free/Low-Fat Yields 4 Ingredients 16 oz container of low-fat cottage cheese One pint berries (any type) (if using strawberries then cut them up into small pieces)

Cinnamon, to taste 4 Crepini Egg Thins Preparation Place about ½ cup of cottage cheese in each egg thin. Put about ¼ cup berries on top of the cottage cheese and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Roll up each egg thin like a blintz and “fry” in a nonstick pan with Pam.

Unfortunately, there are many people in

the

5

Towns-Far

Rockaway

community who have recently lost their jobs or have had their paychecks cut. If you need help finding work, or if you are fortunate enough to be able to help others, in any way, please email Chaim Bess at 5tfrjobs@gmail.com or leave a message at (516) 453-0500.

Endorsed by local Rabbanim and Organizations

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

“N

ow, with this quarantine, I understand what you went through a little bit.”

The global crisis that we are facing helped this individual tap into the pain of the challenges that I had encountered and that I am still facing. I would like to respond to this person’s text with a blunt thought, a thought that I would like to share with you, as well: the coronavirus’s effects on my life are nothing compared to what I have been through.

I certainly understand the challenges that face most of the hamon am, who are all currently affected by the coronavirus – whether it is kids complaining they can’t play with their friends; or parents trying to manage schooling their children at home and their respective schedules; ba’alei simchas having to make alternate plans; bochurim wanting to be reunited with their chavrusos, to learn Gemara together in the beis medrash; young boys wishing they could see their rebbeim in the classroom instead of via a kosher device; rabbanim hoping that they can be reunited with their mispallelim to daven together once again... All these challenges are tremendous. They can easily take a toll on our emotions and psyche.

I would like to offer a different perspective, one which I feel equipped to give because of the challenges that I have faced.

Instead of being despondent about this abnormal situation, we can choose to take a step back and widen our perspective and open our eyes to that which we may often take for

granted. We are in the comfort of our own homes. We are able to walk in our homes. We are able to walk not only in our homes but we can walk outside to get fresh air. We are able to walk up and down the steps in our home without thinking twice about it.

We are able to walk and use the bathroom when we need to. The coronavirus has not impeded these abilities.

This past summer, I was not able to complete any of these simple tasks that we so often take for granted.

I

t all started with a concern that I thought would prove to be benign.

However, when my symptoms impacted my ability to lift my foot, I became increasingly concerned. I

spine. While the recovery road is long, what is harder than recovering physically is recovering mentally. Imagine going from running around, playing basketball, with no limitations, to being tied down to a hospital bed with invisible shackles.

After the surgery, many of my bodily functions were affected. The most painful one by far, without a close running mate, was the loss of the ability to go to the bathroom independently. I had to have a foley catheter placed inside my body, which was constantly painful. All medical interventions to try to numb the pain were unsuccessful. While the physical pain was unbearable, the emotional pain was worse. I had a constant reminder that I was unable to complete a basic function, one that I always had

When we find ourselves complaining about the petty little things in life, it behooves us to take a step back and ask: Are we looking at the whole picture? scheduled an appointment with my doctor, and he then sent me to the emergency room to get a full body MRI scan. What the MRI revealed indicated a need for immediate medical intervention.

I underwent a 10½ hour surgery on July 3 to remove a tumor in my

taken for granted.

On Motzei Shabbos, July 6, I begged my rebbe to please do something that will storm the heavens to allow me to regain my ability to use to the bathroom once again. Rabbi Dov Keilson, mashgiach of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, immediately got to

work to try and do something to help me. Two hundred of my fellow bochurim were mekabel that, for two weeks, they would stand in place while reciting the bracha of Asher Yatzar. One day later, I was able to use the bathroom on my own. It was a miracle, to say the least.

That Monday, I was given the chance to once again use the bathroom on my own – something that defied the laws of science had occurred. It is inconceivable that, less than a week after an extensive spinal cord surgery, a person would be able to perform this function on his own. But to me, it’s very simple. The power of the bracha of Asher Yatzar was able to break barriers that normally would be impossible to shatter.

Before I left the hospital, I asked my rebbe for a suggestion of something that I can take upon myself so that I wouldn’t forget the miracle that occurred for me. After some thought, it was suggested that I should try to strengthen others in that which helped me, namely the bracha of Asher Yatzar. I was motivated to do something, but I was unsure of how to proceed.

After recuperating from my surgery, I was transferred to Mount Sinai, which has a unit that specializes in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) rehabilitation. There, I was taught and learned all the basics of rehabilitation for a SCI. I had to relearn how to get dressed, transfer in and out of bed, the basics of wheelchair mobility, and so much more. Additionally, I had to relearn how to walk again!

When the spinal cord gets injured, in my case, via a surgery, it stops sending the messages from the brain to the muscles. So – imagine! –

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Yossi at his sister’s wedding before the surgery

In the hospital with his rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Yaakov Bender

I totally forgot how to walk. I had to retrain my brain as to what it means to walk again.

There are so many different components that go into walking. Whether it be first shifting to the opposite side, then lifting the foot through the hips, extending the knee or finally picking up the ankle to achieve a heel strike with the right amount of force, it is something that I took for granted.

Moreover, our brain knows to lock the knee in order to take the next step with the opposite leg. Do we understand what it means to walk? Do we realize how lucky we are that Hashem gave us billions of nerves that run as messengers between our brains and muscles, allowing us to make movements effortlessly and fluidly? I must confess, I, too, was guilty of this unawareness before my surgery took place.

Instead of focusing on the difficulty of staying at home during this pandemic, maybe we can take the added time during our day to thank Hashem that we can walk. I am deeply troubled that dozens of people don’t know what bracha that we make for walking. We have been saying this bracha hundreds, if not thousands, of times since we were little children. The brachah of hameichn mitzadei gaver means “Who prepares the footsteps of man.” Perhaps we can take the time at home to focus on this bracha.

Unfortunately, I had to undergo two additional washout surgeries due to an infection in my spine. One of the effects of the infection was that I was not able to use the bathroom once again. I needed to do something fast to get my most coveted function

In rehab

back. After some thought and advice from some people, it was suggested that we make a video for Klal Yisrael to be mechazeik in the bracha of Asher Yatzar.

I was up for that challenge. I worked hard, practicing, and perfecting the video until it was to my liking.

As we were getting ready to release it, I got another infection! This time, it was an infection directly related to the fact that I needed to get catheterized. Luckily, we hadn’t sent out the video because it became known to me that Rabbi Keilson’s cousin is a professional filmmaker. Moshe Bree of “Ingenious Productions” came to the hospital and filmed me. I tried encouraging people to stand in place by the bracha of Asher Yatzar even just once a day. Hence, the campaign “Asher to the Yatzar” (which is play on words for “Praise to the Creator”) was born. Since the day that we released the video, I have not had to get catheterized even once! Something I was told may take numerous months to return, I regained in a mere couple of weeks!

Baruch Hashem, in the summer, the videos that we put out went viral, and we have gotten great feedback.

Until today, people come over to me and express how they were inspired by my videos and try to stand in place when reciting Asher Yatzar. Recently, we just released a follow-up video, and it went viral as well.

Due to a very generous sponsor we made 5,000 magnets to distribute.

It reads: “I take upon myself to stop & stand in one place while making the bracha of Asher Yatzar thanking Hashem and appreciating all of the

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Yossi standing on his porch this week

endless miracles that I receive daily.” Hence the motto, “Stop, Stand & Appreciate.” We have depleted our inventory, and now we are awaiting a shipment of 7,000 more magnets!

When we find ourselves complaining about the petty little things in life, it behooves us to take a step back and ask: Are we looking at the whole picture?

Do we have the priceless ability to go to the bathroom? Do we feel the pain that there are people who need assistance to complete this most basic task? Are we really going to equate the ability to spend time at home with our families to that of someone in the hospital? To give you an example, imagine that you were stuck to your bed and there was no option to go

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MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29, |2015 | The Jewish

Yossi being greeted by friends and family upon coming home

A

s my one-year anniversary since my surgery approaches, I am very thankful that this occurred last year as opposed to this

year. It would’ve been very difficult if I was all alone. My family was there nonstop, especially my mother, who did not miss even one day of being there for me in the hospital and rehab combined! Additionally, not a day went by that I did not have a visitor!

In the span of three months, I must’ve had hundreds of visitors.

On a lighter note, LIJ has a policy

that every visitor must get a visitor badge with their picture on it. It was not uncommon for the security guard to say, “You must be for Yosef Hecht in room 414, right?” Mi k’amcha Yisroel. Perhaps we should feel for all of our brothers and sisters who are in the hospital all by themselves. They cannot even get the bikur cholim packages that I used to get every day.

Nor can they see a smile from their spouse. Or a hug from their nieces and nephews that I was privy to see numerous times in the duration of my stay.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Hashem for all of the unbelievable gains that I have made in the past number of months. I went from barely able to move my legs to now, baruch Hashem, walking 1 mph on a treadmill, using a harness to hold me up for safety. But, above all, the fact that I am able to go to the bathroom on my own is truly spectacular. I have no words to thank all those who have taken upon themselves to accept this powerful kabbala. However, now more than ever, in this unprecedented time of the coronavirus pandemic, it is incumbent upon us to be extra vigilant to appreciate what we have!

What better way to express this appreciation than to stand in place by the bracha of Asher Yatzar?

Instead of focusing on all the negativity, let us be thankful that we are well enough to be in the comforts

of our homes, that we can breathe independently without the need for outside intervention, that we can walk with ease and that all our bodily functions are intact. It’s all about perspective.

:(

(

to the living room. Imagine that you were stuck inside a body whose feet are not able to function as they once had. It’s all about perspective.

WWW.ASHERTOTHEYAT

ZAR.COM

In the merit of our awareness and appreciation, may things not go back to normal but that we should be greeted with a new normal that will be with the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days.

Yossi Hecht lives in Far Rockaway, NY. He can be reached at AshertotheYatzar@ gmail.com. For more information or to order magnets, please visit AshertotheYatzar.com.

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The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020 OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

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tchen

Tres Leches Cake

By Naomi Nachman

This luxurious cake, with origins in Panama, is the new cheesecake, rich, creamy, and indulgent. I tasted this on my trip to Panama, with its dulce de leche twist, and decided to bring it home.

Dairy Yields 12 servings

Ingredients ½ cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1½ cups sugar 4 large eggs 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup milk 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk ¼ cup caramel sauce (dulce de leche) 2 cups whipping cream 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 1 (9x13-inch) baking pan.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy; mix in eggs and vanilla.

Turn mixer speed to low. Combine flour and baking powder; add gradually to butter mixture, stirring to blend.

Pour batter into prepared pan; bake for 45 Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Pierce cake with a fork all over.

Combine milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and caramel sauce in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour mixture onto hot cake. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until stuff. Spread over cake; cut into squares and serve.

Recipe from Perfect Flavors by Naomi Nachman (ArtScroll). Photo by Miriam Pascal.

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MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

In The K

tchen

Fresh & Flavorful Black Bean Salad Ingredients

s, rinsed and drained 1 15 oz. can black bean ¼ can corn niblets grape tomatoes 1 cup ha lved cherr y or ll pepper 1 cup chopped red be ion ½ cup chopped red on tro ½ cup chopped cilan Juice of 1 ½ limes 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher sa lt er ½ teaspoon chili powd min ¼ teaspoon ground cu , peeled, and chopped 1 large avoc ado pit ted

Preparation

pepper, onion, s, corn, tomatoes, red an be ck bla ine mb co , In a large bowl min. Stir to combine. lt, chili powder, and cu sa , oil ve oli , ce jui e lim if necessary, cilantro, with addit ional sa lt, on as se d an o ad oc av Gent ly stir in the before ser ving.

Beet Feta Salad Ingredients Salad 2 beets, cooked and sliced 4 oz. baby spinach ½ cup cashews, roaste d ¼ cup dr ied cranberr ies 2 oz. goat cheese Dressing ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons lemon jui

ce freshly squeezed

Preparation In a bowl, combine ba by spinach,

sliced cooked beets, roa sted cashews, and dr ied cranberr ies.

Prepare the dressing by mi xing the ingredients until com bined.

Pour the salad dressing over the beet salad until beets are coated and mi x. Top with feta befor e ser ving.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Fresh Quinoa Sala d Ingredients Salad 1 English cucumbe r, diced 2 cups cooked quin oa, cooled ½ cup diced red on ion ½ cup cr umbled fe ta cheese 1/3 cup roughly- ch opped fresh basil lea ves

Preparation

To prepare the vi naigrette: wh is k al l th e in gr ed ie nt s together until com bi ne d. Set aside.

To make the sa lad: toss the sa la d in gr ed ie nt s to ge th er.

Dress with vinaig rette before serv ing.

Vinaigrette ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons appl e cider vinegar or red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ teaspoon Ita lia n seasoning, homem ade or store -bough Pinch of sa lt and bl t ack pepper

Crunchy Rainbow Salad Ingredients Salad 8 oz linguini, cooked peppers 2 cups thinly sliced sweet s 1 ½ cups shredded car rot 2 cups shredded cabbage o ¼ cup minced fresh cilantr ½ cup sliced sca llions

Dressing nut butter 3 tablespoons creamy pea 2 tablespoons honey ¼ cup soy sauce r 2 tablespoons rice vinega ds 2 tablespoons sesame see 2 tablespoons sesame oil

Preparation

whisk To prepare the dressing, ts until all the dre ssi ng ing red ien smoot h. Set aside. bine To prepa re the salad, com in a large all the salad ingredients dressing bowl. Before ser ving, pour bine. over salad and toss to com

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home MAY 27, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

Roman numerals. Looks better tbh – The mother of Elon Musk’s baby explaining why they made an edit to their baby’s name, which is now X Æ A-Xii, rather than X Æ A-12

To paraphrase Jimmy Chitwood, “I don’t know if it’ll make any change, but I figure it’s time for me to start playing social media.”

– Retired Giants quarterback Eli Manning upon joining Twitter last week

Welcome @EliManning, in typical fashion, you never showed up until the 4th quarter anyway.

– Quarterback Tom Brady to Manning, who lost two Super Bowls to the Giants on the final drives of the game

Military installations that celebrate white supremacist traitors have loomed steadily larger in the civic landscape since the country began closing smaller bases and consolidating its forces on larger ones.

– From a New York Times op-ed on Saturday calling for the renaming of military bases since those memorialized in the names were racist

On this Memorial Day, we give thanks to the heroic men & women who bravely fought and gave their lives to protect the NYT’s right to call the military Klansmen.

– Response tweet by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)

My agent calls me one morning and he says, “Hey, you’re going to get traded to the Lakers today,” and me and my friends, we go out and celebrate and get drunk about noon. I’m on cloud nine. He calls me back three hours later, it’s like 3:30 now, he says, “The Sixers backed out of the deal.” And, I’m drunk as [as skunk] and we got a game that night, and I’m like, “What? What are you talking about?” And, he’s like, “The Sixers were scared to pull the trigger.” And I said, “You’re kidding me. Dude, we got a game tonight and I’ve been drinking since noon.”

- NBA great Charles Barkley telling ESPN what led him once to play a game drunk

Want to hit with your friends in our batting cage? Be our guest! Want to play catch on the field at 11:30 PM? Be our guest! Want to take batting practice while having a couple of cold ones with the boys? Be our guest! Want to take down your siblings in ping pong and video games in the clubhouse? Be our guest! Want to enjoy breakfast at home plate? Be our guest!

- From an Airbnb posting by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, offering to rent out their minor league baseball stadium for $1,500 a night

The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER OCTOBER 29, 29, 2015 2015 The The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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The objective is to depose a strong, rightwing prime minister, and thus remove the nationalist camp from the leadership of the country for many years.

- Prime Minister Netanyahu, upon arriving to court for the start of his corruption trial on Sunday

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: No company pulling in billions of dollars in profits should pay a lower tax rate than firefighters and teachers. It’s time for Amazon to pay its fair share.

- Tweet by 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden

Joe Biden, we pay every cent owed. You spent 3 decades in the Senate & know that Congress wrote these tax laws to encourage companies to invest in the US economy.

We have. 500k jobs w/ a min wage of $15/hr across 40 states. Assume your complaint is w/ the tax code, not Amazon.

-Amazon, in a tweet in response

We have to keep safe, but if you’re going to wear [a mask], you might as well wear it in style. You want to look good in it.

- Brooklyn-based high-end tailor Yosel Tiefenbrun, age 30, whose custom suits cost $8,000, talking with the New York Post about his $300 face masks

Randall Jacobs of Phoenix died at age 65, lived his life that would have sent a lesser man to his grave decades earlier... He told his last joke, which cannot be printed here, on May 4th 2020.

The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open right now – for this weekend. If they don’t do it, I will override the governors…In America, we need more prayer not less.

- President Trump, announcing last Friday that houses of worship are considered essential and should be opened

Just what I need is a lawyer in the family. Proud of you Tiff!

- Pres. Trump tweeting his congratulations to his daughter, Tiffany, upon her law school graduation

I wake up in the morning and realize that I’m alive and the first thing that I do is thank G-d.

- Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, talking about his lung cancer battle

– From a recent obituary in the Arizona Republic

Well, I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.

– Presidential hopeful Joe Biden on a black radio show

It don’t have nothing to do with Trump. It has to do with the fact that I want something for my community.

- The interviewer’s response

I should not have been so cavalier. I’ve never, never, ever taken the African American community for granted.

- Ibid., in a call with black leaders after being criticized for his comment

MORE QUOTES

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Instead of forecasting a prolonged depression-level Early Intervention economic catastrophe, Furman laidCenter out a detailed case for why the months preceding the November election could offer Trump the chance to brag — truthfully — about the most explosive monthly employment numbers and GDP growth ever. Furman’s counterintuitive pitch has caused some Democrats, especially Obama alumni, around Washington to panic.

I think of baseball right now as a national thermometer.

People are hoping for baseball because if baseball comes back it’s the first true sign that we are on the comeback trail. It’s our national thermometer.

- Legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, in an interview with Sports Illustrated

– From a Politico article about a prediction that the economy is going to drastically improve very quickly, by Jason Furman, a top economist in the Obama administration and now a professor at Harvard

This is my big worry.

- A former unnamed Obama White House official talking to the Politico about the prediction

Challenging Times.

Innovative Solutions.

It’s high — high, high, high, high.

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

- Ibid., when asked by Politico what the Democrats’ level of concern is about a quick economic recovery

Challenge Early Intervention Center continues to provide Early Intervention Evaluations and Therapy Services for Infants and Toddlers remotely, via Telehealth.

WE ARE UP TO THE CHALLENGE AND READY TO HELP!

Instead of forecasting a prolonged depression-level economic catastrophe, Furman laid out a detailed case for why the months preceding the November election could offer Trump the chance to brag — truthfully — about the most explosive monthly employment numbers and GDP growth ever. Furman’s counterintuitive pitch has caused some Democrats, especially Obama alumni, around Washington to panic.

– From a Politico article about a prediction that the economy is going to drastically improve very quickly, by Jason Furman, a top economist in the Obama administration and now a professor at Harvard

This is my big worry.

- A former unnamed Obama White House official talking to the Politico about the prediction

It’s high — high, high, high, high.

- Ibid., when asked by Politico what the Democrats’ level of concern is about a quick economic recovery

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The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Political Crossfire

Stacey Abrams is the Democrats’ Sarah Palin

By Marc A. Thiessen

S

tacey Abrams is running a lessthan-subtle campaign to be Joe Biden’s vice-presidential running mate. Republicans should hope she succeeds. If selected, she would displace Sarah Palin as the least-qualified person ever to serve on a major-party ticket.

Biden should understand this, because he saw firsthand how much damage Palin’s selection did to thenSen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. Pre-election polls showed that six out of 10 Americans said Palin was not qualified for the job, and a Stanford University study found that she cost McCain more than 2 million votes. As Newsweek’s Howard Fineman pointed out at the time, Palin “sent wavering Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans scurrying to Sen. Barack Obama.”

People simply could not see Palin stepping into the presidency if McCain – who was the second-oldest person ever to win a major party’s presidential nomination – were incapacitated.

Abrams makes Palin seem qualified by comparison. At least Palin won her race for Alaska governor.

Abrams’ claim to fame is that she lost Georgia’s governor’s race in 2018. Indeed, she has never won a statewide race. The highest office she has ever attained is minority leader of the Georgia state House of Representa-

tives, a part-time legislature. Apparently, she thinks this qualifies her to be leader of the free world. Last year, Abrams briefly considered a run for president herself, telling The Washington Post in an interview, “I know I have policy chops. I have foreign policy experience.” According to her official bio, her foreign policy experience is serving as a “former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations” (a temporary membership for young people) as well as holding a string of

pearance with Biden. Abrams makes the case that she tripled turnout among Latinos and Asian Americans and boosted African American turnout by 40% in Georgia in her gubernatorial run – and that she could do the same for Biden nationally. “That’s why you have running mates,” she says. No, the reason you have running mates is so they can assume the duties of commander-in-chief if the president is incapacitated. That is why George W. Bush selected Dick

Abrams’ lack of either experience or electoral success has not stopped her from actively pursuing the vice presidency

fellowships that might qualify her for an entry-level research job at a think tank. She is an accomplished author – not of foreign policy treatises, but of romantic suspense novels.

But Abrams’ lack of either experience or electoral success has not stopped her from actively pursuing the vice presidency. In recent weeks, she has done a raft of interviews, culminating with an online joint ap-

Cheney, a former defense secretary, and why Obama selected Biden, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Whatever advantage Abrams might bring with minority voters who are already in Biden’s camp would be dwarfed by her obvious lack of readiness for the presidency, which would drive away the moderate suburban Republicans and independents in the swing states

that Biden needs to defeat Trump.

And presidential readiness will be more important for Biden’s running mate than for any other vice-presidential pick in modern times. If elected, Biden would be older on the day he takes office than Ronald Reagan was on the day he left office.

Biden’s not just old, but also incredibly fragile – a fact we are reminded of whenever he emerges to do an interview from his Delaware basement.

Biden has essentially acknowledged that he will be a transitional figure who will serve as a “bridge” to a new generation of leaders. If elected, he would be a caretaker president who would serve one term at most and keep the seat warm for his successor.

That means Biden’s choice of a successor will have outsize importance. In most elections, voters do not cast their ballots for the vice president. But this time around, Biden’s vice president will really be a president-in-waiting – one who could very well be required to step into the presidency before Biden’s term is up.

McCain later said he regretted picking Palin as his running mate.

Biden would similarly regret choosing Abrams. She would be a weak vice-presidential pick under any circumstances, but in Biden’s case she could cost him the White House. (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group

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Political Crossfire

Cold War Reversal

By David Ignatius

T

he Trump administration sent a characteristic mixed message on arms control last week: It announced a plan to quit the “Open Skies” agreement with Russia, even as it proclaimed its eagerness for a wider arms-control process that would include both Russia and China.

Many analysts focused om the treaty withdrawal as a sign of worsening relations with Russia, but I think there’s something more complex at work, and more hopeful for U.S.-Russia relations. At a time of increasing rhetorical confrontation with China, the U.S. is expanding its engagement with Moscow on arms control, humanitarian assistance to Russia for COVID-19, and other issues of mutual concern.

As always with the Trump administration, to be sure, there are conflicting voices internally. Some officials dislike arms control and would like to sever all agreements that limit U.S. options. But there’s a camp that has always favored more engagement with Moscow, led by Trump himself, and I suspect they are driving policy.

Administration officials don’t say it explicitly, but my guess is that the net effect of the administration’s actions this week is a tactical tilt toward Russia.

For a half-century, strategic negotiations have been a three-way balancing act involving Washington, Moscow and Beijing. President Richard Nixon’s opening to China in 1972 was partly an effort to gain leverage in bargaining with the Soviet Union.

Similarly, the Trump administration’s new outreach to Russia may be prompted by fears of a rising China.

Global power dynamics are shifting. A decade ago, China was seen as a country that sought only a limited nuclear deterrent, much like Britain or France. That’s no longer the case, U.S. officials believe. China is now bidding for nuclear parity – and Russia may share the U.S. interest in checking Beijing’s growing power.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last Thursday the administration intends to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty, a 1992 agreement that allows the 34 signatories to over-

“We agreed that it is imperative to meet, talk about our respective concerns and objectives, and find a way forward to begin negotiations,” Billingslea said. “We have concrete ideas for our next interaction and are finalizing the details as we speak.”

Billingslea said he thinks Ryabkov shares the U.S. view that China should be part of future agreements to limit nuclear weapons, and he quoted a public statement by the Russian official: “Making nuclear disarmament a multilateral process

For a half-century, strategic negotiations have been a three-way balancing act involving Washington, Moscow and Beijing

fly each other’s countries. The U.S. claims Russia has been violating the pact, and Pompeo said the U.S. might “reconsider our withdrawal” if Russia observes the agreement.

The administration’s broader strategy was outlined later Thursday

by Marshall Billingslea, the State Department’s new special envoy for arms control. He said in a speech at the Hudson Institute that he plans to meet as soon as possible with Sergey Ryabkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister, to discuss a range of arms control issues, including possible extension or expansion of the New START treaty, which will lapse next year.

is becoming a priority.” Billingslea left open the possibility that the New START treaty with Russia might be extended, temporarily or for another full five-year term, while China is brought into the negotiation process.

The planned arms control discussions come against a backdrop of wider efforts at cooperation.

The most visible outreach effort is humanitarian assistance to Russia as it copes with a severe COVID-19 outbreak that now totals nearly 320,000 cases, second only to the caseload in the U.S. The Trump administration said this week it plans to send 200 ventilators as emergency assistance to Russia. An airlift with the first 50

ventilators was due to arrive in Moscow Thursday.

It’s a measure of how contentious Russia is in American politics that even this emergency medical assistance is controversial. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted the administration for donating the ventilators, arguing that Russia “can very well afford to pay.”

That was rhetorical overkill by Pelosi. America needs more outreach in this global crisis, not less. And the pandemic is a useful moment for all countries to recognize common interests, even in the shadow of the Kremlin’s covert meddling.

U.S. and Russian officials have been setting the table in recent weeks for more serious talks. Trump and President Vladimir Putin discussed areas of possible cooperation last week in an unpublicized phone call. That followed a May 6 phone call between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who discussed “next steps on arms control” and issues of “mutual concern.”

Arms control is now a three-way street. As Billingslea explained: “We recognize that, increasingly, we have a trilateral nuclear competition ... We believe arms control has the potential to limit that competition. We will try.”

The effort makes sense. But three is an inherently volatile number. As Herman Kahn, the godfather of nuclear strategy, observed decades ago: A bipolar world is stable, and a multipolar world can eventually be stable.

But the transition between the two is risky. (c) 2020, Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

SNAP provides monthly benefits to spend at local grocery stores. You can get and use SNAP while keeping a safe distance from other people:  Everything you need to do to apply for and receive benefits can be done by phone or online—no need to visit a local social service office.  Use SNAP to purchase food at local grocery stores.  Shop for food online using SNAP benefits and have groceries delivered or picked up. o Amazon.com—available statewide o Walmart and ShopRite—available in some zip codes (see their websites) Help is available: If you need help applying for SNAP, call or email a Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) Coordinator. NOEP Coordinators tell you if you may be eligible for SNAP, answer your questions, and help you complete and submit your application. It is free and confidential.

Apply for SNAP online at www.MyBenefits.ny.gov or contact your local NOEP Coordinator:

Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula 718-327-7755 ext: 6127

Prepared by a project of Hunger Solutions New York; funded by NYSOTDA and USDA/FNS. This Institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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MAY 27, 2020 The Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29, |2015 | The Jewish

Forgotten Her es

The Blue Angels Flying the Skies

By Avi Heiligman

T

he American military has many assets in its arsenal that could be used in many different ways depending on the situation. Not only could they be used to strike at enemies, the military has aided allies in humanitarian, training, economical, and in many other capacities. The coronavirus pandemic saw the use of hospital ships, military doctors and other medical personnel in action across the country. Even domestically, the American military has responded to natural disasters and terrorism on the homefront among times. Recently, many Americans saw the air demonstration squadrons from both the air force and navy. Both teams have a storied history, as they have been wowing audiences for over seven decades.

Air demonstrations go back to the early days of aviation. In fact, over 100 years ago, many Americans saw flying circuses before they ever flew in an airplane. Many World War II pilots got their “itch” for flying from seeing these air demonstrations. Over the years, air forces worldwide have developed air display teams, and even a few private organizations have gotten in on the act. In the U.S. it was the Navy’s Blue Angels that first took to the skies as an air demonstration team.

After World War II, the navy wanted to keep the public interested in naval aviation and not see a drop-off as they had after World War I. With thousands of planes that were manufactured during the war that were now destined for the scrap heap, it wasn’t too difficult for Lt. Commander Roy “Butch” Voris, a World War II fighter ace, to procure several Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat fighters and outfit them for air shows. They were first introduced as the Blue Angels in July 1946. In addition to the Hellcats, they

also employed a T-6 painted to look like a Japanese Zero fighter and flown to simulate aerial combat.

A year later, the Blue Angels were flying the Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat.

the sides as they fly within 18 inches from wingtip to canopy. This maneuver, along with the diamond loop and the diamond barrel roll, are still performed today with the F/A 18 Hornets.

In a regular year, 11 million spectators will come out to see them

Under flight leader Lt. Commander Bob Clark, the team first performed their iconic Diamond Formation. In this four-plane formation, one plane is in front, one in back and two on

In 1949, the Blue Angles switched to the Grumman F9F- Panther. They moved to NAS Whiting Field in Florida after they had previously moved from Jacksonville to Corpus Christi,

Texas. It was there that they adopted their crest, added a sixth pilot to their shows, and acquired a Douglas R4D6 Skytrain for logistics. By the start of the 1950s, the squadron became famous as they performed nationwide. However, they were disbanded to fight in the Korean War. All of the pilots flew with VF-191 and were stationed on the carrier USS Princeton (CV-37). In March 1951, Fight Leader John Magda was killed while leading a strike against communist troops.

The Blue Angels were reactivated in October 1951 and reported to Corpus Christi, Texas, under Lt. Commander Voris. The 1950s saw the Blue Angels add a sixth plane and progressed from the F9F-2 Panther to the F9F-8 Cougar and then to the F-11 Tiger. The Tiger was their first supersonic jet, and the team added a lot more aerial stunts to their shows.

From the 1960s and onwards, the Blue Angels perfected their performances as they transitioned to the F-4 Phantom to the A-4 Skyhawk, and in 1986, they started flying the F/A-18 Hornet. Next year, they will have upgraded to the F/A18E Super Hornet when they celebrate their 75th anniversary.

No discussion of the Blue Angels will be complete without mentioning their support aircraft, especially their Lockheed Martin C-130, nicknamed “Fat Albert.” In use since 1970, Fat Albert traditionally starts off the show with a few passes that amaze crowds since a C-130 isn’t the sleekest of planes. It is mainly used for logistics and to carry crew and spare parts for the F/A-18 Hornets. It has an all-Marine crew of seven personnel. The current plane was just brought into use this year. In 2019, there were a total of eighteen Marines on the Fat Albert

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish | MAY 27, The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER 29, 2020 2015

Airlines (a term coined by the Blue Angels).

Over the years, the Blue Angels have developed formations and aerial feats that fascinated both casual and diehard fans that come out in droves to them perform.

The Delta Formation is when five planes form a “V� with the sixth plane right behind the leader. This is used a few times in the show as they roll and then break out into six different directions, usually leaving a smoke trail behind. Their speeds will vary depending on the maneuver, and they can go as fast as 700 MPH and as slow as 120 MPH while performing.

The fastest is the Sneak Pass, and they will come within 50 feet of the ground.

Many of maneuvers like the double farvel, a diamond formation with two planes upside down, are impressive when written about but are absolutely astounding when seen in person.

Accidents do happen to the Blue Angels. Twenty pilots and one crewmember have died while performing or training for shows. Many pilots have fought in battle and have been casualties of war. Commander Magda

navy and achieved high ranks, like four-star Admiral Patrick Walsh who served as commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Commander Chuck Brady was with the team from 1988-1990 and then went on to join NASA as an astronaut. He flew with the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1996.

Being a Blue Angel pilot takes years of training and only the best are selected to perform before cheering crowds all over the U.S. and the world. In a regular year, 11 million spectators will come out to see them, although many of their demonstrations this year were canceled due to the pandemic.

The Blue Angels have had 267 demonstration pilots go through their ranks continuing the tradition of showcasing to the public the teamwork and professionalism of the U.S. Navy.

was killed while fighting in the Korean War, and three other pilots were killed during the Vietnam War. Captain Harley Hall probably survived his Phantom crashing in South Vietnam

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and was presumed killed by the communist forces while a prisoner of war.

On the bright side, many have had illustrious careers after leaving the Blue Angels. Many stayed in the

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

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The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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Your

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

15

Money

Fraud & Bling: Atlanta

By Allan Rolnick, CPA

H

ow did you convince the bank and the SBA that your trucking company, which has one truck, actually has 107 employees and a monthly payroll of $1,490,200?

Maurice Fayne, did you think you would get away with it? Did you think styling yourself “Arkansas Mo” on a show made you the kind of guy who can pull a con on the down low? When you borrowed $2,045,800 from the Paycheck Protection Program, did you really think you could squander it all on bling? Were you amazed at

how fast the FBI could swoop in to arrest you for bank fraud? Any second thoughts? Are you already wishing you could go back to D-list obscurity?

What made you decide to reach out for that sweet sweet PPP cash?

Did you read about it in the Wall Street Journal? (Do you think we’d believe you if you said yes?) Did you laugh out loud at the irony of submitting your application on April 15 when the rest of us are paying our taxes?

How did you convince the bank and the SBA that your trucking com-

pany, which has one truck, actually has 107 employees and a monthly payroll of $1,490,200? How did you come up with those numbers, anyway? Did you try to guesstimate what a company with 107 employees might pay them in a month? Or did you just pull it out of your armpit and call it good?

Were you shocked and stunned when the bank actually gave you the $2 million? Was your shopping list already right there in front of you?

Or did you think, “Wow, what do I do now?” Were you worried the bank would catch their mistake and take the money back?

Should we be impressed you lit

Why not just plead guilty and save us all the embarrassment of a trial?

Were you shooting for “Dad of the Year” when you used $40,000 to catch up on your child support?

What kind of man get gets $40,000 behind on child support in the first place? Are you some kind of monster?

Shouldn’t you put something away to cover your kid’s future therapy?

Why was there $9,400 in your pocket when the Feds arrested you?

Why did you lease a Rolls-Royce Wraith? Has it ever occurred to you that if you had to lease it, maybe you can’t afford it? Are you embarrassed you didn’t even have time to get real license plates before the Feds seized it?

How did you convince the bank and the SBA that your trucking company, which has one truck, actually has 107 employees and a monthly payroll of $1,490,200?

the first $1.5 million on fire so fast?

Who were you trying to impress with a Rolex, a diamond bracelet, and a 5.73 carat diamond ring? What was your plan for paying it back? Did you miss the word “loan” on the application? Or were you thinking you’d just won the coronavirus lottery?

Does your lawyer really expect us to believe you were just “confused” about that statement where you certified that you would use the money to “retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments”? More importantly, do you expect a jury to believe it?

When they asked if you used any of the PPP money on the new ride, did you that think “kinda, sorta, not really” was the answer they were looking for?

Do you know this is the first time we’ve ever written this column about someone whose only connection to “taxes” is “ripping off taxpayers”?

Do you think our readers have even noticed? Or are they just having too much fun laughing at you to care?

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

Which one of these children needs Chai Lifeline?

(Hint: They all do.)

Chai Lifeline is renowned for the care and love it bestows on children fighting cancer. But that’s only the beginning.

Chai Lifeline serves thousands of children with medical challenges that aren’t evident on the outside, everything from Crohns Disease to cystic fibrosis to heart disease and illnesses so rare only a handful of children have been diagnosed. And still, that’s only the beginning.

Chai Lifeline includes siblings and parents, too, with programs geared towards the entire family.

We care for more than 5,000 children and their families around the world and across the street.

Chances are, you know them. They just don’t look sick.

Whenever, wherever we’re needed, Chai Lifeline is there.

Chai Lifeline. Comprehensive, compassionate, professional assistance for families facing illness, loss or trauma.

151 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001 I (877) CHAI-LIFE I (212) 465-1300 I www.chailifeline.org

Regional Offices: Greater New York I Southeast I West Coast I Midwest I Mid-Atlantic I New Jersey I Canada I England I Israel I Belgium Hospital Support: Meals | Transportation Assistance | Hospital Visits | Respite Children’s Programs: Arts and Recreational Activities | After-school programs | Sibling Programs | Educational Assistance in Limudei Kodesh Counseling for patients and siblings | Camp Simcha/Camp Simcha Special Family Programs: Advocacy and Information | Retreats | Insurance Advocacy | Family Recreation | Family Counseling | Bereavement Services Community Programs: Project CHAI, support for schools, camps, and communities facing crisis or trauma.

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Life C ach

Shavuos Made Simple

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

T

here are mountains that exist where we can enjoy an exhilarating ski experience, like Aspen or the Alps.

There are mountains that gain importance because of the faces that are indelibly preserved there, like Mount Rushmore.

There are certainly major peaks which people aspire to reach, such as Kilimanjaro or Mt Fuji.

So the question is: why pick a measly little mountain? One that is out in the middle of a dry, hot desert. A mountain that is hard to find even with Waze. Hard to identify even when looking right at it. And no fun to visit, due to its remote location anyway.

Because it simply is not about the mountain! It’s about the message...

All-knowing G-d gave us his “how to book for life” in that location; there’s got to be a good reason why.

So why a low mountain?

Well, it’s accessible to anyone.

There’s no need to acquire special mountain climbing gear. Young and old, adept and klutzy – we can all get up it.

Why in the desert?

So no one will claim it’s not open to everyone. The Torah is available for everyone.

And why don’t we know which mountain it is? Because it’s not about the mountain; it’s about the gift.

Midbar Sinai, which means the

Ooh

B B

Desert of Sinai, adds up in numeric Hebrew value to the word “shalom.”

It’s a place of peace. The Torah should bring us inner and outer peace.

G-d doesn’t want us going out there looking for the mini mountain.

G-d wants us to bring its experience home with us.

plan for this world. The embodiment of the nuances of what holds the world and us up. Where our charges come from. Where our shocks come from. Where our power comes from.

And where our light comes from.

When we respect and connect with the Torah, we are connecting to

B

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY MIRIAM

By Miriam

CALL OR TEXT MIRIAM JACOBOVITS 347–572–8973 INSTRAGRAM: OOHBABYPHOTOGRAPHY

May your climb be ever upward to your own individual peak.

At Sinai, Hashem came to us. His voice was blaring, and the Jews told Moshe that it was just too awesome to bear. And so, Moshe took over for the rest of the luchos, and Hashem approved.

Hashem was not trying to put fear into us – He wanted to plant a sense of “fair” into our lives.

Fair and balance and pleasantness.

The idea of a mountain means there is climbing to do. The smallness means it’s achievable.

Welcome, to the holiday of Shavuos!

We celebrate the present that we received: the Torah. The architectural

the way that this world is held together and how it operates best – and how we can operate best in this world.

Even when we fall down, in our efforts, the landing we make is on forgiving sand. So, just dust yourself off, and try again. It’s never that far a climb!

Mount your celebration this week.

Plan your ascent.

And may your climb be ever upward to your own individual peak.

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach.

She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.

The Jewish Home | MAY 27, 2020

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