March 28, 2019
Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper
Distributed weekly in the Five Towns, Long Island, Queens & Brooklyn
See page 7
Around the
Community Siach Yitzchok’s RecordBreaking Dinner
AIPAC 2019 18,000 Strong pg
45
38
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
60 Inspiration and Joy at Bnos Bais Yaakov Annual Dinner
See our special photo supplement!
46
Mueller, Mueller, Ferris Bueller
Outpouring of Support for Operation Open Curtain
SEE PAGE 42
SEE PAGES 19 & 21
48 Local Students Join AIPAC Conference
pg
106
2
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
s”xc
r o f t r e c n “Co ” s y o B r u O
MORDECHAI BEN DAVID
ABIE ROTENBERG Featuring the Boys from
WATERBURY “Tatty My King”
SUNDAY, APRIL 7 • 7:30 PM MASTER THEATER
1029 BRIGHTON BEACH AVE., BROOKLYN, NY MINIMUM DONATION: $100 PER TICKET • SEPARATE SEATING FOR MORE INFORMATION, SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND VIP SEATING PLEASE CALL 203-212-9711
WWW.WATERBURYMESIVTA.ORG
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
3
4
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
INSPIRING JEWS ... ONE BOOK AT A TIME
FROM
n h ce your a s n eder! e o t s h a d a g g Ha
Expressing and transmitting the splendor of our Mesorah
by Rabbi Yaakov Bender Rabbi Yaakov Bender, the world-renowned mechanech, shows us how to share the wondrous lessons of Yetziyas Mitzrayim with our children: with Torah insights, stories of great men and women — and guidance on how to give over our heritage to the next generation.
YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE ENGAGED IN THE SEDER AND ITS STORY LIKE NEVER BEFORE
ROM NEW FAL KH ONS ATI PUBLIC
From the shiurim and writings of RABBI SHIMON SCHWAB See the Haggadah through the eyes of one of the Gedolei HaRabbanim of our time. The Rav Schwab Haggadah offers a wealth of insights into basics of emunah. His style is clear, fresh, thought-provoking, and always inspiring.
INCLUDES A NEW, EXPANSIVE COMMENTARY ON HALLEL
THE SIMPLY JEWISH HAGGADAH An Illustrated get–to–the point guide to the Passover Seder by Rabbi Reuven Epstein
The Simply Jewish Haggadah, a beautiful, color Haggadah, is your guide to the Passover Seder, and it will help you and your family have a more meaningful Seder. But The Simply Jewish Haggadah is so much more than just a Haggadah! Other chapters will help you prepare for the Seder; suggest how to lead a meaningful Seder; tell inspiring Passover-related stories (including three from Yaffa Eliach’s classic, Hasidic Tales from the Holocaust); provide an in-depth look at the Ten Plagues and the Exodus. Recipes from the award-winning author Jamie Geller are included as well.
Available at your local Hebrew bookseller or at www.artscroll.com • 1-800-MESORAH (637-6724)
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
5
6
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Dear Readers,
T
about Jews were cemented in his mind – and yet, here he was, a Jew. Was he also out to destroy Hungary, like the Jews he depicted? Was he also money-hungry? Or were his beliefs faulty? Could it be that he – and the entire Jobbik party, the masses who swarmed to their rallies – were wrong? Szegedi eventually reached out to the rabbi in Budapest who is now helping him rediscover his true roots and apologize for the hateful rhetoric he helped to foment. Szegedi is still on his journey back. The first time he put on a yarmulke, he said he felt it “burning” on his head. When I recently watched the film about Szegedi’s life, I was riveted for a number of reasons. Statements in the film were reminiscent of rhetoric we’ve heard throughout the generations: Jews don’t have allegiance to the country where they live. They only have allegiance to themselves. They’re money hungry. They control the world. Cue Ilan Omar and her hatemongering associates. Some people say we shouldn’t rebuke Omar for her hateful comments. Highlighting her hate only magnifies it, they say. But this week, in his weekly article on the parsha, Rav Moshe Weinberger points out that there are times when we need to “call a spade a spade.” We need to call out people for their hateful rhetoric. There are times when political correctness needs to be thrown out the window. I say that time is now. This week, eight Democratic candidates for the 2020 presidential election boycotted the AIPAC conference in Washington, D.C. Doesn’t that show you – clearly, loudly, obviously – where their allegiances lay? Speak up. Tell them this is not OK. Jews won’t sit quietly while we’re being denigrated and shamed. It’s time to call a spade a spade. Or an anti-Semite an anti-Semite.
he documentary “Keep Quiet” is the story of Csanád Szegedi but the first part of the film could be about any anti-Semite living in any generation. Szegedi was a leading member of the radical nationalist Jobbik party in Hungary. He rose through the ranks of the hatemongering group by fomenting hate against foreigners and Jews. The anti-Semitism was implied and twisted as opposed to overt at first but the message was the same: Jews are our enemy and a Hungary made of only pure Hungarians is needed. Szegedi eventually was swept into Parliament by supporting fans, who reveled in his pro-Hungarian, anti-Jewish stance. Szegedi was the first in the party – and he joined the party’s ranks at a young age – to market the Jobbik ideology. He helped to found a media company called Hungarian News, which published the party’s paper. He also opened up a shop in Budapest that made “100% made in Hungary” apparel that featured far-right symbols and photos of Hungary with its pre-First World War borders. Jews, the Jobbik party said, don’t have allegiance to Hungary. They’re money-sucking businessmen who are out to destroy the country. But then, Szegedi’s world came crashing down. Rumors began to circulate that Szegedi was Jewish. Szegedi discounted those rumors – after all, his grandmother was raised by another family after the war. Perhaps that family was Jewish but not his grandmother. Slowly, his grandmother’s story came out, in drips and drabs, haltingly. And then a Jobbik member produced documentation confirming that Szegedi’s maternal grandmother was Jewish. She did, in fact, go through the Holocaust but not wanting her children to suffer the same fate made sure to hide her origins. Szegedi’s world was shaken. For so long he had been spouting anti-Jew hate. His beliefs and ideas
Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana
30
1
2
Cloudy
Cloudy / Wind
Showers
Sunny
53° 47°
55° 50°
51° 36°
46° 38°
3
4
Cloudy / Wind AM Showers
47° 40°
PUBLISHER
publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR
ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Shoshana Soroka EDITOR
editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Berish Edelman Adina Goodman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classified: Deadline Monday 5PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.
Shabbos Zemanim
Weekly Weather | March 29 – April 5
29
Yitzy Halpern
51° 42°
5
Mostly Cloudy
54° 46°
Friday, March 29 Parshas Shimini Candle Lighting: 6:58 pm Shabbos Ends: 7:59 pm Rabbeinu Tam: 8:30 pm
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
QUALITY & VALUE THEY’RE WHAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE
cedarhurst
woodmere
shop online at
137 Spruce Street Cedarhurst, New York T: 516-569-2662
1030 Railroad Ave Woodmere, New York T: 516-295-6901
GourmetGlattOnline.com GourmetGlatt.com /gourmetglatt
How better to complement your beautifully set Yom Tov table than with fresh, high-quality foods from Gourmet Glatt? From meats to produce to fish to a truly staggering selection of grocery products, you’ll find everything you need for a perfect Pesach presentation. And because our year-round commitment to bringing you great products at affordable prices doesn’t change with the yom tov season, you can expect to find the value you’re accustomed to in every one of our departments.
7
8
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8
COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll
8
Community Happenings
44
NEWS Global
12
National
34
Odd-but-True Stories
39
ISRAEL
26
Israel News
24
World Builders
86
PARSHA Rabbi Wein
76
Calling a Spade a Spade by Rav Moshe Weinberger
78
Parsha in Four by Eytan Kobre
80
The Secret of the Mouth by Shmuel Reichman
82
It’s Not What You Think by Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff
84
PEOPLE Rabbi Hanoch Teller Talks about How Reb Elimelech M’Lizensk is an 88 Embodiment of Ahavas Yisroel Spies’ Tools of the Trade by Avi Heiligman
110
HEALTH & FITNESS 9 Questions Your Should Ask Your Therapist by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn 96 Why You’re Gaining Back the Weight You Lost by Aliza Beer, MS RD 98 FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Spatchcocked Citrus Chicken
100
LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW 92
108
Your Money
117
Cry Me to the Moon by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
118
Dear Editor, The frontpage headline “How To Recognize A Jew” that recently appeared in a Polish newspaper surprisingly ruffled some feathers in the Polish parliament. Why all the fuss? Given that anti-Semitism was and continues to be well-entrenched in Polish society, this headline simply states the obvious. In spite of nearly all of Poland’s Jewish population having been exterminated during the Holocaust, Jews continue to be demonized and blamed for the ills of mankind. This so-called newspaper should be applauded for showing its true colors. The headline serves to remind us that anti-Semitism is alive and well in Poland and in the world at large. Shmuly Kovitz Forest Hills, NY Dear Editor, Upon reading the March 14, 2019 edition of The Jewish Home, I came across the section entitled, “Purim Certified 2019.” The purpose of this section was clear; it was intended to make light of some of the recent news scandals. I found the article “School Canceled February 21, 2023” particularly entertaining; as a CUNY student, I was able to benefit from the most recent premature school cancelation due to “inclement weather.” There was another aspect of this section that stood out to me, and not in a positive way. I found the advertisement for “Pesach in Venezuela” insensitive, if not downright offensive. It is one thing to satirize an ear-
ly decision to close schools when the weather ended up being perfectly fine. This humor is harmless; it is clever, and everyone gets a good laugh. Mocking a country that is enduring a humanitarian crisis, however, is not at all funny. It is not something that should be made light of, especially in a magazine intended to provide Jewish readers with “informative, inspiring content,” as it says on the homepage of your website. Presently, in Venezuela, issues with the government and inflation are causing families to struggle to survive. Others are attempting to leave their homes, everything that they have known for their entire lives, because their situations are unmanageable. Millions of people are displaced, and the number continues to rise daily. Many are facing malnutrition, and about 90% of the country is living in poverty. Therefore, to joke about spending Pesach in Venezuela, advertising it as “the true taste of freedom” with “affordable rates,” “mandatory day camp,” “pre-arranged marriages,” and “listening devices in every room” is completely inappropriate. Not only is it distasteful and hurtful, it is also a huge chillul Hashem for a Jewish magazine to be joking about such matters. I appreciate your time in reading this letter, and I look forward to reading informative and enjoyable articles in the future. Sincerely, Kayla Reich Continued on page 10
HUMOR Centerfold 74
POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes
102
The Losers Running for the Democratic Nomination
105
Mueller, Mueller by Susan Schwamm
106
Were You Relieved or Disappointed with the Mueller Findings? by Marc A. Thiessen
108
CLASSIFIEDS
113
Do you have houseplants?
41
%
YES
59
%
NO
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
9
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Continued from page 8
Dear Editor, I read your interview with Marc Salem with interest. I am always astounded when people are seemingly able to read other people’s minds. Indeed, while reading the article, it seems that Mr. Salem and others like him are able to read others’ minds because they are completely tuned into people and their mannerisms. Every person – except the most practiced liars – have certain tells that change their expressions or body language when their feelings are provoked. As Mr. Salem explained, even the way people breathe is telling to him when he’s blindfolded. I think that what Mr. Salem and others like him have is a gift and a talent. But even more than that, I think that their talent is going to be even more valuable in the coming years, when people become more tuned into their iPhones than in those around them. Think about it. Are you really focused on what your child is saying when he or she comes home from school and tells you about their day? Are you responding to WhatsApps or emails? What about when the kids are in bed and you and your husband are discussing your days? Are you
tuned into what he is saying or are you thinking about the work you still have to do and the texts you have to respond to? I urge people to take Mr. Salem’s lesson to heart: tune into people. Really listen to them – their words and their mannerisms and their expressions – and you’ll begin to learn so much more about your friends, your coworkers, and your family. Temi L. Dear Editor, Your news tidbit this week, March 20, 2019 edition, about a new trend called solomoons made me sad. The Jewish concept of sheva brachos is in complete contrast to the trend. While solomoons send newlyweds on separate vacations, new couples in our community are encouraged to spend quality time together for the first week of marriage, which continues well into the first year of marriage, to ensure a long-lasting, strong relationship. Only by spending time together and enjoying each other’s company can you develop a strong marriage. Perhaps this is the problem in today’s generation. There is too much focus on the “I” and less of an emphasis on the “we.” Joe Leitner
SPR IN G CO LLEC TI O N AR R IVIN G!
BABY
BOUTIQUE A F I N E L I N E O F L AYE T TE CHANIE GOLDBERGER 6 4 6 . 8 6 7. 4 9 6 9 welcom eb ab yb o utique @ gm ail . com @ w e l co m e b a b y b o u t i q u e DELIVERY AVAILABLE Bandeau Bari Lynn Bee&Dee Coco Blanc Baby Jay Fragile HALO Luxe Lil Miss Patch LOUD L’oved Baby Mignon Monde Manière Mon Trésor Noggi Livly Petals & Peas Petit Bateau Pouf Winx and Blinx Zeebra Kids Oh baby!
mazdesign 718.471.6470
10
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
11
12
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
The Week In News
Finland Happiest in the World
Want to know the place where everyone is smiling all the time? It’s not Disneyland. For the second year in a row, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world by the World Happiness Report. What’s more, the Nordic nation has pulled “significantly ahead” of the other top 10 countries in the report, which ranks the happiness levels of 156
countries using data from Gallup World Poll surveys. The U.S., by contrast, has continued its downward trend. This year it’s in 19th place for overall happiness. Time to bring out those frown emojis. Last year it was 18, down from 14 the year before. It’s not hard to understand why Finland is doing so well. The northern European country has a strong social safety net, including a progressive, successful approach to ending homelessness. It also has a high-quality education system, and its commitment to closing the gender gap is paying off. With a population of just over 5.5 million people, it’s the only country in the developed world where fathers spend more time with school-aged children than mothers. People in Finland feel supported but also feel like they’re in control of their lives. The culture is not about becoming wealthy; they are more into appreciating quality healthcare, family time, education, and fulfillment at work. The top 10 happiest countries are, as in previous years, dominated by the Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Sweden, as well
Taco 'bout
A GOOD DEAL!
BUSINESS LUNCH AT THE COFFEE BAR & RESTAURANT 345 CENTRAL AVE, LAWRENCE, NY 11559 @COFFEEBAR5TOWNS
@COFFEEBAR5TOWNS
as Finland. And all but two of them, New Zealand and Canada, are in Europe. On the other side of the happiness spectrum, India performed so poorly this year that it dragged down the entire global happiness levels around the world. The world’s 10 happiest countries are: 1. Finland 2. Denmark 3. Norway 4. Iceland 5. Netherlands 6. Switzerland 7. Sweden 8. New Zealand 9. Canada 10. Austria The 10 least happy countries in the world are: 1. South Sudan 2. Central African Republic 3. Afghanistan 4. Tanzania 5. Rwanda 6. Yemen 7. Malawi 8. Syria 9. Botswana 10. Haiti
May Loses Control
Late on Monday, the UK Parliament seized control of the Brexit process from Prime Minister Theresa May and will now seek to decide how Britain exits the European Union. In a vote this week, the House of Commons split 329 to 302 to schedule votes on a series of alternative strategies, potentially including a second referendum, keeping the UK in the bloc’s customs union, leaving without a deal, and even canceling Brexit altogether. The pound rose immediately after the result, before paring gains. Early Tuesday, it was trading down 0.1 percent. Three ministers resigned to back the plan, which sets up the possibility that MPs could force the belea-
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Y A D N U S S I TH This Pesach, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, we will be distributing a total of 3,789 orders to devoted mechanchim across North America. Join the movement and show your Hakaras Hatov.
Volunteer and become Chasdei Lev!
FIVE TOWNS PICK-UP LOCATION { SUNDAY, MARCH 31 } LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL 2 REILLY ROAD, CEDARHURST 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM MANN.GROUP
FOR MORE INFORMATION, TO VOLUNTEER OR DONATE: EMAIL VOLUNTEERS@CHASDEILEV.ORG CALL 718-831-2500 EXT. 201 ONLINE WWW.CHASDEILEV.ORG MAIL PO BOX 297257 • BROOKLYN, NY 11229
PESACH 2019 WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY OUR INCREDIBLE PARTNERS
®
13
14
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
15
16
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
guered premier to abandon her deal with Brussels and implement their choice. One of them, Steve Brine, said that the pro-Brexit faction in his Conservative Party should see the result as an indication Parliament will push to keep closer ties to the European Union. “Maybe what last night will do is focus some minds for those on my side who don’t like the deal,” Brine told BBC Radio. “Maybe they will realize that the House of Commons is prepared to act and anything from here gets softer in terms of Brexit.” In a sign of how far May has lost the trust of MPs, even on her own side, the defeat came despite last-minute promises from her government that it would implement the plan itself if lawmakers voted against it. Meanwhile, the clock is continuing to tick down. The EU has ruled that if Parliament doesn’t approve May’s deal by Friday, the UK has until April 12 to come up with a case for a much longer delay to Brexit or leave the bloc immediately with no agreement. In the House of Commons, May set out the choices as she saw them. “Unless this House agrees to it, nodeal will not happen,” she said. “No Brexit must not happen; and a slow Brexit that extends Article 50 beyond May 22, forces the British people to take part in European elections, and gives up control of any of our borders, laws, money or trade, is not a Brexit that will bring the British people together.” Later, when answering questions, she raised two more options: “Either a second referendum or an election.” Having voted to take control, Parliament now has to decide what to do with it.
Get the lift you need.
New Zealand to Ban Assault Rifles Shabbos mode option available on all our lifts. StairLifts
Home Elevators
Wheelchair Lifts
Ceiling Lifts
ShabbosLift Solutions™
Call for FREE consultation (646) 543-8811 Ask about our bonus additional-year warranty and our pre-owned StairLifts
Following a horrific massacre in which 50 people were slaughtered in two mosques earlier this month,
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the country would ban assault rifles entirely. “On 15 March our history changed forever,” she said. “Now our laws will too. We are announcing action today on behalf of all New Zealanders to strengthen our gun laws and make our country a safer place.” She added that the ban would be all-inclusive and that the new law would be “drafted and introduced in urgency,” hopefully by April 11. The country’s cabinet has already agreed to ban both semi-automatics and assault rifles. There are currently an estimated 1.2-1.5 million firearms circulating in New Zealand. The planned buyback scheme is expected to cost approximately NZ$200 million.
Russia Aligned with Venezuela
Two Russian Air Force planes landed on Saturday in Venezuela’s main airport, carrying approximately 100 troops, as well as a Russian defense minister. One of the planes was an Ilyushin IL-62 passenger jet and the other was an Antonov AN-124 cargo plane. Both flew from Moscow via Syria. Military equipment and personnel were also brought, in fulfillment of military contracts. The move comes as part of a growing cooperation between the two countries – one which the U.S. does not see in a positive light. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that the U.S. “will not stand idly by” and watch Russia continue to entrench itself in Venezuela, and called on Russia to “cease its unconstructive behavior.” Russian officials say that the military equipment that was delivered was part of military contracts that the countries had implemented previously. In Venezuela, Jorge Rodriguez, the nation’s minister of communication, spoke on national television on Saturday to accuse opposition lead-
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Fatal Chemical Plant Explosion in China
The death toll from an explosion in a pesticide plant in Yancheng in China’s eastern Jiangsu province rose on Monday to 78, with an additional 500 people still hospitalized. Of those injured, 13 are in critical condition and 66 are in serious condition. Fifty-six of the 78 victims who died have been identified. The explosion, which occurred last Thursday and registered as an earthquake, is one of China’s worst industrial accidents. The South China Morning Post noted that the plant itself was destroyed and that 16 nearby factories were damaged. Three rivers running through the industrial compound have been dammed to prevent polluted water from spreading, and workers are attempting to measure the amount of pollution in the groundwater and prevent additional pollution to the area’s soil. Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion. An unknown number of suspects have been taken into custody.
T H O U S A N D S O F S AT I S F I E D C U S TO M E R S
PRE
PESACH
We carry all brands and styles of precut, ready-to-wear, high-end wigs that were previously purchased but are in FabulouS condition.
SALE
SU PER !
ers, including National Assembly President Juan Guaido, of plotting “terrorist acts” in the country. Rodriguez said some of the evidence was collected from the personal phone of Roberto Marrero, Guaido’s chief of staff, who was detained in Caracas on Thursday and later accused of being involved in an alleged “terrorist cell” planning attacks against high-level political figures. According to Rodriguez, Marrero coordinated the arrival of “hitmen” from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to “kill members of the Venezuelan governments.” He said that about 60 “hitmen groups” were prepared and “trained in Colombia,” but that given the closure of the Colombian-Venezuelan border, only “30 groups entered Venezuela.” Marrero’s lawyers have denied the claims and have accused Maduro’s regime of planting evidence. Guaido, recognized as interim president of Venezuela by more than 50 countries, took to the streets of Barcelona, Venezuela, this weekend with a clear message for Maduro: “You will not intimidate me, you will not intimidate us.” “You never planted our fields, but now you plant evidence a lot,” Guaido said on Saturday. “[Maduro’s regime] fabricates evidence to persecute leaders, the people,” he added. China does not recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s new leader. The Inter-American Development Bank, the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean, called off its annual meeting in China next week after Beijing refused to grant an official visa to Ricardo Hausmann, Venezuela’s representative designated by opposition leader Guaido. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence noted on Friday in an article in the Miami Herald, “The Chinese are undermining the hemisphere’s progress towards democracy by refusing to grant an official visa to Ricardo Hausmann, the lawful representative of Venezuela – the first time in the bank’s history that a host nation has refused to seat a member.” In a statement cited by Reuters, Geng Shuang, China’s foreign minister, said Saturday that his country “had difficulties allowing” Guaido’s representative and “regretted” the Inter-American Development Bank’s decision to cancel the international gathering.
Red Carpet Wigs is a wig consignment shop for gently worn and never-used wigs. No Appointment Necessary!
Brands Include: Shevy, Shuly, Noah, Freeda, Allegria & Many More
GENTLY WORN WIGS
at 270 Forest Ave, in Woodmere
UP TO 75% OFF! SUN. MARCH 31ST
DAYTIME: 10AM - 6PM | EVENING: 8PM - 10PM
MON. APRIL 1ST DAYTIME: 10AM - 4PM
SUN. APRIL 7TH
DAYTIME: 10AM - 6PM | EVENING: 8PM - 10PM
Thailand: Nearly 2 Million “Bad Ballots” Disqualified
MON. APRIL 8TH
DAYTIME: 10AM - 4PM | EVENING: 8PM - 10PM OPEN ALL OTHER TIMES BY APPOINTMENT
100’S OF PRECUT WIGS IN STOCK 270 Forest Avenue, Woodmere Email: RedCarpetWigs@gmail.com Tel: (516) 659-0959 @RedCarpetWigs
Thailand’s Elections Commission may only announce the full results of this month’s election in May, despite the fact that 95% of the vote has been counted.
Facebook.com/RCWigs
Red Carpet Wigs is a wig consignment boutique for gently worn wigs.
17
18
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Though the Commission was scheduled to release the results on Sunday, partial results were released only on Monday afternoon. Due to “technical issues,” full results may only be released on the deadline – May 9. According to the Commission, the Pheu Thai party won 138 out of 350 seats, with the rival military-aligned Palang Pracharat party gaining 96 seats. Which party receives the other 150 seats is not yet clear, since the Commission is waiting on the announcement until the last ballot is counted and the proper calculations are done. Meanwhile, Thai citizens took to twitter to complain about “careless cheats” after nearly two million votes were disqualified as “bad ballots.” Suradat Keyurapan, who is slated to become prime minister if his Pheu Thai party retains its edge and is able to form a coalition, said, “We have been chosen to come in number one (in constituency lawmakers) therefore we will start to form a government as we have received consensus from people.” The Pheu Thai party, backed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has won every election since 2001. Many Thais questioned how Palang Pracharat – the vehicle for a military government widely criticized for repression and economic mismanagement – had won 7.6 million votes, compared with about 7.1 million for Pheu Thai, which had led most pre-election surveys. Pheu Thai said that because it had collected the most directly elected seats, it should form a government. Palang Pracharat countered that because its candidates had received more overall votes, it would begin talks with other pro-military parties about forming a majority coalition that could keep Prayuth Chanocha, a former general, in power as prime minister. The army also held an ace up its sleeve: the right to name 250 senators who would also have a say in selecting the prime minister, another change it made in the rules starting with this election. That means Palang Pracharat only needs to control 126 seats in the House of Representatives for a majority. Thaksin Shinawatra, the exiled former prime minister who backs Pheu Thai, accuses the junta of rigging the outcome of the elections and said the results wouldn’t be respect-
ed domestically or internationally. “Thailand should have a government that reflects the will of the people, not the will of the junta,” Thaksin wrote in a New York Times op-ed article published on Monday. “This is a terrible, and sad, moment for my country.”
Schindler’s Factory to be a Museum
A descendant of the Jewish family which owned the enamel and tinware factory run by Oskar Schindler is working to help turn the site into a museum commemorating the righteous gentile. Daniel Low-Beer, who runs the Arks Foundation and is a descendant of the original owners, told the Telegraph in February, “The factory was stolen by the Nazis and then stolen by Schindler, but he used it for good and saved 1,200 Jews.” Low-Beer, 49, also works with the World Health Organization. The factory, located in the Czech village of Brnenec, was stolen by the Nazis during World War II. Under Schindler’s control, the factory employed 1,200 Jews. It continued operating under communist rule, closing only in 2010. The museum will chronicle local history and the area’s former Jewish community, as well as Schindler’s own life. Frantisek Olbert, who was serving as the factory’s general manager at the time of its closure, said he had approached the Low-Beer family while trying to “find a way to save” the site. “It is an opportunity to make a little piece of history here both in keeping an important memory alive and but also working with the local population to improve their lives,” LowBeer said, adding that many features would remain the same. “Oskar Schindler’s office building is the same,” he said. “You still have the floor in the factory where the Jews lived.”
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
SQ . F T.
O F KO S H E R - F O R - PASS OV E R I T E M S ,
PASSOVER shopping has never been easier!
arms
Kissena F
located just 150 steps from Aron’s Kissena Farms (in the former National Wholesale Liquidators)!
718.380.7300 · WWW.aronskissenafarms.com 72-15 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367
19
20
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Oskar Schindler worked in several trades until he joined the Abwehr, the military intelligence service of Nazi Germany, in 1936. He joined the Nazi Party in 1939. That same year, he acquired an enamelware factory in Krakow, Poland, which employed about 1,750 workers – around 1,000 of them Jews. His Nazi connections helped his Jewish workers from being deported. Schindler actively bribed the Nazis to keep his workers safe. In 1944, when Germany was losing the war, Schindler convinced the commandant of the Krakow-Plaszow concentration camp to move his factory to Brnenec, sparing his workers almost certain death in the gas chambers. The names of those who worked in his factory were meticulously typed on a list by SS Hauptsturmfuhrer Amon Goth’s secretary to allow them to travel to the new factory. By the end of the war, Schindler was broke, having used all his money bribing Nazis to prevent “his Jews’� deportation. After the war, Schindler and his wife moved to Argentina and took up farming. When he went bankrupt in 1958, Schindler left his wife and returned to Germany, where he failed at several business ventures and relied on financial support from Schindler-
juden (“Schindler Jews�) – the people whose lives he had saved during the war. In 1993, he and his wife were named Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli government. Schindler died in 1974 at the age of 66. He is buried in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, the only member of the Nazi Party to be honored in this way.
Nazi Guilt Propels Family to Donate $11M to Charity
The Reimann family, one of Germany’s wealthiest families, has promised to donate 10 million euros ($11.3 million) to charity, Bild reported this week. The announcement comes after
KOLAINU BOYS CHOIR – SPRING SEMESTER - 5 TOWNS! SPACE IS LIMITED!
GRAM 8 WEEK PURDOES
INCL ERT TICKETS 2 $18 CONC ISCOUNT GD IN BL $40 SI
NEW
SPRING 2019! MUSIC VEDIDEO INCLUD
SESSION BEGINS MONDAY APRIL 29TH! “Thank you so much. Josh gained greatly as a person and singer from this experience. � Yehudis & Reuven Bauman — Kolainu 5 Towns Parents
“Thank you for the amazing experience you provided for my son. He had an amazing time and felt on top of the world� Hadassah Berzida — Kolainu 5towns parent
8 WEEK PROGRAM: MONDAYS KEHILLAS BAIS YEHUDAH TZVI OF CEDARHURST (RED SHUL) 395 OAKLAND AVENUE, CEDARHURST
GRADE TIME 2-3 6:00-7:00 4&UP 7:15-8:15
PERFORMANCE: JUNE 23 AT 6:00PM AT TAG
REGISTER AT KOLAINUCHOIR.COM OR CALL 203-816-0876 FOR MORE INFO • • • • • •
the family discovered that its ancestors were enthusiastic supporters of the Nazis and used Russian civilians and French prisoners of war as forced, unpaid laborers. Family spokesman Peter Harf told Bild, “We were all ashamed and turned as white as the wall. There is nothing to gloss over. These crimes are disgusting.� He emphasized: “The whole truth must be put on the table.� Harf also noted that the family does not mention the Nazi era but that both Albert Reimann Sr. and Albert Reimann Jr. “belonged in jail.� “Reinmann Sr. and Reimann Jr. were guilty,� Harf asserted, noting that though both have passed away, “they belonged actually in prison.� The family will release a historians’ report when it is completed.
Italy, China Sign Economic Agreement Italy and China signed a memorandum of understanding on Saturday, supporting China’s “Belt and
Road� initiative to link China with Africa and Europe via ports, power plants, and bridges.
Approximately 150 countries have signed agreements connected to the project, which aims to improve China’s economy. Italy is the first of the Group of Seven to join. The accord has sparked worries in the U.S. and the European Union over the Asian power’s push for economic domination. Since the Belt and Road began five years ago, over a trillion dollars have been invested in the project. Italy’s Minister of Economic Development Luigi di Maio told reporters that Italy aims to increase exports to China, correct trade imbalances, and boost Italian businesses. The deal includes cooperation in the fields of agriculture, energy, and finance. It is expected that the countries will begin cooperating on science
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
SHOP PASSOVER!
DEALS EFFECTIVE MARCH 31 - APRIL 5
M E A T WHOLE CHICKENS CUT IN EIGHTS SINGLE PACK
CHICKEN CUTLETS SUPER FAMILY PACK
$3.99 LB
DARK MEAT TURKEY ROAST
$4.99 LB
$2.29 LB AMERICAN BLACK ANGUS BEEF BONE IN RIB STEAKS FAMILY PACK
TURKEY WINGS FAMILY PACK
$.99 LB
AMERICAN BLACK ANGUS BEEF SHOULDER LONDON BROIL
$14.99 LB
ALL NATURAL GRASS FED BEEF CHUCKEYE ROAST
$10.99 LB
ALL NATURAL GRASS FED BEEF 1ST CUT BRISKET
$5.99 LB
$9.99 LB
$7.99 LB
BREAKSTONES WHIPPED BUTTER ASSORTED 8 OZ
$3.99
P R O D U C E CHOBANI FLIPS ASSORTED 5.3 OZ
$2.79
BREAKSTONES COTTAGE CHEESE DOUBLES ASSORTED 4.7 OZ
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
FRESH EGGPLANT
$.69 LB
5 FOR $5
HAOLAM SHREDDED PIZZA ONLY 2 LB
5 FOR $5
$4.99 LB
ALL NATURAL GRASS FED BEEF BONELESS FLANKEN
D A I R Y COFFEE MATE ASSORTED 32 OZ
ALL NATURAL GRASS FED BEEF MINUTE ROAST WHOLE ONLY
$.79 LB
LOOSE BRUSSEL SPROUTS
2 FOR $5
RED LEAF
$2.49 LB
$9.99
JUMBO HONEY DEW
GREEN KALE
2 FOR $3
4 FOR $5
G R O C E R Y GEFEN CONFECTIONERS SUGAR 16 OZ
$2.79
KFP
Follow us on:
KFP
2 FOR $5
ELITE CHOCOLATE BARS ASSORTED 3.5 OZ
2 FOR $3
KFP
POLANER APRICOT & SEEDLESS STRAWBERRY PRESERVES 15.25 OZ PEREG QUINOA ASSORTED 16 OZ
$4.49
COKE/ DIETCOKE 2 LITER
KFP
$1.79
KFP
SEASON OLIVE OIL 1 LITER
KFP
$6.49
72-15 KISSENA BLVD FLUSHING, NY 11367 KISSENAFARMS.COM | 718.380.7300
* WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.
21
22
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Discover the bestselling Haggadah of 2019 Vibrant, sophisticated art that brings the epic exodus story to life! Includes modern English translation, transliteration and the full Hebrew Haggadah text. by Jordan B. Gorfinkel acclaimed Batman comics editor & Jewish cartoonist
&
Erez Zadok Israeli comic book artist & Instagram influencer @erezadok with translation by David Olivestone
www.korenpub.com and technology in the future. The signing of the deal was not without opposition in Italy. Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League who has warned about potential security threats from China, didn’t attend the signing ceremony in Rome on Saturday. At an event in northern Italy the same day, he cautioned about the lack of a free market in China. “I’m happy that the Chinese president is here for a visit because the
more the markets are opened for our companies, the better it is – on equal footing,” Salvini told a conference along Lake Como. “Don’t tell me that China is a country where the free market prevails, where the state doesn’t interfere in the economy, in the legal system, in information.” Economic Development Minister Luigi Di Maio, who is the nation’s other deputy premier and head of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, said the potential value of those
business accords with the Chinese is as much as 20 billion euros, giving the economy a much-needed boost. The business deals involve firms including energy giant Eni SpA, gas pipeline operator Snam SpA, engineering company Ansaldo Energia SpA, and bank Intesa Sanpaolo SpA. They also include an agreement between the ports of Trieste and Genova and the China Communications Construction Co.
Rolling Seas
Two marooned ships off the coast of Norway on Saturday left hundreds of people stranded. One of the ships was a cruise ship with nearly 1,400 people onboard, and the second was a cargo vessel with nine aboard, the Associated Press reported. According to Norway’s NRK, the Viking Sky cruise ship requested emergency aid on Saturday afternoon due to motor problems which forced it to anchor just off the coast. Rescue teams airlifted 479 people from the vessel after it was stranded in stormy seas. Passengers disembarked with tales of terrifying conditions, with many having been tossed about by strong winds and stormy waves for 20 hours after the vessel sent a distress signal. After being evacuated to shore, American passenger Jan Terbruegen described the scenes to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet. “Furniture would slide across the room, slide back and with it came people and glass. It was a very dangerous situation frankly,” Terbruegen said. He said they had been told to abandon ship quickly – leaving little time to be scared. “We were trying to stay lower in the ship towards the center just because it was a recipe for seasickness. And then they called muster stations and within half an hour we figured out that we’re getting off here. We could see that we were getting blown in towards some rocks. That was the most frightening thing I think. But luckily that wasn’t our destiny.” Eight of those aboard the cruise ship sustained minor injuries, while two others were severely injured. The cargo vessel, stranded in the same region as the Viking Sky, reported engine failure and those aboard required evacuation. NRK noted that Norway’s rescue service sent two of the five helicopters to evacuate the cargo ship. As of Monday, everyone on the ships had been safely evacuated.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
FROM
"THE WORLD IS ARTSCROLL'S CLASSROOM"
THIS LIFE-CHANGING SERIES CONTINUES OVER IES IN P O C 0 0 1 5 0 ,0 PRINT! The Living Emunah series has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people. Its short and wise daily readings have become a vital part of their lives. The daily readings show us how emunah can change our response to something as small as a traffic jam on a busy day, or as great as a major life challenge.
By Rabbi David Ashear Don’t miss a day of Rabbi Ashear’s Daily Chizuk / Living Emunah!
Sign up NOW!
even current subscribers must resubscribe to continue receiving our daily message of chizuk and emunah.
to subscribe, go to
livingemunah.com and enter your
ALSO IN THIS GROUNDBREAKING SERIES
email address
Available at your local Hebrew bookseller or at www.artscroll.com • 1-800-MESORAH (637-6724)
23
24
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Trump Recognizes Golan as Israeli Territory
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order officially recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who was visiting from Israel, at the White House Trump noted that the order was “a long time in the making” and “should
have taken place many decades ago.” “Israel is an inspiration, a trusted ally, and a cherished friend. The United States will always stand by its side,” Trump added. The move comes after Trump’s Thursday statement, in which he said the Golan Heights is “of critical strategic and security importance” for both Israel and the Middle East. “After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!” he wrote on Twitter. At the White House this week, Netanyahu recalled the long Jewish history of the mountainous plateau along the Syrian border, while stressing it was “invaluable” to Israel’s self-defense and saying the “historic decision has profound meaning for me and us and all Israelis.” Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War and extended Israeli law to the territory in 1981, a step tantamount to annexation. The UN Security Council and successive U.S. administrations have always regarded the Golan as occupied territory whose return would
be negotiated as part of a comprehensive peace deal between Israel and Syria. In the wake of Trump’s proclamation, fellow veto-wielding UN Security Council permanent members Britain and France have both said they will continue to consider the Golan Heights Israeli-occupied in line with council resolutions, as have China and Russia.
Jordan Cancels Romania Visit to Protest Embassy Move
Jordan’s King Abdullah II scuttled his scheduled visit to Romania in protest of Romanian Prime Minister Vorica Dancila’s announcement that
she would move her country’s embassy to Jerusalem. Abdullah was slated to visit Romania on Monday. “The decision came in solidarity with Jerusalem, following Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila’s remarks on Sunday, expressing the intention to move her country’s embassy to Jerusalem,” said a statement by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry. As the official head of the Islamic Waqf, which controls the Temple Mount, Jordan has traditionally led the Arab world in all matters pertaining to Jerusalem. Abdullah has strenuously opposed any changes to Israel’s capital and has lobbied world leaders not to transfer their embassies to Jerusalem. Earlier on Monday, Romania said that it would become the first European country to transfer its embassy to Jerusalem in what is a major victory for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila first announced the move at the annual pro-Israel lobby AIPAC conference. “I am pleased to announce today ... that, after the finalization of assessments and with all constitutional actors involved in the decision-mak-
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
25
26
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Last week, in a historic visit, Prime Minister Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman visited the Western Wall
ing process and in full agreement, I as Prime Minister of Romania, and the government that I run, will move our embassy to Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel,” Dancilla said to thunderous applause. The Romanian leader finished her speech with the Hebrew phrase “next year in Jerusalem.” Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez also told the conference that his country plans on opening a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem within the next year, joining a similar mission recently opened by Guatemala. A number of countries have broken diplomatic taboos and have moved their embassies to Jerusalem since U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he recognized the city as Israel’s capital back in 2018. No European nation had followed suit, however, until Romania’s announcement. The decision marks a serious break with the EU, which opposes any recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital until a final status peace deal with the Palestinians is reached.
Mossad Agent Who Captured Eichmann Dies Rafi Eitan, the Mossad agent who led the operation to capture Adolf Eichmann and bring him to trial, died on Saturday at the age of 92. Born to Russian immigrants in Harod in 1926, Eitan grew up in Ramat Hasharon. As a young adult, he joined the pre-State Palmah under-
ground and suffered injuries during Israel’s War of Independence. Considered to be among the founders of Israel’s intelligence community, Eitan served as the head of Israel’s Lekem intelligence agency and as Jonathan Pollard’s handler. During his time with the Mossad, Eitan led the operation to bring Eichmann to trial, a move which eventually led to the Nazi’s execution.
The 1960 operation to capture Eichmann in Argentina and bring him to trial in Jerusalem was the Mossad’s most historic mission and remains one of the defining episodes in Israel’s history. His trial brought to life the horrors of the Nazi “Final Solution,” which followed Eichmann’s blueprint for liquidating the entire Jewish population of Europe. Eichmann was convicted in 1961 of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was hanged the following year – the only time the State of Israel has carried out the death sentence. Known as the “architect of the Holocaust” for his role in coordinating the Nazi genocide policy, Eichmann fled Germany after World War II and assumed the name Ricardo Klement in Argentina. Eitan, who headed the seven-man team on the ground, grabbed Eichmann on the way back to his Buenos Aires home, shoved him into a car
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your Neighbors Are Struggling This Pesach, give them the gift of Redemption.
DONATE TODAY! Over 300 Families
Are Counting On You.
Your Maos Chitim
R MITZVAH! U YO D E Thanks to a generous funder, until Eruv Pesach, every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000!
E YO U R I M P BL A C
T!
AT N O
OU
ION! DOU BL
Will Help A Family In Our Community.
B LE Y O DOU UR
D of your donation goes directly to families in need
TO MAKE A DONATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.JCCRP.ORG/DONATIONS OR MAIL A CHECK TO 1525 CENTRAL AVE. FAR ROCKAWAY, NY 11691 FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL Lzecher Nishmas Dr. Esther Rose Lowy aec wgvi axd za `fiex xzq`
718.327.7755
27
28
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Current Mossad Director Yossi Cohen praised Eitan as “one of the founding pillars of the intelligence community and the Mossad in particular” and emphasized that “his actions will be enshrined on the gold list of the history of the State.” “The fundamentals that Rafi laid in the early years of the state are a significant part of the Mossad’s operations even today,” he added.
Hamas Prisoners Riot
THAN JUST A PERFORMANCE WWW.EITANKATZ.COM | 718.770.7973 | INFO@EITANKATZ.COM
and spirited him to a safe house. In the backseat of the car, one agent shoved a gloved hand inside Eichmann’s mouth in case he had a cyanide pill hidden in a tooth, as some former top Nazis were known to use to foil their capture. Eitan identified Eichmann by searching his body for distinctive scars on his arm and stomach. “And once I felt it, I was convinced. This is the man – we got
Eichmann,” he recalled years later. Several Israeli leaders mourned Eitan this week. Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin said, “We have lost a brave fighter whose contribution to Israel’s security will be taught for generations to come. Rafi was a born fighter who stuck to his mission and to what he knew to be right. Our heads are bowed today in his memory, and we part from him in sorrow
and thanks, and with deep appreciation for his contribution to the people and the country.” “Rafi was one of the heroes of the State of Israel’s intelligence service in countless acts for Israel’s security,” Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu noted. “There was no match for his wisdom, wit and endless commitment to the people of Israel and our country.”
Two prison guards were moderately injured after being stabbed during a riot by Hamas prisoners at Israel’s Ketziot maximum security prison this week. The stabbing occurred during a violent riot by Hamas terrorists which ended with 11 inmates injured by riot control measures fired by Israeli special forces to quell the melee. One of the guards suffered stab wounds to the neck, while the second needed stiches in his hand. The two were helicoptered to Beersheva’s Soroka Medical for treatment. Prison officials said that the inmates had rushed at the guards with crude knives made out of everyday objects while they were being transferred to another wing in the prison. The stabbing came during a recent uptick in violence at Israel’s maximum-security prisons following a decision by jailers to crack down on inmates’ illegal cellphone usage inside the jail. In recent weeks, guards have increased raids meant to root out illegal smartphones that were smuggled into the prisons and have announced that they will install cellular jamming devices behind bars. The welfare of prisoners is a provocative issue among the Hamas rank and file, and the organization has vowed to “protect the rights of our warriors.” Last week, Hamas coordinated a jailhouse riot in the nearby Ramon prison that result-
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
TWO STAPLE STORES. TWO EXPANDED SITES. SHIRTS
PANTS
SUITS
DRESSES
TZITZIS
PAJAMAS TIES YARMULKES SOCKS
GIFT
BABY
MORE
SHOP OUR SITE @ SHIRTSTOP.US
Our Locations: Flatbush, 1614 Ave M Woodmere, 1001 Broadway
SHOP OUR SITE @ DOUBLEHEADERUSA.COM
Shells & T-Shirts
Skirts
Our Locations: Head Coverings
Hosiery
Kensington, 129 Ditmas Ave Marine Park, 3410 Ave N Woodmere, 1001 Broadway
Hair Accessories
& More
29
30
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
More than 700 million butterflies flew into Israel last week
ed in a cell being torched as part of their protest of Israel’s new policy. “The movement calls on our people, its factions, and elites to immediately support [our prisoners] in a large way with all means and tools and to quickly take action with all parties and institutions to protect them,” Hamas said in a statement.
Receive a COMPLIMENTARY hearing evaluation with your visit.
7 Hurt After Rocket Explodes in Central Israel
CALL TODAY! 516-204-7272
Dr. Shalom Motechin 513 Chestnut St. · Cedarhurst, NY 11516 | 516-295-1300 921 49th St. · Brooklyn, NY 11219 | 718-283-8456 hearingsolutionsli.com The following insurances are accepted as full or partial payment, depending on the plan: Oxford, United Health Care, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, Healthfirst, Empire Plan, United Federation of Teachers.
Seven Israelis were hurt after their house suffered a direct hit by a Hamas rocket in central Israel on Monday. The medium-range rocket had hit the home of the Wolf family at 5a.m. in Moshav Mishmeret, a small community north of Tel Aviv. The family had fled to the bomb shelter only seconds before, narrowly avoiding an almost certain death. The rocket killed the family’s four pet dogs and totally destroyed the structure. The missile barrage came after two rockets hit Tel Aviv last week, in what Hamas officials reportedly
said was “a mistake.” One 59-year-old woman was moderately hurt in the explosion and suffered burns and other injuries caused by flying shrapnel. Another 30-year-old woman was also moderately injured in her leg and suffered from trauma. The other people in the house at the time, including a 30-year-old male, a 12-year-old girl, 3-year-old boy and 6-month-old baby, were lightly injured. Following the explosion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his visit to Washington and returned to Israel early in order to coordinate the military response. “There was a criminal attack on the State of Israel, and we will respond forcefully,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “In a few hours, I will meet with President Trump and immediately afterwards I will return to Israel in order to oversee our activities.” The IDF dispatched two armored brigades to the Gaza border and called up a limited number of reservists. Later that evening, Israeli warplanes pounded Hamas targets all across the Gaza Strip, including the office of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and a secret facility used for intelligence purposes. Hamas said in a statement that the rockets were a response to a recent crackdown on illegal cellphone use among jailed terrorists in Israeli prisons. “Our struggling Palestinian people, its forces and resistance stand behind [the prisoners] and will not give up on their duty in defending them and supporting them until they are liberated,” the terrorist group said.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
You’re Welcome.
כשר לפסח
31
32
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Tel Aviv Hospital One of Top 10 Hospitals in the World
Newsweek magazine, together with the global market research and consumer data company Statista Inc., recently ranked Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Center as one of the top 10 hospitals globally. “The hospitals on this list are at the forefront of adapting to these new challenges while providing top-notch patient care,” Newsweek said. “The hospitals on our list are all world leaders in health care, but these are the very best – the top 10, according to Newsweek’s panel of doctors,
Special Education teachers and
assistant teachers
medical professionals and administrators across four continents.” The magazine ranked Sheba – otherwise known as Tel HaShomer Hospital – as number ten on its list. “Sheba Medical Center – or Tel HaShomer Hospital – in Tel Aviv is a leader in medical science and biotechnical innovation, both in the Middle East and worldwide,” the magazine wrote. “The center’s collaborations with international parties have advanced innovative medical practices, hospital systems and biotechnology. The tertiary referral hospital, affiliated with Tel Aviv University, includes centers for nearly all medical divisions and specialties and serves over 1 million patients per year. More than 25 percent of all Israeli medical clinical research takes place at its state-of-the-art facilities, and as a hospital it works with nearly every Israeli medical institute to educate students and advance the future of the medical profession.” Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, director general of Sheba Medical Center, appreciated the accolade, “We are proud and excited to have been chosen by Newsweek magazine to appear on this prestigious list of elite hospitals around the globe.
Expanded Classes New Positions !
AM & PM FT / PT available
JOIN THE CAHAL TEAM EDUCATING FOR SUCCESS
* Apply today for 2019-2020 school year *
PARTICIPATING Schools BYAM - BBY - HAFTR HALB - HANC - MAY
Shulamith - Siach Yitzchak
tAG - YDT - YKLI - YOSS
Send resume and references to: Shira@cahal.org For more info: (516) 295-3666
Celebrating 27 years of success! **********
“This is the culmination of 70 years of dedication to excellence, professionalism and innovation by our devoted, talented staff, within the field of medicine and patient care.” He added, “Never resting on our laurels, we will continue pushing the boundaries to find cures and treatments that will not only benefit our patients in Israel but to also benefit mankind around the globe.”
UNHRC Accuses Israel of War Crimes
Countries voting in favor of the resolution unsurprisingly included: Afghanistan, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, and Tunisia. The nine nations voting against the resolution were Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Fiji, Hungary, Togo, and the Ukraine. Abstaining nations included Argentina, the Bahamas, the Congo, Croatia, Denmark, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Nepal, Rwanda, Slovakia, the UK, and Uruguay.
Bibi Vows to Sue Leftist Rival for Libel On Friday, the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to adopt a resolution accusing Israel of committing war crimes and other human rights violations in its response to violent riots held along the Gaza-Israel border. The report claims that “individual members” of the IDF “killed and gravely injured civilians who were neither directly participating in hostilities nor posing an imminent threat.” It also condemned Israel for using live ammunition against rioters attempting to breach the border fence who were burning tires and throwing firebombs, rocks, and explosives at IDF soldiers stationed on the border and at Israeli communities just across it. Israel’s Foreign Ministry summarily rejected the Council’s report. “The Human Rights Council repeated today its absurd, hypocritical ritual of creating a Commission of Inquiry singling out Israel, whose findings against Israel are predetermined, and then adopting them, all the while ignoring reality on the ground,” it said. “Israel will continue to exercise its right of self-defense and will protect its citizens against terror and aggression. Israel will not cooperate with the Council on the issue,” the Foreign Ministry added. Twenty-three countries voted in favor of the resolution, with fourteen abstentions, nine dissidents, and one absence.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Friday that he was planning to sue Blue and White party heads Benny Gantz and Moshe Ya’alon for libel. The move comes after Ya’alon implied that Netanyahu’s actions in the submarine affair “might constitute treason.” In a Facebook video, Netanyahu slammed the claim, emphasizing that it is “serious incitement” and cannot be ignored. He also said he would sue MK Yair Lapid – another of Blue and White’s leaders – but cannot since Lapid is an MK and therefore immune. Lapid, for his part, offered to remove his immunity and allow Netanyahu to sue him, since Lapid himself – “not Benny Gantz, not Bogie (Moshe) Ya’alon, and not Gabi Ashkenazi – called you a traitor in the submarine affair.” “I am removing my immunity,” Lapid added, emphasizing that he “stands behind what he said.” “Sue me,” Lapid threatened. Netanyahu himself is not a suspect in the submarine affair. How-
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Clean out your closets before Pesach!
Please remember the thousands of aniyei Eretz Yisroel this neighborhood has helped with the gently used clothes we have sent. Over the past few years, we have sent gently used clothing to aniyei Eretz Yisrael in a biannual clothing drive. ALL COSTS are paid by anonymous sponsors, and collection and distribution is undertaken by UNPAID volunteers. This is a special opportunity to perform the tremendous mitzvah of tzedakah without incurring any expense. Last October, we shipped over 10,000 garments to distribution centers, both chareidi and chiloni, in Yerushalayim, Kiryat Sefer, Bet Shemesh, and other communities.
Keren Minchas Shlomo
Volunteers from local Yeshivas sorting clothing
Ready to go to port
The Keren is responsible when it reaches E”Y, and the Israeli government inspects the container to make sure we comply with the rules and regulations. WE ARE SENDING ONLY GENTLY USED CLOTHING (no shoes, hats, or undergarments). Please select garments that you feel are appropriate and that our needy brethren in E”Y will be proud to wear. Please ensure that all clothing is stain-free and in very good condition. Thank you for the last drive! Our community’s drive continues to be the most successful this organization has in terms of the quality and quantity of clothes we send to Eretz Yisrael. Help us do it again!
The clothing drive will BE"H take place
Sunday, March 31 | 10am-3pm at PRECISION AUTO BODY
10 Nassau Ave., Inwood, NY 11096 FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 802-622-1818
33
34
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
ever, recent revelations show that he once held shares in a company which was later acquired by the German ThyseenKrupp company which sold submarines to Israel. The prime minister’s failure to declare his investments constitutes a conflict of interest, opponents say. Netanyahu himself said that he only held shares as a Knesset member, not as a coalition member, and that there is “no connection” between the shares he previously held and the submarines’ purchase. “In 2010 I sold my shares in the company,” the prime minster noted. “This was a year and a half before Israel signed the deal to buy the first submarine during my term. It was two years before the Germans sold submarines to the Egyptians. So there was no connection between the issues. It’s libel.”
FB: We Didn’t Properly Mask Users’ Passwords
Facebook acknowledged last Thursday that it mishandled the passwords of hundreds of millions of its users, primarily Facebook Lite users. In a statement, the social media giant admitted that it stored users’ passwords in an internal database in plain text and that the database was accessible to staff members. This was discovered in January, the company said, promising an investigation. “To be clear, these passwords were never visible to anyone outside of Facebook and we have found no evidence to date that anyone internally abused or improperly accessed them,” Facebook’s Pedro Canahuati wrote in a post. “We estimate that we will notify hundreds of millions of Facebook Lite users, tens of millions of other Facebook users, and tens of thousands of Instagram users. Facebook Lite is a version of Facebook
predominantly used by people in regions with lower connectivity,” he added. He also said the company has “fixed problems as we’ve discovered them” and that “there is nothing more important to us than protecting people’s information. “We will continue making improvements as part of our ongoing security efforts at Facebook,” he promised.
Houston Channel Still Clouded by Benzene
Over 60 ships are still unable to enter the Houston Ship Channel after it was closed due to a cancer-causing cloud of benzene. The cloud rose following a tank fire, which broke out last Sunday at a Deer Park, Houston, chemical storage facility owned by Intercontinental Terminals Co.’s (ITC). It was extinguished three days later on March 20, but released over 9 million pounds of pollutants into the air. Though the channel is one of North America’s busiest shipping channels, its waters are not used for drinking. According to Claims Journal, the U.S. Coast Guard will allow the channel to reopen only after the oily runoff no longer poses a threat to vessels and the benzene has dissipated from the air. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has promised to investigate the fire.
The End of Obamacare? This week, the Trump administration told a federal court that it would ask judges to toss out the entire Affordable Care Act, a decision that cast further uncertainty over the future of a federal law that has extended health insurance to millions
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
35
36
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
TOURO IN FLATBUSH
POST-PESACH SEMESTER FOR MEN • APRIL 30-JUNE 12 • APPLY NOW!
WANT TO GET A JUMP START ON YOUR EDUCATION? Take our quiz and find out if our Post-Pesach semester is right for you.
a. You want to get ahead faster! Complete 6 credits during the Post-Pesach semester. Why stop there? Continue on through summer semester and earn up to 18 credits.
b. You’re interested in a career in healthcare. Benefit from accelerated pre-professional programs and preferred admission* to Touro’s medical, dental and health science schools.
c.
d.
You are career-savvy and have a real world career focus. That’s great, because we have real world career services to help you choose majors and shape your future.
You’d like to get a great education that’s also a great value. We hear you—that’s why we offer affordable tuition for the Post-Pesach semester.
an expansion of Medicaid that provides coverage for millions of people, could survive. The Justice Department’s letter on Monday reversed that position, saying the administration now agrees with O’Connor that all of the law must go.
Democrats have vowed to defend President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 health law despite repeated GOP attempts to challenge the law in Congress and the courts. A group of 17 Democratic attorneys general have filed documents to intervene in the case and defend the law. The lower court’s ruling is on hold pending a decision by the appeals court.
Smollett Charges Dropped
*for qualified students
ANY OF THE ABOVE? CHOOSE TOURO IN FLATBUSH FOR POST-PESACH: THE RIGHT ANSWER TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER. Convenient evening classes!
Separate Men’s and Women’s Schools Touro is an equal opportunity institution. For Touro’s complete Non-Discrimination Statement, please visit www.touro.edu.
of Americans. Justice Department attorneys said in a letter filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans that a lower court’s ruling the health law is unconstitutional “should be affirmed” and that the “United States is not urging that any portion of the district court’s judgement be reversed.” A coalition of Republican-led
1602 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY • 718.535.9299 admissions.lander@touro.edu | las.touro.edu
states brought a lawsuit, Texas v. United States, arguing the entire health law should be tossed out. In a ruling last December, U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor in the Northern District of Texas agreed with the GOP-led states’ argument that the health law was unconstitutional. The judge ruled that the constitutional foundation for the law – the requirement that people buy in-
surance or pay a penalty – was no longer constitutional because Congress had repealed the penalty. O’Connor ruled that because that provision was so central to the health law, the whole thing had to be invalidated. The Trump administration had said it wouldn’t defend the individual mandate in court, but Justice Department lawyers nonetheless had argued that some parts of the law, including
All criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped on Tuesday, after the “Empire” star was indicted on 16 felony counts of filing a false police report earlier this month. “After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case,” the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement. Smollett appeared in court on March 14 to plead not guilty to 16 counts of disorderly conduct after being accused of lying to police regarding a January 29 incident in which he said he was randomly attacked by two men shouting racial slurs in his Chicago neighborhood. Smollett was
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
ENJOY THE BEST FASHION EXPERIENCE IN LONG ISLAND
NEW&
NOW Shop Brands Like: Canali Samuelsohn Jack Victor Ted Baker Paul Betenly S Cohen Byron
$100 Off
Your purchase of $500+ OR
$200 Off
Your purchase of $1000+ NOW - 4.27.19
Get Offer At murleesclothing.com/spring
24 Atlantic Ave. Lynbrook, New York 516.599.7777 | murleesclothing.com
M, TU, W, F 9:00AM - 6:00PM TH 10:AM - 8:00PM SAT 9:30AM - 6PM SUN NOON - 5:00PM
37
38
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
originally charged with one felony count for filing a false police report last month. Smollett and his attorneys continuously denied any wrongdoing throughout the criminal proceedings, as police accused the actor of staging the attack himself. His next court date had been set for April 17. Smollett surrendered himself to Chicago police on February 21, hours after he was formally charged. He was released from police custody later that afternoon, after posting bail and surrendering his passport following a bond hearing, and quickly returned to work on the set of “Empire.” The following day, though, executive producers said they had decided to remove Smollett from the final two episodes of the show’s current season. During a press conference last month, hours after Smollett’s February 21 surrender, Chicago PD Superintendent Eddie Johnson said that the actor staged an attack on himself
because he was “dissatisfied with his salary.” He also told reporters the police were in possession of a $3,500 check, which he said Smollett used to pay brothers Olabinjo (“Ola”) and Abimbola (“Abel”) Osundairo for the incident.
Measles “Emergency” in Rockland County On Tuesday, Rockland County declared a countywide State of Emergency relating to the ongoing measles outbreak. Effective at the stroke of midnight, Wednesday, anyone who is under 18 years of age and unvaccinated against the measles will be barred from public places until the declaration expires in 30 days or un-
til they receive the MMR vaccination. As of last Thursday, there were 151 confirmed reported cases of measles in the county, according to Rockland County.
According to the county, the measles outbreak in Rockland is not limited to one community, but is affecting residents of Spring Valley, New Square, and Monsey. Rockland County has been grappling with a measles outbreak in recent months, previously asking students who are unvaccinated to not attend school. Measles is a highly contagious disease. Young children, the immunocompromised, and non-immune
pregnant women are at highest risk for severe complications. Measles is transmitted by airborne particles, droplets, and direct contact with the respiratory secretions of an infected person. Measles typically presents in adults and children as an acute viral illness characterized by fever and a generalized rash. The rash usually starts on the face, proceeds down the body, and may include the palms and soles. The rash lasts several days. Infected individuals are contagious from four days before rash onset through the fourth day after rash appearance.
Wall Wars On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee denied the Pentagon’s plan to shift $1 billion to build a
AIPAC Conference: 18,000 Strong
E
ighteen-thousand people descended on Washington, D.C., this week to join in the lobbying conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The atmosphere was festive, as it always is when Israel supporters get together, but was also charged, as issues of anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and BDS were highlighted by speakers. Sunday morning, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila of Romania surprised the audience by announcing that her country will be moving its embassy to Jerusalem, just as President Donald Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem last year. “Our support for the State of Israel and the Jewish community is a constant focus,” she asserted, adding that Romanian citizenship will be granted to all Jews of Romanian descent who were forced to renounce their citizenship when they left their country under the community regime. The Romanian government is also considering special compensations and pensions for Holocaust survivors in Romania, she said. There is also a law in Romania which guarantees access to the state archives for specialists from the
Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania so they can learn about their past in the two World Wars. Concluding her address, Dancila said, “I can promise you this: Romania will remain the same loyal friend and the strongest European voice in support of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.” When Vice President Mike Pence took to the stage on Monday, he was quick to point out the accomplishments of the Trump administration, first noting that the Mueller report, which came out this week, completely exonerated President Trump and his campaign. He observed that ISIS in Syria is now completely wiped out and that the American economy is booming. The vice president added that President Trump cares deeply for the State of Israel. “We stand with Israel today for the same reasons the American people have always stood with Israel,” Vice President Pence said. “We stand with Israel because her cause is our cause, her values are our values, and her fight is our fight. We stand with Israel because we believe in right over wrong and good over evil, in
liberty over tyranny. We stand with Israel today, tomorrow, and we always will.” Vice President Pence noted that anti-Semitism is on the rise in the world and in the U.S. “Even in the halls of Congress,” he remarked. “It’s astonishing to think that the party of Harry Truman, which did so much to help create the State of Israel, has been co-opted by people who promote rank anti-Semitic rhetoric and work to undermine the broad American consensus of support for Israel. “Recently, a freshman Democrat in Congress trafficked in repeated anti-Semitic tropes, alleged Congressional support for Israel reflected an allegiance to a foreign country, said that Israel had, and I quote, ‘hypnotized the world.’ And she ac-
cused Americans who support Israel of being bought off by campaign contributions. “Anti-Semitism has no place in the Congress of the United States of America,” Vice President Pence asserted. He also noted that as governor of Indiana, he was “proud” to sign the “toughest” anti-BDS legislation of any state. Democrats who attended the conference were quick to tell audience members that they decry anti-Semitism. Ironically, eight Democratic contenders for the 2020 presidential election boycotted the conference, wishing to distance themselves from Israel as the Democratic Party moves farther and farther to the left into the arms of the Palestinians. No greater example of this is the rise of
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
fense budget would not pass as it was proposed. That budget included $100 billion in a “slush fund” meant to fund ongoing wars but which the Pentagon intends to use to boost the amount of money it has available to avoid budget caps passed by Congress, worrying lawmakers. Shanahan’s decision to shift military dollars in order to pay for the wall without consulting Congress could lead lawmakers to cut off the Pentagon’s authority to reprogram funds.
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan announced on Monday that the Department of Defense had shifted $1 billion from other military construction projects to build part of the barrier along the southern border.
Democratic Representative Adam Smith, the committee’s chairman, said the panel did not approve the proposed use of Pentagon funds. “The committee denies this request. The committee does not approve the proposed use of Department of Defense funds to construct additional physical barriers and roads or install lighting in the vicinity of the United States border,” Smith said in a letter to the Department of Defense. U.S. lawmakers – mostly Democrats, but also some of Trump’s fellow Republicans – have been furious at Trump’s declaring a national emergency along the Mexico border in an attempt to pay for the wall after Congress did not approve funding. Smith announced the denial of the $1 billion transfer in a statement as his committee held a hearing on the Pentagon budget. Smith told the hearing that Trump’s proposed $750 billion de-
Rep. Ilan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, two freshmen congresswomen who unabashedly bash Israel and her supporters. Many speakers during the threeday conference mentioned Omar – either by name or implicitly – and cited her recent anti-Israel and anti-Jew tweets. Among those who called out the head covering-wearing member of Congress was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Vice President Mike Pence, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md. and Sen. Chuck Schumer – to name a few. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video address on Tuesday (he rushed back to Israel after Hamas rockets flattened a home in Mishmeret), also picked up on the theme, referring to Omar’s tweet that U.S. policy toward Israel is “all about the Benjamins” – that is, distorted by AIPAC money. The prime minister chided,
“From this Benjamin, it’s not about the Benjamins. It’s not because they want our money; it’s because they share our values,” Netanyahu said. Of course, Omar couldn’t resist hitting back at the seasoned Israeli politician. “This from a man facing indictments for bribery and other crimes in three separate public corruption affairs. Next!” the freshman politician tweeted after his speech. Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat who is Jewish, has been repeatedly called out for his party’s anti-Israel stance. In his speech on Monday evening, Schumer told the audience, “It will always be wrong to use anti-Semitism as a political weapon, always.” Schumer, as Senate minority leader, is the highest-ranking Jewish lawmaker in the government. “And let me tell you, if you only care about anti-Semitism coming from your political opponents, you are not fully committed to combating anti-Semitism.” When speaking to AIPAC lobbyists on Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the topic of anti-Semitism and BDS. “This bigotry is taking on an insidious new form in the guise of ‘anti-Zionism,’” he said. “It has infested college campuses in the form of the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement. It’s discussed in our media. It’s supported by certain members of Congress, I suspect none of whom are here tonight.
“Anti-Zionism denies the very legitimacy of the Israeli state and of the Jewish people,” he continued. “So, friends, let me go on record: Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism,” Pompeo said to resounding applause. “The Trump administration opposes it unequivocally, and we will fight for it relentlessly.” Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the minority leader, also touched upon the sensitive topic. “We look at the horrific action of what took place in Pittsburgh in October,” he said, adding, “I heard language in the own floors of Congress, I want you to know we did not stay silent,” he said. U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman reminded supporters on Tuesday morning that just a year ago, he had stood in that very spot and told listeners that he was preparing for the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. He added that just last week President Donald J. Trump formally recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. “For two generations, Israelis of all political stripes proclaimed, ‘Ha’am im ha’Golan, the nation is with the Golan,’ which can never be severed from the State of Israel,” he noted. “Israelis made this proclamation for good reason. Without the high ground of the Golan, Israel is exposed to extraordinary risks from treacherous enemies, and Syria would be right on the shores of
wall on the U.S. border with Mexico, intensifying the conflict over President Donald Trump’s signature campaign pledge.
Lost & Found “Portrait of Dora Maar,” a prized Picasso painting, was stolen from a Saudi sheikh’s yacht on the French
39
Riviera in 1999. The piece of art is worth 25 million euros.
Recently, Arthur Brand – also known as the “Indiana Jones of the Art World” – found the rare portrait of Maar and handed it over to an insurance company. The discovery was the culmination of a four-year investigation into the burglary. Two decades after its theft and with no clues to its whereabouts, the French police were stumped – and the portrait, which once hung in the Spanish master’s home until his death in 1973, was feared lost forever. But after a four-year trail which led through the Dutch criminal
the Sea of Galilee, which provides 40 percent of Israel’s fresh water. This will never happen on President Trump’s watch,” he vowed. Ambassador Friedman also reminded the audience about President Trump’s commitment to pull out of the flawed Iran deal. He added, “For the entire Trump administration, I pledge that we will not be too late. We will do what needs to be done to protect Israel, the United States, and the entire world, from the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. We will do what needs to be done, and just to be clear, we will not do this for the Benjamins,” he said. “No. We will not do this for the Benjamins, but rather for the Davids, from King David to David Ben-Gurion and for the Abrahams and for the Isaacs and the Jacobs and the Sarahs and the Rebeccas and the Leahs and the Rachels and for the Christophers and the Peters and the Marys and the Catherines and for every J… and for every Maria and for every Muhammad and for every Nuun.” Ambassador Friedman urged the audience to put aside differences and work together towards a common goal. Just as rockets blasted by Hamas – like the ones lobbed earlier this week – don’t differentiate between different stripes of Jews, we should ban together for Israel’s future.
40
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Underwear Art
E X C L U S I V E LY F R O M P E Y D :
USE YOUR AIRLINE MILES AND CREDIT CARD POINTS TO PAY FOR YOUR PASSOVER VACATION & HOTEL STAY
Underwear is not always the subject of an art exhibit. But eccentric artist Dominic Allan – who goes by the name Dominic of Luton – doesn’t always go with the flow. Recently, a photograph he took of his father’s underwear drying on a radiator was sold for the exorbitant price of $1,300. Dominic titled the piece, which is printed on a sheet of aluminum, “My Dad’s Pants.” The piece of “art” had been displayed in the prestigious Saatchi Gallery in London. Dominic, from Luton, Bedfordshire, in England, trained at the Chelsea College of Arts and says he “strives to find the beauty in the mundane” of his hometown. Referring to the photograph of his dad’s underwear, Dominic said, “My dad was horrified that a photograph of his pants was blown up massively and displayed in public. “It was met with silence!” Dominic snapped the photograph of his dad’s pants in 2013, and it was soon bought by the Saatchi Gallery, who has continued to support the artist through his career.
Martinis on the Move
8 8 8 . 4 0 4 . P E Y D ( 7 3 9 3 ) | W W W. P E Y D . C O M | I N F O @ G E T P E Y D . C O M CONTACT MARKETING@GETPEYD.COM TO LEARN HOW TO ADD YOUR PROGRAM TO OUR NETWORK & BECOME AN OFFICIAL PWP PARTNER.
underworld, two intermediaries turned up on Brand’s Amsterdam doorstep 10 days ago with the missing picture. “They had the Picasso, now valued at 25 million euros wrapped in a sheet and black rubbish bags with them,” Brand told AFP. The theft had baffled police and alarmed the super-rich. In 2015, Brand heard that a Picasso stolen
from a ship was circulating in the Netherlands. The painting was being used as collateral in criminal circles in drug and arms deals. He ascertained that the painting in question was the “Portrait of Dora Maar” and put word out on the street that he was looking for it. Two representatives of a Dutch businessman contacted Brand. They had thought that the painting was
a legitimate piece – they were unaware that it was stolen, they said. Last week, the men brought the painting to Brand, who verified it with police and art experts. This was yet another success for Brand, who hit the headlines last year for returning a stolen 1,600-year-old mosaic to Cyprus. Brand’s sleuthing skills are a work of art.
A distillery has announced its giant mixing truck, which looks like a hybrid of a cement mixer and a martini shaker, is going on a tour of Florida. The makers of Monkey Shoulder whiskey said the “Monkey Shoulder Mixer,” a 27-foot-long truck with a 2,400-gallon drink mixer on the back, will be serving cocktails at various locations in the Orlando area during the next week. The truck, unveiled for the first time at Arizona Cocktail Week in February, will be shaking up drinks called the “Mixed Up Monkey.” The drink features Monkey Shoulder whiskey, mint simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, soda, and mint leaves. After drinking all that alcohol, they may rename you the Mixed Up Monkey.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Findin g the WE HAVE THE PERFECT SUIT FOR EVERYONE
456 Central Ave, Cedarhurst NY 11516 516.791.1925
per fec t
Sunday 11-6 | Monday - Thursday 11-7 | Friday 10:30-2:30
suit
should n findin ’t be as har g the Afikomd as on.
Classic, slim, and extra slim fit.
OM
E OF TH
E
H
Come early for best selection!
50
ALL SUITS AND SHOES:
N-
IRON SH
I
R
N
O
T
FAMOUS
BUY ONE AT REGULAR PRICE GET THE SECOND
41
%
OFF
BALTIMORE • BROOKLYN • CEDARHURST • CHICAGO • LAKEWOOD • MONSEY • TORONTO Sale ends 4/5/19. Must mention this ad. Not valid with any other offer, special or discount. We are not responsible for typos. All prices are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.
42
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
doing a phenomenal job promoting the use of public transportation, and we thank them for their ardent support of the T.”
$50
MINIVAN
$45
WE ALSO
OFFER
D CHOMETZ EE FR T AN
SHAMPOOING
We Come to Y
EE
RCSE YEA RIEN
A GU
10
EXPE
ou!
FR EE
GU AR
CAR
“We didn’t do this because anyone told us to, or because it would be good publicity — we did it because we both love the T and we thought it would be a blast,” Cox said. “I hope that this story will help a few people step back and see the MBTA in the same light that I do.” Alex, spending seven hours in the subway does not sound like a walk in the park.
Peanut Butter Whiskey
Z
RA ET NT EED CHOM
SPONSORED BY:
Whatsapp 646-771-8422 to be entered into this months raffle”
RIKKIDESIGNGROUP@GMAIL.COM
Men in Training A pair of men are now officially recognized by the Guinness World Records for riding all of Boston’s commuter train lines in less than 7 ½ hours. Alex Cox and Dominic DiLuzio received word from the record-keeping organization that they set a new
world record by riding every Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority train line with a time of 7 hours, 29 minutes and 46 seconds. The 2017 ride is now being officially recognized as the fastest time to travel to all of Boston’s subway stations. “It was nice to have that over with and have that be official, because every time I’d bring it up to someone I’d say, ‘I’m a record holder,’ and
then I would pause and let people know it wasn’t official yet,” DiLuzio told the Boston Globe. “I didn’t want people to get the wrong impression or think I was lying.” This is, after all, serious business. The MBTA commended the men on their accomplishment. “The MBTA extends its congratulations to Alex and Dominic for their record-setting feat,” MBTA general manager Steve Poftak said. “They’re
Thinking of mishloach manos for 2020 already? Look no further than Skrewball whiskey. The OB Noodle House and Bar 1502 in San Diego, California, had come up with peanut butter-flavored shots. Seeing how popular the combination was with patrons, Steven Yeng and Brittany Merrill Yeng bottled the recipe and named it Skrewball. Recently, the vegan and gluten-free boozy beverage was awarded a double gold medal for “Best Flavored Whiskey” at the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition. Apparently, nothing goes together like peanut butter and spirits. And a little bit of jelly in your hamantashen wouldn’t hurt either.
43
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
PRE PESACH SHOPS
�� M �� � A � N K� FO �! � N � NA � �O I��� S CO� AN� � � A S
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10 10-3 AND 6-9 AT THE RED SHUL, 395 OAKLAND AVE, CEDARHURST
House of Lancry Maya's Place Seven Two Denim
Al� Pro����s to Ben���� The Wom��'s Le�g�e of Yes���� Ket��� of Lon� Is�a d
Paper & Presents..Tablecloth Direct..The Big Bow Shop..Alees's Pieces
Batya Weisner Makeup....Alyssa Sterba Toys..Pixie Lane Nor and Jill..Jujubee Gifts..Larabelle
Buy the Bag..Eyewear24Seven..Extra Toppings..Dish it Out....Aviva G. Omer Pillowcases
Patched..Blueberry Layette..Mimi Wigs..Pomoto Jewelery..Wish Athletics
44
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the
Community
The talmidos of the Aqua and the Purple nursery rooms of TAG visited the Long Island Living Center to spread some Purim joy
Shulamith Celebrates Purim
S
hulamith students from all divisions celebrated Purim joyously. In the Early Childhood Division, talmidot enjoyed the opportunity to come to school in their costumes and learn about the upcoming chag. They especially loved baking hamantashen. In the Lower Division, the annual Mitzvah Masquerade was a resounding success. Third and fourth graders worked in groups to create costumes related to brachot, mitzvot, or Chumash. Each group was allotted three minutes to present their costumes, and the creative and original results were most impressive! Congratulations to the overall winners, Miri Bindiger, Chava Bugapolsky, Noa Hirth, Meira Moskowitz, and Avital Rosman for their costumes representing the
mitzvah of shiluach hakan. The eighth graders took charge of the annual SWO-sponsored Purim Carnival. Led by Meira Berkowitz and Melissa Zalisky, the carnival afforded each student the opportunity to greet Adar with unbridled simcha. The eighth graders were thrilled to welcome their friends from Kulanu who joined them for some carnival day fun. This year’s carnival had a sports theme, so there were athletes and cheerleaders running the moon bounce, obstacle course, and booths that included the ever-popular Fluff ‘n’ Chips, Pickle Race, and Bean Bag Challenge, and the newly-created “Fruit Loopers.” As they noshed on cotton candy and popcorn, it was evident that a great time was had by each attendee!
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
45
Around the Community
Siach Yitzchok Annual Dinner Guests of honor Rabbi and Mrs. Avrohom Halpern; Harbotzas Torah Award Rabbi and Rebbetzin Naftali Weitz; Kesser Shem Tov Rabbi and Mrs. Yitzy Haber; Parents of the Year Rabbi and Mrs. Eitan Katz; Alumnus of the Year Yudi Greene
PHOTO CREDIT: YECHIEL UNGAR
46
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Margaret Tietz Supports Community Seniors
M
argaret Tietz supported Purim celebrations throughout the community with 300 mishloach manos distributed to the young Israel of Forest Hills Senior League, Young Israel of Queens Valley Senior League and the Rego Park Social Club to help make each party even more freilich. All Purim parties were beautiful and very festive with music, costumes and beautiful decorations. Margaret Tietz is proud to support community seniors.
The Operation Open Curtain benefit breakfast with Harav Shmuel Kamenetsky, shlita, was held at the Feuer residence on Sunday, March 17. Moshe Feuer, Yaakov Gade, and Moshe Wolfson were the event hosts
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
my favorite weekly specials
Store Hours:
Order Online: www.FrankelsKosher.com or by Email: orders@Frankelskosher.com
Feb 27, - April 2,
1913 Cornaga Avenue • Far Rockaway • T. 718-327-4700 F. 718-327-4701 E. orders@Frankelskosher.com
major deals BUY THE CASE & SAVE
Case 9 X 13 Foil
SUN, MON & TUES ONLY
SUN, MON & TUES ONLY
Glicks Case Case Perfection Cortland Apple Juice 9’’ Plastic Apple 64 oz Plates Case of 8
$13.99 $12.99
Our Meat Dep is now fully
Oberlander’s
Bulk Fingers 2 lb
$27.99 $12.99 $7.99
Glatt Kosher
Silver Tip Roast
Delmonico Roast
Boneless Rib Eye Steak
$5.99Lb
$6.99Lb
$8.99Lb
$9.99Lb
$7.49Lb
$2.99Lb
Shoulder London Broil
Deluxe Fruit Platter
Ground Beef
$6.99Lb
Chicken Tops
Extra Clean
Butterfly Chicken Cutlets
Clean Dark Chicken Cutlets
Aarons
Aarons
Bone In With Wings
$2.99Lb
$5.99Lb
$6.99Lb
$1.99
$6.99
Oven Roasted Turkey Roll - 4Oz
Olive Oil
Light / Virgin/ Mild 33.8 Oz
כשר לפסח
Glicks
Apple Juice
כשר לפסח
64 Oz
Golds
Duck Sauce Sweet & Sour
כשר לפסח
Yehuda
Passover Matzo
2/$4 כשר לפסח
Kedem
Grape Juice
כשר לפסח
כשר לפסח
Reg-Lite 96 Oz
2/$9
$2.99
$3.49
Pro Plast
Murphy Oil Soap
Mr Clean
Pandora
Gloves
Large/Med/Small 100 Ct
$1.99
32 Oz
Lemon 40 Oz
$2.99
$2.49
Fresh Salad Bowl
Frankekls
Round Bowl Shabbos Player
$2.49
$0.99
$.59 Lb
6 Oz
Givat
Fresh & Healthy
All Flavors 4 Oz
16 Oz
Yummy Kids
2/$1
Cholov Yisruel
Ricotta Cheese
Milk Gallon
2/$4
$2.99
Eggo
Haolam
All Flavors 64 Oz
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2/$3
$8.49
Hoffman’s
Frankels
Kosherific
20 Oz
25 Oz
Homestyle Waffle 12.3 Oz
32 Oz
$6.49
32 Oz
$1.99
Wednesday, Feb/27/19 thru Friday Feb/29/19
Gefilte Fish
2/$5 Yerek
Fish Sticks
Mixed Vegetables 16 Oz
20 Oz
4.20 Oz
כשר לפסח
Tasting
Thursday Night
3 DAYS ONLY
$3.99
Pizza Snap (Family Size)
Windex Spray (Bonus Size)
Gal Gal Cracker
Free
Cooked on premises
Green Squash
All Flavors 6 Oz
$1.69
Gefen
Meat Cholent
$16.99
La Yogurt
24 Oz
$2.49
$15
dairy - frozen
40 Oz
$6.99
Blooms & Buds Bouquet
Bag Radish
2/$1
Potato Starch
$20
Sweet Honeydew
Turkey Hill Iced Tea
Haddar
Shabbos Bouquet
$24.99
Turkey Shawarma
Pre Pesach Specials grocery Gefen
$12
PRODUCE SPECIALS WEDNESDAY THRU FRIDAY
Extra Lean
$7.49Lb
Tulips
produce
Top Quality Meat & Poultry
Roast Beef Shoulder
Beef Soup Bones
NEW!
כשר לפסח
meat department
Shoulder Steak
flower arangments
Sun: 7-7 Mon: 7-8 Tue: 7-8 Wed: 7-9 Thur: 7-11 Fri: 7-2:30
$3.99
$5.99
$1.29
deli
Sponges (Compared To Scotch Bride)
New Satmar Order
Will Arrive On Friday On Liver, Gala & Kugel
Blue/Pink/Heavy
$1.59
Thursday & Friday Satmar
Satmar
Satmar
7 Oz
7 Oz
Ready To Eat 2 Slices
$2.99
$2.99
Chopped Liver
$4.99
Tomato Dip
Kishka
take a peek at our everyday special prices Cholov Yisruel
Cream Cheese 8 0z
Hatov/Givat/ Fresh & Tasty
$2.99
We now have
live delivery updates via text. Text # to (347) 689-6900 for your delivery status.
Norman’s
Taste Yogurts 5 0z
$.59
Gevina
Greek Yogurts
4/$5
Norman’s
Cream Cheese
Fresh & Tasty
Cholov Yisroel
Milk
Cottage Cheese
Cholov Yisroel
$2.99
Free
Fresh
While U Shop Thursday Night
2 Pies
Cholent W/ Kishka
Hatov/Givat/ Fresh & Tasty
2/$4
$2.99
Pizza
$21.99
Mehadrin
Chocolate Leben 12 Pk
$10.99 Fresh Full Pan
Potato Kugal
$48
American Cheese
Yogolite
$14.99
$0.65
108 Slices
Fresh
Postiv
Givat
Fruit Platters
Romaine Lettuce 24 Oz
Greenhouse Grown
$10.99
Best Health
Seltzer All Flavors 33.8oz
$5.99 + tax
Weekly Yiddish Newspapers & Magazines Der Blatt, Der Yid, News Report, Der Blick, Dee Voch, Etc.
Specials Are Running From Wednesday Feb/27/19 Thru Tuesday April/2/19. Produce Sale Effective Feb/27/19 Thru Feb/29/19 We Reserve The Right Tp Limit Quantities, While Supplies Last. Not Responsible For Typographical Or Photographic Errors. No Rain Checks.
47
48
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
At the HANC High School Purim chagiga
Accomplished Writers at HANC
Rabbi Elie Bashevkin, Aliyah Kahn, Rachel Turk, Sarah Kalter, and Yonina Pfeffer
E
arlier in the year, fifth grade students in Rabbi Elie Bashevkin’s Language Arts class of HANC’s Samuel and Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead created beautiful compositions for the Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration. The Grannie Annie invites students in fourth through eighth grade, both in the United States and across the world, to write about something interesting they discovered from their family based on their interviews with older relatives. Each student submitted a family story for possible publication in the annual Grannie Annie Journal. After reading 536 stories submitted by students in nine states, Grannie Annie announced thirty-eight winners. The winning stories in “Grannie Annie Volume 14,” took place in eighteen countries on three continents over a span of 356 years and include personal accounts of historic events as well as recollections of everyday ac-
tivities. This is the third consecutive year that students from HANC participated in this contest and the third year that HANC students’ essays have been selected for publication. The authors from HANC, and the titles of their stories that will appear in Grannie Annie, Volume 14, are fifth graders Aliyah Kahn, “The Long-Lasting Love of Theater”; Sarah Kalter, “First Grade with No Shoes”; Yonina Pfeffer, “Reunited at Last”; and Rachel Turk, “The Lucky Baby.” Their stories will be published in Grannie Annie, Volume 14, published on The Grannie Annie website, and shared through social media. In addition, Aliyah, Sarah, Yonina and Rachel will be honored at The Grannie Annie’s Family Stories Festival at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis on June 2nd! HANC wishes to congratulate Rabbi Bashevkin and his talented students for this tremendous accomplishment.
Rambam’s Mission to AIPAC
T
his year, 18,000 people came to Washington, D.C., to advocate for Israel. A host of dignitaries from the United States, Israel, Romania, and other countries addressed the record-breaking crowd. Current Rambam students Yonatan Sternberg, Yehuda Goldblatt, Yosef Kuperman, Daniel Ganopolsky, Azi Frogel, and Eli Levy, as well as incoming freshman Moshe Kopolovich, proudly represented their school during the three-day get-together in Washington. During the general sessions the crowd was brought to his feet by Vice President Michael Pence; former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley; Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer; and David Friedman, U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Breakout sessions followed the general meetings and allowed students to enhance their knowledge about various issues confronting Israel. Topics such as the Iran nuclear deal, the BDS movement, and the current mood in Congress were just some of the highlights of the convention.
British Parliamentarian, the honorable Joan Ryan, also received a standing ovation when she spoke about her decision to leave the British Labour Party because of the open anti-Semitic rhetoric of its new leader, Jeremy Corbyn. She encouraged those assembled to be mindful of anti-Semitism and speak out against it forcefully as soon as it rears its ugly head. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer spoke out clearly and passionately against the new trend of anti-Semitism which has infected some of the new members of Congress. “Pointing a finger at supporters of Israel and accusing them of pledging allegiance to a foreign country is pointing a finger at me,” stormed Hoyer who also brought the crowd to its feet. The students at Rambam commented that their experience at AIPAC was both educational and inspiring. It built on the strong knowledge of religious Zionism and history of Israel that they receive from Rabbi Yotav Eliach back at home in New York.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
49
50
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Roshei Yeshiva of BMG Visit CHAZAQ
L
ast week, Parshas Vayikra, was the annual Shabbos of Chizuk in the Queens community in which HaRav Yerucham Olshin, Rosh Yeshiva of Bais Medrash Gavoha (BMG) in Lakewood, inspired hundreds of community members by giving shiurim throughout Kew Garden Hills. On Motzai Shabbos, the Rosh Yeshiva made a latenight visit to the CHAZAQ headquarters in Queens to get a close and personal glimpse into Chazaq’s life-changing operations. The private meeting included Rav Noach Isaac Oelboum (Khal Nachlas Yitzchok) and Rav Doniel Lander (Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Hachaim), together with several staff and board members from Chazaq. Then on Monday night,
prior to a parlor meeting benefiting BMG at the Shafran residence, the Rosh Yeshiva Rav Malkiel Kotler also made a visit to Chazaq’s headquarters. Similar to a recent meeting with Rav Shmuel Kamenetzky, shlit�a, the meetings focused on the challenges facing the Bukharian community with the foremost concern being that approximately 10,000 traditional Bukharian children attend public school in the Queens community. Besides the violence and substance abuse that many students unfortunately become accustomed to, it has also led to widespread intermarriage and hundreds have lost their Jewish identity over the years. Rabbi Ilan Meirov, director of Chazaq, described some of the many pro-
grams that Chazaq offers to strengthen the community at large. They include Sunday and after-school programs for children, separate teen sessions for boys and girls, community-wide shiurim on an array of topics, along with a Bais Medrash program and Kollel. The PSTY (Public school to Yeshiva division) is one of Chazaq’s crown jewels and the main topic of the meeting. R’ Ephraim Rubinov, who was originally a successful computer technician who dropped his career to dedicate himself to the community, showed the rabbonim all the work Chazaq has accomplished, and can be�h accomplish in the future with the proper resources. He is currently running a task force of several recruiters that contact parents, discuss the physical and spiritual
dangers of public school, help identify the appropriate religious school, and help them transition into them. He has designed a computer program that stores the database of thousands of children, the status of each active case, every interaction of his team and the prospective yeshiva student, and the follow up of all children that has already made the transition. R’ Ephraim himself is responsible for gathering all the documents needed to verify the lineage of each child. This can include birth certificates, marriage li-
censes, and kesubos. With Hashem’s help CHAZAQ has already transferred approximately 600 children to yeshivos in two and a half years, a truly remarkable accomplishment. The Roshei Yeshiva were visibly touched by the work CHAZAQ does and blessed them to continue in their avodas hakodesh. For more information about Chazaq please visit Chazaq. org or email info@chazaq.org.  For sponsorship opportunities please visit givechazaq.com.
= $ +LOVHQUDG .HUHQ +DFKHVHG 4HEČŠ :ALMANČŠ !RYEHČŠ (ILSENRADČŠ +ERENČŠ (ACHESEDČŠ ISČŠ AČŠ UNIQUEČŠ ORGANIZATION ČŠ STARTEDČŠ BYČŠ -R ČŠ (ILSENRAD ČŠ AvH ČŠ UPONČŠ HISČŠ WITNESSINGČŠ FORČŠ HIMSELFČŠ THEČŠ DESPERATEČŠ SITUATIONČŠ OFČŠ SOČŠ MANYČŠ POORČŠANDČŠDESERVINGČŠFAMILIESČŠINČŠ)SRAEL ČŠ(ISČŠUNIQUEČŠIDEAČŠWASČŠTOČŠ HAVEČŠ!MERICANČŠDONORČŠFAMILIESČŠhADOPTvČŠNEEDYČŠ)SRAELIČŠFAMILIES ČŠ ESTABLISHINGČŠANČŠONGOINGČŠPERSONALČŠRELATIONSHIPČŠALONGČŠWITHČŠTHEČŠ MONTHLYČŠlNANCIALČŠONE ČŠ %VERYONEČŠ TRUSTEDČŠ -R ČŠ (ILSENRAD ČŠ AČŠ MANČŠ OFČŠ THEČŠ GREATESTČŠ PERSONALČŠINTEGRITYČŠANDČŠSINCERITY ČŠČŠ(EČŠVETTEDČŠEACHČŠRECIPIENTČŠANDČŠ COULDČŠ VOUCHČŠ FORČŠ THEČŠ LEGITIMATEČŠ NEED ČŠ ANDČŠ THEČŠ REALČŠ TZEDAKAHČŠ VALUEČŠOFČŠEACH ČŠ3INCEČŠTHEČŠPASSINGČŠOFČŠ-R ČŠ(ILSENRAD ČŠTHEČŠNUMBERČŠ OFČŠ COMMITTEDČŠ DONORS ČŠ ANDČŠ THEČŠ REVENUE ČŠ HASČŠ DROPPEDČŠ SOMEWHAT ČŠWHILEČŠTHEČŠNEEDČŠHASČŠONLYČŠINCREASED ČŠ
!SČŠALWAYS ČŠALLČŠTHEČŠCOSTSČŠOFČŠTHEČŠUNDERTAKINGČŠAREČŠCOVEREDČŠBYČŠ-R ČŠ (ILSENRADgSČŠFAMILY ČŠSOČŠTHATČŠEVERYČŠCENTČŠDONATEDČŠGOESČŠTOČŠTHEČŠPOORČŠ RECIPIENTČŠFAMILIES ČŠ)TČŠISČŠPUREČŠTZEDAKAH 7EČŠINVITEČŠYOUČŠTOČŠPARTICIPATE ČŠ%SPECIALLYČŠNOW ČŠBEFOREČŠ0ESACH ČŠ YOUČŠWILLČŠACCOMPLISHČŠSOČŠMUCH !SČŠAČŠSMALLČŠTOKEN ČŠWEČŠWILLČŠSEND ČŠFORČŠEACHČŠNEWČŠCOMMITMENTČŠOFČŠ ČŠPERČŠMONTHČŠFORČŠTHEČŠNEEDIESTČŠOFČŠTHEČŠPOORČŠOFČŠ%RETZČŠ9ISRAEL ČŠ THEČŠWONDERFULČŠNEWČŠSEFER ČŠINČŠTWOČŠVOLUMES ČŠINČŠ%NGLISH ČŠBYČŠ$R ČŠ 9ERUCHAMČŠ2EICH ČŠ(EAVENČŠANDČŠ%ARTH ČŠ9OUČŠWILLČŠENJOYČŠIT ČŠ 0LEASEČŠCONSIDERČŠTHISČŠREQUESTČŠANDČŠHELPČŠMAKEČŠTHISČŠHAPPEN ČŠ)TČŠISČŠ TRULYČŠ!VODASČŠ(AKODESH ČŠ!NDČŠMAYČŠYOUČŠBEČŠBLESSEDČŠINČŠEVERYČŠWAY ČŠČŠ 131 Dover Street Brooklyn NY 11235
=$+.+ #JPDLO FRP &ROMČŠHISČŠVANTAGEČŠASČŠAČŠPHYSICIAN ČŠ4ORAH OBSERVANTČŠ *EW ČŠ SECOND GENERATIONČŠ (OLOCAUSTČŠ SURVIVOR ČŠ lRST GENERATIONČŠ !MERICAN ČŠ ANDČŠ THINKINGČŠ MAN ČŠ 9ERUCHAMČŠ2EICHČŠSHARESČŠHISČŠPERSPECTIVEČŠONČŠOURČŠLIVESČŠ ASČŠ*EWSČŠWITHČŠINSIGHTSČŠINTOČŠTHEČŠWEEKLYČŠ4ORAHČŠPORTIONSČŠ ANDČŠTHEČŠHOLIDAYS 4HESEČŠSTRAIGHT TALKING ČŠCOMMONSENSEČŠESSAYSČŠAREČŠ DRAWNČŠFROMČŠLIFE ČŠFROMČŠHISTORY ČŠFROMČŠTHEČŠWORLDČŠASČŠITČŠ
REALLYČŠIS ČŠFROMČŠTHEČŠWORLDČŠASČŠITČŠOUGHTČŠTOČŠBE ČŠFROMČŠTHEČŠ MESORAHČŠOFČŠOURČŠFOREBEARS ČŠANDČŠFROMČŠTHEČŠTEACHINGSČŠ OFČŠ OURČŠ SAGES ČŠ $R ČŠ 2EICHČŠ TACKLESČŠ EVERYTHINGČŠ FROMČŠ ANCIENTČŠTEXTUALČŠQUESTIONSČŠTOČŠTHEČŠCONTROVERSIALČŠISSUESČŠ OFČŠTHEČŠDAYČŠWITHČŠINDEPENDENT MINDEDČŠANALYSISČŠANDČŠ APLOMB ČŠ !LTERNATELYČŠ PASSIONATELYČŠ SERIOUS ČŠ FUNNY ČŠ TOUCHING ČŠ ANDČŠ ATČŠ TIMESČŠ LYRICALLYČŠ TRANSCENDENT ČŠ (EAVENČŠANDČŠ%ARTHČŠISČŠANČŠEXPERIENCEČŠTOČŠSHARE
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Around the Community
Gesher Students Bring Purim Cheer to the JCC
BREATHTAKING? ORDER YOURS TODAY!
A
s Purim approaches, the sense of simcha that it brings becomes infectious. The first grade class of the Gesher Early Childhood Center took a special trip up Grove Avenue for a pre-Purim visit to the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC. The JCC is well-regarded in our community for its many social services and programs. Many of those who participate in JCC programming do not have the ability to enjoy Purim the way that many are accustomed. After learning about Esther’s concern for the Jewish nation, the children at Gesher had the opportunity to emulate Esther and bring simchas Purim to others. In true “ish l’reiyahu” form, the students sang their Pu-
Timeless designs and fine craftsmanship are characteristic trademarks that set Today’s kitchen apart from all others. Whether your plans include a new home or a home improvement remodeling project, we welcome the opportunity to create the design of your dreams and turn it into reality.
20 Years Experience
Free Remodeling Tips
rim songs and brought smiles to the faces of those that they visited. Wishing everyone a freilechen Purim!
Today's Kitchen 202-a Rockaway Tpke, Cedarhurst, Ny 11516 P (516) 371-1100 • F (516) 371-1101
51
52
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
YCQ Celebrates Purim With Chessed and Carnival By Michal Katz
O
n March 18, the Yeshiva of Central Queens JHS had a chessed day. The 6th grade girls went to the Atria Kew Gardens. At the Atria, the girls celebrated Purim with the residents by singing songs, socializing with them, decorating masks and playing Purim Mad Libs. The residents were happy to be having fun with their guests. They enjoyed having the girls visit and keep them company. Many of the residents never celebrated Purim before and were excited to share in this experience. Sarah Borukhov, grade 6, said,
“It is important to go on these chessed trips because we make the people there happy.” The girls have a chance to do chesed for other people, while learning how important it is to do this mitzvah. After learning about the im-
portance of chessed and giving to others by bringing the spirit and joy of Purim to several community nursing homes as well as making Purim masks and art with students at HASC, YCQ students celebrated Shushan Purim on Friday, March
22 with a carnival at school filled with rides, cotton candy, popcorn, a hamantashen bake-off and a talent show. The students and faculty all came dressed in costumes, and the excitement could be felt throughout the halls.
fact the Jews at that time willingly re-accepted the Torah, and it was so inspiring to see high school students accept this great project upon themselves in honor of the holiday.
The night continued as DRS students and rabbeim, decked out in Purim costume, danced for hours to the lively music of Neshoma Orchestra. Following dancing, everyone enjoyed
the annual student-created comedy videos, and a comedy performance of “DRS NEWS” by some of the DRS rabbeim. The night faded away as the student body burst into laughter.
Purim at DRS
W
hen walking into DRS Yeshiva on Purim night, one couldn’t help but feel “marbim b’simcha.” The Annual DRS PurimChagigah is a highlight of the year and is unique to DRS, as it is one of the few schools that hosts its students and their parents at a fun, exciting, and inspiring Simchat Purim event. The night began as students, parents, and community members filled DRS’s beautiful Beit Medrash for Megillah reading led by Rabbi Kaminetsky. Following Megillah, a siyum was made by students who completed Masechet Megillah in the 60 days leading up to Purim! On Purim, we celebrate the
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Around the Community
Lawrence Hardware 589 Burnside Ave. Inwood, NY 11096 (516) 371-2900 In the Burnside Plaza (Stop and Shop Center) Sunday 9:30-3:30 Mon-Thurs 7:30-5:30 Friday 7:30-4:30
Your One Stop Shopping for All Your Pesach And Yom Tov Needs Custom Plexiglas Countertop Covers Call for appointment The HALB Lions beat HANC 5-0 to become the Metropolitan Yeshiva Junior High School Hockey League 2018-2019 champions last week. Pictured here: Yoni Adler, Baer Boczko, Jacob Frenkel, Noah Friedman, Avi Glick, Shmulie Glick, Eitan Katz, Benji Kirschner, Pinny Klein, Nathaniel Lawrence, Jack Lebor, Moshe Marks, Marc Matlis, Andrew Mordowitz, Avi Ostreicher, Moshe Rattner, Judah Rosenthal, Ariel Rogoff, David Rothman, Isaac Soffer, Samuel Weisman. Coach: Steven Mark, assistant coach: Matthew Mark
Purim for the JCC’s Chaverim Program
Counter Fit Covers, Corrugated Counter Covers Cleaning Supplies, Shelving Paper, Sink Inserts, Blech, Replacement Filters Plastic Heavy Duty Table Cloth, Disposable Tablecloth, Faucet Handle Covers, Fridge Liners, Bedikas Chometz Set, Rabbi Blumenkrantz Laws of Pesach Digest, Urns with Yom Tov Mode Switch, Hot Plates and more……
OF THE BOSTONER BAIS MEDRASH
PROFESSIONAL CHILDCARE CHILDREN AGES 21/2 & 3 IN A LOVING ENVIRONMENT
T
here was plenty of freilich cheer at the Purim party for seventy-five Holocaust survivors this past Thursday at the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC. Shalom Jacobs, chazzan at Chabad of the Five Towns, began the festivities with joyful singing followed by 95-year-old Holocaust survivor Cantor Mitgang, who recited the traditional blessings. Shmuel Jacobs, a ninth grader at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov, did a beautiful reading of the megillah. The survivors shared a delicious Purim seudah and then the celebration continued as Jeffrey Wolberg, a junior at HAFTR High School, entertained with classical piano music and HAFTR eighth
0 PROVIDING THE FOUNDATION TORAH EDUCATION grader AJ Mandel walked around the tables performing stupefying magic tricks. The survivors danced to festive musical entertainment and had a blast playing Purim Bingo. A special shout out to Bingo callers Sofia Glaubach and Olivia Baruc and to the more than 30 HAFTR community volunteers who brought great simcha to the party! A very special, heartfelt thank you to Ariel and Baruch Glaubach, as well as Rifky and Eli Robinson and Elkie and Zvi Willner for so generously sponsoring and orchestrating this amazing event and for making the JCC’s Chaverim Purim 2019 a celebration to remember!
OF
0 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATIONALLY ENRICHED CURRICULUM 0 SPACIOUS INDOOR & OUTDOOR PLAY FACILITIES 0 MORAH CHANSIE IS A RECOGNIZED EXPERT WITH OVER 30 YEARS OF CHILDCARE EXPERIENCE 0 HELP YOUR CHILD REACH THEIR EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL!!
Limited Space Available for Fall Registration Contact Rebbetzin Chansie Horowitz 516.371.6848
53
54
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community Students and staff get into the pre-Purim spirit at HALB
HANC HS Evening of the Arts for Women
O
n Monday evening, March 18, HANC High School hosted its first ever Evening of the Arts for Women. This event was dedicated in memory of Mrs. Marlena Schwartzman, a”h, art teacher and parent at HANC. Proceeds from the event went to Yad Batya L’Kallah. The event was a spin-off of the Purim story which the students told in a unique and humorous way through song, dance, drama, art, music, and a fashion show. An extravagant and
delicious dessert buffet created by the students was served following the performance. The entire event was put together by each and every girl who volunteered her time and talent to ensure that this beautiful event ran smoothly and successfully. Thank you to faculty advisor Ms. Ayelet Shachar, Mrs. Batsheva Fink for writing the script, and to student producers Shira Cohen and Sharona Kataev for all their hard work in organizing this phenomenal event.
HAFTR’s Chessed Fair
O
n the morning of March 14, HAFTR Middle School hosted its first annual Chessed Fair. Set up like a college fair, the Chessed Fair hosted a dozen local organizations in the middle school multipurpose room, and students had the opportunity to visit each booth to learn about how they can get involved in chessed activities. The purpose of this event, which was kicked off with inspiring words from Rabbi Boruch Bender of Achiezer, was to provide students with the tools and opportunities to
make chessed an organic and meaningful part of their lives. Mr. Joshua Gold, HAFTR Middle School’s principal, said, “We are so grateful to the organizations and presenters who made this event so special. Students walked away feeling empowered and informed about the myriad ways they can get involved in chessed right now; but most importantly, they walked away seeing chessed as a way of life, not something that exists in siloed pockets. We are also so thankful to Mrs. Ashley Alibayof, who handled the coordination of the event.”
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Why am I even looking. I know we can’t afford to buy the kids clothing for Yom Tov.
YOU can ease the burden of poverty in Israel. Reach in to your closet and bring joy and dignity to thousands of families.
MARCH 31 SUNDAY 9:30AM -1PM TWO CONVENIENT DROP-OFF LOCATIONS
GLUCKREATIVE.COM
YOUNG ISRAEL LAWRENCE CEDARHURST 8 Spruce St, Cedarhurst IRVING PLACE MINYAN 111 Irving Pl, Woodmere
FIVE TOWNNISTY
COMMU MEGA
CLOTHING
DRIVE $36
Su gg es te d Do na tio n st to de fra y sh ipp ing co
Sp on so rs hi ps Av ai la bl e
info@yadleah.com 973-955-0861 www.yadleah.org DISTRIBUTING CLOTHING DONATIONS TO COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT ISRAEL WITH DIGNITY AND GRACE
For more info: Autumn Mael:autumnmael63@gmail.com • Malki Feigenbaum:malkifeigenbaum@gmail.com COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Autumn Mael, Lynn Mael, Adina Waldman, Shayna Klein, Malki Feigenbaum, Gitti Steinfeld, Leah Sobel American Friends of Yad Leah is a non-profit organization qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The tax ID:20-1057914
55
56
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Purim at Margaret Tietz
P
urim was very festive at Margaret Tietz, from the colorful tablecloths, delicious seudah, mishloach manos bags donated for all, family participation with their loved ones in the spirit of Purim and
the fabulous visit by the Lander College students who brought Purim to the next level. The music, the costumes, and the interactions with our residents made Purim here at Tietz the BEST! We send a very BIG thank
TMM Hosts Purim Carnival for IVDU Students
W
hat began last year as a spontaneous chessed project turned into an anticipated tradition from both sides. The ninth grade at TMM graciously hosted the students of IVDU Long Island for a sensational Purim carnival last week. The driving force behind the spectacular carnival was TMM’s beloved Mrs. Sprung, who worked tirelessly to accommodate the needs of all the students of IVDU. The
you to all for lifting everyone’s spirit. Full services took place here with the assistance of the great students from Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva and our Rabbi, Rabbi Zavel Pearlman. The Megillah readings took place in the
JEM’s Shabbos of Inspiration
O TMM students arranged a variety of exciting booths which were thoroughly enjoyed by all. With upbeat music playing in the background, the IVDU students delighted in dancing with the TMM girls, becoming swept up in the palpable energy. The carnival served as an inclusion opportunity for the students of IVDU and was a testament to the warmth evident in the Five Towns and Far Rockaway community.
evening on March 20 with many resident attendees and again in the morning of March 21. Everyone at Tietz had a Freilichen Purim!
n Friday, March 8/ Rosh Chodesh Adar Bais, twenty-seven people headed from the comfort of their own homes in the New York area towards LaGuardia Airport. Their destination? The college campus of Madison, Wisconsin, which has a student population of 42,000, of which 10% are Jewish. The New Yorkers were on their way to experience firsthand the work of JEM, Jewish Experience of Madison, an on-campus kiruv organization dedicated to Jewish student outreach, founded in 2005 by Rabbis Yerachmiel Anton and Avi Zaitschek.
Abie Rotenberg and Shlomo Simcha traveled with their wives from Toronto to join us for the weekend. The davening, led by Shlomo Simcha, was enjoyed by guests and students alike. The highlight of the Shabbaton was the intimate musical experience given on Motzei Shabbos by Abie Rotenberg and Shlomo Simcha in the campus concert hall. Over the course of Shabbos, students stood up to share their deep appreciation to JEM. The people who came from New York to share their Yiddishkeit and inspire our students left equally inspired.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
57
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Shalhevet Celebrates Purim
T M I L E STON E P ORT R A I TS SPECIAL
25
$
he energy in the room was palpable and contagious as the Midreshet Shalhevet (MSH) students celebrated Chodesh Adar with an exciting and festive chagigah. Dressed in an array of costumes, the students walked the red carpet to enter the movie awards-themed ballroom. DJ Gary Wallin added to the simcha with lively music, and the students and female faculty danced together during the Dance Dance Revolution portion of the program.
Everyone was rolling with laughter at the senior class’s Purim Shpiel movie. The chagigah wrapped up with a costume contest, won by sophomores Leah Cohen and Miriam Frankel, dressed as Donald Trump and “his wall.” Coming in a close second place were juniors Basya Borenstein, Jackie Kramer, Tal Gaon, Avigayil Roffe, Simone Shafiro, and Staci Steinfeld dressed as the “stages of life.” It was a great way to bring in the Purim cheer and celebrate together.
“Lech Kenos et Kol HaYehudim!”
OFF ANY PACKAGE CALL OR TEXT
obov j a cMIRIAM it s am i r @ 347-572-8973 i
M
y b a B Ooh p
FOR PORTFOLIO & PRICING
h o h t o g r a p
y
jacobovit
y b a B h o O M
58
p
ir
m ia
h o h t o g r a p
y
s
O
n Taanit Esther, seventh and eighth grade students in Shulamith were zocheh to be part of a worldwide interactive Atzeret Tefillah, originating from the Kotel. Close to 50 schools participated in the event, which began with a tribute to Ari Fuld, Hy”d. The program included the recitation of Tehillim, tefillot for Eretz Yisrael and chayalei Tzahal, musical interludes,
and inspirational addresses from a number of educators, including Shulamith Middle Division Principal, Mrs. Rookie Billet. It was a most meaningful event, and, in light of this morning’s missile attack, we daven that Hashem take into account the tefillot of the over 3,500 students who participated and protect the chayalim and all of the citizens of Eretz Yisrael.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
59
Around the Community
MTA Lions Named Sarachek Tier II Champions
By Ikey Gutlove
W
hen March 4, otherwise known as “Sarachek Selection Monday” arrived, and the seeds of the tournament were revealed, the Lions were determined to become the Tier II Champions. Coach Weissberg even offered a great incentive to encourage the team to play their best – if they went undefeated, they would be able to pick his baby’s name. Right from the start of the tournament, it was noticeable that the Lions came to play and were not going to back down from any challenge they faced on the court. On Thursday, March 14, the Lions started the tournament strong against Hillel of Pittsburgh. The Lions began the game on a 9-0 run and they didn’t look back. Although their opponent made strides and the game became a closer contest, the Lions continued to add to their insurmountable lead and ultimately secured the victory. The next day, MTA faced off against Beth Tfiloh in a very memorable game. The Lions started out slow and missed many shots, but managed to stay close throughout the game. With 10 seconds left in regulation, the scoreboard showed a tied game of 49-49, but the Lions weren’t ready to give up. David Saginor (‘19) inbounded the ball to Yoni Rothberg (‘19), who then passed the ball to Eitan Warburg (‘19). Warburg channeled his inner James Harden by creating space for himself with a slight crossover and step-back, then taking a shot that went straight into the net, beating the buzzer and scoring the win for MTA. This win left MTA with a 2-0 record and secured the team’s spot in the
semifinals. The Lions headed into the Shabbaton part of the Sarachek tournament in extremely positive spirits. Shabbos was filled with ruach and inspirational speeches from Yeshiva University basketball coach Elliot Steinemetz, former NBA player and brother of JR Smith Chris Smith, as well as his agent Daniel Hazan. The Shabbaton was a well-deserved break from basketball for every team and on-court rivalries became off-court friendships. Once Shabbos ended, basketball started up again and the Lions were back on their mission to secure a championship. On Sunday, MTA continued their winning streak with a 66-62 win over the Posnack Rams in the semi-finals and were ready to take on the championship. On championship Monday, the Max Stern Athletic Center was filled to capacity with MTA fans who wanted to win the championship almost as badly as the players. The entire student body and faculty came out to support the Lions with tremendous school spirit. The Lions started out against the Fasman Yeshiva defense and at the end of the first quarter, Fasman was in the lead 16-4. With not only the championship on the line, but also the naming of Coach Weissberg’s baby, the Lions continued to fight back until they achieved success. Both teams fought hard, but the Lions came away with the win. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, MTA fans stormed the court, as their team defeated the odds and went a perfect 4-0, winning the Sarachek Tournament Tier II Championship. Special shout-out to Yeshiva University for hosting a truly amazing tournament, as well as to the Lions’
coaches, Coach Weissberg and Coach Weisel, for a great tournament run and a great season. Congratulations to Hudy Weiss (‘19) for being named to the tournament all star team, Eitan Warburg for being selected to the all-tournament second team, and to Eitan Pfeiffer (‘19) for being named Tier II MVP. These 3 Seniors, along with Seniors Avi Wolk, David Saginor, Yoni Rothberg, Joey Hernandez
Burg, Ephraim Greenberg, and Micha’el Shloush have been great teammates as well as great role models for the Juniors on the team. A special thank you to Coach Mark Weisel, who is retiring from his position as MTA’s basketball coach for the past 14 years and has been an extremely vital part of the Lions, both past and present. Now all the Lions need to do is vote on the baby’s name.
Premier Skirting By Beth Yudin
Your Experienced Ful Service Event
Your Experienced Full Service Event Company Custom table linens can dramatically transform your event atmosphere Each event is unique to us & we cater to all events Linens for rental and sale; Table & chair rentals Custom Layout Design, Logos, Pillows, & Placemats Full event planning services Free parking Hours: M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM | Evening Hours Available 241 Mill Street • Lawrence, NY 11559 שומר שבת 516-239-6581 | Beth@premierskirting.com | www.premierskirting.com
60
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Bnos Bais Yaakov Dinner Draws Record Crowd On Sunday, March 17th, Bnos Bais Yaakov celebrated its twenty-fifth Annual Dinner at the Sands Atlantic Beach, honoring Mr. and Mrs. Richie and Ariella Sinnreich, Mr. and Mrs. Misha and Estee Rapaport, and Mr. and Mrs. Avi and Esti Feldman. The overflow crowd radiated and reflected BBY’s trademark warmth and camaraderie. After a lavish buffet, attendees enjoyed a concise but powerful program. The itinerary began with remarks from Dinner Chairman Mr. Dovid Solomon, who informed the crowd of several recent academic distinctions earned by BBY students, including placing first in the inter-yeshiva CIJE engineering contest, and second in the national Project Witness art competition. Rabbinical advisor to BBY Rav Elya Brudny addressed the assembled on the theme of the evening: “Koh somar l’veis Yaakov.” The first directive Moshe Rabbeinu received regarding the teaching of Bnei Yisrael, Rav Brudny said, was to assemble the Jewish women and impress upon them the primacy of their role; Bnos Bais Yaakov is consummately aligned with this mandate. Rav Brudny also noted that in the past it was not expected for women to attend the reading of Parshas Zachor because it refers to the obligation of waging military battle with Amalek. Rav Brudny posited that in America it has become standard for women to be stringent about hearing Parshas Zachor because the battlefront with Amalek today lies within the walls of every Jewish home. This is the battle Bnos Bais Yaakov prepares its students to face. Guests then heard a brief message from Mrs. Chaya Gornish, BBY Menaheles. Mrs. Gornish, too, highlighted BBY’s commitment to heralding back to Bais Yaakov’s earliest instruction, stressing that BBY fortifies every girl with the tools she needs to face her future with confidence and determination. Taking the podium, Executive Director Rabbi Ephraim Blumenkrantz expressed his thanks to HKB”H for the tremendous siyata dishmaya BBY experiences on a daily basis. Rabbi Blumenkrantz remarked that of all Moshe Rabbeinu’s ten names, he was called by the name given to him by Pharaoh’s daughter because she exhibited mesiras nefesh in saving him. This trait was imbued in Moshe, and passed on to Klal Yisrael, and it is this trait that the teachers and principals of BBY exhibit on a daily basis in their quest to enable every single girl to succeed. Video presentations of our esteemed Honorees, paradigms of oskim b’tzorchei tzibbur, followed. We thank them all for giving of their time, energy and resources toward enabling the success of our dinner campaign. Each of them has been indispensable to BBY’s advancement and continues to bolster BBY’s progress. Dinner guests were then treated to an inspiring audio-video production, created especially for the evening by Mrs. Malki Brown, which included an original song composed for the event and glimpses into the magic that BBY creates daily. All in all, an enjoyable and inspiring evening quickly passed. Thank you to all those whose tireless efforts made the event a resounding success, and to all who attended in support of BBY and our revered Honorees. With your backing, BBY continues to break ground in the world of chinuch.
TJH Supp leme nt
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
han More t s e 30 pag tos of pho ! inside
S2
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
NEW BOOKS
FRO
M
NEW ! NOVEL
OVERSIZED — 8½x11
From Brooklyn to Normandy — an epic saga of a family in turmoil
Stories and ideas for constant Kiddush Hashem
A Novel by Miriam Zakon Historical fiction at its best!
Rabbi Shraga Freedman
From the beaches of Coney Island to the beaches of Pearl Harbor and Normandy on D-Day…
The secret of living a fuller, richer life can be revealed in three words: GIVE LIFE MEANING.
Freefall offers an unforgettable cast of characters, a wealth of riveting historical details, and story that readers will not be able to put down.
And the secret of finding meaning in life can be found in two words: KIDDUSH HASHEM.
A Life Worth Living is designed to make the concept of Kiddush Hashem relatable, practical, and doable. It includes hundreds of stories of Jews, from gedolim to grocers, who sanctified Hashem’s Name in either dramatic encounters or just plain day-to-day life.
It’s 1941 and the world is at war. In a simple Brooklyn boardinghouse, though, different battles are being fought. Its owner, Yeruchum Freed, is determined to raise his children as uncompromising Torah Jews. But do his children, Annie and Moe, share the dream?
Tzvi is a little boy with a dream — to make a Kiddush Hashem. But how? Rabbi Shraga Freedman
Rachel Jonas illustrated by Hindy Weiss In this delightful read-aloud book, Tzvi and his Zaidy will show our children that they are not too young to bring honor to Hashem. With its engaging rhymes and entertaining illustrations, this is a book our children will ask for again and again, enjoying its important message while having so much fun!
Available at your local Hebrew bookseller or at
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
ENTERTAINING. ELEVATING. INSPIRING
OVER 15O PHOTOS!
Short messages of inspiration & hope to uplift and illuminate your day
compiled by Yisroel Besser with Nachi Gordon More than 40,000 people have learned to enhance and improve their day through Nachi Gordon’s Meaningful Minute — ultra-short, ultrainspiring pieces taken from the speeches and writings of almost 100 of today’s most admired and important Torah personalities. Now these Meaningful Minutes are collected together by Yisroel Besser in a beautiful new book.
Stories to reach your heart and light up your soul
More stories that tantalize your spiritual taste buds
Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger Thousands of readers enjoyed the first volume of Food for Thought. Here is a new collection of short stories, many with surprise endings, some about renowned Torah personalities, others about “people just like us.” These 400-plus “bite-size” stories offer us unusual perspectives on the topics that reflect our lives and concerns: Torah learning, emunah, hashgachah, education, ethics, and so many more.
www.artscroll.com • 1-800-MESORAH (637-6724)
Rabbi Yechiel Spero 4 What was the secret of the bus driver’s unexpected kindness? 4 If there were ten Jewish men in shul, why did the Ribnitzer Rebbe need another for a minyan? 4 How did the fragrance of an esrog bring back a Jewish child lost for decades? Rabbi Spero’s stories leave us uplifted and help us see the goodness all around us. They bolster our emunah, reignite hope, and put a smile back on our faces just when we need it most. Read his stories and let the light begin to shine!
S3
S4
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
S5
S6
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
S7
S8
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
S9
S10
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
S11
S12
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
PHOTOS ABOVE BY IRA THOMAS
PHOTOS ABOVE BY GAME SOLOMON
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
S13
S14
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
S15
Your TJH Purim Photo Album
PURIM IN JERUSALEM 5779
PHOTO CREDIT IVAN H NORMAN, ON THE SCENE
S16
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT RABBI KRIGSMAN’S HOUSE
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT RABBI KRIGSMAN’S HOUSE
S17
S18
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT RABBI KRIGSMAN’S HOUSE
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT RABBI KRIGSMAN’S HOUSE
S19
S20
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT RABBI KRIGSMAN’S HOUSE
SIMCHAS PURIM AT RABBI KURLAND’S HOUSE ON PURIM
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
S21
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SINGING, DANCING AND ACTING AT THE HAFTR EARLY CHILDHOOD PURIM PARTY AND PRODUCTION PHOTO CREDIT: GABE SOLOMON
S22
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT DR. LIGHTMAN’S HOUSE
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT DR. LIGHTMAN’S HOUSE
S23
S24
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT DR. LIGHTMAN’S HOUSE
LOADS OF FUN AT YOUNG ISRAEL OF OCEANSIDE’S PURIM CARNIVAL
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
S25
Be A Queen
PUT A CROWN ON IT Camp
Atara
PUT A C
REGISTER TODAY
444 Beach 6th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691
www.CAMPATARA.com
a
718.471.8444 ext. 234
S26
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT THE PURIM BREAK-THE-FAST CARNIVAL AT SHAARAY TEFILA
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT THE PURIM BREAK-THE-FAST CARNIVAL AT SHAARAY TEFILA
S27
S28
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album RABBI WERNER WITH HIS HALB TALMIDIM ON PURIM
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Your TJH Purim Photo Album RABBI WERNER WITH HIS HALB TALMIDIM ON PURIM
SIMCHAS PURIM AT RABBI WITKIN’S HOUSE
S29
S30
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT RABBI BENDER’S HOUSE PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS STUDIOS
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
S31
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT YESHIVA DARCHEI TORAH - MESIVTA CHAIM SHLOMO PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS STUDIOS
S32
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT YESHIVA DARCHEI TORAH - MESIVTA CHAIM SHLOMO PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS STUDIOS
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
S33
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT THE KUTNER HOME PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS STUDIOS
S34
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT THE KUTNER HOME PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS STUDIOS
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
S35
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT YOUNG ISRAEL OF WOODMERE A special thank you to Tammy Mark for always being there for TJH
PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS STUDIOS
S36
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT YOUNG ISRAEL OF WOODMERE PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS STUDIOS
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
S37
Your TJH Purim Photo Album SIMCHAS PURIM AT YOUNG ISRAEL OF WOODMERE PHOTO CREDIT: IRA THOMAS STUDIOS
S38
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
S39
S40
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
CHICKEN, YOU’VE MET YOUR MATCH The most award-winning kosher winery.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
25 BNOS BAIS YA AKOV
25th Annual Dinner
61
62
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
This week, Project Lead celebrated its commitment to frail, elderly Holocaust survivors, immigrants, and Jewish youth. Project Lead has been providing human services throughout the Central Queens area for the past 25 years. Over 130 individuals attended the event at the Prestige restaurant in Rego Park, including elected officials, professional staff, clergy, and other community leaders.
Tahareinu: Medical Innovation on a Local Level
Rabbi Yitzchok Melber, founder of Tahareinu, and Rabbi Dovid Bartfeld receiving a bracha and psak from the Novominsker Rebbe, shlita
F
ollowing a successful crowdfunding campaign, Tahareinu has immediately set to work at expanding its services in the USA. Rabbi Yitzchok Melber, founder of Tahareinu, visited New York last week, accompanied by Mr. Tzvi Goldman, Tahareinu’s new Director of Operations. The purpose of the trip was threefold: to attend a major international medical conference, to see couples awaiting medical advice, and to work on establishing Tahareinu’s New York branch to better serve the local community. Constantly staying abreast of the latest medical innovations, Rabbi Melber attended a joint conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine held in Manhattan. These two organizations of which Rabbi Melber is a member are internationally recognized as the leaders in the field, attracting thousands of doctors from all over the world to their lectures. New research was presented, medical breakthroughs explained and treatment options debated. Constantly on the lookout for doctors and service providers to work with in every city, Rabbi Melber had the op-
portunity to connect with specialists from New York and New Jersey also participating in the conference. Couples in Brooklyn and Monsey who had approached Tahareinu for help with complex medical situations met with Rabbi Melber in Tahareinu’s temporary office in Boro Park. Ranging from newlyweds facing genetic issues to couples married over ten years without children, they all sought the best treatment available for their unique circumstances. Rabbi Melber was able to renew hope and advise; working with local doctors where possible and exploring treatment paths in Israel for those who had exhausted all local options. A delegation from Tahareinu met with the Novominsker Rebbe, updating him on Tahareinu’s progress since the original bracha they received from him when launching the organization. The Rebbe stressed the importance of Tahareinu’s work, helping families in sensitive areas affecting their shalom bayis and family life. Tahareinu’s team raised several hashkafic and halachic questions relevant to situations they encounter, gaining from the Rebbe’s sage advice and psak on the matters. Forming strong working relation-
With Dr. Scott Chudnoff, head of the OBGYN unit at Stamford Hospital
ships with doctors and other organizations in each community is one of Tahareinu’s keys to its success in helping families across the globe. Rabbi Melber met with some of the directors of Puah in Brooklyn to discuss the hashgacha service they provide and thank them for working together to help local couples over the last few years. He visited Premium Health Center in Brooklyn, thanking director Mr. Meir Brody for his initiative in making top-notch affordable medical care available to everyone. Tahareinu has already been working with Premium’s Dr. Joshua Klein for some years and are delighted to keep up the partnership with him, Dr. Maslow and the rest of the team. Rabbi Melber thanked the doctors for the special care they give their patients, having witnessed their commitment and dedication close-up. Moving further afield, Rabbi Melber and Mr. Goldman met with Dr. Scott Chudnoff, director of the OBGYN department in Stamford Hospital, Connecticut. As a frum doctor who is top in his field of minimally invasive treatment, Dr. Chudnoff has worked with Tahareinu to help many women, combining his unparalleled expertise with a sensi-
tivity to the needs of frum families. Dr. Chudnoff filled Rabbi Melber in on the innovations and developments in his department, inviting Rabbi Melber to view the newest technology implemented in his unit. The need to expand Tahareinu on a local level was discussed at a meeting with askanim and baalei batim in Lakewood. As a young, fast-growing community, there is a need for local Tahareinu services for families as well as greater awareness among the community. With the haskama of the Rosh Yeshiva and Mashgiach, Tahareinu has already helped hundreds of Lakewood families but it was noted that there are thousands more who are unaware that help is available for the medical issues they struggle with. The many varied aspects of Tahareinu’s work in New York this week were key elements of Tahareinu’s larger plan to increase accessibility for families around the USA. Looking towards a large expansion this summer, Tahareinu is making efforts to collaborate with local specialists and service providers, offer case management in several communities, and provide awareness and updated education.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
63
Around the Community
A Walk Down Memory Lane By Chaya Feldstein
W
hen I came home from the 56th Annual TAG Dinner, I felt compelled to put pen to paper and share my thoughts that were rumbling in my mind. Especially with the mention of Rabbi Moshe Weitman, zt”l, numerous times throughout the night, as in commemoration of the 10th Yartzheit, the feelings of hakoros hatov down memory lane furthered my desire to explain. I never fully left TAG; each time I think I’ve left, I am drawn back by a new position. The warmth I felt on my first day at TAG in the fifth grade accompanies me throughout my life and is consistently true throughout, even that dinner night at the Sands in Atlantic Beach. There is something super special in this TAG air; it is way more than the fact that they are located a few minutes from the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. Even the security personnel feel it – many times before I even get to the door to show my I.D., and without carrying anything heavy, they open the doors for me, often saying, “Welcome.” I thought that I was the only one who gained an exorbitant amount from the weekly parsha classes and pre-Pesach preparation. But when I was at the Weitman house during shiva, I learned otherwise. It seemed that TAG alumna from years before all felt the same way. I attribute my hashkafos hachaim to Rabbi Moshe Weitman. I was also zocheh to have Rabbi Weitman as a classroom teacher when I was in 12th grade. Somehow he found time from a super-hectic schedule and we learned from Sefer Derech Hashem. I don’t think we got very far in the text but I remember so clearly and the lesson reverberates in my mind. Each time Rabbi Weitman walked in, he asked, “Why did Hashem create the world?” And he would wait for us to answer, “Because Hashem is a maitiv and His only ‘need’ kavyachol is to give.”
Then there are some personal things that Rabbi Weitman did for me that are too private to enumerate here. One thing I can convey are the many rides that I got to Lakewood and back; I got to see up close how he was a husband and grandfather. The enjoyment that he got in discussing his little eineklach was immeasurable.
The TAG chinuch is unique in its crystal clear prism of Torah that stemmed from its dean penetrating the hearts and souls to those who have cheshek to inculcate its lessons. I can honestly say that I don’t know where I would be if not for the education that I received from such an institution. The rabbonim and teachers that I had as classroom teachers during my years at school became much more to me than
playing just that role. They are eager to connect and always wish the best for me and the other alumna, past and present. It is my hope that I mirror the legacy that Rabbi Moshe Weitman worked tirelessly to instill in myself and b”eH in my future generations to come ad biyas goel tzedek b’mhaira b’yameinu.
64
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Simchat Purim at SKA
Touro college students recently helped low-income individuals file their taxes for the eighth consecutive year. Pictured here are Yeruchem Klein, site coordinator, with accounting professor Shammai Bienenstock
Yachad-LI Purim Party
W
ith the start of Adar, Purim was in the air at Yachad Long Island, as they anticipated another spectacular bash. All of the participants were invited to attend the pre-Purim party in costume to celebrate and enjoy a Hawaiian themed evening, b’Yachad. The program began with all of the attendees assembling and packing mishloach manot that were to be distributed later to the residents of The Bristol, located near the Yachad Center in North Woodmere. This wonderful opportunity gives the Yachad members the chance to help others and bring a smile to someone else. Later on at the party, with Purim music filling the room, everyone was truly in happy spirits, as they danced and sang along to the songs. Following the music, everyone continued the evening with some fun Hawaiian games like hula hoop, limbo and balance
I
t was a vibrant and spirited scene at SKA’s annual Purim Chagiga on Tuesday evening, March 19, and everyone had a blast! The gym, decorated with different displays, was filled with joyous students, delicious food, and colorful photo booths. In addition to the hilarious Purim spiel, the students were treated to a concert by Eli Marcus whose amazing voice led the dancing to new heights. Taanit Esther, which was observed the next day, took on deeper meaning this year when the SKA students participated in a video hookup with schools across the United States and Jerusalem. Esther in the Megilla exhorts, “Lech knos es kol haYehudim, Go and gather all the Jews,” and hundreds of high school students did just that on Wednesday, March 20. They heard from various speakers,
said Tehillim and tefillot together and sang. When the fast ended, the festivities began. With individual grade Purim parties on Wednesday night, and days of Purim shtick beforehand, the girls of SKA really enjoyed simchat yom tov. Many thanks to the Paritsky, Solomon, Ganchrow and Yudin families for opening their homes to the students and their grade level advisors for merrymaking.
contests! During our Hawaiian dinner, which included Hawaiian chicken and other delicious Chinese food, the participants learned about Hawaii as well as the holiday of Purim. The evening ended with music, celebration and hamantash decorating. The event was a great success with over 40 individuals joining the fun at the second annual Pre-Purim bash with Yachad.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Around the Community
Senator Todd Kaminsky celebrated Purim at the Chabad of the Beaches Superhero Purim Party with Rabbi Eli Goodman and Asher Goodman
Adar Fun at HANC Plainview
H
ANC Plainview launched Adar II with a Topsy Turvy Day, and nothing was quite the same through Shushan Purim. Eight theme days celebrated the excitement of Adar and brought out the spirit in our students and staff. From inside-out clothes, and wacky hats, to Purim jokes in your pocket, and solving the mystery of the missing hamantashen, HANC Plainview was filled with fun. Our amazing
PTA sponsored our Purim seudah, and we closed the festivities on Shushan Purim with a Talent Show and Student Council carnival. Mrs. Fleishman beamed, “Our Student Council worked so hard to arrange the carnival. They passed up playing the carnival games themselves, since they said that watching the joy on the students’ faces was all the reward they needed.”
Eating, speaking, connecting… Shmuel Reichman, page 82
Life CAPTURE
I M A G E S LTD PHOTOGRAPHY I VIDEO
GABRIEL SOLOMON
GABE@LIFECAPTUREIMAGES.COM 516.499.9620 WWW.LIFECAPTUREIMAGES.COM
65
66
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Rav Yaakov Feitman, Rabbi Dov Silver, and Rav Yochanan Cohen at the Purim mesiba for Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi
YCQ Wildcats Win the JV Basketball Championships
O
Happy birthday to Mrs. Rachel Solomon, born March 26, 1930, who just recently celebrated 89 years, k”ah. Mrs. Solomon is seen here at the Five Towns Premier with her two grandchildren and with girls from local schools who visit the Premier residents through a program encouraged by Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns
n Monday, March 18, in the HAFTR gym packed with students, families and fans, the Yeshiva of Central Queens Wildcats JV Boys Basketball team won the championships against Magen David Yeshiva. It was a close game throughout with YCQ maintaining the lead. The ruach in the gym was strong, and the boys from both teams played hard. In the end, under the leadership of Coach Justin Schussheim, the JV Wildcats won the Yeshiva League Championships 24-15.
Yeshiva of South Shore Talmidim Spend Purim with their Rabbeim
E A Good Cause
L
ast Sunday the Young Israel of North Woodmere ran a blood drive. Lauren Stiefel partnered with the NY Blood Center to host its first blood drive in many years. With the help of many in the community, 60 pints of blood were donated. “People who donate blood get the amazing benefit of knowing that they
helped save a life of an injured or sick person. It’s such an easy way to make a difference in someone’s life,” Lauren said. Thank you to all those heroes who signed up for this great mitzvah. Thank you also to the heroes behind the scene at our shul, the Young Israel of North Woodmere, for all their help.
veryone knows of the special connection between the talmidim and rabbeim of Yeshiva of South Shore. This relationship transcend the in-school activities and the tremendous care that the rabbeim show their talmidim. Over Purim, the connection reached a new level, as hundreds of talmidim took advantage of this special day Purim to rejoice with their rabbeim. From preschool to eighth grade, for almost the entire day, talmidim streamed to the home of the rosh yeshiva, the menahalim and their respective rabbeim to give their rabbeim mishloach manos and sing and dance together. Some talmidim traveled as far as
Brooklyn or Queens just to see their rebbeim on Purim. However, everything stopped mid-day when hundreds of talmidim and their fathers or another adult joined together to learn Torah at the annual Yeshivas Mordechai Hatzaddik in the yeshiva. In the spirit of community achdus and the theme of “kimu v’kiblu” boys from the neighborhood who attend other yeshivos joined in the learning and the exciting prizes as well. Indeed, the spirit and warmth of the yeshiva permeated Purim in Yeshiva of South Shore. One parent commented, “I know the yeshiva is off for Purim, but my kids spent the day with their rabbeim and learning Torah!”
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Around the Community
Purim Celebrations at Rambam
T
almidim at Rambam Mesivta celebrated Purim’s joy with their rebbeim in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Five Towns. During Purim day itself, the rebbeim opened their houses to the boys for singing, dancing, and nosh. In many cases, the talmidim joined their rebbeim for the full-blown seudah of challah, meat, and...soft drinks! Grape juice was offered to those that wanted to say “hagafen.” Many alumni talmidim came back to their beloved rabbeim houses as well (sometimes with their own kids in tow!) to celebrate, catch up, and exchange Purim greetings. Soon after, the entire Mesivta celebrated Purim together at Rambam with a Chaggigah, Rambam Rebbe, Rabbi Ari Boiangiu, on keyboard, was accompanied by Rambam’s own in house DJ, and the dancing was rocking! The 9th Annual Best Costume Contest then took place, with the rebbeim and fellow “guest rebbeim” – juniors Jonah Fishbein and Jackie “Maserati” Mosseri – crowning the champion. It was close with Dovid Edelkopf dressed as the tree of knowledge and the Bluth Triplets dressed as rock, paper, and scissors, closely losing out to Andrew Speiser who was costumed in tribute to
Rambam Jewish History teacher Mr. Berkowitz. The 9th Annual Purim Talent Show then took place with Elisha Bauman on guitar followed by Benny Herskowitz’s rendition of “Piano Man.” Perennial Talent Show juggernaut, Rabbi Haar, also performed with a parody of, of all things, “Piano Man.” The Talent Show also showcased Avrumi Klein Beat Boxing; Eliezer Graber reciting over 300 digits of Pi; Mordechai Schmerler’s dvar Torah; the singing sensation of Yoni Szpigiel; and Binyamin Werner’s Epic Rap Parody. Just when everyone thought it was over, however, Bernardo took center stage with his guitar and brought the house to its feet! The highly coveted Rambam Purim Talent Show Plaque was ultimately split three ways by Rabbi Haar, Yoni Szpigiel, and Bernardo. The Chaggigah finally concluded with the Annual Purim Parody Video. The plot centered on seniors Aaron Moradi and Eliyahu Levy of Great Neck taking over the school and ousting the existing administration. Thank you to Yair Oppenheim, Raphi Lowe, and Moshe Goldfeder for helping with the video. A great time was had by all!
Adults should act like children Rivki Rosenwald, page 118
67
68
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Inaugural Pinewood Derby
C
hartered by the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC, Cub Scout Pack 1818 hosted its inaugural Pinewood Derby last Sunday. Pack 1818, the only shomer Shabbos and shomer kosher pack on Long Island, invited the Five Towns community to watch as 22 Cub Scouts competed against each other with the cars that they built out of pinewood blocks. As the spectators entered the race area, they were greeted by the 37ft long, 5ft tall, 3-lane track that captured everyone’s attention. Fans were handed checkered race flags as they rooted for their favorite Cub Scout and add to the celebration. At 1:30 pm all the hard work, time and effort that was put into building these cars paid off as the Tigers kicked off the first race against one another. Living true to the motto of “Just Do Your Best,” the Cubs displayed tremendous good sportsmanship as they cheered for their friends that advanced throughout the competition. After the cars finished racing the winners were declared with third place going to Zack Stern of the Wolves, second place to Shalom Stark of the Tigers, and the winner Yehuda Fistel of the Bears. “The Pinewood Derby was amazing!” said the excited
winner. “I had so much fun watching all the cars race and I can’t believe that I won!” Awards were also given out for most artistic, funniest, and judges’ favorite. Visitors were invited to take a break from the excitement to enjoy hot dogs, popcorn, and candy along with some carnival-like fun with free game booths with chances to win prizes. Cub Scouts Pack 1818 is open to boys in kindergarten to 5th grade. For information about upcoming events and joining Pack 1818 please contact Bruce Wernick at either 646-2712969 or packmaster1818@gmail.com.
Dr. Paul Brody and Dr. Brody’s NSHA Megillah student Eli Mendelson lained the megillah at the Great Neck Synagogue on Purim night
Baskets of Fun
Purim at MTA
M
TA talmidim and rebbeim enjoyed an unforgettable Purim celebration together. The evening started with Mincha and shiurim, followed by Maariv, Megillah, and break-the-fast. Then the real fun began with incredible dancing, tremendous ruach, an entertaining Purim video created by the seniors, and a costume contest. They ended the night at the Yeshiva University chagiga, where everyone had a great time dancing with MTA
T alumni as well as YU Roshei Yeshiva and talmidim.
he 5 towns Girls Basketball League is finishing another amazing season. The girls in each division are learning the fundamentals of the game, learning to work together as a team, and having so much fun while getting a great workout! Our energetic high school and college/adult coaches and refs
are doing a great job teaching the girls the skills and the rules of the game while still enabling the girls to have a fun experience every week. The girls-only basketball league is in its 4th season and is run for girls from 2nd to 8th grade. For more information please go to www.5townsgirlssports.com.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Living it up
UPPER DIVISION
D E S I G N
A N D
C O N Q U E R .
5 1 6 . 9 8 7 . 8 8 5 3
LOWER DIVISION
WAS GREAT SEEING SO MANY OF YOU AT SEASONS EXPRESS! US E YO U R LU G G A G E TA G S TO T R A V E L T H E W O R L D !
CAMP DIRECTOR: LEEBA BRISK PROGRAM DIRECTOR: ELISHEVA SEGELMAN Upper division head: ruchi dunn lower division head: chani jacobs phone: 718.324.6724(ORAH) EMAIL: ORAHDAYCAMP@GMAIL.COM W E B S I T E : O R A H D A Y C A M P. C O M
69
70
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
HANC ECC West Hempstead celebrated Shushan Purim with a school-wide Purim carnival
Purim at HANC Elementary School
Central Engineers Aim High
T
hrough the generosity of The Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education, Central engineering students spent Monday afternoon at the Cornell Technion campus on Roosevelt Island, along with Mr. David Horstman, their engineering teacher, and Mrs. Marci Karoll, Director of Educational Technology. Only four all-girls schools were invited to attend the conference. The students had the opportunity to participate in two workshops. One workshop was called “Design Thinking Experience,” in which the students
quickly build product prototypes to solve a random but defined problem. The second workshop, “Creepy or Convenient,” was a thought-provoking discussion in which students examined how companies, such as Amazon and USA Today, use client information. Sophomore Abigail Abramchayev especially enjoyed hearing from the speakers and completing the group project. She shared, “It was a really fun afternoon, and I am excited for more events like this.”
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
71
Around the Community
SKA Sonics Score!
By Esther Miller
W
hat an amazing season the SKA Sonics basketball team had! With a record 11-1 and first place seed, the team coached by Batsheva Aaron earned their way straight to the playoffs and onto being champions. The Sonics went on to beat the Ilan Invaders in their playoff game and their winning streak continued. On March 11, at Central High School, the Sonics did not let their fans down and put up a great game against the Magen David Warriors and pulled out with a victory. The SKA Sonics were named champions! During
the championship game, the Sonics came out strong and gained an early lead which they kept throughout the exciting game. Classmates, teachers, principals, family members, and our brand-new mascot came to support the team, and their encouragement from the onset of the game really paid off. Tammy Aryeh, Elisheva Miller, Esther Miller, Regina Saada, and Ariella Wang, the seniors and starters, will truly be missed next season. The Sonics thank their amazing coach and all of their fans for supporting them throughout the amazing season. Let’s go Sonics!
Central Celebrates Purim
A
fter two weeks of Purim learning, senior dress up, and other Purim prep, Central finally welcomed Purim last week. On Wednesday, Taanit Esther, we joined other yeshiva day and high schools across the country, participating in a meaningful program coordinated by the Israel Education Network and Mizrachi America. We recited Tehillim together, sang together, and heard divrei Torah from around the world. On Wednesday night, students and faculty gathered, in both West Hempstead and Queens, for Purim mesibot. Students joined for singing, dancing, eating, and hamentashen making. Special thank you to sophomores Ruthie Feinberg, Ribecca Silvera, Shira Schwartz and Eliana Sicklick for setting up the West Hempstead party. On Purim day, freshmen Nicole Gavrielov and Talia Hazan and Senior Tikva Goldberg
visited the Meadow Park Rehab Center for megilla reading and delivering mishloach manot. Festivities continued in school, on Shushan Purim, for the Purim Chagiga led by Azamra DJ. The Central community danced and celebrated the holiday and captured the Purim spirit!
Students in CAHAL Enjoy Giving
T
his Purim season, the students in CAHAL found many wonderful ways to do acts of chessed and “give back” to their local communities. The students in Rabbi Chananya Grinberg’s 6th - 7 th grade CAHAL class at Yeshiva of South Shore brought baskets of mishloach manos to the local Hatzalah garage in Woodmere. The boys also delivered letters of thanks to the volunteers in Hatzalah recognizing the heroic, selfless support that they give to our community members. The students were given a tour of the facilities and were astounded at the vast array of sophisticated equipment in the Hatzalah ambulances. Ms. Shoshana Lubin’s HAFTR 4th-6th graders created their own Purim play, including all the props and costumes. After many rehearsals, they performed their play first for the 2nd-3rd grade CAHAL class at YOSS and then went the next day to perform it at the New Nautilus, an assisted living facility in Atlantic Beach. Accompanied by their Rebbe, Rabbi Justin Lepolstat, they fol-
lowed the performance by dancing and singing Purim songs with the residents, bringing much joy. Mrs. Aviva Balsam’s TAG 6th and 7 th grade girls shopped for food and supplies and assembled 20 mishloach manos packages for the Achiezer Kosher hospitality room in South Nassau Communities Hospital. They also created their very own “comic strip megillah” to pick up the spirits of the patients on Purim and made the trip to the hospital to deliver everything. Additional mishloach manos packages and letters of refuah were prepared and sent by Mrs. Yael Sara Rendler’s 1st-2nd grade CAHAL class at Yeshiva Darchei Torah. Not to be outdone, the girls in Mrs. Avigayil Karmely’s 5th and 6th grade class at BBY sent misholach manos to the residents in a local Ohel Home for Women. Many thanks to Achiezer, Ohel, Hatzalah, all the parent volunteers and the CAHAL teaching staff for enabling the children to have such rewarding and meaningful experiences.
We’re eighth day Jews Rabbi Wein, page 76
72
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Five Towns Premier Purim Event By Gabe Solomon
P
urim is one of the most festive and joyous holidays of the Jewish calendar. Even masquerading and having fun in a mitzvah! This year, on Purim day, the Five Towns Premier Nursing and Rehabilitation Center welcomed the entire community and hosted a Purim party. People from the community came in costume to bring joy to the residents and enjoy entertainment, face painting, music, snacks and of course mishloach
manot. The residents were all in a cheerful and festive mood and a fun time was had by all. When asked why the facility hosts events for the community, administrator Joe Benden said, “The Five Towns Premier values the rela-
tionship between our organization and the community. By welcoming children and family into our home we not only enhance the lives of our staff and residents but we also strengthen the bond with our community.”
With a beautifully decorated and inviting lobby, and dedicated and skilled staff, the facility truly is the premier place for skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and community events.
Rabbi Sitorsky delivers shiurim which bring in unique and fascinating insights on the parshiyos, yomim tovim, and many other areas. On or very close to every Rosh Chodesh, Rabbi Sitorsky delivers a shiur in which he delves into the theme of each month, connecting Torah ideas and thoughts to the events and parshiyos that take place in that month. With great skill and clarity, Rabbi Sitorsky brings in many different sources and interesting gematrias, developing themes that give structure to each month and revealing deep connections to Torah thoughts and ideas. Even after addressing each month’s themes several times, he has not exhausted the reservoir of Torah thought. Each shiur reveals new and often startling ideas that give depth and excitement to the coming Hebrew month.
The next Rosh Chodesh shiur will be held on Thursday, April 4th at 1 PM in Dave Glaser’s office at 148 Doughty Blvd., Inwood, on the third floor. There is no charge for the shiur, but donations which go 100% to Rabbi Sitorsky are gladly accepted. The food at the shiur is ordered from Seasons, including their large rollmaster sushi platter and a tasty lunch from their deli section. Doors open at 12:45 and Mincha will follow. If you would like to be included on the mailing list or text list to get notified before each shiur, please email daniellashenkman@ecgresources.com. You can also watch or listen to the Rosh Chodesh shiurim, as well as Rabbi Sitorsky’s weekly parsha shiurim, on torahanytime. com.
ECG Lunch & Learn
A
s Rosh Chodesh approaches each month, inspirational words of Torah can be heard from an office at the corner of Doughty Blvd. and Elizabeth St. in Inwood. Once a month, executive recruiter Dave Glaser invites the men of the community to his office for a Rosh Chodesh “Lunch and Learn”: a shiur given by Rabbi Mordechai Sitorsky with a complimentary catered lunch. A long-time talmid of Yeshiva Torah V’Daas, Rabbi Mordechai Si-
torsky had a close relationship with and received semicha from the revered Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Avraham Pam, zt”l. He also delved deeply into the wide ranging shiurim of the Mashgiach, Harav Moshe Wolfson, shlit”a, which inspired him to study many of the works of the great chassidic masters, particularly the B’nai Yissaschar. He also developed strong ties to many Rebbes, especially the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt”l, attending nearly every fahbreng for many years.
Dating Dialogue Page 92
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
73
Around the Community
The Light of Torah is Driving Away the Darkness of Anti-Religious Incitement in Teveria By Chaim Gold
I
t was a serious meeting at the home of the senior rosh yeshiva of Ponovezh, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shlita. One might even call it somber. At the meeting, a number of prominent rabbanim and energetic askanim from Teveria were consulting with the Rosh Yeshiva about what they should do about the assault on Hashem, nothing less, which was transpiring in their city. Reb David Ohana, a member of the City Council of Teveria for Degel HaTorah, related, “The new mayor of Teveria, Ron Kubi, has only one agenda: attacking religion and especially charedim. He has declared war on Shabbos, bussing in people from Tel Aviv to participate in chillul Shabbos festivals on the Kinneret and even trucking in snow from Mount Chermon for a snow fun festival on Shabbos. We realized that something had to be done so we went to consult with the venerated Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh for advice. We proposed perhaps making a massive demonstration on behalf of Shabbos by having a citywide Kabbalas Shabbos in the street where thousands would come out to daven in the city’s main thoroughfare thereby showing how important Shabbos is to everyone in Teveria, not just to the charedim, but to the vast majority of the residents who are traditional Sephardim,” Mr. Ohana explained. Rav Gershon looked at us and, in his clear, deliberate way, said, “Demonstrations are not the way to go. You must be mizchazek, strengthen yourselves and strengthen others, in shmiras Shabbos, in keeping Shabbos, in learning the halachos of Shabbos and in general, raising the level of limud haTorah in town. That is the antidote to a rabidly anti-religious demagogue and rabble rouser like Ron Kubi.”
Spiritual Attack, Spiritual Response It is against this backdrop and in light of this advice from the Rosh Yeshiva that Dirshu will be making a large siyum and evening of chizuk this coming Sunday, 24 Adar II/ March 31 at the Mofet Hall in Teveria. According to Dirshu representa-
tive, Rabbi Nati Weingarten, who has been intensely involved in the plans for the siyum, “Rav Gershon has declared that the response to attacks on Torah, on Shabbos and on our way of life, have to be spiritual in nature. Dirshu has dedicated itself to several innovative and exciting ways to enhance the spiritual lives of Teveria’s Jews. The siyum that we will be making on Masechta Chulin, the masechta that the Daf HaYomi is soon completing, is just the beginning of our efforts to spiritually fortify the city as an antidote to the barrage of attacks perpetrated by the anti-Torah mayor. The siyum will be a remarkable demonstration of achdus. Sephardim, Ashkenazim, Chassidim and Litvish Yidden will come together to participate k’ish echad b’lev achad, to celebrate the completion of a masechta but even more so, to accept upon themselves the ol Torah, the yoke of Torah, in the numerous new programs that Dirshu will be starting, encouraging and promoting in Teveria,” said Rabbi Weingarten. In addition, leading Sephardic and Ashkenazic rabbanim from Teveria will grace the occasion and they will be joined by some of the most prominent Sephardi and Ashkenazi Gedolim in Klal Yisrael. Dirshu is also planning a wide array of new Torah projects for the wider Teveria community as the ultimate response to such anti-religious provocation. Torah Observance is Increasing in Teveria, not the Opposite David Ohana gave a bit of background to the upheaval in Teveria. “Teveria has always been a traditional city where the majority of the population was Sephardic. For years, the vast majority of the residents had a warm place in their hearts for religious observance, even if they themselves were not completely observant. “In recent years, the religious presence in the city has grown tremendously. In fact, today 55% of the kindergarten children are religious. Joining the very significant Sephardic religious community, Karlin and Sanzer Chassidus have established neighborhoods with hundreds of young families combined. The Litvish community has also recently established a
HaRav Gershon Edelstein, the driving force behind the Teveria initiative, arriving at a past Dirshu Kinnus
significant presence.” David Ohana continues, “This renaissance of religious life has created the perfect backdrop for a demagogue like Ron Kubi to step in. Kubi is not even a resident of Teveria. He and his family live in Tel Aviv. A few years ago, he ‘moved’ to Teveria by renting a one-room, portable caravan, coming to Teveria, walking around town and taking daily videos with his phone and uploading them to Facebook. Even now that he actually rents an apartment in Teveria, his family still resides in Tel Aviv and it is that secular atmosphere that is so characteristic of Tel Aviv that he seeks to bring to Teveria. He is a one issue candidate who has based his campaign and his candidacy on stoking the fears of an impending charedi ‘takeover’ of the city. “Sadly, his strategy worked and now he is doing everything he can to secularize the city. He has threatened storeowners who insist on being closed on Shabbos, he has brought public transportation to the city and has specifically stoked religious tension by insisting on making loud, garish and often immoral public festivals on Shabbos to spite the sensitivities of the religious public.” The Counter-Revolution The Dirshu siyum is just the beginning of the Torah counter-revolution. “Dirshu has dedicated itself,” says Rabbi Weingarten, “to strengthen the learning of Daf HaYomi in the city and will open a minimum of ten new Daf HaYomi shiurim for the start of Masechta Bechoros. In order to do this, they have already started giving a course to aspiring maggidei shiur from Teveria to help them cultivate
the ability to properly structure and deliver a shiur so as to derive maximum benefit to their listeners. Dirshu is also in the process of trying to rejuvenate and transform a number of the city’s shuls to make them into Torah centers. As a traditional city, Teveria has many shuls but sadly, most are closed throughout the day and barely scratch together a minyan for Shacharis, Mincha and Maariv. Dirshu will be starting new shiurim in many of those shuls in what is hoped will be a harbinger of a Torah revolution.” In addition, Rav Hofstedter, the Nasi of Dirshu, with the encouragement of Gedolei Yisrael, has waived the usual six-test threshold generally required before earning a Dirshu stipend in Eretz Yisrael. Any person from Teveria who joins one of Dirshu’s programs will immediately be included in the program.Rabbi Avigdor Berenstein, a senior member of Dirshu’s hanhala in Eretz Yisrael, related, “Last week I attended a major gathering of distinguished rabbanim in Teveria. They are very excited about the burst of spiritual energy that Dirshu is investing in the city. “Our objective is not to make demonstrations and not to enter into conflict with Mayor Kubi. We will leave that for the politicians. What we are doing is in the spirit of ‘me’at ohr doche harbei min hachoshech, a bit of light drives away a lot of darkness.’” Certainly the light of Torah being learned and taught by lomdei Dirshu will increase Torah learning among all of Teveria’s residents and will ensure that Teveria will remain one of the four holy cities in Eretz Yisrael that radiates kedusha to the entire land.
OCTOBER 2015 | The Jewish Home MARCH 28,29, 2019 | The Jewish Home
TJH Riddle me this? A train goes between Moscow and Siberia. The brakeman, the fireman, and the engineer are named Vladimir, Mikhail, and Boris. (The names are not necessarily in order.) There are also three passengers named Mr. Vladimir, Mr. Mikhail, and Mr. Boris on the train. Mr. Boris lives in Siberia. The brakeman lives halfway between Siberia and Moscow. Mr. Mikhail earns exactly $20,000 per year. Vladimir beat the fireman at their last game of golf. The passenger who lives in Moscow has the same name as the brakem a n . The brakeman’s next door neighbor is a passenger on this train and earns exactly three times as much as the b r a ke m a n . What is the name of the engineer? See answer below
Answer to Riddle Me This: Vladimir. We understand if you need a shot or two of vodka after solving that one.
30 74
Centerfold Hating on Russia Quotes Many people are surprised to hear that we have comedians in Russia, but they are there. They are dead, but they are there. — Yakov Smirnoff In Moscow they do not pay much attention to the living but keep their cemeteries in a splendid state. — George Mikes [The USSR is] the most realistic regime in the world, they have no ideals. — Golda Meir My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing will begin in five minutes. — President Ronald Reagan, during a radio microphone test Following his doctor’s orders, Nikita Khrushchev has cut his drinking in half. He’s leaving out the water. — Bob Hope There is no income tax in Russia. But there’s also no income. — Will Rogers In Russia we only had two TV channels. Channel One was propaganda. Channel Two consisted of a KGB officer telling you: Turn back at once to Channel One. — Yakov Smirnoff We had a very successful trip to Russia… Our first stop was Red Square, the heart of Moscow – if Moscow has one. — Bob Hope The workers love Khrushchev very much. He hasn’t got an enemy in the entire country. Quite a few under it. — Bob Hope
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER The Jewish Home | MARCH 29, 28, 2015 2019
“Back in the USSR” Trivia
b. Doctor
2. The official residence of the Russian president is the Kremlin in Moscow. What does Kremlin mean? a. Fortress b. The Best c. Headquarters d. Pinnacle 3. The Russian Federation was established following the disbanding of the Soviet Union. Who was the Federation’s first president? a. Smirnoff Wodka b. Viktor Chernomyrdin c. Boris Yeltsin d. Mikhail Gorbachev 4. Russia does not share a border with which of the following countries: a. China b. South Korea c. Mongolia d. Poland 5. Who was in charge of the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis? a. Khrushchev
c. KGB spy d. Ski instructor 7. What did Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev do at the 1960 U.N. Assembly meeting?
1) D
d. Labor
2) A
a. Moscow banker
3) C
c. Live life to the fullest
4) B
6. What did Putin work as in the 1980s?
5) A
d. Stalin
6) C
b. To drink vodka like a fish
c. Brezhnev
Answers 7) C
a. To love the motherland
b. Gorbachev
8) B
1. The constitution of the USSR declared that the responsibility of all citizens was the following:
Wisdom Key 6-8 correct: You know too much about Communist Russia. Joseph McCarthy would have had a field day with you! 3-5 correct: Unless you live in the Ukraine (in which case the USSR is about to be your homeland), it’s okay that you are only moderately educated on the great bastion of Communism. 0-2 correct: как вам не стыдно (Just in case you don’t speak Russian, it means “shame on you.”)
a. He refused to shake President Eisenhower’s hand b. He took out a bottle of vodka and made a toast c. He took off his shoe during his speech and started banging it on the lectern d. He brought his daughter up to the lectern and had her stand by his side during his speech 8. What was Sputnik 1? a. The name of the Russian warship that came within 15 miles of Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis. b. The world’s first artificial satellite launched by the USSR in 1957, resulting in the U.S. vs. USSR space race. c. The name of a jail created by Stalin. d. The title of the USSR Constitution.
You gotta be kidding A JFK conspiracy theorist dies and goes to heaven. When he arrives, an angel is there to receive him. “Welcome. You are permitted to ask me one question, which I will answer truthfully.” Without hesitating, the conspiracy theorist asks, “Who really shot Kennedy?” The angel replies, “Lee Harvey Oswald shot him from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. There were no accomplices. He acted alone.” The conspiracy theorist pauses, thinks to himself, then says, “Gosh! This goes higher up than I thought...”
31 75
76
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
3
Torah Thought
Parshas Shemini By Rabbi Berel Wein
W
e are all aware that personal disappointments and tragedies are unavoidable events in the life span of human beings. No one departs from this world unscathed by difficulties. In the Torah reading of this week we are informed of the death of the two elder sons of Aaron. The Torah ascribes their deaths to the fact that they offered up a strange fire on the altar in the
process of burning the holy incense. The commentators to the Torah over the ages have searched for an understanding of what their sin was and how the punishment fit the crime. It would be no exaggeration to state that in spite of these valiant scholarly efforts, the entire incident is still shrouded in mystery and beyond ordinary rational understanding. Because of this, the Torah itself,
Low Cost Quality Insurance Our Specialty Free Consultation
Free Policy Evaluation
SPECIAL DISCOUNTED PROGRAMS FOR A SYNAGOUGE,YESHIVA, NURSING & ADULT HOME FACILITIES (SAVE UP TO 50% AND MORE)
Large Commercial Insurance Policies Life Insurance
almost cryptically, accepts Aaron’s reaction of silence as being a correct and appropriate reaction to this tragedy. One would therefore be led to believe that this tragic moment in the life of Aaron and his family marked the end of his public career and his service to the Jewish people. It would apparently be understandable to many if Aaron had simply retired and left the priesthood for others to service and administer. I think that this is part of the message why the Torah emphasizes that all of this took place on the eighth day. The eighth day is always representative of continuity in Jewish life. It is the day of circumcision and it is the day when the seven-day period
en days of mourning and sadness. Aaron and his descendants are remembered and revered until today for their continual blessings and service to the Jewish people, both in Temple times and thereafter. Rising from his personal tragedy, Aaron becomes the most beloved of Jewish leaders and the symbol of harmony, tolerance and true piety for all time. The rabbis of the Mishnah encouraged us all to become students and disciples of Aaron and to emulate his ways and attitudes. We are to appreciate his silence in reaction to tragedy and to be inspired by his resilience and continuity in public service in spite of his personal loss and
The eighth day looks to the future and is always seen as a day of recovery and rejuvenation.
Disability Insurance Self Employed Health Insurance Long Term Care Insurance Rabbi S. M. Leiner, CLTC Licensed Independent Broker for all types of Insurance Call: 917-543-0497 - Leave a message Mail: Rabbi S. M. Leiner, CLTC P.O. Box # 7655 600 Franklin Ave. Ga Garden City, NY 11530
of mourning is over. The eighth day looks to the future and is always seen as a day of recovery and rejuvenation. The history of the Jewish people, just as is true in the lives of individuals, has many instances of tragedy and disappointment. Yet the overall impression that Jewish history should leave with those who study it is the great resilience that our story represents. Our story is one of the eighth day and not merely of the sev-
grief. This is a lesson that is true for us not only on a personal scale but on a national one as well. The last century has been a tragic one for the Jewish people. But it has proven to be a time of great resilience and untold accomplishment. We should always remember that no matter what our situation may be today we will always attempt to live and be successful on the eighth day. Shabbat shalom.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
77
78 64
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
From the Fire
Parshas Shemini Calling a Spade a Spade By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf
T
his week’s parsha teaches us about the ma’achalos assuros, forbidden foods. It is known that every year, when parshas Shemini came, Reb Yisrael Salanter would sigh, and say, “I wonder about those people who are so careful about what they put into their mouths but pay no attention to what comes out of their mouths.” The tzaddikim in many places show us the connection between what we eat and kedushas ha’dibbur, sanctity of speech. In fact, the Rav Shlomo’le Radomsker, the Tiferes Shlomo, used to say that by guarding the sanctity of one’s speech, he fulfills the pasuk (Vayikra 6:9), “Matzos tei’acheil b’makom kadosh, eat the matzos in a holy place” (i.e., one should make his mouth a “holy place” by guarding his tongue). The distinction between pure animals and impure animals is mentioned much earlier in the Torah, in parshas Noach. There (Bereishis 7:8), the Torah tells us that because of Hashem’s command, Noach took onto the ark “[seven sets of] pure animals and the [single set of] animals which are not pure.” Later on, it becomes clear why Hashem made a distinction between pure and impure animals when it tells us (Bereishis 8:20), “And Noach built an altar to Hashem and he took from every pure animal and from every pure bird and he offered elevation offerings on the altar.”
Based on the Torah’s distinction between pure and impure animals in parshas Noach, the Gemara (Pesachim 3a) derives the following lesson: “A person should never let an unrefined word escape his lips. Indeed the Torah went eight letters out of its way not to let an unrefined word escape its lips, as it says ‘from the pure animal and from the animal which is not pure.’” Rashi there explains that the Torah is extremely exacting in its use of language. And even though saying “ha’timei’ah, impure,” is only five letters, the Torah wrote “asher ai’nena tehora, which is not pure,” which is 13 letters, in order to avoid using an unrefined word. Rashi there asks a question on our Gemara. He points out that in our parsha, parshas Shemini, the Torah says, “Timei’im heim la’chem, it is impure to you” multiple times, in virtually every pasuk. How does this comport with the Torah’s care in saying “which is not pure” rather than “impure” in parshas Noach? He answers that the Torah only went out of its way to use an exceedingly refined expression once in order to teach the lesson that one must always seek out the most refined language possible, but then returned to the normal word “impure” once it had taught that lesson. Rashi’s answer is difficult, however, because the Gemara used the pasuk in parshas Noach to teach
that one should “never” use unrefined language. If the Torah considers the use of the term “impure” to be unrefined, as we see in parshas Noach, how could it use the term at all in parshas Shemini? I saw an amazing answer to this question in connection with a story involving Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook. In 1973, after the Yom Kippur War, many people were very upset that Henry Kissinger, who was Jewish, put so much pressure on Israel not to expand its defensive borders despite the surprise attack by the neighboring Arab countries. Rav Tzvi Yehuda wrote a strongly worded letter against Henry Kissinger which he insisted should be placed on the walls of every yeshiva and shul and be published in all of the religious newspapers. He gave a copy of the letter to a student of his, Rav Chanan Porat to disseminate. When he read the letter, it was obvious that Rav Chanan found something disturbing, so Rav Tzvi Yehuda asked him what was bothering him. He answered that it was nothing, but Rav Tzvi Yehuda insisted that he tell him. So Rav Porat answered that if Rav Tzvi Yehuda really wanted to know, he thought that if the letter were worded more diplomatically that it would be accepted by more people. Rav Tzvi Yehuda smiled, and answered that he thought he would say
that, so he brought with him a Gemara Pesachim. He pointed out the Gemara cited above, Rashi’s explanation, and pointed out the question regarding how the Torah could use the word “impure” so many times if, according to the Gemara, one should “never” use unrefined language. Rav Tzvi Yehuda explained that the context in each case is critical to understanding the difference. In parshas Noach, the Torah was telling about events that happened. In such a case, it is appropriate to use the most refined words possible. In parshas Shemini, however, the Torah is telling us a psak halacha, a halachic rule. When the Torah defines what is right and what is wrong, what is pure and what is impure, what is forbidden and what is permitted, it must speak in the clearest language possible, even if such language is not the most refined or diplomatic. Rav Tzvi Yehuda said that the Torah knew that if, with respect to pork, it merely said “asher ai’nena tehora, which is not pure,” that some “wise man” would come along and infer that even though it may not be pure, it isn’t necessarily “impure” either. The Torah therefore used the clearest language possible, calling such animals tamei, unequivocally impure. He explained that if his letter contained more soft-spoken, diplomatic language about the pressure Henry Kissinger
was exerting on the government in Eretz Yisroel, the message of right and wrong would not be clear. The difference between right and wrong must be sharp and absolutely clear. He therefore had to make it known that Kissinger was “tamei,” impure. Today, the world is sorely lacking in this ability to “call a spade a spade.” Just ten or twenty years ago, certain Palestinians were wearing keffiyehs, throwing Molotov cocktails, and were known by all as terrorist murderers. Now, they put on a necktie, say they have a vision about a homeland, and all of a sudden, the world treats them like diplomats! At worst, they are referred to as “freedom fighters” or “militants.” When speaking to individuals, it is important to say things in a way that they will be heard, but there is a time, like in parshas Shemini, where one must be clear and honest, even when it is not pleasant or “politically correct.” In America today as well, it
is now acceptable to whitewash the truth by “spinning” negative facts with a less damaging interpretation, using artful deception. When
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
65
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
79 65
fectly understandable – it was a lie! Even in our community, people are afraid of “calling it like it is.” Rabbis introduce “innovations” into
Now, they put on a necktie, say they have a vision about a homeland, and all of a sudden, the world treats them like diplomats!
a politician is caught lying, he will say that he merely “misspoke,” or perhaps he will make a public statement, saying, “I’m sorry if anyone misunderstood what I said,” even when no one misunderstood what he said because what he said was per-
orthodox Jewish life in the name of egalitarianism and many people are afraid to say, “This is tamei, unequivocally impure!” While one must be careful to speak respectfully with people, it is also forbidden to transgress the prohibition of
chanifa, flattery, by making people believe that forbidden things are really okay. The Navi Tzefania (3:13) wrote, “The remnant of Israel will not commit an iniquity nor speak lies; neither shall deceitful speech be found in their mouth...” It is vital that we not fall into the trap of sacrificing truth and a clear distinction between right and wrong on the altar of delicate speech and political correctness. May we merit to fulfill the pasuk (Shmuel 1:15:29), “Netzach Yisroel lo yishaker, the eternality of the Jewish people will not prove false,” and may we merit to see the day when the distinction between right and wrong is clear to all.
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.
20
OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
80 20
OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Parsha
in 4
Parshas Shemini By Eytan Kobre
Weekly Aggada Speak to the Jewish people, saying: “These are the living things that you may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth” (Vayikra 11:2) This is comparable to a doctor who visits two hospital patients: one is expected to recover completely; the other is in critical condition, almost certain to die shortly from his illness. To the patient who is expected to recover completely, the doctor said, “Eat this, not that. Eat this, not that.” As for the patient near certain death, the doctor permits him to eat whatever he pleases (since he will die shortly regardless). So it is with the Jewish people and the other nations. The other nations, who will not (collectively) live in the World to Come, G-d permits them to eat whatever they please. But for the Jewish people, who will live in the World to Come, G-d commanded, “These are the living things that you may eat...but these you should not eat…” (Vayikra Rabba 13:2)
Weekly Mussar And the people’s offering was presented; and he took the goat of the
sin-offering that was for the people, and he slaughtered it and he offered it as a sin-offering, as the first (Vayikra 9:15) That Aharon brought this sacrifice “as the first” is a reference to the sin-offering Aharon already had brought, i.e., his first sacrifice (Vayikra 9:8). While Aharon had already brought a sin-offering, he is praised as having brought this second sin-offering “as the first” – with the same enthusiasm and devotion as his first sin-offering (R’ Yaakov Galinsky). His passion did not wane. It is human nature for excitement to diminish with familiarity and repetition. That is the reason “one who reads Hallel every day is deemed to have insulted and blasphemed G-d (r”l)” (Shabbos 118b) – because when an event truly deserving of Hallel comes along, the person who recites it every day will lack the enthusiasm necessary to praise G-d adequately. And that is the reason that, in visiting the Bais HaMikdash during the shalosh regalim, one who entered through the North Gate would exit through the South Gate, and one who entered through the South Gate would exit through the North Gate (Yechezkel 46:9). G-d insisted that we not enter and exit through the same gate,
lest we become desensitized to the awesome experience of entering His house (Yaavetz, Avos 1:4). Familiarity breeds contempt, or at least complacency. Aharon’s greatness was – and the lesson for us is – in performing the same Divine tasks time and again but with an ever-renewing zest and passion.
Weekly Anecdote For I am G-d, Who brings you up from the land of Egypt to be a G-d for you; and you should be holy for I am holy (Vayikra 11:45) The House of Rav Yishmael taught: [it is as if G-d said] “Had I brought the Jewish people up from Egypt just so that they would not make themselves impure through eating forbidden foods, like the other nations, it would have been sufficient” (Rashi, Vayikra 11:45). In the late 1700s, two successful Jewish merchants from the Chasam Sofer’s city of Pressburg, Austria-Hungary, set sail in pursuit of new business opportunities. As they neared the coast of Spain, they were arrested by Spanish authorities on suspicion of smuggling and piracy. But because of cordial diplomatic relations between Spain and
Austria-Hungary at the time, rather than being imprisoned, each merchant was confined to the home of a different customs official, pending fuller investigation. Now, while the height of the Spanish Inquisition had ended some three hundred years earlier, its aftereffects and edicts were still very much alive. So the merchants took great pains to conceal their Jewish identity, including disguising themselves as nonJews. But their respective experiences could not have been more different. At the home of his host, one of the merchants turned ghost white when he was presented with a plate of chicken and a glass of wine. Seeing the merchant’s reaction, the customs official (and host) brought his guest to the cellar and revealed his true identity. “You became pale when we served you food. You must be Jewish. Well, so am I – I’m a Marrano!” And, after proving that he was indeed Jewish, the official reassured the merchant that the food being served was kosher. The Jewish merchant was astonished at the Divine Providence that had spared him from eating non-kosher food. The other Jewish merchant had no such luck. At the home of his host, he had no choice but to eat non-kosher food to maintain his outward appear-
ance as a non-Jew. He concluded that doing so was permitted (as this was a matter of life and death), but he was still disturbed that he had to eat non-kosher food (even if permitted technically). After some time, their cargo deemed legitimate, the two merchants were released, and they shared their unique experiences of the harrowing ordeal. The merchant who had been forced to eat non-kosher was beside himself. What was my sin that G-d put me, but not my partner, in a situation where eating non-kosher was necessary? When they returned to Pressburg, he asked the Chasam Sofer for an explanation. “According to my rebbi, Rav Nosson Adler,” the Chasam Sofer answered, “one who never consumed anything of even questionable kashrus is guaranteed never to come to eat non-kosher. At some point in the past, you must have eaten something of at least questionable reliability.”
The merchant was adamant that he had not, but the Chasam Sofer insisted. “Well...there was this one incident,” the merchant conceded sheepishly. “When I was first married, my wife asked me a question about the kashrus of a chicken she had bought from the slaughterer. I had received semicha, but I was also a young newlywed – ashamed to tell my wife that I did not know the answer. I looked at the chicken. I recognized the dilemma. And I simply said it was permissible. “But my wife did not trust me completely. So she took the chicken to a rabbi for a second opinion. The rabbi realized this was no simple question, but he did not want to second-guess a newlywed husband in front of his wife. So he told my wife that my opinion could be relied on. I ate that chicken.” “That’s it!” replied the Chasam Sofer. “You consumed food of questionable kashrus and were stripped of
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
21
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
81
my rebbi’s guarantee. Your colleague, however, never consumed anything of questionable kashrus, so he was spared having to eat non-kosher.”
Weekly Halacha For I am Hashem your G-d; sanctify yourselves, and you will be holy, for I am holy; and you should not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that moves upon the earth (Vayikra 11:44) “Sanctify yourselves” refers to washing hands before a meal; “and you will be holy” refers to washing hands after a meal (Berachos 53b and HaGahos HaGra ad loc.). The postmeal washing (mayim achronim) was instituted primarily to clean our hands of Sedomite salt, which could cause blindness if it contacts the eyes (Eruvin 17a; Rambam, Berachos 6:2). While some hold that mayim achronim is not an absolute obliga-
Can You Answer These Estate Planning Questions?
tion nowadays because Sedomite salt is no longer used commonly (Tosfos, Berachos 53b and Chulin 105 and Eruvin 17b; Darkei Moshe 181:1), most authorities recommend washing mayim achronim even today (Biur HaGra, Orach Chaim 181:12; Aruch HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 181:5; Mishna Berura 181:22). Merely dipping hands into water doesn’t suffice according to most opinions (Magen Avraham 181:1; Mishna Berura 181:3; Aruch HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 181:7), but some are lenient (Elya Rabba 181:9; Kaf HaChaim, Orach Chaim 181:9). The Weekly Halacha is not meant for practical purposes and is for discussion purposes only. Please consult your own rav for guidance.
Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail eakobre@outlook.com.
בס״ד
Should I be concerned about Halacha with my Estate Planning? How can I protect my children’s inheritance? Who will make my financial and medical decisions, if I can’t? Get Answers To These Questions and More At www.mbinderlaw/jewish-law. Download Your FREE Article, which first appeared in Inyan Magazine (Hamodia) ”Why You Need A Will And A Way”.
Monet Binder Law, P.C. has been Compassionately serving families for over 20 years. “I found Monet to be extremely knowledgeable, capable and efficient. She is insightful without being pushy, perfect mix for a great lawyer. I have recommended her to friends and they have all had the same experience.” -Jeffery Greenberg (Google Review)
Serving Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island
61-43 186th Street Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 AND 2361 Nostrand Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11210
Call Us for an appointment — The appointment can be at our office or your home, at your convenience:
718.514.7575 info@mbinderlaw.com www.mbinderlaw.com
All halachic documents are under the supervision of the Bais HaVaad in Lakewood.
82 18
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Think, Feel, Grow
Yearning for Connection The Secret of the Mouth By Shmuel Reichman
P
icture the scene: a man is sitting in the kitchen, eating dinner, when his wife walks into the room, her face a blank, emotionless canvas. He looks up, observes the situation, and kindly asks, “How was your day?” In a monotone, she replies, “Great.” “Amazing, so glad to hear!” he says enthusiastically, and goes right back to happily enjoying his dinner. While this exact scenario might not have played out in your life, we can all think of endless cases where people didn’t understand us, where there was a total miscommunication, or where we wished someone could see past the words, past the surface, and feel what we were truly feeling inside. True connection is rare, beautiful, and delicate. This connects to a fundamental theme in this week’s parsha, parshas Shemini. Parshas Shemini, and Sefer Vayikra as a whole, are filled with discussion of the Mishkan and korbanos. While the Jewish People traveled in the midbar, the Mishkan accompanied them. Once they entered the land of Israel, however, was it replaced by the Beis Hamikdash, the Holy Temple. The sacrifices were central to the Temple Service, accompanying every Jewish holiday and event. The Second Beis Ha’Mikdash was destroyed over
2,000 years ago, leaving us hoping and waiting for the building of the Third Temple with the coming of Moshiach, the ultimate redemption. Many of us living in the modern world struggle to relate to these archaic concepts of sacrifices and Tabernacles, deeming them as ancient and irrelevant. It can be easy to dismiss this segment of the Torah as the esoteric intermission stuck in between the more exciting parts of the Torah but perhaps there is more beneath the surface simply waiting to be uncovered.
The Mouth and its Three Functions According to Chazal, the Beis Ha’Mikdash functions as the “mouth” of the world. In order to understand this we must analyze the nature of the mouth. On the most basic level, the mouth has three functions: first, the mouth is the organ we use to eat and drink, in order to nourish our bodies. Second, the mouth is the organ we use in order to speak and communicate with others. The third, however, is the most strange of all. Across all continents, ethnicities, and cultures, the universal expression of love is kissing. We are all used to this concept, but if you were an alien from outer space coming to visit planet Earth, and you were asked what the ideal form of af-
fection would be, you might suggest rubbing cheeks or something of the sort. Kissing is simply strange, unsanitary, and illogical! Fundamentally, though, we need to ask a more significant question. The Maharal explains in several places that whenever an organ performs multiple functions, all of those functions are deeply connected. If this is true, then how are the three functions of the mouth – eating, speaking, and kissing – connected? The answer is that all three of these functions are connected to the central to the theme of connection. What happens when you don’t eat? You will get faint. What happens if you continue to starve? You’ll pass out. If you still don’t manage to eat, you will eventually die, and your soul will leave your body. Eating keeps your soul connected to your body; it is what keeps you alive. There is a paradoxical relationship between your body and your soul. Your soul, which is your “self,” your consciousness, your inner being, is transcendent, spiritual, and infinite. You can’t see, touch, or smell your mind or consciousness. You will never see someone else’s inner world. Your body, however, is finite, limited, and physical. Your soul will never die, but your body will eventually age, wither, and fall apart. Therefore, if the soul and body are complete opposites,
how do they manage to stay together? Should they not be like two opposite sides of a magnet, completely repelling each other?! This is the deep secret of food. You need something to keep your soul attached to your body, some kind of “glue.” Eating food creates an energy which keeps your neshama connected to your body. No organism can have its soul remain in its body unless it eats! We are separate beings, all living in our own subjective world, our own inner universe. We will never be able to experience life through anyone else’s perspective, only through our own inner consciousness. This results in several difficulties. If I am trapped in my own inner world, how can I connect with other people? How can I know what’s going on in their heads? How can I share my inner life with them? How can I overcome this infinite barrier between myself and everyone else? This is the secret of speech. Speech allows us to connect ourselves with other people. You start with your inner thoughts and experience. You then take a deep breath and use your throat to project your words outwards. You use your tongue, teeth, and lips to form the specific words which will encase your thoughts into concrete form. In essence, you then
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019 The The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER OCTOBER 29, 29, 2015 2015
throw your words out into the world around you in the form of vibrations. If another person is nearby, their ears can pick up those vibrations and translate them into sound. Those sounds will form words and those words turn into sentences. If they speak your language, those words will form meaning as well. The listener must keep track of all the different words and sentences, holding onto them, and bringing them back from memory, while they try to recreate a complete picture of everything you said. Amazingly, these people can now experience your inner world in their own minds. They now contain a piece of you within themselves – the barrier between your worlds has been diminished. We can now understand why kissing is specifically done with the mouth. The mouth is the organ of connection. Kissing reflects the way two people connect when they wish to show each other affection and love. It is therefore self-evident that kissing, the expression of connection, should be performed by the mouth, the organ of connection. To summarize: eating connects the physical body to the angelic soul. Speaking connects people’s inner worlds together. Kissing connects two physical bodies together, reflecting a deeper internal form of connection and oneness.
The Mouth of the World We can now understand in the most profound way why the Mishkan and the Beis Ha’Mikdash serve as the “mouth” of the world. This is the place where Hashem connects to this physical world. It is therefore no surprise that the Mikdash serves the exact same three functions as the mouth, the organ of connection. Let us study the manifestations of this principle. Just as our physical body needs to eat in order to maintain its connection to our spiritual soul, the physical world needs to eat in order to maintain its connection to the spiritual soul of the world, Hashem. The Gemara in Brachos 10a compares the relationship between body and soul to the relationship between Hashem and the physical world. Just like the neshama is connected to our physical body, Hashem is connected to the physical
world. Just like we have a mouth to maintain the connection between body and soul, the Beis Ha’Mikdash is the “mouth,” the unique location which maintains Hashem’s connection to this physical world. We can now understand korbanos,
tration of connective energy between us and Hashem, where Hashem and Klal Yisrael embrace in the ultimate closeness. We all yearn for connection: to ourselves, to other people, and of course,
The goal, though, is not to be connected; it's to constantly become more and more connected.
sacrifices, as well. Korban comes from the word karov, to come close. The Nefesh Ha’Chaim (2:9) and the Kuzari (2:26) explain that korbanos are the “food” which fuel the connection between Hashem and the physical world. Just as we eat to connect our soul to our body, korbanos do the same for our world. This explains why many of the details of the avodah, the sacrificial service, have food-like connotations. The mizbeach, the altar where sacrifices were brought, is referred to as the “shulchan gavo’hah, the high table,” as if this is the table of eating. The pasuk consistently refers to the korbanos as “korbani lachmi, my bread sacrifice,” as if the sacrifice is meant to be a meal. This also explains why we place salt on the korbanos, something which halachically we do at meals, especially on Shabbos. Hashem spoke directly to the Jewish people from the Beis Ha’Mikdash. The passuk explicitly says that Hashem will speak to Moshe from between the two keruvim, the chrerubs (Terumah 25:22). The angels were locked in an embrace of love, reflecting the relationship and connection between Hashem and Klal Yisrael. The Beis Ha’Mikdash is also where Hashem “kisses” the world. The Gemara in Baba Basra 74a states that the Beis Ha’Mikdash is where the heavens and earth kiss. In other words, this is where the infinite and spiritual both meet and lock together with the finite and physical. This is where Hashem most strongly connects to the physical world. It is the most potent concen-
to Hashem. But connection is difficult; it requires time, patience, and constant effort. Genuine communication takes a lifetime to achieve. As we showed in our opening story, more often than not, it can be difficult to know what’s going on in another person’s inner world, to understand what
83 19 19
they are experiencing on a deep consciousness level. Breaking past the infinite barriers between our inner worlds is truly difficult. The same is true when it comes to ourselves, as we struggle to achieve genuine self-awareness, to come in touch with our true selves. This all-encompassing mission takes a lifetime. The goal, though, is not to be connected; it’s to constantly become more and more connected. This is the journey of life, a journey of becoming, a never-ending process. May we be inspired to use these three forms of connection to experience genuine connection with ourselves, with others, and with Hashem Himself. Shmuel Reichman is an inspirational speaker who has spoken internationally at shuls, conferences, and in Jewish communities. You can find more inspirational shiurim, videos, and articles from Shmuel on Facebook and Yutorah.org. For all questions, thoughts, or bookings, please email shmuelreichman678@gmail.com.
84 16
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
A Fulfilled L fe
It’s Not What You Think By Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff
T
he Gemara (Megila 6b) offers a strange connection between Purim and Pesach and the need
to preserve the proximity of these holidays as much as possible. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel
(said, since) in most years (we think of) Adar as (a month which) adjoins Nissa, (we keep the mitzvos of Purim) in the Adar which adjoins Nissan (i.e. Adar Sheini) …. What is the reason of R’ Shimon ben Gamliel? R’ Tabi said…more emphasis is attached to bringing one period of redemption close to another (i.e. Purim and Pesach). At first glance, the connection established in the above Gemara appears tenuous at best. The Purim story, after all, was a classic nes nistar, in which Hashem orchestrated the Jews’ salvation through a sequence of seemingly fortuitous political events. In stark contrast, the detailed account of our redemption from Mitzrayim is presented as one long, supernatural miracle, through which Hashem exacted precise punishment on the Egyptians and led us out on the path to freedom and independence. Certainly, the pronounced dissimilarities between Purim and Pesach bring the need to juxtapose the two “periods of redemption” into serious question. Rav Chaim Freidlander, zt”l, (Sifsei Chaim, Vol. II, pp. 241ff) suggests that despite their fundamental differences, the redemptions of Purim and Pesach are intimately linked by the lesson which they taught about achieving true chein (graciousness) in the eyes of our gentile neighbors.
According to the midrash (Esther Rabbah 7:13), the Jews of Persia were threatened with extermination “because they partook of the feast of Achashveirosh.” This statement is quite puzzling. After all, it would appear that the Jews of Shushan did the right thing by attending the feast. Not only were there no concerns about the acceptability of the food and drink that was served (see Esther 1:8), but the Jews logically reasoned that their absence from the event would invoke the ire of their Persian ruler. Nevertheless, by participating, the Jews ignored Mordechai’s warnings to stay away, based on his concerns over lewdness at the feast and the unhealthy sociability that their involvement would engender. The Jews of Persia favored a compliant, non-confrontational approach in dealing with the country’s ruler. They perceived that they would achieve the greatest degree of royal favor by acceding to Achashveirosh’s expectations. In truth, however, it was this very conformity that led directly to the enactment of Haman’s hateful, devastating decree and almost resulted in their complete annihilation. They learned the hard way that securing gentile favor has little to do with our willingness to adopt their societal and behavioral norms. On the contrary, goodwill is engendered by
following Hashem’s will and allowing our Maker to intervene on our behalf. “When a man’s ways please the L-rd, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him.” (Mishlei 16:7) Yet, when Hashem deems it to be unhealthy for us to enjoy such favor, all of the efforts in the world to the contrary will be of little consequence. “He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants.” (Tehillim 105:25) Sadly, the Jews of Persia failed to learn from the past. At the beginning of the Jews’ exile in Egypt, they made the same mistake in their attempt to curry Egyptian favor. “And a new king arose who did not know Yosef” (Shemos 1:8) – When Yosef died, the Jews abolished the covenant of circumcision… As soon as they had done so, Hashem converted the love with which the Egyptians loved them into hatred. (Shemos Rabbah, 1:8) According to the Bais HaLevi, this midrash is not to be understood literally. Our sages are telling us that fol-
lowing Yosef’s death, the Jews feared for their futures in Egypt and attempted to undo their marked uniqueness. Much to their surprise, this attempt at conciliation backfired and ultimately resulted in vicious hatred and slavery. Two hundred years later, the Jew-
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
17
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
85 17
and their leader to be thoroughly despised for the destruction which their G-d had wrought on their country, the Torah tells us that the exact opposite occurred. “The L-rd gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians… Moshe was very great in the land of
On the contrary, goodwill is engendered by following Hashem's will and allowing our Maker to intervene on our behalf.
ish slaves in Egypt experienced a similar paradox, this time in a positive sense. Following the conclusion of the plague of choshech, at a time when one would logically expect for the Jews
Egypt, in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the eyes of the people.” (Shemos 11:3) This trend has repeated itself far too often in our long history, most
notably in recent centuries. Time and again Jews have viewed appeasement and social blending as the best path towards acceptance, discarding key aspects of their faith in favor of the current whims of their host country. And each time Hashem has had to remind us, sometimes in the harshest of terms, that true acceptance will never emerge from such falsely placed hopes. Only through a true, longstanding commitment to Hashem and His Torah will we merit to witness the final “period of redemption,” in which we will fully appreciate the unique destiny which Hashem has planned for us. Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, PsyD, is an executive and business coach and president of Impactful Coaching & Consulting. For a free, no obligation consultation, please call 212-470-6139 or email info@impactfulcoaching.com. Check out his new leadership book, “Becoming the New Boss,” on Amazon. Download his free eBook for understaffed leaders at ImpactfulCoaching. com/EPIC.
86 40
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
World
Builders
Avraham Levinger Saving 2 Lives in 2 Days By Raphael Poch
W
ednesday at 2:00p.m., Avraham Levinger, 27, was on his way to his afternoon job teaching when he was alerted about a man who had fainted. On his ambucycle, Avraham raced through the congested streets to arrive on site in under 60 seconds. A 50-year-old man lay unconscious on the ground. Together with another United Hatzalah medic, Levinger quickly checked the unconscious man, finding that he had not just fainted, he was pulseless. The medics sprung into full-blown CPR and radioed United Hatzalah dispatch for additional manpower plus an intensive care ambulance. Within minutes, another two United Hatzalah volunteers arrived and assisted with the intense chest compressions, systematic ventilations, and four shocks from the defibrillator. The team’s efforts were critical in keeping oxygenated blood flowing to the man’s brain and vital organs during the 14-minute wait for the ambulance. Cardiac drugs were administered, and the medics kept up the fight for the man’s life for another 15 minutes until his pulse suddenly returned. The patient was whisked away to the hospital in serious but stable condition. The very next day, at about 3:30p.m., a 52-year-old woman in
the supermarket was checking out when in mid-purchase she collapsed to the floor. The cashier screamed, shoppers panicked, and a level-headed worker called emergency services. Once again, the residents of Beit Shemesh saw Avraham on his speedy ambucycle flying through the local streets on his way to save a life. Arriving in 90 seconds, Avraham rapidly joined another United Hatzalah
rigorous CPR. An ambulance arrived, and the crew joined the battle to fight for the relatively young woman’s life. Finally, after 25 minutes of strenuous CPR and one more shock from the defibrillator, the team succeeded in restoring the woman’s pulse. The patient was stabilized before being rushed to the hospital for further emergency care. Avraham later heard that the
“What really drives me, as a person who volunteers, is the encouragement and support that I, as well as my fellow volunteers, receive.”
volunteer who had just begun CPR on the pulseless woman right there in the checkout aisle. Other medics arrived as well as the police, who distanced curious onlookers from the immediate area. Avraham attached the defibrillator pads and the device advised a shock. The woman’s body jerked from the powerful electric jolt, after which the medics resumed their
woman had regained full consciousness and was scheduled to be released from the hospital this week. Levinger spoke about his passion for volunteering and emergency medicine. “As a volunteer of United Hatzalah I never have a ‘normal’ day. I don’t know what emergencies I will get called out to and how painful those
emergencies will be. I, therefore, always have to maintain a relaxed state of mind mixed with professionalism and readiness. Many times the calls come in at the most inconvenient times but I still rush out to answer them hoping that it won’t mess up my plans too badly, but even when it does I don’t keep score. I go and try to provide whatever help I can. “The moments of true satisfaction are sweetest when I get an instance of a successful CPR or I see the worry on the faces of the patients and their loved ones when I rush in and they know that someone who can help has arrived.” Levinger added, “What really drives me, as a person who volunteers, is the encouragement and support that I, as well as my fellow volunteers, receive from the organization itself which supplies us with everything we need. I always hope that I will meet people at happy occasions, but even when it is during medical emergencies, I try to greet everyone with a smile and help lift up their spirits as well as treat their injuries or illnesses.” Driving his ambucycle almost everywhere he goes, Levinger is answering emergencies as they come and is ready and waiting for the next time he is called upon to save a life.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
2nd annual
ad sponsor
ALUMNI
alumni basketball
tournament APRIL 7, 2019 Sponsor or register at
WWW.mayalumni.com
All day bbq & CARVING STATION BY
Rabbeim For Life • Education For Life • Torah For Life
Mesivta Ateres Yaakov
For more information contact
Shaulson Gymnasium
Rabbi Josh Zern
131 Washington Avenue Lawrence, NY 11559
516-374-6465 ext. 4026 j.zern@ateresyaakov.com
Player registration: $50 (includes jersey, swag bag, and bbq) General admission: $18 (includes bbq) May alumni admission: $10 (includes bbq)
contests and raffle throughout tournament
87 41
70 88
OCTOBER 2015 | The Jewish Home MARCH 28,29, 2019 | The Jewish Home
A Timeless Message
Rabbi Hanoch Teller Talks about Reb Elimelech M’Lizensk’s Embodiment of Ahavas Yisroel By Susan Schwamm
In 2012, Rabbi Hanoch Teller wrote, produced and directed a film, “Reb Elimelech M’Lizensk and the Chassidic Legacy of Brotherhood.” The movie, which is around an hour long, was previously only shown at private screenings. On Sunday morning, March 31, Rabbi Teller will be at the White Shul in Far Rockaway, NY, to introduce the movie, which is now available on DVD. Along with the introduction of the DVD, a short film depicting the making of the original movie will be shown. The bonus film features Rav Moshe Weinberger of Aish Kodesh, Joey Newcomb, and Mosey Kaplan, all members of the Five Towns-Far Rockaway community. Rabbi Teller also wrote the introduction to a newly published book, The Holy Brothers, by Simcha Raz, which relates the stories of Reb Elimelech and his brother, Reb Zusha of Anipoli. In that introduction, Rabbi Teller writes that the stories of the holy brothers “will transport us back to the magical places of yore, to the peaks of the Galician Carpathians, and to the depths of our hearts.” Rabbi Teller’s film also transports the viewer to a time of old and to a place of yesterday but brings with it a message essential for the present. This week, we spoke with Rabbi Teller about the film, his dozens of books, and his work at Yad Vashem.
Rabbi Teller, what made you decide to produce the film, “Reb Elimelech”? This Thursday, March 28, the 21st of Adar, is the yahrtzeit of Reb Elimelech M’Lizensk. Reb Elimelech is very well-known – well, at least his name is well-known, but many people don’t know practically the first thing about him. The film talks about the founding of the Chassidic movement – which was founded by the Baal Shem Tov.
Reb Elimelech is, so to speak, a third generation because we first have the Baal Shem Tov and then the Maggid of Mezerich and then Reb Elimelech in Galicia and the Alter Rebbe in White Russia. My motivation in producing the film was that I wanted to focus on ahavas Yisroel. When we talk about ahavas Yisroel, it’s somewhat esoteric. But Reb Elimelech, in a way, is a good “hook” for that topic. I’m embarrassed to tell
you that the film came out so much better than we could have imagined. The dictum that Reb Elimelech preached – that there’s no distinction between any Jew, not between me or you or the other person or a stranger – is so strong and compelling and so many people took the message to heart. You know, there are so many platitudes when it comes to ahavas Yisroel. It’s nice to talk about it but we need to do something with it. I wanted to har-
ness the power of the film, which is a very powerful film, with a strong medium. We’re talking history, we’re talking about the founding of the Chassidic movement, but then we bring in the message of ahavas Yisroel. We bring the viewer to contemplate ahavas Yisroel in different venues that span klal Yisroel from Camp Simcha to Camp HASC to Chaverim, Hatzalah, Zaka, outreach…all those venues are involved in the film as well.
The Jewish Home || OCTOBER The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 2015 The Jewish Home | MARCH 29, 28, 2019
71 89
Filming a scene from the film
The film’s message sounds powerful. You’re known for your stories. Is there a particular story you feel brings home this message of ahavas Yisroel? There’s a story in the original film that I think drives the point home for many people. Reb Elimelech and his brother went on self-imposed galus. Along the way, they chastised people in the most loving way and got people to change their lives. After being away for three years, Reb Elimelech finally returned home. As he was returning home, someone mentioned that his son, Eliezer, was very sick. So he dashed home and ran in and asked his wife, “What’s with Eliezer?” She said, “Oh, he’s fine. He’s in cheder.” He asked her again, “Are you sure he’s OK?” And she said, “Yes, he’s fine.” “But someone told me that he was sick,” Reb Elimelech told her. “Eliezer? Our son? He’s OK. Oh, they must be talking about the boy Eliezer from down the road,” his wife said. “He’s very sick.” At that point, Reb Elimelech sighed and said, “What have I done? I put my own child in front of someone else’s child?!” He was so upset. He turned around, left his house, and went back into his galus, saying he didn’t learn anything in those three years he was away from home. You’ve written 28 books. What was the year you published your first book? It’s pretty amazing because I’m 27, but it came out in 1984. Did you always consider yourself a writer prior to writing
this first book? Mamash not. It all started – this is a long story – but I witnessed an event and I firmly believe that if something lands in your lap, there’s a reason for it. I witnessed something which was really appalling, and I had to make people aware of it. And the only way to do that was to write about it. So I did. I wrote an article, which was simultaneously published in two magazines in two different versions. And people said, “Wow, that was so great. Why don’t you write another one?” So I did. I wrote another one. And they said again, “Why don’t you write another one?” So I did, and I started writing. And then I noticed that my style was more story-like, so that’s how it all started, from those two articles. What was the name of the first book? Once Upon a Soul. I remember that book. Just recently, I noticed my son reading your Storylines book. I opened up the book and saw an inscription you wrote to my sister and me after my father – years ago – went to a book signing of yours. So in a way your books are timeless and are perfect for every generation. I wrote about this in one of my introductions. Rabbi Mieri, one of the last Rishonim, once said something like this: I’d trade 100 readers today for one reader in a hundred years from now. I think my books are the number one book for someone if they’re sick. If I can make the cholim happy, I’m happy about that.
Out of all the 28 books that you wrote, which one brought the most nachas? That’s a great question. You know, it’s different nachases. I have a book called Courtrooms of the Mind. It’s one of my bestsellers. It’s about judging people favorably, and as a consequence of that book, a day school was established. I was in New Orleans and I was
speaking there and I was sitting next to a fellow who was a judge who was married to a non-Jewish woman. The community wanted to open a day school there. The way to stop the opening of the day school was through zoning. Some Jews in the town – believe it or not – brought a suit against opening the day school. The judge I was sitting next to was going to be the presiding judge over the case. He
72 90
OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
was inclined not to be in favor of the day school. Somehow, since G-d runs the world, the book, Courtrooms of the Mind, happened to land up on his desk the night before. He was intrigued by the title, and he stayed up all night reading the book. The next day, he breezed the court case right through, and the day school was able to be opened. I have another story, a story about a book that actually saved a life, but that’s for another time. My best nachas, though, is my latest book. It’s called Heroic Children. It’s about children who survived the Holocaust. I consider it the final frontier of Holocaust literature because when the war was over, people naturally wanted to tell over their stories about how they survived and suffered. Now, before it’s too late, we went on a mission around the world to keep their stories alive. Every gamut of the Holocaust kingdom – boy, girl, religious, nonreligious – is represented in this book. This is my biggest nachas. I was zocheh to be the voice of those muffled voices. That must have been very emotional book to write. Absolutely, and it was much more work than anything I ever put together. It took 14 years of work and then the book was released. It was meticulously researched – I’m a senior docent in Yad Vashem – but I neglected to cite my sources so the scholarly community did not accept my book so I went back and spent two years making explanatory footnotes. It was rereleased this year with all the footnotes. It’s a very serious book now with 50 pages just dedicated to the endnotes. I think it’s the best way to learn about the Holocaust. The stories are very riveting. They’re about children – some who had to grow up overnight… Who do you recommend reads the book? I can’t say it’s for all ages because it’s a Holocaust book. Some of my books are for any clever reader, at any age. But in this book, there are stories that are dealing with death camps…. I don’t think it’s for anyone younger than the age of 12.
el, very professional. They asked if they could train me. It was very nice. They paid for my education. They saw I was bringing a certain segment of the population to Yad Vashem that otherwise wouldn’t be going there, so they wanted to train me. There’s a department in Yad Vashem that is religious. There are many religious people who work there and volunteer there and are tour guides there. I’m more or less a volunteer there. And I can’t keep up with the requests I get, to give tours. I’m overseas a lot, but when I’m in Israel I give at least two tours a week there. When I was in Israel – you’re 27 and I’m only 24 – but when I was in Israel years ago, I remember you taught in many seminaries and yeshivos. When you were 24, I was teaching in 17 seminaries. Now, I’ve cut back. I’m down to four seminaries and one yeshiva. Reb Elimelech spoke about loving every Jew
When you were writing books you were always on the lookout for stories for your books. Do you still get people coming to you with stories that they think you should include in your books? That happens to me all the time. People are always trying to tell me stories, and they want me to write
least I’m telling them. My book Too Beautiful – which is an ultimate book, which came out before Heroic Children – I hadn’t written a book for nine years when I wrote that book. I didn’t really want to write stories anymore but I had some stories which I really felt needed to be told, so I wrote the book. I couldn’t have these stories in my head and
“I was zocheh to be the voice of those muffled voices.” down their stories. You know, I never once looked for a story. I don’t solicit stories. A lot of the stories I know, min Hashamayim, is because I happened to be involved in those stories. What happens now with those stories if you’re not writing books? I’m really not looking to write another book but I do speak a lot, so who knows? If I don’t write them, at
just quash them. They’re so beautiful. And so I wrote the book. You’re a senior docent in Yad Vashem. Tell us about that. They actually came to me. We call it the new Yad Vashem – it opened in 1995. I used to guide people at the “old” Yad Vashem. When they were opening up the new Yad Vashem, they wanted to do things on a really high, sophisticated lev-
That still keeps you busy, I’m sure. Back to the film, what’s a practical lesson or way we can practically bring the lessons of Reb Elimelech into our lives? The film deals with many aspects of Elimelech and it delves into ahavas Yisroel and is very detailed. Reb Elimelech was the epitome of supreme holiness. He did enormous things. And in his own eyes he thought very low of himself. He once said, I don’t know if I’ll make it to the World to Come because if they ask me did you ever learn, I’ll tell them no. I’ll tell them I never davened. But maybe they’ll let me in because they’ll see that I’m telling the truth. That’s what he felt about himself. And that’s what he was and that’s why he was embraced by everyone.
Rabbi Hanoch Teller will be speaking at the White Shul in Far Rockaway, NY, on Sunday, March 31 at 9:30 a.m. As Rabbi Teller says, this is an event that should not be missed. There will be carbohydrates and liquid, he notes, and the 20-minute behind-the-scenes film is “shticky” and entertaining.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
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.
91
92 60
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Dating Dialogue
What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
My sister is dating someone whom a good friend of mine dated a number of years ago. I’m not even sure she’s aware of this fact. Anyway, I do remember what happened when they were dating and at the time, after a little while, he showed his true nature to her – and it wasn’t good. He started off being extremely thoughtful and charming and was really very easy to fall for. But after a while, it became clear that she needed to end the relationship, and thank G-d she did.
My sister is 26 years old, and I’m under the impression that she is quite desperate to get married already. I think she is ready to settle, and I’m afraid she’ll settle for this guy who I know is no good. The problem is that my sister and I really don’t get along all that well. We’re very different and we’ve always had a stressful relationship. In fact, ever since I got married a couple of years ago and moved to a different neighborhood, we really don’t go out of our way to be in touch at all. I’ll see her at family events, but that’s about it. Some of the details that I know about this guy are kind of awful, but I don’t know how I can suddenly, out of the blue, call her up and start badmouthing someone that my parents tell me she is crazy about. Do I just mind my own business and let her figure things out, hopefully, on her own or is there some way for me to give her a heads up that she is moving in a dangerous direction?
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.
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2019 2015 The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
61 93 61
The Panel Reader's Response
F
irstly, I respect and admire your care and concern for your sister, despite the possible tension there is between the two of you. In my opinion, family is the number one priority. Whether you get along perfectly with your siblings, or you fight day in and day out, I believe that family (and siblings specifically) should always have each other’s back. In this particular example, you have to contemplate how serious marriage really is. Spending your entire life with the person that is right for you, your soulmate. By allowing your sister to move forward with this man, it may someday seriously hurt her. Not only will she be in pain, but you will feel just as bad knowing that you stood by and didn’t say anything. I would advise you to write a heartfelt, meaningful, and very honest letter to her, or maybe even go out for lunch just the two of you. Discuss it in-depth, and let her hear everything you have to say. By doing this, she may feel a bit attacked and a bit defensive, but she will feel loved and cared for. She will think about the things you said and she will hopefully reconsider moving forward with this man. If she does, she will forever be grateful and it’ll all be owed to you. There is nothing greater in the world than having a close bond with your parents and your siblings. I, for one, am an only girl in my family and hope that someday you will realize how lucky you are to have a sister in your life. I wish you only success in the decision that you make.
The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. ou have two problems here. One is your relationship with your sister. The other is communicating
Y
with her about the dangerous fellow she is dating. The first is going to take long term work and energy on your part. It is apparent that you feel for her and care about her but you have not invested enough in the relationship to accomplish the notification of the facts that you have. You question your ability to be heard given that the two of you have a strained relationship. So what to do? Write your sister a long, honest letter. Start with acknowledging that your relationship is not what you would like it to be. Take responsibility. Acknowledge that you may have made mistakes in the past and you really want to spend time together and share going forward. Do not blame and go back into your history and differences. Tell her that you care about her, tell her that you love her, and hope that you can reach a place of greater closeness. Commit to the effort involved. Suggest that you have regular coffee dates, phone dates, shopping dates, or whatever you both enjoy doing. Tell her that you will understand if she doesn’t respond to all of your overtures but you will continue to do so. You are sisters by birth but you want to be sisters by choice as well. So start sending her thoughtful/funny messages, inviting her for Shabbos and sharing. Telling your sister directly about the guy she is dating and his crazy attitude probably won’t work right now. You may blow your long-term relationship if you tell her when your relationship is not strong enough. She may shoot the messenger, or the history of your bad communication will impact the ability to deliver a message that will be heard. Therefore, you may consider reaching out to one of her close friends that you respect and trust. Don’t just tell her the facts. Be honest about the current state of your relationship with your sister, your interest in improving things, and your concern that she knows the facts about Mr. Dangerous. Tell
your sister’s friend that you are working on your relationship with your sister but you are turning to her to help out with getting the incriminating facts to your sister who will probably not want to hear them from you. She may come up with a solution and be willing to tell your sister the facts, suggest to your sister that she reach out to you, or some other method. Bringing in a third party into a tense relationship is not always advisable but this may work to help with two big problems that you want/need to address. Keep in mind that this suggestion will only work if you are honest and sincere about moving forward with your relationship with your sister. Good luck.
The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. h, sisters. When I was a little girl, I longed to have a sister. I imagined us as best friends – skipping happily hand-in-hand, playing Barbies, and sharing secrets. Alas, my parents did not accede to my wishes; I remain an only daughter. I guess that’s why it hurts me to hear of two sisters, potential soulmates, bearing the burden of, in your words, a stressful relationship. Under ideal circumstances, you should be able to invite your sister to your place and, over lattes and Mom’s mandlebrodt, tell her in your most loving and gentle manner what you’ve heard about her current beau. You could explore whether the awful details you’ve heard were groundless, vicious gossip; you could ascertain whether the guy’s matured, gone through therapy, is in a healthier place. And be assured, no matter what you would say, no matter how much she would listen, your message would be clear: “I care; I’ll always be there for you.” Unfortunately, because of your
A
You are sisters by birth but you want to be sisters by choice as well.
tenuous relationship, you must resort to Plan B. Speak to your parents. Tell them what you’ve heard about the guy; make it clear you are not looking to dash your sister’s dreams but are sincerely concerned for her welfare. And then, going forward , promise yourself that you will do everything in your mortal power to restore shalom bayis between you and your estranged sibling. I wish your parents live to see Moshiach; but after 120 years, it’s the siblings, acting in unison, who perpetuate a family’s legacy. A sister is a divine gift; cherish the blessing and Hashem will reward both of you with a kind and generous hand.
The Shadchan Michelle Mond irstly, I applaud you for asking this question rather than jumping into an impulsive decision. This conundrum has come up quite a few times when setting up singles whose true colors came out after a while. If I had not asked this question to rabbonim numerous times, my answer might have been completely different. What should be done if I find out somebody I am close with is dating this person? After asking a rav, I was told that according to the laws of shmiras halashon, if a few years have passed and especially if I never knew anything firsthand, it is not halachically permissible to say something if I was not asked. Think about it: how many people do you know
F
94 62
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
whose lives have done a complete turnaround in a matter of a year or two? The whole concept of doing teshuva revolves around the idea that a person can turn around completely. Are we loftier than Hashem Himself? Can we say that because we know somebody’s age-old dirty laundry we are suddenly responsible to air it out? I’m sorry to say, but your information’s expiration date has surely passed. Not only do you not know this information firsthand (as this is a boy who dated a friend of yours years ago), but you have no personal connection to this boy himself. Adding to the complexity is your negative relationship with your sister. Even if you did say something, will she think you are just trying to sabotage her relationship? Possibly. At this
time, I have only one suggestion for you. Bring the story with the exact details up with a rav and do exactly as he advises. Perhaps the details you know are serious enough to take action even though much time has passed. If you are told to disclose anything, I would discourage you from getting involved personally. The information should be passed on to your parents to deal with it directly, rather than coming from you. Hatzlacha!
The Single Tova Wein ’m sorry to hear that you and your sister have no relationship. It’s
I
Pulling It All Together The Navidaters
sad when that happens, and maybe there is now – or perhaps someday – an opportunity to repair it. But I know that’s not why you are writing in. You are writing in because you are holding onto information that could possible impact your sister in a very negative way and, close or not, you still seem to care enough about her to not want to see her get hurt. Obviously, you can’t suddenly show up in her life with this disclosure. She might be suspicious of your intentions and not receive the information in the way in which it was meant. Also, let’s not forget that this is old news. People change and this young man can very possibly be very different from the one that your friend dated so long ago. So with these two strikes against you, your options are limited. I think your only recourse, just so that you know you did your best and didn’t ignore the situation, would be to explain what it is that you know to your parents
Can we say that because we know somebody's ageold dirty laundry we are suddenly responsible to air it out?
and make sure they understand that the information is quite old and maybe even stale and irrelevant. Most likely, they’ve met the young man in question, probably made a few phone calls about him, and are in a better position to determine whether or not there is a “situation” going on. But by passing the information over to them, you are also relinquishing the burden you feel you have been carrying around with you and depositing it in good hands!
Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
T
his is your sister. Estranged, unfortunately yes. But always your sister. Clearly, you care for her wellbeing and the love is still there, otherwise you wouldn’t be plagued by this information and writing in to us. Sometimes families have irreparable rifts, which is always a tragedy but more often than not, the love doesn’t disappear. You still care for your sister and are willing to put yourself out on a limb to “save” her. Ask yourself the following: What is my intention by sharing this information? If your intention is pure of heart, proceed. As mentioned by the panelists, you have two choices. You can speak directly to your sister or write her a thoughtful letter. Or, you can inform your parents and ask them to pass the information along. Do it delicately. Handle with care and sensitivity. Acknowl-
edge the rift but tell them that you love your sister and want the best for her and are concerned that she may be in harm’s way. Either way, you will have done your part and will have been an excellent sister under the circumstances. Your sister may not be interested in this information, and it may widen the rift. Or it may be the beginning of a new relationship for the two of you. I hope it is the latter. If the information you have is serious – pedophilia, crime, drug or alcohol abuse, abusive in a past relationship, he is nasty, domineering or cruel in any way, he is living a lie – I really do believe it is your duty to warn your sister. I think of the women I have worked with crying on my couch, Why didn’t any-
one warn me? Where was everyone? This is not easy, but sharing this information is the right thing to do. All the best, Jennifer Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and
families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. 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.
Hi Readers! Receiving your enthusiastic emails wanting to participate in the Reader’s Respond section has been wonderful! Just a reminder about how Reader Response works. Email thenavidaters@gmail. com with the subject line “Reader Response.” We will then ask you, in the order we receive your email, if you would like to respond to the coming week’s email. If you would like to respond to an already printed Navidaters Panel, please submit your answer to the editor at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com. You can also join us on our FB page @thenavidaters on Sunday evenings to post your response to the week’s column. Interacting with you has been a pleasure! Thank you for all of your feedback. Esther and Jennifer
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
4 Piece Seder Set
$
5999 - $7999 many styles available
Wine decanter, kiddush cup and Hagaddah not included.
Pillow Cover
1999
$
Beautiful Matza Covers
Pitchers
$
1499
$
Glassware
Afikoman Bag
and up
and up
5
99 and up
$ Embroidered Towel
$
499
29
99
set of 4
1999
$
and up
Sold Separately. Many styles available
Matza Covers
$
5 99
and up
Upscale. On Sale.
VISIT US AT ONE OF OUR CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: BORO PARK 4518 13TH AVE. 718.854.2595 CEDARHURST 134 WASHINGTON AVE. 516.218.2211 LAKEWOOD TODD PLAZA 1091 RIVER AVE (Route 9) 732.364.8822 OR PLACE YOUR ORDER ONLINE AT THECLOSEOUTCONNECTION.COM
ON INSTAGRAM @THECLOSEOUT
95
96 52
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Dr. Deb
9 Questions to Ask Your Therapist for the Marriage You Want By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.
I
’m a therapist. I believe in therapy. But.... My heart is broken from the number of people who have spent months and years in therapy and… have not changed their lives one iota. I understand that “therapy” means healing and sometimes the only thing we need to feel better is for someone to be a good listener, for someone to just understand us. I get that. That is truly important. But it’s not enough. Sometimes we do need to make changes. We can’t keep doing the same thing, thinking the same thoughts, responding with an eyeball roll at our wives, growling at our husbands, screaming at our kids, crying in the bathroom with the door locked. There have got to be changes. Sometimes all the kind listening and validating isn’t enough. When you validate me, the real question is: will that cause me to validate myself or will it cause me to come back to you for years and years looking for the validation that I am unable to give to myself? I met an absolutely lovely therapist not long ago. A sweetheart! And smart. I could tell that person
was smart by the insight I heard in our conversation. But it was against the methodology of that therapist to challenge the client. A challenge might frighten off the client and then what? A relationship built up over years could be lost. I totally respect that. You do not take an axe to a relationship. Trust and safety are crucial elements of a working therapeutic relationship. But I was thinking about it and I started to wonder: let’s do a cost-benefit analysis, here. What is lost if this therapist challenges a client? Well, the relationship could be lost and the client will not make any change anyway. What is lost if the therapist does not challenge her client? The client will lose the opportunity that G-d gave her to think about the challenging question and make a new choice. The potential for radical and improved change is lost. Looking at it that way, I decided that since I respect each client’s right to make their own choices and decisions, I would rather take a risk of having someone annoyed at me from telling them something they didn’t want to hear about themselves than
to not give that person the opportunity to deeply consider my question and use it as a catalyst for change. Now, mind you, this conversation took place with a therapist that I respect for her ethics, kindness, and smarts. But there also are therapists who miss the mark. They do not get to the meat of the situation; they do not seem to know their way out of the woods. Clients will throw all sorts of smoke bombs around so as to prevent themselves from change! It’s not that they wouldn’t, in their heart of hearts, like to change. They would. They’re just scared. It’s scary! They need help with that, reassurance, a little (figurative) handholding. But let’s not get detoured off the road. Let’s still go forward. Many therapists seem to get lost in the forest and don’t know how to lead their clients out of it. I recently was talking to someone in another state who was telling me that his wife had strayed. She was angry at him for bringing up the fact that he still felt unsafe about what would happen in the future. His bringing it up meant he didn’t trust her. Well, yeah. Exactly. He didn’t.
So the therapist brought the question up herself in a therapy session and, to quote the man, his wife “shut down” after that. She was thinking of divorce. I asked the rather basic question: did the therapist ever discuss the state of the marriage in the first place that had led his wife to look elsewhere? No. Did the therapist ask whether the conditions that had led the wife to be dissatisfied were still present in the marriage and if so, what was being done about them? No. Did the therapist discuss privately with the wife what the problems were from her point of view? No. Did the therapist ever have the wife give the proper five-step apology on this? No. So, I was floored. To me, that’s incompetence. It’s like trying to rebuild the marriage on quicksand. But I was curious. What exactly were they discussing in therapy sessions? The man told me that she wanted him to do things to help his self-esteem. Well, that’s fine; no problem there, but if the wife was breaking down his self-esteem, how in the world would he build it? To that end, one thing the therapist
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
could have done would have been for him to take steps to feel good about himself when his wife was putting him down or invalidating him or brushing off his concerns about her felicity. Now, that is a special kind of practice that I don’t see therapists using, but it is powerful (see Bruce Ecker’s juxtaposition research; Buzzanell’s resilience research). Then there is the whole other half of the equation – his wife. Did the therapist know how troubled she was? How lacking in her own selflove she was? No, again. It is necessary for marriage therapist to understand each person as well as how they interact. It’s not about putting out fires; it’s about finding appropriate solutions. To that end, I have created a list of nine questions for you to ask yourself about your therapist to see if they will help you move toward getting the marriage you want. 1. Are they trained as a Marriage & Family Therapist? Meaning their
entire program was about helping people with their marriages and families. 2. Does their philosophy include the possibility that some people “can’t be helped”? The reality is that everyone can be helped if they are willing to commit to doing what it takes to achieve their goals. Which
ing, since you have to do homework, what will the counselor do to help you over the rough spots? What will the counselor do to make the homework more understandable? What will the counselor do to see to it that you actually do it? 5. Are the tools comprehensive? Meaning, is there a tool for each
It’s like trying to rebuild the marriage on quicksand.
leads me to the next question. 3. Do they let people know up front that there is homework to do and that this isn’t about just “feeling better” but doing better? 4. Is there accountability? Mean-
and every area of concern in your marriage, even areas that you didn’t think of bringing up because, let’s say, they were too private? 6. Does this counselor have insight? Did you feel from the very first
53 97
visit that they “got” each of you? 7. Does this counselor understand how to be not only “neutral” but, as Minuchin said, “multi-partial” so that each of you feels validated? 8. Does your counselor get lost in the weeds between each of you finger pointing, blaming, criticizing, or avoiding? Meaning, is the session often about putting out fires rather than moving forward? 9. Do both of you come out of sessions feeling small and discouraged or empowered and hopeful? Some of the items on the list above are impossible with traditional therapy – which is why I have switched modalities, myself. For more on this, see my Masterclass.
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.
98 22
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Health & F tness
Why You’re Gaining Back the Weight You Lost By Aliza Beer MS, RD
I
n 1990, adults with obesity made up less than 15% of the U.S. population. Today, that number has swelled (pun intended) to a whopping 40%. In addition, a staggering 80% of people with obesity who lose weight will gain it back! Why is this happening? Kevin Hall, a physicist and scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), started watching The Biggest Loser several years ago and saw contestants were losing 20 pounds a week. He decided to study 14 of the contestants for a scientific paper, in hopes to learn how they were losing weight so quickly. His results were unexpected and have led to much more research in this area. Hall learned that in the long run, the body will fight hard to get that fat back. Over time, 13 out of the 14 contestants Hall studied gained on average 66% of the weight they’d lost on the show, and four became even heavier than they were before the competition. This news would make even the most avid dieter depressed. Why bother trying? But we must try because a 2017 study found that obesity now drives more early preventable deaths in the U.S. than smoking. Last year the NIH provided an estimated $931 million in funding for obesity research. This research has given us a better understanding as to why dieting is so hard and why keeping the weight off over time is even harder. Leading researchers finally
agree that exercise is critical to good health, but on its own is not a reliable way to lose weight. No, you cannot burn off a muffin a day on the treadmill! The researchers also now know that the best diet for you is very likely not the best diet for your neighbor, or sister, or friend. Individual responses to different diets, from low fat, vegan, paleo, and keto, vary enormously. Scientists are showing that the key to weight loss is highly personalized rather than the adoption of trendy diets. What can cause someone to gain back the lost weight? Several reasons. One is that when you lose weight, your resting metabolism (how much energy your body uses when at rest) slows down. However, Hall discovered that even when the contestants gained back some of their weight, their resting metabolism didn’t speed up along with it. Instead, it remained low, burning about 700 fewer calories per day than it did before they started losing weight in the first place. These findings make it seem as if the body itself will sabotage any effort to keep the weight off in the long term. But Hall claims that a slower metabolism is not the full story. He has seen many people lose weight and successfully keep it off. The key is finding the right diet for you as an individual and making it a way of life. Rena Wing, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, has run the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) as a
way to track people who successfully lose weight and keep it off. To qualify for initial inclusion in the registry, a person must have lost at least 30 pounds and maintained that weight loss for a year or longer. Today the registry includes more than 10,000 people from across all 50 states with an average weight loss of 66 pounds per person. On average, people on the current list have kept their weight off for more than five years. One the most surprising details about the registry: everyone on the list has lost significant amounts of weight – but in different ways. Some did it on their own, some were under the care of registered dietitians or physicians. Despite the differences with methods, the researchers identified several similarities with the vast majority: • They eat breakfast: People in the NWCR eat their morning meal everyday. Research suggests this helps control insulin and jump-starts the metabolism. • They exercise every day: They average about an hour of exercise a day. The most common exercise is walking. • Less TV: They watch less than 10 hours of TV a week. Less TV means more time for walking! • Don’t be afraid of the scale: They weigh themselves at least once a week. By doing so, they give themselves the chance to make tweaks to their diets/exercise if their weight starts creeping up. When my clients reach their goals, my last word
of advice is to weigh themselves at least once a week going forward. Ignorance is bliss, but facing the scale every week will help avert re-gaining the weight. • Attitudes and behavior: Most wake up early and are morning people. Research shows that night owls tend to weigh more. Motivation is another key factor. Many are motivated by a health scare or the desire to live a longer life. People lose weight through different means. The successful dieter makes these changes a way of life and must alter everyday behavior for the long term. If the diet is too restrictive, then the chances of success are dim. It’s unrealistic for that person to sustain that level of restriction long term, so they finally relapse into old habits and gain back the weight. For example, when I hear someone is on such a restrictive diet where they cannot even drink a cup of coffee, I know that their success will only be short-lived. Maintenance takes work and a focused mindset. Use moderation, not deprivation, and you will be able to enjoy your life at a healthy weight.
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.
99
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
THE SCHECHTER FAMILY
Leaders in Passover Tours
invites you to
THE SCHECHTER FAMILY invites you to
MARCO POLO BEACH RESORT
PESACH 2019
Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
• Oversized newly renovated rooms, many with terraces • Poolside fitness center, sauna • Superb day camp program led by the Stroll Brothers • Gourmet glatt kosher cuisine • Cantor led or private seders • Sumptuous Tea Room • Aerobics & fitness by Danielle Jacobs
Join the Leaders in Passover Tours for our 24th Spectacular Year!
FIRST CHILD FREE!
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL CARIBBEAN KOSHER TOURS:
800-327-8165
marcopolopassover@gmail.com
Call Joy of AMIT Children
203.510.3633
at the beautiful, oceanfront
SOUTHEAST REGION
954-922-5100 www.marcopolobeachresort.com
Rav Yochanan Bechhofer
Author, Lecturer, Dayan
Dr. Scott Goldberg Lecturer
Inspiration by
Rachel Eden
Entertainment by
Aryeh Kuntsler
Entertainment by
Joey Newcomb
Live Comedy by
Talia Reese
Magic Show by
Eric Wilzig
i DESIGNS
PESACH 2019
100
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
101
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
M MEISNERʼS PESACH GETAWAY
CROWNE PLAZA
STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT
NON GEBROCHTS. CHOLOV YISROEL. SHMURA MATZAH. TEEN PROGRAMS. NIGHTLY ENTERAINMENT. MORE PRIVATE DINING. BUFFETS & VIENNESE. SCRUMPTIOUS TEA ROOM. 3 GOURMET MEALS DAILY. STIMULATING LECTURES. SUPERB DAY CAMP BY AVI DEVOR ACTIVITY GUY.
DESIGN IN BROOKLYN
MICHOEL PRUZANSKY
MENDY J
URI DAVIDI
MORA D’ASRA R’ FEITMAN SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE R’ BOMRIND UNDER THE HASHGUCHA OF R’ SOMMERS
347.554.1558•845.642.4455 WWW.MEISNERSGOURMETCATERING.COM
TSFAS-GALIL-KIVREI TZADIKIM
Guaranteed Departure Every Monday
BRUCE BACKMAN’S
PESACH in the NORTHEAST
AT THE LUXURIOUS
MARRIOTT WESTFIELDS RESORT Washington, DC Region
HIGHEST RATED AND MOST TRUSTED PESACH PROGRAM IN THE NATION’S CAPITOL HOME TO THE
HOTEL PESACH PACKAGES
“BEST FOOD IN THE BUSINESS” CHOLOV YISROEL GLATT KOSHER SHMURAH MATZOH NON-GEBROCHTS WITH
R ABBI SIMON JACOBSON R ABBI ARI BERGMANN R ABBI SAM TAYLOR R ABBI SIMON TAYLOR R ABBI SHLOMO PILL R ABBI REUVEN FL AMER R ABBI MENDEL JACOBSON E NTE RTA I N M E NT BY
GAD ELBA Z ROCK MISHPACHA
SHIR SOUL BENSHIMON
8 TH DAY’S BENT ZI MARCUS JOINED BY
Gil Troy Karen Paikin-Barrall Sanford Landa Rachel Pill
Shaindy Jacobson Emma Taylor Shifra Klein Shlomo Klein
F E AT U R E D A M E N ITI E S:
Indoor & Outdoor Pools Tennis • Basketball Art and Photography Classes Spa Services • Golf Professional Children’s Programming RESERVE NOW
774.353.0170 PESACHINTHENORTHEAST.COM
102 26
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Notable Quotes “Say What?!”
Gee, I thought maybe I made a mistake. I don’t know. Maybe I made a big mistake…. But, you know what? I got married in 1946. And if I did go someplace else and higher up, I would not have the same family I have today, my three wonderful boys and my wife. ... That probably wouldn’t have taken place. - Paul Snow, 94, who received his high school diploma from St. John’s High School in Worchester, MA, last week, nearly 74 years after he would have gotten it if he hadn’t enlisted in the U.S. Navy to serve in World War II
When the Philadelphia Phillies lost their ninth consecutive game toward the end of last September, veteran first baseman Carlos Santana felt like he needed to send a message to his teammates who he said spent portions of the game against the Atlanta Braves playing video games in the clubhouse. Santana grabbed a bat, retreated to the room at Citizens Bank Park where the gaming took place, and smashed the TV to ensure there would be no more “Fortnite” the final two days of the season. “I see a couple players – I don’t want to say names – they play video games during the game,” Santana told ESPN. “We come and lose too many games, and I feel like they weren’t worried about it. Weren’t respecting their teammates or coaches or the staff or the [front] office. It’s not my personality. But I’m angry because I want to make it good.” - From a recent ESPN report about how the 2018 Phillies’ season unraveled
I just couldn’t see a path to where I could get the nomination. It’s just not going to happen on a national level for somebody like me starting where I am unless I was willing to change all my views and go on what CNN called “an apology tour.” Joe Biden went out and apologized for being male, over 50, white…. Beto – whatever his name is – he’s apologized for being born. - Michael Bloomberg, talking at a conference last week about his decision not to run for president
Today the LA Angels signed outfielder Mike Trout to the largest contract in major league history: $430 million. In a related story, a hot dog at an Angels game now cost $3.2 million. – Jimmy Fallon
When you are out there on the world stage and dealing with people like Vladimir Putin, yeah, you want someone who is tough.
The Democratic Party is not an anti-Jewish party, but there are some people in the party now, including in Congress as we’ve seen from Congresswoman Omar...who are saying explicitly anti-Semitic things.
- 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on CNN when asked about stories of how she is abusive to her staff
- Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) in an interview with radio host John Catsimatidis on AM 970
Take it from this Benjamin – it’s not about the Benjamins.
Two realities we must confront: 1. Climate change won’t just affect the coasts. 2. Climate change is a national security issue. - First tweet by Hillary Clinton since Robert Mueller concluded that Russian collusion – which was first alleged by Clinton to explain her 2016 loss – was a hoax
– Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a speech at AIPAC this week, referring to Rep. Ilhan Omar’s controversial tweets slamming the pro-Israel lobby
MORE QUOTES
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019 The The Jewish Jewish Home Home || OCTOBER OCTOBER 29, 29, 2015 2015
103 27
[T]he Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple offers from Russian affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign. – Summary of Robert Mueller’s findings in Attorney General William Barr’s letter to Congress
This is not the end of anything!... There’s so much that, uh, needs to be, you know, taken a look at at this point and so it’s not the end of everything. - Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) to MSNBC’s Joy Reid after the Mueller investigation found that President Trump did not collude with Russia
I think Nixon had shame. It may have not been moral shame, but it was political shame.... He got caught, and he knew it, and he cried, and he left. Trump doesn’t have that faculty. - MSNBC host Chris Matthews digging in his heels after Robert Mueller found that there was no collusion with Russia
Everybody’s talking about March Madness. It’s that exciting time when Americans watch kids play college basketball while gambling away their kids’ college tuition. – Jimmy Fallon
How can they let Trump off the hook? - Ibid.
I will tell you, I love this country. I love this country as much as I can love anything. My family, my country, my G-d, but what they did, it was a false narrative. It was a terrible thing. We can never let this happen to another president again. I can tell you that. I say it very strongly. Very few people I know could have handled it. We can never, ever let this happen to another president again. – President Trump talking about the Mueller report’s conclusion that there was no collusion with Russia
Time to investigate the Obama officials who concocted and spread the Russian conspiracy hoax!
I don’t know what’s happened to them but they are totally anti-Israel. Frankly, I think they’re anti-Jewish. - President Trump in response to a number of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates deciding to skip the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) annual conference in Washington
It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far. I will be retiring from the game of football today. I am so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick gave to me when drafting my silliness in 2010. – New England Patriots’ tight-end Rob Gronkowski, announcing his retirement
My head is officially going to explode. - MSNBC’s Ali Velshi when news broke that Trump-hating lawyer Michael Avenatti was arrested on extortion charges, one day after it was released that there was no Russian collusion
- Tweet by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
Mr. President, I brought you a case of the finest wines from the Golan…. I hope there won’t be any investigations over it! Everybody who watched CNN was shocked by the conclusions of the attorney general. Nobody who watched me was shocked because I’ve been predicting this from day one.
– Prime Minister Netanyahu while handing President Trump wine from the Golan
- Famed attorney Allan Dershowitz on Fox News, after the Mueller report concluded that there was no collusion with Russia
– Jimmy Fallon
Congrats to C-SPAN which turned 40 years old today. So C-SPAN is only 40 years younger than anyone who watches C-SPAN.
MORE QUOTES
104 28
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Trump may have created the environment in which someone like Avenatti could be taken semi-seriously as a presidential candidate. - CNN Chris Cillizza blaming President Trump for the arrest of Trump-hater Michael Avenatti on extortion charges
In January, Beto hit the road, much as his father had done before him, and drew energy from the people he met, and – on one stop in New Mexico he didn’t write about in his blog – by eating New Mexican dirt said to have regenerative powers. He brought some home for the family to eat, too. - From a profile published by The Washington Post last week about Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke
Today is the first day of spring…. I love spring – it’s that special time of year when you go straight from flu season directly into allergy season. – Jimmy Fallon
Ladies and gentlemen, Israel and the United States will always stand together because America and Israel are more than friends. We’re more than partners or allies. My friends, the United States and Israel are family. We’re mishpacha! - Vice President Mike Pence addressing the AIPAC conference
THE MANDEL FAMILY WELCOMES YOU TO BACK AGAIN IN THE BEAUTIFUL POCONO MOUNTAINS Just 2 hours from NY
our 14th exciting year
PESACH 2019 at the
POCONO MANOR RESORT AND SPA
Activities - Indoor Pool - Indoor Tennis - Exclusive Spa - Horseback Riding - Golf - Archery - Basketball - Fishing - And Much More! -
RABBI MOSHE MEIR WEISS
RABBI ELIEZER ABISH
RABBI YEHOSHUA JURAVEL
RABBI ASHER STERN
MICHOEL PRUZANSKY
THE SHNITZEL GUYS
~ Day camp run by Rabbi Shlomo Hyman ~ Rabbi Avi Juravel, Rav ~ Entire hotel Kosher L’Pesach ~ Daf Yomi, many Shiurim and lectures ~ Infant day care and babysitting ~ Amazing teen program ~ Jugglers, clowns, animal shows, and more find us on Chasidishe Shechita, Cholov Yisroel, Non Gebroks, Hand Shmurah Matzo
732.370.7777
www.pesachtime.com
Looking forward to greeting you personally. Your hosts, The Mandel Family
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
6
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
105 29
Political Crossfire
The Losers Running for the Democratic Nomination By Marc A. Thiessen
L
ook at the losers running, or considering a run, for the Democratic presidential nomination. I don’t mean that pejoratively. I mean it literally. Beto O’Rourke’s presidential candidacy is the ultimate expression of the participation trophy culture on the left. It used to be you had to win on the state level before taking the national stage. Barack Obama won a Senate seat from Illinois before immediately declaring his intention to run for president. At the time, that was considered pretty audacious. He hadn’t accomplished anything in the Senate before he decided on a presidential run. But at least he won. O’Rourke lost his race to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., last year. He got a participation trophy. Apparently, he thinks that qualifies him to be the leader of the free world. Well, he must have some accomplishments other than almost winning a Senate seat, right? Not really. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was flummoxed when asked what O’Rourke had accomplished in Congress, saying he “brought a great deal of vitality” to his work “preserving our
planet and protecting our people.” (In fact, O’Rourke passed a single bill, H.R. 5873, which renamed a courthouse in his hometown of El Paso.) Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa was questioned by Ed Henry on Fox News, “What would you say is Beto O’Rourke’s top accomplishment that he brings to the table?” Hinojosa could not name a single one. “I’m not even talking about Congress,” Henry said. “What has he done in his life?” “Your question is meaningless,” Hinojosa replied. So, if O’Rourke hasn’t accomplished anything, he must at least have some clear ideas of what he wants to accomplish in the Oval Office, right? Nope. The Post reports that “unlike candidates such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who launched their campaigns with clearly articulated policy platforms, O’Rourke focuses more on sweeping calls for unity and pitching himself as the best antidote to the country’s toxic politics.” The motivation for his run, apparently, is him. As Vanity Fair’s Joe Hagan explains in a recent profile, O’Rourke “can’t deny the pull of his own gifts.” He tells a
reporter, “Man, I’m just born to be in it.” He’s not the only statewide loser taking the national stage. Stacey Abrams lost the governor’s race in Georgia in 2018, yet national Democrats tapped her to deliver the official rebuttal to the State of the Union – a task normally given to those who actually won their races. And now, The Post reports, she is considering a race for president as well. “I think that I am a skilled communicator,” she said. “I think I’m a very good thinker. No, I know I’m a good thinker. I know I have policy chops. I have foreign policy experience.” Foreign policy experience? She served as minority leader of the state House of Representatives. Her official bio lists her as “former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations” (a temporary membership for young people) as well as “a Council on Italy Fellow, a British-American Project Fellow, a Salzburg Seminar-Freeman Fellow on U.S.-East Asian Relations, a Salzburg Seminar Fellow on youth and civic engagement and a Yukos Fellow for U.S.-Russian Relations.”
That might qualify her for an entry-level job at a left-wing think tank, but it hardly qualifies her to be commander-in-chief. Even O’Rourke can claim experience on the House Armed Services Committee. Democrats point out that President Trump had never won statewide office before running for president. That’s true. But he also had not run for state office and lost. He ran as a successful outsider, not as a failed insider. And unlike O’Rourke, he had actual accomplishments – including a multibillion-dollar real estate empire. This is not to dismiss O’Rourke’s chances. He raised a whopping $6.1 million in his first 24 hours as a candidate, just edging out Sanders’s first day haul of almost $6 million. That is the best of any Democrat running for president so far. As the New York Times noted, “In a single day online, he raised nearly a quarter of what Barack Obama, then a senator, did in the entire first quarter of 2007.” Apparently, Democrats like losers. We’ll soon see if one can win the presidency. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group
74 106
OCTOBER 2015 | The Jewish Home MARCH 28,29, 2019 | The Jewish Home
MUELLER, MUELLER By Susan Schwamm
L
ike Ferris Bueller’s teacher looking for his absent student, “Mueller, Mueller” was all the media spoke about for the past twenty-two months. And where was Robert Mueller? The gangly special prosecutor was holed up in a non-descript office with his “13 angry Democrat” prosecutors (there were actually 19 prosecutors in all, but 13 angry Democrats has a better ring to it), 40 special FBI agents and the weight of the entire U.S. government behind them, locked and loaded to uncover the smoking gun: that Donald Trump, who had a hard time colluding with his own campaign, colluded with Russia to steal the elections from Lock Her Up…I mean, Hillary Clinton. With the media acting as their cheerleaders and even writing loving songs about Mueller (see SNL’s version of “All I want for [the holidays] is Mueller. No, they were not being funny, much as they usually aren’t), he and his team issued over 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, obtained more than 230 orders for communication records, made 13 requests to foreign governments for evidence,
and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses. And what did he come up with? Nothing. That’s right – collusion was a hoax. Not only did he find that collusion was a hoax, but, according to Attorney General William Barr’s summary of the report, Mueller found that Trump campaign officials actually rebuffed “offers by Russian affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.” That’s pretty impressive. Honesty, had I been part of the Trump campaign, I probably would have been like, “How do you want me to pay you? Stolichnaya? Absolut? Smirnoff?” It’s not because I’m a complete buffoon, but there’s precedent for campaigns colluding with Russia. There was once a candidate for president whose name spelled backwards is Notnilc Yrallih. She ran for president in 2016. In order to dig up dirt on her opponent she hired a British spy named Christopher Steele, who had murky Russian government and espionage ties. Steele produced a document filled with salacious lies about how this candidate’s opponent took bribes from
Russians and engaged in nefarious conduct on a previous trip to Russia. In the course of producing this false document, numerous Russians were paid to corroborate Steele’s findings. That document, which became known as the “Steele dossier,” was completely discredited yet it was used as the basis to spy on the campaign of said candidate, Donald J. Trump. And that collusion, by the way, was actually carried out against Trump by the U.S. intelligence agencies. These facts have been borne out by Congressional investigators and by a Justice Department Inspector General’s report. No need to do a $30,000,000 investigation here. But back to Trump. He and his team were dumber in foresight and smarter in hindsight and chose not to collude. Now their decision is being greatly awarded with a political MOAB bomb dropped on the media (i.e. Democrats) this week – that there was no collusion by Trump or his campaign with Russia. Try this at home: with your left thumb and index finger form an L shape. Now lift your pinky as well. Now pump your forearm slightly forward twice while saying, “It’s a hoax. It’s a big hoax. There was no
collusion.” Now that you got that, put on some orange tan spray, a red tie, and you are ready for prime-time. It turns out that Trump was right all along. He never colluded with Russia, or “Russiar,” if you’re still doing the Trump thing. It turns out that Trump had not been a “Russian asset” since 1987 as one MSNBC pundit literally (using the literal definition of the word, not the OAC definition) suggested. Sorry, Hillary, you did it all on your own. You lost on your own wonderful merit. So what was Hillary Clinton’s response to Mueller’s findings? Well, for two days there was blackout silence from her. Then – probably after poll testing “everyday Americans” (she may still have a few left over in her basement from the 2016 campaign) – she issued her first post-Mueller report tweet which said the following: “Two realities we must confront: 1. Climate change won’t just affect the coasts. 2. Climate change is a national security issue.” Huh? What? That’s what’s on your mind right now? I guess when one hoax fails, you can always go back to the mother-
ship of hoaxes. I could just imagine the global warming crowd: “No! Hillary! Get off this raft right now! We have no room for you here!” The truth is, there is a nexus between Russian collusion and global warming. In August 2017, Dan Rather warned on MSNBC that there’s “a political hurricane out there at sea” by the name of “Hurricane Vladimir.” That turned out to be as credible as Al Gore’s global warning prediction twenty years ago that in 12 years we will all be under the sea and that the glaciers in Greenland will have melted. (By the way, a NASA study just found that a key glacier that had been shrinking is, in fact, growing again. Winning! And, no, I am not sick of it!) Talking about the global warming thing, the Russian collusion hoax was not good for the environment. According to Axios, since the special counsel’s investigation was launched in May 2017, there were
more than 530,000 articles written about Russian collusion. And that’s a lot of trees. Granted many of them were
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
75
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
107
along with a cold drink. Imagine it: those resisters used straws – that’s 530,000 straws used. Can you even fathom how bad that is for the en-
NOW PUMP YOUR FOREARM SLIGHTLY FORWARD TWICE WHILE SAYING, “IT’S A HOAX. IT’S A BIG HOAX. THERE WAS NO COLLUSION.” web-based and did not require the chopping down of foliage, but I’m sure that the “resisters” who read these articles savored them
vironment? And how about all of the verbal flatulence that has been emitted into the environment over the past two-
and-a-half years, like “Impeach 45! Impeach 45!” which has been emitted by Rep Maxine Waters anytime she could find a minyan of resisters with cardboard signs. Or how about House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) who forever has been declaring that he has seen “clear evidence of collusion.” And, of course, there is Sen. Elizabeth Warren who claimed that Trump would be escorted out of the White House in handcuffs. In the spirit of the Green New Deal and the goal of getting rid of all airplanes, I have an idea: we should give each of these fools a plane and give them a one-way trip to a destination of their choosing. It will get rid of planes and get rid of these emitters. And, now that collusion is dead, CNN can go back to talking about what they had been reporting on all day long before this hoax came up – missing planes in the Bermuda Triangle.
108 4
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Political Crossfire
Were You Relieved or Disappointed with the Mueller Findings? Be Honest By Marc A. Thiessen
A
sk yourself this simple question: When you heard the news that special counsel Robert Mueller concluded that President Trump had not engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia, were you relieved or disappointed? Be honest. If the answer is the latter, then it’s time for a little introspection. Every American should be thankful that, as Attorney General William Barr explained in his letter to Congress, “the Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government ... despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.” It would have been devastating for our country if the president of the United States had engaged in a
criminal conspiracy with a foreign power to undermine our democracy. Mueller’s finding that he didn’t should be cause for celebration by Trump supporters and opponents alike. You do not have to believe
Democratic presidential wannabes were hoping Mueller would find evidence the president had conspired with Russia. Some were almost salivating in anticipation of the Mueller report. In February, Sen. Elizabeth
You do not have to believe Trump is a good president to know it is good that the president did not betray the country.
Trump is a good president to know that it is good that the president did not betray the country. But the sad truth is that many
Warren, D-Mass., crowed that “by the time we get to 2020, Donald Trump may not even be president. In fact, he may not even be a free
person.” Last month, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., tweeted, “A campaign for President of the United States should never be in the business of scheming with foreign adversaries to tamper with our elections.” And just this Saturday (one day after Mueller delivered his report exonerating Trump!), Beto O’Rourke assured us that “you have a president who, in my opinion, beyond a shadow of a doubt, sought to, however ham-handedly, collude with the Russian government, a foreign power, to undermine and influence our elections.” No, he didn’t. As Barr notes, the special counsel “issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, obtained more than 230 orders for communication records, issued almost 50 orders authorizing use of pen registers, made 13 requests to foreign governments
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
for evidence, and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses.” Mueller found no evidence of conspiracy or even coordination with Russia. Thank G-d. It is understandable that Trump believes the Mueller investigation should never have happened. But the probe may end up being the best thing that ever happened to him. If even career prosecutors in his own Justice Department had cleared Trump of conspiracy charges, Democrats would never have accepted their conclusions. But after embracing Mueller – even launching a campaign to pass legislation “protecting” him from being fired by Trump – Democrats now will look ridiculous if they refuse to accept his determination that there was no Trump-Russia conspiracy. Moreover, keep in mind that Mueller was not simply investigating Trump; he was also investigating the Russian government. He exonerated Trump but not Vladimir Putin. Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies on charges of conspiracy and identity theft. There was a conspiracy to influence the 2016 elections. Trump just wasn’t a part of it. With the collusion fallacy behind us, Republicans and Democrats should be working together to address that ongoing threat. As the U.S. intelligence community declared in a January 2017 report, “We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its campaign aimed at the U.S. presidential election to future influence efforts in the United States.” But instead of focusing on countering those efforts, Democrats seem to want to continue spending their time on Trump. On Sunday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., stood by his claim that there is “significant evidence of collusion” and said he plans more hearings. Those who continue to push the false collusion narrative are the ones inadvertently assisting Russia. The intelligence community report noted that Russia’s objectives in 2016 included undermining “public faith in the U.S. democratic process ... faith in the U.S. Government and fuel[ing] political protest.” In
this sense, it worked like a charm. Instead of helping Russia further divide us, we should be uniting to push back against Moscow’s continued efforts to interfere in our democratic process as the 2020 elections approach.
For the past two years, the Mueller probe has hung like a cloud over Trump’s presidency. Instead of the presumption of innocence, Democrats and many in the media have presumed his guilt. Trump said over 200 times that there was “no
109 5
collusion.” He was mocked. But it turns out he was right the whole time. And if you don’t think that’s good news, you are part of the problem. (c) 2019, Washington Post Writers Group
110 32
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Forgotten Her es
Invisible Ink, Stink Bombs & Hidden Knives Spies’ Tools of the Trade By Avi Heiligman Coal bomb
G
eorge Washington hired spies during the Revolutionary War. Throughout American history, there have been several organizations whose mission was to spy on enemies of our nation. The OSS was the cloak and dagger unit for the U.S. during World War II and became the CIA in 1947. Their missions used a variety of tools ranging from disappearing ink to ingenious concealment devices. TV and movies have made the public believe that these devices are purely fiction: however, a deeper look into the history books will tell the reader otherwise. Here is a selection of the “weapons” that have been used by spies since the Revolutionary War to help them successfully complete their missions behind enemy lines. Disappearing ink and other methods used to hide messages were used during the Revolutionary War to fool the British. While the use of invisible ink has been dated to the ancient Greeks over 2,500 years ago, American founding father Dr. James Jay invented a chemical formula that was used by Washington’s spies in an unsuspecting manner. Letters with friendly content had the invisible ink applied to them with secret information and the person receiving it would be able read it by applying Jay’s formula to the paper. During World War I, lemon juice was used, and phenolphthalein was used during World War II to hide secret con-
tent in unassuming letters. Bullets were hollowed out during the Revolutionary War to hide messages, and members of the Culper Spy Ring would use common items like clothes on a clothesline to send messages. Civil War spies did not regularly employ sophisticated tools. Rather, they used methods used by the regular army to spy on the enemy. For example, telegraph wires were an integral part of the communication system between the front lines and headquarters. Spies figured out ways to tap these wires and “steal” the messages. Another method employed was the use of field glasses or early versions of binoculars. These glasses gave the spy a better view of enemy positions. Spies also used flags to relay their messages to friendly forces. Hot air balloons came into use during the war on both sides to spy on troop movements. To code their messages, cipher disks were used by Confederate spies. It would have been simple to crack if the language in which the code was written was known to the Union codebreakers. Carrying a gun was a dead giveaway to the enemy that someone was a spy. Small guns that could only shoot one bullet were invented so that they could be hidden away in tiny spaces. The Liberator pistol was developed during World War II to be used behind enemy lines by resistance movements.
OSS operators had many tricks in their toolbags to fool the enemy. Coal torpedoes or grenades got their start in the South during the Civil War. These are hollowed out metal castings filled with explosives and covered with coal dust to look like a regular lump of coal. However, when put into a boiler, the device would explode, causing damage to the engine. During World War II saboteurs would place them on trains which caused a lot of damage to the Nazis who relied heavily on railroads. Stink bombs became popular for use against German and Japanese targets. Called Who Me?, the substance would be placed on the target’s clothing, causing a stench. The Americans developed the idea further by placing the stink bombs in a tube and used them in the Far East. Japanese officials were always concerned about dignity, and this stench caused them much shame. To add to the ruse, it was later discovered that OSS agents handed the tubes to children who were above suspicion. Concealment devices were the bread and butter of OSS agents. These included hiding maps in playing cards or microfilm hidden in hollowed-out coat buttons. This method was ingenious because if caught, Gestapo agents would turn the button looking for anything concealed. What they didn’t expect was that the OSS personnel would sew the button on using a left-hander.
This way, the Nazis would only tighten the button if it was twisted. Pens were another favorite of the OSS. The pen pistol was a onetime-use mechanism. Hiding a knife in a pen saved the life of at least one OSS agent. The story goes that the agent was captured and was sitting with his hands tied next to a Gestapo officer in the backseat of a vehicle. The driver stopped for minute at the side of a lonely road to go about his business while the Nazi dozed off. The OSS agent had been searched earlier but the pen that had been in his pocket was not taken away as there was no reason to suspect that it contained a hidden knife. He carefully maneuvered his hands and removed the knife. Quickly, he cut the ropes binding his hands and slit the neck of the Gestapo officer. While he was running towards the nearby woods, he was shot at and hit in the leg. However, that did not stop him, and he was able to make his way to freedom. The famous camera producers, Eastman Kodak Company, manufactured a camera that looked like a regular box of matches. The company also produced the BEANO grenade in the size and roughly the shape of a baseball. It utilized a pressure trigger and would arm itself in flight. Caltrops were another bright idea used by OSS agents. It is a spiked metal device thrown on the ground to impede wheeled vehicles. There were four spikes on the device
The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
A hollow silver dollar used to transport film or messages
A mirror with secret codes
A spy shoe with a heel transmitter
so no matter how it was thrown, one of the spikes would land facing upwards. It was used to great effect against Japanese planes in the Pacific Theater of Operations. OSS agents also used high tech items (high tech for the 1940s, of course). Limpet mines with time delay fuses could be attached to enemy ships.
Stories abound how these mines were used to great effect in sinking Japanese ships including several in Singapore Harbor. Cigarette cases were also produced to explode upon opening by the unsuspecting enemy who thought they had found a random pack of cigarettes. These are just some of the tools used by spies, saboteurs, and agents
in American history. Spy museums around the country have many of these tools and devices on display. Some are even available to the public, including Liberator pistols and caltrops, although the author suggests that these items should be handled by professionals only. Seeing these items displayed and reading about their uses are great ways
33 111
to learn how spies can greatly affect the outcome of a battle or a war.
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.
112
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Schedule your free and easy pick up TODAY! e info@pickpurple.org w www.pickpurple.org We now accept clothing, shoes, accessories, linen and towels in usable condition
201.47.purple
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
113
Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003
SERVICES
SERVICES
HOUSES FOR SALE
A to Z Home Inspections Shomer Shabbat Specializing in 1st time home buyers! Selling? Pre-Listing Inspections For all you Home Inspection needs CALL Arie 631-896-9307
MOONBOUNCE FOR RENT $100/day Holds up to 500lbs. Perfect fun for ages 3-8 Call or text 516-220-0616 to reserve your date
WOODMERE 3BR, 2Bth, Ranch, LV,DR, fire place, EIK, Florida room, bsmt w/ sauna , Garage, Prime Edward ave location, SD 15, low taxes ....715K Appointment by owner 516-319-7149
Yoga & Licensed Massage Therapy Peaceful Presence Studio 436 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst Separate men/women Group/private sessions Gift Cards Available www. Peacefulpresence.com 516 -371 -3715 Alternative Solutions Geriatric Care Management staff will assist you with: * Obtaining Medicaid and Pooled Income Trust * In-home Assessments, Individual and Family Counseling * Securing reliable home care assistance * Case and Care Management services Dr. S. Sasson, DSW, LCSW (718) 544- 0870 or (646) 284-6242
GERBER MOVING FULL SERVICE MOVING Packing Moving Supplies Local Long Distance Licensed Insured 1000’S Of Happy Customers Call Shalom 347-276-7422 HAIR COURSE Learn how to wash & style hair & wigs Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009 SHALOM HANDYMAN Plumbing, heating, boiler, installation, sewer, locks, dryer vent cleaning and more… CALL 917-217-3676
HOUSES FOR SALE CAN’T AFFORD YOUR PROPERTY TAXES? MORTGAGE? Must sell for any reason? Call for FREE Consultation. Call now 212-470-3856 Cash buyers available!
BAYSWATER 4 Bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Kosher Kitchen, DR/LR, Closets, Porch Call 516-206-2005 for more info www.AllGoingRealty.com GoingRealty@gmail.com PRICE REDUCED: Sprawling 4BR, 4BA Exp-Ranch, Oversized Rooms, LR W/Fplc, Formal Dining Rm, Large Den, Master Suite, Full Finished Basement, Storage Room & Office, Deck, Fabulous Property…$1.078M Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
Don’t Get Stuck With a Two Story House Ya Know, It’s One Story Before You Buy It But a Second Story After You Own It! Call Dov Herman For An Accurate Unbiased Home Inspection Infrared - Termite Inspection Full Report All Included NYC 718-INSPECT Long Island 516-INSPECT www.nyinspect.com
NORTH WOODMERE Beautiful spacious 4 bedroom colonial, finished basement, in ground pool, close to all. $879,000 Call 516-924-2971
CEDARHURST
WOODMERE
SBrahort & long space term stunning Brand new office in the heart new office space. Can be built to of Cedarhurst with parking suit. All utilities included All Amenities. $5000/month Call included. Single offices or suites Raizie 123456(917)903-1778 testing available. Prices start at $1,475/m. Call Raizie (917) 903-1778
New Exclusive! Free standing
Freebuilding standing building perfect for perfecf;fnfflknflfnfkgnfdlkgfdnklg preschool, therapist or doctor's fdlkgt for preschool, therapist or doctor's office. $899kParking Call Miri office. Great location! on (646)515-8813 premises. $899K Call Miri (646) 515-8813
Get a location that strengthens your business. Let Miller show you the ideal commercial property for your unique needs.
HIGH-TECH EXECUTIVE & MEDICAL SUITES PRIME LOCATION RETAIL SPACE PARKING / TRANSIT / STOREFRONT
STORAGE & WAREHOUSE
Put the power of Miller to work for you today.
516.374.4100 www.ftmr.com COMMERCIAL • LEASING • SALES
114
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Classifieds COMMERCIAL RE EAST ROCKAWAY: Retail Stores on Busy Corner, 1000SF& Up Available, Great High Visibility Location, For Lease… Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 CEDARHURST 500-3,500 +/- SF Beautiful, newly renovated space for rent. Ideal for Retail or Executive offices. Prime location. Convenient Parking. Sam @516-612-2433 or 718-747-8080 INWOOD OFFICE SPACE LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! 500-7000 Square feet gorgeous office space with WATERVIEW in Inwood! Lots of options. Tons of parking. Will divide and customize space for your needs! Call 516-567-0100 ROCKVILLE CENTRE Flex Office Space / Light Warehousing 3650 S/F - Ready for move in. Competitively priced Ideal Location / Walk To LIRR & bus Bank, Shopping, City Center. 917-822-0499
COMMERCIAL RE SF MEDICAL OFFICE SPACE Available, Reception Area, Waiting Room, Kitchenette, 2 Consult, 4 Exam Rooms, 2 Bathrooms, 30 Car On-Site Parking, For Lease … Call Ian for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com 5 TOWNS: LOOKING FOR: Restaurateurs & Professionals!!! Orthoptists, Podiatrists, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Dentists, or Obstetrician/Gynecologists. Spaces Available in Cedarhurst, Hewlett, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, Valley Stream area. For Lease... Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 INWOOD 10,000 sq ft brick building. Offices and warehouse. High ceilings. Asking $16/foot. Owner: 516-206-1100 mark@mbequitygroup.com WOODMERE: BEST BUY Spacious 2BR Apartment, Washer/Dryer In Bldg, Elevator Bldg, Open Floor Plan, 1st Floor, Close To All...$199K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
APT FOR RENT
COMMERCIAL RE ROCKVILLE CENTRE Light Warehousing/Flex office space 8150 S/F - Built in Offices with Large Windows - 11' Ceiling clearance Indoor Loading Dock. Ideal Location / Walk To LIRR & Bus - Bank, Shopping, City Center. 917-822-0499
APT FOR RENT BAYSWATER FOR RENT 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Kosher kitchen, DR/LR, Closets, driveway, Close to all www.AllGoingRealty.Com GoingRealty@gmail.com FOR RENT BY OWNER, NO BROKERAGE INVOLVED Far Rockaway - ground floor apartment 2 family house near Darchei 3 bedrooms plus playroom in basement, large backyard washer dryer hookup - 1.5 bathrooms $2,100.00 718 471-4502 FAR ROCKAWAY BASEMENT ROOM FOR RENT IDEAL FOR DORM OR OFFICE 718-327-8007
FOR RENT BY OWNER NO BROKERAGE INVOLVED. Beautiful, spacious 3 bedroom 2 bathroom, 2nd floor apt. for rent. Newly renovated, brand new stainless steel appliances, washer-dryer hookup. Located in Far Rockaway near many shuls/yeshivas. Near LIRR. For all inquiries, please call (718) 327-7889.
HELP WANTED DRIVER FOR QUEENS DRY CLEANER ROUTE. Options to drive Tuesday am/ Thursday pm. Also hours available Monday am , Tue am and pm, Wed am and pm and Friday pm. Must have own car. Use of company van part time. Competitive salary. Contact Marc for info 917-612-2300 SEEKING LANGUAGE ARTS AND SCIENCE TEACHER FOR JR. HIGH BOYS' YESHIVA FOR SEPTEMBER. Warm, enthusiastic, supportive environment. Competitive salary. Please email resume to rlswia@aol.com or call 917-742-8909.
How Many Times Have You Thought Or Heard? "My buyers aren't serious but they're all I've got" "I can't get my sellers to lower their price" "I spend time in the office but I really don't know what to do" "I'm close to getting a few listings but I really can't close them"
We Can Help
NOW HIRING
AT OUR NEWEST LYNBROOK LOCATION We are currently looking to assemble a team of committed experienced agents who feel stuck in their business but are committed to doing whatever it takes. Sit down and talk to us. You have absolutely Nothing To Lose. All contacts will be completely confidential.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: CHRISTOPHER KAUFMAN 516.641.8628
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
Classifieds HELP WANTED YESHIVA DARCHEI TORAH Middle School is hiring secular studies teachers for the Fall semester in all secular subjects; excellent working environment and salary; Monday-Thursday, 2:30-5:30 PM. Interviews are being held now. Candidates should have prior teaching experience. Please send resume to mhorowitz@darchei.org
SEEKING A 1ST GRADE TEACHER FOR BOYS' YESHIVA. Experience and Masters degree preferred. Competitive salary, warm supportive environment. Monday-Thursday 1:30-4:30. Please email resume to rlswia@aol.com or call 917-742-8909.
HELP WANTED OFFICE MANAGER Do you have good organizational skills? Office Manager position available at local school. Responsibilities: work with vendors, coordinate staff schedules, manage schedules, etc. Must have good computer and communication skills. Great pay and work environment. Email resume to manager5towns@gmail.com \REGISTERED NURSE openings to work with adults who have developmental disabilities within residential settings in Brooklyn, Manhattan, or Long Island. Current NYS RN, min 2 years hospital experience. OHEL: 855-OHEL JOB www.ohelfamily.org/careers
ABA POSITIONS AVAILABLE We are looking to hire experienced male ABA therapists in Far Rockaway. Experience with Special Needs population and/or education is a must! Please contact Ruchy at 718-360-9548 X112 or email ruchy@appliedabc.com MILLER COMMERCIAL 680CENTRAL 5X3.qxp_2018 11/26/18 3:32 PM Page 1
115
116
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
Classifieds HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
GRAPHIC DESIGNER WANTED For A Part- Time Position Must Have A Few Years Experience. Must be experience on MAC Must know well: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and In Design References Mandatory, Must be able to work in office in Brooklyn! Please call Mr. Schwartz (718) 377-8016 E-mail your Resume with samples of your work to GRAPHICDESIGNER613@GMAIL.COM
ASSISTANTS NEEDED FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AFTERNOON SESSION. Email: fivetownseducators@gmail.com
CATAPULT LEARNING Teachers, Title I Boro Park, Williamsburg and Flatbush Schools *College/Yeshiva Degree *Teaching experience required *Strong desire to help children learn *Small group instruction *Excellent organization skills Competitive salary Send resume to: Fax: (212) 480-3691 ~ Email: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com Due to continued growth, the Yeshiva of South Shore is seeking Elementary School Teachers. Cert/Exp required. Please forward resume to monika@yoss.org Seeking full time PHYSICAL THERAPIST for Special Education school located in Brooklyn. Experienced preferred. Competitive salary. Room for growth. resumes@yadyisroelschool.org
SHULAMITH EARLY CHILDHOOD is looking to hire a full time teacher assistant for the current school year. Please email resume to earlychildhood@shulamith.org 5 TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA SEEKING Elem Gen Ed Teachers. Excellent working environment and pay. Only lic/exp need apply. Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com Seeking full time OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST for Special Education school located in Brooklyn. Experienced preferred. Competitive salary. Room for growth. resumes@yadyisroelschool.org BAIS YAAKOV IN FAR ROCKAWAY is seeking a fifth grade Limudei Kodesh teacher to start immediately. Please email resume to teachingposition1@gmail.com
MISC
Avi Dubin
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
C: (516) 343-6891 | O: (516) 997-9000
adubin413@gmail.com
woodmere new exclusive
old woodmere new exclusive
open house • March 31 11-1 • 840 Moore 5 BR, 3 Full Bath, Completely update, Kosher Eik, Cac, Gas Heatimg, Large Den, Large Playroom, Low Taxes 6,577. $799K
Cape Cod style home in Old Woodmere. 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms in beautiful condition with a massive yard on a quiet street. CAC, gas heating, brand new windows and siding. $735K LOW TAXES
woodmere
cedarhurst price reduced
new! A well-kept 3br split-style home with a potential for a 4th, 2.5Bath, CAC, 3-zone heating, brand new EIK with quartz and backsplash, Academy area $699K
Exp 5 BR ranch, 60x100 lot. Grnte/wd EIK, SS appl. Hdwd flrs, natural light. Lg closets, walk in attic, built-in shelving in hall, attached grg, deck. 2 br upstairs diviseable, well kept bckyd. New win, new bthrm, walk to shuls. Location!! $659K
woodmere
woodmere
sold! A spacious s/h col w/ close to 3,000sqft of living space, 5br, 3.5bths, new siding and roof, hot location!! Near Aish Kodesh and Yeshivah Gedolah $949K
4br s/h col, country feel, lg prop w/ low taxes. 2.5bths, hdwd flrs, new roof, siding, win, new boilr, ht wtr tnk. Gas heating, CAC, new bth/br, lg fin bsmnt, fenced yd, ing sprinklrs, fpl, 2car grge, patio, skylites, frnt prch, alrms, location! $839K
GOING TO VIRGINIA BEACH FOR PESACH? Looking to form a group interested in sending a truck from Brooklyn. Contact: pesachvb2019@gmail.com
IT’S TIME TO WORK WITH AN
Reach Your Target Market
Classifieds
EXTRAORDINARY TEAM WE’RE NOT JUST A COMPANY, WE’RE A FAMILY! Be part of a growing family, Be a DRIVEN REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON We are here to make you stand out from the crowd – and make you unstoppable!
CONTACT US TODAY FOR MORE INFO.
NADAV KAUDERER BROKER/OWNER nadav@c21kr.com
287 BURNSIDE AVE, LAWRENCE NEW YORK, 11559 516-837-7558 WWW.C21KR.COM CENTURY 21® and the CENTURY 21 Logo are service marks owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC. Century 21 Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
Your
117 15
Money
AP Fraud By Allan Rolnick, CPA
E
arly on a Tuesday morning, FBI agents fan out across the country to arrest dozens of people in six states on racketeering charges and other offenses. The next Gambino family mob “rollup”? No, it’s “Operation Varsity Blues” — the newest celebrity scandal, featuring CEOs and Hollywood stars bribing their children’s way into competitive colleges! And, like with most good scandals, there’s a tax angle lurking underneath the juicy gossip. Some of our most successful CEOs never finished college. The list includes Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Russell Simmons, and dozens more. Astonishingly, millions of Americans manage to find happiness and success in life without ever going to college at all! But competition for spots at top schools grows ever more intense (Stanford University’s acceptance rate is down to one out of twenty.) That’s forced striving students to up their game…so is it any surprise their striving helicopter parents are upping their game, too? This week’s story starts with a former teacher named William Singer, who established a college counseling business called “The Key” and a nonprofit called Key Worldwide Foundation. The Key may have
been a legitimate-enough service for affluent families who wanted a regular dose of rigging the system. But parents who were willing to pay for VIP-level rigging could make “charitable” contributions to the foundation, which Singer used to bribe test administrators and college coaches. Singer bragged that he had helped 761 families open what he called a “side door” into top schools. In one case, actress Felicity Huff-
as rowing team recruits at USC. Of course, neither girl would recognize a scull if you knocked her over the head with it. (Loughlin is free on $1 million bail – bigger bribe = bigger bail.) Both families should probably tell their accountants to expect correspondence from the IRS about those bogus charitable deductions. Ironically, the Tax Code includes plenty of legitimate breaks for financing college costs. Scholarships
That's typical for federal prosecutors, who don't bring charges until they have a stack of evidence tall enough to stand on and change a lightbulb.
man shamelessly “donated” $15,000 to Singer’s foundation to doctor her daughter’s SAT results. (Huffman is currently free on $250,000 bail.) In another, Lori Loughlin, who played Aunt Becky in the critically-acclaimed drama “Fuller House,” paid $500,000 to market daughters
and fellowships are generally taxfree. There’s the American Opportunity Credit, the Lifetime Learning Credit, and an above-the-line deduction for student loan interest. The problem, of course, is that none of those breaks help you get in to that pricey school in the first place!
(You can’t even deduct your kids’ SAT test-prep fees.) As for Singer, he’s been cooperating with feds since September. He pled guilty just hours after the story broke, and it looks like the Justice Department has all the receipts they need to lock down more convictions. That’s typical for federal prosecutors, who don’t bring charges until they have a stack of evidence tall enough to stand on and change a lightbulb. Coaches and even some of the parents have been fired, too. So, how hard are you working to get your kids into college? It used to be enough just to schlep them from soccer games to violin lessons to testprep classes. Now you’ve got to start committing felonies, too? Are you sure Olde Ivy is really worth it? Fortunately, you don’t have to commit any crimes to put smart tax planning to work to pay for it, wherever they go. You just need a plan. Make sure you have one before you’re ready to ship the kids off to school, so you’ll have enough money to throw a party when they graduate! 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.
118 42
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Life C ach
Cry Me to the Moon By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC
W
hen you are a little person, you cry a lot. In fact, a big part of the day is crying out loud and unabashedly. When you are a little person, you run, not walk, to do all your activities. When you are a little person, you show your emotions readily. What happens to that “you”? Where do you go? You get bigger! Then you often walk, or even drag, to do activities. You start to hide a lot of your emotions. And even if you let yourself cry, it’s often on the inside or in private. Which “you” is the better you? Is it so great to get to a state where you move through life much slower and are more inhibited? When you can’t share what’s going on inside of you, so you blame everything on the outside? What’s so great about being an adult?! Sure, you may seem easier to have around at times. You’re less noisy, more grounded, and somewhat less emotionally volatile. But
you’re also so much less transparent. People have to figure out when you are upset. People have to eke out whether you’re feeling enthusiastic. And people are often confused about what you are feeling. In fact, you’re even confused yourself! So, let’s not summarily dismiss the strengths of being under three.
set, they cry. Not like us adults who bury or hide it. When a baby is excited, they run. Not like us, who find little to get so excited about. And when they feel something, they show it. They are not like many adults who are out of touch with their feelings!
Let's not summarily dismiss the strengths of being under three.
Sure, we tend to think older than three is better. You know, you’re toilet trained or eating more on your own. And you can certainly express yourself more clearly. But is it truly better? I like clarity. When a baby is up-
So, as Pirkei Avos teaches, “Who is wise? He who learns from every person.” So stop thinking about how difficult babies can be and learn from how candid they can be. People definitely have an easier time knowing that a baby is going
through something because of this simple transparency, and so they can work to meet their baby’s needs. As you get older, if you have something that needs fixing or have needs that need to be met, don’t keep your family and friends guessing. Of course, you don’t have to sob so the whole block hears you. However, you can try to tap into that once available, now repressed, three-year-old strength and try to access, for your benefit and those around you, a little more of your original gift for emotional honesty. Rather than living in a reactive mode to an underlying feeling just say, I feel sad, or frustrated, or misunderstood. That was easy, right? And then hopefully the people around you can run enthusiastically to respond because they can hear your cry.
Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-7052004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.
The Jewish Home | MARCH 28, 2019
119
120
MARCH 28, 2019 | The Jewish Home
ing in all of ic r p y a d y r e Best ev g Island! n o L & s n e e Brooklyn, Qu AY!
(
Free Parking
VERY D E S T C U D O R NEW P
TM
much
Over 150 Spaces!
More for Less
Prices Good Sunday, March 31st through Friday, April 5th, 2019
Lieber’s Potato Starch
79¢
KFP
1
KFP
1
$ 69 28 oz KFP
1
$ 49 10.5 oz
Interna�onal Spices
5
3/$
4
$ 99 16 oz
Corrugated Plastic Counter Covers
Shelving Paper 13” X 16 Yards 24” X 8 Yards
2X4
1
4
$ 79
$ 99 $ 99 $ 99 KoSure Shredded Cheese
Oneg Chocolate Chips
KFP
Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Paprika, Cinnamon
5
5
KFP
Yehuda Whole Wheat Matzo
1
$ 49 1 Liter
9
Schmerling KFP Rosemarie Chocolate Bars
$ 99 3.5 oz
Extra Virgin or Extra Light
2X6
4
$ 59 96 oz
Assorted
Season Olive Oil
4X6
Solid White KFP Tuna in Water
$ 49 5 oz
17.3 oz
Rokeach Ketchup
Lieber’s KFP Cottonseed or Vegetable Oil
KFP
7
Chobani Greek Yogurts Except Flips
10
$ 49 2 LB
10/$
Macabee Pizza Bagels 18 Pack
8
$ 99
9 oz
Avenue A Flour Refrigerator All Purpose or Unbleached Liners
1
$ 992 Pack 5 LB
59¢
Avenue A Flour All Purpose or Unbleached Friendship Cottage $ 99Cheese 5 LB
1
Assorted
1
$ 99 16 oz
5.3 oz
Green Giant Corn on the Cobb
Marino’s Italian Ices All Flavors 6 Pack
12 Pack
1
3
$ 99
$ 99
Minute Roast
LB
$ 89 LB
Top of the Rib
Sweet Honeydew
Macintosh Apples
Green Scallions
Chicken Bones
89¢ 5
79¢
Klein’s Chocolate Raisins
5
$ 49
14 oz
5
5
2/$
KFP
Tuna Steak
9
KFP
$ 99 LB
2
5/$
LB
$ 99 LB
5 Sec�on Se’uda Shlishis Pla�er
1999
$
LB
Keilim Mikveh on Premises | Pre-Shabbos Buffet Every Thursday & Friday! Savings Plaza | 11 Lawrence Lane, Lawrence, NY | (516) 371-6200 | info@kolsavemarket.com | /kolsavemarket Hours: Sunday-Tuesday: 9am-7pm | Wednesday: 9am-10pm | Thursday: 9am-11pm | Friday: 8am-�ll 2 hours before Shabbos We reserve the right to limit quan��es. No rain checks. Not responsible for typographical errors.