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May 7, 2020

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Dear Readers,

other’s Day is Sunday. Over the past few weeks, I know that many men have gained a deeper appreciation for their wives and mothers as they’ve seen firsthand – sometimes 24/7 – how much effort, patience, empathy, thoughtfulness, stamina, juggling, and nurturing go into being a mother. They’ve seen us answer work emails and work calls while we help our children with schoolwork, put up supper, throw in a load of laundry, soothe a baby, and fix Zoom connection issues. This year (and maybe every year), Mother’s Day should be marked every day on the calendar. But Hallmark has other days to commemorate so mothers are officially celebrated only one Sunday in May. Although restaurants are closed and many flower shops are shuttered this year, there are many ways to celebrate Mom! Make sure to pick up the phone to let her know how important she is to you and how much you appreciate her. We asked several of our readers to submit lessons they’ve learned from their mothers along with words of appreciation for their moms. Reading through the submissions was inspiring. Every one of these mothers imparted wonderful life lessons to their children throughout the years, whether it was consciously or subconsciously. They’ve inspired their children to

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be more patient, loving, organized human beings. They’ve encouraged their children to become more successful, happier individuals. They’ve taught them to lead more well-rounded, fulfilled lives. In most languages, the word “mother” begins with an M, which in Hebrew is a mem, which means “from.” Children don’t just physically come from their mothers – so much of children’s habits and middos come from their mothers. During these times, our children are around us almost all the time. They are seeing us digging deep into our reserves and displaying extra doses of patience, extra smiles, extra love and care – and they’re learning valuable lessons from the qualities that we’re demonstrating. There’s a famous poem, “Little Eyes Upon You,” that highlights this point. It begins: “There are little eyes upon you, and they’re watching night and day. There are little ears that quickly take in every word you say.” The poem ends poignantly: “You are setting an example every day in all you do, for the little girl who’s waiting to grow up to be like you.” Wishing all the mothers out there a wonderful Mother’s Day! We appreciate all that you do each and every day. Shoshana

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Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COMMUNITY 8

Readers’ Poll Community Happenings

NEWS Global

National

Odd-but-True Stories

ISRAEL

Israel News

World Builders

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

The Kohein Within by Rav Moshe Weinberger

Parsha in Four by Eytan Kobre

The Five Stages of Faith by Shmuel Reichman

PEOPLE My Special Sister Shelley by Rabbi Yehoshua Kurland

Hospital Ships by Avi Heiligman

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

Eating Your Way to Clearer Skin by Aliza Beer, MS RD

FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Mother’s Day with Mum

LIFESTYLES Why You MUST Shop Local (If You Can) 64 An Ode to Moms

Dear Editor, A reader last week wrote that she looks for the “silver lining” in her situation to lift her spirits. I was thinking about what she said, and I agree. The only way to push past the situation – and any tough situation – is to look for the good in life. I tell my children every day that they should thank Hashem for one specific thing in the morning when they wake up. It could be thanking Him for the sun that’s shining or thanking Him that they woke up on time. And then, when they go to sleep, I ask them to look back on their day and thank Hashem for another specific thing that happened to them. I believe that by having my children – and myself! – look for the good throughout our days from morning until night we have become happier people. A Reader Dear Editor, Yesterday, a friend sent me this mind-boggling statistic: Israel has a population of 8.6 million with 215 coronavirus deaths. New York City has a population of 8.4 million with 12,774 deaths. New Yorkers must question Dr. Howard Zucker, the state’s health commissioner, who had previously served as assistant director-general at the World Health Organization (W.H.O). According to his online bio, Dr. Zucker had a previous role as first deputy commissioner, where he worked on the state health depart-

ment’s preparedness and response initiatives in natural disasters and emergencies. Dr. Zucker had previous experience as a White House Fellow during 9/11, under then-U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Tommy Thompson. Given Dr. Zucker’s extensive background, access to health experts, and experience at the W.H.O., one must ask what Zucker knew about the coronavirus during the months from December 2019 to March 2020. Why did Dr. Zucker mention a surge of flu cases in December as part of a January 9 news release, but did not mention the coronavirus until March 2? Why did every single New York State Health Department news release omit references to China and other countries until January 24? In the January 24 news release, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “I want to assure New Yorkers that we are prepared.” How exactly was New York state prepared for a disaster? In the same news release, Dr. Zucker said, “This virus is being carefully monitored at federal, state and city levels to ensure the public’s health and safety, and while awareness is important, the current risk to New Yorkers is low.” Really? A surge in flu cases in December and now the risk to New Yorkers is low? As far back as January 3, the news release from the state’s health department says the latest influenza surveillance report shows another sharp increase in flu cases and flu-associated hospitalizaContinued on page 10

Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer 68 Mann, LCSW

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The Dating Challenge by Rivki D. Rosen87 wald Esq., CLC, SDS

HUMOR Centerfold 50 On the Lighter Side

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE The Virus Might Not be Such a Winner for Biden by Marc A. Thiessen 80 CLASSIFIEDS

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public of the first case of the coronavirus in New York State, adding, “There is no reason for undue anxiety — the general risk remains low in New York.” Approximately 8 weeks later, this turns out to be completely absurd as over 18,000 New Yorkers have died and over 300,000 New Yorkers have been infected. Wouldn’t Dr. Zucker have access to a presumably long list of contacts of health experts within the Center for Disease Control (C.D.C), the W.H.O., and medical institutions, hospitals and research centers around the world? Did he discuss the situation anyone at the federal, state, or city levels? What exactly did he know and did he fail to disclose information either to Governor Cuomo, or to other health officials or the general public? There are numerous questions that must be answered. Just as our free press asks questions at the federal level, questions must be directed to New York State officials. New Yorkers deserve to know the truth. Michael J. Weinstein Dear Editor, Please wear a mask or face covering when you go outside. Even if you are following social distancing, it can’t hurt to have extra protection against Covid-19. Let’s be machmir when it relates our health. A Concerned Neighbor

Continued from page 8

tions, that lab-confirmed influenza was up 34 percent from the previous week. Might this have been the actual beginnings of the coronavirus in New York? Was the state’s health commissioner reaching out to hospitals to make sure they were prepared for this “surge”? Any records of phone calls or emails sent. According to the April 12 edition of The New York

Times, U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar II directly warned President Trump of the possibility of a pandemic during a January 30 call. Was our state’s top health official also informed, and if so, were any alarms sounded at our state level? After Trump limited travel from China, did Dr. Zucker or Governor Cuomo discuss the situation and map out a plan of action? In a February 2 news release, Dr.

Zucker said, “Bottom line, as this public health response evolves, we continue to be prepared.” On February 20, Dr. Zucker publicly recommended that “people should remain vigilant by getting vaccinated.” This is followed by Governor Cuomo, in a February 27 news release, stating, “if you haven’t already been vaccinated, it’s not too late. I urge you to get a vaccine.” Within a week, in a March 1 statement, Governor Cuomo informs the

Dear Editor, Kol ha’kavod to Sara Rayvych, who is homeschooling her children. I now have a deep respect for those families that homeschool their children as I see it’s not easy. I’d love to know if Sara or anyone else has any tips on how to help teach children kriyah. My daughter has only mastered a few nekudos, and I’m concerned that she’ll be far behind next year if she doesn’t know the rest of them when she enters the next grade. I know that the teachers next year will be understanding but I don’t want her to fall behind. Thank you, Yael Greenberg Dear Editor, Thank you for printing the article written by my son, Shawn Balva, in your Pesach issue. For those hoping to reach out to Shawn, they can contact me via email at karenfeldman1968@gmail.com. Thank you, Karen Feldman

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MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News

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A bizarre plot hatched by an exU.S. Special Forces commando attempted to oust Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro’s with only a few hundred volunteer troops. First reported by the Associated Press last week, the would-be coup was the brainchild of former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau. A Bronze Star recipient who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Goudreau wanted to invade Venezuela from Colombia with the 300 volunteer troops he recruited. The troops would have raided a slew of Venezuelan military bases using the commando tactics Goudreau honed during his military service. The attacks were supposed to spark a mass rebellion throughout Venezuela that would have toppled the Maduro regime. According to the report, Goudreau spoke of his close ties to President Donald Trump and gave his soldiers the impression that they were being supported by the United States. Often, Goudreau regaled subordinates with stories of how he would lead an assault on Maduro’s palace using attack helicopters. Joining Goudreau was Cliver Alcalá, a former Venezuelan military officer and suspected drug trafficker. Alcalá was tasked with recruiting disgruntled deserters from the Venezuelan army and with providing weapons and supplies. The band of ragtag troops began training in three camps in Columbia in early 2020. Then, everything collapsed after one of the volunteer troops was nabbed by Venezuelan police while attempting to infiltrate the border. A short while later, Colum-

bian agents impounded a shipment of weapons headed for the soldiers, including hundreds of telescopic rifle scopes, night vision goggles, communications gear, and assault rifles. When it became clear that the would-be coup was dead, the remaining troops fled the jungle to be with their loved ones during the coronavirus epidemic. Others were arrested by Columbian police and now face lengthy prison sentences. Now, many are asking why anyone ever thought that the plot had a chance at success. “You’re not going to take out Maduro with 300 hungry, untrained men,” former Navy SEAL Ephraim Mattos told the Associated Press. “There was no chance they were going to succeed without direct U.S. military intervention.”

Global Coronavirus Vaccine Conference

A pledging marathon was launched on Monday to raise at least $8 billion for research towards a vaccine and treatments for the coronavirus. The conference was organized by the European Union, Britain, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Canada. China was only represented by its ambassador to the European Union. Noticeably absent from the event was the United States, with the list of speakers not including any U.S. officials. The United States has the world’s most confirmed cases of coronavirus and remains a major donor to the United Nations and U.N. bodies. “We support this pledging effort by the EU. It is one of many pledging efforts that are going on and the United States is at the forefront,” said a senior U.S. administration official, who did not elaborate as to why the U.S. was not participating. President Donald Trump had said on April 15 that he would suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), whose director general addressed the conference, over its handling of the

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MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

pandemic. “It is a pity the U.S. is not a part of it. When you are in a crisis, you manage it and you do it jointly with others,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in an interview with Reuters. She pledged $1 billion towards the distribution of any vaccine developed against coronavirus, as well as for vaccines against other diseases. EU officials said pharmaceutical companies that will receive the funding should commit to making the new vaccine and treatments readily available and affordable. The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, a U.N.-backed body focusing on health crises, estimated at least $3 billion towards development and manufacture of the vaccine, $2.25 billion to develop antiviral treatments, $750 million for testing kits, and $750 million to stockpile protective equipment including face masks. The remaining $1.25 billion included in the initial funding goal would go to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the most vulnerable countries. “I believe the fourth of May will mark a turning point in our fight against coronavirus because today the world is coming together,” said

Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, upon pledging 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) at the start of the event. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself having recovered from the coronavirus, said the search for a vaccine was “the most urgent shared endeavor of our lifetime.”

Canada Bans Assault Weapons

Following a deadly shooting in Nova Scotia last month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled a sweeping new assault weapon ban outlawing more than 1,500 different firearm models in the country. In a statement, Trudeau contended that “weapons of war” had no

place on Canada’s streets. “Because of gun violence, people are dying, families are grieving, and communities are suffering,” the Canadian leader said. “It must end. Assault-style firearms designed for military use have no place in Canada. By removing them from our streets, we will limit the devastating effects of gun-related violence and help make our country safer.” The ban forbids the “1,500 models and variants” from being purchased, sold, and imported. This includes the popular AR-15, a semiautomatic modeled after the military-grade M-16 and M-4. The ban will only take effect in 2022 as “to protect owners of newly prohibited firearms from criminal liability while they take steps to comply with these new rules.” The new gun ban will not apply to certain Indian tribes that use them for hunting. Trudeau also said that he will attempt to pass legislation allowing a gun buyback program from those who possess the said firearms. The gun ban comes after Gabrial Wortman killed 22 people in a mass shooting spree in April that spanned six cities. The shooting was the worst in Canada’s history and shocked a nation already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

Kim’s Back

cause of prosperity.” Kim praised the factory for helping the country advance its chemical industry and toured the site flanked by senior North Korean officials. Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jung, who is seen as his potential successor, was also present at the ceremony. The photos are the first time Kim has been seen in public for over three weeks, leading to speculation that he was incapacitated or dead after contracting the coronavirus. The rumors gained traction after Kim failed to show up at a birthday celebration for his grandfather and North Korean founder Kim Il-sung on April 15. The birthday dinner is seen as one of the country’s most important holidays, and this was the first time Kim has ever missed it. According to the Daily NK, a website run by disgruntled North Korean defectors, Kim has succumbed to the heart disease he had been fighting since this past summer. South Korea, which runs an extensive network of informers inside its main adversary, had downplayed the reports and said that there was no evidence that Kim had fallen ill. South Korea also downplayed reports that Kim recently underwent surgery despite claims that videos showed him limping slowly. “There were speculative reports that Chairman Kim underwent a surgery citing some difference to his walk,” a South Korean official told the Yonhap news site. “We have reasons to believe that there was no surgery, but cannot disclose such details.”

Egypt Destroyed Thousands of Gaza Tunnels

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Amidst swirling rumors that spoke of his hospitalization and death, new photos show North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looking alive and well. In the images released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday, Kim can be seen visiting a fertilizer plant in Suchon, only a few miles near the capital of Pyongyang. According to the press release, Kim cut the ribbon to integrate the new factory, leading attendees to “burst into thunderous cheers of ‘hurrah!’ for the Supreme Leader who is commanding the all-people general march for accomplishing the great

Egyptian Army Spokesperson Tamer Refai revealed that Egypt has destroyed over 3,000 tunnels on the Gaza border over the past five years. Speaking with an Egyptian television channel this past week, Refai said that the military decided to de-

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

stroy the thousands of illegal tunnels snaking under the border into Gaza after determining that they posed a security threat. According to the officer, radical Islamists in the Sinai Desert would utilize such tunnels to smuggle in weapons and other contraband that would later be turned against Egyptian troops. “In 2015, the [Egyptian] government took a decision to establish a buffer zone along the border [with the Gaza Strip],” said Refrai. “These tunnels were used to threaten Egypt’s national security, including the infiltration of terrorists, smuggling of weapons, ammunition, goods, narcotic drugs and vehicles.” Refai added that a recent counterinsurgency campaign by the Egyptian military resulted in 126 militants killed and 228 bunkers destroyed, as well as 116 jeeps. Another 266 suspects were detained. After suffering heavy losses in their battle against ISIS in 2014, the Egyptian Army decided to establish a buffer zone with the Gaza Strip. Extending 14 kilometers from the Hamas-run territory and including a 500-meter trench, the measure aimed at stopping the flood of weapons and jihadists into the Sinai Desert. Ever since, ISIS and Islamic Jihad have concentrated on tunneling under the length of the buffer zone in order to resupply militants with food and weapons. These efforts are frequently detonated by the Egyptian Army, which deploys special units tasked with uncovering them. “The [Egyptian] armed forces are working round the clock to combat terrorism and secure our borders,” said Refai. “We have scored many achievements on the ground, including the destruction of the terror infrastructure.”

Fatal Clashes with ISIS in Iraq At least ten members of the Iranian backed Population Mobilization Units (PMU) were killed during a clash with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq’s Salahuddin province. The PMU fighters are said to have been killed during a firefight on Saturday with ISIS near the towns of Mekeeshfa and Balad. The PMU confirmed in a statement that it had “lost 10 members, while several others were wounded in clashes between the two sides.”

Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Iraq’s incoming prime minister, condemned the bloodshed. “The operation carried out by the criminal terrorist groups represents a desperate attempt to exploit the situation of political rivalry that hinders the formation of the government to carry out its national duty of ensuring the security of citizens,” he said in a statement. Backed by Iran, the largely Shi’ite PMU has been locked in a series of gun battles with the Sunni ISIS in recent weeks throughout Iraq. The violence comes despite Iraq declaring that it had liberated its territory from the terror group, which was thought to be on the verge of collapsing after U.S. troops killed its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The attack was the biggest battle between ISIS and the PMU since 2017 and is part of a recent wave of ISIS attacks. Since April, raids and bombings by ISIS have more than doubled compared to last year in what observers say is an attempt to regain momentum amid a U.S. troops withdrawal. “This was a well-organized attack; something of this scale hasn’t been seen at all for two years,” ISIS expert Sajad Jiyad told Al Jazeera. “It’s worrying for Iraq that so many of the Iraqi security forces, including PMF fighters, were killed. It is a reminder that Iraq needs constant counter-terrorism efforts and support from the coalition in terms of surveillance and logistical or air support. “The existing protest movement and their preparation to revolt again following the COVID-19 pandemic gives ISIS an opportunity as the government will be facing two fronts: the protesters in the capital and southern provinces and ISIL around the western and northern fronts.”

Was the Virus Manufactured in a Lab? China’s state media vehemently rejected claims by the Trump administration that the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan bioweapons lab. According to the Global Times, recent accusations by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were “groundless,” adding that he had “no evidence” to back up his claims.

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“Since Pompeo said his claims are supported by ‘enormous evidence,’ then he should present this so-called evidence to the world, and especially to the American public who he continually tries to fool,” wrote the newspaper. “The truth is that Pompeo does not have any evidence, and during Sunday’s interview, he was bluffing.”

Pompeo had alleged on Sunday that the coronavirus came from a laboratory rather than from a Chinese exotic food market as commonly thought. “There’s enormous evidence that that’s where this began. We’ve said from the beginning that this was a virus that originated in Wuhan, China. We took a lot of grief for that from the outset. But I think the whole world can see now,” Pompeo told ABC News’ “This Week.”

Pompeo’s comments were echoed by President Trump, who said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that he had “no doubt” that China has misled the world about the origins of the coronavirus. “We’re going to be giving a very strong report as to exactly what we think happened. And I think it will be very conclusive,” Trump said. “My opinion is they made a mistake. They tried to cover it. They tried to put it out, just like a fire.” Beijing and Washington have traded barbs in recent weeks regarding who is at fault for the global pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands worldwide. Earlier this year, China accused U.S. troops of spreading the coronavirus, while Trump administration officials alleged that China covered up the pandemic after the first breakout in Wuhan. Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang blasted “American politicians” for misleading the world about the truth regarding the pandemic. “They have only one objective: to try to shirk responsibility for their own epidemic and prevention and control measures and divert public attention,” he said.

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Germany Bans Hezbollah Terror Group

Tehran blasted Germany after it recently classified the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia as a terror organization for the first time. Berlin banned Hezbollah’s political and military wings last Friday following years of lobbying by the Israeli government. Reacting for the first time to the ban on Monday, Iran alleged that Germany was forced into doing so due to the “historic debt to the Zionists” it carries from the Holocaust. “We have a feeling that the Germans seem to have a historic debt to the Zionists, that they are paying it off, they do not realize that the whole world and the Muslims could react,” said Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Predicting that the ban on Hezbollah “will only cause problems,” Mousavi insisted that Hezbollah is “a powerful and legitimate party represented in the Lebanese government and parliament.” Noting that German police had raided several mosques that were affiliated with Hezbollah, Mousavi said that “it is not appropriate to attack all Muslims if they feel a group of them are doing something illegal, which we don’t see as such.” While the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain designate Hezbollah as a terror group, Germany had classified only its military wing as such until last Friday. According to reports, the change came after Israel’s Mossad spy agency passed their German counterparts intelligence on Hezbollah’s vast operations across the country, including locations of weapons storehouses. Immediately after the decision became official, police swooped down on mosques and Islamic cultural centers all across Germany that were connected to Hezbollah and arrested dozens of activists. “Hezbollah is a terrorist organization deemed responsible for numerous attacks and kidnappings worldwide,” Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said.

Russia and Pakistan See Spike in Pandemic

While many Western European nations have gradually begun to ease back on coronavirus lockdown restrictions, the pandemic is far from over. Last Saturday, both Russia and Pakistan experienced their biggest one-day spikes in new cases of infection. Russia alone witnessed a high of 9,633 new cases, bringing it to a total of over 124,000 cases; of those, there had been 15,013 recoveries and 1,222 fatalities. The actual number of infections is believed to be higher, due to a lack of testing as well as the belief that Russian tests are only about 70-80 percent accurate. Both the prime minister and construction minister had reported contracting coronavirus, and the mayor of Moscow announced a plan to potentially establish temporary hospitals at sports complexes and shopping malls. Pakistan, with a population of 220 million people, announced 1,297 new cases last Saturday, bringing its total to 18,114. This increase coincides with greater testing; the government reported over 9,000 tests conducted in the previous 24 hours, with an ultimate goal of 20,000 tests per day. In a country with only 3,000 intensive care beds nationwide, a real fear remains of hospitals becoming overwhelmed. In Africa, there have been over 40,000 reported cases and 1,600 deaths from the virus, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fatalities have been reported in every country on the continent with the exception of Lesotho. There have been over 65,000 deaths in the United States. President Donald Trump said last week that he hopes the total number of U.S. deaths will remain below 100,000, which he acknowledged is a “horrible number.”

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

which said in a statement that freeing the men “would only add to the threats facing journalists in Pakistan and deepen Pakistan’s reputation as a haven for terrorists.” The Wall Street Journal’s South Asia bureau chief, Pearl was killed while investigating Islamic terror groups in 2002. A graphic video of his beheading was later broadcast on CNN, horrifying the global audience. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British citizen originally from Pakistan, was later convicted for the murder and sentenced to death along with three others. However, their sentences were commuted last month due to lack of evidence by a Karachi court.

High Court to Hear PM Controversy

Will Daniel Pearl’s Killers Go Free? The parents of murdered journalist Danial Pearl appealed to the Pakistani Supreme Court in an attempt to prevent the early release of the men who killed their son. Pearl was abducted and killed in 2001 by four Pakistani men over his

Jewish faith. The terrorists had their sentence commuted in April by a Pakistani court despite international protests. Now, Pearl’s parents have launched a last-ditch effort to prevent Daniel’s killers from going free. “We have filed an appeal of this decision to the Pakistan Supreme Court,” announced Judea Pearl. “We are standing up for justice not only for our son, but for all our dear friends in Pakistan so they can live

in a society free of violence and terror and raise their children in peace and harmony.”

The appeal was endorsed by the Committee to Protect Journalists,

Israel’s High Court of Justice began a closely anticipated hearing on Sunday regarding a petition that seeks to disqualify Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from continuing as Israel’s highest elected official. After an unprecedented three rounds of elections this year, Netanyahu is close to continuing his record 12 years at Israel’s helm. With the Likud and Kahol Lavan agreeing on a national unity government, Netanyahu is set to remain as prime minister for the next 18 months, after which he will be replaced by Benny Gantz. Yet a slew of nonprofits have petitioned the court against the potential coalition, arguing that it is unreasonable for President Reuven Rivlin to task Netanyahu to form a government due to his upcoming criminal trial. Netanyahu had been indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate investigations titled “Cases 1000,”

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

ministrative one. It’s inappropriate for the court to intervene in the constitutional judgment of the people and the members of Knesset,” declared one Likud lawyer. Netanyahu’s personal attorney Michael Ravilo added that “it would have been better” had the justices refused to meddle “in these political issues.”

Israel Hits Syria in Daytime Raid

Israel attacked a slew of targets on the Syrian border last week in what observers say is a rare daytime attack. According to Syria’s Sana news agency, Israeli helicopters attacked

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“2000,” and “3000.” Presiding over the hearing was an expanded panel of 11 justices led by High Court President Esther Hayut. Broadcast live for the first time ever, the judges have the ability to end Netanyahu’s long political career. Noting that Israel’s semi-constitutional Basic Laws explicitly permit a lawmaker under indictment to form a coalition, Hayut demanded that the petitioners explain under what legal basis was Netanyahu prevented from continuing as prime minister. “Show us something. A law. A verdict. From this country’s history. From [somewhere else] in the world! Something,” Hayut said. “After all, [you’re asking us to set] a global precedent. You want us to rule without a basis simply according to your personal opinion?” Meanwhile, attorneys representing Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Likud party maintained that the court had no jurisdiction to rule on the case. Noting that Israelis elected Netanyahu no less than three times this year, the jurists argued that disqualifying him would gut the essence of the country’s democracy. Electing a prime minister “is a constitutional process, not an ad-

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targets in southern Syria on Friday night in the southern city of Kuneitra. Initial reports spoke of “limited” damage. The air assault came a few hours after another reported Israeli air raid in the city of Homs destroyed an Iranian ammunition dump and weapons warehouses. Pictures of the scene of the attack that later surfaced on social media showed total devastation, with the Israeli bombing setting off the ammunition that was housed inside. The attack notably took place during the daylight hours, a rare occurrence due to Israel’s desire to maintain plausible deniability. Syrian military officials denied that the explosions in Homs were the result of an Israeli attack and attributed the detonations to “human error.” However, Israeli defense correspondents quoted an unnamed IDF officer who said that the bombings were part of Israel’s campaign to prevent Iran from obtaining “game-changing” advanced weaponry that could threaten the Jewish State. Assuming that the IDF is busy fighting the coronavirus, Iran is said to have stepped up its arms transfers to Hezbollah in recent weeks. As a result, Israel has accelerated its bombing campaign after almost two months of quiet. Last Monday, Syrian air defense systems intercepted what it called “hostile targets” over the capital of Damascus. According to Arab media reports, Syrian anti-aircraft batteries intercepted dozens of missiles fired by Israeli warplanes near the Lebanese border. The attacks are said to have killed three civilians in the town of Al-Hajirra. In another attack last week near the city of Tadmor, Israeli fighter jets bombed a military base utilized by Iranian forces to receive weapons flown in from Iraq. Satellite photos taken after the attack showed a runway and two warehouses completely destroyed.

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ICC Judge: I Can Probe Israel

Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, ruled last week that the court has jurisdiction to probe Israel for war crimes. Bensouda had announced in early February that she would explore investigating Israel and Hamas for war crimes committed during 2014’s Operation Protective Edge. Her announcement resulted in a furious response by Israel, who said in a court filing along with a number of other countries that the ICC has no jurisdiction, as Palestine is not a sovereign state. Yet Bensouda rejected the claims last Thursday, writing in a 60-page document that she viewed Palestine as a country that is entitled to sue other sovereign nations in the ICC. Her ruling means that the ICC’s three judges must make the final decision whether the war crimes probe is allowed to proceed. “The Prosecution has carefully considered the observations of the participants and remains of the view that the Court has jurisdiction over the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” wrote Bensouda. Israeli officials blasted the Gambian jurist, accusing her of an anti-Israel bias that caused her to disregard international law. “I am forced to conclude that the prosecutor’s latest position continues to espouse her typical anti-Israel

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stance, as influenced by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the global BDS movement,” said Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz. “The prosecutor’s disregard for the opinions of many of the world’s leading experts on international law points to her determination to harm the State of Israel and tarnish its name,” he added. “In the name of this objective she has reformulated the rules of international law, inventing a Palestinian state while the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has yet to be concluded.” Steinitz has been leading Israel’s effort to lobby its allies to oppose the probe ever since Bensouda’s announcement in February. Israel fears a biased and one-sided investigation that would lead to IDF officers being arrested in Europe. In late February, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria filed a legal opinion with the International Criminal Court arguing it has no authority to investigate Israel for war crimes. According to the legal brief, “the scope of the Court’s territorial jurisdiction pursuant to Article 12 of the Rome Statute does not extend to the occupied Palestinian territories.”

Kotel Reopens

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On Tuesday, Jews were able to pray at the Kotel, as the Western Wall plaza reopened to visitors after weeks of lockdown. Those entering the plaza need to have their temperature checked and their personal details recorded before entering. They are also asked to wear masks and keep social distancing guidelines. Only 300 people will be allowed into the plaza at one time, and minyanim will be split into different areas. The rabbi of the Western Wall,

Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, reminded worshipers that, according to Jewish law, those who have not seen the Kotel in the past 30 days should tear their clothing and say, “Beis kadsheinu vesifarteinu asher haleluch bah avoseinu haysa lesreifas eish vechaol machaneinu haysa lecharva” – “Our holy Temple, our pride, Where our fathers praised You, Has been consumed by fire: And all that was dear to us is ruined.”

FDA Approves Remdesivir to Treat Virus

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved using the drug Remdesivir to treat coronavirus patients in emergency situations. The approval allows doctors to give the drug to both children and adults infected with the coronavirus, including those on a ventilator. However, it is only allowed for those who are seriously ill and does not include formal approval. “Given there are no adequate, approved, or available alternative treatments, the known and potential benefits to treat this serious or life-threatening virus currently outweigh the known and potential risks of the drug’s use,” said the FDA. The news was announced in a White House press conference on Friday with President Donald Trump, FDA head Dr. Stephen Hahn, and the CEO of Gilead Sciences, which makes the drug. Gilead Sciences said that it would produce 1.5 million free doses of the drug to assist in the fight against the disease that has already killed more than 50,000 Americans. “I’m pleased to announce that Gilead now has an EUA from the FDA for Remdesivir,” Trump said, calling it “an important treatment for hospitalized coronavirus patients.”

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

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‫בס"ד‬

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Originally developed to treat Ebola, Remdesivir is described by Gilead as a “nucleotide analog with broad-spectrum antiviral activity.” The FDA’s decision came after clinical trials showed the drug causing significant improvement in patients suffering from the advanced stages of the coronavirus. Results showed that the 1,000 patients who were treated with Remdesivir recovered from the deadly disease in 11 days as opposed to the 15 days for those given a placebo. While cautioning that Remdesivir is “not the magic bullet,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters that the data showed that the drug causes a “clearcut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery.”

the world’s busiest airport for aircraft operations,” Anchorage Airport celebrated in a tweet. “This points to how significantly the global aviation system has changed and highlights the significance of our role in the global economy and fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.” Yet coming in first doesn’t mean that Alaska has catapulted into a popular tourist destination. Rather, the high volume of cargo flights it processes allowed it to nab the world’s top spot as travel elsewhere plummeted. The airport is a popular conduit for planes flying in goods from Asia due to its relatively short distance from global manufacturing centers in China and Indonesia.

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J. Crew Files for Bankruptcy

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With international aviation having ground to a standstill due to the coronavirus, a small airport in Alaska now holds the title as the world’s busiest. During normal times, the world’s busiest air hubs are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, LAX in Los Angeles, Tokyo Haneda Airport, and Dubai International. With hundreds of daily flights, each one of the aforementioned airports commonly see hundreds of millions of passengers each year. Then came the coronavirus. With passengers afraid to fly overseas and the pandemic causing a global economic meltdown, air traffic has dried up. With the majority of international air travel shifting towards freight over the past three months, Alaska’s Ted Stevens Anchorage Airport became the world’s busiest air hub for the first time in its 69-year history. Last Tuesday, it became official. Despite being located in a city housing only 291,538 residents, the far-flung airport saw more air traffic than any other hub on the planet, beating out behemoths such as LAX and Hong Kong International. “On Saturday [April 25], ANC was

J. Crew, a retailer known for its preppy offerings, has become the first U.S. corporation to file for bankruptcy as a result of the coronavirus. In a statement on Monday, J. Crew Group announced that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the federal bankruptcy court in eastern Virginia. It will give control of its J. Crew and Madewell brands to lenders in exchange for $1.65 billion in equity. Despite the bankruptcy filing, the company said that day-to-day operations in its stores will continue. “As we look to reopen our stores as quickly and safely as possible, this comprehensive financial restructuring should enable our business and brands to thrive for years to come,” said Chief Executive Officer Jan Singer. Founded in 1983 as a mail-order catalog service, J. Crew quickly grew to become one of America’s most popular retailers. With its brand adopted by prominent celebrities such as Michelle Obama, the company doubled its stores since it was purchased for $3 billion in 2011 by TPG Capital. Yet the wave of store closings caused by the coronavirus doomed J. Crew, which was saddled with billions in debt even before the pandemic began. Over 500 stores were forced to

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close in the past month alone, while the health crisis postponed the IPO the company planned for its Madewell business. The social distancing policies that shuttered malls have devastated chain stores across America; other retailers such as The Gap are expected to declare bankruptcy in the coming weeks.

Don Shula Passes On

Don Shula, the winningest head coach in NFL history, passed away at his South Florida residence on Monday at the age of 90. Born in Ohio, Shula played seven seasons in the NFL as a defensive back. He saw modest success as an athlete, appearing in 73 games and recording 21 interceptions. It was his coaching career that turned him into a household name. In 1963, Shula became the youngest person to helm an NFL team when he was appointed head coach of the Baltimore Colts. Known for his stern demeanor and work ethic that focused on discipline, Shula turned the Colts into a juggernaut that appeared in two straight Super Bowls. In 1970, Shula was hired to coach the Miami Dolphins by longtime owner Joe Robbie. Within three years, the Dolphins won back-toback Super Bowls and would have the only perfect season in NFL history. Over the next 26 years, the Dolphins would appear in three more championships, while Shula took the record for most wins as a head coach with 347. By his retirement in 1995, Shula had coached more games than anyone else in league history. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell eulogized Shula as “one of the greatest coaches and contributors” the sport has ever seen. “He made an extraordinarily positive impact on so many lives. The winningest coach in NFL histo-

ry and the only one to lead a team to a perfect season, Coach Shula lived an unparalleled football life,” said Goodell. “He was a remarkable teacher and mentor who for decades inspired excellence and exemplified integrity.” The Miami Dolphins added that Shula had “brought the winning edge to our franchise and put the Dolphins and the city of Miami in the national sports scene.”

Murder Hornets Come to U.S.

In Japan, the Asian giant hornet kills up to 50 people a year. For the first time, the insect has made an appearance in the United States, following the discovery of two last fall in Washington State. Worried that the species could wipe out local bee populations, scientists have embarked on a fullscale hunt. “This is our window to keep it from establishing,” said Chris Looney, an entomologist at the Washington State Department of Agriculture. “If we can’t do it in the next couple of years, it probably can’t be done.” Asian giant hornets can decimate a honeybee hive in a matter of hours, decapitating the bees and flying away with the thoraxes to feed their young. For larger targets, the hornet’s stinger is long enough to puncture a beekeeping suit, and its venom is toxic; a series of stings can be fatal. Their queens can grow to two inches long and can fly many miles a day at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Jun-ichi Takahashi, a researcher at Kyoto Sangyo University in Japan, said the species earned its nickname due to aggressive group attacks that expose victims to doses of venom equivalent to that of a venomous snake. Looney reported plans to place hundreds of traps in the coming months. If a hornet does get caught

in a trap, he stated that it may be possible to utilize radio-frequency identification tags to monitor where it goes — or simply to attach a small streamer and then follow the hornet as it returns to its nest. While most bees would be unable to fly with a disruptive marker attached, the Asian giant hornet is big enough that this wouldn’t present an issue. The temperature inside a nest of Asian giant hornets can reach up to 86 degrees, so trackers are also exploring using thermal imaging to examine the forest floors.

Justice Clarence Thomas Speaks Up

Notoriously quiet Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas asked questions during the court’s remote oral arguments on Monday, only his third time speaking during the sessions in over a decade. “Could Booking acquire an 800 number that’s a vanity number, 1-800-booking for example, that is similar to 1-800-plumbing, which is a registered mark?” Thomas asked the U.S. government’s lawyer, Erica Ross, via audio teleconferencing in a case regarding whether Booking. com could trademark its namesake. After Ross’ response, Thomas continued, “That could be true, but I’d like you to compare this to Goodyear,” referring to a past case. “In Goodyear, you had a generic term, but you also had an added term, such as company or inc, which any company could use. With Booking here, there could only be one domain address dot com, so this would seem to be more analogous to the 1-800 numbers which are also individualized.” Under normal circumstances, lawyers for each side make their case for several minutes before the justices begin questioning them in no particular order. Yet with the new procedures for the remote oral

arguments, lawyers have two minutes to open their arguments before justices ask their questions in order of seniority, beginning with Chief Justice John Roberts and ending with newest Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Thomas, who normally has the opportunity to listen to his colleagues’ questions, is the second-most senior justice and so was able to ask his questions after only Roberts. Each justice had the opportunity to ask about two questions to each lawyer, and most justices who questioned Ross on the government’s case seemed suspicious of the claim that “Booking.com” is not eligible to be trademarked. Thomas last asked a question back in March 2019, in a case involving a Mississippi death row inmate, Curtis Flowers, who was tried six different times for the 1996 murders of four people in a furniture store. Prior to that, Thomas asked one question in 2016, a decade since the last time he had chimed in during oral arguments.

Bad Dad Jokes

You know those jokes your dad makes that make you groan but really laugh a little inside? Darcy Schruben knows them all too well. Her father has been going public with his jokes and is eliciting laugher and groans throughout the town. Each day Tom Schruben inscribes a joke on a whiteboard on their lawn. Entitled: “BAD DAD JOKES,” the joke varies day to day. “Hold on — I have something in my shoe! I’m pretty sure it’s a foot” was the joke on the first day.

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

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The joke initiative started when Ann Schruben noticed that her husband, Tom, was a bit grumpy staying at home. Tom generally loves to joke – Darcy actually bought him a book of “exceptionally bad dad jokes” as a present one year. The first day, after Tom heard his first chuckle from outside, he was determined to continue the laughter legacy. The next day he woke up at 7 a.m. and scribbled his second bad dad joke: “Without geometry, life is pointless.” Soon, he heard people laughing as they walked by his home, along a creek on the edge of Rock Creek Park. Some called out to Tom and told him how much they liked the jokes. Others stayed for a socially distanced chat. A spring returned to Tom’s step. Each morning since, he’s put out a new joke. “It surprised me how much it made my mood better,” said Tom, 62. “I don’t really know why, I guess I feel like I’m contributing a little bit to other people’s happiness.” On day #3 “What do you call a cow with no legs?” was written on the board. “Ground beef” was the answer listed below. “What do you call a bear with no teeth?” he wrote on day #4. A gummy bear. Groan.

Junior Driver This week, police in Utah pulled over a driver for driving erratically. Turns out that the driver was heading to California and intended to purchase a Lamborghini there.

But that wasn’t why he was driving so fast. It was because of his age – the driver was a mere 5 years old. The boy somehow made his way onto the freeway in his parents’ car. A statement by the highway patrol noted that purchasing a luxury car might not have been in the cards for this kid. “He might have been short on the purchase amount, as he only had $3 dollars in his wallet,” the statement said.

The boy was sitting on the edge of his seat to reach the brake pedal, the trooper said. “How old are you? You’re 5 years old?” Trooper Morgan asked the boy. “Wow, okay. Where did you learn how to drive a car?” Eventually the boy’s parents came to pick him up. No doubt he’ll be losing his car privileges for a while.

Eel Chatting Eels have been taking social distancing especially hard. An aquarium in Japan is asking members of the public to video chat with its eels to keep the sea creatures accustomed to humans during the coronavirus lockdown. The Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo, which is home to about 300 spotted

garden eels, said the ocean creatures had grown accustomed to the presence of humans peering into their tanks, but since the aquarium closed the eels have started to become more skittish.

“It seems like the spotted garden eels are getting used to a non-human environment and have forgotten about people. When the staff pass in front of them, they start hiding in the sand,” the aquarium said in a statement on its website. The facility announced it is holding a “face-showing festival” for members of the public to use FaceTime on Apple devices to video conference with the eels on screens set up around the tanks. We hope that our spotted garden eels will start remembering human beings,” the aquarium said. “We also do hope that we can offer something good and useful for your stay-home period.” Eee-nteresting.

Snooze News

Americans love to sleep – and it’s hard for them to get out of bed. According to a survey of 2,000 Americans, 49 percent of Americans say that they are just too cozy in their beds to get out of them on time in the morning. Want to know what they trust to wake up on time? Around a quarter of Americans still use old-fashioned alarm clocks to let them know that it’s time to wake up – and many of them hit the snooze button twice before rolling out of bed an average of 24 minutes after the first alarm. And in order to combat these groggy, snoozing habits, respondents said they change their alarm

times an average of 38 times a year. So how do you change things up so you can hop out of bed in the morning? Waking up seems to be easier when there’s something exciting happening that day or if it’s a sunny, inviting day. A morning routine also helps to motivate Americans to get up in the morning. Running short on time in the morning will make Americans skip making their beds, preparing breakfast, or downing their favorite cup of joe. Doing their hair, though, rarely is something Americans skip – they’re more likely to forgo brushing their teeth than doing their hair. Priorities.

Three Times Not a Charm

Officers in Los Angeles County arrested and released a suspect three times in one day after he was repeatedly let go based on the zero-bail policy that California has put into effect due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Wednesday, officers responded to a call of a man attempting to break into a vehicle. Dijon Landrum, 24, was arrested and then released by police. About an hour later, the police department said it received a call about a man taking items from residences’ front yards. Landrum was found in possession of stolen items, was arrested, and then released. Later that night, a car was reported stolen out of a parking lot. Police found the vehicle with Landrum in it. He was arrested and then released once again. In early April, California’s Judicial Council temporarily set bail at zero for most misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to reduce jail populations and limit the spread of COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic. Glendora Police Department officials said they were acting in accordance with the policy. How comforting.

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the

Community Saving Lives Sunday Event Raises $1M PHOTO CREDIT: UNITED HATZALAH

n Sunday, an all-star team of international celebrities joined together to support emergency first response organization United Hatzalah of Israel in its fight against Covid-19 coronavirus. The virtual event, titled “Saving Lives Sunday,” included messages from Jay Leno, Nuseir Yassin (Nas Daily), Rona-Lee Shimon (Fauda), Adam Kantor (Broadway), Dudu Aharon, Lior Suchard, and Mark Gerson, who each shared a special heart-filled message, or song, saluting the first responders and United Hatzalah founder Eli Beer. The event, which was streamed live on YouTube and on a dedicated website www.SavingLivesSunday. com, succeeded in raising more than $1,000,000 to support United Hatzalah’s fight against Covid-19 Coronavirus. The video also highlighted guest appearances by dozens of people, young and old, whose lives were saved by volunteer first responders from United Hatzalah. In a truly special tribute, many of those who were saved got a chance to speak directly to their rescuers in conversations that were shared via zoom with those watching the event. “My life was saved,” said Eli Beer towards the end of the video. He then thanked the doctors and nurses in Miami who saved him and those who donated towards the EMS organization: “Without you, the donors, this organization would not be able to do what it does every day. “I also want to thank all of the volunteers of United Hatzalah in Israel and around the world as well as all of the other Hatzalahs. Think about it. People are hiding in their homes trying to protect themselves from this terrible virus. But when a

United Hatzalah volunteers at a Yom Ha’atzmaut parade during the pandemic

Hatzalah volunteer gets a call, they don’t think twice. They run to save the person in need and put their own lives in danger. Now that I am in Israel, sometimes out of the window I see Hatzalah volunteers passing by with their siren on, and I know that they are going out to save someone. So I want to thank you for everything that you do.” Saving Lives Sunday: A Streaming Event Honoring First Responders and Welcoming Home Eli Beer can be viewed here: https://www. yout ube.com/watch? v= QL1T6S 6rDIY or here www.SavingLivesSunday.com United Hatzalah volunteers on parade during a Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

Around the Community

Darchei Torah Families Get a Delicious Taste of Yeshiva – and Shabbos

early a month has passed since Yeshiva Darchei Torah closed its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the Yeshiva’s trademark chinuch and limud haTorah has continued unabated – from nursery through kollel – via

distance learning. The talmidim of grades N-12 have stayed connected with their rabbeim, moros and general studies teachers on a daily basis with special, subsidized “kosher” tablets that were modified to enable videoconferencing and

Rav Yaakov Bender greeting parents at the Yeshiva Darchei Torah – To’ameha-drive-through event last Friday

Northwell Health Thanks SKA Spark! Challenge Winners

file sharing – and nothing else. A telephone call-in option is available as well, and weekly shmuessin and occasional assemblies continue to inspire the talmidim. The Beis Medrash and Kollel continue to learn together via a sophisticated tele-conferencing system that enables not only shiurim but chavrusa learning as well. Last Friday, a unique event was held in the Yeshiva parking lot: “To’ameha,” a chance for the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yaakov Bender, and the menahalim and principals, to see and greet their talmidim – and parents –from a safe distance as they drove by in their vehicles. A highlight of the event was the distribution of a package of kugel and cholent for each family, freshly cooked by the Yeshiva’s indefatigable chef, Mrs. Chana Florans. The response of the Darchei Torah parent body – both to the distance learning as well as to To’ameha – has been positive across the board. One

Efraim Horowitz enjoying the Shabbos delicacies of To’ameha

couple wrote, “Darchei Torah and its hanhala has injected positive energy into the entire home. It’s helping the parents work through it and the children are really happy and thriving, Baruch Hashem. The devotion of the rebbeim and moros is incredible!” They concluded, “This past Erev Shabbos drive thru was just taking this Darchei experience even further. What a hug! The talmidim feel treasured. We, as parents, we feel treasured. Thank you, thank you and thank you!”

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he Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls’ video highlighting medical assistants, one of the careers the girls had observed at Northwell Health in the fall, won the Northwell Spark! Challenge 2020 award for Best Presentation. The SKA team, together with

their mentor, Dr. David Friedman, and the head of SKA’s Science Department, Dr. Chana Glatt, donated their $1,000 in prize money back to Northwell in order to provide personal protective equipment to medical professionals in these trying times.

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MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Building Worlds.

e s Clo art e H at

With Virtual Classrooms, Darchei Torah Becomes a Yeshiva without Walls

eshiva Darchei Torah salutes its rabbeim, teachers, moros, menahalim and principals for rising to the occasion during this challenging time. With creativity, ingenuity and devotion, they are providing our talmidim with the trademark Darchei chinuch, utilizing video conferencing, remote learning, and, most importantly, tremendous ‘heart’ and mesirus nefesh in this sacred endeavor.

e salute our one-of-a-kind parent body for being our full partners in the education of their children, encouraging, cooperating, providing valuable feedback, and, most importantly, proving in a new and tangible fashion that ‘chinuch truly begins at home.’

A small selection of photos from recent weeks. More can be seen at darchei.org/photos

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community Moshe Brandsdorfer, executive director of the JCCRP; Miri Stern of Kosher Response; Gabriel Boxer, the Kosher Guru; and community partner Pesach Osina visited the 101 Precinct to express their gratitude to the officers. They are seen here with Officer Kevin Campbell

The Nikolsburger Rebbe journeyed upstate to Woodbourne this week to see the construction being done on the shul. The shul was originally built in 1920 – 100 years ago! This summer will be the tenth year since the Nikolsburger Rebbe reopened the shul.

Quarantine Birthdays in BYAM

Chai Lifeline Launches COVID-19 Lecture Series

very girl looks forward to her birthday all year and can’t wait for a small celebration with her class and teachers in school. What happens when school is closed for the corona pandemic? The dreams of a young girl’s big day have all been washed away. To the rescue once again is the devoted menahel of Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam, Rabbi Nosson Neuman. He recognizes and understands the dashed hopes of these girls sharing their special day with others. Rab-

bi Neuman has been going around since Pesach, delivering small birthday cakes (with social distance precautions) to all those special birthday girls! The smiles on their faces are enough to brighten up the world in this unprecedented time. That special unparalleled BYAM warmth continues to shine forth as an inspiration to our parents and especially to our precious talmidos. May we soon celebrate all occasions back in school in Yerushalayim Ihr Hakodesh!

Did you know? Woodrow Wilson signed Mother’s Day into law in 1914

hai Lifeline has launched “Going Through It, Growing Through It: Torah Perspectives and Mindful Coping in the Age of COVID-19,” a lecture series offering divrei chizuk and psychological and practical guidance during the current health crisis. The series will include video and audio recordings of renowned rabbanim, speakers, and mental health experts, as well as members of Chai Lifeline’s crisis intervention team, Project Chai. The first video in the series features Rabbi Eytan Feiner, rav of Congregation Kneseth Israel, colloquially known as The White Shul, in Far Rockaway, New York, along with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox, Project Chai Director of Interventions and Community Education. Upcoming talks will feature Mrs. Yael Kaisman, noted ed-

ucator and lecturer, and Project Chai Associate Director Zahava Farbman, MSW, Ph.D. candidate. Yiddish options will be available as well. “Since the onset of this pandemic, Chai Lifeline has been there for the Jewish community, which has been hit particularly hard,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, Chai Lifeline’s Chief Executive Officer. “In recent weeks, our Project Chai team has provided hundreds of personal consultations and interventions to families, schools, shuls, and organizations, reaching tens of thousands across the globe. This initiative will offer the community another resource on how to cope during these challenging times.” To learn more, visit www.chailifeline.org/covidseries.

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

THERE FOR THOSE WHO NEED US MOST. We were built for these times. We’ve been caring for our community for more than 100 years. And thanks to your support, we’re positioned to respond rapidly and effectively to meet the vast needs of all who are counting on us. We’re on the front lines of the Covid-19 crisis, delivering meals for seniors. Stocking food pantries for growing numbers of hungry people. Offering emergency aid. Providing protective gear. Giving struggling families the cash assistance they need. Supporting cornerstone institutions that are the heart and soul of Jewish life. And ensuring dignified Jewish burials. Your help is needed now more than ever to ensure the vitality of our community. With your support, we will get through this together. If you need help, you can find resources at ujafedny.org.coronavirus/resources. Donate now. ujafedny.org

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Ice cream was distributed to children in Woodmere this week to promote achdus and joy in the community. The initiative was sponsored by Adam and Lindsay Okun

Shulamith Goes the Distance

n the past six weeks, the world of education has been turned upside down. The faculty and staff at Shulamith School for Girls has stepped up to the plate to create a dynamic experience for the students. Shulamith has gone the distance and has been able to lead the way because of the phenomenal infrastructure laid over the past few years. With its broadminded, hands-on approach to education, a passionate faculty and staff, and a strong work ethic, Shulamith is weathering the challenges of remote distance learning. For example, the Middle Division began its Chromebook program three years ago. Every class, in grades 5-8, had integrated the use of Google Classroom and worked with apps such as Thumbprint, Padlet, Notability, and Adobe Spark. This created a soft landing for students when the school moved to remote learning in March. A combination of project-based learning, Google Meet and Zoom classes, and interactive virtual assignments, with Google Classroom as the main communication platform facilitated a smooth transition for the students. Shulamith’s success is more than the nuts and bolts of technology. Developing authentic relationships with the students is an integral piece of Shulamith culture. This is more important now than it ever was. Many teachers are worried that the technology barrier of Zoom diminishes student-teacher connection. In every division, the teachers work day and night to maintain those personal connections with the students. It is clear that while the students are far apart, they are close at heart.

Creating a comfortable environment is in everything that the Lower Division does. As parents and students discover that online learning is not easier, teachers have done everything they can to ease the burden. In addition to interactive live classes, morahs and assistants call parents and girls to check in. The familiar classroom walls were recreated on the teacher’s living room walls to create a psychological safety net for the children. First grade teacher Masha Hoffman gave the girls a Pesach chart to complete and was able to give girls prizes who completed it, just as she would have in school. This is just one of many instances where the teacher’s dedication and love for her students has led her to go the extra mile. In the Early Childhood Division, in addition to twice daily classes on Zoom and a website with every resource a parent needs, morahs and assistant morahs call the girls to say hi and ask how they are doing. In Pre-

1A, girls have one-on-one sessions to work on their Hebrew and English writing skills. Nursery Morah Tzivia Lipsky offers one-on-one phone calls to connect with the three-year-olds who are overwhelmed by Zoom but miss their teacher and friends. All of the morahs send bedtime stories to parents via WhatsApp. Preschool director Esther Kirschbaum leads the monthly Rosh Chodesh sessions, singing, telling stories and wishing each birthday girl for that month a personal greeting. Every lesson is thought through, every story choice discussed, and every lesson reviewed, to create the maximum experience to help each girl feel connected. In the High School Division, masters of the 21st century learning experience with a 1:1 iPad program and their innovative learning approach, decided to go back to basics with the good, old-fashioned house call. On Yom Haatzmaut, administrators Sara Munk, Ricky Gaerman, Naomi Munk

and activities coordinator Esty Munk rented an open top convertible and visited 115 students. Over the course of 10 hours, they delivered Yom Haatzmaut t-shirts and greeted each and every student. “It made everyone so happy!” said ninth grader Rebecca Schoenfeld. In addition, the administration coordinated placing lawn signs, congratulating not only the outgoing seniors, but the eighth grade class as well. As every parent has learned over the past few months, school is about so much more than ABCs, Alef Bet, and grades. Teachers are so much more than instructors of information. School is a place of safety, comfort, growth, and relationships. Teachers are the caretakers of a child’s well-being and neshama. The girls of Shulamith benefit from a dedicated staff giving them more than the best possible education; they are giving the girls their whole hearts.

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

The Brecher family of Far Rockaway drew a colorful message for their neighbors

The first grade rebbeim at HALB visited their students on erev Shabbos

Close at Heart While Far Apart

hulamith High School has always celebrated Yom Haatzmaut with incredible simcha and special surprises. This year proved challenging with a quarantine in place. “The most important thing to me is that every girl feels special,” said Student Activities Director Esty Munk. “Each and every girl here is appreciated and missed. We wanted to turn Yom Haatzmaut into HOME Haatzmaut.” After a full day of meaningful digital programming, Esty Munk, sitting atop a convertible covered in Israeli flags, equipped with blasting Israeli music and a megaphone, led a parade of faculty-filled cars around town, until every single Shulamith

High School student was visited! Like other more typical Shulamith HS events, it was a team effort, with teachers and rebbeim following her lead in their decorated cars as they wished each student and family a chag sameach. After a quick social-distanced dance and a loud wish for a chag sameach, each student was thrown a bag with a SHS Israel Pride t-shirt and had a moment to greet teachers and administrators. Families created and waved handdrawn signs and faculty screamed “I MISS YOU” as the long parade of cars traveled around the Five Towns, Far Rockaway, and West Hempstead. Dean of Students Mrs. Ricky Gaerman continued the simcha by driving to Brooklyn and Queens.

Emotions ran high for students who had an opportunity to see beloved SHS staff for the first time in weeks. “I cried,” said one sophomore. “I couldn’t help it. I was just so happy to see everyone. It was the highlight of quarantine.” Mrs. Gaerman added, “Yom Haatzmaut is always a highlight for our SHS students. When we realized that we would not be able to

celebrate Yom Haatzmuat in school with our students, we knew we still had to plan something that celebrates the miracle of Medinat Yisrael; but this year, we also had the added obligation of spreading simcha to each of our students.” Shulamith High School’s priority has always been educating each student “from head to heart,” and quarantine certainly won’t stop us now!

Did you know? A mother orangutan never puts her babies down and typically nurses them for 6 or 7 years

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

Thank You!

TO OUR TALENTED, COMMITTED AND LOVING STAFF.

TO OUR PARENT BODY.

TO OUR DEAR TALMIDIM.

You continue to maintain a

You became teachers

You have put the energy of

positive attitude and have not

overnight and rose to the

youth to good use, continuing

lost focus of your mission to

occasion. You remain

every day to learn and to grow.

build the future of our children.

steadfast in your support of

The difficulties have been

You are moser nefesh for the

the Yeshiva and are showing

many, and you have shown the

benefit of our children, you are

your children how to turn

qualities and the strength to

our front line heroes.

challenge into achievement.

persevere and overcome.

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Remembrance & Celebration at YCQ

eshiva of Central Queens students grades 3-8 attended Yom HaZikaron programs that were created and presented by Shirley Porad. Students sat silently as they listened to stories about selfless bravery and love for Israel through graphic stories and meaningful videos of members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), soldiers who gave their lives defending the land and people they love. The program ended with Tehillim for the soldiers, the victims of attacks, and the State of Israel. The program reminded us that the almost 24,000 soldiers who lost their lives protect-

ing Israel and her people will not be forgotten. The mood changed the next morning as the students gathered on Zoom for a school-wide Hallel followed by an exciting livestreamed concert with Joey Newcomb and Rabbi Ophie Nat, singer and YCQ rebbe, accompanied by assistant principal of Judaic studies, Rabbi Moshe Hamel. The day’s events continued in the classrooms with quiz games on topics about Israel; students creating their own Israeli flags out of items they have in their homes and art students creating their own Kotels out of craft

Yom Hazikaron at Shulamith

t Shulamith Middle Division, our Yom HaZikaron commemoration was laden with content and meaning. Our Zoom assembly began with the lighting of memorial candles dedicated to specific soldiers, standing in respectful silence to the sounds of the siren, and watching the lowering of the Israeli flag at the Kotel. Students were intrigued to hear our very own Morah Tali Kozachkov share her experiences as a soldier in the IDF. We watched additional moving vid-

eos, learned about two American lone soldiers, Sean Carmeli and Max Steinberg, who were killed while defending our Homeland. and listened to the Keil Maleh Rachamim of the IDF Chief Chazan. Our commemoration ended with tefillot for the State of Israel and for the welfare of our courageous chayalim who put their lives on the line every day so that our beloved Homeland remains a safe haven for the Jewish people.

supplies. One family built their own family Kotel on an entire wall. To continue celebrating Israel’s birthday, on Wednesday evening, almost 300 gathered for a family Yom Ha’atzmaut Israel trivia Game Night, organized and run by Mrs. Liron Friedman. Over 60 questions were asked having to do with all aspects of Israeli life including history, politics, food and fun facts. It was a great way to celebrate the birthday of our home, Eretz Yisrael. The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) collected short videos of the YCQ staff wishing Israel a Happy 72nd birthday and saying a

quick hello to their students and coworkers, and then put it together into a video that was sent to the entire YCQ family. The video brought chizuk to students, families, and staff during this trying time. Even if we cannot all be together, the faculty and administration encourage students to keep being in touch with friends and family, learning Torah and doing mitzvot. The week ended with winners of the Mitzvah Chart contest receiving pizza deliveries for all their continued hard work and positive attitudes.

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

Around the Community

Happy 72nd Birthday to Medinat Yisroel

Through remote learning with their classmates, Morah Keren Englard’s students in the CAHAL Shulamith K-1 class set up scenes from different places in Israel in celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut

MTA Celebrates Israel’s 72nd Birthday

ALB Lev Chana may have been forced, given the circumstances, to celebrate Medinat Yisroel’s 72nd birthday a little differently this year, but nothing could detract from the joy and excitement of the day for our children and their families! Our children created Israeli flags and hats, shared mementos and memories of visits to Eretz Yisroel, set up elaborate birthday party decorations in their homes as part of a school-wide contest, baked blue and white birthday cakes with their parents and siblings, watched vid-

eos and heard books describing the special qualities of key cities and places in Eretz Yisroel – Yerushalayim, Tzafat, Eilat, and a kibbutz. Our kindergartners were challenged with building their rendition of the Kotel and then writing a special request to hang from its stones. Our festivities culminated with a zoom concert by HALB parent Aryeh Kunstler, ably assisted by his son, Shmuel, a Lev Chana kindergartner. We look forward to all of us celebrating Medinat Yisroel’s 73rd birthday in Eretz Yisroel.

Celebrating Israel at 72

hulamith Middle Division had an exciting, hopeful, celebratory Yom Haatzmaut beginning with the entire student body singing Hallel together. The full day celebration featured live sessions on Zoom, including a look at Israeli women of consequence and what they contributed to the state and a “Yeah, Bit” dance experience with Morah Tali. In addition, there were a number of pre-recorded videos which enabled students to learn how to bake pita, make Israeli salad, and sing and sign the words of Chai. Students also watched incredible videos about Israeli innovations in agriculture, water preservation, medicine, science, technology and more, and saw how Israel shares its brainpower with the rest of humanity to make the world a better place. We visited holy and beautiful places in Israel

accompanied by an informative and appreciative narration, and “escaped the room” with the information we learned. We enjoyed more dancing with Naz, who got us all on our feet and celebrating the day! Our closing Zoom assembly once again brought the entire Middle Division together. We listened to eighth grader Ateret Tsaidi, who was privileged to live in Israel for a year, as she shared her beautiful memories of Chanukah, erev Shabbat in Yerushalayim, and Yom Haatzmaut on Israel’s 70th birthday! Eighth grader Adina Baum created a video featuring pictures of students and faculty members with their families at various sites in Israel. A group of eighth graders presented a dance from their own homes on Zoom! We sang along to a video of Alfei Yeladim and ended the day with the singing of Hatikvah.

he MTA community had an amazing time celebrating Israel’s 72nd birthday on Yom Hatzmaut! Proagramming and events included an exciting family chagiga led by Tani Polansky, yeshiva-wide Hallel led by sophomore rebbe Rabbi Axelrod, divrei Torah from Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Taubes, and an Israel-themed Family Feud game hosted by Hatzioni, the yeshiva’s Israel Advocacy Club. Rebbeim and teachers also incorporated Israel into their shiurim and classes. Rabbi Tani Cohen’s Julius Wrubel Beis Medrash

Katan Shiur enjoyed a two-part Yom Haatzmaut discussion as well as a musical kumzits, Junior rebbe Rabbi Schiller hosted the yeshiva’s weekly Y Club meeting and led an interactive discussion on “Y are there so many political parties in Israel and what do they stand for?” while science instructor Mr. Goldberg shared the connection between chemistry and the Balfour Declaration in his chemistry classes. Talmidim displayed their Israel pride by wearing blue and white and creating Israel-themed Zoom backgrounds.

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

It's when you're feeling alone

,com NOW

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that you count on your friends.

W AND ALWAYS.

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

YOSS ECC Learning in Our Zoom Classrooms and Out

hile the children at YOSS ECC are learning with their moros and Rebbe Eli Herzberg on Zoom each day, we also have weekly sessions of gym, music, and wacky science, plus weekly con-

tests. Last week, the boys made volcanoes and homemade bubbles at their wacky science class and enjoyed exercise with our exercise video contest, where the boys taught other boys how to do different exercises at home.

The HALB staff has gone above and beyond to ensure that they maintain the personal relationships with their students even during these difficult times...as this is the essence of HALB!

JHC Family Zoom Reunion By Lorey Friedman

n yom tov afternoon Rabbi Moshe Turk, founder and co-director of the Jewish Heritage Center, and his wife made a sidewalk visit to alumnae Melissa (Maisel) Rabb, who mentioned recently participating in a Zoom reunion program. “What a great idea,” Rabbi Turk immediately thought, and the idea of a JHC Alumni Zoom Reunion was born More than 100 alumni registered to join this program to share current experiences and old memories and to lift each other’s spirits with encouragement and humor. At 3:00 PM, N.Y. time, computer screens began to fill with JHC students from all over the world. From Israel to Arizona, Santiago, Chile, to Florida, Arizona to Massachusetts, and numerous points in between, almost 100 JHC alumni comprising three and a half decades of Center students joined together for a touch-

ing and often humorous family reunion. The program opened with Rabbi Naftali Portnoy, co-director of the JHC, eloquently telling the alumni how much they inspired the rabbis of the Center. This was an understood reference to way in which these individuals, along with more than 2,000 others who became religious with the help of this Center, succeeded in traversing that difficult journey to lead Torah-true lives. Rabbi Portnoy’s beautiful message brought tears as well as applause to everyone, kicking off a special JHC family get together. The first speaker, alumnae Cindy S, spoke about Covid-19 changed her life physically and spiritually. After a long serious hospitalization, Cindy described how, alone and fighting fear and despair, she felt uplifted by the wave of support from the JHC and others, especially by learning and praying for her recovery. This support gave her the strength to

maintain hope and fight the illness. After speaking, everyone gave her a huge round of well-deserved applause. The two next two speakers, Sandy K. and Cheri L., spoke about their experiences of making Pesach living alone in quarantine and, in one case, it was doubly daunting, being her first Pesach at home and not by others. It was amazing to hear how they met the challenge and were able to find much meaning and even joy in the yom tov and the sedorim. A photo montage followed, and as we “walked” down memory lane, we reminisced, laughed, and cried at seeing ourselves and others together at JHC events. The pictures reminded alumni and staff of the deep and meaningful times they shared together. Many alumni spoke about their fond and loving memories of Rabbi Dovid Schwartz, z”l, a JHC Senior Rabbinic Educator for almost two decades, who sadly passed away two

years ago. We saw anew how Rabbi Schwartz touched so many lives during his years at the JHC. Other memories focused on how students met the Center rabbis and how they became interested in considering a Torah lifestyle. One repeated theme was how the JHC so deeply affected and changed the lives of its alumni. Another was how the relationship between the alumni and the rebbeim and rebbetzins does not end; the alumni know that the rabbis and their wives are always there for them and their families. As the author of this article related on the Zoom session, “The JHC is there for their students/alumni for the good times and the hard times, during the easy and the not-so-easy.” The reunion lasted over two hours for so many wanted to express appreciation. Then the JHC family waved good-bye, knowing that while apart in distance, they remain together in heart and mind.

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

Around the Community

Keeping the Gesher Family Together

esher has always prided itself on providing a rich educational experience, combined with a variety of other supports. The recent lockdown and school closures have created an opportunity for Gesher staff and administration to demonstrate the depth of their dedication and resourcefulness. And they have certainly surpassed everyone’s expectations. In the first few weeks of the new reality, the faculty took on the chal-

lenge of providing the high-quality educational product that is Gesher’s signature. The administration was hard at work setting up the background, organizing the Edmodo school platform to structure the programming. Teachers seemed to be working around the clock prerecording some of their daily lessons and preparing for their live Zoom Virtual Classrooms. Parent feedback was invited and the overall sense was that Gesher staff had done it again, pro-

viding highest quality and greatest quantity of educational content possible, bearing in mind the challenges families are experiencing with many children at home. With the educational component set, and in order to ensure that the Gesher experience was complete, the administration turned its attention to the feeling of the Gesher family that is so important. Virtual Rosh Chodesh assemblies, including celebrating birthdays of the month, were organized. Rosh Chodesh Iyar featured a presentation by the renowned Small Wonder Puppet Theatre. It was a special way to go into Shabbos rosh chodesh, with a warmth that benefited children and families alike. As teachers have been preparing supplies for delivery or pickup, the administration took the opportunity to schedule a very special drive by party. Following the suggested safety protocols of PPE and distancing, the staff took positions along the street approaching Gesher and into the circular driveway. For a full hour, car after car pulled in to greet the morahs in the warmest way possible. Smiles and laughter filled the air, as students, parents, and many siblings joined the party. The bright sky add-

ed to the enjoyment, and the acapella music was a great accompaniment. Every child received a treat and the students took home a special Gesher whiteboard to use during their Zoom sessions. Over the next several hours, the staff received so many wonderful messages and pictures of happy children who were so glad to greet their morahs in person and to start using their whiteboards to write messages of gratitude.

My 2020 COVID-19 Time Capsule Created by Ohel

HEL Children’s Home & Family Services has made a special “My 2020 COVID-19 Time Capsule” available to students in the Jewish community. This time capsule project was created by Natalie Long of LONG Creations. It has been modified by OHEL’s team to meet the needs of the Jewish community and offers individuals of all ages a chance to document their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic becomes part of a history textbook,

this project will become a personal keepsake for years to come. With fun and engaging content, “My 2020 COVID-19 Time Capsule” will grant families time together that is both meaningful and memorable. The workbook includes pages like “How I’m Feeling” to explore emotions in a meaningful way, “What Occasions Did You Celebrate During This Time?” to seal the memory of Shabbat and Pesach enjoyed in a different way, “A Letter to Your Future Self” to communicate a

Did you know? Mother’s Day is the third-busiest day for buying flowers

powerful message about living history, and more. In the process of logging feelings, this time capsule opens up a dialogue about mental health while facing challenges. Given OHEL’s history in supporting individuals and communities in the face of trauma over the years, our team of experts continue to help strengthen those affected by the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tzivy Reiter, LCSW, Director of Children’s Services at OHEL, recommends the COVID-19 Time Capsule as a powerful tool to support the coping process through creative outlet of expression. The time capsule gives children perspective for their role in history and strengthens coping through acknowledging loss while simultaneously maintaining focus

on positive lessons learned and the people who have helped our community through this crisis. The recommendation is to complete only 1-2 pages per day to spread out the enjoyment, savoring the conversation that springs from each page. OHEL continues to be there to provide families with resources, guidance, and support to manage effectively during this time. Visit www. ohelfamily.org/timecapsule to download the “My 2020 COVID-19 Time Capsule.” If you or someone you know can benefit from OHEL’s many supportive services during this challenging time, visit www. ohelfamily.org/covid19 or call us today at 1-800-603-OHEL.

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

The Kol Torah with Accountability Reverberates as Lomdei Torah Persevere By Chaim Gold

lal Yisrael is magnificent! In the chaos of the Covid-19 mageifah they are showing their love of Hashem and His Torah in unprecedented ways. With communities around the world under lockdown and batei medrash closed, Yidden are finding all kinds of innovative ways to learn and focus on their learning even when they are holed up in the home, facing the difficulty of being easily distracted by the multiple disruptions that can transpire in a home setting when all children are home. Bachurim, kollel yungeleit and baalei battim are not being mevater, are not foregoing their sedarim even in this difficult coronavirus environment. “The Dirshu family of lomdim is on fire!” agreed Rabbi Aharon Gobioff, Dirshu’s North American director. “This month, for the first time in our 25-year history, our lomdim took the Dirshu test remotely. In the past, Dirshu has had testing sites in each city where lomdim come once a month to take their tests. Because of the virus, this model, could not continue. “Dirshu has therefore adapted and held pre-registration for the test where any Dirshu member was given a choice of whether to receive the test by email or by fax. I was flabbergasted by the response,” said Rabbi Gobioff. “Despite the fact that, obviously, our lomdim find themselves in learning conditions that are not optimal, they are pushing themselves and finding innovative solutions to make sure that they can maintain their Daf HaYomi shiur or Daf HaYomi B’Halacha shiur.”

A New Best Friend: The Car! Reb Paltiel*, a lomeid Dirshu, remarked, “My car has become my best friend. It is difficult for me to learn at home with all of the kids home and needing to be entertained.

The house is flying and the focus to learn, chazer and go over the blatt mentally to retain its content was challenging...until I thought of my car. I go out to my car and that is where I do my blatt every day.” Reb Paltiel adds, “Still, I was finding it a bit hard to learn without my regular chavrusah and then I had a brainstorm. My chavrusah began to come over in his car. We park next to each other, each of us ensconced in our respective cars, windows closed and learn every day on the phone together. This way we can see each other and talk to each other while keeping safe!” In the truth, the quest for growth in Torah by all of Klal Yisrael is deeply moving and gratifying. Rabbi Avigdor Berenstein, a senior member of Hanhalas Dirshu in Eretz Yisrael, related that Dirshu, in conjunction with “Kol Hadaf,” an organization in Eretz Yisrael that makes telephone shiurim available to the public, has ensured that most of Dirshu’s shiurim have migrated during the coronavirus crisis to Kol Hadaf where participants can access and participate. “The response has been overwhelming!” says Rabbi Berenstein. “Klal Yisrael, despite what they are going through, are thirsting for Torah learning and want to learn with accountability, not just to be ‘yotzeh’, but to learn!” “I Missed Work, But I Never Missed One Blatt or One Chazara!” A truly remarkable story that depicts the tenacity of lomdei Torah to continue learning and reviewing no matter what the circumstance was related by Rabbi Gobioff: Reb Michoel* is a baal habayis who lives in Lakewood. He has already finished Shas with the Daf HaYomi once, and now, for the present machzor of Daf HaYomi, has decided to take his learning to a new level by joining the Dirshu Kinyan Torah Daf HaYomi with tests every

Participants at a recent Dirshu Bechina in Brooklyn, New York

month. He was so dedicated to really learning and knowing the daf that he changed his daily schedule. Instead of leaving work at 5:00 p.m., he decided to leave at 4:00 p.m. What did he do at 4:00 p.m.? He hired a yungerman to learn with him every day. He also hired a second yungerman to review the blatt with him and he reviewed the blatt himself a number of times as well. By the time he reached the end of the month and the test, he knew every blatt, in his own words, “backwards and forwards.” When Reb Michoel was asked how he was managing to sustain this schedule under corona, he explained, “Where there is a will there is a way. There was the telephone and the computer. I missed work during corona, I missed multiple simchos during corona, but I haven’t missed even one blatt or one chazara!” “It is these heroes who have kept the flame of Torah burning brightly, despite the adversity,” remarked Rabbi Gobioff. “I So Wanted to Give This Korban to Hashem…” Indeed, Dirshu coordinators from Tel Aviv to Toronto, from Bnei Brak to Boro Park, and from Antwerp to London, were overwhelmed at the numbers of people who signed up to get the tests via email and fax. One coordinator related, “We told our chavrei Dirshu that the tests would be emailed at 7:00 p.m.

Due to some technical glitch it didn’t start arriving in people’s inboxes until about 7:20. Do you know how many messages and phone calls I received during those twenty minutes from worried lomdim who wanted to make sure that their tests were coming?!” The truth is that the dark clouds and tragedy that Covid-19 has inflicted on the world and especially the Jewish community has also had silver linings. The way Yidden have dedicated themselves to limud haTorah, often in very suboptimum conditions, has been nothing short of incredible! The Dirshu offices in Lakewood received a call from a test taker who said, “I always invest a tremendous amount of time in learning and chazering before each test. This year, about three days before the test, I began to feel symptoms of coronavirus. I developed a fever, my senses of taste and smell were affected, and I felt awful. Sunday, 25 Nissan/April 19 dawned, and by the time evening arrived and the test landed in my inbox, my fever had well surpassed 103 degrees. What did I do? I took the test! It was difficult, but I felt that the most appropriate words that came to my head were, ‘Avar zemano, batei korbano’ – if I let the time pass, my korban, my sacrifice to Hashem of learning and taking the test under such adversity, would be lost. I wanted so much to give that korban to Hashem, and I am so gratified that I did!”

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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M E M O R Y

My Special Sister Shelley You will always be my special sister, Shelley, special to me and exceptional to the world you created By Rabbi Yehoshua Kurland

y beloved sister Shelley Kurla nd, a” h, w a s a “special child.” In those days (1948), they referred to her as “slow” or “mentally retarded.” Anyone who had the zechus to know Shelley knew that she was indeed “special.” She was a pure ruach who infused hundreds of people with chizuk and encouragement. She complimented everyone she met with “you look so beautiful or handsome” with her vibrant smile and obvious love for all others. Shelley was special because at a time when parents often opted not to raise “special children” at home, my parents, Rav Yaakov and Miriam Kurland, never considered that option. Shelley was raised like every other member of our family. In a home that exuded Torah and hachnasas orchim, Shelley absorbed the ne’imas haTorah and a love for all people of all stripes. To my parents’ credit, they were always b’simcha about their matzav, and with a tremendous bitachon went on to have three other children (Shelley was the oldest) and gave longevity to what otherwise was expected to be a shortened existence (Shelley lived 72 years). But more than that, they allowed her personality to develop. With great charm and an unusual memory, Shelley was mechazeik hundreds of her various constituencies in Baltimore, where we grew up; in Hicksville, Long Island, where my

father served as a rav; in Far Rockaway, New York, and in particular to the Sh’or Yoshuv community where I have been zocheh to teach for the past 45 years; and in the Beis Ezra Women’s Home on East 18th St. in Brooklyn that took such good care

and hundreds of other Jewish songs that she had an expertise in from her hours and hours of listening to records and tapes. (She knew every tenuah of Carlebach’s “Mimkomcha.”) She was rosh hamedabrim at every Shabbos seuda and simcha, always en-

Shelley, I hope you knew that you were everyone’s favorite sister and friend without exception.

of her for the past 24 years. She was the address for Shabbos visits and the ensuing games and fun that would follow for countless Bais Yaakov girls in Baltimore and for T.A.G and B’nos Bais Yaakov girls in Far Rockaway. Then there were the many gracious people whose homes she would visit on a constant basis. Songs were sung including the famous “Shelley is a friend of mine”

couraging the yeshiva bochurim at our table to “learn more Torah and don’t play so much checkers” (I imagine that was her natural way to deter the “sichas yeladim” that is so consuming.) She said it all with great exuberance and excitement as it came from a pure neshamahand a ruach tehorah. A close friend told me that it took nine attempts before she successfully got her driver’s license, and she was

about to give up many times along the way. It was Shelley who gave her the encouragement to not give up that allowed her to ultimately persevere. Shelley loved to go to shul and sing along with the chazan without reservation. She was one of the first to dance with the kallah at a simcha, at times before the immediate family, sharing in everyone’s simcha even if it would never be her own. It didn’t matter to someone so purely selfless. She addressed everyone by their first name that rang out in her inimitable style with absolute love and devotion. Her simchas ha’chaim was contagious, and her constant flow of brachos to others was “rebbe-ish” as if she was responding to the requests of a kvittel. Somehow, she knew what people needed and never disappointed them. Our love for Shelley knew no bounds. She told me so often that I was her favorite brother (of course, I’m her only brother). Shelley, I hope you knew that you were everyone’s favorite sister and friend without exception. No words could ever express who you were and what you represented to so many. This is a meager attempt. You will always be my special sister, Shelley, special to me and exceptional to the world you created. I love you eternally. Your Brother, Yehoshua Kurland L’zecher nishmas ha’ishah ha’tehorah Rochel bas Harav Chizkiyahu Yaakov, z”l.

OCTOBER 29, 2015Jewish | The Jewish MAY 7, 2020 | The Home Home

TJH

Centerfold

Riddle me this?

What Mo m Pro ba bly Sa id

wedding hall was It was the first week after Lag B’Omer, and the on each night for uled sched set for a busy week. They had a wedding , the wedding error al cleric five nights straight. However, due to a each night. on ied marr g hall staff has no idea which couple is gettin n, but colum ct corre the in On their information sheet, each name is the in ars appe lly actua n only one of the names within each colum s, bride the s, groom the h correct row. Using the clues below, matc order r prope the in le coup and the last names, and then place each of their wedding date.

Chosson Avi Yosef Dovid Baruch Shimon

Kallah Aviva Elana Shira Yocheved Chani

Last Name Kent Goodman Adams Moss Small

Clues: 1) Shimon is 1 place after Yocheved. 2) Chani is 1 place before the Mosses. a Moss. 3) Dovid is not marr ying Yocheved nor is he 2 places after Dovid. 4) The Kents are 1 place before Shira, who is 5) Avi is 2 places before the Smalls.

CHOSSON Dovid Avi Shimon Baruch Yosef

KALLAH Elana Yocheved Shira Chani Aviva

LAST NAME Goodman Kent Adams Smalls Moss

Answer to Riddle Me This:

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MONA LISA’S MO THER : “Af ter all that money your father and I spent on braces, that’s the biggest smile you can give us?” COLUMBUS’S MOTHER: “I don’t care what you’ve discovered, you still could have written!” MICHEL ANGELO’S MOTH ER: “Can’t you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceil ing?” ABRAHA M LINCOLN’S MO THER: “Again with the stovepipe hat? Can’t you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?” ALEX ANDER GR AH AM BELL: “You have school tomorrow; hang up the phone!” BENJA MIN FR ANKLIN: “Benny, get inside! What, do you want to be hit by lightnin g?” MA RY ’S MOTHER: “I’m not upset that your lamb followed you to school, but I wou ld like to know how he got a bet ter grade than you.” AL BE RT EINSTE IN’ S MO TH ER : “But it’s you r senior pict ure. Can’t you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something. ..?” GEORGE WA SHINGTON’S MOTHER: “The nex t time I catch you throwing mon ey across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-b ye!” THOM AS EDISON’S MO TH ER : “Of cou rse I’m proud that you invented the electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!” PAUL REVERE’S MOTHER : “I don’t care where you think you have to go, young ma n, mid nig ht is past your cur few.” LU DW IG VA N BEET HOVE N’S MOTHER: “Stop play ing that music so loud!”

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The Jewish Home |Home OCTOBER 2015 The Jewish | MAY29, 7, 2020

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai Knowledge Quiz

 Answer Key

kidding

You gotta be

A mother walk s her son to the school bus stop on his fi r s t d ay of k i nder ga r ten. “Behave, my tattaleh,” she says. “Take good care of yourself and think about your mother, zeeskeit! “And come right back home on the bus, schein kindaleh,” she adds. “Your Mommy loves you a lot, my tzatzkele!” At the end of the school day, the

Who was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’s father-in-law? a. Rabbi Pinchas Ben Yair b. Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi c. Raish Lakish d. Shamai

Which one of the following holy sefarim was written by Rabbi Shimony Ben Yochai? a. Zohar b. Mesillas Yeshorim c. Tanya d. Talmud Bavli Shas

When Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son came out of the cave the second time, they saw an old Jewish man carrying something in honor of Shabbos. What was the man carrying? a. A fish b. Three pieces of meat c. A gold candelabra d. Two myrtle branches

0-2 correct: Remember, Rabbi Akiva started learning Torah at 40!

Who was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai’’s rebbe? a. Rabbi Yehuda b. Rabbi Akiva c. Yochanan Ben Zakai d. Rabbi Meir

3-4 correct: Pretty good, but you are not exactly proficient in the Zohar yet.

5-6 correct: You deserve a fully paid trip to Meron for Lag Ba’Omer.

What type of tree miraculously grew in the cave? a. Apple tree b. Carob tree c. Fig tree d. Peach tree

 Scorecard:

For how many years in total was Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in a cave with his son? a. 8 b. 12 c. 13 d. 18

bus stops at the bus stop and the young boy runs off the bus. The mother runs over and hugs her son. “So what did mein kint learn on his first day of school?” she asks him. He answers, “I learned that my name is Yossi.”

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Torah Thought

Parshas Emor By Rabbi Berel Wein

his week’s Torah reading begins with a rather detailed instruction sheet for the children of Aaron, the priests of Israel. The Torah describes for us the limitations that were placed upon them in order to guarantee that their service would be in purity and in holiness. Aspects of this instruction are still enforced today. Those who are of the priestly clan observe them rigidly even if, in other matters, they may not be that strict. I had an experience with this regarding a certain leading official in the Jewish Agency about 30 years ago. I knew the man very well and he was a person of honor and integrity, but he was an old time socialist and was not observant in any traditional sense of the word. I happened to be in Israel when another leading person in the educational department of the Jewish Agency passed away and the family asked me to say a few words at the funeral. This man accompanied me to the funeral chapel, but as I was going to mount the steps, he said, “This is as far as I’m going because I am a kohen, and I don’t go to funerals.” I looked at him somewhat quizzically because there were so many other violations of tradition that I had observed in him, but even so I was greatly impressed. And he said to me, “Don’t be so surprised; for thousands of years my family are kohanim and I’m not going to give that up. That is a heritage that I cannot forgo.” That is the first part of the Torah reading. The second part of the Torah reading, which also occupies a great deal of the subject matter of the entire portion, is a recounting of

the calendar. It is an enumeration of the holidays, the special days of the Jewish calendar throughout the year. At first glance, one would

will see a common thread that runs through not only these two subjects but through all subjects in the Torah as well.

It is that rhythm of life that invests every holiday and allows the holiday to live within us even when its days have passed.

think that these two sections of the same Torah reading really have no intrinsic connection one with the other. They deal with far different subjects and have a different tone and mood to their words. But again, I feel that that is only a superficial view. Upon deeper examination we

The Torah represents for us constancy. It establishes a regular rhythm in our life. It is why we have so many commandments that we can, and should, fulfill day-in and day-out under all circumstances and conditions. It is this very constancy, the repetitiveness, that the

Torah imposes upon us that builds within us the holiness of spirit and is the strength of our tradition. The fact is it is not a one-day-a-week or three-days-a-year holiday for the Jewish people, but that every day counts and has its importance. Daily, one is obligated to do the will of one’s Creator. All of this gives a rhythm to our lives, makes life meaningful, with a specific direction for the time that we are here on earth. The holidays themselves are the rhythm of the Jewish calendar year. We just finished Pesach and we are coming to Shavuot and then after Shavuot there comes the period of mourning, then after that the High Holy days, the holiday of Sukkot, then Hanukkah, et cetera. It is that rhythm of life that invests every holiday and allows the holiday to live within us even when its days have passed. Essentially, every day is Pesach and every day is Shavuot, and every day can be Yom Ha-Kippurim. This is the constancy regarding the laws for the kohanim as well – that every day they are reminded who they are. Every day they are bound by the restrictions, discipline, and nobility that the Torah ordained for them. This is the thread of consistency that binds all these disparate subjects together. The Torah preaches consistency, regularity, habitual behavior, and the idea that life is one rhythm, like a river flowing, not to be segmented into different emotional waves depending upon one’s mood and upon external conditions. Shabbat shalom.

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

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MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

From the Fire

Parshas Emor The Kohein Within By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

he Torah teaches the mitzvah that kohanim may not come into contact with a corpse (Vayikra 21:1) with the words, “Speak to the kohanim, the children of Aharon, and you shall say to them, ‘Let none of you defile himself to a dead body among his people.” The commentaries all explain why the pasuk has to say “speak” and “say,” which seems duplicative. The Zohar (88b) explains that the intent of the pasuk is: “Tell the kohanim in a whisper...” Why is the command that a kohein not defile himself conveyed in a whisper? In the sefer Eitz Hadaas Tov, Rav Chaim Vital, the greatest student of the Arizal, explains why the Torah permits and even commands a kohein to defile himself by coming into contact with a deceased close relative. He explains that close relatives are branches of one tree which draw from the same root. When one member of the family dies, all close relatives are affected and touched by death. Therefore, because the kohein has already been touched and affected by death, he loses nothing by coming into contact with the person’s body and fulfilling the mitzvah of escorting the person into the Next World. But if this is true, why should a kohein gadol be different? Why is he forbidden to come into contact with even the seven categories of close relatives unlike other kohanim? Rav Moshe Wolfson offers an explanation. He points out that there are three general dimensions: olam, space; shana, time; and nefesh, soul.

Every soul has its own place and time. The place that corresponds to the soul of the Jewish people as a whole is Eretz Yisroel. Each individual Jew has his or her own place in Eretz Yisroel. In fact, the Rambam quotes an opinion that a Jew can acquire property using the particular four amos in Eretz Yisroel with which he or she is associated. A kohein gadol’s place in Eretz Yisroel is the Holy of Holies. The character of the Holy of Holies, which is the resting place of Hashem’s presence, is (Divrei Hayamim 1:16:27) such that “might and joy are in His place.” Mourning and death have no place in Hashem’s home, which is a place of pure joy. The Holy of Holies is a place of life. Death cannot touch it. The living, joyous nature of the Holy of Holies spreads out to all of Yerushalyim as well. According to the Midrash (Shmos Raba Pikudei 52), “There was a house of calculation outside of Yerushalayim, and anyone who needed to work on his books for business would go there. Why [was it necessary to leave Yerushalayim to work on one’s books]? So that one should not make calculations and experience distress [in Yerushalayim], which is called (Tehillim 48:3) ‘the joy of all the land.’” There is no place for sadness, darkness, depression, or mourning in the city of joy, Yerushalayim. This place of joy is rooted in the Holy of Holies, the place of the kohein gadol, as the pasuk (Divrei Hayamim 1:23:13) says, “And Aharon was separated to

be sanctified, the Holy of Holies.” The kohein gadol himself is called the Holy of Holies! Death may touch other kohanim but the kohein gadol, who is connected to the heart of Yerushalyim, the Holy of Holies, is above the concept of impurity and defilement. That is why he does not defile himself even to his close relatives. Mourning and sadness have no place in the person identified with the clearest manifestation of Hashem’s presence, the Holy of Holies. The kohein gadol is anointed with the shemen ha’mishcha, the anointing oil. The word for oil, shemen, is connected to the word “eight” because the kohein gadol is above nature, above the seven days of creation. He connects to that which is above nature. And the word for anointing, ha’mishcha, has the same letters as simcha, joy. The kohein gadol is also the only person to wear eight garments, rather than four, further identifying him with a level of joy that is beyond this world. Every Jew has a little kohein gadol inside of him – a place where sadness and destruction cannot reach. No matter what has happened to him or what he has done, there is a Holy of Holies deep inside of him which is still filled with a spark of Hashem’s light and joy. This week is Lag B’Omer, the hillula of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai. Rebbi Shimon shared this attribute of being like the kohein gadol, although

he was not a kohein or even from the tribe of Levi. And as we are about to say about the tzaddik, “Bar Yochai nimshachta ashrecha shemen sasson mei’chaveirecha, Bar Yochai you are anointed, rejoice, with the oil of joy from your friends,” and “Bar Yochai mei’kodesh ha’kedoshim, Bar Yochai from the Holy of Holies.” Rebbi Shimon was anointed with the number eight, with the holiness of the Holy of Holies. Therefore, destruction, sadness, and mourning have no place in his world. Indeed, it once happened that Rebbi Avraham Halevi, one of the students of the Arizal, said “Nachem,” while he was bentching – although we normally say that prayer on Tisha B’Av – in Meiron on Lag B’Omer (as he was accustomed to doing all year) and the Arizal saw a vision of Rebbi Shimon warning that because he brought the prayer of mourning which literally means “comfort,” into Rebbi Shimon’s place, which is a place of joy, that this Jew would ultimately need to be comforted. Indeed, Rebbi Avraham’s son passed away a short time later. According to the Ramchal, the soul of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai is the soul of the ultimate redemption. “Shimon ben Yochai” has the numerical value of me’chayei meisim, Who brings the dead to life. Rebbi Shimon’s essence is life and the numerical value of b’Lag B’Omer, “on Lag B’Omer” is simcha, joy. Indeed, according to the Zohar (296b) Rebbi Shimon’s last words on earth as a fire descended from Heaven to bring his holy body

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to Meiron were the words of the pasuk in Tehillim (133:3), “For there, Hashem commanded the blessing, life...” He died just as he was about to utter the word “life.” That is why the joy of Lag B’Omer overcomes the sadness of Sefira, when we mourn the death of Rebbi Akiva’s 24,000 students. Death has no mastery on Rebbi Shimon’s day, Lag B’Omer. Rebbi Shimon’s mission was to reveal the secrets of Torah. Every Jew also has his or her letter in the Sefer Torah (Tiferes Shlomo, Shavuos 141a); Rebbi Shimon reveals the secret, hidden good that exists within every Jew regardless of what he or she has done in life. A secret is something which can only be given over quietly, in a whisper (see, e.g., Tikunei Zohar 3b). That is why the Zohar says that Hashem’s message to the kohanim that they may not be defiled by death is given over in a whisper. Indeed, the whole Jewish people are called (Shmos 19:6) a mamleches kohanim, a kingdom of kohanim, because every Jew has an unsullied core, a Holy of Holies within himself. Every Jew holds this secret. Hashem whispers to each one of us through this parsha, “No matter what happened, I still love you. I still see the good in you which is absolutely pure.” There is an aspect of the Jewish soul which cannot become defiled, which is a Holy of Holies within him. In the place within a Jew which is connected to the kohein gadol, he is always filled with joy, where he can say, “There, Hashem commanded the blessing of life, eternal.” Recognizing this leads to joy for another reason as well. When a person recognizes that Hashem loves him, is not out to get him, G-d forbid, and wants only the best for him, then even when things are very difficult, when Hashem’s attribute of strict justice seems to be revealed, he still rejoices in the knowledge that it is all for his benefit even if he does not understand how or why. We see from a particular incident recounted in the Yerushalmi (Sanhedrin 1:2) how Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai’s rebbe, Rebbi Akiva, taught him this secret of quietly knowing one’s inner holiness. The Gemara tells us that after the death of Rebbi Akiva’s 24,000 students, when he was ordaining the

next generation of students, “[Rebbi Akiva] said, ‘Rebbi Meir should sit at the front.’ Rebbi Shimon’s face turned white [from embarrassment]. Rebbi Akiva [whispered to Rebbi Shimon], ‘It is enough that I and your Creator recognize your strength.’” We too must remember that Hashem and Rebbi

asked his son what had happened at the lake. The boy admitted what happened and told his father that the man had said, “I don’t care if your father is Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai! You’re a mechutzaf!” The Beis Yaakov asked what he had answered to this. He said that he didn’t answer back but that he

Every Jew has a little kohein gadol inside of him – a place where sadness and destruction cannot reach

Shimon know that we have strength, goodness, and holiness within us. We have an aspect of the kohein gadol, an untainted core inside. There is a story of Rav Gershon Henoch of Radzin, the son of the Beis Yaakov, when Rav Gershon Henoch was still a little boy of five years old. In his town, there was a lake that the men and boys used to swim in during the summer. In order to reach the lake, everyone had to pass over a rope bridge that only had enough room for one person to pass at a time. As a child, Rav Gershon Henoch was known as being a brilliant but sharp-mouthed boy who was more than a little bit brazen in his behavior. One day, he wanted to go swimming but an old man was crossing the rope bridge very, very slowly. He tried waiting but could not contain himself anymore and pushed passed the elderly man by pushing one of his hands off of the rope handle as he squeezed past him. The man called out, “Mechutzaf! Insolent child!” And little Gershon Henoch answered back, “Don’t you know who my father is?!” The older man answered, “I don’t care if your father is Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai! You’re a mechutzaf!” Shaken up by the incident, the old man turned around and went to go see the Beis Yaakov, little Gershon Henoch’s father, and told him everything that had happened. Very upset at his son’s behavior, the Rebbe sent for his son to come home immediately. When he returned, the Beis Yaakov

was upset because he knew that the Rebbe was bigger than Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai! Taken aback, the Beis Yaakov spent several minutes in deep contemplation. When he returned to himself,

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he said that the man was right that he was a mechutzaf, but that he, little Gershon Henoch, was also correct that he, the Beis Yaakov, could perhaps, one day become even greater than Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai because as long as a man lives, he must continue striving for greatness. With G-d’s help, may we all merit to reveal the aspect of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai within us. When we connect to that point within ourselves which is still a Holy of Holies, we can connect to a place of pure joy and trust in Hashem and realize that we have purity and goodness within us and that we are never too far gone. It is enough that Hashem and Rebbi Shimon recognize our inner greatness.

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

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Between the Lines

No Justice, No Peace By Eytan Kobre

Peace without truth is a false peace. - R’ Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

rom first century Roman Emperor Hadrian to U.S. President Ronald Reagan, formidable world leaders for thousands of years have adhered to an ideology of “peace through strength.” Reagan put it this way: “We know that peace is the condition under which mankind was meant to flourish. Yet peace does not exist of its own will. It depends on us, on our courage to build it and guard it and pass it on to future generations.” Or, in Martin Luther King Jr.’s words, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” Peace cannot be attained at the expense of truth, justice, and values. The Blasphemer was the son of an Egyptian man and a Jewish woman, Shlomis bas Divri – the only Jewish woman to be with an Egyptian man during the Jewish people’s exile in Egypt (Vayikra 24:10-11). She was known as Shlomis because she chirped incessantly, “Peace upon you, peace upon you,” and she sought peace with anyone and everyone (Rashi, Vayikra 24:11).

The root of Shlomis’s errant ways, explains R’ Shalom Schwadron, was her misplaced relationship with peace. She believed that peace must be pursued and attained at all costs – even if it meant compromising her Jewish identity and Jewish ideals of modesty. To her, the stark differences between the Jewish people (who maintained their identity as such) and their degenerate Egyptian oppressors was something to be downplayed. And so, she developed a misguided philosophy of peace and love for all, which started with her constant calls of “peace upon you, peace upon you” and ended with a wayward son. Peace is, to be sure, a coveted and core Torah value. “The whole Torah is for the sake of promoting peace” (Gittin 59b; Mishlei 3:17). Even if they commit idolatry, the Jewish people will be spared calamity if there is peace amongst them (Bereishis Rabba 38:6). Making peace between others is one of the few enumerated deeds for which “the fruits a person enjoys in this world, while the principal remains intact for him in the hereafter” (Pei’ah 1:1). Not only is shalom (peace) one of G-d’s names (Vayikra Rabba 9:9), G-d even permitted His name to be erased for the sake of making peace between husband and wife (Sukka 53b). “Peace is the only vessel G-d could find to adequately hold blessing for the Jewish people” (Uktzin 3:11). Peace encompasses all

blessing (Vayikra Rabba 9:9). The exhortations to make peace seem limitless. But even peace has its limits – it must always yield to truth and justice and Torah principles. “Where there is justice, there is truth; where there is truth, there is peace” (Yerushalmi, Ta’anis 4:2). The only true peace is one accompanied by rebuke (Bereishis Rabba 54:3). Rather than creating animosity, one who adjudicates a truthful judgment makes peace (Mechilta of R’ Shimon bar Yochai, Yisro 19). “Wherever there is justice, there is peace; wherever there is peace, there is justice” (Derech Eretz Zuta, Perek HaShalom). For truth, justice, and peace are all principles on which the world endures – none may be compromised to attain the others (Avos 1:18). Perhaps that is the reason that specifically “scholars increase peace in the world” (Berachos 64a). Only our scholars, explains the Alter of Kelm, are perfectly attuned to the truth and justice demanded by the Torah, so only they can walk the delicate balance between a false peace and a genuine one rooted in the Torah’s absolute truths. In directing Moshe to “say to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and say to them that they should not become impure to any person in the nation” (Vayikra 21:1), G-d stressed that these were “sons of Aharon” (even though

they were the only Kohanim at the time) to emphasize that while they should draw on their father Aharon’s core trait – peace – they must never do so in such a manner as to “become impure [in the spiritual sense] to any person” (Chasam Sofer, Vayikra 21:1). Peace should be pursued vigorously, but never by compromising truth, justice, or values. Indeed, Hillel taught as much: “Be from the disciples of Aharon; loving peace and pursuing peace; loving the creations and bringing them close to the Torah” (Avos 1:12). Certainly, strive to be a disciple of Aharon – “love peace and pursue peace,” even “love the creations” to attain it – but only by bringing others close to the Torah, not vice versa (Be’er Avos 1:12; Chaim Sheyesh Bahem, Avos 1:12). Pinchas, Aharon’s grandson, embodied the delicate balance between pursuing peace and insisting on truth and justice. When some of the Jewish people committed acts of immorality and idolatry, G-d sent a plague that killed 24,00 people until Pinchas killed two offenders, Zimri and Kozbi, ending the catastrophe swiftly (Bamidbar 25:1-10). But even after committing such violence, the Kotzker Rebbe explains, Pinchas was given a “Covenant of Peace” (Bamidbar 25:12) – peace of all things – because peace cannot be attained by compromising one’s values. While society tends to regard

peace as concession to those who are more powerful, true and lasting peace is attained only through a measured battle for one’s values (Keraina D’Igrasa 2:312). So rather than being seen as an act of hostility, Pinchas’s bold move actually restored peace to the Jewish people (Zevachim 101b). And he was granted a “Covenant of Peace” precisely because he was not afraid to fight for truth and justice and Torah values. The Kotzker Rebbe didn’t just preach this point; he lived it. Although he and R’ Yitzchak of Vorke were close friends, their respective followers decidedly were not. It once happened that the Kotzker Rebbe and the Vorker Rebbe met, when the latter announced, “I have great news. Our respective followers have made peace with each other.” The Kotzker Rebbe was not pleased. “If so,” he replied, “then the powers of falsehood have prevailed.” And, seeing the Vorker Rebbe’s obvi-

ous displeasure with such a pessimistic view, the Kotzker Rebbe explained. “We are taught that a dispute that is for the sake of heaven will yield permanent results (Avos 5:17), because the search for truth lies at the

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one another, they likely compromised their standards and have made peace with falsehood.” Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, fighting forcefully and valiantly to stem the tide of the Reform movement

Peace should be pursued vigorously, but never by compromising truth, justice, or values.

8:16; Zecharya 8:19; Tehillim 85:11) – “for peace is not a father of truth; peace is a child of truth...inalienable truth can never be sold, not even for the price of peace…” (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Klugman at pg. 314; see also Responsa of Maharam Shick, Yoreh Dei’ah 333; Kovetz Ma’amarim, Galus U’Geula No. 26). Because peace – a true and lasting peace – is not made when one must say “yes”; peace is made when one has the moral courage and conviction to say, “no.” This article should merit the refuah sheleima of Avraham ben Fraida, a consummate man of peace.

core of such a dispute. But without a sincere search for truth, peace occurs by default. So while it is true that our respective followers had not been in harmony, that was because each side was invested in the sincere pursuit of truth. If they have made peace with

in 19th century Germany, always rebuffed calls to make peace with the “enlightened” reformers. The words emes (truth) and shalom (peace), he observed, are nearly always written in Tanach in that order – first emes, and only then shalom (see e.g. Zecharya

Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail eakobre@outlook.com.

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Think, Feel, Grow

The Five Stages of Faith By Shmuel Reichman

s we depart from Pesach, the holiday of faith, we must reinforce our commitment to the journey of faith. There is no greater act of emunah than living a spiritual, holistic life in an often chaotic, fragmented world. The famous words “kedoshim tihiyu” (you shall be holy) are not a call to be transcendent, angelic beings, lofty and perfect, completely beyond the struggle innate to the human condition. This is not permission to deny our humanity and restrict our sense of self. This is a calling to be human, to be the ultimate human, to bring transcendence and spirituality into this world. We don’t aim to escape this world; we aim to transform it. Kedushah is not transcendence or escapism, it’s found in the meeting between the transcendent and the immanent. This is the journey of faith, whereby each individual must embark on a quest for internal and objective truth, where we must leave the comfort of the known and travel towards the infinite, towards the future we know we are destined for, towards our own personal and collective purpose. There are five stages in this journey of faith:

1- Emunah Peshutah (Simple Faith) The first stage that we experience in life is emunah peshutah, simple faith. If you take a two-year-old child on a walk in the park, all he experiences is life itself. He’ll point at the birds and the trees and exclaim:

“Whoa!” or point at something and shout, “Look at that!” He doesn’t yet have a categorized mind, so he doesn’t give names to anything; he simply sees reality as it is. At this stage, you experience life with no questions, and no options – everything is simply pure, true, and beautiful.

2- Blind Faith Then, you learn how to speak, and the world suddenly becomes a mystery. You walk around in wonder and confusion; you have questions; you’re learning to communicate. If you’re taught to believe in Hashem, you do, not because you have any reason to, but because your parents or teachers tell you that Hashem loves you, that He created you, that He cares about you, and that “He gave you this deli-

cious cookie as a present.” As you grow older, you are taught increasingly complex ideas: Hashem sees everything you do, Hashem can forgive, Hashem gives you challenges. However, you are still at an age where you accept these facts at face value, believing them because that’s what people tell you is true. At this stage, belief is obedience, not something you’ve discovered.

3- Experiential Faith However, once you reach a certain age, you begin to want more. You want to meet Hashem, to talk to Him. You want to genuinely, deeply believe in Him, but you struggle. It’s hard. If only you could see Him, touch Him, or even hear Him, then you’d believe! You just want some indication that He’s here, watching and caring, just as you were told growing up.

Every once in a while, a “coincidental” encounter with Hashem, the sublime, occurs. Maybe your life was saved, maybe you just made your flight, or just missed it and later heard it crashed. Maybe you found your soulmate, did well on your test, or got your dream job. Maybe you had your first child, your illness was cured, or you won against all odds. Maybe you were just in the exact right place, at the exact right time. Suddenly, you believe. It’s real, at least to you. You’re convinced, and you walk around floating on cloud nine. Life is good, pure, true, and beautiful. Here, faith becomes personal, not just something foisted upon you by others. However, your faith at this stage is simplistic. At some point, this is no longer enough. You want more; you need more. Rational, logical, and philosophical questions come up. “If G-d exists then why…” and “How can G-d exist if….” or “Why would G-d do….” Maybe your life falls apart and you cry out, “How can this be happening to me?!”

4- Rational Knowledge The fourth stage is the rational stage. You need rational proofs: logic, philosophy, science, math, algorithms, and intellect. So you begin to collect proofs. - The Big Bang may explain how the world came about, but where did the Big Bang come from? Something higher must have set it into action, there must be a source of the very matter that made up the Big Bang.

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- The world is so sophisticated and organized, it is impossible for something of such complexity to have just randomly come about. It must have been created and ordered this way by something higher. - Quantum physics shows that the world is an expression of a supreme consciousness, so Hashem must be the neshama (the self/consciousness) of the world. - Einstein proved that time and space is relative, in that each human being experiences a present in relation to himself. Objectively, though, there is a dimension that transcends time and space. Hashem must be that which transcends time and space! This fourth stage is tremendously more developed than the two before it. At this stage, your faith is something you have worked towards rationally, intellectually, and developmentally, something that you have devoted thought and research towards. But, in truth, this stage is limited as well. You may have proven that Hashem exists, but it ends there. Knowing that Hashem exists does not mean that you have a relation-

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

ship with Him. It does not help you truly know Him, to connect to Him on the deepest of levels. The Ramchal (Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) explains in his sefer Da’as Tevunos (Knowing G-d’s Plan) that

rational proofs may reveal Hashem’s existence, but they do not allow for a deeper understanding and knowledge of Hashem. You may know that G-d exists, but what does that mean experientially, how does this manifest in your actual experience of life? While many people stop at rational knowledge, the fourth stage, we must push ourselves farther. This is

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Rational proofs may reveal Hashem’s existence, but they do not allow for a deeper understanding and knowledge of Hashem

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can only be experienced. These phenomena are not irrational, they are post-rational. Reason and logic lead you to them, but only experience itself can verify them. If you have experienced something in this realm, you cannot prove its existence to someone else, for they must experience it themselves in order to truly know it as well. For example, if someone has never eaten chocolate before, it is impossible to explain to them what it tastes like. They need to taste it and experience it themselves. The same is true for spiritual wisdom: - Love cannot be explained, only experienced. The physiological effects of love on our bodies and minds can be observed, but the power and experience of love cannot be rationally explained. - Although it is impossible to logically and rationally prove the existence of free will, the fact that you possess free will is experienced every time you face a moral dilemma. The genuine pull towards evil and the rich satisfaction when we triumph is inherent to human decision making, and yet it is impossible to scientifically pin down the origins of decision-making in our brains. - True goodness cannot be explained, only experienced. If you ask someone to explain the nature and meaning of what is good and right, he or she may be able to give you examples, but the truth of what is good lies beyond the realm of logic, it is something we know deeply within ourselves. - The fact that life has meaning and purpose is intrinsic to the hu-

man experience, and yet impossible to prove. - You know deep down that you are unique, that you were created for a reason, and that you have a unique mission in this world, yet again, it is impossible to prove. The above phenomena defy logical and rational explanations. They are experienced deep within our consciousness, deep within our existential experience of reality. Deeper Torah knowledge as well requires this post-rational experience, weaving your way into the inner dimensions of Torah consciousness. At this stage, you see reality as it is. No questions, no options, everything is just pure, true, beautiful. But then you notice something grand, euphoric, and unexplainable: this was the exact experience you had during the first stage! Your journey through life becomes the creation of an epic and cosmic circle. You lost that transcendent connection to oneness, so that you could journey through life to rebuild it – except this time, it’s real, it’s earned, and therefore it’s yours; you chose it, you built it, and now you get to experience it! Now comes the most challenging stage of all: living by the emes that you so deeply know and experience, turning the cerebral light of truth into a life eternally guided by that truth. Life is full of ups and downs, light and darkness, clarity and faith. Belief is not static. It’s a process – something you must constantly build, mold, and develop. When in the midst of struggle and darkness, remember how far you’ve come, remember why you’re here, remember your why in life, and then move forward, push forward, and take the next leap forward in your journey of faith!

Shmuel Reichman is an inspirational speaker, writer, and coach who has lectured internationally at shuls, conferences, and Jewish communities on topics of Jewish thought and Jewish medical ethics. He is the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy (ShmuelReichman.com), the transformative online course that is revolutionizing how we engage in self-development. You can find more inspirational lectures, videos, and articles from Shmuel on his website, ShmuelReichman.com.

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World

Builders

A Hero in a Nursing Home By Gilad Hadari Gilad in his UH uniform

y name is Gilad Hadari, I live in a small town named Elon Moreh. My town is nestled in the hills of Samarai near the city of Nablus. I’m a divorcee, and I have three young children whom I was supposed to spend the weekend with a few weeks ago. After all, it was my birthday. But my plans changed dramatically on Friday afternoon after I received a phone call just before Shabbat began from the head of the Bnei Brak Chapter Ephraim (Effy) Feldman. Effy and I have known each other for a while as I have been volunteering with United Hatzalah for close to 12 years now. Effy knew that I was a registered nurse and that I have experience working in a nursing home. He asked if I would be willing to come down to Bnei Brak, some 70 kilometers (or 44 miles) away in order to take over for the medical staff of a nursing home. The staff had all called in sick as many of them had contracted corona or were in forced home isolation and there was no one to manage the home until more staff could be found. On Thursday night, the city of Bnei Brak was put on lockdown by the Israeli government due to the rampant outbreak of the Covid-19 virus that had permeated the city. The disease was taking its toll among the staff of this nursing home and throughout the city. Officials in the Health Ministry speculated that 75,000 residents of the city had the virus, and there simply aren’t enough testing kits to

get to them all so many are left untested. The IDF and the Home Front Command took over running the city. No one was allowed in or out without their travel being deemed absolutely necessary. It was into this bedlam that I ventured. Effy sent an ambulance to transport me from my home to Bnei Brak. Due to it being Shabbat, and according to Jewish law, I wasn’t allowed to take any non-essential items with me – no personal belongings, no food, just my phone as I would need that to communicate with the Social

in this nursing home are invalids. I grabbed the files of each of the patients and went over them one at a time to familiarize myself with who needed which medication and what medical conditions to expect. After running a quick inventory, I realized that we didn’t have enough masks or full protective gear for me and the manager to make it through the weekend. I called Social Services and the Home Front Command and told them that I needed a lot more supplies. There was no food for me personal-

I had been awake and working for more than 48 hours.

Services and Home Front Command and update them about what was happening at the home over the course of Shabbat. When I arrived at the home, I found that I was the only medical staff at the location. The manager of the home was there, and he and I were alone. He had no medical training and was not allowed to perform even the most basic medical tasks required by the patients. There weren’t even any available auxiliary staff. Seventy percent of the residents

ly, and patients needed their diapers changed. Some hadn’t been changed for 12 hours. Sometime later, a nursing student from Ichilov hospital came, and we worked together tirelessly until 2:00 a.m. when he said he had to leave so he could make his shift the next day at the hospital. I was once again alone together with the manager of the home. Over the course of the night we attended to each patient’s needs, and I prepared all of the medication for each patient according to their chart,

although I relied on the manager to tell me which patient was whom. We went person by person and made sure that everyone was comfortable and received their proper meds. In the morning, another nurse arrived for an eight-hour shift. We worked together and continued providing care for the patients. But then she too left. After that, I was on my own until Sunday night, working and caring for the patients non-stop. There was no other medical or auxiliary staff present. Usually, the nursing home has a team of four nurses and numerous auxiliary staff, but all of the staff who was supposed to work over the weekend had contacted the virus or were in home isolation due to being in close proximity with someone who had. By Saturday morning, I had two people whom I suspected of having contracted the virus. I based my suspicions upon them displaying symptoms associated with the disease. I contacted the chief officer of the medical station in the city and requested two ambulances be sent to take these patients to Tel HaShomer Hospital. In the end, one person had contracted corona; the other person didn’t. This caused the medical center to send testing teams to test all of the residents. I, too, was tested, but my test was “lost” and therefore when everyone received their results on Saturday night (thankfully everyone else was negative) I didn’t get any results at all. After calling to inquire what my

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Gilad at the Home preparing meds on Saturday night results were, I had been told that my test had never made it to the lab but was lost on the way. I continued caring for my charges over the course of the next day as well. I provided medication for those who needed and assisted others with their basic needs as well. Over the course of Saturday, a day when religious Jews traditionally don’t use the phone, I received 250 phone calls from worried family members, the Home Front Command, the IDF, and Social Services from the city all wanting to know what was happening and what was needed. Often, when I told them what was needed, they said that they will do their best to provide it but didn’t really follow through. I had to make do with what I had. On Sunday night, I was relieved by a skeleton team. I had been awake and working for more than 48 hours. I went home and slept for a few hours and then went shopping. I’m trying now to get myself tested but my medical clinic told me that if I am not showing active symptoms then they

won’t issue a test for me as tests are scarce throughout Israel. The ambulance service, which is also conducting testing, has told me the same thing. On Monday, I finally got to spend some time with my children who all asked me how my weekend was. There was no real way to explain to them what had transpired. My children range in age from 4-6-year old. I was wondering what to tell them and the only message that came to mind after a weekend like this was: “It is always important to help others whenever you get the chance. Just like I save lives as an EMS first responder, I also save lives as a nurse and that is what I was doing over the weekend.” My children all looked at me and gave me a big group hug before running off to play some more. While it wasn’t ideal for me to miss my weekend with them, in time they will understand why I did it. That may be the most important message that I could ever teach them.

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ear Five Towns Community, These are unprecedented and uncertain times. We see beloved grandparents and gedolim dying, community members laid off en masse, and young children cooped up at home, anxiously trying to process a world that seems scarier than the one they lived in last month. Our community is reeling, and our trademark togetherness is shattered, although we are all trying to glue the fabric of our community back together via Zoom and quick curbside hellos. At the same time that the world has imploded around us, we have seen beautiful examples of our community at its finest. Hatzalah, Achiezer, and myriad other organizations and individuals are performing chessed on a daily basis. New chessed initiatives, virtual beis medrashim, and so much more have sprung up to fill the void. With all of the global chaos, shopping (for anything other than basics) is far from many people’s minds. And for those who have been laid off or whose finances are uncertain, retail shopping should be the least of your concerns. This article is in no way intended to minimize the public health crisis that we face or the financial issues many are facing. But for anyone who is in a position to help support local business, it is more imperative than ever that you try to do so! Let me explain why...

WHO WE ARE The local retailers on Central Av-

enue and the many other local businessowners are not just nameless, faceless business people, angling for a buck. We are your friends and your family and your neighbors. We or one of our employees sit next to you in shul. We might have sponsored your child’s little league team, and we definitely supported your shul’s Chinese Auc-

Our businesses are shut or crippled, and our families and employees rely on the success of those businesses for our livelihoods. Most businessowners will pay their employees no matter what, even if it means not taking home their own pay. When someone loses their job now (which is terrible), they lose a set monthly income they relied on. Perhaps un-

It is literally impossible for the government to float enough Monopoly money to sustain every business through a lengthy lockdown

tion and your school’s raffle. Our ads help finance the local papers and our businesses employ many other people. We help make this a “Town” and not just an Avenue.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO US And now we are hurting. “Stop the Spread” has saved lives but the governor’s shutdown orders also crushed every Jewish retailer’s most important month: the month before Pesach. And now it continues with no clear end in sight, no obvious date for Central Avenue to magically return to normal or even semi-normal.

employment payments or the stimulus check has helped ease that temporarily. We hope that every person enduring the agony of losing their job sees a recovery quickly! If one of us loses our business, we could also be consumed instantly by insane amounts of debt – and businessowners don’t get to collect unemployment. When we took a “risk” by becoming an entrepreneur, or took out a loan to grow our business, we never dreamed that the whole world could shut down, leaving our stores closed and our debts piling up with no clear end in sight. That could mean, for some, an instant loss of their ex-

pected income and insurmountable debt. It could take years to recover. Unfortunately, some businessowners and their spouses and children might never recover. Our sales revenue numbers aren’t just actuarial data on an excel spreadsheet; they are what determine if we make it. For the majority of us small businessowners, it’s not just what determines if the business makes money, but whether we make money. We rely on these businesses to support our families. We rely on your patronage to sustain that business.

WHY IT’S HAPPENING With no clear end date to the stay-shut orders in sight, we are all panicking. Restaurants rely on a mix of sit-down, takeout, and catering to sustain their business. Curbside pickup and Uber Eats deliveries is not a sustainable business model long-term for almost every restaurant. Those reliant on the simchos industry like caterers, singers, and photographers are getting crushed as well right now. Some local businesses were newly acquired by their owners, while others just completed a renovation. Some businesses have money in the bank for a rainy day but many do not and live month to month, relying on each month being like the prior one. Businesses like your local clothing and shoe stores that carry seasonal inventory made purchase orders over 6 months ago assuming that this spring/summer season would be like any other. Some of those stores

The Jewish | MAY29, 7, 2020 The Jewish Home |Home OCTOBER 2015 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

maxed out their credit lines to make those purchases. And now they face the reality that they may not see a reopening in time to move all of this backlogged merchandise. To you, a 30% off or a 50% off sale right after Pesach is a metziah. For them, it is a desperate reaction to a desperate new reality. Who can afford to get stuck holding outdated inventory? Usually these businesses rely on selling the bulk of their merchandise at the beginning of the season at full price and gradually discounting items as the season nears the end. This year, businesses jumped straight to slashing prices, desperate to generate some minimal sales while closed. That means profits are out the window. This is “damage control” time for most stores. In terms of non-retail, local self-employed lawyers, doctors, social workers, and other service providers are struggling as well since they are closed or severely limited in their ability to perform their jobs. Camp owners, little leagues, and gymnastics centers face uncertain futures, frozen enrollment, and a ticking countdown clock on their seasons.

WHY CAN’T THE GOVERNMENT FIX THIS? What about government bailouts, you ask? Sadly, the SBA programs have been doomed from day one. It is literally impossible for the government to float enough Monopoly money to sustain every business through a lengthy lockdown. And even businesses that “won” the SBA jackpot are funded based upon their payroll, not the size or needs of their business, so a store may receive a forgivable loan but it requires them to pay employees for the next eight weeks while they are closed and the employees cannot work anyways. Another business may have only 1 or 2 salaried employees but they could be sitting on a million dollars’ worth of inventory they can’t sell or their rent might be $15,000 per month and their landlord won’t negotiate with them.

WHEN WILL IT END? We all want a return to normalcy. We all hope we can save lives and see improvements to the health and safety of the Five Towns community and

New York in general. We hope that this progress comes quickly and that shuls, schools, stores and more can start to reopen. If the summer can see a return to semi-normalcy for Central Avenue, then hopefully all of the businesses you know and love will make it out on the other side. Hopefully our children will get to play outdoors and attend camp and we can all grab a coffee and window shop on the Avenue again! We hope. But we just don’t know. Only Hashem knows. But if things take a lot longer? If stores can’t reopen for months or they reopen but shoppers just aren’t around? Many of the stores you know and love might not be around the next time Central Avenue becomes the shopping hub of our lives again. And that would be a shame. Again, the loss wouldn’t just be a matter of how many different pizza choices you have. The loss of every store or business is another Jewish family or families facing an uncertain future, their source of a living ripped away by this disease. Covid-19 is taking lives and ruining lives in many different ways.

SO HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US? For the restaurants and other businesses that are open in some capacity, please patronize them. For stores forced to close, you can shop on their websites. Or find them on Instagram or call them. Most stores are taking orders and then shipping or delivering them locally. Even so, online orders for many businesses can’t possibly match the sales they were making when the storefront was also open.

Consider changing your habits. If you were going to buy a pair of shoes on Amazon, consider buying from a local retailer. Amazon has given up on 2-day deliveries anyways and many items on Amazon Prime are taking far longer to arrive. Consider whether a retailer locally might have what you are looking for. Try to find other items or services you used to buy online or from a big box retailer and try to

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support the small businesses here in the Five Towns. If you don’t need anything now, but have a favorite store, buy a gift certificate. Help their cash flow problem now and get yourself something nice later. Or give the gift certificate to someone else who needs it or as a gift. Perhaps you can stockpile something now that you know you purchase regularly anyways. Many businesses have gotten creative. Caterers have “to-go” kiddush packages, local entertainers or entertainment places are offering affordable Zoom sessions, retailers are offering free shipping or local delivery. We are all trying our best to stay afloat in these trying times. So please shop local if you can! If we all keep helping each other and having each other’s backs, hopefully Hashem will bring an end to the virus, and we can look forward to a brighter, healthier future for us all. Sincerely, A Concerned Local Businessowner

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y mother was the epitome of a good wife, good mother, a good grandmother, and a good daughter. My grandmother lived with my family most of my life. Nothing was too hard for my mother. My parents had a mom-andpop store in Boro Park, Brooklyn. She worked with my father 24/6. That’s hard to do. Our Shabbos table and food was always the best. She always had a smile. She loved her children and especially her grandchildren. She taught me how to be a good grandmother. She was a great balabusta and a good cook. Everything she prepared tasted good, even without a cookbook. She was generous and loving. She would sing Jewish songs and made me feel good. I always admired my mother. She came from Europe from poverty and accomplished much. - S.T.

erhaps the most important lesson from my mother was to stand firm on your position but always compromise for the sake of shalom bayis. - Shelly T.

achnosas orchim was – and is – a big part of my parents’ home. My mother showed me that there is always room at the Shabbos table for a few more guests. She was always gracious when unexpected guests showed up – they never even knew that we had to set another place for them at the Shabbos table. - Chani W.

istakes were made when parenting me as a child but I see that it is possible to achieve reconciliation with my mother even when already an adult. - S. R.

y grandmother always taught me to be proud of who we are. When I was in high school and wanted to hang out with my friends instead of attending family events, my grandmother would tell me: family will always be there for you, friends can come and go. And she was right! -R.S.

e d O n A s m o to M

taught me that

thing in the world

Readers share life lessons, anecdotes, and memories of their mothers

is happiness and that there is no limit to how happy you -A.L.B.

always learned from my mother that if company is coming over on short notice to make sure your bathroom is clean and presentable. It’ll definitely be used! - Rachel

lectured

but taught (and still teaches) valuable life lessons with her actions. Her middos, her patience, her silence have complained

y mother

orking in a nursing home, I have witnessed many people pass on. Moments before death, many yell for their mothers. This comes to show that no matter how old we are, we always need our mothers. Since the day I was born, I needed you, and I always will. Thank you for always being there for me, Mommy. I love you! - H.W.

never

when she could

the most important

could be.

y mother

y Mommy is so sweet so she teaches me to always be nice.

- Michal Homnick, age 7

y mother always ironed our shirts so that we looked crisp and like a mensch...and now she irons my children’s shirts! - D.E.

y mother was not a diva but she always said that, when going to the store, you should put on a sheitel and lipstick. You never know who you’ll end up meeting. - Temima Z.

y mother taught me to do chessed. She was part of a bikur cholim, and it was a part of my life and in my blood. Until today, I try to chessed in many different ways. This is how my mother’s legacy lives on. -R.S.

or spoken back – she’s truly an aishes chayil and my hero! - Shani Gerlitz 10 THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME 1. You don’t sweep between doing things, you do things between sweeping. 2. Eating a few chocolate chip cookies at night after finally getting all the kids to sleep doesn’t have to be recorded in your Weight Watchers diary. 3. You can never have enough wet wipes with you when going on a family trip. 4. All the other kids wear coats so put yours on too. 5. It is possible to hold a baby, talk on the phone, make dinner, and help a kid with homework at the same time. 6. Friends come and go but Windex is forever. 7. Shirts aren’t napkins. 8. “We are going in two minutes” definitely means that we will leave within three hours. 9. Friday is just as short when Shabbos starts at 8:11 as it is when it starts at 4:23. 10. Folding a ton-and-half of laundry every day is normal. - Bluma H.

y mother taught me to always say positive things. - D.T.

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The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

y mother always taught me to see the good in any situation no matter how bad it seems. A few years ago, I broke my toe when I fell down a flight of stairs while on my way to deliver Shabbos food to an older man that I cook for. I remember being in so much pain and crying to my mother how I couldn’t understand how Hashem would let me fall and break my toe while on my way to do a mitzvah – I literally had the bag of food in my hand when it happened! My mother, being the amazing person that she is, said to me, “Don’t you see? It’s BECAUSE you were on your way to do a mitzvah that when you fell down the stairs you ONLY broke your toe and not chas v’shalom your leg, or your arm or your shoulder, all of which would have been a lot worse than just your toe! She was so right! It took her ability to see the good in every situation to make me realize how grateful I had to be that a fall down a flight of concrete stairs resulting in just a broken toe was truly Hashem protecting me because of my mitzvah not in spite of it! - B.M.

y mom teaches me through the example of how she leads her life. My mom is always looking for the best in every situation and goes through life with a smile. A true powerhouse! -L.G.

y mother always taught me by example – to be organized and prepare Shabbos in advance as much as u can, as you never know what might come up on erev Shabbos! As the oldest of ten, our home was always lively and sometimes hectic, but we never felt that down-to-the-wire erev Shabbos rush. We always set the table on Thursday, and everything was done by the time we got home from school on Friday. Sometimes, my parents even got to rest an hour or two before Shabbos! This is one of the many things I try and emulate and even implement in my own home today. Thanks, Mommy, for showing me how to go into Shabbos calmly! - C.F.

y mother taught me how

to laugh in the most uncomfortable of situations! And also how to be punctual. -N.S.

y mother taught me to overlook the flaws in others and that something positive can be learned from every person. - Aliza Beer

learned from my mother that I can do anything – change a tire, cook for an army, build a sukkah, heal a hurt animal, etc. – just try! -Sara I.

M I

y mother taught me to always work hard no matter what. -Shmuel Chaim H.

always admired my mother’s quiet dignity and self-respect. I learned from her to be diplomatic and to not be too loud. She wasn’t nosy or inappropriate. She knew when to say something – and when to keep quiet. -Yael K.

y grandmother, Mrs. Rivka Langer, teaches me on a daily basis to never stop singing and that there is a song to cure every ailment. (Fun fact! She put the most popular global tune that kids sing at the end of bentching to the “Yiru es Hashem” paragraph. She popularized this combination when she was a singing counselor in Bais Yaakov camp many moons ago. Thousands of kids worldwide, including her great-grandchildren, bli ayin hara, sing this tune daily.) My mother, Mrs. Malky Youg, has taught and continues to teach me to always be a giver and treat people with respect and kindness. She, like her mother, believes in the power of music and song to uplift a person in every situation. -Michelle Mond

y mother taught me to be friendly, how to be a good friend, how to help in the community, and she leads by example. These attributes are what I have always tried to show my children. -Naomi Nachman

y mother taught me tolerance for all people, from all walks of life. She taught me to judge people on an individual basis and try to find the good in everyone. - Mati J.

y mother’s home is always well-kept and clean, and mine always looks like it could use a cleaning lady, even though I have one. She always taught me that “a cleaning lady is only as good as her balabusta.” Being that my mother is neat, her cleaning lady follows suit. Mine, on the other hand, is always doing triage because my organizational skills have much to be desired. -B.N.

used to help my mother a lot when she was cooking. I learned from her to always clean up as you cook; it’ll make your job so much easier. She also always wore an apron and changed out of her sheitel before cooking so she wouldn’t get her clothes dirty – and I still do that! - B.S.

hen life is busy, and

my children are keeping me on my toes, I remember what my mother says, “Stop and enjoy the craziness! These are the best years of your life! Don’t rush them away!” - E.W.

y mother always told me that “chicken soup solves everything” and to always cook extra food in case more people show up for Shabbos. -Elana Fertig

y mother is one of the happiest people I know. When she walks into a room, she lights it up with her hellos and her contagious smile. Every cashier, UPS driver, and mailman can attest to that! -Shaindy Edelstein

y mother always says, “Tafasta meruba lo tafasta – if you take too much or try to do too much, you end not getting anything or accomplishing anything.” - Shira T.

y mother always told us to “run for the bus” in life – to try your hardest and go the extra mile even when you think that you won’t be able to accomplish what you are trying to do. Keep trying! You never know what you’ll be able to accomplish if you try! - Shoshana H.

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

I am a 32-year-old single woman who has always been very stable and confident. I am used to hearing friends complain about being single, but I have always felt confident that Hashem will find the right one and send him to me at the right time. I have been the point of contact as a mentor for many women who are single to gain chizuk, and I encourage women to live their best life whether they are married or not. I have been busy between friends, the gym, my exhilarating and time-consuming job, and traveling (I LOVE traveling, for business trips and vacations). I have dated a lot, obviously, but not obsessively. I am very passionate that when the right one comes along, it will be very clear; I have not settled until now and I don’t plan on it.

Over the course of the past few weeks I’ve felt a sadness and depression that I have never felt before. I am so used to going to work, feeling accomplished, and enjoying life that I never much felt alone or negative being single. Now I feel a whole different way. I have been furloughed as non-essential, my gym is closed, and I can’t travel. I can’t have Shabbos meals and run chessed projects like I used to. I am finally feeling what the people I have counseled feel, and I feel like a fraud. I have never felt like this before. I am starting to feel a depression that consists of a lot of regret – regret that I haven’t put half as much energy into dating as I should have. I am also regretting relationships I have ended prematurely, which, in retrospect, may have been able to work if I worked harder. I’m not even quite sure what my question is, because I have so many. How do I deal with these newfound feelings? How do I make sense of this guilt? Thank you, Sheva

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.

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The Panel The Rebbetzin

The Shadchan

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. ear Sheva, You are really dealing with a lot of challenges and feelings right now. While everyone is dealing with challenges of uncertainty, livelihood, relationships, and loneliness, your personal and professional status make it even more challenging. Feel your feelings. Sort them out. Use pen and paper to help you. It will probably be a sorting process in which you identify feelings connected to lack, guilt, uncertainty, and hopelessness. But it will also be a first step in healing. Pay attention to the other feelings that emerge too such as gratefulness and a sense of personal competence/ resiliency. Through this process you will move toward identifying what you do have – health, friends, a profession, and a future. You may also come to see this as a watershed for a change in perspective and a catalyst for healthy growth. You may want to talk to a professional after you begin the process on your own. Remember that therapy is not a passive aid. No one will fix you but you. So do some work on your own as you process your feelings before reaching out to a therapist. Engage in behaviors that are healthy. Exercise is good for the emotional system. It releases dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin which will help regulate your mood. The power of relationships can also affect you in a healthy way as science shows, so reach out and engage in communication with your friends, family, and former colleagues. Remember that texting and social media are not the same as active communication such as speaking. The satisfaction and healing effect of personal connection only come from real communication. Getting involved in active chessed will also be satisfying; check on elderly neighbors and reach out to see which local organizations can use your volunteer help and expertise now. Activity and connections will bring returns on many levels. You will emerge from this with more resilience and stronger than ever. Upward and onward, Sheva.

Michelle Mond am so sorry for what is such a gut-wrenching tekufah. Going from a busy, scheduled, energetic routine to the current state of the world has likely brought everybody to untold lows. In regard to feeling like a fraud, anyone living now could have the same claim. You are not a fraud – you are a positive woman who built other women up when they were down. Now is a down time for everyone. Despite the pain, I would like to share a thought that has been weighing heavily on my mind recently. I will leave the rest of the answers to my fellow very capable panelists to discuss. For sure by now you have watched one of the many videos that have surfaced depicting the “domino effect.” These videos have been created by the sudden surge of many bored people who use items creating long domino effect chains. Most are for the purpose of showing how one infected touch can then spread within minutes to hundreds of people. One such video started with a roll of toilet paper down a ramp ending with a domino hitting a teapot that poured coffee into a mug in a man’s hand (the things people come up with!). This got me thinking about cause and effect. They say that when Hashem decides it is time for a person to leave this world, He takes into account everyone close with that person and how they will be impacted. Similarly, when a person is affected by a nisayon, it was all planned from the start. The lessons we take out from this virus have all been weighed and measured thoughtfully by the most loving and caring Father that exists in this world. I remember the night I heard about the Tree Of Life shooting, the Poway shooting, the Monsey attack and more. How could people possibly be so cruel? I thought. I was thinking about the few months before the virus and how our people faced a huge threat of shul shootings and yet we packed into them despite the hate because of our staunch emunah and bitachon. Now we are in a place

where we cannot even go into a shul if we wanted to. Cause and effect. Who knows what kind of attacks could have been planned worldwide, now thwarted because nobody is going to shuls altogether? Perhaps this will wake evil people up to return to kinder ways? Who knows what intricate details have been weaved by a Higher Power into the fabric of the ultimate Big Picture here? We can speculate, we can guess, yet we will never truly know. What we do know is that we are seeing a surge worldwide in kindness and humanity. In unparalleled irony, separation has brought people closer than ever. People are changing, as you bear witness yourself, just by virtue of the fact that we are less busy and more emotionally in tune. People are thinking more. Sheva, I want you to know that if you have not gotten married yet, it is simply because it has not been the right time. The effects of the virus on people’s priorities, thresholds,

This is a time of deep, deep introspection for millions of people.

and requirements were undoubtedly also taken into account. You are feeling lonely now but I want you to close your eyes and hear your bashert’s heart beating somewhere in this world because he is quarantined and lonely himself thinking about you. When this is all over, which, G-d willing, it will be soon, you will take any realizations about yourself and they will be the engine to drive you towards your bashert. Try to think forwards, rather than backwards, because there is so much good to look forward to. Keep your chin up; you’re doing amazing!

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The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler ou are a very extroverted person who is isolated and cut off from your job, friends, gym, and travels. Of course, you feel absolutely miserable. I have three thoughts to share with you. First, there are still many chessed opportunities that are perfect for a person with your drive and energy. Are you skilled in the kitchen? How about whipping up something special for a homebound neighbor? Imagine how an isolated senior would feel if you could leave a cake in front of his home. (I personally prefer cookies, but that’s just me.) You sound like the ultimate organizer. How about organizing shopping expeditions and food deliveries to folks who are not able to leave their homes? You also sound like you’d be an incredible teacher. How about remotely

mentoring folks who lack computer skills, in order to help them connect and take advantage of all the online opportunities for combating loneliness? Second, until I read your letter, I never realized how the COVID-19 lockdown is a time for deep introspection and self-assessment. It’s like a never-ending Yom Kippur. I know that you are in a lot of pain, and I don’t mean to sound trite by writing, “Maybe this is a blessing in disguise” but I like how you are taking the opportunity to reassess your previous dating attitudes and history. Here’s a thought for you to consider: besides evolving and approaching future dating opportunities somewhat differently, have you considered trying to re-connect with some of the young men that you have previously dated? (Make sure they have not married in the interim!) You might be surprised to find that they, too, are re-evaluating previous relationships that ended prematurely and are ready

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to re-visit and re-assess. Fifty years ago, my wife and I had already met three times before finally realizing that we should date seriously. A successful shidduch depends on both parties being in the right place at the right time. Third, you don’t necessarily have to abandon the satisfying activities that you have enjoyed BC (Before Corona) in order to accommodate your new attitudes toward dating. You are an obviously competent, capable, and caring individual. When this crisis passes, you will find the right balance and successfully navigate the transition from your pre-lockdown, very fulfilling lifestyle, to an even more gratifying future.

The Single Rena Friedman heva, I can feel your anxiety, and I, too, have unfortunately experienced my fair share of chest-crippling pressure when thinking about shidduchim and decisions I’ve made. I’m sorry you are going through this. You did an amazing job coping with singlehood by filling your time with meaningful activities. We have no control over when we will get married, but we can allow ourselves to look back at our singlehood and be proud of how we spent it productively. You were extremely careful to fill yourself up in all areas of your life, masking the pain and realities of dating. You can run and jampack those days, but you cannot hide. My friends and I discuss how we hide behind our activities to avoid dealing with the realities of being single. It’s easier to just distract ourselves from the discomfort than to attack the underlying issues head-on. It’s only when something gets thrown out of whack that we find ourselves entirely exposed and forced to face the music. One by one, corona removed the distractions, lights, and mirrors from your life and you were finally forced to face reality. You went from one extreme to the next and now you need to find that middle ground. How do you do that? Gather a support group of family,

In unparalleled irony, separation has brought people closer than ever.

friends, mentors, books, podcasts, whoever or whatever works for you, and start digging through over a decade of hoarded emotions and dating experiences. This will be very emotionally challenging and taxing, but it is the first step towards moving forward. The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward.” All we can do is glean wisdom from our experiences. Journal as a way to get your emotions out, but also to use a reference for the future. There are multiple questions to ponder, but two that I want to highlight: Do you really believe that Hashem will send you the right person at the right time or are you using Him as a scapegoat from taking responsibility of your shidduchim? When you were dating, did you use the “If I am going to be single in 10 years from now, am I ok with my reason for ending this relationship?” question to guide your decisions? Create structure and a routine based on your pre-corona activities. Zoom in on a shiur. Take free courses on Coursera. FaceTime with friends. Create a virtual chessed project. Order a paint by number. But most importantly, be easy on yourself. Be kind to yourself. You were just slammed with over a decade of emotion and decisions. Allow yourself to process and be gentle to yourself. This is a lot. P.S.: You are not a fraud. You spoke to each woman from your heart and based off of your reality and genuine thoughts at that time. You had real life experiences that caused you to re-evaluate your perspective on dating and you are being open about that. You are being emesdik.

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Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

ear Sheva, Firstly, I am so sorry that you are experiencing these painful feelings of sadness and regret. I think that your feelings are resonating with so many people now. I am finding that people tend to be facing their own lives in a way they never have before. Things that were not working are now heightened and highlighted; inescapable. Mistakes, failures, what ifs and regrets are causing many to quite literally gasp for air or interrupt sleep, roam aimlessly unable to accomplish. Some people cannot even focus on reading a book or watching a favorite TV show. We are living in trauma. Some of us, like you, are beginning to question the decisions and life choices we have made. This is a time of deep, deep introspection for millions of people. And what’s coming up is sometimes scary or depressing. Feeling depressed and sad is kind of the norm right now. It makes sense. We are surrounded by death, fear of sickness, loss of jobs and routine and income, unable to see family and friends. No one wants to feel this, but how can one not? We can’t cure normal. This is normal. Unenjoyable, torturous even, but normal. You have lived a beautiful life. You have been happy in your life until this pandemic hit. You’ve built a beautiful career and friendships, have traveled, given chizuk to so many, and enjoyed maintaining your health and wellness at the gym. You’ve always dated but never felt that special something that told you you wanted to spend your life with that person. Let me tell you something: there is nothing fraudulent about you. Perhaps you were never able to relate to the pain your “counselees” felt because you simply never felt it. That doesn’t make you a fraud! You’re feeling perhaps what your friends have felt. It will simply make you

all the more empathic and able to help even more! There is absolutely nothing like validation from someone who’s been there (hence the success and healing of support groups). You are not a fraud because you were honest about how you felt about life. My personal opinion from the little I know of you, it can go one of two ways: 1. Your entire life has been changed and mostly stopped. Your new feelings are coming from tumult, upheaval and a pandemic. 2. There is a personal message here for you. Perhaps you are re-examining your life and what you truly want. If this is the case, then your truth is whacking you on the head right now with a frying pan. Or, maybe it’s a little of one and two. There will be a lot of changes in this world of ours, G-d willing, as a result of this global crisis. People are changing. Decisions will be made. People are stopping in their tracks faced with how very small we are, how little control we have here, and how short life is. “What am I doing?” and “what have I done?” are coming up for some thoughtful, self-aware people who are critically examining their lives. Guilt is the subconscious punishment for doing something our ego believes is “wrong.” (What a punishment!) You’ve done nothing “wrong.” You’ve been happy, content and fulfilled. Regret is that awful feeling when we think we’ve made a mistake of some kind. We all have to come to terms with our past and forgive ourselves because...it’s gone. Most of us wouldn’t punish a friend or a loved one the way we punish ourselves. All we can do is learn from

the mistake and keep going. That’s it. Your feelings are here to tell you something. You have an opportunity now to re-evaluate your life in a way you never had before (and that goes for all of us!) If you are suffering, if you feel unwell, if you meet the criteria for depression or you don’t, if you are ruminating, I urge you to seek professional help during this time. And that goes for everyone. Please don’t suffer alone. The majority of the readers, and myself included, have never lived through a pandemic/crisis like this, where we’ve been quarantined and distanced, and had our jobs taken and cannot see our friends and families. And we don’t know when it’s ending. This is uncharted territory, both physically and emotionally. Be kind to yourself; take it one

hour at a time, if need be. Take care of yourself. The last thing any of us need to do is beat ourselves up right now. Be gentle and learn about yourself. Wishing you health and wellness. Sincerely, Jennifer Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. She also teaches a psychology course at Touro College. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516-224-7779, ext. 2. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

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TIPS FROM A HOME SCHOOLING MOM PART II

BY SARA RAYVYCH, MSED

think it’s a given that most parents (and those people who aren’t parents) are overwhelmed at this time. There are so many things to juggle, all while dealing with your own stress, that overseeing schoolwork feels impossible. I often get asked how I homeschool multiple kids and teach all of them. Homeschooling is very different from the current schooling at home for our yeshiva students but I will try to adjust my answer to hopefully make juggling a little easier for parents. Additionally, each family and their needs are so different that no article can possibly cover everyone. I will start this by stating that prioritizing is crucial with juggling. The less you try to juggle, the more ability you have to focus on each need. This may not be the time to organize your sock drawer. See what’s a priority and close your eyes to the rest.

ORGANIZATION It’s a given that an organized household will run smoother than a disorganized one. It’s surprising how much time can be wasted each day just trying to locate supplies and books. It saves time and prevents unnecessary stress when kids can easily access their supplies. Pencils, crayons, and similar items can either be organized in a central place, such as on the table or counter. Alternatively, kids can have their own bin or supply box holding their personal supplies, all stored in a central location. Tablets, phones, and other technology can all be stored in one location or charging center. To make it easier to see at a glance who owns what, we have assigned a different color to each child’s schoolwork. Their school books, supplies, and everything else they need for school are stickered with, or pur-

chased in, their color. Colored tape, sharpies, or even nail polish can be used instead. It saves us time when it comes to finding and putting away supplies and gives younger kids more independence to know what is theirs. Schedules can be highlighted with the appropriate color to show kids quickly who is scheduled for each slot. This may help parents who are trying to oversee multiple conference calls and zoom classes.

TODDLERS Toddlers (and preschoolers) get their own topic. Little ones love to be involved, and they often get in the way. I usually find that once the novelty of a new situation wears off, they stop being so interested in what the other kids are doing. Until then, I often assign them their own “work.” Their “work” can be anything from coloring books to puzzles. I put their

“work” (labeled with their color) in the same spot as their older siblings’ schoolwork. They feel very important having their own work, and it can keep them busy for a bit. As a last resort, distraction is a surprisingly effective tool with bored toddlers; simply direct them to a toy or other item of interest. When they need attention, as opposed to being bored, I find that little ones need lots of physical affection and just holding them while I assist another child keeps them calm. I’ve nursed a baby while doing work with another child. It’s not the easiest but it beats a meltdown and meets everyone’s needs simultaneously.

MULTIPLE AGES AND STAGES When homeschooling, I have the ability to choose work that is geared towards more independent learning. When schooling at home, you don’t

have this liberty. The best I can advise is separate what your child can do independently and free yourself to focus your time and energy for when they really need parental help and supervision. Additionally, older siblings can assist younger ones (when the sibling dynamic allows). For example, a sibling that reads Hebrew can listen to a younger sibling review their aleph bais. This gives you a chance to prioritize and frees you to spend extra time on where you’re most needed. You can designate times for each child to have your attention for their work. Kids interrupt less knowing they’ll get their time, and you’ll be able to give each child your full attention.

EMOTIONAL NEEDS I’m neither a psychologist nor a social worker but I can give

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AN ORGANIZED HOUSEHOLD WILL RUN SMOOTHER THAN A DISORGANIZED ONE. some small ways I try to make sure each child gets their emotional needs met. Younger children in particular need lots of physical affection. They get so much just from sitting on a parent’s lap or cuddling, even if you can’t give them your undivided attention. Making a conscious effort

to hug a child as you pass them; sharing a kind word or funny joke with an older child goes very far. Spending private time with a child, whether it’s a walk or a game, is an excellent way to bond. I often find that I can appreciate each child more when I have that private time with them.

SANITY No, I can’t give you sanity. What I can do is remind you to take time for yourself. One of the first questions people ask me is how I handle not having any time to myself. They’re often surprised to hear that I have “me time.” I have a spot each week worked into our schedule that is time for me. I’m a better mother when I take that time, and it’s important. Be gentle on yourself, and be gentle on your kids.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

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Health & F tness

Eating Your Way to Clearer Skin By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN

he holidays are behind us, and it is now time to adjust to our new “normal” way of life: working and learning from home for an indefinite period of time. In the last few weeks I have cooked more and exercised more than I ever did before the corona virus pandemic. Collectively, we now have more available time to indulge in self-care since we are no longer busy attending events, dinners, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, etc. One area I have personally focused on is skin care. I’ve been spending more time addressing my skin issues and needs, using various cleansers, masks, exfoliants, serums, and devices. However, no cream can compensate for a poor diet. If your diet is high in sugar and empty calories, your waistline is not the only body part at risk. The skin is the largest organ in the body and is a direct reflection on what is happening inside the body, especially the gut. As scientists continue to learn about diet and the body, it’s become increasingly clear that what you eat affects the health and aging process of the skin. Studies have also shown that certain foods are particularly good for your skin and that certain foods are not and can even promote breakouts or acne. Let’s discuss some of the foods that are the most beneficial for your skin and why it’s important to include them in your diet. Fatty Fish: This includes salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, trout, and herring. They are excellent foods for healthy skin because they are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary

to help keep skin thick, supple, and moisturized. In fact, an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency can cause dry skin. These fatty acids also reduce inflammation, which can cause redness and acne. Some studies show that fish oil supplementation may help fight inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis and lupus. Omega-3s also make the skin less sensitive to the sun’s harmful UV rays and can help prevent or reduce brown spots. Fatty fish is also a source of vitamin E, one of the most important antioxidants for your skin. One study

published in the Lipids in Health and Disease found that people who took a daily omega-3 and antioxidant supplement were able to reduce their acne. Always speak with your primary care physician first before taking any supplementation. Lastly, fatty fish are great sources of zinc, a mineral that’s vital for fighting inflammation and the production of new skin cells. A zinc deficiency can lead to skin inflammation, lesions, and delayed wound healing. Avocados: Avocados are high in healthy fats. These fats are essential to help the skin stay flexible and

moisturized. Some evidence suggests that avocados contain compounds that may help protect the skin from sun damage. The sun’s harmful UV rays can cause wrinkles and other signs of aging. Avocados are also good sources of vitamins E and C. As previously discussed, vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect the skin from oxidative damage. Interestingly, studies have shown that vitamin E seems to be more effective when combined with vitamin C. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant and is essential for the body in production of collagen. Collagen is a protein required to help wounds heal. Nuts: In general, nuts and seeds are great sources of very healthy fats. Walnuts and sunflower seeds are particularly good for the skin, as they are good sources of omega-3s, vitamin E, and zinc. Nuts and seeds are easy foods to overindulge in and hard to stop eating once you start. These healthy highfat foods are not low in calories, so pay attention to your serving size. For example, 10 walnut halves will be about 130 calories. Sweet Potatoes: This orange rock star is an amazing source of beta carotene, a nutrient only found in plants. Some other good sources include carrots, oranges, and spinach. Beta carotene functions as a provitamin A, meaning that it can be converted into vitamin A in your body. Beta carotene helps keep your skin healthy by acting as a natural sunblock. When consumed, this antioxidant gets incorporated into the skin and helps protect the skin cells

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from sun exposure, thereby preventing sunburn, cell death, and dry, wrinkled skin. A ½ cup serving of baked sweet potato contains enough beta carotene to provide more than six times the recommended Daily Value (DV). I love cutting up my sweet potatoes into chip or French fry shapes, spraying them with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasting them at 400°F for an hour until crispy. Red or Yellow Bell Pepper: Like sweet potatoes, they are an excellent source of beta carotene. They are also one of the best sources of vitamin C, which we already know helps keep skin firm and strong. One cup of bell peppers provides a whopping 211% of the daily value. A large observational study involving women linked eating plenty of vitamin C to a reduced risk of wrinkled and dry skin with age. Broccoli: Broccoli is full of many vitamins and minerals important for skin health, including zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It also contains lutein, a carotenoid that works like beta carotene and helps protect the skin from oxidative damage. Broccoli contains another special compound called sulforaphane, which studies have shown may have anti-cancer effects, including some types of skin cancer. Sulforaphane is also a powerful protective agent against sun damage. It works by neutralizing harmful free radicals and switching on other protective systems in the body. In laboratory tests, sulforaphane reduced the number of skin cells killed by UV light by as much as 29%, with protection lasting up to 48 hours. Broccoli makes an excellent side dish to any protein be it fish, poultry or meat. I place my florets on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, spray olive oil, sprinkle on garlic powder and minced onion, and roast for 45 minutes to an hour at 375°F. Dark Chocolate: As if I needed one more reason to eat my favorite food! The effects of cocoa, which contains antioxidants, on the skin are pretty significant. In one study, participants experienced thicker, more hydrated skin after consuming cocoa powder for 6-12 weeks. Their skin was also less rough and scaly, less sensitive to sunburn, and had better blood flow. Another study found that

eating 20 grams of high antioxidant dark chocolate per day may allow the skin to withstand over twice as much UV radiation before burning, compared with eating a low-antioxidant chocolate.

in the blood can cause the oil glands to produce more oil, increasing the risk of acne. Some foods that trigger spikes in insulin include pasta, white rice, white bread, and sugar. Because of their insulin-producing effects,

The skin is the largest organ in the body and is a direct reflection on what is happening inside the body

Make sure to buy dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao; this will contain a higher concentration of antioxidants and less sugar. I eat a square (or two) of dark chocolate every single day, and have successfully incorporated it into many of my clients’ diets without any negative impact to their weight loss. Water: If you’re not drinking at least 8 cups of water a day, then you’re not drinking enough and that can be a major problem. Water helps your skin maintain moisture, which increases elasticity. Drinking enough water can help combat skin issues like psoriasis, eczema, and acne. It does this by helping the digestive system flush out toxins from the body. In addition, one study by the University of Missouri-Columbia found that drinking 2 cups of water increased blood flow to the skin, which will help even out skin tone and complexion. Drinking enough water will help keep your skin plumper, which can slow the aging process. The more water you drink, the smaller your pores. Our pores get clogged and enlarged throughout the day. The more water you drink, the better balance of oil and water on the surface of your skin. This can help to reduce pore size, decrease acne breakouts, and reduce blemishes. Now that we’ve discussed foods that are good for our skin, what foods will wreak havoc on our skin and should be avoided? Certain foods raise your blood sugar more quickly than others. When the blood sugar rises quickly, it causes the body to release a hormone called insulin. Having excess insulin

these foods are considered “high glycemic.” High glycemic foods have also been shown to promote inflammation, which can cause breakouts as well. Try avoiding all sugar and white flour for two weeks, and you should see a significant improvement in your skin texture. Now is an excellent time to utilize being at home for self-care and

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improving our overall health. Making your diet healthier will help you not only for weight loss but also will help your body feel and look much healthier. When you have more energy from the right foods and your skin is glowing, you will also feel better emotionally and that will encourage you to keep incorporating these foods in your meals and snacks. Foods full of sugar and empty calories will not improve your skin or the mental anguish we are all feeling right now. Home cooking is the best cooking, and these times can be used as a good opportunity to incorporate healthier foods into our whole family’s diet, which will hopefully last for the better days that we wish to come very soon.

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.

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In The K

tchen

Mother’s Day with Mum By Naomi Nachman

To me, Mother’s Day is right up there with birthdays in terms of celebrations. This year is going to be a challenge as we can’t go out to celebrate with our mothers. I was thinking that it would be nice to make Mum (that’s “Mother” in Australian!) a nice gourmet lunch right at home. Here are two of my favorite recipes for a Sunday dairy lunch (hope my kids will make it for me!).

Goat Cheese Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette Dairy -Yields 8 servings Ingredients 10 oz goat cheese, grated or crumbled 2 heads romaine lettuce, thinly sliced 1 small red onion, sliced into half-moons 1 cup terra chip sticks Choice of raspberry dressings, below

Preparation Combine cheese, lettuce, onions, and terra sticks in a large bowl. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing of your choice; toss salad to combine.

Quick and Easy Raspberry Dressing 1 bottle Italian dressing 1 (12-oz) jar seedless raspberry jam To prepare, use a food processor or immersion blender to combine dressing and jam until fully pureed.

Homemade Raspberry Dressing 1 small shallot, peeled 6 TBS raspberry preserves ¼ cup balsamic vinegar ⅔ cup olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste To prepare the dressing: Place shallots into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S”

blade; process to mince finely. Add preserves and vinegar. While machine is running, add the oil slowly, in a steady stream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook’s Tip You may want to double the dressing and keep it in the fridge to dress salads of your choice all week long!

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

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‫בס"ד‬

Lemon Butter Herbed Salmon Dairy -Yields 6 servings

START THE SPREAD… of jobs!

Ingredients 6 (6-ounce) salmon ½ cup cornstarch 1 TBS plus 1 tsp lemon pepper, divided 2 TBS canola oil 2 TBS butter 2 TBS flour 1½ cups white wine 1 fresh lemon, juiced Kosher salt, to taste Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped

DID YOU RECENTLY LOSE YOUR JOB? CAN YOU HELP SOMEONE WITH A JOB?

Preparation In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon lemon pepper. Coat fish in the cornstarch mixture. Set aside. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat; working in batches if necessary, add fish. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Place the fish into an ovenproof dish; set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare the sauce Over moderate heat, in the same saucepan, melt butter; then add flour to make a roux, stirring constantly until it thickens. The sauce will get thicker as it gets closer to boiling point. Add white wine and lemon juice; add 1 teaspoon lemon pepper and salt to taste. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens; stir in the fresh parsley. Pour sauce over fish; bake for 20 minutes, uncovered.

DO YOU KNOW OF WORK-AT-HOME JOBS? DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS FOR SALE OR A BUSINESS IDEA WHICH CAN HELP PROVIDE JOBS? WAS YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESSFUL AND NOW IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE OR FINANCING?

Unfortunately, there are many people in

the

Towns-Far

Rockaway

community who have recently lost their jobs or have had their paychecks cut. If you need help finding work, or if you are fortunate enough to be able to help others, in any way, please email Chaim Bess at 5tfrjobs@gmail.com or leave a message at (516) 453-0500. Endorsed by local Rabbanim and Organizations

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MAY 7, 2020 Home Home OCTOBER 29,| The 2015Jewish | The Jewish

On The Lighter Si e “Say What?!”

My mother’s menu consisted of two choices: Take it or leave it. - Buddy Hackett

Never let your mom brush your hair when she’s mad at your dad. - Leo Gallagher

Waking your kids up for school the first day after a break is almost as much fun as birthing them was.

If your kids are giving you a headache, follow the directions on the aspirin bottle, especially the part that says keep away from children. - Susan Savannah

My mom was a little [interesting]. When I was little, she would make chocolate frosting, and she’d let me lick the beaters. Then she’d turn them off. - Marty Cohen

– Jenny McCarthy

The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires.

My mom is a neat freak. If she adopted a highway, she’d mop it once a week.

- Rita Rudner

My mom from time to time puts on her wedding dress. Not because she’s sentimental. She just gets really far behind in her laundry.

When I was a kid, I got no respect. I told my mother I’m gonna run away from home. She said, “On your mark…” - Rodney Dangerfield

- Erma Bombeck

You’re not famous until my mother has heard of you. - Jay Leno

A mom forgives us all our faults, not to mention one or two we don’t even have. —Robert Brault

When I was a boy, my mother wore a mood ring. When she was in a good mood, it turned blue. In a bad mood, it left a big red mark on my forehead. - Jeff Shaw

I’ve conquered a lot of things ... blood clots in my lungs — twice ... knee and foot surgeries ... winning Grand Slams being down match point ... to name just a few, but I found out by far the hardest is figuring out a stroller! – Serena Williams

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.

I asked my mom if I was adopted. She said, “Not yet, but we placed an ad.” - Dana Snow

- Calvin Trillin

Most turkeys taste better the day after; my mother’s tasted better the day before.

When your mother asks, “Do you want a piece of advice?” it’s a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.

- Rita Rudner

- Erma Bombeck

My mother could make anybody feel guilty – she used to get letters of apology from people she didn’t even know.

I think all mothers are alike, regardless of cultural background, when it comes to illogical cleaning.

- Brian Kiley

When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they’re finished, I climb out.

- Dave Barry

- Daniel Liebert

- Dorothy Parker

I gave my father $100 and said, “Buy yourself something that will make your life easier.” … so he went out and bought a present for my mother.

If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life without even considering if there is a man on base.

- Joan Rivers

- Neal Shusterman

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Political Crossfire

The Virus Might Not Be Such a Winner for Biden By Marc A. Thiessen

efore the pandemic, President Trump seemed poised for reelection. Now, with the economy in lockdown and record numbers of Americans filing for unemployment, Republicans are increasingly worried that the pandemic could cost them the White House. Truth be told, things are not as bad as they may seem for the president. Yes, polls show Joe Biden leading Trump in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. But Biden’s lead in each of those states is only about half of Hillary Clinton’s lead at the same point in 2016. The fact is most Americans are not focused on politics right now; they are focused on protecting their families. When the campaign season resumes, the pandemic may not be such a political winner for Biden. First, Trump will blame our lack of preparedness on the former vice president, and rightly so. He will point out that during the 2009 swine flu pandemic, the Obama-Biden administration depleted the Strategic National Stockpile of masks, gowns, and respirators, and never replenished it. He will also point out that, in 2008, the Bush administration launched an initiative to stockpile 40,000 ventilators, but that over the course of the eight years President Barack Obama and Biden were in office, they bungled the contract and failed to deliver a single one. In the debates, Trump will turn to Biden and ask: Joe, where were the ventilators? Where were the masks?

Trump will also say that when his administration was forced to rush production of critical supplies, he found that our supply chains had all moved overseas thanks to the terrible trade deals Biden supported. Trump will say that Democrats presided over the outsourcing of U.S. manufacturing capacity, leaving us dependent on communist China, and that it would have been even worse under the Obama-Biden-negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership. He will ask voters:

other part of the world – will not stop” the virus. Trump will argue that if you want to control disease, you have to control your borders – and that the Democrats’ open-borders policies would have cost countless lives. Trump will lay the blame for the virus on the Chinese regime and paint Biden as weak on China. Biden understands this and is trying to inoculate himself with ads claiming that Trump is in Beijing’s pocket. Good luck with that. Before the pandemic,

Trump will lay the blame for the virus on the Chinese regime and paint Biden as weak on China.

Whom do you trust to bring manufacturing back to America? The administration that outsourced 200,000 manufacturing jobs, or the one that brought half a million back? The pandemic has also elevated Trump’s signature issue: border security. Trump will point out that the most important step he took to slow the spread of the virus was imposing a travel ban on China in late January – a move he says Biden criticized as “fearmongering” and “hysterical xenophobia.” As late as March, he will say, Biden was slamming him for expanding it to Europe, declaring “banning all travel from Europe – or any

Democrats were complaining Trump was starting a trade war with China. Now he’s too soft? Americans know that no president has been tougher on China – 77% of Americans blame the Chinese government for the spread of the virus. Then Trump will ask: Whom do you trust to rebuild the post-pandemic economy? Before the pandemic hit, 57% of Americans said they were doing better economically since Trump took office – and with good reason. After years of anemic recovery under Obama and Biden, unemployment was at record lows and wages were finally rising. Trump will argue that

“we built the greatest economy in the world. I’ll do it a second time.” Presidents don’t tend to win reelection during economic downturns, but Americans know that this is no ordinary recession. It is unlikely voters will blame Trump for the economic damage caused by a once-in-a-generation pathogen. That said, the pandemic does pose real risks for Trump. He won the presidency thanks to his advantage with older voters, but polls show Biden leading with this key demographic. Seniors are most at risk from the virus and are wary of Trump’s push to quickly reopen the country. It’s also not clear the president appreciates how jarring his coronavirus briefings have been. People are tuning in for leadership, information, and reassurance, not to see him fighting with reporters or speculating about injecting disinfectant. The briefings have been a lost opportunity for Trump to appeal to a critical segment of the electorate – the 10% to 15% Americans who approve of his policies but not of him. Trump can win reelection so long as voters see his response to the pandemic as a success. It does not matter what polls say today, but what they say in November. If the virus is contained, testing is pervasive, a therapeutic is available, and the economy is beginning to rebound, voters will reward him. If not, nothing else matters. (c) 2020, The Washington Post Writers Group

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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Forgotten Her es

Hospital Ships By Avi Heiligman

ne of the most talked about topics in the media during the COVID-19 pandemic is the overcrowding of hospitals and the military responding by constructing field hospitals. In addition to field hospitals, the navy sent out two hospital ships, one to New York and the other to Los Angeles. Since ancient times, ships have been used to remove the wounded off the battlefield and to help them recover. For over 200 years, the American Navy has used a variety of ships in several capacities to care for the sick and wounded. The first American ship designated to care for the wounded was the USS Intrepid used off the Tripoli Coast in 1804 during the Barbary Wars. However, she wasn’t in action for long because she was still a ship with offensive capabilities. The commodore ordered the Intrepid to send a party to burn a frigate that had fallen into enemy hands, and later she was used as a “fire ship” (a ship deliberately set on fire and steered into the enemy fleet) and destroyed. The navy itself remained small until the Civil War when its numbers swelled to the tens of thousands. Many ships were constructed or bought and converted for military use. At least three of them were used by the Union Navy as hospital ships. The USS Home was a steamship constructed in 1862 and used a rest ship for soldiers. She was sent to Charleston to participate in the blockade where she was used as a hospital ship with a surgical team on board. The USS Ben Morgan was a schooner that had been launched in 1826. She was bought by the Union Navy and was fitted out as a hospital ship and sent to Hampton Roads, Virginia. During the Battle of Hampton Roads, she took on wounded from the iconic naval battle. The USS Red Rover saw the most action out of all the hospital ships during the Civil War. The ship was a side-wheeled steamer that was built

two years before the war and started the conflict as a barracks ship in the Confederate Navy. During a bombardment near New Madrid, Missouri, in the Mississippi River, the Red Rover was damaged and was abandoned. The ship was captured, repaired, and fitted out as a hospital ship for use by the Army’s Western Flotilla. In addition to the 47 sailors on the ship, there were over 30 people on board that were assigned medical duties with all of the nurses on board being female including several African-American women. These nurses are considered the pioneers of the Navy Nurse Corps that was created five decades later. The ship received her patients in June 1862, and within a week had well over 100 wounded sailors including some burn victims from the USS Mound City that had exploded in battle. For the rest of the war, she supported the fleet and cared for the wounded and sick while supplying other ships with ice, meat, medical supplies, and other provisions. After the war, the ship was decommissioned and sold. All told, the Red Rover cared for some 2,400 wounded and sick sailors and soldiers throughout her years of service. The next two hospital ships to enter the U.S. Navy were both named Relief. The USS Relief (1896) was a privately-built passenger ship that was bought by the military upon their entry into the Spanish-American War in 1898. She was used as a floating hospital and could care for than 100 wounded men at a time. In 1908, she crossed

the Pacific Ocean while accompanying the Great White Fleet on part of its around-the-world expedition. The Relief was damaged by a typhoon in November 1908 and remained in the Philippines through World War I. In order to allow another hospital ship to be name the Relief, this particular ship was renamed the USS Repose in 1918. The next four hospital ships in the navy were used during World War I. The USS Relief (AH-1) was the only hospital ship designed for that purpose and the USS Solace (AH-2) had seen action during the Spanish American War. Ironically, both the USS Comfort (AH-3) and the USS Mercy (AH-4) were sent to New York to care of overflow patients during the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918. Seven ships in the American military were named Relief with the name only being used for hospital ships. The last ship to bear the name Relief was a lightship launched in 1950 and is now a museum ship. The sixth ship with the name Relief had the hull number AH-1 and was commissioned after the end of World War I hostilities. She remained in the service during the interwar period and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. During World War II she was sent to evacuate patients off of the Solomon Islands and then was sent to the battle zones in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands before heading back to Hawaii with over 600 patients. She remained in heavy use for the rest of the war treating wounded soldiers, sailors, and marines and received five

battle stars for her service. Many ships and barges were used during World War II. Under the 1907 Hague Convention, hospital vessels could not be fired upon if they were clearly marked as a hospital ship and could not be used for any military purpose. Fifteen ships were in use by the navy during World War II with several more barges and smaller vessels that took care of sick and wounded service members. These ships cared for thousands of patients worldwide and were used through the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In addition to the Navy’s hospital ships, several ships and boats were under the auspices of the U.S. Army and were tasked with hospital duties. The first of these was the USHAS Acadia, which was used as an ambulance ship in the Mediterranean Theater of War. The USHAS Seminole was also active off the coast of North Africa and cared for over 10,000 patients in just over five months. During the D-Day assault on Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, no hospital ships were present as LSTs (Landing Ship-Tank) were outfitted to take care of the wounded and to get them off the beaches as quickly as possible. After World War II, only two hospital ships were commissioned in the U.S. Navy. The USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) and the USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) began their service in the mid-1980s and are still in use today. Their capabilities and tasks change with each mission but they do have limits. Both were designed as oil tankers, and the design is not the most efficient for a hospital. In any case, they have been deployed worldwide with their only warzone deployment being Operation Desert Shield. 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.

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

Which one of these children needs Chai Lifeline? (Hint: They all do.) Chai Lifeline is renowned for the care and love it bestows on children ﬁghting cancer. But that’s only the beginning. Chai Lifeline serves thousands of children with medical challenges that aren’t evident on the outside, everything from Crohns Disease to cystic ﬁbrosis to heart disease and illnesses so rare only a handful of children have been diagnosed. And still, that’s only the beginning. Chai Lifeline includes siblings and parents, too, with programs geared towards the entire family. We care for more than 5,000 children and their families around the world and across the street. Chances are, you know them. They just don’t look sick.

Whenever, wherever we’re needed, Chai Lifeline is there.

Chai Lifeline. Comprehensive, compassionate, professional assistance for families facing illness, loss or trauma. 151 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001 I (877) CHAI-LIFE I (212) 465-1300 I www.chailifeline.org

Regional Offices: Greater New York I Southeast I West Coast I Midwest I Mid-Atlantic I New Jersey I Canada I England I Israel I Belgium Hospital Support: Meals | Transportation Assistance | Hospital Visits | Respite Children’s Programs: Arts and Recreational Activities | After-school programs | Sibling Programs | Educational Assistance in Limudei Kodesh Counseling for patients and siblings | Camp Simcha/Camp Simcha Special Family Programs: Advocacy and Information | Retreats | Insurance Advocacy | Family Recreation | Family Counseling | Bereavement Services Community Programs: Project CHAI, support for schools, camps, and communities facing crisis or trauma.

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

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MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

Money

Nowhere Else to Go But Up By Allan Rolnick, CPA

ife comes at you fast. Two months ago, the Dow was flirting with 30,000, unemployment was at 3.5%, and the economy was looking forward to spring with the rest of us. Today, of course, we’ve put the economy in a medically-induced coma. People who are trapped at home with cranky partners and children are wondering what it takes to declare their loved ones “nonessential.” And trillions of dollars that used to slosh through our fingers have dried up like our social lives after the onslaught of the Coronavirus Shutdown Machine. Late last month, Washington rushed out the CARES Act to start replacing those dollars. It’s like one of those one-man-band machines with all the instruments firing at once. The IRS is paying out billions in tax refunds and “Economic Impact Payment” stimulus checks. The Small Business Administration is shoveling out billions more in Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans to mom-and-pop businesses (and an occasional cliched steakhouse chain). The Federal Reserve is about to launch a $600 million “Main Street” business lending program.

How is all that money playing out on the street? Mostly slow and creaky. But not always! A couple of weeks ago, an Indiana firefighter named Charles Calvin went to an ATM to withdraw rent money and see if he had gotten his stimulus check. He expected to find $1,700. But when he checked his receipt, he was stunned to see there was $8.2 million in his account.

balance was $13.69. In fact, they told him, the money was never there in the first place. They blamed the ATM for the problem, which sounds like a poor attempt at shooting the messenger. As for Calvin, he was philosophical about the whole thing: “It kind of [stinks] you go from being a millionaire on paper one second then back to being broke again, but I guess once you’re

When he checked his receipt, he was stunned to see there was $8.2 million in his account.

And what did Calvin do with his windfall? Did he unleash his best Bobby Axelrod impression and snap his finger for a helicopter or a Bentley? Did he channel his inner Logan Roy and start scheming to pit his ungrateful kids against each other? Sadly for Calvin, life came at him fast, too. When he checked with his bank the next Monday morning, his

poor you ain’t got nowhere else to go but up.” (Just between us, we’re wishing he had tried blowing at least some of the bogus cash. It would have made a better story. Any halfway ambitious lottery winner in his shoes would have used the weekend to get a jumpstart on bankruptcy.) If Calvin’s millions were real,

would he have owed taxes on them? According to the CARES Act, arguably not. Those payments are a “refundable credit” against your 2020 tax (which means they won’t come out of your 2020 refund). However, the money hitting bank accounts now is based on your 2019 return (if you’ve filed), your 2018 return (if not), or your latest Social Security benefit statement (if you don’t file at all). The new law pretends you made a payment now equal to whatever stimulus you get. Most important, there’s no provision for clawing back any excess. Recovering from the coronavirus is probably going to be the financial challenge of our time. It’s not going to be easy for anyone. But we will get through it, and there will even be opportunities for some. So stay safe, and let us help you recover when the time is right!

Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 years in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.

The Jewish Home | MAY 7, 2020

OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

The Dating Challenge By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

“W

e need to get married, Us girls and us boys. We can’t just stay home, Plus this family noise! “Usually we come and go, As we work and we date. But this is ridiculous, We can’t unsuccessfully zoom date.” You’d think it would be great, Avoiding travel or expense. Just dress up – even halfway, And see if the person makes sense. The problem is this, When they get on the zoom, Somehow 20 other faces, Might show up in the zoom room! The password goes crazy, They are suddenly not alone. They need to disconnect and Resort to talking on the phone.

Or the people they meet, Are more discouraging than when they dated in person. And they think stuck at home was enough, They didn’t think their mood could worsen.

Or the internet goes down, And they spend half of the date Looking for the youngest family member, Only they can set technology straight.

So… Can someone please suggest, Some girls and some guys. And try to make them awesome, So daters can get a good surprise?!

Or everyone comes into the room, That they’ve chosen to be alone. How can they find privacy When everyone is living at home?

Because, if we can make something happen, And things can go right. Then all of this seclusion, Would feel much more alright.

Or the baby starts screaming, Wait – whose kid is that anyway? It belongs to the people social distancing, From too few feet away!

And the best news of all Yes, the sadness would dissipate, But even better news, No one would have to wait.

Or they’ve dressed up so perfectly, At least from the waist up. And then there’s an emergency, And they suddenly must stand up.

Because… As we all know The great news of these days, Is there is absolutely no shortage Of available backyards and driveways!

Or the date goes really well, And they plan to do this again. But their hundreds of zooms get mixed up, And they wind up seeing other women or men.

So take the dating challenge and make something happen for someone! Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.

MAY 7, 2020 | The Jewish Home

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Five Towns Jewish Home - 5-7-20

Articles inside

wald Esq., CLC, SDS 74

Hospital Ships by A vi Heiligman

Y our Money

On the Lighter Side

Ea ting Your Way to Clearer Skin by Aliza Beer, MS RD

Tips From a Homeschooling Mom, Part II by Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Mann, LCSW

W orld Builders

The Five S tages of Faith by Shmuel Reichman

The K ohein Within by Rav Moshe Weinberger

Community Happenings

Israel News

Rabbi W ein on the Parsha

Global

Centerfold

My Special Sister Shelley by Rabbi Y ehoshua Kurland

Parsha in Four by E ytan Kobre