Five Towns Jewish Home - 11-26-15 by The Jewish Home

November 26—December 2, 2015

Distributed weekly in the Five Towns, Long Island, Queens & Brooklyn

Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper

Gourmet Giving Pages 9, 10, 11, 13 & 15

Around the

Community

TJH Speaks with Rabbi Shalom Nemtzov about Chessed, the Community and His Art pg

Cooking for Shabbos at Singles Event in Woodmere

74 “We Are All Ezra” at DRS Shabbaton

A Thankful Nation

Dr. Deb: How Anxiety Affects Marriage

Reishis Chochma Moves into its New Home

pg Page 115 PAGE 26

– See pages 3 & 33

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

veryone has a story. Truthfully, though, everyone has more than one story – our lives can fill hundreds of books that can line many shelves in our personal library. Some chapters are far behind us; others we are still writing and will continue to write for many years. Think of every school you’ve been to, every job you’ve done, every person you’ve connected with. Think of how you’ve grown from year to year, how you’ve matured and developed. Each of these experiences form our life stories. When you see someone in one context, you tend to see them only in that place. When you speak with them and spend time with them, though, you can catch a glimpse of their other dimensions. I was once speaking with someone who works in a coffee shop in the neighborhood. Many people may view her as a barista, someone who makes their coffee and sandwiches. But she is more than that – much more. She is a mother who sadly lost a child. She is a wife whose husband is not well. She is a grandmother who gets joy from her grandchildren. And she is a hardworking woman who comes to work every day despite her challenges. There is much more to her story than what initially meets the eye. Almost everyone in town knows Rabbi Shalom Nemtzov – but do they really know him? Rabbi Nemtzov can be seen every Thursday and Friday outside Gourmet Glatt in Cedarhurst collecting tzedaka for the needy. Children know if they give a coin or two they’ll be treated to a lollypop,

a sweet result of their mitzvah. But do you know why Rabbi Nemtzov initially came to Gourmet Glatt or what he does on the other days of the week? Do you know that he is a talented artist, whose portraits seem almost lifelike? This week, we spent some time with Rabbi Nemtzov and got to hear some of his life story, a chapter or two in his colorful life. As a family magazine, we sometimes grapple with the fine line between sharing the news with our readers and doing it in a way that is not too graphic for our younger audience. This week, there were days when I hesitated to read the news. Almost daily we were shattered by the news of another death in the Holy Land by bloodthirsty terrorists. Some would say that we shouldn’t be talking about all the bloodshed; maybe we should just let people hear about the deaths some other way. But I believe that each person who sadly lost their lives al kiddush Hashem deserves our sadness and mourning. Each person was not just an individual: they were a brother, a sister, a mother, a father, a daughter, a son. They had friends, they had families, they had laughter, they had life. We must remember them, say their names and speak about them so they will not have died in vain. Each of them had a life story. It is our responsibility to remember them so we can continue writing their final chapter for them. May we only hear and share in good news. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER

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Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

Community Happenings

NEWS Global

National

Odd-but-True Stories

ISRAEL

140

Israel News

Democracy Rules by Rafi Sackville 106

PEOPLE Gourmet Giving by Tammy Mark

Submarines: Ruling the Ocean’s Depths, Part IV by Avi Heiligman

130

PARSHA Rabbi Wein

The Shmuz

JEWISH THOUGHT Pur$uit of Happine$$ by Eytan Kobre

Can I Quote You on That? by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

A Thankful Nation by Hylton Lightman, MD, DCH, FAAP

104

JEWISH HISTORY The Infamous Case of the “Get of Cleves,” Part II by Rabbi Pini Dunner

100

HEALTH & FITNESS How Anxiety Affects Marriage by Deb Hirschhorn, PhD 124 The Grease on Oil by Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

Dear Editor, A letter in last week’s letters to the editor section, written by Aliza S., erroneously correlates the Syrian refugee crisis and the U.S. government’s rigid quotas on Jewish immigration during the 1930’s. While I and many others appreciate her sincere commiseration for those amidst cataclysmic circumstances, this is a false comparison for a number of reasons: Jews are an ethnic group while Syrians are a national one; Jews were never a threat to countries where they sought asylum—it is evident that radical Islamic terrorists such as ISIS have ensconced themselves among Syrian refugees; there was no national conspiracy of German Jews to eradicate entire continents; Jews initially fled Europe because of Nazi persecution, not war; Jews had nowhere else to go—Syrian refugees have at their disposal the entire Middle East and beyond; opposition to Jewish immigration was racial—regarding Syrian refugees it’s a matter of national security; many Syrian refugees are neither Syrian nor refugees—they pose as such to gain the sympathy of the international community; and Jews had communities willing to resettle them—it’s not clear if Syrian refugees are similarly advantaged. In fact, Congress reported that approximately 90% of recent Middle Eastern refugees in the U.S.

are on food stamps. Moreover, over 97% of these refugees are Muslim men of military age, and almost of the terrorists attack in the U.S. and worldwide are committed by Muslim men between the ages of 17-40—does this not perturb anyone? Where are the women and children? Where are all the Syrian Christians, Iraqi Christians and Yazidis who are relentlessly persecuted by the Islamo-Nazis? Should we not embrace them as well? To the contrary— it is these people who have more in common with Jews in the 1930’s—not so-called “Syrian refugees.” That the U.S. should accept Syrian refugees in consideration of Jewish immigration policies during the 1930’s is—with due respect—completely misguided. Sincerely, Rafi Metz Dear Friends and Neighbors in the Jewish Community, As you all know, we lost our dear son, Justin Yaakov Ephraim Zemser, z”l, in the derailment of Amtrak train 188 this past May. It has been a very difficult time for us. We would like to thank the Jewish community for your ongoing support. Many of you assisted in the funeral arrangements, including Rabbi Boruch B. Bender from Achiezer in Lawrence, Frank Pasquale from BouContinued on page 12

126

FOOD & LEISURE

142

The Aussie Gourmet: Crockpot Chili 128 LIFESTYLES

Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LMSW

108

8 Qualities of Strong Mentors by Rabbi Naphtali Hoff

112

Your Money

140

Where Will I Wind Up? by Rivki Rosenwald, Esq., CLC

142

HUMOR Centerfold Uncle Moishy Fun Page

84 132

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

114

Obama’s Phony War by Charles Krauthammer

122

Obama, Speaking From the Ruins by Michael Gerson

123

CLASSIFIEDS

135

There are no more credits offered by American Express on Small Business Saturday. Will you still be participating even without the credits this year?

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Yes

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Continued from 8

levard-Riverside Chapels in Hewlett, and LT Peter Ozug from the United States Navy. Many came to visit during Shiva, wrote cards, sent donations including planting trees in Israel, and engaged in a number of mitzvos that no doubt served as a re-

minder of how much Justin touched us all. We were deeply moved by the Shloshim that was held at Yeshiva Darchei Torah, in Far Rockaway, NY. Justin started his life not very involved in Judaism or the Jewish community. However, in time he had become a young man committed to learning more about Judaism and his role in this community. We would like to share more about Justin’s journey with you. As a young child, Justin attended an Orthodox shul with us, but only on High Holidays. At the age of 12, Justin started to study for his Bar Mitzvah with Cantor Chaim Gershon Shindler from Congregation Derech Emunoh of Arverne, NY. Justin was always a fast learner; he quickly learned how to read Hebrew and had memorized many prayers. While studying for his Bar Mitzvah, Justin realized he had an affinity for thinking about the many philosophical, theological, and humanitarian issues involved in the study of Torah. He began to attend shul much more regularly. At the age of 18, Justin was

accepted into the United States Naval Academy. At the Academy, Justin began to connect even more deeply with Judaism. He joined the Jewish Midshipmen Club and regularly attended Shabbos Services. Justin’s commitment to Judaism inspired him to connect with everyone around him. He was an ambassador to our faith and a role model to the mostly non-Jews around him of what a wonderful Jewish young man could be. While in high school, among many other outside activities, Justin helped to cook for the homeless. Throughout his time at the Academy he continued to engage in all sorts of mitzvos, including regular Torah study and volunteering at his former high school whenever he was available. His entire life and all of his choices to do these mitzvos emanated out of a sincere commitment to Tikkun Olam B’Malchus Shakai, the desire to make the world a better place. During Justin’s second year at the Academy, he became vicepresident of the Jewish Midshipmen Club. He was very proud of helping to construct thesSukkah with his fellow Jewish Midshipmen. At that time, thanks to the Oorah Torah Mates program, he also began to study Torah every week with Tzvi Rubinfeld of Lakewood, NJ. Just a few months before his death, Justin had the chance to travel to Israel for the very first time and fell in love with the country, its people, and its ideals. Justin was looking forward to returning to Israel as soon as he was able. While in Israel, Justin connected with his uncle, Rabbi Menachem Listman, who is the Director of the English Speaker’s Department at Machon Meir-The Center for Jewish Studies in Israel. When they finished dinner, Uncle Menachem was impressed that his nephew knew how to recite Birchas Hamazon in Hebrew and that he could more or less read and converse in Hebrew. We are so proud of our son and of the young Jewish man he had become. It warms our hearts so much to know that you too, are proud of him, inspired by him, and will miss

Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home. Please send all correspondence to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

him. Your thoughtfulness has meant so much to us. It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. Whether this is true or not, we believe the following to be true: It takes a community of very good people to raise a very good child. To our beloved community of fellow Jews, thank you for helping bring Justin deeper into the faith. As we all know, the word shalom in Hebrew, in its most basic level, means peace. Through acting upon his ideals, Justin found great peace. He realized that it is only by helping others that we can truly find shalom. Many have said Justin embodied chesed and brought a sense of love, kindness and compassion to every interaction he had. He was a genuine mensch. We hope that his example continues to inspire other young Jewish men and women to stick to their idealistic visions of Tikkun Olam B’Malchus Shakai, while also continuing to work on their own individual sense of peace. If you would like to keep in touch, share your stories and memories about Justin, or just send your regards, please email us at: rememberingjustinZ@gmail.com. A charitable fund has been created in Justin’s name. All donations will benefit non-profit 501 (c) (3) organizations that support charitable efforts which were important to Justin. Those interested in making a donation in memory of our son are welcome to contact us at the above dedicated email address. We would love to hear from you. With love and gratitude, Howard & Susan Zemser & the entire extended family Dear Editor, I know that there is controversy in the States regarding guns and gun control. I am not really sure where I stand on the issue: on one hand, I do believe that the Constitution is sacred to our nation and that we can’t necessarily change what was written there; on the other hand, I see how much violence and how many deaths have come from guns and it’s scary. Some argue that if we make guns illegal, then the only people who will have firearms are the criminals themselves – and that’s even scarier. In Israel, many people own guns and many more people have purchased guns over the last few months of terror. And truthfully, their guns have saved lives. They have saved lives because when there is a rabid terrorist on the street brandishing a

sharpened ax or knife, the only thing that can overpower that terrorist is a gun. And many lives have been saved from bystanders, policemen and soldiers who have been in the vicinity with their guns. So the question is: do guns kill or do they save lives? It’s a good question and I don’t have the perfect answer. But I do know that when faced with an enemy who is willing to risk all, we need to arm ourselves. Larry Horowitz Woodmere, NY Dear Editor, Last week, a reader wrote about protesters at the University of Missouri who are – and I quote – “petty, immature people … These students were never told their place in life…” I agree. Perhaps, these students were never told to have respect for people, institutions and laws that are set in place. Maybe they were brought up in the “me” generation, when it’s all about me and my concerns, views and opinions despite others in the room who are wiser, older and more experienced. But it’s funny: aren’t they in college? Shouldn’t a university be a place of higher learning? Isn’t there some class – and I’m being slightly facetious, but only slightly – that can teach them manners or social mores or even etiquette? I see it as the university’s job to show them that, no, we will not give into your demands if you will go about it this way – with riots and sit-ins and contemptuous language. Send us a letter, speak respectfully, ask for a vote – and then we can sit down and have a chat like mature adults do. Sincerely, Matt Stern Brooklyn, NY Dear Editor, I live in Lawrence right across from Shaarei Tefilla and I’m so proud of it. Until last Shabbos I never thought I would feel this way. As a proud Bostonian, I never thought I would live in New York, much less Lawrence, NY. In fact, when asked where I live, I’d often reply, “I live on the border, right off the 878.” My husband and I were part of a group of couples that helped arrange and host a group of 35 of Chai Lifeline’s Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special girls ages 3-12 for Shabbos. These amazing girls face unbelievably difficult health challenges every day with dignity and grace. The goal of this weekend was to give

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

them a relaxing Shabbos away and let them reconnect with their Camp Simcha counselors and friends. A lot of coordinating had to be done from housing counselors, campers, medical support staff as well as organizing food and entertainment. Every person on the team took care of something. For the Friday night meal, each host cooked something and all the campers and their counselors ate in one house. For Shabbos lunch, a caterer was booked and all the hosts, campers and counselors – 150 people – were to eat Shabbos lunch at Shaarei Tefilla. On Shabbos, the dining room looked so elegant. The decorating committee outdid themselves and transformed the dining room into an elegant explosion of pink, black and white. There were beautiful handmade centerpieces on every table. Each chair was color-coordinated with a matching black and white cover. The campers were beginning to arrive. When I arrived to help set up I found some of the other hostesses frantically looking through the kitchen. Where was the food?! It has to be here. Maybe it’s in the kitchen upstairs? It was probably put in the warming drawer. Is there another warming drawer? Pasquale, the beloved Shaarei custodian, summed it up, “You know what? No one dropped off food yesterday...” Pandemonium ensued. Some of our own children began going door to door to collect challah rolls from the neighbors so at least the campers could wash for hamotzi. What happened next was truly miraculous. I looked outside and a stream of people, our neighbors, began lining Central Avenue outside of the shul carrying crockpots, pans of potato kugel, salads and chicken. Doors of the houses in the neighborhood kept opening and people just kept coming out holding pans of food. One family gave their entire first course, another gave their entire main course. And everyone gave so graciously and with so much love. The entire Shaarei Tefilla community catered Shabbos lunch in about an hour. What started off as 12 challah rolls, turned into a beautifully plentiful Shabbos lunch for 150. Mi ka’amcha Yisrael?! The energy at lunch was electric. That amazing ruach of singing and dancing that only exists in the Camp

Simcha dining room on Shabbos was transported to the Shaarei Tefilla hall. The campers of Camp Simcha, the true heroes, were amazed. To quote Hindy Markowitz, a 12-yearold Camp Simcha Special camper who eloquently spoke at lunch about the challenges of being blind and appreciating the gifts Hashem gives her every day, “This community is amazing! I don’t get it. You guys just gave away all your Shabbos food?! It’s so amazing!” It truly was. A huge thank you to the Shaarei Tefilla neighborhood in Lawrence. Dovi Tomaszewski Dear Editor, You can support small retailers by joining me and your neighbors on the fifth annual national Small Business Saturday, this coming November 28. Skip the national chain stores annual Black Friday Madness, which now starts early Thursday night. Some stores are open all day. Thanksgiving Day should be a time to be with loved ones and family. More and more stores remind me of the Grinch in staying open resulting in too many employees having to choose between family and work. The dishonor roll for 2015 of stores open on Thanksgiving include Best Buy, J.C. Penny, K-Mart, Kohl’s, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s. Michaels, Modells, Old Navy, Sears, Target, ToysRus and Walmart. Small Business Saturday began on November 27, 2010. It was in response to both Black Friday (large stores) and Cyber Monday (e-commerce stores). Small Business Saturday is designed for those starting holiday shopping to patronize small along with local community based business. Give PC Richards credit for being the first major store to close on Thanksgiving Day. This year, the honor roll includes Barnes & Nobles, BJ’s, Costco, DSW, Home Depot, IKEA, Jo-Ann, Marshalls, Nordstrom, Petco, Pier 1 Imports, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sams Club and Staples, along with PC Richards. They are putting aside financial greed in favor of allowing their employees to stay home with family and are closed. Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal with friends and family. Get a good night’s sleep and instead come out and support Small Business by shopping local. Sincerely, Larry Penner Great Neck

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Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, the suspected mastermind behind the recent Paris attacks that killed 130 people who bragged that he could always stay one step ahead of Western intelligence, was killed in a police raid north of Paris last week. Abaaoud had been linked to as many as four thwarted attacks since this spring, including the plot to kill passengers on a Paris-bound highspeed train in August, a plan that three young Americans helped foil. Abaaoud had claimed he successfully moved back and forth from Europe to Syria coordinating terror attacks and narrowly escaped a January police raid in the Belgian city of Verviers. “Allah blinded their vision and I was able to leave...despite being chased after by so many intelligence agencies,” he boasted in an ISIS magazine. Two counterterrorism sources have said that his death marks a major advance for the investigation, but add they are operating on the premise that more senior suspects connected to the plot are still out there. They describe Abaaoud as the “Mohammed Atta” of the Paris attacks, the “tactical guy” who identified and pulled together the operatives, in the same way the lead hijacker kept the 9/11 teams on course. The sources emphasize, though, that based on his skill set and experience, Abaaoud was not the strategic planner of the Paris attacks, in the same way Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was for the 9/11 attacks. The Paris massacre involved a plot or plots with multiple layers and upwards of 20 players, according to the chairman of the House Home-

land Security Committee, Texas Republican Michael McCaul. Police say they launched their raid after receiving information from tapped phone calls, surveillance and tip-offs suggesting that Abaaoud was holed up in the apartment. Abaaoud was found dead after the raid with multiple bullet wounds and eight other people were arrested. The Paris attacks killed 130 people and wounded hundreds more. Europe and much of the world are on edge as French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned that associates of the attackers could use chemical and biological weapons. Valls convinced the French Parliament to extend the country’s state of emergency by three months. The state of emergency expands police powers to carry out arrests and searches and allows authorities to forbid the movement of people and vehicles at specific times and places.

Turkey Downs Russian Warplane

Claiming that it violated its airspace, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border on Tuesday. This is one of the most serious publicly acknowledged clashes between a NATO member country and Russia for half a century. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the plane had been attacked when it was 1 km (0.62 mile) inside Syria and warned of “serious consequences” for what he termed a “stab in the back.” “We will never tolerate such crimes like the one committed today,” Putin asserted. Each country summoned a diplomatic representative of the other and NATO called a meeting of its ambassadors for Tuesday afternoon. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov canceled a visit to Turkey that had been due on Wednesday. Footage from private Turkish broadcaster Haberturk TV showed

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

the warplane going down in flames in a woodland area, a long plume of smoke trailing behind it. The plane went down in an area known by Turks as “Turkmen Mountain.” After the plane went down, Turkish rebels shot the pilots dead. “For the entire duration of the flight, the aircraft was exclusively over Syrian territory,” Russia’s defense ministry claimed. But the Turkish military said the aircraft had been warned 10 times in the space of five minutes about violating Turkish airspace. Officials said a second plane had also approached the border and been warned. “The data we have is very clear. There were two planes approaching our border, we warned them as they were getting too close,” a senior Turkish official said. “We warned them to avoid entering Turkish airspace before they did, and we warned them many times. Our findings show clearly that Turkish airspace was violated multiple times. And they violated it knowingly,” the official said. Russia’s decision to launch separate airstrikes in Syria mean Russian and NATO planes have been flying combat missions in the same air space for the first time since World

War II, targeting various insurgent groups close to Turkish borders. In a video of the incident sent to Reuters, a voice is heard saying, “A Russian pilot,” as men gather around the man on the ground. “G-d is great,” is also heard. The rebel group that sent the video operates in the northwestern area of Syria, where groups including the Free Syrian Army are active but Islamic State, which has beheaded captives in the past, has no known presence. A U.S. official said U.S. forces were not involved in the downing of the Russian jet, which was the first time a Russian or Soviet military aircraft has been publicly acknowledged to have been shot down by a NATO member since the 1950s. The incident appeared to scupper hopes of a rapprochement between Russia and the West in the wake of the Islamic State attacks in Paris, which led to calls for a united front against the radical jihadist group in Syria. In a further sign of a growing fallout over Syria, Syrian rebel fighters who have received U.S. arms said they fired at a Russian helicopter, forcing it to land in territory held by

Moscow’s Syrian government allies. Turkey called this week for a U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss attacks on Turkmens in neighboring Syria, and last week Ankara summoned the Russian ambassador to protest against the bombing of their villages. Ankara has traditionally expressed solidarity with Syrian Turkmens, who are Syrians of Turkish descent. About 1,700 people have fled the mountainous Syrian area near to the Turkish border as a result of fighting in the last three days, a Turkish official said on Monday. Russian jets have bombed the area in support of ground operations by Syrian government forces.

Charedi Stabbed in France

er and three soldiers in southwestern France in 2012. The attacker also showed the teacher that he was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the symbol of the Islamic State terrorist group. The two other suspects believed to have been involved in the attack stood by and joined in when the attacker began shouting anti-Semitic profanities. France has had many such attacks recently. In October, a Rav and two congregants were stabbed outside a shul in Marseille following Shabbos davening. The knife-wielding assailant could be heard shouting anti-Semitic slurs at the time of the assault. The series of attacks on Jews in France in recent years has spurred a huge upsurge in immigration to Israel.

Drunken Sailor Wrecks Cargo Ship

Three people believed to be Islamic State supporters attacked a Jewish teacher in the southern French city of Marseille last Wednesday evening, November 18. Rabbi Tzion Saadoun, 56, a Chabad shaliach and Judaic-studies teacher at a local yeshiva, was stabbed in the anti-Semitic attack. Rabbi Saadoun was attacked outside his home, a short distance from the school and shul where he works. Rabbi Saadoun “lives on the border between the Jewish neighborhood and the Arab neighborhood in Marseille,” said a fellow shaliach, Rabbi Eliyahu Altab. “Right outside his home, he was ambushed by three people. He was stabbed on his face, body, arms and legs. A car drove by, and the attackers got scared and fled.” According to Chabad officials in Marseille, the victim suffered serious injuries but is in stable condition and his life does not appear to be in danger. Police were combing the area for the attackers. One of the attackers, who was travelling by scooter, demanded Rabbi Saadoun look at smartphone pictures of Toulouse jihadist Mohamed Merah, who killed three Jewish schoolchildren, a teach-

What do you do with a drunken sailor? Well, for one, don’t give him any more rum. A Russian officer on watch when a 423ft cargo ship ran aground at full speed in Scotland had drunk half a liter of rum before taking up his post, an investigation has found. The Lysblink Seaways vessel was travelling from Belfast to Skogn in Norway with a cargo of paper when it became stuck off the west coast of Scotland near Kilchoan in the Ardnamurchan peninsula on February 18 of this year. The chief officer on watch, a 36-year-old Russian, had consumed half a liter of rum in his cabin before taking up his shift as the sole officer on watch at midnight, but had “become inattentive due to the effects of alcohol consumption.” His actions led the ship to run aground at full speed into the rocky foreshore, where it remained for two days during bad weather. The ship had to be scrapped due to the major damage incurred and 25 tons of marine gas oil leaked into the water.

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ISIS’s Ability to “Go Dark”

The officer had consumed enough alcohol to make him eight times over the alcohol limit. In a recent report, an investigation into the incident found the bridge navigational watch alarm system (BNWAS), “which could have alerted the crew to the officer’s incapacity, had not been switched on and

an off-track alarm on the ECS2 had been silenced.” “Although a radar watch alarm had sounded every 6 minutes, the somnolent officer was able to reset the alarm without leaving his chair,” the report noted. But despite the zero tolerance policy on alcohol on their ships, Lys-

blink Seaways carried a bonded store, which included a stock of spirits, beer and wine. “Records showed that the bonded store was regularly replenished, and empty beer, wine and spirit bottles and cartons found on board after the accident indicated significant levels of alcohol consumption by the crew,” the report noted.

Analysts at the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point have discovered a 32-page Arabic document that gives instructions to ISIS members. The instructional guide includes a list of links and descriptions to over 40 consumer products that help secure written and spoken communications on almost every digital platform. In the days following the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 130 people, an act for which ISIS has taken credit, it became clear that U.S. intelligence agencies are finding it increasingly difficult to track communication among the terrorist organization’s members. Many officials have blamed the group’s adoption of sophisticated encryption software for the inability to identify potential threats. In an October congressional hearing, FBI Director James Comey characterized this concerning new development as the group’s ability to “go dark.” Since its launch in 2013, ISIS has been largely known for its gruesome online videos and pervasive social media presence — efforts that have helped brand it as both a terrifying and innovative terrorist group. But now that the Islamic State has caught the world’s attention, its web-savvy media operatives have become increasingly careful in securing their communications. A member’s ability to encrypt is an important factor in how the organization values him or her as an operative. As a result, members are learning these tools faster, creating a much bigger problem for intelligence agencies trying to track their communications. ISIS’s school of encryption includes a 24-hour Jihadi Help Desk. Headed by a group of at least five core members with extensive technical training, it acts as a support system for those interested in joining the jihadi movement. Day or night, interested members can connect with the group to ask for help with securing their communications — whether

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that means changing the location metadata on photos they’ve taken or finding the most secure way to store information in the cloud. Though intelligence officials have yet to discover how the attack on France’s capital was organized, it’s clear they had no inkling it would take place. And along with this tragedy a new revelation about IS has come to light: an organization that was once famous for being everywhere on the Internet has now learned to be in as few traceable places as possible.

WWII Document Trove Unearthed in Budapest

Nearly three quarters of a century after the Holocaust, a couple reno-

vating their apartment in Budapest, Hungary, has discovered a very large and historically valuable collection of documents, long thought destroyed during World War II. The haul of 6,300 documents are from a 1944 census that was a precursor to the intended liquidation of the Hungarian capital’s 200,000 Jews in Nazi death camps. Brigitte Berdefy, co-owner of the apartment overlooking Hungary’s parliament, said that in August a worker detected paper after jamming a screwdriver through a crack in the wall. “We thought we’d ruined the neighbor’s wallpaper,” Berdefy said. But then her husband Gabor peered through the crack and saw what looked like handwriting. Carefully removing each brick, the couple eased out 135 pounds of dusty papers, many with bits of plaster caked on, but all more or less intact. With the ink still readable, the yellowed papers were given to the Budapest City Archives. Istvan Kenyeres, head of the archives, was amazed. “The content and scale of the finding is unprecedented,” he said. “It helps to fill a huge gap in the history of the Holocaust in Budapest.” Since September, restorers at the

archives have been literally ironing the papers to study them, pausing occasionally when they spot someone famous among the scrawled names. The May 1944 Budapest census was to identify houses to serve as holding locations for Jews before moving them to a planned walled ghetto in the city’s seventh district. Two months earlier, Nazi Germany had occupied Hungary and deportations in the countryside to the gas chambers of Auschwitz began almost immediately. The forms found in the Budapest apartment contain names of each building’s inhabitants and whether they are Jewish or not, with total numbers of Christians and Jews marked in the corners. “Jewish people filled in the forms honestly – they refused to believe where this might end up,” said Kenyeres. Shortly after the census, around 200,000 Jews were moved into some 2,000 selected buildings, “Yellow Star Houses,” with the Star-of-David Jewish symbol painted on the doors. “Thanks to the Berdefys, we know that if a lot of Jews lived in a building then it likely became a Yellow Star House,” Kenyeres said. In late 1944, the Jews of Budapest were crammed into the ghetto, where some died of starvation or were shot next to the river – a poignant memorial of abandoned iron shoes today marks the spot. The arrival of the Russian army in January 1945 saved the rest, though, and unlike the Jews from outside the city, most of Budapest’s Jewish population survived. An estimated total of 600,000 Hungarian Jews perished in the Holocaust, most in Auschwitz.

Fake Taliban Letters Used in Seeking Asylum

Afghans are faking terrorism for a chance at a better life. Threatening letters from the Taliban, once synonymous to a death sentence, are now being forged and sold to Afghans who want to start a new life in Eu-

rope. The detailed handwritten notes on the stationery of the so-called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan were traditionally sent to those alleged to have worked with Afghan security forces or U.S.-led troops, listing their “crimes” and warning that a “military commission” would decide on their punishment. The letters ended with a harsh threat saying that insurgents “will take no further responsibility for what happens in the future.” The Taliban insists that they have stopped this practice in recent years, despite their increased insurgency in recent months. But these letters are being created and sold to tens of thousands of Afghans attempting to flee to Europe, hoping to claim asylum. With unemployment at 24 percent and the insurgency raging across much of the country, the government expects that 160,000 Afghans will have migrated by the end of the year – four times the number of departures in 2013. “Of the threat letters now being presented to European authorities by Afghans, I’d say only one percent are real and 99 percent are phony,” said Mukhamil, 35, who has forged and sold 20 such letters. Like many Afghans, he has only one name to protect his true identity. “To this day I have only ever known one guy who genuinely got a threat letter from the Taliban. All the rest are fake,” he admitted. Germany is welcoming hundreds of thousands of refugees. Last month, Germany’s top security official complained of an “unacceptable” influx of Afghans from relatively safe areas of the country. Germany, a longtime contributor to international forces in Afghanistan, currently has more than 900 soldiers in the NATO-led training mission there. Its Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said it was aware of the letters but that no statistics are kept on them. Spokeswoman Susanne Eikemeier said that since such letters are not official documents, the weight granted to them is generally limited. “Such documents are assessed in the context of examining the credibility of the overall account of the applicant,” said Eikemeier. “While they can be drawn on as evidence of a threat by the Taliban, the applicant’s entire account has to be coherent, comprehensible and credible.” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that their approach now is to contact an individual’s rel-

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

atives when they suspect someone is working with the government or security forces. “We don’t send threat letters, that’s not our style. Only very rarely would we use the phone, in cases where we perceive serious problems,” he said. “All these so-called Taliban threat letters are fake,” he added. “We are trying to provide a good environment for our youth to remain in their country.” An official at Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, also dismissed the letters, saying it was clear many people were buying them to strengthen their case for asylum. “The government does not believe it is worth our effort to go after the people making or buying them. We concentrate our efforts on people who receive genuine threats,” he said. Forgers say a convincing threat letter can go for up to $1,000. No one has been arrested in connection with the forgeries yet.

Kim also launched a popular anti-corruption campaign and vowed not to receive any political slush funds, though this was later tarnished when his son was arrested on charges of bribery and tax evasion. Kim was credited with disbanding a key military faction and bringing transparency to the South’s murky financial system. But he was also accused of mismanaging the economy during the Asian financial crisis that toppled some of the country’s debt-ridden conglomerates and forced the government to accept a $58 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund. In the early 1980s, Kim was placed under house arrest twice and staged a 23-day hunger strike to protest political oppression. He spent more than three decades in opposition as an advocate for democracy. In 1992, Kim became the head of the ruling party and was elected president, five years after his first unsuccessful presidential bid.

Former S. Korean President Dies

British Muslims Sympathize with Jihadists

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in the Jewish community. Kim Young-sam, the former President of South Korea who ended decades of military rule in his country, died this week at the age of 87. While no official cause of death has been released, he is believed to have suffered from a severe blood infection and acute heart failure before he died. Kim was an important figure in South Korea’s pro-democracy movement and opposed the country’s military dictators for decades. As president, he laid the foundation for a peaceful power transfer in a country that had been marked by military coups. In fact, during his presidency, from 1993-1998, he had his two predecessors indicted on mutiny and treason charges stemming from a coup.

One in five British Muslims sympathize with British citizens who flee the UK to join Islamic State (ISIS), a poll revealed on Sunday – and that number rises to one in four among British Muslims ages 18-34. The Survation poll, published by the Sun, polled 1,003 British citizens about ISIS and their views on the UK’s approach to terrorism. 38% of respondents agreed that Muslims “should not have to condemn” terror attacks carried out by ISIS; 51% believe that it is the Muslim community’s responsibility to condemn attacks. The overwhelming majority of respondents, some 71%, stated that their Muslim and British identities were “equally important” to them, versus 17% who said their Muslim identity is more important and 6% who say their British identity is more

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the most lax, allowing them to easily blast their way past a five-man security team before turning their weapons on terrified guests and a security guard.

important. Some 38% of British Muslims polled said that “Western foreign policy” is “the single biggest factor” in ISIS attacks, versus 25% who blame ISIS’s leaders for “exploiting young people” and 6% who blame “the poverty and discrimination against Muslims in Western countries.” 17% said they did not know and 14% chose another factor. 61% of respondents believed that

British Muslims are “doing enough” to integrate into mainstream society, versus 22% who say they are not doing enough and 3% who believe they are too integrated. At least 500 UK citizens have joined ISIS since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, and a senior police officer revealed to the Guardian in October that about five radicalized Muslims leave the UK for Syria every week.

Al-Qaeda Rears its Ugly Head in Mali The timing of the recent attack on a Radisson Blu hotel in Mali was very calculated and precise. Heavily armed Islamic extremists opened fire at the moment when guards would be

The coordination suggested a well-planned operation that analysts say could be an attempt by al-Qaeda to assert its relevance amid high-profile attacks by the rival Islamic State group. The attack began at 7 a.m. when two gunmen, approaching on foot, reached the entrance of the hotel where five guards who had worked the night shift were waiting to be replaced by a new team, said one of the guards. The guards had just finished the morning prayer and had put their weapons — a shotgun and two pistols — away in their vehicle when the militants struck. Four of the guards were shot, one fatally. Government critics have attacked the level of security at the hotel and in the country but Interior Minister Salif Traore said that there was little to be done in the face of such determined attackers. “They were ready to die, so the level of security is hardly important,” he asserted. “The Radisson hotel had a level of security that was considered good.” The assailants took dozens of hostages, launching a standoff with Malian security forces that lasted more than seven hours and claimed 19 lives in addition to their own. All but one of the victims were hotel guests. Among the dead in the Radisson attack were a 41-year-old American development worker, six of a Russian plane crew from a cargo company, and three senior executives from the powerful state-owned China Railway Construction Corp. Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said the attack underscored the global threat posed by Islamic extremists, especially coming just one week after teams of attackers from the Islamic State group in Paris killed 130 people while targeting a stadium, a concert hall,and cafes and restaurants. “These people have attacked Paris and other places. Nowhere is

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

excluded,” Keita said. The Radisson attack was claimed by Al-Mourabitoun, an extremist group formed by notorious Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar. Belmokhtar, a former al-Qaeda commander who has long been based in the Sahara, shot to prominence after his group carried out a January 2013 attack on an Algerian gas plant that resulted in the deaths of 39 foreign workers.

Putin Meets the Ayatollah

For the first time in eight years, Vladimir Putin paid a visit to Tehran. The Russian president had planned

talks with Iran about the devastating conflict in Syria and met supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s ultimate authority, who has backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since an uprising broke out in 2011. The meeting lasted 90 minutes and Putin brought the Ayatollah a copy of an old handwritten Koran as a gift. Pro-Iranian media outlets in Syria and Lebanon hailed Mr. Putin’s visit as a “meeting of the titans.” Both men criticized the U.S. and other Western nations for insisting that any political settlement in Syria should exclude Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. What began as a conflict between Assad’s forces and Western-backed rebels has since spiraled into a civil war and multi-faceted fighting that has killed more than 250,000 people. Attention is currently focused on stopping Islamic State group jihadists, who last year took control of large parts of Syria and surged into Iraq. For Russia, protecting Assad and confronting ISIS has become more important since the terrorists blew up a Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on October 31, murdering all 224 on board. One month earlier, Russia had

launched a wave of airstrikes in support of Assad. Both Iran and Russia, which has a major sea port base in Syria, are seeking to limit U.S. leverage in the Middle East. Their shared goals have seen Iran send commanders from its elite Revolutionary Guards to support and advise Assad’s forces, with Tehran coordinating a collection of Shi’ite militias on the ground. Putin’s trip coincides with a major summit in Tehran of gas exporting countries but his talks with Khamenei are likely to dominate. Moscow has announced opening a $5 billion credit line for Iran, and help for Tehran’s struggling banking sector is also expected. Several leaders from a dozen gas producing countries – who together hold 67% of proven reserves – will be at the summit. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, with whom Putin also held talks, is hosting seven presidents, including Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, and Evo Morales of Bolivia. Putin met with Rouhani on this trip to Tehran. “When it comes to combating terrorism, some countries are just talking and carrying out showy actions, but Iran and Russia have shown that they are serious about the fight,” the Iranian president said.

bron. Workers in the large office building were told to stay inside and lock their doors as police hunted for a possible second attacker. They later said there was only one assailant. The attack broke several days of relative calm following a spate of stabbing attacks in Jerusalem, the West Bank and elsewhere over the last two months. Sadly, since the attack, others have been killed in other attacks as well. Terror organization Hamas said it welcomed the attack. “We welcome the heroic operation in Tel Aviv that killed two people,” read a tweet on the Gaza-based group’s official account. “We call on the Palestinians to continue such activities.”

Another Terror Attack Claims Innocent Lives

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Two Jews Killed By Terrorist in Tel Aviv Two Israelis were murdered and at least two others wounded in an attack in southern Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 19. The stabbing took place in the Panorama office building at an entrance to a room used for davening next to the parking lot as Mincha was taking place. Reuven Aviram, 51, was from Ramle and Rabbi Aharon Yesiab, 32, was from Tel Aviv. Two more people suffered light and moderate injuries. The Palestinian terrorist was caught by a passersby and arrested by police at the scene. Police identified him as Raid Halil bin Mahmoud, a 36-year-old father of five from the West Bank village of Dura, near He-

Three people were killed and four others injured in a shooting last week near the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut in the Etzion Bloc. Among the victims was Ezra Schwartz, an American yeshiva student from Sharon, Massachusetts. Ezra, 18, was taking a year off in between high school and college to learn in yeshiva. He had been delivering food to Israeli soldiers before the attack. Also killed was Yaakov Don, 51, from Alon Shvut, and a Palestinian man. The police and army confirmed the assailant opened fire with an Uzi submachine gun from inside a vehicle at Israeli vehicles, hitting several people. When he ran out of ammunition, the attacker drove in the direction of the nearby Gush Etzion Junction before ramming his vehicle into a car. Security personnel shot back at the suspect, disarmed him and arrested him. The wounded individuals, who were only lightly hurt, were Ameri-

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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cans studying at a yeshiva in nearby Beit Shemesh. Magen David Adom said they were evacuated to the Sha’are Zedek Medical Center. Palestinian media identified the shooter as 24-year-old Mohammed Abdel Basset al-Kharoub, from the West Bank village of Dir Smat near Hebron. At the funeral that took place in Boston, Ezra was remembered as a person with “boundless energy,” capable of “making friends with anyone.” From mentoring his siblings to spending quality time with his grandparents, he earned the respect and love of all kinds of people — “kids with little quirks and idiosyncrasies were his specialty,” Ezra’s grandfather said. Ezra would spend time with his three younger brothers, playing sports with them. His older sister, Mollie, with whom he was especially close, said, “From a very, very young age, you looked out for me,” she said through tears. “You played and played with our brothers until there was no playtime left. I’m going to try to be happy for the both of us from now on.” “His life ended abruptly as he was on a mission of chessed,” Ezra’s

mother, Ruth, said through tears. “Our family will never be complete again.”

Israeli Soldier Killed, Two Others Wounded in West Bank Stabbing In the West Bank this week, close to the central town of Modiin, an IDF soldier was murdered. Two others were hurt in the attack, which took place at a gas station on Monday. One of the injured is a female Israeli soldier. Ahmad Taha, the Palestinian murderer, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. According to reports, Taha arrived at the gas station specifically to carry out an attack. Magen David Adom paramedics attempted to revive the 18-year-old soldier who sustained severe abdominal wounds, but were forced to declare him dead at the scene. “A young man was lying on the ground unconscious, with stab wounds to the upper

body, on the highway next to the gas station. Nearby, there was a young woman … approximately 20 years old, with stab wounds to her limbs. We gave both medical treatment on the scene,” the MDA reported. Ziv Mizrahi, the murdered soldier, is not the first member of his family to fall to terrorism. Twelve years ago, his cousin, Alon Mizrahi, was killed when an Arab terrorist blew himself up in an attack on Cafe Hillel in Jerusalem. Ironically, Ziv lived on a street named for his murdered cousin. Ziv had been in the army for nine months before he was killed. Earlier the same day, a young Palestinian man armed with a knife was shot and killed as he approached IDF soldiers near a West Bank junction where an Arab woman attempted to stab Israelis the day before. The victim is the twenty-second Israeli casualty since the wave of violence broke out in October. A day before, on Sunday, a Palestinian woman was run over and shot while attempting to stab an Israeli civilian at the junction. The bystander, former Samaria Regional Council head Gershon Mesika, said he rammed his car into the woman after seeing her attempting to stab

a girl standing at a bus stop where a number of Israelis were standing. The attacker was subsequently shot by security forces at the scene. The gas station attack came hours after two Palestinian girls stabbed a 70-year-old Palestinian man in central Jerusalem near Mahane Yehuda with a pair of scissors. Police identified the two attackers as 14 and 16 years old, from northern Jerusalem. The 16-year-old died at the scene and the 14-year-old was detained. She was taken to an Israeli hospital in critical condition, according to news reports.

Palestinian Work Permits Frozen

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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an entry permit, Israel has frozen the entry permits of hundreds of Palestinians from the Hebron region. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories announced that the permits of 1,200 people would be reviewed in the coming days and that a decision regarding whether to renew them would be made according to security considerations. After being issued a work permit enabling him to find employment in Israel, Raid Halil bin Mahmoud killed two Israeli men in cold blood in Tel Aviv on November 19. The document was issued after a background check by security services found that he had no record of previous activity constituting a security concern. He worked in a restaurant close to the office building in south Tel Aviv where he carried out his attack. This marks the first time in recent years that a Palestinian with a work permit to be in Israel has carried out a terror attack. Mahmoud’s mother said she was proud of his actions. “My son is a source of pride for Hebron and Palestine,” the woman told Hamas television. Mahmoud, 36, a father of five from the West Bank town of Dura near Hebron, also injured a third man in the attack. After his arrest, he said he’d been driven to carry out the attack by the pain he felt for the situation of the Palestinians.

Jonathan Pollard Finally Free

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After thirty long years, Jonathan Pollard was finally released from prison last Friday. His lawyers are now appealing the restrictions placed on the American-Israeli spy upon his release from prison, arguing that they render him unemployable. Pollard’s lawyers say that the restrictions — among them an anklet for 24-hour GPS tracking and the monitoring of his and any future

employer’s computers — are illegal, and that no employer would agree to their computers being monitored in this manner. The attorneys also claim that there is no cause to believe that Pollard will pass on further classified information or commit any other crime, as the data he gleaned is outdated and he can barely recall it. Additionally, the lawyers point out that his crime had nothing to do with the internet, as the internet had not yet been invented at the time of his incarceration. Therefore, they posit, he should be allowed unmonitored internet access. After three decades behind bars, Pollard, now 61, was released from the Butner, North Carolina, facility where he has been serving a life sentence for spying on the United States on Israel’s behalf. He was arrested in 1985 for selling U.S. secrets to Israel while working as a civilian intelligence analyst for the American Navy. One year later, Pollard pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit espionage and was sentenced to life in prison in 1987. Pollard has said that he would like to move to Israel after his release, a request that has been ruled out by the American authorities as he is required to remain in the U.S. for the five years that he is on parole. He is expected to settle in the New York area and is barred from traveling outside the country, including to Israel, without permission. Under the terms of his parole, the former U.S. Navy analyst is also not allowed to give interviews to the media and no rallies or other public events were allowed to be held to mark the occasion. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the release, saying he had “longed for this day.” “The people of Israel welcome the release of Jonathan Pollard,” the prime minister said in a statement. “After three long and hard decades, Jonathan is finally being reunited with his family. May this Shabbos bring him much joy and peace that will continue in the years and decades ahead.” The prime minister is reportedly seeking to keep the release as low-key as possible and has instructed his cabinet to refrain from discussing the matter. Pollard’s supporters argued for years that his sentence was excessive and that others convicted for comparable crimes received lighter sentences. Most recently, hints circulated in spring 2014 that Pollard’s release could be secured as an incentive for

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

keeping foundering peace talks alive between Israel and the Palestinian Authority — but Pollard himself reportedly rejected any attempt at using him for leverage.

“She Was a Source of Good Energy”

Hadar Buchris, the 21-year-old who was murdered in a terror attack at Gush Etzion junction this past Sunday, was memorialized on Sunday evening at the Bat Ayin midrasha she joined last year. Girls attending the Zohar midrasha gathered there

before setting off for the junction where their friend was murdered. “Hadar was a fantastic, bright girl. She was always a source of good energy for the whole group,” said Ayala Eretz Hazvi, Hadar’s former teacher from her old school in the Golan Heights. “She was a very talented theater student and a successful comic who always created positive vibes around her friends,” Hazvi continued. “She was also a kind of ‘psychologist’ who would lend a sympathetic ear to whoever needed it… We love her and her family very much and are sending them a strong embrace.” Before moving to the Golan Heights, Hadar had attended school in Tzfat, where one of her sisters still studies. Those at the school say that she and her sister were very close and supported one another. Buchris was murdered on Sunday afternoon when a Palestinian stabbed her while she was waiting at a hitchhiking point at Gush Etzion junction. A soldier standing nearby shot and wounded the attacker, who later died. Magen David Adom paramedics treated Hadar and she was evacuated to Sha’are Tzedek hospital

in Jerusalem, but surgeons were unable to save her. According to a witness to the attack, the Palestinian initially spoke with a soldier at the site before carrying out the stabbing. The Shin Bet confirmed later that the attacker was Issam Thawabteh, a 34-year-old from Beit Fajjar, which is close to the Gush Etzion junction.

Abbas: Israel is Executing Us

Just a day before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was set to come to Israel, Palestinian Authority Pres-

ident Mahmoud Abbas repeated two of his accusations against Israel that have drawn a furious response over the past few months: that the Jewish state is seeking to alter the status quo on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and that it is carrying out “extrajudicial killings” of those Palestinians perpetrating terror attacks against Israelis. In a statement marking the United Nations’ International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Monday, Abbas said he had cautioned against “violations committed by the settlers and extremists under the protection of the Israeli occupying forces against the sanctity of Christian and Muslim holy places in Jerusalem, particularly aimed at changing the historic status quo at Al-Haram Al-Sharif [the Temple Mount] and Al-Aqsa Mosque that existed before the year 1967 and thereafter.” According to arrangements in place since 1967, Jews can visit the site — the holiest in Judaism and third holiest in Islam — but cannot pray there. Israel has repeatedly denied the charge that it seeks to change the status quo at the contested site. In his statement to the UN, Abbas

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

also placed the blame for the ongoing wave of Palestinian terror attacks — which have claimed the lives of 19 Israelis, an American yeshiva student, an Eritrean asylum seeker and a Palestinian bystander since October 1 — squarely on Israel. “The events happening in our country are the result of diminishing hopes, the continued situation of strangulation, siege and pressure, and the lack of sense of security and safety felt by our people. All of these factors generate tremendous frustration. The angry uprising of our people and the successive events of the recent period are an inevitable result of what we have cautioned about,”

Read Eytan Kobre’s new column Page 92

Abbas said, adding that Israel was carrying out “extrajudicial killings” of Palestinian attackers. “The continuation of the Israeli occupation…cruel arrests and detention of civilians, extrajudicial killings of our youth and children, the blockade of Gaza, home demolitions, repeated brutal attacks by Israeli terrorist settlers against our people and their property, and provocations and incitement against their holy places… affirm Israel’s arrogance and intransigence, its violations of international law, its rejection of peace and its adherence instead to the ideology of colonial expansion, subjugation and greed,” he charged. Last month, Abbas raised Israel’s ire when he falsely accused Israeli forces of “executing” a Palestinian teenager who took part in a terror attack in Jerusalem, wounding two people, including a 13-year-old Israeli boy. The teenager is still alive but was wounded when he and his cousin stabbed the two Israelis in the neighborhood of Pisgat Zeev. Abbas’s comments on Monday on the “extrajudicial killings” were echoed by Palestine Liberation Organization senior official Saeb Erekat who also blamed Israel for nearly two

months of deadly unrest. He added, “You succeeded Mr. Netanyahu. You destroyed the twostate solution. You destroyed [the] Palestinian moderate.”

The Happiest Town in the Country

San Luis Obispo, California, is widely regarded as the Happiest Place

in America. The town frequently makes Gallup-Healthways annual rankings of cities with the best well-being. Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones, named San Luis Obispo, about two hours north of Ventura County, one of the four happiest cities on earth (it was the only U.S. city in the bunch). In addition, Oprah Winfrey featured the city in a segment titled “The Happiest City in America.” So what makes the city, located between Los Angeles and San Francisco, so happy? Recently, Sid Lipsey of Yahoo Travel visited the city and came away smiling. First and foremost, Lipsey noticed that the locals are relaxed and chilled. There is an overall slow-paced atmosphere about the town. The wide sidewalks are designed for casual strolls and add to the laidback feel. The accommodations in the town echo the “don’t worry, be happy” vibe. There are several charming and quant Bed & Breakfast type of lodgings, many of them pet friendly. In SLO, a common acronym used to refer to San Luis Obispo, there is a deep appreciation for wine and meat. There are tons of restaurants and wineries to choose from and people

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

seem to always be socializing. But it’s not all about food. People in SLO also enjoy the great outdoors, getting their daily dose of Vitamin D and physical activity. “We have great outdoor activities,” Kylee Jepsen, senior communications director for Visit San Luis Obispo County, related. “There’s lots of hiking in its beautiful terrain. And you’re within miles of the ocean, and who can’t be happy when they’re that close to the ocean?” The beachside of the greater county of SLO is sprinkled with communities. In 2013, the city had a population of 46,377 with the average 25.8 years old; 93.7% had a high school degree or higher. About 49% had earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher and another 18.1% received a graduate or professional degree. The unemployment rate for 2013 was 7.4% but the people who do work have a short commute with an average travel time of just 13.8 minutes. The estimated median household income in 2013 was $44,618 with an estimated median house or condo value of $530,947 and median gross rent of $1,222. No wonder they keep on smiling!

Fifth Avenue Boasts Most Expensive Retail Real Estate

A stroll down Fifth Avenue will send any shopper into drool mode and every real estate investor as well. The upper Fifth Avenue area has been ranked the most expensive retail corridor in the world. A single square foot of retail space on the world famous avenue was priced at $3,500 –that’s an increase of 3.6 percent over 2014. And that’s nearly twice the price as Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, which was No. 2 on a list released last Wednesday by global real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Fifth Avenue rent is 46 percent higher than Causeway Bay, where a square foot of space costs $2,399. The “Main Streets Across the World” report looks at the top 500 retail streets across the globe. This was the 27th edition of the report, which shows that rents have risen 35 percent for the top 500 streets across the globe. This is the second consecutive year that Fifth Avenue has ranked highest. Before that, in 2013, Causeway Bay ranked highest and Fifth Avenue scored second place. The constant traffic on Fifth Avenue and steady flow of tourists and shoppers alike make it prime retail space for top retailers. Outside of New York, in the U.S., Los Angeles’ Rodeo Drive had the highest retail rents at $800 per sq. ft., while Chicago’s Michigan Avenue had average retail rents of $525 per sq. ft.

Mexicans Migrating Back Home

Despite all the border conversation, surprisingly, more Mexicans are leaving than moving into the United States, according to a study published on Thursday. The Pew Research Center found that the flow of migration is reversing. More than 1 million Mexicans and their families, including American-born children, left the U.S. for Mexico from 2009 to 2014. During the same five years, 870,000 Mexicans came to the U.S., resulting in a net flow to Mexico of 140,000. The main reason being cited for Mexicans returning to Mexico is the desire to be reunited with family. In addition, the sluggish U.S. economy and tougher border enforcement are deterrents for immigrants to remain in the States. The trend shows that more Mexicans are moving south than north. The era of mass migration from Mexico is “at an end,” declared Mark Hugo Lopez, Pew’s director of Hispanic research. Back in 2012 a similar study revealed that the net mi-

gration between the two countries balanced out at zero so this year’s figures represent a turning point in one of the largest mass migrations in U.S. history. More than 16 million Mexicans moved to the United States from 1965 to 2015, more than from any other country. “This is something that we’ve seen coming,” Lopez said. “It’s been almost 10 years that migration from Mexico has really slowed down.” Pew said there were 11.7 million Mexicans living in the U.S. last year, down from a peak of 12.8 million in 2007. That includes 5.6 million living in the U.S. illegally, down from 6.9 million in 2007. In another record-breaker, the Border Patrol arrested more non-Mexicans than Mexicans in the 2014 fiscal year, as more Central Americans came to the U.S., mostly through South Texas, and many of them turned themselves in to authorities. According to the study, 61 percent of those who reported living in the U.S. in 2009 but were back in Mexico last year had returned to join or start a family. An additional 14 percent had been deported, and 6 percent said they returned for jobs in Mexico. Another factor that some experts are citing is that Mexico’s population is aging, meaning there’s less competition for young people looking for work. In the 1990s many young people entering the workforce felt they had no choice but to migrate because the job market was saturated with people seeking work. While many areas of Mexico suffer grinding poverty and violence, others have become thriving manufacturing centers under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Automakers including Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. have built plants across central and northern Mexico that employ thousands, spawning auto-parts plants and other ripple effects. Highways and rail lines that connect to the world’s largest economy north of the border have attracted more investors.

Treasury Receives $2.2M Donation The national debt seems to be increasing at record speed. Thankfully, an anonymous donor has stepped

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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up and donated a record $2.2 million towards reducing the national debt. This person is not the only one nervous about the hole our government is quickly digging. In all, donors contributed $2.3 million in the last month of the 2015 fiscal year, boosting the annual contributions for the year to $3.9 million, according to just-released data from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Treasury officials say September’s haul was helped by a single $2.2 million payment, but would not provide any details on the source of the contribution.

A little-known account called the Public Debt Reduction Fund receives tax-deductible contributions from the public to pay down the national debt. Contributions to the account are sometimes as little as just a few cents, and come from online donations, contributions made through

the Internal Revenue Service, and hand-written checks to the Bureau of Public Debt in Parkersburg, W.Va. The biggest months for contributions to the fund are usually April and December. Sadly, though, unless you are a trillion-aire, your donations will hardly make a dent in our nation’s debt, which is now more than $18.6 trillion. And because the Treasury is running monthly deficits, the contributions don’t really go to pay off debt. Instead, they’re used to pay the expenses of the government instead of issuing new debt. The previous monthly record for contributions to the fund was $2.1 million in April 2012. The Treasury Department said that month was also helped by a large donation from a single donor. And while officials would not disclose that donor, it came the same month that billionaire investor Warren Buffett had promised to match any similar gifts from members of Congress. Members of Congress are, in fact, a significant source of contributions to reduce the debt. Eight members — five Republicans and three Democrats — gave a combined $55,739 in the first six months of the year,

according to reports from the House of Representatives. The biggest congressional contributor is Rep. Chris Gibson, R-N.Y., who writes a monthly check for $4,357.37 to the fund — the same amount as his Army pension.

Princeton Students Call for Expunging Woodrow Wilson’s Name

Students with the Black Justice League entered Nassau Hall in Princeton University around noon last Wednesday, calling for the Ivy League university to acknowledge racism within President Woodrow Wilson’s legacy and take actions to improve cultural sensitivity on campus by expunging his name. Thirty-two hours later Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber signed an agreement saying that the school would begin the process of considering the removal of Wilson’s name from campus. “We appreciate the willingness of the students to work with us to find a way forward for them, for us and for our community,” Eisgruber said. “We were able to assure them that their concerns would be raised and considered through appropriate processes.” The agreement comes as black students across the country have been rallying for improved race relations on college campuses, including a national day of protest on Wednesday under the hashtag #StudentBlackOut. As part of the process, a request to Princeton’s board of trustees will be submitted about removing Wilson’s name from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and a survey will be conducted asking students’ opinion about removing the name. The university leaders also agreed to initiate a request for the removal of a mural of Wilson from a school dining hall, to enhance cultural sensitivity training for faculty and to establish

rooms on campus for “cultural affinity groups.” The reactions to this agreement weren’t all positive; shortly after the news of the agreement, the university notified students via email that a “non-specific bomb and firearm threat” had been made in reference to the student protest. Thankfully, there has not been any violent response as of the weekend. Wilson, a Southern Democrat who served as Princeton’s president from 1902-1910, allowed his cabinet to re-segregate federal government departments and also forced civil servant applicants to include photographs, considered by African-Americans at the time as a move to weed them out. But during his tenure at Princeton University, the 23rd president of the United States renewed and reinvigorated the institution. In only eight years, he increased the size of the faculty from 112 to 174, paying special attention to both teaching and scholarly excellence. He also raised the standards of education at the college, as he once told alumni, his goal was “to transform thoughtless boys…into thinking men.” Wilson also attempted (unsuccessfully because of the resistance of alumni) to curtail the influence of social elites by abolishing the upper-class eating clubs, appointed the first Jew and the first Catholic to the faculty, and helped liberate the university’s board of trustees from the grip of tradition-bound and morally-conservative Presbyterians. Given that record of achievement, it’s easy to understand why Princeton has chosen to recognize Woodrow Wilson as one of its greatest and most influential presidents.

Rise in AntiIsrael Activities on Campus

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a new report last week detailing a significant increase

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

in anti-Israel activity on American university campuses over the 20142015 academic year. In fall 2015 alone, there were 150 explicitly anti-Israel events on campuses nationally. Last year, during the same period, there were 105 organized events. Universities administrations were directly involved in the anti-Israel events, with at least 15 of the events being sponsored or co-sponsored by university departments at institutions including the University of California-Berkley, Drew University, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. At least 10% of the anti-Israel events were co-sponsored by student groups whose primary missions do not include a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which ADL notes sends a message that the groups’ missions are aligned. “Student groups at a number of campuses are sponsoring a range of programs and initiatives designed with one goal: to isolate, defame and delegitimize Israel,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Many of these efforts have resulted in increased tension between students and have fostered a hostile atmosphere for pro-Israel and Jewish stu-

dents. We are particularly concerned by the support these initiatives have received from faculty members,” he said. “The tactics employed by the BDS movement – along with the continued efforts by anti-Israel student groups seeking to stifle discourse about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israel in general through disruption and defamation – is a deeply troubling phenomenon that has contributed to an atmosphere at some institutions where Jewish and pro-Israel students feel uncomfortable voicing their views or even asserting their Jewish identity.” Greenblatt noted, “BDS is not an effort designed to engender a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It does not seek to achieve a two-state solution that benefits all parties. Instead, it seeks to undermine the Jewish State of Israel. It’s an agenda of anti-normalization that demonizes Israel and its citizens simply because of their identity.” “This is the antithesis of constructive dialogue that the university should embody. In practice, the BDS movement’s indiscriminate targeting of individuals based solely on their

national origin and irrespective of views or actions is inherently anti-Semitic. While most incidents of anti-Semitism on campus are not generated by BDS, anti-Israel activity can often cross the line to anti-Semitism or foster an atmosphere in which anti-Semitic stereotypes are tolerated.” In a related story, a Dutch newspaper reported several days ago that senior students redesigned a Jewish freshman’s dorm room, painting mass graves and train tracks on the walls, hanging barbed wire on the pipes, creating a swastika from sticks and spray-painting the German slogan “Arbeit macht frei” (work makes you free), which was placed over the entrance to several Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The seniors denied that there were any anti-Semitic motives behind the act, explaining that they had redesigned the room as part of a humorous initiation rite for the prestigious Minerva Society, the oldest student association in Holland. The head of Minerva hastily condemned the incident and said that those who were involved were banned from taking part of Minerva activities.

Chicago Sets Snowfall Record as Midwest Smacked with Freeze

While many of us are still enjoying the relatively warm weather, others are preparing for snow. Frigid temperatures brought snow across the Midwest on Friday and Saturday. Then, on Sunday, the region was hit with a deep freeze with temperatures dipping to the single digits and even below zero in some areas, turning any snow into ice. The National Weather Service forecast was 20 degrees or lower across six states from North Dakota to Illinois. In Chicago, residents were blanketed with over 11 inches of snow,

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

in the area. Winter doesn’t officially begin until Tuesday, December 22 but don’t be surprised if you spy a couple of flurries before then.

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888.404.PEYD (7393) PEYD360.com | info@getpeyd.com a record breaker. This is the most amount of snow in the city for November in 120 years. More than 130 flights were cancelled on Sunday into and out of O’Hare International Airport. Earlier in the weekend, South Dakota through Michigan received up to 20 inches of snowfall. In the

southern Wisconsin town of Janesville, between 10 and 20 inches of snow had fallen by late Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Southside True Value Hardware manager Matt Krienke said business had been good in the days leading up to the storm in the Janesville, but

that it had become “very, very, very, very slick.” “People who don’t need to drive don’t need to be out,” he said. Slick driving conditions were reported across the region. In western Michigan, two people were injured in a 15-car pileup late Saturday along Interstate 196 following heavy snow

Many Americans include student loans as one of their monthly expenses, with college tuition being particularly high in the U.S. The College Board has discovered that in the most recent academic year, higher education costs once again increased faster than the rate of inflation. But sky-high prices have not deterred students from enrolling. In fact, college enrollment has been increasing for decades in the United States. Over the 10 years through 2012, university attendance increased by 24%. As of last year, more than 30% of American adults had a college education. Based on recently released educational attainment data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 24/7 Wall St. analyzed each state population’s level of higher education. The most educated state in the nation was Massachusetts, for the second consecutive year, with 41.2% of adults having attained at least a bachelor’s degree as of 2014. The least educated state remained the same as well. West Virginia trailed every other state, with less than 20% of state adults reporting at least a college degree. As a general trend, states with relatively high percentages of adults with a bachelor’s degree are almost always relatively wealthy states. Of the 15 states with the highest college attainment rates, only Kansas had a median household income that did not exceed the national median income of $53,657. Conversely, all of the 15 states with the lowest education levels except for Wyoming reported a lower median income than the national median. So which states are the most educated in the U.S.? Massachusetts takes the diploma – I mean the cake

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

– when it comes to education. 41.2% of its residents have at least a bachelor’s degree. The median household income there is $69,160. Colorado came in second, with 38.3% of adults holding at least a bachelor’s degree. Maryland, Connecticut, and New Jersey rounded out the top five. Virginia, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Minnesota rounded out the top ten.

Nazi Symbols Adorn the Subways

Not much fazes New Yorkers, but many were shocked this week when they boarded a subway train between Times Square and Grand Central Terminal and found Nazi insignia plastered on the seats.

The trains on one of New York’s busiest lines had the Reichsadler (Imperial Eagle) on its seats on one side as part of a promotional campaign for a new TV show. The show, “The Man in the High Castle,” is based on the book of the same name by Philip K. Dick and imagines an alternate reality in which the Allied forces lost World War II. In the story, the Axis powers now rule the U.S., with the Nazis in control of the East Coast and the Japanese ruling over the West Coast. The Nazi symbol on the subway trains are shown as part of the American flag, and the seats also feature the Rising Sun flag that was associated with Imperial Japan during that time. New Yorkers took to social media to express their offense at the marketing campaign, dreamed by up Amazon, which produced the show. One Twitter user, Melissa Grey, wrote: “Let’s just splatter real fascist symbolism on trains in one of the most diverse cities in the world.” New York has the highest Jewish population in the U.S., with a recent survey finding that eight percent of the city’s population is Jewish.

Americans Fear Terrorist Attack on U.S. Soil The world is still reeling from the horror and terror of the Paris terrorist attacks. A recent poll by the Washington Post and ABC news shows that Americans’ fear has risen significantly in the aftermath and a majority believe that the country is at war with “radical Islam.” Eighty-three percent of registered voters say they believe a terrorist attack in the United States resulting in large casualties is likely in the near future, rising from 73 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll earlier this month asking the same question.

The poll revealed that a majority of Americans want the United States to join a military response to the Paris attacks, including increasing airstrikes and sending ground troops to fight the Islamic State. However, the public is still showing hesitation at a major military commitment, with the majority saying the United States should play a supporting role as opposed to a leading role. Only one-third of all respondents supported a deployment of large numbers of ground forces. The poll finds average confidence in the U.S. government’s ability to prevent an attack; 45 percent have at least a “good amount” of confidence, while 55 percent report only a “fair amount” or no confidence at all. Americans also don’t feel that the federal government could screen immigrant applicants effectively. A 54 percent majority say the United States should not welcome refugees from Syria and other parts of the Middle East, even if they are screened for security. Only 13 percent of Americans are “very confident” that the United States could identify and keep out possible terrorists who could be intermixed. Another 34 percent are

“somewhat confident,” while 52 percent have less confidence or none at all. On Thursday, the House voted by a large majority — 289 to 137 — to restrict Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the United States, despite a White House veto threat and Obama’s public disapproval. In the days following the attack in Paris, most Republican presidential candidates voiced their support of promoting stricter control on admitting refugees and a heavier military involvement overseas. The public’s ratings of President Obama on dealing with terrorism have fallen to a record low 40 percent, with a still smaller 35 percent approving of his handling of the Islamic State. The Paris attacks have also strengthened public’s support for bypassing civil liberties in order to pursue potential terrorists. A 72 percent majority say the federal government should investigate possible terrorist threats even if they intrude on personal privacy, increasing nine percentage points since January to the highest level since 2010. A small percentage of those surveyed said Obama was right to defend his refugee policy and that Americans needed to be wary of overreacting to the prospect of a strike on U.S. soil.

Was the Enormity of the ISIS Threat Covered Up?

As the world attempts to recover from the shock and horror of the Paris attacks, Fox News reveals that analysts at U.S. Central Command were pressured to ease off negative assessments about the Islamic State threat. Allegedly, they were explicitly told in an email to “cut it out.” Fox News was told by a source close to CENTCOM analysts that the pressure on them included at least two emails saying they needed to “cut it out” and “toe the line.” Separate-

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ly, a former Pentagon official related that there apparently was an attempt to destroy the communications. The Pentagon official said the email warnings were “not well received” by the analysts. An investigation is pending as to whether intelligence reports were edited to portray a less alarming picture. The emails and other possible evidence are now in the possession of the Pentagon inspector general. The former Pentagon official said there were “multiple assessments” from military intelligence and the CIA regarding the “rapid rise” of ISIS in Iraq and North Africa in the year leading up to the group’s territory grab in 2014. Allegedly, similar intelligence was included in the President’s Daily Brief, the intelligence community’s most authoritative product, during the same time period. Yet the official, who was part of the White House discussions, said the administration kept “kicking the can down the road.” The official said that at the time there was no discussion of the military involvement needed to make a difference. Whistleblowers are claiming that information was modified to make the ISIS threat seem less substan-

tial than it actually was. Among the complaints is that after the U.S. air campaign started in August 2014, the metrics to measure progress changed. They were modified to use measures such as the number of sorties and body counts – a metric not used since the Vietnam War – to paint a more positive picture. Critics say this “activity-based approach” to tracking the effectiveness of strikes does not paint a comprehensive picture of whether ISIS is being hurt and contained. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said on Sunday that his committee and others are involved in the investigation. “We heard from a lot of whistle-blowers and other informants who have given us information. And not just … related strictly to the latest allegations,” Nunes said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Citing the renewed focus on ISIS after the Paris terror attacks, he added: “So the president, to have a successful strategy, is going to admit that they’ve got it wrong and they need to relook at a larger strategy that deals with North Africa, the Middle East, all the way over to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and then work closely with our NATO allies with what appears to

be a command and control structure that ISIS has created successfully in Europe.” In response, President Obama, speaking at a press conference in Malaysia over the weekend, said he expects to “get to the bottom” of whether ISIS intelligence reports were altered. “One of the things I insisted on the day I walked into the Oval Office was that I don’t want intelligence shaded by politics. I don’t want it shaded by the desire to tell a feel-good story,” Obama claimed on Sunday. “I believe that the Department of Defense and all those who head up our intelligence agencies understand that and that I have made it repeatedly clear to all my top national security advisers that I never want them to hold back, even if the intelligence or their opinions about the intelligence, their analysis or interpretations of the data contradict current policy.” At the same time, he said, “As a consumer of this intelligence, it’s not as if I’ve been receiving wonderfully rosy, glowing portraits of what’s been happening in Iraq and Syria over the last year and a half. … [I]t feels to me like, at my level at least, we’ve had a pretty clear-eyed, sober assessment.”

“Clock Boy” Demands $15M

It all comes down to money. Remember “Clock boy,” Ahmed Mohamed, who was arrested after he brought what he claimed was a “homemade” clock to school? Now, the 14-year-old Muslim boy is seeking $15 million because of his public “mistreatment.” His attorney is demanding $10 million from the city of Irving, Texas, and $5 million from the Irving Independent School District. Ahmed took his clock to school in September, and an educator thought it could be a bomb. Ahmed was arrested but never charged and was suspended from school.

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“What has happened to this family is inexcusable,” Kelly Hollingsworth, an attorney for Ahmed and his family, said. “As indicated in the letters, the long term effects on Ahmed are incalculable.” Interestingly, the family is no longer living in the United States. They accepted a foundation’s offer to pay for Ahmed’s education in Qatar and moved to the Persian Gulf country. He had visited Qatar during a whirlwind several weeks following the incident that even included a stop at the White House. Less than 24 hours after he met the president, the Mohameds left for Qatar. This is not the first time the family has been in the news. Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Elhassan, ran for president of Sudan and was present during a high-profile Koran burning in Florida. Even more interesting is that many have revealed that Ahmed did not invent the “clock” that he brought to school. He actually took an old clock made by Radioshack and then transported it into a silver pencil case. Perhaps he was also seeking some of the fame that his father enjoyed just a short while before.

eating. Police have posted a clip of the chillers online, stating that they “are concerned for the safety of those riding on the tables with no protective clothing,” and that the riders “could face a number of charges including driving an unlicensed vehicle, driving an unroadworthy vehicle and drink [sic] driving.” While the drunk driving claim may or may not have merit, many of the Western Australia Police’s Facebook followers seem to be on board... with the Picnic Table Passengers. One woman writes, “My brain tells me that it is stupid and dangerous but my inner child thinks that it is hilarious and quite clever and possibly the funniest thing I have ever seen...” “With everything that’s going on in the world right now, I 100% agree that motorized picnic tables are of high concern and should without doubt be [the police’s] main priority,” another one facetiously says. “Please yellow sticker that table immediately.” Can anyone tell me where I can buy these cool tables for my next BBQ? I’m going to be the coolest kid on the block.

Introducing Mr. Ugly Guys on a Roll

These people are eating on the run – and the cops aren’t too happy about it. A group of nine young men in Perth, Australia, have been caught sipping and chewing on mobile patio tables. They might be sitting pretty but the authorities are pretty angry about what they’re doing. It seems like they are sitting on tall skateboards with tables attached and the tables actually move while they’re

Hey, you! Mr. Ugly! Congratulations! No, we are not insulting or bullying someone. This Mr. Ugly is really ugly – and he’s proud to have earned the title. Pageant judges have crowned a new winner for Zimbabwe’s 4th annual Mister Ugly contest, upsetting supporters of the crowd favorite and prompting rioting at the event. Judges chose Milton Sere for the title on Saturday, citing his numerous missing front teeth and a wide range of grotesque facial expressions, over William Masvinu, who has held the title since 2012. But Masvinu and his supporters don’t agree with the decision, claim-

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

ing that Sere is “too handsome” to win (you can be the judge by seeing his picture) and that his ugliness wasn’t natural since it was based on missing teeth. Judges said Sere, 42, made a “tremendous effort to enhance his ugliness by pulling facial stunts,” while Masvinu did not try hard enough. You know what they say: beauty – and ugliness – is in the eyes (and teeth) of the beholder.

A Chunk of Change Ever want to throw a quarter at the meter maid? Mayor Carlos Hernandez tried to

throw a whole lot more – and now he’s in major trouble.

The Miami-area mayor tried to use 360,000 pennies and nickels – 28 buckets full of coins – to pay a $4,000 ethics fine. Instead of accepting the change, the ethics commission doubled the fine for Hernandez, saying he intentionally broke the rules because he knew the panel only accept-

ed checks. And now the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust is suing the mayor. The commission ruled in July that Hernandez lied about interest rates on a $180,000 loan to a jewelry salesman now jailed for a pyramid scheme. Hernandez has called the complaints a “political circus” and described commission members as “clowns.” Seems like Hernandez needs a bit of a “change” of attitude.

The Golden Kit Kat “Give me a break, give me a (golden) break.”

For chocolate lovers with cash to burn, a gold-coated Kit Kat bar will hit stores in Japan later this month. The candy will sell for around $16, so you probably won’t be stocking up. Looking for the “golden ticket”? Unlike in the famous children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the luxury chocolate bar won’t Continued on page 46

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be randomly scattered among regular Kit Kats in shops. Instead, 500 of the single bars will be made and sold only in the country, according to Nestle Japan, which has produced over 200 flavors – from strawberry to green tea and even wasabi – since introducing the chocolate treat there in 1973. “In Japanese convenience stores, consumers are used to having new varieties all the time,” Nestle Japan spokeswoman Melanie Kohli related. “Japan is a very unique market.” Nestle’s limited edition “Sublime Gold” one-finger treat, which is covered in gold leaf and described as having a rich, bitter chocolate taste, will go on sale at chocolate boutiques in eight swank department stores from Tokyo to Sapporo in the north and Fukuoka in southern Japan. “We have made it a luxury product,” Kohli said of the gold bars, which could be a popular treat during the “gift-giving” season. “Not like you probably remember from your childhood. It’s a special occasion, to celebrate the end of the year.” Kohli added that Japan’s “omiyage” culture of bringing regional gifts back for family and work colleagues after trips away was another reason for Kit Kat’s success with its various flavors. “Like you have wasabi from Shizuoka and strawberries in Kyushu,” she pointed out. “Japan is the only place where you can have such a variety of Kit Kat flavors, something linked to that regional culture.” Kit Kat currently offers around 30 different flavors in Japan, including Okinawan sweet potato, Yokohama cheesecake and Kobe pudding. Wonder if they’ll be making a latke-flavored Kit Kat for the Festival of Lights?

Piling on the Points

sach, stayed in a gorgeous hotel, and rented an SUV – all on credit card points? Next time he starts to chew your ear off, just mention Liu Yiqian’s name – and he’s bound to keep quiet. Chinese billionaire and art collector Liu Yiqian found a savvy way to accumulate frequent-flier miles. He put his record-breaking purchase of a Modigliani painting — which he bought at auction for $170 million — on his American Express card. Liu, a former taxi driver, told the New York Times that he charged the painting so that he, his wife, and their extended family of four children and two grandchildren can accumulate Membership Miles and fly around the world for free. PEYD would be proud. The billionaire, who, according to Forbes, has a personal wealth of $1.38 billion, is a passionate traveler: Before he started collecting art, he contemplated buying a plane. But who needs a plane when you have millions upon millions of miles? This isn’t the first time Liu has racked up points with a credit card. In 2014, he paid for a $36 million ancient ceramic cup with his Amex Centurion card. In that case, Bloomberg News reported that he got a whopping 422 million points (based on the Hong Kong dollar), which translated to more than 28 million frequent flyer miles. According to American Express, Liu isn’t the first card member to take this route. “We see a huge range in redemptions using Membership Rewards points,” spokeswoman Kimberly Litt related. “Everything from engagement rings to fine art and, of course, for travel all over the world.” In fact, there’s a whole community of frequent-flyer nerds called “Hobbyists” who have figured out how to game the system to fly for free. Liu certainly has. We give him points for his frugality, especially when he can afford to own the airlines.

Swimming the Nile with a Smile

Know that guy in the back of shul who is always boasting about how he flew his whole family to Israel for Pe-

Want to help women in Sudan? Perhaps you should swim across the Nile. The Dutch ambassador to Sudan swam across the Nile in Khartoum on Saturday in a stunt that began as a bet to win more “likes” for her embassy’s

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Facebook page. She also wished to promote women’s empowerment in Sudan.

Clad in a bright orange swimsuit bearing the embassy logo, Ambassador Susan Blankhart swam several hundred meters across the Blue Nile with six other Dutch women and seven Sudanese women, cheered on by dozens of supporters on the riverbank. “It was lovely, it was beautiful. I would recommend that everyone swims across the Nile,” Blankhart said laughing, relieved to be back on dry land after the crossing. She had originally said that she would swim across the river if her embassy’s Facebook page received more than 10,000 likes. After she hit

the target, the 63-year-old organized the swim with two charities to raise awareness about safe swimming in the Nile. They were serious about their safety. The group was watched over by a team of Sudanese lifeguards in kayaks and boats as they swam through the muddy water. No saying what germs they’ll be catching after their plunge, though.

A Half-Marathon – Or Was It? Thought you ran the half-marathon in Bangkok last week? You were wrong – you ran the half-marathon plus 4 miles, due to an error by race officials. Runner ran 27.6 kilometers (17 miles) instead of the standard 21 kilometers (13 miles). Many runners clocked the race on GPS watches and were bewildered by the erroneous calculations. But runners, do not despair. For your extra time and effort exerted, you will receive a wonderful, special jersey to wear like a badge of pride.

6,000 runners took part in the race and everyone – even those who didn’t complete it – will receive their t-shirt.

“The t-shirt will say, ‘Finisher of 27.6 km,’” Songkram Kraison, vice president of the Jogging Association of Thailand, one of the event’s two organizers, said. “The shirts are meant to apologize and also to honor runners who ran in the longer version of the half-marathon.” The race looped through Bangkok’s historic district, past the Grand Palace, monuments and Buddhist temples, with half-marathon participants sharing the route with full-marathon runners until a specified turn-off. That’s where the error occurred, according to organizers,

who said officials stationed along the route accidentally directed half-marathon runners to make a U-turn at the wrong spot, which added the extra distance. “We deeply regret this unfortunate mistake,” the Jogging Association of Thailand said in its apology posted in Thai and English on websites and Facebook pages connected with the event. “We admit our mistake and would like to apologize.” The t-shirt is meant to “express our admiration for your spirit in bravely overcoming the obstacles.” Maybe they should have given out a bumper sticker for those who are having trouble walking after the extra running they had to do. They may be driving for a while.

The Dating Dialogue Page 108

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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Community

Over 100 members of The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC’s Chaverim Program for Holocaust survivors came together for their annual Thanksgiving celebration this week. The group meets weekly to address the unique needs of Holocaust survivors.

“V’haarev Na” a Huge Success at MAY

ave you heard about the new “V’haarev Na” learning program? It encourages talmidim to engage in a huge amount of chazara until they truly “own” a masechta. The program was highlighted in a Mishpacha magazine feature, which encouraged MAY senior rebbe Rabbi Orlansky to implement it in our yeshiva. Rabbi Orlansky solicited advice from the program creator, Rabbi Newman, as to how he could implement the program most successfully and with which masechta the program would work best. He launched it at the start of the school year with great success, presenting each partic-

ipant with a personalized Cross pen/ pencil with which to make notes in his Gemara and make it “his own.” It’s now common to find Rabbi Orlansky’s talmidim learning late into the night, at MAY or elsewhere in a Bais Medrash at a late hour either in Yeshiva or somewhere else in the community. Stories have already emerged of chavrusas going for a late night jog and chazering over their limud ba’al peh, and talmidim being makabel on themselves to chazer their limud 100 times over bein haz’manim. “It’s inspiring to everyone in the yeshiva,” commented Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, Menahel. “Rabbi Orlansky has done amazing things with his shi-

ur in the past, but this has exceeded them all.” “A lot has to do with the geshmak and energy Rabbi Orlansky expends for his shiur,” commented Rabbi Yossi Bennett, Assistant Menahel, “He gives over lev v’nefesh for his talmidim and they feel that. He’s always thinking about how he can improve and create an even better vibe. It’s clear he’s receiving siyata d’shmaya in doing it!” Just last Tuesday evening, the shiur remained in Yeshiva after school for a 2-hour long “retzifus seder” in which all 24 talmidim learned b’hasmadah rabah for 2 hours straight without looking up from their Gemaras even once! The evening began

with milchig refreshments and ended with a fleishig seudah and kumzitz. Rabbi Zvi Soroka joined the seuda to give divrei chizuk. This was in addition to the weekly kiddushim during which talmidim are mekabel their next week’s chazarah schedule. One talmid predicted that they’ll soon be learning with such hasmada that they will be able to start with fleishigs and have enough time to complete the seder with milchigs! Rabbi Orlansky proudly noted, “You need to see it to believe it. Talmidim are learning b’hasmada rabah like they have never done before and who are loving every minute of it!”

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

! K EE

‫תנו‬ ‫כבוד‬ ‫לתורה‬

W IS

we welcome

THE ROSHEI YESHIVA OF YESHIVAS BAIS MOSHE OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA

harav CHAIM BRESSLER

‫שליט”א‬

harav YAAKOV SCHNAIDMAN

‫שליט”א‬

to the far rockaway/lawrence area

‫שבת פרשת וישלח‬

NOVEMBER 27-29, 2015 FRIDAY NIGHT ONEG SHABBOS AT THE HOME OF MR & MRS. ARYEH GIBBER MS Designs | 732.606.7042

(ADDRESS BELOW)

THE ROSHEI HAYESHIVA WILL BE SPEAKING

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Mr. & Mrs. Aryeh Gibber

cordially invite you to a breakfast to benefit the yeshiva that will take place in their home

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it will be our honor to be addressed by the roshei hayeshiva guest speaker

rabbi

Yehoshua kalish

Rav, Bais Medrash of Harborview

‫י”ז כסלו תשע”ו‬

9:30AM BREAKFAST ‫לז”נ מאיר אהרן ב”ר אליעזר זצ”ל‬

We look forward to greeting you!

ALUMNI/PARENT COMMITTEE Shmuel Bakst Dovid Devor Dr. Daniel Fink Heshy Friedman Yisroel Fulda

Moshe Gans Avrohom Gefen Aryeh Gibber Yaakov Goldfeder Refoel Gordon Dovid Greenblatt

Yeshiva Bais Moshe // 930 Hickory Street // Scranton, PA 18505 // P 570.346.1747 // E info@ybm.edu Contributions can be made by visiting www.YBM.edu

Joseph Katz Zvi Katz Irving Langer Moshe Majeski Matis Manela Tzvi Perl

Chaim Puderbeutel Shlomo Reich Moshe Schnee Aaron Weinstein Yossi Wittmann

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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Five Towns Marriage Initiative Finding Pleasure in this World

here is a prevailing attitude amongst some of the most observant and pious of our own orthodox world that is actually a misconception and misinterpretation of our Sages’ teachings. The world at large holds beliefs that trickle into our own inner circles impacting the way we act and conduct ourselves. One widespread belief in secular society is that man was created for pleasure. To the end of achieving high states of pleasure we see so many chasing all forms of entertainment, travel, recreation, money and fun. Popular culture teaches us that life really boils down to as much fun as possible. Even religious Jews will concur that there is something to this intense pursuit of pleasure, as Mesilas Yesharim and other works of mussar teach us that G-d created the world for the sake of pleasure. We might say, though, that the pleasure has to be arrived at in a kosher fashion, the best hechsheirim for our hotels, the separate sides at our elaborate simchas, and only the “purest” of pleasure. The problem with this attitude, however, is that it is really all a gross misunderstanding. While it’s true that Mesilas Yesharim states that Hashem created the world to give pleasure to mankind, nowhere does it say that it is therefore our job is to pursue pleasure. An honest, close reading of the text will show us that while providing mankind the greatest good by enabling us to receive the greatest pleasure possible to man by choosing good and basking in the presence of Hashem’s holiness, nonetheless, pursuing pleasure does not describe our purpose in this world. We are here to give to others: to our Creator, our family and our friends. Our highest calling would be mesiras nefesh, that we would go as far as giving up our lives for Hashem’s sake and that we focus all of our life toward coming closer to drawing ourselves into the presence of Hashem. The type of pleasure in this context that we are even striving for is a far cry from the type of pleasure involved with the simple and mundane physical pleasures of a skiing trip or game

of football, no matter how seemingly amazing. We unfortunately fall prey to this illusion of pleasure for pleasure’s sake, however, when we blur the lines of our purpose in this world as misunderstanding Hashem’s promise of giving to us as His children and interest in seeing our happiness. In truth our purpose of being a giver fits very well into the framework of our marriage. Giving to our spouse, unconditionally, trains us to be able to give completely of ourselves to our Creator. The pleasure that G-d gives us is His to worry about. As we approach Chanukah we can look at the pleasure our ancestors received from seeing the miraculous acts that took place for them. The sublime acts of true pleasure that Hashem creates for us far exceed the materialistic pleasures we chase after by an order of magnitude. The untold joy of sitting together, singing Maoz Tzur as a family besides our candles on Chanukah is the kind of pleasure that no physical pleasure of this world can compete with. May we merit to recognize and actualize our purpose here in this world and to appreciate the wondrous pleasures Hashem constantly sends us. Five Towns Marriage Initiative provides educational programs, workshops and referrals to top marriage therapists. FTMI will help offset counseling costs when necessary and also runs an anonymous shalom bayis hotline for the entire community Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 9:30-11p.m. For the hotline or more information, call 516-430-5280 or email dsgarry@ msn.com.

The Grease on Oil Page 126

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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Diamondbacks Defeat Cubs 1-0 in Epic HWLL Championship Game

Bottom, Left to Right: Max Bausk, Noah Freunlich, Simcha Schachter, Jacob Zwiebel, Eli Libkind, and Oren Danha Top, Left to Right: Assistant Coachs Adam Parkoff, Michael Bausk, Players Kevin Levy, Nathaniel Lawrence, Evan Greenberg, Jacob Adler, William Karan, Jake Parkoff, Jacob Herschel Assistant Coach Alex Libkind and Coach Jonathan Zwiebel

he Hewlett Woodmere Little League intermediate division concluded its season on Sunday at Grant Park in a nail-biting exciting championship game which could not have been better scripted in Hollywood. The Diamondbacks beat the Cubs 1-0 in the HWLL Intermediate Division (4th to 6th Grade) championship game. They were led by CO MVP’s Jacob Zwiebel and

Simcha Schachter. Zwiebel led off the game for the D-Backs with a Single, stole second base and Schacter singled Zwiebel home. It turns out that was the only run needed for the D-Backs to win the game. The D-Back pitching, which dominated the league all season long, combined for an impressive one hitter. Zwiebel, the starting pitcher, won the game by pitching 2 score-

Jacob Zwiebel pitching

less innings with 3 strikeouts while Schachter closed out the game with 5 strikeouts and giving up no runs. Evan Greenberg pitched the 3rd and 4th innings giving up no runs and 3 strikeouts. The Diamondbacks closed out the season with a 9-3-1 record, while the Cubs finished at 8-5. Jonathan Zwiebel, the coach of the Diamondbacks, said following the victory,

“Our coaching staff is extremely proud of how our players performed today as a team unit against the Cubs. Each player played vital roles in our victory today and they all made tremendous contributions in our successful season. Most importantly, I think they all had a lot of fun. November baseball is definitely alive and well here in Hewlett and Woodmere.”

jor educational milestones in their daughter’s education at Bnos Malka. Parents then had the opportunity to hear several teachers throughout the preschool, elementary, and middle school either describes their curriculum, or conducts a mini-lesson. In between the presentations, parents were able to roam around the building and ask questions from the many board members and parent representatives that were present. The program concluded with Mrs. Zuckerman, the middle school principal, summarizing the major points and answering questions. Open House is a special time for me, as it allows me the opportunity, which I don’t often get, to focus and reflect on all of the wonderful aspects of our school: our warmth, our com-

mitment to high academic standards, and to never resting on our laurels; there is always more to accomplish and ways to improve what we do, and we will always seek those out. I am especially proud of our outstanding teachers, who are the most dedicated professionals I have ever had the honor to work with, as they care for each and every student as if she were their very own! As a special treat, I get to share all this with prospective parents, answer their questions about Bnos Malka, and share with the community what we are all about. It’s a truly spectacular feeling to be associated with a school that makes learning and growing such a joy for everyone involved—students, parents, teachers, and school leaders.

Bnos Malka Open House By Mrs. Rivky Babad, Assistant Principal, K-4th Grade

s I sit at my computer and reflect on the last few hours, I can’t help but smile and feel a mix of gratitude and satisfaction. Bnos Malka Academy’s annual Open House for prospective parents just ended, and everyone left with a smile on their face, much like our students do every day. The feelings of gratitude and satisfaction are easy to explain: as teachers presented a snapshot of the amazing work they do every day here at Bnos Malka, I could not help but be proud of them, and feel grateful for how much of themselves they invest into working with their students. The fact that our teaching staff is so outstanding was

not lost on the parents, as one parent remarked to me, “You really gave me a good sense of who you are as a school, what you stand for, and what goes on here every day, without the hype.” The program began with welcoming remarks from the Menahel, Rabbi Weichselbaum. He spoke eloquently about chinuch today, what it often is, and what it needs to be, to help our young students navigate the world they are growing up in. Next, as the assistant principal for Grades K-4, I spoke about some of the foundational beliefs of the school—customizing education to meet each student’s needs, attending to the whole child, and setting high academic expectations. I also gave parents a sense of what to expect at some of the ma-

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

DMJ Studios Behind the Scenes at OHEL’s 46th Annual Gala

ow do you keep an audience of over 1,300 guests at a NYC gala engaged for your program? Answer: the right mix of speeches and video. From Rabbi Feinstein to Senator Charles Schumer, the speeches and line-up were formidable this past Sunday, November 22. What about the videos? Where does a religious organization turn for videos that have the necessary quality, while having the sensitivity towards Yiddishkei? OHEL turns each year to DMJ Studios on Long Island. DMJ Studios, along with OHEL’s director of communications Derek Saker, produced the groundbreaking videos seen this year at the Marriott in New York City. In a word, the crowd was speechless during the feature presentation. As people from our community become more sophisticated and get asked to go to more and more dinners, the need for a top rate gala programs keeps rising along with the need for better and better video productions to keep the crowd engaged. DMJ’s founder and CEO David Jasse started at CNN before moving on to CBS, FOX and MTV and now brings that skill set and expertise to the non-profit world. “Using the ‘tricks of the trade’ I learned from network television now for holy purposes is very satisfying,”

says producer Jasse. “The videos were magnificent. David and DMJ are a formidable creative team, who not only produce captivating videos, but powerfully deliver the key messages we as an organization seek to communicate,” says Mr. Saker, director of communications for OHEL. The sold-out event, which honored co-president Moishe Hellman, opened with DMJ’s documentary called “Journey to New Beginnings” which took the audience of over 1,300 people through the lives of five foster children and a woman who survived domestic violence. “The documentary was so moving and real, I had no idea people go through that, and I had no idea to what extent OHEL helps these people. I cried,” said Beth Vogel, one of the many loyal OHEL supporters. Charles Schumer, one of the many dignitaries who attended the event, was also moved by the feature video and praised the production in his opening remarks. This was the first film in which people came out on camera to speak about such harrowing experiences. “The speeches were eye-opening and engaging, and then the videos really completed the picture,” said Anne Harary. The film’s executive producer Der-

ek Saker at OHEL along with DMJ’s production coordinator Danielle Saunders brought together over 35 people to be interviewed for the four films. Of special note was the short film about guest of honor and co-president Moishe Hellman, who was extremely emotional in his video, along with a long list of Mr. Hellman’s friends, family and colleagues who also appeared in his tribute video as well. This year, OHEL also honored their beloved founder and past president, Max Wasser, a”h. Max and his wife, Rose, were remembered in a touching video that spoke with great affection about this inspiring work as a community leader who advocated for children and people with disabilities.

Team OHEL participant Bruce Prince and Team OHEL founder Tamar Sicklick were also honored in a short film, together with the Levi Family who were recognized as Team OHEL Superheroes for participating in OHEL’s races alongside their brother Meir, who lives in an OHEL residence. Duvi and Rikki Janklowicz, young foster parents who have provided a loving home to children and teenagers in dire need, were recognized in a touching foster parent tribute. As the theme of the evening was building for the future, a good portion of the evening was dedicated to the announcement of the new Jaffa family campus due for completion in 2016. Stay tuned for the video!

HANC Plainview campus. The students also participated in two powerful learning sessions on the importance of telling the truth and the importance of paying attention to the language you use. A great big thank you to Mr. Eisenkraft, Mrs. Harold, Mrs. Ingber, Morah Jacobs, Mrs. Weinreb

and Rabbi Morgenstern for all of their hard work and preparation for this incredible experience. And a special thank you to Rabbi Merrill for coordinating such an amazing Retreat. Thank you to the P.T.A. for sponsoring the event.

HANC Sixth Grade Retreat

ixth graders at HANC’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School had a wonderful time at the annual Sixth Grade Retreat at Rocking Horse Ranch Resort! The students enjoyed the outdoor playground and Fun Barn, had a great time playing mini-golf, tennis and basketball and had an absolute

blast going rock climbing, boating and swimming! In addition to enjoying all the activities, students had an opportunity to strengthen existing friendships and make new ones. The students from the HANC 609 campus were excited to have the opportunity to get to know the students from the

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

This week, the Learn & Live Program was “explosive.” When R’ Avraham Sebrow comes, you never know just how fired up things can get. Leaves were everywhere (including all over R’ Sebrow), fire shooting through the air, apples flying in the air and much more as we saw the melacha of ma’amer come to life. Coming up next week: the L&L/Pirchei Chanuka Extravaganza! For more information or email learnandlivefr@gmail.com. See our ad on page 77.

Goldfeder Encourages Families to Apply for Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

ith winter fast approaching, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D - Far Rockaway) is encouraging local families to take advantage of open applications for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), a federally funded program designed to reduce heating costs for vulnerable families. “No family should be left out in the cold this winter,” said Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder. “HEAP helps ensure that our most vulnerable families won’t have to choose between heating their home and putting food on their tables. With the application

period now open, I encourage every family to consider applying for this valuable assistance.” Starting last week, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) is offering financial assistance to families that spend a high portion of their household income on energy costs. The benefits are part of the 2015-2016 HEAP program, a federally funded initiative that helps keep families safe and healthy through the cold winter months. To ensure that families have working heating systems, the HEAP

program can provide eligible homeowners with assistance repairing and replacing boilers, furnaces or other heating units. Applications for this program initiative began on November 9th. The program also provides emergency heating assistance to families at risk of having their utilities shut off. Applications for this assistance begin on January 4th, 2016. For information regarding HEAP benefits in New York City, dial the toll-free number at 1-800-692-0557. You can also find more information regarding the benefits by going to www.nyc.gov/html/hra/html/ser-

vices/energy.shtml. To learn more about HEAP, you can contact the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance by calling the toll-free number at 1-800-342-3009, or you can visit the OTDA website at www. otda.ny.gov/programs/heap. You can also review your eligibility by visiting www.mybenefits.ny.gov. In addition to those resources, you can contact Assemblyman Goldfeder’s Office for any assistance by calling 718-945-9550 or emailing GoldfederP@assembly.state.ny.us.

Learning at the Young Israel of Oceanside

n Motzai Shabbos Parshas Vayetzei, the Bais Medrash of the Young Israel of

Oceanside played host to an incredible scene. Immediately after the conclusion of Shabbos a large crowd

OVADYA ARYEH LEARNING WITH A GROUP OF BOYS

gathered for the opening night of this year’s parent-child learning program. Several of our members didn’t even waste time going home. After havdalah they immediately headed to the Bais Medrash to begin learning. As the scene progressed, more and more children arrived with parents and grandparents in tow to join what became an overflow crowd. “It’s one of the more special events we run,” remarked Daniel Stroock, Youth Director at the Young Israel and coordinator of the program. “Indeed, choosing the appropriate time to interrupt everyone’s learning to begin telling a story and conducting the raffles is a very difficult decision

RABBI MUSKAT LEARNING WITH SON DANIEL

because the kol Torah is too beautiful to interrupt.” The night concluded with Carvel ice cream cake for everyone. All of the participants headed home both physically and spiritually enriched.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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HANC High School Celebrates Excellence

n Tuesday evening, November 17, HANC High School held its 40th National Honor Society Induction Ceremony, honoring the 32 members of this prestigious organization and welcoming nine new inductees into the Maalot Chapter. Members of the Honor Society must maintain a 92 average and represent excellence in Torah, scholarship, service, character, and leadership. In an elegantly set-up auditorium, Rabbi Shlomo Adelman, Principal/ Menahel, opened the ceremony with a brief dvar Torah that emphasized the importance of living a life as a true ben or bat Torah, followed by the singing of the Star Spangled Banner and the Hatikvah. Mrs. Carole Tabin, Associate Principal, greeted the audience and spoke about excellence. Mrs. Marie Palaia, Faculty Advisor of the Honor Society, introduced the officers of the Honor Society and welcomed them to the stage to light candles and speak about the main tenets that represent the pillars on which the Honor Society stands. Co-Presidents, Naomi Liviem and Ari Levine, Co-Vice Presidents, Rachel Canter and Eric Lenefsky, and

Secretary, David Rabanipour each delivered a dvar Torah and an explanation before lighting their candle. This was followed by Mrs. Carole Tabin, Associate Principal, Ms. Tziporah Zucker, Assistant Principal, and Rabbi Daniel Mezei, Director of Student Life, presenting the new inductees with their official certificates and membership cards. Rabbi Yisrael Weingot, a beloved Rebbe, was chosen by the members of the Honor Society to address them at this event. He was greeted with a standing ovation by all those present. Rabbi Weingotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poignant message

Congratulations to Moishe Hellman and the OHEL Honorees of 2015. DMJ Studios is delighted to have been apart of telling your incredible stories

www.dmjstudios.net

highlighted the importance of integrating knowledge and Torah throughout our daily lives. Rabbi Weingotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heartfelt bracha left an indelible impression on all those in attendance. One of the highlights of the evening was a surprise presentation inaugurating faculty member Mrs. Susan Leichtman as an honorary member to the National Honor Society Maalot Chapter. Mrs. Leichtman received a plaque for being an outstanding math teacher and educator. She was joined by her husband for the presentation. Rabbi Avraham Ismach, Director of Israel Guidance; Ms. Karen Sheff,

Director of College Guidance; Mrs. Myra Cohen, History Department Chairperson; Mr. Sam Kintzer, English Department Chairperson; and Professor Quin Murrell, Math Department Chairperson; took the stage to read the accomplishments of our senior members and to thank them for their service to HANC. After the presentation, all members presented a yellow rose to their parents and grandparents to show their hakarat hatov for guiding them to where they are today. The induction ceremony concluded with an elaborate collation.

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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Royal Wine Corp. Releases Kosher Champagne Barons de Rothschild Brut Cuvée

oyal Wine Corporation (RWC), the world’s largest kosher wine producer and importer, is pleased to announce the release of the kosher version of the award-winning Champagne Barons de Rothschild Brut Cuvée, the first champagne venture of the Rothschild family, created by the historic coming together of the three winemaking branches of the family. “We are thrilled to release the kosher Champagne Barons de Rothschild Brut Cuvée,” said Nathan Herzog, Executive VP of the Royal Wine Corp. “This is truly amazing new Champagne—offering just exceptional quality and elegance. We are honored to be the exclusive importers of this kosher production.” This is a kosher and mevushal version of the Champagne Barons de Rothschild Brut Cuvée made for the kosher consumer market and embodies the essence of the Rothschild

family’s winemaking values: perfection, constancy, and a spirit of purity and refinement, all given the utmost of care. Champagne Barons de Rothschild represents a special venture for the winemaking branches of the Rothschild family. Ten years ago, the late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, along with her son Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, both of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Baron Eric de Rothschild of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, and Baron Benjamin de Rothschild of Chateau Clarke joined together for the first time in history to create a Champagne that would live up to the exceptional quality, elegance and refinement in wine associated with the Rothschild family. The Rothschild family demands excellence in their wines and commands only the very best from their grape growers. The Champagne Barons de Rothschild Brut

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Cuvée is a complex assemblage, or blend, from the Champagne region’s best terroirs consisting of 60% Chardonnay, primarily from the Côte des Blancs, and 40% Pinot Noir, from the Montagne de Reims. As a further assurance of exceptional quality and consistency over time, they have blended in 40% reserve wines. The Champagne is aged in underground cellars for at least 3 years. Champagne Barons de Rothschild is headed by Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, chairman of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA and son of the late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild (1933-2014). “Since its inception,” declared Philippe Sereys de Rothschild upon the initial launch-

ing of the new Champagne, “I have been passionate about this project with the vision to create for the family a grand Champagne. It is the Chardonnay that gives our Champagne the character, personality and balance … and expresses all the nuances that remind us of what made the quality of our wines for over 160 years and the expression of the terroir. The end of the year is a special time to share Champagne with family, and we are very happy to be associated with special times with Champagne Barons de Rothschild.”

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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Fathers of our generation. Fathers of their daughters. From Their Daughter’s Hearts is a collection of interviews with the daughters of great Jewish luminaries. They contain fascinating, and often unknown, biographical information, but there is so much more: vignettes of those family moments that no biographer can ever capture, warm and human and funny and poignant. From Their Daughter’s Hearts features interviews with the daughters of 18 great men.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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SKA SKAbbaton 2015

he ruach at the annual Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls’ “SKAbbaton” was amazing! The weeklong prep – with the 10th grade pre-Shabbaton Shabbat party, the 11th grade pre-Shabbaton cholent cook-off, the mesorah game for all three grades, and rehearsals for the weekend programs – heightened the sense of anticipation in the school all week. SKA’s talented and hard-working G.O., together with Rabbi Yosef Zakutinsky, Director of Student Programming, headed up on Thursday to the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Connecticut, our home for the weekend of November 21-23, to decorate and make preparations for the school’s arrival the next day. The fun for the rest of us began on Friday at Bowlmor Lanes where we had a blast; we couldn’t wait to get to the hotel for an extraordinary SKA Shabbaton! Kabbalat Shabbat and our communal davenings all weekend were so beautiful as were the onegs, student- delivered divrei Torah and shiurim by our rebbeim which were

voluntary for students but so well attended. The seniors worked hard to make Shabbat special, with programs like “Meet the Stars” and Ma-

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dame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. The annual Talent Show, always a high spot of the weekend, and the spirited melave malka, were so leibidig and enjoyable. One of the highlights of the weekend was our Friday night guest speaker, Mr. Saul Blinkoff, an animator for Disney Studio and director of feature films for MTV and Disney, who spoke of how he held onto his Orthodox Jewish identity while working in Hollywood. Special thanks go to Rabbi Yosef Zakutinsky, Director of Student Programming, and his staff, Mrs. Yafa Storch, Mrs. Jordana Bienenfeld Mallin and Ms. Stephanie Leichtung; Mrs. Elisheva Kaminetsky, Di-

rector of Religious Guidance; SKA’s administration, Mrs. Helen Spirn, Head of School, Ms. Raizi Chechik, Principal Grades 9-10, Dr. Tzipora Meier, Principal Grades 11-12, and Mrs. Deena Kobre, Associate Principal; and 12th grade level advisors, Mrs. Paghit Ralbag and Mrs. Avital Braun. Much hakarat hatov goes to the many SKA rebbeim, teachers and madrichot who joined for the weekend and played such an integral part in making SKAbbaton so wonderful. And, of course, each SKA student who attended SKAbbaton really enhanced our Shabbat! It was unanimous – this was the best SKAbbaton ever!

Rabbi Zalman Wolowik and Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky at the Smile on Seniors Day at Chabad of the Five Towns

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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Summer Reading Presentations Conclude at Siach Yitchack and TAG

he Summer Reading Challenge encourages students to read at least 15 minutes each day on at least 40 days during the months of July and August. Students are given special pamphlets with a calendar to mark their progress. Once finished, students can return pamphlets to their school or mail them in to the Assemblymanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office. Every year, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder makes a point to visit each participating school and personally present students with their certificates. As part of ongoing efforts to expand the program, Goldfederâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office successfully secured special, yeshiva-friendly summer reading pamphlets for students. The pamphlets were produced in consultation with local yeshivos and rabbanim to ensure they were appropriate for community children.

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder presented certificates to 5th grade participants together with principal Mrs. Temima Feldman

Together with Rabbi Zev Stein, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder presents certificate to the Rapfogel brothers

Assemblyman Goldfeder presents certificate to Shlomo Tanenbaum

Goldfeder also presented his own daughter, in 1st grade at TAG, with her own summer reading certificate

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Around the Community

Torah Comes to Life for Fourth Graders at the Living Torah Museum

t Shulamith School for Girls, students are infused with a love for learning. The sweet sounds of Torah study constantly reverberate through the halls. Teachers seek every opportunity and use myriad methods to enhance the learning experience for their students. On Tuesday, November 17, fourth grade teachers Mrs. Futersak and Mrs. Gerber brought their students to the Living Torah Museum in Brooklyn for an enriching educational opportunity. They were joined by parent chaperones Mrs. Abittan and Mrs. Gelbtuch. Their first stop in the museum was Torah Animal World, where the girls saw all of the animals listed in the Torah. They were intrigued to learn which seven wild animals are actually kosher. Next was a room displaying all of the animals enu-

merated in Perek Shira. Finally, the museum’s director, Rabbi Deutsch, brought the girls into a room filled with ancient artifacts from various time periods of the Torah. A few volunteers were chosen to spin a dreidel from ancient Greece. All of the girls were fascinated by the world’s smallest kosher Sefer Torah and by the oldest menorah. They were also awed by a video which showed the dressmaker of the Queen of England weaving real gold threads into the royal garments, similar to the way in which gold threads were woven into the clothing of the Kohanim in the time of the Beit Hamikdash. As the girls boarded the buses and traveled back to Cedarhurst, they couldn’t stop marveling at the wonders they had seen at the museum.

HANC Brings History to Life

ixth Graders in Mrs. Terry’s Social Studies class at HANC’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School, in West Hempstead, have been learning all about the first ancient civilization known as Mesopotamia (Sumer). Students learned about how the Sumerians lived, worked and participated in their communities. As part of their lesson, students were asked to craft a journal

entry as if they were a Sumerian living in Mesopotamia. The students had such a great time researching their Sumerian personas and writing their journal entries. The students got so excited about the assignment that they event tried to age their journal entries by soaking their papers in coffee/tea and burning the edges! We are so proud of our 6th Graders hard work and creativity.

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Yud-Tes Kislev is the anniversary of the passing of R. Dovber, the Maggid of Mezritch, in 1772, and anniversary of the release from capital sentence and imprisonment of his disciple, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, in 1798 and is celebrated as a Chassidic holiday amongst Chabad Chassidim. Yud-Tes Kislev marks the "birth" of Chassidism: the day it was allowed to emerge from the womb of mysticism into the light of day, to grow and develop as an integral part of Torah and Jewish life.

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Mrs. Gila Manolson Inspires Students of Shulamith

he wide range of extracurricular activities offered at Shulamith School for Girls includes visits by guest speakers offering their expertise and insight on a variety of topics. On Thursday, November 19, students of grades seven and eight were privileged to hear words of wisdom from Mrs. Gila Manolson. Mrs. Manolson resides in Israel and is the world renowned author of a number of books, including Outside Inside, which addresses the subject of tziniut (modesty) in a straightforward, intelligent and uplifting way. Mrs. Manolson began her address with a bit of information about her background as an unaffiliated Jew born in the USA who knew almost nothing about Judaism. She stated that if she

had thought tziniut was only about collars and inches, she would not have been successful in her journey. She explained that tziniut is not about inches; it is about self esteem and knowing who you are. True modesty, Mrs. Manolson explained, means “dressing beautifully in a quality way so that others can see past your external appearance” and view the true you – your neshama and innermost, truest self. The students were riveted as Mrs. Manolson used insights from sefer Bereishit, fascinating analogies, and inspirational stories to explain the concept of tziniut in an engaging and refreshing way. The girls were inspired by Mrs. Manolson’s words and came away with plenty of food for thought.

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder was honored to join together with Ohel CEO David Mandel and address over 1,300 guests at the Ohel 46th Annual Gala at the NYC Marriott in Times Square this week. Ohel is a one of a kind organization that provides critical services to our families in times of greatest need.

YHT 6th Grade Girls Bat Mitzvah Workshop

he 6th grade girls had a blast at the annual Bat Mitzvah Workshop on Motzaei Shabbat at Yeshiva Har Torah. The evening was packed with exciting events, with parents and daughters enjoying the time together. After a delicious dairy buffet, the girls rotated though different workshops, discussing the deeper meaning of being a bat mitzvah, jewelry making and ultimately simcha dancing with Azamra DJ. Following the workshops, the girls made a beautiful, meaningful presentation and shared projects that they had written about their names with their teacher Morah Rachel Mittelman. Everyone then enjoyed a full dessert table by My Pretty Party,

with an exciting raffle at the conclusion. The evening was a smashing success and a highlight of the year! Many thanks to the YHT PTA, the parent sponsors, Azamra DJ and Rivky Shamayev, as well as Mrs. Yaghoubi and Ofra Levin for running the workshops.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

PLEASE JOIN US AT A B R E A K FA ST TO B E N E F I T

YESHIVAS NER MOSHE S U N D A Y, D E C E M B E R 6 TH

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TO SERVE THE PUBLIC

The Yeshiva Darchei Torah nursery students learned about being “community helpers” this week

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Reishis Chochma’s New Home

fter much eager anticipation, construction of the new Reishis Chochma building and its large, airy classrooms, as well as preparation of the big backyard, was finally completed, down to the last detail. On Tuesday morning, November 24, the precious 3-year old talmidim eagerly approached the new building for the first time. A brightly-painted door, a colorful hot air

balloon banner, bunches of balloons, and happy, smiling moros greeted the boys, ready to start a new era in the history of Reishis Chochma. Reishis Chochma is located at 915 Dinsmore Ave. between Beach 9th St. and Beach 12th St. To learn more about the Reishis Chochma program, please contact Mrs. Yeti Saslow, director, at 718-868-2969.

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Reishis Chochma, the nursery division of Siach Yitzchok, moved into its new, spacious home this week

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

At this time of Thanksgiving celebration, our thoughts turn gratefully to you with warm appreciation.

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Bikur Cholim 34Th Annual Brunch

ne of the most instrumental forces in making the Five Towns and Far Rockaway communities run smoothly happens to be the most understated group of volunteers belonging to a remarkable organization: Bikur Cholim. The members of Bikur Cholim wholeheartedly give of themselves every day and truly exemplify the definition of mesiras nefesh and selflessness. From paying medical bills to loaning medical equipment, arranging car rides to and from hospitals and doctors, to preparing and delivering meals to those at hospitals or ill patients at home or visiting shut-ins and nursing homes, Bikur Cholim is undoubtedly a vital component of this community and truly assists it to be just that…a “community.” For its exemplary services and unwavering efforts, continued community support is paramount in making Bikur Cholim of Far Rockaway and the Five Towns the noteworthy success that is. On December 6, Bikur Cholim will hold its 34th Annual Brunch, as the community joins together in honoring and celebrating significant figures who willingly volunteer to help others in need. This year we are privileged to have as our guest of honor Susan Edelman as well as Tehillim Awardee, Rebetzin Fay Sladowsky. Along with meeting new and old friends, receiv-

ing door prizes, winning raffles and eating a delicious cuisine, the internationally renowned speaker Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein will speak and lead the event. Chairpersons Marilyn Wolowitz, Tzippy David and Esther Feigenbaum have planned what is bound to be a momentous and enlightening occasion. Unfortunately, sickness can fall upon anyone; however, when it does, Bikur Cholim is here to step in. Our presence in North Shore, Memorial Sloane Kettering, Mercy Hospital, New York Hospital, L.I.J., South Nassau and St. Johns is testament to our commitment in serving the Five Towns and Far Rockaway communities. Looking forward to seeing you on December 6 at Bikur Cholim’s Annual Brunch. For further inquiries, please call 718-327-5989 / 516-371-9662 or visit our website at www.fr5tbikurcholim.com. “You may only be someone in the world, but to someone else, you may be the world.” Looking forward to seeing you on December 6 at Bikur Cholim’s Annual Brunch at 10 a.m. at Congregation Kneseth Israel, located at Empire Avenue and Sage Street, West Lawrence, NY. For further inquiries, please call 718-327-5989 / 516-371-9662 or visit our website at www.fr5tbikurcholim. com.

Bnos Malka Girls Support Our Troops

n what has become an annual school-wide event, Bnos Malka Academy girls once again wrote letters and packed Chanukah care packages for Jewish soldiers stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia. Coordinators Rabbi Hayim Schwartz of the Rabbinical Seminary of America and Mr. Richard Taub paid a visit to Bnos Malka and described that there thousands of Jewish soldiers who will appreciate the efforts of the girls. Rabbi Schwartz explained,

“While many of these soldiers are not religious, they will all appreciate these care packages. It will certainly leave them with a good feeling that fellow Jews are thinking of them and their commitment to protect our country.” The entire school got involved, with the younger classes making cards and drawing pictures to the older girls packing the bags of goodies that included chocolate Chanukah gelt, and dreidels.

Who’s Obama’s Inspiration? Page 122

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Hundreds Attend Camp Dora Golding and Camp Dina Grand Winter Reunions

ho said camp is just about the summer and that memories are sufficient for the rest of the year? This past Sunday, the Camp Dora Golding spirit was more alive than ever, as hundreds of campers and staff members filled the Bnos Bais Yaakov Hall in Far Rockaway for their 2015 Winter Reunion. Campers came from near and far to relive the extraordinary memories from just a few months ago. There was laughter and excitement in the air as friends caught up on happenings since they had last seen each other. A video presentation brought camp back to life featuring all the amazing camp activities, programs, and trips. The hall was buzzing from talk of the awesome sports program, unbelievable trips,

new go-karting track, beautiful camp grounds, color war, and zip lining. It was reminiscing at its best! And what better way to get a “taste” of camp than to have the great and magnificent Chef Yo dish up a delicious spread. A raffle was also held for all present, with grand prize winner Eli Staum of Teaneck receiving the amazing hoverboard and Chaim Friedman from Far Rockaway, the runner up with two NY Knicks tickets. The best proof of the reunion’s success was the conversation about plans for next summer, now less than seven months away. In the end, there were many teary goodbyes and promises to keep in touch. “Thank you CDG for organizing such a great night,” said one 8th grader. “I’ve been waiting to see my

friends since the last day of camp, and tonight I felt as if I were back in camp all over again. I’m already counting the days until next summer!” Earlier in the day, Camp Dina held their Winter Reunion. Campers and staff reminisced over the wonderful happenings of this past summer, with memories of sports, songs, dance, cooking, zip lining, and trips filling the Bnos Bais Yaakov Hall. The girls enjoyed an astonishing show of magic and illusion by world-renown illusionist, Elliot Zimmet, who had everyone on the edge of their seats. “Elliot’s tricks were amazing and it was even more fun watching it with all my camp friends,” said one 3rd grader. An incredible video presentation was also shown with so many smiling faces, living proof of the

amazing time had at Camp Dina. The girls relived the wonderful experiences and beautiful friendships made, with many campers wishing next summer was already upon us. A raffle was also held with Avigail Zupnick from Teaneck winning the season’s must-have hoverboard. Camp Dora Golding and Camp Dina both provide campers with action-packed, magic-filled summer experiences – definitely “the place to be” next summer. For more information and to view the CDG and Camp Dina reunion video presentations please visit www.campdoragolding.com and www.campdina.com

Shevach Students “Focus” on Bein Adam L’Chaveiro

hat is something all high school girls love? Pictures! What could be a better theme for the Mishmeres program, a Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation project for high school girls, which promotes sh’miras halashon and ahavas Yisroel? With this in mind, Mishemeres heads Deborah Feldman, Avigayil Landau and Rina Rambod chose “‘Pic’ Your Words With Care” as the catchphrase for this year’s Sh’miras Halashon program in Shevach High School. In order to launch this initiative the heads composed an original catchy theme song which they performed in the multipurpose room which was beautifully decorated in a camera and photo booth motif.

In connection with the theme, the heads presented all the students with camera lanyards, as a visual reminder of the important message of Mishmeres. As a follow up, every week immediately following davening, the heads teach a pertinent sh’miras haloshon halacha along with an activity, all in an exciting and inspiring manner. In addition, they have a monthly “focus” which ties into the theme of pictures. For example, for the month of Kislev the motto is “Don’t Speak in a ‘Flash’ – Think Before You Speak.” The entire school keeps a Machsom L’fi during lunch and each student received a Tehillim name for whom their mindfulness in speech should be a z’chus. For Shabbos Parshas Chayei

Sarah these three dedicated Shevach heads joined hundreds of other Mishmeres heads from around the world at the annual Mishmeres Heads Convention held in Monsey, NY. There they were inspired by various world renowned speakers, such as Rabbi Yitzchock Feigenbaum and Ms. Chevy Garfinkel, and were involved in interactive workshops. They returned to Shevach with new vigor and ideas which they promptly instituted. One suggestion was to write a halacha about shmiras halashon each day on the board in every classroom so that girls can be more aware of what they can and cannot say. The Shevach heads have already implemented this idea, with wonderful feedback from staff and

students alike. We are confident that this successful start will usher in a year of growth in these important mitzvos bein adam l’chaveiro.

The Aussie Gourmet: Crockpot Chili Page 128

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Around the Community

The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC’s Russian Older Adult Division held their annual Thanksgiving celebration on November 23rd at The Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst. Over 125 older adults from the former Soviet Union dined on traditional Thanksgiving dishes such as turkey and stuffing and were entertained with wonderful Russian and Yiddish music.

CAHAL TAG Students Discover the Magic of Poetry

CAHAL STUDENTS WITH TEACHER ROBIN HANDLER

he TAG students in the CAHAL 3rd - 4th grade class are in love with poetry. Beginning last year, they read and focused on a poem each week. This has stirred their imagination and awakened a love of words, rhyme and rhythm. They have delighted in the images evoked through the words in each poem, while expanding their reading and vocabulary skills. This year, they began studying character traits in poetry. While examining concepts such as courage, confidence, respect, and curiosity, the girls have expanded their ability to interpret a poet’s message. By exploring each character’s personality, the students now aspire to develop

some of these qualities in themselves and identify them in others. In addition, they have gained incredible confidence and joy in presenting each poem to their peers. The lessons learned from the study of poetry have made a big impact on their lives and have given them the opportunity to shine and enjoy poetry to its fullest. During the past 23 years, CAHAL has successfully educated hundreds of children in our community with various learning disabilities. The goal of CAHAL is to mainstream each student in as many subjects as possible, eventually allowing them to return to the school of their choice. For more information about CAHAL visit www. cahal.org.

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

DRS Melava Malka and West Hempstead Shabbaton

The DRS student body holding signs that say #WeAreAllEzra which was presented this week to the Schwartz family in Massachusetts when Rabbi Kaminetsky went to pay a shiva call to the family

or its students, the DRS experience is felt well beyond the confines of the school building. This past Shabbos, DRS brought its trademark sense of ruach and spirit to the West Hempstead community for its annual West Hempstead Shabbaton. Nearly 130 students were

invited to their friends’ homes in the neighborhood. On Friday night, the Annual DRS West Hempstead Tisch took place, a highlight of the DRS year. With nearly half the student body in attendance, the tisch, featuring lively singing, divrei Torah, and of course great food, rocked the night

DRS Menahel Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky presenting the Pillar of Israel Award to Congresswoman Kathleen Rice in DRS

for hours. The following day, students again got together for an inspiring Seudah Shlishit program as well. After the spiritually driven Shabbat, the entire DRS family came back to DRS’s campus in Woodmere for the 19th annual Parent-Son Melava Malka. “This is the single event of the year in which the entire DRS family can get together, parents with their sons and can bond and sing together, especially now during the drastic situation in Israel. The goal of this melava malka is to appreciate being

ed middot and Torah growth awards for each grade and shiur. “The melava malka really shows what DRS is all about, and it was truly a great experience,” said Avi Samter (‘19) .This year, Rabbi Storch, Associate Principal of Judaic Studies at DRS, was honored for his 18 years of dedication and commitment to the yeshiva. Rabbi Storch is seen as a role model by the students and the faculty at DRS and is almost like a father to everyone. A video tribute was played in honor of Rabbi Storch, and he was

a Jew and having a relationship with Hashem,” said DRS Menahel, Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky. The evening commenced with a kumzitz in the beit midrash led by members of the DRS student band and DRS faculty. The atmosphere was lively and incredible, and so much achdut and ruach were present. The parents and sons sang together in unison during a variety of songs. A video was shown highlighting the events from the year. Students were also honored with the student-vot-

also was presented with a plaque, and an award for his dedication to DRS. The melava malka continued in the gym where the parents and students enjoyed a delicious dairy buffet together. Students, parents, and the facility then danced together for hours. “It was really great to see everyone sing and dance together and the atmosphere was incredible!” said Moshe Maltz (‘19). The students, parents, and the faculty danced together in unison and had a meaningful and enjoyable evening.

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

‫בּס"ד‬

Around the Community

Mixing and More! Cooking Event for Singles in Woodmere By Marjorie Glatt

JOIN US

FOR AN EVENING TO BENEFIT

Yeshiva Kochvei Yisroel Stars of Israel Academy

Rabbi Paysach Krohn Eliezer Bruckstein & Shiu Reichmann

“H

ow To … Make Shabbos in Under 2 hours!” was the focus of the fascinating cooking class offered to singles last week. Co-sponsored by the Young Israel of Woodmere and YUConnects, young professional men and women came to learn some great kitchen tips from gourmet chef Naomi Nachman, our neighborhood’s own “Aussie Gourmet.” Not only did they get quick and easy recipes (while tasting them, too!) but everyone enjoyed their own opportunity to “mix” and network together. Despite the nasty weather last Thursday, November 19th, everybody came to the lovely Woodmere home of Penina and Zvi Wiener in good spirits. By rotating tables and participating in food-based challenges, all attendees had the opportunity to meet each other. “I loved the program – I’m definitely going to try Naomi’s Sizzlin’ Chili Chulent in my crockpot next week,” vowed one young man. The request for follow up has also been enthusiastic. Many people have expressed interest in each other or asked the host committee and YUConnects to further assist in making connections. This event was the third in an innovative series of “How To…” practical workshops initiated by YUConnects. “How To…Save a Life” taught CPR and Heimlich skills, while “How To…Invest in the Stock Market and Win!” offered money management and investing tips.

GOURMET CHEF, NAOMI NACHMAN, DEMONSTRATING HER SAVORY SALMON RECIPE

YUConnects is a non-profit, self-funded program housed at Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future but is open to everyone in the community. 456 happy individuals have found their spouse through YUConnects which offers an online database powered by SawYouAtSinai, educational forums, personal guidance as well as unique social events. To learn more about YUConnects or its “Fall Promotion” trial membership, contact their friendly office at yuconnects@yu.edu or call 212-960-5400 X 6163 The Young Israel of Woodmere’s active “YIWMeet” group coordinates social events throughout the year and will email anyone who wishes to learn about upcoming events. Contact yiwmeet@gmail.com for more information.

RABBINIC COMMITTEE HARAV AHARON SCHECHTER SHLIT”A, MANHIG RUCHANI RABBI NIR AMINOV RABBI SHMUEL ASCHKENAZI RABBI KALMAN EPSTEIN RABBI MORDECHAI HECHT RABBI BINYOMIN MITTEL

RABBI AVRAHAM NISSANIAN RABBI LEIBEL ROCKOVE RABBI ARYEH SOKOLOFF RABBI MOSHE WALKIN RABBI DOVID WILLIG SOME MEMBERS OF THE “YIWMEET” COMMITTEE WHO ORGANIZED THE EVENT

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

PRESENTS THE

Basketball Tournament Sunday December 27th 2015 4:00 pm Registration 5:00 pm Tip-Off

Trophy presentation and raffle at the end of the tournament

ISLAND GARDEN

45 Cherry Valley Avenue West Hempstead, NY 11552

$85 per player (6 players per team) General Admission: $10 20 minute games

Games will be streamed live with a color commentator and recorded online! To register or for information on becoming a sponsor, please contact Rabbi Josh Zern or Yehuda Shur at

events@madraigos.org or call 516-371-3250 ext. 5

HoopsForThem.org

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Around the Community

Chanukah Toy Drive: Community Coming Together

Ariella Newman, LCSW, JSC Program Manager, sorting the first batch of toys courtesy of Rabbi Brazil and DRS High School

he lights, the dazzle, the singing and good cheer... For most people, Chanukah is a dazzling holiday, filled with family and friends, dreidels, great food, vacation, and, of course, presents. However, there are families in our very own community, maybe on your block or in your kids’ schools, who don’t share the same enthusiasm. Many families find themselves unable to buy gifts for their children, and that is disheartening. Presents aren’t the point of Chanukah, but it makes a difference in a child’s life knowing that someone is thinking of him or her. It’s easy to look at your neighbor and absolve yourself of obligation because it “looks” like they’re managing. But the hard truth is that many of them are not. Many of them cannot afford the heaps of presents that their kids’ friends receive on Chanukah. The local families that we pass every day need as much love and help as we can give them, so we are reaching out to this community to support their fellow brothers. With just days left until Chanukah, the Jewish Community Council of Rockaway Peninsula (JCCRP) is getting our toy drive into full swing. The Chanukah Toy Drive was the creation of Rochel Baron, a”h. Rochel was battling cancer and received many gifts of toys for her kids. However, while she suffered with her illness she still had the compassion to wonder why the children of sick moms were the ones to get the toys and not the children of moms who couldn’t afford to buy any gifts for their kids, let alone Chanukah gifts. Rochel passed away erev Rosh Hashanah in 2012, but not before creating the Chanukah Toy Drive, giving to over 80 families and allowing over 200 kids to feel like a million dollars. Two years later, we see the tremendous impact she’s had and how one giving, thoughtful person can really create a rippling effect and change in the community. This year, we aim to continue in the spirit of giving, specifically l’ilui nishmas another very special person who also battled cancer and was taken from her life too soon. Tamar Swerdlik Maxwell was a young mother who lived every minute of every day with a smile on her face. Throughout her ordeal, Tamar remained strong and beautiful, and her love of Hashem and people never wavered. In honor of Tamar, we

strongly encourage the community to donate presents to this year’s Chanukah Toy Drive. The efforts of the JCCRP could not have been accomplished without the incredible support of the UJA-Federation of New York; the UJA has helped fund this endeavour, and what we need most now is the community’s participation to achieve great results. The Jewish Services Coalition (JSC) helped significantly by adding this toy drive as their service learning project. We want to thank all the participating schools: Ateres Miriam, BBY, DRS High School, Little Friends Gan, Shulamis, TAG, and Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island. Residents are so excited to participate and contribute toys to this very meaningful project. Eight local coordinators dedicated to the JCCRP Toy Drive have been invaluable by working very hard along with our dedicated staff, and we want to thank them for making this a successful endeavour. The coordinators this year are Sara Austein, Rahely Fruchter, Lara Klein, Daphna Mishaan, Fraidy Osina, Rebecca Richman, Rocky Stern and Lily Weichholz. Amazingly, families who were on the receiving end of the JCCRP Hurricane Sandy relief two years ago are now happily giving back. Families are going on Chanukah shopping sprees to buy gifts for others less fortunate. The community is thinking about other people in need, and that in itself is a huge accomplishment. What a special feeling that is for the children who are lucky enough to get their own special Chanukah gifts year after year. Together as a community and in honor and memory of Tamar Swerdlik Maxwell, we can create a Chanukah of pure simcha for those in need, both parents and children alike. Please join us in this extraordinary community wide effort to light up Chanukah for countless families in our area. New, unwrapped gifts in their original packaging and/or donations can be dropped off at our generous sponsors: Brach’s Supermarket, Gourmet Glatt Emporium, or Seasons. For those who can’t make it to the stores, you can contribute online at www.jccrp.org. For more information or to volunteer, please email jcctoydrive@jccrp. org or call 718-327-7755 and ask for Barbara x6113.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Around the Community

Tichon Meir Moshe & Ivdu – A Winning Combination thrilled to be back and the TMM girls were so genuinely happy to see their new friends again. This time, the snack was sushi candy made of Rice Krispies treats, green taffy, and colorful jelly beans, which everyone rolled up and sliced just like a real sushi roll. The group activity was a team-building, cooperative game which gave the

girls from both schools the opportunity to work together successfully. The camaraderie at these events was so genuine that everyone was uplifted by the shared experience; the TMM faculty members were bursting with pride and the TMM girls were ecstatic when they saw the happiness of their guests. The faculty mem-

bers from Ivdu were grateful beyond words. As they expressed it, “Our girls have been to many other schools, but something about the way the TMM girls treated them was so right. Our girls have never come home happier. Whatever you’re doing there, please keep on doing it.”

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istill 12 years of chinuch into one magnificent and inspirational moment – and you get the experience that TMM and Ivdu share every other Wednesday. Ivdu, run by Mrs. Chavi Kahn, is a Brooklyn-based special education high school for young women between the ages of 13 and 21. When presented with the opportunity to get involved with the girls from Ivdu, the TMM seniors were very enthusiastic. This, apart from their regular academic obligations and extra-curricular requirements, touched a deeply resonant chord within. Some of the seniors knew that they already had a knack for relating to girls who developed at a pace different than their own, and the others were eager to learn. Prior to the initial event, Mrs. Rebecca Mayer from Yachad delivered a sensitivity training class to the TMM girls. Mrs. Mayer explained that the girls from Ivdu were thirsting for real communication and interaction. Patronizing patter or compassionate comments would be detected immediately and would not be welcome. To help the TMM girls experience the nuanced differences between forced conversation and natural schmoozing, as well as some of the challenges that their guests would be experiencing, Mrs. Mayer conducted a series of interactive sensitivity exercises with them. Mrs. Aliza Schwadel, a TMM English teacher and the director of this program, along with the TMM seniors and the program heads, Penina Feuer, Chana Jacobi, Esther Kaplan, and Racheli Rhine, were ready. The first meeting between the girls in both schools was held in TMM. The visitors were greeted so warmly and authentically by the 12th grade hostesses. Both groups were given name tags to facilitate comfortable mingling. Everyone enjoyed a snack of iced coffee and muffins, and a hysterical game of Human Bingo. But the best part was the music and dancing. Dancing breaks down all barriers. When you grab the hand of the girl next to you and twirl together in time to the music – you and she are one and the same. You and she are sisters in Klal Yisroel. The second Ivdu session took place on November 19. Once again, the warmth from both sides was palpable. The girls from Ivdu were

Chanukah Hours: Sun-Thur 11:30-6, Fri: Closed Brooklyn:

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718.437.7272

Pick up your certificate no and completew the discounted order at your convenience .

Lakewood:

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732.534.9834

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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Centerfold

Talking Turkey •

Turkeys are known to exhibit over 20 distinct vocalizations. Including a distinctive gobble, produced by males, which can be heard a mile away.

•

Individual turkeys have unique voices. This is how turkeys recognize each other.

•

Turkeys are intelligent and sensitive animals that are highly social. They create lasting social bonds with each other and are very affectionate, rather similar to dogs.

•

Turkeys have outstanding geography skills. They have the ability to learn the precise details of an area over 1,000 acres in size.

•

Baby turkeys (poults) flock with their mother all year. Although wild turkeys roost in the trees, as poults are unable to fly for the first couple of weeks of their lives, the mother stays with them at ground level to keep them safe and warm until they are strong enough to all roost up in the safety of the trees.

•

Wild turkeys are able to fly at up to 55 mph, but only for relatively short distances. Most domestic turkeys, however, are unable to fly due to being selectively bred to be larger than would be suitable in wild circumstances.

•

The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence. Female feathers are duller overall, in shades of brown and grey. • The area of bare skin on a turkey’s throat and head vary in color depending on its level of excitement and stress. When excited, a male turkey’s head turns blue; when ready to fight it turns red. • Turkeys have 5,000 to 6,000 feathers.

Riddle me

this?

Two Japanese people who have never seen each other bump into each other at the New York Japanese Embassy. They begin talking and go for lunch. They then realize that one of them is the father of the other one’s son. How is this possible? See answer below

Answer to riddle: The Japanese are husband and wife and both blind since birth.

TJH

You gotta be kidding Q: If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for? A: Their age! Q: What did the mama turkey say to her naughty son? A: If your papa could see you now, he’d turn over in his gravy!

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Thanksgiving Trivia 1. How many days did it take the Mayflower to cross the Atlantic Ocean? a. 12 days b. 32 days c. 64 days d. 76 days

4. What Native American tribe celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the colonists? a. Wampanoags b. Passthewassabis c. Wannagoshoppings d. Palewyamis

2. Who declared Thanksgiving a national holiday? a. George Washington b. Thomas Jefferson c. Abraham Lincoln d. Teddy Roosevelt

5. What does the president do with the turkeys that are presented to him by the National Turkey Federation? a. He makes them honorary members of Congress (how do you think Nancy Pelosi and Paul Ryan got their jobs?) b. He pardons them. c. He uses their feathers for the feather pens that are used for signing legislation. d. He presents them to the White House chef to be cooked.

3. The day after Thanksgiving is called “Black Friday” because of which of the following two reasons: a. The Philadelphia Police Department coined the phrase to describe the mayhem surrounding the congestion of pedestrian and auto traffic due to all the shopping and activities. b. People wake up so stuffed that they can’t see anymore. c. In 1836 there was a milk shortage and since all the milk was used on Thanksgiving, the next morning everyone had to drink black coffee. d. It is the day that retailers’ bottom lines turn from “red” (losses) to “black” (profit).

6. What is the name of the rock on which the Pilgrims landed when they arrived at the location of their permanent settlement in 1620? a. Far Rock b. Hard Rock c. Pilgrim Rock d. Plymouth Rock Answers 1. C

2. C- Sarah Josepha Hale, an American magazine editor, persuaded Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” 3. A, D- The Philadelphia Police Department first used the term “Black Friday” in the 1960s because it was a day of chaos. The name eventually came to symbolize the financial aspects of the day. 4. A- But please pass the wasabi anyways. 5. B-In 1989, President George H.W. Bush began the custom of officially pardoning two turkeys. The custom has been continued ever since. Some of these turkeys have made their way to petting zoos. Others have actually been fortunate enough to be honorary grand marshals at Disneyland’s Thanksgiving Day parade. 6. D Let’s Talk Turkey Scorecard 5-6 correct: Your brain is really stuffed with Thanksgiving facts! 3-4 correct: As long as you didn’t guess option A for question 5, not bad. 0-2 correct: Hey, I guess that’s another good turkey fact: Did you know that sometimes even turkeys play TJH trivia?

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Children: Bring in a toy and receive a

Chanukah gift!

The Rochel Baron A”H

In Honor of Chanukah L’elui Nishmas Tamar Swerdlik Maxwell A”H

Please join our ide Community-W Effort!

EE COMMITT E V I R D TOY Fruchter

hely tein • Ra Sara Aus haan phna Mis a D • in le Lara K man ecca Rich b e R • a in Fraidy Os hholz • Lily Weic n r e t S y Rock

We are accepting new toys in their original packaging (no gift wrap).

Drop off Locations 11 Lawrence Lane Lawrence, NY

137 Spruce Street, Cedarhurst, NY 1030 Railroad Ave., Woodmere, NY

To Donate online: JCCRP.org/donations

To volunteer or for more information, email: jcctoydrive@jccrp.org or call 718-327-7755 and ask for Barbara x6113

Thank you for participating in the JCCRP Toy Drive!

330 Central Avenue Lawrence, NY

by mail / in person JCCRP Att: Toy Drive 1525 Central Avenue Far Rockaway, NY 11691

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Torah Thought

Parshas Vayishlach By Rabbi Berel Wein

have always wondered why the Mishnah in Avot singled out our father Avraham as being the person who was tested ten times in his lifetime rather than concentrating on the life of our father Yaakov who, as related in this week’s Torah reading, underwent so many tests and misfortunes. Yaakov finally escapes the clutches of Lavan only to be confronted by the threat of Eisav attempting to annihilate him. Yaakov is crippled physically, spiritually and financially by Eisav and his angel and mercenaries. Healing and recovering, Yaakov has to deal with the kidnapping and the assault of his daughter, Dena, by Shechem. The slaughter of the men of Shechem by Shimon and Levi is watched in powerless disapproval by Yaakov and, according to tradition, numerous armed conflicts with the local Canaanite tribes ensued. Yaakov’s beloved wife, Rochel, dies giving birth to Binyamin. All of this seems to be sufficient tragedy and difficulty for one person’s lifetime, yet we are all aware that the greatest test of all – the conflict between Yosef and his brothers lurks just over the horizon in the biblical narrative. Though Avraham was tested severely and often in his lifetime, it can seem on the surface to regard the life of Yaakov as more challenging and difficult than that of Avraham. Yet the champion of challenges and tests in Jewish tradition remains Avraham and not Yaakov. Yaakov will later complain to Pharaoh about the troubled life he has led but Jewish tradition does not recognize that statement as being of heroic stature. Rather it seemingly disapproves of Yaakov’s wanting a more leisure-

ly and serene life. That will only be granted to him in the hereafter. I think that a possible difference between Avraham and Yaakov is that most of the tests of Avraham were explicitly ordained and instructed to him by Heaven itself. G-d, so to speak, tells Avraham to descend into Egypt, to cast away Yishmael, to foresee the future enslavement of his descendants, to sacrifice his son Yitzchak on the altar at Moriah, and to leave his ancestral home in Mesopotamia and settle in the Land of Israel. Even though Heaven is aware of Yaakov’s travails and ordains them, most of Yaakov’s challenges and difficulties are, to a certain extent, to be viewed as self-inflicted. They stem from choices that he alone made. He chose to listen to his mother and obtain the blessings from his father, fully aware that by so doing he would incur his brother’s violent wrath. He crosses the river to confront Eisav’s angel. He is well aware that Dena’s brothers intend revenge for the abduction and assault of their sister. He openly favors Yosef over the other brothers and therefore human nature of jealousy and resentment must follow. Apparently self-inflicted tests are not the paradigm that the Torah wishes to establish regarding overcoming difficulties, tests and challenges in life. It seems that Yaakov could have avoided some of the experiences that befell him in his lifetime. The same is undoubtedly true of many of the events of past and current events in the national life of the Jewish people. Shabbat shalom.

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Torah Shmuz

Parshas Vayishlach An Accomplice to Evil

By R’ Ben Tzion Shafier

“The sons of Yaakov came upon the corpses of the city that had defiled their sister.” Bereishis 34:27

hechem, the son of Chamor, set his sights on Dina. He carefully laid a trap to entice her out of her tent, and then kidnapped and defiled her. When Yaakov and his sons heard what had been done, “They were extremely distressed . . . [and said] “So shall not be done!’” Shechem became infatuated with Dina, and came to ask for her hand in marriage. “Name your price and I will pay it,” he said to Yaakov. The brothers of Dina answered Shechem, “To marry into our family, a person must have a bris milah.” Shechem and Chamor agreed, and they convinced the people of their town to be circumcised as well. On the third day of their milah, Reuvain and Shimon took up their swords and killed out every male in the city. After they were finished, the posuk says, “The sons of Yaakov came upon the corpses of the city that had defiled their sister.” The Siforno is bothered by the expression “the city that defiled their sister.” After all, it was Shechem alone who committed the act, not the city. The Siforno answers by explain-

ing that in that society, forcibly taking a woman was not considered abhorrent. If it had not been socially acceptable, Shechem never would have done it. Therefore, it is considered as if they were all participants. The problem is that the Siforno doesn’t seem to have answered his question. Granted the entire town may have been responsible for creating the social atmosphere that accepted such conduct, but all they did was to give Shechem the opportunity to act as he wished. They didn’t join him in the act. They didn’t aid him. They didn’t tempt him to do it. The most we can blame them for is giving the opportunity to Shechem to do as he chose. If so, how can the posuk say the city defiled Dina?

A COG IN THE WHEEL OF A KILLING MACHINE

On April 14, 1944, the deportation of Hungarian Jewry began. Within 56 days, almost 500,000 men, women, and children were transported to Auschwitz for the final solution. Imagine that you were a German train switch operator at a station near Auschwitz. You came of age at a time when Hitler had been long accepted as the Fuehrer. From your youth, you were indoctrinated with the belief that the fatherland was the glory of all true Germans, and that Hitler alone was the savior of the new

Germany. It would be hard for you to deny your knowledge of where this human cargo was headed, as the air hung heavy with the smell of burning flesh. But you never killed anyone. In fact, you may not even have completely bought into the racial theory thing. Your job was just to keep those trains rolling. So you aren’t guilty of murder. Are you? At the Nuremberg Trials, the Nazis defended themselves with the mantra, “We were only following orders.” Each participant denied his guilt by claiming he was just a cog in the wheel – not a murderer himself, not a decision-maker – just a lackey. Yet, even the secular world didn’t accept this because being a cog in the wheel of a killing machine makes you a part of a machine that kills. As such, you are a killer. The Siforno is teaching us that even if a person is not an active participant in an act, he can be considered responsible for its happening. In a normal society, basic human rights are a given. If the society has failed to keep safeguards in place, then that society has failed in its most basic responsibilities. Every member of that group is therefore held accountable for that failure. In the case of Dina, the townspeople made it possible for Shechem to do what he did. Without their easing the standards, it never would have happened. Once they lowered the accepted behavior, they paved the way for him, so they are held responsible for what he did.

A CULTURE OF MURDER

This concept is especially relevant in our times when the murder of innocent people has become an accepted manner of protesting for one’s political rights. Inflicting terror on men, women, and children is almost part of the political process – because it advances my cause. And who is to blame? Certainly in a society that fosters such beliefs, every member of the society is guilty. When a mass murderer has succeeded in his wanton killing, and his hometown comes out en masse to celebrate, that town is a participant in the murder. If a culture encourages the brutal torture of civilians

by teaching it as an expression of religion and a “beautiful thing,” then every member of that group shares responsibility for the outcome. If the National Palestinian Authority TV programming regularly shows messages of hatred that promote murder and self-mutilation, then the TV anchors, the actors, the scriptwriters, the camera men, and all of the support staff are part of the crime. However, the guilt doesn’t end there. The first and primary role of government is the protection of its people. That is self-evident – unless the population is Jewish. In that case, self-preservation isn’t a given, it is deemed amoral. While it is unclear who empowered the media to be the judge and jury on issues of morality, judge they do. Their bias is clear in every report of the so-called peace process and “liberation” attempts. Every CNN reporter who through his perverse version of social consciousness excuses away murder as a justified expression of “Arab anger and humiliation” becomes a willing accomplice with acts of terror. By creating a world order that condones the killing of Jews, they become accomplices to the very acts they are reporting. While they haven’t pulled the pin on 20 kilos of explosives, their words have created the social climate that encourages this, and as such, they are guilty. Every media outlet whose bias and prejudices condemn Israel for defending itself makes it more acceptable for global terrorism to go on unchecked, allowing and encouraging more of the same. The events that we are suffering through, and the clear obstruction of truth that enables them, are but one last stage of our long and bitter exile. May HASHEM speedily redeem us.

Rabbi Shafier is the founder of the Shmuz.com. The Shmuz is an engaging, motivating shiur that deals with real life issues. All of the Shmuzin are available free of chaarge at the www.theShmuz. com or on the Shmuz app for iPhone or Android.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Between the Lines

Pur$uit of Happine$$ By Eytan Kobre

A cosmopolitan magnate once came to a small village where he encountered a local fisherman. The fisherman would work only a few hours each day, spending the majority of his time relaxing on his boat.

“Y

ou know,” said the magnate, “if you worked a full day, you could afford to buy a larger boat.” “And then?” the fisherman shot back. “Well, then you could buy more boats and hire workers to catch more fish for you.” “And then?” “Then, you could move to the city, open a store, sell even more fish, and make even more money.” “Okay, and then?” “Well, if you put aside some of your profits each year, you’d be able to retire within a short time.” “Okay…and then?” the fisherman persisted. “Don’t you see?” answered the magnate. “Then you’d be able to move to a quaint and quiet village and spend your days fishing a bit, relaxing, and doing what you really want to do!” Comical, but our own experiences are not much different. The pursuit of wealth is a rat race—one with no finish line, only unending pursuit. Wealth does not guarantee or secure true happiness, and often detracts from it. The question is, what is wealth?

A London newspaper offered a prize for the best answer to that very question. The winning answer: “Wealth is something that can buy you everything but happiness and pay your fare to every place but heaven.” Yaakov offered this question a three-word answer. When Eisav finally confronts Yaakov after having the blessings taken from him, the brothers engage in a telling exchange. Yaakov offers Eisav a portion of his entourage of servants and cattle, but Eisav declines. “I have much my brother, you keep that which is yours” (Bereishis 33:9). But Yaakov persists: take my presents, he says, “for G-d has given me, and I have everything” (Bereishis 33:11). In the end, Eisav accepts all too greedily. The contrast is stark. Eisav said, “I have much,” implying that, while he has much, he does not have all— and he wants all; Yaakov, on the other hand, declared, “I have all.” I need nothing more (Kli Yakar, Bereishis 33:9; Chofetz Chaim, Bereishis 33:11). It is axiomatic that absolute happiness requires one to feel that he has it all—not just much. For “a person dies with not even half his desires fulfilled: if he has 100, he wants 200; if he has 200, he wants 400” (Koheles Rabbah 1:13). As wealth grows, so do desires. The more we acquire, the needier we become (Me’or Einayim of R’ Nachum of Chernobyl). One who has 100 wants 200, leaving a shortfall of 100; one who has 200 now wants 400, leaving a shortfall of 200; one who has 400 now wants 800, and lacks 400. And so on. The acquisitions grow, but, like the federal budget, the deficit balloons. While I loathe quoting (or even reading) the New York Times, I can-

not shake from memory one nugget from a 2007 article entitled, “In Silicon Valley, Millionaires Who Don’t Feel Rich.” The author interviewed several ultra-affluent Silicon Valley residents, each of whom bemoaned their uber-competitive society while priding themselves subtly on the grueling workweeks that allow them to keep up with the Joneses. The article closes with the observation of one Mr. Milletti: “Here, the top one per-

me money right now, I’d grab it and stow it away under my pillow” (Lev Eliyahu, Vayeishev). But life doesn’t have to be that way. When it comes to the interplay between wealth and happiness, Ben Zoma’s familiar advice remains as true today as it was in his times, “Who is happy? The one who is happy with his lot” (Avos 4:1). Indeed, this is a precondition to successful Torah

“Here, the top one percent chases the top one-tenth of one percent, and the top onetenth of one percent chases the top oneone-hundredth of one percent.”

cent chases the top one-tenth of one percent, and the top one-tenth of one percent chases the top one-one-hundredth of one percent.” R’ Elya Lopian would tell of a man he knew in his youth who, although generally quite dignified, lost all semblance of self-respect when it came to financial matters. On his deathbed, surrounded by friends and relatives, the man began to move his lips faintly, wanting to speak but unable to project sound. One of the assembled bent down to hear the frail dying man whispering, “Learn from me. I know that in but a few fleeting moments I will pass from this world to the next, and yet, if someone gave

study (Avos 6:6), and G-d Himself is lauded as being happy with His lot (Tana d’Bei Eliyahu, Chapter 1). But there are other variations on this theme. Who is wealthy? “R’ Tarfon said it is one who has 100 fields and vineyards and 100 servants to care for them. R’ Akiva said it is one whose wife is virtuous. R’ Yosi said it is one whose table is close to the restroom” (Shabbos 25b). Really? Not only do these answers depart from Ben Zoma’s traditional formulation, they seem to progress from the confounding to the bizarre. Are we really to believe that R’ Tarfon was so shallow that he conceived of

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true wealth as consisting of property and servants? And R’ Yosi’s answer? Enough said. Some explain that these sages never intended to address the question of what makes one wealthy objectively—they were projecting their own realities (Ohel Moshe [R’ Elazar Moshe Horowitz, Rov of Pinsk], Shabbos 25b). Each believed that, based on what they possessed, they were truly wealthy. R’ Tarfon possessed property and servants (Nedarim 62b), R’ Akiva’s wife was the paradigm of virtue (Kesubos 63a), and R’ Yosi suffered from gastrointestinal illnesses (Shabbos 118b). What they each actually possessed formed their respective conceptions of wealth. They believed they had it all. So when asked what makes a person wealthy, they simply pointed to that which they in fact possessed. R’ Shmelke of Nikolsburg famously asked his rebbe, the Magid of Mezritch, how we can possibly bless G-d for the bad just as we bless Him for the good (Berachos 9:5; Rambam, Berachos 10:3). True, R’ Shmelke reasoned, we must try to accept even the bad that comes our way, but to bless

G-d for the bad? The Magid directed him to R’ Zisha of Anipoli who would provide the explanation. So R’ Shmelke travelled to R’ Zisha and explained that he had been sent by the Magid of Mezritch in search of an answer to his question. Hearing the question, R’ Zisha—who was famously destitute—chuckled incredulously. “That, my dear friend, you’ll have to ask someone who lacks something in life. I, thank G-d, have encountered only good, and I possess all that I need. How would I know about accepting bad with happiness?” That ought to be our attitude. What bad? We have it all. All three of our patriarchs shared this attitude of “kol,” i.e., that they possessed “all” (Bava Basra 17a). Avraham: “And G-d blessed Avraham bakol—with everything” (Bereishis 24:1). Yitzchok: “And I have partaken mikol—from everything” (Bereishis 27:33). Yaakov: “And I have kol—everything” (Bereishis 33:11). There is no more apt blessing following a meal than our request to share this attitude “like our forefathers were

blessed, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov—bakol, mikol, kol.” We ask not necessarily to receive all, but to live a life of “all.” A life in which we recognize that, in fact, we already have it all. And so we recognize each morning that G-d has given us that life of “all”—“that He has made for me all my needs” (see Olas Tamid, Chapter 9). Not some. Not most. All. Indeed, in early versions of the liturgy, this blessing is articulated as thanking G-d “for not depriving me of any of my needs” (see e.g. Siddur of R’ Amram Gaon; Sefer HaEshkol). We thank Him for what we have, which is all we ever really need. The king of a distant land once fell ill with a terrible disease, a disease of the soul. He suffered from a melancholy that cast him into a state of perpetual depression. All the doctors in the realm were summoned to treat him, but to no avail. After a few weeks with no cure on the horizon, a wise man came to the palace and declared that he knew the perfect antidote. “Find a happy man, someone who is completely satisfied with his lot in life and feels as though he lacks

nothing, and ask him for his shirt. When the king dons the shirt, he will be cured.” Mystified, and lacking any more promising lead, the king dispatched emissaries to the four corners of the kingdom to locate the thoroughly-satisfied man and retrieve his shirt. Months of fruitless searches passed, until finally such a man was located: a humble peasant who lived in the northernmost part of the kingdom. The king ordered the man’s shirt to be brought to him at once; in exchange, the man would be given anything he asked for. But to everyone’s great surprise, the thoroughly-happy man was so poor that he had no shirt. Because when reflecting on what truly is important in life, the secret to having it all is believing you already do.

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

NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

The Observant Jew

Can I Quote You on That? By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz

If you ever notice, when politicians talk, they don’t really say anything definitive. For example, if asked something simple like, “Do you approve of terrorism?” they’ll answer something like, “You know, I appreciate just how important and relevant that question is and I can assure you that it is something I truly and sincerely believe needs to be looked at carefully, an appropriate decision made, and decisive action taken to get to the bottom of the matter. Next question?”

he reason they don’t often make genuine promises is that they can look pretty foolish when everything backfires. They don’t want to be accountable for things they’ve said so they try to say nothing. When they want to imply something, they’ll say, “Now, don’t quote me on this, but I think we’re going to have a real positive outcome in this deal.” No word on what a positive outcome is, though. But the problem is that they will be quoted. In fact, we’re all quoted.

All the time. Most commonly, it’s little kids who quote us. Imagine your guests arrive and you say, “Hey! It’s so nice to see you!” You little boy pipes up, “Yeah, Daddy was just saying that he’s been waiting hours for you to finally get here.” Don’t help me kid. “I meant I was just so anxious to see you.” “Right, Dad,” he says with a big grin and a wink, “and anxious to see them leave as soon as possible, right?” Oh boy, it’s going to be a long evening. Yes, kids pick up whatever their parents say and magnify, broadcast, and find ways to incorporate it into their psyches. One couple who was getting away for the weekend for some quiet time without the kids swore them to secrecy. Their eight-year old daughter’s teacher asked them afterwards, “How was the Hyatt?” The little girl had no idea how the teacher had gotten it out of her. The teacher, for her part, hadn’t even asked. One family had gone on a trip but couldn’t find their car in the large parking lot. To make it easier, the man pressed the panic button on their car alarm, causing the lights to flash and the alarm to blare. Their two-year old snapped, “Can someone shut off that $*%#$! alarm?!” With love and respect in her eyes, his wife turned to him and said, “That’s all yours, dear.” Not just what we say, but what we believe, is transmitted. How many kids root for a sports team because their parents do? How many kids hate Tom Brady without even knowing why? (It’s OK, he really does deserve it.)

The Gemara describes a family of Kohanim that was punished because a girl began banging on the altar in the Bais HaMikdash and saying, “Wolf, wolf, how long will you swallow up the money of the Jewish people?!” Why were they punished for her behavior?

personal whispers between husband and wife are being recorded in Heaven and will be played back. The thoughts we have and the things we mutter under our breath will be available in high-definition and transcripts will be available.

“Right, Dad,” he says with a big grin and a wink, “and anxious to see them leave as soon as possible, right?”

Because it’s obvious she heard it at home. A fellow once went to his Rebbe. “Rebbe,” he said, “my sweet little boy loves to pretend he’s wearing tefillin. He’s only three but he wraps a belt around his arm and shuckels with such concentration! I think he’s destined for great things. Do you think I should get him his own pair of tefillin?” The Rebbe looked at the man in disbelief. “Should you buy him his own pair of tefillin? No. Should you try going to daven in shul like a mensch instead of at home where he watches you? Definitely.” When I write things, I find people quoting me. I hope they’re picking things I can be proud of. And that’s the thing. We don’t get to choose what people will quote us on. We don’t get to say, “Off the record,” because everything stays on the record. Even the

Whether with our kids, with our behavior, or even when we’re all alone, we need to be aware of what we’re saying and doing and the impression we may make on others. We should focus on doing and saying the right things so that when it gets repeated, we can be proud of it. If we do, we’ll all be a lot happier – but don’t quote me on that. Jonathan Gewirtz is an inspirational writer and speaker whose work has appeared in publications around the world. You can find him at www.facebook.com/ RabbiGewirtz and follow him on Twitter @RabbiJGewirtz. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. Sign up for the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English. E-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter. com and put Subscribe in the subject.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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Gourmet Giving TJH Speaks with Rabbi Shalom Nemtzov about Chessed, the Community and His Art By Tammy Mark

Rabbi Nemtzov with Yoeli Steinberg of Gourmet Glatt

Artwork by Rabbi Shalom Nemtzov

Of all of the fixtures in the Five Towns community amongst the supermarkets and pizza stores and synagogues, there is one gentleman who has become a part of the community in the most soft and subtle way. Rabbi Shalom Nemtzov, known by many as the “Tzaddik of Gourmet Glatt,” has spent his Thursdays and Fridays sitting unassumingly outside the bustling kosher supermarket for the past eight years, collecting charity and giving blessings. The rabbi has seen and heard many stories during this time, but only a few have been fortunate enough to have heard his.

n 2003, Rabbi Shalom Nemtzov was hired as a part-time temporary rabbi for the Rosedale Jewish Center. Despite its proximity to the Five Towns, the Rosedale Jewish community was dwindling, no longer as vibrant as it had once been. As the congregants grew older and younger members moved out, shul leadership accepted the inevitable fact that they would soon have to close their doors. Rabbi Nemtzov saw how much the congregants enjoyed the weekly kiddush and decided to see if he could utilize it to infuse a little bit of life back into the community. Two years into his “temporary” position, Rabbi Nemtzov set

out to collect funds in order to expand the kiddush to a full lunch and keep the congregants coming. Embarking on his mission, Rabbi Nemtzov traveled to the Five Towns to visit the Gourmet Glatt Emporium. While the rabbi waited outside the store in hopes of gathering some small contributions, a man from the community heard of the rabbi’s intentions and insisted on filling up a shopping cart towards the cause. This act of generosity became a weekly routine that supplied the rabbi with enough provisions to use for the shul’s kiddush and other programs. When Gourmet Glatt General Manager Yo-

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eli Steinberg got wind of the rabbi’s endeavor, he insisted on donating groceries from the supermarket directly. Before long, each of the vendors within the store jumped on board and contributed their specialties to the cause. Soon enough, Friday’s remaining prepared food was graciously transformed into a weekly Shabbos lunch for the rabbi’s congregants. Rabbi Nemtzov quickly realized how much this initiative was enhancing and preserving the community. Not only was the kiddush bringing many more people to the shul to pray, the plentiful spread of hot and cold dishes prevented many of the Conservative congregants from eating out at restaurants after services. Adults and teenagers alike would spend their Shabbos afternoons enjoying Rabbi Nemtzov’s company, several even staying all day. As the rabbi continued his weekly visits to Gourmet Glatt, he encountered many acts of generosity and kindness. One week another gentleman approached the rabbi

with surplus for others in need. The continuous generosity of Gourmet Glatt and the Five Towns community kept the Rosedale Jewish Center running for six additional years. One of the last celebrations to be held there was the wedding of Rabbi Nemtzov’s own son, catered by Gourmet Glatt. Though the Rosedale synagogue inevitably closed down, Rabbi Nemztov knew he had made an impact on the community there, while forming an everlasting partnership in chesed with the Gourmet Glatt family and the Five Towns community.

“I’m happy to be a Jewish Donald Trump.”

explaining that he was headed out to buy vegetables from a new store that he wanted to support. He asked if Rabbi Nemtzov could use the produce for his shul, thereby allowing the man to simultaneously support the store and the shul at the same time. The rabbi graciously accepted his offer, and the next day a truck pulled up with crates of fruits and vegetables – more than enough to supply the Rosedale congregation,

Since its beginning, Gourmet Glatt has been an integral part of the Five Towns and more than a supermarket. Reflecting the character of the community, Gourmet Glatt supports many local causes as well as those of the greater Jewish community. In addition to regularly sponsoring charity events and programs throughout the area, the store provides hundreds of meals a year to respite rooms

of local hospitals, as well as food and services to community organizations. During the years Rabbi Nemtzov collected for Rosedale, he came to realize the deeply philanthropic nature of the Five Towns. Shoppers would continually donate money as they passed by; some would make a special stop just to visit him. He began to collect for other causes, and the generosity continues to flow. He often receives money designated to help people with specific needs, while concurrently receiving requests from others asking for blessings or help with those particular issues. Throughout the holidays, people will earmark funds to be used for necessities like matzah, wine or esrogim, and Rabbi Nemtzov is able to turn around and immediately and anonymously match up these donors with those in need. He is humbled by this profound opportunity. Several people – donors and receivers – will ask him for blessings and Rabbi Nemtzov takes their names and personal requests. He regularly visits the Ohel, the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, where he prays and pours out his heart on behalf of others. He loves sitting outside and greeting people, explaining that there is no ceiling between us and heaven, “Hashem has no limits. The brachos go right

up to the sky and come back down.” Born in England, Rabbi Nemtzov and his family moved to the States when he was a young boy, settling in Minnesota. One of four siblings, he was sent away to yeshiva at age 11, studying at Torah Vodaas, Telz and Lubavitch yeshivas and receiving semicha from Rabbi Hirshprung of Montreal. Rabbi Nemtzov’s family was very involved with the Lubavitch movement and his uncle Rabbi Dr. Nissan Mindel, z”l, of Far Rockaway and Long Beach, was the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s English secretary and author of many books. His grandfather played a notably important role in the last Lubavitcher Rebbe accepting his position as “The Rebbe.” Rabbi Nemtzov proudly recalls the event, “It was on the first yahrtzeit of the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, during a gathering of people listening to his son-in-law deliver a sicha (Chassidic discourse). My grandfather, in his 80’s, stood up on the table and announced, ‘The people want to hear a maamar (a deeper Chassidic discourse), which would then validate his acceptance as position of Rebbe. Until that point, he refused to officially accept the title, but he did comply with my grandfather and as they say, the rest is history.”

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During that time, there was a segment of the Chassidim who preferred that the elder son-in-law assume the position of Rebbe, and therefore it was even more impressionable that an elderly Chassid would stand up and be so supportive of the younger son-in-law. An artist by trade, Rabbi Nemtzov’s artwork focuses on Lubavitch themes and he keeps a room in his home dedicated to his art. All of the future proceeds from the sale of Rabbi Nemtzov’s paintings will be going towards the newly established Chabad of Ojai California, where his son Mordechai is the emissary. Rabbi Nemtzov’s father and grandfather were passionate and persistent Jews who not only influenced those around them but helped shape who he has become. His father helped protect their Minnesota town against the rampant vandalism that occurred there. His grandfather had served as guard in the Russian army, working eight-hour nightshifts manning a watchtower in -40 degree weather, often doing double shifts to cover for others. Rabbi Nemtzov himself was a community activist as a student in the 1960’s, joining Jewish Defense League and Guardian Angel-type groups to help protect others. He would patrol the streets of Crown Heights as part of a group called the Maccabees, watching their neighbors’ apartments to prevent the robberies that would commonly occur on Friday night while Jews were eating Shabbos dinner. He currently represents no particular group but simply wants to help people. Rabbi Nemtzov has spent most of his life in service to the Jewish community. He

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raised his family of ten children primarily in Lakewood. He now lives in the Five Towns and spends Shabbos and holidays as the rabbi of the Nautilus Senior Hotel in Atlantic Beach. While his children are grown and are spread throughout the country, he is grateful to have two of his sons assist him each week at the Nautilus. Rabbi Nemtzov also works for funeral homes in New Jersey, officiating and often performing all aspects of the burial – from the shemirah and tahara to the kaddish. As many non-observant Jewish families request to have a rabbi at the funeral, the funeral home directors will reach out to the rabbi for assistance. Rabbi Nemtzov travels to wherever the need is, many times to remote locations where others won’t. Rabbi Nemtzov spends time with the bereaved families, explaining the details and significance of the traditional Jewish burial. Ultimately, many request that he perform a completely halachic funeral, even one particular family that had initially planned for a cremation. Rabbi Nemtzov spends the rest of his time on call for community members in

Many others come to share their problems, thank him for his kindness and prayers, or just spend a little time chatting. Though he can’t have private conversations in the busy parking lot, Rabbi Nemtzov tries to speak briefly with everyone and invites them to call him at a later time to speak further. He has put quarters in expired meters to help harried shoppers and has seen others do the same. He has witnessed many random acts of kindness from his spot. He finds that the good deeds multiply, especially with the help of others. There is the coin collector who takes the coins from the rabbi’s tzedakah box and exchanges them in the bank for dollars, adding a little

Nemtzov explains. Rabbi Nemtzov’s positive stories are endless, but he has also seen many problems throughout the years. He has encountered troubled teenagers on the verge of crisis, some contemplating running away from home. Once he saw a young man nervously pacing back and forth. The man confided in Rabbi Nemtzov that he wanted to take his life and had access to a gun. The rabbi developed a relationship with him; over time the young man grew stable and secure. When he eventually settled down and got married, Rabbi Nemtzov joyously officiated at his wedding. Success stories like these keep the rabbi motivated to continue helping others.

“My reward is all the Gut Shabbos wishes. You can’t buy that privilege.” need. As he sits outside in all types of weather, Rabbi Nemtzov’s experience in the Five Towns has been much more than he could have imagined. People come to discuss Torah with him; women request divrei Torah they can share at their Shabbos tables, and children will ask homework questions.

extra when he returns. Additionally, when a child gives a coin, the rabbi will offer a lollipop and encourage the child to make a bracha, explaining how one blessing leads to another. “Never be afraid to give just a coin because that brings an extra mitzvah and extra money as well,” Rabbi

After Hurricane Sandy, Rabbi Nemtzov came across individuals that were newly in need. There were business people who wouldn’t want to be seen taking, as not to ruin whatever business they had left. He was able to help them without causing them shame. Throughout the years he has also received contributions

from people who themselves were struggling. He once collected $7,000 towards a life-saving surgery for a community member. Always looking to improve people’s lives in big ways or small, Rabbi Nemtzov seeks solutions. When he sees people waiting on winter nights on the train station platforms, he worries that the waiting rooms and restrooms are closed and is working to get that to change. He’s also concerned about the prices of yeshiva tuition and wants to see more government funding for the English studies. Another project that is close to his heart is to help people with weight loss, offering support and encouragement for people to be healthy, as he himself is a living example. Rabbi Nemtzov is willing to be an outspoken advocate for what he believes. “I’m happy to be a Jewish Donald Trump,” he quips. Rabbi Nemtzov finds that almost every other request is for a blessing for a shidduch. To that end, his next project is to set up his home as a meeting place where he can offer people more than blessings but also assistance. He’s hoping to create a very laidback atmosphere where people can bring their requests for themselves or for others – children, friends, siblings and parents. He plans

to have refreshments and a game room, and a guestbook where he can keep a database of all the visitors and their information. He wants to inspire and organize others to join him in his efforts. “There are too many difficult things happening in the world. We need to mobilize together and make changes.” He has the deepest level of gratitude to Gourmet Glatt and all the vendors for allowing him to do his charity work outside their store and for partnering with him on so many occasions. In order to be able to see all of his regular visitors, Rabbi Nemtzov plans to spend time at the new Woodmere location on Wednesday nights. He cherishes the privilege of sitting and receiving hundreds and hundreds of “Gut Shabbos” greetings each week. He remembers watching the rebbes in yeshiva receive those words from their students and was always taken aback by the amount of blessings that occur when people wish each other well. “My reward is all the Gut Shabbos wishes,” he says. “You can’t buy that privilege.” Rabbi Nemtzov has seen abundant chessed, all types of positive interactions and a lot of greatness, from cases of food going to hospitals to Torah talks on the sidewalk. There has been tremendous charity going to so many needy people and causes, so much giving without asking where. Rabbi Nemtzov confides that he truly believes that when Moshiach comes, he will come first to that very spot in the Five Towns because of all the holiness that he has witnessed there.

To purchase or learn more about Rabbi Shalom Nemtzov’s art, please call 347-742-1220.

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Jewish History

The Infamous Case of the “Get of Cleves” By Rabbi Pini Dunner Rabbi David Tevele Schiff, Chief Rabbi of London (1722-1791) interviewed Isaac in London for the Frankfurt beit din

In the late eighteenth century a strange wedding followed by an even stranger divorce evolved into one of the most bitterly fought Jewish legal controversies of the era. In Part I we saw how the “Get of Cleves,” executed without the knowledge of the husband’s parents, was challenged by them and their rabbi, who approached the Frankfurt beit din to ask for the divorce to be annulled. But was the husband legally incompetent at the time of the divorce, as they claimed, or were their claims overblown and without foundation? And even if he was incompetent, did that mean that the divorce could be reversed?

PART II

efore we continue the story, let us take a look at what might be the basis for a divorce annulment in Jewish law, based in insanity or incompetence. The Mishna in Tractate Gittin states that “if a man is seized with kordiakos and says: ‘Write a get for my wife’, it is as if he has said nothing. If he says, ‘Write a get for my wife’ and is only then seized with kordiakos, during which time he says ‘don’t write it,’ his latter words are considered null and void.” According to the Gemara that explains this Mishna, kordiakos is a form of mental illness with symptoms that are similar to the behavior of someone who has become completely incapacitated after drinking a potent wine directly from a fermentation barrel. Such a person cannot be taken seriously as he is not lucid, which means that when he issues the command to write the get, even if the get is written properly, and even if after he later recovers from his mental episode and says he wants to divorce his wife, the get written while he was incapacitated is not valid and cannot be used for a divorce. The big question that hung over the Get of Cleves was Isaac’s sanity at the time he instructed for the get to be written and given to Leah. Was he someone who suffered from a chron-

ic mental illness that diminished his competence? Or were the strange incidents at the time of his wedding just a temporary mental breakdown and did he then recover? Perhaps it was possible, however remote such a possibility, that his life was in genuine danger for reasons he could not reveal. Even if he was in the throes of a mental breakdown, did that invalidate his instructions to Rabbi Lipschuetz for the get to be written? Isaac’s father was insistent that his son had been in the midst of a mental breakdown when he issued the instruction in Cleves to write a get, and on this basis lobbied frantically for the divorce to be annulled, even if it could be proved that Isaac had since recovered and wanted the divorce to stand. Isaac’s father cited the various episodes of Isaac’s strange behavior before and after the wedding, and claimed that when Rabbi Lipschuetz of Cleves had agreed for the get to be written, he had been unaware of the full history and therefore the get had no legal status. Those who advocated for the get to be annulled were also disturbed by how it had been obtained so underhandedly. Isaac’s parents had not been informed in advance, they argued, and no attempt had been made to inform them subsequently. The claim was that this was suspicious behavior. They also questioned as to why had the divorce been exe-

cuted in Cleves, which was a remote community. There were other larger cities with more substantial communities closer to Bonn, such as Dusseldorf and Koblenz, with outstanding rabbis who were perfectly capable of putting together a proper get. Why had Leah and her family traveled the greater distance to Cleves? And finally, why had the get proceeded before the couple had even had time to establish their physical relationship, which had ceased after the marital act on the night of the wedding? The advocates for the annulment drew the conclusion that Isaac was crazy or had been at around the time this had all happened, and therefore Leah’s family had arranged a get below the radar to ensure that Leah did not become lumbered with a lunatic husband. They manipulated Isaac into divorcing her and arranged for it to happen in a remote location with no oversight and without informing the rabbi that Isaac was not competent to execute a divorce. Those opposed to the Get of Cleves also cited the Talmudic dictum which states that no one spends a fortune of money and wastes time getting married, only to divorce his wife immediately afterwards. It was well known that Isaac’s family had invested an enormous amount of time and money into his marriage to Leah. Isaac himself had borrowed a large sum of money to pay for his marital wardrobe. That being the

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case, it was inconceivable that Isaac would have divorced his wife a couple of weeks later, unless he was clinically, and therefore halachically, crazy. Despite these arguments, the rabbis and others who supported Isaac’s parents were in a distinct minority. The majority view was that the only thing Isaac had done that put his sanity into question was his unexpected and unexplained disappearance with the money on the morning of the Shabbat after his wedding. Since he had only acted abnormally on that one occasion, he could not be judged as someone who had totally lost his reason. Some rabbis felt that the Shabbat incident may not necessarily have been an “insane” act, as Isaac genuinely believed that he was being targeted by some person, or group of people, and thought his life was in danger. Although he had no proof this was true, or had not offered any, that did not mean his story was a fabrication or simply a figment of his imagination. It was perfectly possible that his life was in danger, in which case his Shabbat disappearance was perfectly reasonable. In any event, the Shulchan Aruch

states unequivocally that “a man who fluctuates between lucid and crazy – when he is lucid he is to be regarded as completely normal in everything he does, and if he divorces his wife in that time, his get is considered valid.” Rabbi Lipschuetz of Cleves maintained unequivocally that throughout the divorce proceedings Isaac had been completely lucid. Six members of the Cleves Jewish community who were present at the proceedings also testified that Isaac had behaved completely normally – not just during the proceedings, but throughout his stay in Cleves. Rabbi Copenhagen, who had accompanied Leah and Isaac to Cleves and was present throughout the divorce, also confirmed that Isaac’s behavior had been reasonable the entire time. There was another relevant issue that began to emerge as more rabbis and community leaders became involved in the dispute, and the controversy grew. Many people felt that it was entirely out of place for the Frankfurt rabbis – however distinguished and respected they were – to interfere in an affair that was beyond their jurisdiction. The get had been

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granted by Rabbi Lipschuetz and was therefore his sole responsibility. It had always been the custom in Germany that a beit din in one location did not interfere with or intervene in the decisions and activities of a beit din in another location. It was therefore felt that the Frankfurt beit din was out of line expressing an opinion on a matter that was essentially none of their business. Despite the eminence of the Frankfurt rabbinate, numerous rabbis across Germany announced their full support for Rabbi Lipschuetz. Furnished with the details of the story, and knowing him as a man of unimpeachable integrity and as a rabbi well versed in the laws of Jewish divorce who knew the implications of a non-divorced woman marrying another husband, they simply refused to believe that he would allow such a travesty to unfold simply to protect his reputation. The man who had originally triggered the controversy by writing to the Frankfurt rabbinate, Rabbi Tevele Hess of Mannheim, unexpectedly died shortly after the controversy began. His plan had been simple, if somewhat naive. He had wanted the rabbis of Frankfurt to nullify the get and then have Isaac interviewed by a panel of experts upon his return from London to Mannheim. If he was found to be perfectly sane – as all those who supported the get claimed he was – he would simply be asked to issue a new get and the problem would be resolved. When Rabbi Hess died, however, the baton was grabbed by the dayanim of Frankfurt, and their agenda was totally different to his. They believed that they had to take a stand against sloppy rabbinic practices, and it was their opinion that the only reason Rabbi Lipschuetz of Cleves had not realized that Isaac was suffering from mental illness was because he had not been fed all the details of Isaac’s strange behavior. This exposed his lack of professionalism, a failing that had resulted in an untenable and unsupportable get. Rabbi Lipschuetz himself was incredulous at the obstinacy of the Frankfurt beit din, and in the fall of 1766 wrote a formal ruling validating the Get of Cleves and dispatched a copy of his ruling to Frankfurt. In a subsequent letter to Frankfurt he included witness statements from

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several residents of Cleves who had come into contact with Isaac. Some of these witnesses had even participated in the divorce proceedings. They all agreed that Isaac had acted normally throughout. But despite this, and the halachic arguments presented by Rabbi Lipschuetz, the

Rabbi Shaul Lowenstamm of Amsterdam (1717-1790) obtained evidence independently and rejected the Frankfurt Rabbinate’s claim of sole jurisdiction

Frankfurt beit din did not even acknowledge the letters, and Rabbi Lipschuetz never even received the courtesy of a reply. This refusal to engage with Rabbi Lipschuetz was extremely unorthodox. It also reflected badly on the Frankfurt rabbinate in light of the way another rabbi whom Rabbi Hess had approached had reacted to his original letter. When Rabbi Hess had sent his missive to Frankfurt requesting the annulment, he had sent an almost identical letter to Rabbi Naftali Hirsch Katzenellenbogen of Pfalz. The first thing Rabbi Katzenellenbogen had done was to reach out to Rabbi Lipschuetz to find out the exact details of the divorce. Rabbi Lipschuetz responded immediately with a comprehensive timeline. Upon receiving this Rabbi Katzenellenbogen wrote to Rabbi Hess to tell him that the Get of Cleves was perfectly fine, and the divorce stood. He also castigated Rabbi Hess for having written to anyone else before contacting Rabbi Lipschuetz, describing this as an unforgivable breach of protocol. Rabbi Hess had also asked Rab-

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bi Katzenellenbogen to consult with his brother and brother-in-law, both rabbis. They concurred that the get was valid. The brother-in-law, Rabbi Josef Steinhardt of Fuerth, was evidently so incensed by the behavior of the Frankfurt rabbinate that he wrote a strong letter to Rabbi Abish, the chief rabbi of Frankfurt, to make his feelings clear, but his pleas for Frankfurt to cease their involvement were to no avail. As the months rolled by it became evident to Rabbi Abish and his rabbinic colleagues that Rabbi Lipschuetz was not going to roll over and concede and that they needed to counteract his efforts against them. So they summoned Rabbi Copenhagen to Frankfurt, along with members of Bonn’s Jewish community, on the pretext that they needed to thoroughly investigate the events surrounding the divorce. Rabbi Copenhagen, believing they were now looking for a face-saving way to reverse their position, agreed to come to Frankfurt and gathered together

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the get could not be used – meaning that Leah was forbidden to remarry, and if she did remarry, her children would be mamzerim. Despite being so belligerently confident, the Frankfurt rabbinate were clearly conscious that their position was controversial and so they also wrote to a former Frankfurt rabbi, Rabbi David Tevele Schiff – who was now chief rabbi of London – and asked him to interview Isaac in London to find out if he was sane or whether he was in fact suffering from mental illness, as was being claimed by his father. They were also interested in hearing Isaac’s version of events. Rabbi Schiff met up with Isaac and they spoke for some time. In a letter back to Frankfurt he described how he had found Isaac to be completely and utterly sane, although Isaac had admitted that his behavior around the time of his marriage and divorce were objectively irrational. In terms of Jewish law his admission was irrelevant, though, because had he insisted he was totally insane at the time of the divorce, if the presid-

Rabbi Yaakov Emden sent a message to the Frankfurt rabbinate suggesting that they stand down, as they were making fools of themselves.

a delegation of senior community figures to accompany him. The delegation arrived in Frankfurt during Chanukah of 1766 and stayed there for three weeks. At hearing after hearing they were questioned and cross-examined by the Frankfurt rabbis about every detail of the episode, including the divorce itself. Every word was faithfully recorded by the court scribe, and Rabbi Copenhagen was convinced the evidence provided was a slam-dunk in favor of the get. But within a couple of weeks the Frankfurt beit din sent a letter to Bonn curtly informing the community leadership that after having carefully considered the testimony presented, they had concluded that their original view was correct and

ing beit din did not think so, all his protestations to the contrary – and certainly at a later date – would be ignored. Another senior European rabbi, Rabbi Shaul Lowenstamm of Amsterdam, hearing about the London interview with Isaac, wrote to his nephew, Rabbi Meshulam Zalman Emden – also a London resident – and asked him to meet Isaac and report back. Rabbi Emden met Isaac and wrote back that his meeting had gone well, and he seemed lucid and rational. This new “evidence” came to the attention of the Frankfurt dayanim, and they demanded that Rabbi Lowenstamm send it to them immediately on the basis that they were the sole arbiters of the validity of the ‘Get of Cleves.”

Rabbi Lowenstamm agreed to send them a copy of the transcript, but queried their claim of sole jurisdiction. He also expressed his view that on the basis of what he had seen and heard he was satisfied that the get was valid, irrespective of their contrary opinion. The Frankfurt dayanim were not cowed by his forthright rejection of their self-proclaimed role and replied that they were entirely within their rights to claim sole jurisdiction, as they were the only ones who were painstakingly collecting testimonies about the episode. They added that notwithstanding their view that the get was invalid, Rabbi Lipschuetz’s reputation was not in any danger, as he had clearly been deliberately kept in the dark about Isaac’s history. Although they seemed to be sticking to their guns, the tone of their letter did indicate that they were conscious of the fact that their high-handed approach – which they had perhaps imagined would bolster their reputation as “no-nonsense” impartial jurists – had in fact resulted in the perception that they were a bunch of arrogant, dismissive, ivory-tower bound snobs. As all this was happening, Leah’s father was busy writing to any rabbi he knew to ask them to support the divorce. He was extremely concerned that if the Frankfurt ruling was accepted, his daughter would never be able to remarry. Meanwhile, Rabbi Lipschuetz was getting more and more agitated with each passing week at how his reputation was being called into question, and he also began to write letters to rabbis everywhere asking them to consider the details of the story and back his position. In March 1767, Rabbi Yaakov Emden, the elder statesman of the German Jewish rabbinate, declared in response to a letter from Rabbi Lipschuetz that in his view the get was completely valid, and Leah was free to remarry. That same month, Rabbi Arye Leib of Metz, author of Sha’agat Aryeh, wrote an open letter in which he stated Leah was free to remarry, despite the objections of Frankfurt. Incredibly, despite the universal support for the Get of Cleves from every rabbinic authority besides for Frankfurt, the Frankfurt dayanim remained completely unrepentant and even began to issue public dec-

larations voiding the get. Rabbi Yaakov Emden sent a message to the Frankfurt rabbinate suggesting that they stand down, as they were making fools of themselves. He told them that a minority opinion must always give way in the face of an overwhelming majority, and it was evident that the vast majority of rabbis supported the Get of Cleves. But the Frankfurt beit din was in no mood to listen to him, despite his seniority, nor would they heed anyone who did not concur with their view. And so, despite the avalanche of opposition to Frankfurt’s inflexibility, the campaign against the get and all its supporters continued unabated.

NEXT TIME: In the next and final part of this article series you will discover how the Frankfurt beit din’s refusal to acknowledge the majority view resulted in them being publicly condemned by the most illustrious rabbis of the era. But how did it all end? Did Leah remarry using the Get of Cleves, or was she condemned to spinsterhood and childlessness as a result of the Frankfurt beit din? The answers to these questions depend on who you ask, and in the final part of this series you will encounter an incredible postscript to the Get of Cleves saga as produced by an apologist for the Frankfurt rabbinate in an obscure book published a century after the events actually occurred. The conclusion to this tragic episode is, as you will learn, even more perplexing and disturbing than the original story itself.

Rabbi Pini Dunner is the Rav of Young Israel North Beverly Hills in California.

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A Thankful Nation By Hylton Lightman, MD, DCH, FAAP

The primarily American holiday, Thanksgiving 2015, is imminent and it precipitates thoughts about what a glorious country this is. Yet Thanksgiving is a holiday from Judaism.

ost Americans, including my children, believe that the world’s first Thanksgiving took place in 1621 on Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. 90 Native Americans and 50 English Pilgrim settlers celebrated

the land and the crops and foods that were harvested. Like the Jewish holiday of Sukkos, there is the dual significance of historical and agricultural. Interestingly, Thanksgiving remained in this country a one-time deal until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War, proclaimed a national holiday for the last Thursday of every November as “a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” Yet the Torah commands us about thanksgiving in Deuteronomy 26:1-2 with the mitzvah or commandment of bikkurim. During the Temple era, each farmer was commanded to bring to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem the first fruits of his

orchard. At the Temple, the farmer would thank Gd for the Land and its harvest and then he would give the fruits to the kohanim (priests). The Midrash states that the Land of Israel was given to the Jews as a reward for the mitzvah of bikkurim they would observe after entering the Land. Judaism is a religion replete with “thank yous.” Think of the day of a Jew – from the moment when we open our eyes each morning and recite Modeh Ani, thanking the One Up Above for restoring our souls to our bodies. We pray three times daily. We thank Hashem before and after eating. And after exiting the bathroom, we recite Abayei’s bracha composed in the 4th century

for a healthy body. It’s difficult to understand then the special significance of bikkurim. With all the thanking which occurs on a daily basis, why the need for this specific mitzvah? And why the great reward for this particular form of expressing thanks? The late Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachemn Mendel Schneerson zt”l pointed out that all the brachos are important but are words only. Bikkurim, on the other hand, requires a commitment to action which moves us beyond our heads and speech and into another realm. Clearly, without the Temple in Jerusalem, we are unable to celebrate the mitzvah of bikkurim. Yet we learn so

much from this mitzvah – we give our very best back to this world. I wish to thank the United States for giving us the opportunity to live with freedom of speech and the freedom to observe our religion which started at Mount Sinai and has continued unbroken all these millennia. Let’s all join together to thank this country and what it has done for us. G-d bless America.

Dr. Hylton Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at www.total familycaremd.com, on Instagram at #lightmanpeds or visit him on Facebook.

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what would a meditarranean say about this? a typical american drama

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Israel Today

Democracy Rules By Rafi Sackville

y my rough calculations, a little more than 50% of the students in our school are of Russian/Ukrainian descent. This doesn’t pose any particular difficulties for teachers or administrators. Despite their telltale accent, they are as local as any other Israeli teenagers. Some are conscientious and well behaved. Others not. But surely that can be said about school children anywhere. As a homeroom teacher to kids at risk, I have become familiar not only with them, but with their families. Home visits, phone calls and text messages (to the parent most likely to be most helpful) is par for the course. The job requires patience and care along with the understanding that explosions – some large, some small – are to be regularly expected. One student of mine had a total meltdown in class because the vocabulary list she was working with didn’t provide punctuation between words. It’s not as ridiculous as it may seem when the greater picture of her life is taken into account. The two of us spend a lot of time talking outside of class. I am constantly on the lookout for a way to ameliorate her situation, to hold a mirror up to her world in the hope she will recognize the real “selfie” she shows the world. On the flip side, I feel obliged to instruct the teachers who come in contact with my students lest an altercation lead down a dark tunnel from which there is no return. One teacher made a casual remark to the same girl, “Without a notebook and without taking notes, what’s the point in learning at all?” The outcome was a meeting with the student and teacher to calm the seas because the student couldn’t understand how anyone could say something so insulting. She begged to be moved from

his class. Like a doctor, the situations I have knowledge and control over are sometimes treatable: truancy, insubordination, strategies for learning. There are moments, however, when my hands and those of the grade coordinator and school principal are tied. My homeroom students were accustomed to learning in small groups throughout junior high. There was an initial desire to integrate them into the larger student body, but this proved Sisyphean: they became disruptive or became non-entities at the side and back of the room staring at the walls or doodling in their notebooks. One of my students was a member of this group. He is anti-social to the extreme. He refuses to participate in classroom activities. When asked why he either shrugs his shoulders or replies that his mother says he shouldn’t. I spoke to his mother. Her anger reached such a pitch that I asked if she had a personal battle with me. No, she answered. If she didn’t, why was she yelling at me? She wasn’t in the least bit apologetic. Instead she demanded a meeting with the pedagogical principal. A few days later, the student, his parents, the principal, grade coordinator and I sat down in an office barely large enough to contain us all. The mother claimed that, before leaving the junior high, they had been promised her son would be moved up to the high school and placed in a regular class. His grades were produced to support the argument that this would not be in his best interest. Moreover there was no record of any promise. Like an iron pillar the mother stood firm.

The irony was that for math, English and Hebrew language he had been placed in a regular class. He hadn’t told his mother this (the father sat silent throughout). “No! He must be part of regular class including homeroom. And he will, because that is what I want and that is what I demand!” “Madam, this school doesn’t run on the whims of parents or students. We have a very firm set of criteria that directs us to place students in classes that are most suited to them,” replied the principal. The banter went back and forth. The mother wouldn’t budge or bend. She insisted it was her right to demand and receive what she wanted for her son. As I sat listening to her two things occurred to me. The first is that she is an educated woman who hopes her son will follow in her footsteps. I once heard her cut him down to size when she snapped at him after he’d snapped at her, “I have two degrees. You have none!” It is clear she wants her son to succeed. What she can’t understand nor see is his lack of interest in studying. He hangs out with like-minded people, is a heavy smoker, and has displayed behavior that borders on violent. The second thing I noticed was that her insistence in claiming her democratic rights was ensconced on anything but democratic values. She had come from a totalitarian society where she was dictated to. Here she was demanding something undeserved, yet she sounded like a Stalinist. She had misunderstood freedom of speech and equal rights for a system she believed provided her a right to demand and get whatever she believed in. Had she been in a civics class she would have failed to

correctly define the term democracy. At one point she asked the principal if he’d finished speaking. He had. “These are my demands. If we don’t get what we want, we’re taking him out of school right now. We’ll homeschool him.” The principal told her it was within her rights to do so, but the consequences would not be in her favor. The school would have to report to the truancy officer and the educational wing of the municipality. “Okay,” was all she said and stormed out of the room with her son and husband trailing after her. I called him every day to see how he was doing. Fine, he said. I’m learning with private teachers at home. How many do you have? None at the moment, but I’m learning. What exactly are you learning? I don’t know, was his vague reply. What do you mean you don’t know? It was clear he was lying. And then I naively asked him when he planned on returning to school. Tomorrow, he replied. Ah, thought I, his mother’s will has been broken. Yet in the same breath he said he was coming back conditionally. He listed his demands: no small groups, no trips, no outings of any sort. I laughed to myself. The battle to keep him in school was over. His mother had taken us for pushovers only to discover the vulnerability of her one-dimensional argument. No, there was no point reacting to his demands. At least he’s back, although I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he or his mother take to arms again. In the meantime we’ll do our best to respect his presence and address his needs. What more can we do? Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.

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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

I came home from my year in Israel several months ago. Unlike some of my friends who jumped right into dating, I decided I wanted to take a few months to make sure I was clear about what type of life I wanted to live and subsequently what type of young men I wanted to be set up with. I’m not an impulsive person and try to be thoughtful and certain before I make any meaningful moves in my life. And what could be more meaningful than this decision? I come from a modern, Young Israel-type of family. I’ve gone to schools consistent with the values of my family. I am close to all of my family members who are all pretty much that way and I have always fit in. Though I’ve always been a serious, sincere person, I found that during my year in Israel, my “hashkafa” definitely shifted into a much

more stringent place. Basically I want to ultimately marry a man who is very serious about learning and would like to learn, while I support him, for as long as possible. To say that my parents are not supportive of this lifestyle is an understatement. My mother insists that this is a passing phase and that I would ultimately come to regret such a decision. I totally don’t agree. I want to start dating and the bigger problem is that my mother has told me straight out that she will not get involved in helping to make this happen. Obviously, I depend on my mother to speak to shadchanim and present me and my interests. Without her support and involvement, what can I possibly do to fulfill my dream? My parents have really dug in their heels and are not changing their position. They’ve made it very clear that they want me to live their life and fit in perfectly with everyone else in the family. What am I to do?? Sincerely, B.S.

The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

udos to you for taking a little time to consider your goals, reflect and grow before starting shidduchim. At the same time, while you feel you are ready to move forward now to seek a particular lifestyle and partner, it is critical

to maintain a positive relationship with your parents even though they have different dreams and aspirations for you. Full participation in family life and maintaining a warm relationship with everyone is your first priority. Hashem gave you these parents and even if you want something different, it is your obligation to not only respect them but to fully function within the family and not to withdraw into your own

world. If you want to be more stringent on some matters, figure out a way to do it without it becoming a family issue. Your family will begin to respect your values and choices if mitzvos bein adam l’chaveiro (kind deeds between people) are a high priority. If you try to be an outstanding mensch all the time, who seeks to grow in all areas, you will demonstrate seriousness as well as a commitment to a very spiritual

lifestyle. The maturity involved in seeking a different kind of lifestyle from that of your parents also means taking responsibility for your own shidduchim when you are ready. Begin to network and make appointments with shadchanim once your ongoing mentor/spiritual guide/rav/rebbetzin and you agree that you are ready to not only date but to deal with the consequences

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of seeking someone who will learn for a long time. Personal strength, depth of commitment to Torah learning and a means of supporting yourself are just some of the issues to discuss. While engaged in this process, it would be helpful to observe and do some questioning of people involved in the lifestyle you describe. Spend time with kollel families at different points in their marriage and family size. Ask specific questions with sensitivity and respect, as you do the equivalent of informational interviewing that one does when researching a potential career. Do the work, know the realities, and maintain an ongoing connection to your mentor. These are steps that you should take as part of taking responsibility for your future and your shidduchim. Many of the people you will meet can become agents for you when you begin to network for shidduch prospects. There are also organizations that specifically cater to people without families with connections in the Jewish world they seek to enter. You will have to work on many levels to achieve your goals. But it’s your life to plan and prepare for while you live in your parents’ home and are supported by them. This is a journey of maturity and independence on your part that must be accompanied by respect and guidance.

Getting to know Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, MS... Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz is a veteran community activist. She has spent more than twenty years in social services both as an executive and as a board member of non-profits. She is a founder of Rachel’s Place, a shelter for homeless girls in Brooklyn. Rebbetzin Horowitz has a career counseling practice and is a freelance writer for print and digital media. A columnist for Hamodia and Binah Magazines, she has been published in several anthologies and in Poetica Magazine. Rebbetzin Horowitz is currently the program coordinator in the Career Services Depart-

ment at Touro College’s Flatbush campus and serves as the Rebbetzin of Congregation Agudas Achim of Lawrence.

The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, PA

Without her support and involvement, what can I possibly do to fulfill my dream?

our dilemma is more common than you think. There’s even a moniker for Young Israel turned yeshivish – “The Flipout.” And every Flipout learning (or supporting a learner) in kollel can tell you about the tearful late-night sessions with the parents trying to convince them that, no, they are not going through a phase, parnassah comes from the Ribbono Shel Olam, therapists make excellent salaries, and public assistance is no longer a stigma. Each story ends with a different outcome, mostly positive on both the Flipout and the parents’ end. (What can I say? Grandkids are irresistible.) To thine own self be true; if you are realistic and determined to pursue the kollel life (or wife) route, kol hakovod to you. How to go about finding Mr. Right (-Wing) without parental support? Spread the word within your own social network – seminary pals, college buddies, officemates, camp friends, yeshivish neighbors, shul-mates or the “frummie” cousins in Lakewood. There are plenty of yeshivish guys and male Flipouts who prefer a partner who has made a sincere, well-thought out decision to go kollel over the girl who married kollel out of rote expectation. Postscript: My best friend, some forty years ago, was an “older single” teacher at a well-known Manhattan Yeshiva. Being an extremely modest and spiritual type, she was having a hard time relating to the many professional young men introduced to her. Her principal introduced her to a young rabbi, an assistant principal in a Brooklyn school. Her mother, a modern woman who was less than happy about the prospect (Ugh, he wears a beard?} chose to derail the shidduch

by wearing pants and flaunting her uncovered coif when she welcomed the young man at the door. Nonetheless, the shidduch was an instant match and the couple was engaged in less than a month. So what about the pants and the hair? Seems the assistant principal’s mother, back in California, didn’t cover her hair either. No apologies or explanations necessary.

Getting to know Sarah Schwartz Schreiber... Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, mother of several and grandmother of “not enough,” is a native Los Angelino. Decades back, she married and settled in Midwood (aka Flatbush). Since then, Sarah has worked in several professional arenas – first as a medical writer and a pharmaceutical copywriter. Sarah eventually pursued her lifelong ambition and became a physician assistant. Currently, Sarah can be found triaging patients in the busiest labor and delivery room on the East Coast. Of all the jobs she’s held, Sarah considers her role as wife and mother to be the most thrilling and fulfilling vocation of all.

The Dating Mentor Rochel Chafetz, Educator/Mentor

ol Hakavod. I think it’s a wonderful way of life, especially when both husband and wife are re-

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ally committed to it. But you have to be ready for that type of lifestyle. There will not be an abundance of money and it won’t be easy buying whatever you want. Your spouse also has to be committed and be on time for sedarim and not miss any, just like you wouldn’t miss work. It’s serious business. You can’t view him as not really working and having total flexibility to help you out when you need help with picking up the kids, etc. Being in kollel life is really beautiful but you have to stay committed and understand that it can be hard, especially when parents are not willing to be helpful. I think you should speak to other young women who are kollel wives and ask questions. If you live a kollel life then your life is a “Torah-dika” life and you have to be consistent. Your friends may go to a movie with their husbands but that wouldn’t befit a kollel couple. Many times young women come back from seminary all gung-ho about this lifestyle, only to realize that they can’t do it. When that happens, it’s very unfair to one’s spouse. Ultimately, if it doesn’t work out after much effort, we understand that it is all up to Hashem, however…. Regarding your parents, that’s a really tough situation. Some parents look at their children as extensions of themselves as opposed to separate beings with a separate and unique mission. They have a hard time when their children choose a different lifestyle, especially when it is so opposite of theirs. In life, according to Rabbi Sacks, when one knows the truth but is not ready for the truth, they then fight the truth. You have to be strong and certain. Do your homework, talk to other marrieds in that situation, get a feel for the lifestyle you believe you want and then tell you parents how much you love them and appreciate all they gave you but ultimately you are a separate being with a separate mission in life. Explain that this lifestyle is what you really want and that you would love for them to be involved. Then find yourself a rav or a mentor who can help you navigate the shidduch scene and give you the chizuk you need. Meanwhile, keep your mom in the loop,

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share with her what is going on and let her see the deep love you have for Torah and Torah-life. Work on your kibbud av v’em. Ultimately, if this is really what you want, stick to your guns. We need more people like you who are passionate about their Yiddishkeit and want to live a committed Torah life. You can do it. Ask Hashem to guide you, and as I said, show your mom that this does not take away from the love and respect you have for them. By the way, make sure you are not their mashigiach, because that can often turn parents away. Hatzlacha.

Getting to know Rochel Chafetz... Rochel Chafetz has been in Chinuch for over 30 years, teaching Chumash to grades 6 through 12. She taught in Prospect Park Ye-

To thine own self be true; if you are realistic and determined to pursue the kollel life (or wife) route, kol hakovod to you.

cha but also helps them navigate their Shana Rishona. Rochel is also an inspirational speaker and gives weekly shiurim to women of all ages. She volunteers in the organization Sister to Sister for divorced women, and is a “sister” to two very special young women. Rochel Chafetz can be reached at rochelchafetz@gmail.com.

The Single Irit Moshe (pen name) shiva for 25 years, taught in Rabbi Wallerstein’s school for at risk teenagers and is currently teaching at SKA. Rochel is a mentor for teenage girls, which ultimately leads to coaching them through their dating years. She is now also a Kallah teacher. Rochel not only teaches them Taharas Hamishpa-

My suggestion is that if you don’t have a rav or a mashpia already, then you need to get one. You are entitled to make grownup decisions at this point for yourself and your future. You are entitled to go in a different direction than that of your parents if you want, though remember that from their perspective they

are, in their own way, looking out for you because they love you. That being said, how you see yourself and your future in your choice, but by taking ownership of your choices, the risk of being right or wrong is on you. Hashkafa is an individual choice between you and Hashem, and no one else should dictate what that relationship should look like. A rav and/or a mashpia will come in handy in guiding you in the shidduch world and with your choices regarding your observance of hashkafa. Therefore, pick your guides wisely and pick them before you begin dating.

Getting to know Irit Moshe... Irit Moshe (pen name) is a 39-year-old woman who has dated in the Orthodox world some twenty years ago and is now “back on the market,” divorced with children.

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

Currently being eligible, and “on the scene,” she feels her anonymity is important, both for her marketability, as well as the sanctity of any of her past and future relationships she may be discussing with you,

the readers. Irit’s background as a shadchon started back in her early 20’s, when she first succeeded in setting up several matches, who now have thriving families of their own. In her late 20’s,

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she worked in the secular world as a social worker for several years with the ill and geriatric communities. In her late 20’s, after her divorce, she experienced living within various Jewish circles, both on the east and west coasts and has observed the distinct differences in

dating styles per coastal region. At present, Irit works as a certified life and dating coach, aiding other shadchanim with thinking “outside the box” as well as coordinating local events. Irit looks forward to hearing from you and learning about your dating experiences and dilemmas plus sharing with you some of her own.

the responsibility of being sole breadwinner and caregiver to G-d willing many children). In my calculation, you are between 19 and 20 years old. In your parents’ world of Modern Orthodoxy, they may not be able to comprehend how any young woman your age is ready to get married, period. They may wonder how you and your husband will support yourselves while you are in college. The same could be said if in some alternate universe you grew up in a kollel lifestyle and decided after spending a year away from home that you are now Modern Orthodox. Your parents may wonder how your husband will spiritually support his family and worry about any potential ramifications leaving the lifestyle may bear. Drop your defenses at the door and get to know more about what is concerning them beneath their defenses (and come prepared with answers). In general, a game plan is a good idea. Whether you are in a t-shirt and flip flops or a long skirt and stockings, if you are ready to get married then you are ready to commit to a life-long commitment to the agreed upon lifestyle between you and your spouse. If they speak to you about their genuine concerns, I hope you can hear it and remain calm and respectful and share your game plan. Show them you have thought this through and respect their concerns and hopefully with time they will return the same respect. Ultimately, you cannot force your parents to approve of your decision and at the same time, you must live

your most authentic life. If you are respectful and considerate of their needs at this time, and they cannot join you in your life’s direction, then you can feel certain that you have done everything in your power to maintain the integrity and wholeness of the family. After that, there is nothing more you can do. There are so many families whose children’s lives take a different hashkafik turn than that of their parents’ (whether it’s more to the right or more to the left) and these families figure out how to compromise, support and love each other through it. I hope yours is able to join the mutual admiration society of families. You may want to consider showing this to your parents, and if you do, this line is for them… Whether in a baseball cap or a black velvet yarmulka, a long uniform skirt or jeans, a grandchild is a grandchild is a grandchild. Warm wishes to you. Sincerely, Jennifer

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

Dear B.S., The panel has spoken and unanimously agree that you are most definitely entitled to live your best life as you see fit and have provided insightful guidelines for you to pursue your path. You have taken some time before jumping in o the dating world to reflect upon your goals and values and you have realized that you want to live a certain lifestyle: supporting your family financially while your husband supports the family spiritually. Many families have a “rebel.” Someone who lives life outside the box. The word “rebel” may conjure up images of motorcycles and tattoos. But in your family the “rebel” is the “Flipout,” as Sarah Schwartz Schreiber (The Mother) brings this moniker to our attention. All families have rules and norms. Even in the most lenient and laidback of families, their rule is, “our family has no rules.” In your family, as of this moment, one rule is that the children must be Modern Orthodox. You are expected to live up to this norm, or the family will not support you on your journey toward marriage. From where you sit, here you are, making the most beautiful commitment to a Torahdik lifestyle and your parents are bringing down the hammer. I am not 100% clear if you are asking “what to do” regarding the practical sense of how to date

without an actively involved mother, or “what to do” in terms of wanting your family to be on board because you love them and they are important to you. Whatever the case, you are put in the position of walking a very fine line, trying to balance being a respectful, loved and supported family member with your own right to live your best life and follow your dreams. Right now, the family is divided. Optimally, we want this family to remain united and respectful of each other’s choices and lifestyles. You view your parents as having caused this rift and your parents must view you as having caused this rift. Somehow, this family needs to view this situation as “our family’s issue.” In other words, this family needs to reframe the issue from “me vs. you” to “us vs. the family issue” (and how do all of us, together resolve this?) Since you are the person who wrote in, I am speaking to you and advising you on the steps to hopefully make this happen. Have you asked your parents what their ultimate unhappiness is with the lifestyle of your choice? Are they simply sticklers who want you to fit in and be like them, or do they have genuine concerns about the well-being of their little girl? (i.e.,

The Navidaters are dating and relationship coaches and therapists. Located in Lawrence, NY, their services include date debriefing, dating skills coaching, couples counseling, premarital and marital counseling. Sessions are held in the office or via phone or Skype. The Navidaters can be reached at 516.224.7779. If you have a dating or relationship scenario you would like to be featured in WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF, email thenavidaters@gmail.com. Check out their website, thenavidaters. com for more information. Follow TheNavidaters on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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A Fulfilled L fe

8 Qualities of Strong Mentors By Rabbi Naphtali Hoff

Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction. - John C. Crosby

ne of the most important roles of a leader is to provide workplace supervision. It is our duty to manage others in their work – particularly those who are newer and/or less experienced – and ensure that they perform their duties correctly and on schedule. Without such supervision, it is generally assumed that workers will slack and underperform. But if we want our people to grow in their positions and achieve optimal job satisfaction and retention then we need to also provide mentorship. (A 2013 Vestrics study found that employee retention rates in their sample group of mentors and mentees climbed 69% for the mentors and 72% for the mentees over a seven-year period.) Mentorship is a relationship that is created between an experienced professional and a less experienced mentee or protégé. Its primary purpose is to build a support system that allows for the natural exchange of ideas, a forum for constructive advice, and a recipe for success. Superior mentors possess most if not all of the following qualities: 1. Skilled and knowledgeable – Good mentors possess current and relevant knowledge, exper-

Ideally, the mentor should be everything that the mentee needs to become, as an employee and as a person.

tise, and/or skills specific to what the mentee needs to learn and do. 2. Trust builder – The mentor establishes a high level of trust. He/she indicates that their relationship is about building capacity and offering support, not “zapping” the mentee for poor decisions or performances. 3. Active listener – A strong mentor knows how to listen. This includes using eyes and body posture to convey interest and attention. It

also refers to our ability to reframe what we hear to ensure that we processed the message correctly. 4. Strong analyst – Mentors must be able to analyze what needs to get done and then help the mentee create an action plan for success. They also need to be able to see how the worker’s abilities align with the task and help him/her optimize his/ her strengths towards that end. 5. Honest, clear communicator – It is important for mentors

to be super clear about what the job entails as well as what they are observing. Be honest and specific about what is or is not working and use measurable criteria to assess performance. 6. Committed and reliable – Mentees should know that they can trust their mentor to be there for them and help them through until the very end. On a related note, good mentors are sincerely interested in helping someone else without any “official” reward. They do it because they genuinely want to see someone else succeed. 7. Role model – Ideally, the mentor should be everything that the mentee needs to become, as an employee and as a person. Realize that the mentee will be studying you closely and will draw deeply from your actions and values. 8. Cheerleader – This is perhaps the most important quality of all. Mentors need to be a source of inspiration for their mentees, especially when the pressure to perform mounts. Guidance coupled with a healthy dose of encouragement can be the magic formula to ensure a mentee’s short and long-term success.

Rabbi Naphtali Hoff is an executive coach and president of Impactful Coaching and Consulting (ImpactfulCoaching.com). He can be reached at 212.470.6139 or at nhoff@ impactfulcoaching.com.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

Walmart announced this Black Friday they’re doing away with their highly sought-after and fought-over door buster deals. I guess this is a good thing. But I feel like as a society we might need these door buster deals. One night a year we get out all our aggression by savagely beating our fellow shoppers. – Jimmy Kimmel

To counteract the radicalization we must go back to the situation such as the one in the Middle East of which not the least of the Palestinians see that there is no future: we must either accept a desperate situation or resort to violence.

Donald Trump is out in front of the pack again. According to a new Reuter’s poll he’s in first place among likely Republican voters with 42 percent. Ben Carson is in second with just under 25 percent. Only 4 percent now say they would support Jeb Bush. That number dropped to 2 percent when the pollster asked, “Really?” - Jimmy Kimmel

- Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom stating in a Swedish-language television interview that Islamic State (ISIS)’s attacks on Paris were partially fueled by Palestinian frustration.

This evening, instead of wearing the bridal dress, I will sit on the floor with a torn shirt. But very soon, we will marry in a large and happy wedding. We will go on and be happy as Father and Netanel always were. We will not be crushed.

In a new interview, Tom Brady said he’ll never get into politics because “half the people are going to like you and half the people are not going to like you.” Or, as that’s also known: sports. – Jimmy Fallon

- Sarah Tehiye Litman, whose wedding was postponed for a week after her father and brother, Rabbi Ya’akov and Netanel, Hy”d, were killed in a terrorist attack, in an interview with an Israeli secular newspaper

I didn’t want to do it anymore. I forced myself to do something that I really didn’t want to do anymore. I was in a really dark place, not wanting to be alive anymore. I look back now, I lived in a bubble for a long time. I wound up uncovering a lot of things about myself. . . I saw myself as the athlete that I was, but not as a human being. - Michael Phelps, in an interview in Sports Illustrated talking about the 2008 Olympics and going through alcohol rehab

Donald Trump said he got to know Vladimir Putin very well because they were on “60 Minutes” the same night, even though they were interviewed by different hosts in different locations. Then he said it was a pleasure to meet Flo the Progressive lady during the commercial break. – Conan O’Brien

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I’m very excited to see what the individuals sitting around this table end up doing in the United States of America because my suspicion is that they’re going to do great things. – President Obama after visiting a group of refugees at the Dignity for Children Foundation in Malaysia who were on their way to settle in the United States

In a speech last week, Bernie Sanders called for a new global alliance with Russia and the Middle East to fight threats around the world. Then people said, “You mean like Russia and the Middle East?” – Jimmy Fallon

To turn them away and say there’s no way you can ever get here would play right into the terrorists’ hands. We know that ISIL––we know what they hope to accomplish. – Joe Biden

RadioShack just announced they will be celebrating Black Friday on Wednesday. Mostly because RadioShack’s worried they won’t be around on Friday. – Conan O’Brien

These are the same folks oftentimes who suggest that they’re so tough that just talking to Putin or staring down ISIL or using some additional rhetoric somehow’s going to solve the problems out there. But apparently they’re scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America as part of our tradition of compassion. At first, they were too scared of the press being too tough on them during debates. Now they’re worried about three-year-old orphans. That doesn’t sound very tough to me. - President Obama Speaking at the APEC summit about Republican candidates arguing that taking Syrian refugees into the U.S. without proper vetting may be dangerous, as it turned out to be in Europe

The president was a petulant child in Turkey. You know, there are legitimate concerns being raised about the Syrian refugee crisis, and I’m one of the folks who’s raised them. When the FBI director says he can’t effectively vet these people, that should be the end of the conversation. - Gov. Chris Christie on Fox News

I saw that one hundred years ago this month, Albert Einstein presented his theory of General Relativity, which explains how gravity works. And it also marks the last time someone actually meant it when they said, “Way to go, Einstein.” - Jimmy Fallon

I am naturally ugly. He is not. He is ugly only when he opens his mouth. - Previous champion William Masvinu complaining after he lost Zimbabwe’s 4th annual “Mister Ugly” contest to Mison Sere

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The American Postal Workers Union has endorsed Bernie Sanders. They like Bernie because he’s the only candidate who’s old enough to still be using the U.S. Postal Service. – Conan O’Brien

What is this Snapshot thing and why do I only get ten seconds? – Sen. Bernie Sanders, upon joining Snapchat

There’s something different about what happened from Charlie Hebdo, and I think everybody would feel that. There was a sort of particularized focus and perhaps even a legitimacy in terms of – not a legitimacy, but a rationale that you could attach yourself to somehow and say, okay, they’re really angry because of this and that. - Secretary of State John Kerry at the U.S. Embassy in France actually distinguishing the recent Paris attack from the “rational” attack that killed 12 people last January when the radical Islamic terrorists were upset about cartoons in the Charlie Hebdo magazine

Marriott reached a $12 billion deal to buy Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which now makes Marriott the world’s biggest hotel chain. At first the deal only cost $9 billion, but when they celebrated with a tiny bottle of champagne from the minibar, it made it $12 billion. – Jimmy Fallon

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In his recent interview with GQ, President Obama said that he’d like to own an NBA team after he leaves the White House. You’ll know it’s Obama’s team when it takes the players five years to pass something. – Jimmy Fallon

Governor Chris Christie said in an interview yesterday that New Jersey would not accept Syrian refugees. Which is too bad, because Syrian refugees would be the first people ever to arrive in New Jersey and say, “Hey, this is much better!” – Seth Myers

Next week, I will be joining President Hollande and world leaders in Paris for the global climate conference. What a powerful rebuke to the terrorists it will be when the world stands as one and shows that we will not be deterred from building a better future for our children. - President Barack Obama

I think Donald Trump will drop out once he finds out how much money the president actually makes. I think he pays his hair flap engineer more than $400,000 a year.

Believe me, it works. And you know what? If it doesn’t work, they deserve it anyway.

– Jimmy Kimmel

- Donald Trump at a rally talking about waterboarding terrorists

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Political Crossfire

Obama’s Phony War By Charles Krauthammer

Tell me: What’s a suicide bomber doing with a passport? He’s not going anywhere. And, though I’m not a religious scholar, I doubt that a passport is required in paradise for a martyr to access his [reward].

Syrian passport was found near the body of one of the terrorists. Why was it there? Undoubtedly, to back up the Islamic State boast that it is infiltrating operatives amid the refugees flooding Europe. The passport may have been fake, but the terrorist’s fingerprints were not. They match those of a man who just a month earlier had come through Greece on his way to kill Frenchmen in Paris. If the other goal of the Paris massacre was to frighten France out of the air campaign in Syria – the way Spain withdrew from the Iraq War after the terror attack on its trains in 2004 – they picked the wrong country. France is a serious post-colonial power, as demonstrated in Ivory Coast, the Central African Republic and Mali, which France saved from an Islamist takeover in 2013. Indeed, socialist President Francois Hollande has responded furiously to his country’s 9/11 with an intensified air campaign, hundreds of raids on suspected domestic ter-

rorists, a state of emergency and proposed changes in the constitution to make France less hospitable to jihad. Meanwhile, Barack Obama, titular head of the free world, has responded to Paris with weariness and annoyance. His news conference in Turkey was marked by a stunning tone of passivity, detachment and lassitude, compounded by impatience and irritability at the very suggestion that his Syria strategy might be failing. The only time he showed any passion was in denouncing Republicans for hardheartedness toward Muslim refugees. One hundred and twenty-nine innocents lie dead but it takes the GOP to kindle Obama’s ire. The rest was mere petulance, dismissing criticisms of his Syria policy as popping off. Inconveniently for Obama, one of those popperoffers is Dianne Feinstein, the leading Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. She directly contradicted Obama’s blithe assertion, offered the day before the Paris attack, that the Islamic State (aka ISIL) was contained and not gaining strength. “I have never been more concerned,” said Feinstein. “ISIL is not contained. ISIL is expanding.” Obama defended his policy by listing its multifaceted elements. Such as, “I hosted at the United Nations an entire discussion of counterterrorism strategies and curbing the flow of foreign fighters.” An “entire” discussion, mind you. Not a partial one. They

tremble in Raqqa. And “We have mobilized 65 countries to go after ISIL.” Yes, and what would we do without Luxembourg?

produced an astonishing wave of terrorist recruitment with a campaign of brutality, butchery and enslavement filmed in living color. Who can still believe that young Muslims are leav-

One hundred and twenty-nine innocents lie dead but it takes the GOP to kindle Obama’s ire.

Obama complained of being criticized for not being bellicose enough. But the complaint is not about an absence of bellicosity but about an absence of passion, of urgency and of commitment to the fight. The air campaign over Syria averages seven strikes a day. Seven. In Operation Desert Storm, we flew 1,100 sorties a day. Even in the Kosovo campaign, we averaged 138. Obama is doing just enough in Syria to give the appearance of motion, yet not nearly enough to have any chance of success. Obama’s priorities lie elsewhere. For example, climate change, which he considers the greatest “threat to our future.” And, of course, closing Guantánamo. Obama actually released five detainees on the day after the Paris massacre. He is passionate about Guantánamo. It’s a great terrorist recruiting tool, he repeatedly explains. Obama still seems to believe that – even as the Islamic State has

ing Europe to join the Islamic State because of Guantánamo? Obama’s other passion is protecting Islam from any possible association with “violent extremism.” The Islamic State is nothing but “killers with fantasies of glory.” Obama can never bring himself to acknowledge why these people kill and willingly die: to advance a radical Islamist millenarianism that is purposeful, indeed eschatological -and appealing enough to have created the largest, most dangerous terrorist movement on earth. Hollande is trying to gather a real coalition to destroy the Islamic State, even as Obama touts his phony 65. For 11 post-World War II presidencies, coalition leading has been the role of the United States. Where is America today? Awaiting a president. The next president. (c) 2015, The Washington Post Writers Group

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Political Crossfire

Obama, Speaking From the Ruins By Michael Gerson

An event that invokes widespread fear and confusion, such as the Paris attacks, is also an occasion for leadership. The resulting intense public focus opens a brief window for explanation and inspiration. In moments of crisis or challenge, a leader can figuratively speak from the ruins.

he president I served, George W. Bush, did so literally after 11/9: “The people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” At the 2005 Gleneagles G-8 meeting, I saw Prime Minister Tony Blair, ashen and subdued, just after receiving news of the London bombings. Returning to London, his public response was steady and unifying. So what has been President Obama’s response to a series of Islamic State terrorist attacks – a Russian plane in Egypt, suicide bombings in Beirut, the Paris massacre – that demonstrate an uncontained global threat? His Nov. 16 press conference in Antalya,

Turkey, provides a full picture of Obama’s wartime leadership in its seventh year: petulant, divisive and reluctant. Under close questioning about the effectiveness and urgency of his strategy to fight the Islamic State, Obama quickly pulled out the big guns – against his American critics. They are “talking as if they’re tough” and playing “political games,” which would betray “a 25-year-old kid who’s paralyzed or has lost his limbs.” It is almost beyond belief: A commander-in-chief, in a time of national testing, deploying limbless soldiers as a rhetorical trump card against his political opponents. In Turkey, Obama expressed more obvious relish for his own partisan battles than for the nation’s military goals. America has a president whose wartime leadership is apparently inspired, not by Winston Churchill or Franklin Roosevelt, but by Rachel Maddow. His military strategy in Iraq and Syria may be questionable, but Obama is the Eisenhower of political polarization, the Napoleon of the partisan low blow. The president would certainly blame Republicans for starting this undignified fight. Which matters not at all to the wartime rhetorical responsibilities of a president. Another trump card played by Obama in Turkey against his critics

was the approval of the U.S. armed forces. “We have the finest military in the world,” he said, “and we have the finest military minds in the world, and I’ve been meeting with them intensively for years now, and it is not just my view but the view of my closest military and civilian advisers that that [an expanded military role] would be a mistake.” How could anyone argue with that? Except that in 2011, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sent a classified

timetable, which is absurd from a military perspective. As civil unrest in Syria turned into civil war, Obama refused to support American proxies in the conflict – against the advice of his secretary of defense, his secretary of state and his CIA director. Obama has often used military advice as a cafeteria offering, picking elements that are consistent with his political promise of “no boots on the ground” and his reputation as the ender of wars. A president is free, of course,

America has a president whose wartime leadership is apparently inspired, not by Winston Churchill or Franklin Roosevelt, but by Rachel Maddow.

letter to the White House urging the president to keep 16,000 troops in Iraq, which Mullen called “my best military advice.” With his reelection coming up, Obama overruled Mullen in favor of a lower number. And then the Obama administration did not really push to retain any troops at all. In a 2014 New Yorker article by Dexter Filkins, we learned: “Ben Rhodes, the U.S. deputy national-security adviser, told me that Obama believes a full withdrawal was the right decision.” All of which left Iraq less prepared for the emergence of rise of the Islamic State. Obama has made a habit of this for years now. He bumped up troop levels in Afghanistan in 2010 under pressure from military leaders, but only as part of a strategy of withdrawal on an announced

to disregard the advice of military commanders. But he is not then free to claim their blanket blessing on a policy that has resulted in a strategic and humanitarian nightmare. In truth, President Obama’s public leadership in the war against terrorism, now expressed as the war against the Islamic state, has always been sporadic and halfhearted. The leader who took credit for “responsibly ending” America’s wars and who argued it was “time to focus on nation-building here at home” is now peeved by criticism of his wartime leadership. Obama now speaks, sullen and embittered, from the ruins of our national security debate. (c) 2015, Washington Writers Group

Post

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Dr. Deb

How Anxiety Affects Marriage By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

Do you think anxiety gets in your way? Research finds that you are right. Anxiety – paradoxically – leads people to marry more readily than those without it, and (unfortunately) to divorce more readily, too, because of greater marital dissatisfaction.

hat’s more, anxiety is a self-propelled engine: It creates just enough havoc in a marriage to increase the dissatisfaction in that marriage – which, in turn, leads to greater anxiety. Murray Bowen (deceased) explained why all this happens and his explanation takes something that seems counterintuitive and makes complete sense out of it. The story begins, of course, in childhood. When parents rob their children of trust in them – emotional trust – it makes them, naturally, anxious. And they grow up to be anxious adults. How would this happen? Surely parents love their children and would never want to take away their trust. But they can do it just the same. Here are some ways: • Blame, criticize, chastise frequently • When a child complains, hit their vulnerabilities. An example of this is the following kind of conversation: Child: “I really wanted to go to X. [whining] Why didn’t [friend] invite me?” Parent: “Do you think he would invite you after you did A, B, C?” In other words, instead of soothing the child or having a constructive conversation, the parent pours salt into the child’s wounds, reminding him of his gaffs. This can be particularly painful even if the mistakes the child made were not so terrible. The point here is not to examine why the parent acts this way. It

happens all the time; it’s so common that I am amazed and pleased when I witness it not happening. Looking at what’s behind it with the parent is for a different article. The focus here is what happens to that child, and in particular, what happens to his relationship to his parent? The answer is: This is what breaks down trust. The child learns to hide himself from his parent because if he ever shows a flaw or soft spot, he knows his parent can use that against him one day. Hiding is a great solution because the less the parent interacts with the child, the less he knows his child – and the less chances to blame, criticize or scold. But put yourself in that child’s shoes for a minute: The child never knows when he will get “caught” making human mistakes that can be held against him. And that leads to anxiety. It leads also to low self-esteem and tons of self-doubt. This is true even for the child that hides literally, like the runaways. They’ve already gotten the fear of attack deeply imbedded inside. Where will such a person look for the missing self-esteem, the balm for the anxiety? The obvious answer is in another person, preferably of the opposite sex. This explains the rush to marry. Next, we have to look at the person they marry. Most people do marry someone who has a lot in common with them in spite of the truism that we are attracted to our opposite. And a careful look at families does

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

reveal similar levels of self-confidence among couples. So the person looking for the anxiety cure in marriage theoretically made a good choice. After all, the spouse “gets” what they’ve been through because that spouse has had similar experiences and can relate to their feelings. But he, too, is looking for the “cure” in the other person. By the way, this “looking” process is not conscious. We unconsciously pick the person who can help us to heal because they’ve been there. Here is where the problem comes in. It is not easy to apply a “cure” to our spouse if we are suffering from the same thing, especially if that “thing” is anxiety. It gets even more complicated because there are normal life stresses out there that we bring home with us. Then we wait hopefully for just the right response from our stressed-out spouse. The right response does not come and the spouse feels more stressed as well as now having added-on depression. The other spouse, clueless as to what he or she did wrong (but usually it’s a “he”), is now more anxious,

perhaps angry as well, leading to conflict and greater marital dissatisfaction. Research, in fact, shows that there is a gender difference between men’s and women’s level of supportiveness. A 2005 study “using observational and diary data from 169 couples revealed that on more stressful days women tended to provide more support, [italics mine] whereas men, even though they provided support, also increased the negative behaviors toward their partners such as criticizing, blaming the partner or providing inconsiderate advice.” Uh-oh. Guys? You listening? On this latter subject, therapist Terry Real weighs in, pointing out that our culture asks men to step away from their own feelings. He talks about the typical reaction of a young boy to his mother’s tears and fright. That boy might be upset, scared, and sorry for his mother but he is not allowed to show those tender feelings in our society. From the age of two on, he is told, “Be a man!” We see from this research how anxiety in marriage breeds more

anxiety and ultimate marital dissatisfaction. Yet the elements that clearly caused the problem are the very wellsprings of healing for the couple. They can learn to really listen to each other, be emotionally present, and supportive.

After all, the spouse “gets” what they’ve been through because that spouse has had similar experiences and can relate to their feelings.

There are very specific steps that couples can learn to take so as to get to just this result. In one version or another, therapists help people to

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take these very steps and make these changes. No matter where you look in the literature there seem to be four basic steps that people can take to achieve these goals. Of interest is that I recently heard of yet a fifth way and I will be speaking about all five next Tuesday, December 1 at 9:45 at Waffelino in our Food For Thought series. My talk is called, “How Avraham Avinu Avoided Generalized Anxiety Disorder.” Okay, it’s a bit tongue in cheek, but in conjunction with the methods therapists use today, it creates a pretty powerful punch.

Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage & Family Therapist and best-selling author of The Healing Is Mutual: Marriage Empowerment Tools to Rebuild Trust and Respect—Together. Attend the Food For Thought lectures at Waffelino Restaurant at 310 Central Avenue in Cedarhurst on Tuesdays at 9:45 AM. Any questions, call 646-54-DRDEB or check out her website at http:// drdeb.com. All stories in Dr. Deb’s articles are fabricated. See Dr. Deb on TorahAnytime.com.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Health & F tness

The Grease on Oil By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

ow that we are in the month of Kislev, and Chanukah is rapidly approaching, we can’t help but fantasize about all the fried foods coming our way. The miracle of Chanukah symbolizes the oil that lasted for eight days, which we interpret as everything you eat on Chanukah must be saturated in oil! Since it’s inevitable this time of year and we are most probably going to over-indulge ourselves with oily foods anyway, let’s at least attempt to do it the right way. There are

ing and how the fat affects our body. These chemical bonds are classified as saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. Each fat contains all three types of these chemical shapes, however, the fat is classified by the type of bond it contains the most of. For example, olive oil consists mostly of monounsaturated fatty acids and therefore is considered a monounsaturated fat. Saturated fats, for example, butter, lard and shortening, are solid at room temperature. Diets high

Many diets such as the Mediterranean and DASH diets promote the use of monounsaturated fats due to its link to heart health.

many different types of oils that can be used for cooking, some healthier than others. Let’s take a close look at the various oils and determine what the best and healthiest choice is. Oils, butter, and shortening are different forms of fats. Fats consist of fatty acid chains which have specific chemical shapes and bonds. These bonds affect how the fat performs in cooking/bak-

in saturated fat have been linked to high cholesterol levels, heart disease, and stroke. It’s best to limit intakes of saturated fat. Experts agree that less than 7% of your daily caloric intake should come from saturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats, such as canola oil, sunflower oil, and walnut oil, are always liquid, even when refrigerated. When polyunsaturated fats replace saturated fats, they help re-

duce cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease and stroke. Polyunsaturated fats also contain high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids which act as anti-inflammatory agents. However, most people get enough omega-6 from their diet and do not need to rely on polyunsaturated fats as a source of omega-6. Monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, sesame oil, canola oil, and peanut oil, are liquid at room temperature, yet become semi-solid or cloudy when refrigerated. Did you ever notice that when you put a salad with olive oil in the fridge, the dressing solidifies and becomes cloudy? That is due to the chemical bonds of the monounsaturated fat. Like polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats help reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease and stroke when used as a substitute for saturated fats. Not only do monounsaturated fats indirectly lower your LDL or “bad” cholesterol simply by replacing the saturated fats, research has shown that monounsaturated fats help increase your levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats also contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory agents and contribute to brain function. Further-

more, monounsaturated fats have also been shown to help satiate your appetite and stabilize blood sugar levels. This attributes to the reason why many people start off their meals with dipping bread into olive oil. The olive oil is meant to fill you up and curb your appetite. Many diets such as the Mediterranean and DASH diets promote the use of monounsaturated fats due to its link to heart health. So which oils are the healthiest and best to use? Research concludes that the top three oils which will cover your basic cooking and baking needs are extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, and walnut oil. Besides for being a source of monounsaturated fats and offering all the health benefits mentioned above, extra-virgin olive oil is high in antioxidants called polyphenols which are linked to heart health. Olive oil has a rich flavor and is best when drizzled on sautéed, roasted or steamed vegetables, salads, rice, used in salad dressings, and other foods that will benefit from its rich flavor. Canola oil, another monounsaturated fat, has a neutral flavor and high smoke point which makes it a top choice for cooking and baking. Walnut oil is a polyunsaturated fat that contains high amounts of omega-3 fat-

ty acids. It has a nutty flavor and a higher price tag, but it’s delicious in salad dressings and other baked goods that will benefit from a nutty flavor. Other polyunsaturated fats that have distinct flavors are grapeseed oil and sesame oil. At this time of year, when stocking up on the oil in preparation for Chanukah, try to choose a monounsaturated fat such as olive oil or canola oil. Canola oil would be the healthiest and best choice for frying all the latkes and doughnuts, but try to stick with the salads that are dressed with olive oil!

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. Her Dietetic Internship was completed under Brooklyn College primarily in Ditmas Park Care Center and Boro Park Center where she developed clinical and education skills to treat patients with comprehensive nutrition care. She is currently a dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@ gmail.com.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

In The K

tchen

Chili in the Crockpot By Naomi Nachman

Ingredients 2 pounds of ground chopped meat 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, crushed One jalapeño, seeded and chopped 2 - 16 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, undrained 1 - 16 ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 - 15 ounce can of John Pepinos pizza sauce 1 - 4 ounce can of green chilies One package of chili or taco seasoning mix 2 teaspoon of cumin 1 tablespoon instant freeze dried coffee 1 cup of beer (your choice) 1 cup brown sugar 2 cup of Sweet Rays BBQ sauce Salt and pepper to taste

I am always looking to serve hot food on Shabbat day, especially as the winter approaches. I have made all kinds of cholents, yaptziks, pastramis, and racks of ribs, all slow-cooked overnight. I love chili and, as an experiment, thought I would try my hand at making chili that would be able to go into the crockpot overnight for Shabbat lunch. I love this recipe; the boost of the coffee and the beer together really pack a powerful punch of flavor. If you like it spicier, you can add more hot chilies or some Burning Bush Hot Sauce (available at Gourmet Glatt). The recipe below can either be made to be served immediately or slowcooked in a crockpot. See below for further details.

Preparation In a cast-iron skillet or large sauté pan, cook meat, onions, garlic and jalapeño until the meat is browned, then drain the fat that was released from the meat. Add tomatoes with juice, kidney beans, pizza sauce, green chilies, spices, coffee, beer, sugar and BBQ sauce and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Cover and simmer on low for one hour and then serve. If you would like to serve it hot for Shabbat lunch, you can place it overnight in a crockpot on the warm setting, instead of simmering it for an hour.

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.

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Forgotten Her es

Submarines Ruling the Ocean’s Depths By Avi Heiligman

Part IV Author’s note: This is the last in our series of submarines. We just barely broke the surface (pun intended) on all of the fascinating information there is to write on the topic. In future issues (dates to be determined) we will delve further into the depths of submarines. Personally, I am fascinated with names given to the subs (and other ships) and if you would like to see a particular article, please feel free to email me at aviheiligman @gmail.com.

he buildup of material during World War II was so great that countries worldwide needed to do something with the surplus. Most of the planes were scrapped, as were many ships. Some ships remained

The Rahav enroute to Israel

The USS Nautilus, circa 1965

in service while others were transferred to other countries. Submarines were easy and cheap to keep in service so many served until the 1950s. Some of the American underwater boats were scrapped, while others became museum ships and still others were transferred to other navies. Israel received her first submarines from England and continued to build her fleet. In the mid-1950s, a brilliant Jewish-American admiral had a brilliant idea that changed submarines forever. Most German WWII U-boats were scuttled at the end of the war but 48 (not including U-505 which was captured by an American task force and is now on display in Chicago) were spared

The recovered conning tower of the INS Dakar in the Naval Museum, Haifa

The USS George Washington was the first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine

this fate. Twelve were sent to the U.S., and upon inspection, American engineers realized they were way behind German innovation in the field of submarines. Taking these ideas and a new type of propulsion, the U.S. unveiled the USS Nautilus in 1954. It was the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine and was about to break all types of records. Jewish Captain, later Admiral, Hyman Rickover was the man behind the project. He was inspired to build the submarine after seeing the nuclear research operation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The navy wanted to see if they could feasibly put a nuclear power plant on larger warships but Rickover saw the advantages of one on a

submarine. Eventually, after making a lot of enemies in the military brass, the USS Nautilus was built. Among its many records, the Nautilus set the pace with a 13,000 mile underwater voyage from Connecticut to San Juan all while never breaking the surface. On August 3, 1958, she became the first ship to reach the North Pole. The Nautilus, captained by Commander William Anderson and with a civilian scientist on board for help in navigation, cleared the polar ice cap on her second attempt. The Russians built their own nuclear submarines in the 1950s but had many more problems than the Americans including radiation leaks. At least 13 Russian nuclear subs have had accidents

involving their reactor while the American fleet has had none. Six American nuclear subs have had accidents but only the USS Thresher sank with all hands. The USS George Washington was the first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine and was launched in 1959. These could be fired while the submarine was submerged and could stay on station for as long as the food and crew held out. Running out of power on a nuclear submarine can almost never happen because the reactor doesn’t need an outside fuel to source to run. Submarines today carry Polaris and other missiles that are at the forefront of American naval strategy. American submarines were named after sea creatures or just given numbers until the George Washington was launched. There were a few exceptions with one being the USS Tarantula, which was launched in 1907. The third American sub was interestingly named the Intelligent Whale. During the Cold War many were named after important people in American history like USS Daniel Boone, USS Tecumseh and USS Hyman Rickover. Now they are mainly named after cities and states with the latest one being the USS Utah. Israel received her first submarines from England in 1958. The HMS Springer and the HMS Sanguin were WWII-era subs that

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

were changed to INS Tanin and INS Rahav. The Israeli crews trained in England and sailed to their new bases in Haifa. Nuclear technology was not available to the Israelis at that time so the subs had noisy, smelly and hot diesel engines. Sometimes the temperature reached 120 degrees in the Mediterranean heat. The Tanin saw much more action than her sister ship. Like the Raha,v the only action she saw in the hands of the British Navy was in the Queen’s coronation procession in 1953. However, during the Six Day War, the Israelis used her to launch commandos at the port of Alexandria, Egypt. She placed mines to sink shipping and tried to torpedo an enemy warship. In the ensuing action the Tanin was damaged by depth charges while her target escaped. The ship’s captain received the Medal of Courage for his actions

and the ship received new parts from the Rahav. The Tanin stayed in the navy until she was decommissioned in 1977. The next three Israeli submarines were also from England – this time of the T-class. They were the INS Leviatan, INS Dolphin and the ill-fated INS Dakar. These subs were built during WWII and were bought by Israel in the mid-1960s. Originally, the HMS Totem was given an overhaul that added two electrical motors, a new conning tower and bridge, and 12 feet was added to the hull. Lt. Commander Yaacov Raanan was given command of the boat as she underwent two months of successful sea trials in Scotland. On January 9, 1968, the Dakar left England but kept in radio contact with headquarters. On the 25th, she sent a message by radio that she was in the Mediterranean and was expected in

Haifa a few days later. Nothing more was heard from her, although at first it was assumed that she was experiencing radio problems. A SOS signal was received on Cyprus from the Dakar but they couldn’t pinpoint her exact location. After a week of searching, she was written off as a complete loss. Rabbanim had the difficult task of answering agunah shailos (if a woman’s husband disappears with no trace, can she remarry) because there were rumors that they were captured and still alive in an Arab country. Two years later, an Egyptian newspaper claimed that she was sunk by depth charges from Egyptian warships but Israel denied that claim and stated that there was no evidence. In 1999, an American salvage team located the wreck two miles off of Crete. An exact cause of the disaster is still unknown but it appears from the wreckage that the hull

ruptured when she reached maximum depth and no emergency measures were taken to prevent the sinking. Two more classes of submarines, Gal and Dolphin, were built using technology learned from England and Germany. Most of their missions and capabilities remain classified even though the Gal class is retired. The current submarines in the Israeli Navy are from the Dolphin class. Having been in service since 1999 these three subs are being joined by another three from the Super-Dolphin class. Two of these new subs are also named the INS Tanin and INS Rahav. The new Rahav is believed to be the most expensive platform in the entire IDF. These are Israel’s first line of defense from the sea, and they can fire long range ballistic missiles against a variety of targets. Nuclear submarines may not be the mainstay for the

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future of underwater boats. The U.S., Israel and other countries have been experimenting with diesel-electric powered submarines as a cheaper option. They are much cheaper and are more difficult to detect but are slower and can’t stay below the surface for nearly as long as nuclear sub. Since WWII there has been few attacks by submarines on ships as most of their missions are to support commandos and intelligence gathering. Submarines are a vital piece of naval strategy that has changed the outlook on the future of warfare. A submarine can strike without notice and can quickly change the course of a battle. Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 SERVICES

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N&T Handyman Services Construction, renovations, plumbing, electrical, instillation of cameras Shlomi 516- 532- 2625

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Drum Lessons by an experienced frum drum teacher in the Far Rockaway area. Many references available. Uri Zutler 917-749-3652 Leah’s Beauty Concepts Experienced Makeup Artist and Skin Care Specialist Makeup for all occasions Conventional and airbrush Wake up looking beautiful with permanent makeup Relaxing deep cleansing European facials Laser hair removal-electrolysis Leah Sperber 917-771-7329 The Children’s Clothing Gemach in Cedarhurst is fully stocked for boys/ girls in sizes newborn-teen. To make an appointment please call/text 516-712-7735 Personal chef, menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, will stock your freezer with prepared meals, customized meals, every day, holidays, dinners, Naphtali Sobel 516-732-1729 Struggling with Shalom Bayis? The Shalom Bayis Hotline 732-523-1112. Caring rabbanim answering your questions for free. So far very positive results BS’D! HAIR COURSE Learn how to wash and style hair and wigs Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009

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WOODMERE: Elegant 4BR, 3 Full Bath CH Colonial, Features Gracious Entry Hi Ceilings, Eik, Lg FDR, LR, Fabulous Den, Prime Location, SD#14…$825K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 COMMERCIAL RE CEDARHURST: 500-3000 +/- SF Professional Office Space Available in the Heart of Cedarhurst, For Lease...Call For More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com EAST ROCKAWAY: 900 +/- SF Office Space in Great Location, Former Dental Office, Ideal for Dental/Medical or Professional, For Lease …Call For More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 FREEPORT: 1,450 +/- SF Office Storefront, Totally Renovated, Office, Bullpen Area, Empire Zone Benefits, Convenient to Major Public Transportation, For Sale… Call Alan for More Details (516) 2953000 www.pugatch.com LAWRENCE: 8,000 +/- SF Retail Space on Rockaway Tpke with Parking, Will Divide. Great Location, For Lease…Call For More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 ROCKVILLE CENTRE: Professional/Medical Co-Op. 3000 +/Sf Space with Reception Area, 7 Exam Rooms, 2 Consult Offices, 2 Bathrooms, For Sale…Call Randy for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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NOVEMBER 26, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 APT FOR RENT

FOR SALE

HELP WANTED

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Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island is seeking a full time administrative assistant. Experience necessary. Please email resume to office@ykli.org

ACCOUNTANT/BOOKKEEPER Growing company in the 5 Towns seeking motivated employee for Full Time accounting/bookkeeping. MUST have professional accounting experience previously to be considered, strong teamwork skills required. Submit qualified resume to admin@ getpeyd.com for details.

CEDARHURST 500-3,500 +/- SF Beautiful, newly renovated space for rent. Ideal for Retail or Executive offices. Prime location. Convenient Parking. Call Sam @ 516-612-2433 or 718-747-8080

Geometry teacher available to help with classwork, study for tests and prepare for the regents. 347-977-6967

ON SEAGIRT AVENUE 2 & 3 bedroom. Newly renovated. Washer and dryer hook up. Granite countertops. More info call or text 917-602-2914

TalknSave NY is looking for a full-time Office Admin/Sales for its Lawrence office. Ideal candidate is service/ sales oriented, tech-savvy and detailoriented. jobs@talknsave.net

FOR SALE SELLING BEAUTIFUL MAHOGANY AND GOLD DINING ROOM SET. Includes 13-ft. table (which opens up to 16-ft. and is 48in. wide); 14 chairs; 9-foot breakfront; and 8-foot buffet. All in excellent condition. Will enhance your dining room. Asking $7,500 for the set. Call 516-551-4888.

WANTED:

HELP WANTED

TORAH ACADEMY FOR GIRLS is seeking qualified assistants for grades 1-5 for our General Studies Department. Please fax resume to 718-868-4612 attention Mrs. Feldman or email Tagelementary@ gmail.com Teachers wanted Gen AND Special Ed, Full or Part time for growing elementary school - New Classes Opening for Girls Bais Yaacov & Boys Yeshiva. Email resume to info. pathwaystudycenter@gmail.com and call718-887-6030

EXPERIENCED GRAPHIC DESIGNER

THAT KNOWS HOW TO USE A MAC & IS KNOWLEDGEABLE IN ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR, INDESIGN, AND PHOTOSHOP PART TIME: MONDAYS & TUESDAYS

FOR INFO PLEASE CALL: 718 377-8016 OR EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO: graphicdesigner613@gmail.com

EXPERIENCED REAL ESTATE SALES AGENT needed for a HIGH Producing real estate office who is seeking an opportunity to Earn & Learn more!!! Call Today (516) 295-3000 x 128. All calls kept confidential. Seeking Physical Therapists (part time) for Far Rockaway Pre School. Email resume to scohen@onourwaylc.org. CATAPULT LEARNING Teachers for Title I in Boro Park andWilliamsburg Chassidic boys schools *College/Yeshiva Degree Required *Strong desire to help children learn *Excellent organizational skills *Small group instruction *Competitive salary Email resume: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com. Fax (718) 381-3493 Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA’s) & Occupational Therapists Assistants (COTA’s)For 200+ bed Nursing Home in Queens. Must have Hospital or Nursing Home experience. Please email resume to promrehab@aol.com

Licensed Practical Nurse seeks position in homecare with the elderly or pediatric care. I am skilled, caring and dependable. Please call me at 631-759-0025 Dry cleaner looking to hire EXPERT SEAMSTRESS / TAILOR to work in dry cleaning store asap. Main Street (Queens) location. Established clientele. Generous compensation split and opportunity to make extra money. Set your own hours. If interested please call Marc 917-612-2300

MISC FULLY OUTFITTED CAMP available in the heart of the mountains for the 2nd half of the summer. If interested email qmake40@yahoo.com

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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 HELP WANTED

MISC

Tutors desperately needed for Zichron Etel, a gemach providing free tutoring to those who cannot afford it. Now in Brooklyn and the Five Towns! Kindly visit our website at www.zichronetel.com

Senior Jewish looking to rent a garage for storage in or near Far Rockaway ASAP 646-657-3131

Found stroller on Central Avenue. If anyone has lost their stroller or knows someone who has, please contact me at SL11691@yahoo.com

Yehalomim Shelanu Special Programming Presents An after school program for the special children of our neighborhood! Every Monday afternoon from 4:45- 6:15 Fun and educational run by talented and experienced staff Call 516-732-2949 for more information or to register

Reach Your Target Market

TJH Classifieds Post your Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services, Miscellaneous Ads here.

Weekly Classifed Ads Up to 5 lines and/or 25 words 1 week ................ $20 $10 2 weeks .............. $35 $17.50 4 weeks .............. $60 $30 Email ads to: classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com Include valid credit card info

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Your

Money

“Easily Satisfied with the Very Best” By Allan Rolnick, CPA

ew figures from recent history loom larger than British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, “the Last Lion.” He spent “the wilderness years” of the 1930s fighting the Conservative Party’s leadership,

Take those infamous cigars, for example — by 1914, he was smoking a dozen a day, at a cost of about $1,600 per month in today’s dollars.

most notably Neville Chamberlain, to campaign for rearmament. As prime minister, he fought the Nazis to victory in World War II. Throughout his life, he fought the “black dog” of depression. But did you know how

much he fought the Board of Inland Revenue — his country’s equivalent of our own IRS? The Right Honorable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born into privilege. His grandfather was the seventh Duke of Marlborough and lorded over Blenheim Palace, one of England’s stateliest homes. Maybe that’s why Churchill picked up the sort of indulgent habits that led so many British aristocrats to lose their stately homes. Now David Lough, a former banker, has written No More Champagne: Churchill and His Money, to chronicle Churchill’s precarious relationship with personal finance. And it includes a story to delight all of us who understand the value of smart tax planning. Churchill loved to write. He loved to paint. He loved to drink champagne and smoke cigars. But most of all, it appears, he loved to spend. Take those infamous cigars, for example — by 1914, he was smoking a dozen a day, at a cost of about $1,600 per month in today’s dollars. Yet he went five years without paying his bill to J. Grunebaum & Sons, his tobacconist. “These filthy money matters are

the curse of my life and my only worry,” he wrote his mother when he was just 24 years old. Later, he told her: “It seems just as suicidal to me when you spend £200 on a ball dress as it does to me when I purchase a new polo pony for £100. And yet I feel that you ought to have the dress & I the polo pony. The pinch of the whole matter is that we are … poor.” Lough’s book recounts how Churchill even flirted with bankruptcy. Just one month after becoming PM, he ran out of money to pay his household bills, his taxes, and the interest on his loans. His assistant approached a prominent anti-Nazi banker for a £5,000 handout — equal to $250,000 in today’s dollars. Fortunately, Churchill had financial reinforcements outside his government salary: his income from writing. And that’s where he conjured up a little tax-planning magic. In 1940, he cleverly persuaded his finance minister that since he was now “retired” from writing, any income he earned from that source should be treated as nontaxable capital gains rather than ordinary income. This would eventually mean no tax on the sale of film rights to his books, nor on advances for his mem-

oirs. Of course, when he left office in 1945, he faced punishing 90% rates on any future works. (It’s no wonder he turned to painting!) Now it looks like clever planning is a Churchill family tradition. Last year, his daughter died at age 91, and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs department agreed to accept 37 of his paintings in lieu of £9.4 million in inheritance taxes. The paintings will hang at the family’s former home outside Kent. If you’re like most of our clients, when it comes to taxes, you want to fight them on the beaches, fight them on the landing grounds, and fight them in the fields and streams and hills and never surrender. The good news is you don’t need to strong-arm the Secretary of the Treasury into letting you pay less. You just need a plan. Make sure you have one before December 31 to assure your finest hour!

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

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Life C ach

Where Will I Wind Up? By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

He/she – to be read as both throughout the article. So back to what I was saying when I so rudely interrupted myself.

e never knows where he is going but he better be prepared to get there fast and to stay polite no matter who climbs into his car. Because guess what? He gets rated by his passengers. This is the

saga of an Uber driver. So let’s look at the original myth of an Uber driver: An Uber driver is his own man! He can take a call or not! He’s not controlled by some car service company! He’s an independent! He can make his own hours! .....Yet, here’s the glitch – the passengers are really in the driver’s seat! They can take him anywhere. When he wakes up to start his day, it’s you – the passenger – that decides where he’ll wind up! And you who decides if he did a good job at it.

But, my friends, there is a flip side to this power, so don’t think you are completely in control. As a passenger you don’t call all the shots. Because here’s the catch: the driver rates you, too! You need to be out on time! No keeping him waiting! You need to make a good impression. Be a little friendly. You can’t just stay on your phone and ignore him completely. And don’t leave a mess behind you when you exit the car. So you each better be on your best behavior when driving around together. If you don’t feel like being subject to this much scrutiny, I suggest you hail a cab! Just think about this: what if you are rated negatively as a passenger? You could wind up being a person that no one is willing to pick up. The word could be circulated about you and suddenly you’re a persona non grata or, more accurately, a passenger non grata. Then you’d be stuck driving everywhere on you own. If that happens, your best bet is to apply to be an Uber driver yourself, since you’re stuck in a car anyway! And, after all, no one has rated you a bad driver – only a bad passenger! At least you could make a little extra spending money. And who knows, you might even be able to redeem yourself as a passenger in the process. Like you could write the good old “hundred word essay”: “How I learned to be a better passenger, driving others around.” Then you could submit it and they may rescind your status as an undesirable. But let’s get back to the driver’s dilemma: so, though the Uber driv-

er feels he’s found a way to avoid accountability and be his own man, it seems there’s always someone higher up to answer to. That’s just the reality. You are always accountable to someone in life. So how would we answer the

If you don’t feel like being subject to this much scrutiny, I suggest you hail a cab!

question posed: “where will I wind up?” Are we talking the little picture – what neighborhood will I wind up in or even what rating will I get? Are you always subject to the whims of another person no matter what?! Maybe! But, I think the bigger picture answer is this: Where will you wind up? Apparently, wherever your behavior takes you. Like they say, what happens to you, you can’t control but how you react to it is in your control. So now whatever you do, go out and have an “uber the top” terrific day. It’s all up to you!

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com

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