Five Towns Jewish Home - 11-29-18

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November 29, 2018

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

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vfubj igfhkhhrp t See page 7

Around the

Community A Shabbos of Inspiration at Lido Beach

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50 Local Educators Collaborate and Learn

Passover Vacation Guide Starts on page 123 PAGES 35 & 37

TJH Chanukah Contest! See page 10 for details PAGE 14

Parshas Vayeishev 22 Kislev 5778 Candle Lighting Time 4:10 pm Sponsored by

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

FI V E S TA R

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Dear Readers,

I

We have some Chanukah “traditions” too. They start a week or two before Chanukah when we make Chanukah cookies. The kids love cutting out the shapes and decorating them with sprinkles and colored sugar. Sure, the floor becomes a gritty, glittery mess but that’s nothing a vacuum cleaner can’t pick up the next day. At Bubby and Zeidy’s Chanukah party each year the kids love the “pass the present” game. That’s become my responsibility, and I love shopping for the little gifts that will delight each kid as they unwrap each layer of wrapping paper. At Saba and Savta’s party, the game of dreidel with Saba is the highlight of the evening. At home, the kids know that on one night of Chanukah we make dreidels out of toothpicks and Dots, and another night we make chocolate coin wontons (yes, they are delicious!). I still remember the Carvel cakes and presents from my bubby’s Chanukah parties from years ago and so I know that my kids will be remembering these Chanukah traditions for many years to come. Someone once told me that Chanukah shouldn’t be about presents; it should be about being present. I hope that this year we’ll be able to be present while we give out the presents and enjoy the presence of our family during the chag. (Too much? Hey, Chanukah is supposed to be fun too!) We’d love to see how you are spending your Chanukah! Send your Chanukah photos of your favorite people eating doughnuts, spinning dreidels, frying latkes, or lighting the menorah to me at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com. Can’t wait to join in your fun! Wishing you a wonderful, freilechen Chanukah, Shoshana

know that in ten days’ time I will not be able to look at another doughnut. But on Sunday, when Chanukah begins, those doughnuts will look oh-so-tempting. For me, nothing beats a fresh custard doughnut with chocolate frosting. Although Chanukah is eight days, sometimes I feel like it’s not enough time to enjoy the yom tov. Between the parties and get-togethers and giving out presents, do we have a moment to contemplate the miracles that happened millennia ago? This year, on the first night of Chanukah, we’re not going to be doing anything. Well, we’re going to be doing a lot of things but it won’t be a party or a get-together or even presents. I want to spend the night just enjoying Chanukah. That means that we’ll light the menorahs together, and we’ll sing and dance afterwards. The kids will show us their projects and talk about what they learned about Chanukah. I’m sure there will be a doughnut or two, more than a handful of chocolate coins, and maybe some small presents. But then we’re just going to “be.” We’re just going to spend time together enjoying Chanukah, without the outer trappings of what Chanukah can sometimes become. Every family has developed their own traditions when it comes to Chanukah. There are not many things we have to do on Chanukah – although some may say that latkes are mandatory – and so each family has carved out activities or things that have become their Chanukah rituals. One woman I met in a store last week told me that she makes a scavenger hunt for her kids to find their presents. Her kids are now in their 20s; she’s been doing it for years and expects to be doing it for her grandchildren too.

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PUBLISHER

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Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR

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Shoshana Soroka EDITOR

editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Berish Edelman Adina Goodman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classified: Deadline Monday 5PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces­ sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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COMMUNITY 8

Readers’ Poll Community Happenings

44

NEWS Global

12

National

34

Odd-but-True Stories

40

ISRAEL

94

Israel News

26

World Builders

96

PEOPLE My First Chanukah in Communist Russia by Gita Steinberg

94

Lighting up the Nights – Worldwide

102

Seaplane on a Mission by Avi Heiligman

134

PARSHA Rabbi Wein

80

Window of Faith by Rav Moshe Weinberger

82

JEWISH THOUGHT Fit to Print by Eytan Kobre

84

The Real Chanukah Battle by Shmuel Reichman

88

The Wandering Jew

92

HEALTH & FITNESS I Admit I was Abusive by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn

112

Lighten up the Nights by Cindy Weinberger, MS RD CDN

114

FOOD & LEISURE TJH Speaks with Chef Paula Shoyer

116

Prepare for Chanukah with Chef Paula Shoyer

120

The Aussie Gourmet: Beer Battered Broccoli

122

Dear Editor, I am writing this letter in order to express my gratitude to Mayor Benjamin Weinstock and the Village of Cedarhurst Board of Trustees for the wonderful job they did in resolving the flooding problem in Parking Field #2. I have maintained my elder law practice for eight years directly facing this parking lot and on numerous occasions after a sudden heavy downpour or a sustained period of rain, up to one-third of the parking lot was under ankle-deep water. Sometimes this would occur without prior warning or knowledge of the wet forecast and both my staff and clients would be caught surprised and unprepared. This led to my idea of repurposing plastic shopping bags and rubber bands as makeshift boots. But this is no longer the case. After a particularly rainy fall season, I am happy to report that the lot has not flooded even one time and instead now completely drains. I believe this is as a result of the heavy construction project done this past summer involving the underground placement of large capacity drywells. Thank you for maintaining our Village. Ronald A. Spirn, J.D., CELA Dear Editor, I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Bobker’s article on Kristallnacht. Just one small comment. We Jews should always remember those

countries that did admit Jewish refugees in the 1930s. You forgot to mention the Philippines, who welcomed Jewish refugees, until the Philippines were occupied by the Japanese Empire. (My Filipino colleagues always point this out to me.) The delicious irony was, the Jews from Germany, who had German passports, were not considered “enemy aliens” by the Japanese. The swastika on their passports kept them from being interred, under harsh conditions, like the American and British civilians were. I have included a link to an article in the Jerusalem Post, about the Philippines and the Holocaust. w w w.jp o s t .c om/ Me t r o/ The -Phi lippines-A- d ista nt-haven-from-the-Holocaust-488500 All the best, Dr. Glenn Roeder Dear Editor, I couldn’t figure out if the person who posed the question to the dating column forum this week was writing tongue-in-cheek or if he was serious about his question. Our lives today differ tremendously from the lives of the Avos. Avrohom Avinu did not consult Waze when he was told to leave his father’s house and Yaakov Avinu didn’t text Lavan to tell him he was on his way while fleeing Eisav. True, we need to learn from the Avos and use their insights in our lives toContinued on page 10

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

108 140

What’s in a Shape? by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS 142 HUMOR

102

Centerfold

78

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

124

Chief Justice Roberts is Wrong by Marc A. Thiessen

130

Trump is Ready to Make a Deal. Are Democrats? by Marc A. Thiessen

132

CLASSIFIEDS

136

Do you play dreidel on Chanukah?

70

%

YES

30

%

NO


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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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Continued from page 8

should be placed flat on a table that is covered with foil or is glass. Clear the area of curtains and the like before lighting candles. Ensure that there is adult supervision during lighting the candles and while the candles are burning. Make sure that children cannot enter the room without adult supervision! Flames glow and seem so friendly, and children may want to touch them. Wishing everyone a freilechen Chanukah, Shalom Wein

day. But do we do everything (marrying sisters?!) like they do? No. What we can learn from the Avos and Imahos in terms of shidduchim is many things. Look for someone with good middos. Look for someone who is giving, like Rivka, and knows how to be mevater, like Rachel. Look for a tzanua, like Sara, and someone who has a strong connection to her Creator, like Leah. But don’t hang out wells hoping to find your perfect partner. The local Starbucks might be better suited for suitors for these days. Hatzlacha, Yocheved Hartman

Dear Editor, Loved Aliza Beer’s article on foods that can help manage stress! Now, when I’m busy at work and need something to eat, I prepare a bowl of oatmeal to tide me over for the next few hours. It’s more filling than a bag of chips and I know that it’s going to help me manage the pressure that inevitably comes as the day wears on. Sincerely, T.B.

Dear Editor, As Chanukah will be coming into our lives in the next few days, I know that our homes will be filled with light and laughter. I want to remind the community to make this a happy, wonderful holiday with our families. Please keep candles in a secure location, away from children who can touch or move the flames. Never leave candles burning when you leave your home. Keep the surface that the candles is on clear of objects. Menorahs

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The Week In News

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A new report raises fears that Saudi Arabia is starting up a nuclear weapons program of its own. For over two decades, the world’s attention has been turned to stopping Iran from getting its hands on the most destructive weapon known to mankind. From threats of military action to diplomatic efforts such as 2015’s nuclear deal, the international community largely sees the possibility of a Middle Eastern nation possessing nuclear weapons as a nightmare. That’s why policymakers were so rattled when Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman openly vowed that his country would start a nuclear weapons program on its own should Iran’s atomic weapons program succeed. “Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb,” Mohammed Bin Salman said earlier this year. “But without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.” Observers have other reasons for concern. According to The New York Times, Saudi Arabia has raised eyebrows among experts for its decision to produce its own nuclear fuel for the new reactors it wants to purchase from the United States. Saudi Arabia has been negotiating with the U.S. to buy nuclear power plants in a deal that could be worth as much as $80 billion. However, the Saudis insist on producing their fuel as opposed to buying it from abroad, a cheaper and easier option. Analysts fear that the desert kingdom wants to build a covert weapons program through fuel enrichment, similar to the strategy used by Iran. Saudi officials also vowed earlier

this year that the kingdom would refuse to sign any deal with the UN that would include surprise inspections. The New York Times report says that the Trump administration is loath to suspend its plan to sell nuclear power plants to the Saudis, arguing privately that if the U.S. refuses to sell to the Saudis, China or Russia will fill the vacuum. Not everyone agrees. “It is one thing to sell them planes, but another to sell them nukes, or the capacity to build them,” asserted California Congressman Brad Sherman. Referring to last month’s grisly murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the CIA says Crown Prince Bin Salman personally ordered, Sherman contends that “a country that can’t be trusted with a bone saw shouldn’t be trusted with nuclear weapons.”

EU and England Agree on Brexit Deal

Calling it “the best and only deal possible,” European Union (EU) leaders approved a deal with England regarding the country’s future relations with the continent following its withdrawal from the European Union. The 27 leaders only needed an hour to approve the deal this week, which took 20 months to draft. The deal’s approval is seen as a triumph for England’s Prime Minister Theresa May, who has faced significant opposition from both within and outside her party regarding the terms of the agreement known as the Brexit deal. Following the EU’s decision to approve the deal, May said that the agreement “delivered for the British people” would set the United Kingdom “on course for a prosperous future.” The United Kingdom has been hard-pressed to hammer out a deal that would enable it to leave the EU ever since the public voted to leave the European Union in 2016. Major areas of contention between the two sides include immigration, crime laws, and trade deals with the rest of


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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the continent. England’s Parliament is slated to vote on the deal on December 12th but the agreement’s passage is far from assured. May’s Conservative party is deeply torn on the issue, with many anti-EU members of Parliament feeling that the agreement keeps the United Kingdom tied to the European Union, while the opposition Labour party has vowed to vote against the agreement. “This deal is bad for the country,” asserted Labour head Jeremy Corbyn. “It is the result of a miserable failure of negotiation that leaves us with the worst of all worlds. It gives us less say over our future, and puts jobs and living standards at risk.” In a bid to gather political support for the Brexit deal, May had penned an open letter to the British public on November 25th in which she laid out what she said was the proposal’s many benefits. “It will honour [sic] the result of the referendum. We will take back control of our borders, by putting an end to the free movement of people once and for all,” wrote May. “Instead of an immigration system based on where a person comes from, we will build one based on the skills and talents a person has to offer.”

Missionary Killed on Remote Island

An American missionary was killed last week by angry members of an uncontacted tribe off the coast of India. 26-year-old John Allen Chau had paid fishermen to take him to North Sentinal, a remote island in the Gulf of Bengal that is host to the Sentinelese, a violent tribe that is unconnected and hostile to the outside world. While authorities warn against interacting with the tribe, Chau remained confident that nothing would befall him, writing in his diary that G-d would shelter him “from coastguard and Navy.” But all did not go well for Chau. On November 17, fishermen spotted villagers dragging his mutilated body across the island and burying

it. While Indian authorities have not confirmed the cause of his death, experts say that he was likely killed by an arrow. The visit had not been Chau’s first trip to the island. Earlier in the week, he arrived at North Sentinel before escaping under a hail of arrows. “Why did a little kid have to shoot me today?” Chau wrote in his diary. “His high-pitched voice still lingers in my head.” Following Chau’s death, Indian officials are struggling to find a way to retrieve his body. The Sentinelese are a violent tribe that commonly attacks outsiders who wander onto the island. Dependra Pathak, the director-general of police of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said that police would first “examine the nuances of the group’s conduct and behavior, particularly in this kind of violent behavior” before attempting to recover Chau’s corpse. “We have more or less identified the site and the area in general,” Pathak said, adding that the recovery would be a “difficult proposition.” “We have to see what is possible, taking utmost care of the sensitivity of the group and the legal requirements.” Several fishermen were arrest-

ed by Indian police following Chau’s death for assisting him in getting to North Sentinel. India forbids any entry to the island and deploys the Indian Navy to keep curious spectators out. On Saturday, police stationed their boat 400 meters offshore to determine the situation on the island. Seeing tribesmen armed with bows and arrows, the boat left. For now, the mission to retrieve Chau’s body seems to have been put on hold. In 2006, the Sentinelese killed two Indian fishermen who had tried to sneak onto the island. After several attempts, officials were only able to retrieve one of the bodies. The other still remains buried there.

Big Brother Stalking You in China China’s Orwellian surveillance program that would judge citizens based on their “social credit” passed another hurtle on the way to the system’s launch in 2020. An announcement about the plan


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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million flights and 4 million highspeed train tickets.

Other punishments include slower internet access and the inability to get a job in state-owned banks and factories. Relatives of those deemed untrustworthy can also be punished. According to Business Insider, a student was thrown out of his university in July because his father’s social credit score had dipped.

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that was posted on Beijing’s municipal government’s website in November said that it would ensure that good citizens would be eligible for “green channel” benefits while those on the blacklist would be “unable to move even a single step.” China is embarking on a never-seen-before surveillance program that would reward good citizens while punishing those it found problematic. Utilizing big data, China says that each citizen will have his

benefits determined by his level of “social credit.” First made public in 2014, China says that the “social credit system” is based on the principle that “keeping trust is glorious and breaking trust is disgraceful.” Similar to a credit score, China’s 1.3 billion people will have their grades constantly adjusted to reflect their behavior. Examples of good behavior are paying depts on time, volunteering, and giving blood, while

bad behavior includes posting fake news on the internet, smoking in a no-smoking zone, and racking up traffic violations. Paying bills late and wasting too much time are also infractions that can lower one’s social credit, as are littering and skipping school. The punishments that await the estimated 22 million that China finds problematic can be draconian. Since May, citizens with low social credit have been banned from booking 11

A host of international humanitarian groups appealed to the United States this week and said that the U.S. would share responsibility for Yemen’s deadly famine if it did not take action to stop Saudi Arabia from starving the country. In a joint statement, the heads of International Rescue Committee, Oxfam America, CARE US, Save the Children USA and the Norwegian Refugee Council USA said that “countless” people would die if the U.S. did not take action to alleviate the famine before the onset of the punishing winter months. “The stakes in Yemen are shocking and must be stated clearly: 14 million people are at risk of starving to death in Yemen if the parties to the conflict and their supporters do not change course immediately,” read the statement. The humanitarian organizations said that Yemen needed its civil war to end, along with the relaxing of the Saudi Arabian naval blockade and an influx of humanitarian workers, in order to avert a mass starvation the world has not seen in years. “If the government of Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Ansar Allah, and other parties


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to the conflict fail to take these steps, and if the United States does not use all levers of pressure to compel them to do so, responsibility for the deaths of many more Yemeni civilians will lie not only with the parties to the conflict, but with the United States as well,” said the statement. According to the United Nations, Yemen’s civil war has already killed about 100,000 people over the last three and a half years while many more have died of starvation. According to Save the Children, more than 85,000 children alone have starved to death since the war began in 2014. Saudi Arabia has been fighting to support the Yemeni government in its civil war against the Houthis rebels. Saudi Arabia’s heavy-handed methods in battling the Iranian backed-Houthis have led to charges of war crimes, as Saudi forces have been documented bombing schools, civilian gatherings, and unarmed neighborhoods. The U.S. has largely supported its Saudi allies despite the brutal methods they have deployed. While acknowledging the role the U.S. has played in attempting to end the bloody civil war in Yemen, the aforementioned humanitarian organizations said that “U.S. policies tell a different

story.” “By providing such extensive military and diplomatic support for one side of the conflict, the United States is deepening and prolonging a crisis that has immediate and severe consequences for Yemen, and civilians are paying the price,” the organizations charged.

Freedom after being Stranded in Airport for 7 Months

A Syrian refugee who had been stranded in a Malaysian airport for more than seven months landed in Vancouver on Monday, finally reaching the end of an ordeal that he had documented extensively on social media.

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Hassan al-Kontar, who was wanted in Syria for refusing to serve in the military, had been stuck in Kuala Lumpur International Airport since March, when he was turned back as he tried to leave the country. But al-Kontar couldn’t leave the airport either, as his Malaysian visa had expired. He had intended to travel more, eventually seeking asylum. In October, seven months later, he was arrested by the Malaysian police and sent to a detention center, setting off fears among human rights groups that he could be forced to return to Syria. He had not been heard from on social media since the arrest. On Monday, al-Kontar resurfaced in a video taken in an airport in Taiwan, telling viewers that he would soon be reaching Vancouver – his “final destination.” At the airport in Vancouver, al-Kontar was greeted by Laurie Cooper, who was part of a group of Canadians that raised thousands of dollars to sponsor his asylum application and lobbied for his freedom. “For the time being, I need a hot shower for the rest of the day,” he said. “I’ve done my time in airports, no more airports.” Cooper said that al-Kontar will be

staying with her. She became aware of his plight after seeing his videos on social media and tens of thousands of people signed a petition asking government officials to allow him into Canada. Al-Kontar had not been in Syria since 2008, and he did not return to the country to renew his passport when it expired out of fear he would be arrested. He later lived and worked in the United Arab Emirates before traveling to Malaysia. During those seven months in the airport in Malaysia, al-Kontar slept on a thin mat, relying on airport snacks and food donations from travelers and airport employees. He often expressed frustration and fear in his videos. Other times he posted videos of himself knitting or exercising.

Ukraine and Russia on the Brink The Ukrainian government appealed to the international community for help this week after Russian Special Forces stormed and captured


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three Ukrainian vessels along with 23 crew members. The saga began on Monday, when two Ukrainian warships and a tugboat were sailing through the Kerch Strait off the coast of Crimea, an island which Russia annexed in 2014. The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov and is utilized by both nations.

According to Ukrainian officials, Russian ships first slammed into the Ukrainian vessels before sending Special Forces to seize the ships. Six Ukrainian sailors were injured by gunfire during the incident, and Ukrainian military chief Viktor Muzhenko said the Russians “fired to kill” during the standoff. Russia confirmed that it had seized the vessels, saying that its FSB security service captured the ships after the Ukrainians “violated the Russian border.” Following the standoff, Ukraine’s government slammed “another act of armed aggression” by Russia and said that it expected Russia to agree to “the return of the captured navy ships.” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry also called on the international community “to take all necessary measures to deter the aggressor ... by applying new and strengthening existing sanctions.” NATO called an emergency meeting after the incident, following the Ukrainian government’s declaration of martial law. The move to martial law is unprecedented in Ukraine and gives authorities the right to ban protests and strikes. Meanwhile, United States UN Ambassador Nikki Haley slammed another “reckless Russian escalation” at a speech before the UN Security Council and said that Russia must return the ships immediately. “In the name of international peace and security, Russia must immediately cease its unlawful conduct and respect the navigational rights and freedoms of all states,” Haley said. Russia has released a video of three Ukrainian sailors who were captured on Sunday. Andriy Drach said on camera he was on the Nikopol gunboat with an order to sail from Odessa to Mariupol. “We were

warned by the border service of the Russian Federation that we were violating Russian law. They had repeatedly asked us to leave the territorial waters of the Russian Federation,” he said. Volodymyr Lisovyi said he was commander of a military unit and was part of a naval task force. “I deliberately ignored requests via ultrashort-wave band,” he said, adding that there were small arms on board as well as machine-guns. The head of the Ukrainian navy, Ihor Voronchenko, told Ukrainian TV that the three men had given false statements under duress. “I know those sailors from Nikopol. They have always been honest professionals in their jobs, and what they say now is not true,” he said. The head of Ukraine’s SBU security service, Vasyl Hrytsak, confirmed Russian reports that members of the service were on board the boats but added that it was a “routine counter-intelligence mission” of a type that the Russian navy carried out regularly too.

Europeans & their Sentiments about Jews

What do Europeans know about Jews? Not too much, admits at least a third of them. According to a CNN poll published on Tuesday, more than a quarter – twenty-eight percent – of the 7,000 Europeans who were surveyed said Jews have “too much influence in business and finance”; twenty percent felt Jews had the same excessive influence in media and politics. Nearly one in four said Jews had too much influence in conflict and wars around the world, the survey found. The poll surveyed thousands of people in Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Poland, and Sweden. Concerning the Holocaust, 34 percent said they knew nothing or “just a little” about the mass murder of European Jews which happened 75 years ago, within living memory. Even in Poland, one of the epicen-


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

same for the fraction of the population in their own countries. A quarter of Hungarians guessed 20 percent of the world is Jewish, and one-fifth of British and Polish put the figure just as high. Overall, 16 percent of Europeans think that Jews make up more than 20 percent of the world’s population. In fact, 0.2 percent of the world is Jewish, according to Pew Research Center’s Global Religious Landscape study. Israel is the only country in the world that has a more than 2 percent Jewish population. CNN noted that a survey carried out in the U.S. earlier in the year found that ten percent of adult Americans were not sure they had heard of the Holocaust, while one in five of respondents in their 20s and 30s said the same. Some 45 percent of adult Americans failed to name a single concentration camp, the report said. Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog said in statement responding to the survey that anti-Semitism is a “disease” that must be dealt with before it spreads. “Anti-Semitism is one of the oldest diseases – racism being another such disease – for which there is no vaccine,” Herzog said. “This disease must be fought before it spreads, and becomes a pandemic. History teaches that if anti-Semitism isn’t dealt with at an early stage, it will threaten people’s lives, as we saw in Pittsburgh. “The teaching of the most horrific mass murder in history — the Holocaust of the Jews in Europe during the Second World War — must be taught as part of any curriculum in schools throughout Europe. Especially its lessons and conclusions.”

UAE Releases Brit after Life Sentence

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ters of the Holocaust, the reported knowledge of 32 percent of respondents was just as limited. In France, one in five between the ages of 18 and 34 said they had never heard of the Holocaust, while in Austria, 40 percent of adults said they knew “just a little” about the genocide. Despite not knowing about the murder of 6 million Jews just decades ago, thirty-two percent of Europeans said Jews use the Holocaust to “advance their position or achieve certain goals,” a notion that 50 percent of Poles also believe. Overall, across Europe, half of the respondents said they knew “a fair amount” about the Holocaust, and only one in five said “they know a great deal.” Two-thirds of Europeans said it was important to keep Holocaust memory alive to prevent the same happening again. In Poland, 80 percent agreed with the sentiment. Half of those polled believe commemorating the Holocaust helps in the fight against anti-Semitism. Even so, thirty-one percent said Holocaust commemoration distracts from other atrocities around the world. The figure was higher among Germans, Austrians, Poles and Hungarians. Regarding Israel, 54 percent of those surveyed in Europe said Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, and the figure jumped to two-thirds in Poland. Around a third of respondents said that criticism of Israel tends to be motivated by anti-Semitism, while 21.5 percent said it is not. More than a quarter, 28 percent, said anti-Semitism in their countries was a response to the actions of Israel, and 18 percent said anti-Semitism was a response to behavior by Jewish people. One in 10 said they had an “unfavorable attitude” to Jews. In Poland, the figure was 15 percent, and nearly a fifth, 19 percent, in Hungary. from minority Respondents groups tended to blame Israel and Jews for anti-Semitism. Interestingly, the majority of Europeans, 56 percent, said they were not aware of ever having socialized with a Jewish person, including half of respondents in Britain, France, Hungary and Austria and two-thirds of those in Germany, Austria and Poland. Estimations of Jewish populations were far off the mark, the CNN survey found. Two-thirds of respondents overestimated the percentage of the world that is Jewish, and the

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along with 800 other political prisoners by the UAE president. The 31-year-old had been sentenced to life for espionage last week by an Abu Dhabi court. He had been arrested in May. Hedges consistently denied the charges and said that he was only in the country to conduct research for his PhD. UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan’s decision to pardon Hedges came after the British government pressured the Gulf state to release him. A statement said that “gracious clemency was granted on Sunday in response to a letter from the Hedges family bearing in mind the historic relationship between the UAE and the UK.” British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the pardon. “Fantastic news about Matthew Hedges. Although we didn’t agree with the charges we are grateful to UAE govt for resolving issue speedily,” tweeted Hunt. Despite the pardon, Emirati officials reiterated that Hedges was indeed an agent for the MI6. During a press conference on Monday, tapes showing Hedges ostensibly confessing to spying and researching the UAW’s security industry were played. During the press conference, a UAE official alleged that Hedges “had sought information on the ruling families and their networks” and was dispatched by MI6 “to gather classified information on the UAE military and political role in Yemen.” “In fact, Mr. Hedges took advantage of the openness granted academic researchers in this country. We are a country that hosts branches of some of the world’s finest academic institutes and we pride ourselves in our contribution to scientific advancement and academic pursuits,” the spokesperson added. “He was a part-time PhD researcher, a parttime businessman, but he was a 100% full-time secret service operative.”

WWII Codebreaker Dies at 96 Baroness Trumpington, the former World War II codebreaker and British politician, has died at the age of 96. Trumpington served for 37 years in the House of Lords, the second chamber of the British parliament,

only retiring in 2017. Prior to that she also served as a Conservative government minister and party whip, whose role is to maintain party discipline, according to the UK’s Press Association.

During World War II, Trumpington was one of the so-called “Land Girls,” who worked to maintain food production during the war and also worked at the famous Bletchley Park codebreaking facility in naval intelligence. Fluent in several languages, she helped in cracking messages from Nazi submarines. After the war she rose through British politics and carved out a reputation as a colorful character. In 2011 she was recorded making an inappropriate gesture at another member of the House of Lords after he commented on her age. The gesture only cemented views about her being a one-of-a-kind. “I thought I’d been terribly discreet,” she said during a 2014 interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “I’ve never yet discovered where the cameras are in the House of Lords.”

Scientist Says He Altered Embryos’ DNA

In a dangerous and morally dubious experiment, a scientist has pronounced that he has succeeded in editing the DNA of two babies born this month. Prof. He Jiankui says that he altered the embryos for seven couples during treatments for infertility. Jiankui claimed that he had engineered the babies’ DNA in an effort


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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to make them immune to contracting HIV. The Associated Press report stressed that Jiankui’s claim could not be verified, as the alleged parents in the experiment refused to be interviewed. No other scientists have reviewed the doctor’s claims either. If proven true, Jiankui’s experiment is controversial. Gene editing is denounced by the mainstream scientific community out of fear that mistakes could be passed on to future generations. Such research is banned in the United States and in most European nations, partly out of fears that parents will soon be able to choose “designer babies” with custom traits such as hair and eye color. Jiankui defended his work, telling the Associated Press that he had simply attempted to ensure that the babies did not suffer from HIV. “I understand my work will be controversial,” he admitted, “but I believe families need this technology and I’m willing to take the criticism for them.” The condemnations, however, were quick to pour in. “If true, this experiment is monstrous,” said University of Oxford researcher Julian Savulescu. An expert on medical eth-

ics, Savulescu said that “the embryos were healthy, no known diseases. Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with off-target mutations, capable of causing genetic problems early and later in life, including the development of cancer.” Gene editing has become increasingly easy in recent years due to technological advancements. Jiankui said that he had practiced gene editing for years on mice and monkeys before deciding to experiment on humans.

Hamas Exposes IDF Commandos Hamas recently published photos of what it says were the Special Forces operatives who fought their way out of Gaza in a botched commando raid earlier this month. The terror organization also published pictures of the car the undercover commandos used to drive into Gaza. Hamas has been intensively

probing the raid ever since the IDF killed seven Gazans, including a senior Hamas commander, after the unit’s cover was blown.

Hamas also called on “all true Arab patriots” to provide any information on the identity of the soldiers. “Thanks to Allah Almighty, our Izz A Din Al-Qassam Brigades were able to reach advanced stages in uncovering the threads of the special and dangerous operation,” read message disseminated by Hamas on social media. “We also call upon all our people everywhere to contact us to provide any information regarding these photographs by contacting the nearest command base or by email.” Israel’s Military Censor has been attempting to keep the details of the highly classified unit under wraps and called on Israelis not to share

any of the photos that Hamas had published. “Hamas is working now to interpret and understand the event that occurred within Gaza on November 11, and every piece of information, even if it is considered by the publisher as harmless, is liable for endangering human lives and damaging the security of the state,” said the IDF Military Censor on Thursday. According to Israel’s Hadashot, Hamas believes that the commandos were from Israel’s elite Sayeret Matkal. The Sayeret Matkal is one of the IDF’s most storied units and has participated in many dangerous missions, including Operation Entebbe in 1976. Transcripts of Hamas’ radio chatter during the firefight showed that the terror organization thought at first that it was battling smugglers. Only after Israel started bombing them from the air did they realize that they were facing off with a deep-cover Special Forces unit. “Four fighter jets are above me. There was a strike near us. The jets are coming from the north. They attacked one of the (Hamas) cars. Hide. Close in on the Jews. Don’t let them leave Gaza,” a Hamas commander


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ordered. Speaking fluent Arabic, the Israeli soldiers had dressed as Arabs and reportedly entered Gaza through the Rafah Crossing abutting the Sinai Desert. After the squad was exposed, Lieutenant Colonel “Mem” sacrificed his life in order to enable his subordinates to escape to a waiting helicopter while a massive bombing campaign covered their escape. Another officer was moderately injured when he charged into enemy fire to retrieve the lieutenant colonel’s body.

During the First Lebanon War, the IDF had enforced a naval blockade on Lebanon to prevent terrorists from the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) from fleeing the country. During the blockade, the captain of an Israeli submarine noticed a suspicious boat attempting to leave Lebanon’s port city of Tripoli. Noticing that all of the passengers were dressed identically, the captain mistakenly assumed that travelers were wearing PLO military fatigues and shot two torpedoes at the boat, causing the frigate to explode and then capsize.

Israel Admits it Sank Lebanese Boat in 1982 Israel has admitted that an Israeli submarine torpedoed a boat packed with refugees over 36 years ago during the First Lebanon War, killing 25 out of the 54 people onboard. While the incident occurred in 1982, the Israeli Military Censor only lifted censorship on the incident after Channel 10 recently appealed to the High Court of Justice.

“I looked carefully over the ship from end to end, and I saw there were no women or children on board,” the submariner, who was identified as Major A., testified. “I kept watching for two hours, until darkness had

completely fallen.” The passengers, however, were not militants but Lebanese civilians who were attempting to escape to Cyprus under the cover of a brief ceasefire. An IDF investigation of the incident ruled that Major A. had made an “operational mistake” and cleared him from allegations of war crimes. “It was not a war crime and there was no misconduct; there is no place for legal action,” read the IDF report. The incident was kept under wraps for 36 years due to the embarrassment the defense establishment felt over the innocents who perished. Channel 10 mentioned during the expose that the majority of the troops involved refused to be interviewed despite the many years that have passed since the incident occurred. However, a former Israeli navy officer who had commanded the 11th Flotilla during the war alleged that the military covered up the mishap and attributed the mistake to “an atmosphere of a desire to attack and fire at any cost.” “I turned to the police, the army, the justice department and they all ignored me,” retired Colonel Mike Eldar said. “It’s insulting, personally and nationally. We have rules of engagement even on submarines, you don’t just shoot a boat because you suspect maybe there was something,” he asserted.

Israeli Ties with Arab Nations Soar

Israel’s ties with Arab nations from the Gulf are soaring, while the Palestinian Authority finds itself cut off from its former patrons. Israel has long been rumored to have covert relations with moderate Arab nations such as Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Managed under the auspices of

the Mossad and Defense Ministry, ties between the Jewish State and the aforementioned nations reportedly have warmed amid joint interests to stop Iran’s subversion across the Middle East. The quiet relations have been bursting into the open lately as Arab nations have dropped their longstanding opposition to Zionism and the Jewish State. In October, Prime Minister Netanyahu paid a surprise visit to Oman at the invitation of Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. Sources later said that Netanyahu and the Omanis will start publicly cooperating on a host of issues, including building a railroad from Israel to Muskat and operating direct flights from Ben Gurion Airport to the Gulf. A senior diplomatic official later told The Jerusalem Post that the Palestinian issue was not mentioned during Netanyahu’s Oman trip and added that “there will be other” such visits to Arab countries. In a first, Israeli judokas were allowed to participate a week later at the Judo Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi under the Israeli flag. Previously, Israeli athletes were forced to compete wearing International Judo Federation Uniforms and faced a host of obstacles from nations that opposed Israel’s existence. This time, however, Israel’s national anthem was played after judokas won a slew of medals. During the tournament, the United Arab Emirates also hosted Culture Minister Miri Regev at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Official visits to the world’s third largest mosque are normally reserved for world leaders, highlighting the diplomatic significance of such a step. During the same month, Israel’s Communications Minister Ayoub Kara visited Dubai for a conference, the first time that an Israeli minister has visited the state in an official capacity. While Israel’s stature has been rising in Arab capitals, the Palestinian Authority has slowly been realizing that the popularity they traditionally enjoyed is over. Once a major patron of the Palestinian Authority, the United Arab Emirates has cut the funding that the PA receives. From the $87 million that the PA was accustomed to receiving, the UAE has not contributed any aid since 2014. Observers say that for the first time the Palestinians have stopped


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being a unifying factor for an Arab world that cares more about resisting Iran than fighting Israel.

Bahrain and Israel to Establish Diplomatic Ties?

Reports in the Israeli media say that the Jewish State is in talks to establish diplomatic relations with the Gulf State of Bahrain. The report was confirmed by senior Israeli government officials, who said that the two nations have been covertly negotiating with Bahrain over how and when the official ties will take place. Should Bahrain recognize Israel and establish full diplomatic relations, it would be Israel’s first treaty with an Arab nation since it signed a peace treaty with Jordan in 1994. Currently, Jordan and Egypt are the only Middle Eastern nations that officially recognize Israel’s existence. The report comes as Israel has been enjoying increasingly-warm relationships with many of its former adversaries in the Middle East. Last month, Netanyahu paid a surprise visit to Oman, while Culture Minister Miri Regev was hosted by the United Arab Emirates for a judo tournament. Prime Minister Netanyahu hinted that “there will be similar visits to other Arab countries soon” during a press conference with Chad’s President Idriss Ceba on Sunday. “A few minutes ago, we discussed in my office the great changes that are taking place in the Arab world in its relations with Israel. And this was manifested in my recent visit in Oman with Sultan Qaboos. And there will be more such visits in Arab countries very soon,” the prime minister said. Chad and Sudan are considering

establishing diplomatic relations with Israel as well. Israel is reportedly close to an agreement with the two Muslim nations to allow Israel-bound flights to fly over their territory, which would significantly cut down the flying time from Brazil. With a population of 1.4 million, Bahrain does not officially recognize Israel’s existence. However, Bahrain has made several public overtures to Israel within the last year. In May, Bahrain’s Foreign Min-

ister Khalid bin Ahmed defended Israel’s right to defend itself, something unprecedented in the Arab world. Bahrain also participated in the Giro D’Italia bike race in the Jewish State, bucking boycotts from other Arab states. In September 2017, Bahrain’s king announced that his citizens are now allowed to visit Israel. Observers say that several other unnamed Arab nations are close to recognizing Israel as well. Following

Netanyahu’s visit to Muskat, Oman’s foreign minister urged his fellow Arab counterparts at a conference to normalize their ties with Israel. “Israel is a state present in the region, and we all understand this. The world is also aware of this fact and maybe it is time for Israel to be treated the same and also bear the same obligations,” Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah said.


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A man responsible for a wave of bomb threats against Jewish sites in the United States has been sentenced to ten years in prison. The Tel Aviv District Court gave the perpetrator a sentence of a decade in prison and ordered him to pay a NIS 60,000 fine. The ten years was longer than the seven years prosecutors had asked for. The perpetrator was a resident of Ashkelon and suffers from autism and a brain tumor. Known only as “M,” the 20-year-old’s name cannot be published due to a court-imposed gag order. In his ruling, Judge Tzvi Gurfunkel acknowledged that M suffered from a mental illness but rejected arguments by the defense that he did not know right from wrong. “Under normal circumstances, if it was not a person with autism, I would have sentenced him to 17 years in prison. The defendant’s condition requires considerable mitigation of the punishment,” said Gurfunkel. “However, it is impossible to ignore the severity of the defendant’s actions.” M’s father was thrown out of the courtroom for yelling at the judge that “he has autism! He’s sick.” M was found guilty of hundreds of counts of extortion for calling in more than 100 bomb threats to sites all across the world. During a period spanning two years, M called in bomb threats on sites in the U.S., Canada, England, and New Zealand. M is particularly notorious for blanketing Jewish Community Centers (JCC), schools, and synagogues with bomb threats in 2017. The threats left the Jewish community reeling, as many attributed the bomb threats to a resurgent wave of anti-Semitism.

The State of Israel has reached an agreement with Cyprus, Italy, and the European Union (EU) to export gas to Europe via what will be the world’s biggest underwater gas pipeline. The gas pipeline will entail a mammoth engineering effort to laid the 2,100-kilometer pipeline 3.5 kilometers underwater. The pipeline will transport 20 billion cubic meters of gas to Cyprus, where it will then be diverted to Greece, Crete and Italy. The agreement was the result of marathon negotiations spanning two years. The massive $7 billion infrastructure project was only able to move forward after the EU paid $100 million to examine whether the plan was feasible. Construction will start in 2019 and the pipeline is expected to become operational in 2025. The deal also gives Israel and Cyprus preference when exporting gas to the continent. The agreement on the pipeline is a major diplomatic achievement for Israel, which is expected to reap a windfall in economic benefits from the plan. Becoming an energy supplier to Europe will also likely grant Israel greater political sway on the continent, which has often been at odds with the Jewish State in recent years. “The agreement that we have drawn up will enable Israel to become an energy supplier to Europe, and that has both economic and political importance,” explained Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz. “This will be the first time ever that Israel has joined with the EU on any major infrastructure project. “For decades, we have complained about the Arab influence in Europe due to oil and gas. The export of gas to Europe will moderate this influence to a certain extent and be a counterweight to Arab power,” he said.


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

El Al to Compensate for “Shabbat Flight”

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El Al said this week that it will compensate the passengers who were forced to spend Shabbat in Athens after their Israel-bound flight took off too late to land before Shabbat’s onset. According to the company, each of the 400 passengers will be given a free round-trip ticket to any destination in Europe as a means of compensation. The flight had caused a media storm in both Israel and the United States following allegations by the airline that the flight’s charedi passengers had rioted over concerns that they would be forced to desecrate Shabbat. As per the allegations, the religious passengers had assaulted and cursed the flight crew and even threatened to burst into the cockpit. The allegations were quickly proven to be baseless after a senior Israeli journalist who was on the flight dismissed the reports as “fake news.” Yehuda Shlezinger, who works as the charedi affairs correspondent for the Israel Hayom newspaper, wrote in a viral Facebook post that El Al had taken off late due to a tardy flight crew and refused to allow the religious passengers fearful of desecrating Shabbat to disembark prior to takeoff. “They lied to us. Brazenly and without compunction,” wrote Shlezinger. “No passengers were beaten. None were threatened. They did not burst into the cockpit. They simply asked for answers.” Amid mounting backlash, El Al clarified that the reports of charedim acting abusively towards the flight crew were false. “I never said that the charedim on the flight attacked anyone. There was no physical violence,” said CEO Gonen Usishkin. El Al later said in an official statement that the company “does not put the blame on the secular, religious, or ultra-Orthodox public in the reported incidents.” The apology didn’t suffice for a group of charedi travelers who are suing El Al for libeling the charedi community. Demanding NIS 50,000 for each passenger, the group said in a letter to the company that El Al

“deliberately lied to passengers and disrespected them” by refusing to allow them to disembark from the flight prior to takeoff so as not to desecrate Shabbat.

32 Israeli Arabs Arrested for Joining PA Forces

Israeli police rounded up 32 Israeli Arabs over suspicions that they served as members of the Palestinian Authority’s security forces this week. During the arrests, police detectives found large sums of money, weapons, bullets, PA uniforms, and documents showing that the detainees were employed by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. “Israel Police operations will continue in order to prevent illegal activity by residents of East Jerusalem and who are illegally actively connected to the Palestinian authorities,” said Israel Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. Also arrested in the sweep was Adnan Ghaith, who is the PA’s “Governor of Jerusalem.” Authorities say that Ghaith is responsible for kidnapping a Palestinian-American citizen from his East Jerusalem home following allegations that he sold land to Jews, a crime punishable by death under Palestinian Authority laws. Israel was infuriated by the PA’s decision to kidnap a resident from Israel’s capital city and has vowed to get to the bottom of the matter. The arrests came after an investigation into the Palestinian Authority’s activities inside Jerusalem. Under the Oslo Accords, the PA is not allowed to operate within Israel’s capital and is restricted to Area’s A and B in Judea and Samaria. Sources said that the police also decided to crack down on the PA’s Jerusalem presence following a campaign by the Palestinian Authority to harass East Jerusalem Arabs that sold property to Jews.


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Watch Your Card at the Pump

The United States launched an operation to target credit card skimmers at gas pumps across the country last week. Skimming is usually done via a device that criminals attach to credit card readers. Commonly targeting ATMs and gas pumps, criminals steal the user’s bank information and either use it themselves or sell it to others. Along with its prominent role guarding America’s president and his family, the Secret Service is also tasked with combatting monetary

fraud such as counterfeiting. The Secret Service said in a press release that it had decided to crack down on the phenomenon at gas pumps ahead of Thanksgiving due to the increased vehicle traffic that occurs over the holiday. “An estimated 54 million Americans will travel across town or across the country for Thanksgiving, and while doing so, many will buy gas for their cars,” said the agency. “These annual increases in motor travelers on the road during holidays mean bigger paydays for card-skimming financial criminals who target victims at fueling stations.” Titled “Operation Deep Impact,” the Secret Service sent out guidelines to law enforcement nationwide highlighting different tactics used by credit card skimmers, along with instructions on how to proceed once such skimmers are located. The Secret Service said that the use of credit card skimmers has increased in recent years, costing victims millions of dollars. The agency announced that it discovered 200 skimmers and prevented $6 million in fraud since the operation commenced. Secret Service Special Agent

Matthew O’Neill told NBC that the increased awareness among consumers regarding skimmers at ATMs have resulted in criminals migrating to gas pumps instead. “Gas pump skimmers are getting worse because there’s more technology to look for skimmers in ATMs, so bad actors move towards gas pump skimmers,” he explained. “They’re easy to create, they’re easy to deploy, and they can get a lot of stolen credit card data very quickly and they don’t even have to go back and retrieve the skimmer.”

SCOTUS Talks Census

President Donald Trump’s battle against illegal immigration suffered a blow when the United States Supreme Court agreed to debate whether it is legal to add a question regarding citizenship to the 2020 census. Oral arguments are slated to take place on February 19. Justices will decide whether Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross overstepped his legal boundaries by adding a question for census-takers about their citizenship ahead of the 2020 census. Taken every 10 years, the census is used as a basis for allotting government funds and congressional districts across the United States. Pro-immigration advocates charge that adding the question would discourage illegal immigrants from participating in the census, leaving states with large immigrant populations shortchanged. “Census data is pivotal in the allocation of billions of dollars in federal funds and the apportionment of political representation, making the proposed citizenship question a critical issue for Latinos and all Americans,” said a statement released by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Adding to the opposition are the political ramifications of the citizenship question. As the majority of immigrants, both legal and illegal, live in Democratic states such as California and New York, the citizenship

question could also lower the Democratic Party’s allotment of seats in the House. “Make no mistake – this decision is motivated purely by politics,” charged former Attorney General Eric Holder. “In deciding to add this question without even testing its effects, the Administration is departing from decades of census policy and ignoring the warnings of census experts.” The case hinges over what evidence is admissible in court. Pro-immigration activists want the court to take into account Ross’ motivations for asking census takers to disclose their citizenship, while Justice Department lawyers say the motivations are irrelevant. Ross had provoked an uproar ever since he announced in March that the census would ask about citizenship for the first time since 1950.

U.S. Closes Major Mexico Border Crossing

U.S. law enforcement shut the busiest border crossing with Mexico this week and troops released tear gas as the effort to stop the caravan of illegal migrants intensified. The decision to shut the San Ysidro Port of Entry on Monday came after hundreds of illegal immigrants overwhelmed policemen stationed at the border to block the high-profile caravan from entering the United States. Migrants stormed the border and threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency confirmed that agents used tear gas against migrants after they threw rocks at the officers. “Border Patrol agents deployed tear gas to dispel the group because of the risk to agents’ safety,” tweeted the agency. The violence marked the end of a high-profile caravan of Central


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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3 U.S. Services Members Killed in Afghanistan

American residents that had made its way to the border over the past few weeks. Numbering an estimated 7,500 people, the caravan was made up largely of people from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala who said that they were seeking to enter the United States in order to start a new life. The caravan has become a hot button issue in the United States, with President Trump ordering in the military to protect parts of the

border while pro-immigration advocates protested nationwide. The violence began after migrants marched to the border from the Mexican city of Tijuana. While some attempted to enter the United States via the San Ysidro crossing, others charged the border fence and pelted U.S. police officers with projectiles. The crossing stayed closed for several hours following the face-off on Sunday. Secretary of Homeland

Security Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement that “DHS will not tolerate this type of lawlessness and will not hesitate to shut down ports of entry for security and public safety reasons. “We will also seek to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who destroys federal property, endangers our front-line operators, or violates our nation’s sovereignty.”

Three U.S. service members were killed on Tuesday by an improvised explosive device near the city of Ghazni, Afghanistan, the U.S. military announced. Three U.S. service members and an American contractor were also wounded in the blast, the military said. The names of those killed were not immediately disclosed pending the notification of next of kin. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the ambush, claiming that a tank was “completely destroyed.” The U.S. did not immediately release additional details about the attack, the deadliest against U.S. service members in Afghanistan since six were killed in a motorcycle bomb explosion in December 2015. The Taliban have been resurgent in the Ghazni area in recent weeks, and the U.S. has sent additional troops into the region to help Afghan forces retain control there. Earlier this month, U.S. Gen. Scott Miller, the head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan who survived an October firefight in Kandahar, was photographed carrying a fully loaded M4 carbine assault rifle while visiting the Ghazni area. He’s also taken to carrying the rifle while visiting other unsecured areas, an unusual security precaution for a senior general. Overall, the Taliban have strengthened their grip over the country in recent years. A recent report released by the U.S. government’s own ombudsman of the war found that the Afghan government now controls 56% of the districts in the country, down from 72% in November 2015. Insurgent influence or control has risen to 12.5% of districts from just 7%, and approximately a third of Afghanistan is a “contested” area.


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

committed “crimes and lies” on a “variety of subject matters.” His defense team says he believes what he has told Mueller to be truthful and has not violated his deal.

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Manafort & Assange In another twist in the Mueller probe, the Guardian discovered that Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort held secret talks with Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London and visited with Assange around the time he joined Trump’s campaign.

The Guardian said that sources noted that Manafort went to see Assange in 2013, 2015 and in spring 2016 – during the period when he was made a key figure in Trump’s push for the White House. What was discussed and why the two would want to seek out a relationship is unclear. The last meeting is what could come under Robert Mueller’s scrutiny. During the 2016 presidential campaign, WikiLeaks released a stash of

According to sources, Manafort’s acquaintance with Assange goes back at least five years, to late 2012 or 2013, when the American was working in Ukraine and advising its Moscow-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovych. Why Manafort sought out Assange in 2013 is unclear. During this period the veteran consultant was involved in black operations against Yanukovych’s chief political rival, Yulia Tymoshenko, whom Yanukovych had jailed. Manafort ran an extensive lobbying operation featuring European former politicians. Manafort is currently in jail in Alexandria, Virginia. In August a jury convicted him of crimes arising from his decade-long activities in Ukraine. They include large-scale money laundering and failure to pay U.S. tax. Manafort pleaded guilty to further charges in order to avoid a second trial in Washington.

Democratic emails stolen by Russian intelligence officers. Manafort, 69, denies involvement in the hack and says the claim is “100% false.” Manafort was jailed this year and was thought to have become a star cooperator in the Mueller inquiry. But on Monday Mueller said Manafort had repeatedly lied to the FBI, despite agreeing to cooperate two months ago in a plea deal. According to a court document, Manafort had

On Monday, General Motors announced that it will close five plants and lay off 15,000 employees amid a drastic overhaul of its operations in the United States. The automotive giant said that the cuts are part of a move to consolidate its different brands and predicted that the cutbacks will save $6 billion


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

by the end of 2020. In a statement, GM said that its new focus would be on speeding up the assembly line and improving logistics. “The actions we are taking today continue our transformation to be highly agile, resilient and profitable, while giving us the flexibility to invest in the future,” said CEO Mary Bara. The factories slated to be shuttered are in Detroit, Ontario, Ohio, Maryland, and in Warren, Michigan. The plants will be the first General Motors factories to close in the United States since the storied car-maker faced bankruptcy in 2010. In addition to the previously announced closure of the assembly plant in Gunsan, Korea, GM will cease the operations of two additional plants outside North America by the end of 2019. As part of its organizational restructuring, General Motors will discontinue multiple lines of vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt, Cruze, and Impala, the Cadillac CT6 and XTS, and the Buick LaCrosse. The news comes as GM is battling rival automaker Ford to bring the first self-driving car to market. With a new motto of “Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion,” GM is investing millions of dollars into technology for self-driving cars in what analysts say is the vehicle of the future.

Landing on Mars

On Monday, NASA’s Mars InSight Lander touched down on Mars and wasted no time in getting the first breathtakingly clear picture back to Earth. “There’s a quiet beauty here. Looking forward to exploring my new home. #MarsLanding,” NASA tweeted late Monday. The InSight Lander entered Mars’ atmosphere just shortly after 2:40 p.m. EST and touched the surface at approximately 2:54 p.m. EST. The last part of the journey was the most

harrowing, with NASA calling it “seven minutes of terror” due to the agency’s inability to control the landing of the spacecraft, which cost $828 million. Scientists determined that no additional changes were needed to the algorithm that will guide the spacecraft to the Martian surface. “The InSight team can rest a little easier tonight now that we know the spacecraft solar arrays are deployed and recharging the batteries,” said Tom Hoffman, InSight’s project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, in a statement. “It’s been a long day for the team. But tomorrow begins an exciting new chapter for InSight: surface operations and the beginning of the instrument deployment phase.” The InSight’s landing on Monday ended a journey that lasted six months and covered more than 300 million miles. Now that it is safely on the surface, the real excitement begins, according to Lori Glaze, acting director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. “Once InSight is settled on the Red Planet and its instruments are deployed, it will start collecting valuable information about the structure of Mars’ deep interior – information that will help us understand the formation and evolution of all rocky planets, including the one we call home,” she said. The unmanned probe, which was built by Lockheed Martin, will dig deeper into the planet than anything that’s come before. NASA’s long-term goal is to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s. Last week, the space agency announced that it has selected the location where its Mars 2020 Rover will land on the Red Planet. The Rover is expected to land on Mars February 18, 2021.

Egg-travaganza I know what kids are eating for breakfast in Mauritius. The small nation, located in the Indian Ocean, is known for its beaches, lagoons, and reefs. But this week, a team of more than 20 chefs cooked up a 5,436-pound serving of scrambled eggs. According to the Guinness World

Records, the massive omelet cooked up by Inicia Ltee, the East African island nation’s largest egg production and distribution company, was the largest dish of scrambled eggs ever cooked.

The record-breaking breakfast staple, which was created to celebrate Inicia Ltee’s 40th anniversary, included 35,000 eggs, nearly 950 pounds of butter, 65 gallons of milk, 22 pounds of salt, and nearly 5 pounds of pepper. More than 8,000 portions of scrambled eggs from the event were donated to international aid organization Caritas. Sounds egg-cellent.

Coffee Clothes

Recently, Dunkin’ revealed a line of “Espresso-Wear” clothing designed for those who need to carry coffees and want to use their clothing to help them with their caffeine fix. Special “Cappu-Chinos,” according to videos highlighting the products, are chino pants outfitted with cupholders on each side of each pant leg. A “Latte-Nk Top” is a tank top with a coffee storage pouch instead of a pocket, and “Americano-Veralls” are overalls with large, coffee cupsized pockets. Sounds like the perfect Chanukah present for your caffeine-chugging sister, right? Well, although you may want to purchase these items, on all of the videos featuring the clothes, Dunkin’ has added a disclaimer: “Not available, because they’re not real.” Perhaps this story is better suited for Purim than for Chanukah.

$100 for $10

Chanukah came early for residents of Houston when a Bank of America ATM spit out $100 bills instead of the $10 bills it was meant to give. On Sunday evening, as word broke of the generous ATM, customers were lining up at the machine, desperate to cash in on their luck. Fights broke out between patrons, and police were called in to restore calm. Finally, someone shut down the ATM and everyone returned home – to count their money. Bank of America said in a statement that everyone lucky enough to have capitalized on what the company is calling a “vendor error” can keep their free money. “This was an incident at a single ATM in Houston caused when a vendor incorrectly loaded $100 bills in place of $10 bills,” the statement read. “We have resolved the matter. Customers will be able to keep the additional money dispensed.” That’s good because I already spent it all.

Beard Brights

Looking to add some light to your Chanukah parties? Perhaps you’d like to buy beardlights for your favorite father or brother. Online retailer Firebox is offering “Beardo Baubles,” which light up your favorite man’s beard with bright lights. At just $14 for a set of 18 multi-colored lights, your father can be the “light of the party.” Although these lights are perfect gift, keep in mind that “facial hair is not included.” In other words, he’ll have to have his own beard.


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Makes me wonder if that’s what Miami Boys Choir had in mind when they sang “Light up the Nights.”

Passing & Failing with Ease A German teen, excited to have passed his driving test, went out on a drive – and had his license suspended for speeding just 49 minutes after passing. The 18-year-old was caught driving nearly twice the speed limit minutes after he passed his test. “Some things last forever – others not for an hour,” German police reportedly wrote in their statement. After pulling over his car, officers found the teenager together with four of his friends who had decided to go on a drive together as a way to celebrate the passing of the driving test. For now, the reckless teen is banned from driving for at least four weeks, and police are saying that they will only give him back his license after “expensive retraining.” Hey, passing a driving test does not mean that you have common sense.

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Money Laundering More Than 20 Majors & Pre-Professional Fields Dutch police made an arrest on Monday after finding thousands of euros stuffed inside a washing machine. The suspect’s alleged crime? Wait for it…money laundering. No joke. The unnamed 24-year-old was arrested during a police search of a supposedly unoccupied house in west Amsterdam, according to a press release from police. Police were looking for unregistered residents when they discovered 350,000 euros – about $400,000 – hidden inside the washer. In addition to the bundles of cash, authorities also confiscated several phones, a money counting machine, and a firearm. Police tweeted about the incident calling the discovery “a special find.” Sounds like they made a clean sweep of this one.

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Wooly Change

PETA, in its exuberance to protect animals, has once again put its hoof in its mouth.

This week, PETA urged the village of Wool in Dorset, England, to change its name, as it “promotes sheep cruelty.” Instead, the animal rights group says it wants the 1,000-year-old village to be called “Vegan Wool,” a much more “politically correct” name. Elisa Allen, director at PETA, has written to Wool Parish Council with the request. She said the change in name would promote “kindness to sheep” and added that the group

would gift a “cruelty-free” woolen blanket to all 2,000 households in the village if they agree. But residents were not going to have the wool pulled over their eyes. They chided the organization and pointed out that the name of the village comes from the Saxon word “welle,” which means a water spring. Sounds like PETA should be a bit sheepish about this one.


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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

Mr. & Mrs. dov & esther KarfunKel Guests of Honor

‫לע׳׳נ הר׳׳ר יחיאל מיכל‬ ‫בן הר׳׳ר ישראל יהודה ז׳׳ל‬ in memory of His fatHer

r’ mecHel KarfunKel z”l

Mr. & Mrs. Meir & MalKa fried parents of tHe year

Mr. & Mrs. Pinny & taMar hesKiel younG leadersHip award

the darChei dinner ‫שבט‬ ‫ז‬ ‘ 13 2019 ‫תשע‘‘ט‬ January

at t H e y e s H i va

‫ישי ב ה דר כ י תור ה‬

harav shMuel & rebbetzin Chaya feldMan Harbotzas toraH award

yeshiva darChei torah 257 Beach 17th Street Far Rockaway, NY 11691 718.868.2300 ext. 301 dinner@darchei.org darchei.org/dinner


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

The The Darchei Darchei TalmiD rebbi is distinguished not only by his diligence in learning, but also by his outstanding middos.

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During a bechina from the menahel, one of the students in the class — who often struggles to keep up — answered a question with exceptional clarity. Shmuel, from amongst the academically stronger boys in the class, turned around and gave him a spontaneous and genuine highfive that lit up his friend’s face like a thousand-watt bulb. This enthusiastic expression of shared victory is common for the Darchei Talmid.

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Community Intergenerational Melava Malka at YCQ By Sarah Owadeyah & Channah Owadeyah

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n Motza’ei Shabbos, November 17, Yeshiva of Central Queens had its third grade Intergenerational Melava Malka. Leading up to the melava malka the third graders worked hard with their morot and music teacher to learn the songs for their presentation. The third graders started off with a performance about Shabbat and what they are learning in yeshiva for their parents, families, morot and teachers. Aiden Oleson, grade 3, spoke about Dovid Hamelech. He explained, “Dovid Hamelech celebrated this special meal, the melave malka, to thank Hashem for keeping him alive.”

After the performance the students and their guests joined together for a melava malka where they were entertained with music and a magician. Grade 3 student Talyah Shalomoff said, “I loved the Havdalah, song and I especially loved seeing all my friends dressed in their Shabbat clothes and sharing our melava malka with my friends and their families. I was so glad my parents came to see me.” Several of the JHS students volunteered to help set up the gym and serve the guests as waitresses under organizer and YCQ parent Mrs. Carrie Beylus. Adi Havivo, a sixthgrade volunteer, said, “I decided to volunteer because I like to help out my school.”


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CHAZAQ Teens Spend Inspirational Shabbat in KGH

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hey say that one Shabbos experience can make a BIG difference in a person’s life. Indeed, Shabbos Parshas Vayetzei was an inspirational experience for a dozen girls from CHAZAQ’s Jwave teens’ division for public school students who have grown tremendously in their Yiddishkeit over the past year. While the Jwave boys get to go to Shabbatons in Brooklyn, Monsey and even Lakewood, many parents of teenage girls in the Bukharian community are reluctant to let their daughters go “too far” away from home and so Kew Garden Hills was the perfect location for the group. It’s a beautiful community where the Shabbos feeling is in the air from early Friday afternoon. Indeed, the girls felt

the Shabbos atmosphere as soon as they arrived at KGH around 3pm and met their respective hosts. Excited and wondering what the weekend would bring, they were all in for a Shabbos of a lifetime. At 5:30pm, all of the girls made their way to the home of Rabbi Tomer and Rebetz-

in Ester Zino. The Zinos are a big part of the CHAZAQ family. Rabbi Tomer learns in CHAZAQ’s Kollel and is a beloved rebbe for CHAZAQ’s Afterschool programs for public school boys. His wife has been directing CHAZAQ’s girls Teens division for several years and together they have inspired so many

public school students to not only stay away from trouble that too many of our youth unfortunately get involved with, but to even take the steps to live a life of Torah and mitzvos. And so, the Friday night meal was greater than expected filled with inspiring divrei Torah, fun, games

and, of course, lavish meals. The hours of the night flew by. Thought-provoking questions were posed by the Zinos. Some of the girls expressed that this was their first ever true Shabbat experience and were mesmerized by its beauty! The girls enjoyed their Shabbos day meal with their generous hosts and returned to the Zinos for Shalosh Seudos. The girls opened up about what they gained from their Shabbos experience and their personal feelings about it. It was a truly wonderful atmosphere and each girl walked away getting a whole new outlook of what Shabbos truly means and feels like. For more info about Chazaq please email info@chazaq. org or visit chazaq.org.

MTA Chessed Mission to South Carolina

By: Yeshurin Sorscher (‘21)

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n November 12-15, MTA partnered with New Jersey NCSY and NECHAMA Jewish Response to Disaster for a chessed mission to South Carolina. Ten talmidim from the Sophomore and junior grades joined the mission, along with

Director of Teaching and Learning Rabbi Dov Emerson. Thinking about doing chessed is one thing. Hopping on a plane and flying to a different state to spend two straight days gutting an entire house to prepare it for being rebuilt is an entirely different experience. We worked alongside the homeowner, tearing apart walls and

removing debris, while the homeowner shared her story with us. She described the flooding and the devastation her community endured and told us that she literally had no idea how she was going to get all the work done herself and how grateful she was that complete strangers flew all the way to her town to help her. It reminded me

that there are people across the world whose entire lives have been ruined and essentially have nothing and no one to turn to, but we as Jews, always have Hashem and the strength of our Jewish community to support us. It’s our responsibility to pay it forward and make a positive impact on the lives of others.


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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HAFTR Chagigat Chumash

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n Sunday, November 18, HAFTR welcomed family and friends to celebrate with the second grade students at their Chagigat Chumash. Almost one hundred students proudly performed songs that highlighted their love of Torah and their pride in becoming the next generation of talmidei chachomim and chachamot. Students recited pesukim from Parshat Bereishit that they are sure to remember for years to come. The students were beaming with pride as they received their first Chumashim engraved with their name. “It was a really nice introduction for the children to become engaged in learning Chumash,” said HAFTR parent Sara Macanian. “It was clear that the faculty worked hard preparing our kids not only for this wonderful program but for a lifelong connection to Torah learning.” Together students excitedly recited a shehechiyanu and held their Chumashim for all to see. The cel-

ebration continued as students and their families engaged in interactive activities set up by their creative teachers. The students personalized Chumash covers, decorated picture frames which had their professional photo inserted and recited brachot as they noshed on treats. They also played a Torah game using iPads, recorded in writing their thoughts about this special day, and looked inside a sefer Torah for the very first time. “It was wonderful to see our children reach such a big milestone in their lives. We truly feel proud to watch them take on more advanced learning each year. We are appreciative of the amazing teachers and administration who not only worked hard on this beautiful event but take the time each day to make our children feel special,” commented HAFTR parent Chani Kammerman. “It was special to share this moment with our parents and family who attended as well.” After returning to school on

Monday, second grade students were treated to the Tzivos Hashem Sefer Torah Workshop. Students learned about the intricate process of writing a sefer Torah. They helped sand the klaf and mix the special ink. Each student used a quill to write his or her name using the special print when writing a sefer Torah. Students were im-

pressed by their own ability to write so beautifully. It was a heartfelt and festive occasion that will linger in the minds and hearts of our children and their families. Thank you to all the families who helped sponsor the event. May we continue to have nachat from our second graders.

A Night of Song and Inspiration Shulamith Students Enjoy a Blast from the Past gudath Israel of the Five

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Towns invites the women of the community to a concert with Miriam Sandler on Saturday night, December 1, 2018. Fame and the allure of life as a performer sent Miriam Sandler traveling the globe with international superstars, singing background vocals and dancing for thousands. She spent a decade touring with superstars like Gloria Estefan and Michael McDonald, which included shows at the White House and abroad for the Queen of England. Aside from being a polished performer on stage, Miriam has also recorded with megastars like Julio Iglesias and James Brown. Miriam’s personal expression through her own music was inspired by a relentless search for truth and a life-changing decision to pursue a life of values, holiness, and spirituality. She is now exclusively sharing her musical talents with women and girls of the Klal, speaking on international platforms such as the BNOS MELOCHIM Video Presentations and the

By Yael Szlafrock, Grade 8

L CHAZAK Hotline and empowering female audiences of all ages. Miriam is a member of the Passaic community for 18 years, teaching vocal instruction and co-directing a Performing Arts Conservatory Camp for Middle School and High School girls, Camp Habima. The concert will start promptly at 8 pm on December 1. Join us at Agudath Israel of the Five Towns, 508 Peninsula Blvd, Cedarhurst, NY 11516. Tickets can be purchased at the door: $18 per person, 2 for $30. Cash, check and credit card will be accepted.

ast Thursday, Shulamith Middle Division students had the privilege of learning about all different historical eras in a unique way. From a STEM challenge that asked students to build a model based on the post and lintel system used in the Parthenon, to learning the “real Chanukah story,” students were mesmerized by each session and grateful for the knowledge they acquired. Students learned that during the time of Chanukah, Jews had a conundrum because many were assimilating with Hellenistic culture. They also learned about all of the opposition the Jews faced from the moment Ben Gurion declared Israel’s independence. “I thought ‘Journey Through Time’ was very educational, and I definitely learned a lot. The activities were incredible,” said Sheera Rockoff of the eighth grade.

Kudos to history teachers Mrs. Goldberg and Mrs. Avrukin and to Morah Chana Schwartz for organizing this fun-filled, educational event.


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Yeshiva Executive Directors Conference

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executive directors and finance professionals representing more than 50 Jewish day schools and over 30,000 students Jewish from throughout the United States participated in the 2nd Annual Executive Directors Share (EDS) Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from November 12-13, where they discussed best practices and shared innovative ideas to tackle challenges that they all face. The EDS Conference, which grew by over 50% since last February’s inaugural event, was organized by the Torah Educators Network (TEN), an organization that serves Jewish educators from coast to coast in ways that their schools cannot do independently. TEN Founder and Executive Director Rabbi Perry Tirschwell noted that a dozen states were represented at the conference, including California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,

and Texas. The schools in attendance represented a broad cross section of the Jewish day school community, including both Modern Orthodox and yeshivish institutions. The recent EDS Conference is the latest installment in the Torah Educators Network’s innovative program offerings for Jewish day school professionals. In June, over 125 leading educators from across the United States came together in Bergen

Rabbi Dovid Kramer presenting

County, NJ to share innovative pedagogic and curricular ideas at TEN’s YHShare Conference, the inaugural symposium of yeshiva high school Judaic Studies teachers. This year, TEN is increasing its offerings, such as expanding the YHShare Conference to include both middle and high school educators, who will share innovative pedagogic and curricular ideas in Bergen County in June. This May, TEN will be partnering with NCSY to run YouthCon, which will bring together experiential educators from summer camps, youth groups, day schools and synagogues from across the Jewish spectrum to share effective programming ideas and discuss how to successfully reach this generation of teenagers. “One of the primary missions of the Torah Educators Network is to facilitate opportunities for educators and other professionals in Jewish day schools to collaborate with their colleagues nationwide in order to further enhance their skills and enrich their understanding of common and complex issues that they all face,” said Tirschwell. “Sharing best practices, learning from other professionals, and staying abreast of the latest trends are invaluable tools in the ever-changing field of Jewish education.” Session topics at EDS Conference

included Current School Legal Issues, Preparing Budget for Boards, Salary Scales, Education Administrator Input into Budgeting, Work-Life Balance, Building Strategic Partnerships with Communal Organizations, Creative Job Descriptions and Positions, Maintaining an Excellent Staff Culture, and Transitioning to a Paperless World. A National Executive Directors Council was formed which will look at additional avenues for cooperation between schools. “It was a pleasure to attend this much-needed conference,” said Ari Solomon, Executive Director at HAFTR in New York. “With so many different yeshivas and heads of school in attendance, we all had the opportunity to exchange our ideas and practices that are successful in our institutions. It was a chance to hear what works and what doesn’t, and we all owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to Rabbi Tirschwell for his hard work.” “The conference was fantastic, far exceeding the expectation walking in,” said first-time participant Ari Ginian, Executive Director of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island (NY). “I had a great time and am already looking forward to your next announcement.” To learn more about the Torah Educators Network, visit www.TorahEducators.net.

Lighting the menorah? Take a picture! Send your meaningful Chanukah photos to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com


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Excitement for Ezra Girls

Baking Our Thanks

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his past week the Ezra academy girls held its first ever Tziniut Week, a week dedicated to focusing on the special mitzvah that girls and women have to ensure they dress and act modestly. The goal of the special program was to give the girls a new perspective and approach to this beautiful but at times challenging mitzvah. Throughout the week the morahs arranged many different unique opportunities for the girl to become involved and engaged in this mitzvah. Two of the highlight events from the week were the panel discussion and the fashion show. The panel discussion gave the students an opportunity to ask specific people their perspective and insights on tziniut. The panel was comprised of four members: Mrs. Rayle Devor, the school administrative assistant; Ms. Michal Mamlok, one of the morahs; Natalie Yakubov, a junior in the school; and Ms. Chaya Leah London, a personal trainer. The event was emceed by Mrs. Rivky Levine, also

a morah at Ezra. The panel was selected to give the students several different perspectives and outlooks on their questions. The other major highlight, which capped off the week, was the fashion show. Several of the girls were selected to display different tziniut outfits that they have. The girls made a runway accompanied with light strips and all. The girls took turns walking the runway as a friend described the outfit being worn. “There was such positive energy in the room” was a quote of one of the girls. The girls really felt like this was something special. What better way to celebrate such a special week of inspiration than the way that the girls have become used to, by singing and dancing. The week, and the fashion show in particular, were such a success that Ezra Academy is in the midst of planning a major event following up on the same mitzvah. Keep your eyes and ear open to hear about it soon.

AFTR PTA hosted its pre-Thanksgiving bake sale last Wednesday. With the outpouring success of many of bakers, despite having welcomed tons of shoppers, there were extra goodies to share. The PTA used the surplus to donate to local fire departments, as well as the Fourth Precinct, to say thank you for all of their hard work keeping our community safe. The children were excited to be able to express their gratitude on Thanksgiving Day. The kids had the opportunity to meet the firemen and police officers and were made to feel welcome. It was a wonderful experience for all!

The Flames that Burn On and On

“B

ren, lichtele, bren…” As we sing at our precious Chanukah licht, we implore that the candle burns and burns and burns…for as long as it can. When we were young, we wanted these candles to continue burning because we wanted to extend the partying and festivities. But now, our singing reverberates with a real desire to extend the kedusha and connection…longer, longer, longer… Yet, a niggling voice wonders: how? The flames flicker. The songs fade away. Is there still a way to tap into the kedusha of Chanukah? To Kollel Chatzos talmidei chachamim – and to their dedicated

supporters – the answer is simple; you open a Gemara and learn. From midnight until morning. After all, ohr is symbolic of Torah, and Chanukah is the celebration of the perseverance of Torah. While Chanukah festivities and even the hadlaka itself often curtail learning sedarim for most, the Kollel Chatzos learning sedarim remain untampered. There are no Chanukah parties at 4 am and no dreidel games at 5. Just learning, learning, learning… This ongoing learning is so precious that generous benefactors have undertaken to strengthen the spark of hasmada by providing a special bonus stipend for the “tocho ratzuf ahava,” the special love expressed

through retzifus, continuous learning. People have been said to give themselves a ruchniyus Chanukah treat; to join this special all-night learning and glean a taste of the kedusha that Kollel Chatzos talmidei chachamim experience every night of the year. As Yidden recognize the preciousness of this Torah learning, they seek to tap in and connect… And while all-night learning is not a possibility for every individual, becoming a Kollel Chatzos partner and sponsoring Chanukah learning is a delightful alternative. The talmidei chachamim are heartened by the support which makes their learning a reality and

present a Chanukah gift of their own; tefillos at eight mekomos hakedoshim on behalf of the Chatzos partners. In Modiin at the Chashmonaim for supernatural yeshuos; in Meron at Rabi Shimon for children; in Amuka at Rabi Yonason ben Uziel for shidduchim; in Tzfas at the Arizal for teshuva; in Ein Zeisim at Rabi Yehuda ben Ilay for parnassa; in Tzfas at Rabi Leibele baal Yesurim for yeshuos; in Tiverya at the Shlah for ehrliche doros; and in Ilbon at the tana, Masya ben Charash, for shmiras einayim – the talmidei chachamim’s emissaries storm shaarei Shamayim on behalf of the Chatzos partners… And so, the kedusha burns on. And the yeshuos burn on. And on. And on…


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Around the Community

Gratitude at Yachad

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any exciting and new things have been happening lately at the Yachad Long Island Center. The Center, which houses an elementary school (IVDU), adult program and social recreational programming, is now in its second year in the Five Towns community. Yachad is currently celebrating their 35th year of inclusion and is proud to have recently grown into the Five Towns area, providing their many services and programming to meet the needs of the community. The Adult Day and Vocational Program at Yachad share a beautiful space within the Center that serves as a common ground for the participants before embarking on community excursions geared towards developing the tools and skills needed for meaningful employment and volunteering. In honor of Thanksgiving, the DayHab visited the Nassau County Police 5th Precinct to show their gratitude, delivering beautiful Yachad Gifts baskets, packed and prepared by individuals in the Brooklyn vocational and day program. The police were thrilled to welcome the Day-Hab participants into the 5th Precinct and took the participants for a tour of the building. The Yachad Day-Hab participants were honored to be able to give thanks and appreciation to those that serve and protect our community. Yachad Long Island hosts many exciting and inclusive events, bringing together local students and Yachad participants on a weekly basis. Pizza & Parsha and BOWL-A-RAMA are two incredible bi-weekly events that are well attended and anxiously awaited by all the participants! Additionally, Yachad takes pride in offering unique events that celebrate upcoming holidays and other monthly calendar events. This Sunday night, December 2, Yachad participants and their families are invited to join a Magical Chanukah Party in the LI Center. A spectacular magic show, musical candle lighting, and delicious doughnuts and latkes will be enjoyed by all. Based out of North Woodmere, IVDU elementary school currently offers a warm and professional environment with a high staff-to-child ratio, and veteran certified special education teachers and therapists with years of experience in the field. As the only local self-contained

special education program serving grades K-5, in a highly specialized and individualized setting, IVDU is a rare gem within the community. Dr. Sara Seplowitz, the esteemed IVDU principal, describes it as “an all-inclusive, academic, special education program. Our program is highly

individualized to meet the unique needs of each student. In any given day students may be learning math, reading, aleph bais or STEM, then have therapy in our state-of-the-art sensory gym, all while developing social-emotional skills at opportunities embedded throughout the day. We

are empowering our students with the life skills and tools for success.� To find out more about any of the Yachad related services and offerings, or to schedule a tour, please call Meira at 516-730-9255, or email Sametm@ou.org.

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Gurwin Home Care Agency Director Awarded Norma Recco Advocate of the Year Award

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ancy Geiger (East Patchogue), director of the Gurwin Home Care Agency, recently accepted the Norma Recco Advocate of the Year Award from the Long Island Chapter of the New York State Association of Health Care Providers (NYSAHCP) for her outstanding contributions in public advocacy to advance home and community-based care. The award was first presented in 2011 to honor the memory of Norma Recco, a tireless advocate who advanced HCP from a local interest group to a statewide association, and who was the Governor’s appointee to the New York State Home Care Council from 1987-1997. Currently the vice president of the Long Island Chapter of the NYSAHCP, Geiger has specialized in the home care agency field for more than 30 years. She joined Gurwin as director of the Gurwin Home Care Agency in 2007; under her leadership, the Gurwin Home Care Agency

Frank Recco, CFO Recco Home Care; Nancy Geiger, Director, Gurwin Home Care Agency; Claudia Hammar, President NYS Association of Health Care Providers (NYSHCP); and Taryn Birkmire, Executive Director of Recco Home Care

provides home health aides and companions for Long Islanders who are in need of compassionate care and support. “Nancy’s empathy for people is evident, whether she is advocating

for her employees or her patients,” said Stuart B. Almer, President and CEO of the Gurwin Family of Healthcare Services. “She is committed to helping to get Home Care services to those who need them, and we are for-

tunate to have her leading our Gurwin Home Care Agency.” Taryn Birkmire, Executive Director of Recco Home Care, presented Geiger with the award, applauding her for her years in the Home Care field, her work for the past six years for the chapter, and her continued efforts in reaching out to legislators as well as her participation in advocacy events in Albany. “I am truly humbled to receive this award and be recognized in the name of Norma Recco,” Geiger said. “Norma was a true pioneer in the Home Care industry, and she overcame many obstacles back in the early days in the field. Unfortunately, our challenges have become even greater in recent years. Home Care plays an important and vital role in the lives of many in our communities, and I am honored to be able to fight for people to continue to receive the services they need to keep them living safely at home.”


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Around the Community PHOTO CREDIT: IVAN H NORMAN

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n the 14 Kislev 5779, Nov 22, 2018, a shloshim for Rav Eliahu Rominek, zt”l, a longtime resident of Far Rockaway was held at Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv in Lawrence. The speakers were Rav Don Blumberg, Rosh Yeshiva Yeshiva Ohel Yaakov, a son-inlaw; Rav Aharon Feldman, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Baltimore; Rav Moshe Brown, Rav Agudas Israel of West Lawrence; Rav Chaim Kitevitz, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin; and Rav Eytan Feiner, Rav Congregation Kneseth Israel.

TAG Melava Malka Carnival

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hat do you get when you offer a bouncy house, a Chanukah arts and crafts project, snacks, pizza, carnival games and door prizes? You get a special evening of fun and games to share with a father, grandfather or uncle. Such was the scene on Motzei Shabbos, November 17 th in Torah Academy for Girls, as our Pre-1A and 1st grade talmidos all came to enjoy spending time together. Sponsored by our amazing Women’s League, the chairladies included, Atara Edelstein, Chavsie Friedman, Miriam Kanner, Chana Kaplowitz, Alizza Retter, & Rachele Tepper. Special thanks to the following Machon Sarah High School young ladies who came to set up and run the carnival booths: Chaya Bajnon, Miriam Biderman, Rena Brody, Sara Eisenberger, Devorah Feltman, Miriam Feuer, Atara Gold, Bailey Newman,

Celebrating Thanksgiving at HAFTR

Like to draw? What does Chanukah mean to you? Send your Chanukah artwork to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Netzer, Reva Kanner, Zehava Shenker, Devorah Schonkopf, Miri Spiegel, Tehila Tepfer, and Michal Zakutinsky.


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Around the Community

MTA CommunityWide Thanksgiving Learning Program

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TA hosted a community-wide Thanksgiving Learning program in Bergen County, Brooklyn, Monsey, Passaic, Queens, and NYC. Members of each community joined MTA talmidim and rebbeim for Shacharis, followed by breakfast and a shiur given by MTA rebbeim. The Bergen County program was hosted at Congregation Beth Abraham with a shiur from Rabbi Netanel Danto; the Brooklyn program was held at Kehilah Marine Park with a shiur by Rabbi Mordechai Brownstein; the Monsey program was hosted by Kehillas Bais Yehuda of Wesley

Hills with a shiur by Rabbi Shimon Schenker; the Passaic program was held at Kehilas Beis Shalom with a shiur by Rabbi Avraham Shulman; the Queens program was held at the

Young Israel of Kew Garden Hills with a shiur by Rabbi Evan Genachowski; and the NYC program was held at the Boyoner Shteibel with a shiur by Rabbi Chaim Axelrod.

MTA talmidim were excited to share the incredible learning they experience at yeshiva every day with their communities.


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Two Weeks for TAG: The Final Stretch

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s we approach the finish line in the Two Weeks for TAG campaign, we’d like you to know exactly what you are supporting when you donate to this important fundraiser. Here is a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the incredible Resource Center that is quietly helping students succeed right in our backyard. Torah Academy for Girls (TAG) provides a superior and inspired education in a positive atmosphere designed to provide happy and successful learning experiences. In order to meet the needs of all of our students, the school has continuously looked to expand and improve on its extensive Resource Center. The TAG elementary school building has three resource room directors for each of its three divi-

sions, preschool, elementary and middle school. The preschool division employs a Kriya specialist, English reading specialist and a kindergarten literacy specialist who work both with groups and individual students, as well as collaborate with teachers to help meet all students’ needs. The elementary division employs both English and Hebrew resource room teachers who see students both individually and in groups. In addition to related service providers including occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, counselors, and special education providers provided by the district, TAG employs three social workers to meet the emotional needs of our students and an occupational therapist who serves as

a consultant in both the preschool and elementary school divisions. In addition to the dedicated Resource Center wing which includes over 30 private therapy suites, there is a state-of-the-art Sensory Gym utilized by all providers to ensure that our students get the highest level of therapy possible in the school setting. The Sensory Gym is fully equipped with sensory equipment and treatment tools, purchased with the help of the Warner Fund. The Resource Center has an extensive supply of the latest testing tools to help evaluate and identify students’ areas of weakness. Recently, with the help of the Warner Fund, the Resource Center purchased 11 iPads to use as an adjunct in services with the latest applications to foster academic, so-

cial, emotional and developmental needs. TAG’s High School also boasts an extensive array of options for all students and has seen tremendous success in assisting its teenage students succeed and thrive in an advanced setting. It is our mission to elevate the level of learning so that our students can grow into responsible young women who contribute to our community. That is why we are committed to continue to develop and add to our current resources. Your donation to the Two Weeks for TAG campaign makes you a partner in all of this incredible work and ultimately helps every student succeed! Please go to TAGDonation.org to participate.

MSH Debate Stars and Poetry Slam Teams Win Big

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n Tuesday, November 19, the Midreshet Shalhevet Debate Stars attended their first debate of the year, hosted by North Shore Hebrew Academy. The topic of the debate was whether Citizens United vs. FEC, a Supreme Court case involving indirect corporate contributions to political campaigns, should be overturned or not. The MSH Debate Stars spent weeks researching the case and working on presentations for their respective sides. Senior Penina Spearman and junior Esther Conway sided with the affirmative, arguing that that the case must be overturned in order protect the people from corporate interests. Debate captain, senior Sarah Spielman, and sophomore Elisheva Conway, the MSH negative team, argued that the case

must be upheld because it protects a corporation’s fundamental rights. After three intense rounds of debate against various yeshiva high schools, the MSH negative team was victorious, winning the award for second best team of all the teams at the competition. Sarah Spielman won Best Overall Speaker, and Elisheva Conway won Second Best Overall Speaker. The team is cele-

Singing Maoz Tzur? Take a picture! Send your meaningful Chanukah photos to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com

brating this spectacular win, and already preparing for more success at the next debate. (Written by Esther Conway, MSH 2020) The MSH Poetry Slam Team has been preparing for the first Poetry Slam of the year for weeks! The meet required writers to discuss topics about figures in Jewish History. One poem was required to be from the perspective of a Biblical figure, and the other poem, from the perspective of someone Jewish in more recent history. Hosted at MSH’s brother school, Rambam Mesivta, the MSH team members performed and listened to their fellow competitors throughout the Slam. MSH junior Esther Conway, sophomore Eliana Spector, and senior Avygayl Zucker were all finalists; Esther won the “Outstanding Poet” award for creativity, originality, presentation,

and commitment to exploring Jewish identity through the power of verse! Esther’s first poem was from the perspective of Adam HaRishon about the arrogance of man, and her second poem was about Albert Einstein and his moral conundrum after building the atomic bomb. Topics from other slammers ranged from Pharaoh’s internal debates, S.S. officers’ perspectives during the Holocaust, to Yocheved, the mother of Moshe and Aaron. Competitions are always a great time to catch up with our “opponents” from other schools, spending time together discussing creative ideas. On the way back to school, we were greeted by a surprise snow storm! All in all, it was an amazing Slam and we are looking forward to the next one. (Written by Avygayl Zucker, MSH 2019)


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Around the Community

Learn & Live

Yeshiva Tiferet Tzion Annual Rebbe Shabbaton

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earn & Live “stepped it up” this past Sunday with a very hands-on presentation of the melacha of dosh. R’ Avrohom Sebrow brought dosh to life with the boys making lemonade. To quote Yakov Yosef Feldberger, “This was the best L&L of the year so far!” For more information regarding L&L/Pirchei of Far Rockaway please email learnandlivefr@gmail. com or try the L&L hotline 641-7153800 pin 932191#.

O Chanukah Preparations at Gesher

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he theme of chinuch on Chanukah brings with it so many opportunities in early childhood education. Children learn the story of standing up for values and for Torah, understanding that not every enemy is so obvious, and about the unusual open miracles. The Gesher staff weave these lessons into their curriculum planning, for instance, learning the letter “J” and its connection to a jar of oil. Science experiments included

seeing how water and oil don’t mix, the way that the secular Yevanim could not really mix with Torah and its kedusha. Art projects carried a similar theme reminding the children that what we call nature is also a miracle as many things happen in unexpected ways. The students were encouraged to use their feelings of thankfulness to choose their art activities in preparation for the yom tov of Hallel and hod’aah.

ne of the many special events that take place at Yeshiva Tiferet Tzion is the annual Rebbe Shabbaton. Each class is treated to a special Shabbos hosted by their Rebbeim and family. Ninth and tenth grades went to Monsey, the eleventh grade headed to Lakewood, and the twelfth grade spent the Shabbos in Flatbush. On Friday morning after breakfast, the bochurim learn b’chavrusa for a short while before leaving on an erev Shabbos activity such as archery, escape rooms, go-karting and Dave & Busters. They arrive at their rebbes’ homes shortly before Shabbos to some waiting refreshments and immediately start preparations for Shabbos. The boys eat the meals with their rebbeim and their families and are able to forge a special

connection outside of the yeshiva walls. After the Shabbos night seuda, a special oneg Shabbos takes place filled with delicacies, divrei Torah and spirited singing. On Motzai Shabbos, the bochurim are treated to a physical activity including Bounce, basketball, soccer, ice skating, and gymnastics followed by a melava malka dinner. Over the years, we have heard some bochurim label this Shabbos as “the best Shabbos of my life.” To that we say, “Perhaps, but the best one will be when you are hosting your talmidim for Shabbos soon!” Yeshiva Tiferet Tzion is a Mesivta high school for grades 9-12 located in Forest Hills, Queens. To learn more about the yeshiva please contact the office at 718-544-2727 or theoffice@ytths.org.

Playing dreidel? Take a picture! Send your meaningful Chanukah photos to editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

Around the Community

BREATHTAKING? ORDER YOURS TODAY!

On Sunday, Bais Tefila of Inwood was zoche to host Harav Shraga Samuels, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva in Yeshivas Sha’ar Hashomyaim for Mekubalim in Yerushalayim. Rav Samuels inspired the kehilla with divrei chizuk in preparation for Chanukah and also held private meetings with many of the shul members. The shiur was hosted at the home of Rav Pinchus Weinberger, the rav of Bais Tefila.

Bais Yaakov of Queens Turkey Math Review

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obble, gobble, gobble! The third grade at Bais Yaakov of Queens has a very creative way of reviewing all of the ways they learned to solve multiplication strategies and learning about Thanksgiving. The girls created multiplication turkeys! Each turkey has a multiplication fact written on its stomach. The girls collaborated to show all the ways they learned to solve that fact

on the feathers. On each feather the girls draw a different colorful strategy for solving the problem. This fun craft allows the girls to show what they have learned about multiplication so far. As Thanksgiving approached, the girls discussed what giving thanks means and how we as Jews express thanks, or hakaras hatov.

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Yeshiva of South Shore Hascholas Gemara PHOTO CREDIT: NAFTOLI GOLDGRAB PHOTOGRAPHY

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his past Thursday was not an ordinary day in YOSS. Instead of spending the legal holiday as a day off from work, fathers and grandfathers of the fifth grade talmidim of Yeshiva of South Shore spent their morning shepping nachas and celebrating an important Torah milestone together with the next generation. They were all present as the fifth graders celebrated their beginning of a journey through life with a grand Hascholas Gemara event. The day began with a Shacharis attended by all talmidim and guests, followed by a lavish breakfast buffet. The Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, welcomed all the guests and described how a person’s view of the world changes as he learns Gemara. “Suddenly,” he told the assembled, “as you see ordinary objects and events, you will be reminded of gemaros and halachos.

The 5th grade choir, under direction of Rabbi Shlomo Drebin, performing at the event

The next time you see a lost object, a cow or a pit, you will be seeing gemaros, and you will remember that you learned halachos about these objects!” He then described how through learning Gemara one’s view of the world becomes the view of the Torah. The highlight of the breakfast was the 5th grade choir, led by Rabbi Shlomo Drebin. They executed an amazing

Netanel Ostreicher learning with his father and grandfather during the avos ubanim learning at the event

performance of Abie Rottenberg’s “Lulai Soruscha” featuring solos and duets, and even one boy who played the flute! After a brief dvar Torah from a talmid, Shmuel Roth, the program continued in the beis medrash, where the talmidim learned b’chavrusah together with their parents and grandparents for twenty minutes. This strengthened the bond between generations, and allowed the fathers and grandfathers to experience the hascholas Gemara together with their children. The Associate Menahel Rabbi Avraham Robinson introduced two more talmidim, Dovid Soniker and Eli Greenbaum, to deliver divrei Torah. He then introduced the guest speaker, Rabbi Eytan Feiner, Rav of Cong. Knesses Yisroel. Rabbi Feiner captivated

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky speaking to the 5th grade boys and their fathers and grandfathers at the YOSS 5th grade Haschalas Gemora Celebration

the audience with his enthusiastic stories about various gedolim who displayed an amazing ahavas HaTorah. He encouraged the boys to strive to reach their level, albeit each in his own way. He dazzled the audience with his explanation of the Gemara in Megilla which tells us that in the future the leaders of Klal Yisroel will teach Torah in the theaters and circuses. “The Gemara is talking about our times!” exclaimed Rabbi Fiener. “The Siyum Hashas six years ago, and the future one planned for 14 months from now will be held in MetLife stadium, where the gentiles go to watch their sports games!” He then asked why it is so important that we teach Torah in these venues. Rabbi Feiner explained, based upon the Ksav Sofer, that the umos ha’olam spend so much time, money and effort to enjoy themselves at these venues. They paint their faces and scream and yell with enthusiasm! “This,” explained Rabbi Feiner, “is how Hashem wants us to learn Gemara! We have to learn with a lively enthusiasm and take great efforts to enjoy what we learn!” He concluded by wishing a bracha for all talmidim that they each start their new journey in the world of Gemara with a great enthusiasm and enjoyment! The talmidim were truly inspired, as were their fathers

Rabbi Eytan Feiner addressing the assembled

and grandfathers. The three fifth grade rabbeim, Rabbi Sharchon, Rabbi Berger and Rabbi Adler, all commented how beautiful the event was and how excited the boys are to begin learning. Rabbi Drebin then raffled off three sets of Shas to three lucky talmidim, one from each class, to add to the excitement of the day. The icing on the cake after the inspirational program was the gift that each talmid received. Every talmid was presented with a beautiful individualized table-top shtender as a present from the yeshiva to remember this joyous day. Yeshiva of South Shore hopes that the excitement and joy of their talmidim at this great beginning of Torah she’ba’al peh will be the beginning of many more years of achievement and joy in learning.


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Free Chanukah STEM Projects for the Community

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eshiva Darchei Aliya (YDA), an Al Pi Darko elementary school based in Brooklyn, New York, teamedM Eup G A with VariY E A R L of Cedarhurst to Y R U ety Connection E O H SAL NUKA distributeC H AChanukah projects for NTH! A MO STRET

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Feder, of Far Rockaway, worked with Yeshiva Darchei Aliya Menahel Rabbi Sheftel Skaist to come up with the idea for these Chanukah STEM Projects. They approached Robert Wengrofsky of Variety Con-

children that utilize STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) components to bring Chanukah to life. YDA parents Mrs. Racheli Zimmer, of Lawrence, and Mrs. Aliza

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nection, who was so impressed with what he saw that he agreed to carry them in his store. The YDA Chanukah STEM kits include a paper menorah that uses a battery, copper tape, and LED lights to allow children to create a menorah and “light” a candle for each night, supplies to create a Dreidel-copter, and Dreidel Spin Art, keeping the kids busy well after the Chanukah candles burn out. The best part? The kits are free! Children of all ages can work independently or together to assemble these projects. To claim your free YDA Chanukah STEM kit, just visit Variety Connection during their regular business hours on Chanukah – limit 2 per family while supplies last. Variety Connection is located at 450 Central Ave in Cedarhurst and carries everything that you need to celebrate Chanukah. Yeshiva Darchei Aliya is an Al Pi Darko school located in Brooklyn, NY, led by Menahel Rabbi Sheftel Skaist and draws children from all over the New York area, including the Five Towns. To order additional YDA Chanukah STEM kits please text Mrs. Racheli Zimmer at 917699-0936.

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One Lucky Baal Chesed Will Be Flown in to Meet with Rav Chaim By: L Jonas

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t is no secret that HaRav Chaim Kanievsky’s days are full. Each morning strangers young and old huddle through the narrow hallway for the chance to receive a bracha. Often simultaneously engrossed in a sefer, he blesses and guides those who come to him. Some amongst the crowd are toting upsherin boys, ready to have a lock of hair cut. Others wait in solemn silence, seeking answers to the most complex shailos of our generation. Whether the visitor visits often or rarely, one thing is agreed upon by all: each moment with the Rav is precious. This makes it even more remarkable that one of Vaad HaRabbanim’s recurring donors will be flown to Israel to receive a bracha from Rav Kanievsky in person. The winner of the lottery will also meet with the revered Rav David Abuchatzera and receive a handwritten Pitum HaKetores. The Pitum HaKetores is detailed in seforim as a segulah for parnassah: “Reciting Pitum Haketores, written in Kesav Ashuris like a Sefer Torah,” wrote

Rav Chaim Palagi, zt”l, “is a segulah to merit wealth, and he who does so will be successful in all his endeavors. Because the Ketores brings wealth, and it is guaranteed that this person’s parnassah will not cease, and he will always have a comfortable livelihood.” The entire operation is due to efforts to bring in more recurring donors to the organization. Hundreds of needy families rely on help from Vaad Harabbanim each month to cover the essentials. With recipients

such as penniless kallahs, orphans, and sick people struggling to afford life-saving medications, the cases involved are urgent. Each month the rabbanim unite to save them from poverty and destitution. The need, however, tragically outweighs the response. The organization is in dire need of more monthly donors in order to turn fewer people away. Rav Chaim also released the following powerful statement in support of recurring donors (trans-

lated from Hebrew): “Anyone who sets up a regular monthly donation to Vaad HaRabbanim thereby becomes a partner in all these great acts of tzedaka, and will merit an abundance of blessing and success and Siyata D’Shmaya in all areas.” The close relationship between the gedolim of Israel and Vaad HaRabbanim is made clear each year, as many choshuve rabbanim are photographed giving tzedaka to a pushka bearing the organization’s symbol immediately after lighting

the menorah. This year during Chanukah a stellar group of gedolim will pray simultaneously for Vaad HaRabbanim donors, during a “Candle Lighting Tefilas HaTzaddikim” event. Participants include Rav Chaim Kanievsky, the Belzer Rebbe, the Biale Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein, and more. Kislev is a time for miracles. Those yearning for a miracle can rest assured that giving tzedaka brings abundant blessing into both the life of the receiver, and the life of the giver. With poor families in Israel suffering in poverty, and the leaders of klal Yisroel ready to bless those who join in helping them, it is clear that this is a fantastic place to put maaser money, and more. Those interested in joining the program and entering the lottery to meet with Rav Kanievsky & Rav Abuchatzera should call 1(877)722-2646, or send a check to 221 Regent Drive, Lakewood, NJ 08701 (TAX ID # 37-1456890). Donations are tax deductible.

A Kulanu Q & A with Assemblywoman Miller

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ew York State Assemblywoman Missy Miller was the guest speaker at Kulanu Academy’s Political Science class last Tuesday afternoon. She totally captured the attention of the class as she described how her personal experiences led her into advocating for the public at large. The students asked many questions and were pleased to learn that their assemblywoman votes with her own mind rather than always following party lines. Many questions addressed the dangerous crossing conditions at the corner of Central and Locust

Avenues. Assemblywomen Miller offered many suggestions on how to approach local authorities with this

issue. Her voice was loud and clear as she suggested that students compile a petition requesting a traffic

study as a start to any solution. Today, a petition is circulating. Kulanu gets right to work!


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Reb Joey Newcomb at Lido Beach Shul

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n Shabbos Parshas Vayishlach, the Lido Beach community had something very special going on as it hosted singer R’ Yossel “Joey” Newcomb, a talented chazzan and singer for an uplifting Shabbos of Rauch. Having put out a few popular songs this past summer which revealed his talents, Joey Newcomb’s energy was a great match and inspiration for those in attendance. Just a stone’s throw from the bustling Five Towns, Lido Beach is an Orthodox Jewish community in a small-town neighborhood featuring affordable homes and an active shul. There are daily minyanim and classes for all levels. The area features numerous kosher stores, an eruv, a mikveh, easy transportation into Manhattan/ Brooklyn, and free busing to all Far Rockaway and Five Town schools. And, of course, there is the beauty of the private beaches, even in the

non-summer months, and many different community programs yearround. The program began with a Carlebach-style kabbalas Shabbos that ended in spontaneous dancing as the ruach built up. A beautiful and tasteful catered dinner followed in the social hall, where over 50 community members and guests enjoyed an evening of delicious food and divrei Torah by the beloved Rav, Rabbi Eli Biegeleisen, and R’ Joey while spending time together. Of course, Joey, the Rav and several bochurim regaled the dinner with zemiros until well into the night. The next day, Joey Newcomb led the Shacharis and Mussaf at the shul as well. During the drasha, Rabbi Biegeleisen welcomed all the guests, especially those who came to taste the community as a place to belong to, and spoke about how a Yid never stops davening, with an amazing true

story in his dynamic style. A Gala Kiddush buffet luncheon followed davening with well over 100 people. The grand finale was the Havdalah Concert at 7:15pm. The social hall filled up with people from the community and many guests from Far Rockaway and the Five Towns who took advantage of the only 20 minute ride to join in the open door concert. With his guitar and sound systems, Joey Newcomb took everyone on a fun and spiritual journey with tremendous unity, dancing and singing. One of the big hits of the evening was hearing Joey sing his own hit song “It’s Never Too Late.” In introducing the song he said: “This song is meant to speak to everyone on whatever level they are on. To keep on reminding yourself that failure is a part of growth and WE must keep starting over. I wrote this song one summer while I was deep in prayer, alone in an open field, not feeling too good about

where I was holding in my spirituality. The words immediately came to me. I hope this brings hope to all and inspires to never give up.” Rabbi Eli Biegeleisen, the rav of the shul, noted, “It was really nice to see so many people coming together, from year-round residents and summer residents who came out for the weekends, to guests from Queens, Far Rockaway, the Five Towns and neighboring Long Beach. Joey really has a geshmak in what he does and his signing and entertainment were an exciting boost that really injected ruach into Shabbos.” On the first night of Chanukah, Sunday, December 2nd, the Lido Beach Shul will be hosting a lecture titled “Turning Darkness into Light” by the renowned Rabbi Mordechai Becher. All are welcome to come, free of charge, at 8:00pm at LBS 1 Fairway Road, Lido Beach, NY.

Professional Development at SKA

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s part of the school’s continuing efforts to support our students, faculty members of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls had a special opportunity on Thursday, November 8, to hear from Michlalah Jerusalem College senior lecturer Mrs. Dina Schoonmaker. Mrs. Schoonmaker also started the Women’s Mussar Vaad, delivering personal development workshops live and online. Mrs. Schoonmaker discussed “From Negative to Positive Interdependence - Understanding the Roots of Jealousy and its Antidotes.” She addressed some of our common concerns regarding competition among

Rabbanit Shani Taragin addresses SKA faculty

our students and how to help students feel comfortable with their individual strengths and their own sense of self. Faculty members noted that Mrs. Schoonmaker’s comments apply to us all, not just our students. The following week, on Tuesday, November 13, SKA’s seniors and

Tanach teachers were honored to hear from renowned educator, Rabbanit Shani Taragin. After giving a shiur to SKA 12th graders on Yaakov and his dreams, Rabbanit Taragin shared with Limudei Kodesh faculty members specific methodologies in teaching and inspiring students, addressing the differences in the in-

struction of pshat and drash. “It was such an inspiring experience to hear from Rabbanit Taragin whose memory recall of Tanach is fascinating; she presents ideas on Chumash so concisely and meaningfully,” said 12th grader Miriam Bornstein. “I felt so privileged to hear from someone so brilliant.”


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Around the Community

BYAM Holds Child Safety Seminar for Parents and Teachers

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afety and security are of utmost concern at BYAM. In an effort to help create and maintain the safest environment possible for our children, both inside and outside of school, the hanhala and board of directors of Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam engaged one of the foremost experts in child safety, Mrs. Debbie Fox of the Magen Yeladim organization, to speak to their faculty and parent body. The parent portion of the program is a new addition to the Safety Kid training that students and teachers have been receiving at BYAM for the past several years. Mrs. Debbie Fox, LCSW, has been involved in community social work for close to three decades, managing an active private practice in Los Angeles and speaking at seminars, confer-

From Muhammad to Zion

J

oin us at Congregation Machane Chodosh in Forest Hills in celebrating Chanukah together with special guest speaker, Yousef Hashimi. Born in Afghanistan, Yousef is a direct descendant of Muhammad and today is a chassidic Jew and vice president at IBM. Yousef will talk about his fascinating life journey as well as being successful in the corporate world without sacrificing his commitment to Jewish values. The event will be held on December 3 at 7pm at Congregation Machane Chodosh, 67-29 108 Street, Forest Hills, NY. Refreshments will be served. There is a $5 admission fee. Limited space. To Register: http://bit.ly/MuhammadToZion

ences, and staff trainings across the world. In 2006, she developed and launched the Safety Kid educational series, an internationally-acclaimed program of educational and training materials for preventing abuse in the community, presented in a culturally

sensitive manner, to children, parents, and schools. Mrs. Fox spoke to Bais Yaakov Ateres Miriam’s teachers and parents in two separate sessions regarding the prevention of child abuse, intervening effectively, and understanding cultur-

al sensitivity when abuse occurs. She provided avenues and resources for ongoing support to promote healing for those children and their families. The event was well attended and was very informative and appreciated by both parents and teachers.


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% 20 8 Nights of Chanukah

CHANUKAH SALE A HOUSE FULL OF CHESED by Shmuel Blitz

AGES 3-8

STEP INTO THE MACHLIS HOME AND INSPIRE YOUR CHILDREN! Who was Rebbetzin Henny Machlis? • She and her family hosted more than 100 guests in their small apartment, every single Shabbos! • She had absolute trust in Hashem, no matter what was happening. • She always saw the good in everyone. Contains many engaging, kid-friendly stories, each with its own charming and fun illustration beautifully drawn by Lea Kron.

THE YEAR OF THE SWORD by Avner Gold

Another can't-put-it-down historical thriller by bestselling author Avner Gold! The Year of the Sword depicts the early stages of the tragedy that befell the Jewish people 23 during the years 1648–1649, BR AND known to Jewish history as NE W CHAPTER “Tach v’Tat.” S

WHAT IF … VOLUME 4

by Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein The What If … series has become a beloved part of the Shabbos table for tens of thousand of families. It includes hundreds of real-life halachic questions, each accompanied by a brief, practical scenario to illustrate the case. The questions, stories, and halachic explanations are clear and simple, so that even youngsters can discuss them. At the same time these fascinating halachic queries and responses hold the interest of those well-versed in Torah scholarship.

FULL COLOR

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Zecharia Fruchthandler

In the bestselling book GPS: Navigation for Your Soul, thousands of readers discovered — and loved — a fascinating new way of putting timeless Torah teachings into an ultra–contemporary format. Now CPR! Resuscitation for Your Soul, takes that same format to help us truly understand Hashem's incredible weekly gift to us: Shabbos. CPR takes the fascinating concepts of Nesivos Shalom and uses them to unlock the secrets of truly appreciating the gifts of Shabbos and see how those gifts can transform your life to one of great serenity, peace of mind, inner happiness — throughout the week!

Available at your local Hebrew bookseller or at


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

OFF

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es titl 00 2,0 r ou of L L A

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PERFECT FLAVORS by Naomi Nachman

Naomi Nachman is a renowned, round-the-world cooking teacher, food columnist, recipe developer, and personal chef. Perfect Flavors brings us exotic recipes from all over the world — and old favorites with a new twist. Whether you’re looking for elegant and sophisticated cuisine or a quick and wholesome meal, you’ll find what you need among these delicious and doable recipes.

STORIES THAT STRENGHTEN YOUR HEART

by Rabbi Binyomin

Pruzansky

THE GLITTERING WORLD OF CHESSED by Rabbi

Paysach J. Krohn

Rabbi Paysach Krohn, the “American Maggid,” has given us so much wisdom and inspiration in his bestselling books. He now shares with us stories of individuals and organizations that see a need — and step up to fill it. The Glittering World of Chessed also offers practical advice on effective chessed whether we are hosting guests, visiting the sick, or simply listening to a friend who needs a little comfort.

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Rabbi Binyomin Pruzansky knows how to tell a great story. Just ask any of his thousands of readers. In this brand-new collection, we will hear about how a little boy’s prayers and simple trust saved his “miracle” baby brother, and how a stranded air passenger listens to Hashem’s “message”— and gets the flight, and the faith, he was missing. Here are more than 50 stories to inspire us, entertain us — and give us strength when we need it!

ZERA SHIMSHON 2

by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer Zera Shimshon Volume 2 includes more of the Zera Shimshon’s Torah, translated and adapted, and over 80 great true stories by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer — and, of course, the powerful segulah that the author promised almost three centuries ago to those who learned his sefer.

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Around the Community

Creating a Family Crest

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fter days of informative and lively presentations, the winners of the 10A English Edgar Allan Poe Family Crest Projects at Rambam, as voted on by the students themselves, were announced. This year’s Champion was Dani Jakubowitz, with Ezra Klein and Ariel Schanke earning Honorable Mentions. The Family Crest Project was inspired by Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” when one of the character’s describes his family’s coat of arms. “The goal was for each student to make his own Family Crest in an effort to ex-

plore the value system of one’s own family and identity,” explained Mr. Hillel Goldman who created and assigned the project. “Using symbolism, art, and English, Hebrew, and

Latin quotes, each student presents his crest to the class and the students themselves determine the winners.” The Crest Projects were also judged by past winners who returned

as honorable guest judges. The crests will now be added to the walls of Rambam until they will be joined by a new crop of crests next year.

Chabad Chassidus, was liberated from Czarist imprisonment. This day was referred to by Rabbi Shalom Dovber of Lubavitch (the 5th Rebbe of Chabad) as the “Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus,” a day on which thousands of Jews all over the world get together and focus on the teachings of chassidus and how they

enhance and enliven all aspects of avodas Hashem, and take on to join an existing, or start a new, shiur in the teachings of chassidus. This year’s guest speaker was Rabbi Chaim Schochet, the Rav of K’hal Anshei Sefard in Wesley Hills, NY. Rabbi Schochet is a much sought-after lecturer, who speaks on

variety of Torah topics and halacha as well as machshava and chassidus. He captivated the crowd with words of Torah and inspirational stories for three hours, concluding with encouraging the participants to translate the inspiration into practice, to learn chassidus and serve Hashem with the fire of their G-dly souls.

excerpts being read from the four 1st place essays. Awards and prize money were distributed by Rabbi Sam Rudansky, General Studies Principal, and Rabbi Yossi Bennett, Assistant Menahel/Assistant Principal. The highlight of the breakfast was a visit from Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Senter, shlit”a, Rosh HaYeshiva, Yeshivas Aderes HaTorah in Yerushalayim, who spoke about the primary goal of chinuch. He prefaced his remarks by alluding to a dvar Torah he heard from a MAY alumnus in Eretz Yisroel at a siyum he made just the oth-

er day, which was the inspiration for his talk that morning. He empowered the talmidim by describing the importance of having emunah in themselves and that their own growth in ruchniyus provides inspiration for their fathers and rabbeim. He encouraged them to continue inspiring themselves and others. The program concluded with the Student Government raffle of various prizes, including a gaming system, a sports package, multiple gift cards, and some very happy winners.

Yud Tes Kislev in Far Rockaway

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he howling winds and the drenching rain didn’t deter the crowd from participating in the annual Yud Tes Kislev Seuda and Farbrengen arranged by Chabad of Far Rockaway under the leadership of Rabbi Pesach Schmerling. The event was generously sponsored by Russo’s Pharmacy. The 19th of Kislev marks the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Dovber, the Maggid of Mezritch and successor of the Baal Shem Tov, and the day on which his student, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the author of Tanya and Shulchan Aruch haRav, founder of

MAY Dor L’Dor Breakfast

A

t MAY’s annual Yonatan Andrusier Dor L’Dor Thanksgiving Breakfast, fathers and grandfathers joined their sons for an enjoyable morning of both ruchniyus and gashmiyus. The morning began with a warm, yeshiva Shacharis followed by a lavish breakfast catered by Qcumbers. To begin the program, the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, addressed the 400+ fathers and sons in attendance. Ushi Schreiber, an alumnus of the Mesivta and a talmid in the Yeshiva Gedolah, then spoke

about the importance of mesorah in Klal Yisroel and the significance of the transmission of Yiddishkeit from one generation to the next. Senior Yechiel Jacobs, representing the Mesivta student body, delivered divrei Torah as well, discussing his and his peers’ roles as links in the chain of the mesorah of Klal Yisroel. He concluded by thanking the rabbeim of the Mesivta for their warmth, care and guidance throughout his years at the Mesivta. The event also featured the Mesivta’s annual Fall Essay Contest, with


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Around the Community

Rambam Alumni Shabbaton in Israel

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almidim from north, south, east and west joined together at a central meeting point to celebrate the Rambam kesher with their Rosh Mesivta, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, at the Annual Israel Rambam Reunion Shabbaton last week. The venue of this year’s 23rd get-together was Yeshivat Har Etzion in the “Gush” and was organized by Sam Cohen, Itai Eliach, and Ephraim Klein. The 43 talmidim who joined were excited to hear both divrei Torah and updates from Rabbi Friedman. They were gratified in their role in helping push the last Nazi out of the United States; joyously heard of the many successes and accomplishments of the current Rambam school body both on and off the field; and wanted to hear in general how Rambam was

doing. In addition to the three Shabbos shiurim given by Rabbi Friedman, each meal was enhanced by both zemiros and parsha thoughts from talmidim in which all of their yeshivos were proudly represented. During “free time” many found

their way to the Beis Medresh and learned b’chavrusah. Shabbos began to ebb away with Mincha which was followed by Shalosh Seudos, more ruach and more divrei Torah which extended Shabbos until late Maariv and kiddush levana. Havdala ushered in the song and sen-

timent of “six more days till Shabbos” as the boys got ready to head back to their respective learning programs. Hugs and handshakes with Rabbi Friedman followed as he reveled in the nachas and progress of the latest group of Rambam alumni.

deep sense of shame, isolation and stigma. We know that abuse thrives in silence, and it often feels less complicated to remain in the “dark” and not be aware of this pain. Abuse can happen because it exists in the shadows. The perpetrators rely on the fact that victims of abuse- be they victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, etc., experience such deep shame, confusion, isolation, stigma and pain that they cannot come forward. Perpetrators rely on the fact that communities don’t know how to manage this pain and are afraid of facing these issues and often do look the other way. Victims worry that they will not be believed. Victims worry that no one will accept their story and they will be questioned, scrutinized and judged. And historically this is true. Victims are often blamed and are often not believed. Imagine coming forward with your darkest, most painful secret to be doubted or worse, be blamed for it. There is a deep sense of failure, that “it’s my fault.” Furthermore, there still remains great stigma around divorce in our community. Our job is to bring light to where there is darkness, and to do this as a community. Victims should not feel that they are alone. They need to be embraced, believed and accepted. They need to know that they will

be heard and be cared for when they come forward. Unlike our Shabbos candles, we don’t light our Chanukah candles in the privacy of our dining rooms; we light our menorah where everyone can see them. This way, we can collectively fight the darkness, and bring awareness and light to help diminish others’ pain. When we light our candles each night of Chanukah, we connect to our history of triumph and miracles. We are making a statement that we too, want to bring light into darkness to those who are the most vulnerable and help them triumph and find hope in the future. You can help. If you want to learn more about Shalom Task Force’s program including the confidential hotline, Sarah’s Voice-free legal assistance, host a community education program, or get involved, check out www.shalomtaskforce.org, call 212742-1278 or email at info@shalomtaskforce.org. We are currently interviewing for the next class of hotline volunteer advocates. Please apply at https://www. shalomtaskforce.org/hotline-volunteer-screener-question. If you or someone you know could benefit from speaking to a trained advocate, please call our confidential hotline at 1-718-337-3700 or 1-888883-2323.

Bringing Light into the Dark By Shoshannah D. Frydman, PhD, LCSW Executive Director, Shalom Task Force

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here are many themes of Chanukah – and lessons to inspire our modern lives. We celebrate the Maccabees, a small group of people, fighting back against the large troops of the Greeks. Against all odds, the Jewish people and Judaism triumphed. We reflect on the incredible miracle of the oil lasting eight days and the reclaiming of the Beit Hamikdash. And we rally to the centrality of the menorah, as we light our candles and transform the darkness of the winter nights with the candles’ light. Chanukah allows us to reflect on what it means to transform darkness, pain, and trauma and find healing, future, and hope. Chanukah is also a time that we celebrate with family. There are many within our community for whom Chanukah is not joyous. For them, the stress of another holiday may be frightening. While at Shalom Task Force we constantly think about and discuss the issue of Domestic Violence, we recognize that for the larger community, talking about this issue is hard. What is Domestic Violence? Why don’t we talk about Domestic Violence? Why does this issue remain in

the dark? And how can we help? As a simple definition, domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors where one member of the relationship obtains power and control over the other person. This is often thought about as a physical violence, but also includes other types of abuse including emotional, psychological, financial, sexual, spiritual, and technological. People feel uncomfortable and awkward talking about domestic violence, or people may assume that abuse doesn’t happen in “their community.” The reality is that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men are victims of intimate partner abuse in their lifetime. These statistics span all communities, ethnicities, religions, socioeconomic status and level of education. We do not hear the stories of victims. There are many barriers to survivors, whether male or female, coming forward and they may not reach out for help for a number of reasons. Among the reasons are fear of the unknown, fear of further abuse or even fear of fatality. Many victims may have never lived as an adult without their partner and can’t imagine that there are options. There may be financial barriers, and concern that they could not continue to support their children, keep a home and remain part of their community. Chief among these factors is a


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TJH

Centerfold

Exercise for Chanukah So, how are you going to burn off those jelly donuts? The key is exercise. If you want, you can join my exercise regimen of: Jumping to conclusions

Balancing the books

Adding fuel to the fire

Climbing the walls

Running around in circles

Opening a can of worms

Beating around the bush

Eating crow

Putting my foot in my mouth

Swallowing my pride

Tooting my own horn

Starting the ball rolling

Passing the buck

Climbing the ladder of success

Going over the edge

Throwing my weight around

Pulling out the stops

Picking up the pieces

Dragging my heels Pushing my luck Making mountains out of molehills Hitting the nail on the head Wading through paperwork Bending over backwards Jumping on the bandwagon

You gotta be

kidding

Two menorahs are sitting in the window. The first one says, “Wow, it’s getting hot with all these candles.” The second one says, “Wow, a talking menorah!”

Riddle me

this?

You are given two coins for Chanukah gelt. Together they add up to thirty cents, and one of them is not a nickel. What are they? See answer below on opposite page


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Potato Po-tah-to Trivia

c. Scotland d. Finland 3. Potato chips were invented in Saratoga Springs in 1853 by Chef George Crum. Why did he create this crunchy treat? a. He realized that packages snacks were becoming popular so he invented them. b. He worked at an old age home and he realized that they were a good alternative to cookies. c. A frustrated customer thought his French fries were too thick and repeatedly requested that they be made thinner. d. There was an excessive amount of potatoes and he needed to figure out what to do with them. 4. Who famously misspelled the word potato, while participating in an elementary school spelling bee, by spelling it p-o-t-a-t-o-e? a. Former Vice President Dan Quayle b. Former Scripps Spelling Bee champion Vasvvvavvauch Vvasilaivlovivav

6. Which U.S. state grows the most potatoes per year? a. Utah b. Iowa c. Idaho d. California 7. In 2015, a group of students at Binghamton University, called the “Potato Posse,” smashed the record for mashed potatoes. How many pounds of mashed potatoes did they make? a. 355 pounds b. 744 pounds c. 983 pounds d. 2,641 pounds

Answers

b. Ireland

d. George Auguste Escoffier

1. D- Remember the “average” American eats 110 pounds, but you cholent eaters should add around 100 pounds a year to that number. So you basically eat your weight in potatoes every year. Perhaps we should fry you up for latkes?

a. England

c. Benjamin Franklin

2. B

2. In which country did the Potato Famine of 1845-1849 take place?

b. Thomas Jefferson

3. C - Crum was a chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, NY. French fries were popular at the restaurant and one day a diner complained that the fries were too thick. Although Crum made a thinner batch, the customer was still unsatisfied. Crum finally made fries that were too thin to eat with a fork, hoping to annoy the extremely fussy customer. The customer, surprisingly enough, was happy – and potato chips were invented!

d. 110 pounds

a. Ronald McDonald

4. A- The other thing he is famous for? Nothing.

c. 48 pounds

5. Who introduced French fries to America?

5. B- Jefferson encountered them while serving as American Minister to France from 1784 to 1789. He served them at a White House dinner in 1802…and America has never looked back!

b. 27 pounds

 Answers 6. C- Idaho grows an average of 13.8 billion pounds of potatoes per year. While speaking at the 90th annual convention of the Idaho Grower Shippers Association, Idaho Potato Commission President Frank Muir noted that the Idaho potato industry ships 412 pounds of potatoes every second, which translated to 2.2 million pounds shipped during his 90 minute presentation. (Wait, you spoke about potatoes for 90 minutes…and people didn’t throw potatoes at you?)

a. 14 pounds

d. Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno

7. D

1. How many pounds of potatoes does the average American eat each year?

 A Spin on Spud 6-7 correct: Mr. Muir, when you were a child, did you say, “I’d like to grow up to be the president of the Idaho Potato Commission?” 3-5 correct: You know a thing or two about taters... 0-2 correct: Mr. Quayle, you don’t do too well with the “potatoe”; stick with the “tomatoe”!

c. “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek

Answer to Riddle Me This: A quarter and a nickel.


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3

Torah Thought

Parshas Vayeishev By Rabbi Berel Wein

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he narrative in the Torah portion of Vayeishev, of how the Jewish people came down to Egypt and settled there for centuries, is in the form of a personality dispute between Joseph and his brothers. The Torah never covers up for anyone and is never hagiographic. It presents for us figures of great people, but it does not demand perfection from them. In short, they are human with all that this connotes. The brothers’ attitude towards Joseph seems to be colored by one negative emotion – jealousy. Joseph is too handsome, too talented, too beloved by his father and too brash a personality. They and he are longer able to communicate with each other civilly and rationally. This jealousy is perceived to eventually morph into hatred and, as all human history indicates to us, hatred easily turns into persecution and violence. The brothers truly feel justified in their behavior and actions. They feel compassionate towards Joseph in having sold him into slavery instead of murdering him on the

spot. Jealousy and hatred are such strong self-justifying emotions that they can cover up even the most vicious crimes and violent behavior. In the original story of murder in the Torah, Cain seems to realize that he has committed an evil act in

civilization. And the brothers feel completely at ease in employing this concept regarding their treatment of Joseph and his being sold into slavery. The rabbis have taught us that much if not all Jewish history is

Jewish history reflects the repetition of old differences, albeit decked out in new forms and ideologies.

murdering his brother. However, as civilization proceeded through the generations, there is little stigma of guilt associated with murdering people who the murderer feels unjustly has more power, wealth and ability than he does. The concept of justifiable homicide thus becomes one of the tenets of human

simply a replay of the script of the story of Joseph and his brothers. It explains not only the differences that exist and have always existed in Jewish life, both religious and general, but it also illustrates how these differences oftentimes descend into acts that are unworthy of the Chosen People. And, as with Joseph

and his brothers, all differences are magnified and become reasons for the disagreements and for the satisfying self-justification that allows these disputes to perpetuate and recur again and again. Eventually, history and events – these are the divine instruments by which G-d guides the world – will reconcile Joseph and his brothers. But the scars of their decades of contention will always remain, even after reconciliation has been achieved. So too, Jewish history reflects the repetition of old differences, albeit decked out in new forms and ideologies. Eventually all of these fall away in the face of the truth of Torah and the survival of the Jewish people. The scars remain and oftentimes the differences are revisited by later generations who willingly or unwillingly ignore the past. It is for this reason perhaps that the Torah spends so much space and detail on this story of Joseph and his brothers. It is really the millennia-old story of Jewish life and society. Shabbat shalom.


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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

INSPIRING JEWS ... ONE BOOK AT A TIME

FROM

Magnificent Chanukah Gift! LARGE-FORMAT COFFEE-TABLE SIZE, WITH HUNDREDS OF STUNNING, FULL-COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS

The

Palace

on 5 Chazon Ish Street

the four corners of the earth, people F rom streamed into the humble home — the

By RABBI SHAI GRAUCHER

palace — of R’ AHARON LEIB SHTEINMAN ZT”L. Now, in this beautifully-designed, oversized, fullcolor book, you can visit this palace of simplicity and greatness. The Palace on 5 Chazon Ish Street features 104 magnificent double spreads, for the 104 years that R’ Aharon Leib graced this world. Each spread contains: 4A true and inspirational story about Rav Aharon Leib 4“Words of the Wise”: Lessons and quotes from R’ Aharon Leib himself 4“Gifts of Majesty”: Vignettes of R’ Aharon Leib’s greatness 4Many photographs, some of them rare and never published ationn vers versatio

ms Friday Night Custo

The Lost Letters ‫„„יןין‬ƒ ‫ב‬ƒ ¿ ‫ֲחֲ ָחב ָבלל ַﬠַﬠלל„ּ¿ „ּ¿ ָ‡ָ ¿‡ב‬ Woe Woefor forthose thosewho whoare arelost lost (Sanhedrin (Sanhedrin111a) 111a) The Theship shipmade madeits itsway waytotoEretz EretzYisrael Yisraelcarrying carryingpriceless priceless cargo. cargo.In Inthe theship’s ship’shold, hold,alongside alongsidegiant giantshipping shippingcontainers, containers, sat satseveral severalsmall smallboxes. boxes.These Theseboxes boxescarried carriedthe thebelongings belongings ofof Rav Rav Shteinman Shteinman that that remained remained inin Switzerland Switzerland after after he he moved movedtotoEretz EretzYisrael. Yisrael. He Hehad hadnot notbeen beenable abletototake takeall allhis hisbelongings belongingswith withhim him when whenhe heleft, left,so soRav RavMoshe MosheSoloveitchik Soloveitchiksaw sawtotoititthat thatthese these items items were were later later shipped shipped toto him. him. What What was was inin the the boxes? boxes? The The most most precious precious cargo cargo ofof all: all: notebooks notebooks containing containing his his chiddushei chiddusheiTorah Torahfrom fromthe thegood gooddays daysininBrisk Briskand andfrom from the the war war years; years; sefarim; sefarim; and and letters letters written written toto him him by byRav RavSimchah SimchahZelig ZeligRieger, Rieger,the thedayan dayanofofBrisk, Brisk, whose whosehome homeRav RavShteinman Shteinmanhad hadfrequented frequentedasasaa child childand andfrom fromwhom whomhe hehad hadheard heardmany manyhalachic halachic rulings rulings and and Torah Torah insights. insights. Rav Rav Shteinman Shteinman had had consulted consulted with with Rav Rav Simchah Simchah Zelig Zelig regularly, regularly, atat every every juncture, juncture, and and had had conducted conducted himself himself according accordingtotohis hisrulings. rulings. As As the the ship ship traversed traversed the the waves, waves, its its valuable valuable cargo cargo inched inchedcloser closerand andcloser closertotothe theport portofofJaffa, Jaffa,where whereititwould would be beunloaded. unloaded. But Butalas! alas!As Asthe theship shipapproached approachedthe theshore, shore,the theEgyptians Egyptians bombed bombedit.it.There Therewas wasaaterrible terribleexplosion, explosion,and andthe theship shipsank. sank. The Theprecious preciousboxes boxeswere werelost lostininthe thedepths depthsofofthe thesea, sea,never never totoreach reachtheir theirowner. owner. How Howmelancholy melancholywas wasRav RavShteinman Shteinmanover overthe theirreplaceable irreplaceable loss…. loss….

There There was was another another time time when when Rav Rav Shteinman’s Shteinman’s writings writings were werelost, lost,this thistime timetotoaafire. fire. One One day, day, Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Shteinman Shteinman smelled smelled smoke, smoke, and and she she hurried hurriedtotosee seewhere wherethe thefire firewas. was.To Toher hershock, shock,she shefound found Rav Rav Shteinman Shteinman burning burning some some letters. letters. When When she she asked asked what what he he was was doing, doing, he he answered answered that that these these were were letters letters ofof recommendation recommendationthat thathe hehad hadreceived receivedfrom fromthe theBrisker BriskerRav Rav zt”l zt”land andthe theSatmar SatmarRebbe Rebbezt”l. zt”l. “Why?” “Why?” she she cried cried out. out. “These “These are are precious, precious, rare rare letters! letters! Isn’t Isn’tititaashame shametotoburn burnthem?” them?” “They “They didn’t didn’t test test me me before before they they wrote wrote these these letters,” letters,” Rav RavShteinman Shteinmanexplained. explained.“I“Ididn’t didn’tdeserve deservethe theletters. letters.They They simply simply pitied pitied me me — — they they wanted wanted toto help help me me settle settle inin the the places placesIIwould wouldfind findmyself myselfin, in,and andthat’s that’swhy whythey theywrote wrotewhat what they theywrote. wrote.IIam amafraid afraidthat thatafter after120, 120,when whenmy mychildren childrenfind find these theseletters, letters,they theywill willmake makeaabig bigdeal dealabout aboutthem themand andwave wave them themaround aroundasasthough thoughthey theyare aregenuine. genuine.Then, Then,no noone onewill will be beable abletotodeny denythis. this.IIhave havetotoburn burnthe theletters letterstotoprevent preventthat that from fromhappening.” happening.” What Whatdid didthe theBrisker BriskerRav Ravreally reallythink thinkofofRav RavShteinman? Shteinman? Rav RavZeev ZeevEdelman Edelmanzt”l zt”lrelated relatedthat thateach eachtime timebefore beforeRav Rav Shteinman Shteinmanwould wouldcome cometotobe betested testedby bythe theBrisker BriskerRav, Rav,the the Rav Ravwould wouldsay, say,“The “Theiluy iluyAharon AharonLeib Leibisisgoing goingtotocome comesoon, soon, IIhave havetotoprepare preparewell.” well.” Another Another time, time, he he said, said, “Rav “Rav Aharon Aharon Leib Leib isis aa talmid talmid chacham. chacham.He’s He’smy mytalmid.” talmid.”

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65

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se Wise the Wi of the rds of Wo Words

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36

Words Words ofof the the Wise Wise 72 72

From From Rav Rav Shteinman’s Shteinman’s will: will: “I“I request request that that II not not be be referred referred to to by by the the title title ‘tzaddik’ ‘tzaddik’ or or ‘yerei ‘yerei Shamayim,’ Shamayim,’ so so that thatIInot notbe bedisgraced disgracedasasaaresult resultininthe theWorld WorldofofTruth.” Truth.”

73 73

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From the Fire

Parshas Vayeishev Window of Faith By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

T

he yom tov of Chanukah is almost upon us. As we dust off our dreidels, it reminds us that we are all like the dreidel. Sometimes life hands us a “gimmel” and things are very good. Sometimes we spin a “hei” and things are alright. Other times we get a “nun” and break even. And unfortunately, sometimes we roll a “shin,” and our circumstances seem anything but good. Yosef Hatzadik’s life is also like the dreidel, except that he only seems to spin gimmels and shins. Everything either goes very well for him or very badly. His story is the story of Jewish history which is filled with gimmels and shins and very little in between. At the beginning of his life, everything is wonderful. He is the favorite son of Yaakov Avinu and all is well with the world. Suddenly, his world falls apart and he is thrown in a pit and sold into slavery. Afterward, he attains a relative state of success when he is put in charge of a very important household in Egypt. Unfortunately, that success is also shattered when the wife of Potiphar attempts to seduce him day after day for a full year. After he passes that test, one would think that he would have been entitled to see better days. But even after passing such a difficult test, he is thrown into prison for a full twelve years. The Nesivos Shalom asks a ques-

tion which we are all asking. How was Yosef able to be mechazek, to strengthen, himself during this time period? As far as he knew, his family and his father had forgotten about him and no one was looking for him. And after all of his efforts to be good, he is thrown in jail! At some point, it would seem that Yosef would have given up trying to be good and holy. If we understand how Yosef succeeded even during his darkest hours, maybe we can learn how to strengthen ourselves during our times of darkness and smallness. The Nesivos Shalom points out an interesting nuance with regard to Yaakov Avinu’s refusal to be comforted with regard to Yosef’s “death.” It says (Bereishis 37:35) “Va’yimaein l’hisnachem, and he refused to be comforted.” It does not say, “V’lo yachol l’hisnachem, and he could not be comforted.” Rather, it says that he “refused” to be comforted. This is difficult to understand. Normally, the way of a tzaddik is to serve Hashem with simcha, joy. When things do not go as he would have wanted, tzaddikim usually accept the reality and move on. As it says with regard to Avraham Avinu after Sarah’s death (Bereishis 23:3), “Vayakem Avraham mei’al pnei meiso, and Avraham got up from before his deceased.” Why did Yaakov not take this approach? In addition, Yaakov had no ruach hako-

desh during Yosef’s entire absence (Rashi on Bereishis 45:27). This intimate connection with Hashem was an enormous sacrifice for Yaakov and was what he lived for. What could have been so important that he would give that up by adamantly refusing to allow himself to be comforted? According to the Nesivos Shalom, Yaakov knew, deep inside, that Yosef was still alive. He did not know where he was or what he was going through, but he knew that his circumstances must have been bad and that he was in a place of tumah, impurity. There was nothing Yaakov could do for Yosef to help him through whatever he was going through except continue to believe in Yosef and never forget about him. By never giving up on Yosef, Yaakov did the only thing he could to help his son. Yosef did not know any of this, though. For all he knew, Yaakov had moved on with his life and forgotten about him. In Yosef’s darkest hour, after a year of temptation, according to one opinion in the Gemara (Sota 36b), Yosef was planning to give up and give in. “There is a dispute between Rav and Shmuel [about the verse (Bereishis 39:11) which states that Yosef went into the house “to do his work”]: One says he was literally going to do his work and the other says that he was planning to succumb to temptation.” What stopped him?

The Gemara there continues that “at that moment the image of his father came and appeared to him in the window.” When that happened, Yosef rediscovered his inner strength and “va’yima’ein, he refused.” According to the Nesivos Shalom, Yaakov was able, through his belief in Yosef, to cause Yosef to believe in himself and thereby have the strength to emerge from the darkness and refuse to sin. Through the vision of his father, Yosef was reminded “Ha’od avi chai,” I have a father who is still alive and who is thinking about me and connected to me. The word va’yima’ein only appears in these two places in the Torah and has the same letters as the word emunah, faith. Yaakov Avinu’s “va’yimaein l’hisnachem” belief in and refusal to give upon Yosef gave Yosef the ability – va’yima’ein – to have faith in and refuse to give up on himself. Yosef saw his father’s image specifically in the chalon, the window. The letters of the word chalon are the initial letters of the words “l’hadlik ner Chanukah, to kindle the Chanukah candle.” When we light the Chanukah candles in the windows of our homes, we can also tap into our Father’s belief in us. According to the Ramban in Parshas Be’ha’aloscha (Bamidbar 8:1) Aharon Hakohen is the inner source for the yom tov of Chanukah. What was Aharon Hakohen known for?


The Jewish Home || OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 29, 2018 2015 The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER

which simply read, “I, Shimon of Skernovitz, am waiting for you on the corner.” The Rebbe then waited one, two, and three days. During the entire time he never left the corner.

The Rebbe stood outside the high convent walls and bribed a priest going in to deliver a note to the Jewish girl inside.

He davened there without going to shul or anywhere else for three days. On the night after the third day, the girl came out of the convent and ran to the Rebbe. They ran away for a period of time and when they had

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

This

CHANUKA

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Kollel Chatzos talmidei chachamim

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down by R’ Shlomo Katz in his book in the name of R’ Shlomo Carlebach. He brings down that Reb Shimon had a chassid who was the only Jew in his village. This Jew had a daughter and, sadly, she became involved with a non-Jewish man. This man was also an alcoholic and an abuser. But as we know sometimes happens, if a woman feels that she will not find anyone better, she will tolerate the worst things. She therefore planned to marry this man. Because the man’s family refused to allow him to marry her if she did not convert, the chassid’s worst nightmare came true and his daughter left home to stay at a convent to prepare to convert and marry this man. The chassid was beside himself and made the difficult journey to his Rebe, the Skernovitzer, to ask for help. He told Reb Shimon everything that happened and that his daughter was already in a convent preparing to convert and marry a non-Jewish man. The chassidus of Amshinov is known for ahavas Yisrael, love of the Jewish people. The Rebbe asked his chassid exactly where the convent was and he gave him the location. The Rebbe then took his gabbai and traveled to the place where the convent was. The building was like a fortress with a high wall. The Rebbe stood outside the high convent wall and bribed a priest going in to deliver a note to the Jewish girl inside

put some distance between themselves and the convent, the Rebbe asked her to explain why how she got the strength to leave when she was ready to convert and get married. She knew who Reb Shimon was from her father, so she answered that she had the strength to leave because “I knew you would never leave without me.” When a person knows and feels that the tzaddik, Rebbe, parent, or that Hashem will never leave without them, it gives them the strength to leave any type of impurity. Iy”H, as we light the neiros Chanukah, may we remember that our Father still loves us and still remembers us even in our moments of darkness, and that He will never stop believing in His children and He will never leave us behind.

‫םו‬

give us the chizuk we need to pass our most difficult tests. There is a story of the Rebbe Reb Shimon Skernovitzer, a grandson of the Amshinover Rebbe, brought

‫שו‬ ‫עות‬

In Pirkei Avos (1:12), it says Aharon “loved all creatures and brought them close to the Torah.” The word creatures – briyos – implies the lowest people. His love included those people about whom the best thing that can be said is that they are alive. They have nothing else going for them. Nevertheless, Aharon Hakohen loved them and believed in them. He believed they could be good. And that was how he was able to bring them close to Torah. They saw that the tzaddik believed in them and that gave them the strength to believe in themselves. Similarly, at the time of the Greek occupation of Eretz Yisroel, the Chashmonaim were among the very small number of people who refused to give in and accept the Greek lifestyle. Most Jews had ceased believing in themselves, but the Chashmonaim still believed in them. Through their belief that the Jewish people could serve Hashem and did not have to capitulate to the Greek way of life, they lit the way for generations to come in the long winter of our exile. It is no coincidence that we light the Chanukah candles at night during the coldest time of the year. It is when our lives are shrouded in darkness and difficult that we most need the remembrance of looking into the windows and seeing the Chanukah lights which remind us of Aharon Hakohen, Yaakov Avinu, and the other tzadidkim who appear to us tell us, “I am with you! I believe in you! You can do it!” This is why we emphasize in Al HaNissim “through Your holy kohanim.” In Tehillim 92:3 we say that we relate “Your kindness in the morning and Your faith at night.” We have faith in Hashem, but what does it mean that we relate Hashem’s faith at night? What does Hashem have faith in? It means that at night, during our dark times when we are tested and do not see Hashem’s light, Hashem has faith in us that we can succeed. When we say in davening “strength and faith are His who lives eternally” and “great is your faith,” we also refer to Hashem’s emunah in His people. If we think about the fact that Hashem and his tzaddikim believe in us, this can

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Between the Lines

Fit to Print By Eytan Kobre

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. -Benjamin Franklin

T

o differentiate his New York Times from its more flamboyant and scandalous competitors, in 1896, publisher Adolph Simon Ochs adopted the slogan, “All the News That’s Fit to Print” – still displayed prominently on the paper’s masthead – insisting on a modicum of journalistic decency and integrity. To Ochs, not everything deserved publication; news had to be “fit” for print. (The New York Times long ago dispensed with such high-minded ideals.) Because there is significance in what we choose to reduce to writing. After his brothers cast Yosef into a pit with the intent to kill him, Reuven pitied Yosef and “rescued him from their hands,” pulling him out of the pit and eventually selling him to a band of Arab merchants traveling to Egypt (Bereishis 37:21). While the episode could have

ended there, we are also offered a glimpse into Reuven’s state of mind: “Had Reuven known that G-d would write about him, ‘And Reuven heard and he saved him from their hands,’ he would have carried [Yosef] back to his father on his shoulders” (Rus Rabba 5:6; Vayikra Rabba 34:9). With the prospect of publication, it seems, Reuven would have done more. The same is also said of others. “Had Aharon known that G-d would write about him, ‘Behold he is going out to greet you’ (Shemos 4:14)” – i.e., that Aharon was happy for Moshe’s ascension to greatness – “[Aharon] would have gone out with tambourines and dances” to demonstrate his joy for Moshe. “And had Boaz known that G-d would write about him, ‘And he gave her parched grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had leftovers’ (Rus 2:14)” – i.e., that Boaz acted charitably towards Rus – “Boaz would have fed her fattened calves” (Rus Rabba 5:6; Vayikra Rabba 34:9). It’s not that Reuven and Aharon and Boaz were concerned with self-aggrandizement or a place of honor in the annals of history. They were simply unaware of just how monumental their actions were. Only

when those actions were written and recorded in the Torah for posterity did the significance of their actions become clear – i.e., “had [Reuven and Aharon and Boaz] known what G-d would write about them,” they would have understood the value of their actions (Eitz Yosef, Vayikra Rabba 34:9; Emes L’Yaakov, Bereishis 37:21). A fuller and deeper appreciation for their actions would have encouraged them to do more. Not every event in our forefathers’ lives was significant enough to warrant inclusion in the Torah. So some events are detailed in great length while others are given only passing treatment, if that much. For instance, we are told nothing about the first 74 years of Avraham’s life or Moshe’s life from 13 to 80, yet there are 15 verses dedicated to Yaakov’s striped and spotted sheep and 21 more about Eisav’s descendants. Yet, whether or not we understand it, there is eternal significance to what is selected for publication. That is the reason we are to monitor closely and edit what we reduce to writing. We are to teach our children only from books that have been edited and corrected (Pesachim 112a; see also Kesubos 19b and Rosh ad loc.; Yam Shel Shlomo, Kesubos

2:14), and those who check Torah scrolls and edit other holy books in Yerushalayim are paid from the Terumas HaLishka (the treasury of the Bais HaMikdash) because they perform a vital public service (Kesubos 106a). Some even go so far as to encourage authors to fast and pray before releasing publications (Sefer Chassidim, No. 1012). And while one should review a speech a few times prior to delivery, written materials should be reviewed 1,000 times prior to publication (Rambam, Iggeres HaShmad). What is reduced to writing exists for posterity, and what exists for posterity must meet exacting standards. Our sages have always been committed to maintaining such standards. During the printing of his Mishna Berura, the Chofetz Chaim personally visited the printing house each day to ensure that no smudged or otherwise defective pages were distributed for sale. After several months, the Chofetz Chaim had his son assume this task. When the Chofetz Chaim discovered that, despite his son’s diligence, one set of Mishna Berura had been sold with defective pages, he dispatched a pointed letter to his son: What have you done


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to me, my son? All my life I’ve taken care to avoid anything resembling thievery, but I never thought that I would stumble in outright robbery! The Chofetz Chaim immediately ordered the publisher to reprint the defective pages and offer publicly to provide corrected pages to anyone who received a defective copy. From then on, he hired proofreaders to inspect each page of the printed volumes, which, if unblemished, would be stamped, “Proofread.” Similarly, R’ Elya Lopian’s Lev Eliyahu, published by his students, even today contains this front-page disclaimer: Dear Purchaser, This book is not proofread and I assume no responsibility -The Publisher. “Poverty is good for an author,” R’ Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch quipped. “For if an author cannot afford to go to print, the work remains unpublished for extended periods of time, during which it can be edited and revised. A wealthy author, on the

other hand, can afford to print works without hesitation, and those works often are not sufficiently reviewed and edited.” R’ Nachman of Breslov would warn authors to weigh their words carefully because a book reflects

The publications circulated and sold within our community should certainly strive to meet these rigorous standards. But the cases of Reuven and Aharon and Boaz also remind us to make sure we lead lives worthy of

Perhaps a litmus test for a life well lived is whether we would be proud to publish the book written by our own actions.

the soul of its author, as in, “this is the book of the generations of man” (Bereishis 5:1). Or, as R’ Isaac’l of Zidichov would say, “When I write my book, I dip my pen once in ink and once in the blood of my heart.”

publication (Michtav M’Eliyahu, Vol. 3, pgs. 83-84). The book of our actions is written continually – “all your actions are written in [G-d’s] book” (Avos 2:1). “In the past, when a person

JONATHAN PALEY, DDS, CERT. ORTHO.

performed a good deed, the prophets would record it; but now [that there are no prophets], when a person performs a good deed, who writes it? Eliyahu HaNavi and Moshiach write it, and G-d Himself seals it on their signatures” (Rus Rabba 5:6). Perhaps a litmus test for a life well lived is whether we would be proud to publish the book written by our own actions. We are known as the “People of the Book.” But that moniker ought to mean something more than just an express of our affinity for books and our penchant for writing and reading them. It should bespeak a certain standard of conduct in our daily lives. If it does, then we will be known not only as the people “of the book” but also as the people who live “by the book.” Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail eakobre@outlook.com.

SUSAN FRIEDMAN, DDS, CERT. ORTHO.

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By Shmuel Reichman

The Real Chanukah Battle T

here was once a public debate between a rabbi and an astrophysicist regarding the nature of our universe. Asked to speak first, the astrophysicist, who was representing the atheist perspective, confidently approached the podium and began addressing the audience. He began by saying, “I don’t know much about Judaism, but I think I can sum it up in just a few words: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” With that, he went on to explain how physicists could now explain the nature our world, without the need for religion. When he finished his speech, it was the rabbi’s turn to address the audience. With a sparkle in his eye, the rabbi turned to the crowd, and pronounced: “I don’t know much about astrophysics, but I think I can sum it up in just a few words: twinkle, twinkle little star.” With that, he went on to deliver the rest of his speech.

A Spiritual Connection The concept of spiritual debates has been a reoccurring phenomenon since the beginning of time. Chanukah is where we tap into the spiritual debate between the Jews and the Greeks and observe how the Greeks attempted to destroy our spiritual faith and connection with Hashem. They tried to drown us in their secular culture, to make us forget our true Source. As the midrash says, “Hichshichu es eineichem,” the Greeks attempted to darken our eyes, and disconnect us from Hashem. Therefore, every Jewish child has been raised to believe that the Greeks are the “bad guys,” who completely contradict Jewish ideology. However, there seems to be a big problem with this story; if we take a look deeper into Jewish literature, we find a striking contradiction. Right after Noach was assisted by his two sons, Shem and Yefes, he gave them a very interesting bra-

cha. He said, “Yishkon bi’ohalei Shem” (Bereishis 9:27), that Yefes, who is the forefather of the Greeks, should dwell within the house of Shem. If the Greeks are a contradiction to Judaism, then why does Noach make it seem as if, ideally, the Greeks should exist within the framework of Judaism? Furthermore, the Gemara in Megillah 9b states that the only language you are allowed to translate the Torah into is Greek, since it’s a beautiful language. According to both of these sources, it appears as if the Greek culture doesn’t contradict Judaism but is rather meant to complement and harmonize with Jewish ideology. So how are we supposed to understand this? In order to explain this contradiction, we must first develop a very deep spiritual principle. How do we understand and perceive Hashem? Is Hashem within time and space and completely within this world, like Pantheists believe, or does He completely transcend time and space and have nothing to do with the physical world, like many ancient philosophers believed? The Jewish approach, as explained by the Rambam, Maharal, Ramchal, and others, is both fascinating and nuanced: we believe neither and we believe both. In other words, we believe that Hashem is both transcendent, completely beyond our physical world of time and space, and yet, is also immanent, within our physical world. The same is true for all of spirituality; we believe that the spiritual and transcendent is deeply connected to the limited and physical world. In other words, our physical world is a projection and emanation of a deeper, spiritual reality. This is the meaning behind the famous medrash that says that Hashem looked into the Torah and created the world. The physical world is an emanation and expression of the Torah, the spiritual root of existence. To give an analogy, imagine a projector. The image

you see on the screen is emanating from the projector; the projector and film are the source, the image on the screen is the expression. Similarly, the trees you see outside originally stemmed from a single seed. Each and every one of us was once a zygote, half a male and half a female genetic code. From that single cell ultimately came a fully developed and expressed human being; each and every one of us. The same is true regarding the physical world – it stems from a spiritual root, a spiritual and transcendent dimension. Thus, we can understand and experience the spiritual through the physical, since the two are intimately connected. If you’re wondering how to understand this concept, just think about the way other human beings experience and understand you. All they have ever seen is your physical body. They’ve never seen your thoughts, your consciousness, or your emotions. The only way they can understand you is how you choose to express yourself, and your internal world, through your physical body. Only through your words, actions, facial expressions, and body language can other people experience what’s going on inside of your body, inside of your head, inside of you. The same is true regarding how we are able to experience Hashem and the spiritual. We can’t see spirituality, only physicality. We must therefore use the physical to connect back to its spiritual root.

Rational vs. Post-Rational This is the battle between the Greeks and the Jews. The Greeks claimed that human beings have no connection to anything higher than time and space. They claimed that Hashem doesn’t exist because there can’t be anything higher than the physical. As the Ramban explains (Va’Yikrah 16:8), their argument was rooted in the fact that they only believed that


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which they could understand with their human intellect. Anything which they couldn’t prove rationally, using deduction and logic, was dismissed as false. The Jewish approach is much more nuanced. We embrace the human intellect and reason but recognize that there is also so much that transcends it. We recognize the wisdom of science, medicine, psychology, mathematics, and other forms of mada but also recognize a higher form of wisdom, the Torah. As the Vilna Gaon explains, where logic and human wisdom ends, Jewish wisdom begins. The logic behind this principle is based on the idea we just developed; the physical world is an expression of the spiritual world. So too, physical wisdom is an expression of a higher form of wisdom, the Torah. While the wisdom of mada is true, it stems from a higher truth, the Torah. Torah u’mada means that Torah is the foundation and root and that mada is the expression. It’s fascinating to see how the modern scientific world is beginning to realize this as well. Until the early 20th century, Newtonian physics was the universally accepted theory of physics; it was a logical and rational way of understanding the physical world. However, in the early 20th century, with the discovery of quantum mechanics, everything changed. Suddenly, logic and reason broke down, and reality could no longer be explained with these types of intellectual tools. A post-rational science began to unfold. Now, scientists are attempting to bridge the gap and synthesize the rational with the post-rational. The post-rational is such an important part of our lives. There are many facets of life which only require logic and reason. Which doctor you choose, whether to fly on an airplane, how to schedule your day. But there are so many parts of life which transcend reason. The fact that life has meaning, the concepts of love and beauty, the fact that morality exists – you don’t need a rational explanation for these things, you experience them. Anyone who’s been in love knows that it’s not something you can rationally explain; it’s something which you experience so fully. You can’t break it down into its components and rationally explain “why” you’re in love or why you love your children so deeply. Torah is this same post-rational experience. As the commentaries explain, when we received the Torah on Har Sinai, we all became prophets, experiencing a post-rational and transcendent connection with Hashem. Nevuah is not a rational and logical exercise; it’s something that completely transcends the human intellect. But the Greeks didn’t believe in anything that transcends the human intellect, and thus, rejected the Torah. R’ Tzadok from Lublin goes as far as to say that even if Aristotle had been at Matan Torah, the very next day he would have given 100 reasons why it was logically impossible and must therefore have been an illusion.

Creating the Spiritual The ideal is for the physical wisdom of the Greeks and Yefes to be within the tent of Shem, for science and mada to be in harmony with Torah. The problem

The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

occurred only once the Greeks denied the existence of anything beyond their independent intellectual wisdom. This was the battle of Chanukah. The Greeks tried to destroy the Torah, which contradicted their ideology, and the Jews were forced to fight for their beliefs, to defend their spiritual connection with Hashem and the transcendent wisdom of Torah. This is also why, as R’ Hutner explains, Chanukah is the chag of Torah sheba’al peh, the oral Torah. It’s very interesting that Chanukah is the only chag which has no source in Tanach. Unlike Purim, it doesn’t even have a megillah; it’s a chag completely of rabbinic origin. Furthermore, it doesn’t even have a Mishnah; the only canonized source for Chanukah is a few Gemaras

When done appropriately, with humility, and with the proper recognition of the Torah’s transcendent root, the limited human being can actually use his human intellect as well to participate in the creation of Torah.

which mention Chanukah in an almost coincidental manor. Why is this? Chanukah represents the battle against the Greeks. The Greeks claimed that the only source of truth was the human intellect. The Jews not only showed that there is a transcendent source of truth but took it one step further. When done appropriately, with humility, and with the proper recognition of the Torah’s transcendent root, the limited human being can actually use his human intellect as well to participate in the creation of Torah. This is the unbelievable nature of Torah sheba’al peh; human beings are given the ability to participate and even create novel Torah ideas and insights. The greatest victory over the Greeks wasn’t to simply prove that the transcendent Torah exists; it was to show them that even the human intellect can be used to connect to Torah. But this can only be done when we recognize that everything comes from Hashem and source our limited human intellect back to its transcendent root.

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This is why ha’karas ha’tov, the concept of recognizing where things come from, is so deeply linked to Chanukah. This explains why we place Al ha’nissim in the bracha of Modim, the bracha of thanks and gratitude. According to the Maharal, this is also why Hashem performed the miracle of the oil after the miracle of the war. It was to help everyone recognize that, what may have seemed like a natural victory over the Greeks, was, in fact, miraculous as well. It’s hard to see the miraculous and spiritual within the natural and physical; Chanukah reminds us that it’s not only possible but necessary! The Greeks tried to spiritually destroy our house, our Beis Ha’mikdash. On Chanukah, we reignited the flame of that spiritual building, and every year since, we need to reignite that same flame within our own homes; we need to inaugurate our own personal Beis Ha’Mikdash every year.

Building Your Own Life There’s a story about an elderly carpenter who was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house-building business in order to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy the remainder of his life. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire; they could get by on the savings he already had. The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build him just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter was reluctant but eventually agreed. However, over time, it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials in building the home. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. He then handed the key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house; my gift to you.” The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If only he had known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. The same is true with us. If only we realize that every day we are building the house we’ll live in eternally, we’d be that much more careful how we lay down the bricks. The mind we’re building, the views we’re attaching ourselves to, the thoughts we create: this is the reality we’ve chosen to live in. We also get to choose how we see the physical world. Every day, we get to choose whether we’ll get stuck further in secular and Greek culture, or if we’ll build our connection to the infinite, the transcendent, and carry the message of Chanukah deep within our hearts. We need to ask ourselves: “What kind of house are we building?” Are we building a broken, sloppy, and flimsy house? Or are we building something beautiful, majestic, and profound; a physical structure fully and loyally reflecting its spiritual root. Our life is like building a personal Beis Ha’mikdash, a masterpiece; it’s the result of every brick we lay down; every day is like another brick, another opportunity to add to our eternal home, our eternal self, our eternal existence.


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The Wandering

Jew

Finding the Lost Sheep By Hershel Lieber

H

aving traveled to Poland four times between 1978-1983, people approached me many times with requests to get involved on behalf of various causes there. Besides davening there during the Yamim Noraim in 1979, I had an opportunity in assisting with erecting gates around exposed and unprotected cemeteries. I also visited the lonely, elderly and sick people who were homebound or living in institutions. Bringing them gifts and lifting their spirits meant so much to them, as well as to me. Yet, to me, Poland represented a physically and spiritually dying community with no Jewish future. I was under the impression that all young Jews had left and that Jewish children were nearly nonexistent. But I was wrong! In 1986 I got my monthly issue of The National Geographic magazine with a cover photo and article called, “Remnants: The Last Jews of Poland.” The article included selections from a book written by Malgorzata Niezabitowska with photos by her husband, Tomasz. I was so excited to read it and recognized some of the people in the pictures.

The book that inspired me to connect with the young Jews of Poland

Chanukah gathering after menorah lighting at the Nozyk Shul, 1986

What really surprised me was a photograph, spread over two pages, of a Pesach Seder in Warsaw with twelve young men and women in their twenties! Although the book’s theme was the demise of Poland’s one-thousandyear Jewish history, here and there were sparks of life amidst the ashes. I immediately knew that I had to meet these young people who were seeking to reconnect with their heritage. At about the same time, I was asked to attend a meeting at the home of the Bobover Rebbe, zt”l, about Jews who were still living in Poland. The meeting was initiated by a Reb Shmelke Griffel, a”h, who had left Poland in the ‘60s. He was convinced that there were still tens of thousands of Jews left there, many of whom were not even aware of their Jewish origins. Some of them were given away to gentiles as children during the war. Others were afraid to reveal their identity considering the anti-Semitism that prevailed there. Reb Shmelke had compiled lists of names and addresses together with Dr. Kimmelman from Israel that had thousands of entries. He admitted that

the lists were very dated, but claimed that most people would still be alive. He was passionate about finding the people on the lists and providing them material and spiritual assistance. More importantly, he wanted to help them emigrate from Poland, either to Israel or to the United States. The meeting with the Bobover Rebbe included askanim who had a special relationship with Polish Jewry. I remember Rabbi Zev Tzvi Vorhand, z”l, from the West Side, Reb Mendel Reichberg, z”l, and, ybl”t, Reb Asher Scharf, among others. The meeting ended with an agreement and a declaration of the importance in identifying the remaining Jews of Poland and assisting them with their financial and spiritual struggles. Until today, I am not sure why Reb Shmelke recruited me to assist him with this project. Together, we met with the leadership of Agudas Yisroel, namely Rabbi Moshe Sherer, z”l, and Rabbi Chaskel Besser, z”l. Between my discovery of young Jews in Poland seeking to discover their heritage and Reb Shmelke’s claim that there are

tens of thousand of Jews left in Poland, a mission was born. The Agudah asked me to investigate both matters. I told them I would need a Polish speaking assistant to help translate, and they agreed that I should find one. The Agudah also asked me to inform the Bobover Rebbe of this mission and requested that he too should support this undertaking. I met with the Rebbe, and he enthusiastically agreed. I recruited a friend, Szmuel Cymerman, who left Poland in 1968 and davened together with me at the Bluzhiver Rebbe, zt”l. We set our trip for late December knowing we would be there most of Chanukah. The only factor that I was still missing, was that I did not know who those young Jews were and how to reach them. As my next step, I contacted National Geographic, who put me in touch with the Warsaw publisher of the “Remnants” book. They told me that the author, Malgorzata Niezabitowska, was in Boston on a promotion tour for her book. They gave me her phone number, and I reached her immediately. She told me that she was coming the next day to New York and would be staying in Midtown Manhattan. I made an appointment to meet her the next day. The next morning, I went to a bookshop and bought the book to have her autograph it for me. I met with her that evening, and she graciously gave me many names and contact information about the young group that she had interviewed and written about. Between having this crucial information, Reb Shmelke’s extensive lists, my Polish speaking assistant Szmuel, the travel funds provided jointly by the Agudah and the Bobover Rebbe, and my driving zeal for this momentous undertaking I was ready to go! It was a very cold December day when Szmuel and I arrived in the


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018 The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

Chanukah menorah lighting in the Nozyk Shul in Warsaw

snow-blanketed airport of Warsaw, Poland. The Communist government was under martial law, stemming from protests and uprisings from the Solidarity movement. Young students were particularly vulnerable to harassment and arrest, and gatherings were always suspected of being involved in illegal activities. Despite this intimidating situation, our first meeting took place that very night, with a leader of the young Jewish group that went under the name of “The Flying University.” Staszek Krajewski and his wife, Monika, were both involved in the Solidarity movement hoping to bring democracy to Poland, for which they were investigated and persecuted. At the same time, they were discovering and learning about their Jewish roots. Their group, of whom many were intermarried, felt a distinct pride in their heritage. The group organized study sessions on various Jewish subjects and gave lectures on how to practice their faith. Staszek and Monika both spoke English, and we spent over two hours getting to know each other and their difficult situation in Poland. Nevertheless, they were optimistic that change would come about

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At Chanukah party with Staszek Krajewski. The Yulka is in the foreground

There I lit the menorah on a windowsill, standing uncomfortably next to a tall, decorated pine tree.

and were full of hope. As hard as it was, we had to say good night, since we were leaving Warsaw the next morning. Our plans were to travel throughout Poland for the next ten days, during which our experiences and discoveries were overwhelming, with a mixture of joy and pathos. These stories will be part of a future article about seeking out and meeting the people on Reb Shmelke’s list. In the interim, we planned two Chanukah events for when we would return to Warsaw. The first one was held on the fourth night of Chanukah. I asked Staszek to organize a Chanukah candle lighting in the Nozyk Synagogue and to invite the entire kehilla for the public ceremony. This was a first for Warsaw, and a large crowd of old and young – including some

children – joined me in the lighting of the menorah and the singing of Chanukah songs, followed by a modest party where cake, tea and, of all foods, sardines were served. It was a two-hour production and the smiling faces reflected the elevated spirit that was ever present. The next night, the fifth candle was lit at a private party for about 10-12 people in the apartment of Staszek and Monika. There I lit the menorah on a windowsill, standing uncomfortably next to a tall, decorated pine tree. I was relieved when I was informed that the Yulka, as it was called, was not an X-mas tree. The tree did not carry any religious significance, rather it was a symbol of the winter New Year season. After lighting the candles, we sang and we

spoke, we laughed and we bonded. Yes, this joyous celebration was taking place in dreary Communist Poland and under the repressive martial laws. But it made me realize that on that very night another “nes gadol” was taking place! Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.


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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

My First Chanukah in Communist

R SSIA By Gita Steinberg

No one saw my pitiful menorah. Little did I know how that small flame would grow into a huge light.

I

was born in Communist Russia to parents who were Holocaust survivors. We knew that we were Jewish – it was written in our identity cards – and we had Jewish names. But apart from that I had no idea what Judaism was all about. I was the third generation to be disconnected from Judaism. I grew up amongst non-Jews but I always felt out of place, like a black sheep. As far back as I can remember, I had a strange feeling that I couldn’t identify; I felt like a plucked leaf flying in the wind, without a home. I was restless and didn’t feel at home anywhere. I thought that maybe it was because of my family’s wanderings – they were penniless refugees. But the lack that I felt was not material; it was deeper, in my soul. I felt abandoned. One bright day I heard for the first time that there is a country called Israel, whose residents are all Jews. Somehow, my soul heard that there is a place in the world where I belong. At that moment it was ab-

solutely clear to me that my place is there because I am a Jewess. I had no doubt that my home was in Israel, even though I had no idea how, or what to expect on the way, or what was waiting for me there. This discovery changed my life, granting it a purpose and meaning. It was clear to me that whatever price I would have to pay to get there would be worthwhile, for what is truly precious requires effort. I was possessed by this goal – to be a Jew and to live as a Jew – and pursued it relentlessly for the 12 years that it took until I received permission to leave the prison of Soviet Russia. During those years I suffered greatly. The Soviet authorities branded me a traitor for wanting to leave Russia and put every possible obstacle in my way. I was threatened, interrogated, and my house was searched. I lost my citizenship and my rights as a citizen. Ironically, I was no longer a Russian citizen but I was unable to leave Russia. But worse than that, my family also


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 2018 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

A Chanukah party at school, with me in the middle

rejected me. “How could you leave your parents?” they told me. None of this lessened my fervor to pursue my goal. On the contrary – as the pressure and persecutions increased, I became stronger and surer of myself. My soul awoke and began to demand its food – a connection with its Creator. I tried very hard to find every opportunity to learn about Judaism, paying dearly for every drop of information. I traveled to the larger cities searching for underground Jews. And I found them. I was given a suitcase with illegal booklets describing Judaism. These were papers secretly typed with five copies using carbon paper. I read them thirstily and gathered a few like-minded Jews in my city to share the information with. When I learned about the story of Chanukah, about the Maccabees and Hasmoneans with a small picture of a menorah, I felt that this belonged directly to Russian Jews, to the struggle for the right to be a Jew and to remain a Jew in every place in every generation. I decided that I must get a menorah and light it and share it with the members of my group. I made a simple sketch based on the picture in the story and what I imagined. One of the members of our group was a machine engineer and I asked him if he could make such a thing out of metal. He agreed even though he had to work at great risk at night when no one would see

or ask questions – true Jewish heroism. When it was finished I was very excited. He made it in one piece; it was very heavy, but to me it was beautiful. I lived in an eight-story building for young people. I had to wait years for government housing, and I had received a small room on the eighth floor in an apartment for eight families with one kitchen for all of us and a joint bathroom. It was op-

At the mall, handing out Shabbat candles

rah on the windowsill and lit a candle. My first Chanukah candle. I sat in front of the small flame watching the reflection in the black window. I began to ask myself: what’s this candle doing? Who sees it? The factory opposite? To whom am I publicizing the miracle? There isn’t a living soul outside. And if someone does go by down there, he won’t pick up his head. Even if he does lift his head, he won’t see this little candle.

I sat in front of the small flame watching the reflection in the black window.

posite a building materials factory. The building was at the edge of the city and all my friends lived at the other end of town. When Chanukah arrived it was the end of December, freezing cold, minus 30 degrees and snowing heavily. On the appointed day I invited my friends and prepared to share the story of Chanukah and serve some light refreshments. Night came. I waited and waited but no one arrived. The storm was raging outside. When I realized that there’s no point in waiting any longer I put the meno-

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So what am I doing here? I’ve been sitting in this prison for over ten years without family and without children. Will I ever leave this prison and live a normal life? I was disappointed that after all my efforts to prepare for this night, none of my friends had turned up. Feeling very sorry for myself, tears began to drip down my face. I didn’t know how to pray but I knew how to cry and I continued crying throughout the night. That was my first Chanukah candle.

A Bright Light That small candle was not lit in vain. Someone did see it, the One who created me a Jew and Who guides my life. He wanted me to light a candle, to exert myself, and He freed me in the end from that huge prison – Communist Russia. G-d brought me to Israel. I kissed the Land and I merited going to Jerusalem and to the Kotel, the Western Wall. Slowly I learned about Judaism and became a fully observant Jew. Over the course of ten years, drastic changes took place in Russia with the fall of the Soviet Union. I was sent back to Moscow to be the principal and teacher of Jewish studies in a Jewish school that had opened there, very close to the Kremlin. The school was called Migdal-Or which means a lighthouse. My small Chanukah candle ended up lighting many more candles, eventually turning into a huge light, a veritable lighthouse. Additional lights come from the thousands of Shabbat candles that I give out every Friday in the mall near my house. More light shines from the Torah classes that I am privileged to teach and my learning partners throughout Israel, and from my poems and stories of my personal miracles that accompanied me throughout my life. To think that all this began from one forlorn Chanukah candle that no one but the Almighty saw. This article has been published with permission from aish.com.


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World

Builders

Yechiel Mayburg Teaching Life-Saving By Raphael Poch

L

a st Wed nesday, United Hatzalah volunteer Yechiel Mayburg was at shul on Ibn Ezra St. in Rechavia when his radio crackled and alerted him to a case of acute chest pain. Yechiel recognized

the address as another congregation nearby on Keren Hayesod St. Without a moment’s hesitation, the devoted volunteer darted outside and raced to the location through the thick Jerusalem traffic. He arrived

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on scene just 90 seconds later. Hurrying inside, Yechiel found the patient lying on the floor of the synagogue, sweating profusely. The gentleman had apparently lost consciousness in the middle of Shacharit, after accidentally overdosing on his cardiac medications. Taking vital signs, Yechiel found the man’s blood pressure readings dangerously low. He provided initial assessment and treatment, as a United Hatzalah physician arrived on location to assist. When the ambulance joined them on scene, Yechiel and his colleague updated the crew. The patient was evacuated to the emergency room for further observation and definitive care. The very next morning, Yechiel headed back to his shul on Ibn Ezra St. When it was time to take the Sefer Torah out of the Aron Kodesh, Yechiel looked up and saw that the man holding the Torah was none other than the very same cardiac patient. With a knowing nod and a beaming smile, the healthy man holding the Sefer Torah silently expressed his thanks. Yechiel is married and has five children ranging in age from 16 years to 4 months old. In addition to Yechiel’s volunteering as a first responder, he is also one of United Hatzalah’s most active instructors and is responsible for teaching hundreds of EMTs how to save lives.

“I usually teach two training courses simultaneously,” he said. “In order to become a course instructor one needs to pass a course and then they start you off giving short courses. Four-hour training, 22hour training, etc. until you become versed enough in the material to become a full EMT course instructor. After you acquire a lot of experience, both in the field and then in the classroom, you can teach full courses and test the graduates as well, as long as you are testing students from courses other than your own.” In spite of his important role in training future first responders, Yechiel believes that it is a team effort to mold would-be EMS volunteers. “I don’t think that all of the responsibility for the next generation of EMTs is solely on my shoulders,” he said. “There is a whole system that works together to train the new EMTs and also the responsibility of the EMTs themselves to be the best that they can. I do have a responsibility to try to answer all of their questions and train them as well as I can, but they have to do their part as well and the other testers and the entire medical department play a big part as well.” If that weren’t enough, Yechiel is also the assistant to the regional paramedic, and is the deputy chapter head of the Marom (Southern) Jerusalem chapter of the organization, which is comprised of close


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to 100 volunteers. “Thankfully my schedule is very fluid and each day has a different set of tasks, but I spend a large amount of my time working and volunteering with the organization,” he said. “My greatest hope is to send the most skilled volunteers out into the field so that they can treat people even if they are all on their own,” he added. “I am always looking out for and working with the volunteers to help them improve their skills, whether it’s giving extra tips to volunteers in a course, or helping new ambulance drivers learn everything that they need to know to be the best at what they do. Imbuing volunteers with the skills and knowledge that they need as well as the bedside manner that is required to relate to others, that is what I strive for in my work.” Yechiel shared an interesting perspective on how to gauge the volunteers once they graduate and said that it isn’t about marks; it’s about

performance in the field. “One of the most interesting things that I get to see from my vantage point is that it is not always the people who finish the course with the highest marks who are the

learned, while others who were relatively quiet in the course flourish in the field. That is why we give continual training to our volunteers as well, to help them get better where they are weak, and become terrific

“It is not always the people who finish the course with the highest marks who are the best volunteers in the field.”

best volunteers in the field. It all depends on how well a first responder can grasp the situation in the field and apply what they have learned to the situation at hand. Sometimes those with the highest marks have difficulty in applying what they have

at what they were already good at.” Yechiel shared a story that has remained at the front of his mind throughout his volunteering and teaching, and which he uses as an example for his students of the important work that the volunteers do

in the field. “I responded to an 82-year-old woman who was choking,” he related. “She was already on the floor and suffering from cyanosis when I arrived, only forty seconds after receiving the call. The woman was on the floor, so I utilized the technique for removing a foreign object on a person who is lying down. After a few tries I succeeded at removing a piece of chicken fillet from her throat. By the time the ambulance arrived six minutes later, I had already picked the now-conscious woman up off of the floor and we were sitting at her table and talking. The ambulance crew was in shock. “That is why our organization exists,” he said. “It is why I do what I do every day. I hope to enable more people to go out into their communities, help others and save lives. That is the goal of any educator and any first responder. Enabling others to be the best they can be at any given task. “Our task is lifesaving.”

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FINAL STRETCH

HELP BRING THIS BEAUTIFUL BASTION OF CHINUCH TO THE FINISH LINE

BUILDING

CA M PA I G N

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with Siach Yitzchak and earn a share in its perpetual impact on the future of Klal Yisroel!

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‫ה ב נ י ן‬

‫ז ה‬

‫ה ש ל ם‬

Dedication Opportunities Cheshek Shlomo Building Dedication ........ $2,000,000 Junior High School Name .............................. $1,000,000 Early Childhood Learning Dedication ...... $1,000,000 Bais HaMedrash Name ..................... $360,000 Reserved Main Entrance ..................................................... $360,000 Dining Hall / Auditorium .................................. $360,000 Harav Shlomo Freifeld zt”l Memorial Wall ...... $250,000 Founders Wall in Main Lobby ..................... $250,000 Gymnasium .......................................................... $250,000 Aron Kodesh ........................................ $100,000 Reserved Kitchen ............................................................... $100,000 Classrooms (18) ................................... $50,000 8 Reserved Limudei Kodesh Conference Room .. $36,000 Reserved OT/PT Rooms (5) ................................ $25,000 2 Reserved Bais HaMedrash Menorah .................. $18,000 Reserved Yizkor Plaque (2) .................................................. $10,000 Mezuza at each Floor’s Entranceway (5) ............. $10,000 Mizrach Wall Decorative Panels (12) ..... $7,200 1 Reserved Otzar Haseforim Bookcase (6) ....................... $7,200 Bais HaMedrash Bookcase (18) .......... $7,200 1 Reserved Bais HaMedrash Window (12) .............. $5,400 7 Reserved Classroom Mezuzah (18) .................... $5,400 6 Reserved Pre-School Netilas Yadayim Stations (6) ... $5,400 1 Reserved Classroom Windows (18) ...................................... $3,600 Classroom Cubbies (18) .................... $2,500 2 Reserved Set of Table & 4 Chairs in BM (50) ..... $1,800 1 Reserved Water Fountain (8) ................................ $1,800 1 Reserved Mezuza (50) .............................................. $1,800 4 Reserved Classroom Clocks (18) .......................... $1,000 3 Reserved

For information on dedication and additional sponsorship opportunities please contact Rabbi Mordechai Stein at the Yeshiva office at 718.327.6247 ext.16 or mstein@siachyitzchok.org

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Chabad’s Campaign to Bring Chanukah and Jewish Pride to Jews Worldwide By Tzvi Leff

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illions of burning candles will adorn menorahs all over the word next week in celebration of the ancient Israelites’ victory over the Syrian Greeks who sought to stamp out our religion. Soon after nightfall, Jews will prepare their menorahs with oil and candles, place the candelabras near a prominent perch by the window, and chant the timeless blessings together. Following this tradition, many will congregate with their family and friends at the ubiquitous Chanukah parties that have become as synonymous with the holiday as jelly doughnuts and gifts. Yet not every Jew will be celebrating the onset of Chanukah at home. In town squares and malls, at military bases and at the White House, Chabad emissaries will light towering menorahs in outdoor ceremonies together with Jews hailing from all walks of life. From Jewishly-ethnic locations such as Brooklyn, to exotic destinations such as Thailand, these public menorah lightings have become some of the most recognizable features of the Jewish winter holiday. The outdoor menorah lightings weren’t always so popular. Inspired by the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s vision of bringing Judaism to the masses, the menorah lightings have weathered legal battles and strident opposition by

local communities to become a holiday staple that occurs at over 15,000 locations all over the world.

History at Independence Hall Rabbi Abraham Shemtov probably didn’t know that he was making history when he decided to hold the world’s first outdoor menorah lighting in front of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia in 1974. Rabbi Shemtov was a Chabad shliach sent by Reb Menachem Mendel Schneerson to promote Jewish observance to the non-affiliated. Rabbi Shemtov was just one of the young and energetic rabbinical students that the Lubavitcher Rebbe had

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was then in the midst of his “mitzvah campaigns,” encouraging Jews to do more good deeds. Highlighting several positive Jewish commandments such as laying tefillin and lighting Shabbat candles, the Rebbe would press his followers to advertise the aforementioned good deeds through creative and innovative means. In 1973, the Lubavitcher Rebbe had begun urging his emissaries to publicize the story of Chanukah. Invoking the concept of pirsumei nisa, the Talmudic concept encouraging Jews to publicize the miracle of Chanukah, the Lubavitcher Rebbe launched a cam-

“The menorah transformed how we saw ourselves.” sent to remote locations all over the world to found local chapters of Jewish study and life. With thousands of Chabad houses worldwide, it is hard to consider that the international phenomenon is only a few decades old. In the 1970s, the Chabad revolution was only getting started. There were only a few dozen chassidic emissaries around the United States who were at the time literally writing the book on Jewish religious outreach.

paign to pass out more than 60,000 disposable tin menorahs during the holiday. The campaign was seen as a massive success; according to a New York Times article on the effort, the number of Jews receiving the mass-produced menorahs had tripled by the initiative’s third year. Soon after, Rabbi Shemtov decided to integrate the media involvement in another campaign. Differing from the

majority of U.S. Jews at the time, who frowned on public displays of religion, Rabbi Shemtov thought that hosting a large menorah lighting would inspire unobservant Jews to take pride in their heritage. On a windy evening in 1974, Rabbi Shemtov kindled a small wooden menorah near the Liberty Bell at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall before a small crowd that numbered in the single digits. Unbowed, the rabbi returned the next year to light a bigger menorah before a bigger crowd. The idea began to catch on. 2,871 miles away, San Francisco shliach Rabbi Chaim Drizin kindled a 20-foot wooden menorah that was sponsored by a local music promoter in the city’s union square. The public menorah lighting’s popularity grew and grew. Within a few years, hundreds and then thousands of Chabad houses were hosting outdoor menorah campaigns in their cities’ most prominent locations. The kindling ceremonies were not only restricted to the Jewish community. In 1979, then-President Jimmy Carter emerged from his self-imposed isolation over the Iran Hostage Crisis to light a towering menorah on the White House grounds. Flanked by Rabbi Shemtov, Carter stressed the need to bring more light into the world through the flickering candles.


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The grand menorah in front of the White House

Carter’s menorah lighting started a new tradition. Since that chilly evening in Washington, D.C., every United States president has arranged for a public lighting by the imposing “National Menorah” at Lafayette Park, opposite the White House. The ceremony includes Chanukah songs performed by the United States Army Band and is broadcast on C-SPAN. The fresh experience changed America’s landscape. Until the phenomenon caught on, public holiday celebrations rarely included Chanukah. Town squares and malls were festooned with Xmas trees and nativity scenes; the presence of anything connected to the season’s Jewish holiday was a rare event. Chabad’s very public Chanukah celebrations, however, had the effect of thrusting the holiday into the public eye. Lubavitch rabbis would affix a towering menorah above their cars during the entire length of the holiday and take out ads on local television stations reminding the locals of the approaching festivities. Chanukah rapidly became ubiquitous in the public eye. “It was totally rare to see a menorah in public. This was a way that Chabad was trying to build Jewish identity,” Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie told The Jewish Home. The head of Chabad of Orange Country, Rabbi Eliezrie was at the heart of several legal battles that were waged over the menorah lightings. “When the rabbi in San Francisco lit the first big public menorah downtown, he didn’t know about the one that was lit earlier in Philadelphia,” continued Rabbi Eliezrie. “He was sitting around and thinking how to get guys involved in Judaism, and said, ‘Let’s

The menorah on Fifth Avenue is the largest in the world

The grand menorah in Andrew J. Parise Park in Cedarhurst

put a menorah in Union Square, in the main square in the middle of town.’”

An Age-Old Battle Not everyone was pleased with the public menorah lightings’ growing traction. Uncomfortable with Judaism taking such a prominent role in the civil discourse, Reform and Conservative leaders pressed local Chabad emissaries to scrap the scheduled menorah ceremony. The American Jewish Congress produced a 28 -page report in 1988 alleging that the menorah lightings were sparking an upsurge in anti-Semitism. When refused, matters started to get ugly. A slew of civil organizations that were dominated by Jews began to file lawsuits against Chabad in states all across the United States. In city after city, hostile Jewish attorneys argued that the presence of a menorah on public property such as town squares violated the constitutional separation of church and state. The court cases often took a turn for the absurd. In one battle, a lawyer from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attempted to persuade the judge that the Chanukah meno-

The menorah in Trafalgar Square in London

rah next to city hall was a violation of church and state while the Christmas tree standing a few feet away did not. Americans were treated to the site of Jewish organizations fighting tooth and nail to keep other Jews from freely practicing their religion. The legal battles exposed a fault line in the American Jewish community. Only a few decades removed from the Holocaust, many American Jews preferred that Judaism be kept under wraps lest open displays of religious fervor trigger tension within the local non-Jewish communities.

Lighting the menorah in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France


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President Jimmy Carter lighting the first White House menorah in 1979

The organized Jewish community also resented Chabad’s growing popularity in the United States. The rapid growth of local Chabad chapters sparked spiralizing resentment from those who had grown accustomed to being the unquestioned leaders of their flock. “You have to understand here what the opposition was about,” Rabbi Eliezrie explained. “Officially it was about church and state but that really wasn’t the issue. The real conflict was about the role of Judaism in the United

Rabbi Shemtov, right, in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia lighting the first public menorah in 1974. The yeshiva students built the wooden menorah from scratch. Photo credit Lubavitche

States: should we be a Jew at home and a citizen in the street or should we be a Jew in the street and that way bring Judaism to the community?” The cases dragged through the courts. Despite the escalating legal warfare, the Lubavitcher Rebbe refused to order his followers to scrap the public lightings, pointing to the surge in Jewish identity that such ceremonies prompted. “Experience has shown that the Chanukah menorah displayed publicly during the eight days of Chanukah has been an inspiration to many, many Jews, and evoked in them a spirit of identity with their Jewish people and the Jewish way of life,” Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson wrote to the Jewish Council of Teaneck after being asked to scrap a scheduled menorah lighting in city limits. “To many others, it has brought a sense of pride in their Yiddishkeit and the realization that there is no reason really in this free country to hide one’s Jewishness, as if it were contrary or inimical to American life and culture,” added the Rebbe. “On the contrary, it is fully in keeping with the American national slogan

The Menorah Car Parade in Pittsburgh

Rabbi Chaim Drizin, second from left, at the public menorah lighting in San Francisco in 1975

Thousands witnessing the lighting of the menorah at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

‘e pluribus unum’ and the fact that American culture has been enriched by the thriving ethnic cultures which contributed very much, each in its own way, to American life both materially and spiritually,” said the Rebbe. Litigation over Chabad’s outdoor Chanukah celebrations eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1989, the nation’s highest court ruled in the landmark County of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union that a Chabad menorah on Pittsburgh property did not violate the separation of church and state. The precedent-setting decision severely set back attempts to outlaw Chabad’s Chanukah promotion via the judicial system. While the court refrained from ruling that the menorah-lighting ceremony did not constitute the establishment of religion, it concluded that the Jewish “religious symbol could constitutionally be included in a municipal display because it was overshadowed by the Christmas tree that stood adjacent to it.” It would take another case in 1993 to establish that erecting a menorah on public land was a constitutional right. In the landmark Flamer v. White Plains, District Judge Sonia Sotomayor – a current Supreme Court justice – said that a law passed by the White Plains City Council banning “displays of religion” was a thinly-disguised attempt targeting Chabad’s menorah lighting activities. “What the City may not do, however, is preclude a private speaker from erecting a fixed display of a religious symbol, free-standing or otherwise,


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At a parade in Boston

in a City park on the basis of such display’s religious message,” wrote Sotomayor. “Accordingly, the City may not deny Rabbi Flamer a permit to erect a fixed free-standing menorah in a City park during the Chanukah holiday because of the menorah’s religious message.” Ironically, Sotomayor noted in her ruling that the opposition to the menorah in White Plains came almost entirely from the local Jewish community. “Rabbi Mark Weiner of the White Plains Jewish Community Center asserted at the meeting that the ‘overwhelming majority of the Jewish community’ felt that the proposed menorah display should not be allowed,” wrote Sotomayor. “The American Jewish Committee submitted a letter opposing the display which was read into the record.” The effort by some elements in the American Jewish community was also hit by rising backlash in communities all across the United States. “The average Jew in the street didn’t agree with the liberal Jewish organizations that were pursuing lawsuits,” recounted Rabbi Eliezrie. “The lawsuits were pursued in a large degree by the American Jewish Congress, which today ceases to really exist as an organization, occasionally the ADL and occasionally some Reform synagogues and sometimes federations. “But they stopped because they saw that the people were against it,” continued the rabbi. “They lost the case in the Supreme Court…. The average Jew didn’t agree with what they were doing. This was an elitist group of people

that were trying to control the Jewish community and they failed. They lost the support of the Jewish community.”

Proud to be a Jew The menorah lightings quickly outgrew the United States. In London, the House of Commons hosts an annual Chanukah celebration. In Paris, a towering menorah is lit near the Eiffel Tower before tens of thousands of peo-

Rabbi Wolowik and community members at last year’s menorah lighting in Cedarhurst

Spreading the light in Hawaii

success of their menorah lightings as a model for engaging with Jews worldwide. Rabbi Zalman Wolowik of the Chabad of the Five Towns erects a huge menorah every year in Andrew J. Parise Park in Cedarhurst. He spoke with The Jewish Home about the importance of the public lighting of the menorah. “In today’s day and age, more than

Jews all over the world, and especially American Jews, to feel proud of their religion for the first time. “Chabad went with the idea that Judaism isn’t something to be subdued. Today, things are very different. In those days, to be so publicly Jewish was not considered so proper or public. It wasn’t so acceptable,” Rabbi Eliezrie contended. “There’s a letter from the Rebbe to the one of the heads of the Reform movement talking about how this is changing everything, because the Rebbe saw this as a tool to build Jewish identity,” continued Rabbi Eliezrie. “Think of a kid that is ten years old. He suddenly sees the menorah and it validates his religious experience. It makes him proud to be a Jew. The Rebbe was interested in transforming Jewish identity in America. We shouldn’t be hiding as Jews. We shouldn’t be afraid of being a Jew. The menorah transformed how we saw ourselves. “It’s the kid that put lights in the menorah because of it, it’s the people that this is their Jewish observance once a year. I think that the idea of changing the way Jews see themselves in American society is one of the most important contributions. Judaism is no longer private; we’re proud to make it public. “There’s a menorah at the mall, there is a menorah at the White House, there’s a menorah at the baseball game, in hockey and basketball game,” concluded Rabbi Eliezrie. “Today, Judaism has become part of the fabric of Jewish life. We’re not on the peripheral. We’re now on the mainstream.”

“The real conflict was about the role of Judaism in the United States: should we be a Jew at home and a citizen in the street or should we be a Jew in the street and that way bring Judaism to the community?” ple. In 2013, a 30-foot menorah was lit at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, formerly the site of packed Nazi rallies. By 2016, Chabad was hosting over 15,000 mass menorah lightings worldwide. Chabad’s activities such as the menorah lightings are growing increasingly important as the non-Orthodox American Jewish community hemorrhages. Surveys consistently show the Reform and Conservative denominations in deep decline, epitomized by a 2013 Pew Report which found that a whopping 32% of American Jewry do not identify with any organized denomination. Chabad says that their outreach is needed more than ever and point to the

ever, there’s nothing that we need more than light in a world that seems to be dark,” Rabbi Wolowik said. “Many battle the idea of religious freedom, and the menorah symbolizes that idea of religious freedom. Whether you’re a Jew, or l’havdil a gentile, there is an importance of remembering that there’s a Creator of the universe. We need to take a moment to reflect on that, whether it’s with a moment of silence or davening. And the menorah is that light that we reflect upon.” While the public menorah lightings had begun as an effort by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to spur Jews to keep more of Judaism’s tenets, Chabad chassidim stress that the lightings enabled

Photos courtesy of Chabad.org.


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Dating Dialogue

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

Dear Navidaters,

Throughout my childhood, I struggled in school. I was often placed in smaller classes, dedicated to girls with similar academic struggles. When I was in high school, I traveled far each day to a school which offered smaller classes and helped me learn and excel in my studies. I graduated and attended a regular seminary, then a great college, and I am working towards my career. This high school prepared me for college and allowed me to do just as well as all the other students. Getting to where I am today took a lot of hard work. It didn’t come easy for me. It was extremely hard. I work much harder than the average college student to do well in school.

There’s one problem. The high school that I attended is looked down upon because it is not your “typical high school” and is considered a special education school. Therefore, people look at me as a “nebach” and make assumptions about me when I really only went to that school because I needed a smaller learning environment and I would not be successful in a mainstream class. My high school helped me prepare for the real world and helped me be successful in seminary and college. I’m a young girl in my early twenties, and since I started dating a few years ago I’ve been suggested guys that are in their mid30’s, divorced men, men that have emotional issues, and men that are unemployed and have no plan towards a career. I’ve been approached by people telling me to “settle” due to my situation. Once mothers of boys or just people in general hear the high school name or see it listed on my resume they automatically categorize me as not your typical Bais Yaakov girl when really I am just like any other single girl who attended a mainstream school. My high school doesn’t define me, and it is extremely hurtful and frustrating when people suggest these kinds of boys that they would never recommend to their daughters or any other girl who attended a “regular” school. When I meet with shadchanim I always have to explain why I attended this school and they judge me and often refer boys that are not even close to what I’m looking for. So, my question is: do I take off my high school name listed on my resume in order to prevent people from quickly making assumptions about who I am based on the school I attended or just hope someone will see me for who I am?

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

Our intention is not to offer any definitive

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


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The Panel The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. nfortunately, people place others in boxes. It’s not fair but it’s convenient. And it’s very common practice when it comes to shidduchim. I think you should have no compunction in leaving your high school off your resume. You are not your high school and you have a lot to show for yourself. Make sure that all of your activities and dimensions are on your resume, not just biographical information. Do you volunteer for a group? Do you take some art classes? Do you participate in runs for good causes? Is your creativity, whether it’s in the kitchen or with your nieces and nephews, present and obvious? Make sure these aspects of your rich life are reflected on your shidduch bio. Furthermore, as part of your hishtadlus, reach out to people who will take the time to know you, not just scan your resume. Shadchanim are beleaguered by people who want to meet them and spend a few minutes with each person. When the idea hits momentarily, they will work on it. But, more often than not, they don’t have time to review their files again and again. It’s unfortunate but they are bombarded and busy setting up dates and doing a lot of work to move shidduchim that have begun. I think your network is your best resource. People who know you now, whom you know through seminary, work and beyond, will be best able to advocate for you because they know you as an adult, not as a special ed teen from the neighborhood. Expanding your circles beyond your community could be very helpful, too. Don’t be shy about reaching out and telling people that you are available for dating and what you have to offer. Write out and practice some scripts if you feel uncomfortable. You believe in yourself so you can be your best person. You may want to confide in some people with whom you

U

are close about your obstacle at the moment. Fear not and don’t focus on your pain. Do as you have done before; turn your weakness into a strength. You are a hard worker and have the resilience and maturity to make a very good spouse. Go out and get the dates but don’t rely on your edited resume or shadchanim. People who know you well can be your best ambassadors.

The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A. ow that high school is in your rearview mirror, I congratulate you on proving what my daughter’s high school principal always said, “High school is not real life.” You graduate and no one remembers or cares if you were head of Shabbaton, had all the solos in Sing, danced like Pavlova or won the Historia-thon. The thing is, whatever your HS class ranking, YOU are a success story. Doesn’t matter if you attended Morah Pilchik’s Academy for Spotted Toads (MPAST), your targeted educational experience gave you the confidence and skills to thrive and flourish in life’s more challenging arenas: college, career, marriage and motherhood. You are living proof of that…take a bow! Now on to that minor matter of your resume. A shidduch resume should be positive, short, and to the point. It should answer basic questions rather than provoking them. Some definite no-no’s: food allergies, number of ballet trophies on the credenza, years your father sat and learned, that sappy blurb about your dreams and aspirations. Some requisite inclusions: your full name/ address/contact info, mother’s maiden name (not her high school or GPA); married siblings and mechutanim (with phone numbers, unless your parents are not on talking terms); community affiliation (aka, shul. No need to specify hashkama or late, kid-

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dush club or herring-only); reliable, enthusiastic references (it’s critical they know they are listed and will truly advocate for you); and finally, current schooling, current job and professional goal. In your case, omit the line reserved for high school as MPAST listed on someone’s resume may raise a few eyebrows and provoke full disclosure. Finally, chin up! The shidduch process is frustrating but Hashem is the Ultimate Shadchan. Trust and believe that your bashert will find you – whether across the mechitza at a simcha, through married friends, or your boss who says you’re the greatest. Mr. Right may or may not have seen your resume but one thing’s for certain, it won’t matter to him whether you graduated MPAST or the Harvard equivalent.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond his is a very unfortunate situation. It is terrible how you are being judged by the high school you attended, rather than who you are. As part of your hishtadlus, I would suggest going a bit “out of the box” than just the shadchan route. Go to singles’ Shabbatons, go to Shabbos meals with other singles, give people the opportunity to meet you in person rather than through a resume alone. In terms of omitting the name of your high school from your resume, ask your rav. If he gives the okay, then go right ahead. However, this may raise flags to potential suitors as to why the name of your high school has been omitted. Many times people want to omit things from their profile, whether it be age, school, or even divorced status. When this information is omitted, it is usually obvious to those checking out the shidduch and the information comes out anyway. Once the information is found out, the checker-outer feels as if the person in question was trying to hide

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What a kerfuffle these perfect people are in for once they are married and have to come to terms with their own humanity and the humanity of their spouses.

something, adding yet another reason to nix the shidduch. This is why I truly believe honesty is the best policy. In terms of your resume, make sure all of your references are well-versed at answering the question of why you went to this high school. Meet with shadchanim who set up solid ba’alei teshuva. Usually, ba’alei teshuva are less picky than FFBs about particular schools and random details. Find as many ways as you can to put yourself out there and find opportunities for people to meet and vouch for you – whether it be getting involved in different chessed organizations, volunteering, or merely making connections with families in your neighborhood. Remember that Hashem is the Ultimate Shadchan and as long as you have done all you can in terms of hishtadlus, the rest is in Hashem’s hands!

The Single Tova Wein our question really doesn’t have a right or wrong answer. I’m sure there are those who would say, “Go for it… What do you have to lose?” And

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then there are those who would say, “Leaving something that basic off of your resume will only create curiosity and make people think there is a bigger issue at stake than the actual one.” Either way, you’re sure to have someone disagreeing with your approach. The real issue here is the limited way in which people react to resumes and the instant judging and dismissing that goes on. I think your letter speaks to a much more im-

portant issue that people need to think about and consider doing something about. This obsession with perfection – when, in fact, we all know that no one is perfect – is very hurtful and damaging. Maybe the entire “resume” idea needs to be reviewed and improved. Maybe just thrown out altogether. There was a time when no one had a resume and somehow people got married. How did that happen?

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

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he gig is up, Shidduchim…. No one is perfect! It’s time to catch up with the times. Shidduchim, read a little Brene Brown. She’s the author of some fabulous books about shame and daring to be vulnerable, and actually encourages people to be real and to stop hustling for their worthiness and own their stories. Come on Shidduchim… it’s 2018…I’m telling you, you’ll love it. You’ll be so much happier. So much freer! And if we can somehow spread the word, I believe there will be so many more marriages and less lonely people. Why,, oh why is our fabulous e-mailer being made to feel ashamed or unworthy because of her proactive stance in getting the best education to meet her needs at the time? In my book, you are golden! You are the kind of woman any mother or shadchan should be thrilled with! Dear writer, so many people are ignorant. They jump to conclusions and make assumptions without getting to know a person? I truly do call this ignorance. And I am sorry that you have to deal with it. Your situation is one of the hundreds I’ve heard that create worry, anxiety and feelings of low self-worth. And why? Because of an absurd idea that people need to be “perfect” in order to get married. They need to come from

t he per fect family with the perfect yechus and perfect bank account, have gone to the perfect school, have the perfect look, have the perfect disposition, the perfect figure, the perfect hair…perfect, perfect, perfect. And anything outside of that perfect “image” is tossed aside to the other “imperfect” people. What a kerfuffle these perfect people are in for once they are married and have to come to terms with their own humanity and the humanity of their spouses. There are children and teenagers struggling in mainstream classroom settings that are entirely inappropriate and unfair to them because their academic or emotional needs aren’t being met. Some of them are there because of their parents’ fear or unwillingness to do something different because anything “out of the box” or imperfect is frightening or unacceptable and may have repercussions down the road. And who is suffering? The child. The child who sits in this classroom lost, without proper support, whose self-esteem takes a nose dive all while his emotional and social world is potentially crashing down around him/her. Your parents made the right choice,

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Meanwhile, in the midst of this absurdity and unfair judgment of you, I suggest you change your approach to meeting someone. Your efforts should probably be focused on placing yourself in areas where you are more likely to meet someone on your own, or working with excellent organizations like YU Connects, where the shadchanim take the time and put in the effort to see a person in their entirety and for whom they truly are. In that regard, you’re a homerun!

I think your letter speaks to a much more important issue that people need to think about.

and they put you above societal confines and pressure. They truly cared that you receive the education you deserved. And now, you seem to be paying a price for having admitted a truth about yourself. Between you and me, we all have “truths” and none of us are perfect… not even the people rejecting you. You should be celebrated for being proactive, for your parents advocating for you and recognizing your needs. And instead you are being punished. My hope is that others are reading this response with an open mind and will start to question what the obsession is with this false idea of perfection. As you can see from the panelists’ responses, there are different approaches as to whether or not you should include your high school on your resume. I don’t know that there is a right or wrong answer. My gut tells me to include the name of your high school. Leaving it out will only peak people’s interest and make them wonder why you didn’t include your high school. Work other angles aside from shadchanim. Speak to friends, family, coworkers, go to singles events, put yourself in situations where people will have the opportunity to meet you – the woman you are today. G-d willing, there will be a man. A wonderful, sensitive, caring man who will love you not in spite of where you went to high school but because that experience is part of what made you who you are today. And G-d willing, you will impart your mutual compassion, understanding and kindness onto

your children. Dare to visualize him. Dare to feel entitled to him. I don’t want you walking around feeling “less than.” And I’m actually excited for you that you are going to attract a man who is real and vulnerable and understands that human beings are complex and multi-faceted…not a vanilla robot looking for a size two with the right family and schooling. Please, do not let this system break you because it is the system that is broken. Understand that when a person is trying so hard to appear “perfect,” there is often much pain hiding beneath the surface. My heart goes out to the perfect people. They are trapped and often alone in their perfection. Being real, raw, layered, open-minded, multi-faceted, vulnerable and growth-oriented is an entirely different and, dare I say, more fulfilling plane of existence. And that is exactly where you are. Have patience, work some new angles. I have a good feeling about you. Be in touch and let us know how you’re doing! (If you want to of course, no pressure.) All the best, Jennifer Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.


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Dr. Deb

I Admit I was Abusive Does My Partner Have the Right to Take Revenge? By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.

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he short answer, of course, is no. No one has the right to be mean. As we all learned in third grade, two wrongs do not make a right.

But let’s take a closer look at the psychology behind your partner’s behavior. Why do they want to take revenge anyway? I can think of two reasons:

1. They have never healed from your abuse. They remain hurt and unhealed. And I will tell you this: that is exactly what keeps cases forever in the court system. It’s not about the money. It’s about the hurt feelings. I wrote a post on this a couple months ago so I won’t get into how the court system is right now. This is the reason – the continued hurt they feel – that they want to take revenge. I know it doesn’t make sense. After all, how can hurting you make them feel better? But somehow it does. It’s kind of like when the scrawny little kid knocks out the bully that has been tormenting him forever. He can’t possibly feel better from all the mistreatment he received just because he sees his bully lying on the ground, absolutely in shock that this could happen. But somehow, for that scrawny little kid, it does. So why is that? Why do we seem to get satisfaction and healing from hurting someone who hurt us? I think it is a simple matter of fairness. It seems fair. The score got evened up and that feels like it was fair. No criminal should go unpunished. But you already are suffering! They left you. Or they’re not talking to you. Or they pick on you. Any of the above are enough to already have evened out the score. Why do they ask for more? Because to them, the score did not get evened out. They do not believe

you are suffering even if you cry! They think you’re manipulating them with your tears. The only thing they know – and this is important! – is how much they suffered. And it was so very much that they are bound and determined to make you suffer just as much, however much effort and meanness it takes. 2. The second reason is the opposite. They take revenge innocently; they actually don’t know they’re hurting you. Just as you were abusive, maybe they were too. Neither one of you understood what, exactly, abuse is. People in this category often do not feel the pain; they’re numb to it. I just had a call with someone in that exact situation. She wanted marital help but her husband of 14 years was done. The reason he said he was done was because she hurt him verbally over these many years. The problem is that she had no clue what he was talking about. Of course, she admitted that they might argue. But arguing, people think, is “normal” and what you say during arguments doesn’t mean anything. Well, think again. You can hurt someone by what you say during arguments. Accusations, bullying, threats, name-calling, raised voices, and foul language are hurtful – and often they are not forgotten. They leave an imprint on the heart and that pain stays there.


But the clueless person never thinks of any of this. They felt like you struck at them, so they’re simply striking back. That was the case with the woman I spoke to. She did not know what verbal abuse really was so she didn’t know what she had been doing all along to her husband. And he told her he was through. The reality is that whether or not the revenge-taker knows they’re being hurtful and giving it back as it was given is hardly important. What matters is that they’re digging in and you’re stuck on the receiving end. It’s particularly frustrating to you because after all this time that you were doing the hurting and didn’t know it, you’d sort of expected a prize for realizing it now and mending your ways. Instead, you’re met with as good as you gave and you start to wonder why you even bothered to reform. What to do now? I can tell you that (1) suffering, (2) begging, (3) getting angry back will not work. That’s for sure.

The secret is knowing deeply within yourself how much – exactly how much – they suffered and making it up to them. Lame apologies will not work because you’ve done that already and they seemed lame. Even when you were sincere.

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That is why there is a profession called “therapy” where all many of the therapists do is just listen and reflect back that they understand! It doesn’t give people tools but for those who desperately need to heal from their wounds, it works. It’s enough.

Healing is all about being deeply understood.

But “getting it” clearly and precisely and knowing how to put that into words and deeds is the key. Because healing is all about being deeply understood. Let’s repeat that: healing is all about making sure your partner feels deeply (and accurately) understood.

And very frankly, if your marriage did not have and does not have that deep, precise, accurate level of understanding, from the heart of what your partner is or was experiencing, then it wasn’t much of a marriage in the first place. But it is possible to fix all that. And

it’s actually quite necessary. Because if you hurt your partner and they’re being revengeful, it means they’re still hurting. And you’ve got to heal them. It’s your moral obligation. Either that, or option two, they’re become so calloused from the hurts they’ve received that they no longer are aware of what is or is not painful. Pain is “normal” so they’re dishing it out. In that case, your apology will not touch them; they’re too numb. In the case of option 2, it could be that in the right environment, with an understanding therapist, the numbness will wear off; they will come to feel their own pain. Then the stage is set for healing. This is one case where trying it on your own will just frustrate you more.

Dr. Deb is a Marriage & Family Therapist. Book a consultation with her to get clarity on the issues in your marriage and learn about her innovative program at: https:// drdeb.com/book.


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Health & F tness

Lighten Up the Nights By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

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ho doesn’t love Chanukah?! Chanukah falls out at the perfect time. When the darkness of winter seeps into our

mind, Chanukah comes to light up our heart and soul. Chanukah literally lights up our homes with the flames burning bright for eight nights. Yet,

Chanukah also spiritually ignites a flame within us to keep us burning and striving in these dark times. With the joys of singing the Chanukah songs, spending time with our families and friends at Chanukah parties, and witnessing the miracles that Chanukah represents time and time again, there is no way that anyone dislikes Chanukah. But along with every holiday comes an abundance of food, especially on Chanukah, the holiday of oil, which can be quite frightening for many. By the end of Chanukah, you will not only be wiping up the mess of oil that dripped from your menorahs, you will be seeping oil from your body. From the latkes and doughnuts to parties galore, it almost seems like you are drinking oil. It’s a gross feeling and it does not need to be this way. This Chanukah, let’s find a way to lighten up the nights. Latkes. Understandably, latkes are tradition, and they are definitely necessary to take part in the Chanukah celebration. However, once is enough; not every single night. And for sure not more than one latke. Traditional latkes are made of potatoes – starch; eggs – cholesterol; and oil, lots and lots of oil – triglycerides, also known as fat. Eating an abundance of such a food daily for a week straight will no doubt result in weight gain. Here’s what can be done to lighten up the lat-

kes. Firstly, as mentioned above, don’t make or eat latkes on more than one night of Chanukah. After having one latke, you are yotzei! So stop after one latke. I know they are addictive and this action requires self-control but you can do it. Next, use substitutions. Make your latkes “healthier.” Instead of making potato latkes, use other vegetables. Latkes can also be made from sweet potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, or carrots. If you’re not willing to take the risk and cut out the potatoes completely, grate half the amount of potatoes and use the vegetables of your choice to substitute for the rest of the potatoes. This idea also makes for a great attraction at a Chanukah party: a latke bar. Make a variety of different latkes and have your guests sample them. Now that we tackled the main ingredient in the latkes, let’s move on to the eggs. When making a big batch of latkes, the recipe may call for close to a dozen eggs. Yes, eggs have protein and make a good breakfast, but this is way too many eggs for one meal and poses other problems. Eggs can be substituted with applesauce (which ironically many dip their latkes into anyways!) and mashed bananas. It’s not so simple to substitute oil when it comes to frying. Coconut oil would be the healthiest oil to fry in. Olive oil would be a healthier option than canola, but olive oil is not ideal


for frying. My advice is to use as little oil as possible when frying and to put a carrot in the pan. The carrot helps prevent the oil from burning. Ideally, don’t fry the latkes at all. Bake them. Baking will require less oil. Make sure to pat down the latkes with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Doughnuts. There’s no easy way of putting this. Doughnuts should be out of the picture COMPLETELY. Doughnuts are pure sugar, flour and oil – deep fried and drenched in oil. Admittingly they are delicious, but there is no substituting or making them lighter or healthier. You will just have to say no. If you need something to fill your sweet tooth, go for the fresh fruit or chew sugar-free gum. Prepare. When heading out for a Chanukah party, never go hungry. Hunger increases the likelihood that you will stuff your face and overeat all the enticing food in front of you. When you are hungry, chances are that your diet will go out the window along with your self- control. Showing up satiat-

ed to a party will help motivate you to maintain self-control and avoid overeating. In addition, try to socialize or focus on activities at the party instead of focusing on all the food. If necessary, bring your own food to the party and only eat the food that you brought with you. Some individuals find it hard to say no to food even when they are

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party, focus on portion control. When taking food, use a small plate instead of a big plate to portion out your food. Most people enter a party with big eyes and want to try everything. Start off with a small portion and then wait 15-20 minutes before refilling. Your stomach needs about 15-20 minutes to get the message to the brain that you

full, stop eating. Once you have your small plate ready, fill it up with salads and fresh fruit. Avoid the fried foods and finger foods, as they tend to be full of calories and are non-filling. Skip the pastas. Go for the lighter foods – nothing with sauces, gravy, dressings, or kugels. Chanukah does not have to all be about the food. Enjoy your family and friends. Enjoy what Chanukah represents. Enjoy the light.

Try to socialize or focus on activities at the party instead of focusing on all the food.

The “How To Approach Shabbos the Healthy Way” series will continue after Chanukah.

are full, otherwise you can overeat until you are about to burst. So, start off with a small portion, wait, and then if you are still hungry, refill wisely. Don’t fall into the trap of “finish your plate syndrome.” You don’t have to finish everything on your plate. Once you are

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. She is currently a dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com.

not hungry. Bringing your own preplanned healthy meal will decrease the chances of pigging out on all the party’s goodies. If you don’t have the opportunity to eat your own healthy food, and you have to eat the food served at the

Repairing the world through Judaism’s timeless wisdom


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How to Have Your

Cake and Be

Healthy Too

TJH Speaks with Paula Shoyer By Susan Schwamm

Paula, I see you’re busy preparing for your class tomorrow in Long Island. What’s this class about? These days most of my events are about how to make traditional Jewish food and Jewish meals healthier. I’m doing a menu from my new cookbook, The Healthy Jewish Kitchen, for tomorrow’s event. I’m making my dry-rub salmon with mango coleslaw, which is a really good example of how you can take something everybody eats one way and make it healthier. I puree a mango with jalapeno and cilantro and turn that into a creamy dressing. I’m also serving my chopped string beans – they’re in chopped pieces so it’s more interesting and take up less room on your plate. And then I’m bringing my very famous chocolate quinoa cake. It’s a gluten-free cake – great for Pesach – that everybody seems to love. When did you publish The Healthy Jewish Kitchen cookbook? It came out at the end of Novem-

ber, beginning of December, of last year. You have three other cookbooks. What was the impetus for coming out with this one? My first two cookbooks were all about desserts. The first book was all about turning French pastry pareve and giving people a one-stop shop in Jewish baking but all pareve. The second book was all about holiday recipes, dairy and pareve. And then I have my Pesach book. But this new book was interesting because my publisher called me and asked me if I would write a cookbook with a healthy focus. I got that call from my publisher probably around 4-5 weeks after my mother passed away. The cookbook gave me a purpose, and I really felt it helped me in a positive way. Parenthetically, my father passed away when the book went to print, so I lost both of them in about 17 months. My tribute to them is that a lot of the recipes in the book were recipes from my childhood. You know, the book was so mag-

ical because I created great recipes that everybody loves but are healthier. It brought me back to my childhood. I grew up on peas and carrots from a can, and the cover of the book is grilled carrots with a pea and carrot puree. I printed my mother’s chicken soup with a twist. I took my grandmother’s stuffed cabbage and used turkey and ground rice, which made it healthier. I took all my favorite recipes, the babka, the rugelach, the challahs and came up with whole grain versions. You went to pastry school in Paris. What made you decide to go there? I loved to bake on my own my whole life. I used to watch my grandmother bake in her kitchen in Brooklyn and my mother only used Manischewitz cake mixes but she never really baked. But I baked. I made hamentashen here and there. I continued baking through college, through law school but never thought there was a professional possibility for me as a baker.

My husband worked for the U.S. government and we were sent to Switzerland. Over there, I had a job as a lawyer for a Jewish organization. I did that for about two years until my daughter was born. But then I decided to leave that job and immediately enrolled in pastry school in Paris for fun, just to bake better. I thought pastry school would be easier because of kashrus and handling food, and I figured I’d be able to recreate these recipes for the kosher baker. I converted all those recipes into pareve recipes and started selling them out of my kitchen in Geneva. I only started because people would ask me to make them a pie or something like that and then other people would eat them and would ask me to make them a few for their fridge or party. And that’s how I started my catering business. When I came back to the U.S., I was teaching cooking classes in my home in Maryland, and Susie Fishbein called me to edit two cookbooks for her. I never thought about


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You’re known as the “kosher baker.” Most people wouldn’t see a baker as being healthy. I’ve spent years developing dessert recipes. When I photographed my Holiday Kosher Baker cookbook, there were over 80 desserts over 4 days that I had to photograph. Can you imagine how many desserts I had in my house?! And I’m a real stickler for tasting and measuring so I had maybe 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, tens of times to get them right. Years and years ago I had to develop strategies for healthy eating so I started cooking lighter foods for my family, so my meals were all about protein and vegetables and a little rice. People would say to me when I would show up to do a cooking class, “Oh, we expected you to be so much heavier, Chef Shoyer,” and I would answer, “No, I run and I also don’t eat a lot of heavy foods. In a world where there’s chocolate babka, why would I eat a bagel if there’s a chocolate chip cookie on the horizon?” I’ll eat healthy now so I could indulge a bit later. It’s just about making choices and choosing healthier options. I use what I believe is a reasonable allotment of calories on sweets, on things that are really worth eating. I believe in finding a balance that you can strike between the two – healthy foods and sweets – once you understand your own body’s chemistry. Your oldest daughter is 23 and your twins are 19 now, right? Yes. Growing up, serving them, I have to say that I don’t believe in the trend of kid-friendly food. I believe in giving choices – having on the table a variety of food, adult food, not chicken nuggets, not fish sticks, adult, delicious food – and each child can pick what they want to eat. I know people make separate meals for their children and for themselves; I don’t understand that. Don’t you want your kids to eat good food? I put out foods like

Photo credit Bill Milne

writing a cookbook, but editing her books, I realized, “Well, I have all these recipes so why don’t I write a cookbook?” And that’s how The Kosher Baker cookbook was born.

Paula’s take on fish tacos with cilantro lime rice

roasted salmon and pasta and Caesar salad. Sure, kids won’t eat every part of the meal, but there’s definitely something that they’ll like and everything is natural and healthy. What are three tips you can give to the home cook to make her food healthier? Number one is don’t put sugar in

piece of cake. Number two, try to stay away from things that are in jars. If you read the labels on all these jars, there’s so much salt, there’s so much sugar, there’s so much corn syrup. And you can make delicious food just by using natural ingredients. The third tip I would give relates to desserts. Take any dessert recipe

In a world where there’s chocolate babka, why would I eat a bagel if there’s a chocolate chip cookie on the horizon? your savory food. If you’re making salad dressing, a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup is all you will ever need. I see recipes in kosher cookbooks with ½ cup of sugar in salad dressing. Why eat salad if you’re going to put all that sugar on it? Also, with stews, people put lots of brown sugar or ketchup in their stews. I don’t put sugar in savory dishes; I save the sugar for a really wonderful slice of chocolate babka or a great

that you have that you make all the time – it could be your challah, it could be a Bundt cake – and take 25% of that white flour and substitute it with spelt or whole grain flour. It won’t affect the taste of your food at all. I like that tip! I’m going to try to incorporate it next time I make chocolate chip cookies. What are your go-to spices?

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That’s a good question. It’s so funny because I’ll be making salmon in a few minutes, and I’m going to make a spice mix for it. I would say the ones that I use the most in my life are probably going to be turmeric, cumin, and paprika. They’re in so many profiles of foods, like Peruvian foods and Mexican foods. A lot of French food uses turmeric and Indian food too. I have such a great collection of spices, and I’m always looking for spices. It’s so much fun to buy spices now – I can buy them online. Juniper berries or coriander seeds…you can find kosher ones online and get them delivered too. Let’s talk about the star of the Shabbos table, the challah. What’s your special trick for turning out delicious, soft challos? My challah comes out better when I mix it by hand – it just does. I knead it until it’s soft. I add a bit of flour while I’m kneading it, just enough so when I rub my hand across the dough my hand slides across. I don’t have an exact amount of flour to use because I just use the amount that feels right. When I put it aside to rise, I place it in an oiled bowl. People overbake challah a lot, but I would tell everyone to check on challah five minutes before it’s supposed to be done. Under-bake it versus overbake it. I warm my challahs before I serve them on Shabbos anyway so I don’t want them overbaked. Do you make water challah or egg challah? I do egg. Occasionally I’ll make a water challah, but I’m an egg challah-type of girl. I have in the new book a completely whole grain challah which is really soft that I’m really proud of. Chanukah is right around the corner. Any tips on how to make Chanukah healthy but yummy? Let’s talk about latkes. If you want to make them healthy, you can put all sorts of healthy toppings on the latke, but they’re still fried in


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oil. I developed a method where you heat oil on sheet pans in the oven and then you make your latke batter and carefully take your pan out and you put your latke batter on top of the oil on the pan. Then you put the pans carefully back in the oven for a few minutes and then flip the latkes. They’re so much healthier and they come out crispy. It’s only about two tablespoons of oil as opposed to the ½ cup or ¾ cup of oil you’ll be using in a frying pan. I use this method with my schnitzel too, and I explain it all in the cookbook. You can serve these latkes with my pickled applesauce, which has pickled onions and chopped apples, so it’s like a sweet and sour applesauce. This way you can enjoy your latkes on Chanukah and they’re much healthier. Hey, I’m not having Chanukah without my latkes. That’s definitely a tradition we can’t give up. What about a

dessert or two you would recommend for Chanukah? I have a Chanukah chapter in my Holiday Kosher Baker cookbook with all different flavor doughnuts,

olive oil and cookies made with olive oil. Olive oil is a wonderful fat that really does well with traditional cake ingredients. It’s a nice kind of a silky-smooth addition to your des-

I want it to look like you’re in the kitchen all day

but I never want you to actually be that person in the kitchen all day. pumpkin doughnuts, chocolate flavor doughnuts with passion fruit filling, all kinds of flavors but I also decided to put in that chapter olive oil-based desserts. I have an almond cake that’s made with extra virgin

serts. I always make my chewy chocolate olive oil cookies; I love those. What pastry would you recommend for somebody who doesn’t have too much time but

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wants to impress their guests? You know, with a lot of my favorite foods, I’m all about making them interesting but not fussy to make. I want it to look like you’re in the kitchen all day but I never want you to actually be that person in the kitchen all day. My chocolate key lime cake is impressive and people love the cake. And a galette fruit tart always impresses everyone. In my recipe, I substituted a quarter of a cup of the flour with cocoa, which is a bit healthier than flour. The crust is really chocolatey looking, and the inside is filled with beautiful, bright fruit. You can put in any fruit, and you can even use frozen fruit. Paula, it sounds like with your tips on healthy eating a person can have their cake and eat it too – in terms of being healthy and being able to enjoy delicious food. Wishing you a wonderful Chanukah!

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PREPARE FOR

Chanukah with Celebrity Chef Paula Shoyer

Latke Toppings Latke toppings are a great way to add flavor and fun to Chanukah. “What I like about the latke toppings is that they don’t need to create more work,” Paula says. “I use foods that I’ve already prepared or that can be store bought. The combined flavors of these additions are both savory and sweet. Add amounts to your desired taste!” Seen here are latkes with: smoked salmon, labne and microgreens; mashed sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce; guacamole with arugula and chopped colored tomatoes; and goat cheese, figs, honey and pomegranate seeds.


The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2015 2018

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Potato & Scallion Latkes with Pickled Applesauce Everyone loves potato latkes but no one likes the mess of frying them, or the guilt associated with eating them. These latkes are baked in the oven and easily won over my kids. You do need to watch them so they do not burn; they were done at different times in different ovens. The Pickled Applesauce is basically a tangy-spicy applesauce, which we also eat with schnitzel. Latkes may be made 2 days in advance and reheated in the oven or frozen; applesauce may be made 4 days in advance. This recipe serves 6.

Ingredients

Latkes 2 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil, or more if needed ½ medium onion, quartered 3 scallions, ends trimmed, cut into thin slices or chopped into small pieces 3 medium potatoes, scrubbed clean and unpeeled 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 large eggs ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons potato starch ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Pickled applesauce 1 teaspoon sunflower or safflower oil 1/3 cup red onions, chopped into ¼-inch pieces 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 2 apples, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes ¼ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 1 cinnamon stick ¼ teaspoon salt Pinch black pepper

Preparation Prepare latkes: preheat the oven to 450°F. When the oven is hot, pour 2 tablespoons of oil onto 2 jelly roll pans and turn them in every direction so that the oil coats the pans. Heat the pans in the oven for 5 minutes. Place the onions and scallions in the bowl of a food processor and chop them into small pieces. Place them in a medium bowl. Shred the potatoes by hand on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor with the shredding blade, and place in the bowl. Add the lemon juice, eggs, baking powder, potato starch, salt, and pepper and mix well. Very carefully (I mean really carefully; move very slowly) remove one of the pans and use your hands or a spoon to scoop up and drop clumps of the potato mixture, a little less than ¼ cup, onto the pan. I use my hands. Press the mixture down to flatten it a little. Place the pan in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes and immediately remove the second oiled pan. Repeat the same process with the remaining potato mixture and bake the second pan of latkes for 10 to 12 minutes. Bake them until the edges are well browned, and then with a slotted spatula turn them over and cook the latkes for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned. May be made 2 days in advance and reheated in the oven. Prepare applesauce: heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook them for 3 minutes, until they soften. Add the vinegar and brown sugar and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the apples, coriander, ginger, cinnamon stick, salt, and pepper, and cook, covered, on low heat for 15 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes and then purée it, using an immersion blender or a food processor. May be made 4 days in advance and served warm or cold. Recipe excerpted from “The Healthy Jewish Kitchen” by Paula Shoyer, Sterling Epicure. Photos by Bill Milne. Latke toppings are courtesy of Paula Shoyer, www.thekosherbaker.com.


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In The K

tchen

Beer Battered Broccoli Dairy • Yields 8 servings By Naomi Nachman

I came up with this recipe when I had leftover beer batter I had used on fish. I took broccoli and some other vegetables and started tossing them in the batter and frying them up. I had no idea how good it was going to be! Later, I developed the cheese sauce dip. What a perfect combo! Ingredients Broccoli 1½ cups flour, divided 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 large eggs ½ teaspoon sriracha 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer, at room temperature Canola oil, for frying 1 (2-pound) bag frozen broccoli florets, partially defrosted

Cheese Dipping Sauce 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter ¼ cup flour 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1½ cup milk 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation Prepare the broccoli: Sift 1 cup flour into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper. Whisk in eggs and sriracha. Slowly add beer, whisking after each addition. Allow the batter to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large pot, skillet, or deep fryer heat 3 inches oil to 360-375°F. Dredge broccoli in remaining flour, shaking off excess. Then coat the broccoli in the batter. Add broccoli to oil; fry until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Prepare the Cheese Dipping Sauce: Melt butter in a medium pot over low heat. Add flour, garlic, and salt; mix well for 1 minute until combined. Add milk and cheese; mix well until melted and mixture has thickened. Stir in ancho chili powder and salt. Serve alongside broccoli for dipping. Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.


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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

People are going to die if we don’t start addressing climate change ASAP. It’s not enough to think it’s “important.” We must make it urgent. - Tweet by Congresswoman elect Alexandria OcasioCortez (Democrat-Socialist, Queens)

Asking to be considered a refugee & applying for status isn’t a crime. It wasn’t for Jewish families fleeing Germany. It wasn’t for targeted families fleeing Rwanda. It wasn’t for communities fleeing war-torn Syria. Omar habitually portrays herself as a victim. It’s an irritating tic. But she has not been the victim of any reported hate crime. A young refugee to the United States from Somalia, Omar was elected to Congress at the age of 36. This achievement must make her one of the most fortunate citizens of the United States. Her claim to victimhood represents the new style of American assimilation. - Scott W. Johnson, Real Clear Politics, responding to an op-ed by Minnesota Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar (D), who is Muslim

And it isn’t for those fleeing violence in Central America. - Tweet by Congresswoman elect Alexandria OcasioCortez (Democrat-Socialist, Queens)

I recommend she take a tour of the Holocaust Museum in DC. Might help her better understand the differences between the Holocaust and the caravan in Tijuana. – Tweet by Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican, South Carolina), in response

And despite her self-portrait as an apostle of love, Omar is a proponent of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement. She is, to put it bluntly, an Islamist hater of Israel. In a 2014 tweet during Israel’s hostilities with Hamas, for example, Omar prayed for “Allah to awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” In a May 31 tweet this year, she referred to Israel as an “apartheid regime.” - Ibid.

I heard about a trend this Thanksgiving where people made tiny turkeys. You may know them by their other name: chicken! - Jerry Seinfeld, on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon

MORE QUOTES


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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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We concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians. Our hope is that someday sooner rather than later, a framework is put in place where the entire global community is aligned so there will be a resolution to this historic conflict and a clear path forward for everybody to follow. - Statement by Airbnb, after it capitulated to the BDS movement and removed all listings from some parts of Israel

The other issue that’s now coming to the forefront is this new policy by Airbnb to basically discriminate against Jews in the West Bank. They delisted all Jewish listings in the West Bank. They do not treat anybody else in the entire world like this; it’s only targeted in these Jewish communities. I think that that likely runs afoul of Florida’s BDS legislation; we’re reviewing that now. We’re also going to review how Florida interacts with Airbnb; I know that state workers are allowed to use Airbnb for official travel. That is not going to be acceptable with me as governor, so I think Airbnb should reevaluate and reverse this policy. If they don’t do that, then it’s going to be rough sledding here in the State of Florida, and we’ll review our options of what we can do with that. – Florida’s Governor-Elect Ron DeSantis, responding to Airbnb’s new anti-Israel position

I kind of challenge that it was a peaceful protest, or that the majority of these people were claiming asylum. What I saw on the border yesterday was not people walking up to border patrol agents and asking to claim asylum. If they were truly asylumseekers they would’ve just walked up with their hands up and surrendered, but that did not take place. What we saw over and over yesterday was the group, the caravan, would push women and children towards the front and then, basically, “rocking” our agents. -Chief Border Patrol Agent for the San Diego Sector, Rodney Scott, on CNN, defending the use of tear gas on migrants trying to cross the U.S.-Mexican border near Tijuana last weekend

We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for. - Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts, in a statement after President Trump decried a 9th Circuit judge who struck down his attempt to restrict asylum seekers at the border

I don’t agree very often with Chief Justice Roberts, especially his partisan decisions which seem highly political on Citizens United, Janus, and Shelby. But I am thankful today that he – almost alone among Republicans – stood up to President Trump and for an independent judiciary. - Tweet by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in support of Justice Roberts, which inadvertently admits that Trump is correct that judges are swayed by their partisan political persuasions

Sorry, Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have “Obama judges,” and they have a much different point of view than the people who are charged with the safety of our country. It would be great if the 9th Circuit was indeed an “independent judiciary,” but if it is why are so many opposing view (on Border and Safety) cases filed there, and why are a vast number of those cases overturned. Please study the numbers, they are shocking. We need protection and security – these rulings are making our country unsafe! Very dangerous and unwise! - Pres. Trump’s response to Justice Roberts

MORE QUOTES


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Wouldn’t it be ironic if it was Donald Trump who fixed the problems created by the “three strikes, you out” rule passed by Bill Clinton? Wouldn’t it be ironic it was Donald Trump…that allowed just thousands of African-American and Hispanic males a second chance for nonviolent offenses? - Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), on Fox News, talking about Trump’s prison reform plans

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I’ve never used a computer. - Japan’s recently appointed cybersecurity and Olympics minister, Yoshitaka Sakurada, 68, in an astonishing admission to the Japanese parliament

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Political Crossfire

Chief Justice Roberts is Wrong By Marc A. Thiessen

F

or someone trying to demonstrate that the judiciary is not political, getting into a political fight with the president sure is a funny way to do it. After President Trump called a judge who ruled against him an “Obama judge,” Chief Justice John Roberts issued an extraordinary public rebuke of the president, declaring in statement, “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges.” Roberts was not only wrong to speak out, but also his claim that there are no Obama judges or Trump judges was wrong. If we do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, then why did Senate Republicans block President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia in the final year of Obama’s term? And why did Democrats filibuster Trump’s nominee, Neil Gorsuch, to fill Scalia’s seat? Even Roberts’s fellow justices know there is a difference. If there were no Obama judges or Trump judges, then why did Anthony Kennedy wait for Trump’s election to announce his retirement? And why doesn’t Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg just retire now and let Trump nominate her replacement? Because they both want a president who would appoint a successor who shares their judicial philosophy. (And, lo and behold, Trump appointed a former Kennedy clerk, Brett Kavanaugh, to succeed him.) The American people know that

Roberts is wrong. In the 2016 election, exit polls showed that 70 percent of voters said Supreme Court appointments were either the most important or an important factor in deciding their vote. And polls show that Republicans expanded their Senate majority in 2018 in large part because conservative voters were angered over the left’s brutal campaign of character assassination against Kavanaugh. Roberts is correct that we should not have “Trump judges” or “Obama judges.” It would be better for the

their preferred outcomes. The left believes in a “living Constitution,” which can be interpreted to mean whatever they want it to mean without being formally amended. Democratic presidents have been much more successful than Republicans in nominating judges who hew to their judicial philosophy. Over the past three decades, nearly half of all Republican Supreme Court nominees have either become “swing votes” (Sandra Day O’Connor, Kennedy) or defected to the court’s liberal bloc entirely (David Souter). Even Roberts

The left believes in a “living Constitution,” which can be interpreted to mean whatever they want it to mean without being formally amended.

country if every judge, regardless of which president nominated him or her, strictly interpreted our laws and the Constitution. But the reality is that not all do. While conservative presidents tend to nominate judges who exercise a philosophy of judicial restraint – follow our laws as written – liberal presidents tend to nominate judicial activists who legislate from the bench and shape the law to reach

has joined the court’s liberal bloc at key times, abandoning his judicial philosophy that judges should not legislate from the bench to provide the swing vote to uphold Obamacare. By contrast, not one liberal justice during the past three decades has defected to the conservative bloc or turned into a regular swing vote. What is true of the Supreme Court applies even more to the appellate

courts. Trump is right – the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is a disgrace. This is the court that ruled that the phrase “under G-d” in the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional, that the Second Amendment doesn’t recognize an individual right to bear concealed arms, and that bans on assisted suicide are unconstitutional. This is why it is so important that Trump has nominated, and the Senate has confirmed, a record number of district and circuit court judges – and why liberals are aghast at the pace of Trump’s judicial confirmations. As former Hillary Clinton adviser Ronald Klain complained, “Trump’s judicial nominees will be deciding the scope of our civil liberties and the shape of civil rights laws in the year 2050 – and beyond.” Everyone, left and right, knows that Roberts is wrong. We do have an independent judiciary. Judges are not beholden to any president, including the one who appoints them. The judiciary plays a key role in our system of checks and balances. “Trump judges” should rule against Trump when he is wrong. That is why it is so important for the chief justice stay above politics. Roberts is right that our “independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for.” Rolling around in the rhetorical mud with Trump is not just bad form; it also undermines the very judicial independence Roberts is seeking to uphold. (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group


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Political Crossfire

Trump is Ready to Deal. Are Democrats? By Marc A. Thiessen

W

hen Donald Trump first took office, many conservatives’ greatest fear was that he would be too quick to cut deals with the Democrats. He had previously been a Democrat and had staked out heterodox positions on everything from spending to entitlement reform, the national debt, the minimum wage, trade and health care. During the 2016 campaign, Trump even endorsed universal health care, declaring, “This is an un-Republican thing for me to say … I am going to take care of everybody … [and] the government’s gonna pay for it.” Conservatives were aghast. They need not have worried. Democrats showed little interest in negotiating bipartisan bills with President Trump. They preferred to be the “resistance.” And their unrelenting opposition pushed Trump to the right. He knew that whatever he was going to get done, he would have to do it with Republican votes. So, he governed as a staunch conservative. But that is not his place of natural equilibrium. In his heart, Trump is a dealmaker, not an ideologue. And now, he’s making clear that he wants to cut deals with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. It was overshadowed by his confrontation with CNN’s Jim Acosta, but during his post-election news conference, Trump made clear that he is willing – even eager – to buck House Republicans and work with Pelosi and the new Democratic majority.

On health care, for example, Trump stunned Republicans when he said he would be willing to support a bipartisan bill that passes with Democratic votes. “We’ll get the Democrats and we’ll get the Republicans, or some of the Republicans” (emphasis added), Trump declared. That’s a remarkable statement. The president would sign a health care bill that gets a majority of Democratic, but not Republican, votes.

better that Democrats won control of the House because it frees him to negotiate. “If the Republicans won – and let’s say we held on by two, or one, or three – it would’ve been very hard,” Trump said, “... because there will always be one, or two, or three people that, for a good reason or for a bad reason, or for grandstanding … come over and say, you know, ‘Look, we’re not going to along with this.’” With Democrats in the majority, he

If they play their cards right, they can rack up wins on everything from health care and taxes to infrastructure and even immigration.

Similarly, on taxes, Trump announced he was willing to revisit the terms of his signature legislative achievement – his tax-reform law – in exchange for a middle-class tax cut. Asked whether he would be willing to raise rates on corporations and the wealthy, Trump said, “I would absolutely pursue something even if it means some adjustment.” That’s a huge concession to the Democrats. Indeed, Trump even said it was

said, “we have a much easier path, because the Democrats will come to us with a plan for infrastructure, a plan for health care, a plan for whatever they are looking at, and we’ll negotiate.” Translation: Now I can tell the House Freedom Caucus to take a hike and compromise with Democrats instead. The big question: Will House Democrats take him up on it? If they start firing shots at Trump, focusing

on investigations and impeachment, he’s going to fire back. But if they accept his outstretched hand, they will find he’s willing to give Democrats a lot of things they want – even over GOP objections. Trump hopes Pelosi becomes House speaker because he thinks Pelosi will be less interested in impeachment and more interested in deals. “She deserves it,” he said at his news conference, adding, “If she has a problem, I think I would be able to very easily supply her the necessary votes” to become speaker. He knows Pelosi will serve for only a few years and wants to secure a legacy. She wants to pass an infrastructure bill, fix and permanently secure Obamacare, and modify his tax cuts. And he seems willing to work with her to do all that. If anything, Pelosi’s challenge will be to control her own ideologues who want to use their newfound power to destroy Trump, not work with him. But if Democrats are willing to make concessions, such as funding the border wall, they will find that Trump is willing to buck conservative orthodoxy and make major concessions to them. Indeed, if they play their cards right, they can rack up wins on everything from health care and taxes to infrastructure and even immigration. But to do that, Democrats have to decide: are they now a governing majority? Or are they a resistance? Because they can’t be both. (c) 2018, Washington Post Writers Group


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Forgotten Her es

Seaplane on a Mission By Avi Heiligman

P

lanes during World War I were first deployed for spy and reconnaissance use as the first flight had taken place only eleven years before the conflict had started. Later on during the war, the missions became more complex and they were used for offensive capabilities such as bombers and fighters. In the interwar period, technology greatly improved aircraft as they went from being a biplane with two wings to a monoplane with one wing on each side of the aircraft. Floatplanes and flying boats were also developed during this time, and one in particular had a great effect on the outcome of World War II. American naval strategists during the 1930s foresaw an upcoming global war that would reach remote locations around the world. This would mean that traversing both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans would be necessary to the war effort, and a flying boat would greatly assist the sailors, troops and airmen. Consolidated Aircraft Corporation won the contract over completion from Douglas, and in 1936 60 PBY-1 seaplanes were ordered. It was a cheap model to produce, and over 3,300 flying boats rolled off American and Canadian factory lines. Even the Soviets built 24 PBYs after being granted a license to produce them during World War II. The British were the first foreign nation to receive the seaplane and started receiving them in 1941. It was the Brits who nicknamed it the Catalina, or Cat for short, and soon it was adopted by the Americans as well. Catalinas had a crew of eight to ten men, was over 100 feet from wingtip to wingtip, and had an incredible range of 2,500 miles. At the start of the war in the Pacific in late 1941 only the B-17

bomber had a similar range. The main drawbacks for the Catalinas was that it was slow and vulnerable to air attack. The Pratt and Whitney engines needed constant maintenance but this was able to be done from their remote forward bases with tools that they had on hand. Catalinas were employed for many types of missions, including reconnaissance and intelligence, patrol, search and rescue, bombing, torpedo bombing anti-submarine warfare, mine laying and nighttime operations. PBYs had up to five machine guns and could carry 4,000 pounds of bombs. This made them suitable for striking the enemy at long ranges. However, this also made them easy targets for long range fighters, like the Japanese Zeros. To counter this threat, many Catalinas were painted black and outfitted with sophisticated radar and other ship-detecting systems. The Black Cats, as they were called, scored many hits on Japanese ships and operated under the cover of darkness. For all intents and purposes, they became one of the earliest stealth planes in aviation history. Black Cats played an important role in the Battle of Guadalcanal as they attacked the Japanese airfields and convoys and spotted ships coming in with reinforcements. Ensign Leonard B. Smith of the U.S. Navy was sent to Great Britain before the United States entered the war. His job was to train PBY English crews, and he went along as a copilot on several missions. In May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck was sighted and then disappeared as British ships chased her. Smith sighted the prized battleship on May 26 and relayed her

coordinates. Two other American PBY pilots also spotted the Bismarck and this allowed the British ship to maneuver in to sink the enemy ship. On the morning of June 4, 1944, four Catalinas torpedoed the transport force that headed towards Midway Island. An oiler was struck, making it the only successful torpedo attack of the Battle of Midway. Hours later, two other PBYs on patrol spotted the Japanese carrier force and relayed the information to headquarters. This gave Midway time to send aircraft into the air and prepare the defenses. Canadian David Hornell was flying his PBY Canso, as they were referred to in the Canadian Air Force, on June 24, 1944 in the North Atlantic. The crew sighted the German submarine U-1225 and got into a ferocious firefight. Ignoring engine oil pouring out of the crippled plane, Hornell pressed on with the attack so that his crew could drop the anti-submarine charges. The U-boat sank with all hands, and the badly damaged PBY was forced to ditch in the ocean. Twenty-one hours later the crew was rescued but three of the eight men, including Hornell, were killed. Hornell was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. In all, 40 U-boats were sunk by Catalinas, including the U-199 off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in 1943. A Brazilian Catalina nicknamed Arara was operating together with American aircraft when she sank the U-199 with depth charges. Some Catalinas were outfitted for search and rescue. Nicknamed Dumbos they had a doctor on board and followed large bomber and fighter formations so they could quickly rescue downed aircrew. This greatly improved

morale among all airmen as they knew that rescue wasn’t far away. Lieutenant Commander Adrian Marks was a Catalina Dumbo pilot and on August 2, 1945 was called to rescue sailors from the cruiser USS Indianapolis. Their ship had been sunk days earlier, and hundreds of sailors had been in the ocean for days before they were spotted. Mark’s crew spotted the survivors and dropped life rafts to them in the heavy seas. Then, defying orders not to land in such rough conditions, Marks landed the Catalina and rescued 56 men. Parachutes were used to tie about twenty survivors to the main wing after the plane was packed full of people. However, the plane’s wing was badly damaged and they waited until they were picked up by an American destroyer. Marks was awarded the Air Medal by Admiral Chester Nimitz for his actions to save as many men possible. After the war, Catalinas remained in service until the 1980s. In 1952, three Catalinas were acquired by the 69th Squadron of the Israeli Air Force. Israel was one of dozens of countries to employ PBY in the post-World War II years. Even today, a few of these flying boats remain in civilian service for transports or firefighting aircraft in ports. Dozens more are on display or under restoration. The Israeli Air Force Museum in Beer Sheva currently has a PBY-6A under restoration. PBY Catalinas have a long and storied history. Performing important tasks that no other aircraft was capable of undertaking, they helped win the war that spanned the oceans. Even when its replacement was being delivered to the navy, the Catalina was the preferred flying boat of most aircrews


The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

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Lt. Adrian Marks, fourth from right, with his crew

and therefore wasn’t phased out until long after the war had ended. Their missions were almost always hazardous and yet the Cats performed admi-

rably. The crews aren’t thought of in glowing terms like the bomber crews, which makes them forgotten heroes as the troops who fought the Axis powers

Lt. David Hornell was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery

would have suffered far greater losses without their support. 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 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | 5X3.qxp_2018 The Jewish Home MILLER COMMERCIAL 680CENTRAL 11/26/18 138

3:32 PM Page 1

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For Rent by Owner, No Brokerage Involved. Beautiful, spacious 3 bedroom 2 bathroom, 2nd floor apt. for rent. Newly renevated, brand new stainless steel appliances, washer-dryer hookup. Located in Far Rockaway near many shuls/yeshivas.Near LIRR. For all inquiries, please call (718)-327-7889.

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The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

HELP WANTED

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CONSTRUCTION COMPANY IN FIVE TOWNS SEEKING A FULL-TIME EXPERIENCED INDIVIDUAL TO HANDLE ALL CLERICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES. -Answering inbound calls -Scheduling service appointments -Bookkeeping -Data entry and filing -Typing and submitting job proposals/estimates -Customer invoicing Qualifications: -Previous experience working as an Administrative Assistant. -Experienced in Quickbooks & MS Office -Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks -Excellent written and verbal communication skills -Strong attention to detail -Strong organizational skills -Must be courteous and professional -Experience working at a construction company a plus Please email resume to: nysolargy@gmail.com

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015

Your

15

Money

Over-the-Top Thanks for This Tax “Break” By Allan Rolnick, CPA

W

all Streeters have a lot to give thanks for this holiday season. Earnings are up, so bonuses are up. And that, in turn, means taxes are up, too. The New York Post just reported that Wall Street bankers are throwing excessive parties to dodge taxes. But will the wining and dining actually put money back in their pockets? Or is the tax angle just a convenient excuse to party up a storm on the company tab? Wall Street culture rewards bankers for results. They generally start out with low fixed salaries, at least as a percentage of their overall pay. Then, around this time of year, the bosses get together to count their profits and shower producers with whatever bonuses it takes to keep them from jumping ship to the competition. In 2017, Wall Street pay jumped 13% to average $422,500 per head. And one consultant predicts sales and trading pros could see 20% more this year in their stockings. Here’s the problem for all those Masters of the Universe glamming it up in their Manhattan condos. Last year’s tax bill cut the top federal rate from 39.6% to 37%. However, it also capped deductions for state and local taxes to a flat $10,000. That’s a real

punch in the gut for Manhattanites paying 13% to the state and city. Throw in 3.8% more for Medicare, and that brings the total skim up to 54%. That’s not as bad as the “one for you, nineteen for me” the Beatles sang

person “white truffle” extravaganza at Daniel, an Upper East Side mainstay. (Relax, your wine pairings are already included in that price!) $3,200 sounds like a lot to shell out for dinner. But after you deduct 50% and

Nobody puts money in their pocket by splurging on Florida frog leg mousseline with porcini mushrooms in a white truffle white wine sauce.

about in Taxman. But it’s hard to get rich if tax collectors are taking home more than you do! And so, concludes the Post, “Bankers and traders will be celebrating the prospect of massive, multimillion dollar payouts — and they’ll use the mega-expenses of year-end blowouts as write-offs for their inflated tax bills, according to industry sources.” It turns out, though, writing off a pricey dinner isn’t a very tasty tax shelter. Let’s say you treat yourself and three colleagues to the $795/

multiply it by the 54% tax you save, Uncle Sam covers $864 of that bill. Now, $864 might cover the sales tax and tip. But in the end, it’s a subsidy, not a savings. Nobody puts money in their pocket by splurging on Florida frog leg mousseline with porcini mushrooms in a white truffle white wine sauce. It’s delicious, if you’re into that sort of thing, and it looks great in your Instagram feed. But you can’t retire on it (unless you’re the celebrity chef selling it.) You’d think seven-figure financial wizards would be smart

enough to figure that out! (Or maybe they’re making so much it doesn’t really matter?) While bankers are out celebrating, they should raise a toast to a different blessing. The law that capped deductions for state and local taxes also eliminated them altogether for business entertainment. But Washington did such a clumsy job writing it that tax pros across the country worried it might have killed writeoffs for meals, too. Last month, the IRS clarified that meals are still deductible, so long as they’re not “lavish or extravagant.” So you tell us — does $795 for five courses of white truffles pass the test? Nobody likes paying more tax than they have to, especially when they’re paying 54%. But we understand the best tax plans are the ones that help you accomplish financial goals beyond a night out on the town. So call us when you’re ready to save, and we’ll give you something to celebrate!

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


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

Wishing all a Freilichen Chanukah. May the light illuminating from the menorah be a light of happiness and may the story of the Chanukah give us all hope and inspiration throughout the year.

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home

Life C ach

What’s in a Shape? By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., MFT, CLC

S

how me the box. I just want to see that box. I need to understand what is so terrific about it. Or, in the alternative, what is so terrible about it? Everyone is either feeling so happy and confident because they are in it or frustrated because they are not! But then, of course, some people take pride in being out of it. Though, when that happens, there’s often a parent or family member somewhere pulling their hair out because the person is not in the box. I don’t know any saying that is used more these days to explain people than “in the box” or “out of the box.” The problem is that no one is sure what box exactly is being discussed. “I know an out-of-the-box thinker who appears to be completely in

the box.” Now explain what I just said, and I bet we’ll have at least a hundred different interpretations. It’s funny that in this past week’s parsha they say Jacob was in big trouble for hiding his daughter

place people wanted to wind up was in a box. Because that usually meant it was curtains for them. And in Israel they don’t even use one then! They just envelope you in a talit, no box at all!

What if we just recognize that everyone’s in the circle?

Dina from Esau in “the box.” Wait, I thought that’s the right place to be?! Go figure –it was a problem even back then! Interestingly, I thought the last

So maybe being in or out of the box needs to be given less credence. Can’t we just realize that people are multilayered? Even identical twins seem to be so, so different. We are

all here to do some things. Maybe our mission is mainstream at one point and creatively different at another. Maybe it depends on the time, the audience, the place. What if we just recognize that everyone’s in the circle? The giant circle called the universe. And let’s give everyone some latitude to be who they are and who they will become. Give them respect that they are not caged in to any exact description. Because, after all, we are all here to grow and evolve. And become a well-rounded person – not a square!

Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-7052004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com.


The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 29, 2018

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NOVEMBER 29, 2018 | The Jewish Home

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