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The Week In News
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
The Week In News
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
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The Week In News
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
The Jewish Home is distributed bi-weekly to: ANAHEIM AGOURA HILLS BEVERLY HILLS BURBANK CALABASAS CAMARILLO COSTA MESA ENCINO GLENDALE HUNTINGON BEACH IRVINE LONG BEACH LOS ANGELES -BEVERLY HILLS LOS ANGELESFAIRFAX
LOS ANGELESLA BREA LOS ANGELESS. MONIA LOS ANGELES-PICO LOS ANGELES -WESTWOOD MALIBU MANHATTAN BEACH MARINA DEL REY MISSION VIEJO MOORPARK NEWBURY PARK NORTH HOLLYWOOD PALM SPRINGS PACIFIC PALASADES
PASADENA REDONDO BEACH SHERMAN OAKS SIMI VALLEY STUDIO CITY TEMECULA THOUSAND OAKS TORRANCE VALENCIA VAN NUYS WOODLAND HILLS
Dear Readers, The first time I went skiing, I signed up for lessons as I had no idea how to ski. The lessons started at 11:00am but the slopes opened at 10:00am so I figured I’ll try skiing a couple of times on my own, and then go for lessons. That was a mistake. I literally fell out of the chair lift as it got to the top, and then broke my glasses slamming straight into the door of the ski rentals. Then I headed for the lessons and discovered that one of the first things they teach is how to fall correctly… falling without panicking is something that needs to be learnt. Indeed, in life, falling and failing can either be a disaster that brings much destruction, or is accepted as part of being human. We clean up the mess, focus on not doing it again and get back up. Football players focusing on the end zone are tackled and brought to the ground, but then get right back up doing the job that needs to be done. All of us have failed. Some of us have failed in a big way. We have to be honest in our regret, in our accepting responsibility and in our commitment to the future - but we are not a failure. We have a mission to accomplish and we will not be defined by the setback. Our mission as Yidden is to fill our lives with G-dliness and goodness, as found in our Holy Torah and its G-d given Mitzvos. Each thought, word, and action in this area brings us one step closer to the time when falsehood shall be eradicated from this world and in its place the revelation of all the good done throughout our history. We can literally feel the rumblings and the birth pangs of the redemption. May the split second of his coming happen and this Golus will be a thing of the past. Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos,
Shalom
T H E P R E M I E R J E W I S H N E W S PA P E R H I G H L I G H T I N G L A’ S O R T H O D OX C O M M U N I T Y The Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily 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. FOR HOME DELIVERY, OR TO HAVE THE LATEST ISSUE EMAILED TO YOU FREE OF CHARGE, SEND A MESSAGE TO EDITOR@JEWISHHOMELA.COM
The Week In News
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
23 Marcheshvan 5782 / October 29, 2021 A Sabbatical/Shemittah Year of "Rest for the Earth" (Leviticus 25:6) PUBLIC LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL BY ISRAELI ORTHODOX RABBIS in advance of the World Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland To the Honorable Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Naftali Bennett: This letter is written to you entirely independent of party politics, ethnicity, religious identity, or even national identity. It relates to all of humanity, and as such we have united to write about it: The Torah analysis of sustainability is no longer one concerned only with the (halachic) question of bal tachshit (“wanton waste”; Deuteronomy. 20:19); with protecting God’s world; with the precept of “pay attention not to ruin (My world, for if you do so, there is no one after you who will repair it”; Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13); and the (other) Torah sources cited in numerous discussions about the connection between the Torah, faith, and protecting the world. Today, this subject relates to global pikuach nefesh (preservation of life) in the fullest sense of those words. We are talking about a dramatic impact upon human life in its broadest possible senses – hunger, drought, the human and security aspects of migration – with enormous implications for the quality of life and its very existence. We are no longer discussing a subject relating to the future; it is present and already here. Its signs are recognizable to all via the various parameters by which it can be discerned. This is all already visible in the world with the extinction of many species, offering a window to the possible reality towards which we are advancing, and (may) cross. It is reasonable to assume that there are external influences at play here – scientific bias, political interests, international companies, and the like. Moreover, it is also reasonable to assume that some of the proposed solutions (will) cause damage greater than present reality. But nonetheless even if only some of the assessments relating to global warming are accurate, then we are obliged to act - and it is superfluous to mention the Torah’s attitude regarding the obligation of pikuach nefesh and saving lives. When the vast majority of the world’s scientists working in this area issue extraordinarily severe warnings about what is happening – this obligates us to address this reality. We ask that you represent the complete partnership of the State of Israel in the global effort (on this issue). Although our country is small and our impact minimal, our partnership (in this global effort) is likely to be very significant. Certainly you will do this with open eyes, taking care (to avoid possible) manipulation – but simultaneously also with willingness and dedication to this critical issue, upon which the world’s future depends. The eyes of many in the world are lifted towards us, the source of the major (world) religions, “For from Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3) CC: President of the State of Israel, Mr. Isaac Herzog Speaker of the Knesset, MK Mickey Levy Chair of the Coalition, MK Idit Silman Minister of Environmental Protection, Ms. Tamar Zandberg Minister of Energy, Ms. Korinne Elharar Minister of Education, MK Yifat Shasha-Bitton Rabbinic Signatories: Yaakov Ariel Shlomo Aviner Yehuda Altshuler Chananel Etrog Kobi Bornstein Yoel Bin Nun Dov Berkovitz
Avraham Mordechai Gottleib Avi Gisser Yehiel Wasserman Ronen Lubitz Michael Melchior Meir Nehorai Rafi Feuerstein
David Stav Yossi Fruman David Rosen Naftali Rothenberg Yosef Tzvi Rimon Sharon Shalom Yuval Cherlow
Translated and published by Meisharim: Illuminating Torah Priorities for Orthodox Communities To share your thoughts or learn more, email us at info@meisharim.org
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TheHappenings Week In News
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
Project Chanukah: Uniting Communities with Soldiers in the IDF Each hour of every day, the soldiers of the IDF stand guard, protecting the Land of Israel and its people. Those deployed shoulder incredible responsibilities to the safety of others and are unable to celebrate the holidays together with their family and friends. In order to show gratitude and solidarity to Israel’s protectors, Next Generation IDF (NGIDF) has launched a new project to connect Jews from around the world with deployed IDF soldiers for
Chanukah. Project Chanukah 100 unites Jewish communities with soldiers. The campaign will mobilize one-hundred communities around the globe to sponsor the Chanukah festivities in an IDF base in Israel. These sponsorships will see gifts, Chanukah foods and celebration to soldiers who are unable to go home for the holiday. Project: Chanukah 100 lifts the morale of deployed soldiers by creating a chan-
nel through which Jews all over the world express their admiration, and gives them
a moment of respite in the midst of their mission. NGIDF coordinates all activities with the IDF to ensure seamless coordination of activities. The campaign will go until Chanukah of 2021 and is expected to reach some 100,000 personnel. To learn more about NGIDF and the Chanukah: 100 Campaign, visit Ngidf.org or call 718-5003130.
Thousands Worldwide Join RIETS Chag HaSemikhah 5782 On Sunday, October 31, 2021, more than six thousand people around the globe joined together to celebrate the Chag HaSemikhah 5782 of Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). This year’s ceremony recognized 147 new rabbinic graduates as they received their ordination. The celebration, themed Here to Lead: Celebrating the Next Generation of Rabbinic Leaders, included Roshei Yeshiva, RIETS alumni, musmakhim, friends, and family both in-person and via livestream. The new musmakhim join the more than 3,000 RIETS alumni who have gone on to become distinguished rabbis, scholars, educators, and leaders worldwide. Many of this year’s honorees were children or grandchildren of RIETS alumni. “This is a moment when we truly need YU rabbis,” said Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University. “In so many ways today, it feels like we are living in uncharted waters without a map. Of course, for us, even when there is no map, we know we have a compass. For our Torah values are our compass and they enable us to navigate through all times, even the most challenging. But we need the people who are carrying that compass, the leaders who will stand at the crossroads, who will model the core Torah values, comforting, loving and guiding the next generation on the road ahead.” The rabbinic graduates of the 2018-
2020 (5778-5780) classes make up an internationally diverse group, hailing from five continents and more than fifty North American cities. While most of the musmakhim have taken on full-time positions since receiving semikha, such as in Jewish education, the pulpit, outreach or nonprofit management, many are pursuing careers in other professions, including medicine, dentistry, law, and actuarial science, or pursuing their Ph.D. As rabbinical students, they received extensive training by renowned experts and rabbis in areas critical for public leadership positions, such as pastoral psychology, public speaking, and community building. The expansive RIETS curriculum prepares rabbis in ancient and contemporary issues, as well as provides programs that include mental health support to help manage the stresses and challenges of public service life. “The Chag HaSemikhah is an opportunity to connect to our past – the great mesorah that has brought us to this day – and to see our future – the rabbinic leadership of tomorrow sitting in the front rows of Lamport Auditorium,” said Rabbi Menachem Penner, the Max and Marion Grill Dean of RIETS. “This celebration of RIETS musmakhim recognizes both the enormous commitment of Torah learning and attention to personal growth demanded of each student, as well as the profound and positive influence they will have on communities around the world in the years
to come. This is a rare opportunity to witness the future leadership of our broader Jewish community standing together in one room with their teachers and mentors, their families, and their fellow classmates.” The day began with a Hachnasat Sefer Torah dedicated by Rabbi Joel M. Schreiber, Chairman Emeritus, RIETS Board of Trustees and his family. Together with his family, YU students, Roshei Yeshiva, and alumni, the Torah was danced to the Glueck Beit Midrash. During the Chag HaSemikhah ceremony, Rabbi Schreiber was honored with the Eitz Chaim Award, the highest honor given to a lay leader. The award recognizes RIETS’ steadfast supporters whose dedicated leadership have sustained and transformed the Yeshiva and countless institutions. Rabbi Schreiber is internationally renowned through his work with the Orthodox Union, the American Zionist Movement, and Yeshivot Bnei Akiva, and
his family’s sponsorship of the Aaron and Blanche Schreiber Torah Tours that has allowed YU students to impact the lives of fellow Jews across North America. “To be honored for performing an act of love is more than one can expect and humbles one. RIETS and my years there have influenced my life and I am very grateful,” noted Rabbi Schreiber as he accepted the award. Said Lance Hirt, Chairman of the RIETS Board, “I just want to thank Rabbi Schreiber for so many years of leadership and for continuing to be our friend, our mentor, and our most critical link to the foundations of this Yeshiva. He represents a group of trustees of this institution who are musmakhim of Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik and who have taken upon themselves the responsibility to perpetuate the Rav’s Torah. What a brakha it has been to have Rabbi Joel Schreiber in our lives.” A special memorial tribute was held in honor of RIETS leadership who passed away since the last Chag HaSemikhah, including Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm zt”l, Rabbi Hyman Arbesfeld zt”l, Rabbi Dr. Moshe Tendler zt”l, and Rabbi Ozer Glicksman zt”l. The celebration of the newly ordained rabbanim continued with dancing down Amsterdam Avenue, and it concluded with an outdoor collation outside the Glueck Beit Midrash, right in the heart of the Wilf Campus.
Living and Learning at Midreshet Lindenbaum: A Year of Spiritual, Religious and Intellectual Growth For decades, the Maria and Joel Finkle Overseas Program at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem has been viewed as one of the premiere opportunities for young women looking to strengthen their Torah studies and overall Jewish academic potential during their “year in Israel.” As part of the Ohr Torah Stone network founded in 1983 by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and today headed by Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Midreshet Lindenbaum is guided by the educational vision of uniquely combining serious learning with warmth and caring, fostering dedication to Torah Judaism, the land and the people of Israel. Among the students who proudly called Midreshet Lindenbaum home for
the year is Beverlywood’s Rebecca Wernick who attended the YULA Girls High School and is now in her first year at Barnard College in New York. Rebecca says she chose Midreshet Lindenbaum for the high level learning and strong Gemara program. “I really enjoyed meeting so many great friends and the small and warm environment was so great for my interest in ‘keeping curious’ in Torah. There is always more to learn and to see how it can apply to everyday life, especially with incredible teachers.” Rabbanit Sally Mayer, Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Lindenbaum says that the midrasha stands out both in its educational vision and its approach to offering each
Rebecca making a Siyum Mesechta
and every young woman a life-changing experience, “Midreshet Lindenbaum offers the highest level learning of Tanach, Gemara, Halacha and Jewish Philosophy, in a beit midrash learning environment that encourages each student to make the
Torah her own. Our faculty and staff truly care about each student and are committed to helping her grow personally and religiously. We proudly also take the beit midrash outdoors on tiyulim, offer a meaningful chesed program where the students really contribute to society, and offer support for those looking to stay in Israel or go on to college. Our students come from all over the world, and continue on to leadership positions in their future communities.” To learn more about the programs at Midreshet Lindenbaum, contact Rabbanit Sally Mayer to join a virtual open-house on Sunday, November 21. Please email sally.mayer@ots.org.il for details.
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
We believe in truth, and humanity’s ability to discover it.
The Week In News
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TheHappenings Week In News
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
LA Cancer Survivor to run in NYC Marathon Among the thousands of runners in the New York Marathon there are countless stories of courage and motivation that bring them to the starting line. But for 24 year old Yitzi Teichman, the path to this moment has been nothing short of miraculous and motivated his run with the Chai Lifeline team, the organization that he says helped him get through his personal ordeal. At age 17, Yitzi was diagnosed with a brain tumor that set him on the difficult path of treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. Immediately after his diagnosis, he was approached by a volunteer from Chai Lifeline, an international network of support services for children with life-threatening and lifelong illnesses, including their signature Camp Simcha serving this community. After 14 hour brain surgery at Johns Hopkins to address the tumor, he went to the camp which he described as an incredible experience that allowed him to learn a great deal from other kids who were just like him. After leaving Camp Simcha, he travelled to Boston where the next three
months were spent in treatment and therapy and he says that within a year he was pretty much “back to my pre-cancer self.” Always an athlete, Yitzi viewed running as the way to prove mentally and physically that he was well on the road to a full recovery. In January of that year, Yitzi ran in the half marathon in the Miami Marathon with Team Lifeline, an endurance training program that raises funds and awareness for Chai Lifeline. As it is for many athletes, the full New York marathon is often the goalpost, and Yitzi registered to run his first full marathon in 2020, which was then cancelled due to Covid-19. Today, living in Los Angeles and an administrator at a psychiatric facility with 185 patients, Yitzi credits Chai Lifeline with giving him and many others like him the tools and support to get through illness. “When you are diagnosed with a serious
disease, you kind of become an outcast or some sort of foreign creature. People treat you differently and it’s as if they’re always scared to say the wrong thing. I know that doesn’t come from a bad place but it leaves you feeling that much more helpless and the truth is then you feel even more sick. With my Chai Lifeline friends and at Camp Simcha, I was being treated normally again.” To demonstrate that point and why
the Camp Simcha experience was so important for him, Yitzi recalls standing on line at the camp’s canteen and one kid cut in front sheepishly saying ‘but I have cancer.’ The whole line of kids broke out laughing saying, ‘We all have cancer. Get to the back of the line.’ “It’s that kind of normalcy that we all needed which makes the experience so important.” Yitzi says that much of his motivation to take part in his first full marathon comes from recognizing how blessed he has been with his recovery. “My experience with cancer has exposed me to so many friends who have passed away or lost their ability to walk and others who the diseases messed up their lives physically and mentally. I feel so lucky to be where I am and running for this organization is a great way to express my gratitude.”
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
COMPASSION We believe in the responsibility to reach out to others in compassion.
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NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
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Sarah's The WeekCorner In News
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
A Different Angle Sarah Pachter
When defending white collar criminals in court, a high-profile defense attorney once shared that the hardest part of his job is explaining to his clients that they have committed a crime. Preposterous! Or so we think. Interestingly, the human mind can rationalize almost anything. The average person is certainly not rationalizing misdeeds to a criminal level. However, something that we all grapple with are the mind-games that the yetzer hara plays with each and every one of us. (Kedushin 30B). That voice inside our heads is cunning in neutralizing aveirot. We may have the following rationalizing thoughts: It’s not really lashon hara… This doesn’t really constitute breaking Shabbat… I only spoke that way because I was angry… How do we so easily fall prey to the mental gymnastics of the yetzer hara? To answer this, allow me to take you on a tangent. The answer lies within a story. Years ago, when I was an earnest student in seminary, I soaked up fascinating Torah classes throughout the day. When the shiur ended after a full hour, I was left wondering where the time went. Classes were dynamic, but also required introspection and the willingness to see things from a different perspective. Sometimes I had to reexamine beliefs I always assumed were true. I recall initially feeling unsettled when learning certain lessons. The Torah in Deut. 17:8-12 states: According to the sentence of the Torah which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do; you shall not deviate from the sentence which they shall declare to
you, to the right hand, nor to the left. Rashi explains: Even if they tell you that right is left and that left is right (you should listen to the sages) certainly if they tell you right is right and left is left. (Rashi, Deut. 17:11) One of my teachers explained that if a Rabbi tells you that left is right, we must accept this as fact. This naturally caused an uproar amongst post-high school girls. However, as an Orthodox Jew, I believe in Hashem, and do my best to follow the Torah’s guidelines, while also recognizing that some mitzvot are more difficult to accept than others. There are answers, and I understand that I am not knowledgeable enough to know all of them. As such, I was resigned to never fully understanding the implications of that pasuk, along with Rashi’s explanation. Fast-forward many years. My fatherin-law, Dr. H. Leon Pachter, shared a Dvar Torah that shed light onto this difficult Rashi. He noted that Rav Berkowitz from Aish Hatorah raises the very question I grappled with. He asserts that Jews have been trained to be independent thinkers. As a religion, we are taught to ask questions and be truth seekers, and are inculcated with this doctrine from a young age. If a competent Torah authority were to speak before an audience stating an inaccurate halacha, surely someone in the audience would strongly object. This would be welcomed and necessary. Pirkei Avot writes, Lo habayshan lomeid (2:6). The one who is too shy to ask, can’t learn. Questioning and challenging ideas is the source of all learning, and Judaism remains vibrant both in practice and learning, because we don’t just blindly accept
information. A beautiful story about Isador Isaac illustrates the importance of questioning. Isador Isaac won the Nobel prize in physics in 1944, and remarked that as a child, he went to public school in the Bronx. Upon returning from school each day, his mother would not ask about his grades or scores. Rather, she would ask, “Did you ask a good question?”1 Rav Mordechai Kaminetsky, the Dean of Yeshiva South Shore, shares the following idea. Every word in the Torah is precise. The Torah uses the terms “left and right,” specifically, rather than directions like east and west. Left and right are subjective, as they are based on the direction a person is facing. No matter where a person is standing, left and right never changes. When a Rav says left is right, it may initially seem backwards. However, the Rav serves as a moral compass, guiding us in a new direction. Rebbeim and scholars can help lead us when we are not objective enough to make a proper choice. Rashi emphasizes that when the rabbis tell you right is left make sure you turn around because your perception might be misconstrued. A parable illustrates this. There was once a miser who hated giving tzedakah. After much prodding, a community member convinced him to invite a poor man to his home for a Shabbos meal. He agreed, spent minimally on the food. As Shabbos approached, he sent his son to the market to purchase a fish. He said, “Buy the largest fish possible, but do not spend more than a few pennies. I don’t care if it is rotten.” The son arrived home with a large
1 https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/19/ opinion/l-izzy-did-you-ask-a-good-question-today-712388.html
but rancid fish. The pauper ate heartily in their home. After he left, the miser said to his son, “Wow, I feel so good performing the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim and feeding him a meal.” Later on, the poor person became ill from food poisoning, and was rushed to the hospital. The miser and his son went to visit him. After they left, the miser said to his son, “Look at what a mitzvah we are now able to fulfill—bikur cholim!” The pauper’s situation worsened, and he passed away. The miser and his son went to the funeral, and later to the shiva house. The miser exclaimed, “Look at all the mitzvot that came from feeding him this fish! I feel so great!” We can all see that the miser has the wrong perspective. His feeding the rancid fish to the pauper led to a terrible tragedy, not an accumulation of mitzvot. Sometimes our perception can be wrong, and we turn right into left. That is where a Rav or mentor can provide clarity to enable us to change our perspective and see that what we think is right is actually left. Circling back to seminary. Every month, a poster with a different middah we could work on was displayed on the bulletin board. One month, the middah was Shtika, silence. Oh boy, I remember thinking, here we go again. Are we meant to sit like monks in silence? But after learning about the importance of silence, I realized that taking a moment to think before speaking could help sculpt and refine my words. There is always another angle to consider. When learning, we must open our minds to concepts that are initially uncomfortable. Sometimes, we rationalize our misdeeds, and we need someone to turn us around onto the proper path and show us there is another way. Having a mentor, teacher, spouse, friend, or family to guide us is essential. An outside perspective can show us that our right is actually someone else’s left. All we have to do is simply turn around to face the other way and see from their viewpoint. With this mindset, we can get one step closer to becoming the best possible version of ourselves.
The Week In News
NOVEMBER 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
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OctOber 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home
Holy Mission For Israeli Athlete Frum Bobsledder Hopes to Make History at Upcoming Winter Olympics By Steve Lipman
ovember is an important month for A.J. Edelman. That’s when Edelman, a day school graduate from Boston who made aliyah five years ago and competed for Israel in the skeleton event during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, begins a round of international qualification races for the 2022 Games in his new sport, bobsledding. And that’s when he gets to continue his annual, symbolic Chanukah candle-lighting tradition, which he began in 2016 in the German Alps near Adolf Hitler’s wartime winter resort, Berchtesgaden. If Edelman, the pilot on his four-man bobsled team, qualifies for next year’s Olympics in Beijing, it will mark Israel’s first appearance in that sliding event. And, if the qualifications go the way that he envisions, his team will make history in another way – the three pushers, who get the fiberglass sled off to a fast start then jump into the cramped vehicle’s trip down a nearly mile-long icy, brain-rattling, banked, twisting track at speeds approaching 80 mph, will be all Sabras; bobsled competitors for countries like Israel, whose tropical climates do not feature snowfall, typically come from more-temperate areas that include cold temperatures part of the year. One of Edelman’s anticipated teammates will be an Israeli Druze. Ward Fawarsy, Edelman says, will be, as far as he knows, the first Arab athlete to compete for Israel in a Winter Olympics. Another pusher, who served in the Israeli Army, is, like Edelman, shomer Shabbat – making them the first pair of Olympic competitors who will represent Israel at a Winter Olympics. The eclectic nature of Edelman’s bobsled team reflects his mission to show a more positive, more inclusive image of Israel than the Jewish state often receives abroad. “It’s the role of an Israeli athlete…. I’m on a holy mission,” he says. “I’m an agent of the state, an ambassador…a walking billboard for Israel. The responsibility is heavy.” As a “30 and single” Modern Orthodox Jew (he always wears a
kippa, a blue or grey knitted one) in an Olympic sport, albeit a minor one to most sports fans, Edelman is a one-man stereotype breaker – showing people by his presence, and his limited success so far, a side of Jews, and of Israel, which they rarely see. People who meet him, or hear his frequent public speeches, automatically make the connection with Jamacia’s storied bobsled team, whose unexpected, first appearance at the 1988 Winter Games at Calgary caught the fancy of fans – and non-sports-fans -- and became the subject of a popular 1993 movie. How do you say “Cool Runnings” in Hebrew? (Answer: Ritsot Magnivot.) The Jamaicans finished off the podium in 1988 – and in subsequent years that they qualified for the Games. Likewise, a medal is not a realistic goal for Edelman’s team in the Beijing Games, which begin on February 4, but may be a real possibility if he continues to compete, and qualify for, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, he says from his temporary base on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Though he lives, when in Israel, in Netanya, he travels internationally during most of the year to train and compete at the dozen or so bobsled/skeleton/luge tracks in North America, Europe and Asia – a few weeks or months in one venue, then more in another. In his “nomadic” life, he and his teammates live in rented houses or RVs. He spent several recent months in the Greater New York area preparing for the 2022 Games, by sprinting and weightlifting, and by fund-raising for his team’s six-figure “shoestring” budget. His quixotic quest receives no financial support from Israel’s Olympic committee. Much of the team’s money, Edelman (bobteamisrael.com, Fb.com/bobteamisrael, GoFundMe.com/israelbobsled, adam.edelman@olympian. org) says, comes from “my pocket.” Edelman has brought a religious dimension to his athletic career. He began his candle-lighting tradition in 2015, outside of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest resort, lighting his menorah while wearing the skintight, aerodynamic bobsled uniform that he designed. It features a Star of
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David and the word “Israel” visible from any angle. He calls his visible holiday act a sign of Jewish survival, in a venue where the architect of the Final Solution had vacationed. “It’s those kinds of little things that remind you who you represent,” he says. Edelman will be in the U.S. this year for Chanukah, which starts on November 28. He will light the candles near his training site and send “a shaliach” (a messenger) to light the candles for him at Berchtesgaden.
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srael has sent athletes to the Winter Games since 1994; Israeli athletes, who have won 13 medals in the Summer Games, have won none in the Winter Olympics. Understandably, winter sports have a small following in Mediterranean Israel, and athletes in them have little opportunity to train in frigid climes unless, like Edelman, they spend much of their time overseas. Yaniv Ashkenazi, who heads the winter sports program at Israel’s Wingate Institute, says the country may send up to a dozen competitors, Israel’s largest-ever delegation at the Winter Games, to Beijing, including athletes in skiing, ice-dancing, and short track speed skating. Other athletes looking to compete for Israel at Beijing include: Skeleton slider Georgie Cohen, a British-Israeli citizen, whose late grandfather, captain of India’s water polo team in 1936, was barred from taking place in that year’s Summer Olympics in Berlin out of deference to the Nazis’ anti-Jewish policies.
Dave Nicholls, a bobsled pilot from Park City, Utah, a paraplegic since a 2002 skiing accident, who has participated in athletic competition for disabled and able-bodied athletes. He remains in the pilot’s seat at the start, allowed under bobsled regulations. Jared Firestone, a law school graduate from Florida who has competed for Israel two years in the skeleton event. He won a bronze medal at the IBSF (International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation) North American Cup in Park City this year. The bobsled qualification period, with races on this continent and overseas, ends in February. Edelman says the odds are “probably greater than 90 percent” that his sled will qualify for the Beijing games. David Greaves, volunteer president of the Bobsleigh Skeleton Israel Olympic Federation (his fulltime job is executive director of the Jewish National Fund of Canada), says “it is pretty likely” that Edelman will qualify for the Beijing Games – “a real good shot.” Edelman, Greaves says, “has brought honor to our program.” “I know I can make it,” Edelman says. “We need some resources,” some financial help, he adds. For a sport that gets little publicity in this country, outside of an Olympic year, money is as tight as the space inside a bobsled. To cut down on expenses, Edelman says, sometimes he lives in his car and avoids using hot water. To recruit a four-man bobsled team, Edelman had to think outside the sled; Israel is not a natural source of world-class bobsledders. Athletes from such other sports as track-and-field and rugby traditionally find it easy to transition their strength and speed to bobsledding. So Edelman looked for, and approached, successful Israeli rugby players.
He calls his visible holiday act a sign of Jewish survival, in a venue where the architect of the Final Solution had vacationed.
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A few Druze athletes, including Amir Fawarsy, and two members of his family who subsequently dropped out for financial reasons, were interested. And Edelman was interested in the symbolism of a multi-ethnic team representing the Jewish state. Druze, ethnically Arab, are part of a religion that is an off-shoot of Islam. About 140,000 live in Israel, mostly in the northern part of the country. Fawarsy, like Edelman, is strong and fast and rugged – used to being battered and bruised During races, Edelman wears gloves that read “Am Yisrael Chai” (the Jewish people live). A graduate of Boston’s Maimonides School, he takes off from the sport on Shabbat, eats lots of kosher yogurt and herring on the road, and recites a Psalm before each race. He almost gave up the sport a few years ago after a competition in South Korea – until he noticed that someone who had recognized him stuck a yellow Post-It note on one of his suitcases at the airport. The note read: “I saw your game. Your challenge has impressed the people of the world. I want to see you in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.” It was written by a young Korean woman, he says, and motivated him to keep competing. His unique athletic career has brought invitations to address Jewish organizations like schools and shuls around the country. At a sturdy 5’10”, 183 pounds, average height and weight for an adult Jewish man, he can pass for a familiar teacher or rabbi – which makes his singularity even more intriguing, even more inspirational to young Jews seeking
their (sometimes counter-intuitive) place in the Jewish world. What kind of questions do people ask him at his speeches? From older listeners, usually about politics – whether he encounters anti-Semitism in the bobsled world (“It’s ever-present,” particularly in negative comments about rich Jews). From young people, mostly about his personal life as an Olympic bobsledder – whether he ever gets scared (no, not of injury, but of the possible failure born of lack of confidence). He’s suffered no crippling or debilitating injuries - which is a risk that bobsledders take. “Thank G-d I’m in good health,” Edelman says, despite the bumps and bruises and “a lot of broken bones” that are part of a bobsledder’s life. Edelman -- who spent a gap year at an Israeli yeshiva, earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from MIT, before going to work for Oracle as a product manager, then taking a two-year break from his MBA studies at Yale to concentrate on bobsled – says he wants an eventual career that will combine his sports and business background; he may coach or mentor other Israeli sliding athletes. He says he is unlikely to go to the 2026 Games. That’s long-term. What about short-term? What will he do after February, if he fails to qualify for the Beijing Games? Edelman pauses for a second. He has not considered that possibility – unless he runs out of money. “I’m going,” he says, “to the Olympics.”
Edelman is a one-man stereotype breaker showing people by his presence, and his limited success so far, a side of Jews, and of Israel, which they rarely see.
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China: Stock Up on Supplies China’s Commerce Ministry on November 1 posted a notice recommending that citizens begin stocking up on rice, noodles, cooking oil, vegetables, and other necessities, Chinese media reported. While the government did what it could to allay fears of a looming tiff, rumors continued to spread regarding a possible escalation with Taiwan. China has been sending warplanes to Taiwan as the U.S. begins to sell the island nation arms. At the same time, neither Chinese citizens nor analysts believe war is on the horizon. Stores, meanwhile, have begun requesting that customers purchase a reasonable amount of goods, so as not to lead to shortages. Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Chinese newspaper The Global Times, said, “I do not believe that the country wants to send a signal to the public at this time through a notice from the Commerce Ministry that people need to ‘hurry up and prepare for war.’” According to the government-owned The Economic Daily, the advice was intended to prepare citizens for another potential COVID-19 lockdown.
Jade Traders in Trouble in Myanmar Myanmar’s jade trade is the world’s largest, but since February, jade traders have had it tough: the Myanmar military is working to control democracy protests, and the country’s economy is in crisis. The traders are forced to navigate to avoid junta troops and rebel attacks, as fighting around Hpakant, the largest jade mine in the world, cuts supplies of one of the country’s most important exports. From there, most stones pass through the city of Mandalay, where unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic closed the main jade market, only to reopen it later. One jade trader, who spent months trying to sell his wares on the city’s roadsides, said, “Business is not good at all. Sometimes, people panic when soldiers come patrolling, and they run.... If one person runs, others start running. Then soldiers fire warning shots to control the situation.” But according to the watchdog Global Witness, it’s “nearly impossible” to buy Myanmar jade without providing some money to the military and its allies. Meanwhile, prices are dropping, says Myo Min Zaw, a jade trader.
“A stone worth 10 lakh ($550) only sells for around 5 lakh nowadays,” he said.
Floods Stymie Business on Indian Coast
Chennai, India, came to a standstill on Sunday after heavy rainfall battered the southern Indian coast, causing flooding and triggering warnings and evacuations. Chennai is the largest city in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is often called “India’s Detroit” due to its large vehicle manufacturing industry. India’s meteorological department warned on Sunday that the rainfall which began Saturday night was expected to continue for several more days throughout different areas of Tamil Nadu, the southern Andhra Pradesh state, and the union territory of Puducherry. The statement also urged fishermen not to venture out to sea. The meteorological department also issued a moderate to high threat of flash floods in certain areas of southern India. Tamil Nadu’s chief minister M.K. Stalin told reporters that Chennai and 11 other districts received over 7.8 inches of rainfall. Weather blogger Pradeep John wrote on his Facebook page that the rains in Chennai were the heaviest since 2015. At the same time, the Greater Chennai Corporation tweeted that it had opened relief centers and medical camps across the city and was distributing food to flood victims.
Iraqi PM Survives Assassination Attempt Iraqi’s Prime Minister Mustafa alKadhimi survived an assassination attempt in Baghdad’s Green Zone over the weekend. The attack used an explosive-laden drone and targeted al-Kadhimi’s residence, officials said on Sunday. Iraqi state media described the attack, which occurred early Sunday morning, as an attempt to assassinate al-Kadhimi. In a televised message, al-Kadhimi said his residence “came under a cowardly attack, but thanks to G-d, me and all those who work with me are safe.” He also called for calm and restraint. According to Iraq’s Interior Ministry, the attack involved three drones, two of which were shot down by Iraqi security forces. The third drone succeeded in attacking the residence.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iraqi officials in Baghdad say that it is suspected to be the work of pro-Iranian Shiite militias. A source close to the Iraqi PM, who was not authorized to speak publicly, shared, “The nature of the attack, the drone used, and the timing indicates that the same pro-Iranian militias used to carry out attacks on the U.S. Embassy and Erbil International Airport are behind this act.” The attempt was condemned by the United Nations, United States, Iran, and other countries, who called it out as an act of terror. U.S. President Joe Biden said he had instructed the “national security team to offer all appropriate assistance to Iraq’s security forces as they investigate this attack and identify those responsible.” He added, “I am relieved the prime minister was not injured and commend the leadership he has shown in calling for calm, restraint, and dialogue to protect the institutions of the state and strengthen the democracy Iraqis so richly deserve. The perpetrators of this terrorist attack on the Iraqi state must be held accountable. I condemn in the strongest terms those using violence to undermine Iraq’s democratic process.” Meanwhile, leaders of some Iraqi pro-Iranian militias claimed the attack may have been staged to distract from other issues.
According to a 2019 United Nations report, global clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014. The clothing industry is now “responsible for 20 percent of total water waste on a global level.” Clothing and footwear manufacturing also creates 8% of global greenhouse gases, the report said, adding that “every second, an amount of textiles equivalent to a garbage truck is buried or burnt.” Clothing that is synthetic or treated with chemicals can take two centuries to biodegrade and is as toxic as plastic or tires, according to the UN. These chemicals leach into the air and underground water channels. Meanwhile, some of the region’s poorest people dig through the mountains of clothing to find items to use or sell in their neighborhoods. Others are trying to make a difference: Rosario Hevia, who opened a store to recycle children’s clothes before founding Ecocitex, a company that creates yarn from pieces of discarded textiles and clothing, told AFP, “For many years, we consumed, and no one seemed to care that more and more textile waste was being generated. But now, people are starting to question themselves.”
70 Mobsters Sentenced in Italy
Chile’s Desert Suffering from Fashion Pollution
Chile’s Atacama, the driest desert in the world, is suffering from “fashion pollution.” The desert now sports a mountain of discarded clothing, including sweaters, ski boots, and other items. Fast fashion and rampant consumerism support child labor and low wages, but they also create enormous amounts of unsold clothing, as well as clothing discarded once the next fashion sets in. The clothing, often made in China or Bangladesh, passes through the U.S., Europe, or Asia, before arriving in Chile. From there, it is resold in Latin America. Each year, around 59,000 tons of clothing arrive at the Iquique port in Alto Hospicio’s free zone in northern Chile. Some of the items are smuggled to other Latin American countries, and some are sold to clothing merchants from the capital Santiago. At least 39,000 tons end up in dumps in the desert. Alex Carreno, a former employee in the port’s import area, noted, “This clothing arrives from all over the world.” He added, “What is not sold to Santiago nor sent to other countries stays in the free zone,” since no one is willing to pay the tariffs to remove it.
Italy on Saturday convicted 70 mobsters and others in the largest mafia trial in over 30 years. The trial in Lamezia Terme saw Judge Claudio Paris hand out sentences to 91 defendants. Another 355 have yet to be judged; proceedings are expected to last at least two years. ‘Ndrangheta, of which the mafiosos who were sentenced were members, is the country’s richest and most powerful mafia group and operates in the country’s Calabria region, controlling the majority of the cocaine flowing into Europe. Anti-mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri, whose efforts have forced him to live with police escort for over three decades, told Italy’s AdnKronos news agency that the sentencing had gone “very well” and that “out of 91 defendants, there were 70 presumed innocent who were convicted.” Those who were acquitted had played minor roles, he added, noting that about a third of the group received 10 or more years in prison, and six of the more dangerous members received the maximum 20-year sentence prosecutors had requested. Charges in the case include attempted murder, money laundering, usury, drug dealing, association with mafia, extortion, and illegal weapons possession. Hundreds of lawyers are involved, along with over 900 prosecution witnesses and 58 state witnesses.
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The Week In News Living with the Times
By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz Publisher of the Yated Ne’eman
People are funny. Despite the best efforts of those who think they are in charge, time after time, the people show that they can’t always be misled, pushed around, taken advantage of, and taken for granted. Every once in a while, we are reminded of this. There were several examples last week, though I won’t cite them all. I’m sure you can think of others on your own. We shall concentrate on the Democrat losses. Those who get their news from the mainstream media and sites were fed a daily diet against the former president and in favor of the current occupant of the White House. They were led to believe that President Biden’s agenda is far-reaching and wildly popular, as it addressed the country’s pressing needs. Joe Biden ran as a moderate, who would return civility to government. He would contain the coronavirus, ramp up the economy, bring transparency back to
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Our Strength. Our Goal. Our Life. Washington, and govern responsibly. The media rarely reports that Biden’s popularity is shrinking more every day or about his inability to get things done. In the most recent poll, he is down to 38% support and his vice president is at 28%. He answers few prearranged questions, and everything he says is written out for him and read off notes or a teleprompter. Eventually, the people noticed. Biden was sold as the master of the legislative process as a result of his many decades in Washington. He turned out to be anything but. He delivered a speech on the importance of immediately passing his Build Back Better (a slogan he stole from Boris Johnson) bill. He then jetted off with a huge entourage to Europe for a conference on saving the world from climate change. He blames everyone but himself for his many mistakes. Take Afghanistan and the disastrous, embarrassing pullout that
got many people killed and ruined the trust and respect freedom-seeking people around the world had for the United States. He demanded that the US Army pull out in time for him to be able to deliver a triumphant speech at the annual 9/11 commemoration. His advisors and military experts warned him that it was premature and that the Taliban against whom the US had been fighting for the past twenty years would take over the country. He said that the Taliban would not be able to take over so swiftly, and there would be time to remove $80 billion worth of equipment and fly all US citizens along with all those who aided in the effort to safety. He didn’t even bother consulting with the allies who shared in the Afghan commitment with troops and weapons. He was in a rush to leave. And you know how that turned out. When it all blew up, he blamed Trump and his advisors, saying that they told him it was okay to leave. Those same people later testified that they advised the president of what was likely to happen if he followed through with his plan. But through it all, the Democrats, who control all the levers of power in Washington, continued with their progressive agenda, taking this country from energy independence to dependence, causing the price of fuel to spike along with almost everything else, leading the president to beg the oil producing enemies of the country to lower their prices and increase supply. Last week’s election showed that you can’t fool the people forever, and they really do understand what is going on. They certainly care about the economy. Prices have been rising since the Democrats took over, yet first the administration and their media parrots told everyone that there is no inflation. Then they said that it was only low inflation. Then they said that the inflation was only temporary. By now, the people don’t believe them anymore. The southern border is wide open, with illegals streaming into the country day and night. Biden and the people supposedly in charge deny the obvious facts, lying and making believe that they are working to enforce the law. Then the people find out that there are secret transports ferrying illegals to different parts of the country, where they are deposited in the dead of night to add to the burdens of local taxpayers. The government’s goal is to change the electoral makeup of the country. The administration, Democrats in general and their compadres in the media and in education, say that Americans like me
and you are racist because we resist their silly ideas about equity and white supremacy. During Covid, parents found out what their children are taught in public school and put their foot down. In return, the president, the attorney general and the FBI called them domestic terrorists and fought to silence them. The Democrat politicians and media treated the people as if they were stupid, but the parents did not falter. Republicans quickly took up the cause, standing by the parents and fighting for their rights to want their children to be taught proper morals and truth instead of wokeness. The country was doing well under President Trump, until Covid came along and turned the world upside down. People got used to winning, as he would say, and took it for granted that things would stay that way. Although he warned that should the Democrats take hold of power all the gains of the Trump administration would be reversed, people did not believe him and allowed Biden to win the election. As evidenced last week in the high profile elections in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as voting for big and little jobs across the country, America is no longer buying what the Democrats have to sell. For whatever reason, it worked last year. This time around, after people had seen the results of Democrat control of the White House, Congress and the Senate, they were not happy. People are not that dumb, and despite the constant attempts by the media, the lies are not working anymore. The majority of the populace is afraid of the attempts to remake America. We live in frightening times. If we think too much about what is going on and what the future looks like, we can become depressed, so we continue to go about our daily lives, occupying ourselves with inconsequential matters. We are used to living with lies. Learning the parshiyos of Sefer Bereishis, we find that the world’s antipathy toward Jews began when Avrohom Avinu determined that the world had a Creator. The loathing of Jews has continued throughout the generations ever since. Avrohom’s own father wanted him dead. Nimrod tried to burn Avrohom alive. That pariah status was transferred to Avrohom’s descendants, beginning with Yitzchok Avinu, who was treated as an outcast by his neighbors. Wherever Yitzchok went, as related in last week’s parsha, his water wells were
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stuffed. In those days, without wells, one could not live. Yitzchok was therefore constantly on the move, encountering a hostile reception wherever he went. Though he was blessed with wealth and was an unquestionably kind, peaceful and spiritual man, nobody wanted to have anything to do with him. They drove him away by plugging up the sources of his water supply. They spread stories about him, all lies, but the populace didn’t care for the truth. They wanted him out. In this week’s parsha, we learn how Yaakov was repeatedly lied to and tricked out of what was deservedly his. His fatherin-law, Lovon, flourished because of Yaakov, yet at every opportunity, he sought to take advantage of the tzaddik in his midst, who happened to be his nephew and sonin-law. After working for Lovon for two decades, Yaakov was instructed by Hashem to return home. He gathered his wives, children and flocks and left. Lovon chased after him, accusing Yaakov of stealing his property. Yaakov responded, confronting Lovon, the paradigm con-artist, with a litany of his subterfuge and dishonest dealings. Yaakov reminded Lovon of all he had done for him and of the subterfuge he was repaid with. As bad as your boss is, it is doubtful that he altered the terms of your employment one hundred
times the way Lovon did to Yaakov. Our avos demonstrated for us how we are to respond to those who lie about us and seek to destroy us. Despite the enmity and harassment, Avrohom worked to bring more people tachas kanfei haShechinah. When Yitzchok’s wells were filled, he moved and dug
law’s home and wouldn’t have raised the twelve sons who formed the nucleus of our people. Our strength is Torah. Our goal is Torah. Our life is Torah. No one can take that from us, as hard as they try. As long as we remember that lesson, we will be strong, safe and victorious, and the path we have
We must arm ourselves with the weapons of the spirit. new ones. Lovon was all about lies, but instead of getting into the gutter with him, Yaakov concentrated on raising the twelve shevotim. When Lovon chased Yaakov and refused to reason with him, Yaakov told his children to gather stones and construct a gal. He was demonstrating for them and us that had Avrohom allowed himself to be intimidated, he would have relinquished the role of progenitor of Am Yisroel. Had Yitzchok permitted the Pelishtim to deter him, he would not have merited being part of the glorious chain begun by his father. Had Yaakov succumbed to Lovon’s abuse, he never would have left his father-in-
forged will lead to the ultimate redemption, may it be soon, in our days. Now, more than ever, we must arm ourselves with the weapons of the spirit bequeathed to us by Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov of proper tefillah, emunah and bitachon. Eventually, the people see past the falsities. Eventually, the people figure out that they have been lied to and taken advantage of. As children of the avos and imahos who stood up to power and were never overwhelmed by the power of the lie, we, too, must be careful not to be influenced by lies and not to succumb to those with the
power to force us into doing what we know to be wrong. Our forefathers didn’t win popularity contests, but they persevered and survived way longer than those who sought to suppress them and force them to live as they did. Lovon translates to white, which is the symbol of clarity and purity. The archetypical swindler presented himself as if he were as pure as the wind-driven snow and as innocent as a white kitten. In town, he was a big macher, respected by all. Yet, like all fiction, his story unraveled and he is eternally remembered with derision. In our world, as well, we must not be impressed by those who are in power today, calling all the shots. It is fleeting and won’t last. Our loyalty must be to the truth, to those who embody the truth and live by it. We do what we must to get by, but we do not become dejected, for, as we saw last week in many different places and venues, people can be suppressed, the truth can be suppressed, but not for long. As sure as the winter snow will melt and expose the ground below, the truth will endure. Those who remained faithful to it will delight and thrive. May we all be among them.
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