LA Jewish Home - 12-23-21

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The Week In News

DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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Dear Readers, A common cause of headaches for me is when my glasses are dirty.

Everything I’m looking at is in order, but since there’s a smudge on the glasses, reality looks off.

In Shir Hama’alos of Tehillim, golus is referred to as a dream. Objects in a dream are real, it’s the application and rules we apply to them that are unrealistic. Same with golus. It’s a real world with real challenges. It’s the way we view them that will be looked back at as a ridiculous dream.

In golus the strong person is the bully. The happy one, who creates the happiest image on social media, is the kindest person that everyone knows about.

The reality Moshiach will reveal is that self-control = strength. Content = happy. Simply being there for someone = kindness.

We may know this already but we don’t see it. We don’t see the strength, vibrancy and goodness of the soul. We believe it but can’t touch it.

We should do as a good investor would. Stay focused on what you know is true. Don’t get sidetracked by the naysayers and passing noise.

And hedge your bets for the big win.

Our ancestors believed and awaited Moshiach in the face of suffering. Our job is to do so in an age of plenty. His footsteps are right outside our door, let us welcome him in.

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.

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DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News

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Sarah's The WeekCorner In News

DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Am Yisrael Chai Sarah Pachter

shamos.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Who Can I Carry?

Rav Fischel Schachter once made a shidduch for his daughter. He asked his mother, “Don’t you know the girl’s grandmother?”

She answered, “Yes, we were in the war together.”

At the time of the l’chaim, Mrs. Schachter had been unwell and was able to move only with a walker. The kallah’s grandmother, Mrs. Traut, approached Mrs. Schachter and said, “What do you need a walker for? Get rid of it!”

To which his mother chuckled and responded, “Are you gonna carry me again?”

Rav Schachter questioned his mother about this exchange, and she finally began to open up.

During World War II, Mrs. Schachter was in a work battalion in Bergen Belsen.

Each day she was loaded onto a truck and taken to the top of a local mountain. They were not given food nor water, and were instructed to carry huge boulders up and down the mountain. If anyone tripped, fell, or dropped the boulder, they were shot instantaneously.

Mrs. Schachter was 16 years old and weighed 40 pounds. One morning, she was unable to move from the truck. Mrs. Traut, a frail young woman herself, said, “Get off the truck! If you don’t move, they are going to kill you. Let’s go.”

She responded with despair, “I can’t.

My feet and hands won’t move. I’m done.

Let them kill me here.”

“Then I’ll carry you up the mountain.”

“You can’t carry me and the boulder!

You’ll die also.”

“Then I’ll die for a purpose.”

Mrs. Traut miraculously carried the boulder in one hand and Mrs. Schachter in the other. Had the Nazis seen them stop they would have been killed, but they were spared.

Two generations later, this one heroic act led to the creation of many Jewish ne-

A New Scooter Mr. Fastlyn1, a teacher at YULA high school, stays twice a week after the final bell to help students with homework and upcoming tests. He does not own a car and commutes two hours each way by bus, utilizing a basic scooter to get to and from the bus stop.

Recently, his scooter broke, interrupting his routine. Staying after school with no functioning scooter meant missing his regular bus and extending his long commute by forty-five minutes.

The students were empathic to the teacher’s plight, and did something to make a change for the better. Unprompted, they collected money to purchase an electric scooter for this special teacher.

One child even gave one hundred dollars towards the purchase. What a chesed and kiddush Hashem!

Am Yisrael Chai!

One Tichel or Two A kallah student of mine, Sharon2, was newly married and finishing her master’s degree. At her secular university, she felt alone and awkward about covering her hair. A friend of hers, Devorah3, attended the same college and was not yet married.

Sharon complained to Devorah, “My only wig is being washed, and I’m dreading going to school tomorrow. I will have to wear a scarf in class, and I feel like people will stare at me. I’m already uncomfortable with a wig, the scarf will just be too much for me!”

The next day, Devorah arrived at school sporting the very same scarf that Sharon wore! Sharon recently expressed to me how touched she was by Devorah’s small act, despite years having passed since then.

A small act can change your life, and the life of another.

Am Yisrael Chai!

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Name has been changed Name has been changed Name has been changed

Lemonade Surprise My children made a lemonade stand with the neighbors on erev Sukkot to raise money for Chai Lifeline. Someone from the community drove up, and seeing that it was for charity said, “I don’t want the lemonade, I just want to give to charity,” and handed us a fifty-dollar bill.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Spinach Anyone?

We went to visit my brother’s family in Silver Spring, Maryland, for Sukkot. My sister-in-law, Yael, has a friend named Rina,4 who gave birth to her fifth child only a few days before our arrival. I overheard some of a conversation between them.

“Rina, I’m heading to the market, do you need anything?”

Rina must have declined because Yael then asked, “Are you sure? I’m just getting spinach for a special dish I’m making. It’s silly for me to only get one thing. Surely you need something for the baby, at least!”

Rina insisted she didn’t need anything.

Instead, Rina immediately went to the market, picked up spinach, and placed it on Yael’s doorstep.

This story isn’t just about spinach. My brother had mentioned that Yael drove Rina to the hospital for her delivery, and that their teenage children watched Rina’s kids so her husband could meet her there.

Yael never divulged this selfless act. Not only does this example display tremendous chesed from both women, but also humility. Neither said anything—they just did. Chesed is about being willing to stretch outside ourselves and hear the call of need, from strangers and friends alike.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Missing Child One evening, a six-year old Jewish boy from the Los Angeles community went missing. Within minutes, word spread and hundreds of people began to search.

Simultaneously, a massive WhatsApp tehillim chat was created.

Men gathered near the family’s home, and were patrolling with flashlights on the streets. They stopped local cars and

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Name has been changed

opened garbage bins and dumpsters. Hatzolah, Chaverim, and other organizations sent volunteers and search cars. People came in droves to canvas every corner of this city. Equally, the commitments on the tehillim chat were being posted faster than one could type. This went on for hours.

Into the evening, local parents could not sleep knowing there was a mother in our community that did not know where her child was. The communal efforts did not cease until the child was found safe a few hours later.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Falafel Horon Tal Kupferstein was a Hatzolah volunteer in Israel, no small feat. Becoming a volunteer takes months of training and relentless dedication to answer the call of daily emergencies.

On November 15, 2019, he responded to a call regarding an accident. Tragically, while he was on the way, he himself was hit by a car and terribly injured. The accident caused a punctured lung, broken ribs, and fractures to his pelvis and leg.

Tal needed emergency surgery and faced a long road to recovery.

Once the initial emergency was dealt with, Tal’s fellow volunteers wanted to help in a long-term fashion. Before the accident, Tal had opened a falafel shop. This restaurant was his sole means of supporting his family; while he was recovering, he was unable to run the shop.

Hatzolah not only saved lives, but planned to save his business as well. Volunteers signed up to run the store around the clock, enabling it to remain open for two months without Tal. Using a process similar to the Meal Train website, it took only a few days for the shifts to completely book up.

One special Hatzolah volunteer owned his own falafel shop, yet closed it for a day in order to run Tal’s.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Some of these examples took gargantuan effort, while others are smaller acts of chesed. One might read them and think, Oh, anyone would do that! But many of these acts are simply unheard of in society at large.

Yes, the Jewish people are a ‘stiffnecked’ nation. Sure, we have many flaws.

And of course we fight, like siblings do.

But just like family is there, through thick and thin, we carry each other in our hardest moments. May Hashem see these acts and continue to carry His nation through all of our times of difficulty, fulfilling His eternal promise to us.

Am Yisrael Chai!

The Week In News

DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Attention High School Seniors & their Parents

DO YOU PLAN TO STUDY IN ISRAEL?

Touro College Los Angeles invites High School Seniors & their Parents to an information session

SEMINARY & YESHIVA

Getting the most out of your year + Financial aid opportunities • • • • •

Choosing a Seminary or Yeshiva Planning your year TCLA Israel Option Affording Seminary or Yeshiva in Israel Planning for after Seminary or Yeshiva

ON ZOOM AND LIVE AT: TOURO COLLEGE LOS ANGELES 1317 N. CRESCENT HEIGHTS BLVD, W. HOLLYWOOD, CA WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2022 | 8:00 PM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2022 | 8:00 PM RSVP: tourola.admissions@touro.edu | 323.822.9700 x 85155

Touro College Los Angeles strives to provide its students with an education based on Jewish ideals to prepare them for a life of value.

TOURO COLLEGE LOS ANGELES A DIVISION OF TOURO UNIVERSITY WORLDWIDE

Where Knowledge and Values Meet

tcla.touro.edu @TouroCollegeLA Touro College Los Angeles is a division of Touro University Worldwide, which is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC): 985 Atlantic Ave. #100, Alameda, CA 94501-6444: Tel. 510.748.9001.

Touro College Los Angeles is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

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The Week In News

DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

,‫ כל השונה הלכות בכל יום‬:‫תנא דבי אליהו‬ ‫מבטח לו שהוא בן עולם הבא‬

’

Join Daf HaYomi B Halacha and have your name

!

in the Sefer Gibborim

The celebrations marking the completion of the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha cycle will BE”H begin with a delegation of Gedolei Yisrael and noted Rabbonim traveling to Eastern Europe to daven for the success of both present and future

Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Participants.

THURSDAY–SUNDAY, JANUARY 20-23, 2022

‫כ״א שבט תשפ״ב‬-‫י״ח‬ Tefillos will be held at the kevorim of the Vilna Gaon, zt”l, in Vilna, the Chofetz Chaim zt”l, in Radin, as well as the 9th Fort in Kovno, location of the murder of HaRav Elchonon Wasserman, Hy”d and tens of thousands of other Kedoshim by the Nazis, ym"s.

SIYUMIM WORLDWIDE RADIN

VILNA

ERETZ YISRAEL

FRANCE

ENGLAND

NORTH AMERICA

Jan. 20, 2022

Shabbos Parshas Yisro Jan. 21-23, 2022

Feb. 10, 2022

Feb. 13, 2022

Feb. 16-19, 2022

March 3, 2022

‫ט׳ אדר א׳‬

‫י״ב אדר א׳‬

‫ראש חודש אדר ב׳‬

‫כ״א שבט‬-‫י״ט‬

February 12, 2022

‫ י״ח אדר א׳‬-‫ט״ו‬

‫י״ח שבט‬

‫י״א אדר א׳‬

Shabbos Parshas Pikudei March 4-6, 2022

‫ ג׳ אדר ב׳‬- ‫א׳‬

SOUTH AMERICA SOUTH AFRICA AUSTRALIA — DETAILS FORTHCOMING —

DirshuWorldSiyum.org

TheOWeek In News

DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The ‘Sefer Gibborim’ contains the names of all present Daf HaYomi B’Halacha participants, as well as anyone who accepts upon himself to learn Mishnah Berurah and mussar daily.

PP UN OR IQ OF T UE FE UN R! IT Y

The delegation will include the following Gedolim:

‫הגאון הרב יצחק קולדצקי שליט"א‬ ‫חתנא דבי נשיאה דמרן שר התורה שליט"א‬

‫הגאון הרב יעקב מאיר שטרן שליט"א‬ ‫דומ"צ ביד"צ זכרון מאיר וביד"צ קרית ויזניץ‬

‫הגאון הרב דוד כהן שליט"א‬ ‫ וחבר מועצת גדולי התורה‬,‫ראש ישיבת חברון‬

‫הגאון הרב ניסן קפלן שליט"א‬ ‫ראש ישיבת דעת אהרון‬

‫הגאון הרב שריאל רוזנברג שליט"א‬ ‫ראב"ד בד"ץ בני ברק ורב שכונת רמת דוד‬ '‫ב"ב ומג"ש ב'דף היומי בהלכה‬

‫הגאון הרב מאיר מרקוביץ שליט"א‬ ‫דומ"צ סאטמר לונדון‬

‫הגאון הרב בנימין עקשטיין שליט"א‬ ‫דומ"ץ דחסידי בעלזא לונדון‬

‫הגה"צ הרב שמעון גלאי שליט"א‬ ,‫רב ביהכ"ס "המרכזי" שכונת אוסם ב"ב‬ '‫וקהילת "חניכי הישיבות" שיכון ה‬

‫הגאון הרב צבי חייקין שליט"א‬ ‫ראש ישיבת חכמי צרפת אקס לה באן‬

‫הגאון הרב בנימין פינקל שליט"א‬ ‫משגיח ישיבת מיר‬

‫הגאון הרב אברהם אררען שליט"א‬ ‫ ורב דק"ק אברכים גייטסהעד‬,‫דומ"צ העיר‬ ‫הגאון הרב צבי אלימלך פדווא שליט"א‬ ‫דומ"ץ דקהילת אגודת אחים ציריך‬

Sefer Gibborim at the Chofetz Chaim’s Kever

 Yes!

I would like to have my name inscribed in the Sefer Gibborim, and for the Gedolim to daven on my behalf at the Kivrei Tzaddikim.

Hebrew name________________________________

Full name ___________________________________________

Mother’s Hebrew name _______________________

Address _____________________________________________

 I am presently a participant in the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Program

_____________________________________________________

 I undertake, bli neder, to join the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program*

Phone number _______________________________________ Email address _______________________________________

* A kabbalah, the sefarim teach us, strengthens one’s resolve. It is understood that the kabbalah is bli neder and that circumstances can crop up that will make it difficult to keep. There is no minimum time requirement.

Please fill in the pertinent information, take a picture and email: Dirshu@DirshuGlobal.org, no later than Monday, Jan. 10, ‫ח' שבט‬.

Or visit: DafHalacha.com/Join

BottomLineMG.com

HaRav Binyomin Finkel at the Chofetz Chaim’s Kever at a previous Dirshu mission to Radin in 2015

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Feature The Week In News

DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Maor: Opening the Door to Special Education Devorah Talia Gordon

THE JOURNEY BEGINS When Iva R’Bibo was born nine years ago, her mother Sarah didn’t know right away that she had special needs. But soon she saw Iva wasn’t reaching the same milestones as her three older siblings, and Sarah and her husband started the arduous journey to try to figure out what was going on. “I didn’t know much about special needs and had my hands full with four little children. It was very overwhelming running to endless doctor’s appointments and therapies and trying to find my way through the complicated system of government benefits and assistance.” She kept looking around the community trying to find a Jewish organization, that provided guidance, resources, and support for families with children with special needs.

Sarah slowly started to make connections with other mothers in the community who had children with special needs.

That is how she met Chaya Chazanow, the co-founder of Maor, whose son was around Iva’s age and also had special needs. The two moms, together with a third mother, created a WhatsApp group chat called “Questions and Sharing,” which has grown to over 70 members in the community, where members share information, resources, and other advice, and help each other navigate the complicated world of being a special needs’ parent.

TRANSITION TIME Sarah was guided to the Regional Center early on and was able to get Iva into an early intervention program. After that, it was time for Iva to enter the school system. The R’Bibo’s looked to the Jewish community and asked, “Where is the Jewish school for our daughter? The answer was – ‘there isn’t one’!” This really shocked them. The R’bibo’s just couldn’t believe that Los Angeles, with the second largest Jewish community in the U.S., had no Jewish school option for children with special needs, and that they would have to send their daughter to public school. “That was really hard,” Sarah recalled.

The R’bibo’s thus entered the complicated LAUSD system. They did evaluations, sat through IEP meetings, and even had to hire a lawyer to defend against some improper actions taken by the school district to undercut the services to which Iva was entitled in her IEP. With legal help, Iva was able to attend a wonderful, inclusive preschool for two years. Then it was time to transition yet again.

Sarah visited special education schools,

regular schools, and charter schools, but there were no great options for Iva. “I felt exhausted and defeated,” Sarah said, not knowing what to do next.

“It’s a battle for most parents. What do you choose?” Sarah explained that if parents place their special needs child in a Jewish school, while it’s great that the child is in a Jewish environment, they are often not getting their needs met. Those schools just don’t have the resources needed to support the students. But hiring a “shadow” can be very expensive and is not a feasible option for many families.

After school, parents still may be running all over the city for therapies and other services.

The other option is to send your child with special needs to public school. There your child may get the services they need, but are not learning about their traditions and holidays, and not spending time with peers from their community. “This is a very hard choice,” Sarah said, acknowledging that public school was not an option for them.

THE VISION After experiencing what LAUSD had to offer, Sarah and Chaya got together and decided there had to be a better option for their children and, if not, they would create one. They did endless research into prior programs in the community, traveled to New York to look at schools, and spoke to countless professionals and parents.

They reached out to Friendship Circle for guidance, and started to work with them, motivated to “creatively make this work.”

They had a vision: to create an innovative learning center for Jewish children with special needs, integrating general and Jewish studies, therapies, and enrichment activities all in one place. Teachers, therapists, and staff would collaborate, personalizing curriculum for each student based on how he or she learns best. More importantly, students would be in a warm Jewish environment learning about their tradition and establishing friendships with peers from their community.

“We were told just start – and we did, with two kids and one teacher.” And Maor Academy was born.

In the beginning, a single classroom at the Friendship Circle housed Maor. When the enrollment grew to about a dozen students, Maor moved to occupy the entire first floor the Aish Tamid building near The Grove; during the pandemic about 8-10 students have been attending. The staff creates an individualized plan for each child, striving to give the children the highest-level education and the best therapies, and do so in a way so each child will grow and reach her potential.

“Everyone on staff works collaboratively, regularly meeting and adapting each student’s learning plan based on their changing needs,” Sarah said. “We are big on training. Our director, Kimberly Landis, spends a lot of time teaching and training.”

Maor also has a full-time social worker on staff to counsel families on accessing and navigating the challenging path to critical governmental funding and services. This free service is available to the entire Jewish community. If the family’s first language isn’t English, for example native Israelis, Maor provides a translator for them to negotiate the complicated special needs system. Much guidance is needed, Sarah said, commenting that “although California does have great services for families, they are not easy to access.

Maor is the resource I wish I would have had when I first began this journey.”

A GIANT STEP FORWARD So far, Maor has had great results.

“There is kedushah at Maor,” Sarah said, “it is very warm loving, Jewish environment.” The program has outgrown its current space and, over Chanukah, the Maor vision took a giant step forward. Maor closed escrow on a new campus, thanks to the incredible generosity of several philanthropic families in the community.

The new Friedman Family campus, dedicated in loving memory of Chana Leah Friedman, will be at the site of the former

Jeffrey Foundation building, on Washington Blvd just west of Hauser Avenue.

Started by Alyce Morris Winston, whose son had muscular dystrophy, the building was previously used for special needs education. It has ample space for classrooms and professional trainings, as well as room for a large, innovative sensory gym. There are two beautiful playgrounds, and room for therapists and behaviorists to work with all the children in various modalities.

“With the new space we hope to serve more kids and families, grow our school program, and add an inclusive preschool, and a new training and development center.” The goal of the preschool is to give the children the extra support they need and then for most to transition back to the Jewish day schools. Sarah explained that identifying challenges early on can help tremendously, so the child can receive early intervention, which can be extremely helpful in the long term.

Part of the collaborative model that Maor values includes working with the different organizations in LA. Maor’s goal is to add to the landscape of special needs resources already up and running. In the evenings and on weekends, plans are underway for the campus to be used by The Clubhouse to provide respite services to children and families in the community.

“Our goal is to continue the conversation with the community, with ETTA, Friendship Circle, The Clubhouse, HaMercaz, the Jewish Federation, the Bureau of Jewish Education, and others,” Sarah said.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES Four years later, Iva is happy and thriving. She participates in the religious aspect of life and community in a way she could not before.

“My daughter wants to be part of the community. She’s 9, but before Maor, she didn’t know so much and was already somewhat isolated due to special needs.”

Now Iva attends shul with her family, can participate in holidays, and is growing and learning and feels a part of things.

“I want to give her all she needs just like I would for my other kids,” Sarah said. “Just because she has special needs doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have all of the same opportunities to learn and be part of our community.”

To learn more about Maor or for donation opportunities, please contact info@ maorla.com or follow Maor at https://instagram.com/maor_la.

The Week In News

DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News Join the OU Women’s Initiative at the

China and Russia Aligning

First Torat Imecha

Nach Yomi SIYUM CELEBRATION Nach Shabbat Shabbat Shira, January 15 Siyum New York Sunday, January 16 New Nach Yomi Cycle Begins Thursday, January 20 Siyum Israel Monday, January 24

Join thousands of

women worldwide Sign up at ou.org/women/nachsiyum

Please see website for Covid policies.

International pressure may have pushed China and Russia closer, but the two countries are unlikely to send each other military support, U.S.-based analysts say.

On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Russian President Vladimir Putin for their second meeting this year. Official reports gave the impression that the meeting was friendly and strengthened the bonds between the two countries.

Neil Thomas, analyst for China and northeast Asia at consulting firm Eurasia Group, noted, “Beijing and Moscow are

forging closer ties because both governments view deeper bilateral cooperation as beneficial to their respective national interests, and not primarily because of an ideological affinity between Xi and Putin.”

In an email to CNBC, he explained that the two superpowers would rather “divide Washington’s political attention between strategic hotspots in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.”

Angela Stent, professor emerita and director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies at Georgetown University, told CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia, “I think both sides recognize, Putin knows, that if he invaded Ukraine, China [isn’t] going to send military help. But they’ll remain completely neutral and that allows them to do whatever they want in what they consider to be their sphere of influence.”

A release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry added that China “reaffirmed China’s commitment to firmly support Russia in maintaining long-term stability.”

Record Number of Journalists Jailed Around 488 journalists and media workers have been imprisoned in connection with their work as of December 2021, according to Reporters Without Borders.

That number represents a 20% rise since

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The Week In News last year, and it is the highest the organization has recorded since it began publishing figures in 1995.

According to the report, Myanmar, Belarus, and China played central roles in the rise.

In addition, RSF (Reporters Sans Frontières) recorded a record high of female journalists imprisoned, with 33% more detained than at the same time last year. Of those, 75% are detained in the above three countries, with 19 in China, 17 in Belarus, and nine in Myanmar.

According to RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire, “The extremely high number of journalists in arbitrary detention is the work of three dictatorial regimes. It is a reflection of the reinforcement of dictatorial power worldwide, an accumulation of crises, and the lack of any scruples on the part of these regimes. It may also be the result of new geopolitical power relationships in which authoritarian regimes are not being subjected to enough pressure to curb their crackdowns.”

On a more hopeful note, 2021 saw the lowest number of journalists – just 46 – die in connection to their work since 2003.

RSF attributed this to the lower intensity of conflicts in Arab countries, as well as to campaigning for mechanisms intended to protect journalists. At the same time, twothirds of those killed were deliberately targeted, and 61% of those killed died outside war zones.

DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

mourning period.

As if ten days isn’t long enough to mourn the late leader, another citizen said that police have carried out a similar mandate since the beginning of the month to ensure an appropriate mood for the mourning period.

The state has planned several events to commemorate Kim Jong Il’s life, including a public display of his photography and art, a concert, and an exhibition of the Kimjongilia, a flower named after him.

10 Days of Mourning in N. Korea

North Koreans observed the 10-year anniversary of Kim Jong Il’s death in a solemn way – or had to face the consequences.

December 17 marked ten years since Kim Jong Il passed away, paving the way for his son, Kim Jong Un, to take over. To mark the occasion, the current leader decreed that the nation would observe a period of mourning for ten days.

Citizens cannot drink alcohol, laugh, or engage in leisure activities. Grocery shopping was also banned on December 17.

“In the past many people who were caught drinking or being intoxicated during the mourning period were arrested and treated as ideological criminals,” a citizen told Radio Free Asia. “They were taken away and never seen again.”

Citizens cannot carry out funeral rites or services or even celebrate their own birthdays if those events occur within the

Fatal Bouncy Castle Incident in Australia At least six children have died and nine suffered serious injuries after falling from a bouncy castle in Tasmania, Australia, on Thursday.

The bouncy castle at Devonport’s Hillcrest Primary School was lifted into the air by a gust of wind last week. The children playing on it fell 32 feet to the ground. The children were playing on the bouncy castle as a celebration for their last day of school.

Tasmanian police said, “Nine grade 5/6 Hillcrest Primary School students fell from a height of around 10 meters after a significant local wind event caused a jumping castle and several inflatable ‘zorb’ balls to lift into the air about 10 a.m.”

Those who died in the tragic incident

were Addison Stewart, 11; and Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Jye Sheehan, Peter Dodt and Zane Mellor, who were 12.

Chace Harrison, 11, succumbed to his injuries on Monday.

Police added that three of the four injured children are still hospitalized.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein stated, “It’s devastating. Heartbreaking.

It’s just simply incomprehensible. What should have been a celebration for the end of the school year turned into an unfortunate tragedy for young children at Hillcrest primary. I know that this is going to be a very challenging time for this entire community.”

Police Commander Debbie Williams added, “This is a very tragic event, and our thoughts are with the families and the wider school community, and also our first responders. There is no doubt that this has been a very confronting and distressing scene. Counseling is being made available to the families affected by this in the school community along with the first responders.”

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The Week In News

DECEMBER 23, 2021 | The Jewish Home

pay a £554 million ($734 million) settlement to his ex-wife Princess Haya.

Haya and Sheikh Mohammed, the Emir of Dubai, separated in 2019. She fled to the UK that year with their two children, now aged 14 and 9. She had supposedly learned that Sheikh Mohammed had imprisoned another one of his children, Princess Latifa, because she tried to escape.

As part of the settlement, Justice Philip Moor ruled that Sheikh Mohammed must pay Haya £251 million ($332 million) within three months and that he must set up an education fund worth £3 million ($4 million) for the children.

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Moor said the Sheikh must pay £13.6 million ($18 million) for Haya’s jewelry, £1 million ($1.3 million) for haute couture clothing, £1 million ($1.3 million) for cars, and £5 million ($6.6 million) for race horses.

The judgment also revealed the vast recesses of wealth that both parties had access to. While married, Haya and Sheikh Mohammed spent £2 million ($2.6 million) on strawberries in one summer. The two children had an allowance of £10 million ($13 million) each per year. While married, Haya was given an £83 million ($109 million) annual allowance.

In court proceedings, Haya asked the court to help her retrieve €74 million ($83 million) worth of clothing and £20 million ($26 million) worth of jewelry that the Sheikh had in his possession.

Sheikh Mohammed is worth around $14 billion.

Super Typhoon Hits Philippines At least 375 have died from the winds, rains, and destruction wreaked by Super Typhoon Rai on the Philippines. Still, rescue workers are attempting to reach some disaster-hit areas, and authorities warn that

the death toll may even climb higher.

At least 515 people were injured in the chaos; 56 people were considered missing as of Tuesday.

The typhoon is known locally as Odette.

Philippine Red Cross chairman Sen. Richard Gordon noted that five bridges in Palawan have been destroyed by the storm.

Nearly 1 million people live in the western province, according to 2020 official figures.

“Homes are completely destroyed. We are trying to send urgent supplies including water, food and medicines,” Gordon said.

“Communities have been completely cut off.”

Bottom of Form The typhoon was the 15th to hit the Philippines this year. It made landfall on Siargao Island on Thursday, a popular tourist and surfing destination in the Caraga region of northeast Mindanao. It had initially packed winds of up to 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour – equivalent to a Category 5 storm.

As Rai traveled west, it ripped down homes, trees and power cables in its path, bringing with it heavy rain, widespread flooding and landslides. Communities were destroyed and hundreds of thousands left homeless by the storm.

Scenes of the destruction were reminiscent of Super Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, which hit the Philippines in November 2013. That was one of the strongest storms to batter the nation, killing more than 6,000 people. Its powerful winds and enormous storm surge smashed buildings, destroyed roads, and caused widespread power and water outages.

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