Jewish Voice and Opinion May 2011

THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION Promoting Classical Judaism

May 2011

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Vol. 24 • No. 7

Iyar 5771

Unity between Fatah and Hamas: Disaster for Israel or a Blessing in Disguise That Clarifies Where the PA Stands

major stipulation of the reconciliation-unity deal signed in early May between the Fatah faction of the Palestinian Authority, which operates under Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, and the terrorist group, Hamas, which won control of Gaza four years ago in a bloody civil war, is Mr. Abbas’s agreement to release all Hamas “political detainees” in the PA areas of Judea and Samaria.

According to Izzat ArRisheq, a member of the Hamas Politburo in Gaza, the unity document, which was signed in Cairo, requires the formation of a committee to review cases of all “political detainees” to ensure that no “prisoner with criminal charges” is released.

Although the document does not explain further, Mr. Abbas made it clear that Palestinians who committed acts of terror against Israelis would not be considered “criminals.”

He said the new government to be formed between Fatah and Hamas would renounce violence, but he underscored his continued support for “popular resistance” against “Israel’s continued military and settler presence in the West Bank,” including the eastern section of Jerusalem, where the

Western Wall is located.

“The people are leading a struggle that is recognized by the world. The people struggle against occupation, settler oppression, and the ethnic

He said it will be “interesting” to see which Palestinian prisoners are released by Mr. Abbas.

“The Palestinian practice has frequently been to charge those engaged in terror activity--if they

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, left, and PA President Mahmoud Abbas: Their unity may force the US to cancel all Palestinian funds. cleansing of Jerusalem,” he said, calling Israeli activity “state terrorism.”

Sanctioning Violence Dr. Aaron Lerner of the IMRA news agency said in Palestinian parlance, “popular resistance” means throwing rocks and firebombs at Israelis, “not marches and sit-ins.”

“And if some Israelis are ‘nonviolently’ killed in the process, so be it,” explained Dr. Lerner.

Dershowitz on Israel......................... 3 The Current Crisis.......................... 4 Kol Ami:Arab Spring?..................... 5 AIFL Wins Friends......................... 11 Alcohol and Drugs......................... 12 New Rambam High School ........ 14 New Coop Yeshiva....................... 15

are charged at all--with ‘acting against the interests of the state’ rather than the action itself,” he said, explaining that those so charged would probably be released as “political prisoners.”

Free Terrorists Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said it was clear that “hundreds of Hamas terrorists” will be released from Fatah-PA jails to roam freely throughout Judea and Samaria.

Inside the Voice

A Baby Jewish Girl...................... 20 Baltimore’s Buried Mikveh.......... 22 OHEL on Addiction..................... 25 The Log........................................ 26 New Classes This Month............. 34 Dance at CADDY Camp.............. 36 EMUNAH Convention ............... 37

If the accord between the Palestinian factions lasts, he expects Hamas to takeover the Palestinian areas of Judea and Samaria.

Prof Efraim Inbar, director of Bar-Ilan University’s Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies, agreed. The Hamas-Fatah unity agreement, he said, is “a deal that makes Hamas stronger, which is, of course, bad for Israel.”

Elections The unity agreement calls for new elections next year and the integration of Hamas gunmen into the Ramallah-based PA security forces, which are trained

by US generals at a US-funded military base in Jericho .

Leaders of Fatah and Hamas will form a transitional government and then establish an agenda for a new cabinet. Mr. Abbas said a government of “independent figures” would “soon see the light.”

According to Mr. Abbas, the unity accord means there will be a single authority with control of all weapons in both the PA-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria and in Gaza.

Hamas’s Ideas Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who currently serves as prime

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Rabbi Weiss Made Aliyah . ......... 38 Ess Gezint: Salad.......................... 42 Kosher Baseball Camp................. 44 Index of Advertisers . .................. 45 Ima’s on Cedar Lane ................... 46 Letters to the Editor .................... 48 Walk to Shul . .............................. 51

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Iyar 5771

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Today “The Occupation” No Longer Means Yesha; It Means All of Israel

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even years ago, when Israel’s critics discussed “The Occupation,” they meant Israeli activity in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, the land won by the Jewish State in the 1967 Six-Day War. Today, according to author and Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, “The Occupation” means all of Israel.

“When they used to say, ‘The Occupation,’ they did not mean the far more severe Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Russian occupation of Chechnya, or any of the dozens of other occupations across the globe,” he said.

Today, however, in the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions (BDS) movements against the Jewish state, the rhetoric usually starts with the phrase: “Since 1948, Israel has occupied Palestinian lands.”

“Using the veneer of civility, they deny Israel’s right to exist, saying they want to see ‘one state that is secular and

democratic.’ In fact, in the entire Middle East, there is only one country that is secular and multi-national, and that is Israel. The ‘one-state solution’ they are suggesting is nor ‘for Israel,’ but, rather, ‘to Israel,’” he said.

State Religion Mr. Dershowitz made his remarks at a reception sponsored by the AmericaIsrael Friendship League (AIFL) at the home of one of the group’s supporters in Connecticut.

At the reception, Mr. Dershowitz pointed out that while Israel’s critics object to its status as the homeland of the Jewish people, they do not criticize the fact that, according to the Palestinians’ charter, Palestine is to be, first and foremost, a Muslim state.

“Israel, which has no established state religion, is part of the Western-secular tradition. In fact, it is more secular that the

United States. Which Arab country does not recognize Islam as its state religion?

In which Muslim-majority country anywhere in the world is Islam not the state religion?” he said.

80 Percent Mr. Dershowitz said he supports the AIFL because the organization understands that while the Jewish people may never agree 100 percent on Israeli policies, the mainstream Jewish community agrees on about 80 percent. That, he said, is the case promoted by the AIFL as the group fulfills its mission of encouraging friendship between Israel and the US. “The AIFL emphasizes the points of agreement between the US and Israel.

That conveys a strong case for Israel’s right to exist in peace and security that we need to give our children and grandchildren,” he said.

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The Current Crisis: “Even in Laughter, the Heart Can Ache”

he intrepid Ann Coulter thinks the CIA stepped up the search for Osama bin Laden, yemach shemo, after growing weary of royal-wedding coverage. American intelligence operatives located the “strong horse” Islamist by following his trusted couriers, whose names were given up by captured Al Qaeda members during “harsh interrogations” undertaken during the Bush administration (the same interrogations that President Barack Obama has now made illegal).

Ms. Coulter points out that although the most-wanted terrorist in the world was holed up in a pretty decrepit compound just outside Islamabad, it took us five years to figure out the zip code.

Next time, instead of using the government-run Post Office, we should try the privately run FedEx. *** We understand why the military dropped OBL into the sea, weighted down so that the body could not drift to shore. His millions of admirers around the world threatening slaughter and butchery as revenge is bad enough; who needed a shrine erected to a mass murderer? The Soviets understood that well enough when they found old Adolf in his bunker--but then didn’t carry the lesson over to themselves when they enshrined Uncle Joe. Now if OBL’s devotees want to visit him, they can go drown themselves or, as Yasir Arafat, yemach shemo, used to growl: They can drink from the sea in Gaza (or wherever it is that OBL is now poisoning the fish). ***

“Rabbi” Arthur Ocean Waskow, who sends “blessings of shalom, salaam, and peace,” wonders how to “address the death of a mass murderer.” Forgetting about the celebration over the death of Haman and his sons, Waskow refers to the Exodus from Egypt, where although the Jews go unrebuked for celebrating the downfall of the tyrant Pharaoh, the angels are chided by G-d for singing.

Waskow wants us to “refuse to drink the intoxicating triumphalist wine of celebration,” turning the “sad necessity” of OBL’s death into “a thoughtful reexamination of how easy it is to turn abominable violence against us into a justification for indiscriminate violence by us.”

Never mind that, in the wake of OBL’s death there was no “indiscriminate violence” against anyone (unless you want to include some imams‘ prayers for the death of all Americans).

You know any such incidents against adherents of the “religion of peace” would have been reported, with color photos.

There are other far-leftists, not exactly sitting shiva, but who would appreciate letters of condolence. For example, Sen Patty Murray (D-WA) who said OBL was beloved for building schools, roads, and daycare facilities. “We have not done that,” she said.

Or Medea Benjamin of Code Pink, who asked that “meaning” be given to OBL’s death by “putting an end to the violence.”

How about Michael Moore (9-11 “doesn’t mean there’s some kind of massive terrorist threat”), Helen Thomas, Obama’s “friend from the neighborhood” Bill Ayres, and, of course, Louis Farrakhan?

S.L.R.

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Iyar 5771

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Kol Ami: Arab Spring?

or several weeks, pundits were calling the turmoil in many Arabcountries “The Arab Spring,” hoping it would signal a new era of democracy and peace in the region. Instead, the upheavals now seem to be heralding nothing of the sort. At the beginning, Israel seemed not to be an issue, but now, in Egypt and Jordan, there is a growing effort to end peace treaties with the Jewish state. At the inauguration of the magnificent new Jacob Benaroya Sephardic Center, a part of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, members of the Sephardic community were asked: Can anything good for Israel and the West emerge from the current unrest in Arab countries? Y

The turmoil in the Middle East demonstrates the true colors of the Muslim world.

They behave with violence even among themselves; therefore, how can we expect them to treat Jews better than they treat one another? The lesson for the world is that Israel is not the problem; those causing the violence are the problem.

Rabbi Shimon Murciano Englewood, NJ

The so-called Arab Spring will backfire on all those who had such great hopes for it. The Arabs were not raised to produce peaceful democracies. It is not part of their culture.

Angela Levy Englewood, NJ

I hope I’m wrong, but it seems to me the fundamentalists will take over in most of the Middle East, and that cannot be good for Israel or the West.

Albert Allen Englewood, NJ

Of course, we all hope for the best, but maybe the best we can hope for is that the rest of the world will now appreciate how hard it is for Israel to convince Arab groups to come to grips with modernity and democracy.

Deena Grenstein Englewood, NJ

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Dershowitz

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Mr. Dershowitz stressed that while members of the Jewish community express a wide variety of views on domestic issues as well as foreign affairs, those who support Israel must recognize the importance of unity in the face of enemies of the Jewish state who seek its destruction.

“The moral challenge we face is that anti-Zionism has become another excuse in a long history of excuses for a revival of anti-Jewish attitudes,” he said.

For this reason, he said, he supports the AIFL’s determined non-partisan approach. “It is important to keep Democrat and Republican politicians solidly pro-Israel,” he said. “Those on the right, should remain on the right, and those on the left, should remain there. The important point is that we can unite to make the case for Israel.”

Eroding Support AIFL’s chairman, Ken

Bialkin, agreed with Mr. Dershowitz, pointing out that, without unity, the pro-Israel community is allowing support for Israel to erode.

“The US has always been Israel’s strong right arm in international affairs. Unless we make certain that Israel retains its friends and creates new ones, this relationship is endangered,” he said.

This is why AIFL supports missions to Israel by key groups of leaders, most of whom are not Jewish, as well as student exchange programs. Mr. Dershowitz became involved with AIFL when the organization helped fund an annual mission to Israel by Harvard law school students.

Not a Service Mr. Bialkin said AIFL’s goal of promoting friendship between Israel and the US is undermined by harsh critics of the Jewish state, many of them Jews, “who convince

people who don’t know better that by bashing Israel, they are performing a service.”

“Some of Israel’s bestknown intellectuals regularly attack Israel, making it seem as if they’d be only too happy if the US stopped supporting Israel,” he said.

According to Mr. Dershowitz, nowhere is this more of an issue than on the college campuses where the Western world’s future leaders are being groomed.

“The anti-Israel feeding frenzy, which is devolving into a campaign against traditional Jewish values, such as Zionism and Jewish nationalism, is, unfortunately, sometimes led by Jewish students and professors,” he said.

Norwegian Intransigence He recently returned from a speaking tour of various countries, which he said his wife termed “a world tour of antisemitism.” His visit to Norway was the subject of an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal in which he explained that although his topic was international law as applied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the three Norwegian universities at which he was supposed to speak cancelled his engagements.

While Mr. Dershowitz considers himself a centrist who enthusiastically supports

a “two-state solution,” officials at the Norwegian universities viewed him only as pro-Israel and, therefore, unacceptable.

The dean of the law faculty at Bergen University said he would be “honored” to have Mr. Dershowitz present a lecture “on the O.J. Simpson case,” as long as he promised to stick to a discussion of the notorious 1995 trial (during which he served as appellate adviser for the defense) and not mention Israel. Similarly, an administrator at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim said the subject of Israel was too “controversial.”

The University of Oslo simply said “no” without offering an excuse, although it was apparent the authorities considered Mr. Dershowitz too pro-Israel to be given a forum.

Even the small NorwegianJewish community—with the exception of Chabad—was less than welcoming.

But the Norwegian proIsrael group which had invited Mr. Dershowitz was unwilling simply to surrender.

They managed to secure him private venues. Thus, despite the faculties’ refusals to allow him to speak, Mr. Dershowitz delivered three lectures to packed auditoriums at the invitation of student groups

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Iyar 5771

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Dershowitz

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who, he said, received his talks with “sustained applause.”

Cape Town In Cape Town, South Africa, Mr. Dershowitz had a similar experience.

There, he was met with an advertisement in the Cape Town Times that declared “Dershowitz Is Not Welcome Here.” The reason, once again, was his strong support for Israel’s right to exist.

The campaign to deny him permission to speak on the campus of the University of Cape Town was successful, but, once again, a private venue was arranged and Mr. Dershowitz addressed 1400 students,

who he said were determined to hear his side of the issue.

While the Jewish community in South Africa was much warmer to Mr. Dershowitz than were their Norwegian counterparts, a chilly reception from Jews on campus towards pro-Israel speakers is a phenomenon Mr. Dershowitz said is common.

“Jews are afraid supporters of Israel will put them in a bad light,” he said. “The irony is that, for the most part, life has never been better for Jews on campus.”

Jews, Not Zionists His own history is a case in point.

While he attended Brooklyn College and

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could not even get an interview with the committee selecting Rhodes Scholars, his granddaughter recently had to decide whether to attend Yale or Harvard.

“Jews are welcomed all over the world, even in those places where anti-Zionism is strong,” he said, explaining that the most elite schools are comfortable allowing Jewish religious observances.

“They let their Jewish students know it is all right to be Jews, but not to be Jewish Zionists,” he said.

Jewish Fears This has affected Jewish students greatly, he said. He recalled that he wrote his 2003 best-seller, “The Case for Israel,” after a Harvard junior, who had graduated from the Ramaz High School in New York, came to the professor asking for mechilla (forgiveness) for not standing up for the Jewish state in the face of ranting antiIsrael professors and fellow students.

He told Mr. Dershowitz he was too embarrassed to speak up and feared he would become unpopular if he were perceived as being a Zionist.

Mr. Dershowitz said this attitude was virtually unknown when he was in college.

“We loved being Zionists, but, today, students fear they will be berated by their professors. So the pro-Israel Jews sit quietly while pro-Palestinian students erect mock ‘checkpoints’ ostensibly to show

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com what it is like to be monitored by Israeli soldiers who work to secure the country from terrorists. We don’t expect courage from our students,” he said.

Worse, he said, pro-Israel professors— even those with tenure—show no more backbone than most pro-Israel students.

Their fear, he said, is that they will lose popularity.

“Often before I give a talk, I receive a call from a professor or a junior faculty member who whispers, ‘Thank you for speaking out,’” said Mr. Dershowitz.

Open-Minded Students Nevertheless, he is convinced the majority of students are interested in hearing both sides of the issue, which is why he said they pack the lecture halls whenever he speaks.

But that was not his experience alone.

He recalled that one of his former students at Harvard became so disgusted with a blatantly one-sided negative course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, that he designed an alternative syllabus from the one directed by the teacher.

According to Mr. Dershowitz, while the professor’s reading list was filled with anti-Israel polemics, the student’s list, which he posted on the Internet, consisted of “historically accurate, objective material.”

“At the end of the semester, more students read the material on the alternative syllabus because they recognized it as truth, as opposed to the drivel offered to them by the teacher,” said Mr. Dershowitz.

J Street The student, Joel Pollak, went on to run a strong, though ultimately unsuccessful, campaign as a Republican candidate for Congress in Illinois’ super liberal 9th District. Although he is a lifelong Democrat, Mr. Dershowitz crossed lines and actively supported Mr. Pollak’s campaign against the Democrat incumbent Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

One of Mr. Dershowitz’s problems with Ms. Schakowsky was her open endorsement of the controversial organization J Street, which claims to be pro-Israel but whose positions often mirror those of the Jewish state’s worst enemies.

According to Mr. Dershowitz, the leader of J Street, Jeremy Ben-Ami, whom he has debated, is not anti-Israel. “But many of the people in J Street are,” he said. “Criticizing Israeli policies is not

Iyar 5771 antisemitism. Demonizing Israel and denying its right to exist is.”

Powerful Legal Case Ironically, he said, Israel’s “powerful moral case” is mirrored by the country’s legal case for legitimacy.

“No country has relied more on legal claims, from the 1917 Balfour Declaration, to the 1922 Mandate by the League of Nations, the 1936 Peel Commission, and, finally, the various UN resolutions,” he said.

He maintained that, of all the people fighting for homelands in the world today, including the Kurds and the Tibetans, the Palestinians “are the least deserving of statehood.”

“Their claim is extremely tenuous and weak,” he said. “After refusing so many

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chances for a state, the Palestinians’ moral claims pale in comparison to the Jewish right to live in Israel.”

“Two-State Solution” Nevertheless, he remains an enthusiast of the so-called “two-state solution,” and said, if he had his way, President Barak Obama, whom he supports, would announce that, in two months, he will make a visit to Israel and Ramallah. In exchange, Mr. Dershowitz said, he hopes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would promise to stop all building throughout Judea and Samaria.

“Then, Israel and the Palestinians should take those two months to work out the rough borders for a Palestinian state. Of course, it

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Dershowitz

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wouldn’t include so-called consensus areas in Judea and Samaria, such as Ma’ale Adumim.

Then Israel would agree not to engage in any further building in those areas that will become the Palestinian state and the Palestinians would agree that Israel could build in all areas they will keep,” he said.

Reminded that the Palestinians have repeatedly turned down this plan, Mr. Dershowitz said Israel should still make the effort.

Reasonable When some members of his audience expressed skepticism (one woman recalled Albert Einstein’s definition of “insanity”: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results), Mr. Dershowitz said that, as a longtime critic of Israel’s settlement policies, he is used to taking “flak from my family and rabbis” on this issue.

“Reasonable people can disagree,” he said, admitting that until now the Palestinians, who have insisted on their maximalist demands, have not been reasonable.

“This is the first time in history that the victors have sued for peace while the losers want unconditional surrender,” he said.

Lessons While he hesitated to offer predictions, he said there were three lessons that can be learned from the current geopolitical realities in the Middle East.

First, he said, it is now more obvious than ever that the US can rely on only one country in the Middle East as its true ally.

“No one knows in which direction Egypt, Syria, Turkey, or Saudi Arabia will go, but, in Israel, it does not matter if Labor, Likud, or another party wins an election. Whatever gov-

ernment emerges in Israel, it will be democratically elected, pro-Western, and always proAmerica,” he said.

Not the Reverse However, the fact that the US can rely on Israel, does not mean the reverse is true. In fact, said Mr. Dershowitz, recent events show that Israel cannot rely on the support of the United States either militarily or diplomatically at the UN. “We can hope the US will be there for Israel, and we can do our best to make that happen, but, in the end, Israel can depend only on its own capability to defend itself. Whether on the issue of Iran or on how to deal with Hamas, Israel’s concern for its own citizens must come first for the Jewish state,” he said.

Finally, he said, recent events in the Arab world prove that, contrary to popular wisdom, most of the Middle East’s problems have nothing to do

with Israel or the Jewish state’s either willingness or indisposition to appease its enemies.

“The Arab states just don’t care about the Palestinians. Arab leaders merely use the Palestinian issue as a circus to distract their citizens from their very real problems,” he said.

Saving Arab Lives Mr. Dershowitz pointed out that, in its 63 years, Israel, with its advances in medical science and technology, “has saved more Arab lives than all the Arab countries combined.”

He noted, for example, that Israeli physicians are on the cutting edge of using genetic and molecular treatment for cancer patients and Israeli scientists are currently working on a vaccine to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

“I think the BDS movements should start by refusing to use the Alzheimer’s vaccine,” quipped Mr. Dershowitz.

S.L.R.

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America-Israel Friendship League Delegations Produce Goodwill Ambassadors for Both Countries

ach year, as Chair of the Delegations Committee of the America-Israel Friendship League, former New York Attorney General Robert Abrams oversees trips to Israel taken by scores of Americans representing a wide variety of professions and leadership roles.

These missions to Israel include groups of Attorneys General from across the United States, Speakers and Majority Leaders of state legislatures, professors of Middle East Studies, business CEOs, school superintendents and state education officials, Harvard Law students, campus newspaper editors, architects, and even culinary writers.

According to Mr. Abrams, the goal of the AIFL missions and the reason he is involved, is “to strengthen the bonds and reinforce the shared values between these two great, vibrant democracies.”

“AIFL brings Americans, representing a wide variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds, to see the miracle of Israel, a nation of extraordinary growth and beauty, thriving despite real existential threats. AIFL mission participants see a nation filled with vibrant cities, impressive infrastructure, great universities, and state-of-the-art medical facilities. But they also see that, despite the headlines, Israel is a country in which Arabs and Jews live and work in harmony. The media likes to focus on the sparks on dissension; we show these American leaders the everyday truth about peaceful Arab-Israeli coexistence,” he said.

Family Ties Mr. Abrams knows whereof he speaks. His daughter and sonin-law made aliyah ten years ago and he is the proud grandfather of four Israeli grandchildren.

“When my daughter gave birth at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, I saw for

myself the many Jewish and Arab women and families being treated equally. When I take my grandchildren to the Jerusalem Zoo, I see Israeli families—Jews and Arabs—enjoying the afternoon together,” he said.

“During our missions, participants see the side of Israel that is missing on the nightly news: Israel at peace, where people can stroll down crimefree streets at any hour; a country with beautiful beaches, and awe-inspiring holy sites open and available for Christians, Muslims, and Jews. They see Israel as a country of great diversity, with a thriving economy prompting more start-ups per capita than any other nation in the world,” he continued.

Individualized Itinerary In addition to the usual Israeli-tourism “musts,” such as the historic sites of Jerusalem’s Old City, Masada and the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv, the Golan Heights, and the important Christian spots in the Galilee, the AIFL, working with the Israeli government and leaders of each individual group, is able to tailor mission itineraries to match each delegation’s unique focus.

For example, a recent delegation of seven New York State judges, had the opportunity to meet with Israeli Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein; Asher Axelrod, president of the Jerusalem bar and a member of the Jerusalem Judiciary; and Efraim Inbar, chairman of the Begin-Sadat Center at BarIlan University in Tel Aviv, who highlighted every significant international case on terrorism in the last five years.

The National Association of Attorneys General, which is the next group scheduled to visit Israel through the AIFL, will meet with important government officials who will brief the delegation on

the latest developments in the Middle East peace process as well as to familiarize participants with Israel’s legal framework, security issues, and commitment to the rule of law.

These briefings allow AIFL participants to gain a perspective on the complexity of the Middle East’s geopolitical situation.

“AIFL’s unique Leadership Delegations allow people to go beyond the headlines, to see the reality and learn the truth about Israel. Delegation participants discover Israel’s human face and heart,” said Mr. Abrams. “Our similar perspectives and vital commitments make Americans and Israelis natural friends.

The AIFL missions also give participants the opportunity to enjoy Israeli hospitality and the expansive history and striking beauty of the land.”

Goodwill Ambassadors He sees the AIFL’s delegation project as “a vitally necessary effort to balance the hundreds of millions of petro-dollars used to foster ill-will against Israel.”

This is especially true, he said, on the campuses of American colleges and universities, where, in many instances, Israel’s enemies fund Middle Eastern Studies departments and “professorial bias creeps into academic life.”

“Today, when the various

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boycott, divestment, and sanctions movements are trying to delegitimize Israel around the world, AIFL’s missions are critically important to Israel’s security,” he said.

A Mosaic Although each individual delegation operates independently, Mr. Abrams sees them as “pieces of a mosaic, all working together so that participants, upon their return home, can inspire their communities to fulfill the goal of friendship between the US and Israel.”

“Each mission participant is a prospective goodwill ambassador for Israeli-American support and friendship,” he said.

For more information about AIFL Delegations or to suggest a group that could benefit from such a mission, contact Dr. Alex Grobman, AIFL’s executive director, at 212-213-8630 or agrobman@aifl.org.

Founded in 1971 by a group of pro-Israel American leaders, including Congressman Herbert Tenzer, Vice-President Hubert H. Humphrey, Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson, and Nelson A. Rockefeller, the AIFL is a non-sectarian, nonpolitical, not-for-profit organization devoted to strengthening ties between the people of the US and Israel and bridging distances to reveal the beauty, humanity, and modern democratic values that define both nations. S.L.R.

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Alcohol & Drug Addiction: A Problem Among Orthodox Jews

By John Berkowitz, LCSW and Licensed School Psychologist Alcohol and drug addicfamilies and schools to cover up tion exist in every sector of addictions. They call this “the American Jewry, but recovery shanda factor:” Who wants to specialists say it is part of a marry a drug addict, or even a growing problem in the Ordrug addict’s sibling? thodox community—a probAs a result, addicts often lem that, because of the presdon’t receive treatment until their sures and particularities of an addictions have reached crisis observant-Jewish lifestyle, has proportions. Those involved in hit the Orthodox community treating these addicts say that, in different and sometimes until recently, members of the more troubling ways than other Orthodox community received segments of the Jewish comtreatment on average two years munity. Part of the problem, later than addicts in society at experts say, is that, for years, large—two years during which people couldn’t and wouldn’t their dependencies have time believe that drugs had found to grow, worsen, and become their way into Orthodox groups. harder to beat.

But they had.

Hard to Quantify Experts say the emphasis Solid numbers on addicin some fervently religious Ortion in the Orthodox commuthodox communities on finding nity are hard to come by. In marriage matches for young the past five to 10 years, the people, coupled with the comcommunity has begun to admunity’s traditional reluctance dress the issue more aggresto air its dirty laundry, leads sively and publicly, but it still

elicits silence and shame. And evidence suggests the problem is getting worse.

Lou Jacobs, executive director of the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters League in Baltimore, which runs the city’s Jewish Addiction Services, says he believes nearly half the case load comes from the Orthodox community. That’s a “dramatic change” from just five years ago, he says, when Orthodox clients comprised 10 to 15 percent of his clientele.

“I would say there certainly is a sense that this is a problem that has gotten beyond one that can be dealt with quietly within the Orthodox community with its own resources,” Mr. Jacobs says.

More Talk Some describe a chickenand-egg question: Is the number of Orthodox addicts growing, or—because community efforts have made treatment easier, more available, and more acceptable—are a greater number of addicts seeking help?

Experts say both might be true.

“What has opened people’s eyes is that there has been much more talk about the problem,” says Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, founder and medical director emeritus of Gateway Rehabilitation Center, a nonprofit drug and alcohol treatment system in western Pennsylvania. “Unfortunately there have been several young deaths from overdoses, but, fortunately, these were not covered up and they raised the alert of the community.”

Getting Rid of Pain Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, an expert in chemical addiction in the Jewish community, notes that the Orthodox aren’t the only members of the Jewish community with addiction issues.

“Alcohol and drug abuse is about an issue of individuals feeling an emptiness inside of themselves and they’re selfmedicating, trying to fill that hole and get rid of the pain they feel,” says Rabbi Olitzky, who also is executive director of the New York-based Jewish Outreach Institute. “Alcohol and drug abuse, for similar reasons, impact upon members of the Jewish community from one side of the spectrum to the other.”

Jewish recovery communities, such as the one in Baltimore, are few and far between, but many communities are making efforts to fight abuse by forming support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous societies and treatment centers.

“The number of Jewish addicts is proportionally similar to the rest of America” says Rabbi Olitzky.

Availability Insiders say the Orthodox lifestyle offers another gateway into and cover for addiction: the frequent availability and consumption of alcohol at religious life-cycle events.

Habits developed at these celebrations can eventually lead to alcoholism, and statistics show that individuals who abuse alcohol are more likely to use drugs.

In the Orthodox community, a person can drink a l’chaim at a morning brit milah ceremony, followed by another at an engagement party that evening.

Later in the week, there may be a wedding, followed by a sheva brachot party, followed on Shabbat by a Bar Mitzvah— and alcohol often is available at each event.

Observers say it has also becomes increasingly easy for youngsters, even the Orthodox, to obtain drugs.

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

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Education in NJ

F

Saved from the Brink: One Yeshiva Closes in Middlesex County, Another Opens

or a few days this past spring, some parents in the Highland Park-EdisonEast Brunswick Orthodox community were faced with the real possibility that their high school-aged children would have to commute to schools 30-45 minutes (without traffic) from home.

In April, there was an announcement that, after 18 years, the community’s Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School (MAYHS), located in nearby South River, would not be reopening for the 2011-2012 academic year, leaving some 100 students and their families floundering for another place to go.

Fortunately, that sad statement was followed by reports that a brand new high school, officially named the Rambam Yeshiva of New Jersey, will be opening in September. Slated to be located between the neighboring communities of Highland Park and East Brunswick, Rambam will immediately offer grades 9-12. Boys and girls will be in separate classes for both secular and Jewish learning.

Community Involvement On Sunday, April 18, Chol Hamoed Pesach, more than 100 parents, who had gotten wind of the new school’s opening chiefly by word of mouth, packed a meeting that was hastily called to set the wheels in motion.

By the end of April, subcommittees of parents eager to see Rambam succeed were being formed.

“The need was immediate and great,”

said Dr. Richard Kleinmann, who is serving as Rambam’s president.

Melissa Rosen, who had worked at MAYHS before its closing, is also involved, as a parent, with Rambam. Her daughter will be a member of the first graduating class.

“Without Rambam, some of our students might have had to travel more than one hour away to Teaneck or Paramus, or just slightly less to Elizabeth or Livingston, in rush-hour, both ways. With Rambam, most of our students will be just a few minutes from a superb school which is determined to meet their needs,” she said.

Love of Israel While the Highland Park-EdisonEast Brunswick community has a thriving Agudath school system, consisting of two highly regarded elementary schools in Piscataway—Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion Boys and Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion Girls— and Reenas Bais Yaakov, a very popular girls high school in Highland Park, the closure of MAYHS could have meant the community would be bereft of a Jewish high school whose goals include offering a superb secular and Jewish education along with a curriculum geared to fostering love of the State of Israel and the desire to go on to college.

According to Dr. Kleinmann, at Rambam, students will experience a warm environment with a commitment to fostering a lifelong love of Torah, Torah study, and Torah values.

“Our dual curriculum will promote academic achievement and instill a lifelong appreciation of Torah learning,” he said.

The school already has a commitment to participate in the Israel Day Parade and important Israel-based celebrations, such as Yom Ha’atzmaut, will be observed.

Small Classes Because, initially, the school will be quite small, Mrs. Rosen foresees opportunities that might not be possible for Rambam’s students were they to choose other institutions.

“We intend for all classes to be held in a seminar-like environment so that each student will be able to shine and no student will be lost in the shuffle,” she said, adding that even as Rambam experiences the growth anticipated by its founders, the board will want that smallfamily atmosphere to continue.

Other programs currently being planned

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Addictions

continued from page 12

“The problem in the yeshivas is the same as in the public schools,” says Dr. Daniel Vitow, headmaster of the North Shore Hebrew Academy High School on New York’s Long Island. “Our kids live in the same society and the same culture as everyone else.”

Testing and Expulsion When the problem becomes especially acute, some schools institute drug testing for students.

Some yeshivas eventually expel problem students, who are then sent from school to school to school, their problems left untreated, chalked up simply to “hanging out with the wrong group of friends.”

Dr. Vitow says the North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, which has no serious problem, offers information on drugs in health education classes, along with guest speakers and experts from outside agencies who train students to talk intelligently about drugs with their colleagues in peer mentor groups. Y Mr. Berkowitz, who has been a therapist for 13 years, practices in Teaneck.

He can be reached at 646-338-5424 or berkj1517@yahoo.com

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Education in NJ

F

In West Orange, a Cooperative Yeshiva with Low Tuition and High Academic Expectations

ed up with the impossibly high cost of Jewish education at too many day schools and yeshivoth, a group of parents in West Orange have banded together to form the West Orange Cooperative Yeshiva (WOCY). In September, it will open its first kindergarten class, and, if current excitement about the school continues, it may well have a first grade class as well.

Thereafter, the school intends to add at least a grade each year until it reaches 8th grade.

“We all want the best for our children—a good Hebrew and religious education and strong secular studies provided in a warm, nurturing Jewish environment.

But with rising yeshiva tuition, it is difficult to send even one child to yeshiva, much less two, three, four, or more. We knew there had to be a better way,” said Aaron Spool, who is serving as treasurer of the new school.

The new school takes as its mission to offer top-quality secular and religious education at a reasonable price and create an environment of mutual respect, understanding, and compassion.

“By working together, we strive to instill a lifelong love of learning and provide our students with the tools, skills, and knowledge to achieve a successful future,” said Mr. Spool.

Parent Volunteers Class size at WOCY will be limited to a maximum of 15 students per class with a teacher and a teaching assistant.

Tuition will be capped at $8,000, but, because it is a cooperative school, parental involvement is mandatory.

“There will be no extra hidden fees, but lower tuition costs will be possible because we expect parents and other community members to participate in a number of ways, such as taking on administrative, custodial, maintenance, and numerous other tasks,” said Mr. Spool.

These include donating supplies, picking them up, or assisting with organization. Some parents may write grant applications; others may volunteer—or find volunteers—to teach extra-curricular subjects and activities.

Parents will act as volunteer teachers’ aids, coordinators for field trips and car

pools, and lunch-break monitors. Professionals among the parents may donate their services, such as graphic design or public relations. Parents will also be called on to perform school administrative duties.

“By cooperating in this manner, parents will be able to sustain an affordable, high quality school,” said Mr. Spool. “Further, by cooperating with one another, the parents will be modeling the very behavior we want our children to emulate.”

Integrative Studies Teaching the first kindergarten class

will be Lea-Nora Kordova, a member of the West Orange Orthodox-Jewish community who comes to WOCY with more than 20 years of teaching experience. Fluent in Hebrew, she and her teaching assistant intend to integrate the Jewish studies-religious curriculum with the secular studies.

According to Ms. Kordova, this might mean coordinating lessons on which brachot to recite with nature studies on plants and trees, and then bringing in math and art concepts.

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

WOCY

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continued from page 15

Hebrew language will be taught in Hebrew, she said, and the secular curriculum will “meet and exceed” New Jersey standards and benchmarks.

“I relish the opportunity to integrate the curriculum so that children become whole Jews and learn to think as complete Jewish-minded people in our modern society,” she said.

Math Expert Ms. Kordova will be joined at WOCY by Barbara Hollander, an experienced math teacher who also lives in West Orange

Rambam

and has professional expertise writing math textbooks and elementary-school curricula.

“A math problem may have one answer, but there are many ways to find it,” she said, explaining that is why she “scaffolds” her lessons and uses “differentiated instruction to reach different kinds of learners.”

Over the past four years, she has written eight books and two online courses for students. She has also assessed six courses, evaluated K-5 math programs,

reviewed 18 books for high school students on economics and financial literacy, and helped to launch a K-5 math and reading series.

Music and More “As news of the WOCY has spread, we have been gratified to find an increasing number of community members, including musicians, mathematicians, artists, gardeners, and religious leaders who have indicated their willingness to volunteer their time and services. While most

mainstream schools are cutting extras, WOCY, because we are a cooperative school, is adding extras,” said Mr. Spool.

For example, the music teacher, Shoshana Kesselman, who will visit the classroom twice a week and provide music instruction, is a member of the community who intends to send her child to WOCY next year. Teaching will be her way of fulfilling her volunteer requirement.

A proficient pianist, vio-

leadership skills.”

New Faces Dr. Kleinmann, whose own children had attended MAYHS, acknowledged that the school, which closed for financial reasons, had provided a fine education to hundreds of students. According to a statement on the MAYHS website, the decision to close the school was based on “the projected operating budget, registration submissions to date, and years of accumulated debt.”

Some Highland Park parents stressed that MAYHS made very few—if any—efforts to reach out to the local community. Even some parents who tried to become involved were rebuffed, they said.

“In retrospect some mistakes were made but the school also accomplished many fine

things,” acknowledged Dr. Kleinmann, stressing that very few of the parents behind Rambam were involved in any way with MAYHS. “We have fresh, new community involvement and a new future, and we are confident that the Rambam Yeshiva of New Jersey will be a success.”

For more information, the school and its board, still in formation, can be contacted at newjewishschool@gmail.com.

Like Dr. Kleinmann, Mrs. Rosen is also excited about Rambam “because the school will give our local community the great opportunity for a rigorous education, both secular and religious, and innovative ‘extras’ that will seriously enhance their high school experience, all in our own backyard.”

S.L.R.

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for September include an honors program for juniors and seniors, in which each student will be paired with a faculty member to engage in independent research that will culminate in a written report or project. Seniors will be able to undertake independent internships that are approved by the school.

Rambam’s 10th graders will

be expected not only to give “chesed hours” to those less fortunate, but also to engage in “chesed research projects.”

“We want students to look around, find a problem which needs their attention, and then devote time to researching it and coming up with possible solutions,” said Mrs. Rosen. “We believe this is one of the best ways to develop

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WOCY

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continued from page 16

linist, guitarist, and accordionist, she believes children should be exposed to a variety of instruments and styles of music. At WOCY, she intends to use all her instruments while teaching children about tempo, pitch, rhythms, and keys.

“I hope to bring a love of music to children because my first rule when teaching is that the child must enjoy it,” she said.

In addition, local rabbis and other volunteers who are enthusiastic about WOCY’s goals will visit the classroom to enhance the learning experience.

Cooperating According to Ms. Kordova, the concept of a “cooperative” will extend to the school’s model of education, a form of active learning in which students will work together in small groups to perform specific assignments, much like yeshiva students learning in a chavrusa.

“Cooperative learning helps a child develop social skills, self-esteem, and communication skills. It also fosters an environment of mutual respect by encouraging children to work together and share ideas in a team setting,” she said.

At WOCY, she expects to see children participate in chesed projects to develop and strengthen a sense of social responsibility within their own community.

Financial Dissension A financial number-cruncher by profession, Mr. Spool already has one child in kindergarten, two more at home, and one on the way. He said the idea behind WOCY germinated as he and his wife, Shuly, discovered that they and their

neighbors were speaking about little else besides how to manage tuition.

“There are things in life that are difficult, such as starting a school. It’s hard, but it can be done. There are other things that are impossible, such as managing to pay day-school tuition for four children,” he said.

He is convinced the issue is causing far more damage to the Jewish community than has been discussed. In some ways, he said, it has caused members of the community to behave “like the Gestapo.”

“People watch each other, looking to see how people receiving tuition assistance are spending their money. Those who are sending their children to day schools without assistance terribly resent those who are receiving financial help. It is subject of conversation, and it is tearing communities—and families— apart,” he said.

Mr. Spool said he personally knows of a few divorces that he is convinced were caused by turmoil in the family over school tuition and related problems.

Showing Compassion He is determined to make certain that, at WOCY, parents suffering under economic strain will feel comfortable sending their children.

“As treasurer, I don’t intend to ask for proof of income and I am not worried about people taking advantage of us. Who are they going to be taking advantage of?

Members of the community,” he said.

While all parents are expected to perform volunteer functions, Mr. Spool said he is aware that parents who are already

holding down three jobs and have small children at home will have very limited— if any—time available.

Because the school is structured such that all its expenses will come from tuition alone, WOCY has not sought out major donors. If they materialize at some time in the future, Mr. Spool says their financial gifts will be used to lower tuition for all the families attending WOCY. The same will be true as the school grows in size. “The more children we have paying the moderate tuition fee, the less we will have to charge,” he said, adding that he fully expects, in three years, WOCY’s tuition will go down.

Securing a Site While all the paperwork had not yet been signed at the beginning of May, Mr. Spool was certain the school will be housed in a synagogue located minutes from the Jewish communities of Essex County, including West Orange, Livingston, and Rockaway.

But those are not the only communities eager to learn more about WOCY. Mr. Spool said he has received calls from families in Fair Lawn and Englewood. Some simply wanted to know how WOCY was formulated so that they might try something similar in their own communities, but others are considering making the trek to West Orange in order to save thousands of dollars and still give their children an outstanding education.

“I tell them that I understand transportation is going to be hard, but, if they try it for a year or two, we will be so successful, they’ll have no trouble starting cooperative schools in their home communities, and we will help them get started,” said Mr. Spool.

For more information about WOCY, visit their website at www.wocy.org or contact Mr. Spool at Aaron.spool@gmail. com For Mr. Spool, perhaps one of the best benefits of having started WOCY is that he now can sleep at night.

“Before I started working on WOCY, I used to lie awake at night, troubled by the specter of ever-increasing day-school tuitions. Now, after coming home from work, I spend a great deal of time working on the school, but, at night, I sleep well,” he said.

S.L.R.

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

By Tali Kaplinski Tarlow The search for a way to celebrate the birth of a Jewish girl is not easy.

Everyone knows that Jewish baby boys who come into this world are given a grand and meaningful reception. The Hebrew word for circumcision is brit milah, and it means covenant. The newborn boy is welcomed into the ancient covenant that binds the Jewish people and their Creator.

In recent times, young observant-Jewish families have expressed a desire to receive their baby daughters in an equally meaningful way. Although there is no commonly accepted ceremony to answer this need, a not-too-far-back look into the Jewish past uncovers beautiful customs and traditions centered around the celebration of the birth of a baby girl.

Ancient Jewish Customs In the Middle Ages, some Ashkenazi communities per-

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Celebrating the Birth of a Girl

formed the choyl-kreish ceremony when a baby girl was born. The women of the community gathered in the new baby’s house and candies were distributed to all the young girls, who would then dance around the baby’s cradle, calling, “What will be the baby’s name?”

In response, the mother would loudly pronounce the baby’s name, and those present would lift the cradle, a symbolic act that validated the declaration.

For many generations, some Sephardic communities have celebrated a zeved habat (gift of the daughter), which is performed in the home, in the presence of both parents and the entire congregation. The mother recites a thanksgiving prayer for having survived childbirth (Birkat HaGomel) and the baby girl is publicly named in the form of Mi Sheberakh prayer asking for health. It is also common to

recite Songs of Songs, Psalm 128, and the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim) New Meanings Noa Choritz, a nurse and young mother who made aliyah from Pittsburgh to Ra’anana, was very inspired by a Sephardic zeved habat that she attended. When her own daughter was born, she drew on much of the traditional Sephardic formula in structuring her own ceremony.

“I felt very strongly that I wanted our daughter to be welcomed with the same importance that our son was welcomed, both as a message to our community that daughters are no less important than sons, and as a message to our children that our daughters are just as special to us as our sons,” she said.

Mrs. Choritz and her husband, Bryan, are part of a growing movement among young observant-Jewish couples seeking to provide a meaningful welcoming ceremony

for their baby daughters. In addition to the zeved habat, there are simchat bat (joy of the daughter) and brit habat (girl-covenant) ceremonies that have become increasingly popular and widespread.

Some families have found the fact that there is neither a prescribed nor proscribed service for the birth of a daughter an advantage because it allows them to devise their own ceremonies using their own personal expressions and creativity combined with traditional elements which are significant to them.

Maternal Chain Shoshana Kordova, a journalist, translator, and editor who made aliyah from New Jersey and now frequently works for Ha’aretz and the Jerusalem Post, used her daughter’s simchat bat ceremony to explain to guests that while newborn baby boys have a grand ceremonial welcome to

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com the community, baby girls, it is argued, implicitly become part of the community simply by being born. “We wanted to adopt the traditional blessings from the zeved habat service to give our daughter an explicit welcome, not just an implicit one,� she said.

At their daughter’s ceremony, Mrs. Kordova and her husband, Warren, read traditional and contemporary Jewish texts, reflecting the birth of a daughter, and Psalms that expressed gratitude and praise to G-d. Mr. Kordova, who is of priestly descent (a cohain) performed the priestly blessing himself.

To Mrs. Kordova, it was important to express “the significance of the maternal chain of generations� which her baby girl was joining. Thus, the baby was brought into the room by her sister, who handed the child to Mrs. Kordova, who, in turn, handed the baby to her mother (the grandmother), who held her throughout the rest of the ceremony.

The women of the family were given the honor of reciting many of the traditional blessings.

Double Simchat Bat Rachel Wachtfogel, a teacher, celebrated a double simchat bat for her twin daughters at the end of a physically and emotionally trying pregnancy. “It was very important to my husband and me to express joy, as well as well as gratitude to G-d for the miracles that we had been through. Every birth is a miracle, and we had twins after a complicated pregnancy.

We really wanted to recognize the miracle together with friends and family,� she said.

To do this, they read a Psalm to which they related “both because it conveyed gratitude and because it mentioned the names of our two daughters, Hallel and Hodaya.�

She found the Psalm in

a compendium of women’s prayers from the 18th century and modified and used it because it “really spoke to me.� “It expressed thanks for what both I and the babies had gone through, as well as prayers for the future. I wanted to thank G-d for bringing us this far and to express hope that He would be with us for the rest of the way, watch over my babies and help me be a good mother to them,� she said.

Influencing Others As Orthodox young couples are discovering, there are

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numerous beautiful customs and symbolic acts that can be performed to bring meaning to the occasion, ranging from reclaiming the Talmudic tradition of planting a tree in the baby’s honor (the Jewish National Fund did not come up with that idea), to washing the baby girl’s feet (a Biblical gesture of welcome), and inviting the immediate family to bless the baby girl under a prayer shawl canopy (chupah).

Of course, no Jewish simcha would be complete without a festive and bounteous array of food, and during the Cho-

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ritz’s recent zeved habat, guests expressed their enjoyment of the meaningful occasion while enjoying the meal.

For the Choritzes, there was satisfaction in knowing that many of their friends said they wished they had done something like this for their own daughters, while others, who did not yet have children, said that someday they would have similar ceremonies of their own. “This was another part of our message, that the zeved habat ceremony should be

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T

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Discovery of Buried Mikveh Prompts an Historical Overview of Baltimore’s Orthodox History

he recent report that a 166-year-old mikveh, dating from 1845 at the latest, had been uncovered under the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue in Baltimore, had deep resonance for The Jewish Voice and Opinion’s observer, social critic, and demographic analyst Catriel Sugarman, who authors The Jewish Voice’s periodic “Catriel’s Notebook” feature. Mr. Sugarman’s was the last bar mitzvah ever celebrated in the Lloyd Street Synagogue.

“The year was 1957, when Sputnik was shot into space,” said Mr. Sugarman.

His late grandfather, HaRav Dovid

Pattashnick, was the last spiritual leader of the congregation, the venerable Shomrei Mishmeres HaKodesh.

Deep Ties The Lloyd Street Synagogue, a Greek Revival-style building which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was the first shul built in Maryland and is the third oldest Jewish house of worship still standing in the US. Now owned by the Jewish Museum of Maryland, it is open to the public as a museum in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore.

Now a resident of Jerusalem, Mr.

Sugarman still frequently visits the city where his mother was raised. He still has many cousins there who are all stalwart members of the Orthodox community.

“My ties to Baltimore, coupled with my academic and social-science interest in Jewish demography, prompted me to explore the ramifications of the newly released Baltimore-Jewish population study, which shows that Orthodoxy is the fastest-growing movement in the community,” he said.

Private Meetings Although Jews resided in Baltimore in Colonial times, there are no records of communal institutions. According to Esther Doyle Read, who is a lecturer in ancient studies at the University of Maryland and the director of the mikveh excavations, Jewish congregations in Maryland were barred by law from incorporating or owning property until 1828. Until then, she said, they would typically meet in private homes, where they would build their mikva’ot in basements.

The mikveh that was recently uncovered may have been one of those.

According to Mr. Sugarman, the city has had a significant Orthodox presence from the days of the legendary Rav Avraham Rice, spiritual leader of Congregation Nidche Israel (later Baltimore Hebrew Congregation) in the 1840s.

Maintaining Tradition Congregation Nidche Israel was founded by predominantly German-Jewish immigrants in 1830, just after the law changed.

Soon after, they hired Rabbi Rice, a German rav who engaged in an uphill battle against the Reform movement as well as assimilation and lax observance of Shabbat and kashruth. It was a position

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reclaimed by both Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities, so that ours would not be a unique ceremony, but should be as commonplace as a brit milah,” said Mrs. Choritz.

Y Tali Tarlow is a speech writer who offers speech-writing consultancy services for all Jewish simchas and occasions. Her website is http://.www.yourjewishspeech.com

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com that placed him in constant conflict with many of his congregants.

For example, when he ruled that Sabbath desecrators should not be called to the Torah, the resistance in the shul forced him to back down. He allowed them to be called to the Torah, but he said no one should answer “amen” to the blessings they recited.

In 1842, as a result of his objections to the inclusion of Masonic rites at a Jewish funeral, a number of his congregants left his shul to form Har Sinai Verein, the first permanent Reform congregation in the United States.

New Building In 1845, the congregation relocated to the Lloyd Street site under the name Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (BHC).

Designed by Baltimore architects Robert Cary Long, Jr and William Reasin, the brick building, which has four Doric columns supporting a classic pediment, all painted white, is a near-twin of Baltimore’s St Peter the Apostle Church, which was designed by Mr. Long in 1842.

Under Rabbi Rice’s leadership, the shul either built or incorporated the mikveh that was recently uncovered, and established one of the first Hebrew schools in the United States.

According to Ms. Read, the recently uncovered mikveh is thus far the oldest Jewish ritual bath ever discovered in the US. In 1849, no longer able to resist the demand for liberal reforms, Rabbi Rice resigned from BHC and founded his own Orthodox shul. To maintain his financial independence, he opened a dry goods store and a grocery.

Burying the Mikveh In 1860, BHC expanded the Lloyd Street building to the rear and tore down the old mikveh building, filling in the bath and burying it beneath their new addition.

The excavations led by Ms. Read are taking place beneath what is now the basement floor of the 1860 addition.

“We found an area that had wood in it that began to drop rapidly below the level of the basement floor,” she said.

The archeologists, led by Ms. Read, have revealed about one-fourth of the original five-foot deep wooden tub, which is linked to a cistern and to remains of a brick hearth once used to warm the bath’s water.

The dig has also unearthed a wealth of artifacts in the dirt which was used to fill in the mikveh, including broken wine

Iyar 5771 bottles, crockery, buttons, and other domestic items, none of which date back later than 1860.

European Model According to Avi Decter, executive director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the week the cistern was discovered, an article in a professional archeology journal described an excavation of a synagogue in Amsterdam dating back to 1723.

“And it had the same three elements— the bath, the cistern, and the hearth,” he said. “The idea of a ritual bath complex helps fill out the history of Jewish religious practice in this country.”

The Jewish Voice and Opinion

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According to Ms. Read, similar mikveh complexes have been found in Germany and the Netherlands dating at least to the 1500s.

“The first congregation here was German, and they brought that cultural template to America,” she said.

It is unknown where or even if the Lloyd Street congregation built a new mikveh to replace the one that was buried in the 1860 expansion.

Reform Temple In 1862, the congregants of BHC seemed to have had a change of heart. They asked Rabbi Rice to return to their pulpit,

continued on page 25

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OHEL Addresses Issue of Adolescent Addiction

ental health, education, and social service professionals who work with teens and their families often face complex challenges. One of the more pressing of these issues is adolescent addiction, including the warning signs, family risk factors, the different forms of addiction, and how they relate to depression, anxiety, and trauma.

These and other important questions were addressed at a recent skill-building workshop

in Lakewood. Entitled “Understanding Adolescent Addiction: Assessment and Treatment Issues,“ and sponsored by the Mel and Phyllis Zachter OHEL Institute for Training, the workshop was funded by the US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. It provided educators, therapists, and social service professionals with valuable insights and practical strategies based on the latest clinical and research findings.

Baltimore Mikveh with the promise that it would remain strictly Orthodox.

A few months later, however, he died, and with him Orthodoxy in Nidche Israel/ BHC. In 1871, an organ was introduced into the synagogue, and BHC became a Reform temple, which it still is.

In 1891, BHC moved to a larger location on Madison Avenue, selling the Lloyd Street building to the St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, a parish that served mainly immigrants from Lithuania.

Orthodox Again But the Orthodox history of the Lloyd Street Synagogue was hardly over. In 1905, the church sold the building to a new Orthodox congregation, Shomrei Mishmeres HaKodesh, which served Eastern European Jewish immigrants.

Just a few feet away from the recently unearthed mikveh stand two more modern, tile-lined mikva’ot, which were built and used by Congregation Shomrei Mishmeres HaKodesh.

“These are the mikva’ot I remember from my youth,” said Mr. Sugarman.

In 1917, the first all-day Hebrew day school outside of New York—the Hebrew Parochial School, later renamed the Talmudic Academy of Baltimore/Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim—was founded

The March 24th workshop featured Barry Horowitz, LCSW-R and psychotherapist, who serves as coordinator of OHEL’s Adolescent Leadership Program.

He provided a comprehensive discussion of adolescent substance and process addictions, including assessment, risk factors, and treatment planning.

His presentation also included cultural issues that impact working with teens in the OrthodoxJewish community.

OHEL is committed to providing advanced educational opportunities to enhance the skills of helping professionals and enable communities to effectively address a broad range of current challenges.

For further information about future Institute trainings for professionals and the community, see OHEL’s website, at www.ohelfamily.org, or call the Mel and Phyllis Zachter OHEL Institute for Training at1-877-EDU-OHEL. Y

mission was to acquire, renovate, and maintain the Lloyd Street Synagogue. Eventually, the society became the Jewish Museum of Maryland. In 1978, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

To Mr. Decter, the fact that several different religious groups utilized the building over the years makes this an “only-in-America” story.

“In Europe, Jewish and Christian congregations did not exchange buildings. But here in the US, we take over each other’s buildings regularly. It is a very powerful story for us,” he said.

A Namesake The revitalization of the Orthodox community in Baltimore began in the late 1960s, just a few years too late for Shomrei Mishmeres HaKodesh.

“New yeshivot were founded as well as a Beis Yaakov

School, and a plethora of new synagogues, filled with vibrant young families and oodles of children, opened their doors.

The Orthodox community had come to life and, tentatively at first and then with growing confidence, bounced back,” said Mr. Sugarman.

In October 2006, Rabbi Chaim Schwartz, grandson and namesake of one of the three original trustees of Cong Shomrei Mishmeres HaKodesh on Lloyd Street, opened a Beit Midrash on Strathmore Avenue in the Upper Park Heights area of Baltimore.

“His goal was to resurrect the name and mission of the original Shomrei Mishmeres HaKodesh. Happily, the new shul is now a successful, delightfully hyperactive beit midrash teeming with young families. My grandfather would be ecstatic,” said Mr. Sugarman. S.L.R.

continued from page 23

in Baltimore, and, in 1933, the now-world renowned Ner Israel Yeshiva opened.

“Similar to the rest of the country, by the 1920s and ’30s, the Orthodox community in Baltimore began to decline, and, by the 1950s and ’60s, Orthodox Jews became a small minority in the city that was once known as the ‘Jerusalem of America,’” said Mr. Sugarman.

Threatened Demolition In the 1950s, the Lloyd Street Synagogue’s Congregation Shomrei Mishmeres HaKodesh fell victim to the shifting demography in Baltimore and, by 1963, in the face of threatened demolition, was forced to close.

“Many years ago, one of my uncles told me how my grandfather forcefully intervened when some of the remaining members wanted to sell the building to a pickle factory,” said Mr. Sugarman.

When word that the congregation was seeking to sell the building reached Wilbur Hunter, director of Baltimore’s Peale Museum, he alerted the Jewish community, and the Baltimore Board of Rabbis appointed a committee to investigate how the historic landmark might be preserved.

New Museum The answer was the establishment of the Jewish Historical Society of Maryland, whose

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion Apply Now

Hebrew Home of Riverdale Is Accepting Applications for the Generation 2 Generation Internship Program, four-week internship for Jewish teenagers to enrich the lives of residents at the Hebrew Home whole gaining new insights on community service and Jewish culture and tradition, two sessions, June 27-July 22 and July 25-Aug 19, a stipend is offered, 718-581-1404 or 718-581-1232 Areyvut is seeking college students to serve as interns this summer on a variety of projects, including “Make a Difference” Day, grant proposals, bnai mitzvah programming, Jewish teen philanthropy, and curriculum development, in Bergenfield, from June 6-July 22, 201-244-6702, resumes can be sent to sharon@areyvut.org Artists for Israel’s Response Art Series is looking for artists who want, through their work, to show that artists support Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, art work will be exhibited, contact Sheryl Intrator Urman, artforlearning@yahoo.com Sun., May 8, Mother’s Day Davening, Breakfast, and Bikur Cholim, at Daughters of Miriam, Clifton, minyan at 8:45am, samapprais@aim.com Blood Drive, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9am-2pm, bschindo@bloodnj.org “The Kesher Wife Workshop: A Marriage Workshop,” for women, Sara Yoheved Rigler, spons by Neve PTI, private home in Passaic, 9am, 908-278-4059 Explanatory Morning Service, Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:15am, 201-966-4490 Mother’s Day Cookie Baking, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West

May 2011 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion” Orange, for mothers with children ages 2-4, 9:15am; for pre-K and K, 10:15am; for grade 1, 11:15am; for grades 2-5, 12:15pm; 973736-1407 Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Den Meeting: Health and Fitness, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschachter2@ gmail.com “What’s Happened to Our Families?

Is Everything at Risk?” Rabbi Berel Wein and Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twersky, a Destiny Foundation Yom Iyun, at Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 9:30am, 800-499-9346 EMUNAH Mother’s Day Celebration Brunch, for women, featuring comedian Robin Fox, to benefit the Libby Kolb Center for Creative and Graphic Arts, private home in Teaneck, 10am, 201-836-7217 or brynamalitsky@gmail.com “Terrorist Cop: NYPD Jewish Cop Traveled the World to Stop Terrorists,” Mordecai Dzikansky, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 8pm, books, bagels, and coffee available, 201-568-1315 Cong Beth Aaron Sisterhood Brunch, at Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 11am, 201833-0801 A New Book for Mother’s Day: “Creating Your Perfect Family: How to Make an Informed Decision about Having a Baby,” Dr. Alan Singer, Nighthawk Books, Highland Park, 2pm, 732-339-8920 “The Merchant of Venice,” Playhouse 22, East Brunswick Cultural Arts Center, 3pm, 732-254-3939 Yom Hazikaron Memorial for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror with the Kolot Amal Youth Choir from Nahariya, at the Bergen YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 4:30pm, 201-666-6610

The Log: BBQ and Sports Day, for teens, spons

by Riverdale Jewish Center, at Seton Park, 4:30pm, 917-548-2703 Junior NCSY Spring Regional Psych-Up Night, for grades 5-8, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 6pm, 201-247-7961 or 908-414-4235 Yom Hazikaron Commemoration, includes film, “An Article of Hope,” and Hebrew sing-along with Ilan Tal, JCC, West Orange, 7pm, 973-929-3054 Erev Yom Hazikaron: Paying Tribute to Israel’s Fallen Soldiers and Martyrs of Terrorism, in Hebrew, featuring the Kolot Amal Youth Choir from Nahariya, at the JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-408-1457 “Evening of Torah and Art,” with emcee Nachum Segal and featuring Rabbi Eytan Feiner, includes Judaica and Jewish art auction, to benefit Bonei Olam, at Cong Adas Israel, Passaic, 7:30pm “Blossom, Ba’al Teshuva, Big Bang Theory: A Journey from Hollywood Star to Observant Jew,” Mayim Bialik, to benefit Jew in the City of Fractured Atlas, private home in Teaneck, 7:45pm, mayimInTeaneck@gmail.com “What Are We Fighting For? How Assessing the Needs of the Collective and Promoting Communal Values from a Torah Perspective Secures the Future of the Land of Israel,” Rabbi Shalom Hammer, for Yom HaZikaron, Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:15pm Yom HaZikaron Commemoration, for adults, includes slide show, stories about chayalim, tefillot, and yizkor, spons by Bnei Akiva and Ben Porat Yosef, at Ben Porat Yosef, Paramus, 8:30pm, 201-845-5007 ext 16 “The Spiritual GPS: How to Get to the Place You Want to Be,” Sara Yoheved Rigler, spons by Sisterhoods of Beth Abraham and Bnai Yeshurun, at Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 8:45pm

Mon., May 9, Yom Hazikaron

Yom Hazikaron Ceremony featuring the Kolot Amal Youth Choir from Nahariya and The Moshav Band, Frisch Yeshiva High School, Paramus, 8:45am, 201-820-3908 “Destination Torah: Different Paths of the Jewish Textural Tradition,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 Skill Building for Mental Health and Education Professionals: “Teen Depression and Suicide,” spons by OHEL, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 11:30am, 201-692-3972 One Book, One Community: “My Father’s Paradise” by Ariel Sabar, about a Jewish family from the Kurdish region of Iraq, call 209-647-1075, access code 846852#, noon or 7:30pm, for more information, call 201-8203904 or nancyp@ujannj.org

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com

Iyar 5771

“Separate Yourself Not from the Community”

Kolot Amal Youth Choir from Nahariya, Jewish Home Assisted Living, River Vale, 3pm, 201-666-2370 Film: “Their Eyes Were Dry,” the story of the 1974 terrorist attack in Ma’alot against children, private theater in Paramus, 7pm, Middlebrook Galleria Cinema 10, Asbury Park, 732-493-3800; Burlington 20, Burlington, 609-239-3500; Edgewater 16 Multiple Cinemas, Edgewater, 201-840-6665; Commerce Center 18, North Brunswick, 732-940-0300; AMC Garden State 16, Paramus, 201-291-8468; Parsippany Cinema 12, Parsippany, 973-3354141; KRS Showplace Theater, Secaucus, 201210-5364; and RVE Ritz Center, Voorhees, 856-783-2726 or 856-770-0600 Yom Hazikaron/Yom Ha’atzmaut Program, featuring special tribute to Steve Averbach, z”l, pride in Doran Shapiro and Michael Herschmann who will be joining the IDF, Israeli food, and activities for grades K-5, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 7pm Yom Ha’atzmaut Community Celebration: “Israel: The Continuing Miracle,” Rabbi Berel Wein, Cong Ohaiv Yisroel of Blueberry Hill, Monsey, 7:20pm, 845-425-5540 Yom Hazikaron/Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration, Riverdale Jewish Center, 7pm, 718-548-1850 Yom Ha’atzmaut Teaneck CommunityWide Celebration, includes refreshments, music, special “Daglanut” Presentation, and youth program for children ages 3 and up, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 7:25pm, 201-836-3116 or 201-501-8684 “Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World—The Gift of Rest,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Lubavitch Center, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-486-2362 “An Evening of Comedy and Music,” Black Box Studios, at the Teaneck General Store on Cedar Lane, 7:30pm, 201-530-5046

Tues., May 10, Yom Ha’atzmaut

“Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World—The Gift of Rest,” Rabbi Levi Wolosow and Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 10am, 732-972-3687; Rabbi Levi Dubinsky, Chabad of Mountain Lakes, Denville, 7:30pm, 973-551-1898; Rabbis Yitzchok Dubov, Levi Shemtov, and Hershel Weiszner, spons by Chabad of Riverdale, at the Riverdale YMHA, 7:30pm, 718-549-1100; Rabbi Levi Azimov, Chabad Center, South Brunswick, 7:45pm, 732-398-9492; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Valley Chabad, Woodcliff Lake, 7:45pm, 201-476-0157 Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration Luncheon, featuring a member of the IDF from Kfar Ahava, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 12:30pm, 845-362-4400 “Rashi: Rabbi Shelomo Yitzchaki,”

Rabbi David Feldman, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 1:30pm, 201-833-0515 ext 200 A Novel on the American-Jewish Experience: Philip Roth’s “Indignation,” Prof Benjamin Nelson, JCC, West Orange, 1:30pm, 973-530-3480 Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration with the Kolot Amal Youth Choir of Nahariya, at the Bergen County YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 1:30pm, 201-820-3907 or 201-666-6610 Kolot Amal Youth Choir of Nahariya, Yeshivat Noam, Paramus, 2:45pm, 201261-1919 Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration, Israeli food and vendors, school and synagogue choirs, puppet show, entertainment, Ha’aretz

The Jewish Voice and Opinion

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reporter Natasha Mozgovaya, and singer Misha Kirkilan, Aidekman JCC, Whippany, 4-9pm, 973-929-3000 Celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, for children 2½-5 with an adult and grades 3-7 with their families, includes Israeli crafts, food, games, and music, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 4pm, 845-362-4400 Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration with the Kolot Amal Youth Choir of Nahariya, YMHA, Wayne, 6pm, 973-595-0100 ext 228 “Inconvenient,” for parents and teenage girls, Margie Gelbwasser, JCC, West Orange, 6pm, 973-530-3410 Junior NCSY Spring Regional Psych-

continued on page 28

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

The Log

May 2011

Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”

continued from page 27

Up Night, for grades 5-8, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 7pm, 201247-7961 or 908-414-4235 Film: “Faces of Israel,” with director Amy Beth Oppenheimer, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400 Gap-Year Programs in Israel and Jewish Summer Adventures, private home in Hillsdale, 7:30pm, 201-358-2783 “Educating Avraham, Reclaiming Yitzchak, Transforming Yaakov,” Yael Goldfischer, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, 8:15pm, 973-736-1407 Kashrus and Shabbos Cooking Refresher, Rabbi Yaakov Luban, private home in Edison, 8:30pm, 732-247-0766

Wed., May 11

Making Sefira Count, for women, spons by Machon Lev V’Nefesh, at Ohr Somayach’s Beit Shvidler Conference Center, Monsey, registration, 9:30am; “Turning Angry, Feeling Empty: Understanding Teens and the Teenager within Us All,” Chani Juravel, 9:45am; “Turning Inward, Turning Away: Adult Inclinations

toward Apathy,” Shira Smiles, 11am, 845-709-2832 or machonlevvnefesh@yahoo.com Chai Café, kosher nutrition site for seniors, spons by the Jewish Family and Counseling Service of Jersey City, Bayonne, and Hoboken, at the Bayonne JCC, 10:30am, 201-436-6900 “How to Build Your OnLine Professional Identity,” Ken Lonyai and Debra Benkler of ScreenPlay InterActive, spons

by Project Ezrah, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 11am, 201569-9047 Yom Ha’atzmaut Celebration, for seniors, JCC, Tenafly, 11:15am, 201-408-1457 Senior Lunch and Learn, Rabbi Avrohom Herman, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, noon, 908-355-4850 Kosher Lunch and Learn, Saul Lazarus, Case Museum, Jersey City, 12:45pm, 973-943-2306 Job Fair, includes live and virtual interviews with employers with real jobs, spons by the OU Job Board, at the JCC of Staten Island, 3-7pm; networking, 3-4pm,

klatzkink@ou.org Volunteer Training, to serve as a mentor and friend of a specialneeds child, spons by The Friendship Circle of Bergen County, at Kids Therapy Place, Bogota, 7pm, also Thurs., May 12, 7pm, 201-262-7172 Confidential Abused Women’s Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 Second-Generation Children of Holocaust Survivors Discussion Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 Support Group for Caregivers, those caring for an older adult who is physically frail or suffering from memory loss, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-408-1450 “Save Abused and Frail Elderly: What You Need to Know about Elder Abuse,” Temple Emeth, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201833-1322 “Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World— The Gift of Rest,” Rabbi Michel Gurkov, Chabad Center, Wayne, 7:30pm, 973-694-6274; Rabbi Levi Wolosow and Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 7:30pm, 732-972-3687; Rabbi Shmuel Gancz, Chabad of Suffern, 845-368-1889, 7:30pm; Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad Center, Cherry Hill, 856-874-1500, 7:30pm; Rabbi Moshe Katzman, Chabad of Staten Island, 7:30pm, 718-3708953; Rabbi Mordechai Baumgarten, Chabad Center, Rockaway, 8pm, 973-625-1525 “Chicks with Sticks Knitting Circle,” hats for preemies, children with cancer, and IDF soldiers in Israel, private home in Highland Park, 8pm, 732-339-8492 Evening of Inspiration with Rebbetzin Shira Smiles, EMUNAH Kallah Tea, for women, private home in Passaic, 8pm, 917-796-7361 “Kiruv Out of the Classroom,” spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, with Rabbi David Pietruszka and JLE president Sam Kaplan at Cong Bnai Yeshurun, Teaneck, 8:30pm, 201-966-4498 or 201-214-7741

Thurs., May 12

Rebbetzin Shira Smiles, private home in Highland Park, 9:30am, 732-937-6823 “Legal and Financial Considerations in Dementia Care,” Senior Home Care Services, Morristown, 6:30pm, 973-538-4357 “Helping Your Children Deal with Divorce: How to Communicate, What to Say and What Not to Say, Maintaining a Working Collaborative Relationship with Your Ex,” Judy Frank, LMSW, at OHEL, Teaneck, 7pm, 201692-3972 Kosher Indian Cooking, Pammi Anandani and Sanjya Tidke, Riverdale YMHA, 7pm, 718-548-8200 Spring Challah Baking, for girls in grades 4-5, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 7pm, 973-736-1407 Jewish 12-Step Meeting, JACS—Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-837-9090, ask for IRA (Information and Referral) or 201981-1071 Euro Café, for teens in grades 7-12 and Holocaust survivors, at the Holocaust Museum and Study Center, Spring Valley, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400 “Israel Independence Day Bash: The Shuk Israeli Folk/ Rock Band, Maxwell’s, Hoboken, 7:30pm, 201-653-1703 Kosher Cuban Date Night for Couples, Chef Meredith Spiegel, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400 Junior NCSY Spring Regional, at Camp Morasha, Lake Como, PA, through Sun., May 15, 201-862-0250 or 732-406-3744

Fri., May 13

Deadline for Rockland Students Essay Contest, in grades 9-12, up to age 18, 500-750 words on “What Democracy Means to Israel,” for more information, 845-362-4200 ext 132 “A Cinematic Look at the Changing Image of the Israeli Male in Film,” Muli Peleg, Bildner Center, Rutgers, New Brunswick, 2:30pm, 732-932-3345

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com College Shabbaton, Rabbi Ely Allen, spons by Hillel of Northern NJ, private home in Bergenfield, through Shabbat, May 14, 201-820-3905 Yachad Family Shabbaton, for developmentally disabled youngsters and their families, at the Hudson Valley Resort and Spa, Kerhonkson, NY, through Sun., May 15, 212-613-8229 Cong Keter Torah Manhattan Jewish Experience Shabbaton, for professionals in their 20s and 30s, with little or no Jewish background, through Shabbat, May 14, to house participants or host for lunch, joysklar@yahoo.com

Shabbat, May 14

Nefesh B’Nefesh Shabbat, Cong Ahavat Shalom of the Teaneck Apartments, at Torah Academy of Bergen County, Teaneck, 201-836-3828 Sushi and Shmoozing, kiddush for teens, discussion with Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 11:30am, 201-801-9022 or info@netivotshalomnj.org Salute to Israel Kiddush, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 11:30am, 973-994-2620

Sun., May 15

Deadline to Submit Nominations for the 2011 Russell Berrie Young Leadership Awards, for volunteer leaders, ages 25-45, who show outstanding leadership or potential for leadership, activism, and philanthropic vision for Israel and/or the Northern NJ Jewish Community, forms from lauraf@ ujannj.org or 201-820-3923 Deadline to submit Requests for Funding, for nonprofit organizations (or potential non-profits) with innovative ideas designed to create a strong, collaborative, caring, and vibrant Jewish community in Northern NJ and abroad; awards range from $5,000 t0 $50,000, lauraf@ujannj. org or 201-820-3923 Last Day to Donate Unopened, Non-Perishable Kosher Food, even from Pesach, private homes in Teaneck, 201-837-9682, 201-833-8185, 201-833-9535 Yom Iyun for Women: Art and Music, Expressions of Beauty in Judaism,” featuring “Music

in Judaism,” Racheli Weiss Luftglass, and “Torah Perspective on the Arts,” Tikvah Weiner, Community Synagogue of Monsey, 9am, 845-356-2003 or leahtomor@netzero.net Pars for Parkinson’s: The Paul Kudowitz Memorial Golf Outing, to benefit the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, at Tarry Brae Golf Course in South Fallsberg, all food is glatt kosher, begins 9am, 201-663-1010 or 201-862-0575 Ramapo Village Garage Sale, includes books, kosher dishes, Judaica, toys, clothes and accessories, household appliances, linens, etc, each family selling will bring its own folding tables, chairs, and goods to sell; set their own prices and keep all money received; the village receives $20 per table, in the Ramapo Village Hall parking lot on Route 306, 9am-3pm, 845-3544096 or pwissner@aol.com Sisterhood Self-Defense Class, David Bendory, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 9am, 973597-1655 Friendship Circle of Bergen County Chai-a-thon, for special-needs children, Yeshivat Noam, Paramus, 9am-noon and 6-9pm, also Tues., May 17, 6-9pm, 201-262-7172, Spring Challah Baking, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, pre-K and K, 9am; grade 1, 10am; grades 2-3, 11am, 973-736-1407 Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Den Meeting: Bike Path Tour, Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschacter2@ gmail.com “Why Does Israel Still Matter?” Hadassah Southern NJ Region Spring Conference, featuring Israeli Deputy Consul General Shlomi Kofman and a student leader from Rutgers Hillel, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Jamesburg, 9:30am, 732-643-1100 Yad Leah Clothing Drive, donate clothing in wearable new or like-new condition, also linens, towels, tablecloths, handbags, and men’s and boys’ hats in good condition, at Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 9:30am12:30pm, 732-819-8351 Nusach Hatfiloh, through

Iyar 5771

The Jewish Voice and Opinion

the Belz School of YU, at Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 10am, 732572-1188 Rutherford Orthodox Community Open House, Rabbi Nosson Schuman, Cong Beth-El of Rutherford, 10am-1pm, 201-438-4931 or www.rutherfordjewish.org Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, a team for people on Dale Drive in West Orange has been formed as well as one from the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston, at Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex, West Orange, 10am, 908-277-2904, 973-9940290, or srksod@aol.com Jewish Education for Special Children Breakfast, honoring Philyss Seidenfeld and Yaacov and Shira Gitstein, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 10am Riverdale YMHA Environmental Fair, 10am-2pm, 718548-8200 Israel Advocacy Program: “How to Prepare Students for the Anti-Israel Rhetoric and Tactics They Will Confront in College,” for high school juniors and seniors and their parents, Etzion Neuer, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva

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High School, Teaneck, 10:30am, 201-820-3944, 973-669-9700, or eneuer@adl.org Sharsheret’s 10th Anniversary Benefit, featuring Neshama Carlebach, photo exhibit “Sharsheret: Changing the Face of Breast Cancer,” by Gail Hadani, and silent auction, honoring Naomi Kanovsky and Marcie Cappell, Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, 10:30am, 866-474-2774 Sibshops, for children 7-12 who have a special-needs sibling, JCC, Tenafly, 10:30am, 201569-7900 “The New Frontier: Life Beyond High School—Am I Ready? Is My Child Prepared to Take His Next Steps? Put a Plan in Place,” for parents with special-needs children, Kim Ventresco, LCSW, private office in Teaneck, 11am, 201-837-8371 Mathilde Goldflies Mikva Brunch, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 11am, 908352-5048 South Riverdale Avenue Merchants Association Arts Festival, includes art from the Hebrew Home’s Derfner Muse-

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May 2011

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um, live music performances, and special children’s activities, from 235th St to 238th St and down 238th St, Riverdale, 11am-4pm Walk for Chai Lifeline: Send a Smile with Every Step, to benefit sick children who will attend Camp Simcha, prizes for individuals and team fundraisers, at Votee Park, Teaneck, 12-2pm, 212-465-1300 Jewish Singles Scavenger Hunt, ages 30+, bring cell phone or digital camera and team up to hunt and then photograph items, registration at Is-A-Berry Frozen Yogurt on Palisade Ave in Englewood, 12:30pm; hunt begins in Englewood, 1pm, 201264-9515 Outdoor Concert In the Spirit of Jewish Camp: Jewish Rock Star Sheldon Low, kosher refreshments, spons by UJC of MetroWest, at Vail Mansion Great Lawn, Morristown, 1:30pm, 973-929-3000 Yiddish Film: “The Dybbuk,” with English subtitles, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 2pm, 201836-5070 Yom Ha’atzmaut Community Celebration, featuring The Shuk Israeli folk-rock band, JCC Tenafly, 3pm, 201-408-1496 “Response” Art Exhibit and Meet the Artists, with Sheryl Intrator Urman and Dr. Alex Grobman, local artists show their support for Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, JCC, Tenafly, exhibit, 3-5pm; reception, 5-6:30pm, 201-408-1426 Holocaust Documentary: “The Long Way Home” and Yom Yerushalayim Celebratory Film: “A New Beginning 1948-1957: Faith and Fate,” a Berel Wein Destiny Series, Young Israel of

Fair Lawn, includes refreshments, 4pm, drjacksmod@aol.com “Nicely Dunn,” Nancy Horowitz, Teaneck General Store on Cedar Lane, 4pm, 201-530-5046 Pre-Summer Boutique, includes youth craft room with artsand-crafts, pizza, and ice cream, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, boutique, 4-9pm; craft room, 5-7pm, 201-621-2534 JCC Young People’s Chorus Concert, at the Dwight Englewood School, 5pm, 201-408-1465 Cong Bais Torah of Suffern Dinner, honoring Rabbi Berel Wein, Dr. and Mrs. Yehuda Eliezri, Marilyn Sapir, Allen Nussbaum, and Yis Helprin, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Suffern, 5:30pm, 845-352-1343 Cong Ohaiv Yisroel of Blueberry Hill Dinner, honoring Ari and Nechama Markowitz and Shaya Rotbard, Terrace on the Hudson, Haverstraw, 5:30pm, 845-425-5540 Cong Bais Yitzchok of Elizabeth Dinner, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 5:30pm, 908354-4789 Evening of Tennis Plus, spons

by Yeshiva University Women’s Organization, includes buffet dinner, at the Binghamton Racquet Club, Edgewater, 6:30pm, 212-960-0855 Jewish Stuttering Association Support Group, for men, private home in Lakewood, 7pm, 347-8557520 or info@stutter.org Kosher Indian Cooking, Pammi Anandani and Sanjya Tidke, Riverdale YMHA, 7pm, 718-548-8200 Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey Scholarship Reception, featuring YU President Richard Joel, school in River Edge, 7:30pm,

The Log is a free service provided to the Jewish community in northern and central New Jersey, Rockland County and Riverdale. Events that we list include special and guest lectures, concerts, boutiques, dinners, open houses, club meetings, and new classes.

Announcements are requested by the 25th of the month prior to the month of the event. Due to space and editorial constraints, we cannot guarantee publication of any announcement. Please email them to : susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com.

mordy@confiehq.com or michael. schechter@jpmorgan.com Crash Course in International and Trendy Kosher Cuisine, Yael and Jason Gevertzman, includes three-course tasting menu, to benefit the Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School, private home in Highland Park, 7:30pm, 732613-7460 or 732-777-0650 A Maale Film Festival, films from the Orthodox-religious film school in Jerusalem, moderated by Maale’s director, Neta Ariel, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 7:45pm, atharold@maale.co.il Rav Zev Cohen, at Cong Beis Torah U’Tefilloh (BTU), Passaic, 7:45pm, 973-470-0222 or 973-471-3247 “Matan Flowers Produce the Seeds of the Future,” Rabbanit Malka Bina, includes a Matan Shiur by Shani Taragin, private home in Teaneck, 8pm, 201-8330593 or 201-833-8968 Book Review: “Start Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle” by Dan Senor and Saul Singer, discussed

by David Lando, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 8pm, 973-736-1407 “Can I Eat That?” Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, “The Mesorah of Kosher Birds and Eggs,” Rabbi Chaim Loike, features live birds, 8pm; “It Bugs Me: A Live Demonstration to Check Fruits and Vegetables,” Rabbi Yosef Eisen, 9pm, 908355-4850 “Parents, Kids, Spouse, and Me: Who Comes First?” Rav Mordechai Willig, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201387-1925 “The Priorities Crisis: Allocating Our Tzedaka and Chessed Resources Properly,” Rav Hershel Schachter, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:45pm, 201387-1925

Mon., May 16

“Applied Judaism,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201-408-1426 Discussion and Art Exhibit: “The Crypto Jews of New Mexico,” Gloria Golden, JCC, West Orange, 12:30pm, 973-530-3474

Mini Mitzvah Makers, for children 2-6 with an adult, Tara Bernsweig, Sharon Kantrowitz, Elissa Koenig, Roberta Leitner, projects that help real people in the community, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 3:45pm, 845-362-4400 Sen Robert Menendez (D-NJ), spons by NORPAC, private home in Englewood, 5:30pm, 201-788-5133 Israeli Film Club: “Broken Wings,” discussion led by Daniel Sonnenschein, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845362-4400 “Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World— The Gift of Investment,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Lubavitch Center, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-486-2362 “The Interface of Science and Halacha: Including an Update on the Issue of ‘Brain Death,’” Rabbi Dr. Moshe D. Tendler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 8pm, 201833-0515 Jewish Stuttering Association Support Group, for women, private home in Monsey, 8:30pm, 347855-7520 or info@stutter.org

Tues., May 17

“Dealing with Controversial Issues in the Classroom: How to Discern Fact from Fiction When It Comes to Internet Resources, Denial of the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, or Who Was to Blame for 9/11,” spons by the Mercer County Holocaust/Genocide Resource Center and the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education, at Mercer County College, West Windsor, 8:30am, 609-292-9274 Trip to the Jewish Museum in New York, includes docent tour of Impressionist Art: “Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters at the Jewish Museum,” lunch at the JNF House, leave JCC, West Orange, 9:30am, 973-929-2928 “Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World—The Gift of Investment,” Rabbi Levi Wolosow and Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 10am, 732-972-3687; Rabbi Levi Dubinsky, Chabad of Mountain Lakes, Denville, 7:30pm, 973-551-1898;

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Rabbis Yitzchok Dubov, Levi Shemtov, and Hershel Weiszner, spons by Chabad of Riverdale, at the Riverdale YMHA, 7:30pm, 718-549-1100; Rabbi Levi Azimov, Chabad Center, South Brunswick, 7:45pm, 732-398-9492; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Valley Chabad, Woodcliff Lake, 7:45pm, 201-476-0157 Trip to “The New Chinatown,” includes lunch at the Buddha Bodai kosher restaurant, bus leaves the Riverdale YMHA 10am, 718-548-8200 Discussion of a Film on the American-Jewish Experience: Joel and Ethan Coen’s “A Serious Man,” Prof Benjamin Nelson, JCC, West Orange, 1:30pm, 973-530-3480 Cong Beth Aaron Sisterhood Spring Supperette, featuring Devorah Heller, the Challah Maven of New York, honoring Ellen Gertler and Sari Samuel, Teaneck, 6pm, 201-833-0801 “A Literary Perspective on the Parsha,” Ben Kiel, Teaneck General Store on Cedar Lane, 7pm, 201-530-5046 “Kosher Workshop for Women,” Miriam Green, includes “How and Why” for beginners and “Refesher” for intermediate, Marveli Theater, Spring Valley, 7:30pm, 845-356-5167 Kosher Komedy, for women, Marveli Theater, Spring Valley, 9:30pm, 845-356-5167

Wed., May 18

Yiddish Concert, featuring singer Daniella Rabbani, JCC, Tenafly, 11:30am, 201-408-1450 Murray the Sock Man, ritual clothing items, skirts, and camp supplies, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 3-8pm Friendship Circle of Bergen County Teen Scene, innovative programming for special-needs Jewish teens 13-21, at the Frisch Yeshiva High School, Paramus, 6pm, 201-262-7172, UJA Physicians and Dentists Division Dinner, featuring Gil Lainer, Clinton Inn, Tenafly, 6:30pm, 201-820-3911 “Real to Reel: Holocaust Film,” facilitated by Carol Simon, Aidekman Family Center, Lautenberg JCC, Whippany, 7pm, 973-428-9300 Book Club: “The Invisible

Bridge” by Julie Orringer, facilitated by Arlene Sander, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400 Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David Sisterhood Donor Dinner, honoring Robin Amster, includes flower-arranging, boutique, and raffles, West Orange, 7pm, 973-736-1407 “Genetics for Life: The Impact of the BRCA Gene and Breast and Ovarian Cancer in Your Jewish Family,” Niecee Singer Schonberger and Shera Dubitsky, spons by Jewish Family Service and Sharsheret, at the UJA, Paramus, 7pm, 973-595-0111 or 201-837-9090 “Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World— The Gift of Investment,” Rabbi Michel Gurkov, Chabad Center, Wayne, 7:30pm, 973-694-6274; Rabbi Levi Wolosow and Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 7:30pm, 732-972-3687; Rabbi Shmuel Gancz, Chabad of Suffern, 845-368-1889, 7:30pm; Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad Center, Cherry Hill, 856-874-1500, 7:30pm; Rabbi Moshe Katzman, Chabad of Staten Island, 7:30pm, 718-370-8953; Rabbi Mordechai Baumgarten, Chabad Center, Rockaway, 8pm, 973-625-1525

Thurs., May 19

La Leche League of Bronx/ Riverdale, Mia Damond Padwa, pregnant women, babies and small children welcome, healthy snacks, Riverdale YMHA, 9:30am, 718543-0314 Theater: “Dear Esther,”

by Richard Rashke, inspired by letters from students to Esther Raab, author of “Escape from Sobibor,” at the Goodwin Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Cherry Hill, 10am, 856751-9500 ext 1249 “A Song Goes around the World,” Cantor Bill Walton, JCC, Tenafly, 11:15am, 201-408-1457 Kum Hithalech Ba’Aretz Hike for Healing Trip to Israel, spons

by Cong Ahavath Torah of Englewood in conjunction with the Koby Kandell Foundation, with Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, leave on a 1:30pm flight, includes group Shabbaton in Israel and then hiking, return Thurs, May 26, 201-568-1315

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

Friendship Circle of Bergen County Volunteer Appreciation Event, private home in Paramus, 6pm, 201-262-7172, YJCC Spring Soiree, at the Rockleigh Country Club, 6:30pm, 201-488-6800 or 201-666-6610 ext 201 Make Pizza and Learn about Shavuot, for 6th-grade boys, private home in Englewood, 6:30pm, 201-408-4495 “Helping Your Children Deal with Divorce: How to Communicate, What to Say and What Not to Say, Maintaining a Working Collaborative Relationship with Your Ex,” Judy Frank, LMSW, at OHEL, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-692-3972 Spring Challah Baking, for boys in grades 4-5, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 7pm, 973-736-1407 “Terrorist Cop: NYPD Jewish Cop Traveled the World to Stop Terrorists,” Mordecai Dzikansky, JCC, Tenafly, 8pm, 201-408-1411

Fri., May 20

“A Taste of Shabbat,” for parents and children 1-5, Daniel

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Sonnenschein, songs, stories, and crafts, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 11:45am, 845-362-4400 Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 NJ Kinus Camping Weekend, leave Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, jschachter2@gmail. com, through Sun., May 22 Discover West Orange Shabbat, for couples and families considering relocating to West Orange, spons by Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, includes home hospitality, all meals, organized activities for children, through Shabbat, May 21, 973736-1407 Singles Shabbaton, for singles ages 25-38, includes Melave Malka with light dinner and comedy-improv troupe Chicago City Limits, Community Synagogue of Monsey, through Sun., May 22, monseyshabbaton@gmail.com

Shabbat, May 21

Shira Hadasha-Style Shabbat Service, Minyan Tiferet, private home in Englewood, 9:15am, 201-567-3323 or minyantiferet@ gmail.com

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The Log

May 2011

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Junior NCSY Seudah Shlisheet, for grades 5-8, private home in Teaneck, 7pm, 201-2477961 or 908-414-4235 Motzei Shabbat, May 21 Eran Zur and Korin Alal, Hebrew singers, JCC, Tenafly, 9:30pm, 201-408-1496

Sun., May 22. Lag B’Omer

Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David of West Orange Youth Department Raffle Drawing, 1st prize: Airfare/ travel voucher, worth $1500; other prizes, too, 973-324-9080 or 973-736-1407 Last Day for Art Exhibit: “Micaela Amato: Exile Traces,” at the Derfner Judaica Museum, Hebrew Home at Riverdale, 800567-3646 SINAI Special Needs Schools Bike-a-thon, begin at Votee Park, Teaneck, 30-mile route, checkin, 8am; 10-mile route, checkin, 9am; 5-mile route, check-in, 10am; kids (under 8) ride around Votee Park, check-in, 11am; family brunch, 12-1:30pm, 201-8331134 ext 105 Davening, Breakfast, and Bikur Cholim, at Daughters of Miriam, Clifton, minyan at 8:45am, samapprais@aim.com Run for Rachel, to benefit the Rachel Coalition to combat domestic violence, spons by the Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, includes a kids run, a 3-km walk, and a 5-km run, private area in Livingston, 9am, 973637-1708 Explanatory Morning Service, Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:15am, 201-966-4490 Nusach Hatfiloh, through the Belz School of YU, at Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 10am, 732572-1188 Lag B’Omer Trip to Velocity-17, for grades 6-8, leave Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 10:30am, 201-408-4495 Sen Robert Jones “Rob” Portman (R-OH), spons by NORPAC, private home in Englewood, 11am, 201-788-5133 Hudson Jewish Community Spring Bagels & Lox Brunch,

discuss survey results that can be completed (takes less than 1 minute) at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HudsonJewish_Activities_Survey_1, at the Stevens Cooperative School, Jersey City, 11am, 973-420-7907 or info@ HudsonJewish.org Lag B’Omer Family Softball, Aidekman JCC, Whippany, noon Lag B’Omer Carnival, Kehillas Beis Sholom, Clifton, noon, 973-472-1000 Cong Arzei Darom MiniOlympics, for children, the Dube Zone, with races, stories, and crafts, Teaneck, noon, youth@ arzeidarom.org “Love Your Fellow as Yourself” Lag B’Omer Lakeside Festival, fire juggling, music, kumzitz, and BBQ, spons by Chabad of Northwest NJ, open to all, on Beach #1, White Meadow Lake, noon, 973-625-1525 ext 202 or info@onetorahway.org Lag B’Omer Festival of Unity and Family Fun Day, games, and BBQ, Chabad Center, Wayne, 12:30pm, 973-694-6274 Family Fun Day and Music Festival, includes The Nerds, bounce houses, face-painting, rock-climbing, arts-and-crafts, boating, basketball, bumper cars, kosher food, spons by the UJA, Blue Rill Day Camp, Airmont, 1-5pm, 201-820-3900 Smart Board Training for Hebrew Teachers, Gershom Tave, at Temple Emanuel, Woodcliff Lake, 1pm, gershom@tikuntov.com Lag B’Omer Junior Maccabee Field Day, for grades K-7, includes snacks, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 3pm, 845-362-4400 Lag B’Omer Family Softball Game and BBQ, spons by Cong Netivot Shalom, at Phelps Park, Teaneck, 3:30pm, 201-801-9022 or info@netivotshalomnj.org JCC Young People’s Chorus Concert, JCC, Tenafly, 4pm, 201-408-1465 Lag B’Omer BBQ and Picnic, spons by Cong Tifereth Israel of Passaic, at the YMHA, Clifton, 4pm, 973-773-2552 Senior NCSY Lag B’Omer BBQ, private home in Teaneck,

6pm, 201-692-0373, 201-6929276, or 201-247-7961

Mon., May 23

Final Day to Have Mezuzos Checked by Rabbi Moshe Flumenbaum, sofer to the Bostoner Rebbe, zt”l, while he is still in Highland Park, moshe@hasofer. com or 212-810-6646 “Beyond the Gala,” presented by the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, Pearl Kane, Rae Ringel, Amy Schiffman, and Jennifer Weinstock, for development professionals, UJA, Paramus, 8:30am-6pm, also Tues, May 24, 8:30am-3pm, minnah@ujannj.org “Destination Torah: Different Paths of the Jewish Textural Tradition,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, 201408-1426 Film: “Sid Caesar: Your Show of Shows,” discussion with Stan Goldberg, JCC, Tenafly, 1:30pm, 201-408-1457 Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic Mini Mall, Ohel Rivka Hall, Passaic, 5-9pm, 973-916-1555 or 973-365-0100 “Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World— The Gift of Love,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Lubavitch Center, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-486-2362 “Educating Avraham, Reclaiming Yitzchak, Transforming Yaakov,” Yael Goldfischer, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, 8:15pm, 973-736-1407

Tues., May 24

“Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World— The Gift of Love,” Rabbi Levi Wolosow and Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 10am, 732-972-3687; Rabbi Levi Dubinsky, Chabad of Mountain Lakes, Denville, 7:30pm, 973-551-1898; Rabbis Yitzchok Dubov, Levi Shemtov, and Hershel Weiszner, spons by Chabad of Riverdale, at the Riverdale YMHA, 7:30pm, 718-549-1100; Rabbi Levi Azimov, Chabad Center, South Brunswick, 7:45pm, 732-398-9492; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Valley Chabad, Woodcliff Lake, 7:45pm, 201-476-0157 Cong Ahavath Torah Sisterhood Mitzvah Dinner, honoring Ruth Schapiro and Debbie Billig,

Englewood, 6pm, 201-568-1315 Rutgers Hillel Gala, honoring Jeff and Rona Shein, Leonard and Ruth Cole, Mark Busch, and Erik Kessler, includes a silent auction, at the Crystal Plaza, Livingston, 6:30pm, 732-545-2407 “Heartbeats: A Night of Song, Dance, and the Arts,” for women, to benefit Nechama, an organization created to help console grieving parents who have lost a pregnancy or a child, at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-833-4307

Wed., May 25

Chai Café, kosher nutrition site for seniors, spons by the Jewish Family and Counseling Service of Jersey City, Bayonne, and Hoboken, at the Bayonne JCC, 10:30am, 201-436-6900 Confidential Abused Women’s Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090 “Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World— The Gift of Love,” Rabbi Michel Gurkov, Chabad Center, Wayne, 7:30pm, 973-694-6274; Rabbi Levi Wolosow and Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 7:30pm, 732-972-3687; Rabbi Shmuel Gancz, Chabad of Suffern, 845-368-1889, 7:30pm; Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad Center, Cherry Hill, 856-874-1500, 7:30pm; Rabbi Moshe Katzman, Chabad of Staten Island, 7:30pm, 718-3708953; Rabbi Mordechai Baumgarten, Chabad Center, Rockaway, 8pm, 973-625-1525 “Chicks with Sticks Knitting Circle,” hats for preemies, children with cancer, and IDF soldiers in Israel, private home in Highland Park, 8pm, 732-339-8492 “Mah Rabbu Ma’asekha HaShem…” vs “Mah Na’eh Ilan Zeh– Nature as a Key to Unlocking Torah,” Rabbi Ron Price, spons by Torah on Cedar Lane, Teaneck General Store, 8pm, 201530-5046

Thurs., May 26

Support Group for Caregivers, those caring for an older adult who is physically frail or suffering from memory loss, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-408-1450

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Chabad of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Union Counties Gala and Raffle, honoring the Bernstein Family, The Grand Summit Hotel, Summit, buffet, 5:30pm; program, 7pm, 908-604-8844 Kesher Community Synagogue of Englewood and Tenafly Celebration Dinner, honoring Michelle and Evan Sohn and Hila and Andrew Leibowitz, at Space Odyssey, Englewood, 7pm, 201-227-1117 “The Israeli Army—Past, Present, and Future,” Daniel Sonnenschein, to benefit the IDF, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400 Coptic Christians and the Jews, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201569-7900 Senior NCSY Spring Regional, through Sun., May 29, 201-862-0250, 732-406-3744 or 732-991-2252

What Parents and Yeshivas Need to Know and Do,” Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 8pm, 201384-0434 or 201-387-1925

Carlebach Minyan, Cong Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn, 8:45am

Parenting University “Keeping Our Children Safe This Summer,” spons by the Orthodox Union and the Sephardic Bikur Holim, at the Sephardic Bikur Holim, Oakhurst, 10:30am, 732531-1117 or 212-613-8188 Teaneck-Hackensack Hadassah Dinner, private home in Teaneck, 6pm, 201-836-9689 JCC Young People’s Chorus Concert, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-408-1465 “Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World— The Gift of Pleasure,” Rabbi Michel Gurkov, Chabad Center, Wayne, 7:30pm, 973-694-6274; Rabbi Levi Wolosow and Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 7:30pm, 732-972-3687; Rabbi Shmuel Gancz, Chabad of Suffern, 845-368-1889, 7:30pm; Rabbi Mendel Mangel, Chabad Center, Cherry Hill, 856-874-1500, 7:30pm; Rabbi Moshe Katzman, Chabad of Staten Island, 7:30pm, 718-370-8953; Rabbi Mordechai Baumgarten, Chabad Center, Rockaway, 8pm, 973-625-1525

Shabbat, May 28

Sun., May 29

Torah Home Education Conference, for those who are already, or are interested in Jewish home-schooling, childcare available, Park Heights JCC, Baltimore, 8:15am-5pm, 410-963-2977 or http://torahhomeschooling.com/ conference-details Kavvanah: A Tefillah Experience, Rabbi Steven Exler, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 9:30am, 718-796-4730 JACS Meeting, 12-steps meeting for Jews in recovery, Rabbi Steven Bayar, Cong B’nai Israel, Millburn, 6pm, 973-379-3811

Mon., May 30, Memorial Day

Cedar Lane Family Festival, includes a kosher-food eating contest and exhibits by local merchants and artists, Teaneck, 12-6pm Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic Dinner, Sheraton Meadowlands, East Rutherford, 5:30pm, 973916-1555 “Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World— The Gift of Pleasure,” Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz, Lubavitch Center, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973486-2362 “Adolescent Temptations:

Tues., May 31

“Oasis in Time: The Gift of Shabbat in a 24/7 World— The Gift of Pleasure,” Rabbi Levi Wolosow and Boruch Chazanow, Chabad House, Manalapan, 10am, 732-972-3687; Rabbi Levi Dubinsky, Chabad of Mountain Lakes, Denville, 7:30pm, 973-551-1898; Rabbis Yitzchok Dubov, Levi Shemtov, and Hershel Weiszner, spons by Chabad of Riverdale, at the Riverdale YMHA, 7:30pm, 718-549-1100; Rabbi Levi Azimov, Chabad Center, South Brunswick, 7:45pm, 732-398-9492; Rabbi Dov Drizin, Valley Chabad, Woodcliff Lake, 7:45pm, 201-476-0157

Wed., June 1, Yom Yerushalayim

Thurs., June 2

Comedian Freddie Roman, JCC Tenafly, 11:15am, 201-408-1457 “The Jew in the Lotus,” Rodger Kamenetz, Judaic scholars meet the Dalai Lama of Tibet, The Newark Museum, 7pm, 973-596-6550

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

“Covering Wall Street: Behind-the-Scenes Stories of the Meltdown, the Madoff Scheme, and the Age of Financial Bubbles,” Gregory Zuckerman, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-408-1457

Fri., June 3

“A Taste of Shabbat,” for parents and babies under one year, Aviva Kohl, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 10:30am, 845-362-4400 “A Taste of Shabbat,” for parents and children 1-5, Daniel Sonnenschein, songs, stories, and crafts, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 11:45am, 845-362-4400

Shabbat, June 4

Crock-Pot Challenge Cholent Kiddush, participants receive $75 to spend on preparing three crock-pots of their best cholent or other recipe to be prepared in the shul kitchen, using only ingredients with a proper hechsher, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 11:30am, Kiddush@arzeidarom.org Rabbi’s Tish the 3 Cs— Cholent, Cugel, Conversation: “The Kissinger Condition: When One’s Role in Public Service Involves a Slight to One’s People and Their Past and Present,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 11:45am, 201833-0515 ext 200

Motzei Shabbat, June 4

“Dance Down Memory Lane,” music by Moshe Katzburg, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 9:30pm1am, 845-362-4400 ext 109

Sun., June 5

Davening, Breakfast, and Bikur Cholim, at Daughters of Miriam, Clifton, minyan at 8:45am, samapprais@aim.com Explanatory Morning Ser-

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vice, Rabbi David Pietruszka, spons by the Jewish Learning Experience, at Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 9:15am, 201-966-4490 Shomer Shabbat Cub Scout Pack 613 Participation in the Salute to Israel Parade, leave Cong Ahavat Achim, Fair Lawn, 9:30am, jschacter2@gmail.com AMIT Mothers in Israel Spa Brunch, private home in Teaneck, 9:30am, 212-477-5465 Nusach Hatfiloh, through the Belz School of YU, at Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 10am, 732572-1188 Yiddish Concert, Jewish Home at Rockleigh, 2:30pm, 201750-4231 Musical Review: “They Changed Broadway: 100 Years of Contributions of Jewish Writers, Performers, and Composers to the American Musical Theater,” to benefit Jewish Family and Vocational Services of Middlesex County, at the Marasco Performing Arts Center at Monroe (NJ) Twnshp High School, 3pm, 732-985-7348, 732-777-1940, or 609-395-7979 Cong Ahavath Torah Dinner, honoring Ruthann and Kenny Eckstein and Debbie and Steven Siegler, featuring a “Special Tribute to Our Builders,” Englewood, 6pm, 201-568-1315

Mon., June 6

Holy Name Medical Center Golf Classic, Hackensack Golf Club, Oradell, morning and afternoon shot-gun starts, 201-833-7143 Celebrate Shavuot, for children 2½-5 with an adult, create unique masks, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 4pm, 845-362-4400 Y

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion Sundays

May 2011

Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”

New Classes this Month

Women’s Amen Group, Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 9:30am Navi Class on Sefer Tehillim, for women, Rebbitzen Rivka Eichenstein, Cong Agudath Israel, Highland Park, 10am, 732-5724408 or 732-828-6939 Krav Maga: Israeli Self-Defense Martial Arts, Sensei Yuri Milshtein, private location in Wesley Hills, girls and boys ages 4-6, 2pm; boys 7-11, level 1, 3pm; boys 7-11, level 2, 4:15pm; boys 7-11, level 3, 5:30pm; boys 12 and up, 6:45pm, 845-364-9111 MaTaN Mother-Daughter Bat Mitzvah Program: “Jewish Heroines through the Ages,” for girls in grades 5-7 and their mothers, Rebbetzin Debra Spivak, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 7pm, sallymalech@verizon.net “The Kuzari: A Classic Introduction to Judaism by Rabbi Yehudah Halevi,” for women, Rabbi Yitzchok Segal, spons by Kehilas Beis Yosef, at Yeshivat Beit Hillel, Passaic, 7:45pm, Rachel. besser1@gmail.com Chaburah on Various Sugyas in Gemara, Rabbi Zev Rivkin, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 8:15pm, hermankc@gmail.com or 201637-7470

Mondays

Intermediate Israeli Folk Dance, Sara Burnbaum, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, noon, 845-362-4400, begins June 6 Absolute Beginner Hebrew, Tzipi Salzhauer, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400 “Introduction to Judaism,” Rabbi Steve Golden, JCC, Tenafly, 8pm, begins May 16, 201-408-1426 Parsha, for women, Rebbetzin Rivka Eichenstein, Cong Ohr Torah, Edison, 8pm, 732-572-4408 or 732-828-6939

Mazal Tov

hu Mordechai Jaffe, Yair Kanarek, Layvi Yitzchak Litton, Ami Malek, Ori Mussaffi, Zachary Orenshein, Avi Rothwachs, Binyomin Baruch Shutyak, and Aviad Susman; and the Bat Mitzvah Girls: Tara Davidoff, Bria Lavi Friedman, Tali Goldman, Meira Gurell, and Zahava Pfeiffer Mazal Tov to the Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva Girls Basketball Team on winning the Yeshiva League Championship, players: Nikki Bick, Rachel Beyer, Ronit Langer, Dani Berlin, Ally Orgel, Juliet Matthew, Shoshie Schwartz, Serena Shmulewitz, Shana Gershbaum, Mia Lang, Shira Salomon, Allisa Felder, and Julia Labovitz; managers: Noya Hanoch, Eliana Moss, and Sara Lefkowitz; and coaches: Evan Orgel, Sam Berlin, and Sara Stern Mazal Tov to Holy Name Hospital of Teaneck on receiving a $500,000 grant from the Alfeiro and Lucia Palestroni Foundation, for the hospital’s non-sectarian, all-inclusive Villa Marie Claire Hospice and Palliative Care Center in Saddle River Mazal Tov to Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Josh and Leslie Ostrin, Anna Gerad, George and Janet Iversen, and Harold and Stacey Ullman on being honored at the Hesder Yeshiva of Sderot Dinner Mazal Tov to Esther and Morton Fridman on being honored at the Yeshivat Har Etzion Dinner Y

“Tefillot That Women Say—Philosophical, Historical, and Halachic Perspectives,” for women, Rabbi Mordecai Feuerstein, private homes in Livingston, 8pm, 973-994-2620 Livingston Kollel Community Study, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 8:30pm, 973-994-2620 Navi Shiur: Shmuel Bet, Aviva Orlian, private home in Spring Valley, 8:15pm, 845-364-5148

Tuesdays

Eema and Me, for toddlers, Morah Helene Lockspeiser, Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva, Edison, 9am, 732-985-9017 Women’s Tehillim Group, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 9:15am, 973-994-2620 Intermediate Level Navi, for women, Shoshana Sperling, spons

by Neve PTI, private home in Passaic, 9:40am, 908-278-4059 Beginners Hebrew Reading, Laurette Sasson, JCC, Tenafly, 7pm, 201-408-1426 Tefilla Shiur, Rabbi Dr Abraham Twerski, Cong Zichron Mordechai, Teaneck, 7:45pm, 201-836-4334 Mishna Berura, Rabbi Shimon Kerner, Kehillath New Hempstead, 7:50pm, 845-362-2425 “The Often Misunderstood Relationship between Yehudah and Tamar,” Chana Greenberg, private home in Livingston, 8pm, 973-422-0505 or lena@menachem.org Megillas Rus, Rabbi Eli Reisman, at Rabbi Horowitz’s Shtieble, Highland Park, 8pm, begins May 10, 732-985-1698 Masechet Brachot, Rabbi Daniel Fox, Cong Etz Chaim, Livingston, 8pm, 973-597-1655 Judaism’s Secrets to Serenity,” Leah Neubort, Anshei Lubavitch, Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-794-3770 ext 203 Gemara Shiur, Rabbi Menachem Genack, Cong Shomrei Emunah, Englewood, 9pm Shiur on Maseches Sukkah: Gemara/Rashi with Some Basic Tosafos and Halacha, Lieber Schachter, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 9:20pm, 201-637-7470

Wednesdays

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Study Group, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 6:25am, 973-994-2620 Parsha, for women, Miri Cohen, private home in Highland Park, 9:15am, 732-249-5116 Chumash, for women, Susan Weissman, spons by Neve PTI, private home in Passaic, 9:15am, 908-278-4059 Moshe’s Leadership in Sefer Bamidbar, Shira Schiowitz, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, Teaneck, 11:30am, 201-833-4307 Pirkei Avot, Rav Moshe Tzvi Weinberg, private home in Teaneck, noon, 201-928-0383 or efried1080@aol.com Tele-Shiur on the Weekly Parsha, Rabbi Mordecai Feuerstein, 12:15-12:30pm, 973-409-3117 or 866-266-3378, Conference ID: 973994-2620, Pin #994-2629 Chumash Shiur, Rabbi Yosef Adler, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 12:30pm “The Five Levels of Pleasure,” Rabbi Marc Spivak, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 7pm, 973-669-7320 Navi Shiur, for women, Rachel Frazer, CareOne, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-862-3300 “Tehillim: Finding Ourselves in Conversation with G-d,” Rabbi Chaim Poupko, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 7:30pm, 201-568-1315 Chicks with Sticks, knitting hats for Israeli soldiers, Riverdale Jewish Center, 7:30pm, 718-796-3775 Schmooze on the News B’Ivrit, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com Analysis of the Book of Job, Rabbi Mordecai Feuerstein, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 7:30pm, 973-994-2620 Parent-Child Learning, for grades 6-8, Rabbi Akiva Wolk, includes Dougie’s, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 201-568-1315 Ibn Ezra, Rabbi Marc Spivak, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, 8pm, 973-669-7320 Tehillim Group, for women, private home in Teaneck, 8pm,czb120@ verizon.net “The Book of Judges,” Rabbi Nosson Schuman, Cong Beth El, Rutherford, 8pm, 201-438-4931 Chaburah on Various Sugyas in Gemara, Rabbi Zev Rivkin, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 8:15pm, hermankc@gmail.com or 201637-7470 “Making Sefirat Ha’Omer Count,” Rabbi Mordechai Gershon, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 8:15pm, 201-568-1315 “Hidden Secrets of the Three Mitzvoth of Women,” for women, Mandana Bolour, Sephardic Beth Midrash, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 8:30pm, 201-568-1315 Shiur on Topics in Masechta Brochos, Rabbi Yisroel Hoffman, Cong Agudath Israel, Highland Park, 8:30pm, radler@ebglaw.com Imyanei Tefilla, Rabbi Daniel Straum, Kehillath New Hempstead, 8:50pm, 845-362-2425 Tehillim Call-in for Gilad Shalit, spons by Lori Linzer as a Bat Mitzvah Project, 9pm, 641-715-3200, access code 140763

Thursdays

“Tefillot That Women Say—Philosophical, Historical, and Halachic Perspectives,” for women, Rabbi Mordecai Feuerstein, private homes in Livingston, 10am, 973-994-2620 “Avelut: A Study of the Laws of Mourning in the Talmud and Codes,” Rabbi Mordecai Feuerstein, Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center, Livingston, 8pm, 973-994-2620 Parsha Shiur, Rabbi Eli Roberts, Yeshiva Gedolah, Teaneck, 8:30pm, 201-833-5920 Chumash Shiur, Rabbi Yissocher Frand, via satellite, Cong K’Hal Zichron Mordechai, Monsey (845-356-7188);Young Israel of Fair Lawn (201-797-1800); Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck (201-907-0180); Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange (973-669-7320); Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic (973773-2552), Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park (732-247-0532), 9pm Shiurim on Chassidic Concepts Based on the Text of the Maor V’shemesh, Rabbi Nachum Chaimowitz, at Rabbi Horowitz’s Shtieble, Highland Park, 9:15pm, 732-985-1698 Shiur on Maseches Sukkah: Gemara/Rashi with Some Basic Tosafos and Halacha, Lieber Schachter, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, 9:20pm, 201-637-7470

Fridays

Davening: Order and Meaning of Prayers, concentrating on the shoresh (root) of words, Marilyn Selber, private home in Riverdale, 9:30am, 347-275-8801 Weekly Carlebach Minyan, for men, women, and children, Cong Zichron Mordechai, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-833-0146

Shabbat

Middle and High School Youth Minyan, for grade 6 and up, Cong Arzei Darom, Teaneck, 9:15am, carlos.sarue@verizon.net Beis Medrash Program for Men and Boys, Cong Ohr HaTorah, Bergenfield, 2:20pm, ohtannounce@gmail.com Mother-Daughter Learning Program, Cong Ohr HaTorah, Bergenfield, 4pm, ohtannounce@gmail.com Sefer Chofetz Chaim, for women, Rabbi Eliezer Moskowitz, spons

by Neve PTI, private home in Passaic, 4pm, 908-278-4059 Father-Son Learning Program, Cong Ohr HaTorah, Bergenfield, 5pm, ohtannounce@gmail.com “Egypt to Sinai: A View of the Spiritual Climb of the Jewish Nation As Learned by Rav Kook, zt”l,” Rabbi Mark Berman, private

Iyar 5771

The Jewish Voice and Opinion

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home in Englewood, 6pm, 201-568-1315 Pre-Shavuot Youth Learning, 5th grade boys, Jeremy Goodman; Middle School girls, Rena Eisenberg; High School girls, Abra Singerman, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, one hour before mincha, 973-736-1407 Pre-Shavuot Youth Learning, boys in grades 6-7, Andrew Israeli, private home in West Orange, one hour before mincha, 973-736-1407 Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, half hour before mincha, 201-801-9022 or info@netivotshalomnj.org Pre-Shavuot Youth Learning, 7th and 8th grade boys, Moshe Glick; boys in 9th grade and up, Rabbi Asher Klein, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, between mincha and ma’ariv, 973-736-1407

Motzei Shabbat

Tiferes: A Chofetz Chaim Foundation Program for Women, featuring speakers, ideas, and tools to make a home the place you want it to be, private home in Highland Park, 10pm, 732-572-4713

Chessed Ops

The Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls Chessed Committee is collecting new books or old ones in great condition for Reach Out and Read for Mount Sinai, a program that promotes literacy for children. Books can be dropped off at the school in Teaneck, 201-8334307 ext 233 The Fair Lawn Gemach is collecting leftover Passover items.

Non-perishable, unopened items can be left at the store of Rabbi Abraham Teicher, the sofer, in Teaneck. Call first, 201-836-8376. Refrigerated and frozen items and previously opened packages will be accepted by the Fair Lawn Gemach by appointment, and tax-deductible receipts can be obtained there, too. Call 201-797-1770.

“Gathering the Fragments of Memory,” Yad Vashem is gathering personal documents, including diaries, photos, artifacts, and works of art from the Holocaust years that are currently held privately. This rescue operation is a race against the clock to collect the artifacts and documents along with the stories behind them to ensure eternal conservation by bringing them to Yad Vashem. To donate items, contact general.information@yadvashem.org.il Six-year-old Neshama Ryman of Riverdale is undergoing treatment for cancer and is in regular need of platelets. Donating platelets is as simple as giving blood. Please call Joe Licata at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Blood Donor Program to schedule an appointment, 212-6398177 Y Mazal Tov to the Bar Mitzvah Boys: Zechariah Aberman, Austin Altman, Isaac Aronoff, Shua Beilin, Yitzchok Meir Blier, Jared Dallas, Jacob Feiler, Avi Finkelstein, Joshua Finkelstein, Ari Fuchs, Shalom Gottesman, Paul Grad, Arthur Greenfield, Eliya-

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

May 2011 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”

Impact Dance Camp Added to CADDY Camp in Teaneck

or Raquella Siegel, hip-hop dance has always been a passion. While the lack of available training for Orthodox women was certainly a challenge, she never allowed it to stop her from achieving her potential as a dancer. Now, as a danceeducation student in Israel, Miss Siegel has been inspired to start the kind of dance camp in Teaneck she always wished she could have attended years ago.

“Impact” dance camp, a division of the Teaneck-based CADDY (“circus, art, dance, drama and yoga,”) Camp, will have its inaugural year this summer, and according to Miss Siegel, who will direct the program, it

will give girls in grades one through 12 an opportunity “to groove and move in a fun, challenging, and creative atmosphere.”

A dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Miss Siegel chose “Impact” as the name for this new CADDY Camp program because of “the impact dance has had on my own life.”

“Since high school, dance was the way I found creative expression. As a religious dancer, I want to help other religious girls find their own creative expression through dance, too, so it can have a positive impact on them in the way it did for me,” says Miss Siegel.

Formal Study A native of Teaneck, Miss Siegel began dancing in junior high school, using her basement where she recorded dance videos and watched them repeatedly.

She also studied dance more formally at the Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan, where her program included Hip Hop and Jazz Funk.

At the Frisch Yeshiva High School in Paramus, Miss Siegel was a member of the dance team, and, in 2004, she founded “Battle of the Crews,” which has become an annual Hip Hop dance competition held at the JCC in Tenafly.

Orot Program In the summer of 2007, Miss Siegel made aliyah. She is currently studying dance education at Orot College for Women, from which she will graduate next spring. At Orot, which is based in Elkana in northwest Samaria, her curriculum encompasses more classical forms of dance, including ballet and modern dance.

She is the founder of the Orot Dance Troupe, a group that performs a combination of ballet, modern, and hip hop dance styles. The troupe enables others at her school to explore dance genres that had been unavailable to them.

The Orot Dance Troupe has performed throughout Israel, and was recently the winner of Israel’s Professional Women’s Theater competition, “Wanna Be a Star.”

In addition to coordinating and choreographing dance performances in Israel, Miss Siegel has taught Hip Hop at the Nesheemah Yoga Center, Camp Morasha, YU’s Stern College for Women, and Hamachol Shel Bnos Miriam in Jerusalem. She currently teaches high school girls in Elkana, Israel.

Creative Arts Camp Now in its tenth year, CADDY Camp is under the general direction of educational consultant, Nancy Siegel, who said she is happy to be offering this new dance program as part of her camp’s total arts program. As Miss Siegel’s proud mother, Nancy Siegel said she sheps nachas from her daughter, her accomplishments, and her contributions to the state of Israel.

Impact Dance will be offering both week-long programs as well as evening dance classes. The week-long Hip Hop Impact Dance Camp for 6-11-year-old girls will be held the week of July 18 and for teenage girls the weeks of July 11 and 25.

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com

Iyar 5771

The Jewish Voice and Opinion

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EMUNAH Convention to Honor Its Nat’ l President, Mindy Stein of Teaneck

A

t its national convention, scheduled for May 15 at Lincoln Square Synagogue, EMUNAH will explore “Vision and Values,” covering issues of Israel advocacy, the state of Jewish family values, and visions for the future.

The keynote speaker for the afternoon session, Malcolm Hoenlein, longtime executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American-Jewish Organizations, will join EMUNAH in paying tribute to its current national president, Mindy Stein of Teaneck.

Individual sessions at the convention

Caddy Camp

will include a workshop on Israel advocacy, run by Ricki Hollander, senior analyst at CAMERA; and a discussion on EMUNAH’s efforts to strengthen Jewish families and save the futures of Israeli children who are at risk of falling through the cracks, led by Yehuda Kohn, director of EMUNAH’s Bet Elazraki Children’s Home, and Dina Hahn, chairperson of World EMUNAH. Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch, a marriage and family therapist who serves as executive director of the Shalom Task Force, will be part of a panel.

continued from page 36

Impact Dance evening classes for teens will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-7 pm and for women on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7-8 pm. Participants can register for one or two sessions. Session 1 will run from June 27-July 29; and Session 2 from Aug. 2-26. The fee is $149 per student per session with a reduced rate for registering for both sessions.

Special Rate CADDY Camp will be held throughout August, including Tisha B’Av, Tues,

Aug. 9, through Sept 2. Campers, ages 6-12, and mentors, ages 12-16, may register for one or more weeks.

CADDY Camp is proud to offer Jewish Voice readers a special reduced rate of $275 per week, normally $325 per week.

All CADDY Camp classes will be held at Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck.

For more information or to register for any CADDY Camp programs, contact Nancy Siegel at nancy@caddycamp.com or call 201-836-3381.

Y

John Loftus At the national convention dinner in the evening, Fran Hirmes of Woodsburgh, NY, will be installed as EMUNAH’s incoming national president.

The dinner’s keynote speaker will be John Loftus, a former Army Intelligence Officer and US Prosecutor with the Justice Department’s Nazi-Hunting Unit, who also authored the book, “Secret War against the Jews: How Western Espionage Betrayed the Jewish People.”

For more information about the convention, which is chaired by Elizabeth Gindea and Yonina Langer, contact EMUNAH at 212-564-9045 ext 306, or visitwww. emunah.org/convention.

EMUNAH of American maintains 250 social welfare and educational programs throughout Israel, including five children’s residential homes, 135 day care centers, vocational schools, high schools, a Torah and Art high school, and the Appleman College of Art and Technology. EMUNAH cares for families in crisis, senior citizens, and provides services to the residents of Southern Israel who are under attack. Y

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

May 2011 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”

You Come for One Reason but Stay for Another: Making the Odyssey to Israel Could be Subtitled “It Takes an Optimist”

By Aviva Yoselis efore opening Rabbi Mordechai Weiss’s new book about making aliyah, You Come for One Reason but Stay for Another: Making the Odyssey to Israel (Devora Publishing), I was a bit wary. The cover looked boring. More importantly, I, like Rabbi Weiss, the former executive director of Friends of Lubavitch of Bergen County, had already trekked the path of new immigrant to Israel. Although he, unlike me, came with five teenagers in tow, I couldn’t help wondering what he could possibly tell me that I did not already know.

B

Three pages into the book, I was already laughing out loud. Indeed, I had shared many of the same experiences as Rabbi Weiss, but his wit and candor kept me chucking throughout most of the book.

Based on his email correspondence with members of his former Teaneck-andMiami tribe, You Come for One Reason is the story of Rabbi Weiss’s journey, a Teaneck Chabad rabbi for 21 years who decided to lead his family of ten children to the Land of Milk and Honey, in the middle of the Judean desert.

Unlike Rabbi Weiss, I made aliyah

before the advent of Nefesh B’Nefesh.

Those were the days of disgruntled Misrad Hapanim (Ministry of the Interior) workers, of obnoxious clerks, and employees who grew impatient with newcomers’ limited Hebrew, never mind that their parents had also been immigrants with little or no Hebrew to speak of.

In his book, Rabbi Weiss recalls an early encounter with the Ministry of Education.

In Israel, diplomas must be “certified” before they can be accepted by the country’s universities or other academic programs.

After a lengthy process, he finally managed to procure his high school transcript, but the Israeli clerk took one look at his diploma and declared it unacceptable. “Your name is handwritten, not typed,” she told him.

Without missing a beat, Rabbi Weiss responded, “Those were the days before typewriters.”

Born in 1959, Rabbi Weiss surely attended high school after the advent of the typewriter, but to the clerk, who remembered what Israel was like at that time, well, it sounded reasonable.

That ease and candor typifies Rabbi Weiss’s navigation through new oleh life in Israel, so much so that readers may be excused if they come to believe he is glossing over too many of the details and making light of the true difficulties he—and other new immigrants—must endure. These include a teenage joy ride that ended in the total loss of a van; children who came with him and his wife to Israel but decided to return to the US; and engaging in several career changes in a very short period of time, knowing he had, by then, 12 children to support.

But reading his book, it is possible to believe he really does maintain this evenkeel approach to life. Neither foibles—his own or others’—nor life’s rollercoaster ride ruffle his feathers.

Rabbi Weiss, of course, is not the only new Israeli seeking to morph the trove of aliyah experiences into a meaningful book or blog. Zahava Englard’s “Settling for More: From Jersey to Judea,” Laura Ben David’s “Moving Up: An Aliyah Journal,” and countless new-olim blogs bear witness to the need to chronicle the experience of moving to live in Israel.

The element that makes Rabbi Weiss’s book unique is that, in addition to his sub-

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com

Rabbi Mordechai Weiss tle humor and quick wit, he made aliyah with his intrepid wife, Ellie, and their ten children, all at different stages of development. Between their married daughter who was already living in Israel, and their three-year-old just entering gan, there were eight others, including a 10-year-old who yearned for US baseball and a 15-year-old with learning disabilities. After moving to Israel, they had two more children.

Having made aliyah as a young single woman, I know how hard it is to navigate through Israel’s healthcare system, job market, and school structure. Most olim do it progressively, moving to a new stage as small children grow. But Rabbi Weiss had to attack all of it head one, at all stages of the game, reflecting the various ages of his children, and that is pretty remarkable.

His success throughout the process is no doubt due to the extraordinary optimism that exemplifies his overall approach to life in general and living in Israel specifically.

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Iyar 5771 Take, for example, a particularly frustrating encounter with the Ministry of Transportation. Having been told that he must go to Jerusalem to pick up a form which he needed in order to obtain his Israeli driver’s license, he traveled to the Holy City, only to discover that he would not be able to get the form because the office was “on strike.”

Instead of ranting, or packing his bags, he tells his readers the moment offered him “an epiphany”: Getting anything done in Israel was going to be like “playing a big board game.”

“In this real-life board game, any number of goals needed to be reached. I would roll the dice and each time move my piece one step closer to attaining my

The Jewish Voice and Opinion

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goal. As in a board game, sometimes I’d be required to move a few paces back.

With enough patience and a dose of persistence, I’d reach one goal, ever ready to move onto the next one,” he says.

A truly brilliant insight. Anyone hoping to make it as a new oleh should adopt Rabbi Weiss’s policy of seeing life in Israel as one giant game.

You Come for One Reason but Stay for Another offers a detailed description of an American’s new life in Israel. It is humorous, entertaining, and ultimately uplifting and satisfying. Y Aviva Yoselis is a women’s health consultant who lives in Israel with her husband and five children.

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

PA Unity

May 2011 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion”

continued from page 1

minister in Gaza, disagreed, saying the accord with Fatah would not prompt Hamas to relinquish its armed struggle against Israel or approve peace talks between the PA and the Jewish state.

Further, he said, despite the unity accord, Hamas would not relinquish control of its security forces or its rule over Gaza.

While Fatah leaders have told the foreign press they intend to prevent terrorist attacks against Israel, they said nothing about doing anything to halt the continuous rocket fire from Gaza, which has been controlled by Hamas, against civilian targets in southern Israel.

Mr. Haniyeh said the agreement between his group and Fatah would have no impact on attacks against Israel from Gaza.

“The resistance weapons will not be touched, but we and Fatah will manage together how to act,” he said, without further explanation.

US Funds Fatah’s decision to unite with Hamas, despite the position of the terrorist group, which has not budged in years, now threatens to derail what little was left of the peace process between Israel and the PA as well as the PA‘s funding from the US. As part of the so-called Quartet, the US,

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along with the UN, the European Union, and Russia, has demanded that, for recognition, Hamas must renounce violence, recognize Israel’s right to exist, and agree to abide by all previously signed accords between Israel and the Palestinians.

In the US, Democrat and Republican Congressmen and Senators have called for a cessation of foreign aid to the Palestinians in light of this new coalition government with Hamas. The US withdrew aid for the Palestinians when they won the PA election in 2007.

Against US Law “It’s important for the Palestinians to understand that the entirety of their US foreign aid is at risk,” warned Rep. Steven R. Rothman (D-NJ), who sits on the foreign aid spending panel and is responsible for drafting many of the restrictions designed to prevent funding of entities affiliated with Hamas or other terrorist groups. “But first we need to step back and take a look at what this unity government means and how long it lasts.”

He was joined by NY Democrats Nita Lowey and Gary Ackerman, both of whom vowed Congressional action. While it is true that President Barack Obama, who has been more sympathetic to the Palestinians than to Israel, could release funds to a PA government with Hamas as a partner, it might mean facing a rebellion from within his own party.

“It is difficult to conceive of President Obama picking a high-profile fight with his own party heading into a re-election effort in which he can’t afford to squander votes,” said columnist Joel Mowbray, who is also a fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL),chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sen Mark Kirk (R-IL) said US law as well as moral principles would preclude continued US funding of the PA with Hamas as a coalition partner.

“According to existing US law, such a hybrid government cannot be a recipient of US taxpayer funds because the law stipulates that the PA government must recognize the Jewish state of Israel’s right to exist, among other things. Therefore, in order to implement existing law, the US must end assistance to the Palestinian Authority,” said Ms. Ross-Lehtinen.

Defeating the Purpose

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The Jewish Voice and Opinion

May 2011

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Ess Gezint: Signature Salads from RYNJ

In between the Pesach feeding fest and the Shavuot cheesecake salute, the PTA of the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey has come out with a cookbook celebrating salads. The editors of “Signature Salads,” a delightful book available by writing to minimandel@yahoo.com, is a paean to healthier eating. “Salads utilize the pure gifts Hashem has given us in the fields and gardens,” said co-editors Mali Baer and Rachel Mandel.

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Sushi Salad from Sandra Lerer

2 cups sushi rice 1 (15-oz) can baby corn, cut 1 cup French green beans, 2 sheets seaweed slightly steamed 1-2 avocados, diced ⅓ cup sugar 6 Tbs soy sauce ⅓ cup rice vinegar 2 Tbs mayonnaise 3 tsp salt 2 tsp wasabi powder Cook rice according to package directions. Cut green beans into quarters. Add to the rice along with sugar, vinegar, salt, and corn. Place seaweed in a plastic bag and crumble. Add seaweed and avocado to the rice mixture. Mix together soy sauce, mayonnaise, and wasabi and add to the salad. (Note: You can top this salad with salmon and serve it as an appetizer).

Dill Salad from Shani Balsam

¼ cup glazed almonds 1 (10-oz) bag lettuce ¼ cup oil 2-3 scallions, diced 2 Tbs sugar 1 red pepper, diced 2 Tbs white vinegar 1 (11-oz) can mandarin ½ tsp salt oranges Dash of pepper 1 cup fresh chopped dill Combine lettuce, scallions, pepper, oranges, dill, and almonds. Mix together oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper to form a dressing. Dress salad just prior to serving.

Deli Salad from Chana Dina Goldblatt

1 (12-oz) bag lettuce 4 Tbs oil ¼-½ lb pastrami or turkey, cubed 1 Tbs sugar 1 pt cherry or grape tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, minced halved 1 Tbs parsley 1 handful Craisins ½ tsp dry mustard powder 2 Tbs mayonnaise ½-1 cup mini-croutons Toss together lettuce, deli, tomatoes, and Craisins. Combine mayonnaise, oil, sugar, garlic, parsley, and mustard powder to make a dressing. Dress salad immediately before serving. Then sprinkle with croutons.

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MVP Kosher Baseball Camp Especially for Yeshiva Boys

It is no secret that yeshiva boys have long experienced the same magnetic attraction to baseball that affects boys of all ages. For the true baseball fanatics among them, the best cure might well be a solid week of total baseball immersion.

For the first time ever, yeshiva boys, ages 12-17, will have an opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable week at MVP Kosher Baseball Camp, the nation’s first authentic major-league baseball camp for Orthodox-Jewish boys.

Shabsai Uvsitzky, founder of MVP, grew up in Cincinnati, playing in afterschool pickup games with Ken Griffey,

Jr, on the fields of the local JCC. “Since I was a kid, I’ve had an obsession with baseball,” says Mr. Uvsitzky.

Pro-Type Camp Back then, there was no such thing as a baseball camp for boys who were Shomer Shabbos and ate only kosher.

Now, thanks to MVP Kosher Baseball Camp, an authentic baseball camp, complete with pro-players and pro-instructors, is a reality.

Joining forces with former New York Yankee, Bucky Dent, Mr. Uvsitzky has created an authentic pro-type baseball camp program tailored to meet the di-

etary and religious needs of Orthodox Jewish boys.

Located in Delray Beach, Florida (near Ft. Lauderdale), MVP delivers over 30 hours of hands-on baseball instruction from Major-League baseball trainers, instructors, and scouts, all within the course of one week. Much of the training staff have played pro-ball at some level.

“This is perfect for little leaguers or high school players. MVP campers can expect to hone their natural skills and boost their competitive edge,” says Mr. Uvsitzky.

All Amenities The MVP Kosher Baseball Camp program consists of two independent oneweek programs. The first begins June 26 and ends July 3, and the second program runs from August 21- 28.

MVP campers enjoy on-site lodging as well as 4-star hotel accommodations for Shabbos, professionally catered cholov Yisroel and glatt kosher meals served three times daily under strict supervision of the Florida ORB, daily minyanim, and learning groups for the entire week, including Shabbos.

MVP campers can expect a baseball experience they will never forget.

The program includes daily scrimmage games, a genuine scout night when authentic Major-League scouts create a mock draft to evaluate and advise campers on their strengths and areas to improve, and visits from actual major-league players.

Past visitors to camp include Pete Rose, Alex Rodriguez, Evan Longoria, David Justice, Gary Carter, and Edgar Renteria, just to name a few.

“We are in contact with Joey Votto and his agent, and are hoping to have him available to stop by and visit our campers on June 28th,” says Mr. Uvsitzky.

Games MVP campers play on a full-size replica of Boston’s Fenway Park.

In addition, campers will attend a Florida Marlins game and, when the Marlins are away, a minor league game.

Other MVP activities include night baseball under the lights, unlimited use of the camp’s batting cages, swimming, basketball, and Bar-BQ night.

“Each camper will receive his very

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Index of Advertisers Ads with Coupons Chopstix..............................................46 Teaneck Road Hot Bagels...................42 Burial Services Eden Memorial Chapels......................20 Gutterman and Musicant/Wien & Wien..50 Camp, Sports, & Summer Programs Gan Israel............................................40 Caddy Camp.......................................26 Camp Naim.........................................13 Camp Regesh......................................42 Florida Baseball Camp........................23 Caterers & Catering Halls Menagerie Caterers.............................24 Charities Donate Your Car..................................16 Umbrella Tzedaka...............................51 Education Rambam Yeshiva of NJ.......................36 RPRY Basketball Champions.............51 Rutgers Student Housing....................18 Touro College Congratulations...........19 Entertainment & Events 5/10-19: Ohel Series on Divorce..........9 5/15: Emunah Nat’l Convention.........27 5/22: SINAI Bike-a-Thon...................31 5/25-30: Portland Outdoor Shabbaton.28 6/5: Israel Day Concert.......................45 6/12: Guns & Beef Charity Event.......29 Financial Services Shared Values........................................5 Graphic Artists Seventh Strategy.................................44 Home Construction and Repair American General Windows...............47 Shalom Plumbing................................47 SH Rescue Locksmith.........................10 Kosher Groceries Butterflake Bakery..............................45 Kosher Restaurant, Take-Out Chopstix..............................................46 Ima Restaraunt....................................16 Reuben’s Glatt Spot............................14 Teaneck Road Hot Bagels...................42 Medical Services CareOne at Teaneck............................39 Holy Name Medical Center..................7 Counseling, John Berkowitz...............12 Neuro-Developmental Pediatrics, Dr. Mintz..33 Psychotherapy, Chana Simmonds.......47

Miscellaneous Deli Help Wanted................................47 Frumster.com........................................4 NARTH/JONAH.................................38 Rutherford, NJ Jewish Community.....17 Special Mazal Tov...............................47 Speech Writing Consultants................35 Musicians Jeff Wilks............................................11 Symphonia............................................6 Photography/Video Aptowitzer.....................................47 Sabrina Speaker.....................................6

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Real Estate.

Cape Cod Rental...................................8 Berkshire House for Rent....................51 5/15: Teaneck Open House.................51 Zimuki, Property in Jerusalem............25 Travel & Vacations African Adventure...............................21 Emunah Bar/Bat Mitzvah....................22 Emunah in Israel...................................3 Jewish Heritage Tours.........................15 Kosher Cruises......................................2 Kosherica ...........................................52 Kutsher’s Shavuout.............................41 Ramada Luxury Hotel Jerusalem........37 Quality Hotel, Montreal......................39

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A

fter a tumultuous start, Ima’s Restaurant on Cedar Lane in Teaneck has landed on its feet, complete with an Israeli-Kurdish-inspired meat menu under the supervision of the Orthodox Union.

The restaurant’s OU hechsher has the blessings of the local Rabbinical Council of Bergen County, which has welcomed Ima’s and its owner, Ofira Zaken, of Fair Lawn, and her new partner, Perry Langer of Teaneck, back under its umbrella of approved kosher restaurants.

Mrs. Zaken, who does virtually all the cooking at Ima’s, learned how to prepare the dishes literally at her mother’s knee.

Intimate and redolent of Middle Eastern herbs and spices, Ima’s took its name from the popular restaurant run by Mrs. Zaken’s Iraqi-born Kurdish-Jewish mother,

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Ima’s Now Has the O-U Miriam Binyamin, in Jerusalem’s Nahla’ot neighborhood, opposite Sacher Park.

Recent patrons at Ima’s in Teaneck were seen enjoying salads, such as hummus and baba ghanoush, scooped onto generous discs on homemade pita.

While the restaurant serves other traditional Mediterranean favorites, including an excellent tabouli, kebabs, and schnitzel, Mrs. Zaken’s signature dishes are those involving stuffed vegetables, made with zuccini, peppers, cabbage leaves, grape leaves, beets, and onions, and kubbeh, fried, baked, or boiled bulgur or semolina dumplings, stuffed with rice, spiced ground beef, or vegetables.

For those addicted to kubbeh, there is a wonderful hamusta, sour sorrel soup studded with the dumplings.

Now that she has, for the most part, turned her thriving Jerusalem businesses over to her sons--one runs the restaurant; another is in charge of the bakery; and the third manages Ima Kubbeh Bar in Jerusalem’s shuk--Mrs. Binyamin, 72, plans to visit Teaneck to see how her stores’ namesake is doing in Teaneck.

Mrs. Zaken, who was 17 when her mother opened the restaurant and worked for many years as Mrs. Binyamin’s righthand, is eager for the original Ima to see what her daughter has accomplished.

Located at 445 Cedar Lane, Ima’s is open Sun-Thurs from 11am to 10pm, and on Fridays, in the summer, from 11am-4pm. The phone number is 201-357-5789 or 201-357-5790.

“I put my soul into the food. I love to cook, and I love to make connections with people,” said Mrs., Zaken.

S.L.R.

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Mr. Mowbray recognized that “one of the first casualties” beyond direct funding could be the US training of Palestinian security forces.

“Those forces are being trained, in essence, to fight Hamas--a goal that would be rendered moot,” said Mr. Mowbray.

Funds from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to the PA would also be cut off, especially since those funds for infrastructure in the West Bank were intended to strengthen the “moderate” Fatah faction in its quest for power over Hamas.

“With Hamas linking arms with Fatah, that rationale no longer holds,” said Mr. Mowbray.

Unfair Nabil Saath, an aide to Mr. Abbas, told Israel Radio there is no requirement for Hamas to recognize Israel because Jerusalem does not recognize Hamas.

Mr. Saath called the Quartet’s demands that Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel “unfair, unworkable, and do not make sense.”

Some observers said Mr. Saath was deliberately engaging in sophistry.

Which Lands Mr. Abbas’s thrust to achieve unity with Hamas is assumed to be based on his determination to receive UN recognition of the PA as a new Arab country, based on

the proposals by Saudi Arabia in 2002.

The so-called Saudi initiative mirrors the Palestinian demands on Israel since the 1993 Oslo Accords: Israel’s relinquishing all land restored to the Jewish State in the 1967 Six-Day War, including the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, and Israel’s acceptance of millions of Arabs--those who fled Israel in 1948 and 1967 and their descendants--into Israel proper, forever changing the demographics of the country and ending any future for the Jewish state.

For its part, Hamas has insisted it will not recognize Israel as long as the Jewish state “occupies” land claimed by the

Baseball

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cont. from p. 44

own personalized official Major-League game ball signed by Bucky Dent himself. That’s a $100.00 value!” says Mr. Uvsitzky.

Campers who sign up with a friend will receive a $50 deduction.

Baseball Classic In addition to running the camp, Mr. Uvsitzky has invited yeshiva high schools with baseball teams to contact MVP about competing in the first “Bucky Dent Invitational Yeshiva Baseball Classic,” the date for which has still to be determined.

For more information, visitwww. mvpkosherbaseballcamp.com.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime baseball experience,” says Mr. Uvsitzky.

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May 2011

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Helping the Jews of Alabama Help Tornado Victims

I am writing from Birmingham, Alabama which is recovering from a natural disaster of biblical proportions. As you know, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and countless small towns in our area suffered incredible tragedy caused by tornadoes. Within several miles of our home and shul, people were killed, property damaged, homes destroyed. Places where only days ago people lived, today no longer exist. As one now-homeless former resident remarked, “Things here aren’t broken. They’re gone.”

Anyone who has seen the photos can attest to the accuracy of that statement. Seeing it in person is overwhelming.

As a Jewish community, we are blessed to have come through with life and limb intact. As of this writing, no one from the Jewish community is known to have been seriously injured or killed. Some have experienced property damage. Many of us are still in the dark, literally and figuratively. Tens of thousands of people in the area remained without electricity days after the storm. Almost everyone’s perishable food spoiled and several families can’t afford to replace it.

Our shul and community are responding to the tragedy by attempting to help those whose lives have been devastated by these storms. The medical professionals in our community are volunteering at emergency clinics, and, as a community, we are visiting people in shelters. We are collecting food, water, clothing, and baby items that are so desperately needed by so many.

Because our shul has gas stoves, we were able to feed more than 100 people over Shabbat. We cooked by flashlight and ate by the light of glowsticks.

Because we were blessed to have the power restored during Shabbat, our shul and our family home have become places of respite for the community.

However, there is no guarantee that the power will remain.

Our shul is trying to raise money to install a generator that can power the building so we can continue to provide space for eating, study, sleep, learning, and prayer, as well as a place to shower, check e mail, or just escape the heat and humidity and enjoy the air conditioning.

At times like these, when the urge to shut down or cry out is great, we must heed the words of Rav Joseph Soloveitchik in “Kol Dodi Dofek: Listen--My Beloved Knocks” about the Jewish response to suffering: “We do not inquire about the hidden ways of the Almighty but, rather, about the path wherein man shall walk when suffering strikes. We ask neither about the cause…nor about its purpose, but, rather, about how it might be mended and elevated.”

We ask that you assist the Jews in Birmingham as we attempt to mend some of the suffering that surrounds us. To aid our efforts, please donate to the Rabbis Discretionary Fund at www.kigcong.org/give and mark your donation “Tornado Recovery Fund.” B’Vracha, Rabbi Eytan Yammer Knesseth Israel Congregation 3100 Overton Rd Birmingham AL, 35223

Let the Terrorists Take the Blame

Hamas and Hezbollah are being funded by Iran with money and arms. There are reliable reports that missile launchers and missiles

Letters to the Editor

are being stored in civilian areas in Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Israel should not wait until these missiles are launched. She should issue an immediate statement that in the event missiles are launched, the civilians in those areas should seek other shelter because Israel will level everything in the launching areas.

Hamas and Hezbollah in previous encounters have used civilians as human shields. The civilians who are in areas which might become combat zones should also seek alternative shelters in advance.

Israel should politely immediately inform the UN of the Hamas and Hezbollah installations, and the Jewish state should publicly announce that responsibility for civilian casualties will rest on the shoulders of the launchers of the missiles not the responding party.

William K. Langfan Palm Beach, FL

What to Do When Catriel Is Right

Dear Mr. Sugarman, Though we’re not regular readers of the Jewish Voice, my wife and I ran across your column about the Baltimore Jewish community and found it very interesting (“Stunning Statistics from Jewish Baltimore, a Community on the Cutting Edge,” April 2010). So much so that we spent a considerable amount of time checking your facts and figures on the Internet. Mr. Sugarman, you’re right on the money! We had no idea things were that bad. Thank G-d for the Orthodox!

My question is this: we are members of a Conservative temple in Bergen County and are what you might call threeday-a-year Jews. I’ll be honest with you. We are interested in Jewish survival but at this stage in our lives, we’re not about to start observing the 613 commandments. Incidentally, we have two sons, one married a non-Jewish woman and the other, to tell you the truth, we don’t know what will be with him.

But what do you suggest we do?

Name Withheld Tenafly, NJ Catriel Sugarman replies: Dear Sir, Thank you for your kind words. That you and your wife spent time checking me out pleases me no end! You have made my day!

The Jewish Voice has a plethora of listings for shiurim, public lectures, and classes in Jewish subjects given throughout Bergen County in a section called “The Log: Separate Yourself Not from the Community” and “New Classes This Month.” Find a shiur on a subject that might interest you, given at a time and place that is convenient. It can be Jewish history, philosophy, Israel, Bible, whatever--and begin to attend regularly. True, you might feel awkward at first, but persevere, and I’m sure that you will come to enjoy it as well as learn something.

Next, join an Orthodox synagogue or visit a Chabad House near you. There are no lack of them in Bergen County and they welcome all Jews whatever their level of observance may be.

And once there, don’t be shy! Introduce yourselves to the rabbi and become part of the community.

You never know what the future holds.

All the best and thank you again.

Catriel Sugarman

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“Thought Is the World of Freedom” (R’ Dov Ber of Mazeritch)

French Muslims Hypocritically Don Symbol of Persecution

In all of Europe, the country with the most numerous Muslim population is France. In response to many native Frenchman’s fears that their national culture is being subverted by a growing Islamic influx, as well as security concerns, the government of France agreed overwhelmingly to ban wearing full-face veils in public. In response, several protests were instituted by various Islamic groups on the streets of Paris.

These protests included the distribution of “green stars” (the declared color of Islam), which were to be worn by Muslims as a symbolic sign of persecution. It was an action deliberately reminiscent of the yellow stars forced on the Jews by the Germans, Bulgarians, and others during the Holocaust.

On April 11, 2011, the day the headscarf ban took effect, French and international television reports showed Muslims distributing these five pointed green stars, an action endorsed by Abderahmane Dahmane, the French President’s former “diversity adviser.”

One would think French-Muslim leadership would be more urbane than to compare the banning of the headscarf to the mass murder and torture of six million innocent people. Yet, these sorts of Muslim protests are not new. In 1994, Muslims in France sported yellow crescents on their arms while marching with the slogan, “When is it our turn?” an explicit allusion to the Holocaust and the yellow stars the Jews were mandated to wear during World War II. Nonetheless, there is something ironic about these “stars,” for it was not Hitler who first mandated the yellow star, but the leaders of the Islamic religion some 1200 years earlier. With the Pact of Umar, a 9th-century set of guidelines between conquering Muslims and conquered non-Muslims, both Jews and Christians could achieve safety by complying with the order to wear a distinct yellow indicator of their non-Islamic status. For many years, Muslims forced Jews to wear distinct clothing, often the color yellow, or stars, from Islamic Spain to Syria and Iraq and as far away as Persia.

This unsophisticated route adopted by French-Islamic leadership to protest the banning of the headscarf, is not only the height of hypocrisy, but a demonstration of a lack of understanding of the history of their own religion and a crass insensitivity to the Jewish people.

Shelomo Alfassa Brooklyn, NY

Mr. Alfassa, the former US director of Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, is a noted scholar of Jewish life in Islamic Spain.

Orthodox Shul on Cape Cod

We all know that the challenge to the Orthodox-Jewish vacationer is to find a resort location that, in addition to being fun, refreshing, and attractive, with nice places to stay and things to do, is near a frum shul for Shabbos and daily minyanim.

A fantastic summer community, located right at the beginning of Cape Cod, is Beth Israel of Onset Orthodox Synagogue.

Our website is www.capecodshul.org for more information.

The Onset Shul has been open every summer for over 50 years now, and was the summer home of Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik, z”tl, in the 1950’s through the 1960’s.

The shul is enchanting, intriguing, and delightful. Onset is the quintessential summer Jewish community of friends who spend summer time together once a year, every year. New people discover us; old friends return.

Many local inns and hotels, directly located on Onset Bay, are within a five minute walk of the shul. There are also a number of cottages for rent. See www.onsetvillage.com or www. shellpointere.com for more info.

Major nearby supermarkets carry brand-name kosher products. (The Boston Vaad symbol is KVH. Meat products should perhaps be brought from home.) The inns have small refrigerators and hot plates available.

The shul is open starting July 1st. Friday night services begin at 7:30 and Shabbos morning services are at 8:45 am. Daily services are at 8:00 am and 7.30 pm. Contact me at ehauser@ capecodshul.org for more information or a brochure listing places to stay and things to do.

Eli Hauser Onset, MA The Jewish Voice and Opinion welcomes letters, especially if they are typed, double-spaced, and legible. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and style.

Please send all correspondence to POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631.

The phone number is (201) 569-2845. The FAX number is (201) 569-1739.

The email address is susan@jewishvoiceandopinion.com

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continued from page 50

PA. That definition is murky, because while the PA has said, in English, it wants to live side by side with Israel only on land won by the Jewish state in the 1967 Six Day War, the PA’s activities in Arabic are much different. It continues to disseminate maps in Arabic showing its proposed state to include all of Israel, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River, and from the Lebanese border in the north to Egypt in the south.

Red Line In Israel, the accord and Mr. Abbas’s intention to have the UN force Israel to accept Palestinian demands were met with recognition that, in Mr. Lieberman’s words, the PA has “crossed a red line.”

Before the signing ceremony, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Mr. Abbas peace would be impossible

ALAN L. MUSICANT

with a Palestinian government that includes a party calling for the destruction of Israel. The PA-Hamas agreement, he said, concerns not only Israelis, “but all those in the world who aspire to see peace between us and our Palestinian neighbors.”

Using Mr. Abbas’s nom de guerre, Mr. Lieberman called on the international community to withhold “legitimacy to a government whose face is that of Abu-Mazen but whose hands are those of Hamas, which launches missiles at civilians and whose hands are filthy with the blood of the innocent.”

Blessing in Disguise Many nationalist Israelis and their supporters, however, have called the agreement “a blessing in disguise” that exposes the danger of signing an agreement with the PA or, worse, relinquishing land to it, knowing that Hamas represents the attitudes of at least

half the PA. “Can you imagine signing peace with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, only to see it annulled a short time later by the next Palestinian, Hamasinspired ruler? Wouldn’t it be easier, less risky to renounce it now, before letting it grow and solidify, before consenting to the rule of terrorists over Judea and Samaria?” said Dr. Avi Perry, a talk show host and former Israeli intelligence advisor.

He stressed that, if the agreement between Fatah and Hamas lasts, “the world will perhaps finally face up to an uncompromising Islamist regime that does not take cover behind a fake façade.”

It might help the world realize that “blaming the Jewish state for lack of progress in the peace process with the Palestinians is like accusing Poland for instigating World War II,

or holding the US responsible for setting off a war with al Qaeda on 9/11,” he said.

Little Agreement From the perspective of nationalist-Israeli leaders, another fallout between Hamas and Fatah would strengthen the latter’s perception as moderates.

But from the statements made by the Fatah and Hamas leaders after the accord was signed, it was unclear if, beyond animosity to Israel, the two factions would agree on much of anything.

After praising the efforts of Egypt for brokering the peace between the factions, Khalid Marshal, Hamas’s leader in exile, said he supported “elections at the first possible moment,” but, he said, in order for the vote to be “genuine, first we must establish a real and normal atmosphere on the ground.”

S.L.R.

For generations our families have provided Jewish Funeral Management to those we are chosen to serve and have made family, community and tradition our promise to you

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