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VOL. 11 NO. 42

6 TAMMUZ 5771

‫פרשת בלק‬

CHAI LIFELINE: THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE

INSIDE Science, Blinded Rabbi Avi Shafran

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Seeking Peace

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Trimming The Fat Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

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Where is the personality in this advanced age of instant mass communication who can reach out to leaders around the world, bury old disputes and grudges, and truly introduce the concept of peace to our world? And why shouldn’t there exist a self-made peace-

Good Clean Dirt Yehudis Sashitzky, CPC

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Stand By Me Rochelle Maruch Miller

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Promoters of the Chai Lifeline Bike4Chai BikeLash, to take place August 3–4. See Page 51

Marriage Bill Exposes Schism In Jewish Community

BY MARC GRONICH Seff-Garfinkel wedding.

See Page 39

Just hours after Shabbos began on June 24, when Orthodox Jews were not present to rally for or against the measure, the Republican majority in the New York State Senate brought the same-sex marriage bill to the floor for the historic vote. Here is how the night unfolded: Friday evening, 9:35 p.m.: De-

bate began on amendments to the Marriage Equality bill instituting religious exemptions.

9:55 p.m.: The amendment to the main Marriage Equality bill was passed, 36 to 26. The amendment included an inseverability clause linking religious protections and exemptions with Continued on Page 16

A Tradition Of Caring The art of Elke Reva Sudin.

See Page 56

At the Rivkah Laufer Bikur Cholim’s 46th annual luncheon (L–R): Celia Rapp, Miriam Lubling, Fran Laufer, and Pearl Pinter. See Page 40

YU alumni network pays dividends.

See Page 47

CANDLE LIGHTING July 8 – 8:10 PM July 15 – 8:06 PM

FROM THE EDITOR

BY LARRY GORDON

Stop The Mugging Hannah Reich Berman

JULY 8, 2011

HEARD IN THE BAGEL STORE

BY LARRY GORDON

WATCHING PHIL RUN

Respecting Elders

As New York State Assembly candidate Phillip Goldfeder and his supporters around the district gear up for the September 13 special election to fill Assemblywoman Audrey Pfeffer’s seat, amongst the

Though as a matter of course we seek out new and different experiences in life, some new situations tend to throw us into an off-balance tizzy. It is at those junctures in our lives that we are most vulnerable

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MY SHABBOS WITH GEVA

The Latest In The Fish Controversy

From The Other Side Of The Bench

BY RABBI YAIR HOFFMAN

BY DAVID J. SEIDEMANN, ESQ. Since moving to this neighborhood some ten years ago, I have been blessed to have dignitaries, politicians, children

There has been a new development in the controversy surrounding the consumption of kosher fish this week. A new letter has been issued by Rav Elyashiv, shlita, concerning his opinion about the consump-

Continued on Page 4

Continued on Page 15

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MY SHABBOS WITH GEVA Continued from Front Cover of dignitaries, children of politicians, and leading rabbis of our generation from both here and Israel grace our dining room table. I say this not to boast in any way. The fact that my wife and I were fortunate enough to host such influential people is not because of anything I might have done, or anyone I might have known. I make the comment with a sense of great appreciation that I have been fortunate enough to host such personalities and that such personalities have been able to leave a lasting impression on my children.

By far, guests from Israel, and particularly soldiers serving in the Israeli army, have made the greatest impression on my family. For some of my children, it is difficult to understand why Israel needs an army. Why are there people out there that want to hurt us? For my other children, it is painful to realize that indeed there are those out there who wish to drive us into the sea.

I am not naive. I am, however, hopeful that one day the need for an Israeli army will vanish. Until then, I take great pride in the young men and women of Tzahal that are holding my spot in the Holy Land. I want my children to be exposed to as many of those heroes as possible for I know how inspired they become. I want my children to meet as many chayalim as possible because I know how integral those encounters will be to their identification with Eretz Yisrael. I want my children to break

Continued on Page 13

P.O. BOX 690 LAWRENCE, NY 11559 516-984-0079 editor@5TJT.com ads@5TJT.com LARRY GORDON Publisher/Editor

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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Hannah Reich Berman, Anessa V. Cohen Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg, Yoni Glatt Toby Klein Greenwald, Rabbi Yair Hoffman Ron Jager, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky Dr. Bernie Kastner, Shmuel Katz, Phyllis J. Lubin Esther Mann, Rochelle Miller, Rabbi Meir Orlian Elke Probkevitz, Dr. Rachael Schindler Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow, David J. Seidemann Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier, Rabbi Avi Shafran Eli Shapiro, Dr. Ari Sher, Samuel Sokol ELISHEVA ELEFANT Staff Graphic Artist IVAN NORMAN, IRA THOMAS Staff Photographers DESIGN BY DESIGN2PRO.COM Design & Production MICHAEL KUROV Art Director The Five Towns Jewish Times is an independent weekly newspaper.

Opinions expressed by writers and columnists are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. We are not responsible for the kashrus or hashgachah of any product or establishment advertised in the Five Towns Jewish Times.

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Y O U A R E C O R D I A L LY I N V I T E D T O A T T E N D T H E

TH IS JU MO LY ND 11 AY ! ,

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worked with other elected officials and residents

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product of local schools, Phil was brought up

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in a household that embodied the ideals of

community pride and public service. He currently lives in

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Beginning as a community liaison for the New York City Council on behalf of Queens residents, he was instrumental in improving traffic conditions near local

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schools and senior living facilities.

In 2009, Phil was named one of the “Top 40 Under 40 rising stars in New York City” by City Hall News and has been called one of “the next generation of political leaders.”

Most recently, he joined in the community fight to protect residency discounts for the Cross Bay Bridge through federal legislation, addressed improper behavior by

As the Queens Director for the Community Affairs Unit

Airport staff in areas surrounding

under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Phil was the voice of

JFK airports and spearheaded a

Queens’ residents in City Hall. His advocacy helped with

task force to address communal

the success of numerous successful rezoning projects, the

concerns at Riis Park and Floyd

memorial for the victims of Flight 587, working to fix the

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flooding in Broad Channel and improving beach safety for our children and families.

Join us in supporting Phil Goldfeder. He will work hard to

Phil then served as director of intergovernmental affairs

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York State Assembly.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE EMAIL INFO@PHILGOLDFEDER.COM OR CALL 347-766-FOPG (3674) Checks should be made payable to: Friends of Phil Goldfeder, 603 Hicksville Rd Far Rockaway, NY 11691

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A Five Towns Simcha

Mazel Tov to Tova and Michael Fruchter on the bat mitzvah of their daughter, Esther. The celebration took place on June 22 at Ateres Nechama Liba Hall. Esther is a student at Shulamith.

Photos by Naomi Cohen of Glamorous Pics.

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BAGEL STORE Continued from Front Cover themes articulated by the candidate is how to deal with the reality of the need to cut state spending and simultaneously hold the line on taxes. “I’m a common-sense guy,� says Goldfeder. “I know the concerns about government overspending. But you can’t spend money that you don’t have.�

For the Jewish community of Far Rockaway and its environs, Goldfeder is home-grown talent, and most everyone is full of anticipation that this premier Orthodox Jewish community will proudly be able to tout the fact that they will be represented by one of their own come September. Goldfeder resides with his wife and children in Far Rockaway, attended Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, and Ye-

shiva Medrash Shmuel in Israel for two years, and graduated from Brooklyn College in 2004. “I love public service and this district in particular,â€? he said as we chatted over coffee on a quiet Independence Day morning in a local cafĂŠ. Until last week, Goldfeder, 30, had been working as a senior aide to U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. Prior to working with Schumer, Goldfeder served stints with thenCity Councilman Simcha Felder and, prior to that, worked for Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

The district that the young candidate is running in encompasses Far Rockaway, Bayswater, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, and Howard Beach. It is a largely Democratic district with centrist political leanings in

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BAGEL STORE Continued from Page 11 the largely Orthodox Jewish community, which results in a challenging combination for anyone seeking office. While Goldfeder is a Democrat, he understands the balancing act that is required to serve the totality of the district. He is being opposed in the September 13 race by Jane Deacy of Breezy Point.

While the hot-button issue of same-gender marriage will not be something that Goldfeder will have to vote on, he has assured his supporters that in making his decisions in Albany he will keep in mind what all of his constituents would have wanted and expected but will always vote his conscience. As to why the bill passed the Senate, which has a Republican majority, Goldfeder says that Governor Cuomo successfully and effectively convinced those legislators that, more than anything else, this was a matter of civil rights for people.

Our discussion then shifted to what will set Phil Goldfeder apart from so many other members of New York State government in Albany. And that is his commitment to always do the right thing no matter the outcome. As an ex-

12 July 8, 2011

Phil Goldfeder with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

ample, throughout his career he has always worn his yarmulke during public appearances and while present in the governmental chamber.

“That’s who I am,” the candidate says about his wearing his kippah, “and my commitment to who I am will always remain steadfast regardless of where my career takes me.” If Goldfeder is successful, as expected, he will join the ranks of other Orthodox assemblymen but will be only the second, after Dov Hikind, who wears a yarmulke all the time.

The most notable of the Orthodox Jewish assemblymembers are David Weprin, Rhoda Jacobs, and Speaker Sheldon Silver. At least one other thing they all have in common is

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

that they are fiercely dedicated and very effective officials working in Albany for their constituents. Phil Goldfeder will fit right in.

“I hope to very much follow in the footsteps and traditions of community service of Audrey Pheffer and Chuck Schumer, and emulate their fantastic work ethic,” Goldfeder says. “I feel that government needs to be accessible to all people and not something that is way out there that the average citizen is intimidated by or feels they cannot reach.”

He explains that the key to Pheffer’s success in Albany as well as Schumer’s in Washington is relationships. “They both are very amiable and perfectly able to communicate and work

with their colleagues on either side of the aisle”—and that, Phil explains, is his goal.

On the all-important issue of taxes, Goldfeder believes Governor Cuomo is doing a good job of cutting expenses and holding the line on taxes.

“We’ve been through some difficult times of late here in New York,” Goldfeder says. “I believe that things are looking up and better days are ahead for New Yorkers.”

There is a belief out there that every elected leader, especially in New York, regardless of the level of government they might serve on, has to have a foreign policy of sorts and especially on issues that affect Israel. While these positions may be essentially irrelevant to whatever process may be going on, still the positions serve to define the candidate in the eyes of the people.

“Clearly, Israel needs to have a partner if there is to be peace between the parties,” Goldfeder says. “Negotiations need to be convened without pre-conditions, and that does not look possible at this point in time.”

“While there is always a role for an elected official to advocate for causes that they believe in,” Goldfeder pointed out, “my primary focus will be on servicing the residents of the 23rd AD.”

As for 2012, Goldfeder says that it is way too early to prognosticate, but that regardless of all other issues that will be vital to the forthcoming presidential campaign, no issue will be as important as the economy. “If the economy does not get moving, people will most likely grow impatient and want change,” he says.

Phil Goldfeder brings two unusual qualities to the table that the district he hopes to represent in the NYS Assembly can greatly benefit from: his youth and his vast experience. This may seem somewhat contradictory, but in this young man it is a reality.

He knows his way around all levels of government—federal, state, and city. He is affable and well liked and has the endorsement of key officials like Senator Schumer and Speaker Silver. It’s obvious that Phil Goldfeder is building momentum in his lifelong desire and ambition to serve the people and improve conditions for all in his district. It’s in our best interests to make sure that he is elected on September 13 because he is a person whom— whether you reside in his district or not—you can depend on.  Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome at editor@5tjt.com.

MY SHABBOS WITH GEVA Continued from Page 4 bread with as many soldiers as possible to give those soldiers strength and support and to let them know how much we appreciate their sacrifice. I want my children to one day soon share Shabbos lunch with Gilad Shalit. I told this to Gilad’s father in my last conversation with him.

I never turn down an opportunity to host a member of Tzahal. When the phone rang a few weeks ago and I was asked if my wife and I could host Colonel Geva Rapp, from the Israeli army, I put the caller on hold, called my wife, relayed her “yes” to the colonel’s attaché, and prepared myself to be elevated and inspired.

I was not disappointed and neither was anyone from this community who had the chance to spend a few moments with the Colonel recently in Lawrence. His personal story is amazing as are the details of his career in the army. So with his permission, I share with you that which made me soar as we sat for almost five hours around our dining room table.

He grew up in Petach Tikvah in an apartment building filled with religious families. He had no meaningful contact with them and they had no influence on his family. He entered the army at age 18 and quickly distinguished himself as a top flight soldier. After his obligatory three-year-tour, he reenlisted and became an officer, quickly rising through the ranks and eventually becoming a colonel. In those initial six years in the

army, he had a number of religious Jews under his command. Their lifestyle fascinated him, and he contacted a yeshiva to see if they would allow him entry to conduct an anthropological study on the lives of religious Jews. The yeshiva declined.

Geva approached another yeshiva, Machon Meir, with the same request.

This time permission was granted on the condition that he stay in the yeshiva for a brief while as a student and then he could begin his paper on Orthodox Jews.

ist for the war known as Operation Cast Lead where he served as one of the top three field commanders.

As they say on the Home Shopping Network, “Wait, there’s more.” Geva realized that the average Israeli soldiers who were not dati were suffering from an identity crisis. They did not possess a strong spiritual connection to the Land and were thus understandably conflicted when asked to defend a Jewish land which perhaps could be located in Europe, Uganda, or maybe in America.

Why die for that tiny sliver of land if it

By the time the Second Lebanon War began, the rank and file Israeli soldier was confused. He or she no longer knew what they were fighting for.

Geva ended up staying for five years and never got around to writing that paper. Today his knowledge of Talmud, the prophets, Rambam, and Jewish law is something to behold.

But the story doesn’t end there. In fact, this is just the beginning. While he was in yeshiva, the army came knocking and requested that Geva return to active duty as an officer. One year became two years which became three years which became 18 years. He retired in 2007 but returned as a colonel reserv-

bore no greater significance to the Jew than any other parcel of land?

Geva knew that if the soldier learned the first Rashi on the first verse in the Torah, that the soldier would connect to the Land and thereby connect to the mission. The colonel explained that one might think that the army, its fighters, and weaponry were more advanced in the Six Day War than in the Lebanon war. After all, by all accounts the Six Day War was a miraculous display of G-d’s handiwork coupled with supe-

rior fighting and strategy that was unmatched and that apparently was far superior than the mixed reviews of the Second Lebanon War. Geva explained that such a conclusion was erroneous and that the army was much more advanced and better equipped in the Second Lebanon War than in the Six Day War. Why then the apparent discrepancy in results? The colonel explained that by the time the Second Lebanon War began, the rank and file Israeli soldier was confused. He or she no longer knew what they were fighting for. The only reason to fight and to build would be if one felt a spiritual connection to this specific area of land mass. Otherwise, Uganda would suit us just fine and would be safer. So Geva Rapp began an organization called Panim el Panim which, translated, means Face to Face. He, along with other rabbis and educators, made their way to the Left of the Left schools throughout Israel and began teaching Torah and the Torah’s outlook on defending and building Israel. It did not stop in the schools.

In what can only be described as miraculous, the army, the secular army, invited Rapp and his Rappers onto army base after army base to teach Torah.

And something very strange occurred. Secular schools which had an enlistment rate in the army of 10 percent jumped to 90 percent. Entire curricula were developed and implemented, and today hundreds of classes a month are given on army bases, and the confusion and identity crisis that was prevalent is dissipating. The Left is

Continued on Page 15

July 8, 2011

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FROM THE EDITOR Continued from Front Cover fulness around our globe so people can enjoy this mysterious existence of ours that we call life?

I know it sounds very Woodstock-like, with a combination of John Lennon thrown in for good measure, in imagining a state in which there were no wars and all people were able to get along with one another.

But if any period in time was able to create that kind of universal environment, it is this one, and we seriously shirk our responsibilities and obligations if we cannot get it done.

One look around at the world and it does not take a very astute observer to recognize that we are not moving anywhere near that progressive direction. Now that it is summer, it seems that time, though hopping and skipping as usual, is doing so at a somewhat more deliberate pace. So in a sense it is a time to take stock, look back at the past, while also contemplating the months and the year ahead.

Summer is quiet, and as a result can frequently be mistaken for a tranquil time. It’s a period during which one has an innate desire to dwell on possibilities of peace. I suppose that aside from the delightful

14 July 8, 2011

weather, summer is a time for respite and pausing while contemplating the next move.

Now that we mentioned Woodstock and the summer of 1969, I believe that the motivation for that once-in-a-lifetime undertaking was largely inspired by a generation’s desire for unity and peace. As I’ve observed previously in this space, I spent the summer of ’69 in Camp Agudah in Ferndale, New York. I was a teenager and cognizant of what was taking place a dozen miles away on Max Yasgur’s farm on Happy Avenue just outside of White Lake.

As those of you who frequent the Catskills know well, the actual upstate town of Woodstock is nowhere near White Lake, but the governing board of Woodstock voted not to allow themselves to be invaded by a half million peace-loving though quite reckless young people celebrating whatever it was that they were seeking to celebrate on those hot August days of summer 42 years ago.

On Shabbos, the usual laidback quiet of the holy day was shattered again and again by police helicopters flying low overhead. So low in fact, it was easy to see the faces of the police officers sitting inside. It was a watershed moment in the history of youth in Amer-

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ica. It emerged from virtually nowhere and, interestingly, was never to be repeated. In a sense, Woodstock stands alone by what it was attempting and hoping to achieve.

Aside from the good music that emanated from Yasgur’s farm that rainy weekend in 1969, all that is left today from that experience are memories of what almost was and what could have been. It was a gathering unlike Tahir Square in Egypt earlier this year where violence and death was a daily feature. The kids that summer wanted peace and harmony, but it seems that all these years later it was nothing but an anomaly, never to be seen again.

In the aftermath of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, along with the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, shouldn’t we have realized that war is not only destructive in the literal sense but also counterproductive all the way down the line? The talk of peace today—unlike the past—is ever present. Back in the middle of the last century, governments around the world featured members of their governing cabinets with the title of “War Minister.” Over the years, that has been tweaked to what is now known as a Defense Minister.

The new labeling signaled a change in the world’s attitude toward conflict. Moving forward, and regardless of the nature of a military offensive or aggressive war, it was now going to be categorized as a matter of defense.

Still we are locked into what looks like an international cycle of violence with no one around with the ability to step outside of it, stop the downward spiral, and make leaders capable of change to take another look. In the Middle East—in Israel in particular— summer brings a new strategy whose ultimate goal is inevitable deconstruction, or let’s calls it dismantling, of the Jewish state. But it’s called a peace process and it has extensive support in the world body that is supposed to epitomize the ideals of peace—the United Nations.

So instead of violently addressing the bothersome reality of Israel’s existence as they have in the past, the Palestinians who claim Israel’s heartland as their homeland are trying the peaceful diplomatic route to accomplish their old intolerant aims, specifically the doing away with the State of Israel as we know it.

It’s now also the summer cruise season for those with a more adventurous spirit who

want to spend their accumulated vacation days aboard rickety old ships trying to penetrate what they consider the Israeli blockade of Gaza, an area which is dominated and controlled by the internationally-recognized terrorist organization Hamas. All Israel is determined to achieve by not allowing this artificial humanitarian aid into Gaza is the prevention of the availability of materials that can produce rockets that can be fired on Israel’s civilian population centers. Not exactly the summer of love.

Peace, however, will come, and it may be closer than we think. And if you choose not to believe me, then how about the ancient gentile prophet Bilaam who is featured in this week’s Torah portion. Actually Bilaam may have been the personal forerunner to today’s Palestinian Arabs. Our commentators actually say that the name Bilaam is a compilation of two words: “B’li am,” translated as “Without a nation.”

As you know, Bilaam’s flotilla was a one-man show on the back of a rather talkative and perhaps even intelligent donkey. His intention, or that which he was retained and contracted for, was to curse the Jews to the point where it would impede and disrupt the settling of the land of Is-

rael. But not only didn’t it work, it kind of backfired on the old incisive gent. The Torah portion this week tells us that Bilaam intended to curse Israel, but instead words of blessing spilled out of his mouth.

Bilaam said of the destiny and ultimate redemption of the Jewish people: “I see it but not now.” Commentaries explain that this characterization refers to the fashion in which peace will occur. If Israel is worthy, the process ending the long exhausting exile can be expedited. If Israel is not worthy, it will still happen, but it will occur in its appointed time.

Rav Simcha Kook, who was in town for a few days this week, said on Wednesday morning that the period in which Bilaam was attempting to curse the Jewish people was more dangerous than any other time in Jewish history. This was because Bilaam intended to curse Israel in such a fashion that their connection to G-d would be severed, which would indeed strike Israel a fatal blow. That, as we know, did not happen.

Surveying the situation as it exists today, we seem to be dealing with a multiplicity of Bilaams looking to cut us off from our lifesource. So if we are indeed determined to pursue peace, perhaps it would be prudent to begin with the One Above.  Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome at editor@5tjt.com.

FISH CONTROVERSY Continued from Front Cover tion of fish with Anisakis worms in the flesh. The letter states Rav Elyashiv’s unequivocal position that consuming the fish is a violation of a biblical prohibition.

There is something else in the letter, however, which is completely new. The letter states that there is an obligation upon each rabbi and rosh yeshiva to promulgate and disseminate this information to their kehillos. The letter also contains a postscript penned by Rav Feivel Cohen, shlita, stating that he was present and verifies the accuracy and veracity of the letter.

The letter was obtained by Rav Cohen last week when he visited Rav Elyashiv after the latter’s operation. Rav Cohen suggested to Rav Elyashiv the necessity of including the paragraph concerning the obligation to disseminate the information contained in the letter in order to counter the fact that numerous individuals were discounting the seriousness of the situation.

The letter is sharply worded against those authorities that permit the consumption of Anisakis-infested fish.

Last month, the Five Towns Jewish Times reported about the two letters which appeared in the HaModia.

One letter was signed by Rav Aharon Schechter, Rav Dovid Feinstein, and Rav Feivel Cohen. The other letter reiterated the position of the Ortho-

dox Union that the fish was permitted and that gedolim of the previous generation had permitted it.

The new letter will be released as soon as a new list of fish can be prepared. In the meantime the following list can be used: All types of fish with the Anisakis worm in their flesh may not be used. These include: wild salmon (e.g., sockeye), canned salmon (wild).

Flounder: Yellowtail, wild dabs, blackbacks, sole. At this time there are no known fresh or frozen flounder fillets that are acceptable, even if certified (e.g., Dagim, Kinneret, etc.).

Wild halibut, sea bass, a.k.a. smoked sable, red perch, scrod, pollack, cod, turbot, and butterfish are all problematic.

All farm-raised salmon is acceptable.

Salmon: Wild (chinook) from British Columbia and New Zealand may be used. (They are actually farmraised.)

Tilapia, carp, pike, herring fillet, red snapper, and tuna may be used.

Fish products made from minced fish, e.g., fishsticks, may be used.

Lox may be used.

Halibut: Farm-raised is acceptable.

Cod: Farm-raised and chatum are acceptable Pollock: Chatum is acceptable.

All gefilte fish is acceptable.  The author can be reached at Yairhoffman2@gmail.com.

MY SHABBOS WITH GEVA Continued from Page 13 beginning to realize that the Right might be right.

There is a renewed palpable feeling within the army that there is something special about the land of Israel for the Jew and that it is rooted in the Bible. Geva knows this firsthand and has the testimonials to prove it.

We on the Right have always known this.

Geva is pulling in the extreme Left and I think our job is to bring into the fold those on the extreme Right who might not make the connection between the people of Israel, the Land of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the G-d of Israel.

There is so much to be done in this regard.

I would venture to say that we all know someone on the Left as well as someone on the extreme Right that could use a nudge in the right direction. The future of our land and people depend on it.

There are hundreds of yeshivas throughout America and Israel and thousands of classes in religion that build the religious backbone of our people. There are hundreds if not thousands of army exercises a year that build Israel’s prowess as an army. Colonel Geva Rapp has found one answer for both needs.

Geva and his amazing programs are turning the tide and creating soldiers with a renewed sense of clarity in their mission. He is someone who you all should meet Panim el Panim, face to face.  David Seidemann is a partner with the law firm of Seidemann and Mermelstein and serves as a professor of business law at Touro College. He can be reached at 718-692-1013 or ds@lawofficesm.com.

July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 15

Marriage Bill Continued from Front Cover the main topic of the bill. This means if a judge throws out one part of the law the entire law must be disregarded. The measure is required to be treated as a whole and all parts are to be read and construed together.

10:30 p.m.: After only four speakers— three senators in favor and one opposed to the bill—delivered brief remarks, the main bill to grant same-sex marriage passed, 33 to 29. Many senators who wanted to speak on the bill were stifled and debate was cut off. An eight-minute discussion ensued in the well of the Senate chamber between Lt. Governor Bob Duffy, who was presiding over the session, and senate leaders.

11:20 p.m.: Governor Andrew Cuomo held a news conference with advocates of the bill without Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was observing Shabbos.

11:55 p.m.: Cuomo signed the measure into law. Same-sex marriages can begin in 30 days.

Separating civil and religious law.

While the law pertains only to a marriage sanctioned by state or local governments, for the Jewish opponents to this law the argument is all about religious law and the passage in Parashas Acharei Mos, which states, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination” (Vayikra 18:22).

For the Jewish advocates of this law, it was about showing how civil law is separate from religious law and equality in civil law trumps religious law. “The clear

16 July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

separation between civil law and Torah law is what has enabled Jews to live a fairly comfortable life here in the United States for more than 200 years,” according to one proponent of the measure. “This is a two-way street: If you want to influence civil law with religious thought, then you are inviting the government to control how we practice our religion.”

In an attempt to separate the two and to ensure religious and not-for-profit agencies are not sued, the governor and three Republican senators crafted language that offered enough comfort to reluctant lawmakers to bring them to support the measure.

After the Assembly vote, 29 of the 30 Senate Democrats announced they favored the marriage-equality bill, including three senators who were opposed to the measure two years ago. Two Republican senators, Jim Alesi (Perinton, Monroe County) and Roy McDonald (Wilton, Saratoga County) asserted that it is a matter of doing the right thing. When the bill came to the floor for a vote, Republican Senators Mark Grisanti (Buffalo) and Stephen Saland (Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County) also supported the measure.

“Do the right thing.” Saland explained his vote and his struggles with the bill’s language. Saland is a descendant of Shmuel Salant, the prominent rabbi of the late 19th century who served as the Ashkenazic chief rabbi of Jerusalem from 1871 until his death in 1909. He spoke about how organized religions, benevolent associations, and not-for-profit associations would not be subject to civil actions or government actions on the local or state level, and areas where conflicts

may exist would be resolved in favor of religious exemptions.

From the floor of the Senate chamber, Saland said, “I have certainly struggled over this issue. It has been an extremely difficult issue to deal with coming from a rather traditional background and being married for some 46 years and by being raised by parents who preached to me the importance of tolerance, respect, and acceptance of others and of course always to do the right thing. I’m not sure that I could do the right thing by the proponents and opponents, and needless to say my decision on this bill will disappoint a significant number of people, but I can say that my emotional and intellectual journey ends here today. I have to define doing the right thing as treating all persons with equality and that equality includes within the definition of marriage. I fear to do otherwise would fly in the face of my upbringing. My vote is a vote of conscience and it was a struggle.

I feel were my parents here, they would have told me to do the right thing.”

The Senate votes. In the Senate there are 10 Jewish lawmakers and 12 non-Jewish lawmakers who represent large Jewish constituencies. Of the Jewish lawmakers, 8 favored the measure, and 2 opposed it (both Republican). Of the 12 non-Jews who represent large Jewish constituencies, 4 favored the measure, 8 opposed.

Two of the three Jewish Republican senators opposed the bill: Michael Ranzenhofer (Amherst, Erie County) and Lee Zeldin (Shirley, Suffolk County). Saland cast the deciding vote that broke the 31– 31 deadlock.

Seven Democrat Jewish senators vot-

ed for the bill: Jeff Klein (Morris Park, Bronx), David Carlucci (Clarkstown, Rockland County), Suzi Oppenheimer (Mamaroneck, Westchester County), Liz Krueger (East Side, Manhattan), Carl Kruger (Mill Basin, Brooklyn), Dan Squadron (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn), and Toby Ann Stavisky (Whitestone, Queens).

Seven non-Jewish lawmakers who represent large Jewish constituencies opposed the bill: Republicans Charles Fuschillo (Merrick, Nassau County), Kemp Hannon (Garden City, Nassau County), Majority Leader Dean Skelos (Rockville Centre, Nassau County), Jack Martins (Mineola, Nassau County), William Larkin (New Windsor, Orange County), John Bonacic (Mount Hope, Orange County), and Joseph Robach (Greece, Monroe County).

Four non-Jewish lawmakers representing large Jewish constituencies, supported the bill: Neil Breslin (D-Albany), Kevin Parker (D-Flatbush, Brooklyn), James Alesi (R-Perinton, Monroe County), and Eric Adams (D-Prospect Heights, Brooklyn).

Religious exemptions. Controversy over the law centered on exemptions for religious groups and community organizations with social halls that go beyond the spiritual nature sanctioning marriage.

There are 66 groups that fall under section two of the Benevolent Orders Law, including the Jewish War Veterans, Knights of Maccabees of the World, and the Knights of Pythias, which are exempt from being forced to allow a same-sex marriage reception. The bill does not require clergy to marry same-sex couples and holds the clergy and the benevolent orders harmless for refusing to comply with the wishes of a couple to be married.

Change is never easy. The 22 Jewish lawmakers in the Assembly had overwhelmingly supported the measure, 19 to 3. NonJewish lawmakers, representing large Jewish constituencies in the state, also favored the measure, 9 to 5. The vote was split among the 8 Capital District members of the state Assembly; three supported the measure and five did not. The measure passed with the narrowest margin, 80 to 63 (with 76 six votes needed for passage).

The Assembly Debate Of All Debates The debate over marriage equality pitted two Orthodox Jewish legislators against each other. Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Hollis, Queens) reported that he asked his Orthodox rabbi if he would perform a marriage ceremony between a Jew and non-Jew. The rabbi said that he would not. Weprin told his colleagues, “My religion is very important to me personally but this is not a religious issue. . . .

I think everyone here would agree that we should not be outlawing marriages between Jews and non-Jews or interracial marriages. I feel very strongly that this is a civil-rights issue.”

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Borough

Park, Brooklyn) became indignant and defensive when he felt his stance on civil rights issues was being questioned. “As our governor said, this should be an issue of conscience, not fear, and anyone who has a political fear, I feel sorry for them.

This is something that you should do from your heart.”

The Torah is a way of life. Hikind made his case tying together religion with civil marriage. “The Torah is a way of life,” he told his colleagues. “It is how I should treat you. It is how I should behave towards you. Judaism is man and G-d. That is only one part of it. Another part is bein adam l’adam, between man and man.

How we behave towards each other.”

In one of the most dramatic moments during the debate, Hikind, holding up Vayikra, said, “Maybe this is the answer.

Maybe we take the Torah, G-d forbid, and we throw it in the garbage, because this is G-d’s word. I didn’t make it up. Some people don’t care. You have a right not to care.

There is no choice for me. I don’t have a choice on this and I am open-minded, but there are certain things you can’t compromise on unless I get rid of this and all the rest of the books. If you want to redefine marriage and you want to tell G-d, ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about, You got it all wrong,’ do it.”

The state defines marriage. These comments infuriated Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell (D-Morningside Heights, Manhattan). “I’m familiar with religion. I’m familiar with the holy sacraments. I know what they are. I don’t want the sacrament of holy matrimony. What I want is a piece of paper from my government. For those of you who say we are redefining mar-

riage, let me help educate you. Marriages have been defined by state governments since the beginning of this country. This is the body that defines who is eligible for marriage.

“If you want a religious institution, go to your religious institution. If you want to read a book and believe in that book and believe G-d tells you what to do in that book, knock yourself out. Do not throw that book in my face.”

What is traditional marriage? “What traditional marriage are we trying to protect here?” Assemblyman Harry Bronson (D-Rochester, Monroe County), a freshman, openly gay, lawmaker, asked rhetorically. “Are we protecting arranged marriages of our past? Are we protecting the marriages where a woman is the property of the husband? Are we protecting the marriages where the widow is required to marry the next surviving brother of her deceased husband? Are we protecting marriages where people of color were not allowed to marry Caucasian individuals?

You see, the state-sanctioned legal definition of marriage has not always been the same.”

The Lobbying The protestations about the marriageequality bill have been intense, loud, and raucous at times. Both sides resorted to singing, praying, chanting, and screaming in the hallways outside the Senate chamber. There were also some physical encounters.

The pro-gay-marriage lobby has consisted of the Human Rights Campaign, AntiDefamation League, Empire State Pride Agenda, New Yorkers United for Marriage,

and Concerned Clergy for Choice. The anti-gay-marriage lobby groups consisted of Torah Jews for Decency, Agudath Israel of America, Rabbinical Alliance of America, Rabbinical Council of America, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, National Council of Young Israel, the Central Rabbinical Congress of the USA and Canada, National Organization for Marriage, Evangelical Christians, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, and the New York State Conservative Party.

Creator defines right and wrong. The anti-marriage-equality lobby cites a ruling from the nation’s highest court as to why same-sex marriage should not be passed.

As the United States Supreme Court stated more than 125 years ago in Murphy v.

Ramsey, 114 U.S. 15, 45 (1885), “The union for life of one man and one woman in the holy estate of matrimony [is] the sure foundation of all that is stable and noble in our civilization; the best guaranty of that reverent morality which is the source of all beneficent progress in social and political improvement.”

“Let us use this shocking development to remind at least ourselves, as believing Jews, that right and wrong are determined not by partisan politicians but by humankind’s creator,” said Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Agudath Israel’s executive vicepresident.

After the Senate vote, Troy City Councilman Ken Zelewski said he would marry his partner of 18 years, Mike Oliver. “I think you will see an initial rush of gay couples getting married because there is always this fear that the law could be overturned, as it was in California,” Zelewski said. (The Jewish World) 

July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 17

BAGEL STORE Continued from Front Cover and prone to misjudgments and possibly even terrible mistakes.

So wouldn’t it be worthwhile and helpful for a group to exist that responds with alacrity when we need it most? Well, here in the Five Towns area, precisely such a group was created just a few years ago by a group of forwardlooking community activists headed by the indefatigable and dynamic Rabbi Boruch B. Bender of Far Rockaway.

The group is known as Achiezer, and in my estimation Achiezer picks things up at the point where conventional chesed as practiced by everyday wellmeaning individuals is exhausted.

I have had the opportunity to interface with Rabbi Bender, Achiezer’s young and energetic founder and director, on numerous occasions, and I receive his frequent e-mails updating us on the situations he and his group of volunteers are involved in. The extensiveness and the impact he has had on this and other communities over a relatively brief amount of time is indeed staggering.

For the most part, Achiezer’s expertise has evolved into extensive contacts in the field of health care and its numerous facets and applications. To that end, next week Achiezer is hosting “Elder Care 2011,” a conference on July 13, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at the International Hotel and Conference Center at JFK Airport. “It is a combination of experiences and realities,” says Rabbi Bender, “that has made a conference for the

frum caregiver essential.” Perhaps the great advances in health care in our advanced technological times have resulted in people simply living longer, creating new demands in elder health care.

In any event, the conference coming up next week affords the greater community the opportunity to learn about the challenges as well as the governmental and private services that are

This is an opportunity to become knowledgeable on the abundance of subjects in this area before it becomes an urgent reality.

available to us as current and potential caregivers to an elderly parent, relative, or neighbor. This is an opportunity to become knowledgeable on the abundance of subjects in this area before it becomes an urgent reality. There are few things more satisfying than to be prepared for an inevitable reality.

As our sages have stated: Who is a wise person? One who sees and can anticipate the future.

Today it can be said that after a short while in existence, Achiezer has achieved a great deal, partly due to the zeal and sincerity of those who work closely with Boruch Bender and partly because they have filled a void that was ever widening. Individual needs in the

health-care arena and the myriad options and mazes that comprise today’s health-care industry are indeed difficult for a novice thrust into the role of caregiver to negotiate.

As a result, it is quite natural for wrong and very costly decisions to be made. The challenges run the gamut from selecting appropriate doctors and therapists to choosing home-healthcare attendants and health-care facilities. Additionally, the complicated funding and reimbursement system through Medicare and Medicaid and other forms of insurance and assistance are enough to make anyone’s head spin.

These are just some of the life-cycle situations that the Elder Care conference will address next week in Queens.

There will also be sessions on subjects such as: Ten Elder Laws You Need to Know; How to Prevent and Detect Elderly Abuse; Seven Most Common Halachic Challenges and Solutions; Recreation and Entertainment Opportunities; The Key to Effective Patient Advocacy; and more. The evening will also feature a keynote address by Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski with a crucial message for caregivers.

The event, which is being sponsored in part by Gourmet Glatt and the Five Towns Jewish Times, is truly one of the first of its kind and will open up countless eyes to a heretofore largely neglected aspect of life and the law. This innovative event to some extent defines the role and purpose of Achiezer in our communities. The subheadline of the Elder Care Conference is to “explore opportunities, maintain dignity, and en-

hance life.” And there is little more that a person can hope for in their golden years, when one all too frequently becomes dependent on others. This is precisely what Achiezer does best, and it typifies the dedication and determination of Rabbi Bender and his staff.

Life for the Achiezer staff, beyond the preparation that has gone into this conference, has turned into a demand for around-the-clock availability literally seven days a week. As Rabbi Bender explains, aside from connecting those in need with the proper doctors, the greatest need for the group is working around Shabbos and the emergency situations that develop just as Shabbos is about to start.

Most often this involves making arrangements for family members to be with a patient over Shabbos in a hospital or related health-care facility.

Achiezer has on call a number of people ready, willing, and able to prepare food for Shabbos and transport it on extremely short notice.

These are extraordinary people with an unusual spirit of dedication, and they have seemingly arrived on the scene in the nick of time and when it is needed most. About a week prior to the conference, several hundred people have already made arrangements to attend.

Admission is $18 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information on the Elder Care Conference and Achiezer in general, you can call 516-791-4444 or contact ElderCare@Achiezer.org.  Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome at editor@5tjt.com.

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Too Much Energy

BY MORDECHAI SCHMUTTER In the old days, there was no such thing as home energy audits. Instead, we had fathers. Our fathers would say things like, “Turn off the lights when you leave the room!” and, “Close the door; you’re letting all the cold air in!”

Then they’d ask if we thought they were made of money.

But getting an energy audit is the thing to do nowadays. Especially in a leaky house like mine. We even have cold air coming through the electrical outlets. It’s like the power company is sending us cold air. Personally, I think it’s a ploy to make us use more gas.

Over the years, my wife and I have tried several things to make our home more energy efficient. We put several tons of old clothes in the attic to keep the heat in. We put sheets of plastic over our windows during the winter, most of which have subsequently blown away. We even replaced the hu-

the air out of the house, so they could tell if there was a leak. Basically, if your house implodes like a soda can, you don’t have a leak.

Then they sat down and looked at our heating bills, and they said they’d present our case to find out how much work we’d qualify for.

“But we’re going to qualify for insulation, right?” we asked.

They hoped so. In fact, they didn’t put many other recommendations on our list, because they were hoping for insulation. And then they left.

That’s how it goes. The auditing guys don’t actually do the work; they just suck out all the air, point out what’s wrong with the house, and then leave.

They’re kind of like a mother-in-law.

A few weeks later, another pair of guys came in to do all the work. These guys were extremely energy efficient, by which I mean lazy. Almost everything they did actually made our house worse. For example, they installed

The auditing guys don’t actually do the work; they just suck out all the air, point out what’s wrong with the house, and then leave. They’re kind of like a mother-in-law.

mongous, 1960s-era, 300-lb. air conditioner that was stuck in the wall of the dining room, which used a lot of power, but made up for it in noise. It hung right over my head, and whenever we had people over for Shabbos meals during the summer, I couldn’t hear one word they were saying. I would see their lips moving, and I would go, “What?” and then I would see their lips moving again, but not any louder, so I would nod politely or say something I hoped was a safe answer, but probably was not in any way related to what they were saying. None of these people ever invited us back to their houses.

So when we heard that there were government programs that would send people to audit our house and do some of the work for free, we jumped at the idea, because we happen to know that our home does not have any insulation. We know this because when we opened up the wall of the dining room to replace the air conditioner, we peered inside and noticed that the entire house is insulated by what appears to be a huge, single-ply sheet of aluminum foil. And we figured that a project like this was something we could never afford ourselves, because it basically involves building an entire second house out of insulation and somehow inserting it into the walls of our current house, which is made of, as far as I can tell, spackle.

So we had some guys come over, and they looked at our house, and they counted how many windows we had.

They also spent a lot of time crawling around the water heater, and they conducted a test wherein they closed all of our windows and set up an exhaust fan in our doorway that basically sucked all

weather stripping on our front door, but they put it on a little too close to the inside of the house, so that the door latch no longer caught in the hole, and the door would sometimes blow open by itself. The only way it would stay closed was if we locked the top lock.

So now, thanks to the weather stripping, there was actually extra air blowing in around the door—so much, that I had to deal with it by thumb-tacking a blanket over the door every night. (After Ma’ariv—I didn’t make that mistake twice.)

Another thing they did was break the pull-down stairs to the attic. I think the logic was that if we never opened up the attic, we would save on our energy bills. We didn’t even know they broke it until the next time I tried pulling down the stairs, and a huge metal spring jumped out at me. So we had no access to our attic, and a month later our son was born, and guess where all the baby clothes were?

I could not tell you how happy we were that the government was paying to do things that we could have done ourselves, for free.

But we didn’t qualify for insulation. It turns out that the government doesn’t care how badly you need insulation, they just care how much you’ve been paying for heat. The more you’ve been paying, the more work you qualify for. And because we always keep our house at a temperature where we don’t actually have to remember to put the milk back in the fridge, we never paid enough to qualify for such a big job.

“So can we crank up the heat this winter and apply again?” we wanted to

Continued on Page 28 July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 19

Foreign Correspondent Defends So-Called “Guide To Killing Non-Jews”

BY SAMUEL SOKOL Middle East Correspondent

The debate over the limits of religious freedom and restrictions on speech in Israel intensified this week as yeshiva students demonstrated, sometimes violently, in Jerusalem in response to the high profile arrests of Rabbis Dov Lior, rabbinic leader of the Kiryat Arba settlement, and Yaakov Yosef, the son of Shas party spiritual guide Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

The arrests came as the result of an ongoing investigation into the religious tome Torat HaMelech (The King’s Teaching), a 230-page volume that Israeli newspaper Maariv labled “the complete guide to killing non-Jews.” Both Lior and Yosef have endorsed the book with “haskamot,” traditional Jewish endorsements of the rabbinic scholarship of a work, typically included before a book’s introduction.

The book, authored by Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira and his close student, Yossi Elitzur, of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva in the Samarian town of Yitzhar, details the legality of killing gentiles during both times of war and peace.

One passage in the book that especially enraged many moderate Orthodox and secular Israelis permitted individuals to determine for themselves if a gentile should be killed. “One does not need a decision by the nation to permit the spilling of blood of those from the evil empire,” wrote Shapira and Elitzur.

“Even individuals attacked by the evil

20 July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

sovereignty can retaliate.”

Another passage in the book that has engendered criticism is a statement that seemingly endorses political murder and which has served as the basis for a lawsuit by the 12th of Cheshvan Forum, an alliance of liberal, feminist, and centrist Orthodox groups.

According to Rabbi Shapira, those who “weakens [sic] our own state by word or similar action” can be considered a rodef, or pursuer, a status in Jewish law that confers upon Jews the right to kill those so designated.

Several statements in the book also endorse the killing of gentile children.

Even if innocent, the authors wrote that, if necessary, it creates a “balance of terror.”

Despite the character of the book, many prominent rabbis have protested the public arrests of the rabbis and their subsequent interrogations. “It is no secret that I oppose the book and I think Rav Dov Lior should not have given the approbation,” Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, the rabbi of Ramat Gan was quoted as saying, even as he said that the government has no business interfering in matters of Torah and arresting scholars.

However, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef blasted his son in the media, saying, “He was called in for questioning. Why shouldn’t the fool go in for questioning? Let him go in! Why is he provoking the police?

Why didn’t he go in for questioning as soon as he was summoned? What was he afraid of? What, did he steal? He

should have gone and gotten it over with.” Rabbi Yosef also criticized Rabbi Lior for his recalcitrance in the matter.

In his approbation, Rabbi Lior wrote that Torat HaMelech “is very relevant, especially in our days with the return of Israel to its land and one must know the true stand of the Jewish law…relating to every situation,” undermining efforts to portray the book as an academic work not meant for use as a practical guide.

Rabbi Yaakov Meidan of the Gush Etzion Yeshiva in Alon Shvut told his students several months ago that the book should be burned and that the religious community should “never allow its authors to teach halacha ever again.”

Some prominent rabbis have even called the book a danger to Diaspora Jewry. “There are people who do not understand that the Jewish people do not live only in Israel,” Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the leader of Lithuanian ultra-Orthodoxy in Israel reportedly stated. “Such writings can bring danger to the lives of Jews abroad. We are playing with fire here and are endangering other Jews.”

However, the book has found an unlikely defender in American news correspondent David Bedein, the Jerusalem bureau chief of the Israel Resource News Agency.

In a statement to the Five Towns Jewish Times, Bedein wrote, “Our agency received the book, Torat HaMelech, for review, more than a year ago. We noted Torat HaMelech as a compendium of

historic rabbinical opinions about how to cope with non-Jews during a time of combat. All perspectives were presented.”

The book was not, said Bedein, a call to murder as portrayed in the Israeli media. “To convince the public of their perspective,” Bedein accused, “the 12th of Heshvan organization used a radical community organizing tactic, taken from Saul Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals: Accuse the adversary of an extreme position, even if he never took that position. The adversary falls into the trap of defending a position that he never took, instead of challenging the integrity of the temerity of the accusation.”

Bedein stated that Israeli Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman’s spokesman “provided an angry ‘no comment’ to the question as to whether Neeman had read the book.”

“Neeman, for the record, is the first Orthodox Jewish Talmud scholar to hold the position of Israel Minister of Justice,” Bedein noted, saying that one Israeli police official said, off the record, that “selections of the book that we have received were enough to warrant a police investigation.”

As Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jews grow in number in Israel, the issues of Jewish identity and rabbinic freedom in the country will only intensify. The issue of the role of Judaism in the public discourse was thrown into focus during the debate over the book, with Rabbi

Continued on Page 69

News From The Hills

BY CHANITA TEITZ When I started writing this week’s column, I was going to write about Queens real estate, this being the peak real-estate season and an excellent time to buy. Well, I’m putting that away for a future date, because after I read the weekly papers I decided to write about current events.

On Friday nights, while I wait for my husband to get home from shul, I sit down and start reading the various weekly publications (including the Five Towns Jewish Times). This week it seems the news was on overload. One thing after another that I hesitate to call “bad� news, but certainly disturbing news.

Saudi Arabia isn’t concerned with political correctness. They are unashamedly discriminatory, and Delta is turning a blind eye.

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First, this week was the ďŹ fth anniversary of Gilad Shalitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kidnapping. Every soldier who is missing in action is dear to us as a nation, but Gilad, being the most recent and having his picture and his name stare out at us constantly throughout these past ďŹ ve years, is the most well known. He represents all our soldiers, and we pray that he (and all the MIAs) will be found and returned alive.

I also read an article about Yaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent decision to stop a study of antiSemitism because the emphasis on Muslim anti-Semitism may offend the Arabs.

Terrorismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim to frighten people is not limited to fear of physical attack, but includes psychological warfare. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Political correctnessâ&#x20AC;? dictates what we say and apparently what we study.

Then I read about Delta Airlines partnering with Saudi Arabian Airlines. Saudi Arabia isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t concerned with political correctness. They are unashamedly discriminatory, and Delta is turning a blind eye, all in the name of business, a.k.a., making money.

San Francisco is still campaigning for its anti-circumcision law, the Netherlandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lower house of Parliament voted for its anti-shechitah law, and the New York State Senate voted to approve gay marriage.

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ&#x201A;otilla is coming to Gaza, threatening to kill Israeli soldiers and ultimately trying to continue delegitimizing Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blockade and further isolating Israel in world opinion. The lies about a humanitarian aid crisis continue, while Gazaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful mall is ďŹ lled with merchandise and shoppers.

The one uplifting, positive piece of news was the anniversary this week-

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 21

Been There, Felt That

BY DONI JOSZEF In a recent New York Times article, Marsha Linehan, a psychologist and researcher at the University of Washington, put a surprising face on the stigmatized realm of mental illness: her own.

“So many people have begged me to come forward, and I just thought—well, I have to do this. I owe it to them. I cannot die a coward.”

The woman took a brave step. She exposed herself. Opening up the closet of her past, she let us all in to see her lifelong skeletons. Nobody could have imagined that behind the polished surface of an accomplished career hid a vulnerable, fragile, overwhelmingly delicate human being.

“I honestly didn’t realize at the time that I was dealing with myself . . . I developed a therapy that provides the things I needed for so many years and never got.”

Her clinical skills, she discovered, emerged not despite an excruciating bout with Borderline Personality Disorder, but, in fact, as a direct result of it.

She herself walked through the dark halls out of which she currently guides her patients. And that, it seems, made all the difference.

People respond strongly to those who genuinely embody what they preach.

Talking the talk is a turnoff when you haven’t walked the walk yourself. Dr. Linehan walked the walk—though no

22 July 8, 2011

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one could have ever guessed it.

It takes a lot of guts to tamper with your public image for the sake of those sufferers who might find some sliver of hope in your personal story. It means garnering the courage to rip up the mask of invincibility and lay all the cards out on the table. This is who I am. This is my story. I suffered. Sometimes I still do.

Guess what? I am human.

Confession is a refreshingly sincere phenomenon to observe. When an individual lets all the guards down, drops the ego and its frantic defenses, and just comes clean, there is a tender humanness that momentarily grips us in its raw candor. Like the unquestionable sincerity of a teardrop. Wow, they have feelings too! They also struggle. I am not alone.

I wondered if, and how, this phenomenon expresses itself in 21st Century Orthodoxy. Should we—or, better yet, could we—expect community leaders to expose their personal trials and tribulations? Is such an expectation even appropriate? What about parents and teachers? Does the “I’ve been there, I’ve done that” disclosure help win a greater sense of trust, or can it weaken the borders of role boundaries?

Judaic sources vary in their depiction of such “boundaries” (or, lack thereof).

On the one hand, we generally try to keep the public appearance of a leader as squeaky clean as possible (see Rashi, Sotah 7a: “It’s not appropriate to expose the personal confessions of the righteous . . .”). Our sins are not meant to be advertized (see Yoma 86b: “Praiseworthy is one who conceals his sin . . .”). Indeed, skeletons have a closet for a reason.

On the other hand, we find countless

records of great rabbinic figures exposing themselves in their spiritual vulnerability (see Kidushin 81a-b, for some fascinating examples). The Kotzker Rebbe seemed to be more comfortable revealing his negative qualities than his positive attributes, as he famously said. “We should do our mitzvahs in private and our aveiros in public.”

Perhaps the most direct reference to the importance of “walking the walk” before qualifying to “talk the talk” is Ramchal’s famed “maze” parable (Mesilas Yesharim: 3). The challenges of life are compared to the tricky pathways of a maze. The only people qualified to offer guidance, Ramchal posits, are those who have walked through the maze themselves—having had personal experience with the ups and downs therein.

In truth, I think we need to distinguish between a “been there, done that” and a “been there, felt that” confession. There is no need (nor is it appropriate) to disclose every detail of our personal lives.

Privacy—albeit an endangered species in today’s socially-digitalized lifestyle— is something we should respect and revere. Some things are just private—not because you’re trying to fool the world, but simply because the outside world has no business knowing about them.

One of the great mistakes I often see among young adults returning from Israel is their eagerness to influence high school students by reviving (and, I guess in a sense, reliving) their past debacles. “I, too, did a drunken cartwheel through a Phish parking lot! And, hey, I found G-d!

You can too!” Although such disclosure may work wonders as an attention-grabber, it is less likely to inspire and more

likely to be twisted into evidence that you can clown around in high school while still salvaging your image via the “Year-in-Israel-Purification-Process.”

The gory details don’t really matter. I know how you feel, because I have felt the same anxiety. The same shame. The same fear. The same anger. The same joy.

The same excitement. I’ve been there, because I’ve felt the same feelings. And, you know what? Sometimes I still feel them. Yes, I am a human being. Just like you.

In the poetic words of Carl Jung: “How can I be substantial if I fail to cast a Shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole; and inasmuch as I become conscious of my Shadow, I also remember that I am a human being like any other.”

Nothing turns off today’s youth more than superficiality. If a teenager thinks his teachers or parents talk the talk without walking the walk, they will quite bluntly say (or think to themselves, or tweet to their followers): “yatta yatta yatta . . .”

True, in earlier generations, children did what they were told without batting an eyelash. Equally true, we are not living in an earlier generation. So, we deal with what we have. And what we have, it seems, is a simple yet profound request: be real.  Doni Joszef, LMSW, has published numerous articles exploring psychosocial trends with a self-reflective twist. He is clinically trained at The Beck Institute and NYU in cognitive behavioral psychotherapy and focuses on adolescence and young adulthood. He is available by appointment. For more information, visit www.DeficitOfAttention.com.

July 8, 2011

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July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 25

Science, Blinded

BY RABBI AVI SHAFRAN “Just as ordinary, pig-headed, and unreasonable as anybody else,” was the eminent 20th-century psychologist H.J. Eysenck’s judgment of scientists. “And their unusually high intelligence,” he added, “only makes their prejudices all the more dangerous.”

A recent example of scientific unreason stands out, both for the renown of the scientist involved and the irony of where his bias led him.

The evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould, who died in 2002, was one of the most celebrated, influential, and widely read scientists of his time. In his 1981 book The Mismeasure of Man, about the measurement of intelligence, he presented the work of 19th-century physical anthropologist Samuel George Morton as Exhibit A for how racial preconceptions can prejudice scientific research.

Morton, seeking evidence that the Supreme Being had created human races separately, used mustard seeds (at first, then buckshot) to meticulously calibrate the volumes of hundreds of skulls of Caucasians, Asians, American Indians, and Africans. He indeed found a pattern of size differentials in the brain cavities of the various groups. Reanalyzing the data anew, however, Gould concluded that the earlier scientist had misrepresented his findings, and accused Morton of believing that the groups

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with the smaller cranial cavities were intellectually inferior.

This month, however, a study published in a prestigious, peer-reviewed journal, Public Library of Science Biology, asserts not only that there is no evidence that Morton held any racial biases, but that Gould, not Morton, had misrepresented the data. Researchers re-measured 308 of the skulls Morton had collected, and found that Morton

brain size differences among races— which might be used to support racist beliefs—who (consciously or otherwise) fudged the data.

Scientific hubris is of more than mere academic import. Had Nobel laureate Paul Ehrlich had his way in 1968, the world would have seen compulsory birth control, in the form of spiking water supplies with sterilizing chemicals.

That was the year Ehrlich published The Population Bomb, in which his disdain for the number of babies being born led him to predict worldwide famine within 20 years without such measures.

The solemn conviction that life appeared by chance and new species evolved from other ones countless times remains a large leap of . . . well, faith. had actually underreported the extent of the differences he found.

Gould’s charge that Morton had “unconscious[ly] finagl[ed]” circled around to bite him in the back.

Of course, Morton’s premise that races were created separately is not what the Torah teaches (although a tripartite humanity does emerge after the time of Noach, generated by his three sons).

But his research was conducted honorably. It was Gould, propelled by his antipathy to the notion that there may be

Practiced as it should be, the endeavor of science is sublime. What it yields can not only increase understanding of the world and improve lives but deeply inspire. A science book evidencing an awe of Creation and a recognition of human limitations can be a veritable work of religious inspiration.

But, as more traditional Jewish texts explain, only someone who has overcome the preconceptions, desires, and imperfections of character to which we all play host can truly perceive the

world with clarity. The rest of us— even scientists—are subject to misjudgments, hampered as we are by our prejudices.

Nowhere in science, perhaps, does bias so blind as with regard to evolution.

Species, over time, retain traits that serve them well, and lose others that don’t. The ill-adapted don’t survive; the advantaged do. That’s simple, and seen.

But the appearance of a new species from an existing one, or even of an entirely new limb or organ within a species—things contemporary science insists have happened literally millions of times—have never been witnessed or reproduced. Ditto doubly for an organism emerging from inert matter— a “spontaneous generation” that evolution proponents assume began the process.

The solemn conviction that life appeared by chance and new species evolved from other ones countless times remains a large leap of . . . well, faith. Which is why “evolution” is rightly called a theory—and might better be called a religion.

As a faith that hallows chance as the engine of all, Evolutionism may owe less to objectivity than to a subconscious desire to reject the concept of a Creator.

And all the militant insistence on its truth should remind us of Professor Eysenck’s words.  © 2011 Ami Magazine. Rabbi Shafran is an editor at large and columnist for Ami Magazine.

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News From The Hills

Too Much Energy

Continued from Page 21

Continued from Page 19

end of the 1976 successful raid in Entebbe by the Israeli army, in which the soldiers killed the terrorist hijackers of an Air France plane and freed the hostages. I remember listening constantly throughout the crisis for any news about the Jewish hostages, and right after Shabbos the news spread throughout our bungalow colony that the hostages had been saved. That feat was nothing short of miraculous!

I was happy when my husband came home and I put away the papers. The disturbing facts may not go away, but Shabbos would be a respite from it for a while.

Mazal Tov Mazal Tov to Stuie and Eileen Cohen and Jeffrey and Phyllis Stiefel on the recent marriage of their children, Charlie and Linda.

Upcoming Event There will be an event sponsored by Achiezer Community

Resource Center entitled “Elder Care 2011” for anyone caring for an aging parent or loved one, with the keynote address given by Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the International Hotel and Conference Center at JFK Airport. For more information and to register, call 516791-4444 or e-mail ElderCare@ Achiezer.org.

Chavrusa in Israel Rabbi Dov Teitz gives a shiur every Friday morning on Midrash Rabbah in Bayit Vegan.

His unique learning style is challenging for serious b’nei Torah. Or, you may be interested in one-on-one learning for yourself or your son. Call (Israel time) 718-689-1637 or 02-6433862.  Chanita Teitz is a real-estate broker at Astor Brokerage with offices in Kew Gardens Hills and Fresh Meadows. For all your real-estate needs in Queens, call 718-263-4500 or e-mail chanita@astorbrokerage.com.

know.

“No,” they said. “Not for another five years.”

“But we don’t have insulation!” I said. “I checked when I was putting in the air conditioner!”

So they gave us a big plastic cover to put over the air conditioner during the winter.

Thanks.

A few months later, we heard about another energy program, so we applied, because we were still hoping to get insulation.

So they came over, counted the windows, crawled around the water heater, sucked more air out of the house, and asked us what that weird plastic box was in our dining room. And then they did the math and said they would definitely be able to get us insulation. And a couple of months later, sure enough, we got a letter informing us that because we’d had the other company do some work, we wouldn’t qualify for any work with this company.

And then I received a call

from a friend of mine, Yossie, who, as it turns out, is studying to become an energy auditor.

He told me that for his final exam, he needed to audit an actual house with an instructor looking over his shoulder and then give a list of recommendations, which the homeowner would then be free to toss. So he asked if he could use my house.

I said, “Sure, why not?”

Then he asked me if I’d ever had an energy audit.

Yossie ended up scheduling the test for four days before Pesach. I offered to show him the results of our previous audits, because my idea was that he would come into the house, sniff the air, touch the wall and taste his finger, and go, “This house doesn’t have any insulation!” and totally bowl the instructor over.

But what I didn’t think about, before they came over, was that since they were going to test the appliances and exhaust systems, it was not great

that the entire kitchen was covered, top to bottom, in thick silver foil (l’kavod Pesach).

I also hadn’t considered what the non-Jewish instructor would think. He walked in and was totally bowled over. It looked like we were preparing to put the whole kitchen in the oven.

“Whoa,” he said, trying to be polite. “It looks like a diner from the 1950s!”

“Yeah,” I said. “This is what the last energy auditor suggested we do.”

In the end, Yossie did catch some things that the other guys missed, and he gave us a list of recommendations, which we’ve subsequently tossed. Because now we’ve had three audits, and so far, according to our bills, we haven’t saved on heating at all. Maybe a few more audits ought to do it.  Mordechai Schmutter is a weekly humor columnist for Hamodia and has written two books, both published by Israel Book Shop.

He also does freelance writing for hire. You can send any questions, comments, or ideas to MSchmutter@ gmail.com.

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that’s the WAY IT IS

By Hannah Reich Berman

Stop The Mugging!

In these days of lost innocence and high crime rates, most people think of a mugger as someone who accosts a person on a street, subway, parking lot, or anywhere else. A mugger is someone we never want to come face-to-face with.

Not only is his victim likely to lose valuables and cash, but he is likely to be beaten or even killed. It’s a horrible prospect.

But there is another type of mugger loose in today’s world. I like to think of him as a self-mugger, because he presents danger to no one but himself. And that would be the danger of looking like a fool in front of millions of people. Appearing like a buffoon is something most people want to avoid at any cost, but the self-mugger does just that.

News programs occasionally offer a “man on the street” interview. These interviews are meant to feature only two people—the interviewer and the interviewee—but thanks to self-muggers, it doesn’t always work out that way. Inevitably, someone who just happens to be walking by will stop dead in his tracks as soon as he spots a TV camera rolling. Curious people will slow down,

then stand still and gawk. Self-muggers, however, once they spot a television camera, suddenly get goofy. They wink, wave, and grin, on the outside chance

kill, I whip out my cell phone and call someone—anyone. But on this particular day, I wasn’t in the mood to chat, so I did the next best thing; I did some people-watching. It’s a perfect way to kill time. And on this occasion it really paid off.

As it happened, a “man on the street” interview was being conducted just a few feet from where I stood. I’m usually not given to gawking, but since I had nothing better to do, I was tempted to mosey on over to hear what that interview was about. I restrained myself from moving, however, because I was afraid that if I left the corner, my friend would show

Once the interview was over, he would call a few hundred of his nearest and dearest to let them know that he would be on the six o’clock news.

that someone they know happens to be watching this on television. Another type of self-mugger will employ the following tactic: he will walk back and forth, multiple times, past the ongoing interview, in order to increase his chances of being seen.

A while ago, while shopping in Manhattan, which is where most of these interviews take place, I noticed something amusing. I was waiting at a busy intersection where I had planned to meet a friend and, since she was late, I spent my waiting time observing humanity at its finest. Normally, when I have time to

up and miss me. Since she was already 20 minutes late, she might arrive, not see me, and think I had decided not to wait for her. I’m not known to have an abundant supply of patience. So, not wanting to chance it, I remained where I was.

It wasn’t long before I spotted a fellow who was rushing down the street at such a fast clip that he was literally elbowing everyone out of his way.

I guessed that he must have been late for an important appointment. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. He was probably just another impatient New Yorker who didn’t enjoy tangling

with the masses that crowd Manhattan streets on a daily basis. I figured this out because the minute he saw the television camera and a reporter holding a microphone, he stopped dead in his tracks. This same man, who initially looked as if he wouldn’t have thought twice about knocking over an old lady, a baby carriage, or anything else that got in his way, suddenly had all the time in the world! To his credit, this guy didn’t actually mug for the camera. He simply stopped abruptly and then stood rooted to the spot (a strategic spot, of course) and grinned into the camera, clearly hoping to be seen on television. Chances are he was thinking ahead and, once the interview was over, he would call a few hundred of his nearest and dearest to let them know that he would be on the six o’clock news.

A similar pattern often emerges on courtroom television programs. On those occasions, the publicity hound who mugs for the camera is a courtroom spectator. Courtrooms are generally arranged with spectators being seated directly behind the plaintiff and the defendant and, since cameras are normally trained on whoever is speaking, that puts the spectators in full view of the camera lens.

Despite the fact that viewers aren’t even remotely interested in seeing them, those spectators who are selfmuggers know instinctively when the cameras are rolling, so they do their level best to make the most of it. If they sense that they are, G-d forbid, be-

Continued on Page 36

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MINDBIZ

By Esther Mann, LCSW

Dear Esther, My husband and I live in the Five Towns neighborhood. We have a lovely home that I take tremendous pride in.

Since no one knows who is writing in, I can honestly say that I keep a fastidious home. I am super neat, clean, and organized. It’s how I need to be and how I need my house to look. Thankfully, my husband and children are more or less respectful of my needs and do their share in keeping the place neat.

My brother Ari lives in Baltimore with his wife and five children. They live in a very modest home, which is extremely small and squishy. Ari is a great guy.

I love him dearly and have always felt very close to him. I also happen to respect and appreciate his wife, though we are very different. The problem with Ari and his family is that they are, plain and simple, slobs. We very rarely go to Baltimore, but on the few occasions that I’ve walked into their home, I must admit that it was such a turnoff, I found it difficult to stay there very long. I was afraid to put my pocketbook down anywhere. It just seemed like all the surfaces were either stacked with junk or just plain sticky. Really gross. Ari and his wife are both very easygoing, but to the point of not even seeing what is hap-

30 July 8, 2011

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pening all around them.

The last time Ari and his family came to our home for a visit, I promised myself, “never again.” While they were with us, the house was flying. The children seemed to have no rules toward neatness. Food, toys, books, etc., were everywhere. They were with us for a two-day yom tov and I counted the minutes until they left so that I could get my house back to normal. When I would pass the two bedrooms they used, I was disgusted. A bed was never made. Piles of clothing were on the floor. It was pretty crazy. Plus, their children don’t even seem clean to me. They are put to sleep in clothing they’ve worn all day. The baby will often be left in a soiled diaper until it’s sagging.

So here is my problem. It seems Ari has a weeklong vacation coming up this summer. Money is tight for them and they can’t afford to take a real vacation.

He called me the other day to ask if they could spend their vacation at our home.

None of his children are in any sort of camp, and it would be a real treat for them. My initial reaction was to say absolutely not. But I decided to buy some time and told him that I needed to discuss it with my husband to make sure that we don’t have any other obliga-

tions during that time. My husband agrees with me that it would be very difficult if not downright painful to have them stay with us for an entire week with their children. The fact is, I am a nervous sort and probably would be complaining to my husband all week.

I’m writing to you to ask you how to say no to Ari. What kind of excuse should I give him? Should I be brutally honest and explain why having them would be too difficult for me, or should I make up some kind of excuse? I really do love him and actually enjoy his company, but our different attitudes toward cleanliness just makes having them as sleepover guests impossible.

Neat Freak

some sort of five-star hotel— a real treat in his otherwise humble and modest existence, and something he and his family relish and can get really excited about.

I understand how someone like yourself takes pride in your surroundings and belongings. And I’m sure you put a tremendous amount of effort into keeping everything just so. But when it gets to the point where your possessions become more important than your loved ones, it’s

time to take a step back and ask yourself whether your priorities may have gotten a little messed up somewhere along the way.

I think the key lies in proper planning, preparing, and establishing rules. For instance, there is nothing wrong with telling Ari and his wife that in your home, no one is permitted to eat anything outside of the kitchen and dining room.

It’s a rule that you and your husband abide by, as do your children, and you respectful-

ly request that he and his family follow that rule. Furthermore, you can tell him that you always insist that your children’s toys and paraphernalia are kept in the basement, den, or whatever room(s) work for you. Obviously, you have to practice what you preach and make sure that your family adheres to any rules you place on him and his family, at least while they are staying with you.

Furthermore, as you pass their bedrooms, there is noth-

ing wrong with pulling the doors shut, so that you’re not tempted to look inside and become unhinged by what you see. If little Sroli’s nose is running so badly it makes you want to scream, you can always hand Ari a tissue and nicely say, “I think Sroli could use a little help with this.”

My point is, if done respectfully, there is nothing wrong with striving to maintain some semblance of order while they

Continued on Page 33

Dear Neat Freak, I’m afraid I’m unable to give you the answer that you are looking for. The answer lies in figuring out how to host your brother and his family for a week in a way that allows him to have a great vacation, and, most important, gives you an opportunity to connect in a special way, while at the same time you protect yourself and your home, to some degree.

My guess is that in addition to enjoying spending time with you and your family, Ari probably views your home as

July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 31

real estate & mortgage financing

By Anessa V. Cohen

Whadduya Think?

Homebuyers looking for houses that are in move-in condition, comfortably purchase their new home knowing that the only projects they need to concentrate on (after closing, that is) are which items of furniture they wish to move from their old homes to their new ones, and in which rooms and in what positions they are going to place them when they get there.

This is obviously a less stressful way of purchasing and moving to a new home in possibly a new neighborhood as well, and works very nicely for the homebuyer that can afford it. But what about those homebuyers who, for reasons of trying to stretch their budget, or even for purposes of buying a house with the potential of being something special, opt for a home that needs major renovation?

A homebuyer taking on a project of renovating or extending an existing house needs to make many decisions before even making an offer on said house. When leaning towards a project of this size, the prospective buyer must take into consideration what the finished market value will be as compared to what his costs are, meaning the price

of the house plus the cost of the renovations.

Usually when I’m dealing with a customer looking to take on such a project, the first question they ask me is, “What do you think it will be worth when I am finished?” Now I could easily say, “It will be worth a fortune once you are done!” or something just as wonderful as that, which is what this buyer wants to hear. But I have learned that the finished value always depends on factors not taken into consideration when the project actually begins. What are those considerations? Personal interior decorating taste!

What happens if, in the course of renovation, the buyers decide to break down the new additions of space in a manner that only they can like, which might be detrimental to the resale value of the property? Suppose I told them it would certainly be worth “X” amount when done, thinking they would be doing the designing in a positive direction—only to later see that they decided to be a little too creative? How would I explain this when they then finished the project, invited me to behold their creation, and said to me, “Whadduya

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think?” I probably could only mumble, since what they created left me speechless.

“How bad could it be?” you ask. Well, years ago I sold a house that basically needed only a coat of paint and a new kitchen, at which point I felt it would be worth much more than the cost of putting in the kitchen and painting.

When the homebuyers called me to see their finished product, I came into the house expecting something beautiful, only to behold a room full of royal-blue kitchen cabinets and matching countertops. My thought was, “Who will ever buy this if they decide to move before it finally falls apart?” The homebuyers were obviously so in love with it that all I could say was, “It looks so new and clean,” and they did not seem to notice any hesitation on my part.

Recently I was again invited into the home of someone who had renovated.

As I walked through this house, they showed me a kitchen with all white cabinets (yes, an easy sell in the future), but then I looked down and realized they had installed lavender countertops with iridescent sparkles. I cannot even imagine where they found them, but they obviously loved them, so I figured if the owners sell, countertops are not so hard to change.

But when I looked around, expecting a lovely eating area in the space that we had admired as a possibility for that purpose before they purchased the property, all I saw was a wall and no place to put a table and chairs inside this kitchen that I knew they had spent a large fortune on.

“Where is the eating area?” I asked.

“Oh,” they said, “we did not want to spoil the new kitchen with a table and chairs, so we put the eating area down the hallway and put up this wall with a window so we could use it as a den instead.”

“Really? And how far down the hallway is the eating area?” I asked, because I could not see it anywhere.

“Just keep going to the end of the hallway and then turn right, towards the living room,” they answered. That I needed directions to get there really said it all!

The moral of this story is, if you are renovating your new house with a mind of staying there for 30 years, you can utilize any creative direction that suits your taste and lifestyle. But if you are renovating with a thought to possibly selling after a few years and going on to something else, it is important to create a space that most homebuyers look for and the best market value that you can realize from that renovation. Possibly consulting with an architect or interior designer to assist you with your renovation might pay for itself in the additional market value that can result from their input.  Anessa Cohen lives in Cedarhurst and is a licensed real-estate broker and a licensed N.Y.S. mortgage broker with over 20 years of experience, offering full-service residential and commercial real-estate services (Anessa V Cohen Realty) and mortgaging services (First Meridian Mortgage) in the Five Towns and throughout the tri-state area. She can be reached at 516-5695007 or via her website, www.AVCrealty.com.

Readers are encouraged to send questions or comments to anessa.cohen@AVCrealty.com.

MindBiz Continued from Page 31 are visiting. Sure, your home won’t be up to its usual standard of perfection, but it doesn’t have to become totally out of control, either. We all know that rules are often made to be broken, but at least you’re starting from a better place.

Also, you may want to plan some nice, inexpensive excursions for all of them during their visit, so that you don’t feel they are underfoot each day. If ever there was a good time to splurge on some dinners out at local restaurants, this would be just such a time.

When it gets to the point where your possessions become more important than your loved ones, it’s time to take a step back.

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Will it take you several days, or maybe even longer, to get your home back to its usual high standards after Ari and his family leave? Absolutely. But that’s a small price to pay for being able to spend quality time with your brother, his wife, and your nieces and nephews.

Times like these create memories that last a lifetime. For the cousins, there is nothing more wonderful than being together under one roof.

So take a deep breath, maybe even a chill pill, and see if you can pick up the phone and tell Ari that you would absolutely love to have him and his family stay with you for his vacation week. This could be a great opportunity for you to learn that we can’t always control our environment as much as we would like to, but we can control our reactions to what is perceived as chaos and work at staying calm and gracious.

Esther Esther Mann, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in Lawrence. Esther works with individuals and couples. She can be reached at mindbiz44@aol. com or 516-314-2295.

Remember that article?

Visit our archive section and find any issue of the 5 Towns Jewish Times online @ www.5TJT.com July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 33

Hot Dog!

BY RABBI MEIR ORLIAN BUSINESS HALACHA INSTITUTE

The Fleishman family was having a weekend BBQ. Once a year they invited their extended family for a potluck supper, lively conversation, and divrei Torah. Each family brought its specialty dish, but the BBQ was reserved for the expert—Larry Fleishman. The tantalizing smell of roasted meat wafted through the air, whetting the appetite of the entire assembly.

The aroma invited not only family and friends, but also nearby animals.

Brownie, the neighbor’s dog, stood near the fence with his tongue hanging out.

“Keep an eye on Brownie,” said Mr. Fleishman. “He’s given us enough trouble in the past! Don’t give him a chance to get near the BBQ meat!”

“Definitely,” said Shloime. “I’m waiting for a sizzling hot dog on a bun with mustard!”

“The food’s almost ready, so please

help set the table,” said Mrs. Fleishman.

“Bring out the plastic plates, cups, and cutlery from the kitchen counter.”

Finally the table was set. Larry turned to his wife, “Are we ready?”

“I think so,” she answered. “Ask people to start washing.”

ers, nibbled on some corn, and snatched a sealed package of cold cuts, which he took to the safety of his yard and ate there leisurely.

The first round of washers leaving the house was stunned when they saw what had happened.

Brownie saw his chance. He bounded over the fence and leaped onto the table, sending it crashing down and knocking over all the other food.

Mr. Fleishman called out, “Everyone inside to wash.” The family piled into the kitchen, eager to begin the meal.

Larry turned to the grill to turn over the burgers and wings.

Brownie saw his chance. He bounded over the fence and leaped onto the table, sending it crashing down and knocking over all the other food. Before Mr. Fleishman had a chance to shoo him away, Brownie devoured two burg-

“We’ll have to throw out all the food that was on the table,” sighed Mrs. Fleishman. “So much for our nice family get-together.”

“Don’t worry,” said her sister. “There’s plenty of other food still in the kitchen.

Nobody will go hungry.”

“I’ll deal with the neighbor afterwards,” said Mr. Fleishman. “Let’s enjoy ourselves meanwhile.”

“This is real exciting,” said Shloime

Fleishman. “Our shiur just learned in Gemara Bava Kama about animals damaging, and now we have a real case!”

“Hey, I just thought of a contest we can have,” Mr. Fleishman said. “Be the dayan!! Is the neighbor fully responsible or not for the burgers, the corn, the cold cuts, the table, and the other food?”

“When we finish,” added Shloimie excitedly, “let’s go around the corner and invite Rabbi Tzedek to declare the winner.”

“Great idea,” laughed his parents.

“We’ll do that.”

Rabbi Tzedek was pleased to join the get-together for a few minutes. “It’s nice to take part in contests that encourage people to learn halacha,” he said, “especially Choshen Mishpat!”

Rabbi Tzedek listened carefully to all the suggested “piskei din” (rulings) and declared the Fleishmans’ son-in-law the winner: “The owner of the dog is responsible for the full value of burgers that he ate in the Fleishmans’ property and for the damage that he caused to the table and the other food in getting to the burgers, but only minimal payment for the cold cuts that he took back to his doghouse, and half-payment for the corn.”

Rabbi Tzedek then explained, “The owner of an animal is responsible for various types of damage caused by the animal. Damage caused by the animal for its pleasure, such as eating, is called shen (tooth).

“The Torah limits the obligation of shen to damage done in the victim’s property. The owner is not responsible, though, for eating damage done in public property or in the owner’s property.

Moreover, if the animal snatched food from the victim’s property and took it to public or its owner’s property and ate it there, the owner is exempt (C.M. 391:7).

“However, the Mishnah (B.K. 19b) teaches that although the owner is exempt for eating damage in public property or in his own, he still has to pay for the benefit that he received from the food, that his animal is fed. This would be evaluated by the cost of an equivalent quantity of dog food or cheap nonkosher meat (391:8; Pischei Choshen, Nezikin 6:36).

In addition, the owner is also responsible for damage that the animal does in its attempt to reach the food. Therefore, he has to pay also for the damage to the table (391:5). It seems that he also has to pay for the other food that was knocked off in this attempt (Aruch Hashulchan 391:6).

However, food that the dog does not typically eat, such as corn, is not included in shen. Rather, it is considered keren (horn), atypical damage, for which the owner is obligated only in half-payment, regardless of where it ate this food (391:2). Nowadays, it is not possible to enforce payment of keren (C.M. 1:1).  This article is intended for learning purposes and not to be relied upon halacha l’maaseh.

There are also issues of dina d’malchusa to consider in actual cases.

Rabbi Meir Orlian is a faculty member of the Business Halacha Institute, which is headed by HaRav Chaim Kohn, shlita, a noted dayan. For questions regarding business halacha issues, or to bring a BHI lecturer to your business or shul, please call the confidential hotline at 877-8458455 or e-mail ask@businesshalacha.com. To receive BHI’s free newsletter, Business Weekly, send an e-mail to subscribe@businesshalacha. com.

34 July 8, 2011

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DAF YOMI INSIGHTS

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Trimming The Fat Daf yomi learners began Chulin last week. Chulin is required learning for those studying for semichah. It primarily deals with issues relating to the preparation of kosher meat. However, many different areas of kashrus are touched upon.

This year, Rabbi Berel Wolowik, chief rabbinical supervisor of the Gourmet Glatt meat department, treated my students to a behind-the-scenes tour. Some butchers and supermarkets prefer to order their meat from a distributor with all forbidden parts already removed.

Further, their purchased meat has already been soaked and salted. Without discussing the advantages or disadvantages of this procedure, Gourmet Glatt

This is how meat was kashered for a thousand years and it still is done this way at all processing plants and at Gourmet Glatt. prefers to kasher their own meat. Entire animal sides are delivered to Gourmet Glatt. The workers initially have to cut up the meat to facilitate removal of all the cheilev—forbidden fats. Then the actual cheilev is removed. Finally, the meat is soaked and then salted.

While learning a Tosfos in Chulin this week, my daf yomi chaburah wondered whether a particular custom mentioned

by Tosfos was still followed. Having already saved Rabbi Wolowik’s number on my cell, discovering the answer was a matter of a simple phone call.

What was the 900-year-old custom in question? The Gemara in Chulin (8b) discusses the halacha of an animal that was slaughtered with a treif knife. Everyone agrees that some sort of rectification must be performed, otherwise you’re dead meat. Rav ruled that the part of the animal that was touched by the treif knife must be thinly peeled to remove the upper layer. Rabbah Bar Bar Chanah said that simply washing the area would suffice.

The Gemara presented two opposing explanations of their dispute. The second explanation is as follows: Generally speaking if a cold food item touches a non-kosher utensil, simply washing the item suffices. There is very little taste transfer that occurs under cold conditions. The onus is therefore on Rav to

Continued on Page 36 July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 35

Trimming The Fat Continued from Page 35 explain why he requires peeling in this case since the animal is cold. The Gemara explains that a knife is categorically different from regular cold utensils. Rav holds that the pressure of the knife facilitates a transfer of taste between the knife and the animal being slaughtered.

In this case a treif knife was used for shechitah. According to Rav, the pressure on the knife caused some of the absorbed non-kosher taste to be imparted to the kosher meat. To remove this non-kosher taste, the meat must be peeled. Simply rinsing the meat just won’t cut the mustard. Rashi states that since a biblical prohibition is at steak, we act stringently and the halacha follows Rav. The simple conclusion that one could reach from this Gemara is that anytime a non-kosher knife is used on kosher food, you must peel the kosher food to remove the infused treif taste.

Still, this halacha wouldn’t seem so relevant—after all how often do we use a non-kosher knife on kosher food? The

halacha thus should be relegated to cases of b’dieved. Not so. All butchers that process their own meat use non-kosher knives. There are fats present on kosher beef that are biblically forbidden for consumption. These must be removed.

Butchers have special non-kosher knives designated for this purpose. The Rivam had a beef with the fat removal process. He ruled that once all the forbidden fats are removed, the remaining kosher meat must be peeled wherever it touched the non-kosher knife. Isn’t this the very conclusion that Rav reached?

If a treif knife was used on kosher food, the kosher food must be peeled. Since the non-kosher cheilv knife was used on kosher meat, the kosher meat must be peeled!

The custom of the butchers at the time of Tosfos was not to peel the meat.

Their conduct was not appealing to the Rivam. Did all those butchers act improperly and deserve to be skewered?

That would be the wurst.

Tosfos, Rashba, the Rosh, the Re’ah, and the Meiri all rule on the side of the 11th century butchers. They explain that Rav only ruled that food touched by a treif

knife requires peeling if it is somewhat hot. Apparently, the place on an animal where shechitah occurs becomes somewhat hot at the time of shechitah. It is not hot enough to cause a taste transfer by itself according to the second explanation of the Gemara. However, the combination of the warmth of that area of shechitah combined with pressure from a knife can cause a taste transfer.

No matter how you slice it, this has absolutely no bearing on a situation where cold fat is removed with a cold knife. In such a situation, even Rav agrees that no significant taste transfer occurs. The halacha follows all these Rishonim. This is how meat was kashered for a thousand years and it still is done this way at all processing plants and at Gourmet Glatt.

Of course, even if peeling is not required after contact with the cheilev knife, rinsing is. However, this washing is performed anyway because it is one of the requirements necessary for melichah, the ritual salting of meat. Therefore, the meat is washed after the forbidden fat is removed at any butcher who is worth his weight in salt.

One proof that these Rishonim bring to their understanding is from a Gemara at the end of the Masechta. The Gemara (111b) there rules that sharp foods can transmit taste when cut with a knife.

Hence, onions cut with a cold fleishig knife are fleishigs. The Gemara states that this is an exception to the rule that cold utensils cannot impart taste to another food. It is clear that non-sharp foods cut with a knife do not absorb the taste of the knife into the food item.

Only a surface rinsing is required.

I hope I didn’t butcher this topic too badly and you are able to stomach it.

In any case, this was only a brief overview, cut to the bone. The less the people know about how sausages and laws are made, the better they sleep in the night.  Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead and runs a high-school program in Brooklyn called TIA–Torah In Action, designed to make Torah more exciting through weekly outings to see halachah come to life. He can be contacted at ASebrow@gmail. com. The author thanks Rabbi Berel Wolowik and Rabbi Yosef Sebrow for their assistance with this article.

That’s The Way It Is Continued from Page 29 ing blocked from view by someone sitting in the row in front of them, they lean to the left or to the right in order to give home viewers an unobstructed view of their countenance. All this posing and posturing distracts the viewer.

At least it distracts this viewer!

Maybe I shouldn’t be too hard on these people; they work hard at what they do. It’s a tricky business, because courtroom self-muggers have to smile and nod while simultaneously trying to appear nonchalant, in order to give the impression that they don’t realize that they’re on camera. Usually they will nod their heads to indicate that they’re in agreement with whatever it is that the judge has just said. They do this so that viewers will know that they wisely agree with the court. But who cares what the spectators think?

These schnooks are annoying because anyone watching courtroom television wants to focus on the plaintiff and the defendant, not on the spectators seated behind them. But schnooks will risk anything to be noticed. On the other hand, they’re not hurting anyone.

They’re not criminal muggers grabbing ladies’ pocketbooks or kids’ bicycles.

Still, one has to wonder why some folks put themselves in the position of looking foolish. Surely, in their lifetimes, they must have seen at least one televised “man on the street” interview or one reality courtroom program, so why don’t they realize how silly folks look when they mug for the camera?

Maybe they just can’t help themselves.

There will always be people so desperate to be seen on television that they forget what they should remember—to keep on walking past a street interview and to sit motionless in a courtroom outfitted with a television camera.  Hannah Berman lives in Woodmere and is a licensed real-estate broker associated with Marjorie Hausman Realty. She can be reached at Savtahannah@aol.com or 516-902-3733.

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Brothers Stick Together Tidbits From Israel

BY RON JAGER Current strategic assessments predict that the expected unilateral declaration of independence by the Palestinian Arab Authority headed by Abu Mazen at the United Nations in September will likely lead to the collapse of his government and cause Hamas to make its move to take control of the areas administered by the PA in Judea and Samaria.

It’s already clear that a Palestinian Arab state will not be established. The United States intends to impose a veto on a unilateral Palestinian Arab demand for a Security Council resolution of support. Since new states are only established through a Security Council decision, the outcome is already predictable. So why does Abu Mazen, the unelected president of the Palestinian Arab Authority continue and charge the shore, like a whale charging the shore again and again in an unexplainable frenzy until he dies?

The inevitable Palestinian failure at the United Nations will be strategic in nature and will be used by Hamas to gather steam and turn the Palestinian Arab street against Abu Mazen and Fatah, blaming him for the harm to their cause. As expected, Palestinian Arab violence and terror will be a likely result, forcing Israel to respond militarily, fo-

cusing international media attention on the Israeli response rather than on the Palestinian Arab provocations.

Why has Abu Mazen ignored this very likely self-defeating scenario, bringing on through his own actions the collapse of his own government, endangering the relationship of his shaky government with the Obama administration, with Congress, and the Europeans? This will also cause him to lose the economic and funding lifeline that has kept the Palestinian Arab economy running and paying the salaries of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs.

In the meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu has already warned Abu Mazen that should the Palestinian Arab Authority seek to establish a Palestinian Arab state unilaterally, the Oslo Agreement that has been the backbone of all peace negotiations since 1994 shall be null and void. The taxes collected on behalf of the Palestinian Arab Authority and funding transfers will end, leading to the bankruptcy of the Abu Mazen government. So what’s behind Abu Mazen’s actions? Maybe he knows something that we don’t? Just maybe, he is taking actions that in the long run are actually in line with President Obama’s preferred course of action concerning the Middle East.

Even before the current upheaval in Egypt, and for that matter the whole “Arab Spring,” President Obama had

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gone out of his way to legitimize the Islamic Brotherhood movement that has inspired jihadists all over the world. He has actively encouraged engaging the Muslim Brotherhood despite their stated goals to eliminate Israel. They are a self-declared mortal enemy of America and Western democracies, and indeed all non-Muslim governments throughout the world. This has not stopped Obama from legitimizing a fundamentally illegitimate movement and paving the way for the Muslim Brotherhood to use democratic processes that will come to an end as soon as it attains ultimate power, similar to what happened in Iran with the Ayatollah.

In adopting this clearly self-defeating strategy, by seeking a unilateral declaration of independence at the UN, Abu Mazen is in actuality preparing his exit from political life, taking with him the hundreds of millions of American aid money that he and his sons have quietly grafted, cheating their own people; since 1994, U.S. aid alone has given the Palestinian Authority no less than $2.9 billion. What better pretext to take the money and run than enabling the local chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, to take over. What seems to be another poor calculation is in actuality the best deal in town for another crooked Arab political leader to leave the stage elegantly, intact with the booty. Abu Mazen believes that when push comes to

shove, Obama will abandon him as he has abandoned all of the Arab leaders who have cooperated with the West.

So what better strategy than to fulfill Obama’s ideological goal of letting the Muslim Brotherhood take over the Middle East?

The PA will create an intolerable political situation that will compel Hamas to take action, Abu Mazen’s government will fall, and he will be forced to resign, leaving the field wide open for the Muslim Brotherhood to step in.

Obama has acquitted himself brilliantly as a master of mouthing common sense platitudes on both domestic and foreign affairs issues, but has a near perfect record of saying and doing the wrong thing in furtherance of those common sense platitudes. As we approach the September deadline, we should all be tuned to the drama being played out as a kind of theatre of the absurd. What will be a seemingly inane strategic blunder will be in actuality a success for Obama’s ideological policy of supporting political movements like the Muslim Brotherhood that threaten the interests of the United States and the free world.  Ron Jager is a 25-year veteran of the Israel Defense Forces, serving as a field mental-health officer. Prior to retiring in 2005, he served as the commander of the central psychiatric military clinic for reserve soldiers at TelHashomer. Since retiring from active duty, he has been providing consultancy services to NGOs, implementing psychological trauma treatment programs in Israel. Today, Ron serves as a strategic advisor to the Director of the Shomron Liaison Office. To contact him, e-mail medconf@netvision.net.il.

A Five Towns Simcha

The Garfinkel and Seff families celebrated the wedding of “Magic Moishe” Garfinkel and Chaya Seff on June 26. Mazel tov to Zeyde and Bubby Rav Avrohom Yitzchak and Florence Garfinkel, parents Dr. David and Rochelle Garfinkel of Lawrence , and Dovid and Kayla Seff of Flatbush.

Rabbi Eytan Feiner was the mesader kedushin. Yoel Hecht was the photographer and the ceremony took place at Ateres Rivka in Borough Park.

July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 39

AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS

Rivkah Laufer Bikur Cholim, a group of volunteers with courage, generosity, and heart, recently celebrated its 46th anniversary at its vaunted annual luncheon at Terrace on the Park. With over 400 participants in attendance, this dedicated group reaffirmed its commitment to the sick and recommitted itself to perpetuating the mission of its namesake, the late Rivkah Laufer.

As a warming sunlight filled the ballroom of Terrace on the Park, the intergenerational crowd was a testament to the growth, vitality, and warmth of spirit that has permeated this special group since its inception. Having benefited thousands over the past four decades, Rivkah Laufer Bikur Cholim pushes on in its never-ending struggle to aid the sick and the needy, the young and the old, and it does so with a humanity and

professionalism that garners it testimonials of praise from helpers and helped alike.

Whether commendations come from hospital chiefs or from indigent patients, the efforts of the volunteers of Rivkah Laufer Bikur Cholim have become a legend. This year, MC Celia Rapp opened up the program by welcoming everyone and introducing National President and Rivkah Laufer Bikur Cholim co-founder Miriam Lubling, who said a kappitel Tehillim.

Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern, spiritual leader of the Young Israel of Scarsdale, spoke with deep affection about his beloved grandparents Fran and Simon, their life experiences, and their accomplishments.

Celia Rapp introduced Secretary-Treasurer Pearl Pinter, who made a special presentation of a Shema Yisrael necklace to Fran, and continued speaking

Sheila Zachter (Guest of Honor) and her husband, Albert.

Rofeh Award presented to Dr. Leon Schwechter and Dana, his wife.

Photos by the Jerry Meyer Studio

Rivkah Laufer Bikur Cholim’s 46th Annual Luncheon

Standing (L–R): Lorraine Nelson, Celia Rapp, Sara Teicher, and Fran Laufer.

Seated: Miriam Lubling.

A memorial tribute to Fred Cohen was presented to his wife, Chavie, and her daughters, Debbie, Shaindy, and Helene.

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Photo by the Jerry Meyer Studio

Presentation to Fran Laufer. (L–R): Celia Rapp, Miriam Lubling, Fran Laufer, and Pearl Pinter.

about her achievements. As the founding president of the Rivkah Laufer Bikur Cholim organization, Fran has offered inspirational leadership, guidance, selfless service, and commitment to the sick, the less fortunate, and their families for over 45 years.

The guest of honor was Sheila Zachter of Staten Island, who is held in high esteem for her acts of chesed and involvement in her community, in Jewish education, bikur cholim, and the State of Israel.

The prestigious Rivkah Laufer Bikur Cholim Rofeh Award was presented to Dr. Leon Schwechter of Great Neck. Dr. Schwechter is recognized as a dedicated and compassionate physician in the field of medicine with a sub-specialty in geriatrics. He is presently on the staff of St. Francis Hospital.

A memorial tribute was made in memory of Fred Cohen, beloved husband of Chavie Cohen. His acts of qui-

et chesed and philanthropy benefited a wide spectrum of Jewish causes.

Sara Teicher, Celia Rapp, and Roseanne Roseantal, the general chairladies, and Lorrain Nelson contributed immensely to the huge success of the luncheon.

Two additional presentations were made to Jerry Meyer of the Jerry Meyer Studio and Marty Bodner of Main Event for their many years of dedicated commitment and service. 

Nessim and Lynne Tammam of Great Neck accepting the Bonei Yerushalayim award from executive council member Robert Koppel, Ateret Cohanim Chairman Mati Dan, Dr. Joseph Frager, and Shani Hikind.

34th Annual Ateret Cohanim/ Jerusalem Chai Dinner

By Fern Sidman Serving as keynote speaker at the 34th annual Ateret Cohanim/Jerusalem Chai dinner on June 1, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Danny Danon assumed an obdurate posture on the recent dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy as it pertains to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a direct reference to President Obama’s

Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Danny Danon delivering keynote speech at Yom Yerushalayim Celebration.

controversial address to the State Department on May 19 in which he called on Israel to retreat to the 1967 boundaries in a gesture towards the

creation of an independent Palestinian state, Mr. Danon declared, “President Obama: Take your hands off Jerusalem,

Continued on Page 42

July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 41

AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS Continued from Page 41 take your hands off of Israel.”

Speaking from the dais at the Terrace on the Park hall in Flushing, Mr. Danon’s remarks were enthusiastically received by his audience of over 500. Addressing the most egregious forms of terrorism, MK Danon said that “President Obama is ignoring reality when he attempts to make a distinction between the objectives of Hamas and al-Qaeda.

Executive Vice-President Shani Hikind introducing Shira Tanami from Yemenite Village in Jerusalem together with MK Danny Danon and Dr. Joseph Frager.

They are one and the same, and we in Israel know very well that you cannot appease terrorists, but rather you must fight terrorists.”

Exhorting the U.S. president to focus his foreign-policy agenda towards a concrete plan of action that will confront “Iran’s nuclear capability” instead of pressuring Israel into making suicid-

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al territorial concessions, Mr. Danon praised the U.S. for undertaking the Navy SEAL mission that resulted in the killing of al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden. “Israel should be doing as the U.S. has done in terms of fighting terror and we can learn an excellent lesson from this dramatic and courageous mission,” he said.

Proffering a bold alternative to the Palestinian Authority’s proposed vote at the United Nations in September that would ostensibly result in the establishment of a Fatah/Hamas-run state, Mr. Danon said, “I am not afraid of what will happen in September. By using the UN to push for a state, the Palestinians are in violation of the Oslo Accords.

When the UN will decide unilaterally to vote for the creation of a Palestinian state, we will immediately declare independence throughout Judea and Samaria.”

Quoting former Israeli prime minister Yitzchak Shamir, Mr. Danon offered a sanguine perspective on Israel’s future. “Mr. Shamir has often said that we need three things to win this war.

The first is ‘ideology,’ and that is represented through our belief in and adherence to the precepts of the Torah. The second thing is “organization,” and we have that here in Ateret Cohanim. The third thing is a steadfast commitment to overcome all adversity and to prevail against those who seek out destruction and, thank G-d, we possess this magnificent trait.”

Founded by Matityahu HaCohen Dan, a young, idealistic veteran of the Israel Defense Forces, Ateret Cohanim’s mis-

sion is predicated upon the fulfillment of a generations-old dream of rebuilding and securing Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel. Bringing this inspiring vision to fruition through a unique program of strengthening Jewish roots, Ateret Cohanim/Jerusalem Chai has succeeded in reestablishing vibrant Jewish communities that are centered around yeshivos and other educational institution in the Kotel Quarter, also known as the Muslim and Christian quarters of the holy city.

Representing the Jewish residents of the Old City of Jerusalem at this year’s dinner was Chaya Shira (Frimer) Tanami, who lives in the Yemenite Village.

A shining paradigm of exceptional courage, Mrs. Tanami and others like her exemplify a pioneering spirit that serves as a beacon of light and hope for the future of Jerusalem. The recipients of the auspicious Bonei Yerushalayim award included Shlomo and Naomi Min-Ha Har Gottfried of Maalot Dafna, Jerusalem; Henoch and Tova Messner of Monsey, New York; and Nessem and Lynne Tammam of Great Neck, New York.

Always reluctant to accept public honors, Nessim and Lynne were kind enough to present their views on the vital work of Ateret Cohanim and the future of Jerusalem. “Jerusalem holds a special significance for me because I was born in Libya and grew up in a neighborhood that was very similar to the Old City of Jerusalem; but needless to say, things were very different. The Arabs controlled every facet of our lives and we accepted subjugation in order to avoid suffering their wrath,” said Mr.

Tammam.

Having purchased a property in the Old City called Beit Schechter, Henoch and Tova Messner, also recipients of the Bonei Yerushalayim award, recall its glorious past. “This property was named after its original owners who lived there from the 1880s until the 1930s, when they were driven out by Arab rioters during the infamous pogroms,” said Mr. Messner.

Prior to making the purchase, they sought the counsel of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, shlita. “When we asked Rav Elyashiv if he thought this cause was important enough for us to become involved with, he was surprised that a Jew could even ask this question. He felt that it was such an imperative thing to do that he gave us his full endorsement and encouraged us to get others involved,” said Mr. Messner, adding, “There is nothing more natural than a Jew buying a house in Jerusalem. The students of the Vilna Gaon did the same 200 years ago and Ateret Cohanim is at the forefront of continuing this special work today.”

Mr. Messner noted that “the designation of ‘East’ and ‘West’ Jerusalem was created for the purpose of removing Jews from half of the city which they once owned and inhabited before they were forcefully removed. In fact, when the Schechter family lived in their home which we redeemed, the Jews were the predominant majority in that part of the city.” Describing the Torah obligation of every Jew to reclaim Jerusalem, he said, “The halachah is that one is allowed to acquire a non-Jewish-

owned house in Jerusalem on Shabbos if it becomes available and should not wait until after Shabbos, because the deal may no longer be available then.

This demonstrates the importance of this mitzvah.” 

New York School Of Career And Applied Studies Of Touro College Holds Commencement Ceremonies At Lincoln Center This spring, over 1,300 students from 11 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens graduated from Touro College’s New York School of Career and Applied Studies (NYSCAS), the largest undergraduate division of Touro College. Graduates received baccalaureate degrees, associate degrees, and certificates at commencement ceremonies in

Brooklyn and Manhattan, including at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. The Honorable John C. Liu, NYC Comptroller, addressed the graduates, saying that New York is the best place for anyone from anywhere to succeed, and that Touro College is providing a great service through its tradition of opening the door to education for the diverse populations of New York City. 

LCW Graduate Launches Israel Advocacy Project Pessy Katz, a recent graduate of the Lander College for Women–The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School, is leading an effort to spread the word among college students that efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel need to be treated as serious threats to the Jewish na-

At the commencement ceremonies of Touro’s School of Career and Applied Studies (L–R): David Raab, Rabbi Moshe Krupka, Eva Spinelli-Sexter, Dr. Mark Hasten, the Honorable John C. Liu, Robert Goldschmidt, Timothy Taylor, and Dr. Leon Perkal.

tion and should be challenged through political action.

In e-mail messages she distributes to a constantly growing list of college students at her Upper West Side alma mater, Ms. Katz provides links to relevant news articles, video and audio clips, and other forms of new media aimed at shifting the political dialogue as it relates to supporting Israel’s stature in the Middle East.

Inspired by her involvement in the Jewish Council for Public Affairs’ annual plenum sessions in Washington, DC, Ms. Katz launched “The Lander College for Women Israel Advocacy Project” with the support of LCW, its dean, Dr. Marian Stoltz-Loike, the Israeli Consulate, and the Jewish Community Relations Council. Ms. Katz said the idea stemmed from a meeting she participated in with members of the Israeli Consulate and students from Columbia University and Yeshiva University.

“Pessy blends diverse talents—comprehensive knowledge of the issues, first-hand experience with political and Jewish community leaders, and technological ‘know-how’—that enable her to communicate online and capture the attention of faculty and students about critical issues. She has leveraged her experience at the Lander College for Women so that she can make a difference in the broader Jewish community,” said Dr. Marian Stoltz-Loike, dean of LCW. “There are obvious threats to Israel, in the form of terrorism and suicide attacks,” Ms. Katz explained. “But more recently, a movement challenging the

Pessy Katz

right of Israel to exist has been growing on college campuses in the U.S. and Canada, as student groups are actively protesting against Israel’s existence.”

A self-described student activist, Ms. Katz has worked in politics, having interned for former U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in New York in 2008 and for U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who represents parts of Manhattan, in the summer of 2009. She also spent time living and studying at an ulpan in Israel.

In the face of an international campaign that designated March 30 as a day to boycott Israeli products, Ms. Katz led a counter-effort at LCW encouraging students to deliberately purchase Israe-

Continued on Page 45

July 8, 2011

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“In the Narrow Places” Addresses Challenge of the Three Weeks

BY RABBI SHALOM BERGER Having served in the role of “Camp Rabbi” for many summers, one of the most frustrating questions that repeated itself every year came from campers who wanted to know whether their sneakers were made of leather. For the uninitiated, they were asking whether their footwear fell into the halachic category of shoes that are forbidden to be worn on the Tishah B’Av fast day. Invariably I would attempt to clarify the material from which the sneaker was made, while commenting that I never received training in footwear when studying for rabbinic ordination.

Aside from being frustrating, that scenario pointed to a different educational challenge—how to refocus the mourning practices required by Jewish law from being a rote, almost obscure, religious practice, in the direction of true mourning, recognizing and becoming sensitized to the loss of the Temple. Effectively, the education that many of

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these students received confused the importance and centrality of their injured souls with the material used in the manufacture of their soles.

Erica Brown has performed a great service in publishing In the Narrow Places: Daily Inspiration for the Three Weeks, a book that makes great strides in responding to that educational challenge.

She opens by introducing the mishkan/ mikdash—the Temple—as representing the soul and center of the G-d-man relationship, developing the theme that the destruction of the Temple was not merely the loss of a physical place, but the devastation of that unique relationship.

This introduction serves as a springboard to the 22 essays that follow—one for each day of the Three Weeks (17 Tammuz through 9 Av) with an afterword for the 10th of Av. Rather than focusing on the rules and regulations of the mourning period, the essays use biblical and rabbinic texts and liturgy to develop individual themes leading to a “kavanah of the day” that applies the ideas of

each essay to an action or reflection that the reader is asked to perform.

Much of the emphasis of these essays and kavanos are on repairing our relationship with G-d, something that is often passed over in our concern with the material our soles are made of.

Questions addressed include: Where is G-d found in our lives today? How might we emulate G-d in our daily lives?

At the same time, many call for reflection on who we are and on taking lessons from the mourning on how we might go about repairing relationships with others and how we relate to the Jewish community at large.

The method of offering a short essay to be read on a daily basis over the course of three weeks that includes “homework” of thought or action is a fascinating educational experiment. It is worth trying at home this summer.  In the Narrow Places is available online and at Jewish bookstores everywhere.

Reprinted with permission from Lookjed, the

Jewish educators’ e-mail list published by the Lookstein Center for Jewish Education at BarIlan University, www.lookstein.org.

Rabbi Shalom Berger, EdD is the director of e-communities at the Lookstein Center for Jewish Education. Before making aliyah, he taught and served as director of Israel guidance at HAFTR High School.

AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS Continued from Page 43 li-made products to express their solidarity with Israel.

In March, StandWithUs, a local nonprofit pro-Israel education and advocacy group, led the counter-boycott effort and established a website, www.buyIsraelgoods.org, in cooperation with the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ms. Katz said this is another powerful way to counter efforts aimed at delegitimizing Israel and tarnishing the Jewish state’s image in the United States.

“Many students may not be aware of what is happening on other college campuses, and the idea behind the LCW Israel Advocacy Project is to teach students to be better advocates for Israel,” said Ms. Katz. “I hope that other students will become motivated to look at what is happening and do something about it.” 

Helping Our Children Succeed

By Rabbi Noson Berman P’TACH recently held a parent information meeting for the Queens community hosted by Meir and Rina Shachar.

The meeting was the second this year in the Greater New York area, following the Brooklyn parent meeting hosted in Yeshiva Tiferes Yisroel. Rabbi Avi Kramer, co-director of institutional advancement, welcomed everyone and spoke about the importance of parents knowing the available educational resources for their children. He then introduced a mother of one of this year’s graduates.

The mother spoke about her child before P’TACH and how he was miserable and his self-esteem was at an alltime low. She was afraid she wouldn’t see the day he would graduate let alone be a productive part of society. After sending him to P’TACH, she immediately saw a change—first with the school and, after some adjustment and hard work, with her son. The P’TACH staff was there to work with her and she felt an equal part of the team working to help her son succeed. She stopped being fearful every time the phone rang and actually looked forward to calls from the school. He blossomed into a self-confident teenager with knowledge of his strengths and he discovered different skills that he was unaware that he had. He began to succeed. The transformation was miraculous and only because she took the steps necessary to put her son in the appropriate educational setting.

The P’TACH video was shown, describing the programs and services P’TACH has to offer, followed by a lively discussion with Mrs. Jackie Welkowitz, program coordinator at P’TACH in Queens. Rabbi Boruch Feder, P’TACH’s program coordinator in Manhattan, and Mrs. Meira Winter, assistant administrator and teacher at the Queens program, attended and contributed their expertise and knowledge. The parents discussed their many challenges and concerns and saw for themselves that they were not alone.

Everyone walked out of the evening with a feeling that P’TACH is a place to turn to when you are concerned with your child’s progress in school. P’TACH

Continued on Page 46 July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 45

AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS Continued from Page 45 is a community resource that has been serving the Jewish community for 35 years while keeping abreast with the latest developments and techniques in the field of special education.

P’TACH is planning more parent information meetings. For more information about these meetings and to find out more about P’TACH’s programs and services, call 718-854-8600, ext.120, or visit www.ptach.org.

Yeshiva Chanoch Lenaar Introduces SmartBoard Technology

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5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

At a time when teenagers are more interested in texting than ancient texts, innovative methods must be incorporated in order to instill age-old truths.

There are simply too many distractions competing for a teenager’s attention. Among the challenges facing educators today is making the printed page as compelling as the computer screen.

Therefore, in order to maintain the interest of today’s youth and make learning more appealing, Yeshiva Chanoch Lenaar is upgrading and restructuring its entire program, while refusing to compromise the ideal of giving students an authentic Torah education.

Some yeshivas have relaxed their rules, regulations, and dress code, and made other compromises on their standards, with the intention of attracting more students. However, YCL feels that these things run counter to what it is trying to accomplish.

One of the most exciting innova-

Students eagerly checking their weekly points.

tions will be the introduction of interactive SmartBoard technology in the classroom. The SmartBoard is a device that is used with a computer and large touch-sensitive video display. This exciting tool helps students gain insights into concepts and problems by allowing them to directly interact via their laptops, injecting a sense of fun into the classroom.

In addition, a wide range of new courses is now in the works, designed to give students a general knowledge and “taste” of several disciplines, including culinary arts, basic first aid and CPR, and music and art, all within the greater context of their value and application in Yiddishkeit. For example, the basics of music theory will be integrated with the Jewish concept of music as the expression of the soul and chush ha’neginah. Culinary arts will be combined with insights into dietary laws and hashgachah. Guest lectures by professionals will supplement regular classes. The goal is not to become an artist or chef per se, but rather to expose students to a wider range of subjects.

Chanoch Lenaar will be upgrading many of the features for which it has

ing students a much-needed outlet to channel their energies appropriately.

Registration for grades 8–12 is now in full swing for the upcoming school year. For more information or to schedule an interview, contact the dean, Rabbi Yaakov Bryski, at 718774–8456 or visit www.yeshiva. org. 

YU Alumni Network Pays Dividends Classes at Chanoch Lanaar are small, to maximize personalized attention.

become renowned, starting with its unique point rating system. This tremendous motivational tool helps students establish and achieve their goals, and provides continuous positive reinforcement. The school’s computer room, game room, and library are also being expanded. Every aspect of the school will be enhanced, from its delicious daily menus to its overnight trips and motivational prizes for school contests. Sports and recreational activities, which already include a variety of commercialgrade games such as air hockey, a pool table, ping-pong, and X-Box, are also being raised to the next level.

Chanoch Lenaar’s unique structure rewards not only academic accomplishments, but also fosters social and emotional growth, in a warm and supportive atmosphere. At a time when some yeshivas are experiencing difficulties combating negative outside influences, Chanoch Lenaar continues to defy the odds through its innovative educational approach.

This unique school produces young men who are enthusiastic about Yiddishkeit and chassidus, while steadily intensifying their commitment to Torah and mitzvos. To the yeshiva’s credit, its students are exerting a positive impact on their extended families as well as the Jewish community at large.

Founded in 1976 in response to the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s declaration of “Shnas Hachinuch,” YCL accepts boys from diverse backgrounds and provides them with an authentic yeshiva experience as well as a desire to learn and a love of Yiddishkeit. Hebrew classes are divided according to levels rather than grades. Students have an opportunity to complete the N.Y.S. high-school curriculum and earn a Regents diploma at the end of 12th grade.

Small classes and an experienced staff of dedicated educators, available at all times, allow each student to achieve his full potential. This encourages the students to develop and expand their commitment to Torah observance. Chanoch Lenaar provides a comfortable

dormitory facility, tasty, nourishing meals, and attentive dormitory counselors who supervise and mentor the boys.

During breaks and evenings, indoor and outdoor recreational facilities are available, offer-

More than 150 alumni and friends of Yeshiva University gathered on June 23 for the most recent meeting of the YU Wall Street Group to network, catch up, and listen to a panel of experts discussing the latest trends in the real-estate market.

Moderated by Michael Stoler, president of New York Real Estate TV and managing director of Madison Realty Capital, the panel, titled “Changing World — What’s Next for Real Estate,” included Jeffrey Barclay of Goldman Sachs; Richard Born of BD Hotels, LLC; Brahm Cramer of AllianceBernstein; Ralph Herzka of Meridian Capital Group, LLC; and Bradford Klatt of Roseland Property Company.

The event, hosted at Alliance Bernstein’s New York City offices, served as the third meeting of the YU Wall Street Group in the past four months, providing many alumni the opportunity to network with a sizable cohort of individuals from the full spectrum of

the business world. These encounters have resulted in group members’ securing new job opportunities ranging from beneficial internships to senior-level positions in respected firms.

“Yeshiva University has such a wide range of talented people associated with it,” said Yigal Marcus, ’97YC, vicepresident of Bernstein Global Wealth Management. “It is always wonderful to spend an evening with such professionals.”

Started more than 15 years ago, the group now counts over 1,500 members in its ranks, nearly 70 percent of whom are alumni, according to Lawrence Askowitz, ’87YC, the group’s

July 8, 2011

Continued on Page 49

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 47

Rav Soloveitchik’s Kinot

BY RABBI SHLOMO BRODY The hottest new publication in the Orthodox book world (I admit we’re not exactly talking about a NY Times bestseller, but nonetheless . . .) is clearly the Koren Mesorat HaRav Kinot published

by Koren Publishers Jerusalem and OU Press, and edited by Rabbi Simon Posner. It features a running commentary of the kinot based on the teachings of Rav Soloveitchik, zt’l, as well as a new English translation by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Weinreb and a basic halachah section prepared by Rabbi Gil Student. It is also includes the English translation of the siddur by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and the English translation of Eichah found in the Koren Tanach.

The commentary from Rabbi Soloveitchik is largely based on material previously published in The L-rd is Righteous in All His Ways: Reflections on the Tish’ah be-Av Kinot (2006), edited by Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter, where it

was presented thematically and conceptually. The challenge (and novelty) of this work was to find a way to present the insights in a concise and simple enough manner to make it user-friendly for siddur readers, without diluting the sophisticated material. To make this work, the page must be aesthetically pleasing without the commentary cluttering the flow of the texts, especially if one wants to preserve the poetic nature of the text in both the original and the translation. (After all, not everyone is going to read the Rav’s comments every time, especially as they recite the kinot in shul). However, the commentary cannot be so detached from the kinah that one cannot match the text with the comments.

To a certain extent, the editors of this work were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Nonetheless, the final result is rather impressive, even as a preference was given to making this a userfriendly kinah for the casual user. Each

kinah is presented without commentary, giving the page a clean feel that makes it easy to follow the translation on the opposite side (as with the Koren Sacks Siddur, the Hebrew page is on the left side) as well as to recite the prayer. At the end of each kinah, the reader is then directed to the page number of the next kinah, as the Rav’s commentary (which can include several pages) is included after each kinah. I found it occasionally difficult to find the text to which the commentary was referring (and then of course one has to flip back and forth between the text and the commentary), but overall I preferred having the material remain sub-

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stantive and coherent.

The Koren Mesorat HaRav Kinot also features a reshimot section which includes halachic and philosophical insights related to Tishah B’Av that are not directly connected to the kinot. This section is a very successful concise presentation of some of the Rav’s central themes about the day and its meaning, even as I miss the drama, eloquence, and development of the oral shiurim that have been transcribed in Rabbi Schacter’s volume and elsewhere.

The volume was dedicated in honor of Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, who included an interesting introductory essay that recalled a 1968 shiur by the Rav explaining why we still commemorate this day after the Six Day War. I like the fact that they included kinot related to the Holocaust, even as the Rav objected to them (as noted in the introduction), as their recitation has become standard in most shuls. In addition to the kinot composed by Rabbi Shimon Schwab and the Bobover Rebbe (known from their inclusion in the Artscroll kinot), the editors also included “Eli, Eli” by Yehuda Leib Bailer and a kinah written by Rabbi Abraham Rosenfeld (whose own kinot are distributed

by Soncino Press).

I did not have the opportunity to thoroughly examine the accuracy of Rabbi Weinreb’s translation (nor do I see myself as qualified to pass judgment). I will note, however, that whatever its accuracy (which is incredibly difficult, given the poetic nature of the original), the text flows and reads nicely, and will be enjoyed by those who read the text primarily in English.

Overall, this work is a significant accomplishment, and the editors and publishers should be saluted for this contribution to our community and the legacy of the Rav.  Reprinted with permission from Text & Texture, a blog of Orthodox Jewish thought published by the Rabbinical Council of America.

Rabbi Shlomo Brody is online editor of Tradition, a publication of the Rabbinical Council of America. He teaches at Yeshivat HaKotel and writes a regular “Ask the Rabbi” column for the Jerusalem Post.

AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS Continued from Page 47 co-chair. “I know that there is momentum gathering from these events,” said Askowitz, whose company has taken on two YU interns in the past year. In addition to hosting these gatherings, the Wall Street Group had also started sending out frequent e-mail blasts since March, alerting its members to new job openings in a significant selection of business-related fields.

In introducing the panel, university trustee and chair of the real-estate committee, Joshua Muss, ’62YC, spoke of his satisfaction that the Wall Street Group dedicated an evening to discussing current developments in the real-estate market. Aside from spreading the information gleaned from the panel, Muss also hoped that those present share with their firms, employers, and colleagues an “understanding that at YU

you will find as good a group of bright and eager students as any university in the world.”

Many of those in attendance hoped to take advantage of this sentiment. “It is wonderful to join this large group of professionals with YU connections,” said Jeremy Apfel, ’10YC. Similarly, former Yeshiva University Presidential Fellow Daniel Neiss, ’09YC, viewed the panel “as a great chance to expand my network and find new opportunities.”

Klatt, co-managing partner of Roseland Property Company, delighted in his invitation to speak on a panel at a YU event. “I think it is vitally important that YU penetrate the secular business world in a much stronger way, and these forums enable YU to do that,” he said. “YU has a lot to offer. Our demography is spectacular. We believe in Torah values that make for a good business framework, and to bring those to the business world is invaluable.” 

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Netanyahu Thanks ZAKA Volunteers For Their Holy Work Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with representatives of the ZAKA Search and Rescue Organization in his office on July 4 to express his gratitude to the UN-recognized international humanitarian volunteer organization.

Headed by ZAKA chairman and founder Yehuda Meshi-Zahav and chairman of the international board of directors Michael Mirilashvili, the volunteers represented many different ZAKA units and regions in Israel, and included representatives from the ZAKA International Rescue Unit from the U.S., UK, France, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, and the newest addition to the ZAKA family, Belarus.

In his address to the yellow-vested volunteers and their commanders, Prime Minister Netanyahu commended the organization for its lifesaving rescue and recovery work in Israel and around the world, most recently in Japan, as well as the organization’s accident prevention and safety campaigns.

“I would like to commend you for the many things you have done, and are doing, in the country and around the world. You have become ambassadors for the State of Israel, ambassadors of goodwill and our good name. Thank the Almighty, you carry the name of the State of Israel and the Jewish People with you around the world and I would like to thank you for it. You are messen-

gers who deserve all blessings. Continue, successfully, with your holy work.”

Meshi-Zahav opened the meeting with a short presentation on the breadth and depth of ZAKA’s activities, including daily car accidents, complex search and rescue missions, and the comprehensive training drill during the recent nationwide Turning Point 5 civil defense exercise. In addition, MeshiZahav spoke about the organization’s activities overseas, including ongoing training of 11 ZAKA International Rescue Units in North and South America, Europe, the Far East, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Michael Mirilashvili thanked the Prime Minister for his ongoing support: “I am proud of the Kiddush Hashem that the organization does, day in and day out and I am thankful to have merited the honor of serving as chairman of the international board of directors.”

Mordechai Bamberger, a volunteer from the ZAKA International Rescue Unit in Manchester, came to Israel especially for the meeting, accompanied by his fellow volunteer Danny Liefman.

“It is an honor for us to be here, to feel part of the wider ZAKA family. We are doing important work in the UK and are about to expand with training for a second unit based in London.” 

Bike4Chai Bikelash, August 3–4

L–R: Michael Mirilashvili, chairman of the ZAKA International Board of Directors; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; and Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, ZAKA chairman and founder at the meeting in the prime minister’s office.

You may have seen them in your neighborhood—riders zipping down the street on their bicycles, exuding cadence, confidence, and concentration.

Riding groups across the country are demonstrating that bike riding is not

only good for the environment, but for the nation’s physical and mental health as well. It provides the heart and circulatory system with a thorough workout, burning up to 700 calories per hour, and clears and calms the mind.

However, a unique group of cyclists from the Five Towns is out to prove that biking can be more about the experience than about the exercise. The second annual Bike4Chai event is scheduled for August 3 and 4, and Adam Eisenberg, Steven Hartstein, Avi Lax, Allan Lieberman, and David Weiss have enthusiastically joined the “cruiseade.” In making this remarkable commitment, they have earned the respect and support of their wives and children, as well as the admiration (and incredulity!) of their friends and associates. They help comprise the 75 riders who have already committed to cycle 150 miles from the Jersey Shore to

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Good Clean Dirt!

B Y Y E H U D I S S A S H I T Z K Y, CPC “Frogs and snails and puppy dogs’ tails, that’s what little boys are made of . . .” And while girls have their “sugar and spice and everything nice” days, much to their mothers’ dismay, most children love to play in dirt.

I laugh as I remember one of my grown daughter’s super clean and organized ways. When she lived at home, a few minutes after she stepped into our house, nothing was out of place. Ever.

I had to go searching for my mail or other things I had left out! When she was expecting, I would reflect on the days when my floors were strewn with toys, wondering how she would adjust to motherhood. Although her motherhood is the “frogs and snails” type, she is weathering it like a trooper. She regales me with unreal scenarios such as her two oldest boys creating Bello the Clown hairstyles on each other, complete with gluey sprayed hair— a few minutes before it was time to leave for school, or permanently mudstained feet that wouldn’t wash off till the summer was just a happy memory. One Shabbos morning, a proactive four-year-old took hammer in hand to decorate her pristine wall with a nail for Tatty’s hat—a foot and half above the floor!

We grow up appreciating cleanliness, learning all the tricks of the trade concerning how to keep things clean.

And then we have children. Most of us get used to the messiness of upended Lego baskets and cope pretty well.

But what if you are of the most fastidious genre, the ones who wash their floors after each meal, have their knit tops color coded in their drawers from dark to light, and who never leave an unwashed spoon in the sink? How do you go from clean to . . . children? After all, sometimes children find dirt most entertaining. Carnival painted faces, dump truck in the sand, and digging for worms are irresistible fun.

The trick, of course, is to find a happy balance. You’ve probably felt the conflict between your desire to keep your young ones clean and their irrepressible desire to experience everything about the world they live in, especially the mud pies.

To achieve that balance, be mentally prepared to look away as your kids get into safe dirt (no glass or other dangers involved). When you choose to em-

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brace your children’s budding creativity and freedom despite your distaste for dirt, you might want to schedule in “dirty days” once or twice a week. The summertime particularly lends itself to free-from-care activities.

Ideas For Healthy Fun On a hot day, dress your youngsters in bathing suits and send them outside equipped with washable finger paint and large sheets of paper. They will have a blast! Just make sure you have a hose or kiddy pool nearby to wash off the results.

would very slowly meander down the city street or country path just to see what we could see. It was a calm quiet time together when each of us would point out a beautiful flower that we would analyze, an interesting bug that we would watch as it crawled its way toward its destination, the shape of passing clouds—priceless sights that were usually missed in the hustle and bustle of life. No phones, no one else, just us together. We would share whatever came to mind. It was a luxurious and calming time of precious bonding that we all looked forward to. Know-

Choose a time when you don’t “need” the baked goods and leave lots of time for the adventure.

Digging in the dirt is an all time favorite. Find an unobtrusive spot in your yard where you don’t mind a bit of a mess and give out pail and shovel.

Chalking up the sidewalk, blowing bubbles outside till it’s dripping off both arms, and a wrapped candy treasure hunt in the backyard are all ideas you can expand upon.

Small doughy hands and grinning flour-covered faces are a delight. Remembering that your goal is not the finished product but giving your children healthy experiences and wonderful childhood memories, will make you more relaxed. Choose a time when you don’t “need” the baked goods and leave lots of time for the adventure, avoiding any stress. Expecting the inevitable spills makes them easier to tolerate.

Encourage your kids to look for different sorts of leaves, acorns, branches, cocoons, and other natural things to look at closely and talk about. Collect magical fireflies at twilight—get those jars ready—telling your children in advance that they may keep the fireflies just long enough to enjoy their lights, but they must let them go at bedtime.

One of my favorite summer activities was our daily “night walk.” My two youngest children, then about three and six years old, were bathed, pajamaed, and equipped with ice cream cones.

Each holding one of my hands, we

ing their night walk was soon to follow, it was easy to get the children inside to bathe and dress for bed. The togetherness and memories of those night walks are incomparable. Both children agree it was a special time of their childhoods.

Fallen autumn leaves give you another opportunity to enjoy life. Every day, as I walked my children to school down Ocean Parkway, we would find the largest accumulation of wind strewn leaves and gleefully kick them up as we strode through them. How we laughed!

Find fun in the everyday and welcome (some) dirt into your lives as you raise healthy, happy, and creative children. Have a great summer!  Yehudis Sashitzky CPC, personal growth life coach, graduated from Touro College with a double major in psychology and education.

She has worked for P’eylim/Lev L’Achim for the past 17 years, and is certified as a professional coach by the Darco Coaching School of Excellence. Yehudis lives with her husband and blended family. Experience for yourself the rewards of clarity and insight that coaching will bring you. Complimentary consultation and phone coaching are available. Reach Yehudis at 718-258-4020 or 917-324-3125.

Send Yehudis your summer fun ideas!

To receive future articles on personal development please contact yehudis@ coachingempowers.net or 917-324-3125.

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AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS Continued from Page 51 Camp Simcha in Glen Spey, New York, in support of Chai Lifeline. This worthy organization’s 25-year-old mission is to restore the light of childhood to children whose innocence ended with a life-threatening or lifelong illness diagnosis. Each summer their flagship programs, Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special, treat 430 children from around the globe who are battling cancer and other debilitating illnesses to unforgettable overnight camp experiences.

Here, children and teens trade hospital rooms for helicopter rides, medical clinics for motorcycle sprees, and patient care for paintball adventures. Campers

also enjoy traditional camp activities in the fully handicapped-accessible facilities and thrive under the undivided attention of the 1:1 camper/counselor ratio. At summer’s end, they return home with profound friendships, meaningful memories, and restored spirits that renew their determination to fight illness all year long.

Last summer’s six-week Bike4Chai campaign successfully recruited 40 riders; each participant brought in a minimum of $3,600 in sponsorships, and the ride successfully raised a whopping $206,000! This year’s bike tour has an even more ambitious goal of hosting 100 riders and raising $500,000. Towards this end, coordinators are redesigning the ride to make it more

physically feasible for older and younger riders. They now welcome new bikers who may doubt their ability and stamina to handle the full 100 miles covered on Day #1, to participate in 50 or 75 mile runs, and then join in Day #2’s 50-mile route, affording them the opportunity to experience the intensity of the Grand Entrance into Camp Simcha. Whichever ride you choose, it promises to be an unforgettable experience, complete with exhilarating moments, excruciating moments, and tearjerking moments.

For the second year in a row, cyclists throughout the tri-state area and beyond are gearing up to put the pedal to the metal. This is the time to throw off your training wheels, “brake” away, and exercise your power to make a difference. Can’t take the heat of sitting in a driver’s seat? Sponsor Eisenberg, Hartstein, Lax, Lieberman, and Weiss, or another friend, neighbor, or associate. Join today at www.bike4chai.com and answer the call: “On your mark. Get set. Go!” 

OU Advanced Kashrus Seminar For Women, August 29–September 2 A recent Jewish Week article, “A Woman’s Place is in the (Kosher) Kitchen” by Amy Spiro caught plenty of attention.

When Donyel Meese, a pre-med undergraduate and NCSY alumnus, was offered student employment in kashrus supervision at Ohio State University’s Hillel Cafe, she first consulted her rabbi regarding halachic issues. It’s a common misconception that a “mashgiach” must be male, or even a rabbi for that matter.

Although it’s still a relatively rare phe-

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nomenon, professional training for female kashrus supervisors is on the rise.

According to Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO of the OU’s kashrus department, the biggest challenge is “the need to be extremely flexible and being available to go where you’re needed. Sometimes people aren’t that available to leave their families.”

In any case, a woman’s place is no longer limited to the household kitchen, even if she’s not a professional kashrus supervisor. Back by popular demand, the Harry H. Beren ASK OU program is once again offering its advanced kashrus seminar for women August 29– September 2 at OU headquarters. The program is not specifically designed for mashgichot, but rather for women interested in a higher level of kashrus awareness.

In addition to classes, and as part of the fieldwork, participants in this year’s seminar will have the opportunity to observe finer points of kosher law in an on-site commercial setting. The Sheraton Meadowlands (New Jersey) is opening its facility to this year’s group; participants will tour the hotel kitchen, where kosher meals are prepared for hundreds of people simultaneously.

When the Orthodox Union first piloted this particular program in 2009, the reception was overwhelming; registration quickly reached maximum capacity, but more significantly, participants represented a wide diversity of backgrounds. According to a follow-up article featured in the Five Towns Jewish Times, the professional credentials of attendees included a clinical psycholo-

gist, an MD who had recently married a rabbi, several schoolteachers and graduate students, a trained chef, a food scientist, and an OU Kosher staff member who used vacation time to attend. Participants came from far and wide and represented a broad spectrum of religious observance.

There was unanimous agreement among the women that the seminar had encompassed a broad scope of information, in-depth classes, interesting field trips, and dynamic teachers who answered all questions with both patience and candor.

This year’s coursework will feature a faculty of OU experts and lectures on a wide variety of kashrus aspects in the home kitchen as well as industrial plant and hotel kitchen tours. Topics include: checking vegetables for insects; finding blood spots in eggs; meat and dairy control; identifying and purchasing kosher fish; methods of food service and industrial kosherization; and general questions on Jewish laws of kashrus.

The only cost is a $75 registration fee, but space is limited and spots are filling quickly. To find out more, please visit: advanced kashrus seminar for women, or to apply and set up an interview, contact Avigail Klein at 212-613-8279, or kleina@ou.org.

JCCRP Scholarship Fund

By Kathy Rosenberg The Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula is proud to announce that it has awarded more than $25,000 in camp scholarships this year to children from Rockaway fami-

nesses, and Camp Simcha Special, for children with debilitating chronic conditions. At Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special, children and teens trade hospital rooms and doctors’ offices for fun, friendship, and hope for the future.

Campers enjoy traditional camp activities in fully handicapped-accessible facilities. Talent shows, concerts, and helicopter, hot-air, and motorcycle rides make every day super-special. Campers return home reinvigorated, with deep friendships and happy memories to help them travel the rough road ahead.

If you wish to make a donation to the JCCRP for its camp fund you can mail it to: JCCRP, 1525 Central Avenue, Far Rockaway, NY 11691. You can visit the JCCRP website at www.jccrp.org or call 718327-7755. 

L–R: JCCRP and Machane Atara officials Shelly Twersky, camp scholarship coordinator; Kathy Rosenberg, acting executive director; Rivi Schiffer, camp director; Richard Altabe, interim president; and Shalom Becker, secretary.

lies through its Rabbi Michael Scholar Camp Scholarship Fund.

The Rabbi Michael Scholar Camp Scholarship Fund, named for a former president of the JCCRP, provides scholarships to make it possible for Jewish children from families in need to attend Jewish summer day camps. The fund sponsors Jewish children of all backgrounds: those who attend yeshivas and those who attend public schools, those who are American-born and those who are immigrants. The purpose of the fund is to make sure that these children spend the summer in an environment

that will enhance what they learned in school and that will strengthen or even create their love for Yiddishkeit. These scholarships are available through private donations, a grant from UJA Federation of New York, and Met Council.

This year the JCCRP has a new camp fund available for children to attend Camp Simcha (Chai Lifeline’s summer camp) through an anonymous donor.

Each summer, 400 seriously ill children are treated to unforgettable, medically supervised overnight camp experiences at Camp Simcha, for children battling cancer and other hematological ill-

Inspiring Words Of Rabbi Avigdor Miller Now By E-mail K’lal Yisrael has been blessed with many gedolim, but few had such a profound impact that their name became a household word.

For tens of thousands of Jews, Rabbi Miller is simply legendary. His Thursday night lectures were world famous and earned him his reputation as one of the Torah world’s inspirational leaders.

He also authored over a dozen sefarim (some still unpublished) and left behind a massive library of recorded shiurim.

Rabbi Avigdor Miller had his finger on the pulse of contemporary Orthodox Jewry. He recognized its spiritual potential and spoke directly to its heart. Now,

Continued on Page 56

July 8, 2011

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AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS

to info@SimchasHachaim.com. 

Continued from Page 55 his inspiring words are available to all for free by e-mail.

Rabbi Miller transferred ownership of his recordings and manuscripts to Yeshiva Gedolah Bais Yisroel which he founded together with his son, Rabbi Shmuel Miller, the current rosh yeshiva. In 2011, the yeshiva formed the Rabbi Avigdor Miller Simchas Hachaim Foundation to foster happiness and an appreciation for Hashem’s great kindness by spreading Rabbi Miller’s teachings. As its debut publication, the foundation is proud to introduce SimchaMail, five free e-mail newsletters: The Plan and The Purpose; revealing Hashem in the world (each Tuesday); Steps to Greatness; personal growth and development (each Wednesday); Career of Happiness; strategies for a successful marriage (each Monday); The Weekly Parsha; insights on the parsha (each Thursday); and Simcha Minute, a brief, thought-provoking quotation five days a week. The emails capture Rabbi Miller’s engaging style and powerful message, as adapted from his sefarim and lectures. Each one is a treat—just the right length and designed for easy reading. Subscriptions are free.

For more information about the Simchas Hachaim Foundation, or to learn how to sponsor a Simchas Hachaim program as a z’chus for a loved one, contact the foundation at 718-258-7400 or info@SimchasHachaim.com.

To subscribe, visit www.SimchasHachaim.com/subscribe, or send an e-mail

56 July 8, 2011

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Hipsters And Hassids At The J Greenstein Gallery, July 11–30 Jonathan Greenstein of J Greenstein Gallery invites you to the opening night of the exhibition of Hipsters and Hassids and other Judaic works, the art of Elke Reva Sudin. On Monday, July 11, 8:00 p.m.–midnight, meet and greet the artist. The exhibition will run July 11–30 during normal gallery hours. There will be a second meet-and-greet with Elke on Saturday night, July 23, at 11:00 p.m.

“Hipsters and Hassids present a visual comparison of the similarities that these two Brooklyn communities share, despite their obvious differences. These two groups intrigued me because I am an artist and a religious Jew, and I of-

ten find myself caught between the two worlds,” says Sudin.

Eighteen pieces of her selected original work will be made available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more, visit www.jgreenstein.com or Greenstein Gallery, 417 Central Avenue in Cedarhurst, or call 516-295-2931.

Scranton Community Hosts 13th Nationwide Daf Yomi Shiur As lomdei daf yomi worldwide ushered in Maseches Chullin, hundreds gathered in batei medrash across the U.S. and Canada for the 13th nationwide shiur lichvod siyum Maseches Menachos.

A spotlight was trained on Scranton, PA, an established out-of–town community that hosted this event.

HaRav Yisroel Neuman, rosh hayes-

One of Elke Reva Sudin’s works.

hiva Beth Medrash Govoha, speaking to a crowd of more than 200 people in Scranton, began his shiur by declaring, “The Gemara declares that making a siyum is a true yom tov.” Known far and wide for his incredible hasmada b’limud haTorah, HaRav Neuman focused on the obligations each person has to spend every available moment learning Torah.

Rabbi Yisroel Neuman delivering the 13th Nationwide Shiur in Scranton, in honor of the Siyum on Maseches Menachos

The daf yomi commission of Agudath Israel of America, which is dedicated

by Mr. and Mrs. Elly and Brochie Kleinman in honor of their fathers, sponsored this 13th nationwide shiur. The shiur was hosted by the Scranton community at Congregation Machzikeh Hadas and was joined electronically by thousands of other Jews in cities across America.

Rabbi Mordechai Dov Fine, the mara d’asra, opened the program by expressing the community’s feelings of hakaras hatov to the roshei yeshiva for their participation at the event. He impressed upon the attendees the significance of understanding the fundamental importance of the primacy of Torah in our lives.

The hadran was delivered by Rabbi Dr. Yitzchok Kurtzer, a stalwart member of the Scranton community and one of the local daf yomi maggidei shiur. This event will certainly be etched into the memory of the local community and all participating locations as a true kiddush Shem Shamayim, hopefully leading to chizuk in limud haTorah. 

Stand By Me Ohr Meir And Bracha Supports Terror Victims

BY ROCHELLE MARUCH MILLER For Liora Tedgi, it’s personal. Her story happened on Tu B’Shvat, when she promised her children that she would return with the fruits that are customary to eat on that chag.

That day, Liora had volunteered with the chesed organization her brother had founded and directed.

And then everything changed.

“A terrorist drove down the street on which I was standing and just as he was turning right, I saw my father and brother turn right onto the street,” Liora recalls, “They were right next to each other, and after a few seconds there was a deafening boom. I was completely paralyzed from shock.

I couldn’t move, I couldn’t scream, I couldn’t run, I couldn’t even cry. I could only feel the fear and pain. And I was pregnant at the time. As I saw the smoke rising from the scene, I immediately understood that it was a terror attack. People began to run in all directions and cries of panic were heard everywhere, and in frenzied panic mothers checked their car-

riages to make sure their babies were safe, yelling out their children’s names in the hope they were not hurt. I ran in search of my brother’s children, who had been playing near me not long before the attack. It was clear that the terrorist had blown up his car, hoping to injure all of the innocent people in the vicinity.”

Immediately following the attack, Liora’s husband had trouble moving and began experiencing chest pains. Proceeding to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, the couple was met by a nurse who grew alarmed upon observing Liora’s appearance. Even after Liora explained that it was her husband who was in pain following a terror attack that they had endured, the nurse persisted in her concern regarding Liora’s condition. Her concern was with good reason, the couple soon learned. Initially, the fetus’s heartbeat could not be detected, causing Liora to undergo an extended ultrasound.

“But on the night of Hoshana Rabbah, we witnessed another miracle of Hashem,” Liora relates. “Baruch Hashem, a healthy baby boy was born,

named after David Hamelech, who was [the primary one of] the Ushpizin on that night of Sukkot.”

Saba David, Liora Tedgi’s grandfather, owned a trucking company that specialized in deliveries. A beloved individual, he was known to all as a man of action. In 1948, during the War of Independence, Jerusalem was besieged and in a desperate state. There was practically no food or water; people waited in line for over two hours just to receive a minimal amount of food.

Many found themselves in harm’s way and a victim of a bombing as they approached the head of the line. Those who did manage to survive quickly scrambled to their houses as the situation grew still more unbearable. Saba David, together with his brothers and other brave men, traveled by truck to Jerusalem, carrying vital supplies such as food, water, and oil. During one such trip, they were ambushed by Arabs who attacked them with grenades and guns. Most of the members of the convoy were killed, including Saba David’s 23-year-old brother, Uncle Matityahu, who had stepped on a mine which then exploded. Saba David carried Uncle Matityahu, on foot, to the Shaare Tzedek Hospi-

Please daven for a refuah shelaima for the following: Naftoli Yitzchok ben Malka Mirel Menachem Mendel ben Esther Shimon Fishel ben Chana Binyomin Zev HaKohen ben Sharrone Rivka Golda Sosya Bat Shoshana Rochel Leah bas Serel Aidel Ruchama Chava Baila bas Chaya

B’soch Sheor Cholei Yisroel.

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by

afie zion Sh R’ Ben T

Through The Eyes Of History Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aharon HaKohein appeased My anger against the B’nei Yisrael by taking My revenge amidst them, and so I didn’t have to destroy them with My vengeance.

—Bamidbar 25:11 The plot to destroy the Jews. Parashas Balak ends with the daughters of Moav enticing the young Jewish men to sin.

This quickly led to idol worship, and many Jewish men served Ba’al Pe’or.

At the height of the debacle, Zimri, one of the heads of Shevet Shimon, took a Moabite princess and brought her into the encampment of the Jews, making a public spectacle of the act. Because he was a leader of the Jewish people, this was a grave threat to the survival of the nation. A plague broke out, and thousands of Jews died.

Pinchas runs to Moshe. Pinchas saw what was happening and ran to Moshe for advice. Moshe directed him to take action. At the risk of his life and against all odds, Pinchas walked into the mob and miraculously killed both Zimri and the Moabite woman. No sooner did their dead bodies hit the floor than the plague stopped. It was a clear and obvious sign that Pinchas had acted cor-

rectly. By acting with courage and alacrity, he saved the Jews from destruction.

Clearly, he was a hero.

Yet the very next parashah, which is called Parashas Pinchas, opens with a pasuk repeating his lineage: “Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon.”

Rashi explains that the Torah delineates his ancestry because he was the subject of derision. The other shevatim mocked him: “Did you see this son of idol worshipers? His mother’s father fattened calves to serve to idols, and he has the audacity to kill the head of a shevet!”

The Torah therefore repeats that he was a direct descendant of Aharon, to let us know that he was justified in what he did.

This Rashi is difficult to understand, as it implies that people looked at what Pinchas did and assumed that he was wrong. Yet he had direct orders from Moshe Rabbeinu. Many miracles happened to allow him to succeed, and a plague that killed 24,000 people stopped only when he finally killed Zimri. How is it possible that anyone could see Pinchas as anything other than a hero?

The eyes of history. The answer to this question is that there are often two dis-

tinct perspectives of an event: the perspective from living in the moment, and the perspective of history. While the episode is playing out, it is often difficult to identify the real issues and motives being challenged. Changes are happening too quickly, things are moving at too feverish a pace, and clarity is elusive. After the fact, when the dust settles and some time has passed, what transpired is often viewed with a different focus, and what was then obscure is now obvious.

When we look back at events in history, all is clear and evident. The heroes stand out wearing shining armor, the villains appear in black garb, and everyone fits nicely into their camp. But to those living at the time, it wasn’t that neat and clean. The good guys didn’t appear as all white, and the bad guys didn’t appear as all black. It was somewhere in between.

Understanding the criticism of Pinchas. To the people living during Pinchas’s times, there was justification for what Zimri did. The rationale might well have been that by bringing the Moabite woman into the Jewish camp, she wouldn’t pull the Jewish men away to serve idols. But whatever the logic, there were arguments for and arguments against. The point was that a great man—the head of a shevet—did this act, and it wasn’t at all clear that he was wrong. It is only now, after the fact, when we have the perspective of history, that we can see the test and the temptation with absolute clarity.

Each generation has it tests, and one of the most difficult tasks for a later

generation is to look back and understand the test of an earlier era. Oftentimes, when we look back we can’t understand how the people living then could have done what they did. We flippantly assume that we would never have acted that way. We may think, “Had we been living in Spain in the mid1500s, we would have fled the country or given up our lives—no question about it.” “Had we come to these shores in the 1920s, of course we would have kept Shabbos and kashrus.” In fact, we can’t understand how anyone could think otherwise.

The reason we can’t even see the temptation is that we are judging the generation according to our social climate. We are assuming that the winds that blew then were the same as now.

But the social environment was vastly different. The norms of society—what was expected and accepted, what was valued and revered—were quite different. And as such, the social pressure was very different than it is now.

This concept has great relevance to us. We face nisyonos today that previous generations would laugh at. Most of us live in two-income households, are working long, hard hours, and are still barely able to make ends meet. If our great-grandparents were to look down at our generation, they would be flabbergasted. “What in the world did you need such a fancy house for? A separate bedroom for each child? Each family needs it own car? Each child gets a new outfit? Different types of shoes for week-

Continued on Page 68

And Bilam arose in the morning, and saddled his ass (Bamidbar 22:21) From here we see how hatred causes a person to break from convention. Bilam had many servants at his disposal; yet in his eagerness to go curse Israel, he saddled his ass himself. Said the Al-mighty: “Evil one! Their father, Avraham, has already preempted you when, to fulfill My will, he ‘rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey’ (Bereishis 22:3).”

(Rashi)

In order to place before man the “free choice” that is essential to his mission in life, G-d so ordered His world that every positive force has its negative counterpart. Were there to exist a good element which cannot be put to corrupt use, then man’s potential for evil would be disadvantaged and would not present the equal challenge which makes for the choice factor in life. In the words of Shlomo HaMelech (Koheles 7:14), “One corresponding to the other, G-d created.”

But this “equality” between good and evil extends only to the most superficial level of reality. When a person learns to look beyond the surface of things to their inherent purpose, he will see that only the good in the world is real and substantial.

Good is an existence in its own right, while evil exists merely to provide the tension which imbues the positive acts of man with meaning and significance.

Hence, there cannot be anything “original” to evil, which is but a shallow, corrupted refraction of the good in the world. If Bilam was able to transcend the norm with the intensity of his hate, this was only because, centuries earlier, Avraham had done the same out of love of his Creator.

(The Lubavitcher Rebbe) 58 July 8, 2011

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July 8, 2011

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Sessions available in the convenience of your home, or mine.

Call 347-733-9693 Has your child been struggling in school?

Need help with summer homework? Early childhood Board of Ed teacher will bring your child on/above grade level using differentiated instruction. Grades kindergarten-3rd. 917-7974539 “Used or Abused” Before you buy a used car, come in for a free frame (structural) check. Precision Auto Body 691 Burnside Ave, Lawrence. 516-371-1137.

Friends don’t let friends drive junk!

Boro Park Ladies & Children Coat Gemach accepting gently used coats in excellent condition. Woodmere drop-off.

718-972-3699 Simchas Naava Share your simcha flowers!

Be m’sameach other simchas! Donate your fresh flower arrangements! We will match your simcha date with simchas following yours or deliver them to nursing home residents. To donate or obtain flower arrangements call 516-239-6066 In memory of a special friend, Naava Wassner Katlowitz

Small beginners Siddurim, and Shabbos guidebooks, both in Russian, are available for you to distribute.

Please call Tashbar Publications at 718-4389025 (leave message with address, IY”H we will mail them to you for free.)

Help Kosiner Bikur Cholim maintain their apartments near Manhattan hospitals.

Sponsor a Shabbos as a z’chus. Donations accepted. Tax deductible. 347-924-4205 New Table and Chair Gemach for shortterm simchas. 740 Mador Ct., Far Rockaway.

Call 718-471-0368 G’Mach Chasdei Yisroel — Lending money to people in Klei Kodesh & for Klei Kodesh purposes. In the Far Rockaway-Five Towns area.

Please call 917-822-9910 for more info.

Or email shaimag@gmail.com.

In Memory of R’ Yisroel Ben Binyamin, a”h.

Personal Chavrusa available for learning and growing understanding the beauty of our Torah. Experience of many years in delivering shiurim to Baalei Batim and all those interested in learning. Reasonable hourly rate. This is a project of Kollel Tiferes Avos.

Call 718- 316-3874 or call Rabbi Dov Bressler 718- 327-8903.

(Payments are tax deductible.)

Retired public school teacher available to tutor men and boys in Hebrew, English, and/or Yiddish in the 5 Towns. Recession buster.

Call 718-552-5525 Study with Steve. One-on-one tutoring.

SAT Math prep, regents, high school and elementary math, high school physics.

Call 516-371-5522 SBG Moving — Prompt, professional, and reliable moving service available for local & long distance moves. Lowest rates between NY and Lakewood. Small jobs welcome! We are insured! 347-276-7422

60 July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

SERVICES PROVIDED Handyman + General Maintenance + Electrical, Plumbing, Carpentry, Appliances, Insulation, Drywall, Doors, Windows & Much More. Call 516-417-8042 Menadvim — Furniture and Appliances. Like new to Donate and Receive.

Call 718-MEN-ADVIm (718-636-2384) We deliver.

Boro Park Ladies Hat Gemach accepting hats in excellent condition. Woodmere drop-off.

718-972-3699

HELP WANTED 5 Towns Area Boys’ Yeshiva seeking middle school General Studies teacher for ‘11-’12 school year. M-Th from 2:00- 4:30.

Please send your resume to teachersearch11@gmail.com Durable Medical Equipment business in Lawrence, NY seeks experienced and motivated salesman for the Long Island area.

Please fax resume to 516-374-3142 Queens Yeshiva seeks Receptionist/ Secretary. Computer skills and experience required. Full time/ ten months a year. Fax resume and references to 718-228-5899

Your Real Estate, Service, or Help Wanted Ad Here Every Thursday 100,000 readers look forward to what’s happeningin the 5 Towns by reading The Five Towns Jewish Times.

Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

1Week. . . . . . . . . . . $35 2Weeks . . . . . . . . . $60 4Weeks . . . . . . . . $100 Weekly Ads of up to 25 words

Call: 516-569-0502 Fax: 516-977-0608 Or E-mail ads to: 5TJTads@gmail.com Include payment info.

HELP WANTED Physical therapy office looking for Physical therapy assistant (PT/FT) in Five Towns.

If interested please call 516-650-5756 Preschool teacher assistant position available for Sept. 2011 Far Rockaway, NY 8:30-3, Friday to 12:00 Phone # 718-471-8444 ext. 218 Shevach High School, Queens — Seeking teachers with Master’s Degree for September 2011: College Math, English, Psychology, Living Environment.

E-mail resume to: office@shevachhs.org or fax 718-263-3759

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE Morton M. Haves Real Estate Open House Sunday July 10 Hewlett: 1515 Kew Ave 11:00-1:00 Large 3br, 2.5bath, Den plus full basement.

11:00-1:00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $439K 516-374-0100 Morton M. Haves Real Estate Open House Sunday July 10 Woodsburgh: 150 Willow Rd. 1:00-3:00 5br expanded ranch on beautiful park like property 1:00-3:00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $975K 516-374-0100 Kew Gardens Hills — Beautiful, spacious 2BR garden apt. Updated kitchen, bth. W/D, c/ac, close to shul and transportation. Many extras.

Call 718-309-9320 Hewlett — Beautiful 5 BR, 3 bths, split. All updated, in SD#14. Separate entrance can be M/D with proper permits. Owner motivated, reduced. $499K 5 Towns Home Realty 516-569-5710 Lawrence — Ours Alone!! Brick, C/H COL, Stately brick, w/old world charm, Hi ceilings, 6Br, 4.5 bths, Kosher EIK, Lg. FDR, Library, Fin. Bsmt., Lg Prop., walk all.

5 TOWN HOMES 516-569-5710 Oceanside — Brand new construction.

Beautiful CH col. Large 4 BR (1 level), 2.5 bths, granite EIK, FDR, den with fp, full bsmt, in culde-sac, walk all, best price . . . . . . . . . . . . $675K 5 Towns Homes Realty 516-569-5710 Cedarhurst — New construction. First show.

Col. 9’ ceilings, 5BR, 2.5bths, full basement, on quiet tree-lined street. Call for details . $799K 5 Towns Homes Realty 516-569-5710 Woodmere/Cedarhurst Oppty! 12,000 sq. ft. approx. 90’x150’, Colonial, 17 rooms, full bsmt. with hi ceilings, clean 2 car garage plus storage, 6 space parking, 2 family, professional use, accountant, Esq., medical and/or educational and religious uses. Grand colonial with charm and great possibilities. Available at once . $875K Negotiable.

Owner 516-322-3555 Hewlett — Col. MIC, 4br, 2bth, 2fpl, full deck, wood flr, Lg. den. Walk to all. $729K 5 TOWN HOMES 516-322-3555 Open House By Appt. Call Irene Steiner Woodmere — New Listing! — 3BR CH Colonial, Den, Fin Bsmt, Reduced $529K Woodmere — “Great” 4BR Splanch, Bsmt, Nice Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $649K Lawrence — X-Lg 5BR Exp Ranch With Den, Huge Basement On X-Lg Property . $980K Back Lawrence — Spacious 7BR CH Col W/Hi Ceilings On Private Rd In Eruv, Huge Rooms, IGP, Waterviews . . . . . . . . $POR Hewlett Neck/ Woodmere — Beautifully Renovated 7BR CH Colonial On Lg Property, IGP, Cabana $1.550M *Great Apartments, Co-Ops & Condos For Sale/Rent* Call Irene Steiner Direct 516-652-7099, E-mail: isteiner@pugatch.com Pugatch Realty Corp.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Woomere/Woodsburgh — Best location Near Broadway on Wood Lane, c/h, all NEW kitchen, cent. a/c, 5 spacious bedrooms, 4.5 baths, huge great room with high ceilings, FDR, large finished basement, oversized backyard. Walk to LIRR. For further details call agent: 516-818-0002, owner: 516-521-2100

Howard Beach — Co-op 2BR, 2bth, totally renovated. Maintenance includes gas, electric, heat and parking space. Great buy. Asking . . . $150K 5 Towns Homes 516-569-5710

Lawrence/Far Rockaway — 833 Central Ave. Spacious 1 BR, light and bright, doorman/ elevator building, walk all. Price reduced . . . . $179K 5 Towns Homes Realty 516-569-5710

Woodmere — MIC, Lovely 4BR, 3bth split. New kitchen– granite countertops, Formal LR/DR, den, many closets, deck, large backyard, prime location. Low taxes. Open House Sun. May 8th, 391 Howard Avenue 1pm-3pm. Asking $639K Call 516-750-3691

Lawrence — Gracious brick c/h col. LR with fireplace, FDR, large EIK, den, 4BR (1 level), 3bth, finished basement, great location, quiet block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $895K 5 Towns Homes 516-569-5710

Far Rockaway — 2 Family. All NU, 3 over 1 Bdrm, 3 full baths. Great Location $599K Call 516-322-3555 Cedarhurst — 445 W. Broadway charming 3BR col lg property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $418K Cedarhurst — 336 Westminster Rd. 3BR ranch with main lvl den . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$300’s Cedarhurst — 463 Summit Ave. 1BR 1.5bths co-op Lawrence — 82 B.2nd St. Charming 3BR col., private beach rights . . . . . . . .$449K 12:30-1:30 Lawrence — 102 Harrison St. 4BR multi-level with golf views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $669K Woodmere, Woodsburgh, N. Woodmere by appt 1023 Hazel Pl. — Mint 5BR split huge kosher EIK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $750K 2 Prospect Ave. — 4BR c/h col den basement $649K 4-5 p.m.

656 Colfax Pl. — 4BR split den finished basement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $515K 552 Derby Ave. — 5BR contemporary new construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1.2M 560 Woodmere Blvd. — 6BR exp ranch$800’s 175 Willow Rd. — Woodsburgh 7BR Grand c/h col , magnificent property Far Rockaway Open House 1056 Neilson St. — New Construction Apts.

For Rent by appt 225 B 11th St. — Renovated 2-family duplex new kitchen and bths . . .$600’s 11-12:30 p.m.

Milky Forst Properties, Inc. 516-239-0306 Kew Garden Hills — 3 Family Brick corner house, Across from Chofetz Chaim, Finished basement, Large property. 917-836-0146 Principles Only.

Inwood House For Sale by Owner — 3 bed/2 bath. Oversized property, large garage/ workspace. Quiet block, next door to frum family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $400K inwoodfsbo@gmail.com or 917-583-5534 Cedarhurst — 2BR, 3bth Townhouse, Full Finished Bsmt, CAC, Garage Parking Rent . . . . $2595/m Sale $449K Cedarhurst — Colonial, 4BR, 2bth Large Spacious Rooms, Lr W/Fplc, Full Fin Bsmt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $529K Hewlett — 4BR Tudor, Bright & Sunny Lr W/ Fplc, Jacuzzi Tub, Anderson Windows . $629K Hewlett — 3BR, 2.5bth Cul-De-Sac, Mint Split Level, Bright & Sunny, New Kitchen, Granite Countertops, IGS, Alarm, CAC . . . . . . . . . $599K Hewlett Neck — 5BR, 3.5 Bath House Rental, Lot Size 139 x 178, CAC, New Appliances . . . . . $4200/m Lawrence — 1-2BR, Totally Renovated Apartments From . . . . . . . . $1500/m – No Fee Lawrence — The Plaza – 1-2BR Apts, Doorman, Elevator Bldg, Pool, Laundry On Floor. From . . $1595/m Woodmere — 3BR, 2bth Colonial, Price Reduced, Magnificent Property, CAC, Updated Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $499K Woodmere — 4BR, 3bth Colonial, Totally Redone Large Bedrooms, High Ceilings, New MBR Suite W/Vaulted Ceilings, Jacuzzi Tub . . . $899K Woodmere — 2BR, 2bth Co-op, 9ft Ceilings, Elevator Bldg, W/D In Apt, Close To All $199K Call Mark Lipner Direct 516-298-8457 Pugatch Realty Corp.

E-mail: MLipner@Pugatch.com Hewlett — 4BR cape, wood floors, EIK, updated bath, large finished playroom, block from YoSS, owner sacrifice. $299K Short sale.

Call 347-539-1332

Cedarhurst — First show. LR, FDR, new EIK, 4BR, 2 new bths, finished basement, cream puff condition, quiet street, walk all, low taxes $500’s 5 Towns Homes 516-569-5710 Cedarhurst — 1st show. New exclusive regal 2 family, brick, all new, LR w/ fireplace, FDR, large kosher EIK, 3BR each apt, c/ac, alarm, basement, great location.

Walk all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $759K 5 Towns Homes Realty 516-569-5710 Woodmere — Mint 6 BR 3.5 Bath Col. New attic & roof. Master suite w/ bath. Fin Bsmt, BR, LR, playroom, closets. Granite kitch, all new appliances. Den, wide DR, oak flrs, F/P. Sprinklers, o/s gar. Gem!.$649K 516-569-1684

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FOR RENT Rockville Centre — 3,500 sq. ft., fully wired for Web, partitioned, will divide. Call 516-3223555 Cedarhurst — Office rental: Executive 2 Bths, Fully Web wired, 1,250 sq. ft., CAC. 5TGR 516322-3555 New store for rent on Spruce! 1000 sq ft completely rehabbed, new shelves, corner space, across from Club Central, municipal parking. Low Rent! Call Weissman Realty 516791-6100

5 Town Homes 516-569-5712 Cedarhurst: NU 2 Mkt. Lg LR, DR, EIK, Den, 5BR, 3bth, Skilits, Cabana, Lg prop, IGPool, Walk to all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $659K

Cedarhurst — 2 room suite, fully carpeted, second floor, very, very private, 24- hour building $795 includes all utilities. 136 Cedarhurst Ave, Cedarhurst.

Owner. 516-295-1551

Inwood — New to market. Charming Victorian on quiet tree-lined street with water view. 7BR, great for large family. A must see! . . . . $499K 5 Towns Homes Realty 516-569-5710

Cedarhurst office for rent— 2 small offices on Central Ave. 1 flight up, C/H, C/A. Call owner 917-417-5725

Far Rockaway: Coop, 3Br, 1Bth Lr/Dr, Walk to All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $179K Call 516-322-3555 Woodmere — New Construction Classic 5BR c/h col. Large property. Walk to YI of Woodmere and Aish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1M+ Old Woodmere — Open House – Sun. 12-2PM Quality New Construction 5BR – basement – huge yard. Too much to mention. . . . . . $975K Cedarhurst — Must sell, present all offers!

Cedar Bay Park. Open House by appointment.

Totally renovated. 4 BR, new kitchen, huge den and bsmt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500’sK Hewlett Neck — New construction located on spectacular 1/2 acre lot. 6BR, 2- story entrance foyer, 9’ ceiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1M+ Hewlett Neck — 1/2 acre , buildable lot, for sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $750K South Shore Estates 516-569-4980 Cedarhurst — Co-op. 1st Flr, large LR, FDR, EIK with new appliances, 2BR, 2bths, hw floors, Terrace. Views of Gdns, W/D, Lo maint, Grt. loca’n, Walk all. Asking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $319K 5 Town Homes 516-569-5710 Five Towns — Woodmere, Church Avenue Completely renovated CH colonial in 2004/05.

Hardwood floors throughout. 8BR, 5 full baths, custom kosher EIK, stainless steel appliances, FDR, home office, full finished basement, kids’ game room & home gym and so much more.

Asking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1.5M For more information & virtual tour visit www. abcwoodmerehouse.com.

Call 516-640-8646, or e-mail moshry@hotmail.com Lawrence/Far Rockaway — Co-op Freshly painted large 2BR, 2bth, kosher kitchen, LR, FDR, terrace, 24-hour doorman, Shabbos elevator. Walk all. 279K 5 Towns Homes Realty 516-569-5710 North Woodmere — Decorator’s Dream.

Beautiful bi-level, large granite kosher EIK, FDR, large LR, den, 4BR, waterview, all systems, walk all shuls. Owner motivated. Present all offers.

5 Towns Homes Realty 516-569-5710 North Woodmere — New to market. Custom 6BR (4 on one level), new granite kitchen, LR, FDR, 2 dens, quiet treelined street. Walk all shuls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $679K Owner. 516-902-8908

FOR RENT Bayswater — First floor. New house. Beautiful condition 3BR, 2bth. References a must$1500 Call 718-812-4106 Lawrence — Coop Rental. 1BR. 1NU Bth, LR, DR, EIK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,300 5Town Homes ** 516-569-5710 Cedarhurst — Garden apt. Nu 2 Mkt. Oversized 1BR, 1Bth, Mint, 1st Flr, heat & prk incld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,600 5 Towns Homes Realty 516-569-5710 Far Rockaway — Large, bright 3BR, 1.5bths apt in 2-family house. Great location off Reads Lane. Includes heat and parking.

5 Towns Homes Realty 516-569-5710 Far Rockaway — Lg. Hse Rental: 4br, 2bth, bsmt., hi-ceilings, NU bths, W\D. Call 516-322-3555 Hewlett — House for rent. Updated 3BR, 2bths, new EIK, SD#14, walk all. Available immediately . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,600 Call 5 Towns Homes 516-569-5710 Lawrence — Newly-restored manor house.

Cent’l location. Hi Ceilings. Wd Floors. 4 large BR, Library, FDR, EIK, Den. New chef’s kitchen $4,250 516-316-3176

Classified Ads are Continued on the Next Page.

Deadline for Classified Advertising in the next issue is Monday, July 11 at 12 Noon Call 516-569-0502 July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 61

FOR RENT Cedarhurst — All updated charming Col. New granite EIK, FDR, LR with fireplace, 4+ BR, CAC, in the heart of Cedarhurst. Walk all.

Call 5 Towns Homes 516-569-5710

VACATION RENTAL Vacation Village — 2 fl, 4 BR, LR, 3 new bth, playrm, WD, beautiful view July/Aug 516-967-8370 Alexander Hotel, Miami Beach — 2BR apt.

Breathtaking views, 2bths, southern exposure, 10th floor. Available for Pesach. Priced right!

516-581-2058, 516-374-4001 Far Rockaway — Brand new 4BR, 3bth, duplex apt. Prime location. Available July-August.

Call 917-822-1405, e-mail sam_fireworker@yahoo.com

MISCELLANEOUS Jewish Cemetery 1 plot, 2 graves Call 718-776-3275 Yeshiva of South Shore has some membership openings in its burial society. By purchasing an individual, couple or family membership, you will be ensured of select plots in one of several New York area cemeteries of your choosing. For more information on burial society membership, contact Eliezer Allman at 347-417-3777 or ezerman@msn.com

516-512-3862

LAWRENCE

516-239-0306

E WOODMERE OPEN HOUSE

OPEN HOUSE

11-12pm 23 COPPERBEECH LN

12-1:30pm 776 ARBUCKLE

Sun July 10th

Sun July 10th

Majestic 4 bdrm tudor on most prestigious cul-de-sac, flr, fdr, main level den, full finished bsment, magnificent lg oversized prprty with pool and golf views

$1.249M

Grnd & Spacious Col. W/ New Wood & Grnte EIK W/ High-End Appl., 2 Sinks, 2 Dishwashers, 2 Ovns. New Roof New Anderson Windows, New Bth & More

$700’s

CEDARHURST

WOODMERE RE OPEN HOUSE

OPEN HOUSE

Sun July 10th

Sun July 10th

3-4pm

2-3pm

1039 MAGNOLIA PL

Wide Line 5 Bdrm Split On Beautiful Cul-De-Sac Den Full Basement , Just Painted, New Roof, New Windows, Hardwood Floors Thruout Fully Alarmed Sd#14

$759K

19 LOTUS ST

Traditional Brick C/H Col. On Btfl Tree-Lined St. With 4BR On 1 Lvel & Lg Exp. Attic, Lg FLR, Banquet FDR, EIK With SS Appliances 2 Sinks, 2 Dishwashers, Full Fin. Bsmnt, Btfl Garden & Deck.

$859K

CEDARHURST

LAWRENCE CE OPEN HOUSE

Sun July 10th 12-1:30pm 43 VENTANA CT

OPEN HOUSE

Sun July 10th

By Appt 485 COURT AVE

New To Mrkt!!! Charming colonial on Country St. New roof, finished bsmnt, near park and shopping.

Great Starter Home!

Young And Spacious C/H Col On Beautiful Cul-De-Sac 5 BR 1 Lvl Luxurious MBR Bth With Jacuzi, Steam,Gym,Skylights And Spacious Clsts. Full Fin. Bsmnt And Oversized Prprty

$369K

$999K

62 July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

MISCELLANEOUS The Ocean Corp. 10840 Rockley Road, Houston, Texas 77099. Train for a New Career. *Underwater Welder. Commercial Diver. *NDT/Weld Inspector. Job Placement Assistance. Financial Aid available for those who qualify.

1-800-321-0298 Helping poor brides is a big z’chus to find a shidduch! Donate to Yad P’sucha Hachnasas Kallah. Call 718-972-3699

LEGAL NOTICE Notice of formation of Quatro Consulting, LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 2/22/10. Office located in Nassau County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 264 Grove Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Not. of Form. of 533 Bayview Realty LLC. Art. of org. filed with SSNY on 01/27/11. County: Nassau. SSNY is designated agent of LLC to whom process be served. SSNY may mail a copy of any process to LLC, 29 Frost Lane, Lawrence NY 11559. Any legal act or Activity Not. of Form. of ML Resource Fund XII LLC. Art. of org. filed with SSNY on 02/11/11.

County: Nassau. SSNY is designated agent of LLC to whom process be served. SSNY may mail a copy of any process to LLC, 29 Frost Lane, Lawrence NY 11559. Any legal act or Activity

5TJT Puzzle: Manhattan

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BY YONI GLATT

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Across 1. Trainee 6. Joy competitor 10. Second album by Moshav 14. Pertaining to listening 15. You might hear one in a chasm 16. Black, to the bard 17. With 38-Across, where to find many yeshiva students in Manhattan 19. Nickname for a common condiment 20. One can cause serious reactions 21. Places for RNs 22. Meat stick (var.)

23. Second or third, e.g.

25. Once follower 27. Manhattan neighborhood swarming with Jewish singles 32. Mont___ 33. Scrambled sea?

34. Kind of stick 37. Incredibly long time 38. See 17-Across 42. Former spy org.

43. Deli bread 44. Energy amt.

45. Kinds of winds 47. Manhattan home of Rav Moshe Feinstein 52. Differentiate 53. One of the losing Big Three 54. A son of Zilpah 57. Make like Matisyahu 58. ___-Wan 61. Make like Mufasa 62. Manhattan neighborhood that once was home to over 100,000 Jews 66. Grey title?

67. Tear (apart) 68. Force for Norris 69. IDF, basically 70. French peaks 71. Back or muscle

41. Ranks for Bilko and Pepper (abbr.)

46. Tishah B’Av element 48. Excessively 49. Yom Kippur, e.g.

50. Reduces 51. Before jr.

54. Locale 55. Ride high 56. Endanger 57. Invitation letters 58. Clay jug 59. They might be friendly 60. Important Muslim 62. Ed Walsh had the best ever with 1.82 63. Hurt 64. They can be found in this paper 65. Bachmann or Romney, e.g. (abbrev.)

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Down 1. It could become a queen 2. Hawaii BBQ 3. ___while 4. Sound of disgust 5. Kohen Gadol in Shmuel 6. Level 7. Plays have them 8. Owl’s question?

9. Stop or profit lead-in 10. Insist on 11. Possible rhyme scheme 12. Stringed toy 13. High and mighty type 18. Clockwise compass points 22. Japanese fish 23. Yaakov’s youngest, for short 24. Rome has an important one, especially to Jewish history 25. Home of Moab and Zion 26. “Hey, you” 27. Very much (in German) 28. Escapade 29. Group of experts 30. Make a smooth transition 31. Europe had a recent outbreak of it 35. Some cars 36. Curvy road shape 39. Righteous great-grandson of Shem 40. “Do you always try your best?”

July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 63

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64 July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

STAND BY ME Continued from Page 57 tal, where he later died in the operating room. Saba David suffered a heart attack and succumbed to another heart attack one year later, leaving his wife widowed and their six young children orphaned.

Liora’s Saba Meir was a just and virtuous person who lived a simple life. Often, he would visit his daughter who lived in Teveriah, in the vicinity of the kever of R’ Meir Baal HaNes. Following one visit to the tzaddik’s grave, Saba Meir had finished reciting the tefillos and arrived at the bus station. Engrossed in his thoughts, he did not notice that an explosive device had been planted there.

Seconds later, there was an explosion.

Saba Meir was rushed to the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, where numerous surgeries were performed on him.

Twelve years after the attack, he still suffered both physically and psychologically. Transformed from a strong, vibrant, and independent person to a weak, dependent individual afflicted with many diseases, Saba Meir’s life was shrouded in darkness and despair following the at-

tack. No longer could he work, nor could he function as he had. With each passing day, this once vital man cried bitterly, bemoaning his fate. Twelve years after an act of terror destroyed Saba Meir’s life he died, a young man, leaving behind a grieving wife and ten children.

••• Terrorism does not discriminate. Terrorists seek out innocent people and attempt to garner media attention by causing the greatest possible tragedy. Even when the attacks subside, the pain never dies.

Since 2002, Liora Tedgi has dedicated her efforts to providing support and succor to other victims of terror. Liora set up Ohr Meir U’Bracha to respond to the unmet, unrecognized needs of victims of terror and their families. Terror attacks destroy not only the lives of those who perish but also of those who survive them. There are hundreds of victims of horror who “fall through the cracks” of the Israeli government’s aid initiative.

They do not receive help because they are still in the process of being assessed for disability (which can take two or more years).

Continued on Page 66

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July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 65

STAND BY ME Continued from Page 65 Terror attacks do more than destroy buildings and cause physical injury; they cause great psychological duress in individuals and interfere with the longtime livelihood of families. Many workers lose their jobs because of extended absences from work as a result of their own or a family member’s injuries, yet often they do not qualify for unemployment subsidies. Others are “unrecognized” or known as secondary victims—individuals traumatized by having witnessed an attack, or relatives of victims—people whose lives have been inexorably altered due to the death or disability of a beloved family member as a result of an act of terror.

The pressures on the family following a terror attack can wreak havoc, straining relationships to the breaking point, leading to divorce, depression, chronic unemployment, and dissolution of family functioning. The grief and pain of losing a loved one or enduring ongoing extensive medical treatment can make it difficult for many families to cope with the daily caretaking needs of their children. Other families fall into acute financial crisis and do not have enough money to pay bills, buy food, or find psychological counseling. The Terror Victims Support Center provides support for these victims by offering a plethora of services to help rebuild their shattered lives.

Ohr Meir U’Bracha does not use lengthy evaluation processes. It does

66 July 8, 2011

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not have eligibility criteria other than verifying that the individual is a primary or secondary victim of terror. This exemplary organization gives immediate assistance whenever possible.

Ohr Meir U’Bracha provides numerous services to victimized families. Its flagship service is its weekly food distribution project, which brings together volunteers from all over to package and deliver food to 400 families each week. The organization is open, however, to any provision that will improve the lives of those afflicted, and habitually provides the following services: Shivah costs and catering services; hospital visits; psychological and legal services; open-line, 24-hour emergency call-in service; weekly and holiday food distribution; new household electrical appliances; clothes and school supplies; and financial assistance.

Through its Adopt-a-Family program, generous families commit to providing for victimized families’ monthly needs.

The Center arranges visits to families’ homes, to show support and bring joy, through is Homes Visit program.

Big Brothers comprises dedicated volunteers who act as mentors to young victims. Through its Family Therapy Vacation program, the Center brings families from all over Israel together for a welcome respite in their most difficult times.

You can touch a victim’s life through a simple act of chesed. Please join Ohr Meir U’Bracha in its noble endeavors by mailing your generous donation to them at 455 Viola Road; Monsey, NY 10977. Tizku l’mitvos! 

Author Of ‘Torat HaMelech’ Speaks Out

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BY JONAH MANDEL The author of the book Torat HaMelech does not regret its harsh messages of violence towards non-Jews during warfare, but probably will expound on the more problematic passages in the imminent third version so that the broad public better understands. In addition, Rabbi Yitzkak Shapira sees in his publication an important novelty for people who thought that by Jewish law gentiles might be killed freely, since he dedicates two chapters to explaining the complexity of the matter.

In an interview with haredi radio station Radio Kol Hai, to be aired in the end of July or beginning of August, the rabbi, who rarely speaks to the media—and never to the secular media—said that he didn’t “regret the book, nor the way G-d unveils in its publication all the things we are seeing.”

“But I do reckon that if I’d have imagined that it would be disseminated to such a broad and distant public, I would have inserted slightly larger clarifications in a few places. It might very well be that in the third edition we will amend that.

Since the book reached such popularity despite not being written that way, the only places in the book that are popular might be written in a more clear fashion for the public, so they understand what we wanted to say,” he said.

The book, published in 2009, became instantly famous after two leading rabbis who wrote endorsements to it, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef and Rabbi Dov Lior, refused police summonses for questioning on suspicion of incitement to racism and violence. The book deals with the attitude of Jews toward gentiles in times of war, and states that non-involved gentiles may be preemptively killed, including children. The rabbis were recently taken in for police questioning.

One of the “popular passages” Shapira no doubt was referring to is killing gentile children. In the interview with Kol Hai, he explains.

“Let’s assume that to win a war I have to kill children, otherwise my soldiers will die. Then surely killing the enemies’ children is more correct than having my soldiers killed,” he said. “The same way I need to ensure within my people that evil doesn’t spread in the world, that applies to the other people. And if the other people want to support the king, they are supporting evil, and if they don’t want to support the king, they must act against it as I am obliged. The example I’m bringing of harming children are those of an evil king. . . If I think the king is evil, a dictator who makes many unjust wars, and I want to win in the war and my way to win in the war is to harm his children and weaken his spirit, so he will stop sending his soldiers, that is allowed.”

Shapira, who said that both Lior and Yosef consulted with him when refusing police questioning, had criticism of what he sees as an arrogant and over-active legal system that investigated him as well over the book’s content.

“Aharon Barak and his disciples decided to try with all their might to confront law with Torah, and Shai Nitzan, in my opinion, feels like Barak’s disciple on

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July 8, 2011

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 67

Missing Yeshiva Bachur Found

Prayers at the Amukah of Rabbi Yonasan ben Uziel on behalf of contributors to Kupat Ha’ir.

Micha Hausman, the young man from Switzerland missing from the Five Towns since June 15, was found Wednesday in Manhattan thanks to a keen-eyed Hatzalah member who recognized him from the picture published upon his disappearance.

Yeshiva World News reported that the Hatzalah member noticed a person who fit the description of the yeshiva bachur entering the J2 pizza shop in Manhattan, looking hungry and disoriented. He made the necessary notifications, and the Achiezer organization assisted in identifying him and arranging for him to be picked up by Hatzalah and taken for appropriate treatment.

Community activists thank everyone who assisted in the search the past few weeks. 

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Through The Eyes Of History Continued from Page 58 days and for Shabbos?” Our great-grandmothers would ask us, “What in the world do you need this lavish wedding for?”

And we would sheepishly answer, “Alta Bubbie, this is only the vort!” The reality is that we live a lifestyle that previous generations couldn’t envision or imagine.

But it comes at a cost. The greatest cost is time. Time to learn. Time to daven. Time to be good parents. Time to be a supportive spouse. And more than anything, time to think about what we are on this planet to accomplish.

While we live in the wealthiest of times, in many ways we are the poorest of the poor. By refocusing on our priorities and understanding the pull of our times, we can recognize the tests of our generation and fortify ourselves to overcome them. For more on this topic, please listen to Shmuz #156: “Get out of debt.”

The new Shmuz book, Stop Surviving and Start Living, is now in print! It is a powerful, inspiring work that deals with major life issues.

Copies are available in stores, at www.TheShmuz.com, or by calling 866-613-TORAH (613-8672).

68 July 8, 2011

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AUTHOR OF ‘TORAT HAMELECH’ SPEAKS OUT Continued from Page 67 these matters, and feels like a king, the King of Law. Barak once said “The entire land is full of justice,” which is a very severe distortion of the verse “The entire land is full of the honor of G-d.” For the Supreme Court president to say that is to say that the entire land is Aharon Barak,” said Shapira. “So whoever, like Nebuchadnezzar,” the Babylonian king who in the sixth century BCE destroyed the First Temple, “thinks himself to be like the Almighty, is trying to compare himself to G-d. And in the end there is a clash,” he noted.

To Shapira, the current legal situation also endangers Jewish girls, who have no protection from Arab men at workplaces. “The reality is that the law clearly causes violence, in that it forces every supermarket or factory to employ Arabs,” he said. “This makes all the supermarkets and shopping malls a place where it is very easy to harass Jewish girls, and the results are disastrous… the law and the way it’s enforced deteriorates the Jews’ ability to defend themselves. There is anti-Jewish racism here.”

But Shapira remained optimistic that his way of Jewish observance will prevail. “Jews are a clever people, and when they will get their wits together, the revolution will be easy and tranquil. I hope we won’t have to go through difficult things for it to happen, a revolution in our awareness and in our behavior,” he said.

Shapira also noted that his book actually could prevent violence against nonJews. “The precept that gentiles may not be killed is not simple for many people, because when you read Jewish law in many places, you might understand that gentiles can be killed freely without problems,” he said. “Two chapters in the book were dedicated to explaining in a deeper way what is really prohibited and permitted. Because the prohibition is different than that within Jews,” he explained. “This in itself is a novelty in the book.” (JPost.com) 

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT DEFENDS SO-CALLED “GUIDE TO KILLING NON-JEWS” Continued from Page 20 Zalman Melamed of Bet El saying at a rally in the capital, that “the next stage is we take over the media, the State Attorney’s Office, the High Court of Justice with religious people,” calling such an eventuality “inevitable.”

Israel’s secular population has shot back, however, with an op-ed in Haaretz stating that “Without dramatic change here, the government is making all of its laws illegal. As long as hesder yeshivas like Nir are not dismantled; as long as rabbis who identify with Rabbi Lior are not ousted from their jobs; as long as funding for the present religious education is not stopped; as long as Lior’s involvement in acts of murder, according to the testimony of the perpetrators, is not prosecuted, the country has no right to demand its citizens serve in the army or pay taxes. Until the change takes place, Israel is not a state.” 

July 8, 2011

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Solution To Last Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5TJT Puzzle: Summer Options 1

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