201-816-4000 Dr. Jeremy Peyser Dr. Nicolas Elian Dr. Martha Miqueo
Vizstara Dental 300 Sylvan Ave. Floor 3 Englewood Cliffs NJ, 07632 www.vizstaradental.com
OF BERGEN COUNTY March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
Issue #29
www.jewishlinkbc.com
Sen. Menendez Takes Strong U.S. Stand at HiLevel Conclave in Europe
Start Pesach shopping with the best deal in town!
Combined Services
Get deals at www.facebook.com/glattexpress
SEE AD ON BACK COVER
RIETS Celebrates New Rabbis • See page 18
Honor Diaries to be Screened at CBY By Helen Weiss Pincus
Check out our Produce & Prices! See Ad on Page 5
See Ad on Page 6
eaneck—Blood cleanses honor. In Muslim-majority societies that ‘honor’ is incorporated into a woman’s body and women donate most of the blood to cleanse or prevent the defilement of honor. The expungers of the sacred honor lurk everywhere—glancing at a male, refusing an arranged marriage, seeking a divorce from an
T
The Best Kosher For Passover Desserts! See Ad on Page 12
CONTINUED ON P. 16
Senator Menendez with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Edwin Black U4U Talk Outs Terror Funders; Brings Jewish Bergen Community Together By Elyse Hansford nglewood—”Palestinian villagers who choose to plot terror against the state of Israel and its citizens immediately go on a PLO salary and receive a government ranking. That salary goes up by the number of people you kill.” So said
E abusive husband, wearing westernstyle clothing. Innuendos and rape
CONTINUED ON P. 40
CONTINUED ON P. 12
Ian Zimmerman, Lee Lasher, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, Jason Shames, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, Gail S. Bindelglass, chair of the JCRC and Ari Hirt
MTA Student Akiva Pudell Saves a Life at Marathon, Then Completes Race
TABC Storm Defeats Rambam for RTS O JV Hockey Championship P S
By Asher Finkelstein (YUHSB, ’15)
M
his year, MTA’s varsity hockey team participated in the ING Miami Half-Marathon, running as part of Chai Lifeline’s “Team Lifeline” marathon group. The team has run the Miami Half-Marathon the past three years, raising nearly $80,000 each year, with the proceeds going to support Chai Lifeline’s work on behalf of children who face severe pediatric illnesses.
arch 23 finally arrived and the TABC Storm and Rambam Ravens traveled to Lawrence Middle School to play for the JV hockey championship. The Storm were looking to capture the sixth straight championship in the JV league. The stands were filled as the game started out with both teams getting early chances, but were tied late in the first period. With one minute remaining Coach Norm Blumenthal put on the Storm’s
T www.TovasAllNatural.com
russels—Last Saturday, on the second day of the ninth Brussels Forum, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that Russia’s targeted aggression toward Ukraine was “the most recent example in a series of events requiring,… little imagination to connect the dots of disruptive Russian behavior throughout the world. What other country might be the target of Putin’s expansionist desires?”
B
Turn To The Back Cover!
See Ad on Page 3
Distributed weekly
March 28 | 26 Adar 11 - Parshat HaChodesh/ Tazria Light Candles: 6:59 - Shabbat Ends: 8:08 CANDLE April 4| 4 Nisan - Parshat Metzora LIGHTING Light Candles: 7:06 - Shabbat Ends: 8:15
CONTINUED ON P. 65
CONTINUED ON P. 67
זכור YOM HASHOAH N. Y. ASSOCIATION OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS NATIONAL COUNCIL OF YOUNG ISRAEL ORTHODOX UNION (OU) ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA (ZOA) COUNCIL OF ORTHODOX JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS OF THE WEST SIDE AMCHA - COALITION FOR JEWISH CONCERNS AMERICANS FOR A SAFE ISRAEL (AFSI) FRIENDS OF ATERET COHANIM/JERUSALEM CHAI JEWISH POLITICAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION UNITED AGAINST NUCLEAR IRAN (UANI) INT’L COMMITTEE FOR THE LAND OF ISRAEL
THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN, THE WORLD’S FOREMOST SPONSOR OF WORLD-WIDE TERRORISM, MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY MORE THAN SIX MILLION REASONS TO SHOW UP AND SPEAK OUT!
RALLY SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2014 11:30 A.M. IN FRONT OF THE
U.N. IRANIAN MISSION RD 622 3 AVE. TH
CORNER OF E. 40 ST., MANHATTAN SUPPORT OUR CONGRESS IN ITS DEMAND TO CONTINUE STRONG SANCTIONS UNTIL THERE IS A COMPLETE AND VERIFIABLE TERMINATION OF IRAN’S ILLICIT NUCLEAR PROGRAM! “IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IRAN WILL PERFECT THE DESIGN OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON TO FIT ON TOP OF A LONG-RANGE MISSILE.” (N.Y.T., 2/12/14)
FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
2 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
Yom Hashoah Mobilization Committee HASHOAH.mail@gmail.com or 516-521-9333
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Healing begins here.
At Holy Name, everything we do is driven by our passion for healing and the understanding that each of us is unique and precious. It’s the reason we attract some of the area’s finest physicians and are committed to providing leading-edge clinical techniques and advanced technology. It’s our motivation for making safety the highest priority and for striving to exceed patient expectations. We’re proud of the care we offer. And we value our community of caregivers whose skills and dedication support our ministry of healing. To learn more, visit holyname.org or call 1-877-H OLY -N AME (465-9626).
Healing begins here. • 718 Teaneck Road • Teaneck, NJ 07666
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 3
JUST SOLD!
SMART * EXPERIENCED * BOLD
36 Dudley Dr, Bergenfield
Price Changes
Sunday Open Houses 765 Queen Anne Rd, Tnk
$1,300,000 1:00-3:00pm
641 Ogden Ave, Tnk
$599,000
2:00-4:00pm
414 Wildrose Ave, Bgfld
$469,000
1:30-3:30pm
131 Sussex Rd, Bgfld
$339,000
1:00-3:00pm
1303 Somerset Rd, Tnk $1,595,000 430 Winthrop Rd, Tnk $1,379,000 414 Wildrose Ave, Bgfld $469,000
110' x 120' 75' x 150' 60' x 100'
1st Time Offered - Teaneck 703 Northumberland Rd 61 Copley Ave 1739 Lilbet Rd
$699,000 $569,000 $449,000
www.vera-nechama.com 201-692-3700 Advance your Jewish Learning and Professional Aspirations EARN YOUR MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN JEWISH STUDIES AT TOURO COLLEGE > > > >
Outstanding faculty Full-time or part-time study available Afternoon and evening classes Seminar-style classes with close facultystudent interaction > Courses in medieval and modern Jewish history, literature and thought
Generous Scholarships Available
TOURO COLLEGE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JEWISH STUDIES
FOR INFORMATION: Call: 212-242-4668 ext. 6026 Email: karen.rubin@touro.edu www.touro.edu/judagrad Touro College is an Equal Opportunity Institution
4 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Open Sunday 12pm till 9pm Mon.- Thurs. 10am till 9pm Friday 9am till 6pm
Special section fully stocked with Passover spirits Tastings with hot food every Thursday night
Our solid INVENTORY and years of EXPERIENCE guarantee your SATISFACTION!
Passover Rock Bottom Discounts! by SOLID CASE of 12 bttls
by 6 BTLS mix & match
Rashi Light Concord 750ml ............$3.50 Gilgal Cab, Merlot ..........................$11.99 Barkan Classic all varietals ..........$8.99 Arza Charisma all varietals ...........$8.99 Baron Herzog Cab, Merlot, Chard ....$9.99 Cardova Rioja .........................$11.99 Segal's Fusion ........................$11.50 Binyamina Rsrv Cab, Merlot, Shiraz $16.99 Yarden Cab Sav ...........................$23.99 Chateneuf Semi White ..................$9.99
Barkan Rsrv all varietals ...............$15.99 MT. Tabur Red or white .................$10.99 Peraj Petita ..............................$15.99 Adir Cab Sav ................................$31.99 Cavenant Cab Sav .......................$76.99 Tura Cab or Merlot..........................$31.99 Barkan Assemblage ...............$26.99 Herzog Alexander Valley........$28.99 Lueria Cab Sav .............................$24.99 Flam RSRV Cab Sav ....................$55.99 Hagafen Cab Sav .........................$35.99 Recanati Rsrv Cab Sav ...............$18.99 Hagafen Riesling Napa ...................$19.99 Chateau Rollan De By ............$44.99 Carmel LTD Editiion Red........$65.99 Psagot Cab Sav ...........................$23.99 Herzog LH Orange Muscat ...............$14.99
SEMI RED by solid case Zmora ......................................$6.99 Dolcementa .............................$7.99 B H Jeunesse..........................$9.99 Shachar ...................................$9.49 Claret .......................................$7.99
MOSCATO by solid case Carmel .....................................$7.99 Golan .......................................$10.99 Bartenura ................................$9.99 Teal Lake - red or white ................$5.99 Joyvin - red or white .....................$7.59 Malvasia...................................$9.99
Dougie's
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Sale valid through Monday, April 14 with copy of ad and in store only. We reserve the right to limit quantity. All bottles are 750 ML March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 5
6 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
DIRECT LINE CARPET & FLOORINGG
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1989
▸ ALL FLOORING ▸ COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL ▸ CARPET ▸ VINYL ▸ LAMINATE ▸ REMNANTS ▸ SERVING TRI-STATE REGION AND BEYOND
S ION
ICT TR Y
ES L * R A PP
201-357-4027 CELL: 732-779-7151 364 CEDAR LANE TEANECK, NJ 07666
HOURS: 11-5 FLOORING613@GMAIL.COM
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 7
NEWS BRIEFS Obama and Allies Agree to Exclude Russia from Group of 8
Israelis, Palestinians Endorse Arab Peace Plan
Israeli and Palestinian Business Leaders Join Forces
President Obama and the leaders of the biggest Western economies have agreed to exclude President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia from the Group of 8, suspending his government’s 15-year participation in the diplomatic forum and further isolating his country. In a joint the leaders of seven nations announced that a summit meeting planned for Sochi, Russia, in June will now be held in Brussels—without Russia’s participation. “This group came together because of shared beliefs and shared responsibilities. Russia’s actions in recent weeks are not consistent with them,� the statement said. ‘Under these circumstances, we will not participate in the planned Sochi Summit. We will suspend our participation in the G-8 until Russia changes course.�
Jerusalem (AP)—A newly formed group of Israeli and Palestinian politicians has urged the Arab League to renew a comprehensive peace offer to Israel, saying such a gesture would give a much-needed boost to troubled U.S.backed peace talks. The group called on the Arab League to make a bold statement at its summit in Kuwait this week, saying this would pressure negotiators to consider the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. The landmark plan offered Israel peace with dozens of Arab and Muslim countries in exchange for a withdrawal from all territories captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Known as the Prague Forum, the group consists of Israelis, Palestinians, and other Arab parliamentarians.
According to the Jerusalem Post, some 200 Israeli and 150 Palestinian business people and civil society leaders have been in long-term dialogue to support political leaders in their aim to reach a two-state solution to the conict between the State of Israel and the Palestinian people. Four members of Breaking The Impasse, a group of Palestinian and Israeli business people, came to the Jerusalem Press Club recently to explain the beneďŹ ts to the region if peace is attained and two states lived side by side with mutual respect and cooperation. Stefan Borgas, president and CEO of Israel Chemicals, said he was convinced that if implemented, the two-state solution will stabilize the region, facilitate travel and business exchanges, and open up the Arab
world to Israel. It will create new opportunities for all the countries in the region.
EU Ready to Pay Palestinians Who Renounce Right of Return According to the Times of Israel, the European Union is willing to provide ďŹ nancial compensation for Palestinian refugees and their descendants who renounce their “right of returnâ€? in a ďŹ nal peace deal with Israel. Ambassador Lars Faaborg-Andersen, the EU ambassador to Israel, also said that Brussels would be willing to signiďŹ cantly upgrade commercial and trade cooperation with both sides if a peace partnership is signed. That could help stabilize the new Palestinian state, thus preventing a “failed stateâ€? that would become a “launching padâ€? for attacks against Israel, he said.
Body of Missing Father of Seven Found Inside His Car in Upstate New York Peretz Sontag, 50, of Pomona in suburban Rockland County, was found dead by a hiker in Harriman State Park. The cause of death is not known. Sontag had been missing since March 14 after making references to harming himself before he left home that day, according to reports. Hundreds of volunteers had searched the area, including the park, during the 10 days that he was missing. A friend of Sontag’s told the Journal News that Sontag was upset about a failing business, and that he and his family had returned to the United States from Israel due to ďŹ nancial difďŹ culties.
Hillary Woos the Jews
The Top Musicians The Utmost Professionalism The Most Satisfied Customers
Because the music makes the event...
AARON TEITELBAUM ORCHESTRA & PRODUCTIONS 718.256.7200 917.335.4144
&&&’ " " Â$ $ " Â’ Â?  " $ " Ă€  ’ 8 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
At a lifetime achievement ceremony, Obama’s former secretary of state defended her policy toward Israel, but also gave verbal support to the Jewish State while many have complained that her old boss did not. Dinner at the American Jewish Congress gala at Cipriani in midtown Manhattan was a thick slice of brisket covered in gravy. The cut was nearly as thick as the encomiums delivered from the dais to Hillary Clinton, the recipient of the evening’s lifetime achievement award. In her more than 20-minute remarks, Clinton left little doubt that she would create distance between herself and Obama in foreign policy should she seek the presidency in 2016, while also issuing the kind of robust verbal support of the Jewish state that some Jewish leaders have felt was lacking in the current administration. “In Israel’s story we see our own,� Clinton told the nearly 400 people assembled. “Israel is more than a country, it is a dream nurtured for generations and made real by men and women who refused to bow to the toughest of odds.�
Spielberg to honor Obama at Shoah Foundation Event Steven Spielberg will present U.S. President Barack Obama with the USC Shoah Foundation’s highest award, the organization recently announced. The president will be honored by the “Schindler’s Listâ€? director as Ambassador for Humanity at the foundation’s 20th anniversary gala event, which will take place in Los Angeles on May 7. “President Obama’s commitment to democracy and human rights has long been felt,â€? Spielberg said in the announcement. The president’s recent appointment of the ďŹ rst special envoy for Holocaust Survivor Services in United States history demonstrates his staunch commitment to honoring the past while building a better future.â€?
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
NEWS
Few Mazel Tovs at Vegas Wedding By Anne Phyllis Pinzow onsey—There are many who say the plight of agunot is overstated. There are those who roll their eyes when the subject comes up and mutter that there are two sides to every story every time someone brings up the subject of recalcitrant husbands. They say women exaggerate when they talk about men who won’t give their wives gets unless they get full custody of the children, full community property and whatever else they can get their hands on before—and if—they hand it over. Last week, when International Agunah Day was observed because of its link to the Fast of Esther, the bleak scenario described by many agunot came to pass. A husband made outrageous demands, which his wife did not meet, and so he did not give her a get, and yet he managed to find a Jewish court to grant him permission of 100 rabbis (heter meah rabbanim) to remarry. With a wife left in limbo, he married his third wife in Las Vegas. The man’s name was Meir Kin. His agunah’s name is Lonna. She granted JLBC an interview this week. But before she did, last week, outside a Las Vegas wedding hall, protestors gathered, unbeknownst to her, on her behalf. Students from the Shalhevet School in LA were led to Vegas by their principal, Rabbi Ari Segal. Some people were with the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot, affiliated with Yeshiva University, and there were those rallied by RabbiYosef Kanefsky of B’nai David – Judea Congregation in Los Angeles. It was not the first time Mr. Kin had been confronted with agunah activists. They showed up in front of his home in LA in 2009, but he was not shamed into granting a get. This time, someone finally noticed and the story made it into the New York Times last week. In a telephone interview with JLBC, Ms. Kin, 52, a real estate agent, said she read of the protests on her behalf. “He’s a bigamist,” she said. Not so, according to an Internet post by Mishpat Tsedek, an anonymous haredi website that seems to be linked to the beis din who granted him the heter meah rabbanim. It is defending Mr. Kin and proclaims his innocence, calling Ms. Kin a false agunah, her supporters “militant feminists” and the Jewish press and those who protest “unscrupulous organizations.” He accuses Ms. Kin of attempting to strip Mr. Kin of his halachic rights. Mishpat Tsedek also claims Mr. Kin filed a get (divorce document) with the Beth Din Zedek Kedushas Levi in Monsey. The site also attacks ORA. Ms. Kin said, yes, a get is filed but according to the Beth Din Zedek Kedushas Levi, in order to be given the document all she has to do is give up total custody of her son and pay the judges $500,000. Those conditions are not in the post defending Mr. Kin, who left New York for California after Ms. Kin initially filed for divorce in 2005. This put him out of New York’s jurisdiction and far away from enforcement of the “get” law passed in New York in 1982. According to that law, “a matrimonial action is an action in equity. One of the doctrines of equity is that the court should leave the parties with equal status.” With this law, a woman refused a religious divorce by her husband, and thus refused the right to remarry, civilly has a barrier to remarriage. This allows the issue to be sub-
M
mitted to a fact-finding and mediation panel. Depending on their recommendation, the judge can withhold final judgment on the civil divorce—particularly on key issue of custody and community property. Unfortunately for thousands of women denied gitten by their recalcitrant husbands, the law only exists in New York and in no other state and not in Israel (where the state does have punishments it applies, from taking away licenses to putting people in jail). There is a version in Canada, and Senator Loretta Weinberg has been asked by some agunah activists to consider introducing such a bill in Trenton.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
QTY. MEAT DEPARTMENT GEFILTE FISH........................... 14.99 LB. HORSERADISH.......................... 6.99 LB. CHOPPED LIVER .......................15.99 LB. VEGETARIAN CHOPPED LIVER...15.99 LB. STUFFED CABBAGE * .................4.99 PC. CHICKEN SOUP .........................9.99 QT. CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP....... 9.99 QT. VEGETABLE SOUP (PARVE) ........9.99 QT. MATZA BALLS (4 LARGE) *.. 8.00 / 4PCS. ROAST CHICKEN ....................... 8.99 LB. CHICKEN CUTLETS ***** .......... 19.99 LB. GRILLED CHICKEN CUTLETS...... 19.99 LB. CHICKEN FRANCHAISE ............. 19.99 LB. CHICKEN MARSALA.................. 19.99 LB. CHICKEN FLORENTINE .............. 19.99 LB. BONELESS STUFFED CAPON * . 16.00 PC. SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS * . 14.99 LB. BRISKET OF BEEF (GRAVY) ........26.99 LB. CORNED BEEF ..........................26.99 LB. ROAST BEEF.............................26.99 LB. GRAVY .......................................8.99 QT PASTRAMI ...............................26.99 LB. TURKEY BREAST....................... 19.99 LB. SMOKED TURKEY BREAST ........ 19.99 LB. TURKEY PASTRAMI .................. 19.99 LB. SALAMI ................................... 12.99 LB. BOLOGNA ................................ 12.99 LB. POTATO KUGEL .........................9.99 EA. SWEET MATZAH KUGEL * ..........9.99 EA. BROCCOLI SOUFFLÉ * ............. 11.99 EA. SPINACH SOUFFLÉ *................ 11.99 EA. CAULIFLOWER SOUFFLÉ *........ 11.99 EA. CARROT SOUFFLÉ * ................. 11.99 EA. SWEET POTATO PUDDING *..... 11.99 EA. STUFFED DERMA (KISHKA) .......11.99 LB. MATZAH FARFEL * ....................11.99 LB. CARROT TZIMMES ...................11.99 LB. ROAST POTATOES....................11.99 LB. CRANBERRY RELISH .................11.99 LB.
SPECIALTY PASSOVER ITEMS
CHAROSES ..............................12.99 LB. NECK BONES ........................... 2.00 EA. SEDER PLATE (COMPLETE) .......28.95 EA. HORSERADISH ROOT (PINT) ..... 11.99 EA.
Ms. Kin said she separated from her husband civilly but not religiously in 2005 because of his controlling nature, his difficult relationships, his cold and insensitive actions with the children, and his penuriousness. “He was unbearable to live with. He made my children’s lives miserable. He took my driver’s license and my credit cards away and made my life unbearable.” She’s been fighting for a get ever since. For the sake of her children she was given permission by rabbis to get a civil divorce prior to the get in order to protect her children. Ms. Kin said her husband told her from the beginning that he would not give her a get unless she granted him full
QTY. SALADS
www.glattkosher.com www.maadan.com
LB. LB. LB. LB. LB. LB. LB. LB. LB. LB.
DAIRY DEPARTMENT No orders taken from dairy department All dairy items below will be available in our show cases
NOVA (FRESHLY SLICED) ......... 38.00 LB. SABLE (FRESHLY SLICED) .........49.95 LB. BAKED SALMON ..................... 29.00 LB. WHITE FISH .............................. 14.99 LB. CHUBS ....................................20.99 LB. GRILLED SALMON ....................23.99 LB. FRIED FLOUNDER .....................23.99 LB. HERRING IN WINE SAUCE .........12.99 LB. HERRING IN CREAM SAUCE ......12.99 LB. HERRING SALAD ....................... 9.99 LB. KIPPERED SALMON SALAD....... 16.99 LB. WHITE FISH SALAD................... 12.99 LB. TUNA FISH SALAD .................... 12.99 LB. EGG SALAD ............................... 9.99 LB.
FRESHLY SLICED CHEESE AMERICAN WHITE ................... 10.99 LB. CHEDDAR.................................11.99 LB. EDAM ...................................... 13.99 LB. EMEK ....................................... 13.99 LB. GOUDA .................................... 13.99 LB. HAVARTI .................................. 13.99 LB. HAVARTI (DILL) ........................ 13.99 LB. MOZZARELLA...........................10.99 LB. MUENSTER ORANGE RIND........10.99 LB. SWISS DOMESTIC.................... 13.99 LB. SWISS IMPORTED .................... 19.99 LB. * Gebroktz
Or To Make Your PESACH Really Easy, Just Enter The Amount Of Guests You Would Like To Order For From Our «COMPLETE DINNER MENU» Which Includes: Gefilte Fish With Carrots And Horseradish, Chicken Soup With Large Fluffy Matzah Balls, Potato Kugel, Carrot Tzimmes, Garden Salad, Fresh Fruit Compote, Seder Plate, Macaroons And Cake.
Please Enter Number Of People Below
ĻĻĻ
MAIN COURSE SECTION Roasted Chicken $ 35.00 Per Person Chicken Franchaise$ 35.00 Per Person Chicken Marsala $ 35.00 Per Person Boneless Capon $ 35.00 Per Person Brisket Of Beef $ 35.00 Per Person
PASSOVER WINE AND LIQUOR SALE GOING ON NOW THROUGH
TEL: 201-692-0192 email: stuart@maadan.com
CONTINUED ON P. 78
PLAIN FARMER .......................... 7.99 LB. WALNUT RAISIN FARMER .........11.99 LB. PINEAPPLE FARMER .................11.99 LB. CHOCOLATE FARMER ...............11.99 LB. PLAIN CREAM CHEESE............... 6.99 LB. VEG. CREAM CHEESE................. 8.99 LB. SCALLION CREAM CHEESE ........ 8.99 LB. CHEESE BLINTZES .....................3.50 EA. EGGPLANT PARMESAN 2-3lb. TIN..10.99 LB. MATZAH LASAGNA 2-3lb. TIN * 10.99 LB. BROCCOLI QUICHE 2-3lb. TIN .. 10.99 LB. SPINACH QUICHE 2-3lb. TIN ... 10.99 LB. MUSHROOM ONION QUICHE 2-3lb. TIN....10.99 LB.
DESSERTS
NO ORDERS TAKEN FOR BAKERY GOODS ALL BAKERY GOODS BELOW WILL BE AVAILABLE APRIL 7, 2014
7 LAYER CAKE .......................... 11.99 EA. ALMOND MACAROONS ............ 11.99 EA. APPLE CAKE ............................. 11.99 EA. ASSORTED COOKIES................ 11.99 EA. BLACK & WHITE SWIRL............. 11.99 EA. BON BONS (CREAM FILLED)...... 11.99 EA. BROWNIES .............................. 11.99 EA. CHOC CHIP MANDELBREAD ..... 11.99 EA. CHOC DIP MACAROONS ........... 11.99 EA. CHOC DIPPED LEAVES .............. 11.99 EA. CHOC. SANDWICH COOKIES..... 11.99 EA. CHOCOLATE CHIFFON............... 11.99 EA. CHOCOLATE MARBLE CAKE ...... 11.99 EA. CHOCOLATE NUT WAFER .......... 11.99 EA. CHOCOLATE ROLL .................... 11.99 EA. HONEY CAKE ............................ 11.99 EA. JELLY ROLL............................... 11.99 EA. KRAKOVSKI COOKIES .............. 11.99 EA. LADY FINGERS .......................... 8.99 EA. MARBLE CHIFFON .................... 11.99 EA. MARZIPAN (RAINBOW)............. 11.99 EA. MOCHA ROLL........................... 11.99 EA. NUT CAKE ................................ 11.99 EA. RAILROAD CAKE....................... 11.99 EA. FRUIT SALAD.............................11.99 LB. FRUIT COMPOTE .......................11.99 LB.
SHMURAH MATZAH
HAND SHMURA MATZAH.........30.00 LB.
PROVIDING HOMEMADE GOODNESS FOR 32 YEARS WE THANK YOU STUART & YOSSIE
THE END OF PASSOVER www.glattkosher.com www.maadan.com
PICKUP HOURS FOR PASSOVER
Sunday 4/13/2014 7:30a.m. - 8:00p.m. Monday 4/14/2014 7:00a.m. - 12:56p.m. Tues.-Wed. 4/15/14 - 4/16/14 CLOSED Thursday 4/17/2014 7:30a.m. - 8:00p.m.
DAIRY DEPARTMENT
CARROT RAISIN SALAD ............. 9.99 COLESLAW ................................7.99 POTATO SALAD ..........................7.99 CUCUMBER SALAD ................... 9.99 HEALTH SALAD ......................... 9.99 ISRAELI SALAD ......................... 9.99 BEET SALAD .............................. 9.99 HEARTS OF PALM SALAD..........11.99 BROC. & CASHEW SALAD .........11.99 QUINOA SALAD........................11.99
***** Chicken cutlets available in Both gebroktz and non gebroktz
10 PEOPLE INCREMENT PER ITEM SORRY NO SUBSTITUTIONS
custody of their son, then a toddler, and $500,000. Though Ms. Kin started divorce proceedings, her attorney said it would be easier to receive a get if Mr. Kin filed first. However, Mr. Kin circumvented the “get” law by moving to California, established residency and six months to the date, filed for an uncontested divorce, which was granted in 2007, leaving Ms. Kin with everything but her freedom to remarry. Ms. Kin said that although rabbis and organizations had urged Mr. Kin to free her, he refused and was even excommunicated. But not entirely, it turns out. While he
Friday 4/18/2014 7:30a.m. - 4:00p.m. Sunday 4/20/2014 7:30a.m. - 4:00p.m. Monday 4/21/14 CLOSED Tuesday 4/22/14 CLOSED 446 CEDAR LANE email: yossie@maadan.com
MA’ADAN IS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE VA’AD OF BERGEN COUNTY ( R.C.B.C. ) ORDERS ACCEPTED TILL 4/8/2014 - 7:00PM NAME: ................................................................ ADDRESS: .......................................................... ............................................................................ TEL: .................................................................... E-MAIL ADDRESS: ................................................ PICKUP DATE: ............... TIME: ............................
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 9
NEWS
Jewish and Muslim Leaders Fight for Shechita Rights in Denmark O n March 20, Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dan Jorgensen, met a delegation of European Muslim and Jewish leaders who informed him that his edict last month banning kosher and halal slaughtering is doing grave damage to the image of Denmark in Europe and the United States and should be rescinded as soon as possible. Responding to an assurance from Jorgensen that he had been misquoted in the media for allegedly having said, “Animal rights come before religion” at the time that he promulgated the ban on kosher and halal slaughtering last month, Muslim-Jew-
member from France, pointed out that the EU allows exceptions to this directive to religious communities such as Muslims and Jews, whose ritual slaughtering practices proscribe stunning, and countries like France and Belgium have specifically sanctioned such exceptions. Delegation members pointed out that Muslims and Jews worldwide believe that their respective venerable practices of ritual slaughter are performed in a manner that ensures that the animal suffers the least possible pain during slaughtering. Jorgensen stressed that while he stands by his ban on kosher and halal slaughtering
ish delegation participant Alexander Goldberg, Jewish Chaplain at the University of Surrey in the UK, stated, “We will judge you not by your words, but by your actions. So far, those actions show that you indeed put animal rights before religious rights.” Jorgensen told the delegation that the decision to ban slaughter without prior stunning of the animal was not something he initiated on his own, but rather the Danish government carrying out a directive of the European Union, of which Denmark is a member. However, Samia Hathroubi, European coordinator of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and a delegation
Passover Takeout Menu MAIN DISHES
Price/ LB.
$7.99
Vegetable Stuffed Capon
$19.99
Butternut Squash Soup
$8.99
Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
$16.99
Vegetable Soup
$8.99
Stuffed Cornish Hen w/ Apricot Glaze
$19.99
Beef Vegetable Soup
$10.99
MAIN DISHES
Price/ LB.
MAIN DISHES MEAT
Price/ LB.
ChuckEyeRoast w Mushroom Sauce
$16.99
Italian Meatballs
$10.99
SOUPS Chicken Soup Chicken Broth
Quart $8.99
BBQ Roasted Chicken
$9.99
Schnitzel (G)
$11.99
London Broil in Wild Mushroom Sauce
$22.99
Popcorn Chicken (G)
$11.99
Barbeque Brisket
$24.99
Brisket w/ Gravy
$24.99
Chicken Fingers (G)
$11.99
Balsamic/ Pesto Grilled Chicken
$12.99
Cornbeef w/ Pomegranate Apricot $24.99 Sauce
Honey Mustard Chicken
$12.99
Steak Rollatini
Sweet and Spicy Chicken
$12.99
Stuffed Roast Veal w/ Gravy
Moroccan Chicken
$15.99
Veal Cutlet in Wild Mushroom Sauce
$24.99
Stuffed Cabbage
$4.50 each
Chicken Marsala
$15.99
Complete Dinner Menu For 10-12
SALADS
$10.99
Israeli Potato Salad
$7.99
Grilled Homemade Teriyaki Salmon
$18.99
Coleslaw
$7.99
Moroccan Salmon
$18.99
Cucumber Salad
$7.99
Lemon Pepper Salmon $18.99
Beet Salad
$7.99
Tilapia w/ Shitaki Mushrooms in Lemon $16.99 Sauce
Israeli Salad
$8.99
Turkish Salad
$7.99
Matbucha
$8.99
Babaganoush
$8.99
Moroccan Carrot Salad
$8.99
Shredded Carrot Salad w/ Raisins
$9.99
Hearts of Palm Salad
$9.99
Roasted Eggplant Salad
$9.99
Quinoa Tabouli Salad
$9.99
Roasted Root Vegetable Quinoa
$9.99
Bok Choy Salad
$10.99
Spinach & Garlic Saute
$10.99
Egg Salad
$7.99
Tuna Salad
$9.99
lb/ 9x13
SIDE DISHES
$8.99/ $39.99 $8.99/ $39.99 $8.99/ $39.99 $8.99/ $39.99 $8.99/ $39.99 $8.99/ $39.99 $8.99/ $39.99
Potato Kugel Sweet Potato Kugel Broccoli Soufflé Caulifl wer Soufflé Jerusalem Kugel
$24.99
Sweet Noodle Kugel Tri- Color Kugel Herb Roasted Baby Potato Candied Sweet Potato Roasted Butternut Squash Roasted Root Vegetables Toasted Egg Barley (G) Grilled Vegetables Grilled Asparagus
$9.99 $9.99 $9.99 $11.99 $9.99 $9.99 $10.99
We Wish You a Chag Kasher V’Sameach
Super Specials i l
Gefen Hearts of palm ...........................................2/$4.00 Natural Earth Balsamic Vinegar .............................$4.99 Fisherman’s Chunk Light Tuna ...............................$1.49 Gefen Cake Mix ....................................................2/$3.00
543 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07666 | 201-801-0444 10 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
Price/ LB.
Gefil e Fish
$16.99 lb.
Special # 1 Gefil e Fish, Teriyaki or Moroccan Salmon Soup: Chicken, Vegetable, or Butternut Squash Vegetable Stuffed Pargyot or Herb Roasted Turkey Breast Potato Kugel, Sweet Noodle Kugel, or Broccoli Kugel Candied Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Baby Potatoes, or Vegetable salad Chocolate cake or Poached Apple $29.99 Per Person Special # 2 Gefil e Fish, Teriyaki or Moroccan Salmon Soup: Chicken, Vegetable, or Butternut Squash Brisket w/ Gravy or London Broil in Mushroom Sauce Potato Kugel, Sweet Noodle Kugel, or Broccoli Kugel Candied Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Baby Potatoes, or Vegetable salad Chocolate Cake or Poached Apple $32.99 Per Person
Price/ LB.
FISH
in Denmark, he will allow the Danish Jewish and Muslim communities to continue to import kosher and halal meat products. Jorgensen told the delegation that he has sought to prevent debate on the issue from moving to the streets of Denmark, because if it were to do so most Danes would support a no-exceptions ban on the consumption of meat butchered according to kosher and halal slaughtering techniques because of widespread anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. Members of the delegation responded that by promulgating the ban the Danish government is essentially giving support to anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish bigots by validating their argument that kosher and halal slaughtering techniques are inhumane. Goldberg informed Jorgensen that he recently met with a top aide to US Secretary of State John Kerry, who told him that Kerry recently expressed concern that the Danish decision to ban kosher slaughtering, together with similar acts by other European countries, raises concerns as to whether Jewish life in Europe will be sustainable going forward. Delegation members reported that there is grave concern among Muslims and Jews across the continent that the Danish ban will trigger a domino effect that will force Muslims and Jews to leave Europe. According to Chief Rabbi of Strasbourg, Rene Gutman, “We forcefully made the point to the Minister that Denmark, a country known as a champion of human rights and religious freedom going back to the successful evacuation of Danish Jews to Sweden during the Nazi occupation, will now be known as a country that prevents its Muslim and Jewish citizens from practicing fundamental precepts of their faiths unhindered.” Afzal Khan, former Lord Mayor of Manchester and co-founder of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester, remarked, “We made clear to Minister Jorgensen that we will continue our campaign of international pressure on Denmark until it realizes the great hurt it is causing Muslims and Jews at home and worldwide, and rescinds this ruinous policy.” Participants in the Muslim-Jewish delegation that met with Minister Jorgensen included: 1. Chief Rabbi of Brussels, Albert Guigui (Belgium) 2. Afzal Khan, former Lord Mayor of Manchester and co-founder of the MuslimJewish Forum of Greater Manchester (UK) 3. Chief Rabbi of Strasbourg, Rene Gutman (France) 4. Samia Hathroubi, FFEU European Coordinator (France) 5. Alexander Goldberg, Jewish Chaplain, University of Surrey (UK) 6. Moussa Al-Hassan Diaw, Director, Department of Islamic Theology, University of Osnabruck (Germany) 7. Chief Rabbi of Denmark Bent Lexner 8. Kamran Shah, Religious Advisor to the Islamic Community of Denmark Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of FFEU, said participants in the delegation came from the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Germany and Denmark under the aegis of the New York-based foundation and its affiliate, the Gathering of European Muslim and Jewish Leaders (GEMJL).
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Have a Zissen and Kosher Passover with Jewish Home’s FREE, HOT, KOSHER Meals! We will deliver free, hot, kosher meals to the door of seniors in Bergen County on Monday, April 14th. To Register: Whether you or someone you know is 65 or older, call 201-784 -1414 Ext. 5532 by April 7th to register. Volunteers Needed ! YOU can help the Jewish Home perform this mitzvah by volunteering to help deliver meals! Call 201-750-4237 to volunteer.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Members of
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 11
NEWS
Edwin Black U4U Talk Outs Terror Funders; Brings Jewish Bergen Community Together ďƒ›
CONTINUED FROM P. 1
NY Times best-selling author Edwin Black to a stunned crowd at Englewood’s Congregation Ahavath Torah. “We are actually paying for terrorism.â€? Black methodically maps out how he traced the trail of money that is fueling terrorism against Israel and its citizens. “American taxpayer money intended to ďŹ nance the peace process is doing the opposite. It’s not just BDS (boycotts, divestments and sanctions) it’s a terror industry.â€? Black says Palestinian terror prisoners sitting in jail can earn anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand per month calculated on the number of people they killed and the length of their sentence. “The human rights movement has been hijacked by politicized individuals as a cover to advance a war-like campaign to destabilize and nullify the state of Israel.â€? In his introduction, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Congregation Ahavath Torah, emphatically stated, “We are not facing a new threat. This is the same threat just different words. The BDS movement is just the tip of the iceberg, what is really being attempted here is the delegitimizing of the state of Israel and its fundamental right to exist.â€? In a dramatic ourish, Black pulled documents from his jacket pocket, reading several examples directly from ďŹ nancial papers including the tax year, amount and non-proďŹ t recipient organization to emphasize and drive home his claims that U.S. taxpayer money channeled speciďŹ cally through the New Israel Fund is the root of much of the revenue that pays for terrorism. “It’s your money.â€? Black claimed repeatedly throughout the evening. He further explained that many of the charitable organizations funded by the New Israel Fund, which is comprised of the best and the brightest of the Jewish world, is funding about 800 organizations or NGO’s. “Many of them are doing very laudable
Ian Zimmerman, Lee Lasher, and Ari Hirt, the three Berrie Fellows with Edwin Black
Lee Lasher, Rabbi Goldin, Edwin Black and Mindy Stein (l) and Cheryl Rosenberg (r) of Be Counted For Israel
work,â€? he said. But Black and his investigative team uncovered scores of organizations that are not. In his new book, Fanning The Flames, Black outs the sinister strategic plot to erase Israel and Jewish identity from the map by using millions American taxpayer dollars. The evening was co-sponsored by Unite4Unity (U4U) and 14 area Jewish organizations, including Temple Emanu-El, Congregation Bnei Yeshurun, The Glen Rock Jewish Center, Temple Avodat Shalom, Congregation Ahavath Torah, East Hill Synagogue, Temple Beth Rishon, American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists and The Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Politics and others. U4U is a newly established community organization that seeks to create dynamic social programming for interaction, learning, and growth across afďŹ liation to encourage provocative conversations and create opportunities to build such relationships. The group was founded by three Berrie Leadership Fellows—Lee Lasher, president of Englewood’s Orthodox Congregation Ahavath Torah, host of the event; Ian Zimmerman immediate-past president of Temple Beth Rishon, an unafďŹ liated shul in Fairlawn, and Ari Hirt. While U4U was initiated as a Berrie Fellows’ project, it has now taken ďŹ rm hold of this trio, who expressed their hope to advance their reach and serve as catalysts to bridge chasms in the Jewish community. “We’re all Jewish, we all care about Israel,â€? says Zimmerman. “One great thing about the (Berrie) pro-
gram was that we sat around for hours meeting every few weeks. We studied texts together; we were trained by great leadership scholars and professionals, we got to spend a lot of time with one another and we got to know each other. And we became friends and developed a respect for one another.â€? added Lasher. The ďŹ rst event they coordinated brought Conservative, Reform and Orthodox rabbis together from the afďŹ liate-deďŹ ned rabbinic boards. “We didn’t feel there was enough opportunity for the different denominations to interact and socialize. We looked ďŹ rst at the denominationally separated rabbinic boards. We wanted to break down those walls, and did so by increasing the conversation we felt we could increase the tolerance.â€? Lasher said. Looking around at the milling crowd at the beginning of their second U4U event they were pleased “It’s a diverse crowd, comprised of congregants from various denominations.This is rare this is good,â€? said both U4U founders Zimmerman and Lasher. “If you make people aware, how can they in good faith not respond?â€? says audience member Laura Fein, Executive Director N.J. of Zionist Organization of America (ZOA). U4U’s efforts paid off as audience members sat rapt, while Edwin Black debunked the Palestinian claims that Israel is the international criminal. “What law is being violated?â€? Black asked the crowd, as he passionately waved copies of UN Arti-
cle 12 and Articles of the Geneva Convention over his head. He challenged those listening online (the event was live-streamed on the net) the diverse audience to look up the laws and see for themselves. Gail S. Bindleglass, Chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), guides dialogue between eight interfaith groups as part of her job. When asked what else can we do beyond building awareness, she replied, “We have to increase the conversation to go forward and grow. Like this event, we must continue to talk amongst ourselves and advance the dialogue with other faiths by not focusing on our differences and stressing our commonalities.â€? Also, present were Mindy Stein and Cheryl Rosenberg of Be Counted 4 Israel—a local advocacy group that helps the busy, non-political individual get involved through email alerts that provide the community with a simple call to action, a 5-minute vetted script that raises the voice of American Jewry by empowering students, housewives, and busy individuals to help support Israel at no cost and no investment of time or travel. “We hope to increase advocacy and support of Israel to enable those unable to go to the front lines of Washington and the like.â€? Says Mindy, “Giving voice to those who have no time to otherwise get involved is what we do.â€? Active in Yeshivoth, shuls, churches and organizations, Be Counted 4 Israel’s Cheryl Rosenberg says, “We put out short briefs with appropriate political contact information regarding important upcoming votes or for thank you’s to the likes of Norwegian Cruise Line or Scarlett Johansson, who have supported Israeli companies. We are deďŹ nitely noticing the change, how the collective voice is inuencing votes. “We encourage people to advocate for Israel through us, because we reach places AIPAC can’t. They are political and they can’t campaign in shuls, but we can.â€? For more info go to www.BeCounted4Israel.com “We went through many different ideas we wanted to bring as many people together around an issue or issues as possible so they could all feel invested in and passionate about it regardless of afďŹ liation.â€? said Ari Hirt of U4U. There is more to come from this local group, one that hopes its efforts will grow beyond Bergen County. To continue being a part of this multiple denominational dialogue Tweet around this BSD conversation #U4U.
! ! "# # ! $ %
12 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 13
NEWS
Hobby Lobby Case Creates Slippery Slope on Religious Observance By Jeanette Friedman and combined services n Tuesday, from the questions they asked the lawyers making their cases, it looked as if the Supreme Court was favoring the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties side in the suit against the Affordable Care Act and the provision that requires for-profit companies to provide contraception coverage for their employees via their healthcare plans. Because they do not personally believe in contraception, they do not want to pay their employees for contraception under the health care act. They claim it violates their religious freedom. The Jewish Commission on Law and
O
P
Public Affairs (COLPA) along with the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), the Orthodox Union (OU), the Agudath Israel, Torah Umesorah, the National Council of Young Israel, the Rabbinical Alliance of America had Lewin & Lewin, the prestigious law firm in Washington, filed an amicus curiae brief, a friend of the court brief, on the side of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga. The firm specializes in religious law. What one discovers when one reads it, is that the Orthodox organizations are not at all concerned about contraceptives, which they admit in the brief, are permissible under Jewish law. What they are concerned about is that the law as written can be used to force Orthodox Jews to keep their stores open on
Glatt Kosher R.C.B.C. Supervision
2014
A S S O V E R
X APPETIZERS __ Chicken Soup .......................... $8.99 qt __ Vegetable Soup ....................... $8.99 qt __ Potato Soup............................. $8.99 qt __ Chopped Liver*........................ $15.99 lb __ Potato Pancakes* .................... $3.50 each __Matzoh Balls* ........................... $2.00 each
*GEBROCHTS – CONTAINS MATZOH MEAL
M E N U
__ Bologna .................................. $11.00 lb __ BBQ Chicken .......................... $8.49 lb __ Boiled Chicken......................... $8.49 lb __Lemon Chicken Cutlets* ........... $19.00 lb __ Chicken Franchaise................. $19.00 lb __Southern Fried Chicken* .......... $8.99 lb __ Sweet & Sour Chicken............. $14.99 lb __ BBQ Veal Ribs......................... $16.99 lb __ Meat Balls................................ $14.99 lb __Stuffed Cabbage* ..................... $5.99 lb __ Stuffed Peppers* ..................... $5.99 lb __ Chicken Al-Orange ......... $9.99 half chic. __Sweet & Sour Tongue............... $20.00 lb. __ Stuffed Capon* ........................ $15.00 lb __ Grilled Chicken Cutlets ............ $19.00 lb __ Chicken Marsala Cutlets.......... $19.00 lb __ Turkey, Whole Fresh Roasted. $80.00 ea. __ Chicken Nuggets*.................... $19.00 lb __ Tomato Basil Chicken.............. $19.00 lb
X SALADS AND SIDES __ __Coleslaw ................................... $6.99 lb __Potato Salad ............................. $7.99 lb __ Health Salad ........................... $6.99 lb __ Cucumber Salad ..................... $6.99 lb __ Beet Salad ............................... $7.99 lb __ Israeli Salad ............................. $7.99 lb __ Russian Coleslaw .................... $9.99 lb __ Broccoli Cashew Salad ........... $8.99 lb __ Carrot Salad ............................ $7.99 lb __ Carrot Tzimmes ....................... $8.99 lb __ Roasted Baby Potatoes........... $8.99 lb __ Matzoh Farfel* ......................... $8.99 lb __ Potato Kugel ............................ $8.99 lb __ Sweet Matzoh Kugel* .............. $8.99 lb __ Sweet Potato Pie ..................... $9.99 lb __ Zucchini Kugel ......................... $9.99 lb __ Carrot Kugel ............................ $9.99 lb __ Spinach Souffle ....................... $9.99 lb __ Broccoli Souffle ....................... $9.99 lb __ Broccoli Cauliflower Souffle..... $9.99 lb __ Charoses ................................ $9.99 lb __ Kishke...................................... $9.99 lb __ Grilled Vegetables ................... $10.99 lb
X APPETIZING AND PREPARED FOODS __ Sliced Nova ............................. $9.75 ¼ lb __ Sliced Sable............................. $12.50 ¼ lb __ Whitefish.................................. $4.99 ¼ lb __ Chubs ...................................... $3.99 ¼ lb __ Kippered Salmon ..................... $9.75 ¼ lb __ Pickled Herring ........................ $3.99 fillet __ Pickled Herring/Cream Sauce. $3.99 fillet __ Pickled Lox .............................. $8.99 ¼ lb __ Pickled Lox in Cream Sauce.... $8.99 ¼ lb __ Homemade Gefilte Fish ........... $14.99 lb __ Tuna Salad .............................. $12.99 lb __ Egg Salad ................................ $7.99 lb __ Herring Salad........................... $7.99 lb __ Whitefish Salad........................ $3.99 ¼ lb __ Baked Salmon Salad ............... $3.99 ¼ lb __ Poached Salmon ..................... $25.00 lb __ Eggplant Parmesan*................ $10.99 lb __ Matzoh Lasagna* .................... $9.99 lb __ Broccoli Cheese Souffle .......... $9.99 lb __ Fillet of Sole* ........................... $20.00 lb __ Grilled Salmon ......................... $25.00 lb __ Cheese Blintzes....................... $3.50 ea.
X MEATS AND MAIN COURSES __ Tongue .................................... $32.00 lb __ Corned Beef ............................ $27.00 lb __ Pastrami ................................. $27.00 lb __ Turkey Breast ......................... $19.00 lb __ Smoked Turkey Breast ........... $18.00 lb __ Turkey Pastrami ...................... $18.00 lb __ Turkey Roll .............................. $14.00 lb __ Roast Beef .............................. $27.00 lb __ Roast Veal .............................. $27.00 lb __ Brisket ..................................... $27.00 lb __ Salami...................................... $11.00 lb __ BBQ Duck ............................... $55.00 ea.
S
Shabbos or force haredim to serve people who aren’t wearing tznius clothing (shorts, décolleté, barefoot and sleeveless) in their stores. Such discrimination cases have already been brought against store owners in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. One case was thrown out of court (someone sued a Jewish store for being closed on Shabbos for discriminating against Christians), but the other was settled, after it was determined that the signs posted in Williamsburg shops about clothing didn’t discriminate against men or women or ethnic groups, just against the clothing they wore. The Obama administration is arguing that for-profit companies are different than non-profit companies, which are exempt
X FRESHLY SLICED CHEESES __ American White ....................... $10.99 lb
L I S T
__ American Yellow ...................... $10.99 lb __ Muenster Orange..................... $10.99 lb __ Edam ....................................... $11.99 lb __ Swiss ....................................... $11.99 lb __ Cheddar................................... $11.99 lb __ Mozzarella Low Fat ................. $11.99 lb __ Danish Havarti ......................... $12.99 lb X HOMEMADE SOFT CHEESES __ Plain Farmer ............................ $7.99 lb __ Vegetable Farmer .................... $8.99 lb __ Plain Cream Cheese ............... $6.99 lb __ Vegetable Cream..................... $6.99 lb __ Chive Cream............................ $6.99 lb X BAKED FARMER CHEESE __ Pineapple................................. $11.99 lb __ Walnut Raisin........................... $11.99 lb __ Cinnamon Apple ...................... $11.99 lb X CAKES __ 7-Layer __ Assorted Cookies __ Choc. Dipped Macaroons __ Bon Bons __ Walnut Macaroons __Almond Macaroons __ Coconut Macaroons __ Choc. Nut Roll __ Railroad Cake __ Jelly Roll __ Lady Fingers __ Rainbow Cake __ Chocolate Swirl __ Nut Cake __ Brownies __ Choc. Dipped Leaves __Choc. Roll __ Honey Cake __ Krakowski Cookies __ Marble Cake __Sponge Cake __ Apricot Roll __Praline Nut Roll __ Mandel Cake __ Coffee Cake
Name __________________________
Seder Plates $26.00 each
S P E C I A L
Hand Shmura Matzoh $27.00 lb each
S E D E R
P A C K A G E S
For 10 people
SPECIAL #1
SPECIAL #2
Gefilte Fish w/Carrot and Horseradish Chicken Matzoh Ball Soup ½ Broiler Chicken Choice of Kugel, Carrot Tzimmes, Coleslaw, A Complete Seder Plate
Gefilte Fish w/Carrot and Horseradish Chicken Matzoh Ball Soup Chicken Marsala Choice of Kugel, Carrot Tzimmes, Coleslaw, A Complete Seder Plate
$30995 + tax
$32995 + tax
SPECIAL #3
SPECIAL #4
Gefilte Fish w/Carrot and Horseradish Gefilte Fish w/Carrot and Horseradish Chicken Matzoh Ball Soup Chicken Matzoh Ball Soup Brisket of Beef Stuffed Chicken Breast w/Farfel Stuffing Choice of Kugel, Carrot Tzimmes, Choice of Kugel, Carrot Tzimmes, Coleslaw, A Complete Seder Plate Coleslaw, A Complete Seder Plate
$32995 + tax
$329.95 + tax
Address _________________________ Tel _____________________________ Pickup Date ______________________
Special Pesach Hours 4/13 8.00 am – 8.00 pm 4/14 8.00 am – 2.00 pm 4/17 8.00 am – 8.00 pm 4/18 8.00 am – 4.00 pm 4/20 8.00 am – 4.00 pm
41 E. Palisade Ave. • Englewood, NJ 07631 • Tel: (201) 569-2704 • Fax: (201) 871-1972 Order Online: www.menagerietakeout.com
14 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
from providing contraceptive coverage. According to Reuters, several justices questioned why for-profit companies with religious objections were any different than non-profits. The brief clearly states, “The Jewish faith does not prohibit the financing of contraception, which underlies the legal challenge in these cases. Judaism does, however, impose substantial conscientious faith-based restrictions on employers and other individuals in managerial positions. They are obliged, for example, by the Fourth Commandment and its rabbinic interpretation to set aside Saturday as the Sabbath and a day of rest for their employees. “An observant Jew may not direct his or her employee—be the employee Jewish or gentile—to labor on the Sabbath. A federal governmental directive to a Jewish employer—be he the owner of a business operated for profit or the manager of a non-profit charitable entity—requiring the employer to have employees work on the Sabbath would substantially burden the Jewish employer’s religious exercise. It could not, under RFRA, be lawfully demanded unless the governmental interest were ‘compelling’ and satisfied the statutory ‘least restrictive means’ standard. “The burden on the Jewish employer should not be entitled to greater constitutional and statutory protection if the employer is engaged in charitable work that qualifies under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code than if he or she operates a for-profit business. “Under Jewish Law the same religious prohibition that bars certain proscribed activity on the Sabbath in a for-profit business applies to non-profit activity. The religious sanction for violating the Sabbath is not reduced if the actor has a non-profit motive.” The justices heard the arguments in an extended 90-minute session on Tuesday morning. The case also touches on questions of corporate rights four years after the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case endorsed broad free-speech rights for companies in the campaign finance context. A ruling is expected by the end of June. The case was originally filed by Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. and Mardel, a chain of Christian bookstores. Both are owned and operated by evangelical Christians. The other case was brought by a Mennonite family that owns a company in Pennsylvania, Conestoga Wood Specialties. The justices have to decide if the case falls under a 1993 federal law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which guarantee religious freedom. The government is backed by women’s rights groups, who say contraceptives should be widely available for public health reasons. [ID: nL2N0M724C] The challengers and their supporters, including a wide-range of religious groups, counter that the case is really about whether the government can force someone to violate their own religious beliefs. Jay Michaelson, in a piece in The For-
CONTINUED ON P. 78
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
COUPON COUPON
ÇŒÇŠÇŒĘ• –’~Ă“Ę•:~¿–ʕȕʕ`–~ÂżÂ–ÂŒÂśČ—Ę•A6ʕdžÇ?njnjnj
Every $50 You Spend
`Â–Â¸Č–Ę•ÇˆÇ†Ç‡ÉŻÇŽÇ‹Ç‹ÉŻÇŽÇ‹Ç†Ç†Ę•Č•Ę•#~Ă˛Č–Ę•ÇˆÇ†Ç‡ÉŻÇŽÇ†Ç‡ÉŻÇ†ÇˆÇˆÇ‹ STORE HOURS
Only
Only
3
4/$ for
4
Gift Box Clementines
Yams
Only
49
4
¢
Only
$ 99
lb.
Green or Red Seedless Grapes
Only
box
Fresh
Hass Avocados
Only
5
5/$ for
99
¢
lb.
Fresh
Fresh U.S. #1
Mix & Match
3/$ for
Loyalty Program
Red Delicious Apples
79
¢
lb.
U.S.D.A.
Organic Only Avocados
Butteried
Chicken Cutlets
4
Family Pack
“Pargiot�
Dark Meat Chicken Cutlets
Organic Driscoll Strawberries
5
lb.
All American Black Angus Beef
5
All American Black Angus Beef
All American Black Angus Beef
6
lb.
lb.
7
lb.
Empire Turkey
99
$ 99
2
¢
lb.
7
Schmerling Chocolate Bars
Osem Chicken Consomme
Gefen Mayonnaise 32 oz. btl.
(Excluding Sugar Free)
14.1 oz.
3
$ 99
2/$
7
2/$ for
Reg. $5.19
Reg. $4.79
Geula
Assorted
Original
for
4
Reg. $3.69
11
Salmon Tempura Roll
Mini Stuffed Mushrooms
$ 99
4
lb.
Granulated
for
11
Nile Perch Fillet
8
BAKERY
lb.
We Will Carry a Variety of Baked Goods for Passover
24 oz. btl.
1
$ 89
Reg. $2.29
lb.
$ 99
Tonnelli Sauces
4 lb. bag
4
$ 99
lb.
Assorted
Domino Sugar
2/$
pkg.
Reg. $12.50
lb.
$ 99
50 count
$ 99
9
$ 95
FISH
Frozen Ducks
6
Gefen
Sweet & Low Packets
Spicy Girl Roll
8
99¢
lb.
Reg. $5.75
Reg. $9.50
White Meat Turkey Roast
lb.
Hand Shmura Matza
4
$ 75
$ 50
PASSOVER SPECIALS Regular or Light
Avocado & Cucumber Roll
Boneless
$ 99
lb.
9
Turkey Soup Bones
Save On!
2nd Cut Brisket
$ 99
pkgs.
bag
SUSHI
Save On!
Chicken Wings
All American Black Angus Beef
Silver Tip Roast
$ 99
$ 99
lb.
lb.
Shoulder London Broil
Boneless Cholent Meat
$ 99
2
$ 69
lb.
All American Black Angus Beef
Cheek Meat
5
5
$ 49
Super SuperFamily Family Pack
2/$
Whole
Fresh
Chicken Combo
Chicken Capons
$ 99
$ 99
Drums & Thighs
White or Dark Meat
3
$ 29
U.S.D.A.
OUR MEAT DEPARTMENT IS NOW KOSHER FOR PASSOVER Family Pack
Must Present Coupon ORGANIC • ORGANIC • ORGANIC
Fresh Snow White Cauliower
Farm Fresh Celery
CEDAR MARKET
Sunday & Monday Only!
PRODUCE
FREE!!!!
Fine Foods Great Savings
ORGANIC • ORGANIC OR RG GANIC • ORGANIC G
Sale Effective 3/30/14-4/4/14
get 1 Lb Galil Matzot
Sign Up For Your Loyalty Card In Store
SUN - TUE: 7AM - 9PM WED: 7AM - 10PM THURS: 7AM - 11PM FRI: 7AM - 2 HOURS BEFORE SUNDOWN
4
2/$ for
Chocolate Mandel Bread
Reg. $2.49
Reg. $3.99
5
$ 49
14 oz.
Reg. $7.49
5
2/$
Assorted
Benzy’s Biscotti
5 oz. pkg.
Reg. $2.99
Extra Light &
Lieber’s Virgin Olive Oil
5
$ 99 34 oz. btl. Reg. $7.59
99¢
Assorted
Lieber’s Potato Chips
5 oz. pkg.
Reg. $1.69
Bnei Darom
3
2/$
Cucumbers in Brine
7-9 ct. 23 oz. Reg. $1.99
3
2/$
Assorted
5 oz. pkg. Lieber’s Marshmallow Reg. $2.99
Save On!
Mishpacha Tomato Sauce
1
2/$
15 oz.
Reg. $1.29
Dining Collection
Fridge Liners
Marble Cake
1
2/$ for
4
$ 99
16 oz.
Reg. $6.99
ReaLemon Lemon Juice
2
$ 49
Whole
Gefen 32 oz. btl. Hearts Reg. $3.19 of Palm
4
2/$
Save On!
Streit’s 14 oz. pkg. Potato Reg. $2.99 Pancake Mix
DAIRY White & Yellow
Millers American Cheese 3 Lb. Pkg.
9
$ 99
Reg. $15.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Original Only
Farmland Skim Plus Milk 64 oz. cntr.
7
2/$
for Reg. $4.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
6 oz. pkg. Reg. $1.99
Save On!
Streit’s Matzo Meal
Original, Homestyle & Grovestand
Assorted
Sabra Salads
8 oz. cntr.
3
2/$ for Reg. $2.99
3
2/$
KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Farm’s Creamery Cream Cheese 8 oz. pkg.
3
2/$
for Reg. $1.89 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Tropicana Orange Juice 59 oz. carafe
2/$
7
for Reg. $3.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
White or Red
Gold’s HorseRadish 6 oz. cntr.
3
2/$
for Reg. $1.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
3
2/$ 50 1 lb. bag Reg. $2.59
Save On!
Streit’s Matzo Farfel
1
$ 79 1 lb. bag Reg. $2.99
Pappetti Egg Whites
Gefen
32 oz. cntr.
19 oz. pkg.
4
Reg. $4.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Sweet Potato Fries
2
$ 99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Assorted
Assorted
22 oz. cntr.
12 Pack
Ta’amti Pickles & Olives
2
$ 79 Reg. $3.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Fantastic Table Cloths
pkg.
Reg. $3.29
Save On!
Reynold’s Cut Foil Sheet
4
$ 49
Klein’s Dixie Cups
10
$ 99 Reg. $15.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Meal Mart
16 oz. bag.
$ 99
3
Reg. $4.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Save On!
4
6 oz.pkg. Reg. $6.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Save On!
12 oz. cntr.
2.5 oz. pkg.
4
Reg. $6.59 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Meal Mart Buffalo Chicken Wings
7
$ 99 2 lb.pkg. Reg. $9.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Dr. Praeger’s
Real Kosher Chopped Liver
$ 99
Mild
Pastrami & Corned Beef
Dagim Tilapia Fillets
16 oz.
Reg. $8.99
Reg. $6.19
Save On!
$ 99
6
$ 99
pkg.
FROZEN
Save On!
$ 99
1
$ 99
60 Inch
Dairy Cheese Buns
Dorot Assorted Cubes
5
2/$
Reg. $3.29 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
Č•#Š×Œʕ#Š¸¸–Þ× Dr. Praeger’s Č•Ę•#Š×ŒŠ–× & Č•Ę•#Š×ŒʕYĂžÂŠÂŒÂśĂ— Spinach Sweet Potato 12.5 oz. pkg. Pancakes 12. oz. pkg.
3
$ 49 2/$
Reg. $4.79 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
5
Reg. $3.99 KOSHER FOR PASSOVER
We reserve the right to limit sales to 1 per family. Prices effective this store only. Not responsible for typographical errors. Some pictures are for design purposes only and do not necessarily represent items on sale. While Supply Lasts. No rain checks.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 15
NEWS
Sen. Menendez Takes Strong U.S. Stand at HiLevel Conclave in Europe
Senator Menendez addresses Brussels Forum
CONTINUED FROM P. 1
The senator made these remarks at an annual high-level meeting of the most influential U.S., European, and global political, corporate, and intellectual leaders who address pressing challenges facing nations on both sides of the Atlantic. Sponsored by the German Marshall Fund, it hosted representatives from 50 countries and more than 400 attendees. Those included heads of state, senior officials from the European Union institutions and the member states, U.S. government officials and Congressional representatives, parliamentarians, academics, and media. Menendez also intimated that being banned from Russia was like a badge of honor. “I have just been sanctioned by Vladimir Putin, I suspect, for standing up for the Ukrainian people, standing up for freedom, standing up for democracy,” he said. ”And if that is the case, I say, by all means, ‘sanction me.’ And I would say sanction all of us who stand for the freedom of Ukraine.” The Senator acknowledged he has a reputation for standing on principle. “I have always maintained that we are at our best when we have the courage to stick to our core values, even when it is not convenient—even when it might be impolitic or risky,” he said. He also said that Western inaction on Crimea could have global consequences. “If the West does not act appropriately,” he asked, “what will China say when it is looking at its territorial desires in the South China Sea?” Menendez introduced legislation that would provide $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine and impose sanctions against Russia. His committee approved the package last week, but the Senate recessed without voting on it. (In an interview on MSNBC on Wednesday, Menendez said Europe should also impose tougher economic sanctions against Russia “They have the greatest bite at the end of the day,” he said.) He also said, “…In my view, Putin has miscalculated. He has reignited a dangerous pre-1991 Soviet-style game of Russian
16 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
roulette with the international community, and we cannot blink. Putin must understand that this violation of international law in Ukraine will not come about without consequences…. In concert with the EU’s goals, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which I chair, passed an aid package to assist Ukraine during this critical time that provides loans for economic stabilization, approves an IMF reform package which will give Ukraine assistance, supports planning for upcoming democratic elections, aids in the recovery of stolen assets, expands security cooperation between the two countries – and holds Moscow accountable for its aggressive stance against Ukraine. … What will Iran say when we are negotiating in Vienna about nuclear weapons? What will others in the world say; North Korea whose march to nuclear weapons on a greater scale is still in play?” At another point he said, “We are at a defining moment in Ukraine with the backsliding of Russian leadership to a pre-1991 posture, in Syria with the fate of Assad, in the Middle East and what will bloom from the Arab Spring, in our trade relationships with each other as well as with China and Asia, in the strategic threats we face from non-state actors, and in the potential for the worst players acquiring the most dangerous weapons and finding new ways to deliver them.” Below are excerpts from his address to the group. “We must be resolved to stand on our shared principles and core values, and do what we must to protect the Ukrainian people from Russian aggression – together. … We must also end the violence in Syria – together. And we must stand against Iran’s attempt to build a nuclear weapon—together. …No longer can horrific violations of human rights or criminal acts be deterred and prosecuted by just one nation. No longer can large corporations— with wealth, power, and a long reach—be regulated by just one government. No longer can we think of the environment as just a domestic issue that ends at our political
borders. “…As the United States and Europe try to navigate that [interconnected] world, we will have to find answers to basic questions…: How do we mitigate the spread of radical Islamic fundamentalism—from the Hindu Kush to the Maghreb and across what King Abdullah called “The Shia Crescent” — the arc of unrest from the Gulf to the Mediterranean—that has turned the hope of an Arab Spring to a long winter of discontent—and what will the outcome be? “How do we end the unspeakable violence against ethnic and religious minorities, the rising refugee problems in the Middle East, and the spillover from the war in Syria—and who will emerge to lead a postwar Syria? How do we end violence against women and the use of that violence as a weapon of war? How do we engage China not just as a strategic competitor, but as a potential strategic partner? How do we stop the proliferation of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands? How do we stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon? “How do we implement the fundamental principles of “economic statecraft” to go beyond free trade, create new jobs, and build our middle classes based on economic growth ten, twenty, fifty years from now? How do we implement smart policies that develop human capital, reform educational systems, foster research and development, and rebuild our infrastructure? How do we enable companies to build 21st century workforces, expand supply chains, and deliver products more efficiently? How do we address the modern challenges of immigration where millions of people around the globe want to live, work and contribute in our countries the same way the Europeans built and shaped the destiny of my country? “And most importantly—how do we push back on Russia’s blatant and unacceptable abuse of military force in Ukraine and the illegitimate referendum held last weekend? The history of this young century will be written in how we respond to all of these challenges. “There is no greater and potentially transformational challenge than Russia’s aggression in Ukraine…The aggression against Ukraine by a Russian president…is only the most recent example in a series of events requiring little imagination to connect the dots of disruptive Russian behavior throughout the world. “In Syria, President Putin is actively
propping up President Bashar al-Assad and perpetuating the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. In Iran, the ink of the Joint Plan of Action signed in Geneva last November was barely dry when reports surfaced that Tehran and Moscow were negotiating an oil-for-goods swap worth $1.5 billion a month and they planned to build a new nuclear plant – all steps that only aid Iran in its pursuit of nuclear weapons while diminishing the sanctions that forced the country to the negotiating table in the first place. …” “We face fundamental questions which we have never faced before—and never thought we would have to face: What constitutes a state? How do states relate to each other across a range of economic, sectarian, political, military and even cultural dimensions when it comes to the distribution of power? What is war when the enemy is an ill-defined series of stateless actors and victory can be secured not only by the power of our military, but by the power of our computers? And how do we recognize and define peace when the very nature of war and conflict comes with new metrics, and new rules? … “Without strong Transatlantic cooperation—on sanctions, on missile defense, on our military posture, in driving the P5+1 agenda, and at the United Nations Security Council—there is no question in my mind that Iran will gain a nuclear capability. And we cannot allow that to happen! “If it does, it will set off a chain reaction of nuclear proliferation across the Middle East—across the Gulf, and potentially around the world. And we cannot allow that to happen either! “We can and we must work together to bring a verifiable-irreversible end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and strengthen and reinforce international norms against nuclear proliferation—together. “Let me be clear about my position on negotiations with Iran: I have always supported a two-track policy of diplomacy and sanctions. At the same time, I am convinced that we should only relieve pressure on Iran in exchange for verifiable concessions that will fundamentally dismantle Iran’s illicit nuclear program and that it be done in such a way that alarm bells will sound—from Vienna to Washington, from Jerusalem to Riyadh—should Iran restart its program anytime in the next 20 to 30 years. Any deal we reach with Iran must be verifiable, effective, and prevent Iran from ever developing even one nuclear weapon.
CONTINUED ON P. 71
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
NEWS
Recovering Flight MH370 Will Be Difficult By Chris Hughes Professor of Sea Level Science at University of Liverpool t has been confirmed that the Malaysian Airlines plane that disappeared on March 8 crashed into the southern Indian Ocean. It would be hard to choose a more complicated region of the ocean to be searching for scattered aircraft debris. The area of the southern Indian Ocean to which the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been traced, 1,500 miles west of Australia’s southwestern coast, lies just on the northern flank of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, a huge ocean current encircling Antarctica. In many ways it is similar to the atmospheric jet stream, or a series of jet streams.
I
Rivers and currents Just as in the jet stream, the strange effect of the earth’s rotation leads to the eastward-flowing currents focusing into narrow bands, like rivers flowing within the ocean. The currents loop into closed ed-
dies that break away from their current and spin off, like high and low pressure systems moving through the atmosphere. Unlike the atmosphere, these highs and lows are on a much smaller scale, perhaps 100500km (from ca. 62-311 miles) across. Typical flow speeds are around 20cm (ca. 8 inches) per second—about ten miles per day—but faster speeds of up to 100cm (ca. 40 inches) per second are possible, and the direction of flow at any one time is very unpredictable. The search area spans both the northernmost “river” of the Circumpolar Current, and a much calmer area to the north where currents are much slower. This means debris could have been scattered and pulled in different directions, at different speeds. Further complicating things is the effect of the wind. Any floating debris will be directly pushed by the wind, but will also be surrounded by water in the Ekman layer, which is the top 50 meters or so of the ocean in which the effect of the wind is immediately felt.
Here again, the rotation of the earth has an effect which results in water moving (in the southern hemisphere) to the left of the direction of the wind, to a degree which depends on depth. So the wind can cause debris to drift across the deeper ocean currents, generally to the north in this region of prevailing westerlies, but how much of an effect the wind has will depend on how deeply the debris is floating.
Deep waters It is now more than two weeks since flight MH370 was lost. In that time, debris could have drifted by several hundred miles from where it is presumed the plane hit the water, and the patch of debris could have spread by a substantial fraction of that distance. Even if the debris spotted is confirmed to be from the plane, finding any sunken remains will still be a big challenge. The ocean in that region is about 3,5004000 meters deep (ca. 11,000 feet-13,000
feet), and finding sunken wreckage will involve combing a vast area with advanced sonar imaging technology. Then there is the challenge of reaching it: only specialized equipment can operate at the pressures of more than 350 atmospheres present at such depths, although from that point of view it could have been worse – large areas of the seafloor lie more than 5,000 meters (ca. 16,500 feet) below the surface, with a few narrow trenches beyond 10,000 meters deep (ca. 33,000 feet). If the debris is confirmed to be from the Malaysia Airlines plane, a lot of work will remain to be done. It will still be a long time before we are in a position to determine what happened to flight MH370. DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Chris Hughes receives NERC funding for work at the National Oceanography Centre and from the National Centre for Earth Observation for research into Southern Ocean dynamics. U. of Liverpool provides funding as a Founding Partner of The Conversation. liverpool.ac.uk/
The Hunt for MH370’s Black Box is On, But It May Not Reveal All By Yijun Yu and Andrew Smith he latest developments in the case of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 strongly suggest that the plane’s wreckage has been found in the southern Indian Ocean. As the authorities from various countries and companies zone in on the objects identified in an area south west of Australia, they will, among other clues, be looking for the aircraft’s black box recorder in the hope of finding out exactly what caused MH370 to crash and how it ended up so far from its original course. Black boxes are normally referred to by aviation experts as electronic flight data recorders. Their role is to keep detailed track of on-flight information, recording all flight data such as altitude, position and speed as well as all pilot conversations. It is common for many civil airliners to have multiple devices to carry out these tasks so that information can be gathered more easily in the event of a failure. In most instances, they are used to help in the diagnosis of what may have been the likely cause of an accident. Even when the passengers walk safely
T
away, such as when US Airways flight 1549 crash landed into the Hudson River in 2009, the data is vital for investigators as they try to understand everything about the critical final minutes of the flight. The first step for the MH370 mission is to find the black box though. The device is actually more often orange or yellow in color so that it can be found more easily following a plane crash but it is still no mean feat to locate one. It took around two years to find the black boxes from Air France flight 447, which crashed in the Atlantic in 2009. The search for MH370 has already proved difficult and ocean currents may carry the device and other parts of the wreckage on an unpredictable journey. Then, once the black box is found, we can’t be certain that it will yield information. While the devices are designed to tolerate immersion in water, high velocity impact and damage, they are not indestructible. Occasionally data has to be collected from their remains which means there has to be a scientific and forensic process of analysis. Success on this front will depend on how the data is stored as well as the battery life of the black box.
Can you believe what you hear? Technological issues aside, once the recording have been recovered from the black box investigators will have to decide if what was said by the pilots in the final moments of the flight can be believed. It can really only be treated as one piece of the puzzle. The opinions of the pilot and co-pilot, no matter how experienced they are, can only be based on what they see and believe as they handle a high-pressure situation. This may not entirely reflect what the actual aviation issue may have been unless there is other data to back it up. These are all factors the different experienced investigators involved in MH370 will have to take into consideration as they form a scientific opinion about what happened. They will have to set out to prove and disprove each option in a systematic manner, always remaining open to returning to an old idea if new evidence presents itself. There has been considerable debate about alternative solutions such as uploading flight data into the cloud. This could have its own unique issues. How much can one airline or government trust the net-
work security being used by whoever is transmitting and storing the flight data? Cybersecurity is a very real problem these days and we have to face the fact that it we will have to make a tradeoff between the security of data and the safety of our aviation systems when we design airplanes in the future. In the wake of MH370, many will call for better systems to be put in place to protect our planes but that will open more doors for would-be hijackers. No nation would want to be the first to trade safety for national security, the speculation and rumor surrounding this latest disaster is likely to make them even more wary of that. DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Yijun Yu, Senior Lecturer, Department of Computing and Communications at The Open University receives funding from ERC, EU, QNRF. He is affiliated with IEEE and British Computing Society. The Open University provides funding as a Founding Partner of The Conversation. Andrew Smith, Lecturer in Networking at The Open University, does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.
x Public Relations Services x Communications Strategies
x Political Consulting x Government Relations
N. Aaron Troodler, President
888-897-7450
www.PaulReverePR.com 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 17
LOCAL NEWS
The Builders of Mesorah: 230 Rabbis Ordained at YU-RIETS By Elizabeth Kratz ew York—With trumpets and song, and more than 230 strong, the largest class of rabbis to ever graduate from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) entered Lamport Auditorium at Zysman Hall, on Yeshiva University’s Wilf Campus in Washington Heights. While the stage was a sea of familiar faces of the elder statesmen of Contemporary Orthodoxy, it took nearly ten minutes for the crush of new musmachim (rabbinic graduates) to file into their seats of honor at the front, with bright eyes wide with expectation. The musmachim were flanked on all sides by family members and close friends, taking pictures and clapping to the music. The Chag HaSmicha Convoca-
N
Bergen County’s 50 musmachim
tion, held on March 23, honored the 230 musmachim who completed their smicha training between 2011 and 2014. Fifty of these graduates hail from the greater Teaneck community. They joined the 3,180 men who have graduated from RIETS since its first Chag HaSmicha in 1906. To introduce the historical and social context of the convocation event, a video was shown high-
Rabbi Menachem Penner and Rabbi Yona Reiss dance at the 2014 Chag HaSemicha
lighting the rich history of RIETS, and in particular the contributions of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, known as the Rav, who ordained 2,000 of RIETS’s graduates. In his remarks, RIETS Dean Rabbi Menachem Penner recognized the presence of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, former president and chancellor of YU, who has been present at every Chag HaSmicha for the past 40 years. “The majority of the Orthodox American rabbinate has passed in front of you,” said Penner. Penner added a special mazal tov to those roshei yeshiva who have children in this class of musmachim, “including the Schachter, Rosenzweig and Charlop/Neuburger families, who are celebrating today three generations of RIETS rabbanim,” he said. “You are the contemporary builders of our living and breathing mesorah (tradition),” said Richard Joel, YU’s president, in his address to the musmachim. “Stu-
dents of Torah build and preserve the Jewish people through their learning. You are our builders, but you build upon, you do not build anew. And as builders, you must use all of the intellectual training you have acquired,” he said. “The openness of modern society challenges our process and our precedents but that commitment [to the mesorah] is what is at our core,” Joel said. “Along with this accomplishment comes a serious responsibility.” Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Rosh Yeshiva of RIETS, was asked to present a charge to the new musmachim. Schachter’s charge was a warning to take seriously the responsibilities of the rabbinate, with equal measures of humility and respect. He explained that now that the musmachim have smicha, things will be different. The ballei batim (congregants) look up to the rabbanim, and expect the rabbanim to be holy people. “But, it shouldn’t go to your
heads,” Rabbi Schachter said. “While rabbeim must remain humble, must continue to learn and must above all, continue to have fear of heaven,” Schachter reminded the musmachim that all the actions of a rabbi are watched closely by the congregants. “You’re the rabbi now. The ballei battim are looking up to you. So make sure you come to shul on time,” he said. At the Chag HaSmicha, RIETS also honored philanthropist Jay Schottenstein with the Eitz Chaim Award, and Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz ‘46 YC, ‘49 R, Av Beit Din of the Beth Din of America and of the Chicago Rabbinical Council Beit Din, with the Harav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, zt”l, Aluf Torah Award. Special recognition was also given to those who received smicha 50 years ago, members of the RIETS classes of 1960 to 1963. The event is also presented as a recorded webcast available to the public at www.yu.edu/chag.
Rabbi Lord Sacks Addresses Teaneck Community By Elizabeth Kratz eaneck—On spending a Shabbos in Teaneck several years ago, said Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, “I’d never been to such a remarkable community—a community of talmedei and talmiddot chachamim, a community of people who so clearly loved everything about yiddishkeit,” he said. Rabbi Sacks addressed the greater Teaneck community at a special melave malke on March 22, preceding the following day’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) Chag HaSmicha. Bergen County, this year, has the distinction of producing the most musmachim from any one place. Out of 225 total musmachim, there are 27 newly-ordained rabbis from Teaneck, seven from Bergenfield, seven from Fair Lawn, five from Englewood, and one from New Milford. Twelve of the current musmachim are graduates of the Frisch School, and 13 are graduates of the Torah Academy of Bergen County, according to Chaim Wietschner, a RIETS trustee and member of the Teaneck community. YU’s president Richard Joel introduced the world renowned former chief rabbi of England, who is currently completing the first of at least three years serving as the Kressel and Ephrat Family University Professor of Jewish Thought at Yeshiva University. “Rabbi Sacks has brought his inimitable manner of expression, his vast knowledge in matters sacred and secular, to our students, who, thank God, have the
T
18 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
training from their rabbeim to be able to digest on the deepest level what Rabbi Sacks is saying when he is teaching, so that we can really have a multiplicity of expression and questioning,” he said. Rabbi Sacks shared several personal stories about his road to becoming a rabbi, including a conversation he had with his father as a 5-year-old child. Sacks said he asked all sorts of questions about Judaism as the two walked home from shul, and his father told him that, for the most part, he did not know the answers. But, his father said, Sacks would soon have the education to teach him the answers, and education his father didn’t have, and in turn, the son would teach the father. One of the most prideful moments of Rabbi Sacks’ life, he said, was being able to give his father the joy of seeing him become the chief rabbi of England. The turning point of Rabbi Sacks’ life
came in 1978, when he went to see the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l. After presenting his career quagmire with three career options that did not include the rabbinate (he thought he might become an economist, an academic or lawyer), the Rebbe told him that none of the options he presented were meant for him. “Your job is to train rabbis,” the Rebbe said. “And, you have to become a rabbi yourself so that your students can see how you do it.” “I understood at that moment that training rabbis is the most important thing you can do in the Jewish world. I never doubted it then and I have never doubted it since. Those institutions that train the future leaders of the Jewish people are the most important institutions of the Jewish people,” Sacks said. Sacks spent the next eight years teaching at the rabbinical seminary, Jews College in England. But in the 160-year history of Jews College, Sacks said they have not ordained as many rabbis as Yeshiva University was going to at the next day’s Chag HaSmicha, he said. The role of the rabbi in the community, Rabbi Sacks said, is as important as it is complex, and it involves that each rabbi wear, at different times, the three crowns of Israel, all of which have their birthday on the first of the month of Nissan, which is approaching. The three crowns of Israel are the keter Torah (the crown of Torah), the keter kevunah (the crown of priesthood), and the keter malchut (the crown of
sovereighty). Rabbi Lord Sacks pointed out that in the absence of a monarch, a kohen gadol (high priest), and of a prophet, all halachically legitimate leadership in the Jewish people rests with the rabbis. In this sense, every rabbi wears all the crowns of the Jewish people. “It is the most extraordinary leadership role the Jewish people ever produced. We are bound to show leadership in three different ways,” said Sacks. “They are our nearest equivalent of kings, malchut. They need a lev shomeya, a listening heart, to have the wisdom of a king, to be able to guide the community in the right direction,” he said. To wear the crown of Torah, rabbis need to be above all, teachers. The highest accolade we gave to our forefather Moshe? We called him Moshe Rabbeinu, Moshe our teacher. “For us the highest honor in the world is to be a teacher,” Sacks said. Finally, rabbis of today must have vision. “The entire group of young musmachim, who I’ve come to know just a few of, they are blessed with such vision, and it is a great tribute to this institution,” Sacks said. As he congratulated the new musmachim, he gave them a taste of what they can expect out there in the world of rabbinic leadership. “It’s not the easiest thing in the world to lead Jews. A Rav is a shepherd of his congregation, but no Jew is ever a sheep. So when you are opting for the rabbinate, you are not opting for a quiet life,” Sacks said.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 19
MUNICIPAL CORNER
Teaneck Considers “Yellow Dot” Rescue Program T eaneck—Councilman Yitz Stern, with the concurrence of the rest of the Township Council, last week asked the Township administration to look into the implementation of a local “Yellow Dot” program, based on a recently enacted state law designed to help provide first responders with vital information on car accident victims. The law promotes the use of round yellow stickers on a car’s left rear window to indicate the presence of a driver’s photo and a list of their relevant medical conditions in a yellow envelope in the glove box, and will allow county and municipal governments to assist accident victims get immediate and appropriate treatment. “There are times when individuals hurt in a crash are unable to communicate with emergency responders to advise them about a medical condition that requires special attention and care. If that information is readily available in the vehicle, medical personnel may be able to provide better and quicker treatment,” said Stern. More than 20 states, including Connecticut and New York, now use this type of program to provide emergency response
personnel with quick access to medical information. According to the legislation, governing bodies wishing to set up this type of program should initially involve local first responders in its creation and development, develop program materials in line with other programs that currently exist, and make the yellow dot decals conveniently available. “With our emergency responders being dispatched frequently onto Routes 4 and 80/95, as well as covering all of our local roads, this program can quickly alert responders to a vehicle crash that a victim’s health information may be available in the glove compartment,” Stern said. “Having that information readily available can save precious moments on the scene.”
Englewood Hospital to Provide First Responder Training nglewood—Local fire and police departments are brushing up on life-saving skills, including delivering a baby in the middle of a street or safely removing a motorcycle helmet to manage an accident victim’s airway, with training provided by Englewood Hospital and Medical Center’s (EHMC) Emergency Medi- Englewood Hospital and Medical Center’s Emergency Medical Services cal Services (EMS) Department provides first responder training to members of the Department. Englewood Fire Department. (Photo Courtesy: Englewood Hospital and Bergen Coun- Medical Center) ty’s finest are reThe course also allows participants to newing critical skills and techniques in the management of medical emer- reinforce their skills in common emergencies through a four-week compre- gency scenarios, including CPR, clearing hensive course that provides training a blocked airway and safely removing acin CPR, airway, trauma and emergency cident victims from vehicles for transport to the nearest medical facility. childbirth. Harvey Weber, Director of EMS at EHMC EMS employs the use of a model of the female abdomen—complete EHMC said, “When you’re first on the with baby and placenta—to simulate scene, you need to be prepared for anthe labor and delivery scenarios and oth- ything—whether it’s assessing needs, er obstetrical emergencies. Trainers per- making decisions or providing life-saving form the simulation in parking lots and care. The response from our counterparts the back of ambulances to ensure first at local agencies has been extremely posresponders experience a realistic scenar- itive, allowing us to work together to ofio. Training also covers breech births and fer the best pre-hospital care to folks in our community.” other pregnancy-related complications.
E
20 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
LOCAL NEWS
Team Bergen County Takes the Jerusalem Marathon By Tzvi Silver erusalem—On Friday, March 21, over 25,000 runners took to the streets of Jerusalem, running either a full or half marathon, or 10K, to raise funds and awareness for their favorite cause. Among these were Bergen County natives, both younger and older, visiting, studying in or even living in Israel. For those cheering from home, The Jewish Link of Bergen County has highlighted a few of the runners for “Team Bergen County” in the 2014 Jerusalem Winner Marathon:
J
Teaneck Bids Fond Farewell to Chubby
http://jerusalem.teamyachad.com/runner/ avitals36/
Esther Simchi
Gaetano Ravallo and his granddaughters—Madeline Ravallo on the left and Mia Ravallo on the right. Photo credit: Aurora Ravallo
Ahuva Ehrenberg
ast week, the Teaneck Municipal Council presented Gaetano Ravallo—aka Chubby, the barber of northern Queen Anne Road—with a certificate of appreciation upon his retirement. Over the course of 53 years, the “unofficial barber of Teaneck,” has cut some of the wisest and perhaps not so wise heads in town, and he will be missed.
L
From: Teaneck (Beth Aaron) Now: Studying at Midreshet HaRova, Jerusalem Ran with: Team Yachad “I ran with Team Yachad because I, along with many other girls from my school, am involved with Yachad Israel. It’s a really great organization that helps create activities for those with special needs, and a very, very, worthy cause. To contribute to Team Yachad through supporting Ahuva’s run, please visit http://jerusalem.teamyachad.com/runner/Ahuva_ehren/.
From: Fair Lawn (Shomrei Torah) Now: Studying at MMY (Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim), Jerusalem Ran With: One Family Fund “This organization helps victims of terror in many different ways, including providing emotional, financial and medical aid. The team acts as a family unit and shows care and compassion to any victim of terror. I chose to run with One Family because I felt that running through the streets of Jerusalem with an Israeli organization that deals with the protection and assistance of Israeli citizens shows the resilience and strength of Am Yisrael. The beauty of the Jerusalem Marathon is that all types of Jews from all over participate by helping different organizations, all in support of Israel and the Jews of the world at large. A huge part of Judaism is Tikkun Olam and being an Or LaGoyim, which is perfectly shown in this marathon. To contribute to One Family Fund by supporting Esther’s run, please visit https://www.teamonefamily.org/esthersimchi
Leora Zomick
Avital Silver
See something happening near your home? Know of an event coming up in your community? Tweet it to: @jlinkbc
OHEL FAMILY CENTER AND
NEW BEGINNINGS OF THE TEANECK JEWISH CENTER
invite seniors to
PESACH: A Timeless Holiday in Rapidly Changing Times This is the first lecture in a new series of senior support groups that address aging in the modern world. From: Teaneck (Rinat Yisrael) Now: Studying at Tiferet Center, Ramat Bet Shemesh Ran With: Team Yachad “I ran with Team Yachad because the organization is truly flourishing here in Israel, with events almost every week, and shabatonim once a month. Yachad has integrated events for young adults with special needs and yeshiva and seminary students, and anyone else who wants to be involved. I have been to a couple of events, and the atmosphere is truly amazing and indescribable.” To contribute to Team Yachad through supporting Avital’s run, please visit
From: Teaneck (Young Israel) Now: Studying in Sha’alavim for Women, Jerusalem RanWith: Team HASC “I ran as part of Team HASC because I have worked in Camp HASC for two summers and will be returning for my third as a counselor. The work HASC does is extraordinary and by running I am raising money toward scholarships so that more people with special needs can be part of the magic that is “heaven on earth.” To contribute to Team HASC by supporting Leora’s run, please visit http://www.hasc.net/marathon/israel/my/leorazomick
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
April 2, 2014 @ 1:30 PM. SPEAKERS:
Devorah Sinensky
Mrs. Aviva Feldman
OHEL Geriatric Specialist
Rebbetzin Emeritus of the Teaneck Jewish Center
Refreshments served LOCATION: OHEL Family Center 696 Palisade Ave Teaneck, NJ 07666 *parking on site
RSVP: OHEL Family Center 201.692.3972 Or Mrs. Aviva Feldman 201.837.3791
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 21
22 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
LOCAL NEWS
Foodies and Chesed Mix It Up at Annual Food Challenge eaneck—The annual pre-Pesach faceoff between corned beef and pastrami (Noah’s Ark) and General Tso’s chicken (Chopstix) will take place from March 20, 2014 through April 13, 2014. The “contest” is used to fill local food pantries. “Each year customers of Noah’s Ark and Chopstix vie for the biggest donations to help their neighbors, while proving their loyalty to their favorite kosher food source» said Noam Sokolow, owner of Noah’s Ark Deli & Shelly’s Dairy Restaurant. “Last year’s challenge realized over 300 bags of cereal, pancake mix, flour, tuna, ketchup, diapers and toiletries for the Food Pantry, just as supplies were low and they were most in need,” stated Elie Y. Katz of Chopstix. The challenge
T
L-R: Noam Sokolow and Elie Katz
By Fire, By Water Author to Speak at One Book, One Community
creased. They would like to see a major increase in those donations this year. Donations of unopened, non-refrigerated food and toiletries will be accepted (and appreciated) at the following locations: Chopstix, 172 West Englewood Avenue; Noah›s Ark, 493 Cedar Lane and Shelly’s Dairy Restaurant, 482 Cedar Lane—all in Teaneck. The Teaneck Helping Hands Food Pantry receives desperately needed food, the customers clear their pantries and help others at the same time and the business owners get bragging rights about their patrons. Last year, Noah’s Ark won the contest. This year, said Elie Katz, Chopstix is looking to take back the title—and reminds everyone this is one contest everyone wins.
began when several Chopstix customers suggested that they do something useful with the food they were literally throwing out. This year the donated food will go to the Teaneck Helping Hands Food Pantry at 195 West Englewood Avenue, which serves hundreds of families in need and is the logical and neighborly beneficiary. Recent years have seen a marked increase in demand for food and a sharp decrease in donations. Winters in general, and this year’s bitter snowy winter in particular, has created a crisis as prices of basic foods have risen and people could not get out to bring donations in. The original drive resulted in vans of food being donated, and Katz and Sokolow say that each year since, donations have in-
NO OT YOUR US SUA AL S AITE SHA EL SAL S LE!!
PRRE- PESAACH SALEE IN JERSE SEY! BACKK BY POPPULAR DEMAND! DE !!
By Bracha Schwartz aramus—In synagogues, Jewish community centers, and book clubs throughout Bergen County, Sephardic
P
S SUNDAY Y MARC CH 30 9 AM-12 2pm sha arp Mich helle Ju udith Bo outique (side entrance e e)
TH HIS SU UND DAY Y! Ovver 350 wigs!
1348 Taft T Roa ad Bergenfield, NJ
history and culture are getting a lot of attention. It’s all part of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey’s (JFNNJ) One Book, One Community project now in its third year. This year’s book, By Fire, By Water, by Mitchell James Kaplan, brings readers back to Spain during the Inquisition and the struggles of Jews to keep their faith, deny it, or keep it only in secret. The entire community is invited to a talk by the author and a dessert reception Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m., at Temple Israel & Jewish Community Center, 475 Grove Street, Ridgewood. The event is free but RSVPs are required: Contact NancyP@jfnnj.org, call 201/820-3904 or go to www.jfnnj. org/onebook.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 23
LOCAL NEWS
CHABAD FT. LEE’S PURIM BLAST A SMASH
Purim Italiano Molto Bene on the Palisades
habad of Fort Lee held a Purim in the shtetl-themed party on Sunday, March 16. Over 300 people enjoyed the delicious Purim dinner, Purim crafts, a Super Booth and watching the Bottle Dancers USA dance to Klezmer music. Everyone loved the shtetl props and decor and had a ball.
C
Rabbi Yitzchak Gershovitz and Rabbi Mordechai Shain dancing the Italian March.
200 men, women and children celebrated Purim Italiano at Lubavitch on the Palisades of Tenafly. Everyone had the opportunity to get a taste of Italy with gourmet Italian cuisine, fine Italian wines and masquerade in Italian attire.
Are you looking for a summer job where you can make a difference?
MJE Celebrates Israel on April 2
Can you remember the time when you had a counselor who was so amazing that they really impacted your life?
M
Camp Shalom is an Orthodox day camp that is located on the border of NY and NJ. We are looking for dynamic people who would like an opportunity to become that memorable staff member. We x x x x x
are looking for: Specialists (sports, art, etc) Morah’s (for our pre-school bunks) Senior Counselors (graduating high schools and older) Junior Counselors (entering 10th – 12th grades) Lifeguards (Age 16 and older)
We provide an exciting and enjoyable work environment and competitive salaries. If you are interested in joining our staff or would like additional information, please email Rabbi Yehoshua Gold at RabbiGold@CampShalomNJ.org. You may also visit our website at www.CampShalomNJ.org to fill out an online application.
Business Address: 244 Elm Ave, Teaneck NJ 07666
24 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
Tel : 201-624-2331 Fax : 201-254-3349 Email : Office@CampShalomNJ.org
anhattan Jewish Experience (MJE) is proud to announce its 15th Annual Dinner theme of “Celebrating Israel’s Vital Role at MJE.” In a time when BDS campaigns and Israel Apartheid Week are gaining progressively more ground among today’s youth, MJE realizes that it is important now more than ever to recognize Israel’s true greatness, both as a home to the Jewish people and for its significance to Jewish outreach in general and to MJE in particular. When MJE was founded in 1998, Founder and Director Rabbi Mark Wildes created an organization whose mission was to utilize classic Jewish and Zionist teachings as well as social programs to reach out to less affiliated young Jewish professionals and reconnect them to their Jewish heritage and to Israel. In addition to lectures on Torah, question and answer sessions on any and all things Jewish, Shabbat Dinners, and Weekend Retreats, MJE offers two educational and spiritual tours of Israel every summer to its participants, led by Rabbi Wildes himself with his family. To date, 18 MJE participants have already made aliyah, and this year MJE is embarking upon an exciting new partnership with Ohr Torah Stone, the brainchild of the founding Rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue and current Chief Rabbi of the Israeli city Efrat, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, who will be receiving a special Tribute Award at the Dinner. Manhattan Jewish Experience’s “Celebrating Israel’s Vital Role at MJE” Dinner will be held on Wednesday, April 2nd at 6:00pm at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, located at 36 Battery Place. Anyone wishing to attend, inquire about the event, or make a donation to MJE should visit the “MJE Annual Dinner” tab on their website at www. jewishexperience.org or contact Dalya Levy at dlevy@jewishexperience.org
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
LOCAL NEWS
Hundreds Celebrate at Moriah’s 48th Annual Dinner
early 600 people celebrated and supported The Moriah School’s 48th Annual Dinner on motzoei Shabbat, March 1st. Parents, teachers, alumni and friends came together to recognize and honor Roni ‘84 and Yehuda Blinder, Debby Prince, Dr. Michal Agus Fox and principal, Dr. Elliot Prager. This year’s annual campaign committee was chaired by Jason Eichenholz along with co-chairs Evan Borenstein, Greg Haber, Brian Rosen and Alex Solomon. Din-
N
ner co-chairs were Ellen Brody, Polly Bousbib, Eda Greenbaum, Drorit Ratzker and Karen Weiss. Campaign and Dinner Committee members Ronnie Aranoff, Jonathan Baum, Haim Chasman, David Gellman, Seth Gribetz, Scott Herschmann, Andrew Levy, Gilad Ottensoser, David Parker, Jonathan Schechter, Steven Siegler, Eric Sussman, Zvi Weiss, Aaron Yunis; Art Committee co-chairs Sara Csillag and Sarrah Ottensoser; Journal Chair Rivka Gertzulin; Montage Chairs Nancy Miller and Jennif-
er Aranoff; Scrapbook Co-chairs, Leslie Ann Fromen and Linda Epstein and of course the dedicated Development Director, Nila Lazarus; and Leslie Frucht. Thanks to the generous support of over 695 donors from the community, Moriah is able to maintain their commitment to providing the highest standards of
excellence while providing an accessible Jewish and general education to all. Support of the dinner helps the Allen Stern Memorial Scholarship Fund and educational enhancements that include technology, professional development, student support services and curriculum advancements.
Rinat Marks First Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Herschel Schacter April 5 n Shabbat afternoon, April 5, 2014 at 5:50 PM, Cong. Rinat Yisrael is privileged to present a special lecture by Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter, professor at Yeshiva University, who will mark the first yahrzeit of Rabbi Herschel Schacter, z”l. The late Rabbi Schacter, a prominent student of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveichik (the Rav), z”l, dedicated his life to Jewish leadership. As a chaplain in the U.S. Third Army, he was a liberator of the Buchenwald concentration camp, where he tended to the survivors (including the 7-year-old Israel Meir Lau, later Chief Rabbi of Israel, his brother, former Israeli ambassador Naftalie Lavie, and the teenaged Elie Wiesel) and led
O
religious services. He was the beloved Rabbi of the Mosholu Jewish Center in the Bronx for 52 years and was the acclaimed Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. His son, Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter, will address “Reflections on the Past, the Future and Pesach” in his father’s memory.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 25
LOCAL NEWS
Keylim Mikvah Awareness Month by Jenny Gans eaneck—Anyone who just bought the perfect dish for their table and can’t wait to use it knows that there is another step to be taken before putting it into use. Before that serving dish, baking pan, serving spoon, or any other type of vessel made of metal or glass can be used at home, it should first be taken to the keylim (utensil) mikvah, and immersed. Halachic opinions vary on precisely which materials must be immersed before use, so one must consult their rabbi for any specific questions. Plastic, however, is exempt. The keylim mikvah was remodeled during the reconstruction of the mikvah on Windsor Road, and has seen a tremendous increase in its use since re-opening four years ago. The mikvah serves the Teaneck, Bergenfield, and New Milford communities, making it a central part of the community, convenient from all locations. Anyone who has been to the keylim mikvah knows that everything has been provided for a successful visit. Should someone need to remove a label, Goo-gone is there. Extra packaging needs to be disposed of? There are ample garbage cans for that too. Cleaning staff works to maintain the pristine quality of the mikvah. There is also information on the wall providing the traditional blessing said over the immersions, as well as a translation and transliteration. While many people use the keylim
T
mikvah for an occasional purchase from time to time, Pesach is a time when the keylim mikvah is used practically from dawn to dusk, almost the entire time the doors are unlocked. Maintaining the mikvah, especially with the influx of people toiveling what can amount to an entire kitchen’s worth of items, becomes particularly taxing during the weeks before Pesach. It is for this reason that the Teaneck Mikvah dedicates the month preceding Pesach to keylim mikvah awareness. Letters have been sent out via mail and email requesting $36 from each family in the community. Any amount is appreciated, of course, and the mikvah is hoping to get 100% participation from every family. As in previous years, the mikvah also reaches out to many local caterers and restaurants as well, who are also patrons of the keylim mikvah. The Teaneck Mikvah Association feels tremendous gratitude to the community and to all the vendors who have in the past supported this fundraiser, and hopes they will continue to do so. With so many people using the keylim mikvah, it is no surprise that they also leave a mess. The Teaneck Mikvah committee has posted a list of mikvah rules to help make the toiveling keylim experience pleasant, and quick, for everyone. • If the mikvah is crowded, kindly wait your turn outside. At the same time, when using the mikvah, please share the space and make room for other patrons.
• Throw all packaging (boxes, cardboard, Styrofoam, etc.), in the garbage. • Please do not park in the handicapped parking spot. “We provide everything a person might need when toiveling,” says Alisa Levy, a member of the Teaneck Mikvah Association’s executive board. “We hope that everyone feels a sense of responsibility and pride in helping us maintain the mikvah.” she added, “The keylim mikvah is really a
community service, and we look forward to everyone’s participation on any level.” The fundraiser supports the operating costs for the entire year, including insurance costs, supplies, and equipment. The $36 keylim mikvah pledge, or contributions of any amount may be made online at teaneckmikvah.com or by mailing a check payable to the “Teaneck Mikvah Association,” earmarked to the keylim mikvah, to 1726 Windsor Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666.
ALATEEN MARKS ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY By Bracha Schwartz assaic—In Clifton last month, 35 people came to show their gratitude for an innovative Alateen program for Orthodox teenagers, including participants, friends and family. Alateen is a support group for teens with a family member, usually a parent, who is an alcoholic or drug addict. Two members spoke that night about how Alateen had changed their lives. Rikki Wisotsky, a licensed clinical social worker, who helps out in Clifton and leads a Tuesday night group in Passaic for frum girls, said Alateen teaches kids how to understand addiction, how they need to react to the addict’s behavior and how to make the relationship better. “It gives them hope, coping skills and tools,” she said. The Passaic group will be marking its first anniversary in May and now has four to eight girls coming to sessions weekly. Alateen follows a 12-step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the program for the alcoholics and addicts themselves. An addiction in the family usually causes a lot of trauma. When a parent who is normally the one children go to for guidance is the one responsible for the dysfunction, vulnerable teens feel lost and need to find help for themselves. Too often, the girls have addiction issues of their own including eating disorders. Wisotsky thinks the internet has contributed to the troubled behavior
P
26 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
of both adults and teens—and can be an addiction in its own right. “Before the internet, you had to know someone who could be a negative influence. Facebook friends aren’t real friends and they’re more available. They can put you in touch with the wrong people.” While Alateen helps the children of alcoholics and addicts, “The Chill” in Clifton is giving support to teens who are struggling with other issues: emotional problems; religious doubts or parents who are sick, going through a divorce or having serious financial difficulties. “The Chill” has separate boys and girls groups and meets at a shul in Clifton. Rikki Wisotsky works with the girls’ group, for eighth graders through high school, and her husband, Adam Wisotsky, also a licensed social worker, helps with the boys. Mentors from the community volunteer to work with the kids. Wisotsky said each group has speakers and activities geared to their interests, followed by a hot dinner. Said Rikki, “For the girls, we had someone teach them about make-up, and next we’ll be talking about skin care. My husband gives the boys guitar lessons and they’ve had martial arts classes.” On Friday nights, there is a rotating Oneg Shabbat at the homes of host families. The Alateen Tuesday night meetings in Passaic take place at Tifereth Israel, 180 Passaic Avenue. For more information about “The Chill” or Alateen, contact the Wisotskys at 973/249-7435.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
NEWS ANALYSIS
Israel Makes Some Headway at U.N. The News from the East Side is Not All Bad By Joseph Potasnik (This article appeared in the Forward and is printed with permission of the author) As someone who has protested outside the gates of the United Nations on several occasions, I find it astonishing to now witness some heartening developments at the world body. Contrary to the dire predictions that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, settlement growth, and systemic discrimination at the United Nations are leading to Israel’s increasing isolation on the world stage, the sky is not falling on the Jewish state. At the U.N., an organization that many consider to mirror the attitudes and perceptions of the global community, stellar diplomatic efforts by Israel and the enormous political capital expended by its staunchest ally, the United States, are steadily normalizing Israel’s status. Consider, for example, that in late February, 170 countries unanimously nominated Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Ron Prosor, to chair elections for the U.N. Human Rights Committee, an agency that has taken many shots at Israel in the past. As Prosor rightly pointed out, “The central role Israel plays to advance human rights around the world is the real answer to anyone calling for boycotts against Israel.” This success followed a series of groundbreaking actions, ending years of exclusion of Israel from the geographic regional blocs that are so central to U.N. activities. Because of Arab states’ rejection of Israel’s membership into the U.N. Asian Group (Israel’s natural geographic designation), for nearly four decades, Israel was the only U.N. member state excluded from membership in one of the five regional groups. As a result, Israel could not sit on any U.N. body where membership in a regional group was required, including the Security Council, the Human Rights Council and the Economic and Social Council. In May 2000, this discrimination began to change — due in large measure to the unrelenting efforts of the late ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and then secretary of state Madeleine Albright. Israel became a temporary member of the Western European and Others Group in New York, and its membership in this body was granted permanent renewal
in May 2004. Yet, Israel was still excluded from the regional group system at other important U.N. locations, such as Geneva, Nairobi and Rome, an anomaly that was also rectified recently — in November 2013. In early March, Israel was admitted in New York to “JUSCANZ,” a U.N. voting bloc comprising the non-European Union states from the “Western” group, which includes the United States, Canada and many of the world’s most advanced democracies. Prosor hailed Israel’s admission, saying: “An historical injustice has been corrected…. Israel’s admission into JUSCANZ highlights the international community’s recognition of our democracy. In the Middle East, a region where women are stoned to death and minorities executed, we are a beacon of human rights, equality and freedom.” Additionally, Israel recently became the first Middle Eastern country to be granted observer status to the Pacific Alliance, a bloc of five Latin American countries: Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Costa Rica. Buoyed by these breakthroughs, Israel is now putting on a full court press for the penultimate achievement — a seat on the U.N. Security Council for 2019–2021. The Security Council is arguably the U.N.’s most prestigious and powerful seat. Going head to head with Germany and Belgium, Israel will need to garner support from allied nations in its Western voting bloc as quickly and directly as possible. The behind-the-scenes maneuvering at the U.N. that enabled Israel’s recent achievements should be instructive in guiding the
campaign for a seat on the Security Council. Inclusion in the JUSCANZ alliance, for example was facilitated with strong support from the United States and through a proactive commitment from Samantha Power, America’s ambassador to the U.N., who noted shortly after Israel was admitted that the United States has for years pushed for the full inclusion of Israel across the system of the U.N. Joining regional groups has been central to America’s efforts not only to end discrimination against Israel, but also to significantly advance the Jewish state’s international standing. It is precisely because America main-
tains such influence at the U.N. that we are able to promote and support Israel’s interests. Without continued U.S. engagement — and fiscal responsibility to the organization — we would not have the required leverage to bolster Israel’s position or to help defend it against bias from U.N. member states, most of which are not democracies. Fairness toward Israel has hardly been the mantra of many, if not most, U.N. member states. Nonetheless, through sustained, and ever-relentless, engagement, the United States may yet bring about real change on Israel’s behalf. As Power vowed at a recent meeting of the American Jewish Committee, “I will never give up on Israel’s election to the Security Council.” Congress and the American public can put real teeth behind that pledge by supporting active engagement by America in the U.N. Jewish tradition teaches, “The eyes are composed of two parts, light and dark, but we only see out of the dark.” We Jews face too much darkness in this world. It is good, however, to sometimes behold some light. Joseph Potasnik is the executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis.
“we need to talk”The four words you never want to hear from your teen, spouse, or business partner.
CHARLES J. KLEINER, ESQ. Charles J. Kleiner, Esq.
Charles J. Kleiner, Esq. One University Plaza, Suite 412 Hackensack, NJ 07601 Tel. No. (201) 441-9616 Fax No. (201) 441-9617 450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1308 New York, NY 10123 Tel. (347) 739-9739 Fax No. (212) 629-5825
A warm and caring legal practice focusing on: N.J. Municipal Court/N.Y. Traffic Court and DMV Hearings Residential and Commercial Real Estate Wills, Trusts and Estates Commercial Law Litigation Business Formations and Transactions Property Tax Appeals
Admitted in New York and New Jersey
Charles@Kleinerlaw.com 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 27
THE JEWISH LINK
GUEST EDITORIAL
OF BERGEN COUNTY
End the Humiliation of Israel’s Diplomats By Malcolm Hoenlein (This article first appeared in Haaretz. Reprinted with permission from the author.) ew York—I started writing this article during the first Israeli Foreign Ministry strike a few months ago, but was reluctant to publish it because of my personal predilection against involvement in internal governmental matters of this kind. Visiting Israel at the time, I was stunned by the public’s indifference to the strike and the dismissive attitude towards those engaged in it. Now, with the strike resumed and intensified, the same lack of concern and interest seems to prevail. When there is a strike that directly impacts people’s lives, like a bus stoppage or electricity shut off, the reaction is swift and pressure quickly mounts to reach an accommodation. This is not the case when Israeli diplomats go on strike, possibly because most people don’t realize the negative effects, the direct harm and the lasting damage it may cause. I cannot presume to evaluate the demands and counteroffers made by striking Foreign Ministry workers or by Finance Ministry officials, but I am in a position to judge the impact that the strike is having not only on Israeli diplomats but also on many good people who wish to visit, develop ties or engage in commerce with the Jewish state. I have worked closely with many members of Israel’s foreign service at every level for decades. Most of them are amongst the hardest working and most devoted, dedicated and committed public servants I have ever met. Many of them could easily find more lucrative positions outside
N
the Foreign Ministry, were it not for their devotion to serving the country and representing Israel abroad. Far too many Israeli elected and public officials do not sufficiently appreciate these diplomats or the personal sacrifices they must make in order to represent Israel around the globe, including in hostile or isolated locations. Their assignments can often involve danger to them and their families—and the memorials in the Foreign Ministry attest to those who have paid with their lives. Often, the spouses of diplomats must give up promising careers in order to accompany their families abroad. This can also mean relinquishing a pension and creating obstacles to finding similar employment when they return. I know that some people are under the impression foreign postings for diplomats entail lavish benefits. This is far from the truth, especially for those who are with families who serve in expensive cities. I personally know of Israeli diplomats who were forced to borrow money while abroad in order to make ends meet. I was not surprised to learn, therefore, that one third of those recruited in the past ten years have left the Foreign Ministry for financial reasons. I have worked especially closely with Israeli emissaries in the United States. They are a remarkably talented and articulate team that would make any country proud. They devote themselves wholeheartedly to their tasks, are available at all hours, day or night, and often go far beyond the call of duty. In the Conference of Presidents we visit many countries—most recently Spain and Greece—and we are of-
Co-Founders/Co-Publishers Moshe Kinderlehrer Mark (Mendy) Schwartz
ten witnesses to the high regard in which Israel’s representatives are held. In Israel itself a few weeks ago, we were once again impressed with the competence, knowledge and understanding of the staff that serves in the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. Israel’s foreign service is a critical part of the country’s strategic equation and is vital to an array of national interests. From the consular services that address individual needs to hasbara advocacy for Israel, to promotion of economic ties and facilitation of visits by foreign leaders and people of influence, Israeli diplomats provide vital services. It is clear that most people in Israel, aside from those seeking direct services, do not realize the overall impact the strike is having. Many visits by leaders and delegations have and will be cancelled or postponed as a result of this strike: Events have been called off, plans have been scuttled, lives have been disrupted. Yet far too many people, in both the government and the media, show a shocking lack of personal compassion for the striking diplomats or concern for the damage that their strike is causing to the perception of Israel as a while. I hope that this appeal can help to introduce a greater sense of urgency to the negotiations and perhaps some soulsearching about how those who are “the face of Israel abroad” are being treated. It is humiliating for them as well as for the State of Israel, and the price is mounting every day.
Editor Jeanette Friedman Contributing Editors Nina Glick Elizabeth Kratz Phil Sieradski Advertising Director Yaakov Serle Assistant Editor Aliza Chasan Sales Development Ken Goffstein Sales Representative Maxine Bender Simon Worman Technical Editor/ Database Coordinator Moishie Rosenberg Sports Editor Steve Gutlove Design design2pro.com Contributors Sarah Abenaim • Larry Bernstein Rabbi Sam Frenkel • Jenny Gans Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Glick • Estelle Glass • Chavie Hagler • Sara Kosowsky Gross Gail Hochman • Robert Katz • Banji Latkin • Harold Nussbaum • Sara Prager P’nina Seplowitz • Bracha Schwartz Rabbi Mark Staum • Tzvi Silver Jordana Schoor • N. Aaron Troodler • Chemmie Sokolic • Rayzel Yaish • Nancy Zweibach • Temimah Zucker • The Jewish Link of Bergen County PO Box 3131 Teaneck, NJ 07666 Phone: 201-371-3212 Email: editor@jewishlinkbc.com Advertising: ads@jewishlinkbc.com Subscriptions/Home Delivery: delivery@jewishlinkbc.com
The Jewish Link of Bergen County, an independent publication, promotes honest and rigorous conversations about Judaism,Israel and issues affecting our community. The opinions reflected in articles from our contributors do not necessarily reflect JLBC’s positions, and publishing them does not constitute an endorsement from JLBC. We simply offer food for thought. We reserve the right to accept or refuse submissions and edit for content and length. We also reserve the right to refuse advertising that in our opinion does not reflect the standards of the newspaper. We are not responsible for the kashrus of any product advertised in the Jewish Link of Bergen County.
Malcolm Hoenlein is the Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Major Jewish Organizations.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the Editor: In an article published here on March 13, “Modern Orthodoxy’s Identity Crisis”, Amram Altzman laments that, unfortunately, not enough change is taking place in the Modern Orthodox world. Times are changing and so should we and our approach to Orthodox Judaism. This is especially regrettable in that which, he claims, is taking place at Yeshiva University, “the hallmark institution of Torah u-Mada, Torah and [secular] knowledge.” Mr. Altzman would like to see movement on the issues of partnership minyanim, women wearing tefillin, and full inclusion of an LGBTQ agenda into our communities. Presumably, since these are the issues of the day, it is precisely in these areas that we could prove our commitment to modernity. The modern world wants it and we should oblige. There should be more “embracing modernity”, and there is not enough “constructive dialogue about the changing society in which we live”. Altzman begins with a fundamental error and this mistake colors the remainder of his piece. “As [the] modern world changes, our Orthodoxy must change, too.” For him, engagement with the world means changing with the times. The author misunderstands Modern Orthodoxy to mean that one automatically adopts all modern ideas as his own, and fits his Judaism to these ever-changing notions. Although he did not like the term Mod-
28 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
ern Orthodox, the greatest leader in this philosophy of engaging the world through Torah was Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. More than 20 years after his passing, his thought and teachings continue to animate Yeshiva University. It was his deeply held belief that the Torah is always relevant in every generation and in every circumstance. It certainly would never change and its message must never be manipulated to fit comfortably with passing trends. Halachic Judaism, Rabbi Soloveitchik taught, must be understood and appreciated as a sophisticated system of thought in its own right, never to be measured by other criteria. When judging a thought or a value through the prism of Torah, the result will sometimes be acceptance, sometimes synthesis, and sometimes rejection, but never capitulation. Rabbi Soloveitchik taught that the best in modern culture could sometimes be integrated into the religious personality. But halacha is sacrosanct. The Roshei Yeshiva at Yeshiva University do not shut themselves off from the world at all. Quite the opposite is true. They are constantly dealing with questions and problems coming from all over the world. They do so with understanding, empathy and a love of klal Yisrael. Quite naturally, it is to them that individuals and communities turn with difficult halachic problems for guidance and solutions. To whom else would we bring our questions? To those
whose knowledge of, and commitment to, halacha is mediocre? A serious approach to halacha requires one to seek answers from those much more knowledgeable, and never to have predetermined answers to which the posek must conform. Mr. Altzman is correct when he says that modernity has “evolving values,” but he is wrong in his claim that Orthodox Judaism should evolve along with them. The unchanging value system of the Torah is what we bring with us to meet the modern world. We will be challenged for maintaining sacred teachings, but our responsibility is to safeguard the tradition, and to do so with pride and conviction. Yeshiva University is living up to its mission to produce Jewish leaders. It is doing the hard work of training them to go out into a world veering further and further away from traditional values. Unquestioned and absolute commitment to Torah and a willingness to engage with modern culture can be tricky, but YU has always been, and continues to be, the world’s leader in this difficult task. Our rabbis, and even our lay leaders, would be a disappointment if they saw their role as adopting every modern idea of the moment, and becoming apologists for the Torah. The rabbis we produce must articulate timeless values in a society where right and wrong is as fleeting as the news cycle. If every modern idea would become their own we will have failed. We are filled with pride
that more than two hundred young men have recently been recognized at the Chag haSmicha for taking upon themselves the daunting task of being leaders of our people, ready to accept the challenge of being a spokesman for Torah Judaism. For those who choose not to grapple with the challenges of modernity, the issues are far less complicated. But we encourage our students to be out in the world and to face the realities. It is not always easy but our charge is to bring the Torah’s message to a world in desperate need of it. We learn how to do this by our Roshei Yeshiva who are fully engaged and always available. To be a Modern Orthodox Jew does not mean to accept all modern ideas. It means to learn about them, evaluate them, and decide whether they have a place in the life of a Jew whose every move is governed by the Torah. And if one is not able to make a determination, one must have a teacher upon whom to rely. We would all do well to be guided by the words of Rabbi Soloveitchik in “Halachic Man”: “When halachic man approaches reality, he comes with his Torah, given to him from Sinai, in hand. He orients himself to the world by means of fixed statutes and firm principles. An entire corpus of precepts and laws guides him along the path leading to existence…” Neal Turk Yeshiva University
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
THE MAGGID OF BERGENFIELD
Tazria: Because God Loves Bald Men • Vayikra: 13: 40-41 By Larry Stiefel octor Zorkner’s ofďŹ ce was not at all what Jonathan had expected. Most doctors’ waiting areas had generic plastic seats or a couch and a few upholstered easy chairs. And of course they all had the required magazine rack, with the outdated copies of Time and Newsweek, and National Geographics from the Mesolithic Age. But with all of Doctor Zorkner’s fame, Jonathan thought his antechamber would be different. He expected something out of a style magazine, or at least some leather. Copies of Town and Country and Architectural Digest should be strewn about the room. But Jonathan was sorely disappointed. Doctor Zorkner had the most generic doctor’s decor he had ever observed. Despite his fame, Dr. Z.’s waiting room looked more like a subway station than a high-class Upper East Side medical ofďŹ ce. Perhaps that was appropriate. After all, Doctor Zorkner did have his picture plastered all over the New York City subway system, so why shouldn’t his ofďŹ ce look like a stop on the A Train? “Mr. Rubin?â€? Jonathan stood up. “You can come in now.â€? The nurse ushered him into an examination room and told him to get undressed and put on a blue paper gown, but Jonathan explained that wouldn’t be necessary. The nurse shrugged and closed the door behind her. Jonathan was glad he hadn’t changed into a gown, because the room was heavily air-conditioned, and he was in there for a long time. Jonathan had brought along no reading material and there were no magazines in the room, so he spent his time staring at a Chagall print on the wall—a rabbi-like ďŹ gure oating in the air above the image of a shtetl with a cow and a goat— and rereading a brochure about acne treatment. He sat in exam room number ďŹ ve for
D
over 45 minutes before Dr. Zorkner made his appearance. Dr. Jay Zorkner came into the room in his perfectly pressed white lab coat and shook Jonathan’s hand warmly. He looked older than his likeness in the subway and television advertisements, but as would be expected with a dermatologist, his skin was perfect. “How can I help you, Mr. Rubin?â€? the doctor asked in his deep, sonorous voice. “Well, I’m 35 years old, and I’ve started losing my hair. I was hoping you could take a look and tell me what you think.â€? “Mr. Rubin, I’m not exactly a hair-loss specialist. As you may have gathered from my ads all around town, I concentrate more on how to make your skin look its best.â€? “I know, Dr. Z., but this problem has really been worrying me, and I decided that I want to get advice from the best.â€? “Thank you, Mr. Rubin, that’s very kind of you.â€? “Please, call me Jonathan.â€? “All right, Jonathan, let’s have a look.â€? After taking a careful medical history, Dr. Zorkner had Jonathan lean forward, and he looked through his hair with the equivalent of a ďŹ ne tooth comb. Dr. Z. studied Jonathan’s scalp in earnest. He went over his hairline with a magnifying glass. He plucked out a hair and examined it under a microscope. Finally, he turned to Jonathan and spoke. “Jonathan, you’re going bald.â€? Jonathan stared at Dr. Zorkner, waiting for additional details, but none were forthcoming. “That’s it?â€? “Well, I can tell you lots of medical gobbledy-gook, like it’s not alopecia areata, and there’s no way it’s tinea capitis. I could bore you with the pathology of your hair follicle. But I’m going to give it to you straight. You have typical, run-of-the-mill, male pattern baldness. It’s that simple.â€? “So can you recommend a treatment?â€? “I think at this point you would be better off with a hair-loss specialist. There are
pharmacologic treatments like minoxidil and ďŹ nasteride. There are hair-replacement techniques like plugs. You can even get an excellent hairpiece so that no one would suspect a thing. But can I be honest with you?â€? “Sure, Dr. Zorkner.â€? “If I were you, I wouldn’t do a thing. Bald is beautiful. There’s nothing wrong with losing your hair. It’s perfectly natural. And besides, God loves bald men.â€? “Doctor Zorkner, I know you’re an expert in your ďŹ eld and a bit of a local celebrity to boot, but what on earth are you talking about?â€? “It’s true, Jonathan. If you read the Torah carefully, it jumps right out at you. As a dermatologist, I always read the parshiot of Tazria and Metzora with great interest when they come around every year in the synagogue reading cycle. Every aspect of the laws of tzara-at, or what some call leprosy, fascinates me.â€? “So what’s your point?â€? “In the middle of parshat Tazria, the Torah talks about baldness.â€? Dr. Zorkner reached over to his bookcase, and from among the many medical texts he pulled out a chumash. “It says Ve-ish ki yimareit rosho keyreyach hu tahor hu. Ve-im mipe-at panav yimaret rosho tahor hu. If the hair of a man’s head falls out: he is bald at the back of his head, he is pure. And if the hair falls out toward the front of his head: he is frontally bald, he is pure. If there’s a better description of male pattern baldness than these
pesukim, I’d like to see it. Right in the middle of all these descriptions of diseased and impure skin, God takes the time to say that bald people are pure. Isn’t that something?â€? “I suppose,â€? Jonathan said. “Don’t you get it?â€? Dr. Zorkner said. “There are no superuous words in the Torah. So if God goes to the trouble of stating that bald people are pure, He must really care for them.â€? “Interesting point,â€? Jonathan offered. “And this love of bald men extends to rabbinic law as well,â€? the doctor added. “Oh?â€? “Why do you think the rabbis established the custom of wearing yarmulkes? I believe this custom was created out of respect for bald men. “And look around your local synagogue, Jonathan. God has given the Jewish people a genetic predisposition toward baldness. Clearly that was not a coincidence. And we all know He loves His chosen people.â€? “So then why did God make the Jews so bald, Doctor?â€? “Who are we to question the ways of our Creator?â€? Dr. Zorkner said with his best bedside manner. “And what about you, Doctor? What about your hair?â€? Jonathan asked, eyeing the healer’s pate suspiciously. “Oh, this? It’s a comb-over,â€? Dr. Zorkner said. “Nobody’s perfect.â€? Larry Stiefel is a pediatrician at Tenafly Pediatrics and author of the Torah story blog themaggidofbergenfield.com
MOCHABLEU
Yeshivat Noam Raises $635,000 at Annual Dinner he Yeshivat Noam Annual Dinner, celebrating the bar mitzvah year of the school, was a recordbreaking success raising over $635,000 for Jewish education. The night was a beautiful evening dedicated to recognizing deserving honorees and hearing from each of them what inspires them to give so much of themselves to Yeshivat Noam. Rabbi Chaim Hagler, Principal; Murray and Renee Schneier, Avi Katz, one of the Community Service Awardees; Mrs. Linda Stock, Faculty Guests of Honor, spoke Recognition Awardee; Becky and Avi Katz, Guests of about the importance of Honor and Dov Adler, President of the Board of Trustees. giving back and charged Photograph by Steve Cove, YN grandparent. everyone with the responsibility to dedicate time, energy, and re- aid for the 20% of Yeshivat Noam students sources to constantly improving Yeshivat that are receiving ďŹ nancial support. The program ended with a fun and Noam. The funds raised will be used to fur- entertaining video called “I am Noam,â€? ther develop curriculum, technology, pro- which can be found on the Yeshivat Noam fessional development, and for ďŹ nancial website.Â
T
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
‡ $FFRPPRGDWHV SDUWLHV IURP ‡ &RUSRUDWH HYHQWV &DWHULQJ ‡ 3ULYDWH 3DUW\ 5RRP ‡ 6KHYD %URFKRV ‡ %LUWKGD\V $QQLYHUVDULHV ‡ 6PDOO :HGGLQJV ‡ %ULV SDFNDJHV VWDUWLQJ DW SS ‡ ,Q KRXVH EDNHU\
4XHHQ $QQH 5G 7HDQHFN 1- (0$,/ ,1)2#02&+$%/(8 &20 3+21(
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 29
POLITICAL PONDERINGS
National Council of Young Israel Ushers in New Era By Aaron Troodler hen he joined the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) this past August as its Executive Director, Rabbi Perry Tirschwell hit the ground running. With his considerable experience in Jewish education and organizational life, Rabbi Tirschwell was tasked with overseeing and making Young Israel a transformative force in American Jewish life. At the six-month mark of his tenure as the head of NCYI, which has ably served the broader Jewish community for over 100 years, the immediate impact that Rabbi Tirschwell made was extremely evident. Intent on cutting costs and achieving financial stability, accountability and transparency, Rabbi Tirschwell and the NCYI Board of Directors were successful in significantly reducing the organization’s expenses, which have been cut by more than 50%. Rabbi Tirschwell and the lay leadership of NCYI, including President Farley Weiss of Phoenix, Arizona, Chairman of the Board Bob Levi of Silver Spring, Maryland, and 1st Vice President Yosef Poplak of New York, initiated a thorough review of the organization’s finances and enlisted the services of an independent, outside comptroller. As part of its financial restructuring,
W
Young Israel’s national office relocated from downtown Manhattan to Paramus, New Jersey. In addition to cutting the organization’s rent by 60%, the move signaled NCYI’s desire to work with the greater Jewish community. It is now housed in the same building as the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, the regional Israel Bonds office, and the North American headquarters of Nefesh B’Nefesh. Rabbi Tirschwell has already begun discussions with these new neighbors about joint projects. “With the assistance of our dedicated and forward-thinking board members and a talented and devoted professional staff, the National Council of Young Israel is taking a proactive role in order to strengthen our organization and renew our relationship with all of our branch synagogues,” said President Farley Weiss. “The Young Israel movement is deeply committed to furthering the vital role that synagogues play in Jewish communities all across the United States.” As part of the organization’s efforts to strengthen the NCYI’s relationships with its branch synagogues and members across the United States, Rabbi Tirschwell embarked on a “Young Israel listening tour.” Rabbi Tirschwell has spent a great amount of time traveling to various Young Israel synagogues, where he has met with
their rabbis, presidents, board members and congregants, in an effort to ascertain how NCYI can be of assistance to them and to learn which innovative “best practices” they have to share with their sister branches. In a relatively short period of time, Rabbi Tirschwell has already spent Shabbat at the Young Israels of Oak Park and Southfield, Michigan; Scarsdale, New York; West Hartford, Connecticut; Sharon, Massachusetts; Staten Island, New York; Stamford, Connecticut; East Brunswick, New Jersey; St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee and Plainview, New York. In addition, Rabbi Tirschwell has also visited the Young Israels of Brighton Beach, New York; Teaneck, New Jersey; Brookline, Massachusetts; Hollywood, Florida; Fair Lawn, New Jersey; Flatbush, Brooklyn; Houston, Texas; Fort Lee, New Jersey; Pembroke Pines, Florida; the West Side, New York; West Hartford, Connecticut and Kingsbay, Brooklyn. “In his recent visit to the Young Israel of Scarsdale, Rabbi Perry Tirschwell delivered an engaging Shabbat morning presentation about the past, present and future of the Young Israel movement,” said Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern of the Young Israel of Scarsdale. “As the National Council of Young Israel resets its focus and priorities, we look forward to seeing Rabbi Tirschwell’s ambitious vision for our
unique brand of Orthodox Jewish life realized over the coming years.” Aside from bolstering its synagogue services, the National Council of Young Israel has begun an intense effort to return the organization to its roots by putting the “Young” back in “Young Israel.” Young Israel was started a century ago by 25–30 year olds who were not connecting religiously. Rabbi Tirschwell has conducted dozens of meetings about services for, and with, members of this age group, which sociologists now call the “Odyssey Years.” In this vein, he has reached out to the Orthodox Union, Rabbinical Council of America, Yeshiva University, the Jewish Federation and numerous synagogues about undertaking joint projects and working collaboratively for the betterment of the greater Jewish community. “We are in the midst of writing an exciting new chapter in Young Israel’s distinguished history,” said Rabbi Tirschwell. “For more than a hundred years, the National Council of Young Israel has played a pivotal role in the robust growth of Orthodox Judaism in North America. By working in tandem with our branch synagogues, our talented professional staff and dedicated lay leaders will continue enriching the work of the National Council of Young Israel and further cement its reputation as one of the leading Jewish organizations in the United States and Israel.”
MEACHOREI HAPARAGOD
Live…from New York. It’s Kabbalat Shabbat? By Robert Katz ne of the advantages of the clocks being moved ahead one hour in the Spring (did I say it’s Spring? Hah!) is the extra hour we have to prepare for Shabbat. When my father passed away in 1993, Rabbi Jay Marcus, then of the Young Israel of Staten Island, lovingly referred to my father in Rav Soloveitchik’s parlance as an “Erev Shabbos Jew”—meaning, my father was ready for Shabbat hours before it arrived; showered, dressed, with the weekly Torah portion in his hand, sitting in his favorite chair literally waiting for the Shabbat bride to arrive. He never, ever rushed down to the last minute like many of us do. And so on the first “late Shabbat” of the year I was determined to make it to shul on Friday night—something I didn’t always get to do in the winter’s shorter hours. Of course the preparations and time flew by, and I found myself on the treadmill 45 minutes before Shabbat, still needing to shower and shave. I’m a baseball junkie, and so for lack of anything better to watch while running in place, I was tuned to the MLB network—
O
30 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
Channel 149 in your scorecards— watching a spring training game. “This is one heck of a way to get ready for Shabbat,” I thought to myself. Daydreaming of sitting in the stands in Arizona watching this game in person, I decided to absentmindedly flip through the channels when I landed down at channel 138—which happens to be Shalom TV. If it’s possible to freeze in place while running on a treadmill, I did. Live, from New York City’s Central Synagogue on East 55th Street and Lexington Avenue was a Reform Kabbalat Shabbat Service intended for those who are homebound and want a participatory Shabbat experience. I often find it difficult judge the observance, or lack of observance, of others. I care about my two biological sisters very much, and love them dearly, but I would never tell them how I believe they could put their spiritual house in order. All the more so, I find it difficult to simply dismiss a collective group of my fellow Jewish brothers and sisters who genuinely seem to embrace prayer and a connection to God to which I myself may not subscribe. But allow me to say this. It wasn’t yet Shabbat, so watching the festivities was no issue. And festivities they were. Three women—one of
whom I could swear was Neshama Carlebach, sang “Lecha Dodi” to the famous niggun of Reb Shlomo Carlebach’s “V’yeesayun” —which we also all know as “L’shana Haba Biyerushalayim.” One singer had a guitar, and the joy was real. Several hundred in the crowd clapped along. At “Boee Vshalom,” they all turned toward the doors and then back towards the Ark. Some more
singing, Carlebach-style, was followed by a pitch-perfect rendition by the rabbi of parts of the Friday night Maariv service. Did it seem awkward and make me feel very uneasy? Yes. But at the same time, did I find it somewhat refreshing? Yes, these fellow Jews were clearly enjoying themselves in moments of prayer. But I was not the story here. If these congregants were hap-
py and enjoying and participating in their Kabbalat Shabbat service, then I was happy for them. Would I prefer they kept halacha? Of course. Was it a potentially interesting “kiruv-outreach” moment? Sure was. I once heard a fascinating insight about the Pesach Seder and the Hagaddah, many years ago. The Hagaddah introduces us to the Four Sons, one of whom is deemed to be wicked. In today’s day and age, though, how can he possibly be considered wicked if he is at the table? He actually came to the seder table and participated, when so many other Jewish sons and daughters are so disenchanted from their Judaism and their parents’ traditions that they don’t bother showing up to the table at all. Maybe they are not wicked either, but anyone who shows up at the table can’t be THAT bad. Several hundred fellow Jews showing up for Friday night services on the Upper East Side can’t be that bad. My lesson learned? We need to bring some of that passion and excitement back into our shuls, and we need to share dedication to halacha back into other places of worship. And like my father, they were there early; they showed up, waiting for the Shabbat bride to arrive.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
CHESED
Say Thank You to our Chayalim: With “A Package from Home” By Estelle Glass hen 12 year-old Reina Amar, daughter of Ahrona and Alain Amar of Teaneck, visited Israel for the first time this summer, she was taken by the sheer number of chayalim she saw everywhere during her stay. Reina, a student at Ben Porat Yosef since nursery school, had often been taught both at school and at home about the value of Zionism and the importance of our connection to the Land of Israel. Over the years, Reina also came in close contact with Israeli teachers and the many Bnot Sheirut working in her school. Yet, it was only when she was physically in Israel that she was able to process the large number of young men and women who are in Tzahal and to appreciate fully all that they sacrifice for our survival. Soon after she returned home, Reina heard about Tzvi Weisel, the son of a colleague of her mother’s. Tzvi had joined Tzahal to become one of the country’s many Chayalim, Bodedim, soldiers from abroad who have no immediate family in Israel and yet selflessly volunteer to serve in the Israeli army . When Tzvi’s mother, Cindy Weisel, confided that she was sending her son a “care package, filled with small
W
treats and necessities,” the idea for Reina’s Bat Mitzvah Project was born. She thought it would be wonderful to be able to thank these young men and women who were volunteering their services to help protect our Jewish State, by sending them packages from home. In this way she could demonstrate how grateful we are for their service. Reina was introduced to a wonderful organization that started 11 years ago during the second intifada by an Israeli woman, Barbara Gilor. Barbara wanted to do something to help the chayalim and soon realized that sending them care packages that showed appreciation and love would be appropriate. In her living room, she and other volunteers packed donated toiletries, clothing, snacks and letters; items needed to make the chayal feel embraced and comfortable. Cash contributions were utilized to purchase additional products. Now this amazing, all volunteer organization, “A Package from Home,” (www.apackagefromhome.org) has grown and expanded and many volunteers from all over the world carry duffel bags filled with supplies for the soldiers, especially for those chayalim that do not have someone nearby to personally supply them with extras and provisions. Reina was actually the very first bat
Midreshet AMIT: For the Love of It By Rebecca Alenick and Lindsay Frucher e trained rigorously for months to build up our stamina and speed, and tapped all of our resources in Israel and at home to raise money. But on March 21 we saw the fruits of our labor pay off for the kids at the AMIT Beit Hayeled that we have grown to love over the course of our year at Midreshet AMIT. On that day we proudly joined over 50 other students on Team Midreshet AMIT in the Jerusalem Marathon. Our goal was to raise money to fund bar and bat mitzvah celebrations for the children in AMIT’s Beit HaYeled. To date we have collectively raised over $16,000! There are many schools to chose from when looking for a yeshiva to spend the year learning in Israel, but for us one stood out: Midreshet AMIT. We knew the moment Mrs. Ilana Gottlieb came to speak to us at our high school Israel night, that Midreshet AMIT would be the right place for us to learn, grow, and strive to be the best people we could possibly be. The Midreshet AMIT program strikes the perfect balance between rigorous learning and immersion in chesed, and our schedule reflects both challenging classes and amazing volunteer opportunities. A huge component of the program is the work we do with the children of the Beit HaYeled and is what differentiates the Midreshet AMIT experience from most of the other gap-year yeshivot in Israel. Beit HaYeled is an AMIT foster home in Israel that serves children ages 6 to 14 from troubled homes with unstable or unsafe living conditions. A total of 120 kids live at the Beit Hayeled, and are divided into “mishpactonim” or families of 1014 boys and girls. Each mishpachton is led by an amazing and dynamic Israeli couple, as well as two bnot sherut who work
W
together to take care of all of the children’s needs and act as surrogate parents to all of them. In addition, five students from the midrasha are assigned to each family to provide additional help with the children. While we live in separate apartments, they are in the same building as the mishpachtonim and we thus become a constant presence in their daily lives. Our job is not to discipline kids or try to “fix” their problems, but rather to help them with homework, play with them, and become their friends. Throughout the year, we have developed close relationships with the children, spent quality time with them, and experienced fundamental milestones together. Building these relationships and being a source of support for these children t is not always easy, however, the pleasure and satisfaction we get from their smiles, laughs, and friendship is tremendously rewarding. Each of the Beit HaYeled children look up to the Midreshet AMIT students as role models and friends. They, like us, have good days and more difficult ones, but when they open up and we get that hug or high five from them, it’s the best feeling in the world. It’s those little moments like when they write us letters or ask us to help them that we will cherish forever. Not only do we have the chance to make a difference in their lives, but we can truly say that they have made a huge difference and impact on our lives as well. It is in honor of the work we are privileged to do at the Beit HaYeled that we decided to run as a school in the Jerusalem Marathon and give something special to the kids who have become so dear to us. Our gift to them is a small token of the appreciation we have for the amazing life-changing experience they have afforded us this year.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
mitzvah in her school to sponsor a special Tzedakah project as she reached Gil Mitzvot; and her school, Ben Porat Yosef, enthusiastically embraced her effort and contacted other parents to encourage them to contribute to the “A Gift From Home,” collection campaign. Just as Reina and her friends were busily gathering supplies, Rabbi Ely Allen, Rabbi emeritus of Reina’s synagogue Shaarei Orah, was also looking for an appropriate Israel Community Service project. On Yom Hazikoron, he and his students at Bergen County High School of Jewish Studies, had viewed a film about Michael Levin, A Chayal Boded who had been killed in action, and Rabbi Allen felt the need to make a difference. That was precisely when the Rabbi received the Amar’s email detailing Reina’s Bat Mitzvah Project . Rabbi Allen joined the campaign and launched a second collection drive for the soldiers, on the four Northern New Jersey campuses where he is the Director of Hillel. The college students enthusiastically embraced the project and brought in toothpaste, toothbrushes, lip balm, candy, hand warmers and deodorant; anything that a concerned relative might send to a child or a sibling in the army to make him feel cherished, comfortable and happy. The combination of the Hillel packages and what Reina collected will be sent to Israel in time for Pesach. The students in Reina’s school and on the college campuses also participated in a letter writing cam-
paign, so that each recipient of a “Package From Home,” will receive a personal note along with their gift. Reina has continued to increase the level of her tzedakah by raising $600 of the $1,000 needed for her and her friends to adopt an army unit of their own. The donors will receive a personal thank you from the IDF commander of the Chayalim Bodedim and a beautiful plaque recognizing their donation. Anyone interested in helping Reina to realize her goal can contact her at Ahrona.Amar@gmail.com.
and
Wishes Mazel Tov to its Esteemed Colleagues
RABBI JEREMY DONATH
RABBI CHESKY GEWIRTZ
OHEL Bergen County Coordinator
Camp Kaylie Boys Head Counselor
for being Musmachim at the YU Chag Hasemicha C
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 31
POINT/COUNTERPOINT
Rabbi Schachter’s Troubling Tone By Rabbis Ronald Price and Noah Gradofsky abbi Hershel Schachter’s responsum concerning young women being permitted to wear tefillin in yeshiva schools is less troubling for its conclusion than it is for its attitude. Rabbi Schachter emphatically denies the right of reasonable rabbinic minds to disagree with him, charging that his students were out of bounds in making a decision on their own permitting women to don tefilln and tallit, rather than referring the question to gedolei hora’ah (giants of instruction), such as himself. One might suspect that it is necessary to defer to gedolei hora’ah due to their superior knowledge of text and that, therefore, Rabbi Schachter’s responsum would explicate texts that these lesser rabbis had failed to consider or had misconstrued. But he cannot do so, because the texts are clear: The Babylonian Talmud (Eruvin 96a) reports, without dissent, that Michal, daughter of Saul, wore tefillin and that, “the sages didn’t bother her.” The Jerusalem Talmud (Eruvin 10:1, 26a) and Pesikta Rabati (22) offer the same report, albeit with the lone dissent of Rav Chizkiah said in the name of Rabbi Abahu. The early postTalmudic rabbis took the Babylonian Talmud’s report (as well as the general rule that women may perform acts for which they are not obligated) to be halachically decisive and ruled that women may wear tefillin (e.g., Sefer Hachinuch, Mitzvah 471 and Responsa of RaSh”Ba 1:123), and Rabbenu Tam went as far as to cite the Michal
R
story as proof that women may say a blessing when performing such acts (Eruvin 96a s.v. dilma savar). There are, certainly, authorities who adopt a more conservative view. For instance, Kol Bo 21 raises concerns about women wearing tefillin. Rabbi Yoseph Karo expressed surprise that Kol Bo would rule against the Talmud and conspicuously does not cite this opinion in Shulchan Aruch (Orah Hayim 38:3), while Ashkenazi glossator of the Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Moshe Isserles, adds that women who desire to wear tefillin should be stopped from doing so per Kol Bo. Later commentaries on Shulchan Aruch generally followed Rabbi Isserles, though given limited writing on the subject, it is difficult to conclude that this was a universal opinion among rabbis of the last generations. So, the textual sources are clear—women can wear tefillin. But, as Rabbi Schachter notes, when ruling on halachah, “it is not sufficient to study Shulchan Aruch Laws of Tefillin and the sources there.” Instead, sociological considerations are an essential facet of halachic analysis. On this we would agree. But for Rabbi Schachter, the overriding sociological consideration is avoiding anything that has recognizable roots in the Conservative movement, which he accuses of prioritizing changing tradition based on the desires of the masses and of resurrecting rejected minority opinions for that purpose. Ironically, Rabbi Yosef Karo (Bet Yosef Orah Hayim 38 s.v. venashim) sees those
who forbid women from wearing tefillin as resurrecting the minority opinion noted in the Pesikta. Rabbi Schachter thus ignores the insight of Shulchan Aruch, a code whose magnitude and authority he would not dare claim to match. As members of the Union for Traditional Judaism (UTJ), we share R. Schachter’s concerns to a point. If there is an organization that is familiar with the Conservative movement’s drift from classical halachah, it is we. No voice was louder than ours in criticizing the populist rulings of that movement. Indeed, many, if not most, of our rabbis would discourage women from wearing tefillin for some of the same reasons as Rabbi Schachter. However, Rabbi Schachter’s argument that these sociological decisions are the exclusive prerogative of the gedolei hora’ah is alarming and without any obvious basis. We find the actions of committed and compassionate halachicly knowledgeable rabbis responding to the religious interests of their constituents far less problematic than an authoritarian group presuming superior sociological intuition, thereby arrogating to themselves the exclusive right to make virtually all halachic decisions. Rabbi Schachter tells us that Rambam accepted the traditional sabbatical cycle (Shmitah v’Yovel 10:6) even though Rambam may have personally disagreed with the tradition. R. Schachter therefore questions how certain rabbis dare to disagree with the ruling of Rabbi Moshe Isserles.
However, Rambam himself is quite clear, in his introduction to Mishneh Torah, that post-Talmudic halachic rulings are only binding in the time and place that they are rendered and that subsequent authorities are to free to decide the law based on which side has the better argument (mi shehada’at noteh lidvarav). In this case, Rabbi Schachter’s concern for where this may lead may be the wiser argument. Or, it may be that the considerations expressed by Rabbi Harcsztark of SAR, such as permitting an individual to seek closeness to God in his or her own way, should be the overriding concern. In the face of reasonable arguments, our community should engage in a dialogue that speaks in terms of caring, concern and mutual respect, rather than in the voice of arrogated authority. We fear that a world in which select gedolei hora’ah have the exclusive right to make decisions based on their sociological intuition is a world in which Torah and halachah are far removed from historical halachic methodology, more insular, and less able properly to guide a vibrant and diverse community. May God guide all of our hands in helping our Jewish people to grow in love of Torah and fulfillment of mitzvot. Rabbis Ronald Price and Noah Gradofsky serve on the executive board of the Union for Traditional Judaism. The UTJ is a trans-denominational education and outreach organization dedicated to promoting the principles of traditional Judaism. Their programs and resources are used by a wide range of synagogues, schools and other Jewish institutions. Their mission is to bring the greatest possible number of Jews closer to an open-minded, observant Jewish life. Visit www. utj.org.
IN HOUSE PRIVATE PARTY ON SUNDAY’S between 12 – 4PM, up to 80 guests. Sheva Brochos, – Starting at $35.00 per person Bar Mitzvah – Bat Mitzvah – Bris Pydion Haben – Birthday – Anniversaries – at starting $36.00 per person.
Corporate Events & Catering
Sunday – Thursday
12-10 pm 515 Cedar Lane, Teaneck www.chaikotapas.com Owned by Estihana Brooklyn
Tel: 201-530-5665 Fax: 201-530-5662 Glatt Kosher, R.C.B.C.
32 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
POINT/COUNTERPOINT
Rav Schachter’s Ruling: The Embodiment of Classical Halachic Methodology By Avrohom Gordimer lthough I would otherwise be hesitant to address a critique by non-Orthodox rabbis of an halachic ruling and the halachic methodology of one of our generation’s most preeminent roshei yeshiva and halachic decisors, the community’s broader need for an understanding and appreciation of the issues at hand compels a response. Rabbis Ronald Price and Noah Gradofsky posit that, “the textual sources are clear: Women can wear tefillin, that “for Rabbi Schachter, the overriding sociological consideration is avoiding anything that has recognizable roots in the Conservative movement,” and that R. Schachter has departed from the halachic system in his assertion that adjudication of such “sociological” issues must be handled by the generation’s gedolei hora’ah, its foremost halachic authorities. Let’s examine each of these arguments. Indeed, whether or not women may lay tefillin is the subject of an age-old halachic dispute. Rabbis Price and Gradofsky referenced those sources which permit women to lay tefillin, and they noted that the Rema (R. Moshe Isserles, whose rulings half a millenium ago have been generally accepted as binding halacha for Ashkenazic Jews) prohibits women to lay tefillin. (Shulchan Aruch: Orach Chaim 38:3 - See also Tos. [Eruvin 96a], who cites and explains opinions in the Pesikta that the Sages objected to Michal, daughter of King Saul, laying tefillin. Shiltei Giborim [Rosh Hashana 19b:3 in Rif] prohibits women to lay tefillin, as does R. Meir of Rotenburg; Targum Yon. [Deut. 22:5] likewise prohibits.) The Rema’s ruling is not disputed or even questioned by the commentators on
A
Shulchan Aruch, and his ruling has been uniform and universal practice from time immemorial. The Rema’s ruling was strongly endorsed by the Vilna Gaon (who wrote that women “are prohibited” to lay tefillin, in contrast with the Rema’s phraseology that “we must protest should they attempt to do so” - Bi’ur Ha-Gra, Orach Chaim ibid.), and the Aruch Ha-Shulchan (Orach Chaim 38:6) likewise affirmed the ruling of the Rema. It is thus clear that Rabbis Price and Gradofsky err in their assertion that “the textual sources are clear: Women can wear tefillin.” Unless one rejects a millennium of halachic commentary and codification, this blanket assertion is unfounded, and, on the contrary, the issue of women laying tefillin is one of great halachic dispute, with the accepted halachic consensus, centered around the Rema, firmly being that women may not lay tefillin. (It is interesting that Sephardic poskim never disputed the Rema, and that in Sephardic communities, women do not lay tefillin.) Based on the ideas expressed in their strident criticism of R. Schachter, Rabbis Price and Gradofsky seem quite comfortable overruling the Rema in this and other cases (“R. Schachter therefore questions how certain rabbis dare to disagree with the ruling of Rabbi Moshe Isserles”), allowing each rabbi to decide as he sees fit based on his own understanding of the sources, regardless of halachic tradition and precedent. This approach is foreign to halachic jurisprudence, and applied consistently according to the logic of its proponents, would overturn the entire halachic system, which is governed by rules of tradition, precedent, and the recognized primacy of certain authorities over other ones. (For some relevant seasonal examples: Ashkena-
Dr. Saul H. Lejtman D.M.D. P.A. Family and Cosmetic Dentistry Treating your family in a warm state-of-the-art comfortable environment
• Implants • Veneers • Crowns • Hours by Appointment Only
zic Jews, in accordance with the Rema [Orach Chaim 462:4], do not consume matzah ashirah [matzah kneaded with eggs or fruit juice instead of water], even though most Rishonim [medieval halachic authorities] and the Shulchan Aruch permit such matzah, as does the simple reading of the Talmud; Ashkenazic Jewish women are not required to recline at the Seder, in accordance with the Rema [ibid. 472:4], even though a preponderance of Rishonim, and the Shulchan Aruch, disagree; Ashkenazic Jews recite a blessing on each of the Four Cups, as per the Rema [ibid. 474:1, 480:1], even though a literal read of the Talmud and a large host of medieval sources would posit that no blessing be recited. In each of these cases, the Rema adopts a position maintained by some authorities yet disputed by a plurality or majority of others, yet our tradition follows his rulings and has not been challenged. A systematic application of the approach of Rabbis Price and Gradofsky would result in a comprehensive overhaul of halachic observance, with seismic ramifications - in utmost contravention of the approach taken by halachic decisors for millenia.) Before proceeding, I would like to very briefly present the objection to women laying tefillin as articulated by the Aruch HaShulchan, cited above. The Aruch Ha-Shulchan (and others, including R. Soloveitchik - v. Mi’Peninei Ha-Rav: Tefillin, s. 1) explains that men do not keep their tefillin on all day and they instead limit their tefillin time to the morning prayers, in deference to the comprehensive bodily and mental purity that must be maintained while tefillin are worn. Since men are halachically required to lay tefillin, they have no choice and must keep their tefillin on at least for the morning prayers, after which tefillin
are customarily removed in deference to their sanctity, which could be offended should there be a lapse in bodily or mental purity. Women, on the other hand, are not required to lay tefillin, and they therefore should not do so, lest they be subject to a compromised state of bodily or mental purity while wearing tefillin. To lay tefillin and thereby voluntarily expose the tefillin to potential offense of their sanctity due to a lapse in bodily or mental purity is discouraged or prohibited; hence do women not lay tefillin, explain the poskim (halachic decisors). The poskim specifically differentiate between other commandments, such as shofar, sukkah and lulav, from which women are exempt but may nonetheless voluntarily perform, and tefillin, whose voluntary performance may engender a prohibited offense of their sanctity. Rabbis Price and Gradowsky proceed to contend that “for Rabbi Schachter, the overriding sociological consideration is avoiding anything that has recognizable roots in the Conservative movement”. This represents a misunderstanding of R. Schachter’s ruling, for Rabbis Price and Gradowsky confuse the ruling, which is built on an halachic calculus that gives legal definition to socio-religious factors and views them through the lens of halacha, with sociology itself. R. Schachter, invoking R. Soloveitchik, wrote that any practice which originated or was adopted by heretical movements in order to undermine Torah belief or practice is prohibited. Hence, since the practice of women laying tefillin was adopted by the heterodox Jewish movements as part of their reforms to traditional Torah practice, in tandem with a whole array of efforts to
Est. 2007
FULL SERVICE I.T. Networking Servers • WiFi • Antivirus Off/On Site Data Backups • PC Sales
Support Dr. Lejtman's Jerusalem Marathon Run for Chai Lifeline. Visit his page at:
201.568.1190 www.teamlifeline.org/israel/my/tenaflysmiles 120 County Road Suite 203 Tenafly, NJ 07670 Lejtmanoffice@gmail.com • www.TenaflySmiles.com
Let’s Talk About I.T. 195 West Englewood Avenue Teaneck, NJ 07666
201-379-9234
WE OFFER REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS
Talleisim Cleaned - Special Shabbos Rush Service 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
CONTINUED ON P. 78
WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS AND WE GO THE EXTRA MILE TO MAKE YOU A REGULAR CUSTOMER
1245 Teaneck Rd. Teaneck
837-8700
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 33
CHINUCH
You Can’t Have Your Cake and Smicha Too By Yair Daar A young teacher (YT) is interviewing with an assistant principal (AP) for a job teaching Tanach: AP: Tell me, what do you believe are some goals of Jewish education? YT: Well, there are a number of ideas that drive my teaching. First of all.... AP: Actually, forget that. Answer me this: A woman living in Florida loses a parent who lives in New York. The parent is being buried in Israel and the daughter in Florida can’t make it to the Holy Land. Oh,
and this woman is adopted. Does she sit shiva and if so, when does she start? I hope this interview scenario seems absurd to most people. After all, what does answering a question about aveilut have to do with being able to teach? Yet, this analogy is a somewhat accurate depiction of what goes on in our schools. Most males who teach Limmudei Kodesh in Orthodox Jewish schools are trained rabbis, educated in fields and methods that have little to do with formal Jewish education. It is almost as if this is required. Yes, many Jewish educators are also trained educators with Master’s degrees, but is learning for smi-
cha really the best use of time for a future m’chanech? To be sure, smicha can be valuable for a Jewish educator. A teacher ideally should feel confident and connected to his field, not simply familiar with the material he or she has to teach. Receiving smicha and the resulting authority to decide (certain) halachic questions definitely goes a long way to creating this sentiment for the Musmach. Additionally, there is something nice about a shul rabbi or assistant who is also trained as an educator and teaches in the local school. Even after taking all of this into ac-
count, I still cannot see the argument to encourage Jewish educators to study for smicha. Imagine if all that time spent studying was divided among more relevant pursuits. Imagine a future educator spending three years studying Tanach, Gemara methodology, Jewish history, relevant ancient history, archaeology and geography. This same educator might also choose to spend some of this freed-up time getting experience in a classroom and preparing for his or her career. All of these things should be more important to a Jewish educator than the halachot of basar b’chalav. Although all of this seems obvious (at least to me), the opposite seems to be promoted by our community in general—at least passively. It is basically expected that a male Jewish educator is also a “rabbi.” Our post high school institutions are bifurcated; the Torah curricula operate with one set of goals while the graduate institutions operate with another. How great would it be for yeshiva students with an interest in education to start learning relevant material in an organized and directed manner right away? Does anyone really think this is a bad idea? You still want to grant the title “rabbi?” Fine. Have a smicha program for educators. They can take tests on more pertinent material instead. Chinuch is not a career for those who want to keep learning. Nor is the purpose of Jewish day schools to provide day jobs for local rabbis. Jewish education is crucial to our continuity as a people, and should therefore be treated with the utmost seriousness. This means future educators should be learning with one goal first and foremost: how to be the best teachers they can be. You have a question about this? Ask your local Orthodox rabbi.
List your events in our Community Calendar. Advertise your services in our growing
Classifieds section! Call (201) 371-3212 or editors@jewishlinkbc.com 34 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 35
FASHION
Berlin Fashion Duo Links Modern Menswear with Orthodox Judaism By Susan Stone
veals male models with taped hands and faces that grow increasingly battered with every page turn. “Our version of Fight Club,” the pair says. Their style doesn’t necessarily seem like a natural fit for Berlin, where young men are predominantly clad in skinny jeans and slouchy hoodies, or slim-cut suits. The duo admit that their original T-shirt line actually boasted a clientele consisting of about 40 percent women, potentially a sign that androgynous looks are in for both genders, or just down to the super soft fabric they use. “We’re not hipster, we’re not posh,” laughs Boris. “It’s who we are and what we love, and we know there are so many guys out there who love that and aren’t really being catered to right now,” adds Kinderman.
(with permission from DeutscheWelle) erlin—The sporting world inspires Berlin-based men’s fashion label Kinder & Tank. Its founders are Orthodox Jews who are also organizing the capital’s contemporary religious community. Kinder & Tank started out as a small line of T-shirts bearing minimalistic messages like “What are we afraid of” or “Wanderer.” Some were written in Hebrew-style font. The black or white tops were cut fashionably loose from an ultra-soft, ecological Austrian Modal, a fabric derived from beech trees. Priced at about 60 euros ($83), they felt nicer than your average cotton tee, yet weren’t expensive enough to break the bank. “We found there wasn’t that much clothing for us and our friends in the way that we like. Our friends are a little bit…I wouldn’t say conservative, they like to wear things that are really cool, but they don’t like to be hipster,” 27-year-old Austalian Ezra Kinderman, responsible for brand’s design, tells DW. Kinderman and Ukrainian-born, Germany-raised Boris Tankilewitsch are behind the Berlin-based line of authentic sports-inspired street wear for young men who favor active over flashy. When the T-shirts sold well, the pair poured the increasing revenue into developing a small collection of well-cut sweatshirts, button-downs, tank tops and underwear, which debuted at the start of this year.
B
Ezra Kinderman and Boris Tankilewitsch
Self-taught designer Kinderman came to Germany to work for menswear brand Patrick Hellmann after a stint in jewelry design in New York; Tankilewitsch, who moved to Germany with his family at the age of eight, has a background in marketing and events. They don’t only share a passion for sports, but also a common religious background—Orthodox Judaism.
New age of masculinity Ezra Kinderman takes design cues from his favorite pastimes, which range from Australian Football to MMA (mixed martial arts) to ice hockey. He pulls meaningful motifs from these beloved hobbies; underwear is cut in the shape of rugby shorts,
while tops have printed inserts picturing sporting scenes or letterman styling, with A for Australia and U for Ukraine. Padding and cuts maximize male assets.
Blood and scars are all part of the masculine image “We focus a lot on our masculinity. What defines a masculine physique is the shoulders and the thighs, so we accented and exaggerated them,” says Kinderman, sporting a sweatshirt adorned with miniature embroidered boxing gloves. He refers to his designs as a kind of “avant-garde way of sportswear.” Boris Tankilewitsch pulls out last season’s “lookbook.” The garments catalog re-
Building business and community The two young men were introduced by mutual friends just a couple of years ago at a Hanukkah celebration at the Brandenburg Gate. They were then reacquainted at a synagogue, and decided to work together. As with their label, Berlin doesn’t seem like the obvious place for young Jewish people to congregate. “When I moved here, it was extremely difficult. The train station I went to every day was where they did the Kindertransport,” Kinderman says. “Two of my grandparents went to Auschwitz. But if you live your life the way they lived their life,
CONTINUED ON P. 37
• Tabletop • Hostess Gifts • Bridal Registries
20% OFF
Any one item $25 or more
Excluding jewelry and sale items. May not be combines with credits, other coupons and offers. Valid 1 per customer. Must use coupon at time of purchase. Exp - 5/31/14
1454 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck, NJ
201-342-1089
36 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @OnTheTableNJ
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
FASHION
Berlin Fashion Duo Links Modern Menswear with Orthodox Judaism
CONTINUED FROM P. 36
it’s a reminder. You can’t focus on it every day. You continue living the life the Nazis tried to destroy. If you live well, it’s the best response.”
Being Jewish in Berlin stirs up mixed emotions Kinderman, Tankilewitsch and their friends have invested in building up a Jewish community of their own, which meets downtown near Alexanderplatz. They started with six or seven people; now 50 to 100 meet each week. The group offers Friday night religious services with complimentary food, attracting an international crowd. There are also opportunities to do charity work together with the community’s rabbi. “Ten years ago you couldn’t find any-
thing like this,” reflects Boris Tankilewitsch. “Our generation, the 20-, 30-, 40-year-olds or in-betweens, who maybe like me grew up here - some become more religious even than their parents.” The group also attracts an older crowd with a different perspective. “We have people who come who are 70 or 80 years old. They come [to Berlin] for tours. They come on Friday nights, and here are 60 people singing songs they sang back in the day, and they say ‘I can’t believe it,’” says Kinderman.
Berlin breakthrough, New York dreams Having built both a brand and a community here, the two young men say that Berlin is a great place to start a business, but their goal is to end up in New York, the ideal home for many a fashion label. “Berlin is second best, but New York is the best,” Tankilewitsch says with a smile. Kinderman hopes to one day open a factory for his designs in the Williamsburg district of Brooklyn, one specially designed to offer flexible work situations to suit the community of ultra-Orthodox Jews living there, who often have trouble finding employment. But that dream is far in the distance. “In New York, when you have to pay
your $2,000 rent, you’re really making your decisions on how to eat and live. Here we can buy our weekly things on 50 euros. Now we’re able to live a little better, but at the beginning it’s really difficult when you start a new company,” Kinderman relates.
The tough look is not typical of hipster Berlin He adds that the swap and barter culture is particularly strong in Berlin, where he says money isn’t the only driving factor. “For instance, we needed a model, so we got a model, and we helped him move.” New York, on the other hand, he calls a “dog-eat-dog world.”
Have faith and stick to it Reconciling faith and fashion, business and beliefs, is a unique challenge for the Kinder & Tank team. Kinderman remembers the delivery of their first line of shirts, which was accidentally scheduled during Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the Jewish New Year. Handling money is forbidden on the Sabbath and religious holidays and working is discouraged. “As soon as our online shop opened, we had to shut it down for two days. I said on Rosh Hashanah we’re not even taking sales. Zero business. On Saturday, we’ll take orders, but I’ll never go to a business meet-
ing on a Saturday, we don’t sign contracts. We’re not Hasidic, but we have our faith and we try and keep to it,” he says. The brand is starting to attract international attention; Kinder & Tank currently sells in two shops in Berlin and two in Australia, and will be stocked in stores in Munich, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Naples later this year. They recently displayed their upcoming collection to buyers during the Paris Men’s Fashion Week. “We’re really just happy we’ve come as far as we can by winging it,” says Kinderman. Tankilewitsch, who until recently was sleeping in the office, has a new home, but he also decided to take a new full-time marketing job at a social networking firm. He’s stepped away from daily operations at Kinder & Tank and sold his shares in the company to Kinderman, though he’ll stay involved in local sales. Still, both the brand name and the unity it implies endure. “We still are really good friends, and together with the rest of our group continue to go out, as well as building our synagogue together,” says Ezra Kinderman. “We started out with optimism, but now we’re optimistic-realistic. We’re still around, and growing.” http://www.dw.de/berlin-fashion-duolinks-modern-menswear-with-orthodox-judaism/a-17501565
Areyvut: Bringing Chesed to the Community B ergenfield—Areyvut, a non-profit based in Bergenfield, just began its bat mitzvah year. Founded in 2002, Areyvut’s mission is to infuse the lives of Jewish youth and teens with the core Jewish values of chesed, tzedakah, and tikkun olam. Areyvut’s fundamental belief is that sparking a passion for service inspires a lifelong commitment to social justice. Therefore, we encourage young people to engage in both hands-on service and philanthropy, since all of God’s gifts should be used to improve the world. We partner with day schools, congregational schools, community centers, synagogues, and individual families in an effort to implement our innovative programming for Jewish youth. From Mitzvah Clowning, to Teen Philanthropy, Chesed Fairs, and beyond, all of our programming is aimed at helping youth realize the immense power they have to make their community and the world a better place. Areyvut’s programming stimulates and channels young Jews’ idealism for tikkum olam by filling the gap between teaching about tzedakah and providing opportunities to practice it. For example, we organize hands-on and community service fairs for schools, synagogues, and community centers to educate students about how they can get involved in volunteer opportunities. Since the beginning of March, Areyvut has run one Chesed Fair at SAR Academy in Riverdale, New York, which introduced more than 80 Bnai Mitzvah students to various communi-
ty organizations. Another Chesed Fair is scheduled for this month at Yeshivat Noam in Paramus, New Jersey, and Areyvut will be taking part in the Community Service Fair at Bnai Jeshurun in New York City. It is our hope that by providing this programming, we instill in our youth the importance of social responsibility and communal involvement. One of Areyvut’s newest initiatives is our Mitzvah Clown program. Since the program’s inception in 2009, we have trained over 300 volunteers in the importance of bikur cholim (visiting the sick) and kavod habriyot (human dignity). These Mitzvah Clowns are then trained in the ‘art of clowning’- namely: how to apply clown make-up, how to make balloon animals, and how to visit with those who may be different from them. The volunteers then participate in monthly site visits with the sick, elderly, and those with special needs. The Mitzvah Clown program actively engages the commu-
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
nity and focuses on bringing support and happiness to those who need it most. Additionally, Areyvut participates in various education initiatives throughout the Greater New York Area. We are the leading educational resource provider for the Westchester Jewish Teen Learning Initiative (WJTLI). With classes such as Music & Morals, Follow the Leader, and Ethical Issues, Areyvut works with synagogues throughout Westchester County. This spring, Areyvut is also taking part in J-LINC (Linking Innovation, Networks, and Community), an initiative of The Jewish Education Project generously funded by The Covenant Foundation. Areyvut believes in the importance of engaging Jewish youth and their families in acts of chesed and tikkun olam. For more information, or to bring Areyvut programming to your community, email info@areyvut.org, call (201)244-6702, or visit our website: www.areyvut.org.
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 37
SPECIAL NEEDS
HASC Center eCycling & LionCage Data Security ith Pesach quickly approaching and the annual ritual of cleaning our homes will shortly begin in earnest. Homemakers will meticulously clean, scrub and rid their homes of any and all unnecessary items that have accumulated over the course of the year. During this season a walk in Brooklyn will surely result in the sighting of “shaimos trucks” strategically parked in front of shuls and Batei Midrashim—a community service which allows people to discard their shaimos in a kosher and halachically sound manner. This year, HASC Center will provide a similar community service to help individ-
W
38 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
uals discard their unwanted computers, printers, copy machines and paper. HASC Center is working with LionCage, a very reputable establishment in a coordinated effort to provide this service. LionCage operates state of the art shredding trucks as well mobile data destruction units to ensure compliance with strict privacy regulations. During the weeks prior to Pesach, LionCage trucks will be parked in especially designated areas according to a pre-determined schedule. (see www.LionCage.com\ Pesach for locations) Individuals will have the option to drop off the equipment at no cost and to witness the on-site degaussing,
sanitization and or shredding of their hard drives to allay any security concerns. Offsite scheduled pickups are available as well for nominal fee. The program also serves an even greater need. It is a response to ever-increasing consensus that employment is crucial for improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. Employment is considered a benchmark for measuring the success of special education programs, so HASC Center established the HASC eCycling program. It allows our disabled and non-disabled residents to work side-by-side with IT and Recycling professionals who work with our
NAID AAA certified partner, LionCage, to pay our workers a respectable minimum wage for performing services that may be required by law. HASC Center retro-fitted a large factorylike facility that once served as a traditional workshop. It is now a modern, technologically sophisticated work environment with specialized equipment and highly complex security systems. These systems track each piece of electronic equipment which enters the facility until it is disassembled into its component parts. Such security measures ensure that all hard drives and data are accounted for and their destruction is securely monitored according to industry standards. Large pallets of used computers, digital boxes, printers and copiers arrive at the facility. They are logged in and immediately thereafter, disassembly begins. Workers, with disabilities and without, use handheld electric screwdrivers, drills and other tools to take apart a particular item. Then they place each component into its respective bin. There are bins for plastic material, others for wires, mother boards and another for metal parts. When these large bins are at capacity they are trucked to the point of destination where they are appropriately re-cycled. All magnetic media is degaussed, sanitized, compacted or punctured, and all data is destroyed by LionCage in a secure compliant manner. The advantage of having this enterprise under the auspices of HASC Center is that allowances are made for initial assessment and skills training of individuals, in conjunction with on-going interventions during the course of employment. The eCycling Center provides recycling services for both the private sector and businesses, and uses the highest industry standards in safety and security, as well as, providing “green tech” jobs for the disabled. However, the eCycling program is very much dependent on individuals, midsize businesses, and large corporations in providing their unwanted electronic equipment to the eCycling Center. There are three important advantages for those who avail themselves of this service in the eCycling their ‘retired’ equipment. First, there is an effortless option as to how and where to discard aging equipment. Second, they know that their ‘retired’ equipment is being discarded in an eco-friendly manner helping the environment and not contributing to the waste stream. Third, they are helping to support the employment of people with disabilities and will contribute to their establishing productive and meaningful lives. From every perspective, recycling with HASC Center & LionCage is a win-win experience To learn more about the Pesach – Passover recycling program, please contact HASC Center Josh at 646-285-5362 or LionCage Data Security – 718-575-LION. To find the closest drop-off location please visit www.LionCage.com\Pesach
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
NEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Chag HaSmicha and Rabbonus By Mordechai & Nina Glick any memories come back to us this Shabbat as we recall Mordechai’s Chag HaSmicha celebration and the three and a half wonderful years that we lived at 501 W. 184th Street. We lived through the days when there was a “gorel,” a lottery to see who in smicha would go into the armed services. At that time, Yeshiva University had an arrangement with the Jewish Welfare Board to provide a number of rabbonim to serve. No one was actually anxious to do so and picking a high number in the gorel was everyone’s dream. At this point, in retrospect, we look at those who did serve in the armed forces either voluntarily or because they had drawn a low number and we are slightly envious of the benefits that they have received as a result of such service. They so must be commended for having served our country; they never knew where they would be sent and deserve every drop of compensation that they receive. Not everyone, as is the case today, would choose to go into rabbonus or chi-
M
nuch. Many would move onto other careers. When we made the decision to go into rabbonus it was with an excitement and anticipation of an entire new life. We were committed to reaching out to those in the community where we would live. In our first shtelle, Brantford, Ontario, there were 90 Jewish families. Eight-seven of those families belonged to the shul and three did not. One day, Mordechai was in shul when one member of the non-affiliated families came to shul to say Kaddish. Two old-time members literally picked up the man and told him he was not welcome in the shul. Wow, what is that all about? We hope that would never happen today. In Montreal at the Young Israel of Val Royal, still young and innocent when we arrived, we had a baalabust who felt that he should edit the “Rabbi’s Column” in the weekly bulletin. If he did not like what the rabbi wrote, he would carefully change around the wording or the intent—challenges that we had never been told about in the smicha program. Nevertheless, we learned to overcome these challenges and loved rabbonus. Sharing in families’ simchas and their tragedies became a regular part of our life, especial-
ly because we were not living within close proximity to our families. Our shul became our family. Our children had surrogate aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. It never took away from their excitement and love for the authentic members of the family, but it taught them how to live with so many different types of people and families. Montreal is a community where in most cases no matter what form of Judaism people ascribed to, they still wanted to go to an Orthodox shul. We were shocked upon our arrival that 90 percent of Jewish children in the entire city went to a Jewish day school. There are secular Jewish day schools, a Yiddish (Peretz) Shul and, of course, many Modern Orthodox day schools and yeshivas. And so, people went out of their way to accommodate us. Friends would have special dishes in their houses for us; one friend bought a barbeque and utensils that were only used when we were at their house. Living in the greater metro area, one does not realize the challenges of kashrus for a rav and his family who live out of town. Our children could not eat at many birthday parties they were invited to. In Brantford, when our daughter Malkie was three and a half, she was invited to a birthday
party. We asked if we could provide a cake so that she could have cake to eat with everyone else. The little boy’s mother happily said yes. When Malkie came home from the party she told me that she had the cake and also hot dogs! The mother of the child thought that cake was the only issue and we never would have dreamed hotdogs would be served at a birthday party. We suggest young couples going into rabbonus today realize that this vocation is a 24- hour job for both of them. Although many wives today work outside of the home in various professions, it is the wife who must be supportive of the stresses and joys that her husband will have to go through. We have heard that shuls think they only hire the rabbi, but in fact the most successful rabbinic placements that we know of are where wives are an integral part of the community. If you don’t think that lifestyle is for you we strongly suggest that you reconsider your decision. And even if you might not like the idea, leaving the greater metro area offers its own benefits when it comes to establishing strong relationships between you and your spouse, and is a much calmer and more rewarding experience than life in the big city.
FEATURES
Hugging Holocaust Survivors By Rabbi Steven Burg ne of the great things about working for the Simon Wiesenthal Center is the incredible people you meet, especially the heroes that survived the Holocaust. They all have amazing stories to tell and a profound view of life. I recently met with Simon Gronowski. Simon lives in Belgium and is on a whirlwind tour of NY. In 1943, at the tender young age of 11, Simon leapt off
O
a moving train to escape the Nazis and save his life. Today he is a lawyer, author and accomplished jazz pianist. We talked for a while about his experiences in the Holocaust. His positive attitude towards life and people was infectious. Simon suddenly grew serious and told me the following story. Recently he was connected to a person who served as a guard, who was active when Simon’s sister and mother were rounded up and sent to the gas chamber. This person begged Simon for forgiveness. Simon asked me, “So what do you think I did?”
There was a long palpable silence between us. I wasn’t sure what Simon’s answer could have been. How do you put aside all of that pain? Simon then proceeded to tell me that he forgave the man. Not on behalf of all those that he had helped to kill, he stressed, just on behalf of himself. I told him that Simon Wiesenthal had the same dilemma in a short story he published called “The Sunflower.” Can we forgive? Should we forgive? Do we have the right to forgive? These were the questions that many years ago almost pulled the State of Israel apart when they debated tak-
ing reparations from Germany in the Knesset. These are the questions that still plague us today. Our meeting ended as almost all of my meetings with Holocaust survivors end, with a hug. The generation of Holocaust survivors is slowly slipping away. We must all seek them out, converse with them, learn from their wisdom. When you are finished, give them the most powerful hug you can. You are hugging Jewish history.
my weight in one easy and bizarre wardrobe change! My next stop was back to New Jersey, where I could stick close to home and save the sales tax. In Bloomingdale’s the dressing rooms were much nicer than in New York, but not the dresses. At Saks, no one even glanced my way as I tried to find the right section. Ditto for Neiman Marcus where the price of one dress could feed an entire neighborhood for a week! Nordstrom’s definitely had the most helpful staff. The lovely saleswoman, Beatrice, kept stowing my coat and my bag and whatever I simply was gazing at, in a huge dressing room and she even announced my name on the loudspeaker when I left my cell phone on the counter, but NO DRESS. It was when I hit the discount stores that I totally lost it. Please tell me how exactly the inventory is arranged in Century 21? Why are designer dresses thrown in right next to men’s shorts? Where are the dressing rooms? By the time I staggered
to Off 5th, where I was told there were no available dressing rooms, I just wanted to scream. Actually, I was talking to myself by then, rather loudly in fact. Why is every, blessed dress exactly the same? Sleeveless, short and tight? And who designed neon lace and huge floral prints for women over a certain age? Something told me that I was going to attend this simcha wearing the same “new clothing” that that Emperor in the famous children’s story wore. While soaking my beyond achy feet later at home, I decided that women should band together and start a new trend. Who said we couldn’t wear the same sort of clothing that men wear to shul or a party? You know how they look, a pin striped suit, cute tie, maybe some fancy cufflinks. Hey, it’s time we had a uniform, too! But then again, I guess we DO have a uniform To buy one, just check out every dress shop on the planet. Trust me, I’ve seen them all.
Rabbi Burg is the Eastern Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance New York.
Say ‘Yes’ to the Dress? By Estelle Glass am usually allergic to any form of physical exercise, yet I have managed to trek more miles in the last few days than the most dedicated hiker. All of this strenuous activity was undertaken in my fruitless pursuit of the dream dress, the elusive and perfect garment for an upcoming family simcha. To be perfectly honest, I must clarify that I am presently on the higher end of middle- aged. I am also not very tall and am of reasonable weight. So why is it that every single blessed dress that I try on is missing some necessary elements, like a neckline that doesn’t plunge, a sleeve that reaches below my shoulder blades, or even a skirt that covers more than my waist? Is that too much to ask? Allow me to clarify. The first day of my “hunt,” I drove to Brooklyn, the next day to Monsey. Both misadventures might as
I
well be combined here since they were remarkably similar. Firstly, I probably spent more money on tolls and gas than the Baal Simcha spent on the caterer. When I reached these stores, the dressing rooms resembled crowded storage closets filled with women (some my former students!) in various states of undress, stepping around empty cartons and stray belts and stacks of hangers to peer into a shared mirror. While the hassled saleswoman was busily trying to help ten customers at the same time, she kept bringing me clothing in the wrong size, obviously grabbing whatever she had in stock. “This one runs big, mammaleh. Just try it. ….you can take it in…..or you can let it out.” And if it wasn’t discouraging enough that nothing fit, I was informed that in order to look modest, I needed to wear another outfit UNDER the dress; an additional, long pencil skirt to add length to the dress, a stretchy top to add sleeves and fill in the neckline; all guaranteed to add several pounds to
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Estelle Glass, a Teaneck resident, is a retired educator who is now happily writing her own essays.
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 39
AN APPRECIATION
Miriam Lubling, Pioneer of Bikur Cholim in America, is Niftar
compassion and the value of performing a simple mitzvah. (The editor of JLBC was one of those students.) To this day, New York hospitals are filled with young students who walk the halls on Shabbos stopping to wish patients and their families a good Shabbos or Yom Tov. Mrs. Lubling was born Miriam Albert in Konskie, Poland. She attended Sarah Schenirer’s Beis Yaakov in Krakow, and a translation of a postcard written by the headmistress asks a young Miriam to take charge after a teacher in the local Beis Yaakov had taken ill. “First, make sure that the children say Tehillim every day for the speedy recovery of Feiga bas Chaye Yitta. Second, please arrange to have the older girls teach the younger ones … May we, with Hashem’s help, be able share only besoros tovos, good tidings.” The young Miriam and her sister fled Poland for Mandate Palestine before the Nazi invasion. She married in Israel but when her husband, Yaakov, hit his head in the shower and was seriously injured. Mrs. Lubling brought him to America at the advice of the Chazon Ish. Her own experiences with the medical community made her realize that there was a need for someone
to speak up for those in need, her mission in life was defined, and she remained focused on her goal to help others from then on. Decades later, despite her advanced age, she approached that mission with determination and drive. Until just a few years ago she could be seen navigating hospital corridors in high heels—and even into her final days, she was always impeccably dressed. Oftentimes it seemed as if doctors preferred to give in to Mrs. Lubling instead of arguing with her, knowing the battle was already lost. Douglas Jablon, senior vice president of patient relations at Maimonides Medical Center, where Mrs. Lubling could be found at all hours of the day or night said, “She taught me things that I don’t think I could have learned from the greatest Ph.D.s. She was the biggest gaon. She taught me how to treat people. She would walk into families that no one wanted to deal with and never turned anyone away.” “She would deal with the biggest doctors and administrators, some of whom were world renowned,” said Jablon. “They all loved her because she gave a thousand percent. She was a real rebbetzin and a bracha from her went a very long way.” Jablon also made an interesting observation: “I made sheva brachos for my child and several rebbes walked in and no one stood up for them, but when Mrs. Lubling walked in, everyone stood up.” “The word No was not in her vocabulary,” observed N.Y. State Senator Simcha Felder, who nominated Mrs. Lubling for the Astor award in 2002. He recalled that at the awards ceremony at the New York Public Library, Mrs. Lubling approached Mrs. Brooke Astor, who was clearly unwell. “She went over and started talking to her. It was pretty difficult to understand her but you didn’t have to understand Mrs. Lubling to know that you better do what she wanted. She kept talking to Mrs. Astor and saying ‘I’ll come to your house and visit you.’ Mrs.
Astor’s aides kept trying to keep her away but she kept insisting, ‘No, no, just give me your address. I will visit.’ That was just who she was and it was beautiful that an organization like the Astors’ understood what a special person she was.” Felder described a typical Lubling tactic. One of his co-workers needed an immediate appointment with a specialist, so Felder called Mrs. Lubling for help. “She called back a few minutes later and said we had an appointment for 12 noon the next day. My co-worker shows up at 12 and waits. It is 12, then 12:15 and about 45 minutes later she went to the receptionist, who tells her that there was no 12 o’clock appointment. Then she asked my co-worker, ‘Who told you you have an appointment?’ When she heard it was Mrs. Lubling, she said ‘I told her we had no appointments but she told me not to worry and just hung up.’ Of course, the doctor saw my co-worker. And that was Mrs. Lubling. The word No just didn’t exist.” Mrs. Lubling’s daughter Peshi Drillick observed that her mother’s strength came from never worrying about being embarrassed. “She doesn’t care what the doctor thinks about her so long as she gets what she wants done. Most people get intimidated. You don’t want to sound pushy. You don’t want to sound nudgy. Her attitude is, ‘You don’t like me? Who cares?’” Rizy Horowitz of Nachas Health recalled that even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognized the indomitable force that was Miriam Lubling.”I was at a reception for Hillary Clinton at Maimonides and she said to the audience ‘If Mrs. Lubling calls, who can say no?’” Chaskell Bennett, an Agudath Israel board member, said that while there are many bikur cholim organizations, Mrs. Lubling’s was an original. “It wasn’t just that she helped yidden in trouble. She created the concept that you can make
rights were peeled back. The reality is that women’s lives were not improved.” Social media—credited with having helped foment the uprisings throughout the Arab world – helped create this video. “I trolled the internet—really a powerful process—to find women to participate. I spoke to women from all the over world.” She adds that no major world religion, including Islam, condones the type of behavior toward women that is portrayed in this film. But shining a light on it is a first step toward eliminating the injustice and terror. Award-winning journalist Raheel Raza, President of The Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow, author of Their Jihad—Not My Jihad, and human rights activist, one of the nine women appearing in Honor Diaries, will be speaker at the Saturday night screening. Raheel, “a women’s rights activist all my life,” agreed to be in the film on the condition that “Muslim women in the film were allowed to speak for themselves.” Her activism is “based within my faith. Some people have made these attitudes towards women part of the Koran. They use religion as a crutch to commit atrocities against women.” She believes that awareness is the first step for change. “Expose, educate and erad-
icate. While she has not directly experienced the most heinous horrors outed in the film, she knows “young girls who have been threatened—just because they want to wear western clothes or have boyfriends or be educated. The statistics that we have are only those that are known. We have to change the whole understanding of honor.” However, Raheel, who fell in love with a younger man of a different Muslim sect, felt the need to leave her native Pakistan when they married. “I would have been put in jail,” she says. “Just the idea of falling in love was enough. We saw the signs of a rising political Islam. I use the term Islamism. Islamism is the political manifestation of the spiritual message of Islam. This is what has brought this downfall in the Muslim world, with violence and terrorism. Power, patriarchy and politics have totally overshadowed the spiritual message, which is what I believe in. It is what I follow. I am an observing, practicing Muslim. I believe in the spiritual message of compassion and mercy.” She notes that her husband “is very much an activist and feminist and is against radical and fundamentalist Islam.” “Women suffer the backlash as fundamentalism rises. The rise in fundamen-
talism results from the lack of having the right interpretation. The Sunni world lacks leadership. They rarely stand up and denounce violence against women. Everyone interprets the faith to their own advantage. An educated, literate, enlightened woman is frightening.” Arabic facebook pages about the film are very active. “This gives them a link and support. I am involved full-time because I want to support young girls who may be at risk.” Paula Kwestel’s beginnings as a human rights activist began when a Chinese dissident came to speak at her high school. His experiences “just struck me to my core that it was a complete coincidence that I was born free in the U.S. and he was born in China,” she says. That awareness helped set her life path. She hopes this film will set off sufficient ripples to wash away sanctioned violence against women. The film has been translated into Urdu, Parsi and Arabic. The Arabic facebook page has over 74,000 likes. “We are really making inroads,” Paula says.
(with permission from Vos Iz Neias, edited for brevity) rooklyn—Mrs. Miriam Lubling, cofounder and president of the Rivkah Laufer Bikur Cholim, and a legendary patient advocate in New York area hospitals, died this week at NYU Langone Medical Center after a five-week long battle with pneumonia. After a levaya in Borough Park, she was taken to Israel for burial. Mrs. Lubling, the mother of three and the grandmother and great-grandmother of many, was 96 years old. Mrs. Lubling also served as the Director of Medical and Holocaust Services at the Boro Park Jewish Community Council, was involved with OHEL, was an associate trustee at NYU Langone Medical Center whose Shabbos Room bears her name and was the recipient of the 2002 Brooke Russell Astor Unsung Hero Award. Mrs. Lubling touched the lives of many people in Bergen County when their family members—or they themselves—were patients in New York area hospitals. What she created in New York helped local bikur groups establish similar models in Hackensack, Teaneck and Englewood. There was nothing the tiny dynamo of a woman would not attempt to do on behalf of patients and their families, and she set a standard that went beyond anything mere mortals could dream of achieving. Mrs. Lubling and Rivkah Laufer, for whom the bikur cholim organization was named, are remembered by many women of a certain age in Bergen County and Riverdale who grew up in Crown Heights and Borough Park, because the two role models would come to their schools and encourage them to visit pediatric patients at the Brooklyn Hospital of Chronic Diseases in East Flatbush (now Downstate) or Maimonides Hospital as it was then known. On Shabbos afternoons, the hospital would fill with young girls dressed in their Shabbos best, fulfilling the mitzvah of bikur cholim. It was a never-to-be-forgotten lesson in
B
Honor Diaries to be Screened at CBY
CONTINUED FROM P. 1
have also been justification for honor killings. Women who are suspect are not given the opportunity to defend themselves. No longer confined only to far away countries, honor killings and other woman-exlusive, religion-based violations such a FGM (female genital mutilation), forced and marriages are happening in North America and Western Europe. In the documentary film Honor Diaries, to be screened 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 at Cong. Bnai Yeshurun, nine Muslim women from around the world meet for an intense twoday dialogue on their brushes with honor. Human-rights lawyer Paula Kweskin, co-producer of the film, says her inspiration for the movie arose with the spurious hopes of the Arab Spring demonstrations in Egypt. “I was really inspired and hoping that life would be better for women. Women were protesting and were hoping for women’s rights improvements. Instead the
40 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
Mrs. Miriam Lubling, z’l.
CONTINUED ON P. 48
Helen Weiss Pincus is a freelance writer. Her articles have been published in The New York Times, The Record, and other publications.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
IN GOOD TASTE
Onion (or Wits End) Tart By Lisa Reitman Dobi he Onion Tart is a humble comestible, yet one that always brings a stroke of elegance to a table. I like to call this my Wits End Tart; when I have nothing in particular to prepare, am cranky and did not go shopping, I always have frozen pastry dough handy, as well as onions, eggs, milk and cream. Cream may not be in your fridge (I happen to like cream in my coffee). While you may have to purchase the cream, to tell your teenager to pick some up on the way home from school, it’s worth it. The sweet, mellow onions snuggled in a rich, velvety custard are very satisfying. Served with a salad, or a fresh, seasonal vegetable, the tart makes a perfect lunch or a light dinner. What You Need Large non-stick sauté pan Pie dish or a spring-form pan, greased with butter Pie weights or dried beans Parchment Medium mixing bowl Small mixing bowl Whisk Pastry brush
T
Pastry or pie dough, your own or store bought Two eggs plus one egg yolk ¾ cup milk and cream, equal parts of each 3 large onions (mine weighed 1 lb. 5 oz.) Olive oil to sauté the onions 1 T. butter Salt and pepper to taste Dash of nutmeg What To Do: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the pastry dough in the spring-form pan, or use prepared dough in its own tin, or the prerolled kind that you can use in your own bakeware. Carefully line the pan with the dough being careful not to tear it. Make a rim that comes up the sides by about an inch and a half to two inches. Gently lay a piece of parchment over the uncooked crust, making sure to leave plenty of paper sticking out of the sides in order to be able to remove it. Lay the pie weights or spread the dried beans over the parchment covering the crust. This is to prevent the crust from developing large air pockets as it bakes. Bake until the crust is dry and still very pale which can be anywhere from 10 to 30 min-
utes. At this stage, remove the pan from the oven, remove the pie weights or beans by carefully gathering together the corners of the parchment and lifting them out in the paper. Return the crust to the oven and bake until it is golden brown and done. Allow it to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Chop and sauté the onions in a small amount of olive oil. As they soften, add the 1 T. butter. Cook the onions until they are caramelizing: very soft, tender and golden. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. This step can be done in advance. In the larger mixing bowl, beat the egg and egg yolk. Add the milk and cream, and whisk gently but thoroughly. You want to avoid creating froth or any air bubbles. Add about ¼ tsp. salt and a couple of grinds of pepper. A good rule of thumb: it is usually correct to add half the amount of pepper as you do salt. Add a dash of nutmeg and blend. Cover the cooked crust with the caramelized onions. Pour the custard over the onions, filling the shell as close to the top as possible without risking overflow as
you transfer the pan to the oven. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes or until the custard is almost completely set. At this point, if you are using a spring-form pan, place the pan onto a cookie sheet. Remove the ring. Brush the egg wash over the custard, as well as over the crust. Return to the oven and bake for another ten minutes or until the tart is set. Do not overbake. If
you overbake the tart, or any custard filled product, you will see the top rise and begin to bloom upward. Overbaking makes the tart dry. Check the tart often and remove it promptly. I know there are several steps in this recipe but each one is part of a perfect finished product. This tart is served warm. Enjoy the tart and our long-awaited spring!
THE HEIMISHE HOMEMAKER
The Virtues of Hydrogen Peroxide & Epsom Salts By Gail Hochman ydrogen peroxide is so versatile and it is an amazing household tool. Most people use it to cleanse a wound, but there are many more uses, too. Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt and pesticides. Add 1/4 cup of HP to a sink of cold water. After washing, rinse thoroughly with cool water. In the dishwasher, add 2 oz. to your regular detergent for a sanitizing boost. Also, beef up your regular dish soap by adding roughly 2 ounces of 3% HP to the bottle. Use HP as a mouthwash to freshen breath. It kills the bacteria that causes halitosis. Use a 50/50 mixture of HP and water. Use baking soda and HP to make a paste for brushing teeth. This helps with early stages of gingivitis as it kills bacteria. Mixed with salt and baking soda, HP also works as a whitening toothpaste. Soak your toothbrush in HP between uses to keep it clean and prevent the transfer of germs. This is particularly helpful when you or someone in your family has a cold or the flu. Clean your cutting board and countertop with HP. Let everything bubble for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse clean. Wipe out your refrigerator and dishwasher. Because it’s non-toxic, it’s great for cleaning places that store food and dishes Clean your sponges. Soak them for 10 minutes in a 50/50 mixture of HP and warm water in a shallow dish. Rinse the sponges thoroughly afterward.
Sanitize your kids’ lunch boxes/bags by spraying with HP. When your kids come home from sleep away camp with those musty smelling towels, use 1/2 cup HP and 1/2 cup vinegar and let stand for 15 minutes . Wash as normal. Gets rid of the smell. You can use HP to remove blood from fabric. Just spot treat and then wash.
H
Combine HP with enough baking soda to make a paste, then rub onto the dirty pan and let it sit for a while. Come back later with a scrubby sponge and some warm water, and the baked-on stains will lift right off. Whiten bathtub grout. First dry the tub thoroughly, then spray it liberally with HP. Let it sit — it may bubble slightly — for a little while, then come back and scrub the grout with an old toothbrush. You may have to repeat the process a few times. HP can be used as a pre-treater for stains — just soak the stain for a little while in 3% HP before tossing into the laundry. You can also add a cup of peroxide to a regular load of whites to boost brightness. It’s a green alternative to bleach, and works just as well. HP is a safe cleaner to use around kids or anyone with respiratory problems, because it’s not a lung irritant. Spray toys, toy boxes, doorknobs, and anything else your kids touch on a regular basis. Spray a solution of 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon of HP on leftover salad, drain, cover and refrigerate. This will prevent wilting and better preserve your salad
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
And Now For Our Friend Epsom Salt: If you have a splinter that you’re having a hard time removing, you can soak in an epsom salt bath to increase pressure of the skin, which will draw the splinter to the surface. If it is just a finger or toe, simply dissolve 2 tbsp of epsom salts in a cup of water and soak the affected area. Epsom salt isn’t just for people: your house plants can benefit from it, too! Dissolve 2 tbsp of Epsom salt in a gallon of water and water your plants for an extra dose of minerals that they’ll love. For a natural exfoliant, add a little pinch of epsom salt to your normal face wash, and gently rub your face with circular motions, and rinse. It will help bring out impurities and rid your face of dead skin. Mix equal parts epsom salts with dishwashing liquid, then dab it onto grimy tiles and start scrubbing. The mix works well to dissolve the grime. Soak your feet in an Epsom salt bath to aid in the relief from the symptoms of athlete’s foot and gout. Soaking feet in warm water with a handful of epsom salts three times a day will also treat toenail fungus.
After a shower, massage epsom salt over wet skin to exfoliate the body. It’s the same treatment many upscale spas use, without the hefty price! For mosquito bites, bee stings and mild sunburn, make a compress by soaking a cotton washcloth in a solution of cold water and Epsom salts (2 tablespoons per cup), then apply to the skin to relieve the sting. The following makes a great gift for your bath lover; enjoy: (I multiply this recipe by 4 and keep it in a large jar) 2 cups epsom dalt 5 to 7 drops essential oil of peppermint (depending on how strong of a scent you want) 3 drops Tea Tree oil 1 gallon-size Zip-Loc freezer bag (I like using freezer bags because they’re thicker than regular storage bags) Put epsom salt in Zip-Loc bag and add the drops of peppermint and Tea Tree essential oils; mix oils into the Epsom Salt by squishing ingredients together in the closed bag for several minutes. You can use it right away or store salts in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. To use, add 2 cups of the bath salts under the running warm or hot water in your tub. To get the maximum benefit from this epsom salt bath, you should soak for at least 12 minutes. You can put the mixture into pretty jars; attach some ribbon and give it as a nice gift. You can also use other essential oils, like lavender, to scent the salts, as well. Gail Hochman has been a resident of Bergen County for over 30 years and has been blessed with many grandchildren.
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 41
PESACH PREVIEW
More than 300 New Items for Passover 2014: Kitniyot Products to Debut By Eda Kram Editor, New Product Showcase & Staff Reporters, Kosher News NEW YORK — The decision by the Orthodox Union (OU) to certify products that include kitniyot will have an immediate impact on grocery shelves this Passover season. Kitniyot, which is a category of food that contains legumes, corn, peas, soy, rice and lentils, is consumed by Jews of Sephardic descent while Ashkenazic Jews meticulously avoid the products. The kitniyot items will be amongst some 300 new food products that will be introduced for Passover (eve of April 14 through April 22). Manischewitz was one of the first to take advantage of the new OU designation, which will be indicated on packages with an OU-P – Kitniyot. Manischewitz named its line of kitniyot products Kitni, including canned corn and chickpeas, popcorn and rice cakes, peanut butter, tahini, lentils and rice mix, and Mediterranean rice mix. Kitni products can be found in Metro New York, Chicago, California, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Texas and Canada. In its annual review of new kosher-forPassover items, KosherToday found some new condiments, oils and mixes for Passover. Kedem is introducing Blanchard & Blanchard Creamy Ranch Dressing (Pareve), Blanchard & Blanchard Non-Pareil Capers (All Natural, Imported) and Blanchard & Blanchard Sun Dried Tomatoes (All Natural, Imported). In addition to its kitniyot products, Manischewitz is introducing Chicken Broth, natural and gluten-free. Osem is out with their Homestyle Potato Pancake Mix.
There are new additions for breakfast and desserts. Paskesz introduces two gluten free Cracker Flats, Crispits (Original, Onion, Garlic and Everything) and Crackets (Original, Onion, Garlic and Everything). Also from Paskesz are Soft Crunch Honey Granola Style Bars in Honey/Almond and Chocolate Drizzle Bars (gluten free and Pareve). Kedem’s new additions include Crispy-O’s Gluten Free Frosted Cereal (Imported from Israel) and Kosherific Passover Veggie Crust Cheeseypies (only 45 calories and 1g of fat per serving), all natural, Cholov Yisroel, and Non-Gebrokts. Manischewitz’s new offerings include Coconut Crisp Cookies and Pistachio Orange Macaroons (gluten-free), Almond Pecan Granola and Matzo Granola Cereal. New from the Mishpacha line of snacks from Manischewitz is Almond Macaroons, complimenting the other Mishpacha Macaroon assortment, which includes Chocolate Chip, Chocolate and Coconut (gluten free). Lieber’s has a full line of macaroons from
Almonds, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Covered Coconut, Double Chocolate Chip and Honey, to name but a few. Elegante & Dodilly Chocolatier has introduced a full line of Kosher for Pesach Pareve (Non-Gebrokts) sweet and savory French Macaroons, which come in sandwiches and ice cream sandwiches in a variety of flavors including chocolate, nutty, mint and fruity. Savory flavors include salt & pepper, oregano, roasted pepper, chili and more! Elegante & Dodilly Chocolatier will also introduce Gourmet Artisan Chocolates, Pancakes & French Toast and Muffins (Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Carrot, Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip and Plain). In the fish category, Benz’s introduces their Smoked Nova. In the sweets department for both adults and kids are a number of new products for all the snackers out there. Klein’s Kosher Ice Cream introduces Rainbow Bullets (non-dairy) and the Gold Bar Strawberry Swirl in a 3-pack. Kedem introduces Harrison’s Sweet Shoppe all nat-
ural sodas (Cola, Lemon/Lime, Cream and Orange) and Shefa Sweet Goodies Chocolate Candy (Cholov Yisroel Milk Chocolate, Bittersweet Chocolate, White Chocolate, Milk/White Chocolate, Imported from Israel, Certified Gluten Free). Osem has added a large size to Bissli Onion (portion of proceeds from the sale of each bag will go to support JNF’s indoor recreation center in Sderot, Israel). Lieber’s is adding Gluten Free Confetti Cookies (also in vanilla and lemon flavor). Elegante & Dodilly Chocolatier will also be introducing a line of frozen desserts: Sushi Ice Cream rolls in flavors including Chocolate Coffee, Chocolate Vanilla, and Neapolitan and Cake Pops that are decorated in a variety of sprinkles and nuts, and Mousses in the following flavors: Chocolate, Hazelnut, Strawberry and Lemon. The matzo category always seems to be growing. This year, Kedem rolls out Yehuda Matzos Chocolately Coated Matzos w/ Coconut, Yehuda Matzos Chocolately Coated Matzos w/Sprinkles, Yehuda Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Crackers (All Natural, Certified Gluten Free), Yehuda Gluten Free Soup Crackers (All Natural, Certified Gluten Free) and Yehuda Crumb Cake, all imported from Israel. Speaking of Israel, Osem is adding matzo balls as a Homestyle Matzah Ball mix. In addition to foods, many new novelty items will be on sale in time for the holiday. They include Davida Apron’s “new” Matzahman Doll (a Kosherfest winner). “A Seder is not a Seder without the Matzahman Doll!” Rite Lite Ltd. introduces an elegant melamine Seder plate. It is washable, affordable and will enhance the Seder table.
10,000 Square Foot Passover Store and Larger Shelf Displays in Many Markets By Kosher TodayStaff Reporters IAMI BEACH—In one of the newest Publix stores located on Collins Avenue, a special Passover display was in place even before Purim. The display was just to the left of the main entrance on the second floor with a huge mountain of matzohs serving as the bookend to cake mixes, grape juice, chocolates and much more. This scene is repeated in some of the other stores of the chain as it is in an even larger
M
set at Winn-Dixie in Aventura. Similar Passover selections were also in evidence at Ralph’s and Jewel Osco as the Passover season went into full swing. In Monsey, the huge Evergreen store launched a 10,000 square foot separate Passover store with an unprecedented array of products. The separate Passover store allowed Evergreen the luxury of continuing to sell its year-round products without having consumers crisscross aisles to search for the Passover items. In
Brooklyn, Mountain Fruit also launched its separate Passover store directly across from its year-round store. Other independents designated special section of the store. At Pomegranate, several aisles were in the midst of making the transition to Passover as were such stores as Goldberg’s, ShopSmart, KRM, and Moisha’s. In what must be welcome news for consumers, the stores are emphasizing lower prices. One store was advertising hand-made Shmura Matzoh for as low as
$9.99 a lb. when the market price ranged from $16- $25 a lb. Passover has become a highly competitive time of year because of the significantly larger baskets. Stores attempt to lure shoppers from distant communities with loss leaders and cheaper prices. Evergreen, for example, is telling customers that “there is no need to travel to Brooklyn for the cheaper prices.” At Pomegranate, the parking lot was full of license plates from New Jersey, Connecticut and even Massachusetts.
own organic vegetable dyes for our coloring. We treat your family like our own. No longer should you buy Passover desserts that are mass produced, months in advance. We bake all of our desserts fresh, the week before Pesach!” Tova’s All Natural Cakes & Cookies are available online at www.TovasAllNatural. com and at select local retailers. The web-
site will accept orders from now until Sunday, April 13th for deliveries the following day. Celebrating an event, Birthday, or Synagogue function during the Passover holiday? Contact Tova’s All Natural now at: TovasAllNatural@gmail.com or toll-free at: (855) 236-4383
Not Your Bubby’s Macaroons! inally, a Gourmet Passover bakery that uses all natural ingredients without preservatives! For far too long the Jewish people have had to relive their biblical suffering on Passover while eating stale and bland Passover desserts. Dayenu! Enough! Follow Tova’s All Natural Bakery to the promised land of delicious Pesach treats. All of their desserts are Gluten and Dairy free, and contain No Preservatives. They are certified Kosher for Passover by the RCBC (Rabbinical Council of Bergen County), and are Pareve and Non Gebrucks! After enduring years of complaints and comments from family and friends
F
42 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
regarding the sorry state of Passover desserts, Blythe and Mark Roth, together with their eldest daughter Tova are finally doing something about it! Building on close to two decades of high-end restaurant and hotel experience, Tova’s All Natural will change the way people view Passover desserts. “No matzo meal here!” Say’s Blythe Roth, “Tova’s All Natural is committed to utilizing only the finest, all natural, kosher for passover ingredients available, without any preservatives. All of our ingredients can be counted on your hand and pronounced by your 3 year old. We even produce our
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
¼
T ¨ §¨ £
6 6 TAKE UP TO
$350 OFF YOUR WIG*
AT THE PRE-PESACH
SHAITEL SALE!
TEANECK
Congregation Rinat Yisroel 389 W Englewood Avenue DATE: March 31ST 6PM - 9:30PM PHONE: 718-677-9447
TRADE IN YOUR OLD MILANO WIG & TAKE
$100 OFF SALE PRICE (up to $450 total savings)
BROOKLYN SHOWROOM 1427 Coney Island Avenue
March 27TH 11AM - 8PM March 29TH ¥ © ¨ 8:30PM - 12:30AM March 30TH 11AM - 8PM
CEDARHURST
MONSEY
Kulanu 620 Central Ave April 1ST 5PM - 9PM
401 rt 59 April 2ND 4PM - 9PM
FREE PRECUTS! Find the wig you love and wear it out the door. ($175 value) *With coupon. Available at MCwigs.com/Pesach
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
MCwigs.com
Facebook.com/milanowigs
Milano_Collection
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 43
44 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 45
PARENTING
An Empty Nest Is a Great Place! By Rabbi Mordechai Glick nest is thought of as a place, representing home, where the offspring, or children, grow with their parents watching over them and guiding them as they slowly move into adulthood. When the children become more independent and begin making their way in the world, they usually do so somewhat gradually, as, for example, going to college or spending a year or two in Israel, almost always maintaining contact with the parents. When the children take off on their own (as in when they marry and move away from their parents and get firmly entrenched in their own work or career), there usually is at least some contact that in most cases goes on until the parent becomes old or increasingly infirm and, in many cases the child(ren) then become caregivers, at least in terms of some general involvement in their lives. There are, of course, many variations in the pattern, as, for example, when the parents and children continue to maintain somewhat close contact, which is more common in the Orthodox community. But what happens to the parents when the children leave home? We usually refer to what the parents begin to experience as the empty nest syndrome, typically thought of as a somewhat
A
lonely and depressing period. In many cases, that is somewhat accurate. The parents, and more frequently, the mother, become lonely, angry and jealous of people who have their children living closer by and who continue to dependent on them. Or they become enmeshed in their children’s lives and embedded in the typical problems that most couples face. In ei-
support their children is very much appreciated by the children, it usually comes at a big cost. A parent helping support a child has a strong interest in how the child is living and spending his money, and this often leads to difficulty and clashes, and sometimes a very troubled relationship. In most cases, the advice of Roshei Yeshivos notwithstanding, it is best if the chil-
Your marriage has to be the foremost focus of your lives, right from the beginning. That obviously doesn’t mean that you don’t pay attention to your children, but it does mean that your primary concern should be your spouse, even though the needs of child rearing will take an enormous amount of your time and attention. ther case, the spouse (usually the father) is pushed to a place that is even further removed from the caring, sharing place that we often fantasize about marriage, and the marriage begins to deteriorate. In many cases, the relationship between the parents and children is reset in a positive, respectful way. The parents, though still concerned, stay somewhat removed from the children’s own marital issues and are there for advice or suggestion as requested or allowed by the children. The issue of parents helping out their children is a somewhat problematic one. Though parents supporting or helping
dren make their way in life on their own, even though it might be very difficult. People experience feelings of empty nest to various degrees. Some do very well, enjoying their lives by spending more of their time in ways that were always appealing to them, but they were usually too busy and occupied to be able to get around to. Their life as a couple gets better, as they have more time and attention to spend on each other, rather than their children. Or they may devote themselves more fully to their careers or businesses than they were able to before, and enjoy the time they do have
with their spouse. The following things should be done in order to prepare for the future and make the transition into being alone with each other that much more special. For one thing, your marriage has to be the foremost focus of your lives, right from the beginning. That obviously doesn’t mean that you don’t pay attention to your children, but it does mean that your primary concern should be your spouse, even though the needs of child rearing will take an enormous amount of your time and attention. That means always paying attention to the needs, desires and difficulties of your spouse even if that means your children will occasionally be very unhappy. Make time to go out on dates regularly. Plan and take vacations alone together. Make sure to buy gifts (even if small) for one another. And always remember, though you are and always will be involved in your children’s lives in some way, they will go on to connect and bond with their spouse and you will always, please God, be deeply involved in the deepest spiritual way with the person you married. Please feel free to contact me regarding this (or any) topic. You can do so anonymously by writing to mordechaiglick@gmail.com.. Dr. Glick was a clinical psychologist in private practice for 35 years as well as a rabbi of Congregation Ahavat Yisroel. If you would like to submit a question, or contact him for an appointment, he can be reached at mordechaiglick@gmail.com or by calling him at 201-983-1532.
Market your business to the Jewish Community! Advertise in the Call 201-371-3212 or email ads@jewishlinkbc.com
See something happening near your home? Know of an event coming up in your community? Tweet it to: @jlinkbc 46 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 47
PESACH PREVIEW
Chometz is Not Schmutz: Common Sense Advice on How to Clean for Pesach By Anne Phyllis Pinzow ight after Purim, the Pesach cleaning panic begins. Usually there is a lot more going on than scrubbing kitchens, breakfast nooks, dining rooms and the bathrooms, where chometz is always lurking. Houses are ripped apart on the hunt for stray crumbs. Chandeliers are pulled apart. Every pocket of every garment in the house is turned inside out. And thousands of dollars are spent on new kitchen towels, gadgets, placemats, dish racks and more. Considering the penchant of Jewish people to become obsessive compulsive about Pesach cleaning, many wives feel like drained slaves by the time they get to the Seder table and wonder when they will be freed. They are cleaning up dirt, dust, and everything that you clean when spring comes rolling around… But as one haredi rabbi let the world know, there is a difference between chometz and what we normally consider dirt in our homes. When asked where his wife was going with packed suitcases, not to be expected back for a week, another rabbi said, “It’s time for Pesach cleaning. I send her away to a resort to rest up for cooking and hire a company to clean the house.” Not enough can be said about a well-trained and intelligent husband. Yet another rabbi gets help from some of the men in his congregation to disconnect all the “daily” kitchen appliances—the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher—and to haul up from the basement the Passover stove, refrigerator and dishwasher. “It’s easier than doing the cleaning,” he told an astonished visitor. In some areas of the country, where the weather is steadier and temperate in March and April, an Orthodox Jewish woman keeps a foil-wrapped separate refrigerator and microwave just for Passover in one corner of her kitchen. For a month prior to Pesach she cooks all the meals ahead of time outside on a barbecue used only for Yom Tov, thereby avoiding the whole bending down on hands and knees to clean out the oven. Then there’s the extended family option where there are actually two houses or apartments; one is cleaned from roof to basement while everyone lives in the other place until it’s time to enter the one cleaned for Pesach. A favorite for many an older couple is to just chuck the cleaning altogether, sell the house to the rabbi for a dollar, ridding
R
themselves of the ownership of any chometz they could have, and settling in to a kosher-forPassover resort or even a cruise for the eight days. While some might question these options, others have been deemed a bit excessive. There are those who have been known to scour the floor, tile by tile, with a toothbrush dipped in kerosene before pouring boiling water over it and then covering that with plastic sheeting in case they drop a Pesachdikeh spoon on the floor. Some extremes: • Washing eggs in soap and water and boiling drinking water in case some chometz was not filtered out by the water company. • Immersing household utensils in boiling water kashers certain items for Pesach. • Leaving books outside to air them—and then you have to shake each one out, too. • Boiling sugar and filtering sugar syrup— we haven’t figured out why. • Placing small toys in a pillow case and washing them in a washing machine. That does make sense, but for Pesach? • Some women are frowned on for taking shortcuts like using paper plates instead of having four sets of dishes, in order to avoid the expense and the clean-up. They are told anything porous can have chometz hiding in it The thing is, most women who go through the pre-Passover cleaning ritual do what their mothers did, with additional guidance offered by what their mother-inlaws did with an added dash of what their local shul’s Pesach committee says should be done. And then they decide for themselves. An article, written in 2011 by haredi Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg says, “The pressure of pre-Pesach cleaning has reached unnecessary and overwhelming levels. The housewife often becomes overly-nervous, unable to enjoy the holiday joy of Passover and unable to perform the mitzvos and obligations of the Seder night.” He goes on, “Every woman should be well rested, relaxed and alert at the Seder table so that she can fulfill all the Torah and rabbinic obligations and follow the haggadah with the rest of the family.” • While the purpose of pre-Passover clean-
• •
•
•
•
• •
• •
•
•
•
• •
ing is to remove all the chometz from the home, he writes that it need not be excessive. The following is a check-list for pre-Passover cleaning: If chometz is sold, then washing the pots, pans and dishes that are going to be locked away is not necessary. If chometz is not brought into a place, that place does not have to be cleaned out or checked for chometz. Any article not used for Passover need not be checked for chometz but should be put away and the chometz in it sold. Crumbs larger than the size of an olive must be rendered inedible with the use of household cleaner. Items to be koshered should not be used for 24 hours prior to koshering. Only if there is some significant possibility that chometz got into clothes closets, chests, dressers, basements, they should be checked. Floors should be swept and washed with a household floor cleaner. If food cabinets will not be used on Passover they are to be locked and sealed and the contents sold with the chometz. If the food cabinets will be used, all contents should be removed and the cabinets washed with a household cleaner and then line the cabinets. Take food out of the refrigerator, wash the inside with a rag soaked in a household cleaner, and line the racks but leave holes for the cold air to circulate. A kettle of boiling water should be poured around the sides of sinks and around the basin and it should be lined with an insert such as aluminum foil. Faucet taps should just be cleaned but no koshering procedure is needed. Marble and stainless steel counters, if used for hot chometz should be cleaned well and then completely covered or
boiling water should be poured over them if it will not ruin them. • Wash tabletops with a household cleaner and then cover them. • Stoves require washing of the top and side surfaces with a strong household cleaner. The burner tops should be koshered by first cleaning them, putting them back, lighting all the burners to the maximum heat and putting on a blech while the burners are on and left for five to ten minutes. Then cover the stove-top with aluminum foil but do not block the air inlets around the burners or on the back of the stove. • Ovens should be checked for chometz but only need to be cleaned if they are to be used and a common cleaner such as Easy-off can be used. Turn the oven on to its highest temperature for about an hour. If the oven has a glass door cover the inside of it with aluminum foil. The oven racks can be koshered in the same procedure as the oven putting them as close to the heating element as possible. • Cookware and flatware that won’t be used for Passover can just be locked up and put away in a sealed place • Consult a rav for food processors or mixers. • Dish towels can be washed and used if there isn’t a separate set for Passover. • Pesach tablecloths can be ironed with the same iron used the year round. • Clothes, blankets, pockets, just need to be washed or dry cleaned. Clothes that won’t be worn during Pesach should be put away. • Siddurim, benchers, seforim, books should be checked for chometz only if there’s a chance that there could be chometz in them. If there is then sell them. • Toys should just be checked for chometz and the chometz removed. The night before Passover, in some homes, the family goes on a chometz search checking every window and corner with a feather. In some congregations chometz can be given away or sold to the rabbi for a dollar and retrieved after the holiday. The last and most important part of Passover cleaning writes the rabbi, is “Try to make the Pesach chores easy for yourself. Don’t do unnecessary hard work. Don’t do unnecessary cleaning. You can be like a Queen and you must enjoy your Pesach!” And if you have questions, check with your local rabbi.
AN APPRECIATION
Miriam Lubling, Pioneer of Bikur Cholim in America, is Niftar
CONTINUED FROM P. 40
a difference even if you aren’t a doctor. This was with no cell phones, no email, no texting, no Twitter. She accomplished
48 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
everything she had to by the sheer force of her personality. …The needs of the patient were first, second, third and fourth. She had no time or interest in formality or political correctness. When others didn’t feel comfortable making waves, she created a tsunami. …She made doctors, nurses and oftentimes indifferent hospital administrators understand that their entire mission was to help heal this patient, now.” “I called her my rabbi,” said Rabbi Yisroel Rosman, the Jewish patient care advocate at NYU, who described her as a person
of deep ruchnius. He also saw the other side of her. “I was once with a doctor who is a big name with a waiting list that was six months long. Mrs. Lubling walked into the office with her walker and suddenly the doctor says, ‘I need to go.’ I tried to ask what happened, but he ran and hid in a closet. In walks Mrs. Lubling and she says to me ‘Where is he?’ This important doctor was so afraid of her, he hid in the closet!” There was also the time when Mrs. Lubling was working for a child who needed an appointment with a pediatric neurosurgeon. When told the doctor had just left
for the airport to go vacation, she raced to the airport, found him and told him, “You can go on vacation next week, but this kid will never go on vacation if you leave now.” Of course, he canceled his vacation. “Mrs. Lubling didn’t just look for ways to make things happen, she found them,” explained Esther Henny Jaroslawicz of Bikur Cholim of Boro Park. “The world will never be the same without her inimitable presence. Her myriad acts of chesed and tzedaka serve as her legacy. Surely, she will be a meilitzas yosher for her family and Klal Yisroel.”
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
PARENTING
The Soleful Art of Shoe Shopping By Sarah Abenaim sneaked out one night after putting the kids to bed last week to buy them some new shoes for the spring. I was on a mission to begin my pre-Pesach clothing shopping, so that at least they would have things to wear for the holiday. This was supposed to be my tshuva for not getting anything for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot, because that happened before school really began, and I was still consumed and exhausted with purchasing school supplies and Yom Tov food. For Pesach, the food issue is a breeze. Just buy matzoh and some cream cheese, and that’s it, so I am free to focus on other more important purchases, like shoes. I know there are a lot of people who take shoe shopping very seriously. Getting measured, paying full price at Nordstrom, shlepping the entire family to the mall. I should probably be one of those people, being that my father is a podiatrist and foot-care was a big thing in our house, but I don’t think shoes ever were. My shoe-buying strategy is that I check the sizes of my kids current shoes, add on a half size (or a whole, if I think it was a year of eating a lot of protein and vegetables for that particular child. It’s usually not. In fact, according to that philosophy, one child’s feet probably shrunk this year), then try to remember all of those numbers. Once I even got really serious and printed out a foot-measuring chart from the internet, and had my kids stand on it. It seemed complicated though, the numbers were upside down and changing for the left or right foot, so I mostly prefer my checking-oldshoes method. It obviously works because nobody ever seems to have a limp. Then I sneak out. It could be at night or while they are in school, but I go to as many stores as I can run into during my one-hour window of time before the mall closes for the night or before it is carpool time, and buy tons of pairs of shoes that they sell at fancy stores but are really halfoff because they are now at Century 21 or Daffy’s (a’h). I bring them home, line them up along the hallway floor, and create my own shoe store. The kids wake up in the morning and it is like Christmas, not that we have ever celebrated, but I’m sure this must be what it feels like, except we have shoes instead of toys. You see, I have done it the traditional way; I’ve brought all the kids to a store and let them peruse the selection, endlessly. It is a challenge, one that usually ends in a non-negotiable argument as to why high heels are not practical for an 8-year-old, or why light-up loafers won’t work for Shabbat. And everyone becomes cranky, including me. Their taste in shoes greatly differs from what I deem reasonable, and so with my new method, I am at least able to pre-screen, avoid in-store conflicts, and sit down in the comfort of my own home with a cup of tea while they “shop” and try on. Internet shopping also works well for this. Sometimes, nothing fits, but usually they end up with at least one good pair. Then, I take the shoes from the reject pile and leave them in a bag by the front door, next to a bag of “things to be toiveled,” and hope that they will one day get returned to
I
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
the stores before the receipts expire. This does require a second trip to the mall, an annoyance for most, myself included, and I often find myself wishing that each pair would fit and I wouldn’t have to make the returns, but the extra trip is a worthwhile investment. You won’t have the headache of shopping with the kids, and you get to conveniently browse the aisles and buy more things while you work your way to Customer Service for a return. And then you can start the process all over. It can be shoe-Christmas once every 30-days. Sarah Abenaim is a freelance writer living with her husband and four children in Teaneck. She is working on her first book. More of her essays can be read at www.writersblackout.wordpress.com.
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 49
v o T m Yo h! s a B
Extended hours for Yom Tov season! April 1-13 Sun-Thu 10:30-9:00 Fri 10:30 to 3:00
All Suits & Shoes Buy One Get One
f f O % 0 5
SHIRTS
Bianco Bianco Men’s Shirts
reg $150 4
for $99 Boon Dash
Non-Iron Men’s Shirts reg $150 3
50 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
for $99
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
HEALTH AND FITNESS
How to Survive the Pesach Carb Overload By Chemmie Sokolic or those of us trying to reduce the amount of carbohydrates (“carbs”) we’re consuming with the intention of losing some weight, without doubt, Pesach is one of the most difficult eight days of the year. Take the sedarim, for instance, epitomized by the simple equation “matzo + wine + large meal + late at night = perfect storm for weight gain.” When it comes to maintaining a healthy diet-and-exercise regimen, Pesach and Succot are always a tough time, with at least five days of big meals squeezed into an eight-day period. Pesach is particularly challenging, though, with the added bonus of just about every course in every meal likely filled with matzo, matzo meal, and/or potatoes—total carb overload. The festival celebrating our redemption and freedom is such a special time with so many opportunities to draw closer to Hashem. Is there a way to perform the mitzvot with both a joyful heart and a guilt-free conscience? Of course there is. Here are seven ideas to weather the carbohydrate storm that is Pesach: • Substitute matzo and matzo meal made with processed white flour with their whole wheat equivalents. As I discussed last week, whole grain products don’t spike your insulin levels as much as processed grains do, and are less likely to be converted to fat; they’ll also keep you sated longer. You can even get handmade whole wheat shmura matzo which, believe it or not, tastes pretty good. • Substitute heavy side dishes with lighter salads. Make sure there’s at least one green salad on the table at every meal. Feel free to load it up with tasty accoutrements such as chopped almonds or walnuts, craisins, citrus fruit slices, strawberries, mango, avocado or different colored peppers. If you fill up on salad, you’re less likely to exceed your daily caloric requirement over the course of the day.
F
• Substitute heavy starchy foods, such as potatoes and matzo, with lower Glycemic Index foods. Try grilled vegetables such as peppers, onions, winter squashes and zucchini. If the weather permits, use the barbeque to grill the vegetables; the taste is divine. • Substitute cake and cookies with fruit for dessert. While it’s true that Pesach cake has come a long way in recent years, it hasn’t come so far as to be calorie free. In as many meals as possible, try and minimize the starchy desserts. • Choose protein over carbs. If points 1 through 4 are still not doing it for you,
and you’re still hungry, better to choose protein over carbs. Protein contains the same number of calories per gram as carbohydrates, but you’re less likely to go overboard with meat and chicken than you might be with starchy side dishes and desserts loaded with fat and sugar. • Make your Shulchan Orech less “orech.” The Pesach seder calls for a meal late at night. Typically, this meal is pretty large (even though every year we always tell ourselves “it’ll be a small affair this year”) and by the time it rolls around—after spending what is sometimes hours reciting from the haggadah—everyone is always ravenous and ends up eating more than they probably should. That being said, I suggest pacing yourself during the meal. Eat slowly and purposefully. Minimize your portion sizes too, and remember that just as the Jews left Mitzrayim, so should you be able to leave the yom
tov table… without having to push the chair too far back or loosen your belt. • Get the blood pumping. Avoiding leaven over the eight-day period doesn’t mean avoiding exercise too. Try and get as much exercise as possible over the chag. A 20–30 minute walk after heavy yom tov meals does wonders for digestion, and can burn off at least some of those carbs. During chol hamoed, exercises that include calisthenics, cardio and resistance training and stretching are all recommended. I think we can all agree that Pesach is “challenging.” It’s challenging for parents
who clean, for kids who like their cereal, and for health nuts who like their routine. I was once told that Hashem gave us Pesach as a gift to the people who love to complain. Yes, we can focus on these challenges; but, instead, we must view them as opportunities—opportunities to get closer to our families, closer to Hashem, and closer to the reason we were freed in the first place. Chemmie Sokolic is an ACSM-certified Personal Trainer, and owner of Frum & Fit LLC. Chemmie can be reached at chemmie.sokolic@frumandfit.com. Visit www.FrumandFit.com or www.Facebook.com/FrumandFit for more information.
PARK AVENUE MATERNITY
Huge Selection
Call for extended hours. Open Motzei Shabbos Casual. Wedding. Yom Tov... & Erev Yom Tov Skirts & Dressy Tops Monsey NY Our Specialty
Spring 2014
845-425-7964
No checks accepted
Standard Bar/Bas Mitzvah Packages include Free Photo Favor Booth or $100 Discount & Over 30 Games
Jeff Wilks Orchestra & DJ's • Leibedik One Man Band/Singer • DJ w/ Dance Motivators • Projector/Screen Rentals • Wedding Bands • Laser Dance Lighting • Shabbos Ruach a capella Singers
NY (212) 840-5523 NJ (732) 828-9274 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 51
HEALTH AND FITNESS
High-Heel Hangover By Rivki Chudnoff PT, MSPT f you would never subject yourself to balancing on a small pair of stilts at a 30° angle in the name of vanity, this ain’t about you. To all my masochistic friends out there, you KNOW what I’m talking about: You walked to shul, stood through the amida, and graciously hosted an 18- course Shabbat meal in your best three-inch heels, or perhaps you arranged three carpools and a business deal all while teetering around on those stilettos for two hours at the shmorg of a recent event. Whatever the case, there you are the next morning with a body that can’t figure out why it feels like you spent the last 12 hours at the gym with nary a pair of sneakers in sight. You can’t move; you are suffering from high-heel hangover. You then promise your aching feet and sore calves that you will never do this to them again, but alas, you know it is a lie. Here are some techniques to help cope with those aching gams, and strategies to prevent some of those muscle aches next time around.
I
Choose your weapons wisely 1) Make sure they fit. Isn’t it ironic how they only have the ones you really want on the sale rack just a half size too small/big? Make sure your toes have room to move in them. Buy them only if they fit when you actually walk in them. 2) Test the shoes to see if they are balanced. Stand the shoe up on the floor and make sure the sole lies flat on the floor. If
it rocks even before you put your foot in it, chances are it won’t be any more balanced when you wear it. 3) The thinner the shoe’s heel, the harder they will be on your feet. Wedges are perhaps the easiest to walk in, as they have the most surface area. Thick-heeled pumps come in a close second. 4) When choosing a pointy-toed shoe, make sure your toes end before the toe starts to narrow to avoid compression of your toes.
Walk this way The way you move when you are wearing your heels will affect how your body is going to feel after the fact. It pays to learn how to walk in heels correctly, particularly if you’d prefer not to look like you’re playing dress up in grown-up shoes. Do walk heel to toe, placing the heel down first, with your toes following. Don’t walk toe to heel, or take steps by putting your whole foot down at same time flat footed. Do walk with your shoulders back, and your chin up. Don’t look down at your feet as you walk. Do look ahead about 1/3 of a block when walking. Don’t over-extend yourself by taking big steps. Do improve your balance by reducing your stride length by taking smaller steps. Do practice walking with one foot in front of the other on a straight line on the
post the simcha, from the simcha!!
ground, allowing your hips to sway naturally from side to side as you shift your weight from one foot to the other. When negotiating challenging surfaces, the above rules change. If you find yourself walking on grass, put your weight on your toes, or you will sink, not to mention ruin your heels. Walking upstairs can be a challenge; for optimal balance, put your weight on your toes, like you are tip toeing. Upon descending, plant your whole foot on the step at once while holding onto the rail for dear life.
High-heel rehab Your calf muscles work harder when you wear heels, and your Achilles tendon gets tight and shortened. For this reason, good stretching techniques should be practiced the day after wear to both lengthen your tight muscles and increase blood flow to the area. To avoid injury and to maximize the benefit of your stretch, only stretch muscles when they are warm. Stretching after activity or bathing works best. Try these techniques: 1) Stand in bare feet; keeping your knees straight, bend down and reach toward your toes. Hold this position for at least 20 seconds. For all you yogis out there, a downward-facing dog pose will work nicely to achieve this stretch. 2) While sitting, extend at your knee, and try to write the alphabet in the air with pointed toes.
3) Stand in bare feet, holding onto the back of a chair. Place a tennis ball under the arch of one of your feet. While stepping down on the ball, roll it under your foot to release tightness in the muscles of your foot. Try this for two minutes on each foot. 4) Sitting cross-legged on the floor, interlace the fingers of your right hand in between the toes of your left foot. With the palm of your hand facing the sole of your foot, spread your fingers and gently stretch the spaces between your toes. Hold this stretch for 20–30 seconds. Repeat this activity on the other side. Finally, take a high-heel vacation. The day after wearing heels, try to walk barefoot when possible (and safe) and wear sneakers that have a comfortable, flexible sole. This will allow the muscles in your feet to recover. Make sure to moisturize your feet, as prolonged heel wearing may cause patches of dry skin. Use this opportunity to massage the arches of your feet, or better yet, get someone else to massage them for you. Keep strut’n along ladies, ‘til next time... Rivki Chudnoff PT, MSPT is a NY/ NJ licensed physical therapist with over 14 years of experience working in both pediatrics and women’s health rehabilitation. Her practice addresses the needs of women in areas related to pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, prenatal and postpartum related pain, and incontinence. Rivki currently resides in Bergenfield with her husband and their children. She can be reached at rivkichudnoff@gmail.com.
THE
OnlySimchas iPhone app IS FINALLY HERE.
Post photos instantly from a celebration using your mobile device.
OHEL Legislative Breakfast Will Feature Mukasey hel will hold its inaugural legislative breakfast at Alliance Bernstein on April 4 at 8AM Hosted by Jeffery S. Wiesenfeld, principal at Bernstein Global Wealth Management, former U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey will be delivering the keynote address on the topic of “Disabilities and the Law” and NYS Senate Majority Co-Leader Senator Jeff Klein will receive the Public Service Award The breakfast will take place at the Bernstein Global Wealth offices at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, in New York City. The purpose of this breakfast is to bring together policy makers, elected officials, advocates and stakeholders in the myriad of services that OHEL provides for thousands of individuals daily. Due to security at entrance of 1345 Avenue of the Americas, no one will be allowed entrance unless name appears on the RSVP list. Therefore, we ask for your cooperation and please RSVP. Please be so kind and RSVP at ohelbreakfast2014@legislativeevents.com or at (212) 233-1200.
O GO TO
www.onlysimchas.com/app FOR THE FREE DOWNLOAD. (DROID APP COMING SOON...)
52 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
FEATURES
What Glamour and NBC Taught Me about Confidence By Temimah Zucker ast month I received a text message from a friend of mine asking whether or not I would be interested in appearing on a segment of NBC’s New York News. My heart immediately began to race. “Of course!” I responded. I was in the middle of a program for school and frantically whispered to my friend sitting in front of me, telling him the news. I was asked to come down to 30 Rockefeller Center as soon as possible for a short interview that would be part of a story relating to eating disorders and the media. I was excited and thrilled at the opportunity. I told a few friends and a professor about this and everyone immediately asked, “What are you going to wear?” I also called my mother as I approached the famous doors of Rockefeller Center and she asked me, “What are you wearing? Do you have any makeup on?” Fast-forward to mid-March when my photo and quote were featured in Glamour magazine, and my photo and guest blog also appeared on their site. I had gone to Glamour for a photo shoot in December when they contacted me and asked me if I’d like to be featured as a “woman in recovery” for a story on eating disorders. The questions I received after I told some select friends and family about Glamour were: “What did you wear? Did they do your makeup? Do you have photos?” I understand why these questions were asked. We all present a part of ourselves
L
when we show ourselves to others. Appearances are a part of life; there is no way to completely hide the way we look. Yet, we can work to battle the constant focus that exists as a result of the greater culture. By agreeing to be photographed for Glamour magazine, one might argue that I was giving in to the greater values dictated by the culture of looks and standards. One of the first things I asked when arriving on set was, “This isn’t going to be photoshopped, correct?” We live in a society when Photoshop and airbrush are rampant among ads and industries, convincing men and women that they ought to look a certain way when in reality the people they see in advertisements don’t actually look that way. We are encouraged to wake up each morning and rather than think about the best person we can be, instead to think of the best way to look. As a child I remember waking up and spending time focusing on the morning customs: Modeh Ani, eating breakfast, looking over homework. Somewhere in the teenage years the morning becomes about outfits, hair, and makeup—though this is not the case for everyone. When I sat down in the makeup artist’s chair at Glamour he asked me what types of makeup I use, what shades, what’s my makeup routine? I stared blankly back into his eyes in
the mirror. “Sorry, what? Makeup routine? Maybe some eyeliner and lip balm?” I don’t often wear makeup. This is not to say that I roll out of bed and emerge into the world looking unkempt. Rather, I have learned that my confidence takes me much further than my
makeup routine. Makeup can be fun; styling one’s hair can feel great! And yet, it has become overvalued and almost seems “necessary” for some people when they leave the house in order not to feel embarrassed or ashamed. When I was asked what I was wearing to my unexpected NBC interview, I laughed. “I’m wearing what I put on this morning…the story will speak for itself.” At Glamour I was given what to wear and my makeup and hair were done for me. And yet I do not hold pride in the curls in my hair or shades around my eyes; it is the quote below my photo that makes feel good. It is the story that I wrote about overcoming my Anorexia, and the title “Recovered Women” that makes me feel proud and confident. Numerous friends have called me after seeing the Glamour piece and told me how nice I look. And yet, it is not these compliments that make me smile. It is hearing how happy I look in the photo, how I am beaming and alive. I was once in such a state that I refused to be in any photos; I was living in the shadows, waking up each morning to spend long minutes scrutinizing my appearance. Now when I look in the mirror, I see a confident woman with much to offer. It is my pride in my work, interests, relationships, and personal history that gives me a strut in my step, not any shade of lipstick.
THE ARTS
Making Music: A Journey of the Heart By Maxine Dovere piano has 88 keys, some black, some white. A skilled musician creates a robust, integrated sound that unifies the sound of each into a unified entity. Individual sharps and flats become part of a whole. Much like a composer, Englewood pianist Carolyn Enger-Mishan has worked her multiple notes and melodies into an observant Jewish life of her own composition, centering on the melody of her return to her Jewish paternal roots. JLBC began its conversation with Mrs. Enger-Mishan to explore her multimedia concert program that combines the music, literature and images of the lives of Mischlinge—half-Jews in Germany during the years before, during and immediately after the Nazi Holocaust. The conversation took a much more personal turn when we asked Mrs. Enger-Mishan what had sparked her interest in the subject. “My father was born in Germany in 1921. His mother, raised in a typical GermanJewish family, fell in love with a non-Jew, married and converted to Christianity. Her child, according to Nazi rules, was a mishlinge—a half Jew. Although at one point he had been in the preliminary German Army, her father was soon thrown out and imprisoned in a labor camp. “They didn’t recognize his mother’s conversion. His Jewish aunts and uncle were killed in Auschwitz.” “There is a unique psychology to the
A
mishlinge—neither here nor there. Even as a child, I felt my father always wanted to be ‘under the radar.’” She later learned many of her father’s friends were mishlinges—including her halachically Jewish, Protestantpracticing Godmother. “They just wanted to blend in and not be anything.” When she was 18, on a visit home from college, her father revealed his—and her— Jewish heritage. “He decided to share his history. Hearing it was initially very difficult—I virtually had my hands over my ears.” As a child she had learned not to question her father’s history or wartime experiences. The revelations, she told JLBC, were shocking. Enger began identifying herself as a Jew at age 20 and began to actualize her Jewish practice. “I was practicing the rituals of Judaism, observing the holidays, studying and worshipping as a Jew at a Reform congregation in Alpine, New Jersey. It felt natural. I could be myself. After several years my rabbi, Jack Bemporad of Chavurah Beth Shalom, suggested I make my Judaism ‘official.’ And,” said Enger “I did.” Her first conversion was under Reform supervision. Almost a decade later, in 2010, Enger felt she wanted to remove any question about her connection to Judaism, and decided an Orthodox conversion was appropriate. “With this, I felt part of a larger group of Jews—Jews everywhere, both in the interactions in my day-to-day life and halachically. It’s just very natural. What my grand-
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
mother did, I undid.” She and her husband, Mark Mishan, are part of the Sephardic Minyan at Congregation Ahavath Torah. Her youngest brother also identifies as a Jew, according to Reform patrilineal descent, and is a member of a conservative congregation. Although her father did not favor her choice, “After I married Mark (who is Sephardic) he stopped trying to talk me out of it. I suspect that he still feared his Nazi experience could happen again.” After graduation from Molloy College, Enger-Mishan continued her studies at the Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, Vassar College and the Adamant Music School in Vermont. Enger-Mishan’s recording of Ned Rorem’s complete Piano Album l was selected as a New York Times “Favorite Recording of 2013.” Anthony Tommasini, Chief Music Critic of The New York Times, wrote “This year the classical music critics at the New York Times had plenty of options when selecting their favorite recordings of 2013….Among the 90th-birthday tributes this year to the essential American composer Ned Rorem, this recording especially stands out.” The critic cites her as “The fine pianist.” MusicWeb International says her playing is “thoughtful and sensitive… expressive… She plays with fine nuance and tone shading.” Rorem, a Pulitzer Prize winner, thanked her for her “wonderful performance of [his] music.” In her concert programs, Enger’s
Carolyn Enger Mishan
repertoire has a special focus on new works by American and Israeli composers, including Lowell Libermann, Avner Dorman, Lior Naqvok and Eliezer Elper. Her interest in distinctive concert experiences has led Ms. Enger to perform her multi-media concert piece at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and locally at the Puffin Cultural Center and in libraries, churches and synagogues throughout the region.
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 53
HUMOR
Home Sweet Home By Banji Latkin Ganchrow ixteen years ago last week, I moved into the home I currently live in. Back then, it was me, husband #1, son #1 and son #2. The two parents were in their 20s, one kid was 17 months old, and the other was 2 months old. The first night we slept in the house, parents slept on the third floor, and babies were on the second floor. When baby #2 started his nightly howling at 3:00 a.m.— the “Holy Moses I am starving please come and feed me” scream—and woke me from my slumber, I looked around, not remembering where I was or how I got there, and proceeded to fall down the flight of stairs that separated me from the baby. Fortunately, as I mentioned previously, I was in my 20s, so the fall down the stairs had basically no impact on me whatsoever. No pain when it happened, none the next day. It could have been the combination of total shock or the total overwhelming
S
sense of relief when hysterical baby came in contact with food source, but I felt just fine. I was filled with such joy watching my adorable, blue-eyed, yummy boy eat, and I was so totally sleep deprived that it was all good and calm (especially since he had stopped screaming and still hadn’t managed to wake up son #1, and let’s of course keep in mind that the father of these children slept through the entire ordeal…even my delicately bopping down the stairs). And the answer to your question is no, I was not actually delicate. Had this fall down the stairs happened to me now, well, if my orthopedist is reading this article, he knows the results would be much different. There would be kvetching and aching and heating pads and Aleve and Advil and Lord knows what else. But let’s go back to then, when pain came second to anything your child needed. The house had a lot of stairs and even the older of the two boys was a little rusty in the stair department, so we would either set up shop on the third floor playroom, the main floor playroom or the basement playroom.
When we began looking for our “dream house,” my objective was to find a house that was neat, clean, and move-in ready. I was pregnant with son #2 when we began the house hunt. When you are pregnant, your senses are on higher alert. We walked into one house and it smelled like there were dead bodies in it; several other houses smelled liked dog (not that there is anything wrong with having a dog). You also learn that telling your real estate agent what your price range is does not always mean that she will listen to you. The first house I saw had three living rooms—large living rooms. What was I going to do with three living rooms? There was one section in town that we looked at where every house was mauve inside and was filled with extensive collections of potpourri, which apparently induce nausea when you are pregnant (the toilets in that house worked great). The house we ended up buying, the one that we have called home for all of these years was not on my realtor’s list of disasters. But when I saw it, and saw the street it was on, I had to check it out. After several phone calls to the listing agent,
we were inside. It was perfect. I had never seen such a clean house before (and after we moved in, it never looked like that again.) I was not thinking that a car couldn’t fit into the garage; I was not thinking that there was no central air conditioning; I was not even thinking about the fact that I couldn’t fit into the eating area of the kitchen (but only because I was really pregnant). I just remember looking at the two steps that led to the kitchen—the steps that no one actually uses now (they walk around the back way)—and picturing that when husband #1 would come home from work, he would open the front door and we would all be sitting on those steps waiting to greet him. Ya, nice thought, but that never actually happened…even though in my mind, I was convinced it would. So this is our home. Our boys are growing up, the stairs are getting a little harder to walk, but I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Of course, at the closing we discovered that the couple was selling the house because they were getting divorced, but that story is for another time.
in the known universe, and it’s not. I’m not going to say, “Well, I was going to send my kids to school, but I have to get a root canal on a tooth that, for the life of me, I still don’t know which tooth he’s talking about.” I originally came in to get some cavities filled, and even though I was in the chair for two hours, he did not do a single thing besides lecture me, clean my teeth, take five thousands xrays, even though he could have just gotten them from one of my other dentists so they could at least be aware that I’m not seeing them anymore, and measure the distance between my gum line and all four corners of each tooth to see how close I was getting to gum disease. This guy was obsessed with gum disease. He had a big poster on his wall of the three stages of gum disease, and if I read the poster right, things only get worse. Although you’d think that whichever dentist took those pictures would have pulled the guy to the side and fixed him up instead of just taking the pictures and not saying anything in the hope that he could get pictures of the next stage later. He spent a lot of time explaining to me exactly what gum disease is, and it turns out that it’s when your teeth have eroded enough that they start growing away from your gum line, and are in danger of, in his words, “popping off,” as if they’re going to fly across the room in the middle of your seder. And I have to say, gum disease is unfortunate and all, but it’s definitely not a disease. It’s not like, “We have to say tehillim for my grandfather. He has gum disease.” If we start putting gum disease on our cholim lists, we’ll never get back to leyning. He told me that he would not work on my cavities until he’d done the root canal, because that was way more pressing, even though, try as I might, I can’t figure out what tooth he’s talking about. It’s a preventative root canal, I guess, so I would not one day need a root canal. And if he doesn’t work on the cavities, worse comes to worse he figures he could always do a root canal on those later.
He also said that in the meantime I should brush and floss no less than five times a day. I personally don’t know how I’m supposed to ever concentrate on anything when I’m supposed to keep getting up to brush my teeth. And I have to use a specific brand of mouthwash—Listerine— which tastes like a combination of mint and gasoline. He also wanted me to get a very specific brand of electric toothbrush, though I’m not sure if he wanted me to use it as part of the five times or on top of the five times. And he said I should bring the electric toothbrush back the next time so he can show me how to use it, because apparently, he doesn’t trust the written instructions either. To be fair, the instructions do leave things out. For example, they don’t say that you shouldn’t turn on the toothbrush before putting it in your mouth unless you want toothpaste all over the walls. Maybe that’s what he wanted to show me. He then told me that I would have to come back to him for cleanings every three months, even though my insurance only covers every six months. So now it’s been six months, and I still haven’t gone back to him, although I really should go to someone, because these cavities aren’t filling themselves, and I’ve been getting cards from him, as well as from several other dentists, but there’s no way I’m going back to him just so he could find out that I’ve been using the electric toothbrush without his instruction. But at least the guilt is keeping me brushing.
Like Pulling Teeth By Mordechai Schmutter his week’s column is about dentists. Nothing to do with the fact that, in the last week, you ate about 500 bags of candy. Maybe a little. Actually, it happens to be a good time to talk about dentists anyway, because, according to some of the dentists I’ve had, this is their busiest time of the year. Tax season. Okay, so the real reason they’re busy— the frum dentists anyway—is that everyone is coming to get their teeth cleaned, because if you’re going to get something cleaned, it might as well be right before Pesach. A lot of people aren’t sure that they’re brushing correctly in the first place, and then, right after Purim, they’re like, “What on Earth did we just eat?” So they get their teeth cleaned out, professionally. But actually, it’s time for me to go back to the dentist, at least according to all these postcards I keep getting in the mail. I get postcards from at least three dentists, because I’m actually between dentists right now, although I don’t think any of them are aware of this. I’ve been living in New Jersey for seven years, and I’m currently on my sixth dentist. I guess technically I’m always between dentists, unless I’m in the actual chair. I’ve always thought it’s important to find a dentist that you like, considering you’re going to spend a significant amount of time making conversation with him with his hands in your mouth. (“Nurse, come here. Let’s see how many more hands we can get into his mouth. And bring George, from Reception.”) I actually did have a dentist that I liked, and I used him for about four to five years, but then I switched insurance carriers and he informed me that my new insurance, which costs more money, would not actually cover any of his work, though I was perfectly welcome to keep seeing him if I was willing to pay for my dental work on top of paying dental insurance. I think what I liked about him was his sense of humor. So it turns out that we had to find a
T
54 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
dentist that we not only liked, but who was also covered by our insurance, and I use the word “covered” very loosely, because it turns out that no dentist is really “covered” by our insurance. The only thing that’s really covered is cleanings. It’s like if you go to the store and buy bananas, and after you pay, the cashier informs you that the price sticker on the bananas doesn’t actually cover bananas. Now you might think, from the way I’m talking, that I have a lousy insurance carrier, but I don’t. I’d picked one of the top carriers, and the way I knew it was one of the top insurance carriers was because I’d heard of them. But it turns out that in order to be one of the top insurance carriers, you can’t just go around giving away all your money paying for everyone’s medical procedures. The way insurance is supposed to work is that you give them money so that when you go to the doctor, they will pay the doctor money. Of course, the system of paying for money with money means that in the end, one of you is paying more money than the other, and the insurance company did not get into this business for it to be them. The most recent dentist that I went to is not Jewish, but came recommended as someone who “doesn’t charge as much for root canals,” which is pretty much what I’m looking for in a dentist these days. But after going to him once, I’m looking to change to another dentist, because he cares way too much about my teeth. The first thing he did was come into the room and say, “I’m only going to be your dentist if you’re seriously committed to taking care of your teeth. Are you seriously committed to taking care of your teeth?” And I said, “Yes!” because I wasn’t sure where he was going with this. Then he said, “Are you going to do what I tell you to do with your teeth, whether or not you agree?” And I said, “Yes!” because A. I’d already paid the co-pay, and B. he had all the sharp implements. Now I’m not going to deny that proper tooth care is important. But this guy made it sound like it’s the most important thing
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
HISTORY
Historic Women of New Jersey By Anne Phyllis Pinzow arch is Women in History month, and while a few decades ago it would have taken hours of scholarly research to ďŹ nd any Jewish women other than Deborah, Jael or Esther who were recognized to have risked life and limb for the good of others, things have changed. And some of the women who put their lives on the line in service of their country and our freedoms are from New Jersey. At one time—in the memory of some of us of a certain age—the idea of women ďŹ ghting anyone or anything but their husbands, serving in the military, or in the medical profession as anything other than a nurse, would have been almost unthinkable. Today, women in are the front lines, taking up swords of battle in every endeavor. Who would have thought that women would ďŹ ght side by side with men in the U.S. armed forces? Yet the Department of Veterans Affairs reports there are 1,853,690 female war veterans and 214,098 women currently on active military duty. There are another 118,781 in the reserves and 470,851 in the National Guard. Eleven percent of all military commanders are women. Among these patriotic American women were and are Jewish women who have ďŹ lled the ranks and served with honor— yes, as nurses who served the physical and spiritual needs of the wounded—and also as pilots during World War II, who ew planes to be used in combat over the Atlantic. One of those women was Selma Cro-
M
nan. “From the time my mother took me on a two-dollar airplane ride in Asbury Park, New Jersey in the 1920s, I fell in love with ying and I knew I was going to become a pilot someday.â€? Cronan began her service in 1943 with the WASPs (Women Air Force Service Pilots), and ew new military aircraft and tow targets from one place to another across the continental United States. Another veteran of World War II was Charlotte Chaney of Perth Amboy, a trained nurse who volunteered for the Army Air Corp in 1944 and served as part of the Red Cross in Europe. In 1945 she was sent to Dachau. She remembered, “Skeletons, actually skeletons, how they could walk around?â€? She said there were lice, tuberculosis, typhoid and dysentery. The people were so starved, they could not eat anything but gruel and hid the food they were given under their mattresses, afraid they’d have to save it for later, lest it be stolen. Women rabbis were not so common in 1979 when Bonnie Koppell joined the Army Reserves. Following her basic training in Fort Dix, New Jersey and U.S. Army Chaplain School, she became the ďŹ rst female Jewish chaplain ever to serve in the United States military. In 1991, when Operation Desert Storm began, she was placed on active duty and sent to the Academy of Health Sciences, a unit of the 5th Army Headquarters at Fort Sam Houston. There she served the spiritual needs of the American casualties brought back from ground offensives in Iraq. She was called to duty again in 2003 and spent
YOUR HOLIDAY HEAD RS HEADQUARTERS GAME CENTRAL FUN FAMILY GAMES
HOLIDAY & AFIKOMEN GIFTS
a month in Germany at the headquarters of the United States Army in Europe and then served in support of Operation Noble Eagle. She celebrated Hanukah with Jewish service members in Kuwait and Afghanistan, and later deployed to Iraq, where she brought Passover sedarim to soldiers in Baghdad and Taji in 2006. New Jersey women didn’t have to be in the military to ďŹ ght the good ďŹ ght. Born in 1903, Justine Wise Polier’s battle began when she worked in a textile mill in Passaic after she ďŹ nished college. Before coming to Paterson’s mills, she attended Bryn Mawr, Radcliffe and Barnard, taking advanced economic courses before going to live in a settlement house to teach English. She also did research at Barnard on women’s workplace injuries and studied “workmen’s compensation.â€? In the Paterson mills, she saw people were working in deplorable conditions who wanted to organize themselves into unions, in the days when bosses broke heads for less. Polier joined the battle for workmen’s compensation and organized labor in 1926, while attending Yale Law School. She commuted regularly to Passaic where she spoke against the “feudal tyrannyâ€? of the mills during the great textile strike. Years later she became known as the â€œďŹ ghting judgeâ€? and the ďŹ rst woman justice in New York State. In 1941, she became Special Counsel to Eleanor Roosevelt in the OfďŹ ce of Civilian Defense. Not every war for truth, justice and the American way is fought on the military bat-
Selma Cronan
tle ďŹ eld. Political battle can be dirty and vicious, too. And New Jersey has a homegrown tigress ďŹ ghting for those values every day in Trenton. Loretta Weinberg, the majority leader in the State Senate, is turning NJ Governor Chris Christie’s political life miserable by leading the investigation into “Bridgegate,â€? four days of deliberate lane closures at the George Washington Bridge that tied up Fort Lee, Englewood Cliffs, Englewood, Leonia, Teaneck, Bogota, River Edge, Hackensack and Paramus—where her constituents live and work. While many people in their 50s start looking longingly at retirement, Weinberg started playing hardball in New Jersey politics and is still a winner as she faces court battles, corrupt politicians, major political defeats and the loss of her life savings in the Madoff scandal. She bounced back from all and is leading one of the most high-proďŹ le corruption investigations in New Jersey history—which simply empowers her to accomplish even more on other fronts, like helping New Jersey’s veterans get their full beneďŹ ts. Not bad for a grandma from Teaneck.
PREMIUM HOSTESS GIFTS
AFFORDABLE AND UNIQUE
FREE WI-FI
SHIPPING AVAILABLE
FREE GIFT WRAPPING
Follow us online. $ &HGDU /DQH 7HDQHFN 1- ‡ ‡ WHDQHFNJHQHUDOVWRUH FRP 0 : DP SP ‡ 7K DP SP ‡ )UL DP SP ‡ 6XQ DP SP 8QGHU 5&%&
)UHH &RIIHH ZLWK D 3XUFKDVH RI RU PRUH ² 1RZ WKURXJK $SULO 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 55
PROFILES
Rabbi David Pietruszka and the Jewish Learning Experience By Elizabeth Kratz ergenfield—Five men who never wore tefillin now own pairs to use. A woman’s house has become kosher. Men have performed the mitzvah of Arba Minim for the first time. People have moved into frum communities and started sending their children to day schools. Countless others have learned the basics of kiddush and brachos, Shabbos and kashrus. Jewish outreach, known in religious circles as kiruv, is not only about transferring expert knowledge, but also about presenting a friendly, welcoming face and an open hand to grasp, said Rabbi David Pietruszka, director of Bergen County’s Jewish Learning Experience (JLE). “Kol yisrael arevim zeh lazeh: Every Jew is responsible for every other Jew (Sanhedrin 27b and Shavuos 39a),” he said. “This is not optional. It is a mitzvah discussed in the Talmud,” Pietruszka explained. To that end, Rabbi Pietruszka takes seriously his personal responsibility to make sure each person he knows has a Seder or Shabbos table to go to, Chanukah candles and all the basic trappings of yiddishkeit. “We have an obligation to educate klal yisroel however we can,” he said. The JLE provides explanatory Yom Tov services, Shabbatons and other events such as Pesach sedarim and other festive yom tov meals for unaffiliated Jews in the region. In a round-robin fashion, at area shuls in Teaneck and Bergenfield, JLE runs events throughout the year, hosting approximately 250 people for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, 40 people for Sukkos and close to 60 for communal Pesach Seders. Sixty people attended JLE’s recent Purim megillah reading and 40 attended a festive Purim seudah. As part of its general programming, the JLE also runs classes in basic Hebrew and customs and Jewish history, and special lectures and events related to Jewish holidays like Lag b’Omer, Chanukah and Purim. They also host special class series, such as “Body and Soul in Jewish Law.” Rabbi Pietruszka operates JLE with a very small staff, primarily augmented by a board of volunteers, many of whom have been active since its founding in 1985. The JLE operates under a small grant from the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, with much-needed additional funding for operating costs raised by their annual dinner held each January. Rabbi Pietruszka grew up in Monsey and attended yeshiva day school there. He attended TABC for high school and spent two years at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh in Israel before beginning studies at Yeshiva University. He received semicha from RIETS in 2003, along with a master’s in special education, which he puts to good use today in his “other day job” as a teacher in Sinai Schools. Pietruszka and his wife Leah have five children and live in Bergenfield. Rabbi Pietruszka was approached to become the director of JLE in 2008 when his family was living in the Westgate Apartments in Teaneck, very near what is now Kehilas Zichron Mordechai, the shul headed by Pietruszka’s high school rebbe,
B
56 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
Rabbi Michael Taubes. Taubes had been the first JLE director in 1985, when it was established, and was followed by Rabbi Steven Prebor and Rabbi Baruch Price, who subsequently retired when Pietruszka agreed to take on the post. “It was an additional job, starting out as just evenings and weekends, but you know how things go. Sometimes it’s very, very busy,” said Pietruszka. “When we began the JLE almost 30 years ago, our goal was to offer learning opportunities for people interested in expanding their level of Jewish knowledge and commitment. We are very proud that there is hardly a shul in our area without people who came there through the JLE. The same is true of our area day schools,” said Rabbi Taubes, who in addition to serving as the rabbi at Zichron Mordechai, is also Rosh Yeshiva at MTA, Yeshiva University’s boys’ high school. “David Pietruszka was a devoted high school student of mine in the early days of the JLE and has remained a student and good friend of mine, attending many of my shiurim over the last number of years,” said Taubes. “I am thrilled to see him at the helm of the JLE today as the JLE continues the same noble mission. I know first-hand how much he cares about each and every Jew and how much he enjoys teaching the Torah that he loves so much himself,” Taubes said. “In our community, we are in charge of kiruv for the 25 to 100 age group. Debby Rapps handles the Jewish Youth Encounter Program, and Rabbi Ely Allen has the college kids (through Hillel of Northern New Jersey),” said Pietruszka. Vibrant Chabad organizations active in Teaneck, Tenafly and Fair Lawn are also involved in kiruv for all ages in Bergen County. Rabbi Pietruszka stressed that he would like others to join him in reaching out to others, and that being involved in kiruv does not require a rabbinic degree or special experience. “Fellow Jews are fellow Jews: Just because you haven’t been trained doesn’t mean you don’t have an obligation to get out there and help people, however you can, to learn more,” he said. “Just as there are many ways to learn, there are many ways to be teachers—how to grow as a Jew, how to be a Jew, how to have a welcoming home, or even how to smile and give a kind word. These are all things that are needed in our community as part of the kiruv landscape,” Pietruszka said. “We need new people to help us by joining the board, or to volunteer their expertise with our website. In many ways, that is kiruv too,” Pietruszka said. While some may not be able to make such a public commitment, kiruv also exists in quieter ways. “Sometimes, just offering someone your phone number to someone you meet, in case they have questions, can be powerful kiruv,” he said. “Rabbi Yossie Stern, z”l (the founder of Project Ezrah), understood this very well. He knew the tremendous value of helping one person learn basic things like the Aleph Beis; he would sit with people and teach it to them,” Pietruszka said. Today, kiruv comes naturally to Pietruszka and his wife, who considers herself quite at home as a “kiruv rebbetzin,”
having grown up in a household focused similarly on kiruv. Rebbetzin Pietruszka is a daughter of Rabbi Chaim Hollander, the longtime mara d’asra of the Young Israel of San Diego. She grew up there, but went away for high school to a Bais Yaakov in Denver and then to seminary in Brooklyn. She taught preschool for six years at Prospect Park Yeshiva before her marriage. In addition to cooking meals for dozens, hosting JLE members in their home, and generally helping make events happen, Rebbetzin Pietruszka now has added “kallah teacher” (pre-marital counselor for brides), to her list of responsibilities. This need, as well as many others having to do with JLE, has grown organically out of positive relationships built within JLE, with Jews who have grown up with little or no Jewish education. After taking coursework in Israel to learn how to teach kallah classes, Pietruszka consulted with Rebbetzin Peshi Neuburger on how to fine-tune her lessons toward the specific needs of her students. Relationships and experiences with the people involved in JLE have helped the Pietruszkas grow and deepen their own understanding of observance. “We invited a single mother and her son for Shabbos; we asked her to come before candle lighting. She said she hadn’t lit candles before, but would like the opportunity. She was crying as she said the blessing in English. You can’t know what it did for me to see someone else do this,” said Leah Pietruszka. The Pietruszkas also met several Bergen County families who didn’t live in communities with significant Jewish populations. Through their constant Shabbos invites, the families have decided to relocate and move closer, so they would be living in Orthodox communities. Eventually, their observances grew. “They are still growing,” Pietruszka said. Sometimes opportunities come up that are too good to pass up. “Someone offered us a low price for five unused pairs of tefillin. We had them checked, and they were all good, so JLE bought them. We resold them for a low price to five men in our program who have learned how to put on tefillin. They now own them and use them,” he said. Rabbi Pietruszka also deals with an array of questions; from people who might need brisim, Jews who want to “sit shiva” for a non-Jewish parent, and general ques-
tions about conversion. “I think people should know how spiritually needy our participants can be. They have been brought up with so little. They just need someone to explain what is kiddush, what is hamotzei; they don’t want to be living their lives in the dark,” he said. The Pietruszkas feel strongly that what they are doing when they reach out and invite people into their home is what everyone should be doing, that everyone has the obligation to reach out to their fellow Jew, and that kiruv is certainly not something to fear, though they have on occasion experienced anxious reactions from the frum community. “What we’re showing our children, I don’t think there could be better chinuch (education),” said Rebbetzin Pietruszka. “So many times we hear from people, ‘I’m afraid for my children, if we invite them for a meal, maybe they will see people talking on their cell phones on Shabbos. But if you do this without fear, and instead with joy, b’simcha, you have the knowledge that you can reach out and teach these mitzvahs to others that our families so often take for granted,” she said. “‘But maybe they will ask questions we don’t know the answer to,’ say others, as a reason for not doing kiruv,” Pietruszka said. “Great, so you should learn together. This is not something to run away from, it’s something to embrace,” he said. “There are so many organizations that do so much good in this community: Project Ezrah, Tomchei Shabbos, Sinai and many others. They are all wonderful, but kiruv has to be on the agenda also,” said Pietruszka. Pietruszka added that the frum community can have a large role in helping JLE grow. “If people have relatives who aren’t Orthodox, who would benefit from the JLE classes or events, please direct them to us. We want you to be our feelers out there; you probably know people who would like to know more about their Judaism. Everyone has co-workers, neighbors or family members who are not observant. If they’re not coming to your Pesach Seder this year, why not send them to us?” he asked. To that end, the Pietruszkas explained, as Pesach approaches, they note that they have never turned anyone away from their communal Pesach Seder, or in fact any event. It costs $70 per person, though each participant only pays a nominal fee to participate. While the JLE annual dinner often raises the operating costs for all the yearly events, the Pesach Seder is the most expensive, and other events are cut back to pay for it. The JLE spends thousands of dollars on their two Pesach Seders. A donation of $70 to JLE would allow one person to have a complete Pesach Seder this year, Pietruszka said. Donations and sponsorships can be made via the website, http:// www.jle.org, or by mailing checks payable to JLE to 178 New Bridge Road, Bergenfield, NJ, 07621. Anyone interested in learning more, or attending events, is invited to email Rabbi Pietruszka at rabbip@jle.org or call him directly at (201)9664498.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
SPECIAL NEEDS
Private School and Special Education Services The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines the legal rights of private school students to publicly funded special education services. Specifically, it states that a private institution student DOES NOT have the same legal rights to special education services as a special education student in public school. IDEA mandates pertain to K-12 public institutions. Public school districts are given a small amount of money each year by the federal government to fund Instructional Education Plans (ISP) for special education students who attend private settings. Public school districts are required to meet with the administrators of private institutions in their area and discuss what services they will provide. The amount varies from year to year but it is usually insufficient to provide any substantial services. However, IDEA does state that local public school districts must provide the following for students educated in non-public schools: • Evaluate a private school student for special education if a referral has been made. • Determine if the student is eligible for special education. • Develop an appropriate Instructional School Plan (ISP) for the child’s school. • Consult with parents and the student’s teachers when developing an Instructional School Plan.
Once a special education evaluation has been completed and the ISP has been written, it is up to the school administrators of the public school to decide what services they will provide. If the district decides to provide a student enrolled in a private educational setting with special education services, the district cannot use the private school’s personnel to provide the services, and the public school personnel must provide the services at a public facility. School districts must assure that the process used to develop an Instructional School Plan (ISP) is consistent with the process used to develop and review an ISP for a public school special education student. The dis-
trict must also ensure that there are measurable goals and short-term objectives that address the child’s needs resulting from an identified disability. However, only those goals and objectives that are related to the services the district has agreed to offer to a non-public student will be written into the ISP. The district is not obligated to provide transportation from home to the child’s school but can provide transportation from the school to the service site where the child is receiving district services. At the annual review, it is only necessary to evaluate the student’s progress on services being offered by the district. Because special education funding for students in private settings is so limited, students usually do not receive
the same services that would be provided to them if they attended a public school. For example, a district may agree to provide an ISP student with dyslexia with 30 minutes of reading tutoring per week. However, if the child were enrolled at the public school, they might receive a daily reading support class of 55 minutes. Thus many parents understandably feel that current policies are discriminatory and unfair regarding special education services for private school students. Currently, IDEA states that public school districts only have to provide special education services to students in private placements if the district has referred or placed the student in the setting. In this scenario, the district must assure that the student maintains all of his/her special education rights and services equivalent to a public school student and the district maintains responsibility for the student’s special education needs as though the student were enrolled in a public school. If your child is enrolled in a private school and has a learning disability, you can meet with the special education director of your public school district to find out what special education services your school district is currently offering to private school students. And remember, if your child’s disabilities are limiting his/her educational progress, you always have the right to enroll them in your local public school where they will receive all of the services and mandates offered under IDEA.
Financial Services For
Special Needs Families Because
Your Family Needs Specialized Family Plans! Bruce Maier (212) 541- 1925 (201) 407-6631
Bruce,maier@AXA-Advisors.com
Zev Grossman (212) 408-9016 (516) 220-9101
Zev.grossman@AXA-Advisors.com
Securities offered through AXA Advisors, LLC (NY, NY 212-314-4600, member FINRA, SIPC. Annuity and insurance products offered through AXA Network, LLC. AGE88221 (12/13) (exp. 12/15)
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 57
%22. 5(9,(:6
GSPN /BhBNBU 8PNBO
%RRNV IRU &RRNV DQG )RRGLHV
Our annual roundup presents an array of beautiful and engaging cookbooks by authors ZKR DUH SDVVLRQDWH DERXW PDNLQJ GHOLFLRXV PHDOV $QG HYHQ LI \RX GRQÂśW FRRN \RXÂśOO HQMR\ DQ DEXQGDQFH RI LQIRUPDWLRQ DERXW -HZLVK KLVWRU\ OLIH DQG FXOWXUH
E\ -8',7+ $ 62.2/2)) The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home ÄŞ$QGUHZV 0F0HHO 3XEOLVKLQJÄŤ E\ 1LFN Zukin and Michael C. Zusman. Zukin, DQ RZQHU RI .HQQ\ =XNHÂśV 'HOLFDWHVÄĽ sen in Portland, Oregon; and Zusman, D MXGJH E\ GD\ DQG UHVWDXUDQW DQG IRRG writer by night, begin their book with an engaging discussion on the origins, rise and decline of the Jewish delicatesÄĽ VHQ ÄŞEHWZHHQ WKH WZR :RUOG :DUV WKHUH were some 2,000 Jewish delis in New <RUN &LW\ÄŤ 7KHQ WKH\ IRFXV RQ WRGD\ â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śposterity will show that the real savÄĽ LRU ZLOO EH WKH KDQGIXO RI VHFRQGÄĽZDYH Jewish delis that have opened since the dawn of the new millennium.â&#x20AC;? With an emphasis on artisanship, they say, this new generation of deli people are learning the traditional ways but also XSGDWLQJ DQG DOWHULQJ WKHP 7KH VWRÄĽ ries and recipes of several artisan delis are included, with photos so gorgeous that even vegetarians will salivate lookÄĽ ing at the pastrami dishes. Some recipe H[DPSOHV 3DVWUDPL %HQHGLFW &ROG %HHW DQG 5DVSEHUU\ 6XPPHU %RUVKW 6SULQJ %ULVNHW ZLWK /HHNV DQG Wild Mushrooms, ChalÄĽ ODK 6WLFN\ %XQV &KRFRÄĽ ODWH %DEND )UHQFK 7RDVW
58 March 27, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 25 Adar II 5774
The Book of Schmaltz ÄŞ/LWWOH %URZQ DQG &RPSDQ\ÄŤ E\ 0LFKDHO 5XKOÄĽ PDQ 2. 2. ,ÂśP VRUW RI FRQYLQFHG DIWHU UHDGLQJ WKH DXWKRUÂśV ÂłORYH VRQJ WR a forgotten fatâ&#x20AC;? that a little fat is good. We can stop being phobic and feeling guilty about eating chicken fat, especialÄĽ O\ VFKPDOW] ħ \RX NQRZ WKH UHQGHUHG kind, cooked with onions, that makes DQ\WKLQJ WDVWH JRRG -XVW GRQÂśW HDW WRR PXFK $QG \RX GRQÂśW KDYH WR EH -HZLVK WR ORYH VFKPDOW] 7KH QRQÄĽ-HZLVK DXWKRU KDV D PHQWRU LQ DOO WKLQJV IDW /RLV %DUÄĽ on, his neighbor in Cleveland Heights, 2KLR 6KH VD\V Âł6FKPDOW] LV OLNH D WKUHDG WKDW UXQV WKURXJK D JUHDW WDSHVWU\ ,WÂśV D secret handshake among Jews who love to cook and eat.â&#x20AC;? So here we go down WKLV VOLSSHU\ VORSH ZLWK UHFLSHV IRU 7UDGLÄĽ WLRQDO &KRSSHG /LYHU ÄŞJULEHQHV RSWLRQDO EXW ZKDW WKH KHFNÄŤ 7KH 0LJKW\ .QLVK ÄŞZLWK FORVHÄĽXSV RI UROOLQJ WKH GRXJK DQG IRUPLQJ WKH NQLVKHVÄŤ .UHSODFK DQG .LVKNHV 7KHQ LWÂśV RQ WR FRQWHPSRUDU\ UHFLSHV OLNH 6KPDOW]ÄĽ5RDVWHG 3RWDWRHV with Onion and Rosemary, Chicken with Schmaltz Dumplings, Savory %ULRFKH DQG 6FRQHV ZLWK %
5RDVWHG 5HG 3HSSHU DQG 3DUPLJLDQRÄĽ Reggiano. And such lovely photos. Jewish Traditional Cooking ÄŞ.\OH %RRNVÄŤ :LWK WKHLU Âł QRVWDOÄĽ gic and contemporary recipes,â&#x20AC;? food writers Ruth Joseph and Simon Round lovingly take us back and forward in time with recipes created by generations of Ashkenazic and Sephardic mothers. &KDSWHUV FRYHU VRXSV YHJHWDEOHV ÂżVK poultry, desserts, bread, Passover, and pickles and preserves. Recipes include fascinating tidbits about the origins of the ingredients. So, along with classic recipes like Haimishe Potato Soup, we JHW -HZLVK 3HQLFLOOLQ 9LHWQDPHVH 6W\OH ZLWK &RUQHG %HHI ZLWK .QDLGODFK ZH DOVR JHW 6ZHHW 3RWDWR 7RUWLOOD ZLWK Salami. Passover recipes include Herby Gnocchi in Mushroom Sauce, and Spinach and Cheesy Leek Roulade. The Prime Grill Cookbook ÄŞ3HOLÄĽ FDQ 3XEOLVKLQJ &RPSDQ\ÄŤ $XWKRUV 'DÄĽ vid Kolotkin and Joey Allaham take you inside the restaurant that marched in the forefront of the kosher culinary revoluÄĽ WLRQ <RXÂśOO JHW D ULEÄĽH\H YLHZ RI WKH inner workings, personalities and in
201-371-3212 â&#x20AC;˘ WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
%22. 5(9,(:6 history of the Prime Grill, founded by $OODKDP LQ DV WKH ÂżUVW KLJKÄĽHQG NRÄĽ VKHU VWHDNKRXVH LQ 1HZ <RUN &LW\ %RUQ LQ 6\ULD KH EHFDPH D IRXUWKÄĽJHQHUDWLRQ butcher, then immigrated to New York in 1991. Kolotkin has been the execuÄĽ tive chef for the past 10 years. Luscious FORVHÄĽXSV RI GLVKHV DERXQG ZLWK UHFLSHV IRU &RÉąHHÄĽ5XEEHG )ODWLURQ 6WHDN ZLWK 6WXÉąHG %DNHG 3RWDWR 3LQHDSSOH 9HJHWDÄĽ ble Strudel, Falafel Crusted Salmon, and Southern and Chocolate Chip Pie. Isa Does It ÄŞ/LWWOH %URZQ DQG &RPSDQ\ÄŤ :ULWHU RI WKH EORJ 7KH 3RVW Punk Kitchen, Isa Chandra Moskowitz promises â&#x20AC;&#x153;amazingly easy, wildly deliÄĽ cious vegan recipes for every day of WKH ZHHN ´ $QG VKH GHOLYHUV ħ LQ KHU FRQYHUVDWLRQDO ZLWW\ VW\OH %HVLGHV KHU UHFLSHV 0RVNRZLW] SURYLGHV KHOSÄĽ ful tips on organizing, stocking your pantry, using tools and gadgets and the art of cutting up tofu and tempeh ÄŞIRU WKRVH ZKR ZDQW SHUIHFW FXEHV DQG VOLFHVÄŤ 6SHFLDO WKDQNV JR WR KHU IRU WKH FDVKHZ FUHDP UHFLSH 7KHUH DUH GLVKHV for every kind of meal, such as Falafel %XUJHUV $FRUQ 6TXDVK 5LVRWWR 5HG /HQWLO 7KDL &KLOL 1LUYDQD (QFKLODGD &DVVHUROH %DQDQD %HUU\ 6FRQHV DQG 2UDQJHÄĽ&KRFRODWH &KLS %XQGW &DNH
ZHOO DV IDQFLHU PXOWLSOHļVWHS RQHV 7KH section for Passover is the largest, with UHFLSHV $PRQJ WKH VQDFNV DOO ³HDV\´ recipes, are Chocolate Chip, Pistachio, &UDQEHUU\ DQG +D]HOQXW %LVFRWWL )UXLW 3LH %DUV DQG :KROH :KHDW )UXLW DQG 1XW *UDQROD 7KH PRGHUDWH UHFLSHV LQFOXGH &KRFRODWH &KLS 6SRQJH %XQGW and Low Sugar Chocolate Almond &DNH 7KH PRUH FRPSOH[ UHFLSHV LQļ clude Lemon Layer Cake, Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Chocolate Eclairs.
Passover Made Easy Ī$UW 6FUROO 6KDDU 3UHVVč E\ /HDK 6FKDSLUD DQG 9LFļ WRULD 'ZHN 7KLV LV WKH ¿UVW LQ D VHULHV RI WKH DXWKRUVœ UHDVVXULQJ ³PDGH HDV\´ DQG ³WULSOHļWHVWHG FRRNERRNV ´ <RXœOO ¿QG PRUH WKDQ UHFLSHV IURP VWDUWļ ers to desserts, with many imaginaļ tive dishes to help you break out of a 3DVVRYHU URXWLQH ,QFOXGHG DUH %ULVNHW (JJUROOV %DUEHTXH 5LE 6WHDN ZLWK +RQH\ļ+RUVHUDGLVK *OD]H 6SDJKHWWL 6TXDVK .XJHO 0DW]DK 7RɹHH %DU &UXQFK DQG 7UXɚHG *UDSHV Starters and Sides Made Easy by the same food writers presents a wide variety of ideas for appetizers and small dishes in the categories of vegetables, grains, PHDW DQG FKLFNHQ ¿VK GDLU\ DQG GHVļ VHUWV <RXœOO ¿QG =DœDWDU DQG 5RVHPDU\ %DNHG 2OLYHV .LVKND DQG =XFFKLQL Holiday Kosher Baker Ī6WHUOLQJč 7RZHUV )RUELGGHQ %ODFN 5LFH ZLWK E\ 3DXOD 6KR\HU 7KH DXWKRU RI The KoČ Mango and Peaches, Sweetbreads with VKHU %DNHU 'DLU\Č)UHH 'HVVHUWV IURP :KLWH :LQHļ3DUVOH\ 6DXFH 7DQJ\ 7LODļ 7UDGLWLRQDO WR 7UHQG\ has now published pia Nuggets, and Apple Cherry Strudel. this wonderful recipe book of traditionļ %RWK ERRNV LQFOXGH WHUUL¿F SKRWRV DQG al and contemporary desserts for the lots of cooking and serving tips. PDMRU -HZLVK KROLGD\V ,W LQFOXGHV UHFLļ SHV WKDW DUH JOXWHQļIUHH QXWļIUHH YHJDQ Joy of Kosher Ī:LOOLDP 0RUURZč and low in sugar; and each chapter inļ E\ -DPLH *HOOHU 7KLV LV D JUHDW FRRNļ FOXGHV HDV\ RQHļ book if you can get through it without FOX bowl bo desserts, as KDYLQJ DWWDFNV RI JXLOW DQG MHDORXV\
201-371-3212 â&#x20AC;˘ WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Geller, with zillions of credentials ÄŞIRXQGHU DQG FKLHI FUHDWLYH RɡFHU RI WKH Kosher Media Network, publisher of -R\ RI .RVKHU ZLWK -DPLH *HOOHU magazine, host of Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller FRRNLQJ VKRZÄŤ QRZ EULQJV XV KHU ODWÄĽ est cookbook, emphasizing â&#x20AC;&#x153;fast, fresh family recipes.â&#x20AC;? Did I tell you she has ÂżYH FKLOGUHQ DJHV DQG XQGHU" ÄŞ7KHLU SKRWRV SHSSHU WKH ERRN ÄŤ $QG WKHQ WKHUHÂśV WKH VXSSRUWLYH DQG ORYLQJ PDQ VKH UHIHUV WR DV +XEE\ ÄŞP\ RQO\ FRPÄĽ SODLQW DERXW WKH ERRN KLV ÂłQDPH ´ WKDW LVÄŤ 2K DQG WKH\ UHFHQWO\ PRYHG IURP New York to Israel. Raised on takeout, Geller was clueless about cooking when VKH PDUULHG ħ DQG VKH FRQIHVVHV VKH VWLOO GRHVQÂśW OLNH WR FRRN %XW VKH VXUH OHDUQHG DQG WKDWÂśV YHU\ HQFRXUDJLQJ IRU PDQ\ RI XV 7KH PRUH WKDQ FRUH recipes include either a â&#x20AC;&#x153;dress it upâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;dress it downâ&#x20AC;? complimentary recipe, all told in her very chatty, friendly voice. Check out the Cilantro Corn Cakes ÄŞGUHVV LW XS ZLWK $YRFDGR $LROLÄŤ &KLOOHG &RFRQXW %HUU\ 6RXS ÄŞGUHVV LW XS ZLWK IUXLW Ă&#x20AC;RZHU DQG PLQW LFH FXEHVÄŤ /DWNHV ZLWK &DYLDU DQG &UHDP ÄŞGUHVV LW GRZQ with cinnamon and sugar for a sweeter YHUVLRQÄŤ &RT DX 9LQ ZLWK 9HDO 6DXVDJH 7K\PH DQG 0HUORW ÄŞGUHVV LW GRZQ ZLWK D TXLFNHU YHUVLRQÄŤ 3UHW]HOÄĽ&UXVWHG Chicken Skewers with Herbed Curry 0XVWDUG ÄŞGUHVV LW GRZQ IRU ÂżQJHU IRRGÄŤ 1XWW\ &DUDPHO %URZQLHV ÄŞGUHVV LW XS ZLWK WRDVWHG PDUVKPDOORZVÄŤ &KRFRODWH +D]HOQXW 0LON 6KDNH 0DUWLQLV ÄŞGUHVV LW GRZQ E\ HOLPLQDWLQJ WKH OLTXRUÄŤ $OO the recipes come with a suggestion for wine, a very good idea.
March 27, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 25 Adar II 5774 59
%22. 5(9,(:6 The Modern Menu ÄŞ*HIHQ 3XEÄĽ OLVKLQJ +RXVHÄŤ .LP .XVKQHUÂśV PRWWR is â&#x20AC;&#x153;less is more, simple is best and food should look as good as it tastes and taste as good as it looksâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;a thoughtfully prepared dish is far more interesting WKDQ D SHUIHFWO\ SUHSDUHG RQH ´ ,ÂśOO EX\ that. Among her kosher â&#x20AC;&#x153;foolproof â&#x20AC;? UHFLSHV ÄŞVKH WHDFKHV FRRNLQJÄŤ DUH .RKOÄĽ rabi and Cabbage Salad with Lemon 'UHVVLQJ &LQQDPRQÄĽ5RDVWHG <XNRQ *ROG DQG 6ZHHW 3RWDWRHV %DE\ /DPE Chops and Pesto CroĂťte, Lemongrass Halibut with Cilantro and Peanuts, &KRFRODWH &KLÉąRQ &DNH DQG )LJ DQG 3HFDQ %LVFRWWL $UW\ FORVHXS SKRWRV RI the dishes enhance the book. The New Persian Kitchen ÄŞ7HQ 6SHHG 3UHVVÄŤ 7KH GDXJKWHU RI DQ $PHUÄĽ ican Ashkenazic mother and a father from a Muslim Iranian family, chef /RXLVD 6KDÂżD ÄŞZKR JUHZ XS LQ 3KLODGHOÄĽ SKLDÄŤ KDV SUHSDUHG HYHU\WKLQJ IURP UDZ WR YHJDQ WR KLJKÄĽHQG 6ZHGLVK IRRG DW restaurants in New York and San FranÄĽ cisco. Now she is exploring the Persian IRRG LQĂ&#x20AC;XHQFHV LQ KHU OLIH ÂłEOHQGLQJ the foreign and the familiar,â&#x20AC;? she writes. An overview of the history of Persian cuisine and a guide to Persian ingreÄĽ GLHQWV LQWURGXFH WKH ERRN <RXÂśOO ÂżQG everything for an exotic meal from VWDUWHUV DQG VQDFNV WR VZHHWV :LQWHU Squash Fritters with Rose Petals, PassÄĽ over Charoset, Cold Pistachio Soup ZLWK 0LQW DQG /HHNV 5RDVWHG 6WXÉąHG $UWLFKRNHV ZLWK 0LQW 2LO %DUOH\ 6WHZ with Lamb and Rhubarb, Persian ShepÄĽ KHUGÂśV 3LH DQG 1RÄĽEDNH 3HUVLPPRQ and Goat Cheese Cheesecake.
60 March 27, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 25 Adar II 5774
Nosh on This: Gluten-Free Baking From a Jewish-America Kitchen ÄŞ7KH ([SHULPHQWÄŤ E\ /LVD 6WDQGHUÄĽ+RUHO DQG 7LP +RUHO )RU WKLV LPSRUWDQW FRRNERRN H[SHUW EDNHU 6WDQGHUÄĽ+RUHO ħ ZKR FRPHV IURP D ORQJ OLQH RI VHULÄĽ ous bakers in the Eastern Europe tradiÄĽ WLRQ ħ KDV FUHDWHG JOXWHQÄĽIUHH UHFLSHV that are â&#x20AC;&#x153;virtually indistinguishable from LWV JOXWHQ FRXQWHUSDUW ´ +HU JOXWHQÄĽIUHH kitchen came about because her husÄĽ EDQG ÄŞDQG FRÄĽDXWKRUÄŤ VXÉąHUV IURP FHOLDF disease, and she also has bad reactions to JOXWHQ 6R IHDVW RQ WKHVH 'RXEOH &KRFÄĽ olate Chunk Mandelbrot, Sweet CornÄĽ bread Honey Donuts, Pumpkin CupÄĽ FDNHV ZLWK +RQH\ %XWWHUFUHDP $SSOH 3RPHJUDQDWH 7DUW 5DLVLQ 3HFDQ 5XJHODFK 3DVVRYHU 0LQL %HUU\ 3DYORYDV &KDOODK Rolls, Matzah, Spinach Noodle Kugel and a whole lot more. Helpful cooking hints and explanations about ingredients and equipment are included along with many SKRWRV 7KH FRXSOH DUH WKH ZULWLQJ DQG photography team behind the baking blog Gluten Free Canteen. Balaboosta ÄŞ$UWLVDQÄŤ (LQDW $GÄĽ mony, a true, tireless balaboosta, is the FKHIÄĽRZQHU RI WKUHH 1HZ <RUN &LW\ UHVWDXUDQWV ÄŞRQH FDOOHG %DODERRVWDÄŤ ,W ZDV LQ $GPRQ\ÂśV FKLOGKRRG NLWFKHQ LQ %QHL %UDN IURP KHU 3HUVLDQ PRWKHU WKDW VKH ÂłOHDUQHG WKH WUXVWÄĽ\RXUÄĽJXW balaboosta style of cookingâ&#x20AC;? that she UHOLHV RQ WR WKLV GD\ :HÂśUH SULYLOHJHG to now have her â&#x20AC;&#x153;bold, Mediterranean recipesâ&#x20AC;? for our own kitchens. Each section is preceded by a story about her cooking life. One section features reciÄĽ pes to feed your kids, encouraging their
participation; another provides quick and easy meals, a skill Admony picked up in the Israel Defense Forces. Others GHDO ZLWK VORZÄĽFRRNHG IRRGV FRPIRUW IRRG URPDQWLF PHDOV EDUEHTXHV ORZÄĽ calorie meals and Israeli recipes. In the VHFWLRQ RQ IRRGV \RX FDQÂśW OLYH ZLWKRXW \RXÂśOO ÂżQG UHFLSHV IRU VDXFHV GUHVVLQJV and sides like hummus, aiolis, labne DQG VÂśFKXJ 0RXWKÄĽZDWHULQJ SKRWRV DFFRPSDQ\ WKH UHFLSHV DPRQJ WKHP 3DQÄĽ6HDUHG 'XFN %UHDVW ZLWK &LGHU and Mustard Seeds, Quinoa Salad with 3UHVHUYHG /HPRQV DQG &KLFNSHDV %XWÄĽ WHUQXW 6TXDVK DQG 6DÉąURQ 6RXS $GRER 6WHDN 6SLF\ &KLFNHQ 7DJLQH )ULHG 2OÄĽ ives with Labne and Ricotta, and Pine 1XW DQG +RQH\ %UHDG 3XGGLQJ Cook in Israel ÄŞ&RRN LQ ,VUDHOÄŤ E\ Orly Ziv. You may not be able to go on RQH RI =LYÂśV H[FLWLQJ FXOLQDU\ WRXUV RU take her cooking classes in Israel, but you can use her recipes to taste the sumptuous multifaceted Israeli cuiÄĽ VLQH 6RPH RI WKH GLVKHV DUH LQĂ&#x20AC;XHQFHG E\ KHU -HZLVKÄĽ*UHHN KHULWDJH RQ KHU PRWKHUÂśV VLGH $ FOLQLFDO QXWULWLRQLVW DQG vegetarian who lives in Ramat HashaÄĽ ron, her recipes emphasize fresh fruits DQG YHJHWDEOHV ÂżVK JUDLQV DQG OHJXPHV and she avoids fatty products. All reciÄĽ SHV DUH DFFRPSDQLHG E\ IXOOÄĽSDJH IXOOÄĽ FRORU SKRWRV 7U\ KHU (JJSODQW ZLWK 7RPDWR 6DXFH 7XUNLVK 6W\OH 5DZ %HHW DQG $SSOH 6DODG 2QLRQ 7DUW %XNKDUDQ &KLFNSHD 3DVWU\ %HHU %UHDG )LVK ZLWK *UHHQ 7DKLQL 6DXFH 3DVVRYHU 5ROOV DQG &KRFRODWH DQG +DOYDK %DEND
201-371-3212 â&#x20AC;˘ WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
%22. 5(9,(:6 Breaking Bread in Galilee ÄŞ+LOD\RQ 3UHVVÄŤ E\ $EELH 5RVQHU 3DVÄĽ sionate about learning to forage for wild edible plants and preparing foods in traditional ways, the author takes XV RQ D IDVFLQDWLQJ FXOLQDU\ MRXUQH\ through the Lower Galilee where she OLYHV 7KHUH 5RVQHU GLVFRYHUV ÂłOLYLQJ linksâ&#x20AC;? to the ancient past through her $UDE PRVWO\ %HGRXLQ QHLJKERUV 7KH\ introduce her to plants like hubeisa, ]DDWDU OXI DQG PDQGUDNH WR WKH ODERUÄĽ intensive preparation of traditional dishes; and to the art of pressing olives, grinding wheat under stones and bakÄĽ LQJ EUHDG 7KH\ HYHQ KHOS KHU EXLOG KHU own tabun, a clay oven. Not only does she unearth culinary traditions, but she develops wonderful friendships with the Arab people who warmly share their NQRZOHGJH DQG VNLOOV 5RVQHU ZULWHV â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have chosen to approach food as a means of bringing people togetherâ&#x20AC;Ś. If using food as a bridge between individÄĽ XDOV IURP HLWKHU VLGH RI WKH FRQĂ&#x20AC;LFW FDQ help overcome suspicion and promote mutual understandingâ&#x20AC;Śthen something YHU\ VLJQLÂżFDQW FDQ EH DFKLHYHG ´ $ IHZ recipes are included along with vivid deÄĽ scriptions of preparing dishes like GaliÄĽ OHDQ 0HMDGUD D UXGG\ÄĽFRORUHG EXOJXU OHQWLO DQG RQLRQ GLVK 7KH ERRN LV D UHDO H\HÄĽRSHQHU <RX FDQ YLVLW ,VUDHO PDQ\ WLPHV EXW LWÂśV XQOLNHO\ \RXÂśOO EH H[SRVHG WR WKLV LPSRUWDQW ħ DQG IDGLQJ ħ SDUW RI LWV FXOWXUH ÄŞ&KHFN RXW 5RVQHUÂśV ZHEÄĽ VLWH www.galileecuisine.co.il ÄŤ
points for conversation and as a fun and PHDQLQJIXO ZD\ WR LQFRUSRUDWH WKH %LEOH into a weekly meal.â&#x20AC;? Recipes are divided by biblical chapter and accompanied by commentary. So, we have a quote from *HQHVLV DERXW /RWÂśV ZLIH ORRNLQJ EDFN DQG WXUQLQJ LQWR D SLOODU RI VDOW ħ ZKLFK leads to an intriguing commentary on WKH HYHQW DQG WKHQ WR D UHFLSH IRU VDOWÄĽ HQFUXVWHG SRWDWRHV ,Q ([RGXV WKH Jewish slaves are doing backbreaking labor using mortar and bricks, which brings us to haroset, the Passover food that reminds us of this work. Rossner DOVR VXJJHVWV 7KH DSSOHV LQ WKH KDURVHW are â&#x20AC;&#x153;in tribute to the Israeli women who gave birth under apple or citrus trees in Egypt so that they might hide their EDE\ ER\VÂŤIURP 3KDUDRKÂśV LQIDQWLFLGH decree.â&#x20AC;? A writer and poet living in JeÄĽ rusalem, Rossner blogs about bringing more meaning to family meals at www. eatingthebibleblog.wordpress.com.
Kirchenbaum. For Passover, check out the Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup, 6HGHU &HOHU\ 5RRW &KLFNHQ 6ZHHW ÂśQ 6RXU 7RQJXH DQG ,WDOLDQÄĽ,QVSLUHG )UXLW Dessert. Icons for each recipe indicate ZKHWKHU WKH GLVK LV 3DVVRYHUÄĽIULHQGO\ JOXWHQÄĽIUHH DQG VHDVRQDO
$UULYLQJ MXVW XQGHU WKH ZLUH LV 0D\ÄĽ LP %LDOLNÂśV Mayimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vegan Table ÄŞ'HÄĽ &DSRÄŤ ZULWWHQ ZLWK 'U -D\ *RUGRQ :H FHUWDLQO\ FDQÂśW SDVV RYHU NAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;AMAT 86$ÂśV ZRQGHUIXO UHFHQW VSRNHVSHUVRQ 7KH vegan actress, neuroscientist and mothÄĽ HU RI WZR YHJDQ VRQV GRHVQÂśW H[SHFW \RX to pick up the book and become an â&#x20AC;&#x153;inÄĽ VWDQW YHJDQ ´ EXW KRSHV \RXÂśOO EHFRPH a more thoughtful eater and feeder. %LDOLN KHUVHOI LV PRWLYDWHG E\ FRQFHUQV IRU KHU IDPLO\ÂśV KHDOWK DORQJ ZLWK HQÄĽ vironmental and ethical considerations about the impact of raising animals for food. You can eat great food on a SODQWÄĽEDVHG GLHW %LDOLN GHFODUHV VHOHFWÄĽ Estee Kafraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cooking Inspired ing recipes that will â&#x20AC;&#x153;please even the ÄŞ)HOGKHLP 3XEOLVKHUVÄŤ (VWHH .DIUD HGLÄĽ most skeptical carnivores.â&#x20AC;? Plenty of tor of KosherScoop.com, gives readers a QXWULWLRQDO DGYLFH LV RÉąHUHG :H KDYH taste of the great variety of recipes from VRPH UHFLSHV WR FKRRVH IURP ħ IRU the popular website. Noting that cookÄĽ breakfast, soups, salads, sandwiches, LQJ LV PXFK PRUH WKDQ D FKRUH WKH 7RÄĽ sauces, snacks, veggies, entrees, breads URQWR UHVLGHQW ZULWHV Âł, EHOLHYH ZH FDQ DQG GHVVHUWV 7U\ WKH 'LOOHG &KLFNSHD take this everyday act and elevate it into %XUJHU ZLWK 6SLF\ <RJXUW 6DXFH 1RQÄĽ an experience of creativity, mindfulness dairy Kugel, Udon with Edamame and DQG PHDQLQJ ´ :H MXVW QHHG WR ÂłRSHQ 3HDQXW 6DXFH %XLOGÄĽ<RXUÄĽ2ZQ %ODFN our hearts and minds to the inspiration %HDQ DQG 4XLQRD 7DFRV +RW 3UHW]HO all around us.â&#x20AC;? With gorgeous photos as &KDOODK %UHDG DQG 3HDFRQ 3LH 7UXÉšHV one mode of inspiration, she presents ÄŞZLWK RU ZLWKRXW WKH ERXUERQÄŤ some 200 recipes, from appetizers to Eating the Bible ÄŞ6N\KRUVH 3XEÄĽ GHVVHUWV %HVLGHV .DIUDÂśV RZQ UHFLSHV OLVKLQJÄŤ E\ 5HQD 5RVVQHU 7KLV LV DQ WKHUH DUH FRQWULEXWLRQV E\ ZHOOÄĽNQRZQ -XGLWK $ 6RNRORɲ LV WKH HGLWRU RI 1DÂśDPDW LQQRYDWLYH FRRNERRN ZKHUH WKH VRXOÄĽ chefs and food writers including Paula Woman. nourishing recipes â&#x20AC;&#x153;serve as talking Shoyer, Daphne Rabinovitch, 'DYLG %OXP DQG /HYDQD
201-371-3212 â&#x20AC;˘ WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 25 Adar II 5774 61
SCHOOLS
Yavneh Students Do the Gorilla Thing D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at NYU Langone Medical Center. They met some of the young, brave patients personally, and handdelivered the adorable gorillas. The look of excitement on the faces of the patients receiving the gorillas was inspirational to all. The visit most definitely made an impression on the Yavneh students that they will never forget. A few hours after the students’ visit, the gorillas were then used in the hospital’s “Gorilla Hospital” activity, a type of “medical play” where the patients can explore different items used during their upcoming procedures in order to become familiar with equipment in a non-threatening way. Yavneh Academy is extremely proud that its students have been able to play a role in this important program.
rs. Shifra Srolovitz, a child life specialist, came to speak to Yavneh Academy’s 7th-grade students about what how it feels to be a child facing illness. The students then decorated stuffed gorillas with pictures, jokes and, most importantly, inspirational and encouraging words. They were carefully trained as to what are “do’s” and “don’ts” when it comes to making sure their words were able to increase hope. This project was the culmination of a unit in Yavneh’s Advisory program called “When Life Gives You Lemons - Dealing with Adversity in Life,” where students learn the skills of coping with difficulties and challenges. Yavneh seventh graders Stephanie Appelbaum, Shoshana Fogelman, Moshe Golubtchik and Brooke Newman accompanied Dr. Aliza Frohlich to visit the Stephen
M
Leah Sokoloff Nursery School Celebrates Purim
Yom Iyun at Yeshivat Noam By Rabbi Tavi Koslowe ach year students at Yeshivat Noam have dedicated Ta’anit Esther as a special day of learning in memory of Noah Seidenfeld, a kindergarten student who tragically lost his life nine years ago. This year, the middle school students engaged in a Yom Iyun (a day of intensive study) surrounding topics related to Emunah (our beliefs). The day began with Rabbi Hagler introducing the significance of the day to the students and giving them a charge to find opportunities to do acts of kindness towards one another, as that was the impression that Noah made on all of his classmates. We then had the opportunity to hear from Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, who is the rabbi of Congregation Netivot Shalom and Chair of Bible and Jewish Thought
E
Hillel North Jersey Bakes Matzoh at Ramapo College
at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. Rabbi Helfgot elucidated the complex topic of how Machloket (argument) became part of the tradition within our Torah She’bal Peh. Using the ever-relevant example of wanting to enjoy Bumbleberry ice cream after a sandwhich at Chickies, Rabbi Helfgot presented three ways of understanding the inclusion of Machloket into our Mesorah. Later in the day, the students returned to our Beit Midrash to hear inspiring words of Torah from Rabbi Zev Reichman who is the
62 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
rabbi at East Hill Synagogue in Englewood and a teacher at Yeshiva University. Rabbi Reichman shared a beautiful insight into the opening pesukim of Megillat Esther as a paradigm for recognizing Hashem’s intervention in the world from the story of Purim through the Yom Kippur War. Aside from the speakers who joined us for the day, many of the middle school teachers took the opportunity to weave the day’s theme through their discipline in their regularly scheduled classes. It proved to be a wonderful day of learning and growth, and a beautiful tribute to our student and friend, Noah. Rabbi Tavi Koslowe is Assistant Principal, Judaic Studies, Middle School, Yeshivat Noam
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
SCHOOLS
Yavneh Students at Rockleigh Home Celebrate Purim S ixth graders from Yavneh Academy came to the Jewish Home at Rockleigh on Thursday, March 13, 2014 to decorate the social hall for the Purim holiday and do an arts and crafts project with residents. After decorating, they enjoyed hamantaschen along with various juices. Rabbi Simon Feld, director of rabbinic services at JHR, noted that he was a graduate of Yavneh as
well as having three grandchildren who attend the school. On Sunday, March 16, 8th graders from the Yavneh Academy took turns reading the Megillat, with residents and family members filling JHR’s chapel. The service was led by Rabbi Feld. Some of the visitors, especially the children, dressed up in costumes for the holiday. Celebrants enthusi-
Stern Student Selected for Honor Society N ew York—Naomi Schwartz, of Passaic, NJ, a senior studying molecular biology at Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women and president of the Stern College Biology Club, has been named as one of only 37 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Undergraduate Honor Society members nationwide. The Honor Society recognizes exceptional undergraduate juniors and seniors pursuing a degree in the molecular life sciences at a college or university that is a member of the ASBMB Undergraduate Affiliate Network (UAN). Stern College’s Biology Club started a UAN chapter this fall.
“The Biology Club organizes many events throughout the year, such as research seminars featuring prominent scientists—even two Nobel laureates— and career workshops and fundraising drives among other things,” said Dr. Marina Holz, associate professor of biology at Stern, who serves as the club’s faculty member. “Last year, we decided to take it to the next level by joining a national un-
dergraduate society. There are numerous advantages of belonging to the ASBMB: unique scholarship opportunities, travel awards, networking and the exchange of ideas with other undergraduate chapters.” Schwartz, who hopes to pursue medical school, decided to get involved with the Biology Club as a junior because she enjoyed organizing events that were helpful and informative to the student body and sharing her excitement about science. “My favorite biology club events have been the Torah U’madda lectures, such as our event this semester with Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman about medical ethics, because I think they really encapsulate the reason I go to Stern: for the balance of Torah values and worldly knowledge,” she said. Schwartz views her selection to the Honor Society as not only an opportunity to further her own research, but to benefit her peers as well. “Becoming a member of the Honor Society grants me access to the Society’s mentoring activities, but it also gives our UAN chapter sever-
al benefits, such as the ability to request an Honor Society Speaker,” she said. It will also allow the Stern College chapter free access to the undergraduate program consulting services of the ASBMB and support from the ASBMB and UAN in hosting approved regional UAN Scientific Meetings. “It’s a great feeling to know that YU is recognized as a nationally competitive center of academic excellence,” said Holz.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Eighth grade students from Yavneh Academy took turns reading the Megillat with Rabbi Jonathan Knapp for residents and family members in Jewish Home at Rockleigh’s chapel on March 16th. From left, Noam Kuritzky, Devin Berman, Avi Eisenstadter, Noam Putterman, Rabbi Jonathan Knapp, Ephraim Najman and Shlomi Helfgot.
astically interrupted the service, shaking their groggers (noisemakers) whenever Hamen was mentioned. Hamantaschen, bagels, fruit and drinks were served following the service. The program was sponsored by JHR’s Young Leadership board. After the event, Sunni Herman, JHR’s executive vice president, said, “Despite the fact that most families have a ton of places to go on Purim morning, the kids traveled to the Home, loudly and clearly recited the words so that all could hear, and then they even stayed on to mingle and sing songs.” The Jewish Home at Rockleigh is a non-
profit, state-of-the-facility that provides long-term care, outreach programs, and outpatient services for the elderly and their families in Bergen, North Hudson, and Rockland counties. JHR and its sister facility, Jewish Home Assisted Living in River Vale, N.J.; Jewish Home Foundation and Jewish Home At Home are members of the Jewish Home Family, Inc. whose mission it is to develop and oversee the very best of care, services and advice for the elderly and their families at home and in their facilities, now and in the future, consistent with Jewish tradition and values. For further information or a photo, please call 201-784-1414.
A Mensch Among Us: Divsha Tollinsky By Oshrat Nachum nglewood—Meet Divsha Tollinsky, local mensch and director of early childhood at the Moriah School. Divsha manages to blend her midot into her professional career as she infuses the Early Childhood Department with chesed. For years, the Early Childhood Department in the Moriah School has been going once annually to The Esplanade, a home for senior citizens in Palisades, New York, but this year marked the first in which the visits happened more than once. After 2012’s Chanukah visit to the Esplanade, Tollinsky realized that Divsha Tollinsky - “Mensch” there was some aspect lacking in the visits. “The kids came, sang, ners visited the Esplanade for the second and left, which was nice, but there was time of the year, focusing the contents something missing,” she said. This past of their visit on the joy and excitement year’s Chanukah visit was different. The of Purim. The children gave a lively perchildren not only performed songs for formance, singing “Yesh Tikvah” (“There the residents of the home, but also sat is Hope”), a song that incorporates hand down and created a project with them, motions and movements. “You see the prompting conversation and a good residents laughing, and the bonds betime for all. Tollinsky noted that as she ing created between the different generwas leaving the home a resident said, ations. The visit focuses on what we be“I don’t know who had more fun, us or lieve in. As Jewish people, we look up to them.” CONTINUED ON P. 64 Recently, Moriah School’s kindergart-
E
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 63
SCHOOLS
A Mensch Among Us: Divsha Tollinsky
Heichal Hatorah Celebrates First Purim With Ruach-Filled Chagiga eichal Hatorah recently celebrated its first annual Purim Chagiga with over 400 people, including many of its students and their parents, neighborhood rabbonim, and Heichal’s growing community of friends. The music was led by world-renowned singer and guitarist Eitan Katz, fresh with energy off his newly-issued album Live in Jerusalem. Eitan’s singing and Nochi Krohn’s band filled the room with passion and warmth and kept people dancing all night. The dancing was punctuated throughout the night by Divrei Torah from the yeshiva’s rebbeim: Rav Aryeh Stechler, Rav Pesach Skulnick, Rav Moshe Tzvi Weinberg, and R’ Yaakov Danishevsky. Children of all ages eagerly looked forward to prizes given out every half hour for best costume and enjoyed fan-
H
tastic refreshments, including hot dogs, knishes, and cotton candy from Teaneck’s own Kosher Connections. The night was capped off by the announcement of raffle winners who won a professional Casio keyboard and many gift cards from local restaurants, boutiques, and food establishments. Heichal HaTorah is especially grateful to its parent and community volunteers, the Jewish Center of Teaneck for co-sponsoring the Purim Chagiga, to all the local establishments who contributed to its raffle, and to a generous friend of the yeshiva who helped make this special event possible. Heichal HaTorah is looking forward to dancing and celebrating Purim together with their talmidim and the entire community next year.
CONTINUED FROM P. 63
our grandfathers and great-grandfathers with such respect, and by taking our early childhood to the Esplanade, we ensure that this level of respect is enhanced in importance,” said Tollinsky. After the performance, the kindergartners and residents sat either oneon-one or in small groups together and made animated Purim crafts with stickers. With acts like Moriah’s kindergarten visits, Tollinsky is effectively linking gen-
erations together. While the ages of the children and residents may be separated by many decades, there is no gap in the common goal: working together in sharing the spirit of the Jewish holidays. The children worked with the residents to keep Purim spirits high, and the residents worked with the children in teaching and guiding. It is local residents like Divsha Tollinsky, who make doing chesed something to look forward to. Her constant desire to find acts of kindness to build upon is both admirable and commendable. With members like Tollinsky in our community, the Jewish people can continue to come together and work side by side, causing one thing to be undoubtedly true: There is and always will be a mensch among us.
Moriah kindergartener and resident of the Esplanade enjoying each other’s company.
Lander College Annual Alumni Shabbaton ew York—More than 100 former students braved the snow and returned to their alma mater for the fifth annual Lander College for Men (LCM) Alumni Shabbaton: Scattered Across the Nation. As the name implies, alumni came from all over, including Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Memphis, Miami and Toronto, in addition to those living in the tri-state area. One graduate, Dovid Yudkowitz, a former dormitory supervisor, came all the way from Ramat Beit Shemesh in Israel. Including faculty, spouses and children, close to 300 people were in attendance. Several families stayed in the dorms while others were put up with friends living in the Kew Gardens Hills community. Following Kabbalas Shabbos, Dr. Moshe Sokol, dean of the LCM, gave a devar Torah (sponsored by David Hirsch, class of 2012) and welcomed the many returning students and their families. “It is a real thrill to see so many alumni with their wives and children, flourishing in their careers, building homes and taking leadership positions in their communities,” he said. Besides the opportunity to catch up with old friends, alumni were treated to beautiful davening, an abundance of food, and a variety of shiurim and divrei Torah over the course of Shabbos. A Tea Room, fully stocked with snacks, fruit, drinks, hot apple cider and even chulent, was open
N
64 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
More than 100 graduates returned to Lander College for Men (LCM) in Kew Gardens Hills for the fifth annual LCM Alumni Shabbaton: Scattered Across the Nation. Above, the National Comedy Theatre, an acclaimed family-oriented improv group, performs at a catered melave malka.
throughout Shabbos. Meir Milgraum, ’08, sponsored a Viennese dessert table. Babysitting and camp services were provided free of charge throughout the weekend. Just in case anyone was still hungry, N’Shei Lander, the wives of LCM Kollel and college students, baked and arranged a gala homemade kiddush for Shabbos morning. There were numerous learning opportunities throughout Shabbos: • Mashgiach Rabbi Moshe Bamberger gave a Daf Yomi shiur, sponsored by Avrumi Vais, ’06. • Menahel Rabbi Yehuda Shmulewitz de-
livered the Shabbos morning drasha on Asei Lecha Rav, sponsored by Rivki and Azi Steiner, ’08. • Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik held a question-and-answer session, sponsored by Jaclyn and Dani Sova, ’08. • Rebbetzin Chana Tanenbaum spoke on the anatomy of a marriage at a shiur for women, sponsored anonymously. • Rabbi Shmulewitz gave a Sichos Mussar shiur on the topic of Ma’aseh Egel, adapted from the sefer of the same name written by his uncle, Rav Chaim Shmulewitz zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of the Mirrer Yeshiva in
Yerushalayim. It was sponsored by Dr. Chani and Rabbi Shraga Moshe Milstein, ’09. • Before Mincha Rabbi Yitzchak Genack discussed, “Is Cheating on Your Taxes Ever Okay?” from a halachic perspective, sponsored by Kayli and Rabbi Aryeh Young, ’08, semicha ’10. • Rabbi Bamberger’s shalosh seudos shiur was called “Made in the Shade,” sponsored by Evan Honigsfeld, ’06. After Shabbos the National Comedy Theatre, an acclaimed family-oriented improv group, performed at a catered melave malka, while Uncle Moishy character Nachum the Clown entertained the children in a separate room. The Lander College for Men is an undergraduate division of Touro College in service to the Jewish community. Established in the fall of 2000 and located in Queens, NY, the Lander College for Men is grounded in a dual curriculum of intensive Torah study and a wide range of academic programs, where students major in professionally oriented disciplines. Lander College for Men provides students with an environment that produces ethical, mature and well-rounded professionals committed to scholarship and career growth. Dedicated to Touro’s mission of perpetuating the Jewish heritage, Lander College for Men prepares students to uphold the ideals of Torah and pursue positions of professional and communal leadership.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
SPORTS
Ma’ayanot Hockey Defeats Kushner 7 – 1 By Liat Clark and Hudi Owrutsky, Hockey Team Managers
Avigayil Shapiro scored with four minutes left to the game, and soon after Tehila Azar followed up, scoring Ma’ayanot’s 7th and final goal of the night. Goalies Sarah Hiller and Malka Schnaidman tended goal, defending against the tough Cobra offense and saving a combined nine shots on goal. Kushner’s Rachel Mendelson scored against the Rapids with a minute left to the game. Goal assists go to Aliza Kaszovitz, Yonina Silverman, Shira Sohn, Jessie Levart, Hannah Rosen and Elisheva Taragin. Congratulations to the Rapids on playing a great game and starting off the season strong!
n Monday night, March 17th, fans filled the stands in Ma’ayanot to cheer on the Ma’ayanot Rapids hockey team as they won their opening game against the Kushner Cobras, 7-1! Ahuva Shafier scored the first goal of the night with only a minute left in the first period. Just five seconds into the second period, Alex Fuchs scored a goal for Ma’ayanot; Avital Rosen and Ally Marguiles each scored in the second period as well, bringing Ma’ayanot’s score to 4-0 at the start of the third period, at which point Leora Schiff put yet another point on the board.
O
Frisch Lady Cougars Hockey Victorious over Ramaz
MTA Student Akiva Pudell Saves a Life at Marathon, Then Completes Race
By Yaakov Lisker
n Tuesday, March 18th, the defending girls hockey champion Frisch Cougars opened their season against the Ramaz Rams in Paramus. This year’s Frisch team brings back a core group of players including new starting goalie Junior Jessica Adler; on defense, lone senior Yael Ledner; juniors Leora Jarashow, Ariela Katz, and sophomore Talia Levie; on offense, juniors Michal Michael and Kayla Blumenfeld (last year’s scoring leaders), as well as sophomores Miriam Reichman and Sigal Levine. Junior defenseman Rachel Markowitz returns to the team after a one-year hiatus. This year’s Cougars are also joined by a strong freshman class. On offense, Abigail Rochlin, Hannah Weisbrot, Talya Gellis and Tara Davidoff; on defense, Aliza Pavel, Jodi Fishbein and Lauren Aduculesi, and in goal Nechama Levie. The Cougars looked to start this season where they left off last year, and on just their second shift freshman Hannah Weisbrot scored from in front 2:56 into the game on a feed from line mate Abigail Rochlin. Both teams were getting shots on net, but the goalies stood their ground and did not give up second-chance opportunities. Frisch would take its lead into the locker room after one.
O
The second period wasn’t much different from the first. Ramaz continued to put the ball on net, but Jessica Adler refused to give up any rebounds. Being outshot by a wide margin in the second, the Cougars needed a boost and they got it with 3:59 left in the period. On a nifty elevated back hand pass by Kayla Blumenfeld from behind the net, Michal Michael netted her first of the season on a quick one-timer to the upper right hand corner. Ramaz, looking for its first goal of the season, kept the pressure on by sending three players deep at a time. The Cougars’ defense held and took a 2-0 lead into the third period. Ramaz fought to keep it close, but with 6:31 left in the game Aliza Pavel sent an outlet pass up the middle to Kayla Blumenfeld for a breakaway. With a tripledeak, Kayla pulled the goalie to her left and then put the ball in on the right side off her backhand giving Frisch a commanding 3-0 lead. Just 21 seconds later Frisch would strike again as Michal Michael found the loose ball at the right post and put it in for her second of the game. Michal and Kayla would strike one more time with 3:29 left. Michal sent the ball from the corner to the front of the net where Kayla was waiting. After retrieving her own rebound, Kayla knocked it in putting the final touch on a 5-0 victory. The Cougars head next to Kushner.
Sixth Grade Noam Knights Surge to a Fast Start By Ari Kaminetzky he Noam Knights have had a great start to the season. They opened the season at Manhattan Day School, with the Knights winning by 29 in a terrific opening game. Next came the home opener vs. SAR, and the team’s first real test. The Knights got off to an awful start as SAR began the game with a 7-0 lead. But the Knights were able to make critical mid-game adjustments and eventually prevailed by 3 points. Game number three saw the Knights matched up against RPRY, a team they beat in the preseason match up. Noam got off to their trademark slow start (scoring four points in the first), but won the game by 14. Brimming with confidence after a 3-0 start to the season, Noam had a lot of
T
momentum going into what may probably be its most difficult game of the season against league powerhouse Moriah. Although the Knights kept the game close, the team had no answer to Moriah’s trap defense and they handed Noam its first loss of the young season. After a few practices, Noam was ready for its next opponent, the Hilllel Heat. The Knights once again got off to a slow start offensively, but their new trapping defense was more than Hillel could handle. When the final buzzer sounded, the Knights had beaten the Heat by 26 points. With a 4-1 start to the season, are the Noam Knights ready for their other local rivals? In a game that is sure to be exciting, the Knights travel cross-town to play an undefeated Yavneh team on Sunday at 2 p.m.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
CONTINUED FROM P. 1
This year, one student marathoner was faced with a greater challenge than just completing the 13.1 mile run. MTA senior—and starting defenseman—Akiva Pudell was halfway through his ninth mile and making good time. The weather was hot and the humidity was severe, but he had managed to keep a consistent 9-minute mile. He had slowed down at a water station to grab a drink when he heard someone calling from behind him, “Man down! We need a medic!” Akiva is a trained EMT who works the Saturday overnight shift for the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corp. He immediately turned around to see if he could help. “I expected to see a guy sitting on the curb, just dehydrated and out of breath,” Pudell recalls, “instead, I saw a man lying ‘supine’—face up—and surrounded by people simply gawking.” The fallen runner wasn’t breathing, and had gone unresponsive, so Pudell snapped into action. “I checked his pulse, but there wasn’t anything, so I began performing CPR,” Pudell says. At just that time, another jogger ran up, identified himself as a member of the Washington Heights Hatzalah, and began to help Akiva. “I saw pretty quickly that we needed a defibrillator, oxygen, and a sharp object to cut open the guy’s shirt,” says Pudell, “but no one had any scissors or other medical equipment. But there was police officer standing with
me, and he had a knife on his belt. I asked to use it, and I then cut the runner’s shirt open.” Akiva directed the marathon’s medical staff to bring the necessary equipment and continued to treat the fallen runner until a defibrillator was brought to the scene. Pudell placed the electrodes on the man’s chest, until the defibrillator’s built-in computer announced “shock advised.” “I said ‘clear!’ but nobody moved. Then I said ‘I’m shocking this guy!’ and everyone got out of the way,” recalls Pudell. After being shocked with a defibrillator, the runner regained his pulse, began breathing and, though disoriented, was eventually able to talk to Akiva. Soon afterward, other paramedics arrived in a golf cart, and Akiva briefed them on the situation. After relaying the necessary details, Pudell then got up, brushed himself off, and completed the four remaining miles of the half-marathon. “I just did my job,” Akiva says, “it was all training and instinct.” In recognition of his service, Pudell’s half-marathon medal was engraved with “EMT – CPR Save,” a brief acknowledgement of his truly momentous accomplishment. After graduating MTA in the spring, Pudell plans to study in Israel for the year. Asked if he’ll run the Jerusalem Marathon in 2015, he simply responds, “I hope to. That and Miami.”
Teaneck Baseball Organization Takes the Field he clocks have been sprung forward; the temperature is finally above freezing. Day by day the landscape is looking like Bergen County and not the set of Disney’s Frozen. This means it’s time for Teaneck to take to the field and play ball In Teaneck, one of the faces behind the scenes of the Teaneck Baseball Organization (TBO) told the JLBC that “they are excited to begin the season and see all of the players back on the field.” TBO will be having 11 teams in its softball division, 32 teams playing hardball, and 14 in the instructional division. In keeping
T
with the wonderful tradition started two years ago, some of the TBO divisions will once again have games against Teaneck Southern Little League in their schedule. These games have been tremendously competitive and a great way to bring ballplayers from all over Teaneck together. At the Jewish Link of Bergen County Sports desk,= we want to print pictures of your children on the field—before, after and during games. Please send the pictures (caption them so we are certain to get the spelling correct) to Sports@Jewishlinkbc.com Let’s play ball!!!
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 65
SPORTS
Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Softball Team Debuts At YU Credit YUMACS.COM
the top of the ďŹ rst to get the Maccabees out in front 2-0. York, though, scored four in the bottom of the ďŹ rst to take a 4-2 lead. Yeshiva did not go away quietly though as the Maccabees tied the score in the top of the third when Potasnick ripped a single that scored two runs to make the score 4-4 after two-and-a-half innings. All told, the Maccabees scored ďŹ ve runs but came up short as they lost 13-5 to York College.
he Yeshiva University softball team made school history on Tuesday afternoon by playing its ďŹ rst varsity game in school history. The Maccabees were led by Teaneck natives Erin Potasnick, Merav Saden Barach and Kayla Applebaum. Yeshiva made a statement from the outset that it is ready to play as Potasnick hit a two-run inside- the-park homerun in
T
JV Girls Basketball Captures SARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Championship of the Year Credit: Sting Sports Update n March 12th, the SAR JV Girls Basketball traveled to TABC to take on Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ayanot in the Yeshiva League championship game. The two teams were engaged in a defensive battle from the start and at the end of theÂ ďŹ rst quarter SAR held onto a slim 8-6 lead. In the second quarter, the Lady Sting showed why they were playing for a championship. A combination of timely shots, clutch free-throw shooting, and strong defense vaulted the SAR lead to 18-9 at halftime. In the third quarter, SAR continued to
O
play with the same tenacity on both sides of the ball, which extended their lead to 3016 at the quarterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end. Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ayanot was unable to mount a comeback, and the Lady Sting held on for a 39-26 victory. Sophomore Rebecca Kann led SAR with 11 points and was named Most Valuable Player at the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end, while freshmen Rebecca Hyman, Sophie Hecht and Hannah Gabay scored 9, 8 and 7 points, respectively, in the win. Congratulations to coaches Adam Brick and Abby Marcus, as well as all of the players, on winning SARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only championship of the fall sports season. Hopefully, more championships will come in the spring!
The Write Impression Invitations, Stationery, Party Favors, Place Cards & Programs
All books discounted! All types of home repair, renovation, and maintenance
g 48,&. 7851 $5281' 7,0( g 12 0,1,080 48$17,7,(6 21 ,1 +286( 35,17,1*
g (19(/23( $''5(66,1* 67$03,1* 678)),1* 0$,/,1* g +(%5(: 7<3(6(77,1* 6(59,&(6
â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘
Located at Party Plaza 195 W. Englewood Avenue, Teaneck, New Jersey Sunday and evening hours available By appointment: Call Simone (201)833-0404
SALE!!
R
Rachel Wigs
Get a Free Hat Fall with Purchase of a Long Beautiful Wig*
*Valued at $1775 Located at Party Plaza By Appointment: 195 W. Englewood Call Rachel at: 732-809-5493 Teaneck, NJ 07666 Sunday and Evening Hours Are Available
66 March 27, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 25 Adar II 5774
Carpentry â&#x20AC;˘ Shelving Painting â&#x20AC;˘ Picture Hanging Mouldings â&#x20AC;˘ KD furniture assembly Tiling â&#x20AC;˘ Honey-do lists â&#x20AC;˘ Custom Built-ins and Wall Units
PROMPT RELIABLE SERVICE â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘ INSURED
201-292-7550 â&#x20AC;˘ TeaneckHandyman@gmail.com
2014 SPRING LEAGUE Sundays starting March 23rd
Come Play
NFL FLAG FOOTBALL at Overpeck Park in Palisades Pk.
5-on-5 Flag Football â&#x20AC;˘ Fast Paced â&#x20AC;˘ Non Contact Boys & Girls â&#x20AC;˘ Grades K-8 Coming Soon 7 on 7 for 7th-12th grades Make your own team or join onto a team. All towns welcome. Teams or individuals. Affiliated with
Call: (201) 417-5729 www.aiďŹ&#x201A;ag.com â&#x20AC;˘ Jeffb@aiďŹ&#x201A;ag.org 201-371-3212 â&#x20AC;˘ WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
SPORTS
Teaneck Junior Soccer League Wraps Successful Indoor Soccer Season By Bill Burke, President TJSL eaneck Junior Soccer League (TJSL) announced that three of its indoor soccer travel teams completed successful seasons with appearances in league championship games. Teaneck’s U10 Girls indoor soccer travel team finished their season with a 5-4 overtime loss to Demarest in Pascack Valley Indoor Soccer League’s (PVISL) “Cookies By Design” championship. The 8- and 9-year-old girls reached the championship game by topping New Milford 5-4 in the semifinals. On the boys’ side, the U10 Boys team dropped a 7-2 decision to Old Tappan in the PVISL “Golub Cup” championship at Pascack
son in second place with a 6-2 record. Teaneck’s U12 Boys team lost 4-3 in overtime to Englewood in the PVISL “Golub Cup” championship. The team reached the final with a thrilling 3-2 shootout win over top-ranked Old Tappan in the semifinals. More than 120 Teaneck children ages 6 to 17 participated in TJSL’s indoor travel soccer program this past season. In addition to the eight teams playing in PVISL, three high school teams—U16 Girls, U18 Girls and U18 Boys—participated in the Soccer Coliseum’s highlycompetitive winter leagues.
T
U 10 Girls’ Travel Team
Hills High School in Montvale. The team advanced to the finals
with a 7-3 win over Leonia. The U10 Boys finished the regular sea-
U 10 Boys’ Soccer Team
TABC Storm Defeats Rambam for JV Hockey Championship
CONTINUED FROM P. 1
top line and Ari Fuchs (’16) ripped a shot from the point which found the back of the net and gave TABC a 1-0 lead after the first period. The fans barely got back to their seats when just 6 seconds into the second period Yair Knoller (’16) scored, giving the Storm a commanding 2-0 lead. The Ravens refused to go away and responded with a goal of their own cutting the lead to 2-1 by the end of the period. The Storm started the third period on the power play and Ari Fuchs then hammered home his second goal of the game giving TABC a 3-1 lead. Once again
About Teaneck Junior Soccer League Teaneck Junior Soccer League
(TJSL) is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization founded in 1986 to promote the sport of soccer in Teaneck. Since its inception, more than 20,000 children ages 4 to 17 have participated in the league with over 800 children playing each year in recreational and travel leagues as well as the TOPsoccer program for special needs children. TJSL’s mission is to provide Teaneck residents with the opportunity to learn, play and enjoy the game of soccer. For more information, visit www.teanecksoccer. com or call 201.477.TJSL (8575).
U 12 Boy’s Soccer
the Ravens responded scoring a power play goal cutting the lead to 3-2. For the next few minutes the chances were even, but neither team could find the back of the net. With just under 5 minutes left in the game Calev Minsky (’’16) took a wrist shot from the point and it somehow, someway got past the Rambam goaltender. Just seconds later Jonah Ganchrow (’16) stuffed in another goal giving the Storm a 5-2 lead with 4 minutes remaining. TABC won by this score and captured the sixth straight championship for the JV team and Coach Norm, and made 2014 the eighth straight year that a TABC team has won a hockey championship. Ari Fuchs, with his two goals, was awarded MVP of the game. Congratulations to Coach Norman Blumenthal, Assistant Coach Avinoam Teplow Phipps,(’08) and Director of Hockey Operations, Coach Mo Fuchs, for their work throughout the season. Looking forward to next year as the JV Storm will go for the “7peat.”
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Send us your Sports Pictures and Write About Your Local Sports Events.
Send them to: sports@jewishlinkbc.com March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 67
SPORTS SCENES
Ayala Stone and Rivka Zimm Frsich Fencing. Credit Lisa Appelbaum
Frisch senior Elizabeth Schecter, with the crossover. Credit Lisa Appelbaum
Gabi Baron lunging for the flag of the opposing team. Credit Manda Leifer
Gavi Katz denies Yonatan Kaye’s shot attempt
Isaac Horowitz takes it to the hoop
Jono Wietschner trying to dodge Hillel Sebrow. Credit Lisa Appelbaum
Marc Abromowitz’s one- handed grab. Credit Amanda Leifer
Michael Reinhart takes to the air to avoid the defender. Credit Amanda Leifer
Rafi Lewis strips the ball from Yona Hook
Simmy BordachSkies to catch the game winner. Credit Lisa Appelbaum
Tyler Hod defies gravity. Credit Amanda Leifer
Zev Rosenbaum takes it deep for YU
68 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
FIVE STAR CATERERS
THE $59 WEDDING IS BACK! New menu options for the 2014 season! Call for details! very menu is individually tailored to your special event, whether it be a wedding, sheva brachot, l'chaim, bar/bat mitzvah, corporate function, or a gathering in the comfort of your home. We believe that fine food, elegant presentation, and first class service should be the focus of any catered event, regardless of budget. Five Star Caterers is committed to helping you plan an event that offers you and your guests a memorable experience centered around a creative menu of delicious gourmet food.
201.833.0889
WWW.FIVESTARCATERERS.COM FIVE STAR QUALITY AT EVERY EVENT
Catering at the finest venues throughout the Tri-State area In-house caterers at Congregation Keter Torah 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 69
70 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
TECHNOLOGY
UnGarbled-Tech By Shneur Garb oday, with highspeed bandwidth readily available to home and office networks, online document sharing has become standard for accessing and saving one’s files. The online document sharing programs that I would recommend are Dropbox (https://www.dropbox.com) and Google Drive (https://drive.google.com). In a future column I will discuss cloud versus local PC security. I will champion the cause that cloud security is probably safer than most users’ home networks. Most reputable online storage companies have teams of IT professionals securing their clients’ data. Dropbox and Google Drive work in roughly the same way; the main difference is in the free amount of data that may be shared. With Dropbox, a user signs up for two free gigabytes of data (no credit card is required). Dropbox makes it easy to get more free space. By sending a referral link to friends and family, you’ll get 250MB ad-
T
ditional free space for every user that signs up. With Google Drive, a user starts off with five gigs. You download a quick desktop client that installs on your local PC. The desktop client will create a local sharing folder on your computer. Each file and folder has a green checkmark to indicate that it is sync’ed, and a blue refresh icon if it is currently being synced. Edit a file at work, come home, and the file is synced and vice versa. Recently, Dropbox and Google Drive enhanced their capabilities so that files can be also be accessed from a smartphone or iPad. In addition, most camera programs have options to upload straight to Dropbox. These files can be accessed via the web portal though using the desktop client is recommended. Dropbox has more features and is the pioneer in this technology. For a fee, a file that was deleted more than 30 days ago can be retrieved. In addition, if one needs more gigabytes, more space may be purchased; rates vary depending on need. Sharing a file with Dropbox is simpler for now and syncing speeds can be viewed by
hovering over the desktop client icon. Google Drive allows one to access the very popular Google apps suite to create documents and then have them available for sharing. However, sharing files is a bit trickier with Google Drive. When choosing whom to share the Google Drive files with, the user can access the Google email contacts. A user can also pick which folder should be synced with Google Drive initially. The Google Drive web portal utilizes Google search technology when one needs to find files. In addition, multiple formats can be viewed but not edited. Google Drive also uses OCR technology to be able to search scanned documents. Check out Dropbox for Business to share documents with multiple users in the workplace. Share with employees, vendors and clients. Access files from any device, anywhere. Use the secure 256-bit AES encryption Admin console to manage permissions. As with any online sharing storage solution, one should always check with one’s IT professional or IT department to
ensure that Dropbox and Google Drive are aligned with company policy and allowed to be installed. My choice is still Dropbox for now, but for a new product, Google Drive is not that far behind. As I wrote in last week’s column, online document sharing is still just that: document sharing. If an entire folder is deleted, it’s deleted. Backups should run in tandem with document sharing. Some of the newer backup programs will not include backing up a DropBox folder automatically. Just a short time ago the only way one could share files at home or when traveling was DVDs/USB drives. Larger files can’t be sent over email, which is usually the one file you need to access. Both DropBox and Google drive have their pluses and minuses, but the functionality and access can’t be beat.
FINANCE
Political Ideals and Economic Realities • Part 2 By Elozor M. Preil
Observation #2: With Government Plans, Something for Everyone = Not Enough for Anyone According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly Social Security benefit received by workers was about $1,230 in 2012, or $14,760 a year. For fully vested workers who retired at age 66 in 2012, their starting benefit was $2,513/mo. ($30,156/yr.) Critics of Social Security will point out that many workers would have received a better benefit from their Social Security taxes had they been invested in the stock market. This may be true, but the purpose of Social Security has been to provide a benefit to all Americans without compelling them to make investment decisions or take undue risks. Even though Social Security is a program for all working Americans, people with higher incomes receive a lower percentage of benefits in proportion to the taxes they pay. Let’s compare annual Social Security retirement income to lifetime payroll taxes for 23-year-olds who work until age 67 and receive full bene-
fits. A low-wage earner (with a $15,000 annual income) would receive an annual Social Security benefit of $10,128. This means the worker will “recover” his Social Security taxes in about 8½ years. In contrast, an individual with an annual income of $110,000 would receive $31,260/yr. but not recover his Social Security taxes for 20 years. In either case, a $10,000-a-year retirement income doesn’t go very far, even for someone with a low earnings history. And a $30,000 annual retirement income probably isn’t going to be enough for someone who has earned over $100,000/yr. for 40plus years. The reality: While Social Security provides 90 percent of retirement benefits for 36 percent of people over 65, almost no one is living large because of it.
Observation #3: Achieving Personal Prosperity Requires Additional Resources and Thoughtful Planning One of the desired outcomes of government financial programs is compelling citizens toward better outcomes by eliminating the decision-making process. Instead of encouraging saving, Social Security simply assesses a tax, eliminating the need for the
Sen. Menendez Takes Strong U.S. Stand at Hi-Level Conclave in Europe
CONTINUED FROM P. 16
“In the interim, we cannot allow Iran to avoid sanctions and be open for business as usual to trade with the world, if we want to achieve that goal. … “Over the last year, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has demonstrat-
ed clear bipartisan support for robust U.S. leadership to end the conflict in Syria. Last May, both parties came together to authorize proactive steps to empower the moderate, U.S.-backed Syrian opposition and establish a comprehensive Syria strategy to
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
employee to decide how much to save, and where. But the “mandatory” saving of Social Security is not enough. If someone desires a comfortable retirement, they are going to have to save additional amounts on their own, make thoughtful investment decisions and constantly monitor the progress of their plans. Bottom line: There isn’t a government program that delivers set-itand-forget-it financial security. Applying these insights In reviewing Social Security’s history, it’s easy to make some parallels to today’s personal financial issues that involve government. More than likely, national health care costs will be higher than projected. More than likely, most people will not get all the health care benefits they want or need. More than likely, the solution will be setting aside additional dollars (perhaps in Health Savings Accounts) to procure the additional health care they want—there will not be a government fix for these challenges. Likewise, taxes will probably overrun their projections and the anticipated benefits (lower national debt, more money for social programs, infrastructure etc.) will come in below expectations. These less-than-optimum outcomes
bother some people—“I have to save more because Social Security is so messed up? That stinks!” or “I don’t understand why national health care doesn’t work like it was supposed to.” But it is what it is. Policy ideals and economic realities rarely mesh. The only approach that works: Make your own plan, and find a way to fund it. It is true that the policy decisions of our legislators can have a big impact on individual financial well-being. Engaging in the political process may influence some of those decisions to your advantage (that’s why companies and trade associations hire lobbyists). But the most practical response to changes that may be coming is to set aside the politics and focus on developing personal strategies to succeed, regardless of how the vote turns out.
end the conflict. Last September, my Committee provided the Administration with Authorization for Use of Military Force in Syria, paving the way for a deal to remove Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile. Unfortunately, despite the Committee’s actions, and the world’s attention, Assad has stalled on the timeline he committed to for removing Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile, further underscoring that he is not capable of leading Syria. Assad has no intention of complying with the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolu-
tion 2139 to permit access for humanitarian assistance, demilitarize schools and hospitals, and stop the bombing campaign against civilians…. “The question is: Can our united vision and commitment to bold actions in this century match the vision and commitment of those who had the wisdom and the will to create international institutions which brought prosperity to millions and changed the world?
Elozor Preil is Managing Director at Wealth Advisory Group and Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). He can be reached at epreil@wagroupllc.com See www.wagroupllc.com/epreil for full disclosures and disclaimers. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents or employees do not give tax or legal advice. You should consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your individual situation.
CONTINUED ON P. 78
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 71
REAL ESTATE
The Art of Negotiation By Gedaliah Borvick hirty years ago I had the good fortune of spending two years learning in yeshiva in Jerusalem’s Old City. One day, while walking through the Arab shuk, I observed an older American couple who were considering buying a pair of shearling slippers. Responding to their price inquiry, the Arab shopkeeper answered, “for you, $25!” Thereupon the husband whispered to his wife, “let me handle these negotiations, Mildred; you have to bargain with them!” The man then turned to the shopkeeper and said, “$20 and not a penny more!” The Arab, barely able to conceal his glee, quickly accepted their offer. Having bargained with these local retailers and knowing the negotiation game, I was shocked that the older gentleman did not counter the shopkeeper with an offer of a dollar at most, and that the sales price
T
did not end up at $5, $10 tops. After that experience, I understandably thought that American and Israeli negotiating cultures were very different. However, I was surprised to learn that Israeli and American cultures are actually considered relatively similar, as they both value directness and clarity in business negotiations. After giving this some thought, it made sense that Israel—a country molded by the many cultures of its diverse population— would incorporate western sensibilities and negotiations from its American and British immigrants. It is interesting to contrast the Israeli and Anglo cultures with the Japanese, who prefer negotiating in an indirect manner and frown upon directness, which they consider aggressive and insulting. This reminds me of a remarkable experience I had about 15 years ago, negotiating the sale of a Manhattan office building between an American seller and a Japanese buyer. When we finished the hour-long meet-
ing, the seller believed we had a handshake on the deal, while in fact the Japanese purchaser had walked away from the deal. It was fascinating that both parties came out of the same meeting with totally opposite understandings of what had transpired. With that background, let’s fast forward to 2013: My client fell in love with an apartment and directed me to give the seller his asking price. I proceeded to explain to the client that the property was priced about 10% above market and that we should offer 13% below the asking price, leaving us room to negotiate up to the property’s market value. He gratefully agreed with my strategy and, after a few rounds of negotiations, we closed the deal very close to its market value—and saved my client over $100,000. In the United States, motivated home sellers usually attach an asking price of 3-5 percent—and in some markets up to 10 percent—above the market value. In Israel, there is no unwritten rule how to price
properties. Sometimes sellers price their property at their “take” price without taking into account any room for negotiation, and sometimes the apartment can be priced at up to 20% above market. So how do you get the home that you want without being taken for a ride? The key is market knowledge. If you know the prices of similar properties in the vicinity that have recently closed, you are empowered to make prudent decisions. A good real estate agent can provide you with recent comparable sales to ensure that you are not overpaying for the property. Armed with market data and flanked with seasoned professionals protecting your interests, you can move forward with confidence and close the deal at the right price. Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.
Navigating the Manhattan Real Estate Market • Part 1 of 3 By Amy Elfman ave you been thinking of downsizing and moving to Manhattan? Or, is one of your children spending thousands of dollars a month renting and you’re of thinking of buying an apartment for him/her? Recently, I have been working with several Teaneck/Englewood area residents who are interested in buying property in Manhattan. So, you might ask, where do you begin? This article is the first of three that will attempt to explain the basic mechanics of buying property in Manhattan by discussing the two types of property, co-ops and condos, and the pros and cons of each. This article will discuss co-ops. When buying a co-op, you are buying shares of stock in a corporation, not real property. These shares entitle you to a proprietary lease and a stock certificate. Co-op shareholders pay a monthly maintenance fee to cover building expenses and upkeep like heat, hot water, insurance, staff salaries, real estate taxes and a portion of the mortgage debt of the building. The approval process in a co-op is more financially invasive than in condo buildings. A typical board application package includes two years of tax returns, three months of
H
Referrals By: We Refer LLC
Gail Hochman
bank and asset statements, a financial statement, reference letters and more. Think of this process as submitting an application to a social club; the co-op board wants to ensure that you are a good fit personally and financially for the building. Most people have heard nightmare stories about the “infamous” co-op board. Every building sets its own standards in terms
201-791-1230 stenlady@gmail.com
• Nannies • Housekeepers • Babysitters • House Cleaners • Baby Nurses • Elder Care
of the approval process as well as how the building is managed. Given that everyone owns shares in the building, the board is more concerned with who the building does or does not allow into the building. Co-op boards also require a personal interview. In my experience, I have found that generally if you get called to meet board members, it is a “meet and greet” as they
have already approved you “on paper.” However, boards can approve or deny any applicant they choose for any reason without disclosure. Co-ops discourage renters, and every building establishes its own rental rules. This being said, most buildings will permit some level of renting, though it is usually allowed after one or two years of occupancy and usually only for one year at a time. The owner must also pay a surcharge to the management company for renting, up to 15–20 percent of the year’s lease. One of the biggest benefits of co-op living is that you know your neighbors because of the restrictive rental rules. The building has more of a cooperative spirit and residents see themselves as part of a whole community. Many buildings plan social events and building staff greet you by name. Another benefit is that co-ops per square foot are less costly than condos. More about this and the pros and cons of co-op living in future segments. Amy Elfman is a Teaneck resident and a licensed Real Estate Salesperson for Klara Madlin Real Estate in Manhattan. Contact Amy at amy@klaramadlin.com or visit her webpage http://klaramadlin.com/brokers/Broker_bio.asp?id=98
PROVIDING AT-RISK JEWISH TEENS WITH A SECOND CHANCE
OUR PLACE Saving Lives. Saving Souls. Saving Our Future.
At the forefront of crisis intervention and rehabilitation since 1998 OurPlaceNY.org TEL: 212.248.4141 EMAIL: Info@OurPlaceNY.org WEB:
No fee to you 72 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic for Noncitizens By Michael J. Wildes, Esq. he F-1 Academic Student Visa allows students to enter the United States to attend a full-time program of study at an accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school or other academic institution or in a language training program. The student must be enrolled in a program or course of study that culminates in a degree, diploma or certificate and the school itself must be authorized by the U.S. government to accept international students. This article aims to provide international students with a better understanding of the necessary steps in the student visa process. The basic criteria to secure F-1visa status include the following: • The student must be enrolled in an “academic” educational program, a language-training program, or a vocational program; • The sponsoring school itself must be approved by the Student and Exchange Visitors Program (SEVP); • The student must be enrolled in a full-time study program at the institution; • The student must be proficient in English or be enrolled in courses leading to English proficiency; • The student must have sufficient funds available for self-support during the entire proposed course of study; and
T
•
The student must maintain a residence abroad which he/she has no intention of giving up. Student visas are issued by U.S. Embassies or Consulates abroad. Before a prospective student appears at a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain an F visa, he/she must first apply to and be accepted by a SEVP-approved school. Once the student is accepted by the U.S. school s/he plans to attend, the student will be enrolled in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and pay the SEVIS I-901 Fee. The U.S. school will then provide the student with a Form I-20 to present to the consular officer when he/she applies for the visa and appears for the visa interview. For a school or school system to issue a Form I-20, it must have been pre-approved by United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to accept foreign students. The Form I-20 is a paper record of the foreign student’s academic information, in compliance with SEVIS. A sponsoring school must comply with all of the requirements of the SEVIS program, including electronic transmission of data to the USCIS and the State Department, and must report a student’s failure to enroll, failure to maintain status, leaving the school etc. The SEVIS requirement was instituted after the World Trade Center catastrophe, which was caused by students whose schools failed to report their failure to attend schools in the U.S.A. F-1 students may not work off-campus during the first academic year. Once the
year is over, they can go to work, but are subject to certain conditions and restrictions. F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment after they have been studying for one full academic year. These three types of employment are: Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT) (pre-completion or post-completion) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training Extension (OPT). All off-campus employment must be related to the student’s area of study and must be authorized prior to starting any work by both USCIS and the Designated School Official (DSO), the person authorized to maintain the school’s official SEVIS records. Believe it or not, it is a violation of a visitor’s visa to attend school. Those who enter the United States as visitors for business or pleasure (B-1 or B-2 status) are not permitted to enroll in school. Study leading to a U.S.conferred degree or certificate is not permitted on this type of visa, even if it is for a short duration. Accordingly, before enrolling in any classes, individuals in B-1/B-2 status must first acquire F-1 student status. Individuals currently holding visitors’ status who would like to enroll in classes may apply for a “change of status” to F-1 only if: (1) the individual has not yet enrolled in classes, (2) the individual’s current status has not yet expired and (3) the individual has not engaged in unauthorized employment. To change from a B-1/B-2 visa holder to F-1 status, an Application to Extend/Change Non-
immigrant Status must be timely filed with USCIS together with the required fees and supporting documents. It is important to note that all individuals, regardless of their visa status, may not remain in the United States past the expiration of their unauthorized status. A person who overstays up to 180 days after the expiration of his/her authorized visa status will obtain a mandatory three-year bar to re-enter the United States. One who overstays for 365 days will incur a mandatory 10-year bar to re-entry. It is, therefore, of paramount importance that students seek advice from an immigration attorney on options to live and/or work in the United States post-graduation with the proper authorization. * This article is based on information available as of its publication and is not intended to be all-inclusive or to furnish advice in a particular case. We are not responsible for any changes in regulations that may occur subsequent to publication. Please feel free to contact our office for further information and advice. Michael J. Wildes, is the Managing Partner of Wildes and Weinberg, P.C. Mr. Wildes is a former Federal Prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn (1989-1993). He is an Adjunct Professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York and teaches Business Immigration Law. From 2004 through 2010, Mr. Wildes was also the Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey. Email him at michael@wildeslaw. com and visit the firm’s website at www.wildeslaw. com. Reprinted with permission from The Jewish Press.
Acheinu Kiruv Conference in Israel: How to Cultivate Mesikus HaTorah By Chaim Gold esikus HaTorah! How does one taste the sweetness of Torah learning? How can parents and educators inculcate children and teens with true enjoyment from learning Torah? How can we transmit the ideal that preforming mitzvos is pleasurable, fills one’s life with meaning and joy? That is the planned theme of Acheinu’s annual Kiruv Conference scheduled for Tuesday, Rosh Chodesh Nissan/April 1 at the Ramada Hotel in Yerushalayim. The massive conference will mark the 20th Anniversary since the establishment of Acheinu by Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu, the worldwide Torah movement that has transformed Klal Yisrael. The Conference will be graced with the presence of numerous Gedolei Yisrael. During the keynote session, the venerated Rosh Yeshiva of Slabodka, HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, will address and field questions on the most knotty, complex topics. Major addresses will also be delivered by the well-know mashpia, HaGaon HaRav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg, shlita and Rav Dovid Hofstedter, Nasi of Dirshu. From Kiruv Rechokim to Kiruv Kerovim and So Much More According to Rav Nati Weingarten, one of Acheinu’s prominent activists, “This year’s kiruv conference will be different than in past years because it will feature three distinctive components all devoted to the general theme of cultivating mesikus haTorah, while simultaneously discussing and proposing solutions to numerous issues affecting all those engaged in kiruv, both kiruv rechokim and kiruv kerovim.”
M
There will be 26 concurrent roundtables discussions designed to explore solutions to numerous areas of kiruv with kiruv kerovim. Each roundtable will be headed by a prominent Rav, Rosh Yeshiva or Mashgiach whose area of expertise is the topic being discussed at that the roundtable. HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, shlita, an American-born talmid of Rav Aharon Kotler, will focus on the best ways to inculcate mesikus haTorah, the sweetness of Torah, into our youth. “All people involved in chinuch today agree that if a child loves learning, takes pleasure in learning Torah, then 95% of all other difficulties fall away. That is why it is imperative that we better
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
understand how to inculcate this idea in our charges,” said Rabbi Nati Weingarten. The main session will also be addressed by Acheinu’s founder, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, who will give words of guidance along with a personal message in honor of Acheinu’s 20th Anniversary. The third component of the Kiruv Conference will be the celebration of 20 years of nonstop activity by Acheinu in their quest to bring thousands of estranged neshomos close to Hashem and to ensure that those that are close stay connected to Hashem. “The underlying idea behind this year’s Acheinu Kiruv Conference,” says Rabbi Wein-
garten, “is to bring many of the most distinguished mechanchim, Mashgichim and kiruv professionals together under one roof and, with the aggregate of their combined hundreds of years of expertise, give guidance on how to inculcate mesikus haTorah to young people of all types, those not yet frum, those from traditional homes and those from haredi homes who seem to be losing the spark. In addition, there are so many tips that will be relevant for bachurim from typical haredi families that are learning well. After all, with an additional spark of mesikus haTorah the bachur can be transformed from a good bachur into a great bachur who is alight with ahavas Hashem and ahavas Torah!”
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 73
COMMUNITY CALENDAR THURSDAY, MARCH 27TH Yavneh Academy Holocaust Play 10:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Paramus High School, 99 East Century Road, Paramus Annual Holocaust play, Diamonds in the Forest is written and performed by the 8th grade students. For more detailed information contact Rabbi Shmuel Burstein, shmuel.burstein@yavnehacademy.org SHABBAT, MARCH 29TH Three C’s: Cholent, Cugel and Conversation Jewish Center of Teaneck, 70 Sterling Place, Teaneck Join Rabbi Lawrence Zierler in discussion – “How do we feel about our most notable Nones?” SUNDAY, MARCH 30TH Torah Academy of Bergen County’s Annual Dinner. Congregation Keter Torah, 600 Roemer Avenue, Teaneck.
Theme of the dinner: “Building our Future” honoring Wendy and Isaac Shulman, Alisa and Stephen Levy, Dr Gerry Katz and Yaacov Apfelbaum. For reservations contact tabc.org/dinner. Young Israel of Fairlawn Night of Comedy Cong Anshei Lubavitch Center of Fairlawn 1010 Plaza Road, Fair Lawn Starring the international comedy star Joel Chasnoff, TV star, member of the IDF and author of “The 188th Crybaby Brigade.” Event will include full dinner and auction. Cost $36 per person. For reservations call 914-310-4017. Laser Tag for Young Jewish Professionals Bridgewater Sports Arena, Bridgewater Group affiliated with the Jewish Center of Teaneck spends an afternoon of four rounds of laser tag with snacks. $30 per person. Carpools available. Contact https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laser-tagtickets-105835306252
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2ND Etzion Foundation (Yeshivat Har Etzion and Migdal Oz) Annual Dinner Grand Hyatt Hotel, NYC With the theme Generation to Generation, honoring David and Dassie Schreiber of Woodmere with the Dor l’Dor Award, Rella Feldman and her daughter Mindy Hecht of Teaneck with the Gemilut Chasadim Award and Rav Mordechai and Debby Friedman of Alon Shbut with the Keter Torah Award. Special Guest, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain Ephraim Mirvis will deliver the keynote address. For further information contact 212 732 4874 or visit online at www.thegushdinner.org. SUNDAY, APRIL 6TH Uncle Moishy and the Mitzvah Men 3:30 p.m. Congregation Bnai Yeshurun, 641 W Englewood, Teaneck For information contact Chaimkiss@yahoo.com or Judah at YouthCBY@gmail.com
Pre-Pesach Car Wash and Vacuuming 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. 1600 Queen Anne Road Torah Academy of Bergen County in the school parking lot. Proceeds to benefit Maot Chitim. Cars $30. Vans/SUVs $45. For more information, please contact: 516-287-1402 or feuersteinrudinm2014@ tabc.org. PESACH – APRIL 15 – 22, 1ST Seder Monday evening, April 14th
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30TH NORPAC MISSION TO WASHINGTON MONDAY, MAY 26TH Color Me Fun Yeshivat Noam 9:00 a.m.: Check In 10:00 a.m.: Walk, Jog, Run 11:00 a.m. Finish Line Celebration For further information colormefun@yeshivatnoam. org
CHESED OPPORTUNITIES KIDNEY NEEDED Mother of two always involved in Chesed, is in desperate need of a kidney! Her children are 13 and 18. Anyone with blood type B or O, and in good health means that there is a possibility that you can save her life. She is on dialysis, but would be able to lead a normal life with the help of a transplant. One blood test needed to see if you are a match. Safe low-risk laparoscopic procedure— hospital stay 1–2 days. Studies have shown that kidney donors actually live longer than the general population— quote by a prominent surgeon. Contact Chaya Lipschutz 917 627 8336 or kidneymitzvah@aol.com 1ST–5TH GRADER WHO NEEDS HELP WITH HOMEWORK? Through the Pay-It-Forward program, the students of Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls are happy to provide free tutoring for your 1st– 5th grader.
Sessions, which take place at Ma’ayanot (1650 Palisade Avenue, Teaneck), meet every Wednesday at 4:40 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. from now through May 28th (except for 3/19, 3/26, 4/16, 4/23, 5/21). Please contact Mrs. Ivy Weiner at weineri@ maayanot.org or 201-833-4307, ext. 237 for more information. BERGEN JEWISH SPECIAL NEEDS Have a child with a problem and want some direction? Contact Susan Berger at alsus131@gmail.com CARE ONE DESPERATELY NEEDS HELP IN FORMING A MINYAN A kosher rehabilitation and nursing center located at 544 Teaneck Road, four blocks south of Holy Name Hospital, is in need of volunteers to maintain continuity of its Shabbos and weekday minyanim, which its residents look forward to each week. This is a wonderful chesed opportunity that can be combined with the mitzvah of
Bikur Cholim. Questions, or to volunteer to daven, lein, give a d’var Torah etc., call Rabbi Siev at (201) 287-8519 or email to jsiev@care-one.com SHARONA NAGLER CARE ONE VISITATION PROGRAM is a Bnai Yeshurun program reaching out to volunteers to commit at least once a month (or more if preferred) to visit people staying in Care One. Contact Arianne Weinberger at ariannew@verizon.net, Ari Wartelsky at ariwart@gmail.com or Alana Green at green.alana@gmail.com for further information.
JERSEY located in Fair Lawn, is in need of volunteers who can deliver kosher meals to homebound and disabled people living in Fair Lawn. Meal deliveries are made Mondays thru Fridays, between 11:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Substitute drivers for any weekday are needed, as well as volunteers who can commit to driving once a week on a regular basis. Please call Francine Cuff @201-796-5151 if you are interested in volunteering.
TOMCHEI SHABBOS OF BERGEN COUNTY In need of volunteers to pack and deliver. Please contact tomcheishabbos@yahoo. com for further information.
BIKUR CHOLIM OF PASSAIC-CLIFTON helps provide rides for Cholim and frail residents to medical appointments. Rides are available to local Passaic and Clifton destinations as well as to Hackensack, Englewood, Manhattan and other medical centers as necessary. For more information or to volunteer contact the Bikkur Cholim at 973-249-8811.
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF NORTH
BIKUR CHOLIM OF TEANECK
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
is looking for volunteers to visit the Jewish patients at Holy Name Hospital on a daily basis and Shabbosim. Volunteers must be 16 years or older to visit the hospital on their own. For more information or to volunteer please call the Bikur Cholim at 201-836-4950. SHEARIT HAPLATE OF BERGEN COUNTY, INC. is our area’s only kosher food rescue organization that collects prepared food leftover from local caterers and restaurants, and then repackages and distributes it to those who can benefit, in a respectful way that helps ensure the recipient’s privacy and self-esteem. To Become a Recipient: If you or someone you know would like to be notified when food is available, email shearithaplate@ gmail.com or fernamper@aol.com. The information will be kept confidential within the organization, and no qualifying questions are asked.
Daf Yomi Shiurim in Bergen County
Rinat Yisrael 389 West Englewood Ave Teaneck
Times Shabbos – 7:30 am; 1 hour before Mincha Sunday & Public Holidays – 7:00 am Monday-Friday – 5:30 am Shabbos – 7:45AM, After Hashkama & 1 hour before Mincha Sundays & most public holidays – app. 7:30am (after 6:50 shacharis) Weekdays – 5:40am (5:30am on M & Th) Shabbos – after 8:30 Shachris Sunday - 7:00am; Public Holidays – 7:00am Monday - Friday – 6:30am (Amud Yomi: M-Th after 9:15 maariv; Shabbos bet Mincha & Maariv; Sun 8:40 PM)
Keter Torah 600 Roemer Ave, Teaneck
Shabbos – 50 minutes before Mincha Sun – 7:15am; Monday-Friday - 6:30am
Yeshiva Gedolah Bais Mordechai of Teaneck 1443 Palisades Ave.
Sun-Th – 8:30 PM Fri – about 1 hour & 50 minutes before candle lighting
Beth Aaron 950 Queen Anne Rd, Teaneck
Shabbos – 1 hour & 10 minutes before Mincha Monday – Thursday 9:45 PM (after 9:30 Maariv)
Ohr HaTorah 36 Rector Court, Bergenfield
Friday – 8:30 or 8:45 PM Shabbos – after Shacharis or one hour before Mincha Sunday – following 8am shacharis
Congregation Ahavath Torah 240 Broad Avenue, Englewood
Mon day – Friday 7:15AM Monday and Wednesday 8:15PM
Teaneck Apt. for Rent
Congregation Shomrei Emunah 89 Huguenot Ave, Englewood
31 Robinson St. 2bdrm/1ba apt with new kitchen, carpet & freshly painted. Walking distance to Teaneck Jewish Center and other synagogues. Available immediately - $1,400 includes heat & hot water. 917-676-7644
Congregation Shomrei Torah 19-10 Morlot Avenue, Fairlawn
Thursday, 8:15PM Shabbat, 1 hour before mincha Sunday, 9:00AM Mon day – Friday, 6:30AM 8:00PM Shabbat 8:00AM Sunday - 7:45tAM
KEYLIM MIKVAH AWARENESS MONTH! Every family in Teaneck, Bergenfield and New Milford benefits from the keylim mikvah all year round, but especially during the busy month before Pesach. Please help us recognize its importance by financially supporting the mikvah during KEYLIM MIKVAH AWARENESS MONTH. Funds collected will be used exclusively for the daily operational expenses of the mikvah including insurance costs, supplies and equipment. Suggested amount is $36 per family. Any contribution is appreciated.
Payments may be made online at www. teaneckmikvah.com OLD PAIR OF TEFILLIN Do you have an old pair of tefillin laying around? A “pasul” pair not being used? Yonah Schneier is collecting tefillin to be restored by Yad Eliezer and given to underprivileged Bar Mitzvah boys in Israel. He can pick it up in Teaneck or you can drop it off. Please call 201-692-1157 or email reneeschneier@ gmail.com
CLASSIFIEDS RYNJ Seeking Limudei Kodesh Teachers Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey is seeking 5th grade girls Limudei Kodesh teachers. Experience and Hebrew fluency required. Mornings only. Convenient to Bergen County, Monsey, Passaic, and Washington Heights. Fax resume to 201-986-1155 or email resumes@rynj.org.
74 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
Shul Bnai Yeshurun 641 West Englewood Ave, Teaneck Beth Abraham 396 New Bridge Road Bergenfield
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
DINING GUIDE Hours of Operation: Sun/Mon/Wed: From 11 am – 8 pm Tues/Thurs: From 11 am – 9 pm Fri: From 11 am – 2 pm Sat: From 1 hour after Shabbat – 12 am
Weekly Specials: MONDAY MADNESS: Regular Pie $11.99 + tax TASTY TUESDAY: All you can eat, pizza, pasta, soup and salad $9.99 + tax WACKY WEDNESDAY: $2 off any size salad from the salad bar 1448 Queen Anne Rd, Teaneck, NJ 07666 (201) 862-0611 joel.ejs@gmail.com www.ejsplaceteaneck.com
MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATORS WANTED - NY/NJ AREA FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE COPRPORATION IS HIRING! WORK FOR A WINNER! VOTED THE #1 MORTGAGE COMPANY TO WORK FOR IN THE US BY MORTGAGE EXECUTIVE MAGAZINE! Fairway Independent Mortgage seeks qualified Mortgage Loan Originators. Work for the BEST mortgage company in America! Close purchase loans in less than a week!! Terrific commission split. Override potential. No upfront fees -for you or the borrower. Best back office support in the country. We make deals happen! Full product line - including USDA to 100%, DU refiPlus to 150% LTV. FHA no income streamlines, super jumbo to $5 mil., portfolio loans for foreign nationals, expatriates, non-warrantable condos and much more. Outstanding benefits package including 401k savings plan, flex spending, plus full health and life, vision, and dental insurance. Free marketing support for all prospects and closed loans. Stop settling for less. Earn more for your efforts. Get the support you need and create the revenue you deserve. For more information contact Ken Goffstein Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. - NMLS #2289 800-347-7895 www.fairwayindependentmc.com Licensed Mortgage Bankers - NJ, NY, CT, FL and PA Depts. of Banking and Nationwide
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. is an Equal Opportunity Employer
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
The Jewish Link of Bergen County has an affiliate paper serving Queens, NY -The Queens Jewish Link serving Kew Gardens Hills, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Rego Park, Hillcrest, Fresh Meadows, Holliswood, Great Neck, & West Hempstead.
The QJL is delivering for free to nearly 8,000 households, area stores and shuls.
917.549.6145 www.QueensJewishLink.com QueensJewishLink@gmail.com March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 75
SUPER SHABBOS SHEET
MIDDAH OF THE MONTH
PARSHA LESSON Our sages teach that a person was struck ZLWK ʺʲʸʜ IRU VSHDNLQJ slander. This week, try to think about your words before they exit your mouth.
CROSSWORD Complete the crossword by translating each Hebrew word into Engish. Use the parsha reference for help. 1 ACROSS 2
ʯʤʍ
ʤʰʤ
ʡʸʡʸʊ
ĘšĘ
5
6
â&#x20AC;˘ <RXU IULHQGÂśV party was canceled. â&#x20AC;˘ The workers at the matzah factory GLGQÂśW let you bake matzah during your tour.
historical timeline 2UGHU WKHVH HYHQWV DV WKH\ RFFXU DW WKH ʸʣʹ
BB %UHDN WKH PLGGOH ʤʜʎ __ Start WR UHFLWH ʏʏʤ __ Drink the 2nd cup of wine BB 5HFLWH Ę¤ĘŽĘŁĘ Ę¤ ʊʸʴ Ę Ę¸ĘĽĘĄ
spot the difference Which one is different?
HEALTH
ʤʸʚʲ ʤʰʼʎʚ
19
ʤʥʼʚʺ
PEACE
ʺʥʚ
Find the bold italic words on this sheet.
WEEK IN REVIEW Recall and share something that happened to you this week that made you think DERXW ʤ
WORD CMRLESAB
Can you judge these situations favorably?
WORD FIND
DOWN 1. ʸʼʲ
ĘĘŁĘŽĘŁĘ
ĘŻĘĄĘŹ
ʹʥʍ
7
ʺʼʍʌ ʳʍʏ ĘĘŁĘ Ę¤ ĘŹĘŤ ĘşĘ ĘŻĘŁ
After a woman JLYHV ELUWK VKH LV Ę¤Ę ĘŽĘ¨ IRU days if she had a boy and 66 days if she had a girl. After that time, the woman brings an RIIHULQJ WR ʤ $ EDE\ ER\ KDV D ʺʊʸʥ RQ KLV WK GD\ ,I D SHUVRQ KDV ʺʲʸʜ PDUN RQ KLV skin KH JRHV WR VKRZ LW WR WKH ʯʤʍ ZKR GHWHUPLQHV LI WKH SHUVRQ LV Ę ĘŽĘ¨ RU ʸʼʤʨ ,I WKH ʯʤʍ LV QRW VXUH LI WKH PDUN RQ WKH SHUVRQ LV ʺʚʸʜ WKH person may have to be alone for 7 days and then come EDFN WR WKH ʯʤʍ ZKR ZLOO ORRN DW LW DJDLQ 7KH ʯʤʍ ORRNV DW PDQ\ IDFWRUV WR GHFLGH LI WKH ʺʲʸʜ RQ WKH SHUVRQ PDNHV KLP Ę ĘŽĘ¨ RU ʸʼʤʨ ,I D SHUVRQ KDV ʺʲʸʜ RYHU KLV ZKROH ERG\ KH LV Ę ĘŽĘ¨ XQWLO VRPH KHDOWKO\ flesh appears. ,I ʺʲʸʜ DSSHDUV RQ D SHUVRQÂśV ZRRO linen or leather garment or in the warp of the wool it PXVW EH VKRZQ WR WKH ʯʤʍ 7KH ʯʤʍ ZLOO SXW DZD\ the object for 7 days and then look at it again. Any garment WKDW LV Ę ĘŽĘ¨ PXVW EH EXUQHG
Friendship. A good friend listens to you talk when you have a problem.
ʣœœʲʚʺ ĘĄ Ę¸ĘŁĘ ĘŚÂśÂśĘŤ ʲʊʸʌʺ ʺʚʸʴ
(scramble)
S
E
G
A
S
H
A
R
E
K
B
A
T
N
W
I
N
E
E
P
D
N
I
M
E
S
A
R
E
M
N
A
S
I
R
P
M
O
G
J
N
A
O
R
L
H
T
W
O
M
A
N
I
K
S
T
A
T
H
O
C
A
R
K
L
6
R
Y
N
O
H
Ę ĘŠĘ¸Ę¨ĘŽĘ˘
R
U
N
M
I
X
1
E
D
D
U
T
'XULQJ ʤʸʚʲ ʤʰʼʎʚ ZH ERZ WZLFH ZKHQ UHFLWLQJ
D
H
S
E
L
F
3
P
O
E
R
U
ARTHE
TSHNVEE
LSTAE
S
H
H
N
I
N
S
T
A
R
T
O
VNIA
RHTMOE
ETNISSW
K
L
A
T
F
A
C
T
O
R
Y
M
(+LQW ʺʼʸʥʣʤ ʺʸʚʲ
PARSHA SKIT ideas
C
Act out these scenes with friends and the family.
â&#x20AC;˘ A woman who gave birth bringing offerings WR WKH ʚʣʡʎʤ ʺʊʥ ĘĽ ĘĄĘŠ â&#x20AC;˘ $ SHUVRQ ZKR KDV ʺʲʸʜ GZHOOLQJ DORQH outside the camp XQWLO KH LV KHDOHG ĘĽĘŽ ʢʊ
ʼʨ ¹ ʊ
ĘĄ Âą Ę
ʲ ¹ ʼʹ
ʍ ¡ ʣ ʤ
ʨ ¹ ʢ
Š ¨ § ÂŚ ÂĽ ÂŁ ÂĄ  Â&#x; Â? Â&#x203A; Â&#x161; Â&#x2DC; Â&#x2014; Â&#x2013; Â&#x2022; Â&#x201D; Â&#x201C; Â&#x2019; Â&#x2018; Â? Â? 400 300 200 100 90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Brought to you by:
CANDLELIGHTING IN JERUSALEM: 6:15 P.M.
ĘĄ ʡʸʴ ʺʥʚ ʤʰʚʎ ʯʊʡʊʏʣʎ ĘŻĘŠĘ Ę¤ĘŽĘĄĘĽ ʯʊʡʊʏʣʎ ʤʎʥ Š 2014 The Famous Abba
www.thefamousabba.com
GEMACHS AND CHESED OPPORTUNITIES TEANECK BRIS GEMACH Bris outfits, pillows, pillow cases, tefilos for mothers to say. Open to the Jewish community. There is no solicitation of funds. For information or to reserve Email either david.lobl@gmail.com or zsizzle11@aol.com or call Zissi at 718 704 6225.
CHATAN AND KALLAH GEMACH Donate new, unopened gifts to needy couples. Accepted in original boxes: household items, Judaica, engagement or wedding gifts that are not your taste or cannot be used. Drop off at Carrie Cooper, 1060 Windsor Road or email Carrie at candscooper@gmail.com.
TEANECK BABY GEMACH Collects baby equipment, clothing to size 5T, toys, diapers, formula, and baby food for Jewish families in Bergen County. For more information contact: Avi and Ginnine Fried at 718-753-6275, or by email at Teaneckbabygemach@ gmail.com. Tax donation letters are available for any financial and/or item donations.
TABLECLOTH GEMACH Recently established in memory of Chaim Yissachar ben Yechiel Zeidel Dov Zâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;l. Specialty cloths in all colors and sizes are available for every type of simcha. Donations will go to Project Yiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;che and are tax deductible. Please contact chayemf@aol.com for an appointment
BICYCLE GEMACH Rivky Klar at bikegemach@gmail.com PREEMIE CLOTHING Yad Yocheved â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 201 836 2071
FAIRLAWN GOWN GEMACH Gowns (wedding gowns, mother of the bride, bridesmaids and flower girls) are loaned free of charge. Please call for appointments. The number is 201 797-1770. For donations or any other inquiries please contact Fairlawngemach@aol.com. Appts are not made by email. The Fair Lawn Gemach is under the auspices of Anshei Lubavitch of Fair Lawn.
PASSAIC BABY Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;MACH Collects baby clothing in excellent condition up to size 2T as well as other baby gear including high chairs, cribs, strollers, carriages, changing tables, diapers and formula. They pick up in NJ/NY area. For more information contact Siggy Berger at 201-486-1492 or via email siggy@aishdas.org.
ADULT CLOTHING Chabad of Maplewood, NJ. Contact: Lenny Levy, 201-836-7376 or email umbrellapickup@aol.comÂ
CENTERPIECE GEMACH â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CONG BETH AARON Contact Ellen Chazin at njellen18@yahoo. com or 201 357 8426 or Michele Cooper at benandmi@yahoo.com
FURNITURE DONATIONS Email rodzeen@gmail.com of a picture of what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to donate and a recipient can be matched. Email TeaneckSimcha@ yahoo.com for information
76 March 27, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 25 Adar II 5774
RINAT CHAIM GEMACH Newly Formed, In Memory Of Renee Chaya Levy. Donations of medical supplies are welcomed (wheel chairs, portable commodes, walkers, canes, crutches, etc.) Please only equipment in good condition will be accepted. For more information or to donate to equipment to the gemach call Yehiel Levy at 201 357 5495. THE BIKKUR CHOLIM OF PASSAIC CLIFTONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MEDICAL EQUIPMENT GEMACH Wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, scooters and other medical equipment to lend out at no charge. For more information or to schedule a pick up contact Yael Gotteib at 973-778-9320. HOUSEWARES Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;MACH Collects brand new, still in their boxes, serving china platters, mixing bowls and many other house ware items for new Kallahs in need. Located in Teaneck. For more information or to donate contact Sara Beth Fein at mrsfein@aol.com. THE JEWISH BOOK GEMACH Collects Jewish books for 4th- 8th graders. If you have books for donate or would like to receive books please contact Moshe and Shifra Schapiro at jbookgemach@gmail.com. CONGREGATION AHAVATH TORAH 240 Broad Avenue, Englewood) collects flower centerpieces than can be brought to the homebound or those in the hospital. For more information call the shul at 201-568-1315.
YAD LEAH Collects modest and contemporary clothing, infant through adult, to be sent to Israel. Donated clothes must be in either excellent or like- new condition. For more information regarding drop off locations contact Jessica Katz at 973-5949118 or via email Jessica@yadleah.org THE KALLAH GEMACH Collects donations for kallahs in need. They collect any unopened new items in their original boxes from people who have received gifts that they do not want and offer them to those less fortunate. All the items go to Passaic where the girls can come and see what they may be able to use. We collect things like Judaica, household items, small appliances, giftware, etc. For more information contact Carrie Cooper at 201-801-9028 or via email at candscooper@gmail.com. BIKUR CHOLIM WHEELCHAIR GEMACH 201 836 2907. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS The Friendship Circle is a social organization for children with special needs that involves them in a full range of recreational activities. Teenage volunteers are the key to keeping our programs running! Volunteers can visit a child at home weekly for a play date, join a monthly program on Sundays with sports, music, art, and baking, join us for holiday programs, camps or cooking programs. Volunteers must be in 7th grade or older. For more information or to volunteer please call Zeesy Grossbaum,
Director of Bergen County Friendship Circle atZeesy@BCFriendship.com or via phone at 201-262-7172. Feel free to check out their website: www. BCFriendship.com. SINAI SCHOOLS Sinai Schools services children and adults with learning and developmental disabilities. There are various volunteer opportunities available, such as driving young adults to their job sites and shadowing some of the students at various community activities. For more information or to volunteer contact Aggie Siletski at 201-833-1134 x105 or via email at asiletski@sinaischools.org or visit their website at www.sinaischools.org. YACHAD NATIONAL JEWISH COUNCIL FOR DISABILITIES YACHAD, The National Jewish Council for Disabilities, is dedicated to enhancing the life opportunities of individuals with disabilities, ensuring their participation in the full spectrum of Jewish life. New Jersey Yachad touches our community on a daily basis, providing inclusive programs for individuals with special needs and emotional support for all members of the family. Services include parent support groups, sibling support, information and referral, socialization programs, weekend respite through monthly shabbatonim, over a dozen summer camp programs, vocational training, sensitivity training workshops, advocacy, family retreats and so much more. For more information please contact Chani Herrmann at herrmann@ ou.org or call 201-833-1349.
201-371-3212 â&#x20AC;˘ WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
LEASE BUY TRUST
Our relaxed and top-notch sales staff will put you into the right car at the right price.
YOU WILL ACTUALLY LOVE OUR SALES GUYS
No pressure, No hassle. MOST COMPETITIVE RATES
NO-PRESSURE SALES TEAM
WIDE SELECTION OF CARS
FREE DELIVERY IN METRO NY
Visit LeasingDirectNY.com for our current specials. Leasing Direct • 160 Empire Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11225 • Tel: 718-493-0600 • www.LeasingDirectNY.com 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 77
NEWS JUMPS Few Mazel Tovs at Vegas Wedding CONTINUED FROM P. 9 is not counted for a minyan or given kebudim, he has still been allowed to daven at two Chabad-Lubavitch centers. Dr. Michael Berenbaum of the Sigi Ziering Institute, which explores moral and ethical religious issues related to the Holocaust said, “The rabbis who permitted this abomination deserve our scorn. One can be grateful that Chabad does not count him for a minyan or give him honors within the synagogue. But he should not even be allowed to enter. And all of us who respect tradition must insist that Orthodox rabbis solve this problem. There is a way; all that is missing is courage and determination.” Though Ms. Kin had gone through the process of getting four different batei din to write the get, including one in California, and to issue hazmanot and siruvim (subpoenas, sort of), Mr. Kin refused to
Hobby Lobby CONTINUED FROM P. 14 ward wrote: “The answer—that no, it does not—is, in many respects, well established law. My liberty interest in saying the Lord’s Prayer at graduation does not allow me to compel a Jewish student to listen to it (Lee v. Weisman). My religious belief that the Bible demands racial segregation does not allow me to implement it at my nonprofit university (Bob Jones v. United States).” Although Orthodox groups are supporting this law, the ADL, the National Council of Jewish Women and other Jewish establishment organizations are fighting against the position of the Orthodox organizations. But the Orthodox have joined with these evangelical, Catholic and other conservative religious groups on any number of issues, most particularly to lobby the government for funding for their parochial schools, and especially tuition relief in the form of school vouchers. Some observers say it is a matter of one hand washing the other. Michaelson wrote, “Whatever their
Rav Schachter’s Ruling CONTINUED FROM P. 33 feminize ritual in a break from Orthodox tradition, Halacha prohibits women to lay tefillin for this reason alone, irrespective of other reasons. This is predicated upon the Talmudic axiom (Sanhedrin 74b) that a social custom becomes strictly prohibited by halacha when that custom manifests itself as an expression of heresy. This is not sociology, but pure halacha, which has applications to important socio-religious conditions, practices and attitudes. Hence, despite the protests of Rabbis Price and Gradowsky, R. Schachter invoked a core halachic principle here and was not expositing sociology.
Sen. Menendez Takes Strong U.S. Stand at HiLevel Conclave in Europe CONTINUED FROM P. 71 “I believe that if we live, lead, and govern by our shared values and ideals, we can lead the world through this time of transition. And
78 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
go anywhere but the highly controversial Beth Din Zedek Kedushas Levi in Monsey, headed by Rabbi Tzvi Dov Abraham. “He’s been telling everyone that he put a get in escrow with these rabbis,” but what Mr. Kin doesn’t say is that before Ms. Kin can receive the get she has to put $150,000 in escrow with the beis din, sign an arbitration agreement to reopen the civil court case to allow her son to live with his father in Las Vegas. The $150,000 said Ms. Kin is only to open the case, “It would go up to the $500,000.” The usual price for a beit din to preside over gitten is usually no more than $200. “In fact I have a letter from the Office of the Rishon LeZion Chief Rabbi of Israel and the President of the Great Rabbinical Court against this Rabbi Tzvi Dov Abraham and his court. According to the letter, as well as a letter dated 2007 from Rabbi Moshe Green, Dean of the Yeshiva of Monsey and a letter from Rabbi Yechiel Taub-
er, who presides over another beit din in Monsey, even if Ms. Kin paid the money and agreed to the conditions, no one else would recognize her get. They would never perform a wedding for a woman who received a get from Rabbi Tzvi Dov Abraham. “The “wedding” is a chillul hashem. The protest is a Kiddush Hashem. Those rabbis (who organized the protest) deserve our praise, our admiration, and our gratitude,” said Berenbaum. Rabbi Kanefsky, a YU musmach, has written about this case, too. He accuses Israel Meir Kin of “poking his finger” in Rabbenu Gershom’s work, work done 1,000 years ago to prevent women from being abused by men who discarded their wives whenever another woman struck their fancy. (Rabbenu Gershom said that both sides needed to accept the get, and if there were violations, the husband should be put in cherem. It ended polygamy in the Ashkenazic world.)
He makes an impassioned plea for Lonna Kin and all agunot. He wrote: “Make no mistake. Israel Meir Kin’s actions are not merely outrageous and despicable. His actions threaten all of our daughters and all of our sisters. I can guarantee you that at this very moment there are men who are watching, waiting to see whether Israel Meir Kin gets away with this. And if he does, there will be more Israel Meir Kins. And every single married Jewish woman will be shorn of the protection Rabbenu Gershom had afforded women for the past millennium. “If you know Israel Meir Kin, a physician’s assistant now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, or if you know someone who knows him, you must act now. Bring whatever legal form of social or economic pressure to bear on him that you can. This is a moment that has the potential to wreak havoc and misery for generations to come—unless we act to stop it.”
reasons, these Orthodox Jewish organizations are actively eroding the civil rights of all of us. And while they represent a minority of Jews, they provide ecumenical cover for conservatives desperately trying to maintain Christian hegemony in America.” Yet others see this case as an attempt by conservatives to bring down the Affordable Care Act, because it concerns insurance paying for contraceptives for employees, which should be covered. But the people who brought the case object to only four types of birth control, types they believe abort a very early pregnancy: two types of intrauterine device (IUD), and two types of birth control pills called Ella and Plan B. In his brief to the Supreme Court, Paul Clement, the former George W. Bush administration solicitor general, who represented the business owners on Tuesday, wrote. “Respondents believe that human beings deserve protection from the moment of conception, and that providing insurance coverage for items that risk killing an embryo makes them complicit in abortion.” But many doctors disagree and say
these contraceptives do not interrupt a pregnancy—they prevent conception in the first place. “A common misconception is that emergency contraception causes an abortion. Inhibition or delay of ovulation is the principal mechanism of action,” said the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The Food and Drug Administration said, “A contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD) is a device used to prevent pregnancy.” Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, these business owners wrongly believe that these forms of birth control work after conception she told reporters: “You get to pick your opinion. You don’t get to choose your facts,” Many who protest Hobby Lobby say the case exposes a slippery slope that would allow employers to deny coverage for vaccines or blood transfusions. Civil rights groups say it’s the same thinking that people once used to justify racial discrimination. But the families who own Hobby Lobby and Conestoga and their backers argue, it’s been perfectly legal up to now
for business owners to deny coverage for vaccines or blood transfusions, but that they don’t do that. Mark Rienzi, a law professor at Catholic University and for the Becket Fund who filed a brief on behalf of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga said, “Virtually all businesses are fine with the contraceptive mandate. It’s only a tiny percentage that sued.” Despite the questions asked on Tuesday morning, no one can really tell what the court will decide. The women on the court, more liberal than their male counterparts, asked questions about potential effects on employers; rights to opt out of paying for all sorts of health care, or even the minimum wage. And Justice Anthony Kennedy asked if a decision in favor of the Obama administration might lead to Congress someday forcing an employer to pay for a worker’s abortion. But for the OU, RCA, RAA, NCYI and the Agudah, the matter had nothing at all to do with the contraceptives, the burning issue inflaming approximately 80% of American Jews. It had to do with keeping shops closed on Shabbos and customers not offending haredi eyes.
Rabbis Price and Gradowsky’s final point is that, “Rabbi Schachter’s argument that these sociological decisions are the exclusive prerogative of the gedolei hora’ah is alarming and without any obvious basis.” Aside from the fact that R. Schachter’s ruling is not a sociological decision, the entire foundation of halachic tradition and precedent is based on major and novel halachic issues being adjudicated by preeminent halachic authorities. Whether the issues involve life and death, such as determining evidentiary sufficiency of someone’s demise in a disaster, or if brain death is halachic death, or whether the issues involve sweeping changes in religious practice, such as women laying tefillin, or introducing new prayers,
or whether the issues relate to any other very weighty halachic matter, seeking and heeding the counsel of preeminent halachic authorities, gedolei hora’ah, the Torah masters of the generation, is a must. It is important to note that the words of the Rambam referenced by Rabbis Price and Gradowsky speak of rulings of local batei din (rabbinical courts), and not of the precedent nature of accepted halachic norms. (Readers are encouraged to see for themselves the words of the Rambam, which can be found on pp. 3-4 of volume 1 of the Frankel edition; the Rambam’s position is wholly unrelated to the issue at hand.) Based on the approach advocated by Rabbis Price and Gradowsky and their novel application of this
approach to the position of the Rambam, a Judaism that is wholly foreign to us would emerge. Halachic decision-making is based on a traditional methodology, incorporating factors of binding precedent and the recognized primacy and weight of certain halachic authorities over others. R. Schachter’s ruling reflects this model, whereas abandonment of such a model would result in the end of halachic practice as we know it.
that is what we must do together, to strengthen the Transatlantic Strategic Partnership that led the world in the last century, and I believe, will lead it again in this century. That is what I will continue to do as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.” Conference sponsors and supporters were:
Daimler and the Federal Authorities of Belgium, founders of the German Marshall Foundation. Strategic partners were BP, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Latvia, the OCP Policy Center, Lilly, Bank of America, and the Government of Montenegro. Other forum partners were Deloitte, Brussels Capital Region, Chevron, Solvay,
NATO, ApexBrasil, Asian Institute for Policy Studies, the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the European Union, and Wilfried Maartens Centre for European Studies. Dinner program partners were IBM, Japan Foundation, and the Ford Motor Company, and Star Alliance was the official airline.
Rabbi Gordimer is a member of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, as well as the New York Bar. The opinions in the above article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of any other individuals or entities.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
LOWEST FARES TO IS R A EL & W O RL D W ID E
YOUTH GROUP SPACE TO ISRAEL FOR AFTER PESACH
$
1395
FOR ONLY
ROUND TRIP • ALL INCLUSIVE
LIMITED GROUP SPACE AVAILABLE TO ISRAEL FOR LAG BAOMER
YOUR FULL SERVICE TRAVEL AGENCY
845.425.2123
SALES@MAINSTTRAVEL.COM | NEW LOCATION 20 ROBERT PITT DR #207, MONSEY NY
GREAT FARES ON SKY TEAM AIRLINES 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774 79
THE BEST DEAL IN TOWN from the store you trust! Spend $100 for Pesach, get free chicken. Spend more, get more. It’s the hottest Pesach deal in town. And it’s only at Glatt Express!
We’re sharing Pesach with you! For over 30 years, Glatt Express has helped families stock their Pesach kitchens with fresh & delicious foods. This year, we’re doing more & sharing our free Pesach chicken deal with everyone in town. Because, at Glatt Express, we’re more than just your Pesach store. We’re family.
Start Pesach at Glatt Express! * Offer good from 3/15/14 until 4/14/14. Cannot combine receipts or partial purchases.
201.837.8110 | GlattExpress@gmail.com 1400 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck, NJ Sun - Mon: 7am - 6pm | Tue: 7am - 7pm Wed - Thu: 7am - 9pm | Fri: 7am - 4:30pm
Win a $500 shopping trip for you & four friends! Text WIN to 646.833.8604 by 3/30/14! 80 March 27, 2014 • 25 Adar II 5774
RCBC 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM