THE JEWISH LINK Connecting the Bergen Jewish Community Vol. 1 No. 4
May 2, 2013 22 Iyar 5773
Distributed every other week
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Moriah Retools and Brings Parents Into The Process
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Goldin & RCA Uphold Broyde Halachic Decisions: Avatar Shock Forces His Leave
By Bracha Schwartz
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nglewood—At two Moriah Town Hall meetings on April 23 and 25, parents viewed a presentation by the school’s board of directors explaining Moriah’s financial and enrollment status along with an agenda for fine-tuning student recruitment, hiring and curriculum going forward. “Moriah is in transition from a larger to a smaller school,” said Evan Sohn, president of the board. “It’s challenging, but we no longer have to be all things to all people. We can listen to what the parents want.” The board has been seeking input from parents since last September. through idea sessions hosted in parents’ homes and with email surveys Many have been already been implemented, like the new writing program in the middle school and offerings of a more intensive Hebrew language program in early childhood and the lower school. The first order of business has been to get Moriah’s financial house in order. The budget took a hit when enrollment for September was 804 students instead of the expected 832. That translated into an $800,000 loss in revenues. (Approximately $29,000 per child in tuition.) Working with consultants from Yeshiva University, Moriah reviewed its financial policies and looked line item expenses to determine how to lower costs. They discovered Moriah was spending more than other day schools in the area. Moriah gave
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ew York—Members of the rabbinate, ethicists, clerics of other religions, and academics were stunned last week when Steven Weiss of the The Jewish Channel exposed Rabbi Michael Broyde, a stellar dayan and posek at the Bet Din of America and vaunted member of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) as someone who had created two Internet avatars— David Keter and Rabbi Hershel Goldwasser—to publish letters in journals, endorse his own opinions, publicly defend his own work, and gain access to a leftwing rabbinical association. Although he at first denied Weiss’ reports, confronted with the electronic trail to his computer, Prof. Broyde admitted to creating the two personas. The Beth Din of America and the RCA did not hesitate. Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, president of the RCA, saying that Prof. Broyde’s behavior was extremely disturbing, and working with the Av Bet Din, immediately removed Prof. Broyde as a dayan. Prof. Broyde also voluntarily resigned indefinitely as a member of the RCA. At the first International Edah Confer-
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TABC Doubling In Size By Bracha Schwartz See ad on Page 57
See ad on page 2
eaneck - When the students of Torah Academy of Bergen County (TABC) start the 201314 school year, they will enter a building that doubled in size over the summer. The new addition, going up now, will give the Teaneck-based yeshiva high school for boys a new academic wing with a Beit Knesset large enough to hold the entire student body at one time, new administrative space, seven technology fitted
TABC BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION. BY YARON KARL PHOTOGRAPHY
classrooms and a new gym. Improvements will also be made to the existing building.
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ence in 1999, Rabbi Yitz Greemberg told a reporter from Lifetyles Magazine that Michael Broyde was Modern Orthodoxy’s great hope for the future, especially for agunot, women who cannot receive gets from their recalcitrant husbands unless outrageous demands are met. (Edah is a grassroots movement founded in 1996 to promote an open minded and open-hearted Orthodoxy, passionately committed to Jewish Law while remaining receptive to general culture. The 1999 conference, “Orthodoxy Encounters a Changing World,” attracted over 1,500 people for two days of study and debate.)
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Moriah Mighty Ducks Win Hockey Championship ard work and determination are what make Moriah’s Elementary School hockey team a success. When those qualities joined together with a committed parent body, a supportive school administration and some extremely talented hockey players, this team became a champion! With a stingy defense led all season long by Captain Bryan
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RABBI MICHAEL BROYDE
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May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 3
In Ruling, Judge Says Women May Pray at Kotel in Tallitot By Edna Adato/JNS.org s what might mark the start of a new era at the Kotel, the Jerusalem District Court made an unprecedented ruling last Thursday, stating that in its previous decision, Israel’s High Court of Justice never forbade activists of the “Women of the Wallâ€? group from praying in the women’s section of the Kotel, meaning the women could not be barred from the premises. Israeli police contend that the women, who have been coming to the Kotel once a month, on every Rosh Chodesh, for years, in efforts to ďŹ ght for the right of women to worship as they see ďŹ t, are in violation of a High Court of Justice ruling from 2003 forbidding wom-
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en from wearing prayer shawls and reading aloud from the Torah in the main Kotel area. According to the original court decision, the women’s insistence on wearing prayer shawls and reading from the Torah deviates from the Kotel “traditionâ€? and upsets the other worshippers. On April 11, ďŹ ve of the women were arrested at the Kotel, but a Jerusalem Magistrates’ Court released them later that day, rejecting the police’s demand to ban them from entering the site for the next three months. The police appealed the decision, and on Thursday, the Jerusalem District Court rejected the appeal, essentially upholding the original court decision and opening the way for the women to return to the
Kotel without restriction. In his ruling, Judge Moshe Sobel wrote that there was no reasonable suspicion that the suspects committed a crime by holding a religious ceremony in violation of the “tradition� of the site. With that, he touched on another sore point and ruled that the guiding concept of the “tradition of the site� has to be interpreted in a nationalist, pluralistic manner, which doesn’t necessarily adhere to the ultra-Orthodox point of view.
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In addition, the court ruled that there was no basis to the allegation that the Women of the Wall activists posed a danger to the safety of the public. The concern that the public would become so upset as to disturb the peace or the safety of the worshippers, without any supporting evidence indicating that the suspects (Women of the Wall) would cause such a disruption, provides no basis to believe that they pose any kind of danger. Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, the chief rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites of Israel, was not pleased with the court’s decision, but urged all sides to act responsibly. He did, however, warn last Friday that he would demand that the attorney general of Israel examine the implications of the court’s decision, speciďŹ cally regarding the High Court. “The Western Wall is the last unifying place that we have,â€? Rabinovitch wrote in a statement. “It is easy to spark emotions and contention on the Wall plaza. It is much harder to ďŹ nd the middle ground that will allow everyone to continue to feel welcome and wanted at the Western Wall. I beseech the state authorities and the silent majority and anyone who holds the Western Wall dear to prevent zealots from all sides from turning the Western Wall into a battleground between brothers.â€? Following the court’s ruling, Anat Hoffman, the chairwoman of the Women of the Wall, said, “This is a day of celebration, of the re-liberation of the Western Wall. And liberation brings tidings of equality.â€? Rabbi Uri Regev, the president of the nonproďŹ t organization Hiddush - For Religious Freedom and Equality, said that the ruling “makes it clear that the real danger is posed by the state, not by the Women of the Wall.â€? Attorney Yizhar Hess, the executive director of the Masorti Movement in Israel, said, “The court’s decision is a victory for common sense, and a wake-up call for the Israel Police, which has become a pawn in the hands of the Western Wall rabbi in recent years. Liberate the Western Wall immediately.â€? Editor’s note: This story ďŹ rst appeared in Israel Hayom, whose Englishlanguage content is distributed exclusively in the U.S. by JNS.org.
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May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 5
NEWS
JWV Memorial Moved to New Milford Green
Kerry & Hagel Commit to Peace & Arms
by Sara Prager
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Photo credit: Sara Prager
fter fifty years, a memorial to fallen Jewish soldiers in the U.S. Armed forces has been relocated to the town green in front of Borough Hall in New Milford, New Jersey. The memorial was previously on a township-owned site near Congregation Beth Tikvah on River Road in New Milford and was taken care of by the Teaneck/New Milford Post of the Jewish War Veterans. With the impending sale of the synagogue, the offer was made by officials in New Milford to move the monument where it can continue to be maintained and included in Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day ceremonies. The monument now stands flanked by the stately New Milford monument to the fallen soldiers of World War I and II as well as the Korean War and the JWV memorial tree planted in
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SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHUCK HAGEL
SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY
from Iran and Syria. He also followed up on the pledge Erdogan made to U.S. President Barack Obama to normalize relations with Israel. A week later Secretary of Defense Hagel came to Israel bearing gifts, putting smiles on the faces of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon. Despite rumors to the contrary, Hagel is not expected to visit Turkey any time soon. But all was not wine and roses. In a carefully worded diplomatic statement crafted for the sole purpose of winning back the hearts and minds of moderate Turkish citizens, and one that went viral, the U.S. Secretary of State said, “I have just been through the week of Boston and I have deep feelings for what happens when you have violence and something happens and you lose people that are near and dear to you,” Kerry said. “It affects a community, it affects a country. We’re very sensitive to that.” Republicans and tilted-to-the-right organizations in the United States, such as HonestReporting.com, Commentary, the National Council of Young Israel and the Republican Jewish Coalition, immediately issued harsh statements concerning Kerry’s comment, as did members of right-leaning Israeli political parties. They accused Kerry of using moral equivalence to equate terrorists with terror victims. However, the feeding frenzy on the Internet was quickly squelched, as top Israeli officials stayed mum. As one informed observer noted, “Attacking Kerry for his statement is counterproductive and can harm Israeli security. The U.S. has a vested interest in both countries—as stable democracies and strategic allies. They all share common concerns regarding the Iranian bomb and the disintegration of Syria. There are also concerns that Sarin gas will be transferred to Hezbol-
ca and Israel say.’” Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, is also unhappy about the trip, which is to take place next month, because he feels it empowers his rivals, Hamas. At the same time, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s recent trip to Israel, confounded his critics, the members of the GOP who tried to block his appointment, by saying he had joined “Friends of HAMAS,” a non-existent organization, and accusing him of calling Israel an apartheid state, which he did not do. Instead, he reiterated his strong personal commitment to the peace process, Israel’s right to defend itself, and full American backing if needed. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was clear: “In the past four years, we’ve greatly enhanced the defense and security relationship between Israel and the United States, and I am absolutely confident that we will continue to further strengthen this under your stewardship of the American defense establishment.” Politico, a right-oriented political blog with influence on Capitol Hill quoted a senior defense official who was in Israel with them. “In Hagel’s meetings with Israeli leaders—including Prime Minister Netanyahu—they repeatedly offered strong praise for President Obama. They believe he is strongly committed to Israel’s security and clearly understands how Israel views the security challenges in the Middle East.” The arms deal consummated last week included anti-radar missiles and advanced radar systems, some of which President George W. Bush had withheld from the Israelis. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon was blunt. “I want, Chuck, to express my personal appreciation for your friendship and for your solid and powerful support for our country. Toda raba.”
memory of the seven astronauts who perished in the Spaceship Columbia mission in 2003. The Jewish War Veterans of America (JWV) was founded in 1896
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Judaic Paper Cuts by Dena Levie www.judaicpapercuts.com
201-928-0511 dena@judaicpapercuts.com 6 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
he Middle East—John Kerry last week attempted to cement a positive relationship between Turkey and Israel, asking Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan not to make his planned visit to Gaza because it is unhelpful to the newly developing realities in the Middle East—which includes a necessary rapprochement with Israel and the Gulf States in the face of new threats
lah, which is as much a threat to the Turks as it is to Israel. Kerry’s statement was delivered to benefit Israel’s security options— and to an extent, it did work.” Celalettin Yavuz, deputy head of the Turkish Centre for International Relations and Strategic Analysis in Ankara, told Mifta. org, the Palestinian news outlet, that domestic issues sparked Erdogan’s trip. “He is trying to win points with the [Turks] by saying ‘I am going to Gaza despite what Ameri-
By Jeanette Friedman
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NEWS
State Department on the State of Human Rights in Israel By Danielle Siers ashington, DC—The U.S. Department of State released its annual human rights report in mid-April, and the section on Israel points out that the country has a fairly good record on human rights, and is a functioning democracy. In the introduction, the report stated: “There were no reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings during the year. …There were 2,001 terrorist attacks against citizens, including 281 in Jerusalem and six elsewhere in the country; 11 cross-border attacks from Egypt; 576 attacks in the West Bank; and 1,127 attacks from the Gaza Strip. Those attacks included the firing of 2,327 rockets and mortar shells from the Gaza Strip into the country (compared with 419 rockets and 244 mortar shells in 2011), according to data compiled by the Israel Security Agency (ISA). In total nine persons were killed and 307 injured in these attacks. Terrorist attacks from across the Egyptian border killed an Israeli Arab construction worker, Said Pashpasha, who was building the border fence on June 18, and a soldier, Corporal Netanel Yahalomi, when he brought food and water to a group of African asylum seekers camped outside the security barrier on September 21.” The summary read, in part, “The most significant human rights problems during the year were terrorist attacks against civilians; institutional and societal discrimination against Arab citizens, in particular in access to equal education and employment opportunities; societal discrimination and domestic violence against women; and the treatment of refugees, asylum seekers, and irregular migrants.” The treatment of refugees is especially puzzling to many, since Menachem Begin was the first in the world to harbor the Vietnamese boat people, and Israel has always considered itself a haven for refugees. The report continued, “Other human rights problems included institutional and societal discrimination against nonOrthodox Jews and some minority religious groups; societal discrimination against persons with disabilities and Ethi-
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opian Jews; and serious labor rights abuses against foreign workers.” Details in the section on women included the following: “Women filed 20,904 domestic violence complaints with police. …According to the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, the majority of rape victims do not report the crime to the authorities due to social and cultural pressure. Women from certain Orthodox Jewish, Muslim, Bedouin, and Druze communities face significant social pressure not to report rape or domestic abuse. According to police, training is provided to investigators to directly address the difficulties in uncovering and reporting incidents
Court of Justice ruled that the Transport Ministry must uphold the law that advertising companies cannot ban images of women being displayed in the public sphere. “Discrimination: …[The] religious courts responsible for adjudication of family law, including divorce, limit the rights of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Druze women. A Jewish woman is allowed to initiate divorce proceedings, but her husband must give his consent in order to make the divorce final. Because some men refused to grant divorces, thousands of agunot (chained women) could not remarry or give birth to legitimate children. Rabbinical tribu-
Interior Minister Eli Yishai made several inflammatory comments about African migrants and organizations that provided them with assistance, and threatened mass arrests and deportation of illegal migrants. Yishai publicly stated the purpose of the Prevention of Infiltration Law was to make the lives of asylum seekers unbearable. of rape in traditional, conservative populations and work with NGOs to provide support to victims during police investigations.” The report also noted that half of all murders in northern Israel and the majority of murders in the south are honor killings of Israeli Arab women by their families. The section on women also recorded that, “Harassment based on gender segregation continued in some public places, including on public buses. ‘Modesty patrols’ continued to harass women in some Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) neighborhoods... In January 2011 the Supreme Court ruled that gender segregation on public buses could not be imposed or ordered but could occur only on a voluntary basis. Despite the ruling there were continued reports of male passengers in ultra-Orthodox communities telling women to sit in the back of buses. However, according to the Israel Religious Action Center, few drivers enforced segregation during the year, fearing fines ranging from 4,000 to 12,000 NIS ($1,000 to $3,000). “...In ultra-Orthodox areas of Jerusalem, images of women in advertising were repeatedly vandalized. In September in response to a petition from Yerushalmim, a Jerusalem NGO, the High
nals could, and sometimes did, sanction a husband who refused to give his wife a divorce, while at the same time declining to grant the divorce without the husband’s consent. … “…Women’s salaries averaged 66 percent of men’s in 2011, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. … Discrimination in the form of gender segregation continued in some public places, including in public health clinics and at the Western Wall. In late December, Prime Minister Netanyahu asked Natan Sharansky, the chairman of the Jewish Agency, to study the issue and suggest ways to make the Western Wall site more accommodating to all Jews.” On the situation of the refugees from Southern Sudan and Eritrea, the reports state that “the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) … raised specific concerns over the government’s deportation of South Sudanese migrants, the government’s failure to provide individual refugee status determinations for Eritreans and Sudanese, and the government’s implementation of new “anti-infiltrator” laws, which impose long-term detention (including the possibility of indefinite detention) for all individuals who
Dutch Insurers Lobby Against Lantos Bill By Jeanette Friedman he Hague—Several Dutch insurance companies are lobbying against the Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act which has once again been introduced in Congress. The bill had been introduced previously, a number of times in years past, under pressure from a group of survivors led by lawyer Sam Dubbin of Florida. It seeks the
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granting of permission to file individual civil action suits against insurance companies for unpaid insurance policies. The bill is known as the Tom Lantos Justice for Holocaust Survivors Act, but as Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Lantos knew that passage of the bill would break international treaties with Israel and Germany as well as other countries. Just
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months before he died, he received a letter from the Germans saying that if the bill passes it would cause much grief at the negotiating table. The matter of unpaid insurance policies was intended to be resolved by the creation of the International Committee for Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC), but many survivors were unhappy at the formulas that were used to distribute compensation. The trea-
enter the country irregularly, including asylum seekers and their children. The amended Prevention of Infiltration Law, which went into effect in June, defines all irregular border crossers as “infiltrators” and gives authorities the discretion to prosecute all irregular border crossers for unlawful entry, even if they request asylum. “…The government reported 10,285 new arrivals of irregular migrants during the year, but the rate of arrival decreased sharply after June, which government and NGO observers attributed in part to the construction of a border fence along the border with Egypt and other deterrence measures such as the expansion of the detention period. “…Sudanese and Eritrean migrants and asylum seekers, who constituted approximately 85 percent of all asylum seekers in the country, were not allowed access to asylum procedures but were given renewable “conditional release” documents that deferred deportation and had to be renewed every few months…. “The government significantly increased its capacity to detain and hold illegal migrants during the year by enlarging existing detention facilities and constructing the first wing of a new 10,000-bed facility. In July the IPS limited access of domestic NGOs to these detention facilities… Government officials and media outlets periodically referred to asylum seekers as “infiltrators” and characterized them as directly associated with rises in crime, disease, and terrorism. Interior Minister Eli Yishai made several inflammatory comments about African migrants and organizations that provided them with assistance, and threatened mass arrests and deportation of illegal migrants. Yishai publicly stated the purpose of the Prevention of Infiltration Law was to make the lives of asylum seekers unbearable. Beginning in September there was a general practice of arresting and detaining illegal migrants under new criminal procedures and regulations. On May 23, some members of the Knesset spoke at an anti-immigrant rally in south Tel Aviv calling African migrants “a cancer in our body” and making other inflammatory statements that led to riots and violence against African residents.
ties, which have gone before the Supreme Court, now prevent survivors from suing on their own. Roman Kent, treasurer of the Claims Conference, does not want the bill to pass. He told JLBC, “This bill would only enrich lawyers who would drag the cases through the courts for years, and would not benefit the survivors at all, even if they live long enough to be compensated. Europe’s privacy laws on these matters are more stringent than those in the U.S. and cases would take a long time to resolve.” May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 7
NEWS
THE WINNERS POSE WITH PRIME MINISTER BIBI NETANYAHU AND MINISTER OF EDUCATION RABBI SHAI PERON. PHOTO CREDIT: ISRAEL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
MTA Freshman ties in Israel Bible Contest: First non-Israeli in 20 years to win EW YORK–In mid-April, Yishai Eisenberg of Passaic, NJ, a freshman at Yeshiva University High School for Boys (YUHSB), became the first non-Israeli in 20 years to win the Chidon HaTanakh, Israel’s annual International Bible Competition for high school students. Eisenberg, who dominated the competition from the outset, also became the first champion in its 50-year run to share the
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winner’s circle when he finished the final round in an unprecedented tie with Elior Babian of Beit Shemesh. An illustration of the country’s desire to connect Jewish independence to Jewish values, the annual contest took place on Yom Ha’atzmaut at The Jerusalem Theater, under the auspices of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Rabbi Shai Piron.
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“We are all very proud of Yishai’s amazing accomplishment,” said Rabbi Michael Taubes, head of YUHSB, who lives in Teaneck. “We know how much time and effort he put into preparing for this and were all rooting for him. It’s unbelievable just to qualify for the competition, but to actually win is incredible.” When the international competition began, 58 contestants from over 26 countries took the stage, including representatives from Australia, Bulgaria, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Holland, Hungary, Uru-
Florida to Seek Restitution for Holocaust Survivors ALLAHASSEE—A bill that would allow the state to seek restitution for property and money Nazi’s took from Holocaust victims during World War II is on its way to Gov. Rick Scott. The measure (HB 913) unanimously passed the Florida Senate week after the House unanimously passed it. The bill would let the Department of Financial Services seek restitution for Holocaust victims and their heirs for Nazi-confiscated bank accounts, art and property. The measure was one of Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s legislative priorities. If the bill passes, it would set a precedent for states and would be an end run around Federal legislation that prevents class action Holocaust restitution suits from being brought against foreign governments and businesses.
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StreetWise from JStreet or those curious about JStreet and its positions on the issues, StreetWise (http://jstreet. org/street-wise?akid=2189.151763. BVO1TG&rd=1&t=13) offers a guide to answering some of the toughest questions related to Israel and J Street, including the critical American interest
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guay, Italy, England, Estonia, Argentina, Panama, the United States, Mexico, and even Turkey. They were joined by Israel’s top five contestants. In what was intended to be the tiebreaking round, host Avshalom Kor presented the contestants with a series of difficult questions, allowing them only five seconds to answer and no opportunities to correct themselves. Both Eisenberg and Babian received perfect scores through 12 rounds of head-tohead competition. Before Kor could begin the next round, the judges unanimously declared a tie. Eisenberg secured a spot in this year’s competition by achieving the only perfect score at the National Bible Contest, which took place at YU on May 6, 2012.
in a two-state solution and the right of American Jews to criticize Israeli policies. The guide provides background on JStreet positions with quotes from American, Israeli and Palestinian leaders, as well as relevant polling and statistics and commentary from notable journalists and experts.
JStreet Asks Birthright for Balance Street U National Political Advocacy Co-Chair Hannah Fishman notes that “if the [Birthright] organization truly cares to build lasting ties between Israel and the Diaspora community, Birthright must invite young American Jews to engage with Israel’s full political reality, rather than avoiding it or—as the case is currently—masking a far-right political agenda as not political at all. If the essence of Zionism is that the Jewish people should have a place where they can shape their own future, removing or simplifying the politics of Israel during Birthright is tantamount to basic educational negligence. Only when Birthright embraces Israeli politics in all its complexity and divisiveness will they serve the essence of the Zionist dream.”
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NEWS
Hezbollah Drone Shot Down by IDF near Haifa From combined services aifa—According to JNS, “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) used F-16s and Israel Air Force helicopters to shoot down a drone approaching the coast of the northern city of Haifa from Lebanon. The Hezbollah terrorist organization is suspected of sending the drone. After shooting the drone down at about 6,000 feet, the IDF navy searched for its wreckage in the water. The IDF said in a statement: “Shortly after 1 p.m. a drone was identified as it was flying north to south along the Lebanese coastline. The air defense system tracked it for (several) minutes while it was still in Lebanese territory, and it was under surveillance throughout its flight
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until the interception. IAF planes were scrambled, as were combat helicopters, after it was determined that the aircraft was not friendly, and certainly not (an Israeli) aircraft. The Air Force commander authorized the interception.” Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon told Army Radio, “We’re talking about another attempt by Hezbollah to send an unmanned drone into Israeli territory.” The IDF, however, has not yet confirmed Hezbollah’s involvement. The drone appeared just days after Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah met “secretly” with Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to discuss the ongoing Syrian crisis. The Kuwaiti newspaper, Al-
Rai, reported that Nasrallah also met with elite al-Quds Forces leader Qassem Suleimani. They said the two discussed an “Iranian-Syrian defense system” in the case Syrian rebels gain more control with the support of the U.S., France and some Arab countries. An expert in Iranian affairs told the news service Al Arabiya that such “secret” meetings were routine. In addition, Patriots Billboard reports that the U.S. Treasury has alleged Hezbollah traffics Iranian money through the U.S.to fund violence and undermine American interests. Treasury has also used the Patriot Act to blacklist two Lebanese money-exchange houses for moving hundreds of millions of dollars in drug money
THE ISRAELI AIR FORCE SHOT DOWN A DRONE FROM LEBANON HAIFA. CREDIT: DEROR AVI VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. NEAR THE COAST OF
and used cars through the U.S. and Africa. They add that Lebanon has turned into a “veritable money laundering machine.” Patriots Billboard reports further that economic experts claim the extremists are willing to endanger Lebanon’s entire financial system in order to promote terror and radical Islam and note that Hezbollah is “not an indigenous Lebanese group promoting Lebanese interests… [it is] an Iranian proxy willing to sacrifice Lebanese stability and prosperity at Tehran’s behest.”
Jordan Faces Reality: Works with Israel on Common Cause From Combined Services mman—Faced with threats from its next door neighbor Syria, a threat shared with its other neighbor, Israel, French sources report that Jordan opened two air corridors to make it possible for Israeli drones to fly over Syria without flying over Lebanon. Le Figaro, a French newspaper reported that the decision followed a secret meeting between King Abdullah and Bashar Assad, the Syrian president, and another meeting last month with President Obama. The urgency of their cooperation was heightened after U.S. intelligence sources confirmed that Assad’s troops had used Sarin, a poison nerve gas, on dissidents. According to Jeff Goldberg of The Atlantic and www.bloomberg.com, the
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Kosher Shechita OK’d in Poland arsaw—The Polish government is going to allow shechita and halal slaughter in Poland, despite the ban instituted by the Polish Constitutional Court in December 2012 after animal rights groups applied pressure to do so. The new regulations still have to be adopted by Polish parliament. Written to “eliminate the most shocking methods of animal slaughter,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that the slaughter of animals in rotating cages will not be reinstated. Any slaughter of livestock must be carried out in a slaughterhouse, with the goal of “reducing the suffering of animals as much as is possible.” The Polish Jewish community has maintained that kosher slaughter remains protected under the 1997 Act on the Relation of the State to the Jewish Communities in Poland, which states that kosher slaughter may be performed in accordance with the
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relationship between the king and the prime minister is very strong, and their discussions have improved. The two men met at the end of March. Agence France Presse said that the meeting revolved around the Mid-East Peace Process. Israel now also has diplomatic/ military ties to most of the Gulf States in their quest to protect the vulnerable and literally flammable region from any Iranian attacks. How it will turn out is anyone’s guess. During his swearing in, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he was committed to the peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan. “They are the foundations of stability in the Middle East and must be preserved. That is our policy; it must also be our neighbors’ policy and I believe it will be the case in the coming years.” Despite the peaceful words, one of
needs of the local Jewish community.
WJC to Meet in Budapest Budapest—The World Jewish Congress (WJC) will hold its 14th Plenary Assembly in Budapest, on May 5-7 2013, to discuss the alarming rise of Neo-Nazi political parties in several European and other countries, and the situation in the Middle East. Five hundred delegates and observers from the WJC’s affiliated Jewish communities and organizations in 100 countries are expected. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has confirmed that he will address the opening dinner on 5 May. Other speakers include officials from Germany, the Hungarian Archbishop and Middle East envoys. The group will also elect a WJC executive. Hungary has been recently plagued with a resurgence of anti-Semitism and anti-Roma hate crimes. Radical nationalist groups intend to protest against the meeting.
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Jordan’s “moderate” political parties expelled one of its members for visiting Israel and shaking Shimon Peres’ hand, supposedly on Yom Haatzmaut. Although Muhammad Esa al-Doima, a member of the Al-Wasat Al-Islamiy party, denies the reports that led to his ouster, his protests proved futile, and calls to Peres’ office, so far, have not
generated a response. This moderate party opposes any normalization with Israel. Other Jordanian Parliament members called for his expulsion from the government altogether. The brouhaha highlights the delicate balance that King Abdullah must cope with in order to keep internal as well as external peace in his country.
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May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 9
NEWS Livni Pushes for Peace Process erusalem—Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said last week that “the time that is passing does not serve those who believe in two states for two people.” Speaking at a political gathering, Livni said her party’s role in the government was to move the peace process forward and improve the quality of life for Israelis. “The entire region is boiling,” she said. “Countries are coming apart, leaders weakening. It is wrong to say we should close our windows and wait for it all to pass. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not something taking place out in the jungle. We are part of it and we have to do our part. I am glad [U.S.] Secretary of State [John Kerry] is doing his part to advance this issue, but a peace deal would not be a favor to America. It is in our own interest.” She also praised Kerry for his “determination and obligation” to restarting diplomatic efforts.
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Peres Proposes Pope Promote Peace atican City—Shimon Peres met with Pope Francis at the Vatican earlier this week, where they discussed anti-Semitism and the peace process. The Pope suggested that leaders of all faiths convene a meeting and issue a call against violence and terror. Pe-
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res invited the Pope to Israel, and said that he could be very influential in pursuing peace. “You have an important role in progressing peace and the belief in it, I turn to you and ask that within your sermons in front of millions of believers in the world that you include the hope for peace in the Middle East and the whole world…The citizens of Israel see in you a leader of peace and good will. The sooner you visit the better, as in these days a new opportunity is being created for peace and your arrival could contribute significantly to increasing the trust and belief [in it].”
Schneier Asks Israel to Thank Bahrain, Improve Relations with Gulf Countries abbi Marc Schneier with King Hamad at the Bahraini Crown Palace, December 2011. (photo Walter Ruby/Foundation for Et hnic Understanding) Rabbi Mark Schneier recently met with the King and Crown Prince of Bharain and suggested that Israel publicly commend Bahrain for labeling Hezbollah a terrorist organization. He also suggested that they to build strategic alliances with Gulf states based on common opposition to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He noted that Sunnis in the Gulf States distrust the Shia in Iran, and sees this as an opportunity to for Israel develop ties with those
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Congregation Rinat Yisrael Presents
states. “We’re so myopic, we’re so focused on Europe, and here you have a very significant development that took place in Bahrain,” Schneier told The Times of Israel. “I am calling for a conversation to take place, a conversation that needs to begin within Israel about looking east, not only looking west.”
Robert G. Sugarman Nominated Chairman of the Conference Of Presidents ew York—Robert G. Sugarman, the immediate past chair of the AntiDefamation League, was recommended by the 2013 Nominating Committee of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations to serve as the next chairman starting June 1, 2013. The recommendation was submitted to the full Conference and the election will be held in May, said Alan Solow, immediate past chairman of the Presidents Conference and chairman of the Nominating Committee. Sugarman, a lawyer, began his carrerr at Sullivan and Cromwell after finishing Yale Law School. He was a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP for more than three decades and retired in 2007. He is currently working pro bono to establish eruvs in Westhampton Beach, Quogue and Southhampton.
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Budapest anti-Semitism rally draws tens of thousands TA reported that tens of thousands of protesters in Budapest marched against anti-Semitism, last week, while for the third time in two weeks, the Hungarian police prevented gathering of Neo-Nazis. The march was merged with the March of The Living, the event that brings thousands of teens and adults from around the world to Europe to commemorate the Holocaust. In Budapest they marched along the Danube, where there is a particularly poignant monument consisting of cast metal shoes, copies of the shoes that were left behind when Jews were thrown into the river. This was the strongest protest in four years, since the ultranationalist Jobbik party and neo-Nazi fringe groups began agitating the community, Reuters reported. Many Jews have since left the country, looking for safer climes
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Women Permitted to Say Kaddish at the Kotel NS reported that a compromise agreement was reached to allow women to say the Kaddish mourners’ prayer at the Western Wall. The rabbinic authorities who control the area threatened to arrest any woman saying kaddish at the Wall, even those not wearing talitot.
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TOURO COLLEGE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
and
MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY BECOME A SOCIAL WORKER
IN HONOR OF YOM YERUSHALAYIM Tuesday, May 7, 2013 Mincha - 7:40pm
INFORMATION SESSIONS FOR FALL 2013 CLASSES Monday, May 13 Monday, June 3 Monday, June 17
Congregation Rinat Yisrael 389 West Englewood Avenue Teaneck, NJ 07666 201.837.2795
Sessions will take place at 6pm 43 W. 23rd Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010
Musical Tribute Accompanists: Marsha Greenberg Motzen Yavneh Academy Yom Yerushalayim Choir
with Chazzan Yaakov Motzen
“According to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, job prospects for social workers are growing better than other occupations through 2018. If you want to make a difference in your life and the lives of others, our Graduate School of Social Work is for you. Our students are our top priority. Advance your career, help others, and join our warm, supportive family.” - Dean Steven Huberman, Ph.D.
Visit: touro.edu/msw | Email: kerry.haley@touro.edu Phone: 212-463-0400 X 5269 Touro College is an Equal Opportunity Institution
10 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
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NEWS
Michael Broyde Takes a Leave: Avatars Shock the RCA and Academe
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Prof. Broyde had just finished a session on agunot. During the question-and-answer period, 400 people gasped in shock when he told a woman who had been a battered wife and then an agunah for seven years that, “I ain’t Santa Claus and I ain’t giving you cookies just cause you ask,” after she asked if Pikuach Nefesh didn’t trump all and wouldn’t that mean the rabbis could use heter meah rabbanim to grant gets in battering cases. Many have conceded that Prof. Broyde, who is also a professor of law at Emory University in Atlanta, is arrogant, yet so are many other rabbis. However, there was almost unanimity on his brilliance and halakhic insights. His work on the ethics of war, abortion, and many issues facing Modern Orthodox communities and individuals was legend and his decisions were used by rabbis of all
denominations, beginning with those who “hold” with the RCA and other mainstream Orthodox streams to people like Rabbi Jack Bemporad, a well-known Reform rabbi and scholar who looked to Broyde and others as valuable sources for his work on the ethics of war and peace. There are some who see what the professor did as a sign of a purported mental disorder. If that is indeed the case, the JLBC asked what will now happen to decisions Prof. Broyde made from the time he assumed his imaginary identities. Is it not the case that if this is a lapse of judgment or a manifestation of a mental illness, the prism through which a posek looks must be one of clarity of mind? Considering the circumstances, do his decisions become null and void or do they stand? Rabbi Goldin told JLBC that this was a serious issue addressed by the Bet Din as soon
Moriah Retools and Brings Parents Into The Process
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more scholarship money to fewer students and had an abatement program, a streamlined tuition discount for parents who had to submit tax returns but not undergo a lengthy review. “We took in $1.2 million at our development dinner but gave out $1.8 million in funds. That unfunded money came from tuition,” Sohn said. “We looked at everything, from the electric meters, where we were able to save $7,000, to the cost of faculty, which we had to reduce.” The decision not to rehire 19 or 20 teachers has caused pain for everyone at the school. “The criteria were left to administrators,” Sohn said. “Teachers at every level were affected. But it wasn’t about last hired, first out, or who cost the most. We had to look at what the school needed. The average time a teacher spent at Moriah was 11 years. You don’t stay at Moriah that long if you’re not good. Inevitably, someone’s favorite teacher had to be let go; it’s very sad.” Sohn said that Moriah pays faculty the highest salaries of all the day schools, and they want to stay at the top of the pay scale to “attract and retain the best
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as the issue came before the RCA. At this time the Av Bet Din has ruled that all the decisions the professor made will remain in force, “We are not going to change that. But his lack of judgment at this point prevents him from being on the Bet Din, and we are continuing to research the matter to determine whether or not the suspension will be made permanent.” When asked about the general failures of leadership in the community and the lack of ethics—what with the destruction of the public school system in East Ramapo by the Orthodox members of the school board
teachers and give them opportunities for leadership and advancement.” Moriah was also giving teachers the highest tuition benefits for their children, and that amount will be brought down to the same level as at other schools. The board’s marching orders are to finance development, create tuition sustainability and improve parent participation. Once tuition is stabilized, Moriah can look at fixing the roof and funding pension plans. The school also wants to sharpen its identity and more aggressively promote itself to students in the new competitive landscape of day school choices. “Moriah has always provided the highest quality education,” Sohn said, “but now we have to aggressively promote ourselves to let everyone know that. We have always been at the cutting edge with new programs and introduction of technology.” He pointed out that a new advanced math class was added – and a new teacher hired – and that all 6th graders now have iPads. On the other end, there are more support programs for students who need help, for many who would otherwise not be able to have a day school education. “Dr Prager (Moriah Head of School) says we have 804 students and 804 curricula,” Sohn added. The board has divided the school into separate units” early childhood, lower school and middle school, to more accurately plan programs and curriculum for each. A Student Life
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there, the behavior of an Israeli president toward female employees, and the revelations about the victimization of children and other abuses at every level in the community, Rabbi Goldin said, “I don’t believe human nature has changed. We just find out about it faster because of technology and have more access to information. But we have always had to carefully screen people we put in authority. One of the things we have to watch out for is that the higher a person rises, there may be potential for the development for these kinds of activities [grandiose behavior, abus-
Committee is looking at how to differentiate Moriah from other schools and how to make that difference attractive, since each yeshiva/day school in Bergen has its own niche. Ben Porat Yosef, Noam and Yeshiva H’Atid are smaller, newer schools that are attracting parents looking to be a part of their growth. The two other day schools with a long history in Bergen County are Yavneh Academy in Paramus and Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey in New Milford. Seventy-year-old Yavneh Academy, which has been in Bergen County for half of that 726 students with a projection of 740
es of power].” The rabbi continued, “There is a wonderful suggestion made about the pesukim in Vayikrah, where the Torah talks about sin offerings and it uses conditional language from the lowest level of power and succeeding levels that reads ‘when and if’ a person commits an aveyrah, until it comes to the Nasi, the president. Then the language changes and the posuk reads: ‘When the Nasi will…’ The language becomes definite—that therefore it is clear that men in power will err. Not everyone agrees with that view, but I believe the potential for such abuse grows along with the power.” What happens now? “We have to be vigilant,” said the rabbi, “and when someone is put in a position of power, we need to be sensitive when people have issues with those people and we have to pay attention and deal with them responsibly.” Rabbi Goldin told the JLBC that another reporter had asked him how the RCA will regain its credibility. “We do it by not sweeping things under the rug and by dealing with them immediately and transparently.”
for next year; the highest in a decade according to Board President Elie Rosenfeld.. The student body comes mostly from Teaneck, Fair Lawn and Paramus. “We promote what we can do for the betterment of students. We focus on new learning strategies, new curriculum and technology,” Rosenfeld said. “Our classes are almost paperless now. Students do research and work online, they do videos and power point presentations. We’re turning learning into something students enjoy. We continue to excel at using technology in an educational model. Other schools are still catching up.” Like Mori-
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EVENTS
Rinat - Touro Yom Iyun
Sy Syms Business School Celebrates 26 Years
n Sunday May 5th, Congregation Rinat Yisrael will host a “Morning of Jewish Learning” featuring renowned deans, professors, and scholars from Touro College. With six notable speakers of varied backgrounds, the topics will be widely diverse, carrying a mixed appeal. They range from Romanticism and Rav Soloveitchik, to the Roots of Satmar Anti-Zionism, to a lecture on Building a Secular Temple of Arts in Jerusalem. Rinat has hosted several other Judaic lectures in the past, but this time David Jacobowitz, of Rinat’s Adult Education Committee, approached Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies to create a Yom Iyun. Says Rabbi Baruch Fogel, of the Office of College Affairs at Touro, “We want to expose people to very relevant topics with a twist of modern scholarship.” Fogel hopes that people walk away with new knowledge on subjects already familiar to them. Because the speakers are scholars and doctors who are experts in their fields, the lectures will be delivered in new dimensions. The morning will commence with an introduction by Dr. Alan Kadish, president and CEO of Touro College, followed by a keynote address on Matan Torah by Dr. Michael Shmidman, Dean of the Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies, Professor of Jewish History, and former Rabbi of Keter Torah in Teaneck. After that, there will be breakaway lectures in which participants can choose between two speakers during two separate time slots. Presenters include Dr. Maya Katz, Dr. Moshe Sokol, Dr. Zvi Kaplan, and Dr. Moshe Sherman. In addition to providing the community with a high-level of learning, Fogel says he hopes people will see the stellar reputation of Touro’s Graduate program, and the incomparable educational opportunities it affords. The presenters will all be speaking on topics that pertain to their expertise or the courses they teach. The timing of the Yom Iyun was well appointed. Scheduled to occur the week before Shavuot, attendees will be privileged to learn a new angle on Matan Torah, and will feel religiously fulfilled by the breadth of other Torah discussions. The Yom Iyun begins at 10 a.m., and will run until 1 p.m. Admission is open to all and is free of charge. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please call 201-837-2795.
eshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business celebrated its 26th anniversary and the graduating class of 2013 with a Gala Awards Dinner on April 23. The evening honored students and faculty who excelled within their fields and demonstrated exceptional character and included a presentation of the inaugural Sy Syms Humanitarian Award to New York Daily News and U.S. News & World Report publisher Mortimer B. Zuckerman. “We come tonight with a full heart to celebrate the arrival of the Sy Syms School of Business as an institution of the first ranks, newly accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, with the establishment of a new honors program and tremendous success on the parts of the students, deans and faculty,” said YU President Richard M. Joel, listing a few of the school’s most notable recent accomplishments. The AACSB accreditation, obtained in March, is an especially significant achievement for Sy Syms, as it has only been awarded to some 6 percent of more than 10,000 business schools worldwide. “The Sy Syms School of Business plays a vital role in Yeshiva University’s mission and it has made enormous strides in the last few years in both the quality of its faculty and course offerings, which is reflected in the success of our alumni,” said Dr. Henry Kressel, chair of the YU Board of Trustees, in an address to stu-
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dents before the awards ceremony. “Today, business schools are learning that they should not only provide you with a set of tools as you start your professional journey, but with a location to interpret life’s meaning and challenge and sharpen your sense of purpose about the very reason you’re going into business in the first place,” said Sy Syms Dean Moses Pava. “The point is not to bifurcate our lives but to lead lives of meaning and integrity, or, as President Joel says, shleimut—wholeness.” Jonathan Weiss, one of the class’s two valedictorians, echoed that theme as he discussed the unique emphasis on ethical and moral leadership he had discovered in his business education at Sy Syms. “One of the most important lessons that I learned throughout my three years here, in my interactions with everyone from the wonderful roshei yeshiva to my professors and fellow students, is the importance of integrity in everything we do,” he said. “We must always be aware that wherever we go, we are representative of not only Yeshiva University but all committed Jews, and we must show ourselves to be ethical in all our doings.” The event was organized by the Sy Syms Student Council and held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. During the formal dinner, President Joel presented Mortimer B. Zuckerman with the first-ever Sy Syms Humanitarian Award in
honor of the media and real estate mogul’s efforts and ethical business practices throughout many years in philanthropy and business. Zuckerman is the co-founder and executive chairman of Boston Properties, as well as the owner and publisher of the New York Daily News and of U.S. News & World Report, where he serves as editor-in-chief. “The issues that I care about are in many ways focused on a part of my life I’m very proud of, which is being Jewish and being a part of the Jewish world,” said Zuckerman, recalling what it meant to be a member of the Jewish community when the State of Israel was established. “I’ve never really lost the thrill of it, and I was determined to do whatever I could to support that state in its efforts to be independent, safe and a homeland for Jews who come from many other parts of the world.” Though he warned the soon-to-be-graduates that they may be facing one of the worst job markets since he himself graduated from business school, Zuckerman reminded them that there were still and would always be great opportunities. “You have the advantage of an awful lot of good training and education and commitment to doing good work,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, but if you hang in there, you’ll learn that persistence and determination are about as important as any other quality you’ll bring to your work.”
JLE Hosts Lecture at Rinat By Nina Glick ore than 50 people filled the lower level of Congregation Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck on a recent Sunday evening to hear a stimulating lecture in honor of Yom Haatzmaut sponsored by the Jewish Learning Experience (JLE). The audience enjoyed both the substantive content and the exciting style of the lecturer, Professor Larry Domnitch, whose topic, “Rav Kook and the First World War,” wove together a fascinating tapestry of interrelated historical data to discuss Rav Kook’s impact as the rabbi of the London congregation
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Machazikey HaDas during the war. According to Domnitch, Rav Kook’s influence profoundly impacted the masses of London’s Jewish population, and also had an effect on the promulgation of the Balfour Declaration. The Jewish Learning Experience is a grassroots, independent adult outreach organization in Bergen County. Its mission is to reacquaint Jewish adults with their religious heritage through classes demonstrating the relevance of the Torah in contemporary times, experiential programs, educational prayer services, one-on-one learning, and Shabbat and holi-
day home hospitality. The JLE also prides itself on providing authentic “Jewish learning experiences” to all segments of the community, including both observant and unaffiliated Jews in Bergen County. Its motto is, “Regardless of your background, you can become part of a dynamic learning group.” Since its inception, the JLE has touched the lives of more than 5,000 unaffiliated families in Bergen County and beyond. As an independent, unaffiliated organization, it depends on the support of the local community to continue to provide excellent programming to the broader Jewish community.
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EVENTS
OU Neighborhood Fair Showcases Communities Across America udy Wallace lived in Louisville, Kentucky in 2001 while being successfully treated for a medical problem. Her physician later served as sandek (holding the baby) at her son’s brit. Years afterward, with her six children in tow, Mrs. Wallace moved back to Louisville in what she described as an act of hakarat hatov, gratitude. “It’s a holy place for me,” she explained.
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Andrew Markowitz, the assistant rabbi of Congregation Shomrei Torah. Shoshana Yagoda, originally of the Five Towns, the upscale suburban communities on Long Island, and her husband Will spent two years looking for a place to live before they chose Paramus, NJ. “This place felt right,” she said, pointing out amenities like low taxes, school options, easy transportation
This was also the reason why Judy and her husband were such enthusiastic and formidable representatives for Louisville’s small Jewish community at the Orthodox Union’s Communities and Job Relocation Fair, held on April 21. Forty-one communities from across the United States were selected to present at the fair and more than 1,300 Jews from across the spectrum of Jewish observance filtered in and out of the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. Judy, whose consulting firm works with the Louisville Chamber of Commerce, had an ace up her sleeve. “I’ve got 2,000 jobs to fill from the Chamber of Commerce and I’m not going back until they’re filled,” she said. “I never knew there were Jews in Louisville,” marveled Yakov Rusanov, a food distributor, who, for economic reasons, was contemplating moving his large family out of New Jersey. The atmosphere was one of friendly competition as presenters attempted to lure younger and older families to their booths with a mix of slogans, products, charm, and job opportunities. Many showcased products from back home: Seattle offered free Starbucks; Louisville gave out an authentic Louisville Slugger baseball bat; Portland raffled off Nike sneakers; Denver blew up a photograph of NFL Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning (“Not the only reason to live in Denver, but one of them,” a representative in a Broncos jersey explained); and Fair Lawn, NJ offered pastries from Zadie’s, the community’s award-winning bakery. “We have an out-of-town feel with in-town amenities,” explained Rabbi
and even a zoo. “Plus, the shopping is ridiculous.” As much as the fair showcased faroff destinations like Savannah (“Shalom Y’all!”), Dallas, Milwaukee, Seattle and Portland, it also featured a good number of smaller communities in the New York Tri-State area, including New Jersey towns like Cherry Hill, Long Branch, West Orange, Livingston, Springfield, Linden and Elizabeth. He pointed out that two things have changed as the fair expanded. “The communities have become more sophisticated; they are really marketing themselves,” he said. “And the people that come to the event are much more focused on moving.” The fair “also reinvigorates older communities with new young families, who bring new ideas and new vitality to community life,” said Rabbi Isaacs. The 2013 Fair also featured many of its own success stories. Two years ago, Tzipporah Daneshrad and her husband Sion were frustrated from traveling across the United States searching for the perfect place to settle down. They discovered the town of Manalapan, NJ at the OU Community Fair. This year the two were the town’s representatives. “The OU Community Fair offers all the information about communities on a silver platter,” she said. “I’m incredibly grateful. We found our home here.” The event also showcased many stories of young couples not immediately planning to make aliyah to Israel, and who are struggling to find a place to live. (See OUCommunities.org for a complete list of participating communities.)
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Yeshiva University High Schools Present Annual Dinner Of Tribute On May 22 eshiva University High Schools (YUHS) will present their Annual Dinner of Tribute on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at Terrace on the Park, 52-11 111th Street, Flushing Meadows Park, NY. This year’s honorees include Guests of Honor Louis and Naomi Tuchman and faculty honorees Lynda Smith and Dr. Seth Taylor. “The Board of Trustees joins the Yeshiva University High School community in paying tribute to two inspiring, beloved and dedicated faculty members,” said Miriam Goldberg, chair of YUHS. “Our guests of honor, Naomi and Louis, are a rare blend of community leaders who graciously give their time from their professional and person lives.” Louis, a dedicated YUHS board member for the past five years, and Naomi are alumni of YU High Schools and are pillars in their community of Hillcrest, NY. They passionately share the vision of YUHS in educating young men and women to serve as future Jewish and lay leaders. Louis is an experienced tax attorney and was recently named chair of the tax department at Herrick Feinstein, after three decades
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at Kaye Scholer. Naomi is a CPA with her own independent practice. Smith is the athletic director at the Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for Girls, coach of the tennis and volleyball teams and physical education instructor for all grades. She created the “Athletes Giving Back” program, a chesed project that has the sports teams raise money for nonprofit organizations. She is vice president of the Nassau County Board of Gymnastics High School Officials and a member of the NY State Board of Gymnastic Officials. Taylor is principal for general studies and an instructor in European and world history at the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy/Yeshiva University High School for Boys. A master teacher and administrator, he is the author of Between Tradition and Modernity: A History of the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy and is celebrating 25 years at YUHSB. For reservations or for more information about the dinner, please contact Rabbi Moshe Kinderlehrer at 212960-5489 or email mkinder@yu.edu, or visit www.yu.edu/hsdinner.
Amit Sponsors Annual Mother-In-Israel Event The AMIT Hindy Weinstock/Geula Chapter of Greater Teaneck will host its annual Mother-in-Israel event on Sunday evening, May 19, 2013, at 7 p.m. at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, 1650 Palisade Avenue in Teaneck. Featured speaker will be Allison Josephs, founder of the outreach organization, “Jew in the City.” Local residents Connie Kadish and Debbi Krantzow are chairing the event. Co-Chairs include Donna Hoenig, Reva Judas, Sara Kosowsky, Karin Slaten and Rose Strauss. The annual AMIT Mother-in-Israel Campaign raises funds to support basic services for the more
than 25,000 students at AMIT schools and programs throughout Israel. Allison Josephs has been involved in the field of Jewish outreach for more than a dozen years, teaching and lecturing and working at Partners in Torah, Sinai Retreats and NCSY. She is also the spiritual mentor to actress Mayim Bialik. Ms. Josephs was named one of the NJOP’s Top Ten Jewish Influencers in 2012. For further information, please contact Bill Rothchild at 212-477-5465 or via e-mail at billr@amitchildren.org. You may also make a reservation online at www.amitchildren.org/gifts in the Events Registration section.
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May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 13
EDITORIALS
A Great Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste espair is one word we can use to describe how we feel when a giant among men, a man with an extraordinary mind and insight into the law, Jewish and secular, self-destructs before our very eyes. Are these implosions of character caused by hubris or mental illness? Richard Nixon comes to mind. Last week, Dr. Michael Broyde, an outstanding dayan at the Beth Din of America, professor of law at Emory
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University in Atlanta and a major Torah scholar, was exposed by The Jewish Channel for creating alter egos on the world wide web to boost his own reputation. In the ensuing chaos, we commend Rabbi Shmuel Goldin and Av Bet Din, Rav Gedalia Schwartz, for their swift and transparent response in this case. Dr. Broyde has taken a voluntary leave from the RCA, and the Beth Din has suspended him indefinitely, pending further investigation. We
Co-Founders/Co-Publishers Mark (Mendy) Schwartz Moshe Kinderlehrer
also commend the rabbis for keeping Dr. Broyde’s decisions in place. It is a compassionate and fair method of handling a very problematic case. As Rabbi Goldin reminds us, the Torah already understood, from the pesukim he mentions in Vayikra, that power often corrupts those who have it. Human nature does not change, he reminds us, and we must carefully scrutinize those we choose to lead us. We agree.
I just received the latest issue of The Jewish Link. It gets better & better with each issue!!!! The articles are interesting & well written. This week’s editorial was right on target. The kids’ baseball info is an added plus. Thank you so much for publishing a local Jewish newspaper that I am happy to have in my home. Hatzlacha rabah.
Chana Senter, Teaneck
Letter to the editor: The Marie W. Andreas Memorial Park was dedicated in 1952 as a memorial to Maria Andreas and given to Teaneck by her family, original owners of the property. Frederic Andreas, her son, was a prominent community activist until he moved in 1951. The park was thus designated as a memorial to him as well as his mother—people who pioneered the Township of Teaneck. As a memorial, would it not be a desecration to supplant this with the proposed Holocaust Center?
Barbara Ley Toffler, Ph.D.
To the Editor: I have visited Yad Vashem at least twice and been deeply moved each time. I am a long-time donor to The American Society for Yad Vashem to help support that vital institution. When I opened their invitation to their Annual Dinner my stomach turned to see at the top of the list of General Chairmen of the Society the name Sheldon Adelson. Unlike the other chairs, he is neither a survivor, member of a survivor family, or long-time donor to Holocaust causes. How does he get to join this venerable list? By being a billionaire. There is nothing inherently wrong with being extremely rich. I have never heard any objections to the generosity of Baron Rothschild, Baron Moses Montefiore, Edgar Bronfman, or Ronald Lauder. But Mr. Adelson is frighteningly different from these other philanthro14 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
pists. Just before becoming a billionaire, he defrauded his own children out of shares in his company. His sons sued him, but he outlasted them through his vast wealth—the vast wealth generated by his gambling venues in Las Vegas, Macao and Singapore he uses to buy influence. (In 2012, Adelson’s company was reportedly under federal investigation over alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.) A Democrat most of his life, he suddenly switched to being a Republican right after becoming a billionaire. He chose that affiliation solely to persuade politicians to promote legislation that would protect his financial interests. He then proceeded to promote politicians all over the U.S., including here in Bergen County and in Israel, who would advance his views. Last year he gave Newt Gingrich $10 million to say that Romney was totally unqualified to be president. After it was clear that Romney would win the nomination, Adelson spent $100 million to back him. My parents were Holocaust survivors, as were two pairs of my uncles and aunts. My grandparents, two of my father’s siblings, and almost all of my parents’ wider families were murdered in the Holocaust. My parents lost a daughter in the Holocaust. For my first three years I was raised in the Bergen-Belsen DP camp. I have spent more than 20 years of my life devoted to Holocaust causes. I continue to establish my bona fides. I was on an advisory committee to the U.S. Holocaust Council, I helped organize second generation events for the Survivor Gatherings in Israel and in the States, I helped organize second generation conferences in New York and New Jersey, I returned to Bergen-Belsen to protest Reagan’s trip to Bitburg, and I was chairman of the Holocaust Committee of the Jewish Federation in Wayne. I am now a member of the
Contributing Editor Nina Glick Advertising Director Yaakov Serle Sales Director Aaron Strobel Charlie Weisinger Sales Representative Maxine Bender Technical Editor/ Database Coordinator Moishie Rosenberg Sports Editor Steve Gutlove Staff Photographer Yaron Karl
LETTERS TO THE EDTOR To the Editor:
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Teaneck Holocaust Commemoration Committee. I am revolted by the idea that Mr. Adelson has bought his way onto being a chairman of the American Society for Yad Vashem. My dead family members would be turning in their graves. He represents the opposite of all the values they held dear. Please write to the Society at 500 Fifth Avenue, 42nd Floor, New York, NY 10110-4299 to express your objections to Mr. Adelson being so inappropriately honored. I personally will stop contributing to the Society until they disaffiliate themselves from him.
Stephen Tencer, New Milford It is no secret that a severe tuition crisis exists in the Bergen County Jewish day school world today. Those who volunteer their time to the thankless jobs of lay leadership within these institutions appreciate that the challenge to meet everincreasing budgets engulfs virtually all local day schools — no matter whether the school’s enrollment is growing or shrinking and without regard to whether a school falls left, right or center on the religious spectrum. If there is any chance of solving the tuition crisis, it will likely require a collective communal response. After all, as Jews, we have always believed that our “whole” is greater than the sum of our parts and that our greatest achievements are possible only when we function “k’ish echad b’lev echad”— “like one individual … with one heart.” Therefore, it is unfortunate that The Jewish Week chose to frame the pains of the Moriah School in a way that pitted one school against another and set two thriving and vibrant Jewish communities in opposite corners. On this eve of Yom Ha’Atzmaut, we were privileged to attend a communal event at Congregation Ahavath Torah that was co-sponsored by all of the Or-
Contributors Sarah Abenaim • Larry Bernstein Alec Borenstein • Dr. Eytan Chen Estelle Glass • Chavie Hagler • Gail Hochman Robert Katz • Banji Latkin • Dr. Scott David Lippe Harold Nussbaum • Sara Prager P’nina Seplowitz • Bracha Schwartz Rabbi Mark Staum • Tzvi Silver Jordana Schoor • N. Aaron Troodler Rayzel Yaish • Ronn Yaish 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 is an independent publication. 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. The opinions expressed within, whether by paid advertisement or editorial content, do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper. We are not responsible for the kashrus of any product advertised in the Jewish Link of Bergen County.
thodox synagogues in Englewood. The numbers of attendees at the event had swelled since last year’s event — mirroring the general population growth within all of the local Englewood synagogues. There were activities for children as young as pre-K and, at 8:30 p.m. on a school night, it felt like there were as many kids celebrating the birth of the State of Israel as there were adults. The crowd was anything but monolithic, with kids and parents in attendance from all of the schools mentioned in your article and many more. Of note, this was actually the third such communal event held in the same space in just the last month, following a communal Yom HaShoah event last week and a public interdenominational discussion sponsored by Unite4Unity, a grass-roots effort cofounded by another Englewood resident focused on increasing communication and connections among Jews of all denominations. If this is the picture of an Orthodox community that is “not increasing,” it can only be because it is seen through the glasses of “observers” who seek to find otherness, notwithstanding obvious kinship. Kehilat Kesher - Community Synagogue of Tenafly and Englewood
Rabbi Akiva Block Mordy Rosenberg, President
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DIVREI TORAH
Shavuos is The Time for Happines By Rabbi Nosson Rich n March 2011, the New York Times attempted to discover the happiest person in the world. Using a formula called the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, the paper found that the happiest person in the world is an Orthodox Jew. Is this shocking to you? If we can generalize from this individual, what is it about our lives as Orthodox Jews that makes us so happy? What aspect of our religion allows us to enjoy life more than any other? We are a people who are very connected to our calendar. On the days of the year when we commemorate destruction, we mourn, while on days of the year when we commemorate salvation, we celebrate. But on which day do we experience the most joy? On which day of the year is our eu-
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phoric delight greatest? In a somewhat counterintuitive analysis, the Yesod V’shoresh Ha’avoda and Rav Yakov Emden both state that on Shavuos, more than all the other Yomim Tovim, we should feel the most simcha. Why? What is it about Shavuos that makes it so unique? While the obvious answer is our possession of the Torah, I would suggest that it is not only our ownership of the Torah which should cause us simcha on this day, but rather our commemoration of our receiving of the Torah. The Vilna Gaon (The Gra) in his commentary on Shir Hashirim (Ch. 1 verse 16) explains that the bracha of ahava raba ahavtanu which we recite before Shema is referring to matan torah when Hashem revealed his great love to us. As well, in his commentary on the siddur, the Gra explains that ata bechartanu refers to Pesach, ahavta osanu refers to Shavuos, and vratzisa
banu refers to Succos. Hashem’s eternal love for us was truly revealed on Shavuos. The Torah was Hashem’s most precious possession, his most valuable commodity, and he chose to give it to us! When a husband gives an expensive piece of jewelry, wrapped in beautiful box with a bow on top, it is a tremendous sign of love and caring. But when one gives a gift truly cared about, a possession with a tremendous amount of personal meaning, that is the ultimate sign of affection. Hashem gave us the ultimate present through which he expressed to us his everlasting love for us, and it is that realization which gives us tremendous delight. All too often we hear of children who feel neglected, children who feel unloved. When a child feels abandoned and uncared for it leads to a lack of self-worth and a lack of self-confidence. The same is true for adults as
well. When we feel as though no one cares about us, it saddens us and leads us to question our own value. And so, on Shavuos, as we commemorate our receiving of the Torah, we recognize Hashem’s true love for us and experience true joy. Any feelings of loneliness or isolation are removed when we realize that Hashem cares about each and every one of us. Sometimes it’s hard for us to see how much He cares; sometimes it seems to us like He doesn’t love us. Let’s use Shavuos to reinvigorate and re-instill within ourselves how much Hashem truly loves us. For when we recognize how much he cares, we will celebrate with the utmost happiness that each of us is unique, significant, and special in His eyes. Rabbi Nosson Rich is currently the Rabbinic Intern at Cong. Beth Aaron in Teaneck and is also a Kupietzky Fellow at R abbi E lchanan Theological Seminary.
The Intrinsic Unity of Israel By Rabbi Akiva Block ne of the central themes of the episode of Har Sinai is the immense unity that the Jewish people enjoyed as they encamped at the foot of the mountain. Rashi, in his famous comment citing the Midrash on the verse, Vayichan shom Yisroel neged ha har, extrapolates from the usage of the singular vayichan rather than the plural vayachanu, notes that the Jews were, k’ish echad b’lev echad, like one individual with one heart. In an odd twist, however, in an earlier comment Rashi attributes those very same qualities of unity and togetherness to the Egyptians! In Shmos 14:10, the Torah says regarding the Egyptians’ pursuit of the Jews at the banks of the Red Sea, Ve hinei Mitzraim nose’ah acharehem with the singular voice nose’ah, rather than the plural nos’im. There, too, Rashi states, citing the Midrash, that the Egyptian people were united, but in a slightly different way: b’lev echad k’ish echad, with one heart, as one person. That the Egyptians and the Jews
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were equally unified is in itself remarkable. But even more puzzling, why does Rashi feel the need to flip the two phrases, so that the Jewish people are k’ish echad b’lev echad, like one person with one heart, and the Egyptians are b’lev echad k’ish echad, with one heart like one person? What qualitative difference in the two nations’ respective unity are Rashi and the Midrash attempting to highlight? Perhaps the Midrash provides a prescription for what true Jewish unity is all about. While the Egyptians may have achieved unity at the same level as the Jews encamping around Har Sinai, their unity began with their lev echad, their unity of purpose, their singular objective. Only as a result of that were they able to be k’ish echad, unified as one. The Jews, on the other hand, possess an intrinsic unity which transcends a unity of purpose. They are, irrespective of any ideological differences, k’ish echad. At Har Sinai, the Jews also happen to have been b’lev echad, but Jewish unity is not contingent on ideological harmony or unity of purpose. Each and every Jew possesses an
unbreakable bond with their fellow Jew, k’ish echad, regardless of how differently they think or feel. It’s interesting to note that Shavuot comes at the culmination of the period of Sefirat Haomer, where we mourn the tragic loss of the students of Rabbi Akiva, who perished because of a lack of respect and honor for one another. As staunch disciples of the great Rabbi Akiva, these were students who undoubtedly were b’lev echad, singularly committed to the mission of learning and spreading the teachings of their revered rebbe. What they perhaps lacked was the k’ish echad, the sense of brotherhood and togetherness which allows us to overcome what are, in the grand scheme of things, petty differences. A failure to acknowledge the significance and importance of Jewish unity results, unfortunately, in a deficiency in and a lack of appreciation of true kedushas Yisrael. In this light, Rav Kook noted the interesting formulation of our birchos haTorah which we recite each and every morning and upon being called to the Torah. We begin by saying asher bachar banu mikol ha’amim, which
praises Hashem for choosing the Jewish nation as his chosen nation, and only then do we finish with v’nasan lanu es Toraso, thanking Hashem for giving us the Torah. At first glance, it should be reversed; doesn’t our chosen status flow from the simple fact that we are the nation who accepted Hashem’s Torah? Why not mention the Torah first and only then refer to the Jews’ status as the chosen nation? Rav Kook answers that not only was national unity a pre-requisite for the giving of the Torah, but that that unity exists as an intrinsic quality of the Jewish nation, k’ish echad, separate and apart from their b’lev echad, their belief in and pursuit of a Torah way of life. May this Shavuos serve as a catalyst to answer the call of k’ish echad b’lev echad, of not letting that which divides us trump that which unites us, so that we may accept the Torah anew in all its glory, the way the Jews did at Maamad har Sinai. Rabbi Block is the pulpit r abbi at Kesher in Tenafly, a misumach of REITS, and a Talmud teacher at SAR in Riverdale.
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May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 15
DIVREI TORAH
That’s Cold! By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz ometimes, when it’s late at night and the whole world is still, you can feel like you’re the only one alive. As you roam around, you can sense the solitude, taste the peace and quiet, and usually, you go to the kitchen for a midnight snack. Okay, so maybe that’s just me, and for some reason, I imagine that those of you who know me aren’t surprised. Anyway, there I was, getting myself a nice cold drink, when I realized that we didn’t have any cold soda in the fridge. No problem. I opened a fresh bottle, poured it into a glass, and reached into the freezer for a handful of ice cubes. I thought, “HaShem, Thank You for ice!” Now, maybe you’ve never really given ice much thought, I mean, it just kind of sits there in the freezer waiting for you. If you’ve ever had to fill ice cube trays and try to find a relatively flat space to put them in, you probably have a lot more respect for your automatic icemaker. If not, you think about it only occasionally, when the sound of the cubes falling into the bucket seems like an intruder which the man of the
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house inevitably has to go check out at two in the morning. In truth, ice is an amazing thing. It’s the very first “energy water.” It’s got cold stored within it, and it can share that reduced temperature with other things. When you put it in a drink, it slowly melts and cools your drink to a much more enjoyable temperature. In fact, before air conditioning, people used to put a bucket of ice in front of a fan to let the ice cool down the air around it. Strange such a mundane thing generates such awe, but when you think deeply about it, you realize how much better your life is because of ice. Truth be told, we really could be in awe of everything. In fact, sometimes, I’m just in awe of how much “everything” we have. Often, on my middle-of-thenight treks into the kitchen, I’ll just look around in wonderment at the glasses, the dishes, the appliances, the table and chairs, the cabinets and all the things in them and whisper, “Wow. Thank You, HaShem, for all this STUFF.” I find it overwhelming thinking about how much “stuff” we own—peelers and crock pots and even special little yellow holders for corn on the cob that
we only use like two or three times a year! I ask for more stuff, and that we should always be able to have stuff. It becomes an auspicious time for prayer. You see, it’s not a binge when I go into the kitchen all alone, it’s a pilgrimage! Have you ever cut yourself? I don’t mean badly, I mean just a little slice of the finger, perhaps when you were cutting a piece of frozen brownie at say, 1 a.m., while the whole house was snoozing. Now think about what you did to heal it. Perhaps you put on a “bandaid,” maybe some kind of ointment, but how did you instruct your skin to grow and knit perfectly so the finger looks like the cut never happened? Of course, you didn’t do anything. It just happened by itself. Your skin cells know how to grow to close the space, rewire the nerve endings, and even put your fingerprints back in order. That’s not a small thing at all, and yet we don’t often hear people saying, “Ribono Shel Olam, thank you for giving my body the wisdom to heal itself; please continue to grant me good health and appreciation for it.” The more you look at things, and not just look at them, but into them, the more in awe of how blessed we are you will become. R’ Avigdor Miller, z”l, was famous for his discussion of fruit. For
example, an orange is bright and attractive. It has a sturdy peel to protect the fruit, yet it can be opened with your fingers. Inside, the peel is white, for there is no need to waste bright color on the part that’s inside and not seen until you’re already halfway to eating it. The fruit is also bright, tasty, and it has delightful juice in it. Inside, there are seeds which contain millions and billions of pieces of data in a biological format that when planted, know how to create wood, roots, bark, leaves, fruit, and more seeds! It’s amazing. If you found a dime when you cut open an orange you’d be surprised, but a seed which is worth so much more we take for granted. I bet if you took some time to reflect on the world around you, some moment when all is quiet, still, and nobody else is with you, you’d find much more than a midnight snack. I bet you’d find your fill of food for thought. So go ahead and snack away, and while you’re enjoying a bit of nosh with your ice cold soda, take a minute to thank HaShem for the nosh. It will have you saying, “How sweet it is!” To sign up for the Migdal Ohr, Jonathan Gewirtz’s weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English, e-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter.com and put Subscribe in the subject.
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OP-ED
The Crisis Crisis By Yair Daar here’s nothing like a crisis to get people talking. Be it tuition, abuse coverups, the internet, or shidduchim, major dilemmas in our community are usually what attract the headlines and inspire conversation. This behavior is natural, of course. We generally have a desire to discuss things that are meaningful and relevant, and we also like catastrophes. Therefore, stories that affect our community in real and sometimes frightening ways attract our attention. Despite the explanations, this practice exposes something problematic. The perfect introduction to this conversation is to remember the adage in Pirkei Avot that equates wisdom with foresight. The logic is clear: If a person only considers the present when planning, organizing, and making decisions, then only short-term success is guaranteed. So when problems come up, the only option might be to scramble for solutions. By waiting for crises to dictate our next move, we find ourselves restricted to damage control. The “crises” that our communities are faced with provide good examples. As opposed to Yosef, who had the wisdom to save during times of affluence,
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we spent, and now we are paying for it. Many in our communities have expenses that are difficult to cover, yeshiva tuition most famously among them. Foresight may have told people to save, to choose smaller homes, and to skimp on the vacations. Schools may have planned their finances or structured their personnel differently. Another example is what is known as the “Shidduch Crisis.” Online dating sites and pay-for-shidduch initiatives are just a two of the proposed solutions to increase the number of married couples in the Orthodox world. But what if this issue could have been avoided altogether? Maybe we could have been more cognizant of how our communities were developing. Maybe we could have identified the problematic mindsets and tried to change them. Maybe some foresight would have helped. (This is not to pass judgment or claim that I know exactly what could have been done to avoid these problems. Perhaps they were unavoidable. I am just trying to point out that all crises have causes, and that these factors could be addressed in advance.) To pin down the main factor that prevents foresight is impossible. Human nature is complicated, varied and
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cannot be explained in a few sentences. However, I’d like to mention two possibilities, and the reader can decide if they resonate. The first cause relates to being selfcentered. I don’t mean this to be critical, but rather to be descriptive. Being self-centered is a big part of Orthodox Judaism, and particularly today. “Connecting with God,” “Becoming a Bas-Torah,” and “Growing in Learning” are a few of the popular goals that m’chanchim set for their students and individuals for themselves. Of course, these are all meaningful pursuits. However, when growing as individuals becomes the totality of Avodas Hashem, we don’t really think in terms of community, the future, and definitely not out of the box. We look at ourselves and ask “How’s everything going?” And if the answer is “pretty good,” we smile and keep moving along. The ones most affected are those on the fringe. Not everyone can connect to things the way they are. Those that leave due to a lack of diversity or flexibility are often viewed as unfortunate casualties, as opposed to signs that we are missing something. To look at it from a chinuch perspective, every school has a small demographic
of students for whom the classic yeshiva day school format “doesn’t work.” This group includes (but is not exclusive to) students with learning and differences and cognitive weaknesses, those that are exceptionally bright but need to be challenged, and those that just aren’t into the whole learning thing. It would be unfortunate for the needs of these students to be overlooked because overall we are “doing fine.” Another potential factor that limits our foresight is our conservative nature. Orthodox Judaism puts a large emphasis or tradition, for good reason. Our reverence for tradition is pervasive, going beyond halacha and affecting many aspects of our non-ritual lives. Granted, there is a wide range in terms of accepting novel ideas. However, uniformity of practice is a pretty fair characterization of most Orthodox communities. Our traditional nature makes us wary of innovation. Our Rabbanim generally use prescribed modes of deciding halacha, our smachot generally looks the same, and many of our schools rely on age-old methods. Nov-
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DIVREI TORAH
The Process of Sin By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb t is a word that one hears frequently these days, in many contexts. The word is process. It is a word that reflects our growing recognition that there are very few things in this world that occur in an instant, yesh me’ayin, something out of nothing. When one faces a complex set of circumstances, he is well advised to assume that these circumstances did not arise out of nowhere, but, on the contrary, are the results of many prior events, some going back many years. Hence, we speak of the processes of nature, the historical process, the process of aging, and even the process of disease. The concept of life as a process may be traced back to the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, who pointed out that one does not step into the same river twice. Life, like the river, does not stand still, and no two moments in life are identical. From a Jewish perspective, everything is in the process of change, everything, that is, except God Himself, who is unchanging and eternal. I first became aware of the philosophical importance of the notion of process in a course I took in graduate school on the great American philosophers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In that course, I was introduced to the thought of Alfred North Whitehead, who wrote a book entitled Process and Reality. Although I remember finding that book very difficult to read, I can still recall the instructor’s helpful analogy of life as a flowing river that continuously carves out new paths. As an example, she showed us old maps of the Mississippi River which demonstrated that it changed course many times over the centuries but always had the same destination: the sea. Much more recently, I attended a seminar in which a very prominent physician distinguished between those diseases that are the products of long-term processes of deterioration versus those diseases that are the re-
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sult of sudden trauma with no previous pathology evident at all. As this doctor made his point, a participant in the seminar rose to protest. He identified himself as a “process philosopher” who believed that even sudden traumatic events are part of a subtle ongoing process which preceded them, rendering the individual susceptible to what appeared to be sudden trauma, but what was in reality only
slavery to another Jew. Rashi responds, following a passage in the Talmud (Kiddushin 20a), that what we have in chapter 25 is a detailed account of a fundamental process of human nature, the process of sin. Rashi tells us that sin typically proceeds in incremental fashion, from minor to major, from incidental and almost trivial infractions to a point
Rashi tells us that sin typically proceeds in incremental fashion, from minor to major, from incidental and almost trivial infractions to a point where a person becomes trapped in a web of sin from which it is very difficult to extricate himself. the inevitable outcome of a prior ongoing process. He insisted that even traumatic events, seemingly coming out of nowhere, are the culmination of a process. Whereas this philosopher’s contention is surely debatable, what is not debatable is that sin is part of a process. Sins are not merely isolated events in a person’s life. This point has its roots in the Torah portions, Behar and Bechukotai (Leviticus 25:1-27:34). At the beginning of chapter 26, which appears near the end of Behar, we read: “You shall not make idols for yourselves, or set up for yourselves carved images or pillars, or place figured stones in your land to worship upon, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep My Sabbaths and venerate my sanctuary….” Rashi, the greatest of our traditional commentators, is puzzled by the placement of this particular simple verse. It follows the long and complex chapter 25, which discusses a great diversity of subjects: the sabbatical year; the transfer of merchandise and the sale of real property; laws of usury; the conditions which apply to a person who becomes destitute, who, when he has no other alternative, may even sell himself into
where a person becomes trapped in a web of sin from which it is very difficult to extricate himself. Thus, chapter 25 begins with the laws of the sabbatical year, alluding to a person who, in the interest of monetary gain, ignores those laws and does commerce with the fruits of that year. As punishment for this, his commercial plans are frustrated, and he must sell his merchandise to raise cash. If he then persists in his sins, he finds himself forced to sell off his fields, and then, still failing to repent, will become so desperate that he has to sell his very home. This process continues to spiral downward if he does not change his ways, and he finds himself so strapped financially that he must borrow money under usurious terms. Two parallel processes inexorably move forward: the process of deepening entrenchment in sin, and the process of ever worsening financial conditions. But then, chapter 25 continues with even more disastrous consequences for this obdurate sinner, and, with no other alternative, he is forced to sell himself into slavery to a fellow Jew. But in this condition he still has hope, because the Torah here implores oth-
er Jews to come forward and redeem this poor fellow from his enslavement. However, continues Rashi, if the sinner still does not get the message of his need to change his sinful ways, help will not come forth. Thus concludes chapter 25: “For it is to Me that the Israelites are servants: they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt, I the Lord your God.” And the Talmud comments, “They are to be My servants, and not the servants of other, human, servants.” If such is the case, and that stubborn sinner still doesn’t “get it,” we have the opening statement of chapter 26, to which we’ve already referred. “You shall not make idols for yourselves….” These words are addressed, Rashi tells us, to our stubborn sinner who, even when sold to fellow Jews, remains unrepentant. He then finds it necessary to sell himself to non-Jews, to other nations. And he therefore needs to be reminded that, even in an alien environment, he must remain faithful to his God. He cannot say, “My master is immoral, why can’t I be? My master is idolatrous, why not me? My master violates the Sabbath, why shouldn’t I?” Even at the nadir of his process, he is encouraged to repent and is admonished, “You shall not make idols for yourself….” Sin is a process. Egregious sins have a history and are long preceded by minor, even trivial, infractions. That’s the bad news. The good news is that repentance is also a process. When one commits to change his ways, he need not be discouraged by the enormity of the task ahead. He need merely proceed, step by small step, in the right direction. The process of teshuva, return, requires just a “re-turn,” a small change in behavior. How encouraging are God’s words, as phrased by our Sages, “Open for Me an opening the size of the eye of a needle, and I will open for you an opening as large as the door of a great Temple.”
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M’pnai Darchei Shalom: Interfaith Dialogue in Modern Times By Jerome Chanes he election of a new pope raises again the question of the stance of the Orthodox world on interreligious relationships, particularly the relations between Christians and Jews. The question, specifically: In which arenas can Jews engage with Christians, and which areas are off the table? What can Jews and Christians talk about? To this deceptively simple question there is no simple answer. Historically, relations between Christians and Jews were defined by theology—“teachings of contempt,” charges of deicide, “the wandering Jews” and so on, as articulated by early Church councils as central to the development and contouring of Christian theology. It is important to remember that anti-Judaism was a crucial dynamic in the shaping of the new religion, and was part of the justification for the Christian assertion, “We are Verus Israel, the true Jews.” The term-of-art is supersessionism: Christianity superseded Judaism; Christians were now the new, true Jews. The turning point was, of course, the Second Vatican Council, convened by Angelo Roncalli, Pope John XXIII, culminating with Nostra Aetate, issued in 1966 by Pope Paul VI, which addressed the range of interreligious relationships. Nostra Aetate addresses evolving relationships between Muslims and Jews. The fourth section of NA is the “Jewish” section, which repudiated antisemitism and the charge of deicide, and which asserted that, from the Catholic perspective, Judaism has legitimacy as a faith-community. But what have Christian-Jewish relations looked like for Jews? How have we Jews approached Christian-Jewish relations? More precisely, what are the differences in the ways in which our movements do interreligious? Each movement has had its own approach to relating to Christians, each based on its own interpretation of halakha. Within the Orthodox world, there are two approaches. The main-
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stream Orthodox view of interreligious is based on a landmark address by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, subsequently published in 1964 in Tradition as “Confrontation,” in which Rabbi Soloveitchik laid out the guidelines for interfaith activity: DO interact and engage with Christians on matters that improve and enhance societal and conditions—war and peace, civil rights, social and economic justice, anything that comes under the rubric of tikkun olam—indeed, in the “public world of humanitarian cultural endeavors, communication among the various faithcommunities is desirable and even essential.” But on issues that go to nature and essence of the faith-community— theology and theological dialogue— Rabbi Soloveitchik asserted a forthright “No.” The Modern Orthodox Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) adopted Rabbi Soloveitchik’s guidelines as policy for the Modern Orthodox world. Agudath Israel of America, representing the more sectarian “yeshiva velt,” for its part, took a much harder line: no interreligious activity at all, even on social justice issues. At the other end of the continuum, the Reform movement’s stance was that everything is on the table—and ought be on the table—including theology. Whither interfaith dialogue? The answer to this question lies in the very word dialogue, which, in the interreligious arena, means discussion of issues—usually theological—over which there is little or no agreement. So we are not talking about Rabbi Soloveitchik’s “improving conditions of the world”; we are talking about the nature of the respective faith-communities. There has been healthy discussion within the Orthodox over theological dialogue world during the past decade. Indeed, there are significant voices calling for revision or rescission on the part of the Orthodox on the ban on interreligious theological dialogue. Let us first understand Rabbi Soloveitchik’s view. First, purely theologically, to Soloveitchik true confrontation with God is possible only within
the covenant or faith-community. This is not, by the way, a halakhic matter; there is no halakhic impediment to talking theology with non-Jews. The Jew confronts other—the “I-You” relationship, in Buber’s locution—through the covenantal faith community uniquely afforded him through the covenant God made with the Jews at Sinai. As Rabbi Soloveitchik put it, the “curtain of communication” falls when we engage as Jews in the confrontation unique to our faith-community. This confrontation, asserted Soloveitchik, is untranslatable to others and is not discussable. The content of our revelation cannot be the topic of conversation between Jews and non-Jews. Second, as a practical matter, Rabbi Soloveitchik, writing in 1963 and 1964, was carrying the baggage of 2000 years of Christian supersessionism and conversionism, and he held the view— a legitimate view, at the time—that the Catholics were using Vatican II as the latest in a long line of conversionist vehicles. In the public address that later evolved into the essay “Confrontation,” Soloveitchik expressed his concerns about Vatican II, specifically with respect to overtures made to Jews, being used as a vehicle for old-fashioned proselytization. After all, the discussions were unprecedented, and Rabbi Soloveitchik was very sensitive to the issue. In other words, the Holy See’s motives, in Soloveitchik’s eyes, may not have been emollient or benign. Go back to the question of the sanctity and exclusiveness of our confrontation: “The content of our revelation cannot be the topic of conversation between Jews and non-Jews.” Can’t it be? Ask contemporary Jewish thinkers. The conditions that informed Rabbi Soloveitchik’s expression in 1964 no longer obtain today. 2013 is not 1963. Whilst the theological underpinnings of “Confrontation” may yet be valid, so much has happened in the Church— “the six ‘R’s,” according to one Church theologian: the repudiation of Catholic antisemitism, the rejection of deicide, repentance after the Holocaust, review of teaching about Jews and Ju-
yond the pale, or having less-than-noble intentions. There may be truth here, but some of it is simply a visceral reaction to change. In general, our schools are thriving, in conjunction with our communities. For the most part, our children are learning, they stay within the fold, go to college and have successful careers; things are looking bright. Ostensibly, this should give us a sense of comfort
that our educational methods do not need change. However, general success should not make us complacent. We should constantly be asking ourselves if our students are being taught in the optimal way. Can our schools adjust or rethink their approach to reach more students more of the time? Can Talmud Torah become more meaningful to our students? What is the future going to look like and
THE CRISIS CRISIS
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elties like academic Talmud study, creative rabbinic solutions to permit agunot, and women’s tefilla groups make many of us uncomfortable, and we thus paint those efforts as being be201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
daism, recognition of Israel, and rethinking of proselytizing Jews—that make the theological issues pale. Now the rejection of antisemitism and deicide require very little conceptual and philosophical development. The main challenge today is not clarification of these points, but their broad promulgation and implementation in the Catholic community. That has happened, for the most part, thanks mostly to the efforts of Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II. Likewise, with respect to issues such as Israel (although this is a highly-nuanced area, not for this discussion). These are the issues, not theology, argue those who call for revision. It is clear that a different concept of dialogue has emerged. Dialogue today does not attack the foundations of the other faith. It satisfies all of Rav Soloveitchik’s four conditions for theological engagement, namely, acknowledgment of the Jewish people as a vital faith-community; non-negotiability of the Jewish commitment to God; mutual non-interference with the faith of the other; and agreement that each community “has the right to live, create, and worship God in its own way, in freedom and dignity.” The Church has in numerous ways agreed with these pre-conditions. Dialogue today is not the antagonistic confrontation of Jacob and Esav of which the Rov spoke in 1964 in “Confrontation.” The countervailing position has best been expressed by historian David Berger. “It is clear,” says Berger, “That Rabbi Soloveitchik assumed he was dealing, on the eve of Nostra Aetate, with a thoroughly supersessionist Catholicism whose adherents were interested in converting Jews.” But “Confrontation” is not exhausted, argue Berger and others, by depicting it as a warning against engaging in old-fashioned disputation. The call for dialogue in 1963 was not framed in disputational terms; that’s precisely why Rabbi Soloveitchik had to caution against it. The issue in “Confrontation,” and in the Rabbi Soloveitchik’s stance, is explicitly communicating a faith, not demonstrating the truth of a position. Says Berger, “The personal experience of a faith cannot be communicated.” So the argument goes. For the record, as of today, there has been no formal revision of the RCA position on interfaith talks.
how can we prepare our students for what they will face? These are some of the questions, if addressed properly, can help us avoid the next crisis. Yair D aar teaches Gemar a and Tanach, and serves as a curriculum c oordinator at SAR High School in R iverdale, New York. He is curr ently a doctoral candidate at Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School. Yair lives in Bergenfield with his wife and three daughters. May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 19
POLITICAL PONDERINGS
The Other Kind of Jewish Outreach By N. Aaron Troodler, Esq. hen we hear the term “Jewish outreach,” most of us automatically assume that it has something to do with kiruv. Translated literally it means “bringing close.” It is the idea of bringing people closer to Judaism and renewing their commitment to the Jewish faith. There are many worthy individuals and organizations dedicated to Jewish outreach and their efforts are to be applauded. However, there is another type of Jewish outreach that you may not be familiar with—political Jewish outreach and the creation of a new phenomenon in legislative offices wherever there is a significant Jewish population…the “Jewish liaison.” More and more elected officials have come to the conclusion that is necessary to employ an individual whose sole or primary responsibility is serving as a bridge between the office holder and the Jewish community. Job titles may vary from Director of Jewish Outreach to Community Repre-
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sentative to Director of Public Affairs, but the concept is the same. Tasked with keeping his or her boss apprised of issues relating to the Jewish community, the liaison advises the boss on how to navigate sensitive subjects pertaining to the Jewish community. The liaison is a constant presence at the boss’ side at Jewish community events. If there is a legislative or public policy issue that relates to the Jewish community even in a tangential way, the Jewish liaison plays a role. President Obama has a Jewish liaison who plays a key role in advising the White House on Jewish issues, domestically and internationally. The president’s Jewish liaison also generally serves as the administration’s first point of contact for Jewish organizations and communal leaders throughout the country. Having a Jewish liaison in the White House is not a new trend by any means—it began with Jimmy Carter, and on through Reagan, Clinton and George W. Bush. There are many elected officials in the tri-state area who have people on their staff who they turn to for advice
and counsel on Jewish issues. On the state level, both New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have a Jewish liaison. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has a staffer who serves as his Jewish liaison, as does Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes. Jewish liaisons also operate in political campaigns. One of the most talked about campaigns in the metropolitan area so far this year has been the 2013 New York City mayoral race. Democrats Bill de Blasio, Bill Thompson, and John Liu, and Republicans John Catsimatidis and Joe Lhota all have designated people to focus on Jewish outreach. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is currently leading the other Democratic candidates in the polls, is expected to make a major push to shore up Jewish support as well. So, why do political candidates and public officials spend time and money working with Jewish liaisons? There are several possible answers. 1. VOTES. An integral part of any political campaign is courting voters and shoring up support from the electorate.
In areas that are home to a large number of Jewish voters, candidates are wise to show the community that they care and want their future constituents backing. 2. THE JEWISH COMMUNITY HAS ARRIVED. Could it be that the Jewish community has become a potent political force and the level of our political involvement warrants the special attention? 3. UNIQUE JEWISH ISSUES. Do we have such complex issues that we need a designated intermediary to address our concerns? We would like to think that that is not the case, but perhaps there are elected officials who think otherwise. Many of our elected officials and political hopefuls make an effort to reach out to our community. Our community would be best served if we returned the favor and made an attempt to reach out to our elected officials and establish relationships with them as well. Jewish outreach can certainly be a two-way street. N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and a principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political c onsulting fi rm. Visit him on the Web at www.PaulReverePR.com or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/troodler
Me’achorai Hapargod: Are Our Communal Dollars Being Spent Wisely? By Robert Katz recent report in The Washington Post disclosed that the federal government could save tens of billions of dollars each year by trimming duplicative programs such as the deployment of catfish inspections by three separate agencies and the use of an astounding 159 different contracted organizations that provide foreign-language support for the Defense Department. This according to a report from Congress’s auditing agency. While I will let Congress resolve its own issues, I can’t stand by idly while the use of our own communal Kispei Kodesh are increasingly being called into question. Our “Eight Towns” are blessed with many achievements—excellent schools, pillars of philanthropy, and a plethora of organizations serving every imaginable physical, educational, social and emotional need. In a recent article in the Times of Israel, OHEL CEO (and my boss), David Mandel, posited that “in many in-
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stances a person in need has choices of goods and services. Yet in some sectors there may be too many agencies competing for the scarce dollar from government, foundations or individual donors. Scarce resources may result in hiring not fully-qualified or experienced professionals. Complex social problems require competent professional assessment and treatment.” And herein lies the problem. For, while the subject of yeshiva tuition is commonplace at our Shabbat tables, drilling down one step further could easily result in the highly subjective evaluation of which organizations are fully necessary to sustain, and which may be better off shuttering or merging with others. Drill down even further, and the bedrock question becomes, “Who will tell such an organization to shutter or merge?” By answering this last question first, we can begin the inevitable discussion. I would aver that in the absence of the old world shtetl, with one Rav serving the town or one Vaad making communal decisions, it is left up to the donors or board members of
each and every one of our communal organizations to do their own soulsearching, for we cannot continue down this path much longer. The market must decide, and soon, which communal organizations will thrive, which will survive, and which should no longer exist. Community members and especially larger donors will play an expanded role in this decision more than ever before. Federation sustenance is waning, and donors are choosing “boutique giving,” offering their valuable time and dollars directly to an organization of their choice. More so, they are establishing their own private foundations and organizations in order to serve the Klal without truly understanding the marketplace, what it will bear in terms of service and support, and its future sustainability. The resulting effect is the dreaded duplication of services. Many have stated that G-d has given us enough problems for there to be multiple organizations serving multiple or similar purposes. I am not of that school of thought. The deleterious effects of the recession of ’08 and ’09 have left a lasting psychological impact on our minds and our
wallets. If only the strong shall survive in a free market economy, the same must apply to our communal organizations vying for our Kispei Kodesh. If they are not up to the task, it is up to the community—the market— to vote with its volunteer time and dollars to say who should stay and should go, or merge. That message should be read—crystal clear—by responsible lay leadership and board members who have a fiduciary responsibility not just to their organizations but to the Klal. Leadership needs to create more by considering less. And if that means that my own organization and livelihood is impacted, as the Chief Development Officer of a major Jewish social service agency, then so be it. When I received my MBA in 1988, I went to work for the Jewish community out of a passion to help make our world a better place. Twenty-five years later, organizations that we all care about are struggling mightily, donations are down, psyches have been damaged. It is time for serious introspection.
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JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH
President’s Statement on Jewish Heritage Month ongress declared May as Jewish Heritage Month in 2006 and President Obama was the only U.S. President to throw a party for it, but with the recent budget sequester, this year’s party has been cancelled. So has Fleet Week in New York, when thousands of naval personnel will not be visiting the city. Jews have been in the Americas since the Inquisition, and as Dutch traders, some settled in South America. When the Portuguese took Brazil from the Dutch, the the Sephardic Jews of Recife, a port in northern Brazil fled because they brought the Inquisiton with them. After coping with pirates and a recalcitrant governor in Curacao, 23 Jews arrived in 1654 New Amsterdam in late summer. Governor Peter Stuyvesant did what he could to prevent them from arriving, from staying and from becoming equal members of the colony. He ultimately failed in these attempts because the Dutch West India Company needed these merchants and traders, who were also their investors. Still, Stuyvesant levied special taxes and restrictions on them. Asser Levy an Ashkenazic Jew who arrived in the settlement just months earlier, fought for the right to stand on the battlements and fight any attackers. When the British took over ten years later, the Jews fled to Charleston, the largest Jewish community in the colonies, Newport and also Philadelphia. The British were not friendly to the Jews in England or in their colonies. The first shul, Shearith Israel, a still functioning house of worship, was established in 1692. Its Parnass was Moises Luis Gomez, whose trading post and cabin were built on Jews’ Creek in Marlboro, New York in 1713. By 1720, there were more Ashkenazim then Sephardim in the city, but the Sephardi minhag ruled. B’nai Jeshurun, the first Ashkenazi shul, was not established until 1825. In 1775, there were about 2,000 in a colonial population of almost two million. Today Jews are still a minor-
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ity, making up only 2-3% of the population, and though Harvard and Rhode Island College accepted Jews, the American Revolution was the great integrator of Jews into American life. Almost all the Jews in the colonies sided with the founding fathers and the “rebels,” remembering as they did the persecutions in Europe. They joined George Washington’s Continental Army and local militias—fighting on Shabbos and eating what they could. However, the most important Jewish contribution to the Revolutionary War was money. Haym Solomon and
would give “to bigotry no sanction [and] to persecution no assistance,” and that all Americans are entitled to “liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.” Those words ring as true today as they did then, and they speak to a principle as old as America itself: that no matter who you are, where you come from, or what faith you practice, all of us have an equal share in America’s promise. It was such a belief that drew generations of Jewish immigrants to our shores. It is what brought Jewish families westward when pogroms and per-
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secution cast a shadow over Europe in the last century. It is what led Holocaust survivors and Jews trapped behind the Iron Curtain to rebuild their lives across the Atlantic. And with every group that arrived here, the Jewish American community grew stronger. Our Nation grew stronger. Jewish immigrants from all over the world wove new threads into our cultural fabric with rich traditions and indomitable faith, and their descendants pioneered incredible advances in science and the arts. Teachings from the Torah lit the way toward a more perfect Union, from women’s rights to workers’ rights to the end of segregation. That story is still unfolding today. Jewish Americans continue to guide our country’s progress as scientists and teachers, public servants and private citizens, wise leaders and loving parents. We see their accomplishments in every neighborhood, and we see them abroad in our unbreakable bond with Israel that Jewish Americans helped forge. More than 350 years have passed since Jewish refugees first made landfall on American shores. We take this month to celebrate the progress that followed, and the bright future that lies ahead.”
Robert Morris, who are forever memorialized with George Washington on Wacker Drive in Chicago, were major financiers who help fund the war. Despite their contribution, there were still states that discriminated against the Jewish people. Then when George Washington became president, he issued a letter quoted this week by U.S. President Barack Obama in his Proclamation of Jewish Heritage Month: “In his second year in office, President George Washington wrote a letter to the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island—one of our Nation’s first Jewish houses of worship—and reaffirmed our country’s commitment to religious freedom. He noted that the Government of the United States
THE TOURO SYNAGOGUE
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May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 21
NEW IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Memor y Lane (aka Amsterdam Avenue) By Mordechai and Nina Glick ndeed, what a great bonus of our move from Montreal to New Jersey has been the opportunity to partake in amazing programming available in the Metropolitan area. An extra bonus, we availed ourselves of was the extraordinary day set aside by YU on April 14th to honor the 20th yahrzeit of the Rav. As we reminisced and walked along Amsterdam Avenue that day, many fond and wonderful memories came to mind. We lived at 501 W 184th Street many years ago – we shared our apartment with the occasional mouse, many cock roaches and wonderful, wonderful neighbors. As Avi and Toby Weiss said havdallah in the apartment directly next door to us we would answer “amenâ€? through the walls. As I walked underneath the windows of “the Morgâ€? I wondered if water bombs are still thrown from the windows when boys who think that they are men need to play. I recalled how we walked along ďŹ rst as a newly married couple - and then as time went
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by as parents of our daughter Malke Leah. It was so easy – every time that I needed a baby sitter I would just call the dorm – whoever answered would be happy to run over (we lived directly across the street) and then they were rewarded with a Shabbos meal the following week. We did not know what it meant to hire a babysitter until Malkie was 2 and we left the secure net of the YU life experience. When you saw a bochur scurrying across Amsterdam you would know that he was late for shiur. Or there was the case of two individual guys who shall remain nameless who would dart between doorways as they watched their Rebbe on his way to the Beis Medrash as they had decided not to attend shiur that day. Later in life they gave shiurim to their own students. Memories – of days that are hard to describe and that some would have difďŹ culty imagining. What happened to “Parker’sâ€?, I asked as we entered Rubin? “ Oh, now we call it the Caf! “, I was told. But it was always Parker’s to us where they had the best marble cake and strawberry short-
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cake. There was the added decoration of straws in the ceiling. It was a YU sport – trying to shoot your straw up as high as it could get so that it would protrude from the ceiling of the cafeteria. Just as they clear the kvitlach from the Wall twice a year so did the cleaning staff remove all of the straws. As soon as everyone returned from their vacations it would start again. I remember as it was yesterday, the Rav entering the cafeteria sometimes holding his tray and other times someone holding it for him. When I think back to what a zchut that was and is to even have that memory. There was the “new Bais medrashâ€? in the building on 185th and Amsterdam where Rav Aharon Lichtenstein would hold court for the kollel. The enthusiasm of learning has deďŹ nitely not waned since those days. The memory of the levaya of Rav Chanoch Henoch Fishman will always stay in my mind – all of the bochurim walking slowly behind the aron as it went down Amsterdam Avenue to the highway on its way to the airport to his ďŹ nal resting place. The kavod and emotion that was displayed was a ďŹ rst for me to observe.
JWV Memorial Moved to New Milford Green ďƒ›
Louis and Naomi Tuchman Guests of Honor
Lynda Smith Faculty Honoree
Dr. Seth Taylor Faculty Honoree
YESHIVA UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOLS
Annual Dinner of Tribute Wednesday, May 22, 2013/13 Sivan 5773
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as an organization to support the Jewish members of the United States Armed Forces. The members of local chapters of the JWV are mostly an aging group of men who served in World War II or the Korean War, according to Ralph Gerber, commander of the Teaneck/New Milford post. The local chapters are in Teaneck/New Milford, Fair Lawn, Fort Lee and Paramus. Chapters have
The comraderie of the friends that we made during that time has remained with us. To this day when we meet many of them it is as though we were never apart. As our children grew and went onto Eretz Yisroel when they completed high school they would visit with our YU Friends who had made aliyah – inevitably they would be asked questions as to whether or not I still made the same meatballs that I did years ago. (I do). We made sheva brachot for so many in our small one bedroom apartment – no glitz – lots of wonderful feelings and celebrations. Years later, here we were walking down Amsterdam remembering and recalling the beauty of that simple life. We were spoiled in that we knew the Rav from Boston as one of us was a Maimonides graduate. We greatly appreciate that we were a part of that era. Being a part of the YU family gave us the conviction to go on and become communal readers, in our case, rav and rebbetzin of a shul in Montreal. We stand proud of who we became due to the teachings and life which we lived on Amsterdam Avenue so long ago.
monthly meetings where the number of participants has been dwindling as the members have grown older and some have become inďŹ rm. Members of the local Teaneck/New Milford chapter participate in local parades and run a bingo game on the 4th Monday night of every month at the Paramus Veterans home in which prize money is awarded and money is raised to maintain their post. Ralph Gerber said it “was a very nice gesture [on behalf of New Milford] to move the monument,â€? and said they look forward to participating in township occasions which honor our fallen soldiers at the new site of the memorial.
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22 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
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FOOD
Devorah Yitti’s Mom’s Cheesecakes By Gail Hochman s Shevuos approaches, we look forward to yet another Yom Tov spent with family and friends. Who doesn’t anticipate the one dessert which is almost synonymous to the holiday itself, cheesecake? There are people who prepare it in a variety of ways, yet however it is made it seems to be a favorite of all, as it captures both the texture and flavor that we look for in our Shevuos dairy delight. If you have never made a cheesecake before, don’t worry; it’s not hard and you will feel so accomplished once you take that first bite. Crust: • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (see note) • 6 Tablespoons margarine or butter • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 Tablespoon of water Mix well and spread over the bottom of a spring form pan. Be sure to spray the sides of the pan with a cooking oil spray or grease with butter or margarine. Note: In lieu of this crust, you can use broken frozen chocolate
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cake just for the purpose of making crust. Spread it out on the bottom of the pan and spray it with Pam; you can use a bit of margarine if you’d like instead. Baking not needed. Prepare crust in pie plate and fill, then bake. The filling: • 4 8 oz packages of cream cheese • 1 pint sour cream • 1 1/2 cups sugar • 3/4 cup milk • 4 eggs • 3/4 cup sugar • 1 tablespoon vanilla • 4 tablespoons of flour Cream sugar and cream cheese. Add eggs, vanilla, sour cream, milk, and then flour. Pour into crumb lined pan. Place the cheesecake in a Bain Marie (Water Bath). To make a Bain Marie take a large foil pan that will hold your spring-form pan with inches to spare, and pour an inch or two of water into it. Carefully place the cheese-filled spring-form pan into the water. This method helps prevent cracks in the top of the cheesecake. You can wrap foil along the outside of the spring-form pan to prevent leakage. Secure with duct tape. Bake at 370 degrees for 90 minutes. Open oven door to broil position
(approx 1/3 of the way) and leave cake to cool for an additional 90 minutes. Topping: • 1 pint sour cream • 5 tablespoons sugar Mix well and pour in center of cooled cake. Spread toward the edge of cake. Bake 10 minutes at 350. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.
Chocolate Cheese Cake • 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (see note above for chocolate crust) • 2 tablespoons sugar • 3 tablespoons melted butter • 8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips • 1/4 cup brewed strong coffee • 3/4 lb cream cheese • 1/2 tsp. salt • 2 eggs • 1 tsp vanilla • 3/4 cup cherry pie filling (optional) Preheat oven to 350. In bowl, stir crumbs and sugar; add butter and 1 tbs. water. Mix well. Grease the sides of an 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan with butter or margarine or spray with Pam. Press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides. Reduce oven temp to 300. Meanwhile, in a double boiler, heat
chocolate chips and coffee over lowest heat. Stir often until melted 7-9 minutes. Set aside. In mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy. Add 3/4 cup sugar. Beat at medium speed 1 minute. Scrape down sides and add eggs one at a time. Add melted chocolate mixture. Mix until fully incorporated. Pour batter into crust. Bake 1 hour. Turn oven off. Let cake sit in oven for 20 minutes. Remove; cool another 20 minutes. Refrigerate one hour or more. At this time, you can put cherry pie filling on top or decorate with whipped cream if you so desire. Use your imagination. Note: You can make a pareve chocolate cheese cake using Tofutti Cream Cheese and it comes out great!!! Happy Shevuos and enjoy!
Israeli Breakfast all Day Long By Abigail Klein Leichman Reprinted with permission from Israel21C
he bountiful buffets that have made “Israeli breakfast” famous among tourists usually include shakshouka, a spicy North African concoction of eggs poached in a tomato-pepper-onion sauce. So it was no surprise that Lonely Planet included the shakshouka at Jerusalem’s Tmol Shilshom café on its recent Top 10 list of the world’s best breakfasts. But Jewish food writer and historian Gil Marks tells ISRAEL21c that this signature dish is actually a latecomer to the already laden Israeli breakfast table. The classic must-haves, he says, are
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SHAKSHOUKA, AN ISRAELI BREAKFAST STAPLE, ACTUALLY IS A RELATIVELY NEW ITEM ON THE MENU. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
scrambled or hardboiled eggs, a variety of chopped vegetable salads, semolina porridge, cheeses, fresh breads, plain and flavored yogurts, fruit and granola, washed down with fresh juice and/or
coffee or tea. It was only in the past couple of decades that ethnic foods got added to the smorgasbord that has become a cultural tradition in Israeli hotels and restaurants: shakshouka, Iberian-inspired pashtida (a cross between a kugel and a quiche), Yemenite malawach (fried bread dough), Eastern European blintzes and smoked fish, American sweetened cereals, oatmeal, bagels, pancakes and waffles, along with pastries to top it off. It’s all included in the price of a hotel room pretty much anywhere in Israel, and savvy guests will always come to the dining room armed with a doggie bag to pack up items for their next meal—assuming they even get hungry before dinnertime.
A meal to fuel kibbutz workers A PLENTIFUL BREAKFAST BUFFET IS ALWAYS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF AN ISRAELI HOTEL ROOM.
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The original Israeli breakfast menu,
FOR A WORLD-CLASS BREAKFAST, TRY TMOL SHILSHOM IN JERUSALEM. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIPADVISOR
Marks explains, was innovated by another Israeli cultural icon, the kibbutz. Back in the early days of the state, when times were tough and food was scarce, breakfast meant a hard roll and a scoop of leben—a liquidy Mideast yogurt. But kibbutz agricultural laborers needed a heartier start to their day, so the communal village’s kitchens began putting out a spread with whatever they had on hand. “The Israeli hotels picked up on that,” say Marks, who moved to Israel last summer after years of splitting his time between New York and Jerusalem. “Instead of the classic Continental breakfast of croissant and coffee, the
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HEALTH
Developing Drugs for the Dark Side By Viva Sarah Press Reprinted with permission from Israel21C
here’s a computerized repository in Israel that looks like any other with data sets, tables, forms, graphs and reports. But tap in the right username and password and you’ll access the world’s most comprehensive repositories of research data from drug studies to treat schizophrenia and depression. This warehouse of information is a key component of NewMeds (Novel Methods Leading to New Medications in Depression and Schizophrenia)—an international consortium of scientists, funded under the Innovative Medicines Initiative of the European Union, which has launched one of the largestever academic-industry collaborations to find new methods for developing drugs for these two mental disorders. Israel’s representative in this consortium is Prof. Jonathan Rabinowitz, of Bar-Ilan University’s Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work. Rabinowitz is the academic head of the NewMeds group on advanced data analysis techniques. He’s in charge of devising procedures for shorter and more efficient clinical trials with antipsychotic and antidepressant medications. Rabinowitz is considered a pioneer in this field. As part of the NewMeds project, he was given unprecedented access to data on drug testing from more than 45,000 patients in over 100 trials spanning 25 countries.
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PROF. JONATHAN RABINOWITZ: AN EXPERT ON TRIALS FOR ANTIPSYCHOTIC AND ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS.
“If you have data from one drug study, you can learn something about this one study. But if you have 100 studies and put them together you can learn a lot more,” he tells ISRAEL21c. “This is an important area of attention because of the realization of how much good you can do by pooling data.” The NewMeds repositories at BIU, with billions of dollars’ worth of data, give “Israel a central position in this new evolving area,” says Rabinowitz. “It’s a super-important asset. So it puts Israel, and BIU, in a lead role.”
Making a difference Schizophrenia affects about 1.1 percent of the US population, while depression has an effect on one in 10 Americans. Rabinowitz, a 54-year-old father of three who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio,
and moved to Israel 24 years ago, has extensive experience in studying the efficiency and safety of psychiatric medications based on data from trials and national case registries. A quick Internet search sees his name pop up on committees, in research papers and in academic journals worldwide. Since the NewMeds initiative’s inception in 2010, Rabinowitz has travelled extensively, presenting this data repository at academic conferences and health gatherings. He has published more than 150 scientific papers. He presented his research at the eClinical Intelligence meeting in San Francisco at the end of February. Next year, he will co-chair the program committee for the Biennial Schizophrenia International Research Society Conference in Florence, Italy.
For the greater good Not everyone is excited by the idea of pooling data. “Sharing information is the key to developing new models and methods to enable novel treatments in any disease. But when a drug company spends $35-$50 million dollars per trial, you can understand why they are hesitant about sharing data,” he says. “But they will have to.” The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is now setting up a policy to ensure that pharmaceutical manufacturers make their trial data accessible. Unsurprisingly, the EMA recently appointed Rabinowitz to the adviso-
ry groups on promoting good analysis practice and on clinical trial data formats. He also serves on the Clinical Expert Review Committee for the FDA data standards development initiative. “What’s been exciting is that this is really cutting edge and we’re able to maximize use of data that’s already been collected. Data sharing beyond the individual trial adds to the ethical capital of conducting drug studies. More good can come from the time and risk that people subjected themselves to for being involved in these trials where some of them were getting placebo and experimental active treatments,” says Rabinowitz. He predicts that it will take many years to reap the benefits of his work in finding new medications for sufferers of schizophrenia and depression. On the other hand, he notes, collaboration and sharing data will help advance the field by making better use of resources. He says it is gratifying that NewMeds partner pharmaceutical companies, which are normally fierce competitors, can now focus on what he dubs “pre-competitive space”—common issues such as identifying subsets of patients to target in drug discovery trials. “Of course there is hope for advancement in the field. We work together in this pre-space,” says Rabinowitz. “We are trying to design drug discovery trials to make them more efficient based on our findings.”
Household Tips for Healthier Living
PTSD Prevention Studies at TAU
Cleaning The Right Way To Remove Allergens
By Viva Sarah Press
(BPT) - When you’re done with spring cleaning, you may assume you’ve eliminated any allergy triggers that were lurking in your home. But the truth is, if you don’t clean the right way, you might be making the problem worse. More than 40 million Americans suffer from allergy problems, and 25 million have asthma. If your cleaning routine doesn’t specifically focus on allergen control and removal, you may be only moving dust around, sending allergens and irritating cleaning chemicals into the air which can affect allergy and asthma symptoms. To maximize your cleaning efforts and reduce allergens, consider these simple tips from the asthma and allergy friendly Certification Program, the healthy home initiative of the nonprofit Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA): • Use a certified vacuum that has a high efficiency filter with tight seams and seals to prevent particles from leaking out while you vacuum. Also, choose a style that requires minimal 24 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
exposure during canister emptying or bag changes. • Dusting improperly can actually increase airborne dust particles in your home. Use moist cloths or special dry dusters designed to trap and lock dust from hard surfaces. Use vacuum attachments to remove dust from soft and upholstered surfaces. • Certain cleaning products can also contribute to airborne irritants, especially if they contain harsh chemicals, strong odors or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Choose products that contain none of these irritants, but also beware of “green” labels, as some of these solutions may be made with natural allergenic ingredients, such as lemon, coconut or tea-tree oils. • Rodent dander and cockroach particles are common household asthma triggers. However, some pesticides may do more harm than good for people with asthma and allergies. If you have a pest problem, look for an ex-
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Reprinted with permission from Israel21C
sraeli researchers used genetic and psychological testing to identify factors that reduce the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The groundbreaking Tel Aviv University study focused on infantry soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. (Other populations suffering from PTSD include veterans of war from other countries, Holocaust survivors and other survivors of genocide, as well as victims of trauma, from physical and sexual assaults to severe accidents.) The onset of PTSD is unpredictable. Because it depends on the unforeseeable occurrence of traumatic events, it is difficult to identify preventative or causative factors. Scientists typically turn to patients who have already developed PTSD to study the disorder, but that means they can’t draw comparisons to their psychological state prior to experiencing trauma. But by turning to recruits prior to any developing signs of anxiety, Prof. Yair Bar-
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Haim and Ph.D. student Ilan Wald of Tel Aviv University’s School of Psychological Sciences were able to identify factors that mitigate against PTSD. Through psychological and DNA studies, they discovered that excessive threat vigilance, a behavior typically associated with elevated anxiety in everyday life, is a normal response in soldiers during combat deployment. In combat, those soldiers who avoided threats were more likely to develop PTSD as a result of traumatic experiences. Through attention bias modification training—which trains participants to direct their attention either towards or away from threatening stimuli—soldiers could learn to increase their vigilance towards threats before they’re deployed, possibly reducing their risk for PTSD, Bar-Haim says. He also notes that this discovery could prove valuable in PTSD prevention for populations that are more likely to be exposed to traumatic situations. Identifying this protective fac-
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HEALTH
What Parents Need to Know About Concussions (BPT) - Parents of young athletes know that along with the many benefits of participating in sports, there comes a certain amount of injury risk. And while most would agree that the benefits of being active and involved in athletics outweigh those risks, it’s important to make sure your child gets proper treatment if an injury occurs. As more evidence surfaces about longterm health challenges related to concussions, it’s especially crucial that parents bring themselves up to speed on the proper procedures for caring for an athlete who experiences a concussion. The most important thing parents need to know about concussions is that if an athlete exhibits any signs or experiences any symptoms of a concussion, he or she should be immediately removed from play. While this recommendation is nothing new, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is again emphasizing its importance with the release of its updated 2013 sports concussion evidence-based guidelines. “Among the most important recommendations the academy is making is that any athlete suspected of experiencing a concussion should immediately be removed from play,” says Christopher C. Giza, MD, co-author of the AAN guidelines. “We’ve moved away from the concussion grading systems we first established in 1997 and
are now recommending concussion and return to play be assessed in each athlete individually. There is no set timeline for safe return to play.” For parents unfamiliar with concussion signs and symptoms, they include: • Headache and sensitivity to light or sound • Changes to balance, coordination and reaction time • Changes in memory, judgment, speech and sleep • Loss of consciousness or a “blackout” (happens in less than 10 percent of cases) Removal from play is just the first step in properly treating a concussion. After a player who is exhibiting concussion signs or having concussion symptoms is removed, it’s equally important that the player be examined by a licensed health care professional trained in diagnosing and managing concussions. “Being seen by a trained professional is extremely important after a concussion,” says Jeffrey S. Kutcher, MD, co-author of the AAN guidelines. “If headaches or other symptoms return with the start of exercise, stop the activity and consult a doctor.” If your athlete is diagnosed with a concussion, it’s extremely important to follow the recommendations of the health care professional, and the athlete should not be permitted to resume any
sports-related activities until he or she is cleared by a licensed health care professional to do so. Parents, coaches and officials should all work together to see that the health care professional’s recommendations are followed, ensuring the best possible short- and long-term outcome for the athlete. Parents, coaches and officials should familiarize themselves with concussion protocols before they ever get to the field or court, but the AAN also offers a smartphone app should you need to review them. The Concussion Quick Check app can be downloaded free of charge and provides a handy guide to making sure your athlete gets the proper care. In addition to emphasizing proper care for athletes exhibiting concussion symptoms, the new AAN guidelines include the following concussion-related findings: • Among the sports in the studies evaluated, risk of concussion is greatest in football and rugby, followed by hockey and soccer. The risk of concussion for young women and girls is greatest in soccer and basketball. • An athlete who has a history of one or more concussions is at greater risk for being diagnosed with another concussion.• The first 10 days after a concussion appears to be the period of greatest
Bike Gezunteheit, But Not Without A Helmet Use Your Head, Be Safe By Chana Senter eaneck—With spring finally here, people are pulling their bicycles out of their garages, and children are riding up and down the sidewalks on bikes and trikes, enjoying the sun and exercise. Familes are going on biking trips, the roller skates and in-line skates are being oiled and prepped for a season of fun. But riders and skaters beware. You should use your heads and wear helmets to stay safe, just in case you fall or get hit by a vehicle. We know this from bitter experience. This month is my brother Heshy’s 69th birthday and July 19th will be his 43rd yahrtzeit. In 1971, when many people did not recognize the need to wear a helmet while riding a bike, Heshy, a pediatrician doing his residency in New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan, rode his bike to shul every weekday morning for Shacharis. Sadly, three days after Ti-
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sha B’Av, while riding without a helmet, he was hit by a city bus and died from blunt force trauma. A helmet could have saved his life. About 20 years later, a young teenager I know was riding his bike on River Road in Teaneck. He hit a pothole, was thrown from his bike and hit his head on the curb. The helmet he was wearing split in half. He was taken to the emergency room at Holy Name Hospital. After examining him, the doctors told him that the helmet had saved his life. Had he not been wearing it, his head would have looked like his helmet and he would have suffered my brother’s fate. Legally in N.J. children under 17 must wear helmets when they ride bikes, use skateboards or roller skates. It doesn’t hurt to wear them while ice skating, too. Our skulls do not get harder as we age, so it is important to
remember that adults need helmets as much as children do. Parents who ride without helmets set a poor example for their children and are risking the possibility that their children may become orphans, as were my two nephews. In memory of my brother Heshy, I beg families with bicycle riders, skateboarders and skaters to make sure that everyone in your family (including you) wears a helmet when they ride a bike, skateboard or roller or ice skate. Use your head! Wear a helmet! The life you save may be your own.
risk for being diagnosed with another concussion. • There is no clear evidence that one type of football helmet can better protect against concussion over another kind of helmet. Helmets should fit properly and be well maintained. • Licensed health professionals trained in diagnosing and managing concussion should look for ongoing symptoms (especially headache and fogginess), history of concussions, and younger age in the athlete. Each of these factors has been linked to a longer recovery after a concussion. • Risk factors linked to chronic neurobehavioral impairment in professional athletes include prior concussion, longer exposure to the sport and having the ApoE4 gene. • Concussion is a clinical diagnosis. Symptom checklists, the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), neuropsychological testing (paper-and-pencil and computerized) and the Balance Error Scoring System may be helpful tools in diagnosing and managing concussions but should not be used alone for making a diagnosis. To view the entire AAN concussion report and find more concussion resources, visit www.aan.com/concussion.
Biking Laws in New Jersey In New Jersey, anyone under 17 years of age that rides a bicycle or is a passenger on a bicycle, or is towed as a passenger by a bicycle must wear a safety helmet. This includes roller and inline skates and skateboards. Roller skates means a pair of devices worn on the feet with a set of wheels attached, regardless of the number or placement of those wheels and used to glide or propel the user over the ground. All helmets must be properly fastened and fitted. Bicycle helmets must meet the federal standards developed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) effective March 10, 1999 that ensure the best head protection and strong chin straps to keep the helmet in place during a fall or collision. Also acceptable are helmets meeting the Snell Memorial Foundation’s 1990 Standard for Protection Headgear. Initial violators of the helmet law will receive warnings. For minors, the parent or legal guardian may be fined a maximum of $25 for the 1st offense and a maximum of $100 for subsequent offense(s), if lack of pa-
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Because It Matters Choices Determine Who You Are By P’nina Seplowitz henever I ask my five-year-old daughter to make a decision, whether it’s about an outfit for school or which food she wants to eat for breakfast, it seems to take her a long time to make up her mind. The other night, I gave her permission to watch a short video before bed. By the time she finally chose a movie, her bed time came and went. It is, however, normal for preschoolers to over-think many of their day to day decisions. After all, we, the parents, make most of their deci-
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sions for them. But learning to make their own choices fosters a healthy independence and is a skill children will need as they grow older. So, what about all those adults who are indecisive? Did their parents make all their decisions for them beyond the preschool years? Are they less independent members of society? We are conditioned within our society to analyze our options and properly gather research before embarking on a new decision. Life is full of decisions as we are faced with a series of choices we must make every day. We have to evaluate, decide, and draw conclusions all
the time. The quality of our life is determined by the kind of decisions we make. Many of our decisions turn out to be the right one but some of our decisions are ultimately regrettable. Thus, decisions can dictate the type of person one becomes. This may explain why many people have a hard time making a decision. We are humans and have great potential for error. Such a notion can be quite daunting. What can we do to speed up and feel more comfortable with our decision making process? First, understanding that being indecisive about the smaller things in life wastes a tremendous amount of time. Being indecisive can also cause you to miss out on a lot of good opportunities. I am not suggesting making rash decisions, but recognizing that smaller choices such as which shoes to buy, or
what to server for dinner, are not going to impact our lives tremendously. It is always helpful to bounce ideas off friends, family and co-workers. But remember, they can also influence us with their subconscious bias. So, while it is great to gather ideas from them, ultimately you know yourself best. Once you realize this, decision-making becomes easier. Finally, practicing being decisive regarding little choices can actually help when it comes to the bigger more impacting decisions. Next time you are about to make a small purchase force yourself to make the decision in ten minutes or less. This will get you used to the feeling of making a decision and then moving on. Really, what’s the worst case scenario if we make a poor choice, we will have an opportunity to make another one before we know it!
Ever yone’s An Expert By Banji Latkin Ganchrow art of becoming a parent is learning to take advice from other people. It begins with the book What to Expect When Your Expecting (which is probably as bad as going on the web every time your stomach hurts, your feet look a little swollen or you cannot see your feet at all from eating too much marshmallow iced devils food cake.) Solicited, unsolicited, there are always those individuals who feel they need to impart their expertise. And there are few things more aggravating then listening to a know-it-all when you are covered in spit up and haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks. My dad was telling me about an article he read in which the author wrote of how babies should be let free of their diapers and that will enable them to toilet train faster. Gee, that sounds like a great idea. Why didn’t I think of that? I so enjoyed the potty training phase, especially having all boys and having no
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idea how their plumbing worked. Do they sit? Do they stand? Do they hold it down? Does their father have to come home from work to help them hold it down? I hadn’t the slightest clue. My husband would have been thrilled to save money on diapers though. Maybe, when my sons become fathers (God willing, one day before I am too old to remember their names) I will give their wives that idea .That would be a great thing to do as a mother-in law. (Just kidding, whatever they do will be perfect, even if the kid is still in diapers as a 10-year-old—not my business). As a mom who nursed, my favorite articles are on the benefits of nursing your baby for more than six months. Fewer ear infections they say...but son #3 had an ear infection every three weeks. Sleep better through the night. Son #2 never got that memo. The man who wrote those pieces probably laughs himself silly every night, while his wife is suffering from postpartum depression somewhere. Can I
write an article about why I didn’t give my kids formula? Simply because every so often I can say to my husband “I was up with your boys every night, two to three times a night, for eleven months, the least you could do is put them to bed tonight!” (I’m wondering how much longer I can get away with that excuse, especially since we go to sleep before they do.) The other aspect of parenting where moms feel the need to be no-holdsbarred is the disciplinary component. Now this component has a life of its own as the “crimes” are always changing with the age. At 2 and 3 when my boys would pull each others’ hair, out of love and perhaps maybe to test the effectiveness of the shampoo they were using, my punishment would usually involve them not getting a cookie when we went to the bakery before Shabbos. And kudos to me because it was a very effective punishment and our hair-pulling phase was very short lived. But the scary know-it-all mom who witnessed
this crime and punishment felt I was being too lenient. I looked at her with my baggy eyes and said “Lady, lock your kids in a closet if you think that is what they need, my kids only care about getting a cookie.” And I probably said it just like that because, well, I’m me and that’s how I roll. I don’t think that when any of us are handed those precious little creatures, bundled so tightly in their hospital blanket we think “Hey, how many different ways can I possibly screw this child up?” We each genuinely believe that we are going to do the best we can, with the tools we were given by our parents, or grandparents or whomever had the greatest influences in our lives. The best advice is what our heart tells us because we love these kids so much. Sometimes it works, sometimes we fail miserably, but we only do it with the best of intentions and hope that one day, our kids will realize that and not lock us in a closet somewhere. Though, if the closet had cookies, it might not be so bad.
Immigration Parenting 101: Nodding and Laughing By Jordana Schoor n Yom HaShoah, my 3-year-old daughter left gan with a memorial candle and a poem about the honor we show for the Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. Having lived in Israel for nearly four years, I was already a pro at just nodding at all the educational and cultural things that I thought were absolutely bizarre or inappropriate, so despite the fact that I thought exposing 3-years-olds to the Holocaust was horrific, I did just that. I just nodded. As my daughter was carrying the “Holocaust package” carefully down
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the steps, the teacher called out to me, “And she needs more diapers and wipes; please bring some tomorrow.” I really had to bite my tongue not to wonder aloud what Piaget and Freud would have said about her exchanging the Yizkor candle today for the diapers the next day. This Yom HaShoah scene brought me back to a poignant memory from our first year in Israel. My 8-year-old son returned from a class trip with a knapsack full of large paper black guns. The teacher had cut them out of oak tag so the boys could simulate the battle that took place on the historic Titora Hill. My son thought the guns
were so great he collected them all for his home entertainment. Accompanying the guns was a notebook that he and his friends had compiled of renderings of various Israeli weapons. As my son unpacked his bag, my brain was screaming, “Columbine! Call the psychologists. What would the police say if they saw this collection of mock guns and rifle guides!” I withheld my American instinct, bit my tongue and feigned pride in his cultural and social integration. (Needless to say, I was thrilled when the next notebook he and his friends assembled was of Greek gods as taught by Percy Jackson—Yes, it’s a hit in Hebrew too!)
And just yesterday, a substitute teacher in my son’s kindergarten bounded over to me and exclaimed in the most jubilant manner, “Mazel tov.” I hesitated. Did I look post-partum?! My baby was 15 months old! What was the great news I had missed in my life? “His 6th birthday,” she explained. The look on my face must have given away that even the most celebrant Americans just don’t get into birthdays and their parties in quite the same manner as Israelis. For centuries, immigrants have been dealing with the challenges of raising
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PARENTING
What Do You Mean You Only Got A “B”?! Some Ideas On Rewarding Or Punishing For Grades By Nancy Silberman Zwiebach ver the years, it appears that there has been a tectonic shift in education wherein there is more of an emphasis on grades rather than on learning itself. Somehow there is this crushing competition from the earliest school experience onward for which nursery, which elementary school, which high school, which college and graduate school a child should attend. Even before birth, parents are already focusing on eating the right foods, listening to the right music, doing the right exercises, etc., in order to maximize brain development and produce a “super” baby. And, consequently, because school admittance often depends on scores and GPA’s, grades have become the locus of the educational experience. I recall when my own daughter (now 24) was in her third week of second grade in a Hebrew Day School, I got a call from her Judaic studies teacher telling me she was quite concerned about her. Startled, I of course asked why. The teacher went on to explain that she had already given several quizzes and my daughter had not gotten A’s. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Since when was getting a grade less than an A something to cause concern? I responded that I really didn’t care if my daughter got A’s or not, that what I did care about and want was for her to like school, enjoy learning, and like herself. Now it was the teacher’s turn to be startled! To this day, I’m unsure which was more disturbing to her: my daughter’s grades or the fact that the lack of achieving A’s was not crushing to me. Because so many parents do attach such significance to grades, they often use systems of rewards and punishments in an effort to get their children to achieve the grades they would like
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them to achieve. The issue is, is this a good idea and what is the efficacy of such a system? Rewards and punishments are two modalities that parents often use when attempting to influence their children’s behavior. Let’s consider what each term means and what they aim to produce. Each term has meaning only in regard to actions. A reward is something that is used when one wants to promote or encourage a behavior. Punishment is something that is used when
...If a child is rewarded for effort, for being willing to try, that lesson will be valuable one wants to discourage or extinguish a behavior. How can either be used with regard to grades? And, even more, should they be used here? What do grades represent? Well, there are a number of possibilities. Usually, we associate high grades with intelligence and/or ability. That can certainly be a valid interpretation. Grades can also be associated with effort, so that someone with solid ability can earn a lesser grade because s/he hasn’t applied that ability in order to get the best grade s/he could possibly achieve. On the other hand, someone with a more moderate ability could earn a high grade because s/he has put in the work required to obtain that grade. I think most parents recognize that in subjects that are not “academic”— music, gym, art — grades often reflect an innate ability. Some students have natural music or athletic ability and achieve high scores and grades, virtually, by being themselves—providing they show up for class and do not exhibit behaviors that would negatively affect their grades (i.e., numerous absences, lateness, disrespect, ignor-
ing rules and so on). What I think parents have to realize is that in academic subjects as well, natural ability could mean someone earning an A without any effort at all, while her sibling, poring over books, memorizing, studying and applying herself, gets a B. In that scenario, which student is worthy of a reward? The question is: What is it that the parent wants to reward? Is it the grade or the willingness of the child to invest time and effort in attempting to do his/ her best? If one rewards only the grade, then the lesson being taught is that it is the end that is the entire goal. Perhaps that is what was taught to the myriad of profiteers that caused the current economic crisis in this country. In other words, just sell the mortgage (or the investments, etc.) and make the money. Don’t give any thought to the ethics, the people to whom you are selling something they can’t afford or the people whose savings/retirement funds will be destroyed. Just achieve the goal—money, success, fame —whatever the individual’s intention is. In an extreme case (which really hasn’t been so extreme in recent years in even our best schools), buy a grade, cheat to get the grade— whatever it takes—that’s what will satisfy mom and dad. That is, after all, what they are most interested in. The other possible negative message that is given is that the child’s value to the parent rests on the marks on the report card. Thus, if the grade is lower than expected, the parent’s love and regard for the child is diminished. A child, in order to grow and flourish, must feel that a parent’s love is for him or herself and not based solely or even mainly on what is accomplished. On the other hand, if a child is rewarded for effort, for being willing to try, that lesson will be valuable throughout life—to be utilized in maintaining relationships, in trying to
get a job, in keeping a job, in developing all kinds of skills. It is also terribly unfair, unreasonable, in fact, to expect a child who, in spite of great effort, is “only” a B or C student in a particular subject or even across the board, to get grades s/he is just not capable of. Why penalize a child who is working the best with what s/ he has been gifted with? We don’t expect the average child to be another Michael Phelps, Air Jordan, or Billie Jean King, why insist s/he be a Louis Pasteur or Madame Curie when the needed “material” just isn’t there and then be disappointed or even furious when what can’t be achieved isn’t achieved. It is possible to turn a child off completely if, after putting in effort, really trying, a test is returned with a B- and a parent comments, “Where’s the A”? When one, in spite of repeated attempts, is met with cynicism and disappointment, the obvious lesson is, “why bother?” This kind of response on a parent’s part is a punishment, a kind of insidious punishment. A more severe, overt punishment, such as canceling of privileges, is equally or even more damaging. The above is basically a testament to an overall approach to the theory of rewards and punishment in regard to grades. A last caveat is that there can be particular cases, taken on an individual basis, in which a reward can be offered. If a child really wants to achieve a particular grade, the parent can offer an incentive to encourage extra effort. Or, if a child is feeling somewhat discouraged and is reluctant to attempt something, the parent can, again, offer a reward to help the child overcome his/ her reluctance and forge ahead. The bottom line is, when a reward is offered so that it is for the child’s benefit and not the glory or the satisfaction of the parent, then it is a good and positive thing. When the reward is given so that it affords the parent a reason to gloat or boast, it is being misused.
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CHINUCH
Chinuch Roundtable Compiled by P’nina Seplowitz n a continuing effort to get to know our wonderful mechanchim and hear their opinions about important issues and concerns facing our school aged children, this week’s panel was asked the following question: To what extent should we allow our children to work through their social issues without parental involvement?
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Rabbi Daniel Price, Head of School, Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey We are told in Tehillim (24:16), “Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.” Chazal explain that what helped this individual achieve this status of “righteous man” was the fact that he fell several times and was given the opportunity to get back up. It can be understood that the very experience of the falling is what allowed for and precipitated his growth to occur, ultimately leading to his development into a righteous individual. In today’s uncertain world of bombings, terrorist attacks and child predators, we, as parents, have an obvious
need to become more vigilant and protective of our children’s physical well being and safety. In a world where we have so little control over the known and unknown evils facing our children, we yearn for a sense of security. We have a desire and obligation to shield our children from all dangers and threats. We must differentiate however, between real physical danger, and challenges which are presented to their emotional and social development. There are more “Helicopter parents” now, as many parents are overparent and over-protect their children, ready to swoop in at any moment to save their children from any potential threats. We must recognize that overshielding our children from social, emotional and educational bumps in the road can actually do more damage than good. Instances which were once described as “building character” have now been replaced with concerns that the child’s self-esteem “will be destroyed.” Opportunities to expand a child’s horizon and challenge him or her have been replaced with concerns that he or she might fail and there’s hesitancy to even try. If we limit our children’s independ-
“To Bet Or Not To Bet”: The Question Of The Second Year In Israel By Tzvi Silver Jerusalem—“A year from now you will wish you had started today.” This inspirational quote, attributed to Canadian author Karen Lamb, has very interesting implications on something which has become almost a rite of passage in the American Modern Orthodox world: “the year in Israel.” This “year in Israel” has been known to have a tremendous impact on these young adults, building their skills in learning Torah and their relationship with God, as well as developing leadership skills and making connections with friends and teachers that will last a lifetime. As much as the posthigh school gap year has become a norm over the past couple of decades, a new trend is beginning to emerge as well: students, after their “year in Israel,” wanting to stay shana bet (a second year). As the final trimester of the yeshiva year begins, students in Israel are now beginning to feel the negative side of Lamb’s quote—that they didn’t make enough use of their gap year. Many 28 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
contemplate staying a second year, but it is important for students and parents to consider the pros and the cons of Shana Bet. The Jewish Link met with Israel guidance counselors from local Orthodox high schools and several students currently studying in Israel to hear what they had to say. Program developers in Israel say Shana Bet will build on the experience the students had during their first year, and would further solidify their connection to Judaism. Rabbi Ezra Wiener, the Israel guidance counselor at Torah Academy of Bergen County (TABC), said, “After one year, many students have not yet committed themselves to long term learning… shemirat hamitzvot in the fullest sense, to Yirat Shamayim as is expected of a devoted Jew. This is quite common as it takes a while to adjust to the year in Israel…An additional year may help solidify these essential aspects of Judaism which are unfortunately given little attention, even in a yeshiva college experience.”
ence, there is less of a chance that they will be willing to take risks and develop into more confident people. By over-parenting we are sending our children the message that they are helpless and fragile, and need to run to us for assistance.
Tamar Appel, Assistant Principal for Academic Life, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls I assume that the question we are asked relates to scenarios that do not involve abusive behavior. People of all ages can benefit from advice when they seek it from trusted family and friends. I think that parents can be helpful when their children ask for assistance with difficult social situations by offering them emotional support, gentle guidance or productive questions that lead them to develop coping strategies. Becoming more thoroughly involved in these situations, though, may be less helpful. In general, the more experience children have in working through challenging social situations independently, the better skilled they will be in this area.
A parental instinct to shield children from the emotional vulnerability that characterizes these experiences is understandable. The potential pitfall of parents’ direct involvement is that this approach may communicate to children that they are defenseless and require such shields, and that they are incapable of navigating their own paths through circumstances that make them feel uncomfortable or weak. Allowing children to handle these situations on their own can project the more encouraging message that they have the resources and maturity to do s0. This can result in a successful resolution to conflict that be different than it would have with parental involvement, but is equally satisfying. While that would be a positive outcome, I think that even exposure to social tensions that are not resolved comfortably can teach children that they have the resilience that is necessary for living with uneasiness and making adjustments to their outlooks (or friendships). In general, when we as parents (or as educators) intervene in these types of scenarios, we are being compassionate and protective, but we are not expressing the confidence in our children (or our students) that they need to know we feel.
This Month: Grab the Bull by the Horns By Alec Borenstein s mentioned in our last column, we live life on two levels. There is the level we see, the everyday level. There is also a deeper level, the unseen. Being Jewish is a constant interplay between living life on the outer and inner levels. In the same vein, last week we welcomed the month of Iyar. According to both the Talmud and your local horoscope pages, the month of Iyar is the month of Taurus or the Bull. If you look in the sky, you can see a “bull” through a telescope. Thus, as you can read both in the Gemara and in the New York Post, there is a “bull” energy operating in our lives this month. But what does this mean? From a Jewish, deeper perspective, what possible relevance does the zodiac (or mazalos) have in our lives? We discussed in the last column that Pesach is the time where G-d takes us from whatever level we are on, and immediately passes us over to the highest levels. That is, if we sincerely thought about where we wanted to be in all areas of our lives, on
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Pesach night G-d would lift us up and take us there. But it doesn’t last. G-d wants us to earn our greatness. G-d wants us to work hard, to achieve, not because of any gift, but as a result of effort and action. And so after the great uplifting, G-d says, “Now you try it. On your own. Working hard and making it real.” Then we start working. We start fighting through our normal lives. And we often start to doubt. To get depressed. Yes, we know that G-d showed us this incredible light on Pesach, but can we really get there without Him? Then something amazing happens. One day, one moment, it all begins to click. You’re there! You’ve heard this a million times, but the reason why people say it’s always darkest before the dawn is because it’s true! When things seem hardest, when you’ve fought and fought and you feel like giving up, if you push just a little more, if you count on yourself to get there – you will! Hashem will even help you get
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CHINUCH
JEdCamp: The Future is Now By Tikvah Weiner group of 75 educators from the tri-state area gathered at Yavneh last weekend for the first annual “JEdCamp” in New Jersey. “JEdCamp” is short for Jewish education camp, an innovative “un-conference” where participants gather in a vendor-free environment and “create” workshops and then lead them. There are no keynote speakers or pre-arranged sessions. People come in, sign in on a whiteboard with their session ideas, and then attend the workshops that interest them most. Attendees are encouraged to “vote with their feet,” meaning that if they come to a session and it’s not what they thought it would be, they should feel free to leave and attend another workshop. The free-flowing atmosphere is meant to maximize the learn-
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ing at the conference by pushing educators to create and find the sessions that are most meaningful to them. The informal JEdCamp atmosphere also lends itself easily to talking shop between sessions, during lunch, and in continuing conversations beyond the event itself. The idea came from co-
founders Rabbis Aaron Ross of Yavneh Academy and Tzvi Pittinsky of The Frisch School, who were inspired by their Twitter professional learning networks (PLNs). Ross and Pittinsky were helped by a committee that included Michael Bitton, Jennifer Bradbury, Yehuda Chaneles, Dov Emerson, Shira Leibowitz,
Chani Lichtiger and [full disclosure] this reporter. Most of the educators who attended the conference were teachers, although administrators, lay leaders, informal educators, and even a high school student took part. Among the topics covered were: the use of positive psychology in the classroom; rhythm and move-
ment in the classroom; iPad implementation in the classroom; standards in Judaic Studies; what high school would look like if we started from scratch; project-based learning; managing time and curriculum needs; forming a PLN; and literacy in the 21st century. Rabbi Michael Bitton, Educational Technology Director at Magen David, found JEdCamp’s dynamic atmosphere and the connection with his peers energizing. He blogged, “It literally went from ‘Hi, my name is . . .’ to ‘Let’s find time to schmooze sometime next week.’” The session topics were enticing, he wrote: “It was like choosing between T-bone and sirloin steak. You just wanted to attend each one.”
The Truth About Orthodox Jewish Day Schools By Rabbi Maccabee Avishur recent report by DNAinfo.com reporter Sonja Sharp starts out with a lie. She writes that “[M]ost Orthodox Jewish schools offer limited instruction in English, math and science, and some don’t teach them at all despite being legally required to do so.” The hallmark of any good lie is that it contains a half-truth. In Ms. Sharp’s reporting, it’s actually an 18% truth. The problem exposed by interviews in the article is in Yiddish-speaking Hasidic schools in Brooklyn. This is not a problem with “most Orthodox Jewish schools,” and, in fact, is far from the truth. The truth is that most Orthodox Jewish day schools in North America meet the minimum criteria set by state and local governments and, in many
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cases, exceed those standards and offer highly-regarded secular programs. According to a recent study commissioned by the Avi Chai Foundation and conducted by Dr. Marvin Schick (“A Census of Jewish day schools in the United States 2008-2009”), there are approximately 580 Jewish day schools in America that are classified as “Orthodox.” This classification includes Centrist, Chabad, Hasidic, Modern, and yeshiva versions of Jewish Orthodoxy. Hasidic schools, almost all of which are in New York, count for 105 of those schools, representing 18% of the Orthodox schools in this country. That’s hardly “most.” To be fair, Hasidic schools in New York City (including those in, and mostly limited to, Brooklyn) represent approximately 43% of that city’s Orthodox student population, so there is reason
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for concern if what Ms. Sharp reports can be corroborated by something more than anecdotal reports from disgruntled alumni of a few institutions. However, it’s important to clear the name and reputations of the majority of Orthodox schools, even though they share a semantic and religious relationship with Hasidic Orthodox schools. Students at Orthodox Jewish schools graduate to go on to universities perennially ranked in the top 50 in America, including Yeshiva University, Columbia, Brandeis, Penn, and Maryland, to name a few with significant populations of Orthodox students. Students at Orthodox Jewish day schools score in the top percentiles on standardized tests and are frequently recognized by outside institutions for their excellence in secular subjects, including science and math.
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We do not mean to downplay the crisis of poor secular education in a relatively small number of schools. Rather, we hope to highlight that this is a problem limited to a sub-set of the Orthodox world, and is NOT, by any means, reflective of the facts on the ground for most Orthodox schools in New York or North America, as Ms. Sharp claims. It is true that there may be a problem with the quality of secular education within certain Hasidic schools in Brooklyn, and we encourage officials responsible for such matters to work with those schools to upgrade the quality of secular education. However, we want to set the record straight and alert readers to the facts. Contrary to Ms. Sharp’s contention, most Orthodox schools offer instruction in secular subjects that is at least on par with the public system, and, in many cases, is significantly better. Rabbi Maccabee Avishur is the Associate Director for Teaching and L earning at Yeshiva University’s Institute for University-School Partnership May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 29
TRAVEL & CULTURE
The Arts/Theatre Review
The Megile of Itzik Manger The National Yiddish Theatre’s Season Hit Runs to May 12 By Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath (special to JLBC) Photos by Crystall Arnette
he Purim story of the megillah, as we generally know it, is an amalgam of heroic, evil, cowardly and simpleminded characters in ancient Persia, whose actions represent the story of near-annihilation and ultimate salvation of the Jewish people. That in itself makes for a captivating and inspiring
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Purim story. But what happens when you take that story, politicize, contemporize, anachronize, humorize and yes - bowdlerize it a little? That’s what the Yiddish poet and folk bard Itzik Manger did when he published MegileLider in 1936. Along came the world-renowned Israeli composer Dov Seltzer in the 1960’s and set Manger’s parody of the Purim story to beautiful and moving melodies. The play has been produced several times since that time, some performances of which I’ve at-
tended in the span of the last four decades. Now The National Yiddish TheatreFolksbiene has taken Manger’s Megilelider, combined the highly off-beat story with an original spin, a very creative artistic setting (including incredibly entertaining stage sets and acrobatic feats) and a multi-talented troupe, and created an impressive production titled “Songs of the Megillah,” under the artistic direction of Zalmen Mlotek (a Teaneck resident) and Motl Didner, production de-
sign by Jenny Romaine with her unique sense of puppetry, narration and magic tricks by the inimitable Shane Baker, and musical direction by the enthusiastic and talented Dmitri Slepovitch. This production had me splitting my sides with laughter, crying (especially during the love song of Esther’s boyfriend Fastrigossa whom she is forced to leave in order to marry Akhashveyrosh - ok, ok, so that character doesn’t exist in the original Purim story, but it expands the depth of the story!), and otherwise captivated by this rendition. Simultaneous supertitles in both English and Russian make this performance accessible not just for the Yiddish-fluent, but to all. “Songs of the Megillah” opened on April 21 and has a very limited engagement through May 12 only. I strongly recommend that you go to the Folksbiene website and buy yourself (and your significant other) a ticket, and go celebrate Purim yet again!
Shuls and Community Organizations - Send us your news and pictures! Email them to nina@jewishlinkbc.com
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TRAVEL & CULTURE
Nearby Shavuos Getaways 2013 By Ben Cohen
esach just ended and before you blink Shavuos is right around the corner. Most of us are counting the days until we arrive at one of most unfamous of Jewish holidays. Known in English as “The Festival of Weeks,” your coworkers will ask why you are taking off on a Wednesday and Thursday in May. You can start explaining the significance of receiving the Torah and its importance in Jewish history, or you can say you are getting together with family for a quick local getaway. If you stayed home for all of Pesach and are itching to get out of town, there are options out there that include extraordinary speakers and learning as well as delicious catered meals. For those of you who are a little more adventurous and frugal, there are a bring-your-ownfood lodging alternatives. Here’s a list of a few local options for those that have to get back to work on Friday.
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Gateways at Stamford Plaza Hotel, Stamford, CT If you have trouble staying up all night learning, this all-star cast of speakers will surely stop you from dozing off. Rabbi Becher is an awe-inspiring speaker and covers so many topics so quickly he will keep you on your toes. Rebetetzin Jungreis and Rabbi Paysach Krohn are also very engag-
ing and entertaining orators. Close to the city, Stamford is easy to get to via mass transit or a quick drive on I-95. Gateways is known for its fantastic shadchanim to help singles connect throughout the holiday. A full day-camp is available as well for those coming with the entire family. The entire hotel will be exclusive to the Gateways program, so if you are scouting the lobby for singles, you don’t have to wonder if they are part of the program, you just have to check for a ring. For more info visit: http://gatewaysonline. com/retreats/holiday-retreats
Hudson Valley Resort, Kerhonkson, NY I spent last Shavuos in the Catskills with Flakey Jakey and his crew. True to the time honored tradition of heading up to the mountains in the summer, Shavuos is the official start of the Jewish summer season (not Memorial Day). The Hudson Valley resort is still in a time warp , hence the decor and style are quite dated. Although I was prepared last year to BYOS (bring your own sheets), I am happy to say that we were pleasantly surprised. The Tower rooms were quite nice and would be comparable to a 3-star hotel (no 500 thread count sheets here). But who spends their time in the room anyway. The caterer from Brooklyn,
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Benny, was fantastic and offered a wide array of choices for each meal. The grounds are nice and there was a lake to walk to, a kids’ playground, and mini golf that we enjoyed. This is a bit of a trek from NYC, but worth the ride if you crave an authentic Catskills getaway. There is no website for the program, so visit www.hudsonvalleyresort.com for resort details, and call Flakey Jakey to sign up for the kosher program at: 718-436-0682
The Ocean Palace Hotel in Long Branch www.oceanplace.com is located right on the beach and has indoor and outdoor pools. Ask for a corner room, they offer much more space than the regular rooms. Within 30 minutes walking distance are two shuls: Congregation Shaare Ezra, a Syrian Synagogue located at 36 Cedar Ave and the Chabad of the Shore located at 620 Ocean Avenue. If sitting by the beach in the early summer and walking down the boardwalk to REITS Yarchei Kallah at the shul sounds appealing, the Ocean PalRye Town Hilton, Rye, NY ace is a great choice. Run by Yeshiva University and ca The Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, tered by Chap-a-nosh, this program is formerly The Berkeley Cartaret, www. sold out again this year. It is just that berkeleyhotelnj.com, is almost half popular. Featured speakers include YU the price as The Ocean Palace and president Richard Joel as well as sev- is still right on the beach. The hotel eral distinguished Roshei Yeshiva and has undergone a major renovation faculty. This is a great program to re- from the days it hosted NCSY winconnect with old YU Alumni and staff. ter regional, so don’t expect the beatThe Rye Town Hilton is a nice modern up mattresses and musty smell that hotel with lovely accommodations you may remember. There is no inand easy to get to from NYC. For more door pool, and the outdoor pool will info visit: http://yu.edu/riets/shavuos/ probably not open until after Memorial Day. Within 35 minutes walking Jersey Shore distance there are also two shuls: The If an organized program is not your Synagogue of Deal, 128 Norwood Ave, thing and you can survive two days and the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue of with a tiny fridge filled with blintzes, Deal, 75 Hathaway Ave. Asbury Park the Jersey shore has several options. has come a long way and the downWithin one hour of NYC there are two town area has plenty of nice new shops. hotels with shuls nearby.
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FEATURES Excerpt from “The Lament of My Mother,” by Yosl Mlotek: Through oceans and countries, Through closures and walls, I see my mother’s Cracked hands. I hear my mother’s Sobs and laments --“Where are my children Lost and alone?” I hear her sobs, Am aware of her grief And each painful tear Like a stone on my path
By Avram Mlotek osl Mlotek was 21 years old when only a few days after the Nazi invasion the newspaper where he worked, the Folksaytung, moved its offices to Lublin. En route, he heard that the city’s roads were blocked, so he traveled to Vilna. He lived there for a year, working on war refugees’ testimonies. When he discovered that the paper’s editor and other writers were arrested by the Soviet government, he went into hiding. It was then that he heard that one of his brothers had managed to escape Warsaw. A mutual friend arranged their reunion. My grandfather didn’t know which brother he would see until he opened the door and saw Avram. This would be the only family member my grandfather would see until after World War II. Besides a sister, Sore, the rest of his family died in the Holocaust. While in Vilna, my grandfather heard a Japanese diplomat was granting travel visas to Curacao in Kaunas, Lithuania. The two brothers waited in line for days before finally receiving them from Chiune Sugihara, Vice-Consul at the Japanese legation—a righteous gentile eventually recognized by Yad Vashem, the Israel Holocaust Authority. After a long trek from Vilna, the brothers lived in Kobe, Japan, for about a year before learning that their exodus was still unfolding. The Japanese government reprimanded Sugihara for his traitorous act of rescuing more than 6,000 Jews and would not host the Jewish refugees any longer. They sent them to Shanghai, to the Hongkou ghetto. The ghetto was established for Jewish refugees in the first wave from Germany in the mid-1930s, and it was there that my grandfather and his brother made their home for the next several years. They wrote to Sore, who was living in Siberia, and learned the devastating news of their family’s and the Jewish people’s fate back in Poland. Having been welcomed by the Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities who had lived in China for generations, the war refugees from Poland recreated their cultural life in the ghetto. My grandfather worked at the Russian library and wrote for Yiddish magazines. Concerts, lectures, communal gather-
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A Journey Back in Time Visiting Shanghai More Than 70 Years After My Grandfather Fled East From the Holocaust
ings, synagogues and newspapers were all part of my grandfather’s milieu in a whole new part of the world. Fast forward to 2013. My father Zalmen and I with my wife and baby daughter wait anxiously at the Chinese consulate to hear whether our visas have been granted. I’d been invited to participate in the 70th Anniversary of the Hongkou ghetto and at Limmud Shanghai, but complications caused us to miss our flight out of Newark’s Liberty Airport. Our visas wouldn’t be ready until the next day. As we headed home I thought of my grandfather, wondering what his painstaking wait for a visa must have been like, being uncertain if he would get his lifeline out of Europe. We arrived in China on a Friday afternoon, not believing we would be spending Shabbat in Shanghai. Dazed by jetlag, we walked to one of the city’s three Chabad centers, and experienced the kindness of a free kosher meal. “Lechu neranenah!” We sang the words of the Psalmist, words that have been part of the Shabbat prayers for centuries. I wondered if my grandfather ever walked into a synagogue while in Shanghai. What would he say? What does one say to God while one’s family perishes in the fires of Auschwitz? My grandfather rarely spoke of his refugee experience or of his family from before the war, but he did write poetry and prose published in newspapers and anthologies of war refugees’ testimonies. We reread my grandfather’s Yiddish letters to his sister while in Shanghai. We deciphered his handwriting and tried not to weep. At first, my grandfather gently berates his sister for not writing more and then explains just how thirsty he is for news from home. Rumors are spreading in the ghetto about the “misfortunes” of the Jews in Poland. He wrote to her of roaming the streets of Shanghai and feeling the burning stares of the locals. What do these looks mean? he wonders. Are they glances of pity, of compassion? I think of Moses’ words: “For I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,” and wonder what my grandfather’s source of comfort might have been during these tumultuous times—if he even had any. The next morning we went on walking tours of Shanghai, the largest city in
China, home to more than 20 million people. We viewed the varieties of architecture, skyscrapers up against flimsy apartments. Our 9-month-old daughter, Ravi, was treated like a celebrity, as people stopped on the street, smiling, pointing, and some even asking to take a picture with her. It was a relief to walk through these foreign streets on Shabbat without snapping photos on our cell phones. Instead, we pushed ourselves to be present in the present and took mental photographs, all the while wondering, “Did my zeyde walk here?” Sunday marked Yom HaShoah. We started the day at the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum where we were greeted by security guards saying Shabbat Shalom, a peaceful Sabbath. We walked through the streets of the ghetto with our tour guide who pointed out old refugee homes. My father shared photographs my grandfather had taken during his time in China and showed them to our guide. “You are on this street now,” the guide said holding the photograph. We looked around and noticed the similarities: the narrow road; the old terraces. In another photograph stood a large castle-like building that apparently used to house the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Shanghai. We found the old building as we turned the corner. Our touring felt more like a detective’s adventure, uncovering my grandfather’s past footsteps. Our performance was set to start at 3 p.m. There were emissaries from the Israeli consulate and rabbis who spoke, along with a representative from the Joint Distribution Committee. He talked of the Joint’s work and the rabbinic phrase, kol yisrael arevim zeh lazeh. He shared an anecdote about the Shanghai mayor who, when Israel and China established diplomatic relations in the 1990s, stood at a memorial site with Prime Minister Rabin in a park in the ghetto and thanked the Israeli government for acknowledging Shanghai as a haven for Jews during the war. He said, “From the oldest and largest community on earth to the oldest and smallest community on earth, we thank you.” My wife’s cousin, Rebecca, one of the coordinators of the weekend pro-
gram, invited us to take an extended tour. We jumped at the opportunity, taking along papers that listed my great uncle’s address as well as the address for a concert my grandfather organized while in the city. As we walked through the bustling streets, we passed vendors selling live frogs and birds along with an array of spices. From the prison to our left, it quickly became clear that buildings had been torn down and rebuilt and the streets had changed. While others left for lunch, my father and I stayed on with the tour guide, searching. Surely, seeing a whole new part of the world was thrilling, but what were we really looking for? Buildings that no longer exist? A grandfather who has since passed and a story which he can no longer tell? We walked for half an hour; a hunt in futility. I wondered if perhaps this is how memory is maintained, how a collective consciousness is formed: walking through the streets of one’s history, simply trying to feel something. When we came back to perform, we sang folk songs, ballads by Mordkhe Gebirtig, songs of frustrated fathers and wild sons, and shared music from the ghettos, forests of the partisans and concentration camps. Our voices filled the old synagogue, Ohel Moshe. In my grandfather’s papers we found an invitation to the inauguration of that very shul. His photograph of the synagogue matched the one in which we stood. As we sang, I realized: this music, these words were his lost home. He had been lucky enough to share his journey with his brother Avram, my namesake, reveling in a culture that reflected his family and a world the Nazis sought to destroy. That world continues to live. Our next days were spent sightseeing and taking photos endlessly. I wish I could show my zeyde these pictures of China, of his son and grandson and great-granddaughter walking through the streets of his refuge, if for nothing more than to say, “Zeyde, we were here, we’re trying to remember.” As our whirlwind adventure came to an end and I reflected on our short journey, I can only hope that in some way, our trip served as a tiny tikkun, a spiritual fixing, to a wound that can never fully heal.
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Home Decorating Amazing Accents under $100 Small ideas to add big style and functionality to your bath (BPT) - If you’re bored by your bathroom, you might think a total room remodel is the only way to make a difference. And, if you’re like most homeowners, you might not have the time, expertise or budget to tackle high-profile projects like replacing your flooring, vanity, tub or shower. Luckily, in a small space like a bathroom, making tiny tweaks can make a big impact. In fact, you can easily add style and functionality to your bath without subtracting too much from your bank account. Here are a few simple ideas to refresh your bathroom that can be completed in just a few hours (or even minutes). -Under $25 - Conquer vanity insanity If your vanity is looking drab and tired, don’t replace it - refresh it in just a few simple steps. • New knobs and pulls: Look for new knobs and drawer pulls that are designed to match your existing faucets and fixtures in both style and finish. Whether you prefer modern or something with a more traditional look, many options are available to extend your sense of design down to the details. • A place for everything: Conquer
even more countertop clutter by using a decorative tray or small basket to hold loose items. From hair brushes to hand soap and lotion, simply gathering items together can make the whole room look - and feel - more organized. • Add a glass shelf: Another way to keep bathroom necessities close at hand is by installing a decorative glass shelf near your sink and vanity. Not only will it help to clear the clutter from your countertop, but it can also be a place to display small decorative touches like picture frames, flowers and reed diffusers. • Under $50 - Update with a new hue From the walls to the floor, you can transform your bathroom’s look with a new color scheme and these easy ideas. • A fresh coat of paint: Try a soothing shade of blue to give your bathroom
a relaxing, spa-like feel, or a more vibrant color, like yellow, will add energy and brightness. -* Towels and rugs: Add vibrant pops of color with accents in bright, new shades. Look for thick, plush towels and soft, sumptuous rugs to stimulate your senses and add a luxurious look and feel. • A new shower curtain: Complete your bathroom’s new color scheme with a quality fabric shower curtain to tie the whole look together. -For added style and sophistication, use two curtains and open in the middle, to mimic the look of a large window. • Under $75 - Create a sensational shower If you’re looking for cost-effective, easy ways to spruce up your shower, a few small upgrades are all it takes. • Showerhead: Replace your old showerhead with the new Moen Halo Rainshower, which installs easily and delivers a truly luxurious shower experience with three spray settings and a unique pivoting outer ring for added coverage. • Curved shower rod: Next, gain up to 5 inches of valuable elbow room by replacing your straight shower rod with a curved model. Not only will every shower be a little more comfortable, you’ll easily add sophistication and accentuate your new show-
er curtain. • Shower shelf: A shower shelf is an ideal solution to keep soap, shampoo and sponges neatly organized and always close at hand. Plus, you can increase your shower’s safety as well by choosing a shower shelf that incorporates a grab bar. • Under $100 - Add amazing accessories For complete coordination, Moen offers entire accessory suites, featuring towel bars, towel rings, robe hooks, paper holders, lighting and even toilet tank levers, that are designed to perfectly match the rest of your faucets and fixtures. “For less than $100, you can easily refresh your bathroom’s overall decor,” says Laurie Birko, senior product manager for Moen Accessories. “Today’s accessories combine stylish flair with useful function. Our pivoting paper holders, for instance, offer a springfree design that makes changing the roll quick and easy, allowing you to create a big effect in just a few small steps.” So, don’t think that a bathroom update is out of reach. With a few simple updates and minimum budget, your bathroom will be more stylish, useful and enjoyable in no time. -For more information about Moen products, visit moen.com or call 800BUY MOEN (800-289-6636).
Israelis Innovate Powerful New Hepatitis B Vaccine By Abigail Klein Leichman f you’re under the age of 30, you were probably inoculated against the hepatitis B virus (HBV). However, even though 167 countries now vaccinate at birth, HB —up to 100 times more infectious than AIDS-causing HIV—is still a major global health problem causing 1.2 million deaths every year from liver disease. Obviously, a better vaccine has been needed for a long time. It took a pair of Israeli physicians at the Weizmann Institute of Science to innovate a more effective formula, Sci-B-Vac, made by Israel’s SciGen.
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Since 2005, virtually every Israeli newborn has received Sci-B-Vac, a practice that has significantly reduced HBV incidences in Israel. In fact, a current study at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem indicates that Sci-BVac given to infants born already infect-
ed stops the disease from developing. The world’s only commercially available third-generation vaccine against HBV is also approved for use in Hong Kong, Philippines, India, Vietnam, Georgia and Central Africa. With regulatory approvals in the United States and other countries expected in the near future, SciGen CEO Michal Ben-Attar is seeking partners willing to help get this effective and cost-efficient vaccine to places where the rates of infection are especially high.
‘One of the most potent hepatitis B vaccines in the world’ The problem with the first generation of HBV vaccines, pioneered in 1992, was that they were derived from the actual virus and carried health risks. The second-generation vaccine, still widely used the world over, uses a yeast-derived, genetically engineered version of the virus’s main protein. “They hoped the antibody made in response to this protein would be enough to stop the infection, but actually it’s not effective enough,” says Ben-Attar. In addition to lacking two other proteins in the human native virus, the second-generation vaccine also has
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SCIGEN MANUFACTURED 12 MILLION DOSES OF THE VACCINE LAST YEAR.
a high rate of non-response in people with common health conditions from gluten intolerance to diabetes. The trademarked Sci-B-Vac uses advanced biotechnology to offer a safer and more effective alternative, says Ben-Attar. “The point of biotechnology is to simulate natural processes as closely as possible.” Rather than just one protein, Sci-BVac is a hollow “envelope” containing three purified recombinant proteins derived from a line of hamster cells—
much closer to human cells than those of yeast, Ben-Attar tells ISRAEL21c. The human body produces protective antibodies against all three of the HBV proteins in response to the inoculation, which was deemed safe after clinical trials involving 5,000 people. In addition to newborns, “I would like to see everyone protected with our vaccine, but for a start we are targeting non-responders,” says Ben-Attar. “In Is-
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SCHOOLS
SINAI High School Students to Perform in Sound of Music on May 7 Special to JLBC erforming in a school play gives any child a great sense of accomplishment and pride. But for the high school students at SINAI´s Rabbi Mark & Linda Karasick Shalem High School, it is both an enormous achievement and proof
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that they, too, can be just like other kids. SINAI’s Shalem High School is very special. Located in Teaneck at Torah Academy of Bergen County and Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, it is the only Jewish high school in Bergen County for teens with developmental disabilities or profound
Yavneh Academy Bake Sale a Huge Success! avneh Academy’s third annual Early Childhood Bake Sale took place this past week. The students raised $562.50 for i-Shine of Teaneck, a Chai Lifeline program which provides homework assistance and recreational activities for children who are dealing with a loss or illness at home. Students from every grade of the school visited the bake sale tables during their lunch periods and excitedly made their purchases. The Early Childhood students proved to be very successful business children!
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learning disabilities. SINAI’s partnership with TABC and Ma’ayanot makes it possible for these children to receive a Jewish education and to be a part of a regular high school environment. Still, the idea that these students, many of whom have profound difficulty with basic communication, could put on a play and perform for a live audience is remarkable. What makes it possible is the intense dedication and persistence of SINAI’s imaginative teachers and administrators, and their belief that with the right guidance and encouragement, their students can exceed expectations. “Putting on a play like this takes a huge amount of work from the teachers and the kids themselves,” says Shira Greenland, the Director of SINAI Schools’ Shalem High School. Assistant Director Esther Klavan concurs. “In the course of working on this production, our students build skills that are extremely challenging for them, such as patience, teamwork, and social skills,” she says. “They learn to follow directions, accept criticism, and take risks. But the payoff is huge: by the end, they are swelling with pride and self-confidence!” “This will be the fifth play that
Shalem High School has put on,” says Rabbi Dr. Yisrael Rothwachs, Dean of SINAI Schools. “Every single production has amazed and inspired me. We know that the kids can do it, because we teach to their abilities. Their sense of pride and accomplishment really comes through. By the time the kids take their bows at the end, there is barely a dry eye in the audience. It’s really something special.” The Sound of Music will play for one night only, Tuesday, May 7, at 6:30 pm in the Ma’ayanot Theater. It is free and open to the public. Operating inclusive special education schools for Jewish children Grades 1-12 as well as programs for adults, SINAI is highly regarded as one of the country’s leading Jewish schools for children with learning or developmental disabilities whose needs cannot be met in a regular education setting. Each of SINAI’s schools is housed in a regular education partner Jewish Elementary or High School, providing an inclusion experience that is personalized for every single child. For more information, visit www.sinaischools.org or call 201-833-1134.
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SCHOOLS
State Senator Gordon Visits RYNJ
An Unconventional Dvar Torah at The Frisch School
By P’nina Seplowitz
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ast week, Senator Robert M. Gordon (D-District 38) visited the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey. Senator Gordon, whose district includes the townships of Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, New Milford and River Edge—where over 45% of RYNJ students reside— told seventh grade students about his role in government, the process by which a bill becomes a law in the state legislature, and the day-to-day duties of a state senator. Gordon related that the most important aspect of his job as a legislator is helping his constituents. He explained that his office receives over 100 calls and emails daily from citizens requesting assistance with personal issues or navigating state government. They were also told that when they came of age they should exercise their right to vote, and encourage their parents to do so as well. The students were excited to ask questions about topics they had covered in their social studies curriculum, with Israel and the “tuition cri-
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sis” foremost on their minds. Student Chana Lieba Rosenbluth asked the Senator, “Do you think the U.S. should continue to help Israel?” Senator Gordon explained that foreign policy falls under federal jurisdiction but state government can send resolutions to Congress to express its position. He added that, “Israel is our best friend in the Middle East, the only democracy in a very dangerous part of the world, and we must continue to support Israel.” Mordechai Glatter, another seventh grader, asked, “Why do our parents pay taxes for public schools if we go to private school?” Senator Gordon explained to the students the concept of “public good,” which are functions of government that provide benefits to people regardless of personal consumption. He said, “We are a better society with these things, so we all must contribute to them.” Following the presentation to the students, Head of School Rabbi Daniel Price and Director of Religious and
Academic Studies Rabbi Shmuel Goldstein led Senator Gordon, his Deputy Chief of Staff Matthew Marinello, and two members of the Orthodox Union’s Institute for Public Affairs, New Jersey Regional Director, Rabbi Josh Pruzansky, and Marketing Director, Arielle Frankston-Morris, on a tour of the school. They visited the school’s technology labs and first and second grade classrooms where they interacted with students and observed lessons. The Senator also met with lay leadership of the school to discuss issues of importance to the RYNJ community, including state budget cuts for technology grants and school nursing, and the lack of busing for students living in Bergenfield. Senator Gordon was receptive to many concerns expressed by the school administration and lay leadership, and conveyed his commitment to finding creative ways to address the issue of education affordability. Rabbi Price commented on the meeting with the Senator: “We feel that having students hear about how legislation operates directly from an actual state senator is a crucial component to hands-on learning, and it’s important for our students to see a relationship with our yeshiva and the government.” The Senator shared how impressed he was with the school’s consistently high academic performance and along with Rabbi Pruzansky, admired the RYNJ Annual Report, which reflects the many milestones achieved in the school and represents an effort on the part of the board and administration towards transparency in their fiduciary responsibilities. This report is just one of the many steps taken on tuition reform. RYNJ remains committed to keeping tuition rates flat and to help relieve the burden on parents.
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n Sunday April 21 The Frisch School was honored to have Mayor Corey Booker as the featured speaker at the school’s Fourth Annual Sports breakfast. More than 400 members of The Frisch School community came together to show their pride in all of the school’s players and coaches, as well as their gratitude for the dedication and support of the parent body. Mayor Booker gave an inspiring and entertaining talk, referencing the Torah portion of the week in which he told his own personal story of commitment and perseverance, illustrating to the audience that personal success comes with dedication to a cause, communal awareness and hard work. He also reinforced how his continued study of Torah reinforces his devotion to Tikkun
Moriah Retools and Brings Parents Into The Process
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ah, Yavneh has to evaluate every item in the budget, a process that Rosenfeld said allows the administration to also evaluate every program and make it more efficient. The largest Bergen County day school is now the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey. Current enrollment is 1, 048 students with 1,070 registered for the 2013-2014 year. Board president Azi Mandel said the student body comes primarily from Teaneck, Bergenfield, New Milford, Fair Lawn and Paramus, with some from Englewood, New
Olam. Mayor Booker was presented with a lithograph of the famous saying of Hillel from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) “If I am not for Myself, Who am I? If I am Only for Myself, What am I? If Not now, When?” which Mayor Booker had actually referenced in his remarks. Mayor Booker spent time after his remarks speaking personally to parents, students and their families.
York City, Riverdale and Rockland County. “Families have told us they chose to move to our community because they were looking for a yeshiva like RYNJ,” Mandel said in an email interview. With the increase in enrollment, faculty will be expanded for the coming year. Mandel said RYNJ focuses on providing “a top quality education in both limudei kodesh and secular studies while prioritizing middot tovot and the development of fine character and self-esteem in our students.” He said that RYNJ has not been affected by the opening of the new schools. “The RYNJ hashkafa, along with our successful approach, set us apart and keep us an attractive choice for families.” He added that “Bergen County residents are truly fortunate to have so many high quality institutions to choose from.”
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Making A Match: New Ways in a New World By Liah Bloom ivugzone is a new online dating site geared 100% to observant singles. Founded by Moshe Coan, the site launched last fall and in six short months over 3,500 singles have registered—and four couples got engaged. Moshe, a licensed marriage and relationship therapist, has always had an interest in the dynamics of compatibility in relationships. In fact, research shows that two people with similar personality traits have an easier time negotiating relationship issues which may lead to a more satisfying marriage and more compatibility in the long run. The site is free for registrants after agreeing to the terms of conditions confirming that the registrant is Orthodox. The site has haskamos from two rabbis. So how does the site work? Individuals register and complete 75 questions on compatibility. Based on responses, they are instantly matched based on their personality traits, hashkafah, age requirements and relocation possibility. There are two ways to receive matches: one is via direct email and the other is through a shadchan. The site follows a BYOS policy requiring the registrant to “bring your own shadchan” if that is the introduction method they choose. To date, 93% of registrants have opted for the direct email contact. Moshe explains, “80% of the registrants live in the New York area and, interestingly enough, despite its name, Zivugzone, the site’s current breakdown is 50% Modern Orthodox from Manhattan, Teaneck and Fair Lawn with the other 50% is yeshivish. The matches that a particular person will receive are directly tied to the hashkafah they entered, so each person controls their matches. If someone is in the system that matches personality and hashkafah to another, a match is instantly created.” Moshe continues, “So far, the re-
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For example,if a guy is asking a woman out for a midweek date, don’t ask her out for coffee at 7 p.m. on a weeknight when both are working. She’s likely to be hungry and wants dinner—a coffee makes herperceive the guy as cheap.” sponse has been amazing and the registrants see this as a wonderful resource and opportunity to meet others in a non-threatening way.” To learn more, visit the site at www.zivugzone.com or email moshecoan@zivugzone.com. Dubbed the “Anti-Matchmaker,” JHitched doesn’t set people up on dates. Rather, the company focuses on providing Jewish daters social, style and dating advice. Based in Teaneck, the company was founded by David Ochs and Isaac Hyman. JHitched helps Orthodox daters take control of their own dating destiny by building upon their social skills and giving them confidence and life skills needed to date successfully. Based upon their own personal experiences, they educate, coach and guide daters in need of dating advice. David says, “Some of the dating ad-
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vice may seem obvious, yet basic techniques are not being used. For example, if a guy is asking a woman out for a midweek date, don’t ask her out for coffee at 7 p.m. on a weeknight when both are working. She’s likely to be hungry and wants dinner—a coffee makes her perceive the guy as cheap.” The company specializes in three distinct areas. Dating consulting includes developing a dating strategy, pre- and post-date review and online
dating profiles. Social consulting focuses on overcoming shyness, how to develop self esteem, non-verbal cues and on moving past a break-up. The third area, Image Consulting, tackles wardrobe assessment, social media make-overs and fitness and personal training. Isaac Hyman, co-founder, says, “A lot of what we do is to provide the basic life and dating skills to develop the self-confidence to succeed in dating. Ultimately our goal is for our dating clients to find their soulmate.” The business is marketed through social media, blogs, Facebook and Yahoo groups. Cyber support, dating only, and complete dating packages are available for purchase by the month. They also partner with stylists, make-up artists and wardrobe consultants based on the specific needs of the client. As an aside, JHitched was recently approached about participating in a reality show that focuses on religious dating. The show is currently a work in progress. In an effort to offer diverse opinions on Jewish dating, JHitched has teamed up with regional and internationally known Jewish matchmakers in an effort to move the entire project forward for everyone’s benefit. For more information, visit www.JHitched.com or call 201-304-7954.
Daglanut by BPY eshiva Ben Porat Yosef students perform daglanut (flag formations) at the Yom Ha’atzmaut chagiga (festival) program that took place at the school on Tuesday, April 16th. Each grade presented its own unique formations, which were performed for the more than 600 people who attended the Israeli-style dinner.
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1406 Teaneck Rd (in shopping area at corner of State St. and Teaneck Rd.) Teaneck, NJ 0766
Phone: (201) 862-0062
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SCHOOLS
Dr. Michael Berenbaum Visits Moriah he Moriah School recently hosted Dr. Michael Berenbaum, a leading Holocaust scholar, who spoke to students participating in the “Names Not Numbers” program—the taping of Holocaust survivors while they tell their stories. Dr. Berenbaum focused his remarks on some of the more remarkable and unusual survivor stories which he has researched, highlighting both the greatest heights of selfless courage and heroism and the lowest depths of evil. One of the stories Dr. Berenbaum told was the story of Felix Zandman, a Holocaust survivor from Grodno, Poland, who was 10 years old when the war broke out. He died two years ago. As a young boy, Zandman was witness to the murders and beatings of his
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Jewish neighbors. He, his uncle and two others were eventually hidden in a pit by righteous gentiles, Jan and Anna Puchalski, in return for a kindness they had done the couple in better times. The scholar told JLBC that he told the story to show the meaning of fairness, of values, of ethics—of the good. Because of the severe food
shortage, Zandman came up with the system that “each day someone else would cut the food pieces, and because they watched each other, the pieces would be as even as possible, and then they would draw straws for who got what piece...That way it was as fair as possible.” Zandman, whose uncle taught him physics and ad-
vanced math while they were in hiding, attended the Sorbonne in Paris after his liberation, went on to America, and built one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electrical components, Vishay Intertechnology. Does Dr, Berenbaum feel that his message got through to the kids who were not participating in the memory pro-
ject? “I tried to reach all of them and hope I did. If you want to find out, ask the kids... I know what I am saying, but what they hear is up to them. I would hope I got through.” Dr. Berenbaum, the former Project Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and Director of the USHMM’s Holocaust Research Institute, is currently Director of the Sigi Ziering Institute at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. A former professor of Jewish History at Yale, Georgetown University, Wesleyan and George Washington University, he is the author and editor of 18 books and co-produced One Survivor Remembers: The Gerda Weissman Klein Story, which received an Academy Award, an Emmy Award and the Cable Ace Award.
Ma’ayanot Students Explore Controversial Case with NYC Police Officer Orthodox NYPD officer offers perspective on ‘stop and frisk’ policy Special to JLBC eaneck—What started out as a conversation about Fourth Amendment rights in a US Government class led to a lively presentation by a New York City (NYC) police officer about the contentious topic of the city’s stop and frisk program. Along the way Ma’ayanot seniors learned that often there are no simple answers to complex Constitutional questions. Just as Ma’ayanot seniors began a unit on civil rights, the now famous class action suit that charges the New York Police Department (NYPD) with unconstitutionally stopping and frisking citizens based on race rather than “reasonable suspicion” of criminal activity (Floyd v. NYC) began to unfold in Federal District Court in Manhattan. Students were intrigued and commented “Wouldn’t it be cool to hear what a cop thinks?” That comment sparked their teacher’s memory of an acquaintance who recently mentioned that her son was
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a New York City police officer. The rest, as they say, is history, and a few phone calls later Officer Elliot Zinstein was scheduled to speak with Ma’ayanot seniors about the issue. As an officer who has conducted “literally hundreds of stop and frisks,” he was certainly qualified to weigh in on the question whether New York City’s stop and frisk policy results in unconstitutional racial profil-
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ing, or whether it a necessary and effective crime-fighting tool. Officer Zinstein began his presentation by summarizing the levels of suspicion needed to detain individuals suspected of criminal activity, and he demonstrated his stop and frisk technique on Mr. Alan Deaett, a Ma’ayanot history teacher. Finally, he offered his perspective on the charges of racial profil-
ing, which, he acknowledged, are substantiated by some pretty difficult statistics. “Remember,” he cautioned, “statistics can be skewed. “For example, people ask why close to 90% of those stopped under our stop and frisk program are either African American or Hispanic— isn’t that racist, they ask?” “No,” Officer Zinstein explained, “because the percentage stopped is correlated to the percentage doing crime. In 2012, 66% of violent crime was committed by African Americans, and 26% by Hispanics. In that same year, 55% of stop and frisks were conducted on African Americans, and 32% on Hispanics. The fact that the stop and frisk statistics roughly parallel crime rate statistics proves that we don’t focus on race, we focus on crime. We are looking for activity, not skin color.” Similarly, he noted that people often question why only 6,000 guns were confiscated in over 4 million searches. “Does that prove that there wasn’t reasonable suspicion
for the stop? No it doesn’t. Maybe the reason that people don’t carry guns anymore is because of this program.” It was clear to the students that Officer Zinstein firmly believes that the NYPD’s stop and frisk program is an effective crime-fighting tool, and is not, in his words, “a racist program.” Some in the audience, however, were not fully convinced, and they left the presentation motivated to carefully follow news reports of this case as the trial proceeds in the coming weeks. During the question and answer that followed the presentation, students asked Officer Zinstein what it is like to be an Orthodox police officer. He commented that there are actually “two minyans of frum police officers in the NYPD” and that they have been treated well. “I’ve found that you are judged by what you do. I’m a hard worker and I am respected for that.” This comment poignantly brought the discussion full circle; all people should be judged for what they do, not for who they are. May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 37
LAG B’OMER
Lag Ba’Omer 2013 Ben Porat Yosef students (left to right) Eitan Benhamu, Zachary Kohn, and Ezra Brauner participate in the barbecue and fun activities at the annual BPY Lag Ba’Omer bonfire, which took place at the home of BPY parents Karen and Howie Goodman on Sunday, April 28th.
YONATAN GLICKSMAN AND IKE DRESDNER PERUSING BLACK IS A COLOR WITH ARTIST STAN LEBOVIC IN BACKGROUND (MOSHE PAHMER PHOTOGRAPHER)
TABC Book Day By Carol Master and Leah Moskovits, Book Day Coordinators rom its inception, Book Day has been a labor of love. With our goal of fostering a sense of unity in the Torah Academy community that revolves around the act of reading, we sat down last summer to choose the most relevant books for our school. Once again determined to involve all faculty, staff and students in the act of reading and discussing a text that would prove intriguing and relevant, we were encouraged by Rabbi Adler to include Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau’s Out of the Depths: The Story of a Child of Buchenwald Who Returned Home At Last, as a viable choice. Traditional and yet freshingly innovative, with a modern sensibility and yet an ageless feel, Out of the Depths soon revealed itself as the perfect pick for our school for this year. With our choice came new inspiration. An engrossing read as well as a
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topical starting point for discussions about the traumatic effects of war on children and fresh insights into why bad things happen to good people, Rabbi Lau’s book could also serve as an unbelievably uplifting success story of contemporary Israel. And who better than Rabbi J.J. Schacter, whose family has been intimately connected with Rabbi Lau from the time that his father liberated the then 8-year-old from Buchenwald, to be our keynote speaker? We decided to complete our day with Black is a Color, a pictorial representation of Mr. Stan Lebovic’s own search, as a believing Jew, to find meaning in a world living in the shadow of the Holocaust. With a desire to end on an uplifting note, a musical rendition that illustrates Israel’s history, created and presented by Mr. Jordan Hirsch, was also booked. Our goal as educators at TABC has always been to foster a love of learning, both within the curriculum and
AVI HIRSCH, JOSH FINKELSTEIN AND EZRA HAGLER ADMIRING ONE PANEL OF BLACK IS A COLOR BY ARTIST STAN LEBOVIC (AVI PINCUS PHOTOGRAPHER)
in co-curricular settings. We believe that Book Day is a wonderful extension of what we try to teach the boys everyday: that it is through reading,
whether a novel, a historical document or a blatt of Gemara, one can discover new worlds and begin to think for oneself.
Lag B’Omer Carnival at CareOne at Teaneck. n estimated 300 residents of Teaneck and surrounding communities came out and spent the afternoon with CareOne’s patients, playing carnival games, getting their faces painted and participating in fun Zumba exercises.
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WOW! The World of Wings Rocks a Kid’s World By Tova Gold Photos by L’via Weisinger
alking through the World Of Wings is bound to delight and excite your little ones, and, most likely you too. There is so much to do and see there, don’t be surprised if you find yourself turning to the stranger standing next to you and saying “Can you be-
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lieve this place is in TEANECK?! It’s happened to us more than once at this unique and delightful museum and playspace. Driving up to the facility, at 1775 Windsor Road, you get an idea that you are in for a treat. A tremendous rainbow and steel butterfly welcomes you to what would initially believe is a butterfly exhibit. But this place is so much more. Upon entry, you are greeted by a bright, clean and beautifully decorated animal and reptile exhibit. Tiny turtles play on displays adorned with blown glass accents and rhinestone covered tank decorations. Snakes, big and small, Frogs, toads, iguanas and any variety of amphibian you can imagine lounge around in their well-appointed cages and tanks, posing for pictures and eating their lettuce and strawberry salad. As you work your way to the back,
displays of giant beetles and dragonflies have been preserved behind glass. The insects are oddly, but beautifully, hand-embellished with Swarovski crystals. Enter the butterfly sanctuary, a mini- paradise, with exotic greenery, birds and butterflies flying all around you. With a high glass roof it is like a little spot of paradise in North Jersey. That’s where the ‘wings’ part of the
interesting digital backdrops and allow you to manipulate, email or tweet the pics directly from the WALL, books that read themselves exhibits that look like the fell out of a movie about the future. As you work your way towards the back, the building’s round shape transforms to hold an assortment or private party spaces, each themed to match your child’s personality. In addition to those, there is a bubble-making exhibit, kiddie cooking classes, and a black and white optical illusion room that might make Willy Wonka’s head spin. For young crafters there is a beading workshop where kids make their own jewelry and there’s a gift shop filled with the most spectacular Sanrio collection this side of the Atlantic. And that’s just the first floor. As you wind your way up the spiral staircase, you’ll find the food. Kosher lunch options are provided on Sunday as well as for Birthday parties. Call for more information. Additional inter-
offices of perfume giant Givaudan and you can see how the office spaces have been cleverly redesigned into themed play spaces. The pretty pink princess room; the cars-themed boys space, the sandbox was installed right in the middle of an office space painted to look like the shores of a resort island (well, maybe that’s a stretch). This is also where you’ll find the ball pit, a favorite of this journalist’s 2 & 5 year olds. Rideables, climbables and interactive technology fills this colorful, safety padded space, offering hours of fun for kids. WOW has a number of pricing op-
active exhibits, including race cars, an interactive walk-through video game and a dress-up/manicure salon lead the way to the tremendous back playspace—complete with ball pit, sandbox, ride-on’s and a kids library, perfect for hours of play for kids up to 5 years old. The building used to be the private
tions, including an annual pass. Since they opened their doors last December, prices have fluctuated greatly as they seem to be trying to find their “sweet spot” for daily entry vs. the cost of annual membership, vs. limited access to some exhibits with pay-per-entry to the remaining ones. Whatever option you choose, the space is definitely worth a visit if you have young kids and are looking for a relaxed way to keep them entertained, or if you need a spot for a special event. With two young kids, we opted for an annual family pass and find ourselves using it frequently, if only just to swing by and use the bounce houses to let off a bit of steam. It’s so close, and with the annual pass, there are no additional built in fees. Call for birthday party price packages, kosher food and availablility of specific themed party rooms. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10-6pm. Learn more about World Of Wings and their various activities, events and exhibits at www.wowbutterfly.com or call them at 201) 833-4650.
World Of Wings basically ends. The rest of this uniquely designed play space is filled with dozens of other attractions to keep your little ones busy for hours. Four inflatable bounce houses fill one room, offering half-hour shifts for your little ones to bounce and slide. Nearby are interactive arcade games you actually ride on for a 3-D experience. While much of the decor seems to be seemingly hand-crafted with care, technology abounds at WOW. There are exhibits that allow you to take pictures against
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SPORTS The newly established Sports Desk at the Jewish Link of Bergen County aims to cover the full gamut of local sports. If we miss a story, an event or accomplishment, please email our Sports Editor at: sports@jewishlinkbc.com. Please also send submissions for Yasher Koach and Athlete of the week for your child or adult sports enthusiast to sports@jewishlinkbc.com
Jewish Men Can Jump! By Steve Gutlove n May 23 the Yeshiva High School Basketball Alumni Organization will hold its second annual dinner at Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, New Jersey. The Yeshiva High School Basketball Alumni have chosen to honor an impressive group of men this year. These nine honorees span more than 60 years of yeshiva basket-
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• Dr. Herb Schlussel, MTA Class of 1953 • Stuart Poloner, MTA Class of 1967 • Rabbi Avi Haar, HILI Class of 1971 • Dr. Allen Sapadin, HILI Class of 1979 • Abie Dweck, Sephardic Class of 1985 • Dov Wiener, Rambam Class of 1997 • Benjy Ritholtz, HANC Class of 2010 • Special Ring of Honor: Irv Bader, BTA According to dinner chair and event co-coordinator Elliot Auerbacher, the honorees were all great ball players, but they are modest and felt they were not worthy of such accolades. Auerbacher STUIE POLONER had to have several conversations and do serious arm bending to get some of the honorees to accept. When it came down to it, “These guys were all the best at what they did when they laced
IRV BADER IN UNIFORM
it up. Having them included gives the Ring of Honor legitimacy.” Last year more than 175 people attended the gala. The keynote speaker was Alan Dershowitz, the well-known
MITCH MERLIS A”H
ball greatness, and it will be a thrill for fans to see them all assembled in one room! The legacy of Mitch Merlis, z”l, lives on. The basketball legend will be honored posthumously because he was nifter five years ago Mitch is fondly remembered by former classmates, teammates and friends as being a warm loving person who was larger than life. Mitch attended Brooklyn Talmudic Academy, Yeshiva University High School for Boys, and played for the BTA Yugars, Class of 1974. In addition to honoring the memory of Merlis, the Alumni Organization will be inducting its inaugural Ring of Honor/Hall of Famers:
DR. ALLEN SAPADIN, IRV BADER, AND ALAN WEISS.
appeals lawyer and commentator. Dinner organizers note that the cost of the event ($118, dinner and annual membership, $100 for a virtual ad, and a special under 25 rate of $75) has been contained to encourage even greater attendance than last year, and early reservations are encouraged. The evening’s event will provide an opportunity for those in attendance to stroll down memory lane to fun and simpler times and recall some of the antics and hilarity of years past. Unlike many formal dinners, guests are encouraged to provide old photos and stories to share. The planning committee was specific in choosing a date in May, with Pesach and Shavuos behind us and prior to the busy wedding, graduation, camp and vacation season. The money raised goes to Yeshivat Kfar Zeitim in Tiberias, Israel. If you played in, coached or even watched a Yeshiva High School game, this is an event not to be missed. To reserve your seat visit the alumni organizations site http://www.yabausa.org/
The Jewish Link Yashar Koach of the Week: Jordan Silvestri n Sunday, April 28th the Rambammers of the Bnai Brith Softball League in Fair Lawn, New Jersey lost a nailbiter, 12 – 11. This week’s Yasher Koach winner goes to a team member who didn’t play in the game. Last week Rambammers team captain Jerry Schranz, received an email from Jordan Silvestri. The email was to let the team know that on Lag Ba’omer weekend Silvestri
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would be donating bone marrow and would be recovering from surgery and so would be too sore to attend the game vs. the Bombers. Jordan is the Rambammers’ backup catcher and the ultimate team player. He has been a member of the Rambammers for the past two years and while he’s not the starter, he never complains about anything. According to Schranz, “Jordan is the first one to sit on the bench, or take
the clipboard and take score.” Teammates were amazed that Silvestri was strongly considering coming to the game against medical advice. Silvestri’s family is originally from Fair Lawn and moved back recently from Washington Heights just so Jordan would not have to cross the bridge every Sunday to play for the Rambammers! Now that’s dedication. Yasher koach! 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
SPORTS
Tabc, not just a Hockey school anymore, By Isaac Altman ABC, in terms of athletics has long been branded a “Hockey School,” but this year the Teaneck Yeshiva has, almost out of the blue, has performed excellently across the board in almost every single competition available. The wrestling team won the Wittenberg Tournament for the first time in thirteen years, while the basketball team reached the Yeshiva League Semi-finals for the first time in school history after a historic upset of Magen David. In addition, the track team performed excellently and the baseball team is currently working on an undefeated season. The varsity soccer team is about to play for first place. But the hockey teams were the big story of the school, with the JV team winning its fifth straight championship under Coach Norm Blumenthal, and the Varsity team winning the championship later that day. The” hockey sweep” has only been done before by TABC, when it pulled off the feat in 1999. The success has not been limited to sports, though. TABC finished second of thirty-six schools in Bergen County and fifteenth of 175 schools in the state of New Jersey in the Math League, scoring the highest of all Metropolitan-Area Yeshivas. The Mock Trial team went all the way to the State Semi-Finals, a really incredible feat. The chess team locked up first place in its division, while the Torah Bowl team came within a whisker of taking the championship. Both College Bowl teams went to the playoffs, but arguably the most impressive feat this year by TABC was the Science Olympiad team’s sheer dominance almost every area of competition.
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However, as we all know, winning is not the only thing. For years, TABC has prided itself on winning with Middot and trying to show that “The nice guys can win, too!” This year, no matter what the YU Commentator may say, the Storm has for the most part won with class and respect, and people are taking notice. Athletics Director at TABC Bobby Kaplan said that while he is “very pleased” with the success of the TABC teams, “It is the Middot of the teams that is really outstanding.” Coach Kaplan’s sentiment is one that is being echoed throughout the leadership at TABC, which has praised the style with which the TABC teams are winning numerous times in emails to the TABC community. For example, the Track Team was said to have “Bought much pride for their high school through good middot, good sportsmanship, and utter domination,” according to the TABC newsletter. The entire TABC community hopes that the success in athletic and academic competitions for the school will continue and that the teams will continue to win the right way.
A great week for the Frisch Baseball Team he Cougars won two games this week by a combined score of 26-15. The April 26th victory was an offensive explosion, against the very talented Dwight Englewood team. The Cougars received contributions from their entire lineup. Noah Marcus led the offensive barrage with five of the teams seven RBI’s, including a base clearing triple in the
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third. On April 28th, the Cougars looked like they were in for another lopsided victory, this time over Ramaz. A bases clearing triple by Isaac Seelenfreund in the fourth inning seemed to put the game out of reach. Ramaz battled back with six runs late in the game, but still came up on the short side of 9-8.
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Ma’ayanot’s Softball Team Starts the Season 4 – 0 The Rapids are on a roll! a’ayanot’s softball team is off to a strong start with four consecutive wins. With only four regular season games to go, they are beginning to dream of an undefeated season. The Rapids beat Kushner 6 1 in the first game of the season. Sophomore Alex Fuchs attributed this win to a strong defensive outing, including a perfectly executed double play to end the game. Excellent hitting in their second game resulted in a 13 - 9 victory against Frisch. The Rapids took an early lead with a two run homer by Alex Fuchs in the first, and freshman Elisheva Katz worked to protect that lead by making a diving stop and throwing to first for a crucial out. Power hitting, combined with a strong pitching performance by freshman Sydnee Anderson, helped lead the Rapids to an 8 - 2 win against Heschel. High scorers of the game included sophomore Nicole Rothenberg, who went 5 for 7 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored; Alex Fuchs, who went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI’s and 3 runs scored; and sophomore Sarah Hiller, who went 3
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for 6 with 2 singles, one double and one run scored. Finally, six shut-out innings pitched by Sarah Hiller propelled the Rapids to their most recent 5 - 4 victory over Bruriah. Hiller’s lights-out pitching was backed up with excellent hitting ; high scorers included Rothenberg, who went 3 for 3 with 1 RBI, senior Eliana Applebaum, who went 2 for 3, freshman Elisheva Katz, who went 2 for 3 with 1 RBI, and freshman Talia Kupferman, who went 1 for 2 with 2 RBI’s. When asked for the secret of their success, Fuchs commented that “our team has great relationships --we are all friends, on and off the field, and that definitely helps with our attitude during the game, which helps us win.”
MTA Varsity Softball Report By Binymin Pfeiffer he MTA Lions opened the season on Friday April 19 against a very talented JEC squad. Everyone expected big things from the Lions this season, and they did not disappoint with an exciting game and final score of 7-6. However, in their next game held on a chilly and cloudy late afternoon, the Lions faced the Frisch Cougars short-handed. Three key players, Moshe Lifshitz, Eitan Rosenfeld and
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Shai Kaminetzky, were not available. Despite the weakened lineup, the Lions started the game with the greatest of confidence. When the game was over, however, the Lions held their heads high even though they did not walk away with a victory. Pitcher Ben Tzion Feld had put in another solid outing, but the run support just wasn’t there and they fell to Frisch 3-0. The 1-1 MTA Lions look to take out their anger on SAR during a double header on Wednesday May 1st. Go Lions!!
RABBI A. S. TEICHER 6,)5(, 725$+ 7(),/,1 0(=8=26 0(*,/26 742 Chestnut Avenue Teaneck, NJ 07666 201-836-8376 rabbiteicher@yahoo.com May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 41
SPORTS
On Your Mark, Get Set, GO! Thoughts from the Frisch Varsity Track Co-Captain By Risa Scharf fter the long awaited “Go!” the whistle blows, my muscles tighten, my mind becomes focused, and I am off! I run as fast as I can! As soon as I know it, I have legs with a mind of their own, a mind that is not afraid to challenge itself. Suddenly, I hear a loud cheer from the crowd—I have won! An indefinable emotion is circulating throughout my entire body; I feel great! Well, in all honesty, this “I” is not me. As co-captain of the Frisch Varsity Track Team, I must admit that although I may be an athletic and committed team player, I am the slowest one on the track. However, this never stopped me from running after what I love to
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do, and I thank the Frisch Varsity Track Team for that. The Frisch Varsity Track Team has a unique trait: It is accepting of any and all students with only one requirement, a passion to run. I am proud to say that our team has grown tremendously over the past three years in athleticism, sportsmanship and commitment. Starting as a team of four, we are now 20 strong, dedicated teammates. After intense practices throughout the school year, the Frisch Varsity Track Team held a meet on April 14, 2013. The Frisch boys placed first amongst all schools at the meet, and many of the Frisch girls succeeded in winning their individual competitions as well. Photo Credits: Lisa Applebaum
TABC Soccer Report he past six years have seen a tremendous growth in the popularity of indoor soccer in the yeshiva world, and the TABC soccer program has been the perfect place to witness this growth. The Varsity Storm has made the playoffs in each of the past six years. They reached the championship game three times, and won the championship in 2011. In 2009 TABC added a JV, and won the championship the following year. Talk about growth!! The highlights of the JV and Varsity seasons are always the games they play against their Bergen County rival, the Frisch Cougars. The teams split two regular season games last year and then met again in the championship
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game. The Cougars eventually won a very close 4-3 match. This season the first game with Frisch was a back and forth game. TABC took the lead twice, with Frisch coming back to tie it up both times. With just under six minutes remaining in the game, TABC broke through the suffocating Frisch defense and scored a winning goal! Both teams steamrolled through the rest of their schedules, winning most games by wide margins and are eagerly anticipating the re-match on the last days of the season The result of that game will determine the division winner and all important playoff seeding.
TABC Track Team Report By Ben Book n April 14th the TABC Track team ran its way to several victories as individuals and also as a team against several schools, including Frisch, Kushner, SAR, RAMAZ, and Maayanot.
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With quick steps and amazing speed it placed in top positions in all the competitions in which it participated. Team members showed their skill and brought much pride to their high school through good middot and good sportsmanship.
LEFT TO RIGHT: TABC’S CAPTAIN OREN STRICH, EHUD ADLER, AND BENJY SHULMAN (A) FIGHTING WITH FRISCH PLAYERS FOR THE BALL. PHOTO CREDITS LISA APPELBAUM
TABC JV Softball Storm Report By Tzvi Rotblatt he JV Softball Storm has started the season with an exciting but bumpy start. On Friday April 26, they played against the 3-1 SAR Academy team. The game was a back-and-forth battle from the get go. Bu the Storm players found themselves on the short end of a 5-3 score at the top of the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and one man down, a TABC player hit a sharp liner down the third base line. SAR’s third-baseman flashed some leather and made a terrific grab, stepped on the bag and threw to home for a double play. Although they had fought hard, the Storm were not able to score again and lost their season opener. Game two of the young season
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found the team heading to Deal, New Jersey to face the Hillel Heat. The long bus ride gave the Storm plenty of time to reflect on their last game and despite being short a man, they were heading south looking for a victory. They came out swinging and quickly scored two runs in the 1st inning. Hillel then responded with a bases clearing triple putting them up 3-2. The Heat were up 5-2 when the Storm came to bat in the top of the 6th. Tzvi Rotblat led off the sixth inning with a triple and Rafi Selevan followed with a deep fly ball to knock Tzvi in. But a couple of unfortunate line drives were caught that put a quick end to the Storms rally. Undaunted, the team looks to continue its season and get some victories against JEC and MTA in the upcoming weeks.
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SPORTS
Local Baseball Action - TBO and Yavneh Youth League - Photos
DANI PFEIFER WAITS FOR HIS PITCH
AVI ROTHBERG SMACKS A HOME RUN FOR RUSSO REAL ESTATE
JONAH COHEN SETS THEM DOWN INORDER FOR THE ROTHENBERG LAW FIRM
NOAH GUTLOVE OF 7-11 WAITS FOR HIS PITCH
REBECCA WEINBERGER BRINGS THE HEAT FOR ARCAR MOTORS
LES TO HIS MOM AFTER DRIVING IN THE TYING RUN ON HIS MOTHERS BIRTHDAY
SHORTSTOP EITAN WARBURG IS READY TO MAKE THE PLAY FOR BERMAN INSURANCE
ROLNICK GETS THE FIRST INNING RALLY STARTED FOR BERMAN INSURANCE
TALYA GELLIS STRIKES OUT THE SIDE FOR ARCAR MOTORS
DANI PFEIFFER CONNECTS FOR FAIRWAY MORTGAGE
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SPORTS
Bnei Yeshurun Softball League: Team Profile – The Mighty Ducks By Allen Pfeifer n a spring Sunday morning battle in the Bnai Yeshurun Mens Club Softball League, one of the league’s oldest franchises, The Mighty Ducks (2-1), defeated the Expansion Team Sharei Tefilla (0-3) by a score of 6 to 1. The game was an uncharacteristically low-scoring game, featuring solid pitching and defense. There were two key double plays as well turned by the Ducks. Originally assembled from the Teaneck apartment complex community 20 years ago, the Ducks are one of four of the leagues original franchises that still remain. The team features the “Core Three” original Mighty Ducks : Pitcher David Miller, lead-off hitter Allen Pfeifer, and Captain Elliot Rothschild. But the team has added some tremendous talent over the years—Barry Finkelstein,
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Mark Pollack, Brian Jacobs, David Gross, Jon Schloss and Mordy Book.
In the last few years, the team has also added power multidimensional
star players Yoni Weber, Brett Peven, Dov Adler, and Mordy Simpson. The Ducks also sprinkle in some youth on many Sundays with the Duck’s teenage children playing alongside their fathers. The team’s goal is to play a competitive fun game. The Ducks alumni includes over 20 players now living in Eretz Yisrael, including two roshei yeshivah, a number of venture capitalists and a meshulach! When asked about the secret to their durability, David Miller replied, “It never gets old. For years I shut down the Mighty Mossad. As long as I can battle the youngsters, I plan to continue.” Pfeiffer added, “I plan to play until someone else falls for my hidden ball trick. So far it has worked only on Ronnie Aranoff.” Rothschild remarked, “Each year our team is heavier and slower. The wives and children no longer come out to watch us play and each week our bodies ache in places we did not know existed. Nevertheless, as long as Miller and Pfeiffer can drag their bodies to the field, I shall as well.”
WORD SEARCH PUZZLES Baseball Word Search Puzzle
BASEBALL TEAMS
Created by Steven Margulies (SCMCowboy@aol.com - cell 201-741-3571)
E F L Y B A L L D R S S C T F
S L L A B D R A H E R A H I S
T L B A L L S R C E T I R L M
R A U U H R U O G C R S A R R
I B N I O L N A H D T E O U S
K E T U E D N I B B T F N E D
E S T S B A N A A S I N G L E
S A F A M G S S S N I A E B G
S B S O L E E N U N M I A C N
E E E O U P L U G E F S S O I
R T R I P L E R E N E M S A H
I W A L K S B M I S I A I C C
P T W N U R E M O H R R E S H T
M H E G A R E V A H B B T T E I
U O U T F I E L D W III N S S P
Please circle each word of each letter, one is done for you When finished the remaining letters will spell the answer to this question below What do teams strive for at the end of a long season?
___ _____ ______ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Assists Average Balls Baseball Bases Bunt Catching Coaches Double First Base Fly Ball Foul Game Hardball Hit Home Plate
44 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Home Run Infield Managers Out Outfield Pitching RBI Rules Running Runs Second Base Single Steals Strikes Teams Third Base
33 34 35 36 37
Created by Steven Margulies (SCMCowboy@aol.com - cell 201-741-3571)
R R S X O S D E R A N G E R S
E A B O R M I S E L G N A S B
D Y U S I A A T F D L S N C R
S S C E O R M E U B E I S I E
S T T T L I O M N V L O M T W
C N I I E N N Y A R R S E E E
A B I H S E D R A T TT E Y L R
R S N W S R B M S L II I A H S
D Y D S T S A A L A SS L N T S
I A I R N Y C E T E S L K A E
N J A E A T K O I L E I E D T
A E N G I I S K G E R H E U A
L U S D G C C I E M D P S L R
S L T O F O O D R A A G B T I
A B H D R U N S S G P A A S P
M U I D A T S L A N O I T A N
Please circle each letter of each word, when you are done the remaining letters will spell out the ending to a famous baseball song. The answer is 5 words long, one is done for you.
__ ___ ___ ____ ____
Triple Umpires Uniform Walks Wins
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Adults Angles Astros Athletics Bat Blue Jays Braves Brewers Cardinals City Cubs Diamondbacks Dodgers Food Fun
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Game Giants Hits Indians Kids Mariners Marlins Mets Nationals Orioles Padres Phillies Pirates Rangers Rays
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
RBI Red Sox Reds Rockies Royals Runs Sit Stadium Tigers Twins White Sox Yankees
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Moriah Mighty Ducks Win the Championship
CONTINUED FROM P. 1
Alter, Assistant Captain Max Srulowitz, Benjamin Barth and Zeke Chernoff, coupled with highly skilled offense men, Assistant Captains Solomon Freilich and Aaron Abecassis, and a talented goaltender, Charlie Freilich, this team cruised to the top of the northern di-
ISRAELI BREAKFAST ALL DAY LONG
CONTINUED FROM P. 23
hotels started having an extensive smorgasbord. And as various Middle Eastern traditional foods became popularized, like shakshouka and malawach, they got adapted to the hotel breakfasts and they also made their way into the general Israeli public’s breakfasts.”
Breakfast all day long Much as they love their breakfast,
“To Bet Or Not To Bet”: The Question Of The Second Year In Israel
CONTINUED FROM P. 28
Mrs. Suzanne Cohen, an Israel guidance counselor at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School, noticed that those of her “students who have spent a second year in Israel…are often more likely to go into communal service or chinuch. They are also more likely to make regular times for learning lishma and incorporate it into their routine once they are no longer in a regular learning environment. The benefit of an additional year devoted to intense learning, chesed (volunteering) and experiencing Israel, is an important and formative experience.” Many students consider staying another year in Israel because they enjoy the environment and would like to spend more time there. Oren Glickman, a native of Teaneck, New Jersey and alumnus of Yavneh Academy and the Frisch School, is now studying in Yeshivat Lev Hatorah in Ramat Bet Shemesh, and is pondering the Shanna Bet question. Oren said, “I developed a close relationship with the rebbeim (teachers) and felt like I was at home. I also developed some close friendships.”
vision. After coming off a disappointing 2011-2012 season, preseason HAYMISH Hockey rankings had few expectations for this team. But that didn’t worry first-year coaches Ari Pruzansky and Yoni Orlofsky. “At the start of the season, no one had any expectations for this kind of success. No one except our team,” said Pruzansky. “We knew we had the right mesh of talent and personality to ultimately succeed.” And succeed they did. This past Thursday night, the Mo-
riah Mighty Ducks strolled into JEC to compete with the Kushner Cobras for the HAYMISH Hockey Championship. After several minutes of fiercely competitive back-and-forth hockey, eighth-grader Harry Kramer broke the tie with a beautiful, sliding shot past the Kushner net-minder. Over the course of the game, 7th grader Joseph Tropp and Aaron Abecassis each added two goals, with Solomon Freilich and Benjamin Barth adding their own goals to complete the offensive onslaught. This was more than enough offensive
firepower for stellar seventh-grade goaltender Charlie Freilich to secure the win. The final score was 7-4. Moriah Principal, Rabbi Moshe Derlich told the Jewish Link of Bergen County, “The victory was great, but what made it extra special was the high level of sportsmanship these boys brought to the game.” These sentiments were echoed by Coach Pruzansky. “They didn’t just win, but they played the right way. Yes, they are high quality players, but more importantly, they are high quality kids.”
most Israelis don’t have the time to prepare such a plentiful spread in the morning. That’s why restaurants such as Tmol Shilshom began offering their own versions. And though hotels serve breakfast only in the morning, restaurants are free to serve it any time of day or night. Some of Israel’s best-loved breakfasts are served up at Jerusalem’s Café B’Gina, Café Modus, Alice, Mamilla Café and Nocturno; and Tel Aviv-Jaffa’s Loveat, Orna & Ella, Dr Shakshuka, Manta Ray, Café Arlozorov, Café Birnbaum and Cordelia. To stay within kosher rules that forbid mixing meat and milk, the hotels
keep the menu strictly pareve (vegan) and dairy. Non-kosher restaurants have no such constraints. Customers at popular eateries such as American-diner-inspired Benedict’s in Tel Aviv (tagline: “All About Breakfast”) can order bacon or kabanos sausage on the threeegg omelet part of the “Classic Israeli Breakfast” option—all day, every day of the week. Marks (who breakfasts on goatmilk yogurt with honey and/or fresh fruit) includes a shakshouka recipe in his James Beard award-winning Olive Trees & Honey, as does Londonbased Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi in his vegetarian cookbook Plenty.
But there are many different takes on this rustic, huevos rancheros-like dish. Ottolenghi’s recipe uses fresh tomatoes, onions, red and yellow peppers; fresh parsley, coriander, thyme and bay leaf; saffron, cayenne pepper, cumin and sugar. Some chefs dress up the dish with ingredients such as mushrooms, cheese, corn, baked beans, sausage, caraway, garlic or jalapeno. However you eat your shakshouka, Lonely Planet has this advice: “Don’t forget to ask for extra crusty bread to mop up the hearty sauce.” You’ll have no problem finding extra bread at any Israeli breakfast buffet.
Josh Blachorsky of Paramus, New Jersey, who went to Yavneh Academy and TABC, spent a brief spell in Rockland Community College before coming to Israel. He is in his second year at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Alon Shevut, and one of the reasons he stayed was because of the environment at his yeshiva. While Shana Bet can be a unique opportunity for young adults to continue to grow spiritually in an isolated and focused environment, it is often very difficult to justify spending the money on tuition and setting back one’s college education to continue these studies. Many programs exert pressure around this time of year to make their students stay, making it very difficult for them to make an objective decision. Often it distances students from their parents. When asked about the effect that this can have on students, Rabbi Wiener said, “This is psychologically damaging and puts undue pressure on students who really should not stay for a second year or students who thought they could learn well in college. Students who go home receive the message that implies they will never reach their true religious potential without staying, and this often becomes a selffulfilling prophecy.” Rabbi Wiener, mentioning how recently Shana Bet trended mainstream, jokingly added: “Perhaps there will be a time when only those who stay for three years will reach their potential. Will that hurt the future of those
who only stay for two years? Perhaps it will. I wonder how contemporaries of my parents remained religious, became Talmidei Chachamim, and brought up a generation of committed Jews when they only had one year, if that, of study in Israel.” Not all yeshivot exert this kind of psychological pressure on their students. When asked about pressure, Oren said that at Lev Hatorah, “the program and teachers are very big on the second year but only if it’s right for the person—they know it’s not for everyone.” Chani Colton, an alumnus of the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey and Maaynot is now studying at Tiferet Center in Ramat Bet Shemesh. She said that once she let her program know that she was not considering Shana Bet, they stopped asking her about returning next year. In the end, the Shana Bet decision is an important and personal decision; one that should be made without undue pressure from anyone, by objectively weighing the pros and cons of each direction. For those who aren’t entirely sure if an entire second year in Israel is entirely worthwhile, there are other alternatives. Many programs will allow a student to stay half of the year, and then continue into college in time for the spring semester. One may want to attend a college with a dual curriculum, where they can try to keep up their learning while also continuing their lives and starting their college education. For those who feel very connected to Israel after their time there,
but might not want to continue learning in yeshiva or seminary, they can consider beginning their college education in Israel. Many Israeli colleges, such as Bar Ilan University, the Jerusalem College of Technology (Machon Lev), and the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) of Herzaliya, have programs for English speakers and offer learning and touring opportunities while studying. In the end the most important thing to remember, says Rabbi Wiener, is that while “there is certainly great value to more Torah learning in general... Shana Bet is not the only way to accomplish this. Whether the extra Torah learning will be a second year in Israel; a commitment to enter a profession that will enable a person to allocate more hours in the day for Torah study (despite living a more modest lifestyle); the decision to take fewer secular studies courses per semester in a Yeshiva University/Lander College environment so that there is more time for Torah study (maybe in place of Shana Bet); the decision to attend one of the aforementioned colleges instead of a secular university— these are all decisions made with the goal of enhancing one’s Talmud Torah experience.” For those who will be starting yeshiva next year, heed the advice of Karen Lamb so that at this time next year you will not have any doubts about making good use of your year, so the Shana Bet question will be about continuing the Israel experience, not redoing it.
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JEdCamp: The Future is Now
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Bitton ended his blog post on “JEdCamp” saying, “I would venture to say that everyone left that building with a sense of accomplishment and [renewed] energy.” While attendees hailed from over 20 different schools, the heavy Bergen Country representation led Rabbi Avraham Bernstein of the Moriah School to note that “The success of JEdCamp speaks volumes about the area’s stellar institutions.” The experience offered Nancy Edelman, Curriculum Coordinator and English teacher from Torah Academy of Bergen County, new opportunities to engage with her peers. Edelman said, “I didn’t go thinking I was going to present, but when I got there, I felt empowered and thought up a session on
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rael, the Ministry of Health says to use only our product if there is high risk.” In comparison with conventional yeast-derived vaccines, Sci-B-Vac has been proven more effective in special risk groups such as overweight, immune-suppressed individuals, accord-
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children in a new and different society. The language, the educational system, the fashions, music, pop culture, the nursery rhymes and the anthems; the food and the eating schedule, the birthday party gifts; the way the toilets flush, how you shower; when you go to bed and what you do in your free time; how you refer to your teachers, your professional goals… . It’s all different and can be so jarring when you thought you knew all these things as a child and as a parent. (Preparing school supplies for my children still overwhelms me in a way that only fellow olim can understand. Israelis don’t understand what the big deal is—they understand the difference between the eight different kinds of machbarot requested, and Americans can’t even fathom to what I am referring.) One can never prepare for such 46 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
the spot: Challenges to Literacy in 2013.” Furthermore, Edelman said, a teacher from Yeshivat Noam, Sara Blum, saw Edelman’s idea and made herself a comoderator of the session. The two met for the first time right before the session began, talked about their similar concerns, and then led the discussion. The experience, though informal and spontaneous, felt, to Edelman, organic and natural. Debby Jacoby, who flew in from the California Bay Area for the day, enjoyed practicing collaboration with her East Coast peers, and Seth Dimbert, an educator from Florida who has already organized a JEdCamp there, said, “It was amazing to see such a diverse and insightful group of educators gather on their own time to improve their craft.” The formula was clearly successful: JEdCamps are currently being planned in both Maryland and Los Angeles, and preliminary talks have begun about the next such “un-conference” in this area.
ing to Dr. Daniel Shouval, dean of the medical school at Hebrew University and head of the Liver Disease Group at Hadassah University Medical Center. “These features make Sci-B-Vac one of the most potent hepatitis B vaccines in the world,” said Shouval. Privately owned, SciGen was established in 2005 and currently has 50 employees working at its Rehovot headquarters. Ben-Attar revealed that the company also has plans to advance its research and development of inoculations for other widespread conditions such as AIDS and Alzheimer’s disease. Reprinted with permission from Israel 21C, Image via Shutterstock.com
“disconnects” and at times I mistakenly blurt out, “Well that’s just ridiculous!” Sometimes, I try to articulate to my children where we diverge and try to make the gap meaningful and educational, by explaining my perspective and values, but I also want them to feel comfortable in the world I brought them to. So I am silenced and nod more than I would have ever expected. I imagine that over time I will feel more Israeli and less shocked by the different ways things are done, but history has shown that I, like other immigrants, will never truly get it. When we decided to make aliyah, we were told by a vatik with 20 years in Israel that the real disconnect he felt as a parent occurred when his son was deliberating his army service and he couldn’t even fathom advising him. “What could I say?” he explained. “Everything else in my children’s life had some semblance to my own experience—until the army. I did my research and showed my love and support but that was all I could do.” That hallmark event of army placement looms in my distant horizon and is so daunting that it has inspired me, for now, to try to just nod…and laugh when I can!
Rabbi Goldin Leads Leket Bar Mitzvah Trip he Englewood Father-Son Bar Mitzvah Mission to Israel helped Leket Israel – The National Food Bank pick vegetables for the needy in honor of Yom Ha’atzmaut. The group, led by Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Congregation Ahavath Torah and Rabbi Zev Reichman of East Hill Synagogue, gleaned an amazing 9,900 lbs of turnips to help feed 2,200 families in need. Want to volunteer? Contact danelle@leket.org
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Household Tips for Healthier Living
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terminator with expertise in integrated pest management and experience treating homes of people with asthma. Whether you have a cat or dog, pet dander is present in most U.S. homes. If it is possible, keep pets out of the bedroom. Your cleaning routine should include frequently washing linens in your bedroom, where cat or dog dander can settle. Place certified allergen barrier covers on your mattresses and pillows. Wash your bedding at least once a week in 130 degree or higher hot water to kill dust mites and their eggs. Mold, a common allergy trigger, can grow anywhere in your home where moisture is present. Look for cleaning products that help kill and prevent mold from returning. Also, keep household humidity below 50 percent and fix leaky pipes and cracks to reduce standing puddles of moisture where mold can prosper. If children live in your home, look for certified plush toys. Dust mites, mold and pet dander can accumulate on plush toys over time. Certified toys can be placed in the freezer for 24 hours, then rinsed in cold water to remove dead mites. Dry completely. Do this monthly.-
• Lots of air passes through window areas, and airborne dust and allergens accumulate on all types of window treatments - which are rarely cleaned. In the family room and throughout the home, replace big, heavy linen drapes with more sensible window treatments such as wood blinds or flat screens that are easy to wipe and keep clean. • If your home uses central air conditioning or heat, replace the filter in the machine regularly, typically every 30 to 90 days. Choose an HVAC filter that has been certified to effectively capture fine airborne particles like pollen, dust and dander. Keep in mind that while consumers spend nearly $18 billion annually on asthma and allergy medications, they also spend more than $20 billion on nonmedical consumer products marketed for people with asthma and allergies such as room air cleaners, bedding, vacuums and more, according to AAFA. While demand for such products continues to grow, there is little regulation governing product claims, the Foundation notes. AAFA’s asthma and allergy friendly Certification Program helps consumers evaluate and verify the allergen-reducing effectiveness of a variety of products, from cleaning supplies, air cleaning devices and vacuums to toys, bedding, home improvement products, paints, clothes washers and more. You can learn more at www.AAFA.org/certified.
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MOTHER’S DAY
Tips for new Mother’s Day and Father’s Day traditions amilies have many special traditions to celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Starting new traditions around these days is also common. If your family is looking for some new ways to enjoy Mother’s Day or Father’s Day this year, check out these tips and gift ideas that will help make your celebrations special: • Shop, dine or donate - Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are when we recognize parents for starting their families. This year, March of Dimes is launching the imbornto campaign to celebrate a powerful truth that every baby is born to do something great, but first they have to be born strong and healthy. Every time a baby is born, so are a new mom and dad. That’s why March of Dimes is the “Official Partner of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day,” encouraging you to shop, dine or donate where you see the imbornto seal to help continue the organization’s 75 years of research, education, vaccine development and medical breakthrough. imbornto partners include Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., The Bon-Ton Stores, Bliss Carpets, Farmers Insurance, Kmart, Mud Pie, Beaulieu, ProFlowers and First Response. Visit www.imbornto.com to learn more. • Good eats - New delicious recipes always bring flair to family gather-
ings around the dinner table. Make it a fun event by having family members create these recipes together, and then present them to mom or dad with a flourish of colorful cards, fresh cut flowers or brightlywrapped packaging. Here are some great recipes from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. to try:
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Grilled Potato Slices with Salt and Vinegar • • • • •
Prep time: 5 minutes Total time: 50 minutes Yield: serves 4 Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes, preferably fingerling, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inchthick slices • 2 cups white vinegar • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for sprinkling • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Directions: Bring potatoes and vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan (vinegar should cover potatoes). Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer potatoes until just fork tender, about 5 minutes. Let potatoes cool in vinegar for 30 minutes. Drain well, and gently toss with oil, salt and pepper. Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill potatoes in a single layer until browned on both sides and
cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt before serving.
Brown Sugar and Pecan Sticky Buns Prep time: 25 minutes Total time: 55 minutes plus resting Yield: serves 12 Ingredients: All-purpose flour, for work surface 1 recipe basic pizza dough, or 2 pounds store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 3/4 sticks), room temperature 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt Directions: On a floured work surface, roll dough to a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Dot upper two-thirds of dough with 1 cup butter and fold dough like a letter. Roll dough to a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Refrigerate on a baking sheet until firm, 1 hour (or up to 1 day). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine sugar, pecans and salt. Leaving a 1/2-inch border, dot dough with 6 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Starting at a long end, roll up dough like a jelly roll. Cut crosswise into 12 pieces. Place each piece, cut side down, into 2 jumbo muffin pans or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating pans half-
way through. Immediately invert buns onto a serving platter or baking sheet. Serve warm.
Cook’s note: Folding butter into the dough creates a flaky, rich result. This recipe works well with store-bought dough, but it’s exceptional with homemade. * Family activity time - Spending the day together is the best way to celebrate Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, so find an activity everyone can enjoy. Maybe it’s heading out to watch a movie, going to the local park for a long walk or bike ride, or crafting a household decoration together. All members of the family can enjoy Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, so consider trying out a new family tradition and make the celebration even bigger this year.
A Mother’s Day Stor y No One Has to Know By Estelle Glass After two years of marriage, my husband convinced me to move from our apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the neighborhood where my parents, sister, brother, aunts, uncles and grandparents all still lived. It was hard for me to comprehend why Len found it so difficult to commute daily to his job in Stamford, Connecticut from lower Manhattan, but I finally acquiesced after he seemed too tired to say much more than hello to me when he returned from work late each night. Before we moved, I tearfully made one heartfelt promise to my distraught mother, whose baby was leaving her to live in the galus, otherwise known as the Bronx. Every Thursday night without fail, we would be sure to come by for dinner, and more importantly, to pick up in person her specialty: handground, meticulously-shaped, speciallyflavored, made from scratch, gefilte fish. This regimen continued for the next 23 years and followed us through three more moves and the birth of my
four children. Inclement weather, tests, jobs, homework,Little League…nothing prevented these visits that slowly morphed into Sunday trips as well. Occasionally, my husband and children would complain about not having the time to go for a visit, but I remained firm. These trips were important to my parents, especially to my mother. They also made me feel special, because for a few hours I could bask in the warm feeling of being someone’s pampered child. When we were first married, I was a junior in college and my husband was a Teaching Fellow in graduate school. We just managed to pay our rent and were only able to eat because my parents provided almost all of our food. They were a kind of home-cooked takeout service. I would pick up our dinner every day on the way home from school, so that my husband and I could eat later at home and be “independent.” Then we moved and the children were born, and somehow the contents of those early “CARE Packages” changed. Yes, there was always the
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aforementioned gefilte fish, but then my son casually mentioned that he enjoyed Honeycomb Cereal. So every Thursday thereafter, Honeycomb would magically appear alongside the fish. And so it went, with treats being added. It didn’t matter that we could now afford to buy cereal or candy or cake for Shabbos. We still received bountiful provisions and, admittedly, we enjoyed every morsel. Often, when we visited on Sunday, my brother and sister would show up at our parents’ home with their own families in tow. When they did, my mother would pull me aside and whisper in my ear, “No one has to know about them, but your packages are in my bedroom closet and you can just take them with you when you leave.” Later, feeling both privileged and sneaky, we would sidle out of their apartment with several shopping bags buried in the baby’s stroller, to avoid offending my package-deprived siblings. At a recent yahrzeit siyyum for my parents, my niece asked to speak. Naomi recounted how important those
weekly visits to Bobbie and Zaydie were to her when she was growing up and how cherished they made her feel. She closed with an amusing anecdote about how very considerate her Bobbie always was. “I guess it’s safe to tell you now, but our family’s relationship with Bobbie and Zaydie was very unique. Every Sunday, if anyone else was visiting, Bobbie would pull me over to the side so that no one else would hear, and whisper to me, “Mamaleh, I packed your family some bags and they’re in the closet in the second bedroom. No one else has to know. You’ll take them with you when you go home.” Looking around the room, I saw that we all were looking surprised. And then I began to laugh. How clever my mother had been! She had wanted all of us, each family, to feel that we were special to her—that we mattered the most. It seems that along with her impressive culinary skills, my mother was also a skilled diplomat. In truth, we were all her favorites…but especially me, her baby. May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 47
Sharsheret To Honor Dr. Tammy Br yk And Dr. Gila Leiter At Annual Benefit harsheret, a national notfor-profit organization dedicated to addressing the needs of women and families of all Jewish backgrounds facing breast and ovarian cancer, will host its Annual Benefit on Sunday, May 5, 2013, at the Marriott Glenpointe in Teaneck, New Jersey. Sharsheret will recognize the contributions of Guest of Honor Dr. Tammy Bryk and Dr. Gila Leiter, the recipient of the Lisa Altman Volunteer Tribute Award. Benefit Chairs this year
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include Laurie and Eli Bryk, Nina Kampler, Dr. Zvi Marans, Dr. Karin Katz and Joel Katz, Heather Rosenstein and Joseph Sarachek, Alissa and Sammy Zagha, and Esther and Dr. Dov Zeidman. Silent Auction Chairs include Jennifer and Ronnie Aranoff, Michele and Dr. Jody Bardash, and Batya and Nachman Paul. At the Benefit, Sharsheret will debut its new documentary, Sharsheret Does More: One Woman at a Time, and will also feature a silent auction.
“We look forward to celebrating the day with Sharsheret volunteers, supporters, and families as we pay tribute to Dr. Tammy Bryk, an active Sharsheret volunteer and peer supporter who has been a cochair of the Annual Benefit for the past three consecutive years, and to Dr. Gila Leiter, a member of Sharsheret’s Medical Advisory Board since its inception, who has helped shape Sharsheret’s programs and has shared her expertise at national medical symposia,” said Di-
rector of Operations Elana Silber. For reservations, please visit www.sharsheret.org/benefit or call 866.474.2774. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ellen Kleinhaus at ekleinhaus@sharsheret.org.
About Sharsheret Sharsheret, Hebrew for “chain,” is a national not-forprofit organization supporting young women and their families facing breast cancer. Our
mission is to offer a community of support to women diagnosed with breast cancer or at increased genetic risk, by fostering culturally-relevant individualized connections with networks of peers, health professionals, and related resources. Since Sharsheret’s founding in 2001, more than 25,000 breast cancer inquiries have been answered, more than 2,000 peer supporters have been involved, and 250 educational programs have been presented nationwide.
Unabashed and Unapologetic: “This Land is Ours!” this summer. The town is situated mere kilometers from the Gaza border. In Southern Israel, where distance is often measured by the length of time it takes a Katyusha rocket to hit its target, Alumim is 15 seconds from Gaza. Hardly the place for a nice Jewish girl. But Mayana sees things differently. After one Shabbat at home, Mayana and her fellow students made the unanimous decision to return. “It just felt wrong to leave when things got dangerous,” was her unassuming explanation—as if it is perfectly nor-
Special to JLBC ayana Prowisor is hardly the person you would expect to see featured as the Keynote Speaker at an annual gala dinner; certainly not at One Israel Fund’s prestigious 19th Anniversary Gala Dinner at Three Sixty°. Yet she, along with her mother, Suri, addressed the large crowd who had come to show their support for the heroic residents of Israel’s most vulnerable communities. The dinner was designed to pay tribute to a number of honorees including Hakarat Hatov Awardees Sharon & Alan Shulman of West Hempstead, NY; Keter Shem Tov Awardees Donna & Steve Gormley of Woodmere, NY; Shomer Yisrael Awardee, New York City resident Craig Dershowitz and Artists 4 Israel; and Young Leadership CoHonorees, Alyssa & Bernie Alexander and Ester & Avi Bohorodzaner, both of Kew Gardens Hills, NY. However, it
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was Mayana who stole the show. Mayana is a soft-spoken 18year old girl from the Israeli town of Shilo, the ancient site where Yehoshua chose to settle the Mishkan (ancient Tabernacle) and the first capital city of Israel. Her father, Marc, is the former Rav Shatz, or Head of Security for the Shilo Bloc of communities and is
currently the director of security projects for One Israel Fund. Growing up, Mayana learned to be fearless in the face of an unrelenting enemy. This trait seems remarkably natural for her. Though she speaks in measured tones, her words are genuine “devarim hayotzim min halev,” words from the heart, which truly entered the hearts of her listeners who were mesmerized by her sincerity and her unabashed love for the land of Israel. Mayana is not apologetic for her way of life nor is she deterred by the opposition from within and without. When the missiles started to fall on Israel this past November, she and her friends were evacuated from the Southern town of Alumim, where they were learning in the mechina (pre-army Torah academy) before entering the IDF later
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mal for a teenage girl to voluntarily put herself in harm’s way to help her fellow Jews. For Mayana and her friends to leave at that critical time was to tell the terrorists in Gaza that they are winning. And if the terrorists think they are winning because our own people show fear, then the entire country’s existence is at stake.
BEN BRAFMAN AND STEVE ORLOW
“They are all like me,” she modestly adds, “all my friends share the same passion and love for Israel.” Indeed, the residents of Shilo do share that passion, as do the other 360,000 residents throughout Judea and Samaria. Despite living under the most trying circumstances, they manage to overcome and persevere, building vibrant, flourishing communities on Israel’s most treasured ancient lands. And many do so with the fervent belief that they are protecting and securing the entire land of Israel. “One Israel Fund is one of the only organizations that enable us to continue,” Mayana declares. “Without the money raised by One Israel Fund, so many communities would be lacking the most basic necessities.” One Israel Fund provides crucial security equipment and training, and vital emergency medical equipment and centers, educational scholarships. They also offer financial assistance for those in need as well as aid to build schools, synagogues, parks and libraries to allow communities to survive, prosper and grow. For more information regarding One Israel Fund and its lifesaving projects, please contact us at info@oneisraelfund.org
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BAR & BAT MITZVAHS
Why Pay Retail? Gently Used Items are a Boon for Your Budget By Tova Gold here’s a simcha or life-cycle event brewing, and the family budget is stretched to the max. Everyone wants to wear a fresh and new outfit, but the department stores and specialty shops put those amazingly tailored and trendy items just a bit out of your reach, Now there is a solution to finding just the right items to spruce up your wardrobe and give you the fashion lift you crave… without sending you to the poor house. Whether you’re looking for casual separates, business attire, high-end designers, Shabbat-appropriate ensembles or bridesmaid and evening wear— and top them off with a fur coat or jacket—Bergen County offers you a plethora of options to retail that will keep you looking like a million bucks at a fraction of the garments’ original cost.
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Consignment Shops Let’s start with consignment shops. While the mention of consignment shops may bring to mind visions of racks filled with dusty vintage dresses, rusty costume jewelry and hats that looked current sometime in 1967, that is not what modern consignment shops look like today. Catering to a certain level of clientele, consignment shops select their merchandise carefully from the closets of women who often replace their wardrobes at least twice a year. By being particular about garment quality, condition and, of course, what label the item is boasting, consignment shops have been able to define their niche within the consignment world and elevate themselves from the masses by offering something special to those who seek it.
Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique 38 Oak Street Ridgewood, NJ 07450 Call 201-389-6900 http://www.savvychicconsignment. com Located in the Old Post Office Building next to Winberie’s Restaurant in historic Ridgewood, New Jersey, Savvy Chic Consignment Boutique is an upscale consignment store that specializes in designer and boutique labels. Offering top designer apparel for everyone from teenagers to grandmothers, they carry women’s clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry and accessories. Savvy Chic specializes in finding that something special you are looking for! Whether you want St. Johns, Gucci, Prada,
Armani, Fendi, Vuitton, Juicy Couture, Free People, Theory, Tahari or that hard-to-find label, Savvy Chic is the place to go. They even have an entire room called The Shoe Box dedicated just to shoes and a wide assortment of vintage jewelry and designer handbags.
Past & Present 253 Closter Dock Road Closter, New Jersey 07624 Phone: (201) 784-7441 http://www.pastandpresentclosternj.com Past & Present Designer Consignment Boutique is located in Closter NJ. While their vibrant online shop sells only designer jewelry, shoes, handbags and accessories, their brick and mortar store also carries the highest quality clothing across all categories of apparel from major designer labels only.
Double Take Luxury Consignment Englewood 35 Nathaniel Place Englewood NJ, 07631 Phone: 201-569-1112 Ridgewood 189 East Ridgewood Ave. Ridgewood NJ 07450 Phone: 201-445-2525 Red Bank 97 Broad Street Red Bank NJ 07701 Phone: 732-383-5482 Short Hills 774 Morris Turnpike Short Hills NJ 07078 Phone: 973-564-6464 If you’re really in the mood for a fun day of designer label consignment hunting, check out any of Double Take Luxury Consignment’s four locations in Englewood, Ridgewood, Red Bank or Short Hills (Red Bank & Short Hills are open Sunday). The Short Hills Store
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was the original, and has been in business for over 20 years. The additional three shops opened about two and-ahalf years ago. This chain considers itself a highend boutique that happens to be selling consignment. With in-store personal shoppers on staff to help, you are guaranteed to find that perfect designer piece, possibly from the current season, for at least 25-50% off its original retail price! Double Take receives its merchandise from all across the country and carries brands from contemporary collections like Juicy, Theory and Anthropology, through top tier designers like Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Prada. Their White Glove service will even come to your home to pick up the items you want to consign. They’ll help you go through your closet...but only if your closet happens to house Chanel, Prada and Louis Vuitton. ( I guess they won’t be stopping by this columnist’s closet any time soon. :)
New To You 449 Cedar Lane Teaneck, NJ 07666 (201) 928-1868 http://www.newtoyounj.com What list of consignment shops would be complete without a mention of Teaneck’s own New To You, located on Cedar Lane? For nearly 20 years New To You has prided itself on its accessible brands, easy price points and impeccable quality. It has regular shoppers—self-proclaimed “consignment junkies”—who travel in from the Midwest and beyond to grab the best stuff on the racks. So stop by frequently, you never know what might be there one day and gone the next!
Gentleman’s Agreement 20 N. Van Brunt St. Englewood, NJ 07631 Phone: 201-568-5511 http://www.gentlemensagreement.net Looking for something for The Mister? Englewood is actually home to one of the few all menswear consignment shops in the state. (The only one in Bergen County!) Gentleman’s Agreement carries a well curated collection of menswear. Brands begin at the Banana Republic level and
move into high-end designer. Celebrating their 18th anniversary this year, owner Sandy Zahn says her stores success is due to her diligence in only carrying items that are in “tip-top shape” and that “you would like to buy.” If it doesn’t pass those tests, it doesn’t see the sales floor. You may find that not only are consignment shops a great option for you as a customer, but it may be a great spot to consign the wardrobe pieces you no longer wear but still love, and use them to make a bit of spending money to reinvest in a new look for yourself—especially if you are hosting a simcha! Most shops make it easy to donate. Their terms are posted on their websites but generally fall into the following ranges: After evaluating the clothes, they accept what they think they can sell and price accordingly. After a specified period of time (on average 30-45 days) they will mark the item half off. If the item doesn’t sell after a predetermined length of time, they will return the item or donate it to charity. Consignors can usually expect 40-60% of the selling price, and slightly higher for premier designer labels. Of course, check with the shop for its specific terms before dropping things off.
Bonus! National Council of Jewish Women Thrift Shop 75 S Washington Ave Bergenfield NJ 07621 (201) 385-3702 A tricky category, thrift shops can be really hit or miss, depending on what you’re looking for and how much you like digging for that hidden treasure. For a well-recommended treasure hunt, check out the National Council of Jewish Women Thrift Shop. While you’re less likely to find high-end designer labels, you could get lucky and find some great pieces for just a few dollars! Most likely you’ll also find some great options for kids at really reasonable prices. An added bonus is that the thrift shop is associated with a very worthy cause, so you aren’t only a getting a good deal, you’re getting a great mitzvah too! My aunt was able to get a brand new Black Tie Cassini beaded top with a price tag of $500+ for a mere $36!!! They also carry vintage jewelry, larger sizes, bedding, books, objets d’art, and housewares. May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 49
Torah Web Leil Iyun Scheduled for MAY 12 he latest TorahWeb.org Leil Iyun will take place at 8:00 PM on Sunday, May 12, at Bnai Yeshurun. It will feature Rav Hershel Schachter discussing “The Role of Mesorah and Consensus in Psak Halacha,” and Rav Michael Rosensweig addressing, “What Must a Jew Believe? Foundational Beliefs and Their Practical Implications.” TorahWeb.org events, serving the Teaneck area since 2000, are provided free of charge and take place in conjunction with the local shuls. TorahWeb, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1999 at the initiative of members of the community. Its goal is to disseminate divrei Torah and hashkafa, with special
T
RAV HERSHEL SCHACHTER
attention to contemporary religious and social issues. TorahWeb’s board consists of Rav Hershel Schachter,
HASC BBQ in Teaneck
HASC BBQ - APRIL 21ST - (FROM LEFT - EVENT HOST RELLA FELDMAN, CO-CHAIR MOSHE KINDERLEHRER, HOSTS MICHAEL & NIRA FELDMAN, RABBI SHLOMO STERN, SHMUEL KAHN & CO-CHAIRS CAREENA & DREW PARKER
Biking Laws in New Jersey
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rental supervision contributed to the offense. If you rent bicycles, the person who owns the shop needs to provide helmets for you, and post signs stating the law. Lights on Bicycles: If you ride at night or at dusk, you need 1. a front headlamp emitting a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet
TABC Doubling in Size
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Yisrael Gottesman, president of the TABC Board of Directors, said the board first solicited architectural drawings and township approvals in 2011 with the school “running at capacity—using every nook and cranny of the building.” In early 2012, the board did research to project enrollment. “We went to our feeder elementary schools and asked for their existing class sizes down to the first grade. We determined that there was a very significant increase in the number of boys in our feeder schools,” he said. The board 50 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
RAV MICHAEL ROSENSWEIG
Rav Michael Rosensweig, Rav Mayer Twersky, and Rav Mordechai Willig. Neither the authors/speakers nor
any other individuals involved in TorahWeb earn any money from TorahWeb.
JESC Annual Breakfast
JESC BREAKFAST ALUMNI HONOREES (LEFT) TAMAR SCHLANGER AVI TSAKOK, RABBI YISROEL SCHWAB, BARUCH LUNZER,MEIR BORUCH LEVI, AND JACKIE FEIGENBAUM RECEIVING AWARDS
to the front; 2. A rear lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the rear; 3. In addition to the red lamp , a red reflector may be mounted on the rear. Audible Devices: A bicycle must be equipped with a bell or other audible device that can be heard at least 100 feet away, but not a siren or whistle. Brakes: A bicycle must be equipped with a brake that can make wheels skid while stopping on dry, level, clean pavement. Feet and Hands on Pedals and Handlebars; Carrying Another Person. Bicyclists should not drive the bi-
cycle with feet removed from the pedals, or with both hands removed from the handlebars, nor practice any trick or fancy driving in a street. Limit passengers to only the number the bicycle is designed and equipped to carry (the number of seats it has), and no hitching rides by attaching yourself to a bus or other vehicle. Every person riding a bicycle on a roadway shall ride as near to the right roadside as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. You can make left turns from a left
turn lane or pocket; 2) To avoid debris, drains, or other hazardous conditions on the right; 3) To pass a slower moving vehicle; 4) To occupy any available lane when traveling at the same speed as other traffic; 5) To travel no more than two abreast when traffic is not impeded, but otherwise ride in single file. Every person riding a bicycle shall ride in the same direction as vehicular traffic. In New Jersey, the law states a bicyclist must obey all state and local automobile driving laws. A parent may be held responsible for the child’s violation of any traffic law.
then proceeded with the construction documents, general contractor bids and obtaining required building permits. The school broke ground for the expansion at the end of the year. The construction is being supervised by a professional, hired by the board, who has represented other local yeshivot and shuls. Gottesman said the construction plans were developed “based on a wide range of input from students, faculty, administration and parents.” Capital fund raising also began in 2011 and is continuing. The cost is estimated at $8 million and $2.6 million has been raised. Gottesman said the board needs to raise an additional $1 million to secure the best terms for fi-
nancing the rest. He does not know at this point if the cost of the expansion will affect tuition but said TABC has always been sensitive to costs and will set tuition for next year after a complete review of the budget. Torah Academy moved into its current facility 20 years ago with 65 students and now has 275. The students come from Bergen County and more distant areas including New York City, New Rochelle, Monsey and Highland Park. TABC is headed by the Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Yosef Adler, a talmid of Joseph B. Soloveitchik, z”l, and the principal, Mr. Arthur Polyeyeff. According to its mission statement, TABC strives to instill within its students a love for the study and prac-
tice of Torah, an appreciation of Israel and an opportunity to excel in the study of sciences and the humanities in a nurturing environment that fosters a close and supportive relationship among students and faculty. The school has a wide selection of extracurricular activities including clubs, chesed opportunities, varsity and junior varsity sports teams and learning initiatives. TABC also hosts the Sinai Shalem High School for boys, an educational program for Jewish children with learning disabilities that cannot be managed in a regular classroom environment, and an independent Outreach Hebrew School serving the Bergen County Jewish Community. For more information, visit www.tabc.org.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
Chicken for Shabbos /Young Israel Of KGH Charity Fund WHAT A ZECHUS FOR ALL OF US IF YOU SEND A CHECK TO YOUNG ISRAEL OF KEW GARDENS HILLS CHARITY FUND 150-05 70th Road, Kew Gardens Hills, New York 11367 (718)261-9723 CHARITY IS UNDER THE DIRECT AUSPICES OF RABBI FABIAN SCHONFELD AND RABBI DONIEL LANDER, ROSH HAYESHIVA OHR HACHAIM
What a Zechus it would be for all of us if you would donate online at
www.chickensforshabbos.com The charity that feeds and clothes Families of Agunos, Grushos & Melamdim and their thousands of children at zero overhead
This Letter was received on the 15th of Elul and translated in the office of Yad Eliezer: BS”D To the Honorable Donors, I have been meaning to write to you for a while, but was struggling to find words with which to express the impact of your overwhelming kindness. Being ‘separated’ from my husband is like being removed from the whole world. I am not eligible for child support like a divorcee, I do not get the kindness and help that is given to widows, and of course I don’t have the happiness and tranquility that comes with a normal marriage. The embarrassment of my ‘status’ is overwhelming. People feel that they can ask me personal and inappropriate questions, and people make all sorts of assumptions as to what went wrong. What can I say? Must I justify myself to everyone? What can I say to pure children about why things are as they are? Additionally, all of the responsibilities fall on me: conversations with teachers, helping the kids prepare homework and study for tests, shopping, cooking, laundry, and of course finances. My married friends struggle with their loads, all the more so me in my situation! The help that you have given me has simply brought me from darkness to light. On top of everything else, one day by daughter’s hair started falling out. We ran to the doctor only to find out that there wasn’t much he could do. What a terrible affliction for a preadolescent girl! At first she refused to leave the house at all. She wouldn’t go to school or anywhere else. Then you bought her a wig. What a fantastic solution! But even that was hard for her at first. She was embarrassed to suddenly have a new hairstyle, and for her friends to realize that she had a wig. She didn’t want to be different. I spoke to her about it at length, and with time she summoned enough courage rejoin her friends. She explained to them that it is a medical situation, and that she is wearing a wig, and they have accepted her as she is. I can’t let myself imagine what might have happened had you not stepped in exactly at that moment! I don’t have even basic living expenses. How would I ever have bought an expensive item like a wig! But that wasn’t enough for you! You can’t imagine how surprised I was when I heard that you were sending money for me to take my daughter to the biggest professor in Israel who treats her condition! You sent not only the doctor’s fee, but also travel expenses!
It says in Tehillim about the redemption, “We will be like dreamers.” That is exactly how I felt! I couldn’t believe that anyone in the world could care so much about me and my daughter, stepping in and providing for her as a person does for their own flesh and blood! But that wasn’t enough! Suddenly I found out that someone had paid a large portion of my rent! For the first time I found myself with a portion of my salary in my hand. Usually it would go directly to the rent leaving me with nothing. Then a box of food staples arrived for me. Then vouchers for buying chicken. I was still dizzy with gratitude for all of the abundance coming my way when I was told that money for clothing was also being sent! You have transformed me. I was a depressed and embarrassed outcast. Now I have returned to the land of the living! I can prepare good food for my family, and dress them properly. I feel like I can stand up and face the daily challenges with courage. Your help gave me not only healing, food, and clothing, but also emotional fortitude. If you had only sent money for the wig, Dayeinu! If you had only provided money for my daughter to see the specialist, Dayeinu! If you had only sent a food box, Dayeinu! If you had only sent chicken vouchers, Dayeinu! If you had only sent money for rent, Dayeinu! If you had only sent money for clothing, Dayeinu! But for you it wasn’t enough. You sent me all of the above crowned with the knowledge that someone out there cares about my family- giving me strength and courage to go on. I honestly do not know how to thank you enough. Really. Only HaShem can fully thank you and bless you in accordance to the goodness you have done with me. My prayers will stand for you always. May HaShem bless you with endless blessings! With overwhelming gratitude, (Name withheld) This woman is an Aguna with Five children. That you feed and clothe and help.-Look at real power of your money!!!! This woman and her children are but a sample of a family that you help and helped. Thousands upon thousands of children’s future are at stake and that why it pays to beg and beg for our holy Shomer Shabbos Brothers & Sisters. If we don’t help them who will??? Who is standing on line To help Shomer Shabbos Yiden? YOU!
Our number 1 Goal is to leave Jews with Great Memories, So that when Hashem looks down at us, we too should be Zoche to give Hashem great memories of us!! Chicken for Shabbos, The charity that operates at Zero expenses. That’s where your holy money went to, all of it to the penny. May Hashem bless you and your families because of it. THE CHARITY THAT HELPS FAMILIES OF AGUNOS, GRUSHOS & MELAMDIM. Our partners in Israel are Yad Eliezer.org please go to tab “Agunos, Grushos and Melamdim.” 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 51
Bnei Menashe Celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut and the Renewal of Their Aliyah to Israel C
hurachandpur, India--Over 1200 members from the Bnei Menashe community of northeastern India celebrated Yom Ha’atzmaut and the resumption of their aliyah to Israel tonight with a festive celebration in the town of Churachandpur in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur. The gathering, sponsored and organized by the Shavei Israel organization, was the largest in the Bnei Menashe community’s history. Just last October, the Israeli government lifted a five-year ban on the aliyah of Bnei Menashe in a unanimous decision. Since then, over 270 Bnei Menashe have been brought on aliyah by Shavei Israel. “This Yom Haatzmaut is particularly poignant for the Bnei Menashe,” Shavei Israel Founder and Chairman Michael Freund said. “With the resumption of the aliyah from India, the community’s dream of returning to the land of their ancestors is finally coming to fruition. In the coming months, with G-d’s help, we aim to bring another 900 Bnei Menashe back home to Zion,” Freund added. “There has never been such a joyous event like this before in our community. We are celebrating in spirit with our Bnei Menashe brothers and
This Month: Grab the Bull by the Horns
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there! That’s where Shavuous comes in. Once we have risen up, seen our greatness on Pesach, and after we have worked on ourselves tirelessly, for 49 days, Hashem takes us to the finish line on the 50th. It’s why the Torah says “Tisperu 52 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
sisters who have already made aliyah to Israel in hopes that we will be joining them very soon,” said Yochanon Phaltual, a Bnei Menashe member who organized the event. “To celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut with the realistic hope of making aliyah soon fills my heart with joy. I was especially moved when we all stood up and sang “Hatikvah.” That was a very special moment for me, and I really hope that we can all sing it together next year in Jerusalem.” The Bnei Menashe (Hebrew for “sons of Manasseh”) are descended from one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel who were sent into exile by the
Assyrian Empire more than 27 centuries ago. They live primarily in India’s northeastern border states of Manipur and Mizoram. Their ancestors wandered through Central Asia and the Far East for centuries, before settling in what is now northeastern India, along the border with Myanmar and Bangladesh. Throughout their exile, the Bnei Menashe nonetheless continued to practice Judaism just as their ancestors did, including observing
Chamishim Yom,” or “Count 50 days” when we know that we only count 49. When we fight and work hard and count for 49 days, Hashem counts the 50th for us. The mazalos of this time completely cohere with this idea. In fact, this is why we have them in the first place! In Nissan, Hashem lifted us up and showed us tremendous miracles. Therefore, Nissan is the month of the ram. What is a ram? A ram is an animal that is led by a shepherd (G-d) who takes care of us and guides us to greener pastures. A ram is given everything, as we were in Nissan, when Hashem picked us up and
showed us our greatness. Yet now we are in Iyar, the Bull. What is a bull? A bull is an animal that fights and claws for everything it gets. It will not back down. There is no shepherd anymore, it’s just us, remembering the greatness we saw in ourselves on Pesach and fighting, scratching, clawing to get it back. When we do that, when we fight hard, and just as things seem bleak, we have Sivan, the month of Shavuous. The month of Gemini or the twins. It’s the month of perfect harmony. It’s when Hashem says to us, I see you have fought for the past month. You are try-
Shabbos, keeping kosher, celebrating the festivals and following Taharat Hamishpacha. Shavei Israel is a non-profit organization that strengthens ties between the State of Israel and the descendants of Jews around the world. The organization is currently active in nine countries and provides assistance to a variety of different communities, such as the Bnei Menashe of India, the Bnai Anousim in Spain, Portugal and South America, the Subbotnik Jews of Russia, the Jewish community of Kaifeng in China, the “Hidden Jews” of Poland from the Holocaust era and others. For more information visit: www.shavei. org
ing to manifest your greatness, I will pick you up for the last mile (or the 50th day) and I will take you there. The harmony between us and Hakadosh Baruch Hu is apparent, and we merit to receive the Torah. This month, of Iyar, FIGHT FOR YOUR GREATNESS. Fight like you’ve never fought before. Grab the bull by the horns and work hard, physically (we all need to lose weight after Pesach), emotionally, and spiritually. If you work hard for your greatness, then just as things seem to be darkest, Hashem will lift you up and give you the greatest joy you will ever know.
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
TECHNOLOGY
Recipe Bloggers Rejoice! Kitchenbug makes posting recipes easy By Abligail Klein Leichman fir Shahar combined his lifelong love of cookery with his acquired expertise in natural language processing to cook up Kitchenbug, a made-in-
O
nology were getting about half a million views per day. “Bloggers love this free plug-in,” says Shahar. And so does Microsoft. In December, Kitchenbug was accepted into the
FROM LEFT, KITCHENBUG FOUNDERS DROR DALIOT, TAL ROSENBERG AND OFIR SHAHAR.
Israel plug-in that automatically formats bloggers’ recipes and tacks on a wealth of nutritional information plus keyword tags to get the creation at the top of a Google recipe search. This is no small potatoes: Recipes are the second biggest online search category, accounting for two billion searches per month. “Food bloggers are the second largest community in the blogosphere,” says the 40-year-old Shahar. “With our plug-in, when bloggers want to add a recipe to a WordPress post, they just click a button to open a pop-up window, type in the recipe, click ‘post’ and it’s embedded along with all the functional elements.” Soft-launched in November 2012, within three months nearly 100 bloggers were using Kitchenbug, and the recipes generated with the Israeli tech-
second class of startups in Microsoft Israel’s four-month Accelerator for Windows Azure, based in Herzliya Pituach. “Microsoft auditioned many hundreds of startups and picked up 13,” Shahar tells ISRAEL21c. “They give us facilities, mentoring, workshops, classes, lectures — exposing us to experts around the globe with knowledge and ideas about fundraising, business development, marketing and everything else we need to learn.” The culmination of the accelerator program in early May will be a public Kitchenbug launch in California’s Silicon Valley, preceded by a local launch at the end of April.
Information and functionality Cooking since he was 10, Shahar learned natural language processing (NLP) during his military service in the
prestigious 8200 Intelligence Unit. He combined his two talents about seven years ago with a rudimentary piece of software to analyze recipe ingredient lists linguistically. Noting how everyone was starting to share ideas and content through social media, he then created a website to share recipes with friends and family. “This is where the seeds of Kitchenbug got planted,” he says. Working with two friends — chief operating officer Dror Daliot and chief marketing officer Tal Rosenberg — Shahar developed a recipe analysis engine. It extracts all the ingredient and instructional details and then calculates the nutritional value using information from the US Department of Agriculture database and Kitchenbug’s own nutrition database, updated daily by registered dietician Ramon Einav, one of the company’s team of eight. Each ingredient is hyperlinked. Click on it, and a bubble instantly appears displaying encyclopedic information about the food.
Reinventing the digital recipe Kitchenbug also labels the recipe by category according to US Food and Drug Administration guidelines—for example, healthy, fat-free, kosher, good for diabetics, safe for people with gluten sensitivity or lactose intolerance. Users searching for appropriate recipes won’t get overloaded with irrelevant results, and can choose to stay away from labels such as “high cholesterol” or “high in saturated fat.” “Let’s say you love pasta and you only eat kosher. A recipe for pasta with shrimp would not fit your require-
WAZE FINDS WAY TO AWARD Israeli navigation app steers itself to the industry’s top honors at the Mobile World Congress By Viva Sarah Press obile navigation and traffic community app, Waze, is definitely headed in the right direction. The Israeli startup has been named Best Mobile App for 2013. The world’s fastest-growing community-based traffic and navigation app triumphed over the likes of Flipboard, Square and Dropbox to take the “Judges Choice—Best Overall Mobile App” prize at the 18th Annual Global Mobile awards. “What an honor,” the company writes on its blog. “2013 marks the
M
201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
WAZE NAMED ‘BEST OVERALL MOBILE APP’ AT THE 18TH ANNUAL GLOBAL MOBILE AWARDS. (PHOTO: WAZE)
first time we’ve even been nominated, and we were in such great com-
pany.” The Global Mobile Awards com-
ments. If a technology is to provide relevant information, it must understand that shrimp is not kosher, so you won’t want this recipe,” Shahar explains. And because cooks often need to adjust amounts and convert measurements into or out of the metric system, Kitchenbug does that automatically. “By providing more functionality and more information, users can actually interact with the recipe. It’s reinventing the digital recipe,” says Shahar.
Gaining traction in the kitchen Though the plug-in is free, Kitchenbug’s unique technology can be utilized in several business models. “The main one we’re approaching is food advertising,” says Shahar. “Food advertisers are constantly looking for new ways to better match potential customers with the product, and since we understand recipes so well, we can suggest products to users at a time when they’re looking at a recipe and already in the mindset for cooking and purchasing groceries. “This is much different than wandering through Facebook and seeing a Mountain Dew ad. We are capable of matching the product to the person reading it and the recipe he’s looking at.” Before developing an advertising platform, however, the Kitchenbug team is working toward getting its product into the hands of as many users as possible. The business initially was funded by “angel” friends and family, including Ramon Einav’s venture capitalist father, Roni Einav. Now the founders are about to close a seed-funding round as they look toward expansion. “We’re working on a consumer product — our natural next step — so tune in at the end of April to see what we have, because it’s going to be great,” predicts Shahar. Reprinted with permission from Israel21C
petition took place at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. “Through these awards, we are proud to shine the light on the mobile industry’s many innovators and leaders, from all corners of the world,” said John Hoffman, CEO, GSMA. “This year’s new categories reflected the industry’s reach into many new sectors and we received more than 600 high-quality entries from across the mobile ecosystem. We would like to congratulate all Global Mobile Awards winners and thank the many hundreds of companies and organizations that support these awards by entering each year.” Three other Israeli start-ups were nominated in the prestigious competition including MyCheck, uTest and recently sold Intucell. Reprinted with permission from Israel21C
May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773 53
GMACHS Furniture Donations
GEMACHS AND CHESED OPPORTUNITIES BABIES AND CHILDREN: 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.
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 718753-6275, or by email at Teaneckbabygemach@gmail.com. Tax donation letters are available for any financial and/or item donations.
Bicycle Gemach Rivky Klar at bikegemach@gmail.com PREEMIE CLOTHING Yad Yocheved – 201 836 2071
Passaic Baby G’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 201486-1492 or via email siggy@aishdas.org.
SIMCHAS Centerpiece Gemach – Cong Beth Aaron Contact Ellen Chazin at njellen18@yahoo.com or 201 357 8426 or Michele Cooper at benandmi@yahoo.com
Tablecloth Gemach Recently established in memory of Chaim Yissachar ben Yechiel Zeidel Dov Z’l. Specialty cloths in all colors and sizes for every type of simcha. Donations will go to Project Yi’che and are tax deductible. Please contact chayemf@aol.com for an appointment
Teaneck Simcha Gemach Chairs, tables, some coatracks, vases and bris table décor for loan
Gowns Fairlawn Gown Gemach 201 797 1770 for an appt Adult Clothing Chabad of Maplewood NJ. Contact: Lenny Levy, 201-836-7376 or email umbrellapickup@aol.com
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“Rates are at historic lows! Envoy Mortgage is your local hometown lender. Call Stuart Greenbaum today to dicuss your options.” Stuart Greenbaum Loan Originator NMLS #279221 m - 201.694.4677 o - 201.268.5757 f - 855.961.8793
Email rodzeen@gmail.com of a picture of what you›d like to donate and a recipient can be matched. Email TeaneckSimcha@yahoo.com for information The Bikkur Cholim of Passaic- Clifton’s Medical Equipment Gemach has wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, scooters and other medical equipment to lend them out at no charge. For more information or to schedule a pick up contact Yael Gotteib at 973-778-9320. Housewares G’mach in Teaneck collects brand new, still in their boxes, serving china platters, mixing bowls and many other house ware items for new Kallahs in need. For more information or to donate contact Sara Beth Fein at mrsfein@aol.com. The Fair Lawn Gemach, located at 1406 Fair Lawn Avenue, under the auspices of Anshei Lubavitch of Fair Lawn collects donations of all simcha wear, receipts given. Call to arrange for a pick-up of donated items. They generally distribute clothing, baby items, small furniture items, small kitchen appliances, miscellaneous household, giftware, food, etc. For more information contact Bella Grinberg at Fairlawngemach@aol. com or via phone at 201-797-1770. Feel free to visit their website. 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. Palisades Emergency Residence Corporation collects furniture. They will pick it up from your home. For more information or to schedule a pick up call them at 201-3488150 or visit their website www.percshelter. org. 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 201-5681315. 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.
Bikkur Cholim 17 Arcadian Way Suite 104 Paramus, NJ 07652 Envoy Mortgage, Ltd. NMLS #6666. All applications are subject to credit approval. Program terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Some products may not be available in all states. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. This is not a commitment to led.
54 May 2, 2013 • 22 Iyar 5773
Bikkur Cholim of Passaic- Clifton helps provide rides for Cholim and frail residents to medical appointments. Rides are available to local Passaic and Clifton destinations 201-371-3212 • WWW.JEWISHLINKBC.COM
GMACHS as well as to Hackensack, Englewood, Manhattan and other medical canters as necessary. For more information or to volunteer contact the Bikkur Cholim at 973-249-8811. Bikur Cholim of Teaneck 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. Bikur Cholim Wheelchair Gemach - 201 836 2907. Children with Special Needs
The Friendship Circle of Bergen County 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 addresses the needs of all individuals with disabilities within the Jewish community. Yachad members participate in several inclusive activities per month, including Shabbatons and Sunday programs. Yachad strives to enhance the life opportunities of people with special needs and to insure their participation in the full spectrum of Jewish Life. Volunteers are needed to help at the CAP program (Cultural Arts Program)where kids with special needs ages 5+ participate in a variety of fun activities, including arts and crafts, sports, music, singing, and learning about Jewish themes. Volunteer participation is the most valuable part of the program because they help to create an inclusive atmosphere where everyone has a great time regardless of their disabilities. Volunteers can join Links, a
unique buddy program that pairs students with Yachad members across the U.S. Links offers opportunities to connect with an individual with special needs, either in person or via telephone and e-mail. For more information about Links please contact Dr. Michelle Orgel at orgelm@ou.org or 212613-8172. Volunteers can participate in a local social skills group that helps our Yachad members practice social skills. For more information or to volunteer contact Chani Hermann, Director of NJ Yachad atherrmann@ou.org or via phone at 201-8331349. Feel free to visit their website: www. yachad.org.
CHESED OPPORTUNITIES In Need of a Minyan - Chesed Opportunity at CareOne CareOne, the kosher rehabilitation and nursing center located at 544 Teaneck Road, 4 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 mitzva of Bikur Cholim. Questions, or to volunteer to daven, lain, give a d’var Torah, etc., call Rabbi Siev at (201) 287-8519 or email to jsiev@careone.com
PTSD Prevention Studies at TAU
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tor is a first step towards preventative treatment, Prof. Bar-Haim says. Teaching soldiers to be more sensitive to threats prior to deployment could reduce the overall risk of developing PTSD. The researchers are currently developing a study that will test different preventative treatment options, and hope to have results in the next few years. This study, which was done in collaboration with the IDF, the National Institutes of Mental Health, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, was recently published in JAMA Psychiatry. Reprinted with permission of Israel21C
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR MAY New Jersey Yachad Inclusive Art Program open to junior and high and high school students as well as students with special needs ages 12+. Classes to take place at the Art Place, 490 Curry Avenue, Englewood. The cost is $50 for all classes. For registration or information contact Reva Judas 201 833 1349. Friday, May 3 – 5th Yachad Family Shabbaton Hudson Valley Resort and Spa, Kerhonkson, NY Yachad invites all families with a family member with special needs to a great,informative fun weekend. Contact herrmann@ ou.org or call 201 833 1349. Sunday, May 5th All About Bees 9:45AM Cong Beth Aaron, 950 Queen Anne Road Teaneck Rabbi Danny Senter, a professional bee rescuer and honey producer will speak on the miraculous honey bee. Adults and children are welcome and will be able to actually observe a hive. Morning of Jewish Learning 10:30AM – 1:00PM Rinat Yisroel 389 West Englewood Teaneck Sponsored by the Adult Education Committee and the Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies. Lectures on art, philosophy, Satmar ideology and religious authority, in two parallel tracks. Presenters include Dr Alan Kadish, President, Dr Avi Kaplan; Dr Maya Katz, Dr Moshe Sherman, Rabbi Dr Michael Shmidman and Dr Moshe Sokol. Admission is free. Sharsheret Annual Benefit 10:30AM – 1:30PM Marriott Glenpointe Teaneck Honoring Lisa Altman with the Volunteer Tribute Award Project S.A.R.A.H and Shelter our Sisters 10:00AM – 12PM Beth Sholom, 354 Maitland Teaneck Two speakers from both organizations will discuss domestic violence in our communities and how to assist and protect victims. $10 for Brunch, Donations appreciated but not required Please RSVP to: LainieRosen82@gmail.com or 201 833-0345. Chai Lifeline 5k Walk 12:00 – 2:00PM Votee Park Walk, bike or run in Votee Park. Sign up today, form a team and help send a sick child to Camp Simcha! Prizes for top individual and team fundraisers. Amazing incentives too! . Visit www.kids4chai.org/walk to sign up and get sponsored today!!!
Convention for Observant Jewish Women Entrepreneurs Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick 9:15 AM – 5:30 PM First conference addressing the unique challenges observant women face in the work force. Contact no is 410-205-6599 or Email: Info@thejwe. com. Engaging Loss with Nechama 8:00PM Rinat Beit Midrash (men and women)389 W Englewood Reva Judas and Shoshana Samuels lead a workshop dedicated to the reality of infant and pregnancy loss. Shiru and workshop will focus on how to support those who have experienced a loss. Monday, May 6th Camp Sunsational applications accepted in person at the Administrative Office in the Rodda Community Center, 250 Colonial Court between the hours of 8:30AM – 4:30PM Three two week sessions are being offered this Summer. Tuesday, May 7th Blood Drive 3:30PM- 9:30PM Cong Beth Abraham 396 New Bridge Road To reserve a time contact dwagner@100000@yahoo. com. Sinai Karasick Shalem High School Play 6:30PM Maayanot High School 1650 Palisade Avenue The Sound of Music contact Karasick Shalem HS offic e, 201-862-0032 Rinat Yisrael 7:40PM 389 West Englewood Teaneck Chazzan Yaakov Motzen will lead a Tefilah Ma’ariv Chagigit followed by musical selections in honor of Yom Yerushalayim. Wednesday, May 8th Norpac’s one day advocacy mission to Washington, D.C. Register at 201 788 5133. Maayanot 11:30AM 1650 Palisade Ave., Teaneck The Ma’ayanot Adult Education Committee presents a weekly shiur given by Mrs Leah Herzog, Tanakh teacher at Ma’ayanot, on Megillat Rut. JCC on the Palisades 10 am-3:30 pm 411 E Clinton Avenue | Tenafly Day of fun and games - Mah Jongg – Canasta – Bridge – Scrabble Bring your own group – form a table Price includes continental breakfast, lunch, afternoon
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munchies and give-aways! To register, call Michele at 201.408.1496 or Judy 201.408.1457
Dinner $118, Ads $100, Under 25 Special Pric $75. Funds will be raised to Support Yeshivah Kfar Zeitim in Tiberias and help build “Merlis Court” a Basketball court at the Yeshivah (A Registered 501C3) For info contact : EAuerbacher@gmail.com or Jeff Krantz DrRef@Verizon.net Kesher, 7:00PM Community Synagogue of Tenafly and Englewood Annual Dinner honoring Deanna and Daniel Blank and Yaffa Regosin and Noam Ohring Taking Place at the Space Odyssey Englewood. $180/person. For reservations call Kesher at 201 227 1117.
$30 JCC members, $40 non-members Kaplen JCC on the Palisades Libby Kolb Chapter of Emunah 8:00PM Cooking class with Chef Zissie with new healthy ideas for Shavuot, at the home of Amy Gibber. Bring your favorite knife to participate in the interactive cooking class. RSVP or for questions please contact Amy Gibber amdan23@ aol.com. $54 includes raffle. $100 includes raffle for private knife skills lesson.
Wednesday, May 29th Beth Abraham Annual Dinner Keter Torah 600 Roemer Avenue Teaneck Honoring Aviva and David Makowitz and Ilana and Ari Erdfarb who will receive the Max Sternbach Leadership Award
Sunday, May 12th Cong Bnai Yeshurun 641 West Englewood Ave, Teaneck 8:00PM Rav Hershel Schachter - How Do We Decide? The Role of Mesorah and Consensus in Psak Halacha 8:45 PM - Rav Michael Rosensweig - What Must a Jew Believe? Foundational Beliefs and Their Practical Implications
JUNE Monday, June 3rd Annual JEC Dinner 6:30PM – Venetian Inn, Garfield New Jersey Celebrating Bruriah’s 50th Anniversary, also honoring RTMA’s outgoing principal Mrs. Chanie Moskowitz as Educator of the Year and Amy Bassan will be presented with the Lev Tov Award.
Tuesday, - Thursday May 14th – 16th RIETS Yarchei Kallah Rye Town Hilton, Rye Brook, NY Join, Richard M Joel, president, distinguished Roshei Yeshiva: Rabbi Aharon Kahn, Rabbi Eliakim Koenigsberg, Rabbi Yona Reiss, Rabbi Hershel Schachter, esteemed faculty members and administration: Rabbi Hayyim Angel, Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Dr David Pelcovitz, Rabbi David Shabtai, Mrs Shoshana Schechter. There will be a vibrant Beit Midrash with RIETS Staff and Students. Families are welcome! Day camp and babysitting available Register at yu.edu/riets/shavuos for information call 646 592 4021
Wednesday, June 5th JACS Meeting 7:30PM Jewish Family Service of Bergen and N Hudson 1485 Teaneck Rd The Jewish Twelve Step/JACS Meeting meets the first Wednesday of each month. Meetings open with a spiritual message relating Jewish concepts to the 12 Steps, followed by sharing. Open to all persons who want help with their own or a loved one’s addiction. Non-denominational, anonymity respected. Please contact Ben with any questions at 201-981-1071. In collaboration with JACS - Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically dependent persons and Significant others, a program of Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services of New York.
Cong Ahavat Achim, Fairlawn 7:00PM – 10:00PM 18-25 Saddle River Rd Fairlawn Journal Dinner Honoring Amy and Stephen Agress RSVP Singles 7:00PM Teaneck Jewish Center 70 Sterling Place Teaneck Singles ages 24-39 annual event, Cost: $25 includes Buffet dinner – unique theme and mixer activity. Hint: Bring your Sombrero and Maracas Monday, May 20th 1510 Jefferson Street Teaneck Rebbetzin Leah Kohn speaks weekly on various Mondays from 9:45am - 11am at 1510 Jefferson Street, in Teaneck Speaking on decisions at various stages in life. May 21, Tuesday – Celebrate Israel Day at Citi Field Mets against the Reds May 23, Thursday Cong Ahavath Torah 240 Broad Avenue Englewood, New Jersey Yeshiva High School Alumni Basketball Association 2nd Annual Dinner Honoring the Memory of Mitch Merlis. Hall Of Fame Inductees: Dr. Herb Schlussel MTA Class of 1953, Stuart Poloner MTA class of 1969, Rabbi Avi Haar HILI Class of 1979, Dr Allen Sapadin, HILI Class of 1979, Abie Dweck, Sephardic Class of 1985, Dov Wiener, Rambam Class of 1997, Benjy Ritholz NSHA Class of 2010, Irv Bader BTA
Thursday June 6th - Tuesday June 11th The Friends of the Teaneck Library Annual Book Sale is almost here. This year’s sale will take place from June 6th through June 11th and will we be accepting donations from May 28th through June 2nd. Please contact us if you would like to volunteer or are interested in joining the Friends organization. Membership guarantees access to special members only preview days of the sale. For more information contact the Friends:TeaneckLibraryFriends@ESB.com Sunday, June 9 4:30 pm The Jewish People’s Philharmonic Chorus will be performing its annual concert, this year titled: “THE SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE” The concert celebrates the poetry of Abraham (Avrom) Reisin, the music of Max Helfman and Mark Zuckerman, and the heroism of those in the Warsaw Ghetto. Among the works will be an excerpt from the oratorio Benyomin III (“Benjamin the Third”), based on a story by Mendele Moykher Sforim (“the Grandfather of Yiddish Literature. Contact Gitl S. Viswanath 201 744 4624 Thursday, June 20th 6:30 – 9:30 Cong Ahavath Torah 240 Broad Avenue Englewood Annual Dinner honoring Lori and Harry Reidler as well as a Young Leadership Award presented to Ellen and Todd Brody
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LEGAL
Check Your Umbrella By Marc J. Rothenberg, Esq. dislike insurance companies. I really do; and that’s why it pains me to strongly advise that we spend a few more dollars to purchase additional coverage from our insurance companies. If you live in Bergen County, you probably own or lease at least one motor vehicle and
I
mistake by failing to protect your family by not having adequate insurance coverage. If your insurance company does not offer an “umbrella” policy that includes excess “uninsured” and “underinsured” coverage, find a new insurance company. If your insurance broker tells you that additional coverage is not necessary, find a new broker.
if that driver only had a minimal liability policy of $15,000? Let’s further assume that the full value of the physician’s law suit is $1,500,000 (in order to compensate the physician for his loss of income/earning capacity, future medical costs, and past and future pain and suffering). That’s why we all need to inspect our auto and umbrella insurance policies and make sure we have excess “uninsured” and “underinsured” coverage. If the physician had a $500,000 underinsured auto policy, he could first collect the $15,000 from the drunk driver’s insurer, and then collect another $485,000 from his own insurance company
via the underinsurance provision of his policy. However, that’s still only 1/3 of the value of his case. Conversely, if he had a $1,000,000 “umbrella” policy that included excess “underinsured” coverage, he could collect that additional $1,000,000 from this policy. In that scenario, the physician would have been able to collect the full ($1,500,000) value of his case. If not, he’d be limited to the $500,000 previously referenced. Go check-out your “umbrella” policy. Does your “umbrella” policy include excess “uninsured” and “underinsured” coverage? If not, please adequately protect your family.
Marc J. Rothenberg, Esq., and Ross B. Rothenberg, Esq., reside in Bergen County and are partners and trial a ttorneys at The Rothenberg Law Firm, LLP. They can be r eached a t Mar c@ InjuryLawyer.com and Ross@InjuryLawyer.com or 1-800-257-4878.
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rent or own an apartment or home. If so, you certainly have an auto policy that includes “uninsured” and “underinsured” coverage and a homeowner’s policy. Further, many of us also have an “umbrella” policy that affords coverage after the limits of the auto or homeowner’s policy are exhausted. You probably purchased that “umbrella” policy with the thought of protecting yourself from an excess judgment in the event you cause an accident. But does your umbrella policy include excess “uninsured” and “underinsured” coverage? If not, you’re making an enormous
It is awful when I represent a seriously injured client with little or no means of recovery against a drunk, texting or negligent defendant. For example, a 40 year old physician stopped at a red light and his vehicle was rear-ended by a drunk driver. Let’s pretend that the doctor fractures his right wrist as a result of the impact, needs multiple surgeries, develops arthritis, and can’t work for three years. Obviously he deserves significant compensation. However, who compensates him? Clearly, the drunk driver/defendant’s insurer would have to make a payment in this case. But what
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Bird’s Head Haggadah, circa 1300 The Israel Museum, Bridgeman Art Library
EARN YOUR MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN JEWISH STUDIES AT TOURO COLLEGE s /UTSTANDING FACULTY s &ULL TIME OR PART TIME STUDY AVAILABLE s !FTERNOON AND EVENING CLASSES s 3EMINAR STYLE CLASSES WITH CLOSE FACULTY STUDENT INTERACTION s #OURSES IN MEDIEVAL AND MODERN *EWISH HISTORY LITERATURE AND THOUGHT Generous Scholarships Available For information contact: Graduate Admissions 212-242-4668 ext. 6026 or email karen.rubin@touro.edu www.touro.edu/judagrad Touro College is an Equal Opportunity Institution
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