The West Hempstead Jewish Journal - Purim Edition (100 Pages) by A. Gross

Vol. 1, No. 1 • March 19, 2019

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‫זצ"ל‬

Whether you do call it “The 6th Town” or simply a warm, out-of-town-feel, friendly neighborhood, it’s certainly no secret that our West Hempstead Community is having its own baby-boom. As the Gemera famously quotes, ‫״פוק חזי מאי עמא דבר״‬, “go outside—see what the people do!”. Just go outside— take a look around the Shuls on weekdays or on any given Shabbos to see the dozens of new faces that have moved into our community! Just in the last few years, over 600 new families have moved into town. Create that scene in your mind. Dozens of new Minivans—Erev Shabbos on Hempstead Avenue—rushing to get those final Challahs and, of course, those chocolate chip cookies. Ah, Baruch Hashem for the new Erev Shabbos Traffic! However, you know, as a quick second thought— perhaps in light of the above, I think I’d rather just stick to our proud, magnificent, and distinctive community name, “West Hempstead”. Continued on Page 8

Ari Kahn ‫ז"ל‬, the beloved husband of Sari, father of Keira, Gitty, Aliyah & Matis. Son of Dave & Debbie Kahn, & brother of Shaindy, Avrumie, Rivka & Bracha, was Niftar on Wednesday, March 6. At Ari’s Leyava on Rosh Chodesh Adar Sheni, Rabbi Kelemer related that “On Rosh Chodesh a Jew is summoned to be M’Chadesh with his intellect, his Rosh. “Rosh” meaning the mind & “Chodesh” meaning renewal. Man must use his mind as an instrument to make a Kiddush Hashem. Ari in so many ways possessed such a gifted “Rosh”, a mind that was truly brilliant. Brilliant in learning Torah & brilliant as an advocate in generating a Kiddush Hashem to his co-workers, students & to our community. Always creative, & always a M’Chadesh. Ari was a true model of the meaning of Rosh Chodesh.” See Page 11, 12 & 14 for a Transcript of the Levaya, and The Life of Ari Kahn, ‫ז"ל‬

Rabbi Uri Lesser, Rav of Bais Torah U’Tefilah, West Hempstead

Rabbi Josh Goller, Assistant Rav of the Young Israel of West Hempstead

Many people are familiar with the comment of the Vilna Gaon and others, that the Yuntif of “Yom Hakippurim” is secondary to Purim itself (via the comparison that Yom “Ki”Purim is “like” Purim but not as great as Purim itself). At first glance this is very troubling. Continued on Page 9

We can imagine the tension building in Shushan for Jews on the day that it was decreed that their people would be annihilated. Fear, depression and despondency all appropriately describe Mordechai, Esther and Am Yisrael. What is striking however is that the Megillah describes this feeling as a universal one Continued on Page 9

Rabbi Moshe Gottesman, ‫זצ"ל‬, Dean Emeritus of HANC

Rabbi Elon Soniker, Rav of Anshei Shalom, West Hempstead

Re-Printed from the March 5, 2012 Purim Edition of The West Hempstead Jewish Times.

‫״משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה״‬

The above photo is The Rav Raphael Pelcovitz zt”l Memorial Sefer published last year by The White Shul, at their 65th Anniversary Dinner. The Sefer details Rabbi Pelcovitz’s life & accomplishments. His first English Yahrzeit was on March 14. Rabbi Pelcovitz was someone who carried such a Rabbinic Presence, that when you were in his company you always felt like you were with someone remarkably special. He loved life, and people; he was smart, humorous, & an extraordinary Ben Torah. Arriving in Far Rockaway & The Five Towns in 1951, Rabbi Pelcovitz became the community's inspiration and hero. Always held in reverence & awe by his congregants, as they knew the treasure that they had. See P.31, 32 & P.43 for Dedication, P.15 for Dvar Torah

Rabbi Yossi Lieberman, Rav Chabad of West Hempstead Did you know that the Megillah, which is read every year on the holiday of Purim, is the only book in the entire Written Torah in which G-d’s name does not appear even once?

Continued on Page 15

Wondering why? Continued on Page 13

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After Mordechai persuades Esther to appear before Achashverosh, she instructs Mordechai to assemble the Jews and observe a three-day period of fasting. The Megillah then writes, "Mordechai went about and did just as Esther had commanded him" (4:17). The Gemera in Megillah (15a) notes Continued on Page 9

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY

SEE PAGE 9

As we approach the month of Adar and the holiday of Purim, our excitement begins to escalate, and our joy knows no bounds. Continued on Page 14

Purim is a day of happiness and fun and has more Mitzvos than almost any other Jewish holiday. We read Megillas Esther which tells the story of the miracle of Purim and celebrate with a joyous meal filled with songs of praise and thanks to Hashem.

Rabbi Efrem Schwalb, Rav of Eitz Chayim, West Hempstead

P. 127

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MARIKA & HASHI REICHMANN Lisa and Shui Reichmann, Rena and Nosson Reichmann

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THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL

FROM THE EDITOR INTRODUCING THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL By Sender Gross

STACEY RADINSKY, M.D. ALLERGY & ASTHMA

Continued from the front cover

Together with the influx of 600 new families moving into town, West Hempstead has evidenced a tremendous spurt in growth of expanding businesses, such as HANC’s new development project, I&D Glatt’s new construction, and the new Bakery, The Sunflower Bakeshop. Have you tried the new Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine at Bagel Town? What about OMA’s new expanded Fleishig menu? Oh, those poppers, oh those poppers. Did you hear about Long Island Judaica’s Mega Purim Sale? And, of course, who can forget those Cheesy Mozzarella Sticks at Hunki’s or Wing Wan’s Sunday night AllYou-Can-Eat Buffet. (Go with friends, it gets very uncomfortable if you go by yourself. Trust me.) On a more serious note, may Hashem continue to shower us with Bracha, and protect our community from all harm, and with this increase of families, may it similarly bring a growth of Daily Torah Learning, Individual and Communal Chessed Projects, Community Achdus, and a upsurge of Mitzvos in all categories. May Hashem additionally give us the strength to help each an every one of us to continue to grow as individuals–on each of our personal levels, gradually–one step at a time. Lastly, as a conclusion, the Editorial Staff and I would like to introduce ourselves. It is with much pleasure, enthusiasm, and excitement that we welcome you to the very first issue of The West Hempstead Jewish Journal, a newspaper that’s purpose is to connect the 1,800+ Jewish Families in our growing West Hempstead Community. As we approach Purim, a holiday filled with happiness, fun, inspiration, feasts, and for some, ‘adventures’ that are new, we too would like to introduce the West Hempstead community to a new venture as well. When being a member of one Shul in West Hempstead it’s hard to find out about other West Hempstead Shul events, news, and most importantly, Divrei Torah from other communal Rabbanim. Of the many intentions behind reintroducing a West Hempstead Newspaper to the community, a crucial aspect was to unify and gather Divrei Torah from every Rav of every Shul in our community. That’s why in this issue we included short, inspiring, and sweet Purim insights our community Rabbanim have generously written. They’re short. You can do it. I would like to personally thank all the Rabbanim for taking time out of their chaotic days, and sleepless nights for kindheartedly writing Divrei Torah for this paper. Your words of Chizuk, inspiration, and encouragement are appreciated by the community tremendously. I’d also like to take a sentence and thank the dozens of people who helped make this inaugural publication possible. The layout staff, the designing staff, the brainstorming staff, the ‘It’s time for Mincha’ staff, and of course, the accounting staff. You know who you are. There are not enough letters on this keyboard to thank all of you independently. As they say when you’re patiently waiting on hold for 45 minutes, just to find out why your package from Amazon didn’t arrive yet, “your opinion matters”. In this case, it really does. We encourage all of our readers, even those who just look at the Advertisements, to send us feedback, questions, comments and suggestions. In addition, if you have any content you feel would be helpful to our newspaper and community, please let us know. This issue is dedicated in memory of my Grandfather, my Saba, Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz zt”l, whose first Yahrzeit was observed on ‫כז אדר א‬. To me, he was my Rebbe, my mentor, and a warm, caring and brilliant Zaidy. I would like to also thank Dr. David Pelcovitz, Dr. Nochie Pelcovitz, and my incredibly inspiring Bubby, Rebbetzin Shirley Pelcovitz for your support and sponsorship. This issue is also dedicated to the memory of our community’s loss of the beloved Ari Kahn zt”l, who was Niftar on March 6. There are not enough words to describe his great stature Additionally, this issue has been dedicated by Lisa and Shui Reichmann, and Rena and Nosson Reichmann, in honor of their parents and grandparents. Lastly, I wish to memorialize the recent petirah of Rabbi Moshe Gottessman zt”l, a founder and builder of The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County. He was an educator of Torah and a Rebbe to the students of our community. Wishing all of our readers and advertisers a Freilichen Purim!

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THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL IS PURIM REALLY GREATER THAN YOM KIPPUR? Rabbi Uri Lesser, Rav of Bais Torah U’Tefilah Continued from front cover How can one logically compare the great awesome Day of Atonement, the day where all sins are forgiven, the day where we spend 12 hours in shul fasting and davening, to a day of fun and games, costumes, feasts, and more? Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt”l explains this phenomenon based on the Passuk of Tehilim we say every Shabbos morning “Sur Mera (stay away from evil) V”Aseh Tov (and perform good deeds)”. There are two ways to serve Hashem. The classical way is analogous to someone who gets a deep cut. First refrain from doing things wrong, i.e. stop the bleeding, and then you can do good, i.e. rehabilitate yourself. This is the way of Yom Kippur. First, we cleanse our souls through fast and prayer, and then we can start a new path of good. However, on Purim there is a special gift Hashem gives us, which works against nature itself “V’nahafach Hu”. If we start out doing the good deeds, the “Aseh Tov”, the rehabilitation, then the bad goes away by itself, and the bleeding stops on its own. This is what make Purim so great. We don’t need the fasting and praying of Yom Kippur. All Hashem wants is for us to do Mitzvos, be kind, make friends and join together. If we do those things, it doesn’t even matter if you are dressed like a clown while you are doing them, a person receives tremendous Bracha from Hashem. And one may ask, but why is it that Purim has this unique power and force which we don’t find even on Yom Kippur? The answer is that since Purim is a day of unity for of all Jews and Klal Yisroel, from the time of Mordechai and Esther until today, that itself gives the day this amazing power to accomplish tremendous feats both for an individual and for the community as a whole. Freilichen Purim!

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LIVING ON THE EDGE AN INSIGHT INTO THE MEGILLA Rabbi Josh Goller, Assistant Rav of the Young Israel of West Hempstead Continued from front cover "‫“— "והעיר שושן נבוכה‬the city of Shushan was confused and bewildered”. Rashi immediately sees the issue. The Jews only made up a minority of the population in Shushan. It can't be that the entire city felt this way. Therefore, Rashi explains the ‫ פסוק‬must be referring to the Jews in Shushan, as opposed to the entire city. However, the Maharal in his commentary preferred to keep the ‫ פסוק‬in its' most literal form. Indeed, the entire city of Shushan was confused and despondent. Why? They couldn't understand why Haman would destroy an entire nation. Therefore, they reasoned that if he can do so to the Jewish nation today, he can also do so to any other nation tomorrow. Therefore, all the nations and people in Shushan were on edge that day. Wishing the entire community, a Purim Sameach!

IT’S THE SMALL THINGS THAT REALLY COUNT Rabbi Efrem Schwalb, Rav of Eitz Chayim Continued from front cover the seemingly superfluous phrase, "Vaya’avor Mordechai" ("Mordechai went about") and suggests that we interpret "Vaya’avor" to mean that "he crossed", some body of water in order to gather the Jews located on the other side. What message does this Gemera seek to convey? Rav Shlomo Alkabetz, the author of Lecha Dodi, in his commentary Manot Halevi on Megillas Esther notes that Rashi explains the body of water that Mordechai appears to have crossed was simply a puddle, not some large body of water. Mordechai did not have to cross an enormous river to carry out Esther's command. He needed only to cross over a puddle of water. If this explanation is correct, why is this worthy of mention at all? The Manot Halevi answers that the Talmud here is teaching us about the importance of seemingly small and insignificant mitzva acts. Nobody would have thought to commend Mordechai for his crossing a puddle as part of his effort to mobilize the Jewish people. Chazal, however, wanted to impress upon us the importance of even seemingly minor achievements. We should not underestimate the importance of every aspect of a mitzvah. Sometimes to do a mitzvah, it requires fulfilling a monumental task, crossing an ocean, but other times it only requires getting our feet wet. Whatever the obstacle, it is incumbent on each of us to do our part, whether big or small, difficult or easy, every step is deserving of praise and reflects our commitment to serving Hashem. Wishing the entire community, a Freilichen Purim!

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THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL

THE HUNKI’S FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OF OUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS

A Happy Purim!

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F E A T U R E D

S T O R Y

THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL

Remembering A Gem of Our Community,

The Life of Ari Kahn, ‫זצ"ל‬ THE GREAT ARI KAHN BY AVRUMIE KAHN In Mishlei (proverbs) Shlomo HaMelech (30:30) states, “ ‫ליש גבור‬ ‫”בבהמה ולא ישוב מפני כל‬, The lion is the mightiest of the beasts, who is undaunted by anyone. This Passuk in describing a lion’s might only scratches the surface of the power and might possessed by my precious brother Ari, ‫זצ"ל‬. A number of years ago, Ari was receiving the award for The NY State Bar Association Lawyer of the Year, in part for his work with public school kids. The award was being presented by Mr. Jay Bernstein, an expert orator and Senior Partner in the prestigious Law Firm Clifford Chance. Mr. Bernstein referred to Ari, as he called him up for his award, as “The Great Ari Kahn”. This left a resounding aha moment for me and to everyone there, as no word could describe Ari more succinctly than the word Great. There is not enough paper, ink or time today to expound the greatness of Ari Kahn. However, with the brief time allotted to me, I’d like to point out, that Ari’s greatest legacy are his four beautiful children who, he’s always been so proud of, together with his talented wife, Sari, raised in a house filled with Chessed, Torah and ‘Drama-Free Drama’. The Great Ari Kahn had a beautiful and brilliant mind, he was a Valedictorian, and spent a year learning in Yeshivas Sha’alavim in Eretz Yisroel. He was noted as a Yeshiva University Scholar. The Great Ari Kahn took a year of deferment after undergrad to spend learning in Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore, all before shipping up to Boston to attend the distinguished Harvard Law School. However, the great Ari Kahn never walked around flexing his intellectual muscles. In fact, I know he went out of his way not to tout his brilliant mind. Dare I say, he ‘dumbed it down’ for the rest of us. I believe my brother did that to make those with whom he was conversing feel comfortable and not to be intimidated by his intelligence. The Great Ari Kahn, as Dr. David Luchins recently wrote “was more than just a friend. He was a representative of the very best of NCSY.” The Great Ari Kahn quickly gained legend status at Camp Sports, of which many of his campers and NCSY’ers became lifelong friends, many of whom are sitting here in this room or listening around the world. I’d like to share some insight into how The Great Ari Kahn would provide his sincere friendship embrace to everyone. I would be sitting with Ari, and his cellphone would ring. He’d recognize the caller and answer, “Hey Brother”. I would be sitting right there next to him thinking who could he possibly be talking to? Our mother only had two boys? Inevitably the call or the conversation would always conclude with “Love You Bro”. That’s a brief insight into the Great Ari Kahn. Before you could even utter one word, Ari embraced you as a brother. Countless friends and family will always continue to hear Ari’s heartfelt voice, simply asking his famous two words, “What’s doing?”. That was all one needed to hear before all their life’s challenges and problems came flowing out. Seeking the great wisdom and guidance that only Ari could provide. Advice that was balanced with Torah values and practical principles.

PHOTO ON THE LEFT: ARI KAHN ZT”L. CENTER PHOTO: ARI & HIS BROTHER, AVRUMIE. TOP RIGHT: ARI & HIS SON MATIS. BOTTOM RIGHT: ARI, HIS WIFE SARI & THE ENTIRE KAHN FAMILY. BELOW LEFT: THE SUITED-UP KAHN FAMILY ENJOYING THEIR TRADITIONAL BARBEQUE IN THE PARKING LOT OF METLIFE STATIUM, TAILGATING AT THE JETS GAME. BOTTOM CENTER: ARI HOLDING HIS SON MATIS, TO SEE THE HOCKEY RINK. BOTTOM RIGHT: ARI, HIS SON MATIS, DAVID KAHN, AVRUMIE KAHN & FAMILY AT ISLANDERS GAME

Those who knew us are aware that Ari and I shared a room growing up. We spent countless nights lying in bed talking way past our bedtimes. Even as young kids, we shared a creativity that today is demonstrated in different ways. In one of those late-night schmoozing sessions as young kids, we discussed how I wanted to remodel our bedroom, including our exterior walls, with floor to ceilings fish tanks. As only a young, but still Great Ari Kahn would do, he humored me, and without missing a beat he said, “It’ll work, but only if you paint the ceiling with glow in the dark paint.” Hey, it was the 80’s. My sisters and I were blessed to have such a great older brother. In fact, the only and biggest fight I can remember that Ari and I got into was epic. It was a showdown, it lasted for hours one afternoon: Who could make the biggest cannonball? Together we invented games that we would play for hours. One of which was a game called ‘Bomb’. The rules are complicated to explain, and nowadays we would have to change the name, but those times I spent together with The Great Ari Kahn playing our made-up games will be a lasting memory. The Great Ari Kahn had an incredible lyrical talent as well. There was never a simcha that Ari and his wife Sari had not coordinated an original song and dance for their talented children to preform, to enhance every simcha I can remember the first time Ari became my hero. I must have been 6 or 7 years old and I was listening to Ari’s little league coach, at the time Barry Mandel, tell the commissioner Bob Grossberg, the following:

“As long as I have Ilan (Barry’s son) and Ari Kahn on my team we will win the championship. Even then The Great Ari Kahn was perfecting the art of playing goalie, while standing on the pitcher’s mound participating in Little League. His preparation in playing goalie became quite handy for The Great Ari Kahn, as he later helped start a Hockey team at HANC where he was the goalie and captain. There he was the leader of the team, and those who knew and heard him, knew he was the most competitive and vocal person in the game. Our growing up as roommates sharing a bedroom, took a modern twist as we bought houses right across the street from one another in West Hempstead. Again, we had discussed plans, plans to build a tunnel under the street to connect our houses. And yes, I wanted our tunnel walls to be fish tanks and he wanted the ceiling to be painted in glow in the dark paint. But I can tell everyone, without a doubt, amongst all The Great Ari Kahn’s accomplishments, his proudest moments was when he was holding his four beautiful children. He was always so proud of all of you. The four of you, are the exquisite tapestry, which he along with your mother Sari have weaved as the product of your Tati’s Great Legacy. I know that right now, the Malachim (Angels) are singing in Shamayim. The Avos, our forefathers and ancestors are dancing with unadulterated joy, the likes of which have not been seen in this world, all to welcome you, to Gan Eden. Ari, this world, and everyone here can start sleeping a little easier knowing that The Great Ari Kahn is our legal Counsel in the Bais Din Shel Ma’ala. May your Neshoma have an Aliyah, Love you brother!

AT ARI’S HARVARD LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION. ABOVE: ARI’S PARENTS, DAVID & DEBBIE KAHN. LEFT: ARI’S WIFE, SARI KAHN

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F E A T U R E D

S T O R Y

THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL

Remembering The Life of Ari Kahn, ‫זצ"ל‬

THE GIFT OF LOVE B Y

S A R I

K A H N

Keira, Gitty, Aliyah and Matis, even though there are hundreds of people here who are welcome to listen in to what I am going to say, right now I am speaking to you. As you know, Tati and I met because our mutual friend, Shai Barnea, told us we should go out with each other. That’s pretty much how it went. I had just returned to my dorm room in Stern College, from my worst date ever, Shai was IMing with my roommate and I was relaying how horrible the date was, Shai told her. “That’s it. Tell Sari that she is going out with Ari.” Shai then approached Ari and said I want you to go out with this girl Sari Strulowitz. As Shai was Ari’s NCSYer for many years Ari was intrigued to see with whom Shai would set him up with. So, we both approached that first date with the thought whatever happens happens with extremely low expectations. I came home from that date and called my mom and told her that I was going to marry this guy. We had immediate chemistry and from the beginning could talk about any topic for hours. I loved how Tati knew everything about literally everything, but that he wasn’t just book smart, he had an innate social intelligence which allowed him to connect with the most socially challenged people. But more about that later. Tati always had a huge smile on his face and was someone who was just fun to be around. Early on in our relationship we decided that the approach we would take to our relationship was as teammates. We agreed then that no matter what we would be teammates. So, since Tati was the goalie, the rock, the one who was the gatekeeper to our home, I guess I was the Power Forward. Micha, you’ll tell me later if I correctly define the Power Forward position. OK? So, my kids, in these next few minutes I am going to power forward and am humbly going to try to paint a picture of who your Tati was. Ari, I apologize to you in advance, because you were such a multifaceted person, I am not sure if it is even possible for me to say everything about you without speaking all day. As you know, your Tati grew up right here in West Hempstead. From a very young age it started to become apparent just how brilliant he was. At two years old Bobby would play opposites game with Tati. She would say old and Tati would say new. Bobby would then say ingredient and Tati would say outgredient. Tati went to the JCC for preschool and then HANC, right across the street from here for elementary school. Tati wasn’t just a brilliant student, keeping his teachers on their toes and correcting them when they were wrong, from a very young age Tati showed talents in music, art, acting, singing and sports. As you kids know, Tati loved to paint and draw, which carried over into one of our best dates, glass painting at a park. Tati acted in his school plays and even starred in the few of the plays as Captain Hook in Peter Pan and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Tati learned how to play the drums and really loved just hanging out with his West Hempstead friends on Shabbos playing all sorts of interesting games. He was the kid that was friends with everyone. You didn’t need to be cool or popular to be friends with Tati, you just had to be you. Kids, to this day, this is something that Tati and I have spoken with you about. That you should always be friends with everyone. It doesn’t matter what click they are a part of or what clothes they wear. Every person has an inherent value within them, and Tati insightfully knew that from a very young age. Tati’s song writing talents began in sixth grade where he wrote a song for the sixth grade moving up day to Bette Middler’s The Rose. Friends from those days still remember the lyrics to that song. In Middle School at HANC, Tati continued to excel in his studies and was the eighth-grade valedictorian.

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Around that time, Tati went to NCSY Camp Sports for the first time. That summer is where Ari Kahn, NCSY advisor and leader was born. Under the direction of Rabbi Jeff Greenberg, Tati flourished at Camp Sports. He loved how there was an oasis in this world located on the campus of a great yeshiva, Ner Yisroel, where he could both learn Torah and play sports. Rabbi Greenberg opened Tati’s eyes to the beauty of NCSY and how it could impact someone deep in their soul. Rabbi Greenberg also told Tati that if he wanted to join NCSY during the year, he could only join NY NCSY, Rabbi Greenberg’s region, and not Long Island NCSY. Tati loved Rabbi Greenberg, so he was happy to be a part of NY NCSY. What Tati didn’t realize at first is that Rabbi Greenberg had already seen the potential in Tati, and he wanted to make sure he secured him at a young age as a future advisor for the region. Tati didn’t just flourish in Camp Sports, but for anyone who went to Camp Sports from 1993-2003 he was Camp Sports. Tati had a way with connecting with the most challenging kids. As I mentioned before, everyone was Tati’s friend, and that’s how all the campers at Camp Sports felt. This past week friends from Tati’s Camp Sports days, friends who were originally his NCSYers hopped on planes from Toronto and Boca, with only a couple hours’ notice to visit Tati in the hospital. Because while it was obvious that Tati was friends with all his NCSY Sports boys, I know he wasn’t just their friend, but he was their mentor. There are many, many people in this room today who feel Tati is both their friend and mentor. Soon, Tati not only became the head counselor at Camp Sports, he was also the head advisor at New York NCSY. Tati would always bump into someone somewhere who knew him from NY NCSY or Camp Sports and remembered his rocking the van, his late-night donut runs and his especially long conversations that helped mold their trajectory. Once again, even years later, these guys felt like Tati’s good friend because of the time and energy Tati put into those relationships. Some of Tati’s NCSYers from public school backgrounds, soon were going to day schools and yeshivas because of the time Tati spent with them. There are many people who today are observant because of Tati’s relationship with them. Tati loved Camp Sports and NCSY so much that he needed me to go to Camp Sports for a Shabbos and on an NCSY Shabbaton before we were even engaged, to make sure I could live a life which centers on NCSY. Little did he know at the time…I guess that was his secret plan all along, (that I would become the Camp Director of Camp Maor an NCSY Camp we started together). To this day, Tati’s old NCSYers talk about his sessions and how they would skip out on other sessions so that they could go to Tati’s sessions at the Shabbaton. There are many, many people today who are contributing members to society with wives, families and successful careers thanks to Tati’s hours of advice. In High School Tati became the Student Council President in 10th grade. An extremely rare fete for a 10th grader to accomplish, but since Tati was friends with everyone, he was able to become student council president at such a young age. In tenth grade, Tati pulled off something even more incredible than becoming student council president. Tati convinced the administration at HANC to start a High School Hockey Team. As you kids know well, starting something from scratch comes with a lot of personal strength and fortitude. Tati first convinced the administration to have a team, but then he had to put in all the hard work to make the team a reality. He had to recruit players, name the team, design uniforms and when there was no room in the budget for wall padding at the high school Tati figured out that he could hack the system with one of his favorite tools, Velcro. Every game, Tati would pick up the wall padding from HANC 609 and Velcro it on to the walls at the high school and then bring it back to HANC 609 after the game. After High School, Tati went to study for a year in Israel at Yeshivas Sha’alavim. Tati loved telling stories about how Israeli the program was and how he made such great friends that year with whom many he was still close. To be blunt, Yeshiva University paid Tati to go to College. He received such a high-level academic scholarship that the school paid him to attend. He was a biology major but under the guidance of his rabbis he was advised to go to Law School instead of Medical School. Tati joined Rav Tendler’s shiur and in Rav Tendler, he found not only a Rebbe, but someone with whom to discuss the intricacies of the world. Tati would drive Rav Tendler, an expert in medical ethics, to various lectures and conferences he was giving around the Tri-State area and Tati would use that time to talk about anything with one of the greatest Torah minds of our time. In YU Tati worked his way up to be the editor of the school newspaper, The Commentator. There he started honing is managerial skills and style. Once again, realizing that becoming friends with co-workers and people he was managing was the best way to go. While editor in chief at the Commentator, Tati and his team were the first editorial staff to put the newspaper on the internet. He was so proud that they got the Commie up online. Once Tati decided that his path would be to Law School he set his eyes on Harvard. Tati took a year off in-between College and Law School to learn at Ner Yisroel, his oasis in Baltimore, before he began his path in the law field. At Harvard, Tati quickly became good friends with his roommates and was heavily involved in the Jewish scene where he soon became the president of the Jewish student group on campus. Tati somehow figured out how to still attend every NCSY Shabbaton even while in law school because he wasn’t ready to leave NCSY just yet. Again, little did we know. Continued on Page 14

PHOTO TOP CENTER ARI, SARI, KEIRA, GITTY, ALIYAH & MATIS TOP LEFT CIRCLE: ARI & SARI W/ KEIRA & GITTY AT SHAI’S L’CHAIM. TOP MIDDLE CIRCLE: ARI & SARI KAHN. TOP RIGHT CIRCLE: ARI & SARI’S L’CHAIM. SQUARE BOTTOM LEFT: ARI, SARI, KEIRA, & GITTY WELCOMING ALIYAH INTO THEIR LIVES. SQUARE BOTTOM RIGHT: ARI & SARI’S L’CHAIM. BOTTOM OF PAGE: BOTTOM RIGHT: ARI & SARI AT KEIRA & GITTY’S CHUMASH PLAY. BOTTOM CENTER: ARI, MATIS, KEIRA, GITTY & DAVID KAHN BOTTOM RIGHT: ALMOST THE ENTIRE FAMILY MAKING IT TO THE BIG SCREEN AT THE ISLANDERS GAME.

THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL REVEALING OUR INNER MASKS Rabbi Moshe Gottesman zt”l,

Michael S. Levine

Dean Emeritus of HANC, who played an integral part of the West Hempstead community for 60 years

Attorney at Law

Continued from front cover

Rabbi Shlomo Adelman, current Principal of HANC with Rabbi Moshe Gottessman, zt”l

We relive the miracles of that first Purim, of Esther and Mordechai, and try to recapture the mysterious ways of Hashem and His aspect of “hester Panim”. We are mindful of the poor and remember them with charitable gifts. We include our friends by sending tasty treats of “Mishloach Manot.” We gather with our community to retell the story by listening to the Magilla. We celebrate our physical survival by eating a sumptuous “seudah” with loved ones. But most of all, we masquerade. We hide behind a mask, as Hashem hid from us, only to reveal His true plan at the optimum time. Several years ago, when I was still serving HANC as Dean, it was my custom to dress up for Purim and visit all the classes in a costume. One year, I invited four students to help me choose my masquerade. In the end, from among the tremendous selection of costumes, we all decided I should be Tigger, from Winnie the Pooh. As an aside, the boys noticed that the young man who sold me the costume, refused payment. I explained that over twenty years ago, when this same young man was hospitalized and in need of cheer, we at HANC organized visits, dressed as clowns and brought smiles to him as a sick little boy. He has never forgotten...his “Hakaras Hatov” is eternal. I also explained that I would insist upon paying because I was planning to don my costume on Purim to visit and bring joy to the children at the Gottesman Learning Center, my program for Special Children, and I would not be so quick to sell that mitzvah for a free costume. I might share it with my friend, but I wouldn’t give it away. Over the next two days, I wore that costume almost constantly, as I visited our 1400 children on all four campuses. I was greeted with laughter and glee. The children were delighted. But they didn’t let me leave a classroom without insisting to know who I was. And they never recognized me until they heard my voice. Then came the happy shouts! “It’s Rabbi Gottesman. It’s Rabbi Gottesman” Such a simple thing and our children learned a basic Torah concept; “Kakol Kol Yaakov V’hayadim Yiday Esav.” “The voice is the voice of Yaakov, but the hands are those of Esav.” When Yaakov masqueraded as Esav, Yitzchak was also suspicious; he also wanted to know who this really was. So why didn’t Yaakov change his voice and make his charade complete? Yaakov would never go that far. The voice of a person represents his inner soul, his essence and Yaakov was never prepared to sell his soul or change his basic nature. So too did Esther hide her identity but never change who she was or compromise her principles. So too did Mordecai become “Mishne Lamelech”, second in command to the king but remained focused on his mission for the Jewish people. So too did Hashem choose His own time to reveal His divine plan and bring us to “Kimu V’kiblu”, the ultimate acceptance of Torah and mitzvot. And all this to be learned from the lesson of a costume.

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Rabbi Moshe Gottesman zt”l, Moshe ben Asher Zelig, was an integral part of HANC & West Hempstead for 60 years — as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, dean, and member of our Board of Directors. Rabbi Gottesman worked tirelessly behind the scenes to raise tuition funds for those who could not afford to come to Yeshiva. If a prospective student lacked a yeshiva background and now wanted to learn, Rabbi Gottesman ensured that HANC’s New Opportunities Program would find room and provide a welcoming introductory platform for a yearning student to study and achieve. Special-needs children also found a home at HANC, in the Sunday Smile Program. This weekly program was Rabbi Gottesman’s signature project. His goal was to ensure that all students had the opportunity to be exposed to Torah learning, in a Torah environment. We are grateful, and we publicly express our Hakaras Hatov, for all that Rabbi Gottesman has given to our community & to Klal Yisroel throughout many generations. We all have benefited from his wisdom, caring, and his unflagging sense of mission. May his soul be bound in the bond of everlasting life.

LIFE IS A MIRACLE Rabbi Yossi Lieberman, Rav of Chabad of West Hempstead Continued from front cover Reading through the story of Purim, we discover another most interesting fact. Throughout the entire story we find that very little of it was miraculous. In fact, most of it seems to be extremely coincidental. It seems like the work of a great novelist, with all loose ends eventually coming together. Beginning with the death of Queen Vashti, and King Ahasuerus choosing Esther as his new wife. Followed by Mordechai overhearing and foiling a plot to murder the king, and Haman’s rise to power. Through Haman’s scheme to annihilate the Jews, and the king’s discovery that Esther was Jewish, and that Haman’s plan would have included her. All the events leading up to Purim seem to fit right into an almost natural course, and not once do we read about a great miracle, such as the sea splitting or manna falling from heaven. All we have is one coincidental occurrence after another. True, the fact that Haman’s scheme backfired onto himself was very fortuitous, but there were no supernatural miracles. No oil lasted for eight days, nor were any firstborns smitten. And that is precisely what makes the story of Purim so special. Take a look at the world around you. Everything seems so ‘normal’. The sun rises every morning in the east and sets in the west at dusk. Trees and plants grow when they are properly tended to and will wither and die when neglected. Fire rages and grows when in contact with anything flammable but will be extinguished when in contact with water. All this, and much more, is what we’ve come to know as nature. And like everything else in the world, nature, too, was created by G-d. Nature is G-d’s most incredible miracle. We are living a constant miracle. By waking up every morning, we experience this most miraculous event – life. Even though we don’t feel the G-dliness or the miracle in it all, it is there. The very name of the Megillah, ‘Megillat Esther,’ makes this point. The name ‘Esther’ translates as ‘hidden’. The true miracle of Purim, as well as that of our daily lives, remains hidden. But we know that G-d, although His name is not mentioned in Megillah, was in fact behind all that had transpired, just as He is behind all that happens in the world. And just as the Jews of that time believed and trusted in G-d that He will save them from Haman’s wicked decree, so must we, truly have faith in G-d that He is the one who ultimately controls our destiny. So, this year, when you hear the Megillah being read on Wednesday evening, March 20, and Thursday, March 21, take the time to think about the miracle of Purim, and how much it really relates to us. Wishing The Entire Community, A Freilichen Purim!

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F E A T U R E D

S T O R Y

THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL

Remembering The Life of Ari Kahn, ‫זצ"ל‬ Continued from page 12 Tati and I met during Tati’s last year of Law School and my last year of College. Tati would drive back and forth from Boston often for NCSY Shabbatons, but also for me. We had a long-distance relationship that Tati tried really hard to make it feel as if it wasn’t so. Upon graduating from Law School, Tati was hired by Sullivan and Cromwell, one of the top NYC Law Firms. Tati worked hard at that firm, but never really liked the culture there. While Tati worked at Sullivan and Cromwell, and only a year into our marriage, he got sick with cancer. At that time, we were also trying to start a family. Going through that trying time, we decided to get a dog. You know that Magic was Tati’s puppy. He loved swinging her around while she gripped on to her rope toy in the backyard. And he loved when Magic would climb on him and lay on top of him while he laid in bed as if she wasn’t a 55 pound fully grown dog. Two years ago, we lost Magic, after Tati recovered from a kidney infection, and when the doctors said she past from a Kidney Infection herself, I knew that she sacrificed her life for him. Last night, I asked Rabbi Kelemer for the source for Hakaras Hatov, giving thanks, in the Torah. He said there were so many sources, but one that stuck out to me is where the Kohanim faced the people thanking them for their gifts. Today, I am facing you my children, to share with you my Hakaras Hatov to your Tati. The first and second gifts Tati gave me are the two of you. With help from Hashem and the miracles of modern medicine Tati and I were blessed with you Keira and Gitty almost 13 years ago. Keira and Gitty, you were born on the day of Tati’s last chemotherapy treatment and even though it was physically taxing for him to stand next to me during the three hours it took for me to push you out, he was right there by my side because he wouldn’t miss your birth for a minute. From the time the two of you were born he was the happiest. He loved singing to you, reading to you, teaching you math, science and Torah from the time you were little girls. When Aliyah, my third gift from Tati, arrived two years and two months later in perfect Aliyah fashion where I didn’t feel anything because the epidural was tapped out. It was an easy and beautiful birth and Tati was soo happy to share his birthday month with you. He loved singing and cuddling with you Aliyah and sharing your love of reading. During paternity leave for Aliyah, Ari switched jobs and joined the Corporate Finance Team at Clifford Chance. From the time Ari started working there, things were different. Tati loved going to work every day and viewed his job as a blessing because he loved his co-workers and the work he was doing. To have made friends at work with Jay Bernstein, Tati’s boss, Jake, Rich, Andy and so many more, so I am going to stop naming people, was something so TATI-LIKE. I think I just coined a new phrase for us. TATI-LIKE. Kids, the firm sent a bus here today because so many of Tati’s co-workers wanted to be here. Tati always had Hakaras Hatov for Jay and his entire group at the law firm and I want to thank them today for being here. Jay, I truly appreciate everything you have done for Ari and us. I know you were constantly pushing him to think harder and were even encouraging him to enter the partner track again.

PHOTO ABOVE: ARI, SARI & THE ENTIRE FAMILY DRESSED UP AT THE HERSHEY PARK WILD-WEST PHOTO BOOTH. CIRCLE ON THE RIGHT: ARI & HIS SON MATIS

CIRCLE TOP LEFT: ARI’S CAMPER AT NCSY’S CAMP SPORTS WISHING ARI A HAPPY BIRTHDAY WITH A KISS. CIRCLE CENTER: ARI EMBRACING HIS NCSY SPORTS CAMPER. CIRCLE RIGHT: A CAMP NCSY SPORTS HAVDALLAH WHICH ARE LED WITH A PASSION, TO INSPIRE THE CAMPERS. LARGE PHOTO ABOVE: ARI (ON THE FAR RIGHT) AT CAMP SPORTS PREPARING FOR & THEN GIVING SHIUR TO A PACKED BAIS MEDRASH ON T'SHA B'AV AFTER MEGILLA

While at Clifford Chance, Tati worked on his pro bono work just as seriously as his legal work. Tati coached a team of Lehman High School students in Moot Court and Mock Trial. As you know some years Tati’s team went so far to win the international moot court competition in the Hague. Tati was even asked one year to write the case for the court competition and received a prestigious award a couple of years ago for his work with the moot court team. Once again, Tati didn’t only teach these high school students, he befriended and mentored them in pure Tati fashion. While giving back to youth was always a priority for Tati, a few years back, Tati’s focus in Jewish Communal work shifted. Tati was approached by the Orthodox Union to join the executive board as a national vice president and then a few years ago Tati was nominated to be the Secretary of the Orthodox Union sitting on the executive committee making decisions and helping steer policy for the entire Orthodox Jewish Community. Tati spent countless hours working to better the future for the Orthodox Jewish Community. What Tati couldn’t donate in money, he donated in his time and in his life. So, full discloser, I worked for 2 hours and 45-minutes minutes this morning on this speech. And I got to this point. So now I’m going off script. My fourth gift from Tati is my Matis. Tati and Matis had a very special relationship where one second, they can be having a great time together and the next second, they can be fighting about something. As I mentioned recently in the hospital, Tati is one of the most stubborn people I know, other than his bother Avrumie, but I’m going to add one more guy onto that list, and his name is Matis. Everybody says you look like your Tati, and I’m glad that you do. Ari was living in west Hempstead and that West Hempstead was a part of his life. Our friends in west Hempstead have really been there for us, through so much, when our kids were born, when Ari was sick in the past, and for this entire past month. He loved when people reached out to him, he got the texts and the emails, as did I, and we really appreciate it as it gave us Chizuk during the most challenging times. Ari loved his family. There wasn’t anything that he wouldn’t do for his family. For his mom, for his dad, and his siblings. They knew that if they had a problem, they could call Ari, and he would take care of it. It was really special to see Ari’s relationship with each and every one of his nieces and nephews. With each he would play a game, he would talk to them about how school was going, and if you were a baby that cried a lot, Ari wanted to hold you, because Ari felt that he can get you to stop crying. It really, really was special just to see how Tati had a relationship with every single niece and nephew. He also loved that our home was an open home, that friends can come in and out, any neighbor can come in and out, any Shabbos, at any time of the day. The additional gifts that Ari gave me for which I have Hakaras Hatov, is that when our kids were little, for 6 years, I was able to stay home with them, and take care of them while he worked those many, many long hours. He always made sure we had help in our house, so that I can really focus my energies on our kids. And he gave me the gift of creating my own career of going to Grad school for the past two years and being able to do that while raising a family and being able to do things that were important to him and to me.

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So, about 5 ½ years ago, Ari and I started a camp, called Camp Maor. After 2 years we partnered with NCSY to help us grow and flourish. In that first summer of camp Maor, Ari said “you know, we need a song, we need like a song for camp, where the kids will get into, and know it’s the camp song.” And he continued and said, “I know, what if we take Havdalah, and play it to Taylor Swift’s ‘Mean’, that could be really catchy!” So, I called up our musical director and I said, “Ari has this idea, what do you think?” and she responded “Okay, well it’s a really long song, and Havdalah is like this big, so I don’t know how to figure it out.” But 6 years later, our Havdalah song is a classic. It was Ari’s concept. When Ari got really sick a week and a half ago, the Doctors told us to prepare and to say goodbye. That was on Sunday night, and all of a sudden Monday morning came. The sun rose, and there we all were. And then the next day, and then the next day, and the next day. I know Ari was fighting to stay with us as long as he could. And I know that the entire communities Teffilos, Mitzvos, and Challah Baking that was done for his Refuah also made the difference. But I also know why it wasn’t that night. Because this past Sunday, on March 3, was a performance in Teaneck, that I produced and directed, which really was a culmination of 5 ½ years of our work in Camp Maor. The finale for this performance was this Havdalah song. 50 girls from the tri-state area, were on the stage singing the song that Ari conceptualized. And I know, that Ari was not going to let go, before that performance, as my boss David Cutler said was “a smashing success”. Ari was always behind the scenes in everything I did. Running the sound board, helping re-write scenes in a play, so I wanted to read to all of you the last Dvar Torah that I believe Tati wrote. It was for my play, just a few weeks ago, and there was a Dvar Torah at the end of the play. The first of the Aseres Ha'Dibros is "Anochi Hashem," to know that Hashem is our G-d, all powerful and still engaged with the world every day. Hashem's relationship with us is not that of some far-off power who is observing us from a distance. The first thing Hashem personally lets us know is that He is involved and intervenes in our lives. Hashem saw our suffering in Mitzrayim and because of Hashem's love for our ancestors and us as a nation, He took us out and chose us as his people. We must live our lives KNOWING that Hashem is constantly making a "Chesbon," a calculation, about where we are in life and what is best for us. And with this knowledge we understand why the last of the Aseres Ha'Dibros is "Lo Tachmod", to not desire things others have and you don't. When you start to think about what others have and you want, you begin to undermine this primary idea that Hashem is involved in your life and is ensuring that you have what you need at the moment. If you understand that Hashem's calculations are personal and perfect, then you can avoid the feelings of jealousy for your friends and neighbors. On the other hand, when you begin to give in to those feelings of jealousy, you risk undermining the most fundamental idea of a personal and active relationship with Hashem, our Creator. May we be Zoche to recognize Hashem's love and role in our lives and do our best to use the gifts he's given us to bring Moshiach, B'mi'heirah Bi'yameinu Now I want to just speak to all of you. My children and I are not asking for your pity. We’re just asking for your love and your friendship. My kids know that Tati has always taught us, life’s not fair. But we will always be a team, staying as a team on the positive highway together.

THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL THE CORRECT RESPONSE By Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz Zt”l The origin of the story of Purim can be found in the initial attack by Amlek upon the Jewish people when they left Mitzrayim. To properly understand the message and meaning of Purim, one must examine that episode, as recorded in Beshalach (Shemos 17:8), and the admonition to ever remember this dastardly attack, found at the end of Ki Seitzei (Devarim 25:17). The parrrell between the events in the time of Moshe and those in the time of Esther and

Mordechai is a remarkable one, and the lesson we can learn from them is extremely significant for our time. "‫"ויבא עמלק וילחם עם ישראל ברפידם‬ ,“and Amlek came and fought with the Jewish people in Rephidim.” (Shemos 17:8). Chazal comment on the word Rephidim, "‫"שרפו ידיהם מן התורה‬, that the Jewish people wavered in their pursuit of Torah and in their faith and trust in Hakadosh Baruch Hu. In the preceding Passuk, we read that the Jewish people questioned whether Hashem was in their midst or not. It has been pointed out that the name "‫ "עמלק‬, Amalek is numerically equivalent to "‫ "ספק‬Safek – doubt! When Jews become weak in their faith and begin to question and doubt their unique role as

Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s chosen people, then Amalek attacks, for the enemies of the Jewish people always sense our vulnerability. Amalek chose as its victims, "‫"כל הנחשלים אחריך‬ “the weakened ones” (Devarim 25:18). The Passuk refers to those who had removed themselves from the protection of Hashem, as the Sifri states. Our strength and ability to withstand the onslaught of our enemies is measured not by our physical or military might, but by our firm, resolute trust in Hakadosh Baruch Hu. When that faith falters, we become vulnerable to attack. Many centuries later, Haman, the descendant of Amalek, understood this, and when he came to the king to obtain permission to annihilate the Jews, he stated to Achashverosh, " ‫ויאמר המן למלך אחשוורוש ישנו עם אחד מפזר ומפרד‬ ‫“ "בין העמים בכל מדינות מלכותך‬there is a people dispersed and divided in your kingdom” (Esther 3:8). Chazal comment on the word ‘Yeshnu’ "‫ ”ישנו‬as “they slumber and ignore the Mitzvos”. Haman continued "‫“ "ואת דתי המלך אינם עושים‬the Jews don’t even observe the laws of the King” (ibid.). According to Chazal, this refers to the laws of the King of Kings, i.e., Hashem. Even a Haman would fear to attack and destroy the Jews were he not confident that hashems protection had been removed from them, for they had rejected Hashem and his Torah, and therefore He, in turn, had abandoned them. Considering what caused the Jewish people’s vulnerability to Amalek and Haman, we can readily perceive the need in every generation, not only to defend ourselves against the enemies of the Jews, but also to do Teshuva, to repent and return to hashem thereby ensuring our survival by meriting Hashgachas Hashem, the providence of the Almighty. Moshe realized this in his time, as Mordechai did in his. Moshe chose Yehoshua to lead the Jewish forces when Amalek attacked. Chazal explain the reason he chose Yehoshua was because “your ancestor (Yosef) said, ‘I fear Hashem’. Therefore, you are the one to do battle with Amalek, of whom is it said, ‘and he fear not the Almighty;” (Devarim 25:18). Yehoshua’s credentials were spiritual ones, not military ones. To combat those who have no reverence for Hashem, we must choose one who’s Yiras Shamayim is so strong that he is the one to be the champion of the Bnei Yisroel, thereby deserving Hashems special Hashgacha. Mordechai also reacted properly when he learned of Hamans plot. He could have reasoned that since Haman gave the king 10,000 pieces of silver to allow him to destroy the Jews, then to counteract him, they should outbid Haman! But he realized that if the Jews were so vulnerable to Hamans evil plot, it was time for them to do Teshuva, to repent and return, so as to deserve Hashem’s protection, it was not a time for fundraising which would not address the heart of the problem. And he was successful, for not only was the plot foiled, but "‫"קיימו וקיבלו‬, the Jews rededicated themselves once again to the Torah. Adapted from Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz’s Sefer ‘Table Talk’, by Artscroll Publications

OUR SENSE OF COMMUNITY Rabbi Elon Soniker, Anshei Shalom Continued from the front cover We send Mishloach manos, packages of food, to our friends and neighbors and give matanos laevyonim, charity to the needy. At first glance, it seems that the last two of the Mitzvos of Purim do not have any connection to the story. While it is always nice to give food baskets to our friends- what does it have to do with the story from Shushan? Why is it more relevant on Purim than giving food baskets to our friends on Pesach or making potluck meals on Shavuos? Similarly, while it is always a mitzva to give charity, we do not find a specific command to donate on any other Jewish holiday. Why on Purim of all of days is there a special mitzva to give tzedakah? When Haman tried to convince King Achashverosh of his plan to wipe out the Jewish People, he explained “Yeshno am echad mefuzar umeforad bain ha’amim,” (Megillas Esther 3:8) which is translated literally as there is a nation which is dispersed and spread throughout your entire kingdom. This, on its face value, does not seem to be a very strong reason to justify Haman’s plan of genocide. Yet, it is enough to convince Achashverosh to acquiesce to Haman’s suggestion. Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter, the Sefas Emes, explained that there is a deeper meaning to Haman’s accusation. Haman did not only mean that the Jewish People were physically dispersed, rather that they were a divided nation. They were dispersed amongst themselves, detached from each other. There was machlokes, arguments and disagreements. Haman’s charge was not only being presented to Achashverosh but also to Hashem to convince Him that the Jewish People deserved to be destroyed. Astonishingly, it seems to have almost happened. The decree was written, signed and sent out. Until Mordechai convinced Queen Esther to act. She told Mordechai that she could not do it alone. Rather she said “Leich kenos es kol hayehudim,” (Megillas Esther 4:16) go and gather all the Jewish People- not only literally to daven but to reconnect them to each other. Because Esther understood that in order to save the Jewish People, we needed to be united again as one peaceful nation. As we know, that is exactly what happened. We came together and Hashem had mercy on us to save the entire Jewish People from Haman’s evil decree. With this we can understand why the last two Mitzvos above are specifically relevant to Purim. Mishloach manos and matanos laevyonim are both about bringing us together and increasing the sense of community on the day of Purim. To give our friends and neighbors food baskets and to give charity to the poor to ensure that they have what they need connect us to each other and it is what saved us in the times of the Purim story. How fortunate we are to be living in the spirit of the lessons of the Purim story. Our West Hempstead community is cohesive, united and cares about each other. May the zechus of our togetherness bring us to enjoy the true simchas Purim and merit Mashiach’s arrival Im Yirtzeh HaShem. A Freilichen Purim!

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THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL THE GRAND OPENING OF THE SUNFLOWER BAKESHOP BEHIND THE STORY OF THE OPENING OF THE BAKERY THAT SWEETENS YOUR DAY, BY ELANA SCHONDORF My story began when Robert and I were engaged. I realized while I could prepare basic meals, I went on a quest to expand my repertoire wanted to find recipes that were unique, unusual, and out of this world tasty. Many people either cook or bake, but I enjoy doing both. Before long, I became known for just that. Shabbos dinners soon became restaurant worthy endeavors with occasional international thematic meals. From time to time, I ask him where his culinary passport would like to take him this week and I create a menu from appetizer to dessert from that country or region. Some weeks he would do almost anything for roast chicken and potato kugel! I remember bringing over short time and she was quite excited with the finished product.

She said to me, " If this is what you do now, I can't wait to see what you do in 10 years." There was another person I remember telling I would love to spend a day decorating fancy cakes. At that time, I had no idea about anything regarding decorating, especially high-end decorating. I knew nothing of fondant, gum paste, isomalt, and the many mediums and techniques I have been fortunate to learn over the last 12 years. When I look back, I realize those two events were laying the groundwork for me to pursue my life's purpose. I started my career as an agency social worker in Preventive foster care where I worked for seventeen years. I used to bring in goodies frequently and my desserts always got rave reviews, Thank G-d. I always say He is my partner in the kitchen guiding me to just the right recipe for the right person and occasion. Every once in a while, when I was getting stressed on the job, ( now, why would that kind of job ever produce a moment's stress?) it was a common scene to see me walk briskly with an armful of file folders saying," What am I doing here? There is money in mousse. I tell you , there is money in mousse." Who knew it was true? As it turns out, it is one of most popular items and probably the dessert that put me on the map in West Hempstead. Many of my co-workers urged me to open a bakery, as they enjoyed my treats. One Friday, I brought in several things and there was some left over. I neither wanted to throw it out, bring it home, nor leave it in the office refrigerator over the weekend. I went across the hall to a day treatment center and offered my desserts. They gladly accepted. The next thing I knew, a counselor stopped me in the parking lot and asked how much I would charge him for a carrot cake. Shortly after that, the receptionist asked me to make a cake for her daughter's birthday. At that moment, I understood that if I chose to pursue this, the Universe would support me. When you work for a Catholic agency, there is much talk about mission. Not long after that, it was crystal clear that my mission there had been completed. So, I gave up the glory of the world of drugs, gangs and abusive parents and traded it all in for sugar stress. ( If you don't believe there is such a thing as sugar stress, try making meringue cookies or caramel on a humid day, or better yet, dairy buttercream in July.) I send all my former clients love, light and healing. I do a lot of inner reflection and self-healing, thanks to my extensive training in hypnosis, NLP, and EFT. After much work, I decided it was time to stop playing small and step into my power and shine. And that's when I decided to seek out a storefront. When things get challenging, I remember the reason why I do this and how many people I am lucky enough to make happy with my baked goods. I remember this is my new mission and by doing so, I am fulfilling my life purpose. Since I am blessed with a skill to turn raw ingredients into something you enjoy, why wouldn't I do that for you? I take great pleasure in enhancing people's Shabbos, Yom Tov, and especially making your simcha more special, whether that means a wedding or celebration cake, a themed cake, favors or an array of eye appealing and tasty desserts. Often times, a challenge from a customer forces my creative hand and the result is discovering a brand new or improved menu item. An example of this is the new and improved chocolate cake for Pesach. Stay tuned! As a result, I have become known as the allergen friendly bakery who will gladly substitute ingredients to maximize customer satisfaction. So, if you ask me what I do, I will tell you I heal and sweeten he planet...one cookie at a time. Keeping life sweet! Perhaps the one thing that differentiates the Sunflower Bake Shop from virtually any other establishment across the country is that we make all of our own products using flour, sugar, cocoa, etc. You will never see a pre made batter mix of any kind. We sift raw ingredients, to produce that homemade taste. People ask me how I got to me known as the gluten free baking guru. It was simply fate. Years ago, I was looking for Chocolate recipes for Pesach. I was guided to ones, which, upon closer examination, I realized were missing flour in the recipes. Wow! My first reaction was, “Fabulous! They are non-gebroks.” Then I quickly realized, “Hey, It’s gluten free!” After that, I followed the gluten free breadcrumbs and the rest, as they say, is history. Wishing The Entire Community, A Happy Purim! The Sunflower Bakeshop

KROHMA MUSIC: EXPERIENCE(D) MUSIC IN A WHOLE NEW WAY! So, here’s the challenge. Provide live Jewish Music at a wedding. But don’t be too old-styled. But don’t be like a secular Rock Band either. And don’t be the band “that played at my parents’ wedding!” And don’t forget you have to be able to perform all of the latest and greatest Israeli Music, and Sephardic music. Oh yeah, and you must be the finest musicians in the tri-state area. But you must look like you’re just a sophomore in college. Oh, and I almost forgot, be loud enough for me and my friends, but not too loud for my parents! Well, welcome to the new and energizing world of KROHMA MUSIC. Conceived and launched by the team of Nochi Krohn, Mike Sojcher, Dov Katz and Elly Zomick, Krohma Music brings KOOL & KLASSIC into the 21st Century. In just a short two years, Krohma Music has become one of the most soughtafter performing ensembles for Jewish weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Concerts and any type of occasion that features today’s tremendously wide world of Jewish Music. There is a subtle approach needed to provide inspiring and spiritual Jewish Music at a Simcha, while also making use of all of the recent technological advancements and possibilities in the world of live music. We don’t want to lose the spontaneity and chemistry provided by this gifted group of musicians, but we also don’t want to turn our ears away from the new and exciting possibilities that have revolutionized live music performance. And while there are many great bands out there, Krohma’s approach to performing is truly unique. Utilizing performance software, Krohma is able to add digital elements to a live performance at any time. This allows us to enjoy both the spontaneity and chemistry provided by these dynamic musicians, but with new elements that enhance and even inject renewed meaning and Kedusha to the mitzvah of being Me’sa’me’ach Ba’alei Simcha. In effect, Krohma now has the capability to perform styles of music that have never before been obtainable in a live band setting! The combined musical histories and experiences of the Krohma Music brain trust, allows for the melding of Traditional Music, Chassidic Music, Israeli Music, Pop, Middle Eastern, Klezmer Music and Classical Music with the everevolving electronic possibilities now available to a live band. A song request that would have once necessitated the presence of a DJ, can now be performed live with no compromising on the sound or style. And yet the Krohma Band can then pivot and rip into a hard-swinging Klezmer tune performed acoustically “just like in the good old days.” Or a soul-full Shlomo Carlebach song. Or…………. So, this is what we have attempted to create. And we find ourselves constantly evolving as repertoire develops, as personal tastes differ, as different communities with varied musical histories merge and thereby serve to expand and better Klal Yisroel.

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“A Rav Who Gave To Everybody, Without Ever Asking For Anything In Return.”

IN MEMORY OF RABBI RAPHAEL PELCOVITZ, ‫זצ"ל‬ THE RABBI'S RABBI, A TRUE TALMUD CHACHAM, & OUR SOURCE OF INSPIRATION & ADVICE

THE K’LAL YISROEL RABBI

‫הרב רפאל זצ״ל בן הרב אפרים זצ״ל‬

BY RABBI BEREL WEIN With Excerpts From Various Hespedim In Tribute To Rabbi Pelcovitz Zt”l, Including Dr. David Pelcovitz, Dr. Nochie Pelcovitz, Mrs. Ethel Gottlieb, Mrs. Judy Greibetz, Rabbi Shragi Gross, Rabbi Dr. Shnayer Leiman, Rabbi Eytan Feiner, Rabbi Motti Neuberger, And Rabbi Nosson Scherman

Every generation needs inspirational figures, heroes if you will. Rabbi Pelcovitz was that hero. He came to Far Rockaway in 1951, at a time when the Orthodox Rabbinate in America was not viewed very favorably, not by the congregants and not by some of the Rabbis themselves. There was great difficulty amongst the Orthodox Synagogues, and many unfortunately became no longer Orthodox. The waive of the future certainly looked like it was going to be somewhere else. It is therefore imperative to stress Rabbi Pelcovitz’s enormous impact, on the Far Rockaway and Five Towns Jewish communities and their many Jewish educational institutions. In Far Rockaway in 1951, there was no Va’ad HaKashrus, there wasn’t a proper Eruv, there was no local Mikvah, and there were no youth activities for children in the community. Yet when Rabbi Pelcovitz came into the community, that all changed. He began to establish and build these crucial centerpieces a Jewish Community must have. Nonetheless, Rabbi Pelcovitz did it slowly, with a lot of understanding. He understood how to introduce these new concepts to the community with a sensitivity and warmth, especially to the people that he knew would be affected by them the most. At that time, many new immigrants from Europe landed on these shores. Many of whom were laymen, and many of whom were European Rabbanim. The problem was that they unfortunately were not able to relate. They couldn’t relate to us, they couldn’t relate to Americans, and they couldn’t relate to the new American Society. But that was not the case with Rabbi Pelcovitz. He was someone who was able to maintain not only the halachic and traditional aspects of a Synagogue but was able to inspire others, helping them grow in their Yiddishkeit. Rabbi Pelcovitz was a renowned orator, a scholar, and everything a Rav was supposed to be. Never at a loss for words, Rabbi Pelcovitz was a master of articulating thoughts and emotions in a way that connected to so many people. He set an example. He was a model. I remember the first time I met him personally when he came down to Miami Beach as the Scholar-In-Residence in my Shul, what an impression that Shabbos made on me. That here is someone who proved that a person who is a true Ben Torah, a person that’s a Yirei Shamayim, a person that’s O’al L’makom O’al L’brios, is the formula for success for Rabbanus and in life in general. In this week’s Parsha we read “Vayikra El Moshe”. G-d calls to Moshe and He calls him with a small aleph. As there are dozens of interpretations of the reason for why we have the small Aleph, there is one interpretation that is so beautiful, and Rabbi Pelcovitz personified. The explanation is that Moshe’s Aleph is small because he gave so much of himself away to others. That was Rabbi Pelcovitz. He loved life, and people; he was a Rav who gave to everybody without ever asking for anything in return. There’s a piece of Rabbi Pelcovitz in every Orthodox Rabbi in the United States. From his sermons, his translations on the Sforno, to all the incredible the talents that he had and for the goodness that he felt for people of the community, Rabbi Pelcovitz was truly the Dean of the Orthodox American Rabbinate. He had great resilience. 60 years ago, Far Rockaway was not what it is today. The vast majority of Jews in that area gave up on Far Rockaway and they gave up on the White Shul, they gave up on it all. I remember relaying this over to Rabbi Pelcovitz and he responded to me “What are they talking about? We will be different. We will rebuild it in a different way. There is nothing to worry about.” Because that was his attitude towards Torah, towards Klal Yisroel, towards Eretz Yisroel, and towards everything that we do. The Navi says in Yeshayahu (6:8), " ‫מי אשלח‬-‫קול ה אמר את‬-‫ואשמע את‬ ‫לנו ואמר הנני שלחני‬-‫ "ומי ילך‬, “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, who should I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am; send me." Who should I send and who is for us, for all of us, not just small individual groups “‫לנו‬-‫“ ”ומי ילך‬Who will go for us?” Rabbi Pelcovitz, zt”l was the one who went for us. He was a Klal Yisroel Rabbi. He was a Klal Yisroel Jew. He went through all of us, and he has certainly been sorely missed because that such people like him are rare, as the Gemera says, "‫“ "ראיתי בני עלייה והן מועטין‬I have seen truly righteous people, but they are few”. And regarding Rabbi Pelcovitz’s Rebbetzin, Shirley, who gave him life for so many years. Hakadosh Baruch Hu should bless you and your entire family, for the wonderful work that they are doing on behalf of Klal Yisroel and on behalf of Torah. The families should be strengthened, and we should all be Zocheh in the great month upcoming month of Nissan, that we will all only be privileged to have S’machos, Yeshusos, V’nechomos, " ‫ומחה ה' דמעה מעל כל פנים וחרפת עמו יסיר מעל כל‬ ‫הארץ‬." May Rav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, z"l be a Meilitz Yosher for his entire family, and Klal Yisroel

THE DEAN OF THE ORTHODOX RABBINATE BY RABBI YAIR HOFFMAN A graduate of Yeshiva Torah VaDaas, and a Talmid of Rav Shlomo Heiman zt”l, he served as the Rav of the White Shul in Far Rockaway for decades. He lived in the Far Rockaway community for six decades. The Torah community mourns the loss of a remarkable Rav – Rabbi Raphael Pelcovitz zt”l. Rabbi Pelcovitz loved people. He loved his congregants. He loved people that he encountered on a day to day basis. He was a great Talmid Chacham. He was an author. He was a translator. His translation of the Sforno is truly a Torah classic and will remain thus for centuries to come. The footnotes in this translation demonstrate his profound erudition and understanding. Rav Pelcovitz prompted people to think and to re-examine aspects of their lives. He had a warm infectious smile which helped in this task of his. He was also an accomplished speaker with remarkable content. I was privileged to see his remarkable Shabbos Parsha notes. The published Sefer of his drashos are only a small part of it. The unpublished notes are a treasure trove for any Rav. Rav Pelcovitz always had a tell-it-like-it-is style. I sat with Rav Pelcovitz to hear what he had to say on contemporary Jewish society. He felt

that we are not emphasizing the role of Eretz Yisroel in our Yiddishkeit and our need to support it even more. He was very saddened that Torah Jews are not taking a greater role in helping combat the BDS movement, for example. Below are some more of his thoughts he shared with me:

BAIN ADAM LECHAVEIRO Rabbanim should increase how they address the area of the Ben Odom Lechaveiro. Who is a frum Jew? How do you define and how does one reach a point where he is entitled to the title that he is a religious frum pious person? What are the yardsticks? The current yardsticks re skewed, wrong or incomplete. When a secular person asks how could a religious Jew be so unethical, so immoral? Is it not important to teach ourselves that the simplest answer to that question is that it is wrong. He is not entitled to that title as a frum Jew. Keeping Kashrus, tzitzits and Shabbos does not entitle him to be called a religious Jew if in fact he is dishonest or immoral. YESHIVOS AND BAIS YAAKOVS The Yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs and other schools – Are the Yeshiva Gedolos today teaching Derech Eretz to their students? Can you tell, looking at a young man or woman in public, whether he or she is a Talmid of a seminary or a Bais Yaakov or could he just as well be a student of any college or secular high school? I have noticed that too many of these young people, especially the boys, lack simple basic fundamental behavior of Derech Eretz.

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THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL IN MEMORY OF RABBI RAPHAEL PELCOVITZ, ‫זצ"ל‬

BY RABBI YAIR HOFFMAN Continued from page 31 ON THE ROLE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE The Jewish people was always a curious people. They were always involved in the world. We were never, in my humble opinion, although in some ways always isolated, because we are different – “Hain Am Levado Yishkan” was always part of the description of the Jewish people. We never closed ourselves off from the world. We never built a wall between ourselves and the world where we shut ourselves off from knowing what is going on in the world and selecting things that could be instructive and could broaden our horizons. “Vegam Es Haolam Nasan Belibo” – The concealed is in the heart of man, but the Ksiv Kri of this Passuk is the knowing what is in the world the inquisitiveness was always there. Especially the Litvishe yeshivas – the origin and mother of all yeshivas and which kept alive the yeshiva movement for the past two hundred years... Historically, the yeshiva movement was always interested in the world. They wanted to know history, the culture of the world. The abysmal am-haratzus of the world around us did not exist. Today the more you are involved in the Yeshivish community it is almost like a badge of honor that you do not know what is going on in the world... We have become very insular. I have seen hundreds of people of children attending yeshivas who are appalled by the isolation and ignorance of their own children… If we are living in this place, in this century, in this time it is extremely important. Not of copying or becoming like them but at least to understand and to know and to have a broadening of knowledge of the culture of the world around us. It should not be an honor roll that you do not know what is happening and it should not be Bitul Torah that you do know these things... One should not be an Apikores if one does know the names of philosophers. The Rambam knew the name of “Aristotle.” [At the same time, one must always be very cautious with what and whom he is dealing with. One must always honestly examine his personal situation, with guidance and step-by-step direction from his Rabbanim that know him best, and whom he trusts the most.] Rav Pelcovitz zt”l, built Torah in the Far Rockaway/Five Towns community. Under his aegis the shul grew to be one of the largest shuls in New York. He served as a role model for Rabbanim across the country. Yehei Zichro Boruch.

Family Eye Care *Treatment of Eye Disease* *Contact Lens Fitting* *Low Vision* *Designer Eyewear*

Dr. Jeffrey Baruch 647 Howard Ave. West Hempstead, NY 516-564-8527

Web: DrJeffreyBaruch.com Email: Eyebaruc@gmail.com 32

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CENTER: DR. DAVID PELCOVITZ, REBBETZIN SHIRLEY PELCOVITZ & DR. NOCHIE PELCOVITZ AT THE WHITE SHUL’S 65TH DINNER LAST JUNE. BOTTOM ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: R’ MOTTI NEUBERGER SPEAKING AT THE DINNER. RABBI EYTAN & AVIVA FINER WITH REBBETZIN PELCOVITZ AT THE DINNER, GRANDSON SENDER GROSS MOTZEI SHABBOS WITH HIS BUBBY & SABA. ALTCHIE & NOCHIE PELCOVITZ WITH REBBETZIN PELCOVITZ. TOP RIGHT CIRCLE: PURIM 2018, RABBI PELCOVITZ BEING READ MEGILLAS ESTHER BY HIS TWO SONS, DAVID & NOCHIE.

THE DEAN OF THE ORTHODOX RABBINATE

THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL

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SAY GOODBYE TO UNHEALTHY BREADCRUMBS,

HANC CLOSES ON A 3-ACRE LAND (THAT’S LARGER THAN 2 AND A HALF FOOTBALL FIELDS)

HANC’S NEW DEVELOPMENT & EXANSION PROJECT

HELLO COOPER’S CRUMBS. IF THERE’S SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT STRONGLY DISLIKES HIGH CARBOHYDRATES AND PRESERVATIVES IN THE STANDARD SHELVED BREADCRUMBS, AND IS MOTIVATED ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, ITS RAPHI COOPER.

THE PROPERTY SITS ADJACENT TO THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER TO BUILD A NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART WEST HEMPSTEAD CAMPUS. THIS UPCOMING 2018-19 ACADEMIC YEAR WILL RECORD THE LARGEST INTAKE OF STUDENTS IN THE RECENT HISTORY OF HANC. “THE GOAL WILL BE TO HAVE ONE BUILDING THAT WILL HOUSE ALL OF THE STUDENTS IN WEST HEMPSTEAD”.

A VIEW FROM THE TOP: ABOVE IS A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE FULL PROPERTY THAT HANC NOW OWNS AND WILL SERVE AS THE FOOTPRINT FOR THEIR NEW BUILDING.

After doing some research for a healthier and more natural way to making Schnitzel without all the extra additives, Cooper was on a mission. He started to mix different spices and almonds, bought himself some equipment and machinery, grounded up his own recipe, and created a variety of flavors for Bread Crumbs. This ultimately led to the bagging and selling of Cooper’s Crumbs. The crumbs also have Rabbi Kelemer’s Kosher Certification. “The crumbs work as a substitute for standard breadcrumbs. To make schnitzel just use an egg base, then coat the chicken cutlets in the crumbs, and cook. I'm hoping Cooper's Crumbs can be a national brand, found in stores across America, and not just Kosher stores but in retail stores. I'm also hoping to make a whole line of plant-based breadcrumbs, not just almond based – as this will allow all of those with allergens to tree nuts to experience what is a "healthy breadcrumb". Additionally, I'm working on a sweet flavor! Perfect for ice cream, smoothies, and even baked goods.” Locally Cooper’s Crumbs are available at I&D Glatt, The Cheese store, and Aron’s Kissena. To see all retail locations and for online purchases visit Cooperscrumbs.com

THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL • PURIM 5779 • WHJewishJournal@Gmail.com • WHJJOURNAL.COM

THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL TAKING A RIDE WITH RABBI MERRILL DIRECTOR & CREATOR OF CAMP AL HADERECH – THE WEST HEMPSTEAD JEWISH JOURNAL HAD THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH RABBI MERRILL ABOUT THE CAMP

West Hempstead Jewish Journal: Rabbi Merrill, Shalom Aleichem, your house smells delicious. Thank you so much for speaking with us today, how are you doing today? How are you feeling? Rabbi Merrill: Aleichem Shalom! Thank g-d, all is well. Thank you, for Schlepping all the way over here to do this interview! And you can thank The Rebbetzin for the good smell, she’s baking Hamentashen for the big day! WHJJ: Rabbi, the pleasure is ours. Oy! You are making us hungry. As a second thought–you do live pretty close to Wing Wan, and we’ve been craving that

crunchy Sesame Chicken for days. Literally, I wake up in a cold sweat some nights just yearning for that Wing Wan. So, us Schlepping here–it’s a win-win situation, you know? RM: Um. Ha… Yeah. I mean that’s a little strange, but everyone has their own– WHJJ: Rabbi, sorry had to cut you off there, but the Lunch Special is almost over. Let’s cut the small-talk out and get right onto it. Are you okay without any small-talk? RM: I didn’t. It was you who started the small ta– WHJJ: Rabbi, Rabbi, clock is ticking! Let’s get right to it. On a serious note, how long has Camp Al Haderech been around and why did you start it? RM: As a kid I never really enjoyed camp. I wanted something a little different than swim and sports. On the other hand, Malkie, my wife and codirector loved camp. We decided to open a camp that would combine the energy of camp that my wife loved as a kid with a change of pace each day that I wished I had as a kid. And so, Al Haderech was born in 2003 as a small travel camp for boys in Queens. With 12 boys we embarked on our first summer. Our goal has always been to make each day special and different.

At the same time, every day is still infused with Torah, davening, and Chessed. WHJJ: That’s amazing. Where is the Camp located now? RM: For years our boys’ program has been during the month of July in Queens (this summer in Jamaica Estates). Parents have asked to add a second session for those boys returning from sleepaway camp who wanted more than just day camp. We decided to give the parents what they wanted and open a second location. Located at 111 Irving Place, in the heart of Woodmere, we are centrally located in the Five Towns for the month of August. Our girls’ program is based in Queens the second half. WHJJ: What makes it different than other camps? RM: Most children feel trip day is the best day in camp. At Al Haderech every day is trip day. Our trips include arcades, rock climbing, bouncing, fishing, and Yankee Games. But, there’s so much more. We also have 2 amazing overnights. Even so, the campers still have sports and other activities in their day. Our feeling is that we can combine the best of sleepaway and day camp mixed in with trip day. Our campers love it and feel they get the best of everything. WHJJ: That sounds incredibly fun. What’s new for Summer 2019? RM: There are many campers who are looking for even more than just our travel camp. They want to be in sleepaway camp but find the weekend tough to be away from home (no one makes kugel like mom). Al Haderech Max for Girls is opening for summer 2019. The girls come from the 5T’s, Queens, and NJ and go on amazing action-packed overnights all week. They leave early Monday morning and return late Thursday night. WHJJ: Wow, where are they going? And, by the way, great call on the Kugel. RM: Western Pennsylvania, Niagara Falls, Virginia, and Southern Jersey. WHJJ: Give us a taste of what an overnight look like. RM: The first day of camp the girls will go on a short hike at Valley Forge to get to know each other. Right after that they will be going white water tubing. The day will end with a BBQ. Next day is an action-packed day of sightseeing in Pittsburgh. Third day we will be heading to Punxsutawney, weather capital of the world to see the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil. The last day will be spent at Dorney Park complete with July 4th fireworks. WHJJ: The Girls must be exhausted after all that? I would be...but that’s probably because of my Sesame Chicken addiction. Carbs these days... RM: Yes, they are, which is why they have Friday off to recover for the next adventure. WHJJ: Where do the children stay on the overnights? RM: On most trips they stay in hotels. It gives them a chance to rest up after a long day, in the comfort of a nice, clean hotel room. WHJJ: Who is with the girls each day at Al Haderech Max? RM: Max’s division head is Yonina Lermer (10-year veteran of Al Haderech) and beloved teacher at Yeshiva Har Torah. She makes every day special. WHJJ: Give us a moment last summer that really sticks out for you. RM: We ate dinner on the side of a mountain called 100 Mile View. From there you can see just mountains. The campers ate dinner in awe of Hashem’s amazing creations. We live in a world where we need so much stimulation and are always playing and using electronics and are bored if we don’t have it. The kids couldn’t get enough of just stopping and looking around at the amazing views. It took a while to get them to load the busses back to our hotel. WHJJ: Is this something the camp focuses on? RM: Yes, the goal is to find as many places as possible that the campers can enjoy the world around us and not be distracted by all the noise that fills our days. It’s a chance to disconnect and reconnect. WHJJ: Tell us what you do to get the kids revved up on the bus rides. RM: Great question. Bus rides are obviously a big part of our day. The counselors use the rides as a chance to schmooze with the campers or play games with them. On one of the overnights, we played DVD hockey. Instead of watching a movie on the bus, the DVD player has a screensaver mode where the word DVD bounces around the screen. The counselors created goals on the side of the screen and had an intense game of DVD hockey, the right side of the bus against the left. The right side claimed 19-18 victory. The head staff will also point out local attractions as we pass them. Storytime on the microphone is a popular past time as well. WHJJ: Wow, Rabbi really sounds like an amazing program; tell us, how can one register? RM: You can register through our website –AlHaderech.com – use coupon code PURIM19 until 3/24 to save $100 or call the Camp Office 718-7551299 for more information. WHJJ: Thank you so much Rabbi Merrill, any last words for the readers? RM: Thank you as well. I’d like to wish on behalf of myself, my wife and the entire Camp Al Haderech Family a Freilichen Purim to all!

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