FEB. 24 – MAR. 9, 2011
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A Publication of the South Florida Jewish Community / Distributed in Dade , Broward and palm Beach Counties
INTERNET REVOLUTION
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HERMON Experiencing one of the most beautiful places in Israel.
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME â– FEB. 24, 2011
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KOSHER CENTRAL
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
6 COMMUNITYHAPPENINGS
Claudio Stivelman Guest of Honor at Chai Lifeline Gala Chai Lifeline Southeast, the regional branch of the international children’s health support network, has announced that entrepreneur and business man Claudio Stivelman will be the Guest of Honor at its 18th Annual Gala, Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011, at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood. Mr. Stivelman is a successful real estate developer with interests across Latin America and the United States. In the past decade, he propelled his company, Shefaor, to success through real estate investments in
along the northern coast of Miami-Dade County and Thunder Alley, in the heart of Aventura. He currently serves as a member of executive committee of the Aventura Marketing Council. The 18th Annual Gala celebrates Chai Lifeline’s 18 years of helping seriously ill children and their families cope with the crises and daily challenges of serious pediatric illness. The not-for-profit organization offers a comprehensive network of programs and services for children with cancer and other
life-threatening illnesses or serious chronic conditions, their siblings, and parents. From the moment of diagnosis, Chai Lifeline’s professional staff and dedicated volunteers provide extensive emotional support; hot meals and transportation assistance to medical appointments; counseling; information and referrals; assistance with insurance-related questions and challenges; educational support that includes tutoring, loans of laptop computers and webcam connections between schools and hospitalized or homebound students; and recreational activities for children and families. The organization’s flagship programs are two overnight camps, Camp Simcha/ Camp Simcha Special, designed to meet the medical and social needs of very sick children and teens. These camps give 430 campers a vacation from disease and disability every summer. Corporate sponsorship for Chai Lifeline’s 18th Annual Gala ranges from $5,000 to $100,000, and includes a table for 10 with signage, and recognition in the program and commemorative journal. Individual reservations begin at $250. For more information or to make a donation to the Dinner campaign, visit www.chaigala.org or call Cyd at 305 956-9990.
Claudio Stivelman, Chai Lifeline Guest of Honor
>> Community COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS
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DR. CHARLES FRIEDMAN
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>> World News INTERNET REVOLUTION
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SFJH WORLD REPORT
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>> Israel ONE ISRAEL FUND - KIDA
32
>> Parenting MRS. HEBEL’S TOP TEN TIPS FOR DISCOURAGING LYING NO MORE HOMEWORK BATTLES
45 T39
>> Finance COPING WITH FINANCIAL DEPRESSION
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MAKING YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN DISABILITY PROOF
31
TOP TEN TAX TIPS FOR 2011
31
THE HOOPLA OVER FORM 1099
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>> Education HOW TO CHOOSE A SUMMER PROGRAM
29
TEENAGERS AND CELLPHONES: A LIFE THREATENING ADDICTION
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FROM THE EDITORS ‘Our Home – And Yours’
E
xcitement is in the air as we rapidly approach Purim. In the spirit of focusing on simcha we have tried to take the focus off the scary Arab revolution and concentrate on a different revolution going on in the world. Remember life without the internet? Although its history spans just over a decade, its creation has revolutionized our world. In Yehuda Bromberg’s second SFJH appearance you will be brought back to the internet’s humble beginnings and read about its limitless future. We have not completely taken our eyes off the Arab revolution – check out the world report for an update on what’s going on in the Middle East. Speaking of revolutions…Naftali Halpern breaks down the Wisconsin revolution and the political undertones behind it. On a solemn note, we pay tribute Dr. Charles Friedman, a renown figure on the national political scene, and a great friend of the State of Israel. As always, you will find extremely informative articles pertaining to parenting and education. We are appreciative of the tremendous feedback we’ve been receiving; hearing from many that our publication is being used as a guide to improving their home and family life. Enjoy all of our regular features highlighting health, lifestyles, homemaking and some great jokes, hard hitting politics and highlights from around the world. We hope you enjoy the latest issue of The South Florida Jewish Home. We are always looking for your commentsand suggestions; you can contact us anytime at editor@SFjewishhome.
>> Torah Portion RABBI YOCHANON ZWEIG
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The Editor
>> Homemaking SWEET SENSATIONS
February 24, 2011 37
>> Health & Fitness SLAKE YOUR THIRST THE RIGHT WEIGH
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KEEPING YOU ON YOUR TOES ABOUT REFLEXOLOGY
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>> Lifestyles IT’S TIME TO CHANGE
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MANAGING JUSTIN BIEBER
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WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT YOU & ME
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PARENTING - ADHD DIET AND YOUR CHILD
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>> Politics WELCOME TO WISCONSIN, EGYPT
>> Kosher Dining Guide
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editor@sfjewishhome.com ads@sfjewishhome.com The South Florida Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor.. The South Florida Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within.
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Danny Kay Shlomo Kay DESIGN & PRODUCTION
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Naftali Halpern Effie Sussman Rabbi Perry Tirschwell Jeffrey (Yitz) Stern Benji Stern Aliza Beer Jason Wasser Dr. Howard Chusid Avi Rosner Alan Veingrad Rabbi Yochanon Zweig Charles Mayerhoff
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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A Playful Purim with The Wizard of PersOz at Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center
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urim is one of the most playful Jewish holidays, known for distinctively shaped cookies, noisy groggers and eccentric costumes. With this in mind, Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, under the leadership of Chairman of the Board William Landa, President Laurence Herrup, Rabbi Jonathan Berkun, Cantor David Muchnick, and Executive Vice President, Dr. Amir Baron, will host the annual Purim Spiel on Sunday, March 20th at 4:00pm. Families and children of all ages are invited to attend in their favorite costumes. The Purim Spiel is a musical performance that is based on the plot of a Broadway play, but has a Purim-themed storyline. It will be performed by talented ATJC members and religious school students. Cantor David Muchnick, director of ATJC’s Religious School and Purim Spiel, recalls last year’s performance as “a huge success. It was based on the play Mama Mia, which was aptly renamed Megillah Mia. Everyone had a great time, and we were able to tell the story of Purim in a fun and original way.” This year’s Spiel, entitled The Wizard of PersOz was written by Rabbi Richard Agler and Cantor Stephanie Shore from Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton. It is based on a combination of The Wiz, Wicked, and Wizard of Oz and tells the story of Dorthesther, a Jewish girl who does not want to study for her bat mitzvah. When she unexpectedly winds up in PersOz, where Jewish people are persecuted by the evil witch, Haman, Dorthesther goes on a journey to see the Wizard of PersOz, King Ahashverosh. Her journey and the people she meets along the way make Dorthesther
realize the importance of her Judaism. After the performance there will be a traditional Megillah reading from 5:15pm – 6:15pm. The evening will culminate with hamantashen and refreshments. In addition to the Spiel, the Megillah of Esther will be read on Saturday, March 19 at 8:00pm and on Sunday, March 20th at 8:30am. All of these programs are free and opened to the community. For more information or to RSVP, please contact ATJC at 305-937-1880 or rsvp@atjc. org, or visit www.atjc.org. About ATJC: Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center is a vibrant and diverse conservative congregation in the heart of Aventura and home to Tauber Academy. This exciting multi-cultural and multi-generational community was recently recognized as one of the “top Ten Jewish Neighborhoods” in the United States. Under the spiritual guidance of Rabbi Jonathan Berkun and Cantor David Muchnick, ATJC provides a stimulating environment for long standing members as well as newcomers to the area. Encompassing spiritual, social, educational, and cultural programming for all ages, ATJC is the center for Jewish life in Aventura. Friday Night Live services (6:30pm) and Shabbat services (9:00am – 12:00pm) are free and community members are encouraged to attend.
Registration for the OU Israel Free Spirit (IFS) summer 2011 trips will open on Tuesday, February 15. Last summer, the Orthodox Union, in partnership with the Taglit-Birthright Israel Foundation, brought an OU record 22 buses of young adults, 18-26, to Israel from May through August for the Israel Free Spirit experience. And the trip is completely free. That record is about to be broken. To register, visit the IFS website at www.israelfreespirit.com.
Koming to South Florida Ayelet the Kosher Komic will be making her South Florida debut on Wednesday evening, March 2, 2011, at 8:00 at Cong. Shaaray Tefilah in North Miami Beach. Ayelet is the only strictly kosher professional stand-up comedienne, and has become world-famous as the Kosher Komic who only performs for women. Prior to becoming religious and moving to Israel, Ayelet was an up-and-coming Stand-Up Comic who performed at clubs such as The NY Comedy Club, The Improv and The Comedy Store. She divided her time between New York and Hollywood and appeared in numerous films, television shows, commercials, and music videos. Ayelet’s comedy sets bring simcha, joy and laughter to Jewish women everywhere with routines about airlines, kids, Jewish holidays, diets, and much more. Her humor is light and funny, and is bound by the rules of Jewish law, to assure that this is truly “good, clean fun” and in very good taste. Cong. Shaaray Tefilah is located at 971 NE 172nd Street in North Miami Beach. Tickets are available at the door. The show is for women only. For more information, email jenungar@gmail. com.
Melissa Galfond Director of Membership & Programming Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center 20400 NE 30th Avenue, Aventura, FL 33180 T: 305-937-1880 F: 305-792-6072 E: melissa@atjc.org, W: www.atjc.org
Taglit-Birthright Israel trips with Israel Free Spirit “In complete honesty, it was not only the trip of a lifetime, it was an inspirational trip that’s changed my life for the rest of my lifetime. More than just a trip: the OU Israel Free Spirit is a journey and an opportunity to fall in love… with Israel!” From Skylar Siminovsky, Coral Springs, FL, 22
World-Famous Kosher Komic
Building off of the excitement and camaraderie built on past trips, IFS launched a kick-off to summer registration with a contest for past and future IFS participants to create an original promotional video, with $2,500 in total cash prizes. Video submissions came from across the country, and online ballots can currently be cast to determine the winners. To vote for your favorite IFS promotional video, visit contest.israelfreespirit.com. As in past summers, for ten invigorating days, young men and women are whisked around Israel with hands-on opportunities to learn their Jewish heritage, eat cultural foods, hike nature’s beauty, carve out their own bonds within their Jewish homeland, and meet Israelis their own ages while bonding with new friends from all around the country – experiences that remain with them their entire lives. In his article on the OU website Shabbat Shalom, “Catching Israel’s Free Spirit; What’s the Catch?” Sky-
lar Siminovsky, wrote, “Just imagine walking in the same footsteps as Judah and the Maccabees; standing in front of the Kotel and leaving your own personnel message; being at the Kotel on Shabbat where it seems the whole world has stopped; floating in the Dead Sea; meeting Israeli soldiers; and camping out in the middle of the Negev Desert, the site where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob tended their herds. These are just a few of the many reasons Birthright and Israel Free Spirit are so amazing.” “Not everyone will return to Israel after their Birthright experience, but what everyone will return with is a profound love and pride for a country that represents our heritage, our religion, and our people.” Online sign-up lists are available to receive the most up-to-date pre-registration instructions for Summer 2011 and Winter/Spring 2011-12 Taglit-Birthright Israel trips with Israel Free Spirit. For more information, visit www.israelfreespirit.com.
COMMUNITYHAPPENINGS
Yeshiva Elementary School has Heart
am sure that you have all heard it before... You need to exercise! What is it about this statement that has the whole world chanting? Imagine... you are working out so hard that the sweat is streaming down your eyes making it impossible to see. Your legs are so heavy you can barely stand. Your last workout was full of abdominal crunches that now even breathing has become a chore. Why in the world would any sane person subject their body to this kind of torture? Have you ever heard of endorphins? Endorphins are neurotransmitters released by the brain that make us feel as if we are on a “high”. We don’t need addictive substances like nicotine, caffeine, or other drugs to give us the feeling of “complete bliss” that so many seek. G-d has blessed us with our own built in chemist -our brain. When we exercise, we release endorphins. Endorphins are the reason why exercise can bring us out of a bad mood, why giggling can become contagious, why a good run is better than chocolate, and why we go back to love even after our hearts have been broken. There it
Y
is my friends....the secret to why all of those sane people wake up at 5:15 to get in that 10 mile run. Exercise is actually addictive! Convinced yet? Are you ready to put on your sneakers and join Yeshiva Elementary School’s 3 on 3 basketball tournament? Not yet? Even with this new found knowledge of the powerful effects of exercise on mental health, you are still not ready to exercise? Imagine our job as role models to our children! We as adults have to persuade the young generation to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day as recommended by The American Academy of Pediatrics. According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, more than 10% of children and adolescents are considered too heavy for their age. Our concern is that the increase in childhood obesity invariably predicts a significant increase in adult obesity, leading to chronic disease outcomes, such as early diabetes and cardiovascular disease. One very disturbing statistic is that the heavier kids are getting even
heavier. We, at Yeshiva Elementary School, are very worried by the numbers that we see today and are even more worried about what those numbers may mean for the future. This profound lesson must be translated to the next generation. Yeshiva Elementary School is a private day school in Miami Beach, which currently has 500 students. Y.E.S. is dedicated to integrating Torah and health. They go hand in hand. With this in mind, Yeshiva Elementary School is very excited to join the American Heart Association in their quest to educate kids around the world about heart health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. However, heart disease is not a death sentence. Like everything else, the secret to a healthy heart is knowledge. As all of the students at Y.E.S. can tell you, our heart needs exercise, a heart healthy diet, and a good night’s sleep. Our teachers are incorporating heart lessons into their curriculum. Kids are sponges. You will be surprised at how much even a first grader can teach you.
Young Israel of Aventura Scholar in Residence Program featuring Rabbi Dr. Reuven Bulka
oung Israel of Aventura located on the second floor of the Shops at the Waterways is pleased to host an exciting and educational Scholar in Residence Program featuring Rabbi Dr. Reuven Bulka on the weekend of Shabbos Shekalim, Friday, March 4th,and Saturday, March 5th, 2011. As a national and international speaker, author of over 35 books, lecturer and pulpit Rabbi for over 40 years in Ottawa, Canada, Dr. Rabbi Reuven Bulka is welcomed by Young Israel of Aventura as their scholar in residence. Rabbi Bulka, who received his Phd in Psychology concentrating on logotherapy techniques of Viktor Frankl, is well known for his insightful, thought provoking, humorous and award winning books and lectures throughout Canada and the United States. His Jewish and secular activities include Chair of the publications committee of the Rabbinical Council of America,Editor of the Journal of Psychology & Judaism, radio and TV host, editor of the LogoTherapy Journal of America, past President of the Canadian Jewish Congress, as well as encounters with the Queen, the Dali Lama and heads of state. You won’t want to miss a Shabbos of learning, singing and delicious food for the soul, body and mind with Dr. Rabbi Bulka.
Friday nights talk is “Best Kept Secrets of Judaism” based on the speakers best selling book with Shabbos lunch featuring an entertaining and informative talk on “ Jewish Customs and Traditions - The Good, the Strange and the Superstitious “. Services will be held at the synagogue with all meals being served at the Gourmet Carrot Restaurant in the Waterways. Advance reservations are a must and can be made on line at www.youngisraelaventura.com Friday night dinner is $50 per person and Saturday lunch is $25 per person. Special pricing for children is available and there are vegetarian food options as well. For more information, please email the synagogue at yiaventurainfo@gmail.com or call Judith Lieber at (305) 965-5557 ( daytime ) and (305) 931-3241 ( evenings ) Deadline for reservations is March 1st, 2011.
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Yeshiva Elementary School challenges you to join us in our FIRST ANNUAL 3-ON-3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
“Hoops For Heart” Sunday, March 6th, 2011 Time: 11:30 - 2:30 PM
at Polo Park in Miami Beach 4301 N. Michigan Ave.
L L A B T E SK A B 3 N O 3team! TRICKY SHOT ALL AGES dream r u o y e t a e r 1) C te ase no am, ple ts are te r u o s rming y n d g ue When fo participants a m with Y.E.S. r ll o that a y conf nduct. d to full and co expecte rds of tznius d form standa attache
e plete th 2) Com (other side). pare and pre the , g n i c i pract home 3) Start team to take e to be th trophy!
•
M ystery Judges decide most innovative shot!
S T O H S T O H ace
th shot, s e plit the pot !
• •
r lf and/o e! e s r u o Join y Y.E.S. Rebb ra sponso
SPLIT T HALF C HE POT OURT SHOT Score
•
R t the agains ! clock
GREA T PRIZ ES! Dinner at Rare ! M ia m i Heat T ick Trophi ets! e s!
• •
ARE INVITED! Bounce House! Slide! Pizza! Arts & Crafts! “Kidokinetics”
for girls and preschool! • • •
Music! Prizes!
GREAT FUN AND EXCITEMENT FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!
Sportsmanship Pledge: We at Y.E.S. are proud of the exceptional Middos of our Talmidim. Remember - You are our children’s role model. Please exhibit conduct on the court worthy of a Y.E.S. participant!
(as of January 2011)
Building Upon a Strong Foundation
Middle School Building
$500,000 Beit Midrash $250,000 Atrium $100,000 Upper School Principal’s Office $100,000 Science Lab $50,000 Elevator $50,000 Faculty Lounge/ Dedicated $50,000 *Classrooms $36,000 Offices (3 available) $36,000 Tutoring Classrooms $36,000 Main Entrance Mezuzah $36,000 Aron (Beit Midrash)/ Dedicated $36,000 BRS West Entrance Mezuzah $25,000 Beit Midrash Stained Glass Windows (3 available) $25,000 Ner Tamid (Beit Midrash)/ Dedicated $12,500 Classroom/Other Outer Door Mezuzahs
*Many classrooms in new Middle School or main building available.
Outdoor Haar Athletic Fields
$100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $25,000 $25,000
Basketball Court Softball Field Soccer Field Scoreboards (3 available) Bleachers (6 available)
Other Naming Opportunities
$500,000 $500,000 $500,000 $3,600
Upper School Lower School Early Childhood Benches
Gymnasium Building
$1,000,000 Gymnasium $250,000 New Lower School Playground $100,000 Main Lobby $36,000 Main Entrance Mezuzah $50,000 Bleachers $36,000 Offices (2 available) $25,000 Scoreboards (2 available) $25,000 Boys Locker Room $25,000 Girls Locker Room/ Dedicated $18,000 Trophy Case $12,500 Classroom/Other Outer Door Mezuzahs
For more information on these dedication opportunities, call the Development Office at 561-470-5000.
13 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME â– FEB. 24, 2011
Hillel Day School of Boca Raton Capital Campaign Naming Opportunities
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
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WATER DAMAGE
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COMMUNITYHAPPENINGS
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Yeshivas Doresh of Miami There has long been a need for special attention online on YouTube. The bochorim have begun emuyeshiva opportunities and programs for young men. lating him and have also recently began giving classRabbi Salfer has said, “We can’t wait until a boy feels es and posting them online as well. This has begun like he has failed before we find him a yeshiva for his a way to reach many people who are seeking Torah, needs. There is a short window that we have to reach but need a unique format, while offering an opporhim. Successfully identifying his talents and needs tunity for the students to begin entering the role as a early on and challenging him appropriately, while teacher and to feel that they have what to contribute. giving him the opportunity to feel success in what he The yeshiva’s inception is an interesting story. likes, will give him what to continue building on for While Rabbi Salfer always had as a goal to open life.” Yeshivas Doresh has been successthe Yeshiva, the real push ful in creating a model that has reached came from the desire of so many boys and has given them the one 13-year-old student, necessary tools to succeed in life. Rabbi who felt that he needed a Rav Ephraim Shapiro, of Congragation Shaaray Tifilah of NMB Salfer has said that Yeshivas Doresh can yeshiva to be established with some of the students of Yeshivas Doresh be replicated elsewhere and, more imfor his needs. “Each day he portantly, many of the components that would ask me when I was are key to their success can be easily going to start it,” says Rabbi eshivas Doresh of Miami has begun accepting modified and integrated in what already Salfer. “Until finally one day applications for their seventh year, which is exists in many other schools and mesivhe asked what needed to be their fourth year in Florida since the dean, tas. “Certain techniques can immeasurdone to get it started and Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Salfer, moved with his family ably help many young men in schools, organized a meeting with a to Miami to start a charter school for children in the without changing much to the system,” group of interested parents Miami hospitals. With that, Yeshivas Doresh found Visiting residents in the Hampton Court says Rabbi Salfer. for me to meet with.” That Rehab Center a new home in Miami. Rabbi Salfer originally opened Yeshiyoung man has since insisted Yeshivas Doresh is for learning challenged high vas Doresh in Cleveland, after having learned in that Rabbi Salfer develop a post-high-school Yeshivas school aged young men, who have challenges with the Cleveland Telshe Kollel for fourteen years. He Doresh Jerusalem for the students, which is slated to kriah (reading), havanah (comprehension), or classreceived his rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Moropen this coming Fall in Jerusalem. room attention/concentration. The students come dechai Gifter, A”H, and Yb”L Rabbi Chaim Stein. How the Yeshiva came to Miami is also interfrom around the United States and Canada and live He also earned doctorates in education and clinical esting. Rabbi Salfer had repeatedly been invited by in Miami most of the school year. Rabbi Dr. Salfer psychology, with his research being specifically rethe previous rabbi of the Beit David Highland Lakes has developed various techniques to help them delated to yeshiva students and the MMPI-2 personalShul, Rabbi Moshe Rothchild, to move to Miami and velop skills so that they ity assessment. He served as a be an active part of the new BDHLS building that was are able to feel comfortco-director of the adolescent near completion. “How many out-of-town shuls can able davening, reading addiction and dependency boast of having a yeshiva in their midst and part of from the Torah (leincounseling program for the their community? It will be like a year-round SEED ing), writing, learning University Hospitals netprogram,” said Rabbi Rothchild. The BDHLS and Gemara, and also enwork in Ohio. He presently Highland Lakes community then opened up their joying it. The goal is serves as the executive direcdoors and hearts to the bochorim (boys) of Yeshidevelop a person who tor of the Tree of Knowledge vas Doresh, through inviting them to their homes will be able to and will Learning Centers in New for Shabbos meals, family simchas, providing furnienjoy learning also durJersey and Ohio (www.treeture for the dormitory (which a lakefront house in ing the rest of his life knowledge.org), which he the community), bicycles, sports equipment, even a and be an active comand his wife Nechama started paddleboat, dinners, etc. Some of the students of Yeshivas Doresh with the Paroches Ark munity person. As part thirteen years ago. Nechama This year Yeshivas Doresh added a vocational Cover they made. and parcel of this goal, runs their Cleveland-based program for the talmidim. Over the past few years, Yeshivas Doresh offers the charter school Virtual Schoolhouse and has a private as the students have matured, many of the parents students a full high school general studies curricupsycho-educational practice in Miami. have requested that the Yeshiva add vocational trainlum, as well as vocational training opportunities so While Rabbi Salfer has developed and directs a ing for their sons. There are very few yeshivas which that each young man feels prepared to take the next number of other educational programs in Ohio, New offer this kind of training. Rabbi Salfer’s mantra is step in his growth. Social skills training is integrated Jersey, and New York and he is a frequent flyer who that, “As there are needs of the students, the Yeshiva in the Yeshiva to groom each student to be equipped travels to speak and give guidance in education, somust seek to provide for those needs. One hallmark for his involvement in the community. For example, cial skills, parenting, teaching methods, etc., howof Yeshivas Doresh is that we seek to develop good the students are encouraged to welcome people and ever, Yeshivas Doresh is his first passion and prime community laymen who are Torah true, as well as introduce themselves properly. Training includes focus. His creativity and energy is supremely felt in prepared to support their families. Our responsibility responsibility for cleanliness, organization, speech, the Yeshiva and this is transmitted to his students. is also to give them the skills to earn a living.” handwriting, etc., in the Yeshiva, dormitory and evThe Yeshiva has been videotaping many of Rabbi SalUntil this year, the Yeshiva has offered some exerywhere in the public eye. fer’s Torah classes and they have been posting them tracurricular skills training each evening. After the
Y
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
One of A Kind Yeshiva! Nothing Like It!
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
16 COMMUNITYHAPPENINGS YESHIVAS DORESH continued
Evening Learning Program in the Yeshiva, there are members of the local community and BDHLS, who donate an evening each week towards training the students in photography, computers, first aid, swimming, cooking classes, etc., which acts as a mini vocational training program. This year, Yeshivas Doresh has undertaken a more extensive training program. The older students, who have been in the Yeshiva for some time, have been offered the opportunity of training and experience in one of a variety of fields. Some of the young men are being trained by a local kosher upscale caterer, Executive Caterers, in the skills of culinary arts, food preparation, and management. Others are taking a course towards a real estate license and have been taken under the wing of Sapoznik Insurance, who is having them be involved in some property management and maintenance. The training includes both the learning, as well as the applied experience. Other students are learning Quickbooks. An integral part of this program is the occupational interest assessment. Each student is assessed as to what field would best suit his personality and interest. The Yeshiva trains the students to be able to lead the davening services, read from the Torah, be the Gabbai, etc., whatever is needed to be an active community person. They ran their own minyan in BDHLS for Rosh Hashana with the boys leading as much of the minyan as possible. Yoel Muken from Cleveland, was trained by Rabbi Salfer to blow the Shofar and almost never had to repeat any of the blasts. He said, “I remember when I first came to the Yeshiva five years ago and we went on a trip to Lakewood during that first Elul semester. Rabbi Salfer had taught us how to blow shofar and when we davened in the Satmer Shteiblach, I blew the shofar after our minyan. Every one of the forty or more people in that minyan needed me that day. I will never forget that day.”
At the Wings Over Homestead 2010 Airshow
The Yeshiva has a warm and caring staff, who are highly experienced and involved all aspects of the schedule. The dorm and material needs are supervised by Rabbi and Rebbitzin Abrams, of the BDHLS, who have been in education for close to forty years, and have many roles in the Yeshiva as teachers and role models to the students. This year, Rabbi Yossi Slepoy joined as a rebbe/teacher and brings excitement to the classroom every day. Dov Shulhof focuses on teaching the boys how to daven and read clearly. The Yeshiva also provides speech and occupational therapy. A local golf pro, Mark Waggenberg, teaches the boys to concentrate and focus using golf as a therapy. This year, after three years of offering incredible monthly cooking classes to the Yeshiva, Diana Bursztyn and her husband Natan are being honored at the Yeshivas Doresh Lag B’Omer Annual Dinner (www. doreshevent.org). The Bursztyn’s met the students and connected immediately and have since enjoyed a warm friendship. When Diana’s parents, Hanoj and Myrna Perez, are in Miami they never miss the opportunity to join Diana’s class with the boys. After close to six successful years, Yeshivas Doresh of Miami is looking to expand in other lo-
cations. Next year, the Yeshiva is planning a post high-school Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. The Yeshiva is looking to develop other sites in additional strategic locations in the United States, as well as opportunities to train other middle schools and mesivtas in developing a Yeshivas Doresh style program to benefit their students. As part of this goal, Yeshivas Doresh is seeking a Director of Development/Fundraiser to help coordinate these expansions. The Yeshiva has received numerous student applications from around the United States for their upcoming 7th year and has thus recognized the need for these developments. The Yeshivas Doresh Jerusalem program will remain true to the goals of Yeshivas Doresh and will have the regular schedule of the Yeshiva, but will also include touring trips, vocational skills training opportunities, and will offer college credits. The Chumash and Navi learning program will concentrate from a hands-on approach with weekly guided tours to bring the learning of T’Nach alive. Gemara learning will include visiting the many kevarim of the rabbis of the Talmud whose teachings they study. Visits to various Gedolim, Rebbes, tishin, etc. will make each student’s Torah, tefilla, and Yiraas Shomayim more relevant to today. The Israel year experience will seek to have him experience the holiness and feel why every great leader has sought to return. The ultimate goal is to help each student to feel the connection to his past and his future. The Yeshiva has videos and articles on their website (www.doresh.org) and on YouTube, as well interviews with parents, which give a warm understanding of the uniqueness of the Yeshiva. For more information, Rabbi Salfer can be reached at 216-233-0065 or rabbisalfer@gmail.com.
to our campus,” says Upper Boca Raton – If you have HILLEL DAY SCHOOL OF BOCA RATON SEEKS School Principal Rabbi Adam visited Hillel Day School’s campus, located in west CAPITAL CAMPAIGN SUPPORT THROUGHOUT SOUTH FLORIDA Englander. “Students will finally have a permanent facilBoca Raton, you surely noNEW MIDDLE SCHOOL TO OPEN THIS SPRING ity which to call home and it ticed all of the construction will also increase the number going on. Phase II of the of students we can accept into our middle school,” he Capital Campaign, a new Middle School building, explained. is currently underway as the school embarks on a Phase I, a 17,000 square-foot gymnasium, was campaign effort embracing all of southeast Florida. completed in 2009. The school’s sports team, the Hil“With students coming from as far south as Hollylel Lions, now has its own home turf for volleyball and wood and north from Palm Beach, we are extending basketball games. The venue also houses vacation our Capital Campaign beyond Boca Raton and invite camp programs. the broader community to embrace our mission,” Hillel Day School of Boca Raton is a modern Orsaid Daniel J. Katz, Board President. thodox Zionist day school, educating children from The 26,000 square-foot, 2-story structure will be age 2 through 8th grade. Daniel Katz, Board President, home to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, who are currently the school’s Loewenstern Cafetorium. Middle school housed in temporary modular classrooms. The buildis available directly at 414-350-7071 to discuss namstudents will soon have a state-of-the art educational ing will also include a 200 seat Beit Midrash, also the ing opportunities for either the gymnasium or middle facility which will include a science lab, Apple/Mac future home of Boca Raton Synagogue West, which school and will be happy to provide a personal campus computer lab, student lounge, and 14 classrooms. currently worships out of the Beit Midrash located in tour. Dedicables range from $12,500 to $2 million. “We are very excited about this long-awaited addition
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Ayelet the Kosher Komic
HILARIOUS! HYSTERICAL! Stand-up comedy about Jewish life!
Ayelet NeWman from Eretz Yisroel Wednesday W ednesday ay Evening, Evening, 27 27 Adar Adar I, I, 5771 5771
.BSDI t Q N .BSDI t Q N Q N Q at ShaarAY Tefilah, 971 NE 172nd Street, North Miami Beach
Performance to benef it
Mikveh Jovita Cojab of North Miami Beach
Admission: $18 Sponsor: $50 Patron: $100 High School Students: $10
For information and sponsorships, email: jenungar@gmail.com
For Women Only
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME â&#x2013; FEB. 24, 2011
Presenting for the f irst time in Miamiâ&#x20AC;Ś
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
18 COMMUNITYHAPPENINGS
Brauser Maimonides Academy Holds Its 3rd Annual Race for Education
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hat do you get when you mix almost 400 energetic students, nearly as many enthusiastic relatives cheering them on from around the country and at school, and a school that is committed to providing a top secular and Judaic education? The Brauser Maimonides Academy (BMA) Race for Education! Having asked parents, relatives, and friends to sponsor them for participating in the Race for Education, the students took to the fields last week to help raise money for their school. Organized by the BMA PTA, the children were joined by their parents and teachers for a fun-filled morning of races and fitness. The Early Childhood students ran relays around cones and under mini tents, while the older students were challenged by short sprints and laps around the soccer field. School spirit was at a high and exemplary middot were demonstrated as the students cheered each other on, rooting for their friends and siblings. Scheduled to coincide with Health and Safety Month, the children have been learning about the importance of physical activity and taking good care of themselves. The proceeds from the Race for Education are being used by the BMA PTA to improve recess and gym facilities and equipment, sponsor an Internet safety
seminar for parents and Middle School students, and upgrade playground and computer equipment in Early Childhood. BMA, a Modern Orthodox day school located in Hollywood, educates children 18 -months through
8th grade. They are committed to academic excellence, religious commitment, and character develop-
ment while maintaining a warm and nurturing environment. They were the recipients of the prestigious Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education last year, one of only 50 private schools in the nation, and one of only two Jewish day schools. As with many private schools, they require the financial assistance of their families and generous supporters to continue to provide the highest level of academics, enhance education through the use of technology, and offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities to their students. Rabbi Avram Skurowitz, Ed.D, Head of School, stated, “I want to thank our wonderful PTA President, Jillian Galitzer, and her co-Chair on this project, Debra Naider, for doing such a great job – the entire event was so well-organized, the students, faculty, and parents had such a great time (and got a lot of exercise) and they raised over $12,000 for the school.” If a journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step, then on February 17th the students of Brauser Maimonides Academy circumnavigated the globe 18 times! For more information about Brauser Maimonides Academy, contact Risa Kahane, Director of Communications and Admissions, at (954) 989-6886 or RKahane@Brauser.us.
Dinner to Celebrate Opening of South Broward Friendship Circle 10 year old child prodigy, Ethan Bortnick, will receive the “Child of the Decade Award” at the 30th Annual Dinner, of Chabad of South Broward, which will take place Sunday, March 27, at Chabad of South Broward Headquarters, 1295 E Hallandale Bch Blvd. Ethan has been featured on Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey, the Disney channel, all the major networks, a PBS Special, and is currently on a huge North American Tour, including two upcoming shows Saturday night March 5th and Sunday March 6th, at the Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center. Ethan is a world renowned pianist, composer,and songwriter, who’s talents include a natural charm and a commanding stage presence. Ethan dedicates a lot of time and energy to raise funds for charity, which is an inspiration to children all over the world. The Dinner will celebrate the opening of The South Broward Friendship Circle, a program with 79 branches worldwide, that caters to children with special needs, who are teamed up with local teenagers. These teenagers serve as volunteers and friends of these children with special needs. Cocktails begin at 5 PM, Dinner at 6 PM. Recently inducted Baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, a hero on and off the field, will receive the” Humanitarian of the Year” Award. Mr Dawson was the only player to be elected to to the Hall of Fame in 2010. Dawson’s skills in America’s favorite pastime is legendary, including his being one of only three players, along with the one and only Willie Mays and Barry Bonds, belonging to the 400/300 Club, by hitting over
Ethan Bortnick
Andre Dawson
400 Home runs and stealing over 300 bases. Dawson also holds the distinction of being the only player in the history of baseball, to be intentionally walked five times in one day. Mr Dawson’s accomplishments off the field is what makes him a true hero in today’s era of “troubled sports stars”. He has recently returned with a number of Marlins players and personnel, from a visit to uplift the spirits of US troops stationed in Germany and Asia. Also being honored is Mrs Suzanne Friedman, as “Parent of the Year”, who is very active with the Hallandale Hebrew Club and Bat Mitzvah Club, and Rebbitzen Endi Tennenhaus, who will receive the “Eishes Chayil - Woman of Valor” Award. Mrs Tennenhaus has created the very successful Chai Tots
Preschool, and is working with Chabad’s leadership, communal lay leaders, and parents of the Preschool, to expand the school. The school has seventy boys and girls, with over 100 children waiting to get in who are currently on the Preschools’ waiting list! Mrs Tennenhaus also serves as the co-director of Chabad of Northeast Hollywood and Dania, the Rebbitzen of the Shul of the Lakes, and the co-director of Camp Gan Israel of South Broward. The Annual Chabad Dinner is short on speeches, ends at 9 PM, and is filled with entertainment. Couvert per person is $180. There will also be an Ad Journal, in which you can honor one of the honorees, Chabad’s Rabbis and Rebbitzens, lay leaders in the community, and the Dinner Chairmen. Chabad’s 30th Annual Dinner is being co- chaired by Broward County Jewish Federation Vice President, Bernie Friedman, two time past Broward Jewish Federation President Dr Barry Alter, and Steve Kerzer. Honorary Dinner Chairmen are Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti and the Greater Ft Lauderdale President and Director of Tourism Nicki Grossman. Chabad of South Broward, leaders in Jewish education, social services and outreach in South Florida for over 30 years. To receive a Dinner Invitation, and /or a Dinner Journal ad blank, please contact ltchabad@gmail.com. You may also call 954-458-1877 to reserve for the Dinner. To find out more about Chabad of South Broward, please log on to Chabadsouthbroward.com.
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COMMUNITYHAPPENINGS
Amendment to FAA bill would prevent expansion of commerce with state sponsors of terrorism Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio announced today that he has introduced an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) re-authorization bill that would prevent the expansion of commerce through direct flights with state sponsors of terrorism. The amendment is co-sponsored by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and marks Sen. Rubio’s first filed amendment. “Increasing direct commercial or charter aircraft flights with state sponsors of terrorism is totally irresponsible and would amount to unilateral gifts to tyrants and regimes that actively undermine America’s security,” said Rubio. “There is no reason for the United States to help enrich state sponsors of terrorism, especially at a time when free trade agreements with our close allies in Colombia, Panama and South Korea are lingering. “Instead of doing business with regimes that undermine America’s security and routinely violate the basic norms of human dignity, we should be bolstering our democratic allies through deeper economic ties. I hope my colleagues will join
me in supporting this his effort to ensure that U.S. policy cy does not expose our nation too new security risks and increased reased security costs, while alienating our most trusted allies.” ies.” This week, the Senate is resuming consideration ation of S. 223, the FAA bill. Currently, the U.S. State Department partment has designated four countries ntries as state sponsors of terrorism: orism: Cuba, Iran, Sudan an and Syria.
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
Senator Rubio Introduces Amendment Targeting State Sponsors of Terrorism
Hebrew Academy Womens Varsity Basketball Team Wins Annual Basketball Event
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responded with a tying layup, which was followed by a Gordon he Hebrew Academy Varsity Lady Warriors completed • 9th Place Game - Yeshiva Atlanta (9th) lay-in and foul, and she converted the foul shot to push the lead an undefeated (5-0) championship run at the 6th Annual 35 vs. Kohelet Yeshiva (10th) 21 to 37-34. A Shoshie Mond foul shot gave H.A. a 38-34 lead Captain Hyman P. Galbut Rabbi Alexander S. Gross • 7th Place Game -Columbus Torah Academy that immediately vanished when North Shore connected on a Hebrew Academy Girls’ Basketball Shabbaton (Sabbath (7th) 48 vs. Yeshiva Atlanta (8th) 33 3-pointer to trim the lead to 38-37. gathering), mounting a furious fourth quarter comeback to • 5th Place Game -YULA (5th) 47 vs. Ulpanot Orot (6th) 28 After a Hebrew Academy turnover gave North Shore a defeat North Shore Hebrew Academy from New York, NY, • 3rd Place Game - SAR (3rd) 36 vs. Ma’ayanot breakaway layup attempt, Gordon rushed back on defense to 44-37, at Scott Rakow Youth Center Gym aon Saturday night (4th) 34 block the shot, and pushed the ball coast-to-coast for a layup February 12, 2011. The Lady Warriors were led by sophomore • Championship Game – RASG Hebrew Academy (1st) 44 and a 40-37 lead. On its next offensive possession, North Shore and tournament MVP Bari Gordon, who finished with a gamevs. North Shore Hebrew Academy (2nd) 37 missed a game-tying 3-point attempt, and Weiss hit 4 foul shots high 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks, and freshman Andrea Another exciting development for the Hebrew Academy in the final 30 seconds to seal the game and bring the Shabbaton Weiss, who scored of 11 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter, Athletic Department is the recent announcement of the building Championship home to Hebrew Academy for the first time. By including two 3-pointers, to help spark the Hebrew Academy of a gymnasium on its school campus. The Hebrew Academy comeback. Miriam and Shoshie Mond added currently rents space off-site to host Home games, such as 8 and 6 rebounds for the Lady Warriors, the Annual Captain Hyman P. Galbut Rabbi Alexander S. respectively, as Hebrew Academy dominated Gross Hebrew Academy Girls’ Basketball Sahbbaton. The the boards and maintained a strong advantage building of a gym will allow the school to save money in the paint, especially in the second half. by not incurring rental fees for each home game and will In front of a raucous, standing-room only earn money though ticket sales and rental of the facility crowd, the game began as a physical contest, to outside organizations. With a ground breaking set for with a foul-filled first quarter ending in an 11 this summer Hebrew Academy students, faculty and parpoint tie. North Shore pushed the tempo in ent body eagerly anticipate a renewed sense of school the second quarter, and increased its pressure spirit and program expansion. The construction of a gym defense, holding Hebrew Academy to 5 secis being made possible through the generosity of several ond quarter points, as North Shore took a 24wonderful donors and the remaining balance will need to 16 lead into halftime. The Warriors responded be financed if further donations are unavailable. Hebrew out of halftime with energy, going on an 9-0 Academy Women’s Varsity Basketball Coach and Developscoring run to begin the second half, and take ment Director, Robyn Malek, shares, “I am so inspired by standing from left to right: Coach Robyn Malek, Rachel Kahn, Bailey Frohlich, Shoshana Mond, a 25-24 advantage. However, North Shore the donors that have stepped forward to fulfill a longtime Miriam Mond, Hessie Friedland, Andrea Weiss, Amy Weiss, Penina Cohen, Hailey Dobin and went on a scoring run of its own, scoring the dream of the Hebrew Academy. It is a privilege to be surAssistant Coach Daiana Leimdorfer, Kneeling from left to right: Bari Gordon and Becca Masin final 8 points of the quarter to take a 32-25 rounded by people that believe in the vision and sustainlead into the final quarter. ability of the school.” Miss Malek believes, “By having a winning the season-opening Jewish Day School of South Florida Facing the pressure of a fourth quarter deficit in their final gym on campus, we are securing the stability of the school today Preseason Basketball Classic and the season-ending Captain Hygame of the season, the Lady Warriors responded by playing its and generating new energy for the future and even, G-d willing, man P. Galbut Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy Girls’ best basketball of the season, as Weiss was fouled while hitting my own children one day.” Basketball Shabbaton, the Lady Warriors won two significant a 3-pointer, making the foul shot to complete a 4-point play If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities contact titles during an outstanding season. and cutting the lead to 32-29 with 6 minutes remaining. Afrmalek@rasg.org. ter Gordon connected on two foul shots to cut the deficit to 1, 6th Annual Captain Hyman P. Galbut Rabbi Alexander S. Weiss stepped up and drilled another 3-pointer, giving H.A. its Gross Hebrew Academy Girls’ Basketball Shabbaton standings: first lead since the opening half at 34-32. North Shore quickly
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Rides and Racquets! Two Events = One Purpose at the Michael-Ann Russell JCC
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he 9th Annual Verbena Purim Carnival and the 17th Annual Tennis Fest Pro-Am will both take place at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center located on the Sanford L. Ziff Campus, 18900 NE 25th Avenue, North Miami Beach, on Sunday, March 20, 2011. Hebraica’s 9th Annual Verbena Purim Carnival will arrive in Festive Fashion on Sunday, March 20, from 11am-6pm, thanks to Title Sponsor, Southeastern Recycling Corporation, and a new generation of lay-leaders who are putting a new spin on the revolving rides, groovy games, and fantastic fare. “Although the story of Purim is the same, the festivities surrounding it will be different as brought to you by a new group of people who are very excited to be part of the fun,” mentioned Sylvia Assor, long-time volunteer of the Verbena Purim Carnival. Old favorites like the giant Ferris wheel, rock-climbing wall, and kids costume contest will be combined with new, innovative and fresh ideas to be presented on the day of the event. A special Israeli dance performance by the JCC’s Bamachol Dance Academy will highlight the day’s entertainment as well. Additionally, there will be a “Teen Night” on Saturday, March 19 from 8pmmidnight, with special rides, arcade games, and en-
tertainment for teens ages 13-18 only. Admission to the carnival on Sunday is free-of-charge. Wristbands for unlimited rides will be available for $30 per person at the door. Food and beverage tickets will also be available for purchase. Taking place this same weekend is the 17th Annual Tennis Fest that will begin on Saturday evening, March 19, at 8pm at Hollywood Vine, in Hollywood, FL, with a wine tasting party that includes great food, exclusive auction items, and a raffle. To participate in the Pro-Am Tournament on Sunday, March 20, there is a $650 fee, however, players may purchase raffle tickets the night of the party, subsequently entering their name into a drawing. The more tickets they purchase, the more times their name is entered into the drawing, enabling them to choose from a lineup tennis professionals such as Maurice Ruah, Oliver Salous, Jeff Mager, Chris Kwon, Anthony Emerson, Michael Ray, and many others! “Once again this year, the caliber of players we have assembled is as high as that of an ATP Tournament,” mentioned Nancy Carroll, Assistant Director of Health, Sports and Wellness at the MAR-JCC. “We are excited about combining a sporting event with a traditional Jewish holiday event, as we believe it will draw a larger, and more
OU’s Rabbi Steven Weil To Be Palm Beach Synagogue Scholar-In-Residence, March 4-5; Continuation Of “Florida Community Weekend” The Orthodox Union’s Rabbi Steven Weil will be scholar-in-residence at Palm Beach Synagogue for Shabbat March 4-5, Parshat Pekudei, Shabbat Shekalim. The OU-member synagogue is located at 120 North County Road. Rabbi Weil will speak during Shabbat morning services on “Mirrors.” Following kiddish, he will lead a presentation on “Esther the Pyschologist: How a Young Jewish Woman Brought Down The Two Most Powerful Men on Earth.” In the afternoon, he will discuss “An Anatomy of the World’s Greatest Character Assassination.” Rabbi Moshe Scheiner, rav of the Palm Beach Synagogue, declared, “We are looking forward to a wonderful Shabbat with Rabbi Weil. In today’s turbulent and transformative world, we eagerly await the guidance and inspiration that only one in a position of leadership such as Rabbi Weil can provide.” The visit is a continuation of the “South Florida Community Weekend” held last month, during which a group of the OU’s highest-level representatives served as scholars-inresidence at the local synagogues to strengthen the already strong ties between the Orthodox community and the OU.
For further information, call 561-8389002.
diverse crowd – after all, our goal is to generate funds for the MAR-JCC Scholarship Fund to enable more families to participate in all that the JCC has to offer,” Nancy added. Proceeds from these two events, which are both open to the public, will benefit the MAR-JCC Scholarship Fund. This fund enables under privileged children and families to take advantage of the afterschool programs, summer camp, and Infant Daycare & Pre-school at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center.“ For more information about the Verbena Purim Carnival, call Diani Azout at 305-9324200 x119. For information about the Tennis Fest, call Nancy Carroll at 305-932-4200 x166. About the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center - The Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center/Sanford L. Ziff Campus is dedicated to the enrichment of Jewish life and fosters the spiritual, emotional, and physical development of its individual members through all of life’s stages and circumstances. The MAR-JCC represents a model of acceptance, understanding and diversity. As such, people look at the MAR-JCC as a center of excellence that epitomizes how shared Jewish values support a vibrant and evolving constituency. The MAR-JCC is a beneficiary agency of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the United Way of Miami-Dade County, and a member of the Jewish Community Center Association of North America.
Annual Golf Tournament Tee’s Up to Raise Money for Jewish Education Boca Raton - Hillel Day School of Boca Raton is gearing up for their Annual Golf Tournament to be held at Stonebridge Golf & Country Club in Boca Raton, on Monday, March 28. All proceeds benefit Jewish education through scholarship aid funding. “Hillel Day School currently provides over $1.5 million in scholarship aid to over 35% of its 456 students,” says Rabbi Samuel J. Levine, Head of School. “The tournament is a great way to bring the community together for a day of fun and camaraderie while raising needed funds for those unable to afford a Jewish education,” Rabbi Levine explained. The day includes lunch, golf on Stonebridge’s Karl Litten championship course, giveaways, cocktails and dinner, as well as a raffle. The cost to attend is $360, or $1000 for a foursome. Sponsorships are also available.
Contact Suzanne Rice, Director of Development, at 561470-5000 or e-mail suzanner@hilleldayschool.org.
THE
21 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
INTERNET REVOLUTION
by Yehuda Bromberg
“We typed a ‘G’ and the system crashed! Yet a revolution had begun…”
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ince the Internet’s humble beginnings before 1969, the world wide Web has evolved beyond recognition. When the Internet was first brought online in 1969, the prototype consisted of four computer systems connecting through four major universities. (UCLA, University of Utah, UCSB and the Stanford Research Institute). This primitive Internet system was know as ARPNET and the basic theory behind it provides the backbone for the Web as we know it today. On October 29, 1969, a historic exchange took place between UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute when the two universities attempted an online login from hundreds of miles away. Gregory Gromov (author of “Roads and Crossroads of Internet History”) records for us the details of the account in the words of someone present on that fateful day: “We set up a telephone connection between us and the guys at SRI. We typed the letter L and we asked on the phone, “Do you see the L?” “Yes, we can see the L” “We typed the O, and we asked, Do you see the O?” “Yes, we see the O.” “Then we typed the G and the system crashed! Yet a revolution had begun…” Although the attempted login was not completely successful, the event led to the growth of the online community as many more universities, government organizations and libraries joined the network to total a whopping 213 user hosts. At this early stage, the Web was far from being a user-friendly system. Some say the Internet was originally founded by the idealistic hopefuls in the military and scientific community who wanted the Web to be a system that would allow information to be shared without using an actual physical link, thus providing The first Internet Computer
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
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the United States with a working communications network in the event of a nuclear war. Looking back on the baby steps toward a brighter future in 1969, one may wonder if the brilliant visionaries of the Internet even knew just how far their aspirations would take the fledgling project. Who was the man who created the Internet? INTERNET continued
contributed to the cause from its inception through the 1980’s and beyond. A major contributor was Mr. J.C.R. Licklider who played a crucial role in the call for a global network. In Licklider’s paper, Man-Computer Symbiosis, he detailed his goal for the Internet’s development as follows: “A network of such [computers], connected to
WHO WERE THE REAL FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE WEB? “During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.” So said Al Gore in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. The comment caused quite a stir during his campaigning, because Mr. Al Gore was not in Congress in 1969 when ARPANET appeared nor was he in office when the term Internet came into use. In an article addressing the issue of Al Gore’s self-proclaimed invention, Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf write: “No one person or even small group of persons exclusively “invented” the Internet. It is the result of many years of ongoing collaboration among people in government and the university community. [But] we don’t think, as some people have argued that Gore intended to claim he “invented” the Internet… No other elected official to our knowledge has made a greater contribution over a longer period of time.” Kahn and Cerf go on to detail Gore’s many contributions to the Internet’s growth, but what remains clear is that did not found the Internet. As Kahn and Cerf say, there really isn’t one person to hail as the founder, but many driven individuals
Internet today. In 1971, Ray Tomlinson developed email and was the man who decided that the @ symbol would separate the user name from the computer name. Then there was the Project of Gutenberg, a public domain that offered books and documents for free. The project, begun by Michael Hart, eventually led to the birth of the eBook. A few years down the line brought about the first bulletin board system, BBS. Fast forward but a tiny bit and we discover the first spam (unsolicited commercial email message) ever sent. The spam was sent to over 600 people! For all those game-lovers reading this, I will add that in 1979,the precursor to World of Warcraft, one of the earliest multiplayer games ever, was developed. Finally, in 1998, a new player entered the scene and immediately revolutionized the world wide web in a way unprecedented: Google’s search bar!
THE “GOOGLE GUYS”
Larry Page and Sergey Brin
one another by wide-band communication lines [which provided] the functions of present-day libraries together with anticipated advances in information storage and retrieval and [other] symbiotic functions.” Licklider set in motion the basic groundwork for the functioning Web and by 1967, Lawrence Roberts had proved Licklider’s theory of wide area networking with the success of package switching. Leonard Kleinrock of MIT created the mathematical theory behind Packet-switching, the ability to connect separate networks to form a singular network. Kleinrock’s ideas form the basis of the
It definitely was not love at first sight, but when Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two ambitious grad students, ended up in the same Stanford University computer science department, history was in the making. They bickered constantly, two great minds battling out their intellectual theories, but at the end of the day the pair settled to create one of the biggest corporations of today. The duo made an agreement to work together at Google until 2024. Google’s official statement has been “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” With over one million servers in data centers worldwide, Google’s growth has been nothing short of amazing. The Google search processes more than one billion search requests and no less than twenty four petabytes of user-generated data daily. According to Alexa, Google is the number one visited website! Google ingeniously indexes billions of web pages so that people can access the exact information they are searching for without hassle. The company now offers a variety of “extras” like the Gmail email software, Google Talk instant message service, Google Buzz and many other applications. In recognition of Google’s smashing success, market research published by comScore hailed the company as America’s most dominant search engine. As Google dominates the webpage of millions of users worldwide, the massive company created by the endearingly dubbed “Google Guys” (Larry Page and Sergey Brin) has managed to turn the giant head of the another key player of the computing world: Microsoft. continued on page 25
A. — A New Point of View The tenets of Avos were given at Sinai and transmitted from generation to generation. Therefore, the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah were not the architects of the three teachings of our Mishna; rather, they were emphasizing them and reminding the people of their importance. Nearly five hundred years elapsed between when Moshe received the Torah at Sinai and the era of the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah. During that period, we don’t find the leaders emphasizing any particular character traits or behaviors. Why did the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah begin this new tradition of stressing the value of specific modes of conduct? If Moshe, Yehoshua, the Elders, and the Prophets saw no purpose for this, why did they? The era preceding the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah is described in our Mishna as the time period of the prophets. This would imply that the cessation of prophecy occurred before the formation of the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah. However, a number of its members were prophets, as the Talmud (Megillah 17b) speaks of “one hundred and twenty sages, including several prophets” (Ezra,Chagai, Zechariah, Malachi, and Mordechai all served on the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah.) The Rambam refers to the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah as Ezra and his court. Why is the period of the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah considered to be a new stage in the transmission of the Torah if at its helm were prophets? The Talmud (Yoma 69b) relates a fascinating narrative regarding the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah:“Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, ‘Why were they called “Men of the Great Assembly”? Because they restored G-d’s crown to its old place. Moshe came and said “G-d,
the Great, the Powerful, and the Awesome” (Deuteronomy 10). Yirmiyahu came and said, “Gentiles are dancing around in His Temple; where are His awesome doings? He did not say, “The Awesome.” Daniel came and said, “Gentiles have forced His sons into slavery; where is His Power?” He did not say, “The powerful.” They (the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah) came along and said, “The opposite is true. This (Gentiles in His Temple) itself shows His power — that He controls His inclination and deals with the wicked with delayed anger. And this (Yisrael’s servitude in Babylonian exile) shows His awe-inducing capability — were it not for His awe, could any single nation survive among the nations of the world?” They therefore restored “the Powerful” and “the Awesome” (Nehemia 9). In fact, this phrase is recited daily in the Amidah portion of the prayers, which was instituted by the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah. The Talmud is telling us that the event that defines the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah more than anything was their reinstitution of the phrase “G-d, the Great, the Powerful, and the Awesome.” How is it possible that Yirmiyahu and Daniel saw fit to remove these appellations, sensing a lowered level of these attributes, and yet the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah recognized a greater presence of G-d’s power and awesomeness and reinserted them? Did they consider themselves more insightful than Yirmiyahu and Daniel, both outstanding leaders?
B. Intellectual vs. Emotional In truth, both viewpoints are correct. King David tells us in Tehillim G-d criticizes the one He loves. Despite outward appearances, G-d’s punishments
Rabbi Yochanon Zweig
are acts of love. All sincere criticism is given for the benefit of the recipient, yet is usually received with antagonism and resentment. There is a great difference between feeling someone’s love emotionally and perceiving it intellectually. Often, in a marriage, a spouse will complain of feeling unloved despite the fact that the other spouse’s actions belie caring and devotion. While intellectually, such people are cognizant of their spouse’s feelings towards them, they lack an emotional understanding and are therefore not sensitive to those feelings. A person who is criticized feels hurt and unloved even though he can intellectually perceive that the source of the criticism is a deep love. Coming from an emotional perspective, G-d’s allowing gentiles to roam through the Temple and sending His children into slavery creates the feeling that He is no longer dealing with us as our powerful and awesome G-d. However, on an intellectual level, we can easily understand that these things are really an expression of His power and awesome capabilities. Yirmiyahu and Daniel removed “hagibor” and ”hanorah” from the Amidah because the palpable atmosphere of power and awe that had existed until then had diminished. The Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah put them back in because an even greater realization of these attributes was now attainable through intellectual analysis. In essence, the Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah were in complete agreement with Yirmiyahu and Daniel, but between their respective eras, there occurred a drastic change in the way Yisrael was meant to relate to G-d.
Continued next issue…
Yeshiva Elemementary School of Miami Beach Hosts Prominent Torah Personalites Over the past several weeks, Yeshiva Elementary School of Miami Beach has been privileged to host the visits of several famous Torah personalities. The guests included Rav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, Rosh Yeshiva of Telz and Lakewood Mesivta; Rav Yigal Haimov, Rosh Yeshiva in Queens; The Bostoner Rebbe of Boston; and Rav Shmuel Dishon, Menahel of Mosdos Stolin. Each of the venerated visitors addressed the student body and warmly offered their blessings to the children. They each expressed their warm regard
leaders of Eretz Yisroel, including the late Sefardic Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ZT”L, and the Bobover Rebbe ZT”L, as well as Sefardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg and Rav Baruch Mordechai Azrachi.
The Bostoner Rebbe
to the school. Most notably, the sentiment that resounded from conversations which some of the respective Torah leaders was that to their admiration, Y.E.S. manages to keep a warm and very friendly environment between the staff members and the students, albeit its large student body of close to 500. Yeshiva Elementary School prides itself in the fact that many Torah greats visiting Miami make sure that Y.E.S. is on their “must see” list. In past years, they have been honored with visits by prominent Torah Rav Shmuel Dishon
Rav Yitchak Sorotzkin with Assistant Principal, Rabbi Mendy Karmel
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The Anshei Kenesses Hagedolah
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COPING WITH FINANCIAL DEPRESSION By Dr. Howard Chusid The global financial crisis is having a very local affect – it is driving many hardworking individuals into a deep depression as they are forced to deal with the consequences of suddenly not having enough money to live. Many people who were previously successful and respected in their communities and families are now suffering from acute depression as they struggle to adjust to their new financial circumstances. This article is about financial depression and what we can do for ourselves and loved ones when it strikes. What happens when someone who was once successful and respected is suddenly without the means to support his or her family? How does this person avoid reacting to the new situation in ways that will not bring about more harmful results? What typically happens when a person suddenly loses his or her capacity to support his or her family is a period of withdrawal. The individual, knowing they cannot pay the bills, avoids them. The bills, often unopened, pile up in a corner or are hidden from sight and stored in a bag in the garage. While the bills are not being paid, the administration of the family’s finances also suffer a blow as the person stops entering details into the checkbook, never wanting to know exactly how much money remains in the account. Under this scenario, when the occasional bill does get paid it is never certain whether the check will bounce or be covered. This avoidance of reality, driven by a need to adjust to a new and radical reality, is a form of depression. It is crucial to recognize this not only because it is the first step to recovery, but also because it influences the way family and friends interact with the afflicted. According to the DSM-IV, the mental health clinician’s guide to diagnosis, major depressive disorder (or depression) is present when a person experiences five or more of the following symptoms for most of the day, nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks. The prevailing symptoms include: • Persistent Sadness • Feelings of Emptiness • Loss of Interest in Favorite Activities • Irritability • Hopelessness • Trouble Sleeping • Low Energy or Fatigue • Feeling Worthless or Guilty • Significant Weight Change • Difficulty Concentrating
none of us really know what to do or how to reduce our intense feelings of sadness. According to a leading South Florida psychologist, people suffering from financial depression can lessen their feelings of sadness by doing or not doing some seemingly simple tasks.
REDUCING DEPRESSION These activities are recommended for people seeking to reduce their anxiety about financial matters: • Limit the amount of time you spend watching the news. • Create coping strategies and plans of action so you do not feel so helpless. • Take care of your health by eating well and exercising. • Develop a financial plan and share it with your family. • Think positively and do not “catastrophize” your financial situation. • Do not allow anxiety to overwhelm you so that you feel helpless. • Recognize that the recession will end and your situation will improve. • Evaluate your job situation objectively to see whether you may lose your job. • If your job is vulnerable, consider training for a different job. • Consider a second job if you do not have enough income. • Cut down to basic essentials and stretch out or eliminate unnecessary expenses. • Start an emergency fund and save money while you can; hoard cash. • Use a home equity line of credit for emergency funds. • If lose your job, file for unemployment benefits as soon as possible. • If you cannot pay bills, speak to accredited credit counseling agency. • Practice deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and other stress reduction . • Don’t spend, shop or engage in any addictive behaviors to relieve anxiety. • Find ways to improve your relationships with friends and family.
SOURCES OF STRESS: Let’s face it. With the current economic crisis, so many of us just take a look at our bills and become sad and irritable. We begin to argue with our spouses and children over seemingly petty matters. We feel that our situation is hopeless and become apathetic. We develop low self-esteem and mourn the loss of all our previous accomplishments. We lose our will to succeed, in essence giving up, which in turn makes us feel even worse. Adding to the danger, studies have linked depression stemming from poor economic conditions to a number of diseases and an increased risk of suicide. Furthermore, when we feel stress we tend to try to diminish our depression with alcohol, drugs, or reckless behavior. Our feelings of hopelessness lead to poor decisions and uncontrolled spending, since there is no money to pay for basic living expenses. Perhaps the most disturbing result of financial depression is that we lose all that made us unique. As people watch the cumulative results of all their efforts go up in smoke and they are left without the financial stability or respect those efforts previously awarded them, they lose more than their homes and cars – they lose their self-respect. And with it goes all that made that person special as he or she coils up inside him or herself afraid to face what they perceive as awaiting shame. Adding to the pressure, and thereby intensifying the depression, are the credit collection agencies. Their tactics only serve to compound the problem because they are unaware or unconcerned with the wellbeing of the person to whom they are speaking. They only want their money and they will use coercion, threats and harassment in order to get it. Financial problems embarrass us, which only adds to our depression as we feel shame before our spouse, children and friends. Some people respond by panicking and others by trying to play it cool. But
• Seek professional help to change attitudes and behaviors and to recover from anxiety. While many of these suggestions are useful, many may also seem impractical for someone already deep in depression. For example, the idea of creating a coping strategy sounds reasonable, but the emotional tools, as well as the financial confidence, to do so may be lacking. In essence the suggestion calls for the inflicted person to find a way to cope when in fact the problem afflicting them is that they are unable to cope. This seems like a circular solution and could in fact lead to higher levels of frustration. Similarly, a suggestion to someone they get a second job when they lost their only job and in an environment where jobs are hard to come by may seem disingenuous. So too, the suggestion of a home equity line of credit when the banks are not giving loans eliminates any hope of bank assistance. Nobody likes to hear impractical solutions for their most pressing problems. This said, while every solution listed above may not fit every person suffering from financial depression, certainly some of the solutions offer some degree of direction to everyone. The most important thing is to continuously try to improve your situation. The danger with depression is that it can make us apathetic and our lack of action leads to a compounding of the crisis – which in turn worsens the depression. We must always be trying to improve our lot. In addition to the hints above, some additional steps you can take include: Instead of looking for a job in your field, look at what jobs are available. Use the Internet and visit AOL, Yahoo, Craigslist, Monster, Careerbuilder and others. See what is out there. It may not be your
dream job, but it could help get you through this difficult period. Another option to consider is relocating. For instance, Florida, at this time is one of the worst places to get a job, so moving to a state that has more industry and a healthier economy, may present more opportunities. If your whole family can’t move, maybe you should go alone and send the money back home. Sometimes we have to do many unthinkable things in order to financially survive, and at this juncture many people are just looking to survive. Perhaps too you could consider a change in career. Many of us believe we are too old or too experienced in one field to consider moving to another. But if your profession is experiencing a drop in demand and you know of other skill sets that have more stable demand, learning a new skill may be a wise thing to consider. It is true that this may not alleviate your immediate pressure, but it will give you hope and lessen your depression as you see you are taking constructive steps to ensure your future. Also important is not giving up the things that bring you joy. If you like movies or books, go to the library and borrow some. The library also has CD’s if you like listening to music. If you enjoy television, watch the shows you like. Take walks in the park where you can think a bit and find some peace. Allow yourself to laugh and enjoy. Your situation may be difficult, but you’re entitled to feel good. One thing we often do when we are ashamed is withdraw from the people closest to us, including family and friends. Be certain to call friends and meet with them. There is no need to be alone, and their company can serve as support. Share with your friends what is troubling you and allow them to comfort and encourage you. Sometimes by talking about problems we get them out of our system a bit and feel a little better. Additionally a review of your spending habits may be in order and you may find places you can cut your costs. For example, many of us are in the habit of eating many or most of our meals in restaurants. Some of us have premium cable channels. And sometimes we buy items that are not essential and that we can do without. By reviewing where your money is being spent and determining how you can spend less, you may be able to alleviate some of the ongoing pressure. Our depression can be akin to a de-motivator. As sad as you feel, you need to try to get out and start networking. Start meeting people, because it is one of the best ways to find employment. Review your contact listings and see who may be seeking someone with your skills. Don’t confine your search to your local area, but look nationally. Use whatever contacts and/or skills you have and don’t be embarrassed, because you need to make a living. All the words in the world can’t make you feel better about your situation, only you can. The best advice that one can give is: never give up and be willing to give anything a try. It isn’t easy, but do anything; at least it is a start and it will bring some much needed money into the house. Who knows where it will lead? Good luck to all of us!!! Howard Chusid, Ed.D, LMHC, NCC is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a National Certified Counselor, and a Board Certified Professional Counselor. He is also a Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, Circuit Civil Mediator and a Qualified Arbitrator. Howard is also a founding partner in the Family Law Cooperative. The Family Law Cooperative is a group of caring professionals who offer a cooperative approach to divorce and other family disputes. We guide couples through the confusing and emotionally charged divorce process in an atmosphere of mutual respect and dignity. Our team includes Florida Supreme Court certified family mediators, mental health experts, children’s therapists, parent coordinators, financial planners, and accountants to provide you with the support services you need to navigate the complex issues you may be facing including: parenting and timesharing plans, child support agreements; marital settlement agreements; marital asset valuations, divisions of assets and debt; spousal support, and post dissolution matters. We can be reached at the Family Law Cooperative at 954-927-4097.
INTERNET continued
THE NEW ARENA FOR DEMOCRACY: THE INTERNET
Leonard Kleinrock demonstrates the functions of the Interface Message Processor (IMP), an essential component of ARPANET INTERNET continued
THE BATTLE OF THE WEB Google came first, but the ever enterprising Microsoft created its own search program called Bing. Not quite as widely used as the dominant Google, Bing is steadily growing in popularity, setting the stage for heavy competition. The ultimate goal of both Google and Bing is to provide the most relevant and intelligent search results for users. In a recent debate that has snatched the attention of the online community, Google accused Bing of stealing its search results. Google went as far as to conduct a test to verify their accusation and proved that Bing was indeed copying from them. Bing fought Google’s
claim and came back with their own retaliation, saying that Google is guilty of click fraud, a practice usually associated with spammers. Public feuds like this actually serve to fuel Bing’s standings, as Google’s concerns show that they view the Microsoft search engine as a worthy opponent. Google continues to take the heat as US officials continue their investigation into Google’s suspected anti-competitive practices. PC Pro reports that the Texas Attorney General has requested a host of information from Google, such as the search engines key algorithms, the secret formula for setting advertising rates and privileged documents relating to Microsoft’s Bing. With a touch of irony, it should be noted that the company’s unofficial slogan is “Don’t be evil.”
You may remember in my last article on the Arab revolt how the Egyptian government had closed down all Internet service in face of the online rallying against Mubarak. After Mubarak’s government hit the “kill switch” many questioned whether the other civil-torn Arab governments would do the same. As tensions continue to rise in Tunisia, Yemen and Jordan, the world is waiting to see how the Internet fares during the ongoing protests. During the Egyptian revolt, a 30-year old Google marketing manager, Wael Ghonim acted as a key opponent against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Ghonim fought his wars on a Facebook page. Ghonim was kidnapped by the government on January 28 and was only recently set free. Following his new freedom, Ghonim delivered an interview on TV that was “one of the most dramatic hours of television in Egyptian history” according to The Christian Science Monitor. There are currently 150,000 people who have joined a Facebook group in support of Wael Ghonim, the Google savior of Egyptian democracy. With all the hype of how the government can control the web in the Middle East, America is now embroiled in its own heated debate over new legislation that would allow the U.S. government to switch off the Internet if a cyber attack was ever underway. On February 16, 2011, USA TODAY reporter, Jon Swartz, wrote a cover story with a blaring headline that read, “Should the Internet have an ‘off’ switch?” There are strong suspicions that hackers in China have gotten top-secret information from energy and national oil companies, collecting the sensitive data over the course of four years, according to cyber security McAfee. Swartz reports a shocking string of cyber-threat incidents, including the case of the teenage hacker, Michael Calce (mafia boy), who brought down Amazon.com, eBay and Yahoo in 2000. The debate over the bill, which is expected to take place this week by the United States computer-security experts, will also address the issue of freedom of speech. Unlike President Mubarak’s capability of shutting down the Internet due to the small amount of servers provided in his country, it will be exceedingly harder for America to shut down the thousands of Internet providers, reports USA TODAY in the name of EPIC’s Rotenberg. Whether the bill will pass or not remains to be seen, but there is no doubt about the powerful influence the Web has had on our lives.
THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET
Al Gore
The following is an abstract of a Harvard Design School conference that took place in April 23-25th, 1999: “This conference flows from the premise that incontinued on page 28
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While corporate giants such as Google and Bing fend for their rights, our attention is once more turned to the Arab revolts unfolding in the Middle East, where the issue of the Internet has been turning into a very controversial subject.
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NEW YORK, NY - US Vetoes UN Resolution on Israeli Settlements The United States vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have condemned Israeli settlements as “illegal” and called for an immediate halt to all settlement building. All of the 14 other Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution. The Obama administration’s veto has infuriated Arab countries and Palestinian supporters around the world. In the words of United Arab List MK Ibrahim Sarsour, “After the exposure of lies from the US, we must say frankly to Obama: You no longer scare us and you can go to hell.” Sar-
CHICAGO, IL - “Obama’s Rabbi” Tells President: Free Pollard Now In a letter to President Obama, Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Jr. of Chicago called upon him to free Pollard. Rabbi Funnye, a Jewish African American who serves as the chief rabbi of the Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago, and Michelle Obama are first cousins once removed. “Jonathan Pollard has served
over 25 years in prison for a crime that he has expressed great remorse publicly and privately for committing against our country,” wrote Rabbi Funnye in his letter to the President. “I write to add my voice to the many voices that have appealed to you for clemency by commuting Jonathan Pollard’s sentence to time served.”
LIBYA - Gadhafi Tells Palestinians: Revolt Against Israel Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi has a brilliant idea for the Palestinians: Revolt against Israel until it gives in to your demand! Realizing that Israel would never react to protests in the way his country does, Gadhafi encouraged peaceful demonstrations throughout the Palestinian territories. “Fleets of boats should take Palestinians ... and wait by the Palestinian shores until the problem is resolved,” Gadhafi said. “This is a time
of popular revolutions.” Not realizing that the protests were about to reach his country, Gadhafi made the remarks in a major speech immediately following the popular uprising in neighboring Egypt. Gadhafi is respected in many parts of the Arab world for his uncompromising criticism of Israel and Arab leaders who have dealings with the Jewish state.
LONDON - Iraqi: I’m Proud My WMD Lies Led to War in Iraq An Iraqi man whose testimony was used by the United States to build a case for war in Iraq says he is proud that he lied about his country developing mobile biological warfare labs. The Guardian newspaper published an interview with Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, who has been identified as the informer called “Curveball,” whose claims about weapon labs formed part of then - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s speech to the U.N. Security Council in 2003, shortly before the war began. The Guardian quoted al-Janabi as saying: “I had the chance to fabricate something to topple the regime. I and my sons are proud of that.”
CAIRO - Mubarak Family’s Purported Fortune Being Investigated
sour continued, “Obama cannot be trusted. We knew his promises were lies. The time has come to spit in the face of the Americans.” A day after the American veto, in a precaution to avoid attacks against staffers, the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem restricted personal travel for staff members in some areas of the West Bank. The U.S. opposes new settlements, to the point of having Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declare settlement building as “illegitimate,” but says taking the issue to the U.N. will only complicate efforts to resume stalled negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Asked about his feelings about the deaths and destruction during the war and in the years following, al-Janabi said there was no other way. “I tell you something - when I hear anybody, not just in Iraq, but in any war (is) killed, I am very sad. But give me another solution. Can you give me another solution?” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “Saddam did not allow freedom in our land,” the Iraqi said. “There are no other political parties. You have to believe what Saddam says, and do what Saddam wants. And I don’t accept that. I have to do something for my country. So I did this and I am satisfied, because there is no dictator in Iraq any more.”
Switzerland has frozen whatever assets Hosni Mubarak and his associates may have there, and other countries are being encouraged to do the same. Experts say finding and recovering Mubarak’s wealth will be an enormous task. Recent claims that Hosni Mubarak and his sons Gamal and A Alaa may have amassed a fortune of up to $70 billion — effectively making them the richest people in the world — helped drive the protests that eventually brought him down. Corruption is widespread in Egypt where over 30 million people live on $2 or less a day. Egyp-
tians have long complained of government officials getting sweetheart deals and enriching themselves at the people’s expense. Rumors of hidden riches include expensive real estate in Britain, the United States, and elsewhere. The sale of state companies and public land for cheap, starting in the 1990s, were key sources of enrichment for the family. “Privatization ... is the biggest corruption process in Egypt all over its history, from the period of the pharaohs, until now,” an Egyptian editor was quoted as saying.
WORLD REPORT MADISON, WI – Tunisia, Cairo, Madison….Protests Swell to 70,000 People At Wisconsin State Capitol Madison, WI - Authorities say an estimated 70,000 people are protesting both sides of anti-union legislation at the Wisconsin State Capitol, and nine demonstrators have been arrested. On the third day of protests, the Statehouse was completely jammed with protesters opposed to a bill proposed by the governor that would strip public employees of their collective bargaining rights. The crowd filled the building’s hallways, sat cross-legged across the floor and chanted slogans. Supporters of the governor gathered on the muddy east lawn of the Capitol and were soon surrounded by a much larger group of union supporters who countered their chants of “Pass the bill! Pass the bill!” with chants of “Kill the
bill! Kill the bill!” “Go home!” union supporters yelled at a 46-year-old machine parts salesman from Cedarburg who wore a hard hat and carried a sign that read “If you don’t like it, quit” on one side, and “If you don’t like that, try - you’re fired” on the other. Democrats in the Wisconsin Senate, short of the votes needed to keep Republicans from passing the so-called “budget repair” bill, fled the state on Thursday. They haven’t been seen since, and said they are more resolved than ever to stay away “as long as it takes” until Governor Walker agrees to negotiate. Republicans hold a 19-14 majority, but they need at least one Democrat to be present before voting.
JERUSALEM - Mike Mullen: U.S. Depends On Military Ties with Israel Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the relationship between the American and Israeli militaries is very strong and is especially significant while Mideast nations are mired in unrest. He said the
American-Israeli alliance is “something we both depend on.” Mike Mullen took a brief trip to Israel and Jordan to reassure the American allies of U.S. commitment to the region’s stability.
In the first reported violence in weeks of demonstrations in Jordan, clashes broke out between government supporters and opponents at a protest calling for more freedom and lower food prices, injuring eight people. It was the seventh straight Friday that Jordanians, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, took to the streets to demand more say in decision-making. Protesters are calling for a com-
plete overhaul of the political system, including the constitution, they want the parliament dissolved and new free and fair elections held. They insist that the protests will continue until their demands are met. “They beat us with batons, pipes and hurled rocks at us,” said a student at one of the protest. “We tried to defend ourselves, to beat them back.”
LIBYA - Hundreds killed in Libyan Crackdown on Protesters Gadhafi on the Way Out Libyan forces opened fire on mourners on the way out of a funeral for protesters - killing many. There are reports of bodies piling up in hospitals and doctors collapsing in grief at the sight of dead loved ones. The violent killings bring the estimated death toll to over 500 in ten days of political protests against the 42-year reign of Moammar Gadhafi. Peaceful protesters have been attacked by fighter jets, tanks, special commandos, foreign mercenar-
ies and Gadhafi loyalists armed with knives, automatic rifles and even anti-aircraft missiles, witnesses said. According to medical officials, hospitals are running low on medical supplies and are packed with bodies shot in the chest and head. “Many of the dead and the injured are relatives of doctors here,” an official said “They are crying, and I keep telling them to please stand up and help us.”
SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Prince Warns Of Chaos If Saudi Arabia Doesn’t Reform Prince Talal bin Abdul-Aziz, a half brother of the Saudi Arabian king, has said that if King Abdullah does not step up the pace of reform, the protests and unrest in Arab countries may be a dangerous sign of things to come for his country.
Talal said that the Saudi government can still take steps to avoid protests and that the king is the only person who can bring about major changes. Prince Talal was forced briefly into exile in the 1960s amid reports at the time that he planned a revolt.
SANAA, YEMEN - Violence Marks ‘Friday of Rage’ Across Yemen In Sanaa, Yemen, riot police fired tear gas and shots in the air to disperse the crowd on what organizers called a “Friday of Rage” across the country. Tens of thousands responded to calls sent out through Facebook and Twitter summoning people to the streets for the “Friday of Rage” following prayers. In a scene similar to that going on in other Arab countries, crowds chanting anti-government slogans were met by heavily armed riot police and hundreds of government supporters. The pro-and anti-government sides attacked each other with rocks, and the riot police began firing in the air and launching tear gas canisters. In the city of Taiz, what appeared to be
a hand grenade was thrown at a group of protesters, seriously wounding at least eight people. Riots also flared overnight in the southern port of Aden with police shooting to death one demonstrator after cars and a local government building were set ablaze, officials said. Poverty and malnutrition are rampant in the country in which nearly half of the population lives below the poverty line of $2 a day. Besides for having a government riddled in corruption, the country also is plagued by shrinking water and oil resources and an inability to feed its people.
MANAMA, BAHRAIN - Bahrain Mourners Call for Toppling Of Monarchy Thousands of mourners called for the downfall of Bahrain’s ruling monarchy and chanted against the king. Anger towards the nation’s government has boiled over after a deadly assault on pro-reform protesters that has brought army tanks into the streets of one of America’s most strategic allies in the Middle East. The cries against the king at burials for those killed in crushing attacks mark a significant escalation of the political uprising, which began with peaceful calls to weaken the monarchy’s power and address claims of discrimi-
nation against the Shiite majority in the tiny island nation. The mood, however, appears to have turned toward defiance of the entire ruling system after the brutal 3 a.m. crackdown on sleeping protesters at an encampment in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, which left at least five dead and more than 230 wounded. The White House is extremely displeased with the situation in Bahrain, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet and is key to the Pentagon’s efforts to confront growing Iranian military ambitions in the region.
Tehran - Iran’s Opposition Holds Mass Protest Rally Iran’s opposition held a massive protest rally in Tehran and other cities to mark a week since the deaths of two people in earlier demonstrations. The rallies were said to be a “fight against religious dictatorship” in Iran.
At least two people were killed in clashes last Monday between security forces and opposition protesters in Tehran. The rallies were the largest to be held by the opposition in more than a year.
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Arab World on
AMMAN, JORDAN - Clashes in Jordan Injure 8 Protesters
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First Spam Email ever sent 1978 INTERNET continued
formation technology and more specifically, Internet technology are rapidly and radically transforming the character of life and work. The changes driven by the Internet will have an enormous impact on the conduct of every aspect of our society, business, movement, education, and private life… It is imperative, therefore, that industry leaders prepare themselves to evaluate opportunities and challenges they will face.” The Internet has paved new opportunities in the field of Health Care, by allowing scientists and researchers around the globe to collaborate and share their discoveries. In regards to medicine, with the Internet available, a patient can surf hundreds of pages of his medications’ side effects, medical situation and the latest treatments available. Education has been greatly enhanced by the possibilities of online assistance. Teachers have an limitless amount of information at their disposal on any subject, with the Internet’s massive data base sites, such as Wikipedia. A report by Carmella Kedem, offers us a close up look at how a Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland capitalized on the what the Internet offers: “…This is a private school K-12 with an objective to educate students to be good and productive American citizens, on the one hand, and leaders of the Jewish community on the other hand…. [an example of how the Internet has enhanced the education]: the Book of Exodus is studied in the fifth grade classes in Hebrew. This year with the help of the Internet and some books, the students searched in the Internet for information about, The Pyramids, Egyptian Gods, work and games, Education, Life after Death, The Pharoes and other such subjects…The graphics were wonderful to look at, [and] the information most exciting…”
Books and CDs are bought mostly online, plane tickets are booked on the web and people no longer need to step from their homes to make a deposit in the bank. Entertainment is huge on the Internet and online gaming and video sites are growing larger every year. Phones now boast Internet service and it is steadily becoming standard. Comfort has taken on a whole different meaning as people relax in the comfort of their homes shopping for clothing, food and electronics over the Web. As with all great things, though, the Internet presents certain challenges for the American public. A book by Joseph Turow and Andrea L, titled “How the Internet affects you and your family,” says that much debate over the Internet is over the web’s influence that is moving parents out of their role of being information channels to their children. The Internet certainly poses a unique threat to parents as it represents the moment in history when children are more knowledgeable than their parents in technology. Online privacy is becoming a growing concern as shady people as well as online market research companies pick up on the digital fragments users leave on the Internet that reveal frighteningly accurate information about their lives beyond the web. When the Atlantic Monthly published an article that put the cons of the Internet into a spotlight, the online community was drawn into a heated debate that revolved around the Internet’s benefits and faults.
SMARTER OR DUMBER? THE GREAT DEBATE In the summer of 2008, Nicholas Carr, a tech sage, sparked much discussion with his cover story for the Atlantic Monthly, titled, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Carr writes: “Over the past few years I’ve had an un-
comfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory. My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.” While Carr acknowledges the benefit of being able to research vast amounts of data in minutes, listening to podcasts and watching free videos, he claims that the way the web supplies information is literally changing the way human beings process information. Carr explains, “My mind now expects to take information in the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in a sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a jet ski.” In a follow up article of the Atlantic Monthly, Jamais Cascio challenged Carr’s statement. Cascio writes: “It’s visible in the hive mind of the Internet, in the powerful tools for stimulation and visualization that are jump-starting new scientific disciplines, and in the development of drugs that some people (myself included) have discovered let them study harder, focus better, and stay awake longer with full clarity.” A poll was taken asking experts if they thought Google was having an effect on human intelligence. The Pew Internet & American Life Project poll revealed that 76% of the voters agreed with the following statement: “By 2020, people’s use of the Internet has enhanced human intelligence; as people are allowed unprecedented access to more information they become smarter and make better choices. Nicholas Carr was wrong: Google does not make us stupid.”
Google headquarters
continued on page 30
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LIFESTYLE
hen you are constantly feeling that your current path no longer makes sense, it is time to change. I know today that I don’t look much like I used to – an offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers and later the Dallas Cowboys. Today, I sport a long flowing beard, yarmulke and tzitzis. But I did not roll out of the NFL and into the synagogue – that change came later. Just as dramatic for me was the change I experienced when I retired from the game. As a child, I wondered about what a pro football player would look like up close. Growing up in Miami, I had landed a coveted job with the Miami Dolphins: operating the net that is raised behind the goalposts during an attempted field goal or extra point. I wore an orange staff shirt which allowed me to get into the locker room after the game and to see what these guys were made of. This experience really sparked my early appreciation for the value of awareness. I discovered how much I could learn by getting close to people and just paying attention to everything that was going on. I learned to listen to what other said about me and what they thought I could do. I needed this awareness to manage the two dramatic transitions in my life: the transition from pro football to non-player
and the transition from a more casual Jew to a more focused one. In the second case, my awareness was piqued when I was once invited to a rabbi’s home for a meal. While I was there, a neighbor, also a rabbi, stopped by to borrow a barbecue grill. My host jumped to his feet and offered to take the grill over to his neighbor’s house and I followed. I watched his neighbor’s son and his friends enjoying a simple relay race game in the street and I was struck by how much they were enjoying the few hot dogs from the grill that highlighted the boy’s birthday party. It caused me to think about all the material “stuff” I had accumulated in my life and how I really desired to be more like these families: relaxed, focused and confident, living simply with everyday joy. I had fallen into the “where are you going to spend the summer?” syndrome and wanted to make a profound change – to return to my spiritual roots. One thing I knew is that it would take focus. I once had a fellow player teach me all about how to focus. He asked what I focused on when I was in my stance as an offensive lineman and taught me that it must be on one thing: THE TARGET. So I started to stare at a single point on my opponent’s chest. This proved to be exactly what I needed in pursuing my Torah studies, from which I learned even more about
focusing my mind and actions. In addition to focus, you need to keep moving. I once played against Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants, a fearsome player that I dreaded facing. It turned out to be a great game for me and it was a big thrill the next day when I ended up getting a game ball for my efforts. But then the coach asked me, “OK, but what are you going to do TODAY?” That is the question we all have to ask ourselves each day if we are to continue to re-stoke our desire to be great at what we do. You can do this! You can create changes large and small in your life if you ramp up your awareness, focus your desire and follow your passion, if you use your discipline and your wisdom and your transferable talents, if you create around you a team that will help pull you out of the old ways and into the new. You may not end up looking like you used to and that’s okay. You will be going on the journey of a lifetime. Alan “Shlomo” Veingrad had a seven-year career as an offensive lineman in the NFL, first with the Green Bay Packers and then the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he won Super Bowl XXVII. Veingrad’s presentation style and post-retirement experience in business have made him a much sought after speaker. Many organizations whose management seeks to lead their organizations by exemplifying a culture of personal and professional achievement blended with a higher purpose call on Veingrad to speak to their employees. Veingrad has captivated religious audiences around the world, bringing his transformational, inspirational messages of personal excellence, leadership, team play and spiritual connection. For more information, please visit www.AlanVeingrad.com. For Media Inquiries and bookings; please contact alan@alanveingrad.com 954 205 6369.
What They’re Saying About You & Me What defines “committed Jew”? Is it a commitment to Kashrut, Shabbat, Taharat Hamishpachah, Tefillah, or Talmud Torah? What synagogue that you belong to? What school you send your children to? I’d argue that it’s none of these. I spend most of my life in a bubble. I literally live on “the circle” (sounds pretty insular!) in Boca, spend most of my waking hours at a yeshiva high school, and the little socializing I do is with people from those two worlds. Though not as extreme as mine, your evenings and weekends are most probably spent with other Jews of similar levels of commitment. With so many Jews in South Florida and our comprising such a high percentage of the communities in which we live, it’s difficult to live any other way. Before a day school or yeshiva takes its students on a trip, it speaks to them about the opportunity for Kiddush Hashem or Chillul Hashem. A large group of identifiably Jewish teenagers is going to leave one of two impressions upon all who meet them- positive or negative- about what it is to be a Jew. Paradoxically, what defines us in the eyes of oth-
ers is not our fidelity to ritual, the things we don’t eat, what we do or do not wear, or our numerous communal affiliations and charitable obligations. What defines us as Jews in the eyes of others is our middot. Saying hello to people, making them laugh, saying thank you, not trying to cut corners, speaking positively of others, and letting someone else go first is what makes an impression on others about identifiably Jewish people. I say that this is a “paradox”, because civility and integrity are certainly not the exclusive domain of committed Jews. However, it is the yardstick by which others- Jew and Gentile- will judge our lifestyle. At the gym I go to, my trainer asks everyone who walks in “Have You Met Rabbi Perry?” If my kippah didn’t give it away, he makes sure that everyone knows that I am supposed to answer to a higher authority. Now, the sight of me in shorts and a t-shirt panting away is certainly not my finest moment. As I’m gasping for air wondering if I can make it to the twelfth rotation and will I ever see my wife and children again, I am cognizant of the fact that everyone
there develops an opinion about observant Jews based on my actions, even in a very stressful situation. We say to ourselves that we are busier than the other person- we have more kids, more subjects in school, have to get to shul regularly, have one less day a week to drive and shop, can only eat at a few restaurants, etc. etc. Let the other person go first. Say hello. Compliment them. A kind word or act will accomplish so much for the world’s impression of Jews and Judaism!
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Its Time to Change
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Microsoft corporate headquarters INTERNET continued
Text of first Spam email message:
THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET The Internet is celebrating over forty years and has captured our imaginations as to what it will be capable of in the future. Here are some the some possibilities voiced by world tech experts. The Google Guys have big dreams for the future, as they continue to process a search engine with artificial intelligence that plugs into the human brain. “…if you had all the world’s information directly attached to your brain, or an artificial brain that was smarter than your brain, you’d be better off,” Sergey Brin said in an 2004 interview with Newsweek. Not to be outdone, a team of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and others are programming a robot Internet, called RoboEarth. The ultimate goal of the project is to have the robots “autonomously carry out useful tasks that were not explicitly planned for at design time.” The project is already over a year in production and the robots will soon be able to learn information about specific tasks and then upload and share the data with other robots over their special “robo” Internet. The information shared would allow the robots to improve their performance. We will leave it up to others to worry about robot mutiny, because we are facing a unique challenge inside our own Internet. As the Internet continues to grow into the greatest function of democratic expression, there are concerns that one day the web will cease to be free and public. The free press. com discusses the issues facing major media when people on the web are creating their own sites sharing blog posts and media without permission from the “corporate gatekeeper”. The Free Press explains how over the past 100 years anytime a technology disrupted traditional media, authoritarian forces
jumped in and asserted their power over it. “There is a… threat to open Internet today, and the stakes couldn’t be higher…Americans need to get involved right now.” In 1958, IBM put out a brochure that read, “In a few short years, electronic computing systems have been invented and improved at a tremendous rate. But computers did not ‘just grow’. They have evolved… They were born and they are being improved as a consequence of man’s ingenuity, his imagination and mathematics.” When a 17 year old by the name of Andrey Ternoviskiy programmed a website in just three days and thus created a social website that attracts millions, it has become clear just how far ‘man’s ingenuity, his imagination’ have taken him. If one thing is certain about the world wide web, it is that it’s amazing.
DIGITAL WILL BE GIVING A PRODUCT PRESENTATION OF THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY; THE DECSYSTEM-2020, 2020T, 2060, AND 2060T. THE DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY OF COMPUTERS HAS EVOLVED FROM THE TENEX OPERATING SYSTEM AND THE DECSYSTEM-10 <PDP-10> COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE. BOTH THE DECSYSTEM-2060T AND 2020T OFFER FULL ARPANET SUPPORT UNDER THE TOPS-20 OPERATING SYSTEM. THE DECSYSTEM-2060 IS AN UPWARD EXTENSION OF THE CURRENT DECSYSTEM 2040 AND 2050 FAMILY. THE DECSYSTEM-2020 IS A NEW LOW END MEMBER OF THE DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY AND FULLY SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE WITH ALL OF THE OTHER DECSYSTEM-20 MODELS. WE INVITE YOU TO COME SEE THE 2020 AND HEAR ABOUT THE DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY AT THE TWO PRODUCT PRESENTATIONS WE WILL BE GIVING IN CALIFORNIA THIS MONTH. THE LOCATIONS WILL BE: TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1978 – 2 PM HYATT HOUSE (NEAR THE L.A. AIRPORT) LOS ANGELES, CA THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1978 – 2 PM DUNFEY’S ROYAL COACH SAN MATEO, CA (4 MILES SOUTH OF S.F. AIRPORT AT BAYSHORE, RT 101 AND RT 92) A 2020 WILL BE THERE FOR YOU TO VIEW.ALSO TERMINALS ON-LINE TO OTHER DECSYSTEM-20 SYSTEMS THROUGH THE ARPANET. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT THE NEAREST DEC OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXCITING DECSYSTEM-20 FAMILY.
By Jeffrey (Yitz) Stern
P
reparing for retirement, whatever your vision of it, is perhaps the most critical financial challenge you will face during your working life––especially so as employers have shifted much of the burden of retirement funding to their employees. With all the expenses of raising and educating a family, purchasing a home, perhaps building your own business, you understand how important it is to maximize your retirement plan by making regular contributions. But have you considered this one small detail? In order to build an adequate retirement fund you must be working and making contributions. What happens to your retirement plans if you become sick or injured and cannot work? Consider this example: An individual age 45 works until age 65 and makes 20 annual payments of $10,000 to a defined contribution plan. Assuming an annual return of 8%, her retirement fund will grow to $494,229 by the time she’s 65. But what happens if, after 5 years of contributions, she becomes totally disabled at age 50, and can no longer make contributions? Assuming the same 8% return, her retirement fund would amount to only $200,986. The gap created is a whopping $293,243! Even if her disability weren’t permanent, she would still experience a dramatic loss in retirement plan val-
ue. A disability lasting two years would mean she’d have $61,094 less in her plan at 65; a five-year disability would result in a $136,788 gap. Fortunately a solution exists. Group and individually owned disability insurance policies traditionally are designed only to replace a portion of current income. They are not meant to replace lost employee or employer contributions to your pension plan. A few disability insurers have, however, developed programs designed specifically to replace lost retirement savings. The most effective approach uses an individual disability insurance policy to pay benefits into a trust, set up specifically for the benefit of the insured individual. If total disability strikes, benefit payments from the policy go into the trust. The trustee invests the funds received at the insured’s direction until the individual (the trust beneficiary) reaches age 65. At that point, trust assets are distributed to the individual, to provide a retirement income. One of the attractive features of this type of program is that the disability insurance coverage is issued in addition to any other disability insurance the individual has. So you can receive benefits from your other coverage to replace lost current earnings and separate benefits specifically to help protect your future retirement income. The program is very easy to
set up, and the trust is activated only if you become disabled. In addition, you control how the trust assets will be invested for you in the event of disability. Since the program is funded by an individual disability policy, you own the policy and can take it with you should you leave your current employer. If, like most people, you are concerned about the security of your retirement nest egg, consider speaking with a knowledgeable financial representative who can discuss this concept with you. There is a way to ensure an adequate retirement income even if disability prevents you from working. Make your retirement plan disability-proof. Jeffrey (Yitz) Stern is a financial advisor and is the managing partner of National Planning Corporation in Hollywood, Florida. For a review of your financial plan and for career opportunities you can reach Yitz at 954-862-5440
TOP 10 TAX TIPS for 2011 February 14th, 2011 was the earliest to file tax returns with itemized deductions. The following 10 tax tips should help you on your way to a larger refund.
5. Education benefits extended – The American Opportunity Credit was extended, allowing taxpayers to claim $2,500 for the first four years of college education for each student. The tuition and fees deduction also was extended and could provide a reduction in taxable income of up to $4,000.
1. An extra 2 percent in your wallet – Taxpayers get a 2 percent raise in 2011 thanks to the Tax Relief Act of 2010. This means workers who earn $50,000 a year will have an extra $1,000 in their paychecks – or $600 more than they received from the Making Work Pay Credit. Taxpayers can put this to work for them by contributing to IRAs and 401Ks, paying bills or funding a college savings account.
6. 2008 homebuyer credit repayment starts, but not for 2009 and 2010 – The 2008 First-time Homebuyer Credit was similar to an interest-free loan and taxpayers must begin repaying it with their 2010 tax returns. In general, taxpayers must repay $500 a year for 15 years. If the taxpayer no longer lives in the house, then the credit must be repaid in full with the next tax return.
2. Unemployed required to file – Even the 9.4 percent unemployed must file tax returns. All unemployment benefits will be taxed this year, unlike last year when the first $2,400 was tax-free.
Taxpayers who claimed the credit in 2009 and 2010 will not have to repay it unless the house is sold or no longer their principal residence within three years of purchase.
3. Family supporters get tax relief – “Family supporting” taxpayers – those supporting their parents and their own children – may be able to claim the $3,650 qualifying relative exemption. Generally, the taxpayer must provide more than 50 percent of the financial support for eligible expenses such as food, lodging, clothing, education, medical and dental care, recreation and transportation.
7. Homebuyer credit exceptions for military – Military personnel who claimed the 2008 homebuyer credit and sold the house after Dec. 31, 2008 due to relocation orders do not have to pay back the credit. Additionally, military personnel on extended leave outside the U.S. for at least 90 days between Jan. 1, 2009 and May 1, 2009 may claim the credit if they close on the house before May 1, 2011.
4. Health insurance for adult children starts – Children under 27 years of age who do not have access to employer-provided insurance may be added to their parents’ health insurance policies starting in 2011 as a result of health care reform. This benefit is not taxable.
8. Energy credit reduced – For 2011, the lifetime maximum for the energy property credit is reduced from $1,500 to $500. Taxpayers who never claimed the credit can claim the entire $500. But, those who claimed $500 or more for the 2009-2010 and/or the 2006-2007 energy
credits are not eligible in 2011. Eligible improvements include external windows and doors, insulation, roofing, HVAC and non-solar water heaters meeting specific energy guidelines. 9. Adoption Credit fully refundable in 2010 and 2011 –The Adoption Credit can be claimed for qualified expenses up to $13,170 for 2010 and $13,360 for 2011. Plus, new for 2010 and 2011, the IRS will refund any amount of the credit that exceeds the adoptive parents’ tax liability. With domestic, private and agency adoptions costing upwards of 30,000, this means more money back in the wallets of adoptive parents. 10. 2011 federal filing deadline is April 18 – Due to the observation of Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia on April 15, the filing deadline for federal tax returns is April 18 this year. But, some state filing deadlines will remain April 15. Avi Rosner practices Accounting in the states of FL and NY. His specialty is income tax preparation and small business accounting. His firm God’s Tax Inc. has helped many individuals, corporations and non-profits save thousands of dollars on their taxes. God’s Tax has helped many clients in obtaining the largest refunds available to those that filed with his firm. God’s Tax provides guaranteed, income tax return preparation services and will Travel to your home or business. Call them for a FREE Tax Consultation today at 786-GODS-TAX (786-4637829) or visit them online at www.GodsTax.com.
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Making Your Retirement Plan Disability-Proof
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ONE ISRAEL FUND Heartbeats from the Heartland
Kida:
Reinvigorating the Pioneer Spirit of Our People
“It’s a wonderful feeling, to wake up each morning, to look around and see the land of Israel, and have a sense of purpose and accomplishment, working together with a fabulous community!”
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hat’s something everyone would love to say about the place they live. There is no doubt the uniqueness of Kida is in this winning combination: the refreshing view of the Israeli landscape, from the eastern slopes of Samaria to the Jordan Valley and the Gilead Mountains beyond; and the sense of true belonging and partnership in a close-knit community imbued with a spirit of mission. This wonderful combination characterizes this settlement whose vision is to build a strong community deeply attached and dedicated to the heart of the Land of Israel. This goal seemed like a far-off dream until not too long ago, but day by day it is becoming a reality, with each new house that is built, and each new family that moves in. Kida is a rural, religious community, built on the slope of a ridge that rises over 2,600 feet above sea level, at the eastern edge of Samaria, facing the Jordan Valley. Here, at a point where you feel that one more step will send you tumbling down the steep slope into the valley, Kida is a dream come true. With a clear vision, a pioneering spirit and a great deal of hard work, the members of the community are striking roots deep in the rocky ground. From these roots a lithe stem shoots upward, blown about in the strong wind but standing firm, growing stronger day by day until it becomes a young tree that will bear fruit.
“The Making of a Dream… (A Bit of History)” Back in the early 1980’s the lands of Kida were earmarked for the future settlement that would be built by the State of Israel as part of the Shiloh Bloc of communities. In 1984, the Ministerial Committee for Rural Development, chaired by Prof. Yuval Ne’eman, resolved to build a community to be called Katsif, on land east of Shilo overlooking the Alon highway. In 2001 the IDF vacated a military intelligence base called “Kida,” that stood at the summit of a strategic hill overlooking the Alon highway and the Jordan Valley. Amana, the governmental organization in charge of building new communities in Judea and Samaria, applied for the rezoning of the hilltop and surrounding area for civilian habitation. Amana’s representative at the time, Ze’ev Hever (a.k.a. - Zambish), met with then-Minister of Defense Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and reached an agreement for developing the hilltop into a rural community. Amana then undertook the first stage – laying the groundwork and
View From Kida
installing three caravan mobile homes at the site. When the Labor Party faction learned of BenEliezer’s agreement, they objected vociferously. They were afraid the party’s image would be hurt if Labor was perceived as a party that builds “outposts.” BenEliezer retracted his agreement and ordered the hilltop cleared of all infrastructure and buildings, including the public buildings of the army base. Thus, apart from bunkers and a cellular telephone antenna – all the construction on the hilltop was obliterated, and it became a dumping site. This chain of events did not erase the dream of one day building a large community on the abandoned hilltop. On the eve of Independence Day, 5763 (2003), Gideon Lichterman a”h, of the nearby community of Achiya, was murdered by terrorists on the road leading down from Shvut Rachel to the Jordan Valley. After that event, the group of founding families from Kida pressured Amana to take action, and on the 11th of Sivan, 5763 the first three families and one bachelor, moved in - not on the summit of the hill, but about half a mile south of the former army base, starting a community that would become the nucleus from which Kida would spread out over the entire barren area. Immediately after the reestablishment of Kida an attempt was made to evict these first settlers. Amana and the Regional Council of Binyamin petitioned the High Court of Justice to prevent the eviction on the grounds that the land had already been allocated for development and settlement years before, such that there was no legal basis for an eviction order.
by: Tzofia Dorot
each month more babies are born. Kida now boasts a day care center and preschool for children from birth to age six, and there are elementary schools in nearby Shilo and Eli. Kida is growing and developing fast and many families are finally building permanent homes near the temporary housing that was built to accommodate newly arrived young couples and families. The synagogue was enlarged after it became too small for the growing population. The synagogue is also a center for Torah study for the residents of Kida and the nearby smaller communities. There is a chavruta study partner program, in which pairs of Torah scholars schedule regular learning sessions. The long-term plans for Kida are nearing completion and include a master plan for some 400 families and neighborhoods on several adjacent hilltops. A multi-purpose building that will serve as the cultural and leisure center for children and adults is under construction, partially financed by the residents. Kida’s residents work in many different professions – construction, education, security services, social work, medicine, alternative medicine, tourism, agriculture, etc. Moreover, a number of families have one spouse who is a career officer in the IDF, defending our land every day.
Our Vision Our dream is to build a big, well-established community that will have its own, schools, community services, well-developed agriculture, and tourist continued on page 53
Kida Today Eight years have passed and today Kida is home to 45 families with over 100 children, growing happily in their hillside community, and
New Home in Kida
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ONE ISRAEL FUND Life in Judah and Samaria
Kida residents in vineyards
attractions, while retaining the internal cohesion and warm friendship that are the main characteristics of Kida’s community. With G-d’s help, we will build a strong community that has inner strength and that will educate its children to become active members of the community, with deep commitment to our people and country. The community will be a link in the long chain of Jewish growth that is growing stronger in our generation. Thus Kida will be an integral part of the contiguity between the Shilo Bloc of communities and those of the Jordan Valley.
What Makes Kida Special? - Its People and Spirit “When you come home from work tired, nothing beats the moment you make the sharp right turn on the road to Kida; the breathtaking view of the Jordan
to his or her abilities and time constraints, a relationship that makes even the crises constructive and positive, and in the end the hardships turn into shared laughter, releasing all the tension. Living in Kida is a special experience; as in every relationship, each member of the community must invest time and energy. This investment includes helping women after childbirth, or when someone is ill; hosting soldiers, helping a friend fix a shed that blew over in the wind; helping to make up a minyan, doing guard-duty, and participating in the various community committees and projects. In essence, Kida is made up of people similar to those that exist throughout the modern world. Beyond building a new town in Israel, we are building a community. Building a community means creating a strong bond among people. When I ask Kida residents what is special about our community, they answer without hesitation the people. The friendships are strong, and the variety of people in Kida is enriching and stimulating. There are families in different stages of their lives, professionals of all sorts and from all economic backgrounds, ethnic groups and spiritual outlooks, and all contribute to the spiritual and practical life in their own particular style, to form a healthy, heterogeneous community. There is no uniformity here, but rather unity, and this unity guides our shared vision for building Kida as a strong, thriving community, an inseparable part of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
Strong Winds, Stronger Wills
Sefer Torah Dedication
valley and the Gilead mountains that greet you - you have arrived home.” (Kida resident) Before fulfilling ideals and aspirations and before enjoying the scenery, people first look for a place to live; a place where they will have a good, strong relationship with their neighbors and a sense of belonging; a relationship that is evident in the way everyone shares in making things happen, each according
Anyone visiting Kida will immediately notice the strong winds that blow here, year round. Kida’s residents have learned over time to stand firm in the face of these winds, and even to love them. Like the winds in Kida, the families who have gathered here are full of the spirit of accomplishment, and thus, each and every one finds a way to contribute to the development of the community. Kida is forging ahead, building and developing, despite all the political, security and economic challenges and despite the difficult times we have been through together, and our quest to find our path in
the reality surrounding us. Part of this is expressed in our decision to call ourselves a community, rather than an outpost, and in the way we conduct our lives – as a community with big plans. In the past year we had the pleasure of sharing with our friends and neighbors who are working the land, in the first grape harvest and in the special ceremony marking the fourth year of a vineyard. In this emotionally charged ceremony, we heard the words of G-d’s promise through the prophet Jeremiah, which have never seemed more real: “You will yet plant vineyards in the mountains of Samaria. The planter shall plant and enjoy the fruit.” Three more families recently moved into their permanent homes and seven more are building houses. This year the Regional Council built a preschool with classrooms and facilities for children aged 3-6. As we look to the future, the road ahead is long
The Children of Kida
and we have many projects to complete: more permanent housing, a mikva, the development of the hilltop site of the abandoned army base as a unique tourism site, upgrading the electricity grid, building a park with playground equipment, and erecting public buildings. These are just a few of the stages toward making our vision a reality, and they will need a lot of determination and economic assistance, which we hope will come… We invite you to visit us at every opportunity and to stay in touch. Think of Kida as your home! For more information on how you can make your home in Kida, how to visit Kida on your next trip to Israel or how to support this wonderful community, please contact Scott Feltman at One Israel Fund – scott@oneisraelfund.org or Tzofia Dorot at tzofia70@gmail.com. You, too, can become partners in the pioneer spirit of building the land of Israel.
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
34 FINANCE
The Hoopla Over Form 1099-MISC By: Gerald L. Mayerhoff, CPA, PFS
Are you an employee or and independent contractor? What is your worker status? What’s the difference? When you work you get paid; hopefully timely. Why should you care how it is reported to the Internal Revenue Service? Employee wages are reported on Form W-2. This would include any payments to an employee such as a bonus or employee awards for service. Payments for services performed as an independent contractor are reported on Form 1099-MISC. Both employee and employer have to pay social security and Medicare taxes on wages. These are withheld by the employer from the employee’s gross wages, as well as any federal withholding taxes. The employer is required to submit these funds to the IRS on a schedule based on the amounts of liabilities due and file a tax return, generally quarterly, to reconcile these taxes paid. In the past the employer matched the employee amount. The social security maximum income on which to be withheld is $106,800 in 2011, which is the same as it was in 2010. There is no maximum limit on withholding for the Medicare tax. New for 2011 (and this year only unless congress changes it in the future) the employee share of social security paid is reduced by 2%. Try not to spend your savings all in one place. An independent contractor usually receives payment for services with no withholding. Generally, the taxes will be computed when preparing the contractor’s Form 1040, Individual Income Tax Return and should be paid in quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid late payment penalties. The 2% reduction is worked into the reduced self-employment tax rate for individuals in 2011. The good news for contractors is that any business related expenses may be deducted directly against the income before computing the tax resulting in the net income, as opposed to the gross income, being subject to the tax. It may appear that if the employee has many expenses they may want to be treated as a contractor and if they don’t have or have minimal expenses they probably want to be treated as employees, however, this is not the criteria to determine the worker’s status. Status of a worker is determined by the degree of control the payer has over the worker. If the worker has multiple clients, patients, customers, etc. and they hold themselves out as their own
O
business, hired on a project or by the job basis, supply their own tools, and make their own schedule, then they are most likely an independent contractor. However, if the worker has one place of work, especially if it is full time, and the boss instructs them what to work on, where, when, and how, and supplies the tools to do the work, then the worker is probably an employee. Obviously there are many cases that are in the gray area as to what extent control is exercised. There are regulation based on court cases with a litmus test to help make the determination, however, every case must be decided on the merits of the facts and circumstances. If you are an employer or an employee and you have issues related to this it is important to consult with your tax and/or legal advisor. For a worker providing services the rules have not really changed much. According to the IRS Form 1099-MISC instructions currently the forms are required only when payments are made in the course of your trade or business. Personal payments are not reportable. You are engaged in a trade or business if you operate for gain or profit. However, nonprofit organizations are considered to be engaged in a trade or business and are subject to these reporting requirements. Also, payments to corporations generally don’t require 1099 reporting. That doesn’t sound so bad? So what is the big deal you may have been hearing about with changes to the Form 1099-MISC reporting rules? Recently enacted bills have drastically increased the number of transaction that would be subject to Form 1099 reporting. There are basically three changes. Rental property expense payments: If you receive rental income from real estate, you are now considered to be in the trade or business of renting property and therefore have the same Form 1099-MISC reporting requirements as other taxpayers in a trade or business. You must report on Form 1099-MISC payments of $600 or more for rental property expenses. There is an exception for members of the military renting their homes temporarily while on active duty. So beginning in 2011 if you buy a second house and rent it out then if you pay $600 or more to a roofer, plumber or electrician to perform repairs you must issue them a 1099-MISC. Note that the $600 is the cumulative total for the year and not per payment.
Goods in addition to services: The health care reform bill enacted last year added the requirement to issue Form 1099-MISC for the purchase of goods as well as services, effective starting in 2012. Payments to Corporations: The health care reform bill enacted last year also expanded the required reporting to include corporations. This too is scheduled to be effective in 2012. The hours and costs of paperwork that small businesses will have to put in to comply with these new rules will be onerous. Congress has recognized the error of enacting these changes. The problem that congress is dealing with now to repeal these new requirements is that roughly $2 billion dollars per year was expected to be collected as a result of these new rules and to repeal them they need another source of revenue or a reduction of spending to keep the bill balanced. In other words, the new 1099 reporting requirements were funding a part of the health care reform bill. President Obama included partial reform in his budget, leaving payments to corporations still subject to the reporting requirements. The Senate passed repeal of the new requirements recently as a tag on to a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, however, that version omitted the repeal of the rental property expense payment reporting requirement. The House Ways and Means committee voted late last week to send two bills containing reform to the House for a full vote, however, many democrats in the House are not happy with the method used to fund the repeal. It looks like some type of repeal is likely in the near future, however, total repeal of all the new provisions is questionable. If you are involved in any type of business or real estate rental that may be affected by the new rules then keep good records including all the information needed to properly report your Forms 1099 for next year, whatever, set of rules that might be. The above information is for your reading pleasure. It should not be relied upon as tax advice. You should always consult your tax advisor for your own tax situation.
ADHD, Diet and Your Child
ne morning, while visiting a local school, I saw a child sitting at his desk, eating a pastrami sandwich, chips and drinking a can of soda at 8:30 am. My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe my eyes, yet the teacher and the other students seemed unfazed. When I asked the teacher what the school snack policy was, I was told there was none. So who is to blame for this? Is it our school system for having unclear snack policies or is it the parent’s fault for not feeding the child a substantial breakfast and sending him to school without a more balanced meal? When determining a clinical diagnosis in regards to a child’s behavior, one of the very first ques tions I ask is, “what does he/she eat?” The response from the teacher or parents is often “what does that have to do with how he/she is misbehaving?” This shows how much we all need to learn about how our diet truly can have an effect on our behaviors. Good nutrition and other important health habits are best established in childhood and one child in four is obese. Nearly 50% of obese adolescents remain obese as adults. By the age of 12, an estimated 70% of our children have developed the beginning stages of hardening of the arteries. Seven percent of school age children are diagnosed with ADHD and ADHD is much more common in boys than in girls. ADHD, also called Hyperactivity or Attention-Deficit Disorder is mainly exhibited with symptoms such as reduced attentiveness and concentration, excessive levels of activity, distractibility, and impulsiveness. ADHD takes an enormous toll on children and their families. The child falls behind in school, loses self- esteem, and needs extra help. A family may
need to cope with the need to focus the child’s attention on essential activities or restrain his or her impulsive behavior, while dealing with the unsettling fact that the child is not always welcome in other people’s homes, in play groups, or on teams. So, what do each of these facts have in common? Each medical problem can be diminished by becoming a well-educated consumer. Learn to buy healthier foods for your family. Many children eat and drink too much sugar, consume too many empty calories, and don't eat enough of the good things they need, like fresh fruits and vegetables. Some children have severe reactions to food additives and exhibit signs of ADHD and even autism when they eat additives. Parents also need to rule out the possibility of food allergies when their children exhibit atypical behavior. Perhaps some of the behaviors that we are witnessing in our children are due to their increased sensitivity to some ingredient or preservative. So what can you do if you are concerned your child may have ADHD? • Become informed consumers. Understand the basics of food and food preparation. • Stick to homemade, whole, fresh produce, dairy, meat or fish and avoid take out or prepared foods with mystery ingredients. • Stay away from products that contain caffeine. One study reported a 252% increase in ADHD scores when children drank less than one can of caffeinated cola. • Limit products that contain sugar. When a teacher offers candy as a reward for his students, although his inten-
By: Jason Wasser, LMFT
tions are honor- able, he is contributing to his class- room’s behavioral problems. • Eliminate food coloring, additives and preservatives as much as possible, as these have also been linked to behaviors connected to ADHD. A variety of common food dyes and the preservative sodium benzoate, an ingredient in many soft drinks, fruit juices, salad dressings and other foods, causes some children to become more hyperactive and distracted than usual. • Get involved with your child’s school and PTA to help make changes to their food and snack policies, so that your child can get the most out of his educational experience. Encourage them to educate the students about healthy diet and nutrition and only serve well balanced meals, that are low in saturated fat. • Visit The Children’s Study at www.childrenshealthstudy.com and www.naturegrownjuiceplus.com to learn more about how your child’s diet can affect his/her health, and what other simple steps you can take to improve your family’s health. Hopefully, with continued education, you will find ways to increase your overall knowledge about the connections between diet and ADHD that will contribute to the improvement of your child’s behavior and lead to changes in your family’s overall health and well-being. Jason Wasser, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who practices in Hollywood, FL and sees clients from Miami Beach to Boca Raton. He works with children, adults, individuals, couples and families.
Broward County Democratic Pioneer, Jewish Activist As a young man in the early 1950s, Charlie Friedman’s family sent him from Newport Rhode Island to Israel on a group trip that allowed him to connect with relatives who had survived the Holocaust. By the 1960s, Charlie eventually became Dr. Charles Friedman, South Florida dentist. But the grandson of the chazzan of Touro Synagogue simmered over his trip-to-Israel memories -- and the realization U.S. Jews had been largely powerless erless to stop the Shoah. So Dr. Friedman, who passed awayy New Year’s Eve, began a four decade effort of helping Jews from Eastern Europe to Ethiopia. He was booted out of the Soviet Union for meeting up with Refuseniks. Later, he and his family would travel by car through Hungary,, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and nd Yugoslavia, clandestinely delivering prayer and other Jewish books. He also believed strongly that Jews had to be involved in the political process by seeking public office. Dr. Friedman ran twice in the 1970s as a Democrat for the U.S. House -- at a time Broward County was controlled by Republicans. “He loved the fight. He loved things that were right and just,” said his son, Bernie Friedman, a shareholder in the Hollywood powerhouse law firm of Becker &
Poliakoff. “And if it wasn’t conventional, the better. This was the 1970s and he was calling for universal health care, social justice. He was incredibly progressive and caring.” During the 1974 campaign, Dr. Friedman on Shabbos mornings visited various synagogues, sometimes teaming up with another Jewish political figure, Dick Stone, who was running for Dic tthe U.S. Senate. “My Dad would do the Maftir and Dick Stone the Haftorah, or vice versa,” Bernie Friedman recalled. Dr. Friedman won contested primaries in 1974 and 1976 but did not win the seat, in each case losing to Republican incumbent, J. Herbert Burke b Dr. Friedman chose to remain active in Democratic politics, and was called upon often for support and advice. His efforts, along with the growing Jewish population in Broward, particularly in the condominium communities, paved the way for many young Jewish Democrats to win local, state and national office. Dozens of elected officials of various faiths were among hundreds to attend his funeral on Jan. 2. They joined Dr. Friedman’s adoring family includ-
ing his wife of 56 years, Sandra, sister-in-law Jena, brotherin-law Marvin, nieces, nephews, and his children and their spouses, Debbie and Ed, Bernie and Marta and Jenny and Dan, as well as four grand-childrenKara, Elana, Benjamin, and Leah. Many gave eulogies telling of his love of his dental patients, grand-children, gardening, fishing and especially tennis, where he earned the nickname the “human backboard” and once partnered in a pro am tournament with tennis champion “Rocket” Rod Laver. But no matter how busy his life was, the family enjoyed sharing a Shabbat table with their husband, father and grandfather Charlie, who drank from the Kiddush cup of his grand-father Nathan, the chazzan of Touro Synagogue. In memory of Dr. Friedman, the family has established the Charles Friedman Summer Camp Scholarship Fund at the David Posnack Jewish Community Center, 5850 S. Pine Island Road, Davie Florida, 33328. For more information call (954) 434-0499.
Helping Families With Elderly Parents Y
our typical day consists of getting up early in the morning, making lunches for the kids while thinking what to make for dinner. You take out some chicken to defrost and make sure you have the proper ingredients for a side dish. You get the kids up and dressed and prepare breakfast for the gang. Meanwhile, you must get dressed yourself and be ready to run to work immediately after the bus picks up your last child. You are smack in the middle of your morning routine and the phone rings, jarring you a bit. Your mind races as you try to beat the clock and you know that answering the phone is going to set you back. You look at the caller id and it displays a familiar number and you know you must answer. “Hi Mom, are you okay?” Her answer startles you, “No honey, I just fell and I can’t get up.” Now your mind is really racing. Your kids need you, your job needs you, your mom needs you and your husband has already left for work. What are you going to do? As parents get older and their needs begin to change there is a change in roles as well. You and your siblings become the caregivers and become part of the well known “sandwich generation”. Due to busy lives, there is a natural tendency to resolve immediate issues without much planning. If your parent shows signs of dementia, you hire a companion. If your parent is physically incapable of getting around, you do the shopping and all the errands for your parent and the companion. If you are blessed you have one or more siblings who can share the chores with you. However, the reality might be that you live the closest and that’s a good 30 minutes or more away from your parent. Your other siblings live out of state or in Israel. The responsibilities are now on your shoulders and you hardly have any extra time in your life as it is. Medical appointments have to be made and transporting your parent to and from the Doctor must be arranged. Worse yet, the Doctor’s hours don’t correspond with your working hours and you start missing days at work. The list of issues a child of aging parents must face is endless. When parents are unable to function without help, a child is
given a golden opportunity to do hakaros hatov by providing kavod to their parent. Clearly your parents provided for you and now the time has come for you to care for them. In speaking with someone who just lost her father (and spent every day of the last year and a half taking care of him), she said, “I thanked Hashem every day for the mitzvah of taking care of my father. I looked forward to helping him and honoring him in this way.” It is from this perspective that we should eagerly assist our parent.
The time has come for you and your siblings to create a plan of action. In speaking to your parent you mutually agree that it is time for your parent to move out of their home. Perhaps your parent can move into your home or a home of your sibling. Maybe you have to relocate your parent into an assisted living, senior housing or nursing home where they can receive the care they need. In addition to deciding where to move your parent, you recognize that you have to clean out the house, prepare it for sale, etc. etc. These tasks
35 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
Dr. Charles Friedman, 1929-2010
seem overwhelming to you and your siblings. How are you going to dismantle your parent’s home of 30 years plus? Who can possibly help you? You don’t have to get overwhelmed as you are not alone and you should be comforted to know that there are many places to turn to for help. One of the many resources you can contact is called, “A Home for Mom”. This company, listed on the internet, offers a free service to help you find the best residence to match your parents’ needs. The representatives are very caring and devoted, and more importantly, very helpful. You can also seek assistance from Senior Move Managers, also known as Senior Relocation Specialists. They assist you in downsizing the home by coordinating every aspect of the move; sorting all the belongings for donations, distributing items that belong to family members and getting rid of the “junk”. They will also prepare saleable items for tag/estate sales, pack up the items going with your parent and keep good records by creating lists of the contents in each box. They help you choose and negotiate fees with moving companies and other necessary vendors. No stone is left unturned as they coordinate contacting all relevant agencies to inform them of change of address or end of service. As difficult as your challenges are, Senior Relocation Specialists bring peace of mind to today’s sandwich generation. They will introduce you to helpful resources and provide guidance and caring throughout the entire relocation process and help you provide the proper kavod to your parent. Debbie Ginsberg and Frady Moskowitz, LMSW are partners in Uncluttered Domain Inc. They are professional organizers and senior relocation specialists, with a special focus on senior relocation management. They welcome comments and questions and can be reached at Info@UnclutteredDomain.com. Their website address is www.UnclutteredDomain. com.
36 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
Scooter Braun’s Jewish Values Keep The Teen Celebrity Grounded. By Aish.com staff
I
t’s 8 p.m. at Madison Square Garden and the biggest event of the year – Justin Bieber in concert – is about to begin. The show has been sold out for months, and thousands of (mostly) screaming girls wait for their heart-throb to take the stage. But first, Justin and his team bow their heads for a moment of prayer: “Shema Yisrael, Ado-noy Elo-heinu, Ado-noy Echad.” Never mind that Justin is Christian. Under the stewardship of 29-year-old Jewish manager Scooter Braun, the guiding principles of Justin Bieber’s career are firmly rooted in Jewish tradition. In case you’ve been hiding in a cave, Justin Bieber is the most searched-for celebrity on the Internet. He accounts for 3% of all traffic on Twitter. His video for the song “Baby,” with 450 million views, is the most popular YouTube link ever. It all started in 2007, when Scooter Braun, a music executive living in Atlanta, was scouring the Internet for the “next big thing.” By accident, he came across YouTube videos of a 12-year-old Canadian kid, singing off the cuff at home. Braun was awestruck: “This kid had soul, an incredible voice, could play multiple instruments, and could dance. He had it all.” Scooter went into overdrive to track the kid down. The search led to Stratford, Ontario, a nondescript town where Justin was being raised by his single mom, just 18 years his senior. At first, Mom was highly suspicious of the aggressive guy on the phone, and she pushed him off. But Braun persisted, and subsequent conversations revealed that the two sides shared a deep commitment to family values. Justin and his mom flew down to Atlanta. Scooter signed them to a recording and management deal. And now, one meteoric rise later, Justin is simply the most popular teenager on the planet and the star of a new major motion picture, Never Say Never. All this has put Justin in the precarious position where he could end up like so many other teen megastars, whose personal life and career crashed in a tragic muddle of drugs, excess and narcissism. That’s where Scooter Braun steps in: “I’m not going to let that happen to him,” he says. “Talent never betrays the artist. It’s personal choices that betray the
artist.” Scooter has also assumed the role of Justin’s surrogate father. Scooter – aside from managing all of Justin’s business matters and directing his artistic career – has also assumed the role of surrogate father and the prime male influence in Justin’s life. “The only way he is going to transition into an emotionally healthy adult and continue to have a successful career is if he understands his responsibilities,” Scooter told Aish.com. “He needs the right tools to handle the pressure.” Scooter’s first order of business has been to build a team characterized by genuine heart and integrity. “We have an ironclad rule for anyone working with Justin: If you treat him like a superstar, you’re fired immediately. We don’t coddle him. We hold him up to being responsible. We demand that he shows respect to people. If he makes a mistake, he has to apologize. Our job is to not only guide his career, but to make sure he grows up to be a good man.”
Justin Beiber (L) with Scooter Braun
Charity Deal-Breaker Scooter Braun knows a bit about the dangers of becoming spoiled. He led a charmed life, growing up in the Connecticut suburb of Darien, one of the most affluent towns in the United States. Braun’s family lived in a house with tennis courts, a swimming pool and an indoor basketball court. Scooter was a star guard on the Greenwich High basketball team, and was elected class president three years in a row. Amidst all the wealth and success, it was Jewish values that served as a counterbalance. The idea of taking responsibility was constantly stressed. His father would frequently cite the Talmudic teaching: “In a place where there is no man, you must stand up and be a man.” “My parents raised me to follow a higher moral standard,” says Scooter, AKA Shmuel ben Eliezer. “They taught me that every human being is extraordinary. It’s up to us to set lofty goals – and then strive to exceed them.”
With a kosher home, trips to Israel, and other Jewish activities, the Braun family was devoted to bedrock Jewish ideals. “Education, family, charity, God. These are the core values that I was taught to live by, and this forms the foundation of my relationship with Justin.” Exactly how do these values manifest in Justin’s career? “Every business arrangement must have a charitable component built in, or else we don’t do the deal,” Scooter says. For example, one dollar from every concert ticket sold goes to an organization – aptly founded by Scooter’s brother Adam – that builds schools in the Third World. “It’s all about giving back and helping out kids that need education,” Justin told MTV. “It’s really important that I’m able to help out other kids. As a kid myself, it means a lot to me.” Another example: Scooter launched a contest to support the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, New York. The school that collected the most pennies would win a free Justin Bieber concert. The contest raised $152,000 –15.2 million pennies, weighing in at 41 tons of copper. What’s the point of all this if you can’t make a difference in others’ lives? Justin has taken on support of children’s hospitals as his personal cause. In every city, he stops at the children’s hospital, going from room to room to meet with kids and cheer them up. Justin’s new film is being screened at children’s hospitals across America, and some proceeds from his new acoustic LP are being donated. Justin explained in a Twitter post: “I am in the position to give back thanks to my fans and God… I wanted to help others and I feel like I have a responsibility to do so. What’s the point of all this if you can’t make a difference in others’ lives?” All of this makes Scooter Braun proud. “When I was growing up, my father taught me that the true role models aren’t athletes and entertainers. Rather it is those who do their job to the best of their ability. We have to serve as an example to others. That’s the responsibility of any human being, all the more so the responsibility of a celebrity. And that’s the lesson I’m teaching Justin.” Scooter’s parents walked the walk, instilling in him the power of giving. “There were always different people staying in our house – a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants, or other people in need,” Scooter says. “At one point two brothers from Mozambique needed a place to stay for a few weeks, so we took them in. Before long, my parents became their legal guardians. We became very close and I was recently ‘best man’ at one of their weddings. Looking back, I see we did a lot to help them, but I believe they did much more for us.”
Israel Pride Scooter’s Jewish pride extends to support of Israel as well. While many performing artists have backed out of concerts in Israel due to pressure from proCONTINUED ON PAGE 38
37
FORGOTTEN HEROES Highlights of famous Jews who made a difference in the history of their countries
M
ost of the Jews who even though he would lived in America probably have been during the Civil confirmed. War (1861-1865) lived in Soon after he bethe North and supported the came a Senator, anothUnion cause wholeheartedly. er congressman chalNevertheless, there were lenged him to a duel some living in the South, and over a suspected insult. some even owned slaves on That senator, future plantations. One of these Jews Confederate President was Judah Benjamin. Jefferson Davis of MisJudah P. Benjamin was sissippi, apologized born in 1811 on the British and soon they became colony of Saint Croix, in the close friends. There Danish West Indies, now the were some people who U.S. Virgin Islands. His pardid not like the fact that ents, Phillip Benjamin and Rethere was a Jew supbecca de Mendes, were of Sepporting the confederhardic descent and could trace ate cause. Senator Ben their lineage back to the SpanWade of Ohio likened ish Inquisition of 1492. The him to an “Israelite with Benjamin family soon moved Egyptian principles.” to America and settled in New Judah responded, “It Orleans after a stint in Charlesis true that I am a Jew, ton, South Carolina. When he and when my ancestors was fourteen years old he went were receiving their to Yale Law School, but for Ten Commandments reasons unknown to historians from the immediate Judah Benjamin he left before he graduated. He Deity, amidst the thunwas admitted to the Louisiana derings and lightnings bar and became a commercial lawyer, and helped that of Mount Sinai, the ancestors of my opponent were area grow economically. He soon became a political herding swine in the forest of Great Britain.” Most of advocate for banking, finance, and railroad interests, the time, however, he just remained silent and smiled things that soon would propel him into the politiwhen anyone said an anti-Semitic comment. cal circle. Soon he established a sugar cane plantation After the South seceded and formed their new with 150 slaves in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. After a government in 1861, President Davis named Benjasour marriage, where his wife took his only child to min as his attorney general. Davis chose him because Paris, he sold all of his slaves in 1850, never to own he “had a very high reputation as a lawyer, and my acone again. quaintance with him in the Senate had impressed me with the lucidity of his intellect, his systematic habits, and capacity for labor.” In this capacity he first earned the nickname “the Brains of the Confederacy”. Later that year Benjamin was appointed the Secretary of War. His appointment was scorned by Generals P.T. Beauregard and StoneIn 1842, Benjamin was elected to the Louisiana wall Jackson, because it was legislature, and in 1852 became the first acknowlhis decision to give up Roaedged Jew to be elected to the U.S. Senate. First noke Island without a fight. elected as a member of the Whig party, in 1858 he In truth, the island had been was reelected as a Democrat. He was asked by Presidefended with about 100 cadent Millard Fillmore if he would like to serve on the sualties, and reinforcements Supreme Court. Benjamin declined to be nominated, could not be sent because
By: Avi Heiligman they were needed elsewhere. Nevertheless, the generals needed someone to pin the blame on, and that person was Benjamin. He was cited in the Confederate Congress for messing up and resigned without protest. President Davis did not want to publicly admit that the South had so few troops, but since he really liked Benjamin, he appointed him as Secretary of State. In his new post, Benjamin tried hard to get the British to fight on the side of the Confederacy. The public opinion in England was opposed to slavery, so Benjamin made the announcement, “Let us say to every Negro who wishes to go into the ranks, ‘Go and fight - you are free.” This would have also alleviated the shortage of troops. The great general of the South, Robert E. Lee, was a huge supporter of this plan, but it did not take effect until March 1865. By then the war was lost, and these troops would not have made any difference. Even with this declaration, the British were not persuaded to aid the South. Five days after the Civil War had ended, President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Soon the Northerners were calling it a Confederate conspiracy to reignite the war, and Judah Benjamin was one of the leaders. There was sustainable evidence that Booth had met with Confederate leaders, and was receiving funds from them. To escape these rumors, he fled to Florida. He realized that he would have to leave America so he decided to go to England via the Bahamas. On the trip to the island of Nassau, his ship exploded and he and the three crewmen had to be rescued by an English warship. If that was not enough, on the trip from the Bahamas, his ship caught fire but was able to make port in England. Once there, he was admitted to the bar to begin his career as a lawyer anew. He died on May 6, 1884 in Paris and was buried there under the name of Philippe Benjamin. If you have any questions or comments, you can email Avi at aviheiligman@gmail.com
Jewelry
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
The Brains of the Confederacy
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
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SCOOTER BRAUN CONTINUED
Palestinian groups, “Bieber Fever” will hit Tel Aviv in April 2011 for an outdoor concert that expects to attract 60,000. The entire Braun family will be joining the entourage, reuniting with Scooter’s sister who attends medical school in Tel Aviv. The family plans to stay on afterwards to celebrate Passover in the Holy Land. Scooter’s grandmother – who spent her teen years in Auschwitz – will be part of the trip as well. Scooter’s (now-deceased) grandfather survived Dachau and Mauthausen. The two met after the war and got married, settling in Hungary. Then in 1956 when the revolution struck, the couple orchestrated a spectacular nighttime escape, traveling on a horse-drawn wagon through the countryside, and crossing the border into Austria just ahead of the Soviet tanks. Growing up, I was angry that I didn’t have a larger family. “That’s one reason I am so insistent about doing a concert in Israel,” Scooter explains. “Growing up, I was angry that I didn’t have a larger family – aunts, uncles, cousins. My grandmother was the sole survivor of her family. The Holocaust made me appreciate the price that the Jewish people have paid, and for me the State of Israel represents the idea that Jews never need to fear about who we are.” It’s these and other Jewish lessons that Scooter is now applying full-force to his client and protégé, Justin Bieber. So what’s the deal with the Shema? “Justin has 20,000 people a night telling him that he’s the greatest thing on Earth,” Scooter explains. “That’s why it’s so crucial to acknowledge the One
above us. Without that awareness, there’s no chance of staying grounded.” To that end, Justin’s mom began forming “prayer circles” before each show. Scooter felt uncomfortable with the Christian themes, so he teamed with another Jew – Dan Kanter, the show’s musical director – to say
their own prayer, the first line of Shema. “After the third show, as we said the Shema, Justin chimed in,” Scooter explains. “I was shocked. But he told me that he’d been listening to us and had memorized it. So now every night he says it along with us. He likes the ideas it represents.”
PARENTING TODAY
39
BY BENJIE STERN
H
ere is an explanation of the school homework policy for the average student. Students should not spend more than ninety minutes per night. This time should be budgeted in the following manner if the student desires to achieve moderate to good grades in his/her classes: • 15 minutes looking for assignment. • 11 minutes calling a friend for the assignment. • 23 minutes explaining why the teacher is mean and just does not like children. • 8 minutes in the bathroom. • 10 minutes getting a snack. • 7 minutes playing games • 6 minutes telling parents that the teacher never explained the assignment. • 10 minutes sitting at the kitchen table waiting for Mom or Dad to do the assignment. Battles over homework too often drive a wedge between parents and their children. Many times these ongoing conflicts give children a distaste for learning and often sends parents to bed at night frustrated. The following tips are dedicated to creating happier homes, where children are free to fall in love with learning and parents no longer dread homework hassles: Tip #1: Designated family learning time It is important that each evening on a consistent basis, there is a set time that is created in the home designated for family learning. This is a time that you do your homework as your child does his. If you have bills to do, or e-mails to respond to, or books to read; designate learning time to take care of your own “homework” while the children do theirs. The best way to create a love of learning in your kids is to show them how much you enjoy it. Tip #2: Offer choices Research shows that children are more likely to do their homework and avoid homework battles if they
likes that. So what do you want to do?” Seeing that you get how she’s feeling, she might involve you further. “Once she’s asking you for your input, you can suggest, ‘Maybe you can try it this different way,’” says Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. Tip #7: Help only as long as your child is doing most of the work. Say the following to yourself over and over again: This is my child’s homework. Not mine! There is nothing more destructive than stealing the struggle of learning by doing too much for your child. Each time they achieve something difficult on their own, their sense of accomplishment soars and they are better prepared for the real world. are given many small choices. For example: Would you rather do your homework right after school or wait until after dinner? Are you going to do your homework in your room or at the kitchen table? Tip #3: Help only when your child really wants it Helping a child with homework when help is not wanted can cause homework battles. Your child’s desire to do it alone is a very healthy sign of independence and responsibility. Instead it may be helpful if the parent asks questions such as: Would you like some ideas on that, or would you like me to leave you alone? Tip #4: Focus on what they do well Our focus should not be on what our child had done wrong. This will just deflate their desire and energy to do homework. Successful parents spend most of their energy noticing what their kids do well. They say things like: You must have really worked hard on that! Look at that math problem. You got it right! Tip #5: Know when to help and when to back away All too often, homework help turns into a homework battle. Smart parents back out of the helper role as soon as they sense conflict brewing. At this point it may be helpful to tell the child: I love you too much to help if it means we are going to argue. I know this is really hard. Good luck. Tip #6: Approach your struggling child with empathy When some kids hit a block, they’re quick to decide that a particular subject is not their thing and they stop trying. Your instinct, of course, is to say, “That’s not true! If at first you don’t succeed...” If your child is beyond a certain level of despair, however, that’s not likely to work. The script is already all laid out: ‘I can’t.’ ‘Yes, you can. Just try.’ ‘I did try.’ Instead, consider approaching your child with empathy. Say something like this: “It sounds like when you look at this homework, you just feel overwhelmed. Nobody
Sources: Fay, J. (2003) Parenting with love and logic: Make Your Kids Responsible For their Actions. Sydney S. Zentall, Ph.D. and Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. (1999). Seven Steps to Homework Success: A Family Guide for Solving Common Homework Problems: Specialty Press, Inc.
Benjie Stern, PhD (Candidate) in Counseling Psychology, MS in School Psychology, is a School Psychologist in Magen David Yeshiva and specializes in counseling children, teenagers and parents. He is a member of Nefesh International - Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals, the American Psychological Association (APA), and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). For appointments (in Brooklyn or Five Towns), comments or questions please email at kidfriendlypsych@gmail. com or call (516) 232-7466.
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
No More Homework Battles
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
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41 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
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South Florida Kosher Restaurant Guide BAGEL TIME 3915 Alton Road Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-538-0300 Supervision: Circle K
41 ON THE BAY 4101 Pinetree Drive Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-535-4101 Rabbinic Supervision: Kosher-Miami
JONA’S GRILL & BAR 2520 NE 186th Street North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-466-0722 Supervision: Kosher-Miami
CAFE VERT 9490 Harding Ave. Surfside, FL 33154 305-867-3151 Supervision: OK
ASI’S GRILL AND SUSHI BAR 4020 Royal Palm Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-604-0555 Supervision: Kosher Miami
JERUSALEM PIZZA 761 NE 167th Street North Miami Beach, FL 33162 305-653 6662 | Supervision: Kosher Miami
AVENTURA PITA 18129 Biscayne Blvd. Aventura, FL 33160 305-933-4040
KIKAR TEL-AVIV RESTAURANT Chinese and Continental Cuisine Carriage Club North 5005 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-866-3316 Supervision: OK Laboratories
JONAS PIZZA 2530 NE Miami Gardens Drive North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-918-8998 Supervision: Kosher-Miami NEWTIME Moroccan and Spanish cuisine 2120 N.E. 123rd Street North Miami Beach, FL 33181 305-891-6336 Supervision: Kosher Miami PRIME SUSHI 726 Arthur Godfrey Road Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-534-0551 Supervision: Kosher-Miami Cholov Yisroel PRIME SUSHI 18250 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 786-284-8430 Supervision: Kosher-Miami RITZ RESTAURANT 1678 NE Miami Gardens Dr. North Miami Beach, FL 33179 305-354-9303 Supervision: Kosher-Miami SEVENTEEN 1205 17 Street Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-672-0565 Supervision: Kosher-Miami SHEM TOV’S PIZZA 514 41st Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-538-2123 Supervision: Kosher Miami TASTI CAFE 4041 Royal Palm Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-675-5483 Supervision: Kosher Miami Dairy WEBER CAFE 3565 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 (305) 935-5580 Supervision: Kosher Miami
B & H PIZZA 233 95th Street Surfside, FL 33154 786-245-5557 Supervision: Kosher Miami CHAI WOK 1688 NE 164 Street North Miami Beach, FL 33162 305-705-2110 Supervision: Kosher Miami CHINA BISTRO 3565 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 305-936-0755 Supervision: Kosher Miami CINE CITTA MIAMI 9544 Harding Avenue Surfside, FL 33154 305-407-8319 Supervision: OK DECO SUBS 3919 Alton Road Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-672-7285 Supervision: Kosher-Miami ELIES CAFE 145 East Flagler Miami, FL 33131 786-594-0196 Supervision: Kosher-Miami ELSIE’S CAFE Located in the North Miami Beach JCC 18900 NE 25th Avenue North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-778-5946 Supervision: Kosher Miami GIGI’S CAFE 3585 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 305-466-4648 Supervision: Kosher Miami GRILL TIME 16145 Biscayne Blvd. North Miami Beach, FL 33160 786-274-8935 | 305-491-3325 Supervision: ORB HARBOUR GRILL 9415 Harding Avenue Surfside, FL 33154 305-861-0787 Supervision: Kosher Miami
LUL GRILL CAFE 18288 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 305-933-0199 Rabbinic Supervision: OK ASI’S 4020 Royal Palm Ave Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-604-0555 Supervision: Kosher-Miami FRESH CAFE 2214 NE 123 Street North Miami, FL 33181 305-891-8848 Supervision: Kosher Miami ORIGINAL PITA HUT 5304 41 Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-531-6090 Supervision: ORD PISTACHIO GOURMET GRILL 740 41 Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-538-1616 Supervision: Kosher Miami PITA LOCA 601 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-673-3388 Supervision: Kosher Miami
PITA PLUS 1883w3 Biscayne Boulevard Aventura, FL 33180 305-935-0761 RARE STEAKHOUSE 468 W 41st Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-532-7273 Supervision: Kosher-Miami KOSHER BURGER 5021 State Road 7, Davie, FL 33314 954-534-1158 Supervision: ORB SHALOM HAIFA RESTAURANT 18533 W. Dixie Hwy Aventura, FL 33180 305-945-2884 Supervision: ORB SUBWAY 18900 NE 25th Ave North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-663-9883 Supervision: Kosher-Miami THAI TREAT & SUSHI & BOMBAY GRILL 2176 NE 123rd Street North Miami, FL 33181 305-892-1118 Supervision: Kosher-Miami THE FAMOUS PITA BURGER BAR 18798 W Dixie Hwy North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-682-9692 Supervision: Kosher-Miami WEST AVENUE CAFE 959 West Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-534-4211 Supervision: Kosher Miami AVIGDOR’S MOZART CAFE 4433 Stirling Road, Hollywood, FL 33021 954-584-5171 Supervision: ORB
BON AMI CAFE 5650 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33021 (954) 962-2070 Supervision: ORB CAFE EMUNAH 3558 North Ocean Dr. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 954-561-6411 Supervision: ORB DAIRY BITES 660 W Hallandale Beach Boulevard Hallandale, FL 33009 954-457-2700 Supervision: Kosher-Miami JP BISTRO Pizzeria 5650 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33021 (954) 964-6811 Supervision: ORB SARA’S 3944 N 46th Street Hollywood, FL 33021 954-986-1770 Supervision: ORB AT HAGI 5800 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33021 954-981-7710 Supervision: ORB HOLLYWOOD DELI 6100 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, FL 33024 (954) 608-5790 Supervision: ORB
954-748-0090 SUNRISE PITA TOO 5650 Stirling Rd. Hollywood, FL 33021 954-963-0093 Supervision: ORB EUROPEAN CORNER CAFE 7300 Camino Real Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-395-1109 Supervision: ORB JCC CAFE American 9801 Donna Klein Blvd at Cultural Arts Center Boca Raton, FL 33428 561-852-3200 x 4103 | Supervision: ORB JON’S PLACE OF BOCA Pizzeria 22191 Powerline Road Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-338-0008 Supervision: ORB ASIA Sushi, Wok, Grill 7600 W Camino Real Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-544-8100 Supervision: ORB BOCA PITA EXPRESS Middle Eastern Israeli cuisine & grill 7185 N. Beracasa Way Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-750-0088 Supervision: ORB
L’CHAIM MEE CHINA ORIENTAL RESTAURANT 3940 North 46 Avenue Hollywood, FL 33021 954-986-1770 Supervision: ORB
GRILL TIME RESTAURANT Fusion Steak House 8177 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33434 (561) 482-3699 | Fax: (561) 487-4044 Supervision: ORB
LEVY’S KOSHER OF HOLLYWOOD 3357 Sheridan Street Hollywood, FL 33021 954-983-2825 Supervision: ORB
ORCHIDS GARDEN 9045 La Fontana Boulevard Boca Raton, FL 33434 561-482-3831 Supervision: ORB
PITA GRILL CAFE 658 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd. Hallandale, FL 33009 954-455-2118 Supervision: ORB
SAGI’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 22767 US Highway 441 Boca Raton, FL 33428 561-477-0633 Supervision: ORB
PITA PLUS 2145 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33312 954-241-2011
MAOZ VEGETARIAN Town Center Mall 6000 Glades Road #1175 Boca Raton, FL 33431 561-393-6269 | Fax: 561-393-6532 Rabbinical Supervision: National Orthodox Rabbinical Organization
PITA PLUS 3801 N. University Dr. Sunrise, FL 33351 954-741-5844 SUNRISE PITA & GRILL 2680 N University Dr. Sunrise, FL 33322
43 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
South Florida Kosher Restaurant Guide
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
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45
1. DON’T CONFUSE EXAGGERATION WITH LYING - Young children frequently tell tales that are very creative… and clearly untrue. Adults often jump to correct them, wanting to teach their children to be truthful. Young children often weave what they want to happen together with what really did happen. In most cases, you can simply listen to your child’s stories and leave it at that. If it is happening very frequently, try to interject some reality into the children’s stories. For example, if your child wildly exaggerates, smile and empathize with “You really wish you could do that, right?” 2. VERIFY THE FACTS BEFORE YOU REACT - Don’t jump immediately to the conclusion that your child is lying – no matter how ridiculous what you hear may seem. Although your child’s account of a situation may be way off, that doesn’t mean that he or she is lying. Children have very limited perspectives – what you are hearing may be nothing more than a misunderstanding or a misinterpretation. Just correct your child without anger and your child will learn from the mistake. 3. KNOW HOW TO TELL WHEN YOUR CHILD IS LYING - All too often it is difficult to tell when a child is lying – and some of them are quite good at it! Three things to look out for when you doubt your child’s words; a stiff or anxious facial expression, lack of spontaneity (lies are often well rehearsed), and poor clarity of speech. When children are lying there are usually inconsistencies or changes in their stories – especially if questioned for details. When my shaitel was recently treated to an unsolicited washed and set, I was sure it was my three year old until he passed this litmus test with flying colors. Lo and behold, it turned out he hadn’t done it! 4. TREAT THE CORE PROBLEM - Children who lie have a motive – and usually not a sinister one. Lying is often an outgrowth of anxiety or lack of confidence. Children will lie to impress others, to get praise or attention that they crave, to protect or maintain a friendship or to avoid a reaction they are afraid of. Take note of
TIPS
your child is lying, be straight and say “That doesn’t sound like the truth to me,” or, “I can’t think of another way it could have happened.” When you refrain from accusing or shaming your child, it is more likely that he/she will tell you the truth.
Mrs. Hebel’s
Top Ten Tips
8. DON’T SET CHILDREN UP - Setting your child up by asking, “Did you...?” can back him/her into a corner and actually encourage lying. Instead, let your child know in a calm and straightforward way that you know what he or she did, why it was wrong, and what the consequences will be. There is no need to extract a confession to make your point. The very fact that your child does not deny the behavior and accepts your discipline is a tacit admission.
FOR DISCOURAGING LYING what your child’s motive is and help him/her find other ways to fulfill that need next time. If the underlying issue is addressed, the need to lie will diminish. And, if the little lies do not get your attention, chances are that the lies will increase in size and frequency. 5. BE CONSISTENT IN DISCIPLINE FOR LYINGLet your children know your rules and consequences for lying and then stick to them every time you catch your child in a lie. Occasional lying is normal, but unacceptable. Lying can become habitual and a very ingrained part of the personality, so you want to stop it right away. You certainly should give consequences for poor behavior even if your child was honest, but since your ultimate goal is to have your child admit and accept responsibility for his or her actions, be sure that you give them reason to admit and apologize by lessening the punishment if they do. resolved. And when you do it, tread cautiously. 6. DON’T REWARD LYING - Parents should be careful not to inadvertently reward lying. If, for example, your child lies to get something he/she wants, make sure not to give it. Or if he or she lies to get out of trouble be sure that it doesn’t work or you’ll have sent the message that this is a great tactic. Almost all children experiment with lies at some point, so always listen with a critical ear. If you believe everything your child says, you will breed a liar! 7. DON’T SHAME CHILDREN FOR LYING Let your children know that you are disappointed with their actions when they lie, but avoid sending the message that they are a “liar”. Labeling a child’s essence is very hurtful. If you think
9. TEACH HONESTY. - You can teach honesty even to very young children. Teach your children that telling the truth lets other people know that they can be trusted (and that the opposite is equally true!). Find teaching opportunities as they come up; in real life situations, when reading story books, or through Shabbos table discussions. But even more important, teach your children that open communication will help solve their problems and lying will make them worse! 10. MODEL TRUTHFULNESS. - Children learn from what they see. If you bend the truth in your child’s presence, he or she will remember it! Furthermore, telling your child that a given topic is not appropriate for them is a better approach than bluffing and answering their questions with distortions or non-truths. Your child will figure out eventually that you were not truthful and will learn to do the same. Being straightforward models honesty and you get the side benefit of teaching your children boundaries – a very healthy lesson Mrs. Estee Hebel, MsED, is the General Studies Principal of Shalom Torah Academy, a preschool through eighth grade day school, in Morganville, NJ. Mrs. Hebel has over 15 years of experience in education and educational leadership. She is also a dynamic teacher trainer who has taught a graduate course in educational research. She presents innovative hands-on training workshops on a wide assortment of teaching methods, classroom management, motivational techniques and strategies for encouraging self-directed and higher-level learning. To learn more about her workshops or to schedule one, you can contact her at 732-536-0911x12 or esteehebel@yahoo.com.
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
Parenting
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
46 POLITICAL CROSSFIRE
T
he most amazing thing about all the demonstrations taking place around the world is that some of the biggest protests are actually taking place right here in the United States. Over the past two weeks 70,000 state employees in Wisconsin have been protesting and holding large demonstrations in the capital of Madison. According to protest organizers (i.e. the unions and the Democrats), the protests are likely to spread to other states around the country. What’s going on in Wisconsin and why all the rage? In response to a $3.6 billion dollar budget deficit, Republican governor, Scott Walker, proposed a budget bill which would require public employees to make modest contributions to their pensions and health care. The bill also makes changes to the union’s collective bargaining agreement, which is having crushing effects on municipal budgets. (The governor’s plan would not apply to public safety employees such as police, firefighters and state troopers.) The public employee union responded by taking a page out of the Middle Eastern playbook. For days, tens-of-thousands of state employees have been marching on the capital of Madison, Wisconsin demanding that the governor abandon his plan. As one protestor stated, “I feel like we are fighting the same fight as the Egyptians.” Many services in the state have been brought to a halt. Although, according to the U.S. Department of Education, twothirds of 8th graders in Wisconsin public schools cannot read proficiently, thousands of teachers – many of whom make over $100,000 yearly salaries – called in sick , essentially shutting down the school system for days on end. “Let them just raise taxes to fix the budget,” has been one of the more common arguments made by the protesters. Yes, nasty and hateful posters have been seen in the crowd, however to attribute that to anything other than a few spiteful individuals would
be a rush to judgment, unfair and very mainstreammedia-like. Due to the new tide of Republican governors who have given notice that they will no longer allow the unions to bankrupt their states, the unions see the Wisconsin budget battle as a national fight. And the unions will not By: Naftali Halpern go down without a fight. “It’s just a start. It’s just a start,” said Arlene Holt Baker, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO, regarding the Wisconsin protests. “You’ll start to see it all over the country. And as I said, this is payback for some of these folks.” Perhaps most outrageous about the Wisconsin protests is that , unlike the Muslin Brotherhood who have successfully disguised their involvement in the Egyptian protests, President Obama, who has called the bill “an assault on unions,” has not even disguised his involvement in the protests. Organizing for America, which is President Obama’s political group, has bused in thousands of people to join in the protests. According to the Washington Post (hardly a right
wing publication), “The president’s political machine worked in close coordination Thursday with state and national union officials to get thousands of protesters to gather in Madison and to plan similar demonstrations in other state capitals.” Furthermore, “Democratic Party officials were organizing additional demonstrations in Ohio and Indiana, where an effort is underway to trim benefits for public workers. Some union activists predicted similar protests in Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” reports the Washington Post. Even considering the fact that President Obama is a former community organizer, the leader of the nation should not be promoting anti-government
demonstrations, especially considering the fact that many states are broke and can’t afford to continue being piggybanks for unions. Speaker of the House John Boehner has chastised Obama’s involvement and stated, “His political organization is colluding with special-interest allies across the country to demagogue reform-minded governors who are making the tough choices that the president is avoiding.” Regardless of the fact that in the infancy of Obama’s presidential campaign he stated, “I will paint the nation purple with SEIU [the biggest union in the country],”having his fingerprints on these antigovernment demonstrations will not sit well with the overwhelming majority of Americans, who are not part of a union. One plausible explanation as to why the President is willing to take such an unpopular stance may lie in the ideological makeup of President Obama. As an internationalist, President Obama sees the entire world as one stage. Since protests are taking place throughout the world in order for people to achieve their demands, Obama sees no reason why similar protests shouldn’t take place in the United States. Since he sympathizes with the unions and believes that his rise to power was the impetus for the demonstrations which took place around the globe, it only makes sense that he would promote similar demonstrations in the United States. Perhaps just as outrageous but certainly more humorous, on the day that the Republicans planned to vote on the budget bill, the 14 Democrat members of the Wisconsin senate fled to an undisclosed location. This prevented the Republicans from voting on the bill because by law there needs to be at least one Democrat present in order to form a quorum. Governor Scott Walker sent the State troopers to locate the Democrats to bring them to the statehouse in order to force a vote. The troopers checked their homes and nearby offices but were not able to locate any of them. One Democrat, Senator Mark Miller, even called CNN with a list of demands. He refused to disclose his location but stated, “We are in what we consider a secure location outside the capital. We are not all in one place at this time.” Eventually the Democrats were located. No, they didn’t disguise themselves among the thousands of protesters on the streets. Nor were they hard at work in a nearby office building. Rather, they were huddled at the Best Western Clock Tower Resort in Rockford, Illinois. This resort boasts indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center and tennis courts, CoCo Key Water Resort, Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, Totally You Hair Salon, and Sun Dial restaurant and lounge. (See http://www.clocktowerresort.com) True public servants, hard at work. No wonder the media is tying themselves in knots to not report this story.
NUTRITION & FITNESS
47
M
Keeping you on your toes about Reflexology
ore and more people are discovering the many benefits of reflexology. Reflexology is being sought out for relief from neck, back and joint pain, migraines and it has even been an effective tool for hormonal balancing. A study was undertaken by the “Nursing Standard” Magazine to see if reflexology is useful to help cancer patients in later stages, with their quality of life. All patients reported better quality of life. The patients also gained in terms of appearance, appetite, breathing, communication, concentration, constipation, diarrhea, fear of the future, isolation, urination, mobility, mood, nausea, pain, sleep and tiredness. One might wonder how a relaxing “foot massage” can have all these significant advantages. Reflexology is an energy treatment, and in this article I will explain what energy is, and how powerful it can be. To most people energy, in this context, sounds completely esoteric. Some might claim
simple energy! Within us, we have different frequencies of energy as well as different types of energy. The energy that we create has major affects on our mental disposition and physical health. There are dull and vibrant levels that are constantly changing within us. For example, we all have our off days (or weeks), where we keep on getting sick, or we just feel numb. It can be hard to break out of those times, this attitude is caused by a blockage or a lack of balance in our energy flow, thus,
by Effie Sussman
our energy is slowed down, causing us to feel stuck or sick. Sometimes this blockage or lack of balance makes us feel uneven causing us to feel anxious. It is no wonder that reflexology helps cancer patients with quality of life. Reflexology, and other forms of energy treatments, can be very helpful in making us feel strong, spirited and healthy. Effie Sussman practices massage, reflexology and energy therapy. She can be reached through the South Florida Jewish Home .
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that it is this far out thing that was created on some mountain top in India. However, I assure you that it was not, and to many people’s surprise it actually has scientific ground. To begin, energy is in everything. Everything in this world emits radiation at a certain frequency. Energy, in this context, is an electromagnetic field that is inside and around a person, and not regularly visible. Modern technology is now able to measure and even take pictures of electromagnetic fields. When studies were done using a SQUID machine - which measures electromagnetic fields (energy)- on energy healers, it was found that the practitioners emitted very high levels of bio-magnetic fields around their hands. People who are highly trained and have developed sensitivities are able to see with their naked eye. Some can even feel electromagnetic fields, which is plain and
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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
Reflexology 101 PART II
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
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NUTRITION & FITNESS
D
by Aliza Beer
Shake Your Thirst the Right Weigh
o you know our body weight comprises of nearly 60 to 70 percent water, and that sufficient intake of water can help us stave off many health problems? Despite the seemingly sublime importance of water consumption, most people tend to choose sodas as their beverage of choice. There are many reasons why one should avoid drinking diet sodas and other soft drink beverages, but I have narrowed it down to the top five. Caffeinated Beverages: Caffeine is an addictive drug, and stimulates the brain similarly to mechanisms used by amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin, albeit with milder effects. If you cannot function without your coffee in the morning, then you are addicted to caffeine. Consumption of caffeine in large amounts, especially over extended periods of time, can lead to a condition called caffeinism. Caffeinism encompasses a wide range of physical and mental symptoms that include nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, and heart palpitations. Will Harm Your Teeth: The flavoring agents used in soft drinks make the beverage more acidic, and could erode tooth enamel. Coke and Pepsi are very acidic. I read an article about a fifth grader whose science fair project consisted of placing her baby teeth in vials of Coke. Over the course of a few days, they disappeared! Her project “Rot your Teeth” won an Honorable Mention at the fair. Artiϐicial Caramel Coloring Linked to Cancer: The Center for Science in the Public Interest has recently petitioned the FDA to ban ingredients known as “caramel coloring” that are found in many soft drinks and snacks. These chemicals have been shown to cause several different types of cancers, including lung, liver, thyroid, and leukemia in lab animals.
Weight Gain: The high sugar content of sodas will cause increased weight gain. Although diet sodas lack calories, the sweet taste of the diet sodas will keep you craving sweets and inhibit any attempt at weight loss. You Will Drink Less Water: The more soda you drink the lower your water intake. Why is it important to drink water? Water maintains blood volume: Reduces risk of heart diseases like high blood pressure and heart attack Flushes out the toxins: Prevents UTIs and kidney stones Reduces risk of cancer: It minimizes the chances of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 75%, and bladder cancer by 50%!!
Weight loss: Drinking a glass of water before each meal will help make you feel full and you will eat less Digestive health: Water prevents and eases stomach distress and constipation Water improves skin texture: Will be smoother with less breakouts There are some healthy beverage alternatives to water that can be incorporated into a nutritious diet: Milk: A great source of energy, protein, and loaded with calcium. Green tea: The Chinese have been using green tea for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. A 1994 study showed a clear link between green tea and the lower risk of esophageal cancer in the Chinese by as much as 60% Seltzer: When craving some fizz in your drink, seltzer is the best carbonated beverage. You can even flavor it with a little cranberry or pomegranate juice while giving it a healthy boost of antioxidants. As Americans, we have access on a daily basis to a copious amount of beverages. We watch the advertisements on television, and see our friends drinking the eclectic range of drinks. What we don’t know is that the seemingly tasty and pleasurable drinks we venerate, are actually deceitfully harming us. The long term effects are daunting; Cancer, tooth decay, weight gain, and other physical impairments are tangible threats to our lives. Hopefully by switching over to healthier drinks like water, seltzers, teas, and milk, we will be able to break the constricting chains linking us to sodas and lead a new joyful life! Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a masters degree in Nutrition. She has a private practice, and can be reached at AlizaBeer@gmail.com.
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Shalach Manos Baskets! On Purim we emphasize the importance of Jewish unity and friendship by sending gifts of food to friends, neighbors and family. Gift Baskets Prices Starting at $10 10% proceeds given to Tomchei Shabbos of Miami Place you order before March 15th to ensure timely delivery Email PurimMiami@gmail.com or Call Ariella (516) 456-7517 / Jennifer (786)3554275
HOST COMMITTEE: MARGO JOY LEAH FRAND MICHELLE KUSHNER GIL BEN SIMON DYLAN ROSSI ARTHUR ECKSTEIN LUPE ESCAMILLA LERNER
Cholov Yisroel & Diabetic options available! Pickup after Megillah Reading Motzei Shabbos at Tower 41 or delivery available (surcharge applies) *All items are prepackaged Kosher certified
Saturday, March 19 8:30 pm - 12:00 am Luigi's Bar 1415 E Las Olas Blvd
Chabad of Las Olas Invites You The YP Purim Party Decadent Desserts and Refreshments Masquerade/Cocktail Attire Great DJ Megillah Reading
RSVP $18 FIRST 200 PEOPLE REGISTER ON FACEBOOK FREE
Information and Rsvp: www.chabadoflasolas.com/purimparty
Chabad of Las Olas is a division of Chabad Lubavitch of Ft. Lauderdale
49 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
Entire Hotel Glatt Kosher for Pesach Warm Yom Tov Atmosphere Cholov Yisroel • Beit Yosef Available Ashenaz, Sefard & Sefardic Minyanim Teen & Children's Programs Chol-Hamoed Trips
RABBI A.C. FEUER RABBI E. MANSOUR J E RU SA L E M , I S R A E L
R ABBI Y. H OROWITZ MONSEY, NY
B R O O K LY N , N Y
R ABBI Y. G OLDBERG LOS ANGELES, CA
R ABBI S. S CHWARTZ ISRAEL
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MIAMI, FL
THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
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• Elegantly appointed guest rooms complete with Egyptian cotton linens, Italian marble bathrooms, and 42” HD TVs
• Three pool areas, lazy river, and water slide
• Gourmet Glatt Kosher Dining by Avi Abikzer of Genadeen Caterers, supervised by the ORB of Broward and Palm Beach Counties
• Cantor-led or private Seders
• Exciting Day Camp Program
• Daily poolside barbeques and a lavish tearoom
• Featured Scholar-In-Residence: Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald, Founder and Director of NJOP, and Rabbi at Lincoln Square Synagogue
• A magnificent Rees Jones golf course
• A 24,000 sq. ft. Guerlain Spa
• Discounts to exciting nearby entertainment attractions
• Fully equipped fitness center
The food…the service…the luxury…it’s all here! For early reservation discounts or more information, please contact Alan Berger at: 1-877-PESACH4 (1-877-737-2244) or 516-734-0840 Email: info@passovergg.com Visit our website at www.passovergrandgetaways.com GG WAO 9.375Wx11H Ad #2.indd 1
1/25/11 4:34 PM
51 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ FEB. 24, 2011
Happy Purim to You and Your Family!