SFJH Jan 5 by David Gutman

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

The Broward Center & Mazel Musicals present The

Double chai THEATRICAL Series

FREDDIE ROMAN’S

Mandy Patinkin

Monticello Memories

Comedy, Song and Dance From the Catskill Mountains!

who we were, who we are, who we might become

January 25 – 29, 2012

February 23 – 26, 2012

Let Go

TONY AWARD NOMINEE - BEST PLAY

Say Goodnight Gracie The life, laughter and love of George Burns and Gracie Allen

March 14 – April 1, 2012 Written by 3-time Tony Award Winner Rupert Holmes

Melodies Memories Gold Standards of the American Songbook

The Song is You

At Last

Thanks for the Memories

The Songs of Jerome Kern

The Songs of Harry Warren

The Music of the Paramount Pictures Era

January 18 – 22, 2012

February 8 – 12, 2012

March 7 – 11, 2012

For tickets call 877-311-7469 (SHOW) or visit AventuraCenter.org For Groups of 10 or more call Encore Theater Tickets 305.919.3731 or toll free 866.252.5278 3385 NE 188th Street, Aventura, FL 33180 All programs, artists, dates and times are subject to change.

Proud sponsor of the Aventura Center:

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012 4

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

inside this issue from the editors Dear Readers,

■ 18 Community news ■ 21 Showdown in Beit Shemesh ■ 27 History ■ 30 Israel ■ 32 Torah Thought ■ 33 Inspiration ■ 35 Jonathan Pollard ■ 36 Good news From Israel ■ 37 Finance ■ 38 Parenting ■ 39 Sports ■ 46 Politics

With the Chanukah season behind us and the start of a new calendar year upon us, it is with excitement & courage that we enter into this unknown territory of 2012. Additionally, this week marks the one year anniversary since our very first publication. Like the beginning of any new venture, our time and efforts of the past year were all geared towards building the foundation of this paper through both our readers and advertisers. In retrospect, our goals from 2011 have proudly been achieved and we could not have done so without the support of our communities and local vendors that have advertised with us. Now for 2012, we are ready to strengthen this new foundation and bring our communities closer together through raising awareness in issues that are existing among us, sharing current events & happenings, and of course a full resource of what to do and where to go in South Florida. In order to attain our goals for 2012, we need you - our readers, to continue to sharing your thoughts, opinions and ideas. I encourage you to reach out through email and offer any input you may have on our latest issues or future issues. There are so many causes out there that need our attention and could use our help in building awareness. This paper is our voice and we now have people listening, help broadcast important messages and bring the jews of South Florida together. Unfortunately, not every jewish community can serve as an example but instead serve as a warning. With the disappointing social clashes occuring in other communities, lets remind ourselves that we need only one reason to love each other unconditionally. It is our Jewish identity that unites us and allows us to send out a powerful message when we all stand behind it. On that note, I encourage you to flip to page 21 and learn more about the situation in Beit Shemesh in our article titled "Showdown in Beit Shemesh" written by Avraham Zuroff. During times such these, we must bear in mind that it is not necessary to agree on everything in order to get along. We are one nation and stand to make a difference in this world. As with every anniversary, we look behind us with pride and forward with hope. But most importantly, it is our readers and advertisers that our fate lies within. So I take this opportunity to thank you for your patronage and readership in this past year. Keep taking us home, keep staying connected to our writers and keep helping us spread the message. If you would like to subscribe to our online edition, please email your contact information to editor@sfjewishhome.com.

Cover design Rivkie Stall David Gutman, Editor/Publisher editor@SFJewishHome.com Editor welcomes all comments and questions which may be addressed in "letter to the editor" Ad sales representative Steve Nichol Ronnie Steinberg Design & Production Michael Bass Contributing Writers: Avraham Zuroff Eva Weisel R Yochanan Zweig Bronnie Ware Jerrold Sobel C. Beeks R Dov Silver Yosi Beha

Here's to another successful year of the South Florida Jewish home ... stay tuned, there is so much more to come. Thank you again - Looking forward to sharing in many more anniversary issues throughout the years. All the best, The Editor

SHABBAT TIMES Candle Lighting: 18 mins. before Shkiah Friday, January 6, 2012 Parshat Vayechi Light Candles at: 5:24 pm Shabbat, January 7, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:22 pm Friday, January 13, 2012 Parshat Shemot Light Candles at: 5:29 pm Shabbat, January 14, 2012 Shabbat Ends: 6:27 pm

The South Florida Jewish Home 4180 N. 42nd Avenue, Hollywood, FL 33021 phone: 305-767-3443 fax: 954-416-6407 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 productor business advertised within.

â&#x2013;

Iocal news

Thousands of dollars worth of stolen medical equipment were returned to the group named Hatzalah, after someone broke into one of the group's vehicles on Dec. 23. Hatzalah, a state-licensed volunteer group that acts as a bridge until fire rescue arrives on the scene of accidents, primarily works within the Jewish communities in North Miami Beach, Aventura and soon Miami Beach. "We live and work within the community. Having a great number of responders, the greater the better within the community, increases the chances that when a call comes in, we're already there," said Hatzalah member Joseph Dahan. The group relies on the equipment, paid for by volunteer dollars and stressed the importance of the missing equipment to save lives. "When we respond as first responders, our responsibility is to stabilize an emergency situation," said Dahan. "Sending a responder out to the field without equipment is like sending a soldier out to battle without armor." After the robbery, the devastated group turned to 7News. "Going after trauma equipment, life-saving equipment, that's the lowest of the low," said volunteer Zalman Cohen. Within hours of seeing the story, the group received an anonymous phone call from a viewer. "Your story aired on Friday night, which was extremely helpful, somebody in the community had a conscience, somebody called anonymously on Sunday," said Dahan. The viewer directed the group to a nearby dumpster, where the bag of equipment was located. "We have trauma equipment here, we have suction, we have oxygen tanks inside," said Cohen. The items inside the bag, which has a monetary value of $4,000, can now be used again by Hatzalah to save lives.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME â&#x2013; JAN. 5, 2012

Stolen medical equipment recovered

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This week in news ISRAEL:

Israel at all. It’s an occupying criminal enemy,” he said. Bayoumi also said that no member of his party will ever meet with Israelis for negotiations. “I will not allow myself to sit down with criminals,” he stressed. And he stated that the Muslim Brotherhood will take legal action towards cancelling the 1979 peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. “The Brotherhood respects international conventions, but we will take legal action against the peace treaty with the Zionist en-

gages is the most social network activity. Israelis spend twice as much time chatting and posting than the average global rate in any other country. Israelis spend an average of 11.1 hours a day using social networks. The world average is 5.7 hours a day. People in the United Kingdom use social sites for around 7 hours a day and in the United States the estimated average is 6.9 hours. Other countries that log above average social networking hours are Argentina, Russia, and Turkey. The survey also found that social networks are the most popular form of internet activity. Users represent 82% of the global internet community which is about 1.2 billion people. In Israel 94% of internet use is by users using social networks.

U.S. and Saudi Arabia Make A Deal On Thursday the United States announced that they will sell $29.4 billion in fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The White House claims that this deal will sustain more than 50,000 jobs

Abbas Released Appoints Terrorist as Advisor Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas recently appointed Muhammad Darma as an advisor on municipal affairs. Darma was one of the prisoners released in exchange for Gilad Shalit this past October. He was the commander of the Palestinian Authority Presidential Guard security unit under Yasser Arafat and was imprisoned in Israel for six years for involvement in terror attacks. He was arrested in 2006 near Ramallah for his involvement in fatal terrorist attacks against Israelis. He is believed to have personally fired an RPG at an IDF tank in 2002 in the Second Intifada. Abbas appointed Darma to his position by presidential decree and also promoted him to general in light of his time spent in Israeli prison.

Saudi Hackers Steal Israeli Credit Card Information On Monday, a group of Saudi hackers that are part of the Anonymous hackers group released the stolen credit card information of 400,000 Israelis. Channel 10 News, which was the first to report on the attack, said that the details of information, including names, email addresses and credit card information along with the three-digit security codes, were published. The hackers also hacked into the Israeli sports information website, One. Those who tried to log onto the site were forwarded to the Saudi’s hacking site and received the following message along with the pilfered information: “We decided to give a new year’s gift to the world: the information of about 400,000 Israelis. What fun it is for us to see 400,000 people gathered in front of credit card companies and banks and complaining that their credit card information has been stolen. To see Israeli banks destroying 400,000 credit cards and producing new ones (so expensive, huh?). To see people buying things for themselves using the credit cards and damaging the credibility of Israeli credit cards around the world.” The Bank of Israel, along with Israel’s three major credit card companies, has launched an investigation into the attack.

Egypt: We Will Not Recognize Israel Dr. Rashad Bayoumi, the deputy leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, said in an interview with Arabic daily al-Hayat that his party will not recognize Israel “under any circumstances.” “Whatever the circumstances, we do not recognize

tity,” Bayoumi told the paper. In recent elections, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) won 36.3% of the vote, while the ultraconservative party, Salafi al-Nour Party, won 28.8%.

New Israeli Law Could Control Names Given to Children The chairman of the Knesset Children’s Rights Committee, Zvulun Orlev proposed a new law which would prevent parents from giving their children “weird” names. He defined a weird name as a name that other children are likely to mock. The law would forbid parents from giving their children names that would, “hurt their welfare or their feelings.” Orlev said that while the law may initially seem invasive, it was by no means unique; a number of countries around the world, including Sweden, Portugal, Norway, and Peru, have laws that prevent parents from giving their children “negative” names. “This law is an excellent balance between parents’ free choice in what to name their children and the extreme cases that require the law to get involved, since without involvement a youth could suffer immeasurable damage. Often parents are not aware of the problems with the names they choose and need advice to come to a deeper understanding of the meaning and cultural aspects of a name,” Orlev said. This law will be presented to the Ministerial Law Committee for approval on Sunday. This would require the establishment of a “public names committee” which would include social workers, psychologists, and educators. They would collaborate together to determine which names can cause harm to children and compile lists of acceptable and unacceptable names. Any names that could potentially cause damage to the social standing, feelings, or welfare of children would be banned and the Interior Ministry would be instructed not to accept them for registration. Too bad this law wasn’t in effect when Zvulun was born.

Israel in the Lead for Internet Socializing A recent U.S. based research firm concluded that Israel en-

in addition to strengthening regional security in the Gulf amid escalating tension with Iran. This sale would give the U.S. economy a 3.5 billion dollar annual increase. The sale includes 84 Boeing F-15 fighters equipped with advanced radar equipment and digital electronic warfare systems. U.S. officials reassured Israel that the sale will increase Israeli security. The United States is confident that the Saudi purchase would benefit Israeli security by “bolstering moderate allies in the Gulf,” especially in light of Israel and the Gulf country’s shared beliefs about the need to curb the influence of Iran. The United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, all view Iran as a significant potential threat and are particularly concerned over Iran’s nuclear program.

Saudi Textbooks Continue to Teach Student to Kill Jews A translated copy of a recently-printed Saudi Arabian textbook was obtained from the Institute for Gulf Affairs. The book teaches ninth graders that the annihilation of the Jews

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This week in news

THAT’S ODD Anyone Lose $12,000? A couple in Ohio was pleasantly surprised when the police showed up with the $12,000 dollars they had lost a week earlier. A 63-year-old woman from Akron, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she found the tan moneybag in middle of the street. When she saw what was inside, she called the cops and turned it in. The police were able to use paperwork inside the bag to track down the owners and return it. The couple was distraught when they had realized they had lost the money they planned on using for a down payment for a house. It is not certain how the money was lost, and police say that a recovery of this magnitude is rare. No kidding…

mer to the toilet and found the ring inside!

Carats Are Good for You!

TAXI!!

It was a week for finding rings in weird places it seems. A woman in Sweden who lost her wedding ring sixteen years ago, found it growing on a carrot in her garden. Lena Paahlsson lost her wedding ring (which she had designed herself ) in 1995 while she was baking. After looking everywhere and even pulling up floorboards, she gave up hope of ever seeing her ring again. That was until she went carrot picking in her garden this year. One of her carrots came out of the ground with her white-gold wedding ring shimmering on it! The family thinks the ring must have fallen into the sink back in 1995 and been mixed with potato peels that were composted or fed to the sheep, since all the soil in the garden comes from composted vegetables and sheep dung.

Don’t Throw Out your Toilets! Thirty-six years ago, Donna Claver dropped her engagement ring in the toilet after being married for only a year-and-ahalf. This week, her husband was able to present her with the ring for a second time, after finally recovering it. The couple- who now have grandchildren- moved out of their first house a few years later. They watched the house go through several owners over the years. Eventually the onebedroom home came to be owned by a hunting group from Florida. Luck struck when Terry Claver was fixing the roof of a building across the street and saw the new owners taking out a toilet to have it replaced. Terry offered to throw out the toilet for them, hoping that maybe his wife’s ring was still inside. When he got back to his shop, he took a sledgeham-

determined thieves had to cut through a back perimeter gate and the two layers of mesh surrounding the exhibit. The remaining 17 squirrel monkeys are being kept indoors in case the thieves try to return. Security in the 100-acre zoo has been doubled. Hope the white house secret service have increased their security as well…

Jasmin Rivera, a 30-year-old homeless woman from Boston, seemed to think that a taxi would be a good getaway car after she robbed a bank this week. She went into the bank and slid a note to the teller that read “please put the money in the bag, I have a gun, do not yell” and walked out the door with $652 in cash. Rivera then hailed a cab and asked to be driven to the Pine Street Inn, a local homeless shelter. Gary Levin, the cab-driver said she offered him a big tip to take her around to rob more banks saying she would “definitely take care of him” if he agreed. Levin had the sense to drop her off at a park and then call the police. When police came to arrest her, they found Rivera handing out her stolen cash to kids in the park. The twenty-dollar bill she used as cab fare was seized as evidence. At her arraignment in Boston Municipal Court, a judge ordered Rivera be sent to Worcester State Hospital for evaluation. The court-appointed doctor told the judge that Rivera “hears voices” and has serious mental health issues. Didn’t need a doctor to tell me that…

Anyone Have Change?

Police are reporting that a man in North Carolina insisted his million-dollar bill was real when he tried to make a purchase at Wal-Mart. Michael Fuller insisted the bill was legit. He became very upset when the cashier at Wal-Mart didn’t have $999,524 to give him when he tried to buy a vacuum cleaner, and a microwave oven. In 1969, the government stopped making $10,000 bills and since then the largest American currency is the $100 dollar bill. Police arrested Fuller on charges of attempting to obtain property by false pretense and uttering a forged instrument. He is being held in jail on a $17,500 bond. Hey that’s $982,500 in change coming his way…

Fasten Your Seatbelts Please Monkey Business Zoo officials are increasing security at a San Francisco exhibit after a monkey was stolen this week. Banana Sam, the beloved male squirrel monkey has garnered a $5,000 reward for any information that helps locate the thieves. This is the first theft from the zoo since some teenagers looking to impress their girlfriends stole koala bears eleven years ago. The

Paro airport in Bhutan is a tiny little airport with a 6,500foot runway in the Himalayan Mountains. The length is on the shorter side as runways go, but it not unusual enough by itself to be newsworthy. What is newsworthy is the fact that only eight pilots in the world are qualified to land there. Why? Because the planes have to weave through the dozens of houses that pepper the countryside while severe wind gusts through the valley, often causing extreme turbulence.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

is imperative. This violent and intolerant content goes against Saudi’s promises to veers away from teaching barbaric practices to young children in school. In 2006 Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Prince Turki al-Faisal said that the King of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah was determined to eradicate the hateful ideology in his kingdom. One section of the book reads, “The hour (of judgment) will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them.” Another part says, “There is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.” The textbooks portray women as weak and irresponsible. Another textbook that is part of a tenth grade curriculum teaches the students how to cut off the hands and feet of a thief. Ali Al-Ahmed, the director of the Institute of Gulf Affairs believes that, “This is where terrorism starts, in the education system.” He is concerned that this extremist education could affect the world at large in devastating magnitudes. He explains that, “If you teach six million children in these important years of their lives, if you install that in their brain, no wonder we have so many Saudi suicide bombers.” Several of the terrorists involved in the September 11th attacks were of Saudi origin. This frightening fact caused Western countries to investigate the education system. AlFaisal explicitly said that the country had revised its practices and education materials and removed components that are inconsistent with the requirements of modern education. However the editions that were reviewed recently were printed for the 2010-2011 academic year. How do Saudi Arabian educators motivate their students to listen so intently?

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

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This week in news

$300,000 parking spot The numbers churned out during reassessments upset a lot of property owners, but one man’s frustration exceeds them all. Richard Milesky Jr. found out that his 18-by-10-foot parking space is valued at $287,000. That’s a big jump from its previously assessed $5,000. The dark, underground parking space is attached to his condo with an amazing view of downtown Pittsburgh. The newly assessed value of his condo is less than $230,000. So he will be paying more property taxes on his parking spot than his home. When asked how he reacted to the news, Milesky said, “Well, you had to laugh a little bit because I thought it was a mistake, but then I realized how serious it was.” He must now hire a lawyer and spend time, effort, and money to fight the city of Pittsburg and get what he calls a “reasonable” assessment. Perhaps the parking lot is paved with gold.

INTERNATIONAL: Muslim Resort to Violence to Protest Christian Student’s Drawing

Cairo, Egypt- A 17-year-old Christian student, Gamal Massoud has been arrested by Egyptian authorities for supposedly ridiculing the Muslim’s Prophet Muhammad. Apparently the student posted a drawing of Islam’s prophet on his Facebook page that mocked the prophet. The student denies the accusations claiming his friends posted the picture on his Facebook page. This post triggered two days of violence in Southern Egypt by villagers. Villagers attacked Massoud’s home while chanting “God is Great” in Arabic. The violence has spread and other Christian houses have been set on fire. Security forces were forced to intervened and used tear gas to disperse the protesters. Many Christian villagers have left their homes for fear or further violence and retaliation by Muslims.

Venezuelan President Accuses U.S. of Injecting Cancer Caracas, Venezuela-

Climb Every Mountain… Jordan Romero, a 15-year-old American, has become the youngest person in the world to climb the highest mountains on each of the world’s seven continents. This week he completed his venture when he climbed Antarctica’s Mount Vinson with his father and stepmother. Mount Vinson peaks at 16,067 feet. Members of his team, “Team Jordan,” called the day of his summit a “legendary day” and announced on a webcast that they were on the “roof of Antarctica.” Romero has been climbing since a very young age. At ten, he became the youngest person to climb Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, which peaks at 19,341 feet. At eleven, he set another world record by climbing Europe’s Mt. Elbrus in Russia. He then conquered Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina (22,841 feet), Alaska’s Mt. McKinley (20,320 feet), Indonesia’s Carstensz Pyramid (16,023 feet) and Mt. Everest (29,029 feet). The previous record was set by Britain’s George Atkinson who completed all seven ascents at age sixteen in May.

Italy- Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano called upon his people to help with the country’s current Economic crisis. He urged the people to make personal sacrifices in order to prevent the, “financial collapse of Italy.” Italy’s economy has been suffering from low growth, high debt, and out-of-control borrowing. In his New Year’s speech the President said, “No-one, no social group, can today avoid the commitment to contribute to the clean-up of public finances…” he continued saying, “It’s our objective and commitment we cannot avoid.” In November Italy’s former prime minister, Mario Monti was replaced by Silvio Berlusconi which has helped ease fears of an imminent debt implosion. The former European Union commissioner put a tough plan of austerity measures in place but there is major concern over the plan’s impact. The economy has shrunk 0.2 percent in the third quarter. Iran test-fires missiles in Gulf exercise TEHRAN - In a reaction to mounting Western pressure over its nuclear program Iran has test-fired what it described as two long-range missiles, flexing its military muscle. The test was said to be the climax of 10 days of naval exercises in the Gulf, during which Tehran has warned that if sanctions were imposed on its crude exports it could shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of world oil is shipped. The U.S. Fifth Fleet said it would not allow shipping to be disrupted in the strategic waterway.

Crime at the Library Talk about being seriously overdue. Charlton, Massachusetts police were sent to retrieve two library books from Hailey Benoit. The books were several months overdue and Hailey is five years old. Apparently, there is a state law that says that not returning library books is a misdemeanor and the local police thought that the family would appreciate a friendly police visit over a court summons. But all did not go as planned. After her mom spoke with the officer, Hailey burst into tears and asked if she was going to be arrested. “I was scared,” she said. “I thought it was way overboard,” says Shannon Benoit, Hailey’s mother. “I closed my door, I looked at my daughter and she started crying.” This library is a real stickler for rules. I wonder what happens if you forget to whisper…

Italian President Urges the Public to Help Save the Economy

Israel played down the military impact of Iran’s announcement, saying Tehran’s forces were no match for the West’s in the Gulf.

On Tuesday officials announced that Argentina’s President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The following day, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez verbally expressed his suspicion that the United State is infecting the region’s leaders with the illness. The basis of this accusation is that five current or former Latin American presidents have battled cancer in the past few years including Chavez himself. Chavez explained that he finds the situation, “very, very, very strange.” He rhetorically asked the crowd at a military event in Caracas, “Would it be strange if the United States had developed a technology to induce cancer, and for no one to know it?” He continued on to remind the people of an incident that occurred 50 years ago in 1946. The United States carried out human experiments in Guatemala where subjects were exposed to sexually transmitted diseases. In response to these accusations, Victoria Nuland, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman told reporters that Chavez’s assertion was, “horrific and reprehensible.” Chavez is known to publicly be anti-U.S, he constantly blames the U.S. for trying to destabilize his government.

Moshe Yaalon, vice prime minister and minister of strategic affairs, told Israel Radio the exercises reflected Iran’s concern about economic sanctions, and is an effort to suggest that its navy could match those of the West, led by the United States, in the Gulf. On that point, Yaalon was dismissive. “Really, this couldn’t even be called a fair fight between the two sides.” He repeated Israel’s call for tougher economic sanctions against Iran accompanied by “a credible military option as a last resort.”

FINANCIAL NEWS More Money for Your Morning Cup of Joe If you’re a Starbucks drinker, get ready to spend a little more on your java. Starbucks Corp is raising prices by an average of about 1 percent in the U.S. Northeast and Sunbelt regions. This will affect cities like New York, Boston, Washington DC and Atlanta. To help offset pressure from expected cost increases for things like coffee, milk and fuel, the company has decided to raise prices on certain drinks. For example, in NYC, the price for 12-ounce “tall” brewed coffee and latte drinks will increase by ten cents. The price for 16-ounce “grande” brewed coffee, Starbucks most popular beverage, will

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

Passengers have described the landing as “terrifying”. Druk Air was the only airline to service the airport until July, when Buddha Air also started flying into Paro. Boeing has called the airstrip “one of the world’s most difficult for takeoffs and landings” and Travel Leisure has labeled it the number one most dangerous airport in the world. Oh well! I was planning on summering in Bhutan this year…

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This week in news remain unchanged. In November, Starbucks raised prices on some drinks in California and South Florida. It caters to a higher-income consumer and did not suffer any major pushback with its recent price increases. “These adjustments are the result of balancing the cost of doing business with competitive dynamics in these markets,” Starbucks spokesperson Jim Olson said.

INTERNATIONAL

NEWS

Iran to U.S.: Don’t Come Back—Or Else

Iran has warned the United States that it will take action if a U.S. aircraft carrier which recently left the region should return. The carrier left the area because of Iranian naval exercises that were taking place. Army chief Ataollah Salehi said, “Iran will not repeat its warning...the enemy’s carrier has been moved to the Sea of Oman because of our drill. I recommend and emphasize to the American carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf…I advise, recommend and warn them (the Americans) over the return of this carrier to the Persian Gulf because we are not in the habit of warning more than once.” Iran threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz if foreign countries impose sanctions on crude imports. The strait is the passage through which 40% of the world’s traded oil is shipped. In response, the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain, said it would not allow shipping to be disrupted in the strait. In related news, Iran said that it had successfully test-fired two long-range missiles during its naval drill and has denied accusations that it is secretly trying to build atomic bombs. On Saturday, President Barack Obama signed new sanctions against Iran, adding sanctions on financial institutions that do business with Iran’s central bank. The sanctions go into effect in six months. Iranian currency hit a record low to the U.S. dollar, dropping 12 percent. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said that the imposed sanctions have “no relation” to the currency value decrease.

UK: Body Found on Royal’s Land A body was found on the grounds of Queen Elizabeth II’s estate in Sandringham. The police are treating the discovery as murder. On New Year’s Day, a local discovered the remains at Anmer, a place that the police say is part of the queen’s estate. The queen is known to retreat to Sandring-

ham with her family during the holiday season. The palace has been referring all questions to police.

FINANCIAL: The New Year Brings Alon Many New Laws An estimated 40,000 new laws will come into effect in the year 2012 across the 50 states. The laws include regulations about abortions in New Hampshire, getting jobs in Alabama, and driving golf carts in Georgia. Several federal laws will be enacted or amended this coming year as well. An average Social Security recipient will receive an increase of $450 a year and any trucker or bus driver caught using a handheld device while driving will receive a $2,700 fine. The new laws reflect the current concerns and trends across the nation. Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Colorado, Ohio, Vermont, and Florida will be increasing their minimum wage. San Francisco will raise their minimum wage nearly $3 above the federal minimum wage to $10.24. This will be the first city to raise its minimum above $10 per hour. The protection of young people is a hot topic in current legislation. In Colorado, coaches will be mandated to bench players as young as 11-year-old when they’re believed to have suffered a head injury. The players will require medical clearance before returning to the field. In addition all coaches, both in private and public school and in private Little League teams will be obligated to take a yearly online training course on recognizing the symptoms of a concussion. Quite a few other states have enacted similar laws with the support of the National Football League. In Florida, the state will take control of school food programs and add more Florida-grown fruits and vegetables to school menus. The goal of this initiative is to help children eat healthier. According to a recent study, over the last six years 16,000 deaths have been directly blamed on texting while driving. Numerous laws this year will be directed at enforcing strict laws about this dangerous epidemic. Nevada’s three-month old ban on texting will get tougher with tickets replacing warnings. Police will be enforcing a ban on texting in Pennsylvania in the spring. Illinois will enact a law that allows motorcyclists to pass through red lights if the light doesn’t turn green within a reasonable amount of time. In Nevada, a law similar to Amber Alert will be put into place for the missing elderly. In Utah, new laws that ban daily drink specials will essentially make happy hour illegal. In many states the new laws passed during this year’s legislative sessions became effective on January 1. In other states, the laws will first take effect on July 1, or 90 days after passage.

were erased from global stock markets. According to Bloomberg data, Global stock market capitalization dropped 12.1% to $45.7 trillion. For the most part of the year the euro had remained resilient. However by the year’s end the euro was the worst performing major currency due to the continent’s economic condition. By December the euro reached a 10-year low against the Japanese yen. Navtej Nandra, the international head of Morgan Stanley’s asset management arm said, “Investors were more optimistic at the start of the year, but as the year progressed they were forced to come to grips with the debt levels in the western world.”

American Youth No Longer Charmed by Obama

American youth were a major factor in Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential victory. The youth group is comprised of Americans aged 18 to 29. In Obama’s 2008 campaign this particular age group helped spread the word via social media, energized fundraising, and eagerly went to the polls. Many political experts expect that the youth will not take the same role in Obama’s 2012 campaign. The main reason for this change of behavior and enthusiasm is because a large part of that age group is unemployed and simply cannot afford to be involved in the campaign. According to recent unemployment stats, 44.7% of Americans between 16 and 29 don’t have jobs. This year, student loan debt surpassed credit card debt for the very first time in American history. The president did little to address these colossal issues. Rather than develop a lasting initiative to help young unemployed Americans, the President launched “Greater Together” which is a campaign tool that offers community forums rather than jobs. Rather than provide a bailout to those crushed by the burden of educational loans, he created a student debt relief program which only reduced interest rates by an insignificant percentage of 0.5. According to recent ratings, less than half of American youth approve of Obama. Apparently the president is turning to an older age group this campaign. Older Americans are said to be 47 times richer than young Americans providing a striking generational gap in prosperity. This tactic seems wise! It would be foolish to appeal to the unemployed when trying to keep your own job…

$6.3 Trillion Vanished from Global Markets in 2011 In the latter half of this past year the euro zone financial criStorming Ahead - An Israeli Merkava IV Main Battle Tank sis resonated across the world. As a result 6.3 trillion dollars

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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

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Community news

New Hadassah Chapter in Eastern Palm Beach County A new Intracoastal - Eastern Boca Raton, Highland Beach, Delray Beach Chapter of Hadassah will be forming at a meeting on Monday, January 23 at 1 p.m. at a private condominium meeting room on A1A in Highland Beach. All Non Members of Hadassah are urged to come to show your support to Israel. Life Members are welcome! Snowbirds please come! This is a great way to make new friends and form bonds of interest.Refreshments will be served. There is no charge to attend, but Life Membership is $212 and to join as an annual member is $36. 2012 Life Membership Campaign: HADASSAH – LOCK in for Life! As of January 1, 2012, in honor of our Centennial Year, Hadassah is offering Life & Associate enrollment for $212. As a thank you for enrollment, new Life/Child Life Members will receive a beautiful gift. A reservation is necessary by calling Sherry at the Hadassah region office 561-498-1012. Hadassah region personnel will be on hand to answer questions and to give information. For more information about Hadassah, the largest women’s organization in the world, see our website: www.hadassah.org or the Florida Region Hadassah website: www.floridaatlantic.hadassah.org. OU ANNOUNCES SEVEN WINNERS NATIONWIDE OF DAY SCHOOL AFFORDABILITY CHALLENGE GRANTS TheOrthodox Union today announced recipients of“Day School Affordability” challenge grants for seven projects nationwide, with the objective of developing “innovative and replicable solutions to address day school affordability.” The grants, part of a $150,000 OU initiative to confront the affordability issue, were announced on the concluding day (Monday) of a two-day “Summit on the Affordability of Jewish Education”arranged by the OU to stimulate discussion and planning on dealing with this critical issue in Orthodox life. “In reviewing the challenge grant submissions from across the country, we were heartened to see the depth of commitment and breadth of creativity being applied to the issue of educational affordability,” stated Yehuda Neuberger, Chair of the OU’s Tuition Affordability Task Force, which is coordinating the organization’s response to the affordability challenge. “Although we were open to a large grant to a single cause, we came to the conclusion, based on the current submissions, that our impact can best be felt in a variety of smaller initiatives. At the end of the day, day school affordability will be best addressed by multiple parallel efforts that create a variety of revenue growth and expense reduction opportunities. We believe that our selections are reflective of that reality. We hope that these grants will result in communal learning and in the replication of successful strategies on a national level.”

The seven winning grants and their communities are: 1. Project Education Tuition Affordability Campaign, Project Education Council, Brooklyn, 2. Yeshiva He’Atid 21st Century Judaic Studies Curricula Project, Bergenfield, 3. Corporate Citizenship, Denver Academy of Torah, Denver, CO 4. Hillel Without Borders, The Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School, North Miami Beach, FL 5. Edollars, Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh 6. The National Jewish Cooperative Day School Project, The Jewish Cooperative School, Hollywood, FL 7. The Online Resource Room, Scranton Hebrew Day School, Scranton, PA Frijoles Con Kugel (Beans With Kugel) – Jewish Federation of Broward County Celebrates Jewish Latin Culture at February Festival Turn up the salsa and merengue, stir the frijoles and take the kugel from the oven as the Jewish Federation of Broward County Latin Division hosts Frijoles Con Kugel – A Celebration of Latin Jewish Culture. “From the United States to Latin America, Europe and Israel, South Florida is a unique melting pot of different and distinct Jewish cultures and culinary fare,” said Eric B. Stillman, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County. “Frijoles Con Kugel will celebrate those styles together in one festive event.” The event’s name alone highlights the unique characteristics of South Florida Jewish population. Frijoles, or beans, are a staple at many Hispanic dinner tables. And almost everyone remembers bubby’s kugel, or noodle casserole. Together, with music and festivities, the event promises to blend special tastes with a culture found in few other places. “The Jewish Federation of Broward County recognizes many Latinos from numerous countries miss the camaraderie of friends and family from their homelands and hometowns,” Stillman said. “The Latin Division is their connection. We want to welcome them into our culture and we want them to develop a sense of belonging within the Broward County Jewish community.” Frijoles Con Kugel – A Celebration of Latin Jewish Culture will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the David Posnack Jewish Community Center Orlove Auditorium (5890 S. Pine Island Road, Davie 33328). To learn more about the event, visit www.jewishbroward.org or contact Anita Lapco with the Jewish Federation of Broward County at (954) 249-6358 or alapco@jewishbroward.org. Federation of Palm Beach County PREMIERE EVENT FEATURES DAVID BROOKS ON JANUARY 17 WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. –David Brooks, one of the country’s most prominent political commentators and an opinion writer for The New York Times, will be the keynote

speaker at the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s Premiere Event on Tuesday, January 17 at 6:00 p.m. at The Breakers, 1 South County Road in Palm Beach. Vicki and Arthur Loring are the event chairs. Brooks is known as a keen observer of the American way of life and a savvy analyst of present-day politics and foreign affairs. He is a regular analyst on “News Hour with Jim Lehrer” and on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” He has previously worked as a writer and senior editor for several publications, including The Weekly Standard, Newsweek, Atlantic Monthly and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of three books, including the recent “The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement.” A minimum gift of $10,000 to the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s Campaign 2012 is required, in addition to the event couvert. Call 561-242-6650, email CaroleAnn.Levine@JewishPalmBeach.org or visit www.JewishPalmBeach.org for more information or to register for the event. SOUTH FLORIDA’S JEWISH RADIO SHOW CHANGING STATIONS Beginning Sunday, January 1, 2012, Florida’s Jewish radio show, “Shalom South Florida” will begin airing every Sunday morning on WSBR-740AM, from 9:30-10:30. After 25 years on South Florida’s airwaves, “Shalom South Florida” is being forced to move stations when the station on which it currently airs changes ownership and format. Roni is host of “Shalom South Florida,” and his dynamic music program, features Israeli, Chassidic and Yiddish music, as well as other items of interest for the large South Florida Jewish community. Roni is the longest-running Jewish radio host in Florida’s history. “It has been an incredible experience sharing Jewish culture with members of the tri-county Jewish community for the past twenty-five years, and we look forward to continuing in our new home” says Roni, a 33-year resident of South Florida, who takes great pride in the fact that his program features one of the largest Jewish music collections in the country. “Shalom South Florida” airs every Sunday morning between 9:30AM-10:30AM on 740 AM (WSBR). To contact Shalom South Florida: call 561-750-0888, or e-mail roni@shalomsouthflorida.com. On Twitter: @shalomsouthfl Hanukkah Delivered To Area Children Thanks To Bat Mitzvah Project Hundreds of sick children and those from homes harshly affected by the economy received Hanukkah gifts this year thanks to a charity drive organized by a 12-year-old Boca Raton girl in conjunction with her Bat Mitzvah. Atara Goldberg’s mitzvah project, promoted by area Jewish Day schools, produced gifts for children of all ages, her parents said. The schools were able to collect toys, clothes,

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Community news

The promise of a fun-filled “journey” to the classic tropical elegance of mid-century Havana was fully delivered at the Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service ( JFS) Annual Gala and Auction on December 8, 2011. Nearly 250 guests at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton enjoyed a sumptuous cocktail reception, dinner and silent and live auctions of luxury items including jewelry and vacation packages. The dance floor pulsated for hours to the lively sounds of Soul Survivor. Larry Phillips received the Ruth and Norman Rales Humanitarian of the Year Award in a moving presentation at the event. And, amid the festivities of a night to remember, the event chaired by Lisa Goodman and Vicki Weinstein raised a net $300,000 to support essential JFS programs and services Since 1979, Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service ( JFS) has been providing help, hope and humanity in South Palm Beach County, through a comprehensive range of programs and services that support people of all ages and beliefs. For more information, visit www.rrjfs.org or call 561-852-3333.

Barton & Shirley Weisman

David & (event co-chair) Lisa Goodman, honoree Larry Phillips, (event co-chair) Vicki & Vic Weinstein

Michele & (JFS Chair) Laurence I. Blair

Isabel & Arnold Friedman

Bob Taney, Judy Rabinowitz, Amy Taney

books, gift cards and electronics. Some of the donations were board games, cameras and MP3 players. Atara, daughter of Boca Raton Synagogue Rabbi Efrem Goldberg and his wife Yocheved, brought 25 of her friends together for a gift-wrapping party at BRS on Dec. 22. Charities that delivered the gifts were Chai Lifeline, Tomchei Shabbos and Chesed of Florida. Each gift came with holiday cards with personal messages from Atara’s friends. The Goldbergs called the community support for Atara’s Bat Mitzvah project “overwhelming,” and are considering making it an annual gift drive for Hanukkah. Southern NCSY’s Hahn Family Weekend Of Adventure To Take Place January 13-15, 2012 Over 100 Jewish teens from non-yeshiva day schools will be treated to a highly subsidized weekend of adventure with

Ivan Gefen, Norman Jacobson

NCSY, January 13-15th. Participants from 9 states will gather in North Miami Beach for a Shabbat experience, complete with traditional meals hosted by the welcoming community, learning sessions dedicated to the relevancy of Judaism in the teen world and a day trip to Orlando Theme Parks on Sunday. "What I find most exciting about the Hahn Family Shabbaton is the community excitement and involvement it always generates,” says Rabbi Benjamin Gonsher, Director of Institutional Advancement for Southern NCSY. “Typically, our conventions are held in hotels throughout the South, and although luxurious, they don't allow for the symbiotic enthusiasm between the kids and the community to add to the program. Nothing is more inspiring than seeing our kids connect to the role models in North Miami Beach, the professionals and the lay leaders, and especially the wonderful families. That can really change a kid's life," added

Gonsher. Rena Stern, a 10th grader at McFatter High School says she "is looking forward to the Hahn Family Shabbaton because it ignites within me a spark of Jewish pride. Last year, I returned home, super happy, with aura of spiritual connectivity and confidence after having connected with so many other Jewish teens in South Florida, just like me." Once a year, Elliot and Lilian Hahn partner with Southern NCSY to host this Shabbaton. For the past five years, the Hahn’s have been the backbone of this program. They not only give of themselves financially, but also devote their time and effort to coordinate this Shabbaton, spending time with the teens and harnessing community support.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ DEC. 1, 2011

A HAVANA NIGHT TO REMEMBER: LARRY PHILLIPS HONORED AT RUTH RALES JFS ANNUAL GALA & AUCTION

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

Chanukah 2011 from Rabbi Pinny

From Spanish to Jewish, Heritage Nights and designated ethnic and cultural events have become more popular among professional sports franchises seeking a way to draw large crowds from the diverse groups residing in their region. South Florida is no different. The NBA’s Miami Heat, baseball’s Florida Marlins and hockey’s Florida Panthers jumped on board, each creating special similar events in order to attract the many Jewish fans living in or touring the Sunshine State. Seemingly worlds apart, Chabad rabbis inspired by their spiritual leader, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, aim to spread the lights of Chanukah to the most remote and unique places, including the White House lawn in Washington D.C. and Kremlin Square in Russia. Thus, a perfect partnership was formed. Hearing of Chabad’s incredible success in organizing each year Jewish Heritage Night for the Miami Heat, the Florida Panthers approached event organizers Rabbis Pinny Andrusier and Chaim Lipskar to create a similar event during a Panthers game. At first the rabbis were reluctant because “who really follows hockey in South Florida”, they thought. However, Mackie Feierstein, Director of Group Sales for the Panthers persisted and finally convinced the rabbis after promising that they could transform the Bank Atlantic Center into the ultimate “Chanukah on Ice” experience. And that they surely did! From the Maccabeats in concert to a magnificent Menorah Lighting Ceremony on center ice during

Shaike Kora of Miami posted on Facebook, “Thank you for the most Awesome Chanukah Party! Can’t wait for the next one!”

the first intermission, guests enjoyed an incredible evening filled with joyful Chanukah experiences and the response was overwhelming. Beautiful custom bright red Chanukah On Ice tshirts and yarmulkas were distributed to all the guests and throughout the game Panthers players appeared on the jumbo screen to wish all in attendance a Happy Chanukah. Just prior to the game, six youngsters sporting “Chanukah on Ice” t-shirts, including Eli Bogomilsky, 6, of Miami Beach, got to skate along with the players and stand side by side on the blue line with the starting line-up of the Panthers as the National Anthem was beautifully sung by the Maccabeats. To remind everyone of the Chanukah story when the Maccabes battled their Greek oppressors, during the second intermission two groups dressed up as the ancient Maccabes and Greek soldiers took to the ice for a hilarious game of Broom Hockey. Shattering all expectations, the arena was nearly sold out and the largest crowd so far this season. “For a Tuesday night and playing a sub-par team, the turnout was just awesome,” said Feierstein. “It’s truly incredible the job that both Rabbi Pinny and Rabbi Lipskar have done. They certainly made Chanukah On Ice a special event that we hope to repeat every year here at the Bank Atlantic Center.”

Rabbi Tzvi Nightingale of Aish Hatorah in Hollywood added, “Great job last night. I was listening to sports radio this morning and Randy Moller was waxing how great the Panthers are doing and isn’t it amazing that a midweek game against a team nobody cares about, Phoenix, and Panthers still sold out!! He said the reason was cause Panthers are playing better. I was disappointed that he didn’t mention the thousands of people who came because it was ‘Chanukah On Ice’. Oh well, we know the truth.” In addition, not to miss their annual tradition of celebrating Chanukah with the Miami Heat, Rabbis Pinny & Lipskar were invited to light the Menorah opening night on Tuesday December 27 when the Miami Heat played the Boston Celtics. Being the last night of Chanukah, the Rabbis kindled all eight lights of a giant Menorah placed on the East Plaza. “As with the Chanukah candles that increase each night, Chabad tries to come up with new ways and more venues to spread more and more light,” said Rabbi Pinny. “This year in South Florida, the light was surely spread in many great places with thousands and thousands of people in attendance.” “Hopefully we’ll finally see an end to this darkness and the Light of the Final Redemption with the blessings of true peace throughout the entire world.”

By Avraham Zuroff, TJH Correspondent - Beit Shemesh, Israel

Beit Shemesh, located 11 miles west of Jerusalem, is first mentioned in Sefer Yehoshua as a city within Shevet Yehudah. In the 1950s, it became a development town, populated by mostly immigrants from North Africa. In the 1990s, new immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia came to settle. Encouraged by the inexpensive housing, Dati Leumi and Chareidim came to live in the Nachalah Umenuchah, Ramah Aleph and Ramah Bet neighborhoods, doubling the size of the city. In recent years, English-speaking immigrants have come to live in Beit Shemesh. As more Dati Leumi residents moved in, the town’s previous demographics have changed, causing friction among the streets that border the various Chareidi neighborhoods.

Rabbi Shmuel Pappenheim, a former spokesman of the Eida Chareidis and veteran resident of Beit Shemesh.

The recent incident of a young girl who was spat upon and chastised for her supposed immodesty has caused civil unrest in the city, which had previously been known only for its tranquil setting and quality of life. Now it is the subject of international headlines. The wave of unrest in Beit Shemesh was sparked when Israeli TV aired a documentary in which a pony-tailed eight-year-old religious girl expressed her fear of going to school. Naama Margolese, a Beit Shemesh resident, attends the national-religious Orot Girls’ School. Although located within the national-religious neighborhood, the school is just several yards away from the Beis Medrash of religious extremists who deem her and the other girls to not be modest enough. “When I walk to school in the morning I used to get a tummy ache because I was so scared,” Naama told the Associated Press. “They were scary. They don’t want us to go to the school.” Naama’s mother, Hadassa, who dresses in a long skirt and covers her hair with a tichel, says, “It shouldn’t

An Israeli flag is displayed from the national-religious Scheinfeld neighborhood, across the street from the Orot Girls’ School, Beit Shemesh.

matter what I look like. Someone should be allowed to walk around in sleeveless shirts and pants and not be harassed.” The unrest in Beit Shemesh has unfortunately resulted in a chilul Hashem of great magnitude. However, it is difficult to determine the true extent of the unrest due to the general disposition of the secular Israeli media to portray the Chareidi community in a less than positive light. Whereas some groups are rightfully calling for condemnation of the zealots who are harassing the population who they allege are not upholding modesty standards, other groups are choosing instead to call on the secular media to stop their smear campaign against the larger Chareidi community. The latter group argues that the Chareidi community, like any other society, has numerous factions and “bad apples” and it is wrong to paint all Chareidim with a broad stroke. Although it is easy to blame the secular media for the attention they are giving to this matter, it is clear that the zealots are doing everything in their

power to in fact attract media attention. At a recent Meah Shearim rally, held in support of a Chareidi zealot who was sentenced to two years imprisonment for violence against Geula shopkeepers for selling electronic devices that he deemed immodest, participants wore the yellow Holocaust-era star meant to identify a Jew. Obviously, this tactic attracted tremendous media attention, despite the fact that rally participants are outside the mainstream of the Chareidi community and are actually shunned by a majority of the Chareidi community. In response to the rally, Rav Yisrael Meir Lau said, “Those who initiated this have simply added fuel to the hatred of Chareidim.” Rabbi Lau, a Holocaust survivor and chairman of Yad Vashem, said that he felt “bad and depressed” over the display at Saturday night’s demonstration. “They cry ‘Nazis’? Do they know at all what Nazis are?” It is rallies like this which highlight the ability of a small minority to create tremendous damage to the larger Chareidi community. Although posters

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

Showdown in Beit Shemesh

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

Showdown in Beit Shemesh for the rally advocated attendance in the name of the Eida Chareidis, not a single Eida Chareidis rabbi attended. In fact, as part of the documentary about Naama Margolese being harrassed, a Chareidi driver identified as Yoel justified those who jeer and intimidate the girls, explaining that his rabbis condone such action in the name of modesty. He argued that Jews like him are “healthy.” That clip has been repeatedly played on Israeli TV and has come to represent a “view into the minds of Chareidim.” Perhaps due to the attention his interview has garnered, Yoel has come to regret what he said. “I regret appearing in the secular media. This is certainly not my forte, not my place and I should

Despite the fact that the secular media has certainly played a large role in inflaming the unrest, the mainstream Chareidi community recognizes that misplaced zealotry is a danger to the community, even though the zealots are a small minority. Educator Rabbi Yakov Horowitz wrote, “Let’s not mince words. The future of our Chareidi community is quite literally in existential danger as the tension in Beit Shemesh plays itself out in the international media.” He furthermore stated, “We will be losing our souls should we fail to condemn the horrific actions, however isolated, of people who dress like us threatening women and children with violence, taunting them, and calling them all sorts of horrible names. And we will justifiably lose

A Chareidi resident walking by an abandoned shopping mall on the crossroads between the Chareidi and national-religious neighborhood of Beit Shemesh.

The Rabbinical Council of America, OU and Agudath Israel of America have condemned the violence and intimidation. The RCA and OU jointly called “upon all involved to return to the peaceful ways of our sacred Torah and to respect the dignity of all human beings. It should be clear to all that this hateful activity does not represent Judaism.” Furthermore, the statement urged “all observers to recognize that the behavior of these hooligans does not in any way represent the attitude or demeanor of the Chareidi community at large. The vast majority of Chareidi Jews find these

A neighborhood of extremists, several yards away from the Orot Girls’ School. On the left is the extremists’ kollel, where members are paid to protest against the girls’ school.

not have played into the hands by giving the interview. They entrapped me with their words and took some of my comments out of context. I said a great deal, words that were cut out of the portion aired. I feel as if they put words in my mouth.”

the hearts, neshamos and even lives of our children and grandchildren if we, rachmanim b’nei rachmanim (merciful people), cannot muster the righteous indignation and join forces to protest the appalling actions of these so-called kanoim.”

Yoel has learned the hard way what other zealots have not yet learnt—words have consequences. “I will tell you the truth. Yesterday I secluded myself to contemplate the events. I learned a lesson here, just how potent our words can be and how they can have a major impact,” said Yoel.

Rabbi Aryeh Deri, former head of the Shas Party, stated in an interview that “the only solution to rid our community of the depraved kanoim who are wreaking havoc on our community is to demand that they be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law…We have two choices. We can continue to blame the secular media for its campaign against our Chareidi community or we can admit the painful truth – that we collectively have al-

Yoel’s interview is a clear example of how one misled individual can cause massive harm to the entire Chareidi community.

lowed ourselves to be abused for many years now by a small and violent group of uncontrolled kanoim.”

actions abhorrent, and the community should not be judged by the inexcusable conduct of a few.” Although the actions of the zealots are deplorable, there are many who feel that as Orthodox Jews, those who are trying to stop the zealots should not have ignited the media’s attention. They argue that the media is quick to sensationalize any negative story about the Chareidi community. Others feel that the only way to actually prevent the zealots from causing further harm was to bring media attention to the matter. In an interview with TJH, Rabbi Dov Lipman, who helped bring Naama’s plight to the media, told TJH that he doesn’t think that the story of

harassment in Beit Shemesh has been sensationalized. “If one girl has been spat on, it’s an issue for the entire country,” he said. Rabbi Lipman, an American-born Chareidi who is a member of the Beit Shemesh City Council, told TJH, “One of the issues that we were fighting for was that the police were not responding. Though I have no children there in Orot, I couldn’t tolerate this situation.” He explained that until recently, the response from the police was that the zealots weren’t breaking any laws by verbally assaulting the schoolchildren. As a result of the TV interview, Rabbi Lipman says, the ringleaders are in prison and verbal harassment is now accountable.

Beit Shemesh

“We’ve already emerged from the tunnel regarding safety for the girls. Police aren’t going to let people yell at them anymore. That’s enormous, very significant,” says Rabbi Lipman. He is now engaged in an effort with the nationalreligious and secular residents of Beit Shemesh to restore Beit Shemesh to its days of coexistence. In an interview with TJH, Rabbi Shmuel Pappenheim, a former spokesman for the Eida Chareidis and former editor of its newspaper, argued that Rabbi Lipman shouldn’t have joined forces with the secular elements in his battle, some of whom are funded by the extreme left New Israel Fund.

According to Rabbi Pappenheim, it’s not so “black and white.” He claims that the property that the girls’ school belongs on should have been given to the Chareidi residents. Rabbi Pappenheim points out that the previous mayor of Beit Shemesh was anti-religious and as a way of splitting the Chareidim, he placed a national-religious school on land that faced a Chareidi residence. Nevertheless, Rabbi Pappenheim fully condemns the methods used by the zealots against the girls. “It’s not right. These girls don’t sleep at night. They’re traumatized,” he said. Rabbi Pappenheim says that religious Jews must know when to compromise when necessary. He says that signs requesting that women move to

result, the protests against the Orot Girls’ School ended in September. However, the protests reemerged two weeks ago. At first, Rabbi Pappenheim was unsure what caused the protests to reignite. He now believes that it is due to “a zealous madman” who uses all kinds of means, including money, to get people to protest on his behalf. He also believes that on the other side, there are activists who have an agenda and seek to incite hatred of the Chareidi community. All is quiet on the day of my visit to the Orot Girls’ School. A police patrol car is parked across the street and the zealots are not on the street harassing the schoolchildren. On the crossroads between the neighborhood of the zealots and the

Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef has a large number of English-speaking olim. Posted on a building is a sign requesting that shoppers dress modestly.

the other side of the street make Judaism seem loathsome, which is certainly not a worthy objective. He says that gender-separated buses add holiness to the Jewish People. “It’s permitted to put a fence around the Torah. But it should be done in a pleasant way, to proclaim the name of Hashem unto others. That’s our goal. But our goal isn’t to give material to those who want to malign the Jewish nation.” To change the status quo, Rabbi Pappenheim has spoken at many secular schools to demonstrate that not all Chareidim condone violence. In the past, Rabbi Pappenheim was able to help restore tranquility after extensive mediation between the groups, rabbis and municipality. As a

national-religious stands an abandoned shopping center, never completed. One resident says that the shopping mall is incongruent to the zealots’ way of life. On the right side of the wall is spraypainted a Hebrew expression in black, “Don’t place your money on the horns of the gazelle.” On the left side, red-lettered graffiti in English proclaims, “There will be a shopping center here.” A dove symbolically perches itself on the top of the mall’s construction sign before flying away. Hopefully peace will come soon.

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Showdown in Beit Shemesh

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

SOUL DOCTOR: Journey of a Rock-Star Rabbi “The Shlomo Carlebach Musical” Soul Doctor has received Standing Ovations every night! Playing through January 8 at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach, the Broadway-bound musical opens at the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale on January 11.

“Soul Doctor” takes us on a musical odyssey through the challenges and triumphs of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, from his childhood escape from Nazi Germany, becoming a rabbinical prodigy in America, his meteoric rise as a “Rock-Star Rabbi” in the 1960s and his personal conflicts trying to keep his family together while traversing the globe as a “Soul Doctor,” bringing joy and song to the lonely.

The Miami Herald says: “Carlebach’s melodies soar and swell like human emotions transmuted into musical notes.” “With a quiet magnetism, gentle smile and shining eyes, you can see the pure joy of the music transfix Eric Anderson’s face every time he sings.” “Infectious entertainment that has the audiences clapping with the music” SOUL DOCTOR (www.shlomomusical.com) runs through January 8 at the Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. It continues January 11 - 29 at Fort Lauderdale’s Parker Playhouse, 707 NE 8th Street. Individual tickets may be purchased at the Colony Theatre (305.674.1040), Parker Playhouse (954.462.0222) or through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com. For Group Sales, please call (305) 342-2353 or (310) 863-4326.

by Aish HaTorah

How dare you? How dare you spit on an 8-year-old schoolgirl and terrorize her as she walks to school? Regardless of what she’s wearing; spitting, verbal abuse, and threats of violence cannot be tolerated. How dare you call yourself a Hareidi, God-fearing Jew? Your actions are diametrically opposed to Judaism. Your conduct, in the words of the statement from Agudath Israel of America “is beyond the bounds of decent, moral – Jewish! – behavior.” How dare you put us in a position where we need to state loud and clear that we condemn your loathsome actions. We do not share the same theology; we resent having any association with you that necessitates our stark denunciation. How dare you wear the garb of a religious Jew and create a massive Chillul Hashem, a desecration of God’s name, where uninformed Jews and non-Jews around the world mistakenly believe media distortions that you somehow represent religious Jews in Israel. You are like the kippah-clad thief who dines on pork; he cannot call himself a ‘religious’ Jew. You refuse to listen to rabbinic leadership and your actions are causing irreparable harm to the Jewish people.

They entered his study and told the rabbi why they had come. Rabbi Finkel had great difficulty talking due to the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s. He mustered his strength and said to the woman, “You and I have a lot in common. We both know what suffering is.” He began to sob, along with Rebbetzin Finkel. Then the couple started crying. Rabbi Finkel spoke with the couple for a while, offering words of comfort. He then took their names, and vowed to pray for them. No yelling, no threats, no spitting. Just love, respect and compassion of one Jew for another. Maimonides writes (Laws of Character Development, 6:7) that the only way to draw people close is through love. That is how the Almighty relates to us, and that is how He wants us to relate to others. Abandon your hate and together let’s choose the Torah’s path of warmth and understanding. I dare you.

How dare you turn off Jews who are curious to learn about their Jewish heritage. How dare you reject the Torah’s way of “love your fellow man” and instead erect barriers of hate and intolerance.

Another Message This strong message of denunciation is one that Jews around the world need to clearly hear. But I would never say these words to you directly. That would be lashing out (as you did) and would solve nothing. You would turn off and never hear my message. So for you, I would relish the opportunity to sit down and calmly discuss the issues. We would explore the problems of a diverse people living together in a small country. This approach would fulfill the Torah’s dictum, “Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:17).

Calendar Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 7:30 p.m Chabad Lubavitch of Ft. Lauderdale presents Joanne Caras, creator of the Holocaust Survivor Cookbook. At 3500 N. Ocean Blvd. Joanne will share the incredible story of how this project was created. Autographed books will be available for sale. To RSVP and pre-order your personal cookbook ($36), please call 954.568.1190 or email, gitty@chabadfll.com. Suggested donation: $10

January 12, 2012 7:00 PM Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County Community-wide Education Series: An Eveningwith Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Broken Sound Country Club 2401 Broken Willow Springs Drive, Boca Raton

Together we can learn from the following the example of the great Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, of blessed memory, and his rebbetzin. A non-religious Israeli couple was married for 12 years and could not have children. They were distraught and decided to seek counsel from the renowned Rosh Yeshiva. It was a hot summer day and the couple knocked on the door. The woman was wearing her typical summer attire and was not modestly dressed. Rebbetzin Finkel opened the door and greeted the couple. “How wonderful that you came to meet my husband!” Then she turned to the wife and warmly said, “You know, my husband is a great scholar – he learns all day. When I go in to speak with him, I wear a shawl out of respect. Why don’t you come with me and see if I have one for you, too. I think I even have a perfect piece of jewelry to match. And we’ll go in together to speak to him.”

$36 couvert; No minimum gift Open invitation to hear author & media personality RabbiBoteach, one of the world’s leading family and romantic relationshipexperts and values and spirituality exponents.Contact: 561-852-6059 christyn@bocafed.org

Monday, January 9th - 6:30 PM A First Hand Look at Florida’s Anti-Israel Community A presentation by: Joseph M. Sabag, Esq. Florida Executive Director Zionist Organization of America West Boca Branch Library 18685 State Road 7 Boca Raton, FL 33498

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

An Open Letter to the Beit Shemesh Spitter

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

JCS’ Masada Home Care Helps Regina Friedman Stay Positive When You’re Smiling . . . Greeting a visitor at the door of her bright and sparkling apartment in Sunny Isles Beach, Regina Friedman is the epitome of the gracious hostess. A warm welcome is followed by an invitation to sit down and have some healthy snacks, as the smiling senior introduces Denise Pierre, her parttime companion from Masada Home Care, an independent agency affiliated with Jewish Community Services. As Regina talks about the difference JCS’ programs – Masada Home Care, JCS Clean Sweep and Holocaust Survivor Support Services — have made in her life, it’s obvious this is a uniquely positive person. Bubbly and energetic, she peppers her conversation with phrases like “When I don’t complain, I don’t have to explain” and “It’s not enough to be blessed. You have to know you are blessed.” She is definitely a ‘glass half full’ kind of woman.

Regina Friedman

grieved but somehow went on. Two more children were born – a daughter in 1961 and a son in 1963. Since both Regina and her husband suffered from physical and emotional trauma – the after affects of their years spent in the camps – she began a regimen of healthy eating, exercise and meditation. Rather than dwell on the bad times and feel sorry for herself, Regina was determined to overcome the past. “It’s not what happens to you that matters,” she says, “it’s how you handle it.”

JCS Steps In to Help Following a lifetime of hard work and after watching their children graduate from college and launch professional careers, Regina and her husband retired and moved to Sunny Isles Beach. They shared eight more happy years together before Manuel passed away in 2006. She now has beautiful grandchildren who help keep loneliness at bay.

Nine years ago, as her husband’s health began to deteriorate and she started to feel the effects of her adHappily married for 61 years to Manuel Friedman, vancing age – bad knees that often force her to use Regina and her husband were indeed blessed with a walker or a wheelchair, serious eye problems and three beautiful children. They resided in New bouts of stress and anxiety — Regina realized she York City for 48 years before retiring to needed assistance. That’s when a friend Miami in 1998 and moving into the cozy condo where Regina lives to this Regina Friedman with Masada Home Care CNA Denise Pierre told her about JCS’ Holocaust Survivors Support Services, Masada Home Care day. To all appearances, it seems like and JCS Clean Sweep. Regina has had a very happy and com-

fortable life.

Behind the Smile But as you delve deeper into Regina’s life story, a harsh picture of unimaginable suffering and heartache emerges, albeit reluctantly. She doesn’t like to talk about the past. Born in Poland 86 years ago, Regina was just 14 when she, her parents and two sisters were split up and sent to the concentration camps. Regina and her younger sister went to Auschwitz, which they miraculously survived before being transferred to a series of camps in Czechoslavakia. The rest of her family perished under the Nazis. After being liberated in 1945, Regina went to a displaced persons camp in Germany where she met her future husband, also a Polish survivor of the Holocaust. They married in 1946 and had a son a year later, as they waited to emigrate to the U.S. Finally, the family of three – penniless, in poor health, unable to speak English, with no relatives and few skills – arrived in New York City in 1950.

Sweet Land of Liberty After settling in the Bronx, Regina and Manuel found what jobs they could – she in a curtain factory and he in a shoe factory earning 75 cents an hour. Tragedy struck again when their twelve-year-old son drowned while on a fishing trip. They

“I called and they sent me Denise, who has been with me ever since,” Regina says. “She is like my angel.” An employee at Masada Home Care for almost ten years, Denise cared lovingly for Manuel during his final years and does a little bit of everything for Regina, including going grocery shopping, taking her to doctor’s appointments, fixing meals and helping her with personal care. JCS’ housekeeping service, Clean Sweep, comes in to clean Regina’s apartment every two weeks. “The help I get from JCS is literally life saving,” Regina says as she pats Denise’s hand. It’s obvious these two women have a much closer relationship than that of mere caretaker and client. Just as it’s obvious that Regina’s faith has helped her overcome tragedies that could easily have destroyed a less spirited person. “I consider myself lucky,” Regina says with another one of her famous smiles that lights up the room. “HaShem is always there to help me.” If you know someone like Regina who could benefit from JCS’ comprehensive array of social services and health-related programs, please contact JCS Access at 305.576.6550 or visit our website at www.jcsfl.org.

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History

Part 1 Since the invention of guns, the idea of a specific person designated to shoot at specific targets has always existed. He (or she in the case of Russian snipers in WWII) is capable of shooting at targets while concealed or at distances that go beyond regular personnel capabilities. Modern day snipers are also instructed in camouflage, field craft, infiltration, reconnaissance and observation and to operate in all terrain and weather conditions. The term sniper originated from a marksman shooting the elusive snipe, which a very fast and small animal. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), a specific unit called Sharp’s Rifles eventually became part of the lingo and the term sharpshooter was born. The most amazing shot of the war took place in May 1864 during the Battle of Spotsylvania. Sgt. Grace from the 4th Georgia Infantry Regiment of the Confederate Army took aim at General John Sedgwick and hit under the left eye from a distance of 1,000 yards (a distance that most modern snipers don’t achieve even with today’s technology). What made it even more incredible was that he was hit seconds after he said, “What? Men dodging this way for single bullets? What will you do when they open fire along the whole line? I am ashamed of you. They couldn’t hit elephants at this distance.” Sedgwick was the highest-ranking Union general to be killed in combat. However, it wasn’t until the 20th century that snipers were used on a large scale in combat and were given specific roles to carry out during battle. During WWI (1914-1918), trench warfare was a perfect battlefield for snipers. The Allies were dumbfounded that so many Germans were hitting their targets with only one shot- a mystery that was solved when the discovered scopes on the enemy rifles. Major Hesketh-Prichard of the British Army started the first sniper school in 1916 and wrote a book called Sniping in France. One notable sniper from the trench warfare is Canadian Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow. The Indian warrior is credited with 378 Germans killed and capturing over 300 enemy soldiers. He also received medals for running through a hail of bullets to deliver messages when his commanding officer was shot and to get more ammo for his unit when they needed more bullets. World War II saw the expansion of snipers on a very large scale. The British evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940 was assisted by snipers placed in strategic positions to hold back the German army. This bought valuable time for over 330,000 Allied troops to escape to England. The Winter War of 1939-1940 between Finland and the Soviet Union produced the most successful sniper in history, Simo Hayha. He is credited with killing 505 Russians with a sniper rifle and another 200 with a submachine gun over a three month period. He was very skilled at concealment among other things that contributed to his success. He had a white camouflage suit that blended in with the snow and was almost impossible to detect. Enemy soldiers that were actively searching for him couldn’t locate his position even if they were only a few feet

The Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942- February 1943) was another prime battlefield for snipers. The rubble and ruins made it very easy to conceal a sharpshooter. It was here that the most famous sniper in history had most of his 343 confirmed kills. The movie Enemy at the Gates is not a very accurate description of the work of Vasily Zaytsev, but there is some truth to the dramatic encounters that he had with the Germans. He volunteered for the front lines and had a sniper school in which he trained soldiers who had more than 3,000 combined confirmed kills. He did have a duel with a German sniper, Erwin Koenig, but the details are sketchy as to the actual battle. What is known is that he came back after three days with Koenig’s scope as a prize. The Russians had a policy of having every platoon (about 30 soldiers), including artillery and tank units, outfitted with at least one sniper. To have that many snipers the Soviets trained thousands of women to fill this role. Lyudmila Pavlichenko is credited with most kills for a female in history with 309 confirmed kills. On the Western Front, from the Normandy invasion to the final German surrender (June 6, 1944- May 7, 1945) saw mainly the Germans using snipers to a deadly effect against the Americans. A sniper would wait until many units passed by and then would take up a favorable position to create havoc. The Americans quickly learn had to anti-sniper tactics to counter this threat. The GIs themselves had very few snipers on this front. The Canadians, fighting alongside the Americans, had many snipers and were the first to deploy them in the field as scouts. In the Pacific Area of Operations, the Japanese trained many snipers that posed a severe threat to the overall Allied cause. Armed with the Bushido Code, the state of mind that a soldier of the emperor would kill or be killed and couldn’t retreat or surrender, the snipers were placed in strategic places until rooted out by the Allies. Here the Americans did have a few snipers trained by the Marine Corps. The communist forces of North Korea had snipers trained by China and the USSR to fight the Americans during the Korean War (1950- 1953). The US Army finally opened an advanced marksmanship and sniper course at Camp Perry, OH, but it only lasted about a year. It wasn’t until the Vietnam War that the US realized the potential of the sniper and used them to devastating effect. Next Issue: The sniper from Vietnam to today

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

History of Snipers

away from him. When the Russian generals heard that it was one man stopping the advance they sent a counter sniper whom Hayha took care of very quickly. A whole team of counter snipers were sent after him and never returned to base. Then a whole battalion (in WWII this was at least 600 soldiers) suffered casualties and still couldn’t get him. Even an artillery barrage couldn’t stop the man who was nicknamed the White Death. It was only a stray bullet to the jaw that put him in hospital. By the time he was able to return to the battlefield it was after a truce between the two countries had been enacted.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

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This week in news

Honoring All Who Saved Jews

By EVA WEISEL

IN December 1942, when I was 13 years old, German troops occupied my hometown. Within days, our house was commandeered as an officers’ mess hall. I soon had a yellow star on my dress, setting me apart from many of my childhood friends. The men of our family were ordered into forced labor. My happy life had vanished. Luckily, an influential local man knew of our difficult straits and generously offered his protection. One night, he ferried the women, children and old men in our family to a farm he owned about 20 miles outside of town. There, he said, we would be safe. Though the stables he provided us for lodging were modest, with just a drape across the door to protect against the elements, we were relieved to be behind the thick, high walls of his property. We were deeply grateful. As luck would have it, however, a German unit arrived in the area not long after we did. Our host told us to get rid of our yellow stars, stay inside the farm walls and keep far away from the main house. He had his own strategy for dealing with the Germans. A bon vivant and world traveler, he invited German officers for evenings filled with food and drink. While nearly two dozen of us were hiding in one part of the farm, he protected himself from the prying eyes of the Germans by entertaining them on the other side of the farm. Our host’s strategy worked well, until the night a couple of drunken German officers wandered away from the main house. In the courtyard outside the stables, they started banging on the courtyard door and shouting, “We know you are Jews and we’re coming to get you!” My grandmother started screaming “Cachez les filles!” — “Hide the girls!” I remember being shoved under the bed, trembling and sobbing as I tried to hide under a blanket. At that moment of unspeakable fear, as our hearts pounded and tears poured from our eyes, a guardian angel came to the rescue. Out of nowhere, our host appeared. A strong, powerful man who projected authority and commanded respect, he stopped the Germans and managed to lead them away. The next day, our host came to the stables. We rushed to express our thanks to him, but he was more eager to apologize to us. He said he was sorry that we had to face the terrifying ordeal of the Germans’ threats, expressed relief that he had intervened in time to prevent a horrible tragedy, and promised that it would never happen again. We never found out how he fulfilled his promise — perhaps he bribed the Germans — but he did. We passed the rest of the German occupation at our host’s farm, without incident. During the horrors of the Holocaust, non-Jews saved many thousands of Jews from death and depravity at the hands of Germans and their allies. Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial museum, has recognized more than 23,000 of these brave men and women as “The

Righteous Among the Nations.” Our family’s rescuer deserves to be among that number. And in his case, the impact of recognition would have powerful reverberations, striking a blow against Holocaust denial in a part of the world where such denial is widespread. That is because my hometown is Mahdia, on the eastern shore of Tunisia, and our rescuer, Khaled Abdul Wahab, was an Arab Muslim. (He passed away in 1997.) So far, however, Abdul Wahab has been denied the recognition he deserves. Nearly five years ago, in January 2007, the Department of the Righteous at Yad Vashem nominated him to be a “righteous,” the first Arab ever to be formally considered for this honor. This nomination was based on witness testimony from my late sister, Anny Boukris. In March of that year, however, the official Commission for the Designation of the Righteous, a body presided over by a retired Israeli judge and created by Israeli law to decide who merits recognition as a “righteous,” voted to reject the nomination. That decision was kept secret for two years. In 2010, that same jurist, Justice Jacob Tuerkel, sent the Abdul Wahab file back to the commission for a second review. This time, the case was bolstered by two fresh testimonies — a video interview of my cousin Edmee Masliah, who was with me at the farm and now lives outside Paris, and a notarized letter I wrote recounting my own experience. Yad Vashem now had three firsthand accounts of the story. But to my complete dismay, the Commission for the Designation of the Righteous once again voted to reject the nomination. Abdul Wahab was a noble man, I was told by Yad Vashem, but his actions did not rise to the statutory level required to merit the “righteous” designation — that is, he didn’t “risk his life” to save Jewish lives. While that may be the wording of the law, I am told by experts that Abdul Wahab would not be the first rescuer of Jews not to have suffered physical harm, let alone life-threatening danger. Many in France who have won that designation were honored because they acted to save Jews without knowing for sure what fate would await them if they were caught. In addition, some of the famous diplomats honored as righteous were never arrested, injured or threatened with death for aiding Jews. I refuse to believe that Yad Vashem has one standard for “righteous” in Europe and another for “righteous” who performed their sacred duty on the other side of the Mediterranean, in an Arab country. Sixty-nine years after pinning a yellow star to my chest in my native land, I know that I was able to enjoy a long, full life because Abdul Wahab confronted evil and saved me, as he saved other fortunate members of my family. I hope that Yad Vashem reconsiders his case before no one is left to tell his story. Eva Weisel lives in Los Angeles. She is retired from the banking industry.

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30 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 17, 2011

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Israel

8 Incredible Technologies Used by the IDF The very first of the ten fundamental values of the Israel Defense Forces is the defense of the state, its citizens and its residents. In order to achieve this goal, the IDF utilizes a vast array of modern tools, a few of them so new, it’s hard to believe they exist. Today we invite you to take a look at some of the amazing equipment that assists the soldiers of the IDF at fulfilling their missions. Sit back and find out more about eight incredible technologies used by the IDF.

Iron Dome firing a missile to intercept an enemy rocket.

The Trophy System

Photo by: Dan Balilty/AP

F-16I ‘Sufa’ Awaits Departure at the Hanger

The The Merkava IV System

1. The Iron Dome Rocket Defense System: The Iron Dome System has been

Air Force. To make the pilot’s incredible job as easy and effective as possible, the F-16I has

deployed in the south of Israel since early 2011 in order to protect Israel’s population from

been outfitted with cutting-edge weapons system hardware, a specially constructed radar sys-

the rockets fired from Gaza.

tem and a unique helmet system that allows the pilot to launch weapons at an enemy aircraft using sight only. No wonder we nicknamed it ‘Sufa’. That’s Hebrew for ‘Storm’ by the way.

First of all, the system is the first of its kind. In terms of speed, accuracy and capability, there was no other system like it in the world prior to its introduction. Every individual battery is

3. The Trophy System: The Trophy Active Tank Defense System was developed with

fully mobile and includes a radar station, a weapons control unit and the actual missile firing

one goal in mind. To remove the last Achilles’ heel of armored vehicles and tanks – modern

unit itself. As soon as an enemy rocket is fired into Israel, the radar station detects and tracks

anti-tank guided missiles. How does it work? It’s simple: The Trophy’s detection system creates

its trajectory and launches a missile of its own to intercept and neutralize the enemy rocket

a 360° protective shield around the tank. When an enemy launches a rocket against a tank

before it can cause any harm.

outfitted with Trophy, the system instantly detects and neutralizes any threat to the tank by firing a missile of its own which blows up the enemy missile.

2. The F-16I ‘Sufa’: “What’s so special about the F-16?” you ask. “Half of the western world uses it,” you say. Well, this is no ordinary F-16. This is the F-16I ‘Sufa‘. The added ‘I’

4. The Merkava IV: At first glance, the Merkava IV main battle tank may not look so

stands for Israel, because it has been heavily modified to fit the specific needs of the Israeli

different from other tanks, but sometimes looks can be deceiving. In its current version, the

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Israel

to defend against attack helicopters, a digital battlefield management system and an unprecedented suspension and track system that allows the Merkava IV to move in even the harshest terrains that would force any other tank to its knees. No wonder its considered one of the world’s best tanks.

5. The Elbit Skylark: Quick, picture a drone! You thought of a full-sized plane, taking off from a runway, didn’t you? That’s because you haven’t heard of the Skylark I-LE. It’s small, it’s lightweight, it can be carried by one person and set up to be ready to fly in less than 8 minutes. 3 hours of flight-time with a live video-feed, day and night, in any weather-condition. The Skylark is quiet as a mouse with the eyes of a hawk. Quickly deployed and quickly re-

The Future of Field Intelligence - The Granite

covered. They’ll never even know we were there.

6. The Granite:

It may resemble a Mars Rover, but it is actually

the newest addition to the IDF’s Field Intelligence Unit’s line up of ultramodern observation vehicles. A combination of optical and radar

Tzefa Shirion

detection systems that can identify a man-sized enemy target from over 7km away, a hidden extendable radar mast or an integrated system that will immediately send live updates of enemy targets to friendly forces in the field are just a few of the trailblazing technologies that make the Granite the future of Field Intelligence Reconnaissance Vehicles. Oh, and did we mention it’s also bulletproof? Oh, and did we mention it’s also bulletproof?

7. Tzefa Shirion: What’s the fastest way to clear a mine field? How about the Tzefa Shirion. Take a 120 meter chain wrapped in about 1000 kilos of C4 and attach it to a rocket. When the rocket is fired the chain uncoils and trails after the rocket. After the chain is fully uncoiled it drops to the ground and is detonated, creating a blast so powerful it simply explodes all the mines in its environment. The result is a 120 meter long and 6-8 meter wide path which troops can now pass through safely. Sounds impressive? Wait until you see it in action:

8. The EyeBall System: A terrorist is hiding in a building. The soldiers who came to arrest him know that he is in there, but they don’t know where exactly or who is with him. One soldier takes out a little black ball and quietly tosses it into the house. Within seconds the ball stabilizes itself and transmits a full 360° view of the whole room to the soldiers outside. They can now see and hear everything that is going on inside and have all the necessary information to safely enter the house and arrest the terrorist. Only slightly larger than a tennis-ball and equipped with a state-of-the-art camera with infrared capabilities, The Eye-Ball improves the IDF’s soldiers performance, and stabilizes their status as some of the best in the world.

EyeBall R1 Surveillance Device Reprinted from www.idfspokesperson.com

The EyeBall System

A soldier gets ready to let the Skylark fly

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 17, 2011

Merkava IV includes an upgraded fire control system with the ability

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 17, 2011

Adapted from the Shiurim of HaRav Yochanan Zweig

A King Size Mistake T

“...foremost in rank and foremost in power. Water-like impetuosity - you cannot be foremost, because you mounted your father’s bed...” (49:3,4) which is at the root of the transgression. Yaakov’s intention in rebuking Reuvein was not to condemn him for the transgression for which Reuvein had already repented; Yaakov was identifying for Reuvein the character flaw which caused him to commit the transgression, impetuosity. Impetuous behavior is symptomatic of a lack of self-control. A

Yaakov rebukes Reuvein for acting in an impetuous manner when moving his father’s couch to Leah’s tent. As a result of this action, Reuvein loses his right to the monarchy and Priesthood for which he was destined. Why does Yaakov condemn Reuvein’s impetuosity? Would the sin not have been greater if Reuvein would have acted in a calculated manner? Does acting impetuously not mitigate the transgression? The Torah teaches that it is prohibited to remind a penitent as to his past transgressions. Reuvein is the quintessential penitent; the Torah relates that Reuvein was not present when the brothers sold Yosef, for he had returned to his sackcloth and fasting to atone for his transgression concerning moving his father’s couch. Why then does Yaakov rebuke Reuvein for a transgression for which he had already been repenting S for at least thirty-nine years? Why is the quidpro-quo for Reuvein’s transgression the loss of his leadership position in Klal Yisroel?

This is not the first time we find Yaakov censuring Reuvein for behaving in a manner which lacks forethought. When the brothers explain to Yaakov that Yosef has incarcerated Shimon and is refusing to release him unless they bring Binyamin before him, Reuvein offers his own two sons’ lives as a guarantee that he will return Binyamin home safely. Here too, Yaakov admonishes Reuvein for his foolish suggestion. Clearly, Yaakov is sensitive to Reuvein’s character flaw, his impetuosity. In addition to effectively controlling his subjects, one of the primary functions of a leader is to teach his subjects self-control. For this to be possible, the leader must himself project an image which reflects the highest standards of self-control. Therefore, Reuvein, who has S displayed that he behaves in an unrestrained manner, is denied the opportunity to have the monarchy stem from his descendants. Similarly, the responsibility for the sanctity of the Priesthood can only be placed in the hands of a person who epitomizes self-control, for holiness manifests itself wherever self-control is found.

When repenting for a transgression which we have committed, we www.thaitreat.com very often focus on the transgression, rather than the character flaw

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by Bronnie Ware

It’s not too late to avoid these common regrets in life. For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected: denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them. When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. 2. I wish I didn’t work so hard. This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence. By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the

years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying. It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again. When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying. Life is a choice. It is your life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 17, 2011

Top Five Regrets of the Dying

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

Frijoles Con Kugel (Beans With Kugel) – Jewish Federation of Broward County Celebrates Jewish Latin Culture at February Festival Turn up the salsa and merengue, stir the frijoles and take the kugel from the oven as the Jewish Federation of Broward County Latin Division hosts Frijoles Con Kugel – A Celebration of Latin Jewish Culture. “From the United States to Latin America, Europe and Israel, South Florida is a unique melting pot of different and distinct Jewish cultures and culinary fare,” said Eric B. Stillman, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County. “Frijoles Con Kugel will celebrate those styles together in one festive event.” The event’s name alone highlights the unique characteristics of South Florida Jewish population. Frijoles, or beans, are a staple at many Hispanic dinner tables. And almost everyone remembers bubby’s kugel, or noodle casserole. Together, with music and festivities, the event promises to blend special tastes with a culture found in few other places. “The Jewish Federation of Broward County recognizes many Latinos from numerous countries miss the camaraderie of friends and family from their homelands and hometowns,” Stillman said. “The Latin Division is their connection. We want to welcome them into our culture and we want them to develop a sense of belonging within the Broward County Jewish community.” Frijoles Con Kugel – A Celebration of Latin Jewish Culture will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the David Posnack Jewish Community Center Orlove Auditorium (5890 S. Pine Island Road, Davie 33328). To learn more about the event, visit www.jewishbroward.org or contact Anita Lapco with the Jewish Federation of Broward County at (954) 249-6358 or alapco@jewishbroward.org.

The Jewish Federation of Broward County acts in concert with its network of beneficiary agencies to lend them a helping hand; safeguard and address local educational and social service needs; perpetuate Jewish tradition and heritage; and ensure the continuity and survival of Israel, and Jewish communities around the world. Contact: Caren Berg with Boardroom Communications - cberg@boardroompr.com or (954) 370-8999

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Opinion

by Jerrold L. Sobel Jan. 1, 2012 How many of you remember what you were doing 26 years ago, I barely do. Thank goodness for Google. Reagan was President, H.W. Bush was his Vice President, we were paying a staggering $1.20 for a gallon of gas and I for one was finding a lot less hair in the shower each morning. But to Jonathan Pollard, another New Year has come and gone and nothing has changed. Sad and beaten, deteriorated in health and with no end in sight, Pollard began serving his 27th year in Federal prison this past Nov. Since writing my first article on the Pollard case in September, 2010, “Jonathan Pollard: It’s Time to Let Him Go,” much support has been garnered both domestically and internationally for his release but to this date he still languishes in jail at Butler Penitentiary in North Carolina; more a political prisoner serving an unjust sentence than for a crime he did not plead to.

neys were only given brief access to this document moments before sentencing. Soon after they became classified and Pollard’s Defense team was denied further scrutiny. If ever a man was railroaded in American jurisprudence, Pollard’s the guy. Read the interview with Casper Weinberger excerpted from Middle East Quarterly-Fall 1999 Edition.

So where are the mitigating factors? They abound. It’s quite clear from the time Pollard entered his plea to his sentencing ten months later, Judge Robinson upped the ante on him, no longer content with the second tier of the espionage statute to which he plead guilty: “to the advantage of a foreign nation,” Pollard was sentenced on the more severe first: “to the injury of the United States.” Based upon the influence of false information supplied by Weinberger, the judge simply failed to honor the deal

September 27, 2010 Dr. Lawrence J. Korb t 908 203 Yoakum Pkwy Ap 04 Alexandria. VA 223 k H. Obama The Honorable Barac States ited Un the President of The White House 00 Washington, D.C. 205 Dear Mr. President:

plea he entered was to avoid a life sentence which he received anyway. To some, seeking an extra pound of flesh, 26 years in prison, many of which spent in solitary confinement just isn’t enough. Take the Court jester, Vice President Biden. While discussing the possibility of clemency with President Obama this past Fall, he’s quoted in a New York Times article as saying, “Over my dead body are we going to let him out before his time,”.... “If it were up to me, he would stay in jail for life.” As the following tables will attest, since Pollard is the only person in U.S. history to receive life for spying for an American ally, the above quotes are strange even for Biden. Today the maximum sentence for such an offense would be 10 years; the median being 2 to 4. Keep in mind because it’s worth repeating, Pollard is entering his 27th year behind bars. Since his unjust sentencing, and for as much good as it has done him, successive Administrations have been petitioned on Pollard's behalf, so far to no avail. But the non-partisan chorus of protest over the past two years is growing exponentially. In 2010, soon to be retired Barney Frank garnered 38 Democratic House signatures exhorting the President for clemency. More recently, in a letter to President Obama this past November 8, 2011, 18 former U.S. Senators also implored the President for Pollard’s release. In part the letter stated:

that you respectfully request an Pollard's arrest I for 25 years. a the time of Jonath son se pri fen in De n of bee ary now ret As Assistant Sec of Mr. Pollard who has of clemency on behalf exercise your power ce for passing to receive a life senten of the United States y tor his the in son only per Jonathan Pollard is the . n to an American ally classified informatio lard's sentence is a that the severity of Pol say with confidence can eign policy on the I , for dge our wle in es kno upi and it occ Based on my first-h and the special place ael Isr of like dis l era erger. result of an almost visc fense Caspar Weinb time, Secretary of De lard part of my boss at the ce the judge to give Pol rt in order to convin affidavits to the cou ng guilt, plea baritti two adm ted mit lard sub Pol e er pit des Secretary Weinberg by the government, g a life sentence n the one requested mitted to not seekin a harsher sentence tha The government com nt. lard received a me Pol ern . gov Mr d, the h rea g wit I have ed version of which gaining and cooperatin act red the , vits ida erger Aff but due to the Weinb sentence. disproportionate life memoirs and when Pollard case from his l involvement in the cia erger indifferently cru inb his We d on, itte issi om er om Secretary Weinberg win Black, about the Ed list Asked to explain, rna ." jou ant ort tive y imp investiga matter, but made ver than or asked by the famed min y ver a se, ma sen It was de far bigger it was, in a comparatively minor. s." was wa responded, "Because t tter jus ma y-it lard wh Pol w 't kno , "As I say, the inberger replied "I don Weinberger continued why this was so, We ed ask en Wh e." its actual importanc The terms of the agreement which Pollard for his actions. y expressed remorse erica and has repeatedl Am ce is 10 years. g ten min sen har um h signed onto allowed him to plead guilty to: wit xim the ma charged is 2-4 years and today Mr. Pollard was not e ens nt in prison. off spe his ady for ce has alre rage senten “One count of conspiracy to deliver national tence to the time he sen 's Furthermore, the ave lard Pol g tin ser ved by commu defense information to a foreign government.” Justice would best be

As stated in my earlier article, this isn’t going to be some tear jerk, sugar coated, die for Pollard story. What he did was dastardly. To betray a country whose constitution you’ve sworn to uphold is nothing short of despicable, no matter how righteous the cause. Sanctimonious motivations aside, he allegedly admitted to receiving $10,000 in cash and $1500.00 a month for additional classified material to be given to his Israeli handler, an Israeli Air Force colonel, Aviem Sella. So let there be no doubt, Pollard was not a choir boy. However, from the outset his plea agreement which was offered by the government and accepted by him was not recognized by the presiding judge.

By doing so, his wife Anne also was allowed to Sincerely, plead out for her complicity in the crime. She (signed) served 3 years of a 5 year term and was released. Lawrence J. Korb In accordance with the plea, and to avoid life imprisonment, Pollard agreed to cooperate fully with a government espionage assessment team broand pledged non-disclosure of sensitive material kered between the defense and the prosecution. In effect, he had privy to. A proviso he lived up to. However, the Pollard was tricked into waiving his right to a fair trial by judge, Aubrey Robinson Jr. wasn’t having any of it and sen- accepting a plea, only to have the terms of that plea retenced him to life. scinded. What was his justification in doing so? Prior to sentencing, the judge requested a memorandum from former Secretary of Defense, Casper Weinberger. Weinberger issued a damage assessment very much at odds with that of the government’s own assessment which allowed for the more lenient sentencing. Submitted at the last moment, Pollard’s attor-

To further this injustice, Pollard did file one of several appeals that dealt with this issue but was denied in a two to one ruling for failure of his original attorneys to file the appeal in a timely manner. It seems like only common sense that the man should have been allowed to withdraw his plea and take his chances with a jury trial, particularly since the

“We do not condone espionage, nor do we underestimate the gravity of Pollard’s crime, But it is patently clear that Mr. Pollard’s sentence is severely disproportionate and (as several federal judges have noted) a gross miscarriage of justice.” On May 18, 2011, a group of distinguished Americans likewise threw their prestige behind Pollard’s release by beseeching President Obama. The group included, former Secretaries of State, Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, former U.S. Attorney General, Michael Muckasey, former White House Counsel, Bernard W. Nussbaum, Senator Dennis DeConcini, former Chief of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Alan K. Simpson, Co-Chair of the President’s Economic Commission, former CIA Director R. James Woolsey, and most significantly, Lawrence J. Korb, former Assistant Secretary of State under Casper Weinberger in the Reagan Administration.

In September, 2010, Korb wrote the following letter to President Obama on Pollards behalf SEE LETTER ABOVE: Oh cynical me, more so now than ever, if he can only hold out until November, I do believe Pollard will finally be freed this year. Following an indisputably anti-Israel bias the past three and a half years and losing Jewish voters and supporters of Israel in droves; ever the Chicago politician, President Obama is almost certain to make a magnanimous gesture to his formerly faithful voting block and finally release this broken man from his incarceration.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

Jonathan Pollard: Revisited Again and again

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

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Finance 2012 will tell us what is in store.

Two percent. What does that mean to you? Is it the fat content in the milk you buy? Maybe, but not me. I changed over to skim ten years ago. Anybody have an answer yet? Bueller..Bueller? Yes! I just heard you shout it out. That is what you will currently receive to lend the United States government your money for 10 years! Pretty low, right? Ah, how I yearn for the good old 1990’s, when you could receive a meaty 6% for keeping your money parked at the local bank. The late 90’s, when WE were turned to for help by Russia and Mexico to save their currencies from deflating to zero. Now the U.S. is the one with a deflating dollar being supported by other countries. Well, who saves the lifeguard (read: the U.S.) when he starts to drown? That is TBD. The market (read: the collective thought of its participants) is battling between the safety of a U.S. bond or cash and, on the other side, higher risk equities. Day-to-day, fund managers fire up their Bloomberg terminals trying to find an investing vehicle that can bring higher alpha. They can do this by either stepping in front of a complex equity market jarred every day by a crashing Euro, an impotent Congress, and fear of a double-dip recession, or they can sit it in cash or treasuries for that 'safety' trade, yielding ever lower monthly income. I know. You'll tell me bonds had an incredible year. That is accurate. But, remember the first rule of bonds; As bond prices appreciate, yields go lower. As bond prices fall, yields rise. This matters, as investing in bonds might turn out to make you more money on the price of the bond rather than the coupon, or monthly income. Keep that in mind. One of the most important relationships to watch is that of the S & P 500 index to that of the treasuries. A rising stock market should coexist with rising yields as the demand for money increases. Always look to the bond market for the real 'tell' of what is happening. So, would you continue to buy bonds after a great 2011 run? These decisions must keep investment managers up at night. What to do? Warm that 2% milk and sleep on it. What's now clear is Ben Shalom Bernanke (here’s hoping the meaning of his middle name – “Peace” - portends things to come) is harming income searchers (senior citizens, pensioners, annuity investors) at the expense of keeping cash cheap (lent at .25%) to the banks. His hope is that those banks, which borrow millions from the Fed, lend to those seeking to start a small business, buy a house, or take a shot at a risk-based investment. Anyone try to get a residential or commercial loan within the last three years without having the credit of Warren Buffet? Good luck with that. The banks went from handing out money to anyone with a pulse 6 years ago to using Ben Bernanke as their personal banker, and keeping it in their own safes. Send a Tweet to the Fed if you have some ideas how to restart the lending spigot. I am sure you'll get a nice little form in the mail telling you that you will get a response back in 4-6 weeks. If I were to take a random survey of 10 people (shyness factor notwithstanding) how many would be able to name some top-performing stocks 2011 (no Google searches allowed)? I will wager fewer than 3 of 10. Turning on my favorite radio stations, all I am told is to "BUY GOLD, BUY GOLD, BUY GOLD, THE WORLD IS ENDING!” It’s said to be the ultimate protection. Or so we thought. Well, how's that gold investment working out for you now? From a peak of about $1910 last year, we currently stand at $1567. A quick calculation rounds me off to a nice little 18% sell

off into the last couple months of the year. Ouch. Unless you had

Mastercard - MA - $219/$385, $372

the foresight to grab some in the low $1000's you’re going to have to follow the Kenny Rogers credo: hold or fold. Forecasting be darned, I am sense more of a deflationary move to the $1350 area vs. another breakout back to $1900 (within the next year). I'll look to buy it off $1300 as the charts tell me it remains in an ascending channel.

Except for jewelers and gamblers, who carries cash anymore?! MasterCard processes millions of transactions across the world every single day. Who isn't getting another daily offer for a credit card from one of the large banks in the mail every day? When a bank can borrow from the Fed at 0.25% and lend at 4% to 18%, why wouldn't they offer you a new card? And MA stands ready to process that transaction. So unless you think that we are returning to storing cash under mattresses, this behemoth will probably split its stock to make it appear even cheaper for so more fund buyers can get in and move the stock even higher.

So, now that gold has lost its luster, where does one turn? Bonds? Cash? The Hard Rock Casino? (I still double down on 4’s and 8’s). I am sure you’ll be told to buy some other over hyped investment shortly. The problem becomes that ‘They’ never tell you when to sell. I’m not sure but I will surely keep my finger on the sell button when any investment returns 50% in a short amount of time, which much of the metals market did in the first half of 2011, before getting demolished into the close of 2012. For a look ahead to 2012, let’s check out what the big mutual and hedge funds were buying in 2011. Think about what you do everyday, good economy or bad. You wake up, you eat, drink, shower, go to work, seek entertainment, care for your health, and maintain your physical assets. Now translate that into stocks and investments. Here are the names of some of the amazing performers of 2011, their symbols, 52-week lows and highs, and 2011 closing prices. Chipotle Mexican Grill - CMG - $212 / $348, $348 I don’t have to be a highly paid analyst to tell you a $350 stock price reflects a growing company. (And surprisingly I am not a highly paid analyst or I wouldn’t be writing this article for free). Americans are eating more than ever at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Is it the freshness, the trendy “create your own meal concept,” or just the health appeal of a low-fat alternative to the pizza/burger joints. Who knows? Who cares? What I do know is that a yearly return of this caliber makes me hungry to expect even more crowds and lines at CMG in 2012, and a stock price charging higher. Look for that along with overseas expansion and a 3-1 stock split on this burrito. Intuitive Surgical - ISRG - $255 / $469, $463 In the unfortunate instance that one needs surgery, we now have robotic arms performing surgeries (controlled by an M.D., and used in such procedures as knee replacements and bariatric surgery)The surgical robot made by ISRG is known as the Da Vinci. How Leonardo Da Vinci went from being known as a famous painter to being named for a surgical robotic arm perplexes me. Maybe it’s the precision of the surgery, but I digress. What does matter is that this medical device seems to be the go-to for many surgeons and hospitals. With hospitals looking for new channels of revenue growth,the Da VInci is sure to bring higher margin patients into the O.R.. You’re soon to hear and see advertisements for this amazing technology. I do wish you great health in 2012, however. Autozone - AZO - $246/343, $324 With a car mechanic charging $60+/hr, car owners are exceedingly searching for DIY solutions. Clearly many are driving to their local AutoZone. A tight economy doesn't seem to be stopping car owners from the typical $5 to $15 purchase of fuel additives, wiper blades and car fresheners. Get out of my dreams, and get into my car! Sorry for the cheesy Billy Ocean 80's song reference. Take a deep breath and smell that “new car” air freshener brought to you by AutoZone. This company is a cash-rich beast unlikely to slow down anytime soon. In the same industry, one can also look to Advance Auto Parts (AAP) or O'reilly Automotive (ORLY ).

Hansen Natural Beverage - HANS - $51 / $98, $92 Hansen Natural Corporation, through its subsidiaries, develops, markets, sells and distributes beverages in the United States and internationally. Thinking about pulling an all-nighter? Studying for the medical boards? Buy some Monster energy drink or Java Monster, made by this “new school” beverage company. I would love to work for Hansen's marketing department. Their target marketing is brilliant. Their drinks resonate with skateboarders, dance clubs, and all others looking for that liquid kick. In the last five years they have nailed a very niche market for their drinks. The move away from carbonated beverages to other alternatives is in full-gear. Mercado Libre - MELI - $48 / $95, $78 This Latin American company (no need to only invest in US equities) hosts online commerce and payments platforms in Latin America. Its services are designed to provide its users with mechanisms to buy, sell, pay for, and collect on e-commerce transactions; sort of a quasi-Google & PayPal combo. Massive underestimation by analysts (what's new?) caused this company’s stock to boom in '11. Institutional forecasts - which we know can be wrong (remember Goldman's 2008 call for $200 oil?) - call for another great year by MELI. Keep your ears tuned into 4th quarter earnings to see if the world economic mess has damaged any of their profits and margins. Remember, investment sentiment can change 24/7/365. It is more complex than ever and requires adherence to strict rules. Long term investing feels like it’s going the way of the dodo bird. Warren Buffet will always tell you to buy and hold. I don’t agree. Please see Lehman Brothers, WorldCom, Enron, & Bear Stearns for further info into investor fear and how that can turn your winner into a loser. Recently, MF Global is just another relegated to the scrap heap of once great organizations. 2012 should bring a continued appetite for investments in stocks of food, credit card, auto parts, medical devices and web services companies. Here’s to a new year with a greater than 2% return on assets. Who's yearning for the days of 1999 with 6% money-market rates? My hand is raised. Is yours? Clarence Beeks holds an MBA from a University in the northeast and has been an active market participant for over ten years.. When he isn't paying off his graduate school loans, busy drinking his 5th cup of coffee or updating his fantasy football pool, he is brainstorming over where not to invest in 2012. Hopefully, with all this free time, he will be asked to write another article for South Florida Jewish Home. Reach him at ipf.res@gmail.com—

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

2 % yield or $2000 gold?

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

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Parenting

Children Live What They Learn Rabbi Dov Silver Madraigos, Founder & Executive Director

Baby Boomers may recall a poem published and republished in the 1970’s called “Children Learn What They Live.” In simple language, it laid out the impact that attitudes might have on growing children. “If children live with criticism,” the first line went, “They learn to condemn,” and so forth. I’m not challenging author, Dorothy Law Nolte, but the sentiments of the poem are only half the story. It is true that young children learn what they live. It is also true that they live what they learn. And what they learn is dependent upon us, their parents. We all want to raise children with solid values; children who will become young men and women, and then adults, who reflect the best of our society. The $64,000 question is “How do we do it?” In my research using secular sources, I discovered that there is a wealth of information on the topic of “teaching values to children,” and no scarcity of experts. The general opinion seems to be that as parents, we have to work hard at imparting values to our children. We need to share stories, talk about morality and discuss with our children the moral implications of their own decisions. Teaching values was high up on the list of things to do; “living our values” was further down. According to a recent Parenting study, teaching our children to have an abundance of material things is not always a good thing. It was suggested that paring your child’s toy box, consulting your children when making purchasing decisions about toys and games, and involving your children in charitable work helps to teach children values. Only at the end of the study does it get to the heart of the matter: “The best way to teach our children is to live according to one’s values”. If we look at the deeper insights of Chazal, they clearly understood that “living our values” is the most significant way to educate our children. Our children see what we do and internalize it far more than they accept our words. At a young age, children are capable of seeing the dichotomy between words and actions. The realization that people who are honorable can act in dishonorable ways is confusing. A parent can be challenged by a first grader who says, “How come you did [fill in the blank] when you tell me not to?” Parents need to be cognizant of the importance of consistency in their daily actions. How we live our daily lives is the critical factor in raising moral, healthy children. To Chazal, this type of real-life ed-

ucation begins with the small things. Yaakov Avinu collected the small jugs though he could have replaced them, because he understood that every single thing was important for his mission in life and what wasn’t given obviously wasn’t necessary for his mission. H-shem gives us exactly what we need for our mission, no more or no less, including the small jugs. Unfortunately, today, many people don’t live according to this belief. People often borrow money to buy things they do not need with money they do not have, to impress others who they sometimes do not even know. This behavior is ridiculous as it is not in sync with proper values. In our day and age, we live with wastefulness. H-shem has placed us in a generation of plenty. He has given us a tremendous bounty of material wealth, but we have not been faithful stewards. We live in a time when we no longer repair, we replace. We accumulate more and more. With each extra item and extravagance, we run the risk of raising children who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. We also see from Pirkei Avos, perek 4 mishna 1, “Who is honorable? He who honors others.” Why is honoring others the premier way to be honorable? The life-long message of this mishna is that one should not seek honor and be dependent on the honor given by others. This is not true honor. However, the honor and respect we develop within ourselves is true honor. We need to instill this attitude in our children so that they can learn good middos. Rav Yisroel Salanter, zt’l, once went out to raise money for one of his causes. He met with a wealthy donor in his study. The donor opened his money drawer, but then was called out of the room. He left it open as he walked out. Rav Salanter left the room as well. Surely, such a great sage wasn’t tempted to steal. But he taught us a great lesson of how we should totally remove ourselves from temptations. Further, too often we tend to be careless about respecting the personal property of others. When we take something that doesn’t belong to us, we display behavior of the lowest level. As a result, we might see our children “borrowing” another’s pen instead of asking first. This is how the pattern begins. Just like the snake manipulated Chava by tempting her in small ways, one lapse feeds upon another. Chava was pushed to touch the tree. Since this didn’t result in any consequence, she was tempted by the snake to eat from the tree. Our middos are weakened, one tiny act at a time. Eventually, like Chava, the consequences can be grave. The Vilna Gaon attributed teaching good middos to a large vessel overflowing with water. Small cups placed around the vessel will catch the overflow. So it is with teaching our children. If we fill ourselves with good middos and praiseworthy actions, this will overflow to our children. We see from Chazal how careful we need to be as parents and educators to actively demonstrate good middos every single day. In this way, we will raise children who cherish what is truly important in life.

Madraigos, a 501c-3 not-forprofit organization, offers a wide array of innovative services and programs geared towards helping teens and young adults overcome life’s everyday challenges one step at a time. Our goal is to provide all of our members with the necessary tools and skills to empower them to live a healthy lifestyle and become the leaders of tomorrow.

■

Sports

The Detroit Tigers upped payroll to $68 million from $40 million when they opened Comerica Park in 2000, acquiring players like Juan Gonzalez and Hideo Nomo. But the team was lousy during its first six years at Comerica before breaking through with an American League title in 2006. The Milwaukee Brewers, who moved into Miller Park in 2001, boosted payroll to $64 million from $42 million over the stadium’s first two seasons. Still, the team then averaged 97 losses a year for the first four years. The Brewers have been better since 2005, though only two of the past seven seasons could be called very good. And Miller Park isn’t helping them retain Prince Fielder, who is expected to sigh elsewhere soon. The Pittsburgh Pirates (2001), Cincinnati Reds (2003) and Washington Nationals (2008) have also found little success on the field since moving into new digs – the Reds’ 2010 NL Central title stands as the only winning season for those three teams’ combined 24 new-stadium years. And that’s despite a cumulative $81 million in payroll increases during the same period. Result: early attendance spikes for those clubs faded quickly, as they did for the Brewers and Tigers.

Maybe it’s a good thing the Miami Marlins bowed out of the Albert Pujols sweepstakes. The club’s future is mortgaged up to its eyeballs as it is. With the free agent splurge that’s netted Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell, the Marlins have committed $191 million over the next six years to three players. The trio will make more in 2012 (about $40 million) than the Marlins paid their entire roster in 2009. Maintaining a strong core around them will require a lot more. This by a team playing in a market that’s never shown any affection for baseball, where highlights of home runs flying into empty outfield seats is nightly viewing on ESPN’s SportsCenter. That’s all going to change thanks to that modern-day industry savior, the new ballpark. The club is figuring on a boost from 19,000 to 35,000 a game in its state-ofthe-art home (yet to fetch a corporate naming rights deal), one that will bring protection from the heat and rain in addition to the standard upscale amenities. They may get it, at least in 2012. But if the past decade is any indication, retaining new fans that come to check out a new park in its inaugural year – a must for the Marlins due to the player contracts they’ve already committed to through 2017- is challenging. Especially for a market that’s never shown any enthusiasm for baseball. “I don’t know if the plan will work or not, but what other choice do you have?” says sports industry consultant Bernie Mullin of the Aspire Group, who’s had previous executive stints with the Pirates and Rockies. He calls Miami a “quirky” market – big but not wealthy, heavy on transplants, with a dichotomy that forces a sports franchise to walk the fine line between appealing to the large local Latino population while also luring others to drive down from Ft. Lauderdale for a game. Building a long term plan around a new stadium is a calculated risk that could certainly flop. While new pristine ballparks are proven money makers, they’re hardly saviors. The dozen franchises that have opened new stadiums since 2000 (the Marlins will be the 13th next season) have grown revenues by a cumulative billion dollars over that span. The same clubs have also increased payrolls by a combined $440 million, meaning the players have essentially pulled a 44% share of the new stadium loot. Teams have generally taken the tack –as the Marlins are this year – of boosting spending as they enter a new stadium in order to match the ballpark unveiling with a new and improved product on the field. But while some teams see improvement in the standings after moving into a new park – the 2000 Giants and 2004 Padres saw immediate results while the Astros (2000) and Phillies (2004) ramped up pretty quickly after their moves – most don’t.

The ballpark building binge has still generally worked out to be good business, as all teams but one have grown revenues more than payrolls since moving (the lone exception: the Madoff-challenged New York Mets, whose unusual financial circumstances have resulted in both revenue and payroll dropping during their first three seasons at Citi Field). But the Marlins have a problem that others don’t – a poor baseball market. Teams like Cincinnati, Detroit and Pittsburgh, among others, have historically shown they can draw well when they win, regardless of venue. And for those clubs in true baseball hotbeds, like the Cardinals and Yankees, the revenue benefits from their recent new stadiums have come through corporate suites, club seats and other pricy amenities, not improved attendance. Those teams don’t need haughty stadiums to attract fans. But the Marlins? They’ve never drawn in their World Series years, let alone their down years. The team figures the only way to find out is by upgrading the facility and team all at once, an expensive proposition, even with taxpayers funding the bulk of the stadium construction. If they’re like most franchises over the past decade, the Marlins will see revenue rise 25% to 40% i n the new park’s first year, and then flatten out from there. Payroll, though, is moving up even faster; it figures to roughly double in 2012 from 2011. That still leaves plenty of wiggle room to profit – provided the attendance boost lasts more than a year or two. Here’s crossing your fingers. “It’s an extremely difficult baseball market,” says Mullin. But as he also noted, there’s not much choice.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

Can Baseball Really Work in South Florida?

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

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Dining Guide

41 ON THE BAY

CAFE VERT

4101 Pinetree Drive Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-535-4101 Rabbinic Supervision: Kosher-Miami

9490 Harding Ave. Surfside, FL 33154 305-867-3151 Supervision: OK

ASIA Sushi, Wok, Grill

CHAI WOK

7600 W Camino Real Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-544-8100 Supervision: ORB

1688 NE 164 Street North Miami Beach, FL 33162 305-705-2110 Supervision: Kosher Miami

ASI’S

CHINA BISTRO

4020 Royal Palm Ave Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-604-0555 Supervision: Kosher-Miami

3565 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 305-936-0755 Supervision: Kosher Miami

ASI’S GRILL AND SUSHI BAR

CINE CITTA MIAMI

4020 Royal Palm Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-604-0555 Supervision: Kosher Miami

9544 Harding Avenue Surfside, FL 33154 305-407-8319 Supervision: OK

AT YAKOV

CUSINE BY SILVIA

5800 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33021 954-981-7710 Supervision: ORB

141 Via Naranjas, suite 45b Boca Raton Fl 33434 561-361-3939 Supervision: ORB

AVENTURA PITA 18129 Biscayne Blvd. Aventura, FL 33160 305-933-4040

B & H PIZZA 233 95th Street Surfside, FL 33154 786-245-5557 Supervision: Kosher Miami

BAGEL TIME 3915 Alton Road Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-538-0300 Supervision: Circle K

BLUE STAR TAVERNA 2221 N. Federal Hwy, Hollywood, Fl 33020 954-639-7875 BOCA PITA EXPRESS Middle Eastern Israeli cuisine & grill 7185 N. Beracasa Way Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-750-0088 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

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

HARBOUR GRILL 9415 Harding Avenue Surfside, FL 33154 305-861-0787 Supervision: Kosher Miami HOLLYWOOD DELI 6100 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, FL 33024 (954) 608-5790 Supervision: ORB JCC CAFE American 9801 Donna Klein Blvd at Cultural Arts Center Boca, Raton, FL 33428 561-852-3200 x 4103 | Supervision: ORB JERUSALEM PIZZA 761 NE 167th Street North Miami Beach, FL 33162 305-653 6662 | Supervision: Kosher Miami JONA’S GRILL & BAR 2520 NE 186th Street North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-466-0722 JONAS PIZZA 2530 NE Miami Gardens Drive North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-918-8998 JONAS PIZZA 544 w 41st Miami Beach Fl 33140 305-397-8395

FRESH CAFE 2214 NE 123 Street North Miami, FL 33181 305-891-8848 Supervision: Kosher Miami

JON’S PLACE OF BOCA Pizzeria 22191 Powerline Road Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-338-0008 Supervision: ORB

GIGI’S CAFE 3585 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 305-466-4648 Supervision: Kosher Miami

KIKAR TEL-AVIV RESTAURANT Chinese and Continental Cuisine Carriage Club North 5005 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-866-3316 Supervision: OK Laboratories

GRILL TIME 16145 Biscayne Blvd. North Miami Beach, FL 33160 786-274-8935 | 305-491-3325 Supervision: ORB GRILL TIME RESTAURANT Fusion Steak House 8177 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33434 (561) 482-3699 | Fax: (561) 487-4044 Supervision: ORB

L’CHAIM MEE CHINA ORIENTAL RESTAURANT 3940 North 46 Avenue Hollywood, FL 33021 954-986-1770 Supervision: ORB LEVY’S KOSHER OF HOLLYWOOD 3357 Sheridan Street Hollywood, FL 33021 954-983-2825 Supervision: ORB

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Dining Guide

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 MILKY CAFÉ 4579 N Pine Island Road Sunrise Fl 33351 954-533-5325 Supervision - ORB MOZART'S - 1250 West Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach, FL 33422, 954-531-1263 - 18110 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles, FL 33160 - 4433 Stirling Road, Hollywood, FL 33021 954-584-5171 Supervision: ORB

NEWTIME Moroccan and Spanish cuisine 2120 N.E. 123rd Street North Miami Beach, FL 33181 305-891-6336 Supervision: Kosher Miami ORCHIDS GARDEN 9045 La Fontana Boulevard Boca Raton, FL 33434 561-482-3831 Supervision: ORB ORIGINAL PITA HUT 5304 41 Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-531-6090 Supervision: ORD PITA LOCA 601 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-673-3388 Supervision: Kosher Miami PITA PLUS 2145 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33312 954-241-2011 PITA PLUS 1883w3 Biscayne Boulevard Aventura, FL 33180 305-935-0761

PITA PLUS 3801 N. University Dr. Sunrise, FL 33351 954-741-5844 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 RARE STEAKHOUSE 468 W 41st Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-532-7273 Supervision: Kosher-Miami RITZ RESTAURANT 1678 NE Miami Gardens Dr. North Miami Beach, FL 33179 305-354-9303 Supervision: Kosher-Miami SAGI’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 22767 US Highway 441 Boca Raton, FL 33428 561-477-0633 Supervision: ORB SARA’S 3944 N 46th Street Hollywood, FL 33021 954-986-1770 Supervision: ORB SEVENTEEN 1205 17 Street Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-672-0565 Supervision: Kosher-Miami SHALOM HAIFA RESTAURANT 18533 W. Dixie Hwy Aventura, FL 33180 305-945-2884 Supervision: ORB SHEM TOV’S PIZZA 514 41st Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-538-2123 Supervision: Kosher Miami SUBWAY 18900 NE 25th Ave North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-663-9883 Supervision: Kosher-Miami SUNRISE PITA & GRILL

2680 N University Dr. Sunrise, FL 33322 954-748-0090 SUNRISE PITA TOO 5650 Stirling Rd. Hollywood, FL 33021 954-963-0093 Supervision: ORB TASTI CAFE 4041 Royal Palm Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-673-5483 Supervision: Kosher Miami Dairy 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 URBAN BAGEL 2790 Stirling rd Hollywood Fl 33020

WEBER CAFE 3565 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 (305) 935-5580 Supervision: Kosher Miami WEST AVENUE CAFE 959 West Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-534-4211 Supervision: Kosher Miami YAMI YAMI 5021 State Road 7, Davie, FL 33314 954-534-1158 Supervision: ORB

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

LUL GRILL CAFE 18288 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 305-933-0199 Rabbinic Supervision: OK

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Good News from Israel by Yosi Behar

Ormat has signed a power purchase agreement with Imperial Irrigation District for 10 MW of solar energy. The project will be located near the Heber geothermal complex in Imperial Valley, California. Construction to begin this year and commercial operation is expected within 18 months. The project will generate 24,500 annual megawatt-hours of energy production. Ormat Technologies, Inc. is the only vertically integrated company primarily engaged in the geothermal and recovered energy power business. The company designs, develops, owns and operates geothermal and recovered energy-based power plants around the world.

Israeli innovations in Medicine, Healthcare: Good news for type 1 diabetics InsuLine Medical Ltd announced positive results in the efficacy and safety clinical trial of its insulin patch, InsuPatch for the treatment of Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. The InsuPatch met its primary endpoint for obtaining US FDA approval of the product. The InsuPatch achieved a relative median increase of 29.7% in insulin levels in the blood within an hour compared with an insulin injection without the product. The FDA requirement was a median increase of at least 10%.

Good news for Rheumatoid Arthritis patients Oral drug PRT0467 was found to be effective in reducing the clinical symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Proteologics is a biopharmaceutical company based in Weizmann Science Park in Rehovot, exploiting the UBIQUITIN system for the discovery and development of novel therapeutics. Drs. Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover - 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureates for the discovery of the ubiquitin system - lead the scientific advisory board. The importance of the result is very great as the molecule was found to be effective across a number of models. This molecule will, in the future, provide an effective treatment for rheumatoid diseases.

Archeology: A rare Second Temple artifact revealed Seal impression recently found near Western Wall used by Second Temple officials to assign purified objects for ritual use • Finding is first solid proof of speculated purification rituals. The Israel Antiquities Authority on Sunday presented a rare clay seal that appears to be linked to religious rituals that took place at the Second Temple 2,000 years ago. The coin-sized seal found near the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City bears two Aramaic words meaning "pure for God". The artifact was presented to the media at the City of David, the historical grounds on which King David build his new capital 3020 years ago, adjacent to what would later become the Temple Mount

Economy & infrastructure; Unemployment rate down to 5%, all-time low The Central Bureau of Statistics published unemployment figures for the preceding months, indicating a steady monthly decline of 0.1-0.2% in the unemployment rate since January. Unemployment rate fell to 5% of the labor force in October 2011, an all-time low.

Customs duties annulled on 700 imported items The list includes dishwashers, washing machines, car tires, razor blades, sewing machines, baby strollers, toys, ballpoint pens, glassware and porcelain, silver and gold jewelry and pearls, as well as stovetops and ovens, suits, coats, scissors and knives, medications, plastic products and raw lumber.

Fortified ER installed in Haifa Carmel hospital A new $15 million emergency department – fortified to protect patients, staffers and visitors from rockets and missiles and even biological weapons from beyond the northern border, was dedicated on Wednesday at Carmel Medical Center in Haifa. Patient care will be able to continue during any such attack. The new ER is 3 times bigger (2000 sq/mtrs) than the old on (700 sq/mtrs).

Uranium in the Negev? Two seismic surveys indicate that there is uranium under the Negev - and Gulliver Energy, headed by former Mossad chief Meir Dagan, intends to dig it up. Gulliver will conduct tests and set up several drilling projects near Sedom. Seismic and other tests indicated that there was a "strong likelihood" that uranium and other materials would be found at the site.

SOCIETY, culture168 graduate Air Force Academy This week, 5 women, along with 163 other flight academy graduates, received their wings in a ceremony at Hatzerim airbase yesterday. The 3 year period at the Israeli Air-Force flying Academy is the most challenging and prestigious course in Israel and probably in the world.

‘Taglit’ launches winter season 17,000 young adults from 32 countries will experience Israel over next few months. Taglit-Birthright Israel opened its winter season with a group of 40 participants from France. The French youngsters could not contain their enthusiasm; “I am looking forward to having the time of my life in the country we all belong to,” said Cecile Mayer, 25, from Paris“.

Choices Controversial Professor of History (PhD. in Modern history) Newt Gingrich: if elected, will he cleave on all his statements?. Good to Bright, articulate while presenting creative ideas with some fine humor…sometimes. On: How to solve Iran problem without war. “It is always Israel’s fault”. “State department long time policy to appease Islamist deceptive pack-of-lies is an outrageous denial of truth”. Courtesy of Alvin Weintraub

Technology; New technology turns sea water into drinking water IDE developed a chemical free process to desalinate sea water. This portable unit is based on reverse osmosis but without the chemicals usually needed to clean the pretreated water and the membranes. This fact makes it very economical. The system can supply 10 000 cubic meters per day (~263 000 gallons) of drinking water – a perfect solution for remote areas or disaster sites. In addition, the patented Membrane Direct Osmosis Cleaning environment friendly system reduces the amount of energy consumed in the desalination process and enables uninterrupted operation, which increases the system’s availability. IDE has installed 400 water treatment plants in 40 countries.

45 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

Energy; Ormat to supply solar energy in California

■ Good News from Israel ■ Good News from Israel ■ Good News from Israel

■

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ JAN. 5, 2012

■

Politics

Romney Wins Iowa Caucus by a Corn’s hair By Naftali Halpern

The Iowa Caucus, which is the official start of the 2012 election season, turned out to be every bit the nail biter that many expected. In the lead up to the Iowa Caucus, the Republicans had been searching for an alternative to Mitt Romney, who is perceived as having less than stellar conservative credentials. It seems as if each candidate was given their chance to shine and present their case why they are the best alternative to Romney: In August, Michele Bachman won the Iowa straw poll, temporarily propelling her to front-runner status ; in September Rick Perry entered the race and immediately became the “man to beat” until a series of gaffes irreparably harmed his image; in December, after a series of debates in which he excelled, Newt Gingrich briefly became the inevitable candidate but was then taken down by negative attack ads; the front runner status then shifted to Ron Paul, but his extreme statements and views were quickly exposed by the klieg -lights shown on the front runner. In the end, it was the stealth rise of Rick Santorum which shocked all Iowa caucus watchers. Until a week before the Iowa caucus, Santorum had never risen above single digits in polling. He had the smallest campaign operation of all the candidates competing in Iowa and unlike other candidates who crisscrossed Iowa by plane, helicopter and bus, Santorum spent his time traveling to each of Iowa’s 99 counties on his friend’s pickup truck. "People say, 'Where's my bus?' and I say this is my bus -- it's a pickup truck," Santorum chuckled during a last minute Cedar Rapids rally. Santorum’s strategy can essentially be described as a one man grass-roots operation, consisting of himself. He spent months personally meeting thousands of Iowans and courting their votes. In the end Santorum’s strategy worked. In the last minute he catapulted to the top and in a stunning finish, he and Romney virtually tied each other, with each receiving approximately 25% of the vote. (Out of the 120,000 votes casted in Iowa, Romney received 30,015 and Santorum received 30,007). Santorum, who served in the House of Representatives and then as Pennsylvania senator for two terms before being defeated in 2006, is a staunch social conservative. In Iowa, Santorum, who is the father of 7 children and is deeply religious, focused on family values and religion to make his case to Iowans. His particular strengths played well in Iowa as economic concerns are less of a factor in Iowa which has a strong agricultural economy and has a below national-average unemployment rate of 5.7 percent. Santorum, who until now focused solely on Iowa, will face the immediate challenge of having to create a national campaign infrastructure in order to stay competitive in New Hampshire and other early primary states. He will also have to craft a cogent national campaign theme and quickly prepare to fend off the sort of attacks which have sunk previous front runners. Despite the fact that Mitt Romney is seen as the overall front runner in the Republican primaries, his performance in Iowa is a significant victory. In 2008, Romney

suffered a disappointing second place finish in the Iowa caucus, after campaigning heavily in the state. Due to that experience, he shifted his strategy and decided not to focus too much time or money on Iowa during this primary season, rather he would focus on the New Hampshire primary, which is held one week after the Iowa caucus. However, several weeks ago the Romney campaign realized that due to the absence of a clear Iowa front runner, Mitt may be able to eke out a victory. As such, in the weeks and days leading up to the Iowa caucus, the Romney campaign went into overdrive in Iowa, while cautiously maintaining that their true strength awaits them in New Hampshire. In a sense, Romney’s Iowa victory provides wind beneath his sails which will help him gain earlier momentum and traction than originally planned. In fact, shortly after the Iowa caucuses ended, John McCain announced that he would be endorsing Mitt Romney. Of course, Romney has to now worry about Santorum gaining traction as the “anybody but Romney” or the “anti-Romney” that conservatives seem to be so desperately clawing for. Although the Iowa Caucus receives much media attention, it is hardly a bellwether for who the nominee will be. Since 1979 only three candidates who won the Iowa caucus went on to win the Republican nomination. John McCain, who was the 2008 Republican nominee, came in fourth place in the Iowa caucus. But the Iowa caucus does winnow the field, as those who perform poorly generally exit the race. Despite her promises to fight on, Michele Bachman, will likely exit the campaign due to her disappointing 6th place finish, in which she garnered 5% of the vote. Rick Perry, who finished in 5th place and got approximately 10% of the vote, indicated the future of his campaign was now in doubt, saying he planned to return to Texas to ‘‘reassess’’ his candidacy and ‘‘determine whether there is a path forward.’’ On the other hand, Newt Gingrich who came in 4th place and received approximately 13 % of the vote—a disappointing finish considering his front runner status several weeks ago— has vowed to stay in the race and declared that “this is just the beginning” of the campaign. Based on the bitter exchanges between Gingrich and Romney over the past week, during which Gingrich accused Romney of being a liar, it is plausible that Gingrich may be sticking around in order to wound Romney, who he has a personal vendetta against. Ron Paul came in third place, which is a good enough showing for him to continue espousing his out-there philosophies on the campaign trail, but not good enough for him to be considered a viable candidate. As the process moves away from Iowa to more traditional states, it is likely that his support will drop off significantly. John Huntsman, who is seeking the Republican nomination but didn’t compete in Iowa recently said, “They pick corn in Iowa, they pick presidents in New Hampshire.” As of now, Romney has a double-digit lead over his nearest opponent in New Hampshire. As the Republican race moves on from the Hawkeye State to the Granite State, it looks the corn pickers may have gotten it right this time.

1. Novak Djokovic had one the most impressive starts to a season ever in men’s tennis with a 41-0 record before losing his first match of the year to Roger Federer in the French Open semifinals. How many of the 101 sets he played during that streak did he win? (A) 71 (B) 81 (C) 91 (D) 101 2. Djokovic narrowly avoided a second Grand Slam loss to Roger Federer when he hit a stunning shot and saved a match point in the U.S. Open semifinals. What was that shot? (A) A forehand crosscourt return winner (B) A backhand down the line winner (C) A drop-shot winner (D) A between-the-legs winner 3. Four women won Grand Slams in the 2011 season: Kim Clijsters in Australia, Li Na at the French Open, Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon and Samantha Stosur at the U.S. Open. Only one of them won another tournament for the remainder of the season. Who was it? (A) Clijsters (B) Li (C) Kvitova (Linz and WTA Championships. Give yourself a bonus if you said Fed Cup, too) (D) Stosur 4. Which two Masters Series events did Andy Murray win this year? (A) Monte Carlo and Montreal (B) Indian Wells and Paris (C) Miami and Rome (D) Cincinnati and Shanghai 5. Incredibly, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut were drawn to face each other in the first round of Wimbledon, a rematch of their record-shattering 11-hour, 5minute epic a year earlier. The sequel didn’t quite live up to the original. How long did it last? (A) 1 hour, 2 minutes (B) 2 hours, 3 minutes (C) 2 hours, 10 minutes (D) 3 hours

6. This year’s marathon match was instead played by Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova, whose rip-roaring encounter at the Australian Open broke the record for the longest women’s Grand Slam match by going: (A) 3 hours, 22 minutes (B) 4 hours, 22 minutes (C) 4 fours, 44 minutes (D) 5 hours 7. The record for the longest women’s tiebreaker at a major was also set this year when Maria Kirilenko edged Sam Stosur 17-15 in the second-set tiebreaker of their fourth-round U.S. Open match. How many of those points did Kirilenko win with Hawkeye challenges? (A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 4 8. Rafael Nadal lost six times to Djokovic in finals this year. Of the other nine matches he lost, who was the only player to beat him more than once? (A) Andy Murray (B) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (C) Roger Federer (D) Robin Soderling 9. Nadal did salvage his season with a record-tying sixth French Open crowd, surviving a first-round scare in which he played a fifth set at Roland Garros for the first time. Who was his opponent? (A) Juan Monaco (B) Juan Martin del Potro (C) David Ferrer (D) John Isner 10. The ATP just announced the name of its new CEO, who will be the third name in the post in the past five years. Which of these candidates finally got the nod? (A) Richard Krajicek (B) Ian Ritchie (C) Brad Drewett (D) Mark Young 11. There were some notable tennis couple breakups this year. Which of these pairings is the only one (until last check) still on? A) Tomas Berdych and Lucie Safarova B) Igor Andreev and Maria Kirilenko C) Jarmila Gadjosova and Sam Groth D) Jurgen Melzer and Iveta Benesova

2. There are a plethora of WTA stars dating other high-profile athletes. Who has been linked to golfer Adam Scott? (A) Caroline Wozniacki (B) Ana Ivanovic (C) Maria Sharapova (D) Maria Kirlenko 13. Bob and Mike Bryan continue to pile up records in doubles. Which of these have they broken so far? (A) The team titles record (B) The Grand Slam team record (C) Weeks at No. 1 (D) A and C 14. Which wild-card team took the U.S. Open mixed doubles title in storybook fashion this year? (A) Roger and Mirka Federer (B) Melanie Oudin and Jack Sock (C) Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic (D) Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza 15. In addition to not winning a Grand Slam for the first time since 2002, Federer lost a Grand Slam match from two sets up for the first time this year, and he did so twice. Which two players did he lose to? (A) Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (B) Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych (C) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Novak Djokovic (D) Andy Murray and Robin Soderling 16. Federer did win the World Tour Finals for a record sixth time. Which two players are next in line with five each? (A) Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg (B) Bjorn Borg and Illie Nastase (C) Pete Sampras and Ivan Lendl (D) John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors 17. Milos Raonic was voted the ATP Newcomer of the Year. Coming into the season, Raonic and his coach Galo Blanco each wrote down what they thought his yearend ranking would be and sealed it in an envelope. Raonic put 47, Blanco 31. What was Raonic’s year-end ranking? (A) 47 (B) 31 (C) 24 (D) 21

18. Caroline Wozniacki still hasn’t won a major but has now been No. 1 for 55 weeks, putting her at what spot on the alltime list? (A) 18 (B) 12 (C) 9 (D) 4 19. Wozniacki failed to reach the quarterfinals in both the French Open and Wimbledon. Which players did she lose to in those events? (A) Stosur and Li (B) Daniela Hantuchova and Dominka Cibulkova (C) Venus Williams and Marion Bartoli (D) Francesca Schiavone and Victoria Azarenka 20. It didn’t quite match Djokovic’s 41 straight wins, but which WTA player had a winning streak of 18 this season? (A) Petra Kvitova (B) Caroline Wozniacki (C) Serena Williams (D) A and C

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