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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011 2

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THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

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Community

Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, under the leadership of Chairman of the Board William Landa, President Marcy Resnik, Rabbi Jonathan Berkun, and Executive Vice President, Dr. Amir Baron, brings many interesting and distinguished speakers to the community annually.

ATJC is collaborating with national Alberto M. Carvalho, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County and local organizations to bring two Public Schools such speakers to the Aventura community. On Saturday, November 19, Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York, will address the congregation on the current situation in Israel and on the recent release of IDF soldier, Gilad Shalit.

In February 2011, Ido Aharoni officially assumed the post of Consul General of Israel in New York, after serving as Acting Consul General since August 2010. He has been a member of Israel’s Foreign Service since 1991. In September 2007, Aharoni was appointed to serve as the Head of Israel's Brand Management Team in Jerusalem. In 2006, he was appointed to serve as a Senior Advisor to Israel's Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister, in charge of media and public affairs.

On Saturday, December 3, 2011, Alberto M. Carvalho, Su-

perintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), will visit Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center. In September 2008, Mr. Carvalho assumed his current post leading the nation’s fourth largest school system which serves a diverse student body of over 400,000 in PreK-Adult classes.

By bringing a renewed focus to the Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York classroom, student performance has improved significantly. In 2010, the District posted its highest high school graduation rate ever and through a data-driven approach to school performance improvement, decreased the number of “F” high schools in Miami-Dade from 13 to one. In addition, a majority of schools earned a grade designation of “A.” He has been featured on CNN, NBC, The New York Times, District Administration Magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, and Nightly Business Report.

Both lectures will take place during Shabbat morning services held between 9:00am – 12:00pm. Light refreshments will be provided following services. Community members may contact Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center at 305-937-1880, rsvp@atjc.org, or visit www.atjc.org for more information.

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inside this issue ■

Israel

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Finance

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Community

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World News

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Jewish History 22

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People

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Health

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K Cuisine

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from the editors One of the reasons this publication was started was to showcase Jewish South Florida, to instill pride among our fellow Jews. By highlighting the accomplishments, the activities, the contributions of Jews in South Florida and around the world, we hoped to raise the profile of the Jewish community, even if just to members of our own tribe. Along the way, many complementary goals became our raison d’etre, including promoting the Jewish Day Schools and Jewish charitable organizations in South Florida who do so many good things for our neighbors and are critical in educating the next generation of Jewish leaders in South Florida and beyond.

We have been aided in our mission by the many readers and advertisers who support our publication and allow us to do the good things we try to accomplish. We have recently been assisted by a very unlikely source. Just as Hitler and the Nazis stripped away distinction, difference and boundaries among the Jews, our present-day Haman (of the Purim story) helps to unify the Jewish people. Whether we are conservative or liberal, black or white, peaceniks or Hawks, Sabras or settlers, Orthodox or reform, Haredi or secular, we are united in our love of life—knowing no limits in rescuing a kidnapped soldier—and our hate of pure evil. Yes, it may take our enemies to make us realize that we have much more in common than any differences we eschew. If you ever questioned your value or your self-worth, then you need only look at yesterday’s headlines to see that you are very valuable. You are worth much more than the $1,000,000 that Prince Khaled bin Talal or Dr. Awad al-Qarni offered for your head. You will be here much longer than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; and will outlast and outlive Iran, Saudi Arabia and every enemy in every generation that is out to destroy us. By their own admission, Jewish life is very valuable—we are all millionaires; we need to start acting like that.

Through their own negotiations, they acknowledge that it takes more than 1027 Arabs to compare with one Jew. Had we agreed to use Nobel Prizes as a benchmark, we may have had to trade 10,000 Muslims for 1 Jew. Had we used contributions to medicine and science as a measuring stick, we may have had to swap 500,000 of them for one Jewish soul. Absolutely, every Jewish soul is precious! Even, if we have to say so ourselves.

Please enjoy the latest issue of the South Florida Jewish Home. We publish this for you!

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Music Tech

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David Gutman, Editor/Publisher editor@SFJewishHome.com

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Editor welcomes all comments and questions which maybe address in letter from the Editor Ad sales representative Steve Nichol

Jewish Thoughts

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Dining Guide

42

Real Estate

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Design & Production Michael Bass Contributing Writers: Gil Ronen | Yoav Zitun Nachum Soroka | Jamie Geller Chaim Cernikoff | Eli Shapiro Rachel Blinick and Daniel Elefant Rabbi Warren Kasztl Gedaliah Borvick of “My Israel Home” SFJH Staff

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.

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Israel - Israeli scientists have bred a featherless

The Israeli Navy is tracking two ships, believed be

chicken. Although featherless chickens look quite terrifying, poultry farm owners in many countries have shown keen interest in the birds because they will not need to be plucked.

According to the scientists who have bred the new species, these birds cause no harm to people’s heath. Moreover, they grow faster, and their meat is low fat. According to the head of the project, Professor Avigdor Cahaner, at the Agricultural Institute in Rehvot, Israel, such birds have more advantages because there will be no need to install air conditioners for them in warmer countries. However, the genetic scientist admits that the new species of chickens are unlikely to adapt to cold climates. Consequently, breeding bald chicken in Scandinavian countries or Russia would be quite difficult. The opponents of the new species have accused the Israeli scientists of having created a genetically modified chicken. But the scientists dismiss these charges and insist that the new chicken comes from a natural breed.

Russian experts have found another serious drawback, “When pairing the rooster may injure the hen with its nails and beak because it has no feathers on the head and the neck. Even now, the nails of two of the rooster’s fingers have to be cut off in order to prevent him from injuring the hen. Source: Haaretz

part of a new flotilla to Gaza, that departed Wednesday from Turkey headed for the Gaza Strip, according to the IDF spokesperson. The IDF intends to intercept the vessels if they continue on their course. According to information obtained by security services, the two ships left Turkey after announcing their intentions to sale to Rhodes. There is no information presently that indicates Turkish involvement in the flotilla. The passengers on the two ships - a small ship named “Al-Tahrir” and a yacht named "the Saoirse" are believed to be activists in two pro-Palestinian organizations from Ireland and Canada.

The Tahrir is carrying twelve Canadians, Americans, Australians, and Palestinians. The fifteen passengers on the second vessel are from Ireland. According to IDF estimates, judging by the speed of the ships and the conditions at sea, the IDF estimates that the ships will arrive in Gaza between Thursday night and early Friday morning. The Israeli Navy intends to radio the ships and offer them to dock and unload equipment at the port in Ashdod or in an Egyptian port. A senior defense official said Wednesday that “in any case, we will not let them reach Gaza. The naval blockade is legal and was even recently approved by the Palmer committee.

This is an incident that is intended mainly to draw media attention,” he said. The first Gaza flotilla set sail from Turkey in May 2010. The six-vessel convoy had the intention of breaking through a comprehensive blockade Israel had placed on the coastal territory.

The navy took control of five of the ships without incident, but resistance by activists on the sixth vessel led to clashes that claimed the lives of nine of the boat's passengers, and left dozens of activists and soldiers wounded. Israel had requested that the flotilla turn off its course, and head for the Israeli port of Ashdod, where the aid it was carrying could be transferred via land to Gaza. This was rejected by the flotilla, leading Israel to dispatch its troops to intercept the ships before they reached Gaza. The action was condemned internationally, in particular by Turkey, which recalled its ambassador and branded Israel a "terrorist state."

The most recent flotilla attempt in July 2011 did not reach Gaza shores.

Jerusalem - An Israeli military official says Israel has authorized its military to take steps to stop rocket fire from Gaza, including a ground operation. The official spoke Tuesday after Israeli Cabinet ministers discussed a spike in rocket fire from Gaza. He said ministers approved military operations ranging from surgical strikes on Palestinian militants to a broad ground offensive. He was talking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. The decision stopped short of ordering a ground assault. Rocket fire has all but stopped over the past day. Egyptian officials said Israel agreed to put off wider operations in Gaza to give Egypt time to get Palestinian militants to stop rocket fire. Violence flared when Gaza militants pounded southern Israel with rockets and Israel hit back with airstrikes. Source: Haaretz

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

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This week in news Ruth and Andrew Madoff Plead Ignorance

Ruth Madoff, wife of swindler Bernie Madoff, and her son, Andrew, declared in a recent interview that they were not aware that anything illegal was going on in the $65 billion scheme that Bernie perpetrated. Andrew said that his mother did not even know what a Ponzi scheme was when Bernie confessed to the family in December 2008.

“She didn’t even understand that. I think it was me who answered and said that ‘It means that it’s all fake,’” Andrew Madoff said. “(My father) followed that up and said ‘Yes, I’ve been lying to all of you — all of these years. I’ve been lying to everybody. I’ve been lying to myself.’” Mark Madoff, Andrew’s brother, worked with Andrew in Bernie’s trading company. They both turned him into authorities after he confessed his actions to the family. Mark committed suicide last year and subsequently, Ruth cut off contact with her husband and moved to Florida. Ruth confessed that both she and Bernie considered committing suicide as well in December 2008. Andrew declared, “What he did to me, to my brother, and to my family is unforgivable. What he did to thousands of other people, destroyed their lives — I’ll never understand it. And I’ll never forgive him for it.”

107/71, and 20/20 vision in both eyes. His total cholesterol is 193 and his LDL is now 110.

Second Energy Department- Backed Company Declares Bankruptcy Two months ago, Californiabased solar panel maker Solyndra declared bankruptcy and laid off 1,000 workers. Solyndra received a $535 million loan from the Energy Department in 2009. Now, Beacon Power Corp, a Massachusetts company that received a $43 million Energy Department loan guarantee last year, has fi led for b a n k ruptcy as well. Beacon Power received the federal loan to help build an energy storage plant that began operating in January. This latest news amplifies criticism from Republicans who do not agree with much of the President’s economic plan. “This latest failure is a sharp reminder that DOE has fallen well short of delivering the stimulus jobs that were promised, and now taxpayers find themselves millions of more dollars in the hole,” said Rep. Cliff Stearns (RFla.). Stearns is the GOP’s lead in the Solyndra investigation and a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.“Unfortunately for the American taxpayers, I am deeply concerned that other DOE programs could follow which goes to the heart of the President’s fl awed economic program,” he said. Energy Department spokesman Damien LaVera said there are “many protections for the taxpayer… the loan was set up in a way that ensures the Department is not directly exposed to the liabilities of the parent company.”

President Declared 16 NYPD Officers Involved in Scam Tobacco-Free 16 NYPD offi cers were ordered to surrender last In a report released by the White House, President Obama was declared in excellent health and tobacco free by his doctor, Dr. Jeffrey C. Kuhlman. Dr. Kuhlman also noted that the president is physically active, eats a healthy diet and drinks alcohol in moderation. “The president is in excellent health and ‘fit for duty,’” Dr. Kuhlman wrote. “All clinical data indicate he will remain so for the duration of his presidency.” At his last examination in 2010, Dr. Kuhlman recommended that Obama stick with “smoking cessation efforts” and should alter his diet to maintain safe cholesterol levels. According to the report, President Obama is 6-foot-1, weighs 181.3 pounds, has a blood pressure of

week to face charges in a ticket-fi xing scheme. Many of the offi cers are members of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the city’s largest police union.

Five civilians, including two drug dealers, were also expected to be charged in the case.

In addition to ticket-fi xing accusations, some of the offi cers will be charged in narcotics corruption, covering up assault and leaking information to union offi cers. The investigation into these actions started almost three years ago, in December 2008.

Companies to Charge Smokers and Overweight Workers More for Healthcare For years, many companies have been offering smoker-cessation programs and weight-loss programs

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GPS Shoes to Track

ridiculous. Why did they shoot? And where are those in the world who claim Israel responds disproportionately.

Are missile attacks an acceptable provocation?”

Palestine Accepted to UNESCO In a vote Monday, Palestine became a full member of UNESCO, the UN cultural and educational agency. The delegates approved membership in a 107-14 vote with 52 delegates abstaining. Only 81 votes were needed for approval. The United States voted against the measure. “ L o n g Live Palestine!” shouted a delegate in French after the vote was decided. The membership will formally take effect when Palestine signs UNESCO’s founding charter.

The U.S. ambassador to UNESCO said the vote will “complicate” U.S. efforts to support the agency and vowed to withhold funds. Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO called the vote a tragedy.

Alzheimer’s Patients Two companies are releasing a shoe designed for Alzheimer’s patients that can track their whereabouts.

Alzheimer’s patients are prone to leave home and become disoriented. These new devices, which look like walking shoes, will help track their location when they leave home. Ruth Gay, director of public policy and advocacy with the Alzheimer’s Association in Northern California and Nevada said, “Wandering in fact is a very big safety issue. We do know that if people aren’t found within 24 hours, the risk of death goes up substantially. They don’t always know how to protect themselves from the elements or fi nd a safe location,” she said. These shoes

Peres: Gaza Attacks are Acts of War In regards to recent missile attacks perpetrated from the Gaza Strip into Israel, President Shimon Peres declared that they are “a declaration of war.”

“Terror does not allow Gaza citizens to live normally.

I am telling our [Arab] neighbors: You nor we want war. But Gaza missiles are a declaration of war,” he said. “Their claim that the IDF, in preventing rocket attacks on Israel, murdered the rocket launchers is

U.S. Cuts Funding to UNESCO after Palestine Accepted to Organization After UNESCO approved membership for Palestine to its organization, the United States issued a statement saying that it will cut off all funds to the cultural agency. A State Department spokeswoman said that the acceptance of Palestine to the agency violated a congressional restriction on funding to U.N. bodies that recognize Palestine as a state before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached. UNESCO’s decision was “regrettable, premature and undermines our shared goal to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace” between Israelis and Palestinians.

The U.S. will subsequently withhold a $60 million payment it planned to make in November but the U.S. would maintain membership in UNESCO. The U.S. contributes about 22% of UNESCO’s funding.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

as incentives to employees who smoke or are obese to quit smoking or lose weight. But now, as companies see that few take advantage of these programs, some companies will now be raising healthcare costs for workers who smoke, are overweight or have high cholesterol. Walmart, for example, says that starting in 2012, tobacco users will be charged higher healthcare premiums. Free smoking cessation programs will be offered as well. Walmart defends the change by stating that tobacco users consume about 25 percent more healthcare services than non-tobacco users.

These changes come at a time when healthcare costs are soaring. As unemployment remains high, competition for jobs is fi erce as well, and companies feel less pressure to offer competitive benefi ts packages to potential employees.

12 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

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Israel throughout the city, the Capital Guard offers this warning regarding the terrorists whose pictures appear here, who are roaming freely in the city."

"Dear Jew! If you see one of the terrorists in a crowded place, it is important that you notify those surrounding you whom they are next to!!"

The poster also adds a request – "Dear citizen, please act only in accordance with the law."

The poster will soon be joined by another one, showing the locations of the terrorists' homes.

King told Arutz Sheva before Shalit's release was implemented that the Capital Guard will follow the terrorists about

Warning Poster for Released Terrorists

and document their activities. "If they board the light train we will announce on a megaphone that there is a terrorist on board," King explained.

"All activity will be accompanied by a lawyer," he said, and volunteers will be mature people "who will know how to deal with the complex situation without creating friction with Arab populace or arousing an unnecessary or dangerous commotion."

A poster warns Jerusalemites to look out for terrorists who were released in Shalit deal.

By Gil Ronen

A new volunteer force called the "Capital Guard" has begun taking steps against the terrorists released into Jerusalem in the Gilad Shalit deal.

The Guard was formed by prominent Jerusalem activist Aryeh King. As a first measure, a poster (below) is being distributed with the pictures of terrorists who have been allowed to return to the homes in eastern Jerusalem.

"Out of grave concern for the security of Jerusalem's residents, in view of the danger of immediate harm to Jews

Capital Guard warning poster Aryeh King

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Isreal

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Iranian missile test

Amos Gilad: Iran is a threat that must be dealt with Yoav Zitun

In response to Yedioth Ahronoth article claiming Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak pushing for action against Iran, policy and political-military affairs director stresses importance of prioritizing Iran threat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are extremely concerned by the Iranian threat, and Defense Ministry Director of Policy and Political-Military Affairs Amos Gilad believes the matter must be a top priority.

"You need to know what issues to prioritize. In my opinion – it's the Iranian front," he told students at the Ashkelon College. His statements were made in response to a Yedioth

According to Nahum Barnea's article in Yedioth Ahronoth, the heads of the armed forces – Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, Mossad Chief Tamir Pardo, Army Intelligence Chief Aviv Kochavi and Shin Bet Chief Yoram Cohen share the opinion of their predecessors and are opposed to taking action against Iran at this time.

Former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan had previously stated that an aerial attack on Iran was "a foolish idea" and warned against the disastrous consequences that would follow such action – an all out regional war.

Gilad believes that "Israel's main threat is Iran". He warned against complacency: "We have experience with Israel arrogance when it comes to foreign statements. Khamenei said that there is no room for Israel; He says Iran needs to be treated like an empire equal in power to superpowers like the US. That motivation drives Iran to develop missile capabilities."

Gilad mentioned that in 1999-2000 there was not one missile that could reach Israel, whereas today they have hundreds with a 1,500 kilometer radius and flight time of 10 minutes that can carry nulear warheads.

Yet he also emphasized: "At the moment, there is no immediate nuclear threat, but there is definitely a great deal of motivation and determination for it". Until now, he noted, the Iranians were enriching uranium. "Today the status is that they are on the starting line – there is uranium, there in knowledge but they don't create it because of the media publicity which is not initiated by them."

'Major game changer' According to Gilad, the attempt to develop secret sites within Iran failed because the locations were published.

The Shihab missile on show The good news, said Gilad, was that "the whole world is against the Iranians, the sanctions are effective, but it doesn't change Iran's strategic direction or their motivation. Iran is determined to obtain nuclear weapons and that is a major threat to the State. If they achieve their goal it would be major game changer".

Continued on page 50

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

Ahronoth article claiming that Netanyahu and Barak were seemingly pushing for action against Iran.

According to Gilad, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "was the first who heard of Iran's forecasted move on the nuclear missile path and he sees it as a major threat. The defense minister understands the depth of the threat."

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Community Sports

JEWISH FOOTBALL TEAMS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD IN KIDDUSH CUP

7 carries, picked up the fourth touchdown for the Hurricanes on a 2-yard-run.

After leading 30-0 at halftime, Najjar came back in the third quarter to score the fifth game touchdown on a 52-yard run. Sophomore receiver Issac Benoliel caught a 60-yard pass for the sixth touchdown of the game, with Hillel’s seventh and final touchdown coming on a 50-yard run by sophomore running back Jacobo Benasayag, who had a game total of 80 yards on 5 carries.

Najjar led Hillel with 168 passing yards and 107 rushing yards on seven carries.

Senior running back Benjy Steiner led Posnack (0-4) with 123 rushing yards on 16 carries.

“Everyone’s play was really outstanding. As a team, we’ve been working so hard this year and it all came together today. We’re hoping we can use this victory to inspire us going forward,” said Najjar.

The Hillel Hurricanes scored a decisive 51-0 victory over the Posnack Rams in the third annual Kiddush Cup football game held Oct. 17 at Florida International University’s North Stadium. After scoring seven touchdowns under the leadership of star quarterback Jake Najjar, the Hurricanes now stand 30 all-time in the annual homecoming game between the two Jewish day schools, The Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School and the David Posnack Jewish Day School.

“The Kiddush Cup is a fantastic opportunity for our schools to show off their athletic ability and highlight the fact that Hillel and Posnack are among the few Jewish high schools in the country currently playing 11-man tackle football,” said Nick Hinrichsen, head of Hillel’s upper school. “Hillel helps its students define their Jewish identity as it relates to all aspects of their lives, even on the playing field, and I think that really came across during the game.”

The Hurricanes (3-1) momentum started to build on the first drive as Najjar ran for 37 yards on the opening drive, including a 1-yard touchdown he scored on a quarterback sneak. Sophomore receiver Nathaniel Rub, who had two catches for 48 yards total, caught a 20-yard pass from Najjar giving the Hurricanes their second TD of the game. Najjar picked up his third touchdown early in the second quarter on a 5-yard run.

Senior running back Michael Tarich, who ran for 35 yards on

The annual homecoming game is played in conjunction with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, also known as the Festival of Booths and the Feast of Tabernacles. The school day was dubbed “Blue Ribbon Day” and Hillel students, faculty and staff showed their school spirit by donning blue. The school's campus along 25th Avenue, North Miami Beach, was also wrapped in a gigantic blue ribbon in honor of Hillel being named the only Jewish 2011 National Blue Ribbon School among more than 300 independent and public schools around the country to receive the distinction.

Hillel’s senior quarterback Jake Najjar, who scored five of the team’s seven touchdowns to result in a 51-0 win over Posnack.

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World News

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

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Gadaffi’s Early Years Gadaffi, born in 1942, was the youngest child born to a Bedouin peasant family living in the desert near Sirte on the Mediterranean coast. He received a traditional Muslim primary school education. From 1956, he attended the Serbha preparatory school in Sidra. He was an excellent student who quickly took up the nationalist Arab cause and became politically active.

TheDeath of a Tyrant

By SFJH Staff Writer For 42 years, Muammar Gadaffi’s comic-operatic uniforms, female bodyguards, and Bedouin tents provided a theatrical backdrop to his bloody and tyrannical dictatorship over Libya. But in the end, his death was as violent as his life: gunned down without mercy in the crumbling ruins of his hometown, wounded and begging for his life while cowering in a drain pipe.

Gadaffi’s rise and fall is a story of charisma and chaos. On the one hand, he exhibited strength and focused determination which made him a pillar of the region for over four decades. His readiness to take on Western powers and Israel, both with rhetoric and action, earned him a certain respect with the Libyan people and in the broader Arab world.

On the other hand, his mannerisms and quirkiness led observers to surmise that at best he considered himself a fashion icon and at worst he was a delusional individual who, if found on a street corner in New York City, would be summarily condemned to the nearest psych ward.

In 1963, he entered the Benghazi Military Academy. It was there that he and a few of his fellow militants organized a secretive group dedicated to overthrowing the proWestern Libyan monarchy. After he graduated in 1965, he spent a year in Britain, where he received further military training.

Pre-Gadaffi Libya For most of its history, Libya has been subjected to varying degrees of foreign control from Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The modern history of independent Libya began in 1951 when King Idris formed a monarchy known as the United Kingdom of Libya. The new monarchy relied heavily on foreign aid and was one of the poorest countries in the world until 1959 when significant amounts of oil reserves were discovered in the country, leading to great wealth. However, along with the newfound wealth came resentment by the general population who felt that the wealth was being retained in the hands of King Idris and not being shared appropriately.

Gadaffi’s 1969 Coup Thus, in 1969, a small group of military officers led by then 28-year-old army officer Muammar Gadaffi staged a coup d’état against King Idris, who was exiled to Egypt. The new regime abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the new Libyan Arab Republic, with the motto of “freedom, socialism, and unity.” The new regime pledged to remedy “backwardness,” take an active role in the Palestinian-Arab cause, promote Arab unity, and encourage domestic policies based

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Gadaffi financed a series of overseas attacks, including the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco, which injured more than 150 people and killed two American soldiers. This attack resulted in President Reagan ordering airstrikes on several targets in Libya, during which he called Gadaffi the “Mad Dog of the Middle East” and said, “I find he’s not only a barbarian but he’s flaky.”

Over his long rule, he has espoused pan-Arabism, panAfricanism, or Islamic-Socialism, but one thing remained consistent: Gadaffi always envisioned himself firmly at the center of power. Gadaffi had no official leadership title, but was known as the “Brother Leader” and “Guide of the Revolution” and in in 2008, he had himself crowned “King of Kings of Africa.”

One year later, Libya would be blamed for another terrorist attack, the 1989 bombing of a French airliner over Niger in West Africa. That attack killed 170 people of 17 nationalities.

Violent Oppression Upon assuming power, Gadaffi created revolutionary committees to keep tight control over internal dissent. Approximately twenty percent of Libyans worked as informants for these committees. Surveillance took place in the government, in factories, and in the education sector. People who formed a political party were executed, and talking about politics with foreigners was punishable with up to 3 years in jail. Arbitrary arrests were common and Libyans were hesitant to speak with foreigners. The government conducted executions and mutilations of political opponents in public with Gadaffi often personally presiding over the executions and broadcasted recordings of the proceedings on state television.

Mad Dog of the Middle East Gadaffi’s violent tentacles were not confined to Libya. Long before Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden ever made the United States’ Most Wanted list, Gadaffi has been a thorn at our side. He was notorious for sponsoring overseas terrorism and unconventional weapons programs and made common cause with just about any terrorist organization that asked for his assistance. He financed other allegedly nonterrorist organizations across the globe with which he had common interests, such as the Nation of Islam, led by Chicago Minister Louis Farrakhan, who considered Gadaffi a “friend.”

Hate for Israel He was passionate about the success of the Palestinians and was deeply disappointed by their defeat by Israeli forces in 1948. He also had a particular admiration for Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and looked to him as a hero during his rise to power. In 1956, Gadaffi took part in anti-Israeli protests during the Suez Crisis.

The disappointment and failure Nasser faced for his lost Six Day War motivated Gadaffi to better coordinate Arab attacks on Israel. Beginning in 1972, Gadaffi granted financial support and military training to Palestinian militant groups against Israel. According to Gadaffi, Assad and Sadat were foolish to fight for small areas of Israeli-occupied territory when the entire land could be returned to the Palestinians outright. He said, “I will participate only in a war if the aim is to oust the usurpers and send the Jews back to Europe from where they have come since 1948 to colonize an Arab land.“ Gadaffi famously opposed Egypt’s cease-fire with Israel and called Sadat a coward for giving up after one Israeli counteroffensive. In an angry response to Gadaffi’s rhetoric, Anwar Sadat revealed that he was responsible for foiling a 1973 submarine attack in which Libya planned to sink the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 during an Israeli cruise. Gadaffi fired back, saying the Arabs could have destroyed Israel within 12 hours if they had adopted a sound strategy. Egypt’s peace talks in 1977 led to the Steadfastness and Confrontation Front, a group Gadaffi formed to reject the recognition of the Israeli state. Gadaffi’s disgust for the Egyptian’s peace treaty with Israel led to a total breakdown of Libya’s relations

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on social justice, non-exploitation, and an equitable distribution of wealth. In Gadaffi’s Green Book, which has been described as “little more than a series of fatuous diatribes,” he described Libya as the middle road between Communism and capitalism. In 1977, he changed the country’s name to the Great Socialist Popular Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah (State of the Masses).

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World News woman,” and added, “I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders... Leezza, Leezza, Leezza... I love her very much. I admire her, and I’m proud of her, because she’s a black woman of African origin.”

“15 Minutes” of Fame at the U.N. In 2009, Gadaffi visited the U.S. to address the U.N., in what was meant to be a day of global reconciliation.

Although Gadaffi was allotted 15 minutes to address the General Assembly, he spoke for an hour and 40 minutes and fully lived up to his reputation for eccentricity, bloody-mindedness and extreme verbiage. with Egypt, resulting in the short-lived Libyan-Egyptian War. During the war, Libya sent its military across the border, but Egyptian forces fought back and forced them to retreat.

Gadaffi’s animosity with Sadat was so high that in 1981, Gadaffi declared the death of his former friend and hero a national holiday. He called it a just “punishment” for his role in the Camp David Accords.

In 1995, Gadaffi expelled some 30,000 Palestinians living in Libya, allegedly in response to the peace negotiations that had commenced between Israel and the PLO. However, it is more likely that the peace negotiations were just an excuse for the expulsion of the unwanted refugees.

Gadaffi Patches Up Relationship with U.S. In 2003, Gadaffi renounced terrorism and gave up weapons of mass destruction. Libya also agreed to pay compensation to the families of victims of Pan Am Flight 103 and the 1986 Berlin disco attack.

This change in status resulted in then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visiting Libya in 2008 and meeting with Gadaffi.

How Ms. Rice kept a “straight face” and took Gadaffi seriously is anybody’s guess. After all, prior to her visit, Gadaffi stated in a T.V. interview, “I support my darling black African

Gadaffi’s speech presented a window into the stream of consciousness of a lunatic. He tore up a copy of the U.N. charter in front of startled delegates, accused the Security Council of being an al-Qaida-like terrorist body, called for George Bush and Tony Blair to be put on trial for the Iraq war, demanded $7.7 trillion in compensation for the ravages of col nialism on Africa, and wondered whether swine flu was a biological weapon created in a military laboratory. He demanded a thorough investigation into the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King.

An hour into his speech, he lamented, “I woke up at 4am, before dawn!” and pointed out that many of the diplomats appeared to be jet-lagged. He thus offered to move the United Nations headquarters to Libya so that leaders wouldn’t have to travel all the way to the U.S.

Libyan Uprising Inspired by similar protests taking place in neighboring countries, on February 15, 2011, a protest of approximately 60 youths took place in Benghazi, Libya’s second city. Similar protests erupted in other cities over the next two days, and were met by security forces with heavy weapons. But four deaths and 80 people injured only spurred larger numbers onto the streets.

At that point, Gadaffi loyalists began gunning down hundreds of protesters. As his troops advanced on Benghazi,

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Gadaffi blamed the unrest on rats and mercenaries and said they were brainwashed by Osama bin Laden and under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs used to spike their coffee.

Shortly after the uprising began and gained traction, the National Transitional Council was established under the leadership of Mustafa Abdul Jalil, Gadaffi’s former justice minister, to administer the areas of Libya under rebel control. This marked the first serious effort to organize the broad-based opposition to the Gadaffi regime.

In March, 2011, the U.N.-mandated a no-fly zone over Libya which was enforced by NATO. The U.N. resolution banned all flights, except those for humanitarian and aid purposes, in Libyan airspace in order to ensure that civilians and civilian-populated areas could not be subjected to air attack. Since they were protected from unequal force by way of Gadaffi’s air force, the rebels were able to advance on Tripoli and overtake Libya, village by village, city by city.

As the weeks passed, there was repeated speculation that Gadaffi was either killed or wounded in NATO air raids, but he made carefully choreographed television appearances in response to the rumors.

In May, Gadaffi taunted NATO, saying its bombers could not find him, “I am telling the coward crusaders that I am at a place you cannot reach and kill me.”

Gadaffi’s Capture After months of fighting between rebels and Gadaffi loyalists, Gadaffi’s hometown of Sirte finally fell to rebel forces.

Rebels rocked the village and went through buildings, searching for the Libyan leader. As Gadaffi and his entourage tried to flee Sirte, a NATO bombing forced them to curtail their efforts and hide out in an abandoned building.

Though details are unclear, Gadaffi was captured by rebel fighters when he ventured out of the building. Videos show Gadaffi begging for his life, being beaten and dragged through the streets by mobs. An autopsy confirmed that he

was killed with a shot to the head. His body was kept in cold storage and rebels were given access to view the body and take pictures of the corpse.

Finally, at 5am on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, Moammar Gadaffi, his son Muatassim and former defense minister Abu Bakr Younis were buried in an undisclosed location in the desert witnessed by just a few who were sworn to secrecy.

They were buried in accordance with Islamic law and prayers were recited over the bodies prior to burial. The Libyan people were finally free from the tyrannical madman who led their nation for 42 years.

But the future of the Libyan nation remains unclear. Earlier this week, interim leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil formally declared an end to the civil war and proposed a two-year transition to democracy in Libya, although he did say that the country will be run on Sharia law. As we have seen in other countries in the region, the void left by a dictator’s demise tends to be filled by unsavory forces that don’t always have the nation’s best interests at heart. In a country that contains so much unrest, frustration and tension, the potential for corrupt forces to emerge as leader is great.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

Gadaffi warned rebels there would be “no mercy, no pity,” and that they would be hunted down “alley by alley, house by house, room by room.”

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Jewish History

KRISTALLNACHT THE NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on November 9th and 10th, 1938. The terrifying events symbolized the beginning of the end for Eastern European Jewry. Nazi SA Stormtroopers and German civilians ransacked Jewish homes and businesses and destroyed Jewish property. Hundreds of storefronts were shattered, shuls were burnt and homes were pillaged.

Around 1,668 shuls were ransacked, and 267 were set on fi re. In Vienna alone, 95 shuls were destroyed. Many Jews were killed, tortured and beaten, and sent to prisons or concentration camps. No longer was their world secure; the systematic annihilation had begun. A teenager at the time of the attack, Ernest G. Fontheim describes the horror.

“A wave of destruction, looting, and incendiarism unparalleled in Germany since the Thirty Years War (1618 - 1648, ed.) and in Europe generally since the Bolshevist Revolution swept over Great Germany today as National Socialist cohorts took vengeance on Jewish shops, offices, and synagogues for the murder by a young Polish Jew of Ernst yom Rath, third secretary of the German Embassy in Paris.” Thus started the article on page 1 of the New York Times of November 11, 1938, reporting the events which were to become known as the November Pogrom or Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass). I recently reread this article with very deep emotions almost 60 years after witnessing a small part of this wave of hate and violence as a teenager in Berlin. Thursday, November 10, 1938, started like any other day.

I left our apartment on Kaiserdarnm in the Westend section of Berlin at around 7:20 for the nearest rapid transit (the socalled S-Bahn) station, a half mile walk past apartment buildings and one-family villas. There were no signs of any unusual activities. From there I took the elevated train for a IS-minute

ride to the Tiergarten Station in central Berlin near the high school of the orthodox congregation Adass Yisroel where I arrived a few minutes before the beginning of the school day at 8 o’clock. When I entered my classroom, some of my classmates were telling horror stories of what they had seen on their way to school like smashed store windows of Jewish-owned shops, looting mobs. and even burning synagogues. A fair number of students was absent. The 8 o’clock bell rang signaling the beginning of classes, but no teachers were in sight either in our class or in any of the other classes along our corridor. That had never happened before. I don’t remember anymore how long it took for the teachers to emerge from the teachers’ conference room where they had been assembled. However, I do remember that when the door of the conference room finally opened and the teachers streamed out to their various class rooms, they all looked extremely grim.

When our teacher Dr. Wollheim entered the room and closed the door, all talking stopped instantly, and there was complete silence in the class. That too was unique, for in general we were a fairly undisciplined bunch, and it usually took several admonitions until some quiet was established. In a tense voice Dr. Wollheim announced that school is being dismissed because our safety could not be guaranteed. This was followed by a number of instructions which he urged us to follow in every detail. Number one, we should go home directly and as fast as possible without lingering anywhere or visiting friends so that our parents would know that we are safe.

Number two, we should not walk in large groups because that would attract attention and possible violence by hostile crowds. He concluded by saying that there would be no school for the foreseeable future and that we would be notified when school would reopen again. I quickly walked back to the Tiergarten Station and decided to look out the window when the elevated train would pass the Fasanen Strasse Synagogue where I had become Bar Mitzvah. It was a beautiful structure built in Moorish style with three large cupolas. I lit-

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26, J 912, describing the dedication ceremony of the synagogue on Fasanen-Strasse. In the light of the destruction of that synagogue which I witnessed 26 years, 2 months. and 15 days later on November 10, 1938, this dedication ceremony represents a bitter irony on several planes. I think it is historically significant enough to quote some excerpts from this article here: “The festive dedication of the new synagogue on FasanenStrasse took place at midday today in the presence of the highest representatives of government, the military, and the city… At 12 o’clock sharp the personal representative of the Kaiser, his military adjutant Colonel General Excellency von Kessel arrived. He was seated on a seat of honor on the bimah. Next to him sat the Undersecretary in the Ministry of the Interior Holtz. In the first row one could see the representative of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Director von Chappius… and for the High Command of the Armed Forces Colonel von Brauchitsch.

The city of Berlin was represented by Lord Mayor Wermuth, …the Chief of Police von Jagow in the uniform of a cavalry colonel, and his deputy, Councilor Friedheim. In addition many representatives of the Protestant and Catholic clergy were present as well as all of the rabbis of the Berlin Jewish community… The ceremony started with a festive procession of the Torah scrolls through the synagogue accompanied by songs by a choir and organ music after which the scrolls were placed into the ark. After a singing by the congregation led by the cantor, Rabbi Bergmann carried out the beautiful ceremony of the lighting of the eternal light. In his address he said that just as the light of this lamp so the love of fatherland of this community will never extinguish…”

What has remained and will forever remain in my memory is the image of the thick column of smoke standing on top of the center cupola of that beautiful synagogue and the bloodied bald head of an unknown Jew. reprinted with permission, courtesy of Leo Baeck Institute

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erally felt my heart fall into my stomach when I saw a thick column of smoke rising out of the center cupola. There was no wind, and the column seemed to stand motionless reaching into the heavens. At that moment all rationality left me. I got off the train at the next stop and raced back the few blocks as if pulled by an irresistible force. I did not think of Dr. Wollheim’s instruction nor of any possible danger to myself. Police barricades kept a crowd of onlookers on the opposite sidewalk.

Firefighters were hosing down adjacent buildings. The air was filled with the acrid smell of smoke. I was wedged in the middle of a hostile crowd which was in an ugly mood shouting antisemitic slogans. I was completely hypnotized by the burning synagogue and was totally oblivious to any possible danger. I thought of the many times I had attended services there and listened to the sermons all of which had fortified my soul during the difficult years of persecution. Even almost six years of Nazi rule had not prepared me for such an experience.

Suddenly someone shouted that a Jewish family was living on the ground floor of the apartment building across the street from the synagogue. Watching the fire, the crowd was backed against the building.

Someone else shouted: “Let’s get them!” Everyone turned around. Those closest surged through the building entrance. I could hear heavy blows against the apartment door. In my imagination I pictured a frightened family hiding in a room as far as possible from the entrance door - hoping and praying that the door would withstand, and I prayed with them. I vividly remember the crashing violent noise of splintering wood followed by deadly silence, then suddenly wild cries of triumph. An elderly bald-headed man was brutally pushed through the crowd while fists rained down on him from all sides accompanied by antisemitic epithets. His face was bloodied. One single man in the crowd shouted: “How cowardly! So many against one!” He was immediately attacked by others.

After the elderly Jew had been pushed to the curb, a police car appeared mysteriously; he was put in and driven off. I left this scene of horror completely drained, incredulous. in a trance and went home. Decades later I came across the article in a leading Berlin newspaper (Berliner Tageblatt) of August

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME â– NOV. 3, 2011

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Sunday - 8:00 AM * Legal Holidays - 8:00 AM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday - 7:00 AM DAILY MINCHAH-MAARIV: Sunday through Thursday - 6:15 PM Friday - Mincha- 6:00 PM SHABBOS: Shacharis - 9:00 AM After Davening, Kiddush & Dvar Torah

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I hope you've recovered from Halloween. It came and went so fast — like a Kardashian marriage.

A lot of kids across the country got the day off from school because of Halloween. I’am pretty sure this is why we're falling behind China.. Not only did their kids not get the day off from school, they made all of our kids' costumes.

I think the scariest costume I saw was a woman dressed as the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Either that or a real housewife of Beverly Hills had just come out of a Botox appointment.

Justin Bieber was on "Dancing With the Stars." He wanted to check out the floor he'll be dancing on in four, five years.

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Travels

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Paris. The mood is never rushed, always relaxed, yet there is a buzz, a humming throughout the streets. No matter what time you wish to stroll, cafes will be open, and locals and visitors alike will be enjoying an espresso, glass of wine or pastry.

The best time to visit Paris is in the fall or spring, when the weather is perfect for sight-seeing. Paris is easy to explore; so much of the city is laid out symmetrically and the city offers an easy-to-navigate metro system. There is also a public bike-lending service which offers a fun, atypical way to explore the city.

Places to Visit Eiffel Tower: One of Paris’s most familiar and famous landmarks, the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of France.

The view of the Tower is breath-taking whether you choose to view it from afar at night, lit up in lights, or you choose to take the glass elevator to the top during the daytime hours.

Bienvenue à Paris!

Welcome to Paris!

Paris is known as the "La Ville-Lumière,” The City of Light, and means so many different things to so many people. It is a beautiful city with diverse history, culture and experiences to offer visitors.

There is always something happening in

Arc de Triomphe: The Arc de Triomphe stands at the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle and is considered the linchpin of the historic axis, a sequence of monuments and grand thoroughfares from the courtyard of the Louvre Palace to the outskirts of Paris.

All of the names of the generals and wars fought for France are engraved on the arch and a Memorial Flame, which is relit daily, is there as well.

Musée du Louvre: The Louvre is the largest palace and museum in the world and houses many famous pieces of art. Of course, the most renowned of its paintings, The Mona Lisa, resides here, but don’t forget the other 30,000 pieces of art that are well-worth seeing. Visitors enter the museum through a magnificent (and controversial) glass pyramid. Admission lines are generally long; we suggest ordering tickets in advance.

Versailles: The town of Versailles is 45 minutes from Paris, but if you have the time, we suggest making the trip. Le Chateau de Versailles is the most decadent castle in Europe, one forever as-

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Jardin du Luxembourg: The Palais du Luxembourg is located on the grounds of the Jardin du Luxembourg, but being that it is hard to gain access to the palace, the main attraction is the surrounding gardens. They are breathtaking, well-groomed and adorned with urns and planters surrounding a central water basin. Visitors will enjoy a stroll around the gardens and the local delights, such as informal games of lawn bowling, in the Luxembourg.

Jardin des Tuileries: These spectacular gardens were designed by King Louis XIV’s gardener and boasts trees arranged in orderly fashion, bubbling fountains and statues.

Children will enjoy donkey rides, ice cream stands and puppet shows. Each summer, the park hosts a funfair.

Things to Know: • The Jewish community is only a 15 minute ride by public transportation. Paris boasts a large Jewish community.

Shuls, kosher food and restaurants are easy to find.

• Some hotels will arrange for kosher food to be delivered to your hotel for Shabbos. This is a wonderful option if you won’t be staying in the Jewish community over Shabbos.

• There are no Ashkenaz minyanim in France; Parisians are generally Sefardic, so make sure to bring your own siddur if you daven Ashkenaz

by SFJH Staff Writer

View from the stairs of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris

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sociated with Marie Antoinette and King Louis XIV. Both the grounds and gardens offer visitors breathtaking views. The town itself is a delight; there are wonderful shops, markets and streets to explore.

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Health fancy toppings like croutons, cheese, or nuts will send your calories skyrocketing. Keep your salad basic and stick to vegetables and protein.

3. Going Wild on the Weekend: If you are perfect all week, but you overindulge on Shabbos and Sunday, you will essentially undo all of your hard work. Allow yourself a couple of treats during the week, and don’t fall off the wagon on the weekends.

Breaking Bad Habits Aliza Beer The chagim are behind us, and it is time to look forward to a new, and hopefully better, year. As part of a renewal for the new year, one should initiate reform of personal bad habits. Many of our eating patterns are out of habit, and done without too much thought. We grab a snack out of the fridge just because we happen to be passing it. We pick up an unhealthy lunch on the run, because we’re too busy.

We eat dinner while watching the news. These habits can lead to a very gradual weight gain. One can actually gain 10 pounds a year without eating too badly at all! The good news is that bad habits were meant to be broken. Follow these guidelines to help overcome mindless eating behaviors.

1. Eating While Distracted: Reading the newspaper or watching TV while chowing down is a guaranteed way to overeat. When you’re distracted, you’re likely to eat more, without even realizing it. Studies suggest that eating while distracted produces less satisfaction with the meal, and leads to eating too much later. The solution is to focus on your food, do nothing other than eating at meal times, and try eating dinner at the dinner table.

2. Drowning Salads with Dressing: You can easily ruin the benefits of salads with too many tablespoons of fattening dressings. Use a low fat or fat free dressing, or squirt on some lemon juice or balsamic vinegar for flavor. Adding

4. Making Bad Coffee Decisions: A cup of black coffee is only 2 calories, but if you add sugar, whip cream, and/or creamer, you could realistically end up with over 200 calories! Use a sugar substitute, skim milk or fat free half and half.

5. Having Dessert Everyday: Supermarkets are loaded with innocent looking “light” ice cream or 100 calorie cookies or mini muffins. An extra 100 calories a day can turn into a 1015 pound weight gain by the end of the year. Treat yourself occasionally, not daily.

6. Cleaning Your Plate: Don’t eat everything that’s put in front of you, especially when eating out. Eat until satisfied, and pack up leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

7. Eating While Standing: There is a mindless grazing that goes on when one eats standing up. Make a rule never to eat standing up, force yourself to sit down, and you will eat much less.

8. Forgetting to Plan Ahead: When you are without a plan, chances are you will grab something unhealthy in a hurry.

Take the time the night before to plan for the next day.

When you are organized and prepared, you tend to eat much healthier food options.

Breaking bad habits are difficult, but attainable, if one sets up goals each day, and then each week. Start slow, making one lifestyle change after another. Pay attention to how, what, when, and where you are eating. We are all creatures of habits, and that is perfectly fine to thrive on structure and routine. It is when these habits veer to the unhealthy, that we need to reform them and get back on the healthy track.

Let’s make this year a really great one for our bodies and our souls!

by SFJH Staff Writer

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K Cuisine Sareden also boasts a café section where one can order pastries and espresso a la carte. It makes for a relaxing spot for breakfast or a mid-day snack. Its staff is extremely friendly and helpful (considering the language barrier) and while the food may taste upper class, the prices are quite moderate. And in a country where no one seems to work for a living, that’s kind of helpful. Next time you are in Paris seek out Sareden and do it the French way: let yourself eat cake – order the entire menu!

Sareden The French know a thing or two about class differences.

After all, it spurred a revolution and helped propel Monsieur Guillotine’s rise to notoriety. With such a black legacy in French history, it comes as a surprise that the ultimate class difference in France should be found in something the French take so much pride in: food, or, to the best of my knowledge, kosher food. Visiting Paris can be a real culinary experience, but if one doesn’t know where to dine it can easily turn into a world-class culinary misexperience. As far as kosher food goes, Paris is sprinkled with bakeries and eateries with pathetic names and even more pathetic eats. Consider the “Pletzl,” or Le Marais: the food available there by no means resembles what is offered at the eponymous beloved Manhattan brasserie. Instead, you’ll find bakeries serving soufflés that resemble Entenmann’s chocolate muffins and croissants that don’t even resemble what is offered at Costco. Only the legendary New York Times acclaimed “L’As Du Falafel” (Lenny Kravitz’s favorite, that is) serves up a decent lunch in that area and perhaps the best falafel on the planet.

While the proletariat food in Paris is bad enough to cause a revolution, the bourgeoisie eateries are so incredible that it’s a wonder why the French are not as large as the average Texan. Sareden, the popular bakery in the 19th arre. of Paris is an example of such a venue. For an American visitor, stepping into Sareden is like a child stepping into Dylan’s candy shop in NYC. Éclairs or napoleons, tarts or macaroons, plain croissants or chocolate? Everything is fresh. Everything is mouthwatering. And you just can’t have everything! Come in on a packed Sunday morning to pick up some bread on the way home from shul and have a bit of a communication breakdown with your server as you try to decide between twelve different types of bread in a foreign language. Better yet, just order them all.

Sareden 54 Rue Petit 75019 Paris, Under the supervision of Rav Rottenberg Hours: Sun-Thurs 7:00-7:30 Fri 7:00-4:00 Sareden.com Yom Tov is now behind us and we are looking to settle into a routine. That means a nice home-cooked meal every night.

Here are two of our fastest, freshest, easiest and most economical ways to serve a delicious and healthy dinner that is attractive to all. My family loves soup. Their first love is chicken soup but we save that for Shabbat. So during the winter months on weeknights I try to always serve a fresh vegetable soup. I don’t use any powdered stocks, but I do like the Trader Joe’s or Imagine’s organic vegetable broth; they just give it that richer flavor. If I don’t have one of those, I use regular water instead. I make a soup which I call “Kitchen Sink Soup.” Every Monday, I look through the fridge and see what vegetables are left over from the weekend. I usually find onions, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and some parsley or dill. I start by sautéing an onion for a few minutes and then add the celery and carrots. This is what they call a “mirepoix” in cooking. It’s often the base in soups, roux’s, or sauces. After a quick sauté, I season it with salt and sauté it for another minute until the vegetables soften and the natural flavors are released. I then add all the other vegetables which I pre-cut into chunks. I then fill it with water or vegetable broth to the top of the vegetable line and boil it for 2 hours. Afterwards, I blend it with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also leave it a little chunky (up to your family’s taste). This kind of soup flavor is up to what you have left over. You can also buy the vegetables that day too if you don’t have leftovers.

by Nachum Soroka

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• Cook time: 50 Ready time: 58 min Servings 8 to 10 Ingredients • 2 packages frozen pie crusts, 4 crusts total, defrosted (16-ounce) • 4 ripe but firm pears, cored and cut into ½-inch thick slices • 1 lemon, juiced • ½ cup sugar • ¼ cup all-purpose flour • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom • ¼ cup bought pareve caramel sauce • 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water • 1 tablespoon raw or turbinado sugar Directions In a large bowl, combine pears, lemon juice, sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon and cardamom and toss to combine. Place one crust in a 9-inch pie tin or plate and press lightly to seal around the edges. Spread caramel sauce evenly over bottom of crust. Fill with pear filling, evenly distributing.

Combine 3 remaining pie crusts and roll out on a lightly floured surface until 1/8-inch thick. Cut into ½ inch thick strips. Arrange dough strips on top of filling to form a lattice.

Trim and tuck edges under as needed. Seal the edges of the crust around the rim with fingers to form a scalloped edge or the tines of a fork. Brush crusts with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake on a sheet pan for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375° F and bake for 35 to 45 minutes more or until crust is browned and fruit is tender. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

by Jamie Geller

Molasses Spice Bundt Cake with Bourbon Pecan Glaze Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes Servings 12 Ingredients • 2 1/2 cups All purpose flour • 2 teaspoons Baking powder • 1 teaspoon Baking soda • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice • 1/2 cup Granulated sugar • 2 sticks margarine or butter substitute • 2 large eggs • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract • 1 cup unsulfured molasses • 1/2 cup hot water • 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted • 1 tablespoon bourbon • 1 tablespoon water • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans Directions Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 3.5-quart capacity Bundt pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and allspice. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine sugar and margarine.

Beat on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until creamed and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate. Add vanilla and stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix well to combine, scraping down the sides of bowl. Add molasses and hot water and mix just until completely combined. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Invert onto a wire rack and cool completely. In a small bowl, stir together sugar, bourbon and water until smooth. Pour over cake and let sit 10 to 15 minutes or until glaze hardens. Sprinkle with pecans and slice to serve.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

Caramel Pear Lattice Pie

32 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

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Israel

Gilad Shalit: A Proud Family Brings Its Son Home By: Naftali Halpern

For many years Israeli pride has seemed like a thing of the past. After multiple military victories over the first several decades of its existence, including defeating four Arab countries in the Six Day War, a daring raid on Entebbe and a miraculous operation in which Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear facilities, it seemed as if the tide has turned against Israel.

Over the past two decades Israel has failed to achieve any major military victories and has been unable to stop the growing momentum of its enemies who seek its destruction.

For a brief moment that all changed. As Gilad Shalit walked down the helicopter ramp to freedom and was embraced by Prime Minister Netanyahu, Jews around the world once again felt Israeli pride and had the flutter in their hearts that made many proclaim: Am Yisroel Chai.

After 1,941 days of captivity, Israel has brought home its captured son.

Jews around the world who spent the past five and a half

years agonizing over the fate of Gilad Shalit felt as if a member of their own family had returned home. Esther Wachsman, whose son Elchonon was kidnapped and murdered by a terrorist who was released in the prisoner swap, declared in support of the deal, “Somewhere in my head, Gilad Shalit became my son.” When Prime Minister Netanyahu embraced Gilad Shalit, he was doing so on behalf of all of us, as one nation and one family.

Yet, this was a different type of victory. It cannot be described as a military or diplomatic victory. After all, 1,027 terrorists, many with Jewish blood on their hands, were released to once again pursue their stated goal of destroying Israel. Rather, this was a much needed moral victory. It reaffirmed to many who witnessed the Gaza withdrawal and other Israeli inaction in the face of terror, that at the end of the day, the nation of Israel recognizes the importance of every Jewish life.

It has famously been reported that upon meeting an Israeli Prime Minister, a U.S. President bemoaned the burden of being a leader to 300 million Americans. To which the Israeli Prime Minister responded, “It is harder to be the Prime Minister over 6 million Israelis, who all think that they are the Prime Minister of Israel.”

Last week Jews around the world rightfully asked themselves, “What would I do if I was Prime Minister of Israel.”

And this is one time where the question and ensuing debate was not merely based on a passion for Israel and a desire for its success, but rather on a feeling of love for a brother while at the same time being concerned that the prisoner swap may perpetuate more terrorism, due to the precedent that it sets and due to the release of seasoned terrorists who have openly broadcasted their intentions of once again striking.

Many supporters of the prisoner swap argue that at any point in time there are tens of thousands of terrorists who are eager to strike Israel and adding another thousand to that group does not place Israel in any additional danger, as what is the difference between “one hundred thousand terrorists” and “one hundred and one thousand terrorists?” After all, as it is, Israel relies on a comprehensive scheme of intelligence and military tactics to secure its boarders and adding a few more terrorists should not change the equation.

This argument ignores that fact that many Palestinians who

After 1,941 days of captivity, Israel has brought home its captured son.

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may have been hesitant to join a terrorist organization, out of fear of spending their lives in an Israeli prison, may now be less fearful, as they too may get out of jail in a future prisoner swap. Furthermore, many of the prisoners released are high level terrorists who have carried out successful attacks against Israel and thus are the most “talented” terrorists.

Ahlam Tamimi, the first woman to join Hamas and the person who drove the suicide bomber who carried out the attack at the Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem in August of 2001 which killed 16 Israelis,

as Prime Minister Abbas brought his bid for Palestinian statehood to the U.N., a matter which is currently pending. Although America has promised to use its U.N. Security Council veto power to thwart the vote, that just offers a temporary reprieve from the pressure facing Israel.

After all, Israel would “owe America big,” and the world and America would continue to pressure Israel to quickly reach an agreement with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The fact that Israel dealt directly with Hamas is a political blow to President

The nation of Israel recognizes the importance of every Jewish life.

This deal shows that one Israeli is worth more than a thousand Arabs. has stated in the past, “Despite the fact that I’m sentenced to 16 life sentences I know that we will become free from Israeli occupation and then I will also be free from prison.” She was released in the prisoner swap last week and promptly said, “‘I have never regretted what I have done, and if given another chance I’ll do it again” There are those who argue that Gilad Shalit was released as a last ditch diplomatic maneuver by Prime Minister Netanyahu to slow down the growing momentum for Palestinian statehood.

Over the past several months a large and dark diplomatic cloud has hung over Israel

Mahmoud Abbas as he had no role in the agreement which provides a victory to his rival—Hamas. According to one senior Israeli official, Abbas views the deal as a maneuver to deliberately strengthen Hamas and weaken him, in order to punish him for his U.N. bid. The deal in reality does more than just punish Abbas, it sidelines him. It enables Israel to argue that reaching a peace agreement with Abbas which would provide him with a state would be meaningless as the real force in the region is Hamas—which is a terrorist organization.

Continued on page 50

What do you think of the prisoner swap?

David from Israel It was kind of dangerous but it shows how much a Jewish soul is worth compared to others. It shows that one of ours is worth a thousand of theirs. I plan on going to the army and it made me feel good that they got him back.

Avi from Queens, a son of Israeli parents It’s a really good thing. Gilad is back, he is safe. Think about it, he could’ve been sent out of Gaza in a casket but instead he came back alive. The fact that all those crazy people were released is not good but it shows how much Israel cares about all Jews. It makes me feel proud to be a Jew. Shmuel from Uzbekistan I am a supporter of Israel but not the trade because of the type of people that they gave back. They gave back terrorists that have blown up buses and killed hundreds of people. You never know if they will send those people back to kill hundreds more. So I am happy that Gilad is out but I think that releasing over a thousand terrorists was too high of a cost.

Chaim from Israel Israel did the right thing. We have a responsibility to free our captives as fast as possible. I am not worried about the released terrorists striking again because we have G-d on our side. We did the right thing.

Eidan from Israel We had an obligation to return Gilad to his house. Yes, the cost was very high, but it says in the Torah that if someone saves one Jewish soul it is as if he saved the whole world. One of our people is worth more than a million of theirs. But I feel bad for families of terror victims who were rightfully upset that Israel released the people that killed their family members.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

Reaction of Young Adults on Queens’ Main Street to the Gilad Shalit Prisoner Swap

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Music

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

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are the slower guitar solos together with masterfully delicate mandolin in the background that add thoughtful and lyrical depth to the song. The words are simple—only two lines from Sefer Shmuel—but the song is anything but boring. Nochi Krohn masters the truly rare skill of keeping his songs fresh and exciting, thanks to his and his ensemble’s musical imagination and instrumental virtuosity.

All songs on the album, with one exception, feature traditional lyrics that are well known to most of us from traditional Jewish texts, but are given a new life, a breadth of new meaning, by the band’s composition and arrangement. The particular quality that makes some of the traditional Jewish songs, like for instance, the famous Shabbos zemiros, “Koh Echsof” from Reb Aaron of Karlin, or Kedushas Tzion’s “Koh Ribon,” so deeply moving, is how the melody brings out the soul of the words. How often do we hear a contemporary musician who could level such harmony? Very seldom, I think, and Nochi Krohn and his band are a rare exception.

Nochi Krohn Band : “Banai”

The album’s title song “Banai,” the only one with original lyrics, has a profoundly moving message and is arranged masterfully into a sweeping musical delight. The song features Yosef Karduner and bears markings of his musical and poetic style. Here too, the message is very uplifting, but far from sappily sentimental, another frequent transgression of many of our contemporary performers. Karduner and Krohn bring together their talent with the authenticity of their religious experience. We get the sense that this song, as well as others on the album, reflects an emotional honesty by the artists, and it owes much of its resonance with the audience to this authenticity.

What makes a musical composition Jewish? Is it the lyrics from a Jewish text, certain note progression, or perhaps just the performer’s religious affiliation? We all have asked ou selves this question at one point or another, especially in more recent times when a whole array of popular top forty hits are being r produced with Jewish lyrics.

A personal favorite piece on the album is “Dayah Es Hashem,” to the famous words of the Prophet Yeshayah deWhile there certainly are many answers to this question, per- scribing the messianic times: “…for the earth will be filled haps the easiest way to tell is whether the piece expresses with the knowledge of Hashem as something of the Jewish spirit. Nochi Krohn’s new album, the water covers the sea bed.” Nochi writes how he was in“Banai,” contains a harmonious coexistence of two moods: spired to compose the song while riding a motorboat in upjoy and sadness, a mix so uniquely Jewish in character that it state New York and seeing “the vast open water, calm instantly resonates in a Jewish ear and soul, regardless of surrounding and the powerful waves,” a scene that evoked background. in his mind the vision of the times of Moshiach when the “will of Hashem will be so widespread and so clear to us” and The opening composition, “Ein Kadosh Kashem,” sets the up- when “His will covers the earth as the waters cover the bed beat tone of the rest of the album with a fast dance rhythm of the sea.” Strikingly, this description brings to mind some(this song was, after all, composed for a wedding), yet there thing that is perhaps the most essential in religious experi-

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The album contains ten songs, each polished to perfection; it has no mediocre “fillers� between the hits that are supposed to carry the record. The concluding piece titled “Tzaischem Lesholom� is a rhythmic and joyful hora leaving the listener with only one desire, to replay the entire album all over again. by Chaim Chernikoff Chaim Chernikoff is a manager in Judaica Plus in Cedarhurst, NY. He is responsible for books and seforim in the store and welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns. He can be reached at editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com.

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ence, a feeling of vast limitlessness, majesty and profound intentionality of the external world, which crystallizes in an embodiment of G-dliness. This sense has been accurately described by certain psychoanalysts as “oceanic feeling,� the most basic and common component of religious inspiration and is so aptly and beautifully expressed in this song.

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Serving all South Florida. Call or visit our website to learn more.

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Tech

Chaim Steinmetz

Three weeks ago, Apple released the iPhone 4S. Unlike what that many rumors suggested, the phone has not undergone an exterior design change; it’s identical to the iPhone 4.

Here are a few examples of what Siri can do: Calendar: You can tell Siri to schedule a meeting for Monday next week at 2PM, ask her if you have any meetings scheduled at that time. If you try to book a meeting at a time slot that is already occupied, she’ll tell you that you already have something scheduled at that time and will suggest a time slot that is available.

Weather: Siri can tell you what the weather is in your area, or any other place in the world. And once again, you don’t have to be specific - you can even ask her if you’ll need an umbrella today, and she’ll tell you.

But inside, almost everything is different First of all, the new iPhone is a world phone—it can work on any network or carrier worldwide. You should be able to take it on a trip to Israel instead of renting a phone.

The camera got bumped up to a much higher resolution— 8MP. That is pretty much the resolution that many pocket cameras have. Apple also included some highly sophisticated image processing software, so that pictures, even if taken in low light, come out much brighter and clearer.

The phone got Apple’s latest chip - the A5, which is the same chip that’s in the iPad 2. Apple claims that it can process graphics up to 7 times faster, which means a much better gaming experience.

While most of the differences are hardware changes, there is one major software addition:

Siri.

Siri is essentially your new personal secretary that comes with your phone. It allows you to control your phone with just your voice. The best part about Siri is that you don’t have to say whatever you want in a specific syntax - it understands you just like another human being does. Even if you speak like Yoda and say, “Pizza I wish to eat,” it’ll understand what you want and display a list of pizza shops in your area.

Activating Siri is very simple: just long-press on the home button, and say whatever that’s on your mind.

Traffic/GPS: Siri can tell you how long it takes to get from your current location to wherever that you wish to go. She can pull up the maps app and show you what’s the traffic like.

Email/Text: You can text/email any one of your contacts with Siri. Just tell her the name of the contact and what you want it to say, and she’ll send it.

General questions: Siri has access to Google and WolframAlpha, so any question they can answer, she can too. You can ask, “how any ounces are in a cup?” , ”who was the 35th president?” or “what’s the cube root of 2?” (it happens to be around 1.26 by the way).

Itunes: Siri can play any song you have on the phone or on iCloud. You can even tell it to play songs from a certain genre.

Siri is also integrated into the keyboard, so you can now speak instead of type anytime an app brings up the keyboard.

There are many other things Siri can do: she can display contacts’ information, show stocks, take notes, set a reminder, a timer, or an alarm clock. Siri also has some funny responses built in for funny/tricky questions: There is one thing to keep in mind: although Siri is very intuitive and understanding, she is still a machine, and she doesn’t always understand exactly what you mean. Sometimes you’ll need to ask the same question again, or a little bit differently so she understand you correctly.

That’s why Siri is still in beta.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

iPhone 4S & Siri Steve Jobs’ Fifth Child

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38 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

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Health

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Healthiness By: Rachel Blinick and Daniel Elefant

The fierce debate between Governor Michelle Bachmann and Governor Rick Perry over using executive power to require young girls to be vaccinated against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) raises a very interesting question for all Americans to ponder. If state and federal governments use their power—not to mention the law—to intervene in public health related issues, is that a “violation of liberty interest” as Bachmann called it or do we view it as a necessary measure that would be considered public good?

This question runs deep through every demographic and every population across the country. Indeed, can we draw a clear boundary where our law-making bodies should not cross in the name of public health? On the one hand, most agree that the requirement for public school children to be vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP) is an important method for keeping all of our children safe and healthy. However, there are many who question the extension of such requirements to HPV vaccines—those that protect women from certain cervical cancers—because of the social and moral impact such vaccinations might have on young teenage girls, as well as the potential destruction of parental choice to which this could lead.

There are serious public health risks that require immediate federal attention; in fact, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) were established to address such risks. But, there are also those for which governmental intervention could qualify as “violation of liberty interest.”

Obesity-related health conditions place a financial pressure on our healthcare system to the tune of over $150 billion

dollars a year, more than all types of cancer combined according to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. In an effort to ease this pressure and dissuade people from drinking high calorie soft drinks, a number of our nation’s governors and other elected officials have proposed a tax on sugary beverages. Senator Shane Cultra (R-Ornaga, IL) has even proposed a tax on parents with obese children, and suggested removing these children from their parents’ custody and placing them in healthier foster homes.

Have the skyrocketing rates of obesity and related diseases such as diabetes become so out-of-control that we must now revoke the freedom of some individuals to protect themselves and their children? The highest statewide obesity figures in US adults in 1990 were less than 10 percent.

Between then and 2010, the lowest obesity rates jumped to 20-24 percent and the highest rates topped 30 percent.

So, there is clearly cause for national alarm and action. Nevertheless, many would argue that any legislative measure infringes on the rights of the healthy. To be sure, must they be taxed on the occasional treats that they enjoy just because their obese neighbor might be a walking time bomb?

This obesity debate evokes vivid memories of a time when there were smoking sections on airplanes and tobacco companies ruled the billboards and television screens. Back then, and still to this day, there are ongoing discussions about whether or not the government is getting too involved in trying to solve the problem, thereby crossing lines that step on “liberty interest.”

Of course, we could let the numbers speak for themselves.

Recent studies testify to the tremendous decline in smoking rates across the country, seemingly a direct result of increased taxes on cigarettes and the millions of dollars in antismoking advertising campaigns. Still, some argue that the severe drop is really more attributable to education, that raising awareness about the health risks of smoking deters most people from even considering it. Those same people would argue that all we need today is to move full speed ahead with anti-obesity education. Yet, others would contend that antismoking education has been out there for decades and still has had no impact; it was only once the government got involved, imposed taxes and took the to-

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Another area where our original question rings loudly is the recent attacks on circumcision. In November, San Francisco will be the first city in the country to allow the appearance of a proposed ban on circumcision on the voter’s ballot. Supporters of the ban claim that circumcision is a form of mutilation, unnecessary and dangerous. To them it is illegal to impose physical harm on any male under the age of 18 and there will be no religious exemptions. This proposition not only directly attacks the First Amendment’s guarantee to freedom of religion but it also presents us with the issue, once again, of how far is too far.

So, the overarching question remains—when is it absolutely necessary for governmental intervention on behalf of the public good and when is it our duty to tell government to mind its own business? The only apparent distinction we can draw is that when a particular group of people or organization(s) can be held responsible for a severe impediment on public health, only then should we be willing to forgo carefully selected freedoms that will directly bring our health back to order. However, when the correlation between the cause and the resulting health-risk is not agreed upon by a significant number of healthcare professionals, or if government intervention will have serious moral implications, then until further research is done and more ethical conversations are had, it is very difficult to justify the government’s “violation of liberty interest.”

Rachel Blinick and Daniel Elefant are co-presidents of the Yeshiva University Student Medical Ethics Society and will present a conference on Jewish Perspectives on Public Health on November 6th, 2011. Daniel is a resident of Cedarhurst, NY. For more information visit www.yumedicalethics.com.

Tech Tips

by Rabbi Yaakov Thompson Over 30% of the North America population now listens to Internet radio. With improved technology in home computers and in our automobiles we can hear “broadcasts” from anywhere in the world and discover “stations” that truly hone into our individual interests. The lure of internet radio, it’s free, oh and it takes you outside the scope of your limited local commercial broadcasts. Ethnic themed, Foreign language, local politics and conversations from almost anywhere all available via a simple Google search. A bonus, these genres often have limited commercial impact.

Closer to home in South Florida we have our own local Internet station at www.Weinetwork.com. Log on as you would to any other website and discover a selection of programs.

Music, including Rock, Jazz, Oldies and even theatrical music are available. Weinetwork.com offers a full array of talk shows including political and economic news, green technology, investing, and real estate. Middle-school students also hit the Internet wave to talk about topics that confront them every day.

One of the great features for the Internet listener is that broadcasts or shows are often archived on I-Tunes and can be downloaded free at any time. Additionally, the home page for any Internet broadcast often offers a variety of special interest links to expand your new found interest. www.weinetwork.com, e-mail info@weinetwork.com or text weinetwork to 96000 Peter Wein,61, owner of Weinetwork.com works out of his Wellington, Florida studio providing regularly scheduled programming as well as live webcasts. His local listening community participates in what is aired by live streaming e-mailed comments and phone calls. “While most of our listeners are in South Florida, we have regular listeners across the globe who are seasonal residents,” state Wein. This is truly the foundation of any Internet listening enthusiast, “while programs are produced locally, we know that the whole world is our audience.” Don’t be limited by what’s on the radio dial. Discover real channel surfing.

39 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

bacco industry off of our TV sets and billboards that rates started to drop. They would mock anti-obesity education, which has also been out there for years, and call it insufficient; they point to the rising obesity rates and demand more legal action.

Tech

40 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

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Jewish Thought

DOES PRAYER BELONG IN THE OFFICE? Column by Rabbi Warren Kasztl

Simply defined, prayer is a conversation between people and G-d where people speak with the knowledge provided by our Torah and Sages that G-d is listening. The fact that we can pray to our Heavenly Father says much about the connection we have with Him. It infers a strong, intimate, ongoing personal relationship. It acknowledges the reality that any success, personal or professional, that we achieve comes via His generous hand. It confirms that we know our place, our role, – our “tafkeed” – the ultimate purpose our lives serve in this world. What distinguishes us is if we recognize that said role and our achievements can only be accomplished with Divine sanction and assistance. G-d is the conductor of the symphony we call “life”. If we pray and nonetheless fail in what we prayed for, it’s not that G-d did not hear our prayers. It means that the answer to that particular prayer was “no” AND that G-d’s answer was in our best interest.

To understand the place prayer has in the office let us take a look at modern day American industry and business. How often do we hear a scientist acknowledge G-d as the author of all his research and thank Him for the ability to comprehend a portion of His infinite wisdom? When the theory and practice of a solid business venture comes to fruition, do we attribute success to our own business savvy or recognize that G-d orchestrated the entire process. The Torah clearly states that mankind can grasp onto one of two ideologies: Success is a result of our strength & wisdom or we recognize that everything comes from Our Heavenly Father.

Historically, the first nation to credit itself for their life achievements was Greece, led by Aristotle, one of the founders of the scientific process. Judaism has always associated Greece & its philosophy with darkness. Why darkness? Aristotle believed that the concrete rules of nature, not G-d, are what directed the world.

Understand the natural process and you will understand the workings of the entire universe. He divorced G-d from the entire process, and in doing so removed the light from humanity’s need to “answer to a Higher Authority”. As far as the world was concerned, nothing changed. What the Greeks did was simply turn off the lights to the reality G-d continually sustains everyone and everything in the universe He created.

This may be the reason why so many people are comfortable hiding behind a well disguised, secularized natural process, especially in

the business world. Once you remove G-d from the process and replace Him with “secularism”, it is easier to conduct your dealing in an egocentric, unethical manner. You do not feel the need to answer to that Higher Authority. Having precipitated your own success, you need not care if someone was cheated or hurt along the way. “It’s not personal, it’s business” becomes the clarion call of the day. If recent history has proven anything, it is that if you leave people to their own devices, greed will reign supreme. Calling for a higher moral code founded on Divine principles is viewed by secularists as an imposition of values and violates the separation of church and state.

With this in mind, prayer before and during work takes on an entirely new understanding. Verbalizing our prayers imbues them with a concrete reality that does not exist in the world of thought. It acknowledges that you know G-d’s place and yours in this world. It confirms that G-d shares “space” with you in the office, prompting you not to take the ethical shortcuts so many have come to justify. Prayer helps us define the line between proper “hishtadlus” – human effort to achieve our goals – in conjunction with the reality that everything rests in G-d’s Holy Hands. All of this prompts us to be charitable, for the spiritual goal of business is not to simply become rich, but to sanctify what we earn by sharing it appropriately, charitably with others. Ultimately, prayer provides the opportunity to establish an office culture founded on Divine principles rather than a secularized, Machiavellian natural process.

Please note that this “culture” is founded on honesty, integrity, teamwork, ethical ideals that all religions deem sacred. It challenges us not to leave these values in our houses of worship or in the privacy of our homes, but to stand for that which is right in the public arena. Prayer is the first step one takes if they desire to walk with G-d not just during that moment of communication but all day long. For if we pray with proper intent – Kavanah – the words should provide us with the courage to transform those theoretical ideals into actions, reflecting that which is divine in all of us.

Every person is made up of a physical body and a divine soul. The definition of a “soul” is a portion of G-d that is loaned to us to manifest G-d’s Identity in this world through the uniqueness of our personality and character. Prayer within our working environment is a powerful step to insuring that rather than just being part body and part soul, we make every effort to be the best of both!!

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

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

ASIA Sushi, Wok, Grill

CHINA BISTRO

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

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

ASI’S

CINE CITTA MIAMI

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

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

ASI’S GRILL AND SUSHI BAR

CUSINE BY SILVIA

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

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

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

ELIES CAFE 145 East Flagler Miami, FL 33131 786-594-0196 Supervision: Kosher-Miami

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

AVIGDOR’S MOZART CAFE 4433 Stirling Road, Hollywood, FL 33021 954-584-5171 Supervision: ORB

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

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

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

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 EUROPEAN CORNER CAFE 7300 Camino Real Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-395-1109 Supervision: ORB FRESH CAFE 2214 NE 123 Street North Miami, FL 33181 305-891-8848 Supervision: Kosher Miami GIGI’S CAFE 3585 NE 207th Street Aventura, FL 33180 305-466-4648 Supervision: Kosher Miami GRILL TIME 16145 Biscayne Blvd. North Miami Beach, FL 33160 786-274-8935 | 305-491-3325 Supervision: ORB GRILL TIME RESTAURANT Fusion Steak House 8177 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33434 (561) 482-3699 | Fax: (561) 487-4044 Supervision: ORB

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 Supervision: Kosher-Miami JONAS PIZZA 2530 NE Miami Gardens Drive North Miami Beach, FL 33180 305-918-8998 Supervision: Kosher-Miami JONAS PIZZA 544 w 41st Miami Beach Fl 33140 305-397-8395 Supervision: OK JON’S PLACE OF BOCA Pizzeria 22191 Powerline Road Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-338-0008 Supervision: ORB JP BISTRO Pizzeria 5650 Stirling Road Hollywood, FL 33021 (954) 964-6811 Supervision: ORB KIKAR TEL-AVIV RESTAURANT Chinese and Continental Cuisine Carriage Club North 5005 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-866-3316 Supervision: OK Laboratories KOSHER BURGER 5021 State Road 7, Davie, FL 33314 954-534-1158 Supervision: ORB

■

Dining Guide

LEVY’S KOSHER OF HOLLYWOOD 3357 Sheridan Street Hollywood, FL 33021 954-983-2825 Supervision: ORB LUL GRILL CAFE 18288 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 305-933-0199 Rabbinic Supervision: OK 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 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 PISTACHIO GOURMET GRILL 740 41 Street Miami Beach, FL 33140 305-538-1616 Supervision: Kosher Miami PITA LOCA 601 Collins Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 305-673-3388 Supervision: Kosher Miami

PITA PLUS 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

SIR TACO 5650 Stirling Rd Hollywood Fl , 33021 954-964-6811 Supervision: ORB 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

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

L’CHAIM MEE CHINA ORIENTAL RESTAURANT 3940 North 46 Avenue Hollywood, FL 33021 954-986-1770 Supervision: ORB

43

44 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

■

Real Estate

Gilo: An Expanding Community

By Gedaliah Borvick of “My Israel Home”

Nowadays, whenever the Israeli government approves a new housing project in a community over the “Green Line” the event makes International headlines. The latest community placed in the spotlight is Gilo, one of Jerusalem’s seven ring neighborhoods that were developed after the Six Day War. With a population of almost 40,000 residents, the neighborhood has recently received approvals to build 1,100 housing units.

The name Gilo is mentioned in Joshua 15:51 and in Samuel 2, 15:12. It is believed that modern Gilo is located on the same site, although some scholars argue that biblical Gilo was farther west in the Chevron hills. Although modern Gilo was officially established in 1971, the land has been inhabited

by Jews for over 3,000 years. Archaeologists have unearthed a small settlement characteristic of Iron Age Israelite architecture, discovered a fortress from the period of the First Temple, and have found farms and graves from the Second Temple period.

Gilo is situated on a hilltop in southwest Jerusalem west of the Malcha Mall, and was master-planned with large open spaces, shopping centers, 35 synagogues, many schools and kindergartens, numerous small playgrounds scattered throughout the community and two large parks: Park Gilo and Park Zeidenberg. Over the past fifteen years, Gilo’s main roads have expanded, offering good access to the rest of Jerusalem.

Gilo has a mix of many demographics: there are low-income and middle-class families plus a smattering of wealthy Israelis (including supermarket magnate Rami Levi); native-born Israelis (60% of the population) and new immigrants (over 15% Russian); older and younger families; and secular and religious Jews, including Dati Leumi (national religious) and a large and growing Chareidi (Yeshivish) constituency.

Gilo is divided into six main areas: Gilo Aleph is where the

45

views of Jerusalem, housing prices in Dalet and Givat Canada are higher than in the other Gilo neighborhoods.

With Gilo’s relatively inexpensive housing, fine municipal and educational services, and access to the center of Jerusalem, it is no wonder that housing is in strong demand and that the neighborhood is in expansion mode.

“My Israel Home” is a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To read previous articles, please visit Gedaliah Borvick’s blog at www.myisraelhome.com.

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

absorption center is located and the population tends to be on a lower socioeconomic level. Many Chareidi families have moved into this community due to the lower priced housing and the strong services that the neighborhood provides.

Bet has a large Dati Leumi community, Gimmel is mostly native Israelis, Hei has a mixed population, and Dalet and Givat Canada also have a mixed population, including a substantial English speaking crowd, most of whom moved to Israel over twenty years ago. Due to its strong population, coupled with nicer housing stock and sweeping

46 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

■

K Cuisine

Praising Psagot

by Eli Shapiro

On a recent trip to Israel I had the opportunity to visit a number of wineries. Perhaps the most memorable was the Psagot Winery located only 20 minutes outside of Yerushalayim. I had tasted a number of Psagot wines in the past year and was really impressed with their 2009 Cabernet and was looking forward to the opportunity to get a firsthand look at the winery itself. What I found there was more than just a winery producing great wines but rather a symbol of growth, development and statement of presence in an area that others would have you believe is settled illegally.

The settlement community of Psagot is located in the Binyamin Hills overlooking Wadi Kelt and the not-too-distant Jordan Valley and Dead Sea. It was established in 1981, and in the 1980s, at the very inception of the yishuv, Meir Berg, an engineer and mathematician by training, moved there with his family. Putting aside his academics for love of the land, he planted table grapes, and then added cherry and nectarine orchards. Meir planted his first wine vineyard, 18 dunam of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1998.

Meir’s son, Yaakov Berg’s original plans had not included wine. After serving in the army he went on shle’chut, as a representative to Melbourne, Australia, where he succeeded in establishing a successful kollel. Upon his return, he completed his studies in law and began practicing as a lawyer.

However, over time, he was drawn more and more to winemaking. Naama, notwithstanding her Ph.D in zoology, joined her husband in his passion for wine, and finally, in 2002, Yaakov and Naama, Meir’s son and daughter-in-law, established Psagot Winery.

Since 2007, the Psagot Winery also serves as the visitors’ center for the Nachalat Binyamin region and boasts highend video and computer presentations about the land and its rightful ownership by the Jewish people. It is a state of the art facility just down the road and directly below Migron,

a community recently evicted and demolished by the Israeli government. Despite these recent events, the visitor center and winery continue to be used by members of the Knesset and visiting dignitaries to highlight what has been built in the heart of our Biblical heritage.

Winemaking in Psagot is not a new endeavor. Psagot is actually situated in ancient wine territory, but it was by accident that the archeological proof was discovered. One day, as they were landscaping and excavating near the vineyard, workers found an opening in the bedrock. This opening turned out to be the entrance to a magnificent cave, part of an ancient network dating to the period of the Second Temple, that archeologists surmise belonged to one of the Biblical cities captured by Yehoshua bin Nun as he traveled from Yericho, Ai and beyond. Excavations inside this cave uncovered period coins and the remnants of an ancient olive press and wine press from the Second Temple period. Today, a replica of one of those coins is prominently displayed on the premium bottles of Psagot wines. The cave was ultimately returned to use for winemaking purposes and now serves as the wine cellar where Psagot’s red wines age in oak barrels.

In 2003, Psagot produced 4,500 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon and a Port-style dessert wine that was listed by Globes to be the #1 rated port-style wine produced in Israel. In 2004, Psagot entered their Port, Merlot and a blended red wine we called Edom into the Israeli Eshkol Hazahav competition and won three Gold awards for those wines. Back then everyone was wondering, what is a Psagot? This year, people knew exactly who they were when they we were awarded Gold and Silver medals for their Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard and Edom respectively from the prestigious Vinalies Internationales competition in Paris, France.

Winemaker Yaakov Berg will be the first to tell you that Psagot wines owe much of their success to the special area

47

Their next harvest will yield about 120,000 bottles, which is an incredible increase in less than 10 years. The turnaround came in the summer of 2006 when the Falic brothers of Miami, Florida and Panama invested in the winery. Their love of the land and their support of so many Israeli and Jewish causes is only part of the story. Seeing and understanding the meaning of this part of Israel and its historical and Biblical importance to the Jewish people was not lost to them. They recognized that the individuals and the families who moved there were, in essence, preserving our history. They saw what had been accomplished and felt a connection with Yaakov and his vision.

In 2006 when Pinchas Wallerstein, then Yesha Council Director, offered Psagot the opportunity to join the municipality of Mateh Binyamin and become a partner and anchor on their present site, the winemaking team was overcome with excitement. They had reached production capacity at Psagot proper and were restricted from building or adding on as it might incite the Arab community. Then-President George W. Bush was soon arriving in Israel and would come to an agreement with Israel to curtail building new projects in the area.

With 15 minutes to spare before his arrival, they had all the legal documentation to move forward and build their present home in close proximity to the actual vineyards.

way to the entire region. With restrictions on further building, Psagot creatively converted their storage room into a 55 seat auditorium, and offers audio-visual presentations, both in the tasting room overlooking the barrel room and on the balcony where one can learn about the historical and strategic significance of the region. Avi Ro’eh, the present regional council director realized the potential of the visiting center and invested just on the technological projects alone over $1 million. For many people this area is completely unknown. Most Israelis have never been to this part of Israel, and the little that they know is often distorted. Foreigners and Israelis are forever asking, “What side of the Green Line is it situated in?”

During my summer visit, there were literally hundreds of Israeli and foreign families visiting and being inspired by the critical role that the Psagot Winery plays in this region. Recently Psagot Winery was identified by Peace Now, an organization opposed to any Israeli development over the Green Line, as one of the four products targeted by their boycott.

Despite this attempted boycott, demand for Psagot wines grows and their biggest problem is the restrictions of building more storage for wine-aging.

For Yaakov, every obstacle is a cause for further determination to send out the message that the land is blessed and the divine promise of return will be fulfilled. He often quotes from the haftorah of Parshat Acharei Mos, “I will return the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild desolate cities and settle them; they will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will cultivate gardens and eat their fruits. I will plant them upon their land and they will never again be uprooted from their land that I have given them, said Hashem, your G-d.”

If you are visiting Israel, a visit to Psagot is a must. With its It was at this point that Yaakov was insistent on taking over stunning vistas and family friendly atmosphere it is a trip full operation of the winery, and along with his wife Naama, that everyone, even non-wine-tasters will enjoy. To schedule set out to create what today, Adam Montefiore of Carmel a visit, contact Eli Sales at eli@psagotwines.com.

Winery describes as “the most technically advanced of Israeli winery visitors’ centers and the country’s finest visitors’ center for those who want to understand the Biblical roots of Israeli winemaking.” The beautifully designed stone structure is a testament to his commitment to create a building that shows that the Jewish belong, the Jewish people are here, and the Jewish people plan on remaining.

Upon completion of the current visitor center it was evident that Psagot had just completed a home that will be the gate-

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

where the winery resides. Situated 900 meters above sea level makes the terrain of Psagot and the entire Binyamin region ideal for producing high quality wine grapes. Finding evidence that indicates the area was a major source of winemaking over 2,000 years ago adds to the aura of the region and explains, in part, the slow but steady climb Israeli wines are making in the global market.

48 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME â– NOV. 3, 2011

â–

K Cuisine fish is PARVE, that is not meat nor dairy but it is considered neutral. Can fish be consumed together with meat? Can it be cooked with meat? How about in clean meat utensils? Can fish be eaten with milk, cheese or butter? Can fish be cooked in dairy utensils? How about being cooked in butter, milk etc.?

Can one purchase kosher fish in a store that also sells nonkosher? What are the concerns? Should one buy fish from a religious owner? Why? What are the concerns with a fish delivery? Do packaged fish salads or other fish items require properly sealed packages?

FISH for the Kosher Consumer Part 1 What is a kosher fish?

What are the concerns that the kosher consumer should be aware of? We will list some of the concerns in general & then explain them in more detail. There are thousand of different kinds of fish, and there are many more different names to many of the fishes. A common name in one country of a kosher or non-kosher fish may be called by a completely different name in another country. The one name that is somewhat reliable would be the scientific Latin name given to each species of fish. All kosher fish must have fins and scales. Are all types of scales acceptable as kosher? What types are acceptable & not acceptable? What is the status of an immature fish that did not develop its scales (sardines), or a fish that loses its scales at a certain stage in life or loses the scales when being removed from the water? Is the blood of fish permitted to the kosher consumer? Are the eggs, roe & caviar of non- kosher fish permitted? Caviar displayed on the same tray next to kosher fish, is that an acceptable identifier of what fish it came from? Is the color or shape of fish eggs, caviar a reliable kosher indicator? Why is the diet of certain fish a concern to the kosher consumer? What is the kosher status of processed fish?

Filleted fish, canned, frozen, ground, sliced, paste? On a fish that can be identified as a kosher fish, what are some of the concerns with the curing, smoking & pickling of fish? If the actual process is acceptable as kosher but it is made in a nonkosher facility, what are the concerns? The general status of

A kosher fish is one that originates and lives in water. A kosher fish must have scales and fins. The scales must be visible even without a microscope. The whole body of the fish does not have to be covered with scales. If the scales are only by the gills, fins or tail is sufficient. The size, thickness & shape of the scales are irrelevant. The scales usually are overlapping each other from head to tail. The scales and fins are laid from head to tail. (When a fish swallows another fish it is therefore always from the head side. The fins & scales will prevent it from being swallowed from the tail side.) Bony protrusions are not considered scales. The scales must be able to be removed without ripping & damaging the attached skin. The scales must be of the "cycloid (round) or "ctenoid" (comblike) NOT the "placoid" (platelike) or "ganoid" (armorlike). The kosher fish has other distinguishing characteristics. The shape of the head is more roundish & wide while the non-kosher is more pointed & long. The kosher fish has a spine, while a non-kosher fish usually does not. The shapes of the tail & eggs are also different.

We can nevertheless (for kosher purposes) rely only on the presence of fins and proper scales.

An immature fish that did not yet develop its scales is still considered a kosher fish. A fish that had proper scales at one time but as it matures or when it is removed from the water loses the scales, is still considered as a kosher fish. Kosher animals and fowl require slaughtering by a properly trained & authorized individual. Fish do not require any type of slaughtering.

The blood of animals & fowl must be removed by proper salting or broiling etc., by a properly trained individual.

The blood of fish does not require any removal process and may be eaten with the fish.If the blood is gathered in a container, the blood may not be consumed, unless it is recognizable as fish blood i.e. has scales in it, (as it may be confused with animal or fowl blood.) Certain blemishes and imperfections may render kosher animals and fowl as not kosher. Fish do not have any restrictions in this regard. An animal or fowl that died or was killed is not kosher, while a fish will retain its

by SFJH Staff Writer kosher status.

49 THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

THE SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH HOME ■ NOV. 3, 2011

50 Continued from page 15

Continued from page 33

Amos Gilad: Iran is a threat that must be dealt with

Gilad Shalit: A Proud Family Brings Its Son Home

Asked about the timeframe of the Iranian threat, Gilad answered: "From the moment the Iranians decide that the balance of power has changed." As for the question of whether Israel should attack Iran, Gilad noted that all options remained open.

Gilad then spoke about the Arab Spring and stressed the strategic importance of the peace treaty with Egypt. "It has a huge significance security wise," he said, adding: "This is the first time where there is a situation in which elections are being held in Egypt in 30 days and we don't know who will rise to power and how it will affect our relations with them."

The policy and political-military affairs director made it clear that the Arab Spring poses many threats to Israel. "The question is what will happen on the day after, in Egypt the results of the first elections are still unclear.

Thus, it can be argued that Israel did not release over one thousand terrorist merely to free one soldier, rather, they did so in order to prevent Palestinian statehood— a prospect which would pose an existential threat to Israel’s existence.

Perhaps most poignantly, many argue that the prisoner swap shows how much Israel values each life. This deal shows that “one Israeli is worth more than a thousand Arabs.” Whereas the Palestinians are willing to use children as human shields and have no value for the lives of their brethren, Israel is willing to give up over a thousand terrorists for one of our brethren.

However, after all is said and done, the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap can be best described as “bitter- sweet.” The attacks that these evil monsters carried out will always be fresh in our minds.

Who could forget the images of Abdel - Aziz Saleh—who was released last week— waving his bloody hands from a Ramallah window after the October 2000 lynching of two innocent Israelis?

Who could forget the images of a mangled Egged bus, forced off a cliff by Abdel Hadi Ghanem— who was released last week— in1989, killing 16 Israelis?

The images of terror are endless. The lives lost and pain suffered by family members and injured victims fills oceans of tears.

Yet, Jews are unique in our ability to feel pain, yet celebrate at the same time. We are pained by the sadness many terror victims’ families are going through due to the release of the monsters who have wrecked their lives. At the same time, we celebrate Gilad Shalit’s safe return to his family.

Hazorim b’dima, b’rinah yiktzoru…Those who plant with tears, will reap with joy. This past week the Jewish nation has done both at the same time. In the merit of our unity, may we all see the ultimate redemption, and experience the ultimate joy of the coming of Moshiach.

51

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