Issue 168

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INBOX

WE WANT MORE

(Re: The Early Days of Williamsburg)

I didn’t ever think I would find the time to write to your Inbox, though every week I feel it’s my obligation to do so, because I literally breathe your publication!

But this week I had to make it my duty to write in no matter what. The first reason that compelled me to do so was an experience I had with my daughter who missed out on school this past week due to illness. When I was trying to help her catch up on the spelling lesson she missed, she was confident that she knew the definition of the word view: an amazing book to read and enjoy. And she was not wrong!

Additionally, I can’t get enough of the most recent topics you have featured. First and foremost: Williamsburg! Please keep these coming. There’s so much packed into every word, paragraph and photo of this series. It is heartwarming to us and the youngsters within us, and the depictions bring up so much emotion and nostalgia of days gone by.

I also found the article on dream houses so interesting and applicable, even though I moved ten months ago. It gave me food for thought and also a push to get certain things done.

Thank you for the great information and ideas you share and for the pleasure you give us each week.

A Reader

IDEAS FOR CONFINED SPACES

(Re: The Stuff Dream Houses Are Made Of, Issue 167)

Thank you for such a beautiful publication. I enjoy it every week.

nets and closets — and the space — to play with. May I ask or suggest to also feature the opposite and give hints, ideas and suggestions for small, crowded apartments with very little closet space housing growing families? I would love to read about some innovative ideas for limited space.

A Desperate Mother

NO SMALL POTATOES

(Re: One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Issue 167)

As a person who uses lots of garlic in cooking, it has never before occurred to me to use it in mashed potatoes. I love the idea; it must give the dish a great kick!

On the topic of mashed potatoes, I want to share an idea: I use a hand blender to “mash” the potatoes, and it results in potatoes with a really creamy texture. I encourage others to try it.

M.H.

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AN OVERDUE MESSAGE

(Re: Nodding Along; Inbox, Issue 167)

I was so excited to read the letters regarding people who are dismayed at having a bunch of guests take home food during simchos. I thought it was a long overdue message to some who think it’s perfectly acceptable to walk out with platefuls of food while the simcha is in progress.

The previous week, a letter-writer mentioned people coming to help themselves to goods after a simcha. I recently had a similar experience. After our child’s Shabbos sheva brachos, my husband made a stop on the way home from Maariv to collect some things that had been sitting there waiting for us, and there was a woman in the hall clearing out the kitchen and filling up boxes to take to whichever organization she ran. That’s all very nice, but I don’t think you can do a mitzvah al yedei aveirah. We are a kollel family, and yes, after spending this kind of money on a simcha, we were very happy to take home the leftovers and cut our grocery bills for the next few weeks.

I was so happy to see the letter, and I was disappointed to see the sarcastic response last week.

Whether the fare is heimish food or expensive miniatures is irrelevant; When I make a simcha, I prepare enough for my guests to have what to eat until the end of the affair. I’ve watched people arrive at simchos where there wasn’t enough food to go around, because guests had taken home food. Others were sitting at the table with little napkins covering platefuls of food to take home for their children.

Food at a simcha is meant to entertain the guests. I think readers would be wise to take heed of the original letter.

Thank you so much. We very much appreciate hearing the opinions of people and making our own opinions heard, as well.

NOT A SOUP KITCHEN

(Re: Nodding Along; Inbox, Issue 167)

I’ve never written to The Boro Park View before, but last week’s letter justifying guests taking home food from simchos made me sad. The food is there for the guests to partake in at the simcha and may not be taken out without permission

A Recent Baalas Simcha

from the baalas simcha. If you want your children to have some goodies from the sweet table, ask before you help yourself! This has nothing to do with early birds catching worms. Who is the bird here? Is this a soup kitchen, perhaps? We are talking about a simcha — with food prepared for the attendees!

I once went to a bar mitzvah at ten thirty, because I was invited for dessert, aka the sweet table. When I got there there was nothing left. Every place, though, where the seudah guests were sitting, had a covered plate filled to the brim with goodies. Not for them. They were full from the meal, but they were taking these home for their kids or babysitters! It was such an embarrassment.

Please remember basic halacha and menschlichkeit. M.G.

ANOTHER SIMCHA CONCERN (Re: Not Takeout; Inbox, Issue 165)

Thank you for a wonderful publication week after week. I enjoy every article and especially appreciate the coverage of early Williamsburg where I grew up.

When I read the letter about children emptying sweet tables and “snatching” souvenirs off the table before the simcha even begins, it touched on a topic that pains me at simcha after simcha

When children are brought to a simcha, many parents totally forget about them for hours on end. Especially at close family weddings, children are often left to roam the hall with little or no supervision while the parents sit peacefully and enjoy a much-deserved social outing. I have witnessed scenes of neglect, danger and even abuse, and I’m sure so did many other wedding attendees: boys playing in the elevators, girls jumping off or sitting on the stairs while guests amble down, nearly tripping over them, and more.

Baruch Hashem, I was shocked out of my complacency when a young daughter of mine was (accidentally) locked behind a door for hours with no one even looking for her because I was sure she was “somewhere around…” (She was playing hideand-seek with her cousins.)

At a recent mitzvah tanz, I went to a side room to take care of my infant. There, in a quiet and far-off corner, was a little girl of about four who had a helium balloon tied around her wrist, along with another child who was trying to pull it off as the first child’s hand turned blue. Who knows how long this had been going on for? But nobody was concerned about either of the children... It took days for the little girl to overcome this trauma.

May I suggest, dear mommies, that we discuss wedding rules with our children before attending one with them (e.g., how far we can go, how much and which foods we can eat, etc.)? Also, let’s check on our children often or create a buddy system where older siblings are responsible for younger ones.

Hashem gave us a double blessing: young children to care for and simchos to attend. Let’s enjoy our blessings safely and happily.

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PARSHAS VA’EIRA

In this parsha , Hashem instructs Moshe to ask Pharaoh to let the Yidden out of Mitzrayim. Moshe protests, saying, “Bnei Yisroel didn’t listen to me; how will Pharaoh listen to me? I have a speech impediment” (Shemos 6:12).

Many question the basis of this classical “ kal v’chomer.” The reason Bnei Yisroel didn’t listen to Moshe was not because of his slurred speech, but rather because of their “shortness of breath and hard labor” (ibid. 6:9), conditions that did not apply to Pharaoh.

Why did Moshe deduce from the fact that his words went unheeded by Klal Yisroel that Pharaoh would not listen to him either?

YANKEL AND BEREL* were longtime friends who lived in villages within close proximity of each other. Yankel earned his keep by running an inn for the local poritz, and Berel just about managed to stay afloat by peddling haberdashery. From time to time they would meet, keeping up a close relationship that grew to include their wives and children.

One day, Berel fell ill. The doctor was summoned, and he diagnosed Berel with an infection in his blood, but he had no suggestions for a treatment plan. Berel lay in bed, growing sicker by the day, with no medicine or solution in sight.

As a strong chassid of the Ruzhiner Rebbe, he pleaded with his wife to travel to Ruzhin and ask for a bracha on his behalf. His wife, who was not much of an adherent herself, was reluctant to go, but given her husband’s critical condition, she agreed. She hired a wagon driver and set out to Ruzhin.

On the way, as the wagon passed Yankel’s inn at the entrance to the neighboring village, she decided to make a quick stop. She would go into the inn and update her husband’s close friend on his situation.

As soon as she entered, Berel’s wife noticed that something was amiss. Yankel’s wife greeted her with a glum ex-

pression on her face. She sorrowfully shared that the poritz was on their backs. It had been a heavy winter, and the innkeeper served fewer visitors than ever before. Yankel hadn’t earned enough to pay his rent, and now the poritz was threatening to imprison him if he would not come up with the funds by a certain date.

Berel’s wife commiserated with her friend’s plight, and then shared her own pain. “I’m actually on my way to Ruzhin now to receive a bracha from the tzaddik.”

“Ruzhin?!” the innkeeper’s wife cried out. “Can I come along?”

Soon the two climbed into the wagon and went on their way together.

When they arrived in Ruzhin, they immediately went over to the gabbai and shared why they had come. The gabbai wrote out a kvittel for each woman and handed them over, without realizing that he’d accidentally mixed them up.

“Here, give these to the Rebbe when you enter the room,” he said.

The peddler’s wife went in to the Rebbe first and gave over the innkeeper’s kvittel. “Hashem will help!” was the tzad-

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dik’s reply.

The innkeeper’s wife’s turn was next. She handed over the peddler’s kvittel and the Rebbe replied, “Place leeches on your husband’s skin.” It was a piece of advice suitable for one suffering from infected blood, but Yankel’s wife wondered how it would help her husband deal with the intimidating poritz… Yet she was a simple, steadfast believer, and she asked no questions.

Sure enough, when Berel the peddler heard the Rebbe’s promising bracha, he perked up. He could already feel his health improving.

Yankel the innkeeper, on the other hand, was confused. “Leeches?! How will that help me?” He was less of a chassid than his wife and dismissed the strange message.

Weeks passed. The rent due date was nearing, and there was no salvation in sight. Yankel worried that he would soon be thrown into the dungeon where he would languish for the rest of his life! Suddenly, the Rebbe’s words reverberated in his ears, and he decided he had nothing to lose by following his advice. Yankel got a hold of some leeches and began the treatment. The leeches had a party, sucking at his blood mercilessly. Less than an hour later, there were bruises all over Yankel’s body, and he was in agony.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was a messenger sent by the poritz, who had come to collect the funds. Yankel’s wife led him to her husband’s bed. The messenger was shocked to see Yankel writhing in pain, dribbles of blood sopping his linen. He immediately left the house and ran to tell the poritz what he had seen.

The poritz had a hard time believing what he heard. “Bring the innkeeper here,” he commanded.

With no choice, a few messengers returned to Yankel’s home and dragged his bed all the way to the poritz’s mansion. When the poritz asked for an explanation, Yankel answered on the spot: “Yesterday I traveled to the city to borrow money from a couple of friends so I could pay up. It was hard work, and when I finally had the full amount, it was already late. I couldn’t find a wagon driver to take me back home and had no choice but to walk back by foot. As I was walking through the forest, I was caught by a group of bandits.” He pointed at his bruises. “They beat me up. I begged them to leave me alive and take my money instead, and luckily, they agreed.”

The poritz had pity on the poor man who had been injured as he was procuring funds for him. His sentence was lifted, and even the rent he owed was erased from his balance. Yankel was saved!

A while later, Yankel traveled to Ruzhin to thank the Rebbe personally. When he left the room, the Rebbe told one of his close people, “You should know, when the innkeeper’s wife stood here and asked for a bracha, I had no way to help her. But because of her emunah peshutah, she managed to effect a yeshuah!”

When all seems lost, our simple faith has the power to change the reality!

* * * * *

Bnei Yisroel hardly stood a chance of leaving Mitzrayim. Chazal say that the malachim argued that the Yidden were just like the Egyptians — both served avodah zara

When Moshe Rabbeinu saw that Bnei Yisroel were not open to hearing what he had to say, he was broken. It was clear to him that if they would believe him with emunah peshutah, they would be worthy of being redeemed. But once Moshe saw that Bnei Yisroel did not listen to him, he wondered if they were deserving of the geulah. And if so, then how would Pharaoh listen to him?!

Adapted from the teachings of Rav Mordechai Freundlich, zt”l.

Yankel the innkeeper was confused. “Leeches?! How will that help me?”

AS HIS VISION FALTERED AND THE WORLD AROUND HIM FADED AWAY, NATI M., AGED 32, BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND WHY CHAZAL SAY THAT A BLIND PERSON IS LIKE A DEAD PERSON. HE COULD NO LONGER READ THE GEMARA SITTING ON THE TABLE IN FRONT OF HIM. THE DOCTORS HAD GIVEN UP, TELLING HIM HE WOULD NEVER SEE HIS LOVED ONES AGAIN. DARKNESS SURROUNDED HIM, GLOOMY AND OPAQUE. THEN CHAIM MEDICAL RESOURCE STEPPED IN.

Nati enjoyed a normal, healthy childhood. He was in his twenties, married and settled into kollel life, when he noticed that his vision was slowly deteriorating. One eye doctor sent him to another, until he got a diagnosis from a senior specialist in one of Israel’s famed hospitals. The diagnosis was a

blow which threatened to destroy Nati’s life as he knew it: Cone Rod Dystrophy. CRD is a degenerative vision disease affecting the rods and cones, which are the light-sensitive cells of the retina, responsible for converting the light that enters the eye into electrical signals that can be decoded by the vision-

processing center of the brain. Once the rods and cones stop working, there is no way for the eyes to be able to see.

CRD meant that what Nati could expect to encounter ahead were blind spots, loss of color perception, and loss of peripheral vision. By middle age, he would be blind. And, the professors all agreed, there is no cure for Cone Rod Dystrophy. It was a question of learning to live in a world of darkness.

Nati and his wife continued living their lives, while underneath, their hearts bled with pain and dread. He went to kollel, straining to read the words of the Gemara, which were getting harder and harder to see. She went to work. On Shabbos they spent time enjoying their family. For as long as they could ignore the slow degeneration, the slow blurring of Nati’s vision, they would.

by: RIKI GOLDSTEIN

“Five years ago, I went to see two big retina specialists in one of Israel’s foremost hospitals, hoping against hope that they had something to offer,” Nati recalls. “I remember those tests and the consultation afterward. The secretary, an Arab lady, said to me, ‘I am sorry to tell you, but you are going to be blind.’

“‘What do you mean, ‘blind’? Like, totally blind?’ I asked.

“She said, ‘Yes.’”

When the family made the decision to move to America, perhaps they hoped, deep down, that the move would change their mazel. But things only got worse there.

The M. family tried to tell themselves that things were not too bad, yet. They made the most of things. At that stage, Nati was still able to drive so he could get around independently. He even recalls some “funny” moments,

like the time he poured himself a cup of juice and made a Shehakol, and his wife appeared just in time. “That’s not apple juice; that’s oil!” she exclaimed.

Slowly, after a couple of near-incidents, Nati realized that he couldn’t drive safely anymore. His wife decided to purchase a good bike for him, so he could still get around. He was a member of a 6:30 a.m. Daf Hayomi shiur, and used to bike there, until the day he didn’t see a hole in the road and landed up on the ground, bruised and shaken. Life was getting harder. Nati tried out at several different jobs, but most did not work out because of his failing vision. “I can teach you to paint, but I can’t teach you to see,” one potential employer, a decorator, told him. Looking back, Nati says “It’s not easy to be blind, to make your way around unfamiliar places by feeling the walls. We almost gave up.

But we tried not to give up, because we’re Yidden, and Yidden don’t do that.”

One day, Nati met Reb Yosef Goldstein of Boro Park. The two chatted, and discovered that Reb Yosef knew Nati’s rabbanim from Eretz Yisroel. When he heard about the vision issue and the heartbreaking diagnosis the M.’s had received, he suggested a call to Chaim Medical Resource. Although Nati related that specialists had told him CRD was incurable, Reb Yosef insisted. “Let’s see what they have to offer.”

It was a long phone call, and followed by dozens more. The medical advisers at Chaim Medical Resource heard the story and did their homework. Soon they had dug deep down into the depths of the medical literature and research. It was clear that while there is no known cure for CRD, there

are certain new treatments being developed, both by a medical center in Florida, and a similar facility in Germany.

“The CMR team did an FBI job,” Nati marvels. “They reached out to the doctors to find out which hospital was most suitable for my case. They asked every question possible, explored every avenue, and concluded that the team in Florida might be able to help me. I had nothing to lose by trying this. I got there and had the procedure done.”

For the first few months, nothing changed. Nati traveled to Florida for another round. Four weeks later, he called in to CMR in tears, saying, “I can see so much better than before!” The change was significant, drastic.

Chaim Medical Resource is a nonprofit organization best known for its research, using its global reach to explore all treatment options, including experimental trials. But Nati soon found out that they offer way, way more. There are divisions for patient advocacy and interfacility transfer, as well as a network of medical liaisons who turn over heaven and earth to obtain the treatments and medications required for patients in need.

“I spoke to CRD patients from Israel and America, sharing the success of the treatment and encouraging them to go for it. I spoke to someone whose CRD had progressed so much that he could not see his hand in front of his eyes, and baruch Hashem, after the second treatment, his vision had some improve-

TESTIMONIALS

“CMR recently had a visit from the leadership of a private hospital in one of the states, who, after witnessing our work from afar, came to observe it from up close, not fully believing we can accomplish this much without medical training. They looked around and were amazed at how our community is so focused on our children and everything revolves around them. They gaped at the school buses loading up hundreds of kids, ka”h; we are so isolated and sheltered from the rest of the world, and yet so established. A visit to Eichler’s left the visitors flabbergasted. The Jewish community has its own array of music and books, even recipe books! And there are aisles and aisles of these!

At the end of the visit, one of the doctors turned to Reb Shulim Schlafrig and said bluntly, “You have to understand; you people are more knowledgeable than 75% of the doctors.”

A CMR Employee

A patient in excruciating pain needed an MRI urgently in order for her to get pain relief administered. Her doctor’s secretary said, “The doctor will come in for her tomorrow morning if she has an MRI report, but this will not happen.”

Within two hours (!!) the CMR adviser was done. There was authorization from the insurance company, an appointment scheduled for 12:00 a.m., and a report of the MRI shortly after.

The patient saw the doctor early the next morning. The secretary’s reaction? “May I have the opportunity to meet the woman who said to me yesterday, ‘Stephanie, there will be an MRI report for you in time for this appointment?’ I really wish I could be a fly on her wall for just one day! I have never seen this in my career!”

Hospital Liasionship Department

A patient for whom CMR had gotten a very expensive medicine approved was greeted by a doctor in one of the leading hospitals with these words: “I have mixed feelings. I am happy that your new treatment has finally been approved, however, I’m disappointed too. Here at our institution, we’ve been trying to get approval for many weeks, but we were unsuccessful, while Chaim Medical was able to get this done, without too much delay.”

Insurance Advocacy Department

ment,” Nati says. Recently, the M.’s walked out of their regular checkup grinning from ear to ear. The sight in Nati’s right eye has improved vastly, while with his left eye, with which he used to see almost nothing, he can now read up to the third line of letters on the optical chart. The specialist was euphoric — she could see new cells on his retina, an incredible sign of regeneration.

When Nati goes to visit his father, his

father cries, and says the bracha of “Baruch atah … pokayach ivrim.” It is nothing less than a miracle; and Chaim Medical Resource have been the miracle’s messengers. Nati concludes “They see people who are about to give up, who think nothing can help them, and they say, ‘Hey, wait, don’t give up! There are options for you!”

Disaster Averted at JFK as Two Planes Nearly Collide on Runway

It was a close call last Friday night at JFK Airport, as a frantic air traffic controller ordered a Delta flight to abort its takeoff as another plane crossed its path on the active runway.

CBS News reported that the incident took place at 8:45 p.m. on January 13. It involved a Delta flight, a Boeing 737 carrying 145 passengers and 6 crew members, and an American Airlines flight, a Boeing 777 carrying 137 passengers and 14 crew members.

The American Airlines flight, which was headed to the United Kingdom, was told to proceed to JFK’s Runway 4-left, but instead of turning right as instructed, continued traveling across the active runway where the Delta flight was preparing for takeoff. The Delta pilot managed to stop his plane 1,000 feet away from the American flight as a panicked air traffic controller was recorded saying, “Delta 1943, cancel takeoff clearance! Delta 1943, cancel takeoff clearance!”

Passengers on the Delta flight reported that the sudden stop

had passengers abruptly jerking forward, but without any idea that a near-disaster had just been averted. Delta put up its passengers for the night and put them on the flight to their destination, the Dominican Republic, the next morning. Passenger Brian Heale said that he only discovered what had happened the next day while reading the news.

“The pilot made the call to only share information on a need-to-know basis, and that was absolutely the right call because it would’ve been pandemonium,” said Heale.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are both investigating the incident.

As Train Approaches, BP Police Officer Rescues Man From Tracks

A Boro Park police officer was in the right place at the right time, calling for help and pulling a civilian out of the path of an oncoming subway train.

Hamodia reported that Officer Meir Green was patrolling the Smith-9th Streets station in Carroll Gardens just after 2:30 p.m. on January 7 when he was informed that a man had fallen onto the train tracks. Green and his partner, Officer Morgan Brown, raced up the stairs to the subway platform, hoping to avert a potential tragedy. While Brown ran toward the front of the platform to flag down oncoming trains, Green headed for the man, radioing for backup and asking for power to the tracks to be shut down at Smith9th, the world’s highest rapid transit station.

“I didn’t know how long it was going to take me to get him off the tracks,” said Green. “I saw him struggling, trying to get up. He was

having a hard time.” Once Brown had successfully

Notam, the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions system, has been in use for approximately 30 years. While Notam has been updated, the FAA has had difficulty making significant changes to the system, which relays critical information to pilots. In its budget request last year for the FAA, the United States Department of Transportation asked Congress to allocate $29.4 million to speed up the development of a program that would allow it to phase out what it called the “failing vintage software” that supports the Notam system.

Preliminary FAA investigations have shown that the January 11th errors were caused by “personnel who failed to follow procedure,” ultimately corrupting a database file. A total of 10,689 flights to, from and within the United States were affected by the error, with 1,353 cancellations reported and thousands of passengers stranded by the shutdown. Delays lingered into the next day, with over 2,300 flights delayed and more than 120 canceled.

A Record-Breaking Day for the MTA, With Seventeen Vehicles Impounded at Verrazzano for Toll Evasion

If you’ve ever contemplated ignoring those orange unpaid toll notices, you might want to think again, with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority proudly touting a new one-day agency impound record at a single crossing on January 11.

SI Live reported that MTA officers impounded seventeen vehicles at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, with their drivers having accumulated a total of $400,000 in unpaid tolls and fines. MTA Bridges and Tunnels president Daniel DeCrescenzo Jr. noted that the agency doesn’t play gotcha games with drivers.

“They get a bill,” said DeCrescenzo. “They get a bill with a fee assessed. They get a notification that their registration is going to be suspended if they’re in the State of New York and if they still don’t pay.”

License plate readers flag cars with suspended registrations that pass under the toll gantries, alerting MTA officers stationed at the agency’s crossings to pull the offenders over. Among those caught last week were a driver who owed approximately $50,000 in unpaid tolls and fines and a man who began crying and handed his phone over to the MTA officers so that they could speak to his father.

A total of 29 vehicles were seized by the MTA during a 24hour period that ran from Wednesday into Thursday, with unpaid tolls and fines topping $500,000. MTA Bridges and Tunnels vice president and chief of operations Richard Hildebrand said that drivers are well aware of their actions when they get pulled over.

“You’ve really gone above and beyond not to pay those tolls,” said Hildebrand. “We give you ample opportunity. You have many, many weeks, even months, to reconcile the debt that you owe us.”

MTA Officer David Rivera noted that he has encountered drivers who initially refuse to get out of their cars, but eventually, they all surrender their vehicles peacefully.

“Pay your tolls, or we will take your car,” advised Rivera. “If it’s not today or tomorrow, eventually, we’ll get you.”

With 100 Deaths Reported, FisherPrice Issues Second Recall of 4.7 Million

Infant Sleeper Seats

Nearly four years after initially recalling its Rock ‘n Play Sleepers, Fisher Price has issued a second recall of the inclined bassinets after dozens more deaths were reported.

In its initial April 2019 recall, Fisher-Price reported that an unspecified number of unrestrained babies died after rolling from their backs to their stomachs while in the sleepers, with others passing away under what the company described only as “other circumstances.” With over 30 deaths reported by 2019, the company recalled 4.7 million sleepers, but it issued a second recall last week, saying that as many 70 more fatalities have been reported, at least eight of which were confirmed to have taken place after the initial recall was issued. According to Insider, the latest recall was issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission because of the growing number of deaths linked to the sleepers, despite the fact that their sale was banned nearly four years ago.

The New York Post reported that Fisher-Price was named in two class-action lawsuits after the initial recall. One was filed by a Delaware couple who said that their twelve-week-old daughter died within minutes after being placed in the sleeper, which places babies at a 30-degree angle, a position that pediatricians have said can obstruct their airways. The lawsuit also claimed that the Rock ‘n Play’s design increased the risk of a baby’s head slipping into a position that could constrict their windpipe, and could also cause suffocation if their faces became pressed against its padded fabric.

The company has also been accused of failing to take action after learning of deaths that were potentially related to the sleeper as far back as 2011, with Erika Richter of Oregon faulting both Fisher-Price and the CPSC for her daughter’s death, saying the agency knew of the problem but failed to warn parents for several years. According to Parents magazine, Richter testified at a congressional hearing regarding the bassinets, which ultimately led to a report saying that the product was developed without any input from pediatricians, and that weak federal oversight allowed Fisher-Price to keep the sleeper on the market for ten years, bringing in over $200 million in revenues as dozens of babies died. Congress banned all inclined sleep products in 2022.

The Rock ‘n Play Sleeper was produced in a variety of colors and was sold at major retailers, including Walmart, Tar get and Amazon, from Septem ber 2009 through April 2019, with prices ranging from $40 to $149. Anyone who has a Rock ‘n Play Sleeper is urged to stop using it immediately and to contact Fisher-Price for a refund or a voucher at 866-812-6518.

RECAP: Izzy, Lenny and Zach find Lucjan at City Hall, trying to return the manuscript to its place. Losing his cool, Lucjan actually fires his gun, then drops it in horror.

The building didn’t look especially fancy. It was nice; it was clean. But it didn’t catch the eye, and it didn’t ask you to pay attention. If anything, it sent the subtle message that there was nothing worth looking at over here, so you might as well move along.

It was built during the Communist era, an ugly gray block that seemed to have fallen straight from the sky of a world where it never stopped raining. Some effort had been made to brighten the scene with a nice whitewash, and that did something. But the snow was whiter yet, the building looking gray by contrast. It also had a sign in Polish that probably said something boring and uninformative, and some arched columns to relive the gloom.

The three members of the Ginzburg family sat in their car, along with Lucjan, and thought. Lucjan gave a quiet moan.

“What’s wrong?” Zach asked.

“Why are we here?” Lucjan asked, a note of panic in his voice. “Why aren’t you taking me to the police?”

“Is that what you want?” Izzy asked incredulously. “To be arrested?”

Lucjan turned a pale face to him. “It

would be better than this!”

“Why?” Lenny asked. “What’s wrong with this place?”

Lucjan didn’t bother to answer.

Zach pulled out a phone and dialed a number. After a few moments, he said, “We’re here.” There was a bit of a pause, and Zach made a face. “Okay, see you in a few minutes.” He hung up and pulled the car into gear.

“Where are you going?” Izzy asked.

Zach rolled his eyes. “An office further down the street. Why couldn’t she just give us that address in the first place?”

“Because she wanted me to know who she was,” Lucjan said in a small voice. He shrank into his seat, his eyes wide.

* * * * *

They walked into a building where a man who spoke no English asked them their names. He spoke to Lucjan, and the man responded. Whatever Lucjan said must have been raucously funny, because the man collapsed in laughter. And yet, somehow, he looked deadly serious at the same time.

Izzy wondered what Lucjan had said.

Probably some lie or other, some reason for the man to let him go. Maybe “I’ve been kidnapped!” or, “They stole a precious manuscript!” Or maybe just, “Order us some pizza; it’s going to be a while.”

Izzy was hungry again. After a day without food, a single burger wasn’t cutting it.

The man — security guard? Concierge? Mafioso? There was no way to tell — barked an order at the four of them and then began walking, gesturing for them all to follow. They walked up an industrial staircase and entered a short hallway. The man brought them into a room with a round table and padded chairs. A conference room. When they entered, he came in along

doorway.

All eyes turned to the front of the room as Raiza Ginzburg shut the door quietly behind her, a thick manila envelope in one veined and weathered hand.

She looked older than the last time Izzy had seen her. Dark smudges stained the lines and crags of her ancient face. She walked slowly to the nearest chair and slid into it with obvious relief.

Without apparent haste, she opened the envelope and removed a stack of papers, which she began to scan one at a time.

“Lucjan Kowalsky,” she muttered. Izzy noted that she spoke in English for their benefit, even though she was ad-

with them and closed the door.

Lucjan sat down heavily in a seat and buried his face in his hands.

Zach looked around approvingly. “Nice place she’s got,” he muttered.

“I wonder who she is,” Izzy commented as he sat down near the head of the table. “Like, who is Ra—” he glanced at Lucjan and swallowed hard. “Who is she that she can order around cops and officials like this?”

“Agencja Bezpieczenstwa Wewnetrznego,” Lucjan murmured.

“What?” Lenny asked.

“ABW, the Internal Security Agency.” He looked up at them with spiteful eyes. “Do you Jews have everyone under your thumbs? A phone call, and powerful men and women run to your beck and call, and you don’t even know the organizations they work for?”

“Chill with the anti-Semitism, already,” Izzy growled. “We didn’t call anybody. We were arrested — thanks to you. The person we’re talking about sought us out, not the other way around.”

“Of course you’d say that.” Lucjan spat. “It doesn’t really matter now. You’ve caught me; go ahead and gloat. It’s not like I could stop you. Everyone knows the ABW does whatever they want, to whomever they want, and none of us can do a thing about it.”

“No, you can’t,” a voice said from the

dressing Lucjan. “Age 35, employed at City Hall. Father was Marek, a plumber. Grandfather Piotr, a carpenter and chicken farmer. He was considered a troublemaker by the Communists, so they had him killed.”

Lucjan’s eyes bulged. “Zamordowali mojego dziadka?”

“English, Lucjan,” Raiza chided him gently. “We must accommodate our guests. And yes, they murdered him. I imagine you already knew that, though it’s likely a shock to have it confirmed after all this time.”

Lucjan seemed unable to answer for a while. Finally he blurted out, “Why are you telling me this?”

Raiza smiled. “Consider it a gift, a chance at some sort of closure.” She slid a paper across the table under Lucjan’s nose. “This is the order for his execution. It’s top secret, of course. You should never be allowed to see it, much less go home with it. But we’re already breaking so many rules today, what’s one more among friends?”

Lucjan shot a look of pure venom across the table, but he said nothing. He didn’t have to. It was obvious to Izzy what he didn’t dare to speak out loud.

“Oh, but we are friends, Mr. Kowalsky,” Raiza replied. “If I wanted to cause you trouble, you’d be in jail by now.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “It happens often enough. Even that is

LUCJAN LOOKED UP AT THEM WITH SPITEFUL EYES. “DO YOU JEWS HAVE EVERYONE UNDER YOUR THUMBS?

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a considerable improvement. In your dziadek’s day, troublemakers were shot in the woods.”

Lucjan tensed, as if he were about to leap out of his seat. The silent man by the door took a step forward, and Lucjan relaxed himself with an effort.

“Don’t act so offended, Mr. Kowalsky. Your grandfather was quite happy with that system, as long as it was the Jews who were being shot.” She turned slightly and gestured to her bodyguard to stand down. Then she turned back to Lucjan. “You left your office unlocked, resulting in the theft of a priceless manuscript. You coerced business owners into giving you information you had no right to. You own an illegal firearm, which you discharged twice in public: once into the air, and another time at my official representatives.”

Official representatives? Izzy almost snorted. There was nothing official about their arrangement with Aunt Raiza. On the contrary; she would likely be in trouble herself if anyone found out how she was using her authority.

“You must understand,” Lucjan began, but Raiza cut him off.

“I understand quite a bit, but that’s rather beside the point,” Raiza informed him. “What is germane to your predicament is this: I offer you a choice.” She pointed to Zach, Izzy and Lenny. “You may insist that these three be arrested. At the trial, it will be duly revealed that, on my orders, they successfully carried out a dangerous operation to recover the manuscript from the thief who took it out of your office.”

“Your orders…?” Lucjan’s mouth seemed to be not working properly.

Raiza ignored him. “If this goes to trial, the men you have threatened and attacked will not suffer for it. You, on the other hand, will find the full weight of the law thrown against you at every turn. You will serve several years of prison time, which I will personally ensure do not carry the slightest chance of commutation or parole.”

By now Lucjan had gone entirely pale. His eyes bugged out, and he seemed to be gasping for breath. “Please, don’t do —”

“Or,” Raiza continued in the same pleasant tone, “you can sign this document.” She pushed a piece of paper and pen across the table. “It acknowledges that the manuscript was returned to you by officers of law enforcement. Mr. Bergman having withdrawn his claim, you duly released the manuscript into the hands of Mr. Ganz, as you had planned to do before it was stolen in the first place.” She gave him a stern look. “You will surrender your illegal firearm to me, and my people will smooth things over with the police and your superiors. You will return to work tomor-

RAIZA LEANED FORWARD AND SMILED. “THOSE ARE YOUR CHOICES, MR. KOWALSKY.” SHE CHECKED HER WATCH.

“I WILL GIVE YOU TWO MINUTES TO DECIDE.”

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row and never speak of this again.”

Raiza leaned forward and smiled. “Those are your choices, Mr. Kowalsky.” She checked her watch. “I will give you two minutes to decide.”

But Lucjan didn’t need two minutes. He stared at her for a moment longer, then snatched the pen and hastily scrawled his name across the bottom of the page.

“Thank you,” Raiza said, the smile back on her face, though something in her eyes showed that the fire was still lit. “The bullet you fired in City Hall has already been removed, and more of the wall damaged to suggest the plaster crumbled naturally. I wish you a good day, Mr. Kowalsky. Goodbye.”

With that casual dismissal, the city official looked up in surprise. Then, gathering himself together, he picked up the report of his grandfather’s death and scurried out of the room.

Raiza smiled at the three people who remained at the table. “Well, that went well enough.”

“Thank you for your help,” Izzy said.

“Don’t mention it,” Raiza answered. “Now, there isn’t much time, and we have a lot to discuss, so I suggest —”

She was cut off by a phone. With a frown at nothing in particular, Raiza reached into her purse and answered.

““Tak, Panie Lewandowski?”

The person at the other end of the line spoke, and Raiza did not seem to like what she heard. Her face darkened. “Bardzo dobrze. Za chwile tam bede.” She hung up angrily, then slowly composed her face and made another phone call.

“Przynies mi akta Lewandowskiego,” she said into the phone. “Przynies mi akta Lewandowskiego.” There was a brief pause, and then she smiled once more. “Tak, jestem pewny. Dziskuje ci,” she said gently. Then she hung up again.

“Problem?” Zach asked.

“Not at all,” Raiza answered. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you here for a bit. Please wait for me. I’ll be back within the hour.” She stepped to the door, then turned back to her greatnephews with a wry look of amusement. “The day is certainly turning out to be a busy one…”

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SALATIM

BY: MIRIAM PESSY WERCBERGER

Challah and dips are synonymous with oneg Shabbos, and there are so many ways to dip! If you can afford the time, making them from scratch is well worth the extra effort.

In our family, we prefer dips that are bright, fresh and mayonnaise-free — hence the title “salatim.” I’m happy to share the versions we enjoy, and I hope you will, too!

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PERFECT MATBUCHA

This recipe is all about its technique, hints and tips! Using only the green parts of a jalapeno and discarding the seeds and pith results in a matbucha that’s all flavor with none of the heat. Furthermore, pulsing the veggies in a food processor for just a couple of moments instead of standing and chopping is a game changer.

INGREDIENTS

6 cloves garlic

2–3 T. olive oil

3–4 jalapenos

8 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. salt

Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the garlic cloves in a food processor, and pulse once or twice until they’re chopped.

2. Heat the oil in a medium pot, and add the garlic. Saute for one minute until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.

3. Remove and discard the seeds and white pith of the jalapenos.

4. Add the jalapenos to the food processor along with the roughly chopped tomatoes. Pulse until you have a chunky mixture.

5. Add this to the pot, and bring it to a boil.

6. Lower the heat and simmer gently until all the liquid evaporates. This should take approximately 3 hours.

7. Add the honey, salt and pepper. Mix well.

GARLIC CONFIT

There are plenty of versions of garlic confit out there; this is the one we enjoy most. Don’t discard any remaining oil — richly flavored, it is a great addition to any cooking.

INGREDIENTS

3 heads of garlic, or approximately 30 cloves

¼ tsp. salt

3 bay leaves

½ tsp. dried rosemary

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 250°.

2. Place the peeled garlic cloves along with the other ingredients in a small bakeproof dish.

3. Bake, covered, for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.

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CHERRY TOMATO

CHERRY TOMATO SALAD

This is tomato salad like you’ve never had it before. You’ll find that it goes well with just about anything.

INGREDIENTS

10 oz. box of red or tri-color cherry tomatoes

4–5 cloves garlic

¼ red onion

½ tsp. dried parsley

½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. black pepper

⅛ tsp. white pepper

¼ cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters.

2. Finely dice the garlic and red onion.

3. Add those to a bowl or container along with the other ingredients, and mix to combine.

ROASTED PEPPER OLIVE SALAD

This salad is bright and fresh, making the recipe a real keeper!

INGREDIENTS

2 red peppers

1 (11 oz.) can sliced olives, drained

4 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup oil

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tsp. honey

Dash of crushed red pepper flakes

Dash of paprika

Dash of salt

Dash of black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Line a pan with parchment paper.

2. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers. Lay the peppers face-down in the pan, and roast them for 40 minutes.

3. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Slice the peppers into thin strips.

4. Add the pepper slices to a bowl or container along with the remaining ingredients. Mix gently to combine.

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The hustle of the week has died down, darkness has descended upon the earth, and a special calm has engulfed the Yiddishe home. Like little lighthouses at the edge of a vast sea, our candles stand at attention, spreading their holy light in a world of confusion.

Shabbos has arrived.

It is the soul of the week, the delight of our Creator, a uniquely beloved treasure that Hashem shares with us. “Call Shabbos a delight,’’ we are enjoined by the navi Yeshaya, for this day is precious, and Hashem desires to spend it with us, His beloved children. With warmth He tells us, “My children, borrow on My account; sanctify the day. Trust in Me, and I will repay.”

For thousands of years, Yidden have answered this call faithfully, putting aside concerns of the week to commune with our Creator. Everything we do on this day is about our relationship with Him, about basking in His love. The foods we eat, the way we decorate our homes… it is all done with intent and purpose. It is all done for Hashem.

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Oneg Shabbos

The reward granted to those who take pleasure in Shabbos is explicitly stated in the prophetic tradition: “Then, you will delight in Hashem.” And in the words of Chazal, [it is stated] that all of such a person’s sins are forgiven and that he will be saved from the judgment of Gehinnom.

-Shulchan Aruch Harav 242:1

How should one make the Shabbos pleasurable? … In every place, people should take pleasure on Shabbos according to the local practice, partaking of those foods and beverages that they consider pleasurable.

There is no specific obligation to eat meat or drink wine on Shabbos. [The common practice is to partake of them] only because most people presumably derive pleasure from eating meat more than eating other foods and from drinking wine more than drinking other beverages. For this reason, people should be generous in their consumption of meat and wine according to their capacity and financial resources.

-Shulchan Aruch HaRav, 242:2

Tablecloth

It is a long-held minhag to cover the table where the seudah will be eaten. Many families are makpid to specifically use a white tablecloth for Kabbalastic reasons, as well as to be reminded of the Mizbei’ach, which washed away iniquity, leaving man pristinely “white.” In a way, partaking of the Shabbos seudah also rectifies breaches in our relationship with Hashem that may have occurred during the week. When we celebrate His day together with Him, focusing on the Shabbos He holds so dear, we increase the bonds of love that unite us. ----------------------

Some families have not only one, but two, tablecloths covering their Shabbos table. This is because they never want to leave the Shabbos table bereft of a cover, even if they need to remove the top layer to shake off the crumbs.

Licht

ר וא הָר ותְו הָוְצִמ רֵנ יִּכ

For a mitzvah is a candle and the Torah, light.

– Mishlei 6:23

The goal of the Jewish people is encapsulated by the Shabbos candles. Our mission is to bring more light into the world, enabling all of mankind to know Hashem.

Just as Shabbos conceals Hashem less than the rest of the week conceals Him, so, too, all of our mitzvos bring us closer to the day in which the Shechinah will be openly revealed. This is a day of light and recognition. A day that is yom shekulo Shabbos. Our little candles are a reminder of this great mission.

----------------------

Is a banquet held in darkness a significant event?

Is food not best enjoyed when seen?

Is losing one’s balance conducive to peace and serenity?

Lighting Shabbos candles is a Rabbinic mitzvah designed to honor Shabbos, increase oneg Shabbos, and to bring peace into the home.

Lighting Shabbos candles is of such importance that the Shulchan Aruch states that one should even beg for tzedakah should he not have enough money to purchase a candle.

----------------------

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch states that it is good for women to give tzedakah prior to lighting. According to Kabbalah, three coins should be used for this act of tzedakah

Many women have the custom of lighting with olive oil as it is said to be a segulah for children who will be talmidei chachamim. The Orchos Chaim, however, stipulates that the segulah is not entirely dependent on the woman’s lighting; in fact, “The assurance is dependent upon the father learning Torah with his children by the light of the Shabbos candles!”

----------------------

The Baal HaTanya taught that kindling the licht is only the first phase of the mitzvah; the essence of the mitzvah is to derive enjoyment from them. While reciting Kiddush, one should gaze at the licht to enjoy their radiance. The Rema writes that looking at the licht is a segulah for the health of the eyes.

----------------------

There are various customs regarding how many candles a woman lights. Some women light two, corresponding to shamor v’zachor; some light seven, one for each day of the week; some light a candle for each member of the family; and there are those who light ten candles each week, corresponding to the Aseres Hadibros.

Kiddush

The Shem MiShmuel writes that though we begin Shalom Aleichem with welcoming the malachim who have accompanied us home, we wish them “ tzeischem l’shalom” just prior to making Kiddush because a Yid is filled with so much kedusha at that moment that we have no need for the protective angels.

----------------------

“With seventy crowns of its wine and Kiddush, the King above is completely encrowned with holy sanctification.”

–

Azamer Bishvachin

“Vayechulu” contains 35 words, while the Arizal’s version of the Kiddush bracha contains another 35 words, bringing the sum total of Kiddush to 70 words — each word serving as a crown for Hashem. The word “yayin” also alludes to these crowns, its gematria being 70.

The mitzvah of Kiddush is fulfilled only if one is among people who eat the meal for the sake of the kedusha of Shabbos. This mitzvah is greater than the service of the angels in heaven!

– Tiferes Shlomoh, Shabbos Kodesh

Challah

It is said in the name of the Satmar Rav that “if women knew the reward that is in store for those who bake challos l’kavod Shabbos kodesh, the bakeries would not sell even one challah for Shabbos!” ----------------------

The Arizal had a custom of having twelve small challos on the Shabbos table every week, paralleling the Lechem Hapanim in the Beis Hamikdash. There are still those who bake yud-beis challos every week. ----------------------

It is customary to use fine white flour to bake challos for Shabbos. This is done in memory of the mann, which resembled crystal during the week but was white on Friday.

– Malbim

The Yidden lived off of mann in the midbar, which was encased between two layers of dew each day. We thereby cover the challah with a dekel and place it upon a board (or tablecloth) to remember the heavenly food that sustained us long ago. Likewise, we prepare lechem mishneh in remembrance of the double portion that fell before Shabbos.

Machalei Shabbos Fish

The gematria of the word “ dag ” (fish) is seven, alluding to Shabbos, the seventh day of the week.

Kugel

Despite popular belief, kugel has been around long before Yidden were peeling potatoes in Europe. Called “pashtida” by Talmudic commentators, this pre-kugel kugel was a baked dish with a filling and two layers of dough surrounding it. These top and bottom layers represented the dew that covered the mann in the Midbar.

Though modern-day kugel takes on various forms, the crusty top and bottom layers are reminiscent of the dewprotected mann

Cholent

– Shemos 35:3

The minhag of eating cholent is due to the Tzedukim who rejected the Torah Shebaal Peh. Since they believed one could not make any use of fire on Shabbos, we specifically leave a hot dish on the flame to show that Torah does, in fact, allow this. The Rema taught that it is a special mitzvah to eat cholent, for it is a way of proclaiming our faith in the entirety of the Torah.

“You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwelling places on the Shabbos day.”

Bentching

Bentching in a joyful voice is a segulah for wealth, as the pasuk in Mishlei (10:22) alludes: “It is the blessing of Hashem that enriches, and one should not add grief to it.”

– Kav Hayashar

Retzei

It is taught that Shabbos is not a time for making personal requests; it is solely a time for developing our relationship with Hashem. On this special day, we eat, drink and rejoice in the unique beauty of being with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Through nurturing that relationship on Shabbos, we then earn the right to make bakashos throughout the rest of the week.

On the surface, the wording of the Retzei addition to bentching seems to contradict this teaching about avoiding personal bakashos on Shabbos. After all, we specifically ask that “there should be no distress, sadness or sorrow on our day of rest.”

The Abudraham explains that these are not considered personal requests; they are simply a natural response to Hashem’s commandment to not work on Shabbos.

Hashem Himself desires our shemiras Shabbos; it therefore follows that we entreat Him to remove obstacles from our paths that would prevent us from its proper observance. ----------------------

May all of our minhagim help us to remember the true reason for their existence: to foster a closeness between man and his Maker.

by: Y. BLOOMING

I’ve had the opportunity to interview many people throughout the years, both those who make for fascinating interviews and those who demand we squeeze lemonade out of their lemons.

But nothing could prepare me for my conversation with Marc.

I begin many interviews by offering the subject to speak in Yiddish if they find it easier. This didn’t happen with Marc, of course, but it took him one sentence until he nonchalantly told me, “I’m not a ligener [liar].” In fact, what he may lack in English fluency is more than compensated for by his wealth of Yiddish terms and idioms, and his casual name-dropping of the most prominent names in Monsey lore.

Speaking of Yiddish, there’s an adage: Ah gast oif a veil zeit ah meil — one visiting for a short while observes an entire mile. Well, here’s what a 28-year visitor can tell us about ourselves.

How did you get your start in the community?

I arrived here in the mid-90s, and

my first job was handling the cleaning and maintenance in the big Vizhnitz shul in Monsey.

Was it a culture shock to you to come from Haiti into such a vastly different world?

I had a family to support, so I was just happy to have a good job. The people were very nice to me, and I immediately fell in love with the place. Some people, especially those of the older generation, would say some things behind my back, but I learned very quickly to just shrug them off. When someone commented on my skin color, I corrected him and told him that I’m technically brown and not black… It was my way of not getting offended.

In the beginning, I didn’t know much. So in my own way, I tried to do

Did you try to fit into your new surroundings?

HIS NAME IS MARC, but the children of Monsey call him Avrumi.

HIS AHAVAS YISROEL IS AS DEMANDING AS IT IS EYE-OPENING.

BUT FOR HIS HAITIAN ACCENT — OH, AND THE FACT THAT HE’S NOT JEWISH — he’s practically one of us.

This is Marc: former custodian In Vizhnitz, years-long Chaverim Shabbos guy, and a man who has called our community home for nearly three decades.

everything I saw the people around me doing.. If they lit candles, I lit candles. If they prayed, I prayed. If they ate something, I ate it. I managed to do a lot of mitzvos that way…

What do you remember about the Vizhnitz community?

I will always love the Vizhnitz people. And Rabbi Hager, he was a holy man! When I saw him from afar, I knew his was the face of an angel.

I will tell you a story. About twenty years ago my wife was very sick, and I went to the gabbai, Mr. Raab, and told him to please ask the Rabbi for a blessing. He asked me for my name and my mother’s name and went to the Rabbi. He soon returned and told me that I should go home and tell my wife that the Rabbi commanded her to get well quickly because I needed to be able to do my job. I did just as I was instructed, and you wouldn’t believe it — the next day she recovered and was never sick like that again!

Did you stay up late with the chasidim and participate in their all-night schedules every Yom Tov?

Of course! I would sometimes work twenty hours a day, or even more. The people were very nice to me, though. I remember that every time there would be a wedding in the big shul, Michael Rosenberg would give me a couple hundred dollars beforehand and tell me to make sure my family has food and my children are happy because I would be very busy for a few days.

When did you transition to your current job as the Chaverim Shabbos guy?

It started in 2015 when Mr. Koenig from the Village of Kaser asked me to assist them in this capacity. There was a bit of a tug-of-war when I switched positions, because I’d

been with Vizhnitz for a long time, but I felt like it was time for me to advance and take on this job.

What were your new job responsibilities?

I was tasked with helping out on Shabbos with things that Jews can’t do. A big part of it was driving back Hatzolah cars after any calls, but it expanded to helping out local families who needed a “Shabbos Goy.”

What does your Shabbos look like today?

We start our shift on Friday evening and drive around until early in the morning. Sometimes people stop to ask for help, and sometimes we get a call from our headquarters to go and take care of something or drive back a Hatzolah car.

What type of Shabbos requests do you fulfill the most frequently?

Electric and fire stuff are the biggest issues we deal with, but every week I see something new. There are many, many rules on Shabbos and Yom Tov, as you know, so there will always be something different that’s needed.

How do the families you help treat you?

Most people are very nice and appreciative, but you always have some of those people. I learned every term that people call me behind my back — der sheigetz, der goy, der urel, der shucheer... I don’t stress about it, though; it’s okay.

Many people offer me Shabbos food, which is always nice.

Do you eat the food?

If I would, I would be so fat (laughs)… I can’t eat too much, but I say thank you. I do like cholent and kugel, but most times I just have to decline. One thing I did come to appreciate, though, is that Jewish people mostly bake instead of frying their food, while in America today everyone is eating fried fast food that’s so bad for you.

Does your knowledge of the community help with this job?

Of course. I understand the nature of the people and also know about life in Monsey. Let me share a story: One Friday night I saw someone dressed as a Yid who was trying to open a car door. Now I know that no frum person would ever open a car door, unless maybe, maybe if there’s medication inside. When I saw him touch another car, I immediately understood it was a ganev, and I ran over and held him down until the police came. You can’t fool this goy!

What do your friends and family think about your close involvement with the community?

Oh, they always joke that I’m Jewish. But they do understand and respect what I do. Whenever I hear someone saying something bad about your people, I will immediately jump to your defense. I tell them that every other community should learn from the Jews.

In what way?

I always tell them two things. The first is that nobody looks out for their people like one Jew for another. Just imagine if members of every other community had each other’s back like this. The second thing is that in my 28 years here, I’ve never seen the police called because one Jew attacked another. I’ve seen minority communities with drugs and violence, but here there’s peace.

Have you personally incorporated anything you’ve learned into your own life?

Absolutely. What I just said about violence is something that I have learned to embrace. If someone were to hit me today, I would not fight back and wouldn’t even call the police. I would just walk away, and it would be better for everyone. I remember many years ago, when I was still working in Vizhnitz, there was an Israeli guest who punched me. I did not fight back. One of the people went to tell the Rabbi about it, and the Rabbi said that the person cannot stay any longer and must immediately return to Israel. That lesson has stayed with me.

Another thing I’ve done is give up my cable TV subscription because I realized that I visited hundreds of homes, and they were doing just fine without it. If they don’t need it, I don’t need it either.

As an outsider, what else strikes you as rare about the Jewish community?

One thing is the amount of respect you have for your own way of life. Every group has rules and customs, but only an Orthodox Jew would give up a $10 million deal if it requires working on Shabbos. If other communities were this stubborn, they, too, would see success. Another thing is that if you mess with one Jew, it’s like you messed with every single one... I’ve never seen anything else like it.

You’ve become a bit of a cult hero with the local children. How’d that happen?

I don’t know. I guess because I look different and I’m always nice and say Yiddish words to them. It’s exciting. I pulled into the parking lot of a development last week and had like 25 kids screaming, “Avrumi Schwartz! Avrumi Schwartz!”

Avrumi Schwartz? Where did you get that name?

I gave it to myself many years ago…. Schwartz I thought was good because it turned around any negativity from judging me by my skin color, and Avrumi because I thought it’s a nice name.

Has there been a moment where you realized how popular you’ve become in a community once so foreign to a Haitian immigrant?

I will never forget this. One Shabbos a few years ago, a family asked me to take a package of food to their family members in Mt. Sinai hospital in Manhattan. I arrived in the room of a very sick five-year-old child who was hooked up to all kinds of

machines. When he saw me, he started saying excitedly, “Avrumi! Avrumi is here!” When I left the room, the doctors and nurses came over to me and asked who I am and how I was able to get this patient so energized. They said that he had barely been talking for weeks before I arrived. That made me feel very special.

Do you feel like you’ve earned the trust of people here, something that’s very hard for an outsider?

Absolutely. When a family recently needed to send a whole bag of very expensive prescription medication to Brooklyn because a patient forgot to take it along, they sent me with it. And when I arrived, they asked, “Are you Avrumi?” and then they took the bag, knowing that everything was okay.

How do you wish to be remembered in the community?

I hope that people will remember that I always gave 100% of myself when doing my job. I never tried to cut corners; I always said yes when someone asked for help.

Do you have plans for the future? You’re not young, and these jobs are pretty demanding.

As long as the good L-rd gives me strength, baruch Hashem, I will continue working and serving. I never want to leave this community, and I have even offered up my services to be Moshiach’s donkey when the big day comes. Umein!

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A Candle Burns in Jackson

by: C. BROMBERG

When my wife and I moved from Lakewood to Jackson, we were relatively well prepared for the societal and overall changes that come along with moving from a busy development to a more suburban world. However, no matter how well prepared one is, not every eventuality can be foreseen and avoided. We had moved in shortly before Purim and decided to stay put for the last days of Pesach in our new home. Baruch Hashem, there was a minyan in the shul (eleven of us, to be precise), and all was good.

After arriving home from shul on the final night of Yom Tov, I was greeted with the words every man dreads: “The ner went out.”

The option of choice is always to light off of a stovetop burner, but we had left ours off. The second choice of going to the nonexistent neighbors wasn’t an option, either. Going very rapidly to plan C, it was decided that I would go to the closest frum house and ask for a light. However, the closest family that was home for Yom Tov lived about a fifteen-minute walk away. While the weather was mild, the route was along the main roads. Somehow, the idea of carrying a lit candle along a busy Jackson Street did not particularly appeal to me. However, the facts did not particularly care about my apprehension, so off I went.

The reality was an experience I would never forget. I ended up bringing three candles with me, in case one would go out on the walk back, and stuffing them tight with aluminum foil into the bottom of a small pail. (Brilliant, I know; thank you very much!) When I arrived at the home of this rather distant neighbor, we had a lively halachic debate over the best backup plan should all the candles go out.

As a parting gift, my host regaled me with a story that happened with his father, who is a rav in a remote American city. A similar scenario had played out there, ending with the candle-bearing individual being questioned by the police.

Making my way back home, I was forced to walk at a much slower pace than the one to which I was accustomed. Ironically, as is sometimes the case in scenarios where something is so clearly out of your control, a certain calm descended, and I was able to revel in the moment. I began humming Hallel to myself, and I finished just as I arrived, triumphant, at my front steps.

There are many mitzvos out there. Some are sweet, some are difficult; some are prolonged, and others fleeting. For most men, the mitzvah of hadlakas neiros does not generally command much emotion, as it is squarely under the purview of the woman of the home.

I do not believe the energy and passion that we had when we lit those simple flames will ever be repeated. But one thing I know for sure is that the perspective I gained through the experience is one I will forever treasure, every time I see the Shabbos or Yom Tov candles burning.

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It was a balmy Friday night, and the very first Shabbos in our new home. The children were all asleep upstairs, and the frenzy of the hours past were long forgotten. The house was quiet.

With the kids settled down, and the serenity of Shabbos placing a pause on all to-do’s, I was sitting right outside the front door getting acquainted with my next-door neighbor.

Her family had moved in a month or two before we did, and while she was the seasoned old-timer — to me, at least — in truth we were both new to this fledgling neighborhood. We were looking forward to getting acquainted, and we spent a few pleasant minutes playing Jewish geography, comparing our kids’ ages, and generally playing the getting-toknow-each-other game in which we both took care to appear friendly, but not too friendly, eager to meet new company, but not overtly so.

After a few minutes of this polite chit-chat, something — a sound? a smell? a niggle from Above? — urged me to get to my feet fast to check on the Shabbos licht inside.

I shoved open the door, flew to the dining room — and let out a strangled yell. My beautiful Shabbos table, covered with a gorgeous white tablecloth gifted to us by my motherin-law as a housewarming present, was dancing with flames. Tongues of fire were leaping across the length of the table, roaring with the glee of finding further fodder. As I stood there, a spark jumped onto an armchair and then skipped to the hardwood floor below.

Terror in my heart, I ran to the nearest sink and returned with a pitcher full of water. I threw it onto the table, and ran back for more water — again, and again, and again — and after a few interminable minutes, the last of the flames finally hissed into nothingness.

The tablecloth now sported large holes, as did a chair’s upholstery, and the brand-new hardwood now featured a few ugly burn marks. But my house was still whole. And my kids — how would I have gotten them all out of the house if necessary? I shuddered to think — my kids were safe.

I could piece together what had happened, more or less. Since I had a brand-new tablecloth on the table, I wanted to protect it from any candle drippings. I placed a few cut pieces of paper towel around the tray of candles — which turned out

to be a mistake. Our house was new, we were not yet accustomed to how the air conditioning system cooled, and as we’d soon learn, one vent was blowing directly onto the candles. It must have blown one tiny spark onto the table — where the spark quickly had the audacity to grow into hungry flames that soon threatened our home and family.

When my husband walked in a few minutes later with a warm “Gut Shabbos!” he found his wife shaken, almost incapable of speech, and a dining room visibly marked by a miracle. We had been mere inches away from being the postShabbos news headline, and the terrible “what if’s” crowded my mind.

Worst of all, I wondered what kind of sign this was, what kind of mazel this portended. We’d just moved into our new home, and the idea of having such a near-disaster happen on our very first Shabbos there filled me with dread.

Was all going to be okay with this move? Were we somehow missing something, forgetting something, not understanding something? What kind of frightening concurrence was this?

Over the next day, I hounded my husband with my fears and feelings of unease, and he humored me by visiting our Rebbe after Shabbos. My husband told the Rebbe exactly what happened, and why this worried his wife so, but the Rebbe waved away my concerns.

“Why, this is a huge siman bracha! You’ll see; this house will see much bracha and hatzlacha, be’ezras Hashem!”

The Rebbe’s assurances calmed me. I could now put this awful memory behind us and look forward to a beautiful future in our new home.

When our second Shabbos came around, we were ready to greet the Shabbos Queen with equanimity in our hearts and Heavenly praises on our lips. And on our dining room table was a second gorgeous white tablecloth, courtesy of my darling mother-in-law who never complained that she bought us two housewarming gifts within a week.

But that didn’t mean that we couldn’t be doubly grateful — for more reasons than one.

as told to: HADASSAH STEINMAN

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WEEK 3 OF 4

by: ROIZY WALDMAN

closet where it was stored. The album was a heavy thing, its thick white cover sporting an elegant damask design. I had seen it before but could no longer remember what its contents looked like.

I turned the cover and began to leaf through the album. The photos were in black and white, set in thick, protective plastic sheets with silver corners. The first few pages featured the customary photos you’d expect in a wedding album: the kallah (my mother), the chasan (my father), and their immediate families. But as I continued to turn the pages, I came upon one where most of the faces were unfamiliar. In the center stood my parents, flanked by my two grandmothers, flanked by… well, that was my question. Who were these people? They did not look like aunts, cousins, or anyone I knew.

Curious, I dragged the heavy album to the kitchen to ask my mother about these unfamiliar people. She glanced at the page. “Oh, my,” she said, laughing. She, too, hadn’t looked at her album in a long while.

She began to list the names of the people in the photo, and I realized that I knew most of them. One was a classmate’s mother, one was a sort-of neighbor, and others were women I knew just by sight. In the early 1980s, Williamsburg was like that. Most people knew most people. Even I, a twelve-year-old kid, knew a lot of people when I walked out on the streets.

But what were these people doing at my parents’ wedding?

“Are we related to them?” I asked my mother.

She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Nah. Maybe they knew Tatty’s family. Or maybe not. Who knows? Everyone came to everyone’s wedding then. I mean, how many weddings were there, do you think?”

This anecdote stuck with me, and I often think of it nowadays when I’m tired and groaning that I have to attend a simcha Simchos used to be a thing people looked forward to for months! Especially weddings!

The first wedding I remember attending was at the Bais Rochel Hall on Heyward Street. At that time — this was in the 1970s — the famous Grand Paradise Ballroom, where my parents and most of their genera-

One evening when I was about twelve, probably bored and with nothing good to read, I took down my parents’ wedding album from the top shelf of the

tion had gotten married, was no longer in existence. Instead, the Bais Rochel Hall was a popular option. I remember my excited disbelief that I would be going to an actual wedding! My sister and I counted down the weeks. We got new clothes for the event — creamy white dresses with two birds embroidered on the bodice in pale blue — and that was a source of great excitement, too. A wedding! It was no small thing!

The fact that weddings took place regularly at the Bais Rochel Hall, which today is mainly used for bar mitzvahs, tena’ims, and other smaller simchos, is telling about how different simchos looked then. Although distant relatives and mere acquaintances attended these weddings more than they do now, the venues could be smaller because the overall chasidish population in Williamsburg was smaller.

Unlike today, the kabbalas panim portion of weddings in the ’70s and ’80s were a significant part of the wedding, with regular circle dancing. Close relatives and the kallah’s classmates would usually be there at this part, and it was customary to join the circle of dancers as soon as one wished the kallah mazel tov. Certainly, some people simply milled around or nibbled from the prepared smorgasbord, but for the most part, people danced. In fact, there were specific tunes that were traditionally played at this part of the wedding, and most of the girls and women were familiar with the dances that were meant to go with each piece of music.

Like today, some people chose to make fancier simchos than others, but on the whole, simchos were simpler affairs then. For the most part, the meal would consist of a cut-up fruit — cantaloupe with a cherry on top was a staple; strawberries with a swirl of whip was an upgrade — followed by a soup and a main course, usually a chicken dish. The table centerpieces were often a candle or set of candles, but for those fancy enough to have live flowers, the bouquets were usually composed of a mix of roses and carnations.

Music, though, was not as modest. In fact, everyone had a regular band at their wedding. A one-man

band was practically unheard of. The band — anywhere from three to seven players was typical — would sit on a stage set up near the mechitzah, between the women’s and men’s sides. Only later — I think it was in the 1990s — did some shifts in the area of music begin to happen, both in terms of the downscaling of the band and the move of the stage to the men’s side of the mechitzah.

Another shift in wedding customs was the protocol for the chasan-kallah entrance. In 1950s postwar Williamsburg, the norm — presumably taken from prewar customs

in Europe — was that the chasan escorted the kallah into the women’s side all the way to the “head table,” where the couple would pose for pictures, flanked by the mechutenestes, grandmothers and assorted aunts. This was typical for about three decades. By the late 1980s, though, this practice gradually became less routine. In some cases, the chasan would walk the kallah to the head table, but would leave to the men’s side right away without posing for pictures. Some wouldn’t even walk to the head table, but would simply enter with the kallah and leave to the men’s side right after, as is common nowadays for most Williamsburg weddings.

One type of simcha that was commonplace up until the end of the 1980s, but gradually lost popularity until it disappeared entirely, was the “Congratulations.” The Congratulations occurred on the Shabbos after a girl became engaged. Friends, neighbors, relatives, and the occasional stranger would come over to the kallah’s house Shabbos morning, where cake and liqueur would be served. Not all kallahs had a tena’im (they would sign the tena’im contract at the wedding), so for many, this was the one event where close acquaintances could come by and congratulate the kallah on her engagement.

For those who did have a tena’im, they were generally full meals. The idea of the “come and go,” typical for tena’ims nowadays, did not come into play until about the 1990s. This shift, too, was gradual. Baruch Hashem, families had grown larger by that time, and catering a meal for as many people as had to be invited had become exceedingly expensive. As one solution, people began inviting immediate family to the meal, and their expanded family and friends for dessert. But that came with its own set of problems. How did one decide which friends were close enough to be invited for the full shebang and which were relegated to the “dessert only” category?

Furthermore, some people on the latter list were offended, occasionally deciding not to attend the affair at all. Very quickly, this practice metamorphosed into the type of tena’im most common today: everyone is invited to join (and leave) whenever they wish.

As I take this mental journey back to the days of my teens, I cannot help but wonder what an article like this might mention two or three decades from now. What will it say about simchos of the 2020s? It’s easy to imagine that not much will change. Every generation thinks that they have figured it out. They have finally arrived at the most sensible solutions, the most fashionable decisions, the most perfect customs. But the future will call us out.

“There is nothing permanent except change,” the philosopher Heraclitus said. Indeed, our communities will keep evolving, our protocols will keep shifting, and our styles will keep transforming.

But our simchos — well, whatever changes may occur, we know this: They will always be occasions of simcha, gratitude and joy.

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The Feeling Good Conundrum

There is probably nothing on this earth that is so ardently pursued by practically all living human beings as much as happiness. People are willing to go to immeasurable lengths in the hope of attaining this feeling and are ready to invest an enormous amount of energy toward that goal.

Many things have been said about happiness, but in the more general terms, happiness is associated with a sense of “feeling good”. Covered in many layers and referred to by a variety of terms, it is this state of feeling good that we desire.

The need to feel great is not only emotionally complex, but also a product of our conditioning. We are taught at a young age that the key to a good life is to feel good. We’re praised for being happy little kids, and reprimanded if we’re angry, unhappy, or kvetch more than the adults in our life are willing to tolerate.

It is this conditioning that paves the way for what blocks our happiness as we grow older. Allow me to explain.

Let me begin by stating the obvious: feeling good all the time is an unattainable goal. When we think of happiness

as feeling good, we force ourselves to feel good. Conversely, when we fail, we begin to feel bad. We look around and see others who seem to be satisfied, and this gap between how we “should” feel and how we actually feel results in additional irritation.

The notion that happiness is a function of feeling good is problematic, because it actually creates additional unhappiness. Essentially, you might simply be feeling notso-great, and then you end up feeling even worse because of the additional pressure you put on yourself to feel good.

In general terms, happiness is associated with a sense of “feeling good.”

We look around and see others who seem to be satisfied, and this gap between how we “should” feel and how we actually feel results in additional irritation.

Constant happiness is an unattainable goal, yet contentment is at your fingertips.

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Furthermore, the very assumption that the key to a good life consists of feeling good prevents us from doing the very thing we need to do in order to truly feel OK — simply to feel. Feel — Period. Feel what our life invites us to feel at any time. That is the sentiment we should embrace.

When we realize that happiness occurs when we allow ourselves to experience whatever appears in our consciousness, we start to welcome our feelings regardless of their nature. By getting rid of the fear that our feelings are inconsistent with our preconceived notions, we can welcome them and allow them to pass through us on their own. We are then able to process thoughts, feelings and events as they occur, without exacerbating situations where we don’t feel good by putting pressure on ourselves to feel different. We are left to feel naturally happy, without having to exert any effort at all and without the pressure to feel good. Because as it turns out, real happiness isn’t a state of feeling good, it’s the state of

feeling, period.

It can feel counterintuitive at first. “If I want to feel good, why would I just let myself feel bad?” We may feel this way because most of what we’re taught about feeling good (at home, at school, and by society at large) is wrong or incomplete in some way.

If anything is wrong about the way we’re “supposed” to be feeling, it’s this belief: ‘happiness occurs when we feel good’. This isn’t just unrealistic, it’s completely untrue! Simply allowing oneself to feel will lead to contentment– which, in the end, will actually make you feel good.

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That precious metal that usually comes hot on the heels of gold when you rattle off a list of costly minerals, silver is durable, versatile, and so, so useful. In fact, prepare to be downright surprised at the unlikely crannies of daily life where silver may be found.

SILVER IS SILVER IS SILVER? NOT. HERE, ENJOY THIS CRASH COURSE:

The purest form of silver you’ll find is FINE SILVER , which contains 99.9% silver and cannot be used for jewelry or silver pieces, as it is too soft and scratches easily. Therefore, all silver that’s used in products is ALLOYED — that is, other metals have been added to harden it.

Most commonly available is STERLING SILVER . At an alloy of 92.5% silver, it is bright and shiny. Then there are two types of ARGENTIUM SILVER , one a 93.5% alloy and the other 96%, different from sterling in that it contains less copper. Argentium is also a non-tarnish alloy and therefore more expensive. BRITANNIA SILVER is native to Britain, and at 95.83%, its remainder is mainly copper. Softer than sterling, it is not commonly used in jewelry making.

Wait. We’re talking types of silver and not mentioning Italian? Well, yes, because Italian is not a type of silver but a type of craftsmanship. And a fine one at that. Italy carries a long and highly valued tradition in jewelry making, government-controlled for well over a century and a half. The results? A legacy of top-notch standards. So while silver regulations differ in other regions, with some countries producing a silver alloy as low as 70%, you can be assured that silver from Italy is a full 925. Yep, that’s 92.5% sterling silver. Now you know. Check for an inscription like “925 Italy Silver” to know it’s the real deal.

Other stamps that indicate the silver’s purity level include 925, 900 or 800.

DID YOU KNOW?

Silver is the most reflective metal. Polished silver reflects 95% of the visible light spectrum. It’s why many mirrors are coated with it, and why it is also used in telescopes, microscopes and solar panels.

The world’s top three producers of silver are Mexico, Peru and China.

Have you managed to successfully rhyme silver? Me neither. It’s one of those stump-me words that just cannot sit at the end of a rhyming line of prose. Some of silver’s pals in this respect are orange, purple, month, ninth, pint, wolf, dangerous, marathon and discombobulate.

The word for “silver” is the same in at least fourteen languages.

Silver is one of the first five metals ever discovered. It was also the first metal to be used as currency, and, in ancient Egypt, was valued higher than gold!

“Born with a silver spoon in his mouth” would mean a rich, entitled snob, right? Not so, originally. This idiom actually indicated a person who never seemed to get sick. Because of silver’s germ-killing properties, children who were fed with silver spoons in the olden days (a luxury usually reserved for the wealthy) were typically healthier babies.

The first silver U.S. dollar coin was minted in 1794. At a 2015 auction, one of these coins sold for just under $5 million.

COMMON USES FOR SILVER

As in, beyond your breakfront and jewelry box.

CARS. Yep! Cars actually need silver as much as they need fuel. Strategic parts of a car’s innards are coated in silver. In one example, silver-ceramic lines are fired into the back and/or front windows to make them fog-free. I won’t discombobulate you with more car jargon, but suffice it to say that any car worth its wheels needs that precious metal.

SOLAR TECHNOLOGY.

ELECTRONICS. Uh-huh, silver shows up in nearly every electronic device.

MEDICINE. Back to that silver-spoon idiom, silver is actually antibacterial. Silver is used in bandages, ointments, surgical tools, and many other medical devices to ward off infection.

WATER PURIFICATION. Silver prevents bacteria and algae from building up in water filters.

TABLEWARE. Silver adds that classic touch and is very longlasting.

Aaaaand, JEWELRY. Besides being less costly than white gold, silver is extremely durable.

TO LACQUER OR NOT TO LACQUER

Why all the tarnish-phobia? Lacquer, a transparent layer coated over your silver, can solve all that. Lacquering silver has gone in and out of vogue, and according to Spencer Marks, “...does not harm silver… covers the silver with an airtight seal, so it does not need to be polished.” But “Silver doesn’t develop its rich patina under lacquer.” And over time, lacquer degrades and turns yellow. With use, lacquer is also prone to cracking and chipping, causing black areas to develop. It takes a skilled silversmith to prep and lacquer the silver, and caution when removing it.

By: Chana Gluck

RESTORE, REPAIR, REUSE

Much can be done to damage silver, and much can be done to repair it. Tarnish can be polished. Dents can be lovingly set straight. Broken handles can be soldered back. And care can be taken to leave it shiny and smooth, too.

Picking up some advice from Spencer Marks, Ltd., sellers of fine antique silver, yields quite a few surprises in terms of care for this precious metal.

Like, USING YOUR SILVER MAKES IT HOLD UP BETTER . When you use, hand-wash and dry your silver, you do 95% of your polishing. Which brings us to the next one: DON’T OVERPOLISH YOUR SILVER

And here I thought that charley-horse arms were a mark of honor! Not so, according to Spencer Marks. In their words: “One of the delightful things about silver is how it reflects light. A little patina, or tarnish, in recesses next to polished highlights, gives the surface texture and depth. Lightly polished silver is one of the prettiest things in any home.” Well, how do you like that?!

DO NOT USE TOOTHBRUSHES; they can scratch your silver. But do use plain toothpaste to buff fine scratches out of silver. Deeper scratches need a skilled silversmith or jeweler. This you surely know about silver: the less oxygen, the better. Keep your silver well-sealed for it to be at its shiniest for longest, but, DO NOT USE CLING WRAP OR OTHER PLASTIC ON YOUR SILVER . Chemicals can leach from plastic to silver, permanently damaging the surface. Anti-tarnish bags are the way to go.

by: YONAH KLEIN illustration: JACKY YARHI

• What is unique about the first parshi'os of Shemos which were designated as a special time of the year? • Is it true that the subject of Shovovim is reserved only for those engrossed in Kabbalah? • Will my study of the subject of Shovovim have a positive impact on my life? • Why is Shovovim such a well-kept secret for so many? • What is so special about learning for five hours, without interruption, and is that something that I can do? • Is Shovovim for all segments of the Jewish World?

BY RABBI S. BINYOMIN GINSBERG

Current events within the process of the Geulah through the lens of Chazal. What exactly is the Keitz Megulah (lit. Revealed or Illuminated End) and what did Rav Chaim mean when he said that we're already "at the Keitz Megulah"? By Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Sorotzkin

Pirkei Avos

Foundations of Marriage Nesivei Chinuch Shemos

MORE GEMS FROM THE NESIVOS SHOLOM:

SEFER PENINEI SHLOMO AL HATORAHDivrei Torah, mussar, commentary and insights on the Chumash from Hagaon Rav Shlomo Eliyahu Miller shlit"a Compiled by Rabbi Yehuda Gestetner

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

Sponsored by: Hint: Each Boggle board hides a word of nine letters or more!

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Gather round the table to play a family game of Boggle, using this Boggle board.

2. Once you have a winner, fill out the form below in its entirety.

3. Email the form to comments@thebpview.com or fax to 718-408-8771 by Sunday at midnight.

4. Two winners will be drawn each week, each of whom will receive a $15 gift card at Judaica Corner!

PLAYING RULES:

Find words on the board containing four letters or more. Letters of a word must be connected in a chain (each letter should be adjacent to the next either vertically, horizontally or diagonally), and each letter can only be used once in a given word.

The following are not allowed in Boggle: Adding “s” to a word • Proper nouns • Abbreviations • Contractions • Acronyms

POINTS

4-letter words: 2 points 5-letter words: 3 points 6-letter words: 5 points 7-letter words: 7 points 8-letter words: 9 points 9+ letters: 12 points

EL

L J

I F E

N K M B D 168 www.thebpview.com 718.408.8770 The Boro Park View January 18, 2023

RT H C

W O A

G

ADVANCED

BOGGLE WINNER

Bring this page in to the Judaica Corner to claim your $15 gift card.

Family name: Schreiber, 732-xxx-9656

Name of winner: Faigy

Amount of points: 189

Names of competing players: Bobby, Esti, Shmuli, Baruch

Some words only the winner found: beaver, debated, feather, revoked, weather

The longest word found on the board: overtake

A new word learned from the board: slither

BOGGLE WINNER

Bring this page in to the Judaica Corner to claim your $15 gift card.

Family name: B20B Staff, 718-xxx-5350

Name of winner: Yitty

Amount of points: 67

Names of competing players: Chaya Ruchy, Rochel Leah

Some words only the winner found: averted, feather, ovate, pence, weather

The longest word found on the board: overtake

A new word learned from the board: debark

Last week’s bonus word: residence

INTERMEDIATE

OF

By: Faigy Jacobowitz

Send your colored page to The Boro Park View to enter a drawing for a chance to have your artwork featured in our pages and win $5 at Toys4U! Ten lucky winners will be announced each week!

To enter the raffle, email your colored page with your full name to comments@thebpview.com or mail it to 1274 49th Street, Suite 421, Brooklyn, NY 11219. Submissions will be included in the drawing only if all information is filled in.

Feel free to photocopy this coloring page for the entire family.

Duvid Pavel and Yoni Lefkowits

Ovadia, Shmili Ungar, 3,

Rosman Family

Avrumi Hersch, Yosef’s dream

Blimy Portugal, 7, box of ices

Rafael Weiss

Rosman Family

Welcome aboard!

BORO PARK 4314 13TH AVENUE 718.871.BABY

Hours: Sun-Thurs: 10:30-6:45 Fri: 10:00-12:00

WILLIAMSBURG 739 BEDFORD AVE 718.797.BABY

Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11-6:45 Fri: 10:00-12:00

Classifieds

FOR SALE

ODYSSEY 2010

ODYSSEY EX 2010, 8 seater 76,500 miles.

CORRECTED PHONE NUMBER:718-306-4398 (No Text) $8,000.

NEOCATE/BABY FORMULA

Neocate $46.99 per can. Kendamil. Similac L’Mehadrin $28.99!! We also buy off any extra formula for a good price. Call for other types of formulas. Formula Trade 347.369.4886

GO NATURAL

Great Skin Care Products

Excellent Anti-aging Products Immune Boosting Products Personal Care Items

Great prices & Service Call 347-308-8750

SLIM DOUBLE CARRIAGE FOR SALE

Stunning double carriage for sale. Black, with luggage color bars. Limited stock available. Price $399. Sale price $349. Call 7184968730

CANON CAMERAS 2ND HAND, EXC

CONDITION! WITH/ WITHOUT WIFI! No warranty. 160 Lee bsmt. (behind Right Contact) Sunday 4-5. Tuesday evening 8:30-9:30. call 347-871-2330

DOONA STROLLER

Doona Stroller, multiple colors available! cll/txt 1-201614-4045

WILLIAMSBURG D.R. FURNITURE

ining room furniture to sell,Great condition 51/2 years old includes table,6 chairs and curio. Please txt 646-413-0240 for inquiries

DOUBLE CARRIAGE FOR SALE

Looking to sell a brand new double carriage- Valco baby slim. Please call: 347-5227706

BUGABOO FOX FOR SALE

All parts good condition $650.00. Please email estherc3550@gmail.com or call 917 654 1977

REAL ESTATE

MIAMI BEACH

Newly renovated beautiful ocean view 1 bedroom apt. for rent. 347.760.0570

AIRMONT VILLA

Magnificent colonial house to rent in Airmont. 5 Bedrooms. Available for weekend, days or week. Towels, linen and all amenities included. Immaculately clean and elegantly furnished. Very close to shul and Mikvah. Call or text 347-420-4945

3 BEDROOM APT

15/42 3 bedroom unfurnished brand new 3rd floor with appliances $3200. 347-581-5250.

NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Giving away High Value commercial properties in PA with big lots. Just pay transfer fee. 212-470-1708 lv msg

SEEKING TO RENT APT

Seeking to rent studio or small basement apt, up to $1,000. for single person. Call 718-576-4511

FURNISHED APT 54 & 13

2 BR Hotel style fully furnished apt. Full Kitch/ Bath, W/D. Excellent for Ch/ Kallah, or Simchas. 718-6860909/ 347-524-7686

SUMMER HOUSE

6 bedroom 2 floor ranch in monsey/chestnut ridge, NY. Beautiful underground pool and hot tub. Zipline, trampoline, firepit and more. Available from June 27- July 25. Call or whatsapp 845 664 5521

PRIVATE HOUSE SHORT TERM

Fully furnished with linen/ towels in Blooming Grove. Rent for days, weeks, or weekends. Breathtaking beautiful grounds. 16+ beds. Call/text 845-238-5633

FLORIDA RENTAL

MIAMI BEACH Carriage Club North. Beautiful 2 Bedroom, 2 bath, ground floor. Available for the winter season. Call: 347.499.0031

KOSHER VILLA IN CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA

Beautiful villas with saltwater heated pool on gorgeous property. All amenities and kitchen accessories included. Near shul & Kosher grocery. Reasonable rates! Not available up until mid February. call/text 347-2245574

LAKEHOUSE VILLA

Luxurious 3 bedroom lake house villa in Case Grande Arizona. Private pool fully stocked kosher kitchen. 520.251.4459

BLOOMING GROVE RENTAL

Beautiful house in Blooming Grove to rent for week/ weekends, 10 beds. Please call 845-248-5407

HELP WANTED

P/T SECRETARY

Boro

Email resume to rivky@ igatradecredit.com 718-8713282

LOOKING FOR A Massage Therapist

To befriend and entertain a 10-year-old girl

Monday, Wednesday 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

For a 12-year-old girl Sunday 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM LOOKING

For a 19-year-old boy Any day 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM

LOOKING FOR A Yoga Instructor

CW4600 For a 15-year-old girl Any day 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM

To befriend and spend time with a 10-year-old boy

Monday, Wednesday 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

7:30

To befriend and entertain a 5-year-old girl

Sunday Evening

Classifieds

JOB RESUME

Need a great work resume? Resumes are what we do (new grads or experienced)! Call/text 845-554-5778 or email info@resumakerpro. com.

BOOKKEEPER

Yeled V`Yalda Boro Park, Qualified candidate will have excellent time management skills, detail oriented , computer literate, comfortable with MS Word & Excel. Salary range: $40,000.-$45,000. Email: jobs@yeled.org call: 718.686.2422

BOOKKEEPING ASSISTANT

Heimishe Boro Park Office. Full Time. Must be detail oriented. Competitive Pay + Potential for growth! Email Resume to: insurancecareersinc@ gmail.com

PART TIME JOB

Chassidish BP girls school seeking part time preschool assistant in Pre1A from 12:00 - 2:45. Call 646-571-0765

NURSERY TEACHER

Bais Yaakov of Boro Park is looking for Nursery Teacher in Headstart room. Hours are from 9:00 – 4:00. Must have at least 90 Credits. Very well paid. Please call Leah at 718-435-5755 Ext. 263 or send resume to mandell@BJBP.org

PRESCHOOL SECRETARY

BJBP is looking for a preschool secretary Monday – Thursday 9:00 – 4:00 and Friday 9:00 -12:00. Must be Detail oriented and have good communication skills. Please call Leah at 718-4355755 Ext. 263 or send resume to mandell@BJBP.org.

TITLE L TEACHERS

Boro park girls school seeks 2nd-6th Grade Title l Literacy Teacher--afternoon hours. Please call (718) 644-4927.

PRENURSERY TEACHER

Boro Park chassidish cheder is looking for a warm and devoted pre nursery teacher for immediate hire. (BA or Masters preferred) Send resume to chederhire2@ gmail.com

JOBS AVAILABLE

Part-time & Full-time jobs available. Email TopPartTimeJobs@ gmail.com

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Heimishe office in BP seeking part time bookkeeper. Knowledge in Quick Books a must. Please email resume to hr@starlifepartners.com

JOB OPPORTUNITY

BP Bookkeeping office seeks a F/T secretary. Heimish envir, will train. Email resume: Joel@weemanage.com

MALE/FEMALE PARAS

Seeking male/female paras for immediate hire in Boro Park/Flatbush part time/ full time openings. Special rate for late afternoon/ evening hours! Pay ranges from $22.-$38. Per hour. Call: 718.686.2376 Email: para@ yeled.org YVY is an EOE

FAMILY WORKER

Head Start In Boro Park seeking family worker, full time, exceptional Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills, Computer efficient. Salary range: $30,000.-$33,000. Email: jobs@yeled.org call: 718.686.2422

PM BUS TEACHER

BP Girls School (centrally located) Looking for a PM bus teacher from 4:00 - 5:00. Please call 646-571-0765 if interested.

EXPERIENCED INSURANCE

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS Heimishe Insurance office looking for Experienced Insurance Account Reps Must have good Customer Service and organizational skills. Great Opportunity!

Competitive Pay! Boro Park & Lakewood Office Locations. Email Resume: insurancecareersinc@ gmail.com

P/T SECRETARY

Seeking P/T afternoon secretary for Wed, Thurs & Fri morning, must be comp savvy & have personable phone skills. work-fromhome option avail. Call/Text: 646-481-9164/ Email resume: Joboffice11219@gmail.com

P/T SECRETARY

Child Center seeking parttime secretary. Afternoon hours and Fridays. Email resume: info@littlegiantscc. com or call 718-577-8486 #101

GREAT SALES POSITION

Be Your Own Boss! “Be in business for yourself not by yourself” best training + support provided, great benefits and retirement package. Please email dglick@newyorklife.com or call 845-639-5216

IT OPPORTUNITY

Seeking for a motivated IT level 1 individual that will help with configure and troubleshoot the IT and security needs in our company. Email your resume to it@specialedgeny.com

OFFICE SECRETARY

Great job opportunity as a secretary in a Boro park office, be appreciated and grow with us. Female preferred. If you think you are the right candidate, email your resume to: Officeposition24@gmail.com

Opportunities

LOOKING FOR A

<<REFERENCE

LOOKING FOR <<A/ <<Looking for:>>

Art Teacher OP4563

LOOKING FOR A Big Sister OP587

LOOKING FOR A Big Brother OP3935

LOOKING FOR A Companion OP2252

LOOKING FOR AN Escort OP834

To give lessons to a 7-year-old boy

To spend time with a 10-year-old girl

To befriend and spend time with a 15-year-old boy

Weekdays After school

<<To do:>> <<For:>> <<Days:>> <<Hours:>>

Weekdays Afternoon

Every day After school

LOOKING FOR A

Music Teacher

To give lessons to an 18-year-old girl Sunday Afternoon

OP4323

LOOKING FOR A Big Sister OP3839

To spend time with a 6-year-old boy Shabbos Afternoon

To spend time with a 19-year-old boy Weekdays Afternoon

To go to therapy in Monsey with a 4-year-old girl Friday Morning

OP11224

LOOKING FOR A Companion OP19

To spend time with a 30-year-old man

Weekdays, Shabbos Afternoon

LOOKING FOR A Big Sister OP4390

To spend time with 4-year-old twin boys

Weekdays, Sunday 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

LOOKING FOR AN Escort OP2156

To accompany a 7-year-old boy Weekdays Morning

LOOKING FOR A Tutor OP436

To do homework with an 18-year-old girl

Weekdays Afternoon

LOOKING FOR A Mother's Helper

To do homework and help with bedtime routine for a 10-year-old boy Weekdays Evening

Classifieds

LIFEGUARD

Yeled V`Yalda fitness center seeks Lifeguard for Thursdays 9 am-2 pm. $25./ Hr. Call: 718.686.2404

SERIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A CASE MANAGER

Earn your BA or Masters degree from a prestigious university, in CASE MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN SERVICES. from home. Yeshiva and Seminary credits accepted. FAFSA and student loans available to cover tuition. For more information please contact us at: 18182065859 or email: supershevi36@gmail.com.

PENDENCY SEIT

Looking to hire a full time pendency SEIT in Williamsburg for boys Yeshiva. $90. Per hour, amazing supervision. call: 917.968.2292 (part time hours can work too).

FEMALE SECRETARY

Wholesale Business seeking female secretary. Hours 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM. Must be organized, responsible, & able to multi task. Email: jobinbp4322@gmail.com.

F/T SECRETARY

Heimishe BP insurance office seeking female full time secretary. Great environment. Great pay. Will train. Email resume to: officeposition241@gmail.com

ADMIN ASSISTANT

Bonei Olam looking to hire female administrative assistant with a few years experience hours 10-4, friendly environment, proficient phone skills, computer skills specifically In excel. Send resume: jobs@ boneiolam.org or leave message: (646) 930-4882

NIGHT EXERCISE TRAINER

Have a passion for fitness? Fabulous opportunity to be a part time night instructor in private, fun setting in bp!! Training & program provided. Great pay & potential!! Call 929-8846753

POSITION AVAILABLE

The Nuttery is looking for a F/T responsible girl to join our team. Please email resume to cberkovits@ thenutteryny.com

SUNDAY SECRETARY

Seeking Sunday Secretary for a high functioning program located in Boro Park. Heimishe atmosphere and great pay! Must be able to oversee program activities and ensure program is running smoothly! Hours are 11:00-2:00/3:00. Email hlang@hamaspikkings.org or call 718.387.8400 ext. 5218 for more information.

JOB OPENING

Hamaspik HomeCare is seeking a Yiddish speaking candidate for F/T office position. Competitive pay/benefits. Warm and nurturing environment. Email to hiring@ hamaspikcare.org

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Seeking a devoted individual for Accounts Payable position at a Brooklyn-based health center. Flexible hours and great pay! Please email resume to jobsmh123@gmail. com

JOB OPPORTUNITY

NYC based cleaning company looking to add on a F/T commercial/residential field manager. Sunday-Friday. Send your resume to Office@ kleenoh.com

JOB OPENING

Real Estate management co. looking to hire Responsible candidate to handle Bookkeeping, AP/AR financial assistance, Oversee daily operations, work orders Email Caveconewyork@ gmail.com Text 516-310-1678

SECRETARY WANTED

Heimishe BP Office looking for F/T secretary, computer & phone skills. Will train. Email resume: office1544@ gmail.com or fax: 718-7098842

MENTOR NEEDED

Seeking young and energetic girl to be a mentor for a highfunctioning special needs individual to help her with day programs, meal prep, and social interactions. Must be caring and passionate about working with the special needs community. Full time with great pay for the right candidate!

Send resume to hlang@ hamaspikkings.org or call (718) 302-3333 ext. 5218 for more information

CLINICAL CARE COORDINATOR

Seeking Clinical Care Coordinator for Integrated Health. Responsibilities include intake and evaluation, service set-up for clients, and staff clinical supervision. Must have a Master’s in social work or mental health counseling, have good computer skills, and be a team player. Great pay and benefits. FT/PT. Email resume to kglanz@ hamaspikkings.org

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SUPERVISOR

Seeking Accounts Payable Supervisor to manage a team of AP reps and control a large AP operation. Great pay, complete benefits package, full time position. Experience required. Email resume to igreenzweig@ hamaspikkings.org

Classifieds

POSITION AVAILABLE

seeking qualified candidate for billing and receivables. Must be detail oriented and able to meet deadlines. Competitive pay & benefits. Great work environment. Email resume to sreinhold@ hamaspikkings.org

MEDICAL BILLERS

A heimishe Healthcare company located in Borough Park is hiring F/T female Medical Billers. Willing to train. Must be computer savvy and a quick learner. Excellent pay, great work environment! 1 year of work experience is preferred. Email resume to hr@facilitex.com

PLAYGROUP TEACHER

Looking for a playgroup teacher, BP 57th area, afternoon hours 12-3. Well paid. 347-461-7411

BABYSITTING

EXPERIENCED BABYSITTER

12th & 59th heimishe experienced babysitter. Some slots available. Call 917-8626087

BABYSITTING

Have a Simcha? Babysitter available to babysitter at your home on shabbos. Call Malka: 347-546-7803

BABYSITTER AVAILABLE

Experienced babysitter in area of 15th/40th. Small group. Call to reserve your slot 347-489-9999

SERVICES

LIGHT ALTERATIONS

Please Call: 718.450.4700

SARNO COACH

Experiencing chronic pain/ symptoms? There is a way out! Heal based on the Sarno method! Call Binah Schiff RDCS, Mind Body Educator and Coach 917-446-5360

MUSIC LESSONS ON THE PHONE

Mr. Wertzberger’s Music School offering music lessons on the phone, ages 9-15 boys and girls. 718-435-1923

MAKEUP

Makeup for all your occasions! Minimal price! Call/text 7189383128

GARTLECH

We fix knitted & crochet Gartlech & make beautiful professional fringes. We also teach how to knit & crochet. call: 917-414-3281

!הלכ בוט לזמ

And dear yiddishe mother. Give your daughter the gift of a lifetime of happiness & תיב םולש with the marriage summit, 18 life changing classes with top marriage experts. For less than the price of a תוכרב עבש outfit, have the peace of mind knowing that your daughter has the tools, הפקשה & resources to be happily married. Call 929-286-9900 #2 or www.chanyfelberbaum. com

GUITAR LESSONS

Now offering guitar lessons! For women and girls, for a great price. Center of BP. Call/text: 917-618-1174

SING WITH CONFIDENCE!

Book your professional voice lesson today: 718-686-0033 For women and girls

CONSTRUCTION

Bathrooms, kitchens, closets, decks, extensions, additions, Basements, all electrical, plumbing, Carpentry. Lowest prices, fastest service. 718.951-0090

ELECTRICIAN

All Electrical work, outlets, switches, fixtures, new lines for washer/dryer or a/c, shabbos clocks, circut breakers. 718.951-0090

KALLAH SHOPPING LIST

Itemized kallah list to make kallah list calmer and easier minimal fee. Call 3475346184

COSMETICS

Cosmetics & Skincare: Mary Kay, Careline, Ga-de, Static, Chic. Free Delivery with min order. 718-930-4946 Careline 701 in stock!

STUNNING PAINTINGS

Stunning paintings will turn your picture into the most beautiful 100% hand paintings! Countless references avail Text (914) 933-7263

HANDYMAN & PAINTING

Experienced & Reliable handyman. Small jobs our specialty! Plumbing, Electric, construction, Locksmith, painting, plastering. Shabbos clocks, outlets/switches, call: 347.275.5408

BABY SLEEP COACH

Is your baby up all night? Call the baby sleep coach that will guide you to a peaceful night and day. $100 newborns our specialty. 718-438-0728

JEWELRY BOX

Beautiful sterling silver jewelry for women, teens and girls. All up to $50. 14th/51st St. For hours call 347-4859958

FURNITURE REPAIRS

HEALING YOGA

Offering private 1:1 sessions. Comfortable, safe, supportive environment. Also forming small, confidential groups for trauma survivors. Malka Bald, Certified Trauma Informed Yoga Practitioner. For more information, WhatsApp: 347-395 4388 Email: therapeutic. yogaforwellness@gmail.com

PHOTO ALBUMS

YOUR VEHICLE (Car, truck, van, Suv) Help build children. Get $1,500 tax deduction + $2,400 Gift book (shopping) or we pay cash for cars too. 718974-9428

DONATE

Furniture, Cabinet & General Repairs, specializing in Chosson-Kallah Apartments. Call: 718.633.6231

PHOTOGRAPHY

Children, Portraits, Family, Upsherin. Slideshows for any occasion, family Gatherings, Anniversaries, events, etc. Photo Dreams 347.563.5153

Custom photo books, weddings, engagements, Chosson/Baby, Upsherin, etc. Also professional photo editing. Photo Dreams 347.563.5153

HANDYMAN & ELECTRICIAN

Electrician, plumber, sewer service, Carpentry, sheetrock, locks, etc. 718.9510090

WOOD REPAIR

Commercial, residential, shuls: professional repairs, color change, & revamp to aron kodesh, staircases, libraries, kitchens, furniture. Best pricing & svc. Txt 212-991-8548.

AYIN HORAH

The renowned Rebetzin Aidel Miller from Yerushalayim Is now available to remove “Ayin Horah” over the phone. Call: 718.689.1902 or 516.300.1490

BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE GARTLECH

Hand crochet, Hand knit, Silks & more with beautiful Gartel bag. Text or call: 718.283.4589 Wholesale orders available.

PHOTO ALBUMS

Custom photo albums for all occasions, great prices Call 845-537-3993

GARTEL FRINGES

We make professional gartel fringes and mend gartelach. Same day service. In the heart of BP. (347) 693-4920 or (718)4357644

ROOFING SERVICE

For all leaks & roofing services, reach out to the roofing expert. 845 244 0743 (call text or whatsapp)

WEDDING SHTICK RENTAL

Call or text 7189301701. Email: Giftplaceshtick@gmail.com

DRIVER AVAILABLE

Driver with many years exp. available to do long distance trips with brand new minivan. Reasonable rates. 917.405.8469

SPRINTER & MINI VAN SERVICE

Heimishe driver available to do deliveries. Local & long distance, we shlep with a smile! Call: 718.951.0090

HEIMISHE DRIVER

Available for long-distance, 7 passengers, large DVD player in car. Call 917-7735147. Also available for deliveries.

HEIMISHE DRIVER

Available for long-distance. 6 passenger, large DVD player. Also for deliveries to upstate and elsewhere. Call 917-773-5147.

WIG AND HAIR

Wig wash and sets, haircuts, and hairstyles for great prices! Center of BP. Call/text: 917-618-1174

GOWNS

BRIDAL LACE GOWN

Exclusive Nairi New York Dolce and Gabbana bridal lace gown tall size 4 for sale

please call or text 347-8435224 or 718-812-2908.

OFF WHITE TULLE

GOWN

Magnificent and adorable off white tulle sis of bride gown, can work for apprx.7-10yr old. Pls text 7189264773

IVORY GOWNS

2 Beautiful ivory girl’s gowns sizes 18 & 8. $350 each. 646409-2405

BLACK MECHTENISTE DRESS

Beautiful black Mechetanista dress with white beading Size 12 for sale. Text: 718.612.6328

STUNNING GOWN

This season new stunning gown from Emerald Boutique. Married sister of bride size 10-12. 646-684-8264

DESIGNER DRESS

Gorgeous Designer ivory maxi dress for sale. size 8-10 Great price! (Williamsburg) call/txt 347-415-7711

KLEINFELD BRIDAL GOWN

Magnificent Kleinfeld bridal gown size 2 available for sale or rent call/text 347-581-4746

ODDS & ENDS

MOTHER’S MILK

Desperately in need of mother’s milk for baby with medical needs call/text 7186072784

LIGHT CANDLE

I lit a candle 40 days for R’ Menachem Mendel Ben R’ Yosef M’Riminov and I saw big yeshuous!

DONATE VEHICLE

Donate any vehicle, get $2,400 gift for shopping and $1,500 tax deduction. 718-974-9428

FOUND

Pendant girl’s necklace 11 & 53 718-755-8866

diamond necklace call: 917618-3932

GEMACHIM

Pidyon Haben 646-419-0782 Doona 260-366-6293

Doona gemach 3473689763

Twin Carriage (718) 522-3891

Carseats, snap n go strollers, pack n play & bassinets 718-854-6829

buy/sell Neocate/baby formula 347.369.4886

Chocolate molds BP 718-972-4768. Williamsburg 718-522-3445

Bris Accessories 347- 244- 2065

Baby carriers 718-809-9707

Baby earbands 347 409 9479

Bris Accessories 718-435-0664

Kallah Cape 718 - 633 - 8261

Bridal Shoe Gemach 917-936-8997

KALLAH ACCESSORIES BP. 718551-8714

Tehillim for Cholim www. tehillimonklaftefilah.org

Shoes & Crowns BP 718-972-4768. Luzy’s cuddles & cradles. text (BP)

917-538-8500

Luzy’s cuddles & cradles. text (Willi) 929-275-1820

Pack n plays 718-851-1017

Twin Clothing (newborn-3) 347-7427189/718-972-0765

Clothing gemach (for women) 646904-1247

Lingerie Conversions min fee 718437-0428

Briefcase gemach 7184360936

Baby Scale 718-633-9266 or text 718-473-5268

Youth Corps Working Papers 718854-0961

We sponsor your wig recut for tznius purposes . 929-675-9838

Reflector Belts 718-853-4966

Warm Mist Humidifier 917-373-2079

Communication Class 347-7531071.

Dr Sarno Books 347-461-7330 Mezuzos (718)666-7222

pediatric wheelchair-walker-shower seat- cast cover for shower call 7183883079 lv msg

Dr Sarno Books 347-461-7330

Baby Scale (Wmsbg) text 347-6759509

New ladies clothing 646-904-1247 Lighting 9292762404

Simcha Décor 917 -536-1742

Simcha Caps 718-633-1084

Musical Kumzitz 347-543-2195

Natural health support text 347228-7578

Bechers, Challah cover, Benchers 1718 854 1760

Laminated chuppah cards call 718807-8932 lv msg

Boys Simcha Wear sizes 9m-7 347.462.4596 Sundays 2:30-5

Kallah/Mechteniste Capes Wsbg 718-300-9894/ BP 917-683-5557

Kallah Looseleaf Yom Hachuppah 718-435-3492

917-612-3087

gold children’s hanging earring about 6 weeks ago 42-16\17. 347-786-2873

Black ladies velvet glove. Jan. 11, on 47 St. btw 17 & 18 Ave. 347 522 3946

hat on Chanuka East 3rd between F & Ditmas 3477621189

flat pearl hanging earring in Monroe Bais Hachaim P’ Vayechi 718-599-5956

FREE GIVEAWAYS

children’s story tapes in Yiddish on Middos, Tzaddikim, Yumim Toivim, and plays. Call/text718-8127194

assorted CDs from the 1990s; mostly music and some Torah lectures. Call 718-755-0990

Medical supplies-Epipen, assorted lg syringes, IV bags 347 620 3499

Simcha basket 718-614-7274

Clothing, Shoes, linens (347) 8166406.

Easy birth from Koznitzer Maggid 917-514-9461

Bed Gemach 405-345-6831

Donate clothing 718-974-9428

Chupah Cards Color 347-885-5114 Scooters 718-431-7942

Gemach in desperate need of elegant clothing size 6-8 for Kallah getting married beginning September, shoes/heels 6.5 and 7. call: 9292762404

Laminated Tfillos for Chuppa 718854-1223 or 917-974-0690

Kallah Accessories Wmsbg 347-5631840/718-782-6136

Property / land in Pennsylvania, high value. 212-470-1708 lv msg

We sponsor your wig recut for tznius purposes . 929-675-9838

Chavivim Boro Park Division appreciation event and ribbon cutting for their new emergency response vehicle