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There’s a widow 6,000 miles away waiting for you to light.
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INBOX
EXTRA, EXTRA
(Re: Easy Sheets, Your Say, Issue 279)
To the woman who shared her linen hack: If you read your letter carefully, you’ll see that your system is successful not because all of the kids’ rooms have matching linen; rather, it works because you have extra linen. Therefore, there is always spare linen available that matches the room you need it for. That works even if you don’t purchase uniform linen for all rooms. You can buy a different linen set for each room, but as long as you have a spare set of each, you’ll benefit from this trick. And I agree – it’s a great idea!
For those who don’t want to spend the money on an entire extra set of linen, you can buy a couple of plain sheets for a low price. Typically, it’s the sheet that may need to be changed, so having a few extra sheets that match the set comes in very handy.
Another Balebusta
DELIVERY MAN
(Re: Man of the House, Issue 279)
I really enjoyed the stories about the different ways men contribute to Pesach cleaning and the household in general.
When I was a brand new newlywed, just out of sheva brachos, my husband announced that I should write him a list and he would go to the grocery store and buy everything. I was taken by surprise, because in my parents’ house, my mother always did the grocery shopping; my father was not involved in it at all. But apparently, in his parents’ home, it was his father’s job.
It was on the tip of my tongue to protest that it was my job, but an instant later my binah yeseirah kicked in, and I said nothing — just smiled sweetly and wrote him a list.
We’ve been married for about 20 years now, and although my husband’s schedule no longer allows him to consistently do the grocery shopping, I know I can always rely on him to do it for me when necessary. It was strange for me at the beginning, but I’m happy I didn’t reject his offer. Kallahs, take note!
A Yiddishe Wife
HAPPY CLEANING
(Re: Chag Kosher — and Sameach, Inbox, Issue 278)
Dear Mrs. Older and Wiser, Your letter should have been printed in bold on a full page! I’m younger and not yet so wise, but I know your way is right. It’s important for every woman to get hold of the little sefer called Guide to Cleaning for Pesach. It’s a game-
BLOSSOM CHILDBIRTH Through
changer. Even if you choose to do something that’s not required for Pesach, at least you’ll be able to do it without stress and say l’kavod yom tov. And when doing whatever is necessary, you’ll also do it with simcha because you’ll have the right perspective and find the entire job totally doable.
Wishing all of us a very happy Erev Yom Tov! Young, but Wise
YOU GAVE ME CONFIDENCE
(Re: Chag Kosher — and Sameach, Inbox, Issue 278)
To the woman who wrote about the proper way to clean for Pesach and signed her letter “Older and Wiser”: Thank you so much for your wonderful letter. As a kimpeturin and mother of several young children, I really appreciate your validation of a halachic approach to Pesach cleaning. It’s a tremendous disservice to the public that we publish and normalize a spring-cleaning approach to Pesach. Your letter made me feel confident that I am functioning just fine, and I used all of your advice when preparing my bedrooms for Pesach. I wonder if you have advice for the rest of the house as well, and how to deal with feeding young children chometz as we get close to Pesach.
Thank you so much for understanding what we need in today’s day and age.
A Kimpeturin, Balebusta, and Yarei Shamayim
PESACH WITH PEACE
(Re: Chag Kosher — and Sameach, Inbox, Issue 278)
I really appreciate the letter about making Pesach in an easier and much more focused way. To the letter writer: Your version was much easier and more doable than everything I see and hear around me. I really appreciate your way of thinking. It will make my Pesach much easier and less stressful, and will keep me focused only on getting rid of the chometz and not on organizing. You gave me the sense that it’s okay to do it this way. Thank you.
A Reader
YOUR SISTER’S VIEW
(Re: The View is for Everyone, Inbox, Issue 276)
Inspired by the letter from someone disappointed to find an empty newsstand when she went to get a copy of The Boro Park View, I decided to do someone a favor. I myself have experienced that disappointment on occasion, so yesterday, when I arrived home with my copy of The Boro Park View and found that my granddaughter had also brought me a copy, I took the extra copy and returned it to the newsstand (which was empty by then). I suggest other readers do the same if they end up with more than one copy. Pretend you’re giving it to your sister, who really wants a copy. After all, you are!
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HOW DO YOU MAKE HOUSEHOLD CHORES EXCITING FOR YOUR KIDS?
First, you need to make housework exciting for yourself. Then you can think of making it exciting for your kids.
Compliments go a long way.
This question brings two points to mind:
The atmosphere of a Yiddishe home should be filled with simcha, but I don’t believe that chores and excitement have to go together. If it does, you’re lucky. And if not — welcome to life! Not everything we (or our children) do must be driven by incentives and rewards. We do what we’ve got to do.
Mommy doesn’t have to cater to her kids 100 percent. She should give them the chores, and that’s it. It is up to each child to perform as she/he wishes. Stop spoon-feeding them. They can listen to music, race with a sibling, or talk on the phone while they work. Let them figure it out. Instill trust in them, and let them grow; they’ll do just fine.
Turn on blasting music.
Have your teens work in sneakers with music on in the background. It will get their energy pumping and make them feel like dancing. Of course, offer breaks with milchig chocolate and coffee.
I like to create a speed challenge for my children. When they race themselves, they gain motivation, and things get done faster.
I give my children an allowance each month that they do their Shabbos chores nicely. I don’t remind them about it; it’s entirely their own responsibility. The younger children get to pick a treat every Shabbos if they completed their chores.
I give my children full credit for their help so they feel very capable. For example, when my daughter makes her own bed, I gush over how clean her room looks. Then she hurries to make her sister’s bed, too. Also, when a child helps peel a vegetable or two, I announce, “Everyone come taste Esty’s soup/compote! Esty made it!” This motivates them to help out even more.
To make helping Mommy more exciting, I hide some dollar bills in the area that I designate for a child to clean, and the rule is “finders, keepers.”
Allow a child to do their work past their bedtime; that’s the best motivation.
I used to try making chores exciting for my preteens and teens, to no avail. Contests, races, music and incentives were all nice, but nothing was the magic bullet that made them eager to help out. Eventually, I came to terms with the fact that it didn’t have to be exciting, and they had to help me anyway. On Friday morning, before my all-girls crew wakes up, I write up a detailed list of things that need to get done for Shabbos. When they wake up, they each write their initials near three or four jobs (or more, depending on the needs of the day) and are responsible to see these things to completion. When they’re done, they cross the items off the list and are pretty much free for the rest of the day (until one hour before Shabbos, when I give out another list of last-minute chores).
My little helpers (ages 5–10) love writing a list of their “accomplishments” they do throughout Friday, usually on my big whiteboard in the kitchen. I allow them to write down any tiny thing they did to help me, including carrying something from the kitchen to the dining room table. They’re so proud to see the jobs accumulating and are also motivated by competition. After licht bentschen, I reward all of my helpers with a Shabbos treat.
I try to keep helping at home exciting and fun by constantly improvising and creating little games. For example, for every job completed, a child can choose letters for a hangman that will spell out who the Shabbos guests will be. Another thing my kids love is the classic paper “fortune teller,” one that involves tasks and mini rewards. Yet another is “blueprint,” a game in which I draw a blueprint of our house on a paper and write the various tasks that need to be done into each room, e.g., iron, fold laundry, clear dining room table, make salad, peel potatoes, Windex mirrors and windows etc. into the corresponding room. Each child needs to select one item from each room and mark their initials in the room when done. It’s incredible how creating these little games, switched up on a weekly basis for interest, really is all we need to keep housework and helping Mommy light and fun.
Please submit your answer by Tuesday night, April 22, for a
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PESACH
Remembering Yetzias Mitzrayim
Y. Levenstein
We are given many mitzvos as a zecher to Yetzias Mitzrayim, including the mitzvah of Krias Shema, in which we are obligated twice daily, at Shacharis and Maariv.
Rav Shlomo Brevda once said, in his inimitable way, “Really? Am I such a fool? Do I forget what I said in the morning by the time evening arrives, and what I’ve said in the evening until morning? Have I forgotten the Yetzias Mitzrayim mentioned in Krias Shema of Maariv on Friday night by the time I come home to say Kiddush, at which I must once again remember Yetzias Mitzrayim?”
Why must we repeat our remembrance of Yetzias Mitzrayim on a steady basis, over and over again?
SHE WAS YOUNG, about 50 years old, when her lungs began to fail. Things went from bad to worse, and Mrs. K. soon found herself connected to machines to enable her to breathe. When even that wasn’t effective enough, the doctors put her on the waiting list for a lung transplant.
One morning, the call finally arrived. A non-Jewish girl, about twenty years old, had been killed in an accident. The medical teams who arrived at the site found her in a condition where her lungs were still functioning. Mrs. K. was called down for emergency transplant surgery. An ambulance arrived and took Mrs. K., along with her daughter, to the hospital.
During the ride, Mrs. K. couldn’t help but express her emotions. “On the one hand, I’m on my way to get new lungs, so I can start to breathe again. But at the same time, there’s a family out there who is crying and mourning over their daughter in whose merit I will soon live.” It was a strange feeling.
The transplant was successful. After a prolonged recovery and rehabilitation process, Mrs. K. was finally discharged to her home — breathing on her own, b’chasdei Hashem!
She decided to pen a letter to the parents of her deceased donor. “You buried your daughter,” she wrote. “She was just about the same age as my daughter, young and with a whole life ahead of her. Remember one thing: Her lungs were not buried along with her. They are continuing to function, and they are giving me life. Every day, with every breath I take, I remember your daughter and the favor you’ve done for me. You gave me life!”
As she folded her letter, Mrs. K. made a comment that applies to each and every one of us. “The way I feel toward that young girl is the way we should feel toward the Ribbono Shel Olam. He enables us to breathe every second of our lives! At any time, a person can, chas v’shalom, stop breathing. The fact that we continue to breathe is purely a gift from our Creator, every moment anew. Al kol neshimah u’neshimah tehallel Kah! ”
It was this time of year, five years ago: the unforgettable COVID-19 era.
The hospital was in a state of chaos, with patients arriving at a pace faster than the staff could handle. When Mr. B. was admitted with difficulty breathing, his prognosis was grim. COVID-19. Before long, he was hooked up to a respirator.
Several depressing hours passed, with no visitors and no connection to the outside world. But the sun was shining for Mr. B., and his condition soon improved. After 24 hours, he was taken off the respirator, and finally, after five days in the hospital, Mr. B. was discharged to continue his recovery at home.
A few weeks later, Mr. B. received an envelope from the hospital. It was a bill. He was being charged $5,000 for the respirator services he received in the ICU on that first day in the hospital.
Mr. B. reread the paper again and again, and burst into uncontrollable sobs. His son took a peek, and when he saw the statement, tried to calm down his father, who could well afford the charges.
“It’s okay,” he said. “We can pay the bill. We’re so lucky you are alive and well!”
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He was being charged $5,000 for the respirator services he received in the ICU on that first day in the hospital. Mr. B. reread the paper again and again, and burst into uncontrollable sobs
Mr. B. replied, “My problem isn’t the money. I can pay it. It’s something else…” He inhaled deeply. “I’m an old man. For 93 years, I received oxygen from Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Every single day, I breathed by His force. If one day of breathing is worth $5,000, how much must I pay Hakadosh Baruch Hu for 365 days times 93?! That amount, I truly don’t have.
“But the truth is, Hashem doesn’t ask it of us. He gives us oxygen free of charge, without us needing to worry how to pay Him for it. What do we need to give back? At the very least, we must return the favor by saying and living by the belief of ‘Kol zman she’haneshamah b’kirbi, modeh ani lefanecha! ’”
Sometimes, we tend to believe that hakaras hatov is a natural middah that everyone has. What could be more natural and simple than thanking those who do us a favor?
But this belief is incorrect. Not only is hakaras hatov not automatic, but the opposite is actually true. It’s hard for a person to feel indebted. The feeling of being beholden to another is uncomfortable.
The Chovos Halevavos writes that for this reason, we must contemplate the middah of hakaras hatov all the time. Moreover, all of our avodas Hashem is based on the premise of gratitude. A Yid must recognize that the Ribbono Shel Olam keeps us alive on a minute-by-minute basis. He consistently, every moment, gives us the ability to see, hear, speak and function. We should feel hugely indebted to Him.
It may seem natural that we can walk and talk, but in truth, it is a gift from Hashem every single moment.
In Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisroel weren’t very different from the Egyptians, so much so that there was a kitrug against them: What is the difference between Jew and non-Jew? Why did the Yidden merit miracles, while the Egyptians received the opposite?
Still, Hakadosh Baruch Hu served His revenge to the Egyptians for the evil they did to us. He hit them and took us out to be His nation. How much hakaras hatov must we have for this!
This is one of the reasons the Torah commands us to constantly remember the day we left Mitzrayim — every single morning and evening. We must never forget how much hakaras hatov we owe Hakadosh Baruch Hu for lifting each and every one of us, like an only child, taking us out of the land of tumah and bringing us to Eretz Yisroel with the Torah Hakedosha.
Adapted from the teachings of Rav Yechiel Zucker, shlit”a.
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Imagine warmth, laughter, & memorable Yom Tov moments shared around a custom-designed table, surrounded by comfortable & elegant chairs...
I try to be good and do lots of mitzvos for your neshama, and hope you see and feel it all.
I know I can’t ask you the four questions this year, but I am sure you have questions for me as well, and I will try to answer them so you’ll feel better.
I really miss you, Totty, but don’t feel bad.
I am very happy in my new home!
Also, the word “orphanage” sounds scarier than it really is. No one calls it that, anyway. They call it a Home for Girls.
I have the best friends who understand me and a dorm mother who cares for me like her own. I turn to her for everything that I need, and she always helps me with everything.
Baruch Hashem for Bayis LePleitos!
I am enclosing several pictures of my beautiful room. My roommates Yehudis and Tirtza don’t want to be in it, but I got them to make their beds so that’s a good thing!
Iborrowed the camera from Shulamis. She’s a volunteer here, and she’s always so much fun to be around! She plays guitar and sings, and she used to live here when she was a young girl so she is a huge inspiration to us all — we all want to be like her!
She says Bayis LePleitos has a full kallah showroom and that she had a gorgeous gown and wedding! I can’t wait for mine!
I am a bit embarrassed to take pictures of the food in public, but it really is delicious. Mommy would love to see me eat so much and finish my plate each meal! I usually even ask for seconds.
Here is a picture of the dining room. It doesn’t show the happy balagan of mealtimes, which is a pity because everyone loves mealtime! That’s when we compare notes on all our teachers — they all really are amazing! — and just sit all together as one big, happy family.
Totty, I still sing your special Shalom Aleichem to myself every Shabbos. I know I don’t have to, but I do, because it was so special.
Shabbos here is also so special; we all sing Kabbalas Shabbos together, and the staff and sometimes older girls give nice speeches on the parsha
Yom Tov is super special here. I got a beautiful new outfit for Pesach and had the most fun shopping trip with the dorm counselors! Everyone is so excited!
I remember how you and Mommy tried making cleaning for Pesach fun, with singing and music, so I know you’ll be happy to hear that Pesach preparations are fun here, too. Me, Tirtza and Yehudis organized our entire room! I am really excited about the Seder here; the food looks amazing, and I hear that it’s a really special experience.
I’m sure they have a beautiful Seder in Gan Eden as well. Maybe you’ll sit next to Moshe Rabbeinu and he will retell the full story of Yetzias Mitzrayim. And maybe you can also ask Moshiach when he’s coming already, because I can’t wait to see you again!
But for now, just know that I am Baruch Hashem very happy in the best place with the best friends ever!
Your loving daughter Chani, Bayis LePleitos, Yerushalayim
Yom Tov is super special here. I got a beautiful new outfit for Pesach and had the most fun shopping trip with the dorm counselors!
Bayis LePleitos’ Expanded Programs
Although Bayis LePleitos was originally founded to house orphaned survivors after WWII, their name has become synonymous with aiding and accommodating orphans across Eretz Yisroel.
This has led them to expand their chesed operations to include programs for orphans living out of their own dorm, girls from broken backgrounds and single-parent homes, and even establishing boys divisions.
Here are some of their incredible programs that comprise the giant Bayis LePleitos chesed emporium:
Bayis LePleitos:
With year-round care, a warm and dedicated staff, and full educational, emotional and mental support, many orphaned children consider the state-of-the-art living facilities their permanent home.
This is their renowned compound wholly dedicated to providing a safe haven for children with no place to go. More than just a home, it is a place where they are nurtured, raised, and grow into successful young women.
In addition to comprehensive schooling, Bayis LePleitos offers full career training and home management courses and skills.
Bishvilach Program:
A welcoming center for girls from broken homes and disadvantaged backgrounds to heal and find solace together.
While they aren’t technically orphans, girls from single-parent homes go through their own painful struggles, struggling with acceptance, adaptation, and overall emotional upheaval.
The Bishvilach support program is their oasis, their calm spot, in an upturned life. It’s where they connect, relax, and simply be themselves.
Nivcheres Program:
An afterschool program filled with daily activities and support groups for girls of all ages who have lost a parent.
The lives of orphans are far from easy, and more than this being a small respite to relax and enjoy, it has fast become the best time of their day, to recharge, refresh, and renew.
B’Yachad Program:
A warm center for boys and bochurim from broken homes and disadvantaged families with daily activities and support.
All children need parents, but for boys and bochurim, the void is sometimes more apparent. No father in shul to daven or learn with, no Avos u’Banim…
B’Yachad connects them with boys going through similar struggles, creating a community for social interaction and support.
SAVVY SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL SPACES SAVVY SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL SPACES
Adams Sees All Charges Dropped, Will Run for Reelection as Independent
Eric Adams finally got the good news he was waiting for last week, with a federal judge dismissing all corruption charges against the mayor, giving him the ability to devote himself to his reelection bid without any distractions.
Judge Dale Ho dropped the charges against Adams “with prejudice,” meaning that they cannot be brought again. Ho slammed the Department of Justice for arguing that the charges should be dismissed “without prejudice,” saying that it gave the impression that if Adams failed to cooperate with Washington’s plans to deport illegal immigrants, he could once again find himself in legal trouble, making him potentially more indebted to the federal government than to New York City residents.
For his part, Adams celebrated the victory, observing, “As I have said all along, this case should have never been brought, and I did nothing wrong.”
But even with his name cleared, Adams still faces an uphill battle in the mayoral race, with former governor Andrew Cuomo polling far ahead of the mayor in the upcoming June mayoral primary. A day after Ho’s decision, Adams announced that he would be running for mayor as an Independent, ensuring that his name will be on the ballot in November. The mayor explained that the “bogus” charges brought against him lingered for so long that it made it impossible for him to run a successful campaign for the Democratic primary.
“I’m not a quitter,” said Adams. “I’m a New Yorker, and that is why today, although I am a Democrat, I am announcing that I will forgo the Democratic primary for mayor and appeal directly to all New Yorkers as an independent candidate in the general election.”
Trying to spin the move in his favor, the mayor said that running as an Independent gives him a greater ability to represent all New Yorkers, no matter what their party affiliation may be.
“I firmly believe that this city is better served by truly independent leadership, not leaders pulled at by the extremist on the far left or the far right, but instead, those rooted in the common middle, the place where the vast majority of New Yorkers are firmly planted,” said Adams.
Will Eichenstein Assembly Measure Curb Shabbos Trash Tickets?
With Mayor Eric Adams’ war on rats creating nightmares for Jewish New Yorkers, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein stepped up to the plate in Albany, introducing legislation that would allow city residents to place their trash at the curb before 8 p.m. on Friday afternoons.
A rule enacted last year by the Department of Sanitation prohibits anyone from bringing their trash to the curb before 8 p.m. on the day before their garbage pickup. But Shomer Shabbos New Yorkers who have their trash picked up on Shabbos morning found themselves facing a significant dilemma: take their trash out before Shabbos starts and risk getting a ticket, or limiting themselves to just one weekly garbage pickup. With fines starting at $50 and rising as high as $300, the situation has become intolerable for many Jewish residents of the five boroughs , as well as New Yorkers who enjoy going away for the weekend.
“This policy is unacceptable and must come to an end,” said Eichenstein. “New Yorkers should not have to choose between their religious beliefs and avoiding a ticket.”
Hoping to strike a reasonable balance, Eichenstein’s bill would prevent DSNY from issuing tickets from 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon through 6 p.m. on Shabbos afternoons. Eichenstein noted that city residents shouldn’t be penalized for taking out their trash at a reasonable time, and that no person in the city should be unfairly targeted.
The bill was co-sponsored by Assemblyman Kalman Yeger, who noted that he had addressed the same problem in 2023 during his time in the City Council, and had been promised at the time that no summonses would be issued on Shabbos.
“Unfortunately, that promise has not been kept,” said Yeger. “Assemblyman Eichenstein and I are stepping in with this common-sense bill that should not be necessary, but unfortunately is.”
MTA Debuts New Subway Map
Say goodbye to the Metropolitan Transportation Agency’s
1979 subway map, and hello to a new minimalist version that almost looks like a piece of abstract art.
The MTA unveiled its new map last week, replacing a design that was somewhat more geographically correct with an updated version that prioritizes readability, particularly for those with low vision and cognitive disabilities.
“The new MTA is focused on a quality, 21st century customer experience, and it is about time our map caught up,” said MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber. “The new version is much easier to read, while also reflecting all the enhancements we’ve made over the years.”
Described by the agency as “providing the most essential travel information in an easily readable, bright, bold and orderly manner,” the map harkens back to the 1972 subway map created by Italian designer Massimo Vignelli. La Voce di New York reported that Vignelli’s map met with significant criticism when it was released 53 years ago because its bold, colorful lines took significant liberties with the city’s actual topography, displaying stations in places where they didn’t actually exist, even if they clearly showed where each subway line went. An updated map released in 1979 was more accurate, but with a plethora of verbiage and curving spaghetti-style lines, it was nowhere near as easy to read.
The latest redesign makes it clear that most riders care far more about how to get from point A to point B on the subway than seeing a street-by-street rendering of New York City. The new map’s legend offers a wealth of information on accessibility and transfer safety, as well as a QR code that takes smartphone users directly to the MTA website.
“The subway map is both an iconic symbol of New York and a tool that everyday riders and first-time users of our system use to get around,” said New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “This modern redesign makes it easier to navigate the system — especially during service changes — and has a quintessential New York look that riders will appreciate for years to come.”
Egg Prices Continue To Fall
It’s been good news for shoppers as they stock their carts for Pesach, with the price of eggs finally dropping significantly in the last few weeks. But whether the Trump administration can truly take credit for the reprieve isn’t exactly clear.
According to Yahoo! Finance, Trump credited Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins for the lower prices during an April 2 speech given at the White House Rose Garden on tariffs.
“They were going through the sky, the egg prices,” Trump said to Rollins, who was sitting in the audience during the presidential address. “They were going through the sky, and you did a fantastic job.”
As previously reported in The Boro Park View, Rollins had outlined a multi-point plan in early March to deal with the rising cost of eggs, which included importing eggs from other countries, as well as taking steps to prevent widespread epidemics of bird flu, the cause of the massive price spike.
The United States has been importing eggs from South Korea and Turkey, and Polish and Lithuanian officials said that Washington had contacted them about the matter as well. Rollins said that plans were in place to import hundreds of millions of eggs for the short term, until the domestic egg supply could be re-established.
The United States Department of Agriculture reported that the wholesale cost of white eggs has decreased approximately 56% since the beginning of March and was holding steady at $3 per dozen. But according to David Anderson, professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University, it is consumers, and not Washington officials, who are responsible for the new pricing, with people cutting back on their egg purchases and the decreased demand translating into lower prices.
It is unclear at this time if the price of imported eggs would
A
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be impacted by Trump’s newly announced tariffs. As of this writing, South Korean imports will be facing 26% tariffs, while those from Turkey will be subject to 10% tariffs.
Will Cost-Cutting Changes at USPS Affect Your Mail Delivery?
Changes are afoot at the United States Postal Service, which is hoping to save $36 billion over the next ten years through a variety of cost-cutting measures. But exactly what those changes are, and how service will be impacted, is vague, with the agency’s explanation of its service changes doing little to shed light on the matter.
The first of two slated rounds of changes began on April 1, just weeks after U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy signed an agreement with Elon Musk’s DOGE government reform team, reported Reuters. With electronic communication becoming increasingly popular, the USPS lost a whopping $9.5 billion last year and has said it will eliminate 10,000 workers over the next month through an early retirement plan.
The postal system is refining its standards for first-class mail, periodicals, marketing mail, package service, USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express. According to the agency, some postal users will see faster service, others will see no changes at all, and a small percentage of residents will see their mail service slowing down. As in the past, postal customers can expect their mail to be delivered to their intended recipients within one to five days, with the agency promising even more reliable service than before.
With 75% of customers not being affected, and 14% actually experiencing faster delivery times, USPS is confident that the move is a positive one, with a second round of changes scheduled for July. Meanwhile, postal users can utilize an interactive map on the postal service’s website, www.usps.com, to get a better idea of their mail’s estimated turnaround time under the new system.
Chaim Furth
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Introducing: IVDU Girls Upper and Middle School!
We’re excited to announce the merging of IVDU Girls’ Upper Elementary with IVDU Girls’ High School under the direction of our incredible high school principal, Mrs. Malky Halberstam. This shift ensures that students in grades 5–8 benefit from an enhanced learning environment, where transition years become transformative years.
At IVDU, we offer more than just an education—we provide an ecosystem of support for students with mild-to-moderate learning, social, and developmental delays. This new transition will bring:
ENHANCED FACILITIES
With more space and additional rooms, the upgraded building opens new doors for enhanced student learning and growth.
BETTER HIGH SCHOOL READINESS
By aligning our middle and high school programs, our students experience a seamless transition to high school.
COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM
From a regents track and a career training program to diverse electives and personalized support, IVDU sets up every student for lifetime success.
Green Cards Based on spouse, parent, or child
Removal of Conditions (I-751)
Green Card Renewal (I-90)
U.S. Citizenship (N-400, N-600, N-600K)
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)
U.S. Passports
Work Visas & Investor Visas
Tziri postpones the China trip at the last minute.
chapter TWENTY-FIVE
Straight! Stand straight, Roiza! Don’t stoop. Don’t bend your shoulders. Think of your body as a tower of horizontal blocks. Put each block where it belongs.
It hurt. Her brain hurt from concentrating.
“Hi,” Robyn called from the pool.
Roiza couldn’t answer. She needed to concentrate on walking.
“I know I’m dating myself,” Roiza told Robyn when she finally reached the pool ramp, “but I still remember when Gerald Ford was president, and he was being shamed as a man who couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time.”
Robyn nodded.
“That’s what I feel like,” Roiza said simply.
Robyn carefully guided her into the pool. “Yes, that’s Parkinson’s,” she said. “But you’re doing wonderfully. Look at you! Walking with only a cane, and so nice and straight.”
Roiza snorted. “It takes more concentration than running a country! That’s without chewing gum.”
Robyn chuckled. “Come on, let’s get your body into shape.”
“I am in shape. Bent over like that, I’m just about a right angle.”
This time, Robyn actually giggled. Roiza laughed along and allowed her body to lift in the water.
“Ma,” Kaily called, “you’re sure you don’t need those goggles anymore?”
“I’m sure,” she answered shortly. All she wanted was to enjoy the one minute of pleasure she experienced when the water finally soothed her aching body.
“She thinks she needs to babysit me,” she grumbled to Robyn.
“She’s so devoted,” Robyn said. “You should appreciate her. Look where all this therapy got you in such a short time. I see plenty of women with a fractured hip never stand straight again.”
But she very much didn’t appreciate it when, a minute later, Kaily was standing at the edge of the pool with those dreaded goggles.
“Ma, please put them on. I’m worried about your eyes. You know what could happen if you’re not careful.”
She knew. She knew all about the floating spots that could appear, the retinal detachment that could chas v’shalom occur. She also knew she was way past the window of that happening.
She looked at her daughter. Kaily’s mouth was set in a grim line.
“All right,” she said resignedly.
Tonight. Tonight would be the perfect night to call that Newman guy.
She barely remembered what Kaily looked like with a smile.
* * * * *
Roiza loved the Napoleon cake from Kleiner’s Bakery. Their custard was perfect and creamy, and the glaze satisfied every last one of her taste buds. Of course, she
CHANIE SPIRA
SHE CALLED YIDDY BREATHLESSLY. “HIS NAME IS MORDECHAI NEWMAN. HE LIVES IN STATEN ISLAND ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET. HE’LL BE PERFECT FOR KAILY
hardly ever indulged in something that was probably harmful for every cell in her body.
She loved the cake. But more than that, she loved how far the bakery was located. “Kaily… therapy was just so hard today,” she kvetched. Kaily’s eyes narrowed sympathetically. “You want to make it an early night?”
“No. I want a Napoleon.”
Kaily thought she was crazy. “How can I get you a Napoleon now? I promised never to leave you alone. I’m terrified!”
“I promise not to get up from my chair. Please. I’m desperate.” For some privacy
The minute Kaily left, Roiza dialed Newman.
“Mr. Newman,” Roiza said as soon as his voice came onto the line. At least he was home after all this effort. “How are you?”
“Baruch Hashem!” he answered. A real yarei Shamayim. “Uh, who am I speaking to?”
“Mrs. Handler. Roiza Handler. I called you the other day. I’m from Solar King, remember? Sun from my son?”
He chuckled. The same warm laughter. That’s the most important thing. She thought of Kaily’s grim smile.
“So would you like to hear more about this?”
“Sure,” he said patiently.
“So where exactly are you located? And what time of the day does your house get sunlight?”
“My address is 230 Suffolk Avenue in Staten Island. I usually have sunlight in the morning in the front of my house, and then it moves to the side of the house.”
Staten Island. Lead one.
“Are you planning to stay there? Do you ever consider moving?”
Newman paused, probably surprised at this line of questioning.
“Why would I move? I own my house. I work close by. My kids live here, too.” He has kids
Roiza tried picturing Kaily living in Staten Island. She came up blank. But then again, it was a small thing to give up for happiness.
“Okay. Because solar is an investment. So I was wondering if it would be worth it for you,” she ad-libbed. He must think she was a total idiot. Oh well, all sons-in-law think that about their shvigger. “It’s an investment, but you pay it back in no time. Your utility bills will be slashed, and you’ll be using power from the best source.”
“You’re very convincing,” he said.
“So I’ll have my son call you. What’s your name?”
“Mordechai. Mordechai Newman.”
She called Yiddy breathlessly. “His name is Mordechai Newman. He lives in Staten Island on the sunny side of the street. He’ll be perfect for Kaily. And he wants to switch to solar energy.”
“Whoa! Slow down, Ma. Who, what, when, where and why?”
“Quick. Kaily will be here in a few minutes. Who? Mordechai Newman. What? He wants to talk to you about solar panels. When? Preferably tomorrow. Where? For all I care, it can be in the Empire State Building. Why? Because Kaily has to get married.”
Yiddy laughed. “Oh! Now I get it.”
“Seriously, Yiddy. I found the perfect man for Kaily. But I need your help. Can you promise to meet him and find out every last detail about his life?”
“I hear, Ma. Let me see. I told you that you get a commission for every sale, right?”
She’d forgotten! Really, what did she need the money for? Kaily took care of everything she needed.
And it was time to take care of her.
Her eyes glazed, imagining the gorgeous necklace she would buy Kaily with the commission money. If Kaily was getting engaged and marrying off Sruly, she deserved something nicer than the gold-plated junk she wore every day.
Tomorrow, she would ramp up those phone calls. Regardless of the mind-numbing monotony of it.
“Ma, I’ll call him,” Yiddy finally said. “Just because of kibbud eim.”
“Thanks.” She heard a car door slam. “Kaily is here. Bye.”
The door opened. “Ma! Are you okay?” She ran up the stairs balancing a tray of cake. “I was so scared the entire time. I hate leaving you alone.”
“I know. Thank you so much!”
Kaily peeled off her coat and brought two plates to Roiza’s little desk. “You got any work done?” she asked.
“You bet!” Roiza smiled. “I think I even made a sale.”
Kaily gave a patronizing smile that said, See? I told you all Ma needs is a job
Roiza, still smiling, let it pass and dug into her cake.
* * * * *
The housing crisis was not exaggerated. Nine-thirty Monday morning, half an hour after the local circular landed in people’s inboxes, Kaily’s phone started vibrating and didn’t stop. By ten o’clock she had five people who wanted to take a look at the apartment today.
One caller hinted that he’d pay whatever price she asked because the location was exactly what he was looking for.
She didn’t even know if she had an apartment to rent. Or what the market price was for a small threebedroom. It wasn’t her house; it was her mother’s house. The fact that she’d lived rent-free all these years didn’t make it hers.
In fact, it made it less hers.
She told the callers that she’d be in touch with them. She hoped they heard her over the constant sound of incoming calls.
After the fifth caller, she turned
Shabbos
Candle Lighting Starts Here
MAYBE HER BROTHERS WOULDN’T AGREE WITH THIS IDEA, AND SHE COULD JUST DISCARD THE WHOLE PLAN. MAYBE THEY WOULD REALIZE HOW RIDICULOUS THIS WAS, AND THEY WOULD COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT IDEA!
off her phone.
As soon as her mother was settled with a list of phone numbers at the little desk Yiddy had brought, Kaily slipped downstairs, leaving the connecting door open.
She looked around the apartment, at the pictures of Chaim’s kids and Gedalya’s baby adorning the walls, at the pretty couch her father had gifted her one Yom Tov. The peeled paint. All of it.
Mira’s invitation hung on her fridge along with a bunch of thank you notes from her Sisters OTG girls. What would others see in her apartment? The beauty? The ugliness? Would they know this was a fatherless house?
She didn’t consider herself a hoarder. She never had the luxury to hoard in a small three-bedroom, but still, there were so many things in this apartment. How would she move all this upstairs? How would she go through every inch of space and clear it?
She opened the hall closet and recklessly started dumping things… so many things… onto the beds in the spare bedroom. Her old sewing machine, vacuum cleaner bags, buttons, rolls of ribbon, old toys she kept for Gedalya’s kids. Pieces of her life, fragmented items that held years and years of memories.
She couldn’t do this. It wasn’t humanly possible to pack up a house in under a week if she wanted to earn December rent. Compulsively, she dropped a handful of empty shoeboxes and went to check her bank balance. Maybe she didn’t really have to do it?
She did. Urgently. After paying for the furniture, her account was dismally close to a three digit number.
She suddenly felt so over-
whelmed, she wanted to cry.
Maybe her brothers wouldn’t agree with this idea, and she could just discard the whole plan. Maybe they would realize how ridiculous this was, and they would come up with a different idea!
But her brothers agreed. Quickly. Eli was thrilled with the idea, throwing in how much he wanted to help her with the wedding, and this was the perfect solution.
“I wish I could pay your entire share of the wedding. But I can’t.” His pity made her gag.
Yiddy even more so. “Tatty always told me to help you. This is my way of helping. Technically, we’re the yorshim, so it’s our house, you know. And, besides, you should live upstairs anyway to help Mommy.”
The house belonged to Mommy. And after that, equally to all of them. Eli and Shalom were both older than him.
She even called Shalom as a last resort. He heaped brachos upon her and promised to come to the wedding.
She was out of excuses.
Her bed beckoned. When was the last time she had the luxury of sleeping in her own bed?
Not since her mother came home from the rehab. But she could escape there now, just for a short time. A short time where she wouldn’t think about telling her mother or her kids about this move.
She wouldn’t actually sleep. She would just close her eyes…
“Kaily!” she heard someone shout.
She woke with a start.
“Perela?” What was her sister doing in her bedroom? What was she doing in her bedroom?
“You’re okay! Baruch Hashem! ”
“What happened? Oh my! I can’t believe I actually fell asleep!”
COULDN’T DO THIS. IT WASN’T HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO PACK UP A HOUSE IN UNDER A WEEK IF SHE WANTED TO EARN DECEMBER RENT
Mommy! “Did something happen to Mommy?” she whispered.
“No! Yes! She was just hysterical! She said the timer rang and she had to take the medication at eleven, but you weren’t coming! She didn’t know where you disappeared to, and you weren’t answering your phone!” Perela was breathless from running or talking or panicking. Probably all three.
Her phone! She’d shut it to stop all those phone calls about the apartment.
“Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane now?” Kaily’s groggy brain finally caught up.
Perela’s eyes shadowed. “Something came up on my boss’s end. She had to push it off. We’re leaving in two weeks.”
“Aha,” Kaily said. She was too distraught to dig deeper, so she let it pass.
“Who else did Mommy alert?” she asked instead.
“What’s the difference? At least you’re safe.”
Kaily followed her sister in a daze.
“I’m running back to work,” Perela said.
Kaily nodded. “Thanks. Sorry.” She was grateful and sorry and humiliated.
She carefully closed the door to her apartment. To her, the gentle click was louder than an explosion. She was keenly aware of closing a door to yet another piece of her life.
And, no, there was no miraculous window of opportunity opening for her.
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THE SUBLIME PROMISE OF SPRING COMES ON THE HEELS OF A LONG AND FRIGID WINTER. PESACH: A TIME OF RENEWAL, AN EXALTED AND ELEVATED SEASON.
Tradition shines in the special dishes we prepare. We maintain our special customs with pride, viewing the same heimish ingredients with a fresh set of eyes. The results are nothing short of spectacular.
Let us embrace this upcoming Yom Tov with vitality and joy. Happy cooking, and a chag kasher v’same’ach!
ISSUE 277
SWEET BEGINNINGS
BY LIBBY GOLDBERGER
Cinnamon Marble Biscotti
Chocolate Crumb Cake
Pesach Muffins
Marble Meringues
ISSUE 278
THE ULTIMATE PESACH EVENING MEAL
BY FAIGY REINER
Mock Sushi Side of Salmon
Creamy Squash Soup With Marrow Bones
Apple Ginger Roast
Spaghetti Squash Muffins
Chocolate Mousse With Red Wine Reduction
ISSUE 279
THE ULTIMATE PESACH DAY MEAL
BY FRIMY SILBERMAN
Salmon Crudo
Velvety Meat and Potato Soup
French Roast With Onion Marmalade
Praline Pavlova
ISSUE 280
THE ALL-AROUND PESACH MEAL
BY MIRIAM PESSY WERCBERGER
Salmon Cubes With Orange Wine Reduction
Beef Back Rib Minestrone Soup
Square Flanken in Charred Tomato Sauce
Over Sweet Potato Carpaccio
Cinnamon Buns and Vietnamese Coffee
THE ALL-AROUND PESACH MEAL
MIRIAM PESSY WERCBERGER
Spring’s energy wafts in with the breeze, and a spirit of renewal touches upon every home. Pesach is here!
We welcome Yom Tov warmly with all due excitement and reverence, and prepare to serve up meals with elegance and finesse. Chag kasher v’same’ach!
SALMON WITH ORANGE WINE REDUCTION
Start your meal on a light and fruity note with this fresh and springy fish dish.
INGREDIENTS
6–8 slices salmon
Salt and pepper, to taste
ORANGE WINE REDUCTION
1½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice
⅓ cup red wine
1½ T. sugar
1 tsp. oil
½ tsp. salt
Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
Pinch of grated ginger, optional
ORANGE SALAD
Lettuce
Red onions
Oranges
DIRECTIONS
Pomegranate arils (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste Orange wine reduction
1. Place all sauce ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.
2. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened and reduced and coats the back of a spoon.
3. Preheat the oven to broil.
4. Place the salmon in a pan, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon half of the sauce onto the fish, and reserve the rest for drizzling over the salad.
5. Broil the salmon until it flakes easily with a fork and is just cooked through.
6. Serve the salmon with lettuce, red onions, orange segments and pomegranate arils (optional). Sprinkle salad with salt and pepper, and drizzle with remaining reduction.
BABY BACK RIB MINESTRONE SOUP
A minestrone soup that is bursting with freshness and flavor.
INGREDIENTS
2 lb. baby back ribs
2 vidalia onions
2 large parsley roots
4 medium carrots
4 zucchini
1 red pepper, peeled
2 T. kosher salt
10 cups water
DIRECTIONS
1. Slice the onions, and cook until well sauteed and amber in color.
2. Chop the parsley roots into rough chunks, and shred in the food processor using the S blade. Add to the pot.
3. Finely cube the carrots, zucchini and pepper, and add to the pot. Saute for a while, mixing occasionally.
4. Add the meat, salt and water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer gently for three hours.
SQUARE FLANKEN
IN CHARRED TOMATO SAUCE OVER SWEET POTATO CARPACCIO
Giving your tomatoes a brief char under the broiler creates a tastier tomato sauce in half the time. Slather the sauce over beef, add some chicken soup and braise in the oven to perfection.
FLANKEN
INGREDIENTS
4 lb. square flanken (or any desired cut of beef)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, for sprinkling
1 large onion
1 cup chicken soup
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 275°.
2. Generously sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of the beef.
3. Line a 9x13-inch pan with sliced onions.
4. Place the seasoned beef on top. Slather with the sauce.
5. Pour the chicken soup into the pan. Cover tightly and bake for 6 hours.
CHARRED TOMATO SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
2 large shallots
6 ripe beef tomatoes
½ tsp. salt, plus more for sprinkling
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp. honey
DIRECTIONS
1. Dice the shallots, and saute until browned at the edges.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to broil.
3. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Broil for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are slightly charred.
4. With the help of a knife and fork (they will be hot!), give the tomatoes a rough chop, and add to the pot.
5. Season with salt, some freshly cracked black pepper and honey. Allow the sauce to simmer gently for one hour.
CANDIED WALNUTS
These treats are irresistible over a side or salad, or just for snacking.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw unsalted walnuts
2 T. sugar
1 T. oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Place all ingredients in a large frying pan.
2. Toast over medium heat for 7 minutes. Mix often as the sugar slowly dissolves and caramelizes, taking care that the nuts shouldn’t burn. Immediately remove from heat.
3. Spread out on a parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together once cooled.
4. Cut into a rough chop and store at room temperature. Freezes well.
SWEET POTATO CARPACCIO
This sweet dish is a perfect accompaniment to any rich and hearty beef dish.
INGREDIENTS
2 sweet potatoes Salt, pepper and oil, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425°.
2. Slice the sweet potatoes into thin rounds.
3. Season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil. Bake for approximately 45 minutes.
4. When serving, lay the sweet potato slices single file (slightly overlapping onto the plate) and sprinkle candied walnuts over it.
BUNS
COFFEE
VIETNAMESE
VIETNAMESE COFFEE
The ultimate Pesach solution for pareve coffee. Move aside coffee whiteners and pareve milks; this Vietnamese coffee is better than anything you’ve ever experienced.
INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
1 cup oil
½ cup sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the eggs in a food processor. With the motor running, add the oil in a steady, slow stream. Mix for a couple minutes.
2. Add the sugar and mix for two more minutes.
3. Pour the mixture into a container and freeze.
4. Once frozen, place a scoop into a cup of coffee with hot water, and swirl to dissolve.
CINNAMON BUNS
A delightful treat made with wholesome ingredients. These don’t taste quite like cinnamon buns made of wheat flour, but they are delicious in their own right. Delightful when served warm.
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup Bakol coconut oil
2 T. honey
2 eggs at room temperature
3 cups Goldbaum’s almond flour
½ tsp. salt
FILLING
⅓ cup honey
½ cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
2 T. ground cinnamon
FROSTING
¾ cup leibers confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp. lemon or orange juice
½ T. hot water
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a large bowl, gently beat the coconut oil, honey and eggs. Add the almond flour and salt, and mix until a smooth dough has formed.
3. Scoop dough up into a ball, and let it rest in the fridge for 10 minutes. This will make it easier to work with.
4. Lightly grease the outside of the ball of dough. Using a rolling pin (I used a bottle of seltzer as a makeshift Pesach rolling pin), roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a large rectangle.
5. Drizzle the honey evenly over the dough. Then, carefully spread it around to cover the whole surface.
6. Sprinkle the ground pecans and cinnamon over the surface of the dough.
7. Starting at the end, begin to roll the edge of the dough away from you. Continue rolling until you have a uniform log. Cut the roll into ¾-inch slices. Shape them a bit if needed.
8. Lay the rolls onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
10. Combine frosting ingredients, and drizzle over cooled cinnamon buns.
WEEK 4 OF 4
LEAH’S CORNER
As you get ready to tackle your Pesach cooking, we are back with a four-week culinary collection of timeless Yom Tov classics developed by our beloved and unforgettable food columnist Leah Stern, a”h
MANGO MOCKTAIL
Who says dessert has to be complicated? This refreshing and simple dessert is pure and natural. Use very ripe fruit to yield a smooth, sweet drink.
INGREDIENTS
1 ripe pineapple
2–3 ripe mangos
1½ cups white grape juice
2 T. lime juice (or lemon juice)
Crushed ice, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Peel and chop the fruit.
2. Blend the fruit in a food processor for 7 minutes on high until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the juices and mix until combined. Serve this dessert over crushed ice.
Around the Kitchen Table, by Leah Stern, a”h, is available at your local Judaica store.
When Pharaoh returned to his palace after being confronted by Moshe and Aharon at the riverside, heralding the makkah of Dam, he was dismayed to discover that he himself would not get away scot-free. How horrified he was to find blood dripping down the walls of his magnificent palace!
This blood was reminiscent of the blood that flowed freely from Yidden who were hit and wounded while building the pyramids, which got mixed into the bricks and cement. Now Pharoah’s walls dripped blood in retribution for those blood-soaked walls.
GIVE BLOOD: GIVE LIFE
C.G. HOFFMAN
When Jay Feinberg was sick with leukemia as a young law school student, his doctors were brutally blunt. They said a bone marrow transplant could save his life, but since he was an Ashkenazi Jew, he was unlikely to find a match since Jews were largely underrepresented in national registries. Ashkenazi Jews have a remarkably similar genetic makeup, one that is hard to match with the general population. The doctors simply said, “Make the most of the time you have left.”
But Yidden have more than a shared genetic history: They’re stubborn. Jay, his family and his friends weren’t going to give up. They started a blood drive, galvanizing neighbors, friends and high school students to come in for a simple test to see if they were a match. What started as a small, local effort soon exploded into a nationwide search for a match for Jay. Across the spectrum of Klal Yisroel, in every community where Yidden lived, people lined up by the thousands to get themselves tested.
Jay smiles as he remembers, “Some places had such huge lines, they had to call in the police for crowd control!” Over 60,000 people were tested, and the family turned their tragedy into an ongoing opportunity for chesed. They were able to find matches among the volunteers for others who were waiting for transplants — but not for Jay.
Friends of Jay organized one last drive. Becky Faibisoff, a frum girl from Chicago, volunteered to help out at the drive. However, she was afraid of needles, so she declined to donate. After testing 130 people, the volunteers were packing up to leave. At the last minute, Becky told herself it was silly to volunteer without getting herself tested. She closed her eyes, overcame her fear and sat for her blood to be drawn.
The very last person of 60,000, at the very last drive… turned out to be a perfect match for Jay. After receiving his transplant in 1995, Jay decided that his ordeal had a purpose. He now had a working database of thousands of Ashkenazi Jews — thousands of people who could potentially save thousands of lives. He went on to found The Gift of Life,
a Florida-based national registry for donors. To date, they have made thousands of matches and have thereby saved thousands of lives all over the United States. * * * * *
When a Monsey Yid was recently struck with a debilitating illness that could be cured with a stem cell donation, the local community, too, was galvanized into action. Hundreds of people lined up for a simple, threesecond swab test. Local high school and yeshiva teenagers were mobilized as well. For Menachem, a Monsey yeshiva bochur, it was simply a routine thing that everyone else was doing, and he didn’t give it too much thought. He wasn’t a match for this particular case, but a short while later, he got the call from Gift of Life. He was a great match for another patient. Would he agree to donate his stem cells?
After confirming that he was indeed a good match via a blood test and that he was in good health, The Gift of Life organization started the process. Menachem was soon armed with packets of information: where to go, what to do and how long it would take.
“The hardest part of the ordeal were the infusions,” Menachem recalls. For five days, he had to go down to a local center where he received infusions to strengthen and prepare his blood for donation, leaving him with considerable headaches. “But our rosh yeshiva paskened that for pikuach nefesh, it was kedai to offer a little mesiras nefesh.” After those five days, Menachem was ready.
The final process was as simple as having some blood drawn, except that in his case, it wasn’t so simple. His vein collapsed as they were drawing blood, and it looked like it just wasn’t going to happen. He went home, disappointed. But then he got a call: The small amount of blood they had been able to draw was just about enough! His blood was going to save this man’s life.
After a year, the Gift of Life reached out to Menachem, notifying him that the recipient of his stem cells wanted to reach out to him to express his gratitude. The recipient thanked him, and said, “You literally gave me life.”
Menachem is still amazed at how it’s possible to save someone’s life with just a bit of blood.
“You don’t lose anything. During the extraction, you have two needles inside. One is to draw blood. After a device extracts the stem cells, the blood flows right back in through the other needle. Just a little bit of your time and a few drops of blood, and you’ve saved an entire world.”
Even the most protected of homes could not ward off the influx of frogs. Frightened Egyptians locked their doors and windows, but the frogs found their way inside. Frogs plunged the depths of the earth and came up just under the houses. Then they knocked on the tiles from below and begged, “Let us do the will of our Creator!” The floors split open, and the frogs invaded the Egyptian homes — soft reptiles penetrating solid floors. Besides the noise, mess and discomfort brought by the frogs, the Egyptians now needed to repair their broken floors.
IFROGS HERE, FROGS THERE
ESTHER KING
t was on a random weeknight in the middle of the year, when I was trying to get the kids to bed, that the frogs popped into my head.
Yeah, just like the song — there were frogs on their heads and frogs in their beds. Well, I didn’t have frogs in the beds — thank goodness — but I didn’t have any kids in beds either, and that was the problem.
I was losing it.
In my defense, it had been a long day, at the end of a long week, following an intense month that was part of a challenging year. If I’m being totally honest, it had been a long decade. But it was bedtime! And soon the house would quiet down, and I’d have some peace so I could rela— ha! Just kidding! So I could clean up from supper and lunch and breakfast and mop the spills and do the laundry so we’d have clean socks in the morning and call back the rebbi and finish the paperwork and eat something and work so we’d have money to pay for the groceries that I had to order, and, and, and.
But all that was in the vague and distant future, because right now it was bedtime, and no
one was going to bed.
I opened my mouth.
And the frog hopped into my head. I don’t know where it came from; it was nowhere near Pesach time. But that frog hopped into my head and in his deep and sonorous frog voice, said, “DON’T HIT THE FROG.”
Don’t hit the frog — it was one of my favorite Pesach vorts. I don’t remember where I read it or who said it, but the question was: If the Egyptians saw that every time they hit the frog, it generated more and more frogs, why in the world did they keep hitting it? They were hitting it to try to get rid of it, but every blow just compounded the problem! Why didn’t they stop?
The answer is that when you lose yourself, you act against your own interests. You do things that don’t make sense. When you lose yourself in rage, or fear, or even exhaustion or anxiety, you act in ways that are completely counterproductive. And even though you can see with your own eyes that you’re just creating more and more frogs… you can’t stop.
I closed my mouth.
If I yelled at the kids now, they wouldn’t go to bed faster. They would melt down, tantrum, cry or destroy (more) things. I wouldn’t get peace and quiet, I would get riled up kids who now had to be calmed and comforted before we could even talk about getting them into bed.
Don’t hit the frog, I told myself through gritted teeth as I rounded up the two youngest ones and tried, again, to get them to sleep. Don’t hit the frog. Don’t hit the frog
A little while later, I emailed an illustrator I know and asked him to create an image for me: an Egyptian, face contorted in anger, hitting the frog, while many smaller frogs explode outward and surrounding Egyptians watch in horror.
Maybe it’s not the most typical picture to have hanging in your upstairs hallway, but sometimes you need something to stop you in your tracks and remind you, before you reach the breaking point, not to hit the frog.
The lice left the Egyptians tired and exhausted, starved and thirsty.
The pain of the insect bites made it impossible for them to sit — especially when that meant sitting on a seat of lice — and sleeping on a bed of insects wasn’t a very comfortable option, either. Besides, they were busy scratching themselves all over. The least uncomfortable position they could maintain was standing. But how long can one stand on a floor of insects? The Egyptians jumped up and down and ran around nonstop.
With lice on their hands and faces, it was impossible to put food into their mouths; the insects would crawl inside. And the bold lice swam into their cups as well, making drinking impossible. Their swollen lips remained parched. It was a full week of no food, no sleep and no respite.
IMAKKAS KINIM 2.0
NESANEL YOEL SAFRAN
f you thought the plague of kinim was a thing of the past, think again. For a generation of New Yorkers, there was a time when, instead of scratching at an outbreak of kinim, people were scratching their heads in confusion. They were being told to run inside and close their windows — because the helicopters were coming.
No, not to schlep the Yidden out of galus. To spray DDT.
But was this really the smartest solution?
The Great Lice War of the 20th Century
Back in the 1940s and 1950s, health officials were on a mission to wipe out lice, which had the chutzpah to carry typhus — a disease nobody wanted as a souvenir. So, armed with the latest in pest-fighting technology, the authorities took to the skies and rained down DDT over neighborhoods like a modern-day makkah — only one that was supposed to be helpful.
Middle-aged New Yorkers still recall the neighborhood announcements:
“Close your windows! Stay inside! The helicopters are coming!”
It wasn’t an invasion. It was public health policy.
Children would watch from the windows
as mysterious mist floated down from the sky, while mothers muttered things like, “What? We have to scrub the floors again? I just hope that stuff isn’t chometz!”
For a kid, it was half-science fiction, halfPesach story, and fully confusing.
DDT: The Neis That Backfired
DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane — try saying that three times fast, or even once) was a synthetic insecticide developed in the 1940s. It was initially hailed as a lifesaver, wiping out lice, mosquitoes and any other sheratzim that had dared to exist. It wasn’t just lice in crowded tenements; this stuff was used on farms, in homes, even sprayed directly on people’s heads.
But much like Pharaoh’s decisions, what seemed like a good idea had serious consequences. Scientists started realizing that DDT didn’t go away after it did its job; it stuck around, accumulating in animals, water and even people. It made bird eggs thinner, harmed wildlife and even got linked to health risks for humans.
By the 1970s, public opinion had shifted. What was once a miracle spray was now a cautionary tale. In 1972, the U.S. banned DDT, and just like that, the days of aerial anti-lice warfare were over. (I’ve heard that the anniversary of its banning is celebrated every year as a Yom Tov by lice world round.)
Kinim Then and Now
Looking back, it’s hard not to see the irony: Thousands of years after Mitzrayim, people were still waging war against kinim — this time with chemical warfare from the sky instead of Moshe Rabbeinu’s staff.
But the moral of the story? Whether in Egypt or 1950s Brooklyn, lice will always find a way to drive people crazy. And when that happens, there’s only one thing to do.
Run inside, close the windows… and let someone else clean up the mess. There’s already enough things to do on Erev Pesach.
Sitting in their homes, the Egyptians heard frightening noises from their barns. Their sheep and oxen were braying, terrified of the wild animals infringing on their space. The Egyptians thought their sheep, whom they deified, were bleating to ward off the beasts. Then it grew quiet. The Egyptians ran outside to see what was going on — and never returned home.
The donkeys and oxen that had served them faithfully suddenly ceased to be domesticated animals. The sheep they had relied on for holy protection suddenly went wild. The cattle tore their masters to pieces, just like the lions, wolves and wild animals that invaded the country.
THE RIGHT TRACKS
HADASSAH STEINMAN
Speaking with Rabbi Rafoel Franklin of Pelleh Poultry and Bethel Creamery, you get the sense that it isn’t only the journey he’s traveled in his personal life that’s fascinating, but also the many hats he wears today.
Rabbi Franklin grew up in the backwoods of Montana. While his family wasn’t frum in the true sense of the word, they were traditional and had a very strong Jewish identity.
“While I grew up among non-Jews,” Reb Rafoel says, “I knew I wasn’t like them. I knew we were different, and I knew that wasn’t my future. That’s what propelled me to visit New York when I grew older.”
His childhood home was located in an area where, for miles around, people had no electricity.
“Everyone lived like people lived years and years ago,” Reb Rafoel adds, “and to some extent, it’s still like that today. I went back for a visit three years ago — it was my first visit in forty years — and my neighbors, by now in their seventies, were still perfectly content without electricity.”
Living as people did decades ago also meant that there was only one way to feed
their families: hunting.
One particular neighbor was illiterate, but his survival skills were sharper than those of anyone else the young Rafoel knew. This neighbor was hardworking and smart and taught Rafoel how to live off the earth and its offerings.
One memorable day, he invited thenteenage Rafoel to join him in hunting elk, which he needed for its meat. Out in the woods, they came across a mountain lion. Rafoel’s neighbor aimed and fired. The mountain lion wasn’t killed, however, and it ran off, leaving bloody tracks in the snow. The two men spent the day tracking the lion through the woods, but the animal kept outsmarting its hunters, eventually jumping lower and lower down a ridge so the two kept losing its tracks. Finally, Rafoel and his neighbor split up to search for the mountain lion yet again, and after tracking it once more, this time on his own, Rafoel came eye to eye with the animal.
“The lion was hiding in a crevice in the rock right behind me,” says Reb Rafoel, “but I couldn’t shoot him. He was such a beautiful animal, and he was looking me straight in the eye.”
* * * * *
Time passed, and in his twenties, Rafoel began exploring his heritage. Eventually, a rosh yeshivah he had grown close to told him, “You grew up hunting, now you have to be mekadesh this.”
“He was the one who encouraged me to train as a mohel and shochet,” Reb Rafoel says, “and I did. When my boys were born, I was their mohel.”
And in terms of shechitah, well, that’s the beginning of the rest of the story, one that is still being told every day with the siyata d’Shmaya Rabbi Franklin sees on his Pelleh Poultry farm.
Look out for a comprehensive article about Pelleh Poultry and Bethel Creamery in an upcoming issue of The Boro Park View.
When the warning came that their cattle would die, some of the Egyptians actually paid heed and grew afraid. These Egyptians took precautionary measures: They sold their donkeys, oxen and camels to Yidden at dirtcheap prices just to avoid losing everything they had. Many tried to outsmart the system and arranged fake deals, selling their cattle to Yidden dishonestly. But the truth cannot be hidden from Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and these animals died, even if they seemed to be in possession of a Yid.
ITHE STORY OF MAD COWS
SIVI SEKULA
magine waking up one day to find out that your burger might kill you. That’s pretty much what happened in the UK during the 1980s and 1990s when mad cow disease — officially called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) — took over the news and turned into a national nightmare. It wasn’t just about sick cows; it became a deadly crisis that affected humans, led to major food safety changes, and even banned Britons from donating blood in countries like the U.S. and Israel for decades!
In the 1980s, British cows started acting weird — stumbling around, behaving aggressively and eventually losing control of their bodies. Farmers and scientists were baffled. Turns out, the culprit was infected animal feed. Cows were being fed ground-up remains of other animals, including sheep that carried a similar disease called scrapie. That’s when scientists realized that “prions” — tiny, misfolded proteins that attack the brain — were spreading like wildfire.
At first, officials assured the public that humans couldn’t catch it. Unfortunately, they were wrong.
By the 1990s, a terrifying new illness started appearing in people. Young, otherwise-healthy individuals suddenly developed memory loss,
suffered personality changes and had difficulty walking, eventually losing all muscle control. This wasn’t just any disease; it was variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), a fatal brain disorder caused by eating infected beef.
The UK government scrambled to respond. Millions of cows were slaughtered, their meat discarded, British beef was banned worldwide, and strict new food safety laws were instated. But the damage was done: More than 200 people died from vCJD, and the world was officially terrified of British blood.
Here’s where things get really interesting. Scientists realized that prions don’t just hide in meat; they can also linger in the bloodstream. And since prions are basically indestructible (they survive extreme heat, radiation and even chemical sterilization), governments around the world feared that vCJD could spread through blood transfusions.
Therefore, in the late 1990s, several countries — including the U.S., Canada, Israel and Australia — banned anyone who had spent significant time in the UK between 1980 and 1996 from donating blood. Suddenly, millions of Brits were permanently blacklisted from blood donation.
For decades, British expats and travelers faced the same frustrating question on blood donor forms: “Did you spend six months or more in the UK between 1980 and 1996?” Checking “yes” meant an automatic rejection, no matter how healthy they were.
Fast forward to today, science has advanced, and the fears of vCJD spreading via blood have significantly decreased. In October 2022, the American Red Cross finally lifted the decades-old ban, allowing former UK residents to donate blood again. In January 2023, Israel followed suit, dropping its 24-year restriction.
For many Brits, this was a weirdly emotional moment. After years of being treated like walking biohazards, they could finally roll up their sleeves and donate blood without any awkward refusals.
There were 24 different kinds of blisters that beleaguered the Egyptians, and these assorted varieties contradicted each other. What could cure one kind of blister was dangerous for another, and what soothed one kind only exacerbated the next. There was simply no cure and no relief.
Additionally, the blisters were wet on the outside and dry on the inside, leaving them with no remedy whatsoever. With this, Hakadosh Baruch Hu demonstrated complete mastery over the four conditions — heat, cold, moisture and dryness.
A BLISTERING MYSTERY
LEAH NIDERMAN
Meir was a super cheerful baby, and despite my fears that he had contracted some weird and dangerous disease, he barely blinked through this episode. My oldest wouldn’t hold him, and my stomach would turn when I saw his blisters, but he was totally chilled, merrily doing his ten-month-old business as if the soles of his feet weren’t completely covered in jellybeanlike blisters. Luckily, he wasn’t walking yet. The doctor later told us that had he been walking, we would have had to put him in the bath and carefully poke each blister so that he could walk, a job for which I am certain I would have had no takers. It started as little blisters on his feet, and I went to the doctor thinking it was coxsackie. He didn’t have any other symptoms, though, aside from a smaller number of blisters on his hand. The pediatrician was underwhelmed by his lack of other symptoms, and I was simply grateful that he could go to daycare and that his mouth was unaffected.
When the blisters came back a second time soon after, the doctor was flummoxed but still unconcerned. The blisters, which now covered the soles of his feet, continued to multiply and grow, so I ran to a dermatologist on Erev Shabbos. In the way of all good dermatologists, she prescribed a high-strength steroid. I was hesitant to use something so strong on such a sensitive body
part, especially since he was an infant and didn’t seem particularly bothered unless we touched his blisters — which none of us wanted to do in the first place. She diagnosed him with a certain very specific and uncommon brand of eczema, which didn’t sit right with me.
When the blisters came back yet again with a vengeance, I begged my way to an appointment with a highly rated pediatric dermatologist who typically had a months’ long waitlist. She was in awe! The soles of Meir’s feet and toes were at this point completely covered, obscured by firm jellybean-like blisters. Think fresh bubble wrap, with tinted, unevenly sized bubbles. She promptly diagnosed him with infantile acropustulosis, which is basically a fancy name for, drumroll please, pustules on an infant. This rare skin condition of unknown cause occurs in infants, and she assured me that over the next year or two, it would recur with less frequency and intensity each time until he outgrew it completely at around age three.
The dermatologist asked for permission to take pictures and for me to sign a consent form to use the pictures for textbook and teaching purposes, which was actually kind of cool. Then, like the first dermatologist (who had the wrong diagnosis), she also offered to prescribe steroids. Because she felt that the blisters she was looking at were not “alive” anymore, we opted out of steroids (and the offered biopsy) and left with the promise that the office would squeeze us in as soon as the next bout began in case we did want to try treatment. Thankfully, we never needed to return, as future episodes were indeed milder, and now that we knew what they were, they were nothing to write home about.
Meir’s weird and blistery feet remain just another blip on the list of random and mysterious ailments that kids seem to regularly turn up with, usually on Erev Shabbosos and Yomim Tovim. And my oldest, who wouldn’t hold him with his jellybean feet? She’s grateful to this day that the pictures of his feet (taken to send to a doctor cousin during our quest for a diagnosis) were such a valuable contribution to the Shechin page on her makkos report.
Before the plague of fire-andice hailstones, the Egyptians had never seen rain. The land got its water from the Nile overflow, and precipitation was unknown in the region. But now they had chunks of ice as large as watermelons (the measure of six handfuls each) falling on their heads. Inside the ice were flames. Those who weren’t crouched under their beds or cowering in the corners out of great fear looked out of their windows to see massive balls of fire falling from the sky, crashing to the earth in a storm of destruction.
HSTORM OF ICE
SIVI SEKULA
ailstorms might seem like a minor inconvenience, but in some cases, they can turn into fullblown disasters. That’s what happened in Kansas City on April 10, 2001, when a violent storm pounded the region with baseball-sized hailstones, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
The storm that hit Kansas City wasn’t just another spring shower; it was a monster. The skies darkened, winds howled, and then, without warning, massive chunks of ice began raining down from the sky. The hailstorm tore through the area, smashing windows, denting cars and wrecking rooftops. People who were outside at the time ran for cover as ice chunks, some as big as softballs, fell from the sky.
The storm didn’t just target Kansas City; its path of destruction stretched across three states, with hail-covered roads looking like they had
been hit by a freak blizzard in the middle of April.
By the time the storm was over, thousands of vehicles looked like they had been through a warzone, their surfaces battered with dents and shattered glass, and insurance companies were overwhelmed with claims.
In total, the storm caused over $1.5 billion in damages, making it the most expensive hailstorm in U.S. history.
* * * * *
Nine years later, another record-breaking hailstorm took place in Vivian, South Dakota.
When the storm rolled through the small town on July 23, 2010, it left behind one of the biggest hailstones ever recorded. The fierce hailstorm pounded local resident Les Scott’s yard, producing thunderous crashes as ice chunks battered his home, tearing through the roof.
“It was like a guy was throwing bricks at the house,” Scott recalled. “It was scary.”
The storm’s hailstones were monstrous, some striking the ground with such force that they left holes the size of coffee cans in the dirt. Among the icy wreckage, Scott spotted an exceptionally large hailstone and decided to keep it. That evening, during a phone call with a local meteorologist, he jokingly said that he was considering using it to mix a daiquiri — a plan quickly abandoned after the Aberdeen National Weather Service convinced him otherwise.
The next day, weather experts arrived to document the incredible find. Their precise measurements confirmed the hailstone’s record-breaking status: an 8-inch diameter, later certified by the National Climate Extremes Committee.
To preserve history, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research created a few plaster replicas of the Vivian hailstone, which are on display at several museums. With an original weight of roughly 2 pounds and a circumference of 19 inches, the Vivian hailstone remains one of nature’s most astonishing weather phenomena.
Completely distraught, the Egyptians watched as billions of grasshoppers consumed every bit of foliage around them. But then, just as the sun set on Friday, the grasshoppers stopped munching. An entire day passed in silence. It seemed the grasshoppers had completed their job, and the Egyptians began thinking of ways to restore their land. But as soon as Shabbos was over, the grasshoppers got to work again — eating everything they found, even though there seemed to be nothing edible in sight.
Hashem’s employees rest on Shabbos, unlike the Yidden under Egyptian jurisdiction who were forced to endure a seven-day workweek.
SA LOCUST BY ANY OTHER NAME
SANDY ELLER
o, technically, the swarm of winged insects that covered every single surface that I could see wasn’t exactly a swarm of locusts. But it was horrifying and noisy, and it was pretty much impossible to walk anywhere for a good six weeks without stepping on one.
It all happened in May 1987, when I was a newlywed living 200 miles away from home in Baltimore. One evening, as we went for a pre-Mincha walk, I told my New Jersey-born husband that I had heard about cicadas coming, but had no idea what they were. Like me, my husband hadn’t been in Baltimore in 1970, the last time cicadas took over town, but he had heard of them, and reassuringly told me that they were bugs that showed up every few years.
“But they’re no big deal,” he said. “You hardly even notice them, and they’re gone before you know it.”
Little did either of us know that we had arrived in Baltimore right before trillions of cicadas, known as Brood X, were due to emerge from the ground, something they do every seventeen years like clockwork.
Just so you know, cicadas aren’t anything like your average housefly. After climbing up every
tree they can possibly find, they evolve into one- to two-inch-long creepy crawlies with five (!!) bright red eyes, six orange legs, and three- to four-inch wingspans. Worse yet, cicadas shed their outer skeletons without a care in the world, leaving behind a veritable carpet of brown shells that go crunch when you step on them. And you will step on them, because they are literally everywhere.
I first realized that something was off one Shabbos morning as I was touching up my stillunfamiliar sheitel. Glancing out the window, I noticed that the leaves of a nearby tree were brown instead of their usual green. And then it hit me: Those weren’t leaves I was seeing; those were cicadas, and there were so many of them that you couldn’t even see the tree’s actual foliage.
For the next six weeks, Baltimore was blanketed in cicadas, and while they don’t bite or destroy plants like locusts do, on a scale of one to ten, their annoyance factor is well into the thousands. Forget about shaking off a cicada that flew straight into you and landed on you — their feet are sticky, making them tough to brush off. Noisily chirping at a volume equal to that of an average motorcycle, cicadas can wreak havoc on cars, damaging paint and clogging grills and exhaust pipes. One story that made the rounds that spring involved someone who got into a crash while trying to swat a cicada out of their car.
I would love to tell you that I enjoyed a mah rabu maasecha Hashem experience, but I would be lying. I stayed home whenever possible, my heart aching for the mothers who had no choice but to keep their kids inside for weeks to ensure that they weren’t playing with — or worse yet, nibbling on — Baltimore’s latest guests. All these years later, I still cringe when I think of cicadas, and the non-kosher restaurant that advertised a new menu item: franks in cicada sauce.
As Hashem’s creations, I have no doubt that cicadas serve a purpose in this world, but I’m already marking my calendar for their next emergence in 2038 to make sure I am far, far away from cicada territory.
It happened smack in the middle of one bright morning. Suddenly, the world went dark. It was a darkness darker than night. It was impossible for the Egyptians to see the person standing right near them, or even to see their own hand, lifted before their eyes.
The Egyptians panicked, each one thinking he had lost his vision and turned blind. His eyes were open, yet he could see nothing! In the first few moments, the entire country was enveloped in deep silence. This was soon followed by a noisy uproar, as men, women and children began to cry in fear.
The Egyptians had darkened the eyes of Klal Yisroel through backbreaking labor, and now they were finding themselves shrouded in darkness.
IA BLINDING FEAR
FRAIDY MANN
remember the darkness. That, and the indignance I felt at the promise that I’d be rewarded if I could see how many fingers my father was holding up, even though I couldn’t see
It all began a few minutes earlier. I was six years old and playing with a cousin in a kiddie pool on the porch. Super excited about something, I ran from the porch into the kitchen, slipped, fell, and knocked my head on the tiled floor.
When I sat up, I couldn’t see.
I was young, and so my discomfort was more about how I felt in the moment. But my parents and siblings were struck by terror. My memories contain the impression of a sister or two somewhere in the background, but later I would hear how all they could think was Braille. A walking stick. Groping hands. A sister who was blind
Fraidy’s mother remembers:
The day Fraidy knocked her head and temporarily lost her vision is one of my most terrifying memories. She ran inside straight from the pool, and the tiled kitchen floor and her wet feet were a recipe for disaster. She slipped, fell, and bumped her head, and when she got up, she said she couldn’t see.
Torn between supreme panic and disbelief, my husband and I — due to fear more than anything — first thought Fraidy might be overdramatizing her fall.
“Can you see how many fingers I’m holding up?” my
husband asked, desperation coloring his voice. “If you tell me how many fingers I have, I’ll buy you a treat!”
“I know you have five fingers,” Fraidy said tearfully, “but I can’t see how many you’re holding up!”
After a few minutes, I dressed her quickly, my husband picked her up, and we headed straight to our family doctor, Dr. David Simons, who lived only a few blocks away.
The doctor examined her. Then he asked her to look at a picture book with him.
“Can you see the animal on the page?” he asked. “What is it?”
Fraidy shook her head. She couldn’t see.
“Fraidy, can you tell me what color it is?”
She couldn’t.
It’s always frightening to see a doctor looking scared, and Dr. Simons looked so scared that afternoon, my heart turned to ice. He tucked one hand into his pocket — I think it was so we shouldn’t see it trembling — and used his second hand to call Hatzoloh.
“What’s the soonest we can get to Westchester?” he asked.
The answer was a shockingly short length of time, and before we knew it, the truck was in the doctor’s parking lot.
Fraidy had fallen asleep on my husband’s shoulder at that point, which scared the wits out of us, but Dr. Simons assured us that it was simply the trauma that was exhausting her, and that we needn’t worry.
Midway to the hospital — we were on the Tappan Zee Bridge — Fraidy suddenly stirred. She opened her eyes — and looked around the truck. She could see!
The relief that lit up that tiny Hatzoloh truck was more intense than words can describe. Can words really illustrate the terror of a parent worrying that their child was losing their vision? Can words illustrate the relief? Baruch Hashem, Fraidy could see!
The following day, Dr. Simons called us up to check in, and to inform us that there was a name for what happened the previous day. Apparently, a knock to the head could suppress the blood flow to and from optic pathways, causing sudden and temporary blindness.
Gifts we are born with are easy to take for granted, but that fateful day, the gift of sight was one we learned to be grateful for — always.
There was no home that had no corpse. The Egyptians could not be consoled as they watched fathers, wives, sons, daughters and siblings — some of whom they themselves did not know were firstborns — die before their eyes.
And they had no one to turn to. Their gods had been smitten in the previous Makkos — the Nile, the sun, Pharaoh, and even their sheep, who were being slaughtered for the Korban Pesach. They ran to their idols, but they, too, were struck in this Makkah. Clay idols were broken to pieces; wooden idols grew wormy and rotted; stone idols dissolved, exploded or were burned; and idols of gold and silver simply melted.
The Egyptians were left with no support — only the forced recognition that there was but One G-d Who guides the world with precision.
TPARENTING THE BECHOR
RIVKA LEVITANSKY
here’s an advantage to being the first child; the oldest gets tons of love and attention, and they are appreciated, wanted and have no competition. They get their parents’ total and undivided attention, and their parents take endless delight in everything they do. It’s a great foundation for any child.
But there are some pitfalls when parenting a bechor, an oldest son or daughter. It’s your first child, you don’t know anything yet, and you’re learning on the job. Now, that’s the system Hashem created, and you can definitely be successful. But it’s important to be aware that with your first child, you don’t really understand what they can and can’t do developmentally. And, of course, there’s a range; individual children will be capable of different things at different times.
A Yiddishe home has a hierarchy. It’s not a democracy where everyone is equal. Parents are the authority of the home, and children must listen to them. But even among the children, there is a hierarchy according to birth order. So the bechor (or bechora) gets more privileges than the second child, and the second gets more privileges than the third.
However, the oldest doesn’t just get some more privileges. They get many more privileges — about double, in fact. The reason for this is because parents are much more cautious with their first. The oldest child doesn’t get to cross the street until he’s ten, for instance, but the younger kids are crossing years earlier than that. In this way, we let the later children do things much earlier than we allowed the first. We’re less afraid, we’re used to
watching kids grow up, and we see from experience that it’s okay. It’s important to be aware of this tendency so you can make sure you’re not holding your bechor back.
When kids take note that they’re not being treated exactly the same as another child in the family, they might object (often very strongly), so it’s important to understand that we don’t treat all of our kids equally — not everyone gets exactly the same thing at the same time. Instead, we treat all of our kids fairly — and everyone gets exactly what’s right for them.
In the mitzvah kabeid es avicha v’es imecha, the Torah includes the oldest brother. It’s important that the oldest brother get the respect that the Torah assigns to him. If the other children complain, it’s okay to respond simply, “He’s the oldest.” If the oldest son does not get the respect that is due him, he may try to take it on his own, often by being aggressive toward his younger siblings. That’s his way of trying to assert authority and status. Giving him the privileges appropriate to his place in the family will fill that need, and he won’t need to fight for his rights.
While it’s important not to hold kids back, it’s important not to set expectations too high either. Rav Braverman, shlit”a, rosh yeshivah of Yeshivas Meah Shearim, says that menahelim can always tell which bochurim are the oldest in their family. He calls it “bechor syndrome”: The father expects way too much from the son — in davening, learning and behavior — and the son feels that he never measures up. The end result is low self-esteem as the bechor believes he can’t achieve what he should and will never be good enough.
This plays out differently with girls. A mother with an oldest daughter often needs her help, and of course, it’s appropriate for all children in a family to help according to their abilities. But just because you need a certain amount of help doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for your bechora to provide all that help. It’s important to make sure that you’re not demanding too much.
In any discussion of parenting, the most important thing is to give your children love regardless of anything they do or don’t do. Discipline may sometimes be necessary, but love is always necessary. Believe in your children, and they’ll believe in themselves. Behave toward them in ways that demonstrate that you believe they’re great, and you believe they’re capable. That will build them and bring out the best in them, from the oldest down to the baby.
Ohel Presents
SPRING ANGERMANAGEMENT GROUPS
Ages 7-11
Dr. Chaim Neuhoff & Daniel Friedman, LMSW
1 - hour sessions
From Pesach - Summer
Ages 12-14
Dr. Chaim Neuhoff & Yosef Karman, LMSW
Tuesday Evenings @ Ohel Flatbush
The groups will address the following skills through education, role-play, and practice, in a fun, child-friendly setting.
▶ Recognizing emotions
▶ Regulating emotions
(positive self-talk, deep breathing, distraction, etc.)
▶ Appropriate assertiveness
▶ Accepting authority
▶ Dealing with teasing
Ezra at Your Side, from Baby to Zeidy
When my father passed away in 2020, our family embarked on the bittersweet journey that follows loss — sorting through belongings, discovering forgotten mementos and piecing together fragments of a life we thought we knew. But a surprise awaited us. We uncovered a collection of letters, exchanged between my father and a few of his friends some 60 years earlier, when my father was still a bochur and when life was still of the sort where letter-writing was a common mode of communication.
As we carefully unfolded the pages, we discovered that they contained something more precious than we could have imagined: accounts of what comprised regular life in the early years of the Satmar community in postwar Williamsburg, centered around the towering figure of “the Rebbe.” My father, like his father, had been a staunch chassid of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, zy”a, following his every teaching with unwavering devotion. These letters were historical documents, windows into a world that no longer existed.
Each envelope we opened revealed new stories — a vivid description of a visit from the Skulener Rebbe, zt”l, a joyous hachnasas sefer Torah celebration one Shavuos, and countless other moments of significance in the community’s rehabilitation following the devastation of the Holocaust.
As I read through letter after letter, a question hovered in my mind: Would there be any descriptions of the Rebbe’s Seder? Throughout my childhood, my father mentioned the Rebbe’s Seder numerous times. Certainly, he spoke of it on Pesach, when he’d say, “The Rebbe stood at this part of the Haggadah,” or, “The Rebbe sang this nusach here,” but even during the year, the Rebbe’s Seder would sometimes come up in conversation. Therefore, it came as a surprise when I discovered — years later, in a casual conversation with my father — that he had never, in fact, attended a full Seder at the Rebbe.
My father was only ten when his father passed away, and the Rebbe became a surrogate father to him. But more than that, the Rebbe was his guide. “The Rebbe was my every thing,” he told me once. And yet, when he asked the Rebbe to join his Seder table, the Rebbe said, “You can’t leave
your mother alone. Your place is with her.”
Still, almost every year, he caught parts of the Seder. One year, he’d drop by before his family’s Seder started; another, he’d go over when it ended. His mother, too, encouraged him and his brothers to go and see the Rebbe’s Seder.
Because my father had lost his father at such a young age, he didn’t remember all of his father’s minhagim. And so, to supplement what was lacking, what we practiced at our family Seder were precise replications of what my father had witnessed at the Rebbe’s table — each gesture, each intonation, each ritual carefully preserved and transmitted to us as a sacred inheritance.
Therefore, when we found my father’s letters, I wondered whether there’d be any mention in them of the Rebbe’s Sedarim. Indeed, I was not disappointed. Just as in life, comments and anecdotes about the Rebbe’s Seder — and in one spot, a beautiful Torah insight he’d shared at one Seder — were sprinkled throughout the letters. These were tantalizing mentions, bringing me back to my childhood, fusing the connection between past and present. Because of this personal history, it was with great joy that I accepted the opportunity to listen in on and write up an interview conducted with Reb Hersh Meilech Wercberger, shlit”a, rosh hakahel of Satmar Monsey who was a bochur in those early postwar years, on what it was like to be witness to the Rebbe’s Sedarim. Here, at last, was another testimony to those sacred evenings — another voice to help reconstruct the experience my father had treasured so deeply.
The letter that contains a vort the Rebbe shared during one Seder
The Pesach Seder of the SATMAR REBBE, ZT”L, in Postwar Williamsburg
WALDMAN
Memories of Majesty:
An Interview With Reb Hersh Meilech Wercberger
Reb Hersh Meilech Wercberger is the son of Reb Avrum’ele Wercberger, one of the Rebbe’s closest people and a well-known figure in Satmar. Reb Hersh Meilech escaped the horrors of the Holocaust at the beginning of the war and eventually found himself, along with his family, in the embrace of the Satmar community in Williamsburg. One of his grandsons, Yitzchok*, conducted the interview, seeking to preserve these precious memories.
“WReb Hersh Meilech Wercberger seen standing next to the Satmar Rebbe, zy”a
ho was permitted to attend the Seder?” Yitzchok inquires. “Was it primarily bochurim? Yesomim?”
Reb Hersh Meilech shakes his head. “No, as a general rule, bochurim couldn’t come. The Rebbe had to make a decision each year about whom to include, because everyone wanted to attend, but the space was limited. Typically, the guests would be sheine Yidden, figures like Reb Yankele from Pshevorsk, zy”a
“Sometimes yesomim would be invited to the Seder. And, of course, there were some regular attendees each year — the Rebbe’s relatives, Reb Elya Teitelbaum, and several others.”
“And you? Were you ever fortunate enough to attend?”
A smile of pride crosses Reb Hersh Meilech’s face. “Yes, the first time I attended, Erev Pesach fell on Shabbos, just as it does this year. I was serving as the Rebbe’s hoiz bochur at that time. My assigned time was from Friday morning until Shabbos morning. Since I would be there on Shabbos anyway, I approached the Rebbe and expressed my wish to remain for the Seder.
“But the Rebbe, ever mindful of family obligations, asked
me, ‘What about your father?’ I told him that my father had other children at home, and that he specifically wanted me to have this experience. So then, the Rebbe agreed.”
“Which year was this?” Yitzchok asks.
Reb Hersh Meilech’s reply is swift in coming. “Year 5714 [1954]. And then, when I was engaged to be married, I was able to go again.”
“So the Rebbe allowed chasanim to attend?”
“Well, some of them,” Reb Hersh Meilech says. “Each person had to approach the Rebbe individually, and the Rebbe would decide whom he could accommodate. Reb Yankele, zy”a, for instance, was permitted to attend the entire Seder each year.”
“Wait,” Yitzchok says. “What about Reb Yankele’s wife and children? Did they attend the Seder too?”
“No. For years, Reb Yankele would travel to Williamsburg for Pesach without his family.”
“What was the atmosphere like? Was there a sense of gravity, of formality?”
“No, there was no formality at all.” Reb Hersh Meilech is very clear about this. “It was just malchus’dig, regal. The Rebbe conducted every aspect with such royal dignity. Even before
It’s never the right time for a plumbing issue. But when you need us, we’re there.
HE’S READY TO KASHER THE KITCHEN, BUT THE WATER IS BARELY
the Seder, the Rebbe would begin by distributing matzah. People would come by, even those who weren’t attending the Seder, to receive a piece of matzah directly from his hand.”
Reb Hersh Meilech’s voice grows soft with the memories. “Then the Rebbe came to the Seder table with such a glow, such sheinkeit. I once heard that those who attended the Chasam Sofer’s Seder couldn’t look directly at his face — so powerful was the radiance emanating from him. It was almost like that with our Rebbe. Such splendor!”
“Approximately how many people attended?”
“Perhaps thirty or forty,” Reb Hersh Meilech estimates. “Possibly as many as fifty in some years. The table was prepared beautifully, with exquisite attention to detail. The Rebbetzin had an expert eye for beautiful things, unmatched by anyone else.”
His description takes on a poetic quality. “When the Rebbe entered the room, it was as if the sun itself had risen — such was his glow. He would take his place on his beautiful hesev bet, surrounded by lush pillows. Holding onto his tallis, he would begin to recite the Haggadah with a melody of otherworldly beauty.
The Satmar Rebbe, zy”a, by a Hanachas Even Hapinah in Monsey for the new Satmar Mosdos. Seen speaking is Reb Hersh Meilech, Satmar Monsey Rosh Hakahal.
Reb Hersh Meilech’s voice rises in imitation of the Rebbe’s passionate delivery. “‘Avadim hayini l’Paroh b’Mitzrayim!’ the Rebbe would exclaim, and those attending would hum along to themselves.”
“Did the Rebbe share many Torah insights during the Seder?” Yitzchok asks.
“Yes, certainly, many Torah insights. He would pause at various points to share a vort here, another teaching there. There were many profound interpretations throughout the evening. I specifically remember how he recited Hallel with unbelievable fervor, and how he paused at the pasuk, ‘Hashem li b’ozroy, v’ani ereh b’son’oy.’
“‘Ribono Shel Olam,’ the Rebbe said, ‘we have no way of knowing who is true to us and who is an enemy. So we beg You, Hashem li b’ozroy, help us, Hashem, that we should have the siyata d’Shmaya, v’ani ereh b’son’oy, to know and see who is in reality our enemy.’”
Here Yitzchok steers the conversation to the specific hanhagos observed at the Rebbe’s table. “Was the Rebbe strict about eating the afikomen before midnight?”
Reb Hersh Meilech near the microphone at the Hanachas Even Hapinah
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“Yes, definitely,” confirms Reb Hersh Meilech. “Immediately after the brachos and the k’zaysim — Motzi Matzah, Marror — the Rebbe would request the afikomen. But he would gesture to the guests, ‘Nu, nu, nu,’ that they should continue eating the seudah The Rebbe himself didn’t eat the seudah because he was stringent about consuming the afikomen before chatzos. Actually, many of the guests present followed his example anyway.
“The Rebbe would recline completely, from head to toe on the hesev bet, and eat the k’zaysim in that position, with such fervor, such zeal! He pronounced the brachos loudly, with intensity, infusing each word with profound feeling.”
“Who would steal the afikomen?” asks Yitzchok.
A smile plays across Reb Hersh Meilech’s face. “On one occasion, my father took it.”
“Oh, so your father also attended the Seder?”
“No, not as an official guest,” Reb Hersh Meilech clarifies. “But we lived upstairs from the Rebbe’s quarters at 500 Bedford Avenue, so my father would go downstairs just to observe portions of the Seder. We were always going up and down. So once, he took the afikomen. But the Rebbe didn’t really like it when people stole the afikomen, so my father simply gave it
back without asking for anything specific.
“I remember once when Chaim’l, who is now the Ropshitzer Rav, was a young boy, and he stole the afikomen. But generally speaking, the Rebbe didn’t promise any significant brachos for the return of the afikomen.”
“How long did the entire Seder typically last?” Yitzchok asked.
“It didn’t run that late, because the Rebbe wanted to eat the afikomen before chatzos. But once the afikomen was eaten, the pace would slow. On the second night, since the Rebbe was only particular about eating the k’zaysim before chatzos, and not the afikomen, the Seder often took longer.”
“What did the Rebbe drink during the Seder? Was it wine? Must?”
“He drank heimishe wine. People would bring wine they had prepared themselves. Everyone wanted the Rebbe to use their wine.
“I must emphasize again,” says Reb Hersh Meilech, “that from the moment the Rebbe entered the room, the experience was utem-farchapendig, absolutely breathtaking! His niggun was indescribably beautiful. Every element of the Seder held fascination. Each year, like I
Reb Avrum’ele Wercberger, z”l, seen standing on the left of the Satmar Rebbe, zy”a
Reb Hersh Meilech Wercberger walking in the streets of Monsey with the Beirach Moshe of Satmar, zy”a
The
Satmar Rebbe, zy”a, on the ship on the way to Eretz Yisroel. Seen is Reb Avrum’ele Wercberger, z”l.
said, our family would come downstairs periodically throughout the evening, just to observe whichever portion of the Seder was underway.”
“Who prepared the food?” Yitzchok inquires.
“The Rebbetzin herself did the cooking, with assistance,” Reb Hersh Meilech says. “During the Seder, the Rebbetzin sat in an adjacent room. You’re familiar with the layout at 500 Bedford Avenue, yes? One room opened into another, and they would leave the connecting door open. The Rebbetzin sat at her own table in that second room, positioned directly across from the Rebbe. Several women sat with her, close relatives of the family.”
“Who was chosen to ask the Mah Nishtanah?”
“Sometimes it was Reb Yossel [Ashkenazi],” Reb Hersh Meilech recalls. “On other occasions, it would be Chaim’l, the son of the Muzhai’er Rav. There was always someone else. The Rebbe would listen, then repeat the fir kashes aloud.”
As the interview draws to a close, Reb Hersh Meilech seems reluctant to end his reminiscing.
“I want to share something else with you. This isn’t about Pesach specifically, but it helps to illustrate what those early years were like — the extraordinary beauty of the Rebbe’s presence.
“In those early years, the Satmar community was tiny; sometimes barely a minyan gathered for Shacharis. But the Rebbe would recite Barchu, krias haTorah, with such exquisite tniyes Those were himlishe zachen — from Heaven itself. Simply to listen was a privilege beyond description. Aza min sheinkeit — such beauty — I cannot adequately convey it in words. On Friday nights, as well, the Rebbe would begin the evening tefillos with such depth of feeling, such heartfelt brokenness. Even a simple Maariv became transcendent. I’m attempting to describe it, but it’s truly impossible to capture it in language.
“In Monticello, there was a litvishe Yid, a talmid chacham, who operated a chicken farm. He was among those who had found refuge in Shanghai during the Holocaust. One year, when the Rebbe was staying in the countryside, he was studying Torah in the middle of the night, chanting aloud with a soul-stirring melody. I was zoche to be there at that time. Suddenly, I noticed the farmer running toward us. The night was still, and sound carried great distances in the quiet. The Rebbe’s beautiful voice had penetrated the darkness, and this man couldn’t resist it. He felt compelled to come closer, drawn by that irresistible beauty of sound.”
The Legacy Continues
It has been 46 years since the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, zt”l, passed away. But the minhagim of his Seder, as well as his countless other teachings, continue to be maintained and cherished in countless families, including my own. Every time we sit or stand at the Seder table, with every bracha we pronounce and niggun we sing, we are not merely performing rituals; we are participating in a living legacy that stretches back to the light that was kindled anew in postwar Williamsburg after the darkness of the Holocaust.
In those early years, the Rebbe’s Seder table became more than just an observance. It represented continuity, resilience and the triumph of faith in the face of unimaginable loss. The meticulous attention to detail, the insistence on beauty even amid scarcity, the strict adherence to tradition — these were not merely expressions of devotion, but acts of spiritual resistance against the forces that had sought to eradicate Jewish life entirely.
In a world of constant change and upheaval, there is profound comfort in maintaining these threads of connection — from the Rebbe to my father, to Reb Hersh Meilech and others of that generation; from them to us; and b’ezras Hashem, from us to future generations.
This, perhaps, is the deepest meaning of the Haggadah’s instruction: “B’chol dor v’dor… In every generation, each person must see himself as though he personally came out of Mitzrayim.”
Through these cherished traditions, these carefully preserved memories, we transcend time itself, participating in an eternal moment that binds all generations of Yidden together.
You inspected every nook and cranny in your home. You checked your cosmetics, your soaps, your prescriptions. You measured your matzah and becher. Don’t overlook your head covering.
The Chazon Ish says: A woman’s yiras shamayim is measured by the way she covers her hair.
Your head covering: Should not look like it's growing out of your head - even if it's not lace. Should not be too long or too flat. Should be refined!
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Chometz for the Chasan
My sister got engaged the day before Purim (she was 28 and no one wanted to wait an extra minute). The vort was in my parents’ house, and many people sent gifts, which stayed in their house in a corner of the guest room.
On Erev Pesach, af ter sof zman of all the zmanim, my sister the kallah suddenly remembered that one of the gifts, which had been sent from a friend of the chasan, was a set of designer glassware wrapped elegantly with an expensive bottle of whiskey.
In other words, chometz.
She told my father, who said that since it belonged to the chasan and not to him, his kol chamira did not cover it. With the clock ticking down to the deadline, he rapidly did a mental scan of the relevant factors and finally told her to pour it down the sink. Which she did... right before licht bentschen L’chaim!
Welcome to the Neighborhood
In the days leading up to Pesach, I kept getting a whiff of bonfire smoke.
Why are the neighbors making their own fires? I wondered. Much simpler to get the challah burned elsewhere.
I was almost smug about the way my husband chose to do things. Why was it necessary to add the drama of fire danger to an already hectic Erev Yom Tov?
In addition to the smell of smoke on the breeze, I also kept getting calls from my sister. “Gitty left her bag here when she helped out with the day camp. Can you send someone for it?”
Sure we could. Except we were also knee deep in egg lokshen, Mr. Clean and aluminum foil. My daughter’s bag couldn’t be that important, could it? What did it contain, her sweater?
The days flipped by, and all of a sudden, it was late afternoon on Erev Pesach. The zman was nearing, and with the advent of Yom Tov came that whoosh of relief. I made it!
I sat down with a warm plate of beef stew and tuned out the rest of the house.
I was enjoying my food when I heard a knock at the door. My husband opened it, there was an exchange of conversation, and then he was back inside, bag in hand.
“Your sister sent this over,” he said. “It’s Gitty’s bag.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “Thanks.”
Then he looked into the bag and gave a tiny exclamation. It was not a happy exclamation. His hand disappeared inside and emerged with a suspiciously shaped piece of silver foil.
He unwrapped it, and sure enough, there was Gitty’s uneaten lunch from a few days earlier. It may or may not have amounted to a full slice of bread.
“Well, we need to burn this,” he said. “It isn’t Pesach yet, so there’s no covering it or whatever, and it’s too late to throw it out.”
He quickly collected a few matches, a pan and some napkins, and burned the chometz right outside our door. And so it was that our family got our very own fire. Welcome to the neighborhood.
— Faigy Held
— Esther King
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
BRACHALA LISSAUER
Down the Drain
It was Chol Hamoed, and we kids were eagerly looking forward to our relatives’ arrival. True, they weren’t frum, but they knew that Pesach was family time, and they loved coming and munching on matzah with us (along with some more of my mother’s amazing cooking, of course).
We waited by the window and ran out to welcome them as soon as the car pulled up. Everyone came inside in high spirits. Calling “Happy Passover!” my uncle grabbed my father and added, “And I brought something special for you!”
He proceeded to pull out a lovely gift: a bottle of whiskey, which also happened to be pure chometz
The room got really quiet really fast. My father stood there dumbly, unsure how to react.
My mother, afraid my uncle would be hurt and upset, grabbed the bottle and said hastily, “Thank you so much!” She rushed out of the room and hid the bottle with the sold chometz
After the relatives left, my parents called our rav, who said that as the bottle had been in a Yid’s possession during Pesach, it had to be destroyed.
My father gathered everyone around and poured the entire bottle down the drain. He said that it was the most expensive biur chometz he’d ever had the zechus to do.
Culture Shock
— Shayna Stein
It was Pesach of 1925, the first Yom Tov after my great-grandmother, Hinda Schonfeld nee Berman, married her fine yeshiva bochur of a husband from the town of Hanishewitz. They settled into their new life, Oma building her home meticulously with her beautiful, hand-monogrammed linens and towels and perfect pastry and cooking skills; he rising early to learn in the predawn hours and solemnly entering the world of business.
Winter passed, Pesach approached, and Oma did everything she had seen her mother and the maids do back home: She cleaned and dusted the house till it shone; soaked, dried and ironed every tablecloth and crocheted doily; and scrubbed the crockery. Once every crumb of chometz was out, she prepared to kasher. Then came the afternoon before bedikas chometz, and her husband came home, holding a small parcel wrapped in paper. A Yom Tov gift? No. To her horror, he unfolded the papers to reveal a piece of bread, which he began to break into pieces that he then distributed on shelves around the house
Chometz! On Erev Pesach!
Hinda was beside herself. “Vus far an am ha’aretz hust du far mir getroffen!” the distraught young housewife wailed hysterically to her father. “What kind of am ha’aretz did you marry me off to? He brings bread into the house on Erev Pesach!”
“Nein, mamelle... it’s a well-known minhag many people follow, so the bracha on bedikas chometz should not be l’vatalah. Your Shloimeh knows what he’s doing. Trust him.”
Trust and respect him she did, for many long and harmonious years. But the family never forgot her sincere horror at the most agonizing of her husband’s minhagim — those ten pieces of bread on Erev Pesach.
— Riki Goldstein
Don’t Bite
On Chol Hamoed afternoon, I was settling onto the couch for a mini break from the kitchen, holding a square of chocolate in my hand. Inexplicably, instead of popping it into my mouth, I jumped up to take a second look at the wrapper. Lo and behold, the bar we had bought in the Pesach aisle, among its Pesach’dig look-alikes, had no kosher l’Pesach hechsher
I have no idea what pushed me to double check, but I still quiver when I think how close I was to consuming a bite of questionable food on Pesach.
— Gittel Haber
A couple years ago, I hosted a lot of guests for Pesach — a different set for first days and second days and Shabbos Chol Hamoed. The only thing more overwhelming than the cooking was changing the linen over and over.
At some point, I was rooting around in the linen closet for yet another set of linen when my hand closed over something wedged tightly inside a folded sheet. I pulled it out, barely registering the ominous crackle of cellophane: from Simchas Torah.
Apparently, someone had hidden it in the linen closet for future use. And had then forgotten about it. And now
I have an airtight defense. I had cleaned the linen closet for Pesach. But nowhere does it say you have to unfold and shake out every sheet and pillowcase! My brain knew that halachically I was covered. But my heart still felt deeply chagrined that my months of deep cleaning and Pesach preparations had been outmaneuvered by a four-year-old... on the preceding Sukkos!
— Blumi Freid
Totally Fine
I was still a fresh-faced newlywed when our first baby was born at the end of shanah rishonah. A few months later, we went to my in-laws for Pesach. I still thought of myself as a kallah adjusting to a new family and new minhagim, but now I also had a new baby in my arms, and so many more new things to learn. But all new mothers manage, and I would too… right?
So there we were, the new chasan-kallah-slash-new-parents, arriving at my in-laws house on Erev Pesach half an hour before the zman in a blaze of glory and cascade of luggage. Is there any moment in the year more stressful than half an hour before the zman on Erev Pesach? Of course, the baby was screaming, so I walked into the kitchen to prepare a bottle. There was a little formula left in the bottle from the previous feeding, so without thinking, I poured it down the sink.
Then I remembered it was kitniyos
I just stood there. Could I really tell my new mother-in-law that after all the effort she had put in to clean and kasher, her new daughter-in-law had just flippantly poured kitniyos formula into her kosher l’Pesach kitchen sink?
But… how could I not?
The anxiety woke up my inner posek. It was just kitniyos, not chometz; it wasn’t hot; it was probably totally fine… right?
But eventually my conscience won out. With just minutes to the zman, I whispered to my husband what I had done. Without hesitating, he turned around and said to his father, “What should we do? We poured the kitniyos formula into the sink.”
His father paused for an instant and then said, “It’s totally fine. Don’t worry about it.”
That baby is now seventeen, and I’ve been making Pesach myself for many years. And even though I’m better versed in the halachos and minhagim now, and I know that it really was fine, I also know how much work goes into making Tom Tov, and how high tensions can run in the lead up to Yom Tov. And every year, about 30 minutes the zman, when I remember the harried new mother and the screaming baby and the kitniyos formula in the kosher l’Pesach sink, I feel grateful and awed at the patriarch of the family, who without missing a beat or making anyone feel bad, absorbed the situation and simply said, “It’s fine.”
—Devorah Schechter
•
Everything You Need to Know About Payroll: Insights from Industry Leaders
By: Eitan Reiffman
Payroll is one of the most critical functions of any business, yet it’s also one of the most challenging. From managing compliance to handling taxes and ensuring employees are paid correctly and on time—the complexity can often overwhelm even the most organized teams.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
process, improve accuracy, and eliminate a lot of the stress that comes with it.
Whether you're a startup or an established company, you shouldn’t have to settle for a payroll system that’s outdated, overly complicated, or doesn’t meet the unique needs of your workforce.
The good news? You have options that can streamline your payroll process, improve accuracy, and eliminate a lot of the stress that comes with it.
Here’s what you need to know to ensure your payroll practices are on par.
1. Automating Payroll: The Key to E ciency
One of the biggest pain points in payroll is the time-consuming process of manual data entry. Mistakes can easily happen when information is entered by hand, and the more time you spend on payroll, the less time you can focus on your core business. Automating your payroll process is a game-changer.
With the right tools, you can automatically calculate pay, deduct taxes, and even track hours worked, significantly reducing the risk of errors. At Brand's Payroll, our fully integrated, automated system ensures that everything from pay calculations to tax filing happens smoothly, so your team can focus on what matters most.
2. Compliance Is Non-Negotiable
Compliance with tax laws and employment regulations can be overwhelming, especially as your business grows. The penalties for non-compliance can be severe, and staying up to date with ever-changing rules is a constant challenge.
Payroll processing software should not only calculate wages but also help you stay on top of tax deadlines, employee benefits, and other legal requirements. At Brand's, we ensure that you are always in compliance by integrating the latest laws and regulations into our systems, so you don’t have to worry about costly mistakes.
3. The Importance of Reporting
Good payroll isn’t just about paying employees; it’s about having the ability
to analyze and report data to make informed business decisions. Whether you need to see trends in labor costs, track employee benefits, or view payroll discrepancies, having access to accurate, detailed reports is crucial.
A payroll solution that o ers robust reporting features makes it easy to access this information at the click of a button. Brand’s Payroll’s system includes customizable reports that give you insights into every aspect of your payroll—from wages to taxes to overtime, helping you make data-driven decisions.
4. Customization to Meet Your Needs
Every business is di erent, and one-size-fits-all solutions often fall short. Whether you need specific tax calculations, unique benefits administration, or specialized reporting, it’s essential to choose a payroll solution that can be tailored to your business needs.
Brand’s Payroll isn’t just a one-size-fits-all service. We customize our services to meet your unique requirements, integrating directly with your existing processes to ensure smooth, e cient operations.
5. The Human Element
Even with the best technology, payroll is still a human process. Issues will arise, questions will need to be answered, and things might go wrong. That’s why customer service is key. At Brand’s Payroll, we believe that excellent service is the backbone of our
business. Our customer success team isn’t just a call center—they are experts in the field, dedicated to ensuring that your payroll process runs smoothly. With our team on your side, you’ll never feel alone in handling payroll issues.
6. End-to-End Solutions for Complete Peace of Mind
Payroll isn’t just about paying employees. It encompasses everything from timekeeping, onboarding, and HR to benefits administration and retirement plans. And you need a solution that integrates all of these elements seamlessly.
With Brand’s Payroll, you get end-to-end solutions that cover all of your payroll needs under one roof. From comprehensive payroll processing to HR services and retirement planning, our proprietary software, Paydeck, integrates it all. Our team works tirelessly to optimize the system and
Why Settle for Less?
Now that you have a better understanding of the complexities of payroll, it’s clear that you need a solution that is efficient, reliable, and customizable. With over 50 years of experience in the payroll industry, Brand’s Payroll has the expertise to help businesses like yours streamline their payroll process and enhance employee satisfaction.
Our clients stay with us on average for 15+ years, and most of our employees have been with us for 7+ years—a testament to the quality of our services and the dedication of our team.
If you’re ready to take your payroll process to the next level, don’t settle for anything less than the best.
Key Payroll Terms Explained
Gross Pay vs. Net Pay: Gross Pay: The total earnings of an employee before any deductions (such as taxes, benefits, and retirement contributions).
Net Pay: The amount the employee takes home after all deductions are made.
Payroll Tax Liabilities:
Payroll taxes are deductions taken from an employee’s earnings to cover income taxes, Social Security, and Medicare contributions. Employers are also responsible for matching these contributions.
Wage Garnishments: Wage garnishments are court-ordered deductions from an employee’s paycheck. These may be related to child support, outstanding debts, or other legal obligations.
1099 vs. W-2 Employees: 1099
Employees: Independent contractors who are responsible for their own taxes and benefits. W-2 Employees: Employees for whom the employer withholds taxes, provides benefits, and o ers legal protections.
The Man Behind Brand's Payroll: Hershy Weiser, CEO
Hershy Weiser, CEO of Brand's Payroll, has always been committed to making payroll management easy, seamless, and headache-free for business owners. Under his leadership, Brand’s Payroll has not only evolved with the changing landscape of payroll technology but has also kept a deep focus on customer relationships.
Hershy reflects on Brand's 50-year journey:
“When I first stepped into the payroll world, it was a very different landscape. But I’ve always believed in combining cutting-edge technology with the human touch—our team is what makes
the experience at Brand’s truly special. Every day, we work tirelessly to ensure that our clients’ payroll isn’t just processed but done right, efficiently, and without the usual frustrations.
What excites me most is seeing how we can continue to help our clients excel and streamline their operations, allowing them to focus on their business without the worry of payroll.”
With Hershy at the helm, Brand’s Payroll continues to lead the way, offering personalized service, state-of-the-art technology, and unmatched expertise.
Contact Brand's Payroll today to discuss your payroll needs and discover how we can transform your payroll process into a seamless, flawless experience.
T: 718.625.1800
F: 718.625.1802
bp@brandspaycheck.com www.brandspaycheck.com
Contact Brand’s Payroll today and discover how we can help optimize your payroll operations, ensuring that everything runs smoothly, accurately, and on time.
Benefits Administration: This refers to the management of employee benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time o . Ensuring compliance and proper enrollment is a critical part of payroll processing.
Time & Attendance: Tracking employee work hours and attendance is an essential part of payroll. This includes overtime, paid time o (PTO), and sick leave, which all need to be accurately calculated.
LEAVING MITZRAYIM WAS THE ULTIMATE JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN. BUT SOON IT LOOKED LIKE THE YIDDEN HAD WALKED INTO A TRAP: THE EGYPTIANS BEHIND, THE SEA AHEAD, NO WAY OUT.
UNTIL, IN AN INSTANT, THE SEA SPLIT.
FINDING A ZIVUG IS LIKE THAT. YOU’RE LOST AND WANDERING AND HELPLESSLY STUCK, AND YOU CAN’T SEE ANY WAY OUT.
BUT HASHEM IS THERE, AND IN AN INSTANT, SALVATION ARRIVES: CLARITY, AND A WAY FORWARD.
THREE STORIES OF THE PATH TO THE PERFECT MATCH
MALKA KATZMAN
Destination Discovered
WE’RE ON OUR WAY TO ERETZ YISROEL ON A ONE-WAY TICKET. AT SIXTEEN, I DON’T APPRECIATE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE MOMENT. I’M EXCITED, CONFIDENT AND NOT AT ALL ANXIOUS. EVEN THOUGH THE FUTURE IS A MYSTERY.
We arrive in Eretz Yisroel, and after sleeping off the jetlag, I set out on my journey. I’m determined to ace this. I can acclimate to Israeli life, no problem.
The question is what it means to acclimate. I become fluent in Hebrew soon enough. I observe the culture carefully, and I get it. But… I choose to stick to my Americanness in the ways I like. My accent. My mentality. My friends.
I don’t bother making new friends. I have my old friends, who know me and love me. I call them at midnight my time, right when they come home from school at five, and we often schmooze through the night. Yes, I also cry sometimes.
I know I shouldn’t say this, but pretty soon, I regret moving to Eretz Yisroel. Why did I have to miss my senior high school year? Why couldn’t I have finished school with all of my friends?
I briefly consider boarding for the year in America, but by that time, it’s too little, too late. We’re already halfway into the year. I try to brace myself and move on.
It’s one step forward, two steps back. I try tutoring, and I hate it. I join the extra-
curricular program in school, and I feel like a foreigner. There’s nothing familiar here.
I am in no-man’s land. My friends back at home (what home?) are having a grand time without me. I miss them more than they miss me. And I don’t belong here.
If that’s not confusing enough, I also can’t find myself. In my desperate search to find where I fit on this earth, I have no time to look for me. I forget who I am, what I love to do, what makes me passionate.
Two and a half years after we move, my sun begins to shine. I’m engaged! I can wipe the vapor off the windows and get a spectacular view of my life.
Then comes a casual comment from my chasan’s mother.
“Good thing you moved here,” she confides. “We would never have considered a girl who lives in America.”
My wounds, not so raw anymore, begin to heal. I endured a traumatic move at a vulnerable age — but for a very good reason. My chasan was here, and I had to be here, too, in order to find him.
With time, I can point to the advantages of having moved here more than two years before getting married. I didn’t have to endure the double upheaval of moving and marriage at the same time, and I mastered the language, the culture and the milk bags before diving into the responsibilities of married life.
I followed my path into the desert. I couldn’t see the way, but only because I was surrounded by protective clouds. And then I reached the beautiful, flowering mountain that was my destiny.
It’s one step forward, two steps back. I try tutoring, and I hate it. I join the extracurricular program in school, and I feel like a foreigner. There’s nothing familiar here
Diverging Paths
I
GREW UP IN A HOME THAT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY HEIMISH — THAT NOTREALLY-LITVISH-BUT-NOT-REALLYCHASSIDISH HYBRID, GARTELS AND NUSACH SEFARD INCLUDED.
I never really thought deeply about it. It was the life I was born into, and it was great.
Then I entered shidduchim. And learned that I had to think deeply about everything.
The black and white issues were easier. I knew the qualities that were most important to me. As for heimish? Well, my family was heimish, so that meant I was, too. And I figured my future husband also would be. Wherever he was.
* * * * *
Time went on.
The process was interesting. We refined what we really wanted, and waved a gentle goodbye to other criteria — things that had once seemed important. My mother put it this way: We weren’t settling for less, just widening our circle of options.
It was an exhilarating experience that involved real inner work, and where the hand of Hashem was clear and powerful.
I still remember the Divine caresses.
The job that went so well from day one — great company, nice boss and the magnificent fulfillment that comes from teaching.
My great group of friends — some relationships growing ever clos-
er, and some new ones made from scratch.
The interests I pursued and loved — nothing like releasing your angst on a piano. Definitely less fattening than ice cream.
Because my family’s affiliation wasn’t clearly defined, we had gotten suggestions ranging from ultra-shtreimel to ultimate-bent down families. When I first entered shidduchim, we hadn’t seriously considered many boys from families that were very different from ours, in either direction. But the fact was that we’d been getting very few suggestions of the in-between type.
Eventually, a few years wiser, my parents got a few really good suggestions — all of real Litvish stock. And when they asked me if I would consider a real Litvish boy, I actually shocked myself — and them — by saying that I would.
It feels strange to say this, but I feel that Hashem put that clarity into my heart. It was as if my mindset
had simply shifted, with no apparent cause. It was unexplainable, but it was a true turning point. The daas Torah we consulted cemented our decision.
Time went on, bringing some more suggestions, many of them Litvish. My parents looked into them wholeheartedly, and my heart was at peace with the path we had chosen. I didn’t look back once. We told shadchanim that we’d be glad to consider a Litvish boy — and honestly, we were.
* * * * *
The yeshuah crept up on us so quietly and naturally, we didn’t realize what was happening. And just like that, I was engaged — to a shtarke Litvack.
So yes, we sit for Kiddush. And are really makpid about shkiah. And daven Nusach Ashkenaz.
Kigel became kugel. Chulent became cholent Git Shabbos became gut Shabbos. You get the picture.
But is the difference really that big, when we are just each on our own paths to the same destination?
The process was interesting. We refined what we really wanted, and waved a gentle goodbye to other criteria — things that had once seemed important
LIBA SILBER
EMUNA STEIN
Into the Desert
SOME JOURNEYS FIND YOU WELLPREPARED, PACKED AND COGNIZANT OF WHAT YOUR JOURNEY WILL INVOLVE.
Other times, you find yourself embarking on a trip you’d never imagined, with no guideposts, no guidebook, and no guide to… well… guide you.
That’s really what happened when I married a boy who wanted to stay in learning.
I’d never planned that. My family was chozer b’teshuvah during my childhood, and I changed schools several times as my family’s observance grew stronger. We were frum, sure, but marrying someone who wanted to learn in kollel was totally not in the cards for me.
My parents were open to it; I wasn’t. I knew exactly what I wanted: I was going to marry a professional (hopefully a doctor), support him through school, and then reap the rewards and benefits of being married to a self-sufficient, well-to-do provider. Yiddishkeit was important to me, and I knew our home would have Shabbos, Torah, and an emphasis on good middos. I knew my husband would go to a shiur and hopefully even make time to learn daily. I davened that he would be a ba’al middos and would have yiras Shamayim But kollel? Full-time learning? No way. Not for me. Absolutely not.
My mother never worked. We thrived on her attention, her presence, her availability. I wanted that for my kids. I wanted my husband to provide materially so I could raise our family. Of course, he’d make enough money to pay for cleaning help, and I would center my days on family and on engaging, stimulating volunteer
work for the klal. I had it all planned out.
No matter how many times kollel came up, I remained firm. It wasn’t for me. Honestly, I didn’t even have the tools to appreciate the concept. Nothing in my life had imbued me with the value of Torah learning as a full-time occupation. I most certainly did not want my kids to grow up in poverty and deprivation, didn’t want that for myself, and most certainly did not want to be the breadwinner.
But man plans and Hashem laughs. I’m sure He was laughing as I laid out my plans and dreamed my dreams.
Somehow, after two years in shidduchim, I met and married my husband. I’m still not quite sure how that happened, seeing as my stand against a learning boy remained unchanged. But he was redt to me, and I was somehow convinced to meet him. He was (and remains) a special person, and I was honored to marry him, to the degree that I was even willing to humor his desire to learn for “as long as possible.” He reassured me that, of course, he would go out to work if we needed him to. After all, he explained, the kesubah clearly outlines a husband’s obliga-
tions toward his wife. Thus reassured, and basking in the light of this incredible person, we got engaged and then married.
I knew we’d do it for a year, maybe two, maybe even longer. I was happy to work until I had kids, and my parents and in-laws each tried to help out with rent for a while.
And somehow… we’re still here. Over the last ten years, hodu laShem, our family grew, filling me with gratitude and love. I’m still working. My day is split between two parttime jobs, morning and late evening, so that I can be home with my kids when they need me.
With Hashem’s help, my husband will never leave learning. He knows it, and I know it. Sometimes it does get overwhelming, and I feel a little like a self-sacrificing soul. Sometimes, I wonder how in the world I am here, living this life, raising this family.
But other times… many more times… I look up toward the Ribbono Shel Olam, and I thank Him for the life I am living, the path he charted for me, and the destination he brought me to.
I knew exactly what I wanted: I was going to marry a professional (hopefully a doctor), support him through school, and then reap the rewards
עגיטכיוו
ןעגנוזייוונא טייהרעכיז
10th Avenue
45th Street cor. 10th Ave.
11th Avenue 56th Street cor. 11th Ave. 12th Avenue
37th Street cor. 12th Ave.
41st Street cor. 12th Ave.
45th Street cor. 12th Ave. 13th Avenue 43rd Street cor. 13th Ave.
53rd Street cor. NU Ave. 14th Avenue
45th Street cor. 14th Ave
50th Street cor. 14th Ave. 1350 53rd Street
58th St. SE cor. 14th Ave. 15th Avenue 39th St. SE cor. 15th Ave.
55th Street cor. 15th Ave. 16th Avenue 49th Street cor. 16th Ave. 17th Avenue 48th Street cor. old NU
56th Street cor. 17th 18th Avenue 18th Ave cor. Dahill
58th St. cor. 18th Ave. 19th Avenue 50th Street cor. 19th Ave. 21st Avenue 5822 21st Ave
Avenue F. E. 2nd Street cor. Ave. F. Ditmes Ave. 671 E. 7th Street Cortelyou Rd Cortelyou Rd. cor E. 3rd Street Bay Parkway 2127 82nd Street
Addresses in BOLD are big fires
When you set your Seder table, plumping up those pillows and adjusting the gleaming bechers, you should feel quite pleased at the amount of chairs surrounding your table. See, until modern times, chairs required significant carpentry skills and were difficult to source, hence the more economical stools and benches. Should a room contain a chair, the most senior person would be assigned to it, giving us the modern-day parlance “chairman.”
The most famous chairs were, of course, the thrones of kings and queens. Given that reality, it’s only a logical progression that the word “throne” is a Greek derivative of the word “chair.” With chairs being rare and reserved for the influential only, the word throne itself came to denote the power behind the country’s highest seat — the sovereign.
A LOOK AT THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS CHAIRS
THRONE OF SHLOMO HAMELECH
Period of the Melachim
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, this holds true for Shlomo Hamelech’s throne. Later monarchs and rulers would all try to fashion their thrones after the throne of Shlomo.
Rav Chiya taught that Shlomo Hamelech had his throne built with ruach hakodesh, and it resembled the Kisei Hakovod. To ascend the throne, the king used six steps to symbolize the six mitzvos exclusive to a Jewish king. The throne was set with an array of dazzling gemstones that were sourced from multiple lands.
At the sides of the steps, golden animals stood sentry. Far ahead of its time, a mechanized system (likely the first of its kind) allowed the animals to support the king’s foot as he ascended to the next step. When Shlomo Hamelech was seated, a golden eagle placed the crown on the king’s head.
Rising over the throne was a large menorah of pure gold, sporting cups, knobs and petals that all echoed the design of the menorah in the Beis Hamikdash. Its branches sported engravings of the seven “fathers” of the world: Adam, Noach, Shem, Avrahum Avinu, Yitzchok Avinu, Yaakov Avinu and Iyov.
On either side of the throne were two golden chairs, one for the Kohen Gadol and the other for the S’gan Kohen Gadol. Seventy chairs for the Sanhedrin were also provided, all in gold, of course.
Countless nissim are attributed to the throne, as portrayed by the meforshim. The throne was the talk of the day among the rulers of the world, who spoke of the throne’s beauty with envy.
What happened to this otherworldly throne is well known. When Pharaoh Necho invaded Eretz Yisroel, he took the throne as war booty, but when he attempted to ascend it, the golden lion kicked and injured him (hence the name “necheh,” lame one).
Nevuchadnezzar didn’t fare well, either, and his attempt to sit on the throne also ended in failure. When the Persians conquered Bavel, the wondrous throne traveled back with them. King Acheshverosh was determined to sit on the throne, but when he, too, was prevented from doing so by the disgruntled lion, he decided to settle for an imitation.
It is unknown what happened to the throne after that time.
If witnesses spoke untruths before the king, the animals would roar, frightening the petitioners into admitting the truth!
GOLDEN THRONE OF TUTANKHAMUN
King Tutankhamun, better known as King Tut, was the last of the Pharaohs of the 18th dynasty. Colloquially known as the Boy King, Tut ascended to the throne at age eight or nine, and he unexpectedly died at the age of nineteen.
As many kings buried in the Valley of Kings in Egypt, King Tut was buried with an astronomical amount of treasure, including golden chariots, jewelry and fabulous clothes, including five hundred pairs of shoes. Most tombs were looted over the centuries, but luckily for modern archaeologists, Tut’s tomb escaped the graverobbers, largely because it was hidden by debris.
In 1922, British archeologist Howard Carter and his team discovered the tomb, making waves in the world of archeology. Among the items Tut thought he’d need to use while mummified was his golden throne.
More like an armchair than a throne, the chair boasts complex etchings and intricate detail. Two lion heads stand sentry at the seat of the throne, and the arms are fashioned as rearing cobras wearing crowns. The back of Tut’s throne features an image of Tut and his wife, Ankhespaaten (say that three times fast). The royal couple are both bedecked in wigs, and the king is wearing a crown while the queen sports a diadem, a jeweled headband-crown hybrid. The chair ends in four claw-like feet, undoubtedly belonging to those golden lions. Etchings in hieroglyphics have been deciphered to read, “All the great foreign lands are under your sandals.” One wonders if this was before or after Makkas Bechoros.
This historical treasure is currently on display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Unbelievably, the colors of the etchings in gold have not faded in the three millennia, a testament to the skill of ancient Egyptian artisans.
Milestone Checklist
As parents and educators, it’s essential to understand the developmental milestones that children should typically reach by certain ages. This checklist can help identify areas where your child may be struggling, potentially indicating the need for additional support or resources.
Developmental milestones are critical markers that help gauge a child’s growth in various areas, including social skills, language ability, cognitive growth, and physical development. Recognizing these milestones can help you determine if your child may benefit from specialized educational support.
Kindergarten
Social Skills:
• Does your child share and take turns easily?
• Can she follow simple directions given by an adult?
• Is she engaged in group activities like playing games or working on projects with peers?
Language and Communication:
• Can your child easily express her needs and wants?
• Can she form complete sentences when speaking?
• Can she easily complete 2 to 3 step instructions?
Cognitive Development:
• Can your child recognize letters, תויתוא and numbers?
• Does your child grasp basic math concepts like counting till 20 or use terms such as greater/less than, few, many, a lot?
• Is she able to sort and categorize different items?
• Can she create a pattern of her own?
Physical Development:
• Can your child use fine motor skills, such as gripping a pencil or using scissors?
• Can your daughter jump rythmically and keep the same pace when running or skipping with others?
Pre-1A
Social Skills:
• Is your child able to make friends and resolve conflicts on her own?
• Does she show understanding of others' feelings (empathy)
• Can she cooperate with others in ' group projects?
Language and Communication:
• Can your child repeat or share parts of her school day, programs or a story?
• Is she aware of sounds in words (phonemic awareness)?
• Does she write letters and simple words?
Cognitive Development:
• Is your daughter able to answer WH questions after listening to a story?
• Does she have math pre-skills such as basic addition and subtraction in a problem solving format?
• Does she demonstrate basic problem-solving skills?
Physical Development:
• Is your daughter's fine motor skills improving (e.g., writing more neatly)?
• Does she actively participate in physical activities such as sports or games?
First Grade
Social Skills:
• Does your child take the initiative in play and learning activities?
• Can she join activities nicely and smoothly?
• Is she respectful of rules and routines?
• Does she participate actively in classroom discussions?
Language and Communication:
• Can your child read simple texts and demonstrate comprehension?
• Is she able to write complete sentences with correct punctuation?
• Does your daughter pick up on new vocabulary easily?
• Can she express her thoughts well?
Cognitive Development:
• Does your child understand and perform basic math operations, such as addition and subtraction examples, as well as in solving word problems?
• Can she identify and articulate the main idea of a story?
• Is she capable of logical thinking and making inferences?
Physical Development:
• Is your daughter able to perform more complex physical tasks like skipping or balancing?
• Is her hand-eye coordination improved, demonstrated by skills like catching a ball?
If you notice that your child is struggling to meet several milestones in any of these areas, it may be a sign that additional support is needed. Early detection and targeted intervention can make a significant difference in a child's educational journey. We encourage you to use this checklist as a tool when assessing your child's development and learning readiness.
THE CORONATION CHAIR
11th century
Don’t be fooled by the lack of precious gems and gold inlay. The Coronation Chair is used by British monarchs upon ascension to the throne, including King Charles’s 2023 coronation.
Commissioned in 1296 by King Edward I of England, this rather humble chair is the most valuable piece of furniture in the world. The king originally intended for the throne to be made of bronze, but decided to use timber instead. The original gilding and color have since been lost. Upon closer examination, tracings of foliage, birds and animals are visible.
Gold lions were added in the 16th century to the legs of the chair, but were replaced in 1727. Nevertheless, we can’t imagine it as a beautiful piece worthy of a king’s use, as today the chair resembles something out of a carpenter shop of old. Part of the reason is that the chair hasn’t been treated too well.
For a small price, 18th century tourists were able to feel like a king for a moment and sit on the monarch’s chair, and mischievous students etched their initials and other graffiti into its wood. One cheeky tourist etched, “P. Abbot slept in this chair 5–6 July 1800” on the seat. Sir Gilbert Scott, a famed architect, bemoaned the chair as “a magnificent piece of decoration, but sadly mutilated.” The chair was even the object of an attempted bomb attack, though it emerged largely unscathed.
The chair has only left its home in the Westminster Abbey twice: once for a ceremony inducting Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, and during World War Two, when it was removed to protect it from German air raids.
While not built for coronations, the infamous King Henry IV definitely used it for his 1399 coronation. It has been used for coronations since.
When the wife of the king, known as the queen consort, is crowned, she uses a similar throne, but at a lower height. Seems that even the king’s wife needs to know who is boss.
THE DRAGON THRONE
15th century
Located in the center of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, sits the Dragon Throne. The Forbidden City was the home of Chinese emperors and their households for almost five hundred years. It also served as the seat of the Chinese government and was off-limits to outsiders.
The Dragon Throne is thought to have been built sometime during the Ming dynasty in the 1400s. Along the top of the throne are great dragons, presumably leering at visitors to remind them who held the keys to the kingdom. Prior to entering the throne room, visitors passed through a series of gates and passages, designed to evoke awe, and courtiers were ordered to prostrate themselves nine times before addressing the monarch.
No longer barred to visitors, the Dragon Throne as well as the Forbidden City (now a UNESCO Heritage Site) are visited by thousands of tourists yearly. The Dragon Throne has undergone several restorations over time that may have altered the original look.
The term Dragon Throne has also come to be metamorphically associated with the power behind the throne: the ruling family and the monarchy itself.
THE PEACOCK THRONE
17th century
image is a replica; the original no longer exists.
The Peacock Throne, built in 1628, was a standout piece even in an era that gave us the Taj Mahal. It was the seat of power for the kingdom of Hindustan, which stretched across much of the Indian subcontinent, and was the de facto empire ruling much of the East.
Even in an era renowned for its culture and architecture, the Peacock Throne was a singularly elaborate throne. The cost is estimated to have exceeded double the price of the Taj Mahal, known as the most opulent palace at that time. Shah Jahan, the ruler who commissioned the throne and the Taj Mahal (apparently, frugality wasn’t his thing), envisioned it resembling the famous throne of Shlomo Hamelech, portraying him as a just, upright king. He envisioned a throne where the ruler would be touching the heavens. It took seven years and enormous quantities of gold, pearls and precious gems to build, and the end result was the envy of kings and princes worldwide. The standout feature were the dancing peacocks fanning out
in the back of the throne, hence its name, and only a rare few ministers, courtiers and visiting dignitaries were permitted to see the throne, lending it an aura of mystique.
A paean of praise to the “throne of the just king” was inscribed on the throne in emerald and green enamel. Poet Abu-Talib Kalim was paid six pieces of gold for each verse in the poem. Likewise, the emperor wasn’t stingy with the builder of the throne, who received his payment in the form of his weight in gold. (Let’s hope, for his sake, that he wasn’t a thin, wiry man.)
A series of military defeats led to the invasion and plundering of Delhi 1739 by Nadir Shah, the Shah of Iran. The throne was taken along with Nadir Shah as the ultimate war trophy. When Nadir Shah was assassinated by his own officers in 1747, the Peacock Throne disappeared, likely dismantled for its inestimable value. Some of the largest stones later found their way into the Iranian crown jewels.
The
The Peacock Throne used an estimated 2,500 pounds of gold!
THE IVORY THRONE
16th century
This beautiful throne was erected by Ivan IV of Russia, who ruled from 1533 to 1584, declaring himself the Russian Czar in 1547 at the tender age of 16. This throne is fashioned of ivory and wood and is striking in its detailed etchings and craftsmanship. The ivory pieces — of which there are 100 — used in the throne’s construction were prized for their beauty and versatility. (Apparently, conservation and protection of animals was not in vogue back then.)
The throne features intricate gold etchings, a silver canopy and gold-embroidered cushions.
A carving of a lion rounded out the imperial image of a man you didn’t want to cross.
Ivan IV is also known as Ivan the Terrible. While lauded for his accomplishments as a great reformer, Ivan came by his moniker rather honestly, as he was a ruthless tyrant who didn’t mind murdering his own citizens. As he aged, his mental health deteriorated markedly, and he even murdered his own son and heir in a fit of rage.
In any event, if you want to see this magnificent tribute to master workmanship, you’ll have to visit the Kremlin Armory in Moscow, which we at The Boro Park View do not recommend.
Apparently, Ivan the Terrible was paranoid about a lot of things. The Ivory Throne was designed with hidden compartments and drawers where documents and valuables could be stored.
THE NADER THRONE
Early 19th century
Unfortunately, traveling to see this throne is not on our bucket list due to the State Department Level Four Advisory categorizing the country where the Nader Throne is located as Do Not Travel. The Nader Throne is located in Tehran, Iran, in the national treasury of Iran’s Central Bank.
It’s easy to see why the Nader Throne is classified as a national treasure for Iranians. Built upon the orders of Fat’h-Ali Shah Qajar, the second Shah of Iran, it resembles a chair more than a traditional, platformed throne.
The wood-based, gold-covered masterpiece features exactly 26,733 jewels of every sort. And these are not the sort of jewels you’d see at Simpson’s; four spinels (a rare, brick-red gemstone) decorate the backrest, the largest of them weighing in at 65 carats. It also has giant emeralds, the heftiest of them weighing around 225 carats. The largest ruby weighs in at a modest 35 carats. Various animal motifs decorate the throne, including lions, peacocks, ducks, beasts, and, for some reason, dragons.
While Iran did have a very famous Nader Shah, this throne is not named after him. Rather, the word “nadir” is a Persian word meaning “rare” or “unique.” The throne was last used for the 1967 coronation of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was summarily deposed during the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
The Nader Throne was designed to be portable, built as twelve modular pieces. You wouldn’t expect the Shah to travel without his throne as he summers at his various palaces, would you? You take along your pillow when you vacation, no? Same difference.
THE GOLDEN CRADLE IN THE TOPKAPI PALACE
16th century
This segment does not feature a throne, but rather the cradle of the future heir to the throne. This magnificent piece of art is 103 centimeters long, and is covered in… wait for it… gold, of course. The craftsmanship and beauty of the piece are unrivaled, inlaid with precious gemstones and lined with purple velvet, all for a baby.
It also features eight swaddling sticks, aparently used way before the Aishes Chayil swaddle was a thing. These sticks are encrusted with diamonds, rubies and emeralds. It is assumed the creation was used during the Cradle Ceremony, always held to celebrate the birth of a child of the Sultan. Such lavish ceremonies were useful to cement the status of the child born.
Lucky child, you say? While we don’t know who exactly slept in that cradle, the choices are not all that great: Was it perhaps Prince Msutafa, who was killed by his madman father? Or his brother, Prince Cihangir, who died that same year of heartbreak? Or perhaps Prince Beyazid, who escaped his wrathful brother? Or a charming fellow named Prince Selim the Blond who managed to reach the throne, but only after murdering his brothers on the way to the crown?
A step-by-step guide for first-timers
Many people get anxious before Pesach. There are so many different components that have to come together all at once to make one beautiful Yom Tov. In addition to cleaning the entire house, we have to outfit the family, kasher the kitchen, buy all the food, cook a minimum of eight meals — often without the shortcuts we’re accustomed to — and put together the Seder. However, as with any other task that seems overwhelming, when broken down into small parts, it becomes much more manageable, and even enjoyable, as preparing for Yom Tov should be.
Seder Supplies: Non-Food List
› Afikoman bag
› Bechers/wine glasses (enough for everyone)
› Bibs/aprons (grape juice and wine stain, and everyone will be wearing Yom Tov clothing!)
› Corkscrew
› Grape juice (enough for everyone who won’t be having wine and for those who will be mixing the two)
› Haggados (for the adults and children)
› Kaarah
› Kittel
› Kos shel Eliyahu
› Mah nishtanah candle
› Matzah cover
› Napkins (have a lot on hand because there will be spills)
› Pillows/pillowcases, for leaning
› Plastic tablecloth (even if you don’t generally like to use them, the Seder is the time to give in!)
› Washing cup, basin and towel, for Urchatz
› Wine (a variety of types — i.e., lowalcohol, sweet, dry... — make sure to have enough for everyone for the arba kosos and for the kos shel Eliyahu)
Seder Supplies: Food List
› Matzah (1½ matzos per person, per Seder) Charoses
› Zeroa
› Hard-boiled eggs (one egg per person, per Seder, plus one for the kaarah)
› Marror, horseradish
› Marror, romaine lettuce (a twopound box should be good for five or six people, per Seder)
› Karpas vegetable (less than a k’zayis per person, per Seder)
› Charoses
› Salt water
The single most helpful tool I have ever purchased for Pesach was a notebook. That should be the first thing you buy and the first thing you take out every year before you get started on Pesach prep. Jot down anything you find helpful or important — even if you’re sure you’ll remember. You can’t rely on memory alone after a full year passes. Write down the quantities of the ingredients you bought (matzah, eggs, sugar, potato starch, cocoa) and the amounts of food you made (cakes, kugels, lokshen). Don’t forget to go back after Yom Tov to record how much you actually used. If you have cleaning help, note the hours that you found worked best. Putting down the time you got to Shulchan Orech is nice, too, since this will tell you when you should be starting to warm up your food; you don’t want all your delicious Yom Tov food dried out because you underestimated the amount of divrei Torah at Maggid!
The single most helpful tool I have ever purchased for Pesach is a notebook.
Once you have your notebook, it’s time to ask your husband and/ or in-laws about any unique minhagim you may have. This way, you’re not caught off-guard at the last minute. For example, find out which vegetable you use for karpas, how your family prepares the zeroa, and what your minhag is in regard to meat at the Seder and how to cook it. Add that to your notebook, and start a shopping list that will include any items they tell you you’ll need.
As soon as you have a Pesach-clean area in which to store things, you can start buying and toiveling non-food items. Try to do this as far in advance as you can, when the stores are not yet packed with the Erev Yom Tov crowds. Remember to give yourself a lot of time for toiveling as it tends to be more time-consuming than you anticipate. At this point you should also make sure your husband’s kittel is clean (or send it to the cleaners).
The week of Pesach is when the fun really begins. Take a deep breath; we’re going to break it up, and you’ll be amazed at how calm you can feel.
A few days before Yom Tov, you can make a trip to the grocery to buy the eggs, vegetable for karpas, charoses ingredients, the zeroa and horseradish for marror
While many families like to set the Seder table well in advance, this year, Pesach begins on Motzaei Shabbos, so this may not be practical. But if you aren’t using your dining room for the last-minute chometz seudos, and it’s out of the way and the kids can be kept out, it’s a great feeling to have it done early. However, if you’ll need to use your dining room on Shabbos, or if it’s a hightraffic area, setting the table before Shabbos won’t be doable. Whenever you do set the table, don’t forget to put out the pillows for leaning.
The romaine lettuce should be purchased later on in the week, preferably the day before Erev Yom Tov, to make sure it’s as fresh as possible. It’s very important that the lettuce be very dry when you put it into the refrigerator. The dryer it is, the fresher it will stay. Layer the lettuce in paper towels, and put those into Ziploc bags to keep them dry until you use them. This is also the day to boil your eggs, prepare the zeroa, cook the karpas, create the saltwater and make the charoses. Sounds like a lot, but each of those things takes just a couple of minutes, and you’ll be very happy the next day knowing they’re all taken care of.
PRE-PESACH SCHEDULE
Three to five days before the Seder:
› Buy zeroa, eggs to hard-boil, horseradish, vegetable for karpas, and charoses ingredients
One day before the Seder:
This year, Seder night falls out on Motzaei Shabbos, and sof zman biur is on Shabbos. Therefore, treat Erev Shabbos like it’s Erev Pesach, and do everything you would normally do on Erev Pesach.
Grating the marror can be done in the food processor or by hand. If you choose to do it by hand, an easy shortcut is to use a grater that has an attached container to catch the pieces, which you can then just cover and store. Some people want the marror to be very sharp, in which case you should cover it tightly right away and put it into the refrigerator. If your family prefers it a little more mild, you should leave it uncovered on the counter for a few hours before putting it away, as exposure to air draws out the pungency of the horseradish.
Once this is done, wind up any last-minute cooking. Normally you’d use some time on Erev Pesach to rest; while Shabbos Erev Pesach is complicated, the perk is that you get to rest on Shabbos and come to the Seder feeling fresh and ready. The halacha is that you may sleep on Shabbos so you’ll be rested for the Seder, but you may not verbalize your intentions (i.e., you may not say, “I’m going to nap now so I won’t be tired at the Seder”).
Following these steps should really ease the stress often associated with making Pesach. You may even find yourself being the one giving out the tips next year!
› Prepare zeroa
› Boil eggs
› Grate marror (On years where Erev Pesach is midweek, you may choose to do this on Erev Yom Tov.)
› Buy, check and put away romaine lettuce
› Prepare vegetable for karpas
› Prepare charoses
› Prepare saltwater
› Set table
Day of the Seder:
› Put out the pillows and matzah
› Set up the kaarah
from the earth.
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Vegan D3 is sustainably sourced from wild-harvested lichen with no animal byproducts of any kind.
to Freedom
PESACH CLEANING WITH JOY
THE BORO PARK VIEW’S ANNUAL PESACH CLEANING CHALLENGE
WEEK 1
2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5
Week 1: March 16 – 20
Getting started Bedrooms Linen closet
Week 2: March 23 – 27
Playroom Laundry room Bathrooms
Week 3: March 30 – April 3
Kitchen, Part 1 Dining room Coat closet
Week 4: April 6 – 10
Kitchen, Part 2 Car Outdoors
Wrap Up Last-minute reminders
Pesach is just around the bend. B’ezras Hashem, this Motzei Shabbos, we’ll all sit down to the Seder.
Somehow, everyone makes it to the finish line. Some more stressed, some less stressed. Some with walls washed, some without. Some with more cakes, some with fewer cakes. Yet hopefully, all with the same good feeling of having completed a job well done.
So let’s finish up.
This week, we’ll just focus on some lastminute reminders that every Yiddishe home can use:
PROGRAM SPONSORS:
BAILA GOLDMAN
FINAL REMINDERS
Go through pockets.
Clean out briefcases.
Clean the stroller and stroller bag.
Strip linens and wash.
Empty your vacuum filter/bag.
Wash or replace the broom.
Wash out your indoor garbage cans.
Hose down your outdoor garbage cans.
Burn challah, if you haven’t yet.
Sweep/vacuum, and wash the floors one last time.
Clean the area where you enjoyed your last licks of chometz
Phew! You’re ready to get rid of the last few morsels of chometz. When heading to the fire on Erev Pesach, remember to take along anything you may want to burn. (Some burn their lulav, or leftover afikomen matzah from the previous year.)
Make sure you have a plan and schedule for your Shabbos seudos, and take advantage of the Shabbos afternoon to prepare yourself spiritually, emotionally and physically for the great moments Leil HaSeder has to offer.
The Yom Tov of Pesach is nearly here!
You did it! Your biggest treat is your clean, transformed house, and the joy of enjoying your hard work! Take a moment to pat yourself on the back and appreciate the greatness that is you: a proud member of Klal Yisroel’s battalion of women, marching to the beat of ratzon Hashem
Ah kosher’en and freilichen Pesach!
HaRav Yechiel Michel Steinmetz shlita, Skver Dayan of Boro Park
Rav Uri Deutsch shlita, Rav K'hal Tiferes Yosef, Forest Park - Lakewood NJ
Staff positions available. With degree & without
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• Warm, experienced teachers
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Dear Readers,
As we present our latest Excursions compilation, please keep the following in mind.
We took great care to present up-tothe-minute information. However, before heading out anywhere, we advise you to verify the hours, inquire about prices, and make reservations in advance whenever possible. Some venues will not let you in once full, and others require reservations even though they did not state so.
We present this list for informational purposes only; it is not an endorsement of any specific attraction, and discretion should be used.
Wishing you all a wonderful Yom Tov and a lovely Chol Hamoed experience.
The Boro Park View
Disclaimer: All content featured in Excursions is for informational purposes only. The Boro Park View does not endorse the destinations listed and does not take responsibility for any informational or typographical errors. Please call the vendors to verify details before setting out.
R. Elias Presents
A Deserted island
Two Sisters
One Lulida Filmed in georgia & Thailand
BORO PARK
REIGER HALL 1362-50
Monday MY"T April 14 10:15
Tuesday April 15 4:45 & 8:45
Weds April 16 4:45 & 9:00
Thursday April 17 4:45 & 8:45
Friday April 18 12:30
MONSEY
ATRIUM 401 WEST RT 59
Monday MY"T April 14 10:15
Tuesday April 15 4:45 & 8:45
Weds April 16 4:45 & 9:00
Thursday April 17 4:45 & 8:45
Friday April 18 12:30
Admission: $40
LAKEWOOD
YESHIVAH KTANA 120-2ND ST.
Monday MY"T April 14 10:15
Tuesday April 15 8:45
Weds April 16 9:00
Thursday April 17 4:45 & 8:45
Monday MY"T April 14 10:00
Call: 718-290-6797 to organize an out of town showing.
Please be advised that some parks have parking fees.
Bear Mountain State Park
3006 Seven Lakes Drive, Bear Mountain, NY 10911
845-786-2701
Great hiking, climbing, picnicking and grilling destination with lake, zoo, museum, carousel and boating in warmer weather
MONSEY: 25 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 25 minutes
Dawn to dusk. Trailside Zoo: April 1 through October 31. 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Park: Free. Parking: $10 per vehicle. Trailside Zoo: Suggested donation $1.00 per person
Brooklyn Bridge Park
334 Furman Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-222-9939
Beautiful park with novel play areas, sand areas, carousel, swings, slide mountain, marsh garden and more. Limited parking — best visited by public transportation.
MONSEY: 1 hour 15 minutes BORO PARK: 18 minutes
Sunrise to sunset Free
Blauvelt State Park
Blauvelt, NY 10913
Undeveloped state park with hiking trails and WWI-era tunnels, rifle range and ruins. Access points detailed in Issue 103 of The Monsey View.
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
Dawn to dusk Free
Buttermilk Falls County Park
199 S. Greenbush Road, West Nyack, NY 10994
845-364-2670
Well-maintained trails with great views and waterfalls (weather permitting) cascading down the mountain
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 15 minutes Dawn to dusk Free
Bushkill Falls
138 Bushkill Falls Trail, Bushkill, PA 18324
888-287-4545
Color-coded trails of different lengths amid waterfalls and beautiful scenes of nature. Great for all ages!
Ice Cave Hike open in spring and summer. Other hikes open all year round.
Parking: $10 per vehicle. Online parking reservations are required weekends and holidays from April 15 through November 15. Parking lot fills up early and is closed when full.
Children’s Park
11 Grotke Road, Spring Valley, NY 10977
Beautiful park with three playstations, pond, picnic tables and benches, shaded trails, and basketball court
MONSEY: Local BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Free
Croton Gorge Park/ Croton Dam
35 Yorktown Road, Croton-On-Hudson, NY 10520
914-827-9568
Breathtaking man-made falls with dramatic drop and spillway, with playground, picnicking and hiking
MONSEY: 42 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 20 minutes
8:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. Note: Park does not allow cars in once parking lot is full.
Free
Dutch Gardens
21 New Hempstead Road, New City, NY 10956
845-364-2670
Small historic garden with walking paths, gazebo, and tea house behind Rockland County Courthouse.
MONSEY: 14 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 20 minutes
Sunrise to sunset. 2-hour limit in parking area
Free
Eugene MemorialLevyPark
920 Rte. 45, Pomona, NY 10970
Beautiful park with lush, grassy areas, novel play equipment, trails, pond, picnic tables and stargazing platform
MONSEY: Local BORO PARK: 1 hour 20 minutes
8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Free
Finch Park
194 Church Street, Ramsey, NJ 07446
Beautiful, sprawling park with sandbox, benches, picnic table, playground and medieval era-themed equipment
MONSEY: 15 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 15 minutes
Free
Goosepond Mountain State Park
1198 New York 17M, Chester, NY 10918
845-786-2701
Undeveloped state park with woods, fields, trails and wetlands
MONSEY: 45 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 19 minutes
Dawn to dusk
Free
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Corona, NY 11368 718-760-6565
Spacious park with playground, carousel and bike rentals on-site
MONSEY: 55 minutes BORO PARK: 30 minutes
6:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Free
Gravesend Park
18th Avenue between 56 and 57 212-639-9675
Exciting playgroud equipment for all ages with plenty of sitting areas, and small bike trail
MONSEY: 1 hour 15 minutes BORO PARK: Local
6:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m.
Free
Grace Lord Park
Plane St, Boonton, NJ 07005
973-402-9410
Park with adorable playground and hiking path alongside a river that also features a waterfall.
MONSEY: 35 minutes BORO PARK: 55 minutes
Free
Haverstraw Bay County Park
21 Gagan Road, West Haverstraw, NY 10993
Park bordering the Hudson River with great playgrounds, grassy picnic areas with grilling, boardwalk and walking path
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 30 minutes
Dawn to dusk
Free
Gregory R. Sikorsky Children’s Park
35 Lime Kiln Road, Suffern, NY 10901
Sunny fenced-in playground with nearby jogging path around a pond with a water fountain
MONSEY: Local BORO PARK: 1 hour 20 minutes
Dawn to dusk
Free
Kingsland Point Park and the Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse
Tarrytown Light-Kingsland Point Path, Palmer Ave., Sleepy Hollow, NY; Accessible from the Palmer Avenue Bridge over the Metro-North tracks (at the very end of Palmer Avenue, where it meets Riverside Drive) 914-366-5109
18-acre park on Hudson River shore with overlook areas of Tarrytown lighthouse
MONSEY: 32 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 5 minutes
9:00 a.m.–dusk
Free
Lake Welch Beach
800 Kanawauke Road, Stony Point, NY 10980
845-947-2444
Gorgeous half-mile man-made beach open for picnicking in the fall and winter
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., picnicking only. No swimming or wading allowed. Please note: Entrance gates are closed at 3:30 p.m.
Free
Manny Weldler Park
148 W. Maple Avenue, Monsey, NY 10952
Large park with playground, sand area, tennis and handball courts, and bike trails. Brand new playground was recently added.
MONSEY: Local BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
Dawn to dusk
Free
Leif Ericson Park
6600 Fort Hamilton Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11219
212-639-9675
A cozy park spanning several blocks with a nice playground for younger kids
MONSEY: 1 hour 5 minutes BORO PARK: 12 minutes
6:00–1:00 a.m.
Free
Mianus River Gorge
167 Mianus River Road, Bedford, NY 10506
914-234-3455
Well-maintained trails with beautiful views of river and Havemeyer Falls
MONSEY: 45 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 20 minutes
April 1 through November 30, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Free
McKinley Park
7th Avenue and 75th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11228
212-639-9675
A cheerful neighborhood park with expansive fields and kiddie park
MONSEY: 1 hour 5 minutes BORO PARK: 8 minutes
6:00–1:00 a.m.
Free
Minnewaska State Park
5281 Route 44-55, Kerhonkson, NY 12446
845-255-0752
Preserve with breathtaking views, trails, sky lakes and a lot of beauty to behold
MONSEY: 1 hour 10 minutes BORO PARK: 2 hours
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Parking: $10 per vehicle
Mount Utsayantha Fire Tower
The summit of this 3,214-foot mountain with its restored fire tower (which can be climbed for spectacular views) can be reached by a one-mile gravel road either by car, or by hike.
Hudson River park with small beach for children and long riverside trail with benches that leads to Rockland Lake Park
MONSEY: 25 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 5 minutes
Sunrise to Sunset Parking: $8
Overpeck County Park
50 Fort Lee Road, Leonia, NJ 07605
Make a right at the first traffic circle, go past the wooden bridge and down the road until you hit a second traffic circle. On your right will be the parking lot. 201-336-7275
Great park with fun equipment and jungle gyms, water views, walking paths, and boat rentals in warmer seasons
MONSEY: 38 minutes BORO PARK: 40 minutes
6:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Free
Nyack Memorial Park
4 Depew Avenue, Nyack, NY 10960
Park with pier, playground, gazebo, splash pad and great river views
MONSEY: 23 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Metered parking at the parking lot by the boat marina
Paterson Great Falls
72 McBride Avenue, Paterson, NJ 07501
973-523-0370
Magnificent falls with bridge and paths, and easy foot access close to the falls
MONSEY: 30 minutes BORO PARK: 50 minutes
Dawn to dusk
Free
Owl’s Head Park
Colonial Road and 68th Street and Shore Street, Brooklyn, NY 11220 212-639-9675
Scenic park with panoramic city and riverfront views featuring a skate park, a playground and biking paths
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 15 minutes
6:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m.
Free
Piermont Pier
Piermont, NY 10968 – From Paradise Ave. or Pier Ave., follow signs to the pier
Pier with scenic views extending a mile into Hudson River that can be biked, walked or driven through
MONSEY: 25 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 5 minutes
6:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Free
Perkins Memorial Tower Observatory
Perkins Memorial Drive, Tomkins Cove, NY 10986
845-786-2701
Breathtaking scenic drive or hike up Bear Mountain with parking on summit and along the way, with breathtaking 360-degree views at the top
MONSEY: 25 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 15 minutes
Open from April to late November, weather permitting. 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Free
Prospect Park
Brooklyn, NY 11225 — entrances along Ocean Avenue, Parkside Avenue, and Prospect Park West and Southwest 718-965-8951
A vast 526-acre oasis in the heart of Brooklyn— and the only local park with a lake — offering bike and boat rentals
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 15 minutes
6:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m.
Free
For Women and Girls only
Ateres Golda - 1370 50th St.
Monday MOTZEI YT: April 14 9:45
Tuesday : April 15 4:30 & 8:30
Wednesday : April 16 4:30 & 8:30
Thursday: April 17 4:30 & 8:30
Friday: April 18 12:00
Ateres Reva - 500 Summit Ave.
Monday MOTZEI YT: April 14 9:45
Tuesday : April 15 8:30
Wednesday : April 16 8:30
Thursday: April 17 8:30
Yeshiva Spring Valley - 121 College Rd, Suffern
Monday MOTZEI YT: April 14 9:45
Tuesday : April 15 4:30 & 8:30
Wednesday : April 16 4:30 & 8:30
Thursday: April 17 4:30 & 8:30
Friday: April 18 12:00
Monday MOTZEI YT: April 14 9:45
Tuesday : April 15 8:30
Wednesday : April 16 8:30
Thursday: April 17 8:30
ADMISSION: $45
STATEN ISLAND
LAWRENCE HALL - 240 Woodward Ave.
Tuesday : April 15 8:30
LOS ANGELES
BAIS YAAKOV OF LA - 7353 Beverly Blvd 90036
Tuesday : April 15 8:00
BOSTON
Chai Odom - 77 Englewood Ave Brighton
Tuesday : April 15 8:00
YERUSHALYIM
Details will follow in local newspapers.
Ramapo ReservationValley
608 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430
201-327-3500
Reservation with hiking trails, pond, waterfall and breathtaking views
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
30 minutes before sunrise until 30 min after sunset
Free
Rockefeller State Park Preserve
125 Phelps Way, Pleasantville, NY 10570 914-631-1470
Scenic paths through wetlands, woodlands, meadows, fields, streams, rivers and lakes, and traversing bridges and carriage roads
MONSEY: 39 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
Dawn to dusk
Parking: $6
Rockland Lake State Park
299 Rockland Lake Road, Valley Cottage, NY 10989 845-268-3020
Beautiful 4,400-acre park with trails, picnicking and streams. NJ Botanical Gardens and Shepherd Lake is part of the park but accessed via a different point.
Ringwood State Park, Morris Road, Ringwood NJ 07456
973-962-9534
Well-maintained Tudor revival manor home with a selection of formal and seasonal gardens
MONSEY: 25 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 25 minutes
8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. daily; winter until 6:00 p.m. Free
New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458
718-817-8700
250-acre verdant landscape with over a million plants, voted as one of the best botanical gardens in the U.S.
MONSEY: 44 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
The garden is open 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Adults: $35; Students (with valid ID): $31; Seniors (65+): $31; Children (2–12): $15; Children under 2: Free. Free admission on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Untermyer Park And Gardens
945 N. Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701
914-613-4502
Relaxing landscaped park on over 40 acres, centered on a walled Persian Garden, with gorgeous Hudson River views, trails and picnic spot
MONSEY: 37 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Free
Wave Hill Public Gardens
4900 Independence Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471.
Only off-site parking is currently available, with shuttle service to park 718-549-3200
This stunning 28-acre estate of public horticultural gardens is situation on slopes overlooking the Hudson River.
MONSEY: 43 minutes BORO PARK: 50 minutes
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Last admission is at 4:00 p.m. Grounds close at 4:15 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Parking: $13. Adults: $10; Students: $6; Seniors (65+): $6; Children (6+): $4. Admission is free on Thursdays.
Farms and Orchards
Abma’s Farm
700 Lawlins Road, Wyckoff, NJ 07481
201-891-0278
Well-maintained farm with petting zoo, fresh produce and plants; food for the animals available for sale
MONSEY: 23 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
Monday to Saturday: 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Last ticket sold at 4:30 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Online: $5.50; Child under 24 months: free admission. At the door (cash only): $7
Goldschein’s Homestead
196 Revonah Hill Road, Liberty, NY 12754
347-684-4312
Big farm with variety of animals. Kids can enter animal enclosures. Kosher l’Pesach feed. Many exciting activities and hike with gorgeous view.
Petting zoo for all ages, hayrides, play and picnic area
MONSEY: Local BORO PARK: 1 hour 20 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
$10 admission; $4 hayride; $5 animal feed; Under age 1 is free; $20 bee tours. Bee tours must be booked ahead of time and are not recommended for children under age 5.
Indoor fun, sports and adventure for kids with rides, laser tag, batting cages, bowling, bumper cars and virtual reality sky ride
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 25 minutes
10:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Prices start at $27.55 for 1 hour of unlimited rides.
Despite the recent tari changes on imported goods, Noble Wines is keeping prices on our European wines unchanged. We’re making it possible for you to set beautiful Sedorim and Yom Tov seudos — without the added financial burden. We’re honored to be part of what makes your Yom Tov both dignified and joyful.
Wishing you a Chag Kasher V’sameach
Funtime Junction
400 Fairfield Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004
973-882-9777
Roomy adventure center with lots of things to climb and ride, plus arcade games
MONSEY: 36 minutes BORO PARK: 52 minutes
Closed Monday to Wednesday. Thursday and Friday: 12:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.; Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. (please remove about 90 minute appointments...)
Children (ages 10 months to 15 years): $19.95 + tax. Includes 1 free companion adult.
Funtopia USA
Metro Mall, 66-26 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, NY 11379
718-381-4300
Indoor entertainment center with bumper cars, arcade games and kiddie rides
Amusement center with arcades, bounce castle, go-karts and bowling
MONSEY: 40 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 12 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 4:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Adult: $29 per race; Teen (12-16): $26; Junior (9-11 and 52” or taller): $16; Starter (4-8 and under 90 lbs): $11 plus $3.75 head sock (required, but can be reused)
Prices start at $109 for 2 flights. Special deals available online for multiple flights.
Jill’s Ceramics
180 Germonds Road, West Nyack, NY 10994
845-623-4975
Huge variety of plaster pieces or glazed ceramics. Option for take-home projects.
MONSEY: 15 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
Monday to Wednesday: 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday evening: 7:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.; Friday: 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. For Sunday hours, call to inquire.
Prices vary based on ceramic you choose.
Jumpz Trampoline Sports
21 Prindle Lane, Danbury, CT 06811
203-942-2449
Part of Thrillz Danbury, Jumpz offers 45,000 square feet of glow-in-the-dark wall-to-wall trampoline adventures, airbag zone, swings and slides with a dedicated toddler area.
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 1 hour 35 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Prices start at $16 for 30 minutes. Ages 5 and under: Prices start at $11. Laser tag starts at $20 for 30 minutes.
Kids ‘N Action
1149 McDonald Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11230
718-377-1818
This popular and fun indoor amusement center, with its twisty slides and ball pits, is a much loved attraction in the heart of Brooklyn.
MONSEY: 1 hour 15 minutes BORO PARK: 8 minutes
Sunday to Thursday: 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Friday: 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Toddler section (softplay): weekdays $13; weekends and holidays $15. Action package (softplay and rides): $26 weekdays; $28 weekends and holidays. Adults: $8
Kids Fun House
6273 Fresh Pond Road, Ridgewood, NY 11385
718-418-5437
This indoor fun park with its triple slide, maze obstacle course and more, is specifically geared for children ages 1 to12.
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 30 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours and prices not yet released at time of print.
Laser Bounce Family Fun Center
80-28 Cooper Avenue, Glendale, NY 11385
347-599-1919
A super fun indoor park with a laser maze, laser tag games, bowling, ball pits, VR games and more!
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 38 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Attraction packages start at $20.95 per person.
Liberty Heights
1939 NY-52, Liberty, NY 12754
845-747-8080
Indoor trampoline park with rock climbing, arcades, laser tag and much more.
Indoor glow-in-the-dark golf course. Additional locations in Fairfield, Edison and Yonkers.
MONSEY: 26 minutes BORO PARK: 55 minutes
Monday to Friday: 2:00–9:00 p.m.; Sunday: 12:00–8:00 p.m.
Mini golf: Adults: $15; Children: $13; Seniors: $12. Mini bowling: $5. 1 round of mini golf and a $10 arcade card: $21. 1 round of mini golf, 1 game of mini bowling, and a $10 arcade card: $23.
Land-O-Fun
2955 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11235 718-891-5263
Fun indoor park for kids aged 2–12, with bumper cars, cannon balls, bowling lanes and even some virtual reality experiences. Other attractions as well.
Day pass: $32; Child (under age 10) day pass: $20; $288 for 10-punch pass
Montvale Lanes
14 W. Grand Avenue, Montvale, NJ 07645
201-391-3400
Bowling alley
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
Hours vary. Call before to check if there is open bowl.
Monday to Friday, until 5:00 p.m.: $5 per game; $3 for seniors. After 5:00 p.m. and on weekends: $6 per game. Shoes: $6. Cash only.
ןוא ןביירשוצנייא ךיז ,םיכודיש
תוחמש עשידיא רעביטש ןיא ןייז הברמ
אהראפ'
New City Bowl and Batting Cages
90 N. Main St, New City, NY 10956
845-634-4977
Bowling alley and batting cages
MONSEY: 15 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 15 minutes
Hours vary. Call before to check if there is open bowl.
Monday to Friday, before 6:00 p.m.: Senior: $6.45 per game; Junior: $7.45; Adult: $7.95. Monday to Friday, after 6 p.m.: $7.95 per game. Sunday: $7.95 per game. Shoe rental: $6.50 per pair. All bowlers must wear bowling shoes.
Pottery and Glass Land
1730 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11230 917-744-1887
Pottery, glass and canvas painting, bling art; book your pottery wheel appointment in advance.
This family-friendly venue has a 48-lane bowling alley, plus an exciting laser maze
MONSEY: 1 hour 25 minutes BORO PARK: 19 minutes
Hours vary. Call to check if there is open bowl.
Weekdays: Until 6 p.m.: $32 per hour; After 6 p.m.: $40 per hour. Friday to Sunday: Until 6 p.m.: $42 per hour; After 6 p.m.: $47 per hour. Shoe rental: $6 per pair.
Seaglass Carousel at Battery Park
Water Street & State Street, New York, NY 10004. Located in The Battery (Formerly Battery Park) 212-344-3491
Carousel made of fiberglass fish inside building at The Battery.
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 30 minutes
Monday through Thursday: 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m; Friday and Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Pay per activity or purchase wristband. Prices vary, starting at about $29.
Sloomoo Institute
475 Broadway, New York, NY 10013
Activities and projects involving slime.
MONSEY: 55 minutes BORO PARK: 30 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 10:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m. Timed tickets are sold online.
Tickets are required for each guest age 2 and above. All children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. General admission starts at $42.99 per person.
Tac Ops
373 US-46 d110, Fairfield, NJ 07004
973-753-2651
Tactical laser tag. Unless you book a private session, there may be other players during your session.
MONSEY: 35 minutes BORO PARK: 55 minutes
Reservations required.
Prices start at $40 per person for a 90-minute game; reservation required. Private games start at $400 with an additional charge of $30 per extra person.
The Gravity Vault (Hoboken)
1423 Clinton St, Hoboken, NJ 07030
201-740-1423
25,000+ square-foot indoor rock gym with overhangs, bouldering, arches and hours of climbing fun
■ Measurable improvement in reading, 10 times faster than alternative interventions.
■ Elevate your child’s happiness and self-esteem at school.
The Other Tales –Escape Rooms
245 Diamond Bridge Avenue, Hawthorne, NJ 07506
973-963-4142
All games are private.
MONSEY: 28 minutes BORO PARK: 55 minutes
By reservation only. Hours vary by day.
2 tickets: $46.55 each; 3 to 4 tickets: $42.95 each; 5 to 10 tickets: $39.95 each
Thrillz High Flying Adventure Park
5 Prindle Lane, Danbury, CT 06811
203-942-2585
Part of Danbury Jumpz, this world’s first indoor wipeout-style action adventure park features 28,000 square feet of zip lines, ninja, obstacle and ropes courses, trampoline launch pads, rock climbing walls, and many more attractions.
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 1 hour 35 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Prices start at $16 for a 30-minute ticket.
The Painted Pot –Park Slope
200 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-768-8379
Studio for paintings and mosaics. Walk in and start creating! No reservation necessary.
Average project rate is $25, including material, studio time and firing.
Urban Air Adventure Park
69 Wesley St, South Hackensack, NJ 07606
201-212-6454
Trampoline park with climbing walls, obstacle courses, tubes playground, battle beams and amazing adventures
MONSEY: 29 minutes BORO PARK: 46 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours not yet released at time of print.
Ultimate Attractions Pass: $40.99; Deluxe Pass: $23.99 for children 40 inches and under. Urban Air socks (required; no personal socks allowed): $3.99. Parent Pass (same attractions as child): 50% pass price.50% pass price.
Outdoor Fun
Adventureland
2245 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-694-6868
Amusement park with about 30 rides
MONSEY: 1 hour 11 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
Chol hamoed hours: Opens at 11:00 a.m.
Online: general admission (2–24): $49.50; adult admission (25+): $39.50
Adventure Land-NY (Formerly Ring Homestead)
257 Lybolt Road, Middletown, NY 10940
845-361-3842
Treetop ropes course, paintball and downhill tubing.
MONSEY: 49 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 55 minutes
Call to make reservations.
Prices vary per activity
Braden Brook Stables
19 Mountaindale Road, Greensfield Park, NY 12435
845-647-7556
1-hour trail rides for $60 per person; at this time of year it’s for ages 10 and up.
Chol Hamoed hours and prices not yet released at time of print.
Diggerland
100 Pinedge Drive, West Berlin, NJ 08091
856-393-5992
Tractor-themed rides, stunts and digging fun for all ages
MONSEY: 2 hours BORO PARK: 1 hour 30 minutes
11:00 a.m–6:00 p.m.
Ticket prices online start at $39.99.
Family Fun Farm
65 Friedman Road, Monticello, NY 12701
347-480-FARM (3276)
Thrilling adventure farm for all ages offering petting zoo, bumper boats, laser tag, wagon rides, zip line, ball blaster, pony rides, parakeets, jumping pillow, and many more fun attractions. Recently added state of the art electric go karts, zoom tubing and VR
Five-level treetop adventure course and zip line course
MONSEY: 45 Minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 5 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours and prices not yet released at time of print.
Do it for yourself. Personal care just went up a notch. Learn how to style your hair to frame your face, with time-tested techniques. Do it for others. Master the beauty techniques needed to go pro. Learn the trade once, and appreciate it forever.
Keansburg Amusement Park
275 Beachway Avenue, Keansburg, NJ 07734
732-495-1400
Keansburg Amusement Park offers over 40 rides including kiddie, family and thrill rides with access to the ocean in the back of the park.
MONSEY: 55 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
Chol Hamoed hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 1:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Pirchei Special: $20 per person using the rides
Luna Park
1000 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224
718-373-5862
Park with 30 rides and lots of games at Coney Island Beach
MONSEY: 1 hour 10 minutes BORO PARK: 22 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: Monday to Thursday: 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Pay per ride.
Pocono Outdoor Aventure Tours
1234 Long Pond Road, Long Pond, PA 18334
570-839-6061
One-hour guided UTV tours over 1,000 acres of the historic Pocono Manor, along streams and mountain tops with gorgeous views
MONSEY: 1 hour 48 minutes BORO PARK: 2 hours 15 minutes By reservation, must arrive 30 minutes prior to reservation time.
Must have a valid driver’s license to operate the vehicles; length of time approximately 1 hour. Doubleseater UTV: $160; four-seater UTV: $235
Jamaica Bay Riding Academy
7000 Shore Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11234 (right off Belt Parkway) 718-531-8949
Ages 12 and up. No reservations necessary.
MONSEY: 1 hour 12 minutes BORO PARK: 25 minutes
By appointment only
$90.00 per person 12 years and older; minimum two people. $120 evening rides prepaid by appointment only. $25 pony rides (10 years and under).
LEGOLAND
1 Legoland Boulevard, Goshen, NY 10924
845-410-0290
Sprawling theme park with Lego structures and amusement rides
MONSEY: 44 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 40 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Online prices start at $49.
Payne’s Motor Sports
1550 Route 17B, White Lake, NY 12786
845-583-1000
ATV rentals for use in their facility
Pocono TreeVentures
1575 Fairway Villas Blvd., East Stroudsburg PA 18302 800-446-0231
Aerial forest adventure with five ropes courses and dual zip racers. Also kids’ section.
MONSEY: 1 hour 25 minutes BORO PARK: 2 hours
Call for hours and prices.
New expanded Lingerie department
Beginners • Teens • Ladies Personalized attention with you in mind!
FINE LINGERIE
Six Flags AdventuresGreatand Safari
1 Six Flags Boulevard, Jackson, NJ 08527
201-862-0250 (NCSY), 732-928-2000
Huge park with 14 coasters and 52 other attractions; Off-Road Adventure Safari entrance included in admission. NCSY event
Online: Amusement park: Starting at $49; at the park: $90. Drive-thru Safari: Adult: $30; Senior (65+): $20; Child (36”–48”): $20. Parking: $30.
Tappan Go Karts
116 Route 303, Tappan, NY 10983
845-359-0642
Go kart track, batting cages, mini-golf and driving range
MONSEY: 23 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
Go-karts: Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; closed Mondays. Batting cages: every day from 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m; Mini golf: 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Mini golf: Adult (10+): $9; Child (10 and under): $8.
Go-karts (four laps): single car: $10; double car: $15. Coupon book is good for six races. A single go-kart coupon book costs $54; double costs $84. Batting cages: $3 for 15 pitches.
Staten Island FunPark
215 Schmidts Lane, Staten Island, NY 10314
718-982-5576
Go karts, mini golf, batting cages.
MONSEY: 1 hour 10 minutes BORO PARK: 25 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Go-Karts open at 12:00 p.m.
Pay per activity.
The Castle Fun Center
109 Brookside Avenue, Chester, NY 10918
845-469-2116
Adventure center with go-karts, arcade, rock climbing and more
8-acre park in memoriam of 9/11 heroes with guided tours available
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 20 minutes
8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Free
9/11 Memorial Museum
200 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10007
212-312-8800
Museum with exhibitions and hands-on learning about 9/11 and its effects
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 20 minutes
Wednesday through Monday 9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Adults: $29; Children (7–12): $17; Teens (13–17): $23; Seniors (65+): $23; Under 6: Free. Family passes available for less. Free Admission Monday tickets will be available on the website each Monday beginning at 7 a.m. ET and are first come, first serve. Last entrance is 3:30 p.m. Free admission to visitors receiving SNAP benefits. For tickets through this program, simply present your EBT card at our box office (limit four per person).
Battleship New Jersey
100 Clinton Street, Camden, NJ 08103
856-966-1652
Battleship that served in WWII, Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars that gives a glimpse into military life
MONSEY: 2 hours BORO PARK: 1 hour 45 minutes
Self-guided tours every day, from 10:00 a.m–4:00 p.m.
Adults: $30; Seniors and children 12 and under: $23
Color Factory
251 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013
347-378-4071
Colorful and interactive modern art exhibit
MONSEY: 45 minutes BORO PARK: 25 minutes
9:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.; reservations required.
Prices start at $34.99 per person.
FDR Home and Library
4097 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538
800-337-8474
History-rich tours of FDR’s property, home and library
George Washington’s headquarters at four different occasions during the Revolution, the DeWint House, carriage house and surrounding grounds are open to the public to view and explore.
MONSEY: 23 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
Call for hours or tours.
Free
Brooklyn Navy Yard Center
63 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11205
718-907-5932
A museum featuring the history and innovation of the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Museum displaying artifacts mentioned in Torah and in Jewish history. In the heart of Boro Park
MONSEY: 1 hour 21 minutes BORO PARK: Local
By appointment
Each exhibit is $10 per person ages 3+ (under 3 free). Museum exhibits are 1 hour long each. Additional exhibits per day is $8 per person. Groups of 10 people or more are $8 per person for each exhibit.
Lucy the Elephant
9219 Atlantic Avenue, Margate City, NJ 08402
609-823-6473
Quirky waterfront landmark, a six-story elephantshaped building built in 1881, with tours and views.
The museum is showcasing a fascinating living memorial of the Holocaust, with many new objects from Auschwitz that have never been seen before.
MONSEY: 50 minutes BORO PARK: 20 minutes
Generally, the museum is open Sunday and Wednesday from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Thursday from 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; and Friday from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Last admission to the museum is 30 minutes prior to closing time.
Adults: $18.00; Seniors: $12.00; Children (12 and under): free. Admission to the museum is free on Thursdays between 4 and 8 p.m. To reserve your advance free admission, please choose a Thursday from our admission ticketing calendar, and change the time dropdown to 4 p.m.
One World Observatory
285 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10007
844-696-1776
Admission to three floors of One World Trade Center, for views, observatory, elevators and exhibits
MONSEY: 50 minutes BORO PARK: 25 minutes
9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Prices start at $44 per person online and $49 at the door.
Newport Rhode Island Mansions
Preservation Society of Newport County: 424 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840
401-847-1000
Opulent and magnificent preserved mansions used as summer homes for families like the Vanderbilts and the Astors
Military and maritime history museum inside original battleship
MONSEY: 42 minutes BORO PARK: 45 minutes
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; last entry is one hour prior to closing.
Adults (13–64): $36; Seniors (65+): $34; Children (5–12): $26; Children 4 and under: free. The museum offers free admission for EBT cardholders and up to three guests. Must have valid photo ID. Tickets can be redeemed at the box office.
The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI)
47-01 111th Street, Corona, NY 11368
718-699-0005
NYSCI is located near Flushing Meadows Park and is one of NY’s best museums for interactive science.
MONSEY: 50 minutes BORO PARK: 45 minutes
Wednesday through Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Friday: 2:00–5:00 p.m.; last entry: 4:00 p.m. Please note: The museum hosts many school groups on weekdays from 10-2. Please visit after 2:00 p.m. if you want a quieter experience.
All-inclusive admission: Adult: $33; Child, student and senior: $30. General admission: Adult: $22; Child, student and senior: $19
The Vanderbilt Mansion
119 Vanderbilt Park Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538
845-229-7770
54-room well-preserved mansion with magnificent grounds and gardens
Daily admission (includes access to the grounds and open portions of the mansion, but not the planeterium): Adult (16+): $15; Child (15 and younger): free
Touro Synagogue Tours
85 Touro Street, Newport, RI 02840
401-847-4794
A historic tour of the oldest shul in the U.S. and one of the most architecturally distinguished buildings
MONSEY: 3 hours BORO PARK: 3 hours 30 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: Tours run every 45 minutes starting 10:00 a.m.; last tour at 1:45 p.m. (10:00, 10:45, 11:30, 12:15, 1:00, 1:45)
Tour admission fees include interactive exhibits in the Loeb Visitors Center. Adults: $14; Seniors: $12; Students: $10. No fee for children 12 and under.
Waterfront Museum
290 Conover Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
A museum dedicated to education about maritime history
Chol Hamoed hours: 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Tickets are limited by entry time on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Last entry is 1.5 hours before closing.
Prices start at $36.99 per person.
Bailiwick Animal Park and Riding Stables
118 Castle Rd, Catskill, NY 12414
518-678-5665
The Animal Park is home to over 30 exhibits of domestic and exotic animals. Horseback riding available at the stables.
Metropolitan zoo with 265 acres that harbors 4,000 animals in replicas of their native habitats.
MONSEY: 44 minutes BORO PARK: 45 minutes
Monday through Friday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Adult (13+): $28.95+; Senior (65+): $26.95+; Child (3–12): $20.95+; Child 2 and under: free. Wednesday tickets are reduced. Advance tickets are required for Wednesday reduced admission, and are made available at 5:00 p.m. the Monday before. Maximum of four tickets per order. Parking: $22.
Long Island Aquarium
431 E Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901
631-208-9200 ext. 426
Aquarium with fascinating exhibits and many interesting marine animals and fish
Cruises for views of Statue of Liberty, Manhattan skyline, landmarks and more
MONSEY: 43 minutes BORO PARK: 35 minutes
9:15 a.m.–3:15 p.m.; reservations required.
Prices start at $29 and depend on the cruise type and time.
Governor’s Island
Ferry Departs Manhattan: Battery Maritime Building, 10 South Street, New York, NY 10005; Also departs from Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park
212-440-2200
A recreational island off Manhattan where no motors are allowed. It can be reached by ferry and offers bicycle rentals of all kinds, a museum, and fun outdoor activitites.
MONSEY: 57 minutes BORO PARK: 20 minutes
Ferries depart periodically between 6:10 a.m. and 4:20 p.m.
Round-trip ferry ticket: Adult: $5; Senior (65+) and children under 12: free. Ferry free on Sundays before 11:00 a.m.
Ellis and Liberty Island Ferry
Ferry departs from Manhattan: 22 Battery Place, New York, NY 10004; From New Jersey: Liberty State Park, Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305
877-523-9849 (Statue Cruises)
Tours that include cruise and access to Liberty and Ellis Islands
MONSEY: 55 minutes BORO PARK: 40 minutes
9:15 a.m.–3:15 p.m.; reservations required. Prices start at $25.50 per person.
Greenwood Lake Marina
38 Lakeside Road, Hewitt, NJ 07421
973-728-9100
Luxury boat rental for relaxing cruise on beautiful Greenwood Lake
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 25 minutes By reservation. Call for hours and prices.
Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry
30-34 Girling Drive (off 9W), Haverstraw, NY 10927 1-800-53FERRY
Commuter ferry that transports passengers between Haverstraw and Ossining
MONSEY: 23 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ferry operates for commuters by New York Waterway. Ferry leaves Haverstraw about every half hour starting at 5:47 a.m. Last morning ferry departs at 8:42 a.m. First afternoon ferry from Haverstraw departs at 5:21 p.m. and last ferry departs at 9:22 p.m. Ferry leaves Ossining about every half hour starting at 6:01 a.m. Last morning ferry departs at 8:57 a.m. First afternoon ferry from Ossining departs at 5:06 p.m. and last ferry departs at 9:41 p.m.
One-way fare: Adult: $4.50; Child (6–11): $2.25; Child (under 5): free. Two children ride free with each paying adult. 10-trip fare: $38.25.
Hoboken Ferry
1 Hudson Place, Hoboken, NJ 07030
800-533-3779
Commuter ferry from Hoboken to Pier 11 or World Financial Center in Manhattan
MONSEY: 58 minutes BORO PARK: 35 minutes
Runs all day at 20-minute intervals
One-way fare: Adult: $8.50; Senior (62+) and disabled: $8.00; Child (6–11): $5; Child (under 5): Free. Two children ride free with each paying adult. 10-trip fare: $79.50.
Payne’s Water Sports
1550 NY-17B, White Lake, NY 12786
845-583-1000
All types of boat rentals at White Lake.
MONSEY: 1 hour 15 minutes BORO PARK: 2 hours
Chol Hamoed hours: Open all day by reservation only
Free 25-minute commuter ferry between Manhattan and Staten Island
MONSEY: 1 hour BORO PARK: 20 minutes
Operates 24/7. Ferry departs every 30 minutes, with increased service (every 15 to 20 minutes) during weekday rush hours (6:00–9:00 a.m. and 3:30–8:00 p.m.).
Free
Tours
Above the Clouds Balloon Rides
100 Airport Road, New Hampton, NY 10958
845-360-5594
Half-hour to an hour scenic ride up in the clouds on a picture-perfect hot air balloon
MONSEY: 47 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 35 minutes
Reservations required
Prices start at $395 per person.
Central Park Carriage
Central Park
347-873-9213
Open-air ride through Central Park in horse-drawn carriage. Max 4 adults per carriage OR 5 passengers when kids are included
MONSEY: 45 minutes BORO PARK: 34 minutes
Monday to Friday: 9:45 a.m.–11:30p.m.; Sunday: 8:30a.m.–11:30p.m.; advance reservations recommended
Prices start at $89.99 for a 25-minute tour
Central Park Pedicab Tours
8 West 58th St; near 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
917-405-1303
Offering 1- to 3-hour pedicab tours through Central Park
MONSEY: 45 minutes BORO PARK: 40 minutes
8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Prices start at $60 per adult, $50 per child. Reduced rate with advance reservation.
Liberty Helicopter Tours
6 East River Piers #212, New York, NY 10005
212-786-5751
Birds’-eye view of New York City and surrounding area
MONSEY: 50 minutes BORO PARK: 20 minutes
Advance Reservations Required
Prices start at $259 per person + $40 heliport fee per person.
The Roosevelt Island Tramway
60th Street and 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10022
212-832-4555
Aerial tramway that spans East River and leads to Roosevelt Island, where there’s a beautiful park
MONSEY: 46 minutes BORO PARK: 25 minutes
6:00 a.m.–2:00 a.m., every 15 min; during rush hour (7:00–10:15 a.m. and 3:00–8:00 p.m.), service is increased to every 7.5 minutes
Anyone above 44” tall: $2.90 per way. MTA MetroCards reqired for pay. (MetroCards are available for purchase at the tram station from vending machines.) Up to three children 44” tall and under ride for free on the tram when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.
Airplane Observation
Aviation Hall of Fame
400 Fred Wehran Drive, Teterboro, NJ 10604
201-288-6344
Museum with models of military aircraft and history of aviation
MONSEY: 32 minutes BORO PARK: 50 minutes
Three daily sessions: 10:30 a.m.–noon, 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. Closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Last admission 2:45. Reservations required.
Adults: $15.00; Seniors: $12; Children (3–12): $12
John F. InternationalKennedyAirport
New York, NY 11430
AirTrain is free and gives children a fascinating bird’s-eye view of this bustling airport. Parking lots 2 and 5 offer nice views of airplanes taking off and landing.
MONSEY: 55 minutes BORO PARK: 30 minutes Free
Newark InternationalLibertyAirport
3 Brewster Road, Newark, NJ 07114
AirTrain is free in the airport; best spot of watching is from the parking lot of Ikea at 1000 Ikea Drive in Elizabeth, NJ.
MONSEY: 46 minutes BORO PARK: 35 minutes Free
Stewart International Airport
1180 1st Street, New Windsor, NY 12553
On the far left, at the end of the field all the way in the back, there’s an excellent spot to watch the airplanes take off and land. There’s also access to the departure hall, where you can see the screens and conveyor belts.
MONSEY: 44 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 35 minutes
Free
Planeview Park
Ditmars Boulevard, East Almhurst, NY 11369
212-639-9675
A park right near La Gaurdia airport with awesome views of planes landing and taking off (parking may be difficult)
MONSEY: 47 minutes BORO PARK: 25 minutes
6:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Free
Skydive the Ranch
55 Sand Hill Road, Gardiner, NY 12525
845-255-4033
Viewing area to watch people skydiving
MONSEY: 55 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 50 minutes
Call for hours before coming
Free
Teterboro Airport
111 Industrial Avenue, Teterboro, NJ 10604
East of the airport, on Redneck Drive, there are some playing fields with great views of aircraft taking off
MONSEY: 32 minutes BORO PARK: 45 minutes
Free
Westchester County Airport
240 Airport Road, White Plains, NY 10604
This airport is less busy and way less overwhelming than the international airports. There’s an observation deck on the third floor where airplanes can be watched taking off and landing.
MONSEY: 35 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 5 minutes
Free
Palisades Mall
5 Wits
4270 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack, NY 10994; Top floor between Target and AMC
845-533-2666
A multi-room immersive adventure experience with special effects that adapts to group’s performance
Play arena with slides, trampolines, obstacle courses for safe, hands-on fun
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 10 minutes
Monday to Thurday: 11:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Friday 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Admission desk closes one hour before listed closing time.
Child (4–17): $21.95; Toddler (1–3): $17.95; Infant (0–11 months): Free with paid child or toddler, or $15.95 for infant and adult. First adult (18+): $8.95; Second adult (18+): $10.95; Senior (65+): Free with paid child or toddler. Mega 10-packs available for children or toddlers.for infant and adult. First adult (18+): $8.95; Second adult (18+): $10.95; Senior (65+): Free with paid child or toddler. Mega 10-packs available for children or toddlers.
Climbzone- Palisades
3594 Palisades Center Dr, West Nyack, NY 10994
845-605-9555
Themed climbing walls. Additional location in Lakewood.
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 55 minutes
Chol Hamoed hours: 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Prices start at $19.99 for 30 minutes.
Escape the Mystery Room
3681 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack, NY 10994
845-208-2919
Thrilling escape rooms of different difficulty levels
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
Chol Hamoed hours: 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Prices start at $29.89.
K1 (Formerly Autobahn Indoor Speedway)
2272 Palisades Center Drive #A200, West Nyack, NY 10994
845-535-1515
High speed karting. They now also offer VR and axe throwing.
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour
Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.; Monday to Thursday: 12:00 p.m.–10:00 P.M.
Prices start at $28.95 for 1 race. Yearly license for $7.95 required.
Palisades Climb Adventure
Palisades Center, 4590 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack, NY 10994
845-727-3500
The world’s tallest ropes course boasting 85 feet and five levels, on Level 4 of the Palisades Mall
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 15 minutes
Sundays: 11:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.; Thursday and Friday: 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
$27.99; $11.99 for SkyTykes (under 48”)
Time Mission
3532 Palisades Center Drive, Level 3, West Nyack, NY 10994
909-328-6598
Teams of between two and five players have short challenges to complete using skill, speed and brains.
MONSEY: 20 minutes BORO PARK: 1 hour 15 minutes
Monday to Thursday: 12:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Prices vary depending on what you choose.
American Dream
Activate
1 American Dream Way, Level 1, Space A156, East Rutherford, NJ 07073
201-636-7588
Gaming rooms for two to five players with interactive challenges.
MONSEY: 38 minutes BORO PARK: 40 minutes
Monday to Thursday: 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Regular pricing: $24.99 per player. Peak pricing: $29.99 per player
Blacklight Mini Golf
1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford, NJ 07073
833-263-7326
Glow in the dark mini golf
MONSEY: 35 minutes BORO PARK: 35 minutes
11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
$20 per person
Angry Birds Mini Golf
1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford, NJ 07073
833-263-7326
Miniature golf
MONSEY: 35 minutes BORO PARK: 35 minutes
11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. $20 per person
Big Snow
1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford, NJ 07073
973-864-6600
Skiing and snowboarding at a large indoor park with year-round powder. Includes bunny slopes. Lessons available. Big Snow has recently added indoor Snow Tubing.
Chol Hamoed is a great time to spend quality time with family and friends. Finding an appropriate place to meet between the various areas people live tends to be challenging. In this section we’ll share a variety of locations between Monsey, Boro Park and Lakewood. If you are planning to meet a large amount of people, please check that the attraction or park can accomodate the crowd.
Echo Lake Park
1028 Springfield Ave., Mountainside, NJ 07092
Park with lake fields and playground
MONSEY: 50 minutes
BORO PARK: 45 minutes
LAKEWOOD: 1 hour
Open 24 hours
Free
Florham Park Roller Rink
192 Ridgedale Ave., Florham Park, NJ 07932
973-377-0456
Roller skating rink
MONSEY: 45 minutes
BORO PARK: 50 minutes
LAKEWOOD: 1 hour 10 minutes
Call for current hours.
Admission whether skating or not: $10; $5 skate rental
Kids Empire-Linden
860 W Edgar Road, Linden, NJ 07036
908-257-0530
Indoor playground
MONSEY: 55 minutes
BORO PARK: 30 minutes
LAKEWOOD: 55 minutes
Monday to Thursday: 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; Friday to Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
Prices: All day access with re-entry: Adults (18+): 2 free entries per child, $5 per additional adult; Child (1–17 years old): $17.90–$24.90; Infant (0–11 months): free
Jersey Lanes
30 Park Ave., Linden, NJ 07036
908-486-6300
Bowling alley
MONSEY: 55 minutes
BORO PARK: 30 minutes
LAKEWOOD: 1 hour
Call for open bowl times.
Per person per hour: Monday to Thursday: Opening–5:00 p.m.: $9; Monday to Thursday: 5:00 p.m.–Closing: $12.50. Friday: Opening–5:00 p.m.: $9; Friday: 5:00 p.m.–Closing: $15. Saturday and Sunday: Opening–5:00 p.m.: $12.50. Saturday and Sunday: 5:00 p.m.–Closing: $15.
Linden Lanes
741 N Stiles Street, Linden, NJ 07036
201-200-1000
Bowling alley
MONSEY: 55 minutes
BORO PARK: 30 minutes
LAKEWOOD: 55 minutes
Call for open bowl times.
Monday to Thursday: $5 per person per game up until 6:00 p.m.; After 6:00 p.m.: $6 per person per game. Friday to Sunday: $7 per person per game. Shoes $5.
Liberty Science Center
222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305 201-200-1000
Amazing interactive science experience for learning and fun
Make a right at the first traffic circle, go past the wooden bridge and down the road until you hit a second traffic circle. On your right will be the parking lot. 201-336-7275
Great park with fun equipment and jungle gyms, water views, walking paths, and boat rentals in warmer seasons
MONSEY: 38 minutes
BORO PARK: 40 minutes
LAKEWOOD: 1 hour 10 minutes
6:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. Free
The Funplex
182 NJ-10, East Hanover, NJ 07936
973-428-1166
Indoor family amusement center with go-karts, bumper cars, laser tag, arcades and more. Additional location: Mount Laurel, NJ.
Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park (Avenel, NJ)
1600 St. Georges Ave., Avenel, NJ 07001
732-640-8847
Trampoline park with additional attractions
MONSEY: 1 hour
BORO PARK: 35 minutes
LAKEWOOD: 50 minutes
Monday to Thursday: 3:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.; Friday: 2:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Prices start at $27.99
Warinanco Park
Warinanco Park Roadway, Roselle, NJ 07036
Expansive park offering an ice-skating rink and lake activities plus multiple playing fields and trails
MONSEY: 55 minutes
BORO PARK: 30 minutes
LAKEWOOD: 1 hour
6:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Free
BACK IN THE CAVE, WHEN I FELL INTO THE ABYSS… WHY?!
BARUCH HABA! WELCOME HOME!
WELL? WERE YOU SUCCESSFUL?
A JEW SAVES A JEW. WHY WHAT ?
WHY DID YOU SAVE ME? YOU ALREADY KNEW I WAS YOUR FATHER AND BROTHER’S ENEMY.
BUT YOU’RE A JEW.
SO…?
NO. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO TREASURE AFTER ALL.
A FEW WEEKS LATER:
ZUSHA! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! HOW?! YOU WENT TO FIND A TREASURE AND CAME BACK WITH AN EVEN GREATER ONE!
HOW ARE THE IMMIGRANTS DOING?
NOT VERY WELL.
RECAP: AFTER THE HOUSE COLLAPSES, ZUSHA RESCUES PEDRO. ZUSHA REUNITES WITH HIS FAMILY, BUT PEDRO STILL STRUGGLES WITH HIS OLD WAYS — THOUGH SOMETHING INSIDE OF HIM HAS SHIFTED.
SOME IMMIGRANTS DIED FROM TYPHOID, AND NOW THEIR FAMILIES ARE DETERMINED TO STAY ON THE LAND NEAR THE RAILWAY STATION. THE GOVERNMENT APPROVED IT, BUT THEY NEED A LOT OF RESOURCES AND MORE FUNDS. IF THEY CONTINUE LIVING IN THESE CONDITIONS, CHAS V’SHALOM, ANOTHER DISEASE IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME.
IT’S JUST LIKE THAT LINE WE SAW IN THAT INSCRIPTION: “SHIVISI HASHEM L’NEGDI TAMID — THE GREATEST TREASURE IS WITHIN YOU… AT THE END OF THE WORLD.” THAT ARTWORK LOOKED SO FAMILIAR.
MESSENGERS WERE SENT TO EUROPE FOR HELP, BUT UNTIL THEY RETURN… I MUST SAY, THE EMUNAH OF THESE IMMIGRANTS IS INCREDIBLE. THEY NEVER STOP DAVENING AND BELIEVING IN HASHEM’S KINDNESS.
HEY! I KNOW WHERE WE SAW THAT INSCRIPTION BEFORE, MICHAEL!
SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE THE LOST CITY:
EXCELLENT! PEDRO! THANKS FOR DOING THE WORK FOR US.
BITS OF WITS
SHEVY HOLLANDER
A LITTLE BIT OF SCIENCE WONDER
There are some animals whose coloring changes in honor of the spring. Among them are deer, foxes, yellow finches and bees.
THE CHANGING FACE OF:
Are you from the people who stack one Draw 2 on another while playing Uno?
About two years ago, Uno made an announcement that this is not a legit move as per official game rules.
FLOWER POWER
Use the following letters to list 5 words, each using 7 letters and up. Only the center letter must be used, and letters can be repeated. Bonus points for pangrams (words that use all seven letters).
TEASER
WHICH WORDS FROM THE HAGGADAH ALSO APPEAR IN THE TORAH (PARSHAS KI SAVO)? TANACH
MARK THE SPOT SNAPSHOTS OF THE WORLD’S BEAUTY LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
Tulip season in the Netherlands, which peaks now, makes for some breathtaking geometrical designs.
THINK OF THE LINK
Find a common factor for this group of four words:
1. Vowels 2. Stars
Senses
Great Lakes
These are all things that number five.
FLOWER POWER
PANGRAMS: Lighter Relight
OTHER WORDS: Glitter Terrier Thirtieth Tighter Trigger
A U L E I T M
THINK OF THE LINK
Find a common factor for this group of four words
1. Cold 2. Ball 3. Fish 4. Whiff
Find a common factor for this group of four words: 1. Cold
Ball
Fish
Whiff
These are all things you can catch.
PANGRAMS: Mutilate Ultimate
OTHER WORDS: Limitate Mealtime Militate Telltale Ultimatum
TEASE YOUR MIND
CAN YOU HOLD WITHOUT EVER TOUCHING IT?
Answer: Your breath.
TANACH TEASER
What expression describing Hashem appears in the Haggadah eleven times, but not even once in the Torah?
Which words from the Haggadah also appear in the Torah (Parshas Ki Savo)?
SAY IT WITH A TWIST
ADD TO DICTIONARY
WORDS YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT SAY THINGS IN A WHOLE NEW WAY
Vernal is a formal adjective that describes something that relates to or occurs in the spring.
There is nothing quite as vernal as Pesach!
SO RANDOM!
The spaceflight company Space Perspective is already selling seats on Spaceship Neptune, which is launched by balloon that gently sends it up to the stratosphere and lands with a parachute-like mechanism on the ocean.
The first test flight took place in September 2024, with another few uncrewed test flights scheduled.
The maiden crewed flight is targeted for sometime this year, and commercial flights are expected to begin in 2026. More than 1,800 tickets have already been sold at the price of $125,000 a seat.
THE PLACE WITH THE LONGEST NAME IS A HILL NEAR PORANGAHAU IN NEW ZEALAND NAMED TAUMATAWHAKATANGIHANGAKOAUAUOTAMATEATURIPUKAKAPIKIMAUNGAHORONUKUPOKAIWHENUAKITANATAHU. THIS HILL IS NOTABLE PRIMARILY FOR ITS LONG NAME, WHICH IS OFTEN SHORTENED TO TAUMATA .
We hope you enjoyed our Bits of Wits column. Now that it is coming to an end, look out for some more exciting content after Yom Tov!
Ruchelle Kahan, 9, Bnos Zion of Bobov
Yitty Pollak, 10, Skver
Chesky
Horovitz, 10, Imrei Emes
Gur
Shiela Slomovics, 11, Bobov
BOGGLE TOURNAMENT
Enjoy this week’s Boggle board without competition! The Boggle Tournament will resume after Yom Tov.
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 718-4088771 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
Each Boggle board hides a word of nine letters or more!
S E B M C R D E P E O W L I V A A N T G D H U O N
Family name: ___________________________________________________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________________________________________
Full mailing address: _________________________________________________________
Full name of winner: _________________________________________________________
Amount of points: ____________________________________________________________
Full names of competing players:
List some words only the winner found:
WINNER 1
FAMILY NAME: Braun, 718-xxx-2863
NAME OF WINNER: Ruchy
AMOUNT OF POINTS: 28
NAMES OF COMPETING PLAYERS: Mommy, Raizy, Perry
SOME WORDS ONLY THE WINNER FOUND: lumber, tester, donate THE LONGEST WORD FOUND ON THE BOARD: respect
WINNER 2
FAMILY NAME: Berg, 347-xxx-5609
NAME OF WINNER: Mommy
AMOUNT OF POINTS: 187
NAMES OF COMPETING PLAYERS: Shaindy, Sury, Chaya’la
SOME WORDS ONLY THE WINNER FOUND: speck, these, reserve, another THE LONGEST WORD FOUND ON THE BOARD: preserved LAST
Mordche Hershberg, 5
Shmily & Gavriel Klein
Moishy & Tzippy Halpert
Yossi & Avrumi
Yerachmiel Halpert, 6 Sury Goldstein, 5
Kahan Family
Mordechai Grunwald, 7
Alter & Yitzchok Moskowitz
Moshe Kolman
Riven Meir & Arele Klein
Meilich Tabak, 5
Aron, Shloimy & Moishy Langsam
Mordche & Usher Zelig Stein
Yiddy Grinfeld, 6
Faigy Friedman, 6
Hindy Schwartz
Yitzy Leifer
Classifieds
FOR SALE
NEOCATE/BABY FORMULA
Neocate $46.99 per can. Kendamil Similac L’Mehadrin in stock!! We buy off any formula for a good price and trade as well. Call for other types of formulas. New! Option of shipping case of 6 Kendamil directly to you from England. Formula Trade 347.369.4886
Beautiful 3 bedroom 3 bath villa with private inground heated pool and hot tub available in North Miami, Price per night $339. Pictures available. Call/Text 845-3277153
WEST PALM BEACH
APT. FOR SALE
Century Village-Golf Edge, 1 ½ bedroom apt. 2 baths, Brand new appliances, Ready to move in now. Price $200K or best offer. Call: 845.325.0500
NEW APARTMENT
Beautiful 2-bedroom apartment on 19th Ave, low 50s Contact 917-635-0853 for details!
LINDEN LUXE
New Pristine Cathedral
Ceiling House. 6 bedrooms. 3 bathrooms, jacuzzi. Sleeps 20+. Stocked Playroom. Swing Set. Trampoline, gameroom. All Amenities. 5 min to shul. 3 blocks to grocery/ pizza store. Avail for Shabbos/ Weekday. call/text 718989-1406.
LAKEHOUSE VILLA
Luxurious 3 bedroom lake house villa in Case Grande Arizona. Private pool fully stocked kosher kitchen. 520.251.4459
WAREHOUSE FOR LEASE
6,000 square feet warehouse space in prime location, 16 ft high ceiling, includes storefront, office space, basement and loading area. Please call 718-954-4525
WEST PALM BEACH
No. 1 Real Estate Broker. Aaron Rose 561.308.5766
WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA
For the best Real Estate deals call Mrs. Debby Schwartz 203.667.2785
MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA
Carriage Club North, beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bath, ground floor, for rent. Call: 347.499.0031
WEST PALM BEACH FOR SALE
Wellington M, 2 Bedroom apt. Ground Floor FOR SALE. Call: 347.760.0639
NORTH MIAMI FL RENTAL
2-bedroom, 2-baths with private heated pool and spa. Feb. all booked. $325 per night. Call/Text: 917-382-4810, email: 1752nmb@gmail.com www.themangotreat.com
MOUNTAINDALE VILLA
Magnificent 3 bedroom, 2 bath Villa available in Mountaindale. Near shuls. $189 per night (pictures available). 845-327-7153
Exlusive brand new fully- furnished house, all amenities. included, sleeps 11 +2 cribs 7 min walk to shuls option to add shabbos food (monthly rates available)/Text 601- 675-2665/ Crownprincevilla@gmail.com
BEAUTIFUL VILLA RENTAL
Beautiful villa in serene area outside Monroe. 9 couple rooms, teen room 8 beds and many kids mattresses. Huge private pool with stunning grounds. New!!! Jacuzzi Hot tub. Pictures at hotelfifteen. com .still avail for sukkas 845 837 5662
VILLA IN CASA GRANDE ARIZONA
Gorgeous upgraded villa available. 2-7 bedrooms, 3 baths, kosher kitchen. Beautiful private backyard with heated pool and luxurious hot tub. Near Shul & Grocery. Call/text 929-5920368 Arizonakoshervilla.net. Villa in Tuscon also available.
FOR RENT
Brand New 8-Bed House 6,000 sqft in Chestnut Ridge, Spring Valley. Available for July. call 973-558-0026
Classifieds
PRIVATE HOUSE SHORT TERM
Fully equipped furnished 7 bedroom house (18+beds) with linen/towels hotel style in Blooming Grove. Rent for days, weeks, or weekends. Breathtaking beautiful grounds. Call/text 845-2385633
SURFSIDE SHORT TERM RENTAL
Newly renovated Fully Furnished beautiful 1 bed 2 bath apt. 91st and Collins, walking distance to Shul, daily, weekly rental. across from beach. Call/Text/ WhatsApp 917 705-9667
6 BEDROOM VACATION RENTAL
New luxurious house near KJ available for weeked, Pesach and Summer. Stocked kitchen, linen, towels. Beautiful outdoor furniture. Call/text 917-652-1468
PRIME WILLIAMSBURG
LOCATION:
Corner house at Hewes St & Marcy Ave Fourstory brownstone with 3 residential units and 2 commercial Asking 3.6M (718) 496-1976
MONTICELLO RENTAL
Fully furnished brand new villa rental- 3 bdrm 1 bth 8 beds. Daily monthly- walking distance to shul year round 845-587-8105
HELP WANTED
BABYSITTER
Chassidish BP Girls School seeking P/T afternoon babysitter starting after Pesach. Work with great company, space for baby / toddler on site. Call 646-5710765
F/T BOOKKEEPER
Bais Yaakov type of school in Brooklyn is looking for a full time Bookkeeper MonThurs 9:30-3:30. Please email resume to dcbklyn1@gmail. com.
BOOKKEEPER/EA
CPA firm in Boro Park seeking a full charge bookkeeper and executive assistant to the COO. Must be detail oriented and possess strong communication skills. Experience with QuickBooks Desktop required. Flexible hours (min. 24 hrs per week) with the option for remote occasionally. Please email resume to: bookkeeping11204@gmail. com
TEACHERS POSITIONS
Brooklyn elementary school is seeking dedicated & experienced general studies teachers for upcoming school year. Afternoon hours. Supportive environment, competitive pay! Email resume: elementary@ torahvodaath.org
TEACHERS & ASSISTANTS STATEN ISLAND
Yeled V`Yalda Staten Island
Seeking PART TIME or FULL TIME Teachers and assistants for the coming `25-`26 school year. With a degree or without! Reach out to hear options!. Send your resume to: YeledStatenisland@gmail. com Or call: 718.514.8865
PRESCHOOL TEACHER (STARTING AFTER PESACH)
Seeking passionate, experienced preschool teacher, loves working with young children. Fosters a warm, nurturing and engaging learning environment. Requirements: Prior experience in early childhood Education (credentials needed). Passion for teaching young learners. Strong communication & classroom manage. Send resume and references to: ygutman@yeled.org Or call: 929.475.5628
JOBS AVAILABLE
Part-time & Full-time jobs available. Email TopPartTimeJobs@ gmail.com
TEACHERS AND ASSISTANTS
Chassidish preschool looking for warm, devoted teachers and assistants with\ without degree for coming school year. Email resume to chinuch4kinder@gmail.com
PLAYGROUP TEACHER
Playgroup seeking teacher for second half of summer call 718-854-1092
PRE-SCHOOL ASSISTANTS
School year 25-26, Exciting program, Responsible and caring. Great and friendly environment. Excellent pay!! Email Preschool@myrcb.org
DAYCAMP
Chassidish BP Daycamp seeking full time and part time preschool teachers, playgroup teachers and babysitters. Great Pay 646571-0765
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
Heimishe Talmud Torah in Boro Park seeking nursery teachers, assistants, and legal teachers. Great Pay. Email resume to teachersposition1@ gmail.com
IT TECHNICIAN
Heimishe office in Boro Park is seeking a full time IT technician. Must have experience in Azure. Please send resume to: itjob0924@ gmail.com or fax to: 718-2286350
PARA POSITIONS
Now hiring paras to work full time in a special education school for the 25-26 school year. Supportive and heimish environment. Transportation provided. Resumes@ yadyisroelschool.org
Classifieds
HEALTHCARE COORDINATOR
Excellent paying opportunity for a woman to be a healthcare coordinator/ administrator. Must be able to work 7 hours a day in Boro Park. To discuss please call 917.652.9576
DAYCAMP POSITIONS
Pre-School Boys Daycamp, Brooklyn seeks Female teachers, Lifeguard, Counselors, JC’s. Full Time & Part Time Positions. A rewarding & enjoyable experience. Call: 718-8716391
AFTER WORK
Are you looking for something meaningful to do after work? Looking for a High School graduate to work with a young girl every day after school hours. High School diploma/BA or Masters required. Excellent compensation. Email your resume to: bbraver@yeled. org
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Ivdu Schools in Flatbush seeks f/t Administrative Assistant who is efficient, organized, able to multitask, detail oriented, strong computer skills. Opportunity for growth. Excellent environment and competitive salary. Email resume ivdu@ou.org.
ABA EVENING SUPPORT ROLE
Want to make a positive impact on children’s lives? Join us as an ABA evening mentor in Boro Park or Flatbush! Help kids develop their social skills and confidence after school hours. Excellent rates for evening shifts. Please call: 917.968.2292
OFFICE POSITION
Looking for an entry level secretary for an all-female heimishe office in Boro Park. Should have excellent communication skills, ability to multitask, and be very detail oriented. Great environment and benefits. Email resume to: bbraver21@ gmail.com
OFFICE POSITION
Looking for an entry level secretary for an all-female heimishe office in Boro Park. Should have excellent communication skills, ability to multitask, and be very detail oriented. Great environment and benefits. Email resume to: bbraver21@ gmail.com
SPECIAL ED TEACHERS
Now hiring a devoted special ed classroom teacher for the 25-26 school year. Small class size, excellent training, supportive environment. Resumes@yadyisroelschool. org 718-650-6400
WORK FROM HOME
Great opportunity to manage your own business from home. No experience needed, no computer necessary. Huge potential to grow big. Call: 438.529.1216
THE JOB YOU’RE LOOKING FOR!
Want to have money flow into your pocket? Call/text 845324-5182
OFFICE LOGISTICS ASSISTANT
needed at all women office in the heart of Boro Park. Hours: 9:30 AM-4:30 PM. Paid time off, competitive pay. Call: 917.968.2292
PLACEMENT REPRESENTATIVE
Hiring Placement representative (All girl ABA office) Boro Park 1312 38th Street, 9/9:30-3/4/5. $25$40 an hour depending on experience. Generous Paid Time Off and benefits. To apply call: 347.946.4506 or email: smarkovic@yeled.org
PRINCIPAL’S ASSISTANT STATEN ISLAND
Yeled Staten Island is seeking efficient, creative, on-theball individual with ability to multi-task for position of principal’s assistant. Please email resume to: YeledStatenisland@gmail. com or call 718-514-8865
ABA IN FLATBUSH
Now hiring evening
ABA support staff, we`re expanding our team and looking for experienced ABA professionals to onboard for our Flatbush families. No direct ABA experience? No problem. If you are passionate and have a desire to make a difference, Call/ Text/WA: 917.968.2292 or email to: Scaplan@yeled.org
NOW HIRING
ABA Intake Specialist: Must be Aggressive, a quick learner, and fluent in English and Spanish. Will be the first point of contact for families and help guide them through intake. Fast paced, growth-driven role. Email: jobs00509@gmail.com
ABA RBT`S
Hiring heimishe & responsible girls to work as ABA RBT`s in local day camps in Boro Park. $24-$30 an hour based on experience. Must have HS diploma. To apply Call/message: 718.686.2326
SALES & OPERATIONS LEADER
Seeking an experienced female Sales & Operations Leader to drive performance and optimize operations parttime or full-time in Monsey. Email: TopCareerNY@gmail. com
Classifieds
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Homecare Seeking individuals with training experience in the healthcare or homecare industry. Qualifications include: team leadership and management skills. Salary 90k-130k (Negotiable for Part Time) Email: goldy@ theprimestaffing.com
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Bookkeeping company located in BP looking for a part time secretary. 2 years Quickbooks and Excel experience a must. Please email resume to openingjob8@gmail.com
SALES/OFFICE MANAGER
Seeking an experienced female sales/office Manager with a successful track record. Will paid + solid bonuses structure. GreatMonseyJob@Gmail.com
HR RECRUITING
Have HR/recruiting experience? Earn $65K+ parttime! Email ProRecruiterNY@ gmail.com to apply.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY
Seeking motivated, experienced woman (ages 35+) passionate about helping others excel in their careers. Unlimited income potential, PT/FT. TopCareerNY@gmail. com
PROFESSIONAL RESUMES
2400+ Job Resumes Written – Get Hired! Stand out with a pro resume. Call 917-6871198 or email chayala@ resumeprosplus.com today!
CHILDCARE
NON VOUCHERS PLAYGROUP
Amazing heimishe playgroup now accepting for Summer/ September. Ask about younger class. For more info call 929-236-6129
BABYSITTER
Seeking a warm, devoted babysitter in my home 15th & 55th, Mon-Thurs, starting after Pesach. Pls call 929-2620660 lv msg
42ND & 12TH AVE KINDERGROUP
Big backyard, registration open for the Summer. NO Vouchers. Also looking for playgroup assistant for the summer. call718-633-3263 or text347-232-7608
PLAYGROUP
A new vouchers group forming, heimishe experienced morah, limited slots left. C.G. Mill 929283-0975
BABYSITTING
Experienced heimishe morah willing to take a child overnight, C.G. Miler 929283-0975
SERVICES
ATT: SCHOOLS, SPECIAL EDUCATORS AND BCBA’S! Let us take care of all your writing needs! Reports/ Reassessments/ School Letters etc. We specialize in progress reports for hearings. Contact us at: 732-994-3956 reportsdone1@gmail.com
WOOD REPAIR PROFESSIONAL REVAMPING, REPAIRS & TRANSFORMATION TO UR KITCHEN THRU DESIGNER COLOR CHANGE. WE ALSO RESTORE ESTATE FURNITURE, REFURBISH, REDECORATE UR EXISTING DRM, CHAIRS, BDRMS, LIBRARIES, STAIRCASES, EXTERIOR WOOD DOORS. UPGRADE UR ORIGINAL PCS. THE QUALITY OF YESTERYEAR, DESIGN OF TODAY! TXT FOR DECORATORS CONSULT, BEST PRICING & SVC. 212991-8548.
LIGHT ALTERATIONS
Please Call: 718.450.4700
IS YOUR CHILD STRUGGLING?
Socially, with fears and anxieties, or other issues, and you think you tried everything? With Hashem’s help Energy Therapy can be the Yeshuah for your child. 15 minute free consultation. Call 845-445-8252, or email chany@ rapidrecoverycoaching.com
Certified makeup artist for all your special occasions. Call: Yides Neuwirth 917.309.6000 or 718.858.0815
HANDYMAN & ELECTRICIAN
Electrician, plumber, sewer service, Carpentry, sheetrock, locks, etc. 718.9510090
ELECTRICIAN
All Electrical work, outlets, switches, fixtures, new lines for washer/dryer or a/c, shabbos clocks, circut breakers. 718.951-0090
PHOTO EDITING
Professional photo editing, many years of experience. Special rate for photographers. Also specializing in Custom photo albums, Chosson, wedding, etc. Photo Dreams 347.563.5153
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.
FURNITURE REPAIRS
Furniture, Cabinet & General Repairs, specializing in Chosson-Kallah Apartments. Call: 718.633.6231
MR. WERTZBERGER’S RENTALS
We rent out wireless wi-fi, tablets, laptops, clarinets, violins. Prices are between $13-$25 per week. Clarinet and violin comes with free MP3 lessons in Yiddish or English. We also offer private keyboard lessons on the phone. Call hotline 718-4351923
GARTLECH
We fix knitted & crochet Gartlech & make beautiful professional fringes. We also teach how to knit & crochet. call: 917-414-3281
HANDYMAN & PAINTING
Experienced & Reliable handyman. Small jobs our specialty! Plumbing, Electric, construction, Locksmith, painting, plastering. Shabbos clocks, outlets/switches, call: 347.275.5408
NEW WEBSITE?
Get your Beautiful, Fast, SEO-Friendly Website done in 14 days, guaranteed. Email efraim@rapidquill.com
HANDYMAN/PROF CARPENTER
Repair all cabinets, Table & chairs, doors, locks, hinges, tracks, drawers, blinds, shelves, bookcases & furniture assembling and cutting, hang pic frames & more, free est, warranty on service, 917-7043514 YEHUDA
WHOLESALE FISH
Buy by the case & save. Baby & Regular Salmon. Hashgucha Volove Rav. Free delivery to your home. Call Eli: 516-270-6755
RESUME WRITER
Need a great work resume? Resumes are what we do! All levels including new-grad and experienced. Call/text 845-554-5778 or email info@ resumakerpro.com
PHOTO ALBUMS
Specializing in Custom Photo Albums, Chosson, Wedding, etc. Also professional Photo Editing, many years of experience. Special rate for photographers. Photo Dreams 347.563.5153
CUSTOM PHOTO ALBUMS
We specialize in custom Photo Albums, Chosson, Wedding, etc. Also professional Photo Editing, many years of experience. Special rate for photographers. Call: 347.563.5153
TopCareerNY@gmail.com
PRIME HOME IMPROVEMENT
Remodeling/ Fix All. Electrical-Doors-MoldingPlumbing-BathroomsWindows. No job too small. Call Chaim @917-744-2016
ROWENTA REPAIRS
Expert repairs on Rowenta steam stations. Reasonable prices. Fast service. Located in boro park. Call 646-261-3809
CLARINET RENTAL
Clarinet rental for $18 per week. Comes with MP3 lessons in Yiddish or English. 718435-1923
347-581-0495 15/56 st Wigs By Yides
LOCKSMITH
Don’t leave your house open just because the lock doesn’t close. Call the locksmith 929 359 2745
FENCES
“Pesach is almost here, it’s time to prepare, Fence your yard, to enjoy the fresh air” Catskill Fence Co. 845-53-FENCE 845-533-3623
VAN SERVICE
Yossi`s Van Service 15 Passenger van Local & long distance Airports & delivery. Call: 718.962.4664
relieving, deep tissue relaxing, circulation improving, sport injury repairing, toxin/stress releasing. Sigal 347-409-7709
PHOTOGRAPHY
For all your photography needs! (Portrait, Family, Upsherin, Baby, etc.) Many props avail! Great rates! Photos by Devorah 929-327-4621
PHOTOGRAPHY
Portraits, Family, Upsherin, Lifestyle. Special service for newborn, we come to you with all the props. Photo Dreams 347.563.5153
DRIVER AVAILABLE
Driver with many years exp. available to do long distance
SPRINTER & MINI
VAN SERVICE
Heimishe driver available to do deliveries. Local & long distance, we shlep with a smile! Call: 718.951.0090
GARTEL FRINGES
We make professional gartel fringes and mend gartelach. Same day service. In the heart of BP. (347) 693-4920 or (718)435-7644
ריטסערעק
Moving to Lakewood? Discover top-tier care for your child — Join Lakewood’s premier ABA agency!
Stumbling blocks
At our daycare, we’re here for breakthroughs. Our ABA-based curriculum weaves language and social goals into playtime, learning, and free play, creating progress daily. With warmth and care, we help build more than skills—we set them up for success, for confidence, for lasting independence.
Clinical Director: Deena Braun, MS. Ed,
Ages 18 months to 5yrs
• Warm & caring atmosphere
• Experienced, top-tier BCBAs
• Dedicated 1:1 attention
• In-house Speech Therapy and OT
• Yiddish and English classes
• Hot lunch and snack provided
• Parentcollaboration
• After-hours home service
FEEL THE WARMTH FOR YOURSELF.
To schedule a walkthrough and get a feel of the amazing Connect Plus experience, call Suri at 732.965.6444 Ext. 451 suri@connectplustherapy.com connectplustherapy.com
DAYCARE (ABA DAYCARE)
A program designed for toddlers aged 18 months-5 years, with the goal of providing a solid foundation for future learning
SUNDAY CLUBS
Skills-based clubs include ABA principles plus foundational learning and communication skills in a fun, relaxed setting, with friendship opportunities
The only thing bigger than our range of services? Our desire to see your child learn, thrive, grow, and succeed. And we do everything possible to ensure that outcome.
IN HOME ABA
Experienced, devoted clinicians work with your child in the comfort of your own home, providing one-one-instruction geared to their speci c needs
INTEGRATED CLASSES
A unique hybrid of self-contained classes in a mainstream school, where the children join their peers for speci c subjects & socializing opportunities
SELF-CONTAINED CLASSES
A school program with the goal of helping your child succeed in a mainstream classroom setting, with individual treatment plans to ensure their success
IN-SCHOOL SERVICES
Dedicated providers work with your child’s teachers in their regular school setting to ensure a successful year academically & socially
PARENT TRAINING
Experienced clinicians provide regular educational sessions and trainings for parents based on their children’s ages and needs
ADULT ABA PROGRAM
Placement in the educational or vocational setting that suits them best with ABA therapy to ensure consistent progress and real-life skills acquisition
…ליפש א טמוק'ס ,קיפע
Epicshpiel.com
PESACH IS COMPLICATED. YOUR WARDROBE DOES N 'T HAVE TO BE.
