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THE NEWSPAPER OF LONG ISLAND’S ORTHODOX COMMUNITIES

Five Towners bring chizuk to Denmark

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Inclusion’s up in Israel

Jordan Hiller of Woodmere organized a chizuk mission to Copenhagen this week and was joined by several other Five Towners, including Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, principal of Judaic Studies at the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School. They joined 2,000 people (including the Danish prime minister and other digitaries) at a memorial service for slain synagogue security guard Dan Uzan, Hyâ€?D, paid a shiva call, and delivered presents to bat mitzvah girl Hannah Ben Tov. Rabbi Oppen ďŹ led this report before they embarked. On Feb. 14, Dan Uzan, Hyâ€?D, a 37 year old Jewish volunteer security guard, was murdered in cold blood by an Islamic terrorist, as he was protecting the synagogue in which the bat mitzvah of Hannah Ben Tov was being celebrated. Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who attended Dan Uzan’s funeral, proclaimed “an attack on the Jews of Denmark is an attack on Denmark.â€? I believe we should all be declaring clearly, emphatically and loudly that “an attack on any Jew, no matter where he or she is — whether in Israel, the United States, Paris or Denmark, or any place in the world — is an attack on all Jews and every Jew.â€? When Jordan Hiller, a former HAFTR student of mine, advised HAFTR Director of Admissions and Communications Leslie Gang that he was organizing a chizuk mission to strengthen and encourage the Jews of Copenhagen, I could not help but offer to participate. In announcing the mission, Jordan quoted the

By Leiba Chaya David Recent statistics indicate that approximately 1 million people in Israel have a disability, deďŹ ned as a health problem that interferes with their daily activities. This covers a wide range of challenges, including physical limitations, mental illnesses, behavioral disorders, and more. Yet perhaps the most important part of the deďŹ nition is “interferes with their daily activities.â€? Ahiya Kamara, Commissioner for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities within the Israeli Ministry of Justice, says Israel has come a long way toward creating a more accessible society. Hearing impaired since childhood, Kamara worked for many years as a disability-rights advocate and has been an active partner in drafting relevant legislation. The Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law, originally passed by the Knesset in 1998, was recently revised to mandate “accessibility of services.â€? The revised ordinance requires service providers—bank tellers, bus drivers, government clerks, Israel Defense Forces soldiers, teachers, restaurant owners, museum guides, and virtually any person who serves the public—to ensure that their staff is trained to relate to people with disabilities with sensitivity and respect. Any business or public institution with more than 25 employees must work with an “accessibility consultantâ€? to develop a strategy for adapting services to the needs of clients with disabilities. Training seminars cover learning how to $ ZRPDQ GUHVVHG LQ D 3XULP FRVWXPH ZDONV E\ D KRPHOHVV PDQ VOHHSLQJ RXWVLGH Continued on page 4 WKH 0DVKELU PDOO LQ WKH FHQWHU RI -HUXVDOHP LQ 1DWL 6KRKDW )ODVK ULVH

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bat mitzvah girl on how her day of joy transformed into a tragedy, saying “I wish I didn’t have a bat mitzvah.� Who can blame her for feeling vulnerable, alone and abandoned? Yet we cannot let this be the case! “Kol Yisroel Araivim Zeh L’Zeh� (we are all responsible for the wellbeing of one another.�) When I mentioned the mission to my wife, Continued on page 14

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Frum groups aid Israeli poor at Purim By Judy Lash Balint Israelis take Purim seriously—kids get the day off school, many towns put on a lively Purim parade, and the streets are ďŹ lled with people of all ages running about in costumes, delivering mishloach manot baskets of prepared food goodies to their friends and neighbors before sitting down to the seuda, a festive meal that includes plenty of spirits. But these items add up, and Purim can expensive. For the one third of all Israeli children who live in poverty, Purim wouldn’t be Purim without the help of non-proďŹ t organizations that take the holiday’s other mitzvah to heart. According to Maimonides, “Matanot l’evyonim (gifts for the poor) deserve more attention than the seuda and mishloach manot because there is no greater, richer happiness than bringing joy to the hearts of needy people, orphans, widows and proselytes.â€? Despite Israel’s image as the hi-tech “start-up nation,â€? there are plenty of needy people in the Jewish state. In 2012, according to Israel’s National Insurance Institute, there were 1.75 million poor people in Israel (out of a population than 8 million), among them 817,000 children. Continued on page 14

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sible for attacks, which were carried out by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Hamas. The verdict is likely to bolster Israel’s longstanding claim that Palestinian factions such as Mahmoud Abbas’s PA—which many in the West consider to be more moderate than Hamas—support terrorism. “The PA and the PLO and the Fatah faction were all involved in terrorism during the second intifada,â€? Jonathan Schanzer, vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former terrorism ďŹ nance analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, told JNS.org. “Abbas reined in those groups and has done a reasonably good job of preventing their resurgence. But the sins of his predecessor, Yasser Arafat, continue to haunt him. And now it looks as if it will cost him as well.â€? The ruling comes as the PA ďŹ nds itself under severe ďŹ nancial strain. Israel is withholding the transfer of tax revenue it collects for the PA, in response to Abbas’s unilateral action to seek membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a mechanism to bring war crimes charges against Israel. American lawmakers are also advocating for the suspension of U.S. aid to the PA over to the ICC move. “[Monday’s] ruling delivers a ďŹ nancial blow to the Palestinian Authority at a time when they are already cash-strapped,â€? Schanzer said. “I believe that legislators will point to this, among other things, as reasons to cut off PA funding.â€? In January, 75 of 100 U.S. senators signed a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry saying that they would not support foreign aid to the PA until the Obama administration completes a review of the ICC bid. The U.S. currently provides roughly $400 million in

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annual foreign aid to the PA. “If the U.S. allows the victims [who won Monday’s ruling] to collect, I hope out of the $400 million in U.S. aid money sent to the PA each year, it will hit the PA hard in the pocketbook, and perhaps force the Palestinian leadership of Mahmoud Abbas to accept the fact that they cannot continue to pay terrorists sitting in prison or provide stipends to the families of so-called martyrs,� Flatow told JNS.org. Jewish organizations were quick to praise the federal jury’s decision. “This verdict sends a clear message that inciting terrorism, supporting terrorism, and celebrating terrorism cannot and will not be

tolerated, and that those responsible for perpetrating acts of terror will be held responsible and forced to pay a heavy price,â€? the National Council of Young Israel said in a statement. “Perpetrators of terrorism and their sponsors must be held accountable,â€? said American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris. “Though the legal process took a long time, the victims’ families have ďŹ nally seen justice in the admirable, reasoned decision of the jury in a federal court in New York.â€? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—whose government has long accused the PLO and PA of inciting and even sponsoring terrorism, especially during the second intifada—said the U.S. court decision “determines the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority for the murderous terrorist attacks of the previous decade.â€? “We expect the international community to continue to punish those who support terrorism,â€? Netanyahu said. Schanzer told JNS.org that the ruling also “serves as reminder to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who recently embarked on a campaign of lawfare against the Israelis at the International Criminal Court, that he is just as vulnerable [as Israel] to legal challenges.â€? While it may be too early to know the signiďŹ cance of the ruling for the U.S.-Palestinian funding relationship, the decision’s practical impact for families of the victims of Palestinian terror is clear. “While no amount of money will ever bring back the murdered children, fathers, mothers, and loved ones, or adequately compensate the survivors, the jury’s message was clear: terrorism has a price, and the terrorists and their sponsors must pay for it—not with lip service, but in hard, cold cash,â€? Flatow said.

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By Sean Savage, JNS.org A New York-based federal jury on Monday ordered the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to pay $218.5 million in reparations to American citizens who were targeted by terror attacks in Jerusalem, and to the victims’ families. The ruling is seen as a major victory for those seeking to hold so-called moderate Palestinian factions accountable for terrorism. “This is a signiďŹ cant ruling because the jury has discarded the long-held ďŹ ction that the Palestinians are not responsible for their actions,â€? Stephen M. Flatow, a New Jerseybased attorney and the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered by the Palestinian terrorist group Islamic Jihad in 1995, told JNS.org. The court ruled in favor of 10 American families who sued the PLO and PA for six different terrorist attacks that were linked to those groups during the second Palestinian intifada (uprising). Thirty-three people were killed in those six attacks between 2002 and 2004, and 450 were injured. Since the lawsuit was ďŹ led in a U.S. court under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the reparation amount is expected to triple to $655.5 million. “Now the PLO and PA know there is a price for supporting terrorism,â€? Nitsana DarshanLeitner, a lawyer for the plaintiffs and head of Shurat HaDin, Israel Law Center, told Reuters. Among the families involved in the landmark ruling were representatives of four victims of a Hebrew University cafeteria attack in 2002, in addition to Palestinian shooting attacks and suicide bombings that took place between 2002 and 2004 in Jerusalem. The plaintiffs won the case after a 10-year legal battle in which the defense claimed that the PLO and the PA were not directly respon-

THE JEWISH STAR February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775

Court rules for U.S. victims in PA terror case

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Continued from page 1 the rights and needs of people with disabiliexplain procedures, employ specialized tools, ties by providing information, seminars, and and generally provide a comfortable and dig- consultations. In all of its work—lawmaking, niďŹ ed experience for the client. enforcement, and advocacy—it employs the When asked to describe the greatest chal- inclusive principle of “no decisions about us lenge faced by people with disabilities in Is- without us,â€? engaging people with disabilirael, Kamara cites “the negative attitudes of ties at every stage. The commission’s work is fellow citizens.â€? supplemented by a host of educational pro“The Commission [for Equal Rights of grams and non-proďŹ t organizations—many Persons with Disabilities] can declare that an of which are run by people with disabilities— entire eet of buses meets the needs of pas- striving to integrate people with disabilities sengers with wheelchairs or visual impedi- into all aspects of Israeli life. ments,â€? Kamara says. “But if one driver fails One such organization is LOTEM-Making to lower the wheelchair elevator because it is Nature Accessible, a Jewish National Fund inconvenient, or another shames a blind per- (JNF)-supported non-proďŹ t offering outings, son because he or she moves slowly‌ then nature clubs, and creative workshops in nathe system is really not working.â€? Aaron S., a 36-year-old computer programmer from Tel Aviv, was diagnosed several years ago with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), a neural form of muscular atrophy. Faced with chronic pain and limited mobility, Aaron gradually became unable to get to work or pursue his favorite pastimes— theater and travel. “You take these things for granted,â€? Aaron reects, “and then one day, just like that, you are totally dependent on others. Not only for getting around, but also for acknowledgement as a complete human being.â€? $KL\D .DPDUD &RPPLVVLRQHU IRU (TXDO 5LJKWV RI 3HUVRQV ZLWK Both the Israeli government 'LVDELOLWLHV ZLWKLQ WKH ,VUDHOL 0LQLVWU\ RI -XVWLFH KDV EHHQ KHDU and a broad network of civil soci- LQJ LPSDLUHG VLQFH FKLOGKRRG -HZLVK 1DWLRQDO )XQG ety organizations work to ensure that Aaron and other people with disabilities ture to people with special needs. LOTEM maintain the same rights, freedom, and digni- provides programs for children and adults ty that other citizens enjoy. These efforts date who are blind and visually impaired, deaf back to the establishment of the Jewish state, and hearing impaired, physically and intelwhen the Knesset ďŹ rst began develop a set of lectually challenged, emotionally disturbed, laws for people with disabilities. Yet most ear- and at risk of physical and emotional abuse. ly Israeli disability laws and programs reect- LOTEM staff tailors each program’s content ed a social-welfare approach, in which people to the special needs of the group. with disabilities were viewed as the subjects Amos Ziv, LOTEM’s founder and direcof health plans and charitable organizations. tor, helped to develop an aspect of the Equal This approach generally resulted in exclusion Rights for People with Disabilities Law that from mainstream society, as people with dis- requires nature sites to be accessible to peoabilities were isolated in separate classes, in- ple with disabilities. According to Ziv, the stitutions, and at home. basic accessibility requirements are in place The Equal Rights for Persons with Dis- to allow people with special needs the same abilities Law represented a shift in focus meaningful encounter with nature experifrom a social-welfare approach to a legal and enced by their peers. In LOTEM’s Emek Hahuman-rights approach. In order to further shalom educational center, specially adapted develop and implement the law, the Minis- trails and custom-designed tours enable peotry of Justice established the Commission for ple with different abilities to touch, smell, Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities in hear, and feel the land of Israel. The number 2000. In 2012, the commission also became of similarly accessible national parks, trails, responsible for the implementation and mon- and nature sites is still small, but growing. itoring of the United Nations Convention on With the recent revision of the Law for the Rights of People with Disabilities. The Equal Rights for People with Disabilities, U.N. Convention sets international standards LOTEM has started to share its service-accesfor equality; full participation, inclusion, and sibility expertise with service providers from integration in society; and the accessibility across the spectrum of Israeli society. LOTEM’s and autonomy of people with disabilities. Its newly constructed visitor center, funded by stated purpose, upheld by the Israeli com- JNF donor Gloria Feldman and Israel’s Namission, is “to promote, protect and ensure tional Insurance Agency, is the only facility of the full and equal enjoyment of all human its kind located in nature—which experts say rights and fundamental freedoms by all per- is a highly conducive environment for learnsons with disabilities, and to promote respect ing about the needs of people with disabilities. for their inherent dignity.â€? For example, bus drivers from the Egged and One of the ďŹ rst sectors in Israel to work to- Dan companies participated in a “blind hike,â€? ward accessibility was public transportation, met a wheelchair-bound LOTEM staff member with some bus stations becoming wheelchair- and public transportation user, and received accessible as early as the 1970s. Now, bus instructions about how to be more sensitive to companies must re-outďŹ t their facilities and people with disabilities on the job. vehicles to meet current accessibility requireDisability-rights advocates are hopeful ments. To date, more than 85 percent of city that Israel’s Equal Rights for People with Disbus companies in Israel have fully complied. abilities Law provides the legal foundation When they don’t, as is the case for two bus for a society in which people with disabilimajor companies that failed to install appro- ties are accepted and supported. Advocates priate loudspeaker systems, the equal rights believe that as more people from all walks commission holds the statutory authority to of life understand what it is like to live with ďŹ le a criminal charge. a disability, the law will begin to change atIn addition to reďŹ ning and enforcing the titudes and shape a more equitable Israeli law, the commission raises awareness about society. JNS.org

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By Maayan Jaffe, JNS.org For a child with a severe developmental disability, walking just one step could be a feat. To complete 800 meters (2,625 feet) would be a miracle. But on March 13, that will be a reality as 15 youths “run” a special course as part of this year’s Jerusalem Marathon. The race was arranged by ALEH, Israel’s largest organization serving people with the most severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. The youths will use special walkers and other support devices to complete the race, and each will be accompanied by one or two Jerusalem police officers. The event is the brainchild of an ALEH physical therapist who approached marathon employee Alon Hassid — the father of Or Hassid, who lives at one of ALEH’s residential facilities for people with disabilities. Last year, Alon arranged for seven children to walk 400 meters (1,312 feet) while accompanied by ALEH staffers. This year, the length of the event is doubled (along with the number of children participating) and the uniformed officers will add an emotional and touching dimension. “The police are a hard organization, they are not used to bringing emotion into their work,” says Alon, whose son has brain damage that cripples his ability to walk, talk, or often eat on his own. “Here, you can see the officers’ hearts.” Eighteen cops, each paired with a youth with a disability, have been training with the ALEH residents since immediately after Rosh Hashanah. They were taught how to talk with, maneuver, and support the kids. In some cases, the disabilities are so severe that they require help from two officers to participate in the marathon.

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“In the beginning it was really hard to go there,” says police officer Zaloo Adisu, who is working with ALEH resident Efrat. “It was so painful to see children who are 5 or 6 years old unable to walk, like vegetables. It makes you uneasy. … But after a while, you realize that G-d decides and then you start to accept them and realize you just have to help. Now I am happy to be there and glad to help.” Adisu, who like the other officers volunteers for two hours on Sunday mornings, says she has seen tremendous progress with Efrat, who she described as a 12-year-old girl trapped in a 6-year-old body. Efrat cannot communicate verbally. Each week, Adisu brings a keychain with a small running shoe. She holds it out for Efrat to touch. In the beginning, there was little reaction. But now, according to Adisu, Efrat’s eyes are smiling, and the teenager knows that Adisu has come to work out with her. “In the beginning, Efrat couldn’t go,” Adisu says. “She cried when I tried to walk with her. She couldn’t do even one step. This is not the Efrat I met in the fall. Now, she is going five minutes straight, sometimes even without her walking machine. Every week, I see her progress more.” Adisu will walk behind Efrat to give her confidence and an extra push, if necessary. Tziki Raz, an ALEH staff member who has been helping to organize the race, says the kids’ excitement is palatable when they see the officers arrive in their uniforms. Raz can sense the children’s pride in walking alongside the cops. She also stresses the important of physical activity for the youths, who are bound to wheelchairs and other devices for most of the day. Rivka Keesing, director of academia and research for ALEH, seconded Raz’s state-

ments—and noted that the collaboration between the officers and ALEH has meant a lot for the police, too. “The officers tell us that they are so busy and at first they did not know how they could give up two hours a week to volunteer at ALEH,” Keesing says. “But now the officers see that doing this, helping these children gives them so much strength that they work faster and get even more done when they return from ALEH to work. We look at them as giving us something huge, and as giving the students and ALEH strength. Now, they say, ‘You are also giving us strength to do our jobs.’” Staffers at ALEH believe that having the officers walk with the youths will bring needed publicity to both ALEH and the plight of the children with disabilities. “ALEH’s goal is to give every severely disabled person in Israel the opportunity to reach their full potential,” says Dov Hirth, director of marketing and development for ALEH. “That’s what we do for the individuals. From the point of view of society as a whole, ALEH is working to change the way that people view those with disabilities. And we work very hard to make sure that the world as a whole sees that those who have disabilities, who live with difficult circumstances, should not be shunned or, God forbid, forgotten about.” Hassid, with his son Or in mind, adds, “The public needs to hug people and children like this and do everything that can do to get them involved. … If you can make them happy, make them happy when you can. If we are in a circle, these kids have to be in the middle of the circle—not on the side.” Maayan Jaffe is senior writer/editor at Netsmart (ntst.com). Follower her on Twitter @MaayanJaffe

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THE JEWISH STAR February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775

Children with disabilities walk with Jerusalem

February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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Most NY reps silent as O widens gap with Israel hether through cooperation from the mainstream media, or overt action, the Obama administration has continued its sometimes-childish “war� on the Jewish State and Prime Minister Netanyahu. It started last Tuesday with the White House leak machine. This time it wasn’t exploiting Jeff Goldberg to call the Israeli Prime Minister “chickensh-t,� nor did it use the New York Times, a White House tool, to bash Israeli Ambassador Dermer. The latest leak was through the Washington Post’s David Ignatius who, acting as a White House spokesman, accused Israel of leaking details of the lousy deal Obama was wrapping up with the Iranians. The problem is, the approximate outline of the deal has been public knowledge for months by way of Iranian sources. According to Ignatius, citing an administration source, “Mistrust between the Obama administration and Benjamin Netanyahu has widened even further in recent days because of U.S. suspicion that the Israeli prime minister has authorized leaks of details about the U.S. nuclear talks with Iran.� If Ignatius bothered to do a Google search, he would have seen that three months earlier, on Nov. 4, the Los Angeles Times reported the substance of a pending deal similar deal to the one Bibi was reputed to have leaked. And the Los Angeles Times reported the deal as leaked through “a website approved by the Iranian government.� Later last week, NBC News released a slickly produced cartoon-like video about the charges faced by Netanyahu and his wife over excessive household expenses. I don’t recall NBC News producing cartoon videos about any other foreign leaders accused of spending too much on personal expenses. Not even one on the Palestinian leaders who have taken billions of foreign aid and deposited the money in Swiss bank accounts. It is no surprise that President Obama’s relation-

ship with NBC News (which runs MSNBC) is closer than with the other networks. According to an Associated Press report on Friday, “the White House is mulling ways to undercut Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming trip to Washington and blunt his message that a potential nuclear deal with Iran is bad for Israel and the world.â€? The AP continued: “There are limits. Administration ofďŹ cials have discarded the idea of President Barack Obama himself giving an Iran-related address to rebut the two speeches Netanyahu is to deliver during his early March visit. But other options remain on the table. “Among them: a presidential interview with a prominent journalist known for coverage of the rift between Obama and Netanyahu, multiple Sunday show television appearances by senior national security aides, and a pointed snub of [AIPAC,] America’s leading pro-Israel lobby, which is holding its annual meeting while Netanyahu is in Washington, according to the ofďŹ cials.â€? The President is acting like a high school girl who plans a party on the same night as her chief rival’s festivities and invites all the same people — just to ruin her rival’s party. But on Monday, the Obama attacks on Israel went from childish to very serious. ver the weekend, the Iranians published a 129-page memorandum they claim is one of about 100 copies distributed by the Institute for Defense Analysis while under contract with the Pentagon in 1987. The report titled, “Critical Technology Assessment in Israel and NATO Nations,â€? claims that Israel’s nuclear facilities were advanced enough for them to formulate, design and build nuclear weapons. The Israelis were “developing the kind of codes which will enable them to make hydrogen bombs. That is, codes which detail ďŹ ssion and fusion processes on a microscopic and macroscopic level,â€? the report states. According to Veterans Today, there are sources in the Pentagon who believe it was President Obama who ordered the leak of the documents. Veterans Today sources report that release of the documents was in reaction to Netanyahu’s impending Congressional visit. Also on Monday, the AP broke news that may explain why the President is trying so hard to silence Israel. The deal being negotiated by the U.S. and Iran would allow the rogue nation to build nuclear weapons toward the end of the agreement, possibly anywhere from 10 to 20 years from now. The idea would be to reward Iran for good behavior over the last years of any agreement, by gradually lifting constraints on its uranium enrichment program imposed as part of a deal that would also slowly ease sanctions on the Islamic Republic. The U.S. initially sought restrictions lasting for up to 20 years; Iran had pushed for less than a decade. The frightening element both to Israel and to the U.S. (now that the Russians are selling Iran long-range missiles) is that the way the deal is being structured, if Iran plays nice, the nuclear restrictions drop off toward the end of the agreement. “If the sides agree on 15 years, for instance, the strict controls could be in place for 10 years with gradual lifting over ďŹ ve,â€? according to the AP report. “Possible easing of the controls could see Iran increasing the number of en-

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THIS WEEK PAST: STAR FLASHBACK 2014 — “Decisions, decisions,� headlines Judy Joszef’s Who’s in the Kitchen column. “Finding that perfect Purim costume.� 2013 — The Young Israel of Hewlett participates in Shabbat Across America. 2012 — Columnist Juda Engelmayer says BDS efforts began two years before Israel’s independence in 1948 and have been a problem ever since. For instance, “Most Japanese automakers boycotted Israel until the Gulf War of 1992 cracked holes in the trade walls.� 2011 — The Jewish Star reports on the lawsuit over ownership of Chabad’s cherished library in Russia.

2010 —Rabbi Zalman Wolowik, rav of Chabad of the Five Towns, remembers his son, Levi, one year after his sudden death. Close to $65,000 was raised to write a Torah scroll in Levi’s merit. 2009 — The community mourned the loss of Rabbi Moshe Weitman, zâ€?l, dean of Far Rockaway’s Torah Academy for Girls. 2007 — The Jewish Star seeks to answer two questions: “How that chicken got on your plateâ€? and “why there are still feathersâ€? on the bird. 2003 —A front page column headlined “The masks we wear; Reections at Purim,â€? featured thoughts of a threatened war with Iran and “150,000 American boys who are sitting outside of modern-day Persia preparing to play out the nuclear-age version of Purim against a modern day Haman.â€?

riching centrifuges back toward the 10,000 or so it now has operating, and increasing the level of enrichment while keeping it well below levels approaching weapons-grade.â€? In other words, at the end of the deal, when a different President is in ofďŹ ce, the Obama deal will allow the Iranian nuclear program to be right back where it is now, with one exception: There will be no sanctions on the terrorist-supporting nation. With everything the Administration has been throwing at the Jewish State, it’s hard to understand how supposed supporters of Israel such as Senator Chuck Schumer and Long Island Rep. Steve Israel have remained silent rather than telling their Democratic Party colleagues that Bibi’s speech is a must. Over the past few weeks, the only Long Island and New York City member of Congress who has spoken out against Obama’s criticism and actions against the Jewish State is Lee Zeldin, the Jewish Republican who represents eastern Suffolk County. The rest of our Representatives and Senators have abandoned Israel to worship the golden calf of party politics.

7 THE JEWISH STAR February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775

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February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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JUDY JOSZEF WHO’S IN THE KITCHEN

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ast night, as I have done since I was a kid, I viewed the Academy Awards ceremony on TV. The Awards show, which first took place in 1929 in front of 250 people at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, are considered to be the world’s most prestigious awards ceremony. Most of us refer to the award as the Oscar. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, origins of the name are uncertain, but there is a story about an Academy librarian who thought the gold statue looked like her uncle Oscar. The staff began referring to the statue as Oscar. In 1934 the name was used in a column by Sidney Skolsky and in 1939, the Academy itself began to officially use it as well. So there I was watching the red carpet event (sort of like the Super Bowl pre-game, only the Super Bowl pre-game show lasts six hours, as opposed the red carpet which lasts about two. Both feature interviews with a host of personalities. After the 5 minutes that my husband Jerry watched along with me, he said, “The pre-game and actual awards show are the Super Bowl for women.” I snickered, but I sort of have to agree, yet there are many differences. First, there are no “pools,” with boxes to be bought for the Oscars, at least that I know of. Second, there are no instant replays — which would be oh so much fun to watch

— when there are wardrobe malfunctions and acceptance speech flubs. And this year, there was nothing like “deflategate” at the Oscars; if anything, there was “inflate-gate,” which was apparent on some actresses, if you know what I mean. Lastly, there is no booing or wild cheering by a raucous beer drinking crowd wearing its favorite player’s uniform. Quite the opposite, actually. At the Oscars, no matter who wins, the entire crowd of elegantly clad guests applauds with dignity and equanimity. Actually, I feel sorry for the losers, as all five nominees are on screen as the winner is announced. They too applaud the actor who just absconded with what was to be be their Oscar. Just imagine if the recipients of the Oscars reacted the way football players do after either scoring a touchdown or making a ferocious tackle. Instead of light applause, wouldn’t it be fun if they expressed their emotions more honestly? We’d be witnessing chest beating and salsa dancing, while the losers might be attempting to tackle the winners while throwing challenge flags and asking for a booth review from the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse and Cooper. Ironically, Jerry, who watched no more than a few minutes of the telecast (while I sat riveted, till the very end) will likely include one or more movies from this year’s competition to his pantheon of favorite movies which he will study and watch over and over and

ten, it seems like the 13th Amendment was signed in our home. Talking about the golden statue, here’s a golden recipe:

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over again. I really want to understand how Jerry, and most of his friends for that matter, can watch a movie so often that they could literally be an understudy were it ever turned into a play. Not only is he so engrossed in the movie as if it’s the first time he’s watching it and not the hundredth, but he can’t tear himself away. I literally have to drag him away from the TV and rush him out of the house when we have plans to go out with friends. No worries, though, I recite the end of the movie for him, as I, at this point, already know it by heart as well. I always explain to him that he can DVR it and watch it later, but once he’s watching the movie, there is no turning back. He has viewed the movie Lincoln so of-

Ingredients: 12 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 packages Golden Oreos 18 ounces white chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate sprinkles or topping of your choice. Directions: Process the Oreos in a food processor or blender. Pulse until crumbs are formed. Place crumbs in a mixer and beat the Oreo crumbs with the cream cheese until combined. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Using your hands, roll into 50 balls. Place balls on two large plates, or pans that are lined with parchment paper and will fit in your freezer. Freeze the truffles for about 30 minutes. (Freezing the balls is the most important step of this recipe. If they are not cold and solid, the melted chocolate will not coat the balls properly.) Chop the chocolate and melt over a double boiler or in a microwave. Working with 1 truffle at a time, place the truffle in the melted chocolate. Swirl the chocolate all around with a fork. Pick up the truffle with the fork — do not pierce it — pick it up on top of the fork’s prongs. Tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Place on a lined baking sheet. Top with sprinkles or topping of your choice while the chocolate is still wet. Refrigerate truffles for at least 10 minutes so the chocolate sets. Truffles must always be chilled and will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

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THE JEWISH STAR February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775

In Oscar’s wake: Golden statue, golden truffles

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February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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ear the end of my portrait session, Dr. Ranan Wolff puzzled: “But you never asked me to smile!� True. I never do. My approach is to get meaningful expression that only comes from within. When you are truly happy, you do not need to be told to look happy. When you are smiling on the inside, all those important little parts of you are smiling on the outside too. It’s the gait to your step and the lilt in your laugh; your eyes twinkle, facial muscles follow your heart, and the photographs will be great. Feb. 15 was particularly purposeful. Everyone looked happy, even when they cried. Zev Wolff’s drug, and the young man from Woodmere it was named for, was featured in The Jewish Star a number of times on the years. A photo accompanying one of those articles was from a shoot done in my studio. Zev and his siblings struck me then as being extremely sweet, curious and hungry to learn about the world and to interact with all its life forces. I remember that gentle curiosity, and especially Zev’s concern for a high-tech stuffed dog that would respond to both sound and touch. At age 3, Zev was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer known as Neuroblastoma. He had surgery, chemo and radiation. But by the age of 7 there was still no cure and things looked bleak. Zev is still curious and engaging. For the families and a community so involved in making a difference not only for Zev and the Wolff

family but for all children with this disease, I can’t imagine the myriad of feelings beyond what I could photograph. Everyone was on top of the world, especially 13-yearold Zev Wolff as he was airborne multiple times and even danced on a table. This was truly a three dimensional event. It is always the people who make the party. Clients tend to assume that the more activities, rooms and guests, the more there is to photograph. Those factors can play a role, but =HY :ROII LQ D IDPLO\ SRUWUDLW WDNHQ MXVW EHIRUH KLV %DU 0LW]YDK ZLWK +HOHQ DQG 'U 5DQDQ :ROII VLVWHUV $YLWDO (OLVKHYD DQG %DW\D what tells a story best DQG EURWKHU <LVUDHO $W ULJKW KHÂśV HPEUDFHG E\ ]DLGLH 1RDK :ROII GXULQJ KLV %DU 0LW]YDK FHOHEUDWLRQ 3KRWRV E\ *DU\ 5DEHQNR is the emotion that is My specialty is dramatic lighting, but there photos. They were on time, remaining close apparent as the event unfolds. needs to be some drama to light. And there by and enthusiastic during the entire photo Here even the kids wanted to celebrate. was, with about 250 persons, each of whom shoot. And they cared enough to not let othSometimes, you see children going from one was important to the family. There was an in- ers distract or interrupt with their own photo to another of a dozen game stations, but that timate quality and the audience remained at- efforts. does not mean more sincere involvement tentive and engaged during the speeches, their They were not focused and concerned than where only two games are really being focus appearing sincere and genuine. with their camera’s focus but chose to be enjoyed. With quantity comes a curiosity to Smartphone holders often obsess with in the moment. Thus I could ďŹ nd countless sample the avors; sometimes less is more. selďŹ es and shoot everything. It is easy for the faces that spoke of the moment they were acDancing too can be long and drawn out, photo session to be overrun and the photog- tually experiencing, the many moments and often waning near the end. Or as it was here, rapher to be overpowered by relatives eager the real meaning and miracle of Zev Wolff’s concise and heartfelt. to copy posed shots, while oblivious to the Bar Mitzvah celebration. Helen Wolff, Zev’s mother, had warned fact that in the process they are distracting Gary Rabenko is artistic and technical dime hers was a picture-taking group, and ev- those loved ones in the pro’s shots as well as rector of Rabenko Photography and Video eryone would have their phones out all day sometimes derailing the photographer. Arts, 1053 Broadway, Woodmere. 516-593and probably be in my way. Never happened! Here Zev and his family cared about their 9760, gary@rabenko.com.

756135

GARY RABENKO

THE JEWISH STAR February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775

Zev Wolff’s simcha: An artist’s perspective

February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

12

RABBI BINNY FREEDMAN THE HEART OF JERUSALEM

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ddressing the Knesset on the occasion of the 2010 visit by his Italian counterpart, Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared story about an Italian woman during World War II. “On the train, on her way to work, this woman observed a German policeman arresting a Jewish girl,â€? the prime minister recounted. “The Italian woman, who was then eight months pregnant, came between the German ofďŹ cer and the Jewish girl.â€? “Without an ounce of fear she confronted the German ofďŹ cer and told him: ‘You can kill me, but look at the faces of the passengers on the train. I assure you, they will not let you out of here alive’.â€? “With these decisive words, that Italian woman saved the life of the Jewish girl. She lit, if only for a second, a beacon of human light and courage in the great darkness that covered the entire land of Europe at the time. That brave woman was named Rosa, and one of her children is Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s Prime Minister.â€? his week, we read the portion of Tetzaveh, continuing the Torah’s description of the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the vessels contained therein. The portion concludes with the instructions for making the altar of gold, on which incense was burned. Why do we still read the instructions for making these vessels; of what relevance can the golden altar which once graced the Temple have for us today? We have no temple, and we do not offer sacriďŹ ces or incense. There is an interesting halacha regarding this Mizbeach haZahav, or golden altar: The Mishna (Chagigah 3:8) teaches that both the altar of gold and the altar of copper could not become impure, and did not ever need to be immersed in purifying water.

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In last week’s portion Terumah, when we are commanded to build a Tabernacle (harbinger of the Temple) G-d says: “Ve’asu li Mikdash veshachanti be’tochamâ€? (“Let them make for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in themâ€?) (Shemot 25:8). The commentaries note that the verse does not say G-d will dwell in it, i.e. in the sanctuary, but rather in them: in each and every Jew. Each of us is a sanctuary — a mikdash me’at or miniature Temple — and even though the actual Temple was destroyed 2,000 years ago, the Temple inside each of us survives, and the service in the Temple is a recipe for how we can live a more G-d conscious, and thus more meaningful and joy-ďŹ lled, life. One might have assumed the altar to be the vessel most likely to become impure; after all, impurity (tumah) is all about contact with death, and it is on the altar that we offer up the slaughtered animals. But in truth the offering up of the animals on the altar, according to the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe (in his Likkutei Sichos) represent our ability to offer up our animal desires, allowing them to be consumed. And how does a person overcome his animal desires? By consuming them with a love for G-d, fueled by the spark of holiness at the core of each and every one of us. The fact that the altar cannot become impure represents the idea that as long as we breathe we still carry an inner holy spark, and even in the greatest darkness, the light of human decency, even holiness, can be found. Maimonides, in his Hilchot Deot (chapter 1) suggests that all of our character aws are based on self-centeredness. We become angry because we expect we deserve better; we become arrogant because we think it’s all about us. If we can recognize that it is not all about us, but about an idea and reality much bigger than our selves, if we could see the image of G-d in every human being, we could never get annoyed, much less angry at anyone. Thus, as long as I am seeing my life as an altar where I am not the goal, but rather a vehicle for something much bigger than myself, as an opportunity to struggle with why I am here and how I can be a vehicle for creating a better world, that

We live in challenging times, when darkness threatens to engulf entire populations and it becomes too easy to lose sight of individuals.

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altar will never become impure. In other words, we will never become so focused on ourselves that we lose sight of the people all around us. rs. Berlusconi, living through a very dark time, was able to get beyond herself to see G-d in the stranger standing next to her, and that is what made all the difference. We live in challenging times, when darkness threatens to engulf entire populations. In Syria and Yemen, Sudan and Nigeria, Iran and North Korea, and wherever Hamas, Hezbollah and ISIS rear their heads, it has become too easy to lose sight of individuals. A perverted perception of G-d allows entire populations to maim, terrorize, rape and murder the innocent with impunity. Deep inside each one of us, lies the Golden altar that can never become impure. The world needs to rediscover that spark of decency, that ďŹ re of justice and humanity that will consume the animal and base desires that fuel such evil, and restore the world as it was meant to be. Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.

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For ‘mizbeach hazahav,’ more detail than expected RABBI AVI BILLET PARSHA OF THE WEEK

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etzaveh, this week’s parsha, ends with a seemingly out of place description of the commandment for making the “mizbeach hazahav� (small altar), the golden, spice-burning mizbeach. With the commandment for most of the Mishkan’s vessels and priestly garments completed, and the parsha’s second half focusing on the consecration of the kohanim, why the holdout for this vessel? It should have been listed alongside commandments for the ark, menorah, and table, its neighbors in the Mishkan. In addition to its surprising placement, its function is also described in detail, while the function of every other vessel is limited to a passing verse in the midst of a focus on its construction. See, for example, 25:21: “You place into the ark the testimony that I will give you.� And 25:30: “It is on this table that showbread shall be placed before Me at all times.� For the menorah, nothing was mentioned in the commandment of its construction as to how it was to function (although calling it a lamp and describing its oil cups does make it obvious), and we do get a brief interlude about it at the beginning of Tetzaveh (27:20-21). But all of this pales in comparison to this

(30:7-10): “Aaron shall burn incense on [this altar] each morning when he cleans out the lamps. He shall [also] burn [incense] before evening when he lights the lamps. Thus, for all generations, there will be incense before God at all times. Do not burn any unauthorized incense on it. Furthermore, do not offer any animal sacriďŹ ce, meal offering, or libation on it. [Furthermore,] once each year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of [this altar]. For all generations, he shall make atonement with the blood of the atonement sacriďŹ ce once each year. [This altar] shall be a holy of holies to G-d.â€? We’re talking about do’s and don’ts, we’re talking about Yom Kippur, we’re talking about daily activity, and the future. There’s no discussion in Terumah of the copper mizbeach’s functionality as a sacriďŹ cial altar; those details will be articulated in the book of Vayikra. And while the details of the k’toret will be spelled out in next week’s parsha (not waiting until the book of Vayikra), it still doesn’t belong here. The parshas of Terumah and Tetzaveh focus on the commandments to build, not the details of how things are to function. Let us recall “Na’aseh V’Nishmaâ€? (We will build it, and then we’ll hear and learn how it is all to be used!). What makes this small altar unique is its role in the Mishkan, in contrast to the role of every other vessel. It is the indoor vessel

with the highest usage trafďŹ c, and its function, much more than the static aron (ark) and the used once-weekly shulchan (table), and even the daily menorah, is much deeper than mere functionality or presence. There is a debate as to whether the instruction for the Mishkan pre-dated or was a response to the sin of the Golden Calf. In either case, the depiction of Aharon as being the one to burn the spices on the small mizbeach – though it could have been done by any Kohen, except on Yom Kippur – is telling. The Gaon of Vilna points out that all pieces of the Mishkan that were described beforehand need to be in place for Gd’s presence to rest on the Mishkan, while the k’toret and the kesef hakippurim stand to bring about forgiveness for the Jewish people. The k’toret and its base for functionality are listed last because it will remain most clearly in memory. Yes, the instructions for the Mishkan are important, and we will see them followed to the ďŹ nest detail. However, the need for G-d’s Divine Presence to rest on and in the Mishkan is only important so that the small mizbeach can achieve its goal of bringing atonement for the people. That is the primary function. We must always remember the exhortation of the prophet Yeshayahu (1:11) when he said G-d is weary of sacriďŹ ces and even

We are reminded that we have much work to do to merit the rebuilding of the Mishkan.

THE JEWISH STAR February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775

To ďŹ ght evil, rediscover the spark of decency

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the smell of the our offerings and k’toret, if they are meant to serve, in our own eyes, as replacements for good deeds and for caring for one another. Let us suggest, therefore, that the small mizbeach comes last along with a few details of its functionality in order to serve as a reminder to everyone of that service which is so necessary, when we are otherwise so close to G-d and we can look to the kohanim to give us the edge we need to achieve atonement for bad deeds – such as, perhaps, the Golden Calf. (Note the mention of Aharon, who was so signiďŹ cantly involved in the Golden Calf episode.) Absent such a reality – of our being so close to G-d yet so misguided – the k’toret mizbeach coming at the end serves as a reminder of what could be our ideal, were our living conditions different. If we merited to have a functioning Mikdash, the k’toret could serve as the medium for helping bring about our forgiveness for minor infractions. But when the last item in our memory is a simple solution for atonement in a Mishkan we are not privileged to have, we are reminded that we have much work to do in order to achieve a rebuilding of such an ediďŹ ce. As Yeshayahu recommends, “Wash, cleanse yourselves, remove the evil of your deeds from before My eyes, cease to do evil. Learn to do good, seek justice, strengthen the robbed, perform justice for the orphan, plead the case of the widow.â€? When we learn to do that, perhaps the k’toret will be able to serve in its idyllic fashion once again.

February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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The legacy of Rav Moshe Feinstein lives on ALAN JAY GERBER KOSHER BOOKWORM

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a’anis Esther, next Wednesday, will again mark the Yahrtzeit of HaRav HaGaon Moshe Feinstein, ztâ€?l. For this occasion, we will again briey highlight the valuable biography, “Reb Mosheâ€? (Artscroll 2011) by Rabbi Shimon Finkelman, perhaps the most comprehensive treatment of the life’s work and evaluation of the ethical ideals that serve as the eternal legacy of Rav Feinstein of blessed memory. Among the most riveting chapters is the one entitled, “A Rabbi Under Communism,â€? in which the author brings to life a largely unknown chapter of Rav Feinstein’s struggles in the early years of his rabbinate under the vicious and cruel regime of Marxism in the USSR, an early 20th century incarnation of the rule of Amalek against all Yiddishkeit. Highlighted within this chapter are the experiences both he and his father, Rav Dovid Feinstein, ztâ€?l, had in facing this antiSemitic tyranny. Among their struggles were the attempts to shutdown the mikvot that were under their supervision and the interrogations and vicious harassments experienced by them personally and by their their

families and communal leaders. Despite Rav Feinstein’s brave tenacity, the tyranny prevailed, resulting in the shutdown of just about all institutionalized Yiddishkeit in the USSR. While this may not make for leisurely reading, it certainly makes for a timely reading-lesson ďŹ lled with Purim themes and experiences. Rav Feinstein’s experiences in the Soviet realm were to serve him in good stead upon his arrival to these blessed shores. And, as they say, the rest is history. It also should be noted, as a personal observation, that this work is dedicated, in part, in memory of my dear friend and former neighbor in New York, Judge Paul Bookson,aâ€?h, by his wife, Tova, and by his daughter Rochel and son in law, Dr. Moshe Schlusselberg, of Woodmere. Another local touch can be seen in the author’s observation of the following: “One afternoon, Reb Moshe and Rav Shlomo Heiman sat for a while ‘talking in learning.’ When their discussion concluded and Reb Moshe left, Rav Shlomo turned to Rav Dovid Bender and said,

‘Do you know why Reb Moshe is becoming a gadol hador? [It is] because his back never touches the back of his chair while he learns’.� Another observation and local touch concerning Rav Feinstein is the following: “Decades later, Rav Binyomin Kamenetsky accompanied his father Reb Yaakov to a meeting of senior Roshei Yeshivas. During the discussions Reb Yaakov repeatedly referred to Reb Moshe not by name but exclusively with the title Rosh Yeshiva. When asked on the way home by his son Binyomin to explain why he directed his remarks in this manner, Reb Yaakov’s answer was direct, ‘Have you ever seen Reb Moshe lean back in a chair?’ “ Other ‘’local touches’’ in this valued work involve such local luminaries as Rabbi Avraham Blumenkrantz, of blessed memory, and yibadelu l’chaim, Rabbi Yitzchok Frankel, and Rabbi Aryeh Ginsberg, both of Cedarhurst. There is much Torah and wisdom to be learned from their observations.

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This past year witnessed the publication of a new and extensive commentary on the weekly Haftaros by Rav David Feinstein. the Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim. Many of the observations in “Kol Dodi on the Haftaros� (Artscroll, 2014) contain the teachings from Reb Moshe and other gedolim, as well as original commentary by Rav David himself. ),77,1* 75,%87( 72 5$9 )(,167(,1

All the above serves as a prelude to my sharing with you an invitation recently received from Yoel Goldfeder, president of the Red Shul of Cedarhurst, who will be hosting a parlor meeting on behalf of Yeshivat Beit Yehuda of Bnei Brak in Israel this Sunday, March 1, from 7 to 9 pm, at his home at 510 Oakland Ave., Cedarhurst. This yeshiva is a major part of Reb Moshe’s Torah legacy in Israel. It was founded by HaRav HaGaon Michel Feinstein, of blessed memory, a nephew of Rav Feinstein, and is currently headed by his sons Reb Dovid and Reb Chaim Feinstein. I do trust and hope that as time permits you will be able to join me in attending and thus help support the continued success of this Feinstein legacy of Torah in the holy land as part of your tzedakah just prior to the Purim holiday.

Copenhagen...

Poor at Purim‌

Continued from page 1 Yehudis, her reaction was immediate. “How can you not go? There are people b’tzaar, people who are in pain, people who need to know that we are with them.â€? The idea was also enthusiastically endorsed by my colleague Naomi Lippman, HAFTR’s principal of General Studies, and Executive Director Ruben Maron who insisted, “A mitzvah like this? For sure you should go.â€? Purim is almost upon us. If we ask ourselves, what was the turning point of the nartive in Megillat Esther, we would ďŹ nd the crucial moment was when Esther commanded Mordichai, “Lech Knos Es Kol HaYehudimâ€? (“Go and gather all of the Jewsâ€?). To understand why this was the focal point of the drama, we must recall that when the wicked Haman sought permission from King Achashveirosh to massacre the Jews, he noted, “Yeshno am echad mefuzar u’mefurad bein ha’mimâ€? (“There is one nation which is scattered and separated amongst all the other nationsâ€?). Haman recognized that when the Jewish nation is scattered and separated we become vulnerable and an easy target throughout the generations. However, when we stand united as one, when we feel the pain of others, when we demonstrate through word and deed that no Jew is alone and that we are there for one another, then we can confront and successfully challenge all those who wish to destroy us. When Hashem sees that we are b’achdut, when we stand together just as at Mount Sinai, then Hashem bestows His shechina upon us and saves us from the wicked. Jordan Hiller’s mission reminded me that we must stand together with our brothers and sisters and assert to the world that we all stand united as one people. The loss of Dan Uzan, and the pain and suffering of the citizens of Copenhagen, is our loss, our pain and our suffering as well. The saddened bat mitzvah girl and her brokenhearted family, who must live with the memories of her shattered bat mitzvah, must rely on us to glue back together those broken pieces. I brought with me bat mitzvah gifts and

Continued from page 1 That’s more than a third of all children in Israel. In 1980, only 8.1 percent of Israeli children were poor, meaning that child poverty has grown fourfold over the past 30 years. Many organizations that are set up to help the poor are run by Torah observant Israelis, and at Purim, they go into high gear to fulďŹ ll the precept of Maimonides. Rabbi Yakov Schischa, founder and director of the Tov V’Chesed Foundation based in Jerusalem’s Meah Shearim neighborhood, explains how his group not only prepares and delivers hundreds of mishloach manot Purim baskets packed with prepared foods, sweets, wine, and toys, but also sends out teams of volunteers who visit single-parent families to spend time bringing Purim joy into homes that may be short on simcha. A large number of the families also receive a gift of cash in honor of Purim, “but we know it will actually get used to prepare for Passover,â€? Schischa notes. As the child of a large, poor, haredi family, Schischa remembers the humiliation of standing in line for food handouts, so Tov V’Chesed makes a point of preserving the dignity of recipients by having volunteers make home deliveries. His organization serves some 2,500 families per year. Aryeh Lurie, a 50-something religious businessman, named the organization after his parents who despite their own difďŹ cult circumstances, managed to help neighbors with food. The organization, which has been running since 1998, operates on a nation-wide scale. “The families we reach are in very deep poverty,â€? spokesperson Meira Brandwein says. “They’re not just people who have fallen on hard times. These are people who need immediate relief,â€? she adds. The breadwinner in a family dies; someone in the family needs urgent specialized medical care; a working single parent loses her job—situations that can spiral out of control and leave a family with no resources. For Purim, matanot l’evyonim donations to Yad Ezra V’Shulamit are added to the

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letters of mazel tov and encouragement from my students at HAFTR High School. The members of the mission also planned to extend personal condolences and deliver letters of nechama during a shiva visit to the Uzan family. As I write this, I am seeing the snow falling and I think of how each snowake falls as an individual; yet, when those singular snowakes join together, they become so powerful that they can shut down roads, cause airports to close and in so many ways demonstrate the power of Hashem over His world, our world. Maybe, just maybe, the fact that we have had unpredicted and unprecedented amounts of snow this year, not just here in the United States but across the globe, may be a messege from Hashem that no matter what differences we may have, no matter that no two snowakes are alike, we must unite not to create a storm but to withstand a storm. B’ezrat Hashem, just as in Megillat Esther we united and thus merited to be saved from the devastating plot of Haman, so too, may we all unite and thus be zoche to the day when Moshiach Tzedkenu will arrive and bring us as one to the city of Shalom, the City of Peace, with the building of the Bais Hamikdash.

funds that come from a mix of private Israeli and foreign donors, U.S Jewish federations and in-kind contributions from Israeli businesses, to provide needy families with items to enable them to feel part of the holiday. At the restaurants run by Meir Panim, a network of nutrition-related programs for the poor, Purim is a time for increased efforts to bring relief to thousands in need. “Meir Panim means lighting up faces,â€? explains assistant director Goldie Sternbuch. “We do it all year around, but especially at Purim.â€? Anyone who has walked from Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station to Yirmiyahu Street has walked past the unobtrusive storefront that opens into a free restaurant. Inside, dozens of hungry Jerusalemites—Arabs, Christians, Jews, elderly immigrants and foreign workers—are served a nutritious lunch with a smile by volunteer waiters. One target group for mainstreaming is teenagers from disadvantaged families. The After School Youth Clubs of Meir Panim reach thousands of at-risk youths, who get motivated by energetic young volunteers and professional counselors to stay in school and continue their education. As soon as the ďŹ nal chunk of money is raised, Meir Panim will launch its most ambitious project to date—a $12 million Israel Nutrition Center located in the southern town of Kiryat Gat and named for wellknown U.S. philanthropist Mortimer Zuckerman and his daughter Abigail. The facility will be the largest food distribution center in the Middle East, set to serve 30,000 meals every day to disadvantaged school kids, the free restaurants and meals on wheels programs around the country. It is a massive undertaking that will be managed in partnership with a large Israeli catering company. Rabbi Schischa of Tov V’Chesed acknowledges that programs like his “can’t ďŹ x the world,â€? but “at Purim, everyone can take part in the mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim to bring more joy into the world.â€? A version of this article was original ďŹ led by JNS.org at Purim 5774.

15 THE JEWISH STAR February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775

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By Karel Janicek PRAGUE (AP) — Rabbis from European countries gathered in Prague Tuesday for training in self-defense and ďŹ rst aid in response to a wave of attacks against Jews and a rise of anti-Semitism on the continent. In a stunning beginning of a training session, knives were distributed to dozens of rabbis, young and old, before receiving instructions and practicing what to do to survive stabbing and how to treat injuries. Some occasionally burst out with a laugh but overall the rabbis took it seriously as it was prompted by fears after the deadly terror attack against a kosher grocery in Paris in January and the murder of a Jewish security guard outside a synagogue in Copenhagen earlier this month. “When we see the level of anti-Semitism in Europe, when we see the level of hate in Europe, when we see the lack of leadership of European governments to ďŹ ght against antiSemitism and terror, we’re not surprised, unfortunately (by the attacks),â€? said Rabbi Menachem Margolin. Tuesday’s training was part of an annual gathering of rabbis organized by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe and the European Jewish Association headed by Margolin. He said the idea was to demonstrate “the most basic stuff needed.â€? A lack of action from European governments to protect Jews in Europe has contributed to their decision to organize the training, ďŹ rst in Prague, and later in other European countries. “We’ve urged the European countries to do something and we did not get a real response from them,â€? Margolin said, adding all Jewish institutions in Europe should be protected by police 24 hours a day. He said that if police ofďŹ cers are not able to provide protection, guards appointed by Jewish organizations to protect Jewish sites should be allowed to be armed. Binyomin Jacobs, chief rabbi in the Netherlands, welcomed the training. “It’s very important,â€? the 66-year-old said. “I’m very happy with this. Happy and sad that it is necessary.â€?

ganization. Many French Jews are increasingly worried about anti-Semitism, particularly coming from young Muslims who embrace radical ideology propagated online. France has Europe’s largest Jewish population, about half a million. More than 7,000 emigrated to Israel last year. Hollande noted that acts against Muslims are also on the rise in France. About 10,000 soldiers and police forces are protecting synagogues, but also mosques, schools and cultural centers, Hollande recalled. They will stay mobilized “as long as necessary,â€? he said. Earlier Monday, France’s Muslim leaders refused to attend the dinner, angry over comments by a Jewish leader associating young Muslims with violence. Roger Cukierman, head of the CRIF Jewish council, was denouncing a growing number of acts against Jews in France. He speciďŹ ed that he was talking about a “very small minorityâ€? of Muslims. The French Muslim Council (CFCM), in a statement denounced Cukierman’s comments as unfounded, including his use of the expression “Islamo-fascism.â€? Cukierman explained later that he was speciďŹ cally thinking of the authors of recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen who had “claimed allegianceâ€? to Islam. “Jews and Muslims, we are all in the same boat,â€? he said. Leaders of the CFCM have attended the event since the creation of the Council in 2003.

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)UHQFK SUH] YRZV SURWHFWLRQ PARIS (AP) — French president Francois Hollande said that the country must offer its protection and affection to the Jewish community as anti-Semitism is on the rise in France. “Jews are at home in France, it’s the anti-Semites who have no place into the Republic,� Hollande said in a speech at a prestigious annual dinner of the country’s main Jewish or-

even though the threat level for the Jewish community in Germany remains high, authorities are doing everything to provide the utmost protection. His remarks came after talks with the head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, about the Jews’ security situation in the country. De Maiziere stressed that, “we all wish that Jews will continue to like living in Germany.�

Shariah court in Texas compared with a Beit Din By Dianne Solis, Dallas Morning News DALLAS (AP) — An Islamic tribunal launched in Dallas last year to settle civil disputes among the growing Muslim population is drawing quarrels over its use of Shariah law. Opponents fear it may open the door to extreme practices and corporal punishment linked to Shariah law in certain Muslimmajority countries. Others argue it would replace the U.S. Constitution. But organizers note its parallels with a Beit Din, a Jewish rabbinical court, and with Catholic tribunals. The panel of Muslim arbitrators issues nonbinding decisions on matters such as business disputes and religious divorces. The very word “Shariahâ€? invokes backlash from those who don’t understand it and use it as a “catch phrase for fear-mongering against Islam and Muslims,â€? said Hadi Jawad, a Dallas businessman and a Muslim. Tribunals are used in his native Pakistan. “The court system was so clogged and inefďŹ cient, it was a handy means to settle conicts,â€? Jawad said. “There was usually a handful of judges experienced in Islamic law who could readily handle conicts.â€? Tea party activist Jerry Roehrig wants the North Texas tribunal disbanded. “I am concerned about corporal punishment and how Shariah law handles women and non-Muslims,â€? he told the Dallas Morning News. Shariah law “puts itself above our constitution. We can’t have that or we lose the country.â€? Criticism also comes amid backlash blaming all Muslims for violence of the Islamic State, known as ISIS. Many U.S. Muslim groups say ISIS is “un-Islamicâ€? and not a state. In Irving, Mayor Beth Van Duyne jumped into the controversy after reports that the court was on the grounds of a large mosque

there. In a Facebook post, she said the city had nothing to do with the tribunal and that she was trying to understand how it worked. She said if basic rights are being violated, “I will not stand idle, and will ďŹ ght with every ďŹ ber of my being against this action.â€? The court uses a conference room in a northeast Dallas law ofďŹ ce, where one of the judges works. During a visit there, that judge, Taher el-Badawi, said the tribunal has settled about two dozen cases, mostly of divorcing couples. “Our community really needs an Islamic tribunal to solve problems,â€? he said. “And we save money and save time for all the community.â€? Managing the cultural diversity within the U.S. Muslim community can be challenging, the organizers said. About 2 out of 3 U.S. Muslims are foreignborn, according to a Pew Research Center study from 2011. No single racial or ethnic identity applies to more than 30 percent of the Muslim-American population, Pew said. That’s reected in the tribunal. El-Badawi has a law degree from his native Egypt and a master’s in international law from Southern Methodist University. The two other judges are Lebanon-born Imam Moujahed Bakhach of the Islamic Association of Tarrant County, and Pakistan-born, British-raised Imam Zia ul-Haque Sheikh of the Islamic Center of Irving. Their website — Islamictribunal.org — says: “Experienced judges ready to ďŹ ght for you,â€? and “Great advisors solve problems.â€? Consultations are free, but a full panel ruling costs $600, el-Badawi said. Hearings take place at the Dallas ofďŹ ces or in conference rooms at some of the nearly 60 mosques in North Texas. As the controversy has brewed, Imam Zia

clariďŹ ed in a written statement: “These religious tribunals ... do not attempt to impose any belief system upon any individual and work in compliance with State of Texas and U.S. law under the United States Constitution.â€? In Arabic, Shariah means “path to water.â€? It is a personal moral code and religious law, scholars say. It covers issues ranging from dietary restrictions to divorces to punishment for stealing and killing. Some associate Shariah law with corporal punishment, such as hand amputation for theft, which is a rare practice in other countries, said Alia Salem, executive director of the DFW chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Most scholars, especially in the West, believe such mutilation isn’t “dispensing the laws properly,â€? Salem said. “There is huge controversy in the Muslim world with regard to that type of punishment.â€? Robert A. Hunt, director of global theological education at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology, lived in Muslim-dominated Malaysia for seven years and is an Islam specialist. Religious court rulings must be consistent with U.S. law, Hunt said. “I’ve researched this carefully, and I know of no case where the judge has ruled on Shariah, as opposed to American law,â€? he said. A 2013 report from the Pew center supports that statement. “Disputes over the laws of various religious traditions have occasionally made their way into U.S. civil courts,â€? it says, “but the Supreme Court consistently has ruled that judges and other government ofďŹ cials may not interpret religious doctrine or rule on theological matters.â€? In the U.S. Catholic church, there are nearly 200 diocesan tribunals that handle 15,000 to 20,000 marriage annulments yearly, Pew said. Many Orthodox Jews use

rabbinical courts for religious divorces or to resolve business conicts under Jewish law, known as halakhah, Pew noted. The 2013 Pew study found no Shariah courts in the U.S. at that time. But imams have long served as voluntary mediators at U.S. mosques. All the same, a bill proposed in the Texas Legislature by Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, would prohibit family court rulings based on foreign legal codes. The bill doesn’t target any one religion, an ofďŹ ce staff member said. The National Conference of State Legislatures said there are now seven similar laws in other states. In North Texas, most tribunal decisions have been done for Muslim immigrants. El-Badawi said in one case a Christian woman considering divorce from her Muslim husband sought assistance. “They didn’t take our decision, but at least they felt secure in coming to us,â€? he said. Women who are reluctant to go to a tribunal of men can meet ďŹ rst with a female counselor. El-Badawi said he would welcome a woman as a tribunal member if she is trained in Islamic law. Salem said she went to Imam Moujahed, a certiďŹ ed mediator, a few years ago for a religious divorce. She then went to a civil court for the legal divorce under U.S. law. Moujahed, who is one of the tribunal judges, said he counsels men to view women as equals. “In some cultures, the man is like a God and the wife has to be submissive. This is not Islamic. The wife is a partner.â€? Moujahed also tells fellow Muslims: “Get out of your cocoon. Meet your neighbor.â€? His own message to those of other faiths: “Please, just be fair-minded and ask if you don’t understand. We need better understanding of those of different faiths.â€?

THE JEWISH STAR February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775

Attack-weary Euro rabbis train in self-defense

17

February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

18

Jewish Star Schools Kids at HANC prep for Purim HANC In the spirit of “Mi Shnichnas Adar Marbin B’Simcha,â€? students at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School & Early Childhood Center welcomed the month of Adar with tremendous enthusiasm and simcha! Students in kindergarten through second grade at the West Hempstead school enjoyed a Musical Minds program led by Sara Schonfeld. The students learned about different kinds of drums and how to create music using different methods of striking the drums. Third through Sixth graders had a fabulous Rosh Chodesh chagiga ďŹ lled with music and dancing led by music teacher Rab-

bi Shapiro. In fact, the room was ďŹ lled with so much singing, dancing and fun that the walls and oors were shaking! Morah Jacobs and the ďŹ fth grade girls had a fantastic time showing off their crazy hats while they danced and sang their way through the classrooms! Students at the ECC were treated to a huge Rosh Chodesh celebration with Oneg Shemesh. During the celebration all the students received graggers and noise makers and then enjoyed delicious Hamentashen. The students at the ECC are also very busy getting ready for Purim. Students are learning about the megillah and dressing up to reenact the story of Purim. Students are also excited to be making their own megillot and graggers to use at shul.

Boys choir compeition

SKA Adar SKA You can tell it’s Rosh Chodesh Adar in the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls — the hallways and classrooms are bustling with girls in cute costumes and with colorful wigs on their heads. Despite the bitter cold outside, there’s a festive air in the building. To celebrate Rosh Chodesh, SKA’s G.O. organized a breakfast for sophomores and seniors last Thursday, while the freshmen and juniors had theirs on Friday. The auditorium sparkled with students in superhero costumes and “teacher look-alikes� (there were several “Mrs. Spirns� dancing in the circles). In keeping with SKA’s chesed initiative, the students packed shaloach manot to send to Israel for the children of Shalva; several SKA students are participating in the Shalva Marathon in Israel and will bring the packages with them. It was a great way to begin the Purim season!

V’ata Banim Shiru 2015, the ďŹ fth annual boys a cappella competition beneďŹ tting the Koby Mandell Foundation, will take place at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, March 11, at Rambam Mesivta, 15 Frost Lane in Lawrence. Teams from Rambam, Frisch, HANC, JEC, MTA and TABC will compete, and there will be a special guest performance by Six13. Tickets are $10 or three for $25. The event will be judged by Craig Resmovits, George Rubin and Yosaif Krohn, and hosted by Eli Rozenberg. For more info, email vatabanimshiru@gmail.com.

Oneg Shemesh sings at Kulanu Kulanu Center for Special Services hosted popular Israeli musician Oneg Shemesh who played songs by the late Shlomo Carlebach and his own compositions at a performance in Cedarhurst last Sunday in celebration of Jewish Disabilities Month. The morning inclusion program also included a

performance by Michael Korins, 21, who suffers from autism but has been nationally honored for his musical skills. Autism Speaks, a national advocacy organization, selected Korins in 2014 as one of the most talented individuals to inspire others.

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HANC high: a day in its life HANC On Feb. 12 and 18, eighth grade girls and boys from various schools took part in the annual Day In the Life at HANC High School. On both days, visiting students had the opportunity to participate in interactive classes in both limudei kodesh andgeneral studies which showcased HANC’s rigorous academic program. Highlights included interactive shiurim in Gemara, Chumash, Navi and special electives, as well as innovative lessons in engineering, history, music and science (where students extracted DNA from strawberries). During lunch, students learned even more about day-to-day life at HANC, viewed a student-produced Israel advocacy video, wrote letters to chayalim and mingled with current students, administrators and staff.

To top off the school day, the girls created their very own painting in the AP Studio Art class and the boys participated in an intense basketball clinic which was facilitated by our varsity basketball coach and current members of our basketball team. The program concluded with Mincha in the school’s beautiful library and a recap of the day’s events. All students went home sporting a HANC Hurricane athletics bag. This unique program allowed prospective students the opportunity to experience a typical day as a HANC student while envisioning their next four years in our incredible school. Should you or your eight-grader have any questions, please contact Mrs. Miriam Steiner, HANC’s director of admissions, at 516-538-8161 ext. 30, or email msteiner@hanc.org.

Rambam Mesivta

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Sunday’s snow could not keep hundreds of Rambam talmidim and their Rebbeim from dancing in the streets to welcome a new Sefer Torah to Rambam. Dedicated by Michael and Susan Sosnowik and family, on the 50th Yahrzeit of Dora Sosnowik z”l, the procession — led by the Sosnowik family and friends, Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, and Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman and the Rambam mishpacha — started at the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst and made its way to the school. At the head of the march, Rambam junior Avraham Sosnowik joyously danced. Not 24 hours later, he was receiving an aliyah while holding the new Sefer Torah, secure in the knowledge that his grandmother’s legacy would continue to give back mi dor la dor.

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Rambam’s Rabbi Ari Boiangiu, himself a superstar guitarist, announced to the assembled students that their next guest speaker was a PhD candidate at Columbia University, a learner, a worker, a person engaged in chesed, in short: a Rambam Man! With that, Lipa Schmeltzer emerged and was greeted with howls of joy from the eager audience. Rosh Mesivta, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, pre-

sented Lipa with a plaque recognizing him with the “Sameach Tesamach Award,” for bringing joy, inspiration, and simcha to Klal Yisrael. Lipa proceeded to rock the house, jumping into the crowd and singing — sometimes inserting words about Rambam into his songs. After the chaggigah, Rambam talmidim were treated to another surprise: cholent and kugel thanks to the generosity of the Yizhaky family. Rambam: where anything can happen!

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Rambam JV Hockey won a 4-1 playoff game against HAFTR to advance to the semi-finals. Under Coach Avi Herschman, and with the stellar play from back-up goalie Benji Aryeh, the Ravens are looking for a second straight championship. Go Ravens!

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Rambam’s perennial Final Four Mock Trial team looks to keep advancing in a quest to win the Nassau County Mock Trial Competition. With Professor Stevens at the helm, and Philip Nagler and Aharon Goldblatt stepping up their games, the team is eagerly awaiting this week’s crucible.

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Rambam ninth graders, accompanied by their Rebbeim, led a Rosh Chodesh davening and chaggigah with their friends at

Kulanu. Rambam and Kulanu continue building their wonderful relationship that includes the inclusion of Kulanu students in Rambam’s Wednesday Club Hour, Melavah Malkas, and extra learning.

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All of Rambam last week was engaged in an epic 3-on-3 February Madness Tzedakeh Basketball Tournament. The 32 teams that began the tournament dwindled to just eight, and now, amidst upsets, only the Dark Horse teams remain to see who will be crowned champions. This year’s tournament benefits Oz Ve’Hadar, an organization that restores Sifrei Torah for units in the IDF.

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Mr. Motti Edelstein (Evan’s Dad) spoke at Rambam about his experiences as CFO at University of Kentucky Health Care. He discussed the reaction of the people there seeing their first yarmulke and how he is working to change the culture at the hospital. His inspiring message made it clear that he was a proud Jew. “Key is consistency” when it comes to observance and representing Klal Yisrael, he said. He made it clear that no matter where one goes, one must be conscious of making a Kiddush Hashem, look to help, be patient in answering questions, and never shy away from showing your roots.

A milestone at the North Shore Hebrew Academy Middle School will be reached when 20 students, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, will read Megillat Esther for their schoolmates and faculty on Purim day, which falls this year on a Thursday, March 5. Dr. Paul Brody, a dermatologist by profession (pictured near left surrounded by his students) has instructed more than 225 students at NSHA for the past 14 years, enabling them to read the Megillah at various synagogues, hospitals, nursing homes and private homes, for

those unable to attend synagogues. Rabbi Adam Acobas facilitates the students’ hectic schedules to enable adequate review time with Dr. Brody. The students have achieved a unique accomplishment, joining a small, qualified group that possess the knowledge to publicly chant the Megillah. Dr. Brody, who has read the Megillah for over 40 years, once chanted it at the Great Synagogue in Leningrad in 1985, despite great peril, where the gabboyim were actually members of the KGB.

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20 youngsters roll out Megillat in Great Neck

THE JEWISH STAR February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775

Rambam: Hachnasat Sefer Torah, Lipa leads party

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February 27, 2015 • 8 Adar 5775 THE JEWISH STAR

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