March 9, 2012

Dunetz: Obama at AIPAC Page 4 Kosher Bookworm: Tribute to Reb Moshe Page 5 Who’s in the kitchen: Portobello mushrooms Page 10 Brody and the ganze Megillah Page 15

THE JEWISH

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VOL 11, NO 10 ■ MARCH 9, 2012 / 15 ADAR 5772

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What makes Israel worth our blood and tears?

Local groups hear options for curbing Iran’s nukes

By Juda Engelmayer It was May 7, 2004 when Salim Joubran, was given a position on Israel’s Supreme Court. When he became the first permanent member of the Court from the Israeli Arab community the world should have realized that Israel was in fact, a democracy like none else in its region.

Justice Joubran knew that as well, and he also knew what Israel was, why it was formed and how he managed to rise through its ranks as a Christian and not a Jew. It would seem odd, or possibly some act of defiance, when the New York Times carried a story about Justice Joubran earlier this week, presumably refusing to sing the Israel national anthem because the words “Nefesh Yehudi homiyah,” which means, “A Jewish soul still yearns,” do not apply to him.

The anthem was not new to him when he became a lawyer, nor when he became a Supreme Court judge. It may indeed be an uncomfortable concept to sing, let alone believe by one who is not Jewish.

It highlights the delicate tightrope Israel walks in its pursuit of peace and prosperity through the promotion of democratic statehood.

For Jews, living in Israel ironically removes Jewish identity from the everyday life of the average Jew. Unlike most places, where for many, Jewish identity is worn on our sleeves so to speak; on our heads actually for some, but also with the often uncomfortable vacation requests at work, among the other unique aspects of Jewish life.

In Israel, Jewish holidays are the State holidays and no one really feels out of place donning a skullcap. With Judaism all around, maybe the overtly Jewish words should, or maybe other ubiquitous Jewish symbolisms Continued on page 2

By Malka Eisenberg

than double the attendance of last year, with Jews from across the religious spectrum, non-Jews, and nearly 2,000 university students.

“The people were united in the goal of stopping Iran before it has the capabilities to do it,” said Hertz. “Like a “Lego,” Iran will have the pieces on the table, they just need to put them together and launch. If Iran doesn’t see real sanctions, and if the sanctions are weak, it will give Iran the incentive and courage to increase the speed of development.”

He commended the current sanctions including not allowing doing business with the Central Bank of Iran and restrictions on

“My nightmare, I’ll tell you quite honestly is that at some stage [Ahmadinejad] will call a press conference and will embrace some kind of strategic weapon and say, ‘you guys continue talking, I appreciate very much all your tactical discussions, I already have it.’”

Yuli Edelstein, Knesset member and Minister of Public Affairs and the Diaspora, vividly described the concern that brought him to a parlor meeting in Jamaica Estates this week. He discussed Israel’s outlook on the Iran crisis, the disaster of the Gush Katif expulsion, that Israel and the Palestinians can co-exist without a peace agreement and the need to educate Israelis and the world on Jewish history and promoting the importance of Yehuda and Shomron to Knesset members and the world.

In another smaller meeting later that day at the Young Israel of Kew Garden Hills, Naftali Bennett, head of MyIsrael, Israel’s largest grassroots organization with over 80,000 members, presented his views on Iran’s nuclear race and that Israel is not the reason for the conflict in the Arab world.

“The decision that Iran will not acquire the bomb is behind us,” said Bennett, “and the decision to not outsource Israel’s fate to America has been made.” Bennett co-founded and was CEO of Cyota, a leading anti-fraud company, was Benjamin Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff from 2006-2008 and was Director General of the Yesha Council from 2010 to 2012. He served in the IDF in the elite Sayeret Matkal and Maglan units and is a Major in the reserves.

“We are not gung ho on doing this, not saying that it’s inevitable, if America implements crippling sanctions, it might

Continued on page 3

Continued on page 3

Photo by Mark Karimzadeh

Great Neck contingent representing the United Mashadi Jewish Community of America attended the AIPAC Policy Conference. Mark Karimzadeh spoke for the group saying, “We’re satisfied with Obama’s words. If he acts the way he speaks then he’s a strong friend of Israel.”

At AIPAC Policy Conference:

Israel, US speak with one voice against modern day Haman

By Malka Eisenberg Iran’s nuclear threat was the main topic at the America Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference in Washington, DC, this weekend. Two options for blunting it were debated — strong sanctions against Iran or congressional legislation authorizing American military action.

Eli Hertz, a member of the Executive Council of AIPAC for 25 years, President of Myths and Facts, Inc., past founder, CEO and president of Hertz Technology Group, spoke to The Jewish Star about his impressions of the conference. Over 13,000 people from all over the world attended the meeting, more

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Blood and tears Continued from page 1 should be removed to make those not of one of the 12 Tribes feel as comfortable.

There is a movement among secular Israelis, Jewish ones mostly, to eliminate the Jewishness from the State itself. The ďŹ ghts between the ultra orthodox and those less so have been growing to the point where they have made the front pages of some of the world’s most antagonistic-to-Israel media venues.

In efforts to highlight the extremist nature of Israel, as they print their political opposition to such issues as Judean and Samarian expansion and retaining defensible borders, these media take the offensive nature of the assaults on women and secular Jews by certain pockets of Hareidim and promote them as the mainstream occurrences of the Jewish state.

When relatively small extremist activity perpetuated by Jews occurs it is often promoted to a grander degree and with more international disdain than the malignant fanaticism that everyday Arab men, women and children face each day in many of the countries that challenge Israel’s existence.

Jewish identity is so prevalent in Israel through its population and character that the argument is made asserting Jewish identiďŹ cation markers built into its government and national themes, like the Hatikvah are not needed.

The debate rocks between Israel’s left and right. While some want to make it harder for non Jews and non-believing Jews to participate, some on the left urge making Israel more inclusive; essentially, making it nothing more than the United States on the Mediterranean.

Israel’s Declaration of Independence ensures “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.� The irony, however, is that this issue was sparked over an Arab judge from Haifa who has a permanent seat on The Jewish state’s highest court. Some would argue that he has been treated as Israel declared it would. The judge, for his part, just stood quietly while others made the issue of his choice.

These are difďŹ cult considerations, but Israel is an anomaly and needs to be treated as one. It is not as any other country, because it is not merely about acreage and capricious borders, but an ancient calling said to be made by the G-d of the oldest monotheistic religion in the world.

Jews have been pushed in every location on earth, and treated as pariahs throughout history. Yet, they endured as a people and have outlived their ancient enemies, and are poised to face their new ones, whoever they are.

They were born from the Levant where the G-d Abram had worshipped offered to make him a great nation if he left his home and family. The speciďŹ c land and the religion are unequivocally tied to one another, making the Jewish yearning for Israel not just a slogan, but a compulsion as strong as the belief in G-d itself.

For secular Jews to feel that the religious nature of the country is too cumbersome, for non Jews to feel that the Hatikvah is too Jewish, or for both to want to make Israel a secular sanctuary, the only answer has to be no.

You can be irreligious in Israel and you can be its prime minister. You can be an Arab in Israel and you can be a Supreme Court judge. Yet, if you take the Judaism out of Israel, you may as well be in Florida. Israel devoid of the Soul of the Jew is nothing more than soil and sand, and certainly not worth our blood, sweat and tears.

Juda Engelmayer is an executive with the NY PR Agency, 5W Public Relations.

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March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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Continued from page 1 the international electronic transfer of funds (SWIFT). These sanctions limit Iran’s ability to move money, to trade, forcing Iran to do business through third parties or using other countries as proxies.

“Restriction of free trade and money movement are very severe sanctions,” he said. “If you can’t transfer (funds), you’re dead.”

During the conference, Mitch McConnell, the Republican senator from Kentucky, said that he will submit a draft resolution that will specify in precise and clear terms when military action will become an option.

The goal of the conference is to “make the relationship between Israel and the U.S. stronger every year,” explained Hertz. He said that there is a great relationship between the United States and Israel and that Congress is the number one supporter of Israel and the Israeli people. U.S. support is a serious commitment.

“The main goal of AIPAC among others is to secure foreign aid for Israel,” pointed out Hertz, “a yearly military assistance of about $3 billion. Israel is securing it by lobbying Congress and the Administration and to enhance the U.S.-Israel relationship.” The bulk of the conference is educational, said Hertz.

The last activity at the conference is the actual lobbying of Congress, pointed out Hertz, where thousands of delegates go to the Hill to lobby their representatives. This year AIPAC was able to secure meetings with all 100 senators or their aides.

The overall feeling of the conference was great,” said Hertz. He also felt the “unity of the whole thing,” he said. He saw Ethiopian and Chinese Jews, all levels of religion, he said. “You walk into the convention center and get the feeling of strength and righteousness and you forget about the different sects.

It did a lot for the Jewish community.”

Continued from page 1 work it might not work,” he said, noting that the “bottlenecks” should be destroyed and “paralyzing sanctions” implemented with ”follow-up sanctions.” When questioned regarding the aftermath of a possible military attack on Iran, Bennett said, “In Israel we have the characteristic to solidify and seem stronger when attacked. Israel can withstand thousands of missiles. Compared to the alternative, it is a no-brainer. The concept of modern Zionism is that Israel is a safe haven for Jews. If Iran acquires the bomb, Israel becomes the most dangerous place for Jews. Bibi (Netanyahu) gets it.

Ahmadinejad gets it.”

When asked on CNN the next day if an Israeli strike is inevitable he said, “There is one last chance to avert an attack (from Israel) and that’s if America immediately implements devastating sanctions that will bring the Iranian regime to a collapse, that’s the one thing that will prevent the need for an attack but we’re not there.”

Bennett explained that Iran has tripled the pace of uranium enrichment over the last two years and is working on moving their nuclear facilities underground where they would be immune from a potential Israeli attack. He added that Israel can’t listen to Obama’s exhortations not to bomb Iran. “We’d be outsourcing our existence to Obama—would any American be willing to outsource their existence to a friendly nation?’

The best case scenario, he said is if “Obama steps up to the plate, brings Iran to economic collapse, presents a military threat and Iran gives up the program.” It is important to “apply pressure to Obama to accelerate sanctions, apply sanctions after an attack by Israel and create legislation to arm Israel.”

Bennett also presented his case for a program of coexistence with the Arabs. “In Israel and the region, everyone is fed up with the issue of the Palestinians,” he said. “There is not going to be peace, that’s the reality, it’s ridiculous (to say) Palestine first now that the whole Arab world is falling apart. Bibi changed the paradigm that anything in the Mideast has to do with the Palestinians. It’s Iran. The Arabs couldn’t care less about the Palestinians.

It’s up to us to reach a modus vivendi.”

He showed a photo of a view of the Tel

Naftali Bennett

Yuli Edelstein

Aviv coastline from the Shomron, how close it is, to indicate how dangerous it is to even contemplate giving control of that area to the Arabs. His plan, “The Israel Stability Initiative” is a plan that delineates “how to live with the conflict.” It involves applying Israel’s sovereignty over area C containing 100% of the Jews in Yehuda and Shomron and 2% of the Palestinians; and offer citizenship to the 48,000 Arabs living in this area. There will be no refugee descendants absorbed into any of these areas; they will be absorbed into the countries where they now reside. Israel would sever the connection to Gaza, noting that it is independent and not under Israel’s jurisdiction.

He noted that none of the towns in Yehuda and Shomron are built on Arab land, including Migron and Ramat Gilad, and should be permitted to remain and build. He noted that the judicial system is “wagging the State,” instead of politicians deciding policy. “Bibi has to make clear that he’s the executive in charge and has to run Israel,” he said. “I have harsh criticism against the government, letting the legal-very left wingrun government policy.”

In his talk, Yuli Edelstein mentioned the “wider goals that Ahmadinejad has; try to explain to the rest of the world that it always starts with the Jews but it doesn’t end with the Jews.” He gives “credit to the Prime Minister with his ‘obsession’ (with Iran’s nuclear buildup) when everyone was mocking him and now it is not the case.”

Yuli Edelstein was born in Chernovitz, Ukraine, began to study Hebrew on his own during University, and became a Refusnik and Prisoner of Zion when he applied to

leave the USSR for Israel. He made Aliyah in 1987 and has been a member of Knesset on various committees, often holding different ministerial positions since 1996.

Among the other challenges he mentioned are the “old” challenges of terrorism that, although fewer, there still are “unsuccessful” terrorist attacks, “thank G-d our boys are doing great work, the army, the secret service. The attempts are always there.”

He also discussed the events that led up to the expulsion from Gush Katif, how he and others were against it and its repercussions.

“It was not just a terrible thing that happened to personal friends. It was strategic damage.

It’s a dead end, the expulsion, both ways you lose, the pain and emotions. All these irresponsible steps pushing us further from any possible solution on this front and on the Palestinian front.” ”There’s no solution now (to the Palestinian problem), but it’s not necessarily pessimistic,” he said. “Meanwhile, it’s a pretty manageable situation. Look at the best news we have, many of the news bureaus are closing down, their foreign correspondents are closing offices because the conflicts are elsewhere.”

“We have to talk about the big issues—the future of the State of Israel.” He talks about the need “to build the process, we have to reclaim the narrative. We have to go back a couple thousand years and explain why we are there, how before the Holocaust, the Zionist movement was trying to reestablish a state in Israel. It’s a slow process but we have to do it. First and foremost we have to start the process in Israel so we as Israelis when we speak, especially the elected officials, would be very sensitive to the language.” He stressed the importance of saying Yehuda and Shomron rather than West Bank and Jewish communities rather than settlements.

“It’s no problem to evacuate a settlement,” he said, “but to evacuate Jewish communities, you sound like a Nazi.”

He discussed the importance of lobbying, specifically when visiting Israel from the U.S. “Everyone can play a role, can change a lot, showing support. Supporting certain issues can promote certain views and can have an influence on how the Knesset looks at the issues.”

Guns, grenades, chemicals, drugs found in Woodmere home

By Jeffrey Bessen When 4th Precinct police officers John Lutz and Robert Ryan responded to a call that an alarm was sounding at 237 Narrow Lane in Woodmere on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., the veteran patrolmen most likely didn’t think they would discover 120 guns, several grenades, chemicals used to make explosives, boxes of ammunition, and what police described as an “extensive amount of marijuana.”

Officers Lutz and Ryan found Marc Ringel, 53, in the driveway of the home that belongs to Ringel’s parents working on a van, police said. Ringel told the officers that the alarm was probably from the vehicle.

“The officers found Ringel to be very, very nervous and he had no identification on him,” said Police Commissioner Thomas Dale. “When they opened the door to the house to verify his identity there was a very, very strong smell of marijuana and they saw a handgun.” There were also two grenades in plain view.

Ringel attempted to push the officers out of the door, however they gained control of the situation and called for assistance, Dale said. Authorities obtained a search warrant,

and Nassau County police, ATF from Lawrence High School, and FBI officers found guns of police said and left New York all sizes and calibers scattered in the 1980s. He lived in the throughout the house and Midwest and married. There chemicals used to make exis a prior conviction in his past plosive devices, including pipe on a domestic charge, but pobombs. lice weren’t sure which state An area of 20 houses was that occurred in. evacuated as a precautionary Divorced in 2004, he remeasure. Residents of those turned to Long Island five years homes were permitted to relater and since then has lived turn earlier on Tuesday. Poin several places, including livlice said safety was an issue as ing on and off with his parents, the arms and other materials Syrnecki said. Ringel was not were scattered throughout the drunk nor high when the pohouse, and they were unsure if lice took him into custody. He the home was booby-trapped. is currently unemployed.

In addition, the law enHis parents, who were exforcement agents discovered pected to return from Florida Marc Ringel a shallow pit with a wire that on Wednesday, Mar. 7, apparspanned from the pit to the ently didn’t know what their house, which they think was used to test son was doing or what items he had in the explosives. “The munitions was believed to house, police said, as he moved in after they be live and our Arson/Bomb Squad detonat- left a few months ago. ed them,” said Chief of Department Steven Syrnecki said that at this time, Ringel Syrnecki. ”There was enough explosives to has no known ties to any extremist groups. level the home and the entire block.”

Though the police are unaware of him being a Ringel, a Woodmere native, graduated drug dealer, the amount of marijuana found is

considered enough for potential sale. Syrnecki called the home a “grow house” for marijuana. Ringel also has no legal pistol license or a collector’s license for the guns, police said.

“It is highly unusual to find this type of activity in this neighborhood,” said Syrnecki, who added that the investigation is continuing and along with the ATF and FBI have carted out more evidence from the house to learn more about Ringel’s motives, intent and relationships.

Ringel is expected to be arraigned, today, Thursday for multiple charges at First District Court in Hempstead. Charges could be added, said Syrnecki, who added that Ringel was coherent, but not speaking to police.

“Thanks to do the great work by officers Ryan and Lutz we apprehended a potential madman and averted a serious, dangerous situation in Nassau County,” said County Executive Ed Mangano. Lutz has served on the force for 19 and half years and Ryan has served for one year less.

“We commend Nassau’s Fourth Precinct and Inspector Christopher Clearly, the ATF and the FBI, the alacrity with which our government responded,” said Woodmere resident Asher Matathias.

THE JEWISH STAR March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772

Israel, US Local groups hear options for curbing Iran speak with one voice

March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

4

Opinion Obama, AIPAC and Iran

I

t was supposed to be a weekend of conflict between the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Israel; it didn’t happen. Instead, we saw a President desperately trying to hold on to the Jewish vote--perhaps too hard.

In Sunday’s speech to AIPAC, he began with a dishonest recap of his record, was followed by statements about Iran, which were so strong that he may have boxed the U.S. into a war with Iran.

Defending His Record The first half of the President’s speech was spent defending his record on Israel. UnforPOLITICO tunately (for him) he TO GO chose the indefensible: Just as we’ve been there with our security assistance, we have been there through our diplomacy. When the Goldstone report unfairly singled out Israel for criticism, we challenged it.

That’s not correct; the report didn’t unfairly single out Israel-it lied. It has long since Jeff Dunetz been proven that Goldstone took false charges from the Palestinians and without investigation reported them as true. This was apparent from the beginning, yet the administration’s stance was that Israel should accept the charges and make a full investigation. Based on his comments above, the President still doesn’t accept the fact that the charges were false.

When Israel was isolated in the aftermath of the flotilla incident, we supported them.

Untrue--in the immediate aftermath of the flotilla, President Obama’s Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, told the press that Israel should agree to an investigation of the incident by the UN (like Goldstone).

When the Durban conference was commemorated, we boycotted it, and we will always reject the notion that Zionism is racism.

The Obama administration participated in the planning meetings for the “Durban follow-up conference.” According to Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, the U.S. made no attempt to prevent anti-Israel or anti-Semitic hate.

One by one, hateful anti-Israel provisions were discussed; on each one the United States remained silent. The delegation even remained silent when a discussion of the Holocaust was tabled by Iran because the Iranians claimed there wasn’t enough information to prove that the Holocaust really happened.

When one-sided resolutions are brought up at the Human Rights Council, we oppose them. When Israeli diplomats feared for their lives in Cairo, we intervened to help save them. When there are efforts to boycott or divest from Israel, we will stand against them. And whenever an effort is made to delegitimize the state of Israel, my Administration has opposed them.

After the string of misdirection, Obama made a statement he may end up regretting.

So there should not be a shred of doubt by now: when the chips are down, I have Israel’s back.

He certainly didn’t have Israel’s back the time U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice vetoed an anti-Israel UN resolution, then launched into a speech saying she agreed with the resolution: “While we agree with our fellow Council members and indeed with the wider world

about the folly and the illegitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity, we think it unwise for this Council to attempt to resolve the core issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians,” Ambassador Rice said. “We therefore, regrettably, have opposed this draft resolution.”

Iran While Israel has not decided if and when it will attack Iran, Obama may have backed both Netanyahu and Israel into a corner. The argument that has been going on for weeks is that Israel wanted the freedom to attack Iran at a time of its choosing; the U.S. wanted Israel to guarantee that it will wait.

Israel’s time to attack is rapidly closing.

The deadline isn’t, as most people assume, Iran producing enough weapons grade plutonium to create a bomb. A different building project will force Israel to act much earlier.

Iran is quickly building new nuclear facilities protected by mountains. If she is going to strike Iran, Israel’s only chance is to attack before the entire nuclear program is moved into the mountain.

Israel was not looking for the U.S. to get involved in any attack, just to stay out of her way. On the other hand, Obama wanted an Israeli guarantee to wait for the severe sanctions to work (but they don’t even start for three months). … just as they should not doubt Israel’s sovereign right to make its own decisions about what is required to meet its security needs. I have said that when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, I will take no options off the table, and I mean what I say. That includes all elements of American power. A political effort aimed at isolating Iran; a diplomatic effort to sustain our coalition and ensure that the Iranian program is monitored; an economic effort to impose crippling sanctions; and,

yes, a military effort to be prepared for any contingency. Iran’s leaders should know that I do not have a policy of containment; I have a policy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. And as I’ve made clear time and again during the course of my presidency, I will not hesitate to use force when it is necessary to defend the United States and its interests.

This is a commitment that cannot be retracted. Before Sunday it was Israel that was going to attack Iran, but on Sunday the President guaranteed that should the U.S. feel an Iranian nuclear bomb was imminent, it would not only green-light an Israeli attack, but would commit the American military to participate in the action.

In his zeal to “look good” to the AIPAC audience Barack Obama may have overshot his mark. Rather than “green light” Israel, should the sanctions not work, the President put the United States on the road to war with Iran and, unlike someone more experienced in international relations, he didn’t leave himself any wiggle room.

In the end, it was a strange performance

by Barack Obama this weekend. He tried so hard to erase his bad record on Israel that he lied about his record, and made an unnecessary commitment to Israel (in the full view of the American public and the international community) that may very well lead to the American military attacking Iran.

Jeff Dunetz is the Editor/Publisher of the political blog “The Lid” (www.jeffdunetz.com).

Jeff contributes to some of the largest political sites on the internet including American Thinker, Big Government, Big Journalism, NewsReal and Pajama’s Media, and has been a guest on national radio shows including G. Gordon Liddy, Tammy Bruce and Glenn Beck.

Jeff lives in Long Island.

Purim safety from Rabbi Hershel Billet, Young Israel of Woodmere Drinking alcoholic beverages We are happy to see many notices cautioning about excessive drinking by our kids on Purim. Some of the messages are misleading. Excessive drinking is not just a Purim problem and not just a kid problem. It is a Shabbos problem, a Yom Tov problem, a mid week problem, a USA problem, an Israel problem, and an adult problem as well. It is also very difficult to get the message across. Some places such as YIW have

taken extreme measures by banning liquor and beer from our premises (we still have adults who come to Shul with flasks in their pockets). Admittedly the rule in an ideal world should be temperance and moderation, not prohibition! But we do not live in Voltaire’s best of all possible worlds.

Alcohol is a dangerous drug and it is the gateway to other even more dangerous drugs. It therefore behooves all adults to exercise good judgment if and when they drink. Do not

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drink excessively in front of children, teenagers, or young adults. Please reach out to your Yeshivot and remind them to remind Rabbeim NOT to give drinks to kids on Purim, even if they are above 18. If you or your kids drink on Purim, do not drive! Have a driver who did not drink! Never drink and drive!

We are not so naive to believe that most of our kids will abstain from drinking. If that is the case, parents should teach them to drink responsibly. Do not elevate drinking to some glorious religious or social norm! Never drink and drive! Always remember that most children like to emulate their parents. Let us all be responsible parents in this area of the real world.

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his past week marked the yahrtzeit of HaRav HaGaon Moshe Feinstein, zt”l.

As noted in my last essay, Art Scroll published last year a revised and expanded edition of their biography of Rav Feinstein entitled, “Reb Moshe” by Rabbi Shimon Finkelman.

Among the many personalities who came to inhabit the pages of this excellent work are numerous rabbis from our community who, in my opinion, deserve some mention. So, with your indulgence, here are some of the more memorable.

“One afternoon, Reb Moshe and Rav Shlomo Heiman sat for a while ‘talking in learning.’ When their discussion concluded and Reb Moshe left, Reb Shlomo turned to Rav Dovid Bender and Alan Jay Gerber said, ‘Do you know why Reb Moshe is becoming a gadol hador? Because his back never touches the back of his chair while he learns.’

“Decades later, Rav Binyomin Kamenetsky accompanied his father Reb Yaakov to a meeting of senior roshei yeshivah. 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?’

“When Rabbi Dovid Weinberger became engaged to the Alperts’ daughter, Adina, the chasan and kallah were not certain where to make their first home. Rabbi Weinberger planned to continue learning at Yeshivah Chofetz Chaim in Forest Hills. The Alperts, however, resided on the Lower East Side in the same apartment complex as Reb Moshe, where rentals were comparatively inexpensive, certainly a consideration for a young couple.

“During the engagement, Rav Nisson Alpert brought his future son-in-law to Reb Moshe for a berachah. When the topic of apartments came up, the chasan explained their dilemma. After he enumerated the reasons for living on the Lower East Side, Reb Moshe said, ‘And [another reason to live here is because] I live here.’”

Among Reb Moshe’s greatest and closest talmidim was Far Rockaway’s legendary Rabbi Avrohom Blumenkrantz, of blessed memory.

“When he was in his early 20s, Rabbi Blumenkrantz was appointed to his first position as rav. Soon after, Reb Moshe taught him a lesson which he carried with him for the rest of his life. A reputable kashrus organization called Rabbi Blumenkrantz and asked that he announce in shul that a particular food establishment which bore kashrus certification of an orthodox rabbi was, in fact, not kosher.

Reb Moshe told his talmid that he was not permitted to make such an announcement without first contacting the certifying rabbi to hear his side of the story. Otherwise, he would be guilty of kabbalas lashon hara, ac-

cepting an evil report as fact without first determining its veracity.”

Given Rabbi Blumenkrantz’ life long commitment to quality kashrus this was to be a lesson well learned.

Rabbi Yitzchok Frankel, the rav of the Agudas Yisrael in Cedarhurst and a long time talmid and interpreter of Reb Moshe’s teachings, is quoted recalling the following: “He was totally involved in whatever he was learning to the exclusion of all else. And when he began a sugya, he approached it as if he had never learned it before.

“Once, when I was already attending shiurim of Reb Moshe, I asked Rav Eliyahu Moshe Shisgal, zt”l, his son-in-law, to explain a difficult Rashi in Masechta Shabbos. I was shocked when he responded, ‘But I haven’t learned it!’ A year later, he was delivering shiurim in that perek. He called me over and said. ‘Regarding that Rashi that you asked me about last year…..’

“His was a close relationship with Reb Moshe that lives with and within him to this very day.”

Rabbi Yisrael Belsky related several incidents involving Reb Moshe that, in his opinion, indicate special siyata di Shmaya [divine assistance] for someone whose every word, deed, and thought were for the sake of Heaven. Here is one of these.

“Rabbi Belsky attended a function for the benefit of Tifereth Jerusalem. When Reb Moshe entered the room, he noticed Rabbi Belsky, took him by the hand, led him to a table reserved for rabbis, and indicated which seat he should take. During the course of the evening, Rabbi Belsky made the acquain-

tance of the rav sitting next to him, whom he had never met before.

“A few days later, Rabbi Belsky received a phone call from a talmid. The young man’s mother, a divorcee, was seeking to remarry, and someone had suggested a rav who also was seeking to remarry. Would Rabbi Belsky by any chance know this rav well enough to provide information about him? This rav was none other than the one who had sat next to him on that evening!

Rabbi Belsky provided very positive information, and the two married.”

Before his wedding, Rabbi Aryeh Ginzberg, now the rav of the Chofetz Chaim Torah Center in Cedarhurst. asked Reb Moshe what a chasan and kallah should have in mind as they stand under the chupah. According to Rabbi Ginzberg, the following was his reply: “People make a mistake when they seek blessing from Hashem. They think that it is sufficient to ask of Hashem in a general way that everything should be good. However, if this was sufficient, the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah would not have composed a Shemonah Esrei with so many specific requests.

“Each aspect of life requires its own berachah and therefore its own tefillah that one should merit this berachah. When a chasan and kallah stand under the chupah at this special moment in their lives, they should beseech G-d for all that is most important in a Jewish home.”

All the above is but a sample of what we find in this biography of Reb Moshe as witnessed by some of the rabbis from our community. I leave it to you, the reader, to sample the rest.

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THE JEWISH STAR March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772

The Kosher Bookworm Some Post-Purim Literary Notes in Tribute to Reb Moshe

March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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Parshat Ki Tisa

A taste of the World to come T

he Jewish movements that changed the face of Jewry in the 19th and 20th centuries raised serious concerns about the nature of the Torah and how it stands the test of time. Many of the mitzvot of the Torah, for example, are not applicable in our day and age – highlighted by the lack of a Temple in Jerusalem.

Some mitzvot are simply not observed – the mitzvah of the eved ivri (Jewish indentured servant), amah ivriya (Jewess maidservant), yibum (levirate marRabbi Avi Billet riage), for example – because our society has evolved in such a way that these are quite strange.

We also have a difficult time swallowing the nature of the mitzvah to wipe out Amalek. While there are enemies of the Jewish people who exhibit Amalek-like qualities, this does not make them Amalekites. As such, I, for one, am glad that we cannot identify true Amalekites and are not subject to the mitzvah of destroying them.

There is a passage in Ki Tisa which is difficult to explain to the modern Jew, and to a world that shies away from the notion that we have the right to administer capital punishment. To be sure, the Torah makes capital

punishment very difficult to administer. The Torah also did not create a prison system.

Punishment was carried out immediately to serve as a deterrent and was practiced at minimum expense, quickly, with no attention paid to a concern of “causing undue pain and suffering.” It was done as humanely as possible – very forward thinking for its time.

While capital punishment is much easier to understand when someone has committed murder, how do we understand it in the context of – “Six days you shall work, the seventh day is the Sabbath – it is holy to God. Whoever does ‘melakha’ on this day will be put to death” (Shmot 31:15)?

The Torah even describes a case when an individual who gathered wood on the Sabbath was put to death. (Bamidbar 15:32-36) Of course, this is not something we pay any attention to now – in the sense that we would never ever put someone who does “melakha” on the Sabbath to death. We might, however, explain – as we do for all laws in the Torah that carry a death punishment in their depiction (i.e. hitting or cursing one’s parents (see Shmot 21:15,17)), that these are very serious offenses, not to be taken lightly.

Beyond that, however, I think it is important to understand two points: where the Torah is coming from in advancing this rule, and why it is not our place to judge the Torah.

I would suggest that the Sabbath, being one of the “Ten Commandments” and being the model of God’s rest from the work

scrutiny in our evolving society. Are we to, therefore, judge great, otherwise moral, people of ages past for having practiced these activities in a time and place when our contemporary moral sensitivity did not yet exist, and when the common consensus was that these activities were moral?

“Quite possibly, flogging a man once and for all and letting him free thereafter is more humane than taking 15 of the best years of his life and throwing him into jail with other criminals, there only to compound his injury by making it permanent.”

I do a lot of work, and participate in many education opportunities that cater to non-observant Jews. Many people simply do not have the education, the ability, the know-how, or the wherewithal to change old habits, or to commit to the Sabbath the way many of us are committed.

This does not take away from their commitment to being Jewish, or their desire to represent the Jewish people and to take the proverbial bullet for our People.

I hope that all Jews can engage themselves in a step-by- step process – even if it is a many-years-long process – to reconnect with the Sabbath. Start with Friday night, turn off the phone and computer, light the candles, enjoy a meal and relax. You may extend your “vacation” into Saturday over time, and I am sure your life will be enriched from it.

Enjoy the Sabbath. Enjoy a taste of the World to Come.

of Creation, is our best example of how we can imitate our Father in Heaven. He created for six days, and rested on the seventh. In this sense, neglecting the Sabbath serves as a denial of His role in creating the universe. A Jewish person who snubs God’s existence in this way is like a person who smugly rebels against a king in his own court, at the king’s celebration of his kingdom. [I understand people do not feel this way – but this is a very simple argument of where the Torah may be coming from.]

I don’t feel we can judge the Torah as being immoral for suggesting a capital punishment for this offense, because morality is defined differently in every generation. This point was articulated brilliantly by Rabbi Norman Lamm in a sermon he delivered on March 21, 1970, entitled “In Defense of Samuel.”

Addressing Shmuel the Prophet’s right to kill Agag, king of Amalek in Samuel I 15:33, Rabbi Lamm suggested there are absolute moral principles, but there are also “moral insights that develop slowly in the history of the human family as a result of various individual insights, until by consensus…they are recognized as binding moral judgments.”

In his homiletical elaboration, he raises historical developments of the practices of polygamy and slavery of old, as well as the draft board (this was during the Vietnam War) and the penal system of our society today, the former two having been defined in more modern times as being morally reprehensible, and the latter two are subject to

Changing the course of history

T

here is an amazing story told about Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi was on a speaking tour across India as part of his non-violent struggle for independence from the British.

At that time, the only affordable mode of travel across the country was by rail. When there were no whites waiting for a train, the British rail company, in an effort to save the expense and time of actually stopping at FROM THE HEART the station, would have OF JERUSALEM the trains slow down long enough for passengers to run along-side and hop on. (This racist policy was part of what Gandhi was struggling against….)

One day, Gandhi was running to get on a train, and as he jumped up, his shoe slipped off his foot.

Though he tried to grab it, he ended up watching helplessly as it fell to Rabbi Binny the tracks. Quickly, he Freedman grabbed the other one off his foot and threw it back down the tracks towards the first rapidly disappearing shoe.

People who saw this thought perhaps Gandhi had taken leave of his senses. His response to their mystified expressions was: “At least now if a poor person finds his way across my shoe he will soon come across its mate and end up with a good pair of shoes.

(For most Indians back then a pair of good shoes was equivalent to a month’s salary…)

What does it take for a person to devel-

op his ethical instincts to such an extent?

If Gandhi had waited another moment he would have lost the opportunity; what poor person would continue for miles along the tracks in search of another shoe? To have such an immediate reaction, a person has to reach such a level of ethical behavior that ethics are no longer a thought out process; they become almost instinctive. Such a person is truly living life as it was meant to be.

Moshe is in the midst of receiving the Torah at Sinai. Forty days after hearing the Ten Commandments, with one day left before his triumphant return to share the oral tradition he has received directly from G-d, Moshe receives stunning news: “Lech Rayd, Ki Shichet Amchah…”

“Get thee down, for your people have become destructive…” (Exodus 32:7) Hashem tells Moshe what the people have done, and that he must go down to deal with them. The Meshech Chachmah points out that what G-d is telling Moshe, in commanding him to “get down,” is that if you are all the way up here, and they are all the way down there, something’s wrong.

If you are their teacher and they are all the way down there, you don’t belong here. If you want to make a difference as a teacher, as a parent, and even as a friend, you have to be with others where they are and understand where they are coming from. You can’t do that on top of the mountain; you have to be with them at the bottom.

This week is also the festival of Purim.

When Mordechai hears that the wicked Haman has conspired to annihilate the entire Jewish people in one day, he walks the streets of Shushan (the ancient Persian capital) and sits in sackcloth in mourning

outside the palace of the King.

Contacted by Esther, now the Queen but in secret Mordechai’s Jewish niece, Mordechai sends her a message that will change the course of Jewish history: “Ki im hacharesh tacharishi ba’et hazot, revach ve’hatzalah ya’amod la’Yehudim mimakom acher, ve’at u’beit avich toveidu’; U’mi yodea im la’et kazot higat la’malchut.”

“For if now you will remain silent, respite and salvation shall stand up for the Jews from another source, and you and your father’s house will be lost; and who knows but if for this very moment you became Queen?” (Esther 4:14) Take a closer look: Mordechai must be the worst salesman in history! Shouldn’t he have said “If you don’t save us, it’s all over!”?

Truth is, to paraphrase the famous bard: “All the world’s a stage, and we are all merely players.” The Jewish people were never meant to be destroyed; thousands of years ago G-d decided, and the prophets foresaw, that one day we would return to the land of Israel. The only question was whether Esther would play the role of savior. Mordechai is telling Esther she has the opportunity to make a difference; to perhaps fulfill her destiny; this is her chance to make a difference.

This week, the week of Purim, President Obama met with Prime Minister Netanyahu with, again, the chance to make a difference. In Persia (Iran), our generation’s wicked Haman is once again posturing to destroy the Jewish people. But make no mistake about it: the danger here is not whether the Jewish people will survive.

Like the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Spanish Inquisition, Khmelnitsky’s Cossacks, Nazi Germany, and the Arab nations in 1948 and 1967 before them, Iran will discover that Hashem (G-d) has other plans and we are not going anywhere. The only question that remains is whether President Obama will play the righteous role he has been scripted, or whether, in November, an understudy will have to do it instead.

And on a personal note, Purim is the time we all get to ask ourselves whether the part we are playing is really the person we are meant to be. May we all be blessed with the wisdom to answer that question with a smile….

Shabbat Shalom, and Happy Purim!

Binny Freedman Rav Binny Freedman, Rosh Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem’s Old City is a Company Commander in the IDF reserves, and lives in Efrat with his wife Doreet and their four children.

His weekly Internet ‘Parsha Bytes’ can be found at www.orayta.org

The Jewish Star newspaper (Long Island, NY)

7 THE JEWISH STAR March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772

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March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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THE JEWISH STAR March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772

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9

Who’s in the kitchen

Mushrooms can grow on you

M

ushrooms are one of my favorite foods. They’re an irresistible source of extraordinary flavors, textures, and aromas.

They can be baked, fried, sautéed, mixed with meat, chicken, turkey, eggs or a myriad of vegetables.

I love them in my baby lamb chop appetizer, mixed into my stuffed baked potatoes, sautéed and baked into a quiche, mixed with caramelized onions and smothered on rib steaks and veal chops, and stuffed into Cornish hens, all of which I love to serve on Friday nights when having company.

Everyone I know loves mushrooms, that is, except for my friend David Weber. His wife, Aviva, warned me that he didn’t like mushrooms. But in the 29 years since I met him and Aviva in Forest Hills, I never remember him turning down my baby lamb chops in pastry dough, which were stuffed with mushrooms and smothered with mushroom sauce. Just goes to show, even to those who dislike mushrooms, if prepared properly, they can taste really good!

Most of us don’t realize that mushrooms are not plants. They were reclassified in the 1960s as fungi. The part of the fungus that we see is only the “fruit” of the organism.

The living body of the fungus is a myceJudy Joszef lium, made out of a web of tiny filaments called hyphae. The mycelium is usually hidden in the soil, in wood, or another food source.

All mushrooms are fungi but not all fungi are mushrooms. Fungi also include yeasts, slime molds, rusts and several other types of related organisms. There are an estimated 1.5 to 2 million species of fungi, of which only about 80,000 have been identified.

In some ways, mushrooms are more closely related to animals than to plants. Just like us, mushrooms take in oxygen for their digestion and metabolism and “exhale” carbon dioxide as a waste product. Fungal proteins are similar in many ways to animal proteins.

Mushrooms grow from spores, not seeds, and a single mature mushroom will drop as many as 16 billion spores!

Here are some more interesting facts about mushrooms: Hieroglyphics found in the tombs of the Pharaohs suggest that the ancient Egyptians believed the mushroom to be “the plant of immortality.” The mushroom’s distinct flavor so intoxicated these demigods, that they decreed mushrooms to be food for royalty alone, and prohibited any commoner from handling the delicacies.

Some South American Amazon tribes have one word that refers to both meat and mushrooms; they consider mushrooms as equivalent to meat in nutritive value.

Early Romans referred to mushrooms as the “food of the gods.”

And lastly, mushrooms are an excellent source of niacin, selenium, dietary fiber, potassium, Vitamins B1, B2, and D. They contain no cholesterol, are low in calories, fat and sodium and contain anti-oxidants to support a strong immune system.

One of my favorite types of mushrooms, is the Portabella variety. One Portabella mushroom generally has more potassium than a banana. It also is often used in place of meat in many dishes, making them great for vegetarians and earning them the name “beefsteak for the poor.”

Mushrooms, particularly the Portabella, are often used in place of meat in many dishes making them great for vegetarians (Miriam Bradman, this recipe is for you!)

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms Ingredients: ■ 4 portabella mushroom caps ■ 4 teaspoons good extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for oiling

pan and baking dish ■ 1 cup red pepper, chopped ■ 4 large green scallions, white and light green parts, chopped ■ 1 large clove garlic, minced ■ 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped ■ 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, chopped ■ 1/2 teaspoon sea salt ■ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

■ 4 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed, torn into small pieces ■ 1 cup pasta sauce, homemade or from a jar ■ 11/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or cheese of your choice) Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wipe mushroom clean with a dry paper towel. Carefully scrape out black part underneath mushroom cap to reveal the off-white skin below. Lightly oil a small skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Place top part of mushroom down first and cook three to five minutes until slightly brown and mushroom begins to “sweat.” Turn over and cook for just another minute or two to soften slightly. Remove and set aside.

To make stuffing mixture – In another small skillet, over medium heat, place 4 teaspoons olive oil and sauté red pepper and green onion for two to three minutes, just until vegetables begin to soften. Add minced garlic, thyme and oregano. Stir and cook about one minute. Add torn bread pieces. Stir together for an additional thirty to forty-five seconds. Season lightly with a little salt and pepper, stir again.

Place the stuffing mixture in the portabella caps and place in a lightly oiled baking dish. Cover with pasta sauce and grated cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil, making sure foil is not touching the cheese, and bake ten minutes. Remove foil and put the dish under the broiler for about another minute, just to slightly brown the top.

This dish can be served as a main for lunch or brunch, an appetizer for dinner or on a buffet table.

It’s sure to be a hit with your guests...unless you’re having David Weber.

Judy Joszef is a pastry and personal chef as well as a party planner. She spent 18 years as a pastry chef at Abigael’s, The Cedar Club, Centro and T42 in the Five Towns, before launching her current business, Soireé. She can be contacted at Judy.soireé@gmail.com.

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March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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a fée verte, the Green fairy, or as it is more colloquially known absinthe, has been the emerald colored obsession of many a great artist. Oscar Wild thoroughly enjoyed it, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was hooked on it and Van Gogh practically bathed in it nightly. While this list of celebrity may seem slightly out of vogue with the modern power drinker, it’s important to remember that in the late nineteenth century absinthe was the beverage lubricating the minds THE KOSHER that brought about CRITIC a creative revolution and laid the ground work for today’s artistic counter culture.

Sadly, nowadays very few people drink absinthe, some because it had until recently been banned in the U.S., and some because they don’t like the taste, but mostly people don’t drink absinthe because they just don’t know Zechariah Mehler anything about it. So as Purim approaches, and people begin frantically purchasing libations for the holiday, I thought it would be fun to drink a glass of my favorite absinthe (which I may or may not have purchased outside of the U.S.) and share with you the wonders of this little green drink.

For those of you who don’t know, absinthe is a high alcohol content (often between 5075% alcohol by volume) spirit made from green anise, sweet fennel and other various herbs. Many people mistake absinthe for being a liqueur because of its sweetness, but it is in fact a spirit that gains its flavor and sweetness directly from its ingredients and as a result has a very pervasive licorice flavor.

There are also a number of regional variations of absinthe that I would further go into if not for the fact that A) to do so would be

uninteresting and B) I am on my second glass and the walls are starting to melt. The most common and famous form of absinthe is the French Verte (Green) style. Personally, Verte absinthe is my favorite since I find it to be the most authentically bohemian. Truly there is something to be said about holding a cold glass of absinthe and thinking to myself that I am about to experience the same auditory hallucinations that Guy de Maupassant must have had while he was writing Pierre et Jean.

Verte absinthe pours a brilliant green color and has a very pleasant, yet pungent, licorice aroma. Because most absinthe is around 100 proof the best way to drink it is by diluting it with water. There are two exceptional ways to do this, the traditional method and the bohemian method. The traditional method involves placing a slotted spoon over a glass filled with a shot of absinthe and ice. A sugar cube is placed on the slotted spoon and three parts water to your one part absinthe is then slowly poured over the sugar cube. With this method slow is the key as it serves to make sure that the non-water soluble ingredients in the absinthe (like the anise and the fennel) come out of the solution and cause the drink to cloud. You then tip the spoon into the glass and mix/dissolve what’s left of your ice cube into the drink. The result is an opalescent beverage referred to as louche, that is sweet and refreshing with a wonderfully herbal aroma.

The Bohemian method takes elements of the traditional method and makes it better with fire. You start with the same shot of absinthe (no rocks this time) and the same slotted spoon with sugar cube. The difference is that you presoak your sugar cube in absinthe and once you have it securely on the slotted spoon you set it ablaze. Then, tip the sugar cube into the glass of absinthe setting the shot on fire. Once it has burned for a few moments take a shot of water and pour it into the glass to douse the flames. Mix thoroughly and enjoy. This tends to create a much stronger drink with a richer flavor and a more velvety mouth feel. Anyone who has

ever visited the Lower East Side hot spot Apotheke has probably seen this grand spectacle performed and wondered quietly to themselves, “why would the owner of this bar try so hard to set it on fire?”

Which I guess brings us to the stigma.

Most people think that absinthe makes you hallucinate. It does not. It never did. There are no hallucinogenic properties of magic chemicals that cause you to actually see

THE JEWISH STAR March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772

Absinthe, the green fairy

green fairies. Absinthe is simply an extraordinarily alcoholic drink that needs to be imbibed with caution so as to avoid the delirium tremens that comes with over indulging. So this Purim give the Green Fairy a try because no alcohol matches the whimsical nature of Purim quite like it.

Zechariah Mehler is a widely published food writer and expert in social marketing.

Follow him on Twitter @thekoshercritic

Purim pandemonium!

B

y the time this goes to print I will have escaped to Brooklyn for the holiday! I guess I’ve become a Purim party pooper since I’ve dropped out of the mishloach manot rat race. Each year I prepare fewer packages, and I’m happy to say I’m down to just three now, only two more than the minimum required. Instead of making lots of Purim bags, we’ve upped our Purim tzedaka and I feel liberated!

So why do I feel the cowardly need to run MIRIAM’S MUSINGS away? Because I know that my doorbell will be ringing with generous, well meaning folk dropping off Purim treats, and I will feel the need to reciprocate even though they’re already on my shul sisterhood’s Purim basket list or have received a donation card from us. I have found over Miriam Bradman the years that people Abrahams double or triple dip in the Purim giving spirit.

They pay to add your name to their school and/or shul list, and also decide to drop off a package. It seems totally over the top to me, and increasing with no end in sight.

I really don’t want to be the neighborhood Purim Grinch, but what about this tradition of handing out shiny dollar coins to the little messengers delivering the packages? The wonderfully dressed up kids naturally expect a reciprocated bag or a buck. And since I have radically cut down my packaging to single digits, I have no extras to give out, so I’m scrambling for dollar bills when the bell goes ding dong. I certainly don’t want to disappoint any cute kids!

Like much in our society today, this Purim thing has spun way out of control. Traffic jams are caused by cars filled with kids dropping off packages to each of their 25 classmates. The harried parents are crazily circling the Five Towns, making multiple stops and blocking side streets, with kids running out of cars heedless of the consequences. I know this for a fact because I’ve done it for about 18 years. Although I’ll miss many things next year when my youngest leaves home, this activity will not be one of them.

In fact this year should be a breeze, since this evil mom has also limited her daughter’s package making numbers.

As Judy Joszef recalled in her Purim Seudah column last week, things were simpler in our day. We delivered mishloach manot to friends and neighbors by foot. No chauffeuring duties were guiltily assumed by parents, and holiday stress was lessened. Purim treats were more basic, a fruit and a pastry and a

couple of candies would do the trick. The emphasis was on dressing up in a costume, going to shul to hear the Megilla reading, hanging out with friends on the day off from school and eating sugary treats.

Although I have bought my share of premade costumes for Purim dress-up, I still prefer the home made variety. I loved when my kids would come up with their own crazy creations. One year my middle son was a wizard, using his blue bathrobe, sticking on stars, on his own wand and hat, to complete the look. My oldest son was once a playing card and enlisted his artistic aunt to help him achieve his vision.

I have lots of respect and even a bit of envy for my baking friends who really love this holiday and put their great skills to use with their children. Involving the kids in making delicious hamantaschen from scratch, inserting traditional and inventive fillings, and sampling the yummy dough, makes fun family memories. I’ve never delved into this flying-flour activity in my own kitchen, preferring to buy assorted hamantaschen from my favorite bakery (old-fashioned poppy seed is hands down my best, with untraditional chocolate or Nutella a close second).

For a few years I bought into the escalating Purim basket madness. I spent way too much time thinking up a theme, writing an appropriate poem and finding unique treats to put in our bags. Nobody else in my house

cared much for this venture besides me. I will continue to appreciate and relish the sumptuous efforts that my creative friends put into the holiday, but for now I’m abstaining.

Besides consuming precious time, it was financially draining. Instead I’d rather put those dollars towards cards from Tomchei Shabbos, Kulanu, I-Shine, Cahal, Amit, Emunah or other worthy institutions. Tomchei Shabbos is our family’s personal favorite because we feel it directly addresses the point of the mitzvah of Matanot L’evyonim, helping to feed those who can’t afford it.

It’s fun eating our way through the Purim bags and getting sugar highs, but I’m not great at self-control. A while ago I implemented the plan of letting each family member fill a bag with their favorite treats. I gather the rest into a nice basket and send it off with my husband to work. That gets the stuff out of my house and his coworkers enjoy the sweet benefits of Purim.

So even if nobody answers our doorbell, feel free to leave us your treats, they will surely be savored!

Miriam Bradman Abrahams is Cuban born, Brooklyn bred and lives in Woodmere.

She organizes author events for Hadassah, reviews books for Jewish Book World and is very slowly writing her father’s immigration story.

She is teaching yoga at Peaceful Presence Yoga Studio. mabraha1@optonline.net

March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

12

March 10 Young Israel of Hillcrest Screening of “The Forgotten Refugees” ASSEMBLYMAN RORY LANCMAN, the National Council of Young Israel, the Queens Jewish Community Council, the Young Israel of Hillcrest, and The David Project will present a special screening of “The Forgotten Refugees” on Motzai Shabbat, March 10, 2012 at 8:30 PM at the Young Israel of Hillcrest, which is located at 169-07 Jewel Avenue in Flushing, NY. “The Forgotten Refugees” is a film about the mass exodus of nearly one-million Jews from the Middle East and North Africa in the 20th Century.

Similarities between the story of Purim and modern day “Iranian” anti-semitism make this film even more poignant. The program will open with an introduction by Modjgan Cohanim Lancman, who left Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Following the screening, there will be a discussion led by Rabbi Bini Maryles, Associate Executive Director and Senior Director of Branch Services for the National Council of Young Israel and an Israel Advocacy Educator. This program is offered at no charge to the participants and is open to all.

For more information, please contact the National Council of Young Israel at 212-929-1525 x112 or via email at jsteinig@youngisrael.org; the Queens Jewish Community Council at 718- 544-9033; or Assemblyman Rory Lancman at 718-820-0241 or via email at Lancmancommunity@gmail.com.

March 10 Backpages band at Backstage MODERN ORTHODOX BAND that covers classic rock hits will be performing at Backstage night club in Woodmere. 9:30 p.m. Backstage is located at 948 Broadway. For more information call 516-374-9870.

Pre-Passover Wine & Cheese Tasting Event THE YOUNG ISRAEL OF LONG BEACH in partnership with Gush Etzion, Har Bracha, Kadesh Barnea and Wellner Wineries Natural & Kosher, Sugar River and Les Petites Fermieres Cheeses Osem and Pereg 7:30 – 10:00 PM Young Israel of Long Beach is located at 120 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, NY 11561. No Cover.

No Admission.

ON THE

Calendar Submit your shul or organization’s events or shiurim to jscalendar@thejewishstar.com.

Deadline is Wednesday of the week prior to publication.

Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz , Mrs. Lauren Golubtchik, Assistant Principal, General Studies, JHS Division, Assemblyman David Weprin, Rabbi Mark Landsman, Principal at the Yeshiva of Central Queens 2012 Scholarship Dinner

March 11 Chabad of The Five Towns 3RD ANNUAL RACQUETBALL WITH THE RABBI to benefit the Levi Yitzchak Library Life Clubs, 235 Mill Road Lawrence, 9:30 a.m.

Suggested Donation:$36 - Includes court time, breakfast & T-shirt Gold Sponsor - $500, Chai Sponsor - $118, The Levi Yitzchak Library was opened in memory of Levi Yitzchak Wolowik, an extraordinary young boy who passed away in his sleep Shabbos, February 28, 2009.

The Library runs on the support of the community and strives to offer programs and activities and minimal to no cost.

Chabad Trip to the Ohel and Jewish Brooklyn for the whole family 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Be inspired by a visit to the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Queens. Tour Jewish Brooklyn, including a visit to the Matza Bakery, a scribe, Chabad Headquarters (770), and the Jewish Children’s Museum or the Jewish stores. Group will stop for lunch at a kosher eatery (choice of dairy or meat). contact Chanie @516.833.3057 or visit https://chabadjewishlifeorg.triptoBrooklyn

March 12 HEWLETT HADASSAH/DEVORAH GROUP. Led by Guest Speaker Ric Michel of Owl 57 Gallery Maple Plaza, Cedarhurst 8:00 p.m. $25/person prepaid by March 5, $30/person at the door Men welcome! Great Raffles Prizes!

For more information contact Paula at 8894566 or pgach@optonline.net

Chazaq/ Pre-Passover presentation

Photo by Donovan Berthoud

The Village of Cedarhurst is proud to welcome new merchant, A+ achievement , a full service learning center and educational services company, to Maple Plaza. Longtime Woodmere resident, Howard Daar is excited about his Grand Opening scheduled for Sunday March 18, at 1:00 p.m.

The brand new, crisp, state of the art learning center will offer many services to a wide range of ages. SAT/ACT prep, tutoring, NYS regents review classes , college guidance and a host of other services are currently ongoing.

On March 12, the center will begin offering their After School Program for middle school students, grades 5 thru 8.

A long time Five Towns resident and graduate of Hillel/HAFTR and a highly regarded teacher at Mesifta Ateres Yaakov, Howard Daar officially opened the business in 2008, out of his home.

A father of four, all graduates of HALB elementary school; a Rambam high school graduate, two SKA HS graduates, and a freshman at Central HS., Daar sees the new location as a way to accommodate the growing needs and schedules of area students.

He looks forward to greeting you on Sunday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m.

and Rabbi Eli Gersten, Rabbinic Coordinator for Recording Psak and Policy of OU Kosher.

9:00 p.m. when Rabbi Dov Schreier, Rabbinic Coordinator for Food Service at OU Kosher, will present a forum on “Hotels, Catering and Restaurant Issues for Pesach and Year-Round.”

Sponsoring organizations include Chazaq, Queens Jewish Center, the Queens Jewish Community Council, the Vaad Harabonim of Queens and the Young Israel of Forest Hills.is sponsored by the Harry H. Beren Foundation of Lakewood, NJ. For further information, contact Rabbi Grossman atGrossman@ou.org, or 212-613-8212.

Wine & Cheese & Dessert Young Israel of North with a discussion of Woodmere RABBI SETH FARBER- The Crisis of Jewish Life in “Art as an investment”

March 18

Congressman Peter King receives theNational Leadership Award at Yeshiva of South Shore’s 55th Annual Dinner on Sunday March 4th, in gratitude of his efforts on behalf of Jewish Institutions as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

A+ Achievement aims to SCORE big at new Cedarhurst location

OU KOSHER’S popular ASK OU Outreach program Queens Jewish Center in Forest Hills is located at 66-05 108 Street.

7:30 p.m., Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz, Senior Rabbinic Coordinator and wine expert, will speak on “OU Wine and Grape Juice” 8:15 p.m. by “Ask the OU Rabbonim,” a Q&A session on Pesach and year-round kashrut issues. It will feature Rabbi Moshe Elefant, Chief Operating Office of OU Kosher,

Israel Rabbi Farber is internationally known as the founder and director of The Jewish-Life Information Center, an organization that assists Israelis with the legal intricacies of personal status- marriage, divorce, conversion and burial.

Discussion at 8 p.m. Refreshments will be served The Young Israel of North Woodmere is located at 634 Hungry Harbor Road

Ongoing Calling all Senior Song Birds THE JCC OF THE GREATER FIVE TOWNS, located at 270 Grove Avenue in Cedarhurst, hosts a choir for seniors every Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. for a joyful hour of singing with choir master Zvi Klein.

We sing songs in all languages and we perform for local venues. There is a $5.00 optional contribution requested per session. For information please call Sheryl at 516-569-6733 x222.

13 THE JEWISH STAR March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772

HAFTR Highlights: Write on for Israel

By Avery Feit Recently, Lara Decter, Rebecca Jedwab, Michael Sosnick, Samantha Weissman and I enjoyed an amazing trip to Israel through “Write On for Israel,” an Israel advocacytraining program. Each year, students from the tri-state area are chosen to participate in the Write On for Israel program, in which students travel to Columbia University each month to garner the information and skills necessary to defend the actions and policies of the State of Israel. At each session, Write On for Israel participants hear from acclaimed speakers known for their advocacy for Israel, including author Yossi Klein Halevi and Jonathan Kessler, the AIPAC Leadership Development Director.

An important part of the Write On for Israel program is the trip to Israel. The visit was a unique experience. Participants were able to speak to IDF personnel who regard the program as “half of the fight for Israel.”

The military fights physical wars while advocates for Israel fight the intellectual ones.

In fact, Write On for Israel is one of the only high school groups with whom important Israeli military and government officials speak.

This fact speaks volumes about the prestige and value of the program.

In today’s global climate, the need to advocate for Israel is apparent. Opposition to Israel’s policies and existence has grown in recent years, especially on university campuses, which we will all be attending in the near future. Just a month ago, BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions), an organization which campaigns to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel, planned to hold their annual

Left to right: Lara Decter, Samantha Weissman, Rebecca Jedwab, Michael Sosnick and Avery Feit national conference at the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. A group of graduates from the Write On for Israel program organized the effort in opposition to BDS. Their efforts resulted in a statement by the University President, Amy Gutmann, which reads, “The University of Pennsylvania has clearly stated on numerous occasions that it does not support sanctions or boycotts against Is-

rael.” This statement along with other efforts

by Write On for Israel graduates resulted in reduced effectiveness of the BDS conference in spreading lies and hatred toward Israel.

The necessity of the Write On for Israel program is apparent, and HAFTR students are proud to be a part of it.

Additionally, this week, HAFTR planned some great events for students to enjoy and

celebrate Purim. The HAFTR administration has organized several Shushan Purim events for students including a costume contest and a magic show. Also, HAFTR students participated in a cereal drive and are organizing the collection of leftover Mishloach Manot to be distributed to the JCC food pantry.

Chag Sameach!

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This time of year we often get caught up buying costumes, packaging our Mishloach Manot, and preparing our beautiful Purim meals, and rightfully so. Purim is a joyous holiday that requires tons of preparation, but this past Wednesday night students of SKA, DRS, and HAFTR came together under Philanthropy For The Future and Heart to Heart to create more than 75 Purim packages for sick children in LIJ’s Cohen’s Medical Center.

The event, which took place at the Woodmere Community Enrichment Center, hosted over 25 volunteers, packing the center to its capacity. Throughout the night volunteers were treated to fresh popcorn and refreshments as they assembled more than 75 packages. These packages are sure to enliven the children in the hospital with exciting toys, stuffed animals, candy, and beautiful cards that our volunteers not only made but really poured their love and hearts into.

“The event’s turnout was nothing short of incredible,” pointed out Heart to Heart founder, Devorah Adler. Shoshana Kami-

netsky, who volunteered at the event, excitedly proclaimed, "The amount of people who showed up was really amazing. It was incredible to see how much we could accomplish, while still having a great time, when everyone worked together.”

Other volunteers like Gabriella Fadlun really appreciated that so many teenagers were willing to come together on a school night and really give back to the community at such a special time in the Jewish year. Following such a successful event, Philanthropy For The Future and Heart to Heart would like to wish a special thank you to Ann Schockett for making the community center available to us as well as the sponsors of our event TD Bank and Oh Nuts.

Yaakov Hawk, is the president of Philanthropy For The Future and a junior at DRS. You can follow him on Twitter @IanYHawk or for more information on PFF events check out PFF’s Facebook page Facebook.com/ PhilanthropyFF

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(Lto R) Charles Harary, Rabbi Eli Brazil, Mark Gleitman, Nicole Gleitman and Rebbetzin Toledano at Claire Kamhi Hashnossat Kallah Breakfast

Bringing joy to the Chuppah and beyond

By Karen C. Green Entering its 13th year, the Claire Kamhi Hachnossat Kallah Fund was established by Nicole Gleitman to honor the memory of her sister who was devoted to helping young couples find their way to the Chupah and begin their lives together. Unlike most couples that have the financial and emotional support of family with whom to plan their wedding and set up home, beneficiaries of the fund don’t have those luxuries.

In many cases, these couples must plan their wedding and secure an apartment with limited resources and little to no family assistance. The fund enables couples to experience the joy that they should feel at the time of their simcha by alleviating the pressures of expenses. Supporters of the fund enjoyed a lovely breakfast and heard inspiring words from Rabbi Eli Brazil and Charles Harary.

Consistent with Purim when we are especially mindful of the mitzvah of tzedukah, Rabbi Eli Brazil and Charles Harary both

spoke of how supporting the fund speaks to who we are as Jews.

“The essence of being a Jew is that we don’t exist in a bubble,” noted Rabbi Brazil. Charlie Harary stressed the concept of recognizing ones’ purpose. “Like Esther, she was in the palace and yet she felt the pain of the Jews. She was protected, but she put herself out there and connected with those in need. We all have our own potential and that potential connects to how we help others. The essence of giving is that it actualizes your humanness.

“Who we are as a people, we cry for each other, we care about each other, even if we aren’t experiencing that pain and anguish, at our core we are experiencing it. As a community, even if we never met that person, we feel for them. The manifestation of that is the desire of wanting to give. It enables us to be the givers that we are.”

For more information and to support the fund please contact Nicole Gleitman at 516650-0498 or at ClaireKamhiFund@gmail.com

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By Dr. Paul Brody Once again, on Purim Day, as for the past 10 years, the students of the Middle School of the North Shore Hebrew Academy (NSHA), of Great Neck, Long Island, will be present on a mandatory day of attendance. However, they will be attending willingly and enthusiastically and many will be accompanied by their parents and siblings. Twenty-three boys, from the 7th and 8th grades, will chant their respective portions of Megillat Esther for their fellow students and faculty so that all will fulfill the Mitzvah of Kriat Megillah.

Dr. Paul Brody has often davened in the morning with the Middle School, which gives him the opportunity to hear many students chant the various Torah portions on Mondays and Thursdays.

Besides this year’s 23 students, Dr. Brody has taught the melody and cantillation of Megillat Esther to approximately 150 students during the past 11 years, putting into fruition a plan conceived by Rabbi Dr. Michael Reichel who was then the principal of the Middle School.

This student-led Megillah reading tradition has been continued under the guiding hand of the current Middle School Principal, Rabbi Jeffrey Kobrin and Assistant Principal, Rabbi Adam Acobas, - with the blessings of the NSHA Dean, Rabbi Yeshayahu Greenfeld who help to coordinate the schedule with Dr. Brody. The Megillah readers are comprised of both Ashkenazic and Sephardic students and each student reads using the melody of his own tradition. The students meet with Dr. Brody to practice their newly learned skills.

Brody is embarking upon his 40th year of reciting the Megillah. He vividly remembers the first time he read the Megillah at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, led

by Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld, where he grew up. He remembers being most grateful that he didn't have to fast that day, since this initial reading fell on a Saturday evening.

He is looking forward to reading this year at his shul, the Great Neck Synagogue, for the 17th year.

Last Purim, some of Dr. Brody's former Megillah students actually read for Brody and his family at St. Francis Hospital in Port Washington. "This was the first time in the

Dr. Paul Brody ,Dr. Meyer Abittan, and his Megillat Esther students . (L to R) brothers Eli and Russel Mendelson, Bailey Greszes, Elie Flatow, Joshua ,and Adam Hecht, and Isaac Greszes hospital's history that it granted a large meeting room for a Megillah reading, and all religious items were covered!" said to Brody's cardiologist and friend, Dr. Meyer Abittan.

Abittan arranged the room for this special reading one day before Brody underwent successful cardiac by-pass surgery.

Imagine the emotional moment when his own students, from different years of his instruction, came to read the Megillah for him. It was very inspirational for Dr. Brody bedecked in his Purim "costume" (courtesy of St. Francis Hospital gowns!) and gave him great "chizuk." These dedicated students include Elie Flatow, Bailey Greszes, brothers Adam and Josh Hecht, and brothers Russel and Eli Mendelson. Brody and his family are very appreciative to these unique students and to Isaac Greszes and Joey Hecht for initiating and coordinating this effort, with the blessings of Rabbis Greenfeld and Kobrin..

The most exciting, but dangerous, experience for Brody was reading the Megillah illegally in 1985 at the Great Synagogue in Leningrad during a self-initiated mission to smuggle in Judaica and meet with many Jewish refuseniks. Dr. Brody is certain that some of the "Gabboim" were actually members of the KGB! Brody was instructed in Megillah reading at the Cantorial Training Institute (C.T.I., later renamed Belz School of Jewish Music) of Yeshiva University, by Rabbi Solomon Berl, rabbi of the Young Israel of Co-op City in the Bronx. Initially hesitant to undertake the arduous commitment of continuing to learn the entire Megillah, Brody was convinced by his maternal zayde, Rabbi Jacob Brown, z”l, that the task was not insurmountable. As a hakorat hatov (recognition of a good deed), Dr. Brody wears his Zayde's tallit (prayer shawl) each time he reads the Megillah. He

has dedicated, with his wife and children, the Megillah Reader section of a beautiful stained glass window, depicting Purim, at the Great Neck Synagogue, in his grandfather's memory.

Brody learned several embellishments from a long time mentor and “Rav,” Rabbi Dr. Jerome Acker, his long-time teacher at Yeshiva of Central Queens. Dr. Brody tries to keep his listeners alert by employing different voices for the different characters and by utilizing various props to depict historic events occurring during the reading.

His favorite Megillah scroll, which he uses when he chants the Purim reading, is one that was presented to him by Rabbi Yitzchok David Grossman, founder and Dean of Migdal Ohr in the Galil, in appreciation for the work that Brody and his wife Drora have done for the 7,000 underprivileged children of Migdal Ha’Emek in northern Israel.

Besides the sentimental value, the scroll is particularly beautiful, with every column starting with the word ”Ha’Melech” (the King) and adorned by a unique ornate crown of a king.

Dr. Brody is exuberant that so many young people are interested in mastering Megillah reading, especially since there has been a dearth of qualified readers until recently. This ensures the continuation of our unbreakable chain--"M'Dor L'Dor." In fact, several NSHA alumni of this program have started to read independently at various locales. Craig Resmovits, Elie Flatow, and Russel and Eli Mendelson have lained the past few years at various minyanim at the Great Neck Synagogue. Josh Mogilner, in the past, has split the Megillah reading with his father, Dr. Alon Mogilner.

Other alumni are reading at various youth programs. Some of these talented young men are among those that Brody has recommended to Rabbi Daniel Coleman, the Chaplain of the North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, to co-ordinate Megillah readings for patients and their visitors. Brody "sheps nachas," along with the boys' parents, the faculty and administration of NSHA, and members of the community, when he realizes that so many young men are now capable of reading the "Gantze Megillah!"

Purim, politics, and comics in Israel Left, a girl displays her Purim take on the segregated buses kerfuffle. Above, Spiderman makes an appearance at the Kotel — even superheros celebrate Shushan Purim.

THE JEWISH STAR March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772

Eleven years of training Megilah readers for chesed

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March 9, 2012 • 15 ADAR 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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