April 12, 2013 by The Jewish Star

Bookworm: the prayer of the State of Israel Page 5 FIDF visits Karkow, Poland Page 9 Commemorating Yom Hashoah at Beth Sholom Page 10 Seeking peace with North Korea Page 14

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VOL 12, NO 14 Q APRIL 12, 2013 / 2 IYAR 5773

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Cardozo students to honor Carter Ner Israel oleh By Malka Eisenberg

Courtesy of Cardozo School of Law

Students of Cardozo Law School to give award to Jimmy Carter.

Widespread protests from Cardozo Law School alumni and supporters of Israel are flooding the phones and emails of the school in response to a student journal’s intent to present an award to former president Jimmy Carter on April 10th. The Thirteenth Annual International Advocate for Peace Award 2013 is scheduled to be presented to Carter this Wednesday at a ceremony to be held between 3 PM and 8 PM at the Cardozo School of Law, Jacob Burns Moot Court Room. It is presented by the school’s Journal of Conflict Resolution to “an individual who is exemplary in the field of conflict resolution,” according to their website. The Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School is a division of Yeshiva University. A

spokesperson from YU stated that, “Cardozo is not honoring President Carter. The law school’s student-run Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution has invited him to receive its Advocate for Peace Award. President Carter’s invitation to Cardozo represents solely the initiative of this student journal, not of Yeshiva University or the Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School.” On their website, the student editors of the journal bill it as “the country’s preeminent legal journal of arbitration, negotiation, mediation, settlement, and restorative justice,” “heavily cited” in the field of “civil litigation and dispute resolution” and is affiliated with Cardozo Law School’s Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution. It is edited by third year law students and staffed by second year

ture, put on new doors, change the façade and “make it pretty,” he explained. It will be used as an ofﬁce, supply room and a place to park the ambulances. He pointed out that the gas tanks and gas pumps are being removed to remove the liability “in conjunction with the pollution. We don’t want any part of it.” The Continued on page 3

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By Malka Eisenberg

Photo by Steven Eisenberg

Ambulances at new Hatzalah garage on West Broadway in Woodmere. the current location, he said. “It was for sale and is a better ﬁt community wise. The cost of the renovations will be miniscule, rather than building from scratch. So all in all it makes sense.” The ambulances at the site serve North Woodmere, Woodmere, Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, and Hewlett. Rabbi Kanner said that no one would be there, “only when there’s a call.” The building will be refurbished; they will keep the struc-

By Malka Eisenberg After only eight years in Israel as an American oleh, Rabbi Dov Lipman has leaped to the top there to sit in the Knesset as a member of the Israeli government in the new Yesh Atid party. MK Lipman returned to the United States this week for a visit, speaking Wednesday evening, April 10th at Yeshiva University’s Furst Hall and in the Five Towns on Shabbat, April 13th. He will be speaking at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence at 11 AM on “Unity in Israel: No Longer Just a Dream.” He will also speak on Shabbat at the Irving Place Minyan (Morgenstern Auditoriumentrance on Central Avenue), at 111 Irving Place MK Rabbi Dov Lipman in Woodmere at 6:45 PM. Lipman said in a phone interview that after he was elected he received many invitations for speaking engagements in the United States. He considered this a reaction to his “story” and that of Yesh Atid, a party founded in 2012 by former journalist Yair Lapid, intended as a centrist secular party. Yesh Atid placed second in the recent Israeli election in January 2013, garnering 19 out of the 120 seats in the Knesset, and signed an agreement to join the Israeli government with Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party and Naftali Bennett’s HaBayit HaYehudi Party. “This is a feel good trip,” Lipman explained. “I’m not looking for money. I’m sharing the positive outlook with where Israel is heading and the positive changes along the way.” He said the changes he referred to are “in terms of internal Israeli society, policies for unity, religion/State issues that have been negative and economic issues.” He pointed out that

New Five Towns Hatzalah site Two Hatzalah ambulances are now being housed on West Broadway and Forest Avenue at what was previously a gas and repair station, thus eliminating any previous zoning or community objections. For the last three years, even through Superstorm Sandy, two Hatzalah ambulances were parked at the corner of Grant Avenue and West Broadway. A house at the corner had been bought and leveled. Hatzoloh fought and won a number of legal and zoning battles for use of the property, but has now sold that land and purchased what was once a Citgo station at 724 West Broadway. “The community didn’t want us there,” said Rabbi Elozer Kanner, one of the coordinators of the local Chevra Hatzalah of the Rockaways and Nassau County, regarding the previous location. “This is better. This worked.” “There are no zoning issues at all,” at

MK to speak in Five Towns, YU

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is number 17 on their party list. Lipman said that he will be speakingin the Five Towns about the concept of “we were like dreamers” his “personal experiences as a member of Knesset, the goals we have, the changes in Israel that are important to the United States and the Jewish people, to excite the people about what is in Israel and to hear ﬁrst hand about the changes we are making, strengthening every sector in the Jewish community to be a proud uniﬁed Jewish nation.” With his strong background and experience in education, Lipman stressed that a major part of his campaign is to revamp education in Israel. He plans to “increase Jewish studies on the secular side and increase general studies on the religious side and in general, think out of the box and adapt the education plan in place since 1948 and upgrade it to 2013, to bring it up to the top ten in the world in education.” Born in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1971, Lipman was a student at the Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington and the Yeshiva of Greater Washington. He studied for two years at Yeshivas Mercaz HaTorah in Jerusalem. He returned to the U.S., graduating from Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore receiving smichah from Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg, zt”l. He has an M.S. in education from Johns Hopkins University and has held many educational and administrative posts. Lipman married Dena Abramowitz of Elizabeth, NJ in 1994; they were part of the Cincinnati Community Kollel for three years, and spent six years in Silver Spring, MD. The Lipmans and their four children made aliyah in 2004 and currently live in Beit Shemesh. He gained notice for his efforts at mending the rift between different streams of Jews in his community of Beit Shemesh, becoming active politically in the 2008 mayoral elections there. He has written a number of books on religious and educational topics and often writes for the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel.

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Continued from page 1 in Diaspora Jewry “people feel disengaged” and he is seeking changes to “make a positive impact between Israelis and Jews in the Diaspora, enabling Jews all over the world and from all walks of life to feel comfortable in Israel.” He is seeking to “essentially return to core Jewish values of unity and the State of Israel.” He cited that some of the conﬂict is tied to the chief rabbinate and the religious sector being under the control of “extremist” elements. One of his goals is to make changes by returning the chief rabbinate to a “more Zionist, more embracing” candidate; he mentioned Rabbi David Stav, chairman of the 17-year-old national-religious rabbinical association Tzohar, as chief rabbi of Israel. Stav has already declared his candidacy; the election will be in June. Lipman said that Stav’s election would be the “ﬁrst step.” He is “thinking about the broader Jewish people,” said Lipman regarding Stav. “A committee that includes members of Knesset chooses the chief rabbi.” When they conclude who is the consensus candidate in the government that is a major step toward insuring who is elected to the position, explained Lipman. “My goal is to create unity in general, to break down the walls in all the various groups, to function as one people,” he emphasized. “I saw it in Beit Shemesh; we worked together. That’s how to succeed as a people. People don’t have to change. We have to respect one another, on both sides of the equation. No one has to be forced to change or to do anything.” Lipman became involved in Yesh Atid after hearing a speech by Yair Lapid “I didn’t know much about Yair Lapid,” he said. “He’s a secular icon. He reached out; he said that he wanted to work with the religious. On my side, I sought to grab the hand that he reached out, to lead our country to unity as I understand and as our tradition said it should be.” He noted that Yesh Atid had a small staff then and as they grew he became more involved. “They asked me to run for the Knesset,” he said. “It’s an honor to be serving.” He

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April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Former United States President Jimmy Carter to receive student award. Continued from page 1 law students, publishing three issues a year, Fall, Winter and Spring. Their IAP awardees in the past included President Bill Clinton, Richard Holbrook, Desmond M. Tutu, Eve Ensler and Dennis Ross. In response to the selection of Carter for the award, Yeshiva University President Richard M. Joel noted YU’s commitment, ties, and support of the State of Israel, citing YU’s many alumni living there and its campus there. He stated that, “The university recognizes the breadth of impassioned feelings engendered by this appearance, and is mindful of the diversity of expressed opinions on the matter… While he has been properly lauded for his role in the Camp David Accords of 1978, I strongly disagree with many of President Carter’s statements and actions in recent years, which have mischaracterized the Middle East conﬂict and have served to alienate those of us who care about Israel. President Carter’s presence at Cardozo in no way represents a university position on his views, nor does it indicate the slightest change in our steadfastly pro-Israel stance. That said, Yeshiva University both celebrates and takes seriously its obligation as a university to thrive as a free marketplace of ideas, while remaining committed to its unique mission as a proud Jewish university.” American Friends for a Safe Israel has called for those concerned to contact the dean of Cardozo and the president of Yeshiva University to protest the award. AFSI noted that Carter “has an ignominious history of anti-Israel bigotry. He is responsible for helping to mainstream the anti-Semitic notion that Israel is an apartheid state with his provocatively titled book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” the publication of which prompted mass resignations from the Carter Center. He has met numerous times with leaders of the terror group Hamas, whitewashing their genocidal goals and undermining U.S. efforts to isolate Hamas. And Carter’s record of

slandering Israel is so voluminous that both CAMERA and Alan Dershowitz have written books refuting his lies…. It is simply unconscionable for a Jewish affiliated school to honor someone who has played such a high profile role in demonizing the Jewish state.” Alan Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter professor of law at Harvard Law School, offered to come to the award ceremony at his own expense to debate Carter. He made a similar offer in 2007 when Carter was scheduled to speak at Brandeis University but Carter refused. In various media interviews in response to the news of this award, Dershowitz delineated Carter’s positions supporting terrorists including Yasser Arafat, Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, his support of Saudi Arabia, and as president, his inaction in the massacre of two million Cambodians under Pol Pot. “Carter has prevented peace, encouraged terrorism and done more than anyone else to isolate and demonize the Middle East’s only democracy, Israel,” said Dershowitz to the Jewish Press. “Except for the Tutu award which I understand took place around 10 years ago, previous awards were not of a similar nature,” said Gary Emmanuel, speaking on behalf of The Coalition of Concerned Cardozo Alumni. “For those familiar with Jimmy Carter’s recent involvement in the Israel-Arab conflict, they will know that he has an ignominious history of demonizing Israel that is surpassed by few. It’s simply unconscionable for a Jewish-affiliated school to honor someone who has played such a high profile role in demonizing the Jewish state. It’s shameful that President Joel was not prepared to take a moral stand on the issue and rescind the invite. Rest assured that if the Journal were to have invited David Duke to Cardozo to bestow an honor upon him, President Joel would not have remained aloof - and therein lies the problem. President Joel, Dean Diller and the entire Board of Overseers have failed the Cardozo community by bringing such a fine academic institution into disrepute. It’s questionable that after this affair that any of them are fit to continue in such leadership roles.” The Cardozo Board of Overseers issued a statement noting that former President Jimmy Carter was invited by the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution to the school to receive its Advocate for Peace Award. They noted that it is “student run” and “recognized as one of the premier law journals in its field.” They pointed out that the students decided to honor Carter “independently of the Board or the Administration of the School. We take great pride in the fact that Cardozo is a world recognized leader in legal education and has a reputation for legal scholarship and excellence that is widely regarded. The very bedrock of the American legal system and democracy is freedom of speech—a foundation of the Bill of Rights and a liberty that must be championed most vigorously at a law school. While many Board members do not agree with the Journal’s decision to honor Mr. Carter, and while many of us have strong objections to Mr. Carter’s statements and actions on Israel, we vigorously defend the Journal’s right to their decision. Likewise, we recognize there are many in our community who oppose the decision and we defend their right to speak out respectfully in opposition to the invitation. As Justice Cardozo recognized, freedom of speech “is the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every other form of freedom.”

Photo by Christina Daly

A Hatzalah ambulance on duty, working to help community members.

Hatzalah at new 5T site Continued from page 1 site will not be used for training. The new location “ﬁts the needs of the community and Hatzalah,” said Kanner. Rabbi Kanner noted that Hatzalah of the Five Towns and Rockaways, now in its 32nd year, will be holding its 32nd annual barbecue, its primary fundraising event, on April 21st. “We rely on it to raise the budget for the year,” he explained. He said that the yearly budget of $1.2 million is used to pay for insurance, drugs, equipment, training, telephones and radios. Hatzalah suggests a minimum donation of $250 per family. Hatzalah was founded over 30 years ago by a few volunteers who saw the need to help save lives in Rockaway and Lawrence. It has grown to a contingent of about 100 licensed and equipped volunteers, physicians, paramedics and emergency medical technicians prepared to respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They cover the area stretching from Belle Harbor to East Rockaway and North Woodmere. Many residents have been touched by their care; Hatzalah has responded to thousands of calls and saved many lives, responding within two

minutes to calls for assistance. The volunteers live throughout the community making response times to calls faster and more efficient. Hatzalah volunteers are members of diverse professions including physicians, lawyers rabbis, plumbers, administrators and teachers. Currently, the local network of Hatzalah uses seven ambulances and provides life-saving medications, oxygen, CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) and AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators). They also transport patients to all area hospitals. Their website offers information on Jewish law pertaining to emergencies on Shabbat and how to handle them as explained by Rabbi Dovid Weinberger, the halachik decisor (posek) for Hatzalah of the Rockaways and Nassau County and the rabbi (Morah D’asrah) of Congregation Shaaray Tefila of Lawrence. There is also information regarding requests for the Shabbos taxi, a Hatzalah emergency phone number sticker and CPR magnet. Go to their website for further information, including halacha (Jewish legal) questions, www.hatzalahrl.org

New HANC-YU scholarship A new, need-based scholarship has been created, allocated specifically to Hebrew Academy of Nassau County (HANC) graduates who are applying to Yeshiva University, in the amount of $80,500. The scholarship fortifies the special relationship between HANC and Yeshiva, of vital importance to the gift donors, Beryl and Doreen Eckstein. “The gift is significant because it follows a new model that represents a three-way partnership involving the donor acting as bridge between a local high school and Yeshiva University,” said Ari Rockoff, director at the Department of Community Partnership’s Center for Jewish Future (CJF) at Yeshiva University. The Ecksteins, who live in Nassau County, have a longstanding relationship with both Yeshiva University and HANC. Beryl Eckstein, has served as an Executive Board member at HANC for many years and is currently on the CJF Advisory Board. Beryl and Doreen are both graduates of Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women and have three children who all attended HANC and Yeshiva University. “Doreen and I would like to take this opportunity to thank both HANC and Yeshiva University for all that they have done to educate our children and for inspiring and instilling in them a love of Torah Im Derech Eretz,” said Eckstein. “We can think of no better way to acknowledge our appreciation than to help afford other HANC graduates the opportunity to experience the formative world of Torah Umadda at YU.” The scholarships, to be distributed over a period of five years from the 2013-14 aca-

demic year through the 2017-18 academic year, will be awarded to a new group of students per year, over the next three years. Scholarships will be given to HANC students accepted to YU and qualifying for financial aid. Recipients will have spent at least a year studying in Israel and agree to complete their YU undergraduate education on a YU campus in New York. The number of students to receive scholarship support, and the amount of support, will be determined by YU’s Office of Student Financial Aid. In line with Yeshiva University’s mission to educate and nurture future Jewish leadership, and in following the Jewish principle of Hakarot Hatov (expressing gratitude), YUHANC Scholars will sign an ethical agreement calling upon them to “give back” to HANC and Yeshiva University. The “give back” to HANC will be based on the talents of the particular student. “HANC and Yeshiva University share in the mission of bringing wisdom to life by combining the timeless teachings of Torah with the finest, contemporary academic education,” said Rabbi Shlomo Adelman, principal of HANC. “It is with a profound sense of hakrat hatov that we thank the Ecksteins for their generosity in providing this special gift and opportunity for our graduates to continue in this path of Torah Im Derech Eretz.” For more information, please contact Ari Rockoff, Director at the Department of Community Partnership’s Center for Jewish Future at Yeshiva University, at rockoff@yu.edu or 212.960.5400, ext. 6168.

THE JEWISH STAR April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773

Alumni protest Cardozo student award to Carter

April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Opinion The real truth about Pamela Geller

t’s incredible how one Jewish woman speaking to one Long Island synagogue’s men’s club can generate the wrath of so many progressive-first “Jewish” organizations. As soon as the word spread that Pamela Geller, blogger and fighter of radical Islam, would be appearing at Great Neck Synagogue April 14, the PC Police began an e-mail and phone campaign seeking to get the talk canceled. In the spirit of full disclosure, I should let you know that Pamela Geller has been my friend for six plus years, ever since I was a newbie blogger and she was already the famous proprietor of blog Atlas Shrugs. I will also tell you the antiMuslim “monster” portrayed by the mainstream media and progressive Jewish organizations has no relation to the real Pamela Geller. She fights against radical Muslims a POLITICO fight that grew out of her love for IsTO GO rael and her frustration with the antiSemitic, anti-American and anti-Israel sermons and commentary originating from the radical Muslim community. One of the leaders of the stop Geller from talking movement is the “Jewish Voice For Peace” (JVP). The group sent an email to its members on April 3rd, urging them to contact the Great Neck Synagogue and ask it to cancel the event. Rebecca Vilkomerson, JVP’s executive director, told the Forward on April 4 that at least 50 people had Jeff Dunetz contacted Great Neck Synagogue at the group’s behest. “Our hope is that the synagogue will cancel her appearance,” Vilkomerson said. “The kind of venom that she spews against Islam is completely inappropriate for a synagogue.” That the JVP is leading the charge should tell you all you need to know about who is trying to stop Pamela from speaking the truth. In a rare moment of putting its mission before progressive politics, the ADL once called the JVP one of the 10 most anti-Israel organizations in America (Top ten? I am sure their mothers are so proud).According to the ADL analysis, the JVP: “…calls for an end to U.S. aid to Israel, accuses Israel of “apartheid” policies, and supports divestment campaigns against Israel. Like other Jewish anti-Zionist groups, JVP uses its Jewish identity to shield the anti-Israel movement from allegations of anti-Semitism and provide a greater degree of credibility to the anti-Israel movement. JVP recognizes its role as such, specifically noting that the group’s Jewish nature gives it a “particular legitimacy in voicing an alternative view of American and Israeli actions and policies” and the ability to distinguish “between real anti-Semitism and the cynical manipulation of that issue.” JVP activists regularly attend anti-Israel events wearing t-shirts and holding signs proudly broadcasting their Jewish identity. In March-April 2010, leaders of JVP unsuccessfully lobbied for the passage of a divestment resolution at the University of California, Berkeley, targeting companies that do business with Israel.”

THE JEWISH

Here is the truth about Pamela Geller. There are people in the world who see a wrong, give a quick “oh that’s so sad” and get on with their lives. Then there are others who see a wrong and go all out to right it. That’s Pamela-- someone who goes out of her way to do what we call in Hebrew, Tikun Olam, repair the world. Let me explain what I mean with a story the Progressives would never repeat. On the morning of December 10, 2007 Aqsa Parvez, huddled in a Mississauga, Canada bus shelter with another grade 11 student, a girl she had been staying with for the past few days. They had plenty of time to make it to their first class at Applewood Heights Secondary School. As they waited, Aqsa’s 26-year-old brother Waqas, a tow-truck driver, showed up at the bus stop. He said that she should come home and get a fresh change of clothes if she was going to be staying elsewhere. Aqsa hesitated, and then got into his car. Less than an hour later, Muhammad Parvez phoned 911 and told the dispatcher that he had killed his daughter. Within minutes, police and paramedics arrived at 5363 Longhorn Trail, a winding suburban street near Eglinton and Hurontario, and found Aqsa unconscious in her bedroom. The 16-yearold wasn’t breathing. The paramedics started CPR, found a faint pulse, and rushed her to Credit Valley Hospital, 10 minutes west. She died just after 10 that evening. The official cause was “neck compression”—strangulation. Aqsa Parvez was buried in an unmarked grave. Her family refused to acknowledge her life, because she “dishonored” them. In defiance of her devout father she began taking off her hijab, the traditional Islamic headscarf, when she went to school, and would put it back on when she returned home. Her dad would go to her school during school hours and walk around trying to find her, trying to catch her not wearing Islamic garb, talking to boys or hanging out with “non-Muslims.” Pamela grabbed that wrong by the neck and did what she could to eradicate the evil. She raised money (and threw in her own) for a tombstone for Aqsa’s grave. When the family refused to allow the stone: “.. we inquired as to purchasing a plot near Aqsa’s body, we could not. Not a tree. Not a rock. Not a bench. All the plots were owned by the Islamic Society of North America. I tried to contact the family at that time, but they would not take my calls -- I spoke to them once, but they pretended not to speak English. And they were adamant: the family refused to allow the headstone to be put on Aqsa’s grave, and according to the cemetery, could remove it if it were placed there by others.” Feeling that this Muslim girl’s memory shouldn’t be tossed out like the trash, Pamela found a way to honor her memory— Aqsa Parvez grove and plaque in the American Independence Park in Nes Harim, Israel. This is only one of many examples of the hard work of Pamela Geller to protect and honor Muslims, how she has provided safe-houses for Muslim girls threatened with honor killings, how she has fought against those who would destroy Israel. I called Pamela today and asked about the leftist groups trying to stop her Great Neck appearance. She told me that

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Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island and New York City All opinions expressed are solely those of The Jewish Star’s editorial staff or contributing writers Acting Editor Account Executives Contributors

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Malka Eisenberg Helene Parsons Rabbi Avi Billet Jeff Dunetz Juda Engelmayer Rabbi Binny Freedman Alan Jay Gerber Rabbi Noam Himelstein Judy Joszef Kristen Edelman Christina Daly

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it wasn’t about her—not at all personal, they were ﬁghting against her pro-Israel, anti- radical message. Perhaps she is right, but I do take it personally because I know the real Pamela Geller, not the twisted stereotype created by the progressive attack force. There are very few people that I have met in my life who risk as much as she does to help others. None of those who brand her as anti-Muslim have done one tenth of what she has done to help Muslims (and others) in distress. Pamela’s heart is larger than the Empire State Building, which is why she invests so much of her own time and resources to help others (not that one would know any of this by reading the mainstream media). In the end, I am very proud to have the REAL Pamela Geller as a friend. 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.

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The Prayer for the State of Israel With the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel this coming week, we are once again faced with the annual rants concerning whether to say Hallel with a blessing, or not to say Hallel at all. Or, for that matter, do we say the Tachanun or not. These arguments go back the full 65 years since the establishment of the state, and just maybe, we should be celebrating the 65th anniversary of these debates as well as the actual founding of the state. However, this is not all to consider in this sad controversy over prayer on behalf of the state. Left out in all this dispute is the one prayer to G-d that was speciﬁcally composed after the founding of the state asking for divine protection of the state, its people, and its military. The quesAlan Jay Gerber tion underlying all this theological brouhaha is whether the State of Israel really deserves our prayers or does it even merit any mention at all in our liturgy. This review will primarily deal with a new work recently published by the OU Press and the Yad HaRav Herzog Institute, entitled, “Prayers For The Welfare Of The State & For The Welfare Of The State Of Israel” written by the distinguished physician and ethicist, Rabbi Dr. Avraham Steinberg.

Rabbi Steinberg, in addition to his medical duties at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, is the director of the Yad Harav Herzog Institute, head of the editorial board of the Talmudic Encyclopedia, and chief editor of the Talmudic Micropedia. Praying for the welfare of the country in which they live in the Diaspora has been a standard liturgical presence in Judaism since time immemorial. Thus, the institution of a special prayer for the welfare of the State of Israel should not have been the controversial decision that evolved over time. This work details the controversy, both in terms of its historical evolution and theological as well as political impact upon the public debate regarding the very integrity of this prayer. This is a sad story that is ﬁnally being brought to light. In the introduction, the author places his motives into a proper perspective. “In this small volume, I would like to examine the dispute regarding the Prayer for the Welfare of the State of Israel and primarily the phrase, ‘the First Flowering of our redemption,’ on a purely halachic and ideological basis, without the involvement of political, ethnic, vested interest, or emotional considerations.” In this, the author succeeds on all counts. Absent within the text are the rancor, rants, and spleen so common in the literature of the other side. All views are presented with dignity and respect. The author’s personal opinions are deliberately absented. Despite the book’s small size, the foot-

noting comprises a valued segment of this work. Consisting of 304 citations and related texts, as well as an extensive appendix and bibliography, this work represents a valued addition to the growing library of literature that places upon equal intellectual and theological footing the views of religious Zionism and chareidi ideology. For this alone, the author deserves much credit and plaudits. This recognition that the debate on such a sensitive issue can be presented in such a manner, just proves that such civilized discussion can be forthcoming when the desire to do so is made for all to benefit from. One aspect of this book’s narrative that caught my immediate attention, was the history behind the composition of this prayer. According to the author, the text of this prayer was first published in the HaTzofeh newspaper on the 16th of Elul, 1948, and the next day in the Haaretz newspaper. It was later published in the periodical Kol Torah, Adar – Elul 5708. “At the end of the prayer, the first time it was published, it stated, ‘This was established and ordained by the rabbis of Eretz Israel, Chief Rabbis I. A. Herzog and B. Z. Uzziel.’ For years there was debate whether the person who had composed the prayer was Rabbi Herzog, both chief rabbis, or the writer S. Y. Agnon.” In a footnote to the above quote, the au-

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THE JEWISH STAR April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773

The Kosher Bookworm

th adds the following information thor that places this whole issue of origin th and authorship into its proper pera sspective. “See a detailed summary of this polemic in Dr. Y. Rappel’s article in p Manu’ah LeYitzchak, vol. one, 5709, M page 594 ff. This includes an itemp iz ized list of all the sources pertaining to this question. The argument was d decided in that article, that indeed it was Rabbi Herzog who wrote the p prayer, Rabbi Uzziel assisted him, th the writer Shai Agnon commented a and corrected a number of points, and members of the Chief Rabbinate a Council together with the Chief Rabbis of Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Petach Tikva were involved in a number of corrections, endorsing the ﬁnal text.” Unfortunately, this process, as well as the very founding of the Jewish state, did not prevent those nay-sayers, many of whom questioned the very legitimacy of the state, from viciously attacking the very premise of this prayer and have, to this day, sought to either undermine or alter its text and inclusion in the liturgy of our faith. It is most unfortunate to note that even in the face of some of the most draconian and jingoistic propaganda being spread by our anti-Jewish enemies, world-wide, we continue to witness the sad spectacle of those within our own community who seek to marginalize the very support that the Jewish state needs for divine protection through prayer on its behalf. Hopefully, a careful reading of this work by all will help to give this issue a better understanding as to the spiritual need for prayer on behalf of the six million Jews in Israel, for their safety, and for the political as well as spiritual integrity of the State of Israel.

April 12, 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 2 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Parshat Tazria-Metzora

Respecting othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Jewish) decisions The primary topic of our double parsha focuses on the afďŹ&#x201A;iction of tzaraat, its diagnosis and prognosis. The attention is primarily on the kohen, who is given detailed instructions for how to detect what is or is not tzaraat. He is also given tremendous autonomy in deciding whether the mark he is examining is tzaraat. Interestingly, there is no mashgiach monitoring to see that what the kohen declares is â&#x20AC;&#x153;correct.â&#x20AC;? He makes the call. One can argue that even the Torah hints to the kohenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s autonomy when it tells us how the kohen examines the tzaraat mark. 14 times the Torah says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;raâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ah hakohenâ&#x20AC;? - and the kohen sees it, yet only 5 times it says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;raâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ahu hakohen,â&#x20AC;? and the kohen looks at it/him. The sufďŹ x â&#x20AC;&#x153;huâ&#x20AC;? added to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;raâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ahâ&#x20AC;? leaves open the suggestion that the kohen not only examines the mark, but he also examines the person. What is the circumstance? Has the person already learned the requisite lesson? Can the person afford to be away from home for a week? For an additionRabbi Avi Billet al week? Perhaps the kohen is allowed to make a diagnosis in this fashion due to the unique nature of the spiritual malady. Tzaraat is not like strep throat, where you either have it or you do not. (My mother often compares being honest to being pregnant â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you either are or you are not.) Despite any markings on the ďŹ&#x201A;esh, you only have tzaraat if the kohen says you have it. And perhaps that determination is made based on factors beyond the textbook deďŹ nition of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;negaâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a mark that looks like it might be tzaraat. In this period of SeďŹ rat Haâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Omer, when many people take upon themselves the custom of certain mourning practices in memory of the students of Rabbi Akiva, the feeling in the air often boils down to the question: are we guilty of the same arrogant behavior which the Talmud ascribes to his ill-fated students (Yevamot 62b)? Let us take the Kohen case as an example. Imagine there were a Temple in Jerusalem, and people were afďŹ&#x201A;icted with tzaraat symptoms and needed a kohen diagnosis to determine the status of the ďŹ&#x201A;esh marks in question. How many kohanim, who are declared by G-d to be ďŹ t, on account of their DNA, to serve as kohanim, will now be called unďŹ t by those who view themselves as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;holier than thou?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Of course every individual has the right to go to whichever kohen one prefers. But would people start ranking kohanim

based on perceived levels of frumkeit? Would we call into question the decision of the kohen, claiming we know better what is and what is not tzaraat? Ironically, what we think or even what we know does not matter when it comes to tzaraat. The call belongs to the kohen alone, without the input of a non-kohen. How many of us recall stories of a bygone era, when our grandparents or great-grandparents would take a chicken, bring it to the shochet (slaughterer) and then to the rabbi to see if it was slaughtered correctly? After all, it is the shechita that makes the bird kosher (ďŹ t to eat) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not its merely being a chicken. And how many of us can recount stories of a rabbi who looked not at the chicken but at the poor woman, sometimes a widow, who the rabbi knew could not afford to lose this chicken, and he declared with tears in his eyes that the chicken was kosher? What would some of our brethren say today about such a rabbi? That he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t frum enough? That he was an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;am haaretzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (ignorant simpleton)? That he was unďŹ t to be a rabbi? Or perhaps he knew a lot more about Torah and Chesed, and about being â&#x20AC;&#x153;noheg kavod zeh lazehâ&#x20AC;? (respecting one another) than Rabbi Akivaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students knew, and than those of us who seek to criticize other Jews all the time know. No one is perfect. We all klop â&#x20AC;&#x153;al cheitâ&#x20AC;? on Yom Kippur. But it is time for all factions of the Jewish people to respect the fact that we are different and have different ways of serving G-d. Some are committed to Halakha, some are not. Among those who are committed to halakha, some choose to follow a straightforward understanding, or even a liberal understanding of halakha â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with basis in what is written in the Shulchan Arukh and its commentaries. Others choose to be more stringent for themselves, based on more stringent commentaries and poskim. Both approaches are admirable for the individuals who choose these routes for themselves. The problem arises when people try to dictate for others how they should live. Every Jew who is a member of a shul, or who has a rabbi s/he turns to for halakhic guidance, demonstrates an acceptable halakhic authority ďŹ gure that serves as the spot where the buck so-to-speak stops. Just as the kohen did not need a mashgiach looking over his shoulders, our communities need to ďŹ nd a way to stop looking over othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shoulders or scaring people to submit to things they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in because they must look over their shoulders to see who is watching. Live and let live. Mind your own business. Grow in your Jewish experience, and let others grow in theirsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at a pace that works for them.

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The Last Remnants ... On the connecting path between Har Herzl, Jerusalemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s military cemetery, and Yad Vashem, is a monument for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last Remnantsâ&#x20AC;?; 275 survivors of the death and concentration camps of the Holocaust, who managed to reach the shores of Israel, donned the uniform of the I.D.F., and fell in the War of Independence, leaving no family behind. Their families were wiped out earlier .... Menachem Ungar, hyâ&#x20AC;?d, was one of these .... By Rabbi Noam Himelstein

ĘŻĘĽĘ¸ĘŤĘŠĘŚĘ¤ ĘĘĽĘŠ ĘŠĘ°Ę´ĘŹ Ę˛ĘĽĘĄĘš ĘŻĘąĘŠĘ° ĘšĘŁĘĽĘ§ ĘłĘĽĘąĘĄ Ę¤Ę ĘĽĘšĘ¤ ĘĘĽĘŠ ĘşĘ˛ĘŠĘĄĘˇĘĄ ĘšĘŠ Ę¤ĘŹĘĽĘŁĘ˘ Ę¤ĘŽĘŤĘ§ Ę¤ĘşĘŠĘŠĘ¤ Ę ĘŹ Ę¤Ę°ĘŠĘŁĘŽĘ¤ĘĽ ĘŹĘ Ę¸ĘšĘŠ ĘşĘ°ĘŠĘŁĘŽ Ę¤ĘŽĘˇ Ę¤Ę ĘĽĘšĘ¤ ĘşĘĽĘĄĘˇĘ˛ĘĄ ĘŠĘ¸Ę¤Ęš ĘşĘĽĘ ĘŽĘśĘ˛Ę¤ ĘĘĽĘŠĘĽ ĘĘĽĘŠĘĄ Ę ĘĽĘ¤ ĘŻĘĽĘ¸ĘŤĘŠĘŚĘ¤ ĘĘĽĘŠĘš ĘŻĘĄĘĽĘŽ ĘŻĘŤ ĘŹĘ˛ Ę¸ĘšĘ ĘĽ Ę¤ĘŠĘŹĘŠĘŠĘ§ ĘŹĘš ĘĘšĘ´Ę° ĘşĘĽĘ¸ĘŠĘąĘŽ Ę ĘŹĘĽĘŹ Ę¤ĘŽĘˇ ĘşĘĽĘ ĘŽĘśĘ˛Ę¤ ĘĘĽĘŠĘŹ ĘŞĘĽĘŽĘąĘ¤ ĘŞĘŹĘ¤ĘŽĘĄ ĘĘşĘĽĘŤĘŠĘŽĘąĘŹ Ę¸ĘĄĘ˛ĘŽ Ę¤Ę°ĘŠĘŁĘŽĘ¤ ĘşĘŽĘˇĘ¤ ĘŻĘŠĘĄĘĽ Ę¤Ę ĘĽĘšĘ¤ ĘŻĘŠĘĄ ĘłĘąĘĽĘ° Ę¸ĘšĘˇ ĘšĘŠ ĘŞĘ Ę¤ĘŠĘ¸ĘĽĘ¨ĘąĘŠĘ¤Ę¤ ĘŁĘŠ ĘŻĘĽĘĽĘŠĘŤĘŹ ĘĘŠĘŹĘšĘĽĘ¸ĘŠĘĄ ĘŠĘ ĘĄĘśĘ¤ ĘşĘĽĘ¸ĘĄĘˇĘ¤ ĘşĘŠĘĄ ĘŹĘśĘ¸Ę¤ Ę¸Ę¤ ĘŻĘŠĘĄ Ę¸ĘĄĘ§ĘŽĘ¤ ĘŹĘŠĘĄĘšĘ¤ ĘşĘŹĘŠĘ§ĘşĘĄ Ę¤Ę¨Ę¸ĘŁĘ°Ę Ę¤ ĘŻĘĽĘ¸Ę§Ę Ę¸ĘśĘ° ĘşĘ¨Ę¸ĘŁĘ°Ę Ę ĘŠĘ¤ Ę ĘŹĘ¤ ĘşĘŁĘ§ĘĽĘŠĘŽ Ę¤Ę¨Ę¸ĘŁĘ°Ę Ę¤Ę°ĘšĘŠ ĘĘšĘĽ ĘşĘĽĘ°Ę§ĘŽĘĄ Ę¤Ę ĘĽĘšĘ¤ ĘŠĘŽĘŠĘŠĘ ĘşĘ ĘĘ¸ĘšĘĄ ĘŹĘ˛ ĘĽĘĽĘ§Ęš Ę¤Ę ĘĽĘšĘ¤ ĘŠĘŹĘĽĘśĘŠĘ° ĘŹĘš ĘĘ°ĘĽĘ¸ĘŤĘŠĘŚĘŹ Ę¤ĘŽĘˇĘĽĘ¤ ĘĽĘŹĘ´Ę°ĘĽ Âą ĘĘŠĘŁĘŽ ĘĽĘšĘĄĘŹ ĘĄ ĘŹ Ę¤ĘśĘŹ ĘĽĘąĘŠĘŠĘ˘ĘşĘ¤ ĘŹĘ Ę¸ĘšĘŠĘŹ ĘĽĘ˛ĘŠĘ˘Ę¤Ęš ĘŚĘĽĘŤĘŠĘ¸ĘĽ Ę¤ĘŁĘŽĘšĘ¤ ĘŠĘ°ĘĄ ĘŻĘŤĘš Ę¤Ę§Ę´ĘšĘŽ ĘŠĘ°ĘĄ ĘĘĽĘš ĘĘ¤ĘŠĘ¸Ę§Ę Ę¸ĘŠĘ ĘšĘ¤ĘŹ ĘŠĘŹĘĄĘŽ ĘşĘĽĘ ĘŽĘśĘ˛Ę¤ ĘşĘŽĘ§ĘŹĘŽ ĘşĘĽĘĄĘ¸ĘˇĘĄ ĘŻĘĽĘ¸Ę§Ę Ę¸ĘśĘ° ĘŠĘŹĘŹĘ§ ĘĄ Ę¤Ę¸ĘŠĘŤĘŽ ĘŹĘ Ę¸ĘšĘŠ ĘşĘ°ĘŠĘŁĘŽ Ę¤Ę ĘĽĘšĘĄ ĘĽĘŁĘŽĘšĘĽĘ¤ ĘĘşĘ§Ę´ĘšĘŽ ĘĘ˛ Ę¤ĘšĘ¸ĘĽĘĽĘĄ ĘĄ ĘŁĘŹĘĽĘ° ĘŁ ĘŠĘ¤ ĘĄĘŠĘŠĘŹ Ę¤ĘŠĘ¸Ę ĘĽ Ę¤ĘĄĘĽĘ¨ ĘŹĘš ĘĘ°ĘĄ ĘŁ ĘŠĘ¤ Ę¸Ę˘Ę°ĘĽĘ ĘĘ§Ę°ĘŽ ĘĘ˛ ĘĘ§Ę°ĘŽ ĘšĘ¸ĘĽĘ˘ Ę¤ĘšĘ¸ĘĽĘĽ ĘĽĘ¨Ę˘ ĘŁĘ¸ĘŽĘŹ Ę¤Ę°Ęš ĘĘŠĘ°ĘŠĘŠĘśĘŽ ĘĽĘ°Ę Ę¤Ę°ĘšĘ¤ ĘĽĘ¨Ę˘ĘĄ ĘŁĘ¸ĘŽĘ¤ ĘĘĽĘŠĘą ĘŁĘ¸Ęš ĘĘ§Ę°ĘŽ ĘĽĘŠĘ¸ĘĽĘ¤ ĘŹĘš Ę˘Ę¸ĘĽĘ¤ĘŹ ĘĘşĘ ĘśĘĽĘ¤ĘĄ ĘşĘĽĘ´ĘśĘŹ ĘľĘŹĘ Ę° ĘĘš ĘˇĘ°Ę ĘŁĘŠĘŠĘŽĘŹ ĘĽĘŠĘ¸ĘĽĘ¤ ĘĄ ĘĽĘ ĘŤĘŁĘŽ Ę¸Ę¸Ę§ĘĽĘšĘĽ ĘĽĘ ĘŤĘŁĘĽ ĘŻĘŚĘĽĘ Ę¤Ę¨ĘĽĘ ĘŽ ĘĘ¤ĘŠĘ°ĘŠĘĄ ĘşĘĽĘ´ĘąĘĽĘ° ĘşĘĽĘ°Ę§ĘŽ ĘĘŠĘ¨ĘŠĘ¸ĘĄĘ¤ ĘŠĘŁĘŠĘĄ Ę¤ĘąĘ´ĘşĘ° Ę¤ĘŠĘŠĘ°ĘĽĘ Ę¤ ĘŞĘ ĘŻĘĽĘ¸Ę¨ĘŹ Ę¤ĘŠĘŠĘ°ĘĽĘ ĘĄ Ę¤ĘśĘ¸Ę ĘşĘĽĘŹĘ˛ĘŹ ĘŹĘŠĘ´Ę˛Ę¤ Ę ĘĽĘ¤ ĘľĘ¸Ę ĘŹ Ę˛ĘŠĘ˘Ę¤ĘŹ ĘĘ§Ę°ĘŽ Ę§ĘŠĘŹĘśĘ¤ Ę¸ĘĄĘŁ ĘŹĘš ĘĽĘ´ĘĽĘąĘĄ ĘŻĘŠĘąĘŠĘ¸Ę´ĘˇĘŹ ĘĽĘ¸ĘĄĘ˛ĘĽĘ¤ ĘĘŠĘŹĘŠĘ´Ę˛ĘŽĘ¤ĘĽ Ę¸ĘĄĘŽĘĄĘĽĘ°ĘĄ Ę¨ ĘŤĘĄ ĘľĘ¸Ę Ę¤ ĘşĘˇĘĽĘŹĘ§ ĘŹĘ˛ Ę ĘĽĘ Ę¤ ĘşĘ¨ĘŹĘ§Ę¤ Ę¸Ę§Ę ĘŹ ĘĘŠĘˇĘŠĘ´Ę ĘľĘĽĘĄĘŠĘˇĘŹ ĘłĘ¸Ę¨ĘśĘ¤ĘĽ ĘşĘĽĘ§ĘĽĘŤĘŹ ĘĘ§Ę°ĘŽ ĘłĘ¸Ę¨ĘśĘ¤ ĘľĘ¸Ę ĘŹ Ę˛ĘŠĘ˘Ę¤Ęš Ę¸Ę§Ę ĘŹ ĘĘŠĘŁĘ§Ę ĘĘŠĘšĘŁĘĽĘ§ ĘˇĘ¸ ĘĘŠĘ¸ĘĽĘąĘ¤ ĘĽĘ§ĘşĘ´ ĘĄ ĘŠĘ°ĘŹĘĽĘ˘ ĘşĘĄĘŠĘ¨Ę§ ĘŹĘš ĘŁĘĽĘŁĘ˘ĘĄ ĘĄĘśĘĽĘ¤ĘĽ ĘĘŠĘŽĘ§ĘĽĘŹĘ¤ ĘşĘĽĘ§ĘĽĘŤ ĘŠĘŁĘŠ ĘŹĘ˛ Ę¤ĘŽĘŹĘĄĘ° ĘŞĘ ĘşĘ¸Ę°ĘŤĘŹ ĘĘĽĘ¸ĘŁĘŽ Ę§ĘŽĘś ĘĄĘĽĘšĘŠĘ¤ Ę¸ĘĄĘ˛ĘŹ Ę¤ĘˇĘŚĘ§ Ę¤Ę´ĘˇĘşĘŽĘĄ ĘşĘ ĘĘŠĘ¸ĘĽĘąĘ¤ ĘĽĘšĘŁĘŠĘ§ ĘŻĘŤĘŽ Ę¸Ę§Ę ĘŹ ĘĘŠĘŽĘŠ Ę¸Ę´ĘąĘŽ ĘŠĘ°ĘŹĘĽĘ˘ ĘşĘĽĘ§ĘĽĘŤ ĘĘ¤ĘŠĘ°ĘŠĘĄĘĽ ĘĘŠĘŹĘ Ę¸ĘšĘŠ ĘĘşĘ˘ĘŠĘąĘ° ĘşĘ˛ĘšĘĄĘĽ ĘşĘ˘ĘąĘŹ ĘĽĘśĘŹĘ Ę° ĘĘŠĘŹĘ Ę¸ĘšĘŠĘ¤ ĘĘŠĘŽĘ§ĘĽĘŹĘ¤ Ę¤ĘĄĘ¸ Ę¤ĘŽĘśĘĽĘ˛ĘĄ Ę¤Ę´ĘˇĘşĘ¤Ę¤ ĘĽĘŹĘ´Ę°ĘĄ Ę¤ĘŠĘ¤ ĘĘŠĘ°Ęš Ę¤Ę¸ĘšĘ˛ Ę˛ĘšĘş ĘŻĘĄ ĘĘ¤ĘŠĘ°ĘŠĘĄ ĘĘ§Ę°ĘŽĘĽ ĘĘŠĘĄĘ¸ ĘĘŠĘŽĘ§ĘĽĘŹ ĘĽĘŹĘ´Ę° ĘĄĘĽĘşĘŤ ĘŻĘĽĘ¸Ę§Ę Ę¸ĘśĘ° ĘşĘ¨Ę¸ĘŁĘ°Ę ĘŹĘ˛ ĘĽĘ°Ę°ĘŠĘ ĘĽ ĘĘš Ę¤ĘŠĘ¤Ęš ĘşĘŠĘĄĘ¤ ĘŹĘ Ę¸ĘšĘŠ ĘşĘĽĘŤĘ¸Ę˛ĘŽĘĄ ĘĽĘŹĘ´Ę°Ęš ĘŻĘĽĘ¸Ę§Ę Ę¸ĘśĘ° ĘŠĘŹĘŹĘ§ĘŹ ĘŻĘĽĘ¸ĘŤĘŠĘŚ ĘŁĘŠ ĘĘ°ĘŠĘ ĘĽ ĘĘşĘŠĘĄĘŹ ĘŻĘĽĘ¸Ę§Ę Ę¸ĘśĘ° ĘĽĘŠĘ¤ ĘĘ¤ ĘĘĽĘˇĘŠ Ę ĘŹĘĽ Ę¤Ę´ ĘşĘĽĘ°ĘĄĘŹ ĘĽĘŹĘŤĘŠĘš ĘşĘŠĘĄĘ¤ Rabbi Noam Himelstein studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion and served in the Tanks Corps of the IDF. He has taught in yeshiva high schools, post-high school womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seminaries, and headed the Torah MiTzion Kollel in Melbourne, Australia. He currently teaches at Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem, and lives with his wife and six children in Neve Daniel, Gush Etzion.

7 THE JEWISH STAR April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773

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April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

FIDF and IDF in Krakow Over 100 prominent Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) lay leaders and supporters from the United States and Panama were accompanied by over 50 IDF ofﬁcers as they toured the Old City of Krakow, Poland on April 9th as part of the ten-day FIDF “From Holocaust to Independence” journey to Poland and Israel. The delegation visited the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Krakow, an important

district in Jewish history and learned about its signiﬁcant Jewish community that thrived from the 14th Century until the Holocaust. The delegation also toured the Krakow Jewish Ghetto, where Jews were forced to live during the Nazi occupation, and saw the remnants of the Krakow Ghetto Wall. Upon arriving to Poland yesterday, the delegation enjoyed a celebratory dinner with the IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Gantz.

Photos courtesy Shahar Azran, courtesy of FIDF

A group of FIDF delegation participants and IDF soldiers, with FIDF National President, Julian Josephson and FIDF National Director and CEO, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon, at the remnants of the Krakow Ghetto Wall.

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9 THE JEWISH STAR April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773

FIDF National Director and CEO, Maj. Gen. (Res.)Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon, IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Gantz, and FIDF National President, Julian Josephson in Krakow, Poland.

April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Over 800 fill Beth Sholom to commemorate the Holocaust By Yitzchok Shmuel Zelasko Over 800 solemn and attentive men, women, and children filled the main sanctuary at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence for the community wide annual memorial service for Yom Ha’Shoah. At 6:30 PM, the usually quiet corner of Broadway and Washington was bustling as it would on a wedding night. There were a handful of Nassau County police officers present. Inside the shul, there was a table set up for candles as a memorial for the souls of those who were murdered in cold blood in the Holocaust or “the Shoah” (catastrophe). A paper with the program information on it stated that the program would take place at twenty four other synagogues throughout the Five Towns and Queens. Besides the usual accommodations for four hundred people the ballroom now had seats for over eight hundred. At six fifty the stage was crammed with the HALB fifth grade choir, led by Sandy Shmuely. They sang songs that expressed faith in G-d regardless of pain and doubt. In the last few minutes of the performance, many new guests had arrived; some managed to attain seats for themselves while others remained at the event standing. Psalms one thirty, one twenty, one twenty one, and six where recited aloud. Danna Frankel was in charge of the proceedings. After the choir had finished their act, Frankel spoke about her gratitude to her grandmother who survived the Holocaust. She stated that there were six survivors present. She informed the audience that there would be a video with a number of personal accounts, a personal address from Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky, Rav of the Irving Place Minyan, two personal stories of survival, and evening prayers to be held at the end. On the video was a woman in her eighties describing how the Nazis had told her there will be no more school and forced her to leave. She stressed the importance of telling children about the Holocaust. The woman on the video was Fanya Gottesfeld whom I did not yet know was going to be the keynote address. She was followed by a few other women and one man who shared similar memories. Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky spoke about the importance of recognition that national enemies are not a onetime event, rather they may be in every generation. Were it not for G-d, we as a nation would no longer exist. After the rabbi finished his address, the crowd went quiet. Fanya Gottesfeld began to share her story. She recalled being in kindergarten when she heard a bomb go off. After that bomb, school had ended for her there in the Ukraine. She and her mother were put in line

Photos by Yitzchok Shmuel Zelasko

Over 800 men, women and children ﬁlled the Beth Sholom main sanctuary on Yom Hashoah on Sunday. and ordered to march barefoot. After sensing the severity of the situation, she and her mother said the shema (prayer said before one dies). After that, she remembered the sun coming out as her mother got off the line and ran to tell an S.S ofﬁcer that they were not even Jewish. For some reason she was believed and they were sent back to their residence. The next speaker, Annette Baslow-Finger, was ten years old when the Holocaust came through her town. She, her parents, and some other extended family all began to hide. The family had a goal to reach Spain. She shared some brilliant advice her father had given her when she was despondent and missing her regular childhood. Her father told her Chanukah night that although she had no physical menorah if she looked into the sky she would see lights. It was suggested that she take the biggest light and use it as her center light to be followed by eight others. Her family did reach their destination after three and a half months of walking. In closing she asked the audience to do an act of kindness for someone and it can cause a ripple effect to the other side of the world. This lesson as she called it was a “gift” from her father. Yom HaShoah was inaugurated in 1953, anchored in a law signed by the Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, and the President of Israel, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi. The original proposal was to hold Yom HaShoah on the 14th of Nisan, the anniver-

Participants, some standing, listen attentively and solemnly to the presentation at Beth Sholom. sary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising (April 19, 1943), but this was problematic because the 14th of Nisan is the day immediately before Pesach (Passover). The date was moved to the 27th of Nisan, which is eight days before Yom Ha’atzma’ut, or Israeli Independence Day.

HAFTR memorial basketball game Eight years ago, HAFTR lost an ambitious student, star athlete, and extraordinary friend, Jacob Haden Greenberg. Anyone who knew Jacob will tell you that he lived life to the fullest and strived for excellence in everything he did. Jacob’s exuberant personality and charming presence made him a friend to all. Last fall, Hurricane Sandy affected hundreds of thousands of people, destroying their homes and belongings. The storm uprooted and displaced entire families, many of whom are still a long way from putting their lives back together. On Sunday, April 14th, Jacob’s life will be celebrated as HAFTR alumni all-star basketball players unite in the new HAFTR Sports Complex, the “Hawks’ Nest,” to honor the life of such a phenomenal person, while raising funds for those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Watch as the 2004-2007 Hawks compete against the 2008-2011 Hawks. Players from the ‘04-’07 Hawks include: Rabbi Avi Webber, Daniel Bondarsky, David Braunstein, Josh Reiss, Ariel Nassim, Daniel Fiskus, Josh Gelnick, Adam Gelnick, Dan Gindea, and Jason Steinmetz. The ‘08-’11 lineup includes: Shelby Rosenberg, Matthew Zborowksi, Etan Golan, Michael Palgon, Mikey Gindea, Avi Gill, Yoni Lipshitz, Max Kuritzky, Jonny Daniel, and Daniel Braunstein. Admission is $10, which includes entry and one free rafﬂe ticket toward a chance at winning four New York Yankees tickets and a gift card to Ahuva’s Grill. Additional rafﬂe tickets will be sold for $5, with all proceeds going to assist those affected by Hurricane Sandy. “Live, Play, and Pray from your Heart.”

Photo by Leslie Gang

Jacob Greenberg’s father speaking to his son’s classmates at their annual breakfast that the class holds in his memory.

11 THE JEWISH STAR April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773

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April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Apr 14 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Rabbinical Theological Seminary (RIETS) and Yeshiva University’s Center

Theological Seminary (RIETS),

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.

for the Jewish Future will be hosting a full-day learning program for all audiences to commemorate the 20th yahrtzeit of ‘The Rav’, Torah luminary and YU Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l, at Yeshiva University’s Wilf Campus in Washington Heights. The program will run from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM and will include lectures, discussions, and presentations on the Rav’s life and legacy. The multi-faceted learning program was made possible in part through the generous support of Rabbi Max N. Schreier and family. For a full list of sponsors and to register for the event, please visit: www.yu.edu/the-rav/ Hebrew Academy of Nassau County 60th Anniversary Dinner Crest Hollow Country Club Reservations or information 516-565-5640 x232 Email: dinner@hanc.org Website: www.hanc.org

JCC of Greater Five Towns Annual Dinner at Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst at 6:30 PM. Contact Debbie Averbach at 516 569-6733

May 2

North Shore Hebrew Academy Annual Journal Dinner at Citi Field. 6:15 PM. Contact: Mr. Arnie Flatow 516 4878687 x2

May

Shalom Task Force to Hold Twentieth Anniversary Brunch on April 14 Shalom Task Force (STF)’s Twentieth Anniversary Brunch will take place on Sunday morning, April 14, 2013, at 10 AM at the Sephardic Temple, 775 Branch Boulevard, in Cedarhurst. STF was launched over 20 years ago to address domestic abuse in the Jewish community. Since its inception, more than 16,000 women have taken the first steps toward regaining their dignity and reshaping their destiny by gathering the courage to call the STF confidential hotline. The brunch will help Shalom Task Force continue to provide its many services to victims of domestic abuse, including a confidential hotline, legal counseling, educational programs and workshops for engaged and married couples. This occasion will also recognize several outstanding volunteers, lay leaders, and supporters. For more information or to make your reservation, please call 516-773-3399 or e-mail stfbrunch@gmail.com. To learn more about STF’s wide range of services, please visit, www.shalomtaskforce.org

Apr 17

10 AM - Two events at the same time!! Helen Freedman speaking on behalf of the Israel Independence Fund at the Yom HaAtzmaut celebration at Mahane Chodosh, 67-29 108th Street, Forest Hills, NY 10 AM- Pamela Geller speaking for the Men’s Club at the Great Neck Synagogue on Mill Rd., Great Neck NY. Pam’s subject is the dangers of Shariah Law in the U.S.

Apr 21

an afﬁliate of Yeshiva University, will honor dedicated leaders and educators of the Jewish community at its Annual Gala Evening of Tribute on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at The Grand Hyatt in New York City. Honorees include Rabbi Hyman (Hy) and Ann Arbesfeld, Etz Chaim Award; Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Guest of Honor; and Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, Distinguished Rabbinic Leadership Award.

South Nassau Hospital Offers Parent-Child Education Photo courtesy of HAFTR

Classes and Support Groups The following classes will be held in May 2013:

The HAFTR eighth grade boys and girls displayed their knowledge of Torah and Mitzvot at the annual Mitzvah Fair coordinated by Menahel Rabbi Dovid Kupchik. Teachers, Mrs. Sori Teitelbaum, Rabbi Avi Weber and Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Siff, worked for weeks with the students to investigate the origins and the practice of the various Taryag Mitzvot ranging from Building an Eruv, to Knowing there is G-d. A new dimension to the fair was the inclusion of a technology display. IT Coordinator, David Lamm, was invaluable in helping the students do research and present their ﬁndings via virtual displays. The Middle School’s new Laptop Cart allowed every student to have access to the technology. Some of the topics covered were Sha’atnaz, Egla Arufa, Ketubah and Kiddushim, Bikur Cholim, The issur of Tattoos, as well as Kibbud Av v’eim. All of the students gained quite a bit of new knowledge through this “project based” learning activity. Pictured is Josef Silverstein (left) and Ryan Schwarz (right).

Wednesday, May 1

Veterans Five Towns 5K run/walk

Tuesday, May 14

North Woodmere Park, NY, in support of disabled Israeli veterans and victims of terror The race is on Sunday April 21, 2013 and starts at 10 AM from North Woodmere Park. Be at the park no later 9:30 AM. Number pick up for pre registered participants and day of race registration will be from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM. The race will begin promptly at 10 AM. Warning, after 9:30 access to North Woodmere Park parking lot may be limited. Arrive early! North Woodmere Park is located on the corner of Branch Blvd and Hungry Harbor Road. For more information go to: www.5towns5k. org

Apr 28

A Magic Carpet Ride: Friends of Israel Disabled Celebrating the Jews of

Yemen at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust New York, NY— On Sunday, April 28, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will present A Magic Carpet Ride: Celebrating the Jews of Yemen, an afternoon that will feature the Sephardic rhythms of the band Asefa and a taste of the distinctive cuisine of the Jews of Yemen. A century ago, approximately 50,000 Jews lived and thrived in Yemen. While that population has all but vanished, the Jews of Yemen were well known for their special traditions, customs, ceremonies, art, music, and dance. Many of these unique traditions are still celebrated and practiced today in Israel and the United States. Tickets are $18, $15 for students/seniors, $12 for members. Tickets are available online at www.mjhnyc.org or by calling the Museum box ofﬁce at 646.437.4202.

May 1

Rabbi Isaac Elchanan

Prepared Childbirth Class, 7-9pm

Monday, May 6 Preparation for Breastfeeding, 7-9pm

Wednesday, May 8 Prepared Childbirth Class, 7-9pm

Thursday, May 9 Infant-Child CPR, 7-10pm Maternity Orientation, 7:30-8:30pm, South Nassau’s Conf. Room A

Saturday, May 11 Infant-Child CPR, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm

Monday, May 13 Sibling Class, 4:30-5:45pm, South Nassau’s Albert Conf. Room Breastfeeding Support Group, 10:30am12:00pm

Wednesday, May 15 Prepared Childbirth Class, 7-9pm

Saturday, May 18 Prepared Childbirth Class, 9am-5pm

Monday, May 20 Baby Care Class, 7-9pm

Thursday, May 23 Maternity Orientation, 7:30-8:30pm, South Nassau’s Conf. Room A

Tuesday, May 28 Breastfeeding Support Group, 10:30am12:00pm

Wednesday, May 29 Prepared Childbirth Class, 7-9pm

Thursday, May 30 Maternity Orientation, 7:30-8:30pm, South Nassau’s Conf. Room A All classes unless otherwise noted, will be held at the Parent/Child Education Classroom located at 2277 Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor in Baldwin. For more information, or to register for classes please call (516) 377-5310.

13 THE JEWISH STAR April 12, 2013 â&#x20AC;¢ 2 IYAR 5773

THE FIVE TOWNS COMMUNITY CHEST 16th ANNUAL YOUTH BOARD BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Sunday, March 17, 2013 â&#x20AC;¢ HAFTR Sports Complex, Lawrence TOURNAMENT HOSTED BY HAFTR )RU WKH %HQHÂ¿W RI

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April 12, 2013 • 2 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Stopping the ocean – or not Drain valves may not be the answer to halting backflow in a hurricane By Scott Brinton South Shore residents have returned to their normal lives in the months since Hurricane Sandy, but many people’s thoughts are starting to turn to the potential for another big storm. Is it possible to stop the floodwaters that inundated coastal neighborhoods? they wonder. The answer, sadly, is no. There are ways to mitigate flooding –– to slow it down and hold it back for a time. But a foolproof way to stop the Atlantic Ocean, when it lashes out in its full fury, does not exist. “There is not a fail-safe engineering solution” to stopping the ocean, said Brian Schneider, the assistant deputy commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Public Works, who is a hydrogeologist. During Hurricane Sandy, floodwaters were forced through storm drains that let out into the bays, so, logically, many are wondering whether it is possible to install flapper valves on the storm drains’ outlet pipes that would keep water from the bays from flooding into the drains and onto local streets. Such flapper valves exist, said Schneider, whose south Merrick home was flooded during Sandy. (He did not return to his watersoaked house for three months after the storm.) If there had been flapper valves on the more than 3,700 drain outlets across Nassau, they may have stopped backflow in the drainpipes. The trouble, however, was that floodwaters not only came through the drains, but also over land. Flapper valves installed on the outlet pipes, Schneider said, might have impeded the flow of water from the streets into the bays. That, he said, might have caused even deeper street-level flooding.

“The water is going to go where it’s going to go,” he noted. Schneider spoke of his hometown. In south Merrick, a 10-foot tidal surge raced over the finger-like canals that line the coast and pummeled the community during Sandy. Early in the morning of Oct. 29, before the storm unleashed its full fury, floodwaters had already breached the bulkhead at Cammans Pond, which connects to a canal, and floodwaters spilled into the street. That water needed somewhere to go, and after the high tide subsided, it filtered into the storm drains and back out into the bays, only to return later that evening. Schneider pointed out that Nassau does not own most of the storm drains throughout the county. It owns the larger “trunk” lines, while the towns and cities, which have varying budgets and debt levels, own the rest. Installing drain flaps, Schneider said, would cost millions of dollars –– funding that would be hard to come by in these times of fiscal restraint. Finally, Schneider said, Nassau’s storm drains are not sewer lines, which are separate –– unlike New York City, where storm drains and sewer lines feed into the same system. Sewer lines connect to one of two sewage-treatment plants –– Bay Park and Cedar Creek. In western Nassau, Bay Park was overrun by floodwaters and experienced a catastrophic failure, causing sewer lines to back up into people’s homes and onto streets. In eastern Nassau, however, Cedar Creek held up in the storm, and sewage did not back up. That is not to say, though, that no residents in eastern Nassau had sewage backups in their homes. If a home had a toilet on a flooded first floor or basement, the floodwaters may have opened up an already in-

Photos by Scott Brinton

During Hurricane Sandy, a 10-foot tidal surge raced up the canal that leads to Cammans Pond in south Merrick, scattering floating docks, personal watercraft and boats and causing flooding on local streets. Storm-drain flapper valves would have done nothing to stop that surge, said Brian Schneider, deputy commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Public Works. undated sewer line into the house, causing a backup. In the end, Schneider said, any home that is in a federally designated flood zone –– that is, any home below seven feet above sea level –– could be flooded during a major storm. “If you’re below elevation seven,” he said, “you’re going to be at risk.” All that a homeowner can do, it appears, is to prepare as thoroughly as possible –– sandbagging around entryways to the home and

boarding up windows –– and hope for the best. Herald staffers have written hundreds of stories focusing on Hurricane Sandy and its continuing aftermath. To see more of them, visit www.liherald.com/ sandy or scan the box at right with your smartphone.

Opinion Why doesn’t President Obama take risks for peace with North Korea? President Obama has constantly urged Is- war games exercises right at the borders of rael to take risks for peace with its Arab neigh- North Korea. This year the provocations were bors. Despite the murderous rhetoric coming stepped up to actually simulate a nuclear misfrom the entire PA, from Abbas on down; sile attack on North Korea. B2 bombers were despite never-ending murderous rock and used for the ﬁrst time along with B52s and F22 bombers. So there is a military rocket attacks by PA Arabs against provocation from the U.S. North Israeli civilians; despite repeated IN MY VIEW Korea feels rightly threatened” public refusals to recognize Israel’s (http://rt.com/op-edge/us-wantsright to live as a Jewish State of Dr. Martin Elsant new-korean-war-402/ ). any size, with any borders, President Obama has repeatedly urged Yet instead of putting himself Israel to continuously take more risks for peace. That is why I ﬁnd it strange in the shoes of his adversaries (as the Presithat in President’s management of the cycle dent recommended during his recent speech of violence between the U.S. and North Ko- to Israeli students), President Obama has sent rea, when President Obama has the chance more warships into the area, deployed a misto demonstrate to Israel the wisdom of taking sile-defense battery in the regional American military base in Guam, and sent nuclear caparisks for peace, he does not choose to do so. North Korea has repeatedly complained ble B-2 bombers over the Korean peninsula. about feeling threatened by massive joint Those are aggressive, provocative American South Korean-American military exercises responses to North Korea’s acts of self deon its borders. Indeed, as the Oxford-based fense. Such actions by President Obama disAsian expert Dan Glazemen has been quoted play no sensitivity to the North Korean narraas saying: “Every year we have these massive tive of who is to blame for the escalating cycle provocations of joint U.S. and South Korean of tensions in the region. And they certainly

do not demonstrate any willingness of the President to take risks for peace. In many ways, North Korea demonstrates a much smaller threat to America than the PA does to Israel. For example, the PA’s people have murdered thousands of Israelis in the last thirteen years, while North Korea has not harmed a single American citizen in over half a century. If it is a good idea for Israel to take risks for peace with their adversary, why is it not a good idea for America to take risks for its much less murderous North Korean adversary? Why shouldn’t the United States withdraw all its hundreds of thousands of military personnel from the Paciﬁc? Their presence only provokes North Korea to take what it sees as necessary measures of self-defense, which could ultimately lead to a nuclear war. Why shouldn’t the United States then offer North Korea sovereignty over our abandoned military bases in the region, like Guam? And if that proves insufﬁcient to convince North Korea of America’s peaceful intentions, why not offer North Korea sovereignty over Texas,

California and New Mexico, which are the regions of the Continental U.S. that are closest to North Korea and from which North Korea feels most threatened? After all, those western states are only occupied territory seized by America from Mexico in an unjustiﬁed war of aggression under the extremist-expansionist President James K. Polk. Isn’t turning enemies into friends a greater guarantee of peace than so-called “strategic” borders? Please, Mr. President, demonstrate to Israel by your own actions that by rejecting chauvinistic, imperialistic visions of a Greater USA, and making painful compromises for peace, you put an end to the ever-increasing cycle of violent gestures between ourselves and the North Koreans. That way Israel will know you are not just being frivolous with Israel’s security when you ask Israelis to take risks for peace. That way Israel will know that you truly have Israel’s best interests at heart when you ask them to make painful compromises with their murderous, cruel, implacably evil Arab neighbors.

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