May 30, 2014

CELEBRATE ISRAEL THIS SUNDAY! Parade along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue and concert in Central Park

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VOL 13, NO 21 Q MAY 30, 2014 / 1 SIVAN 5774

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Rabbi brings Torah law from Israel to 5 Towns possible to do this,� he said.

At a gathering in a Cedarhurst home, Rabbi Carmel discussed one of the promises made by G-d in Bechukotai, that there would be no “evil animals in the land,� tying it to whether the Continued on page 13

Pope’s unfortunate words at wall I

t was like a shot heard round the world. The leader of the Catholic Church was visiting Bethlehem Sunday to pray at the separation barrier built by Israel to prevent terrorists from killing Israelis. The purportedly impromptu event brought cheers from the Jeff Dunetz Palestinians and propagandists who call the fence an apartheid wall.

The pope made this gesture despite the fact that the wall has saved lives.

According to statistics published by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and POLITICS TO GO

the Israel Security Agency, from the beginning of the Second Intifada until the construction of the â€œďŹ rst continuous segmentâ€? of the barrier in July 2003, 73 Palestinian suicide bombings were carried out from the West Bank, killing 293 Israelis and injuring over 1,900. However, between August 2003 and the end of 2006, only 12 attacks were carried out based in the West Bank, killing 64 Israelis and wounding 445.

The trend continued into 2007 and 2008 as well. The numbers of fatalities due to terror attacks have continued to decline since 2002, from 452 in 2002 to 9 in 2010.

So whether he meant it or not, Pope Francis’ prayer by the wall became a propaganda tool for the Palestinians, and it was the equivalent of a spit on the graves of Israeli citizens blown to bits by terrorists.

Continued on page 6

Shabbat candlelighting 7:59 pm. Shabbat ends 9:10 pm. 72 minute zman 9:33 pm. Parshat Naso. Shavuot on Wednesday–Thursday.

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By Malka Eisenberg Serious Jewish legal discussions are not unusual in the Five Towns, and a triple-header of high-level Torah discourse exported from Israel came to enlighten a Tish in Cedarhurst, the Irving Place Minyan in Woodmere, and Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence, on Shabbat Bechukotai.

Rabbi Yosef Carmel, dean and av beit din of Eretz Hemdah, a seven-year post-smicha program in Jerusalem, discussed a range of topics with the Jewish Star, including the increased respect by both secular judicial authorities and Haredi rabbinical leaders accorded Mishpat VeHalacha BeYisrael, a network of eight rabbinical courts where he is a presiding judge. “Even the secular courts are sending cases to us,â€? he said. “The civil courts are full [and] litigants have to wait three years.â€? Why are there so many lawsuits? “Since the days of Yitro Jews love to bring lawsuits,â€? Carmel explained, noting that Israel is â€œďŹ rst place in number of lawyers and cases in court.â€?

His post-smicha program strives “to raise new generations of talmiday chachamim (Torah scholars) to ďŹ nd a solution to every problem not to ďŹ nd a problem in every solution,â€? he told The Jewish Star after Shabbat.

At the Irving Place Minyan, Rabbi Carmel asked whether a woman is permitted to donate her eggs to a woman who cannot otherwise become pregnant. On this, Israeli law has worked to resolve Jewish legal difďŹ culties by combining secular and Torah law, making it “100 percent

By Malka Eisenberg Charity fundraisers range from bake sales and learnathons to marathons and bikeathons, but social service agency Ohel decided to go over the top to raise money.

Literally.

On May 20, 83 men and women rappelled down the 20-story Heritage Building in Newark, NJ, to the cheers of building tenants and an enthusiastic crowd of 150 below. Each registrant had to raise a minimum of $1,000 to face the challenge; many raised more, with the event netting more than $100,000. “It was absolutely thrilling, exhilarating, terrifying and awesome all at the same time,� said Cedarhurst resident Jonathan Nierenberg, a senior vice president at IDT, who rappelled off the building with his son Benjamin, a junior at the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School. In homage to James Bond and to the British-born president of Nierenberg’s division at IDT, Nierenberg dressed in a white dinner jacket, tuxedo pants and bow tie. Some of the other participants dressed as Superman, Spiderman and Robin.

The Nierenberg family has a history of extending themselves for charity. A few years ago they spearheaded two bone marrow drives for a family member and a friend. More than 18,000 people from the Continued on page 10

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May 30, 2014 • 1 SIVAN 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

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Romanian-born resident of North Bellmore is ‘happy to be alive’ Second of two parts

By David Weingrad East Meadow Herald Ruth Mermelstein, 84, has been a member of the East Meadow Jewish Center since she moved to the hamlet in 1955. She and her husband, Sidney Mermelstein, moved to North Bellmore 13 years later, where they raised two children, and have lived there ever since.

Ruth is a Holocaust survivor. Born in Transylvania, in northern Romania, in 1929, she was the second oldest of Blanka Davidovitz and Moritz Genuth’s six children.

Retelling her story before Yom HaShoah, Mermelstein described how she was sent to three concentration camps with her older sister, Elizabeth, including Auschwitz, where she was surrounded by death, sickness, starvation and torture. After stepping off a cattle car in Auschwitz in 1944, she never saw her family again, except for Elizabeth.

The emotion was clear in her eyes as she relived the experience, remembering parents and siblings she has not seen in 70 years. “I’m happy to be alive,” Mermelstein said, “even though I miss my family.”

A new identity Growing up in Sighet in northern Romania, Mermelstein, then Ruth Genuth, was happy. In 1940 she was 10, Elizabeth was 12, and a brother, Imre, was two years her junior. Two other siblings, both girls, were infants. “My mother and father, they treasured us very much,” she said. “They wanted to have even more children. We had a nice life.”

Romania remained a neutral country at the beginning of World War II. But there was political upheaval across Europe, and northern Transylvania — including Sighet — was granted to Hungary, Germany’s ally and part of the Axis powers.

Ruth’s family was forced to adopt a Hungarian lifestyle. They had to learn to speak Hungarian, and switched schools. At first, the prospect excited Ruth, who thought it would be fascinating to learn a new culture. But, in reality, it was the start of a horrific series of events for the Genuth family, and millions of others in northern Romania.

By 1941, basic rights began being stripped from the now Hungarian Jews. They were forbidden from operating businesses or receiving higher education. Many young men were taken away by the Hungarian Schutzstaffel, or SS, to forced labor camps. The Genuth family was left alone because they had no young men, but Ruth’s uncles — and their families — disappeared.

The Genuths didn’t know what happened to them. Rumors of their fate spread around town, and one day, they finally heard a first-hand account from a local man who had escaped imprisonment. He said they were taken to the Ukrainian border, forced to undress, shot and thrown into a ditch. He survived because he fell into the ditch before being shot. Other bodies fell on top of him, shielding him from further harm.

It took him six months to get back to Sighet. “Nobody wanted to believe him,” Mermelstein recalled. “They said, he is a madman. This couldn’t happen to innocent, beautiful young people.”

Ruth’s family was heartbroken. She thought of her younger cousin on her mother’s side, Baby, who had won first prize in a Shirley Temple look-alike contest four years earlier. “My grandmother was crying every single day for the rest of her life because she

Ruth Mermelstein with a Holocaust Torah that her husband, Sidney, helped transfer from England to the East Meadow Jewish Center.

The Jewish Star photo by Tim Baker

missed her daughter and grandchildren,” Ruth said.

A year later, her father was taken to a forced labor camp with another 600 men, where he dug ditches, built roads and cleared mines on the Russian border. Her mother was left to take care of the family by herself. In Moritz’s absence, she gave birth to their sixth child, another girl. Ruth attended school sporadically, and spent most of her time helping her mother make ends meet.

In 1943, the family received a telegram from a Hungarian hospital, telling them to come and get Moritz. When they reunited they heard his story: Deciding that the prisoners had outlived their usefulness, the SS locked hundreds of Jews in a building and set it ablaze. Moritz, with two other men, escaped, and eventually crossed paths with Russian civilians, who gave Moritz a choice — go to Russia, where he would be safe, or go home, where it was a near certainty that he would be taken away once again.

“He said, whatever is going to happen to my family is going to happen to me, too,” said Ruth. The Russians escorted him to a hospital, and he sent his family the telegram.

After he returned, many villagers approached Moritz, desperate to learn the fate of their loved ones. “He never told what happened to them,” Ruth said. “He didn’t want to have to tell them these horrible stories.”

For about a year, the family, together again, returned to as normal a life as could be lived under oppression. But it didn’t last.

In 1944, Adolf Eichmann, the lieutenant colonel in the German SS who was a major organizer of the Holocaust, ordered that Jews be registered and moved to ghettos. All of their valuables were taken away.

That May, the SS marched the Jews from their ghettos to a train station, where they were put on large cattle cars. There were about 90 Jews to a car, each equipped with two pails — one that contained small food rations, and the other a latrine. They rode for three and a half days. Some elderly people, who were already sick, died in the cars.

Whenever the train stopped at a station, people yelled at them. “You are going to die,” said Ruth, recalling what they said. “And [they] made motions with their hands — you are all going to die now.”

Finally they arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau. It was the last time Ruth saw most of her family. The SS separated the prisoners first by gender, then by age. Ruth, 14, and Elizabeth, 16, stayed together, but Ruth recounted, “We hardly had the chance to say goodbye to our parents.”

A swift separation She still remembers their last words. Her mother yelled, “Try to stay together, girls,” and her father, back in the train, had told her, “I have confidence in you. You are a strong girl. You are going to make it.”

That final message from her father is something Ruth never forgot, even in the darkest hours of what lay ahead. “Those words were so precious to me that I had to live up to their expectations,” she said.

Ruth and Elizabeth, who were among about 50,000 people in the camp, were told to undress, and had their heads shaved. They were put in a barracks with 1,000 girls, and shared a small compartment with 10 of them.

If someone tried to escape, they were taken to the crematorium. When Ruth asked an officer when she would see her family he said, “You’re going to see them when you go up in smoke, like they went up in smoke.”

The girls worked, using their bare hands to chop rocks to build a road through Auschwitz. The work earned them an extra slice of bread per day. For months they labored for hours each day under the hot June and July sun, and grew malnourished and emaciated.

Three months later, all the girls who were capable of doing hard labor were put on cattle cars, including Ruth and Elizabeth. They were taken to a camp in Christianstadt, to work in an ammunition factory. Compared with their living conditions in Auschwitz, Ruth called this camp a “paradise” — they received a pint of milk and a half loaf of bread per day, and shared barracks with only a dozen girls, each with her own straw mattress. They were also allowed hot showers.

Months later, word spread that Russian troops were nearby, liberating camps. The SS received orders from Berlin to evacuate Christianstadt and its 1,000 prisoners.

For five weeks they marched, the SS officers leading the way on horses. Every night they slept in a different barn, with the of-

ficers asking the owner to give them food.

“They were giving us the same food they gave their pigs,” Ruth said.

They marched through Czechoslovakia, to Germany, trying to beat the Russians. Even in her misery, Ruth said, she remembers walking through beautiful mountain areas.

Anyone incapable of marching was taken to the side of the road and shot. Ruth estimated that one in every 10 of the Jews were shot along the way. “We were not human beings anymore,” she said. “They just killed whoever couldn’t walk anymore.”

Loaded back into cattle cars, they eventually reached the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Stepping off the cars, they saw groups of men who were already imprisoned there. “But you couldn’t recognize if it was your father, your brother, your sweetheart or anybody, because all the men, they were skeletons,” she said. “You [could] count their teeth through their skin …

“It was the worst camp you can imagine,” she added. “It was Hell on earth.”

They were there for four weeks, surrounded by the sick and the dying. Every day, trucks came to take away bodies.

When the trucks didn’t come, the prisoners were forced to carry the dead themselves. When she and Elizabeth dragged one girl, Elizabeth pointed out that her eyes were still open. She said to Ruth, “She wanted to still live,” to which Ruth responded, “We all wanted to live.”

On April 18,1945, British troops liberated the camp. But “we couldn’t be happy anymore,” she said. “We said, we are never going to be human beings anymore. They had dehumanized us so much.”

The British tried to feed the emaciated prisoners, many of whom were barely clinging to life. Ruth and Elizabeth shared a tent with three other girls. They took turns closing the tent at night, but Ruth was so sick that she couldn’t muster the energy to do it.

She was ordered to return to the barracks.

‘We’re all human beings’ Elizabeth finally found Ruth three weeks later, in a hospital tent. Each day, she went into a nearby village and came back with vegetables for her. It took Ruth two more weeks to get back on her feet.

Then the Red Cross took about 7,000 people to Sweden, including Ruth and Elizabeth.

Ruth remained there for 10 years, attending school from time to time and working as much as she could. But her nightmarish experiences during the war left her in poor health, and she spent a great deal of time in hospitals over the years.

In Sweden she met Sidney Mermelstein, another Holocaust survivor. Miraculously, his five siblings had all survived. Sidney, who had first come to the U.S. in 1948, received his American citizenship, and brought Ruth to the States. The couple had two daughters, Bernice and Heidi, who both graduated from Mepham High School in Bellmore. Sidney died three years ago.

That she and Elizabeth were able to remain together throughout their ordeal, Ruth said, was a miracle. Elizabeth later married a Polish man in Sweden, and also ended up in the U.S., first in Brooklyn and then in California. She died 35 years after the war, at age 53, of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos from the forced labor, her sister said.

Ruth often speaks to students about her experiences. She was interviewed by director Steven Spielberg, for the Survivors of the Shoah Valley Foundation, twenty years ago.

THE JEWISH STAR May 30, 2014 • 1 SIVAN 5774

Auschwitz survivor shares horrifying tale

3

Getting Torah, learning Torah S

havuot is the shortest Jewish Biblebased festival, yet it is the most spiritually-powered.

Prime to this holiday is the commemoration of the receiving of the Ten Commandments, perhaps the most spiritual event in KOSHER all world history. The BOOKWORM central personality of the Shavuot saga is Moshe Rabeinu.

In his book, “The Commentators’ Shavuos,” Rabbi Yitzchak Sender cites the following from Maimonides: “You should know about the fundamental principle alluded to in the Mishnah, which is that all mitzvos that Alan Jay Gerber are observed today are kept only because G-d commanded them to Moshe, and not on account of the fact that He commanded them to the prophets who preceded him.”

Rabbi Sender continues: “What this means, for example, is that our abstinence from eating the flesh of a living animal, and from eating the ‘gid hanasheh,’ is not on account of G-d’s prohibition of such to, respectively, Noah and Jacob. Rather, we abstain from eating these foods only because G-d reiterated these mitzvos at Mount Sinai.

Accordingly, we say that 613 mitzvos were ‘given’ to Moshe at Sinai. For despite the fact that many of these mitzvos were already commanded even before the Sinai Revelation, we have kept them from that time forward only on account of their being given anew at Sinai

through Moshe.”

The text is laced with questions that draw out conclusions: •”What difference does it make whether the basis of our fulfilling the commandments is because they are given to Moses or because they were given to the Avos?”

•”Why is it that G-d did not give the Torah to the Avos, much earlier in our history?”

•”Why did He instead wait so many years until the days of Moshe?”

“The Rambam does not mean to distinguish per se between the religious authority and/or patriarchal significance of Moshe, versus the avos,” Rabbi Sender writes. “Rather, the Rambam here emphasizes that our mitzvos are performed on account of their issuance to Moshe at Mount Sinai because the mitzvos at Sinai began to be of a difference [in] quality than the quality of the mitzvos performed earlier by the avos.”

Rabbi Hayyim Angel, in this anthology, “A Synagogue Companion” [Kodesh Press, 2014] writes: “Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains that G-d wanted to teach the people that the Torah’s premises emanate from G-d, rather than from human input. In religious behavior, it is difficult to separate egotism from true religious feeling. Some use religion to exert power over others, to feel superior, to stand in judgment. G-d therefore stressed the boundary

between the divine and human realms.”

Rabbi Angel cites Dr. Umberto Cassuto’ commentary on Exodus: “The Sinaitic Revelation represents the first time that a transcendental Deity created a relationship with human beings and the first time that a people made a covenant with their G-d.

This is the first time there was a prohibition against creating physical representations of G-d. Although a seven-day week existed prior to the Torah, the Torah’s exalted concept of Shabbat was unprecedented. The Torah was also the first legal code where an individual’s responsibility to G-d was equal to his or her responsibility to other human beings.”

Rabbi Angel concludes: “We can appreciate the eternal meaning of the Ten Statements even more by understanding it against its ancient historical context” [see, “What was written on the Two Tablets?” by Dr. Meshulam Margaliot, Bar Ilan University, 1998].

Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin, a distinguished musmach of Ner Yisrael in Baltimore, in a new work entitled “Mysteries of Judaism” [Gefen Publishing, 2014], “Shavuot: Its Name Does Not Fit Its Current Role,” details the historical origins of the observance of Shavuot from its beginning to well past the destruction of the Second Temple.

If you value honesty in the teaching and

learning of history, this work is worth your attention.

Rabbi Drazin’s writings also cover the whole spectrum of the Jewish calendar, going into deep historical and sharp detail as to the origins of customs and controversies that have inhabited Jewish history.

I conclude this essay with a brief review and citation from a new work by Rabbi Dr. Zvi Grumet, entitled, “Moses and the Path to Leadership” [Urim Publications, 2014].

One major dynamic in this book is Moses’ relationship with the Jewish people, as distinct from his relationship with G-d. This dichotomy, as drawn by Rabbi Grumet, surely deserves more attention. Given the upcoming Shavuot holiday, my attention was drawn to a very brief descriptive of the Mount Sinai episode [pages 75-77]. A careful reading of this episode will surely give you some pause as to the difference in relationship that Moshe experienced with G-d and with Israel.

The author repeatedly makes note of the decreasing dialogue between Moshe and Israel, and the increase in communication that Moshe experiences with G-d. This focus by Rabbi Grumet makes his book and its thesis most unique, and doubly, most interesting.

FOR FURTHER STUDY I make note of two essays to enhance your holiday learning. The first is by noted scholar, Rabbi Shubert Spiro, “You Yourselves Saw That I Spoke To You From The Very Heavens” [Bar Ilan, Parashat Yitro, 5774]. If you ever wondered what constituted the “voice” at Sinai, the Rabbi’s take will be of interest to you.

The second essay is by Dr. Yael Ziegler, entitled, “Megillat Ruth: What’s in a Name?”

In my last column I noted the importance of a name for one’s identity. This essay, a prelude to a long awaited book on Ruth by Dr. Ziegler, details what a name should mean to the reader and student of this Biblical saga, Ruth, that is read annually on Shavuot.

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

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T

he jobs of the Levitic families were spelled out in last week’s Torah portion, giving us the jobs of the Kehat family; now, moving into our parsha, we view depictions of the Gershon and Merari families.

The Gershon family had the easiest job; PARSHA OF all they really needed THE WEEK to carry were curtains and other fabric-style materials, along with the tools used to hang them up.

The parochet (curtain for the Holy of Holies), the various masakhs (entrance to the courtyard and the Mishkan), and the covers (roof) of the Mishkan all fit into this catRabbi Avi Billet egory.

Compare this to the job of Merari — who carried the beams and all of the copper — and it’s a walk in the park. Even the Kehatites, who perhaps didn’t carry the heaviest items (though the gold is measured by length, and not weight), had to carry the most “important” items, especially the Aron (Ark), all of which carry with them a much deeper sense of responsibility (and expense) than the curtains and the goat-skin roof cover.

Ibn Ezra and Rabbenu Bachaye note that the verse simply says “tapestries, the Communion Tent, the roof, the over-roof of processed skins that is above it, the drape at the Communion Tent entrance, the enclosure’s hangings, the drape at the entrance to the enclosure around the Tabernacle and altar” (4:25-26) leaving out any reference to the

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red-colored ram skin cover (Shmot 25:5, 26:14) Rashi notes that the phrase “the roof” refers to the ram-skin cover, but obviously it is not spelled out in the text.

Why would this be left out? Ibn Ezra and Rabbenu Bachaye suggest that the Torah is speaking in a summary-language, perhaps leaving out non-essential (or obvious) details. On the other hand, they suggest, maybe the beautiful red-skinned cover was attached to the goatskin cover.

Were one to walk inside the Mishkan and look up, the beautiful woven cover, a tapestry made of fine and colorful threads, would be visible. Above it – covering its appearance from the outside — was a dark, unbeautiful goatskin cover. Above the goatskins was the red ram-skin cover.

There are debates as to whether the red ram-skin cover paralleled the two covers beneath it like an over-flowing tablecloth, or whether it just lined the top of the Mishkan.

The distinction between the two options is whether the goatskin cover could be seen at all.

There is surely symbolism embedded in the need for a goatskin cover to hide the beauty of the Mishkan. But what are we to make of the possibility that the ram cover and the goat cover may have been attached to one another? Why could they not be separated as different layers?

Look at any artistic rendition of the Mishkan, and the most striking element of the edifice, from the outsider’s view, is the

red, ram-skin cover. Whether it only lines the roof, and especially if it drapes over the sides, it is attached to something which is on the one hand gray and dull, but on the other hand strong, durable and rugged. Perhaps this takes the expressions “beauty is only skin deep” to a whole new level – a goatskin level!

Maybe the lesson we can take from Ibn Ezra and Rabbenu Bachaye’s possibility is that the animal skin covers were attached to one another to unify goat and ram.

Aside from the animal sacrifices on various holidays that include goat and ram, we specifically recall the goat and the ram on our High Holidays. On Rosh Hashana we utilize the ram’s horn for the shofar-sounding, and on Yom Kippur we recall the fascinating role of the “Se’ir La’azazel,” the goat that carried the burden of the sins of Israel that was thrown over a cliff on the Day of Atonement.

These animals were meant, on those days, to be symbols of repentance and of returning to G-d.

Perhaps the Mishkan, whose ultimate purpose was to be a place where atonement could be achieved, symbolically modeled the union of the two animals of atonement through the attachment of the ram and goat skins.

Maybe we had it wrong. Maybe the family of Gershon had the most significant job, that of carrying the symbol of atonement that the people could see on a daily basis, through a mere glance at the Mishkan.

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

Perhaps the Mishkan symbolically modeled the union of the two animals of atonement.

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Naso: Which Levite family had it easy?

THE JEWISH STAR May 30, 2014 • 1 SIVAN 5774

THE JEWISH STAR

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May 30, 2014 • 1 SIVAN 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

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Making sense of Pope Francis’s whirlwind trip

By Alex Traiman, JNS.org After two intense days of religious ceremonies in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials, unscheduled photo opportunities, and debilitating traffic arrangements, Israelis and interfaith relations experts are trying to attach the appropriate symbolism to Pope Francis’s visit to the region.

Nearly every stop made by the pontiff was subjected to simultaneous scrutiny and praise.

While long-term tensions between the Jewish people and the Catholic Church were made apparent by the trip, some experts are acknowledging a thaw in Israel-Vatican relations.

“The Jewish people and the Catholic Church in recent years have found that their 30 years of dialogue have paid off and friendly relationships have resulted,” said Betty Ehrenberg—executive director of the North American branch of the World Jewish Congress and chairperson of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, an umbrella organization representing prominent Jewish organizations in discussions with leaders of other faiths.

Ehrenberg, who attended a meeting between the pope and Israeli President Shimon Peres, told JNS.org that there is “a friendship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people that should be nurtured.”

Also important, in Ehrenberg’s estimation, is the message that the visit sends to Middle East Christians who find themselves under the constant threat of attack.

“There has been very little outcry [on

Pope Francis meets Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem.

Christian suffering] by the United Nations; there has been very little outcry by other international organizations,” said Ehrenberg.

“We haven’t heard...from the Catholic Church and not from any of the Christian denominations. In fact, it has been the Jewish people … decrying this phenomenon.”

But by visiting the Middle East, the pope “has shown that he is present and that he cares, and gives Christians here in the region strength,” Ehrenberg said.

Pope Francis planted roots for improved

Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

interfaith relations even before being elected pontiff, said Giuseppe Platania, founder of Italy’s Israel Allies Caucus, an alliance that fosters cooperation and dialogue between the Italian Senate and the Israeli Knesset.

Platania said Francis made a “significant” symbolic gesture during his first week as pope by making a phone call to the chief rabbi of the Jewish community in Rome.

Appropriately, then, every stop by Pope Francis on his Israel trip—planned and unplanned—was scrutinized for its symbolism.

Pope’s unfortunate words at wall…

Continued from page 1 Sunday’s unscheduled prayer had the weight of symbolic imagery. Israeli guards watched from a fortified guard tower overhead as the Pontiff stepped down from his Popemobile and made his way to what may be the most photographed section of the wall, stopping at a panel spray-painted, in black, “Pope we need some 1 to speak about Justice Bethlehem look like Warsaw ghetto” and, in red, “Free Palestine.” He bowed his head in silent prayer, laid his palm against the wall; before leaving, he touched his forehead to it.

Later, the pope’s friend, Rabbi Abraham Skorka, who traveled with him to the holy land, told Army Radio that in that moment Pope Francis prayed for peace so the wall could be dismantled. But the message the Palestinians and media took away was a different one: Jews should not defend themselves by keeping terrorists out.

Later that day Pope Francis extended an invitation to the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to travel to the Vatican to pray for peace with him.

“In this, the birthplace of the Prince of Peace, I wish to invite you, President Mahmoud Abbas, together with Israeli President Shimon Peres, to join me in heartfelt prayer to God for the gift of peace,” Francis said.

“I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer.”

The visit is scheduled for the day after Shavuot, which in Israel is June 5, but don’t expect anything to come out of it. The President of Israel is a ceremonial head of state position with no authority to make peace, a fact I’m sure Netanyahu pointed out to the Vatican.

Truth be told, I have only slightly less authority to negotiate peace than Peres does (after all, he is an Israeli citizen, I am not).

And before people start saying inviting Peres was a slam at Bibi, understand the

pope had to invite Peres because, from a protocol point of view, Peres and Abbas are on the same level. The Vatican visit will be a very pretty photo-op but nothing more. In the end, Peres doesn’t have the power and Abbas doesn’t have the desire.

After spending Sunday with President Abbas, the Pope spent Monday with his Israeli hosts. At Netanyahu’s urging, the Pope made one more spontaneous stop, a memorial to victims of terror at the Mt. Herzl Military cemetery. The wall, he told the pontiff, is to prevent such deaths, many of which were the result of suicide bombs.

“The security barrier has saved thousands of lives,” Netanyahu said. “If incitement and terrorism against Israel would stop, Israel would not need the measures it has taken, such as the security barrier,” he added.

While at the memorial, the Prime Minister pointed out the name on the wall of a 10year old victim who had been his son’s best friend.

“My son was 10 years old. His best friend was a girl, a beautiful Ethiopian girl. She sat next to him in class. One day she did not come.She was blown up in a bus not far from here, because there was no fence, no wall,” Netanyahu said according to news reports.

The pope listened to him and uttered a short prayer. “In this place of deep pain, where we remember all this pain, I want to say that terrorism is bad, the way of terrorism does not help and the path of terrorism is fundamentally criminal.”

“I pray for all these victims, and for all the victims of terrorism in the world,” the pontiff said. He then walked over to the wall, and touched it, exactly as he had touched the barrier.

It was a beautiful message that neither the Palestinians or the international media would absorb; they were too busy celebrating the pope’s gesture from the day before.

And in a way, maybe they shouldn’t absorb it. By praying at the security fence, and doing the same thing at the memorial to victims of terror, the pope was drawing a false moral equivalence between blowing up 10 year old children and finding a non-violent solution to stopping the terror.

Pope Francis is a moral and good man, but during his visit, proved himself to be less than fully informed and made a grave error in Bethlehem. I would like to believe it was an error and that the pope wasn’t purposely sending a message to the Palestinians that walls preventing murder are bad.

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

Star reader mocks ‘brain dead’ Dunetz To the Editor: Anybody with a brain who reads the useful parrot Jeff Dunetz’s column is doing it for the chuckles they get by seeing him jump on the latest right wing meme being propagated by his overlords.

Dunetz doesn’t disappoint with his May 16 column, wherein he climbs aboard the “Benghazi! Benghazi! Benghazi!” rightwing express. But not so fast, I would say.

In fairness to Dunetz, he was equally outraged by the 13 “Benghazis” and 98 deaths overseen by the George W. Bush administration. And don’t get Dunetz started about the 81 school shootings with 145 children shot and 66 children killed since “Benghazi,” because boy oh boy did he write up an outraged storm about that.

Oh wait. What’s that? Not a word from Dunetz about any of that?

Chuckle chuckle.

Carl Maltzman, North Woodmere

“His itinerary is very significant,” Platania said. “What he goes to visit first was very well thought-out. The actual order of the people he sees, and shakes hands with, and the sites he visits, is very significant.”

The pope referred to Palestinian Authority-controlled territory as the “Palestinian State,” a move that contradicts the U.N. status of the Palestinian Authority as a “nonmember observer state.”

Francis also landed first in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, a day before his official state welcome by Israel at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

According to Platania, Francis was not the first pope to visit Palestinian-controlled territory before setting foot in fully sovereign Jewish territory, and the order of the pope’s itinerary may have had more to do with religion than politics.

“Maybe there is a stronger Christian connection to start [the trip] by going to Bethlehem than by going to the Kotel,” Platania said.

“The Vatican recognized a Palestinian state many years ago already,” said Ehrenberg. “Anyone surprised by this doesn’t remember when this first happened in the ’80s.”

The pope then surprised many by making an unscheduled prayer stop at concrete sections of a wall separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem, erected in 2002 to prevent terror infiltrations into Jewish population centers.

He prayed in front of graffiti that read “Free Palestine” and (in broken English) “Bethlehem look like Warsaw Ghetto,” leading to widely distributed photos.

Ehrenberg said the photo-op in front of the Israeli security fence “can be interpreted as some kind of a PR coup for the Palestinians,” but that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the issue when he spoke to the pope “and explained that the fence was built particularly to prevent the acts of terror that the international community is so against.”

“It’s not because Israel wanted to build it there,” Ehrenberg said of the fence. “It was forced upon Israel by terrorist attacks. [Netanyahu] showed the Pope the plaque remembering the horrific terrorist attacks that were perpetrated [at the AMIA Jewish center] in Buenos Aires, which the pope knows only all too well.”

Platania said, “This pope is coming across as very charismatic, very people-oriented.

Some people think that’s great. Other people think he has an agenda. Praying at the security wall was a sign of peace, but I wonder if he wanted to come across as exposing the wall and Israeli policy.”

Even “the best of our friends, eventually even with the best intentions, may want to use that friendliness, the diplomatic efforts, smiles, and phone calls to rabbis to help promote their own agendas,” Platania explained.

A longer-term issue between Israel and the Vatican relates to valuable Jewish artifacts dating back to the period of the First Temple in Jerusalem and believed to be held in Vatican archives that have been off-limits to Jewish leaders.

“The issue of artifacts is a big deal,” Platania said. “Many people have asked to visit the archive, and have been denied. It is believed that there are a lot of items that belong to Jewish heritage on all levels—things that could potentially be from the Temple, but even if they are not, still belong to the Jewish people, and could be given back.”

Returning the items, according to Platania, would be an “amazing act of reconciliation and friendship.”

Peres and PA President Mahmoud Abbas, accepted an invitation from the pope to pray for peace at the Vatican on June 6.

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THE JEWISH STAR May 30, 2014 • 1 SIVAN 5774

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Key lime pie: Being the boss at the bagel store

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hen May rolls around and Shabbat is over after 8:30 pm, there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t many choices of what to do on a Saturday night. There is bowling, which I love, but not a reality, as most of our friends would rather have root canal work.

Movies are difďŹ cult, WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S IN THE as we would have to KITCHEN run out the second after Shabbat and hope there are tickets left.

One choice that works is meeting friends for coffee and a light bite at the bagel store. Of course, when I say light bite, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually wishful thinking. It goes something like this, â&#x20AC;?I ate so much today I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even think of eatJudy Joszef ing, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just have coffee.â&#x20AC;?

Once on line I ďŹ gured it couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt to get a little something to go with my coffee. I usually order a scooped out mini bagel with a tiny side of diet egg white salad. Then when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my husband Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turn to order, I suggest, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to order baked farmer cheese? Why not get the panini ďŹ lled with hot gooey cheese (that I really wanted but felt I shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat).

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to love it.â&#x20AC;?

What are the chances that the panini, made in an actual panini press, would come out cold and unmelted. As he opened his mouth to take a bite, I scooped up the plate and asked them to actually remake it, this time melting the cheese. Walking back to the table I was sure he would love it. He took a bite and realized that although he loved tomatoes he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like them hot.

All eyes were on him; pressure was high. Our friend asked if she could taste it. Jerry kiddingly said under his breath, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can have it all.â&#x20AC;? At that point, not liking to be made fun of, I handed the plate to her and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all yours, he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deserve it, he canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have it.â&#x20AC;?

Jerry became terriďŹ ed and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No I want it.â&#x20AC;?

Jerry now felt compelled to ďŹ nish it; his worst fears had been conďŹ rmed. The perfect storm in Jerry world (an occasional alternate reality of thinking) he was going to be forced to ďŹ nish every last bite and he managed to get me angry anyway. Truth is, once I tasted it, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like it either, since instead of putting it back in the press, they heated it in the microwave.

Something that is always a perfect constant at the bagel store is meeting up with Irwin and Esther Weber and Harriet and Stanley Zahner, parents of our friends. My wish is that someday my kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friends think of me as I think of the Weber and Zahners. They are fun, outgoing and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pleasure to chat with them whenever we meet up. Last week my friends (the Finks and Richters) and Jerry and I were speaking to them at length as we were leaving. Guess we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the hint as the lights were ďŹ&#x201A;ickering and the chairs were being put up on the tables. The workers then handed us each a bag of two dozen bagels and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re closing, enjoy these bagels.â&#x20AC;? We brought our bags outside and my friends, and I discussed with the Webers and Zahners the best way to freeze bagels. I said â&#x20AC;&#x153;This would make a great article; you never know when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll end up in my article.â&#x20AC;? And so it goes.

A food I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to make my husband try is Key lime pie. He loves it. A great choice for Shavuot!

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients Crust: cup butter, melted Âź cup brown sugar, not packed 2Âź cups graham cracker crumbs Filling: 1 envelope unďŹ&#x201A;avored kosher gelatin ž cup key lime juice. If squeezing fresh limes you will need 23 4 whole eggs, at room temperature 2 egg yolks, at room temperature 1½ cups sugar, 1Âź cup for lime pudding; Âź cup for egg whites 2 tablespoons key lime zest, grated ďŹ ne; you will need 10 limes.

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature 2 egg whites, at room temperature 8½ or 9 inch spring form pan Instructions For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325° degrees. Process graham crackers in a food processor until ďŹ ne; add brown sugar

and pulse to incorporate. In medium bowl, add processed crumbs with melted butter and toss with fork until evenly moistened. Brush bottom and sides of spring form pan wi h butter also. Empty crumbs into spring form pan and press evenly into pan bottom and about an inch up the sides. Bake until fragrant and beginning to brown around edges, 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making ďŹ lling.

For the ďŹ lling: In a saucepan, dissolve kosher gelatin in key lime juice over medium heat, about 5 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. Combine 1-1/4 cups of sugar, eggs, egg yolks, lime and zest in a separate bowl and mix well. Gradually add hot gelatin mixture, whisk to combine. Once all the gelatin and egg mixture is combined, pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and is pudding-like, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. While mixer is running, slowly add lime mixture and beat until smooth. Transfer to a large, chilled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cooled, stirring every 10 minutes, for about 30-40 minutes.

In an electric mixer, whip egg whites and remaining Âź cup of the sugar on medium high until stiff peaks form. Remove cooled lime pudding from the refrigerator and gently fold egg whites into lime pudding until thoroughly blended. Pour ďŹ lling into prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 4 to 24 hours.

When ready to serve run a sharp knife along the side of the pan and remove the springform. Slice, cleaning knife between each slice, and serve with fresh whipped cream on top, if desired.

Judy.Soiree@gmail.com

9

On the eve of Jerusalem Day, which was celebrated Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli capital would never be divided again.

“We are protecting the heart of the nation—we will never divide our heart,” Netanyahu said Tuesday at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel Hayom reported.

Jerusalem Day is the day that celebrates the anniversary of the city’s reunification in 1967.

“Because we believe that our capital is the

THE JEWISH STAR May 30, 2014 • 1 SIVAN 5774

PM: Never divide capital heart of our nation, it has to be united. …

We want to make sure that Jerusalem is built and that it flourishes. We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Netanyahu said.

The prime minister added, “Jerusalem is the Western Wall, Mount Zion, Mount Moriah. It is the eternity of Israel. There is a lot of anti-Semitism among the gentiles, but there is also a great deal of admiration, because we have a spark, we have soul, a special spirit.

We are a people who have returned to their land and built a home.”

JNS.org

Iran demands appearance

by Facebook’s ‘Zionist’ An Iranian court handling the privacy case against social media apps WhatsApp and Instagram has called on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who was labeled as a “Zionist” due to his Jewish heritage, to appear before the court.

“According to the court’s ruling, the Zionist director of the company of Facebook, or his official attorney must appear in court to defend himself and pay for

possible losses,” said Ruhollah Momen-Nasab, an Iranian Internet official, the state-run Iranian Students’ News Agency reported.

Zuckerberg’s Facebook, which owns WhatsApp and Instagram, has been accused of violating Iranian citizens’ privacy.

Last week, an Iranian court announced that Instagram, the popular photo-sharing app, would be blocked over privacy concerns.

Instagram joins a number of popular social media apps blocked in Iran, including Facebook and Twitter.

Despite the ban, a number of Iranian leaders such as President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei operate their own social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram.

JNS.org

North Shore takes to Citi Field North Shore Hebrew Academy marked its high school’s 13th anniversary and celebrated the 59th year of its tradition of excellence in education, at its annual Journal Dinner at Citi Field on May 19.

The event honored NSHA/HS parents and board members Stephanie and Ruvane Vilinsky; former NSHA parents Hannah K. Flamenbaum and Charles W. Segal, current NSHAHS general counsel; and Cherry Lane Minyan president and former NSHA parent Sassoun Sassouni. Pictured left to right: Arthur Luxenberg, NSHA chairman; Maurice Setton, dinner chair; Avery Modlin, NSHA president; Sassoun Sassouni; Charles W. Segal and Hannah K. Flamenbaum; Stephanie and Ruvane Vilinsky; Ivan Kaufman, NSHAHS chairman; Dr. William Helmreich, NSHAHS president; Dr. Gary Orbach, dinner chair, and Arnie Flatow, executive director.

Photo by Elliot Moscowitz / Intellectual Images

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20-story plunge raises $100,000…

Continued from page 1 Five Towns and Far Rockaway community were swabbed as possible donors with the Gift of Life resulting in saving hundreds of lives through bone marrow matches.

Nierenberg works in the building and his fifth floor office mates put up signs to cheer him on. He said he tried to count the floors as he lowered himself down the side, but focused on what he was instructed to do and lost count.

After ten tense minutes standing and looking over the edge of the building with their backs towards the street while he and his son were told “trust the ropes” and replying “we are not trusting the ropes, we are trusting gravity” they gave in and climbed down the side. The Nierenbergs are an athletic family; all are involved in team sports, basketball or hockey and Jonathan is a certified fitness instructor.

Ohel Children’s Home and Family Ser-

vices, a large social services organization, provides foster care in Jewish homes, homes for developmentally delayed children and adults, mental health services, care, assistance and management for family members with chronic disabilities, home-bound and seniors, training workshops and seminars, and Camp Kaylie-a sleep-away camp for developmentally disabled and typical campers.

The fundraiser was “a big Kiddush Hashem,” Nierenberg said.

Laurie Szenicer, Ohel’s senior development coordinator, and chief development officer Robert Katz both went over the edge. They told The Jewish Star they were grateful that Steven Greenberg and his brother Jeff, owners of the building, offered it for the event.

“Not every building owner is jumping to do this,” Katz said. In the case of the attendees, “some people got cold feet but we talked them into it. No one pulled out.” He said that participants included a girl with a broken

Kulanu hosts arts fest

By Vanessa Parker, Nassau Herald Highlighting the creative work of about 40 students was the primary mission behind the sixth annual “Imagination & Innovation is Everywhere,” a spring arts and science festival at Kulanu last week.

“This was a forum to showcase artwork that we’ve incorporated into our daily curriculum,” said Ray Guarneri, technology teacher at Kulanu, a Cedarhurst school for special-needs individuals.

Projects ranged from poetry about the

different seasons to photography with mixed media. The students, aged 11-21, incorporated art into their social studies, math, science and English Language Arts lessons.

Lauren Portela’s Career Exploration students worked on projects that studied artists with disabilities. “I teach 15- to 18-year-olds, and we studied artists like Peter Longstaff,” she said. “He has no arms, so he paints his art using a paintbrush with his foot. My students painted their artwork using the paintbrush in their mouths.”

leg in a cast and a man who came in “confident and cocky,” taking “six attempts until he conquered his fear and went over the edge, humbled by the experience.” Most participants said that they were anticipating facing the wall again next year, Katz said.

Katz and Szenicer saw the event as a metaphor for what Ohel does. “Our organization is very much involved in overcoming stigma, just like people overcoming fear of heights.”

Katz cited “the stigma in our community associated with many areas of mental illness [that observers] don’t know what it means, are they going to hurt me; when they see someone managing their mental state, at the end, they are drawn to be with them and get to know them.”

Ohel is the first Jewish organization to use Over the Edge, which has worked with 120 other groups, to stage a rappelling event. “We wanted to be ahead of the curve,” Szenicer said.

The company set up two ropes on one side of the building to enable two people to rappel down simultaneously, with two heading down every eleven minutes — stretching the event to about eight hours.

It’s “overcoming challenges” said Katz, “what people at Ohel deal with every day, 24/7.”

Nirenberg said his wife, Alissa, an early childhood teacher at HAFTR, was in denial that her son was going to do it. Now that’s it over, “she thinks we’re a bunch of crazies who did a wonderful thing for tzedakah.”

At the end of the day, father and son agreed that they would never look at his office building the same way again. Passing other buildings they now say, “Do you think we can jump off of that one?”

Jonathan Nierenberg as 007 over Newark rappels down a building to raise money for Ohel.

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eyes immediately focus on the well-lit piece of art that is the central focus of the living room wall, what are we teaching our children, not by what we say, but by what we do? remember, years ago in yeshiva, a powerful moment that left a very strong impression on me. The yeshiva I studied at had two Roshei Yeshiva, two heads of the institution, and observing how these two great Rabbis, two of the greatest Torah scholars of our generation, interacted and treated each other, was itself a lesson in ethics and humility. One year, the entire yeshiva, along with hundreds of alumni, gathered for a celebration in honor of Jerusalem Day. Rav Amital was speaking to a packed hall of over 1,000 students, when he suddenly noticed Rav Lichtenstein standing at the back of the hall. Rav Lichtenstein had arrived late, and did not want to interrupt the ďŹ&#x201A;ow of his speech, preferring to stand in the rear. Rav Amital, would not hear of an entire hall of students sitting and listening, while their Rosh Yeshiva stood in the back. So he gestured to Rav Lichtenstein to come up front and sit, at which point students began turning around to see who was standing in the back.

When they saw their Rosh Yeshiva standing, the students in the rear immediately stood and Rav Lichtenstein, realizing the speech was already interrupted, walked to his seat at the front of the hall as quickly as he could. As he walked down the aisle, waves upon waves of students rose from their seats as a sign of respect, not just for Rav Lichtenstein, but also for the 3,000 year tradition he represented. There was no announcement and no words were said, it was simply understood that when a Torah giant like that walked into a room, you rise in awe and respect. The experience of seeing 1,000 students rise as one, without anybody saying a word, taught me what respect for Torah was all about.

This is the message of the carrying of the Ark. Who we are as a people begins with what we hold dear, and what we truly value. The Ark was more than just a box for the tablets of the law; it represented the mission we have as a people in this world.

Our ability to make a difference in this world begins with how we hold aloft the values that represent our identity as a people. Before you can carry Torah on your shoulders, you must realize it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t belong on an ox cart.

The Talmud tells us that one of the questions we will be asked one day in heaven, is â&#x20AC;&#x153;kavaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ta Itim laâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Torah?â&#x20AC;? (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Did you set times for Torah [study]?â&#x20AC;? Most people interpret this to mean, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Did you set time aside in your day for the study of Torah?â&#x20AC;? Rav Kook looked at it differently. Translated literally, the question becomes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Did you set the times to the Torah?â&#x20AC;?

Do we set the times according to the Torah, or do we set the Torah according to the times?

Uzzah assumed that the Ark would fall, perhaps not having faith that if the Ark was falling, the issue wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the Ark but whether we were worthy to maintain it aloft. Perhaps this is part of the partnership we have with G-d in this world. Hashem wants us to participate, by carrying the Ark on our shoulders, while never forgetting that it is not we who carry the Torah, but the Torah that carries us.

And the shoulder represents that part of us that places something above all else. After all, the shoulders really hold up the head, the most important part of the body. In Hebrew we say laâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sim katef (to put your shoulder to the task).

When an item is sitting on your shoulders, it is not just that you are carrying it, it is sitting on you, you are supporting it; you become, in effect, its base. So the shoulder also represents the idea that the tradition we have remains valuable only as long as we actually value it.

Perhaps the reason so much emphasis is put on what place the Ark is in, or on, is because so much of what Torah represents is what place it has in each of our lives.

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com

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ho we are as a people begins with what we hold dear and what we truly value.

There are many burdens we carry in this world. The challenge may well be in how we choose to carry them. This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portion, Naso, contains a case in point. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ki avodat HaKodesh Aleihem baâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;katef yisauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.â&#x20AC;?

FROM THE HEART (â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the holy [items of] OF JERUSALEM service they shall carry upon the shoulder.â&#x20AC;?)

(Bamidbar 7:9) There was a special mitzvah regarding the transport of the Holy Ark, which held the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Ark was to be borne on the shoulders of the Levites, until it arrived at its destination. Why was it so important that the Ark Rabbi Binny be carried upon their Freedman shoulders?

Maimonides includes this as one of the 613 mitzvot listed in his Sefer HaMitzvot (see Positive Commandment 34), where he describes each of the Torahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 613 commandments. Yet Maimonides in principle only lists commandments which are leâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;dorot (forever), something that does not seem to apply to the carrying of the Ark. In his Laws of the Temple Vessels (Kleiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; HaMikdash 2:12), Maimonides deďŹ nes the mitzva: â&#x20AC;&#x153;When transporting the Ark from place to place, one does not set it upon a beast of burden, nor on a wagon; rather it is a mitzvah to take it upon the shoulder. And because [King] David forgot [this injunction] and carried it upon a wagon, the debacle of the wrath that burst forth against Uzzah occurred.

Rather, it is a mitzvah to carry it upon the shoulder, as it says [Bamidbar 7:9]:â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;For the holy [items of] service they shall carry on the shoulderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.â&#x20AC;?

Perhaps Maimonides, in noting the story of Uzzah, is telling us that this is the key to unlocking the nature of this mitzvah.

The book of Samuel (II; 6:5-10) shares a short but powerful and troubling vignette: The Holy Ark is ďŹ nally being brought up to Jerusalem; 200 years after the Jewish people conquered the land of Israel in the time of Joshua. King David, along with 30,000 people, is accompanying the Ark amidst dancing and celebration. The verse describes the dancing and instruments playing, and the joy of the people honoring the Ark on its journey, a once in a lifetime opportunity.

As the ox-drawn wagon carrying the Ark rounds the bend, the oxen stray, and the Ark seems to tip over. But Uzzah, nearby, stretches out his hand, grabbing the Ark, prevents its fall.

You might assume that Uzzah is a Jewish hero, only G-d doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to see it that way.

Hashem instantaneously smites Uzzah down, and he dies on the spot. After all, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just grab the Holy Ark. You have to be pure, and with the proper intentâ&#x20AC;Ś.

King David himself (verses 8-10) seems to have difďŹ culty understanding what happened.

How could Hashem have punished Uzzah, who seems to have been doing a good thing in attempting to save the Ark? A careful look at Maimonides suggests that he believed the issue was not Uzzah, but rather King David and that it is being transported on the ox cart. The mitzvah requires carrying the Ark on the shoulders of the Levites (or priests).

How could King David forget that the Ark was to be carried aloft on the shoulders of the people?

There is a difference between taking the Ark up on our own shoulders, as a sign of respect and honor, and having animals carry it.

How do we treat our relationship with Torah? If in our homes the Jewish books are stuck in the dusty bookcase in the corner, while all

MEDICARE PATIENTS

THE JEWISH STAR May 30, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 1 SIVAN 5774

Holding aloft the values that form our identity

11

May 30, 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 1 SIVAN 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

12

Jewish Star Calendar â&#x20AC;˘Compiled by Racheli Tuchman â&#x20AC;˘Send events to Calendar@TheJewishStar.com â&#x20AC;˘Include contact phone or email â&#x20AC;˘ Deadline Thursday one week before cover date 6$785'$< 0$<

To purchase tickets or to sponsor the concert, contact the Shul ofďŹ ce ext 21. 7:45 pm. 516-569-3600

6(8'$ 6+(/,6+,7 for high school boys and girls with sushi and more. Mincha with main minyan 7:45 pm. Social Hall. Congregation Beth Sholom. 390 Broadway, Lawrence. 516-569-3600

681'$< -81(

)5,(1'6+,3 &,5&/( for siblings of children with special needs to socialize and have fun with each other in a warm and safe environment. For children ages 6-12. $10 per child. 5:30-6:45 pm.

Drop off at Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza. Pick up at Chabad, 74 Maple Ave., Cedarhurst. 516-295-2478 x13.

&(/(%5$7( ,65$(/ Parade along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. See photo.

7+856'$< -81(

,65$(/ '$< &21&(57 with Lipa, Edon, Gad Elbaz, Benny Friedman, Shlomi Dachs and many others. Guest speakers Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and former Senator Joe Lieberman.

Free. 2:30 to 7:30 pm. Central Park Summerstage, Rumsey PlayďŹ eld. 917-650-5623.

/81&+ /($51 with Rabbi Shalom Axelrod of YI Woodmere. Traditions Restaurant, 302 Central Ave., Lawrence. 12:30-1:30 pm. $12 lunch. Alan Stern 516-398-3094.

< 7$/.6 $1' 3$1(/6 Study the traditions, ideas and narratives of the holiday of Shavuot, including why we eat cheesecake.

Tickets from $30. 7:30 pm. 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave.. 212-413-8841.

*$1 &+$0(6+ *5$'$87,21 parade.

Celebrate the culmination of another successful year together with the children and Morahs of Gan Chamesh. Watch the children march on Maple Ave to the music along with their classmates and Morahs. Everyone is welcome. 10:30 am. In front of Chabad, 74 Maple Avenue. 516298-2478 x17.

)5,'$< -81(

$&+,(=(5 ',11(5 Honoring Rabbi Zev and Leah Bald, Dr. Marcel Scheinman, and Yoni and Esther Novak at the Second Annual Tribute Dinner. 6:30 pm. The Sands at Atlantic Beach.

516-791-4444.

6$785'$< -81(

021'$< -81( 63,5,7 ,1,7,$7,9( Stimulating program initiative for retirees. Neal Goldberg, Ph.D on humor and how to integrate it into our lives for a healthier lifestyle. Rabbi Kenneth Hain on the Hashkafic perspective on humor. $10.

Registration and lunch at 12 pm. Program 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Young Israel of Woodmere. 859 Peninsula Blvd. 212-613-8300.

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35(3$5,1* )25 .$%$/$7 +$725$+ with Rabbi Eli Mansour. 9:30 pm. DRS High School. 700 Ibsen Street, Woodmere. 516-7330299.

Sharing Insights and Observations.â&#x20AC;? Volunteers needed to bake. 5 pm. The Rudman Home. 576 Atlantic Ave., Lawrence. wendyott@aol.com or rikplow@gmail.com or nspivak712@aol.com

78(6'$< -81(

7+856'$< -81( 6+$9827

%$.( 6$/( for the Levi Yitzchak Library. 9 am to 1 pm. 564 Central Ave. 516-374-2665.

7,.81 /(,/ 6+$9827 DRS Beit Medrash open all night. Shiurim and TeďŹ lot led by DRS rabbeim, talmidim and alumni. 11 pm. DRS High School. 700 Ibsen St., Woodmere. 516-733-0299.

7((1 /($51,1* and BBQ with powerful and inspirational learning and interactive Q&A dicsussions. The schedule will be announced. Congregation Beth Shalom. 390 Broadway, Lawrence.

Moshecohen.cbsyouth@gmail.com.

725$+ 7+21 for men and women. Relive our ancestorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; anticipation. Stay up late at Chabad studying the Torah before itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s given. Women 11:30 pm to 1 am. Men beginning at midnight. Chabad.

74 Maple Ave., Cedarhurst. 516-295-2478

:('1(6'$< -81( 6+$9827 7(1 &200$1'0(176 and ice cream party.

Shacharit begins at 10 am, Ten Commandments read at 11 am followed by a delicious dairy luncheon and ice cream party sponsored in loving memory of Harav Shmuel Issac ben Reb Avraham Halevi Popack amd the many celebrations within the Popack family. Chabad. 74 Maple Ave., Cedarhurst. 516-295-2478 1' 5($',1* of the Ten Commandments.

For those who could not attend the ďŹ rst reading, a second reading of the Ten Commandments and ice cream party, sponsored in loving memory of Harav Shmuel Issac ben Reb Avraham Halevi Popack and the many celebrations within the Popack family. 5:30 pm. Chabad. 74 Maple Ave., Cedarhurst. 516-295-2478.

6+$9827 7($ for the Annual Sisterhood. â&#x20AC;&#x153;CBS Students and Jewish Experiences Abroad:

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)$0,/< 6+$9827 7($ Join for a garden dessert party in honor of Shavuot. Share Torah insights and a cup of tea with your Chabad Family. 5:30 pm. The Neckonoff Home. 11 Auerbach Lane., Lawrence. 516-295-2478

681'$< -81( ,65$(/ )(67,9$/ The Jewish Community Relations Council Long Island Israel Festival.

Activities such as the Bounce House, carnival games, Sifriyat Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Jama Program, Israeli dancing, vendors, kosher food available for purchase, and a concert at 7 pm, featuring Kapelye and Rami Kleinstein. Free. 5 to 9:30 pm at Eisenhower Park. 516-677-1867. /(*$&< &217,18(6 Day-long event honoring Holocaust Survivors, Liberators, Righteous Among Nations, and their descendants. $36 adults, $10 under 18, including valet parking, lunch and refreshments throughout the day. No charge for Holocaust Survivors, veterans and Hofstra staff and students. Registration at 8 am, programs begin at 10 am. Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY. 516-571-8040 ext. 119 or judyvladimir@holocaust-nassau.org. )5,(1'6+,3 &,5&/( 7 <$' Social program for Teens and young adults with special needs, ages 14 and up. Place is to be announced. $10 suggested donation. 6-7 pm.

516-295-2478.

021'$< -81( 63,5,7 ,1,7,$7,9( Stimulating Program Initiative for Retirees that Inspires Thought for men and women. Harriet Cabelly, on retirement and

how to learn, grow and explore new interests.

Rabbi Hanoch Teller on the Torah perspectives on retirement. $10. Registration and lunch at 12 pm, program at 12:30-2:30 pm. Young Israel of Woodmere. 859 Peninsula Boulevard. 212-613-8300. /$1' 2) 285 3(23/( One Israel Fund celebrates their 20th Gala Anniversary Dinner with Ambassador Alan Baker. Couvert $300, ages 35 and under $180. Tribeca Rooftop. 2 Desbrosses St. NYC. Dinner@oneisraelfund.org or 516-239-9202

78(6'$< -81( &,5&/( 2) +23( is hosting itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth monthly â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cooking for Hopeâ&#x20AC;? series of classes where teens will learn to cook various Jewish foods and then bring their creations to people in need. No cooking experience is required to participate. 7 to 9 pm. 2083 Seneca Gate, Merrick. 516-833-3057 or CircleOfHope@ChabadJewishLife.org < 7$/.6 $1' 3$1(/6 Join Adam Phillips, one of the most foremost authorities on Freud, along with novelist and critic, Daphne Merkin for a discussion about Phillips biogrophy, Becoming Freud: The Making of Psychoanalysis.

Tickets from $29. 8:15 pm. 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave, Manhattan. 212-413-8841

:('1(6'$< -81( ,65$(/ 1,*+7 $7 &,7, ),(/' Celebrate Israel with the New York Mets with pregame musical entertainment with reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased on purchase.tickets.com. 7:10 pm. Citi Field, 12301 Roosevelt Ave, Corona NY 11368. 718-559-3037 or efox@nymets.com.

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE SHABBAT PARTY. Shabbat Oneg for children with special needs and their siblings. Program includes stories, snacks and fun. 4 to 5 pm. Chabad, 74 Maple Ave., Cedarhurst. 516-295-2478.

681'$< -81( < 086(80 2) -(:,6+ +(5,7$*( Author and award winning journalist, Laura Silver, talks about her book, Knish, and shares stories of entrepreneurship, survival and major deliciousness. $15, $12 for MJH members. 2:30 pm. Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place. 212-413-8841.

0$'5$,*26 Annual beneďŹ t breakfast.

Madraigos encourages young adults and teens to overcome challenges one step at a time. Rav Moshe Weinberger. 9:30 am. Bugayer home. 81 Neptune Ave., Woodmere. 516-371-3250.

021'$< -81( '(66(57 5(&(37,21 Honoring Esther Weinstein Krown, Michael Papilsky and Marvin Shanker for Long Island Tov Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Yachad. Couvert $25. 7:30 pm. Young Israel of Lawrence â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cedarhurst. 8 Spruce Street, Cedarhurst. 516-677-1800.

78(6'$< -81( %5($67 &$1&(5 6&5((1,1*6 Legislator Denise Ford Proudly Announces Breast Cancer Screenings from the NUMC Mammography Van. Appointments are required and are scheduled on a ďŹ rst come, ďŹ rst served basis. 8:45 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12 pm.

Waldbaumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shopping Plaza, East Park Avenue, Long Beach. 516-571-6204.

)5,'$< -81( < 6+$%$%$ %$.(5< Squish, roll and braid your own challah to take home and bake.

For all ages, $15 child, adults free. 10:15 am.

92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave, Manhattan.

212-413-8841

681'$< -81(

&21&(57 92/817((56 High School Boys and Girls can help out with the CBS Cantorial Concert and may receive chesed hours. 7:45 pm. Moshecohen.cbsyouth@gmail.com

.8/$18 )$,5 Game booths, prizes and gifts, refreshments, exciting rides for all ages, pony rides and arts and crafts. Become a 2014 Kulanu Corporate Sponsor. Free admissions. 12:30 pm - 5 pm. Andrew J Parise Park. Cedarhurst Ave. 516569-3083.

&$1725,$/ &21&(57 12th Annual Cantorial Concert in memory of Cantor Moshe Ehrlich.

&$1&(5 581 for Breast and Ovarian Cancer Fourth Annual Cheryl Diamond NYC Schlep..

Robert F. Wagner Jr Park, NYC. 212-279-2522

By Alina Dain Sharon, JNS.org When a newspaper long perceived to align with a particular political slant is actually transparent about that slant, does it say anything new about the paper?

That is among the questions posed by a recent appeal from the publisher of Haaretz for more English-language subscribers. In a May 12 post titled “An open letter from the publisher: Subscribe to Haaretz and help shape Israel,” Haaretz Publisher Amos Schocken wrote that by subscribing to the newspaper, one can “become a partner in actively supporting the two-state solution and the right to Palestinian self-determination, which will enable Israel to rid itself of the burdens of territorial occupation and the control of another people.”

Taking this public political stance was deemed necessary by the newspaper “because the relations between us Israelis and the Palestinians, the Israeli occupation of the territories, is the single most crucial issue for Israel,” Schocken told JNS.org.

“As Secretary of State [John] Kerry said, Israel may become an apartheid state, if this issue is not solved in a way that will result in two states, or else the Zionist goal of selfdetermination for the Jews will be compromised,” the publisher added, echoing controversial remarks Kerry made in April.

The wording of Schocken’s May 12 letter is markedly different from a November 2011 letter obtained by JNS.org in which he also appeals for subscribers. In that letter, there was no stance taken on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, nor indeed any mention of the conflict.

Potential subscribers were simply told that they could become “part of the greater digital community of Haaretz readers who believe that free speech, unvarnished information and speaking truth to power are an integral part of the core resilience of Israeli democracy.”

Tamar Sternthal, director of the Israel Office of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), criticizes Haaretz’s new strategy of marketing directly to readers on one end of the political spectrum.

“While it is legitimate for a newspaper to express its prevailing political views in its ed-

English and Hebrew editions of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

itorials, professional journalistic guidelines call for a separation of news and views. Once a media outlet engages in advocacy journalism, and allows a particular political agenda to color its news reports, it is no longer being faithful to the core journalism imperative to report the truth,” she told JNS.org.

Yet Eric Alterman—a journalism professor, media columnist, and fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP)—believes the perception that news reporting needs to be separate from political views is not as common outside the U.S., and that American newspapers “are [also] becoming more transparent about the conclusions that are implied by their reporting.”

“This is Haaretz’s political viewpoint. I appreciate their honesty,” Alterman, author of “The Cause: The Fight For American Liberalism,” told JNS.org regarding Schocken’s letter.

There is also a big difference between the political debate about Israel in Israel itself, and the discourse about the Jewish state in the U.S., noted Georgetown University professor and Middle East analyst Moran Stern.

“In the U.S. it seems that there is a clear— somewhat superficial—division between left

Hmbr via Wikimedia Commons

and right, between pro-Israel and anti-Israel, and in Israel that is not really the case,” Stern told JNS.org.

Yet while Haaretz “is a product of Israel’s vibrant democracy and press freedom, it also plays a major role in the demonization of Israel,” wrote Simon Plosker, managing editor for the website of the media watchdog group HonestReporting. Plosker cited the “hateful writing” of Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy, who won HonestReporting’s 2012 “Dishonest Reporter Award” for “manipulating an opinion poll to ‘prove’ that Israel was an apartheid state,” and the work of correspondent Amira Hass, who “brazenly defended Palestinian stone throwing even if it could cause Israeli fatalities.”

“Schocken’s mission statement is also noteworthy by what it omits,” Plosker wrote.

“While he is happy to employ positive terms such as ‘liberal,’ ‘pluralism,’ and ‘civil and human rights,’ what about ‘Jewish?’ This speaks volumes for a media outlet that often looks like it is embarrassed by Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state.”

CAMERA’s Sternthal, who regularly monitors both the Hebrew and English print editions of Haaretz, points to what she sees as

a pronounced difference between Haaretz’s Hebrew and English non-opinion news reporting. Most Haaretz stories are written first in Hebrew, then translated for the English edition—and Sternthal believes more than translation is going on.

“In preparation for the English edition, the Hebrew articles are not merely translated— they’re often also whitewashed,” she said.

Sometimes in a dramatic fashion, and other times subtly, information that first appeared in the Haaretz Hebrew edition regarding Palestinian or Arab terrorism, extremism or other wrongdoing is either downplayed or omitted entirely, at times to the point of being completely at odds with the original Hebrew text.

One of the most recent examples of this “Lost in Translation” phenomenon is the Haaretz English article “Lag Ba’Omer in Hebron: Settlers torch Palestinian orchard,” whose headline is not corroborated by the facts in the rest of the story, CAMERA noted.

The article itself did not support the “torching” claim in the headline, and the headline of the article’s Hebrew version did not use the same erroneous wording.

Haaretz later corrected the headline of the English piece to “Lag Ba’Omer in Hebron: Settlers light bonfire in Palestinian orchard.”

In another incident earlier this month, Haaretz reported on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement concerning Israel as “the nation-state of one people only—the Jewish people” by using the English headline “Netanyahu: Israel is home to one people—Jewish.”

CAMERA’s report on that article stated that “the difference between an exclusively Jewish ‘home’ and an exclusively Jewish ‘nation-state’ is vast.”

“If Netanyahu said Israel is ‘home’ only to the Jewish people, then he was indicating that 20 percent of Israel’s population… are not welcome… In fact, the prime minister explicitly affirmed that Israel ‘provides full equal rights, individual rights, to all its citizens,’” CAMERA said.

Haaretz also corrected that headline in both print and online, and issued a formal correction statement.

Striving to unite Torah and state…

Continued from page 1 third Temple will be built by the nation of Israel or will come down complete from Heaven. He said that the rabbis had different opinions, with the Rambam saying that until it happens we won’t know and Rashi saying that for now we should focus on the study of Torah.

Rabbi Carmel said that he came to the Five Towns lehafitz Torah (to spread Torah) as he does on trips around the world. “Next month we will have a seminar in Rome for all the rabbis of Italy,” he said.

Mishpat VeHalacha BeYisrael is “an amazing institution,” said Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky, rav of the Irving Place Minyan, noting that Rabbi Carmel was able to “explain a complex subject cogently and coherently in 15 minutes” during his discourse on Shabbat.

“We’ve had Rabbi Carmel a number of times in our shul,” said Rabbi Kenneth Hain of Beth Shalom. “He’s doing wonderful, pioneering work dealing with modern realities, technologically, scientifically and socially in ways that allow halacha to be applied properly. He is particularly to be lauded for doing it in a way that brings consensus with all the different elements in the halachik world to arrive at a mutually agreeable position. I’m a big supporter.”

Eretz Hemdah, the post-smicha program, was founded in 1987 by Rabbi Shaul Israeli, zt”l, who survived the Shoah, escaped from Russia, came on aliyah, and pioneered the study of Jewish law related to modern agriculture and Jewish philosophy.

He was a spiritual leader of religious Zionism for almost 60 years.

Its stated goal is to train “a new generation of leading Torah scholars imbued with loyalty to their people and their land, leaders with broad horizons who will work on uniting the nation through active rapprochement.” Part of the Zionist vision of

restoring Jewish sovereignty is the concept of the Jewish state’s judicial system reflecting the principles of justice and wisdom of Jewish legal tradition.

Eretz Hemdah prepares students for certification as dayanim (rabbinic judges), as rabbis of cities, and as ramim (lecturers) and deans on college and graduate level yeshivot. Certification as a dayan is recognized as a Ph.D. equivalent. The goal of the program is to “raise Torah scholars who will be halachik decisors and heads of yeshivot for this generation. All segments of the Jewish community accept them,” Rabbi Carmel explained. “They very much value the very high level (of learning) at Eretz Hemdah.”

The program focuses on the in-depth study of Talmud; halacha focusing on modern day questions; Jewish philosophy; Tanach and its relevance to solving today’s challenges; practical tools for communal rabbinic leadership, and how to deal with contemporary issues with sensitivity and open-mindedness in a manner suited to the needs of the current population. Eretz Hemdah accepts top graduates of Hesder yeshivot and their ordination programs when they have completed their military service and continue to serve in the reserves.

“There is also a program that resolves Torah questions for the whole world, specifically for rabbis around the world,” he said.

The website EretzHemdah.org, available in English, Hebrew and French, delineates the legal process with costs, stressing the requirement to conclude judgment in a timely, efficient and just manner, within 40 days. It also describes ethical guidelines for the judges.

Also on its site are a heter iska, dealing with loans and banking, and prozbul, a document necessary for the upcoming shmittah (sabbatical) year, preventing cancellation of debts by transferring them to the Jewish court.

THE JEWISH STAR May 30, 2014 • 1 SIVAN 5774

Thank Haaretz for its anti-‘occupation’ stand?

13

Sunday’s Israel concert Israel Day Concert Thousands of celebrants are expected at the 21st Annual Israel Day Concert, Carl Freyer, z”l, Tribute and Dr. Manfred Lehmann Memorial event at Central Park’s Summer Stage on Sunday June 1. This also marks the 47th anniversary of the Six-Day War and Reunification of Jerusalem.

The free concert will be held from 2:30 to 7:30 pm, rain or shine, after the CelAt a previous Israel Day concert, from left: Dr. Joseph Frager, Dr. ebrate Israel Parade.

Paul Brody and Drora Brody, beside Women in Green tapestry.

Dr. Joseph and Karen Frager, long-time organizers, perstar Gad Elbaz, and two returning stars, and Dr. Paul and Drora Brody, chairpersons singer and showman LIPA, and EDON, who for the past nine years, announced the con- proudly wore his kippa as he achieved semicert’s themes of Israel and Jerusalem: Unit- finalist status on “America’s Got Talent,” and ed forever —Never to be divided again, No Chasidic phenom Benny Friedman. Elron further concessions of any part of the Land Zabatani, of Jerusalem’s Old City, will be acof Israel (Yisrael HaShleima), Stopping Iran companied by Shlomi Aharoni, from Israel, now, and Countering the Boycott, Divest and who is an alumnus of the Rabbinical IDF OrSanction (BDS) movement. chestra & Choir. Shloime Dachs Orchestra & The concert is sponsored by the Israel Singers will provide musical accompaniment.

Concert-In-The-Park Committee, in associa- Zvika Bornstein will be the musical director tion with Young Israel Chovevei Zion and the and Nachum Segal will emcee.

National Council of Young Israel.

Special thanks to Chaim Leibtag, Rivki Guest speakers will be Texas Senator Ted Tsaidi, Odeleya Jacobs.

Cruz; MK Danny Danon, Deputy Defense Kosher food and drinks will be available Minister of Israel; and Ambassador John for sale, supplied by Mendy’s. Early arrival is Bolton, an expert on the situation in Iran and strongly advised, as there will be added secua staunch supporter of Israel. Mort Klein, rity checks for entrance to the SummerStage. president of the Zionist Organization of For security reasons, no large backpacks or America (ZOA), will also speak. Special ap- bags will be allowed into the Concert. Photo pearances will be made by leading political ID is required for entry. Entry to the concert and religious leaders and by Jewish activists. will be at Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street.

Performers include Israeli Sephardic suwww.IsraelDayConcert.com

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15 THE JEWISH STAR May 30, 2014 • 1 SIVAN 5774

Jewish Star Schools For FREE publication email SCHOOLS @TheJewishStar.com. Copy may be edited for style and space.

Ultimate Gaga for Shulamith Students and faculty of Shulamith Middle Division enjoyed a fun-filled outing to Ultimate Gaga, an indoor arena in Syosset.

Upon arrival, each grade was assigned a different Gaga “pit” in which they were able to play multiple rounds of the action-packed, fast-paced elimination game.

After a few rounds in which the grades played separately, students were free to play against students from all grades.

In addition to Gaga, the girls played fullcourt basketball, ping pong, and a variety of exciting interactive arcade games. A highlight of the outing was when members of the Shulamith Mustangs challenged teachers to a game of basketball. Though they put up a valiant effort, the teachers were defeated by the eighth graders.

HANC kids visit wax museum George Washington, Anne Frank, Benjamin Franklin, Harry Houdini, Walt Disney, Leonardo Da Vinci, Jane Goodall, Albert Einstein, Dr. Seuss and more famous historical figures were brought to life by Third Graders at HANC’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School, in West Hempstead, at Madame HANCO’s Wax Museum.

The students each read a biography about an important historical figure and learned about what significant contributions that person made to the world. After learning about their historical figure, each student prepared a speech about who the person was, what they contributed and what they think the historical figure’s “message to the world” would be.

Students then transformed themselves into their historical figure and brought them to life at Madame HANCO’s Wax Museum.

Parents, grandparents and students who visited the museum approached each “statue” and followed directions on their board to make them “come to life,” after which the museum visitors heard the student’s prepared speech about who they were and why they were important.

HANC senior wins 10G Throughout March, the HANC Jump Team collected canned goods for the “You Can Change The World” Feinstein Campaign. The campaign offered a $10,000 grant to the five schools that collected the most cans and five additional $10,000 awards to the students who individually collected the largest number of canned food items within their school’s drive.

HANC Senior, Sender Gross rightfully earned the $10,000 prize in

HANC 3d grade visits Safety Town Third graders at HANC’s Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School, in West Hempstead, learned a lot and had fun on their visit to Safety Town at Eisenhower Park. Mrs. Schwartz and Rabbi Merrill accompanied the students on this important visit during which the students

learned how to use crosswalks and traffic lights in order to be safe pedestrians.

The students learned how to follow the rules of the road and use hand signals while riding a bicycle. The third graders will now remember to stop, look and look again before crossing the street.

the student category, collecting over 1,000 cans of food. As a school, HANC collected over 2,000 cans which were also donated to Tomchei Shabbos.

We thank Rabbi Daniel Mezei, Director of Student Life, and Ms. Joyce Lieberman, faculty advisor of HANC’s Jump Team for orchestrating the entire event. We congratulate Sender Gross on his reward and applaud his incredible devotion to the cause from start to finish.

May 30, 2014 â&#x20AC;¢ 1 SIVAN 5774 THE JEWISH STAR

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