The Jewish Star

The JEWISH STAR

TheJewishStar.com

Parsha Chukas • June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777 • Five Towns Candlelighting 8:11 pm, Havdalah 9:20 • Luach page 19 • Vol 16, No 24

The Newspaper of our Orthodox communities

Teach our children well

By Celia Weintrob Photos by Doni Kessler

While Torah is forever true, the ideal way for the mesorah to be conveyed to our children — and how an everlasting love of Torah and Yiddishkeit is embedded in their beings — changes over time.

“You’re still talking about what worked for you in 1972 and insisting that that’s what should work for your kid,” Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, Shila”a, said in key-

note remarks that opened the fourth annual Five Towns Community Collaborative Conference on Sunday.

“What is the Torah the kids need now?” he asked. “What worked in 1972 won’t necessarily work today.”

Rabbi Weinberger, founding morah d’asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere and mashpia at YU, reminded the parents and educators in attendance that Torah will not be received if it’s not

passed down according to the middah of the time, emphasizing that the primary ingredent needed in today’s chinuch is simcha.

Twenty-six speakers, including rabbis, rebbetzins, educators, community leaders and lecturers each addressed a key issue that challenge families and schools in frum communities. The event, hosted at the Young Israel of Woodmere, was orgaSee 5 Towns hosts on page 15

Photo by Doni Kessler

5 Towns conference told: Deliver Torah with joy to sustain the next generation

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, delivered keynote speech.

Presenting their topics, from left: Rabbi Baruch Fogel of Touro College, “Motivating our children to motivate themselves”; Reb-

betzin Shani Taragin, Tanach coordinator and mashgicha ruchanit at Midreshet Torah V’avodah, “Miriam: Meyaledet, Mei-

nika, and Morah”; Rabbi Ephraim Polakoff, Congregation Bais Tefilah, “Teens and technology: What you know and what you

don’t”; Rabbi Jesse Horn of Yeshivat Hakotel, “Helping children balance ideology and pleasure”; Esther Wein, “How to rec-

ognize your bashert”; Rabbi Kenneth Hain of Congregation Beth Shalom, “When it’s A-OK to say yes.”

Photos by Doni Kessler

Presenters at Sunday’s conference, from left: Elisheva Kaminetsky, SKA director of religious guidance, limudei kodesh, “Empowering choices”; Rabbi

Reuven Taragin, founder and director of Yeshivat Hakotel Community Education Conferences, “Torah tips on how to build and maintain a strong marriage”; Rabbi

Eytan Feiner of The White Shul, “When Yitzchak met Rivkah: Torah’s first mention of martial love”; Michal Horowitz, “Ahavas Yisrael: In theory or in prac-

tice?”; Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, mora d’asra, Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, “Raising successful children”; Rebbetzin Lisa Septimus, yoetzet hala-

cha of the Five Towns and of the Great Neck Synagogue, “Where do babies come from — addressing grown up matters with children.”

Photos by Doni Kessler

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This week on pages 8-9

prst std Us postage paid garden City, ny 11530 permit no 301

Super SpecialS

No summer getaway from Torah With the start of summer, The Jewish Star is again pleased to publish a special summer message by Rabbi Hershel Billet of the Young Israel of Woodmere. Rabbi Billet urges that his congregants exercise both physical and spiritual caution during the summer months.

Now that the summer is officially upon us, our kids will be scattering all over the world in the coming weeks. I am sharing some points I believe are worth noting when anticipating many summer activities we and/or our children might engage in. The first set of points concern safety concerns many of us are aware of, along with some reminders I think of every sum-

mer on account of sundry items that have caught my attention over the years. Please forgive me if I am saying things to you that you already know. When it comes to safety, a friendly reminder is appropriate.

This is essentially the same note as last year with a few added comments.

The second set of points concerns our summer attitudes towards Sanctity and Kedusha. On a metaphysical level our eternal values are as important as our temporal values.

SAFETY

1. Sunscreen. Just about every study and article about the dangers of the sun recommends putting sunscreen on exposed

parts of the body, especially when one will be outdoors for a few hours. When in the sun for extended periods, heads should be covered!

2. Bike Helmets. Biking accidents are never good for riders, but while most injuries have a better chance of recovery, brain injuries don’t have such luxuries. Please wear helmets - be a role model for the children of our community - and insist that kids do too, even when biking on your block.

3. Hydration. We are not always aware how much the heat or humidity affects us.

In general, healthy consumption of water is at least 80 oz a day. On hot days spent outdoors, even more is recommended. It is important to remember to drink even when you are doing a water activity. Getting wet

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Rabbi Hershel Billet of the YI of Woodmere.

does not keep your body hydrated. If you are taking a long plane flight, be sure to drink a good quantity of water.

4. Nature precautions. Every summer brings with it warnings of ticks that may carry diseases. Appropriate clothing, sprays, and general awareness of what to look for either in the tick itself or if you are bitten — are all important to bear in mind. In the Northeast USA use appropriate precautions and awareness to avoid Lyme disease.

5. Plants and wildlife. When in the great outdoors, we come in contact with the beauty, but also the potential dangers of nature. Know what kinds of animals may be in your vicinity. Know what kinds of plants — whether dangerous by contact alone or through ingestion — are to be avoided.

Snakes are a particular issue in Israel this summer. There are poisonous snakes. A few precautions are in order. Do not hike in the dark. Do not step or place hands into covered areas where you cannot see what is beneath the covering. Snakes can also be found in water/swimming holes or lakes. Doors should always be closed and windows must have screens. If bitten, sit down, call for an emergency ambulance and get to the nearest hospital ASAP. A poisonous bite will include genuine swelling at the spot of the bite. It is important not to lose one’s cool and not to be active after a bite. Do not tie a tourniquet, or make an incision or suction the bite.

5a. Allergies. I always carry Benadryl with me when I travel or hike. People can get allergic reactions from insect and bee bites even if they have no history of having a reaction. Sometimes the reaction can be dangerously severe. Ask your physician what is the best precaution for you.

6. Hiking. Hikers should stick to marked trails. Always have a map. And hike safely.

Every year Israeli news reports include too many stories of accidents and tragedies involving people unfamiliar with the desert who go hiking with no plan, map, or communication.

Death by dehydration and exposure to the elements is usually the diagnosis. Never hike alone and always have a reliable means of communication with you in case of emergency.

7. Driving in the country. Relatively inexperienced drivers (kids under 21) must be reminded that the Catskills and Poconos are full of one-lane, challenging roads. Extra care should be taken on these roads — day and night — especially with young drivers who (percentage-wise) tend to be more reckless. Responsible driving will help prevent the fatalities we unfortunately hear about every summer.

8. Water Safety. Please use every safety precaution with home pools. No one should swim without a responsible and capable person supervising. Especially small children. Pool safety with young children is paramount. There See summer on page 6

The Jewish Star returns July 12 919717

June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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The Jewish Star will not publish during July 4th week (Parsha Balak). Our office will be open, except on Tuesday, July 4th.

We’ll return, B”H, on Wednesday, July 12.

OU and Agudath cheer court ruling on grants the relationship between church and state by saying that the Constitution requires the state to directly fund a church project.

“Its decision slights both our precedents and our history, and its reasoning weakens this country’s longstanding commitment to a separation of church and state beneficial to both,” she wrote in the dissent that also was signed by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“It is Agudath Israel of America’s hope and belief that the ruling will have broad effect across our nation, particularly in states that have Blaine Amendments, and will find widespread application to many areas, including school choice and security grant programs, that are of vital interest to the Orthodox Jewish community,” Rabbi Cohen said.

Missouri is one of thirty-nine states with Blaine Amendment-like constitutional restrictions. Agudath Israel has fought against these constrictions for decades, saying this week that they “represent a dark cloud over our nation’s history.”

“They are debilitating provisions born of bigotry specifically targeting religion and its adherents,” Agudath said. “That they have been allowed to remain in force in our day is an explicit endorsement of this despicable prejudice. The Court’s decision, once and for all, rejects this hostility toward religion and the religious, and cannot help but seriously undermine and limit the scope and application of these Blaine provisions.”

OU President Mark Bane said his organization expects “the ruling to assist us in expanding the number and type of [government] programs which aid faith communities with their safety costs.”

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his congregants had caused him tremendous harm, both personally and professionally.

Unsure how to proceed, the rav called the Agudah’s New Jersey office whose legal services division put him in contact with attorney Ronald Coleman, a partner with the firm of Archer & Greiner.

Coleman agreed to represent the rav pro bono and succeeded in convincing the judge that the rav’s actions were protected under the Constitution’s First Amendment. The case was dismissed, affirming an important rule of law allowing rabbonim to carry out their religious duties without fear of retribution and affirming the right of a beis din to issue a seruv, with all of its associated consequences, against a recalcitrant husband.

“We are gratified the judge did not hesitate to address explicitly the important First Amendment issue raised in the claim against the rabbi,” Coleman said. “In reaffirming the rule that secular courts have no jurisdiction over a rav’s conduct as a congregational leader, the court strengthened the rule of law, of which freedom of religion is a pillar under the Constitution.”

“This case does more than affirm a rav’s first amendment right,” said Rabbi Avi Schnall, director of Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey Region. “It empowers rabbonim to lead their kehilas and batei din to issue a psak without the fear of being litigated.”

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Agudath Israel of America In a groundbreaking victory upholding the constitutional right to freedom of religion, a New Jersey judge dismissed a slander and defamation lawsuit against a rabbi who told congregants to avoid all contact with a person who was found to be m’sarev b’din by a beis bin.

The plaintiff in the case, which was brought to New Jersey Superior Court in December 2016, had been going through a difficult divorce when he was summoned to a din Torah. The plaintiff ignored the hazmana, prompting the beis din to issue a seruv labeling him as being in contempt of court. Despite the associated sanctions, however, the plaintiff continued to come to shul as before.

Unsure how to interact with a fellow congregant who had been officially classified as m’sarev b’din, members of the shul asked the rav to clarify the halachically appropriate way to handle the situation. The rav advised them that, al pi halacha, they were not permitted to speak to the plaintiff, do business with him or associate with him in any way, and having been given a psak by their Rav, the congregants followed his directive.

Several years later it was the rav who found himself summoned to legal proceedings as the husband in the divorce case filed suit against him in secular court, charging him with defamation and slander. According to the plaintiff, the rav’s instructions to

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NJ court: beis din can enforce religious law

THE JEWISH STAR June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777

The Jewish Star The Orthodox Union and Agudath Israel each applauded Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rejected the exclusion of houses from worship from a government grants program.

The 7-2 ruling “puts state aid to synagogues (and other houses of worship) and parochial schools for security and safety measures on an explicit and solid constitutional footing,” said Nathan Diament, executive director of Orthodox Union Advocacy Center in Washington.

“The chief justice’s majority opinion makes it clear that a state may not exclude an institution from a neutral government benefit program because of the institution’s religious status.”

Calling the decision “one of the most significant rulings on religious liberty in many generations,” Rabbi Abba Cohen, Agudath Israel vice president for federal affairs and Washington director, said the decision “bodes well for the future in providing a full measure of equality for American persons and institutions of faith.”

The court ruled that the state of Missouri should not have denied Trinity Lutheran Church a grant to build a children’s playground because of the church’s status as a religious institution, since it met the criteria for the state program.

Justice Stephen Breyer, in a concurring opinion, wrote that the state may not cut off a religious institution from “‘a general program designed to secure or to improve the health and safety of children’ without running afoul of the Constitution.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in her dissent that the court’s decision “profoundly changes”

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Surprising climax to a 45-year dream of aliyah

The growing Zacks clan in Israel now includes six of their seven children and their spouses, and 18 grandchildren.

Joel got a job that paid just as much as he was earning in the United States.

“I was shocked,” he said, adding that the bureaucracy was “far easier than I was made to believe.”

One thing that helped, the couple said, was assistance from Nefesh B’Nefesh, the organization that manages aliyah from North America. Aside from assisting with the Zacks’ aliyah processing, Nefesh B’Nefesh helped Joel obtain his medical license within a month of his arrival. He immediately started

in the Jerusalem hills near Beit Shemesh

asking around how he could do house calls, and soon someone at one of Israel’s primary health care providers, Leumi, heard about him.

Suddenly Joel had a job at Leumi, which hired him to be a visiting ophthalmologist treating patients in clinics throughout the West Bank that lack the expensive eye equipment he brings with him on his visits. Linda said that a Nefesh B’Nefesh representative called them every month during their first year in Israel to check in and see how they were doing.

“I always knew that if I needed anything, they would help,” Linda said.

Among the benefits the Zacks received upon moving to Israel was free ulpan — intensive Hebrew classes. Linda studied for a full year and now speaks fluent Hebrew. Joel chose instead to do a two-week crash course.

“I can get along fine without Hebrew,” Joel said, though he wishes he were fluent. “I’m very proficient in eye exam vocabulary, but not much outside of that.”

The couple’s oldest son, Arye, 43, who made aliyah in 2006 with his wife and three children, the oldest of whom is now finishing his military service in the Israeli Navy, said it was never a given that one day almost his entire family would move to Israel.

“It just kind of happened over time,” he said. First his younger brother came, then his sister and then another brother.

Back in the U.S., we were sending our kids to a Zionist school, and it kind of seemed silly to do that when we had the opportunity to live here.

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“Seeing my brother living here, it seemed very similar to life in the States,” said Arye, who lives in Modiin, a suburb between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Back in the U.S., he said, “we were sending our kids to a Zionist school, and it kind of seemed silly to do that when we had the opportunity to live here.”

Though almost the entire Zacks clan now lives in this small country the size of New Jersey, it’s not easy for everyone to get together. With 18 grandchildren and six sets of parents plus Joel and Linda – 32 people in all — it’s almost a military operation.

“We live all over the country, and there are many of us, so getting all together can be tough and expensive,” Arye said.

They usually pick one Shabbat a year for a big family gathering. The next reunion is planned for September, when one of the grandkids has his bar mitzvah.

Arye, unlike his father, didn’t worry about making money in Israel. Leaving his job in advertising in Detroit, he felt confident that he would land on his feet in his new home.

“I think we had 24 shekels in the bank when I got my first job here,” said Arye, who now manages social media for the software maker AmDocs. His wife is a writer, and the couple is earning about what they made in Detroit, he said.

These days, Linda and Joel Zacks are mostly retired. Joel, who was working full time when they first immigrated, recently transitioned to part time and now spends most mornings attending religious classes.

Linda is an artist practicing calligraphy, photography and graphic art.

She’s also become interested in paper cutting thanks to a weekly class in Jerusalem. But Linda spends most of her time with her children and grandchildren, whom she sees several times a week.

She also has immersed in communal life, taking Hebrew and Jewish classes and serving on the board of their local synagogue, a Young Israel that is home to many other American immigrants.

Four years since making aliyah, the thrill of living in Jerusalem and seeing the Old City still feels fresh.

“Every day we wake up and say, ‘Wow, we’re really here,’” Linda said.

“We should have come 40 years ago,” Joel added wistfully.

This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with Nefesh B’Nefesh, which in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah, the Jewish Agency, KKL and JNF-USA is minimizing the professional, logistical and social obstacles of aliyah, and has brought over 50,000 olim from North America and the United Kingdom over the last 15 years.

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By Yardena Schwartz JERUSALEM (JTA) — When Joel Zacks and Linda Ginns each first visited Israel, on separate pre-college tours, they fell in love with the country.

It was 1968, they were both 18 and had yet to meet. They returned to America, met during freshman orientation at Yeshiva University and fell in love again — this time, with each other. When they married in 1970, they planned to immigrate to Israel.

“We had a five-year plan,” said Joel, now 66. “But life got in the way.”

They settled in Detroit and raised their seven children there. But love for Israel ran strong in the Zacks household, and six of their seven children made aliyah. After 45 years, the parents followed them, making the move in 2013. Today, 18 of the Zacks’ 23 grandchildren live in Israel.

“We made aliyah on Yom Haatzmaut,” Linda said.

But as the Zackses settled down, they were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to make a living in Israel.

A successful ophthalmologist, Joel had been warned by several people that in Israel he would earn only a fraction of what he was making in Detroit. He recalled meeting one doctor in Israel making the equivalent of $10 an hour.

“There’s this perception that as a doctor you can’t make a living here, and we had a family,” Joel said.

On top of the financial risk was the bureaucratic aggravation he had heard accompanied aliyah.

So they waited to move until they neared retirement age. Then the unexpected happened: Within a month of arriving in Israel,

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ics that will want to enter, there will be people trying to steal objects,” he added, noting that “huge security issues” must be worked out.

In June 2016, a collector from Argentina paid $680,000 for a pair of Naziowned underpants and other memorabilia.

“It’s impossible that one collector would have this invaluable amount of original Nazi objects,” DAIA vice president Alberto Indij told JTA. Some of the Nazi-era objects discovered by Argentine police.

“These [objects] likely bethe police for their work in making the discovery. longed directly to Hitler or Jo“From this building we spoke several times seph Mengele. Someone escaped with all these about the lack of security in this country, but to- objects. There isn’t a person that bought all this. day it’s time to recognize the good work done No, these were Nazi officers trying to hide and by the police and the Security Ministry,” he said. save these objects.”

“These objects are an irrefutable testimony to The magnifying glass and accompanying the Nazi horror and that Argentina was a refuge” photo of Hitler were not put on public display, for the Nazis. but Indij saw them at Interpol headquarters and Before receiving an award from DAIA, Securi- confirmed their existence to JTA. ty Minister Patricia Bullrich spoke to over 200 atMengele, who performed experiments on tendees crowded in a small room where a sample Jewish prisoners, lived in Argentina for a decade of the objects were on display. She said her minis- after the war in the same area of Buenos Aires try has asked the judge in charge of investigating where the Nazi medical tools were discovered. the discovery that all of the objects be donated El Haibe said there could be some link between to the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires, “so Mengele and the recently discovered tools. that all Argentinians and also visitors who come “There are strong coincidences of tools, practo Buenos Aires can see this shocking collection.” tices, locations; we are investigating this hypothAmong the attendees were Germany Embassy esis right now,” he said. “But for sure this did not officials, judges, intellectuals and businessmen, belong to a low-level Nazi follower. This belongs as well as the Jewish philanthropists Eduardo to a very high-level Nazi official who brought Elsztain and Marcelo Mindlin, who was named them to Argentina.” recently the president of the Holocaust Museum A video about the Interpol evaluation, dubbed of Buenos Aires.

Operation Near East since many objects of Asian “This collection is a great responsibility; we historical significance also were discovered durwill prepare our site to receive this contribution,” ing the raids earlier this month, was released by Mindlin told JTA. “There will be a lot of fanat- the Argentine Federal Police.

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By JTA Staff BUENOS AIRES — A cache of 75 original Nazi objects discovered earlier this month by the has been evaluated as “unprecedented” and “the biggest” discovery of its type.

The objects, discovered by Argentine Federal Police in a hidden room of a house in the northern part of the city, included equipment used for Nazi medical experiments during the Holocaust.

They were analyzed a week ago at Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, Federal Police Commissioner Marcelo El Haibe told JTA. The police found a bust relief of Adolf Hitler, medical devices marked with swastikas used to measure head and body size, Nazi puzzles for children, and a magnifying glass attached to a photo of Hitler using the magnifying glass.

Argentina was a refuge for Nazis like Josef Mengele after World War II. Adolf Eichmann was captured in the northern area of Buenos Aires in 1960, and another war criminal, Erich Priebke, also lived there.

El Haibe, a member of Interpol who accompanied the pieces to Lyon, told JTA that “Interpol colleagues from Germany, Israel and United States were surprised by the globally unprecedented discovery. No one has a record of this magnitude a discovery of original Nazis objects, and we have started a collaborative process to search the route of the objects to Argentina.”

According to El Haibe, who also serves as the chief of the Protection of Cultural Heritage department of the federal police, only a very high level of Nazi officer had access to this quality and quantity of objects, and apparently tried to save the objects when the Nazi regime was failing.

THE Argentine Jewish political umbrella DAIA displayed some of the objects at its headquarters in the AMIA Jewish center here. The AMIA building was destroyed in a 1994 terrorist bombing and rebuilt in 1999.

DAIA President Ariel Cohen Sabban praised

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THE JEWISH STAR June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777

Nazi-era trove found in Argentina

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No summer getaway from Torah…

Continued from page 2 is no margin for error! Tragedy can strike — literally — in seconds. If swimming at the shore or in a lake, familiarize yourself with important information like undertow or depth of the water. Do not swim without a trained water safety person present. Never swim alone!

9. Hitchhiking. We are in the throes of an emotionally wrenching experience in Israel. Hitchhiking in Israel and in Gush Etzion is part of the culture and one may argue, almost a necessity. We leave that for the Israelis to debate (as they already are) going forward. In the USA it is not a necessity. Staff members who are allowed to leave camp should only take rides from within the camp or outside the camp with people who they can be certain are trustworthy people.

Many camps arrange shuttle rides for their staff at fixed hours out and back to camp.

Such a policy is commendable.

10. Personal Space. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO GUARD THEIR BODIES. If anyone in camp, on a trip, or anywhere else touches them inappropriately, they should

know what to do to protect themselves. THEY MUST IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY YOU about what happened. BE SURE TO EMPHASIZE TO THEM THAT THEY MUST DISCLOSE EVEN (AND ESPECIALLY) IF THEY HAVE BEEN WARNED TO KEEP QUIET! There can be no mercy for a person who molests children. Such people are potential murderers!

11. ZIKA VIRUS. A mosquito can only transmit Zika if it has first bitten someone with the virus. Therefore, though there are around 300 Zika cases in the USA, most or all were contracted abroad. To the best of my knowledge there are few or no cases of Zika that were transmitted by mosquito in the USA. 12. Driving in the neighborhood.

During the summer and on weekends many children play outside. Parents must teach them about safety in the streets. Drivers must be aware that not all children think about looking before they dart into the street. Let us all try to take the necessary precautions about this matter. DRIVERS MUST GO VERY SLOWLY DOWN SIDE STREETS AND PARENTS MUST WATCH AND CAUTION CHILDREN. Even the safest and

slowest driver can accidentally hit a child who dashes from a blind spot in front of their car.

SANCTITY 1. Tzniut. We are Orthodox Jews living in a very open society and we are exposed to the accepted norms of that society. Our standards of “kedoshim tihiyoo,” to be a holy people, often clash with the reality around us. Being a “holy people” requires us to be separate and different in our behavior in general and in the choices we make in our dress. This applies to both men and women. For leisure time and even for swimming, there are appropriate options available that preserve our sense of modesty when in the company of friends.

As the schools our children attend have dress codes, let those guidelines essentially determine how both parents and children choose to observe a standard of ‘tzniut’ in dress, at least as far as how we cover our arms, legs, and torso. This is a standard we can all appreciate and respect. Summer footwear (sandals, socks, etc) are a matter of

personal choice which I am not addressing here. I do think that there is room in the halacha to allow people to wear comfortable footwear in warm and hot weather.

There are both objective standards of tzniut and subjective standards. But everyone has some concept of what is not appropriate.

It is a challenging task. But we must elevate ourselves in the same way that we sacrifice to keep Kosher and to observe Shabbat.

2. Religious standards when on vacation. Daily prayers, tzitzit, tefillin, kashrut, choice of entertainment, and full Shabbat observance is a sine qua non for the Orthodox family.

An accepted halakhic practice, for example, is not to swim on Shabbat! Just as our community does not condone picking “the kosher item in a non-kosher menu,” we must live by the same standards we live by at home even when we are on vacation, away from anyone who knows us.

We may go on vacation from the pressures of our daily routines, but there is no vacation from our covenant with HASHEM. Parents should set a high bar for themselves and their children.

CONSISTENCY IS A SPECIAL GIFT WE CAN GIVE OUR CHILDREN! May we be blessed to be avenues of Kiddush Hashem and the sanctification of G-d’s name in all that we do.

I wish everyone a pleasant summer.

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June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Commentary by Shalom Lipner, JTA WASHINGTON — America. Bipartisanship. Compulsory.

The literal ABCs of Israel’s national security doctrine remain Jerusalem’s airtight bond with the United States.

The tangible friendship expressed for Israel by elected officials at all levels of the U.S. government, the robust cooperation between their business, scientific, defense and intelligence communities, and grassroots American support for the Jewish state endure as the sine qua non of Israel’s success.

None of this would have been possible unless Democrats and Republicans — recognizing the partnership’s inherent value to America — had united in common cause to embrace Israel.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has long known this. Reeling from the fallout of its 2016 policy conference, when then-candidate Donald Trump took to the podium to castigate President Barack Obama as “the worst thing that ever happened to Israel,” AIPAC management was determined to prevent this year’s event in March from turning into a partisan battlefield.

But noble aspirations are the first victims in the era of the perpetual political campaign. Addressing the assembly on the first evening, Vice President Mike Pence stoked the coals of divisiveness, proclaiming that “for the first time in a long time, America has a president who will stand with our allies and stand up to our enemies.” He was only echoing the sentiments expressed at that same morning’s opening plenary by Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, who said, “For the first time in many years, perhaps even many decades, there is no daylight between our two governments.”

To be sure, Obama clashed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly, famously blindsiding his government by withholding a U.N. Security Council veto that led to the condemnation of Israel in the twilight of his presidency. But he was still the same president who ultimately signed off on a multiyear, $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding on security assistance — the one that compelled Netanyahu to “thank President Obama and his administration for this historic agreement.”

Here’s the rub: Memories of there never being any “daylight” between even the tightest of allies are myth. Nor has the advent of the Trump era eliminated all points of contention. But Israel has been fortunate to enjoy sustained, exceptionally high levels of coordination and collaboration under U.S. administrations of both political stripes.

And what is it that enables that consistency, which allows Israel to both thrive today and plan for its future? You guessed it. Bipartisanship.

Skeptics in Israel and within the Republican Party are not wrong: Israel does have a conspicuous problem within the present-day Democratic Party. Its sources range from the raging currents of globalization to differences over Israeli policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians. The incontrovertible fact today is that Republican sympathies for Israel far outstrip Democratic ones, thus posing a challenge from which friends of this bilateral relationship dare not shirk; capitulation is an unaffordable luxury for them.

Because the White House switches hands, congressional majorities are not eternal and even governments in Jerusalem have been rumored to change, neither side of the aisle can be written off. If the Israeli leadership ever had to deal with a hostile and alienated counterpart in the United States, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Ironically, for bipartisanship to be restored to full health, a particular aspect of Israel’s awkward synthesis of identity politics is both relevant and instructive here.

Prime Minister Netanyahu meets President Obama in New York on Sept. 21, 2016.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Prime Minister Netanyahu visits President Trump in the Oval Office on Feb. 15, 2017.

Andrew Harrer/Pool/Getty Images

Governance in America is anchored in a two-party system, but Israel’s proportional representation has birthed dozens of parties since its inception; the current Knesset boasts 11 caucuses. Among them are boutique factions championing narrow constituencies, namely religious Jews and Israel’s Arab citizens, but counterintuitively, an independent voice has not always served their needs.

One byproduct has been that these factions are deputized as chief lobbyists for basic services such as religious education and functional neighborhood policing for their communities. In more familiar terms: The fundamental deliverables of liberal democracy have been turned into horse-traded special interests.

And if these smaller parties then fail at their polls, whole sectors of society risk being marginalized. Meanwhile, with people voting their parochial concerns, the state becomes almost ungovernable.

A more effective way to guarantee themselves a hearing would have been for these groups to set up shop within Israel’s two major political blocs. That way, their core requisites would become integrated into the platforms of all governments, no matter which way the winds were blowing. In fact, signs of greater consolidation are now underway in Israel with talk of

mergers and some newer contenders fielding slates with greater in-house diversity.

Such thinking is a piece of cake for Americans. The Republican and Democratic universes are seeded with multiple affinity groups that toil to ensure their pet causes are well represented in both parties. Among those promoting a strong U.S.-Israel bond, in this context, are the National Jewish Democratic Council and Republican Jewish Coalition, institutions that liaise with their respective party apparatuses and work to foster closer ties between the two nations.

But bipartisan fellowship is becoming ever more tenuous, and I’ve witnessed personally how hyper-politicization can inflict damage to the cause — with supporters of this relationship “colluding” to turn it into a wedge issue when they hammer each other as only fair-weather friends. Since the mission of both the NJDC and the RJC is to help elect members from their own parties, they almost have a vested interest in undermining the bipartisan foundations of U.S.-Israel relations.

This same spirit of polarization has also consumed much of the cohort advocating on behalf of America’s alliance with Israel. AIPAC’s commitment to providing a warm bipartisan home for this community is being assailed by less politically inclusive outfits on both flanks. For the past eight years, J Street’s decidedly pro-Obama bent challenged the kumbaya of pro-Israel orthodoxy. And today, prominent Jewish funders and evangelical groups are calling for a more hard-hitting approach than AIPAC’s, one attuned to the sensibilities of Trump’s America.

How to square this circle when bipartisanship is indispensable but politics is king?

Friends of America’s partnership with Israel might best consider performing triage to stem the bleeding. If the relationship is to recoup its “unifier” status, the most immediate order of business should now be to neutralize the acrimony. AIPAC’s professionalism will remain a formidable asset — but only if the organization is not transformed into a boxing ring where political rivals come to exchange blows without regard for the injury it causes to bipartisanship.

Unless supreme efforts are invested to insulate this neutral ground, it could conceivably implode. Participants in last week’s AIPAC joint trip to Israel for Republican and Democratic campaign operatives’ officials — reportedly it “helped them dial down the bitter partisanship of current-day Washington” — would be the first to vindicate this approach.

At the same time, the current environment has prescribed an increasingly important role for tapered and cohesive silos of the like-minded. Enjoying the cachet of intellectual traction among their natural allies, partisan groups are equally potent messengers on issues ranging from foreign aid to the Iranian nuclear threat that they can cast skillfully in the vernacular of their particular guild. Ideally this task would be performed without too much emphasis on why the opposing team is “weak” on the issue; rather the mutual objective would be for all sides to be “strong.”

Psalm 133 is correct: It is good and pleasant for brothers to dwell together. But to ensure that Democrats and Republicans keep forging ahead to advance the alliance between the United States and Israel — a “best interest” of both countries — parallel inclusive and exclusive tracks of communal activism might just be a sign of the times. Perhaps it’s time for Bipartisanship 2.0.

“Bipairtisanship,” if you will.

Shalom Lipner is a nonresident senior fellow of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. From 1990 to 2016, he served seven consecutive premiers at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

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STAR SCHOOLS

June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz 5777 • Every week in print and online at TheJewishStar.com • Send news and photos to: Schools@TheJewishStar.com • Deadline: Friday noon

Midreshet Shalhevet sends its class to college Midreshet Shalhevet celebrated its sixth annual commencement ceremony, at Temple Hillel.

Menahelet Esther Eisenman praised the graduates for their hard work and personal growth.

“Part of what makes Midreshet Shalhevet special is that the girls are not sacrificing anything by coming to a small school,” she said. “They receive a top notch education in both limudei kodesh and general studies, clubs, and extracurriculars in a close and warm environment focused on each individual girl.”

Eisenman discussed her graduates’ high level of creativity, mentioning Sarit Perl, Michal Beer, Avigail Borah, and Tamar Lifshitz, who created incredible AP Art compositions.

She concluded her remarks by expressing how the girls can use their creativity to further their relationship with Hashem.

Valedictorian Avigayil Lev of Woodmere’s many accomplishments include four years as a Shalhevet Scholar; she was a Wendy’s High School Heisman School Winner, an AP Scholar with Honors, Mock Trial team captain leading the Midreshet

Salutatorian Shaindy Greenberg

Shalhevet team to the Nassau County Sweet Sixteen round two years in a row, and a participant on the math team, and college bowl team.

Avigayil addressed the packed house, congratulating her fellow graduates on all the hard work they have put in over the past four years succeeding academically, socially, and otherwise.

“We crave independence,” she said. “We talk about it all the time — going to Israel and college, making our own choices, becoming ‘adults’.

I used to believe independence was the ability to think for oneself, but my understanding of this has changed recently. I realized that I need other people, to depend on them, to learn new ideas and a broad range of skills.

“The only way to actually become independent is through other people’s intelligences, influence, and ideas.”

Avigayil will be attend Amudim in the fall, and has been accepted to Barnard College.

Salutatorian Shaindy Greenberg of Queens was, for four years, a Dean’s list Shalhevet Scholar, yearbook editor-in-chief, and Torah Bowl captain, Shaindy has acted as a peer tutor, a member of the math team and STEM science enrichment program.

Shaindy discussed a dvar Torah by Rav Moshe Feinstein which she connected to her high school experience.

“Our teachers have a love of teaching — lessons are clearly thought out, with examples given to make them clear,” she said. “If we don’t understand, they will try different strate-

Valedictorian Avigayil Lev

gies to elucidate the concept. Whenever I had trouble on how to apply a mathematical equation, or how to understand the deeper meaning behind a poem, my teachers would spend as much time as I needed to ensure my success.

“Whether we are grappling with the fundamentals of Bereishit or trying to identify the yitron within our-

selves, we owe much to our teachers who taught us so many priceless lessons through the texts.”

Shaindy will continue her education at Darchei Bina and Queens College.

Midreshet Shalhevet is proud of the rest of its graduates who have been accepted to the following prestigious schools: Avital Weinberg of Brooklyn, MIT; Aviva Chait of Far Rockaway, William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Queens College; Yael Eiferman of West Hempstead, William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Baruch College; Avigayil Borah of Hewlett, Barnard College; Zahava Fertig of Woodmere, S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at YU Stern College for Women; Sarit Perl of Atlantic Beach, S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program at YU Stern College for Women; and Suri Lipsky of Cedarhurst, YU Stern College for Women Dean’s Scholarship Program.

Congratulations to National Honor Society scholars Avigail Borah, Aviva Chait, Zahava Fertig, Shaindy Greenberg, Avigail Lev, Suri Lipsky, Sarit Perl, and Aviva Rubenstein, and to AP Scholars with Honors Avigayil Lev and Sarit Perl. Source: Midreshet Shalhevet

SKA wraps a fab year

By Rachel Ash, SKA ‘18 It’s been an incredible year at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls, one filled with notes, tests, quizzes, labs and even class during lunch.

Fortunate students in Mrs. Tannenbaum’s AP BIO class had a wonderful time spending an evening at their teacher’s home enjoying a BBQ and movie. The film of choice, “Hidden Figures,” about African-American women scientists who made great strides in science and technology, resonated with the girls. The class then roasted marshmallows over the fireplace and made smores. The night was filled with laughter as the class looked back on the productive and fun year they had.

The AP students heard from three speakers in the field of science. The first, Dr. Mindy Levine (SKA ’00), an organic chemist at Rhode Island University, is also Mrs. Glatt’s sister, The girls explored how to fix an oil spill, something Dr. Levine would see at her job on a regular working day. She also taught them how to swallow fire.

The next speaker was Melissa Rubin. a physician’s assistant at Montefiore Hospital. Many of the students were interested in the job of a PA. The third and speaker was Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman, a lecturer at Yeshiva University as well as an emergency room physician at Montefiore Hospital and the father of AP Bio student Shoshana Reichman.

He spoke about his job and the excitement of being an emergency room doctor.

He also discussed different halachic questions which may come up in the medical field and recent medical discoveries After a year of hard work, the girls played a well deserved game of kickball with AP Bio facing off against AP Chem. The students showed up in matching attire as well as face paint.

Congratulations to AP Chem on this victory.

Some of the Chesed Leadership Program alums (from left): Yitty Fisch of Kapayim, Chaya Travis of Sephardic Bikur Cholim, Allison Josephs of Jew in the City, and Leba Schwebel of the Amatz Initiative.

Touro salutes chesed There were no caps and gowns and “pomp and circumstance” could not be heard in the background. What was palpable at this commencement of the Chesed Leadership Program was a heavy dose of gratitude, camaraderie and commitment to growth.

Graduates of the Chesed Leadership Program, a fellowship designed to nurture and advance Orthodox Jewish women leading nonprofit and social service organizations, are leading a variety of critical organizations in the community and many are mothers and grandmothers with full time jobs whose charitable work is voluntary and represents a commitment to a cause by which they were personally touched.

Over the course of the six month fellowship, a partnership between UJA-Federation of NY, Lander College for Women and the Touro College Graduate School of Social Work, the women explored key topics in organizational development and strategic planning, volunteer and board development, public relations and social media, fundraising, financial management, technology and human resources.

“The program exceeded all expectations we had when we conceived of this initiative,” said Dr. Marian Stoltz-Loike, dean of Touro’s Lander College for Women/The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School and Vice President of Online Education at Touro College.

“The participants are not assuming others will do the tough job of serving those in need, but rather they take responsibility upon themselves. They are thinking, listening, asking questions and committed to transforming the world with their actions.”

According to Leba Schwebel, commencement speaker and director of the Amatz Initiative, “As Jews we must always be thankful.

When you translate the Hebrew word ‘L’hodot,’ it has a dual meaning — to thank and also to admit. When we thank someone, we are admitting that we needed their help. Today I represent all of the Chesed Leadership Program participants when I thank the organizers at UJA and Touro and admit that the education you provided to us was so needed. You helped us become better leaders and improve our service to our communities.”

Source: Touro

THE JEWISH STAR June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777

JEWISH

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June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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‘Happily, the Government of the Uni that they who live under its protectio who dwell in this land continue to m his own vine and fig tree and there s

THE JEWISH STAR June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777

ited States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only on should demean themselves as good citizens. … May the children of the stock of Abraham merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants, while every one shall sit in safety under shall be none to make him afraid.’ From George Washington’s Letter to the Jews of Newport, Aug. 18, 1790

13

Whadayaknow! Fun facts about the 4th of July Judy Joszef who’s in the kitchen

N

I used my own vanilla cake recipe (email me for the recipe at judy.soiree@gmail.com).

You can use a boxed cake mix, just make sure it’s pareve. Substitute margarine or Pam instead of butter, Tofutti or pareve ice cream instead of dairy ice cream, Rich’s non-dairy whip cream (you will have to beat it, as you do heavy cream). If you use Rich’s whip, you don’t need the confectioner’s sugar.

4th of July Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients: Cooking spray 1 16-to-18-ounce box white cake mix (plus required ingredients) 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 28 drops royal blue gel food coloring 4 drops violet gel food coloring Unsalted butter, for the pan 3 pints raspberry sorbet 2-1/2 pints vanilla ice cream 2 pints heavy cream 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar Directions: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch-round springform pan with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mix as directed, adding the cocoa powder and food coloring to the batter. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until done, about 45 minutes.

Let the cake cool, then remove from the pan;

level the domed top with a serrated knife. Use a 5-inch circle of parchment paper as a guide to cut a circle from the center of the cake (you won’t need the small circle). Freeze the large cake ring.

Cut a 6-by-30-inch strip of parchment paper.

Clean the springform pan, then butter it and line the side with the parchment; the paper will extend above the rim of the pan so you can build a tall cake.

Let 1 pint sorbet soften slightly at room temperature. Spread in the prepared pan, then lay a piece of plastic wrap on top and use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the sorbet into the pan in an even layer. Freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Let 1 pint vanilla ice cream soften; spread in the pan, cover with plastic wrap and press evenly with the measuring cup. Freeze until firm, then repeat to make 1 more layer each of sorbet and ice cream (4 layers total). Freeze until firm.

Place the blue cake ring on top of the ice cream, pressing gently; return to the freezer while you prepare the next layer.

Cut off the top 1-1/2 inches of the remaining sorbet carton; remove the carton and wrap the sorbet loosely in plastic wrap. Press into a 5-inch round, then place the flattened sorbet into the hole in the cake, smoothing as needed. Freeze until firm.

Cut off the top 1-1/2 inches of the remaining ice cream carton (you won’t need the bottom).

Flatten as you did the sorbet; place on top of the raspberry layer. Repeat with the bottom section of sorbet. Freeze until firm.

Beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Remove the springform ring and parchment collar from the cake. Cover the cake with the whipped cream. Freeze until ready to serve.

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ince this is almost my sixth (yikes!) year writing this column, I’ve run out of amusing July 4th stories. So, instead I decided to do some research on Independence Day. Sure, we may celebrate with delectable BBQ’s, attend fireworks displays, head for the beach, picnics or the pool — but how many of us know all the facts and he myths?

Here are 10 facts assembled by Jim Schuett in “Coffee Table Reading” (rogersfamilyco.com): •Independence Day was actually supposed to be July 2nd, but the Declaration of Independence wasn’t adopted until July 4th.

•Even though Independence Day is the celebrated on the 4th of July and the Declaration of Independence starts with “In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America…” the document was not signed until Aug. 2, 1776, when 50 men signed it.

•The first anniversary was celebrated on July 4, 1777 in Philadelphia with an official dinner for the Continental Congress.

•George Washington celebrated July 4, 1778, with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute in Princeton.

•The first public “official” White House Fourth of July event didn’t happen until 1804.

•Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, both died on Independence Day, July 4, 1826. which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.

•The 4th of July is also independence day for Rwanda.

•Fireworks were first authorized by Congress for Fourth of July, 1777.

•The first Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi occurred at Independence Creek and was celebrated by Lewis and Clark in 1805.

•The Fourth of July wasn’t officially declared a national holiday until 1941 and is the only federal holiday that has not been moved to a Thursday, Friday or Monday for convenience. ational Georgraphic debunked nine Fourth of July myths, including these: •U.S. independence surely prompted a party, but joyful patriots didn’t ring the Liberty Bell until it cracked on July 4, 1776. In fact the State House Bell likely didn’t ring at all that day. It probably did ring, along with the city’s other bells, to herald the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, according to a history of the bell published by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

•There is no proof that Betsy Ross played any part in designing or sewing the American flag that made its debut in 1777. In fact, the story of the famous seamstress didn’t circulate until it was raised by her grandson nearly a century after the fact. To be fair, there’s also no conclusive evidence that Ross didn’t sew the flag, and there are several reasons why she just might have done so. The Betsy Ross House on Philadelphia’s Arch Street (where Ross may or may not have actually lived) tells the whole tale and leaves visitors to draw their own conclusions.

In the Food Network Magazine, I found a really creative 4th of July ice cream cake. It’s obviously dairy, but for those who want to make it pareve, you can substitute the following (I tried it and it worked out very well)—

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June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Presenters and their topics at Sunday’s education forum, from left: Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, mora d’asra of Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere, “Learning with your children

Continued from page 1

and grandchildren: How, why, and how much?”; Rabbi Isaac Rice, assistant rabbi, Congregation Anshei Chesed in Hewlett, “You can’t unsee this: Understanding the impact of watching

nized by Rabbi Reuven Taragin of Yeshivat Hakotel and sponsored by the OU. “My wife accuses me of wanting to live in the time of the Baal Shem Tov — which is possibly true — but our job is to educate children today,” said Rabbi Weinberger.

He recounted the story of a rebbe who heard that one of the teachers in his school was disciplining boys by hitting them. He summonded the teacher, who was unapologetic, explaining that he was following in the tradition of his father and grandfather, who were also educators.

When the teacher returned home, he found a number of the rebbe’s chasids removing the appliances from his house, per the rebbe’s orders. Astonished, the teacher ran back to the rebbe to find out why he had done this.

“Your father and grandfather did not have these things, I thought you should not have them either,” the rebbe said.

The middah of fear that predominated in Europe before World War I no longer works, Rabbi Weinberger said, and what must be prevelent in our schools and homes today is the middah of joy.

He posited that while many survivors abandoned their religion after the Shoah, those who did not often had sweet memories of a joyful Yiddishkeit in their youth.

“You may think some people are naturally happy or sad, but it is not true,” Rabbi Weinberger said. “Children are filled with joy. To thrive, a person needs to rejoice and focus on simcha, just as he needs to eat and sleep.”

“Simcha is a natural middah of a person,” he added. “A person who is emotionally healthy will always be happy.”

Rabbi Weinberg said, “We should interview the kids who are no longer living a frum lifestyle, and ask them why they are not. What went wrong? Some of them say it was a suffocating environment. It all comes back to simcha.

He recalled that 25 years ago, when singing and dancing on Shabbos was introduced in some Five Towns shuls, it was “like a cardinal sin — I received so many calls of complaints.”

“Every Jew is born with a natural simcha, before the child absorbs the sadness of life from his parents and those around him,” he said. “Children — until we ruin them, until we break them, until we break that natural joy — [are] are skipping and dancing and happy.”

violence”; Rabbi Hanoch Teller, author and lecturer, “Honorable Mentschem: How to ensure that youngsters (and oldsters) inculcate derech eretz”; Rebbetzin Aviva Feiner, menaheles of Ma-

Positive influence versus peer pressure

By Celia Weintrob Peer pressure and even jealously can occasionally be a good influence, said Rebbetzin Aviva Feiner, menaheles of Machon Basya Rochel Seminary in Far Rockaway.

A friend making aliyah can awaken feelings of longing to do the same. But negative influences have much more weight. Consider the clean cloth that becomes dirty when it comes in contact with a dirty cloth, or a well person who catches the sickness of another when exposed.

A tiny flaw — poor self-esteem — can allow negative influence to take hold, she said.

When a person feels the need to be like everyone else rather than being themself, the best choice they can make is picking good friends.

“Think back to all of the friends your parents did not want you to be friends with.They were right!” Rebbetzin Feiner said.

Like the lesson learned from Avraham and Lot, if you recognize that you are around someone who is not good for you, you must separate: “If you go to the left, I will go to the right.”

Teens and Tech: What you do, what you don’t

By Zachary Schechter “I’m recording this on an iPhone,” said Rabbi Ephraim Polakoff of Woodmere’s Bais Tefilah. “I have an iPad. I have a computer. I do everything on a computer.”

Rabbi Polakoff began his talk on “Teens and Technology — What You Do and What You Don’t” — by insisting that he was not delivering a shiur bashing technology, but rather he was advising parents of teenagers of the dangers technology could pose and steps that should take to mitigate those negative effects. He also warned that while the focus of his shiur was on teenagers, technology poses risks to parents and families as a whole. The theme of the shiur, he said, was “building strong families.”

Rabbi Polakoff reviewed both potential benefits and harms that could come from the internet and the nearly unhindered access most everyone has to it. Being able to communicate with anyone in the world and have access to information at the tips of one’s fingertips can be extremely helpful but it can also be detrimental.

“They’re flip sides of the same coin,” he said. “Some aspects can be a bracha and some can be a klalah.”

Rabbi Polakoff said that he had taken a survey of 140 teenagers regarding their use and ac-

chon Basya Rochel Seminary in Far Rockaway, “Positive influence vs. peer pressure”; Rabbi Shalom Rosner, Bais Ephraim Yitzchok in Woodmere, “Kibbud Av Vaem: The secret behind our

cess to technology. His survey showed that 97 percent of teenagers that he polled had smartphones. More than half of them had zero restrictions or filters on their computers or phones.

He said that it was clear to him that teenagers need more restrictions but that in his opinion, which was influenced by the responses to his survey, those restrictions shouldn’t be forced upon them. As one of the teenagers who responded to his survey put it, “More restrictions means more rebellion.”

Rabbi Polakoff advised parents to have a discussion with their children about the potential harm the internet can cause to a person’s mind and neshama and that while restrictions and filters should be implemented there should also be a certain level of trust among families members as well.

Ahavas Yisroel: Tough but essential mitzvah

By Celia Weintrob Anyone can eat shmurah matzah on Pesach, or take a minute to wash their hands before they eat bread, but ahavas Yisroel — the command to love our fellow Jew —is one of the hardest mitzvahs in the Torah, and loving another person as yourself — is that even possible?

Michal Horowitz posed these questions, and then referred to Rabbi Akiva, whose students died as a result of the lack of respect they had for one another.

While the Torah recognizes that due to self-preservation, a person will always be more concerned about himself than another, we should nevertheless be compassionate to our fellow Jew, she said, adding that we are not commanded to love the personality of another person, or even to like them, but being a true baal rachamim is a requirement that we can fulfill. We should be able to cry for another’s pain.

Ahavat Yisroel comes not from the heart, but from the mind, as Rav Hirsch said.

Why people in their 20s are so distracted

By Daniel Maron Millennials face distractions unique to the 21st century. But beyond decried technology, their struggles do include some timeless internal challenges.

In his shiur entitled, “Why are people in their 20s so distracted: A Biblical framework for self-actualization,” Rabbi Robby Charnoff, the OU-JLIC rabbi at Queens College, explored pressing issues facing today’s young adults, focusing on home, career, and marriage.

Many people in their 20s face their first foray into home-building as they enter ye-

mesorah”; Rabbi Robby Charnoff, codirector, OU-JLIC at Queens College, “Why are People in their 20s so distracted? A Biblical framework for selfactualization.”

Photos by Doni Kessler

shiva or college, adjusting to dorm life with roommates. How they approach this challenge can have lasting consequences, he said.

Rabbi Charnoff advises that students and young professionals work to cultivate a sense of shalom bayis to ensure a pleasant living experience in these new circumstances.

Meanwhile, the hyper-focused professional track that many students find themselves on throughout their college year can be a source of stress, he said. To alleviate some of the stress, students should feel open to exploring different life paths, exercising their options to find what brings them true fulfillment, he continued.

To help their children get through these pivotal years — including the most stressful factor affecting young adults, the pressures of dating and marriage — Rabbi Charnoff encouraged parents to support their children to the best of their abilities, helping them navigate these unchartered waters.

Watching violence: you can’t unsee this

By Zachary Schechter When Rabbi Isaac Rice asked a simple question, “Does the Torah want us to be liars?” an expectant silence fell upon his audience.

The concept of dam l’kaf z’chus, giving others the benefit of the doubt, is a difficult one to both succeed at and understand, he said during a talk entitled, “Understanding the Impact of Watching Violence.”

Rabbi Rice, assistant rabbi at Congregation of Anshei Chesed in Hewlett, explained that the goal of the mitzvah is not so that we think favorably of another person, even when it is clear that they are doing the wrong thing. Rather, we are supposed to attempt to rationalize for our own benefit. If we don’t, and we accept that they are doing an aveira, then we are becoming desensitized to that aveira and our spiritual foundation is being worn down.

“When we look at something, and it enters into our minds, we cannot simply hope or think or daven it away,” he said.

Rabbi Rice explained that the more violence we see or allow our children to see, whether it be in movies, television, or on the internet, the more desensitized to it we will become.

“We don’t cry anymore,” he said, reflecting on the general response to tragedy. “We don’t shed a tear. We just go back to making our lunch.”

Rabbi Rice concluded his shiur by urging his audience to react in the opposite extreme.

When we see violence we must become more sensitive, he said.

More on page 23

THE JEWISH STAR June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777

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program with the company to address its water problems — the first U.S. city to do so.

“As representatives responsible for the quality of life and safety of our communities, preparedness and readiness to counter crises is mandatory,” said the south Florida mayor, Oliver Gilbert III. Over the next two weeks, Miami Gardens will use a midsized Water-Gen generator to produce drinking water for its residents. Water-Gen officials said they hope the pilot leads to contracts with Miami Gardens and other parts of Florida. The company’s largest generator yields as much as 825 gallons of water per day for only 10 cents a gallon, mostly in energy costs, according to the company.

Florida gets much of its drinking water from the Floridian Aquifer and Biscayne Aquifer, as well as from surface water from Lake Okeechobee and other lakes, but population increases have strained available sources. Because of the drought, Miami-Dade County has put restrictions on water use.

Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert III, second from left, Water-Gen USA President Yehuda Kaploun and Lior Haiat, consul general to Israel in Miami, toasting Water-Gen in Miami Gardens.

Water-Gen’s ambitions extend beyond Florida and the United States. Earlier this year, the company signed deals, together worth $150 million, to produce drinking water in India and Vietnam, two countries that have long faced

shortages. About 1.2 billion people, nearly onefifth of the world’s population, live in areas of water scarcity, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Owned by Russian-Israeli entrepreneur and billionaire Michael Mirilashvili, the vice president of the World Jewish Congress, WaterGen has Jewish friends in high places. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned it in an interview last December with CBS’s “60 Minutes” about Israel’s high-tech prowess. In March, Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz demonstrated the technology on stage at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference in Washington.

Dershowitz touted the technology as a way to counter worldwide water scarcity and the BDS movement against Israel.

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The legacy of Gershon Burd AlAn JAy Gerber Kosher BooKworm This column was originally published on Sept 27, 2016. dedicate this week’s essay review to the sacred memory of a dear friend, Rabbi Gershon Burd, of blessed memory, executive director of Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah in the Old City, who was killed in a swimming accident on his 40th birthday, three years ago. His story is the subject of “The Secret Life of Gershon Burd: A Master of Hidden Chesed” (Judaica Press, 2016) by Ya’akov Astor.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his commentary in the Koren Rosh Hashana Machzor, in the Musaf Amida section of “Zichronot: Remembrances,” teaches us that “Judaism is a religion of memory.

“The root zachor, remember, appears 169 times in the Bible,” writes Rabbi Sacks. “Jews were the first people to see G-d in history, and to consider memory as a religious obligation. …We fear that we will live and die and it will be as if we had never been. Faith answers that

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fear by assuring us that G-d does not forget.

Nor do Jews. More than any other people we preserve our memories. We recall every place where Jews once lived. We perpetuate the memory of those we have lost by giving their names to our children. We are a people of memory for whom those who died live on.”

Rabbi Burd’s good friend, Rabbi Asher Baruch Wegbreit, Mashgiach Ruchani of Yeshivas Birchas HaTorah, observes that “Gershon embraces something so fundamental to our yeshiva’s raison d’etre that he embraced the desire to have a close relationship with his rabbis and colleagues. In a world that takes so much pride in being ‘your own man,’ the humility to open yourself up for critique, and to acknowledge that others may have greater insight and wisdom than you is one of the most heroic qualities of Gershon and is part of the yeshiva’s mesora that originated in the Slobodka pedagogic masorah.”

“When I think about our personal connection, what comes to mind so often is the warm smile we would share as one of the countless unique students who entered our yeshiva expressed their character trademark humor,” Rabbi Wegbreit continues. “We knew that we were sharing a voyage of lovely Jewish men of all ages and backgrounds coming alive as they were thrown into the waters of yeshiva learning even though they had just begun their spiritual

journey at the age of 30, 40, 50.

“And then when the yeshiva shared its love of learning with the younger generation of post high school students from all over the world, Gershon and I were trading smiles as these lively youngsters kept us alive with their antics. We knew we had to call forth our younger side and kid around with them while still trying to evolve them spiritually as a result of our having sailed on the voyage longer than them.

“I’ll close by relating the way in which Gershon played a role in my daily prayers. Once I shared with him that I really wanted to fulfill Chazal’s injunction to make ‘Mizmor L’ Todah’ have a niggun, a melodic and musical component. I was searching for a niggun that would fit. I even asked a popular Jewish musician or two. But, it was for Gershon who was to find a tune for me. He sang it for me till it entered my kishkes, and now it comes up almost every day at prayer. Thus, with a tear of fondness do I recall Gershon.”

Now consider this from Yaakov Astor’s biography of Gershon: “Gershon’s commitment to self-improvement was so all-consuming and absolute that he was literally thinking about it until the very end. In his eulogy of Gershon, Rabbi Wegbreit read an email that Gershon had written to him not an hour before he drowned, in which he expressed his eagerness for the new ‘mussar vaad,’ a character refinement group that was starting soon.”

The email read: “Personally, I feel that I have greatly benefitted as the result of a recent emphasis of Hashem watching us, calculating the roots of sins. I was wondering if it might be suitable for me to now emphasize stopping issues correcting issues. For example, I feel that Rabbeinu Yonah’s advice of going to the opposite extreme is very fitting. I need to personally focus, for example not on coming on time to shiur, but on coming a couple of minutes early.

I need to do more than stopping to focus on being less critical, but instead be much more positive to an extreme. … But seeing that we can break habits … seemingly we are capable.”

We should read and parse these heartfelt teachings that, in reality, are basic guideposts to doing teshuva. Thus is the legacy of the life of Rabbi Gershon Burd. His untimely passing, and the manner in which it occurred, hit me hard. Reading the book about him only further heightened my personal regard for the man and his all too short stay with us. May his memory be blessing to all.

In this week’s parsha, tragedy leads to turnaround rAbbi Avi billet Parsha of the weeK

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n this week’s parsha of Chukas, Bamidbar chapter 20 is divided into four sections.

•Verses 1–6 describe the death of Miriam and the complaint of lack of water which comes in the wake of the great loss.

•Verses 7–13 covers the passage of mei merivah (the waters of strife) in which Moshe famously hits the rock.

•Verses 14–21 presents the request of Edom to allow the Israelites to pass peacefully through their land enroute to the Promised Land.

•Verses 22–29 reports the death of Aharon, his being replaced by his son Elazar, and the

mourning of the people over the loss of this great leader.

This is a great chapter to learn in the macro sense, as the four sections contain many textual parallels indicating a cross-section of themes, as well as very clear lessons learned through the errors made by the players involved.

As we examine a few of them, we’ll note how the later narrative seems to be a correction. hen Miriam dies, not only don’t the people mourn, but they even fail to give her brothers, Moshe and Aharon, an opportunity to mourn. Instead, they quickly complain about the lack of water. That story ends disastrously, with a correction coming in 30 days of mourning for Aharon after his death.

The people gather against Moshe and Aharon right after Miriam’s death (20:2). In response, Moshe and Aharon assemble the people (20:10) to rebuke them for their misplaced priorities.

After complaining in 20:3–5 that they

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should never have left Egypt, and recalling the supposedly wonderful food they ate there, when the time comes to ask Edom to let them pass through their land, the Isralites recount the hardness of their lives in Egypt: “The Egyptians mistreated both our fathers and us. When we cried out to G-d, He heard our voice and sent a representative to take us out of Egypt. We are now in Kadesh, a city at the edge of your territories. Please let us pass through your land. We will not go through any fields or vineyards, and we will not drink any water from your wells.” (20:15-17) Note how they express gratitude for having been taken out of Egypt — and they don’t want the foods of the land, nor the water of the land, even as earlier in the chapter food and water and leaving Egypt were their complaints.

Even their ignoring Miriam could have been hinted to through Moshe calling them “Rebels” (20:10), as the word for rebels in Moshe’s lan-

guage is “Morim” — spelled exactly the same way as Miriam, though with different vowels.

There is no question that mistakes are made in the first half of the chapter. Miriam’s death is ignored, Moshe and Aharon’s mourning is passed over, the people are disrespectful, and Moshe (and Aharon?) lose patience and miss out on a grand opportunity.

And look how the aftermath of these tales seems to present a complete turnaround. A nation that is not whining, but is submissive and respectful, a leadership that is respected and honored in life, and properly mourned for in death.

It is these kinds of turnarounds that we always say we strive for. Unfortunately it usually takes a tragedy to help the switch take place.

May we merit to undergo the proper changes and behavior modifications necessary, before a tragic event forces us to realize where we have focused our very misplaced priorities.

The mystery of the mitzvah of Parah Adumah rAbbi dAvid etenGoff

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he mitzvah of the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) is found at the beginning of this week’s parasha, Chukas. Its purpose is to purify an individual who has become tamei (ritually impure) due to contact with a corpse.

This commandment is intrinsically mystifying since, in the course of bringing tamei individuals to ritual purity, it renders those performing the purification process ritually impure.

Sefer Melachim teaches us that Shlomo Hamelech received the greatest da’at (native intelligence) from Hashem. Moreover, with G-d’s help and love, he acquired the most profound binah (insight into the interrelationship of things) that any man could ever achieve: “ ‘Give (therefore) Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this Your great people?’ And the speech pleased the L-rd, that Solomon had

asked this thing. And G-d said to him, ‘Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have you asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked the life of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment. Behold, I have done according to your word; behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, nor after you shall any arise like you’.” (I:3:9-12) Many sources suggest that Shlomo Hamelech sought to understand all of the mitzvot.

Yet, even though he was blessed with the most prodigious intellect in history, he was nonetheless stymied by the Red Heifer’s seemingly irreconcilable contradictions. Little wonder, then, that he plaintively declared: “All this I tested with wisdom; I said, ‘I will become wise,’ but it was far from me.” (Sefer Kohelet 7:23) According to a variety of Midrashim, the word “it” in the phrase “but it was far from me,” specifically refers to the mysterious Parah Adumah.

What approach should we pursue to better understand the mitzvot? The Rambam provides us with a deeply philosophical analysis of what we ought to do when contemplating the mitzvoth, stating in Hilchot Meilah: “It is proper for an individual to meditate upon the laws of

the holy Torah and to know the depth of their meaning according to the limits of his intellectual acumen.” (8:8) He follows this approach throughout the entire corpus of his writings and, most famously, in his Moreh Hanavuchim (The Guide for the Perplexed). his is a challenging journey: Finite man is incapable of fully comprehending infinite G-d. The Rambam warns us, therefore, to avoid the pitfalls of treating mitzvot whose reasons escape us in a facile and flippant manner. Ultimately, even when the rationale of the mitzvah remains elusive, we must eagerly and lovingly perform His will, “a matter [mitzvah] wherein one does not find a reason and does not know its rationale should not become frivolous in his eyes and he should not burst forth against Hashem.”

The Rambam utilizes classic halachic reasoning to prove his contention: “Come and see how strict the Torah is in the Laws of Trespassing (Meilah): Just like wood, stones, dust, and ashes, once they are sanctified with the name of the Master of the Universe through words alone, and all who treat them in a profane manner commit a trespass [against G-d] even if this is inadvertent, and will have to seek atonement, all the more so

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(kal v’chomer) in the case of a commandment that the Holy One Blessed be He has commanded us — wherein man may not rebel against them simply because he does not understand their reasons.” (Ibid.)

Next, the Rambam warns us against inventing ingenious, but specious, reasons for the mitzvot: “And he should not attribute (literally “pile on”) false rationalizations [for the mitzvot] against Hashem.” Finally, he concludes this line of reasoning with this powerful warning: “And one ought not to think concerning them [the Commandments] in the manner in which he thinks about everyday profane matters.”

Rabbi Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik zatzal, one of the greatest Lithuanian Torah scholars, expands upon these ideas in his Beit HaLevi, an incisive and original analysis of the Torah. In his commentary on Sefer Shemot 31, he presents an exposition of the Parah Adumah in which he notes that the phrase “This is the statute of the Torah that the L-rd commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow’,” is unusual, since the Red Heifer is singled out as being the “statute of the Torah.” He therefore asks: “At face value, the Parah Adumah is simSee Mystery on page 19

Red Hefer lesson: Avoid extremes Luach We had just come in from manning an impromptu roadblock all day and I was still on edge. Six of us had been tasked with setting up the roadblock round a bend in the road in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley no more than a few kilometers from the Syrians, and you could not help but tense up every time a car or truck came around the bend.

Would they stop or try to run through us?

Would they be armed? Open fire? As the officer in charge, it was nearly impossible to ensure all the men were adequately protected; all you could do was set up a couple of the guys in cover fire positions and do your best to keep everyone on their toes for eight hours in the sun.

By the time we got back in the late afternoon, my nerves were fried and I was completely exhausted. But as soon as I entered our base a message was waiting for me to report to the company commander. Usually, this meant another mission in a few hours so I was wondering whether I would at least have time for a shower and some shut-eye.

As it turned out I had a surprise waiting for me: our whole company was heading down to Netanya for some R&R. Apparently the yoman iruim (missions log kept in the Operations room) had registered too many front line events (ambushes, incidents of being fired upon, wounded etc.) and we were being pulled off the line for a week.

And so, less than 24 hours later, I found myself sitting on the beach in Netanya with nothing to do but contemplate the waves and the setting sun as we tasted a week of bliss in Beit Goldmintz, a center for soldiers to get a break from the front lines. Apart from early morning

The challenge is to find the middle ground … avoiding anger on the one hand and apathy on the other.

Mystery...

Continued from page 18 ply one of the [613] mitzvot of the Torah. Why, therefore, is it given the unusual label of “the statute of the Torah?” His answer expresses some of his fundamental views regarding the search for the rationale of the mitzvot: “For it is precisely from the Parah Adumah that it is revealed to man that he, in reality, does not know anything regarding [the true meaning inherent] in any mitzvah of the Torah, since, [based upon this verse,] the entire Torah is a statute (chukah) [that defies our understanding]. And the explanation of this concept is the following, behold all of the Commandments are inextricably attached to, and interwoven with, one another. Moreover, each one depends upon the other — just as we find in reference to lowly man who has 248 limbs and 365 sinews — all of whom are attached one to another, and all of whom depend upon one another. This is the case, as well, regarding the mitzvot wherein the 248 Positive Commandments and the 365 Negative Commandments are attached to one another and form one unit.

[As a result,] it is impossible to comprehend even one of the mitzvot without understanding all of them. Therefore, when we encounter the Parah Adumah and we do not understand its underlying principle — it is clear that we really know nothing at all [regarding the other mitzvot as well].

The Beit HaLevi further develops this anal-

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ysis, noting that the Red Heifer emerges as a protection against man’s natural hubris and potential intellectual arrogance: “The Parah Adumah is, therefore, a fence and a protective measure for man who utilizes his intellect (hamitbonane b’sichlo) to examine the reasons inherent in the mitzvot; to prevent him from erring in their regard if he were to follow his [mere] intellect and thereby burst forth [against the Commandments] and declare, ‘I am the one who is able to know their rationale!’ In this manner, one would be able to err and [G-d forbid,] add or subtract [from the Torah].” ccording to the Beit HaLevi’s view, there is only one way to demonstrate loyalty to, and acceptance of, the Commandments: “One must perform all of the mitzvot, with all of their specific details, according to what we have received from our Rabbis according to the overarching rules of the Torah and the established Halacha without any deviation whatsoever from the words of the Shulchan Aruch. This is [perforce] the case since he himself recognizes that he does not comprehend the depth of these matters.”

In sum, the Parah Adumah may be viewed as the mitzvah that in many ways teaches us much about all the mitzvot. Perhaps more than any other commandment, it reminds us that G-d is the measure of all things and man is but His servant. With the Almighty’s help, may we be zocheh (merit) to serve Him with humility and heartfelt devotion, and ever remember before Whom we stand. V’chane yihi ratzon.

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tithesis of the lowly hyssop which, suggests the Seforno, is exactly the point.

Maimonides in his Hilchot Deot (chap. 1) suggests that we are meant to strive to live by “the golden mean,” or the middle (straight) path. Every character trait has its extremes, and the challenge is to find the middle ground: neither stingy nor too philanthropic, neither arrogant nor self-effacing, avoiding anger on the one hand and apathy on the other.

But what to do when finding oneself off balance and leaning towards an extreme? Then, says the Rambam, one should go to the opposite extreme until eventually returning to the more healthy and balanced middle ground (ibid. 2:2). For instance, if a person is too stingy, he should practice wanton giving until finding a balance and giving within one’s means. hus, suggests the Seforno, the mighty cedar is mixed with the lowly Hyssop to demonstrate that neither extreme is good, and they are mixed with red heifer’s ash because (as seen from the ritual on Yom Kippur of the two goats) red is the color of transgression.

What remains most critical is for a person to recognize when he or she is off balance and figure out the best way to get back to the middle path.

Spending one’s life living on the beach and chilling all day every day would not be heaven, it eventually would be hell. But a week of that after a few months in Lebanon turned out to be a healthy extreme allowing us to get back to the middle ground, if only for a while.

Perhaps that is also the secret of Shabbat.

One would not want to live a life of Shabbat every day, but once a week, as a balance to the frenetic lives we lead, Shabbat is a welcome opportunity to re-balance ourselves.

And this, perhaps is the secret of the Parah Adumah.

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.

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The hearT of jerusalem

runs along the beach and daily sessions with IDF social workers and Army psychologists, we had a week to simply chill.

I don’t ever recall a situation that took me from one extreme to another as radically as that experience. One minute we were keeping our heads low in flak vests and helmets to avoid being shot at, and the next we were chilling on a beach along the Mediterranean.

Ever wonder why, despite the fact that so many Israelis experience combat situations and come home with their guns on leave, one does not hear of violent incidents involving soldiers on leave? Maybe it’s because the IDF takes this so seriously and works to keep the pressure from getting too great.

But why does this work? Why does going from one extreme to another have such a desired effect? his week we read the parsha Chukas, which describes possibly the most bizarre ritual in Judaism: When a person comes into contact with a dead body, he or she is rendered impure. In order to again achieve a state of ritual purity he or she must undergo the ritual of the red heifer known as the Parah Aduma.

(Numbers 19:1-2) A Parah Aduma is a completely red cow (a heifer) that has never been used for labor of any kind, which is very rare.

Paradoxically, while the ashes of the Parah Aduma purify the person who is impure, they also cause the pure person (the necessarily pure Kohein who gathers the ashes in preparation) to become impure! And not everyone who deals with the ash is defiled — the person who sprinkles the mixture of water and ash, as well as the one who mixes the ash with water to initially consecrate the mixture, remain pure.

How are we to understand this paradox?

The Seforno (ibid. 19:2) suggests this fascinating point: Part of the ritual of the Parah Aduma is to take a piece of cedar and a branch of hyssop and mix them with the red heifer’s ashes. The mighty cedar seems almost the an-

In Memory Of Rebbetzin Batsheva Kanievsky

THE JEWISH STAR June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777

Rabbi binny FReedman

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20 June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Why Kushner’s meeting left Abbas angry Jeff Dunetz politics to go

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fter meeting with Jared Kushner in Ramallah last week, an angry Mahmoud Abbas, not used to a U.S. presidency making demands of the Palestinian side, accused the American delegation of favoring Israel instead of being an unbiased moderator. The major issue was America’s request that Palestinians stop paying terrorists in Israel jails and stop inciting people to commit acts of violence against Israelis.

Kushner, senior adviser and son-in-law to President Trump, and Jason Greenblatt, the president’s special representative for international negotiations, visited Jerusalem and Ramallah last week to begin the peace process that

Trump called for during his trip to the region a month ago.

Palestinian sources told YNet News, “The American delegation accepted the Israeli position on the issue of paying salaries to prisoners and painted it at the meeting as a means of encouraging terrorism and demanded that it be stopped.”

Israel Radio reported (quoting Arabic media) that Kushner and Greenblatt initially demanded the Palestinians stop all payments to prisoners in Israeli prisons; when Abbas pushed back, they softened their position, asking them to stop paying the approximately 600 terrorists serving life sentences for murdering Israeli citizens.

London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat added that other issues brought up by the U.S. delegation included Abbas’ refusal to condemn the Palestinian terrorist who stabbed to death Hadas Malka, a young female Israeli police officer, outside Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate. The paper also reported that the American team protested Abbas’ refusal to meet with the American

ambassador, David Friedman, because Friedman had been a vocal supporter of construction in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. he day after the meeting, Abbas spokesman Nabil Shaath read a speech by Abbas which claimed the Palestinians have a “social responsibility” to offer monetary payouts to the families of prisoners in Israeli jails because they are “political prisoners” and the payouts are the PA’s way of “looking after innocent people affected by the incarceration or killing of their loved ones as a result of the military occupation.”

Per their usual method of deflection, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat followed up by turning things around, claiming it is the Israelis who are inciting terrorism. “Incitement and glorification of terror have been a longstanding policy by this extremist [Netanyahu] government,” Erekat said, with Israel trying to “deviate attention [from the stalled peace talks] by inventing new excuses, such as allegations of incitement.”

Abbas was also apparently upset by the fail-

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ure of the Americans to raise the “settlement” issue. “We told the Americans that the settlements were the source of the despair and terror because they remove any future hope for Palestinians to live in their own land,” a Palestinian source told YNet. Abbas should not have been surprised at the American position on incitement. After President Trump returned from his Middle East trip in May, an American source told Israeli’s Channel 2 that Trump had yelled at Abbas because of the Palestinian Authority’s continued incitement against Jews and against Israel.

“You tricked me in D.C.!” the President was reported to have hollered at a stunned Abbas.

“You talked there about your commitment to peace, but the Israelis showed me your involvement in incitement.” The source told Channel 2 that Trump’s anger was followed by several minutes of shocked silence from the Palestinians before the two sides managed to get back on track.

See Kushner’s on page 21

Shi’a corridor a frightful new world order Ben Cohen Viewpoint

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f you haven’t encountered the term “Shi’a corridor” yet, chances are that you will soon, particularly if the ongoing confrontation between the U.S. and Iran in Syria intensifies. What was initially a sideshow to the main battle against Islamic State in Syria is fast becoming the main focus of attention.

What does Iran hope to achieve here? To start with, it’s important to note that the international legitimacy the mullahs have enjoyed since the Iran nuclear deal of 2015 is starting to fragment. The U.S. Senate this month voted to slap new sanctions on Iran for its violations outside the terms of the nuclear deal, such as its use of ballistic missiles and its support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon. Such political moves invariably have a significant economic impact, which is why Western banks continue to advise caution towards companies tempted to invest in Iran.

None of this fretting is of much consequence

to the overtly revolutionary wings of the Iranian regime, most obviously the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is built to retain its enormous power with or without sanctions in place. But the eclipse of the Obama administration’s engagement strategy with Iran highlights once again that it is institutions like the IRGC, much more than one or another foreign minister sounding reasonable and eloquent, that define the nature of power and influence in the Islamic Republic.

This is where the “Shi’a corridor” comes in.

Iran’s goal to become the dominant power in the Islamic world involves more than religious or ideological influence. It requires the boots of Iran and its proxies on the ground—as demonstrated already in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. It requires that Iran has easy, uninterrupted access to all those parts of the region where it exercises political control.

On one level, the idea of a Shi’a corridor seems a little fantastical. Almost 2,000 miles separate Tehran from the Mediterranean coast to its far west. The road between the two points is distinguished by rough terrain and the presence of numerous militias along the route, many of them belonging to Sunni Islamist factions

Iranian anti-tank missiles, belonging to Hezbollah forces, that were captured by IDF forces in southern Lebanon in 2006.

IDF

hostile to Iran. In addition to heavy defenses on the ground, the corridor would need effective aerial warning systems, given Israel’s demonstrated willingness to bomb weapons shipments between Iran and its allies in Syria and Lebanon.

Can a country with an ailing economy like Iran’s, that is now facing an increasingly hostile administration in Washington, really carve out such a corridor unopposed?

The point, for now at least, is Iran is doing precisely that—assisted by the lack of a defined U.S. policy towards not just the Iranian nuclear program, but its entire regional role; the absence of any appetite among the Europeans for a confrontation with Tehran; and the unprecedented support coming from Iran’s traditional foe, Russia, thanks to President Vladimir Putin’s benevolence.

In other words, Iran will face obstacles to its contiguous territorial path only if its adversaries—not just America, but also Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia, among others—are willing to place them there.

Does the advance of the corridor so far warrant such concern? At the end of May, a few correspondents in the region, among them the Israeli journalist Seth Franztman and the American reporter Dexter Filkins, reported that Iranian-backed militias had seized a cluster of villages along the Syrian-Iraqi border, thereby securing an encumbered road link between the IRGC in Tehran and its client in Damascus.

“The development is potentially momentous,” Filkins wrote in the New Yorker, “because, for the first time, it would bind together, by a single land route, a string of Iranian allies, including HezSee Shi’a on page 21

Encountering a fallen bird in the big city view from central park

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or many years I have made a concerted effort to be more punctual. I used to be terrible and I really worked on it. In my mind 10 or even 15 minutes was still within the realm of punctuality. Although I’ve improved a lot, every once in a while I find myself still running a bit late. I’ve learned not to give reasons or explanations for the tardiness, but just a gracious apology. People aren’t interested in hearing what to you is a legitimate reason, but to them is just another excuse amounting to “my dog ate my homework.”

Yesterday afternoon I was walking briskly in order to complete errands so I could meet up with a friend an hour later for coffee. This person and I have been friendly at social en-

Kushner’s...

Continued from page 20 fter that May meeting with Abbas, Trump gave a speech that referred in part to the incitement. “Peace can never take root in an environment where violence is tolerated, funded and even rewarded,” the president said.

“We must be resolute in condemning such acts in a single, unified voice.”

Perhaps the real reason for the Palestinian leader’s anger about the Kushner delegation was that he wasn’t used to being asked by the Americans to take steps toward peace. President Bush agreed with Israel that there should be no Palestinian “right of return” into Israel, and

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Shi’a...

Continued from page 20 bollah, in Lebanon; the Assad regime, in Syria; and the Iranian-dominated government in Iraq.

Those allies form what is often referred to as the Shiite Crescent, an Iranian sphere of influence in an area otherwise dominated by Sunni Muslims.” hile those same Sunni Muslims are divided between those who see the Muslim Brotherhood or Iran as their main enemy, and those who accord that distinction to Israel and the U.S., Iran is presenting a unified Shi’a revolutionary stance towards the outside world.

Iran has allies all the way from Lebanon to Bahrain, and Iran is their unmistakable leader.

When looked at on the map, this status conveys the possibility of an Iranian empire that Tehran’s actions in the field seek only to reinforce.

The consequences for Israel of a Shi’a cor-

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ridor are, needless to say, acute. Since the war in Lebanon in the mid-1980s, Israel has been acutely aware of Iran’s ability to wage direct war on its territory, through the missile barrages of its Hezbollah proxy in Lebanon. The existence of a land corridor will transform Iran’s capacity in this regard, perhaps to the point where a landbased war launched against Israel from Syria and Lebanon could be as perilous as a nuclear attack.

For some time now, it has been an established fact that Hezbollah has increased its number of missiles pointed at Israel by a factor of 10, with newer and deadlier models now in operation— despite the existence of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, which demands that Hezbollah disarm entirely. A land corridor would make any attempt to enforce this resolution a much harder task.

As always, Israel is prepared for the worst.

But how it responds will depend, more than anything else, on how the Trump administration copes with the reality that America is once again locked in combat with its adversaries.

Are we there yet?

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CAFE

that final borders would require adjustments to the 1949 armistice lines, but he didn’t make demands of the Palestinians. President Obama made constant demands of Israel to take unilateral steps to show the Palestinians that Israel wanted peace, but at least publicly he never made demands of the Palestinians.

Under the Trump presidency Israel will not always get what it wants — for example, the administration has asked the Israeli government to stop construction in Judea and Samaria. However, this president will not attempt to de-legitimize the Jewish state by demanding one-sided actions and then criticizing Israel for not capitulating to the American demands.

The real message delivered to Abbas by the American delegation led by Kushner was a silent one. There is a new sheriff in town and this one doesn’t hate Israel like the previous one.

maritan type of thing to do. Rescuing a bird!

Who heard of such a thing?

The moment I crossed the threshold holding the bird, a staff member took one look at me and handed me a printed sheet of paper titled “I Found a Baby Bird — Now What? o apparently tumbling baby birds are a regular occurrence here on the Upper West Side.

With a quick glance at the bird, she explained to me that the bird was a fledgling, that she is not injured, and is able to be on its own on the sidewalk at this point. But that it ought to be kept near its nest in a little Tupperware.

I returned to the nest and found the person who had also been there with me, who lived there, waiting for my return. I left the birdie in the Tupperware and this kind woman said that for the next few days she would look out for the little bird. Her husband would maybe even try and get a ladder and return the bird to nest with its momma.

I left with a good feeling as I hurried on to my coffee date. Now if this wasn’t a legit reason for being late, I don’t know what is.

But meeting someone for a first time with a bubba meyse-style story rivaling the dog ate my homework … “oh, sorry I’m a few minutes late, but as I was walking a bird fell on me and the next thing I knew I was at the police station before I found the bird rescue of Manhattan…” and risking being thought of as a complete lunatic, I just slid into my chair and smiled graciously with a simple, “I’m really sorry I’m a few minutes late.”

Pick up the Jewish star staycation edition (dated July 14) for tips on the hottest (or coolest!) places around.

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GOTTA GETTA BAGEL

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followed the chirping and looked around and spotted the hidden nest that was embedded within a pipe, tucked within scaffolding high above the ground. There was no

way I could reach it. A very long ladder would be required.

I sat at the top of steps nearby and tried to coax the little birdie onto my computer again, so as to hold it close and then figure out the next step. It looked helpless as it hopped and barely fluttered, when it landed on my computer for the briefest moment before it tumbled down the steps!

Poor thing — I felt terrible! It really can’t fly!

Vaguely in the background the coffee date crossed my mind and I did some quick math, but a fallen bird is a fallen bird.

There was no question. I felt a duty to somehow rescue this hurt birdie from harm’s way.

There was a police station across the street.

I scooped up the birdie into my cupped hand, schlepping my computer and trying to corral the bird toward my chest, without smothering it. Of course, the police officer was like, uh, sorry miss, we’re the police, we don’t work with birds.

But then they did help me out and suggested I look for a wildlife rescue.

Shlepping my computer that day came in handy (because believe it or not I don’t use a smartphone!), and I Googled bird rescue.

Lo! What do you know! Turns out New York City’s Bird Rescue Center is located a few blocks away on Columbus Avenue!

A minute before I didn’t even know such a thing existed, now within minutes of the quickest taxi ride I was walking into one. By now I had the little birdie in a little container I had gotten from the NYPD. It felt like such a unique kind of good Sa-

THE JEWISH STAR June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777

tehilla r. goldberg

gagements and shul, but it was our first time meeting up, so it was especially important to me to be punctual.

Suddenly, as I was rushing — plink! — something tumbled onto me. For a second I was disoriented, until I saw the tiniest feathered bird sitting on my computer. A second later the little thing tumbled to the sidewalk.

A fallen bird!

It was so sweet and so fragile looking. As it peered at me, I couldn’t just leave it and walk on. Maybe the bird was injured — and it’s separated from it’s Momma Bird!

I assumed it must have inadvertently fallen out of its nest because it can’t fly yet, and it’s not really meant to be here on this busy New York City sidewalk with New Yorkers rushing by, in danger of being trampled. What to do?

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June 30, 2017 • 6 Tamuz, 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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JEWISH

STAR CALENDAR

Send your events to Calendar@TheJewishStar.com • Deadline Friday noon • Include price of admission and phone number • Hi-res photos welcomed • Compiled by Zachary Schechter

Wednesday June 28

Country Club, 101 Causeway. 516-239-1220.

Sunday July 9

Sisterhood Yoga Class: Join the Ohav Sholom sisterhood for an evening of mindfulness, relaxation, flexibility. Bring a yoga mat, towel, and water bottle. 7 to 9 pm. 145 S. Merrick Ave., Merrick.

Summer Learning: YI Woodmere’s summer Beit Midrash Program returns with daily shiurim given by its rebbeim as well as guest lecturers.

859 Peninsula Blvd., Woodmere. 516-295-0950.

JCCRP First Time Homebuyers: The Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula is hosting a workshop on home buying with professionals from around the neighborhood.

Free. 7:45 pm. White Shul, 728 Empire Ave. 718327-0500.

Friday July 21

Dinner on the Boardwalk: The BACH hosts an uplifting rooftop Shabbos service and simultaneous children’s program followed by Friday night dinner under the stars on the Long Beach boardwalk. Registration closes July 16 with tickets starting at $50 for adults and $20 for children under 14 years. 7 pm. 10 Franklin Blvd., Long Beach. 516-897-2473.

Thursday June 29

Celebration of Jerusalem: Young Israel of Hillcrest community-wide celebration of Jerusalem, marking the 50th anniversary of the city’s reunification of Jerusalem and the 69th anniversary of the modern state of Israel. Featuring guest speakers and performers. 7 pm. 16907 Jewel Ave., Flushing. 718-286-2661.

Book Talk: Photographer Wyatt Gallery discusses and signs copies of his new book, “Jewish Treasure of the Carribbean,” which presents over 200 color images by the award-winning photographer. In these photographs Gallery highlights the little-known history of the early Jewish communities of Barbados, Curaçao, Jamaica and more.

Tickets from $15. 7 pm. 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave, New York. 212-415-5500.

Friday June 30

Over the Edge: Rabbi Anchelle Perl of the Chabad of Mineola will rappel 170 feet down the Tower at Nassau Community College in a show of support for those who choose to take the leap and courageously make every effort to choose sobriety and recover from drug addictions. All are invited and admission is free. Specators will go home with special event souvenirs and containers of kosher chicken soup. 1 to 3 pm. 1 Education Drive, Garden City. 516-739-3636.

Sunday July 23

HIT 4 HASC: First annual baseball tournament with siyum in memory Chaim (Lobo) Silber Z”L. 9:45 am. Free to register, sponsorships starting at $180. 39 Breakey Ave., Monticello. 917-709-1164.

BBQ’d fleish for a good cause

Fleishfest returns to Cedarhurst at 8 pm on Wednesday, Aug. 2, an all-out barbecue with an 18-foot smoker/ grill delivering premium meats, wine-tasting, sushi bar, carving stations, hand-rolled cigars, and more. Tickets, from $180, benefit Priority 1, which serves at-risk students being left behind in the mainstream yeshiva system. Pictured at last year’s Fleishfest (from left): Dov Blumberg, Jeremy Rosenthal, Asher Schepansky and Ephraim Tennenbaum. At home of Penina and David Klein, 255 Oakwood Ave. 516-295-5700 x104. Tim Baker

Sunday July 2

Sally & Seymour Olshin Adult Education Program with guest speaker, Rav Moshe Tzvi Weinberg at the Great Neck Synagogue, on the topic of “The Question that No One Asked at Har Sinai: Reflections on my Battle Against Lymphoma.” 9:15 am. 26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck.

516-487-6100.

Beginner’s Prayer and Torah Class with Rabbi Danny Frankel at YI Woodmere. 859 Peninsula Blvd., Woodmere. 10 am. 516-295-0950.

Wednesday July 5

Playing Tennis for PINK: Raise funds for breast cancer research while playing tennis for PINK (Prevention, Immediate Diagnosis, New Technology, Knowledge). $95. Lawrence Yacht &

Monday July 24

Holocaust Education Confab: Hosted by Project Witness, this three-day Holocaust Education Conference will feature a number of panels on topics ranging from faith, halacha and hashkafa during the Holocaust to the role of artifacts in the commemorative process. Opening evening $50.

Full program $100. 5:30 to 9 pm. 718-948-6377

Tues-Wed July 25-26

Holocaust Education Conference: See Monday. 10 am to 5:30 pm.

Sunday Aug 6

Concert by the sea: Young Israel of Long Beach hosts its annual concert by the sea featuring the band Shlock Rock. 8 pm. 120 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach.

Incredible story of man who almost killed Hitler

By Tom Tugend, JTA LOS ANGELES — What if Adolf Hitler had been assassinated shortly after his armies invaded Poland to start World War II? How would global — and Jewish — history have played out?

The question is not answered directly in the German film “13 Minutes.” But the movie, based on an actual, lone-wolf plot to kill the Fuehrer that nearly succeeded, is both a classical thriller, pitting one man against the system, and an exploration of how minute circumstance can affect the fates of millions.

“13 Minutes” is directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, known for his remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, as well as “The Downfall,” which re-created Hitler’s last days in a Berlin bunker.

At the heart of the film’s plot is Georg Elsner (played by Christian Friedel), a 35-yearold carpenter and tinkerer in a small Swabian village who played in the town band and was popular with the local girls. He’s a communist sympathizer — but not a party member — who observes with growing concern how his village gradually transformed during the early years of Nazi rule.

Elser sees an acquaintance who is forced to sit on the street — surrounded by Brownshirts and townspeople — with a sign around her neck reading, “In the village I am the greatest swine and consort only with Jews” (it rhymes in German). He attends a propaganda film in

Christian Friedel as Georg Elser in “13 Minutes.”

Bernd Schuller/Sony Pictures Classics

which Hitler proclaims that under his rule every German will have a radio, then a luxury, and the rutted village roads will be paved and lighted.

At a time when “expert” statesmen and pundits maintained that Hitler represented a temporary aberration or could be appeased, Elser becomes convinced that the Fuehrer will plunge Germany into war — and that if nobody else will stop the Nazi dictator, he must do the job himself.

Elser knew that Hitler addressed his followers at Munich’s largest beer hall every Nov. 8, the date of his foiled 1923 putsch to seize power in the Bavarian city as a base to overthrow the Weimar Republic.

So, starting in late 1938, he repeatedly visited the beer hall, taking careful measurements of the columns flanking the speaker’s podium. Elser took a job in an armaments factory and smuggled out explosives, dynamite sticks and detonators.

As Nov. 8 drew closer, Elser labored night after night on his knees, holding a flashlight in his mouth, to insert the homemade bomb into the column. He connected the bomb to two clocks timed to trigger during Hitler’s typically lengthy tirade.

On the evening of the putsch anniversary, Elser took a train to the Swiss border to await news of Hitler’s death. Instead, however, he learned that the Fuehrer had unexpectedly cut short his speech.

Exactly 13 minutes after Hitler left the podium, the bomb exploded at the precise spot where Hitler had been standing. The blast killed seven Nazi officials and, to Elser’s lifelong regret, an innocent waitress.

As Elser tried to cross the border into Switzerland, something about his behavior aroused the suspicion of a German border guard, who arrested Elser and sent him, under guard, to a Gestapo prison in Berlin.

Hitler was convinced that Elser was but a tool in a vast conspiracy orchestrated by

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and demanded that Elser be tortured until he revealed the masterminds behind the assassination attempt. But even under the most brutal torture, Elser refused to give even his name and birth date. Only after the Gestapo drags in his longtime lover, who is pregnant with his child, does he acknowledge the plot, with himself as the sole author.

Nobody believed Elser’s story, but instead of being executed on the spot, he was shipped to various concentration camps, ending up in Dachau.

In April 1945, however, as Hitler’s dream of a 1,000-year Reich came crashing down, the Fuehrer remembered Elser — and ordered that he be executed with a pistol shot through the neck. Two weeks after Elser was killed, U.S. troops liberated Dachau.

“13 Minutes,” released in Germany in 2015 with the title “Elser — He Would Have Changed the World,” was well received by German critics and the public, Hirschbiegel said by phone from Vienna.

The influential magazine Der Spiegel noted that because of the film, Elser became recognized as “a true German hero” after having been largely ignored by historians.

“13 Minutes” is the latest in a number of German movies showing how individuals Germans, men and women, stood up against the Nazi regime. They include “Sophie Scholl: The Final Days,” “Rosenstrasse” and, most recently, “Labyrinth of Lies.”

home-school gap”; Debbie Greenblatt, “30 most important minutes of the day and other vital information you need to raise great kids”; Rabbi Dovid Fohrman,

Continued from page 15

The answer, my friends, is simcha

By Daniel Maron One of the nagging questions parents face as they grow a family is how to raise successful children. In his shiur on that subject, Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, mora d’asra of the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, offered a simple answer.

He advises that parents raise their children in simcha. To do so, however, requires more practice than preaching.

To raise a successful child — one who will contribute to family and community — parents must construct a home environment built on mutual respect and decorum. It is through this living example that children will be able to internalize the true Torah values that are important to their everyday lives.

It is the role of the parent, Rabbi Teitelbaum suggests, to ensure that children face minimal tumult and anxiety, helping them to develop a “mindset of calmness” and tranquility. It is through this calmness that children can hone their own sense of contentment and individuality, aiding them in becoming more self-confident.

Parents should foster their children’s sense of ability, indoctrinating them with the notion that they can achieve whatever they want, he said.

Rabbi Teitelbaum concluded by imploring parents to avoid molding their children from their own expectations. For children to truly be successful, he advises, they must come to a sense of self on their own.

Vital info needed to raise great kids

By Celia Weintrob Babies do not come with an instruction manual, so it is imperative that we understand what we are trying to accomplish in all we invest in the next generation, Debbie Greenblatt said.

The Mesilas Yesharim by RaMCHaL lays it all out in the first chapter, she told Sunday’s Five Towns Community Collaborative Conference: understanding the obligations, goals, destination and means for the ride through parenthood.

The means of accomplishing this is chinuch, which can be broken down into two components — hafalah means activation, getting kids to do what they should do in the present, creating habits (such as setting the table for Shabbos, or cleaning up the Legos before leaving the house); hafnamah is about how the child feels and relates to what

CEO at Aleph Beta Academy; Rabbi Tsvi Selengut, Congregation Ohab Zedek, “Second chances: A lesson for our children, our students, and our-

is learned, creating a connection to a bigger picture and positive feelings about it. Neither will work on its own; both elements must be engaged.

The best tool to accomplish chinuch is encouragement, but this only works when one encourages actual efforts, not talents.

Encourage the child for something he has already done, even if it’s only a part of the task, and make it specific.

Create the proper environment through expressions of respect and love and optimism about life and the child himself, giving the benefit of the doubt (showing the child you trust him) and offering true forgiveness when mistakes are made.

The 30 most important minutes to spend with your child each day are the 10 minutes before they go off to school (to send the child out into the world with a positive ability to do their daily work); the 10 minutes when they return home from school (to reinforce that home is sanctuary from the outside world — everybody needs one); and the 10 minutes before they go to bed (to settle the scores of the day, allowing the child to truly rest in body, mind and spirit).

Finding your bashert In her talk on “How to truly be sameach b’chelko” when finding your bashert, Esther Wein notes that our zivug (soulmate) is supposed to be predestined — that at the moment of conception, Hashem matches you up with your bashert, your destined mate, whose path you will cross at some point near the time you expect to get married.

But what happens if you are a convert to Judaism? Or if you somehow have no zivug?

How do you find your life partner then? We all know people who are unmarried into their middle years who, when asked, say they

selves”; Chaya Batya Neugroschi, head of school, YU HS for Girls (Central) in Holliswood, “Celebrating Yerushalayim: United and unifying”; Rabbi Zev Meir

Friedman, rosh ha yeshiva of Midreshet Shalhevet and Rambam Mesivta, “Raising a teenager: Know when to say no.”

Photos by Doni Kessler

are waiting to find their bashert, destined husband or wife. So there clearly is choice involved in the process.

Ramban says that marriage is not predetermined, that it is a choice — since it is a mitzvah to marry, it is impossible be predetermined, as Hashem does not predetermine a person doing any mitzvah.

Wein said that we have two zivugim. The first, at conception, is when Hashem matches your soul to your embryonic body. It is the second zivug that involves your choice in whom to marry and that can be many different people. You choose your mate based on your values, and your overriding question in that choice is: how do I make a kavod hashamayim out of this situation?

—CW

a fresh piece of paper,” adding that a child’s initial understanding of body parts and privacy sets the stage for all future sexually-related knowledge.

She suggested that parents start talking about these things at a young age by labeling body parts and then add more detailed information periodically. Children should be taught that they should speak with their parents and doctors about these things, but not talk about them in public.

By the time they are teenagers, they should know that intimacy is a pleasurable thing, and parents can acknowledge that refraining from it is a challenge, and that is OK.

Answering where do babies come from?

Did we really have a choice at Sinai, when we said “na’aseh v’nishma” before accepting the Torah? The text reads that a huge mountain was held over our heads — that doesn’t sound like a choice at all! However the choice was not only ours, but also that of the other nations which chose not to accept the gift of Torah.

Elisheva Kaminetsky, in discussing “empowering choices,” said the driving question is this: what is our relationship to Torah, and how much choice is there in it? What can we learn as we transmit the mesorah?

The creation of new things is based on choice: whom we choose to marry, whether we choose to create or to destroy. We make hundreds of choices every day — a good example is when the nutritionist asks you to write down a log of everything you’ve eaten in a week. It’s overwhelming!

The most important choice we can make is about our attitude. Consider the imprisoned person in the concentration camp who chooses to give his last piece of bread to another.

No one can take away a person’s freedom to choose howhe will react to a situation. —CW

By Celia Weintrob Lisa Septimus, speaking on “Where do babies come from? Addressing grownup matters with children,” opened with a teaching in which Rav Kahuna, hiding under Rav’s bed, hears the Rav and his wife talking and laughing, then engaging in intimate relations. As Rav Kahuna was found and chastised for being there, he said, “this is Torah and I must learn it.”

If we do not talk with our children about these matters, Septimus advised, they will Google their questions or ask the cool, “withit” kids in school. Neither are good solutions.

But what should we tell them, and at what point?

Septimus, yoetzet halacha of the Five Towns and of the Great Neck Synagogue, also cited the teaching that “one who studies Torah as a child can be likened to ink on

Empowering choices

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Presenters at Sunday’s conference, from left: Rabbi Joshua Goller, assistant rabbi, Young Israel of West Hempstead, “From your home to ours: Bridging the

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