July 27, 2012

Local reaction to Colorado shooting Page 2 MK Tzipi Hotovely backs the Levy Report Page 3 Bookworm: an African-American’s take on Tisha B’Av Page 5 A Tisha B’Av Labovitz story Page 11

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VOL 11, NO 29 ■ JULY 27, 2012 / 8 MENACHEM AV 5772

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Five Towns and Far Rockaway communities mourn Rav Elyashiv at Shaaray Tefila in Lawrence

IOC going ‘Rogge’ - Munich 11 Widows Express Outrage

By Karen C. Green At a press conference in London on Wednesday, July 25, 2012, Munich 11 widows Ankie Spitzer and Ilana Romano expressed outrage at the International Olympic Committee‘s (IOC) most recent denial to hold a minute of silence for the 11 Israelis murdered at the 1972 Munich games.

Hosted by Israel’s Ambassador to London, Daniel Taub, the two — whose husbands, fencing coach Andrei Spitzer and weightlifter Yossef Romano, were killed by terrorists along with nine of their teammates — will again ask IOC President Jacques Rogge to grant the minute during the opening ceremony of the London games on Friday, July 27.

The families of the Munich 11 have been asking the IOC to commemorate the deaths of their loved ones almost since the horrific event took place nearly 40 years ago. They have been rejected every time. The IOC has claimed that doing so would bring politics into the Olympics.

Borne out of a relationship that developed in 2010 when the JCC of Rockland County was chosen to host the upcoming Maccabi Games, ( August 12-17, 2012) ,Spitzer and Romano in conjunction with the JCC started a petition launched on the website change.org. Historically the Maccabi games have honored the memory of the Munich 11 but this year they took it to another level. It has sparked an outpouring of support from around the world, including legislative and government action in the Israel, the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, garnering over 103,000 signatures.

One of the largest organizations to get involved with the cause is Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Leszek Sibilski, who is a Sociology professor at Catholic University of America and a former member of the Polish National Olympic cycling team in the Olympics, has been teaching a Sociology in Sports course. His class was introduced to the Munich 11 tragedy, and students from this course got deeply involved in this cause. Sibilski and four students from Catholic University have travelled to London to join the widows, and representatives from JCC, including CEO David Kirschtel, to lobby their cause.

The London Olympics mark the 10th set of games and 40 years since the Israelis were murdered. The family members have been asking that the IOC do the right thing and hold one silent minute in their memory. Spitzer and Romano personally delivered the actual petition to Rogge in London.

Rabbi Dovid Weinberger, Rav of Shaaray Tefilla delivers a hesped to a standing room only crowd Monday night.

See story page 15.

Photos by Joe Allen Xx

From top, Ilana Romano, and Ankie Spitzer, Munich 11 widows at press conference in London.

With only one day to go, they want to impress upon IOC officials that they can change their decision and finally do the right thing.

However, one man is going to step in and do his part where the IOC will not. NBC’s Olympic anchor, Bob Costas, will have his own minute of silence as the Israeli athletes enter the Olympic Stadium in London. Costas told The Hollywood Reporter what his plans were for the broadcast: “I intend to note that the IOC denied the request. Many people find that denial more than puzzling but insensitive. Here’s a minute of silence right now.”

Extreme biking in Israel leads to Bike4Chai for Five Towners Stephen Bach at the Ramon Crater on day 3 of his 275 mile ride in Israel last year. Story p. 10

Shabbat Candlelighting: 7:56 p.m. Shabbat ends 9:01 p.m. 72 minute zman 9:26 p.m. Torah Reading Parshat Devarim Shabbat Chazon. Fast begins 8:09 p.m. ends Sunday 8:48 p.m.

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Local reaction Enjoy a green, healthy yard all summer long. to Aurora • Best Quality • Best Service • Best Pricing

By Karen C. Green Four Democrats on Tuesday stood alone in the wake of the mass shooting in Aurora, Colo. to voice support for new legislation aimed to combat gun violence.

It was McCarthy’s push for more stringent gun control laws that propelled her into Congress in 1997 after Colin Ferguson opened fire on random unarmed passengers, killing her husband, and severely injuring her son. “High capacity magazines are made for military only,� stressed McCarthy (D-NY) in a conversation she had with The Jewish Star just hours after she joined three of her colleagues, Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez at a press conference in D.C. to voice support for Lautenberg’s bill outlawing the sale of high-capacity gun magazines.

Additionally, McCarthy is strongly advocating for closing the gun show loophole which has facilitated the sale of guns at the shows without asking for a background check. “There are things that we can implement that in my opinion aren’t infringing on the rights of gun owners. I can’t understand the thinking of the NRA,� continued McCarthy. “What about the freedom of people going to the movies without being mowed down. Why wouldn’t the NRA want to take guns out of the hands of criminals?� “America can take a lesson from Israelis who live with the threat of violence every day,� says McCarthy. “They don’t let the threat interfere with their daily living but take necessary precautions.� “This is not a time for political posturing,� said Nassau County Legislator Fran Becker. “I think this is a time to show support for the families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones and support them in every way possible. If anything we should try to come to an understanding of what would drive a young person with their entire life before them to commit such a horrific act and destroy the lives of so many.� Becker (R-Lynbrook) is running against McCarthy in the upcoming Congressional election in November.

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Promoting the right of Jews to live in Israel

By Malka Eisenberg Likud Knesset member Tzipi Hotovely is calling on Americans to be vocal in their support of her bill and to write letters to her and other MKs as well as members of the United States Congress voicing this support. “Tell the Knesset not to bury the report,” she wrote in an email.

Hotovely plans to submit a bill to the Knesset based on a report from a commission headed by retired Israeli Supreme Court Justice Edmund Levy. Levy is known for his minority opinion against evicting the Israelis from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu appointed a three-member committee in January 2012 to determine the legal status of towns in Judea and Samaria. The panel, headed by Levy, also included former Foreign Ministry legal adviser and ambassador to Canada Alan Baker, and former deputy president of the Tel Aviv District Court Tchia Shapira. Baker clarified the conclusions of the 89-page report published by the Israeli government July 2012, entitled, in Hebrew, “Report on the Legal Status of Building in Judea and Samaria” in a letter to the Israel Policy Forum. He stressed that it reaffirms, “the legal and historic rights and claims of Israel with regard to the area and the nature of Israel’s presence therein” and that it “is no different from Israel’s policy statements over the years.” It also noted “Israel’s well-based and solid legal and historical claims to sovereignty over the area and the right of Israelis to settle therein in accordance with the requisite legal norms and requirements, as set out in the body of the report.”

Baker further emphasized that, “the main body of the Levy Report deals with practical ways of resolving the outstanding issues concerning planning, zoning and building in the area, in light of the confusing situation in this field that has developed over the last few years. The report proffers recommendations for adjudicating land-ownership disputes between Palestinian and Israeli claimants – all

with a view to ensuring just, proper and fair administration.”

Hotovely said (via email) that her bill “will create an Israeli land registry in Yehuda and Shomron, create a legal tribunal that will deal specifically with property rights, apply full Israeli building laws” not requiring the permission of the Defense minister and thus “allow for more building” and “defense of Jewish legal and property rights.” She said that this is “another step toward full Israeli sovereignty over Yehuda and Shomron (full Israeli law), (will) make building easier, and encourage settlement.”

She noted that the report clearly states that “’from the perspective of international law, establishing communities in Judea and Samaria is not illegal’….The People of Israel are not occupiers in the Land of Israel—in Judea and Samaria as in Tel Aviv and in all parts of Jerusalem.”

She said that passage of the bill depends mostly on the Prime Minister, but that even if it is not passed, it has “important declarative and policy value.” The report is important, she said, “to establish that Judea and Samaria are not occupied or stolen territory.

Under the current situation, it is very difficult to build and expand Jewish communities.

Judea and Samaria are under legal limbo, a twilight zone, and the status quo is damaging to Israel.”

In spite of the usual complaints from the Left, Hotovely cites strong support from centrist and right wing American Jews and noted that, to date, 18 Members of Knesset have signed the legislation. “The report didn’t change the minds of anybody already convinced that Judea and Samaria are occupied territory,” Hotovely stressed. “However, for those who were unsure of the Left’s claims, they were provided with a new legal outlook.”

“These ideas should have been said by the right wing leadership long ago,” pointed out Dr. Raphaella Segal, Assistant Mayor of Kedumim, Shomron, Israel. “The bill to annex Yehuda and Shomron under Israeli Authority

should have been done long ago. If it would have been done close to the Six Day War it would have passed and also the condemnation of the world would have been minor.”

She emphasized that people got accustomed to the ideas of Oslo, of giving away Israeli territory in Judea and Samaria, and that the right wing factions should have constantly called for annexation of the area. She noted that they focused on security regarding the threat of Arabs in the area rather than debunking the false Arab claims of land ownership, (there never was an Arab state in that area) when Jews have a historic and legal right to live in the land. If the right had vocalized the legal claim of Israel to Judea and Samaria over the years, “it would have saved all the troubles we went through by the world and the left in the past few years.” She said that more people in Israel are looking for alternatives to Oslo since it is apparent that the Arabs are not willing to negotiate, citing plans by Naftali Bennett and Benny Elon. “Therefore,” concluded Segal, “it is very correct that Tzipi Hotovely is bringing her bill, even though, for now, it probably will not pass, we should start to speak about it and not only as a bill but in interviews, in articles, etc. We have to start the change in different ways. The bill is one of them.”

“If it’s passed, then Judea and Samaria will be open to development, people can live and move there freely, and realize the biblical promise that this is Jewish land for the Jewish people,” said Helen Freedman, Executive Director of Americans for a Safe Israel. “Nothing can succeed as long as we are violating the biblical promise. I hope it will (pass), I have my doubts but hope that reason and truth and honesty will prevail.

Then everything can be restored; everything (now) is built on pretense and lies.”

When asked about the Arabs currently living in the area she pointed out that, “Arabs were living side by side with Jews before the Oslo peace pretense in 1993. There was an exchange, business between Arabs and Jews.” She cited Sheik Jabiri’s peace tent

Member of Knesset Tzipi Hotovely of Likud has drafted legislation supporting the Levy Report. in Hebron and his clan of 35,000 followers working with the Jews of Hebron to establish peaceful relations with them. “The ones who want to destroy Israel should be removed from the country, those who want to leave should leave. Those who are peaceful can live side by side. Israeli Arab citizens don’t want to live under the Arabs. Arabs are not the problem. We can’t deal with American pressure and UN interference.”

“For far too long,” declared Hotovely, “the Left has tried to convince the world of the legal and moral illegitimacy of Jewish settlement. It is time for a paradigm shift, and to establish once and for all that the Jewish people are not occupiers in the Land of Israel.”

Write to zhotovely@knesset.gov.il The other 18 MKs are: Zeev Elkin, Feina Kirschenbaum, Avraham Michaeli, David Rotem, Yariv Levin, Robert Ilatov, Yitzhak Vaknin, Tzion Pinian, Uri Ariel, Danny Danon, Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh), Michael ben Ari, Ari Eldad, Nissim Zeev, Uri Orbach, Miri Regev. Email them with their name in the same format at the same address.

OU’s Michael Cohen takes tuition to forefront

By Karen C. Green In response to their leadership making a strategic decision to take on the yeshiva tuition affordability crisis in a major way, the Orthodox Union, as the largest Orthodox umbrella organization in the United States, has appointed Michael Cohen of Englewood, N.J. as its New York State Director of Political Affairs to lead the way ---- and six months into his new gig he’s already making inroads.

The seasoned insider who speaks Albany-ese with a certain finesse, was formerly the Chief of Staff to NYS Senator and Senate Democratic Majority Conference Leader John L. Sampson.

With a track record of promoting transparency in government and a reputation for uniting people with common goals, Cohen was the natural choice for the newly created position.

Prior to his time in Albany, Cohen spent time in D.C. as a staffer with Congressman Ed Towns and served as part of the administrations of Public Advocate Mark Green, and NYC Council member Mathieu Eugene. In addition, he worked on numerous campaigns including that of Assemblyman and now Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and NYC Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio. The Brooklyn native, who serves as President Pro-Temp of the Englewood City Council, was profiled in the Capital Newspaper’s “Rising Stars - 40 under 40” edition of

Photo coutrtesy of OU

Photo courtesy of Assemblyman Camara

OU’s NYS Director of Political Affairs will be talking with community leaders

Assemblyman Karim Camara appreciates Cohen’s coalition building approach

2010.

“Michael was the highest ranking Orthodox member in Albany, plus he is a local elected official in Englewood. He satisfied both criteria and we knew that he would hit the ground running,” noted Maury Litwack, OU National Political Director.

With approximately 60% of the Jewish

Day school and yeshiva world operating in New York, the OU has identified this very specific issue that the Jewish community can rally around in New York State government. Cohen’s recent appointment runs tandum with the OU’s investment of significant resources and energy into this issue. “Based upon who we are as an organization, this was a way to achieve a

value added service to the community,” added Litwack.

“Government advocacy on a state and local basis, resulting in funding and an overall return on our taxes as a community is the long term goal, “ stressed Cohen. “We want to get as many government dollars into our yeshivas and day schools as possible.”

Taking a bottom up, rather than a top down approach, Cohen is spearheading a grassroots effort in our communities while at the same time participating in joint lobbying days with the UJA and Teach NYS. “The distinction is that the OU views its advocacy as less of an insider game,” noted Litwack.

The OU’s recognition, under the direction of Michael Cohen, that they need to build a wider base of support for their overall agenda has led to a productive dialogue with the NYS Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative caucus.

Cohen’s ability to “think out of the box” has won praise from the Chairman of the Caucus, Assemblyman Karim Camara (D-Brooklyn).

“Michaels a long time friend and the Orthodox Union could have not found a better person who is both a visionary and a coalition builder.

I look forward to finding ways to revive the historic coalition between the Black and Jewish community so that we can fight against poverty and for justice for our respective constituents.”

THE JEWISH STAR July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5227

Hotovely’s bill:

July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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Opinion The 2012 London Olympics- A Celebration of Terrorism’s Success

A

lmost 40 years ago, Yasser Arafat sent five Palestinian terrorists into an Olympic Village that was supposed to be dedicated to peace and international cooperation.

Their mission was to shock the world by kidnapping and killing the Israeli Olympic team.

Those old enough to have seen this horror played out live and worldwide on television will always remember the picture of a skimasked terrorist on the balcony as the horror played out and Jim McKay, looking every bit the man who has been reporting without sleep for more than a day, making the vile announcement, “they POLITICO are all gone.”

TO GO The Olympic committee did not feel that the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes was important enough to cancel or even delay the Olympic games; after all, they were only Jews.

“Incredibly, they’re going on with it,” Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times wrote at Jeff Dunetz the time. “It’s almost like having a dance at Dachau.”

Eleven innocents died that day. And the terrorists won. Sure Golda Meir sent out a hit squad and killed most of the murderers behind the attack.

But it was followed up by a worldwide effort to legitimize the terrorist Arafat which directly led to the Oslo Accords and the second intifada. They say that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. That is an apt description of most of the governments of the western world; they have returned to appeasing terrorists as if nothing ever happened.

The mastermind of the Munich attack, Abu Daoud, claims that future Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas provided the funds to carry out the Black September attack.

Yes, the same Mahmoud Abbas who is

considered a “moderate” terrorist.

Daoud made that charge in his 1999 French language memoir, “Palestine: From Jerusalem to Munich,” and again in an interview a few years ago with Don Yaeger of Sports Illustrated magazine.

Abu Daoud said the dozens of Palestinian terrorists allowed to return to the Palestinian territories as a result of the Oslo process while he remained persona non grata to Israel and the United States angered him. Abu Mazen, Daoud complained, is now considered “respectable” even though he was also involved in the Munich attack.

In his book Abu Daoud states: “After Oslo in 1993, Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] went to the White House Rose Garden for a photo op with Arafat, President Bill Clinton and Israel’s Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.

“Do you think that ... would have been possible if the Israelis had known that Abu Mazen was the financier of our operation? I doubt it.

When Abu Daoud died, Abbas eulogized him, the mastermind of the massacre at the Munich Olympics: “He is missed. He was one of the leading figures of Fatah and spent his life in resistance and sincere work as well as physical sacrifice for his people’s just causes,” said Abbas.

This year’s London Games represents the 40th anniversary of that repulsive massacre.

Throughout the world (except for the Arab Nations of course) there have been calls for a moment of silence to remember the slaughtered eleven athletes, but to no avail.

Ankie Spitzer, whose husband was murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympics, has been fighting to have a minute of silence at the London Games to remember the eleven murdered victims.

Mrs Spitzer told the BBC: “Our message is not one of hatred or revenge.

“It’s the opposite. We want the world to remember what happened there so that this will never happen again.”

Speaking from her Israeli home she said we should all vow, “that we will not bend for

terrorism and that we stand for the Olympic ideal of friendship, brotherhood and peace.”

Mrs. Spitzer is right; the only way to make sure it never happens again is not to forget!

But the IOC and the British (whose rule over the Holy Land was filled with excusing the massacre of innocent Jews) would like nothing better than the world to forget.

Munich widow Ankie Spitzer is campaigning by launching an online protest, which has since garnered support from across political spectrums in several countries including Israel, Canada, the UK, Australia, the U.S., Belgium and Germany.

The organization and its president, Jacques Rogge, have been subject to intense criticism from across the international community for its continued refusal to honor the 11 Israeli Olympians murdered at the 1972 Munich Games with a minute’s silence to mark the 40th anniversary of the killings, in what has been presented as a “humanitarian” gesture.

Ankie wrote a letter to Olympic officials requesting an official silence to mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich Massacres, which said in part: “Silence is a fitting tribute for athletes who lost their lives on the Olympic stage.

Silence contains no statements, assumptions or beliefs and requires no understanding of language to interpret.”

Rogge’s response declared “within the Olympic family, the memory of the victims of the terrible massacre in Munich in 1972 will never fade away.”

Mrs. Spitzer also reports that earlier this year when the two met in person, Rogge protested his inability to act saying his hands were tied by the admission of 46 Arab and Muslim members to the IOC. “No,” Spitzer said she responded, “my husband’s hands were tied, not yours.”

That’s not what they are saying publicly.

The Games’ Organizers, the London Olympic Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee, say publicly that they are avoiding the games boing “politicized.”

But is the IOC is afraid to do what’s right because of their fear of upsetting anti-Semites in the Muslim world?

VOICE YOUR OPINION! E-mail letters to letters@thejewishstar.com or fax to (516) 569-4942.

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This 2012 Olympic Games could be a celebration of the success of terrorism.

It is being held in a nation with a history of appeasing Muslim terror, from their complacency in the Hebron massacre, to refusing to allow Jews to escape Hitler’s final solution by emigrating to the holy land or to England itself, to its decades long support of Palestinian terrorists.

The Olympics are run by an organization, the IOC, which in 1972, when the massacre took place, refused to delay or cancel the games to recognize the murder of the eleven Israeli athletes. Forty years later, that same Olympic Committee has reconfirmed its message to the world. Jewish blood doesn’t matter --we will not do what’s right because we are afraid of upsetting anti-Semites in the Muslim world.

The man who funded the Munich Massacre, Mahmoud Abbas, who now runs the terrorist organization who sponsored it, was permitted to field a team to the same Olympic games even though he still refuses to recognize the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state.

When originally designed, the Olympic Games were supposed to exploit athleticism as a way to bring the world together. It has never lived up to that ideal. This year’s London Games will be further from the game’s original peaceful goal than ever before. It’s housed in a country with a long history of appeasing Muslim terrorists, participated in by terrorist supporting countries such as Iran and Syria, refuses to remember eleven of their own massacred by terrorists during the Olympic Games 40 years ago, a massacre whose funding was arraigned by a man fielding a team to the event. That’s not irony, that’s an example of how sick this world has become.

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

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

Jeff lives in Long Island.

Letters to the editor such access. The time A call for regulating disallowing is now to make these changes and Americans from further automatic weapons protect horrific tragedies.

To the Editor: It is long past due for the President and this shameful Congress to take a leadership position and do what is right concerning the ownership of lethal assault weapons by private citizens. Weapons designed to kill many people at once for the purpose of warfare do not belong in the hands of the average citizen. The argument that the 2nd amendment holds does not apply. Of course the first three words of the 2nd amendment explicitly say “a well regulated militia.” We need to regulate the sale of arms, particularly automatic weapons, and ban access to private citizens. There have been too many tragic incidents, all of which could have been avoided had strict laws

Robin Wieder East Rockaway

JCC-Library united To the Editor: Perhaps the JCC could purchase the #6 school property jointly with the Peninsula Library.

The entrance could be on Branch Blvd so it does not disrupt traffic on Peninsula or by peoples’ homes. They could share a joint parking lot. This would be a great asset to our community.

Roberta Gettinger Woodmere

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An African American Convert’s Take on Tisha B’Av In a rare observation concerning the saddest day on the Jewish liturgical calendar, Ahuva Gray, Chicago born granddaughter of sharecroppers from Mississippi, and an adult convert to the Jewish faith, wrote about Tisha B’Av in her exquisite autobiography entitled, “Journey to the Land of My Soul.”

There is much to be learned from these wise words, a sample of which I choose to share with you this week: “Four years had elapsed since I had first observed the fast of Tisha B’Av. The meaning of the portentous event of Tisha B’Av of 1994, still plagued me….

I could better comprehend the pain I associated with the fast of Tisha B’Av by remembering the pain I associated with the pain of losing my mother.

The loss of my mother exemplifies for me Alan Jay Gerber why the Jewish people mourn the loss of our Temple. Although I feel the pain of a great loss, it’s a pain that dissipates when I think about the glory of G-d that was revealed through her life.

Through the eyes of a convert, I now know what it means to be comforted. Each of us, so to speak, had his own personal exile. Each exile carries with it a unique sin. Just as the Jewish people are in exile, so is a Jewish

neshamah that resides inside a Ger, just as the Jewish people long for their homeland, so does the Jewish neshamah. Once a potential convert has been exposed to Judaism and the Jewish people, that neshamah starts to crave for the Jewish life. My neshamah found its home in Bayit Vegan.”

Further on, Gray makes note of the following: “Tisha B’Av is a time of remembrance as well as a time of anticipation. During the fast of Tisha B’Av, we, the Jewish people, mourn the loss of the First and Second Temples.

During this fast, our souls long for a future hope of the rebuilding of the Third Temple and the coming of Mashiach.”

These heartfelt words confirm the truth and wisdom of the adage that is reflected by the following: that words that come from the heart of the speaker, go to the heart of the listener.

This fascinating book details the spiritual journey of a spiritually intoxicated human being that is so eloquently expressed in words, that it will truly reinforce your appreciation of the faith of Judaism, the faith of your birth.

After reading Ahuvah’s words, no one who is on the margins of faith can fail to come to theological and experiential grips with the reality of what our Jewish faith is all about. Truly, it is absolutely astonishing as to how someone from the outside can come to view the special nature and value of the Jewish faith, that really presents to all who come to it with deep appreciation

and with a full heart. This observation truly confirms that of Rabbi Aryeh Carmell, of blessed memory, who stated that, “It is my feeling that this book will help both Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews to develop a new and deeper appreciation of their spiritual roots.”

Furthermore we have the observation from Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller who stated that, “Knowing Ahuvah Gray is a spiritual adventure…

Her story cannot fail to inspire us to make our own lives a bit bigger.”

Hopefully, your Tisha B’Av observance this year will be made just a bit more meaningful through the example of Ahuvah Gray who has chosen to devote her life to live and share with us both the grief that we experience and the richness that our history blends with the conviction of the liberation and salvation that we await in the days that are near in coming….

FOR FURTHER STUDY Among the Bible classics that are a part of the learning regimen for this time of year are the Book of Job and the Book of Lamen-

tations……Iyov and Eicha.

This year we witness the absolutely astonishing publication of the translation into English and the extensive footnoting and insights of the classic commentary, the Midrash Rabbah on Megilas Eicha, the latest in the Artscroll series on the Five Megillos of the Bible.

This work is a must for your shul and home libraries.

Also, I note the publication by Brand Name Publishing of “The Malbim on Iyov: An English Translation of the Malbim’s Classic Commentary on the Book of Job,”

by Dr. Herbert Weisberg, M.D., and the distinguished and erudite scholar Yosef Kazarnovsky who was a student of HaRav Yisrael Zev Gustman, of blessed memory.

Any translation of the Malbim is a work of theological art, for the Malbim’s commentary is a true work of Torah commentary at its best. This work surely helps to bring this previously hidden and most difficult and challenging text into the open for all to read and learn from, especially at this time of year.

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THE JEWISH STAR July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5227

The Kosher Bookworm

July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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Why We Cry on Tisha B’av His last words were, Hashem is righteous Israel’s hopes for the future grew dim

By Shlomie Lederstein On Tisha B’av at night, the spies returned With a critical report about the land They said it couldn’t be conquered They denied Hashem’s strong hand The Holy One, Blessed is He Saw our weeping in vain And established this day forever As a time of weeping and pain On this night, we weep and wail For both Temples that were destroyed We were exiled from our Father’s house By a consuming fire we could not avoid That Bnei Yisrael would die in the Midbar It was decreed this day A massacre happened at Beitar And Jerusalem was razed, empty it lay For many troubles this day was destined So Hashem had designated On this day, the jews of Spain were exiled For the jews in Warsaw, deportation waited We lament over King Yoashiyahu Who tried to destroy idols of every kind But they concealed their idols, behind their doors His efforts to purify Israel were undermined When Pharaoh asked to march his troops Through Yoashiyahu’s land Yirmiyahu said let him, he didn’t listen Against Pharaoh’s army he took a stand The archers shot at Yoashiyahu And sent 300 arrows into him

We mourn because of a wicked man’s evil plans Against G-d, he stretched out his hand Titus entered the Holy of Holies, he slashed the curtain Blood began to flow, at Hashem’s command Hashem’s presence had departed in anger Unlike Aaron’s sons, Titus was unharmed He emptied the Temple of its contents The Elders were alarmed He took 400 children, and sent them away In three ships, daughter and son They united in a solemn pact To cast themselves into the sea as one We cry over the deaths of 10 martyrs Giants of Torah, Mishnah and Gemara For these we weep, our eyes overflow The Harugei Malchus Asara Each asked to be executed first Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel and Rabbi Yishmael Cohen Gadol Rabbi Shimon cried, when he heard the decree For the sale of Joseph it was decreed, by heavenly tribunal Rabbi Yishmael placed Rabbi Shimon’s head on his lap And lamented “ Oh Pure Menorah” He placed his mouth upon his mouth in love And cried “ O mouth that strengthened itself in Torah” They stripped the skin off of Rabbi Yishmael’s head When the place of the tefillin they did reach The earth trembled, and the whole world quaked

From the sound of Rabbi Yishmael’s shriek After him they brought Rabbi Akiva Who expounded Torah, unequal to anyone They combed his flesh with an iron comb His soul departed saying “Hashem is One” At 70 they killed Rabbi Yehuda Ben Bava To continue the chain of semicha, he did aspire Next Rabbi Chanina Ben Teradyon, who sat and learned Torah They surrounded him with branches, and set him on fire Rabbi Yeshavav observed every detail of the Torah They flung him to the dogs, and sent him to his death Then they killed Rabbi Chutzpis, who taught with such fire A bird flying above was burnt by his breath Last came Rabbi Elazar Ben Shamua It was Erev Shabbos, the words of Kiddush he stated They unsheathed a sword and stabbed him His soul departed with the words “when G-d created” Hashem seek revenge for all the spilled blood Avenge Your Torah, which our enemies have burned Bring our days of mourning to an end Bring us Moshiach, for whom we’ve so long yearned Remember Hashem what has befallen us Look and see our disgrace Because we pursued purposeless hatred We are without a home without a place Har Zion lies desolate The Bais Hamikdash is no more Bring us back Hashem As in days before

Five Towns abuzz in anticipation of Siyum Hashas

S

ome say that the Five Towns –Far Rockaway area is one of the premier Daf Yomi centers in the world. In Yerushalyim, there are over 30 shiurim a day in Zichron Moshe, but right here in our backyard we can boast over 60 daily Daf Yomi shiurim and already additional shiurim are in formation for the new cycle. It is believed that more people per capita learn the Daf in our neck of the woods than in any place in the world, outside Israel. You can start as early as 5 AM and go till midnight to attend a Daf shiur. These approximately 1000 learners of the Daf and their families are excitedly anticipating the historic siyum and simchas haTorah that is scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium on August 1, 2012.

Many of the local shuls have chartered buses for the trip to the New Jersey Meadowlands stadium. There will even be a bus available for people who arrive by mass transit from work and need a ride home. For that bus you can contact Eliezer Cohen at ecohen@ thmny.com. The cost is $16 for the oneway trip. I wish to note that participants should not bring anything extra Eliezer Cohen to the stadium. Anything that exceeds the size of 12 x 12 x 12 will not be permitted entry. No strollers, no umbrellas. You will have to check the items at a trailer outside and pay $5, and consider the wait to retrieve the items. Although kosher food will be available, they are permitting sandwiches in clear plastic bags and plastic bottles of water and other drinks up to 20 ounces in size. No coolers etc.

One individual at this historic occasion was present at the first siyum hashas. His father took him at age 11 to the first siyum to see the Gedolei Hador of Europe. Although he has missed a few siyumim due to World War II, he has been present at most and has been a maggid shiur for over 30 years.

Although it is not official, there is still hope that Maran Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman shlit”a, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ye-

shiva Orchos Torah, Bnei Brak, will attend. Rav Shteinman told askonim that it would be a big kavod for him to attend.

Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, who is completing the Daf Yomi himself, will recite the Hadran. Beth Medrash Govoha, which was started in the mid 1940s, is the largest yeshiva outside of Eretz Yisroel. Additional speakers will include Rav Yaakov Hillel of Yeshiva Ahavat Shalom in Eretz Yisroel; Rav Yisroel Hager, and Rav Yisrael Meir Lau, Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv and former Chief Rabbi of Israel. Rabbi Lau is very excited about the opportunity to join in such a momentous event.

The program is not just speeches. There will be videos showing the history of the Daf and shiurim around the world, as well as a segment “Heros of the Daf.” Each person who prepares and gives a shiur or attends is a true hero and “they are the true guests of honor,” quipped an askan involved in organizing the event. Our small enclave has some real candidates for the title of “hero.”

There will also be hook-ups to other events around the world, including a simultaneous siyum in Yeshiva Chochmei Lublin. Although it will be 2 AM in Poland, they will be conducting a siyum in the hallowed building that was built by Rav Mayer Shapiro. Singing will be led by Reb Abish Brodt.

The simcha of singing, dancing and davening with 90,000 other Yidden is truly an uplifting experience, one that may even propel you to accept the task for the next seven years.

Many who have completed shas before are contemplating how they can imbue the next cycle with additional limud and intensity. Some suggestions are: Start Dirshu, add the new Talmud Yerushalmi 7 year cycle that will enable one to be mesayim both Bavli and Yerushalmi on January 4, 2020.

Torah is living so there are always additional venues to add.

Not to mention that the simple effort of trying this time to stay awake for the entire shiur is a good goal.

Many people may be thinking of joining a Daf shiur for the next cycle. This is an excellent investment of time. However, this should not be a situation where you are dropping a seder or chavrusa. This should be an added commitment, with the goal of celebrating the completion of shas on Janu-

ary 4, 2020. Rabbi Kanner, who has been giving the Daf shiur at the White Shul for many years, has a “bring a friend” program for his participants. Each person has been encouraged to bring a new member on Friday, August 3, for Brachos.

Since the local Five Towns-Far Rockaway community has so many shiurim and so many fine maggidai Daf yomi shiurim, it is certain that with minor effort, everyone can find a time and place that fits their schedule and taste.

What should you choose? When someone asks about the best time, most people agree that it is best if you learn first thing in the morning. This time slot is usually free from business and family obligations and allows you to get the Daf done without interference from running late at work, simchas and the myriad of things that crop up during the evenings.

One of the great things about learning the Daf, is the realization that, wherever you are in the world, you will find fellow Jews learning the same masechta and Daf as you. When on vacation, you can pop in to the local shiur and fit right in. With the new apps, there is the option to catch a shiur on your ipad. In Eretz Yisroel there are shiurim available in every language. In Paris and Rome it is difficult to find an English shiur, but Hebrew is available.

Although most people attend a steady Daf, there are many people who attend different shiurim on different days of the week or catch an alternate shiur depending on their schedule. On the LIRR there are two shiurim every morning, Monday to Friday. The last car of the 7:53 and 8:14 out of Inwood has been the home of the traveling Daf. These trains are direct to Penn Station so they allow unimpeded learning.

The shiur starts after the passengers board in Woodmere 8:01/8:22. If you join the shiur, your travel time becomes learning time. Ask anyone who attends and they will tell you it is an enjoyable way to occupy commuting time. The early train, which has been led by Rabbi Pesach Lerner for over 20 years, is completing its third cycle on March 31, 2014.

Attendees are urged to use mass transit. Shuttle trains from Secaucus and busses from the Port Authority will be running throughout the day. Gates open at 4:30.

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By Bari Zund

by adjusting the microflora in the intestines.

Yogurt eaters also get a dose of animal protein (about 9 grams for a 6 ounce serving of nonfat yogurt), along with several other nutrients. Yogurt can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and osteoporosis and helps

Five Towns students attend Knesset meeting From left to right: Azi Katz, Naomi Dure, Mikey Gross, Devorah Blisko, Tamara Heller, Miriam Friedman, Mari Spitz, Lauren Pianko, Blossom Soifer, Samantha Lish, Ikey Fruchter, Natan Bauer.

Twelve teens from the Five Towns in Israel this summer as counselors in Camp Koby, the sleep away camp sponsored by The Koby Mandell Foundation for children who have lost loved ones to terror or other tragic circumstances. In a special committee meeting today in the Knesset, Deputy Speaker MK Danny Danon called attention to The Foundation for their extraordinary work. LI teen Miriam Friedman (center of the photo with a green shirt) spoke at the session about her experience as a counselor in the camp. “I wasn’t looking for a regular summer in Israel – I was looking to give back,” said 15 year old Miriam Friedman from Long Island, New York.

“These amazing campers taught me that even if something terrible happens, it is still possible to move on and be happy. I became so connected with them – it changed me as a person.”

people to feel fuller and not eat as much, aiding in weight loss.

Because of yogurt’s growing popularity, the market for this item has expanded and on the grocery aisles a consumer can find more than 20 different brands, types and flavors

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What did Temur Vanacha, age 105, Kasteh Tanya, age 101, and Shadat Marcholia, age 103, all have in common? Well, besides their impressive old ages, they were all fans of yogurt, in particular “Dannon” yogurt. These three people were all part of an ad campaign for Dannon in 1977 that attributed their incredible longevity to their daily yogurt consumption.

In the past few decades, the benefits of yogurt have made it a popular choice among food consumers. According to Yoeli Steinberg of Gourmet Glatt in Cedarhurst, “I move more yogurt than any other grocery item on the shelves. It is the top selling item because it appeals to all age groups. There is a surge of variety offered; it has many health benefits, and it is not a seasonal product.” Especially in the days heading into Tisha B’av, yogurt is an extremely easy way to eat dairy and prepare for the upcoming fast. This year, when the T’sha B’av fast comes out motzei Shabbat, people need a food item that is easy to store and eat. They also need a cheap dairy product that they can buy in bulk for over a week. Yogurt is the perfect way to fit all of these needs. Not only is yogurt a delicious and nutritious snack that comes in a variety of flavors and types, but also it can be a way to make Tisha B’av much more manageable.

The various health benefits of yogurt make it an extremely popular choice among consumers in our increasingly health conscious society. Yogurt is made with many probiotic (good) bacteria that aid in digestion.

Many of these bacteria provide their benefits

of the treat. Stonyfield Farms and Axelrod yogurt are popular nonfat brands that taste sweet and creamy. Blueberry, strawberry, and even flavors such as strawberry cheesecake, are delicious ways for consumers to enjoy these flavors in a healthy way. Greek Yogurt is another type that has made buzz in the past few years. Packing in around 1520 grams of protein in a 6 ounce serving, Greek yogurt is an excellent way for people to get a large amount of protein with a small amount of calories. Oikos and Chobani are popular Greek yogurt brands that come in many flavors and styles, with ways to make them more tasty such as “fruit on the bottom.” The actual taste of plain Greek yogurt is tangy and bitter, however with a little bit of fresh fruit or sugar, it makes the perfect treat.

Even ice cream producers, such as “Ben and Jerry’s” are getting in on the yogurt craze, making a new frozen yogurt made with the healthy Greek yogurt. One serving is only 130 calories, so it is a lower calorie way for people to eat frozen yogurt and get the creamy flavor that they enjoy. The marketing of yogurt to children is also a huge business.

Sprinkles and powdered sugar make for fun and delicious yogurt toppings that children can enjoy.

The many types of yogurt offered on the shelves makes it appealing to all age groupsfrom a child who wants to eat sprinkles, to an older woman trying to watch her weight. It is the perfect treat for every person to enjoy. If you haven’t hopped on the yogurt bandwagon yet, you better get on. The perfect time to do it would be before or after Tisha B’av!!

HAFTR Early Childhood Director 516.569.3659 cygoldberg@haftr.org www.haftr.org

THE JEWISH STAR July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5227

Yogurt: Fast food for all ages

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July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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THE JEWISH STAR July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5227

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July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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Bike4Chai:The world’s greatest finish line

By Malka Eisenberg Muscle, sheer drive, rigorous training, stamina and the thrill of the course are coming together again this August 8th and 9th for the Third Annual Bike4Chai two day ride from the Jersey Shore into the cheering, appreciative crowd of campers at Camp Simcha Special in Glen Spey, New York.

This all male trek requires riders to bring in a minimum donation of $3,600 to join the group and cover a maximum distance of 175 miles over the two days of the meet. Many of the signed up 211 bikers have already raised more than that, with the total to date of over $1,150,000, topping Chai Lifeline’s goal for this year of $1,000,000.

“They’re coming to the world’s greatest finish line,” exulted Yoel Margolese, the event coordinator for Chai Lifeline for this ride. “It’s indescribable. They come back every year. Whether you’re the strongest or the weakest, once you come into camp, you can’t not come back. You put in all that sweat and you see these kids; grown men are crying. The kids come in with them and ride with them. It’s a whole celebration that goes on. It’s phenomenal. You see how and what it went towards; it’s very real, it’s the truest thing.”

The Tour de Simcha, a similar event but only for women, was held on July 2nd for the first time. Each rider had to raise a minimum of $1800 and be able to bike a minimum of 20 miles of the 62-mile route for the one-day ride. They stayed over night in a hotel, had rest stops every 12 miles, with medical and mechanical support, and regrouped a mile and a half before the grand entrance to the camp. Over $135,000 was raised by the 54 ladies in the group. “The event was so phenomenal,” said Margolese, “it took off with no advertising, just word of mouth.”

Raising money with extreme biking is a strong motivator for three Five Towns riders, who took up intensive training for exercise with the added bonus of using their self competing hobby for a good cause. Azriel Ganz, a member of Congregation Aish Kodesh, motivated other members of the shul to ride and his been admiringly dubbed “the bike rebbe” by some there. “I encouraged people to get into riding in a more serious way,” he pointed out. “I gave advice on bikes to buy and equipment, where and how to ride, how to hydrate, how to eat and get enough nutrients when you ride.”

Ganz said that he started doing biathlons, running and biking in the early 1980s but “my knees gave out” so he dropped the running and retained the biking, noting that biking is easier on the knees. He said that he can only go on long rides on Sundays but davens vasikin so he can bike a few times a week on “shorter” runs, such as to Point Lookout, 27 miles. He also “trains very hard,” he said

Photo courtesy of Chai Lifeline

Tour de Simcha riders departing from the Hudson Valley Resort on July 2, 2012 at Studio Ina, doing spinning, indoor rowing, heavy cardio, weight circuit class, training about an hour, five days a week. His wife recently rode a 25 mile ride with him.

“I do this because I love to bike,” explained Ganz. He’s done “crazy” rides in Israel, combining his love for biking and his love for Israel, but has decided to “moderate” this year by riding for Chai, noting that it’s “in between for me. For me it’s not extreme,” he stressed. “I’ve been doing 350 mile rides in five days for Allyn. I did it seven out of eight years.”

Ben Cohen, another member of Aish Kodesh, said that he always enjoyed riding but got involved in extreme biking about four years ago. He trained and rode in the Allyn ride and is entered in Bike4Chai as well this year. “It’s challenging,” he stressed, but, “how often can you take a hobby and use it to help others? Not often.”

His caveat, though is, “people don’t realize how much time and commitment is needed to train. So much time on the road; it takes away time from home.” His wife knows how much it “means to me.”

Cohen has had stitches in his arm and head. “It’s crazy when you get to the hospital and the attending knows who you are,” he said, noting that he is “accident prone,” but quoted Ganz who said that there are “two types of bikers: those who have fallen and those who will.” He trains for distance, sprints, inclines, speed, and endurance, riding a thirty mile loop in back Lawrence, get-

ting up to “daven Netz” to get in a daily ride.

He rides with a small group of men who train with South Shore Bicycle and Fitness on Sundays on the North Shore. “I’m more of an endurance rider. I like to do the things that are challenging. I’m not in competition with anyone except myself.” He tries not to ride in the evenings to avoid accidents and tries to ride with a buddy for safety. “Riding for Eretz Yisrael is a tremendous feeling, the camaraderie, everything seems up hill in many ways.” And riding for Camp Simcha, he said, “to be able to do this and do this for charity is a great thing.”

Another Bike4Chai participant, Stephen Bach, chief administration officer of the Jewish National Fund, trained initially for an Israel ride and was motivated by the fund raising commitment, feeling that he had to train to complete the ride because of friends’ donations. He has always been interested in fitness and extreme sports, focusing on martial arts. He also bikes as a family activity, planning trips incorporating a drive to an area, with his wife and two children, to an event or site seeing, such as a ride around Flushing Meadow Park and then a Met game.

But the extreme riding is his domain. He recommends riding with a buddy for safety, “the more people you are the more cars see you. You get up and go out and build it up.

Electronic equipment on the bike monitors your heart rate, speed, distance, cadence— how fast peddles move, like rpms on a car.

As a result I lost 30 pounds and am in better

Photo courtesy of Chai Lifeline

Bike4Chai riders in camp after completing the two-day trek from New Jersey to Camp Simcha in Glen Spey, New York.

shape. You build up sitting bones and you become one with the seat.”

Bach also spoke of the “emotional experience” of the finish line. “The common denominator,” he said, “is that it gives you something to train for, a goal. When you go on the ride, the adrenalin you feel before and during, being part of all these people with a common goal--it’s inspiring. It gives you an extra energy boost for the ride.”

Some of the bicyclists train on Sundays with South Shore Bicycle and Fitness of Woodmere, starting about 6:30 a.m. for 70 miles in the hilly North Shore; they push the riders to build strength for the hills on the rides and to improve. About 15 riders from Queens, Brooklyn and the Five Towns are training with them this year. Owner Justin Fuchs provides a SAG, support and gear, vehicle that follows the riders on their training, with room for four bikes and riders if they need to rest, and provides first aid, bike repair, inner tubes, pumps, water, nutrients, food, and the service is free. The shop manger, Czar, (who didn’t want to give his full name) trained the women for their ride and was the marshal for the women on that ride.

“Bike4Chai is a great organization,” said Fuchs. “If we increase the riders we increase the money to the camp. We want to help as much as possible. We’re menches here, we don’t like to publicize what we do. We do it to help and don’t do it for anything else.”

Margolese arranges the logistics for Bike4Chai, from planning the route to booking the hotels and the caterer, as he said, “implementing the ideas.” He does training rides with the participants but doesn’t “actually get to ride on the ride with them because I have to make sure that everything is going smoothly.” They start early and rest every 15 miles. They are provided with proper food and fluids to facilitate their effort. “It’s a high level event,” Margolese said. “It’s a ride, not a race; the point is for the guys to have a great time and enjoy the ride.”

“I can create a route anywhere,” he said, but “it’s not going to have the same success because if they are not coming into camp it’s not the same finish line. When you see it and experience it, it’s unbelievable.”

For more information and donations to participants go to: chailifeline.org

Reproduced from “A Sacred Trust: Stories of Our Heritage and History” by Rabbi Eugene and Dr. Annette Labovitz [Ed. The Roman Emperor Hadrian was determined to rebuild Yerushalayim, not as a city holy to the Jewish people, but rather as a pagan citynamed Aeolina Capitalina. He re-issued the harsh decrees that Antiochus, the Syrian/Greek had imposed approximately two hundred years before, hoping to extinguish both the Jewish religion and the yearning of the Jewish people for independence from the oppressive Roman yoke. The old decrees prohibited the study of Torah, kashrut, [Kosher laws] circumcision, the observance of the Sabbath, and the celebration of Rosh Chodesh (the new moon, which regulated the celebration of the holidays), and he added the prohibition to ordain rabbis. Ignoring Roman law was punishable by death; and many Jews willingly sacrificed their lives, for they believed that if they could not live as Jews, their lives were not worth living. ] [Ed. The liturgical poem about the Asarah Harugay Malchut, (ten illustrious sages who died to sanctify G-d’s Holy Name) is read twice each year, and can be found in the Machzor [prayer book] of Yom Kippur, with the words beginning Ayleh Ezkerah, and in the Kinnot of Tisha B’Av beginning with the words Arzay Halevanon. The poem describes the martyrdom of ten sages who lived under Roman oppression from the period of the destruction of the second Holy Temple in 70 C.E. until the fall of Betar 65 years later even though it seems from the poetry that all the sages were murdered at one time.]

Emperor Hadrian (or, according to Midrashic sources, a Roman governor), called together a council of the ten leading Jewish sages. He was looking for a pretext to murder them. The sages did not know Hadrian’s evil intention. I want you to try a case for me, he commanded. According to your Torah, what is the punishment for kidnapping? Our Torah teaches, they said in unison, he who kidnaps a person and holds him for ransom shall surely be put to death. If that is the law, he thundered, I decree that all of you be put to death. According to my recollection, no Jew has ever been punished for the brothers selling Joseph into slavery. Therefore, I sentence you to death for that crime, as is commanded by your Torah.

Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha Kohen Gadol and Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel:

The Roman emperor insisted that lots be cast to decide who should be brutally tortured and murdered first, Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha Kohen Gadol or Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. The lot fell on Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. The Roman ordered that he be immediately decapitated. Rabbi Yishmael picked up the severed head of his friend and colleague and bitterly cried out: Is this the reward for the one whose tongue so skillfully transmitted the beautiful words of Torah, and now it licks the dust? The emperor’s daughter watched the execution. She asked her father to spare Rabbi Yishmael, for he was an exceedingly handsome man. Lift your face that I might look at it, she called out, and I will spare your life.

No, he replied, I will not forfeit my reward in the world to come for any pleasure that you might have from gazing at me. Incensed with his refusal, she commanded the executioner to tear the skin from his face while he was still alive.

Rabbi Akiva:

Rabbi Akiva was condemned for teaching Torah and for treason, because he was one of the leaders guiding the Jewish uprising against tyrannical Roman rule. His sentence was carried out in Caesarea. The morning of his execution, he rose early, so that he might

say Sh’ma one last time. As the Roman executioners flayed his flesh with iron combs, he continued his recitation, Sh’ma Yisrael…

Hear O Israel, the L-rd is our G-d, the L-rd is One. His students asked him, Master and teacher, how is it possible for you to stand the pain and yet have a smile upon your face? All my life, he replied, I have sought to understand the meaning of ‘and you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.’

I have interpreted ‘with all your soul’ to mean even if He takes your soul. I always wondered when I would have the opportunity to fulfill this commandment. Now, I am able to do it. Shall I not fulfill it with joy? He prolonged the word E-chad (One), until the sound was no longer audible. Rabbi Akiva’s students carried his body across the Galilee and buried him on one of the highest hills in Tiberias overlooking the Kinneret Sea. (Sea of Galilee)

Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon:

Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon was studying Torah publicly with many disciples. The Roman bailiffs arrested him, for the study of Torah was prohibited. They wrapped him in the Torah scroll that he had been studying, placed bundles of branches around him, and set them on fire. The bailiff inserted wet woolen sponges over his heart, so that he would suffer longer. As the flames crept upward, his wife and daughter Beruriah wept.

Why are you weeping, he asked Beruriah?

She replied, because I have to watch you suffer. His disciples asked, What do you see? He responded, I see the parchment consumed with the flames, but the letters of the Torah are returning to their source in Heaven.

Rabbi Chutzpit Hameturageman:

Rabbi Chutzpit Hameturageman used to translate and interpret the lecture of the head of the yeshiva. His students pleaded with the Roman emperor to have mercy on him when he was sentenced to death. He inquired, How old are you? Why do you want to live longer? I am one hundred and thirty years old, the sage responded, and I want to live one more day so that I might recite Sh’ma Yisrael one more evening and one more morning in order to declare that G-d is my King. Hah! laughed the emperor. How long will the Jewish people cling to a G-d that does not help them? If your G-d is omniscient and omnipresent, why doesn’t He save you from my death decree? Rabbi Chutzpit rent his garment and cried in anguish: You blaspheme the L-rd! What will you do when He punishes you and your mighty empire? As punishment for your audacity, you shall be slain, stoned and hanged! roared the emperor.

executioner was enchanted with his intense devotion and the rhythm of the melody, so he waited. He waited and waited, and then decided he could not wait anymore. As Rabbi Chanina chanted the words of the kiddush: And G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it . . . he acted. Rabbi Chanina never finished the remainder of the verse: for on that day, G-d rested from all His work which He had created.

Rabbi Yeshayvav, the Scribe:

Rabbi Yeshayvav, the Scribe, a colleague of Rabbi Akiva, was so generous that he had to restrain him from giving too much charity. Being shoved toward the place of execution when he was arrested on a Monday, the day of the week on which he usually fasted, he implored his students to follow so that he might instruct them in one last lesson: Remain loving and devoted to one another, he urged. Love peace and justice, and pray for the redemption of the Jewish people from this oppressive enemy. As he was being torn to death by wild dogs, a voice called out: Blessed be Rabbi Yeshayvav the Scribe who never for an instant deviated from the law of Moses.

Rabbi Yehuda ben Dama:

Rabbi Yehuda ben Dama was arrested the day before Sukkot. He pleaded with the emperor to allow him to live one more day so that he might be privileged to perform the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah and blessing the etrog and lulav (citron and palm branch.)

What reward will you receive for your insistence in observing these commandments? the emperor mocked. Rabbi Yehudah replied quietly, Oh, how abundant is Your goodness which You have stored for them that fear You. The emperor raged, you are a fool if you believe in life after death, in some sort of eternal reward. There are no fools greater than those who deny a living G-d, argued Rabbi Yehuda. Incensed, the emperor ordered that Rabbi Yehuda be tied by his hair to a horse’s tail and dragged through the streets.

The Ten Martyrs

Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, Kohen Gadol Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel Rabbi Akiva Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon Rabbi Chutzpit Hameturageman Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua Rabbi Chanina ben Chachinai Rabbi Yeshayvav, the Scribe Rabbi Yehuda ben Dama Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava

Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava:

Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua:

Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua was one of Rabbi Akiva’s primary students. He was murdered on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. He was a humble and gentle man who never quarreled with his colleagues even though they sometimes disagreed with his opinions. He never occupied himself with useless matters. His students pleaded with him to reveal what he saw as his life’s breath was being squeezed from him: I see, he whispered, the soul of every righteous man being purified in the waters of the Shiloah pools, preparing them to enter the gates of Heaven. There Rabbi Akiva is already sitting upon a golden throne, teaching Torah to those who enter.

Rabbi Chanina ben Chachinai:

Rabbi Chanina ben Chachinai was taken to the place of execution on Friday afternoon just as he finished his preparations for Shabbat. He wanted to usher in Shabbat with prayer and song, just as he had done every week of his life, so he began chanting: L’chu N’ranenah, (Come, let us praise!) The

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Queens) received the State Leadership award at Shema Kolainu’s 10th Annual Legislative Breakfast. Pictured from left, CEO of the Friedlander Group, Ezra Friedlander, Master of Ceremonies Menachem Lubinsky, Milton Weinstock, Dr. Joshua Weinstein, CEO & Founder of Shema Kolainu-Hear Our Voices, Juby Shapiro, Shema Kolainu Board Member, and Peter Rebenwurzel, Vice President of Shema Kolainu Board of Directors.

11 THE JEWISH STAR July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5227

The Ten Martyrs: These I remember

Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava courageously defied the Romans by teaching Torah publicly.

He understood that if the Romans succeeded in carrying out their edict prohibiting the study of Torah and the ordination of Rabbis, the Jewish people would not survive. The Roman edict stated that whoever ordained a Rabbi would be punished by death, whoever was ordained would be put to death, and the city where the ordination was performed would be razed. The aging, seventy-year-old Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava took five of the most promising young leaders to the uninhabited valley between the Galilean cities of Usha and Shefaram. He did not want innocent people to suffer what he was about to do. In the secluded valley he ordained Rabbi Mayer, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua. He placed upon their shoulders the responsibility for the continuation of Jewish life. A Roman patrol, roaming through the surrounding hills, saw them in the valley and turned to investigate. Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava noticed the soldiers closing in and pleaded, Run for your lives! But, what will become of you? they implored. We cannot leave you here. I have lived my life fully, he said. I will slow down your chance to escape if you wait for me. You must live and teach because I will die soon anyway. The Roman soldiers caught and tortured Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava to death by piercing his body with three hundred iron spearheads. The five young Rabbis escaped and became the leading sages of the next generation.

July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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July 27 and on Mangano Announces Weekday Golf Specials at Nassau County’s 9-Hole Golf Courses Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced today that all four of Nassau County’s 9-hole golf courses will be offering a special weekday discount. Conveniently spread around the county park system, Nassau offers residents four executive-level 9 hole golf courses at Cantiague Park, Christopher Morley, North Woodmere, and Bay Park.

“With these lower green fee prices, golfers of all skill levels are invited to continue to enjoy our 9-hole County golf courses at an even more economical and low-cost rate” said Mangano.

“Every course provides the perfect setting to enjoy a day of golf.”

The new special rates, which must be purchased in packages of 5 rounds and are valid for weekday play only, are as follows: Original Price Special Price Savings Senior/Discount with Leisure Pass $8.50 $7.50 $5.00 *5 Rounds for $37.50* Resident Leisure Pass $15.00 $12.00 $15.00 *5 Rounds for $60.00* Non-Resident No Leisure Pass $26.00 $21.00 $25.00 *5 Rounds for $105.00* For more information regarding Nassau County’s four executive 9-hole golf courses, or the three 18-hole golf courses located in Eisenhower Park, please visit the Nassau County website at: www.nassaucountyny.gov/parks

July 29 Tisha Bav Torah Marathon in Queens CHAZAQ, Beth Gavriel, Emet and TorahAnyime Present Tisha B’Av Torah Marathon at the Beth Gavriel Center.

9 AM = Shacharit (Sephardic Nussach) 10:45 AM = R’ Zechariah Wallerstein Video 11:45 AM = R’ Shimon Kessin 12:45 PM = R’ Benzion Shafier 1:45 PM = R’ Ilan Meirov 2:30 PM = R’ Eliezer Krohn 3:15 PM = R’ Akiva Rutenberg 4 PM = R’ Israel Itshakov 4:45 PM = R’ Mordechai Kraft 5:30 PM = R’ Igal Haimoff 6:15 PM = R’ Label Lam Mincha 7 PM - Arvit 8 PM Times & Speakers Subject to Change. Babysitting Service Available, Inquire Within Location: Beth Gavriel Community Center (66 - 35 108th St. Forest Hills NY 11375)

Tisha B’av video screening Thousands of Jews in more than 100 communities around the world will join together this Tisha B’Av to view an inspirational video presented byYeshiva University and the Orthodox Union (OU). The video, titled “Making Tisha B’Av Meaningful to Us Today,” is a project of YU’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) and the OU, and will be screened in some 250 synagogues across the United States, and internationally in Australia, Canada, Israel, Poland, South Africa and the United Kingdom. For more information on

Towns Summer BBQ

ON THE

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

Deadline is Wednesday of the week prior to publication.

Enjoy great food, awesome award winning wines and a great atmosphere under the stars. What better way to support the bravest citizens of Israel who have made out Heartland flourish again ?! At the home of Gary and Yael Mandel (281 Ocean Avenue, Lawrence NY), 8 p.m.

For more information contact Scott@ 516-2399202, ext 12 or events@oneisraelfund.org.

August 2 Bereavement Group presented by the JCC The JCC of the Greater Five Town would like to announce the beginning of a Phase I Bereavement Group for the loss of a spouse. The initial stages of grief can be a painful and lonely time.

You are not alone in those feelings and you should not be alone in your grief. If you are coping with the loss of a spouse please join us at the JCC for support, guidance, information and friendship. This six week group, facilitated by a certified social worker will begin from 11:00 – 11:50 a.m. at the JCC, 207 Grove Ave., Cedarhurst.

Pre-registration is a must. For more information please call Janet Zimmerman, LCSW-R at (516) 569-6733 x. 224.

Courtesy of Yeshiva University

Bella Wolf of Woodmere, NY is one of 10 Yeshiva University undergraduates participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program, an advanced biomedical research program at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The program has drawn 55 students in total from a variety of colleges and universities to engage in cutting-edge scientific studies, mentored by Einstein faculty. Each student is placed in a research laboratory in his or her field of interest and works closely with graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. participating synagogues or to request a DVD, visit www.yutorah.org/tishabav/video. Tisha B’Av programming will also include live kinot webcasts featuring Rabbi Weinreb and Rabbi Weil at www.ou.org/tishabav and Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter atwww.yutorah.org/tishabav.

Tisha B’Av prayer service at UN’s Isaiah Wall Annual Tisha B’Av mincha with Torah reading at Isaiah Wall at the UN, led by Rabbi Avi Weiss. This year we will memorialize the 11 Israeli athletes slain by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics. First Avenue & 43rd Street, Manhattan New York, NY 10017, 2:00 pm Tisha Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi is located at 391 Oakland Avenue

July 31 Social Justice Beit Midrash on Mental Illness and Addiction in the Jewish Community Join Uri L’Tzedek for a thought-provoking talk and inner look at Mental Illness and Addiction in the Jewish Community with Paula Eiselt, director of the documentary-in-progress FOLLOWING BORUCH and a personal story from Boruch Hoffman, the documentary’s subject. The film’s trailer and an exclusive sneak peak of the film will be shown at this event. 7:00 pm at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education. ( 37 West 65th Street, 5th floor)

July 31 One Israel Fund Summer Day Trips “The Northwestern Shomron”- Emek Dotan, where our Egyptian Saga begins with Joseph and his brothers- and the modern sheep farm of Maoz Tzvi.

The Tanach comes to life in this rarely visited, breathtaking region, whose Reichan forest harkens back to the complaints of the tribe of Menashe. In this tour we will meet residents, tour communities, and deepen our knowledge to this meaningful part of the Shomron.

The buses for these trips will leave at 8:30 am from the parking lot at the bottom of Liberty Bell Park (next to the Sonol gas station) and return at 6:30 pm. Cost July 31 for the day including lunch is 60 dollars an adult and 45 dollars a child under 12. For reservations or more information contact www.oneisraelfund.org/daytrips or call Ruthie Kahn (516-239-9202 ext. 10)

Cedarhurst Concert Andrew J. Parise Park The American Songbook” Summer Concert Come to this week’s Tuesday night summer concert under the gazebo at the Andrew J. Parise Park in Cedarhurst. The pre-show will begin at 7 pm and will be performed by Magic by the “Boz”. The regular show will begin at 8 pm by the sensational Tony B.

July 31 One Israel Fund Five

August 3 Scholar in residence Shabbat Nachamu, Young Israel of Woodmere Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, scholar in residence, speaking Friday nite at Siyum HaShas. On Saturday he will be speaking at the 8:45 minyan on Ikvata DMeshicha: the challenging times that we live in, and at seuda shlishit.

August 2, 16, 23, 30 JCC Yoga Classes Please join the JCC of the Greater Five Towns for a Thursday morning Yoga class, 9:15-10:30am $75. This class will take place at our Grove Street location and will be taught by Miriam Abrahams.

For registration information please call Sheryl at (516) 569-6733 x 222.

August 5 Chabad of the Hamptons Summer event!

Join Chabad of the Hamptons, supporters and friends at one of the most anticipated events of the Hamptons season. Featuring the Alumni of the Perlman Music Program. The Perlman Music Program has established itself a leader in its field. The faculty, led by Itzhak Perlman, includes some of the most highly respected and sought-after pedagogues in the world. The evening will include a beautiful concert, cocktail reception, passed hors d’oeuvres, specialty food stations, silent auction and more! All proceeds will benefit the activities of Chabad of the Hamptons and celebrate seven years out East.

This event will be $200.00 a person and will take place from 5-7 pm at a beautiful private home in the Hamptons, and the exact address will be announced with payment. For more information or to RSVP www.JewishHamptons.com/reception or email rsvpAugust5@yahoo.com.

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T

he book of Devarim begins (1:12-18) with Moshe reminding the people of how, when the Law was first given, he was unable to personally deal with every dispute. At the time, he appointed a tier system of judges over specific population sizes to work with the people. Moshe would serve, in a sense, as the equivalent of the Supreme Court (sans the politics), as the highest arbiter of the law, whose decisions are final.

It is worth noting that the way Moshe describes what he did at the time is mostly a reflection of the steps he took following the advice given to him by his father-in-law, Yitro, in Shmot 18. The Or HaChaim uses that story Rabbi Avi Billet to indicate the Torah’s approach to learning from anyone who has wisdom to share – Yitro being a model nonJew who was able to teach Moshe organizational skills.

In his recounting of those early days of appointing judges, Moshe recalls the instructions that were given to the initial appointees: “Listen to every dispute among your

brethren, and judge honestly between each man and his brother [or] his ‘ger.’” (1:16) He continues to describe how favoritism is to be avoided, whether based on wealth, looks, or some other criteria. Just judge by the book, based on the evidence presented.

In order to understand what this form of judging means, we need to understand what the term “ger” means in this context. While “ger” sometimes means “convert” or “proselyte,” the fact is that one who has converted to Judaism is really supposed to be referred to as a convert for one second – at the moment of conversion. Afterwards, the person is meant to be included in the term “his brother” – because one who has joined the Jewish people is a full Jew (with a few restrictions on certain positions they may hold, which do not transfer to their children).

It could be referring to a “ger tzedek” – what we might call a “righteous gentile” or a non-Jew who has opted to live with the Jewish people, abide by the Seven Noahide Laws, and accept Jewish sovereignty. This category would clearly be distinct from “his brother.”

Rashi offers two interpretations. The first focuses on the word “his” (which is a one-letter suffix in Hebrew), which Rashi explains to mean “his litigant.” Rashi comes to this interpretation from a play on words from the word “agur,” which means one who “collects arguments” to present against him in court.

To recognize that we are all one

B

eloved by his entire generation and revered for his incredible knowledge of Torah, he was given the chance to get out of 1939 Poland; safe passage to America had been secured and a new life was waiting and ready for him and his entire family.

But Rav Elchanan Wasserman would not hear of staying in America: “How can I stay here in safety while my flock remains under the shadow of the executioner?” he would consistently reply, and, refusing to leave his community alone when they FROM THE HEART needed him the most, OF JERUSALEM Rav Elchanan, one of the great Torah giants of the last generation returned to Kovno.

Caught teaching a secret underground Talmud class in the Kovno ghetto in 1941, Rav Elchanan was murdered along with most of his students, in the infamous 9th fortress.

While being led to his death he was overheard Rabbi Binny telling his students that Freedman just as the Kohanim (priests) had to have the proper intent that their sacrifices be accepted by the entire Jewish people, they, too, should try to fill their hearts and minds with thoughts worthy of being accepted as sacrifices for the entire Jewish people….

Was he right to return to Europe? Could things have been different if the long list of Torah giants had given their flocks a different message when the storm clouds were gathering over Europe? Of course, those of us born in freedom cannot presume to understand, let alone judge, that generation, be they Torah scholars or simple peasants.

Indeed, one is reminded of the Midrashic (rabbinic legend) comment concerning Ya’acov’s inability to discern that Joseph (Yosef) was alive in Egypt, due to his loss of ruach hakodesh, or divine inspiration. Some believe

these great Torah giants were prevented from seeing what should have been obvious by Divine decree, while others simply see this as a lesson the Jewish people needed to learn - even great Torah scholars can be mistaken….

One cannot help but be in awe of a person, who chose to return to Kovno of 1940, knowing what awaited him, motivated simply by a love for the Jewish people.

It is interesting that this week’s portion is always read the Shabbat prior to the 9th of Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple when Jews all over the world fast and mourn the destruction of both Temples and all that those destructions represented.

Many suggest that the connection between this week’s portion, and the ninth of Av, is a verse which bears a striking resemblance to the first verse of the book of Lamentations (Eicha) which we read on Tisha’ B’Av: “Eicha esah levadi’; tarchachem u’masa’achem, ve’rivchem?”

“How can I bear alone (on my own) your trouble, burdens and quarrels?” (Deut. 1:12) This verse, describing Moshe’s apparent frustration with the Jewish people’s constant complaints and contentiousness, begins with the same word that both begins and ultimately names, the book of lamentations: Eicha, a word that cries of how and why, and expresses an inability to come to terms with a painful reality beyond comprehension.

Less noticed however, is the fact that this verse contains another feature in common with the verse of Eicha (Lamentations): the pain of being alone: Moshe’s pain seems to emanate from the fact that he carries his burden alone, and the unanswerable question posed by Jeremiah (Yirmiyahu HaNavi) as well, is “How doth she (the city) sit alone (and desolate) who once was filled with people…?”

(Eicha 1:1) Why does this one verse ensure this entire portion’s placement as the introduction to the saddest and most painful day of the year (Tisha B’Av)?

The Kli Yakar (Rav Ephraim of Luntshitz, 1550-1619; the Rabbi of Lemberg) makes a fascinating point on the opening verse of De-

This likely refers to a litigant who is classified differently from a “brother” – who comes to court to settle a friendly dispute – particularly one who comes as an adversary.

Rashi’s second interpretation is that the word “ger” is a play on words on a similar word which means “where one lives” (think “gur ba’aretz”), referring to people who are dividing property, such as siblings who are splitting physical objects they inherited together.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch expands the sphere, saying “his ger” may refer to a neighbor, or one who lives under the same roof (think apartment buildings or condo units).

I think the message of “his ger” is that disputes – some may be civil, some uncivil – come up with those who are fairly close to you and they should be brought before the magistrate and adjudicated.

While this may be informative as to when or in what circumstance a case is to be brought before the court, it does not instruct us as to how to go about presenting the cases best so they can be judged properly.

Which leaves us with the tale Rabbi Hertz shares in his Chumash. It is a Chassidic tale of a rabbi’s wife who has a dispute with her “ozeret” (helper), who decides to present her case to a court. As she leaves the house, her husband rushes to accompany her, and when

she asks him why he is coming, he says, “To provide a defense for the other woman, who will otherwise not have an advocate before the court.”

The word “ger” can mean “stranger,” and it can also mean “other.” And the message of this tale is the message of how to judge others.

Maybe the best way to judge others is really not to judge others. But human nature is such that we always see ourselves as being right and the other person as being wrong.

And we do rush to judge. And while some cases are black and white (like the shooter apprehended in Colorado in the aftermath of his horrific act), most cases between people are gray and have two sides to the story.

And it does not matter who the other side is – whether the person is wealthy, poor, a prominent person in a community, a maid, or even a derelict. Every person has a story, every perspective should have a chance to be heard, and after all sides are presented and defended, a judgment can be made.

As we come to Tisha B’Av once again, we are reminded of the kinds of behavior that Chazal tell us brought about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. May our shift to reserving judgment until after we’ve heard both sides serve as a merit for us to let us see the Temple rebuilt, speedily in our days.

varim. Take a close look at this verse: “Eileh hadevarim asher diber Moshe el kol Yisrael, be’ever haYarden….”

“These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel, on the other side of the Jordan River….” (1:1) This is the first time the phrase “Kol YIsrael” appears in the Torah. Indeed, this phrase appears nowhere else in the Torah outside of the book of Devarim (where it appears eleven times!) This phrase opens this book, and also forms its conclusion: the last words of the Torah are, again: “... Asher asah Moshe, le’einei kol YIsrael.” “…that Moshe did (accomplished?) before (in the eyes of) all of Israel” (Devarim 34:12) One might suggest that perhaps this phrase alludes to the purpose of the entire book of Devarim.

Until now the Jewish people are consistently referred to as B’nei YIsrael, the children of Israel, implying their worth as part of one family; only now are they referred to as kol Yisrael: all of Israel, perhaps because this is the final stage in the birth of the nation of Israel. A family is all about unity, but it is also an exclusive group: you are either born into it or you aren’t, and most people are not really part of ‘the family.’

Every wedding photo album has pages of ‘family pictures’ just as, every once in a while, families get together ‘just the family.’ But Judaism is not just a family, we are a nation, and of all the principles of Jewish nationhood, none is as important as the fact that we are ‘all of Israel’ or we are none of us.

Indeed, the essence of the destruction we mourn this coming week was described by Jeremiah as: “How doth she sit alone?” (Eicha 1:1) Loneliness is the root of destruction, because when one of us is alone, we are no longer the Jewish people we were meant to be. Hence, Moshe’s reference to the burden he bore ‘alone.’

It was this loneliness that provided the root of the destruction we are still mourning after two thousand years.

It is interesting that in the entire Torah there is only one thing that is described as ‘not good’ and that is to be alone: “Lo tov heyot ha’adam levado’.”

“It is not good for man to be alone.” (Bereishit (Genesis) 2:18 ) In fact, if being alone is ‘not good,’ which would be the opposite of ‘good,’ the essence of

all that is good, is being together. Indeed, the first act of creation described as ‘good’ is the creation of light, because light is the essence of good. And light is all about oneness. Think about it: imagine being in a great hall with many chandeliers illuminating the hall. While you can clearly point out the many chandeliers in the hall, you cannot differentiate between the different particles of light they each provide.

In the story of creation, the Torah refers to the different stages of creation as good (“tov”) but there is no mention of ‘good’ on the second day, because that was the day when Hashem (G-d) separated the waters, and if good is all about oneness and togetherness, then even separation with the goal of ultimately re-uniting is not yet ‘good.’ The third day, on the other hand, is the only day in which the word ‘good’ (“tov”) is used twice, because the third day is when the waters are brought back together.

And that may be the purpose of the entire book of Devarim, as well as the underlying reason for this week’s portion (Devarim) being read every year on the Shabbat before Tisha B’Av. Tisha B’av was born in loneliness and otherness. The Talmud tells us the second Temple was destroyed because Jews hated one another for their differences (sinat chinam as understood by the Netziv in his introduction to the book of Bereishit). And thus, the third Temple will be rebuilt, as Rav Kook suggests, through our love for each other (ahavat chinam) because of our differences: because we are able to recognize that really, we are all one.

And that is the goal: that in order to fulfill our mission in the world which is to be a light unto the nations, a beacon of what oneness and togetherness (light) is all about, we must first learn to be one with each other, no matter our differences.

This Shabbat, our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the Israelis murdered by terrorists in Bulgaria, and those murdered by a madman in Aurora along with all the wounded.

And if we are with them in their pain, so that they know they are not alone, then maybe the world will come a little closer to the oneness we all yearn for, so that this will be the last Tisha B’av we mourn for what is lost and we can start rejoicing in what we have begun to rebuild….

THE JEWISH STAR July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5227

How to Judge

July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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Serious Books for Summer Days

I

took a break from Holocaust books for one about shtetl life in the Pale of Settlement where Cossacks reigned. Next on my list is a book about Herod, Rome and the Jews. There is no shortage of stories describing the misery and woe experienced by our people throughout the ages. You may think MIRIAM’S MUSINGS I’m reading depressing stuff because of the Nine Days, but my vocation as a reviewer of books with Jewish content keeps me supplied with these titles year round. In fact, I first became immersed in Jewish historical fiction when I devoured Chaim Potok’s The Chosen. In 9th grade my class was assigned Miriam Bradman Elie Wiesel’s unforgetAbrahams table Night. I never finished reading Yaffa Eliach’s Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust due to nightmares; perhaps my current assignments are payback.

In the last book I reviewed, two shtetl girls witnessed the murder of their parents and neighbors. They hid successfully in a coal bin and escaped the Cossacks. Somehow they survived typhus and made their way to a caravan leaving to France. They were swindled by fellow Jews, highwaymen and uniformed officials and used the last few rubles allocated to them by the Federation to buy passages on a ship to New York. Despite vermin, seasickness, fear and grief, they arrived at their destination. They joined family in a cramped tenement apartment on the Lower East Side and endured freezing winters, boiling summers, and endless hours working in a sweatshop called the Triangle Waist Company.

I already knew the story’s ending, yet was compelled to complete it, wanting to glean something uplifting. A significant percentage of this year’s Jewish Book Council authors have written books relating to our tragic history. Though our people have reached incredible highs of scholarship, achievement and prosperity, it is nearly impossible to understand how we are here today, having survived generations of abuse, abductions, denouncements, conversions, murder and pillage.

We don’t get to choose the era in which we live; it is the luck of the draw or bashert when and to whom we are born. I’ve heard it said that before we are born our souls choose our parents. If that’s true then who would choose to be born into a concentration or DP camp, or to live during biblical or medieval times, the Crusades, Inquisition, pogroms, etc...? Though having said that, today there still rage rampant diseases, countries practicing ethnic cleansing, ecological and other man made disasters. “Lo aleinu” – may humanity be free of all plagues.

We are fortunate to live in the post-Shoah era in a country which allows us basic freedoms. We vote, speak freely and practice religious rituals openly while enjoying the benefits of the secular world. History shows us we can never know what lies ahead but thankfully this is our current reality. As free people, we may travel to similarly democratic places or risk voyages to (or just read about) quite different lands; communist, anarchist, in political, economic or social turmoil. My trip to Cuba showed me just a glimpse of the “other”, which my dad rightly says I can never really comprehend. Reading about difficult times and places in Jewish history helps me to understand. It reminds me to appreciate what I have, to know I can’t ever become too comfortable or apathetic, to be vigilant about threats to our ideals and not take our physical and spiritual freedoms for granted.

As a reader and writer I don’t want censorship, but I desire and expect honesty and truth. Various agencies scan the media for bias, examine textbooks for accuracy, food and drug labels for safety. I’m grateful for the advocates who warn and protect me, but also that I have the freedom to decide for myself.

I was recently sent a link for a questionable children’s toy. The online description for the Playmobil Cossack Soldier figure reads; “… measure 7.5 cm high, suitable for ages 4 plus.

The Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Russia.”

You can decide for yourself what you think about this toy. I’ve made up my mind, having just absorbed details about the brutality the Cossacks inflicted against us.

I’m devouring Daniel Silva’s latest Gabriel Allon novel, The Fallen Angel. He has written much about the Nazis and is lately focusing on global Islamic Jihadist terrorism. Silva’s characters Shamron and Allon are iconic Mossad agents pitted against all bad guys. Silva’s writing is exciting and well researched. His stories are based on today’s headlines and historical events, and are therefore, scary as hell. However, I enjoy reading it knowing that in Silva’s fiction, good ultimately triumphs over evil. To forgo nightmares, I pray that his fictional defenders are based on real live people who will save our world from impending doom.

Though Silva’s book is a fun summer read, it fits right in with the genre of books I accept as my generation’s burden, those describing the trials and tribulations of our people and the incredible, indomitable will to continue into the future.

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

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

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

Stay up to date with The Jewish Star. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Send us an e-mail with "sign me up" in the subject line to newsroom@thejewishstar.com

Hebrew only please!

To Really Feel the Mikdash We were born into a world without a Mikdash, and we naturally think that things are generally good: We have a state of our own, an army ... and when the Mikdash is built, it will be even better. It is very difficult to mourn the loss of something that we haven`t actually experienced.

Rabbi Noam Himelstein studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion and served in the Tanks Corps of the IDF. He has taught in yeshiva high schools, post-high school women’s seminaries, and headed the Torah MiTzion Kollel in Melbourne, Australia. He currently teaches at Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem, and lives with his wife and six children in Neve Daniel, Gush Etzion.

By Rabbi Noam Himelstein

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By Malka Eisenberg REAL ESTATE

MERCHANDISE MART

House For Sale

Miscellaneous For Sale

WEST HEMPSTEAD: NEW CONSTRUCTION, Prime Dogwood Area, Beautiful, State-of-the-Art Kosher Granite EIK, Master BR/ Bath, Energy Star, $729K. 516-655-5097

HAS YOUR BUILDING SHIFTED OR SETTLED? Contact Woodford Brothers Inc, for straightening, leveling, foundation and wood frame repairs at 1-800-OLDBARN. www.woodfordbros.com. Suffolk Cty~ License #41959-H Nassau Cty~ License #H18G7160000

SELLING YOUR HOUSE?

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Just Call Our Classified Department at 516-632-5205 CoOps & Condos/Sale BOCA RATON, FLORIDA THE VISTAS AT BOCA LAGO Stunning 2 BR, 2 Bth, (1 bth brand new) 2nd Fl. Fully Furn'd, New A/C, New Kit, Granite Countertop, Stainless Steel Appliances, New Tile Flr, Crown Molding Throughout, New Carpet, Flat Screen TV's, Terrace Overlooking Golf Course.

Golf & Tennis Club Membership Avail.

Close to All! Asks $125K, Also Rent, 3 Mo. Min. Call Today! 516-457-6046 ENJOYING THE HEAT? DON'T BE STUCK IN THE SNOW NEXT WINTER!

Help Wanted Credit Financial ADVERTISING SALES Exciting position available for outgoing personality selling Newspaper Advertising. Experience a plus but will train right person. Attractive compensation package. Email us and say: "I'm interested!"

Contact: kgreen@thejewishstar.com

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AIRLINES ARE HIRING- Train for hands on Aviation Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified- Job Placement Assistance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (866)296-7093

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HR PROFESSIONAL Richner Communications seeks a HR professional to focus on all aspects and processes of recruitment. Position is Part-Time with flexible schedule and hours. Qualified candidates should email their resume along with salary requirements to hr@liherald.com.

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS. WIN or Pay Nothing! Start Your Application In Under 60 Seconds. Call Today! Contact Disability Group, Inc. Licensed Attorneys & BBB Accredited. Call 877-865-0180

HIRING?

AIRLINES ARE HIRING- Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified- Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (877)818-0783

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MERCHANDISE MART

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Adoption

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from home. *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice, *Hospitality, Job placement assistance.

Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEC certified. Call 888-201-8657 www.CenturaOnline.com

EMPLOYMENT

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The Jewish Star

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In a sobering show of mourning and respect, the main shul of Shaarey Tefilah in Lawrence was filled to standing room only with men and women for a series of eulogies for Maran Hagaon Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l, this past Monday night.

The memorial service, for the Five TownsFar Rockaway community, included hespedim (eulogies), by Rabbi Dovid Weinberger, Rav of Congregation Shaarey Tefila; Rabbi Aryeh Zev Ginzburg, Rav of Chofetz Chaim Torah Center; Rabbi Yaakov Feitman, Rav of Kehilas Bais Yehuda Tzvi; and Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff, Rav of Agudath Israel of Avenue L, in Brooklyn. The crowd of men filled their space to the door and the women were standing to the edge of the mechitza, leaning attentively as the Rabbanim recounted their memories and experiences with Rav Eliyashiv, zt”l.

“Torah was his oxygen,” Rabbi Weinberger explained. “His life blood was another word of Torah. What came forth was ahavas (love of) Torah and deveikus Hakodesh Boruch Hu (closeness to G-d). ‘All the Torah was before him.’” He recalled how Rav Elyashiv’s face radiated, and cited his character trait of silence, of quietude. Rabbi Weinberger recounted that of the thousands of shaylos (Jewish legal questions) he asked the Rav, he “never experienced a hesitation for a second.”

Rav Elyashiv, said Rabbi Weinberger, taught what it means to live according to halacha, and called him a sefer Torah, an oak, a giant of Torah. “Hopefully we will find some chizuk (strength),” he said, sadly. “He will

Education

ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available.

Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV certified.

Call 800-488-0386 www.CenturaOnline.com

SERVICES

Miscellaneous For Sale

1MWGIPPERISYW

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Tree Services

Tree Services

Health & Fitness ATTENTION DIABETICS WITH Medicare. Get a FREE Talking Meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call 888-903-6658

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AUTOMOBILE & MARINE

551169

Autos Wanted CASH FOR CARS! Any Make, Model or Year. We Pay MORE! Running or Not. Sell Your Car or Truck TODAY. Free Towing!

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DONATE A CAR- HELP HOMELESS PETS! Free Next-Day Towing. Tax Deductible. Non- Runners OK. Receive $1,000 Grocery Coupons. Call National Animal Welfare Foundation 1-888-333-3848

567397

WOODMERE AAA CUL-DE-SAC 4 BR's, 2.5 New Baths, New EIK, Large Den, CAC, Alarm, $675K. Owner 516-984-5143

1MWGIPPERISYW

continue to learn in shami shamayim.” And he recounted how, when he last saw him, ”I told him that the nation of Israel needs him, we have nobody but the Rav. We are a dor yasom (an orphaned generation).”

Rabbi Ginzburg asked him 3,312 shaylos, he said. He pointed out that he was the last person not of the Elyashiv family to be near him a week before the Rav was niftar and that he was at the levaya. He said he watched the crowds of people, thousands from all walks of life, busloads of kibbutzniks, Mizrachi, Bnei Akiva, Hasidim, Satmar, illustrating the overwhelming affect this gadol had on klal Yisrael. He recounted that the Stiepler Gaon said of Rav Elyashiv in 1974, that “all his psakim (halchik decisions) are min Shamayim (from Heaven). Rabbi Ginzburg recalled various discussions and halachik decisions and their connection with Rav Moshe Feinstein, the posek and gadol hador of Rav Moshe’s generation. He recounted a story of two baalei teshuva, a young man and a young woman, who met in Israel and wanted to marry. It was determined that the man was a Cohen and the woman was a giyoret. Rav Elyashiv said that they couldn’t marry “but if you find one heter (one Rabbi to permit the marriage) I will be the mesader kiddushin.” Rav Moshe found a heter and said it was mutar (permitted). Rav Elyashiv was the mesader kiddushin.

Rav Elyashiv, said Rav Ginzburg, “was the lishkat hagazit (the hewn stone chamber— the place where the rabbinical court, the Sanhedrin, sat on the Temple Mount during the time of the Beit Hamikdash) of klal yisrael.”

Yhi Zichro Baruch.

THE JEWISH STAR July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5227

Five Towns-Far Rockaway community CLASSIFIEDS gathers to mourn Rav Elyashiv, zt”l To Advertise In This Section, Call 516-632-5205

Amazing Savings!

Tons of Great Stores

24th Annual

SIDEWALK SALE

WED. AUGUST 1st 1 0:00am to 8:00pm THURS. AUGUST 2nd 10:00am to 6:00pm FRI. AUGUST 3rd 1 0:00a m to 6:00pm

~PLUS~

$ ENTER TO WIN $ ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS

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$1,000 CEDARHURST SHOPPING SPREE PLEASE FILL OUT THE ENTIRE FORM TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE $1,000 CEDARHURST SHOPPING SPREE. DROP YOUR FORM IN THE DRAWING BOX AT PARTICIPATING STORES.

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JSTAR7/27

Tremendous Selection of Upscale Merchandise at Bargain Prices!

SIDEWALK SALE PRESENTED BY THE CEDARHURST BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO MAYOR ANDREW PARISE AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES WWW.SHOPCEDARHURST.COM

568148

BASKETS • HATS • WIGS • SNEAKERS • SANDALS • PROFESSIONAL SERVICES • FITNESS • WATCHES • ART • ANTIQUES • CELL PHONES •

WOMEN'S CLOTHING • TOYS • GAMES • SHOES • JEWELRY • HANDBAGS • EYE GLASSES • SUNGLASSES

CHILDREN'S CLOTHING • NOVELTIES • MEN'S CLOTHING • SALON PRODUCTS ODUCTS • HOSIERY • LINGERIE • COSMETICS • BOOKS • JUDAICA

July 27, 2012 8 MENACHEM AV 5772 THE JEWISH STAR

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• MATERNITY • BABY CLOTHING • FURNITURE • BRIDAL • LIGHTING • APPLIANCES • STATIONERY • GIFTS