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Ambassador Friedman Parsha Vayeshev • December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 • Five Towns Candlelighting 4:14 pm, Havdalah 5:23 • Luach page 25 • Vol 15, No 49

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Trump picks 5 Towner with solid credentials as a Zionist to represent America at US embassy in Jerusalem •His LI neighbors and Orthodox kehillot cheer •The left greets nomination with dismay

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Trump picks 5 Towner as ambadssor to Israel “David speaks from his heart and soul,” said Maidenbaum, who has known Friedman for 30 years. “America and Israel are his driving forces.”

Moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem “would be the fulfillment and embodiment of Shivat Tzion, our return to Zion after 2,000 years,” Maidenbaum said. “The detractors of Israel will always be detractors; worriers will always be the worriers. There is a right and there is a wrong, and this is the right thing to do.”

Former Village of Lawrence Mayor Martin Oliner, a co-president of Religious Zionists of America, said he is “excited and pleased by the appointment.”

Friedman, 57, is a partner at the Kasowitz law firm in Manhattan. His family has a history of ties to Republican presidential candidates (it hosted President Reagan for a Shabbat lunch in 1984).

The Jewish Star will provide ongoing coverage of Friedman’s appointment online at TheJewishStar.com, and in upcoming print editions. Readers are encouraged to send comments to Publisher@TheJewishStar.com.

By The Jewish Star President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he intends to nominate David Friedman, of the Five Towns-area community of Woodsburgh, to be ambassador to Israel, promising that Friedman would serve from Jerusalem, a city he described as “Israel’s eternal capital.”

Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer who has for years worked for Trump and his real estate development business, davens at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. He’s been one of Trump’s main emissaries to the Jewish community.

“The bond between Israel and the United States runs deep, and I will ensure there is no daylight between us when I’m President,” Trump said (see full transition team statement, p. 5).

A prominent Long Island supporter of Trump’s campaign, Cedarhurst attorney Shalom Maidenbaum, told The Jewish Star that as speculation grew that Friedman might be appointed, “the whole community was rooting for him.”

Envoy pic shakes up Jewish political status quo Analysis by Ron Kampeas, JTA WASHINGTON — Nearly six years ago, when President Barack Obama was set to elevate one of his top emissaries to the Jewish community to the Israel ambassadorship, Dan Shapiro asked for — and got — the endorsement of one of Obama’s fiercest pro-Israel critics.

“Dan has always spoken to us, patiently and carefully explaining the administration’s position, and he does so with aplomb, with concern, and with intense appreciation of the other side’s position,” Morton Klein, Zionist Organization of

America president, said at the time.

Don’t expect J Street, or the Reform movement — or, really, anyone on the liberal side — to extend that embrace to David Friedman, the bankruptcy lawyer who is one of Presidentelect Donald Trump’s top emissaries to the Jewish community and whom he nominated to be ambassador to Israel.

The nomination of Friedman has sent shock waves through a chunk of the organized Jewish community because of the signal it sends to the 71 percent of American Jews who voted

for Hillary Clinton: One of marginalization, not of outreach. While Friedman’s nomination was hailed by a hawkish but influential minority as a sign that Israel will get the U.S. support it deserves, it possibly sidelines a pro-Israel mainstream that believes moderation best builds a pro-Israel consensus.

“We’re all trying to figure out how to navigate this administration,” said Jeremy Burton, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston. “But the notion that someone who would represent the

Left goes nuts over Trump ambassador Jeff Dunetz politics to go

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resident-Elect Trump is making it clear that he will be the first pro-Israel U.S. president in eight years and the liberals are short circuiting. Not only did he appoint a Zionist activist as ambassador to Israel, but indications are that he will keep his promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

Liberals of all faiths, but especially Jewish liberals, are upset at the prospect of a pro-Israel Trump administration. Is it because they are afraid of losing their standing in the generally anti-Israel Democratic Party, or are they afraid that Trump’s actions might put the Jewish vote in play in future elections?

The anger about the move to Jerusalem is really crazy. What many suspect will happen is that the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem will become the new embassy, and the present embassy will become a consulate in Tel Aviv. Should this happen, the new embassy would be within the 1949 armistice lines, not on disputed territory — in other words there should be no beef.

With the announcement of Trump’s selection of Long Island’s David Friedman as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, the left piled on — “He has no experience as an ambassador” … “he doesn’t support the two-state solution” … and my personal favorite, “he’s called J-Street a bunch of kapos (the Jews who aided the Nazis in the Holocaust). Actually, he said they were worse than kapos: “Are J Street supporters really as bad as ka-

pos? The answer, actually, is no. They are far worse than kapos Jews who turned in their fellow Jews in the Nazi death camps. The kapos faced extraordinary cruelty and who knows what any of us would have done under those circumstances to save a loved one. But J Street? They are just smug advocates of Israel’s destruction delivered from the comfort of their secure American sofas — it’s hard to imagine anyone worse.”

As regular readers know, I am not a big fan of using Nazi terminology inappropriately, and Friedman’s use of kapo is inappropriate; however, his sentiments about the group are very appropriate and accurate.

Street, founded in 2008 with money from progressive sugar daddy George Soros, markets itself as kind of left-wing AIPAC. From the very beginning the group went out of its way to emphasize its motto of “pro-Israel, pro-peace.” But as fellow progressive Alan Dershowitz said about the group, “J Street is neither pro-Israel or pro peace.” The group has little legitimacy in the Jewish community, but was promoted by Barack Obama as an important organization.

During the 2008 Israeli action against Hamas, when the IDF was protecting the country after it suffered tens of thousands of rockets from Gaza, J Street called Israel’s “escalation in Gaza counterproductive” and “disproportionate.” It also made a moral equivalency argument between the policies of Israel and Hamas, stating that they found difficulty in distinguishing “between who is right and who is wrong” and “picking a side.” The group has also advocated that the U.S. negotiate with Hamas and lobbied in Congress to accept the discredited anti-Israel Goldstone Report which accused Israel of war crimes during that action against Hamas.

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Liberals contend that Friedman has questioned the need for a two-state solution, but that’s not really true; he has questioned Arab support of a two-state solution: There has never been a “two-state solution,” only a “two-state narrative.” The former never existed because a “solution” to the Israel-Palestinian dispute would have required that Palestinians accept Israel as a Jewish state, renounce terrorism, discontinue anti-Israel incitement in their schools and abandon their desire to flood Israel with so-called “refugees” from other countries who never spent a day of their lives in Israel.

Notwithstanding “agreements” reached at Camp David, Oslo, Wye Plantation and elsewhere, neither Yasser Arafat nor Mahmoud Abbas ever had any intention to observe the minimal conditions required for a two-state solution.

When his nomination was announced, Friedman said in a statement frightening to the left, that he would work “tirelessly to strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two countries . . . and look forward to doing this from the U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.”

With the move of the embassy to Jerusalem, and the appointment of a Pro-Israel ambassador, Trump may very well put the 2020 Election Jewish vote in play, especially if the Democrats make the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel Keith Ellison their party chairman. Jews tend to have a very high turnout in elections and tend to live in important battleground states such as Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

If the Trump’s economic program is successful, and he continues his outreach to minorities, Trump’s pro-Israel policies may move much of the Jewish vote from the “D” Column to the “R” column. That’s something that hasn’t happened since Ronald Reagan ran against Jimmy Carter.

United States would describe people as ‘not Jewish’ and ‘kapos,’ what does that say about respect for civil discourse and what does it say about temperament in a particularly volatile region?”

A range of liberal Jewish groups have already denounced Friedman, citing his online history thick with broadsides against liberals, many appearing on the pro-settlement Israeli news site, Israel National News, as well as his extensive fundraising for the settlement movement.

Jerrold Nadler, a left-wing Jewish congressman whose district includes many Jewish areas in Brooklyn and Manhattan, said Friedman’s “extreme views and use of such hateful language is an insult to the majority of American Jews.”

Hawkish Jewish groups have welcomed the appointment, most pronouncedly Klein’s ZOA. It said Friedman has “has the potential to be the greatest U.S. Ambassador to Israel ever.”

In an interview, Klein said he stood by his 2011 endorsement of Shapiro, who strove to reach out to right-wing Jews in the United States and hardliners in Israel as a staffer on Obama’s National Security Council and then as ambassador.

“I said I found Shapiro to be a person of integrity,” Klein said. “That’s true of Dan and it’s true of David Friedman.”

Klein said he would not use “kapos” to describe J Street, which is highly critical of Israeli polices, but he understood how Friedman might have done so out of “anguish and misery.”

The Union for Reform Judaism stopped short of saying it would oppose Friedman, but expressed concerns about his statements and his rejection for the two-state solution.

Nathan Diament, Washington director of the Orthodox Union, said in reply to a JTA query that Friedman was representative of the minority of Jews (and a majority in his community) who voted for Trump.

“Trump’s selection of David Friedman to be his Administration’s ambassador to Israel is consistent with the policy view Trump expressed during the campaign and consistent with the view of most of those American Jews who actually voted for Trump for president,” he said.

Burton, whose Boston JCRC called on Friedman to apologize for his past remarks, said that it was key for Jews who object to Friedman not to be drawn into the polarizing invective that characterized Friedman’s writings in the past.

“We have to acknowledge that some members of our community are optimistic about the next administration,” he said. “We do ourselves a disservice collectively if we are in the black or white zone on everything.”

stephen M. Flatow

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Jewish ambassador to Israel who is more sympathetic to Israel than to the Palestinians, and who will respect the wishes of the Israeli public and government?

Shocking!

I’m not being sarcastic. It really is shocking. Critics of Israel are so accustomed to Jewish ambassadors who harass and undermine the Israeli government, that the prospect of someone completely different has left them frothing at the mouth.

David Friedman, President-elect Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel, is completely unlike his predecessors. And that’s what drives the critics of Israel crazy.

For many decades, the top tiers of the State Department and the diplomatic corps were closed to Jews. Everyone knew that their ranks were reserved for blue bloods and white shoes — people who came from the “right” segment of society and belonged to the “right” country clubs.

In the 1970s, though, a certain kind of Jew began to squeeze through the doors at Foggy Bottom. They had names like Daniel Kurtzer, Dennis Ross, Aaron Miller, and Martin Indyk.

They were different than most Jews because they were stridently critical of Israel and were willing to devote themselves to forcing Israel to make one-sided concessions to the Arabs.

Indyk served as U.S. ambassador to Israel from 1995 to 1997 and again from 2000 to 2001. His haughty attitude was obvious from early on: he boasted to the Washington Post (Feb. 24. 1997) that he saw his job in Israel as similar to “a circus master” who “cracks the whip” in order to “get [the animals] to move

rusalem that Indyk wanted Israel to give up. He also tried to block the selection of a cabinet minister whom he thought was insufficiently dovish. Things got so bad that the chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee took the unprecedented step of publicly declaring: “Ambassador Indyk needs to be reminded that he is not the British High Commissioner.”

The appointment of the second Jewish ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, in 2001, did not improve matters. Kurtzer repeatedly pressured Israel to remove security checkpoints (lest Palestinian travelers be inconvenienced) and make one-sided concessions on settlement construction (while never asking the David Friedman is pictured at the Dec. 4 gala of American Friends of Bet Palestinian Authority to El with Great Neck activist Dr. Paul Brody (left) and Town of Hempstead limits its illegal construcCouncilman Bruce Blakeman, holding a Jerusalem flag. Joseph Lobascio, Jr. tion). He denounced Israel’s budgetary allocations around in an orderly fashion.”

— an extraordinary act of interference in Indyk’s practice of interfering in Israel’s in- Israel’s internal affairs. Kurtzer even publicly ternal affairs was notorious. In 1995, for ex- called on the Israeli public to put pressure on ample, he lobbied Knesset Members to oppose the government to make more concessions.

When Israel responded to Yasir Arafat’s a law that would have reduced the chances of Israel surrendering the Golan Heights to Syria. sponsorship of terrorism in the autumn of One shudders to think of the dangers Is- 2002 by besieging Arafat’s headquarters in rael would face today if Indyk had his way Ramallah, Kurtzer rode to the rescue of the and the Golan was in the hands of either the arch-terrorist by demanding that the Israeli genocidal Assad regime or its genocidal ISIS government end the siege. This took place nine months after Israel had captured Araopponents.

Indyk tried to pressure Israel’s chief rabbi fat’s ship, the Karine A, with its 50 tons of to oppose a housing project in a part of Je- weapons — the episode that revealed Arafat

had never changed his terrorist spots. Yet there was the Jewish U.S. ambassador to Israel, nine months later, trying to rescue the mass murderer.

The third Jewish ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, has not been much better. In an interview with Israel Army Radio last year, Shapiro indicated that U.S. support for Israel at the United Nations and other international forums was conditional on Israel accepting moving towards creation of a Palestinian state. That kind of linkage was all too reminiscent of the Indyk “crack the whip” approach.

Earlier this year, Ambassador Shapiro falsely claimed that “Israeli vigilantism in the West Bank goes on unchecked,” that “Israel has two standards of adherence to rule of law in the West Bank — one for Israelis and one for Palestinians,” and that Israel’s settlement policy “raises questions about Israeli intentions.”

That was a thinly-veiled way of saying that Israel is not really interested in peace if it permits the construction of a kindergarten in Judea, Samaria, or many parts of Jerusalem.

Shapiro’s statements were so mean-spirited and inappropriate that Prime Minister Netanyahu himself issued a stinging rebuke. “The ambassador’s statements, on the day when a mother of six who was murdered is buried, and on a day when a pregnant woman is stabbed — are unacceptable and wrong,” the prime minister said.

So yes, David Friedman is going to be a very different kind of Jewish ambassador to Israel. Unlike his disreputable predecessors, Friedman will respect Israel’s right to make its own decisions, instead of “cracking whips” and dictating to Israel how to behave. Friedman will be on the side of the exemplars of democracy and freedom in the Middle East, not the terrorists and the totalitarians. In short, Ambassador Friedman will work to strengthen ties between America and its loyal ally, Israel, instead of undermining them.

What a difference!

Text of statement by Trump team on Friedman pick This is the text of the statement by the Trump transition team announcing the selection of David Friedman as ambassador to Israel.

President-elect Donald J. Trump on Thursday announced the nomination of Mr. David Friedman to serve as the United States Ambassador to Israel.

Mr. Friedman, a renowned attorney who has been counselor to some of the world’s top businessmen and companies, was one of the President-elect’s principal advisors on the U.S.Israel relationship during the campaign.

When Israel proclaimed itself an independent republic in 1948, the United States was the first country to extend formal recognition of the new government. From that moment forward, the two nations have enjoyed a special relationship based on mutual respect and a dedication to freedom and democracy.

With Mr. Friedman’s nomination, President-elect Trump expressed his commitment to further enhancing the U.S.-Israel relationship and ensuring there will be extraordinary strategic, technological, military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries.

“The bond between Israel and the United States runs deep, and I will ensure there is no daylight between us when I’m President,” said President-elect Trump. “As the United States’ Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman will maintain the special relationship between our two countries. He has been a long-time friend

and trusted advisor to me. His strong relationships in Israel will form the foundation of his diplomatic mission and be a tremendous asset to our country as we strengthen the ties with our allies and strive for peace in the Middle East. Nothing is more critical than protecting the security of our citizens at home and

abroad.”

Mr. Friedman, whose bar mitzvah was held at the Western Wall in Jerusalem 45 years ago, is a fluent speaker of Hebrew and a lifelong student of Israel’s history. On Thursday, he expressed his resolve to be a rock-solid partner with the Israeli leadership as our two countries seek to advance

our mutual interests and keep our people safe.

“I am deeply honored and humbled by the confidence placed in me by President-elect Trump to represent the United States as its Ambassador to Israel,” said Mr. Friedman. “I intend to work tirelessly to strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two countries and advance the cause of peace within the region, and look forward to doing this from the U.S. embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.”

Mr. Friedman is a founding partner of Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP, a national law firm with approximately 350 attorneys. For the past 35 years, he has specialized in litigation and bankruptcy law, playing a leading role in restructuring many of the nation’s most complex financial and business operations. Mr. Friedman has been widely recognized for his outstanding contributions to the legal profession, and has been named one of the 500 leading lawyers in the United States.

Mr. Friedman has been a generous philanthropist to Jewish causes, including United Hatzalah of Israel, a nationwide volunteer service of first responders providing aid to all injured Israelis, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity, and Aleh Negev, one of the world’s most advanced facilities for the care of severely disabled children.

Under his leadership and at the Presidentelect’s direction, the U.S.-Israel relationship will be a model of cooperation and respect.

THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

‘Friedman is completely unlike his predecessors.

And that’s what drives critics of Israel crazy.’

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unanimously in 2014 that supports “the dignity, diversity, and inclusion of all of its inhabitants and visitors, and condemn ideologies, philosophies and movements that deny equality of human rights and opportunities and challenge our Constitutional freedoms granted by the United States and the State of Montana.”

Colleagues of Roston’s from around the country have deluged her Facebook page with expressions of support.

“Dear Friends, thank you for your messages of love and support,” she responded Monday. “I’m moved to tears easily these days and I am incredibly moved by our friends standing up to hate.”

Roston moved with her husband and two children to Whitefish to get a break from the rigors of pulpit life in a large congregation.

Living as a committed Jew in Whitefish is not without its challenges, she told JTA in 2015. For one thing, there’s no kosher meat or chicken in Whitefish, so Roston has visitors bring her supplies whenever possible or she splurges on shipments from Grow and Behold, the Brooklyn-based supplier of pasture-raised kosher meat.

There are other differences to living in Montana. Nobody honks — ever. Roston recalls that her husband was backing up once and a pickup truck gave him a gentle warning beep. The driver then got out of his vehicle to apologize.

As for her children, Roston says Whitefish has been good for their Jewish identity.

“What I’ve tried to say to myself and my kids is this is more what the larger world is like,” Roston said. “We talk a lot about what they believe in and if they stand out and how to speak up for Israel and negotiate their identity in the larger, non-Jewish world. I’m happy that’s happening when my husband and I are with them rather than the first time they leave the bubble and go to college.”

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By JTA A white supremacist website has called on its readers to “troll” Jewish residents of Whitefish, Mont., home to white supremacist leader Richard Spencer.

The Daily Stormer on Friday urged people to “take action” against Jews in Whitefish by writing and calling them with anti-Semitic messages. The website published the names, phone numbers and addresses of Jewish Whitefish residents and photos of Jewish residents emblazoned with yellow stars. The post warned readers against using “violence or threats of violence or anything close to that.”

The post claimed that Jewish residents — there are about 100 out of around 6,000 fulltime residents — were “threatening” Spencer’s mother’s business. Spencer is president of the National Policy Institute, a white supremacist think tank (“dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of European people in the United States and around the world”).

One of the Jewish residents targed by the Daily Stormer, Francine Green Roston, was a Conservative spiritual leader in New Jersey before moving to Whitefish with her family in 2014. “Whitefish is way bigger than Richard Spencer,” she told CNN. Until now, Roston said her family had not experienced any anti-Semitism in Montana — just curiosity.

“He’s not powerful,” she said. “He’s just spreading a message of hatred. And we have to keep calling that out, and showing that that is not representative of this country, certainly not representative of this community.” Roston is a member of Love Lives Here, a local antidiscrimination group.

The local government of Whitefish has rejected Spencer’s ideas. Recently, the City Council reread an anti-discrimination ordinance passed

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December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Rabbi binny FReedman The hearT of jerusalem

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ompromise is a challenging word, ranging from the noble to the naïve. How does one know when compromise is called for, and when it is actually a tragic mistake?

In the military, compromise can be a dangerous thing, and orders, once received, must of necessity be carried out to the letter. But sometimes, when orders contravene principals, following those orders may be an unacceptable compromise, and the challenge is to know where the line one cannot cross actually lies.

In all the years I served in the Israeli army, I only once knowingly and willfully refused a direct order, because it was a compromise I could not accept.

When I arrived at the Armored Corps Tank commander’s course, all the challenges I had faced till then were apparently not enough, and G-d must have decided to give me one more.

As it turned out this one was a whopper, and it appeared in the visage of one 18-year-old baby-faced commander whom we shall call Rotem (not his real name).

I was the “religious” guy with the kippah on his head, and Rotem, who had grown up on a religious kibbutz, had dropped his kippah and any other vestige of his religious upbringing along the way. Whatever the reason, all the guys agreed that this sergeant had it in for me.

I was always being “volunteered” for extra KP duty, or being spot-checked for knowing the material or being on top of my maneuvers. Finally one Friday, he went too far.

We were stuck on base for Shabbat, and Friday was spent servicing and cleaning the tanks we had been training on all week. W cleaned out the shell casings, serviced, checked and cleaned the machine guns, greased the tank treads, and completed a long checklist to insure that each tank would be battle worthy again after a week of maneuvers.

The sun was getting lower in the sky, and I took comfort in the fact that nothing could stop the sun from setting, and Shabbat was coming. In the Israeli army, there are no training maneuvers on Shabbat, only tasks related to actual military preparedness, so when you are in a course, everything pretty much stops on Shabbat save for a little bit of guard duty. I was looking forward to a nice long shower and a chance to catch up on sleep, of which one gets very little in sergeants’ course, and it took me a while to realize all the other guys had finished up and I was the only one left on the tank platform, along with Sergeant Rotem.

Every time I thought we were done, he would come up with another seemingly critical task that would not let me go. I was stuck in the belly of my tank, checking and re-checking things we had finished hours early, and I finally

realized that he was trying to make some kind of point at my expense, though what it actually was eluded me.

“Organize the tool bins and make sure they are done … Check that all the tread wheels have been greased … Let’s run a spectronics (fire extinguishing system) test.”

These tests, each a particularly tiring task, had already been done that day. But the dead give-a-way that he was just having “fun” with me, was the expression on his face, almost daring me to argue or complain, and taking obvious pleasure in the frustration reflected on my face.

Finally, with about 15 minutes left till Shabbat, having finished the last of his sadistic orders, I jumped off the tank, ready to trot back up to the base and get showered. He waited till I had jumped down, picked up my gun and

855-I-KNOW-A-GUY

would take longer than the 15 minutes I had left, not to mention the fact that I would be forced to enter Shabbat without a hot shower, covered as I was in oil and grease.

Recall that Sergeant Rotem was from a religious kibbutz, which meant he knew Shabbat was close and that he was pushing the limits here. I turned back around prepared, finally, to argue with him and explain that I would not make Shabbat on time. I realized it would be a waste of time, so I simply looked at him and said: “Lo’ Yachol, ha’mefaked; Shabbat” (“Can’t do it sir; Shabbat”). Then I turned and walked away.

It was at this point that he started screaming at me, demanding that I return and fulfill his orders, warning me I would be thrown out of the course, and asking me if I knew the conSee Vayeshev on page 8

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How do we decide when to compromise, when to hold the line?

turned towards the base and, timing it perfectly, yelled out: “Binny! Check the battery in the driver’s night vision equipment.”

This meant climbing back up onto the tank, turning the 24 volt back on, turning the turret aside where I could slide into the tiny driver’s compartment, maneuvering myself into the seat and closing the hatch, releasing the night scope from its tied up spot, removing it from its encasement, opening the battery and flipping it over, then inserting the night scope into its proper slot in the hatch and seeing if the battery worked and whether the appropriate green light in the scope indicated it was functioning properly, after which I would have to reverse all these procedures before leaving the tank as it was meant to be left, all of which

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THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

Vayeshev: Is compromise always best solution?

7

Compromise…

December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Continued from page 7 whomsoever praises Yehuda for his “compromise” is sequences of disobeying a direct order. At which actually as good as cursing (or blaspheming) G-d!

On what grounds does Yehuda, in the eyes of point I turned around, looked him square in the eye, and yelled back: “Me’tzapeh la’mishpat” (“I Jewish tradition, merit such a severe critique? After all, it is Yehuda who ultimately saves his life, look forward to the [court-martial] trial”).

I never heard a subsequent word about that affecting the only compromise possible under the incident, and after that Rotem did not bother me circumstances.

Joseph maintains his innocence, and Reuven again.

The question for me later on, was not whether wants to return him home, believing that he is it was the right thing to do; clearly there are prin- not liable of death. But the brothers believe he ciples one has to stick to and lines one cannot is threatening their very existence, and feel he cross. The real question is how one knows when should indeed be killed. So Yehuda chooses the that point comes? How do we decide when to middle road, and compromises, neither killing JANUARY 14—APRIL 10, 2017 him nor freeing him, instead selling him as a slave, compromise, and when to hold the line? his week’s parsha, Vayeshev, may actually where he will no longer be a threat, and neither present us with the case par excellence of the will he be dead.

And if compromise is an ideal, then Yehuda compromise gone wrong, thus allowing us to consider the parameters for compromises in general. should not be castigated, he should be praised!

Indeed the Talmud (in the same discussion in The story of Joseph and his brothers is one of, if not the saddest, chapter in Jewish history, the Sanhedrin 6b) rules clearly that a judge is obligatfirst instance of a transgression between a man ed to do everything within his power to bring the and his fellow (chet bein adam le’chaveiro’) ever parties to a compromise. So what was wrong with Yehuda’s actions, if in the end to occur amongst Jews, which he actually succeeds in arrivmay explain why, nearly 4,000 ing at a compromise the brothyears later, we still struggle ers accept? with what actually went wrong. compromise is a beautiIn fact, some commentaries ful thing, and is indeed suggest that on Yom Kippur, the lauded in Jewish tradition two central sacrifices are meant as bringing peace, and even G-d, to gain forgiveness for the two into the world. But it depends central sins in Jewish history: how the compromise is reached. the calf (par) for the sin of the A compromise is only of value if golden calf, which marks the it is reached with the agreement first instance the Jewish people of all parties concerned. But transgress (or rebel) against G-d when a judge imposes his own (chet bein adam la’makom), and the goat (sair) for the sin wherein the ten sons of compromise which is not accepted by the litigants or Ya’acov dipped Joseph’s Technicolor coat in the even one of the litigants, then that is not really a comblood of the goat in order to cover the heinous act promise at all.

As an10, example, of selling their own brother into slavery. JANUARY 14—APRIL 2017 imagine that you buy a used One of the reasons there is so much to learn car, and when it is delivered, you find that it has no from this story is that it is the first time such a engine. So you track down the seller, who claims transgression occurs in the Torah, which makes that he made it clear the car had no engine. So you Keep your home warmer it the paradigm of such occurrences. Thus, this go to the judge, who decides to reach a comproin winter and cooler in is not just one more case of a Jew transgressing mise, and tells the seller to give you half an engine! against his fellow Jew; it is the case study for such That’s not a compromise, that’s an abomination. summer with select, occurrences in general, and our ability to under- And that may well have been Yehuda’s mistake. insulating Hunter Douglas The brothers, who believe Joseph to be liable stand the mistakes made here may help us to betof death, are at least consistent: they insist Joseph ter avoid such errors in the future. shades. They’re the smart Duette® Honeycomb Shades The S’forno (Bereishit 37: 18), based on the Mi- should be killed. and beautiful way to help And Re’uven, who believes Joseph to be innodrash Rabbah (Bereishit Rabbah 84:7) suggests that lower your energy bills. the brothers viewed Joseph as a rodef, which is the cent, at least attempts to return him home to his halachic definition of someone who is pursuing some- father. But what does Yehuda believe? If indeed, JANUARY 14—APRIL 10, 2017 Tristate Interiors one and threatening their life. In such an instance (as, he believes Joseph is innocent, then he should set for example, if someone is chasing me with a knife, him free. But when Yehuda compromises by selling Keep your home2925 warmerWestchester Ave and I believe my life to be in danger), Jewish tradition Joseph as a slave, his compromise is at Joseph’s exin winter and cooler in 9:00 am - 6:00 pm M-F: teaches that I am allowed to kill before being killed. pense. If Joseph is innocent, and Yehuda believes summer with select, And while the question of how the brothers could this to be a possibility, how can he “compromise” 9:00 am - 5:00 pm insulating HunterSat: Douglas come to such an erroneous conclusion is a difficult by allowing him to be sold into slavery?

ON QUALIFYING In other words, Yehuda’s responsibility was to one, one could understand the brothers’ perception shades. They’re the smart 718-823-3400 convince the brothers to set Joseph free. And perthat Joseph’s tale-bearing ways, and his favored posiand beautiful way to help PURCHASES OF www.tristateinterior.com tion in their father’s eyes as witness the gift of the haps the reason Jewish tradition takes Yehuda to lower your energy bills.

JANUARY 14—APRIL 10, 2017 HUNTER DOUGLAS special coat (ke’tonet passim) could lead them to be- task is because as terrible as the brothers’ actions were, at least they were acting according to their lieve that he was edging them out of the family.

WINDOW FASHIONS Keep your home warmer In fact, it may be that the debate between Jo- principles and beliefs, however mistaken they may * in winter and cooler in seph and his brothers was about the future of the have been. But Yehuda, who was compromising summer with select, fledging Jewish idea, and that just as Abraham had with what he knew in his heart to be right, was ON QUALIFYING to choose between Yitzchak and Yishmael, and making a mistake of much graver proportions. insulating Hunter Douglas When we ignore what we know deep in our Yitzchak had to choose between Ya’acov and Eisav, PURCHASES shades.

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WINDOW FASHIONS the purchase of multiple units of such product is required to receive a rebate. Rebate the expense of others, and even with disregard Interestingly, of the 11 sons of Ya’acov (aside from Joseph), there were at least three who did for their pain, then we are not bringing peace into ward card and mailed within 6 weeks of rebate claim receipt. Funds do not expire. the world, we are inviting destruction and anarnot agreeTristate that JosephInteriors should be killed. ly fee will be assessed against card*balance 6 months after card issuance and each Binyamin was simply a youngster and was not, chy. We are no longer spreading love and light; 2925 Westchester Ave ® are fomenting hatred and allowing darkness. may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2016 Hunter Douglas. apparently, present.

Re’uven, eldest, Duette Honeycomb Shades M-F: 9:00 am - the 6:00 pmclearly be- we Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem. lieves Joseph to be innocent, or at least not worthy ON QUALIFYING herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners.17Q1NPDUCG1 pm of death,Sat: as he9:00 is theam one -to5:00 suggest that Joseph PURCHASES OF Tristate Interiors should not be killed immediately but thrown into a 718-823-3400 2925 Westchester Ave HUNTER DOUGLAS pit, in order to save him. And Yehuda, in a moment www.tristateinterior.com M-F: 9:00 am 6:00 pm WINDOW FASHIONS forged in time forever, suggests that they sell him Sat: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm to a passing Ishmaelite caravan.

718-823-3400 And it is interesting to note that while Re’uven www.tristateinterior.com has in mind to save Joseph, he clearly does not succeed, because subsequent to his suggestion, Yein Maple plaza, next to DaviD’s pizza Duette® Honeycomb Shades hudah still has to convince them not to kill him, and they seem to be struggling with the question *Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 1/14/17–4/10/17 from participating dealers in the U.S. Tristate Interiors of whether to actually kill him or leave him in the 2925 Westchester Ave only. made For certain rebate-eligible products, purchase of multiple of such37: product *Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases 1/14/17–4/10/17 from participating dealersthe in the U.S. pit to die.units (Bereishit 24-26)is required to receive a rebate. Rebate M-F: am 6:00 pmatoprepaid only. For certain rebate-eligible products, the purchase of multiple of9:00 suchinproduct is required receive areward rebate. Rebate will beunits issued the- form of card and mailedSowithin 6 weeks rebatewho claimis receipt.

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Additional may Douglas. apply. Ask participating dealertheforcompromise details and of rebate form.

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9

HEALTH, MIND & BODY Section sponsored by Alina Bergan DDS • 650 Central Ave, Suite F • Cedarhurst • 516-203-4556

At Chanukah, light in time of illness and darkness Perspective by Elicia Brown, JTA It is the “the witching hour,” around 4:30 pm, when darkness descends swiftly on the streets of New York, and exhausted children and their parents tend to quarrel.

But my son Joel, now 12, is full of good cheer. He keeps a steady bounce in his step.

He smiles into the wind.

“The black sky at this early hour,” Joel explains, his tall frame swaying in sync with his springing step, “means that the Chanukah lights will be coming soon.”

For a parent, it is a sweet moment like so many others: My adolescent boy, 5-foot-7 and prone to irony, still delights in the simplest pleasures of the world around him. What’s more, we share the same feeling about Chanukah, that it punctuates and brightens what would otherwise be December’s darkest, shortest days.

For a cancer patient like me, the moment means even more. For this evening, I, too,

Elicia Brown, left, and her family in November.

Jennifer Bowles

can keep a bounce in my step. The chemo drugs haven’t, for the time being, zapped my energy, or stiffened my back, or thrown my digestive track off kilter. I exult in my own personal miracle of light.

If there’s any blessing in sickness, it’s the greater awareness one brings to the bright moments in life, which can be as mundane as listening to the sound of wind whistling through a tree’s bare branches or as profound as witnessing your daughter’s graduation from middle school.

When I stand under a steaming hot shower, and the pressure and warmth wash away physical distress, I am grateful almost to the point of bliss. I am similarly uplifted when a pain reliever allows me to sit in a desk chair and type these words, and when the howling pain that gripped my stomach all morning has quieted to a distant grumble.

People often tell me that I’m brave to face See Light on page 20

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December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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11 THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

CHANUKAH SAMEACH!

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPA L HOSPITA L E P I S C O P A L H E A LT H S E R V I C E S I N C .

881137

W W W. EH S .O RG

Sale Dates: December 25th - 31st 2016

Weekly Schmerling Chocolate Rosemarie Milk or Parve ONLY - 3.5 oz

Bloom’s Chocolate Chips 9 oz

3/$ 5 5 ......................................................

2/$

16.2 oz Cinnamon Mishpacha Graham Toast Crunch or Pie Shells 16 oz Golden 6 oz Grahams 3/$ $ 99 ......................................................

Domino Brown or Domino Sugar Confectioners 10X 4 lb Bag Light or Dark Brown - 16 oz $ 99

3

3 1

5

Schwartz Pretzel Crumbs 12 oz

349

$

5

5/$

12

3/$

......................................................

Folger’s K-Cups Folger’s Instant All Flavors - 12 Pack Coffee Classic Roast $ 99 8 oz

7

599

$

Fresh & Healthy Cream Cheese 8 oz Cup

Tree Ripe Orange Juice 59 oz

2/$ 5 5 ......................................................

2/$

YoCrunch Yogurt All Flavors - 6 oz

1

2/$

Friendship Cottage Cheese Assorted - 16 oz

4 ......................................................

2/$

Norman’s Stackers Miller’s String Greek Yogurt Cheese 4 oz 12 oz family

799

69¢

$

Regular or No Salt Added - 8 oz

1

3/$

.................................................

Dee Best Dessert Sauces All Flavors - 14 oz

399

$

.................................................

Imperial Delights Chic Peas

Vitamin Water All Flavors - 20 oz

10

10/$

Season Hearts of Palm Bloom’s Pretzels 14 oz

15 oz/18 oz

$ 99

1

99¢

.................................................

.................................................

12 oz

Chocolate Chip, ABC, Animal, Vanilla - 12 oz

Mishpacha Lasagna

3

Mrs. Pure’s Cookies

15 oz

2/$

.................................................

.................................................

.................................................

10 oz

25 oz

10 oz

69¢

.................................................

Supreme Star Stuffed Olives

1

99¢

Paesana Marinara & Pasta Sauces

3

Gourmet Glatt Dried Guava Discs

449

$ 69

$

.................................................

.................................................

.................................................

.................................................

All Flavors 1.5 Liter

Dairy or Parve 10 Pack

Original or Unsweetened 46 oz - 48 oz

Chocolate or Vanilla 2.8 oz/3.3 oz

5/$

......................................................

Green Giant Corn, Coke, Fresca, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Seagram’s Peas, Cut Beans Fuze, Minute Maid 14.5 oz/15.25 oz 12 Pack - 12 oz

Red Pack Tomato Sauce

Prigat Juices

1

KoSure Hot Cocoa

99

$

Applesnax Applesauce Osem Pudding

5

$ 99

$

2/$

.................................................

.................................................

.................................................

.................................................

8 oz

All Flavors - 8 oz

All Flavors - 16 oz

349

Bloom’s Chocolate Chip, ABC or Animal Cookies 1 oz

1

5/$

Coffeemate Creamers All Flavors 32 oz

Goodman’s Rice Vermicelli

3

Flaum’s Lox Spread 7.5 oz

399

$

399

.......................................

Mehadrin Leben Assorted - 6 oz

10

10/$

Imperial Delights Rice Mixes

99¢

2/$

$

1

$ 29

Sonny & Joe’s Hummus All Varieties 16 oz

299

$

Imperial Delights Salad Dressing

99¢

Temp Tee Whipped Cream Cheese 11.5 oz

299

$

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

16 oz

8.8 oz

Assorted - 16 oz

Mehadrin Cottage T’nuva Lite Feta Cheese or Sour Cream Cheese

3

$

99

4

$

99

Friendship Sour Cream

1

$ 49

pack!

Freund’s Simcha Roll McCain French Fries All Varieties Gefilte Fish

Klein’s Ice Cream All Flavors - 56 oz $ 99

56 oz

5

15

$

dairy only!

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Of Tov Chicken Nuggets All Varieties - 32 oz $ 99

99

twin pack .......................................

9

20 oz/32 oz

Potato, Vegetable, Zucchini - 13 oz

2/$

$

.......................................

.......................................

5

Pardes Cauliflower or Spring Valley H’ors Broccoli Florets D’oeuvres 24 oz

4

$

99

Golden Pancakes

All Varieties - 40 Count

10

$

99

299

Pepperidge Farm’s Puff Pastry Sheets 17.3 oz

439

$

B’gan Breaded Eggplant Cutlets or Sticks 16 oz

399

$

.......................................

Kineret Mini Latkes 30 oz

299

$

Chanukah Headquarters!

NOW 2 locations!

Cedarhurst STORE HOURS

137 Spruce Street

(516) 569-2662

SUN -TUE: 7 AM-9 PM WED: 7 AM-11 PM THURS: 7 AM-12 AM FRIDAY 6:30 AM-2 HRS. BEFORE CANDLE LIGHTING

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871086

December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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13 THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

Sale Dates: December 25th - 31st 2016

Specials 1st Cut

299 lb. Veal

wow!

Shoulder $ 49 lb. Steak lb.

Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . wow! .Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . extra lean Ground Shoulder $ 49 lb. 2nd Cut Seasoned/ Family Pack 99 Veal $ ................... lb. Marinated Chops Chicken $ 99 lb.

Boneless ...................

Cutlets Neck & Skirt Fillet $ 99 White or Dark Meat lb. Frozen ...................

Steak $ 99 Beef Family Pack lb. Wing On ...................

Patties Chicken $ 49 lb.

12 Pack Pastrami $ 29 ...................

Breast lb. Ground Deckel ................... ...................

White $ 99 Large lb.

Small $ 99 Chicken $ 99 lb.

Kolichel lb.

Kolichel $

Chops

...................

6

FROZEN DUCK $ 99 4 lb.

WHOLE OR CUT-UP PULLETS $ 19 2 lb.

6

4

8 7

2 Pack

8

99

14

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Missing Wing

15

$

Family Pack

2

5

7

Hecker’s Flour

Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes

5 lb

1 3 ...................................................... $ 99

19 oz

$ 49

Wesson Oil

Snapple Iced Tea

Canola, Corn, Vegetable - 48 oz

12 Pack - 16 oz

699

$

2

$ 99

......................................................

Special K Cereals

Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mug, Mountain Dew, Crush, Brisk, Schweppes 2 Liter

All Flavors - 12 oz

2

$ 99

5

5/$

Sweet Strawberries

Green Squash

Sliced Mushrooms

......................................................

2/$5

79¢ lb.

2/$3

Except Reduced Fat - 8 oz

Pint

Gala Apples

99¢ lb.

Spanish Red Peppers

Jumbo Green Peppers

249 lb.

$

Ha’olam Shredded Banner Sliced Lox Bagel Cuts Cheese

79¢ lb.

......................................................

6 Pack

..........................

..........................

Del Monte 2/$ 4 Pineapple

Anjou Pears

Mini Peeled Carrots

Cello Lettuce

..........................

..........................

Jumbo 2/$5 Cantaloupe

Slicing 89¢ lb. Cello Onions Tomatoes

99¢ ea.

99¢ ea.

Head ..........................

1 Lb Bag ..........................

2/$3

chanukah special! feeds 10! just $149.00 Apple Noodle Crumb Kugel 2 lb

Large Potato Knishes Vegetable Soup Quart

24 VARIETIES! SPECIAL OF THE WEEK:

Baked Salmon with 2 Side Dishes

99¢ ea.

2

$ 99

2

order your shabbos platters early!

999

$

Sweet Potato Roll

649ea.

6 Winter White & Shades $ of Blue Festive Bouquets 19

99

Italian Bread Plain or Seeded

1

Combination Bread

celebrate chanukah with our menorah platter!

Beet Salad

2 lb

249ea.

$ 49 ea.

Vandela Blue Rose & Up Bouquets 99 Silver & Gold Accented & Up Table Arrangements

gourmetglattonline.com

1095

now available! full line of gluten-free products!

make this year’s festival of lights even brighter!

Chanukah Blue Carnation $ Bouquets

Crunchy Dragon $ Roll

550

Babaganoush

$

595

$

............................

$

4

Heavy Marble Loaf

Alaska Roll

Giant Vegetable $ 95 Roll ............................

Breaded Lemon Pepper Fillet $ 99 lb.

13

Raspberry Pastry Sticks

99

Aliza Beer Nutritional Meals

699ea. $ 99 1 ea. $ 99 5 ea.

Scottish Salmon Fillet $ 99 lb.

monday only!

10 $ 99 6

$

Spinach or Broccoli 10” Pizza

$

All Flavors 48 oz

4

Family Size

fresh latkes available throughout chanukah!

Edy’s Ice Cream

$ 99

5 Lb Bag

Baked Ziti

1 Roast Turkey PLUS 12 Latkes 1 Container Pickles

Macabee Pizza Bagels

Idaho 2/$4 Potatoes

Deli & Takeout

/

5

Pink 6/$2 Grapefruit

..........................

3 Lb Bag

999

$

2/$

..........................

99¢ lb.

12 oz

$

Pre-Packaged

Pre-Packaged

Salt & Pepper Kugel

Pre-Packaged

Garden Vegetable Soup

24

$

99

& Up

3999& Up

Pre-Packaged

Yerushalmi Kugel

Pre-Packaged

299ea.

$

499ea. $ 49 3 ea. $ 49 4 ea. $

349ea.

$

$

/gourmetglatt

We reserve the right to limit quantities. No rain checks. Not responsible for typographical errors.

877491

Pitcha Bones

CORNED BEEF DECKEL $ 29 8 lb.

We invite the community for a

Special Menorah Lighting Celebration

of the HAFTR/Sderot Kassam Rocket Menorah Tuesday, December 27th @ 5:30 pm

in front of HAFTR High School 635 Central Avenue

Come join us and show our achdus and connection with our brothers and sisters in Sderot Sufganiot donuts and latkes will be served American Friends of Sderot www.sderot.org | 718-650-6091 | judah@sderot.org

Performance by the HAFTR Choir 881394

December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

14

Commemorating the 1948 forced exodus of nearly one-million Jews from Arab countries, Yeshiva University paid tribute to the rich cultural heritage of modern Jewry in Arab lands, at a Dec. 5 event that featured an address by the Israeli Consul in New York General Dani Dayan and a lecture by Dr. Daniel Tsadik, associate professor of Sephardic and Iranian studies at YU. They spoke to a packed house on the Israel HenDr. Daniel Tsadik ry Beren Campus of YU in Manhattan’s Washington Heights.

Tsadik noted the importance of remembering these Jews and their unique cultures, including their literature, theater, cinema and sports. Tsadik’s research focuses on the modern history of Iran, Shi’ah Islam and Iran’s religious minorities.

See Arab lands on page 19

JEWISH December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 Every week in print and online at TheJewishStar.com Send news and photos to: Schools@TheJewishStar.com Weekly deadline: Monday 5 pm

STAR SCHOOLS

HAFTR scribes explore parchment, ink HAFTR second graders learned about the intricate process of writing a Sefer Torah, during a Tzivos Hashem Sefer Torah Workshop.

The talmidim and talmidot helped sand the parchment and mix the special ink. Each student used a kalmus — a writing utensil — to write his or her name in the ktav assurit Aramaic alphabet. Students were impressed by their ability to write so beautifully.

Pictured with the cow hide: David Miller, Matthew Pine and Ethan Muller.

Working the the quill: Talia Platschek

Dodgeball and poetry make Rambam news Dodgeball and poetry top recent news from the Rambam Mesivta in Lawrence.

For the seventh year, Rambam’s 4-Corner Dodgeball Tournament brought together all grades (left) for a worthy cause: helping to refurbish a Sefer Torah for an IDF unit.

Another seven-year-old event, the Yeshiva Poetry Society League’s annual Poetry Slam, featured 60 poets from eight schools who each presented two poems on the topic, “The Poetry of Prayer.”

See Dodgeball on page 19

Rambam junior Mordechai Gerstley made it to the final round and won Best Free Verse Poem.

Shulamith girls at Jewish heritage museum: Zachor

Seventh graders from the Shulamith School for Girls visited the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Battery Park. The girls learned that pre-war Jewish communities were much

like our own, with yeshivot, shuls and charitable organizations. They learned about the rise of Naziism in Europe, Nazi propaganda, the timeline of the Holocaust, and religious observance and resistance in the

concentration camps. The day’s highlight was listening to survivor Sally Frishberg recount her experiences. Frishberg implored them to zachor (remember) what they heard and to share it with future generations.

THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

YU considers our heritage in Arab lands

15

December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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SHARE THE NEWS! FolloW THE jEWiSH STAR oN

FAcEbook.com/THEjEWiSH STAR

TWiTTER.com/jEWiSHSTARNy

SKA: Shoah journal, Giving Tues.

Resilience, a Holocaust journal published by ninth graders at Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls, won the Colombia Scholastic Press Association’s Gold Medalist Award.

Judges noted that “your magazine is a gift to us

and to the generations to come. The theme of the women’s role during the Holocaust is one that we don’t hear of very often.” Resillience editors are pictured, from left: Talia Wein, Esther Dyckman, Mimi Leifer, Ilana Katz, Nicole

Abitan, Aliza Mandelbaum and Zisi Grossman.

The editors extend their appreciation to faculty adviser Sheila Leibtag, literary advisors Shira Manne and Elyssa Quinn, and art advisers Suzy Libin and Meredith Pyle.

On Giving Tuesday — which follows Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday — SKA’s Israel Action Committee raised over $2,000 for the Neve Tzuf community in Israel which was devastated by fire. Yashar koach to sophomores (from left) Emma Greenbaum, Mimi Leifer, Talia Wein and Leora Fenster for their work on this project, and to Head of School Helen Spirn and Grades 10–11 Principal Raizi Chechik for their guidance and support.

Shulamith goes native, does crafts for Chai LL

At the Shulamith School for Girls, students found a fresh opportunity to help others when the G.O. organized a fun-filled Kislev event that included a chesed project — creating craft kits for the children of Chai Lifeline (pictured: G.O. Presidents Shaked Harari and Rachel Schwartz and VicePresidents Lili Paritzky and Shayna Wasser). Meanwhile, fourth graders were getting hands-on experience learning about Native Americans in Stephanie Shilo’s class. They made posters depicting the lifestyle of the Iriquois and Algonquian people (below), quizzed each other about the houses, food, and role of women in the tribes, and some made 3D models depicting what they learned.

HANCsters’ chesed shel emet Accompanied by mechanech Rabbi Nafi Orlofsky, eight boys from the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County High School participated in the mitzvah of chesed shel emet, assisting in the funeral of a Jew who needed a minyan for proper burial.

“It was a great experience to bury a fellow Jew who needed a proper burial,” said freshmen Nissim Pinto. “It was the best feeling at the end of the day to go to sleep knowing that I did a mitzva that

can never be returned to me and that one more fellow Jew is properly buried,” added freshman Daniel Khaimov.

During the funeral, the boys heard eulogies that spoke to the character of the deceased and the loss that would be felt to the greater Jewish community. The HANC students returned to school feeling a sense of accomplishment and were pride for their participation.

Suffolk’s only day school invites public to a Chanukah celebration The Jewish Academy, Suffolk County’s only Jewish day school, will hold its Chanukah Curriculum Celebration on the theme of “Light Over Darkness” this Friday, Dec. 23.

As part of the celebration, students will be performing an original play about the well-publicized actions of thousands of residents of Billings, Montana who placed menorahs in their front windows after a rock was thrown through the window of a Jewish family.

The play will be the highlight of the celebra-

tion, which will also feature many student projects that apply the light and darkness theme to the sciences, math, literature and history. This is just one part of the cutting edge Jewish Academy curriculum, based on interdisciplinary integration as well as differentiated instruction.

The public is welcome to attend on Friday, from 10 am to noon, at the school on the grounds of the Suffolk Y JCC, 74 Hauppauge Rd., Commack. For more information call 631-368-2600.

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Touro chief, GOP rep, talk Israel and Obamacare

Dr. Alan Kadish and Rep. Meadows at Lander College for Women.

Anti-Israel bias in world media and the American response to it was explored at a well-attended forum on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, featuring Touro College president Dr. Alan Kadish and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-North Carolina).

Meadows, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, remarked that his wife, Debbie, found visiting Israel to be “a life-changing experience.”

“The freedom and the camaraderie there” affected her profoundly, he said.

The couple invited other members of Congress to join them on subsequent visits.

In her introduction, Dr. Marian StoltzLoike, dean of Lander College for Women, said that in line with Touro’s commitment to enriching the Jewish heritage, “studying in Israel is part of our DNA” and “our support is fervent and unwavering.”

Meadows warned that anti-Jewish thought in Europe had “infiltrated the highest levels of government and education” and has not been this prevalent since World War II. “It is becoming part of the fabric,” he said.

Meadows agreed with an audience member who said more action was needed to enlist the U.N. and UNESCO’s cooperation on Israel’s behalf, saying that the U.N. had passed 354 resolutions against Israel and none against Palestinians.

Kadish asked if there should be concern over perceived anti-Semitic sympathies among the incoming members of the Trump administration. “There’s going to be zero tolerance for any kind of rhetoric that is expressed either outwardly or quietly in practice,” Meadows responded.

See Touro chief on page 19

HALB 7-8 graders greet 22 injured IDF chayalim

HAFTR connects in Israel HAFTR High’s Judaic studies principal, Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, visited with his graduates — both talmidim and talmidot — who are studying in Eretz Yisroel for the year.

Over 80 percent of HAFTR’s senior grade chooses to continue their studies in yeshivot, seminaries or programs in Israel after graduation.

Twenty-two seventh and eighth graders at the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach got together with several injured Israeli soldiers on Dec. 1 (photo below).

The meeting was arranged by the Belev Echad, which brings wounded IDF veterans to New York City for a ten day tour “to enjoy the camaraderie of those with similar experiences, and receive thanks and support” from the Jewish community.

The students traveled to Republic Airport in Farmingdale, where they met the soldiers, and learned firsthand “that the young men and women of the IDF are serving on the front lines, risking life and limb to ensure the safety of the Holy Land.”

Zachary Sicklick ’18 remarked that he was “inspired that the soldiers risked their lives to serve in the army.” Simon Pinter ’17 said that “it makes me realize how much these soldiers sacrifice their own lives to let us have our homeland.”

In anticipation of meeting the soldiers, the students researched the soldiers’ bios and prepared questions and comments.

The students realized that they were talking not to random people but to heroes.

The injuries sustained by many of these young soldiers during their years of service forever changed the course of their lives.

The students were enthralled by the story of Hilal Besan, an Israeli Druze citizen. He lost his twin brother in the tragic fire in the Carmel region five years ago.

His uncle was killed while serving in the IDF. Two years ago, Hilal was critically wounded in a shooting incident in the course of his service as a guard in the Rimonim Prison. Hilal has been going through intensive rehab at the Sheba hospital. He received a tzlash (medal) for his incredible courage the day of the attack.

“It made me so much more grateful and made me feel like any problem I have is nothing compared to their experience,” said Gabrielle Isaacs ’18. “If the soldiers were able to keep going and walking on their injured leg, I can handle any of my problems. It made me realize how lucky I am and that if I set my mind to do something I could do it.”

The students expressed their gratitude to the soldiers by bringing them candies, chocolates, and thank you cards. Rabbi Uriel Lubetski, Middle School principal, shared with the soldiers a stack of thank you letters that students wrote and read Batya Rogoff’s letter in which she said, “Thank you so much for all that you do for Israel. You risk your lives every day to save our country and I just wanted you to know that I appreciate it so much.”

The students characterized their encounter as a spiritual experience that they will never forget. “It showed me how amazing Israel is that people risk their lives every day for it,” said Atara Sicklick ’18.

17 THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

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December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Silver simcha of inspiration at Yeshiva of South Shore

Nachum Silver — with his father, grandfathers, great grandfather and brothers — put on tefilin for the first time on 12 Kislev at Yeshiva of South Shore. The yeshiva was honored to have Nachum’s great grandfather, Reb Yisrael Zalmen Mitgang, one of

the oldest survivors of Auschwitz, join in the simcha. After davening, the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, spoke about R’ Zalmen’s mesiras nefesh and how he was able to make a minyan in Auschwitz on Yom Kippur. He told the talmidim of

the Satmar Rebbe’s iconic statement, “Don’t ask a bracha from me, go to someone who has a number on his arm.” Each boy in Nachum’s class had the chance to greet R’ Zalman and receive a bracha from him.

S’stein delivers senior smiles

Every Friday afternoon, middle school students at Great Neck’s Silverstein Hebrew Academy participate in a voluntary community service program, Smiles on Seniors, in which they visit the Atria Senior Home and go through the Kabalat Shabbat service, singing songs and participating in activities with the senior citizens. The program teaches students to give back to their greater

community, while also learning to take care of the elderly and bring joy to those in need. Rabbi Osher Kravitsky, Silverstein Smile on Seniors program coordinator, says that this is a meaningful way for his middle school students to build relationships with the seniors at the Atria. These photos are from a recent visit by Silverstein’s Smiles on Seniors students to Atria.

Mishmar with YOSS’ Rabbi Munk

Rabbi Yisrael Munk, eighth grade rebbe at Yeshiva of South Shore, invited boys from his class to his home for an exclusive mishmar on Thursday night. The boys shared divrei Torah with their rebbe, partook of delicious food prepared by the rebbitzen, baked their own chocolate chip cookies, and had an overall gishmak time with their rebbe.

At Carlos & Gabby’s, HALB kids learn a lesson in Torah’s value Sometimes we get caught up in the negative and forget how much good there is in our community.

We are seven boys from HALB Middle School who just finished a special program, in which we learned hundreds of mishnayos in our spare time. Now, we’re going out for a special dinner at Carlos and Gabby’s with our rebbe.

While we were at the counter deciding what we would order, a nice man asked us what yeshiva we were from and why we were there with our rebbe after school. We told him that we were receiving our reward for learning a massive number of mishnayos.

After placing our orders and sitting at our table, our rebbe came to us with that same man smiling from ear to ear. As our rebbe was about to pay for our order, this man quickly

gave the cashier his own credit card so that he could pay for our food. Even though the rebbe tried to stop him, he insisted on paying. He said that it was his honor to have a small part in our unbelievable learning.

The man didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but our rebbe told him that it was important for us, his students, to realize how people value Torah and those who learn it.

We would like to thank this person not only for dinner that night, but also for teaching us an important lesson on the value of Torah and community.

Hungry for more Torah and Carlos and Gabby’s!

Nadav Chelst, Elie Goldfarb, Ariel Gross, Eitan Katz, Zachary Rabe, Jeremy Sicklick and Joe Sicklick, Rabbi Moish Steinberg’s fifth graders.

Send your news to: Schools@TheJewishStar.com

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DRS: Parent-son malave malka and W. Hemp Shabbos WEST HEMP TISH

A highlight of the DRS year is the annual West Hempstead Tisch.

Nearly 40 boys living in West Hempstead invite over 100 boys from other communities to their houses for Shabbos — another example of the incredible achdut for which DRS is famous. Photo at left.

On Friday Night, the Schwalbs hosted all 150 boys for an incredible tisch that featured lively singing, chulent, dancing, and divrei Torah from students and rabbeim.

On Shabbos day, the Strauss family hosted all of the students for an inspiring Seudat Shlishit with more singing, Torah and enjoyable food.

MALAVE MALKA

PHOTOS AT RIGHT

The sounds of lively music and dancing filled the air at DRS Yeshiva High School’s 17th annual parent-son malave malka.

Menahel Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky remarked that the goal of the malave malka is to celebrate “the joy, fulfillment and meaning that there is in being a Jew” and to highlight the “positive Jewish energy that [the yeshiva] strives to inculcate in its talmidim with song, divrei Torah, food and dancing.” This event is the one night that the entire yeshiva family — rabbeim, parents, and talmidim, get together to honor the positive spirit of being Jewish.

The evening commenced with a kumzitz in the beit midrash led by members of the DRS student band and DRS faculty; much achdut and ruach were present. Parents and sons sang together in unison; videos, highlighting events from the year, were shown as the singing and music rang out. Students were also honored with the student-voted middot and Torah growth awards for each grade and shiur.

“The malave malka really shows what DRS is all about, and it was truly a great experience,” said Harrison Chwat ’19.

Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz was honored for his 18 years of dedication and commitment to the yeshiva during which he inspired hundred of students, turning on countless talmidim to the joy of talmud Torah. A video tribute was played in honor of Rabbi Lebowitz and he was also was presented with a plaque.

The malave malka continued in the gym where the parents and students enjoyed a delicious dairy buffet together and, together with faculty, then danced together for hours.

“It was really great to see everyone sing and dance together and the atmosphere was incredible,” said Jakey Friedman ’18.

Arab lands…

Continued from page 15 Beginning in the middle of the 19th century, many of the Jewish communities in the Middle East were granted equality and access to education beyond religious subjects, which helped them integrate into their host societies. In Egypt, for example, Jews became bankers, merchants and government officials. They published dozens of newspapers in many languages, some of which were intended for Egyptian society at large.

Jews were prominent musicians, composers, singers, actors, and athletes who competed on national and international levels, even winning gold medals for Egypt at the Olympics. But when the 1948 war broke out, Jews were suddenly seen as the country’s enemy; the government confiscated Jewish property, and bombs were thrown at Jewish homes and businesses.

Thousands of Jews were forced to flee for their lives.

Tsadik noted that the Egyptian story is not unique. In Iraq, before they were expelled, Jews contributed significantly to Arabic literature and poetry. In Tunisia, Jews were at the forefront of music, the record industry, and theater. Legendary Habiba Msika, a Jewish performer, became a star beloved by both Jews and Muslims.

“The Jews influenced the indigenous culture, and were influenced by it,” Tsadik said. “They were part of the society, which made the departure from their homeland even more painful. On one level their cultures have disappeared. But on another level, many elements have persisted over time and space, and have been successfully introduced and transplanted to other countries in the region and way, way beyond.”

The program was sponsored by YU’s Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies and Sephardic Community Program in partnership with the Consul General of Israel in New York.

Rambam…

Touro talk…

Continued from page 17 Meadows was asked how the careers of Touro’s medical and health sciences students could be affected by policy changes. He said he was optimistic that Congress would repeal the Affordable Care Act, which he said was responsible for the “mass exodus” of physicians from their individual practices into combined physician groups “just to survive.”

Kadish said interest among students pursuing health careers was still robust and that he believed most were choosing the profession not for the money, but to follow their calling and to help people.

Last year, there were 11,000 applications for just 3,000 openings at New York Medical College, a division of the Touro College and University System.

Later, Dr. Kadish asked students what they thought about the “polarization” of the nation’s political parties. A student said she was concerned that a “big divide” now existed between popular conservative Republicans. “How are they going to put things back together?” she asked.

Continued from page 15 Rambam junior Mordechai Gerstley made it to the final round and was awarded Best Free Verse Poem.

The dodgeball tournament was run by seniors Gabe Greenbaum and Noah Schwartz, with the help of 4-Corner Dodgeball Commissioner and Rambam Assistant Principal Hillel Goldman.

Going into the 18th and final round of play, the red, white, and blue teams were all in contention, with the green team hoping to play spoiler. After a few minutes of tension-filled calculations, the white team emerged victorious, led by veteran Benny Csillag (designated an All-Star), and sophomore Aaron Azose (named the Al Hecht Memorial MVP). Yoni Auerbach of blue, Gabe Kessler of green, and Michael Akhavan of red were also awarded All-Star trophies.

The tournament was live-streamed by Rambam’s “Stream Team” led by Yair Oppenheim and Raphi Lowe.

In the poetry slam, competitors recited a free verse on how their prayers would be different 20 years from now; their second entry was a form poem (sonnet, villanelle, haiku, etc.) on the subject of davening. Poets from Central, Frisch, HANC, Ma’aynot, SAR, Shalhevet, SKA and Rambam presented diverse perspectives on these topics.

The judges were Aaron Roller, who helped establish the poetry league with Rambam Assistant Principal Hillel Goldman and SAR English teacher Hillel Broder, and Laura Dail Literary Agency Vice-President Tamar Rydzinski. Rydzinski represents such bestselling authors as Danielle L. Jensen and Sarah J. Maas and award-winners Laura Andersen and Bryan Denson.

The next slam is scheduled for Dec. 22 at Kushner.

19 THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

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By Combined Sources Nassau County Police on Tuesday arrested a 20-year-old Nassau Community College student who they allege drew antiSemitic graffiti at the Garden City school.

The arrest came as several incidents of red spray-painted swastikas and other hate incidents were reported elsewhere on Long Island, including a sidewalk outside a private home that was vandalized with multiple red swastikas and “Make America White Again� graffiti and swastikas and other antiSemitic graffiti painted on a wall outside a 7-Eleven.

Swastikas were drawn in the snow in Merrick and Mineola on Sunday, according to reports.

At Nassau Community College, the student was charged with scrawling graffiti in the G building on Friday and is also implicated in other acts of vandalism, some featuring the words “Germany� and “Heil Hitler.�

A police spokesman said there had been as many as 110 incidents at the college since October and that nearly all of them were directed at Jews.

Police quoted the suspect, of Plainview, as saying that he was “not happy with the Jewish population in his community and how he was treated by them.� “We have seen quite a concerning uptick in swastika vandalism across New York State,� Evan Bernstein, ADL’s New York re-

gional director, said in a statement on Monday. “Unfortunately, Nassau County is the latest in a string of incidents. “While these attacks are most likely not connected, we see that Long Island towns are not immune to such disturbing acts of hate. It is incumbent upon community and religious leaders and Nassau County leadership to forcefully denounce these manifestations of hate whenever and wherever they surface.�

New York City police have reported a 400 percent increase in such incidents since the Nov. 8 presidential election. Police are investigating the incidents, including those in Merrick and Mineola, as hate crimes, the Daily News reported.

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We’re not going to suggest that vote for — of it’s unimportan course, in our community that does matter very much. t who (left) and Hershel 2014.

Hainyou in Kenneth But opinions prefer to facilitate are mostly set, and Rabbis AIPAC conference at Theto Jewish attend the discussions rather gants Star we What we will say than without equivocation thumb the scale. paramount to , however, is this: our community’ It is s interests that Whoever wins we tance, whoever the White House — and alsovote on Tuesday. wins the many of judicial races on state and local great importhe we in the Orthodox Election Day card — must legislative and be reminded that communitie responsibilities seriously, that s on Long Island take our civic we the actions of our elected officials,follow the races and monitor the issues we and that we will hold dear are respond if ignored Whether the issue is continuingor mishandled. (sometimes threatened) America’s long tradition of support for ish state of Israel, the security of the Jewlocation of state or insuring a fair shake for yeshivas in the aid, or facilitating alers who face discriminati hearings on in employmen for Shabbos observconcerns, voting t, or a myriad might be the other easiest way — surest way — to let it’s Ultimately, Israel’sthe pols know we’re watching certainly the them. safety, along with shivas and the the solvency of success of our our yeparnasa, rests we each have a job to do. On with Hashem.

But Tuesday, that job is to vote.

Ed Weintrob, Editor and Publisher

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20

Continued from page 10 a diagnosis of ovarian cancer without sinking into despair. But Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not a particularly courageous person. As Oliver Sacks, the author and neurologist who died last year, wrote, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pretend Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude.â&#x20AC;?

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m lucky to be under the care of a top oncologist who remains optimistic about my plight. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m lucky to be the beneficiary of a support system that includes a fan club of friends, my ready-to-drop-anything parents and a superhero husband â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in the guise of a balding, bearded Jewish dad who is capable of rescuing, in a single bound, a teenager confused by biology homework, a child needing to be picked up from basketball, and an ailing wife. Meanwhile, of course, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preparing dinner, cleaning dishes and, not incidentally, working as a lawyer.

Yet Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also lucky in another way: Like others â&#x20AC;&#x153;living with cancerâ&#x20AC;? or some other chronic illness, I have a deeper appreciation of the present moment and a stronger grasp how oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world can flip upside down without warning. So while I plod through the darkness of sickness, I am also illuminated by the expected and unexpected marvels of everyday.

The Chanukah story invokes the joy and hope that light can offer us in difficult times.

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;miracle of lightâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that a single vessel should contain enough oil to burn for eight nights â&#x20AC;&#x201D; signifies the Jewsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to endure amid adversity. To reflect upon the â&#x20AC;&#x153;miracles of lightâ&#x20AC;? in our own lives helps us cope when hardships strike. The practice helps us remain strong in situations where we lack much control, whether weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re confronting a personal tragedy or an unprecedented challenge in the larger world.

I used to be a fervent reader of parenting blogs. I was especially drawn to tales that seemed most tragic â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a bereaved mom bringing up a baby without her spouse; parents raising a child with multiple cognitive disorders; a mom dealing with a grave diagnosis of cancer. I remember sobbing while I read the story about this last mom, of how her life transformed in one day. She had been stressed about mortgage bills and college tuitions, about getting everyone out the door on time, about ambitions for both career and family, when suddenly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; bang. Cancer knocked at her door, and she never looked back at the frustrations of the old life. She entered a foreign land â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that of the sick.

In reality, the lands of the sick and the healthy arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as far apart as I once imagined.

Paul Cowen, author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Orphan in History,â&#x20AC;? about finding Judaism, was diagnosed with leukemia just before his 47th birthday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Until that day, I had assumed that health and sickness were separate, distinct terrains,â&#x20AC;? he wrote in the Village Voice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve since learned that those boundaries donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really exist. Instead the world is composed of the sick and the not-yet sick.â&#x20AC;?

While that is a sobering concept, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m more surprised by how my new world continues to resemble my old one. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still impatient when a child chatters on incessantly about the magic of chromosomes because, well, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 8:30 pm and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s me-time. I am still infuriated when one child, teasing, pretends to snap an unflattering iPhone picture of her brother. I am still bogged down by irritations and insecurities.

But I also celebrate. The many small graces of life loom larger and brighter. I sing the body electrified by winter sunshine. I honor last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memory of running in Riverside Park. I rejoice over the thought of wrapping myself in the warmth of family and friends when we kindle the lights of Chanukah.

As Ivanka and Jared shop for a shul, can we keep politics out of it?

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schnapps with your political opponents when they’re standing next to you at kiddush,” Keyak told JTA. But after speaking with Keyak, I had some doubts. And on reflection, having been a Jewish congregant and parent in the D.C. area for 16 years — and also, admittedly, one with 16 years of experience gossiping with other Jewish congregants and parents in the area — I got to considering how Panglossian this gloss is.

No one wants politics inside the shul. But honestly, in D.C., considering how deeply embedded our political outlooks are in our belief system, who are we kidding?

Here are some occasions where politics on Washington’s mean streets seeped into shuls and holiday celebrations, and vice versa.

•M.J. Rosenberg, a liberal Jewish activist, in 2006 recollected a disruption during Yom Kippur three years earlier, when the rabbi was delivering a pro-peace process sermon at his shul, Ohr Kodesh, in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Charles Krauthammer, a fellow congregant and the conservative Washington Post columnist, started yelling at the rabbi. “People tried to ‘shush’ him,” Rosenberg recalled. “It was, after all, the holiest day of the year. But Krauthammer kept howling until the rabbi apologized.”

•Joe Lieberman schepped nachas at his congregation, Kesher Israel, and among the wider Jewish community in 2000 when he became the first Jew to make a major national ticket — Al Gore picked Lieberman as his running mate on the Democratic ticket.

•Not so much nachas was schepped several years later, when much of the Jewish community soured on President George W. Bush’s Iraq invasion — and Lieberman remained one of its most assiduous defenders. “In my synagogues today, we might have Mark the doctor, Jim the journalist and Joe the senator,” Lieberman wrote in his 2011 contemplation of Shabbat, “The Gift of Rest,” before he retired as a senator from Connecticut. “In synagogue, Joe might complain to Mark of a pain in his knee, to which Mark complains to Joe about Joe’s vote on the Iraq war. And there can be feuds.

Jim the journalist, who used to write very positively about Joe, has lately been writing some things about Joe that Joe thinks are unfair. Now instead of greeting each other with a hearty ‘Good Shabbos!’ when they pass on the stairs, Joe and Jim merely nod their hellos.”

This story continues at TheJewishStar.com

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THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

Blog post by Ron Kapeas, JTA President-elect Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, are shul shopping in D.C. — and it’s making headlines in the non-Jewish world.

Reporting this in the mainstream media requires some explanation — an MSNBC anchor apparently believed the story was about Ivanka shoe shopping — but generally the narrative touches on few key points: The majority of Jews in the United States voted for Clinton — and what does this mean as the first daughter and her family look for safe Washington space to daven and raise the kids in the faith?

And wait — at shul, we leave politics at the door, right?

Aaron Keyak, a congregant at Kesher Israel, the downtown Orthodox synagogue reportedly topping the list for Kushner and Trump, is a Democratic operative who helped run an anti-Trump political action committee.

He’s been telling whomever will listen that the new top Jewish power couple will of course be welcome at Kesher.

“You have to be able to enjoy herring and

21

Frum LI told: Don’t ignore reality of addiction

By Jeffrey Bessen For the first time since her son, Aryeh Natan Glassman, died of a heroin overdose in May, one month shy of turning 28, Rebecca Glassman publicly delivered her message that the Orthodox Jewish community needs to address the current drug abuse crisis.

She addressed a packed audience at the Woodmere firehouse on Dec. 14. (The text of her prepared remarks are on page 23.)

Aryeh was one of 93 people of the Orthodox Jewish community in the metropolitan area to die of an overdose or a substance abuse-related incident such as a vehicular accident since September of 2015, according to Rabbi Zvi Gluck, founder and director of Manhattan-based Amudim, an organization that helps young people overcome sexual, physical and substance abuse.

“The stigma attached with addiction is no longer being brushed under the rug, the turnout here shows the tide is turning,” said Gluck.

“I do not know of a yeshiva high school in our [Orthodox Jewish] community that doesn’t have drugs in it.”

Glassman was measured in her words as she recounted Aryeh’s brief life that impacted not only her family but also others who knew her son.

“Friends always said that ‘Aryeh had my back’ and he organized hockey games on our street,” the West Hempstead resident said. “He played the piano, he jammed with friends, he loved cooking, and he loved his younger brother and sister,” she added. The Glassman family includes husband, Kenneth, and daughter Pamela, 26, and son David, 22.

Glassman previously addressed her son’s death after 12 years of addiction in print, but this was the first time she openly spoke about

An audience made up predominently by members of the Orthodox community listens intently to a disJeffrey Bessen cussion on addiction, at the Woodmere firehouse on Dec. 14.

Aryeh. A video montage of family photographs was shown before her talk.

“He was extremely bright and absorbed everything,” Glassman later told a reporter about her son who attended yeshiva from age 3 through high school. “He was thrown out of the classroom and put into the resource room.

They didn’t want to deal with him.”

Aryeh was treated at least six times in rehabilitation centers in the local area and the Midwest, was in a sober-living facility twice and attended outpatient therapy many times, to no avail, Glassman said.

Too many yeshivas and the Orthodox community are ignoring Long Island’s substanceabuse crisis, specifically the heroin and opioidbased prescription painkiller epidemic, according to Menachem Poznanski, clinical director of The Living Room, a recovery center in Brooklyn and upstate Wesley Hills that is part

of Our Place, a haven for Jewish youth grappling with substance abuse, problems at home or being expelled from school.

“Denial is the biggest stumbling block,” said Poznanski, a Cedarhurst resident who spoke about addiction and dependency, and echoed Gluck’s statement about drugs not discriminating between a secular person and an Orthodox Jew or a young person who attends public school or one who is enrolled in a yeshiva.

Reisa Berg, director of education and prevention for the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, and Marcie Siciliano, an assessment referral and education specialist for LICADD, presented the practical side of dealing with an opioid overdose.

Berg and Siciliano addressed the new step on the ladder to substance abuse: For many years, the lowest rung was cigarette smoking which might lead to drinking beer and/or wine

before moving on to liquor and marijuana.

Then the use of synthetic drugs such as Ecstasy were added before graduating to cocaine, heroin, crystal methamphetamine (meth) and crack cocaine. Now prescription opioids are the step in between liquor and marijuana and the synthetic drug rungs.

“People on opioid prescriptions are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin,” Berg said.

She also discussed the steps of administering naloxone — the trademarked product Narcan that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, which typically begins with slowed breathing and then escalates to attacking the central nervous system before possibly leading to death.

Berg pointed out that more than one of the syringe-administered doses (through the nasal passages) could be needed, and Siciliano stressed that the police should be called to help ensure that multiple doses will be available when trained emergency medical technicians arrive at the scene. New York state’s Good Samaritan law protects nonmedical people from liability in this emergency situation, Berg said.

She also said that people overcoming an overdose are possibly irritable, but not usually physically violent, and that Hatzalah ambulances carry the anti-overdose treatment. .

Bradley Heckman, a Nassau BOCES school psychologist, took notes throughout the forum.

“This was a triple threat for me as I really gained a perspective — emotionally, clinically and therapeutically,” said Heckman, adding that he grew up in Great Neck, his parents live in Woodmere and he resides in Riverdale.

Jeff Bessen is editor of the Nassau Herald.

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December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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‘How did my son, product of an Orthodox family, educated in a yeshiva, become an addict?’

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THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

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Rebecca Glassman of West Hempstead spoke at a anyone deny that cancer or diabetes exists? Would we gathering in Woodmere last week that confronted the deny our children medical treatment for those illnessissue of adiction in the Orthodox community (story es? Absolutely not! So then why are we ashamed to say on page 22). Her son, Aryeh Nathan Glassman, died that the disease of drug addiction exists in our comfrom a heroin overdose in May. munities and in our schools? Our kids need help and When I was trying to figure out what I would say there is help out there if we just reach out and ask for it. tonight, many well meaning friends and family strongUnfortunately, while Ari had been in many rely suggested that I speak from my heart. Most who hab programs, he could not get out of his own have attended different functions at my home as well way and accept the help that was offered. … as Ari’s funeral have heard me speak and know that I Ari did however, choose to help others, while he always speak from my heart. But how do you speak was sober and in rehab. from the heart when the heart is shattered to pieces?

After he died I received several messages from Aryeh Natan, born June 12, 1988, died May 15, people who were residents with him in the various 2016. Ari died of a heroin overdose. I will no longer programs. They told me that if it hadn’t been for Ari’s see the face that lit up my heart, the twinkling blue encouragement, and insistence that they stay in reeyes and that magnificent smile. hab, they would have definitely relapsed or worse.

Heroin took his life.

One young man told me that he had been clean and I could stand here and tell you all about Ari, sober for several years now, and was shocked when how well-rounded he was, how talented and he heard about Ari’s death. It warms my heart to hear smart he was. I could tell you these stories because it conabout what a great friend he firms what I knew all along. was, how each of his friends Drug addiction was a disease considered themselves to be that Ari battled with, but it did his best friend because they not define him as a human beknew that he would always ing. He was a kind and generhave their backs no matter ous person who was ill. what. I could tell you about I would like to help prehow he shut down our street vent what happened to Ari on the weekend with his orfrom happening to others. ganized hockey games … how People need to wake up and much Ari loved to read … understand that there is work how much he enjoyed playto be done when it comes to ing the piano, jamming with drug abuse. And if the work friends and even alone on the starts now, we can hopefully keyboard in his room. I could save more children instead share with you Ari’s love of of watching them die. There cooking and how he used have been too many deaths. to drive me crazy asking for Education and programdifferent recipes. I could tell ming within the schools for Aryeh Natan you how much Ari adored his students, teachers, administrayounger sister and brother, and they him. But really, tors as well as parents, is necessary for prevention. It what would be the point of any of this. Ari is gone is also necessary to have the tools to deal with those and the pain of his loss is immense. who are already unfortunately addicted.

Ari was brought up in an Orthodox home, not Tomorrow it will be seven months since Ari died. unlike many of the people here. He attended yeshi- … I firmly believe that he would want us to conva from nursery aleph as a three year old, through tinue on this journey of life. Part of Ari’s legacy are the twelfth grade. He was given all of the things that the years that he should have lived. So now, we go parents give their kids including love and emotional on and live them for him. We cherish those years support. He was cherished from the time he was born and make them count. Ari always wanted to help even through adulthood and through his addiction. people. To that end I am addressing this crowd in But here’s where I have a problem. How did my his memory, in the hope that I can help even one son, the product of an Orthodox family, educated in person who is struggling. a yeshiva, become an addict? After all, doesn’t drug Finally, I was reading through some chapters abuse only exist in the outside world? How can this in Rabbi Maurice Lamm’s book, Consolation, the happen to us? As far as I was concerned, drug ad- follow up book to The Jewish Way in Death and dicts came from public schools and the inner cities, Mourning. There is a paragraph that I would like broken homes, and homes where there is abuse. to share with all of you that gave me some comfort: Drugs were found in poverty stricken areas like the “As we separate and ‘die’ from the womb, only slums, and areas where there is a lack of education. to be born to life, so we separate and die from our We know that drug use has become rampant world, only to be reborn to life eternal. The exit from among the yeshiva students. I was told by several the womb is the birth of the body. The exit from the mothers that they were aware that students were body is the birth of the soul. leaving school during lunch breaks to use drugs and “As the womb requires a gestation period of nine somehow no one was the wiser. Why weren’t the months, the world requires a residence of decades. teachers, administrators and parents on top of this?

As the womb is ‘prozdor’ (an anteroom) for the prepDrug addiction does not discriminate between aration of life, so our present existence is prozdor to the races, religions or genders. It affects us all in one the world beyond.” way or another.

Ari had almost three decades of residence in this Many in the Orthodox community don’t believe world as preparation for the world beyond. I would it could happen to them. Sadly, my family is an ex- like to think that maybe he was extra special to ample of the fact that it can.

Hashem, as he didn’t need as much time as the rest I was told, that in the last year within the Or- of us do to prepare for the world to come. thodox community, we have lost 60 young men Ari struggled so much in this world and even and women to drug overdoses. My heart breaks through his struggles he tried to help others. Ari was for the families of these children. a gift that we received and gift that was taken back My Ari suffered from the disease of addiction. earlier than anticipated. …

The surgeon general, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy wrote that In Ari’s memory I hope that we can work together “addiction is a chronic brain disease that has the po- on getting the information about addiction out there, tential for both recurrence (relapse) and recovery.” both on the level of prevention as well as assisting Addiction is in fact a deadly disease. We need to those who are in the midst of fighting the disease. take charge of it by saying we have a problem and not May Ari’s neshama have an aliyah. And may the sweeping it under the rug. We need to understand that neshamas of all of the beautiful children that we have it is a disease not unlike cancer or diabetes. Would lost to addiction have an aliyah.

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December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Psalm 30 and its connection to Chanukah alan Jay geRbeR kosher Bookworm

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s we all know, the second most referenced book in our sacred liturgy is the Book of Psalms, the Sefer Tehillim. And one of the finest commentaries of recent vintage is that of Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb’s Psalm 27 in “The Koren Tehillim,” a work that was previously referenced in this column.

With the festival of Chanukah about to begin, I will revisit Rabbi Weinreb’s take on Psalm 30, a prayer that begins our services every day of the year. In addition to this daily liturgical regimen, on Chanukah this psalm is repeated at the end of every morning service, and in some shuls it is also said at the end of every evening service.

Sit back and let us learn together from Rabbi Weinreb’s sacred teaching, provided especially to this column, on the reason for this Chanukah liturgical ritual: “Psalm 30 is customarily recited during Chanukah. A cursory reading of the psalm

shows no apparent connection to the stories and symbols of the Chanukah holiday. The psalm deals with the existential issues of life, and speaks eloquently of the fragility of life and the possibility of hope and deliverance.

What do these things have to do with a holiday which celebrates both a military victory and the miracle of the lamp with oil sufficient for but one day that lasted for eight day?

“In order to discover an answer to this basic question, another question must be asked.

The first verse of the psalm reads: ‘A psalm, a song of dedication of the Temple, by David.’

One would therefore expect that the song would continue by speaking about the Temple and its significance. Instead, the psalm speaks about David’s gratitude to the Almighty for sparing him from his enemies, for healing him and for delivering him from the grave.

“And so we have a double question: What connection does the body of the psalm have with this first verse, and what connection does it have with the holiday of Chanukah?

“I think that the answer lies in the nature of the Temple or, in our times, the miniature Temple, which we call the synagogue. In some religions there is a distinct gap, a divide, between the house of worship and one’s daily life. In our

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb

religion there is no such divide. The same sense of nearness to G-d, which pervaded the ancient Temple, and which now pervades the synagogue, must carry over into every aspect of everyday life.

“Hence, when David begins to sing the praises of the Temple he describes neither its splendid architecture nor its imposing beauty.

Rather, he speaks about the inner emotions of man. He speaks about man’s fears, his moods, his false self-confidence, his vulnerability, and his ultimate mortality.

“This is one of the lessons of Chanukah.

Yes, the miracle of the candles took place in the holy precincts of the Temple. But the primary and preferred locale for the candle lighting of the menorah today is the home, not the synagogue. The lessons of Chanukah are lost if they are relegated to the house of worship.

They must be learned in the houses of life, of family life.

“With the above reflections in mind, we can now see how every phrase in the psalm connects to Chanukah.

“Verse three for example asserts that G-d has a role to play in a healing illness, that illness is not merely a matter of physiological fault: ‘Oh Lord, my G-d, I tried to call You and You did heal me.’

“Or consider verse six: ‘Weeping will carry for the night, and joy will come in the morning.’

These words of assurance and hope are not just a meditation for a Temple service. These are words for home and hearth.

“As a final example, take the concluding verses of the psalm: ‘You turned my mourning into dancing. … Therefore I will thank you forever.’ Thanksgiving is one of the major themes of the Chanukah holiday. Expressing one’s See Psalm 30 on page 25

Good guy, bad guy: Sometimes it’s not clear Rabbi avi billet Parsha of the week

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hen we read the story of Yosef and his brothers carefully, a number of things jump out at us that mirror the Torah’s narrative from the depiction of creation.

Beginning with Yosef’s first dream, we note that it takes place in a field where some of the bundles bow to one bundle; it’s an image of subservience and, seemingly unrelated, farming.

The brothers say to Yosef, “Do you want to be our king? Do you intend to rule over us?”

This might not seem significant, except that one of the terms they use — “Im Mashol timshol banu” — includes a word that appears only one other time in the entire Bible.

That word is “timshol” and it is the same word G-d uses to tell Kayin to take control of his desires and emotions and try to do better rather than harbor a grudge forever.

His second dream invokes the celestial entities that were created on Day 4 — the sun,

moon and stars. After his second dream, the brothers leave to take care of sheep.

The image of farming in the first dream, and the brothers getting away from Yosef through being shepherds in the second, reminds us of the first conflict of brothers, that of Kayin and Hevel.

As we know the story that is coming, we tend to identify Yosef as the “good guy” and the brothers as the “bad guys.” In the Kayin/ Hevel story, as Kayin is the murderer and Hevel is the victim, we always identify Kayin as the “bad guy” and Hevel as the “good guy.” But the use of the word “timshol” being directed at Kayin and at Yosef would seem to imply that in some way they are in the same boat — you have the opportunity to rule over something, what are you going to do with that? ayin did not control his passion and he killed his brother. Maybe the brothers are hinting to Yosef that if you don’t control this desire to rule over us, someone may come to be murdered.

The parallel is not exact, and it is therefore imperfect. For example, Yosef’s first dream implies that they are all farming — not just Yosef — and that somehow either he

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is the best farmer, or his produce is better than that of his brothers.

Their response to his dreams (they don’t directly respond to his dream about the stars) is to go shepherding. Are they identifying with Hevel? Are they giving a premonition that they are going to right the wrong done so long ago to Hevel on account of a similar fight between the farmer and the shepherd?

This leads into a discussion about how we determine right from wrong. For example, is it always true that when a fight involving two people ends with one dead and the other standing, that the survivor is guilty of murder? Of course not. Self-defense, a boxing match or other contact sport in which the players know the risks, a battlefield, or a righteous execution (think Nuremberg, Eichmann, etc.) are all examples of a justified killing.

In the case of Kayin and Hevel, there is a simple way to read the verse to suggest that Kayin may have been acting in self-defense, or at the very least, he rose from an inferior position to knock Hevel who had overpowered him (see Midrash Aggadah 4:8). This perspective changes our perception of right and wrong (don’t worry too much, though,

as most commentaries paint Kayin as the bad guy).

In the case of Yosef and his brothers, it is very easy to make the case for the brothers being the good guys and Yosef being the bad guys. In ancient times, the first born was the natural leader of a family. True, Yosef was the first born to Rachel, but he had a lot of half-brothers who were older than he and Reuven should have been the natural leader.

Additionally, if a new nation is to arise, as we’ve seen in other cases (Yishmael, Nachor), the 12 children are equal princes, with equal shares until their father dies and their oldest sibling takes over.

Yosef making his own inroads disturbs the brothers on many levels. He is jumping into a position that is not naturally his. He is the recipient of his father’s favoritism, which did not go well in keeping families together in the past (consider what happened with Yishmael and Eisav), and his being chosen bodes poorly for the future of the rest of the family.

Will they be rejected from Yaakov’s family? erhaps the brothers, in looking at all this, are realizing the connection to the first fight between brothers and are See Good guy on page 25

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Joseph, the Maccabees and Klal Yisrael Rabbi david etengoff

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efer Bereishit contains the narratives of a number of larger-than-life individuals whose values and behaviors guide us until this very moment. In broad terms, it is the story of Adam and Eve, Noah, the avot, the emahot and the first generation of Jacob’s children. In particular, our parasha portrays the “torch being passed to a new generation,” namely, from the Jacob to Joseph.

Moreover, from Parashat Vayeshev onward, the Torah relates to us Joseph’s trials and tribulations, and his ultimate ascendancy to the post of Viceroy of Egypt.

Joseph’s story is always read in juxtaposition to Chanukah. This, of course, is not mere happenstance. Instead, deep connections obtain between Joseph’s challenges and those faced by the Maccabees. My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal, known widely as “the Rav,” formulated this thought in the following manner: There is meaning and symbolism to every detail of the Jewish calendar. The mere fact that Chanukah always falls on either or both of the two Sabbaths devoted to the reading of the Joseph story, Vayeshev and Miketz, bears witness that there is a link between the events surrounding Joseph’s sale into slavery and the events leading to Hanukkah; the Joseph story contains elements of the Maccabee’s dramatic struggle with the Hellenistic tyrant of Syria. (This, and all quotes, are from Days of Deliverance: Essays on Purim and Hanukkah, Chapter Nine, “Joseph and Hanukkah,” pages 155166, Eli D. Clark, Joel B. Wolowelsky and Reuven

Ziegler editors, underlining my own)

The Rav notes that Joseph’s overall task was similar in kind to that of his father Jacob, since Joseph, like his father, “had to prove that Abraham’s covenant could be practiced outside the Promised Land, that the moral laws are not contingent upon geography and chronology.” According to Rav Soloveitchik, however, there were two essential differences between the tasks that confronted Jacob and Joseph.

First, Jacob “had to prove that the Torah is realizable in poverty and oppression,” whereas “Joseph’s mission was to demonstrate that enormous success, unlimited riches, admiration, prominence, and power are not in conflict with a saintly covenantal life.”

Second, Jacob lived a life of spiritual and religious heroism in the midst of a backward pastoral society, and under the hegemony of Laban. In contrast, Joseph “demonstrated his heroic action in the most advanced civilization of antiquity, Egypt.”

A careful reading of the Joseph narrative reveals it is replete with high drama that is second to none. As the Rav highlights, it is a story of carrying forth the banner of kedushah under the most trying of circumstances and of “sacrificial action, heroic decisions, and courageous plans.” Upon due reflection, these were precisely the tasks undertaken by the Maccabees, as portrayed by our Sages in the Al Hanissim prayer for Chanukah: In the days of Matityahu, the son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the wicked Hellenic government rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and violate the decrees of Your will. But You, in Your abounding mercies, stood by them in the time of their distress. You waged their battles, defended their rights, and avenged the wrong done to them.

You delivered the mighty into the hands of the See Joseph on page 25

Psalm 30... Good guy... Joseph...

Continued from page 24 determined that the majority will not be lost due to the whims of a fractional minority of one. Certainly in their eyes, Yosef is the “bad guy” and they are the “good guys.”

Recall as well that the fight to the death between Kayin and Hevel took place in a “sadeh” (field), while in Yosef’s dream of the farming, the brothers are all in a “sadeh,” and when Yosef is looking for his brothers in Shechem, he is lost in a “sadeh.” (37:15) I think it is that encounter, when a third party, a mysterious man, meets Yosef, that a shift from a correction of a past misdeed to a different kind of story begins to unfold.

The man asks Yosef, “What are you looking for?” And Yosef responds, “I am seeking out my brothers.”

Because despite everything, Yosef knows in his heart that he is not looking to change anything in their relationship. He may have dreams of grandeur and of royalty, but he does not believe that he will rule OVER his brothers. More that his position will be of great benefit to his family.

And so it becomes a matter of perspective.

Perhaps Yosef putting his cards on the table — “I seek my brothers” — ends up changing the direction of the story so much that his brothers detect in him a brother when they see him. And while they don’t treat him nicely, they do come to the realization that “our hand shall not be upon him, for he is our brother.” (37:27) If only all the Jewish people could remember that all of the Jewish people are “our brother” we would be able to look past differences and note what we have in common and mend our open wounds, without the need for even the verbal violence that sometimes passes between us.

Continued from page 24 weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton sinners into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah. You made a great and holy name for Yourself in Your world, and effected a great deliverance and redemption for Your people Israel to this very day. Then Your children entered the shrine of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, kindled lights in Your holy courtyards, and instituted these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great Name.

At this juncture, the Rav asks a question that is fundamental to understanding the true role of the Maccabees and their relationship to Joseph as his spiritual heirs: “How did the Almighty use the Hasmoneans in order to save the covenantal community? Did He act as He acted in Egypt, where He just informed Moses what He had in store for them? Or did He require of the Hasmoneans total involvement – sacrificial action, heroic decisions, and courageous plans — as He demanded from Joseph?”

Rav Soloveitchik’s powerful response informs our understanding of the Joseph-Hanukkah nexus as never before: “The Hasmoneans seized the initiative; G-d willed them to defend the sanctuary, to guard the honor of the Jewish women, the pride of the people and the grandeur of the Torah. They fought like lions, selflessly and with unqualified devotion.

Of course, G-d defeated the enemy after man did his part. The Hasmoneans were confronted by the same destiny as Joseph, the destiny of suffering. It is a great and heroic destiny, but a very difficult one.”

“In many ways, the stories of Joseph and the Maccabees serve as a blueprint for living in the preMessianic era, whether in Medinat Yisrael or the Diaspora, when we, too, are called upon “to guard … the pride of our people and the grandeur of the Torah.”

With Hashem’s help and our fervent devotion, may we ever have the strength and vision to do so.

V’chane yihi ratzon.

Luach

THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

Continued from page 24 gratitude x to the Almighty, and expressing one’s gratitude to his fellow man are among the essential qualities of our holy faith.

“However, Judaism also teaches that expressions of gratitude cannot be limited to ritual occasions. They are for Ish u’baito, a person within his home, thus, within his domestic context.

“Praise and thanksgiving, expressed so beautifully in the climax of Psalm 30 are the central mitzvoth of the Chanukah holiday. Lighting the candles, in a family setting, is ultimately itself a Psalm, an expression of praise and thanksgiving, not in words but in the humble act of lighting a candle.”

FOR YOUR CHANUKAH LEARNING The following Chanukah teaching is from Woodmere resident Rabbi Yankie Tauber’s “Inside Time,” entitled, “The Towering Servant”: “If I am only for myself, what am I? Pirkei Avot 1:14 “It’s the first night of Chanukah, and a single flame is glowing the night away at the right hand end of the menorah.

“One flame? Aren’t there two?

Two? Oh, you mean the shamash. He doesn’t count.

“Night after night, the shamash dutifully goes about his task of lighting lights. Each evening, he welcomes the newcomer and settles him into his rightful place in the growing row: two flames, three flames, four flames…

The shamash coaxes them to life and then stands watch over them, lest one falter and require a fresh boost of light.

“Still the shamash doesn’t count. An imparter of light to others, he never attains the station of a Chanukah light in his own right.

“Despite — indeed because — of this, the shamash towers above all the other lights of the menorah. To forgo one’s own luminary potential in order to awaken a flame in others — there is no greater virtue.”

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Fri. Dec. 23 • 23 Kislev Parsha Vayeshev Shabbos Mivarchim Candlelighting: 4:14 pm

Havdalah: 5:23 pm

Chanukah

1st Candle, Sat. Dec. 24: 5:23 pm 2nd Candle, Sun. Dec. 25: 5:23 pm 3rd Candle, Mon. Dec. 26: 5:24 pm 4th Candle, Tues. Dec. 27: 5:25 pm 5th Candle, Wed. Dec. 28: 5:26 pm 6th Candle, Thurs. Dec. 29: 5:26 pm 7th Candle, Fri. Dec. 30: 4:19 pm 8th Candle, Sat. Dec. 31: 5:28 pm

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Wielding the Holocaust stick isn’t kosher ben Cohen viewpoint

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n late November, radical protesters in London attacked a Jewish communal building. As they wrestled with police at the gates, they screamed abuse about “baby killers!” and cried out, “It’s a Holocaust!” According to local media outlets, among them the Jewish Chronicle and the Jewish News, the protesters also daubed the building with graffiti that included a Star of David, a smear about a “kosher Holocaust,” and references to the Nazi persecution of the Jews.

What was the reason for the protesters’ anger, the cause of their unashamedly anti-Semitic outburst? You’re probably thinking, for good reason, that this had something to do with Israel. In fact, it didn’t.

The building attacked was the kosher Kedassia abattoir (slaughterhouse), and the attackers were members of a militant vegan group — there is such a thing, apparently — attempting to prevent the delivery of a truckload of live chickens. Now, as insane as I regard such protests — not to mention the obscenity of getting worked up over a bunch of chickens when real human beings are being butchered in the thousands in Syria — these people certainly have the right to protest against the production and consumption of meat.

What’s significant, though, is that the char-

Secondly, the obsession among left-wing activists with protesting against Israel in the most visceral manner imaginable has legitimized the use of Nazi imagery in the condemnation of Jewish behavior. The word “Holocaust” was frequently seen in 2006, when Israel fought a defensive war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and again during the three conflicts in Gaza during the past decade. If Gaza is a “concentration camp,” if Palestinians are facing a “genocide,” if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a successor to Adolf Hitler—all themes that have flown around social media with abandon—then it isn’t much of a leap to employ the same images with regard to the rituals of Judaism. ll anti-Semites, whether or not their prime motivation is hatred of the state of Israel, believe that a sense of “chosenness,” handed down by God, is what enables Jews to think and act in ways denied to ordinary mortals. They hate us, in other words, because we think, according to their sleazy worldview, that we are better and thus have greater license to do as we wish.

These trends should worry us, because more and more of the ideas that animate politics in the Western world right now bear little correspondence to actual facts. One result of this has been the dramatic shrinking of the political center. When our own elected politicians on the left and right enable or engage with extremism, when they articulate or enable incendiary rhetoric, they make it infinitely more difficult to combat conspiracy theories and hate-based discourse among the wider public.

See Holocaust on page 27

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Anti-shechita protesters in London sprayed Holocaust-themed graffiti on a Jewish slaughterhouse.

acter of the protest was entirely determined by the Jewish nature of the target. To even pick on a kosher abattoir when Jews make up less than 1 percent of the British population reeks of anti-Semitism. As Shimon Cohen, a spokesman for Kedassia, observed, “There are 760 million chickens a year slaughtered in this country, and the Jewish community is responsible for just under one million. I wonder why there is such a focus on us.”

I can think of a couple of credible reasons. To begin with, there has always been a nasty strain of anti-Semitism in the animal rights movement.

It’s no coincidence that one of the first anti-Jew-

ish measures adopted by the Nazis was a ban on shechita. In our own time, the production of kosher meat has been banned in several European countries, such as Denmark and Switzerland, and has faced legal challenges in Poland and the Netherlands. The logic here is that since shechita prohibits stunning the animal before it is killed, it is therefore a more cruel method than that involved with the production of non-kosher meat.

This highly dubious conclusion, motivated more by prejudice than by scientific evidence, is invoked to abridge the civil rights of observant Jews—and also Muslims, whose halal method of slaughter is subjected to similar objections.

In Aleppo, we have failed ourselves tehilla r. goldberg view from central park

T

his Aleppo tragedy is in our faces. But it’s too late. Because of advanced technology we can’t bury our heads in the sand and ignore the slaughter that is happening so far away. For Rwanda and Darfur, we mostly shook our heads as we decried the terrible genocide; we shouldn’t have, of course, yet they did seem more remote.

In our current modern reality, that kind of indifference is no longer possible. Through social media, we are now exposed to the raw

pain of the tragedy, with a sense of proximity and intimacy to the massacre that was previously unknown.

Videos of Syrian civilians sending out their final messages, their final farewells, are flooding the internet. Real people. Facing their certain imminent deaths.

There are videos of people pleading, “remember us,” and then the screen going dark.

It’s creepy. Healthy-looking people, desperate, talking to me through the screen. And I can’t do a thing.

It’s overwhelming.

We let these people down. We failed them.

And their unthinkable, their worst fears, are unfolding.

In Aleppo.

You know the one country that did come

to Syria’s medical aid? That did bind some of the woundeds’ wounds with food, shelter and support? That wasn’t indifferent, despite the countries being declared enemies, despite Syria’s trying to destroy this country many times?

Israel.

Israel didn’t wake up this week on the internet sending out memos as if it cared when in reality there was little left to be done.

As a border country to Syria, Israel quietly and courageously has been tending to the wounds of Syrian children for years. Be it Moti Kahana of the organization Amaliah, or Dr. Michael Harari (to name a few), they’ve been humanitarian lights in this utter humanitarian failure.

If only the United Nations hadn’t been

obsessed with relentlessly demonizing Israel, perhaps innocent Syrian civilians could have been spared.

Rome was burning, or in this case, Syria was burning. But time and again, all the UN could see was Israel. Israel Israel Israel. Israel, which was busy developing more technology, reaching new frontiers in medical research, new inventions — still the UN was so consumed by hate that even a raging Syrian inferno wasn’t enough to eclipse it.

Israel, the ultimate perversion of a decoy.

Now the Syrians have paid the price.

That Syrian man pleading by video that he be remembered? His face and voice will long haunt me. As will this colossal humanitarian disaster.

Copyright Intermountain Jewish News

Continued from page 26 Even so, our democracies still contain enough politicians who are willing to recognize the dangers. A round of applause, then, is due for British Prime Minister Theresa May for announcing that her government will officially adopt the definition of anti-Semitism employed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Loathed by anti-Zionists because of its identification of the demonization of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism, the definition is a decent instrument for determining whether or not a particular speech or act is anti-Semitic.

Rightly, the definition asserts that using the historic sufferings of Jews as a stick with which to beat them — which 99 percent of the time involves comparisons of Israel with Nazi Germany — is a form of anti-Semitism.

Talking about a “kosher Holocaust,” whether in Gaza or in an abattoir in east London, may be legitimate or unlawful depending on where you live, but it is always hate speech.

Theresa May’s announcement is potentially historic, because it paves the way for other countries to adopt the same definition in dealing with accusations of anti-Semitism in their own territories. More broadly, it creates favorable conditions for pushing back against one of the most insidious expressions of anti-Semitism — Holocaust abuse.

Holocaust abuse can take different forms. Most common is the type I’ve outlined above, where Jewish behavior is analogized to that of the Nazis.

But it also comes in more subtle shapes too, for example in Poland, where the nationalist government wants to proscribe any discussion of Polish complicity in the extermination of the Jews during the Nazi occupation.

The distinguished Princeton University historian Jan Gross, a Polish American, is currently facing prosecution for his claim that Poles killed more Jews than did the Germans during the Second World War. Instead of leaving this claim to be adjudicated by serious historians, as has in fact been happening, the Polish government has willfully decided to portray it as an outrage (“publicly insulting the nation”) akin to denying the Holocaust itself.

What unites all these examples is the idea that everyone involved—Palestinians, chickens, Poles—is locked in a victimhood competition with the Jews. Holocaust abuse is, therefore, a central tactic in winning that competition.

Of course, no such competition exists, except in the minds of those who are fixated upon it. No two victims can ever be exactly alike, after all. But such commonplace observations hold no water for those convinced that the Jews are the prime obstacle between them and a better world, and who wield the Holocaust stick as a consequence.

Ben Cohen is senior editor of TheTower.org

By Ben Sales, JTA Some couples argue over movies, others disagree about how to squeeze the toothpaste.

But one of the earliest debates Yaelle Frohlich and Yair Shahak had was over which biblical figure was the most tragic. Shahak chose Jeremiah, the ridiculed and ignored prophet of doom. Frohlich picked Leah, Jacob’s neglected wife.

Nine years later, on a chilly Monday night in Manhattan, the couple sat in the library at Yeshiva University engaged in another spirited discussion — this time about Samson, the tragic hero in the Book of Judges.

“You do not fall in love with a Philistine woman and tell her all your secrets after you killed a thousand Philistines!” Frohlich exclaimed, Shahak nodding in agreement. “That’s just ridiculous!”

Frohlich and Shahak, both 28 and living in Manhattan, met in 2007 when they were studying at YU. They soon bonded over their mutual love of the Bible. The couple married in 2012, and since then have spent many Shabbatot together poring over prophetic texts or reading verses aloud to each other.

Recently they’ve been quizzing each other on the Bible’s obscure details. That’s because next week, Frohlich and Shahak will each be one of two people representing their respective countries — Canada and the United States — in the International Adult Bible Contest in Jerusalem.

The contest — sort of a spelling bee, but with biblical verses rather than words — has the contestants answer the minutest of details about the most obscure of biblical books. Contestants must locate or complete fragments of biblical verses, identify who said which quotation to whom, or name geographical details of the ancient Land of Israel.

“The term ‘Holy One of Israel’ appears mostly in

Isaiah, but a couple of times in Jeremiah,” Shahak explained. “If you’re given a ‘Holy One of Israel’ and another couple words, just because you’ve learned the entire material doesn’t mean you know anything.”

The contest draws 27 finalists from all over the world, ages 24 and up, who take a rigorous written exam. The competition ends in a final round of 16, where contestants are quizzed orally in front of an audience — one that includes government ministers — at the International Convention Center on Dec. 28. The winner receives a cash prize of $10,000. Shahak was one of the international competition’s final eight contestants when it was last held in 2014.

Shahak and Frohlich love the Bible for different reasons. Frohlich, who grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, enjoys its narrative and moral questions. She delved into the Bible during her post-high school year studying at Midreshet Harova, a seminary in Jerusalem’s Old City, where she took a class that had her memorize details of chapter upon chapter of book after book.

Continued on page 28

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THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

Holocaust stick… Couple faces off over Torah

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December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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Shalom Task Force brunch honors its supporters

From left: Esther Williams presents Legacy Award in memory of Gustave Jacobs, z”l, to daughters Aviva Hoch and Judy Frenkel.

Shalom Task Force celebrated its annual brunch at the Sephardic Temple Dec. 4 Following introductory remarks by Esther Williams, the organization’s president, the Community Leadership Award was presented to Rabbi Aryeh and Mrs. Elana Lebowitz.

Rabbi Lebowitz drew a startling connection between the recent fires in Israel and unrest in a home, calling for those in attendance, and for Klal Yisrael in general, support victims and survivors of abuse and to work toward prevention of such situations.

Williams presented a tribute to the memory of Gustave Jacobs, z”l, with the Shalom Task Force Legacy Award. Jacobs’ daughter, Judy Frankel, accepted the tribute and thanked the organization’s many dedicated volunteers.

Lois Raff Bieler was then presented with the Legal Services Award. Bieler, who recently retired from as an attorney and liaison to the Jewish community in the office of the Queens district attorney, has been a supporter of the organization for many years.

The Mental Health Services award was accepted by Tina Machnikoff. She spoke of her commitment to helping members of our community, and how Shalom Task Force was an example of an organization which is actively fulfilling its mission.

Finally, Sharon Fogel accepted the Dedicated Service Award. Fogel embodies the knowledge and compassion shared by all of the Shalom Task Force advocates and volunteers.

In closing the event, board member Rachel Marks spoke of Shalom Task Force’s broad

Esther Williams presents the Community Service award to Rabbi Sharon Fogel receives her award from Esther Williams.

Aryeh and Elana Lebowitz.

From left: Rabbi and Mrs. Aryeh and Elana Lebowitz (Community Service Award), Supervisor Anthony Santino, Councilman Bruce A. Blakeman, Esther Williams (President Shalom Task Force), Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel, Aviva Hoch (accepting Legacy Award in memory of Gustave Jacobs, a”h, her dad), Tina Machnikoff (Mental Health Services Award),

Torah bowl…

Continued from page 7 “Once it gets into your system, it’s there forever,” she said.

Frohlich is now a graduate student at New York University studying 19th-century Jewish intellectual history. Sometimes she will decipher a difficult biblical Hebrew word by looking at its translation in Yiddish, a language she uses for her graduate studies. She remembers details by writing a summary of each chapter by hand. Reading a new biblical book, she said, is “like a whole world opening up.”

“Judges is a compilation of some of the most bizarre stories anywhere in the Bible, and it can be very difficult to read,” said Frohlich, recalling her days in seminary. “I would come back to my dorm at night and be so upset at the stories in Judges.”

Shahak, the son of Israeli parents, grew up in the haredi Orthodox neighborhood of Borough Park, Brooklyn, and loved immersing himself in the Bible’s rich Hebrew. He has since enjoyed mapping Hebrew’s connections to other ancient

range of programs, which are geared both to helping victims and to creating and strengthening healthy relationships.

By honoring community leaders; Machnikoff, a mental health professional, an attorney, and a dedicated volunteer, Shalom Task Force was able to highlight many of its many programs. The organization provides crisis support through the confidential Hotline and Sar-

Lois Raff Bieler (Legal Services Award), Nassau County Legislator Laura Curran, Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato, Queens County Clerk Commissioner of Jurors Audrey Pheffer, Liaison for NYC Controller Scott Stringer Pesach Osina, and Community Liaison for Rep. Grace Meng Daniel Pollack.

ah’s Voice, a legal department, and preventative education for students, young adults, community members, leaders and professionals.

Shalom Task Force was grateful for the overwhelming turnout by rabbonim, political representatives and community members.

Shalom Task Force is always there to answer the call. For more information or to make a donation, visit shalomtaskforce.org.

Semitic customs and languages, like Akkadian.

But his love of words extends beyond the Middle East — a J.R.R. Tolkien buff, he once had a conversation in Middle Elvish on the New York City subway.

In addition to being a cantor, Shahak studies violin at the Aaron Copland School of Music. One of the ways he remembers biblical details is by putting them to song. He’s also a former professor of Hebrew at Y.U., his alma mater.

“Something that bothers me is how little most Orthodox Jews know about Jewish history, and you can’t know Jewish history without knowing Bible,” he said. “Biblical history is not in a vacuum, that it maybe happened but we don’t really talk about it. I think it was real and it did happen, and we have to understand how it happened and what it means for us.”

The way the Bible contest finals are structured, Shahak and Frohlich must face off as two of the final eight contestants to compete directly against each other. Ultimately they are rooting for each other.

“This is an amazing opportunity to do the contest together,” Frohlich said. “I’m excited, and I’m looking forward to finally going.”

Queens Councilman Rory Lancman

Award recipient sTina Machnikoff and Lois Raff Bieler.

Leftist likes Naftali plan JERUSALEM (JTA) — For years, leftwing Israeli author A.B. Yehoshua has been fighting for a Palestinian state. For years, right-wing Israeli politician Naftali Bennett has been fighting against one.

But now they agree.

Speaking to Israel’s Army Radio on Monday, Yehoshua made a shocking shift after nearly 50 years of peace activism: “It doesn’t make sense to talk about two states.”

“This solution is made more and more difficult, more and more problematic, and after 50 years it has become even harder because of what’s happening on the ground,” Yehoshua said in an interview marking his 80th birthday. “The solution was made impossible first because of the huge settlements that now require evacuating 450,000 people, which is completely delusional.”

Instead, Yehoshua took a page from the playbook of the Jewish Home party,

the most hawkish in the Knesset. Bennett, the party’s chairman, vehemently opposes a two-state solution. He has pushed Israel to annex the portion of the West Bank that includes all Israeli settlements and some 100,000 Palestinians.

Unlike Bennett, Yehoshua did not call for annexing the area. But he did suggest giving full or partial citizenship to the 100,000 Palestinians who live there. ““I say to give them residency, like the [Arab] residents of Jerusalem … or even citizenship. That way, you upgrade their position. From the perspective of Israel’s demographics, there’s no problem.”

Yehoshua said his about-face “is not despair. It’s a specific solution to a substantial problem.”

Bennett responded on Twitter, claiming that “A.B. Yehoshua has adopted, in practice, the sovereignty plan I proposed in 2010.”

Cousins separated by Shoah together again

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feat, said Dr. Thomas Kuehne, director of the

By Deborah Fineblum, JNS.org When Fania Bilkay and her son Evgeni Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide stepped up to her desk, Sima Velkovich, a staff- Studies at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

“The Nazis wanted to kill the Jews but also er in the archives division of Yad Vashem — The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in to erase the memory of them,” he told JNS. Jerusalem, was winding down what appeared org. “If they had been completely successful, to be an ordinary work shift. But suddenly, she not only would the Jews be gone, but there was pulled into the center of a complex family would be no trace of them. This kind of reunion proves that they failed.” drama that reached its climax this week.

During a recent tour of Poland intended to help her explore her roots, Bilkay had visited a War-saw synagogue where she discovered a form on Yad Vashem’s Central Database of Shoah Vic-tims’ Names that counted her father and his family among those killed by the Nazis.

“Why is he listed as murdered?” she asked regarding her father Nisan Band, who survived the Holocaust and died of Holocaust-separated relatives Ryvka Borenstein Patchnik (left) and Fania natural causes in 1983, Bilkay embrace for the first time at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem on Dec. 13.

Yad Vashem/Karina Pasternak although he did lose three children during the war.

Nisan had always told Bilkay and her brother The search goes on The Band/Borenstein family mystery, however, Gennadi that their five aunts as well as their enis not completely solved. The two Borenstein sistire families were wiped out in the Holocaust.

What Bilkay didn’t know that day in Warsaw ters know that their brothers Avram and Herczwas that by disputing the recorded evidence of Lejb survived the war, but they lost track of them the “murder” of her father, she was about to be decades ago. “We haven’t given up though,” said begin a journey that would unite her with rela- Yad Vashem spokesman Simmy Allen. “The brothtives she had never known existed. The family ers are what our researchers are working on now.”

To date, Yad Vashem has identified more reunion took place in Jerusalem Dec. 13. than two-thirds—4.6 million—of the Jews who Connecting the dots As it turns out, the document that falsely re- were murdered during the Holocaust, recordported Nisan Band’s death had been completed ed in the Central Database of Shoah Victims’ in the 1950s, soon after Yad Vashem opened its Names. It’s an ongoing task that Chairman of doors. The document was signed by Symcha the Yad Vashem Directorate Avner Shalev calls Boren-stein, the husband of Nisan’s sister, Jen- “a mission to uncover the names of those who ta. Symcha registered his brother-in-law, plus have no one to remember them.”

Holocaust survivor Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau— Nisan’s family, as among the murdered—somethe former Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel and curthing he had every reason to believe was true.

Although siblings Jenta and Nisan both died rent chair of the Yad Vashem Council—said, “Our after Holocaust believing that they were the obligation, above all, is to complete the data-base only remaining members of their immediate of names of our 6 million victims. The candle is family, each have surviving children who are about to be extinguished. With the number of peonow united thanks to some clever sleuthing by ple with their Auschwitz numbers tattooed on their arms growing ever smaller, it’s very important and Yad Vashem researchers.

In a tear-filled scene Dec. 13 at Yad Vashem, necessary that all this information be concentrated sisters Henia Borenstein Moskowitz and Ryvka in one single database with 6 million names.”

The simple act of adding a relative’s name to Borenstein Patchnik were introduced to their first cousins, Gennadi Band, Fania Bilkay, and Yad Vashem’s database can also prove therapeutic for families, noted Myra Giberovitch, author of the Fania’s son Evgeni.

“It is difficult to describe how I feel,” said 2014 book “Recovering from Genocidal Trauma.”

“Submitting this information enables family Fania Bilkay. “My father always searched for mem-bers of his family and dreamed of finding members to find some peace by knowing they them. He was alone. But in this meeting today, have fulfilled their holy mission to bear witness,” Giberovitch said. his dream has finally come true.”

Family members’ names can be added to Henia Borenstein Moskowitz, the late Jenta’s daughter, had also grown up believing “that the database of Holocaust victims by contacting we had no family, that everyone was murdered the Shoah Victims’ Names Recovery Project at in Poland.” But that belief changed with a single names.outreach@yadvashem.org.il. The names are ultimately added to the Pages of Testimony phone call from Yad Vashem.

“If someone on the phone told you that you in Yad Vashem’s Hall of Names. The pages, said have first cousins who want to meet you, you Giberovitch, “are a paper cemetery that provides could be suspicious,” said Lital Beer, director of a final resting place for their loves ones, thereby Yad Vashem’s Reference and Information Ser- preserving their memory for future generations. vices. “But the sisters—Henia and Ryvka—were In the words of one survivor: ‘It lessens my pain.’”

But for the Band and Borenstein families, this very open and excited. Their meeting was so moving. They brought family photos to share week is less about pain and more about celebratand discovered, to their amazement, that they’ve ing. When Yad Vashem staffers offered the Borenstein sisters a ride home after the Dec. 13 reunall been living all these years near Tel Aviv.”

“I felt a connection at first sight and [that] ion, they politely declined because their newfound my family has grown overnight,” said Henia Bo- cousin Evgeni Bilkay insisted on driving them.

“The five of them squeezed into the car toren-stein Moskowitz. “Thanks to Yad Vashem, gether,” said Yad Vashem’s Beer. “After all these we discovered that we are not alone.”

Such a reunion is perhaps Hitler’s final de- years, they are family.”

29

French city to renovate 650-year-old synagogue

By JTA Authorities in the city of Carpentras in southern France allocated $1.25 million for renovating the ceiling of the country’s oldest synagogue ahead of its 650th anniversary next year.

Fleeing persecution in 13th-century France, many Jews sought pontifical protection in Carpentras, which was controlled by the Avignon papacy at the time. They established the synagogue shortly thereafter, in 1367, according to the World Monuments Fund, which supported some restoration in 2001.

The building was renovated in the 18th century by the architect Antoine D’Allemand, whose work on the synagogue reflected contemporary baroque décor.

A monumental stairway leads through from the ground floor to the first floor, belying the synagogue’s modest façade. On the ground floor, the mikvaot and two bakeries represent some of the building’s oldest retained features.

The 2001 World Monuments Fund-supported conservation work on the synagogue’s interior included cleaning the plaster on the ceilings and walls, and replacing the floor tiles, according to the website Jewish Heritage Europe.

The synagogue is still in occasional use by the small Jewish community in Carpentras, numbering about 200 people.

The city intends to defray some of the cost through admission fees to exhibitions of items connected to the synagogue, including some of its priceless items of scripture — which predate the invention of the printing press — and a showing of photographs related to the local Jewish community, the news website France Bleu reported.

Hate-crazed killer: psych- After 7 years, man given ology a ‘Jewish invention’ Jewish burial in Brazil Dylann Roof said he will not ask jurors to consider his mental health when they decide whether to sentence him to the death penalty for the murders of nine black worshipers at a Charleston, South Carolina church.

In his journal, filed with racist and antiSemitic rants, which was introduced as evidence during the trial, Roof said he considers psychology a “Jewish invention and does nothing but invent diseases and tell people they have problems when they don’t.”

In a 2,500-word racial manifesto published on a website that was registered in his name, Roof said that the Jewish “problem” would be solved “if we could somehow destroy the Jewish identity.” The website was blocked shortly after the shootings.

Roof calls Jews an “enigma,” adding, “I don’t pretend to understand why jews [sic] do what they do.” He said he believes that “the majority of American and European jews are White.”

“In my opinion the issues with jews is not their blood, but their identity. I think that if we could somehow destroy the jewish identity, then they wouldnt cause much of a problem. The problem is that Jews look White, and in many cases are White, yet they see themselves as minorities. Just like [the N word], most jews are always thinking about the fact that they are jewish,” Roof wrote.

He added: “The other issue is that they network. If we could somehow turn every jew blue for 24 hours, I think there would be a mass awakening, because people would be able to see plainly what is going on.”

While your child is in school . . .

RIO DE JANEIRO — An Israeli Jewish man buried seven years ago in a non-Jewish cemetery in Brazil was given a proper Jewish burial after his exhumed body was found in a garbage bag.

The discovery was made two weeks ago when his brother visited the grave in Sao Paulo, the Hebrew-language news website B’Chadrei Chareidim reported.

Carlos Ginsberg’s remains had been exhumed and were stored in a blue plastic bag labeled with his name. Another person’s body was buried in its place with a new headstone.

Under Brazilian law, a body buried at a public cemetery can be exhumed after seven years with the remains moved to a different location, freeing up the grave for another body.

Rabbi Yisroel Meir Riani, head of B’Noam, which deals with religious issues, said that Ginsberg’s son, who lives in Israel, received a call from his uncle, who was devastated to discover that his brother was no longer in his final resting place.

“When Carlos Ginsberg died, his brother did not have money to pay the chevra kadisha to bury him in the Jewish cemetery so he decided to bury him elsewhere,” said Riani. “He was not familiar with the Brazilian law that allows them to dig up the body after seven years.”

Ginsberg, who had emigrated from Israel to Brazil, had difficulty making ends meet and none of his family members, all of whom are traditional Jews, had the funds to pay for a Jewish burial.

Efforts by the family to have Ginsberg’s remains transported to Israel, despite intervention by the Israeli minister of religious affairs, David Azoulay, were unsuccessful because the death had taken place too long ago.

Riani told B’Chadrei Chareidim that a man who is heavily involved in charitable work in Brazil, Motty Sonnenfeld, offered his help, and “after a week of intense work, we were able to convince the chevra kadisha” to bury Ginsberg in the Jewish cemetery.

Several dozen people turned out for Carlos Ginsberg’s funeral last Friday.

Jewish scholar in Paris court for ‘hate speech’ One of the world’s leading historians on the Jewish communities in Arab countries is being prosecuted in France for alleged hate speech against Muslims.

The Morocco-born French-Jewish scholar Georges Bensoussan, 64, is due to appear next month before a Paris criminal court over a complaint filed against him for incitement to racial hatred by the Collective Against Islamophobia in France, the group announced on its website.

The complaint, which leading French scholars dismissed in a statement on Friday as attempt at “intimidation,” was over remarks about anti-Semitism by Muslims that Bensoussan, author of a definitive 2012 work entitled “Jews in Arab Lands,” made last year during an interview aired by the France Culture radio station, the Collective said.

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Warsaw community sues history museum

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December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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WARSAW, Poland — The Jewish Community of Warsaw is alleging that the Polin Museum of the History of Polish Jews violated its copyright on translations of historical texts.

According to the museum, the suit demands that it remove fragments of translations of historical texts from the museum’s

world briefs website, pay the Warsaw Jewish community $7,500 and issue a written apology.

Anna Chipczynska, president of the Jewish Community of Warsaw, asserts that the museum, which opened in 2014 to great fanfare, is overshadowing the activities of communities in presenting historical events to visitors. In a December 2015 interview for Plotkies, a Polish language magazine for emigres forced out of the country in 1968, she said that “there is a great risk that in the future, focusing on this educational institution as a Polish visiting card to the world will lead to the collapse of (Jewish) communities or to an international scandal.”

Jakub Wozniak, head of the Polin Museum communications department, believes that the activities of the museum do not hamper the activities of Jewish communities.

In recent years, various organizations have competed to represent the Polish Jewish community and be seen as its representative within the country and abroad.

Lauder praises UN chief for admitting bias World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder praised outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for publicly admitting that there is an anti-Israel bias at the international body.

Lauder welcomed the “long-awaited and impactful” pronouncement by Ban during his final address to the body, but criticized him for not calling out the bias over the course of his nearly 10-year term.

“Decades of political maneuverings have created a disproportionate volume of resolutions, reports and conferences criticizing Israel,” Ban said in his address on Friday to the U.N. Security Council. “In many cases, rather than helping the Palestinian cause, this reality has hampered the ability of the U.N. to fulfill its role effectively.”

Ban said that he decided to speak about Israel and the Palestinians for his last address because “while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not the cause of the wars in the Middle East, its resolution can create momentum for peace throughout the region.”

While Lauder praised Ban’s final speech, he added: “It was incumbent upon Sec. Gen. Ban to issue statements such as these over the course of his near decade-long tenure, but it is encouraging to hear now, even in his waning hours in office, and we very much hope that the message will be absorbed by the bodies operating under the UN in the years to come.

Ban’s term is over at the end of the month.

The new UN Secretary-General has been named as former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres.

Bronze medalist donates jacket to benefit children JERUSALEM — An Olympic team jacket worn by an Israeli bronze medalist in judo was auctioned off for $100,000 at a fundraiser for children with disabilities.

Israeli judo star Ori Sasson, who won his medal at the Rio Summer Olympics, donated his team jacket to Shalva, an Israeli organization for children with disabilities.

Sasson also announced, during the organization’s annual dinner, that he will be heading a new judo program for children with disabilities at the new Shalva National Center in Jerusalem.

The annual Chanukah Telethon hosted by Rabbi Anchelle Perl of Chabad Mineola featured dancing rabbis, Lipa Schmeltzer, and talk about Long Island’s heroin epidemic. The event, telecast live on area cable networks and streamed at ChanukahTelethon.com, raised $490,347.

Top row from left: Alison and Robert Camhi; John Allen, Jerry Gedacht, Steve Greenberg, Rabbi Perl; Linda Alogna (who told how she saved her son, whose picture she’s holding) from a heroin overdose with use of Narcan; and Kive Strickoff below a photo of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Bottom row from left: Lupa; co-host Jay Oliver (host of LI News Radio) Rabbi Perl, and co-host Mickey B; co-host David Weiss (WINS news anchor), Rabbi Perl, and Kive Strickoff.

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Ed Weintrob, Editor & Publisher • Celia Weintrob, Ad Director Tovah Richler, Ad Sales Representative

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THE JEWISH STAR December 23, 2016 • 23 Kislev 5777

Chabad’s Long Island telethon raises $490,347

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December 23, 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ 23 Kislev 5777 THE JEWISH STAR

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