HAFTR goes 3D 2 • More school news 18-19 • Girls night out 12 • Kosher Bookworm 7 • This week in Torah 15
THE JEWISH January 16, 2015 • 25 Tevet 5775 • Va’era
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January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775 THE JEWISH STAR
HAFTR adopts 3-D printing for all grades
By Celia Weintrob Nathan, is an 8-year-old who lives by the beach, loves scary roller coasters and can identify over 100 different sea creatures. With his 3-D printer, he has created a special pair of flip-flops that not only perfectly fit the contours of his feet, but leave his special octopus-print mark behind him on the sand as he explores. Nathan does not attend the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway, but most students at the school know who he is. Nathan is a character in a book called “Leo the Maker Prince: Journeys in 3D Printing.” It shows many robots and 3-D printers that already exist, and how people are using them: Stephanie the jeweler who produces earrings in gold, silver and bronze; 12-yearold Alexa, who prints out toy musical instruments in colorful extruded plastic from a catalog of 3-D designs; George who replaced the door handles in his home with microgreens planters printed out of fused ceramic powder; Emilie the gourmet who creates chesspieces from chocolate or cheese paste for boards made out of crackers. Elementary schoolers at HAFTR were busy designing and 3-D printing their own cookie cutters prior to Chanukah. Now they’ve moved on to making key chains using a program called Tinkercad. With the proliferation of tech tools available today, schools have raced to acquire the latest and coolest equipment to augment their classrooms and gain bragging rights, each student having access to an iPad, or every classroom having a smartboard. It is easy to use new technology as a tool to pique student interests by making it fun. Because the changing pace of how this equipment can be used warrants careful thought and planning to be truly effective, HAFTR created an Education Technology department to oversee its prudent introduction to every grade. The result? Students across the school are getting a practical understanding of today’s cutting-edge tech, and developing a mindset to create the tech of tomorrow. The Ed Tech department is headed by Benjamin Gross, a doctoral student at Hofstra University who is helping craft a professional development program there based on the curriculum created at HAFTR. Dr. Edward Roberts, a HAFTR parent with a doctorate degree in technology education from the University of North Carolina and extensive experience teaching technology, has been engaged to help run the HAFTR’s Learning to Code program. Carla Diana, author of LEO the Maker Prince, will be visiting and interacting with HAFTR’s lower school pupils and and her publishing company will be collaborating with HAFTR on future projects, Roberts and Lower School Principal Joy Hammer told The Jewish Star. Hammer and Gross said they were pleased by how smoothly the Ed Tech program was working out. “We are dedicated to teacher training, so that everyone feels comfortable using all this
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new technology,” Hammer said, pointing out that she sets the example by being up-front about not being accustomed to these new platforms. “When teachers see their principal learning how to use this new technology, they envision using it themselves,” Gross said. “When integrating technology, we proceed slowly and methodically to ensure that all students’ and teachers’ needs are met.” HAFTR’s Learning to Code program teaches logical and computational thinking skills and fundamental principles of programming, and starts as early as the second grade. Students learn design and coding by creating 3-D characters, backgrounds, and stories; then they use the programming elements to make those objects interact. Students add objects to a 3-D world and use each object’s built-in methods to create animations, interactive stories, or games. When the students are satisfied with their work, they can export it as a standard web to be shared. HAFTR now has three new computer labs up and running, all using new hardware. The school utilizes over 100 iPads across all divisions. KIdBlog, Ariot, Dreambox, and Vocabulary City are some of the programs already in use in the lower school. Each K-12 HAFTR student has email through Google Education, a program suite that allows for collaboration among students and teachers and follows students throughout their HAFTR career. When they graduate they will have a full student portfolio of projects. Computer programming is an option for students in all HAFTR divisions, giving them the ability to create mobile apps, websites and programs. The school has also been using justapricot. com, where a teacher assigns a question, the student writes a response, and the parent gets an email when that is done. At the high school level, the AV club is already live-streaming HAFTR sports games and events. Upper division students have access to a Ultimaker 2 printer, on which they’ve 3-D printed a detailed replica of the Mishkan and artifacts from the Smithsonian Musuem. Students who are learning highlevel drafting skills are creating parts for robots. And in February, an after-school coding class will be available. For more information, contact Benjamin Gross at (516) 569-3370.
Cedarhurst challenged by 50 car break-ins ery evening into the morning hours,” he said. “The village board is determined to make this a successful endeavor,” Deputy Mayor Benjamin Weinstock said. “You don’t find an auxiliary police force too often working with a community citizen service patrol. They don’t arrest people or make traffic stops … they just keep an eye on things that happen.” Gade, a Cedarhurst resident who leads the three-year-old Rockaway patrol group, said that the novelty in this new project is the extension of the patrols from the Rockaways into Nassau County, and working with the NCPD’s 4th Precinct. “The idea is to increase a police presence in neighborhoods,” he said. “When perpetrators see patrols out at 3, 4 or 5 am, they’ll think twice about committing crimes. Another part of our role is in educating people on how to protect valuables. We aim to change people’s habits — for example, locking car doors or removing items from vehicles that would tempt people.” Daniel Plaut, a Cedarhurst resident and a member of its Village Board of Architectural Review, will join the new patrol as one of five volunteers. Plaut’s son’s car was one of those broken into during the recent crime wave. “We came out on Saturday night after it had been broken into,” Plaut said. “All of his belongings inside his car we found scattered outside his car on the ground. It was upsetting.” Vanessa Parker is a reporter for the Nassau Herald, where this story first appeared.
THE JEWISH STAR January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775
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By Vanessa Parker More than 50 vehicles were broken into in November and December in the Five Towns, with most break-ins occurring in Cedarhurst, according to Nassau County police reports. In the last two weeks of 2015, 10 cars had property stolen from them, and four of those incidents occurred on Friday, Dec. 26 alone, according to police reports. In many cases, money was taken from the cars, and in some, both cash and property were taken. Rabbi Aryeh Ginzberg, of the Chofetz Chaim Torah Center in Cedarhurst, said that his wife’s car was broken into twice in one month while it was parked in their Cedarhurst driveway. “Contents that were in the car were strewn all over the car and outside as well,” Rabbi Ginzberg said, “with all the change missing, as well as the GPS and phone charger.” Ginzberg said that he had heard that a group of teenage boys were going from car to car and checking to see if doors were unlocked, and then ransacking the vehicles in search of anything of value. As of press time, the NCPD had not responded to numerous requests for comment. To help combat this rash of thefts, the Village of Cedarhurst is joining forces with the volunteer police and a volunteer civilian patrol, said Trustee Ari Brown. “Our dedicated auxiliary police, led by Commander Danny Gluck, along with the experienced Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol, led by Yaakov Gade, will be patrolling the streets of Cedarhurst ev-
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Palestinian leader is two-faced in his â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;supportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for free speech P
alestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas denounced as â&#x20AC;&#x153;heinousâ&#x20AC;? the attack on French satirists who mocked Islam. That must have come as quite a surprise to the Palestinian satirist of Islam whom Abbas recently jailed, tortured, and forced to publicly recant. The massacre of the staff of the Charlie Hebdo magazine was a â&#x20AC;&#x153;heinous crime, condemned by morality and religion,â&#x20AC;? Abbas declared in a telegram to French President Francois Hollande. Abbas never uses such language when commenting on Palestinian terrorist attacks in which Israeli Jews are murdered. At the most, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll say that he is against â&#x20AC;&#x153;all terrorism.â&#x20AC;? Usually heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll add a reference to â&#x20AC;&#x153;state terrorism,â&#x20AC;? which is his way of saying that whatever some Palestinian did, everything the Israelis do is worse. Sometimes, Abbasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;condemnationsâ&#x20AC;? are issued only in English, and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even appear in the Palestinian news media, which is where they are needed. Even when they do show up in the PAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s media, though, they
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money and experts have helped create. Husayin spent 10 months in a PA prison. One can only imagine what that was like. Finally, smarting from international criticismâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not that there was very much of itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Abbas regime released Husayin. But in the months to follow, he was repeatedly rearrested and interrogated for days at a time. On one of those occasions, Husayin said, he was â&#x20AC;&#x153;beaten with cablesâ&#x20AC;? until he vomited blood, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;forced to stand in a painful positionâ&#x20AC;? for various periods. PA security men also smashed his computers and warned him to stop blogging. Husayin got the message. He posted a public apology, begging forgiveness from the Muslim world for his â&#x20AC;&#x153;stupidity.â&#x20AC;? Mahmoud Abbasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s condemnation of the Paris attacks rings hollow when one realizes that his words apply precisely to his own actions. The PAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arrest, torture, and suppression of Walid Husayin for daring to spoof the Koran was a â&#x20AC;&#x153;heinous crime,â&#x20AC;? one that violates â&#x20AC;&#x153;morality and religion.â&#x20AC;? Why should American taxpayersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dollars continue to be used to prop up his totalitarian regime? Stephen M. Flatow, an attorney in New Jersey, is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in a Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. He is a candidate on the Religious Zionist slate (www.VoteTorah.org) in the World Zionist Congress elections.
By The Associated Press The four victims of last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terror attack on the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket in Paris were buried on Tuesday in Israel. Phillippe Braham, Hyâ&#x20AC;?D, a sales manager in his 40s, attended services at the synagogue of Montrouge and was the brother of the rabbi at the synagogue of Pantin, according to French daily Le Parisien. Both synagogues are in the Paris suburbs. Yohan Cohen, Hyâ&#x20AC;?D, worked at the store. The 22-year-old was friends on Facebook with his colleague Lassana Bathily, a Muslim who saved the lives of shoppers by turning off the stockroomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s freezer and hiding them inside before sneaking out through a ďŹ re escape to brief police on the hostage-taker upstairs. Cohen loved rap music. His parents left North Africa in the 1960s to settle in the northern Paris suburb of Sarcelles. Yoav Hattab, Hyâ&#x20AC;?D, ďŹ nished high school in Tunisia before moving to Paris to seek a business degree in marketing. He was killed while attempting to snatch one of Coulibalyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weapons, according to witnesses quoted in various French news media. The 21-year-old Hattab was the son of the Tunis chief rabbi. Francois-Michel Saada, Hyâ&#x20AC;?D, a pensioner in his 60s, was killed while buying goods for the Sabbath. Born in Tunis, the former senior manager was married to Laurence, a teacher. Their two children, Jonathan and Emilie, both live in Israel.
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come with a wink and a nod that Abbasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s followers understand. Consider, for example, how Abbasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s condemnation of the Nov. 18 Jerusalem synagogue massacre was interpreted by Member of Parliament Najat Abu-Bakr, who is a representative of Abbasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Fatah movement. Abu-Bakr told Al-Quds Radio on Nov. 19, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Palestinian president is forced to speak this way to the world and these statements result from his responsibility for the Palestinian people.â&#x20AC;? In other words: When he condemns killing Jews, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry, he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really mean itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just forced to say these things to the outside world. But the real irony in Abbasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s condemnation of the attack on the French satirists, and his joining others in the Paris march, is to be found in his own brutal treatment of a Palestinian satirist. A few years ago, Walid Husayin, a blogger who resides in the PA-ruled city of Kalkilya, made the mistake of â&#x20AC;&#x153;spooďŹ ng Koranic verses,â&#x20AC;? as the New York Times put it. On October 31, 2010, Palestinian Authority security men burst into the internet cafe that Husayin frequented and hauled him off to prison. Article 37 of the PAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Press Law forbids â&#x20AC;&#x153;articles and materials harmful to religion and doctrines guaranteed by law,â&#x20AC;? that is, â&#x20AC;&#x153;harmfulâ&#x20AC;? to Islam. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the â&#x20AC;&#x153;democraticâ&#x20AC;? Palestinian justice system that American
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January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775 THE JEWISH STAR
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By Alex Costello State Senator Dean Skelos was sworn in for his 16th term in the state Senate and was also elected Majority Leader by the Republican caucus, on Jan. 7. Skelos soundly defeated Democratic challenger Patrick Gillespie in November, earning himself another term in the state capital. He was also renamed Majority Leader, a title he held last year with Democratic Senator Jeffrey Klein from the Bronx. Skelos and Klein shared the title after ďŹ ve Democrats created the Independent Democratic Congress and carved out the majority the Democrats had in the Senate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We worked very closely with the Independent Democratic Congress [in the last term], and we intend to do so again,â&#x20AC;? Skelos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had four good years of bipartisan work with the governor and the assembly. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve stayed in our 2 percent tax cap, cut taxes and created jobs. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to continue on that.â&#x20AC;? In the short term, Skelos said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to get to work tax cuts and helping the private sector create more jobs in the state. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We should look at corporate tax to make it more attractive for businesses to stay here,â&#x20AC;? Skelos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been losing our citizens and businesses to other states, and that needs to stop.â&#x20AC;? Further into the term, Skelos said he wants to make infrastructure improvements and job creation priorities. He cited $5 billion that the state has from various settlements with banks that Skelos would like to see put toward infrastructure improvements. Skelos said he wants to see the work create jobs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; larger projects like improved sewer systems and repairing bridges, not just repaving roads. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a problem with our Bay Park sewer system,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That has to be made state of the art, and we have to look at an outďŹ&#x201A;ow pipe into the ocean.â&#x20AC;? Skelos said the state has been turning to local ofďŹ cials for infrastructure project suggestions, and that he has personally spoken to County Executives Ed Mangano and Steve Bellone. The state is also talking to the towns for ideas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want them to come forward with projects that are geared towards economic development,â&#x20AC;? said Skelos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not just repaving a road. Regular repair is the responsibility of the local government, but major infrastructure is where we could be helpful.â&#x20AC;? Alex Costello is editor of the Rockville Centre Herald, where this story ďŹ rst appeared.
THE JEWISH STAR January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775
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January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775 THE JEWISH STAR
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Despite march, world still support terrorism JEFF DUNETZ POLITICS TO GO
I
t was an incredible display of mendacity. Led by more than 40 world leaders with linked arms, approximately 1.6 million people marched in Paris on Sunday. The marchers wanted to demonstrate unity after the attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, police ofďŹ cers, and a kosher supermarket, to show solidarity with those who exercise free speech and with the Jews who are often the target of attacks from the radical Muslim terrorists. Many of those same world leaders marching to demonstrate a harmonious front
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The European Union relies on the fake semantic designation of a military wing for terrorist organizations. They cynically support the â&#x20AC;&#x153;political wingâ&#x20AC;? of terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and act as if they have no connection with the military wing. Even here in the United States, groups associated with Hamas, such as CAIR and the MSA, are treated as legitimate human rights groups. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it well past time for peace-loving nations to say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will not stand with any group or country that supports terrorism?â&#x20AC;? Why are those leaders negotiating with Iran, talking to Qatar, while those countries are supporting terrorism? Why arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they saying we will not support the government of Lebanon as long as Hezbollah is part of the leadership, we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t support the Palestinian Authority or any other group as long as they have a â&#x20AC;&#x153;military wing?â&#x20AC;? Until they show the strength to ďŹ ght terrorism, the more than 40 world leaders linking arms was a great picture, but worthless in protecting the world and ridding it of the radical Islamist threat. They must also recognize whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the enemy. Over 2,500 years ago, Chinese general Sun Tzu warned, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy, but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril.â&#x20AC;? nough of the politically correctness. Since the attack on Chalie Hebdo last week the media has been full of nonsense such as there is no difference between radical Islam, radical Christians, and radical Jews. Sorry but that is absurd. When was the last time you saw a bunch of men with beards and payis, wearing black hats and long black coats, committing a massacre on a magazine because they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like how Moses was portrayed. Christian or Jewish zealots are not a worldwide threat. At Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rally, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A young Muslim French woman held a sign that said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am a Jew.â&#x20AC;? She told CNNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Frederik Pleitgen that she was horriďŹ ed to hear of the killings, and the killers do not live according to the Islamic principles sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been taught. It was a beautiful thought, but throughout the world it is Muslim anti-Semitism leading to the attacks against Jews. At many mosques throughout the world, Imamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Friday sermons include preaching against pigs and apes (Jews) who, according to the Koran, are destined to be killed, quoting passages from the Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an such as, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems ďŹ ght the Jews when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews.â&#x20AC;? (Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an 9:14-16) Why isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t this hatred against Jews being pointed out where and when it happens? There was excitement when terrorist group Hamas criticized the Charlie Hebdo attacks, but no one asked why they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t include the Kosher market attack in their condemnation. The answer is, Hamasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; charter calls for the death of all Jews, a fact swept under the rug, as is the fact that Jews arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allowed to work in Saudi Arabia,
against terrorism and anti-Semitism, are guilty of supporting terrorism and ignoring anti-Semitism. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to stop the nonsense and time to call terrorism â&#x20AC;Ś terrorism. The most duplicitous leader of all was French President François Hollande who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want the Prime Minister of Israel to attend Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rally and demonstrate solidarity with the Jewish community. Because Netanyahu decided to come anyway Hollande invited Palestinian President Abbas, whose Fatah party includes the al-Aqsa Martyrsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Brigade which still commits acts of terror against Israel, and whose Palestinian Authority continues to incite hatred against Jews. Abbasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Fatah recently celebrated its 50th anniversary by calling for terrorist martyrdom against Israel. François Hollande walked out of the Great Synagogue in Paris because Netanyahu would be speaking there. Netanyahu, the leader of the only Jewish country in the world, showed up to support a French Jewish community which for more than a decade has been suffering anti-Semitic attacks, mostly from the Arab community. Back in 2004 Ariel Sharon told French Jews to make aliyah because of the anti-Jewish attacks; they never stopped and only got worse.
THIS WEEK PAST: STAR FLASHBACK â&#x20AC;&#x201D; HANC celebrates its 50th year with a jubilee dinner at the Crest Hollow County Club. The Jewish Star reports that the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County was the ďŹ rst Jewish day school on Long Island. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The activism of students at Lawrenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rambam Mesivta topped The Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s front page (and won big play in citywide media): â&#x20AC;&#x153;One little school, one big difference; Rambam students help correct perceived Sri Lanka/Israel rift.â&#x20AC;? Students Zoli Honig and Justin Friedman, along with their rosh yeshiva and principal, went to the Sri Lankan consulate to present a $6,000 tsunami-relief check to Sri Lankaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambassador as Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambassador looked on. The effort countered reports that Sri Lanka had refused aid from Israel.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Stroke sidelines â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bulldozerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ariel Sharon, whose prognosis is bleak. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Students from DRS and Rambam Mesivta join 10,000 people at a rally for Israel near the U.N. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The OU completed a survey on Jewish marriage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Happily ever after? Not quite.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Local women celebrating milestoneâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Hadassahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s centennial. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;North Shore High School gives back to community.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; HALB is bidding for the No. 6 School; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snowy and very cold in the Five Towns; and HAFTR scores a big win as it hosts the annual Invitational Scott Satran Memorial Tournament.
The same media and those same 40+ leaders who worry the attacks in France may spur Islamophobia ignore the anti-Semitism coming from the Muslim world, just as they ignore the attacks on the Jewish State based on anti-Semitism, such as blaming Israel for such terror attacks as the ones in Paris. The medieval blood libels about Jews using the blood of Christian children have morphed into false charges of Israeli oppression and massacres throughout Europe. And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just Europe. Remember, antiSemitism is coming from the progressive left in the U.S., especially on their websites, such as the HufďŹ ngton Post and the Daily Kos. The President of the United States singled out one people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Jews â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to ban from buying homes anywhere they wish as he criticized Israel for allowing Jews to purchase homes from Arabs in Jerusalem. It was nice to see 40+ leaders locking arms during a march in Paris on Sunday. Sadly it was a farce. Most of those leaders would wake up on Monday, go to work and back to their policies of aiding abetting and appeasing terrorists, while ignoring and/or participating in anti-Semitism. Much of that anti-Semitism reveals itself in hatred toward the Jewish State.
ALAN JAY GERBER KOSHER BOOKWORM
I
n next week’s Torah portion, we read about about G-d’s instruction to Moshe to have the soon-to-be-freed Jews ask of their taskmasters, “Please, speak into the ears of the People, and let them borrow, each man from his friend and each woman from her friend, silver vessels and golden vessels.” (Shemos 11:2) This command was foreshadowed in Bereishis 15:14 when G-d spoke to Avraham concerning the future servitude, stating that “and afterwards they will go forth with great possessions.” In his commentary, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik teaches us the following from Shemos 4:21: “ ‘And I will put this people’s favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and it will come to pass that when you go, you will not go emptyhanded.’ G-d reveals this detail to Moshe well before the liberation has been commenced, because this promise was an integral part of the Israelites’ liberation from slavery. A slave has no rights of acquisition — verything that the slave owns belongs to the master. The fact that the Egyptians would allow the Israelites to acquire their own possessions clearly demonstrates their newly freed status. Furthermore, the freeing of slaves is often a degrading experience for the slave, since he is penniless when he leaves his master. Gifts are given only to one who is respected. Not only will the Israelites be freed from slavery,
but they will be respected by the Egyptians.” (Chumash With Commentary Based on the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik: Shemos, OU Press, 2015) This teaching by the Rav is further elaborated upon by Rabbi Shmuel Goldin in his commentary, “Unlocking The Torah Text: Shemos” (OU Press / Gefen Publishing House, 2008), wherein he covers numerous classic commentators concerning this unique episode in the Exodus saga. Among those referenced by Rabbi Goldin are Rabbeinu Bachya, the Chizkuni, the Ibn Ezra, the Netziv, the Vilna Gaon, the Malbim and, finally, Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin, whose unique teachings from Oznaim LaTorah is referenced in detail, in English, by Rabbi Goldin. Consider the following: “The initial reluctance of the Israelites to accept the wealth of the Egyptians ... can only be understood in light of the experiences of our own time. “During the decades since the Holocaust, debate has raged within the Jewish community concerning the acceptance of reparations from the Germans and their allies. Some have argued, ‘Shall our murderers also inherit our wealth?’ Others have countered, ‘We should have nothing to do with them. Can we accept atonement-money as payment for the souls of our brothers and sisters whose blood was spilled like water?’ “This same dispute raged at the time of the Exodus, as well. Many Israelites were reluctant to accept wealth from the Egyptians, lest those riches be perceived as restitution for the many souls, particularly the children, murdered during the years of sevitude. Others argued that the funds were certainly fairly earned payment for their labor during the
years of slavery. “Recognizing the sensitivity of the issue, G-d does not force a decision. Instead of issuing an outright commandment, He turns to Moshe and says, ‘The people must accrue this wealth for many reasons. I cannot, however, in good conscience command them to do so. Please, therefore, speak to the people.” Rabbi Goldin concludes this segment with the following heartfelt teaching: “Freedom is only meaningful if you have something to lose. If the Israelites had left Egypt with nothing precious, nothing that they saw as their own, their liberation would have been incomplete. They would have had no way to actualize their responsibilities, to concretize their independent decisions. G-d, therefore, directs the departing slaves to acquire wealth. He does not grant these riches as a gift. The Israelites must see them as earned. “The true challenge of an independent nation then faces the erstwhile slaves: How will they use their own property, which they have earned through the sweat of their brow? The choices they make determine the very quality of their freedom.” Thus we learn through these elegant teachings of Rabbi Shmuel Goldin how amazingly most relevant the words of the Torah are even unto our own times. )25 )857+(5 678'< Please reference “Vision and Leadership” (MeOtzar HaRav) “Three Encounters”, pages 97-99, for a further perspective on this matter. This volume, published by Ktav, is edited by Rabbi Reuven Ziegler of Koren Publishing
and Yeshivat Har Etzion; Rabbi David Shatz of Yeshiva University, and Dr. Joel Wolowelsky of the Yeshivah of Flatbush. Also, you might want to reference an item that appeared in Arutz Sheva, Dec.12, 2014, entitled, “Hidden Jewish Objects Found in Theresienstadt,” a site previously noted in December when this column referenced Rabbi Goldin’s visit to the shul located in Theresienstadt.
Charlie Hebdo and temptation of self-censorship BEN COHEN VIEWPOINT
A
s predictably as birds flying south for the winter, last week’s abominable terrorist attack on the headquarters of the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, brought forth the usual burnt-out platitudes from those commentators who insist that Islamist violence is rooted in legitimate grievances with the West. One of the most heinous examples of this outwardly-nuanced, inwardly-confused discourse appeared in a piece for the Financial Times by Tony Barber. By the second paragraph, Barber was sagely counseling us not to jump to conclusions about Islamist culpability — Anders Breivik, the far-right fanatic who murdered 77 mainly young Norwegians in 2011, was a Christian, after all. (Within hours of the Paris atrocity, the identities of the three suspects — all Muslims, and with at least one carrying a prior conviction for terrorism — had been revealed. But had Barber bothered to check the earlier news, he would have perhaps registered those eyewitnesses who reported the assailants shouting “Allahu Akhbar” as they embarked on their killing spree. Two days later, an Islamist terrorist who authorities say was associated with the two Charlie Hebdo shooters took nearly 20 hostages at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris, killing four of the hostages.) Then Barber’s argument got worse. The murder of 12 people, he insinuated, might
have been avoided had there been “some common sense … at publications such as Charlie Hebdo, and Denmark’s JyllandsPosten, which purport to strike a blow for freedom when they provoke Muslims.” (Here Barber is referring to the 2005 publication of the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed, reprinted by Charlie Hebdo in 2011.) Got that? In publishing the Muhammed cartoons, Charlie Hebdo wasn’t issuing a profound reminder of the willingness of other media outlets — from Yale University Press to the New York Times — to censor themselves in the face of Islamist threats. It sought merely to “provoke Muslims.” And when you provoke Muslims — and here we come to a stereotype held dear by both furrow-browed liberal journalists and right-wing bloggers — you invite the apocalypse. Ultimately, we are to blame for that, because we knew all along that these people are savages, and still we didn’t exercise our superior European selfrestraint. (Warning to anyone who wants to take that last sentence out of context: please don’t.) I mention all this by way of an introduction to a rewarding conversation I had with Michel Gurfinkiel, one of the most astute of France’s political analysts, just hours after the attack. Though he is a conservative, Gurfinkiel intimately understands the culture of the left and its centrality to the transformation of European public attitudes over the last half-century; because of that, he made a critically important point to me that I haven’t heard anyone else make. The assault on Charlie Hebdo was, Gurfinkiel told me, an assault on many of the symbols of France: its democracy, its secu-
lar nature, its treasuring of the freedom of speech and of expression. But it was also a poignant assault on the legacy of the soixantehuitards, the revolutionary generation of the 1960s exemplified by the radical students who took to the streets of Paris and thereby changed, as Gurfinkiel said, “the French way of life.” harlie Hebdo was integral to the culture of this generation. The French establishment in large part loathed it, regarding the magazine as an outpost of the revolutionaries who could conceivably have unseated General de Gaulle during the heady days of May 1968. Many of its editorial stances, including on Israel, reflected the imperatives of a left that is now, in our own time, all too ready to engage in self-censorship. As an example, and with great sadness in his voice, Gurfinkiel told me about George Wolinski, the Charlie Hebdo cartoonist who, at the age of 80, was brutally murdered in the attack. A Jew born in Tunis to a Sephardi mother and an Ashkenazi father, in the 1970s Wolinski had been a member of the French Communist Party and a trenchant opponent of Israel. When Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat signed the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in 1978, Charlie Hebdo labeled the affair a “shitty peace,” and Wolinski provided an accompanying cartoon of the two leaders sitting at a table together and breaking wind. Now, a man who pushed freedom of speech to its limits, including in the service of the Palestinian cause, lies dead, murdered by Islamists who detest the West’s ability to tolerate the grotesque and the tasteless. It is, as Gurfinkiel recognizes, a horrible irony, but
C
it’s one that too many on the liberal left are unable or unprepared to grasp. Thus do we come to platitudes about provoking Muslims. Fundamental to the stability of free speech is the right to offend, along with the right to be offended. The United States is in many ways the perfect example of how that works. If a public figure makes a racist comment, or a newspaper says something offensive about Jews, we can be certain that an organization like the Anti-Defamation League will doggedly pursue the wrong-doers for a retraction or an apology. Sure, these humorless tussles can get nasty, but the norms of engagement have been firmly established over the years, and rarely, if ever, does violence or terrorism ensue. What the Islamists are doing is preventing Western Muslims from participating in this adversarial culture of ours, which is in many ways a product of the revolutionary 1960s. There are many Muslims who peacefully object to displays like the Muhammed cartoons, but when they speak up, they are hampered by the knowledge that the armed fanatics who share their faith are willing to secure through violence what can’t be won through persuasion. So instead of worrying about provoking Muslims, we should be confronting those within their ranks whose scorched-earth ideology is preventing Muslim advocates from making their case within the parameters of democratic and open debate. As we enter a period in which each day will bring renewed fear of another Charlie Hebdo-like atrocity, we need that debate more than ever. It is what keeps us civilized. Ben Cohen is Shillman Analyst for JNS.org.
THE JEWISH STAR January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775
Gold and silver: Was it worth the slavery?
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By Maayan Jaffe, JNS.org “I am the grandma, how can I not go?” says Barbara Gilbert of Las Vegas. Her grandson, Yosef Aryeh, will be having his bar mitzvah this February in Efrat. Though she says the trip makes her “very nervous,” she is still planning to travel to the Holy Land for the celebration. But not everyone is as resolute as Gilbert. Many grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins have decided not to attend their relatives’ simchas because of the security situation in Israel — a situation that ebbs and flows and whose hotspots shift from one part of the country to another. Renee Ghert-Zand made aliyah from Palo Alto, Calif., to Jerusalem six months ago. Her son celebrated his bar mitzvah on Dec. 24, with his grandfather as the only family member from outside Israel in attendance. Ghert-Zand says the Nov. 18 Palestinian terrorist attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood, which killed four rabbis and a Druze policeman, pushed possible attendees over the edge. “Later that day and the next day, I got one cancellation after another,” she says. Barbara Gilbert’s son and daughter-in-law and their three children have been living in Israel for more than a decade, and Gilbert has seen them go through the Second Intifada and multiple Gaza wars. Yet this past summer’s events on the ground left her particularly shaken and scared. One Saturday evening when she was visiting Israel during Operation Protective Edge, a siren went off while Gilbert was walking with her daughter-in-law and 2-year-old grandson. The family, which was far from a shelter, ran to take cover at a nearby medical center. “The siren was going and it was such a loud and very scary noise,” recalls Gilbert, noting that the medical center was locked, but that her daughter-in-law and grandson ran and hid under the overhang. “I was a little older and I didn’t make it.” During the short run, Gilbert told herself, “I am a nice person. Why do they want to hurt me?” She cried and clenched her teeth so hard that she broke a tooth. “I get tears in my eyes telling it all over again. I was just
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so shook up,” Gilbert tells JNS.org. “But then all Yossi (her grandson) says to us is, ‘Are you coming for my bar mitzvah? Are you coming?’ How can we say no to him?” While it’s difficult to argue with fear, Renee Ghert-Zand feels that as someone who lives in Israel, she has her finger on the pulse of the risks involved on the ground. “People sort of get the wrong impression by watching the news,” she says. “They literally think [terrorists] are running through the streets with meat cleavers. Yes, there are random runnings over of people at bus stops and it’s terrible and scary. … But daily life continues here. You never know what the situation will be here in Israel, but you have to go on with your life—plan simchas, celebrate. I would hope that those planning to come celebrate [future simchas] won’t cancel. As long as they are able to get here, they should come.” That was the way Atara Kennedy of Silver Spring, Md., looked at the recent bat mitzvah trip she planned for her
daughter, Grace. “You cannot stop living,” she tells JNS.org. “And we would not stop our trip. It would send a message to the Israelis that we have abandoned them, turned our backs.” Atara and her daughter toured Israel from Nov. 23 to Dec. 7, and their visit overlapped with the high school trip of the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, where Grace is a student. Kennedy says there was “a lot of positive energy” around the winter experience and feels her daughter got out of it what was expected: a greater understanding of the Jewish state and an even deeper connection with Israel. “Neither of us had ever been to Israel,” Kennedy says. “A party—or anything else—would not have been as meaningful.” Authentic Israel, one of the largest facilitators of the free 10-day Taglit-Birthright Israel trips for Jews ages 18 to 26, also runs regular bar and bat mitzvah tours. Guy Har-Nir, Authentic Israel’s head of educational operations, tells JNS.org that while there was a decrease in tourism to Israel over the summer, “right now we see it’s coming back.” Authentic Israel predicts that there will be even more tour groups visiting Israel in the summer of 2015 than there were in the summer of 2013, the year before Operation Protective Edge. Har-Nir says it is common for families to rethink their bar or bat mitzvah tours because of the security situation in Israel. But he says prospective tourists should know that tour providers are closely tuned in to the Israel Defense Forces and other official government security agencies. “Israel is a very safe place, especially for tourists,” HarNir says, noting that tour guides typically have the ability to steer clear of problem areas and offer a meaningful but safe experience. “I think especially with a bar or bat mitzvah, it’s a once-ina-lifetime experience that doesn’t come back,” says Har-Nir. “Coming to Israel for this is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.” Maayan Jaffe is senior writer/editor at Netsmart (ntst. com) and an Overland Park-based freelance writer. Reach her at maayanjaffe@icloud.com or follow her on Twitter, @MaayanJaffe.
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THE JEWISH STAR January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775
Tense security in Israel won’t stop the parties
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Paper cuts Merkel from Paris photo By Ian Deitch, AP JERUSALEM â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A small ultra-Orthodox newspaper is making waves internationally for removing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for reasons of modesty â&#x20AC;&#x201D; German Chancellor Angela Merkel from a photo of this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paris march. World leaders had linked arms to march in Paris against terrorism after Islamic extremists killed 17 people. Merkel stood in the front row between French President Francois Hollande and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But readers of the Hamevaser newspaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Monday edition didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, as she had been digitally removed, leaving Abbas standing next to Hollande. Israeli media joked it was meant to bring Abbas closer to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who was standing nearby. Within the ultra-Orthodox community, pictures of women are rarely shown in newspapers and magazines due to modesty concerns. In Jerusalem, vandals have defaced buses and billboards bearing advertising deemed immodest. Visitors to the religious neighborhood of Mea Shaarim are greeted with signs saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Please do not pass through our neighborhood in immodest clothes.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;A womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exterior should not be seen and photographed or paraded in front of men,â&#x20AC;? said Yosef Haim, a neighborhood resident. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very positive thing.â&#x20AC;? Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was also removed from the picture published in Hamevaser, though the newspaper clumsily left her dark glove on the sleeve of a marcher. The European Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, was also cropped out.
Binyamin Lipkin, editor of Hamevaser, said the newspaper is a family publication that must be suitable for all audiences, including young children. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 8-year-old canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see what I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want him to see,â&#x20AC;? he told Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Channel 10 television. â&#x20AC;&#x153;True, a picture of Angela Merkel should not ruin the child, but if I draw a line, I have to put it there from the bottom all the way to the top.â&#x20AC;? He also said he did not want to tarnish the memories of people killed in the attacks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Including a picture of a woman into
something so sacred, as far as we are concerned, it can desecrate the memory of the martyrs and not the other way around,â&#x20AC;? he said. Shmuel Pappenhym, an ultra-Orthodox commentator and educator, said that while the community must preserve its values, the newspaper had gone too far. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Hamevaser newspaper does a thing like this, tomorrow it appears in Germany, it appears all over Europe, the rest of the world. It mocks the Jewish Orthodox community. It makes us look narrow minded. It makes us look obtuse,â&#x20AC;? he said.
Israeli students strike after trips canceled Half a million Israeli high school students stayed at home on Wednesday to protest cancelled ďŹ eld trips. Education Ministry spokeswoman Hagit Cohen said the strike was in protest against a decision by an organization of Israeli teachers some weeks ago to stop accompanying students on ďŹ eld trips. The organization decided teachers would no longer escort students unless they have legal guarantees they would not be sued by the parents should something adverse happen to students during the trips. Student leaders said their strike would continue through Friday, though Israeli media reported the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Labor Court might order teachers to reverse their opposition to escorting ďŹ eld trips before then, eliminating the main reason for the strike. Cohen says the issue stemmed from a drowning incident during a previous school trip. High school classrooms around the country were largely deserted, Israeli media reported, though some students reported for previously scheduled exams. Seventeen-year-old Roey Zeldin, a member of the student council at Jerusalemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prestigious Boyer High School, said all of the institutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1,000 students had enthusiastically observed the strike. Israelis go to school six days a week, beginning studies Sunday and ďŹ nishing them just after midday on Friday.
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Night out with the girls a delightful challenge JUDY JOSZEF WHO’S IN THE KITCHEN Planning certain events can be difficult and time-consuming. Getting together with the girls for dinner should not be. A few weeks ago my friend Smadar sent a group message to five friends, including me. It was simple. Who wants to get together for a girls night out? That part was easy — everyone responded immediately with “yes.” Then it became difficult. First we had to decide on a night. You would think that we had our calendars booked years in advance. Now mind you, the chosen date didn’t have to be that week or month, still it took two days to find an evening. That out of the way, we had to decide on a restaurant. Two of the six don’t eat meat or chicken, so it had to be a restaurant that served fish or sushi. We decided the city would work best as four of us lived in the Five Towns, one in Brooklyn and one in Teaneck. Menus were checked out online and we settled on a restaurant on the Eastside, Prime at the Bentley. The reviews said the views from the ceiling-to-floor windows were breathtaking, the dishes eclectic and delicious. Wow, in just three days we were able to agree on a restaurant and a date, but the decision-making was not complete yet, not by a long shot. As the date approached, we then had to decide how we would get to and from the venue. Should the 5T girls drive in? Amy thought it best to take a train in and a car service home, so no worries about drinking and driving. All agreed. Smadar was going to take a taxi from Brooklyn and Miriam B had to drive since she lived in New Jersey and worked in Queens. The day arrived and it was nasty and snowing. Smadar warned us that a little snow was no reason to cancel. Of course those of us on Long Island texted pictures of back-
yards full of snow. I thought the 5T women should take a cab in as well as back; by the time we would pay for the LIRR and then a train or a cab to the restaurant we could split a cab there for not much more. Ok, now we were pretty much set, thankfully … or so I thought. But not by a long shot. Should we have two pickups, one in North Woodmere and one in Woodmere, or just one pickup? Group messages flew back and forth and we settled on two pickups. Amy and Edy lived on the same block so that was easy. Miriam A lives three-quarters of a mile away from me, so which house? I lived closer to Amy and closer to the city but it was easier for Miriam A at her house so her house it was … until the car service told Amy they would charge $38 for the extra stop. Back to the texting. I told Miriam A I would pick her up as I would be out anyway. Phew. All details ironed out. I was working up an appetite just planning this dinner gettogether. Cell phone quiet, no questions and no decisions, I was back to writing my column. Then there it was, that annoying chime on my phone … group text. “What are we wearing?” asked a friend. Miriam A chimed in that she was wearing nice cozy Uggs. Edy, the birthday girl, shared a
picture of waterproof fur-trimmed boots that she could hike in Alaska with. Smadar was going to wear patent leather booties (designer of course, with heels), to the horror of Edy and Miriam A who thought her ankles would be cold. Amy, we knew would wear designer heels, snow or not. I opted for my 50/50 over the knee flat boots — half suede, half material, practical and warm but somewhat in fashion. The rest of me in black as well, as usual. If I weren’t Jewish, people would think I was in a perpetual state of mourning. We were set; could it be? At that point I was thankful that this group was not responsible for any really important decisions, like world peace or a cure for cancer. It took hundreds of texts and emails for six of us to meet for dinner in the city. I think the Enigma code was broken in less time. But we did it, made it to Amy’s house in time for the four of us to enjoy White Russians before climbing into the car service. Let’s just say the driver had some good stories to tell his wife when he got home. Nothing like four women in a car after a drink. I was safe, I speak so quickly he probably didn’t understand a word I said anyway; not sure my friends understand some half he time. We arrived! The restaurant was in the penthouse and the view, as advertised, was
breathtaking, though the sushi they had listed on their online menus was non-existent. We were told they did away with sushi. As soon as we sat down Smadar handed Edy a tiara and the rest of us birthday hats. I really wanted the tiara but it wasn’t my birthday so I sucked it up. I decided against an appetizer, which bode well for me, as all fives friends insisted I taste theirs. It was all delicious, from the Korean-spiced flanken ribs to the tuna tartare. Usually careful about my calorie intake, I threw caution to the wind and ate everything that night right down to the delectable desserts. We were stuffed but we had to sing happy birthday to Edy or something, right? And once it was ordered we had to eat it, right? So all in all we had a great time and already decided to meet for the next birthday in the group when the tiara will be handed over to Miriam A in February. We’ll need an extra tiara, come March because Amy and I share birthdays two days apart. Let’s start planning now! I enjoyed the tuna tartare so much I decided to ask a friend for her recipe as I knew she had one. I loved it, and I think you’ll enjoy it as well.
Tuna Tatare Appetizers Ingredients: 20 oz sushi grade tuna (bought fresh that day, or frozen immediately after buying). 1/2 cup soy sauce juice of 11/2 limes 3 tsp rice wine vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 1 1/2 tsps hot chili sauce 1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil 1 1/2 scallions 3 tbsp cilantro Preparations: Cut tuna into 1/2 inch cubes Mix next 9 ingredients in a bowl which will become the sauce 15 minutes prior to serving, toss tuna with the sauce and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Right before serving, drain excess sauce spoon into ramekins, glass dishes or serve on crackers or endive leaves
Once upon a wine: A winemaker’s winter’s tale By Talia Zimmerman Once upon a time, in a land far far away, a wintery season brings a chill to the people. To ease the dark evenings, imaginative winemakers of the land share delicious winter recipes with great wines, adding a touch of magic to the dish. A glass of wine with a delicious supper by a toasty fireplace becomes an enchanting evening. The head winemaker of the Golan Heights Winery, Victor Schoenfeld, gathers his family and friends to prepare a secret cholent stew recipe. He cooks this dish for the coldest days, inhaling the mystical scent it brings forth. While cooking, his children question Schoenfeld on the origins of the cholent. An old-fashioned Jewish recipe, cholent stew has been for years a cozy and warm dish to serve during harsh winter days. To personalize his cholent stew, Schoenfeld fuses with it a classic French Cassoulet, chosing this dish as it pairs well with one of his favorite bottles of wine, the chic Yarden Pinot Noir, a wine with aromatic cherry, red currant and ripe pomegranate fruit characters layered with attractive floral and spice notes, complex and full-bodied with notes of smoke, earth and exotic spices.” Victor’s style of wine selecting parallels his daring lifestyle, suggesting an interesting challenge for real white wine lovers and people who dare to think “outside the box” by trying his cholent with the rich Yarden Chardonnay, which contrasts the heavy dish.
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n close proximity, Micha Vaadia serves as chief winemaker at Galil Mountain Winery. With prior voyages to the vineyards of California, New Zealand, and Argentina, Vaadia has become one of the top winemakers in the land. For a pleasant winter weekend, Vaadia puts together his classic lamb roast with rosemary, coriander seeds and za’atar. The energy consumed from the scrumptious roast surely adds a bundle of warmth. Vaadia feasts on his roast with a bottle of Galil Meron, a deep complex blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. The dreamy Galil Meron pleasantly combines characters of wild berry and blueberry, with hints of nutmeg and chocolate. A rich and bold wine, the Galil Meron is a true fairy tale touch for this supper. For winemaker Dr. Shivi Drori, discovering the ancient grapes of the land in order to produce a wine identical to the wine consumed during ancient times is his current conquest. In between this quest and his winemaking vineyard practices, Drori relishes a quiet supper with his big happy family. His classic baked chicken with silan (date honey), cranberry and mint brings warmth to his home of six children. A source of great protein for the winter, Drori’s baked chicken promises an extra layer of heat for such a time of year. To elevate the sophistication of his dinner, Drori’s family enjoys a bottle of Gvaot Herodion red wine
– a striking blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Drori particularly enjoys the long-lasting after taste of its elegant black and red fruit aromas, combined with spices and scents. A true artist in the wine industry, Drori chooses only the finest wines with his meals/ These exceptional winemakers transform their conventional meals into elegant evenings by simply adding the right wines. Although the winter brings about a harsh cold, an evening of delicious cooking alongside a glass of wine will bring warmth incomparable to anything else this season.
Shivi’s Baked Chicken Ingredients: • Medium whole clean chicken Dip: • Silan (Date honey)
• 20 Mint leaves • ¼ cup olive oil • 1 tablespoon of Soy Sauce • Salt Filling: • 1 cup cooked rice • ¼ Cup dried cranberries • 1 tablespoon of Soy Sauce • 1 Spoon of Date Honey • 20 Mint leaves • 2 tablespoons almond slices • ¼ cup hazelnuts (or pecans) Instructions: 1 Mix the ingredients other than then coarse salt) in a bowl. 2 Place the chicken in a deep dish suitable for his size so it will be placed in it without unnecessary margin. 3 Spread chicken well and place it on tray that will be placed chest down. Pour rest of job template and sprinkle with salt to taste top. 4 Mix the well filling ingredients in a bowl and cover the chicken in a compressed. Preheat the oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit; roast the chicken covered for about an hour. 5 After a nice browning of the top, remove the chicken from the sauce tray and cutting out a suitable sauce bowl. 6 Separate the chicken filling and place in a serving bowl. 7 Slice the chicken parts at the table and serve with the sauce. &KROXQW UHFLSHV DW 7KH-HZLVK6WDU FRP
THE JEWISH STAR January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775
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Spending Shabbat in Paris after a day of infamy By Boaz Bismuth, Israel Hayom, JNS.org The last time I saw a Jewish minyan relocate from a synagogue to a private residence for security reasons was in 2010. I was in Rayda, Yemen, where the Jews were still reeling from the assassination of Moshe Nahari, the brother of a prominent rabbi. I never thought I would ďŹ nd myself at the same exact same setting in Paris, only four years later. On Friday night, I attended Shabbat services just off Place de la Republique in Paris. The services were supposed to be held in a synagogue, but the ongoing crisis made that impossible and they were moved to a private residence. Just hours earlier, French security forces had freed 15 Jewish hostages from a kosher supermarket. Four other hostages had been killed. As a precaution, authorities urged Jewish merchants to close for the day. They also approached Jewish leaders and asked them not to hold Shabbat services at the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s synagogues. Shabbat is supposed to be a festive occasion. But the atmosphere in the makeshift prayer house was anything but celebratory. The gatherers had that same look I see anytime I travel to Jewish communities in Arab states: a worried look. Jan. 9, 2015 will go down as a day of infamy in France. French President Francois Hollande called the attack on Hyper Cacher (the kosher supermarket) an â&#x20AC;&#x153;appalling anti-Semitic act.â&#x20AC;? .LOOLQJV ZHUH QRW D VXUSULVH Roger Cukierman, head of Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish umbrella organization, CRIF, told me he was not surprised by the attack on the Jewish shoppers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After French Jew Ilan Halimi was kidnapped and tortured to death in 2006, I said the Jews of France were all in danger,â&#x20AC;? Cukierman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 2012, when three children and one man were killed by a gunmen at the Ozar Hatorah school in Toulouse, I doubled down on that statement. We must realize that there is a full-ďŹ&#x201A;edged war between two civilizations in France. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our democracy and our values are in the jihadistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; crosshairs, and the Jews are on the frontline because they represent some of the values terrorists want to destroy.â&#x20AC;?
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Cukierman added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe we are in the midst of a Third World War. The spillover from the battles in Syria, Iraq, and Mali has reached France. The Jewish community, which had already been nervous prior to the attacks, is now even more concerned. The situation is dire. What we have seen is jihad being waged against journalists, free speech, against symbols of the republic, like the security forces, and against us, the Jews.â&#x20AC;? I was walking the streets of Paris on Friday. Much like Cukierman, none of the Jews I met told me that they were surprised by what happened. In my many visits to France, my Jewish acquaintances had told me that rising antiSemitism would ultimately result in violence.
It was just a matter of time, they warned. Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attack did not jolt the already-nervous community, but it did result in real concern and grief. The Jewish businesses in the historically Jewish Marais district began to close as a precaution shortly after Muslim terrorist Amedy Coulibaly launched his attack on the supermarket. Jewish establishments in the Sentier district, formerly the epicenter of Parisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garment industry, were also advised to close ahead of schedule. 0DNLQJ DOL\DK VRRQ During evening services at the end of Shabbat, I met Joseph (Joe) Marciano, who has run a shop in the Sentier district for many years. He told me he complied with the authorities request to close his business for the day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why take the risk?â&#x20AC;? he told me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My 17year-old son won the national Krav Maga (an Israeli form of martial arts) championship in France. He will soon make aliyah. The number of people who make aliyah will increase even further in the wake of Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attack. It is sad. We have no reason to stay here.â&#x20AC;? Michel Edry, 60, stood next to Marciano. He also runs as business at the Sentier. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to make aliyah tooâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but only when I feel it is right, not when the jihadists decide for me,â&#x20AC;? he told me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is just outrageousâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I love France, and so do my children. What have I done to deserve this constant worry about the lives of my kids to the point that I have to relocate?â&#x20AC;? Raymond Haddad, owner of the famous Jewish restaurant La Boule Restaraunt, did not heed the security warning and remained open for business. I dined there on Saturday and spoke to him. He explained that his restaurant serves kosher food but never closes on Shabbat, especially since some of his workers are of Arab descent. He insists that his restaurant caters to all French people. Jewish landmarks such as the Grand Synagogue of Paris on Rue de la Victoire (in the 9th arrondissement) and the synagogue on Copernic Street (in the 16th arrondissement) closed their doors on Friday for security reasons. But on Saturday, worshippers came back and tried to move on.
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On Saturday morning I made my way to Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue, situated in the Marais district on Rue Pavee. The morning services were led by Rabbi Mordechai Rottenberg. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know you want me to provide you with an answer on whether you should leave or stay,â&#x20AC;? Rottenberg told the crowd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But frankly, I am at a loss for words.â&#x20AC;? One worshipper told me that at no other time since World War II did synagogues across Paris suspend their Friday services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just look at how much of an impact the jihadist have, and this is all because the French Republic let them,â&#x20AC;? Emil, an eye doctor, told me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope [the authorities] wake up, but I am not sure this would happen. Last summer, the Muslim radicals joined forces with the extreme right and marched in the streets of Paris. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was a demonstration against us. The Jews are the easiest target, and most importantly, they are the ďŹ rst target. Of course, the French media is partially responsible for this because it has demonized Israel, and of course the Muslims here believe the Jews should be held accountable for all of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions. I am a big boy but on Friday I cried. I am already 60. Of course, I am planning to make aliyah, but I never thought I would ever leave France like this.â&#x20AC;? ,VUDHO LV D VROXWLRQ WR WHUURU Meyer Habib, who was elected to the French National Assembly, was also at the synagogue on Rue Pavee. He told me he hoped the French people will now realize that Israel is part of the solution, not the problem, and that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the war against Hamas is part of the ďŹ ght against jihadists in France and beyond.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;But our parliament was too busy endorsing the creation of a Palestinian state, and this only made the anti-Jew sentiment on the street more pronounced,â&#x20AC;? Habib said. Thousands of Jews and non-Jews gathered near the Hyper Cacher supermarket as soon as Shabbat ended, holding a makeshift rally in solidarity with the victims. They sang â&#x20AC;&#x153;La Marseillaiseâ&#x20AC;? and some, the Jews, recited the Kaddish mournerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prayer. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls made an unusual gesture by joining the demonstrators, along with Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. Valls, who is married to a Jew, conceded that the authorities could of have taken more meaningful steps after Toulouse attack in 2012. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, we are all Charlie (referring to the attacked Charlie Hebdo magazine), we are all police ofďŹ cers, we are all Jews of France,â&#x20AC;? Valls told the media. Before Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supermarket attack, Valls had said in an interview with The Atlanticâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jeffrey Goldberg that â&#x20AC;&#x153;if 100,000 Jews leave, France will no longer be France. The French Republic will be judged a failure.â&#x20AC;? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, on Saturday encouraged French Jews to make aliyah. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Israel is not only the place to which you turn in prayer, Israel is also your home,â&#x20AC;? Netanyahu said, addressing his comments to French Jewry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any Jew who wants to immigrate to Israel will be welcomed here warmly and with open arms. We will help you in your absorption here in our state, which is also your state.â&#x20AC;?
Lost ring 748894
January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775 THE JEWISH STAR
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A ring was lost in Cedarhurst, in the vicinity of Amazing Savings and the municpal parkkng lot, or near 499 Central Ave. If found, please call 516-790-3685.
RABBI BINNY FREEDMAN THE HEART OF JERUSALEM
O
ne of the strangest dialogues in the entire Torah occurs in Va’Era, this week’s portion. At the behest of G-d, Moshe shares with the Jewish people that their redemption is at hand. But “they do not listen to Moshe from their despair and hard labor.” (Exodus 6:9) Then, Hashem tells Moshe to go to Pharaoh and tell him (again) to release the Jewish people from Egypt. Moshe struggles with this command. After all, he reasons, if the Jews did not listen to me, why should Pharaoh? (6:12). It’s a good question, which G-d does not seem to answer. Eventually, G-d repeats his command to Moshe to seek an audience with Pharaoh, and again Moshe questions whether Pharaoh will listen to him (6:30), at which point (7:3) G-d repeats his command adding that he will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will not listen! (6:3-4) Why is Moshe being sent to Pharaoh if Gd’s plan is that Pharaoh will not set the Jewish people free? This story actually reminds us of one of the first stories in the Torah, in the Garden of Eden. G-d tells Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge, but they do and are consequently expelled from the garden. G-d knows they will eat from the tree, and so also
knows they will be expelled from the garden, so why put them there in the first place? Why would G-d place them in the Garden of Eden just so they would be kicked out? Obviously we were meant to experience Eden, but not to stay there. And we were meant to see Moshe communicating to Pharaoh, so we would see Pharaoh refuse and experience the resulting plague; the goal was never the immediate release of the Jewish people. So what was the point of all this? We live in a world where it is easy to imagine that the mighty empires with their powerful armies dictate how the world should run. But Judaism says that is an illusion. once heard a remarkable story that apparently took place at West Point military academy. Every year, the third year classmen spend a significant amount of time studying military strategy, learning how to engage a battlefield in a variety of conditions. Part of their course entails regular exercises in which they are expected to find solutions to actual battlefield situations. On one day, to test their strategic thinking, they were broken up into groups and presented with a situation in which they faced overwhelming odds. Given a short amount of time to analyze
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the situation, one by one the groups reported back with the same solution: retreat. Sometimes part of successful strategy is knowing when to pull back. This time however, all the groups were given a chance to reconsider and told there was a different solution, and one by one, they were unable to find an alternative — at which point they were ordered to the main assembly hall and joined by the base commander, who proceeded to share with them the following lesson: “This morning, you were all given a challenge to find a strategy allowing you to overcome overwhelming odds on a particular battlefield, and win the day. According to every rule of engagement you have been taught, there is no solution other than retreat to the scenario you were given. With the amount of forces at your disposal, outnumbered by far superior enemy, the correct solution is an ordered retreat or possibly surrender. “But you have been studying the story of the Israeli army’s 77th armor battalion on the Golan Heights in 1973, and somebody forgot to teach them the rules of engagement and military strategy. So they won this battle, on Oct. 6, 1973. One battalion, with 25 tanks, facing an entire supported Syrian division of
G-d was about to show the world an entirely new set of rules, with a ragtag band of helpless slaves to make the point.
650 tanks, with no air or artillery support to speak of, held their ground for 24 hours and changed history. “What they did on that day, was impossible. Sometimes you have to believe in the impossible.“ Perhaps Moshe was not sent to speak with Pharaoh to get Pharaoh to listen; perhaps his mission was to teach that in a G-d-conscious world, the rules are all an illusion. Moshe was not asking Pharaoh to let the people go; he was telling him he would … soon. Egypt was the mightiest empire on the face of the earth and its armies ruled the world. And that was how the world worked: the mightiest army rules the day. But G-d was about to show the world an entirely new set of rules, with a ragtag band of helpless slaves to make the point. The Nile River, the great G-d of Egypt, source of life and sustenance, would turn to blood and become the source of death. Light would become darkness, fire and ice would live together in hail, and the world of nature would turn upside down. And eventually the entire Egyptian army would be destroyed at the Red Sea while the Jews did not even lift a finger. And then Pharaoh would let the Jewish people go. By all odds, we should not be here, and the State of Israel should have never been born. But here we are. The great Exodus from Egypt teaches us to believe that the impossible can happen. Hashem runs the world, and all we need to do is believe that all is not as it seems. Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.
May G-d save France’s Jews as he saved us in Egypt RABBI AVI BILLET PARSHA OF THE WEEK
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“
or these things I weep; my eye, yea my eye, sheds tears, for the comforter to restore my soul is removed from me; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed.” (Eichah 1:17) About eight weeks ago we gathered in collective mourning for four Jews who were murdered while praying in a synagogue, and for a Druze police officer who was murdered coming to help them. This week we mourn for four Jews who were in a kosher store the day before Shabbos, either working or shopping there in preparation for the Holy Day. And we remember the police who lost their lives trying to save them and other hostages. Maybe France and the world received a wake-up call two days earlier when a satire magazine was attacked by monsters coming from a similar background — anti West and anti-Semites. I wonder what the media and reaction landscape would be had the order of these attacks been reversed. But perhaps cynicism regarding the world’s attitude to Jewish victimhood is out of place at this time. So we’ll be straightforward. That almost all the perpetrators must now face their Maker is fitting. That all the loved ones of their victims are left bereaved is worse than tragic. What does it take to defeat such an enemy? Sadly all-out war is not possible. Depending on whose estimates you follow, there are between 50 million and over 500 million
people in the world who support the attacks on France, and would participate in such attacks if they only could. But since they’re not coming out armed and ready to fight, they can’t be met on a traditional battlefield. In ancient Egypt, there was a similar problem. Who was the enemy? Who deserved punishment? Was all of Egypt at fault, or was it Pharaoh and his taskmasters who bore responsibility? Certainly the Egyptians were ordained by G-d to be the hosts of slavery, but even G-d recognized that Egypt was taking its job far too seriously and He brought the Israelites out of Egypt 190 years early. There is a way to make Jews suffer, and then there’s the ancient Egypt way. So what was the point of the plagues? In truth there were several objectives. First, destroy Egyptian society; if society can’t function, the people turn to their leader and demand a change. Second, to make G-d’s name known to the Egyptians; this element is reviewed throughout the plagues. Third, to get across to Pharaoh that this is real, and that he ought to take Moshe and Aharon seriously. Of course, the midrashic approach has several accounts of how the plagues were meant to serve as “middah k’neged middah” (measure for measure) in response to how the Egyptians had treated the slaves.
Certainly not every Egyptian was cruel and deserving of direct punishment. But Egyptians did not do enough to express to their leadership that certain treatment of slaves is beyond the pale of acceptable behavior; they denied G-d’s role in the destiny of the Jewish people. And Pharaoh’s continued denial of reality made it harder for him to face the hard truth that his country was falling to pieces before his eyes. And, as a collective result, they all suffered through the plagues and were punished with the death of the firstborn, when their leader refused, after repeated warnings, to let the Israelites leave. Not every German was a Nazi, yet how many people do not point at all Germans of the ’40s as aiders and abetters? Certainly not all French are ant-Semitic. But a culture which ignores what happens to its Jews at the hands of terrorists (think Toulouse, and other horrible attacks in the last few years) until the same terrorists attack a satirical magazine is asking to be swept up in the same generalization as ancient Egyptians and World War II-era Germans. It’s not nice to say, but if you don’t see how the continued anti-Semitism aimed toward French Jews (mostly by recent Muslim immigrants) is a problem, and if you can’t face the hard truth that your culture is being usurped from underneath your nose, your
We pray that G-d will help those who have the power to protect the Jews and citizens of France, and to rid the evil from their midst.
country is doomed to fall apart. It was very sympathetic of the French Prime Minister to declare, “If 100,000 Jews leave, France will no longer be France. The French Republic will be judged a failure.” But the reality is that they’ve done next to nothing to create a secure environment for Jews against this latest repeated threat, and have therefore seen this year the largest wave of Jewish emigration out of France in over 65 years. In ancient Egypt, there was never an allout battle against a common enemy — it simply was not possible. But in those days, G-d played a very significant role in destroying the Egyptian society through plagues. We pray that G-d will help those who have the power to protect the Jews and citizens of France, and to rid the evil from their midst.
CROSSWORD ANSWERS This week’s puzzle
THE JEWISH STAR January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775
The rules are an illusion as G-d rules the world
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January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775 THE JEWISH STAR
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ClassiďŹ eds
By Martin Ashwood-Smith â&#x20AC;˘ MEDIUM â&#x20AC;˘ Edited by David Benkof
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THE JEWISH STAR January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775
Jerusalem Post Puzzle
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January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775 THE JEWISH STAR
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Jewish Star Schools HANC hosts parent-student learning on kavod HANC The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County High School recently hosted a Yom Iyun for students and parents. In keeping with the theme of the school year, the focus of the day was the topic of kavod. The morning began with teachers, students and guests davening shacharit followed by a sumptuous breakfast. Teachers gave sessions on various topics of kavod, and students along with their parents attended these interactive and informative sessions. This shiurim covered the topics of kavod Shabbat, kavod habriot,kavod Beit Kenesset and seforim, and Kavod atzmi, among others. HANC was also privileged to hear noted author and lecturer, Rabbi Paysach Krohn, who riveted the audience with fascinating stories and inspiring lessons on kibud av vâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;em and other aspects of kavod. A highlight of the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program was the presentation of a newly inaugural monthly award to students who exemplify the quality of kavod. These students were selected
by their teachers and recognized amidst cheers from their fellow students. They are: Freshman Zack Plutzer; Sophomore Michal
Kaufman; Junior Rebecca Shamash, and Senior Jacob Berman. HANC thanks the Moldovan, Daitch,
Maryles, Katz, Ginsberg, Magori, Hill and Levine families whose generous sponsorships were behind this day of learning.
Shalhevet dinner honors the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s champions
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Midreshet Shalhevet Midreshet Shalhevet held its Sixth Annual Scholarship Dinner honoring Mr. and Mrs. Martin and Zena Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. Yossi and Elaine Farber, and Mrs. Hindy Feder. Assistant Principal, Mrs. Shaindy Lisker, opened with welcoming remarks and introduced Rosh Mesivta Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, who highlighted the extraordinary qualities of each of the honorees and took a moment to memorialize the victims of the recent tragedies in France. Menahelet, Mrs. Esther Eisenman, then presented gifts to the honorees. The guests of honor, Mr. and Mrs. Martin and Zena Cohen, are close partners to Shalhevet. Their commitment to Torah values and active roles in tzedaka organizations have made a strong impact in the community. Their daughter, Tehila, a 12th grader at Shalhevet, has beneďŹ tted from the partnership the Cohens and Shalhevet have created. Hakarat Hatov Honorees, Mr. and Mrs. Yossi and Elaine Farber, epitomize the deďŹ ni-
tion of Baalei Chesed. The Farberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constantly open their home and run many Shalhevet activities. Their daughter, Shira, a senior at Shalhevet, reďŹ&#x201A;ects the midot and Torah values she learned at home and her successes are built on the strong relationship between the Farbers and Shalhevet. Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Hindy Feder work hard to see her students thrive in her class. Mrs. Feder serves as the Israel Guidance liaison and helps each student ďŹ nd the seminary best suited for her. From the words of senior Devora Chait, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have deepened our appreciation of learning more than we could have imagined, and we are truly appreciative that we have the opportunity to learn from you every single day, whether in class or out. When we grow up, we all want to be Mrs. Feder.â&#x20AC;? The evening wrapped up with a touching Thank You video from the Shalhevet students that acknowledged both the school and the people who support it.
At Rambam, when Asarah Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tevet is Jan. 1 Rambam Mesivta For over two decades, Rambam has hosted a special learning program on January 1. Being that most people have the day off, it is an opportunity for grandfathers, fathers, and all the siblings to join with Rambam talmidim for a meaningful and important day of learning and bonding. Typically, the day begins with everyone davening together and is followed by a sumptuous breakfast prepared by the Rambam Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s League, before the shiur begins. This year, being that the fast of Asarah Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tevet fell on January 1st, parents and students had to settle for food for thought only. The program was introduced by Rabbi Zev
Meir Friedman, Rosh Mesivta of Rambam, who spoke about the importance of learning Torah on January 1st. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While many people think that as Jews in America we live in two worlds, the ďŹ rst one being the secular world which recognizes January 1st and additionally as Jews remembering that it is Asarah Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tevet, the truth is that we live in one world ... whose framework is Torah, with everything else ďŹ tting into that. To help emphasize that point, what better way is there than to have grandfathers, fathers and sons learning Torah together.â&#x20AC;? Rabbi Friedman concluded, â&#x20AC;&#x153;For those in the secular world, today is a day of levity and celebration, however for us as Torah Jews, to-
day is a fast day which commemorates the beginning of the destruction of our temple and the exile of our people.â&#x20AC;? He then introduced the keynote speaker, Rabbi Moshe Taragin, as a marbitz Torah par excellence, who has inspired countless students for over two decades. Rav Taragin spoke about the three events which are commemorated on the 10th day of Tevet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;First, the reason most are familiar with, is a surrounding of Yerushalayim by the Babylonian army. However, today also commemorates the forced writing of the Septuagint, the translation of the Torah into Greek and the death of Ezra the Scribe,â&#x20AC;? said Rabbi Taragin. Continued on next page
19 THE JEWISH STAR January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775
Alumni return to HAFTR
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Spelling bee at HANC
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Continued from previous page He explained how all three events impacted on Jewish history and continued to be relevant today. â&#x20AC;&#x153;According to the Rambam, the mitzvah of a fast day mitzvah is to cry out to Hashem and sound the trumpets. We are required to take the bimah with the Torah to the center of town. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The point was to get the whole community united in avodas Hashem and doing teshuva.â&#x20AC;? He explained that â&#x20AC;&#x153;While prayer is a personal affair, a fast day requires â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;zeakahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;- a public outcry in order to wake up and inspire the community.â&#x20AC;?
He told the talmidim that during this past summer during the kidnapping and murder of the three boys and the ensuing war in Gaza, â&#x20AC;&#x153;there was a tremendous sense of achdus that existed as we faced those difďŹ cult events.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hopefully, if we unite as a people, in order to improve ourselves and serve Hashem, we will be zoche to Moshiach and the ultimate redemption in our days,â&#x20AC;? concluded Rav Taragin. It was clear that the davening and chavrusah learning and Rabbi Taraginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shiur helped reinforce the Torah character and message of the day.
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Asarah Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tevet at Rambamâ&#x20AC;Ś
January 16, 2015 25 Tevet 5775 THE JEWISH STAR
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