Issue 370

A NOVEL IDEA

(Re: Fizzling With Heart, Issue 369)

I really enjoyed your features about bath bombs. It was so nice to read about an innovative fellow woman who made a business out of an art that she enjoys! Her products seem amazing, and I was also happy to see instructions for making bath bombs at home.

You definitely put me in the mood for some fizzling scented bath time luxury!

A.E.

THERE’S ALWAYS A STORY

(Re: Your Voice, Issue 369)

Dear Miffed Shopper,

I want to make you aware about two things you probably didn’t realize when writing your letter last week.

The first point is that the Torah tells us to be dan l’kaf zechus. I don’t know your personal backstory, so I’ll give you the benefit of doubt, too: I’m sure there’s a good reason for your “simmering,” as you wrote. But now let’s explore the other side.

We don’t know what was going on behind the scenes with the woman who cut the line. I’m sure there was a good reason for that, too.

Maybe her baby was crying in her husband’s car, desperate for food; maybe she was in a rush to catch a child’s bus, or a Monsey Trails bus because she was traveling for yom tov; or maybe she was rushing to be home in time for her cleaning lady’s arrival. While we may not know her reason, let’s be dan other people l’kaf zechus. When I see a person in such a situation — rushing, cutting lines — I ask Hashem, “Please help her with whatever she needs.”

The second point: In Sefer Netzor Leshoncha, the Chofetz Chaim writes that talking negatively about a person be longing to a certain group/community/neighborhood, or nation, for that matter, is assur! And that includes writing publicly that one of our Yiddishe sisters has done some thing wrong.

Let’s all try to think only positively about other people, especially our own Yiddishe sisters, and in this zechus, may we all have a gezunte winter.

EATING HEALTHY UPSTATE

(Re: Pack Your Snack)

I’m happily and actively participating in the healthy snack contest. It’s really enjoyable to prepare my own healthy snacks. I’d like to share that our wonderful local pediatrician, Esther Gottlieb, is encouraging this project. She even has copies of the chart available for her patients to take home so they can join!

Additionally, I would like to know if you can have the fanny packs available for pickup locally in Sullivan County for all of your upstate participants.

Raizy Stern Kiamesha Lake

THE MONSEY VIEW RESPONDS:

We are pleased that the snack contest is making a differ ence all over New York! We will keep your request in mind; look out for your location when we announce information for claiming the prize.

A NATION LIKE OURS

(Re: Write for Yourself This Song, Issue 368)

The interviews with those who celebrated hachnasas sifrei Torah were so heartwarming. I loved the variety of Yidden presented; it so beautifully portrayed how the Torah brings Yidden from the world over together, and how we all live for the Torah, which is our greatest celebration.

I found it interesting to read that the neshamos of our an cestors come down during a hachnasas sefer Torah even more so than during a wedding. What a zechus these people had.

Thank you for the timely inspiration!

N.M.

EMAIL: comments@themonseyview.com FAX: 845-600-8483

MAIL: The Monsey View, POB 305, Monsey, NY 10952

Anonymous

PARSHAS NOACH

Seeds of Corruption

Leading up to the Mabul, the Torah describes that the earth became corrupted before Hashem. Later, the pasuk says that the world was filled with “chamas ” (robbery) (Bereishis 6:13), and Rashi explains, according to the Gemara in Sanhedrin (108a), that this indicates that the final verdict was sealed due to theft.

Why, at first, does it seem that the primary wickedness lay in transgressions against Hashem, while the ultimate destruction points at robbery, which is iniquity between man and his fellow?

GERSHON THE PAINTER was relaxing on his sofa with the latest issue of the local newspaper in his hands. He scanned the classifieds. Then the bold words popped out at him: “Seek ing qualified painter to manage large projects and oversee a team of workers.”

That was him! Gershon was a professional painter. He had learned the tricks of the trade from his father, who had been a painter for decades. Gershon had earned himself a name for his quality work, and he did have jobs here and there. But a ca reer as the manager of a team of painters?! That sounded like a dream he could have hardly imagined.

Gershon took note of the fax number on the ad and began to work on his resume. He reached out to a couple of satisfied clients for testimonials and included a long list of references to boot. With a prayer on his lips, he faxed over the entire file.

The response was not long in coming. Gershon soon re ceived a call from a secretary of a large gentile firm in Man hattan. “We’d like to call you down for an interview,” the wom an said. “Can I put you down for next Thursday at 11 a.m.?”

Gershon was thrilled. Next Thursday would be two days before Tisha B’Av, but he didn’t think that would be a problem. “Yes, yes,” he said, trying to conceal his excitement. He took down the exact address of the office — which was located on an upper floor in a skyscraper — and promised to be punctual.

Over the next few days, Gershon made mental notes of the

things he would tell his prospective employer. He practiced speaking confidently so he would come across as the ultimate man for the job. At some point, Gershon realized that there was a little issue. Coming during the Three Weeks, the tim ing meant that Gershon had stubble on his face. He was always careful not to shave in this period, especially not in the Nine Days. But how could he present himself as a respectable candi date when he looked slightly unkempt?

There must be a loophole, he thought to himself. I must make the right impression!

Gershon decided to ask Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, for a psak Perhaps the posek hador would understand his predicament and find a way out.

Rav Moshe ruled that having the interview was permissible during this time, but he pointed out that as believing Jews, we know that no harm is caused by keeping the mitzvos of the To rah. To the contrary! Being careful with mitzvos is what forti fies and protects us.

The answer was clear. Yet on the morning of the interview, the temptation was strong. Soon Gershon found himself exit ing the bathroom, his face clear of stubble.

An hour later, his heart pounding, he rang the bell at the office. The secretary showed him into the boss’s office, and the interview began. As the conversation went on, the boss looked pleased with what Gershon had to say for himself.

Just before Gershon stood up to go, however, the poten tial employer said he had one final question.

“I can tell you are an Orthodox Jew,” he said. “I’ve got quite a few acquaintances who are Jewish, too. I know that these days, they haven’t been shaving for religious reasons. But it seems you don’t keep that practice. Can you explain?”

Gershon turned colors. “I usually don’t shave at this time either,” he finally stammered. “But I wanted to be pre sentable for this interview, you know.”

The boss looked at him. “The work we have here re quires a high level of trust. How can I know that one who is not faithful to his religion will be faithful to our custom ers?”

Gershon was not shocked to receive a negative reply in the mail a few days later.

* * * * *

With this, we can understand the pasuk. Indeed, the generation of the Mabul sinned against Hashem, as it says, “Vatishaches ha’aretz lifnei ha’Elokim” (Bereishis 6:11).

But it did not stop there. Once they lost their faithful ness to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, they continued to fall lower. Naturally, this affected their interpersonal relationships, and soon they were completely corrupted. Thus, the straw that broke the camel’s back and sealed their fate was their horrific acts of theft.

Adapted from the teachings of Rav Mordechai Freundlich, zt”l.

Did You Know?

The extent of the theft rampant in the days before the Mabul was underhanded — in both stealthy and exposed manners.

If a man would bring a basket of produce to sell at the marketplace, for instance, he would suddenly be swooped upon by passersby. Each one would take just a little bit, worth less than a small coin, and in no time, the seller would have nothing left to sell.

People would also move their neighbors’ landmarks to extend their own personal property. It was also common to rob cattle, especially from hapless orphans or widows.

Robbery went so far that there were those who would walk around naked, fearing that people would literally steal the clothes off their backs!

The answer was clear. Yet on the morning of the interview, the temptation was strong.

Yeshiva Principal Among 10 Educators Honored

Rabbi Yisroel Gottlieb, general studies principal of Yeshi va Ketana Ohr Reuven, was one of ten individuals honored by Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick at an October 23rd cer emony held at Rockland BOCES. A former teacher, ReichlinMelnick praised the honorees for their impact within the 38th Senatorial District, presenting each one with a Cham pions of Education certificate.

“I know the hard work, dedication and the long nights that go into teaching,” wrote Reichlin-Melnick on social me dia. “Each person recognized today continuously goes above and beyond for their students.”

Accepting his award, Rabbi Gottlieb hailed his fellow honorees as “heroes of our society,” and took advantage of an opportunity to share a short Torah message with the audi ence.

“There is a great Talmudic dictum that every individual is a world unto him or herself and every child we encounter is a world unto him or herself,” said Rabbi Gottlieb, who is also the rav of Congregation Bais Torah in Suffern. “Every person in this room who has dedicated their lives to edu cation recognizes that, values it, and treats every child as a world unto him or herself. There is nothing as rewarding as going to work every day and working with the future of society.”

Faulty Seals Prompts Another Similac Recall

Just months after a massive recall had parents of formulafed babies scrambling to find nourishment for their infants, a major producer has initiated another recall, this time on two-ounce bottles of premixed formula.

Abbott announced the voluntary recall last week, ex plaining that a small percentage of bottles were improperly sealed, an error that could lead to spoilage and, if consumed, potential gastrointestinal issues. The affected formulas were distributed mainly to hospitals, doctors’ offices, distributors and some retailers and were manufactured in Columbus, Ohio. Products covered by the recall in the United States in clude lots of Similac 360 Total Care, Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive, Similac Special Care 24, Similar Pro-Total Com fort, Similac NeoSure and Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution. The recall also covers certain Similac products distributed in Canada, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, Haiti, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Panama, Dominican Republic, and Colombia. Problematic

formulas can be identified by the lot number, located either on the bottom of the bottle or on the carton. Contact Abbott at 800-986-8540 or visit them online at www.SimilacRecall. com for more information on which products are included in the recall

Abbot advised consumers to discard any formula that is subject to the recall, explaining, “Ensuring the quality of our products and the safety of our consumers is our top priority and a responsibility we take very seriously, including taking action when a product doesn’t meet our quality standards.”

DMV Offering Free Replacements for Peeling License Plates

New Yorkers whose license plates are peeling can avoid the possibility of being ticketed or fined, with the Depart ment of Motor Vehicles offering free replacements.

According to SI Live, the DMV has said that it is aware of a delamination problem that has the printed coating separat ing from the actual metal plate on some older license plates. With drivers facing a potential fine of up to $200 for unread able plates, there’s no time like the present to obtain replace ments at no charge, although those wishing to keep the same plate number will pay a $20 fee.

“We are encouraging New Yorkers who have peeling li cense plates to get new ones,” said DMV Commissioner Mark Schroder.

Replacements for peeling plates can be ordered via email at dmv.sm.peelingplates@dmv.ny.gov, with motorists in cluding their name as it appears on their registration, full mailing address, city, state, zip code, daytime phone num ber, the number of their peeling license plate and a picture of their license plate. According to the DMV, it should take four to six weeks for the new license plates to arrive, along with a new registration and windshield sticker, with no changes possible once the original request has been submitted. Once the new plates have arrived, drivers should discard their old ones and are advised to void the plate number with a perma nent marker so that they cannot be reused by anyone else, potentially leaving them liable for fines or tickets incurred.

Those who prefer to keep their current plate number will need to submit the DMV’s Application for Replacement Plates — Keep Same Plate Number (DMV document PP-7), along with a check or money order payable to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and a photograph of their peeling plates.

Drivers whose license plates are simply cracked, faded or displaying damages other than peeling will have to pay a $25 replacement fee and a $3.75 registration fee if they want new plates, along with an additional $20 fee if they want to keep their current plate number.

RECAP: Back at City Hall to beg Lucjan for a break, Lenny finds the man’s office empty, and temptation gets the better of him. He finds the manuscript and takes it with him. Zach and Izzy are arrested as suspects and placed under interrogation.

Lucjan Kowalsky mixed himself a stiff drink and carried it to his dining room table, where he col lapsed into his chair and took a large gulp. It was late Saturday night. He’d had a long day, and tomorrow would be just as bad, if not worse.

He was in big trouble.

It wasn’t every day that his office discov ered an artifact from pre-World War II. The politics of these cases were never easy. On the one hand, the city naturally wanted to keep anything of historic significance (or anything really valuable), and internal pol icy was quietly designed to make that more likely. But they had to make at least a token effort to locate the original owners, if only to avoid a public outcry. This juggling act became even more complicated when the property belonged to Jews.

Lucjan wasn’t around in the times im mediately after the war, when Jews returned to houses they had once owned only to find gentiles living there and refusing to leave.

The communist government that took over from the Nazis couldn’t have cared less, and in most cases, the Jews were just sent pack ing. But even the current government wasn’t exactly bending over backward to set things right.

There were dozens of wizened old sur vivors, living across the world, who de manded such-and-such building or factory.

Even when they had proof, which was rare (the Nazis hadn’t bothered preserving Jew ish property deeds), the Polish government wasn’t very interested in helping. It was too complicated, too expensive. And, really, who cared? Yes, the property had once belonged to them. But the past was the past. Every one in Poland had suffered through Nazism. Restitution wasn’t going to happen.

Personally, Lucjan felt it was wrong. But he was a pragmatist. He knew public opin ion was against the Jews, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had his job, which was to make a small effort to find the owners of property, and arrange things so it

probably wouldn’t work out in the end. They did it all the time.

But now someone had stolen the man uscript. Lucjan didn’t think the book was worth much, though you never knew with these Jewish collectors. He wasn’t worried about losing the city money. On the other hand, the theft was bad public ity. Frankly, any publicity was bad when it came to Holocaust relics, but this would be worse. And it had been stolen on Luc jan’s watch! That was a problem. It might even have been his fault.

What had happened was this: Friday morning, he’d just begun working when he received a call from a police station in Wrocław. His fool of a brother had gotten arrested again, this time for smuggling drugs.

“You are in big trouble, Filip,” he hissed into the phone.

“Oh, really?” Filip said heatedly. “What a surprise! Did you think I called you for your zurek recipe? Come over and get me out of here!”

Sitting in his cushioned seat in Lodz City Hall, Lucjan gritted his teeth. “What am I supposed to do, exactly?” He pounded the table. “I’m a city clerk, not the Komen dant policji!”

“Lucky, I —”

“Don’t call me that!” Lucjan snapped. His brother thought it was funny, giv ing him the nickname of some Ameri can gangster from the ‘30s. Ha-ha. From what Lucjan had heard (admittedly not much), the only thing he and Lucky Lu ciano had in common was the sound of their names.

“Lucjan, I’m in trouble,” Filip begged.

“I said that already,” Lucjan answered curtly. “Now, I have a lot of work to do, so you’d better —”

“It’ll break Mama’s heart,” Filip said quietly.

Lucjan sat and fumed. He hated that Filip had, once again, put him into this situation. “What do you expect me to do?!”

“Just come and help me. Use some connections or something, I dunno. Just get over here!”

Lucjan raged. He yelled. He called his brother names. And finally, he dropped everything on a busy morning to drive two hours and fifteen minutes out to his brother.

He told no one where he was going. Lucjan was too embarrassed. Why did

Filip keep doing these idiotic things?! And why did he always have to call Luc jan to bail him out? Why couldn’t he call those loser friends of his?

After hours spent talking to various officials, begging, cajoling and calling in Lucjan’s very limited supply of favors, Filip was sent home with a stern warn ing, all charges dropped.

But this was the last time Lucjan would help. He felt humiliated, sub-hu man. Besides, he’d used up all of his cur rency. It was over.

“You hear me?” he demanded as he dropped Filip off at a friend’s house. “There better be no more trouble. Done!”

“There won’t be,” Filip assured him. “I’m turning over a new leaf, Lucky.”

“Don’t call me that!” Lucjan growled.

“Sorry.” Filip smiled. “Honestly, there

not the manuscript was found.

I should never have answered the phone, he thought to himself bitterly. When Filip calls, it’s nothing but trouble.

* * * * *

“So you came here for what? Emotion al support?”

Izzy sighed. “You asked me that al ready.” The initial shock had begun to wear off, and with it his sense of being off-guard. Plus, once they’d told him the manuscript had been stolen, Izzy felt calmer. After all, he knew he hadn’t taken the manuscript. It wasn’t like they could find it in his things or trick him into a confession. All he needed to do was wait. They’d be free eventually.

“Zach’s a friend. The manuscript be

won’t be any trouble. I’ll go work at a gro cery store or something. I’m going hon est. I promise.”

“Good, because I’m never doing this for you again,” Lucjan snarled.

Then he got into his car and made the long journey home, uncomfortably aware that both he and his brother’s parting words were probably lies.

It wasn’t until the next morning, when he came in to work on a Saturday (grumble, grumble) to make up for lost time, that he realized he’d left his office unlocked for a whole day.

It was probably fine, he’d left it un locked before, though never for this long. Just to be safe, he checked to see if any thing was out of place. And that’s how he found out he was in trouble.

The manuscript was gone.

That would have been bad enough if he’d done everything right. But it had been stolen immediately after Lucjan had left the office, without telling any one, and left his door unlocked

It looked bad. He spent hours with the police, answering the same ques tions over and over and hoping that he wouldn’t be arrested as a suspect. It was an exhausting weekend, made worse by the certain knowledge that his future employment depended on whether or

longs to him. I came along as a friend.” He gave the man a tired glare. “You can call that whatever you want.”

The interrogator raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Seems like a long way to travel for a friend.”

“Maybe you need better friends,” Izzy suggested with a shrug.

The policeman nodded. “You may be right. How many friends do you have?”

What? “How many fr— I dunno, a handful.”

“You ever fly around the world for them?”

“No, but this is a family thing. Lodz is where our family comes from, the man uscript is a family heirloom. This is a big deal for all of us.”

The policeman’s eyes narrowed. “So it’s a family thing now? A minute ago you said you came as a friend…”

Izzy flushed. “It’s a little of both, all right?”

“Sure you weren’t secretly hoping to get the book for yourself?”

“I wasn’t ‘secretly’ anything.” Izzy snapped. “Zach offered the manuscript to our synagogue before we even left the States. We’re very happy about it. There’s no secret here.”

“So,” the cop said with a predatory smile, “this trip wasn’t about family or

LUCJAN RAGED. HE YELLED. HE CALLED HIS BROTHER NAMES. AND FINALLY, HE DROPPED EVERYTHING ON A BUSY MORNING TO DRIVE TWO HOURS AND FIFTEEN MINUTES OUT TO HIS BROTHER.

friendship. You’re here to get the book. It’s business all the way.”

“You’re wrong,” Izzy insisted.

The cop’s smile didn’t budge. “Enlighten me.”

Izzy tried to explain, tried to get his thoughts in order. But the whole thing was too crazy, too surreal. This wasn’t like pre paring a brief for one of his attorneys. He hadn’t run through a mock trail, didn’t know where the questions were going. He was tired and hungry, none of this made sense, and he hadn’t done anything wrong to begin with, so why were these people harassing him?!

“Zach’s a good friend,” he finally mumbled. That was the honest truth, no matter what this guy tried to read into it.

“How long have you known each other?”

“Who cares?” Izzy exploded.

“Answer the question, please.”

“A week or two.” The moment he said it, he realized what the cop was getting at. But it was too late.

“Right. Two weeks and you’re — what’s that word you Ameri cans use? — besties, right?” The officer looked at him incredu lously. “You know what I’m thinking? Zach agrees to give this book to you. Maybe you convince him, maybe he’s just that kind of gullible guy.”

“That’s not—”

“And so you come here with him,” the cop interrupted, “to make sure everything goes according to plan. And then, I dunno, maybe he realizes later that it’s worth too much to give up, or maybe he’s just a little suspicious of his brand-new best friend’s motives. It’s not like he’s known you from childhood or anything, right? So maybe he says, ‘You know what? Think I’m gonna keep it for myself after all, if you don’t mind.’ And you—”

“That’s not what happened!” Izzy growled.

“And you think to yourself: What am I gonna do now?” The cop shrugged theatrically. “You’re stuck here in Poland, came all this way just for the book. Zach promised he’d give it to you. You deserve it, right? So you decide the only thing you could do is—”

“I DIDN’T STEAL THE MANUSCRIPT!” Izzy shouted across the table.

“I wouldn’t blame you,” the police officer added calmly.

“IT DIDN’T HAPPEN! ” Izzy spat. “The last thing I knew about the manuscript was when that guy Lucjan told us to come back Monday. That’s it. All I know. Okay?!”

The cop shifted position in his seat and looked Izzy in the eye. “Why weren’t you in the hotel all Saturday?”

“It’s our Sabbath,” Izzy said, rolling his eyes. “We spent it with friends.”

“More friends, and you must’ve met them so recently…” The cop was about to say more when the door opened and a woman walked in.

Izzy’s first impression was age. The woman was ancient, with deep lines etched into her face. She wore a simple black dress adorned with white lace at the shoulders. A gold chain necklace was draped across her slightly stooped shoulders.

But it was her eyes that were her most prominent feature. The woman’s faded blue eyes swept the room from under heavy white brows. They seemed to pierce Izzy’s soul.

The policeman leapt to his feet when she entered the room, standing at ramrod attention with a look of shock on his face.

“Przejmuje sprawe, dziekuje,” she said, sliding into the officer’s empty chair. She’d take it from there.

Recap: Reb Mendel leads an inspiring Seder for the Dominguez family. Meanwhile, Europe girds itself for war, and Vienna looks toward King Jan Sobieski of Poland to defend them against the Turks.

Sobieski turned to the Imperial military men who had accompanied Pentucci to Warsaw and asked them for their detailed assessment. They informed him that Sultan Mohammed IV had not wanted to attack Vienna and rouse the Christian world against him, but Kara Mustafa, his Grand Vizier, insisted on a campaign against Austria. With an enormous army of three hundred thousand men, about half of whom were fighters, he was confident he could overwhelm the defens es of the imperial capital and burst through into the heart of Europe.

Although he remained skeptical, the Sultan deferred to his Vizier’s judgment. But he expressed his lingering skepticism by handing Kara Mustafa a length of green cord and saying, “If you fail to capture Vienna, you must hang yourself with this cord.” Ever since, Kara Mustafa always wore the cord around his neck in public to demon strate his determination to achieve a glorious victory.

The Turks were dangerous and deadly, the Imperial military men concluded, and their leader was desperate. France had the most powerful army in Europe, but King Louis XIV was content to sit back and watch the Turks de stroy his enemy Austria, thinking perhaps that he could defeat the Turks later, a rather arrogant assumption. It was clear that the only reasonable hope of thwarting the Turks was a coalition led by Poland and its brilliant king.

The Austrians, commanded by the Duke of Lorraine, would number about twenty-three thousand men. The Germans, commanded by Prince Waldek, would number about twenty-eight thousand men. Another thirty-five

thousand fighters from Poland would complete a coali tion with a fighting chance, especially with Sobieski in command. If Sobieski failed to join the coalition, however, Vienna would fall, and all of Europe would lie exposed be fore the Turkish juggernaut.

* * * * *

Sobieski laced his fingers across his expansive paunch and let his large, egg-shaped head fall onto his chest. The rest of the room fell silent so as not to disturb the Polish king’s contemplation. Finally, Sobieski lifted his head.

“It takes time to assemble an army and march,” he said. “I cannot arrive in Vienna before September. Can the city hold out until then?”

“It will have to,” said Cardinal Pentucci. “Heaven help us if it doesn’t.”

“Then I will rescue Vienna,” said Sobieski. “Victory will be ours.”

* * * * *

The war clouds gathering over Vienna were far from the minds of the Dominguez family as they arrived in Hamburg for Carolina’s wedding almost two weeks before the event. The Pereira family received them as royalty, and the entire Portuguese community, which had followed the fortunes and misfortunes of the family with keen interest, received them as celebrities.

The evening after their arrival, the Pereiras gave a lav

ish reception in honor of the bride and her family. Just about everyone in both of Hamburg’s Jewish communities, Portuguese and Ashkenazic, put in an ap pearance at some time or another during the evening. The people congratulat ed both families on the forthcoming union and wished the prospective couple good fortune and many blessings. Many people expressed their condolences to the Dominguez family over the tragic demise of the illustrious Don Pedro, royal councilor and minister to the Spanish king, and also their admiration for the he roic manner in which he had faced his end.

Sebastian, tall and dark-haired, with chiseled features and the noble bear ing of a former prince, was a center of attention in his own right. The story of his hair-raising escape from Spain was widely known, and more than a few people gave him sidelong glances and speculated among themselves about his matrimo nial eligibility.

Gonzalo Sanchez had also made the trip to Hamburg, and he stood near a window with a glass of cognac in his hand and a contented smile on his face, thinking, Don Pedro would have been pleased. His family had gone through a lot, but it seemed that better times lay ahead.

Once the evening was well under way and most of the guests had been greeted and made welcome, Senor Pereira pulled Sebastian aside.

“There is someone I would like you to meet,” he said. He lowered his voice. “You know that we did not insist on your family delivering the promised dowry.”

“Yes, I do,” said Sebastian. “That was very kind of you.”

“Not really. You see, someone else provided the dowry. Not quite the full amount, but enough to satisfy our needs.”

Sebastian was baffled. “Someone else! But who? Why weren’t we told?”

“Well, at first, I thought there’d be no point in telling you, since you weren’t likely to meet him. He’s an elderly gentleman, and he lives far from Hamburg. But as it turns out, he did make the journey to attend the wedding, so I think it is only fair that I tell you about him and that you thank him personally.”

“Believe me, Senor, I am profoundly grateful to this man, whoever he is. But I don’t understand. Who is this man, and why did he do this?”

“I’ll let him answer the question. Here, let me introduce you to him.”

Senor Pereira led Sebastian to a corner of the room where a tiny man was re galing his listeners with amusing and amazing stories about his travels. The man stood out in the crowd because of his diminutive size and vivacious personality. He had a short grizzled beard, a deeply lined face and eyes that never stopped dancing. His dark waistcoat and tall dark hat identified him as an Ashkenazic Jew.

Senor Pereira waited until there was a pause in the laughter, then he tapped the tiny man on the shoulder to gain his attention.

“Herr Ringel,” he said, “this is Senor Sebastian Dominguez, the son of Don Pe dro, may he rest in peace. Senor Dominguez, this is Herr Elisha Ringel of Poznan, Poland. He was a friend of your father.”

Sebastian extended his hand. Elisha Ringel grasped it in both of his hands and shook it vigorously.

“I will leave you two together,” said Snñor Pereira. “I must go see to my other guests.”

“We will manage, Senor Pereira,” said Elisha. “Thank you.”

Senor Pereira bowed courteously and walked away.

“Herr Ringel,” said Sebastian, “on behalf of my mother, my sister and my en tire family, I want to express —”

“Just wait a minute, young man. Two things. First of all, I was going to tell you to call me Elisha, but then I changed my mind. I’m almost seventy years old, and I don’t think it would be appropriate. But Herr Ringel sounds like someone else.

BUT I DON’T UNDERSTAND. WHO IS THIS MAN, AND WHY DID HE DO THIS?”

So why don’t you call me Reb Eli sha? It’s —”

“I know that one,” said Sebas tian. “That’s what I call Rabbi Strasbourg.”

“Reb Mendel?”

“That’s right. Anyway, Reb Eli sha, as I was saying —”

“That’s the other thing I was going to say to you. Thank-you speeches make me uncomfortable. So you’re welcome, and let’s move on. Senor Pereira told me he was going to tell you, and I didn’t ob ject. After all, the Talmud says that if you do someone a good turn you should let him know about it. So now you know about it, and we can move on.”

Sebastian nodded. “Fine. A sim ple thank you, and all the rest is understood. And now, can you tell me who you are and why you did this wonderful thing?”

“I found your father on a beach in France after he had been wounded in a sea battle with pi rates. He was close to death, but I nursed him back to health. Then I brought him to the home of my good friend Rabbi Shlomo Stras bourg in the city of Pulichev in Po land. Your father and I spent a lot of time together, and we became good friends. He was a great man, a truly extraordinary man. He also spoke of you often. I could see that he was really proud of you … may I call you Sebastian?”

“Please do.”

“When your father died, I felt terrible sorrow, and I was deter mined to do something for his family in his holy memory. I have made and lost fortunes in my life, but I have made many more than I have lost. My children are grown and are successful in business. My money will eventually go to them, and I’m sure they will put it to good use, but as long as I am alive, I intend to enjoy it. So I made inquiries and found out what your family needed most at that time. And I have to tell you that very few things I’ve done with my money have given me as much pleasure as this that I’ve done for your fam ily. It is I that should be thanking you profusely. But I don’t believe in

long thank-you speeches.”

“Thanks accepted,” said Se bastian with a smile. “You’re wel come. And speaking of thanks, there’s something else for which I’m grateful to you. My father felt that those two years he spent with the elder Rabbi Strasbourg in Po land were the best years of his life. Those years transformed him, and although he didn’t live too long af terward, they were a very precious gift. Thank you. I only wish I could thank Rabbi Strasbourg in person as well.”

“Yes, he would have enjoyed meeting you. He actually consid ered coming to Hamburg for the wedding, but he is even older than I am; can you imagine such a thing? It would have been too difficult a journey considering that he and his wife are also going to Vienna to see their son and his family. They’ve just moved to Vienna, as you surely know.”

“Yes.”

“But me, I’m still spry enough to travel about,” said Elisha. “I’ve been doing it all my life, so I guess it’s easier for me than for other people. I can fall asleep in an oxcart rid ing over a rutted track. Not many people can do that. Anyway, as I was saying, I can still travel, and I’m going on to Vienna from here. I can convey your thank you to Rabbi Strasbourg. Since it will undoubt edly be a short thank you, it won’t weigh me down on the road.”

Sebastian gave Elisha a specula tive look. “Wait a minute. You say you’re going to meet Rabbi Shlomo Strasbourg in Vienna?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Would you mind if I traveled along with you?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sebastian. You are under the pro tection of the French king, and you should stay in his domains. There’s a small risk even in a quick trip to Hamburg, but for your sister’s wed ding, I suppose it may be justified. But Vienna? In the heart of the Austrian Empire? If you’re recog nized, you’ll be arrested and sent back to Spain.”

To be continued…

THE SUPPER TABLE

BY: LEAH STERN PHOTOGRAPHY BY: C. TARKIELTAUB

Dinners on chilly evenings are gener ally cozy and structured. Kids are happy to be indoors and eager to actually sit at the table and enjoy a meal. That’s why it’s simpler to feed a nourishing meal during this season.

RUSSIAN

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RUSSIAN BORSCHT

When Reb Eliezer Nannes, the author of Subbota (a famous memoir), was finally released after spending twenty torturous years in Siberia, he emigrated to Eretz Yisroel with his wife. My great-aunt had the zechus to cook for the elderly couple, who introduced her to this hearty and refreshing soup made with vegetables that were available in frigid Russia. This has become a favorite in our home as well as in our photographer’s!

INGREDIENTS

2 T.oil

1 largeonion,chopped

3 beets

2 smallcarrots

1 lb.shreddedcabbage(or1turnipand abunchofkohlrabi)

12 cupswater

1 (6oz.)cantomatopaste

2 T.seasalt

1 T.lemonjuice

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in an 8-quart pot. Add the chopped onion.

2. Peel and shred the beets and carrots. Add these to the pot, and continue to saute for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Add the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil.

4. Lower the flame to a gentle simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN

This chicken is enhanced by warm spices and chickpeas — a super flavorful dish!

INGREDIENTS

1 mediumonion

3 garliccloves

1 plumtomato

1 tsp.paprika

½–1 tsp.cumin

½ tsp.blackpepper

¼ tsp.mustardpowderor½tsp. preparedmustard

½ tsp.sugar

1 tsp.oil

4 T.plus1tsp.water

4 chickenbottoms

1–1½ cupscookedchickpeas

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Dice the onion, garlic and tomato, and spread them in a lined 9x13” pan.

3. Combine the next five ingredients with 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon water to form a paste, and rub it into the chicken.

4. Place the chicken, skin side up, in the pan, and top with the chickpeas and 4 tablespoons of water.

5. Bake, covered, for 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes.

SQUASH AND POTATO BAKE

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SQUASH AND POTATO BAKE

Cubed spuds and squashes blend together in this warm comfort food. You can add a splash of cayenne pepper if you enjoy the heat.

INGREDIENTS

1 onion,diced

¼ cupoil

3 largeredpotatoes

2 sweetpotatoes

1 zucchini

1 yellowsquash

Saltandpepper,totaste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Place the onions and oil into a lined 9x13” pan, and saute in the oven for 15 minutes.

3. Peel and dice the vegetables.

4. Mix the vegetables and onions with salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Cover and bake for 1 hour and 30 min utes.

6. Remove the cover and bake for another 15 minutes to allow the vegetables to crisp, if desired.

by: NESANEL YOEL SAFRAN

HEAR THE WORDS “OVERWEIGHT” OR “OVERSIZE,” WE PULL IN OUR STOMACHS AND CRINGE. BUT NOT ONLY YIDDEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH BEING OVERWEIGHT; IT’S ALSO AN ISSUE FOR TRUCKS.

PROBABLY THINKING, “AREN’T ALL TRUCKS HEAVY? WHAT ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO, GO ON A LOW-OCTANE DIET?” TRUE ENOUGH! BUT EVEN IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD OF TRUCKS, SOME ARE EXTRA BIG AND HEAVY, WITH SPECIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS. THESE ARE THE TRUCKS YOU MAY SEE HAULING MOBILE HOMES OR CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT.

WHAT SIZE IS OVERSIZE?

How big is too big? While there can be differ ences that vary by state, a truck is generally consid ered oversize if it, or its load, is wider than 8.5 feet or taller than 13.5 feet. As far as weight, the federal weight limit for trucks is 80,000 pounds. (The first state to implement a weight law was Maine, which set a limit of 18,000 pounds in 1918. I guess they’ve adjusted for inflation since then.)

Those weight limits apply when the truck’s weight is spread evenly along its length. What if most of that weight is in the truck’s front or back? That’s where “maximum axle weight” comes in.

An axle is a rod or shaft that rotates the parallel

WHEN MANY OF US (MYSELF INCLUDED)

wheels on both sides of the vehicle, and supports the weight of the vehicle. Your car probably has two ax les, one for the front wheels and another for the two back wheels. For trucks, the maximum weight per axle is 20,000 pounds on a single axle, and 34,000 pounds on two consecutive axles. A load that ex ceeds the per-axle limit is considered overweight, even if it doesn’t exceed the overall weight limit.

Are you wondering why trucks have size and weight limits? Oversize loads are a hazard to road ways as well as to traffic. If a truck — or its load — is too high, it can hit a bridge or some other overhead structure, getting the truck stuck underneath or even bringing down the bridge.

Also, roads and bridges can only handle so much weight and stress. When a truck is over the weight limit, it poses a greater risk of bridge collapse or damage. In addition, repeated heavy weight on the roads can create potholes and other issues that lead to costly, more frequent repair.

WEIGH STATIONS

You’ve likely seen signs along the highway for weigh stations, and maybe you’ve asked yourself, “What in the world are weigh sta tions?”

A weigh station is a location off the highway where officials weigh vehicles. The Department of Transportation, Department of Motor Vehicles, or highway pa trols are in charge of these. Along

side the actual scale is a scale house, or office, in which the official reads the weight. Truckers often refer to these weigh stations as “chicken coops.”

Originally, weigh stations were a method of collecting taxes, but now they focus on a truck’s weight mainly for safety purpos es.

In many states, any ve hicle over 10,000 pounds must stop at a weigh sta tion. Weigh stations are equipped with truck scales. Some of these are weigh-in-motion (WIM) scales, which permit the trucks to continue mov ing while being weighed, while older scales require the trucks to stop. Signal lights indicate whether the driver should pull over for additional inspection or return to the highway.

Trucks chosen for in spection are generally those that fail the weight test. Others are done at random intervals. (Per haps this is to avoid “pro

filing”? At least they’re not asked to take off their wheels.)

A typical inspection includes check ing all paperwork, such as a driver’s li cense, permits and so on. The officials also search for any illegal or hazard

ous materials. Inspectors check vari ous parts of the vehicle, as well, such as seatbelts, coupling devices that connect the various sections of the truck, brakes, tires, rims, hubcaps, exhaust and fuel systems, emergency exits, electrical

cables, frame, lights (head lights, brakelights, taillights), securement of cargo, steering mechanisms, safe loading, suspension, windshield wip ers, and turn signals.

Additionally, many offi cials use portable scales, al lowing weigh stations to be set up at any point. These in clude temporary checkpoints on isolated roads often used by trucks, which are set up to discourage drivers who are trying to avoid the scales at fixed locations.

(These “checkups” remind me of the annual checkups I’d get as a kid, which also always featured a weigh station, followed by a lecture from my pe diatrician that I had to lose weight. I have to admit his admonitions would have carried more weight had he not been popping out of his shirt buttons.)

ON THE ROAD

Despite all this, bigger and heavier loads often need to be trans ported by truck. Some examples include large construction equip ment (such as cranes), pre-built homes, large containers, bridge beams, generators, windmill propellers and industrial equipment.

To get a permit to haul extra-heavy or oversize loads, trucks must fulfill certain conditions. For instance, if the extra-large item they are carrying could be reasonably disassembled into smaller pieces and carried in several smaller loads, they might be required to do so.

Extra-wide shipments generally require travel escorts, or “pilot vehicles.” The role of a travel escort is to warn the truck drivers of special circumstances, such as accidents, construction zones, bridg es, low wires, traffic jams, and other hazards that require careful driving. They also alert the public to the presence of an oversize ve hicle.

THE FIRST STATE TO IMPLEMENT A WEIGHT LAW WAS MAINE, WHICH SET A LIMIT OF 18,000 POUNDS IN 1918. I GUESS THEY’VE ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION SINCE THEN.

Special markings, such as flags or lights, may be also re quired. Typically, red flags and amber lights are required for oversize loads to ensure visibility to other traffic. Travel es corts are often also required to have flags and/or lights.

Additionally, oversize vehicles may be allowed to travel only during certain hours. In most states, they may be on the road only from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, Monday through Friday.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Obviously, it’s not easy to be a driver for one of these over size trucks. Besides all the rules and annoying weigh stations, driving any big truck is dangerous. When an oversize load is added to the mix, the risks are exponentially increased. Driv

ing these, whether across long or short distances, is difficult and stressful.

But people do it. And some love it.

According to The Fun Times Guide, one driver of an overweight truck ex plained, “The reason I got into this line of work is because I love driving trucks and operating heavy machinery. I live on the East Coast, but I spend most of my time away from home. It can take up to seven or eight days to travel across the country — depending on the width, weight and height of the load. But I enjoy being on the road. I like to think of my job not as a job but like being paid a wage to see my country.”

Whether you’re commuting, vacation ing or just running errands, chances are oversize specialty ve hicles will, at least occasionally, be part of the scene — which ever route you take.

While you can enjoy the novelty of seeing these oversize trucks, you should also employ proper caution. Do not swerve in front of a truck or cause the driver to come to a sudden stop. It can take up to the length of a football field for a large truck to come to a complete stop. An 80,000-pound truck going 65 mph can take a full 300 feet to come to a stop after hitting the brakes. And if, chas v’shalom, there’s a crash — it won’t be the truck that takes the brunt of it. You must drive among these trucks with caution, with courtesy… and defensively.

Nonetheless, we should be grateful for the heavy trucks that help bring us all the products we need and want — and maybe even for all goodies that make us almost as overweight as they are.

Nesanel Yoel Safran is a writer, chef and student of Torah and life. You can read about all of this and more on his blog Soul Foodie (soulfoodiecom.wordpress.com) and contact him at soulfoodie613@ gmail.com.

by: MARGIE PENSAK

“You bought that house?” This was the chorused reaction I got at work when two co-workers who live in my neighbor hood discovered which house we had purchased. They proceeded to tell me their personal stories of how the crane that had plopped a modular four-bedroom, three-bathroom house atop the existing house provided hours of free entertainment for their young children. For us, a double-sized house meant we could host our grown children and families comfortably, especially for Shabbosos and Yamim Tovim.

Monsey View

After living in our semi-modular home for about a year, my curiosity was piqued. What is a modular home, and how is it produced? How can you tour one, prior to purchase? Is it more afford able than a traditional “stick home”? Here’s what I discovered.

The Modular Build and Transportation Process

A modular home is built in a massive, climatecontrolled factory, section by section. These hous es are assembled according to the International Residential Code (IRC), which requires compli ance with all state and local building regulation standards for quality and safety.

After they are fully fabricated, the sections of the modular home are transported to the build ing site, via flatbed trucks, railcars, semi-trailers, or helicopters, depending on where you live. The delivery usually includes all of the necessary ma terials, such as steel framing, exterior siding, roof ing, windows and doors. Once assembled, the construction process of a modular home is exactly like the conventional home building process: util ities are hooked up to it, the interior is fitted with appliances, and cabinetry, prefab countertops, and flooring are added. Depending on where you live, modular homes can take anywhere from six weeks to four months to deliver.

Prefab homes are set on a permanent foun dation, as are site-built homes. With the use of cranes, the sections of the modular home are as sembled on a poured foundation. For our home, the additional top floor guest rooms were plopped atop the former roof by the crane, after the ground level additions were in place.

Location,

Location, Location

Although you can visit a modular display in person, it can often be challenging and time-con suming to visit multiple manufactured home re tailers. Instead, cutting-edge 3D virtual modularhome tours enable you to explore any floor plan and view every portion of the house with a full 360-degree vantage point. Modular homes are 100% customizable; floor plans can be upgraded and modified according to your taste.

Let’s say you’ve decided to purchase a modular home. Now what?

First, choose a location. You need to own the land before the house is constructed, so start shopping for an empty parcel of land to put your

house on. Consider more than just the surrounding area, to avoid spending more than you must. What are the zoning reg ulations of the property? Will city/town ordinances allow you to build the kind of structure you want? Is the property pro tected by any environmental restrictions that would prevent you from building there? Does anyone else have rights to the property? Does soil contamination make the property unfit for residential use?

You should also find out what your property taxes will be. Keep in mind that it will be much more expensive to connect your home to utilities if it is in a remote location.

Top 8 benefits of modular homes

Modular homes are built in a factory setting away from weather impacts.

Quality control is easier, and material or labor shortages are not an issue.

Resale value depends on location and curb appeal, just like stick homes.

Construction is typically of is high quality.

Windows and insulation are energy efficient.

Speed of development can be quick, once foundation is poured and utility services are connected.

Modular homes are typically 15% less ex pensive than stick-built homes.

Manufacturers sometimes offer home financing or construction loans.

A Sunroom or Another Bedroom?

Next, assess your needs — present and future — in decid ing the number and size of rooms. Knowing your style prefer ences will make it easier to shop around for the modular home builder who’s right for you. Lots of different companies build modular houses; do some research to find one that offers quality construction and the style you are seeking, at a price that fits your budget.

Top 10 AREAS OF DIFFICULTY

Finding land with proper zoning for prefabricated houses

Site preparation and foundation construction to specifica tion

The added cost of utilities, foundation, landscaping and the like

Difficulty with financing, in some cases

Errors appearing only after delivery

Limited customization options

Making changes once fabrication has started

Evaluating transportation costs from the factory to the site

Assessing potential transportation damage to the prefab components

The public perception that modular buildings are less de sirable and of lower quality

It is important to ask what is not included to know how much your home will really cost you. Depending on the man ufacturer, the list price of the house may not include every thing you need to construct it. For example, you may need to pay a separate company to pour the foundation for your home; to have utilities like electricity, natural gas and sewer lines hooked up to your house; to have a septic system installed; to have basic mechanics like electrical, plumbing and HVAC. There may also be a charge for delivering the modular house to your site.

Although you must choose a specific model when you buy a modular home, the floor plans can often be customized ac cording to your specific needs. If you’d like to add a garage or a second floor to your house, or move walls around inside so you have a larger kitchen, ask your builder if customization of your house is possible and, if so, how expensive customiza

tions typically are. Some kinds of custom ization require engineer approval and may be significantly more expensive. Once the building process begins, you may not be able to request any changes.

Also, ask the builder about upgrades — changes to the materials that are used to fin ish the construction. Which are available and how much will they cost? Are you limited to specific materials, or are you able to shop for your own from anywhere?

Paying Through the Roof?

Financing a modular home is a bit dif ferent from financing a traditional house; you need to buy the land and pay the modular home builder in full before the construction is complete. If you don’t have the cash to pay for it upfront, you will need to apply for a construction loan — a short-term loan that provides the money needed to pay for the construction of your house.

After the house is built, you can switch to a traditional mortgage. Incidentally, since modular homes do not depre ciate — unlike manufactured homes — getting a loan from a bank should not be an issue. Many banks offer construction loans with great rates, and some modular building compa nies conveniently offer their own financing. Either way, you must find out if the loan will be automatically converted into a mortgage, or if you will need to apply for a new mortgage after the home is built — which typically means additional fees.

Finding a General Contractor

Since modular home builders often do not provide an on-site construction service, you must either hire a general contractor to complete the building pro cess, or act as your own general contrac tor. The general contractor manages the building of the foundation, arranges for services and utilities to be installed, takes care of landscaping, and more. Modular home construction poses unique construction challenges, so it is essential to hire a general contrac tor who has a lot of experience working with modular homes. It is advisable to request bids from at least three general contractors to compare prices and check their references. If the price seems un usually low, be wary.

Sit Back and Wait

Modular building time is typically much shorter than that of a tradition ally built house. Since a large amount of the construction is done in a factory, weather delays are uncommon. Still, delays for one reason or another do oc cur, so it’s best to have flexible living ar rangements.

The Bottom Line

According to an updated May 2022 Home Advisor article, the average cost to build a modular home is $240,000, or $180,000 to $360,000. Building a modu lar home costs $100 to $200 per square foot, plus the cost of land and any ad ditional fees. An 1,800-square-foot modular home typically costs between $180,000 and $360,000, or $270,000 on average. In comparison, the cost to build a custom home runs from $350,000 to more than $1 million.

For our family, however, the real bot tom line is that our modular home af fords us the opportunity to spend qual ity time together, whether on Shabbos or Yom Tov, and during the week… and there’s just so many nooks and crannies that hide-and-seek became the favorite game!

If you’ve ever had construction done, the idea of a prefab home being delivered and assembled on your property sounds too good to be true—not unlike the Ikea bedroom set that you were certain would take minutes to put together but ended up costing you a Sunday, a pair of pants, a gash on your arm, and a handyman to come complete it.

So we set out to speak with a heimish family whose house was prefabricated, delivered on trailers and pieced together like Magna-Tiles, with all the neighborhood kids gawking at the peculiar construction project. Ruchy Braun, a well-known name in the Monsey construction scene, gave us a few minutes of her busy time to discuss the experience and share what she learned in the process.

by: Y. BLOOMING

WHY DID YOU GO THE UNCONVENTIONAL ROUTE OF CONSTRUCTING A MODULAR HOME?

In one word: speed. We wanted to move into our home as quickly as possi ble, and by building such a home, I knew we could be done in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take. Not only is the actual construction incredibly efficient, but in a village like Spring Valley where it can take months to secure the necessary permits, these ready-to-go plans can be stamped and approved in mere days.

DID IT WORK OUT AS EXPECTED?

If you’re referring strictly to how long it took to complete, the answer is yes. But in regard to the project as a whole, there was a lot we had to contend with that turned out to be a real drag.

LIKE WHAT?

Well, you have to remember that these homes are not designed for heimish families, balebatish or not. Just think of the lights, mirrors, vanities, faucets, closet shelves, moldings and other cosmetic items that have to be changed. Then there are real issues, such as the air conditioning not being strong enough to host seudos in the dining room, the ceiling being too low, and so on.

DOES THE HOME LOOK DIFFERENT TO AN UNTRAINED EYE, OR DO PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA IT’S A PREFAB HOME?

You can’t tell. Once it’s done, it’s just another home on the block. I should add that we have since sold the house to another Jewish family, and they love it.

HOW ABOUT THE QUALITY AND STURDINESS OF THESE STRUCTURES? ARE THEY INFERIOR TO STICK-BUILT (REGULAR ON-SITE, FROM THE GROUND UP) CONSTRUCTIONS?

Not at all. On the contrary; built in factories using tough adhesives and commercial-grade material, these homes can be even stronger. In fact, one of the reasons it was so difficult to change anything inside the house was precisely because everything is built to last as is.

I can’t say so, once you include the costs of all those changes I mentioned. Yes, the house itself is cheaper, but not enough to offset what it will cost you to bring down specialists for every little modification.

HOW WAS THE HOME DELIVERED AND ASSEMBLED ON YOUR PROPERTY?

It came on several trailers, each carrying one portion of the house. In all, the home was made of three sections across its length. The walls where the pieces connect are, of course, much thicker than interior walls in regular houses. So we had to get creative in keeping the flow of the home in a way that makes it feel like a regular house.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND MODULAR HOMES TO OTHERS?

It really depends on what their priorities are. I know a fam ily that lost their home in a devastating fire and needed to get back into a new home without delay. For them, the option of going with a modular home was a huge relief. The same may apply for people building a summer home or an Airbnb where they don’t particularly care about all the little details, as it’s not their primary residence.

WHAT OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WOULD GO INTO THIS DECISION?

Time is number one, but no two situations are alike. I’ll give you one example that can affect this decision. When you pur chase a modular home, you can also buy ready-made founda tion walls. These walls are eight feet deep, which means you’ll

have a basement of that depth. In the village of Spring Valley, a basement with a height of eight feet counts towards the total FAR (Floor Area Ratio), and the house is assessed for tax and other purposes with the additional basement square footage included. That can make a real bottom-line difference and must be taken into account.

I should also mention that not every property or time of year is suitable for such a project. Among other factors, there needs to be clear access for the trailers with no low-hanging wires; local ordinances must allow it; and it can’t rain before or after the home is delivered and assembled. I once had a project where the homes were already being delivered, and I had to frantically find a parking lot to hold these trailers to wait out a passing storm.

IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY, HAVE YOU YOURSELF GONE BACK TO THE WELL AND BUILT MORE SUCH HOMES SINCE?

Yes, when circumstances demanded it. For example, we built a project offering rental units for low-income workers. With such an investment, you really want to start bringing in rents without delay, and the tenants just want a roof over their heads. We built it quickly and the tenants moved in in no time.

DO THESE HOMES INDEED COME READY TO MOVE IN ON DAY ONE, IF DESIRED?

Absolutely. Like, it even has the finishing touches on the outside vinyl. Although that does mean that if you build a deck or add a window, you’re going to have to pay a professional to redo that area. It can be a double-edged sword.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IF THEY EVER START SELLING PREFAB INTERVIEWS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

FROM A STRICTLY FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, DOES BUILDING SUCH A HOME END UP COSTING LESS?

WEEK TWO

DAILY CHORES, LITTLE HELPERS

The air is charged. Major deals are being brokered, and the table is laden with a festive spread and valuable prizes. It’s the biweekly Wednesday meeting in the dining room of Family K.

The CEO (aka Mom) presides at the head of the conference table (aka dining room table) with a spreadsheet (a sheet of loose-leaf paper).

It’s after a dairy Wednesday supper, so the spread usually consists of ice cream, chocolate and/or cheesecake, plus some small prizes from the dollar store. It’s a small tradeoff for two weeks of diligent work.

After the assessments, the children receive their bonuses, commission and salary, based on per formance and consistency, bearing in mind when someone went that extra mile or cut corners and took a shortcut.

It’s also a special family bonding time. Bedtime

as told to: CHANIE SPIRA by FAIGY K.

is fifteen minutes later than usual, and the chil dren glow with accomplishment and satisfaction. Of course, the meeting starts only after the daily chores are done.

“It all started at an extremely hectic time in my life,” Faigy K. says. “I looked around the house one night as all the kids were having a blast outside.”

“After a full day of summer activities, cooking supper and caring for the children,” Faigy says, “The house was a mess. Backpacks littered the foyer, the swimming stuff comfortably rotting inside (hey, I had told the kids to put them in the laundry room).

Random art projects completed by messy little hands were on the playroom table, and I didn’t dare throw anything out. The baby was not lying docile in the crib — and it was all on me.

“My options were a live-in housekeeper, a vaca tion or a robot,” Faigy says. “Or my children could simply help out more. But I didn’t want the nagging kind of help where you feel like saying mochel tovos as kids halfheartedly take a ketchup bottle off the table while acting as if you are treating them like medieval slaves. And I had long realized that as a mother, any thing could be accomplished — if it’s done right.”

So this mother called a family meeting, with all the works.

SKILL 2:

DAILY CHORES, LITTLE HELPERS Getting Children on Board

To get children on board in your home, the first step is calling that family meeting. During the meeting, it is important not to give off vibes of helplessness. We’re not coming from a place of desperation (me — des perate?). Children loathe when the mother acts weak, and they feel insecure knowing their mothers have difficulty with the daily work. They also know that if they press the right buttons, you’ll give in. Rather, the tone of the meeting should be “teamwork!”

WHERE TO CONDUCT A FAMILY MEETING:

Use a somewhat formal setting. The dining room works best for us.

WHO IS INVITED TO THE MEETING?

Anyone old enough to tackle a mess, from age four and up.

WHAT SHOULD BE SAID AT THE MEETING?

Don’t say anything; have a list of prepared questions, and ask!

Who enjoys bringing a friend home when the house is nice and clean?

Almost unanimous yesses (especially from the girls). Who enjoys waking up to packed lunches and a clean kitchen?

Raised hands, again.

Being that we’re all part of this family that appreciates cleanliness, we are all committed to making it work! Do you enjoy being nagged?

No.

Do you enjoy knowing that your job is done for the day? Yes.

So we will make that happen!

HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

Explain to your children how a business runs with ex ecutives and employees with payment and bonuses. Ex plained that as a family with [fill in the blank] members, every member plays a role, and as a team, we rock!

Also explain that fifteen minutes times four kids, for in stance, is an hour’s worth of help. That means a mother who has more time for them!

Then ask them to list the benefits of having a daily job. Answers might be: feeling accomplished, learning a new

skill, and so on.

Have a list of jobs on little papers so the children can choose what they like best.

For example:

Playroom

Kitchen table, floor Hallway floor and couch Foyer and bathrooms

If this works for your family, the kids can choose the job they prefer. In my family, no one wanted the playroom, so we instituted a rotation starting from the oldest in the family.

WHEN TO GAUGE SUCCESS

Close the first meeting after setting a date for the following week. The followup meeting will serve as reward time and job switchover time. If the kids want to keep their job, that’s great. If not, now is the time to switch. No switching happens between meetings.

For the first two months, a weekly meeting will be needed to reward, gently guide and rotate jobs. After that, biweekly meetings should work well. Set your kids up for success during the meeting. You can give little hints, like how to clean a glass tabletop, place chairs around the table, turn off/on dimmers or lights, and so on.

WHY CHILDREN LIKE THE SYSTEM

Children love the sta bility of a neat house.

Children also like knowing what’s ex pected of them and how long it will take.

And they like being rewarded! Soon you will find that the fam ily meetings are the highlight of the week.

THE REWARDS

Rewards vary accord ing to family dynam

ics and preference. When the kids are very young, you can start with chocolate and dollar-store prizes. This way, you can give out chocolate squares according to how well they did it.

POTENTIAL SNAGS

Lack of consistency — on mom’s part.

Sometimes it’s just easier to do the chores on your own. But don’t. The secret is to push through two months consistently, until your children will remind you about upcoming meetings. It’s worth it.

Grumbling.

Yup, the kvetching that goes something like, “It’s not fair! Only we have to help.”

Ignore it, and let go. At the next meeting, they’ll see it in the rewards. Just simply state, without emotion, “Enjoy your cheesecake! I can’t wait to give you the ice cream, too, next time, after you help with a smile.”

Children slacking off.

It’ll happen, because we all slack off sometimes. Helping them out, or giving them a one-time legit vacation day, can work wonders.

LOOKING BACK

For the past two years, we have rarely missed a Wednesday meet ing. I’ve added jobs, changed jobs and scrapped jobs as the dynamics changed. For example, as soon as children grow older, you can add jobs such as bathing a toddler, washing dairy dishes, doing a load of laundry, and the like.

Mostly, have confidence in your team of helpers! Roll up your sleeves and go for it!

PCS AGUDATH ISRAEL/ FDU MASTERS IN ACCOUNTING COURSE SERVING NY AND NJ STARTING SOON

In anticipation of their upcoming accounting course, PCS spoke to Gabriel Cooper, an alumnus from 2015. For more informa tion about this course contact: Chaya@nj.pcsjobs.org or 732905-9700 ext 630

Q: Can you tell us about your current position? How did the PCS accounting course prepare you?

A: I am an Asset Manager at White Eagle Property Group. I serve as a liaison between property owners and management companies to ensure that the properties are following the business plans that the owners set forth when they purchased the properties. I am also on top of the properties on a week- to- week basis to make sure that everything is performing as optimally as possible.

Basically, I work for property owners to make sure that the property management teams are working financially efficiently- not only operationally efficiently.

I’ve taken over properties where the owners had little accounting knowledge and therefore made decisions that seemed to have made sense; but in reality these decisions were hurting their bot tom line.

The PCS accounting course gave me a financial base so that when I make decisions for my business- and for these properties- they are not only operatically sound, but financially sound as well.

Q: Please tell us about PCS/FDU M.S. in Accounting Course:

A: This program enabled me to get a great degree in a good environ ment. This degree helped differentiate myself; it gave me an edge over other job seekers.

This was a fast way to get a degree, with committed teachers, who gave me strong knowledge to succeed at what I do.

Q: Can you tell us about the current job market? How did PCS help you find your first job?

A: I definitely had a lot of opportunities. My first job in real estate accounting was recommended to me by one of my professors. I got my current position from a fellow PCS student, so basically I owe my life to PCS.

Q: For who would recommend the field of accounting?

A: Aside for accountants, I would recommend this course to anyone that owns a business, or wants to run a business on a senior level. Anyone making decisions about running a company needs to understand the financial components of accounting.

Everything in real estate is financial based; if you don’t have that knowledge you are so far behind.

Even though I don’t work as an accountant, I still use almost all the courses that I took on a day-to-day basis, such as financial account ing, cost accounting and audit.

I know a lot of graduates of the PCS/FDU M.S. accounting course that do regional management and asset management. They are successful at what they do, because of their strong education.

This course is great for anyone that wants to have anything to do with business. In my case, it helped me get where I needed to go very quickly.

Semi-truck. Tractor-trailer. Eighteen-wheeler. No matter what you call them, you’ve certainly seen them. They’re those gigantic trucks that are largely responsible for keeping our stores stocked by moving inventory around town and across the country. They, and the people who drive them, are extremely important to modern-day life.

The First Super-Sized Truck

It was back in 1898 that Alexander Winton of the Winton Motor Carriage Company was faced with a dilemma: He was the proud seller of his first 22 vehicles… and yet, he had to figure out how to move those motors! If he were to drive brandnew cars to their purchasers hundreds of miles away, they’d be getting used vehicles that had suffered wear and tear on the journey. That wasn’t acceptable to him, and so he invented the first semi-truck to transport his cars. The concept was great, and the era of trucking began!

But What Do YOU Call It?

Most of America refers to those big trucks as semi-trucks, while those on the East Coast favor the term “tractor-trailer.” Down South it’s commonly called an eighteen-wheeler, though the vehicles don’t always have eighteen wheels…

Let’s get a little more specific: A semi-trailer is officially the motorless back end of the whole kit and caboodle, while the semi-truck is the motorized part that pulls the semi-trailer. A tractor-trailer describes the combined unit that’s ready to roll. But yeah, call it whatever you want; we all know what you mean.

By: Ruchy Reese

How Big Are They?

average, semi-trucks in the United States are around

On the Road

• Truck driving is a huge industry, making up nearly 6% of the entire U.S. workforce!

feet wide, 13.5 feet tall and weigh up to 80,000 pounds.

feet long,

• Long-distance truckers can drive, on average, about 500 miles a day, and they spend almost 300 days a year on the road! It’s a lonely job, keeping them away from family and friends for days to weeks at a time. For this reason, many truckers bring a pet along with them for company.

• The industry has an extremely high turnover rate because of the physical, mental and emotional stresses of the job. Nearly 90% of new truckers don’t last beyond a year!

• Ever wonder why semi-trucks seem to bumble along, going slower than everyone else on the highway? It’s not just because there is a conscientious driver on the road who’s aware of the powerful machine he’s operating… Nope. There’s an even better reason: He’s simply incapable of speeding! Truck engines owned by companies are generally programmed to be incapable of going faster than 62 miles an hour. This may be for safety reasons, but it’s more likely a way to save the company money. The difference between driving 75 mph and 65 mph is a 27% difference in fuel usage!

• When driving, be careful to give semi-trucks wide berth, for due to their heavy weight, it takes them 40% longer to stop than it takes a car.

Catching a Snooze

Where do people who spend so much time on the road sleep every night? On the road, of course! The cab of the semi-truck often features a little compartment right behind the driver’s seat. Some cabs have nothing more than a little bed, but others are fully equipped with a kitchenette and shower. Many truckers choose to buy their own cabs and customize them according to their tastes, making themselves a little home away from home. Customized cabs can run anywhere from $55,000 to $250,000, or more.

Rest Stops

You’ve likely seen semi-trucks lined up along rest areas on the highway. The truckers are either catching up on sleep, eating something, or taking a shower in the rest area. That’s right. Most trucks don’t come with showers, so rest areas offer showers for rent.

These rest areas come very much in handy because, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, drivers are required to take a ten-hour break after driving for eleven hours. This was instituted to reduce the risk of a driver falling asleep on the road. Likewise, after working for 70 hours, drivers are required to take a 34-hour break before their next shift.

Getting Hired

While some truck drivers opt to work for trucking companies, some choose to go the owner-operator route and be their own boss. To find work, they bid on jobs offered by hiring companies. They can choose which jobs they want to accept based on the departure and destination, as well as pay per mile. The average yearly salary for a long-haul driver was $52,240 in 2021.

Walmart is one company that hires its own in-house drivers and is touted as one of the best places for truckers to work. Walmart operates a fleet of 12,000 drivers and offers a starting salary of $95,000 to $111,000!

Hey, Kids!

If you pass a semi-truck, pump your fist up and down while making eye contact with the driver.

If you’re lucky, the driver might just honor you with a mammoth honk!

HMPH! WHAT COULD YOU

THAT

RACHEL,

OBSERVE! A

A LITTLE

WALNUT. DELICIOUS. NUTRITIOUS. BITE-SIZED!

YOSEF,

REALLY DON’T THINK —

ATTEMPTS

YOSEF

RANSOM

KLEIN illustration:

YARHI

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO, YOSEF?!

THE LUNCHLAUNCHER MINI!

Hint: Each Boggle board hides a word of nine letters or more!

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Gather round the table to play a family game of Boggle, using this Boggle board.

2. Once you have a winner, fill out the form below in its entirety

3. Email the form to comments@ themonseyview.com or fax to 845600-8483 by Sunday at midnight.

4. Two winners will be drawn each week, each of whom will win a pas trami sandwich and a can of soda!

PLAYING RULES:

Find words on the board containing four letters or more. Letters of a word must be connected in a chain (each letter should be adjacent to the next either vertically, horizontally or diago nally), and each letter can only be used once in a given word.

The following are not allowed in Boggle:

Adding “s” to a word

Abbreviations

Acronyms

Proper nouns

Contractions

POINTS

4-letter words: 2 points | 5-letter words: 3 points | 6-letter words: 5 points | 7-letter words: 7 points | 8-letter words: 9 points | 9+ letters: 12 points

KA

G T

IZ F R

LH G M C O D

name:

Full mailing address:

Full name of winner:

Full names of competing players:

S

RN BD U

E W

of points:

some words only the winner found:

The longest word found on the board:

new word you learned from the board:

complete forms will be entered into the drawing.

BOGGLE WINNERS

WINNER 1

Family name: Breuer, 845-xxx-1237

Name of winner: Tzippy

Amount of points: 84

Names of competing players: C.L.

Some words only the winner found: mile, polly, seed, weed

The longest word found on the board: selling

A new word learned from the board: ploy

WINNER 2

Family name: Dear, 845-xxx-1643

Name of winner: Mommy

Amount of points: 89

Names of competing players: Yehudah

Some words only the winner found: camel, deli, oldest, selling, yelling

The longest word found on the board: calming

A new word learned from the board: quell

Last week’s bonus word: EUCALYPTUS

To claim your prize, tear out this sheet (on which your name appears) and bring it in to Nussy’s Cuisine.

A $5 credit was issued at Toys4U on the account

the

OF THE $5 GIFT CARDS AT TOYS4U!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEN WINNERS

Yitty Roth, 10, Klausenburg

Leah Margolies, 7, Bais Rochel

Faigy Teitelbaum, 7, Satmar

Wolpin,

Bais

Pinni Berger, 6, Skvere

Kay,

Viznitz

Bruchy Beck, 6, BCH

Rosenberg,

By: Faigy Jacobowitz

Send your colored page to The Monsey View to enter a drawing for a chance to have your artwork featured in our pages and win $5 at Toys4U! Ten lucky winners will be announced each week!

enter the raffle, email your colored page to comments@themonseyview.com, or mail it to 365 Route 59, Suite 239, Airmont, NY 10952. Submissions will be included in the drawing only if all information is filled in.

Feel free to photocopy this coloring page for the entire family.

Talent Show

Where every entry is a winner!

Bruchie Zwiebel, 10, Satmar

Avrum Chaim Breuer

Raizy Katz, 5

Yossi Gertner

Bodansky

Hershy Ciment, 6

Zeldy Ungar, Grade 4 Avrumy Braun

Chaim Heller

Yiddy and Menachem Lederman

59,

239,

NY 10952.

Shaya Kraus

Frimy Wertheimer, 6

Singing event by the Slavita kids

Shlomie Twerski

Yehuda Leib and Dovid Rabinowitz

Zisha and Usher Zelig Horowitz

Shaya’le Kornbluh

Family Frank

Classifieds for sale

FOR SALE

RESTAURANT FOR SALE

Local Monsey Working Restaurant for sale. Call or text +18453934516 Email: Monseyrestaurnt@gmail. com

DOONA STROLLER

Doona Stroller, multiple colors avail.cll/txt 1-201-6144045

NEOCATE/BABY FORMULA

Neocate $46.99 per can. Kendamil $38.99. Similac L’Mehadrin $28.99!! We also buy off any extra formula for a good price. Call for other types of formulas. Formula Trade 347.369.4886

JOOLZ HUB PLUS

Black, brand new in box. Selling for $590, in store $730.00. 8455385693

IRENE WIG

New irene wig dark brown, 11” long for sale call or text 8452907785

FOR SALE

Friedrich window a/c 6000btu, Amana top load washing machine 4 yrs old, LG electric dryer 1 yr old-like new. Call 845-352-8277/845304-6850.

MUTSY STROLLER SALE

Brand new, Mutsy EVO strollers (not travel). SaleOnly $100! (Regular $400). Many satisfied customers already. For more info/pics Text/call - 845-521-6871

DRESSER FOR SALE

Beautiful 3 door Italian dresser with mirror for sale. High sheen mahogany. Brand new condition. Best offer, pictures available, txt only 8457460486

CHINA CLOSET

China closet in brand new condition. Only $2500, Originally $4,200. Due to moving. 929-383-1070

MASTER BEDROOM

Master Bedroom set for sale. AA condition. Has glass top and 48” headboards. Please call 845-425-4337

real estate

KORG KEYBOARD

Korg i3 2020 model for sale. Used, and in beautiful condition. Asking $350. This model does not have speakers. Retail price is $650.

REAL ESTATE

APT FOR RENT

Newly renovated apt avail immed : 2 bedrooms: stunning bathroom: spacious kitchen: quartz counters; fancy lights: elegant flooring: Spacious Storage Shed: Very big backyard. TEXT ONLY. (917)830-6341

SPACE FOR RENT

Newly renovated large room for rent; has private entrance w/ kitchenette & bathroom, size 22/15. Suitable for office or playgroup / babysitting. Location: College, Dolson Rd. area. Call 845-290-6033

2 BEDROOM APT

2 Bedroom apartment available for rent Viola 306 area $2,300 monthly including utilities. 845.371.1756- Leave a Msg

APT FOR RENT

2.5 bedroom apt for rent in Sophia area please text 646-864-8638 avaliable immediately

CONCORD RENTAL

4 bedroom house in concord area fully furnished weekly or monthly or short term rental. Please call or text 646864-8638

HOME SALE

Get Professional photos of you home to sell in today’s lucrative market. Starting at just $400! RK@RAFIKOE. COM WWW.RAFIKOE.COM 845-659-8642

AVAILABLE IN MONTEBELLO

Private single family home. 5 bedrooms. 5 minutes from Shul. Available for 3/6 months. Contact 347.356.0511

SPACE FOR RENT

Raw basement around 800 SQ feet available for rent in Airmont. Please call 347-6614968

Classifieds

FOR RENT

4 bedroom house in Cameo Ridge area available immediately.845-274-0803

HELP WANTED

SEEKING NANNY

Looking Mother’s Helper/ nanny Pomona for 18+ female. W2. Familiar with gentle parenting modality.Caring for 3 children, cooking,tidying up,bathing,playtime. Flexible hours:845-558-9566

BABYSITTING OPPORTUNITY

Riverdale group looking for babysitter. Fantastic package. 732 – 515 -1862

BOOKKEEPING ASSISTANT

Seeking female bookkeeping assistant. eturnheim@ bikurcholim.org

PRESCHOOL ASSISTANT

Preschool in Monsey looking for assistant. Great atmoshpere and Great pay! Call/text 845-476-1305

TEACHING POSITIONS

Yeshiva Spring Valley (boys) of Monsey is now accepting resumes for the General Studies department for September 2022 - ‘23 School Year. Following Positions available: • Lower Elementary School Teacher (M-TH 12:45-4:00); • Title1

English Language Arts (ELA) Teacher • Teacher’s Assistants (M-TH 12:45-4:00)

Teaching experience a must. Professional atmosphere and competitive salary. Please include references and email to gss@yeshivaspringvalley. org or FAX to 845-356-8551

JOIN US

Looking for capable, warm, & dedicated assistant teachers to work with master teachers. Please call 845-270-8796 or email your resume to pfriedland@chedermonsey. org.

BAS MIKROH

Bas Mikroh Daycare is seeking a Nursery morning assistant and a permanent sub. Please email resume to hr@basmikroh.org

BAS MIKROH

is seeking qualified staff to join our dynamic, talented team: Hebrew and English Permanent Substitutes, Co-Teachers and assistants. Please email resume to hr@ basmikroh.org Bas Mikroh has an on-site daycare for Staff children.

OFFICE ASSISTANT

A fast growing company in the Monsey area is looking to hire a female worker to do Secretary work. For more details, please send your resume to hr@ visioncustomization.com

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY!

Local property Management Company is looking for a f/t secretary. office Experience required. Great environment, Great pay. Please email resume to rcmanageoffice@gmail.com

JOBS AVAILABLE

Part-time & Full-time jobs available. Email TopPartTimeJobs@ gmail.com

wanted

OFFICE POSITION

Office in Monsey is seeking a capable individual for an open position within the finance department. Great opportunity with potential, good pay and Heimish environment. Please email resume to chaimm@ easterndrayage.com

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE

- $100K+

Are you good at sales? Do you have a passion to help people? We have a flexible schedule career opportunity where you can earn $100k+ annually.

TopCareerNY@gmail. com

JOIN YBH

Yeshiva Bais Hachinuch is looking to hire a: • 6th Grade Science/SS teacher (40 min/day; Mon-Thu) • Title I Mentor/Tutor (MonThu afternoons; hours flexible) • Small class size • Positive work environment • Competitive salary. Please email resume to prapp@ baishachinuch.org

Classifieds help wanted N

JOB OPPORTUNITY

We Are Hiring! IT & Cybersecurity company in Monsey looking to have Admin Assistant, Project Manager Assistant, Marketing Manager Assistant, and Technicians join our team! Fast-paced environment, friendly atmosphere, and competitive pay and bonuses. Send your resume to hr@itconinc.com

EVENING RECEPTIONIST

Seeking to fill an Evening receptionist and medical billing position. Great working environment. Please email your resume and specify which job you’re applying for. HR@ daaswellness.com

CUSTOMER SERVICE REP

Insurance company seeking Customer Service Rep.

Well paid position with excellent potential for growth. Office experience and insurance knowledge a plus but not required. Please email resume to rlevine@ highviewnational.com.

SECRETARY

Full-time secretarial position available in the Monsey area. Must have good phone skills and able to multi task. Great pay! Email: Monseyjob10901@gmail.com

SECRETARY WANTED

Sheitel macher company is looking for a coordinator/ secretary. For more details pls call 845-662-3004

SEEKING SECRETARY

Experienced bookkeeper/ executive assistant wanted for local real estate office understanding of basic accounting & bookkeeping, A/P, A/R, Knowledge in QB & Excel. Flexible hours and well paid. Submit your resume to rpiliving@gmail.com

OFFICE POSITION

Local Women’s office is looking to hire a full time secretary. Office experience preferred. Great pay for the right candidate. Please Call 845-205 -0910 or Email: monseyhire@gmail.com.

WE’RE HIRING!

Join our team! We are looking to fill a FT office position (Light bookkeeping, phone operator, secretarial work). Email jobs@okgtech.com

FULL TIME POSITIONS

Heimishe office in Monsey looking to hire for multiple full-time positions, graduate/ entry level ok. Please email resume: sammy@ sammysconsulting.com or call 845-603-8206

IMMEDIATE HIRE

Looking for experienced secretary. P/T, may work from home. good basic computer skills and QuickBooks a must. Must be organized, solution oriented, problem solving skills. Please send Resume to: apply4job.company@gmail. com

TUTOR WANTED

Chassidishe cheder looking for a male tutor for title one. 3:30-5:30. Please call 8452637445

F/T POSITION

Full time position operating printing and finishing machines. Great benefits package. Basic computer skills a must. Willing to train. Send resume to jobs@ mailwayservices.com or for more info call 845-499-4057.

RECEPTIONIST AND DATA MANAGEMENT

Tech-based office is looking for an energetic & mature individual for client assistance and data management. Must be a quick learner, possess strong multi-tasking and interpersonal skills, and be proficient in English and Yiddish. Tech-savvy is a plus. Email tm8455384712@gmail. com, fax 845-209-3145, or leave a message at 845-3931824.

WE’RE HIRING!

Upscale jewelry store in monsey is looking to hire a part time energetic sales lady. Sunday’s included. Please email resume: jewelrypersonal@gmail.com

Classifieds help wanted

OFFICE JOB

Office in Monsey is looking for a F/T female employee with experience in Excel and QuickBooks, and is good with team managing, Great pay for the right candidate. Please send your resume to jobhiring845@gmail.com

SALESHELP WANTED

Clothing store in Monsey is looking for a motivated woman/girl for saleshelp. Pls call 845-642-7965

AIDE NEEDED

Pleasant easygoing young man needs aide to get him ready in the morning 20-30 minutes. Good pay. Must be reliable. 914-260-0893

SWIFT STAFFING

is seeking to hire additional recruiters. Part-time & Flexible hours. Email your resume to Info@ SwiftStaffingGroup.com

150+ JOB OPENINGS!

Stop wasting your time going through all the jobs classifieds. Simply email your resume to Info@ SwiftStaffingGroup.com to explore your options & maximize your career. Or Call/Text/ WhatsApp 732-800-7633

Strictly confidential & completely free.

GREAT SALES POSITION

Be Your Own Boss! “Be in business for yourself not by yourself” best training + support provided, great benefits and retirement package. Please email dglick@newyorklife.com or call 845-639-5216

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Seeking a highly motivated candidate with experience in B2B sales to generate referral partnerships for a growing company. Base of $78k plus commission. Located in Monsey area. Please email salesteamroles@gmail.com

TECHSAVV

IT company is looking to hire technicians with experience; please email your resume to hr@techsavv.com

CHEF WANTED

Looking to hire a chef for a commercial kitchen near Monsey, afternoon hours. Previous cooking experience needed. Please call 845-2932107

CDL JOB

Seeking Driver for one weekly run Thursday afternoons. Will pay well. Please call 845274-1142

EARN $500 FROM ANYWHERE!

services

Email Info@ SwiftaStaffingGroup.com or WhatsApp 732-800-7633 for their full weekly jobs list. Recommend a friend to any open job & Receive $500 once hired!

F/T OFFICE POSITION

Procurement firm in Rockland looking to fill a full time office position. Part time is an option. Candidate must have minimum of 1 year office work experience, be organized, familiar with Microsoft Office, have great communication skills, and effective time management. Experience in Quickbooks is a plus. Please send resumes to davidw@qu-pro.com

BOOKKEEPING POSITION

Monsey Insurance office on Robert Pitt Drive seeks Bookkeeper, 25-30 hours a week, experience preferred but not required. Please email resume to jobs@ trustevergreen.com

PROJECT MANAGER

Insurance company seeking Project Manager. Well paid position with excellent potential for growth. Insurance knowledge a plus but not required. Please email resume to rlevine@ highviewnational.com.

FEMALE CO-WORK

2 Desks available for rent in a shared co-working office on Robert Pitt. Females only. Amenities included. 845369-7200

POSITIONS AVAILABLE Mesikos is looking to hire caring individuals to work one on one with special needs children in a pleasant and stimulating environment. Full time & part time positions available. Send resume to info@mesikos.com / call: 845-414-9606 Ext. 1d.

GROCERY MANAGER WANTED

Full time yingerman to manage the cashier’s / orders department 8453199168

SERVICES

KEYBOARD LESSONS

Keyboard lessons By Miri. Great Prices! Call 845-4267561 or 845-263-6437

PROFESSIONAL PIANO LESSONS and music theory by Miriam Ungar. Now accepting Children’s Waiver. Please call 845.502.1971

Classifieds

NEW SERVICE

Do you have a small homebased business that you would love to grow, but dont have the funds and dont know where to start? Cheap prices for logos, ads and marketing ideas. call: 845263-0611

TORAHANYTIME.COM

On demand Torah lectures Video-Audio-download All for free Computer or App for iPhone/Android Or Hotline 718-298-2077. YiddishHebrew - English

ARROWSMITH

Is your child still in the same place after all that tutoring?Join Arrowsmith, a research based program that strengthens the brain and eliminates learning disabilities. Call Mrs Feuer 914-260-6449

MUSIC LESSONS ON THE PHONE

Mr. Wertzberger’s Music School offering music lessons on the phone, ages 9-15 boys and girls. Try it free! 718-4351923

PROFESSIONAL HAIRCUTS & STYLING Great prices. Call Miri 845426-7561

MASSAGE THERAPY

--In The Comfort of Home-*Swedish *Deep Tissue *Lymph *Craniosacral Therapy Call Sarah: 845596-1373

FLY HIGH BALLOONS

Biggest selection of balloons for all occasions in the Weiner drive area call 8454223988/ Flyhighbal@ gmail.com

הלכ בוט לזמ!

And dear yiddishe mother. Give your daughter the gift of a lifetime of happiness & תיב םולש with the marriage summit, 18 life changing classes with top marriage experts. For less than the price of a תוכרב עבש outfit, have the peace of mind knowing that your daughter has the tools, הפקשה & resources to be happily married. Call 929-286-9900 #2 or www.chanyfelberbaum. com

odds

ends

CUSTOM CLOSETS

For all your custom closets please call or text 1347.522.4872

GARTLECH

we fix knitted & crochet Gartlech & make beautiful professional fringes. We also teach how to knit & crochet. call: 917-414-3281

COACHING

Showing fathers how to bring out the best of their children. Call Berry for dual coaching -Father & child together. 406.529.3196

DEBT RELIEF having trubble with finances? join Debtors Anonymous Tuesday night @ 19 Robert Pitt # 113 , 7:30-8:30pm. visit www. debtorsanonymous.org

LOW VOLTAGE

We install Security Camares, Intercoms, Speakers, phone & internet wiring, and everything low Voltage 845664-3148

SHAIMOS PICK UPS 845-461-3084

EARPIERCING

12 years experience. Wide selection. Call/text: 845-5387986

KANGEN WATER

“Change your Water.. Change your life” Alkaline - AntiOxidant - Super Hydrating Call for FREE supply and feel AMAZING! 917-681-0003

PETTICOATS FOR RENT!

Enhance your gown with just the right petticoat! Kids and adults petticoats for rent! In the Bates area. Please Call or text between 8:30-10pm 845-746-7248

ODDS & ENDS

SEEKING DONATIONS

Of toys, arts & crafts, or supplies, in good condition, for a Heimishe Moised. Call 845.500.3100

WOODWORKING

Spacious well-equipped woodworking shop available for use. Pay on a monthly basis. Call for details 845290-5852

GOWNS

GOWN FOR RENT

Silver/Grey colored gown size 2-4 8455380391

BLACK/WHITE GOWN

Beautiful exquisite black and white gown for sale size 2 worn once call 845-548-7282

Classifieds gowns

BLACK MATERNITY GOWN Size XS gown for rent/sale. Call/text 646-334-6582

GIRLS CHASUNAH GOWN

Very Elegant, Winter White trimmed with Black Velvet, girls size 12/14 for sale. Please Call 845-709-7161.

GOLD GOWN

Adorable gold gown by Dassy available to buy or rent. Toddler size 4. Call 422-5596 for more info

MOTHER OF BRIDE

Beautiful mother of bride gown for sale. Black and white. Size 10-12. Great price. Call/text 347-760-4649.

WHITE LACE GOWN

Magnificent Rumpler size 2 for sale. White lace sister of bride. Brand new condition worn once. Call 845-4253168/929-617-2596

BLACK TAFFETA GOWN Girls black taffeta sister of the bride gown, worn once. Custom made by Dassy. Please call or text 845-5587156

GOWNS FOR SALE

Adorable white lace gowns for kids size 3-4, 8 and 10. Also available magnificent black adult gown size 14. Please call lv msg 845-263-4355

babysitting

BLUSH GOWNS

2 very elegant costum made blush girls gown sz. 12 and 14 for sale . call or text 8452907785

GOWN RENTAL

Beautiful Mac Duggal winter white, sister of the bride gown size 2-4. Call or text 3475560198

BABYSITTING

BABYSITTING

Age: Newborn babies- 6 months old. 3 babies only. Located on Calvert Drive. Hours: 9:15-3:15. Please call/ text 845-641-9009.

LOST

Lost something? Found something? The Daily Return: Call/text: 845-538-0193, Email: monseydailyreturn@gmail. com

Diamond bracelet 2nds between Decatur, Maple Ave and Paiken 718-384-6909

Diamond bracelet second day YT 347-939-9252

Diamond bracelet Oct 20 Harvest Ct shul 347-461-4938

FOUND

car seat left in a Uhaul vehicle 845-596-7213

Classifieds

Ladie’s Gold bracelet on Shuart Dr (near Bedford shortcut) Simchas Torah 845641-3052

Camera on West Central corner Melnick 845-356-2032

Citrine baby jacket size 6 months Wednesday chol hamoed at keansberg amusement park. Call/text 7189747940

Switched Catty Kin Jacket in Monroe by Hakafos XL with a Large. Please call 845-7831686

Ribbed pink pacifier clip with pink pacifier Corner Stonehouse and Francis 845263-9310

Flat biber hit in a traveling hat box Thurs before R’’H on Union Rd 347-409-6154

FREE GIVEAWAYS

kindlein,moment, kindershrift call or text 8452747508

Case of Fresh and Frozen gefilte fish rolls.Call/ext: 845213-7009

Big old 21cu freezer and carseat 845-376-3139

2 boxes of fabrics and 2 pairs ladies shoes size 7 (ARA) 845357-4580

39 inch folding bed 917232 5162

LATE ADS

HELP WANTED

Seeking a position where you will get recognition? We have Many job opportunities in Heimishe environments to choose from. Let us guide you to the right position. text: 3474219345 email: eva@ thekey2leads.com

ARIZONA KOSHER GETAWAY

Beautiful villas with heated pool on gorgeous property in Casa Grande, Arizona, available for rent. Reasonable rates! Arizonakoshergetaway@ gmail.com call/text 347-2245574

AMAZON JOB OPP

An Amazon company in Monsey is looking to hire a female, Basic Amazon Experience / Knowledge is a *MUST*. flexible hours. great pay for the right candidate. Email resume to TheDesk43@ gmail.com

STARTING ONCE AGAIN

Exciting interactive Shalom Bayis workshop. Learn powerful tips and tools to build yourself and your marriage. Many happy references. Call Sury Freund 845-356-3035

PRIVATE HOUSE

A nice private house for rent in Dead end off Keith Chestnut Ridge. Call Monsey Realty 845-376-0906

FALL PHOTOGRAPHY SPECIAL

Mini Session $50. 845-4255226

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Seeking part time secretary for local real estate company. Send resume to Muchyg1@ gmail.com

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Local behavioral office is seeking licensed social workers or MHCs for various openings. Please email your resume to hr@daaswellness. com

EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY!

Bais Yaakov School seeking First grade Assistant teacher. Superb opportunity in a great environment! Email resume to resumes@ baisyaakovelementary.org

The

enjoying

Hamoed outing at

rented

ןסערעטניא .סעסיפא לוקאה ראנרעוואג טאה רעדנוזאב ישארו ילהנמ טימ ןעגנוציז ןטלאהעגפא ךילפעה ראג יז זיא טראד ,תודסומה םילהנמ יד ןוא ,ןראוועג ןעגנאפטנע ךוזאב םעד טצונעגסיוא ןבאה םיבושחה ןענעז סאוו םיאשונ עטסנרע ןייגוצרעביא יוו ,וניתורוד ךוניח תבוטל קרפה לע דמוע טעוו יז זא טנאטאב לאמארעדיוו טאה יז ערעזנוא