Issue 380

NOT FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDS (Re: Winter: Issue 379)

I felt bad that your issue about heavy snowfall and winter fury landed on such a mild-weathered week, but I enjoyed the features nonetheless. The Q&A about snowplowing was an entertaining read! It was also truly inspiring to read about the members of Chaverim, who have our backs in every circumstance and weather. I won’t forget the ride we got many years ago to a close family wedding on the night of a blizzard with a member of Chaverim. These baalei chesed really saved the day for both the baalei simcha and the guests.

G.K.

OUR FAMILY’S PICK (Re: Drumstick Picks, Issue 379)

The drumstick recipes were so enticing that after my five-year-old perused The Monsey View (he was enamored by the pictorial of winter animals), he insisted that I make this type of chicken for supper. I tried my hand at the Hungarian-Style Southern Fried recipe. As someone who starts cooking supper later than she should, the shorter amount of cooking time tempted me. They were a real hit, and very much enjoyed by every member of the family — except, of course, my five-year-old who had asked for it.

Since my husband is sensitive to oranges, I put some water into the pan and squirted honey over the chicken for that sweetness, and it worked really well.

Thank you for your great food ideas!

Y.M.

WITH THE GUESTS IN MIND

(Re: Your Voice, Issue 379)

I do not agree with the writer of the letter titled “Not a Takeout” regarding taking home sweets from simchos. What are the cakes and miniatures there for if not for guests to enjoy? Are they there just for show so the baalas simcha can gloat over her breathtaking sweet table and take them all home at the end?

If we’re finding fault with simcha attendees, there are also those who take one bite of a pastry and leave the rest over. Would you chastise them for ruining a costly miniature at the baalas simcha’s expense?

A sweet table is prepared with the guests in mind so they can partake of the goodies and enjoy the event. Some will end up in the trash, and some will be taken home. Such things can not and should not be controlled.

Kids feel really special when their mother brings them a small treat from a simcha. I personally have such nice memories of my mother bringing home a little plate of goodies. There was such excitement over those sweet munchies, and I felt that I had been on my mother’s mind even while she was away.

Regarding what the writer wrote about towers of goodies — “I often see people heading out with plates or napkins piled high way before the simcha is over” — I’d like to say that, first of all, it’s never piled “high.” Nobody leaves with a goodies tower. These are adults, for goodness’ sake, who know how to use discretion when putting together a plate. (There are only so many items you can fit onto a plate anyhow). About “before the simcha is over”, well, yes! Ever heard of the adage “The early bird catches the worm”? That is the natural course of events. I’m sure

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the salads and kugels get emptied, too, before the simcha is over.

Finally, about the suggestion to treat those left behind by making a stop at the grocery, let’s get real. You’re not going to the grocery to buy a treat on the way home from a simcha (definitely not on Shabbos, in any case), and a brownie bar from the grocery doesn’t have the geshmak a simcha goody has.

Ultimately, if a baalas simcha doesn’t want her minis to go at the event, let her keep them in her freezer.

Having said all that, here’s a word to all the “take-outers”: As with every scenario in life, the Fifth Shulchan Aruch should always be taken into account.

Rivky S.

YOUR VOICE

ARE REFLECTORS ENOUGH?

As a young mother who walks often, I’d like to address a pressing safety concern.

In recent weeks, much awareness has been made about the importance of wearing reflectors. Residents have responded and now diligently wear them in the dark, myself included.

But reflectors aren’t enough. We need sidewalks and good street lamps on busy streets like Herrick and Decatur avenues. We need sidewalks that are clear of obstructions like electric poles and garbage cans, which make walking with a stroller or little children in tow extremely difficult or impossible.

Pedestrians have taken action by beginning to wear reflectors, but we need the town to take action as well. We need functioning sidewalks, better-lit streets, and overall safety for all pedestrians.

I sent a letter to the Town of Ramapo regarding this matter. I am sure that if others take the time to write to them as well, we can make a difference together.

May Hashem watch over all of us. N.R.

PARSHAS VAYECHI

Sustained and Satiated

When the Shevatim returned to Mitzrayim after burying Yaakov Avinu, Yosef assured his brothers that he forgave them for the troubles they had caused him. In conclusion, Yosef comforted them, “Do not fear, I will sustain you and your small children” (Bereishis 50:21).

The brothers did not ask Yosef to support or feed them; they simply wanted his forgiveness. Why did Yosef add this promise to his mechilah?

THE DAY FINALLY ARRIVED. For years, the daughter of Reb Baruch Ber Liebowitz of Kaminetz had been desperately waiting to find her zivug. As she grew older, Reb Baruch Ber felt her pain. And now, as they drank l’chaim celebrating her engagement to one of his prize talmidim in Yeshivas Kaminetz, his joy knew no bounds.

As was customary in those days, the parents of the kallah gave the new chasan a respectable engagement gift: a hat, suit and pocket watch.

Being that the chasan and kallah would not be seeing each other throughout the engagement, Reb Baruch Ber suggested that the chasan go learn in a yeshivah in a different city until the chasunah. This way, he would be able to learn undisturbed. The chasan agreed and left town.

A number of months passed, and one day, a package arrived at Reb Baruch Ber’s home. Inside were the hat, suit and pocket watch they had so excitedly given to the chasan. Along with it came a terse note in which the chasan explained that he wished to break up the engagement. Just like that. With no explanation or reasoning.

The family was shocked. There had been no warning whatsoever, and they could not imagine what had prompted this decision. But Reb Baruch Ber knew what deep grief his daughter was experiencing and did his best to pacify her, despite his personal pain.

Time passed, and one day, Reb Baruch Ber received a letter from this talmid, who had been his daughter’s chasan for some time. In his letter, the talmid wrote that he had

been offered a position of rabbanus in a small town. When the community leaders heard that he had learned in Kaminetz, they wanted to see a letter of recommendation from the Rosh Yeshivah before finalizing their decision.

This young man knew good and well that he had caused his Rosh Yeshivah untold pain, yet he mustered the courage to request the approbation so he could attain the position he so desperately wanted.

The letter awoke feelings of pain that had been lying dormant for so long. Still, Reb Baruch Ber didn’t waste a second. He took out a paper and penned a beautiful letter of recommendation. Then he called in three of his close talmidim and told them about the letter he had received.

“I wrote a letter of recommendation, as the talmid asked, but I am questioning if my personal pain comes across between the lines. I want each of you to read the letter and let me know if I should rewrite it.”

The talmidim read the letter, and each one agreed that it was completely free of any hesitation. It was a beautiful approbation!

“Teach us, Rebbi,” they begged, “How could the Rosh Yeshivah write such a beautiful letter, without even a trace of hakpadah, for a bachur who had hurt the Rosh Yeshivah in such a personal way?”

“Ever since the story happened,” Reb Baruch Ber explained, “I felt that I could not fully erase the pain. Even though I forgave the bachur right away, I felt that deep inside my heart, there was still somewhat of a hakpadah

against him. And now I was given a golden opportunity! By doing him this favor, I can now uproot those feelings and forgive him with my whole heart.”

* * * * *

Often, it becomes possible for a person to forgive another wholeheartedly only once he has the opportunity to pay the person back a favor in place of the harm he was served.

Rav Shlomo Bloch, zt”l, explains that this was Yosef’s motive. When the brothers asked for his forgiveness, Yosef found it in his heart to forgive them fully. Yet he wished to demonstrate to them that it was a truly sincere mechilah. He therefore committed to paying them back with the favor of sustenance, thereby proving that he was not just doing lip service when forgiving them; he really meant it!

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

Did You Know?

In this week’s parsha, Yaakov Avinu blessed his sons. The pasuk says, “ Vayevarech es Yosef ” (48:16). However, we know that Yaakov blessed Yosef’s sons — Menashe and Efraim — and not Yosef himself!

The Shelah Hakadosh explains that there is no greater bracha for a father than the bracha that his children should be gifted and successful. May we all be zoche!

The letter awoke feelings of pain that had been lying dormant for so long.

Triple Whammy of Respiratory Viruses Sparks Kids’ Pain Reliever Shortages

An early flu season combined with an increase in RSV cases and this winter’s resurgence of the latest strain of COVID have left store shelves bare of children’s pain relievers, with parents scrambling to find aids to alleviate their children’s symptoms.

Children’s Tylenol, Motrin, Advil and even their generic counterparts — acetaminophen and ibuprofen — are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Forbes reported that the White House has been monitoring the shortage, with COVID response coordinator Ashish Jha saying that manufacturers are actually producing a larger amount of pain relievers than in the past, but even that isn’t enough to keep up with the current demand.

“We’ve never had such an amount of people getting sick at the same time,” AltaMed Health Services pediatrician Dr. Ilan Shapiro told CBS News.

Pediatricians have counseled parents to call nearby stores in an effort to locate the medicines, and major chains, including CVS and Walgreens, have instituted purchase limits. At time of print, major retail giants like Amazon and Target have been mostly out of stock on children’s Tylenol, with the minimal availability being extremely limited or available only with close to two-months’ shipping time.

Other doctors have gone a different route, suggesting that parents try other ways to ease their children’s symptoms, including taking lukewarm baths, dressing them in lightweight clothes, keeping them well hydrated, and running a fan nearby to cool down their body temperature.

Baltimore resident Rivkie Margolis is one of many who have

been impacted by the shortage.

“It is our greatest pleasure to give our children everything they need and more,” said Margolis. “It is, therefore, with greatest distress that we ration our ibuprofen for our teething baby.”

Manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson, maker of both Tylenol and Motrin, have been running their lines around the clock in order to meet the surging demand, but researchers anticipate that the shortage could last several more weeks.

Agudah Strikes Back at New York Times With NYC Billboard Campaign

With The New York Times running yet another article last week painting the Jewish community in a negative light, Agudath Israel of America is firing back, publicly challenging the media giant on advertisements placed on prominent Manhattan billboards.

The billboards appeared late last week outside the Lincoln Tunnel and in Times Square, linking the Times’ articles to an uptick in anti-Semitic crimes in New York City.

“New York City antisemitic [sic] attacks doubled. 12 New York Times articles against Orthodox Jews in 3 months. Please stop attacking our community,” read a billboard near the Lincoln Tunnel entrance. Another Midtown billboard bore the words “Attacks on Orthodox Jews have more than doubled recently. Dear New York Times, words do break bones. Please stop attacking our community.”

The billboards are part of a new initiative by the Agudah to counter what it described as “a grossly distorted picture of our yeshivas and our way of life.” The billboards direct viewers to their newly launched website, which hopes to set the record straight on Orthodox Judaism by presenting facts that have been conspicuously absent from the articles that have appeared in The New York Times

“The misrepresentations peddled threaten our way of life. And, in the current climate, they threaten our bodily safety.”

Imported Baby Formula

Reinstates Tariff

Tariffs on imported baby formulas are back in effect, leaving parents digging

Prices To Rise as US

deeper into their wallets to cover the additional cost.

Last year’s formula factory shutdown had the United States suspending the tariffs on imported baby formulas in order to alleviate a nationwide shortage that had panicked parents driving for miles to find food for their infants. But the domestic dairy industry successfully lobbied Congress not to renew the tariff waivers in 2023, saying that since the formula crisis was abating, the time had come to reinstate the tariffs in order to ensure the continued production of domestic baby formula.

Whether or not United States manufacturers can produce an ample supply of formula remains to be seen. According to the Washington Examiner, stores began reporting baby formula shortages in December, and even those that still had formula for sale said that they had fewer brands in stock and less inventory than they had before COVID struck.

In addition to being faced with higher prices as the tariffs return, parents are having trouble finding baby formula. One mother told Boro Park 24 that Kendamil has been out of stock locally for weeks while another shopper said that he has been facing one-can limits on purchases of Similac Advance Lemehadrin.

Enfamil manufacturer Reckitt said last month that the domestic formula shortage could last until the spring.

Kids Find Loaded Handgun on Spring Valley Street

A typical morning waiting for the bus could have had a tragic outcome, as a group of boys found a loaded handgun on a Spring Valley street.

Rockland Daily reported that a mother who was waiting with her children on Twin Avenue saw one of the boys holding a gun and pointing it at the other children. She told the boy to put the gun down and called Chaverim, who contacted the Spring Valley Police Department. The gun was determined to be fully loaded, with its safety off.

Spring Valley police and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation are both looking into the incident.

This is the second time police have been called to Twin Avenue for a gun-related incident. Three police departments raced to a Twin Avenue house on December 8 after receiving reports of multiple people entering the residence with rifles. Police recovered a single BB gun that looked like a rifle from the home, and no arrests were made.

Hazardous Bicycles and Washers Recalled

Loose handlebars and faulty software are to blame for recalls involving two common items — children’s bicycles and washing machines.

A total of 147,000 Pacific Cycle kid’s 20-inch bicycles are being recalled after 23 reports were received of handlebars loosening up during use, with ten children suffering bruises and abrasions. The red-and-black Igniter and pink-and-blue Bubble Pop bicycles were sold exclusively at Target from July 2020 through September 2022 for approximately $140. Affected models bear the model numbers 2012230TG and 201231TG on the seat tube where it meets the bottom bracket.

Owners of bicycles that are part of the recall are asked to contact Pacific Cycle at 877-564-2261 or to email customerservice@pacific-cycle.com to request a free repair kit, which includes a bolt, nut, washer, grease packet and instructions.

Also recalled were 663,500 Samsung top-load washers after 51 reports of smoking, melting, overheating or fires associated with the machines were made, with three consumers

suffering smoke inhalation injuries and ten properties damaged by the faulty washers. According to Samsung, the problem is linked to a software issue, and consumers are advised not to use their washers until new software can be downloaded or the company contacted at 833-916-4555.

The recall affects Samsung washers with super-speed wash in model series WA49B, WA50B, WA51A, WA52A, WA54A and WA55A. Both the model and serial numbers can be found on a label located either inside the top lid or on the rear of the machine. The white, black, champagne and ivory-colored washers were sold at Best Buy, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe’s and other appliance stores as

well as on Samsung’s website from June 2021 through December 2022 for between $900 and $1,500.

NY Becomes First State To Provide Reimbursements for Kidney and Liver Donors

Hoping to kickstart living organ donation, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a new law into effect that will cover certain costs incurred by New Yorkers who donate a kidney or a portion of their liver to fellow Empire State residents.

Hochul signed the Living Donors Support Act on December 29, which will cover expenses, including lost wages and child care, and will educate the public about living donations. New York currently has 7,235 people in need of kidneys on its organ transplant list and ranks 49th in the United States in organ donor registration, according to the Senate sponsor of the bill, Senator Gustavo Rivera.

“Living donors, such as people who donate one kidney, deserve our gratitude and support,” said Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, who sponsored the bill in the Assembly. “We should protect them by making sure they are covered for medical expenses and lost income.”

RECAP: Lucjan forces Zach and Izzy to hand over the manuscript. Just before leaving, he tells them he will personally ensure that it never ends up in their hands.

“Y

ou went too far.” Filip sat with his arms folded and stared stonily out the window.

Lucjan’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t want to hear this.”

“Oh, no?” Filip exploded. “Well, guess what? I didn’t want to be involved in any of this! You woke me up and forced me to come with you. And it’s a good thing you did. Who figured out how to trace their rental car? Who gave you Dziadek’s old army pistol? Who explained how to pull them over on the highway?” He jammed a thumb into his own chest. “I did! You needed me because I know how to handle these things.”

Their grandfather’s pistol lay between them, jammed in the plastic storage area between the seats. Lucjan had left it in plain sight. Foolish. Filip slipped his hand into the sleeve of his coat and lifted the gun gingerly, as if it might suddenly spring to life.

A gun without a permit was a very serious thing in Poland. They’d had this one for years and years, ever since their dziadek had passed. There hadn’t been any trouble so far. But there hadn’t been any cause for trouble before; they’d never so much as

shown it to anyone in public, much less actually threatened violence with it. Now, Lucjan had actually fired the thing!

Filip was very glad he’d wiped the gun of fingerprints before giving it to his brother. If the gun was ever discovered, Lucjan’s would be the only prints on it.

After making sure the safety was on, Filip slipped it into the glove compartment before turning back to his brother.

“You don’t know how these things work, Lucjan,” he said firmly. “I’m telling you, you went too far, firing the gun into the sky. People call the policja for much less.”

“They can’t,” Lucjan reminded him. “They’d have to admit they stole the book. They’d be arrested.”

Filip shook his head. “There are some things you just don’t do.”

“Well, I did it, and it worked.” Lucjan turned and shot a fierce look at his brother. “Those Zydzi! They think they can do whatever they want! They need to learn that they’re not in charge!”

Filip stared. “Where did this come from? That Jews are always planning things, they think they can do whatever they want? When did you become a racist?”

At that, Lucjan actually laughed. “You’re a career criminal, and you’re lecturing me about prejudice?”

“I’m not a ‘career’ criminal,” Filip bristled. “I break the law sometimes. It’s not the same thing. At least I’m not racist.”

“So you’re the better man, eh?” Lucjan rolled his eyes. “At least racism isn’t against the law.” He slowed the car down and exited the highway. “And just so you know, I never had a problem with Zydzi before. When Dziadek used to rave about them, I assumed it was just his usual craziness.” Lucjan snorted softly. “You know how upset he was when the Germans lost. Forty years later, he was still whining about it.”

“I know,” Filip said. Their grandfather’s wild rages were famous. Or had been. Their dziadek was never shy about voicing any of his opinions, including his feelings toward the communist regime. Perhaps he thought his old age would protect him, that the communists would never bother coming after a frail old man. If so, he was gravely mistaken. One day, their dziadek was simply gone.

“Now I see how the Jews truly are,” Lucjan continued, navigating the car carefully through the streets. “Manipulative, calculating. Thieves. Maybe grandfather was right. He may have been crazy, but he wasn’t stupid.”

“You’re crazy,” Filip grumbled.

Lucjan smiled. “I have the book, and they don’t. That’s all I care about.”

His gaze hovered over a thickly-padded model in blue fabric. That looked about right — soft enough to fall asleep on, large enough for guests at a party. And it wasn’t too expensive. But the color was awful. Maybe they offered a choice of colors.

He was trying to find out when there was a knock at his door. He quickly hid the catalog before calling to the person to enter.

A courier walked in with a small envelope.

ports, but nothing there seemed suspicious. Then he looked at active logs of one sort or another, which was when things became interesting.

Pani Nowak had ordered traces on three cell phones. A little more digging revealed that the holders of these phones were suspects in a theft of some sort. Two had been brought to the police for questioning, then released. No further information was provided, but it didn’t look like the police were satisfied with the interviews.

FILIP WAS VERY GLAD HE’D WIPED THE GUN OF FINGERPRINTS BEFORE GIVING IT TO HIS BROTHER. IF THE GUN WAS EVER DISCOVERED, LUCJAN’S WOULD BE THE ONLY PRINTS ON IT.

“Delivery for you, sir,” he said. He held out a form. “Please sign.”

Bagdi signed the form and took the envelope, waiting until the courier left and the door was closed before slitting it open.

He skimmed the contents quickly. Marching orders from the governmental Powers That Be. He pursed his lips. This was a complicated bit of work. He’d have to coordinate with a few others to do it right, one or more of the other department heads.

He shook his head ruefully. They were his hated rivals, all of them, but sometimes it was necessary to bite the bullet and work together. They had no choice.

Bagdi frowned. Someone had ordered these people released, quietly, without any record being filed. Apparently, Richeza wanted these people tracked, but not caught.

Bagdi leaned in closer, a look of deep concentration on his pinched features.

Interesting…

* * * * *

“Pani Nowak?”

Raiza looked up from the screen and hit the intercom button. “Yes?”

“Panie Lewandowski asks if you would please step by his office at your convenience.”

Bagdi Lewandowski sat in his office and sipped absently at his tea. He was supposed to be reading a report about Russian troop movements, but he’d taken a break to look through some furniture catalogs. Bagdi had long ago gotten to a point in his career where work regulations didn’t apply to him, and he wasn’t above taking advantage of that fact.

He needed a new couch, and he couldn’t shop for it at home. Ela would just stick her nose in again. They’d end up with another of those ridiculously expensive European things, which would turn out to be hard as a rock but with considerably less charm.

No, he had to deal with these things on his own. And the only time he had alone, when he wasn’t out with a friend, was at work.

After another moment, he touched a button on his intercom.

“Tak, Panie Lewandowski?” said his secretary.

“Is Richeza Nowak in today?”

“Yes, sir. I believe she’s been here all night, actually.”

Bagdi frowned. “Really?” There wasn’t any active operation going on that he was aware of. What was the old bat up to? “Send her my compliments and ask her to step up here at her convenience, please.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you,” Bagdi said, and hung up. He opened a new window on his computer. Bagdi may have hated Richeza, but he deeply respected her abilities. Whatever she was planning, he wanted to know about it.

He started by looking at her filed re-

“Very well. I’ll be over soon. Thank you.”

She closed the connection and went back to staring worriedly at the screen. The blips representing Izzy, Zach and Lenny had been frozen in place for about ten minutes. Had their car broken down? Or had something else happened? Perhaps she should call them…

She picked up her phone and almost dropped it when it started ringing in her hand.

“Izzy!” she demanded. “You stopped driving. Why — Ribbono shel Olam!”

* * * * *

“Lucjan Kowalski,” Izzy reported to Raiza. “Loo-chi-ahn Ko — But of course you know how to pronounce it. Yeah, he works for City Hall. I don’t know what his title is.”

“Found the keys!” Lenny shouted in the distance. Izzy looked over to where he stood, knee-deep in a snow drift, one hand raised triumphant over his head.

“Back to the car,” Zach called.

Izzy climbed into the back seat and strapped in. Let Zach take the wheel for a while, he thought. Zach and Lenny probably had soaked shoes, anyway, after all that tramping through the snow. They could use the heat blowing on them. He turned his attention back to the phone.

“He left like five minutes ago. What car was he driving? I dunno, something small and blue. No idea what brand. I didn’t recognize the logo.” Outside, Lenny had tossed Zach the keys as both arrived back on the road.

Izzy thought for a bit. “It looked kinda like a weird bird. Like a wing, or something. In green… A winged arrow? Maybe. Yeah, I guess that makes sense. No, I never heard of Skoda. Could be, I guess.”

The driver’s door opened and Zach hopped in, Lenny arriving only a moment later. Zach slammed the key into the ignition.

“We’re heading to the city now.” The car shifted into gear and they leaped forward. “We just need to know where to go from there…”

* * * * *

Richeza Nowak entered Bagdi’s office with a distracted look.

“I’m afraid I can’t spare much time at the moment,” she said carefully. “Just a few minutes.”

Bagdi assumed a look of polite inquiry. “Is everything all right?”

“Everything is perfectly all right, Panie Lewandowski,” she replied with a strained smile. “I’m afraid I’m quite behind on some important paperwork; that’s all.”

Bagdi smiled inwardly. I’m sure you are, madam, he thought. What a shame you couldn’t take care of all that paperwork during your all-night vigil. But then, of course, you were too busy with your little private unauthorized operation.

Just before Pani Nowak arrived in his office, there had been further tantalizing developments. A fourth phone trace had been ordered, against an insignificant little grunt in City Hall named Lucjan Kowalski.

Pulling up the basics of Kowalski’s life, Bagdi had found nothing to link

him with the theft the others were suspected of. Not yet, anyway.

He showed her the letter he’d received, and after scanning it into his secure server, the hard copy was shredded. They discussed strategies and ideas for a few minutes, came to a decision, and then Pani Nowak left, doubtless returning to whatever underhanded game she’d been in the middle of.

But what was it?

Kowalski had a brother, a low-level criminal named Filip. Was that what this was about? Was Kowalski somehow using these thieves and/or his brother? There was an organized crime ring in Warsaw they’d been trying to penetrate. It would certainly be a feather in her cap if Nowak could manage it.

But it wasn’t authorized. If Bagdi revealed what she was doing prematurely, before she had anything to show for it, their overseers would be furious. When Bagdi discovered ex-

actly what this was all about, he would have a fantastic bit of leverage against the old fossil.

And he would find out, very soon. He was very good at ferreting out people’s secrets.

It was his job, after all.

BAGDI FROWNED. SOMEONE HAD ORDERED THESE PEOPLE RELEASED, QUIETLY, WITHOUT ANY RECORD BEING FILED. APPARENTLY, RICHEZA WANTED THESE PEOPLE TRACKED, BUT NOT CAUGHT.

STUDYING SNACKS

BY: LEAH STERN PHOTOGRAPHY BY: C. TARKIELTAUB

Weeks of midterms mean days of studying, hours of cramming… and hungry teens. Very hungry teens.

Teenagers need fuel. They don’t seem to source their energy from adequate sleep, and therefore, abundant food is essential. I remember consuming dozens of store-bought cookies with my cousin during midterm season. As a mother, I should be convincing our teens to study conscientiously (yes, you should). Still, there is a place for fun snacks to serve as an incentive to studying well. Hatzlacha to all of you!

CINNA-SPICE POPCORN

A hint of cinnamon adds warmth to this sweet and peppery popcorn. Popcorn salt is a powdered salt that can be substituted for table salt if necessary.

INGREDIENTS

⅓ cup oil

1¼ cups Sunrise popcorn seeds

2 tsp. powdered Sunrise popcorn salt

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

1½–2 tsp. cinnamon

⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper

⅛ tsp. black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat an empty, heavy-bottomed 8-quart pot over high heat.

2. Add the oil and 3 popcorn kernels, and wait to hear the kernels pop, after approximately 1 to 1½ minutes.

3. Pour in the remaining kernels, then cover the pot tightly. After one minute, lift the pot from the heat, shake it to distribute the oil and kernels, and then return the pot to the heat.

4. Allow the kernels to continue popping until you no longer hear the steady popping sound.

5. Remove the pot from the heat. Immediately transfer the popcorn to a large bowl or a large brown paper bag.

6. Combine the seasoning ingredients. Sprinkle approximately 3 tablespoons of seasoning over the popcorn. Shake well.

Variation: For regular popcorn, season with approximately 1½ to 2 teaspoons of powdered salt.

BAKED S’MORES

Melted marshmallows and chocolate sandwiched between two cookies is always a treat.

INGREDIENTS

8 soft chocolate-chip cookies or 4 graham crackers, halved Peanut butter

8 squares of dairy or pareve chocolate

12 marshmallows

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Spread a layer of peanut butter over all of the cookies.

3. Place a square of chocolate in the center of half of the cookies.

4. Top with another cookie, then marshmallows. (If the marshmallows are too large, cut them in half.)

5. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until the marshmallows are toasted.

6. To prepare in a Betty Crocker, follow the steps above, but watch the cookies carefully, as they can burn easily.

Note: Chocolate chips can be used instead of chocolate.

CARAMEL CHOCOLATE DIPPING

CARAMEL CHOCOLATE DIPPING FONDUE

Dipping pretzels and cookie sticks in hot chocolate fondue is a fun, finger-licking experience. The caramel-flavored glaze dries beautifully for a great presentation.

cup brown sugar

T. margarine

T. water

½ cup Gefen chocolate chips

sticks

fruit

1. Microwave the brown sugar, margarine and water for 1 minute. 2. Mix well, then microwave for an additional 30 seconds. 3. Mix, and microwave again for 30 more seconds. 4. Add the chocolate chips, and mix until chips are fully melted. 5. Fondue should be used to dip while warm.

IN SEARCH OF HEALTHY?

Here are some healthier snacking options in honor of my dearest mother, a bubby who loves to slice persimmons and mango for everyone’s enjoyment. She’s never too lazy to check and wash vegetables and present them to the einiklach, who consume them faster than she can replenish them. So here’s some good advice from a wise bubby: Snack healthy for better brain function!

DIRECTIONS

Arrange components on a platter. Add a dip if desired, and enjoy.

WEEK 1 OF 4

by: ROIZY WALDMAN

Primo Levi, a Holocaust survivor who wrote books about his experiences in Auschwitz, lived in the same house in Turin, Italy, his entire life. He was born there, and he died there. The only year he lived elsewhere was the one he was forced to spend in the Auschwitz and Monowitz concentration camps. “I live in my house as I live in my skin,” he once wrote. “I know more beautiful, more ample, more picturesque skins; but it would seem to me unnatural to exchange them for mine.”

As someone who came of age in Williamsburg in the 1970s and 80s, this concept of remaining in one’s hometown for an entire lifetime seems perfectly unremarkable to me. In fact, for most girls and women who lived in Williamsburg during those years, remaining in our hometown forever was the expected norm. Williamsburg was our home, our very skin. We belonged there. We fit. Every once in a while, we’d hear about a family who was moving to Monsey (and, once it was established, to Monroe), and each time, it was a source of marvel and discussion. Moving to the quiet suburbs? “How odd! How provincial! I could never!” we’d declare.

We could not, in those days, envision that a time would come when our children and grandchildren would move away from Williamsburg as a matter of course, that a move to Monsey, Lakewood, Linden, and scores of other places would merit barely a comment, except perhaps, “Baruch Hashem!” or, “Lucky them!” It seemed to us then that Williamsburg would be a part of us forever, that the land would stretch — as is said, l’havdil, for ancient Yerushalayim — to eternally accommodate us and our children and grandchildren. We would live in this place the way we lived in our skin.

Ironically, Williamsburg’s blueprint was smaller then. From Heyward Street it stretched northward to Division Avenue (with a few lone families living on South 9th Street), and from east to west it covered Marcy, Lee and Bedford avenues. And still, we didn’t dream that it would not make space for us forever.

Because the blueprint was smaller, the streets and shops were as familiar to us as our own homes. The stores — with few exceptions — were located on Lee Avenue. There was the “big” Wilhelm’s Hardware (less than half the size it is now) not officially on Lee, but overlooking it; there was the only kosher pizza shop, Goldstein’s Lee Avenue Pizza, whose aromas wafted down the avenue enticingly, especially dur-

ing the cold months of winter; the famous Tiv Tov (still located in the same spot), where each year’s Purim celebration was centered; the friendly Zipper Hospital (later called Itzkowitz Toys) where we spent our Chanukah gelt; and the store with the best homemade vanilla-coffee ice cream ever, Weiss’s Candy Store. Down the avenue were also a number of grocery stores (supermarkets did not yet exist there) and three bakeries: Kaff, Weiss and Sander’s. Although there were no supermarkets, there was a busy “market” between Wilson and Ross streets, where shop owners rented individual booths to sell their wares. From what I can remember, the booths included a relatively large fruit store, fish store, dairy store (a business model no longer used today), bakery and a dryfoods grocery.

You can tell a lot about a neighborhood by its stores. If you ever drive past one of the “Main Streets” of little towns up-

The shops of 1970s Williamsburg were equally revealing. Had you taken a stroll around the neighborhood at that time and noted the stores that merited the community’s attention, you would have easily grasped what was important to them — where they spent their money, where they spent their efforts. But even more than that, you would be able to tell where the community stood in relation to history.

The people patronizing these stores included, of course, many of the pioneers, the first generation to make their home in Williamsburg after the war. They were the Holocaust survivors, the ones who had come to this place as refugees and built a community from scratch. But in the 1970s, a new generation of adults also frequented these shops. And it was they, the new families, who were determining both which kind of shops would open and how successful they would be.

Family has always been important to Jewish communities. And certainly, for the first post-Holocaust generation, most of whom had lost part or all of their families, nothing meant as much to them as family. Indeed, in the ’50s and

state, you’ll usually see the same types of shops: a mom-andpop grocery, a hair salon, a Dairy Queen, a diner, possibly a pawn shop behind a dusty glass door. These shops pretty much reveal the social crux of these towns and what is important to their residents.

’60s, this was their main focus: finding a marriage partner, building a family, and then supporting that family. It was the only way they would survive, as a people and as a community. And the shops that sprang up in the ’50s and ’60s reflected this survival mode:

Food. You could not survive without food. And so, a number of groceries were established.

Shabbos. What was more important to those families than their Shabbos table? And so, the bakeries and stores, such as the well-known Flaum’s, were the busiest places, especially on Thursdays and Fridays.

Clothes. Clothes were as basic a necessity as food. Children had to be clothed. And so, a few dress shops opened, some for children, some for adults, and even one, “Taub’s,” that catered specifically to preteens and teens.

But the groceries and clothing shops in the 1950s and ’60s were mostly down-to-thebasics. Their focus was utilitarian and practical. Groceries carried nourishing necessities — very little kosher nosh was available then — and clothes in the few Williamsburg clothing shops were less about fashion than about

being well-priced.

Not that good pricing wasn’t of central importance to most customers in the 1970s and ’80s, too. I remember vividly the line of carriages crammed into the “lobby” of Wiesner’s Clothing on Roebling Street while the mothers trekked up the long, narrow staircase to buy all of their children’s clothing necessities. Everyone knew that Wiesner’s carried pretty much everything one needed to clothe a family, from under-

clothes and socks to basic shirts, pants and skirts, so it made sense to do your shopping there. But much more important was that you could get these items at excellent prices. And that was essential.

Still, by the ’70s, something had shifted. The postwar second generation was no longer in survival mode. The community was growing and vibrant; the budding schools, talmud torahs and yeshivahs were on more solid footing; and the streets of Williamsburg pulsated with the energy of a community that has found its place. The Williamsburg generation of the 1970s, though not quite in luxury mode, had already moved beyond survival.

This stage made way for stores like Kiddie Land, which moved from its cramped quarters on Rodney Street to a sizable space in the brand-new Bedford Gardens complex. In the new space, unlike in its original incarnation, the store was large and modern. Floorto-ceiling windows let in light, and the aisles between the racks of clothing allowed for a pleasant shopping experience. Not only did the space introduce a new form of opulence in shopping, but it also capitalized on the generation’s appreciation for brand-name labels. The ’70s and ’80s Williamsburg community held a specific place in history — removed from the war by a generation, yet still connected in spirit and mindset to their fashionconscious Hungarian ancestors. And it was this combination that made the sparking of an interest in fashion inevitable.

To be sure, Kiddie Land was not the only store to merit an active clientele. Women regularly trekked to Natan Borlam — or “Na-

than’s,” as it was generally called — in their efforts to dress their children stylishly. Fekete’s, a basement shop on Ross Street, was a popular destination, too. Furthermore, fashionable stores for women, such as Weinstock’s, Classy Fashion and S&W, also did brisk business. It was clear that Williamsburg had grown up, that it had moved beyond its orphaned beginnings.

Nowadays, Williamsburg’s shopping area has moved southward, and Lee Avenue has been replaced as the shopping epicenter by Flushing Avenue, Wallabout Street and its environs. Cramped mom-and-pop grocery stores have given way to bright supermarkets, their ample shelves bursting with more food and nosh anyone could have imagined a half-century ago. Health food stores abound. Goldstein’s Lee Avenue Pizza Shop has been replaced by a fleishig restaurant, but there are scores of other pizza shops dotting Williamsburg’s streets. Specialty chocolate stores, ice cream shops, computer stores, banks, and therapy centers are common — all of which would have

been unimaginable to those walking these streets two and three generations ago. But what has remained is the soul of Williamsburg: children, Shabbos, family. These are still the most important things to the community.

In its shops and in its heart, Williamsburg has remained true to its beginnings.

by: CHAYA SARA BEN SHACHAR

Memoir is a genre of writing that gives readers a sacred glimpse into another person’s life. Holocaust memoirs are a genre of their own, for not only do they transport readers to recent times of persecution and tribulation, but they also reveal deep wellsprings of strength and fortitude amid trying, gruesome times.

In the article below, one protagonist and several family members of authors share the background behind famous Holocaust accounts. They describe the writing process, the messages that they hoped to impart, and some of the feedback received. Read on to be inspired and uplifted.

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SILENT CHILDHOOD

(Israel Bookshop Publications) by SARAH RICHTER

conversation with MRS. SARAH RICHTER, the protagonist

Silent Childhood is the tale of Sylvia (Sarah) Laufer’s survival in turbulent times. Sylvia was four years old when her hometown of Halicz, Poland, was invaded by the Nazis. In the beginning of the book, Sylvia, her parents, her brother and a network of relatives are forced into hiding. As time goes on, Sylvia’s grandparents, father, aunts and uncles disappear, so that eventually, Sylvia finds herself alone with only her brother, her mother Mrs. Frieda Laufer-David, and their mother’s staunch emunah Through detailed prose, Sarah describes her mother’s unshakable faith and the manner in which she enabled her two very young children (ages four and six) to get through difficult circumstances.

“Part of the feedback that I received,” Mrs. Rich-

ter begins. “Is that the story isn’t just a narrative, it’s a sefer. Very important people called me after reading the story, telling me that they felt that the book should be included on the seforim bookshelf. It is a tale of emunah.”

The main impetus behind Mrs. Richter’s writing was a deep desire to pay tribute to the holy souls who gave their lives with mesirus nefesh.

“My brother and I lost grandparents, aunts and uncles,” Mrs. Richter says. “They were young and vivacious, committed to avodas Hashem. My aunts protected my mother and her children. I wanted their strength and spirit to come across in my book. These were not victims, chalilah; these were warriors who fought with yiras Shamayim.”

Mrs. Richter began writing her book in the late

‘70s, after her mother was niftar. “During her lifetime, I couldn’t touch the subject; it was too painful for us both. Facing our horrendous experience was too much. But when my mother was niftar, I felt an obligation to write about what we had endured.”

It took Mrs. Richter about two years to write her memoirs. She jotted her memories down at night, reliving the painful moments of her past. But when she was finished, she put her manuscript in a drawer… and kept it there for 30 years.

“I didn’t show the manuscript to anyone during the years that it sat in the drawer. My husband read it, but my children did not. It was probably too painful for them, and I wasn’t sure if they were ready to read about the devastation that their mother and grandmother had lived through.”

In the year 1990, Mrs. Richter and her husband traveled back to the area where she’d lived as a child. “I had clear memories, but I wanted to verify them as an adult.”

Mrs. Richter visited the shul, the area where her house was, and the famous Dniester River that featured in her memories. She and her husband also worked tirelessly to track down the non-Jewish farmer who had hidden her and her family for ten months.

“We found him during our trip and stayed in touch with him for 23 years. We wanted him to be honored as a righteous gentile, and so we did a lot of research to get the proper documents for Yad Vashem. He was honored in 1993. We also brought him to New York for a Holocaust survivors reunion.”

The years passed, and Mrs. Richter’s manuscript remained in its drawer. But then, in 2009, Mrs. Richter’s granddaughter through marriage, Malya (Frey) Richter, found the document and read it. “She was extremely inspired by it and felt that it should be published. I immediately agreed.”

The process of finding a publishing company for the manuscript was fairly simple. Israel Bookshop expressed an interest in the manuscript and was eager to publish it. “When my son asked them about their interest, they said that they had a very specific interest because the story is told from the unique perspective of a very young child.”

Mrs. Richter’s voice as she recounts her experiences is vibrant. She ends the story of her account by saying, “The message of the book is to portray tefillah, emunah and bitachon. I want to give a message to the younger generation. We all have our challenges, but tefillah, emunah and bitachon are what will always help us endure. And these days, more than ever, tzedakah and chesed are our greatest assets.”

THE YOUNGEST PARTISAN

(Artscroll/Mesorah) by RABBI ROMI COHN

A conversation with MRS. JUDY GELDZAHLER, Rabbi Cohn’s sister-in-law

The Youngest Partisan is a tale of bravery, triumph and fortitude. Romi was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded his native Czechoslovakia. The Cohn family stayed on in Czechoslovakia for a while, but it was clear that their days there were numbered, and so Romi’s parents had a smuggler take him across the border into Hungary, with the rest of the family following much later.

When the Nazis invaded Hungary, Romi crossed the border back to Slovakia, where he joined Rav Michoel Ber Weissmandl’s underground yeshivah for a while until it became clear that it was too dangerous to remain. He then arranged Christian documents for himself and others, and using his assumed identity, he joined a partisan brigade in

the mountains, where he fought the Germans until the end of the war.

“He wrote his book to let people know what the world was like at that time,” Judy says. “My brother-in-law was a strong person who accomplished much in his life. He made a very big name for himself.”

The shidduch between Rabbi Cohn and Judy’s sister Malvine started with a car ride in 1958. “We lived in Boro Park at the time, and my sister and I wanted a car ride to the country. Someone told my father about Romi, who was traveling to his home in Canada with his sister, and my father asked if my sister and I could join the ride. He drove us upstate and stopped along the way to take us all on a motorboat ride. The rest, as they say, is history.”

Romi was an active personality who was tremendously devoted to Torah and Torah learning. His devotion to limud haTorah is apparent throughout the book, and that dedication stayed with him throughout his life.

“He would wake up every morning to learn at 4:00 a.m.,” Mrs. Geldzahler says. “He started a foundation, Keren Avraham Cohen, in 1986, which paid $35,000 to two talmidei chachamim for a period of five years. The talmidei chachamim who studied under the foundation’s auspices needed to undergo rigorous testing to receive the prize money, and prize members all received excellent jobs in klei kodesh.”

When Rabbi Cohn decided to write about life in war-torn Europe and his valiant fight against the Nazis in the year 2000, his wife supported him throughout the process. “Everyone loved the book,” Judy says. “Readers of all ages, from teens to middle-aged and elderly people, contacted him after reading the book. He was happy to invite those who called to his house to answer their questions and show them a glimpse of his life.”

Rabbi Cohn’s whole life was about doing things for the klal. “He was a mohel who performed 35,000 brissim and didn’t take money for any of them. He also trained over 100 students on the condition that they, too, would take no money for their services.”

Rabbi Cohn was a successful contractor, but his life was about doing and giving. His book bears testimony to his valiant nature, and throughout his life he remained staunchly connected with his home city. He was known to say, “Ich bin a Pressburger — I am a man of Pressburg.”

When the communist regime in Czechoslovakia fell in 1991, a delegation of Jews, on a mission for Rabbi Simcha Bunim Schreiber, a descendant of the Chasam Sofer, approached Rabbi Cohn about saving the Chasam Sofer’s kever in Pressburg/Bratislava from a great lack of respect. The kever had been submerged in melting snow from the Danube River, and then a thick layer of cement had been poured on it, upon which the Nazis built train tracks.

Rabbi Cohn rose to the challenge, singlehandedly enabling the reconstruction of the kever between the years 2000 and 2002. An invitation to come to Bratislava to participate in a ceremony in appreciation for World War II heroes arrived at the opportune moment, while Rabbi Cohn was working to reconstruct the kever. He and his wife went to Pressburg for the ceremony, and during their visit, continued their work on the kever

Rabbi Cohn passed away from COVID on 28 of Adar, 2020, on his 91st birthday. His wife, Malvine, passed away a year later, also after contracting COVID. May their memories be a blessing.

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THE SCENT OF SNOWFLOWERS

(Feldheim) by MRS. RIVKA LEAH KLEIN

conversation with MRS. PERI BREIER, Rivka Leah’s daughter

The Scent of Snowflowers is the story of Rivka Leah and her husband, Yankel Klein, in Nazi-occupied Hungary. Written in flowing English, the book recounts Rivka Leah’s experiences as a newly married woman adjusting to her new life amid the sudden enemy occupation of her city. To survive the nightmare, Rivka Leah and her husband donned Christian identities, posing as non-Jews.

“My mother wrote beautifully, even as a child,” Peri begins. “Her writing was so good that the head of the school district approached her father, Rabbi Avrom Einhorn, dayan of Szombathely, about signing her up to a gymnasium. Of course, he wouldn’t send her, as doing so went against all of his prin-

ciples.”

Still, despite the veritable golden pen she was born with, Rivka Leah was not eager to recount her experiences in war-torn Europe. “My mother never talked about the Holocaust; the memories were too painful. She wrote her story because my father convinced her to do so. He felt that there was a need for their story to be told and that she was the right person to tell it. He bought her a typewriter and then a word processor, and eventually a computer. He felt it would be good for her to write about her experiences — and it was. It took her years to complete the manuscript.”

Mrs. Klein began working on her book in the 1970s. “She needed to wait until her English was good enough. She came to America as an immi-

grant with three children; it took time for her English skills to develop. And eventually, though her grammar may not have been perfect, her literary skills were excellent.”

The Scent of Snowflowers is unique in that it portrays regular life while living with this past century’s greatest atrocity. “It’s in the Library of Jewish Congress, and someone reached out to my mother about turning it into a movie and documentary. My mother decided against the offer as she didn’t want her story to become inappropriate for her children and grandchildren.”

The book was put on as a play in Bais Yaakov several times, and Mrs. Klein was invited as a speaker on numerous occasions. “My mother gave the book to Hillary Clinton as a gift at a Jewish function, and the former first lady was very excited. They took a picture together.”

In her book, Mrs. Klein describes the help offered to her and her family by a Hungarian couple, Karoly and Magda Bitter. After the war, when Hungary was overtaken by communists and anarchy reigned, the Kleins lost track of their non-Jewish saviors. But in the 1960s, after the Kleins had immigrated to America and life settled down, the couple began to search for the righteous gentiles. “My father visited the Hungarian embassy so many times to search for the Bitters that the FBI grew suspicious. They dropped their investigation quickly enough, however, when my father explained the reason for his search.”

Eventually, the Kleins found the Bitters and brought Karoly to America, where the borough president gave him an award. “They continued to stay in touch until about 40 years ago, when Karoly called my parents to tell them he was sick and dying. He asked to see ‘his children’ before he left the world. My siblings and I all flew with our parents to Hungary. Our parents showed us their house, and the concierge of their building looked at my mother and said, ‘I always knew you were Jewish.’ Either he really did know or he was lying. We visited both Karoly and his wife. It was very emotional.”

Yankel Klein passed away twenty-one years ago, and Rivka Leah passed away six years ago. The Scent of Snowflowers has a sequel called And Morning Has Come, which is about the liberation. “Reading it, though, it seems almost as if it were written by a different person. My mother was sick while writing it, and so it underwent the typical round of editing, not my mother’s golden pen.”

The literary merit of The Scent of Snowflowers is indeed tremendous, but the message of perseverance, and then growth, during trying times is priceless.

LATE SHADOWS

(CIS Publications) by RABBI MOSHE HOLTZLER

A conversation with RABBI YONAH HOLTZLER, Moshe Holtzler’s son

Late Shadows is set in Hungary, right before the Nazi invasion of the country. When the book starts out, Moshe is a young newly married man in the Hungarian army. After the Nazis invade Hungary, however, Moshe realizes that his position as a Jew in the army is a precarious one, and he escapes to his home in Budapest. There, he and his wife Sarah assume Christian identities, posing as non-Jews to survive the war.

“Late Shadows was one of the first books of its kind, published at the end of the 1980s,” Rabbi Holtzler begins. “My father had always had a knack for language, even still back in Hungary. When he and my mother immigrated to the United States in 1948, he became a professional translator and writer. Late Shadows was culled from a series of stories he’d originally written for The Jewish Press.”

In addition to writing, Moshe Holtzler was one of the founders of the Village of New Square. After arriving in America, he joined the Skverer community and was appointed by the previous Skeverer Rebbe to help establish the village.

To the Holtzler children, it was natural that their father, who had a strong love for the written word, would pen his personal story for a wider audience.

“There was a tremendous outpouring of feedback after the book was published,” Rabbi Holtzler says. “Thousands of copies were printed, and there were even schools that pulled out sections of the book and had them printed as special copies for dinners. A school in Denver had about 80,000 copies printed of a specific section of the book.”

Rabbi Yonah Holtzler and his brother Menachem Holtzler were born as triplets in

Budapest in 1946, and they traveled back there with their father after the fall of communism. “We were the first triplets born there after the war. We were written up about in all the newspapers at the time, and our parents received free housing, free household help, and free electricity from the municipal government for a year. But we didn’t stay in Budapest for long. When the communists overtook the country in 1948, we immigrated to the U.S.”

Shlomo, the third of the Holtzler triplets, passed away when he was thirteen years old, and so, when their father took his sons to Hungary on a tour of their roots, only Reb Yonah and Reb Menachem accompanied him. “We have two sisters, but the trip to Hungary was just for the menfolk of our family. We visited the school that our father attended, and we wanted to visit his childhood home, as well. Unfortunately, the non-Jews living there refused to believe that their apartment had once been our father’s home. In the end they agreed to let him into one or two of the rooms of the house, alone, while my brother and myself waited outside.”

The Holtzlers’ visit to Hungary took place after the publication of the book. In a way, it brought things full circle.

Moshe Holtzler wrote another book about Hungary during wartime, entitled Budapest ‘44 (Artscroll/Mesorah). The book, which was published in 2004, is about the efforts made by Jews and non-Jews to save Hungarian Jewry. The two books were, and still are, extremely popular reads. Though Late Shadows is no longer in print, many people still have it in their homes, and Moshe Holtzler’s children often hear from readers who were inspired by the stories.

MIRACLES

(Feldheim) The EXTRAORDINARY LIFE Of MRS. FRIEDA BASSMAN (Feldheim)

A conversation with MRS. RIVKY WASSERMAN, Mrs. Bassman’s daughter

The book Miracles is a chronicle of courage and faith. Frieda, who was brought up in Yasina (a small town in the Carpathian Mountains in Czechoslovakia), was sent with her family to the Mateszalka ghetto, and from there to the concentration camps and death march. The first half of Miracles describes the fate of Frieda’s family during the war, while the second half of the book is about the post-war era and Frieda’s immigration to Chicago and transition to “regular life.”

“From the moment I was born, I knew a book was coming,” Mrs. Wasserman says. “My mother constantly told people her story. She wanted people to know what had happened, who her parents were, and what the Germans had done.”

One of the main messages that Mrs. Bassman felt was important to relay was the message that “Der Eibershter iz azoi gut — Hashem is so good.”

“She’d say that phrase over and over again. De-

spite all the darkness and all of her losses, she was never depressed. She was upbeat, loving, active and involved.”

Mrs. Wasserman admits that her mother may have been an anomaly in that she was able to always see the bright side of things. “It was part of her makeup, and being active and involved in community, family and business definitely helped things. She was a very giving person, and when a person gives, they don’t think of themselves and their own hardships. She also had tremendous emunah and faith in Hashem’s kindness.”

Though Mrs. Bassman narrated and recounted most of her story to her children, she was not born a writer. “My father was the writer in the family, and he encouraged her to record her story. Her workplace was a 40-minute commute from our house, and she’d record her story into a tape during that time.”

Mrs. Bassman’s narrative was a work in progress

for a long time. During the years that she spoke about and recorded her story, she traveled back to Europe a number of times.

“I couldn’t join her on her trips, however,” says Mrs. Wasserman. “I didn’t want to go, and I still can’t go. My mother went back together with her brother a few times, and her brother once went back to Europe on his own to search for relatives. He went door to door, searching — and in the end, he found his niece! This was in the early 1990s.”

In Chicago, Mrs. Bassman reached out to writer and transcriber Michael Lesher about turning her taped documentary into a viable manuscript. Together they produced the beginnings of a book, at which point Mrs. Bassman approached the Tosher Rebbe for a bracha

“The Tosher Rebbe said no. He said my mother shouldn’t publish the work in her lifetime, and that her children should instead do it for her in the future. She accepted this decision completely, calling us married children and saying, ‘Kinderlach, it’s your job.’ She completely accepted the idea of having her life’s work become available to the public only after her passing.”

When their mother passed away in 2008, the Bassman siblings took the publication of their mother’s book upon themselves. “There was a lot of work. The tales that my mother had recorded were given over as stories, and we thought that a flowing narrative would work better. We approached author Malky Feig about taking on the project, and she turned it into a beautiful book.”

The behind-the-scenes work on the book took years to complete. Ultimately, editor Miriam Greenwald helped polish the final product, published by Feldheim in 2017.

“We have received an enormous amount of feedback on the book. People constantly tell me that they have received tremendous chizuk from reading it, and it is interesting that each readers shares how that they got something completely different out of the book. It is a book that talks to so many people, on so many different levels.”

The books featured in this article are but a small sampling of the stories chronicling this horrific atrocity in Jewish history. As the years march on and we move farther away from the horrors, it is incumbent upon us to remember how our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and brethren survived, and to make their triumphs become ours. Zechor, al tishkach — Remember; do not forget.

RECORDED FOR POSTERITY

A CONTEST FOR TEENS

Dear Teens,

For all of us, the Holocaust is a black, gaping hole in our nation’s history. And for so many of us, World War II and its effects are an integral part of our family’s personal history, as well.

We are products of grandparents and great-grandparents who rose from the ashes of a war that was designed to destroy them. Against all odds, they picked themselves up and rebuilt their lives in this country they called home after having lost so much.

The communities we hold dear — our schools, our shuls, life as we know it — are products of a generation determined to rebuild Yiddishkeit.

Today we have precious few survivors left. Yet we want their triumphs, the strength they displayed, the sacrifices they made — we want their stories to live on.

We, as a nation, don’t want to forget where we come from, and we don’t want to forget about the kind of strength our ancestors exhibited in the face of total devastation. We want to continue living their mission, and we want to remember.

In this contest, we invite you to write a true story that happened to one of your grandparents or great-grandparents during the Holocaust era and share it with our readers.

The story should be between 225 and 275 words long.

Poems will not be accepted.

Submissions must be typed, and emailed or faxed to comments@themonseyview.com or 845-600-8483.

Your full name, phone number, grade and school must be included.

Submission deadline: January 18.

WALKING ITS STREETS

How did Williamsburg’s streets get their names? Many roads are named after the signers of the Declaration of Independence: Rutledge, Clymer, Taylor, Wilson, Hooper, Hewes, Ros, Rodney, Penn, Heyward, Lynch, Middleton, Walton, Whyte, Lee, Harrison and so on. Keap street is named after signer Thomas McKean (misread as Keap).

Berry Street was named for the first mayor of Williamsburg (1852–1853), who died of malaria he contracted while serving as a doctor during the Civil War.

Bedford Avenue is the longest street in Brooklyn, New York, stretching 10.2 miles and 132 blocks. Bedford Avenue passes through the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, BedfordStuyvesant, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Midwood, Marine Park, and Sheepshead Bay. As late as the 1800s, it was referred to as Fourth Street.

Lorimer Street (as well as Graham Avenue) took its name after John and James Lorimer Graham, two famed real estate salesmen who were active in selling lots in the area in 1836.

Lorimer Street was initially called Gwinnett Avenue, after Button Gwinnett, another one of the Founding Fathers, and was renamed on April 23, 1901.

Havemeyer Street takes its name after the Havemeyer family, which operated the Havemeyer and Elder sugar refinery on Kent Avenue. It later became the Domino Sugar Refinery.

DID YOU SAY WILLIAMSBURGH?

Is it with or without the “h”? Most historical accounts state that the “h” was removed after Williamsburg merged with Brooklyn in April 1854. But some banks and institutions retained the historical spelling, such as the Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh, incorporated in 1864. As a result, the two spellings were used interchangeably for quite some time.

Map of the Village of Williamsburgh (1827)

FROM WOODS TO WILLIAMSBURG

In 1638, the Dutch West India Company secured a deed from the local indigenous tribe, the Lenape, for the Buswijck (meaning: neighborhood in the woods) area. Later renamed Bushwick, its range included the present-day communities of Bushwick, Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

Local farmers would gather near the Bushwick shore, also known as Grand Street, to market their produce. In 1792, Richard M. Woodhull purchased land in Williamsburgh to attract New Yorkers to suburban life. He established a horse ferry to and from Manhattan and opened a tavern. In 1800, he named the area Williamsburgh, after the former surveyor and grand-nephew to Benjamin Franklin, Col. Jonathan Williams. During the 1830s, Irish, German and Austrian capitalists established their businesses and homes here. It became a fashionable resort that attracted such notables as Commodore Vanderbilt, Williams Whitney, and railroad magnate James Fisk.

On April 14, 1827, the Village of Williamsburgh was incorporated with a population of 1,007 and a fire station, post office and shipyards.

In the 1840s, it officially separated from Bushwick and dropped the “h” from its name to reflect its rapid growth. At that time, Williamsburg was officially annexed into the city of Brooklyn, making it a part of that city’s Eastern District. It would later become a part of New York City in 1898, when Brooklyn became one of the Big Apple’s five boroughs.

By: Rifky Slomiuc

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH…

Williamsburg, Virginia, founded as the capital city of the Virginia Colony in 1699, does not share a namesake with Williamsburg, New York. The Virginian city is named in honor of England’s then reigning monarch, King William III, and celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1999.

THE BIG BUCKS

The Dime Savings Bank was built between 1906 and 1908 at Havemeyer and South 5th, following the Williamsburg Bridge’s completion in 1903. The bank was initially opened in 1864 by prominent residents to accommodate the area’s growing immigrant and low-income populations. It expanded rapidly and outgrew several locations before constructing its first headquarters on the corner of Wythe and Broadway avenues in 1873.

The significance of its name? A savings account could be opened at this bank with only a dime!

The Williamsburg Savings Bank, built between 1870 and 1875, was one of the earliest projects by renowned NYC architect George B. Post. Located at 175 Broadway Avenue, the bank was intended to serve working-class people looking to invest their money, including women and servants who lacked substantial rights. The building’s exterior was declared a NYC landmark in 1996; the interior, containing a dome with a vaulted ceiling featuring a mural of spear-shaped rays, followed suit in 1996.

Williamsburg waterfront, circa 1895

The Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh

CROSSING THAT BRIDGE

Construction on the Williamsburg Bridge, the second to cross this river, began in 1896, and the bridge opened on December 19, 1903. The building of the bridge brought thousands of Lower East Side Jews to Williamsburg. Immigrants arriving from Eastern Europe between 1900 and 1920 doubled the population. The final construction cost was $24.2 million, three times the original cost estimate! At its completion, the bridge set the record for the longest suspension bridge on earth carrying rail, trollies, carriages and pedestrians. The bridge’s span exceeded the previous record holder, the Brooklyn Bridge, by four and a half feet. Its total length is 7,308 feet, making it one of the last significant bridges designed for horse-and-carriage crossing.

AN INDUSTRIAL HUB

During the mid-1850s, Williamsburg boasted 10% of the wealth in the United States. Wealthy citizens included Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jim Fisk, who built mansions along the shore.

Some of the largest industrial firms in the nation owe their roots to Williamsburg, such as Pfizer Pharmaceuticals (1849), Astral Oil (later Standard Oil), Brooklyn Flint Glass (later Corning Ware), the Havemeyer and Elder sugar refinery (later Amstar and Domino), Esquire Shoe Polish and Dutch Mustard.

Breweries have long been a primary source of income for Williamsburg residents. As a result, Schaefer, Rheingold and Schlitz were established on the Williamsburg waterfront.

Williamsburg’s largest department store, founded in 1867, was Batterman’s. In 1881 it moved to the corner of Broadway, Graham and Flushing avenues. Henry Batterman was one of Williamsburg’s most influential citizens and president of the Broadway Bank, located next door. Batterman’s served the Williamsburg community until the end of WWI.

NOTABLE ABODES

One of the first homes built in the Williamsburg neighborhood was at the future intersection of South 4th and Bedford Avenue. It was named “Keikout” (Dutch for lookout) and was a refuge in case of Indian attacks.

The Williamsburg Houses, originally called the Ten Eyck Houses, were built between 1936 and 1938 under the auspices of the Housing Division of the Public Works Administration. The project cost an astronomical $12.5 million in 1936 and initially only allowed white residents. It was the first and most costly of New York City’s housing tenements. However, rents decreased by 50% within the first six months due to cheaper rents offered in nearby tenements. The 20 four-story residential buildings occupy twelve city blocks.

SIGHTS AND SITES

During the American Revolution (1765–1783), British forces occupying NYC moored their prison ships containing American prisoners of war in Wallabout Bay, near the Brooklyn waterfront. Otherwise known as Brooklyn Navy Yard, the yard built 160 boats, including the Civil War–era ironclad USS Monitor and historic battleships USS Arizona and USS Missouri. The Navy Yard operated for 165 years and proved to be New York City’s most significant single industrial employer until its closing in 1966. Sections of the property are now a National Historic Landmark.

Woodhull Hospital, located at 760 Broadway,

1982. The hospital, designed to have 60% of its patient rooms as private rooms, caused so much controversy that it remained structurally complete but empty and unused from 1978 until 1982. The building is so long that the inside corridors stretch nearly 700 feet. A unique feature of the hospital is a triple corridor system on the patient floors: one passage in the middle for staff and deliveries and corridors along each wall for patients.

opened in

Looking east from Leonard and Sholes streets at Williamsburg Houses

Aerial view of New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York, 1918

USS Franklin arrives at New York Navy Yard for repair of battle damage, April 1945

The traffic circle at Lee Avenue corner Taylor and Roebling Streets features a WWI cannon.

This abandoned police booth, on the corner of Lee Avenue and Keap Street/Williamsburg Street East, was built by the local community to accommodate a police presence in their midst. As part of the NYPD neighborhood watch program, the station was primarily used on Shabbos and Yom Tov.

A

CENTER OF YIDDISHKEIT

134 SOUTH 9TH STREET

It was in Williamsburg that the beginnings of Bais Yaakov High School and Teacher’s Seminary took root. Rebbetzin Kaplan, a devoted talmidah of Sarah Schenirer, began with seven girls gathered around the dining room table of her small tenement apartment at 134 South 9th Street. Battling the communist, socialist, and Zionist notions prevalent on the city streets, Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan was on a mission to perpetuate Sarah Schenirer’s legacy on the other side of the ocean.

Flaum Appetizing has been processing herring and pickles on Lee Avenue since 1935. Side note: The origin of the word “matjes” is Dutch. Translation? Young tender herring. Flaum’s has been a family tradition since 1918.

BAIS YAAKOV OF WILLIAMSBURG, 143 SOUTH 8TH STREET BUILDING

Long Island Business College erected the original building in 1890. In 1922, the college was sold and reopened as PS 166. Beth Jacob Teacher’s Seminary of America, then located at 505 Bedford Avenue, purchased it from the city in March 1943. The iconic building housed the Bais Yaakov Seminary and later the high school. The school at first was a mostly empty structure without heat and with many unused rooms. However, after WWII survivors joined the school and its dormitory, the school soon outgrew its space. The school was eventually closed as Bais Yaakov expanded into Boro Park. The building has since been converted into condominiums.

Glatt Kosher Deli, Gottlieb’s Restaurant, is at 325 Roebling Street. A Williamsburg mainstay since 1962, it was founded by Hungarian immigrant Zoltan Gottlieb.

Williamsburg trolley car, circa 1905

WHAT’S THAT?

IT’S A RUDDER, SILLY! IT STEERS THE SHIP!

YOSEF, THEY CHECK THEIR POSITION WITH NAVIGATION CHARTS!

MEANWHILE…

OH, DON’T BE SUCH A WORRYWART! I’LL JUST —

NOT THAT! THIS! WHAT’S THIS THING YOU BUILT?

RECAP: WHILE PREPARING A NEW RUDDER FOR THE SHIP, YOSEF GETS SUDDEN INSPIRATION.

SHHH! THAT’S MY SECRET NEW INVENTION. IT’LL LET US TAKE CONTROL OF THE SHIP!

WE’LL JUST TURN THE SHIP AROUND ONCE IT’S DARK. THEY WON’T EVEN REALIZE!

ARE YOU KIDDING?! OF COURSE THEY WILL!

COME ON, HELP ME GET THIS IN PLACE BEFORE THEY SEE…

OI, THERE! QUIT CHATTING AND FIX THE RUDDER ALREADY! OR WE’LL CUT THE ROPES AND LET THE FISH HAVE YOU!

YES, SIR. RIGHT AWAY, SIR!

I LOST A FEW DAYS, BUT I’M FINALLY READY. YOSEF, RACHEL, HANG IN THERE. I’M COMING FOR YOU!

by: YONAH KLEIN illustration: JACKY YARHI

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 pastrami 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 diagonally), and each letter can only be used once in a given word.

The following are not allowed in Boggle:

Adding “s” to a word • Proper nouns

• Abbreviations • Contractions • Acronyms

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

CU O I E

N O T J

G H S B D R T M P

Family name: _________________________________ Phone: __________________

Full mailing address: ____________________________________________________

Full name of winner: _________________ Amount of points: __________

Full names of competing players: __________________________________

List some words only the winner found:

The longest word found on the board: _____________________________

A new word you learned from the board: __________________________

Only complete forms will be entered into the drawing.

F Y 230 www.themonseyview.com 845.600.8484 The Monsey View January 4, 2023

BOGGLE WINNERS

WINNER 1

Family name: Schwartzman, 845-xxx-0701

Name of winner: Mommy Amount of points: 12

Names of competing players: Rivka, Peri

Some words only the winner found: coal, germ, hinge, lost, wrong

The longest word found on the board: nicer

A new word learned from the board: nome

WINNER 2

Family name: Zelinger, 845-xxx-0538

Name of winner: Alter Amount of points: 51

Names of competing players: Zeldy

Some words only the winner found: hinge, meal, once

The longest word found on the board: sermon

Last week’s bonus word: CORROSIVE

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

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!

To 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.

Classifieds

FOR SALE

HONDA ACCORD

2005 Honda accord 178k miles. $1500 call 845 263 2444

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

YOYA/BABYPRIDE

STROLLERS

Now on sale, available in beautiful colors, ASTM standards, company backed warranty. Free delivery. Please call 845-263-2737

SMALL BUSINESS FOR SALE

Looking to sell small food business. (women recommended)929-376-8739 leave message. Serious inquiries only.

RESTAURANT

Fully operational, new equipment, dine in/take out, shawarma/grill, growing community, ready to go, low price, great opportunity, call/ text 8452221272

JOOLZ HUB PLUS

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

JOOLZ AER

Brand new in box. Selling for $360.00. reg price $450.00 845.538.5693

MIMA CARRIAGE

Looking to sell Mima Carriage for excellent price, hardly used. Please call 845263-2292

FISH TANK FOR SALE

55 Gallon Saltwater Aquarium. Stand, equipment, and 2 fish included. $250 or best offer. Pick up in Chestnut Ridge. 8452907040

COUCH FOR SALE

Almost brand new black suede beautiful l couch with gold legs 5 seater selling at great price 3473516304

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

FURNITURE FOR SALE

Moving sale! Stunning Master bedroom furniture, dining room furniture, dinette set, couch, chandelier, crib, appliances; for super prices! 845-2487859

LEATHER COUCH

Great condition genuine leather brown couch (not reclining). Pls call or text 845-538-5800

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

FURNISHED APT.

Brand new furnished apt for rent Chestnut Ridge area 845-270-2946

NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Giving away High Value commercial properties in PA with big lots. Just pay transfer fee. 212-470-1708 lv msg

PRIVATE HOUSE FOR RENT

Chestnut Ridge, Raymond/ Ann area. Freshly painted and scraped. Please call 845263-6039

KJ RENTAL

Fully fixed-up beautiful above-ground 1600 SF basement for rent in Monroe, NY. Perfect for ABA Therapy Groups/Preschool/After School Clubs/Small Business. Call 347-664-6890

RARE OPPORTUNITY IN MONSEY

Private house for sale in prime location near many shuls and shopping centers. For more info please call 845499-8046

CHESTNUT RIDGE

Lease; 2,500 SF Remodeled office, Easily accessible. Cubicles, kitchen, Conference, & More. Call or Text Chaim Volvovitz at 845-535-9961. NYS Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Nova North Commercial

BUILDING FOR RENT

4000 sf building for rent in W haverstraw + 15 parking spots short term/long term, space can be divided. Call or text 845.203.1120

KOSHER VILLA IN CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA

Beautiful villas with saltwater heated pool on gorgeous property. All amenities and kitchen accessories included. Near shul & Kosher grocery. Reasonable rates! Not available up until mid February. call/text 347-2245574

Classifieds

BOCA, FL VILLAS

Multiple newly renovated kosher villas for rent in Boca Raton, FL. Please call 845275-3433

WORK / STUDIO SPACE

Looking for work / studio space in the Wesley Hills / Forshay area? Private, quiet, clean 250 square ft space available! Kitchenette, patio area, private bathroom and designated parking area. Text 845-533-3019 for more info. Available immediately!

HELP WANTED

GREAT OPPORTUNITY!

Looking for an experienced female bookkeeper. Candidate must be available full time. contact chany@ theprimestaffing.com

DRIVERS WANTED

Are you a Girl/Women looking for extra income? Part and full time driving positions available! Apply now! Text/WhatsApp or call 845-243-0787

HELP WANTED

Are you feeling stuck in your job with no room for growth or your salary is to low to pay your bills? reach out we can help you get into a company that will value your talents and compensate accordingly. 3474219345 eva@thekey2leads.com

HELP WANTED

Seeking a stimulating challenging position in a diverse environment? we have it for you, 50k salary plus transportation provided. eva@thekey2leads.com

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

LIMUDEI KODESH PRINCIPAL

Monsey Bais Yaakov elementary school looking for limudei kodesh principal for Sept. 2023. Please email resume to: schoolprincipalmonsey@ gmail.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

GREAT OPENING

Heimishe girls school seeks a devoted and passionate co-teacher to assist our elementary classroom teachers with literacy/ reading and math groups. Co-teacher will teach small groups of students, in classrooms, according to group needs. Monday through Thursday - 12:30 to 4:00, possibility for Friday. Experience preferred. Willing to train the right candidate. Please send a resume to englishdept@ bnosbinahm.org

JOBS AVAILABLE

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

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

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.

P/T BOOKKEEPER

Looking for p/t bookkeepers with experience. Office based in Spring Valley, email resume to sruly@ mintmanagementny.com

POSITION AVAILABLE

TAG Rockland is looking for an FT 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 hr@tagrockland.org, fax 845-209-3145, or leave a message at 845-393-1824.

OFFICE MANAGER

Monsey office is seeking a part time secretary to oversee and run the office, sales calls.... scheduling..... emails..... and basic office work. call or text 845-2705781

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.

Classifieds

OFFICE POSITION

Local heimish office is looking to hire a fulltime female employee. Responsible & professional communication skills. Great opportunity for the right candidate. Email your resume to: officegc12@gmail. com

ACCOUNTANT

A company in Chestnut Ridge is seeking an accountant to work full-time. Salary $80,000. Email officecrny@ gmail.com

PLAYGROUP ASSISTANT

Gan Simcha is looking for an assistant for a 2 year old playgroup for September 2023. Contact Rikki 347-9309736.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY

A busy office in the center of Monsey is seeking a female to oversee the benefit enrollments in the HR dept as well as assisting in the payroll dept. contact chany@ theprimestaffing.com

FEMALE SUPERVISOR

A busy agency is looking for a female supervisor in the HR department. contact 845502-0382

POSITION AVAILABLE

Great position available in a busy insurance company. Female position. Very heimish environment! contact 845-502-2062

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

A Heimish property management office is looking for female customer service rep/ secretary, individual must be organized, motivated, detail oriented, and needs to have a car. yiddish speaking preferred. email resume: managementnynj@gmail. com

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

A very professional company is seeking a capable individual to serve as an executive assistant to personally aid the executive. contact 845-502-2062

help wanted N

OFFICE POSITION

Back office compony located in spring valley looking to hire for multiple posiotions. Quick learner, energetic & able to multitask. Qb knowledge a plus. Please email resume 400r10952@ gmail.com

MAALOS SEMINARY AND VOCATIONAL PROGRAM

Seeking to hire a talented staff for a full-time position. A possibility for flexible hours. Fulfilling, fun, warm and pleasant environment. Call 845-659-7973 or 732691-1843

DAYCAMP DIRECTOR

Looking for an Experienced Girl’s Daycamp Director for the coming year. Great pay! Please email 2023daycamp@ gmail.com. or send fax to 8455027731.

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

FEMALE SALESLADY

A busy showroom is seeking a full time female saleslady. Very heimish environment with lots of potential! contact 845-502-0382

GREAT OPPORTUNITY!

Seeking capable individuals for HCBS coordinators. no experience needed! contact chany@theprimestaffing. com

TUTOR WANTED

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

SALES HELP WANTED

Women’s clothing store seeking sales help. Great environment, well paid. Please call 845 274 6826

Classifieds

ABA PARA

ABA Riders is looking to hire an ABA para to work with a 6 ear old boy in a mainstream classroom, beginning February. The position can be full-time/part-time or an option to sub for 6 weeks. Must have a car. Well paid. Contact Rikki 347-930-9736.

GROUP HOME DSP

SHARE 24/7 is looking for a caring, devoted and kind staff member to work with high functioning developmentally disabled young women. Overnight 2x a week from 5pm-9am. Please call 845-354-3233 ext.1112 or send resume to efeder@ chesed247.org

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

SERIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A CASE MANAGER

Earn your BA or Masters degree from a prestigious university, in CASE MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN SERVICES, from home. Yeshiva and Seminary credits accepted. FAFSA and student loans available to cover tuition. For more information please contact us at: 18182065859 or email: supershevi36@gmail.com.

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. 204

SECRETARY FT

Frum import company seeks organized, responsible and efficient individual to work in our Secaucus, NJ office, near Passaic, Teaneck, Monsey. Experience with word, excel and MS office a plus; room to grow. Great opportunity for the right applicant. Email resume : jobs@ designstyleshome.com

POLISHED RESUME

Polished resumes written by a certified copywriter, 200+ satisfied customers. Also writer for web content and letters. Proofread by a college educated editor. Resumes standard: 48 hour turnaround. Express available. Contact Sarah Menczer, ccs at thejewishwriter@gmail.com call/text 347-409-5182

CLERICAL ASSISTANT

Insurance Company seeking Underwriter Assistant. Well paid position with excellent potential for growth. Please email resume to rlevine@ highviewnational.com. Job description available upon request.

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Established luxury travel concierge hiring account managers to provide white glove service to clients. Competitive salary & benefits. Text 646-440-4485.

help wanted N

TEACHER WANTED

Looking for a teacher for our Montessori classroom. Willing to train. Please call 845-414-9606 EXT. 204

NOW HIRING!

ABA Therapist in Monsey NY. 12:30-3:30 or evening hours. Yidish Speaking preferred. Great Pay! For more details call/text 603-403-7332. Email: danielle.betesh@ appliedabc.com

ENTRY LEVEL HR

Candidate will be responsible for maintaining personnel records, managing HR documents, updating internal databases etc. Our ideal candidate must be able to work independently, be self-motivated with a focus on accuracy and be detail oriented. Full training, generous PTO, pleasant team environment, part-time, flexible hours (in office). Please send resumes to HR@ elonmgmt.com.

REAL ESTATE

Real Estate management company is looking for a full time employee for the billing department. Please call 773-365-1818 Ext. 107 or send an email to ibraun@ thechicagopm.com

RESPITE WORKER

Comfort Health of orange county is looking for a Respite worker in monsey for a young lady 4-5 times per week in the afternoon. Worker must be able to provide transportation. If interested, please call 845-774-0244 for more information.

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Administrative assistant position available in a heimish, male local e-commerce business. Stimulating work, Beginners welcome, Training Provided, Great pay and big potential for growth and other great benefits email resume: jobs845637@gmail.com

PREMIUM HEALTH IS HIRING!

Are you looking to join a great team where your analytical skills, meticulous nature, and attention to detail, will be appreciated? A full-time position (30+ hours per week) is available in our finance office, located at 365 Route 59. Experience preferred. Competitive pay and full benefits package!

Premium Health is an equal opportunity employer. Please email your resume to ebrull@ premiumhealthcenter.org

YSV - GIRLS JUNIOR HIGH TEACHER POSITION

YSV seeking a 7th grade English Language Arts teacher. Available from MidJanuary. Job requires passion for teaching and subject matter. Mondays through Thursdays 12:50pm- 4 pm. Contact Mrs. Cohen 8453561400 x 215

WEB DEVELOPER

Seeking a Magento 2 Professional Web Developer to join our team in our Airmont office. Advance knowledge of the following languages and frameworks: PHP, SQL, JavaScript, jQuery, CodeIgniter, WSDL, SOAP/ XML. Basic understanding of HTML, CSS, Bootstrap. Please email stvyc@hotmail.com

Classifieds

CHESS TEACHERS

Hiring dynamic, dedicated Chess teachers nationwide: Monsey, Brooklyn, Queens, other cities. Earn up to $70/ hr. Virtual opportunities also. Apply at ChessChevra. com

OFFICE MANAGER

Busy mortgage office seeking f/t receptionist/office manager. Must be super organized, peoples person, hardworking, computer savvy, detail oriented and outgoing. Email resume to saram@everestequity.com

EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY!

A busy service provider agency is seeking a supervisor to manage and oversee all coordinators. Must have experience with HCBS enrollments and services. contact 845-5022062

BAS MIKROH DAYCARE

Bas Mikroh Daycare is seeking a full time or morning assistant for its 1824 month group. Please email resume to hr@basmikroh. org. Join our Daycare sub list for day-to-day or weekly subbing. No commitment necessary. Call 8484594669

MALE ABA PARA

ABA Riders is looking for a male ABA para to work in a school with a 4 year old boy. Contact Yisroel 917-586-5797.

BCBA POSITION

ABA Riders is looking to hire a BCBA. Well paid! Contact Rikki 347-930-9736.

GREAT JOB OPPORTUNITY

Are you a people person? Sparks Electronics is looking for an afternoon saleslady. Great Pay. 845-585-7727 ext. 107

PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Seeking compassionate patient individual to assist clients struggling with mental health issues. Role involves hands on skill building and community integration. The right candidate will be able to promote the overall well-being of the client and encourage healing. Well Paid + Perks. Call 845-503-0488

Email sgrossman@ integratedhealthrc.org

HCBS SERVICE COORDINATOR

Excellent opportunity to work in Home Community Based Services for Chesed 24/7. Develop relationship with families and care managers. Will train. Warm, caring and welcoming female work environment. Excellent compensation. Please call 845-354-3233 ext.1120 or send resume to: kfireman@ chesed247.org

help wanted

services

TITLE 1 TUTOR

Heimishe boys cheder looking for Title 1 tutors between hours of 3:00-5:30 Male/Female to teach boys English reading. Please call 347-268-7029 or email info to tbguttman@gmail.com.

POSITION AVAILABLE

Tzedeka organization in Monsey is looking for a computer saavy female with excellent phone skills and interpersonal skills. 24 hours a week. Must know Xcel. Yiddish speaking and a car is a plus. Send resume to zipstern1@gmail.com

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Menahel is looking for an assistant to help with building maintenance, greeting talmidim and dismissal duties. Please email: menahel@ chedermonsey.org

SERVICES

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

PHOTO ALBUMS

Professional albums for all occasions at great rates. Designsbyruchy@gmail.com / 845-587-9286.

!הלכ

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

MUSIC LESSONS ON THE PHONE

Mr. Wertzberger’s Music School offering music lessons on the phone, ages 9-15 boys and girls. 718-435-1923

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

PROFESSIONAL HAIRCUTS &

STYLING

Great prices. Call Miri 845426-7561

Baby Layettes (845) 213-3646

Layettes Text 718-551-1732

Doula 845-587-1649

Labor Bag 347-604-3274

Pidyon Haben Accessories 845642-7256

Pidyon Haben 845-659-6704

Pidyon Haben Gemach 845-3563568

Formula 347-267-3640 Or 216889-3643

Neocate Formula 718-853-4090

Carseats, Bassinet & Pack N Plays. 425-1202

Carseats, Pack N Plays, Strollers, Pumps 845.425.6826

Doona Car Seat 845-445-7474

Brass Iron Bassinet 917-280-4559

Preemie Clothing 845-520-0475

The Preemie Box 845.664.5768 Or 718.688.5814

Baby Scale 845-578-5639

Baby Headphone 845 356 6797 Or 845 558 9370

Baby Scales 845-694-8985

Easy birth from Koznitzer Maggid 917-514-9461

Brissim

Bris Accessories 617-955-3630

Bris Accessories 845 425 8359

Bris Accessories 425 3873

Bris Accessories 425-6574

Bris Accessories 356-6215

Blue Light 845.425.1919

Poya and bris outfit w/ tefillos 845-425-0672

Bris outfit poya, also tefilla cards 845 3564859 Ralph area

Pillow/Benchers 845-213-0602

Knife Sharpening For Mohalim 718-384-6214

Segula Stone 347-699-6418

Preemie Outfit 845.558.7065

Krias Shema Board With Stand 425-4540

Free Mohel 347-383-5696

Simcha

Gowns 845-517- 8808

Mother & Sister Gowns 845-4267496 Or 845-352-3031.

Gown And Petticoats 347-2781278

White Dresses 845-371-1765

Floral Bisomim 845-629-2785.

Hats $25. 347-351-1604

Elegant Hats 845-517-0838. Bands & Berets 845-371-3556

Tichel 845-548-0014

Mechitza’s, Tables, Chairs Etc. Call 845-445-8015

Hot Water Urns 845-425-9211

Ear-Plugs 845-202-0105.

Toys 845-578-6513

Toys 917-538-3453.

Clics 845-352-5820

Tablecloths (845) 371 2105

Tablecloth 352-8292

Tablecloths 352-8292

Gold Chargers 845-573-9772 shelves, stands, trays & centerpieces 845-425-1721

Siddurs. Sfard: 845-608-7830

Ashkenaz: 845 352 1756 Or 845826-6718

Siddur/Chumash 558.4774

Benchers 845-642-0910 Bentchers 347-404-2204 Bechers 845-377-5671

Becher, Challah Deklich, Zemiros 845-425-0498

Coat Rack And Hangers 845-3569841

Chuppa Cards 347-278-1278

Chupah Cards 845.222.0456

Chuppah Tefillos Booklets. 845213-0602.

Wedding Kit 845-425-2036

Wedding Kit 845-371-2947

Simcha Powder Room Kit 845263-4342

Accessories Basket 845-371-6857

Children Hair Pieces 3473001679

Portable Chuppah 845-425-4790

Umbrellas 216-470-9841

Sound System 917-382-8809

Evening Bags 845-549-2929

Shmiras Halashon Cards 537-0069

Earplugs for Simchos 845-3281071

22 qt crockpots, big hot plates, big pots, perculator 8453238570

Simcha table centerpieces 8456087715

Kallah

Yom Hachuppah Cd 845-352-2560

Crowns, veils, shoes, capes 426-0767

Headpieces, Tiaras, Veils 845425-4221

White Sneakers 917-613-6579 White Shoes 845-200-0211

Kallah Hand Bouquet 845-4593567

Dress your kallah stress free. Book 1 week in advance 518-306-1167

Bridal Shower (845) 248-4218 Kallah Dresser 845-300-5767

Misc

Ribbis Question? 347-977-0628

Notary Public 347-228-8825

Fix necklines 845-238-6691

Hairstyling 845-540-3731

Hair styling 845-502-6558

Haircuts & Styling 845-352-8101/ 845-499-3218

Haircutting/Styling 845-263-7057

Haircutting & Styling 845-4225337

Hospital Supplies 746-8293

Hospital Gown 845-425-8687

Hospital Gown 845-426-4695

Hospital Gowns 845-356-5364

Medical Equipment Email Slmw50@Gmail.com

DVDS & players for Cholim/Homebound 425-2660

Simcha Maternity 845-425-1725

Maternity Coats Text only 845521-2912

Bed Rest? Laundry Help. 213-7437

Maternity Clothing 845-445-9687

Maternity Coat Text Only

8455212912

Twin Boppy Pillows (845) 445-9298

Proposal Gemach 347-277-4072

Gps & Waze 845-352-2588 (Minimal Fee)

Kosher Waze 845.587.1708

Roof Carriers 845-659-1863.

Pack N Play Sheets Included. Text: 845-216-4885

Pack n plays 845-426-1177/ 347631-8183

Beautiful nishmas cards 845729-7390

Poya (outfit, hat, booties) 845425-0672

Help-a-mom. to volunteer call 347-977-6816

Phones For Emergencies. 845213-8664

Reflectors 845-356-0815

Reflectors 347-977-6816

Feeding Supplies 845-366-6398 Mezuzos 587-4533

Natural Health Support, text 347 2287578

Moving Boxes Text (845) 641-5536

Boxes 845-425-6826 Or 845608-7830

Boxes 845-642-5286

Boxes Text (845) 641-5536

Heaters 845 362 8666

Phone Gemach 845-445-7422

Air Mattresses 9176537170

Air mattress gemach Text/WhatsApp 9087831676

DB Scale 845-540-1710

Outfit and pillow 914-715-2672

Suitcases 845-371-9121

Bike Racks 845-659-1863.

Opwdd Sd Advice Email Slfydhm@ Gmail.com

Computer Advice (862) 248-1931 Loans 347-385-1408

Moving Help packing/unpacking 845-281-5900

Pack N Plays with sheets text 845280-3470

Digital Cameras 8264062

Phone With Service 845-445-7422

Eczema Cream 845-274-7858

Single parent? Help with shopping etc. 516-203-2616

Yiddish & English Poems 845587-3018

Shabbos lamps (914) 391-3787

Lev Simcha music groups/visits 8456082676

Sefer Torah 347-598-0357

Free-shalom bayis 845-213-0602 Mezuzos 845-540-1802

Drop in babysitter - (845) 4459391

laminators & paper cutters msg 845-263-7115

Kendamil formula 914-523-0592

Zichron Eliezer mailing Gemach 845-213-5617

Hachnosas Kallah loan gemach 347-415-1525

Heimish Chicken soup 845-3523959

Costume Used or new 8455380990

Classifieds

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

CUSTOM CLOSETS

For all your custom closets please call or text 1347.522.4872

KEYBOARD LESSONS

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

SHAIMOS PICK UPS 845-461-3084

EARPIERCING

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

HANDYMAN

Carpet cleaning. Painting, Drywall, Electric, Plumbing, All kinds of handyman jobs. Security cameras/intercome. R.O. water filter. call 917 378 3194

IN HOUSE COOK

Young lady Available to cook in house. Reach out to 845596-0878

CLEEN SWEETS

Wholesome baked goods delivered to your door. Gluten free, sugar free, egg free, nut free options. Text/ leave message 845-304-5805

TYPED!

Email your written sheets and have it typed up for a minimal fee. For more info Email 123typed@gmail.com

ORDER YOUR CUSTOMIZED GIFTS

Challah boards, candle trays, key chains, book marks and more. rates available for wholesale and bulk pricing. visit our website @ Dinadeedesign.com

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

FIRST TIME OPPORTUNITY

Bring your broken camera to be repaired on-site by our professional camera technician -THIS SUNDAY AT ZOOMZ PHOTO - 20 Mezritch Rd, New Square, NY 10977

LADY DRIVER

ZC’s car service 8456423833

Long distance only. Fast, safe, & convenient

GARTLECH

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

DEBT RELIEF

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

ODDS & ENDS

SEEKING DONATIONS

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

GOWN DONATIONS

Gown gemach looking for donations. If anyone has extra gowns in good condition please call/texxt 914-258-4549

BABYSITTING

BABYSITTER

Warm and caring babysitter available in Airmont. Steady and drop-ins are welcome. Ages 1 and up. 845-262-0271

GOWNS

GOLD GOWN

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

GOWN FOR RENT

Silver/Grey colored gown size 2-4 8455380391

GIRLS CHASUNAH GOWN

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

BLACK MATERNITY GOWN

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

IVORY GOWN

Gorgeous ivory gown sister of bride to sell size 0-2, call 845 213 7897

MOTHER OF BRIDE

Magnificent Rivky Foster mother of bride gown for sale. 845-664-5806

GIRLS IVORY GOWN

Brand new beautiful gown size 7, please call: 845-4995237

GOWN WANTED

Looking to buy navy velvet/ lace costarellos womens gown. (seen on instagowns-

sold to Malka Stern) Plz call 718-686-1602.

LOST

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

Black felt ladies hat in Lafa taxi 845-352-2716

Pink/white circle pacifier clip Town square parking 845414-9946

FOUND

Necklace on Horton Dr. Shabbos Nov 12 call 347-5468235/845-425-0475

Bebe Beaute off-white baby hat with fur pom-pom size M. Dec 13 at S.V. Marketplace (outside CTS) call/text 845274-7508

The following items were left at SAGE KIDS: *clear kids eyeglasses *car key *pink watch *brand new pink pacifier in pkg *yellow USB *meisher flip phone *pair faux earrings in bag *automatic key on necklace *ivory top oversized collar sz L *lulu worn dress sz 4

*petit clair worn dress sz 9 *new beige fuzzy blanket

*uppababy rain cover *cotton receiving blankets *new rib tiered blue skirt sz L *pink umbrella

Gartel from Bekitche in Internation taxi 12/28 845274-5450

tricycle with name Moskowitz in parking lot of Warinanco Park in NJ on Chol Hamoed Sukkos. 732.730.1181

Sefer Dorim Drusha on the street by the 4 corners 845213-7524

Restaurant gift card by Rockland Kosher parking lot. Call 646-262-1857

Large sum of money Maple cor North Cole M’’S 845-2741608

FREE GIVEAWAYS

Silver metal bunkbed call or text 845-502-1236

Master bedroom set including 2 headboards, armoire, dresser and mirror. Also, sforim shank. 845-2130890

Dee vuch /kinder shrift and moment Yiddish magazines perfect condition. 425-3069

Husky boys 3 piece suits size 10 and 12 and weekday husky pants sizes 16 and 18. 425 3069

Gold mechteniste dress 10-12. Burgundy wine color gown 10-12 354-7645

Yiddish Magazines kids and adults call/text 845-274-7508

LATE ADS

P/T SALES HELP

Looking for a very part time saleshelp in a ladies clothing store 8452137455

SCHOOL SECRETARY

Seeking morning secretary in a BY high school - very pleasant work environment. Candidate should be good at multi-tasking and computer proficient. Experience preferred. Email resume to admin@bysmiriam.org

MOTHER’S HELPER

Looking for a girl with a car to be a Mothers helper in the morning from 8:00am till 9:30am. Very well paid. Please call/txt 9293993229

Hachnosas Sefer Torah in FountainView in Monsey, donated by the Wandell and Rieder family in memory of R’ Ahron Wandell a resident of the FountainView