Issue 396

תשרפל םינמז רומא

ONE FOR THE BIRDS

(Re: Constructive Fun, Issue 395)

I loved your article about easy and inexpensive ideas for things to do in your backyard. I have one to add.

I have one son who loves animals. When he was turning seven, he begged me to get him a puppy for his birthday. I didn’t want to buy him a puppy, of course; in fact, I didn’t want to deal with a parakeet or fish tank, either. But then we came up with a great compromise: We bought a bird feeder and installed it on our back deck, right off the kitchen. I bought proper bird food, which claimed on the package to actually attract birds. And although we live in a very developed area, within a few days, the birds had discovered our bird feeder.

All spring and summer we were treated to the most beautiful, fine-feathered visitors. We had bright red cardinals, jewel-toned blue jays, the most adorable little black feathered birds with white heads, and many more species of birds. We saw big birds, small birds, colored birds… It was like having an aviary right outside our door. Our entire family was enraptured, and the kids never got tired of watching the birds.

On the same note, my next-door neighbor hung a hummingbird feeder on her deck. (Hummingbirds eat nectar, not the seeds we were using, and need a different kind of bird feeder.) The hummingbirds were so gorgeous and amazing to watch, and it was unbelievable to see how much mileage you could get out of a bird feeder!

Try it, and you’ll see it for yourself.

Batsheva Gruber

MY OWN SWEET ENDING

(Re: Baked to Last, Issue 394)

Thank you so much for an entertaining and informative read on the history of cakes and pastries! It did its job just so well, in fact, that it inspired me to pull out my Bosch and whip up a variety of goodies. My family was very grateful!

Naomi G.

PROTECT THE POP-ULATION

(Re: Your Say, Issue 395)

I’m writing to say that I totally agree with G.S. who wrote about the danger of poppers used at weddings. My husband was injured at our nephew’s wedding last winter when he was hit by a popper, and he could hardly enjoy the wedding because of the pain.

Additionally, it’s annoying for guests to have bits of confetti stuck in their sheitel when they just spent a lot of time and money having it done for the wedding. And it doesn’t look nice in the wedding pictures, either!

Maybe it’s time to stop allowing the poppers to be used at our beautiful, heimishe simchos

How can we implement that?

Oif simchos gezunterheit by everyone!

YOUR SAY

SAFETY ON WHEELS

I recently witnessed two very disturbing incidents regarding children on bikes and scooters.

F.K.

I was walking down the street the other day, and a boy who looked to be between ten and twelve years of age was coming toward me on an electric scooter. The boy rang the bell on his scooter so the people ahead of him would let him pass, and I watched as an older woman pushing a walker had to move to the side to let him pass.

Just two days later, I saw a little boy on a kiddie bike ride over the feet of a middle-aged woman standing in front of a house. The boy continued riding, with just a backward glance, while the woman limped away.

As the weather turns beautiful and our children begin spending more time outdoors, let’s educate them about proper street safety and kavod habrios

SCAM ALERT

C.F.

It’s important to raise awareness about potential scams in order to prevent others from falling victim to them.

Recently, while shopping at a local supermarket, a woman approached me and requested money for Shabbos. She had a son wearing a yarmulke in a stroller, and she was wearing a snood. Nevertheless, I was hesitant to give her money, as I was unsure whether she was Jewish or not, so instead I offered to pay her bill. I asked her what she needed to buy, and she said that she needed some vegetables and diapers. As we continued to shop, she thanked me each time we passed each other, expressing her appreciation for my assistance.

However, things began to appear suspicious when we reached the register. I asked her name and where she lived, to which she replied “Chana” and “13th and 46th.” She claimed to live in Boro Park, but was visiting a cousin in Monsey for Shabbos. She also requested that we leave our number by the register, but we asked for her number instead. She did not have an account, so I wrote down her phone number. After paying for her purchases, I watched her leave the store and climb into a car waiting for her nearby. The driver was not Jewish. And when I looked up her number a bit later, I discovered that she was not Jewish.

Stores in the area are aware of these goings-on, saying that they are a gang of people who impersonate local residents. There’s nothing that law enforcement can do, however, because victims willingly hand over their money. Please be careful.

Anonymous

SAFETY FIRST

I’d like to bring up an important topic for homeowners and landlords in Monsey. Many homes are small and have limited space to play inside. Many homes also lack yards or safe play areas. Therefore, young children frequently play in driveways, and I’ve personally witnessed too many close calls. I would like to bring public attention to the dangers involved.

Thank you,

A Concerned Monsey Resident

PARSHAS EMOR

Our Coveted Yomim Tovim

In this week’s parsha , Hashem instructs Moshe Rabbeinu to tell Klal Yisroel, “Mo’adei Hashem asher tikre’u osam mikra’ei kodesh, eileh heim mo’adai — These are Hashem’s appointed days that you shall designate as holy occasions, these are My appointed days” (Vaykira 23:2).

This pasuk seems to say the same thing twice. Why the repetition?

REB SHIMSHON OF OSTROPOLI, ZT”L, said that once, in Chodesh Elul, he met the satan and found him to be in a very downcast mood. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

The satan replied that he had seen a ship traveling from one country to the next, delivering a large shipment of esrogim. “Many Yidden will be using them for the arba minim,” he said glumly. As Chazal say (Sukkah 38), shaking the lulav is like piercing arrows or spears into the eyes of the satan

Several days later, Reb Shimshon met the satan again, and this time he looked very happy. He told Reb Shimshon that he had orchestrated a series of events until he was granted clearance in Shamayim to sink the ship. “And so, the Yidden will not be able to have their arba minim!” he concluded happily.

On Chol Hamoed Sukkos, Reb Shimshon met the satan a third time. It didn’t take more than a moment for him to realize that the satan was in a super grumpy mood. “What happened?” he asked. “You had your way and drowned those esrogim. What went wrong now?”

“Oh,” said the satan with a sigh. “It’s true that I managed to make sure that most of the esrogim would not arrive at their destinations, but somehow, several esrog dealers managed to get a few single pieces. You wouldn’t believe how much money Yidden were willing to pay for them now that they became a precious commodity! They spent huge sums of money just for this mitzvah! And many Yidden stood on their feet from morning to night to wait for the zechus of shaking arba minim with these rare sets.

“I am very upset at myself. You must understand that

this deep desire and willpower that the Yidden displayed is much more chashuv than the mitzvah itself!” he said bitterly. “That’s why I’m so sad. Had I not caused that ship to sink, there would have been an abundance of esrogim, and I would have been better off. Because in that case, Yidden wouldn’t have demonstrated such a deep love for the mitzvah. Now, with every shake they shook, they broke all of my bones!”

This explanation offers eye-opening insight. The primary nachas ruach Hakadosh Baruch Hu gleans from a mitzvah is the longing and heart that is invested in it. A wise man recognizes the value he is able to infuse into the mitzvos that he performs and does them with his whole heart and soul. * * * * *

The Dubno Maggid shares a parable of a person who enters an art studio looking for a painting for his wall. He studies each picture for a long time, unable to make his selection, and he also frets over the high price tags. The artist tells him that he has the perfect frame for him, one that could potentially include all the sights in the display and is reasonably priced. He then brings out a mirror.

The Maggid explains that the Torah tells us about the mitzvos of each Yom Tov: matzos on Pesach, a sukkah on Sukkos, a shofar on Rosh Hashanah, and so on. The Torah is even clear about what one may not do on Shabbos and Yom Tov. But the Torah does not delineate what one should do on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Why is that instruction missing?

The reason is that Shabbos and Yom Tov don’t have a set

appearance. They are like a large mirror that reflects whatever is displayed opposite it. According to the amount of preparation and heart a person invests in his Yom Tov, that is the level of kedusha it will contain. His investment will determine its beauty.

The Torah says, “Mo’adei Hashem asher tikre’u osam.” The word “osam” has no vav; it can also be read as “atem,” which means “you.”

This teaches us that every single one of us decides how our Shabbos and Yom Tov should look. According to how much we invest, that’s how holy our Yom Tov will be, and that is the level of elevation that we will merit to climb.

If one were to ask, kivayachol, how Hashem’s Yamim Tovim look, Yomim Tovim look, the answer would be, “Asher tikre’u ATEM, eileh heim mo’adai” — the way we determine they will be, that is the way they will look!

Shabbos and Yom Tov and all the mitzvos they entail are incredible opportunities. May we all remember that it is our heart and soul that Hashem is waiting for.

Did You Know?

Along with the Yamim Tovim, the parsha also discusses the days leading up to Shavuos –the sefiras ha’omer

The Chasam Sofer writes an amazing fact: These days of sefirah are so potent that one day is considered like two years. All 50 days together are like 100 years! What could take a person two years to accomplish during other times of the year can be attained in just a single day during sefirah!

You wouldn’t believe have much Yidden were willing to pay for esrogim!

Supporting Our Strength

RIKI GOLDSTEIN

CChayala’s exhaustion was like a gray cloud hovering over her, making everything fuzzy. It seemed as if she had only just dragged herself out of bed, gotten the kids ready for school and waved them off, and she was already drawn to get back under the covers. The debris of breakfast was still crusted on the table and crumbled on the floor, but she couldn’t face it. She’d take a nap, then brew two cups of strong coffee and sit down at her computer to try get some work done. Every task felt so demanding, and every decision she had to make was like climbing a mountain. The kids came home too soon, to a messy house, the simplest of suppers, and a tired mother who struggled to listen to their stories.

Chayala’s doctor listened to her symptoms and ran some tests. When everything came back negative, he diagnosed her with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), which has no cure. She began to look around for supplements that could boost her energy, trying anything and everything family and friends recommended. Despite the effort and expense, nothing really helped.

Eventually, Chayala tried yet another nutritionist, who explained that CFS is linked to abnormally low levels of certain good bacteria in the gut, and that her gut might be sensitive to some foods and supplements. At the nutritionist’s direction, Chayala discontinued her supplements and began to take probiotics to repair the gut and reinstate the vital, healthy bacteria which are supposed to

live there. She took four capsules of ProDermix Optimal Support daily. After two weeks, she noticed something: her digestion had dramatically improved. It took four weeks for the change to impact her energy level, for her to feel less tired, more focused, more able to swim with the tide and live her life. Now, four months later, the symptoms of chronic fatigue are gone.

FROM GUT HEALTH TO GOOD HEALTH

Many of us are aware of what scientists and the health community have proven for years: that probiotics, or, simply put, “good bacteria” are vital for digestion. After taking a course of antibiotics, which destroy the good bacteria along with the problematic ones, we need to replenish our probiotics, the essential bacteria that keep our digestive systems functioning well. It is also a given that the health of a person’s digestive system is reflected in his overall health. When the gut is operating effectively, we feel healthy and energetic. If our digestive system is not performing well, the results are not only unpleas-

ant stomach issues but also increased colds, flu, sluggishness, fatigue, and low mood.

This awareness is the reason that there are plenty of probiotic options available on the market. But Chayala’s nutritionist specifically recommended ProDermix Optimal Support. There are many strains of probiotics and ProDermix uses only the most effective ones. ProDermix is a kosher company that specializes in probiotic research alone and does not develop other vitamin supplements. They have invested years into developing a precisely calibrated probiotic formula under kosher supervision at one of America’s most advanced nutrition factories, and Optimal Support is the result. It includes strains such as lactobacillus gasseri, which has earned a reputation as “the fitness probiotic,” for its tremendous role in fighting off bad organisms and maintaining a healthy microbiome.

Nutritionists know that because it is formulated in a dedicated probiotic manufacturing facility, Optimal Support is hy-

poallergenic and suitable for the most sensitive individuals. The probiotics, which are live bacteria, are kept refrigerated. The formula also includes prebiotics, which are “food” for the probiotic bacteria and help them multiply. To avoid the common issue of probiotics and other supplements getting attacked by gastric acid as soon as they enter the esophagus, ProDermix uses a special ingredient which resists being broken down, making it gastric acid resistant.

As so many in our community know only too well, conditions like IBS and the like are more than uncomfortable—they are an unwelcome nuisance which can affect productivity, wellbeing, and mood. For the past thirteen years, many sufferers have found relief through ProDermix, and their bloating and cramping have faded away. Healthy individuals who want to avoid illness and maximize their health have used ProDermix as a preventative measure and felt their energy, vitality, and overall wellbeing increase.

The company constantly receives feedback from yet another category: those who manage fine during the week, but struggle with unpleasant digestive issues over Shabbos, Yom Tov, and simchas. “I suffered from a ‘Shabbos hangover’ every week,” says one typical ProDermix customer. “The bigger meals, and the mitzvah of eating three seudos plus washing for a late Melava Malka, left me feeling terrible every single Sunday. I couldn’t schedule anything for Sunday because I always felt so sick. Since I started on Optimal Support, it’s all gone. My digestion is doing just fine, even after a little cholent and kugel, and I don’t get sick. I can get up on Sunday and have a regular day.”

Taking care of your digestive health is a favor you can do for yourself. It repays itself many times over, both inwardly and outwardly.

CHAYALA’S NUTRITIONIST SPECIFICALLY RECOMMENDED PRODERMIX OPTIMAL SUPPORT BECAUSE NOT ALL PROBIOTICS ARE CREATED EQUAL.

Reports of Zone Change without Public Notice or Hearing Inaccurate, Says Specht

Procedure will be followed, as always, said Town of Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht, responding to expressions of concern regarding reports of a drastic zoning change being granted approvals for a parcel of land located on Route 306 between Forshay and New Hempstead.

The property in question encompasses acreage on Brick Church Road between Mariner Way and Viola Road that is currently zoned for seventeen single-family homes. Information circulating last week said that the property’s developer had been hoping to win approvals to build 68 multi-family homes on the parcel, creating new housing for approximately 136 families. The reports further stated that the Town of Ramapo Community Design Review Committee was set on May 3rd to approve the plan, which would be sent to the Ramapo Town Board for a zone change vote, without informing the public of the plan or providing them with the ability to air their concerns at an official hearing.

Reached via email, Specht said that the reports were incorrect. He outlined zone change protocols, explaining that the CDRC lacks the authority to approve the change on its own and that the Town Board is required to submit public notice and hold at least one public hearing in compliance with the New York State Environmental Quality Review laws before approving any changes. Specht further stated that the developer of the property had not submitted a zone change petition to the town as of April 30.

Specht acknowledged that the report “caused great concern to our residents in the vicinity of the property in question.”

Traffic has grown extremely dense at the intersection of Brick Church Road and Route 306 in recent years, with southbound vehicles often backing up from Viola Road and extending well past Brick Church Road during peak hours. Conditions are further exacerbated during the summer months when children are being driven to camp, and on Erev Rosh Chodesh when visitors flock to the Viznitz Cemetery to daven at the tzion of the Ribnitzer Rebbe.

“If a petition or a zone change is submitted for this or any property and the Town Board decided to consider it, a public hearing would be held along with adherence to NYS environmental review laws, notice given to all interested agencies and opportunity for comment prior to any vote by the board to approve or deny the application,” said Specht. “That is not just the fair and transparent way to proceed, but is also the law.”

Gas Stoves Banned in New Constructions as of 2025

Looking to lead the way in fighting climate change, New

York is set to become the first state in the nation to ban gas hookups in new constructions as of 2025.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced last week that the push toward going all-electric was part of her $229 billion budget, which is expected to be approved by state lawmakers. Restaurants and commercial kitchens would be exempt from the ban, which would prohibit natural gas hookups in all new buildings less than seven stories high in 2025, with larger buildings given a reprieve until 2028.

A Siena College poll taken in February showed that just 39% of New York’s registered voters are in favor of the natural gas ban, reported the New York Post. The move to have the state regulate kitchen appliances has left some boiling with rage, particularly since Hochul has gas stoves in both her Buffalo home and the Executive Mansion in Buffalo.

“Why would somebody come into your private home and tell you what to do?” asked Manhattan resident Yas Kantakis. “We’re not communist yet — we’re getting there — but it’s just an insult.”

A preference for gas versus electric cooking isn’t the only issue in the ban debate. New York Independent System Operation, a nonprofit administering state wholesale electricity markets, warned that eliminating fossil fuels without ensuring an adequate supply of renewable energy sources would lead to skyrocketing prices.

“The proper way is to make sure we have the technology and resources analyzed before we start shutting down reliable resources that provide heating to families and to small businesses,” said Assemblyman Phillip Palmesano, an opponent of the gas ban, who warned that New York could see a mass exodus of businesses if affordable and reliable energy becomes unavailable.

Hochul’s ban could face legal challenges. An ordinance eliminating “obsolete” gas infrastructure in Berkeley, California, was invalidated by an appeals court.

26 Acres of Open Space Property Purchased To Preserve Rockland and Prevent Development, With More To Come

An 11.83-acre property in New City and a 13.24-acre parcel in Pomona were recently bought by Rockland County, part of an ongoing effort to preserve open spaces and the area’s suburban character.

With an abundance of wetlands and steep slopes, developable property is fast becoming a scarce commodity in Rockland, which holds the distinction of being both New York’s smallest county and the county with the largest proportion of parkland in the state. Rockland put $30 million into is Open Space Acquisition Program in 2019 when it recovered from its deficit, with more than $5.5 million used to purchase two properties this year, one located at 20 New Valley Road in New City and the other at 1015 and 1019 Route 45 in Pomona, reported The Journal News

Both parcels will be kept as open space, said County Executive Day, making his announcement at Haverstraw Bay Park along the Hudson River, which was bought in 1999 as the county’s first park purchase. Day said that the county’s goal is to preserve historic and cultural sites, ensure open space, and protect the Hudson River and other local waterways.

Both the public and elected officials can nominate parcels

to be preserved, with sites rated according to various criteria. Four more parcels, totaling 24 acres, could be purchased by the end of the calendar year, said Day.

Free Meals To Return to Schools, Announces Hochul

Nearly a year after the federal government eliminated the program that provided free meals to all students, Governor Kathy Hochul announced last week that New York will provide $134 million in funding to feed school kids.

Hamodia reported that 726,000 students were left without access to free meals once the federal government discontinued its COVID-era food program. Advocacy groups including Agudath Israel of America, the Orthodox Union’s Teach Coalition, yeshivas, Catholic schools and anti-hunger groups lobbied hard for funding that would provide all students, regardless of family income, with free meals, at a cost of approximately $200 million.

While the governor had not initially included food-for-allstudents funding in her initial budget, both the Senate and Assembly incorporated it into their 2024 fiscal proposals. Advocates cheered the April 27th news that an agreement had been reached on New York’s 2024 budget, a $229 billion package that included $134 million for the lunch program. With the amount allocated insufficient to cover all of New York’s schoolchildren, it is unclear at this time who would

benefit from the program and if private schools would be eligible for the funding.

The Agudah’s New York director for government relations, Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, said that school meals funding had been a high priority, calling Hochul’s announcement “wonderful news for parents and children throughout New York State.” Those thoughts were echoed by Orthodox Union managing director Maury Litwack.

“The coalition of parents, organizations and individuals who raised their voice on this and made this happen was unprecedented,” said Litwack. “As this program is finalized and rolled out, we look forward to working with schools and communities to make free meals a reality for every student.”

MTA Workers Hailed as Heroes After Rescuing Toddler From Train Tracks

Five Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers received official commendations for their rescue of an autistic three-year-old from the electrified third rail of the MetroNorth train tracks in Tarrytown.

Video was released last week of the incident, which took place on the northbound tracks of the Hudson Line near Tarrytown. According to a statement released by the MTA, engineer William Kennedy was heading southbound at 3:15 p.m. on April 6 when he saw an object on the northbound

tracks. After realizing that what he had seen was actually a child, Kennedy sent out a radio message to all nearby train crews, apprising them of the situation.

“There’s a little kid ahead of you guys,” someone can be heard on the radio, reported Yahoo! News. “Just keep an eye out, I don’t know, he just popped out.”

Engineer Shawn Loughran, who was approaching the area on the northbound tracks, approached the scene slowly. He spotted the child first near, and then on top of, the tracks’ electrified third rail. Metro-North cut power to the tracks, and assistant conductor Marcus Higgins retrieved the boy from the tracks and brought him onto the train, which was met by MTA police officers and local EMS crews when it arrived at the Tarrytown station.

Meanwhile, MTA signal workers encountered a crying woman who said her autistic toddler was missing. The woman was quickly reunited with her missing son.

“Everyone’s quick thinking and the perfect timing allowed us to get this child off the tracks and back to his family,” observed Kennedy.

Kennedy, Higgins, Loughran, and signal workers Max Chong and Christopher Fraina were all praised for their quick and intuitive response to the situation.

“With the bravery and calm comportment of superheroes, they averted a horrific outcome and saw to it that this little boy was not going to become a statistic,” said MetroNorth president and interim LIRR president Catherine Rinaldi. “We salute their efforts and compassion and heartily thank them for their dedication to the people we serve.”

CHAPTER 4

Recap: Lani encourages her sister Riva to leave her job. Riva discovers that her boss is looking to hire. Chaim Tzvi admits to Lani that they’re running tight with their construction funding.

Shuli Nieder arrived for her interview wearing a cropped, chunky knit vest, white laceup booties, and an air of confidence that made Riva wince.

She’d been the same way once. Straight out of seminary, she’d held her head up high as she walked into the office, offered a warm but professional smile. She’d worn a crisp white cotton jacket over a stone-colored skirt, and her hair had been freshly blow-dried and held together in a sophisticated ponytail.

She remembered how she’d politely taken a seat and respectfully waited for the boss to start the conversation. She’d conducted herself well, supplied thoughtful answers, asked relevant questions and made a great impression overall on the sweet-looking guy who’d invited her down for the interview; must be, given that he hired her the

next day.

How many years ago had that been? Twelve? Thirteen? A hundred?

Things had changed over the years. The office had undergone some renovations, and her desk had been moved from its original spot in the far back corner.

But the greatest change had been the people. Throughout the years that she’d been employed at Kleenup, she’d watched one girl after another join the staff — and leave. Nobody was ever fired. Noooooo. Mr. Gabioff never fired an employee. Instead, he made their lives so miserable until they all but escaped his clutches, breathing the greatest sigh of relief.

“A revolving door,” Adina called it, and that was exactly what it was — for most of the employees. For some, like Riva, Miriam, Adina, Chaya, and Shoshi, the door hadn’t revolved. They’d

stuck it out, hoping things would work out, get better, become normal. But when you wait around, you become used to the routine, and you lose the nerve to actually leave. Having made the mistake of giving the job time, the door had clicked shut behind them, locking them into its suffocating walls, shackling them with helplessness and hopelessness.

“Ask any of the girls,” she heard Mr. Gabioff tell Shuli. “They never have a chance to approach me for a raise. I value and recognize good work and compensate accordingly.”

RIVA NOTICED THE CONTEMPT IN HIS EYES AND SHRANK INTO HER SKIN.

It was so awkward, how he conducted those interviews so publicly. Riva’s heart went out to poor Shuli. If she didn’t take the strangeness of this interview as a warning, she would regret it later.

Her boss stopped the conversation to take a call. After a minute, he stood up and addressed his staff. Riva noticed the contempt in his eyes and shrank into her skin.

“Who gave Mr. Friedlander an estimate of three hours for 66 Clinton?” he asked in his low, accusatory voice.

Glances flew all around. This was Miriam’s account, Riva knew, but of course she kept quiet.

“Hmm?” he grunted. “The ladies are there for five hours already and still have a lot of work to do. Mr. Friedlander is livid. He says he isn’t paying a penny more than three hours but he also doesn’t want them to leave before they finish.”

Riva observed Miriam’s pale face sympathetically. Her fingers were surely trembling under her desk, but what was she supposed to do? Stand up and face Mr. Gabioff’s wrath?

Mr. Gabioff extended his stare for another moment, then turned his attention back to his interviewee.

She felt bad for Miriam, but at the same time, she was relieved. There. Shuli had gotten her preview of the “sweet-looking guy” when his guard was down.

No further warning would be necessary.

She’d gotten her warning, crystal clear, and yet, when Riva arrived at work the next day, a new desk had been set up parallel to hers, and Shuli Nieder was sitting behind two computer screens.

Huh?

Riva quickly assessed the office space, noted Mr. Gabioff’s presence, and conducted a frantic, wordless conversation with Adina while slowly peeling her jacket off and hanging it onto the hook next to her desk.

Her mind whirred.

She took the job?!

I need to go over and greet her.

Why is Mr. Gabioff in so early?

Well, Shuli had obviously taken the job, which meant she was either very brave or very thick. And Riva did need to greet her, even if Mr. Gabioff was in. It would be a different sort of greeting than if he hadn’t been in, which was really dumb, because she’d have to behave all formally, and that was not the impression she preferred to make. If this girl was part of their staff now, at least she should feel welcome and part of the team. She should know she had a support group, that Riva and her coworkers would always have her back.

Aiming for casual but somewhat warm, Riva stretched a smile over her face and approached the new desk.

“Hi,” she said. “Welcome.”

Shuli responded with a breezy smile. “Hi. What’s your name?”

There was something in the straightness of her back that made Riva’s own back go tight.

“I’m Riva. Riva Stroh.” She lowered

her voice and peered over her shoulder quickly. “We spoke a few days ago?”

“Oh, yeah. Nice to meet you.”

“Uh, I guess I’ll be training you in?”

Shuli planted her fingers on her keyboard. “It’s fine, I know what I need to do for now. I’ll let you know if I have any questions. Thanks.”

Seriously? She was here for a total of seven minutes, and she knew what she needed to do? That took genius to an entirely new level.

Brave and thick, Riva concluded as she turned her own screens on. Well, let her feel confident. Brave and thick notwithstanding, it wouldn’t take long for Shuli Nieder to learn the code of submissiveness that came along with working in this place, to feel the doubts and fears that grew on you, the backhanded compliments that slowly eroded every last shred of self-esteem you thought you had.

Riva was starved. It had been yet another frenzied morning, and after sending three kids off to school and dropping Eli off at the babysitter, she’d stopped into the bakery and picked up a muffin before hurrying to work. But with Shuli sitting just a few feet from her desk, pecking away on her keyboard (what could she be typing already? Could she be chatting her friends the first morning on the job, with the boss in the room? Impossible), she felt uncomfortable eating.

She’d wait a bit, she figured. There was nothing wrong with having a quick breakfast at work, and besides, Shuli was simply a new coworker, not her boss or anything. Why should she be embarrassed to eat in her presence?

A half hour later, she still couldn’t bring herself to take out her muffin. There was something different in the atmosphere that day; an unfamiliar tension rested over the room, and it wasn’t Mr. Gabioff-type tension. She would have to do something, ease up, if she didn’t want to faint from hunger.

I’ll do Brixton’s February billing, and then I’m just going to eat; too bad.

She concentrated on the numbers in front of her, and when she was done, she printed the invoice and took it over to Mr. Gabioff’s desk.

“Brixton added two buildings this month,” she told her boss. “Do you want me to adjust their rate?”

Mr. Gabioff gave a distracted glance at the invoice and then motioned toward Shuli Nieder’s desk.

“I don’t want to be involved in these meshugassen anymore. Ask Mrs. Nieder, she’ll be overseeing the billing from now on. Tell her to decide.”

The paper went heavy in her hand.

Mrs. Nieder was overseeing the billing? What in the world did that mean?

Sometimes, when her pillow clutched her head like a magnetic

CHAIM TZVI DROPPED HIS CELL PHONE HEAVILY ON THE TABLE

force and there was just no way to lift it up and get out of bed, Lani had to remind herself that she wanted this; she’d worked so hard to build up her business and market the Break In brand, and this — this challenging but satisfying workflow — was the reward for her efforts. That knowledge fueled her as she disengaged from her fairytale dream, tore herself out of bed and tiptoed past the bedroom where all her children except Shifra slept.

It’s just for the meanwhile, she told herself. In another little bit, her five kids would sleep in three separate bedrooms on the second floor, and Shifra

AND STARTED STUDYING HIS FINGERS.

would get her own bedroom — a cute little nursery straight off the master.

Meanwhile. Everything in her life was meanwhile. A very long, almost endless meanwhile, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could endure it.

The world was cold and dark, her tiny basement kitchen cluttered with school papers and random stuff that she’d been too tired to put away the night before. The cordless phone had been left on the table, and she placed it on the charger to revive the battery.

Fighting fatigue, she sat down to say Birchas Hashachar. Then she fixed herself a very dark coffee, broke off a small piece of chocolate to sweeten the brew, and reviewed her list.

Blier – standard package, two people, deliver before nine

Stone – drinks and pastries, four people, deliver between ten and eleven

Bornstein – standard package, one person (kimpeturin), deliver after ten

She started with the pastries. Those needed time to bake and cool before she packaged them. Carrot muffins, cinnamon croissants, chocolate-cheese Danishes. She kept raw dough in the freezer for these, which she could roll, fill and bake fresh.

She worked quickly, littering the tiny counter with bowls and measuring cups. Meanwhile, she repeated in her mind as she started mixing salad dressings.

By the time the kids woke up, she’d packed up all the salads and spreads, tied twine around the breakfast rolls, and transferred the pastries to clamshell containers. There were only the drinks left to do, but that would have to happen last minute.

The next two hours were a blur of breakfast and hairbrushes, grabbing snacks and coats and did you remember to brush your teeth? In between, she hastily blended the milkshakes for the Stone order, stuck a Break In card with her customer’s message inside, and handed the completed package to the delivery guy.

Chaim Tzvi arrived home just as the last bus of the morning honked. He scooped four-year-old Simcha up, stuck a wafer in his hand, and took him to the bus. Lani prepared a bot-

tle for Shifra and put her in her crib for a nap. Finally, peace and quiet.

“Made it,” Lani said, whistling, when Chaim Tzvi returned.

Chaim Tzvi hung up his coat, simply because there was nothing available to drape it over, Lani acknowledged. Perk of living in a mouse hole? Their dining room chairs were parked in a storage place, and the kitchen chairs doubled as laundry drying racks.

Lani arranged some of the leftover vegetables and spreads from her morning orders on two plates and brought them to the table. “Want to wash?” she asked Chaim Tzvi.

They took their time over breakfast. The best part about Chaim Tzvi’s fundraising work — well, maybe the only good part — was the flexibility of his schedule. How many couples had the luxury of eating breakfast together almost every day?

Lani was bringing coffee to the table with some of the goodies she’d baked when Chaim Tzvi dropped his cell phone heavily on the table and started studying his fingers.

“I met Yaakov Stroh in shul this morning,” he said.

“Oh, okay.”

“Uh…” He reached for a cinnamon croissant and ripped it in half. “Not a hundred percent okay.”

Lani stirred her coffee. “What do you mean?”

“So I approached him. You know, to ask for an additional loan, like I told you. Just for a few months, until the house is done and we can refinance.”

“And?”

“Well, I didn’t get a chance to ask. The conversation went in a totally different direction.”

He nibbled some croissant crumbs. “Next week will be six months since he lent us the money for construction. I thought it would be okay to extend it a little longer than the six months we agreed on. It’s like self-understood, that’s how things usually go. And here I was thinking to ask for some more money. But guess what?” He pushed his chair back. “Yaakov wants the money back.”

WEEK 3 OF 4

Last week we discussed the role of non-nutritious food as an important part of our food plan. By now, you’re hopefully in a nonrestrictive mindset and ready to talk about the actual day-to-day food plan.

I often have clients tell me they’re just going to go on an extreme diet for a few weeks in order to “get the weight off fast,” and then switch over to a “normal plan” in order to maintain their weight loss. If you’ve tried this in the past, you’re probably well aware that it does not work. People want to believe that this time will be the exception, or that they will be the exception — that they will be the 0.01% of people who successfully keep the weight off after a starvation plan. But alas, they are not.

And the effects of restrictive dieting aren’t limited to rapid weight gain. Restrictive diets can trigger a fight-or-flight response in our bodies, triggering the body to believe that it is starving and in need

HOW TO (UN)DIET LIKE A PRO

of food. This causes the metabolism to slow down, leading to weight gain instead of loss. It also contributes to fatigue, as the body struggles to function without enough fuel. But it gets worse…

The psychological effects are even more devastating: With restrictions come feelings of guilt and anxiety surrounding food choices, creating an unhealthy relationship with food that can persist long after the diet has ended. This mentality, as well as the physiological response to perceived starvation, can lead to binge eating behavior long into the future. This leaves us feeling out of control and hopeless.

The approach that I have found to be the most beneficial and sustainable is having a structured

plan. I like to call it a “game plan” rather than a “diet” or even a “food plan.” Here are some guidelines for a realistic game plan that will help you lose unwanted pounds gently and peacefully:

The game plan should include a set schedule. This means that, generally speaking, you should have set times for eating. These should be at regular intervals of about two to three hours throughout the day. Eating at regular intervals boosts the metabolism and makes it easier to keep your portion sizes moderate.

• Meals and snacks should be portioncontrolled, nutritious and delicious. There is no need to cut out any food groups, and it is also unnecessary to deprive yourself in any way. Aside from being nutritious and delicious, adding plenty of vegetables to your meals will also make portion-control easy.

• As we discussed in last week’s article, treats and “extras” should be worked into the game plan. “Extras” means that situations such as Shabbos, Yom Tov, simchos and parties should all be treated realistically, with the extras that are needed already planned and accounted for.

Letting go of fad diets or restrictive plans means no more radical hunger or deprivation, but it also means no more losing five to six pounds a week. It means committing to giving up that little voice that always whispers, “What if I had just tried that one new thing? Maybe the thousandth time would have been the charm.” But it also means no more feeling like a failure for quitting something that was doomed from the start.

By adopting a balanced approach to weight loss, we can end the cycle of undereating and overeating and find a happy middle ground. Having a structured, balanced game plan may be the slower route, but when you get there, you stay there!

Wondering how emotional eating fits into all this? Stay tuned!

Basya Kovacs is a health and wellness coach. She sees clients 1:1 as well as in group settings via Zoom. Basya can be reached at bkcoaching2023@gmail.com or via her website mybkcoaching.com. BKcoaching is under the auspices of Rabbi Chaim Shabes, shlita.

MILCHIGS ON THE MENU

FAIGY REINER

Spring is here, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Enjoy this fresh, vibrant and complete milchig meal.

SWEET CHILI PINEAPPLE SALMON WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

Though fruits and fish may seem like an unusual combination, this recipe will prove that it can be delicious!

SALMON

Nonstick vegetable cooking spray

2 cans pineapple slices, drained (reserve juice for the glaze)

2 to 2½ lb. salmon

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ cup sweet chili sauce

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. brown sugar

¼ cup pineapple juice

SALSA

½ fresh pineapple, diced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, diced

1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced

½ small red onion, diced

2 T. lime juice

1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Line the foil with pineapple slices. Place the salmon on the pineapple slices, and season with salt and pepper. Any extra pineapple slices can be placed on top of the salmon. Fold the edges of the foil up around the edges of the salmon and pineapple.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and pineapple juice. Pour this glaze over the salmon.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, then set the oven to broil and broil the salmon for an additional 4 to 5 minutes, or until the edges just begin to blacken.

5. In a bowl, combine all salsa ingredients. Mix, then serve this over the pineapple salmon.

GRILLED PEACHES AND FETA SALAD WITH LEMON POPPY VINAIGRETTE

This salad brings together all the joy of spring in one bowl!

SALAD

3 peaches, sliced

1 T. sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

4 cups greens of choice

½ (8 oz.) block feta cheese, crumbled

½ small red onion, sliced

¾ cup honey-glazed almonds

LEMON POPPY VINAIGRETTE

¼ cup plus 2 T. olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

½ T. mustard

1 T. honey

1 T. poppy seeds

Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Arrange the peach slices on a plate, cut side up, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

2. Grill the peaches in a grill pan or in the oven. Grill pan method: Preheat a grill pan. Place the peach slices, cut side down, on the hot grill pan until grill marks appear (about 7 to 10 minutes).

Oven method: Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and arrange the peach slices, cut side up, on the cookie sheet. Grill for 10 minutes.

3. Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a container with a lid, and shake for 2 to 3 minutes until emulsified. Store in an airtight bottle, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.

4. Combine the grilled peaches, greens, feta cheese, onions and nuts in a bowl. Pour the lemon poppy vinaigrette over the salad. Enjoy!

SPINACH LASAGNA

The extra steps may seem like a hassle, but after just one bite, you’ll thank yourself for the work you put in.

INGREDIENTS

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 (24 oz.) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

½ medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cube frozen basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

1 (24 oz.) jar marinara sauce

1½ cups water

2 cups nonfat cottage cheese

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 large egg

1 tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. black pepper

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add spinach, onion, garlic, basil and oregano. Sauté until the onion has softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the marinara sauce and water, and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, mix the cottage cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl until well combined.

5. Remove the sauce from the heat, and spoon a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13” baking pan.

6. Place four uncooked noodles on top of the sauce, then top with ⅓ of the remaining sauce.

7. Layer with four more noodles, half of the remaining sauce, and half of the cheese mixture.

8. Repeat the layers once more with the remaining noodles, sauce, and cheese mixture. Top the lasagna with the last cup of mozzarella. Cover it tightly with foil.

9. Bake the lasagna in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving.

PLAYING WITH MATCHES

THE SHADCHAN AND THE SHIDDUCH

“It began like all shidduchim do: with an idea. I thought my friend’s brother would be perfect for my father’s friend’s daughter. I was still in shanah rishonah.”

Though beset by doubt and shyness, Mrs. F. placed the call. “I stumbled and stuttered, wondering, What are they thinking? I didn’t even call the other side until the woman called back, sounding super interested. I was overwhelmed, and offered to hand the shidduch over to another shadchan. But the

woman insisted I follow through, saying Klal Yisroel needs more shadchanim. She guided me through the process, and the shidduch happened.”

Mrs. F. would be the shadchan for other children in the same family later, but now she was still wet behind the ears. “I remember when the future mechuten called me from the airport after seeing the boy, sounding ready to go ahead. He reached me at a wedding, and for some reason, I remember the maroon dress I was wearing.” She laughs, a warm, tinkly sound. “Did I feel gratified when the very satisfied mechuteniste called me back a half a year later, this time for her next child!”

She turns serious for a moment. “Give these newbies a chance. If that woman hadn’t insisted, I don’t know if I would’ve ended up doing what I do now.” When a young woman called Mrs. F. with an idea, she paid it forward and coached her through the process.

Mrs. F. has scraps of post-it notes, old invitations and decorative napkins scattered around her house, covered with scribbles about families

“in the parsha.” She has a neat loose-leaf loose-leaf, too, “but I never use it,” she says.

“So I’ve got these ittybitty scraps detailing a family’s previous mechatunim, Dor Yeshorim numbers, or grandparents’ names. I probably should use the loose-leaf,” she admits. If someone texts her, that’s best, as texts don’t get swept into the trash or blown out the open window.

A“Anyone can be like me. It begins with just one phone call.”

“I know the chassidishe oilam is averse to resumes, but can we please, please standardize something like it? For the sake of clarity, having basic information at a glance makes my job simpler. No picture. No references. Just where the father davens, who their mechutanim are and the names of the grandparents.”

Her ideas are gifts from Hashem, little chains of connection that enable a girl and boy to become chasan and kallah. If someone’s friend is similar to her, and another’s mechuten’s son affiliates with a specific chassidus, and the girl sounds like her prospective mother-in-law would adore her… maybe it can work.

“Most of the people I deal with, I know personally,” Mrs. F. clarifies. “Since I have to be one hundred percent certain it’s a match, I do not redt shidduchim to strangers. Nor will I ‘push’ a shidduch on someone else’s behalf. If I don’t believe it’s a match, I won’t redt it. Period.”

She remembers once, years ago, breaking her own rule. “Let’s just say it’s filed under Do Not

Attempt Again,” Mrs. F. says. “I certainly learned my lesson.”

With a bustling household, Mrs. F. doesn’t have the luxury of locking herself into a room to take calls. “Other women sell cookies and tichels and take calls at home, and so do I. Though I don’t actively discuss ongoing shidduchim with my kids, they certainly sense it. And boy, do they celebrate when one goes through!”

Putting aside the many, many, happy weddings and vorts, for Mrs. F., the greatest privilege of her job is seeing Yad Hashem. “Not a single shidduch passes without an extra dose of hashgacha pratis, and seeing it up close is incredible. It impacts my view on life.”

In shidduchim, Mrs. F. is adamant, the old adage still applies: Honesty is the best policy. “I’ve seen too many shidduchim fall apart over omitted details, concealed medical conditions, or plain old lying. My responsibility as a shadchan is to relay the complete picture. But sometimes, for their own reasons, parents may decide not to divulge certain information, which can become a dealbreaker.”

Mrs. F. remembers a shidduch that fell apart at the eleventh hour. After the young couple met, the mother of the girl revealed that she’d been suffering from a mental health issue. Finding out so late in the game, when emotions were running high, worked against them, and the boy’s side broke it off. Another parent misrepresented a physical deformity and expected Mrs. F. to play along. Thankfully, Mrs. F. was able to finagle a picture and assess the truth before continuing.

“Don’t fool the shadchan,” she stresses. “You’re also fooling the other side and making the shadchan look bad, to boot.”

She also cautions against dismissing ideas out of hand. “You may think your sister-in-law doesn’t need this particular type of family, but can you really know? Too many times, I’ve seen well-intentioned family members waving away perfectly reasonable suggestions. Occasionally, the shidduch will happen anyway, and the family member is left groping for an explanation.”

Parents bear the same obligation. Before rejecting a suggestion, just make one or two phone calls. Then, Mrs. F. says, you can gently nix the shidduch, being both reasonable to the shadchan and responsible toward your child. And if the shidduch is not for you, it may be compatible for your brother, neighbor or friend. Mrs. F. has had parents call back, suggesting the shidduch for others. All it takes is some careful consideration and thought.

Mrs. F. is seeing an increase in shidduchim falling apart at later stages, particularly after the boy and girl meet. Inaccurate information certainly is a contributing factor, but Mrs. F. points to the coddling of our young adults as

“IF I DON’T BELIEVE IT’S A MATCH, I WON’T REDT IT. PERIOD.”

a real issue.

“Marriage is a lot of work. Girls who’ve been cosseted, going to Florida every midwinter break, touring during the summer, and walking to work every day with a latte, are resisting marriage. Responsibility and communication feel too onerous to them. I see this all the time.”

Additionally, she cautions parents to abandon the gobbledygook of modern psychology, and, in her own words, “stop being afraid of your kids! Of course, if a child is adamantly against a shidduch, don’t push it. But a parent must project confidence. If a girl or boy senses any doubt or hesitation on their parent’s part, I can bet on my shadchanus check that the shidduch is DOA.”

She also reports many girls demurring, saying they “just don’t feel it.” Unless there’s a specific reason for concern, she opines, there’s always room for another meeting.

Though it’s a loaded topic, Mrs. F. can’t help but add a funny story. As one meeting concluded, the girl rose before her mother. The father of the boy was aghast, saying this displayed a foundational lack of middos

“There went that,” Mrs. F. said, “no matter how hard I tried to paint it as an innocent mistake! I knew the girl personally, she was a paragon of derech eretz. But ois shidduch is ois bashert!”

A healthy dose of reason helps shidduchim too.

“Parents, please help your children!” she implores, “It’s your child getting married. Look out what’s best for them, not you!”

She knows of a devoted aunt who kept reminding the mother of a girl “not to sell her cheaply.” Unfortunately, this fine young

girl had severe social struggles, and with the aunt’s encouragement, the girl’s mother wasn’t being realistic about the kind of boy she needed. Suffice it to say it took a while for her to find her bashert

A slice of humble pie may be in order at times. Mrs. F. tells of a dear friend, a mother of many boys, who kept saying that her kids are not G-d’s gifts to humanity.

“I disagreed,” Mrs. F. says with a chuckle. “Her boys were fabulous. But that attitude was refreshing. Each time I did a shidduch for her, I’d jokingly ask her which of her daughters-in-law she was shortchanged with. But she was so grateful for each one, extolling their maalos, thinking she got the better end of the deal every time.”

When the subject of information comes up, Mrs. F. sighs. “The biggie. I’ve been teaching for decades, and I receive five, ten calls for information every day. Having taught everyone, from geniuses to the severely challenged and all shades in between, I can tell you this: You can find good things to say about anyone.”

Though you may not know the interested party, Mrs. F. believes that putting a positive spin on everything is possible. And regarding the sins of omission, Mrs. F. quotes a famous one-liner: “Emes miz men nisht zugen, un sheker tur men nisht zugen,” Not all truths must be said, but you cannot lie.

For parents, there’s a fine line between being conscientious, but within the realm of normal. To illustrate, she pulls out yet another maxim. “Gei gruben, vesti trefen verim,” loosely translated as, “If you dig, you will discover worms.” Since perfection belongs only to Hashem, every human is fallible. Dig long enough, and you will uncover the specifics. Don’t be Hashem’s detective, Mrs. F. advises.

Occasionally, deeper digging is warranted. When a camp director

“YOU MAY THINK YOUR SISTER-INLAW DOESN’T NEED THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF FAMILY, BUT CAN YOU REALLY KNOW?”

SHIDDUCHIM CAN TAKE AS LITTLE AS TWO DAYS OR AS LONG AS THREE MONTHS.

gave negative information about a girl, careful probing revealed a different picture. The girl was a firecracker, full of personality, and the director more staid and old-school. Small wonder their personalities clashed. (Yes, the shidduch happened.)

Shidduchim can take as little as two days or as long as three months. “Truthfully, the two-day shidduch was an anomaly,” she laughs, “but twice in my career the young party in question skipped town in middle of the process. A boy went to his rebbe, and a girl joined her tour. To say I was miffed would been an understatement — I was incensed. But the joke’s on me, because both shidduchim ended up happening!”

Mrs. F. claims that today, some families are more openminded and will consider shidduchim they wouldn’t have twenty years ago. “Regarding levush, chassidus or a family type, many will be more open minded. Others want shidduchim from within a one mile radius. The mother of a boy one informed me, ‘If you have to spell the name for me, it’s not a shidduch.’ But on the flip side, since the standard of living has risen, support is a larger factor in shidduchim than it used to be.”

For every shidduch Mrs. F. completes, tens of others have been rejected, or are still in progress. “I’ve got five or six shidduchim cooking right now, and if one happens, I’ll be thrilled.” These hours of work bring us to the next topic: compensation. Mrs. F. has received bouquets of flowers, framed poems, and most memorably, effusive brachos from mechutanim overwhelmed with gratitude. She’s also received crumped checks, gemach checks, and a general attitude that makes her feel like an afterthought, with payment given begrudgingly, as if it’s an unreasonable expectation.

When friends ask for the going price of an “easy shidduch,” Mrs. F. contends there is no such a thing. “Each shidduch meant the shadchan didn’t sleep, bit her nails waiting for the phone to ring, and burned many pots of soup. Yes, even the easy ones.”

For those special individuals who tip a shadchan even if the shidduch does not materialize, Mrs. F. says “they are doing the tzibur a service. Each time I get an unexpected gift, it spurs me onward.” For each successful shidduch, there are so many that didn’t get off the ground, and burnout can be inevitable. Encouragement goes a long way, and the high tide lifts all ships.

Mrs. F. mentions the plight of older chassidishe bochurim, some of them going for years without any suggestions. She’s received phone calls from desperate boys, sometimes from out of the country, virtual strangers whom she cannot help. Adding them to her Tehillim list is the only thing that she can do (and she does).

If only matching up our boys and girls would be as simple

as the memory games we played as children. But emotions, ego and image create a complicated constellation of factors that render it anything but a game of Guess Who.

“A mother of a twenty-year-old boy called me in tears. I had no idea who she was, but she hadn’t received even one suggestion. I felt terrible, but I knew I couldn’t just pluck a girl out of nowhere when I didn’t know them at all. I suggested she ask her married daughters, her neighbors, or anyone else. She called me back, saying that her niece had suggested an eminently suitable shidduch.” Many

mosdos have founded initiatives for older singles, such as paying shadchanim, and Mrs. F. roundly applauds.

With age comes more exposure to the outside world and less personal flexibility. She cites the famous story of an older bachur who approached Rav Shach, zt”l, asking him what to compromise on in his ongoing search.

“Compromise on mah yomru ha’briyos!” came the swift reply. Compromise on what others will say. Sometimes, the girl is not pretty enough, the father not rich enough, or the family not chashuv enough — not for the bachur or girl, but for their neighbor next door.

For parents, the first step to treating a shadchan well is elementary. “Just pick up the phone! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve nearly needed the FBI to track people down — sometimes mid-shidduch! Returning calls promptly is a must, too. I’ve had parents who went AWOL as the shidduch was turning a critical corner. If you need more time, or have a concern, convey that to the shadchan. But to leave her hanging is simply unacceptable.”

She remembers a sweet woman who didn’t call back after her son’s beshow. “I frantically dialed her number a million times. Eventually, she picked up and I heard hair-dryers in the background. She was at the sheitelmacher! Now, years later, it’s funny, but back then… it wasn’t.” She reminds parents that the shadchan is your ally, your friend. Cross examinations are not helpful and make the shadchan feel like an intruder, rather than a friend. Even if you consider her suggestion insulting, remember, she’s just trying to help your child get married. And keeping the shadchan on the phone for hours to rehash is not menschlich either. “For that, call a sister or daughter,” Mrs. F. says.

“A shidduch is not complete until you break the plate,” Mrs. F. reminds parents. “But check the Dor Yeshorim numbers early in the game. This prevents heartache later on.”

To potential shadchanim out there: Make a few phone calls to ensure the shidduch you’re redting is sensible. Nothing turns a parent off like getting a list of names, each suggestion less suitable than the next. “But if a shidduch stacks up 50 to 60%, make that phone call,” Mrs. F. advises. “If it’s bashert, it will gather steam and gain momentum. Conversely, if it’s not, if will fizzle out.”

Anyone can make a shidduch, and Mrs. F. pleads with everyone to try. We each have single nieces and nephews, cousins and neighbors. Busier shadchanim may not have the time to follow through on your ideas, so it’s up to you.

We’ve come a long way from the days were a father would meet the shadchan in the marketplace and then inform his son he was a now a chasan, Mrs. F. says. Today, the next shadchan to build a Yiddishe home can be you. Try it — you may be in for a wonderful surprise.

“EACH SHIDDUCH MEANT THE SHADCHAN DIDN’T SLEEP, BIT HER NAILS WAITING FOR THE PHONE TO RING, AND BURNED MANY POTS OF SOUP.”

SNAPSHOTS OF SIMCHA

T. GESTETNER

THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND THE PHOTOS

The evening will soon fade away, yet the memories will last forever. One tool that helps eternalize the moment and capture it forever is photography.

In a candid talk with The Monsey View, world-class photographer Moshe Grunfeld shares practical tips and emotive insights into the bigger picture.

PART OF THE PICTURE

“Imagine being an eighth grader and having a close family wedding every night.” Wedding photographer Moshe Grunfeld laughs. “It would be fun…”

That’s how Grunfeld experiences his job: He gets to be part of the excitement in a most profound way, time and again. From before the chuppah straight to the end, he is totally involved, as if it were his own personal simcha

He once met a chasan a short while after being the photographer at his wedding.

“I spotted you on the video standing at my chuppah, and you looked more emotional than my own brother!” the chasan teased.

“Yes, I really was happy for you… I was totally in it!” Mr. Grunfeld replied.

He truly does get emotional when he watches yet another couple start a new life together, even though he’s only

the photographer of the event. It’s not just another job; it’s another wedding! And Grunfeld knows that.

A MATTER OF TIME

When it comes to weddings, a photographer isn’t there simply to take pictures; he’s part of a crew that works together to make sure the entire event runs smoothly. For a wedding to be beautiful, the manager, musician, singer, photographer, and even the waiters, must collaborate well and happily. Putting egos aside, they must take the entire picture into consideration.

This plays out especially when it comes to timing. Little mishaps can cause the most well-planned wedding to go off-track, and that’s why everyone must work as a team to stick to the schedule.

Because the initial photo session takes place even before the kabbalas panim begins, a delay at that point can be very problematic. Taking another few shots could cause the entire evening to run late, and it isn’t worthwhile for parents to pay for overtime just to get an additional pose in. Nor does it justify the discomfort caused to guests who may have scheduled their entire day around this wedding, only to find out that they must wait a while to say mazel tov as the chasan and kallah have not yet come in for the dancing.

That being said, what’s a family to do when something goes wrong — say, the flowers are not ready on time, or the mechutanim get stuck in traffic?

With proper teamwork, the photographer should be in sync with the manager and figure out how to carve out the necessary time. For example, they can decide to begin the kabbalas panim ten minutes late and cut down a couple of minutes later on, during the meal. The main thing is that they consciously work around a schedule, even if it’s a revised one.

Although not industry standard, some photographers, like Grunfeld, have a second crew on hand as early as kabbalas panim. In unexpected circumstances,

AAfter months of planning and preparation, the big day finally arrives. Whirlwinds of emotion accompany the new couple as they stand on the threshold of their own bayis ne’eman

this allows the chasunah to begin while the picture-taking continues with the second crew.

CAMERA ON THE KALLAH

In families where the pictures taken before the wedding are primarily of the kallah and her family, and of the chasan’s side with no pictures of the chasan yet, pictures should begin roughly two and a half hours before the wedding is scheduled to begin. When the chasan poses as well, at least three hours are usually needed.

The session begins with the kallah herself. The number of poses and the length

A FAMOUS ARTIST ONCE SAID, “THE BEST THING ABOUT A PICTURE IS THAT IT NEVER CHANGES, EVEN WHEN THE PEOPLE IN IT DO.”

of time this takes depends on how important pictures are to her, and on her frame of mind. A good photographer picks up on cues and realizes when it’s time to move on, or if it would be a good idea to change the setting to the lobby or outdoors.

“The main thing is to go with the flow,” says Grunfeld. “I’m not here for myself — I’m here for the kallah. Whatever she wants to do, that’s what we do.”

Some kallahs like creative poses and have the patience to cooperate. Others go for a basic style and just want to get a few pictures in so they can move on. A kallah may tell the photographer herself when she feels she’s had enough.

It’s very important for a family member or friend to be with the kallah during this session. She may need help with her gown or veil, and this companion may also help a more reticent kallah feel comfortable enough to deliver a sincere smile.

Not every kallah is naturally photogenic, but every kallah can look her very best. It’s all about proper posing and suitable lighting. Sometimes a kallah must simply be guided and maneuvered so the light hits her at the right angle, but Grunfeld feels that when a kallah understands the reason for his instructions, she’ll more easily cooperate.

THE FAMILY ON FILM

Siblings should be there about half an hour after the session with the kallah begins so that pictures of the rest of the family can follow.

With so much going on, it may be difficult for the mechutanim to keep track of who was already photographed, and the photographer is there to help. He should be given a list of all the family members in advance, and it’s important for him to know how large the family is on both sides and how many grandparents to expect. Still, the pictures go fast, and there is no time for a checklist and a pen. The photographer must simply try to remember the list he was given beforehand.

Being prepared in advance also means making sure every-

one knows where to be when. For example, unmarried siblings should be aware that they should be posing for individual shots and pictures with the kallah. They should make sure to speak up if they were somehow missed.

Of course, it takes more coordination to photograph a larger family. If everyone shows up at once, someone — or several someones — will inevitably spend a longer time waiting their turn. Little children who are waiting half an hour or more could grow impatient… Not the best setup! That’s why it’s best to ask half the family to come about 30 minutes before the rest.

SMILING THROUGH THE SESSION

Any photographer worth his salt will make photographing children quick and easy by helping them pose. Sometimes a kid just stands there, so Grunfeld will joke, “You look like you’re waiting for a bus!” He’ll then show the child how to turn sideways and where to place their hands, and presto! Now they’re ready for a picture!

Another tip to ensure the kids’ cooperation is food. The day of a wedding is super hectic, and it’s easy to overlook this simple detail, but kids must eat. A wellnourished child or teen will be that much more cooperative in front of the camera. That’s why Grunfeld recommends having clean finger foods on hand, especially for families traveling a distance to the wedding hall.

He recalls one wedding where he tried to get good pictures of a terribly cranky baby and his less-than-happy family. After all the pictures were taken, the mother realized that the child might be hungry. She fed him a bottle, and the baby was soon content. The family then asked Mr. Grunfeld to redo some pictures, and with everyone more relaxed and a smile on the baby’s face, the second set of photos were absolute winners.

This story is not unique. Grunfeld frequently watches as children run over to the smorgasbord as it’s being rolled in because they’re so hungry. No wonder they often don’t feel like cooperating during the photoshoot!

SHOOTING THE PHOTOS: WHERE AND WHEN

One common complaint siblings of the chasan or kallah sometimes have is in regard to the picture-taking session after the chuppah. The meal has just begun, and everyone is accepting mazel tovs, helping guests find their places, and thinking of eating them-

selves. Then comes a messenger reporting that all family members must be in the yichud room or other backstage area for a family picture together with the chasan and kallah. This can be annoying, but according to Grunfeld, it doesn’t have to take all that long. If all individual family pictures have been taken before the wedding began, full family picture should go pretty quickly.

As an aside, some families take the full family picture before the kabbalas panim and then stick in the chasan and kallah via photoshop. While this may avoid the baalei-simchah-gone-AWOL-during-the-meal issue, Grunfeld does not recommend it. With his flair for dramatic lighting with lots of shadows and depth, it’s nearly impossible to get the lighting of the photos to match. Never mind the fact that the pieced together end-product may never come to fruition…

When families grow, ka”h, the official picture-taking room may not suffice. In those cases, Grunfeld then moves the family meeting point to the lobby. Most wedding halls have a large enough lobby to fit a crowd, and this makes for a nice, bigger photo. And with so many family members filling the photo, not much emphasis is placed on the background.

Speaking of backgrounds, Grunfeld adds that anything goes when it comes to kallah portraits. There are so many unique floral ideas today, and they can all produce lovely photos. Some people like busier backgrounds while others

“THE MAIN THING IS TO GO WITH THE FLOW,” SAYS GRUNFELD. “I’M NOT HERE FOR MYSELF — I’M HERE FOR THE KALLAH. WHATEVER SHE WANTS TO DO, THAT’S WHAT WE DO.”

prefer a cleaner, more elegant look. It’s all a matter of preference, and one is not better for the pictures than the other.

Recently, Grunfeld shot pictures at a wedding featuring black and red roses. It made for a wild background and darker-toned pictures, which is definitely not what most of us are used to, but that’s what the family chose — and the pictures came out nice, too.

THE VENUE MENU

ALBUMS AND PRINTS

The wedding is over, and the family is excited to relive the memories, see what they looked like, and remember which guests were there. Should they have all pictures printed or choose a select few?

The old practice of giving each customer full albums with all of their proofs printed out has phased out over the years. Many photographers today simply offer their customers a digital file.

“I believe everyone should have freedom of choice,” says Grunfeld. If a client wishes to print their pictures themselves, they can, and if they prefer high-end prints, they can opt to have the photographer print them. Most photographers have access to professional labs that are not open to the general public.

The same holds true for wedding albums. Photographers with the right connections can create albums that far surpass cheaply printed pieces. Grunfeld has his wedding albums printed in Italy and, as he says, “They make the nicest albums I’ve ever seen. The quality is beautiful and cannot compare to even high-end local printings. They’re simply out of this world!” Choosing pictures for the album, however, is all too often relegated to the bottom of the to-do list. There will always be more pressing things to take care of. But Grunfeld has a great solution. He offers a pre-designed album. Rather than sifting through thousands of pictures to decide which ones to include, the family receives a sample proof with pictures all the important people at the wedding already set in place. Of course, they can still switch pictures around, choose different poses or add other relatives, but the basic job is done. This eliminates 90% of the work, and makes the entire process much easier… and much more likely to be complete before the couple celebrates their first anniversary!

Every wedding hall gets different poses, and a creative photographer will always come up with ideas or angles to get great results, no matter the address. But Grunfeld has a different modus operandi when it comes to halls that are new for him as a photographer, versus halls that he visits often.

When photographing a wedding located in a venue often used, Grunfeld challenges himself to try at least two new poses to avoid getting bored of his usual choices. But arriving at a hall he’s never worked in before has its own difficulties. Before Grunfeld begins a job at a new venue, he does his research. He consults with others within the photography community who may have photographed at that location before, and he tries to be there early on the day of the event so he can look around himself before beginning to shoot. But it’s ultimately an advantage: being being at a less usual hall opens his eyes to new options with a fresher feel.

THE OLD PRACTICE OF GIVING EACH CUSTOMER FULL ALBUMS WITH ALL OF THEIR PROOFS PRINTED OUT HAS PHASED OUT OVER THE YEARS. MANY PHOTOGRAPHERS TODAY SIMPLY OFFER THEIR CUSTOMERS A DIGITAL FILE.

COOKING UP A SIMCHA

RUCHY REESE

THE CATERER AND THE CUISINE

AAh! Yiddishe simchos!

Klal Yisroel is booming, baruch Hashem, and wedding guests often find themselves floating from one tulle-filled hall to another during chasunah season. Behind the scenes of each beautiful event is a whole team working hard to ensure that the night is memorable and runs seamlessly. One of these important people is the chef behind the night’s cuisine. To hear what it takes to serve up a simcha, we spoke to Rivky of Glatt Geshmak.

PLANNING THE MENU

Though Glatt Geshmak is a household name in Monsey due to its famous deli, they also have a catering branch that’s been in business for nearly eleven years. It’s in this department that Rivky works, churning out exquisite cuisine for discerning baalei simcha

When it comes to choosing the menu, Rivky says, there’s a basic structure, but within that structure, baalei simcha have plenty of options in every category, beginning with the shmorg and ending with the Viennese table. Most people decide on menus about two months before the chasunah takes place, though Glatt Geshmak prefers hearing from the baalei simcha as soon as they know which hall they’ll be using.

“Monsey has two types of

halls,” Rivky explains. “There are venues with a caterer on site, and then there are halls that have a list of caterers they allow in.”

Once the hall is booked, it’s time to settle the catering (if needed) and dream up the delicacies that’ll be served.

“We start with a full shmorg at the kabbalas panim,” Rivky tells me. “The customer has a choice of two ‘live’ stations, which are manned — such as a meatcarving station or wok station — plus a choice of five ‘standing’ stations at which fruit, cake and salads are served.”

Once the chuppah is over and the meal begins, the appetizers come rolling out.

“We’re one of the caterers that offer a meat appetizer,” she says, adding that oyster steak over quinoa salad is currently very popular, as is the pulled beef over yam puree and the traditional beef over gnocchi and mushrooms. For someone who wants to keep the meat for the main, however, there are plenty of fish options.

“It’s usually grilled salmon,” Rivky says, but even though most people prefer traditional flavors, any kosher fish is an option, such as turbot or tuna.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to soups. “Whatever their heart desires! The most popular right now is Happy Family soup — a soup with chicken, beef, and veggies in a clear broth. The cream of mushroom and cream of corn are also extremely popular. And parsnip soup is becoming more common.”

When it comes to the main, chicken-on-the-bone seems to have long gone the way of the dodo. Nowadays, chicken steak, or breaded, grilled or battered cutlets, or even stuffed capons, have taken its place as the star of the show.

“Beef is an upgrade,” Rivky continues. The choices range from grilled chuck steak or ribeye, and go up to brisket squares, short ribs, prime rib, and even veal or lamb chops. “It all depends on your budget.”

Alongside the protein of choice can be anything from grilled veggies to mini squash to white asparagus or broccoli; in fact, there are plenty of side options to suit every palate. Most popular these days are Yukon gold mashed potatoes.

But while we’re talking about mains, we mustn’t forget the food for the little people!

“Kids don’t like when the food is served on platters, rather than individual plates,” Rivky says. “The kids just end up going to the adult table — and they don’t enjoy adult food, so everyone loses out.”

To prevent this, the staff prepares seats for each child, complete with a little roll and glass. When the adults are served the appetizer, the children are served

as well, with a menu that includes kid-friendly delicacies such as French fries and chicken nuggets.

Despite all of the delicious options that make up the bulk of the meal, it’s really dessert that takes the cake. (Groan, I know!)

“We have a roll-out Viennese table that is fully manned,” Rivky says, describing the baalei simcha’s options that span from sorbet logs and ice cream carvings to mini doughnut holes and carrot muffins.

With such enormous amounts of food passing from kitchen to hall, what happens to the leftovers? Rivky explains that there generally aren’t significant leftovers, even though an extra 10% of food is always prepared just in case extras are needed. That which stays in the kitchen from beginning to end of the night gets packed up for the baalei simcha or sent to a chesed organization, if requested.

“What people don’t know is that food that has left the kitchen can’t be packed up for health reasons.” If it’s out of the kitchen, she explains, she can’t know how long it was sitting out and under what conditions, and that’s an achrayus she can’t shoulder. “Anything left in the kitchen, though, I have control over — and I happily pack it up.”

GLATT GESHMAK IS KNOWN FOR ITS TOP-OF-THE-LINE CATERING, YET THERE ARE THOSE WHO DECIDE TO TAKE THINGS EVEN ONE NOTCH HIGHER OR ADD THEIR OWN UNIQUE TWIST.

OUT OF THE ORDINARY

While Glatt Geshmak is known for its top-of-the-line catering, there are those who decide to take things even one notch higher or add their own unique twist. “We once had a wedding that was totally beyond our regular,” Rivky tells me. “It was extremely high-end, with seven or eight courses.

“We’ve also had Moroccan, Israeli, American, Italian, Mexican and Chinese themed events,” she says, describing how Glatt Geshmak custom-designed the menu to accommodate each theme.

But how do they manage to perfect the recipes

for, say, Moroccan food?

“We did have to work on those recipes,” she admits, revealing that she fears neither a challenge nor hard work. “But there is a lot of helpful information out there, and some typical recipes are Moroccan to begin with, even if we didn’t know it.”

Ultimately, after experimentation and practice, the final dish is always one that’s worth not only eating, but even raving about.

It’s not just those seeking a unique style who order specialized menus. Glatt Geshmak has catered fully gluten-free simchos for medical reasons.

“I won’t usually do gluten-free cooking for a simcha if it’s only ten or fifteen people who need it, but if the chasunah will be totally gluten-free, I’m happy to do it,” Rivky says. “Nevertheless, it’s not my preference, and it is more expensive.”

She explains that going gluten-free does require substitutions. But when she prepares a full simcha, it really doesn’t take too much additional effort to cook without gluten.

“Any type of meat or chicken can be gluten-free. Salads and soups can easily be made without gluten, and much of the Chinese line is gluten-free too.”

On a different note, Rivky says that she occasionally gets the request for Sefardic Beis Yosef cooking (which is not the same as Beis Yosef meat), in which a Yid has to actually put the food into the oven. This she says, “It is harder to arrange than a gluten-free menu!”

KEEPING IT KOSHER

While Glatt Geshmak does occasionally cater simchos in non-kosher venues, Rivky says that it can be hard.

“We can’t accept such a booking until we actually go down and make sure that we can make the place work. Most things can be adjusted to fit our needs; it’s the oven that presents the biggest challenge. And if they won’t let us kasher the oven the way our mashgiach wants it to be done, I won’t use it.”

There are times, she says, where she gets permission to bring a propane tank and set up an oven outside, but not every venue allows that. There are other challenges as well, such as ensuring they’ve cleaned up spotlessly and made a kiddush Hashem

To that end, she has a well-trained staff of over a hundred people who know that their job is to give a smooth ride to the baalei simcha, the guests and the hosting facility.

FLOPS

While FLOPS has become a byword in certain communities for the financial obligations of the chasan’s side (flowers, liquor, orchestra, photography, sheitels), a more standard version of the word sometimes applies:

WHILE FLOPS HAS BECOME A BYWORD FOR THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE CHASAN’S SIDE, A MORE STANDARD VERSION OF THE WORD SOMETIMES APPLIES: THINGS CAN JUST PLAIN GO AWRY.

Things can just plain go awry.

“There are hardships in every business,” Rivky says, but then she quotes a simcha hall owner who once said, “Everyone can push things off, whether it’s the furniture guy or the seamstress, but we can’t push things off. When a wedding has to happen, it has to happen.”

She tells me stories of food getting stuck in an elevator at a hall, and sprinklers that malfunctioned. As Rivky says, things do happen. On another occasion, a hall had to be evacuated in the middle of the simcha because a fire alarm was activated by the monsoon-like rains pounding on the roof.

“The only thing we could do was give out garbage bags to protect people from the rain as they stood outside. We just try to help people and keep them calm when the evening is disrupted.”

Thankfully, that’s not often.

A GESHMAK MESSAGE

Keeping calm under pressure seems to be a special skill Rivky possesses, and when I ask for her message to baalei simcha, she focuses on that aspect.

“Just take a deep breath, and enjoy the moment! It’s been a couple of months of intense work, and even though you can try to make sure everything is perfect, you can’t plan it all out. But everyone came to your simcha to make you happy! Just let go of all the stress, and enjoy the moment. It’ll pass faster than you’d think.”

And that is the most tasty message to savor when making a simcha.

SERENADING A NEW BAYIS NE’EMAN Y.

THE BADCHAN AND HIS BRACHOS

Such is the life of a badchan, whose work takes him to a new place and new surroundings every night, and whose job only starts after the rest of us have gone to bed (not writers, normal people).

The term badchan literally translates as jester, but the job responsibilities of a contemporary badchan are no laughing matter. In addition to entertaining, weaving poetry, and serving as the master of ceremonies for the mitzvah tantz, families have come to rely on the badchan to inspire the guests and be a source of his’orerus at this special time.

For this week’s simcha issue, we sat down with one of the most wellknown personalities in the world of badchanus, Yonasan Schwartz. Despite his myriad responsibilities and chesed activities, he made time to talk to us about the role he’s so passionate about.

How many years have you been doing this, and how did you get started?

It’s been 34 years since I first got started. I was working in a butcher shop at the time, but I enjoyed singing and joking, and writing grammen came naturally to me. When I told my bosses that I’ll be graduating to badchanus, they told me it appears that the cows got to me… But I was undaunted. I still remember and appreciate the first two chassidish Yidden who offered me jobs, but once I got going, the crowds seemed to greatly appreciate it, and it took off like wildfire from there.

Did you even experience stage fright?

Me? No way, I’m too crazy for that.

How would you describe the responsibility of a badchan?

For me, it’s about connecting to each wedding and each mechutan as if they’re the only one — because in their moment, they are. I still get emotional every time I call up a mechutan or chasan. People recognize the enormity of the moment, and while the time dedicated to jokes has been cut over the years, the tefillos and emotional aspects haven’t. You can’t afford to perform in a bad mood or with little energy; they’re relying on you.

O“On Rosh Hashanah, my wife eats mango as one of the simanim,” I once heard a European badchan joke, “because if she wants us to have parnassah, her man will always be on the go.”

Entertaining a different crowd every night is hard work. How many jobs would you take weekly?

Oh, I would do it every night. It could be five weddings in a single week, plus a melaveh malka I’ve been blessed with a lot of energy and I enjoyed doing it. But today, between my businesses and public askanus, I have things pulling me in so many different directions that I’ve mostly handed over the mic to a generation of younger badchanim

Speaking of which, how would you say that the field has changed over the decades that you’ve been doing this?

The biggest change would be that these days, people really don’t want to schlep Baruch Hashem, we have so many simchos now that a wedding is no longer an all-night affair in the way it once was. Another change is that today’s badchanim provide more of a musical performance with a prepared chorus, whereas back then it was more common to sing in rhyme in a stream-ofconsciousness fashion.

Did you write the actual grammen in advance?

No. I would prepare the content and make some notes, but the actual lyrics would be composed on the spot.

Even when you performed before large crowds or at major events?

Yes. Writing lyrics in rhyme is a skill Hashem blessed me with, and preparing in advance was of little benefit.

Would you ever find yourself involved in tricky situations with what you could or couldn’t say? How did you navigate it?

I had and continue to follow a simple rule: Don’t hurt another Yid, no matter what you are told or what’s at stake.

Everyone who knows me knows how much I talk about divorced parents being part of their children’s lives b’shalom. I remember arriving at a wedding where the parents of the chasan were divorced and the mother told me that under no circumstances could I call up the father. After arguing for a bit, I saw she wouldn’t budge so I got up and left. I waited in my car outside until she inevitably called me, asking where I was. I told her that I’m not in the business of shfichas damim

and I refused to abide by her demands. I told her that she didn’t need to pay me, obviously, but I couldn’t perform. The mother had no choice and had to agree that the father be called up. Months later, she called me to apologize and thank me. I eventually learned the full story. The father was actually a wonderful man, not the evil person she made him out to be.

I was once invited to sing at a waterfront wedding. When I started calling up the kallah’s father, I noticed that the energy in the room shifted and everyone was getting emotional. I picked up on it and turned things up even more, focusing on how strong and deep is the relationship between a father and his children. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. After the wedding, the father came over and paid me double what we had agreed on. He told me that his daughter, the kallah, hadn’t been on speaking terms with him for a number of years, and wouldn’t even talk to him on her wedding day. Nothing anyone tried helped. But my words broke the ice. I am still in touch with the father who has since rekindled a warm relationship with his daughter.

“IT’S ABOUT CONNECTING TO EACH WEDDING AND EACH MECHUTAN AS IF THEY’RE THE ONLY ONE — BECAUSE IN THEIR MOMENT, THEY ARE.”

Since launching your badchanus career, you’ve become a prolific producer of Yiddish music albums, probably the most well-known heimish magician and mentalist, an owner of multiple toy stores and brands, and a community askan. Would you say that there is a thread connecting your badchanus work to the many other hats you’ve worn over the years?

They all share one common purpose: bringing smiles to Yiddishe kinder. The music albums, the magic shows, the toys at discounted rates, the chesed; it’s all part of the same mission.

Speaking of chesed and the topic of weddings, we would be remiss not to mention your recent advocacy work in the world of shidduchim where you’ve become a public face in a movement to encourage more shidduchim. How would you sum up your efforts?

We are facing a growing epidemic of boys and girls getting older and remaining unmarried, and if

we don’t wake up quick, the situation will be catastrophic. Whether it’s parents’ unreasonable expectations, a lack of shadchanim, or something else, Hashem put me at the forefront of a grassroots awakening involving every kehillah and chassidus to implement long-overdue change.

Since I’ve gone public about this, it has consumed me day and night. It’s my first call in the morning, my last call at night, and by now the bulk of my day in the middle. Right before we started talking, I got off the phone with a girl, the youngest in her family, whose mother keeps turning down every shidduch suggestion, and she really wants to get married. If I had a dollar for every story I’ve heard, I could probably close my business.

While we’re on this, last week was the yahrtzeit of Reb Shayeleh Kerestirer. Can you tell us about the movement you spearheaded?

Reb Shayeleh fed hungry Yidden and was committed to ensuring that every Yid had abundant parnassah. So while people enjoyed their yahrtzeit seudos, I utilized my public platform, encouraging the community to pay off the accumulated grocery debt of families who literally cannot feed their children. Baruch Hashem, we were able to raise tens of thousands of dollars toward this end.

So a career that began by helping build Yiddish homes has since evolved to build and save homes in many different ways. What do you want your legacy to be?

That I stretched every bit of ability Hashem gave me and utilized it to help put a smile on the face of His children. My biggest pleasure is seeing a Yid raised up. As a wise man said, don’t be jealous of my Olam Haba because I help Yidden; be jealous of my Olam Hazeh!

“WHEN I STARTED CALLING UP THE KALLAH’S FATHER, I NOTICED THAT THE ENERGY IN THE ROOM SHIFTED AND EVERYONE WAS GETTING EMOTIONAL.”

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The minhagim of the chuppah are laden with meaning, evocative of the prime principles of our existence as a nation. Read on for a select few implications as yet another bayis ne’eman is formed.

THE CHASAN IS LIKENED TO A KING, THE KALLAH TO A QUEEN.

The chasan is helped into his kittel, in the regal manner that royalty is dressed with assistance.

Just as a king would not venture out to the marketplace on his own, a chasan is escorted to the chuppah by shushvinim, unterfihrers, who are like his bodyguards.

Many have the custom of standing at the chuppah, in honor of the “king.” The chasan is welcomed with a royal salutation, a resounding, “Baruch haba.”

Like a king, whose sins are forgiven upon coronation, the chasan is granted forgiveness on his yom hachuppah

AT THE PINNACLE OF SIMCHA, WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THE AVEILUS OVER YERUSHALAYIM.

Before he heads to the chuppah, ash is placed on the chasan’s forehead, on the spot where he wears his tefillin, in remembrance of the Churban. A glass is shattered, representing the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash.

THE CHUPPAH IS REMINISCENT OF THE ULTIMATE WEDDING OF KLAL YISROEL AND THE TORAH.

At Matan Torah, Hakadosh Baruch Hu descended, accompanied by 22,000 malachim. Similarly, lots of people crowd around the chasan as he walks to the chuppah

The shushvinim carry candles, hinting at the thunder and lightning of that focal event in our history.

The kesubah is read aloud so the chasan hears and internalizes the obligations he is about to accept upon himself toward his new wife. This is similar to Klal Yisroel standing beneath Har Sinai as Moshe Rabbeinu set forth for them their new obligation toward Hakadosh Baruch Hu — to be a mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh

WE ARE REMINDED OF THE VERY FIRST COUPLE, BACK ON THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION.

Before the chuppah, the chasan and kallah are blessed, similar to Adam and Chava, whom Hakadosh Baruch Hu blessed just before their marriage.

The Gemara (Brachos 61a) says that the chasan and kallah should be walked down to the chuppah, escorted by the shushvinim, following the way Hakadosh Baruch Hu brought Chava to Adam.

The kallah circles the chasan seven times, a reference to the seven chuppahs Hashem fashioned for Adam and Chava in Gan Eden.

AT THE CHUPPAH, WE LINK TO OUR PAST, HOPING FOR ZECHUS AVOS.

The chuppah customarily stands under the open sky, a reference to the bracha of koh yiheyeh zaracha with which Avraham Avinu was blessed. May the chasan and kallah welcome progeny as plentiful as the stars.

The chuppah is open on all four sides, like the tent of Avraham Avinu. It is a reminder to the chasan and kallah to have a warm, open home, to love chesed, and to emulate the middos of our forefather, Avraham.

Before the chuppah, the kallah’s face is covered with a veil. This is reminiscent of how Rivkah Imeinu covered her face as Yitzchak approached. In many communities, the chasan himself is the one to place the covering, much as Rivkah covered her face specifically in his presence. (This may be part of the kinyan of marriage as well.)

A NEW MIKDASH ME’AT IS BEING BUILT.

A new home provides a new makom for hashra’as haShechinah! As the couple enters the bond of marriage, their third partner is Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

The chasan and kallah face mizrach, and those who make the brachos under the chuppah stand directly opposite them, facing maariv. The chasan and kallah thus receive the brachos face-to-face, equating their potency to that of Birkas Kohanim.

The chasan may be likened to the kohen gadol, standing lifnei v’lifnim — in the Kodesh Hakodashim, another reason for his being dressed by others in a kittel.

AT THESE ELEVATED MOMENTS, WE ARE PROMPTED TO REMEMBER THE SHECHINAH.

We sing “Mi Adir,” praising Hakadosh Baruch Hu before we bless the new couple.

One reason guests at the chuppah should preferably stand is in honor of the Shechinah

The seven circles of the kallah around the chasan are to remind us that the marriage should be for the sake of He Who dwells Above, in the seven skies.

THIS IS A TIME TO CONTEMPLATE OUR PURPOSE IN THIS WORLD.

The chasan in his white kittel, and the kallah in her white gown — tenderly called a chuppah kleid in Yiddish — are reminded of the yom hamisah

It also indicates that the chasan and kallah are granted forgiveness for their sins. Additionally, white personifies purity — purity of heart and soul.

The kittel has no pockets, signifying the deeper purpose of this new union, which is completely detached from material possessions.

ANOTHER BAYIS NE’EMAN FORGES ANOTHER LINK IN THE CHAIN OF ETERNITY.

Our ancestors and tzaddikim of the past are present, taking part in this momentous continuation of Klal Yisroel’s existence.

The ring with which the chasan acquires his wife is a constant reminder to her that she is consecrated and committed to her husband. It also indicates a link in the chain of generations, made of interlocking rings. May the new couple merit children of their own who will continue to go in the ways of our ancestors.

HERE WE GO!

HAUL IN THE ANCHOR.

ANCHOR HAULED, SIR.

READY THE SAILS. SAILS READY, SIR.

RECAP: YOSEF IS PREPARING ANOTHER SURPRISE INVENTION. MEANWHILE, REPAIRS ON THE SHIP ARE COMPLETE. TOMORROW THEY’RE GOING HOME!

ATOMIC BATTERIES TO POWER! TURBINES TO SPEED!

I’M SORRY, WHAT?

NEVER MIND THAT. MR. TREVOR, LAUNCH US!

AYE, AYE, SIR!

ATOMIC BATTERIES ARE — WAIT A MINUTE. WHAT?!

PREPARE FOR WARP SPEED! SECOND STAR TO THE RIGHT!

WOO-HOO!

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

• Abbreviations

Acronyms

• Proper nouns

• Contractions

•

POINTS

4-letter words: 2 points | 5-letter words: 3 points | 6-letter words: 5 points | 7-letter words: 7 points |

OG I K U

RB D N

T Q S F E C L I R

M A L P H

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.

E L 290 www.themonseyview.com 845.600.8484 The Monsey View May 3, 2023

BOGGLE WINNERS

WINNER 1

Family name: Edelson, 845-xxx-1599

Name of winner: Batsheva

Amount of points: 35

Names of competing players: Chana Leah Ehrenpreis

Some words only the winner found: cell, flat, full, sing, tall

The longest word found on the board: flame

WINNER 2

Family name: Weiss, 845-xxx-4247

Name of winner: Mommy

Amount of points: 156

Names of competing players: Dovid

Some words only the winner found: amusing, flame, stalled

The longest word found on the board: amusing

Last week’s bonus word: ALLERGIST

Winner: To claim your prize, bring this page 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.

Name:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone:______________________________________________ Age:____________________ School:_________________________________________________________

Yehuda Hershel Baum

Aidy, Avrum Chaim, and Ruchy Breuer

Talent

Chaim Yedidya Klein

Moshe Duvid Baum

Moishy Katz

Levi Yitzchok and Motti Spitz, Skvere

294 www.themonseyview.com 845.600.8484 The Monsey View May 3, 2023

Shmiel Duvid Kritzler

Hindy Weiser

Family Friedman

Chaya Raizy and Abraham Yakov Oberlander

Family Fisch

Dovi Wachsman, 6

Zevulun Dweck and Zevulun Mozeson

FOR SALE

RESTAURANT FOR SALE

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

DOONA STROLLER

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

NEOCATE/BABY FORMULA

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

Formula Trade 347.369.4886

JOOLZ HUB PLUS

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

MOTOR BIKE FOR SALE

Looking to sell a razor motor bike Mx350 in excellent condiiton. Please call 845608-4211

AIR CONDITION

Looking to sell LG Air conditioner, 2 Years Old, in great condition. Size: 2 feet wide, 15 inches tall. Please call/text 929-2893413

BUGABOO BEE 6 HOOD

Bugaboo Bee 6 hood with ombre design, wholesale price. Call or text 929-4866534

JOOLZ AER

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

MOUNTAIN BUGGY

DOUBLE CARRIAGE

Mountain buggy double carriage in great condition. Barely Used. For great price! Call/text 347-831-1490

CHASUNA MALL

FURNITURE PACKAGE

Dining room, master bedroom set, dinette set, sofa. Absolutely perfect condition, great price call 845-327-6000

FURNITURE FOR SALE

Beautiful Sterns Bedroom and Dining room furniture for sale. In Beautiful condition. For more information please call 845445-7653

FURNITURE FOR SALE

Dining room & master bedroom furniture for sale, Due to moving. Please call 845-425-2833

Q4 MP3

Brand new Q4 MP3 still in box for sale, regular $190 selling for $140. Please call 845-323-1158

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

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

BRAND NEW APT

Brand new, Luxurious Apartment for rent - Spacious Kitchen and Dining Room, Playroom + Pesach Kitchen, Laundry Room, 4 Bedrooms. Centrally located on Francis Place. Asking $4,200 + Utilities. Please contact 845579-2352

MONSEY SHORT TERM RENTAL

Highview/College. Summer /Shabbos/ Simcha Rental. Fully furnished luxury house. 2, 4 or 6 bedroom option. Call/ whatsapp 718541-0292

FOR RENT

2 bedroom apt available for rent in the New Hempstead area. 845-659-6900 call/Text

5 BEDROOM APT FOR RENT

Brand new 5 bedroom duplex for rent. Section 8 ok. Remsen ave. 845-533-2892

APT FOR RENT

Large 1 bedroom apt for rent in the area of Route 306 and New Pomona Rd. If interested please call 845-208-4451

BUILING FOR SALE

Accepting offers 25,000 sq ft commercial building with big lot. Altoona PA. Organizational property any offers accepted. 212470-1708

MONTEBELLO HOUSE FOR RENT

4 bedroom house for rent in Montebello with a beautiful view. Available immediately. Text/Call 917-225-9572 For summer rental call 917-4442716

SUMMER RENTAL WANTED

Looking to rent house with pool in Monsey for 4-5 summer weeks. No kids. 347450-1019

BUILDING NEEDED

Yeshiva in Rockland County is looking to buy/rent commercial building/property suitable for approximately 75 boys email melissag@bplusg. com call 347-405-7626

Classifieds real estate N help wanted N

OFFICE FOR RENT

Newly renovated small offices and Cubicle Desks for rent on LENORE AVE. Please call 845 533 2427

HAVERSTRAW

1000 SF ground floor space + 15 parking spots available for rent call/Text 845.203.1120

VACATION RENTAL

Magnificent house with a pool in Airmont fully stocked with all amenities, very close to shul and Mikvah, available to rent for weekends.

3474204945

SHOWROOM / OFFICE

SPACE AVAILABLE

Available chestnut ridge road & Old Nyack 2,000 s/f to lease as a office / showroom. call 8453199168

HOLLYWOOD FLORIDA

Beautiful private villa. 4 Master suites with kosher kitchen, huge living area, pool. Walking distance to Shul/ Kosher shopping. Call/ whatsapp 718-541-0292

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. Discounted rates available! call/text 347-224-5574

SUMMER RENTAL

Beautiful 5 bedroom, 3 full bath home with a pool in Monsey (Haverstraw) for rent

June 23- August 13 please email Yitti.moskowitz@ gmail.com or whatsapp 917374-4535.

SUMMER RENTAL

2 bedroom apt for rent in bates area during the summer months. Call or text for details 216-848-9772

SUMMER RENTAL

Nice single family home on quiet st, 6 Bedrooms, 3 full BR, front/back yard, available for chodesh Av 7/17-8/16. 15 min walk to central Monsey. Willing to swap for home in Eretz Yisroel. 845-641-8450

CAMPGROUNDS AVAILABLE

Beautiful campgrounds in the Poconos available to rent for yeshivah and camp Shabbatons or overnight stays. Please contact poconosmanagement@ gmail.com

CAMPUS FOR RENT

Campus available to rent for a boy’s camp or yeshiva please contact campusom180@ gmail.com

HOUSE FOR RENT

Private updated 7-bedroom colonial with pool and large deck for rent on a quiet culde-sac street New Hempstead area, call 845-538-1857

SUMMER RENTAL

Summer space for rent, suitable for yeshiva or camp. Several available options, with a possibility of some sleeping space. Beautiful grounds. Pool on premises. 845-243-0097

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

Do you enjoy getting a Project Done to completion? ECommerce Office looking to hire a Project Manager. Office Experience required. Reach Out @ chaya@thekey2leads. com

HELP WANTED

Busy Monsey doctor’s office is looking for a receptionist. Must be extremely smart, quick, and can work under pressure. Email your resume to Helen@thekey2leads.com if you think this is for you!

LIFEGUARD POSITIONS

Male lifeguard positions available. 845-217-1272

TEACHER/ CO-TEACHER

You love working with young kindergarten boys? A boys yeshiva seeks a warm, responsible kindergarten teacher/co-teacher who loves children. Please call 845-587-6601 or email to ykapplicants@gmail.

BAS MIKROH ’23-‘24

Bas Mikroh is seeking Middle School Moros and Teachers, Junior High Secular Studies Teachers, Assistant to the Principal, Co-teachers and Assistants, Remedial Teachers, and Daycare Assistants to join our dynamic, talented staff. Please send resume to hr@ basmikroh.org

MORAH WANTED

Looking for a warm & loving Morah for the upcoming school year for kids 2-2 1/2. Excellent environment and great pay! Text or call & lv msg 845-587-5813

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Bas Mikroh is seeking a full time capable secretary and full time or part time classrooms assistants to join our dynamic staff. Please send resume to hr@ basmikroh.org.

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

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Bnos Binah is looking for experienced, passionate, and goal oriented teachers, co-teachers, and assistants for various grades and subjects to join our dedicated team for the upcoming school year. Warm, positive, supportive, and growth oriented work environment with competitive pay on time. Please send resume to bschwartz@bnosbinahm.org

TEACHERS WANTED

Boys Yeshiva in Flatbush seeking teachers for 2023-24, for grade 5, middle schoollanguage arts, & science, also seeking p3 providers. Email: resumesyeshiva@gmail.com

H.S. SECRETARY

Mature morning secretary to run front office beginning at 8:30 am. Multi tasking, computer, and interpersonal skills necessary. Please send resume to admin@ bysmiriam.org

CO-TEACHER/REMEDIAL

Yeshiva in Monsey seeking a positive and warm coteacher/remedial for the upcoming school year 8:454:15. Please call 845-587-6601 or email to ykapplicants@ gmail.

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

SUMMER PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Younger grades boy’s yeshiva is looking to hire a creative, geshmake director to run a 3-week afternoon summer program. Join us in creating loads of summer fun! Great work environment. Excellent pay. Please call 845-587-6601 or email to ykapplicants@ gmail.

HEIMISHE OFFICE

Multiple openings at Horizon Group, a great environment for an individual with a commitment to high quality performance. Experienced and non-experienced are welcome to apply. Attn 2023 graduates: Do you want to start working now, in the beginning or after the summer? Apply now. Please email your resume to: hr@ horizongroup.us or call (845)356-5954 ext. 212

HELP WANTED

Heimishe office looking for a female employee for an entry level position, email resume to jacobg1402@gmail.com or call 347.460.0204 & leave a message.

PURCHASING/ ACCOUNT ASSISTANT

Office in Suffern NY is looking for Purchasing/ Account assistant. Do Job Takeoffs and Specking. Good Computer and CSR skills required. Good compensation package. Email resume to sales@ tzoharus.com

OFFICE MANAGER

Our office manager is a key member of our team and keeps us all operating at our best. We are looking for candidates who can manage the entire office - think everything from ordering supplies to making sure equipment is working properly - in addition to taking on project-based work that would involve partnering with vendors and service providers. We would love to speak with you if you: Are a great team player willing to pitch in no matter how big or small the task. Are extremely organized, Are able to manage multiple priorities, Can think outside the box to find solutions, Are able to both take direction and act independently, Love customer service and building relationships, Know how to get things done to achieve results, Great at communicating, Are very detail oriented. This is a great opportunity for someone who is highly creative, energetic, and motivated. Email ari@ icodesigngroup.com

SECRETARY & PROJECT MANAGER

Construction office looking to hire a full time secretary and project manager. Preferable knowledge in Quickbooks. Please email your resume to officejobs4832@gmail.com

INSURANCE CASE MANAGER

Looking for a candidate that is looking for a job with great potential, someone that is able to take full responsibility, great at problem solving, strong focus to detail and great communication skills. Call 845 422 8098 # 104 for more details.

BOOKKEEPER

A busy independent pharmacy looking for experienced bookkeeper, knowledge in QuickBooks AP-AR excel and basic office duties. Part time, flexible hours. Please send resume to pharmacy10977@gmail. com

OFFICE ASSISTANT

Seeking a capable office assistant to join a busy office. Office experience a plus. contact chany@ theprimestaffing.com

LOOKING FOR PLAYGROUP

Looking for a playgroup for a group of 18m -2 yr olds close to Bais Rochel. Please call 845641-2113

Classifieds help wanted N

OFFICE MANAGER

Travel agency is looking for a responsible office manager with experience in bookkeeping and in the travel industry to be on top of and in charge of all the bookkeeping work. Please send your resume to joseph@ highclasstravel.com

FEMALE SECRETARIES

Looking for female secretaries in a busy accounting office, graduates are welcome, training provided. Kosher and Heimish office. Please send your resume to financial@ ygcpaco.com or call 845-5733000.

HR POSITION

Looking for a woman to do HR, payroll and bookkeeping locally. Part or full time, very flexible hours, great pay, great environment. Email resume to jobs@ advancedhealthcs.com

QUALITY ASSURANCE SPECIALIST

Looking for a candidate that is detail oriented, is comfortable working with spreadsheets and has basic computer knowledge. This position is part time 20 to 30 hours a week. Send resume to sheindy@hiresolutionsny. com

JOB OPENING

Monsey Based Real Estate Consulting Firm seeking a strong administrative professional with the ability to excel in a fast paced environment. Must present professional demeanor on the phone and in an email with strong multi-tasking abilities. Candidate must be a great communicator with a desire to be on a team of people who collaborate and work well together. Please send Resume to hiring@markhertzco.com

MUSIC TEACHER

Music ‘n Motion is looking to hire an additional music teacher to join our Monsey branch. Qualifications are, responsible, dedicated, energetic and great with children. Call 929-322-4202 ext 202 or email resume to info@mnmotion.com

150+ JOB OPENINGS!

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

OFFICE POSITION

Looking for an office employee in Elmwood Park, NJ. For General office duties, with strong computer skills and research ability. Flexible hours. Send resume to office07407@gmail.com

HELP WANTED

Heimish, all female office located on Robert Pitt is looking for an individual to assist a fast-paced office environment with data entry and data management tasks. Applicant should have basic computer skills, be highly organized and have attention to detail. Please email resume to foodsafety@ focussgroup.com

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

OFFICE SECRETARY

Car leasing company is looking for a full time office secretary must be well organized, detail oriented and great communication skills. Email: sales@ roadwayleasing.com

F/T SECRETARY

Monsey office seeking f/t secretary. Good communication skills, computer literacy and office experience required. Good Pay. Fax resume to 845-9139252

EXECUTIVE SALES ASSISTANT

A Heimisha Financial services office in Spring Valley NY is seeking a full time female to join our female team. Responsibilities include scheduling, client relations, etc. Candidate must have excellent verbal (telephone), & writing skills, mathematics, Quickbooks, computer proficiency and ability to multi-task. For more information please email your resume to Molanservices@gmail.com

GREAT OPPORTUNITY

Attention graduates! Want to make a difference in someone’s life? We are looking to hire a female to work with 18+ year olds with special needs. email resume to jobresumes613@gmail. com or call 845-729-3001.

PHARMACY STAFF

Local busy pharmacy looking for full time female staff. Willing to train. Located in Monsey Leah@202rx.com

Classifieds help wanted N

OFFICE SECRETARY

Seeking a full-time office secretary, multitask and possesses great verbal and written communication skills. Email resume to mr@ premiumawningsny.com Call 845-494-8500 ext 105

SPECIAL ED TEACHER

Looking for a special ed teachers with a masters, Preferably with ABA, Great Pay. 845-729-3001

AMAZING JOB OPPORTUNITY

Looking for a job opportunity with the potential to grow?!?! Do you have the get it done attitude? Are you someone that likes to feel accomplished at the end of the day? Are you someone that would like to make a difference, and grow personally and professionally? A fastgrowing company located in the Spring Valley area is looking for motivated employees to join our team. Open position: Customer Service- Ideal candidate needs to have outstanding communication skills, be organized, and be able to do multiple tasks. Competitive pay with great benefits and lots of potential for growth for the right candidate. Email resume: Noemi@ culinarydepot.com Call/ WhatsApp 845-414-2237

OFFICE POSITION

Multi girl office looking for a girl/woman with computer knowledge and phone skills. Must be organized, multi task , thorough and very detail oriented . Please email resume to jobs@ezdriveny. com

HELP WANTED

Seeking middle aged woman for office work in Spring Valley. Candidate should be able to multi task and have basic computer & Quickbooks skills. Please call (845)2741512 and leave a message.

SECRETARY WANTED

Heimish construction office looking for FT female secretary. Must be very organized, thorough and detail oriented. Great pay. Full training provided. Please email resume to office@ roseimprovement.com.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Seeking an intermediate/ experienced graphic designer to join our team. 2+ years of experience preferred. Send resume/ portfolio: monseydesigners@ gmail.com

IMMEDIATE HIRE

Encore LBA is looking to hire a provider to work with a sweet 20 year old girl in her own home, 3x a week. preferably driving. 845-4228070 x224

POSITION AVAILABLE

A non profit organization is seeking a mature woman to do scheduling and basic office work from 2:30-6:00. Call 845.422.8098 Ext 101 or email your resume to ruchy@ hiresolutionsny.com

CFO POSITION

A healthcare company is seeking a CFO, candidates must have financial and managerial experience. 250k email your resume to ruchy@ hiresolutionsny.com.

GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR REBBI

Yeshiva seeks an experienced Rebbi for fifth grade class. Great work environment. Excellent pay for the right individual. Please call 845558-6699.

HELP WANTED

We are currently seeking an individual with strong organizational skills & ability to manage multiple priorities. Basic computer knowledge & attention to detail & accuracy required. Ft with flexibility. Email resume to hosieryboutique@ gmail.com or whats app 845362-7625

DIRECTOR OF INTAKE

Looking for a candidate that has knowledge of MLTC billing and authorizations to direct intake department. Position is full time. 80k. Email resume to sheindy@ hiresolutionsny.com

SALES HELP WANTED

The Robe Gallery is looking for a lady for F/T afternoon sales help. 845-304-6460

TUTOR WANTED

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

GREAT OPPORTUNITY

Attention graduates! Want to make a difference in someone’s life? We are looking for someone to work with special needs teenagers. email resume to jobresumes613@gmail.com or call 845-729-3001

ITCON IS HIRING

We are hiring Help Desk Technicians and a Service Coordinator in our Suffern and Brooklyn Locations. Great pay, good working environment, and room for growth. Email hr@itconinc. com to apply

POSITION AVAILABLE

An established manufacturer is looking to hire a capable individual for a management position. contact zelig@ theprimestaffing.com

PRESCHOOL DAYCAMP

Preschool counselors wanted for the summer. 18 years. Yiddish Speaking, Geshmake environment. Great pay. 845262-1020

WH MANAGER

Seeking ambitious warehouse manager with minimum of 2+ years experience. Located in Monsey area. Email resume: monseyhire52@gmail.com

Classifieds help wanted N

HELP WANTED

Are you organized, personable & have a flair for fashion? We’d love to have you join our team! Pt/ft avail. Whats app resume to 845216-8798

JOB

OPPORTUNITY

Company located in NJ, Approx 45 minutes from Monsey, is looking to hire full-time office employees. Beginners are welcome. Please call 347-678-2670 or email your resume to newjerseyjob738@gmail.com

CUSTOM CLOSETS

Custom Closet Company.

Looking for Energetic and motivated Individual to do sales plus secretarial work. Salary plus commission. Please email resume to airmontsales@gmail.com

INSURANCE ADMIN

Spring Valley Insurance office is looking for a motivated, organized and well spoken individual. Willing to train. Prefer insurance experience. F/T but can be P/T. Email resume to growth4you@gmail.com

PRIVATE DUTY NURSE

For summer program. Work with a 9 yr old girl. Call for more info 845-729-3001

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Start your career on the right track. lots of positions available! beginners and graduates welcome! contact blimiew@theprimestaffing. com

POSITION AVAILABLE

Growing bookkeeping company in Monsey is looking to hire a QuickBooks beginner to help post & reconcile multiple accounts. Flexible hours call 201-3764378 for more information. In Office work only.

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Eager to unlock your potential? Hungry for success? Great opportunity for motivated individuals to join a select team of high achievers at Ark Mortgage. Contact 845-503-6502 or emailhr@arkmortgage. com to learn more about our training program.

TRAVEL AGENT

Travel agency is looking for a full-time experienced travel agent in a brand-new office in Montvale, NJ. Please email your resume to joseph@ highclasstravel.com

HELP WANTED

Seeking a mature woman to manage a busy office. Must be able to multi task, have good phone skills and know basic QuickBooks. Please call (845)274-1512 This is a full time position.

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Insurance company is seeking claim assistants and administrative assistants. Well-paid positions with excellent potential for growth. Office experience a plus but not required. Please email resume to careers@ highviewnational.com.

LOOKING TO HIRE

Monsey office is looking to hire a female candidate to assist in our Purchasing department. Must be responsible, organized, and possess good communication skills. Offering competitive salary & benefits, in friendly atmosphere. Email MonseyPurchasing@Gmail. com

IT POSITION

Tech Savvy female is looking for a full time job in the IT / Tech field. Quick learner , basic understanding of IT. Please email me at gi433241@ gmail.com

HEAD LIFEGUARD WANTED

Chassidish girls day camp looking for a responsible head lifeguard for the upcoming summer season. please call 845-596-8685 and leave a message or email to lifeguardingposition@gmail. com

JOB OPENING

Are you looking to make an impact on people’s lives? Are looking for a job that requires more than just computer and paper work? This job is FOR YOU. All girls office in Monsey is looking to hire full time/ part time service coordinators to make a big difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Great salary with potential for growth. Paid vacation and holidays. Send your resume to employeeslovetoworkhere@ gmail.com

FINANCE ASSOCIATE

A service provider agency in Monsey is looking to hire someone experienced who has a background and education in finance to serve as a Finance Associate. contact blimiew@ theprimestaffing.com

ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY

Monsey office is looking to hire a full-time female employee for an administrative position. Candidate should have great social skills, excellent phone and organization abilities. Driver’s license required. Will train the right candidate. Competitive salary with potential for growth. Complete benefits package. Email your resume to hiringmanager10952@ gmail.com

CARE MANAGER POSITION

Local agency in Monsey is seeking male or female Care Managers to coordinate services for children and youths who have chronic health and/or mental health conditions and their families to develop a care plan and connect them to the right services they need for a better health. Required Qualification: BA Degree or Talmudic Degree. Great salary with potential for growth. Paid holiday and vacation. Email your resume to: amazingjoboppertunity@ gmail.com.

NOW HIRING!

A well established and progressive business is seeking for a motivated and skilled female accountant/bookkeeper. For more information, please email Deals@371wheels.com.

AFTERNOON POSITION

Are you a graduate or teacher seeking an afternoon job? A boys yeshiva is seeking a lower elementary teacher for the upcomoing school year. Supportive environment. Great pay for the right individual. Please call 845-587-6601 or email to ykapplicants@gmail.

NURSING HOME A/R

Heimishe nursing home corporate office looking to hire a female accounts receivable candidate. Must be responsible, organized and possess good communication skills. Please email resume to monseymedicalbilling@ gmail.com

INTAKE SPECIALIST POSITION

Tri-County Care is seeking to hire for a FT Intake Specialist position. Candidate should possess remarkable communication skills and have ability to multi-task. Full training provided. Join our amazing team and enjoy our welcoming environment. Great pay and comprehensive benefit package. Submit your resume to careers@tricountycare. org.

TEACHERS’ ASSISTANTS

Bais Rochel School is looking for capable Teachers’ Assistants for the upcoming school year for Grades 1-4 in both our Yiddish and English departments. Good pay. Please fax resume to: 845-352-6571.

SALES HELP WANTED

At the Stocking Exchange. Part time ok, must include Sundays and afternoons. Call 845-548-7015

INTERIOR DESIGN

Looking for Interior Designers or someone with a strong sense of style in furniture selections for short term residential projects. Please contact 347864-1271

F/T SECRETARY

Amazon office is looking for a full-time secretary experience a must ready to pay for the right candidate reach out to rivkyb@hireexteam.com

Classifieds

F/T SECRETARY

Are you detailed good with numbers? A Cpa firm is looking for a full-time secretary ready to train please reach out to rivkyb@ hireexteam.com

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Home care agency has an Intake Coordinator and an Enrollment Coordinator position opened please reach out to rivkyb@hireexteam. com

F/T RECEPTIONIST

A busy agency is seeking to hire a full time receptionist. Must have a drivers license. contact chany@ theprimestaffing.com

COUNSELOR POSITION

Looking for girls 7th grade & up to be a counselor for a daycamp 2-4 year olds. Fun & loving environment! Text or call & lv msg 845-587-5813

DRAFTER/DESIGNER

Kitchen Lion is looking for a drafter/ designer. Responsibilities include: * meet with clients in our showroom to discuss their kitchen layout and design * help clients decide and select colors and finishes for their kitchen * design in 2020 program, propose and price and budget for the client * we will fully train. If you have hands on experience with 2020 or any similar design program would be a plus. Please call (718)399-2900 ext. 2026 and leave a message, or email ygrunstein@ kitchenlion.com.

WOODWORKING SPECIALIST

A big manufacturing company is looking to hire a creative woodworking specialist. the ideal candidate will help design and implement woodworking processes for various projects. contact zelig@ theprimestaffing.com

COOK WANTED

A Heimish Camp is looking for an experience cook for the coming season please send resume to Jobssummer23@ gmail.com 347-746-4133 or fax 718.303.9142

CANADVANCE CLINIC

Seeking a compassionate and people-friendly assistant, Good communication skills and passionate about working with children. No experience is required, preferable hours 9-6. To apply, email resume to miriam@canadvance.com

845-306-1237 Ext. 102

SEEKING NANNY

Seeking Nanny full time for 2 toddlers. Contact 917 971 8322.

HELP WANTED

Looking for a girl that is willing to come down to the house and tutor an adorable 7-year-old special needs boy from 3:30-4:30. Please call 845-426-2199 Ext 1740

COMHAB WORKER

Looking for a comhab worker Sunday and flexible hours during the week to accompany and assist a sweet young handicapped women. Please call 845-426-2199 Ext 1740

MALE SHADOW

Caring male shadow needed for boy in local summer camp under OPWDD. Please call 845-426-2199 Ext 1740

BABYSITTING

EXPERIENCED

HEIMISHE MOMMY

Having a baby iyh? Going on Vacation? Book your overnight babysitter now! References available. Call 718-928-4671

PLAYGROUP

Summer playgroup on Horton still has a few slots

left. Great environment, Yiddish speaking. Please call 845-213-6811

BABYSITTER

Seeking warm, responsible, experienced babysitter in our home aprox. 9-5. Job includes watching a baby during the day, and watching 3 additional children after school. Call/text 718-7953558

SERVICES

NUTRITION

Repair your relationship with food, improve your health and body image whilst working-out in the sunshine! Miriam Shurpin MS RD

CDN. Registered Dietitian –Nutritionist. 347-480-1670 rd@miriamshurpin.com miriamshurpin.com

TORAHANYTIME.COM

On demand Torah lectures

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

ARROWSMITH

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

MUSIC & VOCAL RECORDING STUDIO

Attention Camps and day camps are you looking for a camp song this summer? Reach out to 845-304-9343, or astoundingstudio1@gmail. com

KANGEN WATER

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

BOYS ENGLISH LESSONS

Give your son the gift of language. English lessons for 6-8 year old boys with an experienced teacher. 845641-5125

ONE MAN BAND

One Man Band available for all of your Simchas and special events! For Booking and questions Please Call Moshe: 845-499-1071

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

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

EARPIERCING

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

HELIUM BALLOONS

Union & Twin area. Call/text 845-558-5743

LADY DRIVER

Chaya lady driver will take care of all your local driving needs. Day and evening hours. Fast friendly service. Call 845-642-0193

SHAIMOS

PICK UPS

845-461-3084

DESIGNER BUYOUT

High end designer buyouts, sell your shoes, bags, clothing for profit. Burberry, louis vuitton, Prada, Valentino ect.. immediate payout. authentic only. call Miriam: 845-4220272

POOL RENTAL

3 olympic size pools available for daily or one-time swim. 845-323-6001

BUSINESS COACHING FOR WOMEN

Women in Business facing challenges in *marital relationships *work/life balance issues *Focus inproductivity. Now booking for June/July! Esty Danziger/ ATC 347-512-3077

GREEN VISA

Need a passport? No problem! We can help you get a new one, renew an old one, or even get one the same day. Just give us a call at 718400-9969

!עטס’נתחמ

Give your newly married daughter the ultimate gift. Our Shana Rishona workshop teach Torah Hashkafa and practical tools in a warm Heimishe setting. For demo call 716-232-2111 Press 3, then 29#. Sury Freund 845-3563035

ATT: DAYCAMPS

New in Monsey! EXCITING INTERACTIVE MUSICAL KUMZITZ. Includes Projected lyrics. For more info call 347563-4441

DIMENSIONS THERAPY

Remove fears, anxiety, sleeplessness, constipation, allergies, asthma, bedwetting, improve self esteem. Quick and effective, all ages. Experienced male and female therapists available. Children’s specialist on board. Endorsed by Rabbonim. Call Mrs. Yuhanan 845-825-9342.

ATT: DAYCAMPS

Give your campers the trill of pastels and painting. Popular for TC’s/staff night out: Glass Painting! Please call 347-5634441

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE (Car, truck, van, Suv) Help build children. Get $1,500 tax deduction + $2,400 Gift book (shopping) or we pay cash for cars too. 718974-9428

HANDYMAN

Carpet cleaning. Painting, Drywall, Electric, Plumbing, All kinds of jobs. Security cameras/INTERCOM SYSTEM. WHOLE HOUSE/ RO water filter. call 917 378 3194

CERTIFIED LIFE COACH

Certified Life & ADHD coach is available in the afternoons. Call 845-499-5756

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Engagement events photography call or text Malky: (845) 664-5732

LADY DRIVER

ZC’s car service. Female drivers, Long distance only, Fast, safe, & convenient 845642-3833

DRIVER AVAILABLE

A reliable driver with a sprinter is available to do trips from 9-4pm, also after 7pm. Steady trips available. Reasonable rates. 718-5103811

MESOS DODIM

Shidduchim for medical conditions. Call 845-729-3001 chanaklein99@gmail.com

HAIRCUTS & STYLING BY MINDY

West Central area. 845-8281197 leave message.

GARTLECH

we fix knitted & crochet

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

ODDS & ENDS

SEEKING DONATIONS

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

NEW! NEW! NEW! Looking for a nice private place for a Beshow? A few locations available in the Monsey area. No charge. Call 845-426-5484 or 845-7467251

ECZEMA? PSORIAS? Get rid of it! Natural products with amazing results! Call 845 587 0293

GOWNS

GOLD GOWN

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

SALE/RENT

Maternity black gown sizeM, adult black and gold gown size 8-10, adult black and white gown size 16. 7185413330

GOWN FOR RENT

Beautiful sister of bride off white cocktail length gown, size 0-2 petite. Call 845-4252352

MATERNITY GOWNS FOR RENT

Beautiful maternity gowns for rent. All sizes for affordable prices. Please call/ text 845-862-2799

SISTER OF BRIDE

Beautiful cream full lace pleated gown. Size 0. Please call 845-502-0097

SISTER OF BRIDE

Beautiful black gown for rent. Size 4. Please text 845-8262185

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.

GOWN FOR SALE

Sister of the bride white, shirt dress style gown. Size 0-2. Please call 845-694-2026

BLUSH/MAUVE GOWNS

2 Magnificent sister of the bride blush/mauve gowns, size 0-2 & 4-6. Please call 845-499-3639

NAVY GOWNS

2 magnificent Zimmerman navy gowns sizes 2 & 4 for sale. Call 845-352-0623

MAGNIFICENT GOWN

Gorgeous light colored gown for sale. Size 4-6. 8455385693

IVORY GOWNS

Selling sophisticated ivory gowns size 10/12 kids, 2, & 4/6 Call 845-587-2048

DESIGNER MECHTENISTE GOWN

Looking to sell Designer Mechteniste gown size 10. For more details call or text 845-222-5614

בוט לזמ

LOST

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

Teacher’s briefcase left in Lafamila 4/25, 845-538-3190

Black sassari mens suit size 42 on April 2nd, prob exchanged by classic cleaners 845-659-7859

FOUND

Monsey bus ticket book 845-540-3287 Iphone at regina area 845-659-7859

FREE GIVEAWAYS

Wall unit, desk, recliner, bedroom set 845-548-1785

G&G bekesha sz 16S, G&G long rekel suit sz 14M excellent condition 347-243-1143 gently used size 2 and 3 ikippa with name TZVI in hebrew 845-558-6186

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