February 9, 2017
Distributed weekly in the Five Towns, Long Island, Queens & Brooklyn
SOMETHING DOESN’T SMELL RIGHT IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL
Pages 9, 10, 11, 13 & 39
Around the
Community Inclusion and Inspiration at Yachad Five Towns Melava Malka
46
Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper
Will Investigations into Netanyahu be His Downfall?
Anatte Sussmilch of Cedarhurst Celebrates 100 Years
44 42
Business and Torah at Queens Business Event
PESACH VACATION SECTION
pg
98
Tu B’Shvat, Rosh Chodesh and Miriam HaNeviah pg
90
Starts on Page 115
Looking Back To the Future by Rav Moshe Weinberger – See page 29
Page 99
– See page 33 – See page 3
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Dear Readers,
L
my husband had been driving... There are so many scenarios about what could have put us directly into the trajectory of that hurtling car. Chasdei Hashem. In life, it sometimes takes a frightening event to wake us up and see the good in our world. We are so caught up in our busyness that we may forget to be grateful for everything that Hashem gives to us constantly and consistently. But it’s something that we can train ourselves to be cognizant of. Go through your day. Take apart everything that you can do and appreciate its goodness. Had a good night’s sleep? Thank G-d. Did your children sleep OK? No earaches, no bad dreams, no coughing? Thank G-d. Did your morning go smoothly? Everyone made the bus, you had time to make lunches and give them kisses, and the milk in the fridge was still good? Thank G-d. Your car started OK, wasn’t broken into in middle of the night, you didn’t have to shovel out 3 feet of snow? Thank G-d. You got to work on time and were able to complete your assignments? Thank G-d. The day and the list of things that we can be grateful for is infinitely long. One of my teachers mentioned one time that it behooves us to take a few moments in Shemona Esrei when we say “Modim anachnu lach” to think of a few concrete things we are truly grateful for and to thank Hashem for those gifts. If we acknowledge and appreciate all the good in our lives we will truly feel cocooned in the goodness that Hashem bestows upon us. Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana
ast Sunday, we were driving down Broadway when we witnessed a car accident. Thankfully, it didn’t look as though anyone was hurt, but we stopped to see if we could be of assistance. One car landed on someone’s lawn, just inches from another car parked on the side of the road. In the chaos, it ran over a fire hydrant and dragged the hydrant underneath it a few houses away. Although she was fine physically, the person driving the car was shaken up. She kept repeating, “Hashem yishmor, thank G-d I didn’t smash into that tree; thank G-d I didn’t smash into that other car; thank G-d everyone is OK.” She was so grateful for what could’ve happened but didn’t. My children, sitting in the backseat, were mesmerized by what occurred. My son mentioned that he had a contest in school, “Modim anachnu lach,” in which his rebbe said that they should focus on the good that happen to them and write it down. He noted that those driving in the car were OK and that much more damage could have been incurred. Even in this terrible situation, Hashem had watched out for those involved. And, my son said, “If Mommy would have been driving a little faster, it could have been us.” I became emotional. He was right. Watching the accident shook me up. I kept on thinking about what could have happened and what thankfully was avoided. But I hadn’t put myself in the picture. Imagine, I said to myself, if we had left the house a few moments later. Imagine if we had taken a little less time at a store we stopped at along the way. Imagine if
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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8
COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll
8
Community Happenings
44 NEWS
82
Global
13
National
30
Odd-but-True Stories
39
ISRAEL Israel News
24
Dry Clean by Rafi Sackville
96
Something Doesn’t Smell Right in the State of Israel by Nachum Soroka Israeli Styles Blend to Create New International Look
98 132
PEOPLE Captain Jeffrey Feinstein, the Last American Aerial Ace by Avi Heiligman
128
PARSHA Looking Back To the Future by Rav Moshe Weinberger
82
Rabbi Wein
84
JEWISH THOUGHT The Art of Missed Direction by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
86
Beyond Balance Sheets by Eytan Kobre
88
The Power of Women’s Leadership by Dina Coopersmith
90
HALACHA The Bracha of Shehechiyanu on Fruits by Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits 92 HEALTH & FITNESS
90
What Healthy Looks Like by Dr. Deb Hirschhorn 106
Dear Editor, I appreciated Rabbi YY Rubinstein’s article in this week’s paper. I take issue, though, with the fact that he finds that America was never so “great” for Jews due to the soaring assimilation numbers. True, many of our brothers and sisters are slowly being lost to assimilation. But think of all the others who would have been slaughtered by the Nazi killing machine 50 years ago. The United States has offered us a place of refuge and we must be grateful for that. I don’t know the assimilation numbers for Jews around the world, but I do know that there were many Jews before the Holocaust who didn’t view themselves as Jews. They saw themselves as Germans foremost. This is not a new phenomenon and has come up every few generations. Sadly, Jews tend to assimilate when we are in “good times,” when Eisav treats us as “achicha,” your brother. I would like to look at the wonderful opportunities that the United States has offered us: the opportunity to practice Judaism openly and with a full hand. We have been able to participate in our government. Our yeshivas and bais yaakovs are bursting to the seams. Consider the
Torah that emanates from the United States from yeshivos, talmidei chachamim and our children. We can walk proudly with yarmulkes on our heads and be dressed in a tzinius manner. We have public menorah-lighting ceremonies and parade horses through the streets on Purim. I would shudder to consider the alternative: living in a place where we are forced to hide our Jewishness – just this week France’s Le Pen suggested Jews wear caps instead of yarmulkes – or being forced to be “more tzinius” and wear burkas in a twisted, perverse interpretation of modesty or face the wrath of the sword. So to the United States, I say: thank you for all that you have done for us. We appreciate you being a place of refuge for us in our exile. And that alone makes you great. Sincerely, Goldy K. Dear Editor, It is said that one can learn something from anyone and in any situation. I believe this is true, as long as you look deep enough and are willing to take the lesson to heart. Take what happened this SunContinued on page 12
Liquid Diet: Fact or Fiction by Aliza Beer, MS RD 110
FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Mezze
112
LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW
102
How to Make Happy Clients by Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff
124
A Taste of Your Own Medicine by Chaim Homnick
126
Your Money
140
Cereal Bowl vs. Super Bowl by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
142
If you pass a car with its trunk open and the owner is not around, do you:
HUMOR Centerfold Uncle Moishy Fun Page
80 134
POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes
114
Thank G-d for Harry Reid by Charles Krauthammer
122
CLASSIFIEDS
135
42 58 %
Close the trunk
%
Walk right by
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Sale Dates: February 12th - 17th 2017
Weekly General Mills 12.2 oz Cinnamon Toast Crunch; 12 oz Golden Grahams
5
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K’vutzat Yavne Sliced Green Olives 19 oz
1
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......................................................
Gefen Marinara & Pasta Sauces
.................................................
Carolina Rice
299
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......................................................
.................................................
5 lb $ 49 ......................................................
14.5 oz/15.25 oz
2
Coke, Fresca, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, Fuze, Fanta, Minute Maid
299
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.................................................
Paskesz Sandwich Cookies
Assorted, Duplex, Chocolate, Vanilla - 16 oz
All Varieties - 26 oz $ 49
Hecker’s All Purpose Flour
38 oz
1
$ 99
Libby’s Corn, Peas, Cut Green Beans
.................................................
Sparkling Ice All Flavors - 17 oz
10
10/$
79¢
.................................................
.................................................
All Flavors - 3.5 oz
40 oz
Pop Chips
Gold’s Duck Sauce
279
4
2 Liter
2/$
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5
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All Varieties 59oz
9
Assorted 64 oz
349
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4
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299
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.................................................
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Goodman’s Rice & Vermicelli 8 oz
599
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3
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YoCrunch Yogurts All Flavors - 6 oz
299
$
4
.......................................
Chobani Greek Yogurt
Except Flips - 5.3 oz
10
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Super Pretzels
Abe’s Parvelicious Ice Cream
Assorted - 13 oz
5
Except Sugar-Free 56 oz
2/$
699
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.......................................
Except Gluten-Free 10 oz
Assorted 28 oz
16 oz
799
Coffee Mate Coffee Creamers All Flavors 32 oz
1
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.......................................
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KoSure Hot Cocoa Mix Dairy Only - 23 oz
.......................................
Dr. Praeger Original Mom’s Chicken Fishies or Fish Sticks Nuggets
Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot or Fruit Roll-Ups
3/$
2
2 Pack - 16 oz
Gourmet Glatt Chocolate Covered Almonds
349
1
99
Oronoque Pie Shells
7.5 oz
$ 99
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B’gan Cauliflower Florets
Terra Stix
All Flavors - 5 oz
Original, Vanilla, Coconut, Unsweetened 48 oz
$
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Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle
18 oz
7
5
2/$
.................................................
Califia Farms Almond Sabra Hummus Milk All Varieties - 10 oz
99
7.4 oz/8.9 oz
349
.......................................
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Nature Valley Granola Bars
$
1099
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.......................................
Ha’olam String Cheese
399
Please email all special item requests to ash@gourmetglatt.com
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Taster’s Choice Coffee
1
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McCain French Fries
3 .................................................
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......................................................
1 lb
$
24 oz
3
Domino Dark or Light Brown; Confectioners 10X Sugar 3/$
3 lb
2
Heinz Ketchup
Pardes Whole Strawberries
.......................................
Kineret Onion Rings 20 oz
299
$
499
$
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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
Sale Dates: February 12th - 17th 2017
Specials Large Shoulder $ 49 Kolichel 9 lb. Lamb $ 1099 lb. Chop Neck & Skirt ................... Ground $499 lb. Neck & Skirt Beef Beef $ 79 5 lb. Super Patties . . . . . . . Family . . . . . . . .Pack ....
VARIETY CORNED BEEF & PASTRAMI $ 49 8 lb.
...................
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White $ 99 Beef 6 lb. Turkey $649 lb. Kabobs Minute ................... Roast Steak $1299 lb. ................... Ground Family Pack Untrimmed ................... White $ 99 Chicken $389 lb. Breast $ 49 Chicken 4 lb. Cutlets 8 lb. Family Pack of Veal
Family Pack
...................
WHOLE OR CUT-UP PULLETS $ 19 2 lb. 2 Pack
Super Family Pack
Ronzoni Pasta
Spaghetti, Elbows, Ziti, Ziti Rigati, Penne Rigati, Rotini, Rigatoni, Medium Shells - 16 oz
5
5/$
...................................................... Post Cereal Kellogg’s Cereal 12 oz Alpha Bits 11 oz Waffle Crisp 14.7 oz Golden Crisp 12.5 oz Honey Comb Original or Strawberry Honey Comb
11 oz Krave Chocolate or Double Chocolate
6
2/$
6
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......................................................
Poland Spring Water 24 Pack - 16.9 oz
499
$ Large Kent Mango
Fancy Eggplant
Green Squash
99¢ ea.
69¢ lb.
79¢ lb.
Green & Red Grapes
1
$
99
lb.
..........................
Gala Apples
99¢ lb.
..........................
Bartlett Pears
99¢ lb.
......................................................
Mehadrin Leben All Flavors - 6 oz
Red Potatoes
..........................
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Pink 6/$2 Grapefruit
Sweet Potatoes
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Yellow Bananas
Sweet Onions
Portabella 2/$ 5 Mushrooms
59¢ lb.
$ 99 69¢ lb. Green Asparagus 2 lb.
..........................
69¢ lb. 79¢ lb.
$ 59 Persian 1 lb. Cucumbers
Deli & Takeout
/
1199lb. $ 99 7 ea.
$
Baby Chicken Bar
Grilled, Teriyaki or Honey Mustard
Moroccan Salmon Mashed Potatoes with Onions
3
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99 lb.
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6 Pack Quart
Aliza Beer Nutritional Meals 24 VARIETIES! SPECIAL OF THE WEEK:
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$
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Designer Holland Floral Bouquets
1299
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549
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Butternut Squash Soup
12
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1099
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Amnon’s Pizza Original Only - 36 oz
7
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order your shabbos platters early! Mango Avocado Roll $ 95
Sunshine Roll
............................
............................
4
Spicy Salmon Roll $
550
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Tuna Avocado Roll $
5
95
795
$
Sushi Poppers
995
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Kawasaki Roll $
1195
now available! full line of gluten-free products! Charif Dip Pre-Packaged $ 99 2 ea. $ 99 Mushroom Dip Pre-Packaged 2 ea. $ Diet Beet Salad Pre-Packaged 499ea. $ 49 Diet Spinach Kugel Pre-Packaged 3 ea. Butternut Squash Soup Pre-Packaged $599ea. $ 99 Creamed Spinach At the Counter 4 lb. $ Marinara Pasta At the Counter 399lb. We reserve the right to limit quantities. No rain checks. Not responsible for typographical errors.
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Continued from 8 B”H
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DINNER CHAIRMEN MR. & MRS. YOSEF YITZCHAK & PENINA BATSHEVA POPACK MR. & MRS. JEFF & SHIRA EISENBERG MR. & MRS. LARRY & SUSAN SACHS
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day at the Super Bowl. At the beginning of the game Patriots fans sat rooted to their sofas – but not in excitement. They were shocked at how their team was doing so badly. In fact, they probably should have just turned off their TV sets, except that they still had more food to eat while they watched the game. But then, in an amazing feat, the Patriots turned the game around and had one of the most unbelievable victories ever in a Super Bowl game! It was certainly exciting and definitely not expected. But I learned something from this game – and it wasn’t that people will steal just about anything, including a sweaty jersey. I learned that no matter how bleak a situation is and no matter how unfathomable it is that success is in your reach, keep trying. And try your heart out. Go the distance. Don’t stop. Keep on going. Because as long as you have the drive and the determination, success can still be attained. Sincerely, Rachel Walner Dear Editor, Some of you may be still perplexed about my stance on President Trump, so let me put it forth very bluntly: when the president does good things I will applaud him, and when he does bad things I will call him out. Actions should be judged based on the merit or lack of merit of the actions themselves, not the person who performs them. This is what we call intellectual honesty. In this light, therefore, I would like to applaud the president for his various executive orders over the past two weeks, among them: instructing agencies that for every regulation introduced they must first abolish two other regulations; a memorandum directing the Secretary of Defense to create a plan within 30 days to defeat ISIS; the authorization of the U.S.-Mexico border wall; the stripping of federal funding to sanctuary cities; hiring 5,000 more Border Patrol agents; ending “catch-and-release” policies for illegal immigrants; reinstating local and state immigration enforcement cooperation; a hiring freeze for some federal government workers as a way to reduce the size of the federal government; and imposing a 120-day suspension of the refugee program and a 90-day temporary travel ban to the U.S. from citizens of seven countries which
are hotbeds of terrorism: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan. Especially with regard to Trump’s immigration ban, here’s what you need to know. First, the people of a sovereign nation-state get to decide who enters their country and who doesn’t. Second, the president has the full authority to ban certain classes of people from entering the U.S. if he deems it in the national interest; it’s called the Plenary Power Doctrine. Third, the seven countries that are part of the ban are hotbeds of terrorism, and/ or are enemies of the United States. Fourth, it is not a Muslim ban, as these countries combined comprise less than 25% of the global Muslim population. Fifth, there is virtually no vetting process for people coming from these countries. The only part where I disagree, however, was regarding the actual rollout of the ban, which was a semi-disaster, but I absolutely agree with it both in policy and principle. And finally, I would like to congratulate the president on his nomination of originalist and staunch-conservative Neil Gorsuch. The Supreme Court has become sort of a super-legislature. With a conservative majority on the court, including originalist and conservative stalwarts like Justices Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito, we can hopefully return the High Court to its original and proper function. Sincerely, Rafi Metz
Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home. Please send all correspondence to: editor @fivetowns jewishhome.com.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
The Week In News
Le Pen: The French Donald Trump?
2016 brought us Brexit and Donald Trump. Will 2017 bring us Marine Le Pen? Le Pen, the leader of France’s far right National Front party, officially launched her presidential campaign on Sunday with a speech attacking globalization and the dangers of immigration. She wants to make France great again – telling a rally in Lyon that she wishes to return to the French franc currency, desires to pull France out of NATO, and vows to offer a referendum on remaining in the European Union. Is she referring to a Frexit? “What is at stake in this election ... is whether France can still be a free nation,” Le Pen said. “The divide is not between the left and right anymore but between patriots and globalists!” Le Pen promised to protect French traditions and national character, which she said are under siege from immigrants who have flooded the nation. “Those who came to France came to find France, not to turn it into their country of origin,” she said. “If that’s what they wanted they should’ve stayed in their country.” She said that immigrants want to alter the secular nature of French society and instill their own traditions, especially by insisting on religious practices in the workplace. “There
is not and there will not be any other laws and values in France other than French laws,” she said. “We will not be going back, no withdrawing. No compromises!” If French elections would be held today, chances are Le Pen would win the vote. But that’s not how France’s political system works. The first round of the election will be held April 23, with a runoff on May 7 if no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote. Le Pen is one of the frontrunners and her chances of winning are aided by a scandal that has ensnared a top opponent, Republican Party candidate Francois Fillon. French media reported that his wife and two of his adult children were given no-show jobs that earned them nearly €1 million ($1.08 million). An independent centrist candidate, Emmanuel Macron, also is in the running. The issue of immigration in France is contentious as the country is home to a large number of immigrants from the Middle East and has been the victim of several deadly terrorist attacks. In an interview with CNN, Le Pen said France is “being attacked by radical Islam.” “Clearly French values are being attacked as are the values of other countries and I worry other countries will be affected in the future,” she said. She wants to slash legal immigration from 200,000 to 10,000 “entries” per year in France. She also wants to see immigrants’ access to public services limited. Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, founded the National Front in 1972. Over the years she has risen in power and changed the party’s racist and anti-Semitic image. As she rose through the ranks – becoming vice president, a member of the European Parliament and then a member of Parliament in France – she tried to soften the National Front’s persona. She took over as president in 2011 and in 2013 her father was expelled from the National Front after repeating a claim that the Nazi gas chambers had been but a detail of history. She ran for president in 2012 but lost. In her Sunday speech, she said France will follow the trend seen by Brexit and Trump’s victory in the United States. “The nations have shown us the waking up of a people,”Le Pen said. “The waking up of a people is historic. It shows the end of a cycle. History has turned.”
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
injured, said Omar Mohammadi, a spokesman for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority. Most of the victims were women and children in the areas of eastern Nuristan, northern Parwan, Sar-ePul, Badakhshan and eastern Wardak. At least 50 were killed in the Barge-Matal district of Nuristan province – to the north of Kabul – where unrelenting snow buried villages and closed roads to rescue workers. In Pakistan, just across the border, an avalanche hit the district of Chitral late Saturday night. At least 13 people have been reported dead in Garam Chashma. 19 others have been injured and 19 houses have been damaged by the unrelenting snow and ice that swept through.
Fatal Avalanche Kills More than 100
It was a few days of horror along the Afghan-Pakistani border when a series of deadly avalanches hit the region on Sunday after three days of heavy snowfall. As of Monday, at least 119 people were reported dead, although that number is expected to rise as rescuers reach the isolated region. Most of the casualties occurred in Afghanistan, where at least 119 have been killed and 67 are reported
Vegetable Rationing The UK is suffering but most children are rejoicing. Recently, British supermarkets have been forced to ration vegetables after floods and storms ransacked crops across the Mediterranean.
Some stores have put caps on the amount of fresh produce shoppers can purchase at a time – broccoli and lettuce were two vegetables most affected.
The UK imports a lot of its produce from other countries, including Spain. But countries in the Mediterranean have seen horrific floods – some of which were fatal – during the past few months. One of the worst-hit areas was Murcia, which is the heartland of lettuce production in Spain and one of the biggest lettuce hubs on the continent. In 2013, Murcia produced 370,451 tons of lettuce, and the year before that the region accounted for 74 percent of all lettuce exported
by the country. Cold and frost further exacerbated the already challenged plant-growing situation. The UK imports more vegetables from Spain than any other country. More than 25 percent of all of Britain’s vegetable imports came from Spain in 2015. Of that, Spain provided more than 60 percent of cabbages, cauliflowers and lettuce. Supermarkets needed to take action. For example, Tesco in the UK has stopped customers from buying any more than three iceberg lettuces per visit, while Morrisons has done the same and has also put a cap on broccoli. Spokesmen from both supermarkets said the weather was to blame, with one company adding tongue-in-cheek, “Contrary to popular belief it seems the rain in Spain doesn’t fall mainly on the plane…” UK stores have been forced to buy vegetables from the United States – at a higher price. Prices then increased on UK shelves. Globally, prices have been increasing as inflation is slowly making a return after two years of deflation. The Food Price Index of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which measures Continued on page 18
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the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities, hit a two-year high in January. The index was up 2.1 percent from December to reach its highest level since February 2015 and was more than 16 percent higher than it was this time last year.
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The Shanghai Tower is known for being the second tallest building in the world – just behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. But now the skyscraper will have another item added to its list of accolades: the highest art space on Earth. Located on the 126th floor of this 128-story building, it will feature an immersive auditory experience designed to serenade visitors to Shanghai. Grammy-winning composer and producer Simon Franglen, who is behind famous theme songs from Hollywood blockbusters “Avatar” and “Titanic,” was commissioned to create the symphony that will play in this venue. “I have been at the top of many of the big buildings in the world, and this is something different,” Franglen told CNN. “[It is truly] like something from another world.” How do you compose a piece of music for a 2,073-foot tower? Before starting work, the composer was asked to meet the directors at the tower and to explain his vision. “The way they were talking about the building and how the space works reminded me very much of the meridians and energy flows in acupuncture. I mentioned this, and I think that was part of the reason why they decided I understood what they were trying to do,” Franglen said. He composed the piece based on a day in the city after a walk in Shanghai Park. “Shanghai ... is a city for the 22nd century,” he said. “It feels 100 years ahead of everywhere else in the world. “When you look at the skyscrap-
er, it doesn’t look like any other skyscraper in the world. It looks like it grows from the ground, rather than being stamped on the ground like many skyscrapers do. I wanted to write a piece of music that felt like it grew.” Franglen’s symphony begins with a bird song Franglen heard in the park, followed by the sound of the city waking up, with car horns, people rushing, and even an occasional bleep from a cell phone. This is followed by the sound of a river – “I needed something that could flow through the piece of music” – as well as of the tower’s construction. It closes with sounds inspired by sunset. New visitors can listen to a six to seven minute-long version of the symphony. A 20 minute composition was also composed for special events. 260 loudspeakers are installed in the space so the symphony will truly be “surround sound.” “They’re above you, they’re below you, they’re everywhere,” Franglen explained. The music was performed by four orchestras, comprising 240 players, and features a 48 voice-strong choir, 60 drums and 55 bells. The four orchestral parts interlock in a complex manner. No telling when the symphony will open but it will surely be an ontop-of-the-world experience.
Trump: Australian Agreement is “Dumb Deal”
President Trump had a highly-reported heated phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last weekend while discussing a refugee deal made by former President Barack Obama. The deal involves the United States accepting 1,250 refugees from Australia. De-
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gards to accepting maritime asylum seekers and the refugees were intercepted before they landed on Australia’s shores. As such, the refugees were relocated to the Pacific Islands of Nauru and Manus and have been sitting in these “open-air prisons” for four to five years. Many have faced brutal treatment, and suicide rates are on the rise. Over the years, the United Nations and human rights groups have criticized Australia for this draconian policy, but Turnbull has stuck to it, asserting that shutting down maritime migration flows to Australia saves lives and protects Australia’s borders by discouraging a larger flow of refugees. No other country seemed to want these refugees – until Obama. In November 2016, just a few months before he was sent out of office, Obama agreed to accept up to 1,250 refugees into the United States. Officially, they will be put through a stringent vetting process – like that of Syrian refugees – to make sure they won’t pose a threat to Americans. In an effort to assuage tensions between the two nations after the tense phone call, Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Joe Hockey met with top administration officials Reince Priebus, White House Chief of Staff, and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon on Thursday. “Mr. Priebus and Mr. Bannon had a productive meeting with the Australian ambassador at the White House,” officials said. “They conveyed the president’s deep admiration for the Australian people.”
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spite the reportedly terse phone call, White House press secretary Sean Spicer assured the press that Trump will uphold America’s side of the bargain. The president explained how he felt about the agreement and what he tried to accomplish during the 25 minute phone call. “I just said, ‘Why?’” I just wanted to ask a ques-
tion,” Trump clarified. “I said, ‘Why are we doing this?’ So we’ll see what happens, but [when] the previous administration does something, you have to respect that. But you can also say, ‘Why are we doing this?’” Trump continued. Later in the day he said that “we have to be tough. It’s time we’re going to be a little tough folks. We’re taken advantage of by every na-
tion in the world, virtually. It’s not going to happen anymore. It’s not going to happen anymore.” In a tweet, Trump called the deal a “dumb deal.” Interestingly, these refugees are not really in Australia. Most came from Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. But Australia has a tough policy in re-
For the last two decades, every spring since 1995, a mysterious illness has plagued the town of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, India. Each year in May/June, young children suddenly break out in a fever. Some of the fevers have rose drastically and caused seizures and convulsions, causing children to slip in and out of consciousness. The illness
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
showed inflammation of the brain, but no one knew what caused the mysterious symptoms. In the spring of 2014, hundreds of children were admitted to the hospital exhibiting symptoms of this illness, branded locally as “chamki ki bimari,” or “tinsel disease.” Sadly, 122 of the 390 children admitted for treatment died. Doctors and medical experts have scrambled to explain the mysterious springtime illness. There were many speculations about what caused the disease including the heat, humidity, malnourishment, the monsoons, and pesticides but none of those conclusions made perfect sense. Now, doctors may finally have an answer. Recently a team of scientists and medical professionals have traced the disease back to lychee, a tropical fruit. A new report, published in The Lancet Global Health medical journal last week, links the fatal disease to lychee, otherwise known as litchi. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and India’s National Centre for Disease Control compared test results of children who had developed the mysterious illness and children who had not. Analysis of blood and spinal fluid
F R O M
samples showed no signs of infection or exposure to chemicals and insecticides. The one thing all ill children had in common was that they had consumed lychee fruit recently. Parents reported that their children had eaten many lychees from surrounding orchards; in fact, many parents said their children were full from the lychees and came home “uninterested in eating a meal.” This likely caused “night-time hypoglycaemi” episodes. Blood sugar levels dropped drastically, causing the body to metabolize fatty acids to produce the necessary boost of glucose. There is another explanation linked to lychees. Urine samples showed that two-thirds of the ill children showed evidence of exposure to toxins found in lychee seeds, found in higher levels in unripe fruits. In the presence of these toxins “glucose synthesis is severely impaired,” the study said, leading to dangerously low blood sugar and brain inflammation in the children. Children who fell ill were also six times more likely to have visited a fruit orchard in the last 24 hours, the study said. It is no surprise that Muzaffarpur, Bihar – the epicenter of the mysterious illness – is the largest lychee farming
region in India. The Indian government released a statement last Wednesday suggesting children “minimize litchi fruit consumption” in affected areas. It encouraged parents to make sure their children eat an evening meal during the “outbreak period.”
Attack at the Louvre
The Louvre in Paris was a scene of terror last Friday. A man wielding a machete and shouting “Allahu Akbar” stormed the celebrated art museum. He was quickly apprehended by soldiers. The terrorist, Egyptian-born Abdullah Reda Refaie al-Hamahmy, 28, was shot four times and injured by police. One soldier patrolling the region was in-
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jured in the attack. Prior to the attack, the terrorist tweeted about his trip from Dubai to Paris on January 26. In another tweet, he went on a tirade and posted: “No negotiation, no compromise, no letting up, certainly no climb down, relentless war.” A recent post by him read: “Why are they sacred of the Islamic State? Because the Islamic State defends its resources, territory, the honour and dignity of Muslims,” he wrote. Al-Hamahamy is married with a child. His family said he worked in the field of law and loved his job. They have insisted that he is innocent. The attack will surely affect tourism, as the Louvre is one of the most visited landmarks in the city. One tourist from Argentina said, “We heard on the news that a terrorist attack took place... We stayed at the hotel and we’re thinking about cutting our vacation in Paris short.” The United Arab Emirates was quick to condemn the attack after a French official said Friday night that the attacker had been living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “The UAE, while strongly condemning this hideous crime, affirms its full
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SAVE THE DATE
Chag HaSemikhah 5777 Five Towns Community Shabbaton
CELEBRATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF RABBINIC LEADERS
Parshat Terumah • March 3–4 Please join us for a Shabbat full of exciting Torah learning as we celebrate our community’s newest RIETS musmakhim. Outstanding Torah scholars from Yeshiva University will join the musmakhim to celebrate this milestone with the entire community.
solidarity with the friendly French Republic in these circumstances and its support for whatever measures France may take to preserve its security and safety of its citizens and residents,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said. “This terrorist attack on the Louvre Museum, the center for human civilization and heritage, exposed the darkness of terrorism and its ceaseless attempts to destroy the human heritage,” it said.
ISIS More Coordinated Than First Thought
The Shabbaton will feature lectures at synagogues throughout the Five Towns community. Watch for details in next week’s newspaper.
egging them on minutes, even seconds, before the individual carries out an attack.” The first time that an attack was proven to be “remote-controlled” was in the spring of 2015, when a student tried to open fire in a church in Paris but only succeeded in shooting himself in the leg. When police searched his car, they found a laptop that showed all of the messages he had received from his handlers. The messages proved that they had provided the would-be attacker with weapons and a getaway car. Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said the handlers were essentially “quarterbacking” the attack: “They’re from there, so they can essentially tell someone, ‘O.K., go 10 yards and go this way.’” There are wiretaps, interrogation records and transcripts of chats recovered on suspects’ phones and laptops that show that this kind of coordination is used around the globe by ISIS. Essentially, the terrorist group is everywhere and much more pervasive than previously thought.
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As more and more terror attacks around the globe are being claimed by ISIS, information is coming out showing that the terror group does indeed have more control over attacks than previously thought. In many instances which were thought to be “lone wolf” attacks, the group provides coaching to terrorists, but in others, ISIS sneaks weapons into place and sets the stage for violence. The internet is used to keep all correspondence anonymous and under the radar. As more cases are being investigated, law enforcement officials are becoming more clear on how the group operates and communicates. “They are virtual coaches who are providing guidance and encouragement throughout the process — from radicalization to recruitment into a specific plot,” explained Nathaniel Barr, a terrorism analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “If you look at the communications between the attackers and the virtual plotters, you will see that there is a direct line of communication to the point where they are
As Iran continues to conduct missile tests and support proxy militia groups battling Saudi Arabian forces, the Trump administration has come out with a strong message for Tehran. National security advisor former lieutenant-general Michael Flynn said the White House is putting Iran “on notice.” “Recent Iranian actions, including a provocative ballistic missile launch and an attack against a Saudi naval vessel conducted by Iran-supported Houthi militants, underscore what should have been clear to the international community all along about Iran’s destabilizing behavior across the Middle East,” Flynn said, calling the recent test a violation of international law. The UN Security Council confirmed that the test took place and
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
said that it is reviewing the matter. Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, called the test “unacceptable.” United Kingdom Ambassador Matthew Rycroft also warned that the test shows Iran has not become less of a threat since an international nuclear agreement was reached with Tehran in 2015. “Iran continues to threaten U.S. friends and allies in the region,” Flynn said. “The Obama administration failed to respond adequately to Tehran’s malign actions – including weapons transfers, support for terrorism and other violations of international norms. The Trump administration condemns such actions by Iran that undermine security, prosperity and stability throughout and beyond the Middle East and place American lives at risk.” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the U.S. was “not going to sit by and not act” as Iran continued what it characterizes as malign activity. “Instead of being thankful to the United States for these agreements, Iran is now feeling emboldened,” Flynn warned. “As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice.”
Rohingya Refugees to be Exiled – Under Water?
A group of refugees who are currently living in Bangladeshi refugee camps may potentially be shipped, against their will, to Thengar Char Island, an isolated island that often gets submerged under water. This new government directive proposes to send thousands of Rohingya refugees to the island in order to rid Bangladesh of the burden of the refugees. The island is about 115 square miles and located more than 37 miles from the mainland. It is officially un-
inhabited and mostly flooded during heavy rains or the monsoon season. In the directive, the Bangladeshi government said “both registered and unregistered” refugees would be sent to the island, which is more than nine hours from the refugee camps. Recently, mangrove trees have been planted on a portion of the island as part of a potential development plan. The point of the trees is to shore up the land in an attempt to make it more inhabitable. For most of the year, the island is barely accessible. According to the United Nations, since October 2016, more than 69,000 refugees – the majority Muslim Rohingyas from Myanmar – have entered Bangladesh. They are considered one of the most persecuted in the world and are not even recognized by their homeland. An unnamed government official told CNN, “This is a terrible and crazy idea ... it would be like sending thousands of people to exile rather than calling it relocation. The land is mostly unstable. Almost 500 acres of land has been eroded in the last couple of years. It will need at least another decade to shore up land and steady it.” Many say that the land may be inhabited by local pirates, who would surely put up a fight and make it difficult for newcomers.
Anti-Semitism Increases in the U.K.
Anti-Semitism is, unfortunately, not a thing of the past. In fact, the numbers are increasing in many regions around the world, particularly in the U.K. The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the UK increased by more than a third, reaching record
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all is that, for various reasons, some people clearly feel more confident to express their anti-Semitism publicly than they did in the past.” Social media had become “an essential tool for coordinated campaigns of anti-Semitic harassment, abuse and threats directed at Jewish politicians, student activists and other individuals perpetrated by transnational networks of online anti-Semitic activists, some of whom are involved in extremist politics,” the CST said. The majority of the incidents occurred in Greater London and Greater Manchester, about 75%. Greater London specifically suffered a 65% increase in incidents as compared to the previous year. UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd asserted that the government would continue “to do all we can to stamp out these vile attacks and encourage those who experience them to come forward.” Anti-Semitism is “a deplorable form of hatred that has absolutely no place in a tolerant, open and diverse Britain that works for everyone.” Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, added that the CST’s findings were “extremely distressing.” He said, “I don’t want to live in a country where any member of the Jewish community feels unsafe, afraid or discriminated against … We must root out anti-Semitism whenever it takes place and wherever it exists, as a party and a country.”
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APPLICATION REQUEST ONLY: renaforteens@gmail.com levels in 2016, according to data released by the Community Security Trust. The CST, which monitors antis-Semitism and provides security to Jewish communities, recorded 1,309 incidents of anti-Jewish hate last year. In comparison, in 2015, there were 960 incidents reports. The pre-
vious record number of incidents was in 2014, when 1,182 were recorded in the UK. The high number of events in 2014 was attributed to the war in Gaza, deemed to be a “trigger event.” But there was no such “trigger” identified for 2016 incidents. Instead, the CST said, there may have been a “cumulative effect of a series of events
and factors that, taken together, have created an atmosphere in which more anti-Semitic incidents are occurring.” David Delew, chief executive of CST, said, “While Jewish life in this country remains overwhelmingly positive, this heightened level of anti-Semitism is deeply worrying and appears to be getting worse. Worst of
In a controversially received announcement, the White House said last week that construction plans in Judea and Samaria “may not be helpful” in promoting peace in the Middle
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
י בה דרך ששי מרן רבי אברהם יפה’ןאזיצ’’תן ’’ע ל Yeshiva of Far Rockaway
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RABBI & MRS. MOSHE SHONEK Marbitzei Torah Awardees
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Mr. Yossi Deutsch
Alumni Committee Chairman
East. The Trump administration also made clear that the president has not yet solidified his position on Israeli “settlement activity.” “The American desire for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians has remained unchanged for 50 years. While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal,” said White House press secretary Sean Spicer in a statement. “As the president has expressed many times, he hopes to achieve peace throughout the Middle East region. The Trump administration has not taken an official position on settlement activity and looks forward to continuing discussions, including with Prime Minister Netanyahu when he visits with President Trump later this month,” added Spicer. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently announced the planned construction of 3,000 new homes in Judea and Samaria. An “unnamed American official” told the Jerusalem Post that Trump has asked Israel to stop its unilateral announcements of construction projects as they “undermine” him trying to negotiate peace in the region. The 3,000 new homes are in addition to the 2,500 that were announced recently. Until last week, the Trump administration was silent regarding the building announcements. PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat later said he was “shocked” by the White House’s reticence and called on Trump’s administration to clarify its policy.
Bill Passes to Legalize Outpost Settlements
Mr. Shmuel Backenroth Mr. Pinchas Vogel Mr. Daniel Wolfson Alumni Committee
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On Monday evening, Israeli Members of the Knesset voted in favor of the Regulation Bill seeking to legalize
government-backed outposts in the West Bank. The vote, which passed by a majority of 60-52, came after hours of heated committee discussions and after months of political maneuvering. The bill was brought for its second and third reading in the Knesset, despite Prime Minister Netanyahu’s request from Bayit Yehudi leader MK Naftali Bennett to postpone the vote until his return from his state visit to Britain where he met with Prime Minister Theresa May. The vote took place without the prime minister on Israeli soil. The final draft of the proposed bill seeks to regulate the status of thousands of homes in settlements located on land privately owned by Palestinians, amounting to around 2,000 homes. According to the proposal, the state will transfer the rights of the lands’ use to the Commissioner of Government Property in the West Bank while Palestinian landowners will be compensated with a financial package amounting to a sum exceeding the land’s actual worth, or receive alternative plots in accordance with their choice. There was a heavy amount of arguing during the vote. Opposition members and advocates of the bill took to the podium to voice their opinions. MK Isaac Herzog charged, “The Regulation Bill is de facto annexation. Our opposition to the bill stems from our opposition to annexation. It does not stem from the problem that there is a nation of residents (in the West Bank) or that there are communities (in the West Bank), but rather with the entry of thousands of Palestinians into the Jewish State. “There are a few more minutes to stop this train of horror before it proceeds on its way. This train will depart from here and stop at the final station of The Hague,” he warned. “International indictments will leave its carriages against Jewish soldiers and officers and Israelis. The prime minister of Israel [will be responsible] for these indictments.” Netanyahu had wanted to delay the vote on the bill. For one, he was out of the country during the vote. Additionally, the prime minister wanted to postpone the vote until he met with President Donald Trump on February 15. Bennett, though, was determined to push the vote through. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced last week that he would not defend the bill in the High Court even if it did pass in the Knesset.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
Israeli Wins Japan Prize
Among the three winners of the 2017 Japan Prize is Adi Shamir, an Israeli professor at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot. Shamir won the coveted award, which honors achievement in science and technology, for his cryptology work. According to the prize’s website, Shamir was recognized for contributing to “information security through pioneering research on cryptography.” This marks the first time an Israeli has won the prize since Ephraim Katzir, a biophysicist and former Israeli president, was honored in 1985 when the prize was first awarded.
This is not the first time Shamir has won an impressive award. In 2002, Ronald Rivest, Leonard Adleman, and Shamir all won the Turing Award, which is considered the world’s most prestigious computer science award. “My main area of research is cryptography — making and breaking codes,” Shamir explains on the Weizmann website. “It is motivated by the explosive growth of computer networks and wireless communication. Without cryptographic protection, confidential information can be exposed to eavesdroppers, modified by hackers, or forged by criminals.” The Japan Prize Foundation selected Shamir and the two other winners from a pool of 13,000 candidates. The winners will each receive the yen equivalent of approximately $443,000.
West Bank Relocation for Amona For the first time in 25 years, a new West Bank settlement is being
planned. The community is to replace the outpost of Amona, which was evacuated and demolished on a court order.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the new settlement. The prime minister’s office said that a promise had been made to find a new home for the Amona residents after their community “failed” and that a team is looking for possible locations for the settlement. The team includes Netanyahu’s chief of staff, representatives of the settlement movement, and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman’s adviser for settlement affairs. The High Court of Justice determined that Amona was built on privately owned Palestinian land. After
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years of battling, the court ordered the government to demolish the hilltop town by December 25, 2016. A compromise was originally worked out by members in the Knesset and the residents which saw some of those living in Amona relocated to Ofra and others to a nearby plot of land on the same hilltop. However, the court has now ruled that the nearby plot is also Palestinian-owned and that the compromise will not be allowed. The new compromise may have been made easier to reach after Donald Trump took office. Trump has nominated a prominent U.S. supporter of the settlements to be his ambassador to Israel, and many settlement leaders were invited to the inauguration. Even so, the White House announced last week that constant and loud talk of settlements by Israel is “not helpful” to the peace process.
Pre-Schoolers Learning Cyber Skills Israelis are being taught computer skills at younger and younger ages
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
recently there has been a shortage of the cyber-talented people who are needed to keep up with the country’s defensive needs.
Israel is not the first country to promote cyber skills amongst its youth. The United States National Security Agency co-sponsors free cybersecurity summer camps for children and teachers from kindergarten to the twelfth grade. In Britain, the GCHQ – a powerful signals intelligence agency – hosts youth outreach programs which include specially designed games that promote cyber knowledge and skills. Yaakov Katz, editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post and author of The Weapon Wizards, which was published in January, was recently interviewed on NPR about his new, sold-out book. He explained that Israel is a small country, and although it has weapons, the most important weapon of all is “the brain, the Jewish brain.”
Terror Cell Thwarted
these days. In many Israeli schools, children as young as the fourth grade are being taught computer coding and, by the time they reach tenth grade, will attend classes in encryption tactics, coding and how to stop malicious hacking. The push for young computer-savvy minds is part of a national effort for Israel to be-
come a world leader in cybersecurity and cyber technology. The country has established a national center for cyber-education which, once completed, will prepare children to be tech-minded and eventually make contributions to an increasingly tech-dependent world. “You students need to
strengthen us with your curiosity,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told high school students at an Israeli cyber technologies expo. “Your years in the security services will be golden years for the security of the nation.” Israel has long been considered a leader in the cyber world. However,
A Hamas terror cell consisting of two Palestinians and an Israeli Arab has been shut down by the Shin Bet for planning to carry out a kidnapping, shooting and IED attacks. According to the security service, the information that led to the arrest of the individuals was provided by the Palestinian Authority. The two Palestinian suspects are brothers Hassan Sami Hassan Zidat, 23, and Muhammad Sami Hassan Zidat, 25. The younger Zidat fled to Israel illegally in 2015 after being accused of murder by the PA. The third man is 24-year-old Arab Israeli Mamdouh Younis from the northern town of Arara. The suspects have been charged with belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization, having illegal weapons, and entering Israel illegally. When they entered Israel, they were looking to gather intelligence ahead
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
of their attack. The Shin Bet confirmed that they had entered Israel and returned to Hebron illegally at least one other time. The cell was controlled by Hamas agents in Gaza, who used Facebook to give instructions. They were planning to shoot, bomb and kidnap their victims in both Hebron and Israel. The security agency said that “exposing the infrastructure and activities which were planned and about to be carried out demonstrates once again the high level of threat from the Hamas terrorists, especially those who enter Israel and remain in the country illegally.” According to the Shin Bet, the cell members gathered the information on the targets while they were employed in Israel without legal work permits. The Shin Bet and other Israeli forces have discovered and captured hundreds of cells of this nature. In 2016 alone, 100 different Hamas cells were uncovered and disbanded.
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Israeli School Kids Need to be Disciplined
said. “If we don’t address this problem it will be hard for the Israeli workforce to remain competitive.” PISA is a global test that is administered by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The acronym stands for Program for International Student Assessment, which measures the math, science, and reading levels of 15-year-olds. “PISA is a unified test and it’s a way to assess the achievements of our education system compared to those of other countries,” explained Gruber. “Mathematical ability is proven to be a major predictor of students’ future success in the labor market.” 34 OECD countries plus Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong all take the PISA exam. In 2012, Israel’s PISA scores were the fifth lowest in the world, only beating Mexico, Chile, Turkey and Greece. Gruber is looking into how to solve the problem – but he says it will take a long time. “If we started today, then in 20 years Israeli society would be different. Better discipline would also attract better teachers to the profession. The world is competitive. If we continue on the current path, it will restrict the Israeli economy because not enough people will have the skills to be successful in high-tech or science.”
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Math scores among Israeli students have taken a plunge lately and economist Noam Gruber has a theory to explain that. The researcher at Israel’s Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research recently published a study titled, “Why are Israel’s PISA Achievements So Low?” He analyzed the many factors that lead to poor scores on international math exams and concluded that Israeli students have a lack of discipline that leads to poor performance. Gruber cites the high levels of tardiness and truancy as low discipline level indications. He also points to background noise in classrooms and student disruptions as proof. “Discipline in Israeli schools is far below what is normative in the West,” he
Just before the weekend, U.S. District Senior Judge James Robart of Seattle issued a nationwide restraining order blocking the immigration executive order put into place by President Trump last week. This ruling came as a relief to many who opposed Trump’s stance on immigration. On the other side of the fence were all those who supported
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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will prevent people from the targeted seven countries from entering the U.S. By Monday evening, the Justice Department urged a federal appeals court to reinstate President Trump’s targeted travel ban, saying immediate action was needed to ensure national security. The plea was submitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco. The ruling will most likely be followed by an appeal to the Supreme Court. Another hour-long hearing is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon by phone; conducting an oral argument by telephone in a big case is very unusual. Judge William C. Canby Jr., appointed by President Jimmy Carter; Judge Michelle T. Friedland, appointed by President Barack Obama; and Judge Richard R. Clifton, appointed by President George W. Bush will be the sitting judges on the case. Trump himself commented on the ongoing issue, saying that he feels the U.S. should only allow “people that love us and want to love our country and will end up loving our country” and not “people that want to destroy us and destroy our country” into the U.S.
Outer Space Can Change Your DNA
the newly elected president’s headon approach to protecting our borders. After the judge’s ruling that undermined Trump, the White House was quick to respond that an appeal is in order. The Trump administration has said it will take advantage of “every legal means” to reinstate the
executive order. President Donald Trump also boldly pointed out that the judge who blocked his travel ban will be responsible if America is attacked. He said that Robart is putting America in “peril” by allowing in citizens from seven Muslim majority countries. Sean Spicer, the White House
press secretary, said on Monday that the administration stands ready to reinstate the entire ban. “Once we win the case, it will go right back into action,” he said. The ruling by the judge spurred many to fly into the United States, understanding that once the appeal goes through it’s probable that the executive order
If you’re one of those people who have a trip to the moon on your bucket list, here is something to keep in mind: spending time in space may alter your DNA. Recently, scientists conducted The Twins Study. They compared data on two twins, Scott Kelly and his identical twin, Mark, before and after Scott’s mission in space. Scott spent a year in space with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, and scientists just released some interesting information about that time at the annual Investigator’s Workshop for NASA’s Human Research Program. Scientists sequenced the twins’
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DNA and RNA from their white blood cells. It turns out that Scott and Mark have hundreds of mutations unique to each man, with more than 200,000 RNA molecules that presented differently. Interestingly, chemical modifications to Scott’s DNA decreased while he was in space, but they returned to normal once he was back on Earth. Mark’s also shifted around the midpoint of the study but were normal at the end. The researchers believe that this shows how sensitive genes are to changing environments, in space or on Earth. Even more amazing is that when scientists looked at the telomeres – the repetitive sequences at the end of a chromosome to protect it from deteriorating or fusing with other chromosomes – Scott’s actually increased while he was in space. When he returned to Earth they shortened again. In general, telomeres decrease in length as someone gets older. Does space confuse the body into thinking we’re not aging? For now, the researchers believe the change could be linked to an increase in exercise and decrease in calorie intake while on the station. “The preliminary results from the year-long ISS expedition and the as-
sociated Twin Study ... have not identified any show-stoppers for longer human spaceflight missions,” NASA Human Research Program chief scientist John Charles said. “Some of the results, such as the unexpected increase in telomere length in Scott Kelly, require additional analysis and correlation with the results of other investigators and may prove to be an artifact or transient change. Overall, the preliminary results are reassuring that a year in space is not significantly more stressful than 6 months in space. However, more definitive insights must await the further analysis of the samples and supporting data, the correlation of findings among all the investigators, and future long-duration ISS missions with these and other genetic investigations – although, almost certainly no more twins, unfortunately.”
Erasing Hate On Saturday night, New Yorkers came together to combat hate. When Gregory Locke boarded a train in Manhattan, he realized that vandals defaced the windows and
advertisements of the train car with swastikas and anti-Semitic markings. “The train was silent as everyone stared at each other, uncomfortable and unsure what to do,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “One guy got up and said, ‘Hand sanitizer gets rid of Sharpie. We need alcohol.’ He found some tissues and got to work.”
Soon other riders joined the man in his crusade against hate. “I’ve never seen so many people simultaneously reach into their bags and pockets looking for tissues and [Purell]. Within about two minutes, all the Nazi symbolism was gone,” Locke wrote. By Sunday morning more than 300,000 people had shared Locke’s post. “Seeing a bunch of strangers stand up for, and come together to stand up for what everyone knows is right, was very heartening,” he told ABC 7 News. In a similar incident, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shared a photo on Sunday of graffiti that had been drawn in the center of a northbound B train’s American flag. The original marking was of a swastika. Someone created a box around the anti-Semitic scrawl and then wrote in those four squares the letters L-O-V-E. “This is what New Yorkers do, we turn hate into love,” Cuomo said in statement. “That is our message to the nation and to the world. And we won’t back down. Not now, not ever.”
An Untraditional First Lady
On January 20 Donald Trump moved into the White House. But where, oh where, is Melania?
Melania Trump has mostly been absent from the White House since the inauguration. There has been much speculation that Ivanka, Donald’s daughter and wife of Jared Kushner, will fulfill the typical first lady roles instead of Melania. Last week, the president traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to pay respects to a fallen member of the Navy SEALs accompanied by his daughter. It said that Melania will be moving to the White House at the end of the school year with their son, Barron. Melania, in contrast to other first ladies, has taken her time filling her office – with people, that is. Last week, on Wednesday, Mrs. Trump named Lindsay Reynolds, who worked in the White House under President George W. Bush, as her chief of staff. This is unusually late – generally that position is filled before Inauguration Day. There are other crucial positions that have not yet been filled by the first lady, including social secretary and communications director. The first lady’s office is traditionally in charge of White House tours, holiday events, and other social happenings. On Thursday Mrs. Trump selected interior designer Tham Kannalikham to overhaul the White House private quarters. Reynolds said on Wednesday that she was “working to ensure that the White House Visitors Office is fully staffed and operational and ready to accept tour requests for the public in the coming weeks after a traditional temporary closure during the transition period.” She also said that “plans are in place” for the Governors Ball, a blacktie event at the White House for the nation’s governors at the end of the month. “I am putting together a professional and highly experienced team, which will take time to do properly,” Mrs. Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. “I am excited to be organizing and bringing together such a dynamic and forward thinking group of individuals who will work together to make our country better for everyone.” Mrs. Trump’s MIA status is a stark contrast to former first lady Michelle Obama who left the White House with a 68% approval rating. Mrs. Obama was perhaps one of the most public active first ladies of all time. Currently, Mrs. Trump’s approval rating is 37%, according to a Gallup poll conducted last month. Perhaps all her diamonds are a bit too blinding?
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
More Money for Madoff Victims
Bernie Madoff is regarded as one of the most successful scam artists of all time…until he got caught. As his billion dollar Ponzi scheme came crashing down in 2008, many of his victims were unable to reclaim their money. Now, more than six years later, more of his victims will be able to recover their cash. Another $252 million will be recouped by Irving Picard, the trustee undoing the fraud, bringing the total amount recovered to $9.72 billion. The latest payout was made possible by settlements in the second half of 2016 with people accused either of enabling Madoff’s scam or withdrawing more money from his firm than they deserved. Included in these funds is money from a settlement with the
family of Stanley Chais, who prior to his 2010 death managed money for Hollywood clients like director Steven Spielberg and was accused by Picard of excess withdrawals. This is the eighth distribution and it will be given to customers who once had 953 accounts at Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. The checks will have a wide range, some as low as $271.80 with others as monstrous as $42.3 million. Once the distribution is complete, 1,335 Madoff accounts with valid claims will be fully reimbursed, including all claims of $1.25 million or less. The trustee plans to repay all customers; customers who have not been fully repaid will receive about 60% eventually. Another $4 billion fund established by the U.S. Department of Justice will compensate more of Madoff’s victims, including people who invested with him through third parties. Richard Breeden, the former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chairman overseeing that fund, said last month he was on track to make a “large initial distribution” in 2017. Claims are subject to Justice Department review. Madoff, 78, is currently serving a 150-year prison term. Steve Fishman, a journalist who has conversed with
and has covered Madoff for years, recently revealed that even in prison other inmates ask Madoff for stock advice. At one point, Madoff cornered the “Swiss Miss” market by buying all the packets of hot chocolate from the commissary and then selling it for a profit to other inmates. “He monopolized hot chocolate. He made it so that, if you wanted any, you had to go through Bernie,” Fishman said.
State Dept: Obama Gave UN $9.2B
According to documents from the State Department website, the Obama Administration gave away $9.2 billion to the U.N. for distribution in 2016. This number, which has now been released for the first time, is 20 percent
higher than the $7.7 billion that was given in 2010, which is the last time the numbers were released. The total that America gave to international organizations was $10.5 billion, meaning the UN got 88 percent of those funds. The final counting includes $360 million for the controversial United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA, which is known to regularly accuse Israel of committing war crimes and other atrocities. The accuracy of the published numbers is still being confirmed. The $9.2 billion does not include the $500 million in U.S. contributions to the U.N.-sponsored Green Climate Fund. The State Department admits on its website that “not all Executive Branch agencies provided information for inclusion in this report.” When the Green Climate Fund money is included, the 2016 final figure would be a nearly 26 percent hike since 2010 when international organizations received about $7.4 billion. The Trump administration is likely to cut these numbers drastically. The president has called the U.N. “outside of the national interest” and has Continued on page 38
It’s your chance to say farewell to the Honorable Judge Ritholtz and his wife, Anne “Morah Chana” who have meant so much to the community, before they move to Israel.
It’s your chance to say thank you to Rabbi Joey Werner and his wife, Racheli who mean so much to our community’s children and parents.
Join us and give ads in their honor Wednesday, February 15th • Lawrence Yacht and Country Club Reception at 6.30pm, Dinner at 7.30pm
Visit: www.nevehdinner.com
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CLASSROOM DEDICATION
IN MEMORY OF HORAV BINYOMIN WULLIGER, Z”L CLASSROOM DEDICATION
BY RABBI AVROHOM GARFINKEL
IN MEMORY OF HIS MOTHER MRS. SOPHIE GARFINKEL, A”H
RABBI DOVID OZERI DINNER CHAIRMAN
YOSSIE LIPSHITZ • SHLOIMY PERLMUTTER JOURNAL CHAIRMEN
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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DAYAN YONASAN ABRAHAM
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pledged to cut the voluntary contributions that Obama made.
Bannon: The Man behind the Throne
Behind many great people is a chief strategist who really calls the shots. Although the world has been directing a lot of hate and disgust toward President Trump lately, many are pointing fingers at Steve Bannon, the less public occupant of the Oval Office. In the few short weeks since he’s been in the White House, the assistant to the president and chief strat-
egist is rapidly turning his ideas into policy – but not without many obstacles along the way. Over the weekend, a judge ruled against the executive immigration order that was put into place just days earlier, undoing the controversial travel ban. During a news conference last Wednesday organized to show opposition to the travel ban, Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., said, “Maybe I give him [Trump] too much credit; maybe it’s actually President Bannon. Quite frankly, I think this is all about Bannon more than it is about Trump.” On Monday, USA Today went so far as to publish an editorial piece comparing Bannon to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The authors argued that Bannon and al-Baghdadi both perceive an inaccurate “clash of civilizations between Islam and the West.” The article, written by the editorial board, went on to say that both of these powerful men “seek to upend the establishment and thrives on chaos.” It’s not surprising that the media would vilify Bannon. A few days before the editorial was published, on January 26, Bannon told The New York Times that the media – not the Democratic Party – is the “opposition
party.” “The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while,” he said. “The media here is the opposition party. They don’t understand this country. They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States.” He added, “The media has zero integrity, zero intelligence, and no hard work.” Just a few months ago Stephen K. Bannon was sitting at his desk as executive chairman to conservative news website Breitbart News, wellknown in the editorial world but far from a household name. However, his vision of a securer, safer country was brewing for years. He had been an advocate for an extreme vetting process for Muslim refugees before Trump’s presidency. Bannon now has the ear of the president and has recently been appointed by Trump to the National Security Council.
Navy SEAL Dies in Op
A Special Operations team conducted a raid in Yemen last week that left an American commando dead and three others injured. The goal of the mission was to capture or kill Qassim al-Rimi, considered the third most dangerous terrorist in the world and a master recruiter for al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula. This is the first raid approved by President Trump since he took office. Sean M. Spicer, President Trump’s press secretary, defended the planning and execution of the operation at a press conference saying, “This was a very, very well thought-out and executed effort.” He offered a detailed timeline of events leading up to the operation that targeted the home of the senior al-Qaeda operative. Spicer said the plan was originally submitted by the military’s Central Command in November to the Obama administration. According to Spicer, the Defense
Department approved the plan on December 19 and it was then sent to Obama’s National Security Council staff. On January 6, a meeting of senior Obama security aides called the deputies committee and recommended that the plan go forward. Military officials have said that Obama did not act at the time because the Pentagon wanted to launch the attack on a moonless night, and the next one after the meeting would come when Obama would no longer be the authority in the Oval Office. Spicer said that on January 26 Trump formally signed the memo authorizing the action. Members of Obama’s national security team have challenged Spicer’s account of events. “Not what happened,” Colin Kahl, national security adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden, wrote on Twitter after Spicer’s briefing. Kahl’s colleagues said that Lisa Monaco, Obama’s homeland security adviser, told the national security staff in early January that Obama was not prepared to approve the concept for the raid. Although the risky operation wasn’t without casualties, the commandos supposedly recovered valuable information from the laptops and cellphones they seized. Spicer insisted that the commandos had accomplished their mission, even though “it is tough to ever use the word ‘success’ when you know that somebody has lost their life.” According to a Yemeni tribal sheikh, the operation saw many obstacles. He claims al-Qaeda fighters somehow had warning about the attack, perhaps from the sound of American drones that the tribal leader said were flying lower and louder than usual. Immediately, the team was attacked from all sides. A Pentagon spokesman, Capt. Jeff Davis, denied on Thursday that the mission had been compromised. Last Wednesday, President Trump paid respects to Chief Petty Officer William Owens, the fallen soldier, as his body arrived home at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. This marks the first military death under the Trump administration. On Sunday, al-Rimi – who landed on the U.S. most-wanted terrorist list after taking over al Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate in 2015 – released an audio recording that military sources said is authentic. “The fool of the White House got slapped at the beginning of his road
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
in your lands,” he taunted, referring to the January 29 raid.
The international vodka brand is working to replace Per Hermansson, who’s held the position of full time drinker – and earned a reputation for his own nose – for more than three decades.
A Lock and Key Ransom
Recently, a European luxury hotel was taken hostage, and its patrons were the ones who were locked out. The 4-star Romantik Seehotel Jaegerwirt hotel in Austria related that since the winter tourism season began it has been hit with a series of cyberattacks. In one of the attacks, the hackers held the whole electronic system hostage. That included the hotel reservation station, its cash system, and even its electronic keycard system. The entire hotel – including its 180 guests – was locked out. Eventually, the hotel paid 1,500 euros in bitcoin currency ransom before the hackers released their hold on the hotel. Now the hotel is coming out with the story in the hopes of raising awareness of the possibility of cyber-attacks in the industry. “Every euro paid to blackmailers hurts,” managing director Christoph Brandstaetter said. “We know that other colleagues have been attacked, who have done similarly.” In an effort to prevent further such mishaps one of the steps that the hotel is proposing is changing its electronic keycard system for the good-ol’ lock and key. Sounds like a perfect vacation spot for our next Shabbaton.
Billion Dollar Nose No, we are not talking about the best nose job out there. A “billion dollar nose” is actually what Absolut Vodka is looking for.
Absolut is seeking a “Master Sensory Designer and Strategist with a billion dollar nose,” according to their posted job listing. Want to apply for the spirited position? All serious applicants need to have “documented blending skills” and a “comprehension of texture in spirits.” In other words, you have to know your stuff. You also have to be “tastemaker and trendspotter,” “a leader and entrepreneur,” “a storyteller and a star,” and “a doer and a team player.” Still interested? Send resumes – and maybe your nose? – to billiondollarnose@headagent.se. A job like this is nothing to sneeze at.
The Innocent Getaway
Greg Kreiser was trying to do a good deed. But we all know that no good deed goes unpunished. Recently, when Greg had a drink at a bar on a Monday afternoon, a fellow sitting next to him, Shannon Eric Steckbeck, told Greg that he was too scared to drive home; he feared he was too tipsy to drive. Greg, ever the innocent Good Samaritan, offered to drive Steckbeck to his nearby motel. On the way, Steckbeck asked if Greg could drop him off at the bank. It
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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
area where they could conduct their search. They then had to sift through the trash piece by piece for the missing envelope. In response to the fiasco, Bank Leumi stated that “this was a human error, which was discovered by the bank’s auditing body and handled in the best way possible, without incurring any damage.” Well, they weren’t the ones who had to go dumpster diving.
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seemed he had to make a withdrawal. The withdrawal he had to make, though, was not from his account. Steckbeck waved a gun at the teller and demanded cash while Greg waited in the car and then dashed into his getaway car – with Greg driving. “Was I too trusting? Yep,” Greg told LancasterOnline. “Was I trying to do a good deed? Yep. Will I give a ride to a stranger again? Probably not.” Steckbeck then asked Greg to drop him off at a local mall, saying he would walk the rest of the way to the hotel. After dropping him off, Greg saw police cars whizzing past him to the bank. “Now I’m getting a funny feeling,” he recalled. He then asked police about what was going on and heard that a man, fitting the description of his “tipsy” passenger, had robbed the bank. Steckbeck was arrested just an hour later. His getaway driver, though, was off the hook. And will no longer be offering strangers rides home.
At the Holy Tzion of the
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Cash in the Trash
Bank Leumi employees in Tel Aviv were frantic last week when they realized that they threw out a packet with 50,000 euros into the garbage. The bankers only noticed their mistake after the garbage was already hauled to the dump. Cue the plastic gloves: Hiriya waste dump workers had to sift through the dump for several tense minutes until they finally found the literal treasure. “We received a report in the morning claiming a large amount of money was in the garbage, and indeed we showed everyone that garbage can turn into money,” said Doron Sapir, chairman of the recycling site in a phone conversation with Ynet. “Not only do we produce energy and products out of waste, this time, we literally took money out of the trash.” The workers located the truck which picked up the bank’s trash and dumped the garbage out in an
It’s the female answer to man caves. You know the room in your basement where your husband can kick up his feet, hang out with his friends, and toss a football while he watches the game? Well, now women are carving some space for themselves on their property with “She Sheds.” Think of it as a personal oasis, away from laundry and homework and bedtime. She Sheds not just a room in your home. Oh no. A She Shed is an actual shed on your property, generally in your backyard. Because a She Shed requires a yard, they are mainly found in suburban areas. “There are many in California, but I also found them in Australia, the United Kingdom, all over,” said author Erica Kotite, a longtime home and lifestyle expert. Kotite spent almost a year studying the phenomenon – as well as building a She Shed for her sister – for her new book, “She Sheds: A Room of Your Own.” “Women see them and … you can almost see the mental calculations they’re making as they imagine where they could put one in their yard,” Kotite said. Depending on your budget, a She Shed can run you just a few thousand dollars or up to thousands and thousands of dollars. Think Home Depot,
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hen I signed up for membership at the Tehillim Kollel, with a minyan davening for me each day at the Tzion of the Tzadik of Ribnitz, I had three requests: (1) A certain business deal in which I had invested should be completed successfully. (2) We should be blessed with kids, as we had been waiting for a few years for this Bracha. (3) My brother, an elderly bocher, should find his match. wo weeks after I signed up, the three yeshuos arrived! All of our requests were answered by heaven in the zchus of this Holy Tzadik!
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HomeGoods and Wayfair. Others decorate their She Sheds on a grander scale. Some women use it for their hobbies or as their studios; others go to their She Sheds for some downtime; some women bring friends over when they want some “girl time.” “It’s almost like a grown-up playhouse,” Kotite said. “It’s your space, and you can do whatever you want with it. It’s a combination of privacy and permission. You can set boundaries.” Consider one She Shed that Kotite says is her favorite. “My favorite was in San Luis Obispo on a crest overlooking Central California,” she said. “It was simple, but it had everything; a really pretty chandelier, a day bed and that view. All [the creator] really uses it for is to rest and look at photos of her grandchildren. But it gives her a place to relax, her own personal retreat, and it’s just glorious.” Sounds like a mini-vacation to me.
Preemie Package
When this baby was born six weeks early, nurses sent home a special baby packet. But this little newborn was not like the typical newborns we see in the nursery. She weighed a measly 29 pounds. Yes, we call that measly because most hippos weigh an average 55 to 120 pounds when they are born. Fiona was born at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden – the first
Nile hippo born there in 75 years. To support baby Fiona and the zoo staffers working around the clock to care for her, nurses at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) gave the tiny hippo the same gift they give parents of newborns who “graduate” from the NICU. What do you gift to the newest addition to the hippo family? The gift basket included a baby book filled with details about Fiona’s early days, a stuffed animal, a pacifier, and four superhero capes signed by 200 staff members. A most special gift was included: what NICU nurses call “beads of courage,” a strand of beads representing each of the baby’s medical or life milestones while in their care. “The NICU team wanted to pass along a gift to show support to Fiona and her caregivers, so they put the care package together,” Rachel Wilson, the NICU clinical director, told CBS News. Wilson brainstormed the idea with Morgan Schweinfurth, a NICU charge nurse, and the rest of the team quickly jumped on board. She said the nurses had been following updates on Fiona because they “obviously have an affinity for all preemies.” All preemies need a lot of care, love and TLC and Fiona is no exception. “Nursery and animal care staff are with the calf 24 hours a day providing warmth, nourishment and opportunities to exercise,” a spokesman for the zoo said. “They are making sure she gets plenty of rest and packing awake time with activities that will stimulate muscles and build strength.” Fiona has gained a little over 4 pounds since birth, but still remains about 20 pounds under the low end of a normal birth weight for a Nile hippo. Every day, the little hippo makes progress toward standing. When she finally makes that milestone it’ll be “hip, hip, hooray!”
If in any given session you can summon up the day’s majority to change the institution’s fundamental rules, there are no rules. Page 122
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Around the
Community 100 Years Old – Ad Me’ah V’Esrim!
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his week, Anatte Sussmilch of Cedarhurst, NY, turned 100-yearsold and celebrated her centennial with friends and family at Lynbrook Restorative Therapy and Nursing. Anatte was born in Tarnegrod, Poland, in 1917. After witnessing and experiencing the brutality of the first few years of the Holocaust, Anatte escaped to Russia, where she was placed in a labor camp in Siberia. There she met Michael Sussmilch, and the two of them later married. After the war, Anatte and Michael immigrated to New York. Their child, Esther, is the menahelet of Midreshet Shalhevet in Woodmere. Anatte now has three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who helped her celebrate this incredible moment in her life. On the occasion of her 100th birthday, Anatte was in
Lynbrook Restorative Therapy & Nursing recuperating from a broken femur. The wonderful staff of the facility planned a huge party for her, complete with a musician who played Hebrew and English music, balloons, and a cake, and all of the residents from the facility were invited to attend. The mayor of Cedarhurst, Mayor Ben Weinstock, graciously attended the celebration, and presented Anatte with a plaque and a kind speech. Anatte, surprised and overwhelmed by the party, was able to stand up and dance – a truly remarkable feat – with the help of her physical therapist. Her granddaughter and son-inlaw and their twin children video-chatted into the party from their home in Chicago, attending the celebrations that way. Her grandson, who is currently in the Amazon
Anatte Sussmilch with Cedarhurst Mayor Anatte with her daughter and son-in-law, David Benjamin Weinstock. She is holding a plaque that and Esther Eisenman, and Simi Lichtman, her he presented to her on the occasion of her 100th granddaughter birthday on behalf of the Village of Cedarhurst
rainforest, was unable to attend. Anatte’s family is truly
grateful to the staff at Lynbrook, especially the Director of Recreation Marseille
Eyma and Director of Activities Norma Jean for putting together the beautiful party.
“Out of the Box” Play a Huge Success at Gan Chamesh
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here was a definite air of excitement in the classrooms of Gan
Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center, as the preschool celebrated Box Week.
Inspired by Tu B’Shevat and the idea of taking care of Hashem’s beautiful world by recycling, Gan Chamesh instituted Box Week as a means of letting the children’s imaginations soar as they play and experiment with all different kinds of boxes. The children collected boxes of all shapes and sizes and proudly brought their collections to school. The regular classroom toys were set aside and the boxes took center stage. The children used the boxes to create massive towers, railroad stations, rocket ships and castles. Empty food boxes and canisters
lined the shelves of the dramatic play and kitchen areas as well. The box experience appealed to the children’s latent senses of engineering and architecture as the children judged which boxes work best as a foundation for their structures. Box Week provided a medium for problem solving and cooperation as the children devised their masterpieces together and participated in animated discussions about which boxes should be used to achieve a specific purpose. In light of the success of Box Week, many of the class-
rooms at Gan Chamesh will be extending the experience well into the next several weeks. Box Week was just one of the many hands-on, exciting activities that the children experienced to help them internalize the beauty of Tu B’Shevat. For more information about Gan Chamesh, Chabad’s Early Childhood Center, please contact Susy Adler or Suzanne Wallin, the program directors, at 516295-2479.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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Around the Community
Yeshiva Gedolah and Mesivta Ateres Yaakov held a Super Seder on Sunday evening. Baruch Hashem it was a beautiful evening and a tremendous kiddush Hashem.
Community Comes out in Support of Yachad at Five Towns Melava Malka
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huge turnout showed up for a beautiful Melava Malka in benefit of Yachad this past Saturday night at the home of Lindsay and Adam Okun in Woodmere. The crowd enjoyed a wonderful evening together featuring delicious
sushi, wine tasting and a kumzitz with Dovy Brazil. The event was an opportunity to learn about the work of Yachad, which has been facilitating the inclusion of individuals with disabilities into the Jewish community for over 30 years and has recent-
ly opened a local Five Towns/ Long Island division. The presentation at the event included a welcome by the Director of Yachad NY, Rabbi Ahron Rosenthal, who spoke about the development of Yachad in the Five Towns and shared a moving letter written by one
of the Yachad adult vocational members, who recently began a part-time job at UPS, all with the training, guidance and support of Yachad’s vocational program. Rabbi Shay Schachter of the Young Israel of Woodmere shared divrei bracha and words of inspiration, followed by a dvar Torah delivered by JJ Goldstein, longtime Yachad member. Dr. Jeff Lichtman, International Director of Yachad, spoke passionately to the attendees about the difficulties parents of individuals with disabilities face in raising a child with special needs and the mission of Yachad to facilitate their inclusion in all aspects of Jewish life. At the conclusion of the presentation, Raizy Hackel, Yachad member parent, shared her appreciation of the work Yachad does on
behalf of her daughter and the importance of Yachad’s future endeavors in the community. The attendees were moved by the passion and commitment of Yachad to the disabilities community and the Five Towns and Long Island.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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Around the Community
Granting Peace of Mind: Achiezer’s Insurance Department Part V of a special series highlighting Achiezer’s innovative programs which service the community throughout the year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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hy do people come to Achiezer to run an insurance application? Anyone with internet access can run an application on their own… The truth is that applying for and obtaining the right plan can be a daunting, overwhelming task. Since the inception of the Affordable HealthCare Act (“Obamacare”), it’s only gotten more complicated. “The experience we have amassed over the years saves people hours of time and so much aggravation,” shares Sruly Miller, Coordinator of Achiezer’s Insurance Department. Achiezer’s Insurance Department is one of the most sought-after programs of its kind, with people traveling from far beyond the Five Towns and Far Rockaway for expert insurance solutions. Sruly, enabled by Hinda Sora Loeb and Esty Winer, walks individuals and families through the complex health-insurance enrollment process. Typically, an application is run in just twenty to twenty-five minutes. Mr. Miller explains that it is impossible for an unexperienced individual to duplicate that. Achiezer staff also provide answers to clients’ questions and gives clear information regarding the available programs, choices of insurance plans and explanations of benefits. And after an application has been completed, clients can easily follow-up with further questions and concerns – no playing phone tag or frustrating long wait lines. The Insurance Department has grown tremendously since the opening of the Affordable Care website, which is known as “the Marketplace”
in New York State. Before Obamacare, the Insurance Department serviced close to 600 families annually. Currently, it services over 1,500! This department has evolved to meet the increased demand by keeping up-todate with the most recent available insurance programs, as well as creating and maintaining relationships with state representatives and putting in extra time during the annual open-enrollment season. Not only does the Insurance Department expedite the process, their experience and expertise also ensure the best possible outcome for applicants. “Some of what the applications ask for is really not clear-cut. People can spend so much time trying to interpret the questions,” explains Mr. Miller. “At Achiezer, we know what they are asking for, and we offer valuable guidance about how to answer the questions most effectively.” Although the Insurance Department is busy all year round, its busiest season by far is from mid-November through mid-December during open enrollment in the Marketplace, which is like “tax season” for Achiezer’s insurance experts. During that time, Mr. Miller finds that he is booked solid with clients until 5:30 pm each day. He then remains in the office until at least 9 PM to assist walk-ins and callers, literally staying until the last person has been helped. This year alone, over 400 families were assisted with obtaining insurance during this time. Calculate the value of all these insurance plans, and you’ll realize that the amount of money being saved for
My message to people when they are overwhelmed with that feeling is that time did not go to waste. -Rav Moshe Weinberger, page 82
the community at large through this program is staggering! Each free or subsidized insurance plan is valued at $5,000. Multiply that by the number of people who have been helped this year, and the product is an amazing $7,500,000 – which is in truth a modest estimate, since many of those applying are actually heads of households with multiple members. In the event that someone’s circumstances have changed – whether he is no longer eligible for a public plan or has become eligible due to loss of income – the Insurance Department is equipped to assist. No matter the situation, Mr. Miller and his staff work to ensure that clients understand the choices and are able to make decisions based on a clear understanding of what is being offered. But the success of the Insurance Department goes beyond the numbers and the quality of work that is being completed. Achiezer has created a warm, yet professional environment, where clients are assured that all information will remain confidential. Experts address any and all concerns about what is covered, which offices accept which plans, and any other
questions clients might have. Often, an issue comes up, whether at the time of the application, regarding a pre-existing condition, or the sudden need for a medical referral, and thanks to Achiezer’s other existing programs, these creases are quickly ironed out and dealt with in a specialized manner. The many community members who have benefited from this wonderful, efficiently-run program can attest to leaving Achiezer’s Insurance Department feeling relaxed, at ease with the knowledge that what seemed to be an overwhelming hurdle has been handled in the best way possible. Yes, the benefits here are manifold, reflecting a tremendous savings of time, money – and peace of mind. And no one can put a price on that! Thanks to Achiezer, so many community members have saved thousands of dollars, hours of time and had peace of mind when it came to their health insurance… all with just one call. Join Achiezer on Sunday, February 26, 2017 at Bay Harbour Mall, in supporting a unified goal to always be on call, with just one call.
sunset maternity Your one stop shop for all your maternity apparel needs. Selling all types of maternity clothing. 1 on 1 consultation to feel comfortable and great during this critical time. Located in Woodmere, NY Call/text 516-900-2047, or email sales@sunsetmaternity.com to schedule an appointment. Shop online: www.sunsetmaternity.com Follow us on instagram or Facebook: @sunsetmaternity
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(RESERVED) $3,600
Bookcase Table Chair Lecturn
(RESERVED) $10,000 $ 7,200 $ 7,200 $ 10,000
$
Rosh HaKollel, Rav Shlomo Cohen $ Office 10,000 $ Shtender 7,200 $ Cover (RESERVED) 1,800 Coffee Station Washing Station
10,000 10,000
$ $
Checks Payable to Jewish Community Center of Inwood Mailing Address: 44 Bayswater Boulevard, Inwood, NY 11096
שבט תשע”ז תשרי תשע”ז
$ 375,000
(RESERVED) $50,000 $ 18,000 $ 18,000 $ 3,600 $ 10,000 (RESERVED) $ 3,600 (1 RESERVED) $5,400 Ea. (2 RESERVED) $5,000 Ea. (3 RESERVED) $3,600 Ea.
Library/Shiur Room Builders Wall Nosi Residence (RESERVED) Kitchen Facilities Landscaping
Cornerstone
$
Naming of the Building
Aron Kodesh Parochos Bimah Cover Amud Cover Bookcases (6) Windows (12) Mezuzah (8)
Available Rosh Kollel 347.224.115
GOAL: 1 MILLION
BAIS MEDRASH V’HAGISA
$
please call the
ניסן תשע”ו
For more information or to donate by credit card, please contact Rabbi Shlomo Karp 347.619.2822, Yehuda Michaeli 718.954.6160, or e-mail InwoodKollel@yahoo.com 501c3 Tax Deductible Organization
Lani@icatchgraphix.com
CAMPAIGN CORPORATE SPONSORS:
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
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HAFTR Poland Mission Learning to Bear Witness
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idwinter break gives both students and teachers the chance to travel to all sorts of exotic places. This year, Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen Oppen, HAFTR High School, Principal of Judaic Studies, accompanied by Rabbi Moshe Hubner traveled to Brooklyn, New York, where they met with Mrs. Ruth Lichtenstein, Director of Project Witness, a Holocaust education resource center. The meeting, which was intended to be approximately thirty minutes, lasted over ninety minutes as Rabbis Oppen and Hubner explored new ways to enhance HAFTR’s Holocaust studies curriculum as well as the upcoming Mr. Abe Scharf z”l HAFTR Poland Mission. Mrs. Ruth Lichtenstein, who founded Project Witness, as well as the English-language newspaper Hamodia and Binah Magazine, is a daughter of survivors and a granddaughter of the Gerrer Rebbe, Harav Avraham Mordechai Alter, zy”a, who was known as the Imrei Emes, and of Harav Itche Meir Levin, zt”l, the leader of Agudath Israel in pre-war Europe and later in Eretz Yisrael. She is also the daughter of Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Levin, z”l, founding editor of the Hebrew-language Hamodia. Born in Jerusalem and currently living in New
York, Mrs. Lichtenstein published Witness to History, an extraordinarily impressive textbook that is part of the Project Witness curriculum. Project Witness is a comprehensive, nonprofit Holocaust resource center that offers academically grounded and religiously sensitive Holocaust educational resources for communities worldwide. Through Project Witness, Mrs. Lichtenstein hopes to radically change the way the Holocaust is taught in day schools and yeshivot throughout the country. Aside from the textbook, Project Witness has also produced profound documentaries and other literature to assist educators embarking upon the difficult task of teaching students about the Holocaust. Rabbi Oppen describes the purpose of the meeting as follows, “There is always room and a desire for improvement. HAFTR High School is committed to making certain each student grows intellectually, emotionally and spiritually from the Holocaust studies course and from the Mission to Poland. The Mission has changed the lives of many students. They gain a new perspective and take great pride in being Jewish. They grasp what was lost during the destruction of the war.
L-R: Mrs. Ruth Lichtenstein, director of Project Witness, Rabbi Moshe Hubner, HAFTR High School rebbi, and Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, principal of HAFTR High School
They recognize the extraordinary history of our great nation and appreciate the wisdom of the quotes ascribed to the rabbis whose graves they visit.” “It was indeed gratifying to see the positive response our description of the HAFTR Poland Mission engendered at Project Witness,” noted Rabbi Hubner
HAFTR is presently finalizing the itinerary for this year’s Mission which will iy”H include, for the first time, the city of Prague. Enhanced by insights gleaned from Project Witness, participating students anticipate yet another moving and meaningful Mr. Abe Scharf z”l HAFTR Poland Mission.
Building Bears with Mitzvos
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s Emily Berman’s bat mitzvah neared she began thinking about a meaningful way she could celebrate this milestone event in her life. She recalled that when she was a young girl one of her favorite places to go for a special occasion was the Build-A-Bear store where she spent many happy hours creating and designing personalized stuffed animals. When she learned about UJA-Federation of New York’s Give-A-Mitzvah, Do-A-Mitzvah program and the option of making Project Kadima at the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC in Cedarhurst her Bat Mitzvah initiative, it all clicked for her. “For my mitzvah project I wanted to do something that spoke to me personally. When my parents got divorced I knew that they never wanted me to feel like I was missing out. All parents want what is best for their kids but sometimes it is hard,
especially for single parents,” explained Emily. Emily chose to work with Project Kadima because it helps support Jewish, single parents whose financial and personal struggles often prevent them from easily providing their children with special experiences, such as a Build-A-Bear adventure. “I am taking a group of Kadima children for a fun day at Build-A-Bear with their parent so that they can have the special memories that they deserve. I am also going to make a donation to this important program to help fund other meaningful events for the children” added Emily. This past Sunday Emily’s beautiful mitzvah was realized. Eighteen children gathered in this wonderful Kadima event at the Roosevelt Field Build-A-Bear location where Emily and her family greeted them with warm, welcoming smiles. Emily was as excited as they were to be in the col-
orful, cheerful, bustling shop where each child was able to select a bear or other character of her choice. The children happily followed the BuildA-Bear representative as he led them through the building process taking advantage of the generous package Emily and her family provided. The children started off by inserting the “heart” into their chosen stuffed animal, followed by choosing a theme song for it to play and a name for it to be called. The next step was stuffing the bear or other animal and selecting an outfit and pair of shoes for it. Finally they received a personalized birth certificate and a special BuildA-Bear knapsack. Emily and her family’s incredible generosity and genuine joy at being able to provide Kadima kids with this special day was truly heartwarming. The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC is so grateful to them as well as to UJA-Federation of New York and
UJA Exec. Bary Ziegel, Emily’s mom Stacey, and Emily
the Jewish Communal Fund for making the Kadima program possible. If you know of a single parent who can benefit from the support and services available through Project Kadima or if you would like to sponsor a Kadima event, please contact Rachayle (516)569-6733 ext. 222 or email rachayle.deutsch@guraljcc.org. The Marion and Aaron Gural JCC is a Proud Partner of UJA-Federation of New York.
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Put Your Life Vest on First Community-Wide Parenting Workshop Hosted by Gesher
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ducating children is a group effort. Parents, administrators, and teachers work together to create the most ideal learning environment possible in order to generate a child’s success. It’s not always easy. There are many factors that may challenge a student’s ability to succeed. Sometimes it may be his learning style and the need to provide some form of intervention. Other situations may require the addition of a related service provider, or even multiple providers. Peer relations, social emotional struggles, and natural disposition also need to be addressed. Sometimes the stress of the home environment makes it difficult for parents to properly partner with their child’s educational team. Stress at home also affects a child’s ability to succeed in the classroom. The Gesher Early Childhood Center has made its mark on the community as an institution committed to helping all children succeed in their respective learning environments. In the past year and a half Gesher has hosted an assortment of workshops
to benefit local parents, educators, and related service providers. In its five years of existence Gesher has had the opportunity to consult with and engage many high quality resources in our community. Being able to avail the community of those resources is consistent with Gesher’s overall mission. The Five Towns Wellness Center, led by Clinical Director Dr. Sara Gluck, is an organization that benefits many families in our neighborhood. The FTWC provides a special focus on children, within the context of family support. Using a wide variety of methods and techniques the FTWC provides evaluations and treatments to conquer many obstacles to health and happiness. Art and sand therapy, group therapy, and workshops are a part of their toolbase. The Gesher administration is proud to offer a presentation by Dr. Gluck and her associates. The title of the workshop is “Put Your Life Vest on First,” a term borrowed from the safety presentation common on airlines. The goal is to create a sense
of self security and confidence as a means to better parenting. This workshop will address the challenge that parents often find themselves facing –feeling inadequate as a caregiver and not knowing where to turn. The panel from FTWC will empower parents to use mindfulness and compassion to make parenting more enjoyable.
The free presentation will take place this Tuesday evening, February 14, at Gesher, 650 Broadway in Cedarhurst. For more information about the workshop and general Gesher programming please contact 516-730-7377, email office@gesher-ecc.org, or visit www.gesher-ecc. org.
Rambam Honors Leadership and Chessed
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he motto of Rambam Mesivta’s Student Activities Program is “A Team for Every Talent. A Club for Every Curiosity. A Place for Every Person.” This motto was on full display at Rambam’s Annual Award Assembly where students were recognized for outstanding leadership and chessed. Junior Akiva Schuck and freshman Uriel Sussman received plaques for their “Leadership in Davening” and setting the tone for their respective minyanim. Senior Benjamin Aryeh was crowned “Question of the Week” and “Caption of the Week” Contest Champion for the first semester. Seth Marcus was awarded the “Torah Question of the Week Champion” with Benjamin Kattan winning the “Photo of the Week” Championship. Sam Sicklick was recognized for his School Service and Ariel Blumstein was called up for his stewardship of the Chessed Club.
Zvi Shleifer, Zev Granik, and Joseph Stern were recognized for their work forming and running the Rambam Yachad Club. The Assembly closed by acknowledging the Masmidim for their extra learning. Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman
then addressed the talmidim and shared with them a recent political cartoon that shed negative light on Israel. He spoke about the significance of activism and taking a stand against this type of slur and injustice. Even though the Assembly was
in celebration of wonderful accomplishments, the message was sent that the talmidim should never rest on their laurels but stay committed to taking a leadership role and helping Klal Yisroel in whatever way possible.
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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
בס”ד
SephaRdic congRegation of the five Towns
Building a Future Linking the past
You are cordially invited to join us at our
First Annual Dinner in benefit of our new Beit Knesset
Honoring
Mordechai & Sharona Ben-Haim Our Dear Rabbi & Mrs.
Esteemed Leadership Award
Yaakov &Rivka Mordechai Albert Sayegh Yaakov &Leah Rabi Mr. & Mrs.
Mr.
Mr. & Mrs.
Distinguished Founder Award
Sterling Benefactor Award
Pillar of Chessed Award
Keynote Speaker
Rav Moshe Weinberger, Shlita Mara D'Atra of Congregation Aish Kodesh
Tuesday, March 7th 2017 תשע”ז,ט‘ באדר
Congregation Beth Shalom 390 Broadway, Lawrence, NY 11559
Reception Dinner Dessert
6:30pm 7:30pm 9:00pm
Couvert $450 per couple
For reservations or to place an ad please visit: ShaareEmunah.org DINNER CHAIRS: Roni Benjamini, Ofer Cohen, Sharona Ben-Haim DINNER COMMITTEE: Eli Arakanchi, Elazar Aryeh, Ralph Benzakein, Eli Mizrahi, Mitchel Ozeri, Nachman Siegel
Shaare Emunah, a warm & welcoming congregation with love of Torah and Mitzvot. Dedicated to transmitting the authentic Sephardic mesora. Catering to a vast & wide variety of Sephardic backgrounds from all over the world. Devoted to building upon our glorious past and illustrious heritage. Connecting the past to an ever brighter future.
Visit Us
539 Oakland Avenue Cedarhurst, NY 11516 Dinner@Shaareemunah.org
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Yeshiva University High Schools
FO U N DATI O N
|
F A M I LY
|
NYIT Visits HAFTR Middle School to Showcase STEM Activities
F UTU R E
Annual Dinner of Tribute Tuesday, February 28, 2017
•
z'' ga, rst 'c
6 p.m. • Marina del Rey Our Esteemed Honorees
Alan ’72, David ’06 & Alex ’10 Goldberg Yeshiva University High Schools Legacy Award
Silvia & Abraham Borenstein
Nathan Lewin ’53
Centennial Leadership Award
Rabbi Shlomo Tiechtel
Parents of the Year, YUHSG
Ethel Dworetsky Morrow Faculty Award, YUHSG
Jacqueline & Dov ’88 Borgen
Rabbi Shimon Schenker
Parents of the Year, YUHSB
Faculty Award, YUHSB
#BuildingYUHS The Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy/ Yeshiva University High School for Boys 2540 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10033 Samuel H. Wang Yeshiva University High School for Girls 86-86 Palo Alto Street, Holliswood, NY 11423 For information or to RSVP, please visit www.yu.edu/hsdinner or contact Elissa Schertz at 212.960.5223
T
his week HAFTR Middle School welcomed New York Institute of Technology’s STEM Initiative. The event was sponsored by The Jewish Education Project. NYIT brought in their mobile STEM unit to work on different programs. HAFTR Middle School students had the opportunity to engage in the following activities: 1) Intro to robotics programming: Students used cubelets, cubed robots that have onboard sensors and motors. The cubes are modular, so that students were able to combine the cubes and create their own unique, modular robots. 2) Motion sensors and graphs: Students used professional Labquest probes and motion detectors that
translated the students’ movements into graphs that measured coordinates and velocity. 3) Coding: Students learned about binary and hexadecimal coding and understood the relationship between the block-based programming that they do in class and how those blocks translate to actual computer code. NYIT was impressed with how advanced our students are in computer programming and robotics. They even said they had to change the lessons on the fly in order to accommodate our students. We could not be prouder of our students and we look forward to continue to work with NYIT and Hofstra University to further HAFTR’s STEM Initiative.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
at Lawrence High School 2 Reilly Road, Cedarhurst NY
{
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
W - WE - WEA - WEAV WEAVING is what we did at Learn & Live! This past Sunday it was a Super L&L with the boys weaving and designing a pot holders for their wonderful mothers. This week at Learn & Live will be “All Tied Up in Knots.” For more information regarding L&L please email learnandlivefr@gmail.com.
YU’s 27Th Annual Model UN to Tackle Hot-Button Global Issues and Promote Jewish Values
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or the 27 th straight year, the Yeshiva University National Model United Nations competition (YUNMUN) will bring together high school students from
around the world for an interactive simulation of the inner workings of the real United Nations. From February 12-14, over 400 student delegates from 49 yeshiva high schools
and community day schools in three countries will gather at the Stamford Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Stamford, CT, to play the roles of delegates to actual UN member nations while learning about the complexities of international diplomacy firsthand. More than 60 YU undergraduate students will be on-hand at the event to facilitate discussions between the high school groups from Brazil, Canada and cities across the U.S. on a wide range of issues, including gender roles, human rights and international law. Local schools, including DRS Yeshiva H.S. for Boys, HAFTR, Hebrew Academy of Nassau Academy, Shalhevet H.S. for Girls, Central and MTA will be in attendance. “Yeshiva University hosts a Model United Nations because it is critical that we consistently reinforce a responsibility for helping shape the destiny of our society,” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, YU’s Vice President for University and Community Life. “Year after year, YUNMUN receives international acclaim because students come away from the event feeling more confident, with a broad knowledge of world affairs, and having gained numerous life skills, all the while modeling the conduct and respect of a Jewish person in an academic, intellectual and social forum. It is truly an educational, Torah and social experience like no other.”
In preparation for the event, students have been assigned countries and appointed to one of 15 committees dealing with issues of international concern, such as the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, the Counter Terrorism Committee and the Disarmament and International Security Committee. To argue their points effectively, students have been conducting extensive research to ensure that their countries’ interests and policies will be faithfully represented. To add further educational depth to the conference, former New York State Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder, will deliver a special keynote address to the student delegates. Mr. Goldfeder, now Assistant VP for Government Affairs at Yeshiva University, accepted his new position in November after announcing that he would not be seeking reelection. He is currently strengthening and developing relationships between the University and federal, state and local governments, and monitoring legislation and policies that could have an impact on YU and its programs. The YUNMUN closing ceremonies will include the presentation of awards to the best delegates and honorable mentions on each UN committee as well as remarks from Rabbi Kenneth Brander, YU’s Vice President for University and Community Life.
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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
New Boys yeshiva! Coming to the Far Rockaway/ Five Towns Area!
YESHIVA NOAM HATORAH
Registration open for September 2017 beginning with Pre-School
thinkinkcreations.com
Outstanding Chinuch in a Warm & Caring Environment
For More Info, Contact Rabbi Eli Rubin: erubin@noamhatorah.org | 347-766-2618
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Defying Gravity: Shulamith HS Takes Broadway
“I
’ve heard it said/That people come into our lives/For a reason/Bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those/Who help us most to grow if we let them. And we help them in return.” - Wicked on Broadway Last Tuesday evening Shulamith High School freshmen embarked on their second Masterpiece trip. Masterpiece is a unique Shulamith High School program in which students experience and participate in the arts. Before seeing the show, the Director of Performing Arts, Mrs. Rebecca Lopkin, prepared the girls by facilitating a workshop where students, inspired by the lyrics above, explored the concept of new people coming into our lives and learning that we are more alike than we are different. Each student then wrote a “thank you poem” inspired by the
above lyrics to the person in her life she wanted to thank for “changing her life for the good.” After seeing the show, students will scribe an original monologue from the perspective of one of the characters. Students will imagine the character reflecting on a life well lived while sharing the moments and friendships that greatly impacted their lives. The monologues will be performed in the students’ public speaking class. The mezzanine seats allowed the students a full and unobstructed view of the theater. The orchestra began to the play the overture, bags of snacks were opened, and everyone settled in for two and a half hours of theater magic. From the moment the curtain rose, students were captivated by the actors’ immense talent, the innovative and clever sets, the smoke and mirror special effects,
and, of course, the flying! One student commented about the power of the lyrics in “Popular,” and expressed the feeling that beauty isn’t only skin deep – rather it is the strength of your character and the depth of the relationships you form that define who you are. Nothing compared to the depth of the lyrics
and dialogue as two girls, from very different worlds, come together at school, form new friendships, learn from each other and their teachers, find inspiration, form new ideas and opinions and ultimately discover their “best selves.” Shulamith High School students are well on their way.
FIVE TOWNS
A PROJECT OF
TUTORING
Presents
SAT/Act groups
An Annual Community Wide Shovavim Lecture
by chaim homnick
It is never too early to start preparing for the new SAT or the ACT. Sign up now for one of our courses taught by someone who scored in the 99th percentile, has an exclusive booklet of tips and techniques for each section, and can help your child gain the requisite skills for success on ALL SAT/ACT subjects and sections. Don’t hire a tutor who doesn’t know the entire test or who didn’t score in the top percentile. • • • • •
Weekly courses start now!
10 and 20 hour courses available, customized to your schedule. Girls groups given by SAT expert Mrs. Miri Niremberg. Groups available for 10th-12th graders. All materials provided, including an exclusive booklet of tips and techniques for each section. Join a group or make your own--We can come to you!
Other services we offer: LSAT, Regents, Career/College Advisement, Personal Statement/Resume Writing
SAT/ACT Group Prices (for groups of 4+): 10-hour course -- $400 per student
A JOURNEY THROUGH MARRIAGE
RABBI MOSHE WEINBERGER AND
DR. SARA BARRIS PSY.D
For more information or to register contact
Chaim Homnick
Clinical Psychologist
FEBRUARY 19
8:00 P.M.
CONGREGATION AISH KODESH . 894 WOODMERE PLACE . WOODMERE, NY 11598
WOMEN ONLY
FREE ADMISSION FOR MORE INFORMATION OR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES PLEASE CONTACT: NATALY MAGENDZO: 305.527.1992
FIVE TOWNS JEWISH HOME SPECIAL: Create a group yourself and save!
Make a 10-hour group of… 4 students and receive $100 off for your child 5 students--$200 off for your child 6+ students--Your child goes free!
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305-321-3342
chomnick@gmail.com
Visit us online
fivetownstutoring.com
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns: 14th Anniversary Dinner
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s years (and dinners) pass by, it is even more important that we take time to appropriately reflect on the accomplishments of the past. Equally as important, we should always look ahead to the future and assess our collective future and growth. The Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns is exemplary in what it has been able to accomplish relative to its size. However, when we look at that success carefully, it reveals an amazing potential for even further achievement and growth. The Yeshiva remains committed to its founding principles of keeping a warm and close relationship with each and every talmid, yungerman and community member who chooses to use its services. The mesorah of the rebbeim is felt in every act, connection and relationship with the talmidim and families. Since its inception, the Yeshiva has become a sought-after makom Torah for young men returning from learning in Eretz
Yisroel. The Yeshiva is known for the high level shiurim given by the prominent rebbeim as well as for its energetic atmosphere and unique hashkafah. The Yeshiva continues to accommodate the increasing demand for students and specifically those who dorm, due to the reputation it has earned locally and across the globe. Of note, the Yeshiva was recently able to purchase a dorm to allow more bochurim to benefit from all it has to offer. The Yeshiva, however, is a multifaceted institution. In addition to having become a prominent makom Torah for its talmidim and Kollel yungerleit, it also serves the Five Town community in various ways. The eruv is maintained by the Yeshiva, which includes sending people to check its status and fix it on a weekly basis. The Yeshiva provides numerous shiurim to baalei batim, ranging from iyun to amud yomi and hashkafah. Its doors are open to all who
wish to learn in its inspiring atmosphere. The Yeshiva’s yungerleit are available as chavrusas for interested baalei batim. In the coming days, at the Yeshiva’s 14th Annual Dinner, the greater community will once again come together to celebrate YGFT’s growing accomplishments and put faces on some of those who have graciously shared in the responsibilities towards facilitating its success. The three sets of honorees, Rabbi and Mrs. Jeremy Fine, Mr. and Mrs. Yehuda Klinkowitz and Rabbi and Mrs. Meir Yehuda Kotowitz, have contributed and continue to contribute towards the Yeshiva’s efforts in expanding the reach of Torah within our community, through ahavas haTorah, ahavas chessed and mesiras nefesh. Guests of Honor Jeremy and Ariella Fine It is always special when a mesorah is seen in vividly in children
and grandchildren. When that mesorah is so closely tied to the Yeshiva, it makes it even more special. Rabbi and Mrs. Jeremy Fine, who are both outstanding mechanchim in their own right, are a second-generation Yeshiva family. Jeremy’s parents, specifically his father, Mr. Stephen Fine, were founding members of the Yeshiva and have helped it blossom into the makom Torah we see today. Both families, the Fines and Friedmans, have imbued in their children a sense of yashrus, chessed, and, of course, love for Torah. It makes perfect sense why the Fines’ house can literally be seen by looking out the door of the Yeshiva, only a stone’s throw away from our beautiful home. The Fine family moved to Woodmere almost nine years ago. Jeremy, who grew up in Woodmere, attended HAFTR until leaving to study in Nvei Tzion in Israel. Upon returning, he attended and graduated from Yeshiva University with a BA in Psychol-
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Around the Community ogy, moving then to obtain semicha by learning in the Yeshiva at Lander College. Jeremy has been a 7th grade rebbe at HALB for many years and finds time to coach 8th grade basketball. For many years he was also a rebbe and director of the Avnet boys’ campus in the summer. Ariella grew up in Manhattan and then Queens, attending Ramaz in the City. After studying in Midreshet and Shalhevet in Israel, she returned to study psychology and Judaic studies at Stern College before pursuing a Masters in Jewish Education from Azrieli. Ariella has been teaching for more than 15 years at Ramaz, HAFTR and more recently Shulamith, where she has served the past seven years as a 5th grade teacher. Despite her busy schedule, she finds time to own and run a local store called Threads. Most importantly, she is the backbone of a beautiful home where their children, who attend SKA, Shulamith and Yeshiva Ketana respectively, are able to learn from the Fines’ dedication to chinuch and mesorah. It is truly special to be able to highlight such a special family at this year’s dinner. Young Leadership Award Yehuda and Yaffa Klinkowitz There are many ways that people contribute to the growth of an institution. In the case of Yehuda and Yaffa Klinkowitz, the results are tangible, although not always noticed or heard. The Klinkowitz family is known for doing all of the “little things,” all of which add up to be very significant. It could be the kiddush set up, the food distribution for Avos Ubanim, the “back up” gabbai or any other task that no one seems to run to, Yehuda is there to fill in the blanks. Regardless, when it comes to the Klinkowitz family, nothing is done or said without a smile, passion and selflessness. The Yeshiva is fortunate to have them as friends. Yehuda can be found at the Yeshiva multiple times during the week. Having grown up in Far Rockaway and being part of a family, many of whom learned in the Yeshiva as well, it was an easy choice to call it home for his family. Growing up, he davened at the White Shul and Shaarayi Tefilla, where his parents still attend. After graduating from Ateres Yaakov High School, Yehuda attended Tiferet Yerushalayim, Ateres Yerushalayim, Shalom Rav, and then Sh’or Yoshuv, all the while attending
college and graduate school for social work. Yehuda was the program director for Tova before leaving to work for the NYC Board of Education this year. In addition, he generously gives of his time to help Our Place several nights a week, in addition to other obligations. Yaffa, daughter of Michael and Ann Sarner, who grew up in Holliswood, attended SKA High School, leaving to study in MMY in Israel before returning to Lehman College to attain a degree in speech pathology, a discipline she currently practices. This is all in addition to raising their beautiful children, Yonatan, Ari, Tehila and Tzviki, who attend Darchei (soon Tzviki) and BBY respectfully. Yaffa’s father, affectionately known as “Poppy,” has been a regular at the Yeshiva for years even before moving with his wife to Woodmere this past summer. The Yeshiva is thankful to be able to show our appreciation for the Klinkowitz family at the dinner. Harbotzas Hatorah Award Meir Yehuda and Sara Kotowitz Not too different than the Fine family, the Kotowitz family has deep roots in the Yeshiva family. Meir Yehuda’s father, Mr. Harry Kotowitz, was instrumental in the Yeshiva’s initial formation and subsequent expansions, including the current building site. Jeremy Frenkel, Meir Yehuda’s brother-in-law, was also integral to the Yeshiva’s growth, including his efforts for the construction of our current home. However, Meir Yehuda and his wife contribute to the Yeshiva in so many ways, in their own right. Meir Yehuda gives a chazarah shiur that reviews the daily shiur in the Yeshiva. In addition, he leads a chaburah for baalei batim, is part of the Kollel Chaburah, and somehow finds time to be gabbai too. Their collective dedication to the Yeshiva and the growth of Torah is an inspiration to us all. Meir Yehuda is a local product, who attended HAFTR before starting college at NYU and deciding to take time to learn in Reishit Yerushalayaim in Beit Shemesh. Meir Yehuda was a bochur in the Yeshiva his last two years at NYU and has continued in the Yeshiva ever since as a bochur, kollel member and, now, as one of the rebbeim. Sara Kotowitz, who is the source of inspiration for her husband’s continued learning, grew up in Boca Raton, Florida. After
graduating from high school there, she learned in Michlala for a year before returning to for college and graduate school, where she studied to be a pharmacist. Despite holding a full-time job, she finds time to be a wonderful mother to their wonderful children. The girls attend BBY, while the boys are currently at home. Sara’s parents are frequent visitors from Florida and well-known to the broader Yeshiva family. Both respective set of parents’ love for Torah and chessed is evident in the home
that the Kotowitzs are building. We are proud to be able to acknowledge their efforts and accomplishments. Please join us at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, February 21st at the Sands in Atlantic Beach, as we recognize these special individuals for their tireless service to the yeshiva, the Five Towns community and klal Yisrael. For more information please call the Yeshiva office at (516) 2958900x4 or go online to www.ygft. org/dinner .
Makkos Mania at the Hollander ECC at Yeshiva of South Shore
Dressed in their pajamas (like Paroah), the children explored the makkos in a hands-on and not-so-scary way.
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Midreshet Shalhevet Making Lifelong Connections
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alia Lemkus, Hy”d, was a 26-year-old young woman from Tekoa, Israel, who escaped with her life from a stabbing attack in Gush Etzion in 2006 but fell prey to a different terrorist in the West Bank on November 10, 2014. Dalia was fatally and brutally attacked by Maher al-Hashlamun, 30, from Hebron, who ran over the hitchhiking stop where she was waiting outside Alon Shvut in Gush Etzion, stabbed her and two others, and then returned to make sure she was dead. Shortly after Dalia’s murder, the students at Midreshet Shalhevet arranged a school-wide siyum and commemoration, where students spoke about her and other victims of terrorist attacks. Tamar Beer of West Hempstead, an eleventh grader at the time, recreated a painting that Dalia had drawn, in honor of the occasion. The painting was presented to the Lemkus family on erev Pesach 2015 by Noa Eliach, a fellow eleventh grader at the time, her father, Rav Yotav Eliach. Mrs. Brenda Lemkus, Dalia’s mother, was overwhelmed with emotion upon receiving the painting and hearing that a girls’ school in North Woodmere had taken such interest
in her daughter Dalia, and memorialized her in such a positive and beautiful way. Mr. Nachum Lemkus, Dalia’s father, visited New York a short time after and came to address the students of Midreshet Shalhevet. Although it has now been over two years since Dalia’s murder, the girls at Midreshet Shalhevet have not forgotten the bond that they created with the Lemkus family. Tamar Beer and Noa Eliach, both currently studying in seminary in Israel, recently spent Shabbat at the Lemkus home. Noa was so moved by the experience,
she wrote the following letter to Mrs. Esther Eisenman, Menahelet of Midreshet Shalhevet. Hi Mrs. Eisenman, Shavua tov! Hope all is going well! I just wanted to share with you that Tamar Beer and I went to the Lemkus’ for Shabbat, and I wanted to share a little bit about the experience. It was really meaningful to me to see the whole picture come full circle. Having the opportunity to go to the Lemkus’ house and getting to meet both of Dalia’s parents, and her sister, was incredibly mov-
ing for both of us, but I think even more so for Tamar. A few of Dalia’s paintings are hung up in the living room, and as you see in the picture attached Tamar’s recreated painting is hanging front and center. I think the fact that it’s hung up so prominently really attests to the fact that our connection with them really truly means something to their family. It was really nice to see how Dalia still plays a very big role in their everyday lives but they have still (seemingly) found the ability to continue on living without ever forgetting Dalia. They’re a very sweet family and really welcomed us and made us feel at home and we just had a really great fun Shabbat. I can’t say for sure but I think it was nice for them to see that their story plays a role in both my and Tamar’s life. -Noa Eliach Midreshet Shalhevet is always so proud of its students and alumni. It is a particular pleasure to receive letters such as this that reinforce important connections formed during their high school years and are carrying on even after they leave Midreshet Shalhevet.
2017 Will Usher In Record-Breaking Numbers of New Olim from the USA to Israel
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y the end of this year, the first residents of the new Ramat Givat Zeev neighborhood will be receiving the keys to their impeccably designed homes. Two hundred families, including doctors, university professors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and many other professionals who are in the midst of making Aliyah from the USA, are amongst those who purchased an apartment or home in Ramat Givat Zeev. This has been the grand vision of the Nofei Israel company, which fostered the upscale Ramat Givat Zeev project, making the dreams of these new Orthodox immigrant families become a reality. This modern new neighborhood will also highlight first-class schools, beautiful shuls, tennis and basketball courts, as well as expansive green parks, where the builders have al-
ready planted 5,000 different trees and plants, with another 15,000 scheduled to be planted in the coming months. Because the builders have created such a magnificent residential living complex, 80% of Ramat Givat Zeev’s apartments have already been snapped up by buyers, with a growing list of new immigrants inquiring about the remaining properties every single day. Israeli business journalists have reported that based on the high interest in this project, Ramat Givat Zeev will be “sold out” within a very short period of time, which in turn will raise the market value of pre-sold properties. However, Nofei Israel is determined to sell the remaining apartments to potential buyers who wish to make Aliyah within the next five years and will live year-round in a
Ramat Givat Zeev is taking shape
community that speaks their language and offers the same high living standards that they were used to in the USA.
For more information contact office@nofei.com, 718-475-5668, +972-25000418.
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Lt. Col. (Res.) Dr. Mordechai Kedar, Israeli scholar of Arabic culture and lecturer at Bar-Ilan University and a research associate of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, was the featured guest speaker at an event sponsored by the Great Neck Synagogue (GNS) Men’s Club and the Great Neck-based Jewish Political Education Foundation (JPEF). He is flanked by JPEF Vice President and GNS Men’s Club Steering Committee member Dr. Paul Brody (at his left), who arranged Dr. Kedar’s appearance, and GNS Men’s Club Vice President Dr. Rob Knepper. GNS Men’s Club Steering Committee members pictured are Jack Lipsky (at left) and Steve Blumner (at right). Prof. Kedar stressed the importance of the U.S. moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He stated that in Israel almost everyone, including the Left, understands the importance of such a move.
First Yahrtzeit of Mr. Robi Flegmann z”l
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his past Sunday, tes Shevat, February 5, marked the first yahrtzeit of the founder of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island, Mr. Robi Flegmann, R’ Moshe ben R’ Dovid. Fourth through eighth graders of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island joined together to complete a seder of Mishnayos l’ilui nishmaso. At an assembly for the family and boys of grades 6-8, the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Bajnon, led the crowd with a perek of Tehillim, followed by divrei chizuk from the Menahel, Rabbi Krigsman. Rabbi Krigsman first pointed out that the learning of Mishna, which is the same letters as neshama, for Mr. Flegmann is the ultimate hakoras hatov to the man who had the Yeshiva always uppermost in his mind. He spoke about how Mr. Flegmann was happy with the successes and achievements of the talmidim of the Yeshiva and how he was always attuned to what the Yeshiva needed both as a makom chinuch, in general, and to enhancing the experience of the individuals who work and learn in the yeshiva building every day. Mr. Shmully Flegmann, the oldest son of Mr. Flegmann, then made the siyum and afterwards spoke about his father. He told the boys about a letter the family received from a friend, who
wrote that he once came to the Flegmann’s house and was asked to wait a few minutes. He watched as Mr. Flegmann signed diplomas for the upcoming YKLI graduation and smiled as he picked up each one, thinking of
the boy who was about to graduate and sharing in the nachas. Another story he mentioned took place when Mr. Flegmann was at an Agudas Yisroel Yarchei Kallah in Eretz Yisroel. One of the highlights of the Yarchei Kallah was that the participants lined up to receive a bracha from Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita. Each person came with a different personal request. However, Mr. Flegmann’s request was for the hatzlacha of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island. That was how close to his heart YKLI was. The boys were then treated to a snack and drink before returning to class to continue their learning. Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island is forever indebted to the Flegmann family for their constant care and concern that they show the Yeshiva. We are sure that this close friendship will contin-
ue as a new generation of Flegmanns are now part of the YKLI family. May Mr. Flegmann be a meilitz yosher for his family and for all the talmidim of YKLI.
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Yachad Inclusion Awareness at Rambam
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n February 1st, the start of National Inclusion Month, countless Rambam talmidim were sporting Yachad’s signature colors, blue and orange, to help raise awareness about the importance of Inclusion. Rambam Mesivta’s Yachad Club, a student-run and student-founded club seeks to promote sensitive toward others and make a place at the table for everyone. They have sponsored seminars on inclusion and plan on hosting a “Rambam/Yachad Inclusion Day” where Yachad individuals come for a morning of davening and learning with the Rambam students. The force behind the Rambam/Yachad Club, senior Zvi Shleifer and juniors Zev Granik and Joseph Stern, are truly committed to Yachad, Rambam, and everyone looking to belong.
SKA Alumnae Visit Bereaved Family in Israel By Zahava Gros, SKA ‘16
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n Wednesday, January 25, SKA alumnae and seminary students Zahava Gros, Henna Storch and Michal Yacker, accompanied by Principal Raizi Chechik, visited the family of Shir Hajaj, a young soldier who was tragically murdered in the recent truck attack in Jerusalem. Ms. Chechik brought a personalized letter of condolence signed by students of the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls and, together with the students, hand-delivered the letter. The Hajaj family warmly welcomed them and shared many fond memories of their oldest daughter, Shir. They talked about how dedicated Shir was to her community, spending hours amidst her packed University schedule, tutoring young children and volunteering for Shachen Tov, a food distribution organization.The Hajaj family described Shir’s pride and commitment to her service in the IDF, exemplified
Principal Raizi Chechik and SKA alumnae Henna Storch, Zahava Gros and Michal Yacker with the Hajaj family
by the fact that she signed on for an extended period of time to give back to the country she loved. Displaying many photos, the family members tearfully expressed their deepest appreciation to the SKA student body for dedicating a day of tefillah and learning for their daughter and the other victims, ensuring that their memory live on.Letters of heartfelt condolences were also sent to the families of the three other victims of the attack – Lt. Yael Yekutiel of Givatayim, Cadet Shira Tzur of
Haifa and Cadet Erez Orbach of Alon Shvut. Mrs. Helen Spirn, Head of School, received a note expressing how much the letter meant to the Orbach family:
The dad (Uri Orbach) came over this morning to show me that he received a letter from SKA. It was a condolence letter with hard signatures from a lot of
the students. He was very touched and started crying to me about how comforting it has been to receive condolences from people all over the world. Ms. Chechik reflected on this student initiative. “We are so proud of the numerous ways our students connect to their brethren in Israel in times of sadness as well as times of joy. When we left the Hajaj family, we said to Mr. Hajaj, ‘Kulanu chaverim’ – we are all friends, we are all connected. And he so correctly responded, ‘Lo, kulanu mishpacha’ – we are all family. That is the message that our SKA students really embody in all of their Israel advocacy efforts.”
With insight, seeing beyond the surface, we know that deep within the tree the sap is rising, preparing the tree for the blooming and blossoming that will occur in the springtime. Page 90
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This past Motzei Shabbos the Ashreinu group went on an outing to Fitwize 4 Kidz. Thank you to Steven and his staff for giving the boys an awesome time. For more information regarding Ashreinu please email ashreinufr@gmail.com.
HALB Sukkah Fair
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his past Sunday, February 5, the HALB fifth grade boys held their annual “Super Sunday Sukkah Fair” under the coordination of our fifth grade Rebbe, Rabbi Moish Steinberg. After learning all the Sukkot halachot in Mishnayot Sukkah, the boys were assigned a sukkah to build and to explain. The models were absolutely beautiful and creative. One fifth grader, Elisha Skolnick, built a sukkas from cardboard boxes and crayons, commenting, “It was interesting to learn how you can make the walls for a sukkah out of any material as long as it lasts seven days. I had so much fun building the sukkah with my dad!” The parents and students en-
joyed a wonderful breakfast and then reviewed each sukkah model. Another fifth grader, Murray Silver, remarked, “I enjoyed learning about the cases in Mishna and it was so good to see all of the sukkot that my friends built.” Additionally, the boys printed an illustrated and explained Mishnayot Sukkah. The illustrations were created with an advanced program called “Sketchup.” All who came were impressed by the hard work and creativity shown by the boys! Most importantly, the students increased their love for Torah and they are excited to continue their learning with their fantastic Rebbe, Rabbi Moish Steinberg.
Yeshiva Har Torah’s fourth grade recently visited the Alley Pond park environmental center. The students learned about the Native American tribes that lived on Long Island. After learning about the Native Americans, the students went for a nature walk and learned how to track animals. After the walk, the students were taught about many of the animals that live at the environmental center. Rabbi Aaron Brafman, menahel of Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, with alumni in Eretz Yisroel last week
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Harav Nissin Kaplan speaking in Mesivta Shaarei Chaim in Far Rockaway
Power Up Your Day By Shalom S.
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few years ago, Hashem sent me my Rebbe, a Rebbe who teaches about the love Hashem has for us and how He genuinely wants us to be happy and feel connected to Him in our everyday lives. With time, I worked on applying this rewarding concept to my own life in many ways that included learning more and going to shiurim. But life is life and we are so busy with our families, jobs and routines in general that it is easy to get lost and feel disconnected spiritually. All of us receive daily emails or go online to listen to a shiur occasionally. Realistically, I rarely opened the emails and hardly ever made the time to go online. I wondered if there was a simpler way for me to get the chizuk I needed to empower my day. An idea was born. If I could get a daily phone call while on the way to work, with a concise yet inspiring message, I would look forward to answering the call. Around the same time, I attended a shiur given by Rabbi Yussie Zakutinsky and I immediately knew that with his vast knowledge of Torah and his fresh outlook he would be the ideal person to deliver the daily dvar Torah. After approaching Rabbi Zakutinsky with this idea, he was immediately on board and the 8 Minute Message concept became a reality. Every day, Rabbi Zakutinsky gives over a message that is 8 minutes or less. Topics can range from Chassidic stories, points of mussar, learning from the tzaddikim, halachos, and more. The message is inspired by a combination of Rabbi
Zukutinsky’s own textual learning, learning from his students’ perspectives, and his own real life experiences. With his gift of being able to break down a concept and clearly explain it in a short amount of time, you are left with an uplifting feeling. Each day, subscribers receive a call at any time of day they choose. If they cannot answer the call at that moment, they will receive a text with a friendly reminder to call back and hear that day’s message. You can always go to our website where we have all messages uploaded as well as transcribed. After hearing Rabbi Zakutinsky’s friendly and cheerful voice just a few times, subscribers will undoubtedly look forward to receiving the call every day and getting their spiritual “vitamin dose.” In Rabbi Zakutinsky’s own words, “8 Minute Message is not a substitution for your regular Torah learning, but it is certainly a wonderful supplement. And for those who can’t find regular learning time, it’s definitely a good place to start. I recommend it to any Jewish person who is interested in growing spiritually each day, and I format it to appeal to all types of Jews, on all different levels.” To start getting your call, subscribe at www.8minutemessage.com or by texting “join” to 646-760-7900. Follow us @8minutemessage on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Let your friends know about it, too. 8 Minute Message is one of the many ways we can make our day a little better, and it’s free! Contact Shalom@8minutemessage.com for more information.
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Around the Community
“Ikar vs. Tafel” Hands-on Learning
By Emily Siri and Kira Solomon Since the majority of the Oreo is the cookie, one would only have to make hroughout the school year in a mezonot, and the bracha for the our Talmud class at HAFTR, cream is omitted. Another example, we’ve learned different les- which also involves a well-known sons that we can apply to our every- dispute, is what bracha to make on day lives. As the Am Ha’Yehudi (from chocolate covered raisins. If you have the word “hodya,” giving thanks), our a clear favorite for either the chocoJewish nation constantly express- late or the raisins, then you should es gratitude from the moment we wake say that bracha. If it is hard to deup in the morning until we go to sleep termine which you prefer, it brings at night. We recite brachot through- back the original problem. You out the day, before and after each can eat another two foods, with the and every meal and whenever same two brachot and have the chocwe eat anything. There are times olate covered raisin in mind, which when we might eat a certain food will resolve your problem. together with another food, where After we learned and understood one is considered to be an ikar and the concept of ikar and tafel, Rabthe other being the tafel. An ikar is bi Boruch Oppen organized a handsthe primary food and is often based on experience where each of us on the main ingredients. A tafel is brought in an example of a primary the secondary or subordinate food. and secondary food. People brought It does not require a bracha when it in Oreos, Kit-Kats, chocolate covered is eaten along or after the ikar. raisins and pretzels, as well as sushi We encounter various exam- and ice cream with toppings. This lesples whereby the food that we are son on ikar and tafel is one we come in eating has two components with two contact with every day, whether we different brachot. An example of are eating breadcrumb chicken or an ikar and a tafel is an Oreo cook- just eating a snack. We now have the ie, where the bracha of the outside knowledge and ability to apply this to cookie is mezonot, and the cream in every meal we have and to every brathe center necessitates a shehakol. cha we say.
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Marriage is not about choosing your spouse over your parents. It is about finding the right balance. Page 102
Bricks 4 Kidz® spent a day at HAFTR’s Early Childhood Center where the fundamentals of S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education were explored. Since children learn best through activities that engage their curiosity and creativity, the children were given an opportunity to solve problems and develop an appreciation for how things work, while engaging their fine motor skills as well.
Science Times at Yeshiva University High School for Girls
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urthering their scientific acumen, students in Mrs. Ruth Fried’s AP Biology and Mrs. Miriam Chopp’s AP Chemistry classes at Yeshiva University High School for Girls attended the Queens College Open House, sponsored by the Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces. They enjoyed a fascinating presentation introduced by Dr. Miriam Rafailovich, director of the Garcia Summer Research Program, about American primatologist, anthropologist, and conservationist Patricia Chapple Wright, PhD, and her lemur research in Madagascar. The YUHSG Science Institute was represented by
Sara Teitelman (‘17) who spoke eloquently about her summer research experience. The girls enjoyed a game of “playful polymers,” making silly putty and polyurethane milkshakes and batteries made from orange slices. They also learned about cardiac development research on zebrafish and heard about studies focused on the effects of Hurricane Sandy on the emotional development of babies whose gestation was subsequent to the disaster. The spectacular chemistry magic show is always a favorite. Says Mrs. Chopp, “Students returned to school excited and inspired by the breadth and potential of their involvement in scientific research.”
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“Investing six years as an avreich in Kollel Tirtza Devorah made me better prepared to become a rebbi and transmit our mesorah to a new generation.� Rabbi Yonie Sarf Member of Kollel Tirtza Devorah, 2008-2014 Second Grade Rebbi, Yeshiva Darchei Torah, 2014-Present
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The over 100 alumni of Kollel Tirtza Devorah include talmidei chachamim who serve the Klal in various forms, including as rabbeim in yeshivos—from Phoenix, Arizona to our own Yeshiva Darchei Torah. An investment in the Kollel is an investment in your future.
Honoring
Eitz Chaim Award
Mr. & Mrs. Moish Greenfield
Yitzchok Moller David Somerstein
Rabbi & Mrs. Shmuel Rodkin
Toras Chessed Award Kesser Torah Award
Accepted by:
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Mrs. Rivka Schwadel Yitzy Schwadel • Dovy Schwadel Eli Schwadel • Ben-Z Schwadel Zvi Schwadel • Chaya Senderovits
Journal Chairmen
Motzaei Shabbos, 8:30 pm • Congregation Beth Sholom • 390 Broadway, Lawrence, NY 11559 For Dinner reservations and journal ads, please call 718.868.2300 ext. 237 or email kollel@darchei.org • Online: darchei.org/kollel
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Chasdei Chashie L’Kallah Chinese Auction
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kallah’s expenses can quickly accrue leaving limited funds to spare for essentials. Hundreds of applicants a year are fortunate to receive crucial furnishings – beds and sometimes a dinette set – from an organization which can discreetly deliver brand new basics to an otherwise empty apartment. Started as a zechus for a refuah shleima, and continued as an aliyas neshama for Mrs. Chashie Weiss, Chasdei Chashie L’Kallah (CCL) assists brides all over the tri-state area and beyond. On Tuesday night, February 7, Lauren Zuckerman hosted their fourth annual event here in the Five Towns, li’luy nishamas Tzvi Yaakov Ben Pesach Yehuda a”h and Avraham Chaim Asher Ben Eliahu Eliezer Menachem a”h. This year’s auction has been dedicated to Rebbetzin Miriam Feldman a”h, Chashie Weiss’ mother. In an ambiance of tasteful
elegance, set with gorgeous decor and gustatory delights, the ladies enjoyed a brownie-cake decorating demonstration by Suri Messner of “The Cakery.” Mesmerized spectators marveled as aromatic brownies were transformed into unique objet d’art. A biographical video presentation of Rebbetzin Feldman followed, highlighting her mesiras nefesh in Siberia during WWII and the hashgacha pratis that guided her survival. Esti Goldberg, founder of CCL, provided the historical background of the tzedakah. Fifteen years ago, family and friends hoped to provide a zechus for Mrs. Chashie Weiss, Esti’s ailing mother. Beds were noted to be a neglected aspect of hachnosas kallah, and they set to fill that void. Unfortunately, Mrs. Weiss, a woman of bitachon and simchas hachayim, succumbed to her illness followed very shortly after by her husband. Left orphaned of their parents, the
11 Weiss children were determined to continue the legacy of chessed. Fielding over 75 phone calls a day, few organizations can stretch their budget as efficiently as this one. Today, over 2,500 kallahs later, CCL is still a relied upon resource for many more. The outpouring of the Five Towns’ support gives much chizuk to their committed volunteers. Thank you to the hosts, Lauren and Michael Zuckerman. This event was sponsored in memory of Tzvi Yaakov Ben Pesach Yehuda a”h and Avraham Chaim Asher Ben Eliahu Eliezer Menachem a”h. May their neshamos have an aliyah. Thank you as well to all the volunteers who generously donated their time to ensuring a successful event and to all the guests who participated. The live drawing will take place on February 28. If you missed the Lawrence party, another one will
be held next week on February 14 at the home of Dr. Susie Lewin at 913 North Central Ave, Woodmere starting at 7pm. You can also purchase tickets online at www.helpakallah.org.
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Hundreds of Jewish Professionals Receive Inspiration, Make New Business Connections at Queens Synagogue By Daniel Perez
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nder normal circumstances, synagogue visitors are encouraged to leave thoughts of business at the door. Things were different, however, on Wednesday, February 1, when under the auspices of the Jewish Business Development Networking group and the Queens Jewish Link, the catering hall at Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills was filled to capacity with hungry go-getters of all ages representing a plethora of fields. These professionals came hungry, but left satisfied. In the literal sense, their appetites were sated courtesy of Soy Sauce, a popular local kosher Chinese restaurant, and a wine tasting by area merchant HaKerem. Feeding their hearts and minds? Torah thoughts (parnassa-themed, of course) from the esteemed Rabbi Moshe Faskowitz, head rabbi of the Torah Center of Hillcrest and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Madreigas Ha’adam. Rav Faskowitz shared the advice his own rabbi gave to R’ Faskowitz’s son upon graduating college. “What does [my son] have to do to be a successful person and a successful Jew?” the rabbi recalled asking. “You know what you have to do? Wherever you go, whatever you do, you have to be the hardest worker, you have to be the most honest worker, and also you have to be friendly to everyone,” the rabbi shared. He emphasized that being friendly with everyone does not mean being friends with everyone, per se.
Some of New York’s most prominent political figures came out for the Jewish Business Development networking event. L to R: NYC Comptroller (and former Manhattan BP) Scott Stringer, NYC Councilman Michael Simanowitz, and NYS Assemblyman David Weprin
“But if you have those three things: You are honest, hard-working, and friendly with everyone, then you will be successful. And that is the formula for a Jew, following the dictates of Torah, to find his way.” The rabbi concluded his remarks with a blessing that those in attendance should have the strength to reflect “the values of our people in that very difficult arena that you find yourselves, and that would be a kiddush Hashem (sanctification of the divine name) for us all.” The rabbi’s remarks were the appetizer, so to speak, for a multicourse meal, which included business and leadership insights from Queens’ beloved borough president Melinda Katz, hard-working New York City Council Members Michael Simanowitz and Rory Lancman, and distinguished New York State Assemblyman David Weprin. Headlining the event was city comptroller Scott Stringer. Stringer
spoke of the need for local government to encourage and facilitate, rather than stifle, the development of local small businesses, and his personal efforts at combating red tape at the municipal level. Also included in the evening’s proceedings was an annual report on the current state of the Queen’s Jewish Link by publisher Yaakov Serle, whose work was instrumental in bringing the event together. Judging by both the evening’s turnout and the continued growth of the QJL, Mr. Serle clearly has a knack for getting his fellow Queens residents on the same page. The “main course” was originally intended to be a live presentation by networking expert Duvi Honig, founder and CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately, at the time of the event was in Israel due to the passing of his grandfather, a”h. Nonetheless, Mr. Honig provided the gathering with
a video message that was very well received. The theme of his talk was “Your Network is Your Net Worth,” and in it he discussed the overwhelming importance of creating and cultivating interpersonal business connections for success. As if to drive Mr. Honig’s point home, the program concluded with a thorough round of speed networking. But instead of breaking into smaller groups and meeting one-on-one in a round-robin fashion, the event’s organizers had each individual at every table introduce themselves by microphone, one at a time. An ambitious goal, given the number of attendees, but it worked. By the end of the evening, the entire room had been exposed to hundreds of potential business contacts. Rounding out the gathering was a raffle, co-sponsored by Dunkin Donuts and Schwartz Brothers-Jeffer Memorial Chapels. In addition to the aforementioned businesses and organizations, the Jewish Business Development networking event was made possible by a number of local institutions, including Margaret Teitz Nursing and Rehabilitation, Boulevard ALP, the Vaad Harabbonim of Queens, Karish Kapital, U.S. Asset Finders, EZF Balance, Compu-phone, Apple Bank, Take Shape for Life, and the Borodazaner Group. If Wednesday’s event demonstrated anything, it’s that business—and Jewish life—is good in Queens. And with dedicated organizations like the Jewish Business Development group mixing things up, they’re bound to get even better.
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DRS Junior Recognized by Scholastic
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RS is very proud of senior Mordechai Levy who received an Honorable Mention in the Long Island Region of the Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition. The competition is a nationwide contest sponsored by The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. It seeks to identify talented and creative teens in a variety of writing and art categories including poetry, drama, flash fiction, sculpture, photography and animation. The competition was created in 1923 by the founder of the Scholastic Corporation. Past winners include Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Stephen King and Ken Burns. Mordechai was recognized for his
sculpture, Little Metal Knight, which took hours and hours to craft by using various types of metal clips. Mordechai has great talent in creating sculptures and paintings which reflect creativity in form and content.
B’gan Cubes: The Convenient, Fresh and Natural Way to Cook
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’gan, the most innovative company in the kosher industry, is not only on the forefront of introducing new items to the kosher market; they’re always upping the freshness, innovation and taste that consumers are seeking. A case in point is the fresh frozen natural line of B’gan Cubes which have become a staple in kosher kitchens everywhere. Whether as an ingredient in a soup or salad, main dish or side dish, these easy-to-store and convenient-to-use products are a breath of fresh air for balabustes everywhere. Just pop them in and voila! No checking, peeling, cutting or preparing is ever necessary. This line currently includes chopped dill, crushed garlic, chopped basil, chopped cilantro and chopped parsley. Each of these products is greenhouse-grown to ensure maximum kashrus. B’gan was the early innovator in kosher greenhouse-growing and continues to lead the market in this area. Under their diligent watch, greenhouse-grown vegetables and herbs have consistently proven to be free of
insect infestation, thus enabling B’gan to uncompromisingly maintain their strict kashrus standards. Furthermore, this line of cubes is frozen fresh to ensure best taste and quality. Each batch of herbs is allowed to fully ripen to its ideal state of freshness and frozen at its peak so that the consumer is guaranteed to benefit from the full flavor of each herb, exactly as nature intended. B’gan never uses any flakes or substitutes. The frozen product is virtually identical to the fresh varieties, only more convenient. As with all B’gan products, you can use these cubes with confidence that you are consuming only the best and the finest as B’gan is unparalleled on any level. These refreshingly convenient cubes have revolutionized kosher cooking of every kind. Yes, it’s refreshing to be able to cook with the utmost convenience, using a brand that gives you the utmost in quality, freshness, kashrus and innovation, with every product, every time. Choose B’gan, naturally.
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Around the Community
The 8th Annual Project Inspire Convention – Almost Sold Out!
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on’t be closed out! Join us March 3-5, 2017 for a weekend like none other at the Kalahari Poconos Resort. Experience an unbelievable getaway filled with gourmet food, uplifting tefillos, and dynamic programming. Hear inspiration from HaRav Hillel David, HaRav Shmuel Baron, Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi, Rabbi Shlomo Farhi, Rabbi Dovid Kaplan, Rav Gav Friedman, Rabbi Eli Mansour, Rabbi Yitzchak Fanger, Rabbi Daniel Kalish, Rabbi Yerachmiel Milstein, Rabbi Yitzchok Feldheim, Rabbi Yaakov Salomon, Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Hill, Rabbi Daniel Mechanic, Dr. Andy Goldfinger, Rabbi Steve Burg, and many, many more. Our unique musical entertainment is as unique as the convention itself with Shlomo Simcha leading tefillos and ruach, a Motzei Shabbos kumzitz with Yossi Green, Hartzigeh Harmonies with the Zimra Choir and special musical accompaniment with Nochi Krohn. It’s a fast sell-out every year, drawing hundreds of frum families to the Convention because it’s more than just
A view of some of the crowd at the 2016 Project Inspire Convention
an inspirational retreat, it’s plugging into a worldwide movement. “From the moment you walk in, the food, the spread, the people that you meet, the atmosphere, the ruchniyus, the gashmiyus, and the program -- it’s unreal,” says Yanky from Boro Park, a Convention 2016 attendee. “The speeches here blew me away and changed me
around completely. You absolutely MUST come to Convention 2017.” Project Inspire, a program of Aish HaTorah, is a grassroots organization whose mission is to awaken and empower the Torah observant community to reach out to their fellow Jews. Stories pour in as “ordinary people” share their experiences on how they’re
changing their communities and affecting those around them. We are almost sold out. Go to projectinspire.com/convention to register before it’s too late. For more information, contact us at convention@projectinspire.com or call (718) 874-8875.
DRS Sends Delegation of Students to AIPAC
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ach year, AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, partners with select Jewish day schools, synagogues, national youth groups and teen leadership organizations to bring 400 student leaders from across the country to Washington, D.C., for Israel advocacy and political activism training. This year, DRS sent a delegation of four students to Washington for the three day conference. The program helps mentor, train, and educate high school students committed to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship through the American political process. The students
got a chance to meet congressmen and women while visiting the Capitol and received access to a tour of the
Capitol building. During the program sessions, students were prompted to express their thoughts on why such
a program attracted them and why they thought it was important to lobby for Israel. This trip was only one as-
pect of DRS’s longstanding commitment to the State of Israel.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
An urgent appeal from
FAR ROCKAWAY od o F s u o i Delic be served
BLOOD DRIVE
will
Sunday Feb. 12, 2017
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Yeshiva Darchei Torah Gym Building
Address: 211 Beach 17th St. Far Rockaway, NY Parking on Seagirt Boulevard
Special Gift For Men & Women Ages 16 to 75 Bring along ID
In Memory of
Mr. Arnold Jablon Father of Douglas Jablon
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OCTOBER FEBRUARY29, 9, 2015 2017 || The The Jewish Jewish Home Home
TJH
Centerfold
Riddle me this? How many trees can you plant in an empty field that is 100 square feet?
See answer on next page
Tree Trivia 1. What is the official tree of the U.S.? a. American Chestnut b. Gray Birch c. Oak d. Hawthorn 2. Approximately how many types of trees are there in the world? a. 500 b. 2,000 c. 14,000 d. d. 23,000 3. Which country has the most square miles of forest? a. U.S. b. Russia c. Australia d. Brazil 4. The tallest tree in the world is a Coast Redwood located in Northern California. How tall is it? a. 379 ft b. 590 ft c. 734 ft d. 1,100 ft 5. Which of the following U.S.
states has the most trees? a. Wyoming b. Oregon c. New York d. Ohio 6. The oldest known tree in the world is located somewhere in Inyo National Forest, California. (Its exact location is undisclosed to protect it from vandalism. If I found it, I would totally love to hang a “No Mets Parking Here” poster on it.) The tree is 4,789 years old. What is the name of the tree? a. Methuselah b. Solomon c. Goliath d. Jacob’s Ladder 7. The science of calculating a tree’s age by its rings is known as: a. Chlorophyllyzation b. Dendrochronology c. Treehugolagy d. Makeitupolagy because nobodyknowsyourelyingoligy e. Botanology f. Arboristology
Answers: 1. C 2. D 3. B- Russia has approximately 3,287,243 square miles of forest. The U.S. comes in fourth place with 872,564 square miles of forest. 4. A 5. B- According to a report published by the USDA Forest Service in 2002, Oregon has the most trees in the U.S. 6. A 7. B Wisdom key: 6-7 correct: You are a serious tree lover. Let me guess, you tied yourself to a tree to protest it being cut down to build a new hospital, right? 3-5 correct: Not bad. You see? You gained something from those nature walks that your parents forced you to take as a child. 0-2 correct: You could use a little less carbon dioxide and a little more oxygen… Develop a give and take with your local tree and maybe you will do better on the next trivia.
The 29,9,2015 TheJewish JewishHome Home| OCTOBER | FEBRUARY 2017
Where Does Tom Brady Go From Here? Now that Tom Brady has the most Super Bowl rings, here are some other records, noted on guinnessworldrecords.com, which he can break if he puts his mind to it.
Heaviest aircraft pulled
Largest bubblegum bubble blown
onds at the Mark ‘n’ Simon Show, Sollhuben, Bavaria, Germany, on August 6, 2009.
Largest collection of hamburger related items
Kevin Fast (Canada) pulled a CC-177 Globemaster III, weighing 188.83 tons (416,299 lb.), a distance of 8.8 m (28 ft, 10.46 in) at Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, on September 17, 2009.
Longest moustache
Chad Fell of the USA blew a bubblegum bubble with a diameter of 50.8 cm (20 inches) without using his hands at the Double Springs High School, Winston County, Alabama, on April 24, 2004.
Most wooden toilet seat broken
The largest collection of hamburger-related items belongs to Harry Sperl, (a.k.a. Hamburger Harry of Germany) and consists of 3,724 items, verified in Daytona Beach, Florida, on September 20, 2014
Longest career as an ice cream man
Most ice cream scoops balanced on a cone
The most ice cream scoops balanced on a cone is 121 and was achieved by Dimitri Panciera in Forno di Zoldo, Italy, on September 20, 2015.
The record for most wooden toilet seats broken with the head in a minute is 46 achieved by Kevin Shelley of the United States on the set of Guinness World Records - Die größten Weltrekorde in Cologne, Germany, on September 1, 2007.
Most straws stuffed in the mouth (hands off)
The most straws stuffed in a mouth is 400, achieved by Simon Elmore of the UK who held them there for 10 sec-
The longest career as an ice cream man is 67 years, achieved by Allan Ganz (born July 13, 1937, USA), who has been working as an ice cream man continuously from 1947 to 2014, in Peabody, Massachusetts, at the age of 76.
Answer to Riddle: One. After that, it’s not empty anymore.
The longest moustache measures 4.29 m (14 ft) and belongs to Ram Singh Chauhan from India. It was measured on the set of the Italian TV show “Lo Show dei Record” in Rome, Italy, on March 4, 2010.
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
From the Fire
Parshas Beshalach Looking Back To the Future By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf
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he first embrace our people experienced with Hashem was the Song at the Sea and the Sinai experience. That was the moment we stood under the chuppah with G-d. We exulted in the experience of being in G-d’s embrace. And even though the “honeymoon” may not have lasted long, it showed us the holiness of the Jewish people and how precious we are to G-d. It allowed us to see what we can attain and who we are. It gave us something we could always look back to as a reminder of who we are, where we are going, and what we can achieve if we do not give up. It is the same with marriage. A husband and wife may only bask in the glow of their new love for a longer or shorter period after the chuppah. But eventually the magic fades. So what was the purpose of the “high” of the chassunah if it was only temporary? It always stands as a reminder of the couple’s love. No matter what is happening years later, they can look back and work on their marriage because they remember the fiery love that they once had. Over the years I have met with a number of addicts who struggle with a variety of substances and
activities which threaten to destroy their lives. One of the most heartbreaking things is when someone tells me, “I was clean for over a year. I began seeing how I could begin rebuilding my life. I began to feel that I had some hope of being something. But then one thing and
is that time did not go to waste. You may have forgotten what it was like to be healthy. But during that time, you saw what a normal, healthy, exalted life can be like. That was your bolt of lightning in the darkness. Now you can think back on the view you had before your fall. You now
My message to people when they are overwhelmed with that feeling is that time did not go to waste.
another went wrong and I fell back into the lowest depths.” The hardest thing for someone in that position is not only the consequences of his actions. It is the feeling that all of the time he was clean was worthless. When someone crashes, he feels as if he had never left. So what was the point of that time under the chuppah; riding the wave; feeling that first embrace of goodness and normalcy? My message to people when they are overwhelmed with that feeling
see that your goal is within your reach and you can achieve it again if you “get back on the horse” and work, one day at a time, to return to become the person you saw you can be. It is the same for Tu B’Shvat. In the dead of the winter, we taste some of the sweet fruits of the springtime and sing songs about the blossoming land of Israel. But then the next day, our cars and home may be covered by some “historic blizzard.” Tu B’Shvat comes,
and then everything crashes back down again into the frosty winter. But the yom tov is still worth celebrating because it reminds us of the goal. It improves our lives by helping us recall the ultimate goal, the injection of life that bursts forth in the springtime. It is like we say in the Song at the Sea (Shmos 15:17), “You shall bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, directed toward your dwelling-place which you made, G-d, the Mikdash…” We hope not only to return to Hashem’s mountain in Yerushalayim now that we have tasted a bit of what we are working toward. We also ask to be “planted” there, firmly rooted in G-dliness. May Hashem please help us remember not to lose hope when we fall but to use the memory of the light to keep us moving forward until all of us collectively reach the days of Moshiach with the coming of the complete redemption soon in our days. Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and has served as Mashpia in Yeshiva University since 2013.
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Torah Thought
Shabbat Food By Rabbi Berel Wein
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ne of the many distinctive features about the holy day of Shabbat is its full menu. This naturally varies among the different ethnic groups that comprise the Jewish people. As a descendant of Lithuanian Eastern European Jews, I actually associate Shabbat with gefilte fish, chicken soup and hot cholent. Now that may not have been the menu for Jews in Yemen or in Iraq, and I readily acknowledge that fact, nevertheless to me these foods are inextricably bound to the holy day of Shabbat. Much of life and memory is composed of physical associations. Special and unique foods have always marked the commemoration of Shabbat in the Jewish world and throughout Jewish history. The Talmud records for us that a certain rabbi served cholent or some other form of that food on Shabbat to his Roman guest. The Roman was so impressed by this dish of hot food that he took the recipe and requested his own court prepare this for him on a Tuesday. Naturally, the dish did not taste the same and was not nearly as good. When he complained to the rabbi, the rabbi told him that one ingredient was missing in the recipe that the Romans were using. And he told him, the missing ingredient was Shabbat. So it is not only that food
influences and makes Shabbat for us, but it is equally true that Shabbat influences and enhances the food that we prepare and eat on that holy day. Shabbat is, in itself, one of the ingredients that make up the food that we serve at our Shabbat meals. The Talmud makes a special point about the necessity for hot food and/or drink to be consumed
the widely scattered countries of the Jewish diaspora fulfilled this obligation with differing types of food. In the Eastern European Ashkenazic world, a pot roast of potatoes, barley, beans and meat was concocted and given the name of cholent – a name of origin as uncertain as the recipe for the delicacy itself. Cholent has the wondrous characteristic that it never tastes the same, in spite of
Shabbat is, in itself, one of the ingredients that make up the food that we serve at our Shabbat meals.
on Shabbat. Since there were sects of Jews who mistakenly denied the authenticity of the Oral Law and did not allow for any fire whatsoever to be present in their homes on Shabbat, these Jews necessarily ate only cold food on the holy day. In order to reinforce the belief of the Jewish people in the interpretations of the Oral Low and in the traditions of Rabbinic Judaism, the rabbis of the Talmud insisted that Jews must eat/drink hot foods or hot beverages on the Shabbat. Differing ethnic groupings located in
using the exact same ingredients and recipe from one Shabbat to the next. As a longtime expert on the matter, I can testify that it is never the same in taste and in the nuance of flavor from house to house and family to family. The common denominator is that it is always hot food and somehow delicious, no matter what ingredients one may have used in preparing it. Again, it is apparent to me that Shabbat itself is the main ingredient in that traditional stew. There is a halachic basis for serving gefilte fish on Shabbat as well. If
one serves regular fish, unless it is extremely well fileted, there will always be the problem of dealing with the bones that of the fish being eaten. One of the prohibitions of work on Shabbat is removing part of the fish – the bones – from the edible flesh of fish itself. In order to avoid this problem the fish itself was ground-up so that all of it now became edible, and the problem of removing the bones was obviated. I still remember both as a child and later as a very young husband setting up the hand grinder for the fish on Thursday nights and proceeding to grind the raw fish from which my mother, and later my wife, rolled into balls, spiced and then cooked. This gefilte fish became one of the staple delicacies of my Shabbat life. My mother never used the frozen fish loaves to make her delicious fish. It had to be freshly ground or otherwise it was not fit for the Shabbat table. My wife was also very reluctant to use such a time-saving creation but upon my prodding to do so – since I began to feel it beneath my dignity to have to grind raw fish on Thursday nights – succumbed to the advances of our progressive era and used the fish loaves. But both she and I agreed that our gefilte fish never quite tasted the same Shabbat shalom.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
The Observant Jew
The Art of Missed Direction By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
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nyone who’s ever been to a magic show knows that these performers are skilled in the art of sleight of hand and misdirection. What you’re seeing has nothing to do with supernatural powers or actual “magic” but is an illusion taking advantage of swift movements and the way your brain works. These illusions fool you into seeing things in a way which seems impossible because you can’t recognize what’s happening. There are many other mysterious phenomena in the world, such as the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness Monster, and the socks that go missing from the dryer. I don’t have any insight on the first two, but I have an idea about the last. One day, I was moving some laundry from the washing machine to the dryer. (Note: These are called appliances, and though some of you might think they are designed only for women, they are actually able to be operated by men too as long as proper protective gear is worn.) I emptied everything out but dropped an item as I did. I bent down to get it and the most amazing thing happened. As I glanced up, I saw a small item attached to the upper wall of our front-loading washing machine! It wasn’t a sock, but it could have been. Had I not seen it, I would
have put in the next load, and then wondered how this random item got mixed into it. I realized that I had finally solved the single sock conundrum, at least in part. What likely happens is that one sock gets stuck in the washer where we don’t see it, or in the hamper, or under the bed. We assume that both have gone into the dryer, but they haven’t! It’s like when the magician makes something disappear and we don’t realize it’s been stashed up his sleeve or under his arm or was never really there in the first place. Then, even if we later find the second sock, we only remember that initial amazement that one disappeared. OK, so I’ve finally solved a mystery that has ranked right up there for centuries with such great questions such as “What is the meaning of life?” and “Who actually eats rum raisin ice cream?” But is that all? It can’t be. We still need a life lesson – and about 400 more words. Let me put it this way: I thought I’d gotten all the items from the washer, but my sight was inhibited because I was too high up. Only when I lowered myself did I see what I’d missed before. See where I’m going with this? How about another one? I was looking for some very valuable papers. You know, the kind of
papers that allow you into an event that is happening the next evening and if you tell your wife you lost them you’re not only out the money but in big trouble unless you can fit a couch in the doghouse you don’t even have. Anyway, I knew I had had them in my car. I searched under the seat, in the backseat, in the trunk, but I couldn’t find them. I went back into my office to work but they were on my mind. I went out again, but this time something changed. Instead of going to the driver’s seat, I opened the passenger door. The second I did, I found them! They were on the side of the center console facing the passenger, so despite all my efforts, as long as I was in the driver’s seat, I did not have the proper perspective to find what I needed. Get it? That’s right. The point is that sometimes we prevent ourselves from seeing the truth or understanding reality because we insist on sitting in the driver’s seat of our own destiny. We often refuse to lower ourselves, and our height, which normally gives us a broader scope of view, hinders us from seeing the whole picture. I recall a story a friend told me about when he was going somewhere with another yeshiva boy he considered a bit nerdy. He was walking with his back straight and
head upright, with just a hint of haughtiness. The boy next to him didn’t have that swagger and perhaps he was following the advice in the Iggeres HaRamban, the letter Nachmanides wrote to his son, that one should have his heart aimed Heavenward while his eyes were aimed to the floor. Suddenly, the second boy cried, “Whoa! I found a fifty-dollar bill!” Had the first boy been a bit more humble, he felt he might have found it. So, at the end of the day, let’s understand that often things which escape us are not really magical, but our own fault – simply the result of the fact that we weren’t looking at things from that missed direction.
Jonathan Gewirtz is an inspirational writer and speaker whose work has appeared in publications around the world. You can find him at www.facebook.com/RabbiGewirtz, and follow him on Instagram @RabbiGewirtz or Twitter @RabbiJGewirtz. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. Sign up for the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English. E-mail info@ JewishSpeechWriter.com and put Subscribe in the subject.
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Between the Lines
Beyond Balance Sheets By Eytan Kobre
There is no twilight zone of honesty in business. A thing is right or it’s wrong. It’s black or it’s white. - John F. Dodge
D
uring his time as a cattle rancher in Dakota Territory in the 1880s, Theodore Roosevelt and one of his cowboys once lassoed a maverick steer. But because the area had been claimed
by a man named Gregor Lang, one of Roosevelt’s neighbors, the cattleman’s rule (apparently there is such a thing) dictated that the steer belonged to Lang. As his cowboy prepared to apply the branding irons, Roosevelt stopped him abruptly. “Hold on – that should be Lang’s brand.” “Oh, it’s all right, boss,” said the cowboy. “But you’re putting on my brand,” Roosevelt shot back. “Yessir, I am.” “Then you’d better drop that iron!” demanded Roosevelt. “Get back to the ranch and get out. I don’t need you anymore. A man who will steal for me, will steal from me.” Shortly after their exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people were assured that if they “heed the voice of G-d, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, He will afflict us with none of the diseases He inflicted upon the Egyptians” (Shemos, Beshalach 15:26). As broad as these provisos are, doing that which is “right” in G-d’s eyes refers specifically to conducting business affairs honestly and with integrity (Mechilta, Shemos 15:26). “One who is honest in business dealings,” we are told, “is deemed to have fulfilled the entire Torah” (Mechilta, Beshalach 15:26; Sefer Chassidim, No. 395). It’s not surprising that such em-
phasis is placed upon the integrity of our business affairs. After all, the first question we are asked at our final judgment is whether we were honest in our business dealings (Shabbos 31a). It is the first question because it is the truest litmus test of one’s character (Pele Yoetz, Masa U’Matan). As Roosevelt’s cowboy learned the hard way, if you can’t be trusted in business, you can’t be trusted at all. Apparently overwhelmed by the great responsibility of ensuring the kashrus of the entire town’s meat, a shochet (ritual slaughterer) once asked R’ Yisrael Salanter about changing careers to become a merchant. “Certainly do not become a merchant,” R’ Yisrael replied. “Because while a shochet need worry only about transgressing the laws of kashrus, a merchant must be concerned with countless transgressions involving money belonging to others.” Indeed, there are many more commandments dealing with kosher business practices (over 100) than with kosher food. In his essay, “Glatt Kosher – Glatt Yosher,” Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer therefore urged meticulousness not only in kashrus but also to “avoid even the slightest trace of dishonesty in our business dealings…” R’ Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev often lamented how our world seems to have been turned upside-down and inside-out. Asked to elaborate, he explained, “The Jews of yesteryear were honest in their business deal-
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
ings; during the Days of Awe, however, they became outrageous ‘liars’ by confessing of having cheated and swindled in business. These days, it’s just the opposite: they lie and cheat in the world of commerce; when they come to synagogue, however, their confessions are the unadorned truth.” Our sages of bygone times were exemplars of business integrity. Rav Safra was once reciting Shema when someone came to purchase a certain object from him; mistaking Rav Safra’s silence for dissatisfaction with the proposed price, the prospective buyer increased his offer several times; when Rav Safra concluded his prayers, he sold it to the purchaser for the first (and lowest) offer because that’s what he had initially agreed to in his mind (Rashi, Makkos 24a). When asked to pray for rain and abate a drought, Aba Chilkiya did not respond initially because, in his words, “I am a hired employee and I am not permitted to squander
my employer’s time” (Ta’anis 23a-b). Shmuel used to make an accounting of his financial affairs every day to ensure that he did not owe any money and had not received any money that was not rightfully his; Shmuel’s father was even greater, making such an accounting twice each day (Chullin 105a). Now that’s integrity. There once was a terrible drought in Iraq, and the king, who wished to leverage the power of Jewish prayer, threatened to expel all the Jews of the land unless it rained within the week. Communal days of fasting and prayer were to no avail – six days passed without any rain. The Jewish community was obviously in great distress, for if one more day passed without rain, they’d be expelled from their homeland and who knows what else. The rabbis made one last-ditch effort to elicit some rainfall. The following day, all the local Jews – men, women, and children, without exception – were to assemble in the central
synagogue for a full day of fasting, prayer, and repentance. And so it was the following day. Hundreds of Jews crammed into the synagogue and spent the entire day in heartfelt prayer. Still nothing. As day turned to dusk, the rabbis declared, “If there is anyone here who is capable of saving us but fails to do so, that person will never be forgiven!” Suddenly, a faint voice could be heard from the back of the synagogue. It was the local vegetable merchant. “I’ll be right back! I’ll be right back! Wait for me…” The vegetable merchant bolted out the door and to his store. There, he pulled out his scales and weights, and, placing them on the store counter, he raised his hands to the Heavens. “G-d! In the merit of my punctiliousness and integrity with these scales and weights, have mercy on Your people and let it rain so we are not expelled from our homes—” Before he could even finish his
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heartfelt plea, the skies opened and let loose a torrential downpour of rain. * * * Rav Shach used to advise his students that if ever they found themselves making some excuse to justify a questionable business practice, they should contemplate whether that excuse would pass muster in response to G-d’s first question in the World to Come. Put that way, business takes on an entirely new dimension. It is an opportunity to sanctify G-d’s name and to proclaim, through word and deed, that there are things that are more important than the almighty dollar – but only if we are willing to look beyond our balance sheets.
Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, mediator, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail eakobre@outlook.com.
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FEBRUARY29, 9, 2017 OCTOBER 2015||The TheJewish JewishHome Home
The Power of Women’s Leadership Understanding the deeper connection between Miriam, Tu B’Shvat and celebrating the New Moon BY DINA COOPERSMITH
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iriam is the star female leader in the portions of the Torah read these last few weeks. She led the women during the time of slavery in Egypt, as the Talmud says, “Three leaders led Israel in that generation: Moshe, Aharon and Miriam” (Talmud, Taanit, 9a). Imagine the strength necessary to advise, encourage and lead a society at a time when families are being torn apart, harsh decrees are being enacted against them, husbands are taken to labor camps, baby sons are being thrown in to the Nile. Not only was Miriam up to the task, it seems she was so successful at lifting their spirits that when they finally left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, “Miriam … took the tambourine in her hand and all the other women
followed her with timbrels and dancing” (Exodus, 15:20). Where did she and all the women get tambourines in the desert? Could it be that with all the mayhem and madness going on as they herded their families out of Egypt days earlier, with no time to spare for the dough to rise, they thought to pack along some tambourines just in case there were to be some miracles for which they would want to dance and sing and praise G-d? When Miriam was only six-yearsold, she exhibited this incredible trait of optimism and faith, seeing beyond the darkness at hand to a brighter future. The Talmud teaches: When Amram (Miriam and Aharon’s father, who was the greatest Sage of his generation) saw that
Pharaoh said to throw all the sons in to the Nile, he said: We are toiling in vain! And he separated from his wife. All the other men followed his example. Miriam his daughter said to him: “Father, your decree is worse that Pharaoh’s! He only decreed against males – you decreed against both males and females. He decreed only in this world, you have decreed in this world and in the next world! Pharaoh is wicked, maybe his decree will not come to fruition; you are righteous, what you decree will surely come about!” Amram listened to her and reunited with his wife. And all the other men followed his example and reunited with their wives as well (Talmud, Sotah 12b). What courage and confidence
were needed for a little girl to approach her father at a time of such despair and darkness, when he was only acting in the logical manner called for under such dire circumstances! Miriam could see the bigger picture, beyond the facts, beyond the here and now. Despite the darkness, she saw that there would be a world of eternity, that there is a G-d who would surely save the Jewish People. “Have faith, Dad! There is a light at the end of the tunnel!” With that special insight, she found the words to say to her father to convince him of her perspective. Had she chosen the meek alternative, afraid to confront authority, hoping that all would work out in due course, what would have been the fate of the continuity of the Jewish people?
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The New Moon Connection The first mitzvah the Jewish people ever received as a nation is the mitzvah to celebrate and sanctify the new moon. “This month is the first of the months for you, the first among the months of the year” (Exodus, 12:2). This mitzvah also expresses the need to see beyond the here and now to a brighter tomorrow. When we actually celebrate the first of the month, Rosh Chodesh, the moon itself is barely visible! “The reason why the Jews count according to the lunar calendar is because the moon is at times completely dark and you don’t see in it any light at all, and yet even at its darkest, we always know that it will soon be light again. And that is specifically when we celebrate Rosh Chodesh” (Slonimer Rebbe, Netivot Shalom, Parshat Bo). Interestingly enough, women have a special connection to Rosh
Chodesh. They have a custom to avoid certain types of work and celebrate a mini-holiday every Rosh Chodesh, more than men do, as a reward for having refused to contrib-
ternative intermediary between G-d and themselves. The women, however, were able to stay focused on the bigger picture and see beyond the despair of the moment.
Miriam could see the bigger picture, beyond the facts, beyond the here and now. ute their jewelry for the infamous Golden Calf project (Midrash Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, 45). When the men lost hope, as Moshe delayed in coming down from the Mt. Sinai after 40 days, they immediately scrambled to create an al-
The Tu B’Shvat Connection And here we arrive at Tu B’Shvat, the holiday for the trees. We celebrate the fruit and trees on the 15th of Shvat, at a time when there are no fruit or flowers to be seen. Frost (and often snow) is covering the trees, the
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days are short, nights are long, darkness and despair reign. And yet, with insight, seeing beyond the surface, we know that deep within the tree the sap is rising, preparing the tree for the blooming and blossoming that will occur in the springtime. It is through realizing that there is going to be growth in the future, that potential will eventually come to fruition, that we celebrate the holiday for the trees. This is the trait of “binah” – the insight that Jewish women are known to have. We can see beyond the facts and surface reality; we can see potential and hope for a brighter future. Taking a leadership role means acting upon this vision, affecting change in our communities and in our society by influencing the people around us to have that same hope and optimism and help to bring to fruition the dormant potential within each and every one of us.
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Halachically
Speaking
The Bracha of Shehechiyanu on Fruits By Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits
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he bracha of Shehechiyanu applies to many different areas such as yom tov, the birth of a boy, purchasing new items, performing mitzvos and eating new fruits. This article will focus on the bracha of Shehechiyanu as it applies to new fruits. When a fruit is only available once a year a Shehechiyanu is recited because the new fruits bring joy to a person. Based on this some people have the custom not to recite a bracha on new fruits because there is no real joy with the new fruit. This will be discussed later on in this article.
OBLIGATION VS. RESHUS There is a discussion in the poskim if the bracha of Shehechiya-
nu on new fruits, purchasing items, etc. is an obligation or a reshus. According to all opinions, the Shehechiyanu recited on yom tovim is an obligation. Many say that it has become the custom to treat the Shehechiyanu on new fruits as an obligation. Although, many poskim say this bracha is a reshus and does not have to be recited, one should try to make this bracha when applicable. The Yerushalmi says one who does not make a bracha on a new fruit will have to give a din and cheshbon for his actions. The Mishnah Berurah and others say the correct pronunciation on the word l’zman in the bracha is a cherik which would mean one says li’zeman. However, the custom of many is to recite the word l’zman
with a patach so that the correct pronunciation is la’zman.
FRUITS The bracha of Shehechiyanu is recited on new fruits which were not available all year (below we will discuss the fact that many fruits are available all year). One does not recite a Shehechiyanu on a fruit which is not seasonal. The Mishnah Berurah says one should try to eat new fruits in order that he can show his love for Hashem’s produce. Others say if one is lenient with this bracha, Hashem will lessen the years of his life r”l.
WHEN TO SAY IT The bracha is only recited when one is about to eat a new fruit, and
no bracha is recited upon seeing a new fruit on a tree or in a store, etc. The reason is because when one sees the fruit there is no real joy, and the true joy is when he is about to eat the fruit. According to many poskim one who ate a new fruit without reciting aSshehechiyanu on it may recite the bracha the second time he eats the new fruit. Others say that once no bracha was recited the first time, the opportunity to recite another bracha was lost. L’maaseh, the minhag is like the second opinion quoted. The bracha on a new fruit is only recited when the fruit is completely grown. A fruit is considered fully grown when it has a white Continued on page 94
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petal on it. One who said a bracha before this time does not repeat the bracha when the fruit is complete. The poskim say that a bracha of Shehechiyanu may be recited on melons even though one recites a ha’adama when eating them. Items which do not grow in the ground such as fish or chicken do not require a Shehechiyanu even if it has been a long time since one has eaten these foods. Many times one eats a fruit which is smeared on bread and is generally not eaten alone. An example of this is an avocado. One who spreads avocado on bread would not recite a Shehechiyanu on it because it is viewed as a tofel. One who can feel the taste of the avocado on the bread (i.e. there is a lot of avocado on the bread) may recite a Shehechiyanu on it.
WHICH IS FIRST: BRACHA ON FRUIT OR SHEHECHIYANU? There is a big discussion in the poskim as to which bracha should be recited first: the bracha of ha’etz, etc. or the bracha of Shehechiyanu? Many poskim say that the bracha on the fruit is first, since the bracha on the fruit is tadir and the bracha of Shehechiyanu is eino tadir. Many other poskim say that the bracha of Shehechiyanu is first, since the main time for the bracha is when one sees the fruit but we wait until one is about to eat it to recite the bracha. Therefore, the Shehechiyanu should be recited before the bracha on the fruit. Furthermore, if the bracha on the fruit is first, when one recites the Shehechiyanu it may be considered a hefsek. The custom of many people is in accordance of the first opinion. However, whichever way one chooses he was yotzei and it is not a hefsek. When one recites the Bracha on the fruit it should be held in his right hand. One should not be mafsik in idle talk, etc. in between the bracha on the fruit and the bracha of Shehechiyanu. If one is brought a new fruit and a new garment (see below) one bracha is recited for both of them. Based on the concept of sofek brachos l’hukel one who is unsure whether he recited a bracha of Shehechiyanu does not recite the bracha again.
WHICH FRUITS ARE NOT OBLIGATED IN A BRACHA
FRUIT “IN SEASON” ALL YEAR
EATING NEW FRUITS ON TU B’SHEVAT
No Shehechiyanu is recited for pickles, cucumbers, potatoes, chickpeas, bread, radishes (reitach), mushrooms, and carobs. According to some poskim the bracha is not recited on watermelon. A fruit which was not available all year round but is being sold as dried fruit would not require a Shehechiyanu before eating it. (One should be careful with insects regarding dry fruit).
In order for a Shehechiyanu to be required the fruit has to be a new fruit. Nevertheless, one may recite a Shehechiaynu on a fruit which grows two times a year. Fruits which are available all year due to being kept in a refrigerator or freezer do not require a Shehechiyanu upon eating them since one does not have the simcha needed in order to qualify to recite a bracha on them. In addition, one
Tu B’Shevat is the beginning of the new year for trees. The poskim say on this day many have the custom to eat fruits in honor of the new year for the trees. This applies to women as well. This custom is not mentioned in the writings of the Arizal. Some say it has a din like a yom tov, and some have a seuda on Tu B’Shevat. Many have the custom to eat esrog jam on Tu B’Shevat, and to daven for a beautiful esrog for next Sukkos. Some say if a pregnant woman eats the esrog jam she will have an easy labor. Many Chassidisha Rabbonim have a peiros tisch on Tu B’Shevat. The question which needs to be addressed is where did the custom come from to make a Shehechiyanu on Tu B’Shevat? The poskim say to recite brochos on new fruits, but no mention is made of a Shehechiyanu being recited. Based on this, why is there a widespread custom to make sure to recite a Shehechiynau on Tu B’Shevat on fruits which some do not enjoy? In addition, in such a case no Shehechiyanu should be recited since there is no real joy that the fruit was not around all year. The answer could be based on the Yerushalmi which says one should eat new fruits once a year in order to make a Shehechiyanu and it is done on Tu B’Shevat because it is the new year for trees. Those who do not have the custom to recite a Shehechiyanu on any new fruits do not recite one on Tu B’Shevat either. Although one may have the custom to recite a Shehechiyanu on a new fruit on Tu B’Shevat one must make sure that it is a fruit which one is allowed to recite a Shehechiyanu on. As mentioned above, no Shehechiyanu is recited on carob, bokser.
After speaking with several fruit store owners it seems that most fruit would not require a Shehechiyanu since they are in one’s grocery store all year-round.
New fruits which are smashed to the point where it is not recognizable that they are fruits do not require a Shehechiyanu. However, if there are pieces of the fruit which are discernible then a bracha can be recited. The same applies to a drink made from a new fruit. A fruit which is not available all year and is cooked still requires a Shehechiyanu to be recited on it if it is the derech to eat the fruit cooked. However, no bracha of Shehechiyanu is recited on a fruit which is not the derech to eat raw if one eats it raw. One does not recite a Shehechiyanu on wine made from new grapes since one cannot tell the difference between new and old wine.
ESROG JAM On Tu B’Shevat the custom is to eat esrog jam and the question arises if a Shehechiyanu should be recited on this. Do we say that since we recited a Shehechiyanu on Sukkos the esrog was included in this and there is no need to recite a Shehechiyanu for a second time? L’maaseh, the custom is to recite a Shehechiyanu on esrog jam.
does not know which season the fruits are from. Although others say one can recite a Shehechiyanu in the above situation, the minhag is like the first opinion quoted. Today, most fruits are available all year round since they grow in warm climates and are imported from across the world to local fruit stores. After speaking with several fruit store owners it seems that most fruit would not require a Shehechiyanu since they are in one’s grocery store all year-round. In different countries the metziahs will be different. In Eretz Yisroel the following are some of the fruits which are not available all year and one would recite a Shehechiyanu: avocado, watermelon, cherries, mango, and strawberries. One who goes from a country where a specific fruit was not available all year to a country where that fruit is available all year would still recite a bracha of Shehechiyanu on the fruit in his second location. This is only if it is within thirty days of leaving his old location. If a new fruit is different than an old fruit (that is around all year) in taste then one recites a Shehechiyanu on the new fruit, even though a similar fruit is available.
Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits is a former chaver kollel of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and a musmach of Harav Yisroel Belsky shlita. Rabbi Lebovits currently works as the Rabbinical Administrator for the KOF-K Kosher Supervision.
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Israel Today
Dry Clean By Rafi Sackville
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he garbage bag was knotted tightly in preparation for my trip to the dumpster at the end of the street. As I picked it up Keren reminded me not to forget the large, empty bottle of Shout sitting at the foot of the stairs. “Want me to buy another one at the supermarket while I’m out?” I asked her. She looked at me in bewilderment before comporting herself. “It’s from America, Rafi,” she rolled her eyes. “We brought it with us three and a half years ago when we made Aliyah.” This was a surprise. It’s not that I don’t shop. I do. I just thought Shout was available in Israel. Keren says I don’t concentrate well when I accompany her shopping. She claims I push the cart ahead of her as if I’m in a rush to get to the checkout. I fare no better when shopping alone: I don’t check prices, I oftentimes grab items without really studying the shelves, and there are occasions when Keren will point out the lack of correlation between the lists she writes for me and the purchases I make. I had taken an interest in Shout because I had soiled a shirt with paprika and oil while eating a chicken wing for lunch the previous Shabbat. I took it for granted that those stains came out in the wash on their own accord. Keren explained that there were Israeli chemical alternatives to ridding one of the results of sloppy eating habits, but Shout... “There’s nothing quite like it,” she sighed. It’s not uncommon for people to change well-worn practices once they arrive in Israel. Sometimes it’s a matter of budget. Sometimes one finds less emphasis and necessity placed on things like dry cleaning. We consider dry cleaning a luxury, while in other neighborhoods dry cleaners are ever present and a way of life. While living in New York we were accustomed to frequenting the dry cleaners on Rockaway Turnpike in West
Lawrence. My suits and Shabbos shirts spent more time there than on my body. Halfway to the garbage I envisaged myself being attacked by a flying roasted chicken covered in olive oil and spicy paprika. It was like being hit by a paintball. I had a bad feeling that my shirt wasn’t the only casualty. Instead of continuing to the dumpster I ran back home to check my suit with the garbage still in hand. I found the suit well and truly stained. There is a dry cleaner in Maalot. The storefront is hidden in a windy
the couple, let’s call them Vlady and Irena, keep their own hours. Good luck if you can find them there. It’s a throw of the dice. If you enter the mall and don’t see a green sequin gown that looks like it was worn by Stalin’s daughter in the 1950s, don’t bother turning the corner. Stuck to the inside of the door is a list of prices for all things tailored. It is extensive: from belts and cuffs, to suits and wedding dresses. Look as I might, I could find no price list for dry cleaning on the walls or among the chatkes adorning the shelves.
It’s not uncommon for people to change well-worn practices once they arrive in Israel.
passage behind the supermarket in one of the small shopping malls. I tucked the “fowled” garments, under the same elbow as the garbage bag and Shout, got into the car and made my way to the mall. I must have been in a fugue state because I drove past the dumpster. It wasn’t until my arrival at the mall that I became aware of the garbage. The proprietors of the dry cleaner-cum-tailor are a middle-aged Russian woman and her husband. Whenever I pass by their store – and it’s not often – he’s sitting next to her on a low stool or sweeping litter out the front of the store even though the wind makes a direct beeline back through the doorway. Hours for business are clearly pinned to the front of a mannequin inside the mall’s entrance. If the mannequin is on display, you’re in luck. The problem as I see it is that
I placed the suit and other items on the table and watched in amazement as Irena picked them up one at a time and offered me a suggested price. I got the feeling she wasn’t negotiating as much as trying to remember what she’d quoted others with similar clothes. She ruffled the stained shirt between her ample fingers, picked up my suit pants, and appeared to weigh them like the scales of justice. She then rested them on the table and announced them to be of similar value. “50 shekels,” she said without looking at me. “Each item?” I asked perplexed. “OK, the suit pants are cheaper. 40 shekels.” Again she raised the shirt in her left hand, the suit pants in her right, and bounced them up and down as if she were performing a slow juggle. I was suspicious.
“Make them both thirty five,” I said. “Okay,” she replied and we had a deal. “When will they be ready?” I asked politely, although I was becoming increasingly suspicious. “Thursday,” she replied. “What time, Thursday?” “We’re open at 3pm.” “How can I be sure you’ll be here?” I must have come across as an obnoxious customer dressed in a quiet voice. Her husband picked up his broom and started sweeping nervously. “Your items will be ready on Thursday. I will make a point of being here on time,” said Irena. I left work at 3pm on Thursday and drove to the mall. The mannequin was now dressed in a red sequin that looked as out of date as a soda fountain. A gust of wind blew down the corridor. Vlady grabbed for his broom with the vigor of one who has just discovered dust. My dry cleaning was ready. On close inspection I noticed it was also clean, although the folding lines on my tallit are now at odds with the previous 15 years of folding it in my own inimitable way. I had prepaid for the service. There was not much more to do than leave. As I folded the dry cleaning over my forearm I asked Irena about that sequined mannequin. “I tailored it myself,” she explained. “It’s very fashionable. It would look good on your wife. That’s if you’re married, of course.” If I was married! Giving that gown to Keren would have put our marriage in jeopardy. It was enough to make me shout.
Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in Ort Maalot in Western Galil.
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Something Doesn’t Smell Right in the State of Israel Will Investigations into Netanyahu be His Downfall? BY NACHUM SOROKA
To
people living on this side of the Atlantic, Benyamin Netanyahu represents a much different individual than he does to his citizenry. Here in America, Netanyahu exemplifies the gifted orator who takes on the entire body of the UN; the Hebrew Paul Revere apprising the world of imminent nuclear war; the valiant defender of Jews around the world. But the Netanyahu known to Israelis since he stepped into the national political sphere there some thirty years ago is a more personal and flawed figure, one who is wont to hold an iron grip on power and isolate his political threats. Indeed, Netanyahu’s four terms as Israel’s prime minister, which span eleven years, is not viewed by all Israelis as a testament to his accomplishments as government leader; it is rather considered the product of Netanyahu’s shrewd maneuverings in creating a government packed with his loyalists. In order to understand Benyamin Netanyahu one must first know his controlling wife, Sara. The Netanyahus are Israel’s premiere power couple, upon whom rest the fates of every Israeli in power. In 2013, the longtime Speaker of the Knesset, Reuven Rivlin, was stripped of his position by Netanyahu without warning. Rivlin’s miscue? He had angered Sara Netanyahu, whom he
subsequently described as “a person that is always at the center of things but apparently behind the scenes.” She has been named by Forbes Israel as the country’s “Most Powerful Woman” and has been the target of the media for decades. A daughter of the late Shmuel Ben-Arzi, the noted Israeli poet, Sara has the reputation of being an abusive boss with an uncontrollable temper – she insists on being called “HaGiveret” by all her employees – and a watchful wife whose jealousy can break even the most promising of careers. The Netanyahus have long exploited the status afforded them of being a power couple. As early as 1994, Haaretz wrote about their penchant for haggling over meals at restaurants to flat-out not paying (“Al tip— ein mah l’daber!”). Israel’s Channel 10 led a series of investigations a few years ago into the couple’s habit of traveling abroad on luxury trips through private donor monies and how even on one occasion Sara brought along her dirty laundry to have it cleaned by the destination hotel’s housekeeping department. Sara’s reaction to the stories was “why do you lie? This is the man who will save Israel from another Holocaust!” Israeli authorities have recently begun questioning the Netanyahus about their acceptance of gifts from
wealthy supporters, most notably cigars from the world famous movie producer Arnon Milchan (Pretty Woman; JFK; The Revenant). Netanyahu’s lawyer summarily dismissed the allegations, saying, “Any reasonable person knows that there is nothing remotely criminal involved when a close friend gives his friend a gift of cigars,” but the national police allege that there was a quid pro quo attached to these gifts: a long-term U.S. visa for Milchan, which Netanyahu requested from John Kerry a number of times in 2014. Milchan is a controversial figure: he was at one point the largest arms dealer in Israel and was involved in an investigation regarding the smuggling of nuclear-related devices into the country.
This
is not the first time that cigars and other luxury items have brought down an Israeli prime minister. Ehud Olmert, was forced to resign as prime minister in 2008 after evidence was brought against him that he misused political funds paid in cash from an American businessman for personal use, including on cigars and expensive watches. Olmert is currently serving an 18 month term in prison. Olmert was also called to testify against his predecessor, Ehud Barak,
for taking millions, tens of millions of dollars in bribes, in 2014. “There was no arms deal done by Israel [that was not affected],” according to Olmert. The disgraced prime minister called Barak a “lunatic” who was jealous of Olmert’s luxury car and lifestyle. At the time of his resignation, Olmert’s chief rival heralded the downfall of the prime minister, proclaiming that “this government has reached the end. … National responsibility requires we return to the people for new elections.” Coincidentally, that man was Benyamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s current interior minister, Aryeh Deri, also served 22 months in jail after being convicted in 1999 of accepting $155,000 in bribes while holding the same position. Deri succeeded Silvan Shalom, who was also forced to resign under scandalous conditions. It is speculated that Sara Netanyahu’s vigilance over his husband’s circle of confidants is also a product of a 1993 scandal which threatened Bibi’s political future in the Likud party. So she remains watchful over who is in his close circle of friends, but may not opine on other national issues, some say. “She won’t get involved regarding whether to raise the value-added tax or to attack Iran,” a source formerly close Continued on page 100
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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
With Sheldon Adelson, who founded Israel Hayom, and his wife, Miri Adelson
to the Netanyahus told Forbes Israel. “But she will definitely be involved in deciding on who gets to decide these very important issues.” Misconduct does not seem to be a rarity in the current political environment in Israel, but there was a time when government officers there were held to a much higher (albeit limited to public) standard. Yitzchak Rabin was forced to resign as prime minister in 1977 after reports surfaced that his wife held a foreign bank account with $10,000 of her own money. At the time, such an offense was considered a misdemeanor and was scandalous enough to bring down the head of the government. Rabin, however, was able to recover and his career lasted until his assassination in 1995.
But
the Netanyahus’ ill scruples may have crossed the sacred line of personal gain to national interest. For years, the prime minister has suffered from being the fodder for the left wing media in Israel. In 1999, after losing a bid for reelection, he laid the blame on the country’s radical left wing newspaper Yediot Acharonot. Sara Netanyahu has compared the paper’s publisher, Arnon Mozes, to Lord Voldemort. In 2007, the billionaire Las Vegas tycoon Sheldon Adelson self-funded Yisrael Hayom, a right wing paper, which has become the largest read newspaper in the country. Adelson is speculated to have lost $190 million on the paper, which is circulated for free across Israel and charges a third of its competitors’ price for advertising. The paper has become Netanyahu’s staunchest supporter, to the point where it is now referred to in
Israel as Bibiton, a sharp play on the word “iton,” newspaper. In 2015, lawyers in Israel tried having Yisrael Hayom banned from distribution, alleging that it was controlled by Netanyahu and that by being distributed for free it constituted illegal campaign propaganda. Israel has much stricter campaign finance laws – there is no such thing as a Super PAC there – and the existence of a free Netanyahu mouthpiece constituted a donation in the amount of tens of millions of dollars
Is Sara Netanyahu the power behind the throne?
es instructing his most liberal writers to lay off of the prime minister and hire some more right-wing columnists. Unbeknownst to the prime minister, the meetings were recorded, and although nothing came of the conversations, Netanyahu may face serious reputational, political and even criminal consequences if more details of the meetings are released. Again, Netanyahu’s cronyism may pay off. The investigations are being led by Avichai Mandelblit, the attorney general. Mandelblit was
“My level of intervention in the press, trying to control stories, is zero. Subzero,” he asserted.
The investigation brings up the ghosts of a 2003 story in which Netanyahu tried to flex his muscles over Ronald Lauder, the American billionaire and heir to the Estee Lauder fortune. Lauder purchased Israel’s Channel 10 back then, in the hopes of creating an independent TV station in Israel, where most of the country’s broadcasting is aired on state-owned media. But the station’s investigations into the first couple’s luxurious shenanigans drove Netanyahu to exercise heavy pressure on the network, including placing a call to Lauder himself to get him to quell the sensational stories. Ultimately, the two, who were once close friends, cut their ties. “It’s O.K.” is how Netanyahu characterizes their relationship now. “We’ve had warmer periods and cooler periods. I respect him, and he respects me.”
Politics to the prime minister, they alleged. But Netanyahu swore he had no control over the newspaper. “My level of intervention in the press, trying to control stories, is zero. Subzero,” he asserted. “Almost the whole Israeli media is dependent upon Bibi,” says a former editor of Maariv, Amnon Dankner, “and while I won’t say they’re not criticizing him, the music has changed – to quieter, less vociferous tones.” According to investigators, Netanyahu staged a series of secret meetings with Arnon Mozes of Yediot Acharonot at one point and sought to make amends with his nemesis by offering to curtail the circulation of Yisrael Hayom in exchange for Moz-
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hired by Netanyahu in 2013 as cabinet secretary and was appointed in 2016 as attorney general by Netanyahu. He has repeatedly stonewalled police in investigating the Netanyahus and has gone so far as to refuse to allow them to question Benyamin and Sara simultaneously – a common practice in such investigations. Critics have been vocal over the attorney general’s relationship with Netanyahu. During a recent Knesset session in which Netanyahu addressed the members, he quoted his opposition, saying, “The message is clear: ‘If you don’t indict Netanyahu, then you are not qualified to enforce the law. Bring us Netanyahu’s head, and if you don’t, you don’t deserve to be the attorney general.’”
has always been a dirty business; even the most well-intentioned need to wade through the mud in order to remain relevant. To survive as long as they have in the Bauhaus home in Rechavia which serves at the prime minister’s residence, the Netanyahus have no doubt had to play the game better than their many rivals. Whether Sara Netanyahu is the domineering woman controlling the political landscape of Israel that the left wing media make her out to be and whether Benyamin Netanyahu is the Putin-like leader his opponents would like us to believe, will never be fully known. On this side of the Atlantic, though, what’s important is the safety and prosperity of our brothers in Israel. And that is something we can all grade the prime minister on.
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Dating Dialogue
What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
I cannot believe I am writing into you guys, but here goes. I enjoy reading your advice and I’m hopeful you might be able to help me. I’m Modern Orthodox, unlike most of the people who write into the column – shomer Shabbos, kashrus, davening, the whole nine yards. Think very modern YU. I hate labels but just to give you some context. Here is my dilemma. I’m changing some info to protect my identity. I have been dating my girlfriend, Rebecca* (changed her name) for six months and change. We have strong feelings for each other. I would be considering an engagement in the relatively near future except for one problem. I’m hoping that by writing in I will gain some clarity on this issue that will help me move forward with Rebecca or break up with Rebecca. I asked her to have some time alone so I can think. IfI keep seeing her, I will only get more lost in my confusion. Rebecca and I were set up by very close friends. When I mentioned her name to my parents, it didn’t ring a bell. A month in and my parents realized that she is the daughter of a couple they had a falling out with many years ago. I won’t get into any details about their fight, but suffice it to say it’s relatively unimportant. At about the three month mark, I want-
Dear Navidaters,
ed our parents to get together because Rebecca and I were getting serious. It was an awful meeting. I think all four of our parents are immature and clearly are unable to put their petty nonsense behind them for the wellbeing of their children. Not only do we have this obvious tension, but her parents have started speaking unkindly about me to Rebecca behind my back. I hate to even have to defend my character, but it is important that you, the panel, know that I am down to earth, involved in chessed all my life, never touched a drug, all around pretty good guy. They also speak poorly of my parents to Rebeca, whereas my parents swore to me that they would never say an unkind word about her parents. I don’t see this situation getting any better between our parents. I am struggling with what my life will look like should I marry Rebecca. Our kids will have feuding grandparents. Will her parents constantly be in Rebecca’s ear speaking badly about me? I know enough to know that that can impact a marriage. Will Rebecca eventually side with her parents and turn on me? She says no, but that isn’t a guarantee. My parents love Rebecca and tell me to go ahead with it and not worry about her parents. Something about that isn’t sitting well with me. I am having trouble ignoring this situation. Here’s the big question. Do I move forward and commit to Rebecca under these circumstances or do I break up with Rebecca? I don’t want to get more deeply involved until I figure this out. I asked Rebecca for some time apart to think about this. All insight or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration. Continued on page 104
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The Panel
The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.
G
ood for you for reaching out and asking for help. Continue to do so. This is not a matter to be undertaken by the young people nor by panelists. You need a professional whom both parents will respect – to try to talk to the parents in this situation. I would suggest that the two of you meet with a rabbinic figure connected to Rebecca’s family, someone whom they respect and who knows them a long time. He may not be their present rabbi. Meet together and take some time to talk to him separately as well. Ask him to get involved. But first, you and Rebecca need to be on the same page in terms of next steps. If you both agree that your relationship is important and that you are willing to invest further to get everyone on board, then get yourselves professional support for the process. You will need to be a team but you are still two separate people who have grown up with different parents, attitudes and styles of communicating. It is natural to want to defend your own parents. Thus, you both need to talk to the same person separately besides together. You haven’t told us about Rebecca’s thoughts and feelings about the next step. That is very telling. You are probably not on the same page and/or your relationship is not strong enough to deal with this issue. My conclusion is to keep dating Rebecca while seeing a professional separately and together. Then follow his/her recommendations and involve a respected rabbi to begin to engage her parents in conversation. See how this goes. You are at a point in a process. It is not over yet. I think you made a mistake in bringing the two sets of parents together too early and without help. You need to not only deal with the
repercussions of that encounter but to explore the nature of communication and relationship as a couple and in the family context. Good luck.
The Mother
table challenges that pop up in every marriage – meddlesome in-laws or not.
The Dating Mentor
Sarah Schwartz Schreiber, P.A.
Rochel Chafetz Educator/Mentor
O
F
K, so Rebecca’s parents and yours do not get along. Nothing new here. Even Romeo and Juliet never tied the knot because their parents couldn’t reconcile their differences. As a Navidaters’ groupie, you’ve seen various columns devoted to feuding in-laws. In fact, the last questioner who wanted to break an engagement because of overbearing demanding in-laws was reassured that while mechutanim may or may not become best friends, they can learn to get along if they both agree on the primacy of the couple’s shalom bayis. Your dilemma has a different twist. First, you aren’t even engaged and “are struggling” with your prospective marriage to Rebecca. The trial “meet and greet” with the inlaws backfired – with Rebecca’s parents clinging to their “petty nonsense” and subsequently badmouthing you. In spite of Rebecca’s reassurance that she will “stand by her man” you are not convinced. Sounds like you have already built a case for calling it quits. Still, if you truly have strong feelings for Rebecca (as indicated by your six-month courtship), I advise you to explore the question of “us vs. them” with Rebecca in the context of pre-marital counseling. Only in a therapist’s office can you and Rebecca discuss your doubts and fears openly and get professional validation for your concerns. Best of all, if you decide to get married, you will have acquired some valuable tools to help you deal with the inevi-
ollow your gut. You said you are feeling very uncomfortable about all of this. You are afraid of feuding grandparents and I do not blame you. You will have a lifetime of simchas where you will have to deal with them and vice versa. You said they are starting to speak badly about you. So
Marriage is not about choosing your spouse over your parents. It is about finding the right balance. ask yourself: why would you want to continue? Yes, marriage comes in a package. You need to feel respect and honored by your future in-laws. Otherwise, there will be continuous friction and discomfort. And I disagree with Rebecca, because she thinks this is about choosing one over the other. It does not go that way. It is already
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about her choosing you over them. That is not a good way to start off a lifetime of marriage. Marriage is not about choosing your spouse over your parents. It is about finding the right balance. Unless you can work out their issues with your parents with a third party and allow the past to be completely forgotten with a new slate of respect and acceptance, I do not think you should continue. Now she says she will stick by you. But what will happen after the first baby is born and she needs her mother and is feeling vulnerable? And then there are the simchas to plan. What will happen then? The fights will begin and then
what...? Life is so hard as it is. Why go into this with such negativity already? It is so interesting to me that in hindsight people often say, “Oh, I saw the signs, but I thought it was going to pass.” So here you see the signs. Why start?
The Single Tova Wein
I
t sounds to me like you are taking a break because your instincts are telling you that there is trouble in paradise and you need to take some
Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
M
y best advice is that you take a break – together. In other words, voice your concerns to Rebecca and ask her to see a therapist with you during your time-out. Make sure the therapist specializes in couple’s therapy. With the therapist, you and Rebecca will be able to voice your concerns and fears about the future. The therapist will help facilitate this conversation and help you reach your own insights and conclusions with regard to the future of the relationship. From your email, it seems as though your gut is alerting you to a potentially awful situation. You don’t want a life of feuding grandparents and division and tension within the family. You’d like your future in-laws to think accurately of you and at the very least not to speak unkindly of you to their daughter. You have a good gut. You have good instincts. This kind of behavior is at best, unkind;
at worst, malicious – not only to you, but to their own child, Rebecca. I would suspect that this kind of behavior is indicative of other unhealthy and dysfunctional family dynamics. One question that comes up for me is, Is Rebecca part of the family dysfunction or is she her own healthy entity? There are people who come from toxic or dysfunctional families who are resilient and healthy. They either disconnect completely from the toxicity or have learned how to engage and protect themselves from unhealthy family members. And then there are those individuals who cannot or have not yet individuated from the family system and are very much part of the problem. My question for you is: what do you need from Rebecca in order to feel confident and comfortable mov-
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
time to reassess your situation and figure out whether you need to put the brakes on this relationship. It doesn’t feel right and you know it! Nothing is perfect. Few people can honestly say that they went through their dating process, engagement and ultimate marriage without lots of bumps in the road. However, to start out –right out of the gate – with future in-laws who are badmouthing not only your parents, but you as well – that’s pretty extreme. I don’t think anything good can possibly come from this situation. If you believe that you and Rebecca have something so extraordinarily special together – and frankly, from your letter, I definitely didn’t get that sense – then you may want to put out your best efforts. That would entail you, Rebecca and her parents going together to a family therapist and discussing their inap-
ing forward with her? Do you need her to create boundaries with her parents? Do you need to see her assert herself with her parents? Do you want to see her making more effort to stand up for you? Keep in mind that Rebecca cannot be made responsible to change her parents’ behaviors and outlook. That wouldn’t be fair to Rebecca. In therapy, you will share your needs with Rebecca, you will process your need with Rebecca and the therapist, and you will learn in therapy whether or not Rebecca can meet your needs. I also suggest you see your own therapist now. I know, I know…so much therapy! The cost! The time! If you can, spend the money and the time. Hopefully it will be the best money and time ever spent. I suggest this because you may need your own personal space to process the couple’s therapy and also to unpack and process your own feelings, without having to monitor yourself in front of Rebecca. Sometimes we need
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I would suspect that this kind of behavior is indicative of other unhealthy and dysfunctional family dynamics.
propriate behavior. If her parents are able to see the error of their ways and understand how detrimental such behavior is toward a marriage and agree to immediately stop all the ugly chatter, then I would say keep dating for a while and see if they are good for their word. But until, and unless, Rebecca’s parents are able to turn around their attitudes toward you and your parents, you are walking into a problematic situation that will no doubt only get worse with time. Sometimes, the writing is on the wall – and if so, my advice would be “run for your life!”
to say some ugly or hurtful things and we don’t feel comfortable, especially in such a young relationship like yours. I can sense how much you care for her and how much pain you are in right now. Take care of it in therapy sooner rather than later. We walk down the aisle when we feel ready to fully embrace the other person. Not a moment sooner. Good luck. Sincerely, Jennifer Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email thenavidaters@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.
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Dr. Deb
What Healthy Looks Like By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.
O
nce I was congratulating someone whose daughter had just gotten engaged. As a person who sits and talks with people in unbearable amounts of pain due to the difficulties in their relationships, I was a bit concerned for this personal friend: his daughter was just 19-years-old. “Isn’t she a bit young?” I cautiously asked. He gave me a warm, assured smile. “So she will have that many more years of happiness with her chassan,” he said. He was comfortable knowing that with real love, things would be fine. That is because he knew that love is not only a feeling, but an action. As long as that action guides a marriage, there is happiness. He would know. He is happily married for decades himself and he and his wife raised their children with that same real love. So I thought I would give you a peek inside a healthy family’s life (with their permission) – this story is not made up – because maybe if you could see just what real love looks like it would be easier to in-
clude in yours. I’m going to tell you about a different family from the one above. That young lady has been happily married for several years now; the current story is about my Shabbos Kallah experience. I’m a friend of the mother. When I walked into the house erev Shabbos, the mom was sitting relaxed on the couch, smiling as she waited for her daughter and her friend to arrive from shul.
A KEY INGREDIENT: HAPPINESS She could have been uptight: Did I do everything right? Is it all in order? Don’t I have to rush into the kitchen for last minute concerns? But she wasn’t. She’d done her preps and now it was time to cuddle with a grandchild, talk to other family members, relax, and enjoy. Don’t get me wrong. Like the rest of us, she suddenly remembered at 3 AM the previous night that no one had done the place cards, so she did them. But she wasn’t aggravated at anyone. And some male in the family had forgotten to turn off the
fish pot before leaving for the outer reaches of another borough for the chassan’s aufruf. She chided that person, I’m sure – but the smile never left her face as she retold the story while shaking her head in disbelief at men. Tired she was; angry, never. That was one theme that constantly repeated itself throughout Shabbos: everyone was really happy. Oh, you will tell me: “Of course they were happy; the young lady was about to get married!” But how many people do you know who are making a wedding that are truly happy about it? Sometimes the happiness wiggles in a little – in between anxiety so great that they can hardly breathe, let alone speak. And often, anxiety is the least of family problems. How about anger or even rage at other people’s mistakes and omissions? That same happiness not only trickled down from the mom to the kallah, but to all her many friends who were there to support her, love her, laugh with her, and sing together so beautifully that I told
them I wasn’t sure which was better, the food or the singing.
THE UNDERPINNING: HASHEM The young women discussed seminary and argued over which shiur was more amazing than the other, too. That was another theme that struck me – and maybe it was the basis for happiness replacing irritation or anxiety: a complete belief in Hashem’s presence in their lives. For example, on Shabbos morning, I mistakenly whispered to the kallah in shul, “There are Chumashim are over there,” and she automatically put her finger to her lips and said, “Shh.” This is a very polite, well-mannered girl who went out of her way to thank me the night before for coming. But HaKadosh Baruch Hu nevertheless came first. And come first He should! After all, He made this glorious shidduch we were all celebrating. How many people attribute the good in their lives with such certainty and clarContinued on page 108
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ity to Where it belongs? How many people are comfortable that there is no place for worry, fear or anger because they actually do trust in Hashem to provide them with their needs?
the pronunciation of “paleo” (as in the name of a diet) and one stated with extreme certainty and emphasis that she was right and the other girl, wrong. I looked it up just now
how to cope with those peckelech and others must learn on their own. But there is a large number of people in the latter group who seek out the answers so that they will acquire healthy coping skills. I’ll bet you know people with great coping skills who did not come from healthy homes but had to learn them on their own. In fact, I would say that more credit is due those people than the ones who learned growing up in their families. Anyway, it was a great Shabbos Kallah. I got much joy out of it – and I haven’t even talked about the wedding!
the table. And that included the kallah herself. They all bounced up to help with the same energy with which they argued points, laughing all the way. No one felt privileged
ANOTHER KEY: RESPECT The other thing I noticed at the table was respect, profound respect. The girls were, well, girls: they were excited to share their own stories, humor, and takes on things. But no one dominated. When someone wanted to chime in, she was not ignored; space was made for that girl’s story. It seemed to me that everyone there was cherished, valued. No one was put down. That is not to say that they didn’t argue. No way! These girls had opinions, strong ones. And they delivered their opinions with energy, often laughing at the same time. A few girls got into a dispute about
How many people attribute the good in their lives with such certainty and clarity to Where it belongs?
for fun; she was wrong. But there was no name-calling, no dismissiveness – how refreshing!
REAL BASIC: KINDNESS AND CONSIDERATION As the meals went on, no one needed to instruct these young women to help set, serve, and clear
over the others. Now, it might occur to you to argue and say, “Well, maybe this family had an easier life than mine.” The reality is that there is no family that just plain has it easy. We all carry our peckele. It is certainly correct to say that some people learn from their healthy families
Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. She can be reached at 646-54-DRDEB or by writing drdeb@drdeb.com.
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Health & F tness
Liquid Diet Fact or Fiction By Aliza Beer MS, RD
P
eople are always in search of the latest, magic, quickfix diet that will allow them to drop excess weight in no time without exerting much effort. One of these popular diets is the liquid detox diet, where, as implied by the name, one essentially ingests little or no food and relies on various blends of juices as the sole source
of nutrition. The diet promises to cleanse and detox the body, assist with long-term weight loss, and leave one feeling rejuvenated. Unfortunately, these guarantees are far from the truth and do more harm than good. A liquid diet may help one achieve some weight loss, but the results will likely not last. Following
a liquid diet, which cuts out mostly all solid foods, inevitably causes a major calorie cut in one’s daily intake. When your sole source of nutrition is drinks made from mainly vegetables, fruits, and clear broths, it is much more difficult to reach a sufficient calorie intake to provide one with enough energy for the day. That being said, the deficien-
cy in calories automatically causes a weight loss. The problem is the type of weight that is being lost. While this calorie deficit may burn some fat, which is what we want to rid ourselves of for a healthy weight loss, it is also burning a lot of muscle due to the extremely low protein intake. Muscle mass is important for many components of our long-term
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health and also keeps up our metabolism, which allows us to burn more calories. On the other hand, a diet such as the liquid diet, which is too low in calories and protein, causes us to burn a lot of muscle weight and slow down our metabolisms, thus making it more difficult to efficiently burn calories. Once resuming your regular eating pattern again, all the weight will come right back. More often
ents, proteins, and carbohydrates by maintaining a very low-calorie diet will leave you feeling lightheaded and fatigued. The body needs enough calories in the healthy forms of protein and carbohydrates to allow your body to function properly. When you do not meet these needs, your body will be left feeling dizzy and fatigued. The key to achieving long-term weight loss is a healthy diet com-
Leaving out necessary nutrients, proteins, and carbohydrates by maintaining a very low-calorie diet will leave you feeling lightheaded and fatigued.
than not, one will gain additional weight as well. This is due to a variety of factors. After such a severe eating restriction, one is more likely to binge eat and actually consume more than before starting the diet. Also, post-liquid diet, one’s metabolism will be significantly slowed down. This combination of overeating with a slow metabolism will lead to weight gain. Therefore, not only is the liquid diet not efficient in causing long-term weight loss, it can actually cause weight gain. Along with weight loss, the liquid diet claims it provides a healthy, natural detox for the body. However, people often overlook the extraordinary internal detox system, which is exceptionally efficient at detoxing the body. Our liver, colon, and kidneys are designed to filter the body from toxins and chemicals on a constant basis. Of course eating high quantities of processed junk food will leave one feeling bloated and uncomfortable, but that is not to say that these organs are underperforming. It is simply the stomach and intestines reacting to the plethora of food ingested. While this is uncomfortable, the body is still efficiently detoxing itself. Thus, a liquid diet does not aid in detoxing your body. Lastly, the liquid diet will definitely not leave you feeling rejuvenated. Leaving out necessary nutri-
bined with regular exercise. A diet that meets a healthful balance of all nutritional needs is the diet that will leave you with a lasting, slim waistline. Furthermore, combining a healthy diet with a regular exercise routine will ensure you are burning fat while maintaining muscle mass, and will keep your metabolism revved up and burning calories. There are no shortcuts to reach success. The liquid diet, which promises a rejuvenating body detox and quick weight loss in a short period of time, is yet another fad diet that will not yield true and lasting results. Though these promises may seem tempting, do not let yourself get lured into the liquid diet fad! Sticking to a healthy diet and lifestyle is the only true way to reach your goal weight and feel your best. Though it may take more time than the outlandish promise of “10 pounds in 5 days” that the liquid diet claims, with proper motivation, patience, and determination you will reach your goal and maintain it in the long run.
Aliza Beer is a registered dietician with a master’s degree in nutrition. She has a private practice in Cedarhurst, NY. Patients’ success has been featured on the Dr. Oz show. Aliza can be reached at alizabeer@gmail.com.
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In The K
tchen
Mezze By Naomi Nachman
I’m always searching for different appetizers to serve for Shabbat lunch or a gettogether. These cute mini meat pizzas (or “lachmagine”) have Sephardic origins and are also known as “mezze.” They are often served on large platters with other mezze, such empanadas, sambusak, kibbeh, cigars, as well as a large variety of salads and dips and a selection of pickled vegetables.
Lachmagine
Tabouli
Ingredients 1 lb. chopped meat 1 cup prune butter 1 large onion, chopped ¼ cup tomato paste ½ cup ketchup 1 tablespoon salt ½ tablespoon allspice 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 pkg mini pizza rounds by Mazor 1 cup pine nuts
Preparation Mix all the ingredients together except the pizza rounds and pine nuts and refrigerate for two hours to let the flavors concentrate. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread out the pizza rounds. Spread a heaping mound of meat filling onto each dough round, making sure you spread it all the way to the edge. It shrinks as it cooks so be generous. Press down the meat firmly so it sticks to the dough. Sprinkle each piece with a few pine nuts. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Ingredients 1 cup dry bulgur, prepared according to directions on package 4 plum tomatoes, diced 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped 1 small red onion, diced finely 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Juice of 2 lemons Kosher salt, to taste
Preparation Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet. com or at (516) 295-9669.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”
Tell them you’re a Muslim. Tell them you’re a Muslim. - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN), immediately after he introduced himself at a protest outside of the Supreme Court
I don’t know about you, but my wife has no problem spending everything I earn in six and a half days. - North Dakota state lawmaker Rep. Vernon Laning at a debate about repealing a state law that requires businesses to be closed on Sunday until noon
The assassination is taking such a long time. – Tweet by Time columnist India Knight, after a long string of anti-Trump Tweets
The madman Trump is still ignorant of politics, science and culture. That Islam-hating Crusader prevents Muslims from entering America. That failed Nazi thinks that this will stop the mujahedeen from striking his country. Doesn’t he understand that his country will implode? When that happens, he’ll panic and backpedal on his Islam-hating policies. – An ISIS member writing on an ISIS platform, echoing many liberal commentators
He’s pretty boring — it’s just not what people expect. I think it’s also probably surprising to people that the money doesn’t matter to him. He made the money sort of by accident because he was really good at doing what he loved, and when you do that particular thing really well you end up with a whole bunch of money. But it’s really true that he does not care about having a bunch of money. - Suzie Buffett in a recent interview, about her father, Warren Buffett
On Saturday, our president spoke with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and lashed out at Turnbull on the phone call. Please don’t pick a fight with Australia! They’ll cut off our supply of Uggs, koala jerky, and Hugh Jackman. - Stephen Colbert
Hillary Clinton is reportedly writing a book of personal essays due to be released this fall. It will be the first political memoir written entirely in all caps.
It was announced that Hillary Clinton will deliver the commencement speech at Wellesley College. The title of Hillary’s speech will be “What’s the Point of Anything?” - Conan O’Brien
- Seth Myers
MORE QUOTES
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
PESACH 2017
Your Choice of 6 Magnificent Passover Destinations BOCA RATON, FLORIDA
Boca Raton Resort & Club
A WALDORF ASTORIA RESORT
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FLORENCE, ITALY
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
PGA National Resort
Arizona Biltmore
A WALDORF ASTORIA RESORT
• Entire Hotel Kosher for Pesach • AAA 4-Diamond Resort • All Rooms Have Private Balconies • 5 Tournament-Ready Golf Courses • 19 Har Tru Tennis Courts • Fantastic Scholars-in-Residence • Delectable Cuisine by Foremost Ram Caterers • ORB Glatt Kosher Supervision
• Condé Nast Traveler, 2016 Gold List Top Arizona Resort • 8 heated swimming pools •7 Tennis Courts • Two 18 hole championship golf courses • Fantastic Scholars-in -Residence • Professional Day Camp • Haute gourmet cuisine by VIP Ram Caterers • Glatt Kosher supervision
Four Seasons Florence
FIUGGI (ROME), ITALY
Grand Hotel Palazzo Della Fonte
RYE BROOK, NEW YORK
Entire La Villa building Kosher for Pesach • Luxury 5-star resort • Hotel set amidst a 350,000 sq.ft. botanical garden • Gourmet cuisine by Michelen rated Four Seasons chefs • Daily services, outstanding lectures & children’s program • Glatt Kosher supervision by Rabbi G.M. Garelik
• Entire Hotel Kosher for Pesach • Member of the Leading Hotels Of The World • Haute Italian Cuisine • Beautiful spa, indoor & outdoor pools • Free daily shuttle to Rome • Daily services, outstanding lectures & children’s program • Glatt Kosher Supervision by Rabbi G.M. Garelik of Milan
• Entire hotel Kosher for Pesach • Only 30 minutes from New York City • Hotel beautifully renovated • Spectacular lineup of Scholars-inResidence • Fantastic entertainment & daily activities • Professional day camp • Exceptional cuisine by Prestige Caterers • ORB Glatt Kosher Supervision
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Liberals still believe they’re the side with the most power and influence because of their cultural dominance. The arts and entertainment world confirms their prejudices daily. The real world, however, does not. – Saleno Zito, The New York Post
The base’s tack — arguing that Trump is akin to Hitler when he takes actions that many of his voters find at least arguably appropriate, even if they have questions — cuts off debate. It’s a mistake Hillary Clinton made in trying to scare voters away from Trump rather than articulating why she was the right choice. And now the angry left, thinking it’s learning from Clinton’s mistakes, is actually repeating one of her biggest. Essentially, the Clinton faction won the party’s nomination, but the Bernie Sanders faction won the day. Instead of offering independents, moderate Democrats or reluctant Republicans an alternative, those non-liberals see protest after protest, outrage after outrage — and they’re tuning the anger out and going on with the business of life. – Ibid
Starbucks and Amazon are partnering to make it possible for Alexa to place your coffee order for you. All you have to do is use the simple voice command, “Alexa, I’m pathetic.” - Conan O’Brien
Last night, President Trump nominated Colorado Appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. That’s right, he’s from Colorado. Which explains his most famous case, Regular Funyuns v. Flamin’ Hot Funyuns: “I hereby rule that they’re both awesome.” – Jimmy Fallon
Trump adviser and Baghdadi each proselytizes for his vision of war - From an editorial in the USA Today titled, “What Bannon shares with ISIL leader: Our view,” which argues that Trump’s advisor Steve Bannon, who has conservative beliefs, is similar to the head of ISIS, who believes that every non-Muslim should be beheaded
Tom Brady said that he’s banned his dad from talking to the media after he spoke out against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Tom is so embarrassed – this Sunday he’s making his dad drop him off a block away from the Super Bowl. – Jimmy Fallon
Slavery, in other words, was meant to ensure that Jews would remember powerlessness once they gained power. Jared Kushner is what happens when that memory fails. - From an article in the Forward titled, “How Could Modern Orthodox Judaism Produce Jared Kushner?,” who doesn’t subscribe to classic secular Jewish liberalism
We also keep hearing about terrorists hating our American values. We had this conversation yesterday. So let me ask you now— now, we have had a leader who’s repeatedly demeaned women, wants to defund organizations that benefit woman… specifically wants to give preferential treatment based on religion; are these values really much different than the Taliban’s? – The View’s Whoopi Goldberg comparing President Trump to the Taliban
MORE QUOTES
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
Join us at the incomparable
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Today was Groundhog Day, the day where we predict six more weeks of winter if the groundhog sees his shadow. The groundhog has been predicting weather since 1887 and has been wrong 61 percent of the time. And yet, this is still front-page news every year. So I guess fake news isn’t a recent phenomenon.
You are picking up your child! GET OFF YOUR PHONE!!!! We have seen children trying to hand their parents their work they completed and the parent is on the phone. We have heard a child say, “Mommy, mommy, mommy ...” and the parent is paying more attention to their phone than their own child. It is appalling. GET OFF YOUR PHONE!! - Poster on the door of a day care in Hockley, Texas, that recently went viral
– James Corden
We think such words from a Fox News correspondent are unacceptable, insulting. We would prefer to receive apologies to our president from such a respectable television company. - Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov addressing Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly calling Putin a “killer” in an interview with President Trump
You don’t have to be a fascist or a racist or even a Trumpian to not want to import people into your society who think cartoonists should be killed for drawing the prophet. That’s a totally irrational thing not to want. And the left has been demonizing anyone who will talk about this. - Sam Harris on “Real Time” with Bill Maher
We are never going to defeat terrorism if we are not going to reform Islam and we are not going to reform Islam if we can’t talk about it. - Bill Maher
MORE QUOTES
Pesach 2016
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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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Very grateful no one seriously hurt in the Louvre attack ... or the (completely fake) Bowling Green Massacre. Please don’t make up attacks. - Chelsea Clinton’s tweet after Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway mistakenly referenced a “Bowling Green Massacre” even though there was no such massacre – there were two Iraqi refugees arrested in Bowling Green for attempting to send weapons to Iraqi insurgents for the purpose of killing U.S. soldiers
Bosnia lie a Great reminder. And 2 @ ChelseaClinton & others, you can’t “invent” quality candidates either. I misspoke; you lost the election. - Kellyanne Conway’s response, reminding Chelsea that her mother lied about landing under fire in Bosnia and reminding her that, well, her mother lost the election too
BlackBerry just announced that it’s releasing a new phone next month that has a physical keyboard. Experts are calling it the biggest tech news of 2006. - Jimmy Fallon
I don’t know Putin, have no deals in Russia, and the haters are going crazy – yet Obama can make a deal with Iran, #1 in terror, no problem! - Tweet by President Trump
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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Political Crossfire
Thank G-d for Harry Reid By Charles Krauthammer
T
here are many people to thank for the coming accession of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Donald Trump for winning the election. Hillary Clinton for losing it. Mitch McConnell for holding open the high court seat through 2016, resolute and immovable against furious (and hypocritical) opposition from Democrats and media. And, of course, Harry Reid. G-d bless Harry Reid. It’s because of him that Gorsuch is guaranteed elevation to the court. In 2013, as then-Senate majority leader, Reid blew up the joint. He abolished the filibuster for federal appointments both executive (such as Cabinet) and judicial, for all district and circuit court judgeships (excluding only the Supreme Court). Thus unencumbered, the Democratic-controlled Senate packed the lower courts with Obama nominees. Reid was warned that the day would come when Republicans would be in the majority and would exploit the new rules to equal and opposite effect. That day is here. The result is striking. Trump’s Cabinet appointments are essentially unstoppable because Republicans need only 51 votes and they have 52. They have no need to reach 60, the number required to overcome a filibuster. Democrats are powerless to stop anyone on their own. And equally powerless to stop Gorsuch. But isn’t the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees still standing? Yes, but if the Democrats dare
try it, everyone knows that Majority Leader McConnell will do exactly what Reid did and invoke the nuclear option – filibuster abolition – for the Supreme Court, too. Reid never fully appreciated the magnitude of his crime against the Senate. As I wrote at the time, the offense was not abolishing the filibuster – you can argue that issue either
threatened to. And he’s been asked often enough. His simple and unwavering response is that Gorsuch will be confirmed. Translation: if necessary, he will drop the big one. It’s obvious that he prefers not to. No one wants to again devalue and destabilize the Senate by changing a major norm by simple majority vote. But Reid set the precedent.
If in any given session you can summon up the day’s majority to change the institution’s fundamental rules, there are no rules.
way – but that he did it by simple majority. In a serious body, a serious rule change requires a serious supermajority. (Amending the U.S. Constitution, for example, requires two-thirds of both houses plus three-quarters of all the states.) Otherwise you have rendered the place lawless. If in any given session you can summon up the day’s majority to change the institution’s fundamental rules, there are no rules. McConnell can at any moment finish Reid’s work by extending filibuster abolition to the Supreme Court. But he hasn’t. He has neither invoked the nuclear option nor even
Note that the issue is not the filibuster itself. There’s nothing sacred about it. Its routine use is a modern development – with effects both contradictory and unpredictable. The need for 60 votes can contribute to moderation and compromise because to achieve a supermajority you need to get a buy-in from at least some of the opposition. On the other hand, in a hyper-partisan atmosphere (like today’s), a 60-vote threshold can ensure that everything gets stopped and nothing gets done. Filibuster abolition is good for conservatives today. It will be good for liberals tomorrow when they have
regained power. There’s no great principle at stake, though as a practical matter, in this era of widespread frustration with congressional gridlock, the new norm may be salutary. What is not salutary is the Reid precedent of changing the old norm using something so transient and capricious as the majority of the day. As I argued in 2015, eventually the two parties will need to work out a permanent arrangement under which major rule changes will require a supermajority (say, of two-thirds) to ensure substantial bipartisan support. There are conflicting schools of thought as to whether even such a grand bargain could not itself be overturned by some future Congress – by simple majority led by the next Harry Reid. Nonetheless, even a problematic entente is better than the free-for-all that governs today. The operative word, however, is “eventually.” Such an agreement is for the future. Not yet, not today. Republicans are no fools. They are not about to forfeit the advantage bequeathed to them by Harry Reid’s shortsighted willfulness. They will zealously retain the nuclear option for Supreme Court nominees through the current Republican tenure of Congress and the presidency. After which, they should be ready to parlay and press the reset button. But only then. (c) 2017, The Washington Post Writers Group
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A Fulfilled L fe
How to Make Happy Clients By Rabbi Dr. Naphtali Hoff
“Our whole philosophy became ‘let’s take most of the money we would’ve spent on paid advertising and paid marketing and instead of spending it on that, invest it in the customer experience/ customer service and then let our customers do the marketing for us through word of mouth’ and that became the whole business model.” - Tony Hsieh, Zappos
T
he importance of developing happy customers is clear. When our customers are deeply satisfied and sing our praises and refer us to others, it helps to build our business on so many levels. We want to have Raving Fans, which, as Ken Blanchard wrote in his book, “Raving Fans,” are fans that “are so devoted to your products and services that they wouldn’t dream of taking their business elsewhere and will sing from the rooftops about just how good you are.” What can we do, in addition to demonstrating appreciation, that will give our clients and customers every reason to be happy with us and our services? 1. Become trustworthy – In today’s day and age, when we are
bombarded with ads and salespeople hawking us for services, a leading factor in people’s decision-making about a particular good or service is trust. We may spend hours researching products only to find out that a friend that we know and trust recommends something else. Recently, I spent time getting quotes from different plumbers for a home project and then went
help them research solutions. Offer them different options based on what you found out, including options that don’t include what you can offer. 4. Provide great value – When you service your people, make sure that you provide great value. There are many things that we can do to provide value. Mainly, it’s with the quality of your service and the impact
Being proactive goes a long way in helping people think that you care.
with someone else because three different people texted me that they use him. Businesses can build trust in many ways, including providing honest answers and expertise and demonstrating genuine care in what’s best for the client. When you turn down a work opportunity because you genuinely feel that you’re not the best person for the client’s needs, you earn lots of credit towards future opportunities with that client or others that they refer. 2. Ask them what they want – Take the time out of selling to get to know them and their needs better. Ask questions like: what is the biggest challenge you are facing? Why is it important that you find a solution? How can I help you? 3. Do the research for them – When you find out their needs,
that it has. According to Blanchard, a mere 1% more of offering or service compared to your competitors will do the trick. Value can be added with coupons, special rates or free giveaways. Do this particularly for your best customers. 5. Over-deliver – Similar to number four, this speaks to the need to give a bit more than you agreed to. Let them feel that they’re getting their money’s worth and then some by getting a little more of your time or of a service that you offer. 6. Service, service, service – Make sure that your clients are happy with your work or product. Be willing to ask and then take the right steps if there’s an issue. Being proactive goes a long way in helping people think that you care. 7. Empower your staff to
take initiative – One way to offer great service is to make it a real priority. Recently, I was treated poorly by a large airline that saw me as a way of making a few extra dollars in fees rather than as a long-time customer. From the feedback that I got both at the gate and on the plane, I felt that there was a deep sense of corporate-induced fear that was preventing the staff from accommodating me. Companies that make service a priority and empower their people to do what’s right in particular situations are the ones that gain deep customer loyalty and their business. 8. Be cutting edge – By staying ahead of the curve you keep your people feeling that they made a great decision in working with and buying from you. In our fast-paced world, there’s a continued demand for the latest and greatest, particularly for items that solve real problems. Thinking in such terms and then delivering is a great way to keep your fans raving. In the end, building a loyal, raving fan-base is all about the relationships. As Tony Robbins points out, others may make commodities, but you can offer unique solutions by connecting with your customers by helping them solve a specific problem in a bold way. This is the key to making sure no one else in your industry even comes close. Rabbi Naphtali Hoff, PsyD, is President of Impactful Coaching & Consulting. He can be reached at (212) 470-6139 or at nhoff@ impactfulcoaching.com.
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Studying Sm
rt
A Taste of Your Own Medicine Assessing the State of Medical Professions in 2017 By Chaim Homnick
T
he previous “Studying Smart” article discussed the state of law schools in 2017 and the career and schooling prospects for
law school applicants. While medicine isn’t facing the same issues (graduating doctors and therapists actually get jobs for starters), it
has endured a slew of other issues that students must consider before choosing to pursue a career in medicine. Here then is an assessment of the state of medical school and the medical field in general at the start of 2017.
THE PROBLEMS Medicine can be a lucrative profession but the requisite schooling is rigorous, lengthy, costly and hyper-competitive when it comes to admissions. Whereas law schools are graduating too many students, medical schools barely accept any. For example, the average med school in New York has nearly 10,000 applicants for just 100-200 spots! So while lawyers can go to graduate school, accumulate debt and then be left jobless or underpaid, medical students are concluding their undergraduate studies and then struggling simply to get into graduate programs in the first place! The same is true for dental school, PA programs, PT/OT programs, and more. So why do medical schools accept so few students if the supply and demand would seem to dictate that class sizes should grow to meet the multitude of interested students? Part of the backlog stems from the fact that residencies are funded by the government and the government hasn’t been in a hurry
to increase funding to match the demand. So medical schools turn away thousands of eager, ready-to-pay customers each year because there isn’t space for them down the road. However, competitive admissions numbers exist for nearly any medical field including therapists, PAs, etc. Many of these programs also have single digit acceptance rates. In this case, it comes down to numerous factors from accreditation agencies limiting the number of approved seats per school to government regulations and licensing to the schools themselves capping class sizes. So the first consideration for students to contemplate is the competitiveness of the field and whether they are talented and motivated enough to gain acceptance. Meanwhile, upon graduating, students in medical fields usually have an easy time getting well-paying jobs. This is in contrast to some lawyers who struggle in a flooded market and some MBAs who struggle due to the vague nature of their degree. Nonetheless, frequent upheaval to the medical profession isn’t uncommon. Doctors who’ve spent years owning their own practice have had to join health networks and become de facto employees to larger organizations because of the paradigm shifts in medical billing and a confluence of other factors.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
Significant changes to the finances, logistics, regulations and insurance requirements of medical practices has made it harder for doctors and other medical professionals to own their own practice and earn at a pay scale commensurate with the schooling they undertook and the debt they accumulated.
application process, and students pursuing a career in medicine must have strong interpersonal skills and an ability to impress on an interview. This is in contrast to law or business where generally no interview is required.
WHO SHOULD PURSUE MEDICINE
Because of medicine’s rigorous schooling and competitive admissions process, students who can’t keep up with the workload and the expectations should probably look to other fields. Likewise, students need to be innately predisposed to medicine and have a passion for it so that they don’t get burned out when the going gets tough. Many students start college pursuing pre-med, only to earn a poor grade on an early, relatively easy science class and realize that they need to look elsewhere. Med schools, dental schools and therapy programs are flooded with applicants with
Medicine can be a great career for many people. It is an innately gratifying and rewarding profession, and top doctors, dentists and therapists can earn significant money (just ask any of the top specialists in the city who are “cash only”). Nonetheless, the arduous and lengthy schooling combined with the competitive nature of the admissions process are not for the faint of heart. Persistence, dedication and good grades are a prerequisite for the industry. Additionally, interviews are a key component in the
WHO SHOULD RECONSIDER
top-notch grades in all of their science classes along with top MCAT or DAT scores. Students who aren’t in that tier often need to reconsider medicine as a career choice. Ultimately, medicine, dentistry and the like are classic Jewish professions and can still be the perfect fit for many teens as they enter college. However, introspection is necessary on the part of each student to ensure that they are armed with the facts and are truly ready to commit and dedicate themselves to the pursuit of these competitive, albeit rewarding, fields. AUTHOR’S NOTE: We want your feedback! An upcoming article will cover common problems in the education field and your proposed solutions! Tuition, Common Core, teaching methods, etc.—you tell us what issues matter to you! Please email your educational pet peeves and your proposed solution to
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chomnick@gmail.com and we will feature the top submissions in that article. Please include your name, age, and where you live. Thanks!
Chaim Homnick is the College Advisor at Mesivta Ateres Yaakov of Lawrence and also teaches 5 periods of Honors/AP English Literature. Chaim is the owner of Five Towns Tutoring (fivetownstutoring.com) and has new SAT groups forming now for 11th and 12th graders. He scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and the LSAT and tutors both extensively. He has a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration as well as an MBA. Chaim lives in Inwood, New York. For questions, comments, previous articles or tutoring, he can be reached directly at chomnick@ gmail.com or 305-321-3342.
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home
Forgotten Her es
Captain Jeffrey Feinstein The Last American Aerial Ace By Avi Heiligman
T
he Vietnam War (1964-1973), America’s second longest war after the recent engagements in Afghanistan, is rarely talked about by public news sources compared to other wars. There are many reasons for this, the least of which include the war’s unpopularity and the fact that it didn’t stop Communism. Digging deeper into the causes that lost the
war were the rules of engagement, the fact that the American forces were hampered by Washington bureaucrats and that the Communists kept on claiming victory even when they lost badly. The air force felt these effects and as such only five airmen achieved the ultimate bragging rights during the Vietnam War: an aerial ace. The last of these five was a nice
bespectacled Jewish boy from Chicago. Almost all of the Jewish jet aces fought for the IDF at one time or another with the major exception being Captain Jeffrey Feinstein. Born in 1945, Feinstein, nicknamed Fang, joined the Air Force Academy in Colorado Spring, Colorado, at the age of 19. He graduated in 1970 and trained to be a navigator and a weapons systems operator (WSO), aka the “backseater” in the F-4 Phantom. This means that while the pilot directs the plane and its maneuvers it is the job of the WSO to actually fire missiles at the enemy. Most pilots and navigators have perfect 20/20 vision but Feinstein was able to get a waiver to fly even though he had glasses to correct nearsightedness. Compared to other wars there were few enemy planes in the sky. However, when they were sighted by American planes it was the F-4 Phantoms that were called in to fight the North Vietnamese Air Force. The enemy was equipped with the best USR fighter at the time: the MiG-21. A few years earlier the Americans received the precious gift of an intact MiG21 from Israel. They had obtained it through a covert operation that started in Iraq. With the knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the MiG-21 and equipped with the best air-to-air missiles, the F-4 was ready for aerial dogfights. On April 16, 1972 Feinstein was in the backseat of the F-4 with Major Edward Cherry piloting the two-seat long-range jet interceptor. They were in a four plane formation over Hanoi, North Vietnam, when two MiG-21
jets came screaming in to attack the Americans. While dodging the threat of incoming missiles Feinstein shot an AIM-7 Sparrow missile at the second MiG-21. The missile hit its mark and the threat from the other plane dissipated. For his action that day Feinstein was awarded the first of four Silver Stars that he would receive for shooting down enemy aircraft. Six weeks later Feinstein was in a plane piloted by Captain Bruce Leonard Jr. over an enemy airbase in North Vietnam. They were in the lead plane of four F-4 Phantoms whose job was to provide fighter escort for other planes bombing strategic targets. No less than eleven MiGs came out to greet them with hostile fire. Feinstein picked out the MiG-21 that was aiming at the front American bomber. An Aim-9 Sidewinder missile put that MiG out of action and continued to support the other American planes. In June of that year Feinstein was a major player in helping to destroy ten enemy trucks, gas dumps and other important supplies. Feinstein’s third and fourth kills came in July 1972 with Lieutenant Colonel Carl Baily as the pilot. On July 18 they were leading a flight of Phantoms in what is known as an air superiority mission. The objective was to clear the skies of enemy planes so that friendly bombers and attack planes can hit targets unhindered. As the American bombers were finishing their bombing runs two MiG- 21 jets appeared. Already low on fuel Baily and Feinstein went after the bogeys (air force jargon for enemy aircraft). In an adrenaline pumping low-altiContinued on page 130
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The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
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MiG killers of the 432nd TRW, August 11, 1972. (L–R) Front: Capt DeBellevue and Capt Ritchie; rear: Lt Col Carl “Griff” Baily and Capt Jeffrey S. Feinstein
tude high-speed chase Feinstein shot down one of the MiGs with an AIM-9 missile. On July 29, they were north of Hanoi on a similar type of mission. As they approached the targets they were greeted not only by MiG-21s but also by anti-aircraft fire. Again he
shot one down with an AIM-9 for his fourth kill of the war. Feinstein also had a probable kill (probables can’t be included in the final tally because no one saw the plane actually crash) during that time and helped in the destruction of several enemy naval installations during the same month. His fifth kill was in his sights on September 30 when he was protecting bombers near Hanoi. Two MiGs tried to crash the bombing party and a lengthy dogfight ensued. At supersonic speeds the two bogeys were able to escape Feinstein’s missiles but they left the American planes alone. A couple of weeks earlier, while on another escort style mission, the call came over the radio about a downed aircrew needing to be rescued. Feinstein’s Phantom went to that area and provided vital air support while the crew was successfully rescued. High priority targets in North Vietnam drew the attention of the USAF, and, along with a large bomb-
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ing formation, several F-4 Phantoms were called on to protect the formation. As expected, MiG 21s were there to greet them and two were about to attack planes that were dispensing chaff (small metallic pieces designed to fool enemy radar). The pilot of Feinstein’s plane was Lieutenant Colonel Curtis Westphal, and they immediately went after the MiGs. Feinstein destroyed one with an AIM-7 Sparrow and noticed that his wingman was under attack. Disregarding their own plane’s safety, Olds 1 (their call sign for this flight) went after the second MiG-21. This maneuver allowed his wingman to escape and continue with the mission. This was Feinstein’s last kill but it made him an aerial ace. For his gallantry in action Feinstein was awarded the prestigious Air Force Cross (only 197 were ever awarded). In addition to his four Silver Stars and Air Force Cross Feinstein received a number of other medals including the Bronze Star, Purple
Heart, Distinguished Service Cross and Legion of Merit. These make him one of the most highly decorated Jews ever to serve in the U.S. military. He was still active during the Gulf War and flew as a command director on an E-3 Sentry early warning and control plane commonly known as an AWACS. In 1996 he retired from the air force as a lieutenant colonel. Feinstein was the last American ace and only one of the few Jewish aces in history. Better planes and drones are making aerial dog fighting a thing of the past so that record may hold for a very long time. Even though the war was lost in Washington due to fighting bureaucrats, pilots like Feinstein made life very difficult for the Communists in Vietnam.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at aviheiligman@gmail.com.
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Israeli Styles Blend to Create New International Look BY KEN STEPHENS
F
rom Jerusalem to Los Angeles, interior and exterior design experts are in demand as discerning homebuyers and those who are looking to remodel their existing living spaces cast about for the hottest new concepts for their residences. These experts are armed with an array of tools, which allow them to offer Israeli-European design concepts to Americans, as well as furnish Americans with innovative Israeli ideas. Annette Frommer, an Israeli-based interior designer who boasts an impressive portfolio of international clientele, recently created a stunning model apartment for the upscale ParkEight residential project in Jerusalem’s Baka neighborhood. “The model apartment had to speak the same language as the project, which is upscale and very unique,” Frommer revealed. “So I designed the model apartment based how I envisioned the essence of the project. As ParkEight is being built to a very high standard, the interior design of the model apartment was extravagant, but within the realm of what most people would be looking for and not over the top.” Frommer, who was born and educated in Belgium before making aliyah, has been influenced by Eu-
ropean culture and sophistication, which is reflected in her trendy designs. “The ParkEight model apartment reflects what I’m trying to do in general with my American clientele, which is steering them away from what they have been used to in the USA, where homes and apartments have more clutter and less dust to deal with,” Frommer explained. The model apartment also accentuates the “seeing is believing” element, when trying to change interior design attitudes amongst American clients. “Americans, and Anglos in general, want warm and inviting homes. They like details, finished walls that are not plain white, with quality furniture and many accessories,” added Frommer. “I try and make them feel comfortable when I try and change their design attitudes, especially when apartments and homes in Israel are laid out in a different fashion. Some rooms are smaller than what people were used to in the USA, UK, etc. I show them a different approach. The European design highlights a clean, modern and spacious look with more windows, less furniture pieces, which cut down on dust, as well as the usage of accessories in a more moderate fashion. My motto is, ‘have elegant spaces’!”
In Los Angeles, Israeli-born Noam Baram, President of 24 Construction & Design, is bringing international flavor to local trends. 24 Construction & Design caters to a wide array of clients, offering cutting-edge Israeli design concepts to his customers in California and beyond. “Our company has an impeccable reputation with regard to being sensitive to clients’ needs and making their design dreams come true with a minimum infringement on their daily lives. Renovating one’s home doesn’t need to be a stressful adventure,” said Baram. “By offering top quality materials and utilizing elite construction standards we provide clients with a unique renovation journey that they will relish for many years. This is what separates us from other companies.” Baram pointed out that both traditional and modern designs are in demand, “Wood-trim finishes around all doors and windows inside and out, as well as wood stained kitchens cabinets with granite and marble countertops remain popular,” added Noam. “Current building trends in California are two story modern designed houses between 3,500-5,000 square feet. They highlight high-ceilings, open space layout, modern kitchens fea-
turing Caesarstone, which is an Israeli innovation (natural quartz surfaces) that has become a popular design element across in the USA.” He also explained that creating dining and living rooms featuring large bi-fold glass doors, which open up to a backyard featuring a pool and Jacuzzi, are also design elements that 24 Construction & Design have integrated into their remodeling efforts for high-end clientele. Having a designing ace at one’s disposal on both sides of the ocean is not unheard of either these days. In fact, it is growing trend, especially amongst bi-coastal new immigrants. As Frommer pointed out, “Many of my Anglo clients continue to live in their homes abroad at different times of the year. The purchase of a new home or apartment in Jerusalem can be used as either vacation home or one that is used during the summer or holiday periods. Thus, when they come to their Israeli apartment or home, they are looking for a designer who can offer different design approaches within their living space.” From Jerusalem to Los Angeles, Israeli styles are blending with American/European sensibilities to bring a whole new look to homes large and small.
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“Step Away From That Soda, Sir...” By Allan Rolnick, CPA
L
ast year, the Philadelphia City Council slapped a 1.5 cent-perounce tax on soda and artificially-sweetened drinks. The new tax, which became effective on January 1, sounds like something intended to fight obesity, diabetes, and other public health threats. The Council actually designed it to finance universal pre-kindergarten for Philadelphia schoolchildren and pay for local development projects. However, like many taxes — especially so-called “Pigovian” taxes on market activities that impose societal costs (like smoking and drinking) — the soda tax may create some unexpected consequences of its own. One and a half cents per ounce doesn’t sound like much. It’s been a long time since you could get much of anything for a penny. But multiply that penny and a half by a 12-ounce can and you’re talking 18 cents. Multiply that by a six-pack and you’re up to $1.08. Those 53-foot “Diet Coke” trucks you see lumbering down the highway hold 194,500 cans of the fizzy stuff. Do a little quick math and you’ll see that means $2,917.50 in tax. (Remember that number; you’ll be seeing it again.)
Naturally, consumers are already unhappy. Retailers are struggling over whether to pass the cost along to consumers. (The tax isn’t added to the retail price like a regular sales tax; it’s paid by the distributor.) Bars and restaurants are clamping
celebrates in hits like “Atlantic City” and “Meeting Across the River.” A hundred years ago, give or take, Prohibition launched an era of bootleggers and speakeasies. Could the Philadelphia soda tax lead to similar lawlessness?
Do a little quick math and you’ll see that means $2,917.50 in tax.
down on free refills, as they’re paying almost $60 more for a five-gallon canister of concentrated soda syrup (enough to make 30 gallons of actual soda). On the bright side, parents of pre-schoolers will be delighted. And there’s another, less obvious group that might smell opportunity here. We’re talking, of course, about the remnants of Philadelphia’s oncemighty mob, from bosses like Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino on down to the desperate last-chancers that Jersey Shore native Bruce Springsteen
We can imagine the scene already. Burly, unshaven men buying truckloads of soda across the river in tax-free New Jersey. Midnight rendezvous under dark bridges with furtive restaurant and supermarket owners glancing nervously out of the corners of their eyes. Sales of burner cellphones soaring. Whispered signals and codes piercing the night airwaves: “The dice are on the carpet. I repeat, the dice are on the carpet.” Think it sounds ridiculous? Look at taxes on cigarettes in neighboring New York. The Empire State lights
up smokers for $4.35 per pack, compared to just 30 cents down I-95 in nearby Virginia. As a result, a whopping 58% of cigarettes sold in New York are bootlegged. The nonpartisan Tax Foundation reports that “growing cigarette tax differentials have made cigarette smuggling both a national problem and a lucrative criminal enterprise.” At $2,917.50 per truckload, it hardly sounds impossible to see the same thing happen in Philadelphia. In the long run, lots of taxes turn out to be fairly easy to avoid. Don’t want to pay the Philadelphia soda tax, and don’t want to risk being stopped at the Ben Franklin Bridge with a case of bootleg product? Switch to coffee. Don’t like paying tax on your capital gains? Find a more tax-efficient way to invest. So make sure you find those legal strategies to pay less.
Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 yea rs in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
Which one of these children needs Chai Lifeline? (Hint: They all do.) Chai Lifeline is renowned for the care and love it bestows on children fighting cancer. But that’s only the beginning. Chai Lifeline serves thousands of children with medical challenges that aren’t evident on the outside, everything from Crohns Disease to cystic fibrosis to heart disease and illnesses so rare only a handful of children have been diagnosed. And still, that’s only the beginning. Chai Lifeline includes siblings and parents, too, with programs geared towards the entire family. We care for more than 5,000 children and their families around the world and across the street. Chances are, you know them. They just don’t look sick.
Whenever, wherever we’re needed, Chai Lifeline is there.
Chai Lifeline. Comprehensive, compassionate, professional assistance for families facing illness, loss or trauma. 151 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001 I (877) CHAI-LIFE I (212) 465-1300 I www.chailifeline.org
Regional Offices: Greater New York I Southeast I West Coast I Midwest I Mid-Atlantic I New Jersey I Canada I England I Israel I Belgium Hospital Support: Meals | Transportation Assistance | Hospital Visits | Respite Children’s Programs: Arts and Recreational Activities | After-school programs | Sibling Programs | Educational Assistance in Limudei Kodesh Counseling for patients and siblings | Camp Simcha/Camp Simcha Special Family Programs: Advocacy and Information | Retreats | Insurance Advocacy | Family Recreation | Family Counseling | Bereavement Services Community Programs: Project CHAI, support for schools, camps, and communities facing crisis or trauma.
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Life C ach
Cereal Bowl vs. Super Bowl By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
I
f you were a Patriots fan this week, you probably were thinking it would have been better to bury your head in a cereal bowl than in the Super Bowl. It certainly seemed like a frustrating series of mishaps to witness. Now, sure, with a cereal bowl
sometimes there are also disasters. The milk spills over. The cereal gets strewn all over the place. But no one sets out to make this happen. There isn’t a team of fellow breakfast eaters trying to battle you to the floor or knock your breakfast out of your hands.
BLENDING TOGETHER BEAUTY, LIFE, AND HOLINESS
On the football field, it’s a conscious all-out attack. The quarterback is sacked, the football is intercepted, the players are continuously being wrestled to the ground. Early in the game the Patriots were down 2 touchdowns. Right then one of the announcers clearly put a damper on anyone’s optimism. He shared the fact that no team had ever come back from being 2 touchdowns behind in a Super Bowl game. So, as the Falcons racked up 2 more touchdowns and the Patriots missed touchdown after touchdown and flubbed even field goals, it appeared it was probably inertia, more than anything else, that kept fans and mere observers alike pinned to their seats. It was a painful series of events that finally gave the Patriots some respite as they trudged off to the locker room for a needed halftime break. Interestingly, there was a potentially hidden message in the halftime extravaganza. It was a spirit-lifting, upbeat show. But I want you to take note of something: the performer was someone who calls herself “GaGa,” a name pretty much associated with immature or babyish speech. Yet she came out and demonstrated her ability to wow a crowd, not with babyish gibberish, but with a sophisticated medley of songs. (So this could have been hinting to a change in what one might expect would follow.) And then came the second half.... After halftime the Patriots came out on the field with an instruction from their coaches to forget the first half experience and to just start
anew. Yet they were struggling along in the second half once again. Like a baby learning to talk, “Ga ga ga,” the attempts and failures were continuously a struggle. Every attempted touchdown was thwarted. There seemed to be little hope of any kind of success. In fact, it appeared the only reason for the underdog to keep on trying was to diminish the level of embarrassment as to the magnitude of their defeat. And then, voila, they broke out in a “medley of song!” They turned things around late in the game and won! So what lesson do we learn? In life you certainly can stick with your bowl of cereal but it has a limited upside: a quick carb boost. But it also has a limited downside: at worst, a messy spill. Or you can really get into – and more importantly, stay in – the game. No matter what challenges it may present, without letting anyone or anything – not history, or another’s experience, or your fears – deter you. And then like a baby who starts out struggling to express themselves, “Ga ga”-ing, if you keep at it, you can find out you’ve got the ability to perform in unlimited ways. And such is the lesson of this year’s Super Bowl. Don’t give up! When you go for a bowl – go big!
Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com
The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 9, 2017
MESIVTA ATERES YAAKOV
annual dinner SHAPING the FUTURE
MONDAY, MARCH 20TH, 2017 THE SANDS
1395 BEECH STREET, ATLANTIC BEACH NY
DINNER: 7:00
PROGRAM:8:00
ELI EISENBERGER & MENACHEM LIEBER DINNER CHAIRMEN
Yakov & Nechama Goodstein GUESTs of HONOR
Yankee & Tammy Hirsch
Rabbi Yehuda Horowitz
Parents of the Year
Harbotzas Torah Award
The Establishment of the Robbie Schonfeld, A”H Scholarship Fund d”r sqei ‘x oa wgvi rhp miig ‘x znyp ielrl R A B B E I M F O R L I F E , E D U C AT I O N F O R L I F E , T O R A H F O R L I F E .
SAVE THE DATE
TM
cross river bank
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FEBRUARY 9, 2017 | The Jewish Home