Five Towns Jewish Home 03.06.25

Dear Readers,

Are you the type of person who likes to be surprised? I know that there are many people who would prefer to know that they are having a “surprise” birthday party than to walk into a party for themselves completely caught unaware. There’s a joy in the anticipation of the event, knowing that something exciting is happening.

Well, for kids, the excitement and the anticipation of Purim starts many weeks in advance. Chazal say, “M’shenichnas Adar marbim b’simcha, as Adar comes in, one should increase their joy.” Most children add on a hiddur to that mitzvah. They’ve been increasing their joy and talking about their costumes for months. It’s like they’ve mixed up some holidays by mistake and attached the “harei zeh meshubach” directive of the Hagaddah to the Purim spirit.

I don’t mind. I think it’s fun and cute for them to be planning ahead. But I’ve learned that we can’t order costumes too far in advance. Because minds change and ideas get swapped, and at the end of all the planning, their get-ups can be very far from what their initial plans were.

But there’s something about their joy that’s infectious. There’s something fun about dreaming and imagining, wanting to become someone different for the day.

Preparing for Purim is a bit like preparing for a play. There are the props and the scenery

and the costume design – and don’t forget the food backstage for all the actors. And then you have those sound guys – the ones who need their Purim noisemakers and “snaps” to throw at the ground on Purim morning. See where I’m going with this?

When I go into stores nowadays, I am overwhelmed by the nosh on display. The array of colors is dizzying – each package brighter and more flamboyant than the next. So much of the candy is disguised as toys – fun trinkets filled with sweet, sticky treats. When I think about all the sugar – some of these “candies” are really granules of sugar, just in brighter colors – I become dizzy as well. I almost wish we could go back to the days when the only nosh on the market was Twizzlers and shtreimel cookies. But when I express my amazement to my little kids, they become horrified: “Mommy, we can’t give out ‘bad’ nosh!” I didn’t say that we would be giving out “bad” nosh – just maybe something a little less cavity-inducing.

In any case, we are certainly bringing in Adar with the heightened excitement of Purim in the air, although it could be that the tasting of all their mishloach manos nosh may just be giving them all a sugar high.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman, MANAGING EDITOR ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Dear Editor,

Lately, I have been to several gemach weddings where the food was so bad, it was not even edible. It tasted like leftovers, at best.

Especially if I traveled a distance to help celebrate, I should be fed well and not have to go out of my way to buy a sandwich at the local kosher market or restaurant, as I was forced to do on a number of occasions.

I understand that people are on tight budgets, and that weddings are expensive, but seriously – give your clients quality service.

Anonymous

Dear Editor,

Israel’s massive prisoner releases for live and murdered Israeli hostages gravely endanger the country. Many past terrorists from both the first and second Intifadas have been released – people who participated in mass killings of Israelis, many via bus bombings. Their knowledge has already been harnessed by Hamas, who took responsibility for the recent bus bombings in Bat Yam. Thankfully, the timers were incorrectly set and unattended parked buses exploded at night and not, G-d forbid, at morning rush hour. But as more and more terrorists are released, the danger of mass attacks grows exponentially.

The current lopsided deal clearly endangers every Israeli and must be revised quickly.

Never Again, Henry Moscovic Flushing, NY

Dear Editor,

When the gentiles entered the Bais Hamikdash after the destruction, they found the Keruvim embracing each other. They jeered, “Are these the matters with which a great nation like the Jewish people occupies itself?” As a result of what they had seen, they despised the Jews.

(The Midrash Says)

Footnote: The miracle of the Keruvim, which embraced each other as a sign of heavenly approval and averted their faces when Hashem was displeased with Klal Yisrael, proved to the people Hashem’s special Providence over them. The sight therefore inspired them to do teshuva. The gentiles, however, who did not understand the holiness of the symbol, interpreted it on their own base level.

(Torah Temima)

The world knows what our message is – there is a G-d who created and runs the world – but the world totally rejects the message. They always think that if they can twist the message and destroy the Jews, their problem will be solved. The Purim story was twisted and used as the main propaganda tool against the “The Eternal Jew” by Nazism. We will keep on celebrating Purim while they will keep on sharing Haman’s fate.

Elli Epstein Ocean, NJ

Dear Editor,

For those of you who are even daring to think that Andrew Cuomo would be a good mayor for New York City, just remember his authoritarian leadership during the pandemic. His decision to require nursing homes to accept certain

on page 16

Continued from page 12 patients during the pandemic led to thousands of deaths. Our state lived through dark days during the pandemic, and it’s because of him and his rules that many of us unnecessarily suffered.

True, our city is in a dismal state. But don’t the Democrats (or the Republicans, although there’s no way they’ll ever win) have a better candidate?

Y. Weider

Dear Editor,

To the mother whose child is too smart and doesn’t have friends: please know that your child is a great kid. But, as Etti Siegel (whose column I love!) says, this is not about blaming the school. Your child has many wonderful qualities within her, but if she doesn’t have the social skills to use them and showcase them to other kids her age, she will be suffering in the friends department.

It’s funny, but your child does not need tutoring for her math, science or Chumash subjects. But it sounds like she can benefit from a “tutor” to help her learn social skills. Yes, many children are able to understand social cues. But some have to be taught. And they can be taught.

Now that she’s in a new school, it would truly help your daughter if you would be able to find her the right therapist/expert to work on social skills with her. I guarantee she will find navigating friendships so much easier and smoother once she becomes proficient in these skills.

You’re an astute, wonderful mother and should be commended for going out of your way to ensure that your child is excelling in all areas.

Lily Weider

Dear Editor,

It’s time we get our priorities straight. Considering the difficult times so many of our Jewish brothers and sisters are facing, let’s focus on Matanos Levyonim and cut down our mishloach manos. Nobody needs a fancy meat board or box of chocolates with fancy wrappings, but people do need money to put chicken on the table and pay the rent. There is no shortage of charities to help out, even gift cards to donate in someone’s honor instead of leaving another package at their door.

A Reader

PKK Calls for Peace with Turkey

On Thursday, Abdullah Ocalan, the 75-year-old imprisoned founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), declared that his party should dissolve and his militia should stop fighting with Turkey. His groundbreaking declaration may put an end to the deadly decades-long conflict between Turks and Kurds.

“All groups must lay down their arms, and PKK must dissolve itself,” he declared from his jail cell on Imrali prison island, where he has been held since 1999 in solitary confinement. “I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call.”

His decision was in response to an offer of peace given to him by Turkey four months ago.

Lawmakers from the DEM party, which is pro-Kurdish, read aloud his declaration in public in Istanbul. They were met by applause and tears, including by the 3,000 individuals listening in Diyarbakir, a city with a Kurdish majority.

The conflict between the Kurds and Turkey has been deadly since 1984, with over 40,000 people dying from the fighting. The two parties have tried to negotiate for peace, but all talks have fallen through. The last time the two sides discussed peace was in 2015. In October 2024, they came in contact again when hardline nationalist MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, convinced Ocalan to reject violence.

Under Erdogan, Turkish authorities have detained hundreds of people on charges of being tied to the “terrorist” Kurds. However, now that peace is within reach, there is a renewed hope that Turkey will give the Kurds, who make up 20% of the population of 85 million people in

Turkey, what they’ve been fighting for.

The PKK has waged an insurgency since 1984, with the initial aim of carving out an independent homeland for Kurds. The group has since moved away from its separatist goals and is now pushing for more autonomy and greater Kurdish rights. It is banned as a terrorist group in Turkey, the EU, UK and U.S.

Surviving an Avalanche

Forty-six workers survived a Himalayan avalanche after they were struck near a construction site in northern India on Friday. The workers were pulled alive from metal containers after they were trapped under the snow for around 36 hours.

The Indian Army launched a rescue operation after heavy snowfall triggered the avalanche. Many of those rescued were migrant laborers constructing a highway in the remote region.

The workers usually pitch tents but had set up temporary accommodations in eight metal containers due to inclement weather. The decision likely saved many lives.

“The containers…kept people safe and in fact made the rescue efforts easier because to find a body buried under such dense snow is much harder than finding a large container,” Lt. Col. Manish Srivastava said.

Avalanches and landslides are common in the Himalayas, especially during winter.

U.K.

Pledges $2B to Ukraine

22 discuss the future of the war in Ukraine. But instead of signing a minerals deal that the two had previously agreed upon, the meeting grew incredibly heated, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who was present at the discussion, accusing Zelenskyy of being “disrespectful” and ungrateful for United States support after the Ukrainian president repeatedly tried to negotiate for an explicitly-outlined security deal during the televised meeting. Vance also condemned Zelenskyy for allegedly campaigning for the Kamala Harris campaign with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in September and for purportedly employing propaganda tactics to recruit men to the frontlines.

After Zelenskyy suggested that the U.S. would one day feel Russian aggression despite the ocean that separates Washington and Moscow, Trump joined Vance in his angry condemnation of Zelenskyy, telling the Ukrainian president that he’s “gambling with World War III” and that he “has no cards” without the United States. The meeting quickly turned into a verbal brawl until the White House asked Zelenskyy to leave, leaving the minerals deal unsigned.

Just a day later, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of England pledged to loan Ukraine 2.2 billion British pounds ($2.8

billion), which would be paid for through Saturday’s freezing of Russian assets. Starmer additionally noted a new $2 billion deal to help Ukraine purchase Northern Ireland’s missiles.

When Starmer and Zelenskyy met on Saturday, the two world leaders hugged and shook hands outside the prime minister’s residence. Starmer told Zelenskyy that he was dedicated to ending the war. Since the war began, Russia has occupied almost one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.

“We have to learn from the mistakes of the past. We cannot accept a weak deal like Minsk, which Russia can break with ease,” Starmer declared, referencing the deals that stopped a previous conflict between Russian separatists and Ukrainian armed forces. “Instead, any deal must be backed with strength. Every nation must contribute to that in the best way that it can.”

Following Starmer’s announcement, Zelenskyy said he believes all of Europe is united and agrees that security guarantees are required for there to be lasting peace.

Starmer added that he spoke to Trump on Saturday night and noted that his deal depends on U.S. support. The British premier said that the U.K., France, and Ukraine would craft a ceasefire plan and

present it to the United States.

“Of course, we understand the importance of America, and we are grateful for all the support we’ve received from the United States. There has not been a day when we haven’t felt gratitude,” Zelenskyy posted on X on Sunday. “It’s gratitude for the preservation of our independence — our resilience in Ukraine is based on what our partners are doing for us — and for their own security.”

Deadly Car Ramming in Germany

At least two people were killed and 25 others were injured when a car sped down the street and drove into a crowd in Mannheim, Germany, on Monday afternoon. The crowd had been attending an annual carnival celebration.

act was deliberate. A prosecutor, Gabriele Tilman, said the suspect “gave an explanation I would summarize as religious motivation.”

On December 20, a car-ramming attack occurred at a holiday market in Magdeburg, Germany. Five people were killed and around 200 others were injured in the attack. A 50-year-old Saudi-born man, identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, was arrested in the incident, which police suspect was deliberate. Al-Abdulmohsen was charged with five counts of murder and multiple counts of both attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm.

The Mannheim attack comes at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

According to a notice issued by the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center last week, an ISIS-aligned network released a poster called “Choose Your Next Target!” and lists four upcoming festivals and parades, mostly in Germany. The poster features images of a bloody knife and pistol, encouraging attacks.

Chaos in Serbian Parliament

An 83-year-old woman and a 54-yearold man were killed in the terror attack.

The suspect, who was arrested, was identified as Alexander Scheuermann, a 40-year-old German citizen from Ludwigshafen. Police believe he acted alone. He had shot himself as police were closing in on him but survived and was taken to the hospital.

“We assume that he drove intentionally,” said Romeo Schussler, senior public prosecutor, explaining that the individual was known to authorities for past incidents.

“The perpetrator had to serve a short prison sentence for bodily harm 10 years ago. There was also a case of drunk driving,” he said. “The last time he was noticed was in 2018 for hate speech on Facebook.”

The deadly incident comes in the wake of two intentional car-ramming attacks in Germany and at a time of heightened security across the country.

On February 13, a 24-year-old suspect drove a car into a crowd in Munich gathered for a trade union demonstration, killing a 37-year-old mother and her 2-year-old daughter and injuring 37 people. The terrorist, Fahad Noori, who is originally from Afghanistan, purportedly confessed to investigators that the

On Tuesday, Serbia’s parliament erupted into chaos as opposition lawmakers threw smoke grenades and tear gas inside the chamber to protest against the government and support demonstrating students.

With dozens of lawmakers gathered in the chamber, opposition MPs lit flares and tossed smoke grenades and eggs, while others leapt from their seats to brawl with security guards. As the room filled with smoke, some unrolled a banner reading: “Serbia rises up to bring down the regime.”

Three members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), including a pregnant woman, were injured in the melee, with one suffering a stroke.

Serbia’s political crisis began after the canopy of a railway station in the city of Novi Sad collapsed in November, killing 15 people. The tragedy became a flashpoint for latent discontent that had been brewing over President Aleksandr Vucic’s

12 years in power. What began as vigils for the dead have led to four months of near-daily protests that have drawn in large swaths of Serbian society and reached every corner of the Balkan nation. Most of the protests have been led by students.

The crowd outside the parliament on Tuesday held 15 minutes of silence, one for each of the victims of the Novi Sad tragedy.

Parliament was due on Tuesday to confirm the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, who announced in January that he would stand down in an attempt to calm the political tensions. However, the protesters saw the move as an attempt by the president to deflect blame – a tactic he has used to defuse past crises.

Japan Fighting Huge Wildfire

At least one person has died in a 1,800-hectare wildfire that has been burning for days in Ofunato, a city on the east coast of Japan. Dozens of homes have been damaged by the flames.

The wildfire is the largest Japan has

faced in more than three decades and is burning through a forested area on the coastal city.

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said it had learned of the fire on Wednesday afternoon, and that at least 84 homes had been damaged by Wednesday night. The government issued evacuation orders to around 4,600 residents on Wednesday, according to the fire agency. More than 1,200 people were in shelters as of Sunday morning.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The last forest fire of this scale in Japan burned more than 1,000 hectares on the northern island of Hokkaido in 1992, a fire agency spokesman said on Sunday. Ofunato’s driest season is typically from January to March, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Last month was the driest February there in

over two decades.

Fire officials in Japan were also battling two smaller wildfires on Sunday. The first, in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, began on Wednesday and grew to 120 hectares by Saturday. The second, in the northern prefecture of Nagano, started on Friday and reached 100 hectares by Sunday.

Iran’s Zarif Quits

Mohammad Javad Zarif, former foreign minister of Iran, quit President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government on Monday after pressure from hardliners. Zarif has served as vice president to Pezeshkian and has long been a target of hardliners within the country’s theocracy. He had tried to resign once before; it is unclear whether Pezeshkian accepted his attempt

to leave the government this time.

On Sunday, Finance Minister Abdolnasser Hemmati was impeached by Iran’s parliament. Hemmati had once ran for president and had signaled that he would be willing to talk to the U.S. president directly.

Iran’s rial has plummeted recently. With the country’s economy spiraling downward, Pezeshkian should be concerned for his job.

“Pezeshkian may have worse days ahead,” warned Mohmmad Ebrahim Ansari Lari, a reformist and a political analyst.

Writing Monday on the social platform X, Zarif said he met the day before with the head of the country’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei.

Zarif said he had “faced the most horrible insults, slander and threats against myself and my family, and I have gone through the most bitter period of my 40 years of service. To avoid further pressure on the government, the head of the judiciary recommended that I resign and… I accepted immediately,” he added. “He recommended that I return to university.”

Hardliners had targeted Zarif since Pezeshkian’s election, citing a law that bars people from Iranian public office if

they have children holding foreign passports. Zarif’s children are naturally born U.S. citizens as he had lived in the United States when serving as a local staffer with Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York.

Zarif was Iran’s top diplomat between 2013 and 2021 in the government of moderate president Hassan Rouhani. He became known on the international stage during lengthy negotiations for the 2015 nuclear accord formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States from the deal during his first term.

Now, in his second term, Trump has renewed U.S. sanctions against Tehran as Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium, according to a report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. Iran maintains its program is peaceful, but U.S. intelligence agencies assess Tehran has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.” Iranian officials also increasingly hint they could seek the bomb.

IDF Oct. 7 Probe

On October 7, 2023, 5,000 Hamas terrorists and Gazan civilians stormed southern Israel, murdering 1,200 people, maiming thousands, and taking another 251 people captive. The question is, why didn’t the Israeli military see the massacre coming? And why couldn’t they immediately stop it once it started?

According to an investigation by the Israel Defense Forces, there were four reasons why the IDF was blindsided by the attacks.

First, the report notes, the army had a “perception” issue. They assumed that

Hamas had little interest in a big war and that the terror tunnels in Gaza were degraded. Additionally, the IDF didn’t believe Hamas could break through the high-tech border fence on the Gaza border.

The second reason was the failure to take “intelligence assessments” seriously. The Military Intelligence Directorate was aware of Hamas’s plans to launch a major attack. However, the directorate believed that such plans weren’t possible to carry out and that Yahya Sinwar, the now-deceased Hamas leader, was sensible enough to avoid starting a major war with Israel. Additionally, the IDF believed the prospect of a ground attack to be unlikely, as Hamas was expected to build its rocket capabilities instead. The army also thought that Hamas would avoid war after the terror group’s brief 2021 war effort against Israel failed.

Israel has since determined that Hamas in April 2022 chose to carry out a major attack. Less than six months later, they were at 85% readiness. In May 2023, Hamas chose to carry out the massacre on October 7.

Another reason the IDF failed to prevent the October 7 massacre was due to flawed decision-making. The night before October 7, the IDF recognized five signs of unusual Hamas activity. However, the military dismissed the notion that an attack would take place.

Finally, on October 7, the military didn’t have real-time access to some battle information. It was only hours after the IDF’s Gaza Division was overrun that the army found out about it. Since the military wasn’t aware of the Gaza Division’s losses, the General Staff didn’t realize how serious the attack was. The probe determined that the IDF, which was unprepared for a major surprise attack, failed to defend Israeli civilians.

Notably, the investigation doesn’t touch on political figures’ roles in the lead-up to the attack. The government has rejected carrying out such an investigation until after the war is over.

Terror Car Ramming

On Thursday, a Palestinian terrorist from Jenin rammed his sedan into a bus stop at Karkur Junction, injuring 13 people. The attack left a 17-year-old girl in critical condition, a 60-year-old man and 19-year-old woman in serious condition, an 18-year-old woman with moderate injuries, and six others with light injuries.

The 17-year-old in critical condition

was sedated and hooked up to a ventilator due to injuries to her head and limbs, according to Magen David Adom. The 60-year-old and 19-year-old also sustained injuries to their heads.

The attack took place near Pardes Hanna. After the car ramming, the terrorist drove into a police car, exited the vehicle, and attempted to stab police officers with a screwdriver. At that point, law enforcement shot and killed the terrorist, Jamil Zayoud, 53. Zayoud reportedly was an illegal resident of Ma’ale Iron and had an Arab Israeli wife.

Hamas did not take responsibility for the attack but praised the terrorist.

The terror attack came one week after the three consecutive bus explosions, which, thank G-d, left zero injuries or casualties.

With Heavy Hearts

Last Thursday, Israel confirmed that the bodies of four hostages, Itzik Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, Shlomo Mantzur, and Tsahi Idan, arrived back in Israel after 510 days of captivity, marking the final release in the fragile ceasefire deal’s first stage, in which 33 Israeli hostages were freed, eight of whom were killed.

President Isaac Herzog lamented the news of the four hostages’ deaths and said their return “underscores our moral obligation to do everything in our power to bring back all the hostages.”

Yahalomi, a dual French-Israeli citizen, was a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was 49 on October 7 and turned 50 last April while in captivity. Yahalomi’s murder took place sometime over the past 10 months.

“Ohad, who was 50 at the time of his death, was a devoted and loving family man. He was a passionate sportsman

30 and an avid traveler, intimately familiar with every trail and path in the desert he so dearly loved,” said his kibbutz. “For years, he worked at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, dedicating his life to the preservation of nature. Out of his deep love for the desert, he co-authored a scorpion field guide with partners and was involved in educational initiatives within the Bedouin community.”

He leaves behind his wife and three young children. On October 7, he stood outside his family’s sealed room door, which couldn’t be locked due to issues with the door handle, trying to protect his loved ones with a gun in his hand. At that point, Hamas shot him and took his wife, Batsheva, and their three children hostage. Yahalomi’s wife and two daughters somehow escaped, but he and his son Eitan, 12, were brought to Gaza. On November 27, Eitan was released.

The kibbutz added that they will “always remember him as a man of values, filled with compassion, a lover of people and the land.” His family said they “are hurting and still struggling to believe.”

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, lamented the death of Yahalomi, declaring that “the barbaric acts of Hamas must end.”

“I share the immense pain of his

family and loved ones,” Macron stated. “France lost 50 of its children in the infamy of October 7.”

Elgarat, who was 68 on October 7, also lived in Kibbutz Nir Oz. He “came to Nir Oz following his brother and became a beloved figure in the community. For years, he served the kibbutz with dedication as a groundskeeper and was responsible for plumbing, gas, and steam maintenance.

“He was an integral part of the social fabric, loved spending time at the local pub, hosting friends, and connecting different generations. His great love for soccer and backgammon was well known, and he shone in local games, always with a smile and a warm spirit… We will remember him for his laughter, his big heart, and his willingness to always be there for anyone in need.”

Elgarat, who is survived by his two children, his brother, and two sisters, was shot and wounded in his house’s safe room. His brother Danny informed the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee that Elgarat died of starvation.

Idan was 49 when he was abducted from Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Just before he was kidnapped, Hamas terrorists shot his 18-year-old daughter Maayan dead through the safe room door. Hamas

took Idan’s wife’s phone and videoed the graphic attack on the family. Idan’s wife and three children survived.

“Tsahi was abducted while on his feet, and we received several signs of life from him,” his family said. “As of the November 2023 deal, he was still alive and was expected to be released.

“Tsahi will be laid to rest alongside his beloved daughter, Maayan, who was murdered on October 7 while trying to help her father protect the shelter door.”

Mantzur was the only hostage of the four brought back on Thursday who was killed on October 7. He was an 85-yearold “energetic and cheerful man dedicated to giving, a polymath with a strong work ethic,” according to the Hostages Families Forum. He was born in 1938 in Baghdad, Iraq. At 13 years old, he made aliyah and founded Kibbutz Kissufim and worked in the chicken coop and eyewear factory. He was also a hobbyist carpenter. Mantzur leaves behind his wife, Mazal, his five children, 12 grandchildren, and five siblings.

According to Mazal, Mantzur was kidnapped from the safe room in their home while he was wearing pajamas. She watched him being dragged away in handcuffs by a number of terrorists. Mantzur was then driven away in his own car, while Mazal escaped and hid in a neighbor’s house. Later that day, the 85-yearold was killed by terrorists.

Terror Stabbing at Bus Terminal

On Monday, Jethro Shahin, an Israeli Druze citizen in his 20s, went on a stabbing spree at Haifa’s Lev Hamifratz bus station, killing one person and injuring four others.

Though Shahin’s stabbing spree is widely considered an act of terrorism, his family maintains that he wasn’t a terrorist but was grappling with severe mental illness.

Shahin repeatedly stabbed to death Hassan Karim Dahamsheh, a 70-yearold man from the Arab Galilee town of Kafr Kanna. He also attacked a 15-yearold boy, who is being treated at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa after sustain-

ing life-threatening wounds, as well as a woman in his 70s, and a man and woman in their 30s, who both were moderately injured.

According to a witness, Shahin launched into the attack after getting off a bus from Shfar’am and yelling, “Allahu Akbar.” He had been away from Israel for several months, according to the police.

Later, police reportedly raided his home and interrogated his family. Reportedly, he had no criminal record.

“Such an act of terrorism is contrary to every moral and human value and certainly does not reflect the loyal spirit of the Druze community in Israel, which is a full partner in defending the state and its values,” declared MK Hamed Amar, a Druze right-wing lawmaker, insisting that the attack isn’t representative of Israel’s Druze. Amar added that Shahin is a “terrorist with German citizenship who was born and lived in Germany.”

Heads of the Druze and Circassian authorities said they stand “united and determined against any attempt to harm the security of Israeli citizens.”

Shahin’s uncle said, “I am a disabled IDF veteran, and his other uncle is a reserve soldier. We have nothing in our family hostile to the state.”

Esther Wachsman Passes Away

Nachshon Wachsman’s mother, Esther, passed away this week at the age of 76.

Nachshon, an IDF soldier and a dual Israeli American citizen, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 9, 1994 while hitching a ride near Jerusalem. When Israel attempted to rescue Nachshon in Bir Nabala, Nachshon was killed, along with one of the soldiers who was part of the extradition force. Other soldiers in the raid were injured. All the terrorists were killed.

Nachshon was 19 years old.

After Nachshon was kidnapped while attempting to a hitch a ride back home, Nachshon’s captors released a video two days later, demanding the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the boy’s freedom. They vowed to kill him on Friday at 8 p.m. if Israel did not comply.

Speaking to the camera, Nachshon said in the video: “Hamas captured me, they want to release their prisoners. If not, they will kill me. I ask of you to do what you can to get me out of here alive.”

To his parents, he said: “I hope to come back to you.”

Yitzhak Rabin, who was prime minister at the time, took responsibility for the failed operation.

Speaking to the Maariv newspaper on the 30th anniversary of his brother’s abduction, Chezi Wachsman said that Rabin had told the family he would not comply with Hamas’s ransom demand.

“Rabin came to our home, hugged us, cried with us but told us right to our faces: ‘I’m sorry, I’m not giving into terror.’ And we took it very hard…but deep inside we could understand,” he said.

Since Nachshon’s death, Esther committed herself to commemorating him and Cpt. Nir Poraz, the soldier who was killed during the attempted rescue.

Esther’s husband, Yehuda, passed away in 2020. She is survived by six children and dozens of grandchildren.

Esther Wachsman was born in a displaced people’s camp in Germany in 1947 to German Jewish Holocaust survivors whose entire families perished in the Holocaust. The family later emigrated to

Brooklyn. She came to Israel in 1969 and received a master’s degree in history from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, specializing in the Holocaust. She later met her husband, and they had seven children.

One of her children had Down syndrome, and Esther was active in Shalva, a non-profit that serves people with special needs. She also taught English at the Hebrew University High School for nearly three decades.

Among the masterminds of Wachsman’s abduction was Muhammad Deif, who would go on to become Hamas’s military chief and plan the onslaught that sparked the current war in Gaza, when thousands of terrorists stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages. After years of assassination attempts, Israel killed Deif in an airstrike on Khan Younis in July amid the war in Gaza.

Another key figure involved in Wachsman’s abduction, Jihad Yaghmour — now Hamas’s liaison in Turkey — was freed from Israeli prison as part of the 2011 deal to release soldier Gilad Shalit, after more than five years in captivity.

Esther and Yehuda Wachsman were active in the public campaign to secure the release of Shalit, who attended Yehuda’s funeral in 2020.

Pager Attack Depressed Nasrallah

According to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s children, the terror leader became depressed and was emotionally changed by Israel’s exploding pager attack on his operatives as well as by strikes that decimated the group’s leadership.

Nasrallah’s son, daughter and three grandchildren spoke to Al-Manar television in interviews that were published on Friday. His son said Nasrallah was noticeably no longer the same man, and his daughter revealed that he cried after the beeper attack.

On September 17, 2024, thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah across Lebanon suddenly exploded, killing dozens of operatives and maiming thousands.

The pagers, laced with explosives, were detonated via an encrypted message that required users to hold the devices with both hands, maximizing the likelihood of the subsequent blast causing debilitating injuries.

Over the next several weeks, Israeli airstrikes pounded Hezbollah, wiping out almost all of its leaders — including Nasrallah himself — and depleting the Iranbacked terror group’s fighting abilities. A ceasefire was eventually reached at the end of November.

Nasrallah’s daughter Zeinab Nasrallah told Al-Manar that she called her mother the day after the beeper explosions to find out how her father had reacted.

“She told me that he cried,” Zeinab Nasrallah said, according to an English translation of her comments on the site.

His son, Mohammed Jawad Nasrallah, said that his father sank into a serious depression after a July airstrike killed Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in his Beirut apartment and then the beeper attacks.

Everyone who met him said “he is no longer with us,” Jawad Nasrallah recalled.

Israel’s unrelenting bombing campaign also affected Nasrallah deeply and was damaging to his morale.

Ten days after the beeper attack, Israel killed Nasrallah in a massive bombing of his Beirut underground bunker. He had led the terror group for three decades.

Last December, two former Mossad agents spoke to CBS’s “60 Minutes” about the beeper operation, with one of them asserting that the veteran Hezbollah leader saw pagers exploding and injuring people who were right next to him in his bunker.

“Nasrallah — when we operated the beeper operation — just next to him in the bunker several people had a beeper receiving the message. And in his own eyes, he saw them collapsing.”

Asked how he knew that, the agent said, “It’s a strong rumor.”

Two days after the attack, Nasrallah gave a speech.

“If you look at his eyes, he was defeated,” the agent said in accented English. “He already lost the war. And his soldiers look at him during that speech. And they saw a broken leader.”

Last week, Mossad chief David Barnea described the beeper operation as a “turning point” in the fight in Lebanon.

Nasrallah was buried last week in a Beirut funeral ceremony. As the funeral began at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Lebanon’s biggest sports arena, Israeli warplanes flew at low altitude over Beirut.

Egypt’s Plan: No Hamas

On Tuesday, Arab leaders gathered in Cairo, Egypt, in an emergency summit to discuss a plan for Gaza for after the war ends.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s plan proposed leaving Hamas out of governance once the dust settles. Eventually, power will be given to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

“With the help of its Palestinian brothers, Egypt has worked to create a Palestinian administrative committee of independent professionals and technocrats, who will be tasked with governing Gaza with the expertise of its members,” Sisi said at the summit.

The committee will be responsible for

overseeing the relief process and governing the strip’s issues for a “temporary period” in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, Sisi said.

The plan will be presented to U.S. President Donald Trump in the coming weeks.

Egypt is proposing the formation of an independent, technocratic Palestinian committee to rule Gaza for an interim 6-month period “under the umbrella of” the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), whose members would have no affiliations to Palestinian factions, the document said.

Branded “Gaza 2030” and bearing an Egyptian presidential logo, the 91-page document proposes that Egypt and Jordan train Palestinian police forces for deployment to secure the strip.

Three weeks ago, President Trump boldly announced that the U.S. will take over Gaza and will create a Middle Eastern “riviera.” But Arab leaders balked at the plan and scrambled to formulate one more to their liking.

The Egyptian plan rejects displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and calls on the international community to address the “humanitarian catastrophe” in the Strip.

The postwar plan, the document said, requires arrangements for transitional governance “in a way that preserves the two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and “prevents the outbreak of new conflicts.”

“The time has come to adopt a serious and effective political pathway that leads to a fair and lasting solution for the Palestinian cause, in accordance to the resolutions of international legitimacy,” Sisi said. “I have faith that President Trump is capable of doing this.”

The document lays out an ambitious plan to develop shopping malls, an international convention center, and even an airport within five years. It also aims to attract tourists by building resorts and enhancing the enclave’s Mediterranean coast.

Egypt estimates Gaza’s reconstruction costs at $53 billion. Of that, $3 billion would be allocated for rubble removal, clearing unexploded munitions, and constructing temporary housing. An additional $20 billion would fund the first two years of reconstruction, focusing on utilities and permanent housing. The remaining $30 billion would go toward developing a seaport, airport, and industrial zones.

The proposal also calls on the United Nations Security Council to consider deploying international peacekeepers in

Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank to protect both Palestinians and Israelis.

On Tuesday, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said that the group’s arms were non-negotiable.

“The weapon of the resistance is a red line, and it is not negotiable,” he said. “We will not accept (any deal) to trade it for reconstruction or the entry of aid.”

Mexico Extradites Drug Lords to U.S.

Last week, Mexico extradited Rafael Caro Quintero, a drug lord who, in 1985, murdered a United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, along with 28 other drug cartel leaders to the

U.S., as Mexico tries to convince Trump against levying a 25% tariff on all Mexican imports.

The prisoners were transported from an airport north of Mexico City and were brought to eight cities in the U.S., the government of Mexico said. The extradited prisoners were part of five of the six Mexican cartels that have been declared as “foreign terrorist organizations” by the administration of President Donald Trump. They were all wanted by the U.S. on charges of drug trafficking, with some being murder suspects.

“We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Caro Quintero, who is on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, was initially sentenced to 40 years in jail for kidnapping and killing Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, an agent from the DEA. Twenty-eight years later, in 2013, a court overturned the sentence and freed him. Quintero, a former leader of the Guadalajara cartel, was jailed again in 2022 in Mexico after he resumed drug trafficking and led

deadly battles in Sonora, a northern Mexico border state.

Following his arrest in 2022, the U.S. requested that Mexico extradite him. However, Mexican officials hadn’t complied with that request until now.

Also sent to the U.S. were brothers Miguel Treviño Morales and Omar Treviño Morales, who led the Los Zetas cartel and are suspected of having headed the Northeast Cartel while in jail.

Cuomo for NYC Mayor

Gov.

Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid allegations, launched his campaign on Saturday to run for the mayor of New York City.

In his announcement, Cuomo branded himself a moderate capable of saving the “out of control” city and working with President Donald Trump when necessary.

“I am not saying this is going to be easy. It won’t be easy, but I know we can turn the city around, and I believe I can help,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo joins a large Democratic primary for the mayoral election set for June. He is running against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election, as well as NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdania, and Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller who lost the mayoral race four years ago after being embroiled in a scandal similar to Cuomo’s.

Though Cuomo has baggage from the scandal that forced him out of the governor’s office, he may have an advantage in the race if voters are willing to give him a second chance, since he was a three-term governor and may be appealing to moderate voters.

“Did I always do everything right in my years of government service? Of course not,” he remarked in his announcement video. “Would I do some things differently knowing what I know now — certainly. Did I make mistakes, some painfully? Definitely, and I believe I learned from them and that I am a better person for it, and I hope to show that every day.”

Still, New Yorkers may remember Cuomo during the days of Covid when he enforced lockdowns and created panic in the city.

Meanwhile, Adams has been indicted for allegedly using his influence to help Turkish and foreign nationals in exchange for luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions. President Trump’s Justice Department has since ordered the charges to be dismissed until after the mayoral election. Some have accused Adams of agreeing to help Trump deport migrants in return, which Adams has rejected as false.

Before becoming governor, Cuomo worked with his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, as former President Bill Clinton’s U.S. housing secretary and as New York attorney general.

During the pandemic, Cuomo was also criticized for implementing measures that allegedly led to many coronavirus deaths in nursing homes. A state ethics panel ruled a few years ago that Cuomo inappropriately used taxpayer money to help him publish a book.

Blue Ghost Moon Landing

The Blue Ghost moon lander, which was made by Firefly Aerospace, successfully landed on the moon early Sunday morning. It is the second private spacecraft in history to soft-land on the moon. It is expected to conduct ten scientific experiments commissioned by NASA.

The mission to the moon went according to plan, with the lander firing its engines in a “descent orbit insertion burn” after its touchdown action initiated at around 2:30 a.m. EST. It coasted for around 50 minutes before hovering over the moon’s Mare Crisium (“Sea of Crises”), which is on the moon’s near side. It shut off its main engine nine minutes later, slightly adjusted its thrusters, and successfully landed on the lunar surface at 3:34 a.m. EST.

The only other private spacecraft to land successfully on the moon was Odysseus by Intuitive Machines, which landed over a year ago.

38

Blue Ghost was inspired to build Firefly, their first ever lander, which is 6.6 feet tall by 11.5 feet wide, after seeing the Beresheet lander, which was made by a company in Israel. In April 2019, Beresheet successfully went into lunar orbit but crashed as it attempted to land.

Firefly’s $93 million contract with NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) began in February 2021. The agency aims to collect information about the moon’s environment in anticipation of sending astronauts back to the lunar surface in a few years.

Blue Ghost, which was brought to space on January 15 by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, brought 10 NASA payloads to the moon to test radiation levels and methods of collecting and storing moon dirt and rock samples. The lander traveled alongside Resilience, another private lunar lander, which is owned by a company based in Tokyo.

The lander has captured remarkable images of the moon thus far.

The lander will function for around 14 Earth days. On March 14, it is expected to take high-definition photographs of a total eclipse. On March 16, towards the end of its mission, it will capture the lunar sunset.

Carolina Wildfires

Many residents in North and South Carolina were forced to evacuate due to 170 wildfires wreaking havoc in the states, including a blaze that spanned 1,600 acres and hit the Carolina Forest area, causing very low visibility.

Thus far, that fire, which is the largest, has been 30% contained by fire officials. Officials allowed residents to return home on Sunday but cautioned locals about the dry and windy conditions.

On Sunday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency. Meanwhile, the South Carolina Forestry Commission fought the fires by dropping water from airplanes.

According to the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, the air quality rose to unhealthy levels in Hor-

ry County, including Myrtle Beach, forcing residents on Monday to stay at home.

Horry County officials say that no one has been hurt and no buildings have been destroyed so far.

As of Sunday, an 800-acre-wide fire in Horry County was 80% contained. According to the Environmental Services Department, Wednesday’s rain could help with further containment.

Polk County Emergency Management said that a 500-acre-wide fire, which was triggered by downed power lines in North Carolina near Tryon and Saluda, was 30% contained.

Georgia was also hit by fires, with 137 wildfires burning 2,390 acres as of Saturday. On Sunday, conditions were “slightly better.”

U.S. Suspends

Ukraine

Military Aid

President Donald Trump on Monday temporarily suspended the delivery of all U.S. military aid to Ukraine, senior administration and military officials said, just days after Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a confrontation at the White House.

The order affects more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition in the pipeline and on order. It resulted from a series of meetings at the White House on Monday between Trump and his senior national security aides, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The officials said the directive would be in effect until Trump determined that Ukraine had demonstrated a good-faith commitment to peace negotiations with Russia.

Trump’s decision dramatically escalates the breach between Washington and Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, at a crucial moment in the conflict. The most immediate beneficiary of the move is Russian President Vladimir Putin. If the suspension is lengthy, he can use the time to press for further territorial gains. And he may well decide to hold back from any negotiations at all, figuring that any prolonged dispute between Trump

and Zelenskyy will only strengthen his position, either on the battlefield or when ceasefire talks ever take place.

The suspension puts the United States in direct opposition to its major NATO allies. European nations led by France, Britain and Germany have pledged to step up aid to Ukraine in recent days. But they simply do not have the stockpiles to make up the difference in the short term.

Trump’s directive also halts deliveries of equipment from Pentagon stockpiles as aid through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides funds that Ukraine can use only to buy new military hardware directly from U.S. defense companies. It was unclear what exactly Zelenskyy would need to do for Trump to resume the military assistance.

Tensions between Trump and Zelensky exploded into the open Friday, when the two men were supposed to sign a deal at the White House for Ukraine to turn over rare mineral rights to repay U.S. military aid over the past three years.

The fate of the minerals deal remains unclear. (© The New York Times)

Linda McMahon is the Education Secretary

On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm former wrestling industry executive Linda McMahon as the next secretary of the federal Department of Education. The vote was 51-45 in her favor.

McMahon now faces the challenge of managing an agency President Trump has said he wants “closed immediately.”

The president told reporters in the Oval Office last month that he wants McMahon to “put herself out of a job.”

The White House has been considering steps in recent weeks to dismantle the Education Department, though only Congress has the power to formally do away with a federal agency.

At her confirmation hearing on February 13, McMahon seemed to appreciate the limits on presidential power.

“We’d like to do this right,” she said, adding in later remarks that the Education Department “clearly could not be

shut down without” Congress.

McMahon has been an ardent supporter of conservative education priorities, including school choice programs, which allow families to use public money to subsidize nonpublic schooling. Though she is a proponent of expanding Pell Grants, she also has advocated for college alternatives and said during her confirmation hearing that the federal government should “build up careers, not college debt.”

Sayonara Skype

On Friday, Microsoft announced that in May it would be closing Skype, the video-calling service it bought for $8.5 billion in 2011, which had helped spark a transformation in how people communicate online.

Some of the services that Skype had offered will be shifted to Microsoft Teams, its flagship videoconferencing and team

ed video calls after online retailer eBay bought the service in 2005.

“You no longer had to be a senior manager in a Fortune 500 company to have a good quality video call with someone else,” said Barbara Larson, a management professor at Northeastern University who studies the history of virtual and remote work. “It brought a lot of people around the world closer.”

Those long international calls which were suddenly not as expensive was a boon for the business world.

By 2011, when Microsoft bought it from eBay, Skype had about 170 million users worldwide.

Trump Imposes Tariffs

President Donald Trump said Monday that sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico would go into effect Tuesday, stating in remarks at the White House there was no chance for a last-minute deal to avert the levies.

“The tariffs, you know, they’re all set,” Trump said. “They go into effect tomorrow.”

applications platform. Skype users will be able to use their existing accounts to log into Teams.

For years, Microsoft has prioritized Teams over Skype. The decision to fold the brand reflects the tech giant’s desire to streamline its main communications app as it faces a host of competitors.

Skype was founded in 2003 by engineers in Estonia. It was a pioneer in making telephone calls using the internet instead of using landlines. Skype add-

Trump has proposed adding a 25% fee on all Mexican and Canadian exports coming across those borders and an additional 10% for Chinese goods, beginning just after midnight Tuesday, saying those countries have not done enough to stem the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States.

The move will increase the levies that the United States charges on foreign goods to levels not seen at least since the 1940s, and is likely to shatter regional supply chains and raise the cost of products ranging from automobiles to vegetables.

The tariffs are also expected to further deteriorate the U.S. relationship with its two closest neighbors, whose economies

42 are stitched together across North America. Leaders from Canada and Mexico have been scrambling to persuade Trump to change his mind by devoting more resources to policing the border.

Canada, Mexico and China account for more than 40% of U.S. imports, and economists have said that stiff tariffs could send the Canadian and Mexican economies into a recession.

Trump’s announcement sent stock markets tumbling, with the S&P 500 falling 1.8%, its worst one-day drop so far this year.

For weeks, Trump has described the tariffs as way to pressure Canada, China and Mexico to crack down on fentanyl and illegal immigration. But on Monday, at an event celebrating a U.S. investment by a Taiwanese chip manufacturer, Trump appeared to change the terms, saying Canada and Mexico needed to relocate auto factories and other manufacturing to the United States.

“What they have to do is build their car plants, frankly, and other things in the United States, in which case they have no tariffs,” he said. (© The New York Times)

Legacy on Ice

On Sunday, parents and family members of those who perished aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 on January 29 in Washington, D.C., gathered at Capital One Arena for the Legacy on Ice memorial.

The ice skating show, which was hosted by Olympic champions Brian Boitano and Kristi Yamaguchi, included appearances from skaters Nathan Chen and Nancy Kerrigan and from those whose family members perished in the crash.

One girl, Isabella Aparicio, skated while a recording of her late father, 48-year-old Luciano Aparicio, playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D, came over the speakers. For 1 minute and 50 seconds, Aparicio glided across the ice, her movements matching the music. In her final moment, Aparicio stuck a pose, then sank to her knees, laying her face in her black-gloved hands. She broke down in tears.

Aparicio’s father and 14-year-old brother had died in the crash. Nearly 30 passengers on the flight were ice skat-

ers, family members and coaches, according to U.S. Figure Skating, the national governing body for the sport. The skaters and their families were returning from a U.S. Figure Skating National Development Camp.

The memorial raised money for three charity groups to support the victims’ families and first responders.

Toward the end of the event, Maxim Naumov, 23, emerged wearing a glittering maroon top. Naumov lost his parents, Evgenia Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55, both skating coaches in Boston, in the crash.

The Man with the “Golden Arm”

James Harrison saved more than 2.4 million babies in Australia.

The retired state railway department clerk had a rare blood plasma with an antibody known as anti-D, which is used to make injections that protect unborn babies from a disease of the newborn, in which a pregnant woman’s immune system attacks her fetus’ red blood cells.

Despite not loving being pricked by needles, the Australian rolled up his sleeves numerous times and made a whopping 1,173 blood donations since 1954, when he turned 18, to 2018, when he turned 81 and had to “retire.”

Last month, Harrison passed away at the age of 88.

“He did it for the right reasons. As humble as he was, he did like the attention. But he would never do it for the attention,” Jarrod Mellowship said, adding that his grandfather had been surprised to be recognized by Guinness World Records in 2005 as the person who had donated the most blood plasma in the world.

The record was beaten in 2022 by American Brett Cooper from Walker, Michigan.

Australia has only 200 anti-D donors who help 45,000 mothers and their babies annually.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service said that Harrison was renowned as the “Man with the Golden Arm.” He was credited with saving the lives of 2.4 million babies through his plasma donations, the national agency responsible for collecting and distributing blood products, also known as Lifeblood, said.

Sounds like he was happy to spill blood to save someone else.

Banana Boon

Love bananas but don’t like the brown ones?

Have no fear, science is here!

British scientists have been working to make the yellow fruit “appealing” even after being exposed to the air for many hours. They have altered the fruit’s genetics so it remains firm, fresh and yellow for about 24 hours after opening, even when sliced.

“No more slimy, brown bananas!” exulted Gilad Gershon, chief executive of Tropic, the Norwich-based biotech company behind the breakthrough, adding, “our variety stays fresh for at least 12 hours after peeling and slicing, and after 24 hours displays 30 percent less browning.

“The bananas have the same taste, smell, sweetness and texture, the same everything we know and love, except the flesh doesn’t go brown as quickly. That means you can add them to fruit salads and cut-fruit products, opening up a huge new market for bananas.”

The company has worked out how to target the genes responsible for production of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, which causes the browning, and disable them.

These forever-fresh fruit will be available for purchase in the Philippines, Colombia, Honduras, the USA and Canada British fruit-lovers will need to wait until mid-2026 to try the trailblazing snack.

Gershon explained, “Bananas are picked when they are green, very like tomatoes. What we’re doing is knocking out the genes that are responsible for the production of ethylene, a plant hormone which helps change the peel color from green to yellow by breaking down chlorophyll.

“If bananas can stay greener for longer, you can harvest them later, ship them for longer, and reduce packaging and chilled transportation costs.”

Sounds like a split hit.

Brick Stack

Clem Reinkemeyer has been collecting bricks for more than 40 years. So far, the 87-year-old has amassed 8,882 different bricks in his collection.

Recently, the man from Oklahoma was surprised when his daughter and son-in-law gathered a group of friends together to count and document each brick in Reinkemeyer’s Tulsa brick barn. They sent their findings into Guiness World Records. When Reinkemeyer came home, he was delighted to find an official certificate for the world’s largest collection of bricks.

“I got back in town, and it was a big surprise, and I’m very happy to have this certificate,” he told Guinness World Records.

Reinkemeyer’s collection includes a Roman brick from the year 100, but most date from the last few hundred years.

“The break tide for making the bricks was about maybe 1870 to 1910,” he said. “A special kind of brick like this has a certain clay that withstands heat, and everybody needed a fireplace.”

Reinkemeyer said some of his most valuable bricks are those with misspellings, such as one that reads “Tulsa” with a backward “s.”

“I think Oklahoma has a history for the most misspelled bricks,” he said. “I don’t know why.”

The collector said one of his favorites is a sidewalk brick made at a Washington facility located where the Pentagon now stands.

“There may be some of these under the Pentagon,” he said. “But I think that this is one of a kind.”

Reinkemeyer added, “What appealed to me about bricks is, they have names and you can trace them back historically to places, and that always intrigued me. It’s unusual, but I like it,” he said.

Perhaps this hobby is a few bricks short of a load…

Around the Community

Rambam Mesivta 33rd Annual Scholarship Dinner

This past Motzei Shabbos, Rambam Mesivta celebrated its 33rd Annual Scholarship Dinner. The event honored several distinguished individuals, including Ariel (Class of ’98) and Julie Holzer as Guests of Honor, Yehuda and Shira Kessock as Parents of the Year, and Rabbi Avi and Dr. Mindy Haar with the Pillars of Rambam Award. Additionally, Dr. Yehuda Herschman (Class of 2005) was recognized as Alumnus of the Year, alongside Chezky “Jonathan” Frieden (Class of 2015), who was also named Alumnus of the Year.

The evening, held at 140 Central (formerly The Mansion), was filled with warmth and excitement as attendees came together to celebrate Rambam Mesivta’s continued success and its unwavering commitment to Torah, Midos, and Excellence. Guests enjoyed a delicious buffet while mingling with fellow parents and attendees, fostering a sense of community and connection that spanned across decades.

The esteemed Honorable Judge Ronald Goldman served as the Master of Ceremonies, guiding the evening’s program with grace. The program commenced with a heartfelt rendition of the Nation-

al Anthem, performed on the saxophone by senior Benny Feder, followed by a stirring rendition of Hatikvah, sung by alumnus Josh Aminov (Class of ’24), as a slideshow was played highlighting the Rambam Alumni serving in the IDF.

Rambam Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Ziskind, then led the guests in Tehillim in support of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

Following the musical opening, Rosh Mesivta Rabbi Avi Herschman delivered an inspiring dvar Torah on the upcoming holiday of Purim. He reflected on the significance of remembering its miracles and how recounting those events can inspire us to strive for personal growth, leading more complete lives in service of Hashem.

Principal Dr. Hillel Goldman then addressed the crowd, gearing up to present Chezky “Jonathan” Frieden with the Alumnus of the Year award for the of Class of 2015. Dr. Goldman connected Chezky’s experience at Rambam, involving clubs, sports, rallies, and more as laying the foundation for the leadership role he took in national politics in the wake of October 7th. As a student at Harvard Law School, Chezky found himself as the face of those speaking out against anti-Semitism on

campus, as he advocated for the Jewish people on Capitol Hill, after being introduced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, C-SPAN, Fox News, and more.

Dr. Yehuda Herschman was honored as the Alumnus of the Year for the Class of 2015, presented by our Rosh Mesivta and his younger brother, Rabbi Avi Herschman. A distinguished neurosurgeon and a true embodiment of a Rambam Man, Yehuda, together with his wife, Ester, dedicated his life to building a family centered on Torah and avodas Hashem. Deeply passionate about Jewish education, he devotes his free time to supporting and strengthening Jewish institutions and communities. It was a privilege to recognize Yehuda’s remarkable contributions with this well-deserved honor.

Rabbi Herschman then welcomed the next honorees, Parents of the Year, Yehuda and Shira Kessock. He shared with guests that this award is a reflection of their unwavering dedication to the community, which they demonstrate daily through their involvement with Rambam and the community of Oceanside. Yehuda is a devoted supporter of the school and a familiar presence at every hockey game, proudly cheering on Rami (Class of 2025) as he defends the net. Shira, with her generosity and expertise, volunteered her time this past year to coach Rambam’s esteemed robotics team, The Rambots. Rambam is truly fortunate that they graciously accepted this well-deserved recognition as Parents of the Year!

Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Rosh Yeshiva then addressed the crowd with a meaningful dvar Torah before presenting the next honorees, Ariel and Julie Holzer,

with the Guests of Honor award. Rabbi Friedman went on to describe them as true paragons of the Five Towns community and of the Rambam Mesivta community. Ariel (Class of ‘98) generously volunteers his time at the school, coaching hockey and instilling in students the values of hard work, teamwork, and sacrifice. Julie is a passionate advocate for the school, always ready to lend a hand whenever needed, as does their son, Moshe, Rambam Class of 2026. Their unwavering commitment and dedication make them most deserving of this honor.

The final award of the evening was presented to Rabbi Avi and Dr. Mindy Haar in a heartfelt tribute. A special presentation featuring a slideshow was followed by five distinguished speakers, each representing a different core value. The speakers included Rosh Yeshiva and longtime friend of the Haars, Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman; their granddaughters, Evie and Lea Haar; Rabbi Henoch Bald, a former talmid and now colleague; Rabbi Warren Cinamon, a chavrusa and dear friend; and Eli Wiesenfeld, an alumnus and talmud from the Class of 2005. Each speaker eloquently conveyed the profound impact that Rabbi and Rebbetzin Haar have had on the more than 1,000 alumni of Rambam Mesivta. They have been instrumental in shaping a derech ha’chaim and derech ha’limud for every student who has walked through the yeshiva’s doors. Whether in the classroom, through casual shmoozing, summers at Camp Mesorah, or warm and welcoming meals in their home, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Haar embody what it means to be true Pillars of Jewish Education.

Achiezer Respite Rooms: A Haven in the Hospital

“We thought we didn’t have an appetite. Then we saw the food.”

“Even in our nervous state of mind, this room felt calm and inviting.”

“We hope no one ever needs this. But if they do, it’s a must.”

For those who have experienced a hospital stay – whether for themselves or a loved one – one reality becomes abundantly clear:

The hospital is a foreign, often isolating place. In that universe of doctors, lab results, and surgeries, every ounce of energy is devoted to the patient’s well-being – and even basic needs like meals and a place to daven can become overwhelming concerns.

Enter the Achiezer Respite Rooms. In truth, these rooms are not merely a division of Achiezer. They are a fullfledged organization in their own right – an ever-expanding operation that ensures Jewish patients and their families have access to kosher food, Shabbos essentials, and a space of comfort within the stark hospital environment. What began as a small initiative has flourished into a network of fully stocked rooms in local hospitals, serving as a vital lifeline for hundreds.

Anyone who has benefited from the Achiezer Respite Rooms understands their value. The letters pour in – endless words of gratitude from people who found themselves in unexpected situations. For many, the simple presence of a stocked room, a hot meal, a machzor, or even a comfortable chair to recite Tehillim in the middle of the night is nothing short of encouraging.

Just last week, a woman found herself by her husband’s side in South Nassau Communities Hospital, grappling with uncertainty. Overwhelmed, exhausted, and unprepared for an extended stay, she discovered the Respite Room – ful-

ly stocked with nourishing meals, phone chargers, and a serene space to gather her thoughts. “It was a lifesaver,” she later wrote. “I don’t know what I would have done without it.”

“I recently entered our room in South Nassau at 3 a.m.” an Achiezer Staff Member shares. “I was surprised to find a Jewish man quietly davening in the corner, no doubt hoping for his personal yeshuah. This is the reality of the Respite Rooms.”

What many don’t realize is the enormous scale of this operation. The cost of maintaining these Respite Rooms reaches an astounding $20,000-$25,000 each month. From robust weekday meals to complete Shabbos and Yom Tov spreads, the Achiezer team works tirelessly to ensure that every Jewish patient and visitor has what they need. Generous partners like Gourmet Glatt have helped sponsor many of the items, but as the program has grown, so have the expenses.

Remember – if your grocery bill has gone up significantly, a major-scale weekly bill like this has increased all the more exponentially.

“It’s the hidden gem of Achiezer,” says Rabbi Boruch Ber Bender, president. “It’s there for everyone – and we need everyone’s help to keep it going.”

And this is exactly the kind of initiative that people love to support – because every dollar donated goes directly toward stocking these essential spaces. It’s a tangible, meaningful way to help fellow community members in their most trying moments.

Right now, funding comes in sporadically, often from individuals who have personally used the rooms and want to pay it forward. But to maintain and expand this operation, the entire community’s support is essential. Daily, weekly, and monthly sponsorships will ensure that no Respite Room ever goes unstocked.

The Achiezer Respite Rooms are more than a food station. They are a home away from home, offering:

 Fully stocked meals for the week, Shabbos, and Yom Tov

 Siddurim, sefarim, machzorim, and Tehillim

 Tefillin, talleisim, and candle lighting supplies

 Sukkahs erected, lulav and esrog on Sukkos, full Pesach sedarim, and Purim essentials

 Phone chargers and reading material

 A quiet, comforting space to reflect and recharge

Imagine this: Every time you see an ambulance rushing to a hospital, there’s a chance that family will soon discover the Achiezer Respite Room. The relief they’ll experience, the gratitude they’ll feel –it’s all because of your support today. If you’ve ever spent time in a hospital, you know how crucial this is. And if you haven’t, consider yourself fortunate – and please ensure that this lifeline is always available for those who need it.

The community’s generosity fuels this initiative, but the need is ever-growing. Whether through one-time sponsorships or ongoing donations, every contribution ensures that no Jewish patient or family member is left searching for kosher food or a quiet oasis in their time of need.

Achiezer will continue doing what it does best – strategizing, executing, delivering for the community. They just need the financial fuel to keep this mammoth

operation going.

“Thank you for the sukkah that allowed us to eat a full meal according to halacha.”

“I was in Mount Sinai for 3 consecutive Shabbosos – and my whole family had delicious, fresh food.”

“The food and space at Winthrop provided so much more than physical nourishment!”

When the unexpected happens, the Achiezer Respite Rooms are there – ready to provide, ready to comfort, and ready to uphold the dignity and needs of every Jewish patient and visitor.

To sponsor a day, week, or month at a specific Respite Room in honor of yourself or a loved one, please reach out to Daniel Goldfeder at 516-791-4444 ext. 110 or parneshayom@achiezer.org.

WHAT YOUR GENEROSITY FUELS

Achiezer stocks 5 hospital respite rooms (2 more coming soon) across Long Island.

5 Hospitals Weekly:

Mt. Sinai South Nassau

LIJ Katz Women’s Hospital

NYU Winthrop Hospital

Mercy Medical Center

St. Johns Episcopal Hospital

6 Hospitals for Yom Tov:

Mt. Sinai South Nassau

LIJ Katz Women’s Hospital

NYU Winthrop Hospital

Mercy Medical Center

St. Johns Episcopal Hospital

St. Francis Hospital

2 new rooms set to open within the year:

Fully stocked rooms in St. Francis Hospital and LIJ Valley Stream

20-30 people per hospital per Shabbos/Yom Tov

Each week, we purchase and deliver approx:

130 individual cereal bowls

325 snack bags

126 Greek Yogurts

144 salads

148 Fruit Cups

50 Tuna Sandwiches

50 Egg Salad sandwiches

26 boxes of Tasters’ Choice coffee packets

16 boxes Parve protein bars

18 boxes Kind bars

24 quarts Cholov Yisroel blue or red milk

35 boxes of individually wrapped Danishes

10 boxes of Gefen tradition soups

Shabbos foods includes:

30 Servings of Gefilte Fish

40 servings of Chicken

40 servings of potato Kugel

40 Servings of Cholent

36 Servings of Schnitzel

40 Servings assorted dips & salads

Yeshiva of Far Rockaway Draws Overflow Crowd at 56th Dinner Honoring the Legacy of Rav Yechiel Perr, zt”l

By Debbie Maimon

Acommemorative dinner honoring the legacy of Rav Yechiel Yitzchok Perr, zt”l, the beloved and revered rosh yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, drew close to 700 participants last week, marking 56 years since the yeshiva’s founding.

The event generated a magnetic pull for a wide range of talmidim and friends. In addition to the overflow crowd from Far Rockaway/Five Towns, people flew in from Houston, St. Louis and Detroit. Others drove from Brooklyn, Manhattan, Scranton, Baltimore and Waterbury. A couple flew in from Israel.

Some of the guests, both men and women, expressed that they considered themselves Rav Perr’s talmidim solely from the inspiration they drew from his masterpieces in machshava, Faith Over Fear and Mind over Man, based on the rosh yeshiva’s famed mussar vaadim.

The vibrant event, beautifully orchestrated by Rabbi Shayeh Kohn, the yeshiva’s executive director, together with Dinner Chairman Rabbi Gadi Fuchs, also commemorated the legacy of Rabbi Yehoshua Kalish, zt”l, the yeshiva’s extraordinary 11th grade rebbi whose recent tragic passing has left a gaping void.

Rabbi Kalish, whose 40-year teaching saga wrote a glorious page in the yeshiva’s annals, was also the beloved mora d’asra for the Bais Medrash of Harborview. He left an indelible imprint on the lives of his talmidim and congregants alike.

A special video presentation at the

dinner recalled his sterling character, charismatic and loving personality, and unparalleled skill in the classroom. The testimonials evoked his uncanny ability to reach a vast range of students and mispallelim with his heartfelt message of ahavas haTorah and ahavas Hashem.

Rabbi Kalish’s remarkable achievement of completing shas every year inspired all who knew him, motivating them to set higher goals in learning and avodas Hashem and to persevere, as he did, undeterred by any obstacles in their path.

To Be A Mevakesh

The evening unfolded against a backdrop of moving testimonials about the rosh yeshiva, Rav Yechiel Perr, zt”l, capturing emotions at both ends of the spectrum: soaring pride in the yeshiva and vibrant hopes for its future, along with deep heartache over the recent loss of its dynamic and visionary leader.

Much of the warm ambience in the room flowed from the presence of Rav Perr’s honored rebbetzin, yb”l, a steadfast source of strength through every challenge and triumph, and a beloved figure to the yeshiva’s extended family.

Speakers paid glowing tribute to the profound impact the rosh yeshiva zt”l had on their lives. They gave voice to love and admiration for Rav Perr, the strong path he set them on, and their determination to carry forward his legacy.

They recalled how his emphasis on scrupulous honesty fostered a ruach in the yeshiva where students and faculty alike strive to align their actions with inner truth.

An original song, whose tune was composed by Ari Goldwag with lyrics by Zevi Kaufman, evoked this legacy, memorializing the unbreakable bond between the students and their rosh yeshiva.

Family members spoke of Rav Perr’s passion for giving over the Torah and mussar legacy of his own illustrious teachers, Reb Aharon Kotler, zt”l, Rav Avrohom Yaffen, zt”l, and Rav Leib Nekritz, zt”l.

“His encounter with these giants of Torah and mussar opened up a new world to him and he was never the same afterward,” attested one of Rav Perr’s sons. “He was captivated by these towering figures who embodied the courage to live by truth, unaffected by what others thought of them.”

Long-time talmidim and family members described the rosh yeshiva’s remarkable achievements in building a vibrant mosad that became a beacon for Torah and spiritual growth in Far Rockaway, the Five Towns and far beyond. Derech Ayson, the yeshiva’s official name, symbolizes the strength, resilience and unwavering sense of mission that have defined the yeshiva since its inception.

One of the yeshiva’s key supporters extolled the late rosh yeshiva as “a master builder of bnei Torah who saw and celebrated the unique potential in every talmid and had the patience to wait until those kochos surged to the fore.”

Under the rosh yeshiva’s tutelage, he said, generations of talmidim went on to become rabbonim, mechanchim and builders of Torah communities.

“He had a beautiful balance, pushing us hard to become the best we could be and at the same time showing us tremendous care, warmth and concern,” recalled Rabbi Mordechai Miller, a longtime talmid who is now a menahel in the yeshiva.

“The rosh yeshiva led by example,” he noted. “He showed us what it means to be someone of elevated character who

is in touch with himself, and who has a relationship with HaKadosh Baruch Hu.”

“When you walked into his vaad,” a younger talmid shared, “it was like the rosh yeshiva was taking you into the world of his rabbeim, of the great baalei mussar… At the same time, what he taught us were practical things we could implement in our day to day lives, to make ourselves better people.”

In a keynote address, Rabbi Moshe Perr, the current rosh yeshiva, focused on one his father’s core teachings: to strive to become a mevakesh, someone who yearns for closeness to Hashem, and despite life’s roadblocks, is constantly striving for self-perfection.

That message echoed in the dinner’s closing moments, as Rav Perr, zt”l, in one of his last video-taped appearances for the yeshiva, imparted a poignant message.

“Life is full of nisyonos,” he reflected, almost as if addressing the hushed gathering. “But if you learn a little mussar along the way…you can make it through somehow. You can stick to your principles and be the person you really admire.”

“I think that’s guided me,” the rosh yeshiva smiled gently, “and I hope it will guide the talmidim of the yeshiva – and all those who come into contact with them.”

Talmidim spontaneously joined in a heartfelt kumzitz and dance as a most memorable evening drew to a close.

Rosh Chodesh Adar at Yeshiva Har Torah

Yeshiva Har Torah’s ELC kicked off Chodesh Adar with an unforgettable Rosh Chodesh assembly, bringing together students, teachers, and parents for a morning filled with laughter, energy, and inspiration. The highlight of the event was an engaging and heartwarming skit performed by our very own administration, who fully embraced the many characteristics of the values we hold dear. With our beloved “Strive for Five” friends leading the way, everyone in the room—students, faculty, and parents alike—was captivated by the entertaining yet meaningful lessons on how to be our best selves. The joy and excitement continued as our spirited principal, Rabbi Hal Levy, took to his guitar, leading the entire room in ruach-filled singing that had everyone on their feet! It was a truly special way to welcome Chodesh Adar, setting the tone for a month of joy, connection, and meaningful learning.

Shabbat of Unity and Support Chayalei Ircha Kodmim – Our Local Soldiers are Our Priority!

This Shabbos, the Five Towns will host the second IDF Unity Shabbat, coordinated by the Israel Chesed Center (ICC) — an incredible opportunity for our community to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Israel!

Having already sent over $20 million in support to Israel, the ICC is now focusing closer to home — supporting those who have served and sacrificed. This year, ICC is proud to partner with Nevut, the only organization in the world dedicated to helping Chayalim Bodedim (IDF lone soldiers) who have returned to the U.S. after their service.

With the participation of 25 shuls and 20 Chayalim, ICC and Nevut will be in your neighborhood this Shabbos! The ICC will also host a weekend full of special events, including:

 Erev Shabbat Kiddush

 Motzei Shabbat Musical Havdalah & Paint Night (with the Chayalim and their families!)

Did you know?

 Purim Carnival on Sunday – fun for all ages!

Nevut & Lone Soldiers –By The Numbers:

 30%+ of IDF soldiers experience PTSD, with long-term effects on mental health, daily life, and suicide risk. That number is expected to rise to over 60% for Swords of Iron veterans.

 Over 20,000 U.S.-based Lone Soldiers returned to Israel post-October 7 to fight.

 Nevut is the only organization providing post-service support for U.S. IDF lone soldiers returning to the U.S.

 Before October 7, Nevut was serving 750 U.S.-based lone soldiers. Today, over 3,000 are seeking support — and the number is growing daily.

 It’s not just the soldiers – their spouses and children also need support, and Nevut is there for them.

Join us in your shul and at the Israel Chesed Center, 1315 Peninsula Blvd, Hewlett, NY.

The seven rays in the crown of the Statue of Liberty represent the Earth’s seven seas.

HANC ECC celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday with a special carnival, themed with different activities based on his books

Chesed Expo at SKA

On Motzei Shabbat, Parshat Mishpatim, members of the SKA family – students, faculty, and alumni – gathered together for a dynamic and immersive chesed experience. Informative display booths and creative activities, positioned around the perimeter of the decorated auditorium, provided attendees with the opportunity to explore and embrace the chance to be part of something bigger than themselves. A variety of organizations were featured, and many vendors, companies, and local stores donated items. Snacks and drinks were served, and students were deeply engaged and united in a shared sense

of purpose. They packed layettes, made slime, packed Purim costumes, set up a hair clip and charm bar and much more.

The event was dedicated to the memory of former SKA student, Adina Openden Zehavi, a”h, who was a paradigm of chesed, and culminated with an uplifting message from Maya Namdar who spoke about the power of purpose, resilience and Hashem’s guidance.

At this year’s SKA Chesed Expo, our students demonstrated compassion, kindness and a genuine commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others.

Tu B’Shvat at the ICC Chesed Center

By Chaya Feldstein

Wednesday night, February 12, The Israel Chessed Center (ICC) embraced over 200 women in Hewlett, NY. The ICC was founded by Mr. Moshe Bodner and Mr. Jeff Eisenberg after Oct. 7th 2023, in an effort to support our holy IDF army officers. Mrs. Pessel Steinberg has had a major role in orchestrating the packing and distribution of over 10,000 duffel bags for the chayalim.

That locale has become synonymous with one word “Acheinu.” As family, the ICC invites the community to join their wonderful team of givers and organize events for the community to continue to bring awareness and support to our siblings in Israel. Such was the Tu B’shvat event held on that freezing night, three weeks ago.

Mrs. Neera Kimmel, Moshe Bodner’s sister, spearheaded the event together with Mrs. Estee Stein, a devoted ICC volunteer, and team. Estee Stein made numerous announcements throughout the event, that if there is somebody who you don’t recognize, say hello because you don’t know whether or not they came solo.

Acai bowls and warm soup were set up in honor of the chag. Additionally, raffle prizes were sold for proceeds to the ICC. Pessel introduced the night’s event along with Neera, who emceed the event. Rebbetzin Aviva Feiner warmed the souls with divrei Torah and explained the 7 minim along with the recitation of the brachos. Then, an amazing sourdough presentation was given by Aliza Magolese. The night culminated with a project

to basket the extra 7 minim to take home. I wanted to celebrate Tu B’Shvat together with likeminded women. But I heard Estee’s plea to smile and welcome a new face because although the focus is on our brethren in Israel, it is just as important for everyone to walk away from an event feeling seen, heard and loved. I felt compelled to connect with her regarding my passion to bring awareness to include those who may be alone and the initiative that I began at the White Shul, “Be My Guest.”

“Be My Guest” is about reaching out and invite friendship; its more than just a meal for Shabbos and Yom Tov… They are our neighbors, shul, work…people whose life circumstances tend to give them extra alone time. Divorcees, widows, singles, etc. all enjoy being included and warmed by a kind gesture of connection.

It was on that cold Tu B’Shvat that an idea blossomed. The Israel Chessed Center would like to invite and host Be My Guest for a wonderful event with floral arrangements. Stay tuned for further details. B’ezras Hashem, we hope it will take place sometime in the early spring, before Shavuos.

With the upcoming Chagim…who can you extend your hand with a Purim package…a few days before Purim is also good as the mitzvah is one Mishloach Manos on the day of Purim…and time to start thinking about who will be sitting at your Seder this Pesach?

Please be in touch to hear more about how you can be of help and to sign up for occasional bursts of inspirational reminders, bemyguestforShabbos@gmail. com . It’s the small gestures, the tiny seeds that bud, then sprout to fruition.

Simply Pesach and Beyond: A Culinary Celebration for All Year Round

When it comes to Pesach cooking, many people assume they have to sacrifice flavor and variety in order to keep to the holiday’s dietary restrictions. But Rivky Kleiman has made it her mission to prove otherwise. In her latest cookbook, Simply Pesach and Beyond, she brings her signature touch of gourmet simplicity to create gluten-free dishes that are not only perfect for Pesach but delicious enough to enjoy all year round.

For Rivky, food is more than just sustenance—it’s an experience, a way to bring joy to the table and create lasting memories. She shares a charming anecdote about a student who, after a long Pesach break, proudly declared that he had eaten at his teacher’s home, adding with great enthusiasm, “And it did NOT taste like Pesach!”

That is the essence of Simply Pesach and Beyond. Rivky ensures that her recipes break free from the typical constraints of Pesach cooking, delivering flavors that are just as rich, varied, and satisfying as any meal served year-round. It’s no surprise that many of her recipe testers loved these dishes so much that they incorporated them into their Rosh Hashanah and Succos menus!

Rivky Kleiman’s culinary journey began in Brooklyn, where she grew up helping her mother in the kitchen. From an early age, she had a natural passion for cooking and gradually took over many kitchen duties while her mother balanced work and school. That passion stayed with her, leading her to co-author the beloved Bais Yaakov cookbooks, contribute to Mishpacha Magazine’s Family Table, and share her expertise on Kosher.com.

After the overwhelming success of her debut cookbook, Simply Gourmet, Rivky followed up with Simply, a collection of 140 easy-to-follow gourmet recipes. Now, with Simply Pesach and Beyond, she continues to showcase her talent for crafting

Did you know?

simple yet elegant dishes that home cooks of all levels can master with ease.

One of Rivky’s hallmarks is her ability to make gourmet cooking accessible. She understands the frustration of coming across a mouthwatering recipe only to find that it requires hard-to-source ingredients. That’s why her recipes focus on everyday pantry staples, ensuring that anyone can recreate these dishes without the stress of hunting down specialty items.

Beyond just Pesach-friendly meals, this cookbook offers a fresh take on gluten-free kosher cuisine, embracing international flavors and creative twists that will keep your menu exciting throughout the year. Whether you’re preparing a weekday dinner, a special Yom Tov meal, or just looking for a foolproof way to elevate your cooking, Simply Pesach and Beyond is a must-have addition to your kitchen.

Join Rivky on this culinary journey for Simply Pesach and Beyond with these mouthwatering recipes from the book that you don’t need to wait for Pesach to enjoy. Try them today!

Around the Community

Leon Mayer Fund: 40 Years of Chesed and Dignity

For 40 years, the Leon Mayer Fund, founded by Rabbi Simcha Lefkowitz and Mr. Shlomo Mayer, z”l, has been a lifeline for local families in need. Hundreds of families have received help with dignity, ensuring they have the essentials they need.

Six years ago, the Ramer Family expanded this mission by creating the Mark Ramer Chesed Center, a 3,500-squarefoot warehouse store stocked with clothing, appliances, and household goods—all completely free. Families shop in a warm, respectful environment, choosing what they need without embarrassment.

Now, the Karako Family has taken this effort even further with the Karako Family Chesed Center, a fully stocked

clothing store providing new clothing for those in need.

Both centers work in partnership with the Gural JCC, where social workers offer additional resources and support to help families beyond just material needs.

As Pesach approaches, the Leon Mayer Fund will once again offer the Rebbayim and Moros of the community an opportunity to order discounted and subsidized Pesach food, ensuring they can celebrate Yom Tov with peace of mind.

Impacting Lives with Dignity

Here’s what some recipients have shared about their experience:

“I just want to express my hakaras hatov. Thank you for giving me an amazing shopping experience that felt like a regu-

lar store, not a chesed organization. The Leon Mayer Fund is unreal—you don’t feel like a chesed case; you feel like a regular person, with a personal shopper helping you. Thank you!”

“I just had a baby and was overwhelmed with expenses. When I came to the Mark Ramer Center, they helped me with so many things—from a high chair to stretchers. It was a huge, huge help and done in such a private, respectful way. I never felt uncomfortable. Thank you so much!”

“I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up, but from the very first phone call, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Everyone was friendly and respectful. When I arrived, I was amazed at how

MTA’s Business and Entrepreneurship Elective Brings in Incredible Speakers

At MTA, electives are at the core of the curriculum, and the Business and Entrepreneurship elective has become a very popular option. Ms. Melanie Felsman, the B & E instructor, has developed a unique curriculum that teaches the talmidim how businesses are developed, maintained and grown. In addition, speakers from a wide range of businesses, including the entertainment industry have addressed the talmidim in Ms. Felsman’s classes.

TV and film star Peter Jacobson spoke to Ms. Feldman’s B&E classes recently. Joining us via Zoom, Peter discussed the concepts of branding as it relates to being an actor in Hollywood. He shared from

his 30 year career the effort that goes into promoting oneself via agents and managers when a preconceived and often “type cast” impression has been established. The talmidim were fascinated about how contracts are formed and how the actor gets paid for their initial work and residuals from syndication. Peter shared how branding oneself on social media is key nowadays and that he feels one’s online persona has become an extension of their brand that casting agents and producers look to when they are hiring.

In addition, the class was privileged to welcome Rich Jaycobs who has had a distinguished 40 year career in finance, engineering, exchanges and crypto cur-

many choices there were. Everything was clean, organized, and NEW—not used! I was encouraged to take what I needed without hesitation. Thank you for this incredible organization!”

For more information, call 516-561-6868.

rencies. He led the Futures Exchange for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, was the President and Member of the Board for Cantor Fitzgerald, Cantor Exchange and led the development of sports betting in Las Vegas as a regulated exchange. He has published two books including “New Frontiers in Options,” published by Wiley. He was the CEO of the Chicago Clearing Corporation, started HedgeStreet, and received the first regulatory approval ever granted for retail investors. Working directly with and for now Secretary

On the heart wrenching day of the Bibas funeral, the eighth grade girls at HALB tied orange balloons to the gate outside the school building. While we are far from Israel in miles, our hearts are always with our brothers and sisters, and students and teachers wanted to show support to Yarden and the entire Bibas family all the way from Woodmere.

of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Rich built the technology for Cantor Fitzgerald’s Clearinghouse. Rich now consults for crypto development startups and is often contacted by lawmakers to share his expertise. Rich shared his expertise with the talmidim who learned a tremendous amount and were entranced by his extraordinary work experience.

MTA thanks Ms. Felsman for elevating this elective with her creative curriculum and inspiring speakers!

Rosh Chodesh Adar at TAL Academy

What was Achashverosh’s favorite game?

Musical Thrones!

TAL Academy brought in Rosh Chodesh Adar with real simcha! Crazy Hat Day had us all laughing with hats and glasses of every shape, size, and style.

Our boys planned an epic oneg, featuring sushi, snacks, games, balloons and music! V’nahafoch hu, the boys led the oneg instead of the rebbeim.

All the students enjoyed smiley face cupcakes as a sweet and happy start to this joyous month. We can’t wait to see what Adar has in store!

Looking forward to a month filled with simcha!

Rosh Choder Adar at HALB and Lev Chana

Walking into HALB and Lev Chana, everyone knew it was Rosh Chodesh Adar! The halls were filled with excitement, singing and laughter. The morning started with a beautiful Hallel, followed by the tradi-

tion of eighth graders singing and dancing from classroom to classroom. At Lev Chana, the children came in with silly hats and got to enjoy the amazing Magic Al!

100th Day of HALB

HALB celebrated the 100th day of school with fun activities related to the number 100. Lev Chana students brought in projects using the number 100, while the first graders

all dressed up as old ladies and old men. Two first grade classes had to solve a class mystery by completing tasks earning them clues until they narrowed down the suspects!

Former Five Towns Resident Saves Life on El Al Flight

By Moshe Spern

In a remarkable act of heroism, Rabbi Zezy Fuld, a former member of the Five Towns and current resident of Ramat Beit Shemesh, saved a man’s life during an El Al flight from Tel Aviv to JFk on Thursday. Rabbi Fuld, who is the executive director of Hatzalah Beit Shemesh, was en route to a fundraising trip for the organization when he was called upon to assist a passenger experiencing a cardiac emergency. As the situation unfolded mid-flight, Rabbi Fuld quickly assessed the man’s condition and recognized the urgency of the situation.

Demonstrating calm and decisive leadership, he instructed the pilot to divert the plane to Paris, where medical personnel could be waiting to provide the necessary treatment. “This was not my first time in such a situation,” Rabbi Fuld remarked. “I felt it was critical to act swiftly. The man’s life was at stake, and every second counted.” Remarkably, this incident marked the second life he had saved that week alone, showcasing his unwavering commitment to emergency response and community service.

Teen Safety: Balancing Joy and Peer Pressure

By Rabbi Dr. Dovid Felt

Purim is a time of joy, celebration, and acts of kindness, making Purim one of the most exciting times of the year. However, along with the merriment, Purim also presents unique challenges, particularly for teenagers. While teens welcome the break from routine and view Purim as a time to enjoy freedom, the permissive atmosphere can sometimes lead to poor choices. At the heart of these choices is often peer pressure. This powerful influence propels teens to engage in behaviors they might usually avoid, whether it’s drinking, reckless driving, or other unhealthy activities. Megillah Esther provides us with an insight into the importance of responsible decision-making on Purim. In the Megillah, we see a stark contrast between two groups of Jews. Many partook in Achashveirosh’s feast, succumbing to peer pressure and ignoring the dangers of assimilating into Persian culture. Their participation in the extravagant celebration

came at a spiritual cost. In contrast, Mordechai refused to bow to Haman, standing firm in his values despite immense pressure. His decision was not easy, but it was responsible and ultimately led to the salvation of the Jewish people. This contrast teaches us an invaluable lesson: true strength lies in making the right choices even when societal pressure pushes us in the opposite direction.

Teenagers can still have a meaningful and fun-filled Purim without the negative influence of peers and risk. Surrounding themselves with trusted friends who respect them and prioritize safety can help prevent regrettable decisions. Planning ahead—knowing the details of where one is going, how to get home safely, and whom to contact in case of an emergency—is crucial.

Parents play a central role in equipping their children with invaluable tools to positively confront peer pressure, ensuring their teens enjoy Purim safely and meaningfully. Open discussions about responsible behavior, the dangers of ex-

Beit Shemesh Hatzalah, the organization Rabbi Fuld leads, is renowned for its rapid response to medical emergencies.

The team in Beit Shemesh is dedicated to providing immediate assistance to those in need, often in life-threatening situations. Rabbi Fuld’s actions during the flight exemplify the mission of Hatzalah: to save lives through quick and effective medical intervention. Rabbi Fuld also serves as one of directors of Camp Machane Yisrael.

In light of this recent event, Rabbi Fuld asks our community to support Hatzalah Beit Shemesh.

“Every donation helps us continue our vital work and ensures that we can respond to emergencies like this one,” he said. “With your support, we can save more lives.”

To contribute to Hatzalah Beit Shemesh and help ensure that emergency medical assistance is always within reach, please consider donating at the following link: https://www.peach-in.com/cmp/gEj0bfb8b?complete=true&lang=en&paymentSum=180

cessive drinking, and the importance of making wise choices should occur before Purim begins. Supervision is essential. Parents should be aware of where their teens are and the type of environment they will be in. Maintaining open lines of communication so teens feel comfortable seeking help or advice can make a significant difference. Encouraging teens to participate in Purim mitzvot, like giving matanot l’evyonim, delivering mishloach manot, or joining community events, offers them fulfillment and joy beyond just partying. Another important component is setting a proper example by demonstrating responsible behavior during their own Purim celebrations.

As we celebrate Purim, let us follow Mordechai’s example and make choices that reflect our values and long-term well-being. Happiness and excitement should never come at the expense of our safety and dignity. True simcha, as emphasized in Chazal, is rooted in meaningful and purposeful experiences, not reckless abandon.

At Madraigos, we are committed to helping teens and their families navigate the challenges of adolescence, particularly during high-risk times like Purim. If you are interested in guidance from our clinical team, please call 516-371-3250 or info@madraigos.org. For more information about our prevention programs, intervention services, and educational resources, visit www.madraigos.org. This Purim, let’s work towards creating a safe and festive environment for our teens. Most importantly, the essence of Purim should be embraced by focusing on acts of kindness and giving to others - megillah, celebrating the victory of good over bad, mishloach manot, matanot l’evyonim, and the seudah. By recognizing the risks, setting clear expectations, and utilizing the resources available, we can ensure that Purim remains a time of true strength, pleasure, and celebration for everyone.

Rabbi Dr. Dovid Felt is the Director of School-Based Services at Madraigos.

Meah Brachos

As part of the Meah Brachos contest, in which each boy keeps track of the 100 brachos that they say daily, boys receive special prizes and incentives. If someone davens Shacharis, Mincha and Maariv, he will have said 90 brachos. Between eating and using the facilities, he/she can easily reach 100 brachos a day.

of Long Island.

Charts to keep track of your brachos can be downloaded on www.meahbrachos. com. For more information, reach out to outloudbrachos@gmail.com.

Crocodile Creek Comes to YOSS

Mrs. Berenholz’s class at YOSS learned about the properties of materials. Mrs. Berenholz brought in a colorful crocodile made of rubbery material that looked like a plastic toy animal. The boys measured it, from nose to tail, and found that it measured 12 inches long. The boys weighed it and found that it weighed 16 ounces. The boys placed the crocodile in a tub of water and returned every day for about a week to see if there was a change in the length or the weight.

At the same time, every student received a green crocodile to take home. They each observed their crocodile every day and carefully measured and recorded the lengths.

HAFTR HS Senior Shabbaton

By Emma Zelmanovich

HAFTR High School recently held the very highly anticipated 2025 Senior Shabbaton. This event is designed for the senior class to come together along with their beloved rabbeim and morot and spend quality time together in the warm, meaningful, and spiritual atmosphere that Shabbos brings.

What made the crocodiles grow? We didn’t add anything to the water. The boys decided that the crocodiles drank up the water, or they absorbed the water. Absorption, we learned, is a property of a material. Our crocodiles were made of a super absorber, like a sponge. When the crocodiles are in water, they really grow!

Super absorbers can soak up water hundreds of times their weight. When they are taken out of water, they dry up and shrink back to their original size.

This experience was exciting as the boys gathered data, facts about and pictures of real crocodiles. They became super absorbers of information about both materials and crocodiles.

After the conclusion of classes on Friday, February 21, seniors returned home, or to the homes of their friends, to prepare for the event. At 5:00 pm, seniors gathered at the high school to take pre-Shabbos pictures with their friends, preserving these cherished memories for years to come. Once Shabbat arrived, seniors and faculty joined together in the Beit Medrash for a beautiful davening of Mincha, Kabbalat Shabbat, and Maariv. As we all gathered together in one space, it created a feeling like no other. I have never been happier and prouder to be part of this senior class and a student at HAFTR. Everyone stood together singing and davening to Hashem, which not only made me proud to be a HAFTR senior, but also made me feel lucky to be a Jew, especially in times like the present.

After an inspiring speech by one of our beloved faculty members, Ms. Ilona Diamond, everyone made their way to the gym where we enjoyed a delicious Seudat Shabbat. During the meal, Rabbi Slochowsky gave a speech leaving us laughing and remembering so many moments over the past few years. Following his words, we joined in a ruach-filled tisch and enjoyed tasty desserts. We ended off the night with an entertaining game, showing how everyone in the class had something in common, often things no one realized before. This bonding was

incredibly special and gave us a chance to create a stronger sense of unity before we all embark on our own journeys and go our separate ways.

On Shabbos day, everyone regathered together for another beautiful davening. Once davening concluded, there was an amazing kiddush with every pastry you could imagine. Rugalech, kokosh, and babka, oh my! Then, everyone participated in a schmooze with their rabbeim and morot before the incredibly delicious Shabbos meal. Lastly, the seniors joined in one last game before heading home. This game was different from the first one because it was bittersweet. It felt like one last chance to act like kids together before we all grow up and face the real world.

Experiencing this Shabbaton firsthand was like nothing I have ever experienced. The warmth and the sense of community I felt is something I will cherish forever. There was something unique about spending a Shabbos with all of the people that I have been surrounded by my entire life. Realizing that this was one of the very last times we would all be together in the same place at the same time, experiencing the same things, was incredibly touching. The anticipation and then preparation for this Shabbaton filled me with excitement and felt so invigorating. Now I am filled with a mix of nostalgia and gratitude when I say that I will never forget my first HAFTR senior Shabbaton, being that it was also my last.

In conjunction with Parshas Terumah and learning about building the Mishkan, the Pre1A talmidos of the Ganger Early Childhood Division of TAG paid a visit to the Agudah of West Lawrence . Rabbi Avraham Sebrow told them a story and showed them all the holy objects we use in a shul.

about Adar and the importance of being mekabel Torah b’ahava

Met Council & UJA Open State-of-the-Art Brooklyn Hub

The Met Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council), in partnership with UJA-Federation of New York, has officially opened its $12.5 million Brooklyn Hub, marking a historic milestone in supporting people who need help across Southern Brooklyn. Located at the intersection of 13th Avenue and 60th Street, the 13,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility is now a vital resource for local residents, particularly within the frum and Russian-speaking Jewish communities.

The Brooklyn Hub was designed to provide essential services with dignity and respect. It features a cutting-edge food pantry powered by Market by Met Council, an innovative online platform that allows recipients to select food tailored to their preferences and dietary needs, minimizing waste. Volunteers carefully pack orders placed through the platform and schedule pickups, ensuring recipients can collect their packages discreetly and respectfully.

“This transformational project would not have been possible without the unwavering support of UJA-Federation of New York,” said Met Council CEO David G. Greenfield. ”Their partnership and generous funding have helped us build a hub that will serve thousands each year with the respect we all deserve. We are proud to be open for business and encourage all who need a hand to reach out. We are here for you.”

“We know from experience that offering a broad spectrum of culturally sensitive social services under one roof leads to enormous gains in restoring hope and opportunity to clients,” said Eric S. Goldstein, CEO, UJA-Federation of New York.” The new Brooklyn Hub – located in the densest area of Jewish poverty in New York – will enable countless people to receive essential services with dignity and move from crisis to stability.”

“The hub represents a place where community members can come together seeking support, and to provide care to

one another through ongoing opportunities to volunteer,” said Alex Roth-Kahn, Managing Director, UJA-Federation of New York. “The green space on the roof is meant for community gatherings and is a welcoming place for everyone. The hub is a place where community will thrive.”

Beyond food assistance, the Brooklyn Hub provides access to a comprehensive suite of Met Council social services, including technology training courses, legal and financial counseling, SNAP applications & recertification, emergency cash aid, Holocaust Survivor Services, family violence services, career programs focused on computer literacy for the Frum community, and professional support for vulnerable populations.

Services are offered in multiple languages, including English, Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian, and Chinese, ensuring accessibility for the area’s diverse communities.

The grand opening event, which included a Kevias HaMezuzah, led by Rab -

bi Mechel Steinmetz, the Skverer Dayan of Boro Park, was attended by community rabbis, leaders, and representatives from UJA and Met Council. The gathering highlighted the partnerships that brought the Hub to life while addressing the area’s significant issue of Jewish poverty. A 2023 UJA study found that 37 percent of Jewish households near the Hub lived at or below the poverty line, underscoring the urgent need for this facility.

HANC HS Varsity Volleyball Team Wins Third Consecutive Championship

For the third year in a row, HANC Hurricanes have proven themselves the best in the league, convincingly winning the championship title game. With a final record of 37-3 over the past three seasons, the team has been dominant.

This year’s journey to the championship was daunting given the departure of last year’s seniors. Nevertheless, under the leadership of head coach Batya Shreier-Tucker and leadership from 5 current seniors, the team emerged victorious.

In the playoff run, the Hurricanes faced tough competition, beginning with a 3-1 win over HAFTR, a 3-2 win vs. Ra-

maz in a nail-biting quarterfinal, showcasing their resilience and determination.

The semifinal against rival Central was another strong performance, with a pronounced 3-1 victory that propelled them to the finals. There, they met SAR, who they defeated last year and delivered another dominant 3-1 win to secure the 3-Peat.

Throughout the season, the players exemplified the spirit of sportsmanship, teamwork, and perseverance — qualities that extend far beyond the volleyball court. Coach Batya Shreier-Tucker has been instrumental in the team’s success, providing strong leadership and dedication. Her focus on both athletic growth and personal development has helped shape the team into champions.

The players have set a new standard for excellence, and this championship marks not just a remarkable athletic

achievement, but a testament to their growth as individuals and as a team. Congratulations to the HANC Hurricanes — champions for the third year in a row!

HAFTR STEM Summit Showcases Jewish Innovation

HAFTR Middle School recently held its highly anticipated STEM Summit, a dynamic event where students proudly showcased their innovative projects designed to enhance Jewish life through science and technology. This year’s summit focused on how STEM can support and strengthen Jewish traditions, demonstrating the power-

ful intersection between faith and modern advancements.

Through hands-on experimentation and research, students explored creative ways to improve accessibility, sustainability, and convenience in Jewish observance. Projects ranged from energy-efficient solutions for Shabbat and holiday use to smart technology that enhances

everyday mitzvot. The students’ ingenuity was on full display as they shared their research and prototypes, reflecting both their deep connection to Jewish values and their growing mastery of STEM disciplines.

The event was a true testament to the spirit of discovery, progress, and Jewish pride within our yeshiva. It was inspir-

ing to see how young minds are applying innovation to Jewish life, ensuring that tradition and technology can work hand in hand.

HAFTR is proud of our students’ hard work and creativity and looks forward to seeing how they continue to develop ideas that bridge the past, present, and future of Jewish living.

Stardust — Igniting Support, Empathy, and Connection Amongst Moms of Children With Special Needs

Stardust support groups, a program run by Hamaspik of Kings County, was inaugurated in the Five Towns this past month. And what a night it was!

Upon arriving at the venue, BYAM, moms were greeted by beautiful décor and a lavish spread of refreshments, including sushi, salads, acai bowls, fruit, and teas.

Mrs. Suri Morgenstern, director of Pillar Support for parents facing the diagnosis of a child, opened the event by recounting her journey of parenting two

foster children with special needs. Her words were raw and real, leaving parents feeling inspired and understood.

The moms then split into two groups based on diagnosis and enjoyed a fun game followed by a roundtable discussion, where the moms introduced themselves and had the opportunity to share a bit about their child.

“The camaraderie and warmth was invigorating,” says Mrs. Chava Laufer, regional director of Hamaspik in the Five Towns, who was present at the event. “It’s

exactly what we set out to create — a sisterhood with zero judgement, just open hearts, where moms can help and encourage one another along the journey.”

At the end of the evening, each mom was gifted with a sweet care package, including a perfumed lotion, scented candle, bath bomb, and drink bottle with a meaningful message. Many moms lingered after the program was over, connecting and networking with newfound friends.

“For years, I’ve been hoping to meet more mothers who understand my struggles,” shared a participant. “And here I am in a room full of mothers who get it.

I shared an incident I had this morning, and everyone was nodding in understanding. I never had this before!”

“This is exactly what I needed,” said another mom. “A quick, short break where I can shmooze, give AND take, and feel deserving!”

Much thanks goes to Mrs. Chayala Teitelbaum, Stardust Facilitator, and Mrs. Suri Morgenstern of Pillar Support, for initiating the Stardust program in the Five Towns. We are honored to be here for the community, and we look forward to treating moms of children with special needs to another rejuvenating event soon.

Mercaz Academy Spelling Bee Showcases Skill and Sportsmanship

The Scripps National Spelling Bee gets Mercaz Academy students buzzing with excitement every year, so of course, they were disappointed to learn that the Long Island regional competition for the bee was scheduled to take place on Shabbos, making it impossible to compete. Undaunted, Assistant Principal Karen Leeper made sure that they got their chance to shine by holding the class and school spelling bees as usual.

The audience of second and third graders watched spellbound, impressed by the remarkable skill, bravery, and good sportsmanship from fourth, fifth, and sixth grade spellers as they tackled

increasingly challenging words. After 17 fast-moving rounds, a sixth grader claimed the championship and a standing ovation by correctly spelling the word “sensation.”

In a very impressive show from the youngest competitors, both runner-up positions were filled by fourth graders, who were competing in the school spelling bee for the first time. Had Mercaz Academy been planning to advance to the Regional Spelling Bee, all three of these spellers would have represented the school.

Mercaz Academy is proud of the outstanding achievements and graceful play of all nine participants.

Gan Chamesh Brings Purim to Life

At Gan Chamesh, the excitement for Purim is in full swing as our young learners prepare for the chag in a hands-on, meaningful way! Inspired by the Reggio philosophy, children are actively exploring the story of Megillas Esther through immersive storytelling, creative art experiences, and open-ended play. From designing their own Purim costumes to constructing a model Shushan with loose parts, each child is engaged in deep, joyful learning that brings Purim to life. By fostering curiosity and self-expression, our students are developing a personal and heartfelt connection to the mitzvos and messages of Purim. Happy month of Adar!

The ruach and excitement from the YOSS Mechina was palpable as the talmidim, together with their rebbeim, began an impromptu Kumzitz following davening on Rosh Chodesh Adar

A STEMsational Event at Shulamith

Eighth grade girls at Shulamith applied their biology knowledge to invent a solution to a problem in the field of medicine. They met this past week at the Biomedical Invention Convention, where lower-grades students visited and judged as our inventors pre-

sented their prototypes. The winners created an ingenious shot cover and a line of kid-friendly adhesive stickers for pill bottles, aimed at reducing the fear of shots and taking medicine. It was a STEMSATIONAL event!

Around the Community

Ezra Academy’s Annual Mother-Daughter Night

Ezra Academy recently hosted its highly anticipated annual Mother-Daughter Night, bringing together over 30 mothers and daughters for an evening of creativity, bonding, and Jewish tradition. This year’s event featured a resin mezuzah-making activity led by New Leaf, allowing families to create beautiful, personalized mezuzot to proudly display in their homes.

Building on the success of last year’s Mother-Daughter Paint Night, this year’s event once again underscored the importance of bringing parents into the school to share in meaningful experiences with their children. At Ezra Academy, parents are more than just supporters; they are partners in their children’s education

JSL Week 7 Recap

Another action-packed week in the JSL, brought to you by FM Home Loans, featured intense battles, playoff-clinching wins, and dramatic finishes. Here are the highlights from this week’s games:

K/P Hockey

New York State Chaplain Group controlled the game against Yeled LI in an 8-2 victory, powered by Asher Prince, who scored five times. Smash House beat Growtha 15-2, as Gavriel Feinsod exploded for nine goals. Five Towns Central picked up a hard-fought 7-5 win over Five Towns Landscaping and Design, led by Eliyahu Danzcykier, who found the back of the net six times. SR Whee handled Posh Home + Bath 9-2, behind strong defensive play from Shua Berkovsky, who also added two goals.

K/P Soccer

Doma secured a 4-2 win over Hewlett Auto Body, fueled by a four-goal performance from Asher Brill. Future Care took down Maidenbaum 7-3, as Yonatan Waller put on a scoring clinic, netting five goals.

1st Grade Hockey

Seasons Express held off Eden Gardens 6-5, as Sammy Slansky hustled all game long and delivered stellar defensive play to help send his team to the semifinals. John’s Auto cruised past Town Appliance 15-6, with Moshe Alon stepping up in his JSL playoff debut, scoring four goals. Anju pulled off a thrilling 13-12 victory over Simcha Day Camp, as Izzy Knobel completed a hat trick and knocked

and growth. Events like these strengthen the connection between home and school, reinforcing the values that shape the students’ daily lives.

As mothers and daughters carefully poured resin and designed their mezuzot, the room was filled with laughter, conversation, and a deep sense of community. The mezuzah, a symbol of Jewish faith and identity, serves as a powerful reminder of the school’s mission—to provide an education that balances academic excellence with spiritual and personal growth.

By taking home their handcrafted mezuzot, families are not just bringing home a beautiful piece of art; they are bringing home a piece of Ezra Acade -

my itself. These mezuzot will serve as a lasting inspiration, reminding students and parents alike of the values, friendships, and traditions nurtured within the school’s walls.

The success of this year’s Mother-Daughter Night reaffirms Ezra Acad-

emy’s commitment to fostering a warm, engaging, and spiritually enriching environment. As the school continues to blend rigorous education with meaningful Jewish experiences, events like these highlight the joy of learning—not just in the classroom, but in every aspect of life.

in the game-winner, while Zack Pearlman had an all-around standout performance.

2nd/3rd Grade Hockey

Sushi Tokyo got a 10-5 win over Smash House, fueled by Liam Sides, who played relentless defense and hustled all over the court. Maidenbaum got a 6-2 victory over Ecom Beyond, as Binyomin Levy came up big in key moments. Newman Dentistry battled past PIP Printing 3-1, in a defensive showdown where Abie Rybach and Shua Goldman played with nonstop energy. Shua Goldman also added a goal in the win, which put Newman Dentistry in the playoffs. SR Whee powered past Built by Nate 7-4, as Moshe Zlotowitz locked in defensively to keep his team ahead.

4th/5th Grade Hockey

Target Exterminating pulled off a 3-2 overtime victory over Smash House, as Yisroel Thaler scored a crucial goal and Aryeh Levine knocked in the game winner in OT. Gerber Bedding secured a tough 3-2 overtime win against Seasons, with Zev Becher firing the game-winner into the top right corner. Russo’s Pharmacy took down Marciano Pediatric Dentistry 2-1, behind a brick-wall goaltending performance from Zach Borenstein. Wieder Orthodontics controlled their game against Town Appliance 4-2, as Izzy Weiler played lockdown defense and added a goal, while Ahron Silverman made highlight-reel saves.

6th-8th Grade Hockey

Extreme Vent Cleaning picked up

a 6-3 win over Bluebird, led by Netanel Biegacz, who was everywhere on the court, making plays all game. Wieder Orthodontics dominated Kosher Skinny Shot 9-0, as Tzvi Rosenberg scored a nice goal from behind the net. 925 Sterling stormed past Tikva Fire 11-3, behind a four-goal effort from Meir Zauderer. Sdei Chemed beat Growtha 7-5, with Benjy Somerstein leading the way, scoring four times.

1st/2nd Grade Basketball

Eden Gardens grabbed a 28-8 win over Premier Assist, as Akiva Abramson took over on both ends, scoring 16 points and making key defensive plays. Tiffany Dry Cleaners shut out Newman Dentistry 16-0, highlighted by Daniel Grabie, who had a massive block, a steal, and then drained a long-range jumper. Wieder Orthodontics beat Russo’s Pharmacy 22-17, with Aryeh Reich scoring 10 points while playing shutdown defense.

3rd/4th Grade Basketball

Wieder Orthodontics secured a 2217 playoff victory over Russo’s Pharmacy, fueled by Aryeh Reich’s dominant two-way performance, scoring 10 points while locking in defensively. Marciano Pediatric Dentistry rolled past Better Image Contracting 26-8, as Matisyahu Braunstein filled the stat sheet with 10 points and strong defense. Posh Home + Bath picked up a 17-10 win over John’s Auto, with Gavi Schaffran leading the charge, finishing with nine points, including two clutch late-game buckets to

send Posh to the semifinals.

5th-7th Grade Basketball

Sdei Chemed and Emporio went back and forth in a high-energy battle, finishing in a 34-34 tie. Binyamin Weissman Photography came through in a thrilling 32-30 win over Sperling Productions, as Elazar Roberts was a force in the paint and capped it off by sinking the game-winner with one second remaining. Game of the Week Town Appliance and Better Image Contracting went down to the wire in a back-and-forth play-in battle, with a playoff spot on the line. Yitzy Weinreb and Yitzy Ptalis came up big on both ends, making key plays to keep Town Appliance in striking distance. But with just 19 seconds left, the game took a dramatic turn—Dovid Krigsman, down a man on the penalty kill, found an opening and delivered an electrifying shorthanded game-winner to complete the comeback and seal a nail-biting 5-4 victory. A clutch moment in a win-or-go-home showdown, punching Town Appliance’s ticket to the playoffs!

Foundations for Our Future: Yeshiva of Central Queens 84th Annual Scholarship Dinner

This past Sunday, March 2, the Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) hosted its 84th Annual Scholarship Dinner at Da Mikele Illagio, bringing together the YCQ family for an evening of unity, gratitude, and celebration. The event honored exceptional individuals who have made a lasting impact on the school while raising vital funds for its scholarship program.

This year’s distinguished honorees exemplified dedication and service to YCQ and the broader Jewish community. Aliza and Leon Yehuda Peled were recognized as Guests of Honor for their unwavering commitment. Parents of the Year, Daniela and Ariel Shamayev, were honored

for their outstanding contributions and leadership in countless chesed initiatives.

Additionally, Morah Reut Berkowitz was recognized as a Distinguished Educator for her profound impact on students and dedication to fostering a love for learning.

After a lively cocktail hour, guests moved upstairs for dinner, where Dinner Co-Chairs Penina Nussbaum and Aviva Reschke opened the evening with heartfelt remarks, reflecting on the past year’s challenges and emphasizing the resilience of the Jewish people. YCQ President Julie Faska then addressed the attendees, highlighting the school’s continued growth and success.

Rabbi Stephen Knapp led the crowd in a moving MiSheberach for the IDF, fol-

lowed by Tehillim recited by YCQ Chairman of the Board Israel Glaser. Rabbi Mark Landsman then sang Acheinu, uniting the audience in heartfelt prayer.

Each honoree was recognized with a moving tribute video and presented with a gorgeous painting as a token of appreciation. The evening also celebrated the success of YCQ’s “Rebuild Today, Inspire Tomorrow” gym campaign, acknowledging all of the donors who helped transform the gym into a beautiful space for students. Special recognition was paid to the “Pillars of the Gym,” those who donated $5,000 and above, and each donor was presented with a stunning gift.

The main feature of the evening was a music video capturing the heart and soul

of YCQ, with incredible vocals, recording, and production by Rabbi Ophie Nat. The event concluded with the much-anticipated Grand Raffle, where winners received exciting prizes, including a U.S. vacation, a lab-grown diamond tennis bracelet, and a full year of free tuition.

YCQ extends its deepest gratitude to all attendees, sponsors, and supporters for making the evening a success. Special thanks to Mrs. Fishman and the Dinner Committee for organizing a truly memorable night.

To view dinner videos, the event journal, and the photo gallery, visit YCQdinner. com.

Woodmere Resident Named Director of Practice Experience at Touro College of Pharmacy

Dr. Andrew Fuchs of Woodmere was appointed Director of Practice Experience and Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Touro College of Pharmacy (TCOP). In his new position, he will serve as Supervising Pharmacist of TCOP’s model pharmacy and as manager of all facets of TCOP’s experiential education program, including coordinating and evaluating student rotations and practice sites, developing curriculum for experiential learning and ensuring the quality of students’ practical pharmacy experience.

“Real world, practical training is at the core of TCOP’s curriculum,” said Dr.

Did you know?

Henry Cohen, dean of Touro College of Pharmacy. “Dr. Fuchs’ rare combination of business, practice and academic experience, including 15 years managing a high-volume contract pharmacy serving geriatric patients, makes him the perfect choice to oversee all aspects of the College’s experiential education, including developing cutting-edge curriculum and supervising student rotations and our model pharmacy.”

“As our patient population ages and pharmacists continue to play an increasingly important role as members of the health care team and as the go-to community resource for drug advice, medical

It cost $500,000 to build the Statue of Liberty (around $10 million today).

information and direct care, Dr. Fuchs’ expertise will ensure that our students will be superbly prepared to provide expert patient-centered care and practice at the top of their licenses,” continued Dean Cohen.

After earning his PharmD from the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Long Island University, Dr. Fuchs began working as a community pharmacy manager. He then served as Pharmacy Director-Controlled Substances at PharMerica in Uniondale, NY, a national leader in contract pharmacy services for long-term care, behavioral health and hospital management programs, where he managed all aspects of preparing and dispensing controlled substances for 24,000 patients in New York and New Jersey.

His extensive academic experience includes serving as a consultant to TCOP’s Office of Professional Experience, as a Professor of Pharmacy Practice-Experi-

ential Education at LIU Pharmacy, as an Adjunct Affiliate Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at TCOP and a member of the adjunct faculties at St. John Fisher College of Pharmacy, Creighton University College of Pharmacy in Omaha, Nebraska, and St. John’s University College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Fuchs lives in Woodmere with his wife and six children. He is a member of Young Israel of Woodmere.

The Woke American Jews Upending Israeli Society

By Dovid Gold

Over the past decade or so, a wave of lawsuits targeting the lifestyle of the religious communities in Eretz Yisroel has been brought before the powerful and left-leaning Israeli Supreme Court. While not all of these cases have succeeded, they’ve complicated life for hundreds of thousands of religious people. Moreover, these petitions have deepened the divisions among Israeli society. But who is spending time and money to bring these cases? And why do they care how the frum community chooses to live?

A close look into each of these cases reveals a fascinating pattern. The fingerprints of the Jewish American woke left, organized into the Reform movement, are present each time. Desperate for relevance, Reform leaders in America have merged their anti-Torah ideology with the woke left agenda, launching a systematic campaign against the Torah communities of Eretz Yisroel. In doing so, they have created a cause célèbre to rally their dwindling membership.

While the Israeli court system leans strongly to the left and is widely viewed as unkind to religion, by law, courts do not initiate actions against Israeli citizens. Courts intervene only when a petition is filed before them. Successfully bringing a case before the Supreme Court requires expert legal representation and significant financial resources. Litigation typically starts at around 20,000 shekels, and many cases drag on for years, racking up large legal fees. Without the backing of a well-funded institution, these petitions or lawsuits hardly stand a chance of gaining any traction. For these reasons, the status quo understanding between the state and the religious communities in Israel has mostly held. Only in more recent years have so many rulings been handed down by the courts targeting religious practices.

This new reality is due to the emergence of a new force on the Israeli scene: The Reform Center for Religion and State. This legal arm of the Reform movement in Israel has taken the lead in each of these petitions and the lawyers they retain have fought these battles.

The Reform Center was established approximately 35 years ago. Officially, it was founded to advocate for the rights of Reform communities and promote the recognition of pluralistic and Reform values. However, in practice, the Center has led campaigns against virtually every area in which the Torah communities of Israel operate.

Key Legal Battles

Since the advent of cell phones, the Charedi public in Eretz Yisroel has embraced the use of kosher-filtered cell phones, which safeguard the purity and wholesomeness of their chosen way of life. But in 2016, a lawsuit claimed these phones don’t allow access to hotlines for people with alternative lifestyles. This sparked a years-long legal saga to protect what the Charedi community views as a basic right. While this case continues to work through the legal system, the courts have already ordered the Knesset to pass laws that satisfy these pluralistic goals.

A review of the official court documents shows that the petition was jointly brought by organizations advocating for those who practice alternative lifestyles along with the Reform Center and the Movement for Progressive Judaism, another Reform arm. And that all the petitioners were represented by lawyers who are members of the Center’s legal staff. It is obvious that the Reform movement has no direct stake in the type of cell phones used by the frum community, nevertheless, they exploited this issue to advance their broader agenda of gaining relevance by generating coverage in Israel’s media outlets sympathetic to their cause.

Thousands of working parents in Eretz Yisroel rely on government-subsidized childcare during work hours. For decades, based on the understanding that an avreich has the legal status of a “studying spouse,” families where the husband learns in kollel and the wife works have also benefited from these subsidies. To strip kollel families of this badly needed assistance, a petition was filed arguing that full-time Torah study does not meet legitimate standards of “studying.”

Court documents again reveal that the Reform Center for Religion and State led this petition, along with five other leftist organizations, and that the Center’s legal team represented all petitioners. Ultimately, this baseless petition was dismissed because the subsidies are intended to encourage female participation in the workforce, regardless of their spouse’s employment status.

It’s hard to believe the petitioners truly opposed subsidies for working women, a cause they often champion. Instead, it appears that it was all about delegitimizing the kollel system by painting them as unfairly benefiting from government funds.

Another staple of organized life in Eretz Yisroel targeted by legal petition is the Mehadrin bus lines, which maintain separation between men and women per the community’s societal norms. In yet another case argu-

ing that this longstanding practice violates laws of equality, the Reform Center and its lawyers are listed as petitioners. This time, the courts ruled in favor of the petitioners, forcing an end to Mehadrin seating arrangements. The result? A massive disruption for thousands of frum commuters, whose cultural norms were ironically disregarded under the guise of “equality.”

Also targeted by the Reform Center and its lawyers is the curriculum being taught in the vast network of chadorim serving the Torah communities. Since Tanach is part of the core curriculum taught in every school in Israel, a case has been brought to block the legitimacy of chadorim who refuse to teach Tanach in the politically correct manner acceptable to the woke left in Israel. While this is an obvious non-starter for frum schools, this litigation resulted in a disparity in funding for the religious sector in Israel and became yet another talking point with which to disparage communities committed to following authentic Jewish traditions.

The Effect on Israeli Society

Besides these high-profile cases, many other petitions were brought in at all levels of the Israeli court system but were thwarted along the legal maze. Nevertheless, the mere threat of judicial intervention is enough to make the politicians sympathetic to traditional Jewish values think twice before crafting any new legislation. This dynamic is true at every level of government, from the Knesset, where laws are passed that apply to every citizen of the country, to local municipalities, which are responsible for scores of regulations that affect everyday life. Moreover, these petitions worsen the longstanding tension between the government and the courts. This rift recently boiled over in the well-known judicial reform drama that caused upheaval across Israel.

Media coverage of these lawsuits confuses the question of who truly represents Judaism. Since the founding of the State, only Orthodox Judaism has been recognized as authentic Judaism. This aligns with the perspective of the overwhelming majority of Israelis who identify with religious traditions. In fact, until a relatively short time ago, there was no official Reform presence in Israel.

However, the Reform movement has recently fought to change this perception and be recognized as representatives of the Jewish faith. A notable example of this push is evident from yet another petition filed by both the Reform and Conservative movements against the popular religious media outlet, Channel 14. The petitioners argued that Reform and

Conservative clergy-people should be given equal time to present their views whenever a religion-related issue is discussed on air.

As a result, Reform has made significant inroads in establishing itself in many parts of Israel’s national character. Given that the non-Orthodox streams of Judaism have become largely irrelevant in the United States, establishing a foothold in Israel has become a priority for them. This affects every aspect of religious life in Israel, including marriage and conversion, and even the management of holy sites such as the Kosel. These changes threaten to reshape the very identity of the Jewish people as these pluralistic versions of Judaism gain legal and cultural influence.

Countering Them

The Reform movement’s decades-long involvement in the World Zionist Congress directly funds these legal petitions. Through its advocacy efforts in the Congress, the Reform movement has successfully managed to advocate for the direct funding of diverse streams of Judaism. Tens of millions of shekels are allocated each year to fund the growth of the Reform movement in Israel, with official Reform organizations in Israel proudly listing the National Institutions as sponsors on their respective websites.

A noteworthy portion of this money is funneled to the Reform Center for Religion and State under the guise of furthering Reform interests. However, as demonstrated by its legal history, the Center is largely used to fight legal battles against established religious communities and to arouse animosity toward the religious sector.

In the 2020 Congress elections, the Reform and Conservative parties collectively received approximately 45,000 votes out of the 120,000 votes cast by American Jews. The Reform movement has intensified its efforts to gain even more votes in the upcoming elections in March 2025. To counter their influence, American Jews who support traditional Torah values must participate in these elections and vote for delegates who will oppose the Reform movement’s attempts to reshape Israeli society.

The outcome of these elections will determine who controls billions of dollars and who shapes the future of religious life in Israel. By voting for delegates with true Torah values, American Jews can help ensure that Eretz Yisroel remains a place where authentic Judaism thrives.

Please make sure to VOTE at eretzhakodesh.org. Voting begins on March 10.

Sivan’s Kitchen

Rav Zelig Braverman, Rosh Yeshiva of Derech Emunah and a son-in-law of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, inspired the Beis Medrash talmidim of Yeshiva Darchei Torah

Last week, the HALB PTA put together an incredible Ladies Night Out Cooking Demo with Instagram personality Sivan’s Kitchen. The evening was a fun way for HALB mothers and teachers to spend time together while learning about Sivan’s life, cooking tricks, and delicious recipes.

HANC ECC celebrated Rosh Chodesh Adar with a special assembly and an ice

HANC HS Business Club: Building Business Minds

The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County’s Business Club is making waves this year. Founded by junior T.J. Serber, ‘26, whose entrepreneurial journey began at the age of 9 with a successful salad dressing business, the club aims to provide valuable insights into business, entrepreneurship, and finance for students eager to learn and grow.

The club kicked off this past week with its inaugural guest speaker, Mr. Jeff Moskowitz, an entrepreneur and former HANC parent. During his visit, Mr. Moskowitz shared invaluable insights on launching and managing a successful business. Drawing from his own experiences, he emphasized the importance of passion, perseverance, and adaptability in entrepreneurship. He outlined key practical steps for building and sustaining a business, such as focusing on

product quality and delivering value to customers. Beyond the basics, he also highlighted the significance of networking and cultivating meaningful relationships within the business world

In addition, Mr. Moskowitz advised students to seek mentorship, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and to always be open to learning from others. He emphasized that no matter the obstacles one may face, they should still believe in their vision. Jeff Moskowitz left a lasting impression on the students, sparking thoughtful discussions and questions. His advice inspired many students to think critically about their entrepreneurial aspirations and how they could apply these strategies to their own lives.

The Business club is looking forward to more engaging and insightful speakers in a variety of industries in the weeks ahead.

Rav Moshe Scheinerman Addresses Adopt-a-Kollel Renewal at Bais Haknesses Mishkan Yisroel

Bais Haknesses Mishkan Yisroel of Woodmere, led by Rav Daniel Rosen, is a vibrant shul in the Five Towns. The shul has partnered with Kollel Beis Hillel, led by Rav Eliyahu Mann, a talmid muvhak and chavrusah of Rav Chaim Kanievsky. On Sunday morning,

17 Shevat/February 23, the kehillah led an inspiring renewal event. The special guest speaker was Rav Moshe Scheinerman, rav of Khal Bnei Torah of Flatbush and longtime rav of an Adopt-a-Kollel partner kehillah

Common Mistakes In Estate Planning – Part III

Creating an Estate Plan that includes a Revocable Trust, pourover Will, Property Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Authorization provides numerous benefits during life and at death. During life, the plan provides directions to your family regarding your medical care and finances if you become incapacitated or are otherwise unable to articulate your wishes. At death, the plan acts as a set of instructions to your fiduciaries regarding the distribution of your assets. Unfortunately, as many practitioners understand, signing the documents alone does not solve every problem or guarantee that everything will work as intended. Sometimes, there are things that the grantor or testator does or fails to do that undermine an Estate Plan. This article focuses on mistakes that often result in litigation. Creating an Estate Plan requires an individual to disclose sensitive information to the attorney creating the plan. Many of us agonize over a discussion

focusing on mortality, yet that’s exactly what a discussion about Estate Planning does. A comprehensive Estate Plan though, implements a plan for that eventuality. People creating an Estate Plan often make the mistake of failing to inform their beneficiaries and fiduciaries of the plan. While the conversation may be awkward, having it not only lets your loved ones know of your plan and their role therein but also prevents hurt feelings and potential litigation if the plan deviates from a beneficiary’s expectation. Clients may hesitate to discuss their plan because they worry that a beneficiary who knows that they will receive an inheritance will lose motivation to work hard. Others may worry that disclosing the information will cause current conflict or believe that the details of their plan should remain private until after their death. Still others may have a hard time assessing family dynamics or the limitations of their intended beneficiaries. An experienced Estate Planning practitioner assists a client in working through these concerns and encourages

an open dialogue with the beneficiaries and fiduciaries to reduce conflict after death. As Trust and Estate litigators know, a beneficiary whose inheritance failed to meet their expectations makes a great client. Plenty of contentious battles begin because the grantor treated one beneficiary differently than another or one person decided something of which another disapproved.

Having a conversation with the beneficiaries during and at the end of the process provides several benefits. First, it allows the client to provide the beneficiary with their underlying reasoning or motivation for creating the plan. That helps the client understand and manage the beneficiary’s expectations and address the beneficiary’s questions or concerns. Second, the conversation might help the grantor or testator better understand the beneficiary’s needs. That conversation may serve as motivation for the beneficiary to undertake their own Estate Planning. Third, the conversation helps prepare the beneficiary for experiencing the testator’s end-of-life. Imagine a healthcare agent faced with the decision to terminate life support. Now imagine they never had a conversation with the individual hooked up to the machines. Imagine trying to make that decision without all the information. A conversation about your wishes with those who will make the decision reassures them that they know what to do when the time comes.

Having a tough conversation with your beneficiaries about the contents of your plan goes a long way toward preventing litigation. Unfortunately, it can’t prevent all litigation. The plan itself also plays a role. If the plan fails to address incapacity, that could cause significant issues. A comprehensive Estate Plan that includes all the documents noted above addresses incapacity if the Revocable

Trust has been funded and contains provisions regarding who serves as Trustee if the original Trustee (who is typically the Trustor) cannot because of incapacity and how distributions from the Trust should be made during the period of incapacity. If there are assets outside the Trust, then the Attorney-in-Fact acting under the Property Power of Attorney can make decisions about those assets. Relying upon the Property Power of Attorney could cause issues if the Power of Attorney is outdated or otherwise insufficient. In any scenario, the individual acting pursuant to the Health Care Power of Attorney will control decisions regarding health care for the incapacitated individual. If an Estate Plan lacks these documents or the documents don’t properly address and plan for incapacity, then the family or loved ones will have to go through the time, effort, and expense of initiating incapacity proceedings.

As this article has demonstrated, while there are reasons that folks want to keep the details of their Estate Plan secret, that can backfire in material ways. Further, failure to include provisions in an Estate Plan can result in expensive litigation for the estate, ultimately reducing the benefit to the beneficiaries. An experienced Estate Planning attorney encourages a client to have tough conversations, includes provisions that address a range of circumstances that the client might experience in their life, and ultimately creates a plan that honors their legacy and protects their beneficiaries. Any plan that fails to address these matters ultimately fails the creator of the plan and their loved ones at a time when they are least equipped to deal with it.

To learn how to protect you and your family visit www.haaszaltz.com or call 516-979-1060. You can also email them at info@haaszaltz.com.

Around the Community A Feast for All

By Gabriel Geller, WSET III

Gathering for a festive meal with family and friends is an essential part of every Shabbos and nearly every Jewish holiday. A festive meal suggests the inclusion of delicious food and quality wine. However, a Shabbos or yom tov meal is, first and foremost, just a meal. Aside from fast days, we all eat three meals a day, and we make them festive in honor of the sanctity of the day.

The Purim seudah is extra special in that it is arguably the main event of the holiday. Yes, we start Purim with the Megillah reading at night and then again the following morning, but we rush through the Mishloach Manos, and after feeling accomplished for fulfilling the mitzvos of the day, we finally sit down to the seudah. What’s even more special about the Purim feast is that there is such an emphasis on drinking wine, despite the fact that we don’t even make kiddush! Since drinking wine is so emphasized on Purim, there is some pressure on both the hosts and the

guests. Hosts want their guests to feel comfortable, and guests don’t want to feel forced to drink wine they don’t enjoy just because it’s Purim. Therefore, the challenge for both hosts and guests is finding wines that will appeal to everyone’s taste. With that in mind, here is a short review of my Purim selections:

Bartenura Lychee-flavored Moscato Cans, NV: You’re not daydreaming. Yes, I’m actually recommending a Moscato! Back when I lived in Israel, I would purchase a bottle of Moscato every week for Shabbos and yom tov, in addition to 2-3 fine dry red and white wines, as an inexpensive, crowd-pleasing dessert wine. Among my go-tos were Teperberg’s and Zion Moscatos. I find Bartenura’s lychee-flavored Moscato Cans to be a fun, tasty, refreshing, and flavorful wine that can be enjoyed at any point during the Seudah. It’s also a great item to include in your Mishloach Manos. PSA: It is NOT kosher for Pesach!

Jeunesse Pinot Noir, 2023: Some of you may be thinking, “Has Geller lost it?!” I won’t pretend that Jeunesse wines

are generally my preferred style. However, if asked, Pinot Noir would likely be named my favorite grape variety, though I tend to think less about specific varieties and more about how and where a wine is made, as well as its overall quality. It is an impressive and bold move on the part of winemaker Alicia Wilbur and the team at Herzog to add a Pinot Noir to the Jeunesse lineup, and it’s a great way to introduce newcomers to wine to this amazing grape.

Champagne Drappier, Carte d’Or, Brut NV: I’ve reviewed the Carte d’Or in these pages before, probably more than once, but I purposely chose the magnum this time. Magnums are a true centerpiece on any table, especially when it’s a great wine like this one. Perfect for parties and meals with many guests, it’s also a fantastic way to add some hiddur mitzvah to your seudah! Magnums also last about 10-15% longer than regular 750ml bottles because the air-to-wine ratio is lower, which, for my own taste, is crucial with Champagne. Enjoy the zing of the bubbles and the notes of fresh lemon, green apple, brioche, and hazelnuts with your guests. Like most dry sparkling wines, this one pairs well with almost any type of food you may serve at the Seudah.

Celler de Capçanes, La Flor del Flor del Primavera, Samso, DO Montsant, 2021: A favorite from

Capçanes made from Carignan (“Samso” in Catalan) grown on nearly century-old vines in the mountainous vineyards surrounding the winery (I have great memories with my wife Yael and our then-16month-old son riding up the vineyards in the Jeep of Capçanes’s Jürgen Wagner on a beautiful fall morning). This wine is now mevushal, allowing it to be shared in any setting, regardless of location or the religious affiliation of your guests.

Carmel Signature Mediterranean, 4 Vats, 2021: While not as complex and tightly structured as its pricier “Carmel Mediterranean” sibling, the 4 Vats is one of the most unique proprietary blends I enjoy presenting to people who are new to Israeli wines and looking for something different and original from the Holy Land. I like the symbolic aspect of enjoying a truly Israeli wine on Purim, and it is sure to intrigue some of your guests as well.

10 Reasons Why Daylight Saving Time is a Bummer

UYou hear “spring forward, fall back” at least 97 times—as if that actually helps anyone remember what’s happening.

UUYour friend loses an hour of sleep and talks about it for three days straight.

You spend the whole next day explaining to confused people why their microwave clock is wrong.

U The phrase “Wait, is it REALLY 3 o’clock?” is said 47 times in the office on Monday.

ULate-night cholent runs now feel like they happen in broad daylight. Not the same vibe when it’s bright outside and people can actually see you scarfing down burnt beans.

UYour car clock is stuck in the wrong time zone for the next six months because you forgot how to change it.

UUThe sun stays up forever. Can this day PLEASE end already?!

You check your phone every 10 seconds because you don’t trust that time is even real anymore. (You usually only check your WhatsApps every 15 seconds.)

UUYou have to hear every rant about how useless Daylight Saving Time is.

“What time is it?” becomes a philosophical debate. “Wait, is it REALLY 7:00 or is it just ‘7:00’ because we changed the clocks?”

Riddle Me This

You look at a clock and see that the time is 3:35. Later, you check again and see that only 5 minutes have passed, but now the clock says 4:00. The clock was never tampered with, and it is working perfectly. How is this possible?

actually 5:25. Five minutes later, the actual time was 5:30, which appears as 4:00 in the mirror. The numbers flip in reverse, which makes them look different when reflected.)

Answer: You were looking in a mirror! (When you first saw the time, it appeared as 3:35, but in the mirror, it was

Daylight Saving Time Trivia

1. Who originally came up with the idea of Daylight Saving Time?

a. Benjamin Franklin

b. Thomas Jefferson

c. Albert Einstein

d. A sleep-deprived rooster

2. In what year did the United States first adopt Daylight Saving Time?

a. 1776

b. 1918

c. 1965

d. 1976

5. Which U.S. states do NOT observe Daylight Saving Time?

a. Alaska & Hawaii

b. Arizona & Hawaii

c. Texas & Florida

d. Vermont & Maine

3. What’s the official term for what happens when your body struggles to adjust to the time change?

a. Time Shift Syndrome

b. Sleep Lag

c. Social Jet Lag

d. Chrono-Confusion Disorder

4. What’s the main reason given for Daylight Saving Time?

a. To help farmers

b. To reduce energy consumption

c. To give people more time for after-work activities

d. To keep everyone permanently confused about what time it actually is

You Gotta be Kidding Me!

6. What happens to crime rates right after Daylight Saving Time starts?

a. They increase

b. They decrease

c. They stay the same

d. Criminals just get confused and go home

Wisdom Key:

5-6 correct: You are the guy who wakes up at 5 a.m. and goes for a jog on the first day of Daylight Saving Time.

2-4 correct: A bit groggy but not bad.

0-1 correct: You sprang forward a bit too much and landed on your head.

A man walks into a fancy watch store and says to the salesman, “I need a watch that will give me more time.”

The salesman raises an eyebrow and says, “Sir, that’s not really how watches work.”

The man shakes his head, “No, no, you don’t understand. I’m always late. My boss yells at me, my wife complains, and even my dog gives me judgmental looks when I get home. I need a watch that gives me more time!”

The salesman thinks for a moment and then smiles. “Ah, I have just the thing.”

He pulls out a huge watch – so big it looks like a small clock. “This is the Procrastinator 3000. Every time you check the time, it automatically adds ten extra minutes so you always feel ahead of schedule!”

The man’s eyes light up. “That’s amazing! Does it work?”

The salesman shrugs. “Not really, but at least you’ll be late with confidence.”

Torah Thought

Parshas Tetzaveh

By Rabbi Berel Wein

The Torah ordains that the olive oil used to light the eternal menorah must be of the purest and best available. There is obvious logic to this requirement. Impure oil will cause the flames to stutter and flicker. Impure oil also may exude an unpleasant odor and make the task of the daily cleaning of the oil lamps difficult and inefficient. Yet I feel that the basic underlying reason for this requirement of purity of the oil lies in the value that the Torah advances in

the performance of all positive things in life: the necessity to do things correctly, enthusiastically and with exactitude.

In halachic parlance, this is called kavanah, the intent to perform the commandment and deed properly and in the best possible way. That is the story of the pure container of oil that is the core of the miraculous story of Chanukah. The Chashmonaim could have used regular, even impure, oil and still not have violated any strong halachic stricture. Yet the idea of kavanah, of doing the matter in the best way possible, introduces an element of special dedication and holiness into what otherwise would be an event of rote and habit. This is what drives the spirit of holiness and eternity that accompanies the performance of mitzvos. The requirement of the Torah for the purest possible oil to fuel the holy and eternal menorah is readily understandable when the concept of kavanah is factored into the value system of the Torah.

substance. It provides light and warmth and psychological support in very difficult times and circumstances. Yet, its influence and support are somehow directly connected to the investment into actually kindling it. That is the import of the words of the rabbis in Avot that according to the effort invested so is the accomplishment and reward.

All things spiritual are dependent upon the effort invested in creating that sense of spirit – the purer the oil, the

The light of the menorah has never been dimmed over the long history of the Jewish people.

The light of the menorah has never been dimmed over the long history of the Jewish people. Though the menorah itself has long ago disappeared from the view of the Jewish public – it was no longer present even in Second Temple times – the idea of its light and influence has continued to be present in Jewish life. The flame is not a tangible item; it is, in reality, an item of spirit more than of

brighter and firmer the flame. This simple yet profound message forms the heart of this week’s parsha. It also forms the heart of all values and commandments that the Torah ordains for us.

The parsha of Tetzaveh speaks to all of us in a direct and personal fashion. It encompasses all of the goals of Judaism and is, in itself, the light of spirituality that lights our souls and lives.

From the Fire

Parshas Tetzaveh Leaders and the Little People

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

The Torah says the garments of the kohein gadol must be “for honor and glory” (Shemos 28:2). It also mandates that two of the eight garments must be attached to one another with rings and ropes. The Torah (ibid. at 28:28) says, “And the Choshen [breastplate] shall not loosen, yizach, from the Ephod [apron].” The Ramban, Rashi, and Onkolus give various explanations which indicate that yizach means that the Choshen may not become loose, detached, or disconnected from the Ephod. The Rambam (Sefer Hamitzvos, Negative Commandment 87) counts this rule that the Choshen may not be separated from the Ephod as one of the 613 mitzvos. He further clarifies (Hilchos Klei Hamikdah 9:10) that “anyone who allows the Choshen to become loose from upon the Ephod and anyone who separates them destructively [not for the purpose of repairing them] receives lashes.”

This is remarkable. The Rambam counts all of the many details and halachos of the garments of the kohanim as one mitzvah “to wear the kohein garments for the service” (introduction to Hilchos Klei Hamikdash). Yet for some reason, the Torah singles out just one of those many details of the garments of the kohanim, the requirement that the Choshen and Ephod be attached tightly to one another, as a completely separate mitzvah. What is so unique about this one detail that the Torah singles it out as an independent mitzvah?

The Sefer Hachinuch (Negative Commandment 100) explains that this mitzvah is part of the general rule that the garments of the kohein gadol must be “for honor and glory.” Because his garments must be in perfect order, he writes that “the Choshen may not move and sway on the tablet of [the kohein gadol’s] heart.” Yet his explanation is not entirely sat-

isfying. We still do not understand why the Torah singled out this one detail of the hundreds of halachos relating to the garments of the kohanim as a separate mitzvah. Even the Sefer Hachinuch is not satisfied with his own answer, as we see when he says, in very unusual form, “And until we hear a better explanation, we shall cling to this one.”

Reb Chanan Porat, z”l, quotes other seforim which shed light on this mysterious mitzvah. He points out that it teaches us a fundamental principle of Jewish leadership and demonstrates one of the key qualifications of a true leader.

There were twelve precious stones on the Choshen, each one containing the name of one of the tribes of the Jewish people. The stones were therefore called (Shemos 28:12), “stones of remembrance” because they recall the names of each of the tribes. While there are several explanations of the mechanics, the kohein gadol used the letters of the names of the Jewish people on the Choshen to give them guidance in their personal and national decisions.

The Gemara (Yuma 73b) explains that the names of the tribes contain all of the letters of the Aleph Beis except for Tzadik, Ches, Kuf, and Tes. The Gemara therefore explains that the Choshen also contained the phrases “Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov” and “Shivtei Yeshurun” (Tribes of Yeshurun) in order to make up the missing letters. It is also remarkable because there were 72 total letters in the names of the tribes and these two phrases, the same number of letters as in Hashem’s “full” name (Rashi on Sukkah 45a).

The pasuk (Shmos 28:29) says that “Aharon shall carry the names of the Jewish people on the Choshen of judgment on his heart when he comes into the Holy as a remembrance before Hashem always.”

The Torah says that kohein gadol must wear the Choshen, which represents the Jewish people, close to his heart during his service in the Beis Hamikdash. The Choshen must remain tightly in place so that the kohein gadol keeps the Jewish people close to his heart at all times. Normally, there is a tendency for any-

one in a position of power or authority to detach himself from his “subjects” and become aloof. Whether one is the ruler of an entire nation, a parent of children, a rebbe or morah, or anyone in between, this is a danger endemic to any position of power or authority.

The Rambam (Hilchos Melachim 2:6) teaches the proper attitude of a leader as follows: “Just like the pasuk apportioned him [the king] great honor and everyone is obligated to honor him, so, too, it commanded that his heart must be low and empty within him…and he may not conduct himself in an overly haughty manner with the Jewish people, as the pasuk (Devarim 17:20) says, ‘Lest his heart become haughty over his brothers.’ And he must be kind and merciful with the small and the great. And he should go and come for their desires and for their benefit. And he should concern himself with the honor of the smallest of the small among them.”

The Ephod represents kingship (Ramban on Shemos 28:2) and authority. Very often, once a person becomes accustomed to a position of power, he begins to feel detached from the concerns of “regular people” and feel that he is different from and better than them. In order to counteract this, the kohein gadol must ensure that the Ephod, which represents authority and power, remain closely connected to the Choshen, which represents every single Jew. He must concern himself with even “the smallest of the small among them.”

It is no coincidence that Aharon was the first kohein gadol to wear the Choshen and Ephod. He exemplified the leader who was exceedingly humble, always thinking of others before himself. The Mishna (Avos 1:12) says regarding Aharon that he “loves peace, pursues peace, loves other people and draws them close to Torah.” And the Midrash

(Shemos Raba 3:17) says, “The heart that rejoiced in the greatness of his brother will wear the Urim V’tumim [contained within the Choshen].” Aharon led the Jewish people throughout their bitter slog through the slave pits of Egypt for many years. It would have been understandable if he felt some jealousy when Moshe swooped in at the end of the slave experience, becoming the leader immediately. Yet Aharon was such a great leader that he never thought of himself. He only thought of others. That is why he was rewarded with the Urim V’Tumim and Choshen. His heart was engraved with the life of each and every Jew.

The kohein gadol’s leadership with Hashem’s guidance through the Choshen was not meant to serve as a source of legal or halachic authority. In fact, this is prohibited because “the Torah is not in Heaven” (Devarim 30:12; Bava Metzia 59b). Halachic leadership is the function of the Sanhedrin, poskim, and talmidei chachamim. Rather, the kohein gadol uses the Urim V’Tumim and Choshen to guide the Jewish people with major decisions on an individual and national level, as the pasuk (Bamidbar 27:21) says, “And he shall stand before Elazar Hakohein and seek [advice from] him through

the judgment of the Urim before Hashem. By his word shall they go and by his word they shall come, he and all of the Jewish people with him and the entire congregation.” The “Judgment of the Urim” means that a leader of the nation must guide his people based on a judgment of who they are and their own individual nature.

For this type of personal leadership, in order to connect to the unique nature of each individual with whom he is charged, it is not enough for a leader to have a great intellect. He must have “the heart of Aharon.” He must carry every Jew’s name on his heart at all times. He must be a person who never lets his connection to even “the smallest of the small among them” waver or weaken in any way.

This contrasts sharply with the concept of leadership outside the Jewish world. I remember once, in the early 1960s, I went with several friends to a Yankees game. One of my friends in particular was an autograph collector so we waited with him after the game to see the players as they left the stadium. It seems the players were involved in various water and wine libations, because we waited for over an hour and a half before they emerged. One of the popular players

at that time was Joe Pepitone, and my friend very much wanted his autograph. He prepared a paper and pen for the big moment. When Joe finally left the stadium, there were only three or four people waiting for him; very little pressure or fanfare. Yet when my friend extended his paper and pen to obtain Joe’s autograph, he hurled an expletive at my friend and walked right past, leaving him completely deflated. While not every leader in the world at large is like our friend Joe, it suffices to say that the aspirations of leaders in the world at large are very far from the Jewish ideal.

One leader of our people who represents the ideal of a Jewish leader who never allowed “the Choshen to loosen from upon the Ephod” was Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, zt”l. I would like to share one small story that illustrates this beautifully from his Artscroll biography, Rav Nosson Tzvi: Rav Nosson Tzvi didn’t suffice with empathizing with orphans and widows. When a Mirrer talmid passed away, leaving behind a large family, Rav Nosson Tzvi called his widow and promised her that he was now her children’s “father.” He told the children that any time they had anything to discuss, they should

write to him, and he would write back.

Sure enough, the children wrote letters to the Rosh Yeshiva, and he wrote back to them in longhand.

After a few of the boys in the family received his letters, Rav Nosson Tzvi received a complaint from a 6-year-old girl in the family, who felt left out at not having received a letter. Rav Nosson Tzvi took a piece of paper and wrote her a short note, adding a picture of a heart to show that his heart was with the family. This girl, who is now married with a family of her own, still cherishes the note that carried her through so many a difficult moment.

May Hashem grant us more leaders who we so sorely need like Aharon Hakohein and Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, zt”l, who concern themselves with even the smallest of the small and not only the issues and people deemed “big” or “important.” With such leaders, may we soon see the arrival of Moshiach and the ultimate redemption soon in our days.

Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, is the founding Morah d’Asrah of Congreagation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY, and serves as leader of the new mechina Emek HaMelech.

Secular literature has a famous opening line: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” We, too, have entered one of the most beautiful times of the Jewish year. Adar begins with great simcha permeating the entire month. Then, immediately, we enter the month of Nisan when no Tachanun is recited and prepare for the month of miracles. The Seder nights beckon us to remember all of the nissim which Hashem performed for us, and we recline like kings. Yet, at this moment, Klal Yisrael is still in mourning over our tragic losses. There have been tremendous korbanos –the little bodies of the Bibas brothers are inscribed indelibly before our eyes and embedded in our hearts. We don’t know the fate of the other hostages, nor even who is dead or alive. How can we be content, let alone b’simcha? The best of times and the worst of times, indeed.

Last week, I shared with my shul an extraordinary Medrash quoted by a Rishon, Rav Yehoshua Ibn Shuib, a disciple of the Rashbah. Rashi, in the name of Chazal, tell us that Yaakov Avinu brought cedar trees from Eretz Yisrael to Mitzray-

Torah Thought Making This the Best Purim Of All

By Harav Yaakov Feitman

im for the future building of the Mishkan. Speaking at an aufruf, I addressed the chosson and his family, in addition to representatives of the kallah. “Chazal are here teaching us that when building the Mishkan or a Jewish home, we must begin with things which have been planted by the patriarchs, the fathers, mothers, grandparents and beyond so that there is an unbroken mesorah.”

What Ibn Shuib adds, however, is extraordinary. He states that the trees were actually carried out of Gan Eden by Adam HaRishon when he was expelled from the Garden. Let us imagine the scene. The great Adam HaRishon was a chassid gadol even after he sinned. Even when he was dead and buried in the Mearas Hamachpeilah, his two ankles, the lowest part of the body, shone like two suns and nearly blinded a visitor to the cave. Why is he carrying these trees? My answer to the new young couple was that even when things are not going well, Klal Yisrael is in mourning, we must seek to take Gan Eden with us to rebuild.

All of us must now, in the spirit of Adar and with Pesach looming ahead,

find it in our hearts and minds to be b’simcha, even as we make sure not to forget those who are in pain. So how should we go about doing the impossible?

The Belzer Rebbe was miraculously rescued from the Holocaust, Churban Europa, arriving in Haifa just in time for Shabbos Shirah. He had lost most of his family and at the time had almost no chassidim or a following. The small minyan at which he davened consisted also of similar survivors, who asked him how he would be able to recite the shirah with joy. He replied that he, too, was agonizing over the same question. One of the answers was that he was imagining Noach immediately after the Mabul. He descended Mount Ararat and was greeted by a desolate world. Only the few survivors on the teivah were alive, and several were compromised in many ways. Yet, Noach planted and started again, knowing that he had been granted the greatest gift of all: that of life itself. The rebbe said that he would sing of the future potential, of rebuilding and starting anew.

Today, as everyone knows, Belz has the most beautiful Bais Hamedrash in

the world and is constantly expanding and growing.

The Rambam (Hilchos Megillah 2:5) states that all the books of Tanach will become obsolete except for Megillas Esther. Other sources indicate that although other Yomim Tovim will be eclipsed by the future miracles of Moshiach, Purim will remain as relevant as ever. My rebbe, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l, (Pachad Yitzchok Purim 34:1) offered a parable to explain why Purim and Megillas Esther will last forever. I have updated it slightly for our age.

Two people enter a dark cave. One is blind, and the other has a flashlight. When they emerge into sunlight, the man with the flashlight puts it away for the sunlight is much brighter, but the blind man, who has learned to navigate in the darkness, will still need and retains his talent for functioning in the dark.

The nimshal – explanation of the parable – is that throughout our long dark exile, Hashem has given us lights in the darkness. These are our wonderful Yomim Tovim. Each recounts miracles of years past and keep alive our faith and belief

in a future, better world. When Moshiach arrives, we, G-d willing, will not require those lights as much, since we will have the much greater power of the Messianic world. However, Purim teaches us how to value the daily hidden miracles, the nisecha shebechol yom imanu – the miracles of trees and children growing, of wounds that heal and the everyday joys of daily life. Purim is the yom tov of revealing of the hidden, as is the very name “Megillas Esther,” the revealer of that which is hidden. This trait and lesson we will need even after Moshiach arrives and we are living in a perfect world.

The holy Zohar (Tikunei Zohar 21) teaches that Yom Kippur is called Yom Hakippurim because it is like Purim. This implies that Purim is actually greater than Yom Kippur. How can this be, since Yom Kippur is a d’Oraysa and Purim is only a d’Rabbanan? The answer is that while Yom Kippur shows us how to be holy by avoiding food and physical pleasures, Purim teaches us how to sanctify them and make them holy as well. My rebbe added that Purim is the yom tov which celebrates the kedushah of the body itself, not just of the soul. Poskim cite a similar thought when explaining why Purim requires a festive meal, while

Chanukah does not. They explain that Chanukah celebrates the fact that we triumphed over the Greeks who wanted to destroy our Jewish soul, so we don’t eat in response. But Purim celebrates that Haman and company wanted to destroy the bodies of all the Jews. Hence, we celebrate the body as well as the neshama. Taking this a step further, we may

We are indeed at a difficult time in Jewish history, but I daresay that we all feel and even hear the footsteps of Moshiach just behind us. It behooves us to take advantage of these times of deep emotion and yearning. We will end with a powerful story with the Chofetz Chaim to illustrate: One Purim in Radin, a bochur got quite drunk and asked a question of the

Purim teaches us how to value the daily hidden miracles.

point out, with Chazal, that at the end of the Megillah, we are still under the heel of Achashveirosh, although we did do away with Haman and his evil sons. Thus, Purim celebrates living in an imperfect world, as long as it was an improvement over what came before. Indeed, we did have a new Kabbolas HaTorah on Purim, this time adding Torah She’baal Peh and learned new ways to show our love to our brethren through matonos l’evyonim and mishloach manos

Chofetz Chaim which no one sober would ever attempt. He said, “Rebbe, I would like you to promise me a place next to you in Gan Eden.” The other rebbeim were deeply upset at the impudence, and they sobered up very quickly to hear the response. The Chofetz Chaim answered seriously, not at all offended. “I am happy to promise you that I will grant your request, but only one condition. All of my life I have been scrupulous not to speak lashon hara. If you will commit yourself

to refraining as I have, I will promise you to be with me in the future world.”

The now completely coherent boy looked straight at the tzaddik and said, “Rebbe, that is something to which I cannot commit.” Rav Moshe Londinsky, the Rosh Yeshiva of Radin, began to tremble. “You had the keys to paradise in your hands and you threw them away!”

The halacha is that on Purim whoever extends a hand, we must give him something. Many seforim have written that this applies to our requests of Hashem as well. If we truly mean it, then Hashem, too, will honor our request, but we must also perform and act our very best on this holy day, which is even greater than Yom Kippur. This Purim, if we truly wish it, we can triumph over our enemies; we can get the hostages released. We can bring the geulah, but we must also make the changes we can and must do to achieve these goals.

Let us turn the worst of times into truly the best of times, with our renewed souls and bodies together serving Hashem with joy and happiness.

A freilichen Purim to all.

Harav Yaakov Feitman is the rav of Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi in Cedarhurst, NY.

Think. Feel.Grow.

Haman and Today’s Battle Against Amalek

By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

After an overwhelming week at work, Daniel decides to go on a nature hike to recharge. Without letting anyone know of his plans, he heads off into the mountains. As he is enjoying the view and the peaceful quiet around him, he suddenly slips and tumbles off the edge of a cliff. He plunges downwards, but somehow manages to grasp onto a branch jutting out of the cliff face. He clings to the branch for dear life, trying not to look down at the ravine below.

As his life flashes before his eyes, he is struck by a disheartening thought: “I am alone. Nobody knows I am here, and I have no way of escaping. I am going to die.” He begins to take stock of his life, thinking about the good times he’s had and what he has managed to accomplish in his short existence. He thinks about his family and how much they are going to miss him.

Just then, a rope soars past his head, hanging directly in front of him. After a moment’s shock, he grabs the rope and holds on for dear life as someone on the other end begins to pull him up over the

cliff edge.

As Daniel reaches the top, he is still gasping and amazed at the fact that he just survived. He immediately asks the man who saved him, “How did you know that I was hanging off the edge of the cliff and needed rescuing?” The man stares back at him blankly and says, “I didn’t. This morning, I randomly decided to practice throwing ropes over cliff faces.”

There are two reactions that Daniel can have to this series of events. He can recognize the miracle that just occurred, thanking G-d for sending him salvation when all hope seemed lost. Or he can laugh at the unlikely coincidence that this man decided to practice rope-throwing the same exact day that he fell over a cliff face, thankful that he happened to get lucky this time.

This is the exact decision we face in every moment and aspect of life, and this theme runs through the entire Purim story.

Haman and Our Battle Against Amalek

As we encounter Purim and our victory

over Haman, let us delve deeper into the unique spiritual and existential battle that the Jewish people must continue to wage against the philosophy of Amalek. As a descendant of Amalek, Haman continued their legacy of Jewish obliteration. As the Maharal explains, Amalek rejects Hashem’s connection to this world or any connection between the spiritual and the physical. Essentially, Amalek denies Hashem’s control of this world and the ability for man to uplift himself to the level of the spiritual. Torah is the epitome of both of these principles, and it provides the guidelines for how to achieve this spiritual elevation. It is based on the axiom of Hashem’s connection with this world, and it is the means for elevating ourselves and all of physicality to a higher purpose. Amalek stands in direct opposition to this, and when they saw that the Jewish people were ready to adopt the Torah way of life, they had no choice but to attack. Amalek’s entire existence is predicated on a lack of connection between Hashem and this world; therefore, an acceptance of that principle would mean the

cessation of Amalek’s existence. Amalek thus attacked the Jewish people in order to prevent Matan Torah — to stop the world from accepting Hashem’s Torah and the truth that lies within it.

Let us delve deeper into the spiritual nature of Haman in order to understand our battle against Amalek on an even deeper level.

“Ha’min Ha’eitz” — the Source of Haman

The essence of Haman, the person who most potently expressed the characteristics and mission of Amalek, is revealed in a very strange discussion in the Gemara (Chullin 139b). The Gemara asks, “Where is Haman found in the Torah?” Before we discuss the Gemara’s answer, it is essential that we fully understand the nature of this question. After all, Haman was a man, not a halachic principle, so why is it important to find a source for Haman in the Torah?

Torah is not simply a guide to living a life of truth; it is the blueprint and DNA of this physical world. In other words, our

physical world is a projection and emanation of the deep spiritual reality described in the Torah. This is the meaning behind the famous Midrash that says, “Istakel b’Oraisa u’bara alma, [Hashem] looked into the Torah and used it to create the world” (Bereishis Rabbah 1:1). Torah is the blueprint of the world; the physical world is an emanation and expression of Torah, the spiritual root of existence.

To illustrate this concept, imagine a projector. The image that you see on the screen emanates from the film in the projector so that everything you see on the screen is simply an expression of what is contained within the film. So, too, every single thing that we see and experience in the physical world stems from the spiritual world, the transcendent dimension of Torah. This is what the Gemara means by “where is Haman found in the Torah?” Haman’s spiritual root as well must be found within the Torah, and by understanding this source, we can understand his spiritual nature and purpose.

The Gemara answers that question in Chullin: “Ha’min ha’eitz.” Ha’min shares the letters as Haman. Right after Adam and Chava sinned, they were embarrassed, so they hid behind a bush. Hashem then asks them, “Ha’min ha’eitz, did you eat from the tree?” (Bereishis 3:11). Let us try to understand the profound meaning of this Gemara.

Before Adam sinned, he was on an angelic level, almost perfect. He saw reality through a crystal-clear lens; his body itself was transcendent, and he lived in the spiritual realm of Gan Eden. However, once Adam sinned, his entire existence, his body, and the world itself fell to a lower, incomparably more physical level. The physical no longer revealed the spiritual; it now hid it instead. Once he ate from the Eitz HaDaas, his spiritual vision became distorted, and he became confused. At this point, he tried to do the impossible: he tried to hide from Hashem. The problem is obvious: How can Adam expect to hide from Hashem? He knows fully well that this is impossible, but he does so because he is confused. Evil and doubt have become mixed into his very self. While he knows this behavior is ridiculous, a small voice of doubt within him whispers, “Maybe it is possible to hide from Hashem.” In fact, it was the very shame and embarrassment of having eaten from the Eitz HaDaas that made him want to hide from Hashem. He was hiding from the truth — from the consequences of his actions.

However, deep down, Adam hoped that Hashem would come and tell him that everything will be okay, that Adam

would be able to recreate the closeness to Hashem that he previously possessed, and that everything would go back to the way it was. This was the true pain of Hashem’s response: “Ayekah, where are you? Ha’min ha’eitz, [did you eat] from the tree?” The moment Adam acts as if Hashem can’t see

Amalek’s claims are all the more tempting to believe, as it is so easy to ignore Hashem’s involvement in this world. Our challenge is to see past the surface, to see the miraculous within the natural, the ethereal within the mundane, and the infinite within the finite.

In this stage, we must choose to see Hashem within the darkness – to peer past the façade of a meaningless world.

him, i.e., the moment he relates to Hashem with doubt and uncertainty, Hashem responds in kind. This is because Hashem relates to us in exactly the way we relate to him. As the pasuk says, “Hashem tzilcha, Hashem is your shadow (Tehillim 121:5).” However you relate to Hashem, He will mirror (Nefesh Hachaim 1:7).

Ayekah, a question of doubt and uncertainty, would become the foundation for all of history. Ayekah has the same letters as “Eichah,” the Megillah we read describing the destruction of the Jewish people’s connection with Hashem. Our destruction is the direct result of denying Hashem’s connection to the world, acting as if He does not see what occurs here. The question of “Ha’min ha’eitz” is the source of Haman, the source of Amalek, the source of all doubt and uncertainty in this world. Hashem asks, “Did you eat from the tree?” as if He does not know. It is this question itself that represents the gap between us and Hashem, a gap that Amalek battles to keep open, a gap that the Jewish people must forever strive to close.

Where is Hashem’s Name in the Megillah?

Megillas Esther is unique in that it is one of the only books in Tanach in which Hashem’s name is not mentioned. This is because Purim marks a transition in history, when our battle against Amalek manifested in a new form. Until Purim, history was permeated with consistent, open miracles, nevuah was common, and Hashem was openly revealed in the world. The second stage, ushered in by Purim, is characterized by hidden miracles. In our present world, Hashem is no longer openly manifest and clearly visible. In this stage, we must choose to see Hashem within the darkness – to peer past the façade of a meaningless world. It is in this stage that

A Timeless Battle

Amalek fights for a God-less reality, devoid of spirituality and meaning, a world of Haman, of doubt, where a gap exists between us and Hashem. Only when you look closer, deepening your gaze, do you see the deeper layer of reality, the transcendent root. Hashem is Echad, one, and our goal is to see the spiritual oneness inherent within every event and object in this world. Amalek seeks to hide the truth, to disconnect us from our Source, and thus to strip all

meaning from life. Only when we see past the surface, when we trace everything that happens in this world back to Hashem, our spiritual Source, will we ultimately defeat Amalek and all that they stand for.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is the author of the bestselling book, “The Journey to Your Ultimate Self,” which serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Jewish thought. He is an educator and speaker who has lectured internationally on topics of Torah thought, Jewish medical ethics, psychology, and leadership. He is also the founder and CEO of Self-Mastery Academy, the transformative online self-development course based on the principles of high-performance psychology and Torah.

After obtaining his BA from Yeshiva University, he received Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, a master’s degree in education from Azrieli Graduate School, and a master’s degree in Jewish Thought from Bernard Revel Graduate School. He then spent a year studying at Harvard as an Ivy Plus Scholar. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and son where he is pursuing a PhD at the University of Chicago.

To invite Rabbi Reichman to speak in your community or to enjoy more of his deep and inspiring content, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com.

There Is Only One Way to Understand Purim

By r a BB i Daniel Gla T s T ein

The pasuk states, “Vayavor Mordechai v’ya’as k’chol asher tzivsah alav Esther, Mordechai then left and did exactly as Esther had commanded him” (Esther 4:17).

The choice of wording in this pasuk is unusual and begs an obvious question: The word “vayavor” literally means “crossed over.” What did Mordechai cross?

Maseches Megillah relates that Rav explains that the word vayavor refers to the fact that by fasting, Mordechai violated the sanctity and the obligatory mitzvos of the first day of Pesach, of eating matzah and drinking wine. Rav maintains that vayavor means Mordechai was over, he transgressed a mitzvah.

Shmuel presented an alternative approach: Mordechai crossed a river to fulfill Esther’s request of asking the Jews of Shushan to fast on her behalf.

With Rav’s approach, we can understand why the Megillah includes this information, as desperate times call for desperate measures. Mordechai was so concerned about the fate of Klal Yisrael that he fasted, violating a mitzvah d’Oraisa by not eating matzah on the first day of Pesach.

However, if we are to understand the pasuk as Shmuel does, Rav Yonasan Eibeschutz asks, of what consequence is the fact that Mordechai had to cross

a river? The Megillah includes only information that is necessary; no word is superfluous, certainly not a pasuk . Therefore, there must be a significant reason for the Megillah to inform us that Mordechai had to cross the river.

Rashi is apparently disturbed by the same question, commenting that Mordechai crossed the river to recruit the Jews who lived on the other side, so that they could daven as well.

Isn’t it obvious, though, that Mordechai would expend every possible effort to make the fast day known to the very last Jewish citizen? Why must we be told that he had to cross a river to do so?

There Was a JeW in shushan

The Megillah states: “Ish Yehudi hayah b’Shushan HaBirah u’shmo Mordechai ben Yair ben Shimi ben Kish ish yemini. There was a Jewish man in Shushan, the capital, whose name was Mordechai son of Yair son of Shimi son of Kish, a Benjaminite” (Esther 2:5).

Here too, we are struck by a seemingly unnecessary phrase. There was a Jew in Shushan? Of course, there were many Jews in Shushan! Why does the Megillah need to tell us, “There was a Jewish man in Shushan, the capital” ?

The central theme of the Megillah is that the Jews of Shushan sinned by participating in Achashveirosh’s party and were therefore sentenced to be punished with complete annihilation. It then relates the miraculous events that ultimately culminated in their salvation.

The sole JeW in shushan

The Midrash’s comments on this pasuk are even more confounding. There are letters in Lashon HaKodesh that can, for the sake of exegesis, be interchanged. For example, a hey can be exchanged for a ches. Chazal tell us, “Al tikri ‘Yehudi’ elah ‘yechidi,’” i.e., the pasuk is not merely informing us that there was a Jew in Shushan but that there was, in fact, only one solitary Jew there. Is that so?

Could it actually be that Mordechai was the only Jew in Shushan HaBirah? What about the thousands of Jews who inappropriately participated in the festivities in the palace? Didn’t Esther live there as well? Were there not many other Jewish residents in Shushan who eventually fought the Persians and executed Haman’s sons?

Beyond this, the Megillah itself relates that there were other Jews in Shushan: The pasuk states, “Go, as-

semble all the Jews that are to be found in Shushan” (Esther 4:16). A later pasuk adds, “The Jews who were in Shushan assembled again” (ibid. 9:15). Why, then, does the Midrash state that Mordechai was the only Jew in Shushan HaBirah?

hoW Much of The MeGillah MusT Be r ea D?

The Mishnah in Maseches Megillah discusses the minimal portion of Megillas Esther that must be read in order to fulfill the mitzvah of reading the Megillah on Purim.

R’ Meir requires the Megillah to be read in its entirety.1 R’ Yehudah disagrees and states that the Megillah must be read starting from the words “Ish Yehudi hayah b’Shushan HaBirah” (Esther 2:5) until the end. In his opinion, the entire first perek and first few pesukim of the second perek need not be read in order to fulfill the obligation to read the Megillah.

R’ Yose presents a third opinion. The minimum required reading is from “Achar ha’devarim ha’eilah, After these things” (Esther 3:1), when Haman rises to a position of authority.

A fourth opinion brought in the Gemara is that of R’ Shimon bar Yochai, who holds that to fulfill one’s obligation, one must begin his reading of the Megillah with the pasuk, “Ba’lailah ha’hu nadidah shenas ha’melech, that night the king’s sleep was disturbed” (ibid. 6:1).

Rav Yochanan advances the principle that, in fact, each of these four opinions is based on a different interpretation of a single pasuk:

“Vatichtov Esther HaMalka bas Avichayil u’Mordechai haYehudi es kol tokef l’kayeim es iggeres haPurim hazos hasheinis, Then Queen Esther daughter of Avichayil wrote, along with Mordechai the Jew, with full authority to ratify this second letter of Purim” (ibid. 9:29).

The various opinions differ in their understanding of the meaning of es kol tokef, with full authority

R’ Meir posits that it refers to the authority of Achashveirosh, who is introduced at the beginning, and therefore R’ Meir opines that the Megillah must be read in its entirety. R’ Yehudah, who understands that the tokef, the role of power, refers to the power of Mordechai, requires the reader to begin with the pasuk that introduces Mordechai. R’ Yose understands es kol tokef to refer to Haman, and therefore one must read, at the very least, from when Haman rose to power.

We can understand the requirements of what must be read if es kol tokef refers to Achashveirosh. The Megillah begins with a discussion of how much of the world Achashveirosh ruled. If we are meant to discuss the power of Achashveirosh, it is logical to start at the beginning.

Similarly, Haman was appointed to a position of power at the beginning of the third chapter of the Megillah. Consequently, if es kol tokef refers to Haman, it is reasonable that this is the required starting point. However, if es kol tokef refers to the power of Mordechai, where is that illustrated in the pasuk, “Ish Yehudi hayah b’Shushan HaBirah”? This pasuk and the

ensuing pesukim mention only that he was exiled, but they indicate nothing about any authority that Mordechai possessed. Mordechai is not depicted as a personage of power; indeed, much the opposite, he seems to be simply a man from Yerushalayim exiled to Bavel, who now was living in Shushan HaBirah. According to the view that es kol tokef discusses the power of Mordechai, why are we told to begin reading from here?

The

founD PeoPle

Regarding the feast of Achashveirosh, the pasuk states: “And when those days were fulfilled, the king made a seven-day feast for all the people who were found – ha’nimtzaim – in Shushan the capital, great and small alike, in the courtyard of the garden of the king’s palace (Esther 1:5).

At the conclusion of the one hundred eighty days of feasting, Achashveirosh made another, more exclusive party for all those “found” in Shushan HaBirah. What does the pasuk mean by the term ha’nimtzaim, those who were found?

•

Mordechai’s message to Esther was that the events of the dream he had shared with her were unfolding.

Would it not be more conventional to state “all the people who lived in Shushan HaBirah”? The description of those for whom this party was given — the people found in Shushan HaBirah — is somewhat unusual. Were they lost and then relocated?

shushan vs. shushan h aBirah

The pasuk states: “And let the king appoint commissioners in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they gather together every young maiden of beautiful appearance to Shushan the capital…” (Esther 2:3).

Regarding the beauty pageant, the Megillah records that all the candidates were transported to Shushan HaBirah: “ The couriers went forth hurriedly by order of the king, and the edict was distributed in Shushan the capital. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was bewildered” (Esther 3: 15).

Here, too, the Megillah specifically emphasizes that the law was passed in Shushan HaBirah. However, the very same pasuk then shortens the name to Shushan when informing us that the inhabitants of the city were

confounded.

The Sifsei Chachamim points out that there are ten times in the Megillah that the city is called Shushan HaBirah, and there are nine instances where it is referred to as Shushan. He highlights the anomaly of the above pasuk (3:15), in which the city is referred to by both names in the same sentence.

Another observation: “Go, assemble all the Jews that are to be found in Shushan, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day; and I, with my maids, will fast also (Esther 4:16).

Notably, the Jews of Shushan were asked to daven, but the Jews of Shushan HaBirah were not.

In a later perek , which discusses the change of legislation as the Jews were miraculously saved, in the pesukim describing the city of Shushan, there is another surprising phenomenon: “The couriers, riders of swift mules, went forth in urgent haste by word of the king, and the edict was distributed in Shushan the capital. Mordechai left the king’s presence clad in royal apparel of turquoise and white with a large gold crown and a robe of fine linen and purple; then the city of Shushan was cheerful and glad” (Esther 8:14-15).

The new edict was signed into law in Shushan HaBirah, yet, most surprisingly, it was the Jews of Shushan who celebrated. Why does the pasuk switch from Shushan HaBirah to Shushan? Why is the city called by two different names?

Again, further in the Megillah, a similar anomaly is found, as the name Shushan HaBirah reverts to Shushan again.

In Shushan the capital, the Jews slew and annihilated five hundred men…. That same day, the number of those killed in Shushan the capital was reported to the king. The king said to Queen Esther, “In Shushan the capital the Jews have slain and annihilated five hundred men, as well as the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces?! What is your request now? It shall be granted you. What is your petition further? It shall be fulfilled.”

Esther replied, “If it please the king, let tomorrow also be given to the Jews who are in Shushan to act as they did today, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.” The king ordered that this be done, and a decree was distributed in Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons. The Jews that were in Shushan assembled again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and slew three hundred men in Shushan; but they did not lay their hand on the spoils (Esther 9:6-15).

After the Jews killed five hundred Persians in Shushan HaBirah, Achashveirosh asked Esther if there was anything further that she desired. Esther responded that she wanted the Jews of Shushan to continue to fight the following day. She also asked for Haman’s sons to be hanged.

Achashveirosh granted Esther’s request, and the

Jews of Shushan continued to slay their Persian enemies. They killed an additional three hundred Amalekim in Shushan on the fourteenth of Adar. The Sifsei Chachamim wonders why Esther asked for permission to kill more Persians. She had already been given license to kill the Persians of Shushan; why is she making the identical request again?

Daniel’s vision

We read in Sefer Daniel: “I saw in the vision (when I saw it I was in Shushan, the capital, which is in the province of Elam): I saw in the vision that I was at the Ulai Stream, Uval Ulai” (Daniel 8:2).

Hasach, the messenger Esther used to communicate with Mordechai, was none other than Daniel. Here, in Sefer Daniel, he confirms in his vision that he was present in Shushan HaBirah, by Uval Ulai.

What and where is Uval Ulai? Rav Saadiah Gaon explains that it is the door to a building known as Ulai. Alternatively, it may be referring to a strong river. In this case, Uval means “strong and raging,” and Ulai is the name of the river. Rav Saadiah dismisses this second approach, as there is no river in Shushan HaBirah. He concludes that Uval Ulai seems to refer to the gate of the city.

Rashi, however, subscribes to the second approach of Rav Saadiah. Daniel envisioned himself in Shushan HaBirah, standing next to the river Ulai.

Thus, it appears that Rashi and Rav Saadiah Gaon argue over the reality of the geography of the city of Shushan. This is a machlokes that seemingly can be clarified with ease, simply by going to Shushan HaBirah and seeing if there is a river there. Why would this be a point of contention if it can be clarified by going to the location in question?

Mor Dechai’s DreaM

The Maareches Torah Sheleimah, headed by the renowned talmid chacham Rav Menachem Kasher, has published sefarim on all of Tanach. Rav Kasher was in possession of many ancient manuscripts, and among these was a manuscript on the five Megillos and Sefer Iyov

Following Targum Sheini was an Aramaic section called Chalom U’Tefillas Mordechai v’Esther; i.e., the dream and prayer of Mordechai and Esther. Rav Kasher translated the dream into Hebrew and included it in the Torah Sheleimah. It can also be found in Midrash Rabbah.

The Purim narrative begins in the third year of Achashveirosh’s reign, as the pasuk states, “B’shinas shalosh l’malcho,” (Esther 1:3). Mordechai had his dream during the previous year, in the second year of Achashveirosh’s rule.

Mordechai’s dream can perhaps be more accurately classified as a nightmare. He dreamt that the world was filled with a disturbingly loud, frightening sound. There was great confusion and panic; people were gripped by terror.

Mordechai then saw two massive serpents emerge

and slither toward each other, preparing to fight. The entire world was bewildered at this sight. Between the two serpents stood a small nation. All of the other nations rose up, seeking to destroy this small nation, attempting to wipe it from the face of the Earth.

The sky was filled with clouds, blocking the sun. An ominous darkness fell over the world. The small, threatened nation was frightened. The people turned their eyes heavenward and cried out to Hashem, davening with all their hearts.

With ferocious intensity and force, the two serpents collided. They were intertwined, leaving no space at all between them.

Mordechai envisioned a small brook that began to trickle between the serpents, serving to create a separation between them. The stream started to swell, growing larger and larger, eventually transforming into a powerful raging river. It drove the serpents apart, bringing their battle to an end.

The clouds then dispersed, the sun emerged, and the world was once more filled with light. The small nation rose, becoming mighty and strong. It became a superpower, and the other nations, which had initially been powerful and had persecuted the small nation, became weak and incapable.

The world quieted down, and peace reigned.

Ever since that frightful day, Mordechai had not disclosed the contents of this dream to anyone but Esther. When Haman rose to power and Mordechai learned that he was planning to kill the Jews, Mordechai realized that his dream was becoming reality. He implored Esther to daven, to plead to Hashem to put an end to Haman’s decree.

The Midrash adds that when the Megillah relates, “And Mordechai told him [Hasach] of all that had happened to him” (Esther 4:7), he was referring to this startling vision. Mordechai’s message to Esther was that the events of the dream he had shared with her were unfolding.

Mordechai identified himself and Haman as the two serpents, clashing in a battle to the death. Esther reminded Mordechai that there was a river separating the two serpents, keeping one from the other. Mordechai would have to create a river, a raging, powerful river, to triumph over Haman.

Kol Yisroel Areivim Zeh lAZeh

Rav Yonasan Eibeschutz gives us a window into what was really transpiring behind the scenes in the Purim narrative.

He explains with a parable.

A person wanted to go on a vacation and decided to take a cruise. He boarded the ship and was directed to his cabin on one of the lower levels of the ship. Below him, in the hold of the ship, there were two stowaways. They were cold, so they decided to warm themselves by lighting a fire on the wooden floor of the ship.

Their fire burned a hole in the ship, and water started pouring in. Meanwhile, the vacationer was resting comfortably in his cabin, secure in the fact that the walls, floor, and ceiling of his cabin were intact.

As watertight as his cabin may be, if there is seawater flooding the ship through a gaping hole in the bottom, his intact cabin will do nothing to save him from sinking along with the rest of the ship. They are all in the same boat, and if it were to go down, it would take everyone with it.

The same applies to the entirety of the Jewish people. One may be tempted to think, As long as my family and I are observant, righteous, as long as we are fulfilling the mitzvos, we can anticipate the blessing and goodwill of Hashem, even if the community around us is floundering in their observance, and flagrantly violating the mitzvos of the Torah

Rav Yonasan writes that this attitude is completely misguided. If one person is not conducting himself in the path of Torah, if one person is sinning, he is bringing down the whole community and sinking the entire nation. Klal Yisrael is a single unit, which thrives together or chas v’shalom descends together.

The actions of each and every individual affect the nation as a whole. Therefore, we cannot turn a blind eye to those who sin and complacently proceed with our lives, thinking that the good will survive and flourish and only the bad will sink.

Kol Yisroel areivim zeh lazeh, and as such, each and every one of us has the duty and responsibility to approach those who are burning a hole in the bottom of our ship and instruct them to put out the fires. We must educate them to stop sinning, because their selfish indiscretions will negatively impact every other member of Klal Yisrael.

unDersTanDinG shushan vs. shushan h aBirah

Now, Rav Yonasan says with the above analogy, we are ready for the next piece of the puzzle: the geography of Shushan. Rav Yonasan describes the layout of the capital city.

Shushan and Shushan HaBirah refer to two distinct places. Shushan was the capital city of Achashveirosh’s kingdom. However, the king and the members of government did not reside in Shushan. The king’s palace and surrounding area that housed the royal family and members of the government were located in the imperial city of Shushan HaBirah. All the government buildings were located there, and this was the place where the laws were generally passed. This was a private, elite area within the capital, reserved for royalty, dignitaries, and government officials.

HaMikra V’HaMesorah is one of the many sefarim authored by Rav Reuven Margolies (1889–1971). In this sefer, he describes a phenomenon that pertains to Klal Yisrael in galus

Exile has cost us more than Eretz Yisrael and the Beis HaMikdash; it has caused us to lose our sense of Jewish pride. Our sense of trust in the truth of what we are taught by Torah sources has become impaired.

When a Torah scholar relates historical events, it may be dismissed as “mere aggadeta.” The response may be “that’s not really what it means,” or some similar reaction. When scientific information is imparted in the Talmud, the unfortunate general assumption is that it is not accurate, but rather,“it was their belief based on their limited understanding.”

However, when someone reads an account in a secular work of history, or sees an article in a journal of science, he is much more willing to accept it as fact.

A modern-day example surrounds the forms of entertainment that people invite into their homes. Rabbanim may preach from the pulpit that television is something that is harmful to the neshama, soul, and it is not healthy for the mind.

This is often dismissed; common responses run along the lines of “the Rabbi is old-fashioned” or “the Rabbi just doesn’t get it.” But when the medical community postulates that children who watch television are more likely to develop ADHD, then people start to take heed.

An asifah decrying the internet is met with skepticism at the “outdated thinking.” But when psychologists present the ideas that the internet can destroy children’s attitudes toward relationships and marriage and that it can cause severe negative impact to their attention span, then people pay attention. Suddenly, these claims take on a newfound legitimacy and truth.

It is only true if “they” say it, but not if it comes from our Rabbanim. Galus has caused us to suffer from a condition in which we give much more credibility to secular sources.

One of the victims of this phenomenon is the story of Purim, which in recent times has come under attack. People questioned where it happened, when it happened, and to whom it happened.

There are no remaining secular sources that record the events of the Purim story, and there are those who questioned whether it had happened at all. Rav Margolies writes that this claim is utterly ridiculous, as the events were recorded in Megillas Taanis — the earliest

record of the Oral Law — right after they transpired. Moreover, the events are referred to in the Mishnah, testament to the fact that in Mishnaic times they had Megillas Esther, only a few decades after the story of Purim took place.

For some reason, until there are secular sources that corroborate the details of the Megillah, there are those who will continue to deny it. Rav Margolies writes that the naysayers can be silenced because the remains of the ancient city of Shushan HaBirah have been unearthed by archaeologists. They identified a palace with surrounding gardens, as described in the Megillah. They identified two separate cities: Shushan and Shushan HaBirah!

They recognized the palace and surrounding buildings in an area completely distinct from the remains of the metropolis of the city. They found the remains of a wall surrounding Shushan HaBirah, as well as evidence that there had been a moat surrounding the palace compound.

•

As long as the river separated Mordechai from the Klal, he was not going to be able to help save them.

•

This distinction is apparent when we analyze the pesukim of the Megillah. In Esther 1:2, it says, “The palace, and the royal throne, were in Shushan HaBirah.”

“And when those days were fulfilled, the king made a seven-day feast for all the people who were found –ha’nimtzaim – in Shushan the capital, great and small alike, in the courtyard of the garden of the king’s palace” (ibid. 1:5). The second party was thrown for any person “found” in the imperial city, since commoners did not reside there. They were only visiting.

The pasuk states: “And let the king appoint commissioners in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they gather together every young maiden of beautiful appearance to Shushan the capital…” (Esther 2:3). The candidates to become the new queen were transported to the palace — in Shushan HaBirah. There was one single, solitary Jew allowed to live in Shushan HaBirah. Mordechai had been exiled together with the most prestigious Jews, and royal blood flowed through his veins. For this reason, he had the distinction of being allowed to live in the imperial city.

“Ha’ratzim yatzu dechufim b’dvar ha’melech, v’hadaas nitneh b’Shushan HaBirah. V’Hamelech v’Haman yashvu l’shtos v’ha’ir Shushan navocha” (Esther 3:15). The law was passed in Shushan HaBirah, in the imperial city, where the government officials were located. The residents of the city who wept when they learned of the new evil edict were in Shushan, but not Shushan HaBirah.

Indeed, there were many Jews residing in Shushan, the capital city. However, Achashveirosh did not countenance any Jews living in Shushan HaBirah. There was one exception: Mordechai. He was the one Jew whom Achashveirosh invited to reside in Shushan HaBirah, thereby becoming the sole Jewish occupant of the imperial city. He was an officer of the Court and served by sitting near the gates of the palace.

This is the meaning of the pasuk, “Ish Yehudi hayah b’Shushan haBirah.” There was a significant Jewish presence in Shushan, but there was only one Jew residing in Shushan HaBirah. The fact that he lived in Shushan HaBirah is a legitimate display of his power. Therefore, by reciting this pasuk that introduces the rarefied status of Mordechai, es kol tokef is thereby fulfilled. We can now understand why this would be the appropriate place to start reading if the intent is to read about the power and authority of Mordechai.

ex PlaininG uval ulai

Shushan HaBirah, the district that contained the palace of the king, was separated from the rest of the city of Shushan by a body of water that encircled it. This body of water was called Uval Ulai.

Rav Saadiah Gaon is absolutely correct in stating that there is no river in Shushan HaBirah, for no water flowed through the imperial city. However, there was a moat that separated Shushan from Shushan HaBirah. This is what Rashi refers to when he comments that in his vision, Daniel was standing next to a river named Ulai.

Mordechai HaTzaddik, the only Jew living in Shushan HaBirah, was physically separated from all his Jewish brethren by the river Uval Ulai.

When Achashveirosh made his party, he invited the people who were “found” in Shushan HaBirah who were those who just happened to be there. Perhaps they worked there or were there on business or maybe they were just visiting. But fundamentally, they did not live there, for Shushan HaBirah was a place of residence only for royalty and other dignitaries.

The Jews who participated in the party belonged to this category. Mordechai was the only one who lived in Shushan HaBirah, but the others were “found there” at the time of Achashveirosh’s party and partook in the festivities.

Why Mor Dechai h a D To cross The r iver

Esther advised Mordechai that living as the only Jew there caused him to be disconnected from the rest of Klal Yisrael. He was the one person whose zechuyos could be relied upon to help save the Jews, but he was

separated from the rest of the people by the river. As long as the river separated Mordechai from the Klal, he was not going to be able to help save them. Living alone rendered him a “poreish min hatzibbur,” someone who separates himself from the community and does not consider himself as being on the same ship as the rest of the Klal. If he is alone, then his zechuyos can help him, but such a person will not be able to help save the communal ship from sinking, since he is not on it. The merit of one can save the many only when all are considered components of one single entity.

Esther instructed Mordechai to join the rest of the Klal, for by being in the same location as they were, he could be a part of the tzibbur and thereby be able to save them. He would not be able to effect the changes necessary for the yeshuah if he were to remain on the other side of the river.

Va’yavor Mordechai – and Mordechai listened to her wise advice and crossed the river. He left Shushan HaBirah and joined the Jews who were living in Shushan. He went to live among them. Once he was there, his zechuyos were able to save the Jewish people. He threw his fate in with the rest of the Jewish people and showed that he was now part of the very same entity as the rest of the tzibbur. Rav Yonasan Eibeschutz brings two interpretations regarding the identity of the river in Mordechai’s dream. The river represents either the Torah study that increased when Mordechai went to join Klal Yisrael or the teshuvah that the Jews undertook when he was there. The common denominator is that neither could have been accomplished had he remained separated from the rest of the Jews by Uval Ulai.

His crossing of the actual, physical river to join the rest of Klal Yisrael allowed him to create a raging spiritual river that drove the two serpents apart and saved the Jews from impending doom.

When Esther learned of Haman’s plans, she instructed Mordechai to gather all the Jews and direct them to daven and fast on her behalf. “Go, assemble all the Jews that are to be found in Shushan, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day; and I, with my maids, will fast also. Thus I will come to the king though it is unlawful; and if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).

Mordechai was sitting at the palace gates in Shushan HaBirah when he received this emergency message from Esther. The only way for him to fulfill Esther’s request would be to leave the imperial city and go to Shushan.

went to inform his brethren in Shushan of the murderous threat that loomed over them and of Esther’s request for a public fast day.

This is how the Tanna Shmuel explains the pasuk in reference to Mordechai’s need to cross the river to fulfill Esther’s request. He crossed the moat that surrounded the imperial palace and went to join the Jews of Shushan.

esTher’s T Wo r equesTs

We can now understand the end of the Megillah as well. In the imperial city, by the palace, the Jews killed five hundred men, including ten sons of Haman. The Amalekites were clustered around the palace. They were affiliated with the government and royal family; a large number of them lived in the imperial city Shushan HaBirah. They were killed there on the thirteenth of Adar.

Achashveirosh then turns to Esther and informs her that five hundred Amaleki Persians had been killed in Shushan HaBirah. He asks her what she wants the next step to be.

Her response is (Esther 9:13) is that we killed five hundred Amalekim in Shushan HaBirah, and tomorrow let us kill more Amalekim — in the city of Shushan, whose Amalekim had thus far escaped unscathed. These were the Amalekim who lived among the Jews of Shushan, and Esther requested permission for the Jews to eradicate them from their midst. Achashveirosh then passed a law in Shushan that granted Esther’s request. The Jews of Shushan then proceeded to wipe out the three hundred Amalekite residents of Shushan — not Shushan HaBirah. These Amalekites were residents of the capital city, not of the imperial city that housed the palace.

When the Jews rejoiced at the news that salvation was at hand, the Megillah tells us, “V’ha’ir Shushan tzahala v’sameicha” (Esther 8:15). It was the Jews who resided in Shushan who celebrated. There was no celebration in Shushan HaBirah, as the Jewish people did not live there.

e very ac T coun Ts, no MaTT er hoW sM all Rav Shlomo Alkabetz in Manos HaLevi suggests another reason that the Megillah informs us that Mordechai crossed the river. It was a small stream that he crossed easily and routinely; its inclusion in the Megillah seems superfluous.

Thus, the very next pasuk: “Va’yavor Mordechai” (ibid. v. 17). Mordechai immediately crossed the river, left Shushan HaBirah, and

He explains that Mordechai HaTzaddik embarked on the performance of a mitzvah: he was on a mission to save Klal Yisrael. Every ounce of effort that a person puts in when performing a mitzvah is significant and is greatly cherished by the Ribbono Shel Olam. No matter how trivial it may seem, Hashem will not allow it to be forgotten. Therefore, the fact that on his way to

help save Klal Yisrael Mordechai had to step across a stream will be remembered forever.

The same is true for each and every one of us. Of course, Hashem records every mitzvah we do, but He also archives every extra bit of effort we invest along the way.

The Chovos HaLevavos teaches that every single act performed in the service of Hashem must be viewed as important. Even a single seemingly insignificant word, or a single unimportant glance, which is lishmah, for the sake of serving the Ribbono Shel Olam, is considered substantial and noteworthy to Hashem. Then, the Chovos HaLevavos states the immortal words: “Ki ha’me’at mimecha rav etzlo,” what seems like a small matter to us is significant to Hashem.

The Manos HaLevi states that the Megillah chose to record the fact that Mordechai had to cross a river in his quest to save Klal Yisrael because, however insignificant this act may appear to us, Hashem cherishes it.

sMall BeGinninGs — MonuMenTal enDinGs

The Megillah states, “Day after day, Mordechai would walk about in front of the courtyard of the harem to learn about Esther’s well-being and what would become of her” (Esther 2:11). Mordechai was concerned about the welfare of one single Jew.

The Midrash writes that Hashem told Mordechai, הָתַּא you were truly concerned about the welfare and well-being of one single Jew, I swear that one day you will be concerned with the safety and well-being of an entire nation.

This was fulfilled at the end of the Megillah, in the final pasuk: “Ki Mordechai haYehudi mishneh l’Melech Achashveirosh v’gadol l’Yehudim v’ratzui l’rov echav. Doresh tov l’chol amo v’dover shalom l’chol zaro, For Mordechai the Jew was viceroy to King Achashveirosh; he was a great man among the Jews, and found favor with the multitude of his brethren; he sought the good of his people and spoke for the welfare of all his seed” (Esther 10:3).

You may think that helping one person is small and insignificant, but the reality is that it is much more significant than you can even imagine. Every single act is recorded in Hashem’s book forever and ever; every act looms large. Ultimately, the small zechuyos make one eligible to be an instrument to bring about national salvation.

May we be zocheh to the ultimate national yeshuah b’karov!

1This is one of the very few times that we rule like R’ Meir. See the essay “R’ Meir and the Soul of Megillas Esther” (page 162) for a complete discussion.

This article has been excerpted with permission from The Concealed and the Revealed by Rabbi Daniel Glatstein, published by ArtScroll/Mesorah.

Rabbi Daniel Glatstein is the Mara D’asra of Kehilas Tiferes Mordechai in Cedarhurst, NY, and author of numerous seforim in Lashon Hakodesh and in English for ArtScroll. He is an international lecturer and maggid shiur. His thousands of recorded shiurim are available on Torahanytime.com, podcast, his website rabbidg.com, and other venues.

Delving into the Daf

A Pair of Glasses, a Spoon, and a Bottle of Beer Walk Into a Halachic Debate

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

Rebbetzin Leah Auerbach, a”h, once visited a glasses store in Yerushalayim to purchase a new pair of glasses. She was considering photochromic lenses, which darken in sunlight and return to their clear state indoors. However, she hesitated, aware of the that their use on Shabbos is a gray area in halacha.

Recognizing who she was, the store owner suggested, “Why don’t you ask your father, Rav Elyashiv, or your fatherin-law, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach?”

Rebbetzin Leah responded with a thoughtful smile, “That is precisely my dilemma. Before I was married, I followed my father’s ruling that it is better not to wear them on Shabbos. Now that I am married, I wonder if I could follow my father-in-law’s ruling, which permits

them without question.” She was caught between two lenses of halachic thought. (There are different versions of this story circulating.)

Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, addressed two potential Shabbos prohibitions regarding photochromic lenses: Tikkun Maneh (completing or perfecting an item) and Tzovaya (dyeing).

The prohibition of Tikkun Maneh forbids completing or perfecting an object for its intended use on Shabbos. One might argue that since photochromic lenses are not functional as sunglasses until they darken, wearing them outdoors effectively completes their function. However, Rav Moshe Feinstein cast shade on this reasoning. Since these lenses are specifically designed to transition between shaded and clear states, their darkening

does not constitute a new function but a built-in design feature.

A helpful analogy is that of a door: No one would claim that closing a front door completes the construction of a house, as doors are meant to be opened and closed. Similarly, objects designed for multiple states – such as folding tables, playpens, and strollers – may be opened and closed on Shabbos without concern for Tikkun Maneh.

The Torah prohibition of Tzovaya applies to permanent dyeing, but Chazal extended this prohibition to include temporary coloring as well. As a result, applying cosmetics on Shabbos is forbidden since it temporarily tints the skin. One might argue that photochromic lenses, which darken when exposed to sunlight, undergo a temporary color change and

should therefore be prohibited under Tzovaya Mi’deRabbanan.

Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l, however, shed some light on this issue. He ruled that this is not a concern. He explained that simply walking outside cannot be considered a prohibited action on Shabbos. The person is not actively causing the color change; rather, the sun naturally darkens the lenses.

The Orchos Shabbos questions this reasoning, drawing a comparison to the case in Sanhedrin (77a). There, the Gemara states that if someone ties another person outdoors in the sun and the victim subsequently dies from sun exposure, the one who restrained him is liable for murder. Although the victim was already outside, the murderer is held responsible because he ensured that the person re -

mained in a deadly situation. Similarly, in the case of photochromic lenses, while the wearer may not initiate the color change, he is responsible for the glasses being outdoors, allowing the sun to alter their shade. Thus, one could argue that the wearer bears responsibility for the transformation caused by the sunlight.

Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, offered an additional rationale for permitting photochromic lenses on Shabbos. He maintained that the shading effect of these lenses is extremely temporary and fleeting. Because of this, it does not even meet the criteria to be considered Tzovaya Mi’deRabbanan.

Thus, there are (at least) two distinct reasons to permit photochromic lenses on Shabbos: The wearer does not perform any direct action to color them; the change in color is considered too transient to be classified as Tzovaya; the distinction between these two reasons affects the permissibility of other items.

Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa (40:2) discusses plastic thermometer strips placed on the forehead. If the numbers are always visible but change color upon heating, the strip may be used on Shabbos. However, in footnote 8, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l, warmed up

to this leniency only for a miktzas choleh (someone who is slightly ill).

Despite this, Rav Shlomo Zalman permits the use of photochromic lenses on Shabbos (ibid 18:18) for everyone. The distinction he makes is that wearing these glasses outdoors does not involve

of cold milk, one actively causes a color change. If this is analogous to the thermometer strip, it could be considered Tzovaya and thus prohibited. However, Rav Moshe Feinstein maintains that such temporary color change is not considered Tzovaya at all.

One might argue that photochromic lenses, which darken when exposed to sunlight, undergo a temporary color change and should therefore be prohibited.

any direct action by the wearer; the darkening occurs passively due to exposure to sunlight. In contrast, placing a thermometer strip on the forehead is an intentional action that initiates color change, which is why it is only permitted for a choleh.

A similar discussion arises regarding children’s bowls and spoons that change color upon contact with hot or cold food. When dipping such a spoon into a bowl

Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst, a rav and Dayan of Agudas Yisrael in Chicago and a talmid of Rav Moshe, ruled that using these color-changing utensils on Shabbos is permitted. Similarly, Rav Dovid Feinstein, zt”l, permitted using a black mug on Shabbos that changes color when hot liquid is poured inside. This suggests that the temporary nature of the color change, similar to photochromic lenses, does not constitute Tzovaya.

Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, who generally follows Rav Shlomo Zalman’s rulings, discussed a bottle of Coors beer that changes color when it becomes cold. He ruled that one should not put the bottle in the fridge with the intention of changing its color, as this would constitute an action promoting color change. However, if one simply places the bottle in the fridge and the color change is just a cool bonus, it is permitted. It would seem that Rav Moshe Feinstein would permit placing the Coors bottle in the fridge regardless of one’s intentions.

Regarding photochromic lenses, the vast majority of Poskim permit their use on Shabbos. Rav Yitzchak Berkowitz, shlit”a, has stated that the widespread custom is to be lenient. So if someone is glancing for a halachic ruling on photochromic lenses for Shabbos, the outlook seems pretty clear: most poskim see no reason to darken the experience.

Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow is a rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. In addition, Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead, NY. He can be contacted at ASebrow@ gmail.com.

In Memory

Reb Yisroel ben Chaim HaKohein Katz, z”l Thoughts from the Levaya

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman

The levaya was called for 11:00 AM this Sunday. Reb Yisroel ben Reb Chaim HaKohein Katz, z”l , brother of Reb Moshe Katz, ybl”ch, was niftar this past Shabbos.

At the levaya, Rav Meir Braunstein spoke first. He related that Reb Yisroel lived a life of constant simcha. Recently, he told Rav Braunstein when the rav visited him, “Rabbi, the good I experienced in my life by far, far outweighs the bad.” As he said this, he lifted his arm with the number tattooed at Auschwitz raised: 8281.

At age 16, under the threat of death, somehow Reb Yisroel would get his father and brother soup. He did this every day.

Reb Yisroel built a Mishkan in his life after Auschwitz – his family, his children and grandchildren, one of whom is a Rosh Kollel in Far Rockaway and Five Towns. He attended Rabbi Shmuel Witkin’s Daf Yomi every day at the Agudah of Long Island.

He would cut the cake in shul every day before the tefillah so that everyone would be happy. Yaakov Avinu was called “Yisroel” after he did battle. Our

Reb Yisroel also won – when he fought and outlasted Amalek.

The next speaker was Rabbi Shmuel Rodkin, rav of the Herrick Drive Minyan.

Rabbi Rodkin said that Reb Yisroel was a proud Jew. In Korea, he was in the American army. A general in the U.S. army drove him 3½ hours to an army base so that had a frum minyan.

In France after the war, he encountered an extreme antisemite. The proud Reb Yisroel knocked him down to the floor.

Reb Yisroel had been through Shas a number of times. All his life he was the Ribbono Shel Olam’s ambassador to the world. He spread emunah and bitachon and simchas hachaim. His connection with the Ribbono Shel Olam was unbelievable. He gave chizuk to all. All of them walked away touched.

Now that he is in the Olam HaEmes, we ask that he be our ambassador to the Ribbono Shel Olam. Enough with the tzarus. The galus. The hostages.

The next speaker was Rabbi Yaakov Reisman, Rabbi Emeritus of the Agudah.

Rabbi Reisman said: We cannot

imagine what that generation was, is.

As a child of Holocaust survivors myself, I noted the contrast between the conversations we as children had and the conversations my parents had. Both groups discussed camps. The children discussed sleepaway camp; the adults discussed Auschwitz and Buchenwald…

Reb Yisroel emerged as a remarkable individual. Reb Yisroel built a beautiful family of bnei Torah. He learned Shas.

He was one of ten children. His brother Reb Moshe wrote a book, Nine Out of Ten. The oldest son, Pinchas, did not make it. The other nine did. Each of them created heiligeh families. Reb Yisroel’s son, Pinny, was named after Reb Yisroel’s brother.

Twenty-five years ago, on Tisha B’Av, after Mincha, Reb Yisroel took off his tefillin. I went over to him and said, “Reb Yisroel, you have a responsibility to tell others. Can you show my children your tattoo?” He did.

His father was #8279. #8282 was Pinchas. Rav Aharon Blum, Hy”d, and Rav Ben Tzion Goldberg were two of

his friends who were killed. These two friends offered that Reb Yisroel lean on them. They were shot and he survived. He made a plaque l’zecher nishmasam. Reb Yisroel went to a different yeshiva than the rest of us: Auschwitz. The U.S. Army. And yet he finished Shas.

People who went through the Churban have a lot of zechuyos. Reb Yoel used to say, “Find a boy that survived the war that has a tattoo on his arm and see if he puts on tefillin…and get a bracha from him.” Who is that boy? That was Reb Yisroel. Those are the people who you go to for brachos. We need them for their examples and what they do.

In the 1970s, many of the Holocaust survivors were niftar. The people of the Chevre Kadisha used to ask, “Does the niftar have a passport?” When I was younger in Cleveland, I was unfamiliar with this term. It was explained to me. The reference was to tattoos from the Nazis.

Reb Yisroel was liberated on April 23 from Flussenberg. The Nazis brought dogs and made a huge bonfire. I don’t want to go into the details... I asked him,

“How did you survive?” He answered, “They ran out of bullets.”

The next speaker at the levaya was his brother, ylc”t, Rabbi Dr. Moshe Katz.

Being a part of a family of ten, before he was born, my mother took me to a new midwife so I would know what she looked like so that I could get her when the time came. Reb Yisroel excelled at everything, especially soccer.

After we arrived in America in 1947, we all joined Yeshiva Torah Vodaath. He was drafted in the Korean War. My dear sister-in-law Isabelle, his cherished wife, moved into the nursing home with my brother when he had to be there. He was lucky to have her. (Reb Moshe’s hesped had to be cut short.)

The next speaker was Rabbi Yitzchok Katz, an einekel.

Why was Aharon HaKohein zocheh to carry the Choshen Mishpat? Grandpa, you personified “ra’ah v’samach be’libo,” like Aharon. You only had positive things to say about everyone. You too were oheiv shalom and rodaif shalom; you were a talmid of Aharon HaKohein. Your lev tov carried you and everyone around you.

Grandpa, when you bentched Klal

Yisroel (during birkas kohanim) you did so b’lev shaleim. People would ask you for brachos, but in truth your very presence was a bracha – how you made people happy and smile. You always said, “Look someone in the eye when you wish him a good Shabbos! Don’t just be yotzeh with a gut Shabbos.”

You had no questions. You lived

of the medical staff that helped the family through this journey and to Hatzalah, Achiezer, the shul, and the neighbors. He thanked the entire community and his brothers and their wives.

Reb Pinny Katz, Reb Yisroel’s son, spoke next:

The source of his simcha was his tremendous shalom bayis with my

“People would ask you for brachos, but in truth your very presence was a bracha –how you made people happy and smile.”

emunah peshuta and would always be makir tov.

His son Shaul Katz spoke next.

I am going to focus on one of his middos. I remember being in this room when I was three years old. He told me, “Remember to say thank you to the candyman when he gives you your candy.”

Reb Shaul then went on to thank all

mother. I imagine that when he meets Avrohom Avinu, Avrohom Avinu would say, “I was the first to face the furnace, and I know that you faced it, too. My brothers did not believe, but you, you saw your family niftar and they were all maaminim…” Dad, where you were, your parents were all murdered, you remained a Torah Jew.

Then my father will meet Yitzchok, who will say, “I, too, was on a death march to the Akeidah, but I had the greatest tzaddik taking me and I wanted to go. You didn’t, and yet you remained a religious Jew.”

Then he will meet Yaakov Avinu, who had no clothing except for what he left with. You didn’t even have that. You had an ill-fitting Nazi-issued uniform. Yaakov Avinu would say, “I came home after a long absence but my parents were still there. You came back, and your parents were gone. And yet you remained a frum Jew.”

He, his family and his friends built this shul. There will be a day when the world will recognize that people who lived through tragedy, people who Moshe Rabbeinu will point as a good am kshei oref, are the am segulah and will inspire the world

Dad, you always had a fantastic signature smile. Now in the Olam haEmes, where there is no tzaar, I can only imagine how big your smile is.

The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@ gmail.com.

School of Thought

So Glad to Be Home

By Barbara Deutsch

We are home!

When random people start calling you “ma’am” and “sir” or better yet, “mama” or “papa,” run to carry your bags and actually let you pass in front of them, you don’t have to check a mirror to know you are the same age your parents were when you began to feel you had become part of the sandwich generation.

When you haven’t seen someone in a long time and you unexpectedly bump into them, you are jolted by how much their appearance has changed; what are they thinking about you?

Those lucky enough to enjoy crawling on the floor with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, never take for granted the zechut

When we recently came home to Israel after visiting America for three weeks with two of our Israeli granddaughters (us, a lot of dinners and doctor visits; them, serious mall shopping),we pulled up to the airport for our flight home in two big cars, 10 – yes 10 – hot-pink and black Amazing Savings specialty duffels, four wheelies, three knapsacks, multiple bags of all shapes and sizes, and winter coats.

Tamar, our driver daughter-in-law, assessed the situation and quickly hired a porter, Mehud, who was awesome. A veteran of check-in and baggage lines, he quickly dispatched all of our stuff, created order out of chaos, sent Bob off to drop the rental car, and steered us to the security line for questioning.

Because Bob carries our passports (the girls had theirs, don’t ask me why that’s just the way it is), all of us then had to wait for Bob to go through security. To hold our spot, Mehud positioned our granddaughter Ariela on that line. At JFK, everything is now automated with only two questions of the “who packed your luggage?” ilk.

While we waited, Mehud and I chatted. He asked about my life in Israel; he was fascinated with the “bravery it took to live willingly in a war zone.” Mehud asked me

if I could guess where he was from (Nepal) and told me he had won a worldwide lottery wherein 50,000 people got a visa to America. Mehud could not understand why anyone would leave.

Mehud’s plan is to work two more years in America to support his wife and two kids, save money, and return home to Nepal to care for his elderly 75-year-old mom and 76-year-old dad in Nepal.

In Nepal, Mehud had worked as a journalist and actor making no money. In America, he works six hours as a porter schlepping heavy bags for travelers and seven hours pushing passengers in wheelchairs; as soon as we check in, he would procure a wheelchair for this old lady so that our party of four would be able to bypass all lines at the baggage check.

When Bob returned from Avis – a startto-finish process that took less than a half hour – we began punching away to create the documents and photos we needed. With the virtual paperwork out of the way, all four of us checked in.

Important Hint: when traveling with dual passports, use the Israeli one when checking in or you will need a visitor’s visa as of January 2025.

It helped that we had prepaid the overweight baggage to the tune of a lot of money, but not as bad as it could be, because for some unknown reason my status is Gold but Bob’s is not. We always fly El Al together, so why then isn’t he gold, too? And how did it work out that all of the 10 bags weighed 48.6 lbs., each and every one of them?

Some questions are best left hanging.

The lovely El Al attendant slapped priority tags on the luggage. We were given the choice of $200 in vouchers for the on Board Fly and Buy Duty Free Shop or we could hang out in the fancy lounge but only I and one guest could go. Again, Gold Status.

We accepted the vouchers; two hours later, we were sitting on the plane and in

the air. Who needs a fancy lounge?

The Trip

Long ago, I was made to understand that when you moved away, the world you left did not stand still; your people also moved on. In your former school, new faculty who have no clue as to who you are or the impact you’ve made begin their tenure. Kids grow up and graduate, and new students take their place. Different families move into neighborhoods, and new connections form.

Along with the yearly tune-ups at the doctor and the dentist, we celebrated multiple commemorative kiddushim, honoring the departed and celebrating a new life, attended an aufruf and a wedding, and participated in a brit milah for two babies, both named for beloved grandfathers and one of them also given the additional name “Ariel.”

In Israel, when I am in a routine pattern and get used to that steady rhythm of planned and orderly days, I miss my friends and family less. Being away from family and dear friends is the hardest part of this new life. Going forward, we hope to return yearly but not during the cold months; no longer for us are the biting cold and slipping on icy walkways.

The Return

The horrors of the Bibas funerals and shiva greeted us upon our return. Mama Shiri was laid to rest with her babies nestled in her arms. Long miles of silent mourners lined the roads of the procession. Yarden, the dad, had strongly requested a low-key procession and respect for his journey and family. The thousands who lined the procession cried in silence.

Finally, the world had stopped and at long last took notice with cities across the continents lit up in shades of orange – the Bibas babies are redheads. This seems to be what it takes for the world to acknowledge the gruesome depravity of Hamas.

In America, the pain and suffering of the hostages is honored and respected but distant; it hits you but not in the same way as it does here. In Israel, the unusually icy cold ,bursting water pipes all over Jerusalem, brought the Bibas plight into each home and attached its awful tentacles into each Israeli’s daily lives; man, woman and child sobbed.

Our country is having difficulty climbing out of the deep depression that comes with losing a child.

It’s fun to go back to visit loved ones. We had a wonderful time laughing, eating, snuggling babies, and celebrating milestones. We are happy to be home despite the hardship and struggle we find everywhere we turn. Our collective sorrow for the Bibas family, the dead hostages, the wounded and lost soldiers has tinged our aliyah with pain but has nonetheless made us more confident in the understanding that this was the right choice for us.

More people need to join us before they are “too old” to make the choice. It’s Adar. Let’s hope we can find the joy it promises.

Barbara Deutsch is the former associate principal at HANC, middle school principal at Kushner, and Dean of Students at Yeshiva of Flatbush. A not-retired educator, she is trying to figure out life in Israel through reflections on navigating the dream of aliyah as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend.

People often reach out to us for guidance on buying a home in Israel –where to buy, what to buy, and how to navigate the process. Many already have a preferred city in mind, but if you’re unsure, how do you decide?

The first step is defining your goal. Are you making Aliyah, seeking a vacation home, or investing? Your answer will determine location, size, and other key factors.

Aliyah

If you’re planning to make Aliyah, your home will be the hub of your daily life, so size matters – within reason, get as much space as your budget allows. Just as important is finding a neighborhood where your family will feel at home. We recommend reaching out to locals in the community you’re considering to get a sense of the neighborhood’s hashkafa (religious outlook) and values. If you have young children, schools and extracurricular options should be a key part of your decision, as they’ll shape your family’s daily routine.

Vacation Home

Buying a vacation home is different. While community is still valuable, location and lifestyle often take priority. For most people, proximity to religious sites, cultural landmarks, entertainment, and dining matter more.

Two real-life examples highlight the difference between buying a vacation home and a primary residence:

(1) A young retiree couple initially planned to purchase a 2-bedroom pied-aterre in Baka or the German Colony. But when their daughter made Aliyah, they decided to follow. Now needing a permanent home, they expanded their search and, for the same price, secured a spacious 4-bedroom apartment in the beautifully planned Givat Hamatos neighborhood, currently under construction.

My Israel Home Buying In Israel What’s Your Goal?

By Gedaliah Borvick

(2) A young family sought a vacation home in central Jerusalem, prioritizing walkability to the Kotel and cultural attractions. However, after October 7, they pivoted and chose to make Aliyah. To better fit their long-term needs, they

el, as everyone wants to “buy right” and purchase a property with strong upside. But if profit is your primary goal, your investment horizon is key.

For long-term investors (8+ years), one attractive option is Pinuy Binuy –

Many investors buy apartments in aging buildings slated for redevelopment, eventually trading them for brand-new, larger apartments at no extra cost.

bought a house under construction in Rav Rosner’s Nofei Hashemesh community in Beit Shemesh, where they found the ideal mix of community, education, spirituality, and space.

lev-

Israel’s largest urban renewal program. Pinuy Binuy means to evacuate ( pinuy) and tear down older buildings, and construct (binuy) new higher-density housing. Many investors buy apartments in aging buildings slated for redevelopment, eventually trading them for brand-new, larger apartments at no extra cost – plus

developers cover relocation expenses (i.e., pay you a monthly rent during construction). This strategy has also been a blessing for people with timing flexibility but limited budgets, enabling them to acquire apartments in prime locations at lower prices.

For shorter-term investors, buying an existing apartment or “on paper” in up-and-coming areas adjacent to established communities is a winning strategy. Over the years, we have worked on many projects in emerging neighborhoods that were initially priced significantly lower than nearby desirable communities. These areas quickly became sought-after “destinations,” and prices rose dramatically. Additionally, developers often offer financial incentives, such as favorable payment terms.

Final Thoughts

Whatever your buying goal, I offer you two key recommendations: (1) Surround yourself with knowledgeable, trustworthy professionals to educate you and help you choose wisely; (2) if you can afford it, buy now. You can always upgrade later, but getting into the market today enables you to lock in 2025 prices. As my friend said to me immediately before signing a contract, “The best time to buy real estate in Israel was ten years ago. The second-best time is today.”

Gedaliah Borvick will be in NY/NJ the week of March 17 for private meetings and public presentations. Contact him at gborvick@gmail.com for details.

Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www.myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail.com.

,,The Golden Age of America Has Only Just Begun,,

President Donald Trump Addresses

It’s only been six weeks since President Donald Trump has occupied the Oval Office, but on Tuesday night, he addressed the nation to delineate the myriad accomplishments that he and his administration have put forth in less than 45 days.

Trump triumphantly took the dais to thundering applause from Republican majorities in the House and the Senate in his State of the Union address to Congress. He was flanked by Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Democrats sat stoic-faced during the 1-hour-and-40-minute speech, many of them wearing pink in protest and holding signs with the words “false” or “Musk steals.”

Despite the Democrats’ long faces and heckling, Trump told the nation that he is forging ahead with his agenda as the November elections showed he had a mandate from the American people.

Trump opened his address by declaring to Congress and the nation: “America is back.” With that, there were chants of “USA,” as Republicans rose to their feet.

“The presidential election of November 5 was a mandate like has not been seen in many decades,” Trump shared. “We won all seven swing states, giving us an electoral college victory of 312 votes. We won the popular vote by big numbers and won counties in our country.” The mandate from the American people was clear, he said.

Democrats offered “boos” to those words; Republicans chanted, “USA.”

At one point, one Democrat, Rep. Al Green from Texas, began heckling the president during his speech. Law enforcement officers removed the congressperson from the Chamber in order to restore order.

Trump quickly turned to touting the lightning speed with which he’s sought to enact his agenda, noting that his administration has “accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years – and we are just getting started.”

He said that he signed almost 100 executive orders and has taken more than 400 executive actions, “a record to restore common sense, safety, optimism and wealth all across our wonderful land.”

He clarified, “The people elected me to do the job, and I’m doing it. In fact, it has been stated by many that the first month of our presidency – it’s our presidency – is the most successful in the history of our nation.”

The first issue Trump mentioned was immigration. “Illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded ever. They heard my words, and they chose not to come – much easier that way. In comparison, under Joe Biden, the worst president in American history. There were hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings a month.”

Trump spoke about how Democrats have refused to work with him.

“This is my fifth such speech to Congress, and once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realize there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy, or to make them stand or smile or applaud. Nothing I can do,” the President said. “I could find a cure to the most devastating disease, a disease that would wipe out entire nations, or announce the answers to the greatest economy in history, or the stoppage of crime to the lowest levels ever recorded. And these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand, and certainly will not cheer for these astronomical achievements. They

won’t do it no matter what….

“So Democrats sitting before me, for just this one night, why not join us in celebrating so many incredible wins for America? For the good of our nation? Let’s work together and let’s truly make America great again.”

Trump continued to tout the many accomplishments he has secured over the past few weeks: a freeze on federal hiring and on foreign aid; withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord, the World Health Organization and the “anti-American” UN Human Rights Council; ending environmental restrictions; ending many “unnecessary rules and regulations; and requiring federal workers to return to the office.

He spoke about signing an order to make English the official language of the United States and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and renaming Mt. Denali to Mt. McKinley in Alaska.

Trump referred to the “the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies all across the entire federal government and indeed the private sector and our military” and said that those policies were terminated under his watch. “Our country will be woke no longer,” he declared.

“We believe that whether you are a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer or an air traffic controller, you should be hired and promoted based on skill and competence, not race or gender. Very important. You should be hired based on merit.”

In that vein, he noted that he removed “the poison of critical race theory from our public schools, and I signed an order making it the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female. I also signed an executive order to ban men from playing in women’s sports.”

Peyton McNabb is an athlete who knows all too well how dangerous it is to have men in women’s sports. Peyton was playing volleyball three years ago when an opponent – a born male who was playing on a female team – smashed a ball into Peyton’s face, which caused traumatic brain injury and paralyzed her right side. Peyton was at the address on Tuesday night when Trump spoke about this topic.

The economy has been on Americans’ minds lately. Trump spoke about tackling inflation and blamed former President Joe Biden for the hair-rising prices of eggs. He also spoke about drilling for oil and creating gas pipelines to help the resurgence of the economy.

Elon Musk, as head of DOGE, was in the audience.

“Thank you, Elon,” Trump said for the podium. “He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this. He didn’t need this. Thank you very much. We appreciate it. Everybody here even this side appreciates it I believe. They just don’t want to admit that.”

Trump listed evidence of excess government spending that DOGE has identified.

“We found hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud. And we’ve taken back the money and reduced our debt to fight inflation and other things,” he said.

As part of his economic plan, Trump spoke about delivering tax cuts.

“I’m calling for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security benefits for our great seniors.

And I also want to make interest payments on car loans tax deductible, but only if the car is made in America.”

He also addressed the issue of tariffs, which will hopefully bring back manufacturing to the shores of the U.S.

“We have been ripped off for decades by nearly every country on Earth,” Trump said, noting the tariffs that other countries charge the U.S., “and we will not let that happen any longer.”

Immigration was addressed heavily by Trump. He spoke about Laken Riley, who was 22 years old when she was attacked and killed by an illegal immigrant who had been caught and released by the Biden administration. Lake’s mother, Alison, and sister, Lauren, were at Trump’s speech on Tuesday.

“Last year, I told Laken’s grieving parents that we would ensure their daughter would not have died in vain. That’s why the very first bill I signed into law as your 47th president mandates the detention of all dangerous criminal aliens who threaten public safety. It’s a very strong, powerful act. It’s called the Laken Riley Act. So, Allison and Lauren, America will never, ever forget our beautiful Laken Hope Riley.”

,, It is our turn to take

America, s destiny into our own hands and begin the most thrilling days in the history of our country.,,

Another guest at the speech was Alexis Nungaray. Alexis’ 12-year-old daughter, Jocelyn, was kidnapped and brutally killed by two “illegal alien monsters from Venezuela, released into America by the last administration through their ridiculous open border. The death of this beautiful 12-year-old girl and the agony of her mother and family touched our entire nation greatly.”

Trump officially signed an order on Tuesday renaming a national wildlife refuge after Jocelyn since the young girl loved nature. Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis, was emotional when Trump showed the order to the audience.

In that vein, Trump said that he declared MS-13 and other Mexican drug cartels foreign terrorist organizations. “They are now officially in the same category as ISIS, and that’s not good for them.”

Stephanie Diller was also present during Trump’s address to the nation. Stephanie’s late husband, Police Officer Jonathan Diller, was 31 years old when he was killed during a traffic stop in Far Rockaway, NY. The murderer had 21 prior arrests. Trump explained that he had signed an executive order requiring a mandatory death penalty for anyone who murders a police officer and asked Con-

gress to permanently signed that order into law.

“I’m also asking for a new crime bill getting tougher on repeat offenders while enhancing protections for America’s police officers so they can do their jobs without fear of their lives being totally destroyed. They don’t want to be killed. We’re not going to let them be killed,” Trump said.

Thirteen-year-old D.J. Daniel came to the State of the Union address dressed in a police uniform with his father at his side. D.J. was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and was given just months to live. But the young boy survived and dreams of being a police officer. During Trump’s speech, the President said, “Tonight, D.J., we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all. I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service.”

Republicans in the room rose to their feet as D.J.’s father lifted him high so he could see and wave to the crowd.

Towards the end of Trump’s speech, the President touched on foreign issues, talking about defeating terrorism, bringing the hostages back home from Gaza, and ending the “savage conflict in Ukraine.”

“Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelensky of Ukraine,” Trump shared just days after the heated discussion that Zelensky had in the Oval Office on Friday with President Trump and Vice President Vance. “The letter reads, ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians,’ he said. ‘My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts. We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it at any time that is convenient for you.’

“I appreciate that he sent this letter – just got it a little while ago. Simultaneously, we’ve had serious discussions with Russia and have received strong signals that they are ready for peace. Wouldn’t that be beautiful? It’s time to stop this madness. It’s time to halt the killing. It’s time to end this senseless war. If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides.”

Trump ended his address to the nation on a positive, uplifting note: “Now it is our time to take up the righteous cause of American liberty, and it is our turn to take America’s destiny into our own hands and begin the most thrilling days in the history of our country. This will be our greatest era. With G-d’s help, over the next four years, we are going to lead this nation even higher, and we are going to forge the freest most advanced, most dynamic and most dominant civilization ever to exist on the face of this Earth.”

He added, “We will stand up, and we will fight, fight, fight for the country our citizens believe in and for the country people deserve. My fellow Americans, get ready for an incredible future, because the golden age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before.

“Thank you. G-d bless you, and G-d bless America.”

Eretz HaKodesh Fighting for Kedusha in Eretz Yisroel

A Wide-Ranging Conversation with Rabbi Pesach Lerner

By Avi Shiff

Rabbi Pesach Lerner is a name that resonates deeply within the Jewish community, particularly for his leadership in safeguarding Torah values and advancing the causes of Yiddishkeit. His willingness and creativity in responding to challenges have been pivotal in his approach to leadership, allowing him to address pressing issues with innovation and resolve.

As the former Executive Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel, Rabbi Lerner’s involvement in Jewish communal affairs spans decades, marked by his relentless commitment to strengthening Torah observance and defending the integrity of Torah and mesorah.

Throughout his career, Rabbi Lerner has been at the forefront of several key initiatives and organizations serving Klal Yisroel. His leadership and advocacy have touched upon a variety of issues, from protecting mesorah in Eretz Yisroel to the preservation of Jewish identity in the Diaspora. Rabbi Lerner’s role as the founding president of the Coalition for Jewish Values places him in the position of guiding and influencing Jewish communal policy, ensuring that the Torah hashkafah is protected in contemporary society.

Rabbi Lerner’s leadership is shaped by decades of study and a deep connection to his esteemed rabbeim His commitment to daas Torah , seeking advice and guidance from gedolei Yisrael in all his endeavors, has been a hallmark of his career.

Rabbi Lerner has been deeply involved in advocacy work for Israel, particularly in preserving the sanctity of the Kosel and preventing the liberalization of Israeli law. His involvement with Eretz HaKodesh, a group dedicated to defending the religious character of Israel, marks a significant chapter in his ongoing mission to protect and strengthen Torah observance within the Jewish state.

We sat down with Rabbi Lerner to learn more about his remarkable journey and his views on the challenges and opportunities facing the Jewish community today.

Rabbi Lerner, where did you learn during your formative years and who were your rabbeim?

I am a talmid and musmach of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore. My rabbeim in learning, hashkafa, and hadracha were the roshei yeshiva Rav Yaakov Yitzchok Ruder-

man, zt”l, and Rav Yaakov Weinberg, zt”l. Rav Ruderman’s deep commitment to Torah and his unmatched clarity in both halacha and hashkafa were foundational to my development as a person and an askan. Rav Weinberg, with his brilliance in Torah and his dedication to guiding his talmidim to greatness in both character and scholarship, was an invaluable source of direction for me.

And in askanus and inyanei hatzibbur?

I would say that there were three central influences who shaped my involvement in communal work. Primarily, Rabbi Naftali (Herman) Neuberger, zt”l, of the Ner Israel Rabbinical College of Baltimore was a guiding force for me in the world of Torah activism. His leadership in Ner Yisroel and Klal Yisroel and his status as one of the leading Torah askanim of his time set the stage for me to become involved in public service and advocacy on behalf of the Jewish people. Rabbi Moshe Sherer, zt”l, president of Agudath Israel of America, was another pivotal figure in my career. I worked closely with him during my tenure as the Executive Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel. His deep commitment to Torah and his ability to navigate the challenges of the Jewish community with great skill and vision were things I learned from firsthand.

Lastly, my father-in-law, Reb Sidney Greenwald, z”l, a talmid of Rav Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz and a long-time member of the Agudath Israel executive board, was also a great source of inspiration. He was an individual who dedicated his life to the cause of Torah and chesed and was deeply involved in both national and international Jewish affairs.

You have had an interesting career and spearheaded many interesting projects and endeavors. Tell us about them.

After my time in kollel at Ner Yisroel, I began my career in communal service. My first official position was as Executive Vice President at Hillel Academy in Denver, Denver’s frum day school. After ten years, I moved to a similar position at Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway. However, the most significant chapter in my career began when I served as Executive Vice President of the National Young Israel Movement for over 20 years. During this time, I was fortunate to be involved in a wide range of initiatives

that addressed some of the most pressing concerns facing the Jewish community. I also had the honor of giving a Daf Yomi shiur during that time on the Long Island Railroad going from Far Rockaway to New York’s Penn Station. One of the most significant causes I was involved with was the Jonathan Pollard case. I worked closely on his behalf starting in the early 1990s, and I am still very close to him. I was also among the first to take a leadership role in the case of Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, advocating for his release and working to secure justice for him. Through it all, I was guided by daas Torah, seeking direction from gedolei Yisrael such as Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l, Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zt”l, Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, and others. In America, my roshei yeshiva, zt”l and the Novominsker Rebbe, zt”l, as well as Rav Dovid Feinstein, zt”l and ybl”c Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, shlita, provided me with critical guidance in my endeavors.

Let’s talk about your activities on behalf of the kedusha and mesorah of Eretz Yisroel.

At the direction, and with the brachos, of Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman and Rav Chaim Kanievsky, we became involved in the efforts to preserve the sanctity of the Kosel and to prevent the liberal left from promoting mixed-gender prayer services there.

Rabbi Moshe Sherer asked me to co-chair his two Am Echad missions in 1997 and 1998. These missions were a response to the Reform and Conservative movements pushing to change Israel’s conversion laws and to alter the religious landscape in Israel. Through these efforts, we made an eloquent case against religious pluralism and for maintaining the religious status quo in Israel, which has been in place since the state’s founding.

In fact, I consider my current work with Eretz HaKodesh to be a continuation of Rabbi Moshe Sherer’s vision when he founded Am Echad. I believe that if he were still alive today, he would be guiding me, providing direction and counsel as we continue our mission.

What is Eretz HaKodesh, and how did it start?

Eretz HaKodesh is an initiative that began about six years ago, when a person involved with the World Zionist Organization came to meet with a group of us to discuss what was really happening within the WZO. The group in-

cluded myself, an activist in the Chassidishe world, a prominent Agudah figure, and an active Chabad rabbi. The individual who came to us shared concerns about the influence of the liberal and Reform movements within the WZO and the need for the Orthodox community to become involved.

I felt that I had a responsibility to act. With guidance from gedolei Yisroel, I was introduced to my partner and dear friend, Reb Nechemya Malinowitz, who coordinated meetings for me in Eretz Yisroel. We received brachos and guidance from Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Rav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l, and many others. Through our collective efforts, and with such an obvious dose of siyata diShmaya, Eretz HaKodesh ran a Torah party in the American elections of the World Zionist Organization, representing the American Torah-based communities.

Despite our limited organization and minimal funds, we secured 25 delegates out of 152 American delegates, which translated into 5% of all delegates worldwide. This shift, for the first time in history, moved the political pendulum of the WZO Congress towards the center-right, both politically and religiously. Combined with our strong sense of mission, a deep feeling of achrayus to Klal Yisroel, and a small dose of chutzpah, we were not to be ignored.

This was a major achievement, as it allowed us to have a significant voice in the future direction of the WZO.

National Fund, was founded with the purpose of purchasing and developing land in Israel. It owns approximately 20 percent of the land in Israel. For instance, when people buy a home in Yerushalayim, Ramat Beit Shemesh, and many other developing cities, they do not own the land outright. Instead, they enter into a long-term land lease agreement. The purchase tax paid to the government upon the purchase of any property associated with these transactions contributes to a significant portion of the KKL’s funding. In 2023, KKL earned 9 billion shekels (!) in purchase taxes. It is widely believed that KKL has amassed tens of billions of dollars over the years, making it one of the most influential organizations in Israel.

Rabbi

Lerner with Israeli President Isaac Herzog

There is a concern among many in the Jewish community that these institutions have deviated from their original mission. Once neutral organizations focused on land development, aliyah, and Jewish unity, they have now become political entities. This shift can be attributed to the influence of the left and the liberals who have taken control of the boards and leadership positions of these institutions. Why? Because no one else voted, and so they took control.

“The bottom line is this: only one Torah slate was created and directed by gedolei Yisroel.”

We were – and are – committed to ensuring that the liberal movements did not influence the religious status of Eretz Yisroel. Eretz HaKodesh has since become a recognized and respected party, one that is feared by those who wish to undermine the Torah foundations of Eretz Yisroel. We are determined to continue this work, and I believe that, with Hashem’s help, we can do even more in the future.

What are the Mosdot HaLeumim, Israel’s national institutions, and what are their connection to the WZO?

The Mosdot HaLeumim refers to Israel’s national institutions, which include the World Zionist Organization (WZO), Keren Kayemet L’Yisrael (KKL), known to most of us as the Jewish National Fund of Israel, the Jewish Agency, and Keren Yesod. These organizations have played a vital role in the development of the Jewish state and continue to influence Israel’s political, cultural, and social landscape today.

Some background: When the state was established, these institutions were formed with a clear mission. The WZO was envisioned as an umbrella organization to handle the public relations of Israel and promote Jewish identity worldwide. After the creation of the state, the WZO pivoted to encompass other things, ranging from political representation to cultural affairs. The KKL, or Jewish

Today, these national institutions use their power to promote policies that do not align with Torah values, and often, not, in our opinion, with the best interests of the people of Israel.

What has Eretz HaKodesh accomplished so far?

Our work at Eretz HaKodesh has already yielded significant results. While we are still in the early stages of this endeavor, the impact we’ve had can be seen in the reactions of our opponents.

The Reform and Conservative movements have openly expressed their concerns about our presence and influence, which is a testament to the strength of our efforts. Let me share some examples.

In a campaign video released by the Reform movement, Anna Kislanski, CEO of the Israeli Movement for Progressive and Reform Judaism, proclaims that “the World Zionist Congress controls billions in funding and makes policy that affects Jews in Israel and across the world.”

On that same video, Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Vice President of the URJ for Israel and Reform Zionism and the Executive Director of ARZA, says that “if we don’t vote and we don’t show up, we know who will: Our extremist ultra-Orthodox opponents stand against these values, have fought us at every turn, and are mobilizing to roll back any progress we’ve made. It will take all of us to stop them.”

Shoshana Dweck, co-chair of ARZENU and member of the WRJ Executive Committee, says on that video that “we need Israel to reflect our Reform Jewish values.”

In a different video, Dr. Yizhar Hess, head of the Masorti/Conservative Movement’s party in the WZO, says that “what happened to us in the last [WZO] elections…was a tragedy. Chareidim ran a slate for the first time in the [WZO] history. For the first time since Herzl’s time, the pluralistic side of Zionism became a minority. When you have a budget of $2 billion a year, you have a way to influence how Israel looks.” Later, he says, “I am also disturbed… because, you know, what happened to us in the last elections to the Congress was a tragedy… We got in the US 15,000 votes… The Reform did a little better…. You know who did well? The Orthodox, and especially the chareidim. The chareidim ran a slate for the first time in the history… And they were able to mobilize their people in a very tangible way, 25,000 votes in the first time that they ran…and became a very serious party in the Congress and it changed the forces in the Zionist movement.… Now what are the ramifications? They are serious… The only source of funding for the non-Orthodox movements are the national institutions, the World Zionist Congress and its daughter companies. These two movements, Reform Judaism and Masorti/Conservative Judaism, in Israel, now are at risk… When you have a budget of $2 billion a year, you have a way to influence how Israel looks.”

Rabbi Michael Dolgin, of the Reform Temple Sinai Congregation in Toronto, in a different video, remarks that Eretz HaKodesh “is working hard to raise funds and numbers to undo all of the work we’ve done through ARZENU and ARZA Canada and others to make the voices of non-Orthodox Jewry heard in Zionist circles and in Israel. These changes and this new dangerous organization are really trying to silence us, and at this time we need to do everything we can to increase ARZA Canada membership.”

Indeed, Eretz HaKodesh managed to secure positions within the World Zionist Organization, despite fierce opposition. For example, we were able to take charge of the education department of KKL. Additionally, we successfully created a new department within the WZO for “chareidi spiritual services,” countering one of their departments by creating one of our own.

We’ve also managed to stop tens of millions of dollars from being allocated to programs that promote pluralism and liberal views in Israel.

We discovered that the Reform and Conservative movements are using their allocated funds—50 million shekels a year that we are aware of, besides the millions in programming that they receive through KKL—to hire law firms to challenge our beliefs in the Israeli Supreme Court. We are actively fighting this.

KKL, which, as mentioned, was originally tasked with purchasing and developing land in Israel, had neglected certain areas, particularly those in Judea and Samaria, commonly known as beyond the Green Line. Their claim? That it’s disputed property. Tell that to the half-million Jews living there. There are many Orthodox and Torah communities in Judea and Samaria.

There is much more we have accomplished, but our

opponents in the WZO, who are closely following our media presence, will be reading this interview. We prefer not to reveal everything we have quietly done.

Another achievement we can be proud of is the way we facilitated the funding of Torah institutions, yeshivos, and seminaries. We’ve facilitated millions of dollars in funding for Torah institutions serving Diaspora students.

During the coronavirus pandemic, as is well known, we helped secure student visas for 35,000 yeshiva and seminary students.

Eretz HaKodesh has also been active in assisting families moving to Eretz Yisroel, helping new immigrants integrate into Israeli society, and facilitating support for at-risk youth who have left the educational system.

We have worked tirelessly to ensure that Torah values are upheld and promoted, even in the face of significant opposition.

Can you elaborate on your mission to stop the influence of the liberal left within Israel’s national institutions?

The liberal left has made significant inroads into Israel, and it is our responsibility to stop that influence. The original purpose of the WZO, KKL, and other Mosdot HaLeumim was not to advance a political or ideological agenda, but to support the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, many of these institutions have been hijacked by individuals and groups that do not represent the interests of the Torah-observant community. In fact, the agenda of many of these groups is to harm and challenge Jewish tradition.

Our work at Eretz HaKodesh is focused on two primary goals: sur meira (preventing bad) and aseh tov (doing good). While our first priority is to remove the negative influence of the left, we also seek to promote positive actions that benefit the Torah community and Israel as a whole. The liberal movements have sought to use Israel’s national institutions to advance their own agenda, which often contradicts the values and traditions that we hold dear. For example, the idea of pluralism—the notion that all forms of Judaism are equally valid—is something we disagree with.

In Israel, there is only one authentic form of Judaism: Torah Judaism. We must safeguard that, and that is what Eretz HaKodesh is doing. The liberal movements are also insisting that the “woke” agenda become a mandate of Israel.

Moreover, we are advocating for the rights of the Orthodox community in Israel. Orthodox Jews, particularly chareidi Jews, make up the majority of new immigrants from North America. Yet, the Orthodox community has had little influence in that process. Our goal is to change that.

We want to ensure that Orthodox Jews have a voice in decisions that affect Israel.

How does Eretz HaKodesh continue to challenge the status quo at these institutions?

We are continuing to challenge the status quo through

active engagement and relentless advocacy. Eretz HaKodesh has become a respected force within the WZO, and we are working to ensure that the Torah community’s voice is heard. Whether it’s preventing funds from going to programs that promote religious pluralism or securing more resources for Torah communities in Israel, we are making a real difference. While we may only represent a small percentage of the total delegates within the WZO, our influence has been disproportionate to our size. With Hashem’s help, we will continue to grow our presence and expand our impact. If we succeed in increasing our representation to 15% or more, we will have the ability to form a coalition with other like-minded groups, such as Likud, Shas, and other Orthodox parties.

In addition, there are new right-of-center parties that are running in the USA elections for the WZO. We hope to include them in our coalition.

Together, we can make a real change and shift the direction of the WZO and Israel’s national institutions to better reflect the traditional and respect the values of Torah Judaism.

In short, we’re working to ensure that the Jewish community—especially the Torah-observant community—is represented fairly, and that the principles of Torah Judaism are respected in all corners of Israeli society.

So, the left really feels threatened by Eretz HaKodesh?

Yes. The left-wing groups are alarmed by the strength of our movement and are trying to discredit us at every turn. They want to preserve their philosophy, one that is far removed from the authentic, Torah-based vision we hold dear. They see us as a direct challenge to their political and ideological control, and they are doing everything in their power to push back.

What were some of the biggest obstacles that Eretz HaKodesh had to overcome?

It’s something new that had never been done before, but because the situation had changed, we consulted with the gedolim and they advised us to proceed.

I want to make clear that nothing we did was undertaken without the full consultation and encouragement of gedolei Torah, at the inception and every step of the way. Our activities were supported by gedolei Yisroel on all sides of the Atlantic, and we worked closely with the leading rabbinic figures to ensure that we were aligned with Torah values.

When the liberal movements sued us, our response was clear: We represent the “Zionism” of the Talmidei HaGra and the Baal Shem Tov —love for Eretz Yisroel and concern for the physical and spiritual well-being of its Jewish residents.

With Hashem’s help and the guidance of the gedolim, we are optimistic about our future success.

What’s next for Eretz HaKodesh?

The upcoming election will take place from the Monday before Purim until the week after Pesach. One might think

that these are not the ideal dates for the Torah community to focus on voting. Purim is a time for mitzvos, and Pesach brings its own challenges with cleaning, shopping, and preparations. It’s not easy to ask people to take a few minutes to vote during such a busy time. But I believe that the decision to hold the elections at this time was made deliberately by the liberal left, which currently controls the American Zionist movement. They chose these dates, I believe, specifically to make it harder for the Orthodox Jewish community to participate.

But we’re not discouraged. If anything, it only makes us work harder. And with Hashem’s help, we will make sure that our voices are heard.

The voting process itself is quick—it takes only 3-4 minutes. There is a $5 registration fee to cover the cost of the voting process, and then voters can cast their ballots for Eretz HaKodesh.

Of all the slates running, the bottom line is this: only one Torah slate was created and directed by gedolei Yisroel The other slates may have good agendas, but their agendas do not necessarily challenge the status quo of the national institutions, which is what we are focused on changing. Any Torah Jew—every Torah Jew—should vote in these elections. Without challenging the liberal-left agenda, doing good is nice, but it won’t address the root issues.

The liberal-left agenda includes proposals that are not the domain of the national institutions. They challenge the education systems of the Torah community, as well as Jewish practices like conversion, kashrus, and the observance of Shabbos and yom tov. These issues directly affect the foundation of our Jewish identity and our right to live in Eretz Yisroel. Without the basis of Torah Judaism, what right do we have to be in this land?

The left’s agenda is not just challenging the Torah world. They attack so much more.

As part of our ongoing efforts, we encourage your readers to become ambassadors for Eretz HaKodesh and sign up their family and friends to vote. We are traveling the country, educating rabbinic and lay leaders, fundraising to cover the costs of the media campaign and media advertising, and organizing the election efforts. Donations can be made on our website, www.EretzHaKodesh.org. For any questions or comments, you can email our office at info@ eretzhakodesh.org and we’ll be happy to assist.

It’s not enough to just love Eretz Yisroel. We must act. The time to make a difference is now. A small investment, the $5 registration fee, can have a ripple effect that is exponential. Your investment can translate into millions of dollars for the frum community.

I share with all of you the brachos we received from Rav Chaim Kanievsky and many other gedolim. With your vote, we hope to continue doing many good things. May we be zocheh to do the will of Hashem and to benefit Klal Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel.

voting begins on March 10.

To vote for Eretz hakodesh, visit EretzhaKodesh.org

Nation

IShulem Lemmer

The Chassid With a Record Deal

By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

t’s the early 1990s. A young girl steps onto a coach bus, carrying a giant video camera in her arms. She walks past the seats and swivels her bulky camera towards the people sitting down—a few Jewish families excited for their Chol Hamoed trip to Pennsylvania.

Then, she stops walking and focuses the camera on a child—a four-year-old boy with small peyos and big eyes. He stares back at the girl and her huge camcorder.

“This is Shulem Lemmer!” she exclaims. “He’s going to be a future singer! Hey, Shulem, why don’t you sing us some of

In His Words…

the Pesach rhymes you learned in cheder?”

The young boy, singing every note perfectly, happily belts out the songs.

“That’s Shulem Lemmer, available for hire!” the girl jokes.

A couple decades later, Shulem Lemmer would, as this girl predicted, become a singer—a quite successful one, too. *

Shulem Lemmer doesn’t often dwell on his past. But every now and then, he reflects on his journey to musical stardom—on the story of how he, a Belzer chassid from Borough Park, made it as a singer for Univer-

Every yid, every person, has to realize ... that when you do something, people aren’t going to judge you by who you are, but by your people... People will judge a different person by the way you act… a nd when you do a good thing or a bad thing, it’s going to reflect on the entire community. i think that responsibility is on everyone.

l isten to your gut. at the end of the day, you know what’s best for you. a nd by the same token, you can’t judge anyone. someone can’t make decisions for you, either. Each person is different. a s much as someone talks, you still don’t know what’s going on in that person’s brain and subconscious. you have to make your own decision. at the end of the day, listen to your gut.

i always thought that the mitzvah of tzitzis was special because you don’t have to do anything. it’s a very simple mitzvah. you just wear it, and you have a mitzvah every second.

sal’s music label. His story, as illustrated through the above anecdote, stretches all the way back to his childhood.

“My parents always enjoyed music. My father loves chazanus. He used to take us to chazanus concerts. My mother always loved singing and music. We always had music playing at home. So, we grew up with that,” recalls Shulem. “I have a sister who passed away when I was about 13. She loved music. And she always wanted me to sing.”

When Shulem was around seven years old, his sister would push him to sing at their cousins’ weddings. There he was, this little boy shuffling towards the microphone, stepping up to the mic, staring at the crowd, and singing his heart out. His sister, early on, recognized that he was a natural. She was his biggest fan, watching him during his adorable mock concerts at home and encouraging him to perform at every opportunity.

But Shulem wasn’t always eager to sing in public, especially as he got older.

Shulem was 12 years old when his sister asked him to sing at their brother’s wedding. At that age, he was no longer uninhibited. He was beginning to develop self-awareness. In fact, he was so nervous to sing on stage at the chasunah—so anxious—that he couldn’t even dance during the wedding. He could barely move.

“I was such a shy kid,” Shulem exclaims. “Even between my friends, I wouldn’t speak up too much. Even though I was a good student – at times I knew the answer to a question, but I was too shy to even say the answer. So, how could I get up in front of all these people and sing?”

Shulem gulped. He walked up to the stage, his body quivering, heart racing. But as soon as he stood in front of the microphone and freed his voice from the confines

of his throat, a calm washed over his body. On stage, he felt perfectly comfortable. His anxiety was no more.

Perhaps Shulem, at that age, realized that he was meant for the stage. Or maybe the realization wasn’t yet a conscious one. He never exactly planned on becoming a singer. But while learning in Israel for six years, Shulem found a few well-paying jobs in a choir. Eventually, he became a soloist. People began requesting solos from him. And one thing led to another, and he eventually became the first Chassidish singer to secure a major record label deal—with Universal Music Group—a major feat for even non-Jews. Maybe somewhere in the back of his mind, Shulem dreamed of the life he leads today. But he never planned the path he traveled on.

Regardless of whether Shulem ever daydreamed about professional singing, there’s no doubt that his sister was the one who cultivated his talents. And there’s also little doubt that his sister’s tragic passing when he was 13 years old—from a deadly car crash—impacted his musical career just as much. When Shulem sings, he is, in a way, continuing his older sister’s legacy—the legacy of a girl who was a mother figure to him; with whom he had a special sibling bond; a girl who would, after finishing the entire Tehillim every Shabbos, wake him up from his 2 a.m. post-Friday night meal nap and schmooze with him for an hour; who visited him at camp just to make sure he’s doing well and has everything he needs; and who pushed him to use the talents that Hashem gave him.

* * *

One night, Shulem, a frum performer who lives in Toms River, will walk out on the concert stage in Williamsburg and

sing a beautiful Jewish song in Yiddish. Sometimes, he’ll even sing live with some of the greats, including Mordechai Ben David or Avraham Fried. Another night, he might sing Billy Joel’s Piano Man or Frank Sinatra’s My Way at a hall in Manhattan. But make no mistake. He may cover a few non-Jewish hits while performing for less “Jewish” or “frum” crowds, but Shulem ensures that all songs he sings have positive messages for listeners.

As a singer and especially as a Jew, Shulem aims always to make a kiddush Hashem (in fact, his latest album is titled, Kiddush Hashem). He’s passed up several opportunities for

his career, not because he wasn’t allowed to pursue them, but because he felt it just wouldn’t be the right thing for him to do.

“Every Yid, every person, has to realize, especially when you’re so visibly representing the nation, that when you do something, people aren’t going to judge you by who you are, but by your people,” shares Shulem. “That’s the concept of kiddush Hashem, right? Why are you making a kiddush Hashem? Because people expect something from you as a nation, as a people, as a community… People will judge a different person by the way you act… And when you do a good thing or a bad thing, it’s going to reflect on the entire community.

“I think that responsibility is on everyone.”

As Shulem explains, we’re supposed to see the entire world as perfectly balanced between good and evil (as per the Gemara). As such, by doing one good deed, an individual could tip the scales of the world to the side of righteousness. And inversely, by committing one sin, the opposite could, heaven forbid, happen. Obviously, we shouldn’t overthink that or become obsessed with carrying the world on our shoulders. But that idea just encourages us to realize that our actions matter a great deal; that by, for example, making a kiddush Hashem, we’re not only changing one person’s perspective, but we’re acting in a way that could make the whole world a better place.

Of course, everyone has their own personal missions and responsibilities in contributing to the world. Shulem believes that most, if not all, people, deep down inside, have a sense of what they should or could be doing with their lives. The key is to listen to that feeling.

“Listen to your gut. At the end of the day, you know what’s best for you. And by the same token, you can’t judge anyone. Someone can’t make decisions for you, either,” declares Shulem Lemmer. “Each person is different. As much as someone talks, you still don’t know what’s going on in that person’s brain and subconscious. You have to make your own decision. At the end of the day, listen to your gut.”

This article is based on a podcast, “Inspiration For the Nation,” hosted by Yaakov Langer. To catch more of this conversation, you can watch it on LivingLchaim.com or YouTube.com/LivingLchaim or listen wherever you listen to podcasts (just search for “Inspiration For The Nation”) or call our free hotline: 605-477-2100.

Dating Dialogue What Would You Do If…

Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

I’m a 29-year-old woman, and I’ve been dating a great guy for a few months and I think we would be great together. We are very similar and agree on basically everything.... There’s just one thing about him that’s stopping me from moving forward with this. Every time I bring up having kids, he quickly changes the topic. I don’t know if he doesn’t want to have kids or if he does, but for some reason, he never wants to talk about it. It’s as if the topic is triggering.

What should I do?

Thank you in advance.

Raizy*

The Panel

Dear Readers,

We want to offer YOU an opportunity to be part of the discussion! Please email us at MichelleMondShadchan@gmail.com, subject line “reader’s response,” if you would like to participate in the new “A Reader’s Response” columnist spot. We will send you a question and publish your answer in an upcoming Navidaters edition.

If you have a question you would like the Navidaters to answer, please reach out to this email as well.

Looking forward!

Michelle, the “Shadchan”

The Rebbetzin

Rebbetzin

Lisa Babich

Iam glad you found someone whom you connect with and enjoy your time with. However, if having children is a major life value and goal of yours, then it is an area where you must be on the same page. You don’t need to know how many kids you want or the exact details right now, but you do need to know if he wants children at all.

I would be very honest with him and say that I need to have a discussion with you before we move further. I would let him know that you notice he shuts down when you mention children, and you need to know if he wants children and would love to hear his thoughts, opinions, and feelings. This is an important conversation, and I don’t think you should be afraid or shy away from having it. If he is mature and balanced, he will be able to discuss his opinions with you without running away. If it scares him too much that he can’t have the discussion, then you probably have your answer.

In terms of size of family, one partner may want a large family, while the other wants less children. That would have to be a personal decision in which you both either come to a compromise or decide you are not on the same page. However, the size of the family concerns me less as it is very hard to know these things exactly before you experience kids, life and marriage. That is a more grey area in my opinion; however, the

overall value of him wanting kids and a family at all is a major topic that needs to be addressed.

I wish you lots of hatzlacha!

The Shadchan

What a difficult thing to be going through. At the age of 29, I venture to guess you have been dating for a while, which makes this all the more tricky. Finding someone who you can entertain the thought of spending your life together with is a neis, and after many years of dating, it feels even more miraculous to find him.

At the same time, you cannot let your excitement of finding someone get in the way of opening communication regarding this very important issue. His avoidance of this topic of discussion likely stems from a deep-rooted fear, and it must be discussed. You should plan to sit him down and make it very clear that you would like to talk about the topic of having children. Explain to him that you cannot move forward with this relationship if this very important topic can’t be broached. Get ready to listen and show understanding in a non-judgmental way. He will likely tell you about certain fears he has, either about moving forward in general towards marriage or about the specific topic of being a father. It is my hunch that he will need to be gently guided to speak to someone more professional

about his fears in order to get married and start a family. Once he is honest with you, you will have much more clarity about how to move forward.

If he is still resistant to talk about it, this will be a sign for you to move on and find someone who matches your maturity level and is interested and ready to move forward and start a family.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey

Galler

For a young father, raising children is one of the greatest joys but also one of the greatest challenges. Today, if you were to ask a young dad about his children and he responded with a dramatic sigh, a sardonic smile, and tactfully changed the subject, it would be

If it scares him too much that he can’t have the discussion, then you probably have your answer.

understandable and even amusing.

But when a guy, who is in a serious relationship with his girlfriend, consistently avoids conversations about having children, it is neither amusing nor trivial. It is unusual and ALARMING.

The obvious advice is that you need to initiate an important, direct conversation with him, by saying something like, “I think we both understand that we’re in a serious relationship. Right now, there is a subject that we need to discuss together…”

Here are some thoughts for you to consider.

First , perhaps give him the benefit of the doubt, and judge him favorably, l’kaf zechus. Let’s hope that he simply assumes that having kids is obvious and isn’t something that needs much discussion.

Or, perhaps, he has financial or career concerns and needs some reassurance.

Or, possibly, he is very, very religious, and believes that it is immodest to discuss this issue. If so, he needs some eye-opening edification.

Second , maybe your boyfriend just does not like children! (I had some teachers like that. They excelled in torturing my classmates and me. But that’s a discussion for a different time and place.)

Consider inviting him to a family

Purim party, with a bunch of raucous children, and see how he reacts.

Third , find out if there are young, healthy cousins, nieces, and nephews in his family. Perhaps there is a genetic issue. If so, make sure to schedule serious genetic testing, pre-engagement.

Fourth , there might be a medical problem here. For example, in some cases, men who contract the mumps virus after puberty can become infertile.

Whatever the reason, you certainly have a right to talk about important topics without feeling that you’re being dismissed. If the two of you have important and fundamental disagreements about children, you may need to re-evaluate this relationship.

Reader’s Response

Sarah Lavane Author of “Unmatched”

There always seems to be “just one thing” isn’t there? You say it stops

Pulling It All Together

The

Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Icompletely understand why this is weighing on you. Wanting kids or not is a huge part of your future, and it’s not something you can just ignore. If he keeps changing the subject, there’s a reason. Maybe he’s unsure, maybe it’s a sensitive topic, or maybe he’s avoiding a hard truth. But you won’t know unless

you have a real, open conversation with him.

Next time, instead of bringing it up casually, try being really intentional about it. You could say something like, “I’ve noticed that whenever I mention kids, you change the subject. I

you from moving forward. Does this mean you want to stop dating him or that your feelings for him can’t grow? Does it mean he has proposed, and you can’t give an answer yet? It wouldn’t make sense to pre-emptively end things, as the YES column appears to be so much longer than the NO column.

Perhaps you can try a new approach? Instead of talking about kids, try discussing communication. Can you tell him you sense his reluctance to broach certain topics, and you wondered if he feels it’s too early for serious topics? (It shouldn’t be – not after “a few months”!)

Another option is to ask a third party –whether you met through a matchmaker or on your own – to coach both of you through it. Perhaps he’s insecure and afraid to tell you his true concerns.

If you had said that this was only after a few dates, I’d tell you to hang in there. But as it’s been a few months, I hope you can address his hesitation and find out what’s going on.

I learned this lesson the hard way. Years ago, I met a guy at a Shabbaton, who asked for my number and called. And called again. And again. And again. But he never asked me out! After four months, a friend of mine who had met her chosson around the same

Consider inviting him to a family Purim party, with a bunch of raucous children, and see how he reacts.

time got engaged, and I realized the ridiculousness of my situation. So in as neutral a voice as I could muster, I asked him, “Do you or do you not want to go out with me?” I could hear my heart thump. Then, “Well, if that’s your attitude, forget it,” he said.

I hope there is a happy breakthrough for you, but if not, he may just be someone who likes to be in a relationship but is not really ready or serious about marriage. Or it may be something you will never figure out as illustrated in my story above. In that case, I’d suggest you cut your losses and move on. Hatzlacha!

don’t want to pressure you, but this is something really important to me. Can we talk about where you stand?”

If he still avoids it or shuts down, that tells you something. You need someone who can have honest, grownup conversations, especially about something this major. If he’s just unsure and needs time, that’s one thing. But if he can’t go there at all, it’s important to

ask yourself if that’s something you’re willing to accept.

You’re smart to be paying attention to this now instead of hoping it magically works itself out later. The worst thing would be investing more time only to realize you’re not on the same page about something so fundamental.

Wishing you clarity and confidence,

Jennifer

Health & F tness

PTSD: When the Past Won’t Stay in the Rearview Mirror

By Rivka Kramer, PMHNP-BC

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night, heart racing, palms sweating, and a feeling of dread that clings to you, even though you’re in the safety of your home. The shrill sound of a siren pierces the quiet— your body goes into full panic mode. You’re back in the middle of a war zone, a place where the noise of bombs and the anxiety of danger never seem to leave. It feels like the world around you is on the brink of chaos, even though the immediate threat is far gone. This is the reality for millions who live with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and it’s especially relevant in places like Israel, where the sound of sirens is an ever-present reminder of past trauma.

What is PTSD?

At its core, PTSD is a psychological condition that can develop after someone has witnessed or has been involved in a traumatic event. Think of it as the emotional aftermath of something so intense that it leaves a lasting imprint on your mind, often changing the way you react to everyday situations. Some of the most common symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, constant feelings of anxiety, and hypervigilance (feeling “on edge” all the time).

While everyone reacts to trauma differently, people with PTSD can experience these feelings for months or even years after the event. The triggers can be surprising—a particular smell, a loud noise, or, as many in Israel know too well, the wail of a siren.

A Quick Peek at PTSD and War: The Israeli Experience

Let’s take a quick trip to Israel, where PTSD is a pervasive issue due to the constant threat of conflict. Imagine you’re an ordinary person, going about your day—perhaps sipping a coffee at a café or chatting with friends. Then,

suddenly, the sirens go off. It’s a missile warning, a reminder that at any moment, life could be turned upside down by the sounds of war. For some, it’s an all-too-familiar pattern.

Meet Avi, a Tel Aviv resident who has lived through several rounds of missile attacks. Avi remembers the first time he heard the sirens and had to rush into a bomb shelter.

“It was surreal,” he says. “You go from living your normal life to being in a situation where survival is the priority.”

Avi survived the attacks, but like many others, the psychological scars didn’t disappear when the missiles stopped.

In the years that followed, Avi developed PTSD. “Every time the sirens went off, I would freeze. My heart would race, and I couldn’t think straight. It felt like I was back there in the middle of it all.”

These emotional reactions became overwhelming, especially during times when there was no immediate threat.

The body, which has learned to associate sirens with imminent danger, con-

tinues to react, even if the world around you is calm.

PTSD and the War Mindset: Why Sirens Are More Than Just Noises

The impact of PTSD is amplified in regions like Israel, where the fear of sudden violence can trigger emotional responses at any given moment. The siren becomes more than just a warning— it is a trigger that sends people’s bodies into an emotional tailspin.

What’s happening here? It’s all about classical conditioning, a psychological phenomenon made famous by Ivan Pavlov, the guy with the dogs and the bells. In this case, the brain has learned to associate the sound of the siren with danger and the possibility of violence. Once this connection is made, the body reacts instinctively, even when no immediate threat exists. This is what makes PTSD so tricky; it’s like your body has a faulty alarm system that goes off even when it’s not needed.

In Avi’s case, the sound of the siren

became a trigger for an emotional flashback, where his body went into fightor-flight mode. He wasn’t in immediate danger, but his brain and body didn’t know that. It’s like the trauma had built a mental bridge, and each time the siren wailed, Avi’s mind walked right back to the scene of the attack.

Symptoms of PTSD: What to Look Out For

So, what exactly are the signs of PTSD? It’s not just about being startled by loud noises (although, that’s a big part of it). PTSD symptoms can be grouped into several categories:

1. Intrusive Memories: These are the flashbacks, nightmares, and distressing thoughts that make it feel like you’re re-living the trauma. For people like Avi, the experience of hearing the sirens takes them back to the trauma, even if it’s been years.

2. Avoidance: Some people with PTSD try to avoid anything that might remind them of the trauma. This could mean staying away from certain places, people, or even situations that might trigger memories of the event.

3. Negative Thoughts and Mood: PTSD can bring about feelings of shame, guilt, anger, or detachment. People might find it hard to trust others or feel a sense of hopelessness about the future.

4. Hyperarousal: This is the “on edge” feeling where you’re always alert, easily startled, or have trouble sleeping. You’re constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Psychiatric Approaches to Treatment: Moving Beyond the Sirens

While living with PTSD can feel like a never-ending cycle of triggers and emotional reactivity, the good news is that there are treatments that can help. Modern psychiatry offers several ap -

proaches, all aimed at helping individuals process their trauma and regain control of their lives.

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

One of the most well-established forms of therapy for PTSD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This therapy focuses on helping individuals change negative thought patterns and behaviors that keep them stuck in their trauma. The idea is simple: thoughts affect emotions, and emotions drive actions. By changing the way you think about your traumatic experience, you can begin to change the way you feel and react.

For example, someone who constantly fears that the next siren will bring danger might be taught to reframe this thought. CBT could help them realize that while the sirens are a reminder of past trauma, they do not necessarily mean immediate danger. Over time, this helps reduce the anxiety associated with triggers.

2. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a specialized therapy for trauma that has shown significant suc -

cess in treating PTSD. EMDR involves the patient recalling traumatic memories while performing specific eye movements or other types of bilateral stimulation. The idea behind EMDR is that it helps the brain process the trauma in a way that reduces its emotional impact. This technique has been found particularly effective for those who have been

symptoms. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as sertraline and paroxetine, are commonly prescribed to help reduce anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts associated with PTSD. These medications can help stabilize mood and give patients the emotional space they need to engage in therapy. Another medication, prazosin, is used

It’s like your body has a faulty alarm system that goes off even when it’s not needed.

unable to process their trauma through traditional talk therapy. The bilateral stimulation helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so that they no longer trigger the same emotional and physiological reactions.

3. Medication

While therapy is often the cornerstone of PTSD treatment, psychiatric medications can also play a role in managing

to reduce nightmares and improve sleep in PTSD patients, particularly for those who experience intense night terrors as a result of their trauma.

Reclaiming Life from Trauma

PTSD is a powerful and often invisible force that can take hold after trauma. Whether it’s from war, accidents, abuse, or any other distressing event, the effects can ripple through a person’s life, affect-

ing their relationships, their work, and their sense of safety.

But the good news is that PTSD is treatable. Through therapy, medication, and support, individuals can heal and regain control over their emotional and mental well-being. For people like Avi in Israel, who face the ever-present threat of violence, understanding and addressing PTSD is crucial to living a fulfilled life.

So, the next time you hear the wail of a siren, think about the unseen trauma that some people carry with them. And remember—just as the body and mind are resilient enough to withstand the chaos of war, they are equally capable of healing with the right treatment and support. PTSD may be a part of their story, but it doesn’t define them.

The path to recovery is long, but it’s one that’s worth walking.

Rivka Kramer is a Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She has a psychiatric private practice based in Cedarhurst, NY. She serves as a member of the board of JANPPA, the Jewish American Nurse Practitioner Psychiatric Association. She can be reached at 516-945-9443.

Parenting Pearls Building Strong Foundations

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

Every lasting thing has a foundation. Setting a strong foundation is crucial because without it any subsequent structure will collapse. This not only applies to buildings but to relationships, too.

When Hashem gave us the gift of a child, we were entrusted with the Divine responsibility of raising this neshama. This job has many descriptions. We have to provide for numerous physical needs from the moment they are placed in our arms. More than mere bodies, we have to nourish the holiness within them, raising them to fulfill their Divine purpose. Beyond the physical and spiritual are their emotional needs. Lacking emotional health can not only affect their physical health but their spiritual health, too. As their caring adults we are teaching them love and trust, prerequisites for building a connection to Hashem.

The precondition to any relationship is connection. Without feeling connected there is nothing that binds two individuals. We pass hundreds of people daily, yet we have no memory of them or think of them further.

Our connection with our children is automatic, yet it needs to be continuously nourished to remain more than just DNA. Unlike with others, we are blessed to have been given an inherent bond to our children. They know us from their earliest moments, and they are born seeing us as a form of comfort and familiarity. This is a powerful start, and one that should never be underappreciated.

It is very different when compared to finding a life partner. First, we look into the person before we decide to meet. Over the course of weeks or months we slowly get to know the person, carefully deciding at each step if it’s worth continuing. Only after careful deliberation do we make the commitment to begin building a lasting and meaningful relationship together. Rather than spending time trying to find the right child, seeing if you like them and then deciding whether or not they’re worth keep -

ing, Hashem hands them right to us. This is a love so pure that we already love this child before we’ve ever met them.

Despite this naturally loving beginning, we still need to continuously build and further develop that connection. This is a relationship that needs constant input but also adjustment as our children grow and their needs change.

Perhaps for previous generations it was enough for a child to recognize their parents fed, clothed and provided them with a room to sleep. Our generation’s children have more complex needs and require far more significant emotional input. Failing to provide this is insufficiently addressing their needs.

Source of Our Strength

More than our connection to our children, it’s the connection they feel from us that is our greatest parenting strength. I differentiate between the two because many parents can intensely love their child yet the child doesn’t feel it. Our connection to them needs to be demonstrated daily in a meaningful way.

We have to express it with words and show it throughout our actions. Some adults find it hard to say, “I love you.” Despite the importance of that phrase, they require more than just those three words.

“That was so special what you did.” “You’re amazing!” “I really appreciate your help.”

“You’re so talented at that.” Words need to be spoken with thought, and – most importantly – sincerity.

“Words are cheap” is a common phrase. I don’t fully agree with its sentiments, but we certainly need to go beyond mere words with our children. Throwing them a comment while ignoring them won’t show that “words are valuable.” We need to really view their portraits before complimenting their artwork. We have to look at them when speaking to them. We need to dedicate time for each child, even if it’s in conversation while preparing dinner.

We have to know our children. This may sound silly – of course I know that kid! But do we understand what’s important to them, where they feel insecure and struggle? You can only meet needs that you know exist.

Because I Said So

“Might makes right” is not an effective parenting strategy. The idea that we can make them do what we want because we are bigger, hold the purse strings, or “tell them to” is a fallacy. It may work with very young children, but it is extremely limited. It’s more likely to turn a teenager against you than create compliance.

There are definitely times we need to rely on being bigger, such as removing a toddler from a dangerous situation or physically redirecting an angry child. Everything has a time and place, but it needs to be kept to those limited circumstances.

Most parents want their child to listen because of love, respect or an understanding of our greater wisdom – not because they’re afraid, threatened, or forced. We want to encourage the feelings that will contribute towards our children valuing and appreciating us. This isn’t because we are insecure and need a child to make us feel special; it’s so our children follow the proper derech.

Power of Connection

A person is only mildly affected when another person is rude in passing, such as walking by them on the street. In contrast, we are very hurt if someone we are close with speaks negatively to us. We value their opinion more and take their thoughts to heart, as opposed to others who don’t affect us.

The key to parenting is having a strong

bond with a child. This is not only crucial to their emotional development; it’s the prerequisite to behavior management. While we certainly don’t show our children love to eventually control them, if they don’t trust us then our words will be meaningless. We only care about those that care for us. Our children are no different and value our words as they feel valued by us. This may seem unimportant when it comes to small children, but it’s crucial with older children and teens. The main thing that makes a teen stop and listen is knowing that we love them and they can trust us.

Building that strong connection with a little child is our greatest investment in the teenage years. They start off small, cute and thinking we’re the greatest people in the world. Sadly, that last part is limited if we don’t continuously invest in them. I want to reiterate that loving a child is not a manipulation technique but simply the best way to raise the next generation.

Children go through various stages of development and can experience many moods. Having a bad day or tough time does not mean we’re irrelevant in their life or that we failed at relationship building. Even in these situations it never hurts to give that extra attention and love that a child always needs.

Children have bechirah and can choose to do the right or wrong thing – just like we can. We can only do our best to connect to them and then daven that Hashem guide us and our children in all we do.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, has her master’s in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 10 years in Far Rockaway. She can be contacted at RayvychHomeschool@gmail.com.

Health & F tness

In the News – Measles Outbreaks in the United States

By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP

Myth: Measles is not harmful. Fact: Measles is not innocuous and can be deadly.

In 2015, measles in the United States was considered to be eradicated. That’s not the case now in March 2025. What began as a measles outbreak in Texas in the Mennonite community has now spread to other states, including New Jersey’s Bergen County.

The CDC reports that there are over 170 active measles cases in this country. Ninety-five percent of those cases were in unvaccinated individuals or in those where vaccination status was unknown. Tragically, there have been two deaths. As a result, there is now a warning of a potential measles outbreak, meaning there are three or more related cases ins a specific community or geographic area.

A child of U.S. citizenship arrived at JFK Airport’s Terminal 4 and then traveled with her parents via a public bus to Philadelphia. She was feeling unwell so her parents took her to an urgent care. She tested positive for measles. This means that passengers aboard the flight plus the passengers on the public bus and others have been exposed to measles. Similarly, last month, a passenger on a Korean Air flight arrived in Los Angeles and soon after tested positive for measles.

Measles is an extremely infectious disease which is transmitted via direct contacts with infectious droplets that are airborne when the sick individual coughs, sneezes or breathes. These droplets can remain present for up to two hours. As a result, it can be spread to up to 90 percent of people in the nearby vicinity.

Measles presents initially with a fever, cough, runny nose and watery red eyes. It begins in the hairline and then spreads down to the neck, trunk arms and feet. In its early stages, there may by tiny white lesions in the mouth (opposite the upper molars) call Koplick Spots.

Let’s now speak about the measles vaccine. It is 87 percent effective in prevent-

ing this horrible illness. It is given after 1 year of age and again as a booster between 4-6 years of age.

Despite the refuted claim that the measles vaccine causes autism, there are parents who hesitate to vaccinate against measles.

ondary infections like pneumonia and encephalitis. But this is supportive care only.

While all children should be immunized with 2 doses of the measles vaccine, what’s to be done for “older folks”?

The measles vaccine is a live virus, and there are people who are unable to

I witnessed the deaths of over 100 children from measles.

This is mindboggling. Let me state the following.

While training and practicing medicine in South Africa, my colleagues and I there were privy to 1st and 3rd world medical patients with measles and other diseases. Measles can kill. I witnessed the deaths of over 100 children from measles.

There is no cure for measles – only prevention by vaccine. IV fluids and antibiotics are given for dehydration and sec-

receive a live virus vaccine. It is possible that if they are exposed, then they might receive an injection of measles immune globulin. This is administered 6 days after exposure and provides antibodies for the short term.

People born before 1957 are considered immune from this disease. Those born after 1957 and in the 1960s should have their immunity tested. Even if the person has been previously vaccinated, the vaccine

was not as effective then.

People born in 1970-1980 probably received one dose as a child and probably have adequate protection. However, if they are in an area which has an outbreak, they should discuss with their internist about a booster.

People born in the 1980s would have received two doses of the vaccine and are considered to be adequately protected. However, if a person is immunocompromised, they may have no immunity whatsoever. Again, they should reach out to their internist.

The only way to protect ourselves from the measles disease is to prevent it from circulating. This requires vaccinations. Vaccination rates are trending downwards, a topic that Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and an internationally recognized in the fields of virology and immunology, discussed at the recent CHEMED Medical Ethics Conference in the presence of several Gedolim. There are several reasons for this, and that’s a topic for another time.

My message: WAKE UP. There is no reason that even one child should die, G-d forbid, in our modern, sophisticated world when prevention through vaccines is available.

Purim and Pesach are approaching. These are family times. These are travel times. If the United States is designated as a country not free of measles, other countries may require documentation of vaccinating against the measles.

Let’s all be safe and do right and what’s good for our children.

As always, daven.

Dr. Hylton I. Lightman is a pediatrician and Medical Director of Total Family Care of the 5 Towns and Rockaway PC. He can be reached at drlightman@totalfamilycaremd. com, on Instagram at Dr.Lightman_ or visit him on Facebook.

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q:Dear Etti,

I am worried about the Purim meal with the kids at their grandparents’ house.

Shabbos meals can be difficult when we go there. Everything is geared to the adults, and the kids cannot make it through the meal.

Family members with their “helpful” comments are not helpful at all.

On Purim, I imagine it is going to be 10 times worse.

My husband will be out of commission by the meal. We used to live too far to visit, but now we are back in town, and it is time to face the situation.

Advice?

- Concerned about the Crowd

A:Dear Concerned, Understandably, you are feeling a little anxious about the Purim meal at the grandparents’ house.

The combination of unfamiliar foods, a different kind of meal than they are used to, and possible well-meaning but often unhelpful comments from family members can create a stressful situation for both you and your children.

I think the key to making this experience more manageable will be preparation, communication, and self-compassion.

It can be helpful to feed the children before the meal so that there is less pressure for them to eat at the seudah. Letting the grandparents know in advance that you are giving them food before the meal can also ease some of the stress a grandparent might feel if one or all of the children aren’t staying at the table.

Bringing some food from home is another great way to ensure that your children have something they feel comfortable eating. You also get points for helping with the meal! (I used to prepare hot dogs in blankets and chicken nuggets for the everyone at the seudah to make sure my children had finger foods they liked. I also let them each have their own small bottle of grape juice.)

Since a Purim seudah can be overwhelming and so different than a Shabbos seudah, discussing the event with the children ahead of time can help set expectations and provide reassurance.

This year it is especially confusing. We have a Purim seudah and Shabbos seudah – all on the same day!

Discussing the event with the children ahead of time can help set expectations and provide reassurance.

Do the grandparents have a playroom? Can the children play there safely? It might be smart to invest in a new toy that could occupy them when the meal gets too boring or overwhelming.

Will there be other children there? Do your children play nicely together? You might need to spend some time supervising. Accept the reality in advance for the good of your children, even if it means watching cousins as well, instead of resenting missing the action. Better safe than sorry! As they get older, they will have only good memories and that will be something you won’t regret.

Can you bring Purim coloring pages and crayons with you? Fun stickers to put on paper? Is there a place they can color or stick on stickers? (Make sure they know the “stickers on paper, not on walls or floors” rule. No one wants to scrape stickers off furniture post-Purim.)

One of my daughters joins the kollel her husband

belongs to for the seudah. She and another mom prepare bags of crafts and fun for the children. They give it out midway through the meal. It really helps make the time fun for the kids!

Another big challenge parents face in these situations is handling comments from others. Relatives may express concern about your children not eating or not wearing their costumes or offer unsolicited advice. This can feel frustrating and undermining. Just say, “Thank you.” Don’t get personal. It is a waste of energy! No one wants to hurt your feelings. People don’t realize that their comments are unwelcome. They are reaching out to show they care and don’t realize that their kind of caring is annoying.

It is important to remind yourself that you are doing your best and that you know your children better than anyone else (even as you keep an open mind in case the advice being offered is actually helpful and from someone who has the position to offer it).

For the grandparents, fostering a welcoming and pressure-free environment can make all the difference. They don’t need to take it personally if the children don’t eat much and avoid comments about how much or what the child is eating. Now is not the best time to talk about eating too much candy or overloading on sugar. Instead, focus on enjoying the time together. Enjoy Purim! Purim sameach!

- Etti

Fd for Thought

Ishtabach

By Nati Burnside

Everybody knows that there are three sides to every story: one side, the other side, and the truth. Usually, this doesn’t apply to restaurants. But Ishtabach is not your usual restaurant.

The first story is that of Chef Oren Sasson-Levy. He created Ishtabach in Machane Yehuda in Jerusalem. By taking the food of his ancestors and merging it with everything from his life, he birthed something special that really drew people in.

The second story belongs to Shloimy Elbaz. He loved eating at Ishtabach, which really didn’t make him different than most. But then he moved from Jerusalem to Lakewood and couldn’t replace the feeling in his heart. He contacted Chef Oren about opening a second branch on this side of the ocean. and the rest is history.

As for the truth? Well, the food is the truth...

When I was invited to Ishtabach, I walked into another world. The location in Lakewood is meant to transport you back to Jerusalem – and it succeeds. The kitchen looks like a house with arched doorways and windows with shutters. There’s even a second-floor terrace above you for decoration. The prep station and taboon oven are in a “courtyard,” surrounded by a half-wall that is used as a bar for seating. There’s a deck on the left side where the flooring is made of boards, and a railing separates the section. Jerusalem stone lines the walls to really anchor your soul.

Not only did thought go into every bit of it, elbow grease did as well. Elbaz built this place himself, from scratch. That includes the tables and the wood beams. He’s proud of the space, but not as proud as he is to be serving Chef Oren’s food to patrons stateside.

As for the food, the menu might look big and feature some terms you aren’t familiar with. The easiest way to explain it is that the majority of the menu consists

of four ways to consume each of the meat fillings, of which there are many.

The first of these ways is the item for which Ishtabach is most known. A shamburak is a unique pastry that belongs to Kurdish Jews. The idea was simple; people took Shabbat leftovers, wrapped them in dough and created hand pies that both stretched the food out by adding dough for volume and made something new to enhance yesterday’s food. At Ishtabach, Chef Oren decided to use a base of Indian spiced mashed potatoes (his wife is from India) as a base, your choice of meat for the filling, and tops it with chimichurri and fried onions.

With so many meats to choose from, you might have trouble. I recommend the Cheek Meat Shamburak, but this is mostly going to be about your personal preference. If you want to go with the tongue or the Syrian kebob, that’s up to you. The important thing is that the shamburak is amazing. Pick it up and eat it like it is supposed to be eaten and make sure your bite gets a little of everything. The textures are a perfect match as the inner mush meets the outer crunch of the dough that has crisped to perfection.

The second way to order is fairly similar to the first. You can opt to basically eat the shamburak without the dough and get the fillings in a cast iron dish as a shepherd’s pie. I can’t say I recommend this as the shamburak dough is so great. But if I were choosing one, I’d go with the Siske Shepherd’s Pie. If you aren’t familiar, siske is essentially overcooked ribs. You might know siske as the filling for kubbeh. The mashed potatoes shine a little more in the shepherd’s pie, and the meat is easier to distinguish, so the more distinct flavor of the siske might be best here.

The third and fourth ways that you can get your meat are both sandwiches. Using frena, a Moroccan bread that is something like a hybrid between pita and

ciabatta, Ishtabach makes sandwiches that are Israeli style or American style. For the Israeli style, I’d choose the Frena Grilled Baby Chicken. The key feature here is the house-made matbucha that simmers for over six hours before it hits the bread. Add some fried eggplant, garlic confit, and lettuce to the crisp grilled chicken, and you are holding a massive sandwich that you won’t want to put down.

For the American style choice, I’d go with the Aioli Frena Schnitzel. Here, the sauce is a basil aioli, and the toppings are coleslaw and pickles. I chose the schnitzel for this because it’s not one of the regular meat choices, but you can get it in a few forms as an entrée or app. The quintessential Israeli choice, the schnitzel at Ishtabach is understandably awesome, and this is the best way to eat it. The basil aioli is creamy and melds with the coleslaw as the pickles bring an acidic punch, but the schnitzel stars with a signature crunch that stands out beautifully.

There are other things on the menu, and you should try to make room for them if you can. Ishtabach’s hummus is legendary. That said, I went late and was out of luck as they were sold out for the day. These are the perils of making something fresh every day; when you’re out, you’re out. But one appetizer that I can personally vouch for is the Asado Arancini. The three large arancini come with tahini, basil aioli, and a spicy aioli. This was my preferred vehicle for the asado filling. Who can say no to a South American meat blend inside an Italian fried rice ball with three dips from across

the globe? Not me. Whether you are in Jerusalem or Toms River, make your way to Ishtabach for a true fusion experience. And whether you are in Jerusalem or Toms River, you’ll feel like you’re in Jerusalem.

Ishtabach - MeatMediterranean street Fusion Sunday - Wednesday: 12:00pm - 11:00pm Thursday: 12:00pm - 1:00am (732)-377-0070

Yishtabach.com 2164 Lakewood Road

Toms River, NJ 08755

Central Rabbinical Congress (CRC) / Kashrut Council of Lakewood (KCL)

* * * Sunday - Thursday: 12:00pm - 11:00pm Friday: 10:00am - 1:30pm Saturday: 6:30pm - 12:00am +972 2-623-2997

Ishtabach.co.il

Beit Ya’akov Street 1 Jerusalem, Israel 9432301 Badatz Mehadrin Yerushalayim

“The Perfect Gift” –a Mishloach Manos Primer

By Naomi Ross

Gift bags, cellophane, tissue paper and sweets are starting to fill Jewish homes everywhere…it’s beginning to look a lot like Purim! If there is one holiday that represents the “season for giving” in the Jewish calendar, Purim (rather than Chanukah) fits the bill. One of the four mitzvos of day, the obligation to give mishloach manos (gifts of food), was instituted by Queen Esther and Mordechai in order to improve relations between fellow Jews. By creating the need to give, we have each received a unique opportunity to make amends and create loving feelings amongst friends and families. An exercise in giving forces a shift in a person’s awareness to become more a chessed-oriented individual.

Each year, my family prepares and gives several packages to friends and neighbors, but lately, we also try to think of at least one person in particular who needs a lift or smile and make sure they get one, too.

With that in mind, here are a few items to remember when making your mishloach manos.

Mishloach manos are specifically food items and traditionally were intended to enhance one’s Purim seudah that day. Therefore, according to Jewish law, one should give foods that are readily edible (e.g., an Italian theme with a box of uncooked spaghetti and a jar of marinara sauce is cute but not ready for eating).

People often don’t go through their mishloach manos until later in the day. If choosing to make mishloach manos with highly perishable contents – either deliver it in person so that you can tell the recipients not to leave it out or label accordingly that items should be refrigerated (what a shame and waste to throw out spoiled food!).

Label, label, label!!! Not only should recipients know from whom their package has come (again, building warm feelings between friends), but it is also important to label the kashrus status of all baked goods (parve, baked in a meat oven, dairy, etc.) in addition to any pertinent allergy info – e.g., “contains nuts”.

Keep it clean. In this post-Covid era, most people will throw out any unwrapped, loose candy or items that were handled.

Get the family involved! If you have children, let them help pick a theme and/or help with assembly and packaging (depending on their age). Taking ownership of preparing the package can be a momentous experience that shifts their ability to think about someone else and how to make it special for them.

Tips for a Better Hamantash

As a kid in my mother’s house, I would use a drinking glass to cut out my rounds of dough for hamantaschen included in our mishloach manos, lovingly shaping the triangular cookies so classic for Purim. Dipping the rim in flour, it was a careful practice of cutting as close together as possible, leaving the least amounts of scraps behind (the fewer scraps to re-roll, the better – the dough tends to get tougher with each redo). We kept it simple –traditional apricot or prune filled. No frills, but delicious all the same. Now, as an adult with my own family, I have fun playing with different versions and more sophisticated flavors. Drunken Cherry-Chocolate is a favorite that made it into my book (recipe below). One year, I used guava paste with coconut and lime. And nowadays, we

do savory meat-filled ones for the seudah, too! If you are feeling inspired to bake, keep these helpful tips in mind:

Don’t overstuff! For 3-3½” diameter rounds, never fill with more than ¾ tsp. of filling. If using a jam or jelly that is thinner in consistency, fill with only a ¼ tsp. Thinner jellies melt during baking and will overflow if overstuffed, causing the hamantaschen to open during

Classic Hamantaschen

Yield: 5-6 dozen

Ingred I ents

* 1 cup butter or margarine

* 1 cup sugar

* 3 eggs

* 1/3 cup orange or pineapple juice

* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

* 4½ cups flour

* 4½ teaspoon baking powder

* ¼ teaspoon salt

* a ssorted pie fillings or preserves –apricot, raspberry, prune, lekvar (poppy)

dI rect I ons

Cream the shortening and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until a grainy paste forms. Beat in eggs, juice and vanilla until well blended. in a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. slowly add the flour mixture to the batter, a little at a time, mixing just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and forms into a ball. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide your dough into a few parts, then work in batches to roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface (it helps to flour your rolling pin as well), until it is very thin – about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Using a 3-3½” diameter cookie cutter or glass, cut circles in the dough. Place ½-¾ teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle. shape into a triangle by folding two sides towards center and pinch together where they meet. Fold remaining side up to the center and pinch together at the sides. some of the filling should be visible in the center.

Place hamantaschen spaced 1/2-inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until light golden brown. Be careful not to overcook.

Drunken Cherry-Chocolate Hamantaschen

No it’s not alcoholic. Yes, the alcohol cooks out… leaving a lusciously decadent filling. Yes, cherries and chocolate need to be together. And yes, give some to your friends…if there are any left.

Yield: 5-6 dozen

Ingred I ents

Dough

* 3/4 cup oil

* 1 cup sugar

baking.

After placing the filling in the center of the rounds, use a wet fingertip or pastry brush to moisten the perimeter of the round before closing in order to create a better seal.

Pinch twice – once initially and once right before placing in the oven.

roll dough very thin – 1/8-1/4 inch thick.

* 3 eggs

* ¼ cup milk or soymilk/oatmilk

* 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

* 3½ cups flour (plus more for flouring board/pin)

* 2/3 cup Dutch process cocoa

* 4 teaspoons baking powder

* ¼ teaspoon salt

Drunken Cherry Filling

* 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen dark pitted cherries, thawed

* 1/3 cup dry red wine

* ¼ cup sugar

* 1 tablespoon cornstarch

* ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

dI rect I ons

For Dough: Cream the oil and sugar together in an electric mixer until a grainy paste forms. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla until well blended. in a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. slowly add the flour mixture to the batter, a little at a time, mixing at low speed until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and forms into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. While dough chills, prepare the filling:

For Filling: Combine all filling ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir to blend until all cornstarch is dissolved and no lumps are visible.

Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat to cool; chill to thicken.

Roll & Fill: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough into 4 parts. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board (it helps to flour your rolling pin as well) into a very thin round – about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Using a 3-3½” diameter cookie cutter or glass, cut circles in the dough. Place 1 cherry with a little of the sauce in the center of each circle. shape into a triangle by folding the 3 sides inwards toward the center (leaving space for the filling to be open and visible); pinch the sides together tightly.

Bake: Place hamantaschen 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets (pinch again to secure folds). Bake for 12-14 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Repeat with remaining dough, using up dough scraps as well. Transfer baked hamantaschen to racks to cool.

Chef’s Touch: For a pretty look, drizzle with a little melted white chocolate (or dip one half of the haman-

Divide dough and work in batches so it’s easier to manage.

Allow hamantaschen to cool a bit before moving to prevent cracking or breakage.

hamantaschen freeze wonderfully. For best success, freeze in layers with parchment in between and store in a Ziplock or large container for 1-2 months.

Happy baking and a very happy Purim!

tash into white chocolate).

Cook’s Note: Do ahead: Dough can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Filling can be made up to a week in advance.

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Giving Table by Naomi Ross, menucha Publishers.

Gluten-Free Hamantaschen

Adapted From Annalise Roberts’ Gluten-Free Baking Classics. This versatile sugar cookie dough can be used for hamantaschen, Chanukah cookies or any time.

Ingred I ents

* ¾ cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened

* 1 cup granulated sugar

* 1 large egg

* 1 TBs pure vanilla extract

* 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon xanthan gum

* ¼ teaspoon salt

* a ssorted jams, fillings, choc. chips, etc. for filling

dI rect I ons

Beat butter or margarine and sugar in large bowl of an electric mixer until light and creamy. add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. a dd remaining ingredients, beating until a smooth thick dough is formed, scraping down the sides if necessary.

Gather dough into a ball. Divide dough into two parts. Flatten each part into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place rack in the center of the oven. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Unwrap the dough and place in between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8-1/4” thickness. Remove top piece of parchment paper. Cookie-cut circles (or whatever desired shapes for sugar cookies), then place ½ teaspoon filling in the center. Fold sides to form a triangle. Pinch ends to crimp. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until light golden-brown color.

Naomi Ross is a cooking instructor and food writer based in Woodmere, NY. She teaches classes throughout the country and writes articles connecting good cooking and Jewish inspiration. Her first cookbook, The Giving Table, was released in December 2022. Follow her at @naomirosscooks on Instagram/FB/TikTok or visit her website www.naomirosscooks.com

In The K tchen

Naomi’s Challah Recipe

Pareve / Yields 6 medium challahs

By Naomi Nachman

With Purim being back-to-back with Shabbos, a lot of people will want to make challah for their mishloach manot. I am sharing my challah recipe from my cookbook, Perfect Flavors. It is easy to make the dough in a Magic Mill or Bosch mixer, but you can skip that and mix it by hand in a big bowl. You’ll never buy challah again after seeing how easy it is to make your own challah.

3. After the yeast has proofed, add oil/egg mixture to the bowl; stir to combine.

Ingredients

◦ 4 cups warm water

◦ 2 cups sugar

◦ 2 Tablespoons dry yeast

◦ 6 eggs

◦ ¾ cup canola oil

◦ 5 pound bag high gluten flour

◦ 1 Tablespoon salt

Topping

◦ 1 egg, lightly beaten

◦ Toppings, such as sesame or poppy seeds

Preparation

1. Proof the yeast: Into a large bowl, pour 4 cups very warm water (not hotter than 115°F); add sugar and yeast. Let it proof till it bubbles about 5 minutes and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, mix eggs and oil together in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. Stir half the flour into the mixture; mix well. Once it has started to combine, add salt and remaining flour. Knead until a dough ball forms. It shouldn’t be too sticky or crumbly.

5. Place dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover; let rise for 1½-2 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

7. Divide dough into 6 portions. Then divide each portion into 3 parts. Roll each part into a 12-inch rope; use 3 ropes to braid each challah.

8. Place challahs on prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops with beaten egg and choice of toppings, if using. Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Cook’s note: You can use different braiding techniques. After egg wash, you can add various toppings, including sesame seeds, poppy seeds, minced onion, zaatar, pumpkin seeds, and streusel crumbs.

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.

Notable Quotes

“Say What?!”

Elia said that Ori was not kidnapped in a normal way. The terrorists shot at their vehicle, Uri managed to jump out of the car and hide in some bushes. The Hamas terrorists asked, “Where is the driver? Where is the driver?” The terrorist who found Ori was punched by Ori, a punch which fractured the terrorist skull, causing the terrorist to lose his sight.

- Elhanan Danino, whose son Ori, HY”D, was killed in Gaza, talking with Israel Hayom about what he found out from released hostage Elia Cohen about his son’s ordeal

Elia said that the whole time in the tunnels, the Hamas terrorists were frantically searching for the person who blinded [the terrorist]. Later, when Ori told Elia about the punch he gave the terrorist, he was able to verify the fact that it was indeed Ori. The Hamas terrorists did not know it was him.

– ibid.

He did not give up on the trip to Gaza; he fought with them. He physically fought with the terrorists in the first three days after October 7 for them to take care of Hersh Goldberg Polin, z”l, who lost his hand during the kidnapping. Thanks to Ori’s struggle, they closed his wound that was bleeding all the time.

- ibid.

There’s no choice here. Israel must continue the complete annihilation of Hamas because Hamas has its goal as the total annihilation of Israel.

- U.S. Ambassador to Israel designate Mike Huckabee

I asked him, I said, “So who do you blame?” Because he was very angry, you know, he was a very angry guy, actually. And he said, “I blame Barack.” And he said, “And I also blame [former House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi.” I said, “What about the vice president?” He said, “No, I don’t blame her,” which was interesting. He didn’t blame [Harris]. He blamed … he told me he blamed those two people

- Pres. Trump in an interview with The Spectator, recalling a conversation with Joe Biden

I don’t see any reason for the State of Israel to take any position, especially when Zelenskyy bad-mouthed Israel, said Israel should stop fighting Hamas, said that he supports a twostate solution, basically taking pieces of land from Israel.

- MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionists) to Arutz Sheva

Ironic that the same people who stole your tax dollars for circumcisions in Mozambique, [alternative] initiatives in Lesotho, and migrant shelters in NYC, held up signs saying, “Musk steals.” Is this really the best they’ve got?!

Accusing the world’s richest man of stealing?

- Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, commenting on the Democrats’ antics at the State of the Union address

Not a single Democrat stood, not a single Democrat applauded, not one. Every time Biden or Obama walked in, I stood up and clapped, even when I opposed their policies. But last night, Democrats wouldn’t even stand for grieving families, cancer survivors, or a kid going to West Point.

- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pointing out the Democrats’ petulance

For the record, and this is disgusting, the President made a spectacle out of praising a young man who thus far survived pediatric cancer, as if the President had something to do with that.

- MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow’s take on a very moving moment during Pres. Trump’s address when he acknowledged a 13-year-old black boy in the audience who is battling cancer and made the boy— who loves law enforcement— an honorary Secret Service agent

Lindsey Graham is a very good guy… I can give him Ukrainian citizenship, then his voice will gain weight.

- President Zelenskyy responding to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who has always been a Zelenskyy supporter, saying that it’s time for Zelenskyy to resign

Unfortunately, until there is an election, no one has a voice in Ukraine.

- Sen. Graham in response

Actually, it was a pulse check review. Do you have a pulse? Do you have a pulse and two neurons? If you have a pulse and two neurons, you can reply to an email. This is, you know, I think not a high bar.

- Elon Musk at Trump’s cabinet meeting explaining the email that was sent to all federal employees requiring a response explaining what they have done over the past week at work

My father became depressed after the assassination of Fuad Shukar. And after the beeper operation, everyone who met him said he is no longer with us.

- Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s son, Jawad Nasrallah, in a recent interview talking about his father’s state of mind before Israel eliminated him

I know people talk about him as a genius, but to me, I think he’s probably one of the dumbest, luckiest people to exist on, on this earth.

– Somalian immigrant and squad member of Congress Ilhan Omar in a recent interview talking about…Elon Musk!

We were always—from day one—cognizant that age was going, that age was an issue. There are some things that are true, the gaslighting. There was a lot of denial of the polling. And I will use the term gaslight because that is what they were doing.

- Former Jill Biden’s press secretary, Michael LaRos, in a recent speech

The whole country will be posting videos on Purim with Batman masks. We’re all Bibas this year.

- The owner of a well-known costume shop in Tel Aviv announcing that in honor of the Bibas family’s love for Batman, all Batman costumes for Purim will be sold for 10 shekels and masks for 1 shekel (at a loss to the store’s owner)

Unfortunately, we have someone that is occupying the White House, and as far as I’m concerned, he is an enemy to the United States.

- Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)

Political Crossfire

Zelensky Must Mend The Breach With Trump — or Resign

By Marc A. Thiessen

On Thursday, President Donald Trump was publicly pledging to help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regain Russian-occupied territory at the peace table. “A lot of the sea line has been taken, and we’ll be talking about that,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “And we’re going to see if we can get it back or get a lot of it back for Ukraine.”

A day later, Zelensky was engaged in an unprecedented war of words with Trump in the Oval Office – after which the planned signing of a historic minerals deal between the two countries was shelved.

The blowup was Zelensky’s fault. To understand why, one needs to watch the entire 50-minute meeting unfold. Trump greeted Zelensky graciously, praising the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people, and dismissed their earlier rift as “a little negotiations spat.”

Even after Zelensky refused a White House request to wear a suit, Trump praised his outfit, saying, “I think he’s dressed beautifully.” Trump extolled the minerals deal they had reached and said,

“We look forward to getting in and digging, digging, digging.” He publicly pledged to continue military aid to Ukraine and even held out the possibility that he “could conceivably” commit U.S. troops alongside British and French troops to provide security after a peace deal was reached.

This should have been music to Zelensky’s ears. He should have taken the win. Instead, about 24 minutes in – long before his terse exchange with Vice President JD Vance – Zelensky started criticizing Trump in front of the assembled reporters.

He summarily dismissed Trump’s idea of an immediate ceasefire – something that is extremely important to Trump, who is committed to stopping the killing – because he said Putin had already broken ceasefires 25 times.

“He never broke to me,” Trump said. “No, no, you were the president,” Zelensky contradicted him. “He never broke to me,” Trump repeated. Instead of letting it pass, Zelensky contradicted him again: “In 2016, you’ve been the president, Mr. President,” he said, adding, “That’s why we will never accept just a ceasefire. It will not work without security guarantees.”

Why on earth did Zelensky choose to fact-check Trump in front of the entire world rather than debate the wisdom of a ceasefire behind closed doors?

A few moments later, after Trump bemoaned the destruction of Ukrainian cities, Zelensky interrupted him again. “No, no, no, you have to come, Mr. President, you have to come and to look. No, no, no, we have very good cities.” He then suggested that Trump was falling for Putin’s propaganda, declaring, “It’s Putin that is sharing this information that he destroyed us.” But Trump was right: Many Ukrainian cities have been destroyed.

Zelensky’s intervention was reckless and unnecessary. He was in Washington to heal a breach that began with his public suggestion that Trump was living in a Russian “disinformation space” – a suggestion that prompted Trump to lash out and call Zelensky a “dictator without elections.” Why would he do it again? You could see Trump’s demeanor stiffening with every public contradiction from Zelensky.

Then a Polish journalist asked Trump whether he had aligned himself too much with Putin. “You want me to say really ter-

rible things about Putin and then say, ‘Hi, Vladimir, how are we doing on the deal?’ That doesn’t work that way.” That was when Vance jumped in. “For four years in the United States of America, we had a president who stood up at news conferences and talked tough about Vladimir Putin and then Putin invaded Ukraine and destroyed a significant chunk of the country,” Vance said. “The path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy.”

There was no reason for Zelensky to comment on Vance’s anodyne intervention about the virtues of diplomacy. But he inserted himself into the discussion and chastised Vance, pointing out that “during 2014 till 2022 … people have been dying on the contact line. Nobody stopped him” – effectively accusing Trump of standing by while Ukrainians were killed. He then underlined that Putin had broken a ceasefire he signed in 2019 while Trump was in office. “What kind of diplomacy, JD, you are speaking about?” Zelensky said, first-naming the vice president.

That was all the opening Vance, a Ukraine critic, needed. “I’m talking about

the kind of diplomacy that’s going to end the destruction of your country,” Vance replied tersely, adding, “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office and try to litigate this in front of the American media.”

After that, all [heck] broke loose.

Zelensky should not have litigated any disagreements with Trump in front of the media. As retired Gen. Jack Keane noted on Fox News, “He should have understood going into the Oval Office today that when the cameras are on … the only answer to the questions should be, from Zelensky’s point, ‘Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, America. I’m going to work with you to achieve a peaceful end to this war.’ Period.” Keane is right. This should have been a backslapping, feel-good meeting celebrating the minerals deal. Instead, Zelensky hijacked the meeting, jumping in when he was not asked a question, looking for opportunities to interrupt and make his points. If he had kept quiet, the minerals deal would be signed, the United States would be financially invested in Ukraine’s independence, and he would be strategizing with Trump on how to get his territory back during negotiations. Instead, he has alienated the man on whom the fate of his country depends, a man who had just

moments earlier been talking about the possibility of sending U.S. peacekeepers to Ukraine.

Even worse was Zelensky’s stubborn refusal to apologize and to fix the breach. During a Fox News interview that evening (which Trump was almost certainly watching), Bret Baier gave Zelensky repeated opportunities to do so. Instead, the Ukrainian

is ready for Peace.” Zelensky should have seized that opening and sent Trump a handwritten note expressing his sorrow that the meeting had gone off the rails, regretting the role he played in its demise, and declaring his intention to work with Trump for peace. Instead, he refused the off-ramp Trump offered him, got on his plane, and left.

It was like watching a drowning man who keeps getting thrown a life preserver but refuses to grab it.

president doubled down. “No,” Zelensky replied when asked whether he owed Trump an apology. “I think that we have to be very open and very honest, and I’m not sure that we did something bad.” It was like watching a drowning man who keeps getting thrown a life preserver but refuses to grab it.

Zelensky should have stayed in Washington until the rift was mended. Trump gave him a way out. In a Truth Social post, he said Zelensky “can come back when he

His stubbornness was an asset in February 2022, when he refused to flee Kyiv in the face of advancing Russian forces. But today, it is a liability. Zelensky snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. There was no “ambush.” He was set up for success. All he had to do was smile, thank Trump and the American people, and sign the minerals deal. Instead, he handed Putin a victory, empowered anti-Ukraine Republicans, and weakened the hand of those who

want to help Ukraine achieve a just and lasting peace.

The most generous explanation of Zelensky’s conduct is that he is exhausted. He has been heroically leading a nation under brutal assault for three years. He regularly visits the front lines, where he sees the carnage Putin has unleashed firsthand. His emotions are running high, and his patience is thin.

But Zelensky does not have the luxury of getting emotional on the world stage. Europe does not have the military capabilities Ukraine needs to survive. Ukraine cannot have a president who is not on speaking terms with the president of the United States.

Right now, Zelensky seems incapable of managing his country’s relations with Trump. Trump can be magnanimous and has made the path to reconciliation clear: If Zelensky apologizes, Trump will invite him back the White House to sign the minerals pact and all will be forgiven. Right now, Zelensky is refusing, insisting he did nothing wrong. That is not sustainable. Either Zelensky needs to apologize and mend the breach, or he needs to step down and allow someone else to do it.

© 2024, Washington Post Writers Group

The Trump-Zelenskyy Spat Isn’t a Warning To Israel Israel Today

It was, as President Donald Trump said, “good television.” But the dustup at the White House last week between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a disaster for Ukraine. The quarrel, which was based on Zelenskyy’s clearly stated opposition to Trump’s peace initiative with Russia on any terms but those that treated the war as a straightforward act of aggression by Moscow that had to be punished rather than settled by compromise, had serious consequences.

Three days after the joint press conference , which had started amiably but at about halfway through the tense 50-minute event turned angry, the administration let it be known it was suspending military aid to Kyiv. The understanding was that the halt on shipments would remain in place until Zelenskyy backed down and gave Trump what he thought he had when he agreed to host the Ukrainian: his commitment to peace negotiations.

Given Ukraine’s dependence on the steady flow of U.S. arms and ammunition to maintain what has become a World War I-style stalemate with Russia, this is a devastating development for Zelenskyy’s government. The Ukrainian not only failed to make it up to Trump in the days after the spat but doubled down on his insistence that he had been in the right. He basked in the adulation that his defiance of Washington had gained him among Democrats and Europeans who, among other things, feted him with a private though much-publicized meeting with King Charles III of Great Britain.

But if his country is going to survive in the long run, Zelenskyy, who has spent the last three years being treated as not so much an international superstar but the second coming of Winston Churchill, will eventually have to eat crow and bow to Trump’s demands.

By Jonathan S. Tobin

While the debate over blame for this turn of events is just getting started in the United States, the question now in some minds is not so much about Ukraine’s future but what this could mean for other countries dependent on U.S. support, like Israel.

The answer coming from some supporters of the Jewish state is that it was a warning to Jerusalem. The argument is that if Trump and Vance can, as the corporate liberal media has described it, mistreat a heroic independent leader like Zelenskyy, the same can happen to an Israeli prime minister. Just as important, they claim that Trump’s willingness to broker a compromise peace between Russia and Ukraine is an indication that he might betray Israel.

Reason to Distrust Trump?

The allegation is that Trump’s determination to end the war with a deal that will not punish Russian President Vladimir Putin and force it to surrender any territory it took from Ukraine is not just appeasement of Moscow but giving it a victory. And if he would “reward” Putin,

he could do the same with respect to Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and other Islamist terrorist foes that seek Israel’s destruction and the genocide of its people.

As hypotheticals go, this one is breathtaking in its scope and the way it contradicts Trump’s record as president. But it makes sense not merely to the considerable portion of the American public that hates Trump and is willing to view him as another Adolf Hitler. It also fits into the worldview of many otherwise sober observers who truly believe that Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is linked to the war that the red/green alliance of leftists and Islamists are waging on the Jewish state.

They think if Ukraine is not supported in its quest for “victory” over Russia, then Israel, too, will eventually be abandoned by the West.

But they’re wrong about that—and not just because the accepted mainstream media narrative about the White House smackdown in which Trump and Vance are the villains, and Zelenskyy their innocent though heroic victim, is deeply misleading. They’re wrong because the two conflicts are

not connected or in any way analogous other than Ukraine and Israel being two countries at war and needing American support.

They’re also wrong because the underlying allegation about Trump working on behalf of Putin rather than, as he has stated, a belief that ending this war is in the best interests of the United States and the world is rooted in a discredited partisan conspiracy theory.

But most of all they’re wrong because Israel has already been subjected to similar treatment by past presidents, none of whom were named Donald Trump or matched his clear commitment to the security and rights of the Jewish state.

Rough Treatment

Trump and Vance began to treat Zelenskyy roughly as soon as he began using the presser to debate policy positions. Zelenskyy is used to being shown extraordinary deference, as he was by the Biden administration. He is not used to sitting quietly and listening to other positions on the war different from his tough stance without attacking them. In this case, he couldn’t help himself and began to lecture Trump and Vance. They were not only unwilling to put up with that but prepared to tell Zelenskyy that he was wrong and, more to the point, that he “didn’t have the cards” in this negotiation to tell off his sole superpower ally. It’s possible that this was, at least in part, due to the way that Democrats egged him on to challenge Trump.

Zelenskyy had demonstrated his partisan preferences during the 2024 election by appearing with Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro at a munitions plant in what appeared to all intents and purposes to be a campaign appearance for former Vice President Kamala Harris’s effort to defeat Trump. Though Zelenskyy and his defenders contended that it was a nonpartisan appearance, Republicans didn’t view it that way at the time or since. It had also

come only days after Zelenskyy had denounced Vance as “too radical” to be vice president in an interview published in The New Yorker. In the past, Democrats have accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of taking sides against them, but he never did anything remotely like Zelenskyy’s brazen actions.

He also met with a group of congressional Democrats only hours before his meeting last week with Trump and Vance. Afterward, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) posted on X that they were in agreement with the Ukrainian leader in opposing Trump’s position on the talks with Moscow—something that Republicans view as an indication that Zelenskyy seems more interested in playing to those who already support him in the anti-Trump “resistance” rather than on working with the administration.

Still, had he kept quiet, he would have gotten what he came to Washington to achieve. That included the signing of a minerals exploitation deal with the United States that would have given Kyiv much-needed income and also established economic ties between the two countries that might be just as, if not more valuable than talk about security guarantees. Prior to the blow-up, Trump had also repeatedly indicated that the flow of arms to Ukraine would continue.

It was enough to convince some on the right who are gung-ho supporters of Ukraine, like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen , that Zelenskyy had committed diplomatic malpractice and needed to apologize or be replaced. For Ukraine to have lost them is an indication of just how much of a blunder Zelenskyy had committed.

Don’t

Link

the Two Conflicts

Still, the notion that this is an object lesson for Israel is, at best, an exaggeration, and, at worst, a distortion of the truth.

The comparison between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Hamas-led Palestinian terror assaults on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, is superficially correct. Both were criminal invasions. But unlike Ukraine, Israel is not locked in a war with a sovereign nuclear power that once owned all of its territory. The Russian quest to return Ukraine to its former status as a vassal state of Moscow is deeply wrong since it seeks to deny its people the right to self-determination. But the long-running dispute between the two countries is nothing remotely like the antisemitic campaign to eradicate the Jewish state and, as Hamas and its allies intend, commit the genocide

of its people.

Even if you sympathize with the Ukrainians, as many Americans do, the two conflicts are not linked—except, that is, in the imaginations of those who have sought to merge the two causes to gain more support for the massive aid allocations of hundreds of billions of dollars to Ukraine by tying

Under Biden, Netanyahu was—unlike Zelenskyy’s war effort—second-guessed with respect to Israel’s fight against Hamas. The previous administration threatened aid cutoffs if the terrorists were pursued too vigorously or into their strongholds like the ones in Rafah. On top of that, Biden slow-walked arms deliveries just as

The long-running dispute between the two countries is nothing remotely like the antisemitic campaign to eradicate the Jewish state and, as Hamas and its allies intend, commit the genocide of its people.

them, as Biden did, to the more popular but far smaller aid package to Israel.

As far as Israel needing to kowtow to Trump, that’s true; however, it’s also nothing new for leaders of the Jewish state.

Washington’s Threats to Israel

Netanyahu understands that he needs to keep on Trump’s good side. That was equally true for the other presidents he has had to deal with, such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

American presidents have used threats of aid cutoffs or cuts before Trump got into office. It occurred in 1976 when President Gerald Ford was trying to muscle Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to conform to American dictates. Even as strong a supporter of Israel as President Ronald Reagan suspended talks over a strategic alliance and arms sales because of Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights (a stand that was eventually vindicated by Trump’s recognition of the annexation).

In just the last decade, Obama didn’t hesitate to pursue policies Israel regarded as undermining its security, if not its existence, such as his appeasement of Iran and the 2015 nuclear deal Washington made with the rogue nation. In addition to that was Obama’s demand that any peace with the Palestinians had to be based on Israeli withdrawal from the 1967 ceasefire lines. That was something that Netanyahu rejected to his face in a similarly tense White House meeting, which met with just as much if not more anger from Democrats, who insisted that the prime minister had insulted Obam then and later when he addressed Congress and urged it to reject the agreement with Tehran.

vital to Israel as Ukraine’s were to them.

Netanyahu has learned how to bite his tongue and refrain from criticizing American presidents even when warranted. He also knows that there are moments when he must speak up for the sake of his country. When he has done that, it is in the knowledge that his position is supported by most Americans. That is not the case for Zelenskyy.

What Israel Fears

Israel needs no lessons in how to deal with a White House that is hostile or willing to blackmail Jerusalem to get its way.

But it is the height of chutzpah for Trump’s detractors to say that he might do the same to Israel since he has reversed every one of his predecessors’ anti-Israel policies—from arms deliveries to moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Israel may fear a return to a period when America might use its leverage to harm its interests. It is not something they expect from Trump but from a future Democratic president who will be leading a party that is increasingly hostile to Israel and Zionism. If that happens, it won’t be because Trump has set a precedent.

It’s true that most Democrats view the Ukrainian cause as a righteous one because they identify it with the impeachment of Trump and opposition to his foreign-policy goals. And a dwindling (as Graham’s stand shows) number of Republican congressmembers back Ukraine because they exaggerate the threat to Europe and the world from a Russia that is a shadow of the power it was before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Moreover, a recent poll showed that more Americans back Trump’s position on

Ukraine than those who oppose it.

The war is now not so much about Ukrainian independence but ownership of the Crimea and the Donbas. And it’s far from clear that most Americans think that issue reflects a vital U.S. interest, let alone one that should require them to send more aid to Ukraine in the last three years than Israel has received in decades.

American Interests

Less than two months since his inauguration, there is no way of knowing whether Trump’s second term will ultimately be thought of as a success. But if it fails, it won’t be because Trump was insufficiently worshipful in its attitude toward Zelenskyy or because he refused to continue sending record amounts of aid to Ukraine.

Trump’s desire to end the war in Ukraine rests on the American strategic interest in ending an unwinnable war as well as in trying to detach the Russians from the West’s true geostrategic rival in the 21st century: China. He also realizes, as some in both parties do not, that Russia is a shadow of its former self. There is an obvious need to avoid nuclear confrontations with Moscow about which Zelenskyy seems to have no fears. But that aside—and contrary to the Ukrainian’s attempt to lecture Trump and Vance—Putin’s bankrupt regime is not the same threat to the West or the United States as it once was.

The administration may be taking a transactional approach to the Russia-Ukraine war. That’s because it not unreasonably regards it as having little to do with American interests or values since both Trump and Vance are aware that Ukraine is not the Jeffersonian democracy that its supporters make it ought to be. If they view Israel differently, it is because they understand that Israel truly does share American values and its existence in the Middle East is a strategic asset in the Middle East rather than a problem that needs to be solved.

One can believe in Ukraine’s right to independence and even wish it well without succumbing to some of the myths about Zelenskyy’s historic importance or that his country’s war to return to its 2014 borders has much to do with America’s national security. Most of all, Ukraine’s supporters need to leave Israel out of this argument between Trump and Zelenskyy. The Jewish state has enough enemies in the world right now, but it can at least take comfort that the United States is firmly on its side.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS (Jewish News Syndicate).

Political Crossfire

Huckabee Should Harmonize U.S. Jews

By Martin Oliner

As horrible as Simchas Torah was in 2023, Yom Kippur that year was also a tragedy.

That was the day Jews physically fought other Jews in Tel Aviv over how to organize a public prayer service in Tel Aviv.

The lesson of both Yom Kippur and Simchas Torah was that Jews must unite, because internal rifts are dangerous.

Unfortunately, that important lesson was not learned by Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, whose organization instigated that ill-fated Yom Kippur fight. Pesner sent a letter last week to all 100 senators criticizing President Donald Trump’s appointment of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as America’s next ambassador to Israel.

In full disclosure, I will say that I have known Mike Huckabee for many years and consider him a friend. In fact, I consider him to be a friend of the Jewish people as a whole and the Jewish State. He is an “oheiv Israel,” a man who loves the land, people and State of Israel. Any organization that supports Israel, as Pesner’s claims to do, should overwhelmingly welcome the appointment.

Instead, Pesner bashes Huckabee, suggesting that his values and interests do not align with the best interests of Israel, the United States and the Jewish people.

“The essential goal of any ambassador is advancing U.S. interests and values abroad,” Pesner wrote. “Gov. Huckabee’s record raises serious questions about his commitment to these values and interests that have persisted across Republican and Democratic administrations alike.”

Pesner singled out Huckabee’s support for Israel annexing Judea and Samaria and opposing calling Israel’s control over the Biblical heartland of the Jewish people “annexation.”

It is time for Pesner to wake up and realize that it is no longer October 6, 2023.

Plenty of polls show that both Israelis and American Jews have understandably moved rightward after Israel faced its worst ever massacre.

The invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists and ordinary Gazans who came to murder, rape, and kidnap did not whet

But he actually represents a dwindling movement that is selling synagogues left and right. Orthodox Judaism is the only stream that is growing.

Pesner’s movement never criticized former President Joe Biden, even when his administration blocked key weapons

It is time for Pesner to wake up and realize that it is no longer October 6, 2023.

the appetite of Israelis to give their enemies a sovereign state to use as a launching pad to infiltrate again.

The monthly polls of the Israel Democracy Institute indicate that there has not a been a majority for a Palestinian State among Israelis for many years.

Huckabee’s values match mine and are more mainstream than ever, while Pesner represents a small minority fringe.

Pesner claims wrongly to represent 1.8 million American Jews, as if all secular Americans would choose his movement’s synagogues if they would ever go to one.

shipments to Israel at a sensitive time in which the Jewish state was fighting its enemies on seven fronts.

How disconnected from reality can Pesner be to write every senator a letter rejecting the president’s candidate for ambassador because he does not advocate for the advancement of “Palestinian national aspirations”? Does Pesner not realize that those aspirations include eliminating the world’s only Jewish state and creating a 58th Muslim country?

Pesner wrote that Huckabee’s support for sovereignty for Israel in Judea and

Samaria did not “advance the causes of peace and regional security.” Why does the control over the land by the murderous Fatah or Hamas advance peace or security?

Is it not obvious that if Israel controlled the land under the watch of the IDF, it would be more peaceful and secure?

Pesner then had the chutzpah to blast Huckabee’s Evangelical Christian faith. Evangelical Christians like Huckabee have been the cornerstone of support for Israel, when Reform Jews abandoned Israel for the latest trendy liberal humanist cause.

Pesner’s letter was also unwise for Reform Jews, because it instigated a fight that could not be won.

Huckabee’s appointment will be passed easily in the Republican-controlled Senate where a majority have views on Israel closer to Huckabee’s than Pesner’s. The letter’s only accomplishment was to send a message to the world that Jews are hopelessly divided.

The good news on that is that Pesner is wrong on that, too.

Especially since October 7, 2023, American Jews have united behind Israel as the Jewish state faces countless harrowing challenges.

They will not fight anymore on Simchas Torah or on Yom Kippur. And soonto-be Ambassador Huckabee will attend those holiday celebrations in Israel and represent America and its values well with pride.

The writer is the chairman of Religious Zionists of America, president of the Culture for Peace Institute, and a committee member of the Jewish Agency. He currently serves as a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, appointed by President Donald Trump. He is the former mayor of the Village of Lawrence. The views expressed here are his own.

Political Crossfire

The New War in Ukraine A Thousand Snipers in the Sky

By Marc Santora, Lara Jakes, Andrew E. Kramer, Marco Hernandez and Liubov Sholudko

When a mortar round exploded on top of their American-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, the Ukrainian soldiers inside were shaken but not terribly worried, having been hardened by artillery shelling over three years of war.

But then the small drones started to swarm.

They targeted the weakest points of the armored Bradley with a deadly precision that mortar fire doesn’t possess. One of the explosive drones struck the hatch right above where the commander was sitting.

“It tore my arm off,” recounted Jr. Sgt. Taras, the 31-year-old commander who, like others, used his first name in accordance with Ukrainian military protocols.

Scrambling for a tourniquet, Taras saw that the team’s driver had also been hit, his eye blasted from its socket.

The two soldiers survived. But the attack showed how an ever-evolving constellation of drones — largely off-the-shelf technologies that are being turned into killing machines at breakneck speed — made the third year of war in Ukraine deadlier than the first two years combined, according to Western estimates.

Drones, not the big, heavy artillery that the war was once known for, inflict about 70% of all Russian and Ukrainian casualties, said Roman Kostenko, chair of the defense and intelligence committee in Ukraine’s parliament. In some battles, they cause even more — up to 80% of deaths and injuries, commanders say.

When President Vladimir Putin of Russia sent troops storming into Ukraine three years ago, setting off the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II, the West rushed billions of dollars in conventional weapons into Ukraine, hoping to keep Russia at bay.

The insatiable battlefield demands nearly emptied NATO nations’ stockpiles.

The war has killed and wounded more than 1 million soldiers in all, according to Ukrainian and Western estimates. But drones now kill more soldiers and destroy

more armored vehicles in Ukraine than all traditional weapons of war combined, including sniper rifles, tanks, howitzers and mortars, Ukrainian commanders and officials say.

Until recently, the clanging, metallic explosions from incoming artillery, ringing out around the clock, epitomized the war. Ukrainian soldiers raced at high speed in armored personnel carriers or pickup trucks, screeching to a stop and spilling out to run for cover in bunkers.

The artillery gave soldiers a sense of impersonal danger — the dread that you could die any moment from the bad luck of a direct hit.

The conflict now bears little resemblance to the war’s early battles, when Russian columns lumbered into towns and small bands of Ukrainian infantry moved quickly, using hit-and-run tactics to slow the larger enemy.

The trenches that cut scars across hundreds of miles of the front are still essential for defense, but today most soldiers die or lose limbs to remote-controlled aircraft rigged with explosives, many of them lightly modified hobby models. Drone pilots, in the safety of bunkers or hidden positions in tree lines, attack with joysticks and video screens, often miles from the fighting.

Speeding cars or trucks no longer provide protection from faster-flying drones.

Soldiers hike for miles, ducking into cover, through drone-infested territory too dangerous for jeeps, armored personnel carriers or tanks. Soldiers say it has become strangely personal, as buzzing robots hunt specific cars or even individual soldiers.

It is, they say, a feeling of a thousand snipers in the sky.

“You can hide from artillery,” said Bohdan, a deputy commander with the National Police Brigade. But drones, he said, “are a different kind of nightmare.”

The war’s evolution could have major geopolitical implications.

As the precarious relations between Ukraine and the Trump administration threaten future military aid, the kind of conventional weaponry that Americans have spent billions of dollars providing Ukraine is declining in importance.

Of the 31 highly sophisticated Abrams tanks that the United States provided Ukraine in 2023, 19 have been destroyed, disabled or captured, with many incapacitated by drones, senior Ukrainian officials said. Nearly all the others have been taken off the front lines, they added.

Drones, by contrast, are much cheaper and easier to build. Last year, they helped

make up for the dwindling supplies of Western-made artillery and missiles sent to Ukraine. The sheer scale of their wartime production is staggering.

Ukrainian officials said they had made more than 1 million first-person-view, or FPV, drones in 2024. Russia claims it can churn out 4,000 every day. Both countries say they are still scaling up production, with each aiming to make 3 million to 4 million drones in 2025.

They’re being deployed far more often, too. With each year of the war, Ukraine’s military has reported huge increases in drone attacks by Russian forces.

Ukraine has followed suit, firing more drones last year than the most common type of large-caliber artillery shells. The commander of Ukraine’s drone force, Col. Vadym Sukharevsky, says Ukraine is now pursuing a “robots first” military strategy. However effective they may be, the drones fall far short of meeting all of Ukraine’s war needs and cannot simply replace the demand for conventional weapons, commanders warn. Heavy artillery and other long-range weapons remain essential for many reasons, they say, including protecting troops and targeting command-and-control outposts or air-defense systems.

But the emerging dominance of drones could change the nature of warfare itself, leaders note.

The battlefield tactics shaping Ukraine are sure to be emulated by Western allies and adversaries alike, including Iran, North Korea and China.

“The war is a mix of World War I and World War III — what could be a future war,” said NATO’s supreme allied commander for transformation, Adm. Pierre Vandier of France.

NATO just opened a joint training center with Ukrainian soldiers to develop new warfighting strategies with artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and other machine-learning systems.

Vandier said it was vital not just for the current war, but also to understand how

the changes playing out across Ukraine can prepare NATO for future conflicts.

“A war is a learning process, and so NATO needs to learn from the war,” he added.

The pace of advances has astonished even close observers of the war, forcing many to rethink the viability of weapons that cost millions of dollars on a battlefield where they can be destroyed by a drone that costs a few hundred dollars.

Drones armed with shotguns are now shooting down other drones. Anti-aircraft drones are being designed to take out surveillance drones flying higher in the sky. Larger drones are being developed to serve as motherships for swarms of small drones, increasing the distance they can fly and kill.

The proliferation of drones, many equipped with powerful cameras, has also provided a closer glimpse of the fighting in front-line areas often inaccessible to journalists. The New York Times analyzed dozens of video clips posted online by military units on both sides of the war. While these videos are sometimes used for promotional purposes, they also help illustrate how new battlefield technologies are reshaping the war.

Drones, of course, were deployed in the earliest days of the invasion as well. When Russian armored columns streamed into Ukraine at the start of the war, some civilians — calling themselves “the Space Invaders” — organized through an informal chat group to help defend the country. They quickly modified their own drones to drop hand grenades and other munitions on the advancing enemy soldiers.

Those ad hoc weapons have become so common that one of those early defenders, Serhiy, said he was later attacked by the same kind of bomber drone he had developed.

“I was wounded by the same technology I worked with,” said Serhiy, using his first name for fear of retribution from Russia. The Ukrainians make use of a wide range of explosives to arm drones. They drop grenades, mortar rounds or mines on enemy positions. They repurpose anti-tank weapons and cluster munitions to fit onto drones, or they use anti-personnel fragmentation warheads and others with thermobaric charges to destroy buildings and bunkers.

Capt. Viacheslav, commander of Ukraine’s 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade’s strike drone company, scrolled through his phone to show some of the 50 types of munitions the Ukrainians use.

“This is called ‘White Heat,’” with over 10 kilograms of explosives, he said. “It

burns through everything.”

“This one is called ‘Dementor,’ like in Harry Potter,” he added. “It’s black, and it’s a 120-millimeter mortar. We just repurpose it. This one’s called ‘Bead.’ This is ‘Kardonitik.’ The guys really like it.”

The proliferation of drones inevitably gave rise to widespread electronic warfare — tools to jam the radio signals that most drones need to fly.

Tens of thousands of jammers have been littered across Ukraine’s front lines to disable drones, cluttering the electromagnetic spectrum that also enables GPS, military communications, navigation, radar and surveillance.

The jammers have made it much harder for even skilled Ukrainian pilots to hit their targets, Ukrainian soldiers and commanders said.

That has fueled innovative ways of overcoming jamming.

Ukrainian engineers have built drones and robots with “frequency hoppers,” automatically switching from one radio signal to another to evade jammers.

Surveillance drones that guide themselves with AI — instead of being remotely operated by radio — are starting to take flight, too. Last fall, a drone being tested by the American company Shield AI found two Russian Buk SA-11 surface-to-air missile launchers, and sent their location to Ukrainian forces to strike.

Ukraine and Russia have also reached back to older technologies to thwart jammers, including tethering drones to thin fiber-optic cables that can stretch for more than 10 miles.

With its long tail, the drone remains connected to a controller, so it doesn’t need to use radio signals, rendering it immune to jamming.

Russia has been quicker to churn out these fiber-optic workarounds on a mass scale, partnering with Chinese factories to make the spools of cable for the “fly-bywire” drones, Ukrainian officials say.

In recent videos from the front lines, fiber-optic cables crisscross fields, glinting in the sun. The production of this new weapon follows a pattern in the war: Ukraine has a broader variety of new designs, but Russia has a numerical advantage, able to make them more quickly.

Other adaptations to the swirl of drones are surprisingly low-tech. Soldiers cover tanks in anti-drone netting or makeshift structures of metal sheets, with rubber and logs nestled between to protect them.

Ground drones have also been thrust onto Ukraine’s battlefields at a time when they are still being tested by many modern militaries.

The so-called battle bots sometimes look like remote-controlled toy cars with puffy tires or small tanks on tracks, scattering land mines, carrying ammunition or helping to evacuate the wounded. They have been packed with explosives to slam into enemy positions and outfitted with machine guns and other weapons.

In December, the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine carried out what the Ukrainian military said was the first fully robotic combined arms assault in combat.

Russian forces tried to destroy the remote-controlled vehicles with mortars and by dropping explosives from their own drones, said Lt. Volodymyr Dehtyaryov, a brigade spokesperson. Soldiers were kept at a distance, operating from a bunker behind the Ukrainian front line.

“Drones show that the one who is quicker to adapt,” he said, “wins the war.”

Air defenses remain one of Ukraine’s most urgent needs, so much so that the F-16 jets that NATO countries have donated mostly fly air patrol and other defensive missions, rather than attacking. But AI is about to enter the picture, commanders hope — particularly to counter Russian bombs.

Russia has outfitted its Soviet-era bombs with pop-out wings and satellite navigation, turning them into guided munitions called glide bombs. More than 51,000 of them have been dropped on Ukrainian cities, towns and positions near the front, the Ukrainian military says. It has tried to intercept them, including by shooting them down with costly missiles. But it does not always succeed.

So NATO is trying to use AI and other machine learning to find patterns in glide bomb attacks, hoping to intercept or jam them more precisely, NATO officials said.

Ukrainian officials say they have also made strides in drone-on-drone warfare to bolster traditional air defenses.

Small quadcopter drones can now spring off the ground and crash into longrange Russian drones. Ukraine also recently claimed to have developed a laser weapon that can hit low-flying aircraft, including the Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia has used since the war’s early days.

Long-range weapons are also a priority. Russia has launched more than 10,000 missile strikes across Ukraine and is continually replenishing its missile arsenal. Ukraine, by comparison, has depended on a limited number of Western-made weapons to hit targets far inside Russia, and some of them are so old that officials in Kyiv doubt their effectiveness.

As an alternative, Ukraine has devel-

oped long-range drones to attack Russia at distances that would have been unthinkable when the war started. Some have struck more than 700 miles beyond the front, and it is not uncommon for more than 100 long-range attack drones to fly into Russia and Ukraine on any given night.

At sea, the battle is no less surprising, especially given that Ukraine started the war with almost no navy.

For months, Russian warships, visible from shore, menaced the coast of Odesa, one of Ukraine’s biggest cities. Even after the Ukrainians sank the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, using domestically produced Neptune anti-ship missiles, the Kremlin effectively blockaded Ukrainian ports.

Three years later, Russian ships rarely enter the northwestern Black Sea, while its navy has pulled most of its valuable assets from ports in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, fearing Ukrainian attack.

Crude Ukrainian robotic vessels packed with explosives sail hundreds of miles across choppy waters to target enemy ships. Russia’s fleet in the Crimean port of Sevastopol now has layers of buoys and barriers to protect itself against naval drones.

Ukraine often sends its drones to hunt in “wolf packs,” hoping the lead drone can blast a path for those that follow.

The commander of Ukraine’s naval forces, Vice Adm. Oleksiy Neizhpapa, said that while traditional naval weapons and warships remained necessary, drones have “ushered in a new era in maritime operations.”

“This is not just a tactical tool but a strategic shift in the approach to naval warfare,” Neizhpapa said in a statement, crediting the drones with “altering the balance of power in the Black Sea.” American military leaders have noted the Ukrainian approach to see if there are lessons should China make a move to attack Taiwan.

Taken together, what has unfolded in the war’s first three years has made some Western leaders question long-standing military assumptions.

“I think we’re moving to technological warfare,” President Alexander Stubb of Finland said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January. “Not only the Ukrainians are a step ahead of us, which I think is great, but the Russians are adapting to a new situation as well.”

“So we really need to think about collective defense comprehensively,” he said. “The advancements are so quick that all of us need to be alert to that.”

(© The New York Times)

Forgotten Her es Operation Many Ways

By Avi Heiligman

Amidst all of the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon in 2024, an Israeli commando operation took place deep into Syrian territory that caught Iran completely off-guard. Most of the fighting in Syria involving Israel was either with airstrikes or confined to the Golan Heights and southern regions of the country. This raid took place in northwestern Syria before the collapse of the Assad regime in December. Israeli intelligence had been tracking the construction of an Iranian underground missile production complex that, once active, would be a major threat to Israeli cities. If taken out, this would be a major blow to Iranian influence in the region, but it would take much more than an airstrike to ensure its destruction.

The target was a complex that was more than 70 meters underground in a mountain near the city of Masyaf. Construction began there in 2017, and it took four years to complete the excavation work. In August 2024, the terrorists began experimental production (the facility wasn’t fully active at the time of the raid). Once fully operational, it was slated to produce 100-300 ballistic missiles per year with surface-to-sur -

face capabilities. It had advanced production lines, and the precision missiles would be a direct threat to Israeli cities.

Code-named Deep Layer by Israeli intelligence, Unit 8200 had mapped out its layout by hacking into the Syria’s computer system. There were three entrances into the horseshoe-shaped facility including one for bringing in raw materials, another so that completed

Therefore, while preparing for the raid, the IDF trained their pilots to fly low to the ground on carefully chosen routes to avoid the batteries and radar. Shaldag, also known as Unit 5101 or Kingfisher Unit, and the IAF’s equivalent to the British SAS (Special Air Service) would be the unit performing the raid as they worked and trained very closely with the pilots in the past. Part of their

Over 650 lbs. of explosives were placed and set to explode by a remote detonator.

missiles could leave, and a third for logistics and personnel.

Maysaf had been the target of dozens of Israeli Air Force (IAF) raids in 2024. Since it was underground, it was decided to send a Special Forces team to destroy Deep Layer. The Israelis would be up against some of Assad’s best defenses, as Maysaf would be teeming with weapons such as the Russian-made SA-22 anti-aircraft battery.

unique training for this mission was to learn how to use forklifts as they would be useful during the operation.

Operation Many Ways took place on the night of September 8, 2024. About 100 Shaldag fighters and 20 medics with the Unit 669 boarded CH-53 “Yasur” helicopters bound for Syria. The weather conditions were ideal, and they flew above water for most of the journey. Also on this mission were two attack helicop -

ters, 21 fighter jets, drones, spy planes, ships near the coast, and dozens more aircraft on standby. Airstrikes took place simultaneously to divert attention away from Maysaf. Other aircraft struck facilities near the target as a way to convince the Syrians that it was a regular airstrike and not an operation that involved troops coming in from helicopters. Additionally, roads and infrastructure were hit to prevent Syrian ground forces from reaching the site.

The helicopters dropped off the Shaldag commandos and then flew to another site while the operation was taking place. One group of commandos secured the area while a second group killed two guards by the entrance. There were fewer guards at night, and their biggest obstacle was the secure door at the entrance. It took close to an hour to breach the door and gain access to the facility. The Shaldag forklift operators then used their recently attained skills to breach the other entrances.

Once the commandos were inside, they quickly moved to place explosives at strategic locations and used an ATV to move about in the facility. Over 650 lbs. of explosives were placed and set to

explode by a remote detonator. Before evacuating, the commandos gathered a lot of documents that would be very useful for the intelligence units. All of the commandos then exited the facility and were picked up by the helicopters about three hours after the mission began. The chief explosives officer then detonated the explosives that completely destroyed Deep Layer. People in the vicinity of the blast described the explosion as a mini earthquake.

The results were devastating for Syria and Iran, while Israel suffered no casualties during the raid. About 30 Syrian soldiers were killed, and reports that Israel captured some Iranian officers remain unconfirmed. The long-term effects meant that the terrorists and their backers had lost a key production facility. Iran and Syria had moved missile production underground to prevent damage from airstrikes, and suddenly it was wiped out in just three hours by Is -

raeli commandos. In other devastating news for Iran, three months after the Israeli raid, Iranian puppet Syrian President Assad fled to Russia after rebels took over the country.

Unlike many other IDF Special Forces missions, Operation Many Ways was for the most part declassified as Israel took credit for the raid in January of this year. Some details like the identities of the commandos and other pieces of information remain classified. Taking on

great risks, the IDF, IAF and Special Forces that took part in the raid successfully carried out their mission. The raid was certainly history in the making.

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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5 Towns area Nursing Home management office seeking a Regional/Corporate level MDS Nurse to work in our office. Must be an RN. Regional experience preferred. 2-3 years MDS experience with good computer skills required. Position is Full Time but Part Time can be considered. Great Shomer Shabbos environment with some remote options as well. Email: officejob2019@gmail.com

5 TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA

Seeking Elem Gen Ed Teachers Excellent working environment and pay. Only lic/exp need apply. Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT

A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience with Excel required. Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote. Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com

YESHIVAT KOL YAAKOV

In Great Neck, NY, is seeking general studies teachers for both the elementary and middle schools, for the upcoming academic year. Mon-Thur afternoons. Competitive salary, warm and supportive environment.  Send resume to m.kalati@kolyaakov.org

THE MARION & AARON GURAL

JCC Early Childhood Center is hiring Assistant Teachers for the 20252026 school year, and summer camp counselors, lifeguards, and camp nurse. Applicants must be over 16-years-old for Summer, 2025. Please send resumes to JCC.Nursery@guraljcc.org or call (516) 239-1354

WOMEN’S ALTERATIONS BUSINESS

For Sale Established business in the Five Towns, operating for seven years. Specializing in women’s dress wear tailoring. Sale includes sewing equipment, materials, and supplies. Gross $200,000 plus annually. Asking $100,000. Serious inquiries only. Email: 5tseamstress@gmail.com

SHMIRAS HALASHON

Text 516-303-3868 with a time slot of your choice to be careful on lashon hara. Be a part of the 1,000 people for klal yisroel!

LOOKING FOR GENTLY USED/

New wigs to be donated to help the hundreds of women that are single mothers, battling cancer, suffering from hair loss, brides, women that haven’t purchased wigs in years etc Drop off locations all over the Tristate area beyond! Please reach out to Berta for more information 917-474-4305

Where is my luggage? I actually don’t want to know!

I would like it to show up at the airport when I arrive for check-in and then meet me at my final destination.

It’s clumsy, it’s heavy, and these days it’s costly. It used to be buying a suitcase was a one-time cost, while the stuff you put in there was the expense. But now, you’re buying that suitcase again and again and again.

However, if you fly with the right airline, one you have a relationship with, you get luggage free. Mind you, that does not mean free luggage!

Of course, that airline has to be going where you’re going and at the time you need. Otherwise, it’s a different airline, and it’s back to the kiosk or counter, and you’re buying your suitcase for the 50th time.

Then, on top of that, you always need that trusted carry-on that accompanies you every flight. It’s basically more loyal than your family or your dog. It ushers you right to your seat on the plane. It behaves. It gives no backtalk

Life C ach Getting There

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

and needs no bathroom breaks. It’s totally there for you!

It’s a pleasure to have, except if you get stopped at the gate. Because then the airport attendants get involved. They suddenly are completely caught up in whether it’s one inch too large, even

Therefore, a new phenomenon has popped up: sporting a backpack or shlepping an oversized bag on your shoulder.

So now, you’re running through the airport to your gate, always the last one, of course, toting two loyal buddies

Suddenly, if they woke up on the wrong side of the bed, you’re being parted with your trusted pal.

though no black box ever reported that to be the cause of any disaster.

But still, they know better. They’ll snatch it from you so fast you don’t know what hit you, even though last time they were fine with the size. Suddenly, if they woke up on the wrong side of the bed, you’re being parted with your trusted pal.

instead of one. And of course, with the essential laptop hanging on somewhere as well.

Honestly, I think all the gates before the last one are just there to accommodate avatars. Because no one is ever assigned to them.

Everyone consistently leaves from the very last gate.

I’d suggest that since that’s the only gate ever used, maybe they can move it to the front.

So though we need to pay for our suitcases multiple times, practically undress to get to our terminals, toss our clear waters for suspicion of stuff hidden in it, and hike the length of the airport just to start our journey, we are lucky to have air travel to get to visit and experience all the places we want to go.

So grab your gear quite a few hours early to get to the airport to start your trek. Keep your wallet handy and get your running shoes on to embrace the experience that ultimately gets you to where you want to go!

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.