Five Towns Jewish Home 05.22.25

Dear Readers,

Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, talks about how success is attained by being consistent and targeted in your actions. She argues that people who are successful are those who are passionate about their goals and never let up about pursuing them.

This idea resonates with me. So much of life is doing what needs to be done dayin, day-out. It’s about continuing in your mission despite challenges and bumps in the road. It’s moving forward when all you want to do is just stand still.

This is a powerful concept to teach to our children. But it’s not an idea they will necessarily see in the world around them. In this “instant” generation, our children may sometimes think that success can be achieved overnight. But true success comes after much work. And true success may come after many failures. True success –what makes a successful person – is someone who keeps progressing and advancing in their mission.

How does one move forward? There are those who say that giant leaps forward will yield progress. And they may, but those big steps start with considerable energy and then may fizzle and slow and eventually end.

A lasting step forward may look very small, but it is those small achievements

that endure and are able to be the strong foundation for other future modest but consistent triumphs.

If you want to create real change, lasting change, if you want to become a successful person – in anything in life – it requires you to be constant and consistent in your small and measured movements towards your goals.

Rabbi Akiva spent his days with nature, alone with his thoughts as he shepherded his flock. But it took a small rock and a bit of water to penetrate his heart. When he pondered the stone eroded by water, he realized that his heart, which he thought was closed to the words of Torah, would be able to be opened by the wisdom of G-d. The water, which had slowly and consistently made its mark on the rock, was able to reach the hidden doors to Rabbi Akiva’s soul.

And so, for the next few decades, Rabbi Akiva took the message of the water and the stone to plumb the depths of Torah. It was consistent, passionate learning of Torah that Rabbi Akiva epitomized, forgoing visits to his wife and amassing thousands of students in his pursuit of G-d’s wisdom. Small, steady steps is the real secret to success.

Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

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Dear Editor,

There is a deep human urge to lose control. It first appears with Adam and Chava, who both claim they are not responsible for their actions – blaming anyone else but themselves. They want to be victims, powerless against external forces.

But the pattern repeats throughout the Torah and indeed in our lives. Mitzvah after mitzvah are all about making conscious choices and owning the consequences for those choices. We do not get to blame others for our own sins and omissions.

Indeed, in Vayikra 5, we are given special penalties for just being unaware of our surroundings! The Torah wants us to be mentally conscious and self-aware at all times, so that we can be in control of ourselves.

We are not supposed to give in to internal or external forces, and we are especially not supposed to consciously and purposefully put ourselves in a position where we have no choice but to lose our free will.

Alcohol is a frequent aid for those of us who want to lose control, by giving us the extra excuse of diminished capacity. This may not be alcohol’s sole advantage, but it certainly is a key unconscious allure. Alcohol allows our choices to take on the passive voice: “I don’t even remember the sequence of events that led up to that poor outcome. But I did not seek those outcomes, and I am surely not responsible for them! All I did was have a few drinks!”

Even on Purim, one recommended level of inebriation is the amount required to confuse the difference between two people, not drunk enough to lose control.

This is why we avoid excess drinking: for both Noah and Lot, alcohol leads to diminished capacity, reversion to animalistic

lusts, and single events that eternally tarnish their reputations. The alcohol is the gateway, the means through which people can follow their need to cut loose and plausibly deny whatever happens next.

This is why we also avoid other drugs, and putting ourselves in a peer group (like b’nos Moav ) that is determined to do bad things. In all these cases, the machshir, the early steps, led to the aveirah.

It is also, in my opinion, why music at simchas needs to be much quieter than it has become in recent years.

Why do people love loud music? For the same reasons they drink too much: they can turn off their conscious mind and surrender to the music, to move and dance and gyrate with complete abandonment. It is impossible to think when the low bass drums make your entire body resonate with the beat. I think that is the point of the loud music – to stop thinking entirely and just move with the music.

I believe such amplified music is anti-Torah, and unacceptable. David Hamelech showed us that dancing at a simcha should indeed be with all our hearts. But David did not give into the music (which could not have been very loud at all compared to today’s amplification) – he celebrated before Hashem and for His glory.

And it is for this very reason (on top of the obvious damage that loud music does to our long-term hearing), that I believe we should advocate music that is at such a high volume that it does not tempt people into losing control to the music. If we want to dance with all our energy, then we should be able to do so consciously and responsibly.

Shaya Cohen

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Dear Editor,

I had enough; I can stay silent no longer. No one should say the N word. No one, that is, except us – Am Yisroel. We should own it. We should be the only people that should be allowed to use it and say it with authority and purpose as we are the only ones who know how to use it. It is currently being abused and used in a way that is hurting those that have been hurt by it the most. The world, particularly “the left” – including antisemites, self-hating Jews, useful idiots, and the like –are using the word frivolously and lessening its meaning and its downright demonic genocidal racist anti-Jew hateful torturous murderous pure evil methodologies, behaviors, and actions that it represents.

I am no one, but I hope we can start a movement together. We should take ownership of “our” N word. Stop letting “useful Idiots” dilute what has happened to our people. Stop letting them use the word Nazi ym”sh!

Lawrence Digby

Dear Editor,

You don’t lose by doing good. Summer is an opportunity to find someone to learn with, see how Jews in other communities are faring, and also create opportunities for others. Yes, Houthi missiles may fly over Israel; Jews all over the world care. An earthquake is felt in one part of the world, and we ask friends and family how they are. Why? We feel for our fellow Yid.

On the flip side, a hachnosas Sefer Torah takes place in Switzerland, and Jews in America watch and rejoice with

their brethren. My family jokes that I send them news of the goings-on in their communities before they know about them! A three-year-old has his upsherin by Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, and Klal Yisroel dances with him. How is this so? The heartstrings of the Jewish people stretch across the globe. That is not to say that our sensitivity is “solely” internal. As Jews travel across the global this summer, we have the opportunity to make a kiddush Hashem; this is something we never take a vacation from. The nations of the world view the French Jew, Israeli and the American Jew in the same way. Frum from birth or not yet religious, white shirt and black pants or black shirt and white pants, the Jewish people are one people with one heart. Be respectful to your fellow travelers and conduct yourselves as bnei Torah.

As we travel and get to meet some of the Jews we daven for, rejoice with and inquire about, let us be mindful of Chazal’s words in Avos: “One who causes the community to be righteous will not have sin on his hands” (5:18). Jews don’t fly solo: we help spread Torah, engage in chessed activities and help those in trouble. In this zechus, we will be saved from sin ourselves. By creating opportunities for people to do good, we will take part in the benefit of the good they do. And they don’t lose out just because the opportunity arose from us. Hashem blesses those who do His will and spread His word. May He bless us all with a safe and enjoyable summer.

Chaim Yehuda Meyer

Russia and Ukraine Talk

For the first time in just over three years, Ukrainian and Russian officials met face-to-face for talks. The United States and Turkey pushed the two sides to participate in the negotiations, which took place on Friday in a palace in Istanbul.

The talks, which lasted under two hours, were far from warm, with delegations from Russia and Ukraine refraining from shaking hands. Half of the Ukrainian officials wore camouflage combat uniforms, which symbolized that their country is at war.

By the end of the meeting, the two sides were unable to reach a ceasefire agreement. According to a Ukrainian official, Moscow’s demands, which included Ukrainian troops withdrawing from large parts of Ukraine, were “new and unacceptable.” However, Moscow and Kyiv did agree to free 1,000 prisoners in an upcoming prisoner swap.

Rustem Umerov, the defense minister and delegation leader of Ukraine, said that “we know the date” of the prisoner exchange, but “we’re not announcing it just yet.” Umerov said that a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin would be “the next step” — a request that was “noted,” according to Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential aide who led the Russian delegation.

A day before the talks, the foreign ministry of Russia said Zelensky was “a clown and loser.”

Ukraine and some of its allies are concerned that Russia isn’t genuinely interested in a ceasefire but is only trying to buy time, as Moscow braces for the 18th round of European sanctions.

While on Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that “nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together.”

Trump’s Middle East Trip

President Trump spent four whirlwind days in the Middle East last week, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The trip highlighted evolving relationships in a region marked by complex conflicts and shifting alliances. During the trip, Trump inked massive business deals for the United States, showcasing his evolving approach to Middle East conflicts with a shift toward transactional, less ideologically driven partnerships. These developments could reshape regional power dynamics and set new precedents for American involvement. Central to the trip were agreements amounting to over $2 trillion in combined commercial and defense contracts with the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia committed $600 billion in investments, including a $142 billion military procurement deal and $20 billion in artificial intelligence and energy infrastructure projects involving American companies such as Google, Nvidia, and AMD. Qatar’s agreements totaled more than $243 billion, with plans to increase investments to $1.2 trillion. Highlights included a $96 billion Boeing jet purchase by Qatar Airways, $42 billion in U.S. weapons acquisitions, and $3 billion in advanced defense technologies. The UAE secured over $200 billion in deals, including a $14.5 billion Etihad Airways Boeing order and a massive AI data center in Abu Dhabi. These deals underscore a strategic alignment around U.S. technology exports and defense partnerships. During the trip, Trump also met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He lifted sanctions on the country. He also noted that the United States is urging Iran to lay down its nuclear ambitions. Most notably, the American president did not visit Israel during his trip. His administration has engaged with talks directly with Hamas and has pursued diplomatic channels with Tehran and Damascus without Israeli involvement – moves that challenge longstanding regional dynamics.

A trip to the Middle East can be a class on different cultures. In Saudi Arabia, Trump joined the Ardah sword dance and was presented with a traditional thobe and ghutra while visiting historic sites like the Al Masmak Fortress. In Qatar, he shared coffee and dates at a majlis and watched the Bedouin Al-Razfa dance. In the UAE, Trump visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, praising Islam’s “incredible culture.” Before leaving the Middle East, he hosted a breakfast with business leaders and toured the Abrahamic Family House—an interfaith complex named after the Abraham Accords he helped negotiate, which led to the UAE’s recognition of Israel. He also received the Order of Zayed, the UAE’s highest civilian honor, before departing Abu Dhabi.

Saudi Arabia had set up a double-decker mobile McDonald’s truck outside the Royal Court, a playful nod to Trump’s famous fast-food preferences.” At Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, Trump delighted troops by breaking into an impromptu dance to “G-d Bless the USA,” complete with fist pumps and foot shuffles. Trump’s motorcade from Qatar’s Doha airport was flanked by bright red Tesla Cybertrucks and riders on horseback. A parade of royal camels also welcomed Trump outside Qatar’s presidential office.

Peruvian President Controversy

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte has come under fire in several scandals, with her disapproval rating rising to a record 93%, one of the highest in the world.

Her unpopularity started in December 2022 — shortly after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was kicked out of office — when government security forces cracked down on protests, leading to the deaths of over 60 people.

Recently, Boluarte was at the center of another scandal. In the summer of 2023, she disappeared for nearly two weeks to get a plastic surgery operation on her nose. She did not tell Congress in advance about her absence, nor did she delegate her powers, thus violating the Peruvian constitution.

Boluarte has claimed that the surgery

was “essential” for her health. However, a week ago, Mario Cabani, her plastic surgeon, disputed that claim. Cabani, who claims to have received judicial authorization to speak about the situation, said that he performed five procedures on Boluarte — rhinoplasty, septoplasty, a lower eyelid procedure, and a fat graft on the nasolabial folds — four of which were performed for aesthetic purposes.

Boluarte also said that she wasn’t absent from the presidency, since she never lost consciousness during the procedure. However, Cabani said that Bolaurte was sedated and sometimes unconscious during the operation.

Controversy erupted again in March 2024, when police stormed Bolaurte’s home and presidential palace because the president allegedly accepted bribes, including Rolex watches and jewelry items. Bolaurte, who claims that the watches were a “loan” she accidentally accepted, failed to declare her ownership of the items.

Peruvian presidents are no stranger to scandal. In 2000, then-President Alberto Fujimori was kicked out of office after being convicted of corruption, embezzlement, and human rights violations. Alejandro Toledo, who was elected after Fujimori’s ouster, was sentenced to over 20 years in jail in 2024 for taking millions of dollars’ worth of bribes from Odebrecht, an infamous Brazilian construction company. Toledo’s successor, Alan Garcia, who served from 2006 to 2011, committed suicide in 2019 just before authorities were expected to detain him for his own link to Odebrecht.

In May 2025, a first instance court sentenced former president Ollanta Humala, who served from 2011 to 2016, to 15 years in jail for accepting illegal campaign contributions from Odebrecht and the government of Venezuela. Humala’s successor, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, stepped down in 2018 after being at the center of a money laundering scandal with Odebrecht. Kuczynski is currently under house arrest. His trial is ongoing. Martin Vizcarra, the president from 2018 to 2020, was ousted by the legislature for allegedly taking bribes while he was a governor. Vizcarra’s trial is also ongoing.

Finally, in 2022, then-President Pedro Castillo was ousted by Congress and arrested after allegedly trying to stage a rebellion, dissolve Congress, and establish an emergency government. Castillo was succeeded by his vice president, Boluarte, who has been in office since 2022.

Snap Elections in Portugal

A center-right alliance is set to rule Portugal again after an election over the weekend, but a hard-right party with an anti-immigrant message has emerged as a powerful force.

In the snap election Sunday, the ruling Democratic Alliance of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro cemented its position as the dominant power in Portugal, allowing it to continue ruling as a minority government.

But the most striking result of the election was the surge of Chega, a hardright party that won more than 22% of the vote, positioning it to be a potent movement that is upending the country’s politics. It will also likely put pressure on the government and push its stances on issues like immigration further to the right, analysts say.

The election was triggered after Montenegro’s government fell in March after losing a no-confidence motion over his business interests.

While the victory Sunday means little change in Portugal’s leadership, “Chega is the real winner” of the election, said António Costa Pinto, a political scientist with the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Lisbon.

The election, he said, cemented the evolution of Chega from a protest movement to a powerful political contender in a country that, unlike much of Europe, had largely shunned the hard right until recently.

Portugal has now joined a group of Western European countries including Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, where hard-right parties are the second or close third political forces.

As of Monday, official results showed Montenegro’s center-right Democratic Alliance with 32% of the vote. The center-left Socialist Party and Chega were neck and neck, with the Socialists at around 23% and Chega at around 22%.

With only a few hundred thousand overseas ballots left to be counted, Montenegro’s lead was secure. But the remaining votes could be enough to allow

Chega to grab second place.

Chega’s leader, André Ventura, declared Sunday that the era of two-sided politics in Portugal, fought between the center right and the center left, “is over.”

He added: “We have done what no other party has ever done in Portugal.”

Montenegro’s coalition has refused to ally with Chega. “The people want this government, and they don’t want any other,” Montenegro said Sunday night. (© The New York Times)

Phone Outages in Spain

Just a few weeks ago, Spain was hit by a power outage that plunged the country into darkness. This week, the nation was hit by phone and internet blackouts, which cut off landline and mobile services for residents.

The outages came about after a botched system upgrade by Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica. Even emergency call operators were affected by the outages.

Problems first began at about 2 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Downdetector website, with fixed-line internet services most affected. Most people affected said they had no signal; others said that there had been a “total outage.” By lunchtime, the issue seemed to have been resolved.

A spokesman for Telefonica said, “This morning we had an incident that affected the fixed communications services of some companies and public services. We have been working from the outset to restore these services, which have now been fully recovered.

“We have activated the incident management committee, we have isolated the affected nodes, and we have deployed field staff to resolve specific cases arising from this incident, which has now been resolved.”

Headquartered in Madrid, Telefonica is one of the world’s largest companies in Spain.

The phone and internet outage comes just weeks after Spain, Portugal, and parts of southern France were plunged into

chaos amid mass blackouts in late April, which affected around 50 million people and turned public transportation chaotic. ATM machines and phone services were also affected by the power outages.

Hungary to Leave ICC

This week, Hungary’s parliament approved leaving the International Criminal Court, which it calls “politically motivated.”

Hungary is now the third country –after Burundi and the Philippines – to exit the Court.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced during a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month that his European Union country would leave the ICC. Orban hosted Netanyahu despite an ICC arrest warrant against

Bibi. The global tribunal accuses the

raeli leader of war crimes in Gaza —

gations he rejects.

In Hungary’s parliament, 134 lawmakers voted in favor of the proposal to leave the ICC, while 37 voted against and seven abstained.

Once the decision is promulgated, Hungary will notify the United Nations, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. He alleged the ICC had become a “politically motivated judicial body,” which was “unacceptable.”

“It’s clear that Hungary has no place in such an organization,” he said in a statement.

Withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after the deposit of the withdrawal’s instrument — usually a formal letter declaring the pullout — with the UN secretary general’s office.

Established in 2002, the ICC, based in The Hague, seeks to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s gravest crimes when countries are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. A total of 125 countries have ratified the court’s founding Rome Statute, meaning they recognize its jurisdiction.

The United States and Russia are not members of the ICC. Nor are Israel, China and Myanmar. So far only Burundi and

the Philippines have become members and have then withdrawn from the court. Hungary is set to join them.

Hungary had signed the Rome Statute — which established the court — in 1999 and ratified it two years later during Orban’s first term in office.

13 Killed in Bombing in Somalia

At least 13 people were killed and 21 others were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated a device in the Somali capital on Sunday. The people targeted were young recruits who were waiting to register at a military camp.

Mogadishu has been repeatedly targeted by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which has waged

an insurgency for over a decade. The group frequently attacks military and government sites as part of its effort to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

“There was a loud explosion, and immediately people began running in all directions. Bodies were everywhere,” said Abdulkadir Hassan Mohamed, a witness.

A soldier who had been guarding the camp said, “The explosion was devastating. I saw many casualties. The attacker disguised himself as a recruit before blowing himself up.”

Five people who were killed were civilians who had been passing by.

A similar attack in July 2023 at the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy in Mogadishu killed 25 soldiers and wounded 70. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for that attack. For now, no terror group has claimed responsibility for this attack.

Britain and EU Strike Deal

Britain and the European Union on Monday struck a landmark deal to remove some post-Brexit trade barriers and to bolster cooperation on security and de-

fense as they reduce their reliance on an unpredictable United States.

The agreement, unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, in London, is a significant reset for the two allies.

But the final details of several important policies were not in place, and Britain had to make some concessions that could prove politically costly for Starmer.

“It’s time to look forward,” Starmer said, “to move on from the stale old debates and political fights to focus on delivering common-sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people.”

The immediate, hostile reaction from Starmer’s opponents, however, illustrated the political perils for almost any politician in revisiting Brexit, the most fraught and divisive issue in recent British politics.

Under the agreement, European countries will be encouraged to allow British people to use electronic gates in Europe when crossing borders, and traveling with pets will be easier, too. The sale of some British meat products in the EU — Britain’s biggest trading partner — will be possible again, and some border checks on animal and plant products will end.

But the most important part of the deal is a security partnership that will bolster defense cooperation between the partners. It will allow them to better pool resources and share technology and intelligence at a moment when a more aggressive Russia — and a more reluctant United States — has left Europe scrambling to defend itself better. The fresh agreement could also pave the way for British companies to fully participate in the EU’s new 150 billion-euro ($168 billion) loan program for defense procurement.

One of the most delicate issues in the trade talks was an extension of the right of European trawlers to fish in British territorial waters, in exchange for reduced trade barriers for British food products entering the EU’s giant single economic zone.

After discussions that continued until almost the last minute, the two sides agreed they would allow European boats access to British fishing waters until June 30, 2038. (© The New York Times)

More Sorrow

On Monday, Sgt. Yosef Yehuda Chirak, 22, was killed fighting in northern Gaza. According to the IDF, Chirak was killed by friendly fire.

Combat engineers operating in northern Gaza under the 401st Armored Brigade had located a tunnel shaft and were working to map it out ahead of its demolition. During the operation, another company was securing the surrounding area. Chirak, who was next to the tunnel, was hit by fire from the company securing the area, the investigation found.

Chirak served in the Combat Engineering Corps’ 601st Battalion and was from Harasha in Judea and Samaria.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier Monday that Israel would “take control” of the whole of Gaza as it intensified attacks across the territory, where aid trickled in for the first time in over two months after the easing of a total blockade.

Chirak married his wife Emunah only seven months ago and left behind his parents and three sisters.

“I wish you would come now with your huge smile and say that everything was just a joke and how fun it is to come home,” Emunah said at the funeral on Har Herzl. “It feels like a bad movie that I just want to wake up from. I asked you when you would come back and you told me that only G-d knows and that you would let me know when you will be returning.”

She added, “You were a messenger for all of us, a messenger for the entire people of Israel to eradicate evil. What a privilege it is that you were given this mission. You are the greatest gift I have ever received in my life. You have a huge heart—everyone loves you the best.”

Yehuda Eliyahu, Emunah’s father and Director General of the Settlement Administration at the Ministry of Defense, addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the funeral. “I met with you only the day before yesterday. Now

we have paid a terrible price—we have joined the bereaved families who are bearing a terrible price,” he said.

Eliyahu demanded a resolute response to terrorism, urging the government to intensify military efforts against Hamas.

“Wage war with all your might until we eliminate this evil from the world and strike it with all your might,” he urged. “Conquer Gaza completely. Expel every last one of them from there and settle the land of our ancestors.”

Tzeela Gez, HY”D

Tzeela Gez, a 30-year-old woman, was in labor last Wednesday night as her husband drove her to a hospital to deliver the baby. While the couple drove through northern Judea and Samaria, a Palestinian terrorist shot at cars, hitting Tzeela and her husband.

Tzeela, in critical condition, was immediately driven to Petah Tikva’s Rabin Medical Center. Doctors delivered Tzeela’s baby via an emergency C-section. Early Thursday morning, Tzeela tragically passed away. Her newborn baby boy was in serious condition and was transferred to Schneider Children’s Hospital. Her husband, Chananel, sustained minor injuries and survived the attack.

“Today is a sad day. Last night, my wife was murdered. We were on our way to the hospital to give birth to our fourth child,” Chananel wrote on a family group chat.

“Obviously, I am broken,” he added. “This is natural. But I thank [G-d] that I am alive, and I will be strong in order to continue to be a light to the world. Because we will never let them break us.”

Tzeela, a mother of three who lived in the town of Bruchin, was a trauma, anxiety, and relationships therapist.

Following the attack, the Israeli army immediately sprang into action, launching a search for the terrorist, whom authorities believe acted alone. Without taking responsibility, Hamas hailed the murderer attack as “heroic.”

On Saturday, the IDF said that it killed the terrorist responsible for the attack. Nael Sami Samara, a 36-year-old Palestinian, is suspected of being connected with the terror attack, although it

is unclear if he was the shooter.

Samara’s brother was also captured by the forces for interrogation, as well as several members of his extended family.

“As part of the manhunt for the terrorist who carried out the shooting attack in which Tzeela Gez was killed, targeted sweeps were performed by IDF soldiers directed by the Shin Bet in the village of Bruqin, close to the scene of the attack,” the IDF and Shin Bet spokespersons said in a joint statement. “This morning, several suspects were arrested for involvement in the attack. During the arrest of one of the suspects, a terrorist was identified running towards the forces while holding a bag carrying suspected explosives and shouting ‘Allahu Akbar.’ In face of the immediate threat, the soldiers engaged and neutralized the terrorist. None of our forces were injured.”

“This abhorrent incident precisely reflects the difference between us, who desire and bring life, and the reprehensible terrorists, whose goal is to kill us and destroy life,” stated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that he was “deeply shocked by the horrific terrorist attack.”

Since the October 7 massacre, when Hamas murdered 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 251 others, terrorist attacks in Israel have killed 52 people, including Israeli security personnel.

Israel-Syria Peace Talks

According to reports published Thursday, Israeli and Syrian officials have been holding talks in secret. During the talks, the two sides reportedly discussed the prospect of Syria joining the Abraham Accords. According to Channel 12, the United Arab Emirates was mediating the talks. Haaretz, however, said that Qatar has been the mediator.

The report was published a day after U.S. President Donald Trump asked Ahmad al-Sharaa, the new president of Syria, to join the Abraham Accords, thus normalizing relations with Israel and exiting Iran’s axis of evil. Trump and Sharaa met in Riyadh on Wednesday, marking the first time the presidents of the U.S. and Syria have had direct talks in 25 years.

“I told [Sharaa], I hope you’re going to join [the Abraham Accords] once you’re straightened out, and he said yes,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “But they have a lot of work to do.”

Last week, Sharaa said that Israel and Syria, through mediators, were engaged in security-related talks. However, he did not mention diplomatic talks.

According to Channel 12, a recent meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials took place in Azerbaijan. Turkish representatives were at the meeting, and Israel was represented by Maj. Gen. Oded Basiu, the chief of the IDF Operations Directorate.

Sharaa once led a branch of al-Qaeda in Syria. Sharaa, whom the U.S. had a $10 million bounty on until recently, led the successful effort to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria has generally been well received by Israel, which is still cautious but is considering a potential relationship with Syria. Since rebels ousted Assad, Israel has been bombing Assad-affiliated military targets in Syria. Israeli soldiers are also stationed near Syria’s border at the Golan Heights.

Gaza Aid Resumes

On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered basic aid to be allowed to flow into the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu’s decision was made “at the recommendation of the IDF and due to the operational need to enable the expansion of intense fighting to defeat Hamas,” according to the Prime Minister’s Office. By allowing aid into the Strip, a hunger crisis, which “would endanger the continued operation to defeat Hamas,” will be prevented.

“Israel will act to deny Hamas the ability to seize control of the distribution of humanitarian aid in order to ensure that the aid does not reach Hamas terrorists,” Netanyahu’s office added.

According to reports, Netanyahu did not give his ministers the opportunity to vote on the issue, as he normally would,

as many right-wing ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, would have objected to the resumption of aid to Gaza. The prime minister is not required to call a vote.

Someone identifying as a “senior official” claimed that the aid would only be given for about a week. After that, new Gaza aid distribution centers, run by private U.S. companies and supervised by the IDF, are expected to be operational. In other words, initially, aid will be distributed by organizations such as the U.N. World Food Programme and the World Central Kitchen. Then, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), run by the U.S. and Israel, will commence. The foundation said it would begin operating by the end of the month. However, that has yet to be confirmed by Israel.

Israel halted aid into Gaza on March 1, because most of the aid wound up in Hamas’ possession, and, during the sixweek Gaza ceasefire, enough aid was delivered.

Eli Cohen’s Possessions Brought Home

In the early 1960s, Eli Cohen became a spy for the Mossad, gathering intelligence for Israel while undercover in Syria. Cohen rose the ranks in Syria and passed on strategic and vital information to the Israelis. Tragically, on May 18, 1965, the Syrian government executed Cohen after trying him for espionage. Cohen’s body was never recovered. However, on Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the Mossad had, in a “historic” secret operation, recovered around 2,500 of Cohen’s documents and personal items from Syria.

The items were presented to Cohen’s widow, Nadia Cohen, by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea on the 60th anniversary of his death. The recovered items include the Syrian intelligence archive on Eli Cohen, handwritten letters he sent to his family, proof of communications between top Syrian officials and Cohen, forged passports, and pictures captured during his time in Syria.

Additionally, the Mossad also recovered the keys to Cohen’s apartment in Damascus and his original will, which he wrote a few hours before his execution. Israeli officials also found the original death sentence document, along with a letter permitting the then-head of Damascus’s Jewish community, Rabbi Nissim Andabo, to keep Cohen company in the hours before his hanging. The Mossad also uncovered a thick orange folder called “Nadia Cohen,” which included surveillance records tracking her and her attempts to convince international parties to save her husband.

Barnea said the operation was “another step in advancing the investigation to locate the burial place of our man in Damascus.”

The findings, Netanyahu said, “will educate generations and expresses our tireless commitment to returning all of our missing persons, prisoners of war and hostages.”

New Gene-Editing Therapy Treats Baby

A baby born with a rare genetic disease was, for the first time, treated with a gene-editing therapy made to target his specific liver mutation. While it is too early to fully assess the treatment’s effectiveness, it appears to have worked, at least partially.

KJ, the baby boy, was born with a genetic disease called carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1), also known as urea cycle disorder. Whenever a child with the condition eats protein, a poisonous amount of ammonia builds up in their body, increasing their risk of brain damage or death. The condition’s current treatment may only work partially. If a patient is over a year old and has a donor, they may undergo a liver transplant. However, many children with the condition suffer from irreversible brain damage before their first birthday.

While treating KJ, researchers used a technique called “base-editing,” which specifically targeted the baby’s genes.

The treatment, which included three infusions, was administered on February 25. On Thursday, the research team, which was led by Dr. Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, an assistant pediatrics and genetics professor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, published its findings in The New England Journal of Medicine and at an American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy meeting.

“This is an important first step towards an entirely new type of personalized medicine. I think it’s going to utterly transform the way we practice medicine, particularly in the area of rare diseases,” said Dr. Kiran Musunuru, a translational research professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who was part of the research team.

The FDA made an exception for the researchers, allowing them to administer the experimental treatment, since it was an emergency.

“The first time you’re putting a new drug into a baby is scary,” Ahrens-Nicklas said. “No one has done this before. No one has developed a personalized gene-editing therapy for an infant. It was quite a nerve-wracking but exciting day. And it was quite a momentous day.”

Since receiving the treatment, KJ has only needed half the normal medication he would take to fight the disease.

Another member of the research team, Fyodor Urnov, the scientific director of the Innovative Genomics Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, called the case “one of those watershed moments in medicine.”

“Ultimately, we hope this has set a precedent where we have firmly entered a world of genetic cures — CRISPR cures — on demand. I think we can say: This is the year when CRISPR-on-demand is truly born,” Urnov said.

“Seeing him reach milestones that are important for any infant as they’re developing blows us away,” said KJ’s mother, Nicole Muldoon.

“Even today, he’s eating avocado. And we were like, ‘We never thought that this was going to happen,’” Muldoon said. “I walked in today and he’s sitting upright all by himself in a crib. And we didn’t even know if that was going to be something he was going to be able to do independently.”

The baby has not yet experienced side effects from the treatment. According to his doctors, KJ is eating more protein and gaining weight.

The treatment’s cost is unclear, since the research project was supported by the National Institutes of Health. However, researchers hope that this breakthrough will allow for both the quick and inexpensive creation of gene-editing treatments.

SCOTUS on Birthright Citizenship

On the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship. Children born in the United States are automatically granted citizenship, regardless of their parents’ legal status. If enforced, Trump’s order, which bans agencies from issuing citizenship documents for babies born to non-citizens, would end that policy.

However, district court judges quickly issued injunctions blocking Trump’s order. On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on the issue. The case has two parts: Is it constitutional for the president to end birthright citizenship, which was seemingly established by the 14th Amendment? Secondly, is it legal for a single district judge to issue a nationwide injunction against the president’s policies? Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas noted that until the 1960s, courts generally only issued injunctions that impacted those who brought forward the litigation, unless it was a class-action lawsuit, in which case, a few individuals represented a larger group.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh brought up that issue, suggesting that class-action lawsuits would be more effective than universal injunctions at blocking Trump’s order.

Other justices asked Solicitor General John Sauer how the executive order would take effect practically.

“The president is violating not just one, but in my count, four established Supreme Court precedents,” liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor told Sauer. “And you are claiming that both the Supreme Court and no lower court can stop an executive, universally, from violating those holdings.”

“Let’s just assume you’re dead wrong,”

liberal Justice Elena Kagan suggested. “Does every single person that is affected by this EO [executive order] have to bring their own suit? Are there alternatives? How long does it take? How do we get to the result that there is a single rule of citizenship that is the rule that we’ve historically applied rather than the rule that the EO would have us do?”

Kavanaugh, too, weighed in, asking Sauer: “On the day after it goes into effect – this is just a very practical question –how it’s going to work? What do hospitals do with a newborn?”

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito asked, “What is the point of this argument about universal injunctions” if those challenging the executive order could just file a class-action lawsuit?

Sauer, who represents the federal government before the Supreme Court, admitted that the legal arguments in favor of Trump’s order were “novel” and “sensitive.” Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett also asked why the Trump administration took issue with nationwide injunctions if class-action lawsuits would work just as well against the president’s agenda. Sauer noted two differences between nationwide injunctions and class-action lawsuits: the latter would be harder to win and riskier for those bring-

ing the suit.

It is unclear when the Supreme Court plans to rule on the case, though it might take until next month, when the court’s term is scheduled to end.

Dem. Rep. Charged

Rep. LaMonica McIver has been charged by the U.S. Attorney for assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement during an incident at a Newark immigration facility on May 9.

Three Democratic lawmakers from New Jersey − Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and McIver – had faced off against DHS guards outside the Delaney Hall detention center shortly after officers arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Members of Congress, by law, can visit immigrant deten-

tion facilities unannounced.

Baraka had come to the facility to inspect the former prison that was converted into an immigrant detention center. McIver had assaulted the ICE agents in charge of guarding the facility.

Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, formerly a lawyer for President Donald Trump, said in a statement after announcing the charges against McIver that “I have persistently made efforts to address these issues without bringing criminal charges and have given Representative McIver every opportunity to come to a resolution, but she has unfortunately declined.”

In a statement, McIver called the charges political. The other two lawmakers who visited the detention center have not been charged.

“We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka,” McIver said. “The charges against me are purely political — they mischaracterize and distort my actions and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight.”

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin had initially said that multiple members of Congress had assaulted officers and that arrests were possible.

“We actually have body camera footage of these members of Congress assaulting these ICE enforcement officers, including body slamming a female ICE officer,” she said.

After the incident, the members of Congress took an hour-long tour of the facility.

“They didn’t assault anyone, but were themselves aggressively mistreated by illegally masked individuals,” House Democratic leaders said in a joint statement. “There is no credible evidence that Rep. McIver engaged in any criminal activity, and she would not have been permitted to tour the facility had she done anything wrong.”

Habba said the misdemeanor trespassing charge against Baraka, a candidate for governor, has been dropped “for the sake of moving forward.”

Bomb at Clinic in CA

Guy Barktus set off a bomb explosion outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, on Saturday. He was the only one killed in the blast.

“The subject had nihilistic ideations,” Akil Davis, the FBI’s assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles field office, said at a Sunday news conference. “This was a targeted attack against the IVF facility.”

“We are fairly confident that Mr. Bartkus is our primary subject, our primary suspect, a person of interest,” he said, adding that the suspect was not previously known to the FBI. Authorities identified Bartkus’ “nihilistic” beliefs through “some of the posts that he’s made online, some of the comments made in his manifesto that we’re combing through right now,” Davis said.

Authorities believe Bartkus was trying to livestream the attack.

Four people were injured in the blast but have since been released from the hospital.

The FBI is treating the explosion at the fertility clinic as an act of terrorism, according to Davis.

“Make no mistake, this is an intentional act of terrorism,” Davis said Saturday.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “We are working to learn more, but let me be clear: the Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America. Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable,” she said in a post on X.

SCOTUS: Protective Status for Venezuelans Can End

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it allowed the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans who were protected from deportation and allowed to work

The court approved the administration’s emergency request to lift a lower court’s order that barred it from ending the protections while other legal proceedings continue.

In their application to the high court, lawyers representing the government had said the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California undermined “the Executive Branch’s inherent powers as to immigration and foreign affairs,” when it halted the administration from ending protections and work permits in April 2025 as opposed to the original date in October 2026.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson called the court’s decision a “win for the American people and the safety of our communities.”

“The Biden Administration exploited parole programs to let poorly vetted migrants into this country – from MS-13 gang members to known terrorists and murderers. The Trump Administration is reinstituting integrity into our immigration system to keep our homeland and its people safe,” the spokesperson added.

Ahilan Arulanantham, who is representing TPS holders in the case, said, “This is the largest single action stripping any group of non-citizens of immigration status in modern U.S. history. That the Supreme Court authorized this action in a two-paragraph order with no reasoning is truly shocking. The humanitarian and economic impact of the Court’s decision will be felt immediately and will reverberate for generations.”

Days before leaving office, the Biden administration announced an 18-month extension of TPS benefits for Venezuelans who obtained the status in 2023. It had created protected status for Venezuelans, in part, because conditions in Venezuela under President Nicolás Maduro made it risky to deport migrants there.

Three days after being confirmed in February, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem vacated the decision.

In its lawsuit, the National TPS Alliance and seven Venezuelan nationals labeled Noem’s decision to vacate the extension as being motivated “at least in part by racial animus” toward Venezuelans. The lawsuit claims Noem has

repeatedly called Venezuelans “dirtbags” and gang members during news interviews.

The ruling might have major repercussions for hundreds of thousands of other people. At the moment, DHS’s termination of TPS for Haiti, Cameroon, and Afghanistan is being challenged in courts across the country with similar arguments as those for Venezuela.

NJ Transit Strike Ends

On Friday at midnight, NJ Transit workers went on strike for the first time in over 40 years.

On Sunday, three days later, the union — the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLE&T) — and NJ Transit reached a preliminary deal after negotiating in New Jersey and with the National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C., according to the governor’s office, union, and NJ Transit.

“Union members will return to work and trains will begin running on their regular schedules Tuesday,” the union announced.

The deal’s exact details will not be published, said Tom Haas, BLE&T’s general chairman at NJ Transit.

“I will say that the only real issue was wages, and we were able to reach an agreement that boosts hourly pay beyond the proposal rejected by our members last month and beyond where we were when NJ Transit’s managers walked away from the table Thursday evening,” Haas said. “We also were able to show management ways to boost engineers’ wages that will help NJT with retention and recruitment, without causing any significant budget issue or requiring a fare increase.”

On Sunday, Gov. Phil Murphy and NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri, at a Newark press conference, praised the deal as fair. Now, the deal must be approved in an electronic vote by the 450 eligible BLE&T union members. The union said that the NJ Transit board is expected to vote on June 11.

NJ Transit lost around $4 million every day of the strike, according to Kolluri. Commuters had to use buses instead of

trains, as part of the corporation’s contingency plan, despite the fact that only 20% of the 100,000 daily rail riders would be able to get seats on the buses.

Talks were initially supposed to start on Sunday. However, they started early after the national union president called on Friday night, according to Kolluri.

In March, the union rejected a tentative contract. On May 5, NJ Transit rejected a counteroffer from the union, due to the two parties disagreeing about salaries.

Ship Crashes into Brooklyn Bridge

On Saturday, a Mexican navy ship veered off course and struck the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Two sailors on the ship were killed, and more than a dozen others onboard the vessel were injured.

Videos shared online captured the training vessel Cuauhtémoc sailing toward the iconic bridge, which connects the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The ship’s 147-foot masts, which were shining bright with decorative lights, couldn’t clear the arched bridge and were sheared off upon impact.

Naval cadets dressed in white uniforms could be seen dangling from the ship’s crossbeams. Meanwhile, bystanders at one of the suspension bridge’s bases, located near New York City’s South Street Seaport, fled in terror.

Of the 277 people on board, two were killed and 22 were injured, including three who were seriously hurt, the Mexican navy said on social media.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the @SEMAR_ mx training ship Cuauhtémoc incident at the Brooklyn Bridge,” the U.S. ambassador in Mexico, Ronald Johnson, said in a post on X. ”We are monitoring closely and are in touch with the Government of Mexico via @SRE_mx to provide support as necessary. You have our full support.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the Cuauhtémoc lost power just before crashing into the bridge at about 8:20 p.m. ET.

The training ship had arrived at New York’s Pier 17 and was open to the public to visit from May 13 to 17, according to the Mexican Consulate in New York. The Cuauhtémoc was supposed to head south out of the New York Harbor and on to Iceland, but it went in the wrong direction and sailed under the bridge.

Thankfully, the bridge sustained no damage.

A female cadet and a male Marine died from their injuries. They were identified as América Yamilet Sánchez, 20, and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos.

More Measles

Cases

According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, the number of measles cases in the U.S. has risen to 1,024.

Cases have been confirmed in 30 states including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

The U.S. is nearing the total of cases seen in 2019, of which there were 1,274 confirmed infections across the country over the course of a year, CDC data shows.

Thirteen percent of those who had the measles this year have been hospitalized, the majority of whom are under age 19.

“The key thing about all of this is that the cases of measles that we’re seeing today and that we typically see are nearly 100% in people who have not received the vaccine,” Dr. Roy Gulick, chief of infectious disease at New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, noted.

The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.

Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000 due to a highly

effective vaccination program, according to the CDC. But vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years.

During the 2023 to 2024 school year, 92.7% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, according to data. This is lower than the 93.1% seen the previous school year and the 95.2% seen in the 2019 to 2020 school year, prior to the Covid pandemic.

With vaccination rates declining, “that leaves more of the population susceptible to measles and means that it could be passed in the population more easily,” Gulick said. “Sustained transmission which if it occurs in enough people and for long enough then we will lose status of eradication.”

Deadly Storms Hit Central U.S.

A wave of deadly storms, including hailstorms, wind gusts, and over 70 tornadoes, hit the central United States late Friday and early Saturday, killing at least 28 people and injuring many more. Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana were hit with tornadoes, with at least 19 people in southeastern Kentucky, mostly in Laurel County, killed by the dangerous weather, according to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

As of Saturday morning, officials were still searching for survivors in the wreckage.

Seven more were killed in the St. Louis area of Missouri, after the city was hit Friday evening by an EF3 tornado. Over 4,500 homes, businesses, buildings, and structures were destroyed or damaged, along with many vehicles.

According to PowerOutage.us, over 700,000 homes and businesses throughout 12 states lost power during the storms, with Missouri and Kentucky having it the worst. Most of the power was restored by Monday.

“The loss of life and destruction St. Louis has experienced in today’s storm is horrendous, and my thoughts are with everyone whose lives were altered today,” St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer posted on X. “Our first responders and community are stepping up in tremendous ways to

save lives, help those who are injured, provide shelter, and so much more.”

According to AccuWeather experts, the weather system has likely caused around $9 billion to $11 billion in damage and economic loss, including property, infrastructure, and crop damage, job loss, supply chain disruptions, flight delays, and more.

According to meteorologists, the U.S. may see more tornadoes in 2025 than it has in any year in over a decade. Thus far, the country has seen over 820 preliminary tornado reports, around 200 more than the average for this time of year.

Family of Ashli Babbitt to Get $5M

The United States will pay almost $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was killed during the January 6 events, to settle the case against it.

Outgoing U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger confirmed that the Justice Department agreed to make the payment to Babbitt’s family to settle its wrongful death claim.

The parties had reached a settlement in principle in early May in the $30 million civil suit filed by the conservative activist group Judicial Watch on behalf of Babbitt’s estate, including her late husband.

In the civil lawsuit, Babbitt’s estate alleged U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd was negligent in the issue of force and his firearm. The suit also argued Byrd was not in uniform and was wearing a Covid mask when he opened fire against Babbitt. The suit accused Byrd of failing to “de-escalate.”

“Ashli was unarmed,” the lawsuit said. “Her hands were up in the air, empty, and in plain view of Lt. Byrd and other officers in the lobby. Ashli posed no threat to the safety of anyone.”

The case was initially filed in California and then transferred to the Washington, D.C., federal court in 2024 and was defended by the Justice Department under the Biden administration.

Footage from Jan. 6 showed Babbitt trying to climb through a smashed

50 window as the crowd sought to breach the House Speaker’s Lobby, where the counting of the electoral votes had been interrupted. Members of Congress were evacuating the area during the riot.

Metropolitan Police Department Officer Dan Hodges, who was also on duty at the Capitol on January 6, said in a statement that Babbitt was “a conspiracy theorist armed with a lethal weapon and combat training, breaking into a secure area of the Capitol who did not heed orders to cease from law enforcement.”

Babbitt, 35, was an Air Force veteran from San Diego.

Babbitt’s mother, Micki Wittehoff, helped lead nightly protests outside the Washington, D.C., jail for more than two years, in defense of U.S. Capitol riot defendants.

President Trump, on the day he was inaugurated, issued a blanket pardon for more than 1,500 January 6 defendants. The Justice Department has fired prosecutors who handled the January 6 cases.

Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis

This week, Joe Biden’s office announced that the former president was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday.

Since the announcement on Sunday, medical professionals have expressed surprise that the aggressive form of can-

cer, which has spread to his bones, had not been detected earlier.

“I think it is very sad actually. I am surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago,” President Trump said at an event at the White House. “It could take years to get to this level of danger. So, look, it’s a very, very sad situation. I feel very badly about it, and I think people should try and find out what happened.”

The diagnosis comes at a time when there have been reports that Biden’s aides actively sought to conceal other deteriorating health conditions from the public ahead of the 2024 election.

Republicans claim that Biden, who ran for re-election as the oldest president in history at 81, was mentally and physically unfit for office. He dropped out of the race last summer after a disastrous debate performance against Trump.

According to Original Sin, a new book by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, Biden was unable to recognize a Hollywood actor and Democratic donor or recall the names of key aides in his final year in office.

The authors write: “Biden’s physical deterioration – most apparent in his halting walk – had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn’t do so until after the election.”

The publicity generated by the book has forced senior Democrats to field questions on why they did not do more to respond to Americans’ concerns about Biden’s health as he campaigned for re-election.

“It was a mistake for Democrats to not listen to the voters earlier,” Senator Chris Murphy said on Sunday.

Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist who worked as a Covid adviser to the Biden White House, was among those

claiming that Biden probably had been ill with cancer for some time, without necessarily knowing it.

“He did not develop in the last 100, 200 days. He had it while he was president,” he told MSNBC’s Morning Joe show. “He probably had it at the start of his presidency in 2021. Yes, I don’t think there’s any disagreement about that.”

Prison Break in New Orleans

On Friday, ten inmates from a New Orleans jail managed to break out of the facility. By Tuesday, six prisoners were still on the loose.

The prison went into lockdown at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday night, as is its regular schedule. All inmates were expected to stay in their cells.

Shortly after midnight Friday morning, though, a corrections monitoring technician stepped away for food and was not looking at the cameras, which should have been monitored. During his absence, several inmates started yanking on the door of Cell Delta 1006. The door broke open.

The men snuck into another cell. In a matter of minutes, 10 inmates maneuvered past a metal toilet, squeezed through a small hole carved in the wall and fled into the darkness.

The inmates brought blankets to protect themselves from getting cut by barbed wire. They then scaled a fence and bolted across Interstate 10. They darted into a nearby neighborhood, ripped off their inmate clothes, and disappeared into the night.

Before they escaped, they taunted jail staff with a message scrawled above their escape hole: “To [sic] Easy LoL,” it read.

The escape wasn’t discovered until a routine head count at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

Hundreds of law enforcement are involved with rounding up the inmates. By Tuesday morning, six were still on the run: Corey Boyd, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Antoine Massey, Leo Tate and Lenton Vanburen. The escapees face an array of charges, including aggravated assault with a firearm, false imprison-

ment with a weapon and murder.

“I am personally afraid, not just for myself, but for my lawyers who tried the case against the individual twice,” Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said, referencing the case against Groves, the escapee who was convicted of murdering two men in 2018 after his first trial ended in a mistrial and a second trial ended in a deadlocked jury. Williams himself had prosecuted Groves for his second and third trials.

“These lawyers got out of town this weekend with their families out of fear of retribution and retaliation,” he said.

The DA said his office immediately began working with Alison Morgado, the chief of victims and witness services, to notify victims and witnesses of the escape. Police helped relocate some, he said.

“They’re very afraid, and I think they have a right to be afraid,” he said.

Much of the criticism for the prison break has been focused on Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson.

Williams called the jailbreak “a complete failure of the most basic responsibilities entrusted to a sheriff or a jail administrator.”

Louisiana state representative Aimee Adatto Freeman called for the sheriff to resign, calling the escape “an alarming failure of leadership.”

“Sheriff Susan Hutson’s most fundamental responsibility is to keep inmates in custody – and she failed,” Freeman said.

But Hutson said she had “no plans to resign.”

“I remain committed to leading this office through the current crisis and continuing the long-term work of reform and public service I was elected to carry out.”

Fowl Play

Recently, a USPS postal worker made a shocking discovery when he opened a postal truck and found thousands of baby chicks.

The little creatures had been stuck in the truck without food and water for three days. Thousands of them died before they

were discovered.

They had been sent by a hatchery by postal service to clients around the country. Unfortunately, they never made it to their destination.

Once the postal service realized its mistake, it never sent the remaining 12,000 chicks to their to-be owners. Now, an animal shelter in Delaware is wondering what to do with these fluffy babies, who, out of biosafety concerns, cannot be sent back to the hatchery from where they came from.

Last Tuesday, the shelter began offering the birds for adoption, but only a few hundred out of thousands have been picked up. Among the birds were young turkeys, geese and quail, but the vast majority were Freedom Ranger chicks.

The shelter taking care of the birds is overwhelmed and has had to hire more staff to care for these little ones. Freedom Rangers take about ten weeks to reach maturity.

Sounds like the feathers are flying.

Finally Found

A woman from Georgia went missing for three weeks in the icy wilderness until she was finally found last week.

Tiffany Slaton had been reported missing on April 29 after her parents didn’t hear from her for over a week. The 27-year-old had been hiking in the Sierra National Forest. Rescuers combed the

area but were unable to find her as they were hampered by heavy snow blocking many roads.

Last Monday, rescuers began to scale down the search. But then, a miracle occurred.

Christopher Gutierrez, who owns Vermilion Valley Resort, began to reopen the resort for spring. When he approached one cabin, he saw a pair of shoes from the open door. Suddenly, a young woman appeared in the doorway.

“She pops out, didn’t say a word, just ran up and all she wanted was a hug,” Gutierrez said. “It was a pretty surreal moment, and that’s when I realized who this was.”

Gutierrez leaves the cabin doors open during the winter in case a wayward hiker needs to find shelter.

Gutierrez gave Slaton a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and called authorities, who brought her to a hospital for evaluation. She was hungry and dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition, sheriff’s officials said.

According to Sheriff’s spokesperson Tony Botti, it was the longest period of time he’s seen someone go missing in the wilderness and survive.

“Three weeks, it’s unheard of,” he said. “It speaks to the tenacity that Tiffany has, that she’s a fighter.”

After the rescue, Tiffany’s father, Bobby Slaton, said “a ton of weight has been lifted.” He thanked the search-and-rescue team and all the community members who helped in the effort to find her.

Sheriff’s officials said snowplows cleared a key mountain pass earlier last Wednesday, which allowed Gutierrez to access the resort on Lake Edison for the first time this year. Gutierrez said he had to spend about an hour and a half breaking up ice before he could get into the property.

Slaton’s parents said Tiffany was raised with a love of the outdoors, and they always stressed the importance of being able to fend for yourself in a tough situation.

“So, it’s nice to know, as parents, that all the things that we’ve taught her, she actually did,” her mother said. “We believe that life is an adventure.”

And what an adventure it is.

Climbing High

Kenton is really cool. No, we really mean that. His name is Kenton Cool. And he also does cool stuff.

Kenton, a British mountain guide, scaled Mount Everest on Sunday for the nineteenth time – breaking his own record for the most ascents of the world’s highest mountain by a non-Sherpa guide.

The 51-year-old from southwest England scaled the 29,032-foot peak on Sunday, May 18, along with several other climbers. He was doing well and on his way down from the summit, said Iswari Paudel of Himalayan Guides Nepal, which equipped his expedition.

Kenton first climbed Mount Everest in 2004 and has been doing it almost every year since then.

He was unable to climb Everest in 2014 because the season was canceled after 16 Sherpa guides were killed in an avalanche. In 2015, an earthquake triggered an avalanche that killed 19 people, cancelling his trip. The 2020 climbing season was abandoned because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Only Nepali Sherpa guides have scaled the peak more times than Kenton.

The highest number of climbs of Mount Everest is 30 times by Nepali Sherpa guide Kami Rita, who is currently on the mountain and is expected to make the climb in the next few days.

Yup, Kenton is really cool.

Best Birthday Wishes

Denver Moore, of Ohio, just turned 104 years old.

The World War II veteran is a big fan of President Trump and went viral in March for inviting the commander-in-chief to his upcoming birthday party in a TikTok video

“President Trump… I’m gonna be 104 in May, and I’m inviting you to my birthday party in Canal Fulton,” he said in the video. “I got to vote for you again, and I hope I can vote for you some more.”

On Thursday, Moore received a oneof-a-kind birthday present: a video message from the President.

“Hi, Denver!” Trump says in the video message.

“I want to wish you a very happy 104th birthday from your all-time favorite president. That’s me, Donald Trump. And I’m sorry we weren’t able to get to your party. I would love to get to your party, but I’m working on Russia, Ukraine, China, and all sorts of other places, and I know you want us to do well.

“But I want just to thank you for your incredible service to our nation and for your support for making America great again. A very, very special man you are, and happy birthday,” he continued.

After watching the video, Moore said about Trump fulfilling his birthday wish, “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”

Moore has been a longtime supporter of Trump and says he agrees with most of the actions he’s taken.

“He may make a mistake or two, but he’s doing most everything right,” he said.

Moore served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II before working for the U.S. Postal Service. He raised three children with his late wife Thelma Lee, to whom he was married for 75 years before she died in 2022 at age 95.

Moore’s family and friends say he is still mentally sharp and stays physically active, despite his advanced age.

“I was always active, doing something. I carried mail for 20 years, walking, and that was good. I grew up on a farm. We did everything. And if we didn’t have anything to do, we created something. So it’s just this: stay active,” Moore said, sharing the secret of his longevity.

He added, “Marry the right woman and live with her all of her life.”

Wise words.

Around the Community

Scenes from the Hadlaka and Seudah on Lag B’Omer at Siach Yitzchok

Around the Community Lag B’Omer at Yeshiva Darchei Torah

ECC yeladim celebrated Lag Ba’Omer with a nature walk and inflatables

Lag B’Omer at Rambam

After a thrilling chagiga on Friday featuring Rambam Rebbe Emeritus Rabbi Ari Boiangiu, the Lag B’Omer festivities continued on Monday for Rambam with two schoolwide trips.

One group of students went to paintball out on Long Island to one of the world’s most diverse paintball arenas. The site included a WWI-style trench warfare scenario, a castle, a downed plane, and more!

The other group went to the park for softball, kickball, basketball, soccer, and more! Rosh Mesivta Rabbi Avi Her-

schman and Principal Dr. Hillel Goldman also made their way to the park and took a few swings on the softball diamond. After watching junior Ephraim Twersky and senior Etai Kreitner leg out inside the ballpark homeruns, the admins gave it a valiant effort but were no match for the youngsters. Director of Student Activities Rabbi Yitz Milworn, however, more than held his own. Between the paintball, the ball, the delicious and multifarious snacks, it was a wonderful day of bonding and play!

Gesher had a blast celebrating Lag B’Omer with bouncy houses and cotton candy

Rising High On Lag B’Omer

TAG talmidos from grades 1-8 certainly had high expectations for their annual Lag B’Omer celebration which took place on Thursday, May 15. The fun began with bouncing inflatables in the auditorium which kept everyone jumping for joy. The spirits continued to rise as the talmidos ascended

to the decorated roof to enjoy a delicious barbecue lunch.

Thank you to all the volunteer mothers, the organizers of the event, and most importantly thank you Hashem, who once again showed us that He is in charge of the weather and the forecasted rain did not happen.

Village of Lawrence News

In an emergency, each minute can mean the difference between life and death. To help Hatzalah of the Rockaways and Nassau County continue its lifesaving mission, with unmatched response times, at the May 14 Annual Dinner, Mayor Sam Nahmias was proud to bestow a check of over $400,000 for the purchase new medical equipment. The funding was allocated in the Nassau County budget through the planning of County Executive Bruce Blakeman in collaboration with the Legislative Presiding Officer Howard Kopel and Legislator John Ferretti.

“We are deeply grateful to County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Presiding

Officer Howard Kopel for this generous grant. Hatzalah is an integral part of our community, known for its rapid and reliable emergency response. Upgrading their equipment will further improve response times and help save lives. The Village of Lawrence is proud to support this exceptional volunteer organization, and we look forward to continuing our support of their vital work,” Samuel Nahmias, mayor of Lawrence County Executive Bruce Blakeman noted, “Proud to support Hatzalah of the Rockaways & Nassau County with a $411,800 contribution to their incredible volunteer ambulance corps! These dedicated heroes answer the call day

Class of 2025 Begins

Senior

The members of the class of 2025 are enjoying their last remaining weeks as Yeshiva University High School for Girls (Central) Wildcats. As classes came to a close in late April, these soon-to-be graduates enjoyed a long-anticipated Central milestone: Senior Seminar. A series of educational experiences both in and out of the classroom, the Senior Seminar program aims to provide students with exactly the kind of well-rounded, practical education young women need entering the world beyond high school. The week offered a full roster of exciting guests, including certified financial planner and Senior Financial Advisor to the Achiezer Team, Ms. Stacey Zrihen, who taught a segment on financial literacy, a tutorial on keeping a kosher kitchen from Central’s very own Rabbi Joshua Goller, a talk on the world of work from Camp Morasha Director Mr. Jeremy Joszef, a presentation from Director of Education for NCSY and Clinical Assistant Professor of Jewish Values at YU’s Sy Syms School

and night — saving lives, supporting families, and strengthening our communities. Nassau County is deeply grateful for their selfless service and unwavering commitment. Thank you, Hatzalah, for being there when it matters most.”

Additionally, Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias was proud to represent Lawrence at Israel Day on Fifth on May 18. Thousands came out to celebrate the unity, culture, and resilience of Israel. He is pictured here with Congressman Mike Lawler, Assemblyman Ari Brown, County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Ambassador Danny Danon, and Legislator Mazi Pilip.

On Sunday, May 25, the Villages of

Cedarhurst and Lawrence will host their Annual Memorial Day Parade stepping off at 10:00 am. Veteran groups, police and fire departments, community organizations, and schools will march along Central Avenue, from Frost Lane to Cedarhurst Avenue and concluding at Andrew J. Parise Park in Cedarhurst. Please join us for a special service to commemorate the courageous souls of our fallen heroes and pay tribute to our veterans. Let’s show our love and appreciation for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country by lining the parade route and attending the memorial service.

Seminar and Internships at YUHSG

of Business Rabbi Dr. Dovid Bashevkin, and a presentation from former Central Judaic Studies faculty member and current Associate Director of North America for the JLIC, Rabbi Elie Weissman. Also included: lessons on the finer points of a safe, healthy adulthood, including parenthood, healthy relationships, a visit to a mikvah, how to change a tire, and “How to Stay Safe in NYC,” featuring officers from the NYPD.

Following Senior Seminar, students took another step toward the real world through the senior internship program. Now in its third year at Central, this highly popular initiative gives students job experience in a variety of professional settings. From the Nassau County Legislature to the emergency room at Mount Sinai and everywhere in between – including bookstores, pharmacies, construction firms, clinics, and museums–Wildcats are working toward the future.

Senior Michaela Meerbaum is interning at Alvarez Fine Art Services, where she has been learning on the job: “I got

hands-on experience learning how to restore different pieces of art,” she said. A few seniors are experiencing working in education – senior Perri Bausk is interning at Gesher Yehuda Yeshiva of Brooklyn, where she has been building skills working with children. “You need a lot of patience to be a teacher,” she said. “It’s important to be patient with young kids.”

Students will present summaries of their internship experiences, including key lessons learned and experiences

gained, at an expo for Central students and faculty on May 30. Further milestone events for the senior class include the Senior Shabbaton May 16 and 17, the YUHSG Senior Dinner on May 29, and the annual senior trip to Lake George June 4 and 5. Lastly, the seventy-third annual YUHSG commencement ceremony will be held at Lamport Auditorium on the campus of Yeshiva University on Monday, June 9.

YOSS Shorashim and Milim Bee HALB Sixth Grade STEM Fair

The sixth grade boys worked hard on making games that use circuits to light up and buzz when played.

They were very proud of their accomplishments and had a great time showing their friends the games they made!

A True Night of Inspiration at TAG

For the past four years, TAG’s Women’s League has been sponsoring inspiring Sefira shiurim given by illustrious speakers that has been open to the entire community. Under the dynamic leadership of Mrs. Nataly Magendzo, this event draws a large crowd that always leave with inspiring ideas on how to maximize the days leading up to the yom tov of Shavuos.

This year, the shiur, which was held on Tuesday, May 13, was far and beyond the most successful and well attended event. The shiur was sponsored by the Magendzo family in memory of Nataly’s father, Boruch Binyomin Ben Moshe a”h, as well as the Schwadel family, who sponsored the shiur in memory of Elchonon Aryeh Leib ben Yitzchok a”h. Much appreciation to our outstanding event committee: Mrs. Michelle Berger, Mrs. Edna Ershowsky, Mrs. Martha Herskovich, Mrs. Rivka Katznelson, Mrs. Miriam Mandel, Rebbetzin Miriam Rubenstein, Mrs. Julie Saal, Mrs. Surie Tamir, Mrs. Amanda Waltuch, Mrs. Alyssa Weinberg, and Mrs. Lani Zoldan.

The evening started off with a welcome from Mrs. Rivky Keilson, Assistant Principal, Elementary General Studies Department, who acknowledged and thanked Nataly Magendzo not only for

these Sefira shiurim, but for her devotion and dedication to all things TAG. She then led the huge audience in a kapital of Tehillim for the matzav in Eretz Yisroel.

When noted speaker Rabbi Shlomo Farhi began his talk, one could already sense that he had an important message to share to help us prepare properly for Shavuos and what counting Sefirah can accomplish in helping us reach that goal. With his wit and humor, he explained what it means to be a Naaseh v’Nishmah Yid and how fortunate we are to be part of this amazing people, called Am Yisrael. He reminded us that all nishamos from all future generations were there to say these famous words, and he gave some moving examples of how others strive to become part of Klal Yisroel.

Perhaps the most central skill to a Jew and budding talmid chochom is his ability to read and have a comprehensive knowledge of Lashon Kodesh. To this end, all three third grade classes at Yeshiva of South Shore competed in a Milim Bee that they had spent many months learning and reviewing for. The bee consisted of 188 shorashim

The boys who made it into the bee had to answer Hebrew to English translations within a five second span, and, as the bee progressed, the timer was reduced to four seconds and translating from English to

Hebrew.

All the other talmidim were incredibly supportive of the competitors and displayed wonderful sportsmanship and middos. It was a fantastic opportunity for the boys to display their milim skills and demonstrate what their rabbeim had taught them. Mazal tov to Donny Baruch, Baruch Miller and Tzvi Markowitz for winning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place respectively! IY”H they will all continue to grow in their knowledge and understanding of Torah!

Brachos Bonanza at Tal Academy

At Tal Academy something magical is brewing. And no, it’s not in the science lab. The school has just launched the Great Brachos Contest of the Year, and it’s turning lunchtime into a brachos bonanza.

Here’s how it works: students recite brachos such as Bracha Rishona, Bracha Achrona, and Asher Yatzar with utmost accuracy. Each one earns them points, and those points? Oh, they’re no joke. They’re the golden tickets to an epic endof-year trip.

The best part? Kids are taking this seriously. So seriously that they’re using recess—the sacred time usually reserved for sports —to say more brachos. Loudly. Proudly. With gusto. One staff member said, “The excitement in the hallways is palpable.” Which is code for: you can’t walk ten feet without someone making a bracha to a rebbi or morah.

Some students are even leaving voice notes with their brachos to earn bonus points. (No, it’s not homework. It’s just the kind of thing they’re choosing to do for fun.)

This initiative is doing more than strengthening kriah and accuracy. It’s cultivating a deeper awareness of Hashem in the everyday and infusing the school day with a spirit of unity and true simchas ha’mitzvos.

At Tal Academy, the blessings are being counted—literally—and the results are beautiful.

This isn’t just a contest. It’s a joyful, school-wide mission to thank Hashem.

Newly Launched DRS Golf Team

The DRS Golf Team teed off against TABC this week at the beautiful Seawane Club, coming away with a hard-fought 30.5-23.5 win.

The weather couldn’t have been better, and the boys came ready — both in spirit and in style — rocking sharp new golf swag and showing up locked in from the first tee.

The match format was 1v1 match play across nine holes, with each hole worth one point (or a half-point each if tied). Each team put up six players, and every

HALB Science Fair

matchup was tight.

The MVP of the day was Mikey Freund, who shot an impressive 38 (+2) and led the charge with clutch play down the stretch. His performance helped swing key points in DRS’s favor and set the tone for the rest of the team.

All in all, it was a big win for the squad, who continue to impress with their consistency, competitive energy, and solid teamwork. We hope that this match will launch a larger yeshiva tournament in next year’s season.

The eighth grade students at HALB put together an exceptional science fair. They worked for months on their projects and did a great job presenting their findings.

Flag Football League

What a great week it was at the Five Towns FM Home Loans Flag Football League! Every participant received an authentic Five Towns Flag Football FM Home Loans zip-up sweatshirt. They were so excited to receive this amazing epic swag giveaway.

The boys were also very excited to play double header games before Shabbos. The Pre 1A division had a great time learning the game and getting ready for the big leagues with Rabbi Jeremy Fine! The first grade division had a lot of fun catching the ball and playing with their friends. In the 2nd grade division, the Broncos beat the Vikings, Steelers tied with the Patriots, Giants beat the Jets, Panthers beat the Eagles, Panthers beat

the Jets, Giants beat the Patriots, Steelers beat the Vikings, and the Eagles beat the Broncos. Benny Lowinger, Gavriel Sherman and Yechiel Zicherman all played great this week! In the 3rd/4th grade division, Seahawks beat the Eagles, Saints beat the Patriots, Eagles beat the Panthers, Steelers beat the Jets, Seahawks beat the Patriots, and the Vikings beat the Saints. Eliyahu Seidman, Ezra Novak and Dovid Perl all played great this week! In the 5th/6th grade division, Eagles beat the Seahawks, Vikings beat the Broncos, Patriots beat Saints, Giants and Steelers tie, Eagles beat Panthers, Broncos beat Giants, Vikings beat Saints, and Patriots beat Seahawks. Ethan Katz, Yaakov Tsaidi and Yosef Zelman all played great this week! The 7th/8th grade divi-

5TLL May 18 Double-Header Recap

With all the rain earlier this season, we attempted to add some games with a 5TLL FM Home Loans Double-Header Day to buff up the standings and get a little more game time in. This was a cool opportunity to bounce back from a loss very quickly, which many teams did accomplish! Here are some of the highlights from this week’s 5TLL Sunday.

1st Grade

Drifters saw their record jump above .500 after completing the sweep of Marciano Pediatric Dentistry. Defeating Marciano 13-6 in game one with great play from MVP Shua Badian. Game two’s final score was 14-12. Zach Pearlman hit a grand slam in this one and displayed Gold Glove defense to earn MVP.

Wieder and Maidenbaum fought their way to a 12-12 tie in their first game. MVP Shimon Frishman hit a grand slam to win the second game and Dad/Coach Menachem Frishman gave a new meaning to helicopter parenting when he flew around the bases alongside Shimon. Joseph Feldman homered a few times in this series, Yaakov Grossman hit a triple and played solid defense and Benny Yifat was great in the field as well to mention some others.

2nd Grade

Hewlett Auto Body swept SR Whee winning the first matchup 15-4 and game two 11-6. Ezra Haglili was the MVP for his excellent field play to keep SR Whee to a modest total runs.

sion had fun playing a mini all-star game with boys playing from all teams! Tzvi Brazil, Naftali Galler and Saul Schulman all played great this week!

We are gearing up for playoffs this

coming week and are already looking forward to next season which will begin after the summer. Registration is now open www.5townsflagfootball.com.

The double header between Marciano Pediatric Dentistry and Bravo Pizza saw a split with Bravo winning first 12-8 and Marciano bounced back in the second game to win 4-2. It was Meir Feuer in the first game hitting two dingers and catching the final out to earn MVP. In game two, Yumi Erlichman was the MVP closing out the game with a game saving tag to win.

Smash House split with Elegant Lawns winning 13-10 and dropping the second game 16-12. Coby Adler hit a home run and made an incredible diving catch.

A wild finish to the game between Advantage PT and Drifters. APT led 18-9 going into the final inning. Drifters then rallied back with Dovid Levitin hitting a game-tying grand slam! This one finished in a tie, albeit in dramatic fashion.

3rd Grade

Growtha beat Better Image Contracting twice. Game one was an absolute thriller. MVP Simcha Sperling capped off an 11 run final inning with a walk-off single after he homered on an earlier at bat. Boy, can he clean the bases like his pops cleans dryer vents!

4th Grade

Target Exterminating had some struggle in game one but held onto a 6-5 victory and dismantled Marciano Pediatric Dentistry in game two 11-1. Yitzy Weiss and Mordechai Reiss were fantastic for Target.

Game one, down 8-2 things looked

bleak for BlueBird Insurance going into the last inning facing Town Appliance. Dovi Kohn stepped up to the plate and began the rally bringing in a run on a base hit. Clutch hits by Pinny Weinstein, Tzvi Jarcaig and Aryeh Kleinkaufman delivered one of the greatest comebacks 5TLL has ever seen with BlueBird winning it 11-10 in walk-off fashion from a Dovid Feigenbaum base hit. Game 2 Bluebird kept the pedal to the metal with extra base hits from Eliyahu Hill and Avi Genack, exceptional defense from Shmaya Pfeffer and Elya Feit to jump all over Town Appliance winning 12-1

5th Grade

Elegant Lawns and Town Appliance played two close games and split. Elegant struck first winning 6-2 and Shlomo Cohen hit a key double to secure the lead in

game one. Town came back focused to go home with a win and did just that defeating Elegant Lawns 6-3 in game two.

6th Grade

Sperling Productions came out on top in two really competitive games against Emporio 4-1 and 2-1. Avi Grinberg got his bat back, but we’re gonna mention his phenomenal pitching this time. Tani Benderly hit a 3 run triple which was ultimately the difference in game 1. In game two Dovi Cohen hit a walk-off two run shot!

7th/8th Grade

Maidenbaum defeated Judaica Plus 8-5 and Binyamin Haas was the MVP for his highlight play at home plate, holding onto the ball through a big collision to end that inning and prevent further damage to their lead. Dov Solomon hit a 2-run bomb as well.

Pesach Osina, Sender Schwartz, Deputy Chief Richie Taylor and Pinny Hikind, special assistant to City Comptroller Brad Lander, at the Hatzalah dinner

Egg-citing News at YOSS

We are thrilled to announce that Mrs. Fitz’s science class at Yeshiva of South Shore will be embarking on a very egg-citing new project: incubating and hatching quail eggs right here in school!

The eggs have been placed into the incubator and have started their two-week incubation period. We are expecting our fluffy new arrivals to hatch on the Tuesday following Memorial Day weekend. This hands-on experience aligns beautifully with Mrs. Fitz’s upcoming lesson on the circle of life, providing students with

a unique and engaging way to witness life sciences in action.

We’d like to give a very special thank you to Mrs. Fitz for bringing her incredible enthusiasm, dedication, and creativity to the classroom. Her passion for teaching and excitement for this project are truly inspiring, and we are so grateful for the enriching experiences she creates for our students every day.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Striks, our dedicated school psychologist, for generously donating not only the fertilized quail eggs, but also

Action in the Face of Antisemitism

his incubator, brooder, and most importantly, his time and expertise. Dr. Striks, who raises quail at home, has been instrumental in making this project possible, and we are deeply appreciative of his generosity and support.

We look forward to keeping the YOSS community updated throughout the process as our students learn, care for, and ultimately welcome new life into the world. Stay tuned for updates and photos as this egg-ceptional journey unfolds!

Touro Law Launches First-ever Clinic in U.S. to Train Legal Advocates

Antisemitism has steadily risen in the United States over the last few decades, but in the wake of the October 7 attacks and the war in Gaza, the increase has been meteoric. Last year saw a 140% surge in antisemitic incidents over the prior year and the largest number of episodes since 1979, according to the ADL.

Many in the Jewish community are confused and distressed, unsure whether America is still safe and whether the pogroms and blatant antisemitism experienced during the Holocaust have landed in the U.S.

At Touro University, education is the key to empowerment. This year, Touro Law launched the nation’s first-ever antisemitism clinic at a law school. Led by Mark Goldfeder, a rabbi and lawyer whose academic focus has been on constitutional and international law, this clinic is designed to train the next generation of legal advocates.

“We plan to produce advocates who

will contribute in a meaningful way to the community, whether through litigation, legislation or education,” said Goldfeder.

“Our graduates will use the skills they learn to defend individuals or institutions, advocate for meaningful change and address antisemitism in real life impactful ways, including for example in employment and housing discrimination. The training we provide will equip our students with the skills and legal background they need to make a difference.”

The Touro Law students will be learning from a professor whose real-world experience is already influencing policy. In fact, Goldfeder wrote the seminal law review article on “Defining Antisemitism” after much discussion in the national arena around the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Largely as a result of his work, a super majority of U.S. states have now adopted this defi-

nition in some form. Beyond that, Goldfeder founded The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), a nonprofit that addresses antisemitism with advocacy, expert testimony, legislation and litigation. In that role, he has testified before Congress on campus antisemitism and engages in strategic impact litigation, using new legal theories to expand the toolbox of ways in which the legal system can address antisemitism.

Touro Law students who participate in the newly-established clinic are offered the opportunity to extend their training and experience through internships and externships at organizations that fight antisemitism. Working under the heads of the legal department and supervised by Goldfeder, they will be interacting directly with clients and learning the process. At the end of the semester, they will be equipped to handle cases on their own.

“At this time in history, I believe it’s critical to arm students with the advoca-

cy skills and the tools they need to speak up for the truth and for justice,” said Goldfeder. “I’m proud to be part of this new initiative and while I hope that it will be replicated by other schools across the country, the fact that Touro was the first in line speaks volumes about the University’s values and mission. This is what it means to lead.”

Mishna Yomi Siyum at HAFTR

This past Friday, the HAFTR community gathered to celebrate a truly extraordinary milestone: the completion of Seder Nezikin by participants in our Mishna Yomi program. Since March 2023, this daily learning initiative—spearheaded by Rabbi Asher Klein, HAFTR’s N-8 Mashgiach Ruchani—has brought students, families, and faculty together through a shared commitment to learn two Mishnayot each day, every day, without interruption.

With 133 students participating (not including their parents, grandparents), our Mishna Yomi community collectively completed over 80,000 Mishnayot in Seder Nezikin. An inspiring 43 students in grades 4-8 completed the entire Seder. These students spent the past year and a half mastering detailed and challenging topics related to monetary law, ethics, responsibility, and justice.

The Grand Siyum, generously sponsored by the Wallach family in memory of Lee Wallach z”l, was a spirited celebration of Torah and community, noted by the attendance of several community Rabbis. Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich, rabbi of Congregation Beth Sholom, and Rabbi Shalom Axelrod, rabbi of the Young Israel of Woodmere, offered heartfelt tefillot on behalf of Israel. The siyum culminated with Rabbi Ira Wallach, Rosh Yeshiva of HAFTR High School, emotionally reciting the final two Mishnayot of Seder Nezikin. In his remarks, Rabbi Wallach spoke about the legacy of his father, the importance of lifelong learning, and how deeply proud he was of every student who took part in this initiative.

Following the Siyum, the students heard inspiring words from Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, Rabbi of Beis HaKnesses of North Woodmere, who delivered a moving address to the students, underscoring

the power of consistent Torah learning.

To conclude the meaningful program, Rabbi Klein and Dr. Gold then unveiled a commemorative banner in honor of the students’ incredible achievements, now proudly displayed in the Lower School gymnasium.

We extend our deepest thanks to the esteemed community rabbis who joined us for this special celebration. Your presence added meaning, strength, and inspiration to the siyum, and your words of encouragement left a lasting impact on our students. We are grateful to each of these rabbanim for uplifting our students and for standing alongside HAFTR in our shared mission of nurturing a generation grounded in Torah, values, and community.

Lastly, we thank the “Mishna Hawks” who have uplifted our entire HAFTR community with their dedication, perseverance, and love of learning. This

milestone celebration was a powerful reminder of HAFTR’s mission: to cultivate a deep, joyful, and enduring connection to Torah and its timeless values.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Wallach family for their meaningful sponsorship and to the entire HAFTR team—our devoted administrators, teachers, rebbeim, morot, and especially Rabbi Asher Klein—for their vision, leadership, and steadfast commitment to our students’ spiritual and personal growth.

Orthodox Union Names Sydney Altfield As National Director of Teach Coalition

Teach Coalition, a project of the Orthodox Union dedicated to advocating for government funding and resources for nonpublic schools, announced this week the appointment of Sydney Altfield as National Director.

Founded in 2013, Teach Coalition has been at the forefront of advocating for government funding of Jewish day schools and yeshivas. Teach Coalition works across legislative, executive and judicial branches in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, California, Nevada and at the Federal level. Altfield will oversee the organization nationally.

Sydney’s promotion from within the organization comes after more than seven years with Teach Coalition. Most recently, she led Teach NYS. In that role,

Sydney represented Teach in the State capitol and across NYC and state, organized student, community, and multifaith missions to Albany, built grassroots community political engagement by facilitating politician visits to schools, and secured record breaking security, STEM reimbursement funding, and the nonpublic school inclusion in the historic Universal Free Meals program. Sydney was named to City & State Brooklyn Power 100, is a member of Mayor Adams Jewish Advisory Council, and holds a B.A. from the University of Central Florida.

“The Orthodox Union community –along with other faith communities – is committed to educate its students in our day schools and yeshiva, where their faith and values are nurtured while they

receive a well-rounded education. Especially as our community faces record antisemitism, that high-quality Jewish education needs to be made more accessible,” said Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union. “Sydney taking the helm at Teach Coalition, with all of her experience and passion, represents the redoubling of our commitment to helping Jewish Day School and Yeshiva families and those that aspire to attend these schools.”

“It has been a privilege founding and building Teach Coalition into the powerhouse organization that it is today,” said Maury Litwack, Founder and CEO of Jewish Voters Unite. “With Sydney as the new National Director, I have complete confidence that it is in the best possible hands. I’ve had the privilege of working

alongside Sydney for years—someone whose vision, integrity, and dedication have helped shape what the organization has become. I look forward to working with Sydney in her new capacity as she takes the organization to the next level.”

“The continuity of the Jewish people depends on quality, accessible Jewish education,” Altfield said. “As momentum builds nationwide for educational freedom, there is no more critical—or inspiring—moment to take on this role. Teach Coalition continues to meet the moment—not only in the halls of government where critical policy is shaped, but also in the heart of our community, where grassroots energy and engagement drive lasting change, and I am honored to help lead our efforts at this defining time for our community.”

Rambam Parsha Yomi with Rabbi Sicklick

One of the highlights of the Rambam Mesivta Kodesh Extracurricular Program is Parsha Yomi with Rabbi Dr. Andrew Sicklick. This past Friday, over two dozen students participated in his shiur and weekly quiz on the parsha and Rashi. The program continues to grow, even at this late stage in the year.

Rabbi Sicklick also announced that, based on a complex algorithm involving attendance and scores on the quizzes and exams, members of Parsha Yomi were eligible for the highly coveted Rambam plaques, and/or seforim, and Parsha Yomi sweatshirts. Awards to be given out soon!

SHS Evening of the Arts and Scholarship

Sandwiched between core academic courses and a robust schedule of extracurricular activities lies the electives block, a set of specialties that aren’t always as visible but that are teeming with talent. Including subjects such as graphic design, studio art, and photography, students choose their elective based on areas of interest in which they feel their spark of creativity can be developed and expanded.

Last week, SHS held its inaugural Evening of the Arts and Scholarship to showcase the brilliance and skill that have emerged from some of these classes. Students’ work was presented gal-

lery-style, with artwork from various disciplines and all four years of skill level displayed. Parents and fellow students were invited to browse the curated selections and hear a brief synopsis of the work.

Additionally, as a final spotlight on their accomplishments before graduation, seniors presented their Capstone projects to the audience, explaining their research and findings on their topics of choice. The evening unveiled the fabulous talent SHS students possess, and we look forward to exhibiting their work annually.

MTA’s Names, Not Number Program Premiers Its Documentary

Last week, the 20 students in MTA’s senior elective course Names, Not Numbers® got together with members of their family and Holocaust survivors for the screening of their film: Names, Not Numbers, A Movie in the Making. It is MTA’s 19th year participating in this program, led by program creator, Tova Fish Rosenberg, and coordinated by Mrs. Rivka Djavaheri.

Names, Not Numbers® is a Holocaust oral history film documentary project. Students learn firsthand about the Holocaust by making their own professional documentary. Professionals – renowned journalists, documentary filmmakers, and guest speakers – instruct the students in interviewing techniques, videography and editing. The students interview, film and edit the survivors’ testimonies which are then combined into a final documentary.

The event was the culmination of the entire project this year. Students and survivors were served a catered dinner while listening to speeches from Menahel Rabbi Shimon Schenker, NNN founder Tova Rosenberg, and a number of student representatives about the importance of this project and the impact that Names Not Numbers® has had on the life of each student who participated in the project. A lot of emphasis has been placed on the special importance and relevance of Holocaust remembrance as the years following the Holocaust increase, and through their participation in Names, Not Numbers®, these 20 students have become “Witnesses to the Witnesses.”

A particularly special aspect of this

year’s project was that five out of six survivors that MTA was privileged to interview were personal relatives of the students in the project. Yaacov Schilo, the grandfather of one of the boys, survived the war as a baby in hiding with a Catholic family in the Netherlands. His parents, thankfully, survived in hiding with a different family, and they were reunited after the war. Yaacov grew up and still lives in Amsterdam to this day. The boys – including his grandson – interviewed him on Zoom. In the words of his grandson, “It became one of the most honest, emotional conversations we’ve ever had. I didn’t just learn about what happened — I connected with a part of my family’s history in a way I never had before.”

Rena Zekter, from Poland, miraculously survived months in hiding with her mother and three younger brothers. They evaded capture by the local Polish collaborators by hiding in the forests, haystacks, barns, and in tall grass through the bitter cold of the winter until liberated by the

Rena is in her 90s, and for her interview the students traveled to her independent living facility in New Jersey. Her great-great-nephew was one of her interviewers, and at the final event he recalled, “This year I feel so blessed to have been able to interview my great-greatAunt Regina… despite the nightmares she had just recalled during the interview, she concluded our conversation with ‘Baruch Hashem’... We didn’t just get to study history; we sat with it, cried with it, and learned what strength truly means….”

Michael and Inessa Kogan, grandparents of another of our students, were two child survivors from the Soviet Union. Separately, Inessa survived the war after being evacuated to Siberia with her mother and aunt, and Michael survived after being evacuated to Azerbaijan. Michael lost his father and younger brother and one of Inessa’s sister’s died prematurely from her war injuries, but they themselves ended up living through the war and growing up in the Soviet Union where they met, married, raised their son, and eventually emigrated to America in the 1980s. Their grandson, one of the students in the project, gave his grandparents a bracha at the movie screening, “I love you, BabaInna and DedaMisha, for all that you are and have done for us, and I ask Hashem to give you many more years of life to be a source of inspiration and strength for our family….”

Masza Rosenroth, the great-aunt of another of the students, survived the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz, and labor camps before being liberated with her sister. In the ghetto, they had lost both their mother and father to starvation and a younger sister during one of the children’s deportations, but after the war, they were

reunited with an older brother who had survived the war as well. Now 100 years old, Masza lives in Los Angeles, and her great-nephew and a friend took a special trip to fly out to L.A. to interview her.

Manny Korman and his older brother made it onto one of the last Kindertransports out of Poland before WWII began. He spent a year in the English countryside, and then successfully made it to America where their mother was. Their father had been a passenger on the ill-fated St. Louis and was later incarcerated in the Dutch Concentration Camp Westerbork, but he thankfully survived and was reunited with his family after the war. Manny, in his 90s, was the only one of the six survivors who were able to join us for this movie screening final event, and we are so grateful to him that he made the effort to attend.

Just one week later, the six seniors enrolled in the MTA Elective Course “Holocaust Studies” taught by Mrs. Rivka Djavaheri went on a class field trip to the Anne Frank Exhibit at the Center for Jewish History, located in the YU Museum. This trip was the culmination of a year of in depth learning about the Holocaust, exploring such diverse topics as Holocaust Memorials, the Psychology of the Perpetrators, Holocaust Films, Other Victims, the Reparations Controversy, Second Generation struggles, Gilgul Neshamos of the Holocaust, The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and other Resistance, and many, many more topics and themes. The students appreciated the unique opportunity to see relics from Anne Frank’s life and the recreated layout of the Secret Annex. It was a fitting end to a meaningful and transformative year of learning together.

Around the Community

Rav Asher Shteierman and his fifth grade talmidim at Yeshiva Darchei Torah produced a fascinating presentation on the halachos of shatnez for all the fifth grade classes

SKA Student Gets Citizenship Award

Talia Perry, a 10th grade student attending Stella K. Abraham High School, was honored at the Hewlett-Woodmere Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, May 14, as the recipient of the HWFA Citizenship Award. Presented by teacher Carol Bours, the award is given to one student in each building who exemplifies outstanding citizenship and recognizes students who consistently demonstrate qualities such as responsibility, kindness, and a commitment to their school and community. A truly kind friend and a role model to her peers, Talia embodies everything the HWFA Citizenship Award celebrates.

Shavuos Wines: Quality over Quantity

By Gabriel Geller, Royal Wine/ Kedem

Shavuos is primarily a time of joy, moderate indulgence, and gratitude as we celebrate the receiving of the Torah. It’s also a holiday that brings us together around festive meals, often featuring rich dairy dishes but also festive meats. Some even have the minhag to start with a milchig meal and then mark a pause, switch dishes, and finish with a fleishig meal. All of this is to say that it creates opportunities to play around with wine pairings. Considering that, at least for the first meal of yom tov we want to keep our energy and focus on Torah learning for most or all of the night, the emphasis should be on quality rather than on quantity.

With that in mind, here are some great options to consider:

Shiloh, Sauvignon Blanc, 2023

While Shiloh is mostly famous for its reds, there’s also something special about the Sauvignon Blanc. It is a refreshing and approachable white that combines vibrant citrus fruit notes with complexity and crisp acidity. Notes of ripe grapefruit, Meyer lemon, fresh hay, and earthy minerals create a wine that’s

both lively and nuanced. Best served slightly chilled, it’s the perfect match for a platter of soft cheeses or a creamy mushroom risotto.

J. de Villebois, Pouilly-Fumé, Les Silex Blancs, 2023

The Loire Valley is becoming increasingly prolific with new kosher offerings every year. This is a rather high-end Pouilly-Fumé, an appellation/subregion of the Loire Valley known for its unique expressions of Sauvignon Blanc. I recommend comparing this wine and the aforementioned Shiloh side by side just to see how different wines made with the same grape variety and from the same vintage can be tasty yet so different. This wine is floral, zesty, with citrus peel notes like lime and grapefruit, while subtle hints of earthy, saline minerals and grass add complexity. It is a great pairing with creamy pastas, soft cheeses, grilled red snapper, or even a crispy schnitzel.

Zion, Capital, Rosé, 2023

Israel’s growing reputation for exceptional rosé wines continues with the Zion Capital Rosé. While Zion is one of Israel’s oldest wineries, its wines have been flying a bit under the radar in some circles. This rosé is so vibrant, lively, and well-balanced that I chose it for my four

cups this past Pesach. And the cherry on top: it’s very much affordable. With a pale yet bright pink color and notes of lavender, cherry, strawberry, pink grapefruit, and herbaceous flavors, this wine is ideal for lighter dishes like gravlax, Greek salad and sushi.

Pinto, Grenache, 2021

It is time to take this hidden gem out of the shadows! A beautiful expression of Israel’s unique Negev desert terroir, with Grenache Noir grapes grown in a hot and arid climate. This wine balances good acidity with ripe red fruit aromas, complemented by earthy undertones and hints of roasted meat, herbs, and spices. It’s a medium wine that pairs wonderfully with fleishig dishes such as grilled

lamb chops, short ribs, or savory empanadas.

Baron Herzog, Pinot Grigio, 2023

The Baron Herzog Pinot Grigio is a standout example of this popular variety, offering a welcome departure from the usual boring, one-dimensional citrusy notes. Not that there is anything wrong with citrusy notes, they’re there, too. Instead, it’s filled with additional flavors of white peach, apricot, and tropical fruits like papaya and guava. The vibrant yet rounder, but balanced profile typical of Pinot Grigio makes it a versatile wine that pairs well with herb-crusted veal chops or delicate dishes like trout baked in butter and almonds.

L’chaim!

500 Leaders Rally Behind Met Council at Breakfast

In a powerful show of support, more than 500 elected officials, civic leaders, and dignitaries gathered Sunday morning to recognize Met Council — America’s largest Jewish charity fighting poverty — for its unwavering commitment to serving New Yorkers in need. Held at Cipriani 42nd Street just before the Salute to Israel Parade, the event also drew relatives of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, underscoring the moment’s emotional and geopolitical weight.

The gathering reflected the depth of support for Met Council’s mission, with speakers and honorees including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Representatives Yvette Clarke, Dan Goldman, Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, and Jerrold Nadler, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, and New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Also in attendance were NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, CAU Commissioner Fred Kreizman, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and borough presidents Mark Levine of Manhattan, Vanessa Gibson of the Bronx, and Donovan Richards of Queens. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Queens

District Attorney Melinda Katz joined the event, as did mayoral hopefuls including City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, City Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, and former Assemblyman Michael Blake.

Met Council CEO David G. Greenfield addressed the crowd by reflecting on the recent Jewish holiday of Lag Ba’Omer and the timeless lesson of Rabbi Akiva: that it is not enough to treat others with respect — one must love them deeply. “At Met Council, that love is expressed through action: feeding the hungry, housing the vulnerable, supporting survivors of domestic violence, and standing by our seniors,” Greenfield said. “And we are able to do this because of the continued support of our partners in government and the community.”

Over the past year, Met Council provided emergency food to more than 325,000 New Yorkers each month through its citywide pantry network and distributed fresh food to over 358,000 people for Passover. The organization helped families across all five boroughs access more than $19.5 million in SNAP

benefits, while its diaper bank delivered over 15,000 cases of diapers and wipes to families with young children. Its Senior Services team performed 1,857 free home repairs for older adults and supported 2,030 Holocaust survivors. Met Council’s domestic violence program assisted more than 1,007 clients in crisis, offering them safety, legal services, and emotional support.

Greenfield emphasized that while Met Council is rooted in the Jewish community, its reach and compassion extend far beyond it. In fact, Met Council serves more Latinos, African Americans, and Muslims than any other Jewish charity in America. “This is our purpose,” he said. “We don’t ask people where they come from before we help them — we ask them what they need.”

The event also honored public servants and community partners who have helped Met Council expand its lifesaving work. Among those recognized were Congressman Dan Goldman; Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli; State Senator Andrew Gounardes; Assemblymembers Sam Berger, William Colton, and Catalina Cruz; and Council Members Joann

Ariola, Sandra Ung, Amanda Farías, Julie Menin, and Susan Zhuang. The organization also paid tribute to COJO of Staten Island President Mendy Mirocznik and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP attorneys Yehuda Buckweitz, Pejman Razavilar, and Shai Berman for their extraordinary support and partnership.

As the crowd prepared to march in the Salute to Israel Parade, the message was clear: Met Council’s work is not only urgent — it is essential. And with the continued support of public officials, community leaders, and thousands of New Yorkers, that work will go on.

Still Flying High: YSZ High School for Girls Senior Trip To Israel

YSZ High School for Girls seniors recently returned from a transformative ten-day journey to Eretz Yisrael, guided by the theme “B’lvavi mishkan evneh.” They explored how to build a mishkan within themselves, carrying the holiness of Eretz Yisrael throughout their lives.

The trip began in the north, surrounded by the hills of Teveria. The girls visited Caesaria, Kfar Kedem, and davened at the kevarim of Rabbi Akiva, the Shlah Hakadosh, and Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. A special visit to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron before Lag Ba’Omer allowed them to daven at the entrance of the me’arah itself. One student reflected, “That Mincha was once in a lifetime.”

In Tzfat, they explored the artists’ colony, performed hafrashat challah, and heard a powerful story of teshuvah from Mrs. Tova Mordechai, who spoke of her journey to becoming a shomeret Torah u’mitzvot. The spiritual atmosphere of Tzfat left a lasting impression.

The girls also embraced nature and connection through hikes on Har Arbel, rafting down the Yarden, and a sunset

boat ride on the Kinneret, which concluded with Mincha on the water. One student shared, “Every day felt like we were reaching greater heights!”

In Tel Aviv, they visited Hostage Square to daven for acheinu kol bais Yisroel, demonstrating solidarity with the Jewish nation. The visit to Har Herzl was especially moving, where they heard from Ohr, whose brother Dvir, z”l, fell in battle. The girls davened and reflected on the sacrifices made by young Jews who defended the nation.

Their first night in Yerushalayim began with kriyah on a rooftop overlooking

the Makom HaMikdash. Rebbetzin Rina Tarshish spoke passionately about galut and the pain of living without the Beit HaMikdash. The following kumzitz was filled with songs of galut and geulah, and their first visit to the Kotel Ha’maaravi was deeply emotional.

Shabbat in Yerushalayim included a memorable meal at Aish HaTorah, where Rabbi Etiel Goldwicht spoke about Yerushalayim’s kedusha. A serene midnight visit to the Kotel gave the girls moments of quiet kirvat Elokim. One senior remarked, “I came back as a changed person.”

The girls also visited southern areas affected by the events of October 7, 2023, including Sderot and Re’im forest. They saw the aftermath of terror attacks, reflecting on the resilience and unity of Am Yisrael. At Baba Sali’s tziyun, they transformed their tears into tefillah.

In the Gush, they met Rabbanit Shani Taragin, who spoke about “holy FOMO” and the pursuit of kedusha. At Me’arat Hamachpelah, they davened for family and friends, and later explored Machane Yehudah and Kfar Etzion, blending spirituality with adventure.

Their final morning in Eretz Hakodesh included Shacharit at the Kotel, tefillah in the Kotel tunnels, and a virtual reality Mikdash experience. A parting bracha from Rav David Yosef in Har Nof closed the journey.

One student summed up the experience: “This trip was the best of my life. It taught me so much.” The girls returned inspired, with hearts full of kedusha, ready to build their own mishkan.

Spelling with a Twist

Mrs. Wolfson ‘s first graders at TAG have been working hard all year to practice their weekly spelling words. This past Friday, they took the spelling word “braid” to a new level by braiding challahs l’kavod Shabbos kodesh.

Pre-Shavuot Fruity Fun-Raiser with YILC & Leket Israel

Join us for a sweet and meaningful evening presented by the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst (YILC)’s Sisterhood and American Friends of Leket Israel (AFOLI) on Wednesday, May 28 at 8pm. Celebrate the season and learn how to make delicious fruit soup, fruit leather and sorbet with Chaia Frishman from Fruit Platters and More! just in time for Shavuot. Admission is $54 for YILC members and $60 for non-members. Sponsorship opportunities are available: HaKatzir $72; Bikurim $180 and Zman Matan Torateinu $360. All proceeds will be shared between YILC and AFOLI. Sign up now at yilc.org.

American Friends of Leket Israel supports the rescue and distribution of fresh, surplus produce and hot meals to hundreds of thousands of Israelis in need, each week, regardless of background.

Did you know that twenty percent of Israelis live below the poverty line? Seventy million pounds of nutritious surplus produce are expected to be rescued this

year. Since its founding in 2003, Leket Israel has become the country’s National Food Bank and largest food rescue network, partnering with nearly 300 non-profit organizations (NPOs) in Israel. Leket operates 67 food rescue and transport vehicles, and mobilizes tens of thousands of volunteers annually. Get involved: On your next trip to Israel, volunteer with Leket Israel – pick fruits and vegetables in the fields or help sort produce at our logistics center. You’ll leave with a full heart and a deep sense of fulfilment, having done the mitzvah of Leket. Celebrate a bar or bat mitzvah through creative projects and spread awareness about Leket Israel. Make an impact: a donation of $180 provides a box of locally-grown produce to 44 families in need. That’s not a typo! To learn more, volunteer, host an event, or donate, contact Jennifer Zwiebel, AFOLI Senior Development Officer at jennifer@leket. us, 917-715-2415 or visit leket.org/en.

Learning About Metamorphosis at Gan Chamesh

The children of Gan Chamesh have learned all about metamorphosis and have watched the process unfold before their eyes. They know that the process begins with eggs becoming caterpillars, and caterpillars forming their cocoons or chrysalises. This week,

they saw the beautiful butterflies that emerged from the cocoons. They gently touched the butterflies and released them outside.

It is experiences like these that help the children of Gan Chamesh appreciate the beauty of Hashem’s natural world.

Hacham Baruch

By Rabbi Nachman Seltzer

The Yekke Talmid

Before he became a rabbi, Raymond Beyda worked with a man named R’ Chaim, a Yekke (a Jew of German ancestry). R’ Chaim’s father was from the Upper West Side, but he’d been raised in Brooklyn where he attended Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and was a talmid of R’ Pam, and later R’ Belsky. This Yekke served as the CFO for the same company where Raymond was employed. He was an extremely punctual individual and would walk through the door at exactly nine o’clock, not 8:59 and not a minute past nine. He would stop for lunch at noon and be back at his desk working at 12:31. If you tried to talk with him during working hours, you would find out very quickly that it wasn’t going to happen. Not during work hours.As the years passed, Raymond noticed something very interesting. For every additional year that the man worked for the company, he began leaving work fifteen minutes earlier. Five turned into 4:45, which turned into 4:30… until he was leaving at 4:00 each afternoon.

“How do you arrange to leave earlier every year?” Raymond asked him.

“I made a deal with Joe.” (Joe Sutton was the firm’s owner.)

“What kind of deal?”

“At the end of every year, Joe offers me a raise. I tell him to keep the raise, but to let me leave fifteen minutes earlier.”

The man continued doing this until he was leaving at two in the afternoon.

One day, Joe Sutton turned to his employee and said, “I have to ask you something. You’ve been turning down my raise offers for years in order to leave earlier and earlier. Where are you going every day?”

“I go to learn with my rabbi.”

Joe was a businessman, but he was also a good Jew. As long as the job got done, he was more than happy for his worker to go off and learn. It turned out that his CFO was learning one-on-one with R’ Yisroel Belsky in his office at Torah Vodaath.

“One day,” Raymond said, “the two of us had to go somewhere together. When the man got into my car, I was listening to a cassette of Hacham Baruch giving a shiur, as I always did. At the start of the drive, the man was learning something from a sefer. A few minutes later, he picked up his head and asked, ‘Who are you listening to?’”

“You have your rabbi, I have mine.”

“Who is he?”

“His name is Hacham Baruch.”

“I have to meet him!”

“Why do you have to meet my rabbi?” He looked at me. “Don’t you hear it?”

“Hear what?”

“The way he speaks. This is a great man. I have to meet him!”

I was very surprised. The tape I was listening to was one of the shiurim that had been recorded by Alan Mizrachi. It was a class on a very basic level, far below my fellow employee’s level of learning. In the class in question, the rabbi would read from the Shulhan Aruch and then use what he’d read as a springboard to discuss a wide range of topics with his talmidim. There was no in-depth learning; it was not that kind of class. Nevertheless, my fellow employee was very impressed.

The CFO started attending Hacham Baruch’s class. He went every single week. Why did he do this? After all, he was the havruta of R’ Yisroel Belsky, the Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaath and one of the poskeh hador! But R’ Chaim was able to feel the greatness emanating from Hacham Baruch (even over a recording), and he wanted to experience that greatness up close and personal. He also wanted to connect with the Rabbi’s incredible font of knowledge.

Such was the attraction of Hacham Baruch to every Jew, from simple to great. Sometimes, all it took was the sound of his voice to draw people close to him.

Reprinted from Hacham Baruch by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer with permission from the copyright holder, ArtScroll Mesorah Publications.

TJH Centerfold

Memorial Day Trivia

1. Memorial Day was originally made to memorialize fallen soldiers from which war?

a. Revolutionary War

b. World War I

c. Civil War

d. Vietnam War

2. About two dozen towns across the United States claim they were the first to celebrate Memorial Day. In 1966, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson by proclamation designated one place as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Which place was that?

a. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

b. Waterloo, New York

c. Fargo, North Dakota

d. Arlington, Virginia

3. Memorial Day was once called by another name. What was the former name?

a. Decoration Day

b. Military Remembrance Day

c. Remembrance Day

d. Freedom Day

4. According to federal guidelines, how should the U.S. flag be flown on Memorial Day?

a. At half-staff all day

b. At full-staff

c. At half-staff in the afternoon

d. At half-staff until noon

5. Bugle calls are musical signals that announce scheduled and certain nonscheduled events on an Army installation. During the Civil War, a U.S. general thought the bugle call signaling bedtime could use a more melodious tune, so he wrote the notes for a bugle call that is played at military funerals and at Memorial Day celebrations. Which bugle call is that?

a. Taps

b. To the Color

c. Retreat Call

d. Ode’ to The Lost

6. By law, which of the following are Americans supposed to do on Memorial Day?

a. While flying the U.S flag they must comply with the flag flying guidelines (which you may or may not know...no giveaways here).

b. If they place too much sauerkraut on their hotdog they must first offer the excess kraut to another person before discarding it.

c. Pause at 3 p.m. local time on

Memorial Day to remember and honor the While visiting a military cemetery, they must place a flag on a grave.

Answers:

1-C

2-B 3-A 4-D 5-A 6-C

Wisdom Key:

5-6 correct: I know what you will be doing on Memorial Day at 3 p.m., observing the national moment of silence. Remembering those who fought and died so that we can live in freedom is a good thing.

2-4 correct: Not bad, you can brush up a bit, though. Start with observing the moment of silence at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day.

0-1 correct: You too should observe the 3 p.m. Memorial Day moment of silence, celebrating the lives lost defending your right to know nothing about how we memorialize their ultimate sacrifice.

“Well Said, Sir”

To ensure perfect aim, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Murphy’s Law of Combat: Never forget that your weapon was manufactured by the lowest bidder.

“They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist...” –Taliban soldier’s last words

If at first you don’t succeed, call in an airstrike.

Why does the Air Force need expensive new bombers? Have the people we’ve been bombing over the years been complaining?

Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.

Army food: the spoils of war.

The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other [guy] die for his.

Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student. At least they can find Kuwait.

Riddle Me This

At the beginning of World War I, the uniform of the British soldiers included a brown cloth cap. As the war went on, British officials became more and more concerned about the growing number of soldiers suffering from head injuries. They decided to replace the cloth cap with a metal helmet. However, to their surprise, the number of soldiers with head injuries grew even more, although the intensity of the battles was the same before and after the change.

Why did the number of head injuries per battalion increase even though all the soldiers were wearing metal helmets instead of cloth caps?

Answer: The number of head injuries increased because the number of deaths decreased. Before metal helmets, if a soldier was shot in the head by a bullet or a piece of shrapnel, it would penetrate his cap and kill him. This would have been registered as a death, not a wound. After metal helmets were introduced, the bullets caused injuries rather than deaths. Therefore, the number of head injuries increased while the number of deaths decreased.

You Gotta Be Kidding Me

A drill sergeant had just chewed out one of his cadets, and as he was walking away, he turned to the cadet and said, “I guess when I die you’ll come and dance on my grave.”

The cadet replied, “Not me, Sarge…no sir!

“I promised myself that when I got out of the Army I’d never stand in another line!”

Torah Thought

BeharBechukosei

By Rabbi Berel Wein

The book of Vayikra, which contains so many detailed commandments and minute details of ritual within it, concludes with a broad view and general description of Jewish faith. It restates the original premise of Bereshis, that the earth and its inhabitants belong to G-d and are free agents as to the limits that G-d has imposed upon them. The basic premise is that “the earth belongs to Me.” All of the various laws of agriculture that

apply in the Land of Israel are based on this simple declaration of the sovereignty of G-d over the domain where humans temporarily reside.

We storm about asserting our ownership and build for ourselves palaces as though we will be their eternal tenants. It is this false assessment of the true nature of life that leads to painful disagreements and dysfunction in families, communities, and even in the rela-

tionship between countries and national entities. The power of self-grandeur unfortunately knows no bounds in the human psyche.

The prophet mocks the Pharaoh of Egypt who evidently thought that he created and controlled the Nile River. Our world is witness to tyrants who made and make themselves gods and ascribe to themselves the power to dominate the lives of millions and to threaten the destruction of millions of others, who do not bow to their inflated will. The truth is that the closer one is able to come to godliness, so to speak, that person will become more humble

nomic system that currently governs our lives allows little room for consideration of the needs of others. Human lives are unfortunately secondary to the almighty bottom- line, and this affects the entire balance of society generally. If we realize that we are all only G-d’s servants, that humbling effect should make life easier to deal with.

The realization of the limits of human power is one of the basic lessons of Judaism. Of course, human beings are able to accomplish great things, and this is the story of the advancement of human civilization throughout the millennia of history. It is the balance

People have somehow convinced themselves that they truly are entitled to control the lives of others.

and recognize his or her true place and space in this world. And that is the secret of attaining humility and which is ascribed to our great teacher Moshe.,

The Torah also limits the control we have over of the lives of others. The L-rd informed the Jewish people that they are His servants. People have somehow convinced themselves that they truly are entitled to control the lives of others. Perhaps this arises from the necessity of parents to raise their children to adulthood. Yet the eco -

of this aspiration and the human drive for greatness coupled with the humble realization of our limitations which the Torah wishes us to achieve.

Care and concern for others, an appreciation of G-d’s ownership of the earth and a belief in the guardianship of G-d over the land and its people are the key ingredients, in the Torah’s view, of the Jewish future. And that is a basic understanding of the lesson that the Torah and this week’s pasha teaches us. Shabbat shalom.

From the Fire

Parshas Behar-Bechukosai Trading in the Crown

By Rav Moshe Weinberger

Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

This Shabbos, we focus on preparing for Shavuos, the day on which we accept the Torah. How do we do this? The Midrash (Vayikra Raba 35:1) teaches that the beginning of the parsha, which starts (Vayikra 26:3), “If you walk with my decrees,” alluding to the study of Torah, is connected with Dovid Hamelech’s statement (Tehilim 119:59), “I thought about my ways and I returned my feet to Your laws.” What path should we be thinking about to help us turn our feet back toward Hashem’s laws?

The truth is that our preparations for Shavuos are more extensive than for any other holiday in Yiddishkeit. We prepare by counting for forty-nine days until we reach the day we receive the Torah. In addition, we cannot even miss a single day in the count, as the pasuk says (Vayikra 23:15), “They shall be seven complete weeks.” Why do we have nearly two months of preparations for Shavuos, unlike any other holiday?

The Chofetz Chaim teaches that one can discern how important something is from how much time and effort one spends preparing for it. Something unimportant requires little serious preparation. If one wants to make a cup of tea, this takes very little effort because a cup of tea is not that important in the big scheme of things. If one wants to make a fancy dinner, this is more important, so a person may work for a number of hours preparing for it. And if one wants to hold a bar mitzvah or wedding reception, because these are important events, one may spend many months preparing and planning. If one wants to become a doctor, because this is an important profession, he must study for many years before he will be granted a license to practice medicine. This is all because of the principle articulated by

the Chofetz Chaim – there is a direct correlation between how important something is and how much time and effort one spends preparing for it.

We also see that the Mishnah (Avos 4:16) says that all of life in this world is simply a preparation for life in the World to Come. It must be that there is nothing more precious in the world than that. If every moment of our entire lives is a preparation to the World to Come, this demonstrates that it is the most important thing.

Similarly, if the preparations for Shavuos and our acceptance of the Torah are more extensive than they are for any other holiday, it demonstrates that Shavuos has a unique importance not shared by any other day of the year. If Hashem commands us to count toward and long for the arrival of Shavuos for forty-nine days, it shows that we should value the Torah more than anything else. This preparation and the value we place on the Torah is therefore part and

parcel of how we receive the Torah. Unfortunately, even observant Jews usually place more importance on our silly obsessions than we do on Torah.

The Chofetz Chaim offers a parable: A king once commissioned two of the greatest artisans in his kingdom to create the most beautiful crown in the world. He spared no expense, permitting them to buy the largest, most perfect and precious stones available. In addition, he sent them to travel to another city, where the greatest goldsmiths and gemologists lived, to work on the crown with them. This “dream team” spent over six months toiling day and night on the crown. In the end, the king sent guards to escort the two artisans back to the kingdom along with the crown. On the way, the group passed a field where a few simple farmers were working their field, using two oxen to push a plow.

One of the two artisans said to the other, “I would like to show you some -

thing fascinating.” He then walked over to the farmers and introduced himself. “Good morning. I and my friend are passing through here on the orders of the king.” The farmers were duly impressed. He then continued, “Our job was to make the king the most beautiful crown in the world and our mission is complete. We are now carrying this crown back to the king. Would you like to see it?” “Of course!” they answered. So the man brought the box containing the crown to the farmers and opened it so they could gaze upon its beauty. They agreed that it was a magnificent crown. They were overwhelmed by its beauty.

The man then said to the farmers, “I will make you a deal. I will give you the crown in exchange for these two oxen. What do you say?” They thought for a moment and then the senior farmer said, “We have to discuss it. Just a minute.” They conferred privately for a few minutes and then the farmer relayed their decision: “I’m sorry, but we cannot accept this trade.” “Why not?”

“Because while we agree that the crown is very beautiful, without our oxen, how would we ever finish plowing our field?” The artisan thanked them and walked away, having demonstrated the wondrous foolishness of the farmers to his friend. How could they be so small as not to realize that if they had the crown, they would never have to plow another field again?! How could they not realize the true value of the crown?

The Chofetz Chaim explains that we make the exact same mistake as these farmers. We all love and value the Torah. We admire its unique beauty. But when it comes down to giving up a little bit of the silliness we normally obsess over in favor of taking out time for Torah, it just does not seem worth it to us. We give up infinite value in favor of

fleeting enjoyment. Unfortunately, we are no wiser than the foolish farmers in the Chofetz Chaim’s parable.

That is what we are supposed to accomplish during Sefirah. Because we intuitively understand from our physical lives that the more one prepares for something, the more valuable it is, counting the days as we journey closer to the day we receive the Torah helps us internalize that the Torah is the most precious thing in our lives. By valuing the Torah more, it makes it easier to give up on the emptiness which had heretofore gotten in the way of our truly accepting the Torah.

That is why the seforim hakedoshim teach that the word Omer has the same numerical value as the word yakar, precious. It is also no coincidence that a word which is used more in this week’s parsha than in any other place in Tanach is keri, haphazard or casual. Rashi (on Vayikra 26:21) explains that this means “temporary, by chance, something happening only occasionally.” It refers to when keep Torah and mitzvos only when they suit us, when it’s convenient and there is nothing else to do. This word keri has the same letters as yakar, but in the opposite order, because such a casual attitude toward Torah is the antithesis of the recognition of its true, precious value. Only recognition of the true importance of the Torah in our lives can nullify our previously flippant approach to Yiddishkeit.

We have the power to nullify the 49 curses found in the rebuke section of the parsha, which are the result of taking Yiddishkeit too lightly, by counting the 49 days of the Omer, whereby we recognize the incomparable value of Torah by preparing for the day when we receive it.

This is why the Midrash quotes Dovid HaMelech’s statement, “I thought about my ways, and I returned my feet to Your laws,” when discussing our parsha. The way to walk in Hashem’s ways is by thinking about our path – by recognizing its profound significance and meaning.

How often do we think about how we spend our time to ensure that we make the right decision? On a summer Shabbos afternoon like this one, by the time one completes his Shabbos seudah, he will have five or six hours free before attending a shiur or Mincha in the afternoon. How will he spend those hours? Let us say that one is going to take a long nap, even an hour or more. That still leaves several hours. How will he spend that time? Will he abandon the crown of

Torah in favor of a couple of cows? Will he spend the afternoon reading articles or shooting the breeze with his family or friends, talking about sports, politics, or the like? Will he recognize the true value of whatever type of Torah he feels drawn to study? Or will he waste away the time this Shabbos, and then the next, and then the next? The alternative is living in a way that enables him to say, “I thought about my ways and I returned my feet to Your laws.”

The truth is that if we recognize the importance of our goal and do not permit ourselves to gaze at all of the distractions around us, we can reach this goal.

When the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, zy”a , was a little boy, he was playing outside with his friends one day. And as boys are wont to do, they made up a somewhat dangerous game. They placed a plank up against a building and took turns attempting to run as close to the top as possible. Unbeknownst to the boys, the Alter Rebbe, zy”a, the Tzemach Tzedek’s grandfather, was watching them from the window of his study. After watching the game, the Rebbe asked someone to bring the young Tzemach Tzedek to him. His grandson came into the room and the Alter Rebbe asked him, obviously proud of how well he had performed in the game, “Tell me Mendel’eh, how is it that you were able to reach the top of the plank while none of the other boys could do it?”

The boy answered, “Zayde, all of the other boys looked around them as they began walking up the plank. So they quickly became frightened of falling and came back down. But I just looked at the top and ran for it, without looking to the sides at all.”

This is how little Mendel’eh became the Tzemach Tzedek. He set his eyes on his goals and did not allow the distractions around him divert his attention away. He kept his eyes on the prize. He simply “thought about his way” and never stopped climbing.

May we too merit to recognize the true and infinite value of Yiddishkeit in our lives, such that none of us will ever mistake the oxen or other distractions in our lives as being more important than the Torah in our lives.

Think. Feel.Grow.

Deepening Our Understanding of Sefiras Ha’Omer and Shavuos

By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

In our previous article, we began exploring the depth of sefiras ha’omer. Based on the Maharal and Ramban, we explained that we are not counting down to Matan Torah but rather we are building up towards it, ascending one day at a time. We do not wait for Shavuos to arrive; we actively bring it ourselves through the time and effort we invest as we count the omer. After developing a general understanding of sefiras ha’omer, let us focus on a few specifics of the count itself. The 49 days of sefiras ha’omer parallels the 49-day process that the Jewish people went through upon leaving Egypt, before receiving the Torah. What is the meaning behind this process, and why is it specifically 49 days long?

While we likely take it for granted that the omer is 49 days long, the Torah explicitly commands us: “ Tisperu chamishim yom — you shall count 50 days” (Vayikra 23:16). Why then do we only count 49 days, omitting the fiftieth day completely? This seems to be in direct contradiction to the Torah’s command! Additionally, we seem to skip the first day of the counting, only beginning the count on the second day of Pesach. What is the meaning behind this?

Rebuilding the First Night of Pesach

The Ramchal, Vilna Gaon, and many other Jewish thinkers explain the deep meaning behind the 49-day process of sefirah based on a principle we have previously developed. Every process contains three stages. The first stage is the high, a spark of inspiration, an

experience of perfection and clarity. However, this first stage is fleeting and is immediately followed by a dramatic fall — a complete loss of everything experienced in the first stage. The second stage is a process of rebuilding what was originally experienced, working and building toward perfection. There is then a third stage — a return to the original perfection of the first stage. However, this third stage is fundamentally different from the first. It is the same perfection, the same clarity, but this time it’s a perfection and clarity that you have earned. The first time it was given to you, but now you have worked to build it for yourself.

The first night of Pesach was a gift, an experience of infinite transcendence. This night was characterized by the miracles of makkas bechoros — performed by Hashem Himself — and yetzias Mitzrayim , as well as the mitzvos of Korban Pesach and bris milah, mitzvos

that connected the Jewish people to a higher dimension of existence. However, immediately following this night was a complete fall from this exalted level of transcendence. The Jewish people faced 49 days in the desert, a place of spiritual emptiness. It was during these 49 days of counting and of building that the Jewish people were able to rebuild and earn that initial transcendent gift. What resulted from those 49 days of building was Shavuos, Matan Torah, an experience of transcendence, of infinity, and of the World to Come.

This is why the Korban Omer is a sacrifice of barley, a food described by the sages as animal fodder (Pesachim 3b). The Shavuos sacrifice is Shtei HaLechem, a sacrifice of bread made of wheat, a food characterized by the sages as human food (Aruch Hashulchan 489:3). Prior to the process of sefiras ha’omer, we are on a low spiritual level, the level of animals. After spending the

49 days of the omer counting and building ourselves, we rise to a transcendent spiritual level, tapping into our true nature as tzelem Elokim , now worthy and ready to experience Matan Torah. Perhaps this is why there were two loaves of bread — one representing the original gift on the first night of Pesach, and the second representing what we earned after 49 days of building.

We don’t count the first night of Pesach, because this night is a gift of inspiration, intangible and unearned. We cannot pin a number down to it, as it is fleeting and elusive. Sefiras ha’omer is a process of building, and the building process only begins on the second day of Pesach once the gift has been taken away; it is at this point that we must start the work of truly earning it.

49 Days of Building

Let us now turn to our next question: Why is the counting of the omer specifically 49 days long? Nothing in Torah is arbitrary; there must be a reason why we count exactly 49 days before receiving the Torah on Shavuos; there must be a significance to this specific number. In order to understand the number 49, we must recall a principle we have developed previously, based on the ideas of the Maharal. We live in a three-dimensional world, which includes the six directions of space: right-left, updown, and forward-backward. These are the six sides of a three-dimensional cube. However, the six sides don’t automatically result in a three-dimensional cube; the six sides can be lying face down on the floor, amounting to noth-

ing. The concept of “seven” refers to that which connects all the pieces together into a single unit. This is the unifying center, the unifying force that creates a physical form and vessel from the six disparate parts.

As we have discussed previously, the Maharal explains that seven is the number of the natural (Tiferes Yisrael, chaps. 1–2, 25). This is why all physical and natural components of this world are comprised of sevens: There are seven days in the week, seven notes in the musical scale, seven colors in the spectrum of light, and many other examples. “Six” represents the physical pieces, such as the days of the week. “Seven” represents that which connects the physical pieces together, connecting the physical to the spiritual, like the day of Shabbos. The “eighth” refers to that which transcends the sum of the pieces; it is the transcendent element that emanates from the level of seven, transcending the physical. This is why bris milah is performed on the eighth day; we transform the most physical and potentially animalistic organ into a vehicle of holiness and transcendence. This same theme is why the miracle of Chanukah lasted eight days and why the miracle occurred through shemen, a word with the same root and concept as shemonah, eight.

This is why sefiras ha’omer is a seven-week process of seven days each. Sefiras ha’omer is a process of building from the physical to the spiritual, from the finite to the infinite. This is the journey from six to seven to eight. We build level by level toward transcendence, toward the infinite, and toward the eighth week — Matan Torah . We therefore count seven weeks of seven days for a total of 49 days, the ultimate expression of seven. This completes the physical building process, resulting in the fiftieth, the first day of the eighth week, the ultimate transcendence of the eighth level, Shavuos.

Two Types of Order

Another interesting feature of the omer is the emphasis on counting each day. This suggests that sefiras ha’omer is one long mitzvah, complete only if each of the 49 days are counted. However, l’halachah , we make a bracha on each individual day of the omer, suggesting that each one is a mitzvah in its own right. How can we reconcile this apparent inconsistency?

Rav Dessler describes two different types of order. The first is a practical

one, an order that facilitates access and usability. For example, a library is organized according to a system that allows one to access each piece of information efficiently. Without an ordered system, it would be hard to benefit from a huge collection of books. The order therefore provides access and usability.

There is a second type of order of a fundamentally different quality from the first. In this second type of order, the pieces of a structure come together in such a way that it results in a whole that transcends the sum of its parts. For example, a radio is composed of a bunch of

resents the pieces and seven represents that which connects the pieces together, the eighth represents that which transcends the pieces and which emanates from the pieces. The level of “eight” after the seven weeks of counting is the fiftieth — the eighth week, the day of Matan Torah. We don’t count the fiftieth because we cannot build the fiftieth; the fiftieth is the transcendent level that results and emanates from everything we have built during our 49 days of counting. The fiftieth day, Shavuos, is the result of all the pieces coming together — of all of Klal Yisrael bonding into

Only when each and every one of the 49 pieces are built correctly can the fiftieth emanate from the pieces and can Matan Torah occur.

pieces, none of which is especially valuable on its own. However, when these pieces are assembled in just the right way, something incredible emanates from the pieces — a radio signal.

This level of order is fundamentally different from the first form of order. Regardless of their organization, each book in a library maintains its individual worth; nothing greater results from their order. However, in a system of the second type of order, it is only when the pieces come together that something truly valuable results.

This second level of order explains the dichotomy between each day of the omer containing its own significance and the fact that it is one long mitzvah, whereby if you miss a single day you can no longer count with a bracha. Each piece is omni-significant, but only inasmuch as each day is built correctly, building off the previous structure and preparing for what is yet to come. Only when each and every one of the 49 pieces are built correctly can the fiftieth emanate from the pieces and can Matan Torah occur.

Why Don’t We Count the Fiftieth?

This second type of order is also the secret behind why we do not count the fiftieth day of the omer. While six rep -

“eighth,” as it is Hashem’s transcendent wisdom and will that He bestowed upon us on the fiftieth day.

Why We Count from the Omer

This unique approach to sefiras ha’omer brings us back to our first point, deepening our understanding of why we count up from the omer instead of down toward Shavuos. Even if we are building, why don’t we build toward Shavuos, mentioning our destination of Shavuos and Matan Torah every time we count? At least let us count toward the Korban Shtei HaLechem, the sacrifice we bring on Shavuos, instead of the omer, the barley sacrifice we brought back on Pesach. Why do we count from our point of departure, rather than toward our destination?

a oneness. The result is Matan Torah , a transcendent experience of connection with Hashem, the infinite, and the World to Come (Maharal, Nesivos Olam, Nesiv HaTorah 1).

As we alluded to earlier, this is also why we do not count the first day of Pesach. The first day is the gift — fleeting and unearned, and therefore unreal. The next 49 days are the days of building, working, and creating it for ourselves. The fiftieth day is the same as the first day — transcendent, ethereal, and uncountable — but this time, we have earned it; it’s real, and it’s ours. In truth, even the fiftieth has a dimension of “gift” to it, but it is only given once we have created the vessel to receive it after 49 days of building. As the Ramchal explains, “Techilaso avodah v’sofo gemul, the beginning is toil, but the end is a gift [from Hashem]” (Mesilas Yesharim, chap. 26). Although we have worked toward the fiftieth day for 49 days, the transcendence we experience on that day is infinitely more than anything we could have expected or imagined.

This is why we only count 49 days, and this is why the chag is called “Shavuos” (weeks), the same root as sheva (seven). We are building seven weeks, and the transcendent fiftieth, Matan Torah , is what manifests from that which we create. This is also why the Maharal refers to Torah as the

The answer is that we are counting toward the infinite, toward the transcendent. When building upwards, you begin by building a foundation and then ascend from there. The same is true for sefiras ha’omer. We are counting toward infinity, toward the fiftieth. While we do keep this lofty end-goal in mind, the mechanics of actually building toward the fiftieth require us to first construct a foundation — the first day of the omer — and then build our way up from there. May we be inspired to create something extraordinary as we build toward Matan Torah, one day at a time.

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.

Torah Thought

Are We Just Counting Days –Or Making Each Day Count?

Reflecting

on Naaseh V’nishma and the Spiritual Journey to Matan Torah

By Nataly Magendzo

As the Jewish people count the days of the Omer in anticipation of Shavuos, we are reminded of the powerful words spoken at Har Sinai: “Naaseh v’nishma ,” we will do, and we will listen. These words weren’t merely historical; they are a religious commitment, a declaration that still binds us today.

But in 2025, are we truly living up to that promise?

The Challenge of Truly Listening

“Naaseh v’nishma ” teaches us to trust Hashem implicitly – committing to action even before full understanding. However, the second half of the phrase, “nishma,” is often overshadowed. Listening – truly listening – is harder than doing. It requires emotional investment, presence, and empathy.

Today, many communities thrive in outward observance. Shabbos and kashrus are widely kept. These often become the first questions we ask when evaluating someone’s level of religious observance: Do they keep Shabbos? Are they kosher? From there, the questions build: Does she cover her hair? What kind of music or movies do they allow?

These mitzvos are unquestionably vital. But is technical observance all we committed to at Sinai? Or are we neglecting the heart of nishma?

A Modern Day Mashal

Imagine training a new employee. After just two minutes of instruction, they cut you off – “I got it!”

– and begin the task. Technically, they may follow steps, but without listening to key details, the job is incomplete.

Every soul deserves dignity and respect, regardless of their spiritual journey.

This happens in spiritual life as well. One can perform mitzvos by rote but miss the emotional awareness Hashem demands of us – particularly in how we relate to others.

The Middos of Sefiras HaOmer

Sefras Haomer is not just a countdown; it’s a buildup – a time for inner refinement (tikkun ha’middos). We recall the students of Rabbi Akiva, who perished during this period not because they lacked Torah knowledge (na’aseh), but because on their level –Chazal tell us – they did not show proper respect to one another. These were talmidei chachamim, giants of Torah, yet (on their level) they failed in interpersonal connection. Their downfall was a failure of the nishma portion of na’aseh v’nishma

It’s a stark reminder that religious observance without empathy is incomplete. A Jew who may not fully observe tzinius, Shabbos, or tefillah may far exceed in other areas. Every soul deserves dignity and respect, regardless of their spiritual journey.

The Call to Action

Every person is a chelek Elokah mima’al – a piece of the Divine. When we fail to listen to each other, we are also failing to listen to Hashem. As we count up toward Shavuos – not backwards – we must make every day matter. We must grow in both action and awareness. The Torah was not given for robotic fulfillment but for a deeply human, fully connected life of meaning, respect, and love.

So, as we inch closer to Matan Torah, let’s recommit not just to do,but also to listen. Truly, wholeheartedly, and with compassion.

The following was inspired by a true question posed to the Beis Shlomo.

Boruch recently completed Daf Yomi and studied Shavuos 17, where the Gemara considers whether the airspace above the Beis HaMikdash shares its sanctity with the ground itself. This debate affects whether a ritually impure person may enter that airspace without violating the prohibition against entering the Beis HaMikdash while tamei.

Boruch: That daf really took me to new heights – got me thinking about airspace. Our shul desperately needs office space. The sanctuary ceiling is twenty feet high – why not lower the rear section to ten feet, build an intermediate floor, and finally let our office plans take off?

Reuven: Do you have such scant regard for our synagogue’s kedushah? You’d be turning sacred airspace into a mundane photocopy room. Cujus est solum, ejus est usque ad coelum et ad inferos – whoever owns the soil owns up to the heavens and down to the depths. Just as landowners hold air rights sky-

Delving into the Daf

Clearing the Air

By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

ward, so too does a synagogue’s sanctity ascend. Don’t blow our holy atmosphere by appropriating any of that twenty-foot zone for offices.

Boruch: Wow – you’re really in the clouds. First, you’re appealing to secular law. Second, that principle has gone the way of hot air. If it held water, anyone could ground airplanes over their house!

In 1926, Congress enacted the Air Commerce Act, declaring U.S. navigable airspace a public highway open to all – no shutting the door on our sky-high ambitions.

Reuven: Point taken – I shouldn’t rely on outdated secular precedent. But you’re building castles in the sky with that daf. If the Beis HaMikdash’s kedushah ascends, surely the synagogue’s kedushah does as well. How can you dilute that holiness by tucking an office up there in the stratosphere?

Boruch: You’re quoting the Gemara out of thin air! In my edition, the matter is unresolved – left literally “up in the air” whether the Beis HaMikdash’s sanctity floats skyward.

Reuven: Even so, in cases of doubt we rule stringently to protect kedushah.

Moreover, Tosafos interprets the Gemara to show that the Beis HaMikdash’s holiness certainly ascends, and only the duration of a tamei person’s stay – before obligating a korban – remains under discussion.

Boruch: On the flip side, the same daf notes that the roofed sections of the Temple were never sanctified above – so one could not eat a korban on the roof. A roof stops kedushah from ascending. That’s why a second-floor partition could serve secular needs: it acts as a first-floor roof, grounding the holiness below.

Reuven: A valid point, but the Raavad clarifies that a roof severs kedushah only if it was part of the original plan. If the space was initially open, even a later-built roof cannot pressurize the ascent of sanctity.

Boruch: Practically speaking, the Maharsham rules exactly as I propose: a community which outgrew their shul, built a floor in the rear of a shul for an Ezras Nashim, reducing the sanctuary’s height without a second thought.

Reuven: They didn’t diminish kedushah – the women still daven there! That’s the same purpose that part of the

shul was used for. You’re talking about allocating that floor to mundane offices –letting secular paperwork blow through.

Boruch: Yet the Beis Shlomo himself addresses this scenario – bisecting a synagogue’s airspace with a floor for office use – and finds it permissible. It seems his ruling really takes off.

Reuven: Let’s keep our voices down; no need to air our disagreements publicly. Still, the Imrei Yosher tackles this identical question and rules that a synagogue’s airspace is inherently holy – one may not insert a new floor into an existing sanctuary’s dome of kedushah. I think your plan is full of hot air.

Boruch: Clearly, Beis Shlomo and Imrei Yosher diverge on this. With the rabbi retired, we’ll have to pose this question to his heir and hope we can finally clear the air.

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.

Recent controversy has emerged surrounding Qatar’s gift of a $400 million Boeing 747-8i to the Trump administration for potential use as Air Force One. Among the critics is conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who called the arrangement “indefensible” and “a bribe,” suggesting it represents “a stain” on the administration.

“I think if we switched the names to Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, we’d all be freaking out on the right,” Shapiro stated on his podcast, connecting the Qatari deal with other reported “influence peddling” concerns. He further emphasized, “President Trump promised to drain the swamp. This is not, in fact, draining the swamp.”

There is no question that President Trump’s accomplishments in freeing Americans, in standing up for justice, and in his peace accomplishments are quite remarkable achievements – but that does not pertain to this question.

Headlines Halacha

Qatar’s Plane Gift Is Ben Shapiro Right? A Halachic Analysis

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

This article examines the validity of Shapiro’s claims by analyzing the material differences between the Qatari gift and the current Air Force One, followed by a halachic (Jewish law) perspective on accepting such gifts in positions of leadership.

Breaking Down the Differences: Qatar’s Gift vs. Air Force One

Aircraft Type and Age

• Current Air Force One : Military versions of Boeing’s 747-200B (VC25A), entered service in 1990

• Qatar’s Gift: Boeing 747-8i, built in 2012, representing the largest and newest version of the 747 series

Technology and Capabilities

• Current Air Force One: Subject to upgrades over time but based on 30+ year old foundation

• Qatar’s Gift: Features modern engines, improved fuel efficiency, and likely contains state-of-the-art technology

Cost and Size

• Current Air Force One: Originally cost $325 million each, with billions in upgrades over decades; approximately 231 feet long with 7,800-mile range

• Qatar’s Gift: Valued at approximately $400 million; around 250 feet in length with an 8,000-mile range

Interior Design and Purpose

• Current Air Force One : Customized for command and control with military-grade communications, in-flight refueling capabilities, medical suite, and secure conference rooms

• Qatar’s Gift: Designed as a luxury aircraft with emphasis on comfort rather than military functions, featuring lounges and dining suites

Ownership and Operation

• Current Air Force One : Government-owned and operated by the U.S. Air Force

• Qatar’s Gift: Previously ordered by the Qatari royal family, later gifted to Jordan’s King Abdullah II before being offered to the U.S.

The Critical Questions

The controversy raises several important questions:

1. Does accepting such a gift constitute a bribe that might influence U.S. policy toward Qatar?

2. Does the timing of the gift, coinciding with a $1.2 trillion economic commitment between the U.S. and Qatar (including a significant Boeing order), suggest a quid pro quo arrangement?

3. How should we evaluate President Trump’s defense that “we’re giving to everybody else. Why wouldn’t I accept the gift?”

Halachic Perspective

To analyze this question from a halachic perspective, we must examine three key sources:

• A Gemara in Sanhedrin (27a and b)

• A ruling of the Rosh (Sanhedrin Zeh Borer Siman 17)

• And the words of Rabbi Yom Tov Heller in his Pilpulah Charifta

The Gemara

The Gemara tells us of a man named bar Chama who allegedly killed a person. The Raish Galusa said to the dayan, Rav Abba bar Ya’akov: “Go investigate this case, and if he certainly killed him, let the government authorities put his eyes out” (a fine that is extra-legal and not halachic – Rashi). Subsequently, two witnesses came and testified that he did kill him. Bar Chama then went and brought two other witnesses, who testified about one of the first witnesses that he stole.

Rav Abba bar Ya’akov said to Bar Chama: “Why did you bring these witnesses? What do you hold? Do you hold like Rabbi Meir in his dispute with Rabbi Yossi, that one who is guilty of theft is disqualified from testifying in capital cases?” Rav Pappi, who was present at the time,

then proved that we do rule like Rabbi Meir. Based on this conclusion, bar Chama was acquitted. Bar Ḥama then arose and kissed Rabbi Pappi on his feet and accepted upon himself to exempt him of his karga-tax for the rest of his life.

The Rosh

The Rosh (Siman 17) asks, “How is this at all permitted? Isn’t this out and out post-facto bribery? (See Ramah CM 34:18 that post-facto bribery is forbid-

emption). Therefore, it is not considered post-facto bribery. Otherwise, it would be forbidden just like paying post-facto interest is forbidden.

The Pilpulah Charifta

The Pilpulah Charifta (letter Shin) on the Rosh writes: Come and see the great matter that our Master has taught us! That bribery is forbidden even in matters that are not a din Torah but rather are a technical fine like Rashi explains.

Does accepting such a gift constitute a bribe that might influence U.S. policy toward Qatar?

den based on this Rosh.) He answers that he didn’t give Rav Pappi any monetary compensation – rather he spoke to the king on his behalf to exempt him from a tax that he was technically exempt from paying anyway (a clergy ex-

And even still our Master (the Rosh) explains that he (Rav Pappi) took it upon himself to take care of the karga-tax in a manner that did not involve a bribe. I wrote this to teach that those who have been appointed to the tzibbur (serving

the public) that even though their decisions and responsibilities are not din Torahs and they were not appointed as such, they must be careful not to accept gifts for their decisions.

We now go to Rabbi Abraham Tzvi Hirsch Eisenstadt of Byelostok (18121868), the author of the Pischei Teshuvah on Shulchan Aruch. He cites (CM 9:1) the ruling of the Pilpulah Charifta authoritatively.

Conclusion

Based upon all of this, it is clear that both President Trump and even an administrator of a yeshiva may not take freebies or perks if he is in charge of decision-making.

A wise rosh yeshiva once remarked, “You must always ask yourself whether you would regret doing it if what you did would appear in The New York Times with its negative slant. If you would regret doing it, then don’t.”

This article should be viewed as a halachic discussion and not practical advice. The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@ gmail.com.

School of Thought

Sirens and Hearing Aids

By Barbara Deutsch

Choosing where to purchase a cemetery plot is a tricky endeavor. Lucky people live full, long lives, and when it is time to go, arrangements need to have been made for some kind of permanent resting place for their remains.

We, along with many of our longtime friends, have chosen to be buried in Israel, away from plots in Queens and very far New Jersey. Our families did not organize acres of land for everyone to be buried together; we were too poor, plus who says

that all of the married pairs want to go with their wives and husbands into the forever together?

Let’s not even get into a discussion of divorced, widowed or separated-in-this-world couples.

Through the years, we have participated in too many funerals. When someone passes from old age and natural causes, we call that a good thing. Catastrophic deaths at any age are always difficult. It is complicated to untangle the emotions surrounding the heartbreak caused.

Bob and I were lucky to have had our “survivor” parents deep into old age; until we were blessed with great-grandchildren, we had no names.

Since our aliyah in July, we have been attending too many funerals. Perhaps it is because of our proximity to Har Hamenuchot and Eretz Hachaim (our place); when someone is buried here, we make every effort to go because of a possibility that there may not be enough mourners. More importantly, we go because we are close to the family.

Not surprisingly, many of the people who live here feel the same way and oftentimes attend the funerals of victims of tragedy whom they don’t know.

This week, a friend who is like family lost her mother. Ann was a beautiful, brilliant, and larger than life woman who survived the horrors of the Lodz ghetto and Auschwitz; she and her husband Herman built a wonderful family and lived a fulfilling life. Her passing marks the end of an era for her family, our friends who are like family, and our people.

Ann is among the last of the eyewitnesses to pass.

As we stood around remembering good and better times on the open Jerusalem hilltop, sirens began screaming. All of the mourners stood frozen with nowhere to go for refuge. And the sirens kept blasting.

Life and death in Jerusalem.

The sirens finally stopped; Ann and Herman are now together.

No one should ever take for granted

the blessing of a long and mostly healthy life. Hashem did a very good job in creating bodies that enable us to do all of the things we need to accomplish as we go about our lives.

Depending on your life choices, as you age, the machine starts to break down. For some, sadly, in a big way; for most others in small chips. Let’s take our ears and hearing, for example.

My dad, who never easily made concessions for any of life’s curveballs, refused to accept that he needed hearing aids; to his departing day, in his 90s, he never did. When someone spoke to him and he could not hear – he spoke mostly Yiddish and struggled with English – he would politely say, “Pardon me.”

My husband Bob realized he was losing his ability to understand what his students were trying to say about three years ago. Before that, it did not bother him when I would stand screaming at the top of my lungs, on the second floor of our house, to get his attention.

Finally, he got himself top of the line, very expensive hearing aids; no Costco specials for him. This purchase was a lifesaver, because I was going to kill him if something didn’t change.

Talk to most couples over 70, and you will “hear” many similar stories.

When we arrived in Israel, he was three years in on the hearing aids, and like all things, cheap or expensive, they begin to show signs of wear and tear. Everyone gleefully told us that in Israel

$5,000 hearing aids cost 700 shekel from the kupa.

True that, but not so simple.

From excellent authorities in the hearing aid world (civilians), we were told to make an appointment for a hearing test, get the results and then take that piece of paper to the Hearing Aid Clinic where one does not get a hearing test. For that matter, neither does the ENT do hearing tests.

Trial and error and multiple return visits, like everything else in this country, finds you someone who will administer the hearing test.

With three different appointments and a permission slip, hitchaivut, from the primary doctor, Bob was armed and ready. He chose a doctor in Wolfson, right near us, and cancelled the others.

At 3:15 p.m., Bob went to the building and up to the third floor where the ENT doctor had his office. After he was checked in, he was sent to another office for his test. There, the receptionist told him that he had no appointment; this office was for private patients only and regardless, there was no doctor in today.

Back to Reception. Bob attempted to explain the problem. This time, he was sent to Room 3, a place that he could not

find since it was not located after Room 2. At Reception (third time), they clarified where he would find Room 3.

With this try, he hit pay dirt. When he finally walked into Room 3, there were about seven people waiting for the doctor to see them. Each person had an appointment close to Bob’s 3:15 p.m. one; 3:00, 3:05, 3:10 p.m., etc. The

guy must be over 80. “I’m 80,” responded the woman.

Finally, it was Bob’s turn. The doctor asked the purpose of his visit, didn’t check a thing, and told him, “I don’t do hearing tests.” The doctor then gave him a form, a list of places to go for the needed test (still figuring that out), and a permission sheet for new hearing aids.

As we stood around remembering good and better times on the open Jerusalem hilltop, sirens began screaming.

numbers flash on a pseudo-scoreboard to inform the waiting patients their place on the line.

As the room full of people waited, a middle aged couple escorting a very old man with a walker arrived. The second the doctor’s door opened, they scooted in; in Israel, people 80 and above do not wait on any line. One of the waiting patients turned to Bob in wonder, What was that?” Bob concluded that the old

For Lag B’omer, we went to see and “hear” The Sound of Music at the Jerusalem Theater. It was our first forage into the world of Hebrew language live theater. I sat crying through every song. As my friend Ann put it, “Israel is the only place in the world where sirens go off –yes, they did – and the show seamlessly stops and starts again. Since I my days in Camp Masad, I have not been to a Hebrew

play. This one was the best one that I have ever seen. I loved it!”

Anne spoke for all of us; the singing was powerful and beautiful, the live orchestra fabulous, the scenery creative and engaging, and the story timely.

Though it was our third siren in three days, programs were interrupted, and 3 million people in Tel Aviv had to take shelter, the night was incredible and the people undeterred.

Getting older in Israel is an adventure. In life and in death, the sirens blow. Somehow standing in the oncoming sunset on Har Hamenuchot with sirens blasting and strange objects flying above us, I felt safe.

I’m not sure how much Bob and his hearing aid-wearing buddies actually heard of the bad parts, but they loved the good ones.

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.

The Economy is Key in Middle East Diplomacy. Israel is Unprepared

By Tzvi Lev

In a landmark visit underscoring the deepening economic ties between the United States and the Gulf States, President Donald Trump concluded a high-profile tour last week across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The trip, his first to the region since returning to office, was marked by a series of headline-grabbing summits and multibillion-dollar agreements aimed at boosting bilateral trade, investment, and energy cooperation.

Trump was received with full state honors in each capital, where he met with heads of state, top business leaders, and sovereign investment officials to advance what he described as “a new era of prosperity through strength.”

The historic nature of the visit was illustrated by a raft of major deals signed during the trip, including infrastructure and defense contracts, strategic energy investments, and joint ventures in advanced technology sectors. In Riyadh, Trump helped unveil a $22 billion investment pact focused on U.S.-Saudi collaboration in semiconductors and clean tech. In Doha, Qatari and American firms signed a landmark agreement to co-develop LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) infrastructure for export to Europe.

Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, Trump keynoted a private investment summit where U.S. and Emirati funds announced plans to co-launch a $10 billion innovation-focused investment platform. Regional leaders hailed the visit as a turning point in U.S.-Gulf economic diplomacy, and Trump himself called it “a moment of enormous potential for the future of the region and for American business.”

Yet the high profile visit to the Arabian Gulf last week wasn’t just another run-ofthe-mill diplomatic visit by a foreign leader. It marked the beginning of a massive shift in the international order, in which

the economy has now taken center stage. Israel finds itself highly vulnerable to this change. As evidenced by the mercurial president’s decision to skip over the Jewish State entirely, Israel is not well placed to position itself in this new reality and risks becoming an afterthought. Israel’s strategic failure was on full display as the Arabs skillfully leveraged their massive oil wealth to align themselves with the United States. Recognizing the paradigm shift in U.S. foreign policy, Qatar, Saudi, and the rest of the Gulf pivoted to playing the game in which they have a decisive strategic advantage in a way that Israel can never even compete.

Historically, the battle between Israeli leaders was to extract as much value as possible from the U.S. This currency took many forms: diplomatic support at international forums, running interference to block anti-Israel measures at the ICC, and of course, handouts for purchasing American weapons. A successful Israeli statesman was, traditionally, the one who raised the most cash.

This dynamic was epitomized in 2016, when then-President Barack Obama signed another decade-long military welfare package in which Israel would get $3.8 billion annually. The largesse immediately set off a round of finger pointing amongst the political set, as opposition politicos such as Ehud Barak contended that they would have succeeded in pulling down “more.”

This was a game in which Israel generally, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu specifically, have always excelled. Politicians, military leaders, and heads of powerful NGOs such as the Jewish Agency knew how to move the levers of hard and soft power to ensure that intel agencies, government officials, and VCs would dial the +972 area code when they needed something.

And when Trump returned to the White House, Netanyahu thought that his mastery of pulling the different social levels in the United States together with his penchant for stroking the president’s ego would be enough to bring home the bacon. Pax Israeliana. The money would flow. Yet Netanyahu and Israel completely miscalculated and failed to read the room – primarily, the sudden and sharp turn American foreign policy took. Overnight, Washington began putting a premium on what other countries could do for the U.S., where the ultimate arbiter of this was the economy – Foreign Direct Investment, jobs created, and colossal purchases of American weapons.

This is a game in which Israel cannot compete, where it is set up to fail while the oil-soaked Arab states harbor a decisive advantage. As mentioned, Israel extracts value; it labors to take out money and inputs from the United States and does not focus on creating factories and jobs in the Land of the Free.

The opposite is the case. Any Israeli economic attaché convincing an Israeli company to move abroad would be fired. Israeli scientists relocating to the U.S. are seen as a national tragedy, and it’s unheard of for American investors to raise money from Israeli family offices. Since the induction of the Abraham Accords, there has been a fundamental disconnect in how Israel and the Gulf states each view the goal of this treaty. While the Emiratis and Bahrainis expected Israel to scale up tech companies and establish factories in their respective countries, the Jews flooded the Gulf with suitcases looking for funding while mumbling something vague about the “Start Up Nation.”

Recent events have only further proven this point. Over the course of President Donald Trump’s recent Arabian Gulf tour, the wealthy GCC states inked MOUs worth over a trillion dollars in business with American companies.

The Saudis kicked off the visit by announcing a massive $143 billion weapons deal with U.S. defense primes, alongside another $600 billion of investment into the American economy. Then there was the launch of multibillion dollar Saudi-U.S. research funds in strategic sectors like defense tech, energy and artificial intelligence.

The Saudi government was well prepared for Trump’s visit to Riyadh, organizing the Saudi American Investment Forum that brought together the Kingdom’s top companies and government officials with titans of industry that includ-

ed the CEOs of American heavyweights such as Meta, Amazon, Walmart, Oracle, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing. Meanwhile, Qatar gifted the president a shiny $400 million private jet and announced a mammoth purchase of 200 passenger jets by Qatar Airways that will be manufactured inside of the United States. “This deal alone is worth 35,000 jobs in North Carolina,” exulted Trump at the ceremonial signing.

turing, national security interests, and job growth in line with Trump-era economic and geopolitical goals.

This, while Israel begs pitifully for alms and still hasn’t stopped whining that the Pentagon refuses to let it spend the enormous annual military aid it affords on Israeli-made weapons. Not only that, it is working to stop the U.S. from making even more money, desperately trying to scrap plans to build the Saudis dozens

Netanyahu thought that his mastery of pulling the different social levels in the United States together with his penchant for stroking the president , s ego would be enough to bring home the bacon.

Riyadh and Doha were topped by the United Arab Emirates, who turned the U.S. president’s visit to the region into a showcase of the Sheikhdom’s commitment to deploying its massive oil wealth in ways that would benefit the U.S.

Among the highlights was the $14.5 billion commitment by Etihad Airways to purchase 28 U.S.-made Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft, powered by GE Aerospace engines. In the subsequent press interviews in Abu Dhabi, ministers predicted that the deal would support over 60,000 jobs across the United States and reinforced the longstanding aviation partnership between the UAE and the U.S.

Beyond aviation, the UAE’s Emirates Global Aluminum launched a landmark $4 billion aluminum smelter in Oklahoma – the first of its kind in the U.S. in nearly half a century. The project is set to create 1,000 jobs and double current domestic production capacity, bolstering America’s industrial base and critical mineral supply chains.

In the energy sector, Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC is working with ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and EOG Resources on a $60 billion plan to expand oil and gas production, in line with President Trump’s push to cement U.S. energy dominance globally.

Throughout the week, the Gulf States made a show of doubling down on U.S. investments in a show of economic alignment with the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda. They did everything to underscore how Gulf investments are not only commercial but increasingly strategic—supporting high-tech manufac-

How Israel Can and Should Respond

Now, let’s shift focus to what Israel should do – not only to describe how bad of a position we find ourselves in but possible solutions to rectify the problem. While this writer is now a private citizen, he spent years working as a diplomat in a slew of economic- and diplomatic-based roles, focusing on both attracting foreign investment into Israel and embedding Israeli companies into similar efforts by other countries.

“It’s the economy, stupid,” former President Bill Clinton famously said. To contend in a world where the economy is paramount, Israel needs to put a premium on hiring talent with extensive private sector experience.

of nuclear reactors and purchases of the F-35 that would put piles of money into the till of the American taxpayer.

Israel’s predicament is worse than it might appear. This is a game in which it is completely unready to play, in which the Jewish State finds itself at a severe disadvantage and that it will continue to lose until the entire strategic edifice undergoes a facelift.

And there lies the solution: a complete revamp of the manpower running Israel’s foreign and defense establishment. This starts with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the veteran and wily politician made his chops over the past four decades in a game that is no longer relevant.

When you play the Game of Thrones, you better win. It’s time for new blood.

This is not the case today. The main decisionmakers in Israel’s defense and foreign policy establishment don’t have any business or private sector experience.

The dominant entity for anything defense and military related was and remains the IDF. There, colonels and generals who have never held a job outside of the military are expected to brief the Prime Minister and the cabinet.

The situation isn’t much better in the National Security Council, which is stacked by those same colonels and generals. Other entities with significant influence over decisionmakers are think tanks such as INSS and academia, also stacked by ex-military figures or career researchers who have never had to sit with a customer.

Having Middle Eastern Affairs experts and major generals making decisions

made sense when Israel was surrounded by five Arab armies armed with the latest in Soviet weaponry. It doesn’t fly when the economy takes center stage, and where the leader of the free world decides whether to visit a country based on its trade balance with the United States.

The change needs to start from the very bottom. For example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Trade Administration should prioritize candidates with business experience when interviewing for their prestigious Cadets’ Course.

Currently, these roles are dominated by people with a background in media and law. Furthermore, the National Security Council should create an entire new division focused exclusively on economic issues staffed entirely by successful business people.

The next step is to prioritize attracting foreign companies to invest in Israel. Today, the main governmental entity tasked with promoting Israel’s economy globally is the Foreign Trade Administration.

There, Israel’s network of economic attaches focus almost entirely on assisting Israeli companies to sell in new markets. This, as opposed to convincing foreign corporations like Costco or Uber to set up shop in Israel itself.

It says something when there is the government-funded Israel Export Institute but nothing for assisting importers. I’ve never understood why the government doesn’t feel that it’s important to attract corporate behemoths to enter the country.

As a diplomat, this writer invested mammoth efforts to move Israel’s trade from Islamist Turkey to friendly Dubai

after Turkish President Recep Erdogan banned all exports to Israel. Yet at the time, there was no one to talk to; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Council were busy with weighty strategic matters like Iran and scuttling a Palestinian state, while the Ministry of Economy dealt only with exports.

The various Chambers of Commerce and Trade Unions, of course, were and remain corrupt entities that exist to hand plum jobs to political operatives. I assume that the Bermuda Triangle of the Israeli Economy results from protectionist in-

are dispatching high level delegations to seduce European manufacturing plants buckling under onerous environmental regulation to relocate.

Israel needs to be a player in this. The rules of the game have changed; the economy now reigns king and we can’t afford to be asleep at the wheel.

This leads into the next point: Israel needs to become the best place in the world to do business.

On paper, Israel is a dream market for foreign corporations. With one of the world’s strongest economies, Israel is the

Israel needs to undergo a paradigm shift and realize that it is no longer a poor and cash-strapped economy dependent on foreign handouts.

stincts designed to protect Israeli companies and special interests determined to reduce competition.

Yet encouraging foreign corporations to enter Israel would create jobs and lower the cost of living by increasing competition. More importantly, it would effectively create a global lobby of Israel supporters, as these same companies would pressure their governments to go soft on Israel so as not to hurt their bottom line.

There’s a global arms race out there to attract Foreign Direct Investment. The Emiratis and Saudis are providing enormous subsidies for international companies to set up shop; India and Vietnam

only Western nation with a positive birth rate, a (somewhat) trustworthy judicial system, and a GDP that goes only up.

Translated into layman’s terms, this means that Israel has the money to purchase whatever it is that you’re selling, will have more money to buy more of it in a few years, and will likely need more of it due to the high birth rate. And if someone cheats you, you will get your day in court and have a good chance of getting your money back.

This should be very attractive to foreign businesses that have large capital expenses. Once they pay off the cost of entering a new market, hiring staff and building a factory, they will sell to a market that is both ex-

panding and making more money. So why isn’t every foreign company flocking to Israel? Simple – the seven circles of Gehinnom the government puts the private sector through. “Five years until I can operate? I’ve built entire skyscrapers in Dubai in half of that time,” said the shocked CEO of a Dubai-based construction company I was trying to convince to operate in Israel.

In a world where defense and saber-rattling has the last word, you invest in building military power. When the United States focuses on the economy, you build economic power and transform your economy into something that is the envy of the world.

Obvious examples would be Dubai and Singapore, two small countries established a little over half a century ago with no natural resources. They overcame their limitations by creating an extremely business-friendly regul atory environment, a fair and efficient judicial system, and strong property rights.

There is a lot of work to be done. Becoming the most attractive place to do business entails a massive revamp of the economy, including but not limited to doing away with the Communist-era labor laws that cripple competition and taking an axe to the endless thicket of bureaucracy.

The choking progressive income tax regime needs to be a thing of the past, and corporate tax should be cut by at least 10%. More importantly, bringing in labor from around the world needs to become substantially easier than the current layers of red tape that companies are dragged through.

As mentioned, there’s a global war for

companies and talent. A foreign CEO deciding where to establish his EMEA hub can choose Croatia, Israel, or Greece.

What should Israel do to make itself climb to the top of the list?

Diversify, diversify, diversify. Broader economic diversification would strengthen resilience, create more inclusive job opportunities, and ensure sustainable long-term growth across industries.

This begins by building up other sectors that are not related to tech, be it manufacturing, tourism, or professional services. Today, Israel’s economy is dominated by its world renowned tech scene that has led it to proudly wear the moniker of the “Start Up Nation.”

Technology makes up 53% of total exports, despite the sector employing a little over 10% of the total workforce.

Yet there are major drawbacks to having all of your eggs in one basket. First, it leaves the country vulnerable to boom and bust cycles. To illustrate, a global tech downtown and higher interest rates in 2022 resulting from the emergence from the COVID pandemic left the ecosystem reeling as VCs cut back on investment.

While a key growth engine, the overreliance on tech leaves the country vulnerable to global market fluctuations and

sector-specific downturns

The need to diversify is true within Israel’s tech ecosystem as well, as cybersecurity is the main cash cow that pulls in 36% of total funding. Israel needs to prioritize the emergence of more sectors, more companies, and more the development of fast-growing verticals like Digital Assets and Food Tech in which Israel boasts cutting edge innovation.

There is enormous potential for growing the overall pie. For example, Israel is a three hour flight from most European capitals and has hundreds of historical and religious sites; why shouldn’t the Jewish State become an international hub for conferences and exhibitions like Las Vegas and Dubai?

With London suffering from skyrocketing crime and having left the European Union, why shouldn’t Israel become a global center for financial services? Why can’t we take advantage of our strategic geographic location to become Hong Kong to Africa, a safe and stable way for international companies to access the world’s fastest growing economy?

Finally, Israel needs to undergo a paradigm shift and realize that it is no longer a poor and cash-strapped economy dependent on foreign handouts but a

red-hot market that is one of the world’s economic success stories.

“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them,” recounted the Biblical spies dispatched to scout out the Land of Israel. Describing the intense inferiority complex prevalent amongst the Jews who still viewed themselves as Egyptian slaves, this passage accurately describes the feeling amongst many Israeli decisionmakers.

Yes, Israel began as a poverty-stricken country so in debt and destitute that it implemented a draconian regime of food stamps throughout its early years. Yet today Israel is a wealthy nation, with a GDP ahead of Singapore, Austria, and only slightly behind the UAE with its significant oil wealth.

Israel’s economy is larger than the global economic powerhouses of Norway and Denmark, while the top financial institutions in London, the UAE, and Switzerland routinely target Israel as a key international pool of High Net Worth Individuals. Israel is home to one of the world’s most dynamic and resilient economies, consistently ranking among the top in GDP per capita globally.

Despite suffering from a complicat-

ed geopolitical environment, Israel has maintained robust economic growth, fueled by its innovation-driven industries, strong exports, and a thriving tech sector. Its high-income economy is supported by world-class human capital, advanced infrastructure, and an entrepreneurial ecosystem that attracts substantial global investment.

“If you want to be a leader, act like one,” says the motivational speaker Robin Sharma. The economy has become the main arbiter on the global stage; playing the game successfully means acting not like a poor country filled with refugees but like an international economic power. The road to wielding economic power effectively starts with realizing that you have it, and then working to grow it as quickly as possible.

Born and raised in Far Rockaway, NY, Tzvi Lev has extensive experience working throughout the Middle East. Previously an Israeli diplomat, Tzvi served on the Abraham Accords Task Force and established Israel’s Economic team in Dubai, leading it while living in the UAE for three years. Today, he is a businessman and the CEO of the Dubai Israel Business Council.

My Israel Home The Street Named for Humility

By Gedaliah Borvick

In Jerusalem, every street tells a story. Some are named for kings, queens, and prophets; others for warriors, revolutionaries, and political giants. And then there’s Benei Beteira Street – a quiet road in Katamon that honors a group of sages remembered not for power or victory but for something far rarer: intellectual honesty, humility, and the willingness to step aside for someone greater.

The Benei Beteira (Sons of Beteira) were prominent Torah scholars during the Second Temple period. They are described in the Talmud as the leading sages of their time, serving as the Nasi (president) and Av Beit Din (head of the rabbinic court) of the Sanhedrin.

As the recognized halachic authorities in Eretz Yisrael, the Benei Beteira had the final say on Jewish law and practice. Their wisdom and stature made them the highest rabbinic figures of their generation. Yet, despite their greatness, their enduring legacy comes not from a ruling they made but from a ruling they couldn’t make.

The Talmud (Pesachim 66a) tells the story. It was the eve of Passover, and a

critical legal question arose: if the 14th of Nissan – the day designated for offering the Korban Pesach – falls on Shabbat, is it still permitted to bring the offering? The Benei Beteira were unsure.

Enter Hillel Hazaken (Hillel the Elder), a scholar from Babylonia who had only recently arrived in Eretz Yisrael. When asked, Hillel stepped forward and

ately recognized his superior knowledge and stepped aside, appointing him as the new Nasi. That moment of humility captured their essence. They understood that leadership is not about ego – it’s doing what is best for the people and the Torah. It was their “Moses moment”: like Moshe, known as both the greatest prophet and the humblest person in history, they

Despite their greatness, their enduring legacy comes not from a ruling they made but from a ruling they couldn’t make.

delivered a brilliant response. Drawing on Torah sources and halachic reasoning, he proved that the Korban Pesach does override Shabbat – just like other communal offerings.

Rather than feeling threatened by Hillel’s wisdom, the Benei Beteira immedi-

showed that humility is not a weakness but an essential trait of true leadership. From that day forward, Hillel became the leader of the Jewish people, shaping halachic thought forever. His approach to Torah study, humility, and kindness were legendary.

And yet, the Benei Beteira are not forgotten. Their willingness to step aside is remembered as an act of greatness in its own right. They taught an invaluable lesson: sometimes, true leadership is knowing when to let go.

Their story is immortalized not only in the pages of the Talmud but also in the streets of modern Jerusalem. The next time you walk down Benei Beteira Street, take a moment to appreciate its meaning. It is not just another street in Jerusalem; it is a tribute to humility and the wisdom to know one’s limits, and a reminder of the greatness found in putting truth above ego.

In a world where it’s rare to hear someone say, “I don’t know,” the story of the Benei Beteira feels more relevant than ever.

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.

Nation

R’ Eli Riesel Passing the Test

By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

It was a hectic erev Pesach in April 2014. The chag was just hours away. And Rabbi Eli Riesel was preparing for yom tov when, suddenly, his phone rang.

“Hello?”

From the other end of the line came a man’s voice.

In His Words…

“Hello, my name is Benedict Kuehne. I’m your attorney,” the man said. “I’m calling to let you know that you’ve just been indicted by the federal government.”

“What? What do you mean?” Rabbi Riesel asked.

“You’ve been charged with 25 counts

There’s a difference between reading through a g emara and reading through a g emara like it’s a $50 million contract, and making sure every T is crossed and every i is dotted.

My story is about finding meaning in life. i’m not saying that everyone has to do the crazy thing that i did – leave your job and learn full-time. But what you have to do is understand that there’s a very fine line between learning and davening because you want mazel for success or because you’re too nervous not to do it — and making it a priority in your life. a nd it could just be an hour of connection. But during that hour, shut everything off.

What i was running after wasn’t going to be the answer. a nd i started slowly reattaching myself to what i grew up doing. it was the same 45-minute shacharis, but instead of just being the vehicle for my success, it became the highlight of my day. This was the time to connect and shut everything down.

of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy,” Mr. Kuehne replied. “This is very serious. There’s a warrant out for your arrest. You need to show up in a court in Miami.”

Rabbi Riesel was lost. Indictment? Arrest? Court? He didn’t recall doing anything illegal. All he remembered was that a real estate company he once worked for had hired this Mr. Kuehne as their attorney.

“What? I’m in New York. It’s almost yom tov. I can’t go back to Miami,” the rabbi responded, barely processing what was happening. He was in Brooklyn, spending the holiday with his in-laws.

“Okay, listen. I know the holiday is coming. You’re in New York. It is what it is. There’s nothing you can do,” the lawyer replied. “The U.S. Marshal might come looking for you. We’re gonna have to deal with this, alright? We’ll talk after the holiday.”

And with that, Rabbi Riesel hung up the phone. He called his rabbi, took a deep breath, and continued preparing for Pesach.

* * *

Rabbi Eli Riesel always craved independence. From a young age, he dreamed of financial security. As he puts it, “I wanted to go to a restaurant and not have to think about ordering the second appetizer.”

His upbringing in North Miami Beach was simple. His ambitions, on the other hand, were not. Sometimes, young Eli Riesel would walk the streets of Manhattan, staring at buildings in amazement. He imagined owning his own buildings someday.

“I got married very young. I got engaged at 20, married at 21,” recalls Rabbi Riesel. “Immediately, I got a job working for a large real estate development company, and I worked my way up the ranks. I started without knowing anything. I still remember: It was my first day on the job. I called my father on my cell phone, and I asked, ‘Hey, what’s escrow?’ That’s how it started.”

Like the good frum boy he was, he would always daven and learn. But at some point, his passion for Torah and tefillah began to wane. The most important thing to him was his work. Thus, instead of doing them for their own sake, davening and learning were eventually relegated to a mere segulah — a superstition — to support his financial success.

He lived like that for a while. Intoxicated by his grandiose dreams, he imagined success to be like climbing a mountain. As soon as he reached the mountain’s peak — as soon as he became financially comfortable — he would be fulfilled. And yet, that wasn’t what happened. Instead, as soon as he scaled one mountain, he found another one to climb. It was a rat race; a futile pursuit for a fleeting sense of success. Eventually, a real estate company hired him for a leading role. And yet, he still wasn’t satisfied.

“I started realizing more and more that this reality I was chasing wasn’t there. It wasn’t the solution. It wasn’t the happiness that I thought it was,” Rabbi Riesel shares. “It was cool as a kid. But as an adult, it started becoming less impressive. I felt less fulfilled and happy. I struggled with anxiety and finding purpose. I still went

to minyan, but I wasn’t feeling it.

“I can’t pinpoint a specific time, but there was a switch,” he continues. “I started acknowledging that what I was running after wasn’t going to be the answer. And I started slowly reattaching myself to what I grew up doing. It was the same 45-minute Shacharis, but instead of just being the vehicle for my success, it became the highlight of my day. This was the time to connect and shut everything down.”

The same thing happened to his learning. No longer was learning an obligatory chore. In fact, his one hour of chavrusa learning became the best part of his day. That change coincided with the 2007 recession, which made his job all the more stressful. Yet, it seemed like the more he learned, the less stressed he was at work.

Rabbi Riesel would learn at a local Kollel.

“The chavrusa I had at the Kollel told me that if I came to his house at 6 o’clock — he couldn’t come to the Kollel, since he was with his kids — we could get another 45 minutes of learning. Eventually, I added an hour of learning at night. I added an hour during the day during lunch. In 2008, I lived in Miami Beach, and I worked down the block. So, if I had an hour break, I would go back to the Kollel to go through another Rashba,” Rabbi Riesel recalls. “I had a chavrusa every single night from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., including Friday night, Shabbos, Sunday — whatever the situation. Learning really became the focus of my life. I remember sitting back one time with my wife. And I was thinking, ‘You know, I’m probably learning about five hours a day and working a full-time job.’”

In 2011, when Rabbi Riesel was 30, the Miami Beach Kollel honored him with an award for being a community baalhabos. And at around that time, he began to reflect on how much he’d changed in the past few years.

“It’s so funny how my role models used to be the wealthiest guys,” Rabbi Riesel shares. “But now my role models were the Kollel guys. I was thinking, ‘I wish I could be doing what they’re doing. I wish I could just learn all day and be connected.’ Like, I literally wanted to be a Kollel guy.”

When he got married, he passed up on learning in a Kollel. Despite being a great candidate for Kollel, he decided to go straight to work. Ten years later, he deeply regretted that decision. It started as a half-wish: Wouldn’t it be amazing if I learned in Kollel fulltime? Eventually, however, Rabbi Riesel began yearning for it. He wanted little more than to dedicate his entire day to learning Torah.

One day in 2012, Lakewood’s Rav Eliyahu Levin, whom Rabbi Riesel had grown close with, visited the Kollel and gave a shiur. After the shiur, Rabbi Riesel approached Rabbi Levin.

“Rabbi, I have a financial question,” Rabbi Riesel said. “Am I allowed to leave my job and join the Kollel full-time? I never had the Kollel experience, and I feel like it would do so much for me and my family.”

Rabbi Riesel knew it was a crazy question. With his current job, he was just barely making ends meet. He and his wife had no savings. They lived paycheck to paycheck. How could he quit his job and expect to support his family?

“If you cut as much as you’re able to cut, and you think about any way you’re able to make money, would you, on paper, at least be able to show that you can make ends meet?” Rabbi Levin asked.

Rabbi Riesel spoke to his wife about it. And with her blessing, he quit his job and became a full-time member of the Kollel.

* * *

After Rabbi Eli Riesel heard about his indictment, he immediately called Rav Eliyahu Levin.

“I had an idea of what this was about,” recalls Rabbi Riesel. “There were rumblings, for sure, while we were working. The market was difficult. We were doing different creative programs to sell units. Would I do it again? No. But it wasn’t like we were stealing money from anyone. We had professional mortgage brokers and attorneys guiding us along the way. And there wasn’t any point that we could say we knew that anything we were doing was illegal.”

Rabbi Riesel explained the situation to Rav Levin.

“My attorney says they want me to come to court and testify. They’re going after the guy that I worked for,” he told Rav Levin. “You know, I’m not testifying.”

“Okay, listen. We’re going to deal with this,” Rav Levin replied.

“What do I do? Should I fly back? It’s two hours. Should I be mechallel yom tov?” Rabbi Riesel asked.

“No, you shouldn’t do anything now. You’re going into yom tov. You shouldn’t tell anyone about this yet. What’s the point?” Rav Levin instructed him. “You’re just going to have a regular yom tov. And after yom tov, we’re going to deal with it.”

And so, Rabbi Riesel kept quiet. And somehow, he had a beautiful, peaceful yom tov; he was even able to sleep, despite the awful news. On Chol Hamoed, he brought his wife into the front room of their home, and he explained to her what was happening. “She’s so strong. She didn’t bat an eyelash. She said, ‘Okay, we’re going to get through this,’” Rabbi Riesel recounts. His in-laws, proud of his decision not to testify against his former employer, had a similar reaction.

On Friday morning, in the middle of Chol Hamoed, he flew to Miami and appeared at the courthouse, where he was handcuffed and forced to stand for mug shots. Thanks to his attorney, he made bail and had just enough time to fly back to New York for Shabbos Chol Hamoed.

“When I was in that courthouse, my attorney sat me down and went through the basics of the case. He said, ‘Listen, they’re going after the guy that you worked for. They made it clear that they just want you to testify. And you know, if you get convicted, you’re looking at 15 to 20 years for each count. Times that by 26 counts and that’s over 300 years in prison,’” Rabbi Riesel recounts.

Throughout the case, Rabbi Riesel was also guided by Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, who, from Eretz Yisrael, gave advice on how to proceed.

While the prospect of being away from his family was deeply unsettling, Rabbi Riesel was otherwise unfazed by the situation. The Kollel lifestyle taught him how to completely trust in Hashem. Every week, the very fact that there was food on

his family’s Shabbos table was proof that Hashem performed miracles for them. Was he confident that he would get away with no jail time? No. But he knew that, no matter what happened, Hashem would take care of him and his family. * * *

The court case was a big deal. Every action he took in the past — every text, every email — was scrutinized. Witnesses took the stand to testify. At one point, a witness of the government was asked, “Did this man know that they were doing anything wrong?” And the witness responded: “No.”

The courtroom was filled with a few hundred people, the greatest of whom were Rav Eliyahu Levin and Rav Elya Meir Sorotzkin, another Rosh Yeshiva who had a deep connection with Rabbi Riesel. Rav Sorotzkin, who passed away a few years ago, had just been diagnosed with cancer. Yet, despite his illness, he helped Rabbi Riesel every step of the way.

“My attorney told me, ‘You have to look busy during trial, because you don’t want the jury to think that you don’t care about the case. So, just write things down.’ So, I was literally writing notes on the Rashba,” recalls Rabbi Riesel. “But I was also paying attention. I wasn’t making a joke out of it.”

Two weeks later, it was time for the jury to decide on whether to convict Rabbi Riesel. The jury deliberated for two hours. During that time, Rabbi Riesel and Rav Elya Meir Sorotzkin went to the court’s dining room and learned Gemara. And for those two hours, Rabbi Riesel almost forgot about his trial.

Then, his wife came down.

“They reached their decision,” she told them.

The three sat back in the courtroom.

“On the charge of Count One — conspiracy to commit bank fraud — how do you find?” the clerk asked.

The jury responded: “We find the defendant…guilty.”

Rabbi Riesel’s heart sank. Each count alone could easily put him in prison for 13 years. Imagine being away from your family for the next 13 years. His children would be in their 20s by the time he gets

out. He couldn’t bear to be away for a single Shabbos. The thought of being away — of not being able to take his kids to shul, make Kiddush for his family, help his kids with homework, spend time with his wife — for the next 13 years, was unbearable.

“On Count One of the indictment, charging bank fraud, how do you find?” the clerk then asked.

“We find the defendant not guilty.”

“On Count Two of the indictment, charging bank fraud, how do you find?”

“We find the defendant not guilty.”

That went on for all 26 counts. The jury only found Rabbi Riesel guilty on the charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. But they found him not guilty on all charges of actually committing bank fraud.

Then came the sentencing.

“There were many things at the trial that showed that there were a lot of technicalities in the case. I wasn’t the head honcho. The numbers themselves [of how much money was defrauded] may have

been exaggerated. My lawyers brought an expert who wrote the sentencing guidelines to give his opinion on why they thought the 11 to 13 year guideline was too high,” Rabbi Riesel recounts. “Then, Rav Elya Meir Sorotzkin came to speak after all the experts. The rav never missed a shiur. He gave a shiur no matter what: in the middle of chemo, before chemo, after chemo. But he flew down for my sentencing. And he gets up there. He was bald at the time. And he’s standing there.”

“Your honor, I come from a lineage of great rabbis who have dedicated their entire being and life and blood to teaching and passing on our tradition and our studies in the Talmud to our students,” the rav told the judge. “And I take that on. I have my own institution in New Jersey. I’m a sick man. But I’ve never missed giving a class throughout my illness. Your Honor, to show the life change and the significance of what this man did…today, I missed a class.”

The room went completely silent. Rav Elya Meir Sorotzkin went on to detail how Rabbi Riesel transformed his life; how he now dedicates every day to studying Torah. After the rav finished speaking, the judge explained how the experts failed to convince him to lower the sentence.

“The only thing that impacted me was the life change that this man made,” the judge declared. “And that’s why I’m granting him a departure from the guideline.”

Then, the judge read the sentence: Rabbi Eli Riesel would be going to federal prison – for three years.

* * *

Though it wasn’t the greatest outcome possible, the sentence itself — 36 months — was a miracle, as it’s unheard of to receive fewer than 11 years for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Rabbi Riesel was thankful for that. To him, it was a sign from Hashem, a reward for dedicating his life to Torah. Because, had he not changed his life, the judge would not have had any mercy.

It was, needless to say, hard for his kids, too. But they stayed strong. Ultimately, Rabbi Riesel wasn’t terribly scared of going to jail. His biggest concern was how his family would survive without him. With him around, they already struggled to put food on the table. How would they have what to eat in his absence?

Following his sentencing, a friend of Rabbi Riesel called him on the phone.

“He says, ‘Listen. It’s going to be difficult. I can’t imagine what you’re going to go through. But one thing, I give you my word: your family’s taken care of,’” Rabbi Riesel recounts. “You know, there was nothing that anyone could have said to make me feel better than that: that my family is going to eat. It was a game changer.”

Prison was terribly unpleasant. However, Rabbi Riesel spent his days behind bars doing what he loves most of all: learning Torah. During his time in prison,

he wrote a sefer on Maseches Sanhedrin. He constantly learned in jail. He also organized daily minyanim for the 40 Jews in his prison. “I gave five shiurim in prison every night,” Rabbi Riesel remembers.

Those 36 months in prison likely didn’t go by quickly. But today, Rabbi Riesel is home with his family. And he’s still learning with all his heart. * * *

“My story is about finding meaning in life,” Rabbi Eli Riesel declares. “I’m not saying that everyone has to do the crazy thing that I did; leave your job and learn full time. But what you have to do is understand that there’s a very fine line between learning and davening because you want mazal for success or because you’re too nervous not to do it — and making it a priority in your life. And it could just be an hour of connection. But during that hour, shut everything off.

“It’s cliche to say that during davening, you’re standing in front of a king and begging for your life. But to me, it’s not cliche: standing in front of a judge, knowing he can sentence you for 13 years or sentence you for a day. You can do that three times a day, and have the opportunity to have a relationship with that Judge, with that King, and put everything else aside,” Rabbi Riesel concludes. “There’s a difference between reading through a Gemara and reading through a Gemara like it’s a $50 million contract, and making sure every T is crossed and every I is dotted. There’s a big difference between those two, and I experienced both sides.”

Kollel isn’t for every Jew, but connecting to Hashem — connecting to davening and learning — is. When he was younger, Rabbi Eli Riesel thought he would find happiness atop the mountain of material success. But now he knows that happiness can only be found while climbing the mountain of Torah.

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,

Hi, I love the column! I’m 20 and have been in shidduchim for a little while. I’ve been going out with a guy for some time, and overall, it’s been going really well. He’s kind, easy to talk to, and we connect on a lot of levels. There’s just one thing that’s been bothering me: he vapes.

He says he’s in the process of quitting, but I’m not sure how seriously he’s working on it or if he’s just saying that because he knows I don’t like it. I’ve never vaped and honestly really don’t like the idea of it. Aside from it not being my type of lifestyle, I’m also concerned about the health risks. Even though vaping is sometimes seen as “not a big deal,” I know it can still be addictive and harmful.

Is this something that should be a deal breaker? (For me, I feel like it might be but I don’t really know).

Thank you,

Tova*

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 Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

Tova, apparently vaping by a prospective mate for you is a deal breaker. But you are not confident enough to say

so. You are seeking affirmation from us.

Look at this experience as a step in refining your criteria for a mate. There are some negotiables and some non-negotiables on everyone’s “list” as well as preferences and needs. You are learning what are yours.

You may want to consider seeking help (mentor or therapist) to help identi-

fy them as well as how to deal with nonpreferred behaviors and attributes that will come out in a relationship. How do you learn to gauge how much it matters to you? Help, self knowledge, and communication will help you develop skills and confidence in your own judgment.

You are young and in shidduchim for a little while, as you say. Learn to date well.

The Shadchan

Michelle Mond

It is situations like this that make me wish all yeshivos would completely ban vaping and smoking. Not only are both extremely unhealthy and clearly not in line with the halachic obligation of v’nishmartem me’od l’nafshoseichem, they are also unsanitary and very hard

Only time will tell if he likes you more than he likes vaping.

habits to break.

Vaping may look cleaner than smoking, but it still introduces chemicals and nicotine into the lungs. It can damage lung tissue, negatively impact brain development, and lead to long-term addiction. On top of that, the vast majority of women do not want to marry someone who smokes or vapes. Why would a young man knowingly put himself in that position to begin with?

This is why I believe yeshivos should

take more responsibility and stop this problem before it starts. Allowing these habits to take root only sets these young men up for a very difficult and frustrating journey later, when they start dating and try to stop.

Tova, you are only 20 years old, and something about this is already bothering you. That is not something to ignore. I believe you need to take your discomfort seriously. If you were older and had fewer options, my advice might be different. If you had been dating for ten years, felt like you had met everyone, and this guy seemed particularly shayach, I might suggest being patient and seeing how things develop. But right now, at 20 years old, if he is not genuinely working on quitting, you can absolutely consider this a valid reason to move on. If he is motivated and actively trying to stop, it makes sense to continue dating a little longer to see how serious he really is about following through.

Wishing you clarity and lots of hatzlacha moving forward.

The Zaidy

Dr. Jeffrey Galler

Your concerns are well-justified. Here are some thoughts for you to consider:

1. Is it a big problem?

Vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes, is supposed to be a safe alternative to smoking. But, according to research conducted at Johns Hopkins University, vaping is not safe and can cause very serious health issues, such as heart and lung disease.

These electronic cigarettes can actually deliver more nicotine than regular cigarettes and are extremely addictive.

A 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey reported that “young people seem to be getting hooked on vaping.”

They worried that young people mistakenly believe vaping is less harmful than smoking and indulge because it is less expensive than regular cigarettes.

We dentists are especially alarmed

when a young patient starts vaping. These e-cigarettes cause dry mouth, bad breath, reduced saliva production, and an increased risk for decay and periodontal disease.

You do not want to marry someone who either smokes or vapes.

2. Is he really serious about quitting?

It’s easy for someone to say that they are “in the process of quitting.” But, my father, a”h, always admonished that actions speak louder than words.

For this relationship to thrive, the young man has to demonstrate that he is taking concrete steps in trying to quit the habit.

For example, is he undertaking Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)? This effective therapy reduces the urge to vape or smoke by utilizing patches, gums, lozenges, or nasal sprays; it helps addiction withdrawal by providing a small, controlled, amount of nicotine, without the other dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes or e-cigarettes.

Or, has he demonstrated that he is really trying to quit by going for counseling? Hypnosis? Medical intervention? Has he called 1-800-QUIT-NOW? Checked online on CDC.gov/Quit?

3. Does vaping indicate a personality defect?

Research seems to indicate that vaping is more prevalent “among individuals with lower conscientiousness, higher levels of anxiety, and certain impulsivity traits.” That sounds alarming!

However, the National Institute of Health (NIH) cautions that these findings “are merely associations and are not causal relationships.” That means that one should NOT make any generalizations about individuals based on their vaping habits.

Perhaps he merely started this noxious habit by hanging out with the wrong friends. It doesn’t necessarily define who he is.

4. What should you do?

This is a tough situation. You have dated for a while and have finally found someone you can connect with. So, you don’t want to act rashly, or imprudently, and end a rela-

tionship that seems so promising. May I respectively suggest that you have a serious talk with your boyfriend. Make it clear that you cannot envision a future with someone who either vapes or smokes. Make it clear that you need him to demonstrate concrete actions that could lead to quitting. And explain that you are willing to wait the couple of months that it may take for him to completely quit vaping.

Good luck. Only time will tell if he likes you more than he likes vaping.

Reader’s Response

Devorah Landau Retiree Reader

Dear Tova, I’m so glad you have found someone you connect with in so many ways. It is unfortunate that the

young man has taken up vaping. As you wrote, vaping presents health risks, and those who vape usually associate with a social circle outside your comfort zone. If you haven’t already, you should discuss your concerns frankly. If you believe he is sincere about quitting, and you feel that there is no other obstacle to prevent you from going ahead with the relationship, you might want to give him some time to show you that he has the discipline it takes to refrain from addictive and unhealthy behavior and from associating with people who engage in such behavior. Unfortunately, if he has an addictive personality, it is possible he will replace the addiction to vaping with an equally harmful addictive behavior. Also, please understand that addictive habits are difficult to break, which leads some to sneaking and lying. I sincerely hope that your young man is earnest and honest and committed enough to your relationship to stop vaping.

Pulling It All Together

The Navidaters

Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

Dear Tova,

Thank you for your kind words and for writing in with such honesty. I can tell how thoughtful you are and how much you’re trying to strike the right balance between being open-minded and staying true to what matters to you. You’re not overreacting. Vaping

might seem like “not a big deal” to some, but if it feels off to you, whether because of the health risks, the lifestyle it suggests, or simply because it doesn’t align with your values, that matters. You’re allowed to care about how

someone treats their body and what habits they bring into a relationship.

It also sounds like there’s a question under the question: Can I trust what he’s saying? That’s just as important. If someone tells you they’re “working on” something, it’s okay to look for follow-through. Are there signs he’s genuinely taking steps to quit? Is he open to talking about it? Are you left feeling reassured or uneasy?

Only you can know whether this is a dealbreaker for you, but if it’s already gnawing at you and you’re questioning whether he’s being honest about quitting, that’s something to pay attention to. Trust your intuition. If something feels off now, that feeling doesn’t usually disappear with time; it often grows.

If something feels off now, that feeling doesn’t usually disappear with time.

You’re allowed to want a relationship that feels aligned on all levels, including lifestyle. It’s not shallow or rigid. It’s knowing yourself.

Sincerely, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and certified trauma healing life coach, as well as a dating and relationship coach working with individuals, couples, and families in private practice at 123 Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst, NY. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512. Visit www.thenavidaters.com for more information. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email JenniferMannLCSW@gmail.com. You can follow The Navidaters on FB and Instagram for dating and relationship advice.

Health & F tness The Power of the Mic

By Rivka Kramer, PMHNP-BC

You’re walking the dog, washing dishes, commuting to work, and someone’s in your ear, talking about anxiety, trauma, ADHD, or the benefits of microdosing psilocybin. It’s not your therapist. It’s your favorite podcast host.

And you trust them.

In fact, if you’re like most podcast listeners, you trust that host more than you trust your doctor, a pharmaceutical company, or a mental health professional. And that trust is starting to change the way we think about and treat our mental health.

Podcasts: The New Mental Health Gurus?

There’s no denying the meteoric rise of podcasts. Over 500 million people globally now tune in, with mental health, wellness, and personal development ranking among the most popular genres. These shows aren’t dry lectures. They’re raw, real, and deeply personal. A host shares their battle with depression. A guest opens up about childhood trauma. A conversation meanders through anxiety, healing, and psychedelics—sprinkled with jokes, tears, and epiphanies.

It’s intimate. It’s relatable. It’s real.

And for many listeners, it’s more than entertainment. It’s therapy; or at least a version of it.

Why We Trust Podcast Hosts (More Than Experts)

Podcasts feel like a conversation, not a broadcast. You listen alone, often through headphones, in vulnerable or quiet moments. That creates a unique relationship between listener and host—a one-sided but powerful connection known as a parasocial bond.

You’re not just consuming information; you’re building a kind of friendship. And in that friendship, hosts become trusted advisors, even if they’re not licensed, trained, or qualified to give mental health advice.

According to a 2023 Pew study, twothirds of regular podcast listeners trust their favorite hosts as reliable sources of information. That’s a staggering level of influence—especially in a world where public trust in institutions, including healthcare, continues to erode.

The Upside: When Podcasts Help

Let’s be fair: podcasting isn’t all snake oil and misinformation. In many cases, podcasts have done tremendous good in the mental health space.

1. They Break the Silence Hearing a public figure talk openly about depression or panic attacks can be profoundly validating. It makes it easier for listeners to think, “Maybe I’m not broken.

Maybe I’m not alone.”

Stigma thrives in silence. Podcasts help break that silence.

2. They Educate – In Plain English

Psychoeducation doesn’t have to come from a textbook. A good podcast can explain trauma responses or neurodivergence in language anyone can understand. That kind of accessible insight can be life-changing.

3. They Offer Company

In moments of isolation, a podcast can feel like a warm presence in the room. For someone with social anxiety or depression, that sense of companionship—even if virtual—is invaluable.

4. They Spark Curiosity and Action

Sometimes, a podcast is the catalyst. It pushes someone to finally make that therapy appointment, ask their doctor about ADHD, or open up to a friend. That’s powerful.

The Downside: When Trust Goes Too Far

But here’s the catch. Not all podcasts are created equal. And trust, when misplaced, can be dangerous, especially in something as delicate as psychiatric care.

1. Self-Diagnosis Gone Wild

You hear someone on a podcast talk

about feeling overwhelmed, distractible, emotionally sensitive. You nod along. That’s me, you think. Next thing you know, you’re convinced you have ADHD, CPTSD, or are on the autism spectrum.

Sound familiar?

This isn’t just harmless curiosity. Self-diagnosis based on podcast anecdotes can lead to:

• Misunderstanding your symptoms

• Delaying proper assessment

• Clinging to an identity that doesn’t fit You might even start adjusting your behavior to match that label, even if it’s not accurate. That’s called identity foreclosure, and it can complicate your actual healing.

2. Bad Advice in a Polished Package

Some podcast hosts promote untested supplements, bash psychiatric meds, or suggest intense trauma therapies without evidence or warnings. They mean well. But meaning well doesn’t make it safe. The danger? Listeners may:

• Ditch life-saving medications based on anecdotal stories

• Try risky treatments unsupervised

• Avoid legitimate psychiatric care out of fear or misinformation

Charisma is not a substitute for clinical training. But when a podcast host is likable, vulnerable, and articulate, it’s easy to forget that.

3. One-Size-Fits-All Healing

Podcast hosts often share what worked for them: journaling, EMDR, ketamine therapy, quitting therapy altogether. But what works for one person can be irrelevant—or harmful—for someone else.

There’s no single path to healing. But podcasts often turn personal journeys into templates, leaving little room for nuance or complexity.

The Echo Chamber Effect

Here’s another problem: algorithms.

Click on a few mental health podcasts, and soon, your feed is flooded with similar content. ADHD TikToks. Trauma podcasts. Inner child workshops. It’s comforting at first. But it can trap you in a confirmation loop, reinforcing a single narrative.

You start to believe it’s the truth. And you stop questioning whether that truth actually fits your life.

So…Should We Stop Listening?

No. Podcasts aren’t the problem. Uncritical listening is.

Podcasts can be amazing tools for mental health awareness, education, and connection. But they’re not a substitute for individualized, evidence-based care. They’re certainly not a replacement for li-

censed professionals.

It’s like learning about fitness from a YouTuber. Great for tips. Not great for diagnosing a torn ligament.

So, how do we move forward without tossing our AirPods in the trash?

For Podcast Hosts:

• Disclose your background. Be honest about your qualifications, or lack thereof.

• Use disclaimers. Make it clear that your content is not medical advice.

• Partner with professionals. Bring licensed therapists or psychiatrists onto

In that friendship, hosts become trusted advisors, even if they’re not licensed, trained, or qualified to give mental health advice.

What Needs to Happen –On Both Sides of the Mic

For Listeners:

• Stay curious, not compliant. Ask questions. Double-check claims. Don’t take any podcast as gospel.

• Know the difference between lived experience and clinical expertise. Both are valuable – but they serve different roles.

• Talk to a professional if a podcast leaves you with new questions or emotional turmoil.

your show to check the facts and add clinical context.

• Be humble. Remember that your story is yours. It’s not a template for everyone.

For Mental Health Professionals:

• Join the conversation. Start a podcast. Guest on one. Translate your knowledge into the language people are actually listening to.

• Teach media literacy. Help patients understand how to vet mental health

content online.

• Don’t dismiss podcast culture. Meet patients where they are—sometimes, that means talking about what they heard on last week’s episode.

Between the Headphones and the Heart

Podcasts are more than background noise. They’ve become mental health companions, advisors, and in some cases, substitutes for care. That trust isn’t necessarily misplaced but it needs to be earned, scrutinized, and balanced.

The mic is powerful. And when someone picks it up to talk about mental health, they carry more than just a voice; they carry influence, and with that, responsibility.

As listeners, let’s stay thoughtful. As creators, let’s stay ethical. And as a society, let’s recognize that the future of psychiatric care is already being shaped-not just in clinics, but in earbuds.

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.

Health & F tness

Your Adolescent and Mental Health Screenings

By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP

Your adolescent child and you arrive for the annual well visit. Height. Weight. Urine. Blood pressure. It’s all familiar. But adolescent well visits are not just about weight and height. Nor are they only about vaccines. The optimal well visit is about the overall development of a person. Hence, your child is asked to complete two mental health screenings, specifically one for depression and the

other called the CRAFFT.

What are they about?

Each mental health screening involves a set of questions or standardized tools used by healthcare providers to identify potential mental health concerns or conditions in adolescents.

The CRAFFT is the most well-studied adolescent substance abuse screener available for adolescents ages 12-21. It is

recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Bright Futures Guidelines, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, and National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for all preventive visits and screenings. The latest version also screens for vaping.

The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire Modified for Teenagers) is typically used with patients ages 12-18 and takes less than 5 minutes to complete. The score indicates whether depression is present and, if yes, its severity. The National Institute of Health underscores the reliability of the score.

A positive score on any of these screenings does not mean that the ado -

in “preventive mode,” meaning we prefer to identify and deal with concerns before they become full-blown issues. As we know, prevention is much easier to achieve than the “cure.”

Parents have asked me if kids lie on the screenings. In my experience, the answer is no. My team and I have built an environment and culture of trust. Our adolescent patients know that we care and want the best for them. It’s not uncommon that they “open up” and discuss their lives and complete the screenings honestly. We accept, don’t judge and try to help, including referring them for further testing and intervention, if necessary.

As we know, prevention is much easier to achieve than the “cure.”

lescent is positive for substance abuse or depression. It means that the patient is frontloaded for it. It could be biological. It could be situational since peer pressure is synonymous with adolescence. No matter what, we doctors and health care providers take the results seriously and will discuss them with you and the adolescent. In health care, we try to be

Adolescence has always been a “tohu va’vohu” time for people. I believe it’s even more so today. By partnering with our patients and their parents and availing ourselves of screening and other diagnostic tools, we can, with G-d’s help, effect positive outcomes and help to assure the future of society.

As always, daven.

Parenting Pearls Consistency Makes Things Happen

By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

There are so many goals we set yet not reach. There are many reasons for this, but stopping before the end is one major hindrance. We can be very motivated to start, but then the excitement fades with each passing day. Soon enough, it’s forgotten and gets placed in the pile of good intentions.

There are so many techniques to parenting, and for each area, there are so many different ways to do it. Perhaps some will advocate a softer approach, others a harsher one. Maybe it’s building a bond, effective communication, or addressing technology. Discipline, in particular, has many voices. For each method, you will find those who are strongly supporting it and can’t imagine any other way of raising their young.

There is one important aspect that each of these methods will have in common, and that is the need for consistency. You can choose the most powerful parenting technique, but it will be useless if not used consistently. I’ve seen the most well-intentioned parents, thrilled with seeing success, still find it challenging to be consistent. Sadly, these successes can fade simply from a lack of consistency in the long term.

It sounds so simple, but maintaining consistency may be one of the greatest challenges of parenting. We can search for exactly what our child needs, find something that our child responds to –and neglect to keep it up. It can be frustrating, but ultimately powerful, to know how much we can accomplish by simply being consistent.

Importance of Consistency

Many goals may seem out of reach but are within our grasp if we take small but consistent steps. Learning a new language, skill or almost anything in life can be done if we stick to it. I join the many proud wives of Daf Yomi learners that can testify to the power of consistency. Daf Yomi is one daf a day, until all 2,711 dapim are complete. When my husband started, it felt like there was no end in sight – but seven and a half years later, he had experienced every page of Gema-

ra. Truthfully, it wasn’t seven years; it was day after day. His Gemara accompanied us through Superstorm Sandy, trips, labor and delivery. We underestimate how much can be accomplished if we can maintain something for the long term.

Consistency in Childhood

Childhood may have many major milestones, but it predominantly consists of many small moments. We display our love for our new baby not by making a fancy party upon their birth, but by consistently showing up for each feeding. It’s these seemingly minor but frequent tasks that demonstrate our love and provide a feeling of comfort and security.

Our children know they can come to us when we consistently make time for them and keep the lines of communication open. The child who reaches out when in distress is the one who has an already established line of communication with their adult.

A child’s ability to develop a secure attachment and healthy future relationships originates in these daily, seemingly mundane expressions of caring. Having a secure attachment in childhood is one of the major indicators of emotional health in a child. This security derives from consistently being able to trust and rely on their loving adult.

Consistency creates stability and an awareness of what to expect for a child

still unfamiliar with the world. Children thrive on stability and routine. Knowing what to expect permits them to mentally prepare themselves and place everything around them in an organized manner. A little one sees Mommy light the candles and knows to expect kiddush and hamotzi to follow. Week after week, this consistency sows the seeds of a love for Shabbos.

Consistency in Discipline

When a child knows what will happen as a result of their actions, then they are less likely to act hefker. For example, children with severe allergies learn very quickly to only eat what comes from a trusted source. They know the result if they eat an allergen, and they don’t want to experience that again.

Parents are often looking for the “best method” to discipline, but much of discipline is really just consistency in responding to their actions. If they know they will lose a privilege if they abuse it, then they will be cautious. If a parent is inconsistent, then they will take their chances knowing they have a high probability of getting away with it.

When a child knows we will respect them when they tell the truth – even if they did something wrong – then a child can be honest. If they know we can’t be relied upon to respond appropriately, then they will say whatever they need to avoid problems.

I need to point out that discipline is often confused with “punishment.” Nothing could be further from the truth, and only a minor aspect of discipline involves punishment – or even the use of consequences. Maintaining a close, loving connection with our child is crucial. Discipline is just one part of the way we guide them towards becoming their best selves.

Consistency in Rewards

Star charts and other rewards systems are only successful when used consistently. The main downfall of the best reward system is inconsistent usage. Kids are not motivated if they know we won’t follow through.

Often, we try to institute something beautiful into our family, but a lack of follow-through prevents lasting change. Maybe we want to add a daily read aloud, sh’miras halashon at the Shabbos table, or a nightly walk together. So many well-intentioned ideas fall away after the first few days. To make meaningful change, we need to prioritize consistency. Like Daf Yomi, one page a day will get us further than a single cramming session.

In general, it’s crucial that children understand their parents can be relied on and trusted. If we say we will do something, then we need to make sure we do it, and we should never promise what we can’t fulfill. This is a responsibility that all adults in a child’s life need to take seriously.

As parents dedicated to giving our child the best chinuch we can, it’s only natural we will want to take advantage of all available options. Before discounting any method, it’s best to check if we implemented it properly and maintained the consistency that is the foundation of any future success.

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.

School of Thought

By Etti Siegel

Q:Dear Etti,

My son definitely has a mischievous side to him, but he has always had teachers who “got him” and it worked out. This year, he seems fine in the morning hours, as the rebbi seems to know and understand his personality, but he and the afternoon teacher do not seem to get along at all. He is defiant, acts out, and is so unruly. He shuts down when I bring it up at home. I think he is labeling himself as a bad kid, and I am worried about him. I know the school doesn’t share about other children in the class, but I have a feeling my kid is not the only one who misbehaves. The teacher is supposed to be a good and competent teacher, but it’s not working for my son. Help! How do I save the rest of the year?

- Worried Mother

A:Dear Worried Mother, You’re clearly paying close attention to your son, and your instincts here are important. What you’re describing isn’t uncommon, and your concern – that he’s beginning to label himself as a “bad kid” – is something child development experts take very seriously. When children start to internalize negative labels, especially at a young age, it can shape their self-perception for years to come. The fact that you’re noticing this and speaking up means you’re in a strong position to help change that narrative before it becomes more deeply rooted. One thing that stands out in what you shared is that your son does well in the morning with the rebbi, someone who seems to “get him.” That matters more than people often realize.

Dr. Ross Greene, author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School , who I had the pleasure of meeting and schmoozing with twice when we were speaking in the same venues, is a leading expert in working with kids who display challenging behaviors. He often says, “Kids do well if they can.” His approach is based on the idea that when kids are struggling, it’s not because they want to behave badly, but because something is getting in the way of their ability to meet expectations. It could be an emotional need, a mismatch in communication style, or even a subtle feeling of not being understood. Your son is showing you that he can succeed; he does fine in the morning (and other years) when the relationship clicks. That tells us this isn’t about capability; it’s about environment and connection.

Her message to parents is simple but powerful: our children are good inside, even when they are struggling on the outside.

how to navigate a particular relationship or environment. When kids start to sense that they are not liked or understood by a teacher, even a well-meaning and competent one, it can create a feedback loop of negative behavior. The teacher feels frustrated. The child feels rejected. Tension builds. The child may try harder to get attention or control through defiance, which only deepens the disconnect. And before long, the child isn’t just having a hard time, they start to see themselves as the problem. That seems to be what you’re witnessing. Your son doesn’t want to talk about it. He’s probably embarrassed, ashamed, possibly confused, and unsure of what to do differently.

The afternoon, however, seems to bring out a different side of him. He becomes defiant, acts out, and shuts down when you try to talk about it. It’s so painful to watch that shift happen in a child who clearly has potential and heart. Dr. Mona Delahooke, a clinical psychologist who specializes in understanding children’s behaviors through a neurodevelopmental lens, emphasizes that behavior is a form of communication. She encourages parents and educators to look beneath the surface of a child’s actions and ask, “What is this behavior telling me about how this child is feeling?” From her perspective, acting out is never just about wanting to cause trouble. It’s often a sign of overwhelm, of feeling unseen, or of not knowing

Dr. Becky Kennedy, also known as Dr. Becky at Good Inside, talks a lot about this moment, when a child starts to confuse their behavior with who they are. Her message to parents is simple but powerful: our children are good inside, even when they are struggling on the outside. And they need us to keep holding onto that truth when they can’t. What you can do at home is continue reinforcing that message in small ways. You don’t need to press him to talk about the afternoons. That might feel too overwhelming or too close to the shame he is feeling. But you can let him know that you see how hard it is and that it doesn’t change how you feel about him. You might say something like, “It seems like afternoons feel tricky lately. That makes a lot of sense – some teachers are just easier to feel good around than oth-

ers. I want you to know I’m here for you, and I know you’re a good kid, even when things feel tough.” Even if he doesn’t respond right away, that message gets in. It creates the emotional safety he needs to begin to open up on his own terms.

He also has to see and hear about your values –that even when things are unfair and annoying, you still strive to do what is right. It is a delicate balance! It may also help to reach out to the school, not in a way that places blame, but in the spirit of collaboration. You can express that you’re seeing a clear difference between how your son responds in the morning and the afternoon, and you’d like to better understand what might be going on from their perspective. A meeting with both teachers, and possibly an administrator, could be a good way to open up that conversation. You might say something like, “I’m seeing that he’s doing really well in the morning, and I’m so grateful for that. The afternoons seem to be much harder for him. I’m wondering if we can put our heads together and figure out what might help support him better during that part of the day.” Teachers, especially those who care and want to do right by their students, usually

respond well to that kind of openness. It makes space for them to share what they’re seeing, and to feel like you’re a partner, not someone who’s criticizing them, but someone who sees this as a shared challenge with a shared solution.

Can the teacher pinpoint when the misbehaviors occur? Is something setting them off? Sometimes, looking closer at a situation shows us that the child is not just randomly misbehaving but reacting to certain situations and stimuli.

It might be helpful to talk to the rebbi and hear if he sees triggers and times your son is frustrated and how he handles it. He might have insight that would help the afternoon teacher make adjustments that would benefit your son.

It’s also important to remember, and you seem to already suspect this, that your son is probably not the only one struggling in the afternoon. While schools can’t share details about other children, a skilled administrator or teacher should be able to acknowledge that group dynamics often play a role in behavior. If several kids are having a hard time, it may point to something in the environment or routine that could be

shifted. That doesn’t mean the teacher is doing anything wrong, it just means the setup isn’t working for every child, and sometimes adjustments are needed. When teachers and schools are willing to reflect in that way, it creates a healthier environment for everyone.

The most important thing is that your son doesn’t leave this school year with the belief that he is a problem. That would be the real loss, not a tough few months, but a message that sticks in his mind about who he is. The good news is that this story isn’t finished. It’s still being written. And you have more influence than you think. The way you talk about him, the way you frame this experience, the way you advocate calmly but clearly with the school – all of that helps rewrite the ending.

You’re doing the right thing by paying attention, speaking up, and staying connected.

It is a tricky balance: showing your son love and support while making it clear that disrespect and bad behavior cannot be tolerated.

Hatzlacha and much nachas,

- Etti

Mrs. Etti Siegel holds an MS in Teaching and Learning/Educational Leadership and brings sound teaching advice to her audiences culled from her over 35 years of teaching and administrative experience. She is an Adjunct at the College of Mount Saint Vincent/Sara Shenirer. She is a coach and educational consultant for Catapult Learning, is a sought-after mentor and workshop presenter around the country, and a popular presenter for Sayan (a teacher-mentoring program), Hidden Sparks, and the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools. She is a frequent contributor to Hamechanech Magazine and The Journal for Jewish Day School leaders. She will be answering your education-based questions and writing articles weekly for The Jewish Home. Mrs. Siegel can be reached at ettisiegel@gmail.com.

Fd for Thought

Urbana

By Nati Burnside

Urbana has been around for almost a decade now. In that time, it has built a reputation that matches the words on its logo: inspired dining.

And yet, it doesn’t stop there. Plenty of restaurants that reach a level of success are happy to coast along, riding the wave of being an established name in the business. Not Urbana. The best restaurants seize opportunities to improve themselves, and that’s what Urbana did when they brought on Chef Albert Bijou to take over their kitchen.

Known for his creativity, Bijou has a reputation in the kosher restaurant world as somebody who will do great things if given a shot. Urbana is the kind of place that is a perfect fit.

“At Urbana, my goal is to take the ‘inspired dining’ motto and fuse it with my passion for seasonal, creative, quality dishes plus an overall enjoyable experience to our guests,” Bijou said about the Brooklyn staple. “My mission is to elevate the art of dining out by offering fresh, flavorful seasonal dishes prepared with care and precision.”

When I was invited to check out Urbana, I can tell you that he was able to accomplish that mission.

With so many great appetizers to choose from, I guess I’d say that my favorite was the Goat Cheese Eggroll. My lack of confidence isn’t a mark against the dish, so much as it’s a compliment to its competitors for the top spot. Either way, this crunchy fried masterpiece is filled with goat cheese, pesto, and a mixture of roasted red peppers and sweet potatoes. Now, I love goat cheese enough that I’d probably have ordered this even without the great blend of ingredients that comes with it, but I don’t need to tell you that these flavors and textures come together to make an awesome bite. I’m sure you’re salivating just imagining it now.

Here’s a statement I don’t often make: this restaurant had a handful of interesting salads that I debated featuring in this column. Usually, if a restaurant even has

a single noteworthy salad, it’s impressive. But Urbana’s menu is expansive in general, and the salad section is no outlier. That said, my pick goes to the Warm Halloumi Salad. This was quite simply the best salad I’ve had in a while. Sure, it has warm cubes of fried halloumi cheese that take center stage and look as great as they taste. But it’s actually the combination of sautéed slices of cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and red peppers with the teriyaki dressing that elevates this salad to the top of the proverbial mountain. As somebody who sometimes makes halloumi salad at home, I might even try to replicate this just so that I can eat it again soon.

It can’t be a night out at an upscale dairy restaurant without an artisan pizza these days. That’s why you shouldn’t skip the Forest Mushroom Pizza. This is your classic sourdough crust (made to perfection, if you were wondering) combined with a ricotta base, a bed of wild mushrooms, and a drizzle of truffle oil. It’s not something you haven’t seen before, but if you love mushrooms as much as I do, it’s a must-order item. I’ve had plenty of artisan mushroom pies, and this is one of the best examples. The cheese is there, but the mushrooms are the focus, and the truffle oil is similarly featured as more of an opening act and not a headliner. You won’t regret ordering this.

One thing that always pops out to me on a menu is if the management felt anything should be held to the standard of carrying the name of the restaurant. Usually it’s some kind of signature dish, and that’s certainly the case with the Urbana Fettuccine. Some people are averse to ordering pasta as their main course. Whether that’s a sign of our times and our bias against carbs, or whether it’s just that the lack of a protein makes patrons feel cheated, both of those can be combated by throwing some chunks of salmon into your bowl of house-made pasta with white wine cream sauce. With some sautéed spinach along for the ride, this plate will have you forgetting about

that anti-carb bias that I certainly didn’t mention. A healthy dose of parmesan gives the pasta a slightly nutty flavor to finish the flavor profile in style.

If you’re in need of a real fish entrée, Urbana has you covered there as well. Try the Asian Seabass and thank me later. Marinated in miso and served over some caramelized pineapple, this fish will arrive at your table looking like a masterpiece with its red glaze. And if you are wondering if the outside tastes as good as it looks, the answer is affirmative. Each of the fish selections comes with your choice of two side dishes; I would choose the mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables and the best pairing here. While it is one of the pricier items on the menu, seabass isn’t cheap and the two side dishes certainly make this worth it.

Everyone who goes to a dairy restaurant looks forward to dessert, and Urbana is no different. There are plenty of items that draw your attention, but it’s the Toffee Date Pudding that really stands out from its peers. This is what Oceania would call a

“sticky date pudding,” and it’s a warm kind of sponge cake made from dates and topped with a toffee sauce. There’s really not much I can say here other than you have to order it. If you’ve never had it, you need to change that. The thing that struck me the most was that it came to the table at the absolute perfect temperature. It was as hot as possible while still being edible, and the sauce’s texture was the perfect thickness so that it almost glued your jaw together but had just enough leeway that you could still chew the perfection.

So if you haven’t yet been to Urbana, make a point to check it out now. And even if you’ve been before, see what Chef Bijou has changed since the last time you went. Who knows? You might be inspired.

Dairy - Waiter Service 1305 53rd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219 (718)-438-4448

UrbanaBoroPark.com

Badatz Tartikov Kashrus

In The K tchen

Cookies and Cream Ripple Cheesecake

Dairy / Yields 1 (9-inch) cheesecake

By Naomi Nachman

This recipe has been one of the most popular from my book Perfect Flavors. My photographer Miriam (Pascal) Cohen shared it with me from her blog overtimecook.com. You can also use Lotus cookies and drizzle in some melted Lotus butter through the

Ingredients

Crust

◦ 1½ cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs

◦ 3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

◦ 3 (8-ounce) blocks brick cream cheese

◦ 1 cup sour cream

◦ 4 eggs

◦ 1 cup sugar

◦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

◦ 2 Tablespoons flour

◦ 1½ cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs

◦ Whipped cream, for garnish, optional

◦ Additional sandwich cookies, halved, for garnish, optional

Preparation

1. Prepare the crust: Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl until coarse crumbs form. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of

center.

a 9-inch springform pan. Press around the edge with the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth it out.

2. Place the pan in the freezer for the crust to firm up while you prepare the cheese mixture.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F.

4. Prepare the filling: In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and flour until smooth. Do not overmix.

5. Assemble the cheesecake: Remove ¾ cup of the batter and mix it with cookie crumbs. It should form a wet mixture.

6. Remove pan from freezer. Pour about half of the plain batter into the pan. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie mixture over the batter, covering as much of the surface as possible.

7. Carefully cover the cookie mixture with remaining plain batter.

8. Bake for 55 minutes. Turn the oven off; let cake cool in the oven for about 1 hour to prevent cracks.

9. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before serving.

10. Optional garnish: Top with whipped cream and halved cookies.

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?!”

You don’t like the fact that they’re White.

- Secretary of State Marco Rubio responding to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) who rebuked him at a Senate hearing for the U.S. taking in 40 white refugees from South Africa

I have to tell you directly and personally that I regret voting for you for Secretary of State.

- Sen. Chris van Hollen (D-MD) addressing Secretary of State Rubio

Your regret for voting for me confirms I’m doing a good job.

- Sec. Rubio in response

We deported gang members — gang members including the one you had a margarita with. And that guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gangbanger.

- ibid., referring to Sen. Van Hollen’s recent trip to meet with a criminal who was deported to El Salvador

He did not develop it in the last, 100, 200 days. He had it while he was President. He probably had it at the start of his presidency, in 2021. I don’t think there’s any disagreement about that.

- Former Obama advisor Dr. Zeke Emanuel on MSNBC talking about Joe Biden’s cancer announcement

My wife and I were on vacation in Portugal last year. And another American came up to us. And he looked at me and says, “I know you. I know who you are. You’re John Boehner.” I had to spend the whole evening pretending to be John Boehner.

- Chief Justice John Roberts at a recent conference

I have the same cancer that Joe Biden has…But I’ve had it longer than he’s admitted having it. My life expectancy is maybe this summer. I expect to be checking out from this domain sometime this summer.

– Dilbert creator Scott Adams on a recent podcast

Teach until you die

- Francis Dominici Piscatella, 112, a nun who lived her whole life on the South Shore of Long Island, sharing her secret of longevity to the New York Post

Trump is lying, and his statements are not worth a response. Death to America! Death to England! Death to Israel!

- Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responding to Trump warning Iran that it must discontinue its nuclear program

Are you frustrated at all with Prime Minister Netanyahu?

- Bret Baier, in an interview with President Trump

No… He’s got a tough situation. You have to remember there was an October 7 that everyone forgets. It was one of the most violent days in the history of the world— not the Middle East, the world.

- President Donald Trump

We know there has been meddling by the Trump administration into USCG staffing, and we need to know how this might have impacted the events of last night — from a command, communication and local coordination level.

- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), bizarrely suggesting that DOGE cuts to the US Coast Guard could have been to blame for a Mexican tall ship’s deadly collision with the Brooklyn Bridge

I, too, question Donald Trump’s leadership of the Mexican Navy.

- Jim Treacher on X, pointing out the idiocy of Schumer

The reason I hire so many blacks [to run Chicago] is because we’re the most generous people on the planet.

- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson at a recent conference

And so the deputy mayor is a black woman. Department of Planning and development is a black woman. Infrastructure, deputy mayor is a black woman; chief operations officer is a black man. Budget director is a black woman. Senior advisor is a black man.

- ibid.

After hearing the news of Biden’s cancer, Hillary Clinton wrote, “Wishing you a speedy recovery. And, let me know if there’s anyone that you want me to murder.”

- Greg Gutfeld

India failed to launch a satellite to observe Earth when the rockets malfunctioned. They could have saved it but one of the engineers decided to press 1 to get a callback from tech support.

- ibid.

We were walking on the beach. We went to the beach to prepare for this week, which was the launch of my book and to think about the book and to prepare to answer questions about it. And we were walking back towards the road, and we saw in the sand someone had arranged shells with numbers. Patrice, my wife, said, “Why would someone put an address in the sand?” And I said, “I don’t know.” We stood over it and I said, “I think it’s some kind of political message.” She said, “You know, 86 when I was a server” – she did a lot of work in restaurants – “meant to remove an item from the menu when you ran out of ingredients.” I said, “Well, to me, as a kid, it always meant to leave a place, to ditch a place.” I said, “That’s really clever.” So then she said, “You should take a picture of that.” I did, and I posted it on my Instagram account and thought nothing more of it until I heard through her that people were saying it was some sort of a call for assassination, which is crazy, but I took it down. Even if I think it’s crazy, I don’t want to be associated with violence of any kind.

- Disgraced former Director of the FBI James Comey claiming that when he posted a picture to social media with the image “86 47,” he didn’t realize that in criminal vernacular 86 means to assassinate someone

Comey was interrogated by the Secret Service after threatening Trump’s life. But Comey’s got books to sell — so he’s breaking his silence and blaming…his wife!

- Jesse Watters, Fox News

Comey’s chip on his shoulder has a chip on its shoulder… I don’t know what his intent was but it was bone-deep down to the marrow stupid.

- Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA)

Donald Trump may have survived two assassination attempts, but Comey wants you to know that HE’S the real victim here.

- ibid.

According to a new book, Joe Biden brought in famed director Steven Spielberg to help with his campaign. They called the operation “Saving Dyin’ Biden.”

- Greg Gutfeld

Did you see videos of President Trump’s visit to the Middle East?... I haven’t seen that many men in dresses since the WNBA draft.

– ibid.

CNN reported that “Trump’s egg price fiction has suddenly become reality.” Meaning, when Trump turns out to be right, it’s only because reality caught up to his lies. In CNN-ese that translates as “He may be right, but he’s still evil.”

– ibid.

Trump’s Ukraine Peace Push is Built on Three Illusions Political Crossfire

“Let the process begin!” proclaimed President Donald Trump after his Monday phone call with President Vladimir Putin about beginning talks to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. And, after so much bloodshed, it’s a devout hope indeed. Pope Leo XIV wants to host the negotiations at the Vatican.

But to resolve this conflict, Trump needs to address the obstacles standing in the way of a breakthrough agreement. Putin right now won’t even accept a ceasefire. Trump indulged him by agreeing Monday that “the conditions for that [ceasefire] will be negotiated between the two parties, as it only can be, because they know details.” That’s a form of magical thinking.

Trump needs to organize this process more coherently or it will fail. The administration has used a confusing string of tactics: First, it proposed limited ceasefires for energy infrastructure and maritime domains. That went nowhere, so the Trump team told the two sides to draft term sheets. They were wildly disparate, so Trump turned to face-to-face talks. That ran aground in Istanbul, so on Monday it became a Trump-Putin process.

And now? Well, it seems Trump wants the parties to work it out themselves. This scattershot, ever-changing approach is a recipe for failure – and it reflects underlying mistaken assumptions.

The first and biggest problem is that Putin has shown no evidence that he wants peace. He still wants victory, which he described once again after Monday’s call with the phrase “eliminate the root causes of the crisis.” That’s code for his conviction that Ukraine cannot be a European country, as it wants, but must remain under Russian hegemony.

Putin launched the war on this illusion that Ukraine wasn’t a real nation and wouldn’t fight hard for its sovereignty. How wrong he was. Russia has suffered

By David Ignatius

approximately 800,000 dead and wounded, and in three years its huge army hasn’t even managed to conquer Donetsk. When the guns go silent, Russia will begin to reckon with Putin’s stupendous folly. No wonder he prefers to keep fighting.

A second impediment is Trump’s notion that Russia represents a potential economic gold mine for the United States.

Trump said it again Monday with characteristic hyperbole: “There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth [when the war ends]. Its potential is UNLIMITED.”

Trump has been fixated since the 1980s on the idea that Russia can be a business bonanza. This enthusiasm has been animated by Putin adviser Kirill Dmitriev, a Harvard Business School graduate who has met with Trump’s Russia envoy Steve Witkoff. But economists who study Russia say this vision is misplaced. Russia remains a corrupt, mismanaged economy, still largely dependent on exporting energy and minerals. In recent decades, it has been a declining nation rather than a rising one.

If Trump had a more realistic economic appraisal, he would see a better econom-

ic bet in Ukraine. It’s far too corrupt, but the war has created an innovation ecosystem in Kyiv that may be the most productive in Europe. Rather than buying drones from Iran, Ukraine builds its own, in ever-more-sophisticated packages. Rather than looking for handouts, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told me this month in Kyiv that he is looking for defense investment partners.

A third misconception is that a crippled Ukraine can be compelled to surrender. Trump’s version of this doom scenario is the phrase “you have no cards,” which he repeats often to President Volodymyr Zelensky. But it turns out that Ukraine has one very powerful card, which is strong support from Europe.

The Europeans recognize that if Putin overwhelms Ukraine, he will rebalance security relations across the continent. They see evidence of his ambitions in new military bases bordering Finland and the Baltic states, and in Putin’s campaign of paramilitary sabotage against Ukraine’s supporters. Some Europeans have told me they think Russia is already at war with NATO.

Trump won’t be able to stuff a bad deal

down Zelensky’s throat because European allies are ready to resist. And they are at last developing the military muscle to make their views stick. Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has plans to boost his country’s defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product. He pledged last week that the government “will provide all the financial resources that the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe.” Ukraine can get an acceptable deal in the negotiations ahead if Putin sees that Kyiv is ready to keep fighting with European help – and a bit of needed satellite intelligence from the United States. I heard that confidence expressed by the senior cabinet ministers in Zelensky’s government during meetings in Kyiv this month. They want Trump’s peace initiative to succeed. But they’re preparing for the likelihood that it will fail.

Trump has been a persistent and passionate advocate of peace in Ukraine. He often refers to it as a “bloodbath,” as he did Monday. But, if he wants to succeed, he needs to realize that solving this conflict isn’t a quick “flip.” It’s closer to building a new factory than a real estate deal.

Henry Kissinger, arguably the best dealmaker in modern diplomatic history, offered a useful warning: “Any negotiator who seduces himself into believing that his personality leads to automatic breakthroughs will soon find himself in the special purgatory that history reserves for those who measure themselves by acclaim rather than achievement.”

Trump has a chance to help mediate an agreement that would end the most violent conflict of our era. But if he doesn’t find the patience for hard and well-organized bargaining with Putin, Ukraine will have no choice but to fend for itself – leaving a black mark for Trump rather than a badge of honor.

The Ugly Truth is That “ProPalestinian” Now Means Antisemitic Political Crossfire

As far as groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and the Nexus Project— and their cheering section at The New York Times are concerned—what the Heritage Foundation is doing is pretty much the end of the world. The Washington think tank has been at the center of a set of “democracy is doomed” conspiracy theories floated by the American left for the last three years.

But the current indictment of Heritage isn’t about Project 2025 , their attempt to set forth a general agenda for what ultimately turned out to be the Trump 2.0 administration, in the manner that such institutions on both ends of the political spectrum are always trying to do.

Instead, it is now being demonized for seeking to do something about the unprecedented surge in antisemitism in the United States that has been raging since the Hamas-led Palestinian Arab attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Heritage’s Project Esther is an attempt to address a crisis for not just Jews but for the country as a whole, which the Biden-Harris administration and much of the American Jewish establishment largely failed to address, let alone successfully fight.

The Project Esther report was first published in October, weeks before the presidential election. It was the focus of a major effort by the Times’ national investigative reporter, Katie J.M. Baker, and made clear its bias right in the title of the lengthy article published on May 18 called “The Group Behind Project 2025 Has a Plan to Crush the Pro-Palestinian Movement,” along with a video that summarized it.

Project Esther and Trump

The conceit of the piece is that Heritage’s Project Esther is the script that the administration of President Donald

By Jonathan S. Tobin

Trump has been following in its efforts to deal with the targeting of Jews on college campuses by pro-Hamas mobs since Oct. 7. More to the point, the article claims that both Heritage and Trump aren’t interested in antisemitism. Instead, it is alleged that they see the situation in academia as an opportunity to roll out a plan to impose authoritarian tactics that are a blueprint for a scheme to subvert democracy throughout the country.

To make that case, one has to accept the terminology and the premise of those who have been organizing the demonstrations, encampments and building takeovers by students, faculty, administrators and outside agitators chanting for Jewish genocide (“From the river to the sea”) and anti-Jewish terrorism (“Globalize the intifada”) aren’t antisemitic. According to the Times, the outpouring of support for the mass murder, rape, torture, burnings, kidnapping and wanton destruction on Oct. 7—and then opposition to Israeli efforts to eradicate

the Hamas terrorists and others who committed those atrocities—is merely “pro-Palestinian” activism. The acts of violence and the openly antisemitic objectives, including the destruction of Israel and the genocide of its population, in addition to the language used by this “movement,” are bizarrely rationalized and justified as expressions of idealism and support for human rights.

That is how the Times defines “pro-Palestinian.” And the widespread support for eliminating the one Jewish state on the planet is reported as mere “criticism” of Israel.

According to the newspaper, whose coverage was echoed in far-left outlets like Democracy Now and the Islamist Al Jazeera, the opposition by both Heritage and the administration to the takeover of academia by those who think discrimination against Jews but not other minority groups like African-Americans or Hispanics is an outrageous attempt to subvert democracy.

Who’s Really Threatening Democracy?

That has a familiar ring to it. Since 2022, the liberal press has been seeking to anathematize the scholars at Heritage. For trying to envision what the next Republican administration could do to roll back the leftist, woke tide threatening to replace the values of Western civilization and the American republic—the substance of Project 2025—they were falsely accused of hatching a plot to replace American democracy with a new form of Trumpian authoritarianism. Project 2025 was a major Democratic talking point last year during the presidential campaign, and it obviously scared the Trump campaign enough for him to repeatedly disavow it. Strictly speaking, his denials of complicity in Heritage’s project were entirely truthful. The think tank’s effort was launched at a point in time when it wasn’t clear that Trump would be the GOP’s presidential candidate in 2024. At that point, many of those who cheered the effort could have easily envisioned some of the proposals outlined in the report being implemented by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who, as the Times has noted , has already championed the same efforts to defend Jewish students and oppose woke ideology that is fueling antisemitism in his state.

Trump’s campaign had no input on what Heritage published. But the agenda they were hoping that the next Republican president would act on was entirely in sync with Trump’s understanding of the forces inside and outside the government that had done so much to sabotage and undermine his first term, as well as what needed to be done to thwart the takeover of American education by socalled “progressives.”

Once he won last year’s election and began a second term determined to roll

back the liberal-dominated administrative state and the way the woke catechism of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was harming American society and government, it was hardly surprising that he was acting on some of the same imperatives outlined in Project 2025.

As far as education is concerned, Heritage’s Project Esther provides a blueprint for pursuing a plan designed to deny federal funds to schools that violate the law by enabling DEI-related racial discrimination and antisemitism that is fueled by the same toxic leftist myths about critical race theory, intersectionality and settler-colonialism that falsely label Jews and the State of Israel as “white” oppressors of “people of color.”

The surge in Jew-hatred on campus is the direct result of these ideas. So, too, is the way foreign funders and students have helped spread this ideological war on Israel and its Jewish supporters.

Redefining Antisemitism

What is so interesting about the criticism of Project Esther and Trump’s efforts to fight antisemitism is how its opponents frame the issue as an authoritarian effort to suppress entirely reasonable and even idealistic “critics” of Israel. That’s the substance of the Times’ article; groups that are directly opposed to calling out antisemites are allowed to pose as representatives of enlightened Jewish opinion. That Jewish Voice for Peace, which has engaged in open antisemitism, including blood libels and opposes Israel’s existence and efforts to defend it, would be quoted in this manner is as grotesque as it is misleading.

The same is true of the newspaper’s use of the Nexus Project, which has deceptively sought to redefine antisemitism in opposition to the widely accepted working definition encouraged by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, so as to make it safe for Jew-haters to call for Israel’s destruction without being labeled as hatemongers.

The point of this argument is to legitimize anti-Zionism and to try to falsely argue that it is not the same thing as antisemitism.

That’s a talking point regularly voiced by Jew-haters, but it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. Suffice it to say that if you are willing to deny Jews rights that no one would think to deny to anyone else, such as the right to live in peace and sovereignty in their ancient homeland and to defend themselves, then you are engaging in discrimination against them.

Just as dishonest is the way that

the Times deprecates Project Esther’s willingness to refer to a “Hamas support network” and to “Hamas support organizations,” such as Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine, another font of antisemitic invective and goals.

In doing so, Heritage is simply being honest about this network of people and organizations that are devoted to the dismantling of Israel, the denial of Jewish

own version of “criticism” of Israel, which involves not just falsely labeling its democratically elected government as authoritarian but invoking opposition to Zionism and its existence as a Jewish state. In a gob-smacking analogy, Goldberg claims those behind Project Esther, like the admirable Heritage scholar Victoria Coates, are somehow akin to antisemites of the past like those who favored appeasement of the Nazis such as Charles Lindbergh.

They want us to believe that those “proPalestinian” advocates are not haters of Israel and the Jews, even though they celebrate or rationalize Oct. 7 and oppose efforts to prevent Hamas from repeating its crimes.

rights and history, and the active targeting of American Jews for intimidation, silencing and even violence, as we’ve seen on hundreds of college campuses in the last 19 months.

By seeking to call out these lawbreakers—whose activities would never be tolerated, let alone encouraged by college administrations, were they directed at any other minority group—Heritage and Trump are simply demanding enforcement of the law that forbids the funding of institutions that violate Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. And they rightly want academic institutions to reject the toxic teachings that help normalize such aberrant conduct and hatred. Taking such a position has nothing to do with suppressing free speech or destroying democracy and any assertion to the contrary is simply an effort to confuse the issue and provide cover for antisemites and supporters of a terrorist group.

Gaslighting the Jews

Yet for so-called progressives, this is not just the thin edge of the wedge of right-wing Trumpian authoritarianism. In order to discredit Heritage, those supporting this antisemitic surge are seeking to gaslight the country and tell us that the people trying to defend Jews are the real antisemites.

That’s the substance not only of the Times’ slanted news coverage of this issue but also of the writings of some of its left-wing columnists, like Michelle Goldberg. She hasn’t made any secret about her

Palestinians would welcome Hamas’s destruction and call for it to release all the remaining hostages it took on Oct. 7, and to surrender. Those who wished the German people well in 1945 would not have called for a ceasefire with the Nazis that would allow the Adolf Hitler regime to survive World War II,but urged a swift Allied victory that would allow for that country to be rebuilt as a democracy. Still, that’s what Project Esther’s critics at the Times and elsewhere are doing with respect to the baby-killers and criminals of Hamas, as well as opposition to Israel’s justified campaign to defeat them.

Advocates for Genocide

What Goldberg disingenuously ignores is that organizations like Heritage, and even leaders like Trump, are the ones fighting to save “the liberal culture that allowed Jews to thrive” in the United States, not the “pro-Palestinians.” It is progressives like her and other anti-Zionists who seek to destroy that culture and replace it with woke leftist ideologies that, as we’ve seen since Oct. 7, condone and justify antisemitism.

Part of that involves smearing Christians who support Israel as antisemites who only want to bring on Armageddon, as did Detroit Free Press editorial page editor Nancy Kaffer, who echoed the Times’ disgraceful attack on Project Esther as being linked to Jew-hatred.

Boiled down to its essence, the leftist critique involves a willingness to see those who oppose the murder, assault and kidnapping of Jews, and the destruction of the Jewish state, as bad people who should be viewed with distrust. At the same time, they want us to believe that those “pro-Palestinian” advocates are not haters of Israel and the Jews, even though they celebrate or rationalize Oct. 7 and oppose efforts to prevent Hamas from repeating its crimes.

The label “pro-Palestinian” is equally dishonest.

Anyone who wishes the Palestinian Arabs well would want them to be free of the rule of Islamists like Hamas, a terrorist group that preaches endless war on Jews and Israel. Genuine friends of the

In this context, it’s clear that the functional meaning of “pro-Palestinian” in 2025 America has nothing to do with the welfare of the residents of Gaza. A “pro-Palestinian” is now someone who opposes Israel’s existence and supports, whether openly or tacitly, Hamas’s murderous war to destroy it. Though they mendaciously label Israel as perpetrating a genocide of Palestinian Arabs, they are the ones advocating for the genocide of Israeli Jews.

It is a sad fact that Palestinian nationalism, whether the version exemplified by Hamas or the equally intransigent one displayed by the Palestinian Authority, is inextricably tied to a century-old war on the Jews that they stubbornly refuse to end. The same is true of those who support them from afar by labeling Israel’s existence as illegitimate. It would be better for all concerned if this weren’t so. But it is now undeniable that those who claim the title of “pro-Palestinian” are indistinguishable from antisemites in their rhetoric and intentions.

Liberal Jews who dislike Trump because of partisan leanings and who distrust Heritage for the same reasons should not be deceived by the effort to convince them to reject Project Esther and the administration’s long-overdue enforcement of the law to protect Jewish students. Project Esther is no conspiratorial threat to democracy. Instead, it is a much-needed clarion call for ridding colleges and universities of Jew-hatred that deserves to be cheered by those who care about Jewish safety. Its opponents are a clear and present danger to Jewish life that should be labeled for who they are: the allies and fellow travelers of a pro-terrorist movement that seeks Jewish genocide.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS (Jewish News Syndicate).

Forgotten Her es The SAS Raid at Pisticci

By Avi Heiligman

Using non-traditional methods to accomplish military missions and objectives is called unconventional warfare. In 1941, British Lieutenant David Stirling had an idea that could turn the tide in the North African campaign. His plan was to train small groups of soldiers to operate behind enemy lines. These men would be trained as paratroopers, and their missions would include intelligence gathering, destroying enemy aircraft and air facilities, and attacking enemy supply routes. Known as the Special Air Service, or SAS, they conducted operations throughout World War II. Many of their missions remained classified, and in 2023, an incredible rescue operation of a concentration camp that was undertaken by the SAS came to light.

On September 9, 1943, as part of the Allied invasion of southern Italy, the British landed paratroopers from the 1 st Airborne Division at the port of Taranto. Operation Slapstick, as it was called, was supposed to be a diversion, but the German generals only sent in small forces to cause small problems by setting up roadblocks and ambushes. The landings themselves were unopposed.

Soon after the landing, an escapee from a concentration camp made his way to Allied headquarters. He had slipped past the guards in the middle of the night and reported to the British that there were hundreds of inmates at a concentration camp about 60 miles from the Allied front lines. Zelcko, the name of the Yugoslavian escapee, said that the camp housed many Jews, freedom fighters, intellectuals and others. Their future was grim as they were about to be evacuated towards Nazi Germany. Headquarters realized that they needed to act fast to save as many inmates as possible, and the only soldiers in the area capable of pulling off such a daring mission was the SAS. The SAS had landed at Taranto and were tasked with committing sabotage, blowing up enemy supplies, cutting com-

munications probing enemy lines, and creating a path so the rest of the army could pass through safely. Using intelligence about the camp and its guards that Zelcko had given them, the SAS began to plan a daring rescue mission.

British Major Oswald Cary-Elwes of 2 SAS and French officer Raymond Couraud were chosen to lead 50 commandos on the raid. The plan was daring as it involved speed and surprise as they were to take control of a civilian train, enter the camp, load it with as many inmates as possible, and hightail it back to friendly lines. Cary-Elwes trained at Sandhurst (the British military academy) and was handpicked by David Stirling. During training, he had learned to operate trains, and this skill would prove to be very useful during the rescue mission. Couraud was a French Foreign Legionnaire and was attached to the SAS. He had previously helped save 2,000 Jews in France by smuggling them out of the French port of Marseille. During this operation, he would be in charge of

to also transport the camp’s inmates to Allied lines. As the train approached, the group got into position and quickly took control of the locomotive once it stopped. Jeeps went ahead of the train to secure the route to the camp. Hackney was in charge of making sure the train overcame obstacles on the perilous journey. The jeeps patrolled key crossroads to prevent any Axis troops from attacking the train.

Italian guards at the camp were not alarmed as the train approached on September 14 as it seemed like a regular commuter train. However, they were surprised when the commanders leapt off the train shooting their guns. The SAS quickly took down the guards and made contact with the inmates. Led by Cary-Elwes, the prisoners were gathered together while other commandos held off the rest of the fascist guards. The fanatical Italian commandant was taken prisoner by Cary-Elwes and Couraud as he tried futilely to organize a counter-assault. The prisoners were

The fanatical Italian commandant was taken prisoner by Cary-Elwes and Couraud as he tried futilely to organize a counter-assault.

the French resistance fighters that were needed to secure the route. Charles Hackney was an experienced tanker that had been recruited by Cary-Elwes and drove over 1,000 miles to join the SAS in their training for the mission.

The raid on the Pisticci concentration camp began on September 12, 1943. The first stop of the commandos was the town of Chiatona to take control of a train. The train was not only needed to get the SAS into the camp but

then moved towards the train while Hackney ensured that the path was clear on the return journey.

Not all the prisoners were able to fit on train and were told to make a break for the mountains. Once there, they were to hide out until Allied troops came to the area. The trip for the train back to Allied lines was fraught with danger as alert enemy patrols were in the area. Traveling through the night, the train made it back to safety.

Despite being one of the most daring operations in SAS history, no one knew about the raid for 80 years. The British suppressed information on the raid as they didn’t want the world to know about the horrors of the concentration camps and the Italian collaboration during the Holocaust. Just a month after the raid, Italy left the Axis powers and joined the Allies in their effort to stop Hitler.

For the men who took part in the raid, their bravery in saving 180 lives would go unrecognized. No medals were awarded, and it took decades before the British would declassify documents pertaining to the raid. It wasn’t until historian Damien Lewis came across references of the raid at Pisticci and uncovered the details of the incredible mission that their story came to light. The Forgotten Heroes of this unbelievably true mission is history to be remembered.

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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By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

Adding, changing, expanding, downsizing.

I’m sure one of these resonates with you.

If not now, then in the past or maybe in the future – perhaps as a past nightmare or a future dream.

When looking for that appropriate living space, you usually have to do work. That’s because, hardly anyone ever built your dream house, or if they did, they moved into it!

Too bad they don’t clone houses, huh?! There are so many considerations when looking for a place to live.

First, there’s the price – it’s always too high!

It’s not like you can wait for a Memorial Day sale. It never comes.

Then there’s finding the builder. You would think the word – to build – has an optimistic sound, something will be created. But, most often what they create is complications. Their work is either messy , or they don’t show up, or if they are good at building, they’re in so much demand the job takes way longer than you planned.

So whether you’re adding on or building new, it seems you need to find a place to live in the interim. Otherwise, you’re homeless or paying for two homes.

Therefore, you wind up with even more expenses. You need a temporary dwell-

outbid. Or you buy a house and you wish you were outbid.

Building or moving. It’s never a piece of cake. (What does that saying even mean?!)

Now, if you’re downsizing, that adds another whole experience. The trauma

It’s not like you can wait for a Memorial Day sale. It never comes.

ing. Renting becomes the best option or in the alternative, moving in with mom or the in-laws!

That can go two ways. You either can’t wait to escape the second opinions or you never want to leave the continuous company and/or the free babysitting!

Sometimes you find a house that’s great but the property stinks. Or the property’s great but the neighborhood stinks. Or the neighborhood’s great but you’re too far from where you want to be.

Or you finally find a house, and you’re

of cleaning out can really throw you. You think everyone will want your amazing stuff, but they want no clutter.

Of course, somehow, they’re always willing to take the few things you absolutely love and want to keep.

Thank goodness for gemachs. At least someone will benefit from some of your many carriages, Gracos, car seats, high chairs, etc. And thankfully, there are chats to post on as well.

But, the bulk of what you accumulated, though special to you, may wind up the

property of special pickup.

House hunting, changing, moving, or renovating – any of it – is often necessary but rarely easy. Only a few people really love it. And they’re not usually even in your family!

That’s cause it’s usually the brokers, architects, designers, tradesmen, builders or movers . Figuring out how you should live is hard for you, but it’s their living. It drains you, but electrifies them. It may break you down, but it builds them up.

Maybe think of this process as supporting others, and you can feel a little more at ease.

In the end, it seems, how to approach this is something everyone needs to hammer out for themselves.

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 917705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.