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August 13, 2026

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Dear Readers,

ho are we really? We all behave in different ways depending on the situations we’re in. A person may be more engaged and connected while on a date than when eating dinner with their family. Someone may have more kavana davening on Yom Kippur than on a random Sunday afternoon. A teacher may have more patience with her students than with her children after they’ve been cooped up in the house during a three-day snowstorm. But there are certain values, certain attributes, that always remain the same. And that defines who you are. Over the summer, I was privileged to spend a few days upstate. In the “country” (what better word to define it than the word that our community has been using for years?), you are privy to other communities that you don’t get to connect with throughout the year. You get to see people when they’re most relaxed, when they proverbially get to let their hair down. And you notice things about them. You can see how even in the hot sun, they’re dressed a certain way. They’re having fun, they’re boating with their family, but there are particular standards that they keep. You can see how they’re so warm and generous with their love for other Jews. Even when it’s raining or dark or they’re in a rush, they’ll stop to help you if they notice you’re in distress. Sometimes, when I’m walking on the board-

walk, I feel so much pride when I see other frum people there. We’re very recognizable. It’s hot and it’s sweaty, and other people are barely wearing scraps of clothing. But frum people are enjoying the sun, exercising, sitting on the beach – and they’re sticking to certain standards that are non-negotiable. And I love that. I love that we are able enjoy ourselves and love life and take the most out of the world around us while making sure that our lives are defined by our values and standards. It’s not just clothing. It’s food (hardboiled eggs on Pesach on chol hamoed trips) and davening (men of all types in random parks) and how we deal with others in business and other areas in life. It’s the way we live our lives in this world – in this world but also a bit above it, subconsciously hovering in a different stratosphere. That’s the beauty of a Torah life. We are not commanded to step out of the world. We are told to live in the world without allowing the world to define us. Ultimately, who we are isn’t determined by the setting of where we find ourselves. Our standards remain the same on the beach, in the “country,” or in office. We live in this world, but we rise above.

Yitzy Halpern, PUBLISHER

publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Yosef Feinerman, MANAGING EDITOR ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com

Shoshana Soroka, EDITOR

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Wishing you a wonderful week, Shoshana

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AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll

Community Happenings

VoiceNotes

NEWS Global

14 National

That’s Odd

ISRAEL

Israel News

Grandma’s Great Adventure by Barbara Deutsch

Before Israel Votes by Stephen M. Flatow

My Israel Home

Handmade by Rafi Sackville

JEWISH THOUGHT Rabbi Wein on the Parsha

The Time is Now by Rav Moshe Weinberger

Taking Advantage of Our Ordeals by Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

Delving into the Daf by Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

What Iran’s Sixty-Day Window Can Teach Us About Elul

PEOPLE A Soldier Fighting Israel’s Information War

Living the Truth

Inspiration Nation

Israel’s Ace Pilots by Avi Heiligman

104

HEALTH & FITNESS Building Anticipation Through Play by Shira Richman

Is My Marriage Normal?

When Empathy Becomes Avoidance 89

A Fabulous Field Trip by Dr. Hylton Lightman

You’re Eating Healthy, So Why Don’t You Feel Your Best?

Dear Editor, The uncredited feature “The Working Parent’s Summer Dilemma” (Aug. 6) raised a number of relatable points but failed to acknowledge realities on the part of the schools. For starters, many of these schools run their own camps in the summer. It’s simply impossible to have school until Monday and then start camp on Tuesday. The same is true for resuming school at the end of the summer. Those few weeks between the end of school and the start of camp, or vice versa, are integral to making the necessary transitions from one mode to the other. Leaving that aside, the author decries the days off, early dismissals and other scheduling changes that present a challenge for working parents. I’ve been there. I empathize. But school is not a babysitting service. You pay tuition for the school to educate your child, not to provide year-round child care. Yes, you’re paying a full month’s tuition for Tishrei, even though the schools are closed many days. That’s because tuition is an annual fee. Prorating it by month is for the parents’ convenience. But you’re paying a fixed amount for the education your child receives that year. The number of days per month is immaterial. Remember also that many teachers are themselves working parents. They also need time to prepare for Pesach and other holidays. They also need to take care of their children when their children’s schools are closed. And many of them are fasting on Asarah b’Teves, when there’s early dismissal.

Do you know what teachers make? It’s not a lot. If you want full days of school every day, non-stop year-round, the teachers are going to need to be paid more. A lot more. That means tuition will go up. Instead of paying that extra money to tuition, might I suggest investing it in alternate forms of child care for those times when schools are closed and parents are unavailable? The author says that he (or she) is not complaining; they’re merely trying to understand why things are the way they are. This, in part at least, is why things are the way they are. I’m sure that those who actually work in schools (which I do not) would be able to provide further insights. Rabbi Jack Abramowitz, MS Ed. Dear Editor, Rabbi Hoffman’s article contained what I believe to be an unfortunate typo and a poor use of statistical inference. In quoting Shu”t Achiezer Vol. 1 #23, the article states that the concept of shomer p’saim Hashem ”...only permits dangerous things when the danger is not (emphasis added) uncommon.” Actually, the teshuva says precisely the opposite. It is only when the danger is remote or “rachok” that one can invoke this doctrine. The article then goes on to attempt to quantify the extent to which the dangers of cigarette smoking can no longer be considered remote as they might have been decades ago. The author quotes a “mathematical formula” which results in a 30-year chance of dying from smoking of approximately 5%. This attempt to quantify the risk makes Continued on page 12

FOOD & LEISURE Food For Thought

LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW

Parenting Pearls

Al, Going Up

Book Nook

Bread, the Meat and Potatoes by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS

110

HUMOR Centerfold

Shmooze and Muse by Mordechai Schmutter

POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes

DSA-Driven Democrats are Making the GOP’s 2022 Mistake?

102

CLASSIFIEDS

105

When do you charge your phone? When it’s below 20%............... 46% When it’s below 50%............... 24% All the time............................... 22% When it’s below 70%................. 8%

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Continued from page 10

the serious error of treating nationwide smoking deaths as part of an equal overall smoking-related death rate to which all 300+ million Americans are uniformly subject each year. In reality, smokers comprise a risk category separate and distinct from non-smokers and experience overall death rates at the mid-life ages of 2.5 to 3 times those of non-smokers. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3632080/. Studies suggest that smokers have a life expectancy as much as 10 years less than non-smokers https:// archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/tobacco/ data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/ diseases-and-death.html and that half of smokers can expect to die from smoking related causes.https://archive.cdc.gov/ www_cdc_gov/vitalsigns/adultsmoking/ index.html. Rabbi Hoffman’s point was directionally correct, but he unfortunately understated the risks of a horrific expensive, easily avoidable addictive drug habit (let’s call it what it is) whose tolls on health and happiness are difficult to overstate. Peretz Perl, Actuary Brooklyn, NY Dear Editor, Your op-ed piece this week from a reader who is fed up with schools giving enormous amounts of days off and a toolarge summer vacation echoes many of parents’ frustrations. But I am not here to rehash his concerns. Instead, I want to point out that many schools in the area are trying their best to help parents in this area. For example, TAG just announced that they will be offering a “in between” camp on some days after camps end. The program is not costly (I think it’s $15 a day) and gives parents a great, affordable, safe alternative for their children between camp and school. Additionally, this year, many schools are starting early because of the yomim tovim. Some boys have just a few days before school starts to prepare. Hopefully, they will keep up this schedule next year, when yom tov comes out later. Sincerely, Yael Navare Dear Editor, I forgot where I saw this, but I saw a campaign for people to drop off bottles

and cans to be recycled and it’ll serve as part of the fundraising efforts for a sefer Torah. The minute I saw that, I said, “Smart move!” No, I’m not talking about recycling and saving the planet. I’m talking that those bottles and cans are valued at 5 cents each in New York State. True, people don’t get rich from it, let alone replace a day job. So why do I applaud such a campaign? Why do I get annoyed when people throw them in the trash? Because it’s easy additional pocket money that can add up. I’m speaking from personal experience here. I’ve been recycling bottles, cans, and glass since I was a teenager. It was how I started earning a few dollars in my wallet. These days, the bottles and cans I collect from family and friends typically earn me approximately $1.50-$2/ week. A few times, I even got as high as $5. When you do the math, it adds up: $1.50 can get you a coffee; $5 could certainly clean a shirt or two at the dry cleaners (Yom Tov is fast approaching), and even a gallon of gas; or use it towards groceries. When I get quarters in change, I put them in a small container in my car’s center console so I have them to pay parking meters, which is better than spending $10 on a roll of quarters I rarely touch. Assuming the low $1.50/week, that can add up to $72/year, perhaps even more. Think you don’t have the time to deposit cans and bottles? Think again. Great news: Stop and Shop and Costco accept most of them, and they’re the best places to do it, due to machine availability. The latter is certainly a common place for shopping within the frum community. In both stores, bottle/can deposit receipts may be applied at the checkout towards a purchase for your convenience. Take an extra 10 minutes to deposit them next time you shop. Sometimes, small things can really make a difference, especially in this era of worsening inflation when every dollar is trying to be saved. A Reader

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The Week In News propaganda

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Battle on Mali Base

Dozens of Islamic militants were killed when soldiers in Mali endeavored to repel an attack by a terrorist group on a military base on Saturday. Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a jihadist group affiliated with al-Qaeda, said it was behind the assault where its fighters took control of the base in the town of San. The army, which also suffered casualties, disputed it had ceded control but admitted that its soldiers had to “retreat temporarily.” Mali’s security situation appears to be deteriorating, more than a decade after a jihadist insurgency began taking root in the north of the country. “The enemy was eliminated and the attack was successfully repelled. Around 40 terrorists were eliminated,” Lt. Col. El Oumrani, the commander of the 23rd regiment in the San garrison, said in a video. He urged residents to remain vigilant, insisting that his soldiers had “not gone anywhere” and the base remained under army control. He explained, “The camp of the 23rd is not empty; it is under the custody of the army.” At least 10 soldiers were killed in the fighting, which lasted two hours, and the assailants briefly took over the camp. The militants used drones, heavy machine guns and armored vehicles to breach the site’s perimeter. Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by insurgencies, and large parts of the north and east of the country remain outside government control. Gen. Assimi Goita seized control of the country in a military coup in 2020. Since then, the nation has seen coordinated attacks by an alliance of jihadists and separatist rebels in the north, the Azawad Liberation Front, seeking to overthrow

Goita’s military regime. During a series of attacks in April, Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an apparent suicide truck bombing on his residence near the capital, Bamako.

Iran’s New Security Chief

Mohsen Rezaei, former commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been named head of the country’s highest national security body. In addition to previously leading the elite IRGC paramilitary, Rezaei, 71, is wanted on an international arrest warrant for his alleged role in one of the deadliest antisemitic attacks of recent decades, the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1994. Rezaei is the second person tapped to head Iran’s Supreme National Security Council since Israel assassinated the powerful Iranian official Ali Larijani in mid-March, just weeks into the U.S.-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic. Israel’s military said, upon killing Larijani, that he had served as the “de facto leader” of Iran following the killing of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei on the war’s first day. The current supreme leader, Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, was injured in that same strike and has not been seen publicly since. Rezaei’s appointment was the latest shuffle at the top for the politburo-like Supreme National Security Council, which has a range of political opinions and rivalries and is adapting to the loss of several senior officials in the war. He replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who will become a political adviser to Khamenei. “In light of the resignation of Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr from his position as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and his appointment to new functions, President Masoud Pezeshkian has named Mohsen Rezaei as the head of this body,” presidency spokesman Mehdi Tabatabaei wrote on X on Sunday. Rezaei earlier this month said Iran

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

will never allow an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, which was considered an international waterway and a key pathway for the global oil supply before Tehran began obstructing it at the start of the war. He declared in July that control of the Strait was “more important than dozens of atomic bombs,” a reference to the Iranian nuclear program, which is also one of the war’s central issues. During his tenure as head of the IRGC, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, Rezaei was involved in the 1994 AMIA attack. The bombing, according to an Argentine court ruling, was carried out by Hezbollah terrorists and was initiated, planned and funded by Iran. It killed 85 people and injured hundreds more. The chief investigator into the AMIA bombing, Alberto Nisman, who was murdered in 2015, found that the decision to carry out the attack was taken at a meeting held on August 14, 1993, in Mashhad, by the Iranian leadership’s “Committee for Special Operations.” His 2006 indictment in the case names Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the head of the council, and says the final decision to attack the AMIA center was made by Khamenei and then-president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

The Rafsanjani-headed “Office of Intelligence and Security” allegedly conceived and orchestrated the attack, and IRGC chief Rezaei, a member of that office, allegedly co-authored the plan. Nisman’s 2006 indictment further charges that Rezaei’s involvement “extended to the implementation phase of the attack.”

Turkey’s Peace with the Kurds

Turkey adopted a law on Monday aimed at advancing its peace process with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a potentially significant step toward ending the outlawed militant group’s decades-long battle with the Turkish state. The law, which passed by a vote of 468-88 in parliament, could allow for the repatriation of thousands of militants from the group, known as the PKK. It

may also lead to the suspension of prison sentences for people convicted of belonging to or supporting the group. The legislation is the most concrete step yet by the Turkish government to formalize a peace process that began in 2024 and aims to end a bloody ethnic insurgency that has killed more than 40,000 people in Turkey since the 1980s. The conflict has spilled across the borders into Syria and Iraq. Supporters of the bill included President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, its governing coalition partners and Turkey’s largest Kurdish party. The government has hailed the process as a major step against terrorism. Efkan Ala, the deputy chair of Erdogan’s party, said in a television interview on Monday before the vote that the law sought to ensure security inside Turkey to strengthen the country against turmoil in the Middle East. Turkey, the United States and other countries consider the PKK a terrorist organization. The new law sets the terms for the group’s disarmament and the decommissioning of its fighters. It stipulates that Turkey’s National Security Council must confirm that the PKK has given up its arms, and it establishes a committee composed of senior government officials and the head Turkish intelligence to oversee the process, including the returns of militants from neighboring countries. The law does not include a blanket amnesty, but it offers reprieve to militants who were not involved in killings, suspending their prison sentences and giving those in exile six months to return to Turkey without facing prosecution. Those who do not commit new crimes will eventually have the right to enter politics, the law says. (© The New York Times)

Earthquake Rocks Colombia

A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, killing at least 169 people, injuring hundreds of other people, and leaving widespread destruction in its wake as rescue crews searched

through collapsed buildings for survivors. The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck in the morning near San José del Palmar in the Chocó region, a remote area of western Colombia. The quake was felt across a wide swath of the country, including major cities such as Cali, Pereira and Manizales, and tremors were also reported in neighboring Ecuador and Panama. Pereira was among the hardest-hit areas, with 40 deaths reported there, while another 27 people were killed in the Valle del Cauca region. Manizales also reported fatalities. At least 87 people were injured, while the number of missing people remained unclear as emergency workers struggled to reach some of the most severely affected communities. The earthquake caused extensive structural damage. Dozens of buildings collapsed completely, while hundreds of others were damaged. Homes, hospitals and religious buildings were among the structures affected. Roads, communications networks and airports were also damaged in some areas, complicating efforts to deliver aid and determine the full extent of the disaster. In Chocó, where the earthquake was centered, authorities warned that the situation could be particularly difficult to assess because of the region’s remoteness. Emergency workers and local residents joined together in searching damaged buildings, hoping to locate people who may still be trapped beneath the rubble. Colombian authorities declared a national emergency and mobilized resources for rescue and relief operations. Officials urged residents in damaged areas to remain cautious because of the possibility of aftershocks and the danger posed by weakened structures. The earthquake was described by Colombia’s Geological Service as the strongest to strike the country this century. International assistance began to arrive almost immediately, with the United States pledging $15.5 million in emergency aid. Mexico, Chile and El Salvador were among the countries offering assistance as Colombia began confronting one of its most devastating natural disasters in years. Officials cautioned that the death toll could rise as rescuers reach additional areas and continue searching the rubble. For now, emergency crews remain focused on the most urgent task: finding survivors and bringing help to communities devastated by the powerful quake.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Assad Spy Chief in Moscow

Hussam Luka, a notorious former Syrian spy chief, was recently found hiding in Russia, where he’s been living since Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in December 2024. Infamous for controlling Syria’s most brutal detention centers and sanctioning massacres — including one during the 2015 Eid al-Adha holiday, when he ordered targeted air strikes that killed 27 people, including 17 children — Luka was known as “The Spider,” due to his web-like network of spies. He served as the head of Syria’s general security directorate. When Damascus fell and Assad fled to Russia, Luka followed him there. He was later traced by rebel fighters to a place in Rubloyova, an elite gated community in suburban Moscow, through a phone book found in his abandoned home in the Syrian capital. Following the 2015 massacre in Homs, which locals call the “Children’s Massacre,” Luka was promoted to a higher post. He controlled Damascus’s infamous Sednaya prison, which was called the “human slaughterhouse,” and oversaw tens of thousands of disappearances, including of opposition members, journalists, doctors, and rights activists. On Saturday, authorities in Lebanon arrested Adel Issa, a former Syrian army officer, carrying out an arrest warrant from Damascus. Issa, 67, was accused of “crimes of killing and crimes against humanity during his time with the Syrian army,” and may be extradited to Syria. The new Syrian government has detained dozens of individuals accused of committing crimes, such as “premeditated murder, torture, and death resulting from torture,” during the Syrian civil war. Trials commenced in April.

U.S. Brands Selling Well Abroad American consumer brands are now seeing major revenue boosts abroad. Domestic sales, however, are slowing. Starbucks, KFC, and other

food-and-beverage chains are seeing sales rising in overseas markets. In the U.S., however, customers are buying fewer products due to inflation and rising prices, including at the pump. On Tuesday, Kimberly-Clark, the company behind Huggies diapers and Scott paper towels, noted that U.S. sales were slightly down, but international sales were up, particularly in Vietnam and India. On Wednesday, Kraft Heinz reported net sales in emerging markets up 10% to $771 million, while sales in North American and developed markets were down in the company’s most recent quarter. Last year, Starbucks shuttered hundreds of cafes in North America. Still, the company sees potential for major profit overseas. Likewise, McDonald’s sales in Japan, Germany, Australia, the U.K., and other global markets have risen, but not so in the United States. Red Bull has been selling well in Germany, as well.

Yum Brands’s KFC sales dropped 2% in the U.S. and 1% in Canada but rose in its other regions. Likewise, late last month, Colgate-Palmolive, which makes toothpaste and soap, reported a 3% decrease in net North American sales, but a 4.9% increase in comparable sales in the Asia-Pacific region, and almost a 14% jump in Latin America. In its most recent quarter, Mondelez International, which makes Oreo and Toblerone, said its net revenue rose 1.9% in developed markets and 7.4% in emerging markets.

Assad Sentenced to Death This week, a Damascus court sentenced former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and other officials from his regime to death after convicting them of murder, torture and crimes against humanity. Assad, who fled to exile in Russia after he was ousted from power in December 2024, was convicted in absentia along with his brother Maher, who was an important military commander in the former regime.

In their efforts to remain in power following a popular uprising in 2011, Assad and his lieutenants fought a 13-year war that included chemical attacks, large-scale shelling of civilian neighborhoods, mass executions and industrial-scale torture.

transitional justice. Former Assad regime officials have gone on trial in Germany, France and the U.S., but never before have former regime members faced trial inside Syria.

Helmets for E-Riders in Paris

“The Court ruled that Bashar al-Assad, as the highest decision maker, contributed to the crimes by mobilizing state institutions for their execution, convicting him of premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention, and crimes against humanity,” said Judge Fakhr alDin al-Aryan, who presided in the trial, according to state media. The sentencing on Tuesday was a landmark moment in a series of trials now being held in Syria. The country’s nascent government is setting out on a long and politically fraught task of delivering justice for Assad’s victims along with a broader accounting of the atrocities of the war. Assad is currently living in Russia with his family. Russia, which launched a punishing campaign of airstrikes on rebels in an effort to keep Assad in power, is unlikely to extradite the former Syrian leader. Hundreds of former regime security officials fled to Russia, as well as Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, when the regime crumbled. Among those sentenced this week is one of the prominent faces of Assad’s lethal crackdown on the 2011 protests that set the country on the path to civil war. Atef Najib, a former security chief from the southern city of Daraa, was implicated by investigators in the arrest and torture of a group of boys who painted antigovernment graffiti in March 2011, an incident that sparked a national outrage and fueled the early protests against Assad. Najib was arrested by Syrian authorities last year and was in the courtroom during his sentencing. Syria’s new government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, an Islamist former rebel commander, is under pressure from the public to deliver on promises to hold Assad and his men accountable and deliver answers to many thousands of families still searching for relatives who disappeared into Assad’s prisons or otherwise went missing during the war. The trial marks the first major effort by Syria’s new government to deliver

Electric scooter riders in Paris now have to wear helmets and reflective gear or face a fine. The new rules were introduced after a significant rise in injuries involving the two-wheelers, police said. The legislation applies to anyone riding motorized mobility devices including e-scooters, Segways and hoverboards, which police say are growing in popularity. Paris banned rental e-scooters on the city streets in 2023, when Paris voted to ban them over safety concerns, but privately owned devices remain widely used. Police said the latest measure, which took effect in Paris and its inner suburbs on Friday, was prompted by a rise in accidents involving the devices, with “a significant proportion” causing serious or fatal head injuries. Deaths among “vulnerable road users” – meaning pedestrians, cyclists or users of other unprotected devices such as motorbikes or e-scooters – in Paris rose sharply last year. Seventy-nine people in this category were killed; 45 were killed the previous year. Around 1,100 e-scooter users were also seriously injured in 2025, a 33 percent increase from the previous year, according to the same data. Other European cities have in recent years cracked down on the two-wheelers, with Madrid banning rental e-scooters in 2024 and Brussels announcing in June it would follow suit. Research in Britain released this week found that badly injured e-scooter riders are 3.5 times more likely than motorcyclists in the same situation to have suffered a traumatic brain injury. Compared with motorcyclists, those who used e-scooters also faced a 1.5 times higher risk of injuring their internal organs and a 3.2 times higher risk of

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

injuries to arteries or veins. The risk was 1.7, 1.4 and 1.7 times higher respectively when compared with cyclists.

Typhoon Dolphin Slams China

On Sunday evening, Typhoon Dolphin hit China’s eastern coast, forcing more than 300,000 people to preemptively relocate and Shanghai’s two airports to cancel more than 1,300 flights. The storm brought heavy rains to northern Taiwan the day before. In the Philippines, five people were rescued and seven remained missing after a landslide that hit three houses in the northern mountain resort city of Baguio on Sunday. The landslide was set off by days of heavy monsoon rains. Dolphin hit the Chinese city of Taizhou in Zhejiang province and the northern

parts of neighboring Fujian province, bringing strong winds, estimated at 151 kph (93 mph) when it made landfall, and massive waves to the city’s coastline. Forecasters in China predicted that areas could see 7.9–15.7 inches of rainfall over the next few days. The outer bands of the storm on Saturday hit northern Taiwan, including the capital of Taipei, bringing rain. Some Taiwanese airlines also canceled their flights to China on Sunday. Many areas of the main northern Luzon region, including the densely populated capital region of metropolitan Manila, were flooded, displacing more than 12,000 people and forcing several northern cities and towns to shut down schools on Friday and Saturday, disaster officials said on Sunday.

Spain and Italy Clash Last week, tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco poured into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over the weekend, the diplomatic spat escalated after the government in Madrid announced border controls on Italian travelers in

response to Rome’s decision to impose sanctions on visitors from Spain. Italians arriving at Barcelona airport were subject to random police checks after the controls were put into effect overnight.

The Spanish government said the controls would stay in place for at least a month after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rejected Spain’s warning on Friday that it would take “proportionate measures to protect the interests and dignity of its citizens” if Rome didn’t lift its own restrictions by an August 9 deadline. Italy began enforcing air and sea border controls on Spanish citizens on August 1 following Meloni’s scathing criticism of the progressive migration policies of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The feud was triggered after the sudden arrival of 72,000 migrants from Morocco at Spain’s North African territory

late last month. Although most of the migrants have since gone back, more than 80 migrants died, including some who drowned or were trampled in a stampede. The migrant rush on Ceuta reignited the immigration debate within the European Union, whose leaders criticized Sanchez for policies that they suggested were responsible for the massive influx. Hawkish EU leaders like Meloni pointed to such policies, including a Spanish government decision to carry out an amnesty for immigrants without residency permits who could prove they had been living in the country for at least five months and arrived before January 1 this year. Over 1 million people applied before the window closed at the end of last month. The 27-member EU bloc has a visa-free travel area known as Schengen that allows citizens of most EU countries to travel easily across borders for work and pleasure. According to the EU, member states are allowed to temporarily reintroduce controls at the EU’s so-called internal borders in case of a serious threat, such as one to internal security. But it also says border controls should be applied as a last resort in exceptional situations and must be time-limited.

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308 Nigerians Rescued

Recently, Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Center, police force, and Department of State Services jointly launched the country’s largest one-day rescue mission to date, rescuing 308 kidnapped Nigerian citizens. According to a statement from Bayo Onanuga, a special advisor to Nigeria’s president, 163 of the recovered civilians were kidnapped from the Woro Community in Kwara State’s Kaima Local Government Area. Another 145 people were abducted from Nigeria’s Niger State. “The victims were rescued from the Kainji Lake National Park Forest in New Bussa Local Government Area of Niger State,” the statement read. On February 3, Boko Haram-affiliated fighters attacked Kaima, abducting civilians for ransom and killing at least 200 people. Bandits and Boko Haram-linked fighters pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s security, targeting civilian infrastructure, including schools and houses of worship. In Kaduna State’s Kurmin Wali village, 177 people were kidnapped from three churches on January 18. In July, 40 or more students and teachers, who had been abducted from the state of Oyo in Maya, were rescued by security services. According to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the army has “neutralized” over

13,000 “terrorists” in the past year and has rescued 360 people kidnapped by Boko Haram. “The successful execution of this intelligence-led operation demonstrates the growing efficiency and collaboration among our security services. I commend our gallant men and women in uniform for their bravery and unwavering commitment to safeguarding Nigerian lives,” the president stated.

UAE Extradites Irish Cartel Boss

Following a ruling by the Dubai Court of Cassation, the United Arab Emirates extradited Daniel Kinahan, an alleged cartel boss, to Dublin on Sunday, fulfilling an extradition treaty between Dubai and Ireland. Later that day, Kinaham — a 49-yearold accused of heading the Kinahan Organized Crime Group, one of the largest international criminal organizations in the world — appeared before a Special Criminal Court in Dublin, wearing a black hoodie, black trousers, and flipflops. He came without a lawyer and said that he didn’t have time to arrange legal representation, as he had been isolated in Dubai since Friday. He has been accused of organizing major drug and weapon smuggling and money laundering operations, charges he denies. Kinahan was transported to

the court in a bulletproof and bombproof van. Kinahan noted that he wouldn’t be getting bail after one of the court’s three judges said that the High Court would review bail applications. He was then reportedly transferred to the high-security Portlaoise Prison. He is expected to appear in court again, in person or virtually, on October 5. Kinahan openly lived in Dubai for around a decade. “Kinahan is considered one of the most wanted individuals in cases related to transnational organized crime,” a joint statement from the UAE and Ireland read. “He has been accused of leading an organized criminal group, murder and illicit trafficking of narcotics, pursuant to an official request submitted by the Irish authorities.” Once a street gang in Dublin, Kinahan’s group has since become one of the most powerful crime groups in the world, with an estimated wealth of $1.15 billion. It has ties with South American cartels, Chinese mafias, Hezbollah, and others. The United States offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrests of Kinahan and other members of his family. Another top cartel member, Sean McGovern, was extradited to Ireland from the UAE in 2024 and was sentenced in June to 24 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder and directing organized crime.

Turkey’s New Cyber Law

Turkey’s new cybersecurity law is raising concerns among press-freedom and human-rights groups, who warn that the legislation could give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government sweeping control over the country’s digital landscape. The law, which took effect at the end of July, places Turkey’s Cybersecurity Directorate, an agency attached to Erdogan’s office, at the center of the country’s digital oversight system. The directorate can order internet providers, telecom-

munications companies and online platforms to take emergency measures, with companies required to comply within two hours. Judicial review comes only afterward. Government officials say the centralized system is necessary to respond quickly to cyberattacks and protect critical infrastructure. Ersan Aksu, a lawmaker from Erdogan’s governing AK Party, said the change could save the government about $630 million by eliminating duplication among agencies. Rights advocates, however, say the law is particularly troubling given Turkey’s history of restricting independent media and online expression. About 90% of Turkey’s national media outlets are already under government control, according to Reporters Without Borders, which ranks the country 163rd out of 180 nations in its World Press Freedom Index. Social media platforms such as X, YouTube and Instagram have therefore become important outlets for dissent and independent reporting. “The new measure is straight out of the standard rule book for information control in authoritarian contexts,” noted Tomiwa Ilori, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. He warned that cybersecurity authority should not be concentrated in the executive branch without meaningful safeguards. Yaman Akdeniz, a law professor and digital-rights campaigner, was even more blunt. “It creates a command center for Turkey’s digital obedience regime,” he said. Critics point to Turkey’s recent record as evidence of what could happen. During protests following the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu last year, access to major social-media platforms was throttled for nearly two days. According to the Freedom of Expression Association, almost 1,000 accounts with a combined following of more than 25 million people were blocked. The government has also introduced restrictions on social-media use by children under 15 and is considering verifying users’ ages through its e-government system. That proposal has sparked additional privacy concerns. Akdeniz warned that linking users’ identities to their social-media accounts could give authorities an unprecedented view of citizens’ online activity. “The result would be a digital panopticon,” he said. Supporters insist the law is about protecting Turkey from cyber threats. Critics fear that, without strong judicial and privacy protections, the same tools could become a powerful means of monitoring

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citizens, restricting information and silencing dissent.

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School Shooting in Thailand

On Friday, a 14-year-old entered Thailand’s Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where he was a student, and went on a shooting spree, killing eight people, including five teachers and a 12-year-old female student. The assailant then shot himself dead. Before the attack, he also killed his grandmother and grandfather, with whom he lived, in their home. The 12-year-old girl succumbed to injuries from the attack and is the first child officials confirmed was murdered in the shooting. The Debsirin Nonthaburi School, a well-known secondary school, released an emotional tribute to the five staffers who were killed in the attack, naming them as Kittipong Somrat; math teacher Prapaporn Konsila; Thai language teacher Nantchanatporn Nakplang; guidance teacher Tiwaporn Wanich; and secretary Saifon Sirikitchakajorn. According to local reporting, Nantchanatporn, an alumna from the school, was a “much-loved” and dedicated teacher. Khaosod English, a Bangkok-based news outlet, reported that Tiwaporn was awarded a certificate as an outstanding teacher just two days before the attack. According to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the suspect, who has yet to be named, was under stress from his studies. Some claim that the attack is symptomatic of Thailand’s youth mental health crisis, while others blame high gun ownership. The perpetrator’s father said his son is “guilty” but added that he has no idea why the teenager did it. During the shooting, students hid under desks and barricaded their classrooms with tables and chairs. Although gun ownership is illegal in Thailand for people under 20 years old, the suspect allegedly used his grandfather’s handgun during the attack.

Israel Will Kill 10/7 Terrorists

shop, we knew the path he took; this is the task of intelligence, to take every target of interest to us, and investigate him down to the smallest detail, to the level of when he goes to pray, and what he eats for breakfast,” said Lammed. Nili’s name comes from a Jewish underground spy organization that operated during World War I. According to a Times of Israel report last month, Israeli leadership has cited the response to the 1972 Munich Olympics — a Mossad-led operation to kill anyone involved in the massacre — as a basis for current efforts.

Mossad Toured The Israel Defense Forces and the Fordow

Shin Bet recently confirmed reports of an operation to kill every Palestinian terrorist who played a role in the October 7 massacre and its aftermath, including all Gazans who invaded Israeli territory during the onslaught, planned the attack, and held captive or abused hostages. Over the past three years, “Nili,” the joint IDF-Shin Bet unit in question, put together a list of the thousands of terrorists involved in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks before identifying and locating each one, using intelligence and facial recognition software. On October 7, Israeli security forces killed 1,200 terrorists. Since then, Israeli forces have eliminated 2,800 terrorists who were on the list and have captured 300 more for special military tribunals. The operation has also targeted those involved in the hostage release ceremonies. Thus far, Israeli forces have killed the terrorists who abducted Yaffa Adar, 85, Yagil Yaakov, 12, Yarden Bibas, and Avinatan Or. According to a Channel 12 report with interviews of Nili officers, Israeli forces also eliminated the terrorist tractor driver who breached the border fence. “It could be the driver who drove a tractor [across the border], and it could be a Nukhba company commander who led the invasion,” Lammed, a lieutenant in the IDF’s Southern Command and Nili officer, said. “You feel the tension [when an elimination operation is underway]. You feel the quiet, the seconds before the missile hits; everyone is just waiting for the strike to hit the person.” According to Lammed, Nili recently eliminated the terrorist platoon commander who headed the Nahal Oz army base invasion. “We knew what time he went to the

According to former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, the Israeli spy agency toured the Iranian Fordow nuclear site “many times” in order to understand it. Cohen made these remarks at the Galilee Conference on Tuesday. It remains unclear whether Cohen was referring to agents physically present within the facility or to remote monitoring. “Its bombing by the Americans is the fulfillment of all my dreams,” Cohen shared. Regarding reports that the Iranians are approaching a nuclear weapons breakout, Cohen argued that “uranium enriched to 60% is still far from a bomb.” The Fordow nuclear enrichment site, which is buried in a mountainous area, was attacked by the Americans during Operation Rising Lion. President Trump said last year that the June 2025 operation “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capability and set back its nuclear program by decades. But the exact extent of the damage is unknown. At the time, the Islamic Republic’s Atomic Energy Organization said the damage caused was “limited.” “Limited damage was caused to several areas at the Fordow enrichment site, and we had already removed a significant portion of the equipment and materials. Therefore, there was no extensive damage, and there are no concerns about contamination,” said Behrouz Kamalvandi,

deputy head and spokesman of the organization. Despite these assertions, Israeli officials have said that they believe that Fordow was destroyed. Others said that caution should be used until it is confirmed that the site was destroyed. According to Kamalvandi, the enrichment complex at Natanz was damaged mainly in its above-ground sections. He stressed that because most of the facilities are located underground, there was only a small amount of leakage inside that did not spread outside. The Iranian official also said that minor damage was caused to the nuclear complex in Isfahan. He said there were no casualties in the strikes at any of the nuclear facilities and stressed that wherever damage was caused, “we will rebuild them in a much better way.” Many believe that Israeli attacks on Natanz and Isfahan in the 2025 war would set Iran’s nuclear program back anywhere from six months to two years or more.

Colombia Recognizes Israeli Golan Hts.

This week, Colombia officially recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, making it only the second country in the world to officially endorse Israel’s claim to the disputed territory, after the U.S. did so in 2019. “Given the persistent regional instability in the Middle East and considering the strategic importance of the Golan Heights to Israel’s security, the Government of Colombia recognizes Israeli sovereignty over this territory, as well as Israel’s right to protect itself against external threats,” Colombia’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “In this regional security context, Colombia recognizes that maintaining Israel’s control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights is an essential component of its national defense and its ability to protect and safeguard its citizens.” The announcement came just days after the inauguration of the nation’s president of pro-Israel lawyer Abelardo de la

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icy by signing a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan. His successor, Joe Biden, did not reverse the decision.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Two Reservists Killed in Lebanon

On Thursday morning, the Israel Defense Forces announced the deaths of two reservists who were killed by an explosive device in southern Lebanon. In the same attack, four others sustained serious injuries. The IDF identified the fallen soldiers as Maj. (res.) Harel Birenstock, a 34-yearold company commander from Nokdim, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Tamir Vaknin, a 33-year-old soldier from Eilat. Birenstock and Vaknin both served in the 55th Paratroopers Brigade’s 2855th Battalion. An IED was somehow detonated while the reservist brigade attempted to eliminate Hezbollah infrastructure in a building in Majdal Zoun. The IDF responded by issuing the first evacuation warning in Lebanon in weeks, urging Mansouri residents to leave the premises. Israel then launched strikes on Hezbollah targets. The explosion and strikes came amid rocky talks between Israel and Lebanon, which ended after Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter reportedly charged Lebanese negotiators with leaking false information to Lebanese media and asked U.S. mediators to pause the negotiations. U.S. officials claimed that the talks would soon restart. The talks were meant to address several issues, including borders, Hezbollah disarmament, Iranian funding in Lebanon, and reconstruction efforts. Espriella, who has pledged to move the Colombian embassy to Jerusalem and restore once-vibrant ties, which soured during the Gaza war under former president Gustavo Petro. The inauguration was attended by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, amid a push for closer relations with Latin America. It also came just hours after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, killing at least 100 people and injuring hundreds more,

prompting Israel to offer its assistance. Reacting to the move, Sa’ar thanked his “good friend” de la Espriella “for his historic decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.” “With this, the President of Colombia has demonstrated, in one of his first decisions in office, his leadership, his values, and his commitment to Israel and Israel’s security,” he said on X. Sa’ar noted, “Israel is a small country without strategic depth. Having defensi-

ble borders is essential for Israel in order to guarantee the existence of the Jewish people in its historic homeland.” Sa’ar added that he will “continue to act so that more countries join” the U.S. and Colombia in recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan. Israel captured the strategic plateau from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War and extended Israeli law to it in 1981. In 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump broke with decades of U.S. pol-

Qatargate Accusations Jonatan Urich, Yisrael Einhorn, and Eli Feldstein, three advisors who served in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, have been accused of leaking classified information about Egypt to Qatar in exchange for money from Doha, according to an Israel Hayom report on Sunday.

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The March-May 2024 leak was reportedly part of a campaign to harm Egypt’s standing in Israel, while boosting Doha’s. Both Egypt and Qatar were involved in ceasefire and hostage talks with Hamas, but Doha allegedly wanted to overshadow Cairo in leading the negotiations. The leak involved concerns within the Israeli government that Egypt was violating its 1979 peace agreement with Israel by deploying forces into Sinai.

Urich, Einhorn, and Feldstein are at the center of the “Qatargate” scandal, wherein officials from the PMO were allegedly paid by Qatar to lobby for the Gulf country. Both Urich and Feldstein have been detained and questioned, while Einhorn currently lives in Serbia and was recently questioned by Israeli investigators in Belgrade. Fearing arrest, Einhorn has refused to return to Israel. Einhorn categorically denied the charges and said it was “a total lie…published by political rivals in the middle of an election season.” Defense officials were reportedly concerned that the leaks could jeopardize the peace agreement with Egypt and discourage Cairo from mediating hostage talks. Meanwhile, opposition leaders have accused the suspects of treason, slamming the prime minister for complicity. “This is what treason against the State of Israel looks like. Netanyahu’s advisers who received money from Qatar jeopardized our strategic relations with Egypt to serve Qatari interests,” said Yair Golan, the leader of the Democrats party. “Five wars and thousands of fallen soldiers led us to the peace agreement with Egypt, and Netanyahu’s office did not hesitate to jeopardize it for financial greed. Their bank accounts drove Israel’s foreign and security policy while the best of our sons were being killed at the front.” Gadi Eisenkot, the chairman of Yashar currently leading in the polls, vowed to establish a probe into the matter as his first act in office if elected prime minister, adding that “any reasonable prime minister would order an investigation to clear the air and ensure that his people work for the interests of the State of Israel, and not another country — but not this prime minister.” Opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, who are campaigning to-

gether in the B’Yachad party, condemned Netanyahu’s failure to characterize Qatar as an enemy state.

Deed Fraud in Arizona

For Arizona homeowners, losing a house may no longer require a break-in. In a growing real estate scam, criminals are forging documents, impersonating property owners and stealthily transferring homes and land into their own names — sometimes without the real owner knowing until it is too late. Realtor Lisa Paffrath discovered the scheme in 2023 when she was contacted about selling vacant land near Flagstaff. Something about the supposed owners didn’t add up. After researching their identities and property records, she contacted the actual owner, who lived in California. “I talked to the real owner, and he had no idea someone was trying to claim his property and sell it,” Paffrath said. The property, worth nearly $400,000, was ultimately saved. The scam, known as deed fraud, often targets vacant land, rental properties, recently inherited homes and properties without mortgages. Criminals may use fake identification, forged signatures and fraudulent notarizations to file quitclaim deeds transferring ownership. They can then sell the property or borrow against its equity. “It’s become easier to steal someone’s home than steal their TV,” said Susan Nicolson, commissioner of the Arizona Department of Real Estate. The problem has become widespread enough that Arizona lawmakers passed new legislation this year. The law, which took effect in late July, makes fraudulent property filings a felony and requires stronger identification procedures, including thumbprints for certain notarized real estate documents. Additional property-owner alert systems and verification requirements are expected to be implemented by January 2027.

But homeowners remain vulnerable. Debi Gotlieb nearly lost her late father’s Scottsdale home in 2019. After discovering that the property had disappeared from tax records and appeared for sale on Zillow, she drove to the house and found her father’s belongings gone. “It’s unbelievable how easy it is to commit deed fraud,” she said. Gotlieb spent more than $20,000 in legal fees and years fighting to recover the property. The man responsible was eventually convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. According to the FBI, criminals stole more than $275 million through online real estate fraud from at least 12,368 victims nationwide in 2025, up sharply from the previous year. Arizona officials are urging property owners to sign up for county title-alert systems, regularly monitor their property records and act immediately if anything appears suspicious. Maricopa County Assessor Eddie Cook said the new protections could make Arizona a national leader in combating the crime. “Arizona will lead the country with its new law, and hopefully other states will follow us,” Cook said.

U.S. Marine Released from Russia

On Tuesday, American Robert Gilman was released from Russian detention for humanitarian reasons amid severe concerns about his health. Gilman, a 32-year-old former Marine, had been detained in Russia since 2022. U.S. President Donald Trump said that he had spoken with Gilman, whose advocates and family had feared was “near death” after allegedly being subjected to physical and psychological torture. “After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. According to a U.S. official, Putin approved a pardon for Gilman. “We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return

— no exchange took place,” Trump added in his post. Trump said that when he spoke with Gilman, “he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands.” Gilman will arrive in the U.S. on Tuesday at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington, DC, Trump said, “where my Representatives, some of whom are on the plane with him, will welcome Robert back to THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!” Gilman’s mother was with him on a special medical plane. She traveled to Russia to see her son upon his release. He is verbal but non-ambulatory. According to Eric Lebson, the chief strategy officer of Global Reach, Gilman had fallen into a “dissociative stupor” more than six weeks ago and there were concerns that he could die in Russian custody. Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, expressed thanks to President Trump for “saving (her) brother’s life.” “There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” she said in a statement in which she also thanked Democratic Sen. Ed Markey. “I am looking forward to seeing Robert. I haven’t been able to speak with him once since this all began. We will make sure that he gets the treatment and support that he needs.” Gilman was arrested in January 2022. Russian officials alleged that he was drunk and got into an altercation with a police officer. Lebson denied that account, saying Gilman was hit by the police, got sick, and accidentally kicked the officer. Gilman was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. He is one of multiple former U.S. Marines who have been arrested in Russia, including Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan. Numerous Americans remain detained in Russia, including Andre Khachatoorian, Olga Jezler, Chuck Zimmerman, David Barnes, Aleksander Antonov and Stephen Hubbard. The State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that they hope Gilman’s release “leads to the release of Americans unjustly held in Russia, such as wrongful detainee Stephen Hubbard.”

UMich to Drop Freshman Grades For incoming freshmen at the University of Michigan, the first semester may soon come with less pressure, at least when it comes to the report card. Beginning next fall, the university

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The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

plans to launch a pilot program in which first-semester students in its College of Literature, Science, and the Arts will receive no letter grades on their official transcripts. Instead, their records will show only whether they earned credit for a course. The college serves about half of Michigan’s approximately 8,000 first-year undergraduates.

supported the idea because of the connection between academic pressure and mental health. Although Louth earned top grades during his own first semester, he said the reduced pressure could create a healthier learning environment. Online reactions have been mixed. Supporters say adjusting to college is difficult enough without having one rough semester follow students throughout their academic careers. Critics, however, argue that college students must learn to manage pressure and responsibility. The university says faculty, staff and students will continue working on the details of the pilot program this fall.

Moderate Wins University officials say the goal is to Hawaii Dem. give students time to adjust to the demands of college without the fear that a Primary disappointing first semester could permanently damage their academic records. “Our goal is to help first-year students acclimate to the demands of college and allow intrinsic motivations to guide personally meaningful academic journeys,” the university said. Under the program, students will still receive grades from their professors, but those grades will remain internal. They can be used to determine eligibility for honors and scholarships, while official GPAs will not be affected during the first semester. The initiative comes as colleges nationwide grapple with concerns over student mental health, grade inflation and whether incoming freshmen are adequately prepared for college-level work. Michigan is not the first university to experiment with such a system. Similar approaches have been used at schools including MIT and Caltech. At Michigan, the move comes amid a sharp rise in the number of students receiving top grades. Data reviewed by MLive showed that 74.1% of undergraduate grades at the university were in the A range in 2022, compared with 57.6% a decade earlier. Some faculty members question whether removing first-semester grades will accomplish much in an environment where high grades are already common. Kenneth Lowande, a former Michigan political science professor who now teaches at Rice University, said grades have increasingly lost their usefulness as a measure of academic distinction. Students, however, have largely welcomed the change. Student body president Summit Louth said many students he spoke with

On Saturday, U.S. Representative Ed Case of Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District won the Democratic primary, overwhelmingly defeating progressive state Senator Jarrett Keohokalole. Case, the incumbent in the race, is a 73-year-old moderate. His challenger, 43-year-old Keohokalole, argued that the state needs younger, more confrontational leadership and attacked Case’s policies, including the congressman’s support for SAVE, a GOP election bill. Case won around 60% of the vote, Keohokalole won 36%, and other candidates won the remaining 4%. The primary was one of many contests ahead of the midterms where progressives challenged moderate Democrats. Meanwhile, Governor Josh Green, the incumbent, won the Democratic gubernatorial primary with around 83% of the vote, while Gary Cordery won the Republican primary. Derek Kawakami was the Democratic Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, while Daniel Anthony was nominated by the Republicans for the position. In the election for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District, Case will face off against Republican nominee Adriel Lam. In the state’s 2nd district, incumbent Representative Jill Tokuda will compete against Republican State Senator Brenton Awa. Both Lam and Awa ran unopposed.

The 1st Congressional District includes Honolulu and a big chunk of urban Oahu. Case is likely to win re-election, as the district is reliably blue.

American Tourism An End to Jackie the Eagle

In the past few decades, the United States has increasingly become a nation of travelers, with Americans taking a whopping 24 million trips to Europe in 2025, and many U.S. citizens visiting Portugal and Greece. Fewer than 5% of Americans had a passport in 1990. Today, over half of the country does, with 27 million passports issued in the 2025 fiscal year. Travel to Europe has become easier due to the European Union’s free-travel area, and open-skies agreements in the 1990s deregulated airline competition, making international travel cheaper. Over the past decade, Portugal and Greece have seen the biggest boosts in American tourism, while the United Kingdom and Italy see the highest number of tourists, including millions of Americans. Around 94% of Americans who traveled to Europe in 2025 previously flew overseas. Popular attractions include the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Cotswolds, and Viking cruises. American tourists typically spend more on trips than Europeans, utilizing the strong dollar to purchase luxury items. American women tend to travel more, with 24% of travelers being females 55 and older. Over 15% of American travelers to Europe reported a household income of $300,000 or more. While many industries benefit from American tourism, locals complain of strains on infrastructure, disruptions to social life, and the cost of living, as housing becomes unaffordable in part due to tourism. On average, American visitors to Spain last year spent almost $350 a day, while their German counterparts only spent around $200 and French travelers just $150.

Jackie, the bald eagle who became an internet sensation and a symbol of the species’ recovery in California, died this week after being treated for an illness at a veterinary facility. For more than a decade, nature lovers watched via an online video feed as Jackie and her partner Shadow tended to their nest each year atop trees near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. The nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley installed the nest camera in 2015 and documented the successes and failures of each breeding season. In 2024, Jackie ruled the roost and diligently sat on her eggs for more than two and a half days straight after a winter storm blanketed the nest with snow. But Jackie flew into some trouble recently. The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation’s San Dimas Raptor Rescue team found Jackie on July 17 following reports that the bird had been involved in a fight with two other eagles and was found to be ill. Jackie had been receiving medical treatment for three weeks at the Ojai Raptor Center, where she was treated for a variety of ailments including anemia. Despite undergoing a blood transfusion and oxygen therapy, her condition worsened and she died on Monday. American bald eagles teetered on the brink of extinction until the pesticide DDT was banned in the 1970s and other protections were established, leading the species to rebound and be removed from the federal endangered list. Now, Jackie gets to spread her wings and take her final flight.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

Long Locks

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This is truly a hair-raising “tail.” An Indian woman who hasn’t gotten her hair cut since 2015 earned a recent Guinness World Record when her long locks were measured at 8 feet and 10 inches in length. Renu Dhariyal, a content creator who shares beauty tips on YouTube, was awarded the title for the longest hair on a living person (female). She nabbed the record from Ukrainian Aliia Nasyrova, whose hair was measured at 8 feet and 5.3 inches long. “I have been growing my hair continuously since 2015. In Indian culture, long hair is considered a symbol of extreme

beauty and tradition, which is what inspired me to grow it so long,” Dhariyal told Guinness World Records. She said her hair requires a lot of maintenance. “It takes a lot of patience to maintain long hair. I spend hours washing and detangling my hair,” she said. She added, “My secret is completely natural. I stay away from chemical products and also share the secrets of chemical-free homemade hair oils and homemade shampoos I make on my YouTube channel.” The record for longest hair ever (female) is held by Xie Qiuping of China. Her hair was measured at 18 feet and 5.54 inches long in 2004. But let’s not split hairs over this record.

From Trash to Treasure When a man in Italy threw out his trash, he didn’t realize he was throwing away an opportunity for a huge treasure. Roberto Nicola Toscano, director of waste collection company Sanb, received a frantic call from a family who needed his help finding a bag of trash in mounds

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of garbage. A man had bought a MillionDay lottery ticket for the July 31 drawing with the set of numbers he usually plays: 2-48-10-51. When he scanned the ticket at the store, he received a message that the ticket was “non-payable,” and he promptly threw the paper into the trash.

But later that night, the person discovered that his numbers had come up in the drawing and that the “non-payable” message referred to the fact that the prize was too large to collect at the store. The player’s family rushed back to the store, only to discover the trash had already been collected. The family contacted Sanb, which set about identifying the truck that had collected the store’s waste. “Once the vehicle was located, another problem arose: it couldn’t be emptied at our premises due to possible waste contamination,” Toscano told ANSA. “We contacted a company in the Bari area that could allow us to sort it, and this morning we started searching.” Toscano said employees finally managed to locate the ticket, which was luckily intact inside a torn bag filled with other tickets, many of which were damaged. “I touched the lucky ticket because maybe it would bring us luck, too,” Toscano said. The ticket was worth $1.15 million. Toscano said the luck proved real, as he and his employees bought a scratchoff ticket together and wound up winning $57.62. They really hit the jackpot.

Under the Sea A group of Italian divers recently discovered a Roman shipwreck stocked with hundreds of ancient clay jars in the warm

waters off the coast of Sicily, authorities said. The ship is believed to date back to the second or first century B.C., according to the Italian Ministry of Culture. Divers located it about 3 miles off the coast of Mazara del Vallo, a city on the western coast of Sicily. Alessandro Giuli, Italy’s minister of culture, described it as “one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years.”

Hundreds of amphorae, clay jars used in ancient Greek and Roman societies to store goods like wine and olive oil, were found in the wreck at the bottom of the sea. Fisherman Giacomo De Mola said in an Instagram post that he and other divers were using sonar technology to survey the seafloor off the coast of Sicily when they came across “what looked like an ordinary rock.” He said something compelled him to get a closer look. At first, he thought the large mass was what he’d assumed: another big rock. But as he moved closer, an immense pile of ancient clay jars came into view. “It is hard to describe the feeling of being among the first humans in nearly 20 centuries to see that place again,” De Mola said. The divers reported the discovery to the Sicilian Region’s Superintendency of the Sea, a public body that oversees the identification and management of marine archeological sites off the island’s coastal waters. An initial analysis found that the pile of amphorae is about 70 feet long, 20 feet wide and over 6 feet tall. “This is, without a doubt, the most incredible discovery of my life,” De Mola said. That’s for “shore.”

Did you know? The heartbeat of a blue whale can be heard from 1.8 miles away.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

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Community Over 700 Cyclists Complete 17th Annual Bike4chai

even hundred twelve cyclists from across the United States and around the world completed the 17th annual Bike4Chai, raising critical funds to support Chai Lifeline’s yearround programs and services for children and families facing serious illness, crisis, and loss. Over two days, July 29-30, riders traveled 180 miles through the Pocono Mountains and the Delaware River Valley before arriving at Camp Simcha, Chai Lifeline’s medically supervised overnight camp for children living with serious illness. There, they were welcomed by hundreds of cheering campers, counselors, staff, volunteers, and family members in an emotional celebration that has be-

come known as the World’s Greatest Finish Line. “Bike4Chai is about far more than the miles our riders complete,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “It is a powerful demonstration of what can happen when a community comes together with compassion and purpose. Every rider, donor, volunteer, and supporter helped create hope for children and families facing unimaginable challenges, reminding them that they never have to face those challenges alone.” Riders departed Wednesday morning from Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center and spent two days cycling through scenic roads across Pennsylvania, including the iconic Hawks Nest

overlooking the Delaware River. Months of training and fundraising culminated in an unforgettable arrival at Camp Simcha, where campers lined the roads to cheer on each cyclist as they crossed the finish line. “For our riders, Bike4Chai is an incredible physical accomplishment,” said Rabbi Sruli Fried, Executive Director of Bike4Chai. “But what stays with them long after the ride ends are the people they meet along the way. Arriving at Camp Simcha and seeing the joy on the faces of our campers reminds every participant exactly why this ride matters. Those moments stay with you forever.” Now in its 17th year, Bike4Chai has become one of Chai Lifeline’s signature

fundraising events, bringing together cyclists of all ages and experience levels in support of children and families facing illness. Since its inception, the event has raised millions of dollars to sustain Chai Lifeline’s comprehensive network of services, including professional case management, counseling, meal delivery, transportation to medical appointments, emergency financial assistance, insurance advocacy, crisis intervention, Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special, i-Shine afterschool programming, and dozens of additional programs that provide hope, healing, and joy throughout the year.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

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Five Towns Community Comes Together in Support of the Biblical Heartland

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On Sunday, the BACH Jewish Center’s Youth Department hosted a special Sunday Tie Dye Party

Summer at the Friendship Circle

he Friendship Circle held three exciting events this summer as part of its annual Summer Fun program, bringing smiles and joy to participants. The program kicked off with a picnic and painting on day one, followed by day two, with “hearts and crafts” activities in preparation for Tisha B’Av, including Beis HaMikdash-themed projects. On the last day of the program, the kids enjoyed a splashy Mess Day, with lots of sensory activities and fun in the water. The Friendship Circle has more in store this summer! At the end of August, we’re holding two exciting day trips full of non-stop activities and fun — a fitting end to an amazing summer. On August 27, we’re heading to the NY Aquarium. Then, on August 31, the Friendship Circle is visiting Empire Adventure Park. Register your child today at fc5towns. com/camp! If you’re interested in volunteering, please email Batsheva@chabad5towns.com.

With the school year starting soon, registration for Judaica Circle, our weekly Hebrew school program for children and young adults with special needs, is now open. The program runs from October 28 to June 3 and takes place on Wednesday nights. Judaica Circle provides a warm, supportive, and stimulating environment where children learn to proudly embrace their Jewish identity. Through engaging lessons and handson activities, students discover their heritage, learn the Aleph Beis, and build friendships with their Jewish peers. Each child is paired one-on-one with a dedicated volunteer and benefits from an individualized curriculum tailored to their unique level and learning style. To reserve your child’s spot today, please visit fc5towns.com/judaicacircle. For more information about End of Summer Camp or Judaica Circle, please email Batsheva@chabad5towns.com. We’re looking forward to another year of friendship and smiles!

he Five Towns community gathered for a special evening supporting the communities of Judea and Samaria, featuring a barbecue, fine Israeli wine, and an entertaining performance by mentalist Michael Samen. A special thank you to hosts Dr. Dovid Tzvi and Shani Jacobs for generously opening their home, as well as to the evening’s sponsors, vendors, volunteers, and attendees who helped make the event possible.

The evening highlighted the importance of providing critical security resources to communities in Judea and Samaria, including Basic Community Security Kits that equip families and communities with essential tools to respond in moments of crisis. Community members can continue making an impact by supporting One Israel Fund at oneisraelfund.org/donate.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

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Rabbi Yaakov Bender Visits Camp Simcha

amp Simcha was honored to welcome Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, for a special visit on Tuesday, August 4. Rabbi Bender toured the Glen Spey, NY, campgrounds, visited with campers

and staff, and spent time dancing and singing with the children. He also shared heartfelt divrei chizuk and bracha, encouraging campers and counselors alike with words of Torah and inspiration. “To walk into such a camp…and see such simcha and happiness from the boys and the counselors here is beyond!” said

Rabbi Bender. “It is a tremendous zechus to welcome my dear friend Rabbi Bender to Camp Simcha,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “His warmth and genuine love for every child are felt the moment he walks through our gates. The time he spent with our campers, volunteers, and

staff brought tremendous chizuk to the entire Camp Simcha community.” Chai Lifeline is deeply grateful to Rabbi Bender for taking the time to visit and uplift the Camp Simcha family during the summer season.

Touro University Launches New School of Business and Names Veteran Business School Leader Dr. Lawrence G. Singleton as Founding Dean

ouro University President Dr. Alan Kadish today announced this week the launch of a new integrated School of Business, bridging the university’s undergraduate and graduate business programming, and named Dr. Lawrence G. Singleton, a veteran business school leader with a record of innovation and growth at top-tier institutions, as its founding dean. “Dr. Singleton is a distinguished academic leader, accomplished scholar, and experienced strategist who brings

a record of innovation, transformative growth, and impact across leading institutions,” said Dr. Kadish “He is expert at aligning business education with the evolving demands of the global economy, and we know he will prepare our students to succeed in the modern workplace.” Most recently, Dr. Singleton served as Dean of the Lubin School of Business at Pace University, where he led a community of 3,500 students and 85 full-time faculty. Prior to Pace, he served as Dean of the School of Management at Marist

College and held leadership roles at The George Washington University School of Business. Beyond academia, Dr. Singleton worked in the audit and National SEC Practice groups of Ernst & Young and consulted for many of the world’s leading companies and organizations, including Cisco Systems, Inc., NASDAQ Stock Market, Roche, Siemens Corporation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and The World Bank. He is also active in AACSB and EFMD, the leading worldwide business school accrediting bodies, and serves on AACSB accreditation peer review teams. Dr. Singleton holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in accounting from Louisiana State University and is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant. “I am excited to shape a business school designed for the future—one that fully embraces artificial intelligence, data analytics, digital transformation, and emerging technologies as central pillars of business education,” said Dr. Singleton. “Touro’s vision of integrating traditional business disciplines with areas such as AI-enabled decision making, fintech and healthcare innovation reflects the direction in which business educa-

tion must evolve. My vision is to embrace the tech revolution while remaining anchored in the values of service and commitment to enriching society that define Touro.” “The new Touro University School of Business will offer world-class opportunities for students both during their studies and after graduation, with a strong emphasis on experiential learning, industry engagement, and career outcomes,” he continued. Dr. Singleton will also lead the effort for the new Touro University School of Business to achieve AACSB accreditation, the global gold standard for business education.

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Children at The Special Children’s Center Day Camp enjoyed a summer filled with exciting trips, fun-filled activities, and plenty of special moments and smiles! For more information or to get involved, call us at 516-200-2234 ext 507.

Village of Lawrence Announces Major Infrastructure Improvements Along Route 878

ayor Samuel Nahmias, alongside Village Administrator Gerry Castro, extends a warm thank you to New York State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick for visiting the community and for her vital state partnership in securing a $150,000 state grant to help fund past infrastructure enhancements along 878. Major improvements are actively underway along NY-878 to improve safety, accessibility, and local aesthetics. The overall scope extends throughout the village, stretching from Burnside Avenue toward the Atlantic Beach Bridge. Construction began in early June, with completion expected by October. Key project components include: Drainage Improvements: Resetting all catch basins along Route 878 to ensure proper drainage and prevent runoff

issues. Enhanced Accessibility: Removing and replacing sidewalk ramps and median crossings to meet full ADA accessibility standards. Upcoming Road Resurfacing: Milling and repaving the asphalt surface as part of the final phase of work. Greenery & Beautification: Planting fresh trees and shrubs along the median to restore and enhance local greenery. Highlighting the importance of bringing state resources to local communities, NYS Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick stated, “Here we are on 878 in the Village of Lawrence. Thank you, Mayor Samuel Nahmias for helping us get this project done and improve an area that is in desperate need of improvement. I know the residents are going to be grateful when this section of the road is re-

paved, and I’m so proud that we brought state dollars to the area.” Expressing gratitude for the ongoing state support, Village of Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias added, “I want to thank you, Senator, for a tremendous contribution to the Village of Lawrence that would never have been possible without your help. It’s finally getting done. You have been a great partner going back several years ago, helping us with the lighting initiative we had, and now with this project. I am really grateful.” The Village of Lawrence extends a special thanks to residents for their ongoing support, patience, and warm feedback as these essential projects work toward keeping the Village safe, accessible, and beautiful. For more information, visit lawrenceny.gov, follow villageoflawrenceny on

Mayor Samuel Nahmias, NYS Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, and Lawrence Administrator Gerry Castro

Instagram, or Village of Lawrence – Government on Facebook, and subscribe on YouTube@VillageofLawrenceNY

How Can I Help My Family Avoid Disputes After I’m Gone? By Monet Binder, Esq.

he greatest threat to an estate plan isn’t taxes or market drops, rather, it is family conflict. When a parent passes away, unsettled tensions and financial stress can turn a lifetime of hard work into a bitter, multi-year courtroom battle. Protecting your assets means nothing if your children stop speaking to one another. You can proactively insulate your family from postdeath disputes by focusing on four strategic areas. 4 Strategies to Prevent Inheritance Wars  Open Communication: Silence breeds suspicion. Do not leave your estate plan as a surprise for after you are gone. Sitting down with your family to explain why you made certain decisions manages expectations, clears up misunderstand-

ings, and allows you to answer questions directly while you are still here and can do so.  Constantly Updated Documents: Outdated estate plans are primary targets for legal challenges. Life milestones such as marriages, divorces, births, deaths, or major changes in your financial circumstances demand an immediate document review. A Will or Trust drafted fifteen years ago rarely reflects today’s reality or current state laws.  “Equal” vs. “Fair” Inheritances: Leaving everything equally among children seems safe, but it isn’t always fair. If one child is a lifelong caregiver, another struggles with challenges, or one already received a massive financial down payment during your life, a perfectly equal split can trigger resentment. “Fairness” often requires custom tailoring, such as setting up a lifetime spendthrift

trust or adjusting percentages to match contributions you made to one or more children and not to others.  Strategic Trustee Selection: Handing the keys of your estate to one child while making the others answerable to them may be a recipe for disaster. If family dynamics are even slightly strained, avoid naming a child as your sole Trustee or Executor. Instead, select an objective, neutral third party or a professional fiduciary to manage distributions without emotional bias. The Reality Check: A well-drafted legal document can distribute your money, but transparent planning can preserve your family. If you want to protect your family from a legal battle, preparing an estate plan that preserves your wealth and your family harmony requires experienced, strategic legal guidance. Let us help you design a plan that leaves a legacy

of peace, not conflict. Contact Monet Binder Law today to schedule your FREE 15-minute phone consultation: 844-OUR-WILL | 718.514.7575 | 732.333.1854 Monet Binder, Esq., has a practice in Lakewood, Queens, and Brooklyn areas, dedicated to protecting families, their legacies and values. All halachic documents are approved by the Bais Havaad Halacha Center in Lakewood, under the direction of Rabbi Dovid Grossman and the guidance of Harav Shmuel Kaminetsky, shlita, as well as other leading halachic authorities. This article is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Readers should consult an attorney regarding their individual circumstances.

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here were you?! You missed the most amazing last 10 days of Simcha Day Camp! Breakout was a blast, with a Hachnosas Sefer Torah that turned out to be a prop Torah with the words COLOR WAR on it! Then came the crazy loud colorful General’s entrances, and it was off to WAR! Dav-

ening, learning, bentsching and sports – everything was worth points! Yom Tov Green vs. Shabbos Red, the teams battled for the victory. Apache races, field races, swim races and sports games were all great, but by the Grand Sing, the spread was only 60 points apart. The songs rocked, the skits rolled and the

Alma Maters brought warmth and tears to every eye, AAAAAAAANNNNNND THE WINNNNNNNNER OF COLOR WAR WAS THE…TEAM…OF…GREEN! We celebrated an amazing summer with a massive Mendy Worch concert accompanied by world famous composer and accompanist Elchonon Garten-

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

Summer Sendoff at Simcha Day Camp

house, and then it was time for playoffs and the World Series, all while trying not to burst from all the great food from the end of the summer banquets! All in all, ‘twas a dramatic end to summer ’26, and we all have memories enough to tide us over for 10 months until summer ’27 in Yerushalayim.

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Avnet’s Family Appreciation Night Celebrates Camp and Community

rom its early years in Long Beach to its current home in the Five Towns, Avnet Country Day School has welcomed generations of families. Today, Avnet has become a familiar and deeply rooted part of the Five Towns summer landscape. That sense of connection was on full display at Family Appreciation Night, when more than 500 parents, children and community members gathered on the camp’s expansive grounds for an evening of fun. With the sun shining, orange Avnet shirts dominating the fields and families enjoying the campus together, the night offered a vivid glimpse of the warm community Avnet has built over the years. “Family Appreciation Night was really both a celebration and a thank you to the families who have helped make Avnet such an enduring part of the community,” said Camp Director Daniel Stroock. “We wanted to give parents an opportunity to really see who we are and what we do, while also giving something back to our families. It was almost like an extra night of camp they weren’t expecting,

and a chance to experience Avnet in full swing together with their children.” Throughout the evening, the grounds were filled with activities for all ages. Carnival rides, giant slides, bouncy castles and an inflatable corn maze kept children moving from one attraction to the next. Pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, balloon animals and a dunk tank added even more excitement. Families also enjoyed carnival games, tie-dye

and slime making, along with a pizza dinner. One of the evening’s most meaningful activities was a collaborative art project. Participants colored individual three-inch squares that were later assembled into a larger banner depicting children having fun at Avnet. The evening was also a chance for campers to proudly show their families the camp they have come to call their own. “It was beautiful to see how much ownership and pride even our youngest campers feel at Avnet. I loved it when 3-year-old Tipot campers came running over with their parents. They were thrilled to introduce us to their families and then give them a camp tour themselves,” said Program Director Megan Herskowitz. A raffle kept the crowd energized until the final moments, with three campers winning individual $20 Amazon gift cards: Eitan Buchinger (B5A), Andy Augenbaum (B2A) and Gabe Dachs (B2A). Joe Hiesiger (B3C) won the chance to select the daily joke on the Avnet schedule. The remaining prizes were won by campers to share with their entire bunks. David Greenblatt (B4A) won a doughnut breakfast; Adir Steiner (T2D) won a glow

party; Olivia Herz (G5) won slushies; Ella Fogel (G5) won a tie-dye party; Tzivia Lampert (G2B) won Gatorade at lunch; Rosie Charlap (G1A) won an ice cream party; and Shana Weg (G5) won candy bags. “What made the raffle especially fun was that so many of the prizes were something a camper could win for their whole bunk, not just for themselves. As we started giving out the prizes, the bunks were thanking us, but they were also thanking the camper who had won it for everyone. That camaraderie is what Avnet is all about,” Megan added. More than any single ride, game or prize, Family Appreciation Night reflected the spirit and warmth that have made Avnet so memorable for generations. Malkie Behar, Associate Director, summed it up, “It was truly special to watch families experience the same excitement we get to see at camp every day. So much of camp is made up of moments that may seem small at the time, but those are the moments that become memories for a lifetime.”

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

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A WIC First NY To Cover Cholov Yisroel Baby Formula After Met Council Campaign

or the first time ever, frum families in New York will be able to use WIC to purchase Cholov Yisroel infant formula. The New York State Department of Health has confirmed that it will add the first Cholov Yisroel formula to the state’s WIC formulary later this month. The historic change is the culmination of a three-year campaign led by Met Council and a decision made under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul and State Health Commissioner Dr. James V. McDonald. The change will benefit tens of thousands of frum families across New York, including families in Boro Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush, Crown Heights and Far Rockaway, as well as growing kehillos such as Monsey and Kiryas Joel. In the years ahead, as more children are born and new families enroll in WIC, this one fix will help generations of New Yorkers. “This is a tremendous victory for frum families, and it happened because Governor Hochul’s administration listened and acted,” said David G. Greenfield, CEO of Met Council. “I especially want to thank State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald for taking this issue seriously and working with us to get it fixed. For years, mothers were told that WIC would help them buy formula for their babies but not a single approved product was Cholov Yisroel. Met Council identified the problem, found the solution and kept pushing until New York fixed it.” WIC, the federal nutrition program for women, infants and children, is ad-

ministered by each state, with every state determining which infant formulas its program will cover. As of early 2026, New York’s formulary included more than 40 formulas. Many carried kosher certification. Not one was Cholov Yisroel. The result was that a mother in Boro Park could qualify for WIC, walk into a grocery store with her benefits, and still walk out empty-handed because not one formula on the list was permitted in her home. The barrier came down to one-tenth of a milligram of iron. Cholov Yisroel formulas already existed, but the products previously considered fell 0.1 milligrams short of the USDA’s minimum iron requirement. That tiny gap kept every Cholov Yisroel option off New York’s WIC list and left frum families without a single approved choice. “No mother should have to choose between keeping Cholov Yisroel and feeding her baby,” Greenfield said. “This may look like one more item on a government list. For the families affected, it is life-changing. It means a benefit they were always entitled to will finally work for them.” The issue first surfaced at the annual convening of Met Council’s Kosher and Halal Food Network in early 2023, when a member agency reported that WIC-eligible mothers were leaving stores without formula, because nothing on the approved list met their religious requirements. Met Council’s Food Programs and

Policy teams spent the next three years working with the Department of Health, WIC advocates and formula manufacturers to find a solution. In 2025, Hannah Lupien, Met Council’s Managing Director of Food Programs, identified a Cholov Yisroel formula that met the USDA’s iron standard. Met Council brought it directly to the state with a simple message: this product meets the federal requirements, so put it on the list. Met Council was uniquely positioned to lead this fight. It operates the largest kosher food pantry network in America, feeding more than 350,000 people every year, and runs the largest public policy and advocacy operation in the Jewish community dedicated to fighting poverty. That combination, feeding the community every day while fighting for it in Albany and Washington, is what turned

one agency’s complaint into a statewide solution. “This is what effective government looks like,” Greenfield said. “Governor Hochul and Commissioner McDonald heard that families were being left behind, reviewed the solution we brought them and took action. We are grateful to them and to the Department of Health team for making sure WIC finally works for every New York family.” This victory builds on Met Council’s successful advocacy to create the USDA’s Kosher Foods in TEFAP webpage and increase the number of kosher products available through the federal emergency food program to 13. Met Council will continue pressing local, state and federal agencies to remove barriers that keep families from fully using WIC, SNAP, school meals, emergency food assistance and other benefits for which they qualify.

Reb Aaron Cyperstein of Met Council; Queens Borough President Donovan Richards; and Pesach Osina, Democratic candidate for State Assembly in Far Rockaway, at the 107th Precinct’s National Night Out Against Crime celebration

Did you know? A queen bee can live up to 5 years.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

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Summer with the Nikolsburg Rebbe in Woodbourne

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Camp Machaneh Yisroel Siyum HaShas

Living Kiddush Hashem – From The Inside Out By Rabbi Shraga Freedman

hen the Greenbergs* were living in Ottawa, Mrs. Greenberg led trips to Eretz Yisrael through the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (now Momentum). These ten-day missions built deep connections, and when the women returned, many continued their learning. Mrs. Greenberg learned one-on-one with several of the women and often hosted Shabbos meals. One woman’s husband, a brilliant and cynical criminal lawyer, had no interest in religion, but his wife (we’ll call her Melissa) was growing closer to observance, and Mrs. Greenberg had made a close relationship with her. A few months after a trip, JET (Jewish Education Through Torah), the local kiruv organization, hosted a Friday night dinner for the women and their families. The Greenbergs attended with four of their children, including ten-year-old Meir, and were seated next to Melissa and her husband. It was the husband’s first Shabbos meal, and he observed everything with interest, especially the moment when R’ Greenberg bentched his children. Midway through the meal, the husband asked Meir to bring him a napkin. Meir quickly ran to the kitchen and returned. The man reached for his wallet. “Here, take five dollars.” His wife elbowed him. “Stop! It’s Shabbos.” “So what?”

“You can’t give money on Shabbos.” “Every kid wants money,” he shrugged. Turning to Meir, he whispered, “Want five dollars?” Meir hesitated, then shook his head. “No.” “Why not?” “It’s Shabbos. I don’t touch money on Shabbos.” “Ten dollars?” he offered. Meir smiled and shook his head again. “Fifty dollars. No one will know.” Meir stood straighter. “Nope.” “A hundred dollars,” he tried. “You like hockey. Think of the cards you could buy!” Meir’s eyes lit up for a moment, but he smiled and said, “Nope.” The man leaned back, clearly moved. “This kid is the real deal,” he said to his wife. “We need to start blessing our kids on Friday nights.” Mrs. Greenberg, listening nearby, was bursting with pride. That Sunday, the man called and bought Meir two VIP hockey tickets. Several years later, for his bar mitzvah, he gifted him a full set of sefarim and a jersey of his favorite player. The couple continued learning and growing. It all began with a ten-year-old doing what any frum child would do without a second thought. The kedushah of Shabbos, and the pure devotion of a ten-year-old, stirred something deep within. Delving Deeper Q. How does kiddush Hashem spread

through our Torah and mitzvos? At first glance, kiddush Hashem might seem like it should be a public relations campaign: loud, visible, even promotional. But Klal Yisrael are not missionaries. We don’t proselytize, and we don’t market our faith. So how, then, does the light of kiddush Hashem actually spread? A. The answer lies in a mishnah in Avos (3:10): “Kol sheruach haberiyos nochah heimenu, ruach HaMakom nochah heimenu — anyone who is pleasing to people is pleasing to Hashem.” At first, this seems puzzling. Are we saying popularity equals spiritual greatness? Celebrities and influencers have massive followings, but does public approval mean they’re aligned with Hashem’s will? Obviously, the answer is no. The mishnah isn’t talking about charisma or fame, things that are physical attractions. It’s referring to something deeper: spiritual attraction. Rabbeinu Bachya (Kad HaKemach) explains that every human being carries within him a chelek Eloka mimaal — a Divine spark. When a Jew refines himself, and strengthens his neshamah, others sense it. It’s not his wardrobe or wealth that draws people in; it’s his ruchniyus. Kol sheruach haberiyos nochah heimenu isn’t about physical attraction. It’s spiritual resonance. The ruach within others is stirred when it encounters a person living with ruach HaMakom, in accordance with the will of Hashem. True kiddush Hashem happens when a Jew engages with the world from a

place of inner G-dliness. When your neshamah is alive, it naturally awakens the ruach in others. The Divine within them responds to the Divine within you. This is how kiddush Hashem spreads. It begins with personal avodah: refining yourself, living with an awareness of Hashem, and bringing that consciousness into your words and actions. That inner holiness radiates outward, awakening others to their own spiritual essence. We don’t preach. We live. When we live with integrity, kedushah, and depth, others are drawn not to us and not to our physicality, but to the spark of ruchniyus we carry. That is kiddush Hashem from the inside out. Reprinted from Living Kiddush Hashem - From The Inside Out by Rabbi Shraga Freedman, with permission from the copyright holder, ArtScroll Mesorah Publications.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

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Splashing Summer Fun at Machaneh Hakayitz

50 Years of ArtScroll Part 22: The Talmud Takes Shape

n 1989, the decision was made: With the creation of the Mesorah Heritage Foundation making fundraising possible—though by no means easy— we would attempt to fulfill Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky’s recommendation to undertake Talmud Bavli. A great talmid chacham and experienced maggid shiur, R’ Hersh Goldwurm was uniquely qualified to lead the team and identify the many questions that required daas Torah guidance. With the enthusiastic encouragement and proactive involvement of the gedolim, each question was carefully addressed, and the project began to take shape. First, we needed to answer three questions: how should the Gemara be “taught,” how should the page be designed, and who should write it. The elucidation would have to be written from scratch—but how? The Talmud is so rich that it can be presented in many different ways, each of them potentially correct, so how will the pshat be taught? The psak was clear—the Gemara should be presented according to Rashi, and his

brief yet clear commentary should be explained in depth, revealing the richness concealed within Rashi’s seeming simplicity. How should the page be designed? Should each volume be divided into two sections, with the Vilna Shas tzuras hadaf appearing first and the ArtScroll elucidation presented separately afterward? It was decided that the elucidation should instead appear on facing pages of its tzuras hadaf. Our goal was never to replace the study of Gemara from the tzuras hadaf, but to encourage readers to focus on the original tzuras hadaf and use the elucidation as an aid in developing the skills to learn independently. This layout meant that whenever a single amud required three, four, or even five pages of elucidation, the page containing the tzuras hadaf would be repeated every time. Regarding the page design, we were told that the translation should include brief introductory phrases and explanatory words woven throughout the translation itself, to help the learner follow the flow of the Gemara and understand its

reasoning. Notes at the bottom of the page would explain the Gemara in depth and present sources for greater research. A striking testament to the quality of the notes came when the Schottenstein Talmud was being prepared in Hebrew. R’ Elyashiv zt”l, who mastered Torah in its entirety, would review our notes while preparing a Gemara shiur he would deliver for baalei batim. In fact, we once received a call from his grandson asking whether the manuscript for Tractate Bechoros was available. The volume had not yet been published, but R’ Elyashiv wanted to review it before delivering his shiur. Needless to say, a large manila envelope filled with pages was soon on its way to his home. Who should write and edit the work? We would need to assemble a large team of outstanding talmidei chachamim who were fluent in the language of the Talmud and its commentaries, thoroughly familiar with the learning style of mainstream yeshivos, and capable of writing clear, precise English. Each writer would also need to be a gifted teacher, able to present com-

Rav Elyashiv

plex ideas clearly to scholars and laymen alike, and have to be willing to simplify his writing when necessary, always placing the reader’s understanding above the temptation to impress his colleagues. Not an easy combination. With much siyata diShmaya, a stellar staff was ultimately assembled—an extraordinary achievement that can only be described as a miracle. The foundation was now in place for a project that would transform the study of Gemara for generations to come. UP NEXT: The Schottenstein Family, an Empire of Torah Support

Voice N

tes

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

An Open Letter to the Village of Cedarhurst By A Local Resident Dear Mayor and Members of the Board of Trustees, Cedarhurst is a thriving shopping and community center. Its stores, restaurants, schools, and houses of worship draw people throughout the day, and the Village has every right to regulate parking so spaces turn over fairly. But the system should also make it reasonably easy for people to comply. In several municipal parking fields, it does not. On Rosh Chodesh, I came out of Beit Midrash Hachaim VeHashalom two minutes after my meter expired and found a $35 ticket on my windshield, timestamped 10:39 a.m. in Parking Field #9. The point is not that an expired meter should never be enforced. The point is that a coin-only system—with no card option, no app, and no way to add time remotely—turns an ordinary two-minute delay into a predictable summons. When I went to pay the ticket, a Village employee told me that upgrading the municipal lots would be too expensive and suggested that the shul had quarters available. I understand that an employee’s comment at a payment window is not an official Village policy statement. Still, it reveals the practical problem. The building has a change machine, but it is often out of change. A private change machine is not a dependable substitute for a modern municipal payment system.

Cedarhurst Has Already Embraced the Better Standard In 2016, Cedarhurst announced that it was the first New York community to receive its new meters, declaring, “They put Cedarhurst at the forefront of modernizing parking management for downtown shopping districts.” That announcement also promised card and smartphone payment, remote extensions, and an end to searching for quarters—the standard a fair, modern parking system should meet. That is why the remaining coin-only municipal fields are so difficult to under-

everyone: the shopper whose errand takes longer than planned, the diner waiting for a check, the parent delayed at pickup, and the employee who cannot leave work to feed a meter. Modernization would not create more parking spaces, but it would make the spaces Cedarhurst already has easier and fairer to use.

A Practical, Fair Request

stand. Cedarhurst already uses modern payment technology on its streets, while nearby municipalities use central pay stations or apps. The upgrade remains

should they have to guess, before entering, whether a service will last five or ten minutes longer than expected. The problem is not limited to the shul.

A coin-only system—with no card option, no app, and no way to add time remotely—turns an ordinary twominute delay into a predictable summons.

• Finish the upgrade. Publicly identify the municipal fields that still rely on coin-only meters and announce a realistic timeline for card, app, or central pay-station service. • Adopt a reasonable, uniform grace period. Apply it before issuing an expired-meter summons. A brief delay should not automatically become a $35 penalty. • Provide an interim accommodation. If upgrades cannot happen promptly, pilot temporary permits or validations in Field #9 and comparable community lots. No one is asking Cedarhurst to eliminate paid parking or abandon reasonable enforcement. We are asking for a system residents can comply with using ordinary payment methods, together with a modest measure of grace when real life runs a few minutes late. Cedarhurst has already done the harder conceptual work: it recognized years ago that parking should be convenient, cashless, and remotely manageable. Now it should extend that same standard to every municipal field. Please finish the job.

ADD YOUR VOICE unfinished in the places many residents and shoppers actually park.

It Is Not Only a Shul Problem Beit Midrash Hachaim VeHashalom holds minyanim throughout the day, often every 15 to 30 minutes. People should not have to interrupt davening to run outside and feed quarters into a meter. Nor

The municipal lot serving Gourmet Glatt also functions as overflow parking for many Central Avenue shoppers. Leaving it dependent on coins inconveniences not just one supermarket but the surrounding business district—the very downtown shoppers Cedarhurst said its modern system was designed to serve. But the same outdated system affects

Scan the QR code or visit c.org/ GH4MbRbKRR to view Shimi Epstein’s petition.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

1. *

TJH

Centerfold

Signs Your Kid Just Came Home From Camp

You Gotta Be Kidding Me!

Your washing machine has requested a transfer to another family.

Yankel goes to a fancy Catskills resort for his summer vacation.

There are six towels in the duffel bag. You sent twelve. None of the six are yours. He suddenly refers to showering as something that happens “on Erev Shabbos.” Every sentence begins with, “In camp, we…” While you are bringing out dinner, he stomps his hands and feet and sings, “We will, we will rock you…” He calls everyone by their last name…including you. You find a wet bathing suit wrapped inside a towel wrapped inside a garbage bag that apparently hasn’t been opened since July 19. He walks into the dining room and asks, “Where am I sitting?”

He went to camp with 14 pairs of socks and came home with three socks (not even one and a half pairs… three different colors). He calls the backyard “the field.” He sees you making dinner and asks, “Is there canteen after?” Every tune he knew before camp now has completely different words about Color War. He’s been home for four hours and has already said, “I miss camp” 37 times. You missed him terribly for eight weeks. Two hours after he comes home, you are checking next year’s camp schedule...Just kidding!!! We love you guys!!! Welcome back!!! We had a blast while you were gone…I mean things were soooo boring when you were away!

The first morning, he comes down to the front desk furious. “I couldn’t sleep the entire night! The room next door was making noise until three in the morning!” he says. The manager says, “I’m terribly sorry, sir. Tonight we’ll move you to our quietest room, overlooking the lake.” The next morning, he’s back. “Terrible! The frogs kept me up all night!” So the manager moves him again. The next morning, he’s back. “Now the air conditioner is too loud!” The manager finally says, “Sir, maybe this just isn’t the right hotel for you.” Yankel says, “What are you talking about? I love this place! I’ve been coming here for 27 years!” The manager says, “Then why do you complain about everything?” Yankel looks at him and says, “What do you want me to do on vacation— work?!”

1. The heaviest watermelon ever officially recorded was grown in Tennessee in 2013. How much did it weigh? a. 184 pounds b. 247.6 pounds c. 301.5 pounds d. 350.5 pounds 2. In 2014, an ice cream company created a single gigantic scoop of strawberry ice cream, earning a Guiness World Record. Approximately how much did the scoop weigh? a. 750 pounds b. 1,400 pounds c. 3,010 pounds d. 5,500 pounds 3. The longest hot dog ever made, earning a Guinness World Record in 2011, stretched how far? a. 125 feet b. 310 feet c. 669 feet d. 1,200 feet 4. The highest air temperature

Riddle Me This

officially recorded on Earth, 134°F, was recorded in Death Valley, California, in what year? a. 1913 b. 2024 c. 2025 d. 2026 5. How many pounds of watermelon did American farmers produce in 2024? a. 370 million b. 1.2 billion c. 2.1 billion d. 3.7 billion 6. According to a recent RV Industry report, how much money can a family of four save by vacationing in an RV? a. 30% b. 60% c. 75% d. 80% 7. The largest pool in the United States was recently built in Mirada Lagoon, Florida.

Two boys are at the park on a hot summer day. Each has an identical water bottle filled with exactly the same amount of water. They start playing a game, throwing their bottles high

How large is it? a. 1 acre b. 4 acres c. 7 acres d. 15 acres Answers: 1-D 2-C 3-C 4-A 5-D 6-B 7-D Wisdom Key: 6-7 correct: You are all about the summer…hibernate all year, come out for ice cream in the summer type of person. 3-5 correct: Not bad, you ain’t exactly lifting a 3,010 pound watermelon, but not bad. 0-2 correct: You are one of those Debbie Downer hates-the-summer people. “Only thing different about the summer is I sweat…” Yeah, yeah, we get it, you work really hard and never play! #GAL (hmm..not a bad hashtag)

into the air and catching them. Neither boy drops his bottle, neither bottle breaks or leaks, and neither boy drinks any water. After ten minutes, one bottle has much less water in it than the other. How is that possible?

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

Summer by the Numbers Trivia

Answer to riddle: One of the bottles didn’t have a cap on. Every time it was thrown into the air, some of the water spilled out.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Torah Thought

Parshas Shoftim By Rabbi Berel Wein z”l

he pursuit of justice is never-ending, and true justice in its ultimate sense is rarely, if ever, achieved. Is there any punishment that truly deals with murder or terrible physical abuse? Ultimate justice exists in a realm that we are not privy to nor do we understand in any fashion. Yet in this week’s parsha, the Torah demands that we continue in our pursuit of justice even though we may be aware that the ultimate goal is beyond our powers and abilities. The Talmud interprets this pursuit as being defined, in a practical manner, to finding the best possible court in which to appeal. There is no perfect court, for it is made up of fallible individuals, so the Talmud only advises us to find the best possible courts that exist at that time and place. It lists the recommended courts and leading justices of its day, but every generation has to continue its own search for the best courts and justice systems available. The pursuit of justice is an unending

one but one that is the most vital component of a positive and harmonious society. A society that does not respect or trust its judicial system and its judges to be fair and efficient eventually disinte-

taken to heart equally by the judges of the generation and their public society. Because of the difficulty that always arises in attempting to achieve any modicum of true justice in civil disputes –

The pursuit of justice is an unending one but one that is the most vital component of a positive and harmonious society.

grates into lawlessness, resulting dictatorship and oppression. The rabbis of Midrash and Talmud commented regarding the opening verse in the book of Ruth which speaks about the era of the Judges of Israel after the death of Yehoshua, “Woe to a generation that continually judges its judges negatively!” That is a warning that should be

and with Jewish society, for good or for better, a litigious society – the Talmud advocated mediation and arbitration as being the better way to solve disputed monetary issues. All lawyers in the United States are well aware of Lincoln’s statement that “a poor settlement of a case is still better than a good lawsuit.” Unfortunately, that

does not appear to be a widely accepted tenet of behavior in the current increasingly aggressive methodology in the practice of law. Compromise forces us to acknowledge our imperfections and our inability to arrive at true and ultimate justice on our own. The Talmudic rabbis taught that even a good, fair court of pious scholars needs Divine assistance to reach just decisions. Human effort alone cannot achieve ultimate justice. Since Divine aid is never guaranteed to any human endeavor, the rabbis strongly urged the idea of compromise and settlement for all issues in human dispute. The rabbis in Avot characterized the idea that “what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours” as possibly being a trait of the wicked people of Sodom. It allows no room to compromise and to move on in life. And, perhaps, that is the most practical type of justice – the idea of compromise and the realization that most instances in life less is more – that any human society can accomplish. Shabbat shalom.

From the Fire

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

Parshas Shoftim

The Time is Now By Rav Moshe Weinberger Adapted for publication by Binyomin Wolf

ne of the most difficult halachos to learn and understand in the parsha is the halacha of the Egla Arufah, the procedure when one finds the body of a murdered Jew between two cities. The pasuk (Devarim 31:4) says, “And the elders of that city bring the calf down into Nachal Eisan, which has not been worked or seeded, and break its neck in the valley.” According to the Gemara (Krisus 25a), this calf becomes sanctified such that no one may derive any personal benefit from it as soon as it is brought into the desolate valley called Nachal Eisan. In the words of the Gemara, “Its descent into Nachal Eisan causes it to become forbidden.” Indeed, the Rambam (Hilchos Rotzeach 10:6) rules according to that Gemara. This halacha is ostensibly related to one of the major disputes found throughout the Talmud – whether designating something for a certain purpose gives it the status it would have if the purpose for which it had been designated had already been carried out. For example, the Gemara (Sanhedrin 47b) recounts a dispute between Abaye and Rava: if one weaves a garment (a burial shroud) for a body, Abaye, based on the halacha that the calf becomes forbidden once it is brought into the valley, says that one may not derive any benefit from the garment because its designation as a burial shroud gives it the same status it would have if it had already been actually used as a burial shroud. Rava, however, says that it is permitted because its designation for a purpose does not give it the status it would have as if the purpose for which it was designated had already been carried out. The Gemara later (Id. at 48a) offers a beraisa (proof text from the time period of the codification of the Mishna) for Abaye’s position that designation does indeed give an object the same status it will have

once its designated purpose is carried out: “If one digs a grave for his father and then goes and buries him in a different grave, [the first grave] may never be used by anyone.” The Gemara, however, dismisses this proof by responding, “There [the grave is forbidden forever] because of the honor of his father” and not because designation by itself creates a special status. Many commentaries on the Gemara ask about an obvious difficulty with this answer. A son’s obligation to honor his father can explain why the son cannot use the first grave for anyone else. But it does not explain why the grave is forbidden for everyone else as well! Abaye originally derived the rule that designation for a purpose gives an object its final status from the halacha of the Egla Arufah, the procedure involving the breaking of the neck of the calf, from which it is forbidden to derive any benefit once the calf is brought down to Nachal Eisan. Rav Shimon Schwab, however, explains that Rava, who permits the first grave dug by the son, holds that the halacha of the calf’s descent into Nachal Eisan does not demonstrate that designation alone gives an object any special status. According to Rav Schwab, one may not derive any benefit from the calf as soon as it is brought into Nachal Eisan because the process of its mitzvah had already begun, and not because the calf had been merely designated for the mitzvah. Bringing the calf into the Nachal Eisan was not merely a designation for a mitzvah. Rather, it was the beginning of the mitzvah itself. That is why it was forbidden. According to Rava, therefore, the halacha of the calf does not support the position that designation alone (without beginning the actual process of a mitzvah) confers any special status on an object. Similarly, Rav Schwab explains that

because a son has a mitzvah to bury his father, the process of digging the grave is not merely a designation of a grave for a mitzvah to be performed later. Rather, once he began digging, the mitzvah of burial had already begun, such that the grave had the status of a grave like any other, and one may not derive personal benefit from it. Rav Schwab’s explanation of the dispute between Abaye and Rava has tremendous implications for our outlook on life and this world. According to the Mishna in Pirkei Avos (4:21), “Rabi Yaakov says, ‘This world is compared to an antechamber before entering the World to Come. Prepare yourself in the antechamber in order that you may enter into the banquet hall.’” With the principle established by Rav Schwab, we can now understand that when the Mishna says to “prepare” oneself in the antechamber, it does not simply mean that one should prepare himself now for something that will happen later. Rather, it means that we should begin living a next-worldly life right now, in this world. We now understand why the Gemara in many places says that if one does certain good things, he is considered a Ben Olam Haba, a person of the World to Come; not that he will inherit the World to Come in the future but that he is already a person of the World to Come in this world. For example, in various places, Chazal say that one who delights in Shabbos, who conquers his evil inclination, who does good for others, or who distances himself from falsehood is called a Ben Olam Haba, a person of the World to Come. The World to Come is the world of truth. Therefore, when a person begins preparing himself for the next world by

living according to the truth in this world, he is already counted among the members of the chamber above, a person of the World to Come. The pasuk in Tehillim 116:9 says, “I will walk before Hashem in the land of the living.” What does artzos ha’chaim, “the land of the living,” refer to? While it may sound as if this refers to the World to Come, which is the “land” of eternal life, according to the Gemara (Yuma 71a), it refers to the marketplaces of this world! When a person conquers his evil inclination, increases his emunah, and speaks and lives the truth, then he is a Ben Olam Haba, one who lives in the World to Come, while conducting business in the marketplace of Olam Hazeh. As we stand now in the month of Elul, we now understand that Elul is not merely a time to prepare for the upcoming yomim noraim, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Now is the time to live in the artzos ha’chaim, the land of living, as if it is already Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur right now. The secret to truly living is seeing every day not as a mere precursor to something else, but as the destination where Hashem wants us to live in the world of truth in the here and now. In the merit of our living according to the truth of the World to Come right now, may Hashem bring the day when the world of truth will be revealed for all to see in this world with the coming of Moshiach, may it be soon in our days.

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

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Think. Feel.Grow.

Taking Advantage of Our Ordeals By Rabbi Shmuel Reichman

ften, when we are in pain — whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual — we beg Hashem every day, with all our heart, to make the pain go away. We imagine how wonderful life will be when the challenge finally passes, and each day, we hold on to that image, cherish it, and hope for Hashem to make that day come faster. We cry, we suffer, we push, and just when we think we cannot take it anymore, just when we think we may not make it another day, when every last ounce of strength and hope has faded, the pain begins to subside. However, we must ask ourselves: Is this the best way to handle an ordeal? When we face challenges, how do we act during these moments of pain and discomfort? Most people simply want to get through it as quickly as possible; every night, they’ll go to sleep hoping for a better tomorrow. In other words, we sometimes throw away our present lives during times of challenge, just waiting for the pain to pass. Instead of taking full advantage of our tests as an opportunity to grow, achieve our greatness, and connect with Hashem, we try

to hide until it’s gone. We say, “I’ll start to do things once this challenge goes away!” But the whole reason this challenge was given to us in the first place was to push us and help us grow. This is obviously easier said than done and is not meant to diminish the genuine pain and anguish of challenges. But consider it this way: You’re already in pain, so use it! Don’t be used by the pain; use the pain. Push yourself to the max; see what you’re capable of becoming. Growth occurs only in the face of resistance and pressure. There is no growth in the comfort zone. You can only grow muscle when you rip your muscle fibers; you can only grow existentially when you rip yourself out of your comfort zone. Growth in your life, learning, middos (character traits), career, and relationships only happens when you push yourself to the limit. While the ideal is for us to push ourselves, like Avraham exemplified through “afar va’efer,” quite often this does not happen. In such cases, Hashem may try to help by challenging us to grow. If we try to “sit out” the challenge, we are missing the point. We need to

embrace the challenge, to ask ourselves, “How can I use this challenge to help me grow?”

Suffering vs. Pain This perspective can fundamentally transform the way we experience hardship. Suffering is meaningless pain and therefore unbearable. But when we give meaning to our pain, it becomes bearable. When going through an extremely painful birth, a mother might be in immense pain, but she is not suffering. In fact, most mothers will tell you that childbirth was the most meaningful pain they have ever experienced. Imagine a man who must travel thousands of miles through a jungle, a journey full of danger, pain, and ordeals, in order to be reunited with his beloved wife. He gladly accepts every challenge that comes his way, excitedly overcoming them one by one, knowing that with every step he takes, he comes closer to reaching his goal, reuniting with the most important person in his life. But what if, instead, this man was in the jungle with no idea why he was there and no idea where he was going.

He will likely feel more and more depressed with every challenge that he faces. Eventually, he’d rather just sit down and give up than keep on fighting. The same is true for every challenge we face; if you are living with a higher purpose and you know where you are going in life, challenges make the journey meaningful; they push you to achieve your goals. But if you have no idea why you’re here, then challenges will break you down and make you want to give up. You choose how to view your nisayon.

Personal Megillah At this very moment, you are “who you are” because of all the challenges you have faced. Every decision and experience you have ever had has led you to this very moment. Some turns were bigger than others, but they have all led to your unique path in life. One day, you will realize that the challenges you faced were in fact the best things that ever happened to you. You will realize that everything you’ve managed to become is not despite your challenges but because of them. The greatest people among us

someone dear, or a personal struggle, our challenge-streaked past becomes a masterpiece ready for us to read.

A Life Worth Living We must learn to embrace our challenges — to see them as an opportunity to achieve our unique greatness in this world. And as we push past our phys-

in this world. In doing so, we not only achieve our own greatness, but we inspire others to strive for more as well. Never stop dreaming, never stop pushing past your boundaries and limitations. Be happy with what you have become, but always remain hungry for more. Like the Avos, you will constantly be challenged, but remember: challeng-

the CEO of SMA, and a TED Talk Speaker. His online content reaches millions of people every month, and he lectures internationally on topics of Torah thought, psychology, leadership, and business – uniquely blending many areas of Torah and wisdom together. His bestselling book, The Journey to Your Ultimate Self, serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Torah thought. After receiving his BA from Yeshiva University and Semicha from Yeshiva University’s RIETS, Rabbi Reichman received a Masters

Instead of taking full advantage of our tests as an opportunity to grow, achieve our greatness, and connect with Hashem, we try to hide until it’s gone.

ical, emotional, and mental shackles, well aware of the impossible leap we are asked to take, we must look up to Hashem and put our complete trust in Him. As we close our eyes and take that leap of faith, we find ourselves on the other side, now a banner of greatness and a partner in revealing Hashem’s presence

es are opportunities in disguise. Don’t waste your time, don’t waste your life, but most importantly, don’t add any wealth to the graveyard.

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is an international speaker, bestselling author, business coach,

degree in Philosophy and Religion from the University of Chicago. As part of his Masters Degree at the University of Chicago, Rabbi Reichman received an Ivy Plus Scholarship to Harvard where he spent a year studying Religious Philosophy and Literature as an Ivy Scholar. Additionally, he received a Masters degree in Educational Psychology from Azrieli Graduate School and a Masters degree in Jewish Thought from Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School. As a business and leadership coach, Rabbi Reichman provides a unique 1-on-1 coaching program where he helps high-achievers, coaches, and business owners achieve their financial and personal goals. To learn more or to get in contact with Rabbi Reichman, visit his website: ShmuelReichman.com

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

are great because of their challenges, not despite them. While it is difficult to see the positive aspects of a nisayon while it is still underway, it is easier to look back in retrospect and see how past challenges shaped you into the person you are today. This is why the baalei machshavah suggest writing your own personal megillah. In Megillas Esther, there is no open miracle; only by putting all the pieces together do we see the yad Hashem and how everything fit together so perfectly. “Megillah” shares the same root as the words le’galgel (to roll) and me’galeh (to reveal). When we roll through the scroll of the Megillah, we reveal the presence and hashgachah of Hashem. The same is true of our own personal story. Each individual piece seems insignificant and happenstance, each challenge bearing little consequence. However, if we put all the pieces together, connecting the dots, we begin to see the beauty manifest in our own personal megillah. We begin to see the turning points in our lives; we retroactively see the life-changing impact our challenges had on our lives. Whether it was a physical illness, a difficult relationship, losing

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Delving into the Daf

Skipping Steps or Grabbing Dessert? By Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow

he Gemara (Chullin 105a) records a fascinating statement by Mar Ukva: “I am like vinegar from wine compared to my father. For if my father ate meat one day, he would not eat dairy for another 24 hours! Whereas I merely wait from one meal until the next (roughly six hours).” We find a similar sentiment regarding kibbud av. The pasuk says, “And Rivkah took the clean garments of Eisav, her older son, which were with her in the house, and clothed Yaakov, her younger son” (Bereishis 27:15). The Midrash Rabbah explains that these were no ordinary clothes; they originally belonged to Nimrod, and Eisav had taken them after killing him. Eisav kept these royal garments at home specifically to wear whenever he served his father, Yitzchak. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel later remarked, “All my days, I did not

serve my father with even one-hundredth of the honor with which Eisav served his father! When I served my father, I wore ordinary, dirty clothes...whereas Eisav put on royal garments.” This raises an obvious question: If Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and Mar Ukva realized that something was lacking in their fulfillment of kibbud av and basar b’chalav, why didn’t they just adopt the proper changes? What was stopping them?

A Seven-Course Spiritual Meal The following explanation is quoted in the name of the father of the Mussar movement, Rav Yisrael Salanter, zt”l: When a wealthy man sits down to a lavish meal, he doesn’t immediately grab dessert (although, personally, I think dessert should always be served first!). He begins with an appetizer of chicken dumplings in ginger broth. Next, he enjoys a warm bowl

of poached garlic soup. The third course is a crisp bruschetta salad, followed by a refreshing lime-and-basil sorbet. Then comes the main dish: tender lamb with port sauce and a side of sage scalloped potatoes. Only after all of that does he finally eat his dessert of coffee-and-amaretto tortoni with chocolate ganache. (I’m getting hungry just writing this; I sincerely hope my wife is reading!) Even if the dessert were displayed as a beautiful centerpiece from the very beginning, the meal would still follow a proper order. The same applies to avodas Hashem. The way to build one’s spiritual character is step by step. If a builder tries to construct the fourth floor without properly supporting the third, the entire building will collapse! Likewise, spiritual floors must be built in order to properly support each ensuing echelon. Mar Ukva

and Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel felt that they hadn’t yet climbed to the spiritual level necessary for those added stringencies. They understood that the healthiest approach to avodas Hashem is a continuous, steady upward climb, without skipping steps.

The Pauper’s Mentality Rav Yisrael Salanter added a fascinating caveat: That approach was only true in earlier generations. Back then, there were true tzaddikim who were rich in spirituality. They could systematically achieve love and fear of Hashem, alacrity, watchfulness, and every other noble trait. “But nowadays (in the 1800s!), when we are spiritually poor, we have to grab at every available mitzvah! The delicious meal parable applies to spiritually wealthy people who have a guarantee of reaching

Is a Chumrah Always the Answer? Someone in my yeshiva once suggested that this statement from Rav Yisrael Salanter provides a perfect rationale for grabbing every chumrah (stringency) available. However, my Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l, politely differed. Rav Henoch explained that taking on an added stringency without the requisite internal feelings constitutes a form of falsehood. If a person’s outward actions are incongruous with his inner character,

he begins engraining falsehood into his very psyche. Moreover, taking on unearned chumros often leads to haughtiness. A person starts viewing himself as superior to his peers simply because he acts more stringently on the outside. This arrogance creates a dangerous blind spot: he falsely assumes he has achieved perfection, while ignoring his glaring spiritual deficiencies. So how did Rav Yisrael Salanter view it? Rav Yisrael and his talmidim viewed themselves as being spiritually destitute. They were acutely aware of how far their level of shemiras ha’mitzvos was from the early Tanaim and Amoraim. When they took on a chumrah, it didn’t come from pride; it came from a place of gasping for spiritual air. Their desperate attitude meant that taking on a stringency was not an act of falsehood. They were truly like a starving pauper grabbing a stray dessert because it was all they had.

Back to the Basics The Rosh Yeshiva noted that nowadays, that deep feeling of spiritual poverty is largely lost. We don’t view ourselves as destitute. We might acknowledge a few “minor tweaks” we need to make, but otherwise, we think we’re doing pretty well!

In our times, an outward display of piety that doesn’t correlate to true inner feelings will only foster conceit. Because we lack Rav Yisrael’s intense sense of spiritual destitution, our baseline conduct should revert to the original formula: We shouldn’t adopt stringencies beyond our true spiritual level. Instead, we should focus on a steady, honest climb. If someone is looking for genuine spiritual growth, he should work on the basics first. I was once at a gathering on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to hear words of inspiration and pray for our brothers in Eretz Yisrael. Rav Dovid Feinstein, zt”l, gave a rare public drashah. His practical advice for a personal resolution? Say Tachanun with a bit more feeling and try to understand the words. On another occasion, he urged his listeners to simply resolve to offer everyone a warm smile. These are the basics, and every single one of us can improve on them. Rav Yisrael Salanter wrote that the absolute foundation of spiritual growth is learning mussar every single day. The Chofetz Chaim (Mishnah Berurah 603:2) quotes both the AriZal and the Vilna Gaon that there is an absolute obligation to learn

mussar daily. Perhaps anyone looking for a meaningful commitment can resolve to set aside daily time for mussar.

A Word of Caution

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

dessert. But we are like a pauper who grabs at any morsel of food offered to him. If a pauper is handed a coffee-and-amaretto tortoni, he will devour it, even if he hasn’t eaten a proper meal, because he doesn’t know when his next dish is coming!” Who knows how many “spiritual courses” we will be served in our lives? Therefore, we should snatch any mitzvah that comes our way! In previous generations, they had the luxury of a slow, continuous climb because they were confident they would reach the top. In our spiritually starved generation, we must jump at any possible opportunity.

The goal here is simply to suggest that when we look to grow, we should look to the basics first. In no way is this meant to criticize anyone else’s practices or customs. Rav Mattisyahu Solomon, zt”l, cited Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaar HaTeshuva 3:176) on the pasuk, “One who scorns a matter will cause himself injury.” Rav Solomon explained that ridiculing someone else’s meticulousness or chumros, even if one isn’t disparaging the person directly but merely mocking the stringency itself, can tragically lead a person toward heresy and distance them from the Shechinah. Everyone’s personal journey deserves respect. May Hashem help us all achieve true, honest success on our journey of spiritual growth!

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.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Torah Thought

What Iran’s Sixty-Day Window Can Teach Us About Elul By Rabbi Heshy Kleinman

mong international headlines, the confrontation between the United States and Iran has immediate relevance. It could affect regional security, the global economy, and, most directly, our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael. Because developments could alter the situation overnight, we naturally follow them. Yet for a Torah Jew, there is an even more important reason to follow these events—especially in Elul. Rav Chaim Kanievsky explains the pasuk, “Hashamayim mesaprim kevod Kel, u’maaseh Yadav magid harakia”—“The heavens declare the glory of Hashem, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork” (Tehillim 19:2; Derech Sichah, Volume 2, page 295). World events are constantly “speaking,” calling upon us to recognize Hashem’s presence and awaken spiritually. We cannot claim to know Hashem’s precise message in any event. But when an event captures the world’s attention, a Torah Jew must ask: What can this teach me about my life and my avodas Hashem? On June 17, 2026, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) gave the United States and Iran sixty days to negotiate a final agreement, with an extension possible by mutual consent. That window was scheduled to end on August 16, the third of Elul. The sixty days were intended to turn a preliminary framework into an arrangement that could be implemented. Whatever course the negotiations take, that deadline carries a timely lesson. We, too, have been given a defined period in which to make decisions and change: the forty days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur. These forty days are an eis ratzon—an extraordinary time of Divine favor. After the sin of the Eigel, Moshe Rabbeinu again ascended Har Sinai on

Rosh Chodesh Elul to receive the second Luchos. On Yom Kippur, forty days later, Hashem forgave Klal Yisrael, and Moshe descended with the second Luchos (Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 46; Tur, Orach Chaim 581). The Tur says that the shofar blown during Elul warns Klal Yisrael to do teshuvah. Its sound evokes the Rambam’s timeless call: “Awaken, sleepers, from your sleep. Examine your deeds, repent, and remember your Creator” (Tur, Orach Chaim 581; Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 3:4). But awakening can fade unless we decide what needs to change and how we will begin. That requires preparation. Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler wrote to his son on Rosh Chodesh Elul 5695 (1935): “Please remember what lies before you. The Day of Judgment requires great preparation.” He also urged him to daven that Hashem help him do teshuvah (Michtav MeEliyahu, Volume 4, page 313). One practical goal of Elul’s preparation is to turn that awakening into actual teshuvah. The Rambam teaches that an essential part of teshuvah is kabbalah al ha’asid—a sincere resolve

for the future (Hilchos Teshuvah 2:2). Elul gives us time to identify what needs to change and accept a realistic, clearly defined commitment. A kabbalah is not a general hope to become better. It is a concrete commitment: B’ezras Hashem, I will change this part of my life. Rav Yisrael Salanter writes of the extraordinary value of firmly accepting change in even one small area (Or Yisrael, Letter 7). Rav Dessler explains that this is the true path toward spiritual growth (Michtav M’Eliyahu, Volume 5, page 196). On the eve of the Gulf War in 1991, Dayan Aharon D. Dunner asked Rav Shach, “What should we tell the people of America, England, and Europe to do? They want to do teshuvah—they want to do something!” “Tell them to make small and meaningful pledges that they will keep for the next three months,” Rav Shach replied. He himself accepted that, during those three months, he would recite Birchas Hamazon from a siddur whenever he ate at home. Rav Shach’s response reveals an important truth: A commitment does not

need to be sweeping to possess great spiritual value. Even small, concrete changes can turn the desire to improve into actual steps of teshuvah. Rav Chaim Volozhin (Ruach Chaim, Pirkei Avos, Chapter 3, Mishnah 1) illustrates this with a parable. A master who sends his servant to retrieve something from the attic does not expect him to leap from the floor to the top of the ladder. He expects him to climb one rung at a time. A small kabbalah is not the entire climb. It is the first rung, and that is how genuine ascent begins. This gives added meaning to Hashem’s words: “Open for Me an opening like the eye of a needle, and I will open for you entrances through which wagons can pass” (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:2). Hashem asks us to make a small but genuine opening—and promises siyata d’Shmaya. Elul gives us time to prepare and to accept small but sincere kabbalos. By doing so, we can enter the Yamim Nora’im carrying more than good intentions; we will carry living proof that we truly want to change. Each kabbalah creates an opening like the eye of a needle—and Hashem opens the gates. May He inscribe us for a year of life, blessing, health, and peace.

Rabbi Heshy Kleinman is the author of the Praying With Fire series and several other books published by ArtScroll/Mesorah, including Yearning with Fire, Praying with Meaning, The Power of Teshuvah, and Living with Hashgacha Pratis. He speaks on these and other related topics, and is co-founder and director of the V’Ani Tefillah Foundation, which provides education, inspiration, and practical tools for more sincere and effective prayer, including school tefillah programs, Tefillah Power, and the Kavannah Kuntres.

From Words to Power By Gedaliah Borvick

tanding near Bar-Ilan University before my daughter’s college graduation, I happened to look up at the street signs. The streets at the intersection were named for Bialik and Begin. At first, I couldn’t figure out why those two names belonged together. One honors Hayim Nahman Bialik, the poet born in 1873 who helped shape modern Hebrew literature and awaken Jewish national identity. The other honors Menachem Begin, born four decades later, the underground fighter and later prime minister who helped secure Jewish sovereignty. A poet and a statesman. One wielded words, the other political and military power. At first glance, they seemed to have little in common. The more I thought about it, however, the more those two street signs told a single story. Bialik lived at a time when the Jewish people had no state, no army, and little control over their own destiny. His response was cultural. He wrote in Hebrew when Hebrew was still struggling to become the language of everyday Jewish

life. Through his poetry, he helped inspire a national revival. More importantly, he gave Jews a way to see themselves, despite being scattered across the globe, as one people with a shared past and a shared future. After the 1903 Kishinev pogrom, Bialik wrote In the City of Slaughter, a sear-

er, the situation had changed dramatically. Begin belonged to a generation that no longer believed words alone would be enough. The Jewish people, in his view, also needed to defend themselves and determine their own destiny. As commander of the Irgun, he led the struggle against British rule in Mandatory Palestine, in-

Both confronted the same question: How could the Jewish people regain control of their own future?

ing poem that challenged Jews to reclaim their dignity. He could not change the political reality, but he challenged Jews to stop seeing themselves as passive victims and instead as a people capable of shaping their own future. By the time Begin emerged decades lat-

sisting that the Jewish people must take responsibility for their own future. Later, after the establishment of the State of Israel, Begin led the Herut party and spent nearly three decades as leader of the opposition before becoming prime minister in 1977. Begin’s generation

helped achieve the national aspirations that Bialik’s generation had dreamed of. They never worked together, and they lived in different eras. Yet both confronted the same question: How could the Jewish people regain control of their own future? Before there could be a Jewish state, there first had to be a Jewish people that believed it deserved one. Bialik helped nurture that belief. Years later, Begin helped transform it into reality. Standing at that intersection before my daughter’s graduation, I realized I wasn’t looking at two unrelated street signs. I was looking at two important chapters of the same story. A nation needs the people who give voice to its aspirations, and it needs the people who turn those aspirations into reality.

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.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

My Israel Home

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

School of

Thought

Grandma’s Great Adventure By Barbara Deutsch

“S

licha” is the Hebrew word for sorry and “excuse me.” In all the time that I have spent visiting and now, living in Israel, I have rarely heard it used by homegrown Israelis. Since making aliyah, I have worn the word out. I’m not, by any means, a linguist or an authority on languages, but in trying to match up the Hebrew word slicha with its English translation excuse me, I find that they don’t align perfectly. Slicha seems to carry an apologetic undertone, whereas “excuse me” can be used in multiple ways: for clarification, politely requesting for someone to let you pass, or, more strongly, “how dare you say that to me?”. The latter is usually expressed with a tonal change. Within the context of living in Israel, the definition will become clearer as you read. I never really understood the full impact bein hazmanim (between semesters) implied until I experienced the crowded venues during the chamsin that baked Israel during the week that the Elly Deutsch family came to visit. Picture hordes of people in all shapes, sizes, and hashkofot, every yeshiva student, bochur, any laborer who could get away for a break and more, crowded into limited, indoor, multiple, public venues that are age- or hashkafa-appropriate, during scorching heat.

Jerusalem’s weather is sunny with dry heat. The sky is always clear and cloudless. The air, though heavy, is still clean and refreshing when the wind breezes by. Nights are cool and glorious. Smart seniors stay indoors or far away from the midday sun. During this time between summer and Elul, there is not much doing by way of workshops and classes as most Israelis are on chofesh. With only five days to grab it all in, you do what you have to and can do to experience our glorious land. The original plan had been for the Elly and Gab family to celebrate Pesach in Jerusalem with our son and daughter-in-law. War put a hard, sad stop to most Pesach plans. Ongoing siren alerts and running for shelter is in the “not good for anyone but especially for developing minds” category. When opportunity presented itself, even for a short week, the Deutsch family took it and came to Jerusalem. The family is already back in their own beds; while they visited it was glorious despite the crazy heat and the blip of a scratched cornea for Elly. Let’s begin with the scratched cornea. Elly has allergies of all kinds; his eyes bear the brunt of his allergic reactions. He did what most of us with itchy, red eyes do. All night long, the pain kept him tossing and turning and awake. Elly

needed the care of an eye doctor In Israel, there are multiples of retired eye doctors; thank you for your helpful advice, Dr. Eddie. Sadly, there was no room on the lift for the tools and machines that go along with an active practice. Plus, they don’t have access to the all-important drops. Additionally, during bein hazmanim, most doctors are on chofesh. Tourists are presented with another roadblock layer; they can’t simply walk into a random Israeli citizen’s kuppah for a doctor visit. In hospitals, emergency waiting rooms come with over two hours of painful wait time. A thank you shout-out to the many friends in Israel who tried to support us with getting much-needed help for Elly. A special thank you to Doron Spierer (+972 54-7445519, not an eye doctor) who practices medicine privately. Because I am blessed with a wonderful, always helpful, well connected, beloved friend who has a long list of pedigreed doctors’ contacts (some semi-retired who are willing and able to help), a solution was found. Within an hour of my call to my rabbi friend, Elly had seen an eye doctor, was feeling better, and sported a patch over his eye. Patched eye and all, Elly came along for the planned day trip to make yummy, expensive chocolate. It was creative

and fun. As we waited for the chocolate sculptures to harden, our group went to sweat some more in the small, very crowded (everyone’s on vacation) amusement park next door. The first ride was a roller coaster; 6-year-old Dalia went on with reservations. Threeyear-old Kayla hopped into her seat and 18-month-old Shani ate ices. My turn with the girls found me on a tame flying airplane. When the chocolate was ready, we were all longing to get back to the air conditioned apartment. The day we went to Eretz Bereshit was probably the hottest one of all. It is located in the middle of the desert. Need I say more? Hot! As we sat boiling in the welcome tent (Avraham is known for hachnasat orchim), our group of seven got an interesting and detailed introduction by Eliezer, Avraham’s servant, in the protocols of staying safe while camel riding. Immediately, the number of camel riders shrunk from seven to three; Elly and his two older girls lined up to board the camel. Gab and Tamar abstained. Me and my cranky knees were disqualified; the cut-off age is 65 and bad knees are a no-no. I don’t know if I consider this age discrimination, but I was not about to sign a waiver. The rocky trip to greet Avraham and

We never go to the Israel Aquarium during bein hazmanim in a heat wave. It was packed, and you guessed it, hot! We had bought tickets earlier, thereby freeing our group from the long purchase wait line. The Jerusalem Aquarium was built to inspire wonder, and it would have been if we were able to get close enough to the exhibits to see any-

House was beautiful. There are cautionary signs requesting that one makes sure the building’s doors close in front and behind you as you enter and leave to ensure that the flying butterflies are contained. They fly freely throughout the plant-filled enclosure. The Elly and Gab Deutsch family let nothing deter them from their planned

This past week in Jerusalem, I was privileged and gifted.

thing without being trampled; there is no such thing as crowd protocol. This same woman pushed into and past me twice. Elly said I gave her “the look.” This same woman pushed past and through me twice. I repeatedly said slicha firmly. I guess no matter how many Ulpan classes I take, I still can’t make myself understood. The adjacent Butterfly and Nature

days; they “tchachka” shopped on Ben Yehudah (for themselves and their cousins), davened at the Kotel where they also watched a movie with special glasses, included me in a fun-filled sleepover Shabbos, visited with the Shapiros, went to the park, didn’t love the Hebrew language Frozen on Ice at the Jerusalem Theater and more. The ice on stage was not frozen water

but a special polymer that mimics real ice in durability and strength. When I inquired, the usher lifted his eyebrows in shock that I could even think that ice could be transported in “chamsin” Jerusalem. The girls ate every iteration of pizza multiple times. Being a grandparent is a privilege. Both Bob and I always cherished the time we got to spend with our grandchildren; at the end of the visit, we got to give them back. To have great-grandchildren is a unique zechut; they are special gifts. This past week in Jerusalem, I was privileged and gifted. There is no excuse for not taking advantage of the time you are granted to spend with loved ones. You will never be sorry. Thank you, Hashem.

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 still trying to figure out life in Israel.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

pita baking was downhill. There were not enough camels to accommodate everyone, so some of us had to walk or ride the Electric Camel, a golf cart. As Elly and the girls patiently and without complaint waited for their turn in the intense and sunny heat – hot! – a father and son cut the line and jumped onto the last available camel. Even after I strongly commented, “Excuse me!” in my best principal’s voice. I was ignored. We all walked. In Avraham’s tent, we heard stories, ate dates and raisins, baked pita and sweated. By the time our pitot baked (us too), two busloads of kids had made their way down to Avraham’s tent. A different set of camel riders from our group would take the uphill trek back up to the entrance tent. In the interim, Dalia had gotten cold feet about getting on the camel. Watching her work through her fears made us so proud of her. Dalia, leading the way, proudly rode with her sister Kayla and Dad. The riders said the camel ride was fun. My younger self missed that opportunity. The rest of us trudged uphill back to the base.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Israel Today

Handmade By Rafi Sackville

amada Inn Hotel, Jerusalem — February 19, 1985 What did I notice when I walked into the Ramada Inn Hotel at 7:30 that evening? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I marched straight past Keren on my way to the bathroom—a man on a mission, blissfully unaware that the woman I would marry in 64 days was standing barely three feet away. Some people have a meet-cute woman. I had a miss-completely. What Keren saw on that same cold February evening was rather different. “I took one look at you. I knew you were my date, and I knew we were going to get married,” she told me sometime later. One of us was clearly playing chess. The other hadn’t even realized there was a board. To be fair, my obliviousness wasn’t the only unusual thing about that evening. Once we’d properly introduced ourselves—with eye contact this time— our first real conversation was about clothes and leather. Not politics. Not music. Not the weather. Clothes and leather. Specifically, how we were outfitted in items we’d made ourselves. Keren had hand-stitched a purple blouse with a high frilled collar—the sort of workmanship that made you wonder why she was spending the evening on a blind date instead of running her own fashion house. She had also knitted a soft, fawn-colored sweater and, instead of the fox stole some women might have chosen, she had draped a dark brown knitted scarf elegantly over one shoulder. She had a remarkable gift for turning yarn into elegance—a talent I would discover extended far beyond her wardrobe. She wore a handmade purple blazer that almost perfect-

ly matched her blouse, which either meant we were astonishingly compatible or that the Ramada Inn was hosting a very exclusive convention for people who made their own clothes. To complete the ensemble, I carried the first leather bag I’d ever made, wore a handmade belt, and squeezed my feet into a pair of handcrafted shoes that were so spectacularly uncomfortable I vowed that, the moment I’d finished showing them off, I’d never wear them again. I kept that promise. Within minutes, we sounded less like two people on a first date and more like veteran craftspeople comparing techniques at an international fashion convention. Throughout this impromptu showand-tell, I found it impossible to stop looking at Keren. Her long, wavy, sandy-blonde hair rested gently on her shoulders. She was beautiful. And that realization brought with it an equally familiar question.

Why on earth does she seem interested in me? Surely that smile was nothing more than impeccable manners. The evening would end, she’d thank me politely, and I’d become one more mildly amusing anecdote from her dating history. Those doubts weren’t new. They’d been faithful companions for years. Much of my youth had been overshadowed by low self-esteem. School had been a long catalogue of disappointments. I struggled academically, rarely excelled at anything, and, just to complete the picture, suffered from terrible acne. From my perspective, I wasn’t exactly the sort of man women fought over. I wasn’t even convinced they’d get in a queue. Apparently, Keren disagreed. Either she saw something I couldn’t, or there was a serious flaw in her judgement. My rabbi would certainly have voted for the first explanation. A psychologist and graphologist, he never tired of telling me what he saw in my handwriting.

Like a scratched record, he repeated the same encouraging assessment every time he analyzed it. I wanted to believe him, but self-doubt has an irritating habit of wearing noise-cancelling headphones whenever compliments are spoken. Looking back now, I realize he wasn’t describing the man I was. He was describing the man I would eventually become. Back at the Ramada Inn, I ordered a cappuccino that arrived with a cinnamon stick. Mistaking it for a chocolate flake, I took an enthusiastic bite. For one glorious second, I thought I’d broken a tooth. Keren burst into infectious laughter. At least I was entertaining. I had just made my first memorable impression on her...by attempting to eat the garnish. I remember almost nothing else about our conversation. It certainly wasn’t an intellectual masterclass. Words were coming out of my mouth, but my brain had quietly wandered off somewhere behind Keren’s eyes. Afterwards, we walked back to her apartment in Romema, behind Jerusalem’s old Central Bus Station. We said goodbye and agreed to meet again. The next time I saw my rabbi—I was living in his house at the time—I found myself standing in his kitchen while he and his wife subjected me to an interrogation that would have impressed airport security. Every detail of the evening was examined, including the moment I’d nearly converted a cinnamon stick into several thousand shekels’ worth of dental work. At one point, the Rabbanit said Keren’s name sounded familiar and disappeared to investigate. She returned a few minutes later holding a sample of Keren’s handwriting. The rabbi studied it.

It was like standing at a bus stop. You knew the bus would eventually arrive. You just had no idea how long you’d be standing there. “Do you want to ask me something, Rafi?” she asked. “I do.” “I’ll wait,” she said. “But not forever.” Another silence. Another bus probably came and went. I was completely thrown out of kilter. Me? Was she was waiting for me to propose? Me? The bloke with the spectacular lack of self-esteem? I desperately tried to regain control of the situation. Unfortunately, my mouth had other plans. “Would it bother you marrying

I wanted to believe him, but self-doubt has an irritating habit of wearing noise-cancelling headphones whenever compliments are spoken.

the Edison Cinema on Strauss Street, it was almost midnight, and we had exactly three minutes to catch our buses home. (Today, the Edison is a yeshiva.) For our third date, we spent the day wandering through the streets of Jerusalem. After a few hours, conversation gave way to silence. It wasn’t an awkward silence. It was one of those rare silences that feels as comfortable as conversation. I realized I enjoyed saying nothing with Keren just as much as talking with her. Eventually I said, “We get along really well.” She said nothing. In fact, very little I said after that seemed to elicit any response at all. Finally, she looked down at her shoes and quietly said, “I’m waiting.” Instantly, I knew what she meant. “We get along well, don’t we?” I tried again. “We do.” “Do you think we could make it last?” “I do.” Then came another long silence.

someone with a pimply back?” Keren looked at me in disbelief. “Was that a proposal?” “Yes,” I replied, with all the confidence of a man identifying himself in a police lineup. She laughed. “What a silly thing to say. Of course, it wouldn’t bother me. Now that we’ve got that out of the way...would you like to ask the question again?” This time, I didn’t hesitate. “I do.” I realized I’d accidentally skipped ahead in the wedding ceremony. “I mean... I do want to marry you.” “That’s still not a question,” she said, smiling. It was exquisite torture. “Keren...” I took a breath. “Will you marry me?” She smiled. “I’d love nothing more.”

Rafi Sackville, formerly of Cedarhurst, teaches in a prominent yeshiva in Yerushalayim.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

A huge grin spread across his face. “Listen to me,” he said. “She’s perfect for you—with one condition. If both of you are in bad moods at the same time, there could be trouble. Just make sure that never happens.” “I’ve only been out with her once!” I protested. “She’s a very good person,” he replied. “If you don’t marry her, I’ll give her to one of my sons.” That was Tuesday night. Keren and I arranged to meet again later that week. In hindsight, we made a tactical error. We went to the movies. We arrived late. The film lasted approximately the same length as the Babylonian exile. By the time we finally emerged from

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

DIgItal WarrIor

A Soldier Fighting Israel’s Information War By yehudit Kramer

or most people, a college video-editing assignment is just that: an assignment. Something to complete, submit, and move on from. For Rachel Lester, it became the beginning of a career and, eventually, a calling. Today, Lester describes herself as a “Digital Warrior,” using videos, social media, storytelling, and firsthand experience to advocate for Israel in an arena where battles are fought not only with weapons but with images, narratives, and information. Her path to that battlefield was anything but conventional. Lester grew up in Los Angeles’s Pico-Robertson neighborhood in a Modern Orthodox Jewish community. She attended Jewish schools throughout her childhood, learned

Hebrew from a young age, and says she “basically grew up very Zionist.” It was in college when she began to understand just how important that Zionism would become. “I, for the first time, realized what they had been warning us about for all these years, about antisemitism and anti-Israel,” she recalls. “Once I saw it for myself, I really wanted to fight back.” At the time, Lester was studying cognitive science and digital studies. Her major was essentially a combination of psychology and video editing, but it was the latter that quickly consumed her attention. “I spent all my time doing my class projects for the video editing degree,” she says. And then she discovered something powerful: She could use that skill to tell Israel’s story.

From Harry Potter to Israel In 2015, Lester created a video for a class assignment that required students to combine two seemingly unrelated sources of media and create a narrative. Her choice was unconventional: Harry Potter and Israel. The result was a video titled Harry Potter and the Threats to Israel, using only Harry Potter visuals and audio clips to tell the story of Operation Protective Edge and the then-upcoming Iran deal. “You can find it on YouTube, and it’s still the video that I am the proudest of,” she says. The video attracted attention. Two months later, Lester entered an international Israel video contest and won the grand prize. Suddenly, she was known in her community as “Israel

“I’ll Be Back in one or two Years”

ed infiltrations became a weekly occurrence. For Lester, it was an early lesson in just how difficult Israel’s information battle could be. “We didn’t grasp the magnitude at the time, but it was essentially a pre-October 7th attempt every Friday for two years,” she says. The challenge wasn’t simply what was happening on the ground. It was how those events were being perceived around the world. Israel was being condemned for using force against what appeared to be “peaceful” protesters. But Lester says the reality was much more complicated, with violence, weapons, and attempts to infiltrate Israeli territory taking place under the cover of the demonstrations. She was called in to work virtually every weekend. “It was incredibly stressful,” she recalls. But it was also where she began to understand the unique role she could play. The International Social Media Department included scriptwriters, video editors, and graphic designers. “I’m all three,” Lester says with a laugh. “That’s why I was called in every Friday instead of calling in three soldiers. They only had to call in me.” She gathered footage from open sources and IDF combat photographers, wrote scripts, edited videos, and tried to show audiences what was actually happening. It was a job that required more than technical skill; it required understanding an audience. The material she created was designed primarily for English-speaking audiences, but she also translated it into Spanish and French.

Lester packed up her life in Los Angeles and moved to Israel. But she insists that, at the time, her plan wasn’t necessarily to stay. “It wasn’t that I was making aliyah because I wanted to move to Israel and live in Israel for the rest of my life,” she explains. “I wanted to serve in the Spokesperson’s Unit, and in order to do that, I had to make aliyah.” She told her family and friends that she would be back. “I told my family and friends, ‘Okay, I’m going to go move to Israel, and I’ll be back in one or two years, maybe four if I do a master’s.’” Instead, she stayed. Lester served as a soldier for two years. Then, when the army created a position for her as a civilian employee, she stayed another two years. By then, the world had entered the Inside a Secret operation COVID-19 pandemic, and something One of Lester’s most memorable had changed. assignments came later that year, “I was just really proud of during Operation Northern “I was afraid to how Israel was behaving and Shield. didn’t want to leave,” she says. Israel had discovered that leave because then “It was home here.” the Hezbollah terror organiThe young woman who had zation had spent years conI felt like my sense moved to Israel to make vidstructing attack tunnels exeos for a few years had found tending from Lebanon into of purpose would a home—and a mission. Israeli territory. The tunnels represented a serious security be gone.” threat. Lester was brought into the learning the operation before it was publicly anInformation Battlefield nounced. Lester began her military service in She found herself sitting underground with November 2017 and started working in the IDF senior military commanders, working on materials that Spokesperson’s Unit in January 2018. The first few months were relatively quiet. She would explain to the public why Israel was launching filmed military exercises, learned about the different the operation. On December 4, 2018, at 7 a.m., Lester was at IDF units, and created videos showcasing what Israeli soldiers were doing. Then came the massive Hamas-or- headquarters. She pressed “post” on a video she had spent weeks ganized riots along the Gaza border. Beginning in March 2018, the protests and attempt- creating.

The video explained who Hezbollah was, why the organization was building tunnels, why the tunnels posed a threat to Israel, and why Israel was taking military action to neutralize them. It was a very different kind of military operation, but Lester’s role was clear: The military had to explain not only what it was doing, but why. That became increasingly important in the years that followed.

october 7 By October 7, 2023, Lester had been out of the army for approximately a year and a half. But the moment she saw what was happening, she knew where she belonged. “I immediately messaged my commander and said, ‘Call me in. I’m available. I can be there in 10 minutes.’” She began reserve duty on October 8. She would remain there for six months straight, returning for additional periods during the following year. The nature of the information war had changed overnight. For a brief moment, the world sympathized with Israel. Lester’s goal was to make that sympathy last long enough for the reality of what had happened to sink in. “The goal that I had was to lengthen the amount of time that we had sympathy for as much as possible,” she explains, “so that we would have legitimacy to start fighting back against Hamas.” But there was another problem. The atrocities of October 7 were being documented by the perpetrators themselves, along with footage from dashcams and security cameras. The question was what would happen to that footage over time. Lester realized that social media was not enough. “An Instagram or Twitter video only lasts a couple days, and then it’s not in the algorithm anymore,” she explains. “But everybody uses YouTube as basically the history of the internet.” So she began watching. And watching. And watching. She went through footage posted by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as recovered footage from dashcams and CCTV cameras. She organized every recorded barbaric act, every murder caught on camera, every butchering and burning detailed on film. She categorized it, placed it in chronological order, and compiled what was then about ten minutes of material into a single video. Nobody had instructed her to do it. “Nobody thought about YouTube, because journalists live on Twitter,” she says. “I was the one who was going through the footage, making sure it was saved and categorized and easy to access.” The video received six million views in a single day. Today, it has nearly 10 million views. Her goal was simple: “I wanted the world to have a record of what Hamas did so that nobody could deny it, and people could use it as a resource when needed.”

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

Video Girl.” That nickname might have sounded cute at the time. But it was also a preview of what was coming. In the summer of 2016, Lester attended a conference for Christians United for Israel. There, she met another Jewish attendee who changed the direction of her life. “He told me that he loved his family, his wife, his kids, his life, but the one thing he regrets is not serving in the IDF while he could,” Lester recalls. The comment stayed with her. “Wow, I don’t want to regret not serving in the IDF while I can,” she remembers thinking. “The window is closing.” At that point, Lester was already making videos about Israel. So she had an idea. “If, after graduation, I’m going to make videos about Israel anyway, I want to do it for the place that matters the most—the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.” There was just one problem. In order to serve in the IDF, she would have to make aliyah.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

the Human Cost Behind the screen, however, was a human being. The footage Lester watched was horrific. Like many people who encountered the documentation of October 7, she found that the images did not simply disappear when the screen went dark. So how did she manage to watch it all? “Dissociation,” she explains. “The adrenaline kicks in, and the professionalism kicks in, and you don’t see things as real life. You feel like you’re watching a horror movie.” She had to make decisions about what belonged in the video and what did not. She deliberately excluded certain footage, such as images of soldiers being killed or dragged from tanks. Other footage, even of an animal being shot, she included because she believed it demonstrated the depravity of the attackers. For approximately 13 days, she kept working. Then the nightmares began. “It took, I think, about 13 days until I started having nightmares,” she says. Still, “I was afraid to leave because then I felt like my sense of purpose would be gone.” It took years before she began addressing the emotional impact of what she had experienced. “I only started going to therapy recently and addressing it recently,” she says. “It’s still with me.”

rachel in reserves During the war, Lester also created an Instagram account called “Rachel in Reserves.” She would walk home from the army base, turn on her camera, and speak directly to viewers. In whatever limited free time she had, she would add subtitles and post the videos. It was personal, immediate, and authentic. There was no studio. No elaborate production. Just a young woman walking home from military service and explaining what she was seeing. Today, Lester is no longer in the army, but she remains active online. Her goal is to create short, approximately one-minute videos addressing what is happening that day. “I want to be very current and talk about what’s going on on the given day and what I think about it,” she says. The videos will draw on her perspective as someone who lives in Israel and has military experience. And if nothing major is happening that day? She’ll talk about something else. “But always focusing on things that I think Jews and non-Jews should know, about what’s going on.”

turning a Diary Into a Book There was one more way Lester decided to preserve her experiences: A book.

Many Israelis appeared strong and resilient when inThe idea came almost accidentally. After completing her six months of reserve duty, Les- terviewed. That strength was admirable—but it wasn’t ter returned to Los Angeles to rest. She began speaking necessarily persuasive. “The Palestinians who went on the news...were cryin her community, telling the story of her aliyah, her ing, and that tugs on the heartstrings, and that’s military service, and her experience during the war. what wins people over.” After one speech, an elderly man apFor Lester, this is one of the central proached her. “Your story is so interestlessons of the information war. ing. You need to write a book.” Israel needs facts. But it also Lester looked at her mother. needs stories. “Should I write a book?” It needs people. It needs facHer mother agreed. “We’re trying So she did. es and voices that audiences For years, Lester had maincan relate to. to fight emotions tained a WhatsApp group of And it needs to meet people approximately 60 family memwhere they actually consume with facts.” bers and friends called “Rainformation. chel’s Israel Updates.” Whenever something significant happened, she would write about what she Everyone Could was doing and how she was feeling. Be a Warriorr That became the skeleton of her Perhaps Lester’s most important memoir. message is not directed at the Israeli govThe result is Digital Warrior, a firsthand acernment or the IDF. It is directed at ordinary Jews. The information war is no longer something hapcount of her experience fighting the social media war, beginning with October 7 and continuing through the pening somewhere else, on a television screen or in a government office. It is happening on college campuses, first Iran war. It took her approximately a year and a half to write in workplaces, on social media, and in everyday conversations. the first draft. Lester herself discovered the importance of advocacy Eventually, after working with an editor and deas a college student. She believes the next generation ciding to self-publish, Lester completed the project. And then came the moment every author dreams should be prepared before they find themselves in that position. She recommends that parents expose their about. children to reliable Israel advocacy resources and IsraShe pressed “publish.” Because the story revolves so heavily around digital el-focused news outlets. And ideally, she says, American Jews should have media, she included QR codes throughout the book that allow readers to scan and watch the videos she discusses. access to advocacy training. “I wish every American Jew could go to advocacy training,” she says. “Because they’re all symbols for everybody. Everybody’s a symbol for Israel now.” Winning Hearts, Not Just arguments It is a daunting reality. But perhaps it is also an opFor Lester, the biggest challenge facing Israel isn’t simply getting the facts out. It’s understanding how peo- portunity. Rachel Lester did not begin her journey with a grand ple consume information. “Israel is losing the war for a number of plan to become an advocate. She was a college student who happened to love video editing. She made a creative reasons,” she says. Some of those reasons, she be- class project about Harry Potter and Israel. She entered lieves, are beyond Israel’s control. a contest. She won. One opportunity led to another. Others are not. A conversation led her to the IDF. One of the biggest challenges The IDF led her into the information battlefield. is speed. October 7 pushed that mission into an entirely new “Whoever posts first wins,” dimension. she explains. And today, she is taking everything she has learned A false claim can race around the world while accu- and bringing it to the public through social media, rate information is still being speaking, and her new book. She may have started out as “Israel Video Girl.” But verified. And there is another uncom- the title she has chosen for herself now says much more: fortable reality: Facts alone don’t Digital Warrior. Because in an age when a video can reach millions of necessarily win people over. “We’re trying to fight emotions with people in a matter of hours, telling the truth is no longer facts,” Lester says. “The whole Hasbara ecosys- simply about having the right information. It is about making sure the story is seen, heard, retem is based around facts, and we need an ecosystem that’s based around emotions and humanizing and sto- membered—and passed on. And Rachel Lester, Israel’s Digital Warrior, intends rytelling and crying.” She points to the immediate aftermath of October 7. to keep pressing “post.”

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Soul Searching

Living the Truth By Raphael Poch

aniel Friedman arrived at Aish’s Jerusalem campus a year ago holding an idea of yeshiva that had followed him since elementary school: that it was a world built for rabbis and the sons of rabbis, people already set on a path toward the rabbinate. Today, the Toronto native leaves Israel with an Instagram following in the thousands, a podcast on YouTube, and a new understanding of freedom that he now hopes to pass on to the next student sitting where he once sat. Friedman’s path to Aish began at a family wedding three years ago, when a cousin who had just finished a year there tried to describe the experience to him. At the time, Friedman couldn’t square it with his own picture of yeshiva life. “I thought yeshiva was a place where you just learned how to follow rules,” he said. “The people who go are sons of rabbis, people who want to be a rabbi. I didn’t know there was anything else.” That picture started to shift because of Aish itself, and specifically because Friedman had already been watching the organization online. Long before he ever considered attending, he knew the name from Instagram and YouTube. “The first time I heard of Aish was from the online content, videos, Instagram,” he said. The brand recognition mattered more than he expected. When a trip to Israel later gave him the option to spend a Shabbat touring the campus, he chose it without hesitation. “I felt comfortable,” he said.

Daniel with Rabbi Yehuda Werblowsky

“I am familiar with Aish because of their online presence.” The idea of yeshiva resurfaced more seriously during his senior year at CHAT in Toronto, though not in the way it’s sometimes been told. His teacher at CHAT laid out a wide range of options for life after high school – college, university, a gap year – without steering him in any particular direction. It was Friedman’s rabbi at his shul, Rabbi Elie Karfunkel, who first pointed him specifically toward Israel and toward yeshiva, prompted by how many questions Friedman kept asking. “He said yeshiva was a place where you could ask any question and genuinely search for answers,” Friedman recalled. “There’s no pressure of tests, no pressure of deadlines.” That February, Friedman traveled to Israel on a subsidized trip through Olami Launch, a program he learned about through a voice message from his rabbi in the middle of winter break. He credits Rachelli Krongold, involved with both Aish and the Olami Launch program, as one of the people most responsible for getting him on the trip and, ultimately, into the yeshiva itself. “Rachelli is doing amazing for me,” he said. “She’s one of the main influences behind my being here.” Friedman also credits Rabbi Bernie Goldberg, a youth program director at his shul in Toronto, for encouraging him to explore yeshiva and helping set him on the path that ultimately led him to Aish. Touring several yeshivas during that week, Friedman kept returning to Aish, drawn partly by the branding he already recognized and partly by an unscripted moment at a Shabbat meal, when a rabbi stood up and delivered an unexpected speech about his past playing basketball. “It showed me you didn’t have to give up your personality to grow in Torah,” Friedman said. “You can have both, and I think to myself, that’s exactly what I am looking for.” Once enrolled, Friedman found he couldn’t simply absorb what he was learning without sharing it. “I found it hard to keep what I was

learning to myself,” he said. “I had this urge to let it out.” An Instagram account, named Rebbe Said No after a running joke about yeshiva stereotypes, became his outlet. Early videos drew almost no attention, and Friedman nearly walked away from the project after a few weeks. A text from his father, telling him the family loved watching and encouraging him to keep posting, changed his mind. The account found real traction that winter. Months of posting consistently with little response had taught him not to measure success by views alone. Three videos filmed during a trip to Auschwitz, simple footage paired with brief captions about Jewish resilience, each drew hundreds of thousands of views, with one nearing 650,000. “I was not even speaking in these videos,” Friedman said. “I just did a ten-second video with a caption, and it took off.” A YouTube podcast followed not long after, and his Instagram following now sits above six thousand. Friedman is careful to separate the growth of the account from what he says actually mattered most this year. He points to the relationships that shaped him, particularly with his teachers Rabbi Yehuda Werblowski and Rabbi Binyomin Wolff, and to communal moments that reshaped his sense of what belonging to a Jewish community means. He described standing among tens of thousands of people at a Yom Yerushalayim gathering in Jerusalem as one such moment, and Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as another, hours of prayer he once assumed he would dread. “You can’t get that from people telling you,” he said. “You have to go experience it.” The idea Friedman returns to most often, the one he now considers the core lesson of his year, concerns what freedom actually means. He rejects the common assumption that freedom means doing whatever you want, whenever you want it. “Freedom isn’t doing whatever you feel like,” he said. “Freedom is having self-control over doing what you want to do. If you feel like you can do anything,

that freedom turns into boredom, and that can turn into sadness.” For Friedman, the rules and structure of religious life stopped feeling like restrictions somewhere along the way and started feeling like something closer to an invitation. He points to a teaching from Aish’s Rabbi Motty Berger that an infinite G-d cannot actually be made happier or unhappier by anyone’s actions, to explain why he no longer sees observance as something done for G-d’s benefit. “You’re not doing it for G-d,” he said. “You’re keeping Shabbat because it’s objectively right, and living according to truth brings a deeper and more lasting kind of happiness.” Knowing what is right and choosing it, he argued, is the real definition of freedom, and anything less amounts to being governed by whatever the society or culture around you happens to say is freedom or pleasurable. Asked what he would tell a student on the fence about a year like his, Friedman responded by saying: “If there is a kid out there who is thinking about going to yeshiva but is hesitating, you feel intimidated about the religiosity, or perhaps you are the only one from your school going, or in your community, then reach out to me, or anyone you know who has come to Aish, or any other yeshiva, and they will help you out. “The second thing I’d say is, try it. The worst case scenario is you don’t like it, and you leave. Very few decisions at this stage of life are truly irreversible, but the opportunities you don’t take can stay with you much longer. But the best case scenario is that the experience will be the beginning of living a life being closer to G-d, the truth, and receiving the most amount of pleasure and meaning you’ve ever lived with.” Friedman invites any student weighing the same decision he once faced to reach out to him directly via his Instagram channel @rebbe.said.no.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

nspiration Nation

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Or Levy

Finding Faith in Darkness and Doubt By Eliyahu RosEnBERg

uring the first 51 days of his captivity, confined to a terrorist-controlled Gaza apartment, Or Levy and the other hostages he was with weren’t allowed to speak. So, he did a lot of thinking. Every night, Or would stare at a crack in the ceiling and have a quiet conversation with it, telling it his hopes and dreams, his memories, and his plans for the day he’s free. But then, on their 52nd day in Gaza, he, Eliya Cohen, and Alon Ohel were

moved underground, and in the darkness, he started having the same nightly talks with the tiny LED light suspended over his head. Before he knew it, however, the terrorists moved them again, this time to a pitch-black tunnel. And in the oppressive darkness, with no ceiling cracks or LED lights to chat with, Or, for the first time in his life, began speaking with G-d. And through his conversations with Hashem, he began to believe. Once a skeptic and a self-described

In His Words… When hersh was with me, he told me a quote. he told me, ‘he who has a ‘why’ can bear any ‘how.’ and it became my mantra in life.” if you’re going through challenging times, think about your ‘why.’ Think about why you’re doing what you’re doing. and you will find a reason.” you know, i had this one quote that i said over and over again. i said, ‘i don’t know what the negotiations are. i don’t know if there is a deal. i don’t know if it’s closer to 10% or closer to 100%. i don’t know.’ so, i believed that it was closer to 100% every day, because i didn’t know. i thought about the good possibility, not the bad possibility. i thought every day, ‘Tomorrow, i’m going home.’ and i might’ve been mistaken, but at least i went through each day with hope.

overthinker, Or Levy found faith in the darkness. “I never felt angry. I don’t know why, but I believed that being angry wouldn’t do me any good,” Or shares. “Before October 7, after anything bad that would happen, I would get into a mental loop where I’d try to understand everything.” It’s a classic overthinking pattern: the conscious or unconscious belief that you could think yourself out of stress; that if you just think long enough about your problems, you’ll find a solution. When you feel powerless, you exert control in the only way you know how: by thinking. Meanwhile, overthinking fuels rather than helps our problems. But in Gaza, Or embraced powerlessness and leaned on Hashem. Indeed, the phrase that brought him comfort was, “I don’t know.” He found solace in uncertainty. “You know, I had this one quote that I said over and over again. I said, ‘I don’t know what the negotiations are. I don’t know if there is a deal. I don’t know if it’s closer to 10% or closer to 100%. I don’t know,’” Or recalls. “So, I believed that it was closer to 100% every day, because I didn’t know. I thought about the good possibility, not the bad possibility. I thought every day, ‘Tomorrow, I’m going home.’ And I might’ve been mistaken, but at least I went through each day with hope.” * * * Or Levy was 33 years old on October 7, happily married to his wife Einav, with whom he had an adorable two-year-old son, Almog. The content family lived in Givatayim, a city east of Tel Aviv, and he worked as a software engineer. Their life was normal. Or and Einav loved attending music festivals together. A month before October

7, they went to their first one in years, after a long hiatus due to COVID. So, with the Israeli summer drawing to a close, the couple decided to attend one more party for the season: the Supernova music festival. They dropped their son off at Einav’s mother’s house and headed for the festival on the morning of October 7. No more than a minute after they arrived, rockets began raining down. The next thing Or remembers is fleeing to a tiny bomb shelter, hiding there with his wife and 27 people, hearing shooting and grenades exploding. Moments later, the bomb shelter door flung open, and Hamas terrorists entered, laughing, videoing and aiming their guns at the frightened Jews. “Please don’t shoot me,” Or pleaded desperately. “I’m a father to a little boy.” Surprisingly, the terrorist lowered his gun, grabbed Or, dragged him away, and tossed him in the back of a pickup truck. “The last thing I saw was the Hamas terrorists shooting inside the bomb shelter. So I knew that something happened, but I didn’t know what. I didn’t know if Einav was alive,” Or recalls. “And from that moment, I made a pact with myself to not know. I told myself, ‘I’ll know what happened to her once I get home.’” Only 491 days later, when he returned to Israel, did Or learn that his beloved wife, Einav, was tragically murdered during the massacre. While in Gaza, Or was held with Eliya Cohen and Alon Ohel, and for three days, they were also held captive with Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, and Almog Sarusi, three hostages who were later killed. Those days were, according to Or, filled with some of the most meaningful moments in his captivity. Ori, who was raised in a religious home, would recite Birkas Hamazon and Eishes Chayil with Or.

their captors ate like gluttons. Once, the terrorists even had a meal in Or’s tunnel, eating behind a thin cloth room divider while the hostages starved. “They were eating, and they were deliberately making noise so we could hear, so we could smell their food,” he recalls. “And you could see them gaining weight. Some of them had arms that were the same width as my entire body.” The metal chains on the hostages’ legs restricted their movements and cut into their flesh. Their bathroom access was limited, the darkness was oppressive, and they were frequently beaten. The terrorists wouldn’t even let them sleep; at 4 a.m., the captors would holler to mark the start of the day’s first Islamic prayer, waking the hostages up. During the month of Ramadan, the terrorists would pray and shout all night long, preventing the hostages from falling asleep. Their captors also wouldn’t let them sleep during the day. “You can’t think about where you are, because if you do, you’ll lose your mind. You’ll become crazy. You’ll be afraid of dying the entire time, so you don’t think about it,” Or says. During the three days that Or, Eliya, and Alon spent with Hersh, Ori, and Almog Sarusi, Hersh gave Or an English book called Shadow and Bone. “In the beginning, it wasn’t my cup of tea with regard to the genre. And I thought, ‘Yeah, maybe I’ll read it once.’ After five times, I stopped counting. It came well over 10,” Or recalls. “We even taught Eliya English with it. We used to read sentence by sentence, translating every word. I remember reading every page, trying to think about the scenes. I’ve imagined the book completely in my mind. I think I’m one of the people who know the book the best!” * * * “When Hersh was with me, he told me a quote,” Or recalls. “He told me, ‘He who has a ‘why’ can bear any ‘how.’ And it became my mantra in life.” For Or, his “why” — the reason he maintained hope in the darkness —was simple: his son, Almog, who was waiting for him back home.

Or remembers the moment he left the tunnels: his first time breathing fresh air and feeling the sun on his skin in over 400 days. It was February 8, 2025. He remembers his blindfold falling, seeing daylight again after over a year in darkness. Like other hostages, he went along with Hamas’s sadistic release ceremony. And then, he was free. Upon arriving in Israel, Or was greeted by a senior IDF officer, and he immediately asked about his wife, Einav. That’s the moment he learned that Hamas murdered her on October 7. But before Or had the chance to process his unspeakable loss, the officer showed him a video of little Almog, Or’s three-and-a-half-year-old son. “Before October 7, my son was 2 years and 3 months old. And when I came back, he was 3 and a half, or older. And you see a kid with crazy long hair — when I left him, he had baby hair! It was crazy; it was so surreal. And I knew that this day might simultaneously be the best and worst day of my life,” Or observes. “And it wasn’t just the day; it was the best and worst moment. I was reunited with my son, not feeling afraid anymore. But the love of my life…was dead.” Or didn’t think his son would remember him, since children don’t remember much at age two, and they hadn’t seen each other in well over a year. So, he thought he’d have to start all over again, become a father from scratch. You could imagine Or’s shock when the little boy, upon seeing his father again, shouted “Abba,” ran to him, and gave him the biggest hug. “And then, I understood that he knows me. He remembers me. Not from stories. Because, as grown-ups, you can fake warmth, but kids can’t. They don’t know how to fake warmth. I understood that he remembers me, and it was the most emotional moment of my life,” Or recalls. “The first question that Almog asked me was why it took so long for me to get back. And then he asked, ‘Where’s Mom?’ And I had just found out what happened to her, and I started crying. And then he answered it himself... He said, ‘Mom’s dead.’ And I cried even more, and he hugged me…

“The thing that I always promise Einav is that I will work every day so that our son remembers her, so he knows who his mother was. Recently, I discovered that the last message that Einav sent to her mother (who Almog was staying with) was, ‘How’s Almog?’ She didn’t think about herself in her final moments. She was thinking about him,” he shares. “I talk with her every day. I tell her that Almog is growing up. And with everything he does, I think about how she would be happy to see him. And I really hope that she’s happy the way I’m raising Almog. Everything I do with Almog, I think in my head, ‘What would Einav do?’ I just want her to look at us and be happy, and to be proud of Almog. And that’s how I know I’ve succeeded as a dad and as a husband.” The Or Levy of October 6, 2023, is not the Or Levy of today. Or sees his life after captivity as a brand new chapter. Once a reserved software engineer, he now speaks to crowds of over 1,000 people, recounting his story. Most of all, he now values every moment, focusing more on today than tomorrow. Before October 7, Or made many plans for the future. Today, he believes that the “future is now.” “Everyone knows about PTSD. When I came back, this doctor was talking with me, and she mentioned ‘PTG,’ which almost no one knows,” Or Levy shares. “PTG means Post-Traumatic Growth. You must choose to live, and if people choose to live from the bottom of their heart, it can make them stronger once they’re out of the trauma. I know it’s hard to push for another day, another bad day, and it happened to me for 491 days. But when you finally get out, you will understand that it was all worth it. And right now, I know I’ve been through the worst, but to be honest, I could have done 800 days — because...I knew that people were waiting for me; I knew that I had my ‘why.’ “If you’re going through challenging times, think about your ‘why.’ Think about why you’re doing what you’re doing. “And you will find a reason.”

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

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

“I didn’t know whether my wife was alive or not, and Almog Sarusi had a similar story. He was kidnapped without knowing what ended up happening to his wife. She was also killed. So, Almog and I broke into tears, because it felt so deep,” Or remembers. “And I remembered Einav, and I thought about her, and I thought about all the sentences in Eishes Chayil. And I understood that she’s my Eishes Chayil.” * * * When Or arrived in Gaza, a mob of civilians, including many children, tried to lynch him. Having sustained injuries from explosions in the bomb shelter, he was quickly “treated” for his wounds, of course in the cruelest way. “We moved to an apartment where I was finally stitched up. I was stitched up in seven different places, without anesthesia, of course,” Or recalls. “And I was so afraid of the mob outside that I couldn’t make a noise. I put a shirt in my mouth so I wouldn’t shout from the pain. I remember, when it was finished, I collapsed.” Soon, he, Eliya, and Alon were moved to a dark tunnel with no food or electricity, where their legs were linked with a metal chain. They barely received a meal a day — just a little bit more than one pita. Whereas most adults need 1,600 to 3,000 calories a day, they consumed just 500 to 600 calories daily, the equivalent of a snack or small meal, and they became emaciated. To pass the time, he often thought about sports and all the basketball players he admired. The three hostages also spoke a lot, mostly about food. “The most masochistic thing that we did — it was automatic — was we always talked about food. About what we’ll eat, what we want to eat, about how to make food,” he recounts. “And it’s crazy, because…I don’t know how to describe how hungry you are. You’re starving. Essentially, it’s like doing Tisha B’Av over and over and over again for well over a year. But you can’t stop talking about food.” Me a nwh i le ,

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Dating Dialogue

What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters

Dear Navidaters,

I’m dating a wonderful girl, but something about her family has me concerned. Her sister is married to a man whose behavior has been described to me as controlling and verbally abusive. He frequently insults my girlfriend, speaks disrespectfully to her parents, and screams at his wife in front of the entire family. Yet her parents don’t confront him because they are afraid of damaging their daughter’s shalom

bayis. When my girlfriend or her siblings want to address the situation or stand up for themselves, their mother tells them they need to be mevater and keep the peace. Everything I know about this situation came directly from my girlfriend and was independently confirmed by her brother, so I know I’m not relying on rumors or community gossip. I understand that I am not marrying this man, and my focus is on my girlfriend. I have a lot of respect for her and how she has handled a difficult family situation. At the same time, family is very important to both of us, and she has expressed to me how much she values family relationships. What concerns me most isn’t only his behavior; it’s that the family seems to have accepted it as the norm. My parents and I are concerned about what this says about the family’s values, boundaries, and approach to conflict. As my relationship becomes more serious, I’m wondering how much weight I should give this when considering marriage. Thank you for your guidance, David*

Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise conclude resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, rather offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.

The Panel

Looking forward! Michelle, the “Shadchan”

The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.

his is a serious question that should be given a lot of weight. Your relationship with your current girlfriend

will have to be strong enough to withstand boundaries and limitations you will have to set up with her family if you proceed to marriage. The two of you will have to be united and support each other so that you can deal with pressure and conflicts that may result in your making your own yom tov, restricting how much time you spend with the abu-

sive brother-in-law and his family and the family as a whole. You will not want your children to experience this and see this kind of relationship as normal. Dysfunctionality in a family system will be very hard to manage for a new couple. Discuss with the young woman you are dating, and if you feel you want to go further, get skilled help to discuss scenarios and strengthen yourselves as a group. Most people would run the other way. I would agree.

The Shadchan Michelle Mond

avid, this is such a difficult position to be in. You’re dating a great girl whom you see a future with, but her fam-

Being mevater and being asked to tolerate repeated mistreatment and possible abuse are not the same thing.

ily seems to be enabling abusive behavior from her brother-in-law. This must be terribly difficult to witness. It also must be very difficult to experience firsthand the verbal abuse directed at the girl you’re dating when you are around them. You are understandably questioning your future with this girl because of it.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

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.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

I do wonder if her family feels trapped into accepting this horrible reality out of necessity. Maybe the family feels that the only way to keep their daughter close is to keep their mouths shut. Regardless of the reasoning, it is terribly toxic, and I understand your hesitation. I don’t think you should leave the relationship because of this, but you need to come up with a game plan. Have a discussion with her about creating boundaries to keep yourselves at a healthy distance. Discuss the many obstacles that may come with this family dynamic and how you intend to navigate them in a healthy way. These are important conversations to have before moving forward. As an aside, I personally believe you need to have a very serious discussion with the girl you’re dating about getting her sister help. She should definitely try to stage an intervention to help her sister. Only she knows who her parents will listen to. She needs to figure out the best

way to navigate this situation in order to help her sister. Enabling it by ignoring his malicious behavior to “keep the peace” is ultimately hurting her sister tremendously. Someone has to stand up to this and try to help her. I hope you are able to help in this regard!

The Zaidy Dr. Jeffrey Galler

ow! What a sad situation for your girlfriend and for her family. My heart goes out to them. The question now is, how does all of this drama affect you? Let’s consider three separate issues here.

Issue #1 – Your wonderful girlfriend You already think very highly of your

girlfriend. But I hope you appreciate the incredible compassion and maturity she is demonstrating during an extraordinarily difficult family situation. She is trying to respect her parents, support her sister, cope with an unpleasant brotherin-law, and, at the same time, pursue a meaningful relationship with you. Please have enormous empathy and compassion for what she is going through. She sounds absolutely amazing. Nothing that you have learned about her brother-in-law should be held against her. She didn’t choose him. Her sister did.

Issue #2 – Your future family dynamics You are right to consider how a difficult brother-in-law can affect your marital happiness and your future relationships with your girlfriend’s family. At this point, however, it is impossible to predict how things will evolve with her sister and her husband. Still, the reality is that there is no such thing as marrying into a perfect family. Some families struggle with health problems. Others struggle with finances, with religious differences, difficult personalities, strained relationships, or poor behavior. But, when you love and marry someone who shares your values, goals, and aspirations, you inevitably accept the whole package. And, together with your life partner, you decide how to handle present and future complications. For example, in a situation like yours, young couples, together, learn how to make practical adjustments in order to minimize exposure to toxic people, gently defuse confrontations, and avoid reacting inappropriately to someone else’s inappropriate behavior.

Issue #3 – Your actions right now

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Please avoid the temptation to step up and “fix” the family dynamics. You really do not have any idea how complicated this family dynamic probably is, what conversations have happened behind closed doors, what boundaries the parents have tried to set, or what they’re balancing to protect their daughter’s marriage.

When you love and marry someone who shares your values, goals, and aspirations, you inevitably accept the whole package.

I’d be careful not to assume the family’s lack of PUBLIC confrontation means they have poor values or unhealthy boundaries. Yes, it’s hard to watch helplessly when people that you love are hurting. But remember that you do not have to rescue your girlfriend’s family. Instead, love her, treat her with kindness and respect, and build a peaceful, bayis ne’eman together.

Reader’s Response Baruch Glazer, LCSW Founder - Turning Point Therapy

ear David, You ask an important question, and I think it’s worth separating two issues that can easily become intertwined. The first is the behavior of your future brother-in-law. From what you’ve described, it sounds deeply concerning. If someone routinely insults family members, belittles his wife, and creates an atmosphere of fear, that isn’t simply a “strong personality.” It’s understandable that this would trouble you. The second question—and perhaps the more important one—is how your girlfriend and her family respond to it. Every family faces difficult people. One toxic relative does not automatically define an entire family. What often matters more is whether the family rec-

support. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve chosen the ideal approach, but it may come from fear rather than agreement with his behavior. Rather than asking, “What does this say about her family?” I’d encourage you to ask, “What does this say about the woman I’m considering marrying?” How does she think about what’s happening? Does she recognize it as unhealthy? Is she able to set respectful boundaries? Does she believe that being

mevater has limits, or does she see enduring mistreatment as the expectation? Those answers will tell you far more about your future marriage than the behavior of someone you aren’t marrying. If family is important to both of you, it’s also appropriate to have practical conversations. What would holidays look like? How would you handle disrespect directed toward you, your wife, or eventually your children? How involved do you envision being with her extended

family? These conversations aren’t signs of mistrust—they’re part of discerning compatibility. Ultimately, I wouldn’t ignore this situation, but I also wouldn’t let one family member determine your decision. Pay close attention to your girlfriend’s character, judgment, and ability to build a healthy marriage despite a difficult family dynamic. Those qualities are far more predictive of your future together than the presence of a toxic brother-in-law.

your role to be when you witness her brother-in-law mistreating her, or one day, potentially, your child? Imagine you’re married and sitting at a family meal and he insults your wife in front of you. What does she want you to do? What would her family expect you to do? Would you be expected to remain quiet because responding might make things more difficult for her sister? And how would that feel for you? What if he speaks disrespectfully to you? What happens someday if he directs that behavior toward one of your children? These aren’t far-fetched questions. They are things to think about because this is already an established dynamic in a family you may be joining. There may not be one perfect answer. Perhaps there are situations where your girlfriend would want you to let something go. Perhaps there are others where the two of you would decide together that a line has been crossed and you need to leave, speak up or create some distance. What matters is that you talk about it now. I also understand why your parents

are concerned. Family matters and the dynamics of an extended family can absolutely affect a marriage. You are marrying her. But you are also contemplating a lifetime that will include people she loves and relationships that matter deeply to her. So yes, David, I think this deserves weight. Not because I think you should judge your girlfriend by her brother-in-law’s behavior. And not because I think her parents’ response necessarily tells you something terrible about their values. They may be doing the best they know how to do in a situation in which every option feels painful. But their solution right now appears to require other members of the family to absorb behavior that hurts them. If you become part of this family, it is reasonable to want to understand whether you will be expected to absorb it, too. And it is worth talking with the woman you may marry about what the two of you will do when keeping the peace for one person comes at the expense of peace for everyone else.

Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists

ear David, I understand your concern. Of course you aren’t marrying your girlfriend’s brother-in-law. But if you marry your girlfriend, this man will presumably be part of your extended family. You may be sitting across from him at Shabbos tables, seeing him at simchas and spending yom tov together. So I don’t think you need to convince yourself that what you’re seeing shouldn’t matter to you. These situations are incredibly delicate and complicated. I can only imagine how torn your girlfriend’s parents may feel. They have a daughter in what sounds like a very difficult marriage. They may be terrified that confronting their son-in-law will make things harder for her behind closed doors, create more distance between her and the family, or somehow threaten her shalom bayis. I have a lot of compassion for the position they are in. And at the same time, there is another reality here that deserves attention.

When a family accommodates one person’s bad behavior in an effort to protect one child or keep one situation comfortable, very often, the other children wind up paying the price. Your girlfriend is being insulted. Her parents are being spoken to disrespectfully. Her siblings are being told not to respond. Everyone is being asked to be mevater because there is one relationship in the family that feels too precarious to disturb. That is a complicated family system. Being mevater can be a beautiful middah. It can mean choosing the relationship over being right, letting go of the small stuff and making room for another person. But being mevater and being asked to tolerate repeated mistreatment and possible abuse are not the same thing. And that is where I think your concern becomes very practical. What does your girlfriend expect

All the best, Jennifer

Jennifer Mann, LCSW, is a therapist and certified life coach in private practice in Cedarhurst, NY and via telehealth. She works with individuals, couples, and families, and is a part-time school social worker at Bnos Malka Academy. Her work centers on anxiety, relationships, life transitions, and narcissistic abuse. She integrates attachment-based therapy, cognitive behavioral approaches, and relational work, grounded in the belief that healing and growth emerge through honest, attuned, and meaningful human connection. To set up a consultation or to ask questions, please call 718-908-0512.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

ognizes the behavior as unhealthy, sets appropriate boundaries when they can, and refuses to normalize it. At the same time, it’s worth trying to understand the position her parents are in. They may genuinely fear that confronting their son-in-law could isolate their daughter or make her marriage even more difficult. Parents sometimes feel trapped between protecting one child and preserving a relationship that allows them to remain a source of

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Shmooze & Muse

Don’t Go Overboard By Mordechai Schmutter

urns out, if you want to rent a power boat, you might have to take a safety course. It depends on the state. Some states require it, but even in states that don’t require it, some boating places highly recommend it, even though they’re still going to give everyone a speech before boarding. I wasn’t going to take the course. I figured it’s a lot of the same things that you have to know to drive a car. I already know how to drive a car, and cars seem more complicated, the question is just how do I apply all of it to a boat? It’s really just a few questions. For example: -What do you do at a 4-way stop? Who has right of way? -Which side of the lake are we supposed to drive on? Do we circle the lake clockwise or counterclockwise? And also if I’m coming toward another boat, am I supposed to go to the right or the left? Just so we avoid that thing where two people are walking toward each other and you both go one way and you both go the other. There are no yellow lines. -If you see flashing lights behind you, do you have to pull all the way over to the side of the lake to let it pass? -How long does it take to come to a full and complete stop once you hit the brakes? Are there brakes? Do the cops know you

don’t have brakes? -Are the hand signals the same? -How to boat in the rain. -Can I boat when there’s a flood warning? -How much different is parallel parking? Do I just go back until I feel a slight bump, like I do in my car? -What is the proper distance to park from the dock? -Which one is starboard, and which one is port? -Is it legal to go upriver, or is it like a one-way street and you have to find a river going up the other way? -Can I pick up hitchhikers in the water? -How much braking distance do you need between your boat and the boat in front of you, bearing in mind that this is not a dry surface? -What to do if you get to a waterfall. -Who gets on the lifeboat first. -How to park on a hill. -What to do about pirates. -How do you lose points? -What to do if your manual gets waterlogged. I mean I have a driver’s license. And in fact, in order to rent a boat, you have to prove that you have a license. And the course is only for powerboats. You don’t need to take a course if you’re renting a

rowboat, even though you’re rowing backwards. Probably because they know you won’t get anywhere. So you definitely don’t need to know braking distance. Why are there no front-view mirrors on a rowboat? You have to trust your passengers. Yet you don’t have to take a course. But I decided to take the course, so I would know what to do if I, for example, hit a pedestrian. Wait, are they called pedestrians? Maybe the course will cover it. Here are some things I learned over the course of…well, over the course. Many of these things I kind of feel I didn’t need to know, as someone renting a boat for a couple of hours in the daytime in the summer in nice weather. In fact, if the weather was bad, they wouldn’t allow us to go out on the water, even if I said, “Yeah, but I read that chapter! I got an 80 on the test!” -How to tell what the weight capacity is on a boat. Turns out it’s on the Capacity Plate. Oh, where’s the capacity plate? This is lesson one. It says, “The capacity plate can generally be found on the inside transom, or next to the helm station.” Oh, okay. I hope the later lessons tell me what those are. -The capacity plate is also how you tell how many people can go on your boat. You can’t do it by counting seats, like you’d think. The person who installs the seats doesn’t know how to check the capacity

plate. Or maybe he installs the seats first and then they do the math, based on how many seats he installed and how many screws he ended up using. So basically, a boat with fewer seats can seat more people than a boat with more seats. -You should carry less weight if you know you’re in for rough weather. “You guys have to stay on the buoy,” you should say, “just until the rain is over. I’ll be back for you unless it gets worse.” -The parts of the boat. That way you can say things, and your family will be like, “What is starboard? Is that right or left? Can’t you just say right or left?” We don’t do this in a car. Page one of the driving book doesn’t tell you what the different sides of the car are called. Maybe the sides of the boat are named because if you say, “Everyone lean right,” people will get confused, because every seat is facing a different direction. Whereas if you say, “Everyone lean starboard,” people will get confused also. But that doesn’t explain station wagons. Though no one has to lean starboard on a station wagon to help it get off a sandbar. -People named Stern would not like what part of the boat they’re named after. -What kind of documentation is necessary to travel overseas. Isn’t all boating overseas?! -Sewage handling, which is not a thing

-Who actually does have right of way. For example, if there’s no one on the other boat, it has right of way. -How to tie the kinds of knots you’re not allowed to tie on Shabbos. -How to drive a car that is dragging a boat trailer, and not lose the boat on a curve. (“Boat overboard!”) And are people allowed to be on the boat? (No.) And

-How everyone else on the boat is called your crew. But if you tried calling them that in a car, they would all put on their headphones. -How to make sure the weight on your boat is balanced without hurting anyone’s feelings. -How to keep taking a headcount every two seconds (which you don’t do in a

Is it legal to go upriver, or is it like a one-way street and you have to find a river going up the other way?

also how to not get rear ended by your own boat. -How far you can back into the water to release a boat and not lose your car. In case your backup camera doesn’t function underwater. -How to communicate to everyone on your boat what you need them to do, in plain English, rather than sounding like a giant boat nerd.

car, unless you have a convertible). -When the best time is to go over emergency procedures with your crew. (Just prior to an emergency, so it’s fresh.) -How to practice for “crew member overboard” situations (by pushing a crew member overboard at the dock). -How to deal with a “crew member overboard” situation if that crew member is the driver.

-How close you’re allowed to get to naval vessels and how fast you’re allowed to go when you’re that close to give them enough time to react to you. -What to do if you hit a manatee, or a sea lion, or two otters holding hands. -That people who are hunting from a boat should definitely sit down when they fire because of recoil. -Which fish you’re allowed to keep and which ones the lake is going to need back at the end of the day. -Not to all lean in one direction to look at something in the water. -That you have to clean and drain your boat if you’re bringing it to a different lake so you don’t cross-contaminate. And also not to say, “I don’t want my pet snapping turtle anymore; I’ll just dump it in the lake when I go up next summer. It’s okay, all bodies of water are connected.” These are the kinds of things they don’t even think about in the car manual.

Mordechai Schmutter is a freelance writer and a humor columnist for Hamodia and other magazines. He has also published eight books and does stand-up comedy. He can be contacted at mschmutter@gmail.com.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

with cars. Maybe coach buses. -Which level of the boat is for people, which is for animals, and which is for the holding tank. -The best time to wear a life jacket. (Actual quote: “When you’re near the water.”) -Why all life jackets come in ugly colors that don’t blend into the ocean. -Not to leave your child in a boat when you step out. Even if you’re just going on shore for a couple of minutes. -When you should blow your boat horn. There’s a whole system of messages based on how many blasts you blow and for how long, that we should really put in the car manual. Though I don’t know how many boat blasts means, “The light is green! Go already!” or “Your carpool is here.” But for example, if you’re pulling out of the dock, you do a Tekiyah, and if you’re backing out of the dock, you follow it up with a Shevarim. I think you only do a Teruah if you’re panicking. -How to use a flare in a way that is not more dangerous that not using a flare. -That boats need fire extinguishers! In case you have no access to water. Or you can wait until the boat sinks, and then the water will put it out. Unless it’s one of those fires that are not put out by water.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Parenting Pearls

Building Anticipation Through Play Small Moments That Support Big Development By Shira Richman, MA, BCBA, LBA

oes your Child: • Seem disinterested in social situations? • Tend to walk away before the fun begins? If so, you’re not alone. Jack loved bubbles. As soon as his mother picked up the bubble bottle, he was pushing and pulling at her, so eager that the bubbles would often spill on the floor before the blowing and popping even started. Then, when Jack’s mom went to wipe up the spill, Jack often wandered off to another toy before she could even finish. The moment was gone. The opportunity for connection was missed. The truth was, when mom was being honest with herself, she knew that even when the bubbles didn’t spill and she got to blow the bubbles for Jack, he reached for the bottle instead of looking at his mom and gaining her attention in order to get more opportunities to pop and to play. The whole interaction felt a bit disconnected and lonely. Why did it feel like mom and Jack weren’t growing closer even as they played together? The answer is not because Jack did not want to connect. It is not because Jack’s mom was doing anything wrong. It was simply about anticipation, cause and effect, shared attention, and Jack needing a little more help to learn how predicting what comes next can lead to social fun. Many children with neurodivergent learning patterns need explicit opportunities to develop anticipation. Rather than naturally watching another person, predicting what will happen next, and sharing the experience, they may look away, become distracted, or move on before the interaction unfolds. Children who look disinterested, however, are faster to develop an interest in sociability when they are provided with practice. Anticipation is a skill, and like many developmental skills, it can be learned through play.

support language development, social connection, and even academic learning.

Everyday Games That Build Anticipation

Simple Games Help Children Learn and Connect Many of the games young children love most have something in common. They include a moment of buildup leading to a fun and exciting result. Think about how peek-a-boo, blowing bubbles and tickles, for example, naturally fall into this category. What makes these moments so exciting isn’t just the activity itself – it’s actually the build-up. That moment of waiting. That pause right before something happens. That feeling is called anticipation, and it plays an important role in development. While these games may seem simple, they are doing much more than entertaining your child. They are helping build foundational skills that support communication, predictive learning, and social interaction.

What is Anticipation? Anticipation is the ability to recognize that something is about to happen. Socially, it’s the ability to recognize that another person is about to do something. This social anticipation signals the benefit of staying engaged

long enough to experience what happens next as well as the building blocks for learning how to use communication to help steer these social and concrete anticipated outcomes. For many children, this develops naturally. They watch someone raise the bubble wand and smile before the bubbles appear. They giggle during the pause before a tickle because they know what’s coming next. These moments may seem simple, but they represent an important developmental milestone. Children are learning to predict.

Why Anticipation Matters When a child hears “Ready…set…” and pauses, waiting for “go,” they are learning to predict what comes next. This may seem small, but it is a powerful skill. When children begin anticipating what comes next, they are learning so much more than prediction. They are developing the ability to: • Understand cause and effect • Recognize predictable patterns • Stay engaged with another person • Develop joint attention • Strengthen communication skills These are all foundational skills that

You don’t need special materials or long activities to build anticipation. Many simple, everyday games naturally support this skill. Try incorporating these games into your morning, afternoon, and evening routines: • Peek-a-boo • “Ready…set…go!” games (running, jumping, sliding) • Bubbles (pause before blowing) • Tickles (pause before the tickle) • Jack-in-the-box or pop-up toys When playing these games with your child, be mindful of your tone, facial expression, and body language. Be fully present, and aware of your timing, because the key is not just the activity…it’s the pause before the action. That pause is where the learning happens.

How to Play With Purpose To make the most of these games, slow things down just a bit. Create a moment of anticipation by: • Using a predictable phrase (“Here it comes…”) • Pausing before the exciting part • Waiting a second longer than usual Watch your child’s reaction. Do they smile? Lean forward? Look at you? Try to say “go”? These are all signs that your child is beginning to understand and participate in the pattern. Over time, your child may begin to fill in the missing piece: saying “go,” reaching for the bubbles, or signaling for the next turn. This is how play begins to turn into connection and even communication.

How These Games Work

Building Skills Through Repetition Like any developmental skill, anticipation grows with practice and repeated experiences. Therefore, the more often you play these simple games, the better. The more consistently you are able to engage your child by incorporating these

• Stay engaged longer • Participate more actively • Begin to request the game The more predictable the pattern, the easier it is for children to learn from it.

Simple Games Help Children Learn Anticipation is more than just a playful moment. It is a building block for learning. Children who develop antici-

While these games may seem simple, they are doing much more than entertaining your child.

activities into your already established routine (wake-up time, bath time, pajama time), the more easily your child may begin to recognize the play patterns and participate and the sooner your child will begin to: • Recognize patterns • Feel confident in what comes next

pation skills are better able to: • Understand routines • Engage in reciprocal social interactions • Participate in back-and-forth communication • Predict what will happen next in their environment

• Initiate a sequence of fun with a parent, adult or peer These are skills that support success at home, in school, and in social settings. These are the games where children are not just playing; they are learning to connect, predict, and engage with the world around them. Sometimes, the most meaningful learning happens in the simplest moments. Shira Richman, MA, BCBA, LBA is the proud owner of 5 Minute ABA and developer of 5MinuteABA/ MadgeBadge Parenting App. She has spent over 20 years consulting with Directors of Special Education across New York, providing support and training to teachers, psychologists and principals regarding Behavior Plan and IEP Goal development, establishing aide-fading protocols, and increasing mainstreaming and inclusion opportunities. She conducts district-wide and individualized staff and parent trainings, and is the author of Raising a Child with Autism: A Guide to Applied Behavior Analysis for Parents and Encouraging Appropriate Behavior for Children on the Autism Spectrum: Frequently Asked Questions. For more parenting strategies and neurodiversity tips, or to contact Shira Richman, download mobile iOS App: 5MinuteABA/ MadgeBadge Parenting App

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

Anticipation games create a clear and repeatable pattern: Something starts … there is a pause … then something exciting happens. Over time, children begin to recognize this pattern. They begin to think: “I know what’s coming next.” Because of the pause, they begin to look towards the adult instead of away. They begin to wait during that pause to experience what’s coming next. They may smile, or reach, or even imitate your words and request what it is that they know is about to happen. This anticipation is exactly the understanding that builds the foundation for more complex skills, such as: • Following directions • Requesting • Participating in reciprocal conversations • Understanding routines • Engaging in back-and-forth interaction These repeated experiences help children understand that another person’s words, tone, body language and actions predict what is coming next, and for many children, especially children with autism or children who tend to benefit from structured and predictable interactions,

these games provide a clear, engaging way to learn.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Relationships

Rewired

Is My Marriage Normal? By Bassy Schwartz, LMFT

act: the marriage is the nucleus of the home. Before children are participating in the emotional climate of a household, they witness and observe the relationship between the adults who create it. The way spouses communicate, handle stress, repair after conflict, and respond to one another’s needs does not stay contained within the marriage. It becomes part of the emotional environment of the entire family. When a marriage feels connected, secure, and respectful, the whole home benefits. When there is ongoing tension, unresolved resentment, or emotional distance between spouses, that also has an impact. This does not mean children are harmed by seeing their parents disagree. Conflict is a normal part of any marriage. Two people bringing together different personalities, backgrounds, expectations, and needs will inevitably have moments where they see things differently. A healthy marriage is not one without conflict; it is one where conflict can be navigated with respect, repair, and a willingness to understand one another. The more important question is not whether a couple fights. The question is

what happens when they do. Are disagreements opportunities to understand each other better, or do they become cycles where the same arguments repeat without resolution? Do both partners feel heard, valued, and respected, or does one person consistently feel alone in carrying the emotional weight of the relationship? As the adults in the home, we have a responsibility to pay attention to what is happening in our marriages. Not every challenge requires outside support. Many couples are able to work through normal seasons of stress, adjustment, and disagreement on their own. But there is wisdom in recognizing when something that may even feel manageable has become something that is affecting the emotional health of the family. Many couples wait until they are in crisis before seeking help. They tell themselves, “We’re still functioning.” They are still parenting, working, managing work and every other responsibility, and showing up. But functioning does not always mean thriving. Sometimes the cost of avoiding an issue for too long becomes far greater than the effort

it would have taken to address it earlier. Marriage challenges rarely appear overnight. Often, it is the accumulation of small disappointments, unresolved conversations, unmet needs, and repeated patterns that slowly create distance between two people.

What are the issues that may require more attention? Sometimes, it is consistent tension in the relationship, where the home feels heavier than it should. Sometimes, it is one partner feeling like they are carrying more than their share of the responsibilities while feeling unseen or unsupported. Sometimes, it is financial stress that has moved beyond a practical concern and has begun affecting trust, communication, and emotional connection. For almost every couple, intimacy is an area that carries more weight than they realize. Physical closeness is often connected to emotional safety, communication, expectations, and feeling valued within the relationship. When couples struggle in this area, it can create feelings of rejection, loneliness, con-

fusion, or resentment that are difficult to navigate without support. (I wish I could get more into this here, but you’ll have to find more on our website for that corerelationships.com.) Other challenges may include physical illness that is being managed but continues to impact the family dynamic, mismanaged expectations about marriage or roles, fertility struggles, differences in fertility goals, ongoing disappointment, or resentment that has accumulated over time. Parenting can also become a major source of stress within a marriage. Couples may have different approaches to discipline, different expectations of their roles, or find themselves struggling with children who have their own emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenges. Extended family dynamics, including difficult in-law relationships, can create additional strain. Spiritual differences, changes in religious observance, or differing expectations around values and traditions can also require careful navigation. These issues are common. But common does not mean they are easy, and

common does not mean they should simply be endured.

You thought I was going to say therapy, didn’t you? I’ll get there. Therapy is one valuable resource, but it is not the only avenue of support. Sometimes, family members or close friends who know you well and can offer thoughtful, constructive guidance can be an excellent first step. The important distinction is choosing people who help you move toward understanding and resolution, rather than simply taking sides or reinforcing frustration. For some couples, speaking with an experienced rabbi or rebbetzin can provide meaningful support. Community leaders, leaders of organizations specializing in your struggle may also be helpful resources. A local halacha expert can provide important guidance when navigating questions related to intimacy, family planning and halachic concerns. And sometimes, the right support is a therapist who has experience and credibility in the specific area you are navigating. Couples therapy is not only

How do you know when it is time to seek help? It may be time when an issue has become persistent rather than temporary.

one area of struggle is affecting other parts of your relationship or your family life. When you cannot find common ground despite your best efforts. When you no longer feel equipped to navigate the issue without a third party. It may be time when you would genuinely benefit from expert guidance. Not because your marriage is failing, but because your marriage matters

Two people bringing together different personalities, backgrounds, expectations, and needs will inevitably have moments where they see things differently.

When the same concern continues to resurface without resolution. When the issue feels draining and demands more emotional energy than either person can continue to give. It may be time when you notice that

enough to invest in. It may be time when you feel lonely in your marriage and need reassurance that what you are experiencing is common, understandable, and something that can be worked through.

And sometimes, it is time simply because you are human. We all need help sometimes. A strong marriage is not one that never struggles. It is one where two people are willing to notice what is happening, take responsibility for their part, seek understanding, and choose each other through the difficult seasons. The question is not whether your marriage has challenges. Every marriage does. The question is whether those challenges are being addressed in a way that protects the relationship, the home, and the people inside it.

Bassy Schwartz, LMFT is the founder of Core Relationships, a boutique therapy practice in the Five Towns offering individual, couples, and family therapy. Her work centers on helping clients build safer, more authentic connections by healing the patterns that block intimacy and trust. Bassy is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and integrates trauma-informed care and relational insight in her approach. She believes therapy is not about “fixing” people — it’s about creating the safety to be fully human.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

Who can help?

for marriages that are falling apart. It can be a space to understand patterns, improve communication, rebuild connection, and strengthen the relationship before the distance becomes too great.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Parenting Pearls

I’m Sorry By Sara Rayvych, MSEd

ne of the bedtime books currently in circulation in our home is titled “I’m Sorry.” The rambunctious puppy inadvertently knocks over his friends and creates chaos as he chases a squirrel. When the game is over, the puppy wants to play with his friends but finds they’re avoiding him. He has to apologize and make them feel better before they once again are eager to join him in a fun game. My little one enjoyed the book enough to begin reciting it by heart. It was rather cute hearing that high-pitched voice say “oops!” throughout the book. The story is probably easy for a child to understand with its simple language and colorful graphics. It’s also very relatable to adults who often find children making these types of mistakes. As humans, we all make mistakes. Children happen to be exceptionally talented in the fine art of mistake-making. Sometimes, it’s because they don’t know the correct actions, but other times, it’s simply a lack of self-control to behave correctly. Understanding how to respond to the many situations of childhood errors that will come up is a surprisingly frequent part of parenting. Additionally, during many of these situations, the parents themselves may have their own emotions – such as embarrassment or anger – that come up.

Language and Development Kids lack an adult’s level of language. They can’t communicate at the level we do, and they can miscommunicate that much faster. What may be a minor discussion between adults can become a full brawl between children. Where an adult may communicate verbally, a child will quickly resort to yelling, grabbing or hitting. This causes many childhood conflicts that appear unnecessary. Children can also become very upset over seemingly minor issues. For example, how often do adults have arguments over their cookie being broken or being slightly smaller than their friend’s? Children are also cognitively less mature and fail to understand the world around them at an adult level. Where adults can see gray, children may see only

black-and-white. In situations where an adult can understand the other person’s viewpoint, a child only recognizes their own. It’s actually rather frustrating trying to speak to a child who can only see things their own way and doesn’t realize how wrong they may be. We can provide children with the language to help them navigate their interpersonal relationships, and we can educate children on how to make amends beyond the perfunctory “say sorry.” The goal is to help children learn how to state their needs, avoid fights and deescalate tense situations.

Attitude & Approach Parents may become very upset by some of the many talented errors their precious children can make. Children break expensive items in the house, they make tremendous messes, and they fight with each other. They can be disrespectful and act in ways that embarrass the adults around them. It feels too frequent that parents need to take a step back and think of how to address yet another childhood insanity. Having a healthy attitude and understanding of their child’s actions can help keep some of their child’s behaviors in perspective as they decide how to best address the current damage. There are many things that are obvious to adults but not to children. For example, parents consider it self-evident that a room full of glass and other fragile items is a poor place for a vigorous football game. Sadly, that isn’t so clear to children who will do exactly that and then be shocked when something breaks. Often, it seems that children think rules are only there because adults got bored and needed to make restrictions and not because there is a valid reason for that rule. Parents often assign specific intent to their child’s actions when really their child wasn’t thinking logically or at all. What seems intentional to us is often a lack of planning, understanding of the rules/situation, or self-control. Even when their actions are intentional, they still don’t completely recognize the full repercussions of their actions. Remembering this can often

help parents remain somewhat calmer when addressing the situation. Parents need to patiently and clearly explain the rules using simple language. With little kids especially, we need to limit the number of words we use. Don’t assume kids intuitively know we don’t throw balls in the dining room or color on walls. Instead, give them simple instructions: “Balls are for outside only.” “No balls in the house.” This is an appropriate time to mention the Mishna in Avos (5:11) that describes a person who is slow to anger but quick to calm down as pious. Unfortunately, it’s too easy to be the opposite. Parents should try to be patient with their precious youngsters and calm down quickly when they do become upset. In parenting, it is rarely helpful to hold onto negative feelings. Many of the things kids do could potentially make their parents upset. As challenging as it is, parents should try to remove their personal feelings from the situation and calm down before addressing their child. Obviously, a child should be removed from any danger immediately, but the more thoughtful chinuch lessons are best imparted when not seething in anger. In addition to calming down quickly, we shouldn’t hold their misbehavior against them in the future or hold a grudge. We certainly shouldn’t constantly remind them of their mistakes. It’s emotionally unhealthy for both the adults and the children and creates an unpleasant environment. We can encourage corrective actions. It’s easier to do things ourselves, but that often takes away from the lesson and the natural consequences that exist in this world. All consequences should be both appropriate to the child’s age and development and should match the level of the offense. For example, messes should be cleaned up by the child themselves. Par-

ents may need to assist depending on the child’s age and development. Children can do chores or some other means to pay back for damaged items. Our actions should reflect our values. The parents’ response should match the level of the child’s behavior and not the parents’ personal feelings or anger. For example, if parents become very angry when something is broken but react less severely when one child injures another, they are demonstrating a higher value to the broken item than to the damage caused to a person. Adults also make mistakes, and we can be forgiving of others and ourselves. There is a teshuva process to help us better ourselves and not to simply push ourselves down. People who feel low have trouble acting true to their potential, while those who recognize their potential can succeed. We set the example we want our child to follow. When we can be slow to anger, quick to calm, forgiving and understanding of others we have provided our child with a precious life lesson. Our children will naturally make many mistakes as they grow and learn to become ovdei Hashem. How we respond to their mishaps plays an important role in their chinuch and sense of self. It is definitely one area where we build ourselves as we build our children. We set the example we want our child to follow.

Sara Rayvych, MSEd, holds a master’s degree in general and special education. She has been homeschooling for over 15 years. Sara provides personalized parent mentoring services, addressing a variety of general and specific parenting concerns. She can be contacted at Sara.Rayvych@gmail.com with comments, questions or for private consultations.

Health & F tness

By Hary Askotzky

here is probably a conversation you have been meaning to have. A business owner knows an employee is not meeting expectations but also knows the employee is carrying something difficult at home. A school leader sees a problem with a staff member but understands how hard the year has been. A nonprofit leader keeps working around a volunteer because addressing the issue may create tension in the community. A parent sees that a child is struggling and keeps postponing a conversation about responsibility, behavior, or what needs to change. These are very different relationships, but the instinct behind the delay is often the same. We understand why the situation is difficult, so we give it more time. Then more time. Eventually, the understanding becomes the reason nothing is said. Empathy matters. Leaders, parents, and community members who cannot see another person’s circumstances can do real damage. But there is a version of empathy that quietly becomes its own problem. It allows us to feel compassionate while avoiding the discomfort of being direct. That is not empathy at its best. It is avoidance with a more acceptable name. The person we believe we are protecting often pays the highest price. An employee continues without the feedback needed to improve. A staff member remains unsure about where things stand. A volunteer keeps repeating a pattern that frustrates everyone around them. A child senses that a parent is concerned but never hears clearly what the concern is or what is expected. The conversation does not disappear. It waits. While it waits, people fill the silence with their own explanations. Resentment grows. Expectations become less credible. Others notice that some

problems are discussed openly while others are managed through hints, workarounds, and private frustration. The distinction worth making is between empathy as understanding and empathy as permission.

ity and leaves everyone else carrying the consequences. Circumstances matter. Expectations may need to be adjusted. Support may need to be added. A timeline may need to change. Sometimes, the right answer

There is a version of empathy that quietly becomes its own problem.

Empathy as understanding says: I see that this has been difficult for you. That understanding should shape the tone of the conversation, the timing, the support offered, and the patience we bring to what happens next. Empathy as permission says: because this has been difficult for you, I will avoid saying what still needs to be said. That may feel kinder in the moment, but it often leaves the other person without clar-

really is to wait. But waiting should be a conscious decision with a purpose, not the automatic result of our own discomfort. One useful test is to ask what you would say if the difficult circumstances were temporarily removed from the picture. If the performance issue, behavior, or unresolved concern would still require a conversation, then the conversation probably still needs to happen. The circumstances should influence how you

have it. They should not automatically decide whether you have it. This can be especially complicated in close communities. The person may be a colleague, neighbor, friend, fellow parent, volunteer, donor, or someone we will see in shul the next morning. Relationships overlap. A direct conversation can feel as though it will travel far beyond the room in which it happens. But that closeness makes clarity more important, not less. When people continue living, working, volunteering, and raising families alongside one another, unresolved tension does not remain neatly contained. It appears in side conversations, strained relationships, inconsistent standards, and problems that become harder to address later. The answer is not to choose between kindness and honesty. It is to hold both at the same time: I understand this has been difficult for you, and I want to support you. I also need to be honest about what I am seeing and what needs to change. Both sentences can belong in the same conversation. Is there a situation you have been giving space to that actually needs a direct conversation? If so, what is the delay costing the person who still needs to hear from you?

Rabbi Harayl Askotzky is the founder of The PRISM Group, where he helps leaders build healthier organizations through greater clarity, accountability, and ownership. He previously served nearly two decades as Chief Administrative Officer of Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes in Miami and is the author of The CREATOR Blueprint. He can be reached at hary@theprismgroup.org.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

When Empathy Becomes Avoidance

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Health & F tness

A Fabulous Field Trip By Hylton I. Lightman, MD, DCH (SA), FAAP

Dr. Lightman studying Sefer Yeshayahu from the scroll written by the Navi Yeshayahu himself

n recent trip to Israel, my wife insisted we visit the Israel Museum’s exhibition “Comfort from the Desert: The Complete Isaiah Scroll.” I’m glad she did. The Israel Museum is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and to mark this milestone, it has chosen to display for four months one of the world’s most important treasures in its collection and, in my opinion, the world: the original scroll of Sefer Yeshayahu in its entirety. It was perhaps the only opportunity we will ever have to see it all its glory the oldest Biblical manuscript ever discovered.

What are the Dead Sea Scrolls? The Dead Sea Scrolls is a collection of about 900 ancient manuscripts and thousands of fragments thereof from the era of the second Beis HaMikdash. Copies of every book in Tanach (except for Megillas Esther) are contained therein. Additional writings include community rules and religious calendars.

They were found in the area known as Qumran, which means “moon” or “riverbed.” This was an area where Essenes people had settled in the 2nd century. Their daily life was structured around sunrise prayers, manual labor, ritual bathing, silent meals and evening study. Its core principles included common wealth, whereby all clothing, food and earnings went into a community pot; extreme cleanliness as physical cleanliness was viewed as a direction reflection of spiritual holiness; strict discipline, including a three-year probation for new members before they could join communal meals; and observing Shabbos as a day of prayer, meditation and rest. Roman troops destroyed the settlement around 68 CE. Because some of the Scrolls were in poor condition, scholars have not been able to identify all their texts.

Discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls The Scrolls were discovered by

chance in late 1946 or early 1947 by Muhammed edh-Dhib, a Bedouin shepherd and his cousins. Looking for a lost goat near the ruins of Qumran, he tossed a rock into a rocky crevice and heard a jar break. Curious, he crawled inside where he found several tall cylindrical clay jars containing leather and papyrus scrolls wrapped in linen. He brought them back to the family’s camp, and amazingly, none were destroyed in the process. They hung the parchments on a tent pole, contemplating what to do with them. Sefer Yeshayahu was one of the seven major manuscripts in this initial discovery. Word got out about the Scrolls. Bedouins and others started searching for caves. Between 1947 and 1956, they found 11 caves with both entire scrolls and tiny fragments of scrolls. The shepherds tried selling the “initial” scrolls to an antique dealer in Bethlehem, but he deemed them worthless. They eventually left them with a shoemaker and antique dealer named Khalil

Eskander Shahin, also known as Kando, who bought four scrolls. Mar Athanasius Samuel, the Archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church, bought the other four scrolls for the princely sum of $100 and returned to Jerusalem. In November 1947, Eliezer Sukenik, a pioneering Israeli archaeologist, purchased three of the scrolls from the antiques dealer in Bethlehem. A hashgacha pratis moment: Sukenik examined the texts in his Jerusalem study on November 29, 1947 – the exact night the United Nations voted on the partition plan that led to the creation of the Jewish state.

Drama Violence was escalating as the British Mandate was ending, and the establishment of the State of Israel was dawning. Believing the scrolls were unsafe in Jerusalem, Mar Samuel smuggled his trove of four scrolls out of the country and brought them to the United States. For several years, he tried selling them to American museums and universities

Why is This Exhibition Significant? The Dead Sea Scrolls provide a direct physical link to Jewish life, faith and history during the period of Bayis Sheni. Further, they are historical proof of the accurate, careful transmission of Tanach over two millennia.

sefer at this very moment. Why am I, a pediatrician, writing about this exhibition and advocating for field trips? For all the reasons listed above, I am writing about this exhibition and urging people to see it before it closed in the middle of September.

They are historical proof of the accurate, careful transmission of Tanach over two millennia.

The experience of being with 20 other people in a very controlled room with only seven minutes (this exhibition is highly regulated by the Israel Museum in order to protect the scrolls) to see and read Sefer Yeshayahu in the prophet’s handwriting was quite heady. My wife was especially thrilled as the OU Woman’s Initiative Nach Yomi is learning this

I consider this a field trip. Field trips are not limited to school age children or teenagers only. Field trips provide real-world experiences. They can expand one’s world, stimulating the desire to learn more about a topic. They can connect parts of one’s life, making for a richer, stimulating picture. Studies actually show that field trips can increase

critical thinking skills. There is also a social aspect. We showed our grandchildren pictures of the Navi Yeshayahu’s actual writing and how he added in sentences. They were fascinated. I promise this is true. We connected with our grandchildren through yet another dimension and told them highlights of the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We expanded their world. I can only imagine what they might say if the topic ever comes up in their classrooms. This is called handing over the mesorah. I hope the Navi himself is schepping nachas from his place in Olam Haba. As always, daven.

Dr. Hylton Lightman MD DCH(SA) FAAP is a board-certified pediatrician and the Medical Director of Suffolk Health Five Towns. He adores his patients and tolerates their parents. His life’s mission is to deliver quality health care to babies, children, teenagers and young adults so they bring their children and grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) to him. He loves what he does.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

but to no avail. Buyers feared legal and authenticity issues. On June 1, 1954, The Wall Street Journal had an advertisement under miscellaneous items for sale: “Biblical Manuscripts dating back to at least 200 BCE.” An American bought them for $250,000. Unbeknownst to Mar Samuel, who refused to sell them directly to Israel for political reasons, the American Jewish philanthropist D. Samuel Gottesman (as in Yeshiva University’s Gottesman Library) gave the money. The purchaser was Yigal Yadin, Sukenik’s son and a former military commander who turned to archaeology full-time after his military service. Yadin had negotiated the transaction through secret intermediaries. He returned to Israel with them, uniting all seven original manuscripts at The Hebrew University and later housing them in the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book. Kando spent the rest of his life in Bethlehem, leveraging his reputation to become the main middleman between the Bedouin community and archaeologists. He facilitated the recovery of thousands more scroll fragments over the next decade.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Health & F tness

You’re Eating Healthy, So Why Don’t You Feel Your Best? By Ariella Kaplan, ANutr

“I

eat well. I exercise. I take care of myself. So why don’t I feel my best?” This is one of the most common questions I hear from women who are already making a genuine effort to prioritize their health. They are cooking more meals at home, choosing nutritious foods, exercising regularly, reading ingredient labels, and trying to make healthier choices for themselves and their families. Yet despite all that effort, many still feel like something is missing. They may feel constantly tired, struggle with digestive discomfort, find it harder to manage their weight, or simply feel that they are not functioning at their best. The answer is rarely one single thing. Health is influenced by many factors, including nutrition, sleep, stress, movement, genetics, and our environment. While what we eat is incredibly important, another piece of the conversation that has gained attention in recent years is clean living—being more mindful of the products and chemicals we are exposed to every day.

What Does “Clean Living” Really Mean? The term “clean living” has become increasingly popular, but it means different things to different people. For some, it means focusing on whole foods and reducing highly processed foods. For others, it means paying closer attention to ingredients in skincare, household products, and food storage materials. Unfortunately, social media has sometimes turned clean living into an all-ornothing lifestyle, making people feel as though they need to replace everything in their home immediately or avoid countless products out of fear. That is not the goal. A realistic approach to clean living is about awareness, not perfection. It is about understanding where small changes may be beneficial and making choices that are practical for your lifestyle.

Understanding Everyday Exposures One area that researchers continue to study is the role of certain environmental

chemicals known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These substances can be found in some plastics, food packaging, cosmetics, fragrances, and household products. They are called endocrine disruptors because research suggests they may interfere with the body’s natural hormone signaling. Hormones influence many important processes in the body, including metabolism, energy levels, mood, and reproductive health. While this is an area of ongoing research, becoming more aware of everyday exposures allows us to make informed decisions. The goal is not to create fear around every product in your home. The goal is to understand where simple changes can be made without adding unnecessary stress.

Looking at the Kitchen The kitchen is often one of the easiest places to begin. Many families rely on plastic containers because they are convenient and practical. However, factors such as heat and wear over time can affect how ma-

terials interact with food. Some simple habits to consider include choosing glass containers when replacing old food storage containers, avoiding heating food in plastic whenever possible, using glass or stainless steel water bottles when practical, and replacing containers that are cracked, scratched, or worn. These changes do not need to happen overnight. Gradual changes are often more sustainable because they become part of your normal routine rather than another overwhelming task on your to-do list.

Taking a Closer Look at Personal Care Products Many women use numerous personal care products every day, including shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, makeup, deodorant, and skincare. Because these products are used so frequently, some people choose to become more selective about the ingredients they use regularly. A realistic approach is not to throw away everything in your bathroom. Instead, consider making thoughtful swaps as products run out. For exam-

Creating a Healthier Home Environment Beyond what we eat and what we put on our skin, our home environment also plays a role in our overall exposure. Many people are becoming more mindful of products such as air fresheners, scented candles, and heavily fragranced laundry products. This does not mean these products can never be used. Rather, it is about considering how many scented

know what advice to follow. Every week there seems to be a new ingredient to avoid, a new trend to follow, or a new product promising better health. But true wellness is not built through fear or perfection. The foundations still matter most: eating enough protein, consuming plenty of fiber-rich foods, staying active, sleeping well, managing stress, and creating habits that are realistic long term. Clean living is simply another layer of supporting your health.

Finding What Works for You A healthier lifestyle does not require perfection. It is built through small, intentional choices that fit into your everyday routine—whether that means choosing glass over plastic when replacing containers, being mindful of unnecessary

It is about understanding where small changes may be beneficial and making choices that are practical for your lifestyle.

products are used regularly and whether there are opportunities to simplify. Small adjustments can make a difference without turning your home into another source of stress.

Looking Beyond the Products One woman I worked with came to me feeling frustrated because she was already doing so many things “right.” She prepared healthy meals, exercised consistently, and was very mindful about her choices. Yet she still felt overwhelmed by the amount of conflicting health information online. She was unsure which changes actually mattered and which trends she could ignore. Rather than giving her another strict list of rules, we looked at the bigger picture: her nutrition, lifestyle habits, stress levels, routines, and the products she was using regularly. Together, we identified a few realistic areas where she could make changes without adding more pressure to her life. This is often the biggest shift I see with clients—not a complete lifestyle overhaul but gaining clarity around which changes are actually worth focusing on.

Not Another Source of Stress With so much health information available today, it can feel impossible to

fragrances, reading labels when purchasing new products, or simply becoming more aware of daily habits. If you feel like you are already eating well and making healthy choices, but still do not feel your best, it may be time to look beyond your plate. Through personalized nutrition consultations, I help women look at the complete picture, including their nutrition, lifestyle habits, daily routines, and health goals, to identify realistic strategies that fit their lives. The goal is not to create more rules or add more stress. It is to provide clarity, guidance, and a plan that feels sustainable. Health is not about doing everything perfectly. It is about making informed choices that support you and your family in the long term.

Ariella Kaplan, ANutr, is a Registered Associate Nutritionist and the founder of The British Nutritionist. She sees clients at her private practice in Cedarhurst and through her telehealth clinic, providing evidence-based nutrition support for hormone health, gut health, weight management, pregnancy, postpartum nutrition, and overall wellness. Her personalized approach helps women build sustainable habits that support long-term health.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

ple, some women choose fragrance-free options for products used daily or select simpler formulas when replacing items they already need. The goal is not to create another list of things to worry about. It is simply to become more intentional about the choices being made.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

AI, Going

Up?

API Agreements By Dov Pavel

hen you book a flight and see seat availability across ten airlines on one screen, that seamless experience rests on invisible infrastructure. Each airline maintains their own sealed-off data system. Yet all that information appears at once, in one place. The reverse is equally true, when you search for flights on ten different travel websites, those sites pull real-time data from the same airline databases. That seamless flow in both directions, many sources feeding one screen and one source feeding many screens, has been running invisibly for twenty years. It’s called an API. Until AI arrived, using one typically required being a developer. With AI, that barrier was just removed.

The Pipe Between Programs An API (Application Programming Interface) is an agreement between two software systems about how to ask for information and deliver it. It’s a pipe. Your program asks for something in a specific format, and the other program sends back an answer through the same pipe. Most of the internet runs on these pipes. When you check weather on your phone, that app asks a weather service’s

API for the forecast. These conversations happen millions of times per second. The infrastructure powering them has been invisible to most people and inaccessible to anyone without technical skills.

pect questions in a specific way. An API needs to know if you want today’s weather or tomorrow’s, Fahrenheit or Celsius, Miami or New York. You provide that information in the exact format it expects.

What Changed with AI

The Translation Layer: JSON

AI changes this entirely. AI can understand what you want in plain language, translate that into an API request, and translate the answer back. For the first time, you can ask an AI to talk to another system on your behalf without understanding the technical language between machines. To use an API with AI, you need to understand three concepts. Endpoints are addresses. Like typing Google.com in a browser, an API endpoint is a specific address where information lives. A weather API might have one endpoint for forecasts, another for historical weather data. Authentication is proof you have permission. You get a key (a long string of characters that looks like gibberish) that proves you can ask for information. It is like a password, and it should bever be shared publicly. The format is how you ask. APIs ex-

When you talk to Claude in plain English, you’re not speaking the language APIs understand. APIs most often speak JSON, a standard format for organizing information that both humans and machines can read. If you asked a restaurant for a reservation, you’d say, “I need a table for two on Sunday at 7 PM.” An API can’t understand that. But it understands the same information structured like this: { “party_size”: 2, “date”: “Sunday”, “time”: “7:00 PM” } When you tell AI “I need a weather forecast for Boston tomorrow in Fahrenheit,” Claude translates automatically. It converts your request to JSON, sends it to the API, and the API sends back a response, also in JSON. Claude or ChatGPT then converts that response back into a

sentence you can read. It does this translation work in both directions every time you make an API request.

Setting It Up Find an API that interests you—financial data, weather, sports statistics, or information from a service you use. Tell your favorite AI: “I want to set up an API with [service name]. Help me create an account, find the API key, and identify the endpoint.” The AI will walk you through the setup and identifies exactly what you need. Once you have the API key, store it safely like a password. Its best to never paste it into a chat window. Instead, save it where the AI can use it without exposing it asked for AI’s help with this. Then ask: “Using my saved weather API key, pull tomorrow’s forecast for Boston from this endpoint.” Claude formats the request, calls the endpoint, receives the data, and presents it in plain language.

The Practical Reality Say you run a small business and want a morning briefing with customer data, sales figures, and key metrics. Tradition-

Data collection to publication to sharing, all automatic. Multiple APIs orchestrated by one scheduled task handle the entire workflow.

APIs Vs. MCPs: When to Use Which Article 3 covered MCPs, connectors that give Claude direct access to Gmail,

use APIs. MCPs are the highway. APIs are the back roads and sometimes you need the back roads.

Try It Out Pick an API that connects to something you already use or something you’re curious about. Weather data, financial information, sports statistics, competi-

For the first time, you can ask an AI to talk to another system on your behalf without understanding the technical language between machines.

Google Drive, and QuickBooks. You might wonder why you’d use an API if MCPs exist. MCPs work for popular applications you probably already use. But for specialized services, industry-specific data sources, or tools without an MCP yet, you

tor pricing—there are thousands of APIs out there waiting to be connected. Tell your favorite AI what you want to accomplish and which service has the data. Let it guide you through the setup. See what you can automate. Set it up once. Do it a second time, and

it’ll become part of your skill set. The first API feels like navigating unfamiliar territory. The second one feels like pattern recognition. By the third time, you’re no longer learning; you are a vibe coding developer.

What Comes Next As a curious non-developer, you now have options now that didn’t exist even months ago. Work with MCPs for mainstream software. Explore APIs for specialized needs. Or do both, layering them into workflows that would have required a development team five years ago. The elevator keeps going up. See you in two weeks. Have a topic you’d like me to cover? I would genuinely love to hear from you.

Dov is a partner at Bond-Bridge Consultants, a firm dedicated to helping small businesses navigate and implement AI solutions. He writes about AI with a focus on practical application for everyday users and organizations. He can be reached at Dov@ Bond-Bridge.com. Previous columns are available at GoingUpWithAI.Substack.com.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

ally that required a developer. Using Cowork (the Claude automation tool from Article 7), you set up a scheduled task that runs at 7 AM. That task tells Claude: “Use this API to pull yesterday’s sales data, use this other API to get customer metrics, then write me a summary.” Claude pulls the data through the APIs, synthesizes it, and drops a summary in a folder you designated, all while you sleep. You never opened a browser. You never copied a number. Or monitor competitor pricing. Create a scheduled task that says: “Check this API for competitor pricing on product X, compare it to our price, flag anything significant.” Every day, Claude pulls the data and alerts you if something changed. APIs are the plumbing that fetch data. Cowork is the automation that makes it run on schedule. Together, they handle work that used to require a developer. My Morning Bro project from last column demonstrates this in production. This daily sports newsletter runs automatically at 7 AM. The Cowork task pulls data from various sources, then combines them into a two-minute read. Claude publishes it via the Substack API and posts to social media using each platforms API.

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Book

Marked

Take What I Have By Raffi Crouse

Reviewing: “The Koren Selihot, Minhag Lita,” The Reid Family Edition. With introduction and commentary by Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter. Piyutim translation by Sara Daniel. First Hebrew/English Edition, 2022. Koren Publishers Jerusalem. Hardcover.

n Erev Rosh Hashana, we say a selicha called Melech Echad Yihyeh, where the word King opens and closes every stanza. One of them puts Him on the throne of judgment over small and great alike, seeing who repents with all his heart and who repents like a dog. Like a dog. Whose dog? The note underneath does not answer on the spot. It sends you back to Selicha 28, which is where Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter takes the question up. It’s Mishlei’s dog, the one that returns to its vomit, and the pasuk finishes: so is a fool who repeats his folly. The Gemara in Yoma applies it to a man who repeats an aveira until he stops experiencing it as one. The Mishna there is harsher still. A person who says, “I will sin and repent, I will sin and repent,” is not given the chance to repent. That’s who we’re describing, out loud, standing up, on the last day of the year. Not the other fellow. Us. Rabbi Schacter does not leave us there, and the way he gets us out is the reason to own this Selichot. In this Selicha, he writes, “We are declaring that we will not behave this way.” Then he takes the harder case. Teshuva is a gift from a kind and merciful G-d, and a man who sins while relying on it is abusing that gift and will not be helped toward teshuva. But “should they do so on their own, it will be accepted.” That’s one note out of hundreds in the Koren Publishers Jerusalem edition (korenpub.com), and they run beneath the davening, tied to the words in front of you, answering while they are still in your mouth. Why does anyone need this now, weeks before the first Motzei Shabbat? Because the arithmetic is harder on us than on anybody else. Rabbi Schacter lays out the dates the Rishonim proposed, and they are all over the calendar. Some communities began on

Rosh Chodesh Elul, the first of the forty days Moshe Rabbeinu spent on the mountain for the second luchot. We start on the Motzei Shabbat before Rosh Hashana, and the Levush explains why it has to be a Motzei Shabbat. A fixed day, so nobody errs. Do the arithmetic on that. When Rosh Hashana falls on Thursday or Shabbat, there are four days. Four days of medieval Hebrew, at chatzot and again before first light. And the guarantee attached to the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy – that these words never return empty – is not unconditional. Rabbeinu Bachya says it belongs to the one who understands what he is saying. The Chida rules that saying them without kavana is assur outright. Nobody acquires that standing in shul at chatzot. That is what the weeks before are for. A warning before you buy it. The introduction is a 70-page monograph with hundreds of footnotes, and nobody’s reading it on the drive to shul. It’s also not the part you daven with, and it is worth the trouble, because Rabbi Schacter is after something larger than a translation. He opens it with three questions. Take the one buried in a phrase we say a dozen times a night. The Thirteen Attributes end, in our recitation, on venakeh. The pasuk in Ki Tisa keeps going: lo yenakeh. We break off mid-phrase, the break reverses the meaning, and the Gemara says plainly that we may not divide a pasuk that Moshe Rabbeinu did not divide. So what exactly have we been doing every year? The answer from the Magen Avraham is that the halacha governs pesukim that are being read. These words are not being read. They are being davened, and davening is a different act, under different halachot. Then he goes further. The Gemara in Rosh HaShana 17b that

grounds the whole service, where Hashem wraps Himself like a shaliach tzibbur and teaches Moshe the order, does not say that when Israel sins they should recite this before Me. It says ya’asu lefanai. Let them act before Me. Rabbi Schacter climbs from there to Rav Shaul Löwenstamm of Amsterdam, who turns imitating Hashem on its head. Here it is Hashem Who imitates us. He watches a man show rachamim to somebody who has not earned it, and He does the same for that man. Which is why they are called the middot harachamim and not a nusach. The covenant was never a formula. It’s a description of a person who has mercy, and the promise attaches to becoming him. The service opens on lecha Hashem hatzedaka velanu boshet hapanim. Before you can hurry past it, the note underneath brings the Gemara in Berachot: a person who sins and is embarrassed of it is forgiven. The Meiri takes it a step further. Shame is the root of regret, and regret is the root of teshuva. So that is why the service begins where it begins. And then, deep in the Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the commentary does something a translation cannot. The fifth day’s piyyut runs a long medical image. Hashem as the devoted Healer, His case of medicine open, treating patients who can barely cover the fee. Underneath it, Rabbi Schacter brings the Midrash on chaneini Elokim kechasdecha. A choleh is told the illness is grave and that he cannot afford the cure. He answers: take what I have, let the rest come from You, act kindly to me and have mercy upon me. Then one sentence underneath, in his own voice. “And this is what we echo now.” The resolutions of last Elul are mostly gone by now, and everybody standing there knows it.

Rabbi Schacter does not tell us the accounting is wrong. It isn’t wrong. The paytan knew it before we did, and he wrote the answer into the line: you say the shortfall out loud, and you ask for the difference. Which is the other half of the answer about the dog. Mishlei’s dog has his teshuva figured out in advance, and Rabbi Schacter says plainly that Hashem will not carry a man like that toward it. Then, a few days into the new year, the same volume hands us a choleh who has nothing figured out at all and says so to the doctor’s face. Those two notes sit hundreds of pages apart, and Rabbi Schacter never puts them next to each other. Daven the season with this open in front of you and you end up saying both men’s lines yourself. His father is in the commentary, too. Rabbi Herschel Schacter, z”l, comes up more than once, and one note passes on a piece of his Torah about the word sha’ah. The first time the word appears in the Torah is at Cain and Abel, where Hashem does not turn to Cain’s offering. So sha’ah means to turn. Which changes what Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi meant when he said a man can acquire his world bisha’a achat. Not in an hour. In one turn. A person does not have to become somebody else, his father taught, because “one needs just to make one turn and that is already significant.” A son writing a commentary on teshuva, putting his father’s Torah on the page where the tzibbur will say it. May we bring this home before Elul and learn it while the nights are still ordinary. May we come to the first chatzot knowing what the words mean and to Whom we are saying them. And may we discover, standing there at the amud with the words finally open in front of us, that whatever little we managed to bring was never the whole of what was being asked.

d for Thought

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

TKO By Nati Burnside

ocated just a few doors down from the legendary Dougie’s BBQ, TKO comes from the very same ownership group, but instead of barbecue, the focus here is Tex-Mex-inspired comfort food with plenty of kosher creativity. While the concepts are very different, they share the same philosophy of generous portions, bold flavors, and menus that encourage diners to keep coming back to try something new. There are some restaurants where the goal is to order one entrée and call it a meal. TKO isn’t one of them. TKO has built a menu that practically encourages sharing. Whether you’re going with family or a group of friends, the experience is best when everyone orders something different and the table quickly fills with all sorts of shareable dishes that can be passed around. It not only lets you sample more of the menu and try things that might be outside your comfort zone, but it also feels true to the casual, fun atmosphere the restaurant has created. The menu blends familiar Mexican favorites with a healthy dose of creativity. Traditional ingredients sit comfortably alongside kosher twists, and nearly every section offers something that catches your eye. When I was invited to TKO, I tried to do my best and order from several different parts of the menu to get a feel for what TKO has to offer. My first recommendation is the Jalapeño Poppers. If you’re expecting overwhelming heat simply because they’re jalapeños, don’t. But this is the only dish I’m recommending that carries any real spice. You get three whole peppers, and I suggest you pick each up by the stem and eat them in two big bites. The roasted jalapeños are stuffed with hearty chili, wrapped in pastrami and paired with a spicy pineapple dipping sauce. It’s an inventive combination that somehow works from the very first bite. The smoky pastrami complements the richness of the chili, while the sweet heat of the pineapple sauce brightens the entire dish.

The next appetizer I’m recommending is actually on the section of the menu marked “Rotating Specials.” This is a section you should get to know well. The Flautas are four tightly rolled tortillas fried until beautifully crisp and were one of my favorite textures of the evening. Every bite delivers that wonderful contrast between the crunchy exterior and the soft, flavorful filling. They’re sturdy enough to pick up without falling apart, and the toppings add freshness without making them messy. It was one of those dishes where every component—the filling, the crisp shell, and the garnishes—felt perfectly balanced. Speaking of foods designed to be eaten with your hands, the specialty taco trios are really the heart of the menu, and with good reason. While all four varieties have their fans, my favorites were the Pollo al Pastor Pastrami Tacos and the Chicken Pineapple Tacos. The Pollo al Pastor Pastrami is an inventive combination that somehow feels completely natural once you taste it. Tender pastrami is paired with a crisp cilantro-cabbage slaw and finished with a smoky chipotle ranch that ties everything together. The contrast between the warm, savory pastrami and the cool crunch of the slaw makes each bite interesting, while the chipotle ranch adds just enough richness without overpowering the taco. It sounds like an unusual combination on paper, but it quickly became one of my favorites of the evening. The Chicken Pineapple Tacos go in a completely different direction. Chicken breast marinated in pineapple is topped with mango-jicama slaw, pickled red onions, charred pineapple, and chipotle mayo. There is just enough sweetness from the fruit to remind you that you’re eating something inspired by traditional al pastor flavors, while the pickled onions provide brightness and the chipotle mayo adds a subtle smoky kick. It’s refreshing, layered, and packed with flavor without becoming overly sweet. The Birria Taco and Shawarma Taco round out the lineup and are equally worthy choices, making it

hard to order just one variety. If you skip the Birria Tacos in favor of one of those other specialties, don’t worry—you’ll have plenty of other opportunities to experience what may be the restaurant’s best meat preparation. The birria itself is exceptionally tender, deeply seasoned, and packed with slow-cooked flavor. My favorite expression of it came in the Birria Fries, where crisp fries are blanketed with generous portions of birria, cheese, and toppings that transform what could have been a simple side dish into a meal all its own. It’s indulgent in all the right ways and another excellent item for sharing. The menu also offers a Quesabirria Melt (on Texas toast with fake cheese and a side of fries) and Birria Empanadas, both giving the same outstanding meat a completely different presentation. Few menu items are as universally appealing as a good quesadilla, and TKO has several worth considering. My recommendation is the Mole Quesadilla, which showcases the restaurant’s rich mole sauce. Mole is one of Mexico’s signature sauces, known for its remarkable depth and complexity, and here it coats the filling without overwhelming it. Combined with perfectly melted cheese inside a crisp tortilla, it becomes a comforting yet surprisingly sophisticated dish. If you’re looking for something a bit more traditional, the Carne Asada and Pollo al Pastor quesadillas are both excellent alternatives. The biggest surprise of the evening was the Pastor Burger. I never expected one of my strongest recommendations from a Mexican restaurant to be a burger, but this one absolutely earns its place on the menu. The juicy burger is topped with pico de gallo, lettuce, chopped jalapeños, grilled pineapple, and the restaurant’s signature pastor sauce, creating a combination that somehow feels both like a great deluxe burger

and a great Mexican dish at the same time. The sweetness of the grilled pineapple plays beautifully against the slight heat from the jalapeños, while the fresh pico de gallo adds brightness and the pastor sauce brings everything together with a smoky, slightly sweet finish. Yes, it’s messy, and yes, keeping everything inside the bun can be a challenge. But that’s often the tradeoff for a truly outstanding burger, and this one is worth every napkin. What impressed me most about TKO wasn’t simply that every dish tasted good. It was how different each dish felt from the last. One minute you’re eating crispy flautas, the next you’re comparing the specialty tacos, then sharing loaded birria fries before finishing with a burger that somehow belongs on the same menu. That’s what makes TKO such an enjoyable place to visit with a group. Instead of everyone ordering the same thing, the menu invites exploration, conversation, and sharing. By the end of the meal, you’ll likely have sampled dishes from every corner of the menu—and you’ll probably already be planning what to order on your next visit.

Meat - Mexican Counter Service 180 West Englewood Ave, Teaneck, NJ 07666 201-837-9900 TKOTacoNJ.com RCBC (Rabbinical Council of Bergen County)

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Notable Quotes “Say What?!”

WHITE PRIVILEGE - WNBA player DiJonai Carrington, who is black, on social media after she was ejected from a game for clobbering Sophie Cunningham, who is white, and knocking her to the floor

I’ve never really spoken to her and have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent-up stuff. – Cunningham when asked about Carrington’s comment

I’ve gotten in hot water for proposing we consider over-weighting the votes of younger people, or assigning the youngest eligible voters proxy-votes for the unrepresented children of our country. - Tenured Yale Law Professor Samuel Moyn, in a recent interview

There’s a divergence in interest from parents and children and I think that it’s likelier young people, not people who are raising families, will have the best insight into the interests of children. - His response when the interviewer asked why he suggests a third-party proxy rather than parents voting on behalf of their children

I think parents generally confuse the interests of their family with the interests of their children. And part of our goal, I think as parents, but also as a society, is trying to make sure that children aren’t the hostages of their parents. -ibid.

[Trump] carries with him the Book of Pinchas, the Book of Zohar, in Aramaic. He puts it over his heart, inside, for protection and healing. - Pres. Trump’s ex-wife Marla Maples, in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12

Vice President Harris is no longer relevant. She had her shot and she missed. She can cozy up to the “Lulu Lenins” all she wants to. - Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), unveiling a new nickname for the communist-left

This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

- Jane-Michelle Arc, who fled to the Netherlands after President Trump was elected and sought asylum because of his alternative lifestyle identity, upon returning to the U.S. recently

The situation I have in the U.S.…, not good, right? But here, I will be hurt or killed. - ibid., explaining that the Muslim migrants show no mercy to people like him.

I could not believe it happened again. I’ve been very lucky. I want to help take care of the community. It feels awesome. I am definitely blessed. - Cristien Breton, who won a $100,000 prize on a scratch-off ticket in North Carolina two years after he claimed a whopping $2 million jackpot in 2024

Not everything is about AIPAC, not everything is about Israel. And I think it’s a misrepresentation to say that even if we wiped Israel off the face of the earth tomorrow, we, you know, everyday Michiganders lives wouldn’t be better on all of those fronts. So, you know, I think it’s important to not only talk about Israel and only talk about AIPAC in response to every question. - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) on MS NOW talking about Michigan’s jihadi Democrat senate candidate Ebdul El-Sayed

[El-Sayed] did the best among wealthy white liberals and among new immigrants to the United States of America. He basically represents the modern democratic coalition, which is self-hating white liberals united to people who just came to the country for the first time and don’t actually have the sense of appreciation for it that they should. Those are the people who are voting for El-Sayed. - Vice President J.D. Vance

As I stated a few days ago, I am declaring for the 2027 WNBA Draft. I identify as a sometimes … woman! My wig is in the mail. - Former NBA player and current Republican Senate candidate in Minnesota, Royce White, declaring that he is entering the WNBA draft, after the league said that they would not discriminate against those identifying as women

I think I’d be unstoppable. But I’m a team-first guy. I’m a pass-first kind of player. I do the little things… I’ll do whatever the coach needs me to do. I’ll do whatever the girls need me to do. - ibid.

I’m just going to be real: I’m kind of a curmudgeon when it comes to holidays in general. - Communist-left Francesca Hong, a first-generation American who is running for governor of Wisconsin, when confronted by an old now-deleted tweet in which she calls to abolish Thanksgiving

The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

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After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect. If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA. My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion. Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027. I know my presence on the court will stir up strong opinions. I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices. I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone — the rules that represent the very values many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for. My team and I are prepared to ensure these guidelines are applied equally, consistently, and without exception, and I look forward to the #WNBA honoring its stated principles. See you at training camp. - Statement by former NBA player Enes Kanter, after the WNBA said that biological men can play in the WNBA if they identify as a woman

I’d just get bored of life otherwise. I can’t drive, I can’t see very well, and I get a bit frustrated. So, I want to do the things I can do. - Betty Bromage who, at 97 years old, became the oldest person to ever do a “wing walk” (strapped onto a wing of a flying airplane)

This is political suicide. - David Brooks of the Atlantic talking about the Democrat party’s embrace of the communist-left

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Political Crossfire

DSA-Driven Democrats are Making the GOP’s 2022 Mistake By Marc A. Thiessen

efore the 2022 midterms, most observers were expecting a red wave to sweep Democrats from power on Capitol Hill. President Joe Biden’s approval rating had plummeted thanks to his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the highest inflation in 40 years and the worst border crisis in U.S. history, among other disasters. The only question seemed to be: How big would the GOP victory be? It didn’t turn out that way. Biden had one of the best midterm performances of any president since John F. Kennedy. What happened? The GOP saddled itself with a slate of unelectable Senate candidates – such as Herschel Walker in Georgia, Blake Masters in Arizona and Don Bolduc in New Hampshire – who lost winnable races. Now, four years later, the reverse might be happening. The Democratic Socialists of America and their far-left allies are engaged in a hostile takeover of the Democratic Party, and they are busily putting together a slate of candidates to rival those 2022 Republicans. Some Democrats dismiss the hardleft threat, saying that all they’re doing is making blue states and districts bluer. But Michigan is not a blue state. It is a purple state that President Donald Trump won twice. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win back the Senate. If they don’t hold on to the Michigan seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, their chances could slip out of reach. So, who did Democrats turn to for this critical task? On Tuesday, they nominated Abdul El-Sayed – a radical leftist who campaigned with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and other prominent democratic socialists, champions Sanders’ Medicare-for-all socialist agenda and attended or headlined many DSA events since 2017. El-Sayed implausibly denies affiliation with the DSA, and he spent time

before his narrow primary win at a pool party with Hasan Piker, a leftist influencer who once said “America deserved 9/11,” who supports Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, and who declared “the fall of the U.S.S.R. was one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century.” Now El-Sayed will face former representative Mike Rogers (R), who nearly beat Elissa Slotkin two years ago, losing by just 20,000 votes. Rogers surely can’t believe his good luck. Or take Maine. To win back the Senate, Democrats need to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R). But instead of choosing a moderate, the party nominated Graham Platner – a radical leftist with a Nazi tattoo. After Platner’s candidacy imploded over an allegation of [assault], Maine Democrats replaced him with Troy Jackson – an equally left-wing former state senator who finished third in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. You can’t make this stuff up. In Texas, Democrats were given a gift when GOP voters ousted Sen. John

Cornyn, a safe incumbent, in favor of Attorney General Ken Paxton – who was impeached by Republicans in May 2023 and whose wife filed for divorce last year. But instead of choosing a Texas-friendly centrist to take on Paxton, Democrats nominated state Rep. James Talarico – who once claimed that “G-d is nonbinary,” declared that the story of the Virgin Mary justifies abortion, and promised in 2022 to run a “nonmeat” campaign in one of the biggest cattle-ranching states in the country. Despite the left’s self-inflicted wounds, Republicans are doing their best to bail Democrats out. In addition to nominating Paxton, the GOP may have handed North Carolina’s Senate seat to Democrats when Trump drove incumbent Republican Thom Tillis to retire. And once reliably red states like Alaska and Ohio are rated as toss-ups by the Cook Political Report. Democrats are testing what I’d call the “Mamdani fallacy” – the idea that, instead of moving to the center to attract moderate

voters, the way out of the political wilderness is to find more candidates like New York’s socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani who can energize the party’s increasingly radical base. That approach may work in deep-blue New York. But will it work in Michigan and Maine? And while some Democrats bemoan the rise of DSA and DSA-adjacent candidates, they have unquestionably paved the way for the left’s hostile takeover of their party. Biden won the White House in 2020 by campaigning as a moderate – but instead of ushering in a golden age of bipartisan cooperation, he governed from the left. And today, the divide between so-called mainstream Democrats and the democratic socialists is disappearing. Consider: The DSA wants to eliminate border enforcement. Well, for four years, Biden effectively opened the southern border, allowing millions of illegal migrants to swarm into the country. Democratic socialists want to get rid of the Senate. Many mainstream Democrats want to get rid of the filibuster, which would effectively end the Senate as a check on their radical agenda. Democratic socialists want to get rid of the Supreme Court, too. Many mainstream Democrats want to pack the Supreme Court and install a leftist majority to rubber-stamp their power grabs. Democrats and democratic socialists have the same goals, in other words. The DSA is just more honest about it. Perhaps some of this will fly in a midterm election, when the out-of-power party usually gains ground. But Trump won the presidency in 2024 with a swing-state sweep because Democrats failed to deliver on Biden’s promise to govern from the center. If they want to win those states and take back the White House, they’ll need less socialism and more triangulation. © 2026, Washington Post Writers Group

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Are we celebrating the moment or the menu?

Be Part of the Solution: Take the V.O.V. Challenge!

www.ValuesOverValuables.org

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The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Forgotten Her es

Israel’s Ace Pilots By Avi Heiligman

Giora Romm

ne of the most prestigious titles in military aviation is that of ace pilot. It is achieved when a pilot downs five enemy aircraft. While many pilots attained this status during the World Wars, there have been far fewer since the end of the World War II and even fewer during the jet age. However, Israel is one of the few nations to have produced aces since the 1940s, with approximately 50 Israeli Air Force pilots earning the distinction, frequently across multiple conflicts, leaving behind a legacy of remarkable aerial combat stories. The Israeli Air Force was quite small during the 1948 War of Independence, and its highest-scoring pilot was American volunteer Rudy Augarten. He had flown P-47s during World War II, damaging a German plane before being shot down on June 10, 1944. After a month evading capture, he was taken prisoner but managed to escape. Returning to action in another plane, he shot down two enemy aircraft in October 1944. When Rudy volunteered to fly for Israel, he adapted to whatever aircraft the new nation could scrape together – most notably, the Avia S-199, a Czech-built version of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Eventually, the IAF acquired superior aircraft like the P-51 Mustang before the end of the war. Rudy scored four aerial victories in 1948, bringing his career total to six and becoming Israel’s first ace pilot. Not all air battles end decisively, as

Rudy Augarten

Amos Amir discovered during an encounter with a MiG-21 in 1964. Flying a Mirage III, he scored hits on the enemy fighter’s fuel tank, but the aircraft managed to escape. He recorded his first official kill on the third day of the Six Day War against an Egyptian MiG-19. His next six kills came over the course of a single year during the War of Attrition (1967–1970). Amir commanded 119 Squadron during those combat missions, leading the unit as it transi-

Giora Epstein

24, 1979, when he downed a pair of Syrian MiG fighter cannons for one and a Python air-to-air missile for the other. On June 10, 1982, during the First Lebanon War, he became an ace by claiming three additional aerial victories against Syrian fighters. In 1985, he commanded the 106th Squadron during Operation Wooden Leg which targeted the PLO headquarters in Tunisia. Only a few pilots in history have achieved jet ace status, with Giora

His five kills came in the first three days of the Six Day War.

tioned from Mirage III fighters to American-built F-4 Phantoms. Avner Naveh joined the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in the early 1970s, initially flying French-built Dassault Ouragan fighter-bombers. In 1972, he transitioned to the F-4 Phantom, and years later became one of the first ten Israeli pilots selected to receive flight training in the F-15 Eagle. He flew the F-15 for all seven of his aerial victories and also participated in Operation Opera as part of the air cover escorting F-16s during the raid on Iraq’s nuclear reactor. His first two kills occurred on September

Romm becoming the first in the IAF in 1967 at the age of 22. His five kills came in the first three days of the Six Day War. On his second mission of the war, Romm – flying alongside wingman Asher Snir, who would become Israel’s second-highest scoring ace – called out over the radio, “Two MiGs, 12 o’clock high!” Snir maneuvered behind one and shot it down, while the second MiG latched onto Romm’s tail and fired a missile that failed to lock onto his Mirage. The frustrated enemy pilot then tried firing his cannon but missed. Romm then shot the MiG out of the sky. Although his aircraft

was damaged by ground fire during the war, he successfully made it back to base. During the War of Attrition in 1969, Romm was shot down over Egyptian territory, captured and tortured in prison alongside another pilot before being released in a prisoner exchange. After recovering from severe injuries, he returned to flight status and took command of the 115 Squadron just a day before the Yom Kippur War broke out. Despite not having flown the A-4 Skyhawk before, Romm learned the aircraft on the fly as he flew toward combat near the Suez Canal, personally leading many of the squadron’s missions throughout the war. Since the end of World War II in 1945, the United States, closely followed by Israel, has recorded the most aerial victories in the world. Over 200 Israeli pilots are confirmed to have downed an enemy aircraft, with Colonel Giora Epstein standing as the world’s top-scoring ace of the jet age with 17 confirmed victories. The skill and dedication required to shoot down even a single plane are immense, and those who achieved ace status have permanently etched their names into military aviation history.

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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ELISHEVA BAUM

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Realty Connect USA 516-884-6530 (C) Lscheininger@realtyconnectusa.com @LeahScheininger_Realtor 24 Franklin Ave. Hewlett NY 11557

917-620-0572

elishevabaum18@gmail.com @elishevabaum

LAWRENCE WOODMERE CEDARHURST

HOUSE FOR SALE Semi-Detached 2-Family House Far Rockaway, NY Owner’s apartment 5 B/R; Tenant’s 1 B/R $1.1M, non-negotiable Inquiries by email only 604Seagirt@gmail.com

WOODMERE WOODSBURGH LAWRENCE

JUST RENTED NEW! Grand and stately brick Center Hall Colonial

Quality New Construction!!! showcasing timeless elegance and exceptional Stucco Col. with throughout. 2 Story Entry 9Aftgracious Ceilings, entry 14 Zone Heat which craftsmanship welcomes includes Radiant Heat, Anderson Windows with Lots of Natural you into a elegant living room, a banquet formal OPEN HOUSE 3:00-4:30 223-sized Hickox Avenue Light Throughout, Flr Fdnr, Magnificent Chefs Eik with High End Totally Colonial. New. High Ceilings, Chefs EIK, 5 diningrenovated room, perfect entertaining. The level den Appliances, Dble Ovens for , 6Like Burner Cooktop withmain Pot Filler, Bdrms. Prime Woodmere location! a private retreat relaxing. BEDwith 4 BATH PORBath 2offers Dishwashers, and more. for Master Bdrm 4 Suite Luxurious $1.659M and Walk in closet,+4 Bdrms and 2 Beautiful Bths ,2nd Flr

WOODMERE WOODSBURGH CEDARHURST

Laundry Rm , Full Finished Basement with 10 ft Ceilings Huge Playrm 2 Bdrms and Bth laundry Rm storage, Beautiful Manicured Garden.

Elegant Stone Home with Modern Comfort & Timeless Charm — A rare stately stone residence blending

Spacious Wide Line Expanded Ranch on Most Prestigious and classic architectural beauty with today’s most desirable Serene Cul-de-Sac in Village of Lawrence , Main Flr Master Bdrm amenities, set on lushly grounds with mature OPEN HOUSE 12:30-1:30 1068 Suite with Many Closets andlandscaped Bthrm, Addional Main Flr highland Bdrm & Bath, shrubbery, outdoor lighting, and sprinklers. Center Hall Huge Colonial with Main Level 3 BRs 23Bths Baths Finished Lg Flr Fdnr Den, EIK, Mudrm, +Den 4underground Bdrms on Second Flr, Basment Beautiful Property Beautiful Around Property, $1.690M 6 Beds |Wrap 6 Baths | $3.69M $999K

INWOOD CO-OPS/CONDOS WOODMERE CO-OP

WOODMERE

Move-in condition high ranch in central Woodmere location. Fully renovated in 2018. Kosher eat-in kitchen, 5 beds, 3 baths. $7500/mo

CEDARHURST

Beautifully renovated and spacious rental. 6 beds, 3.5 baths. Huge fenced-in yard. Central location, close to all. $7895/ mo

LAWRENCE

261 Central Ave 1st Floor, Large Entry Foyer, Open Concept Kitchen. Large LR/DR Overlooking the Courtyard $229K

LAWRENCE

240 Central Avenue Spacious 1 Bdrm 1 Bth Apt in Well Maintained Elevator Bldg with Terrace Overlooking Garden, Near All $229K

FAR ROCKAWAY

Welcome tos/h thiscol bi-level offering a bright open This spacious , in thehome prestigious village of woodsburgh, concept for modern living. Thesetting, main floor features sits on 1/2 layout acre property in a. most serene with beautiful waterviews, magnificent sunsets . Flr and banquet fdnr with , a sun filledand living room, dining room kitchen COMMERCIAL RENTAL! NEW! 9 ,Room Drbdrm officesuite Suite, Located breakfast rm, main level den /fpl master with his seamless flow for everyday living and entertaining. This inand theher Heart of Cedarhurst, room, Reception closets and bth + 4Spacious bdrms , waiting new bths, newly renovated home 3+2 bedrooms, including a home office Area andoffers Exam Rooms, alllaundry on Mainrm, Floor. Close to of Public finished basement with playrm, lots storage, or additional bedroom, plus a den/ playroom ideal for Transportation many special details thruout $1.9M+ $6,000 activities. 5 BEDROOMS 2 BATH $1.135 M

156 B 9th St Mint 2BR, 2 BTH Beachfront Condo PRICE ADJUSTMENT! This modern, well maintained with Wraparound Terrace, Magnificent professional medical building is ideal for doctors, Sunrise & Sunset dentists, chiropractors or a combination of professional $589K practices. Built in 2004, this singlestory,Corner Class-A 29 Woodmere Blvd Apt 2B Renovated, Mint, 1 Bdrm property offersSpacious flexibleEat space designed for efficient with 9ft Ceilings. In Kitchen, 2 Sinks, Granite flow and comfortable work areas. Situated on a level Counter tops and S.S. Appliances.Large Lvgrm/Dnr and Largelot, the building features a large private parking lot with 18 Bdrm/BR with Lots of Windows dedicated$299K spaces. Call for details !! REDUCED

LAWRENCE

Legal 2-family home on oversized 8600 sq ft lot. Multi-vehicle parking. Great location, close to many shuls & shopping. Asking $1.299M

WOODMERE

Rare opportunity!! Beautiful, big house in the desirable “Tree Streets” area. 9,000 sq ft lot. 5 beds (upstairs), 3.5 baths. Finished basement. No flood zone. Low taxes! $2.295M

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

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Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

COMMERCIAL REAL ESATATE

HELP WANTED

CEDARHURST Prime Restaurant Location For Lease. For more information: Call/Text/WhatsApp Owner: (516) 206-1100

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT A multi-tasker needed for general office work. The ideal candidate is someone who is detail-oriented, responsible, and can take ownership. Looking for someone who is eager to learn, and expand his/her skill set while possessing the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Experience with Excel required. Five Towns location. In-office position only, not remote. Please send resume to 5tpart.timecareer@gmail.com

REGENTS EXPERT

CARE MANAGER

Tutoring regents in Algebra and

Remote (requires in-person

Geometry A Darchei Torah

home visits in NY)

instructor. Guaranteed results

Support families facing serious

Text 347-491-8045

medical or emotional challenges.

WhatsApp 347-767-1755

Provide guidance, advocacy, and

5 TOWNS - SHOWROOM/ Warehouse For Lease 4000 + 1000 SF Can divide - Parking included Next to LIRR - No broker fee Call/text/Whatsapp: 516-206-1100

HOUSE FOR RENT EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY In prime Lawrence 6 spacious bdrs, 5.5 bath plus add 2 bdrs in low level Low taxes, desirable cul de sac Walk to shopping, houses of worship, parks, LIRR 516-784-0856 Alexandra at Exp

BOOKKEEPER A Five Towns Real Estate Company is seeking a full-time Bookkeeper. The right candidate must be proficient with QuickBooks and Excel. They must also be self-motivated, organized, detail oriented, reliable, and able to work independently or as a team player. Warm, frum office environment with excellent salary & benefits. Please email resume to HR@capsprop.com

EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY IN PRIME LAWRENCE! 29 WAVERLY PLACE, LAWRENCE Discover incredible space, comfort, and convenience in this beautifully situated home featuring: ✨ 6 spacious bedrooms ✨ 2 additional lower-level rooms ✨ 5.5 bathrooms ✨ Beautiful private backyard ✨ Low property taxes ✨ Desirable cul-de-sac location Conveniently located within walking distance of shopping, houses of worship, parks, and the LIRR. A rare Lawrence opportunity you don’t want to miss! ✨ For more information or a private showing: Alexandra Mikhaylova | eXp Realty 516-784-0856

HELP WANTED

resource coordination from home or SEEKING ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

on-site. Training provided.

For current school year, starting

BA or 2 years Care Management

from end of January: Seeking

required Apply online: www.

assistant teacher for General Studies.

chailifeline.org/careers or

Candidate should have skills to take over for teachers if needed. Far Rockaway area boys’ school, M-Th, PM hours, strong support. Excellent salary. Possibility to continue for next year. Send resume to teachersearch11@gmail.com

email hr@chailifeline.org ARE YOU A DOULA? Or have a passion to be? Come join our great referral group and get access to a vast new clientele through Medicaid. JUST CALL 347-668-7886

We put the “Pro” in

Property!

LAWRENCE

WOODMERE

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2 family luxury townhouses on the beach, private balconies, access to private beach and dock. Ayelet (516)993-9561 STARTING AT $1.15M

Welcome to this perfect resort like home, 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms on a 25,047sqft lot. Avigail (516)316-3452 $2.9M

Fully renovated & beautifully redesigned home 5 spacious bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. Raizie (917) 903-1778 $2.999M

WOODMERE

ATLANTIC BEACH

AUGUST 13, 2026 | The Jewish Home

27 Frost Lane Lawrence, NY 11559 (516) 374-4100 www.ftmr.com

FR- SALTMEADOW TOWNHOMES

5 bedroom 2 bath expanded ranch on huge lot in prime Woodmere. Chana (516)449-9692 $6,800/M

Modified ranch featuring 3 bedrooms, 3 office beautifully redone 4 bedroom, 2.5 Bath located rooms and 2.5 baths on an expansive lot. 1 block from the bay and 1 block the ocean. Chana (516)449-9692 Moshe (516)455-5364 $1.349M $5,000/M

NORTH WOODMERE

CEDARHURST

Custom tudor in the heart of Lawrence. featuring 8 bedrooms, and 9.5 baths on a 12,036sf lot. Avigail (516)316-3452 $6.395M

beautifully maintained split-level home in the highly desirable District 15 of N. Woodmere! Sarah (347)524-9147 $1.225M

Beautifully renovated expanded split featuring 4-bedroom, 2full and 2 Half Baths. Miri (646)515-8813 $7,500/M

Spacious five-bedroom, three-bath Colonial in sought-after District 15 in Woodsburgh. Sarah (347)524-9147 $1.775M

Move-in-ready completed new construction features 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, on a 6,000sf lot. Avigail (516)316-3452 $2.39M

Beautifully renovated 5 bedroom, 3 full bath splanch in an unbeatable location. Miri (646)515-8813 $1.579M

Rare opportunity to purchase fully occupied office building in the heart of Cedarhurst. Raizie (917) 903-1778 Moshe (516-455-5364 $2.39M

Elevate your business in this high-end professional office space, situated in prime Woodmere District. Chana (516)449-9692 $3,000/M

Commercial Storfront in the heart of Cedarhurst. Moshe (516)455-5364 $7,500/M

HALLANDALE BEACH

HOLLYWOOD

additional units available

The Olympus- 2 bedroom, 2 baths, Kayla (347) 729-9863 Chana (516)449-9692 $274K

3 bedrooms, 2 baths, Moshe (443) 630-2006 $550K

2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, Chaim (516) 262-2144 $225K

LAWRENCE

WOODSBURGH

CEDARHURST

Don Miller

Tamar Miller

Hollywood, Florida (954) 300-3142 MillerRealtySouth.com

WOODMERE

NORTH WOODMERE

CEDARHURST

DEERFIELD BEACH

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Classifieds

classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com • text 443-929-4003

HELP WANTED

MDS REGIONAL NURSE

IVDU FIVE TOWNS IN

5 Towns area Nursing Home management office seeking a Regional/Corporate level MDS Nurse to work in our office. Must be an RN. Regional experience

North Woodmere seeks assistants and

education, mental health, or ABA, you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll learn on the job. Competitive salary + benefits, as well as excellent workplace Send resume to debkatz@ou.org

with good computer skills required. STAFF FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD Position is Full Time but

Center The Marion & Aaron

Part Time can be considered.

Gural JCC Early Childhood

Great Shomer Shabbos environment with some remote options as well. Email: officejob2019@gmail.com

READING SPECIALIST IVDU Upper Boys School and Boys Middle School in Flatbush is seeking a certified literacy/reading specialist for this school year. The ideal candidate will have training in the explicit instruction of reading and will have experience with individualized instruction in both one-on-one and small-group settings. We offer a competitive salary, a supportive work environment, and strong opportunities for professional development. To apply, please send your resume to Dassa at GutwirthD@ou.org.

paras for the 26-27 school year. If you are pursuing a degree in special

culture and professional development. preferred. 2-3 years MDS experience

NOW HIRING

Center is hiring Assistant Teachers for the 2026-2027 school year. Please send resumes to: JCC.Nursery@guraljcc.org or call (516) 239-1354.

SPEECH THERAPIST IVDU Upper Boys School and Boys Middle School in Flatbush is seeking a Speech Therapist for a special education school. This position offers a supportive work environment and competitive pay. Interested candidates should please send their resume to Gutwirthd@ou.org TEACHER IVDU Upper Boys School and Boys Middle School in Flatbush is seeking a financial literacy and computer literacy teachers’ teacher for the upcoming school year. We offer a competitive salary and benefits, along with a supportive work environment and strong opportunities for professional development. To apply, please send your resume to: Gutwirthd@ou.org MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL IVDU Upper Boys School and Boys Middle School in Flatbush is seeking a driven mental health professional to join our expanding school clinical team. Responsibilities include school-based counseling (CBT, autism-related work), coordinating services, and supporting classroom behavior. Excellent clinical, communication, and follow-through skills required. Weekly training in autism provided. Positive work environment and excellent salary. Please email Gutwirthd@ou.org to apply. ASSOCIATE TEACHER IVDU Upper Boys School and Boys Middle School in Flatbush is seeking full time associate teachers. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals pursuing a degree in Special Education, Mental Health, or Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to gain hands-on experience and grow professionally. We offer a competitive salary and benefits, along with a supportive work environment and strong opportunities for professional development. To apply, please send your resume to: Gutwirthd@ou.org.

Classifieds

109

HELP WANTED

MISC.

UPSCALE EVENING & Ready-to-Wear Boutique opening on Central Ave seeks fashion-forward, friendly sales associates with retail experience. Full-time & Part-time. Text/WhatsApp 718-310-8550.

SHMIRAS HALASHON

JOIN THE ZAREINU TEAM! Our small, special education classes are in yeshivas and Bais Yaakov’s in Far Rockaway and the Five Towns. For the 2026-2027 school year, Zareinu is seeking: PM Special Education Secular Studies Teachers for middle school boys class AM Rebbe Assistants for boys classes P/T or F/T Assistants for boys and girls classes Highly competitive salary and caring, supportive administration. Send resume to info@zareinu.org/ or call Rabbi Lepolstat at 516-993-2142 for further information.

Text 516-303-3868 with a time slot of

REACH OUT FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE OFF MARKET DEALS

SARAH ‘CHAYA’ ISAACS TOP SELLING BROKER IN THE FIVE TOWNS Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Realty Connect USA (917) 587-5704 Sarahcisaacs@gmail.com

SOL

your choice to be careful on lashon hara. Be a part of the 1,000

FOR SALE!

JUST SOLD!

UNDER CONTRACT

people for klal yisroel!

BEIS HAMEDRASH CONG. Chasdei Uvois Oshpitzin Talmidei chachomim are willing to learn mishnayos, say kaddish and be

LAWRENCE

Private street luxury living in this custom-built 2026 gut-renovated home. 8 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, soaring ceilings & radiant heat. $3.95M

LAWRENCE 348 MULRY LN,

Move-in ready Colonial on 10K+ sq ft. 5BR/4.5BA, radiant floors, finished basement w/ sep entrance. $1.65M

SOLD OFF MARKET!

LAWRENCE 60 BROADWAY,

This stately side-hall colonial with soaring ceilings, beautiful hardwood floors, and incredible bones is truly one of a kind.

SOLD OFF MARKET!

the shliach tzibbur to daven for the umid on the yartzeit yom hashanah of your parents or close relatives or loved ones To arrange please call Rabbi Miller 917-445-6220

LAWRENCE 34 LISMORE RD.

A luxury residence offering over 12,000 sq. ft. of exceptional, high-end living with every amenity you could want.

LAWRENCE 116 HARBORVIEW EAST

New construction, 7-bedroom home on an oversized property in desirable Lawrence Bay Park.

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The Jewish Home | AUGUST 13, 2026

Life C ach

Bread, the Meat and Potatoes of Life By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

hen it says, “Man does not live by bread alone,” the famous line from the weekly parsha, does that seem to open a floodgate of “yay, we can justify many more forays”? One may think it is giving permission to allow all types of behaviors because man needs more in life than just the simple staples. Woo-hoo! In other words, that man needs more – more fun, more entertainment, more experiences, etc. But the rest of the phrase is imperative to read…and everyone forgets to read it! It continues, “But by everything that comes from the mouth of G-d.” Therein lies a whole different message: It’s not opening a gateway and giving carte blanche to do whatever you want because man can’t live by the “simple” alone. It’s just not saying, “So, break out!” Rather the message is to appreciate and connect to all – in a worthwhile way! But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, especially because the Torah tells us me must “serve G-d with joy!” So it’s

not saying don’t enjoy. Rather, it’s urging us to make wise choices. Ergo, don’t break this sentence in half, and forget the second half, conveniently, thus justifying any wild and crazy behavior by saying, well, “man does not live by bread alone”!

There’s just a way to do it that doesn’t overdo it. We all have opportunities in some directions or others. The fact is that we are connected back to the same source yet exposed to different resources armed with some different abilities. This entire phrase encourages

This bread line is telling us we have the world open to us.

It’s teaching us: get your values in order. Ouch! Did that just take the freedom out of “man does not live by bread alone”? Did anyone ever tell you that you can’t have pizza, desserts , go out with friends, travel, dance, laugh, celebrate, etc. I don’t think so…

us to explore, yet we don’t always have the exact same paths before us. We can thrive if we find our strengths and our lens for appreciating rather than decrying our paths. Remember the old line about the torture of living in jail – all you get is bread and water. It was saying your options are limited there!

But our bread line is telling us we have exposure to so much. “Everything that came from the mouth of G-d.” Yes, the guiding points we are taught; use them with the entire world which was created with words from the Maker’s mouth. We have, it seems, too many choices. This is our challenge. Not can we enjoy life if there are limits. But, how to use limits so that excess won’t cause us not to enjoy. A breadline can be a terrible thing in places where it’s meted out stingily. But this bread line is telling us we have the world open to us. Confront it wisely and have a great day – every day!

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certifie d relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.

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