CANDLE LIGHTING - MIAMI BEACH CANDLE BEACH CANDLELIGHTING LIGHTING-- MIAMI BEACH AUG 9 / י”ג תמוז/ פרשת בלק AUG 914/ תמוז פרשת November / י”ג חשון כ”ג// בלק חיי שרה פרשת
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Beyond the Headlines
A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news By Sivan Rahav Meir
Mamdani’s Shocking Victory in New York — What Does It Mean? 1. In November 2024, the United States held its presidential election. That same week, I met a sweet boy in the city of Modi’in who had recently made aliyah with his family. “I really hope Harris wins!” he said excitedly. I looked at him in surprise, and he explained: “My grandparents in New York always say that if Trump wins, that’s it, it’s the end of America, and they’re making aliyah.” Trump won. His grandparents are probably still in the U.S. But this week I remembered that boy. What will his grandparents do now? 2. With all due respect, the calls of our politicians since Mamdani’s win to make aliyah immediately sound unrealistic in the current situation. Most Jews in the world have never visited Israel at all. Read that sentence again before telling them to pack up and move here tomorrow morning. Aliyah is the end of a long process of education, connection, identity, and learning. It begins from age zero, in a Jewish kindergarten, which most Jewish American children do not attend. This is the reason why most of the new olim from the United States in recent years tend to be very religious, very Zionist, and already deeply connected. Unfortunately, that is a relatively small group. 3. That said, October 7 has shaken the ship. I have written
many times about the “October 8 Jews.” Recently, in an Englishlanguage podcast for Tablet Magazine with Prof. Liel Leibovitz, I gave out my personal email and asked people to send me their stories. My inbox was filled with dozens of testimonies. If I hadn’t seen them with my own eyes, I would have thought they were invented. It seems impossible: the Jewish spark awakening, simultaneously, in so many distant brothers and sisters. Masha, born in Moscow and now living in San Francisco, wrote that after Simchat Torah she realized she was hiding the news from her daughter — and decided to stop. As a result, the two embarked on a journey of Jewish learning. On Sundays they go to a Judaism class at Chabad. The class is meant for children, but the mother and daughter attend
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without shame, eager to learn everything from the beginning. Brad from New Jersey wrote that he doesn’t even know exactly why, but in response to what was happening in Israel, he began to put on tefillin and make Kiddush for the first time in his life. He doesn’t understand the connection; he just feels deep inside that it is the right response. He also started learning Hebrew, literally from the letter Aleph. David from Atlanta wrote that he put up a mezuzah on his front door, wears a Magen David necklace, and is thinking about visiting Israel for the first time, because his parents never took him. He’s 50. None of these email writers know about the message that came before or after them, but together, they tell a story filled with optimism. It’s not only Israeli teenagers who are suddenly excited about Selichot and tzitzit. It’s also fifty-year-olds in California who have never heard a song by Yonatan Razel. 4. Last Shabbat marked the global celebration of the Shabbos Project, launched by Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein, Chief Rabbi of South Africa, and which keeps gaining momentum. Every year he succeeds in uniting millions around the world for a shared Jewish Shabbat. This past Shabbat in New York, it was especially important as large numbers of institutions, synagogues, and communities called on Jews to
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come together to demonstrate a strong, public Jewish identity, and to stand with Israel in the face of rising hatred and antisemitism. Will we now see the “November 5 Jews,” in the wake of Mamdani’s election? Will we see more and more awakening, clarity, and light emerging from the darkness? That also depends on us. Please God, may it be so. In Memory of Lt. Hadar Goldin This week, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, z”l, was finally brought to burial in Israel. For 11 years, our enemies sought to desecrate his dignity, and now we will honor his memory by learning from the writings he left behind. The young Hadar began studying the famous work Mesillat Yesharim (“Path of the Just”) by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto—a foundational book about gradually refining one’s character, step by step. He listened to lectures on the book by Rabbi Eliezer Kashtiel of the Eli pre-military academy, taking handwritten notes, and those notes were later published in a remarkable volume. At the beginning of Mesillat Yesharim, it states: “A person was created only to delight in God.” What does this mean? Hadar summarized for himself the meaning of true delight: “A person delights when he experiences something that aligns perfectly with his inner world. In daily life, we mostly see the world around us, taste it, experience it—but almost never do we see our own
soul. All around us are countless screens and other concealments that hide a person from his soul, his personality, his essence. “If I sink into pleasures that constantly change and fade, I will miss the possibility of lasting delight whose meaning is selfdiscovery. One must delight. Delight is the revelation of the soul. A person is obligated to find himself within himself, to discover and reveal his soul.” May we merit true inner delight, and may we continue ascending the Path of the Just, in Hadar’s memory. From Destruction New Life
Comes
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Lt. Col. Asaf Hamami, who fell in battle on Simchat Torah and whose body was held for over two years in Gaza, was brought to burial last week, finally bringing closure to his family. Geula Rabi of Kibbutz Kerem Shalom sent me pictures of him visiting the kibbutz. In those terrible days of the “conception”— the misguided belief that Hamas was deterred— the residents of Kerem Shalom lived under the constant threat of sirens, with rocket fire an almost daily occurrence. Part of their coping mechanism was through a moving communal ritual they called “planting in place of falling.” Whenever a
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missile barrage led to a rocket exploding in the kibbutz and creating a crater, they’d invite the community to plant a tree inside that very hole. If the enemy already dug the pit for us, they explained, why not use it for planting? If there is already a hole in the earth, let something good, green, and fresh grow from it, something that wasn’t here before. During one such ceremony, Hamami appears emotional, planting a tree together with the children of the kibbutz, and thanking them for inviting him. “Many holes were dug here,” they told me this week at the kibbutz, which is now absorbing new families. “There are many gaps to fill. So much is missing.” But the image of Hamami planting a sapling inside the crater gave them hope this week. That, they said, is his legacy: to grow from hardship. Words of Comfort The 20th of Cheshvan, which this year falls on November 11, is the fifth yahrzeit of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of Britain. Here is an inspiring passage
from “To Be a Jew,” a booklet that I was privileged to compile of Rabbi Sacks’ teachings: “Sometimes it is when we feel most alone that we discover we are not alone. We can encounter God in the midst of fear or a sense of failure. “Sometimes our deepest spiritual experiences come when we least expect them, when we are closest to despair. It is then that the masks we wear are stripped away. We are at our point of maximum vulnerability—and it is when we are most fully open to God that God is most fully open to us. “God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). “Rebbe Nachman of Breslov used to say: ‘A person needs to cry to his Father in heaven with a powerful voice from the depths of his heart. Then God will listen to his voice and turn to his cry.’ “We find God not only in holy or familiar places but also in the midst of a journey, alone at night. ‘Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me’ (Ps.23:4). The most profound of all spiritual experiences, the base of all others, is the knowledge that
JUDAH MANDEL ESQ. ATTORNEY AT LAW
Download your copy of Sivan Rahav-Meir’s booklet with commentary from Rabbi Sacks zt”l To Be a Jew in English free of charge here: https://sivanrahavmeir.com/to-be-ajew/ Find the original version in Hebrew here: http://bit.ly/3yxoYkf Translated by Yehoshua Siskind and Chava Wilschanski Want to read more by Sivan Rahav Meir? Google The Daily Thought or visit sivanrahavmeir.com
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we are not alone. “There may be times in our lives—certainly there have been in mine—when the sun disappears and we enter the cloud of black despair. You can lose faith in humanity, or in yourself, or both. At such times, the knowledge that God has faith in us is transformative, redemptive. “The real religious mystery, according to Judaism, is not our faith in God. It is God’s faith in us. “We are here because a loving God brought the universe and life, and us, into existence—a God who knows our fears, hears our prayers, believes in us more than we believe in ourselves, who forgives us when we fail, lifts us when we fall and gives us the strength to overcome despair.”
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EFRAT Brings a Uniquely Jewish Voice to the U.S. Abortion Conversation As the national conversation around abortion continues to intensify, EFRAT, a nearly 50-yearold Israeli nonprofit, is bringing its distinct and deeply Jewish approach to communities across the United States. Founded to support women facing unexpected or crisis pregnancies, EFRAT’s mission is rooted in compassion, dignity, and the power of true choice. “At its core, EFRAT is guided by a profoundly Jewish understanding of life,” said Nir Salomon, the executive director of the organization. “We believe that real choices are rarely simple, and that human dignity demands compassion—not coercion.” EFRAT was created to challenge the binary that dominates so much of the Western discourse: one is either “pro-life” and antiabortion, or “pro-choice” and fully supportive of it. “That framing,” Salomon continued, “erases the very real struggles women face. The truth is, most women who turn to us aren’t making a free choice when they consider abortion— they feel they have no choice at all.” EFRAT is both pro-life and pro-choice, in the most authentic sense. The organization believes deeply in the value and potential of every life, while also holding that a woman must be free—emotionally, socially, and practically—to make a decision that reflects her will, not her fear. Operating without judgment or agenda, EFRAT provides emotional guidance, practical
resources, and financial support to empower women in their moment of greatest vulnerability. The organization does not lead with halachic proclamations or political campaigns, but with empathy and care. “‘ — ובחרתם בחייםChoose life’ is not a commandment of control,” EFRAT’s Executive Director explains. “It’s a loving encouragement. Our role is simply to make that choice possible.” In Israel, EFRAT has become a central voice on this issue—trusted by many and vilified by some, but always respected for its quiet effectiveness. Its approach has been endorsed even by rabbinic leaders with strict halachic views, not just because of its outcomes, but
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because of how the work is done: through listening, compassion, and non-coercive support. As EFRAT expands in the United States, it hopes to offer something not often found in this conversation: a gentle, deeply Jewish voice that affirms life while respecting choice—and that seeks not to dominate the debate, but to uplift those most affected by it. To learn more or to connect with EFRAT, visit www.cribefrat.org or contact our offices in Hollywood, FL – 954-953-2858, ext. 102 About EFRAT: Founded in Israel nearly five decades ago, EFRAT supports women facing unplanned or crisis pregnancies by offering financial assistance, emotional support, and practical help. To date, the organization has empowered over 89,000 women to choose life with confidence and dignity.
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Mike Driquez named director of strategic fundraising and community relations, Southeast Region, at American Friends of Magen David Adom, the U.S.-based development affiliate of Israel’s emergency services system Miami, Fla. (October 27, 2025) —Mike Driquez has been named director of strategic fundraising and community relations for the Southeast Region at American Friends of Magen David Adom. Magen David Adom (MDA) is Israel’s emergency services system, which provides Israel with ambulance and paramedic services, and oversees, processes, and distributes blood for the country’s national blood bank, among other services. In his new role, Driquez will solicit philanthropic support and facilitate community outreach for the organization. Prior to joining AFMDA, Driquez served in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for seven years, most recently as the deputy consul general of the State of Israel in Miami. Before that, he spent more than a decade working across multiple sectors in Israel, including technology, venture capital, and engineering. Taking on a new role at a time of increased need in Israel, Driquez is drawn to MDA’s commitment to saving lives, no matter the challenges. “Joining AFMDA felt like a natural continuation of my lifelong dedication to the State of Israel and the Jewish people,” Driquez said. “As a soldier in the IDF, an engineer, and a diplomat, I’ve always considered serving Israel my sacred mission. What could be more meaningful than continuing that mission by helping save lives through Magen David Adom?” Originally from France, Mike immigrated to Israel at age 16 to join the Israel Defense Forces, and in 2023, he returned to combat service as a volunteer. Now based in Aventura, Florida, Mike continues his mission of serving Israel by strengthening the bond across diverse communities and the lifesaving work of Magen David Adom. “Mike has already begun to make an impact at AFMDA,” said Tammy Karu, AFMDA national director of strategic philanthropy. “His lifelong service to Israel, along with his background in diplomacy and community building, make him especially suited to
A Miami resident, Driquez brings a wealth of experience as a diplomat, engineer, and IDF soldier
forwarding our organization’s mission to save lives. I look forward to working with him for a long time to come.” About Magen David Adom MDA is Israel’s emergency services system. A leader in masscasualty response and in EMS technology, Magen David Adom treats and transports over 1 million people to hospitals every year; collects, safety tests, and distributes nearly all the blood to Israel’s hospitals; and, through its affiliation with the Red Cross movement, responds to disasters around the world. For more information, visit afmda.org.
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Yeshiva/Day School Graduate Profiles: A Critical Imperative for Success and School Excellence By Dr. Chaim Y. Botwinick
What should our yeshiva/day students know, understand and learn by the time they graduate (knowledge)? And, what are the school’s expectations regarding their student’s attitudes and behaviors when they graduate? These are just several of the critical deep-dive questions and challenges our yeshiva and day school leaders must ask themselves as they continue to address the viability, success and impact of their respective schools. When guiding or coaching graduate students, faculty or senior administrators about a school’s mission and vision statements or the value and intricacies of schoolbased strategic planning, I usually begin my sessions by stating “if you wake up in the morning, get into your car, and are not really certain where you are going, chances are, you won’t get there.” In Lewis Carroll’s popular classic Alice in Wonderland, Alice asks Cheshire the Cat which way she should go? The cat in turn
replies by asking her where you would like to go. When Alice admits that she “doesn’t really care where she is going”, the cat’s response was, “then it doesn’t really matter which way you go.” Friends, although this example is relatively logical and simple to understand, many of our schools may not always have a clear sense as to where they are heading, or their desired outcome or direction – literally and figuratively. For some, knowing which direction a school is pursuing may require a friendly reminder; for others, it may take the retracing of prior steps or events; and yet for others, it requires a long and arduous recollection process which can at times be challenging and difficult. So how do these examples relate to the substance of this topic? Today, there are a growing number of yeshiva day schools that make concerted efforts to ensure that their students and their families (current and prospective) have a clear sense regarding the school’s educational goals and objectives, direction, hashkafa, philosophy and desired outcomes for their students. This suggests that for these schools to thrive and grow in today’s competitive academic environment, they must learn to develop and offer their stakeholders (students, teachers, parents, community) a series of clear, focused, realistic and specific curricular goals, objectives and outcomes. In
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other words, they must be able to respond to the challenging question – by the time a student graduate’s twelfth grade from that particular yeshiva or day school, what are the minimum skill sets, competencies, and subject areas that students are expected to master, exhibit, demonstrate or know? These are called exactly what they suggest – Graduate Profiles. In a yeshiva day school, I take thelibert of adding adding three additional attributes or characteristics to the list of competencies. They include: Jewish attitudes, Jewish involvement and Jewish behaviors. It is interesting to note that there are a growing number of educational leaders (heads of school, principals, educational coordinators and directors) who suggest that these three additional attributes or characteristics may in fact be more essential for a student’s future growth, development and character than those anchored exclusively in academic requirements or outcomes. From a Jewish communal, yeshiva and day school perspective, they are 100% on target. Having said that, these schools are nevertheless still responsible and obligated to provide their students with the full array of high quality academic competencies (in chol and kodesh) in order to help them grow, thrive and develop into well rounded members of our Jewish community and society. The challenge here is how, with
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COMMUNITY NEWS what resources and finally, the age old challenge of who is responsible to whom for what in our yeshivot and Jewish day schools. Designing and Creating Graduate Profiles: As indicated, Graduate Profiles help define, guide and redefine success in our schools through a careful and deliberate alignment of skills, habits, attributes and knowledge students require to succeed in post high school environments, college, in their careers and throughout life. These “profiles” prioritize mastery and personalization, and help clarify what schools want their students to know, exhibit and master. As such, they can be referred through different names and forms – including a portrait of a graduate, a vision for a graduate; learning goals, or profiles of learners. There are at least five steps to developing effective and meaningful Graduate Profiles. First and foremost, they require that the yeshiva or day school fully understands and appreciate the purpose, value and concept of graduate profiling; second, schools must align their profiles with the philosophy, hashkafa, mission and vision of the school; third, in their development and formulation, they must involve and engage all school and communal stakeholders; four, they must be beta tested and validated in order to ensure that the profiles are measurable and realistic, and five, that they are totally aligned with the school’s curriculum and desired outcomes for its students. It is important to note that true
graduate profiles prevent schools from flying by the seat of their pants as they ensure authenticity, transparency and above all accountability for what is being taught and how. They also ensure that our schools are in line with stakeholder requirements and expectations. No small task! I recall seven years ago, I asked several principals and senior heads of school whether they use Graduate Profiles. Very few responded in the affirmative and virtually all made reference to a document in the back of a parent handbook that was developed years ago or to a page in the school’s promotional/ marketing material or website. Hard to believe? Not at all. Unfortunately, unless a parent, teacher or board member inquires or requests to see the profiles or a member of the faculty requests to use it to align or realign a piece of curriculum, these profiles become static, remain dormant for years, and never see the light of day. Moreover, unless day school and yeshiva leadership are actually required to revisit and review their Graduate Profiles, they by
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and large view the process as an arduous one which requires tremendous, focus, time, energy and engagement – not unlike reviewing accreditation commitments and requirements. Schools by and large reference or refer to them, only if they must. Tangentially, I recently heard about a yeshiva day school that actually used Graduate Profiles in order to assess the performance of their head of school. I am not at all suggesting that schools go through such a lengthy and stressful professional review process in order to evaluate or assess leadership performance. But, I do firmly believe that a frequent review of these profiles help keep our leadership and the school focused, on task and in good stead. The challenge of why schools create graduate profiles, is based on the aforementioned, and should be somewhat obvious. The challenge still remains, how are they designed and developed. Most Graduate Profiles are mirror images of the school’s curriculum and are aligned with the educational mission, vision,
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COMMUNITY NEWS philosophy and hashkafa of the school. This reality therefore suggests and may even demand that the determination of a school’s curriculum take place prior to developing the profiles. There is also a strong school of thought (excuse the pun) suggesting that graduate profiles are first developed and only then can we credibly build a curriculum that is aligned with the profiles. This “chicken and egg” conversation is a serious one. It is not semantic. In fact, most will opine that it is a combination of the two. As an example if a new school is in the process of being founded or created, it is very natural for the school’s leadership and founders to first determine the uniqueness of the school via the identification of graduate outcomes or profiles – namely, they decide a priori why the school’s curriculum is unique to their institution and community based upon desire outcomes. Having said that, it is essential that yeshiva day schools define, redefine and refine their curricular objectives on an ongoing basis. This happens by first having an open, frank, transparent and honest strategic planning conversation with the school founders and stakeholders regarding the goals of the school, and why/how they are either specific or unique to the new school. In cases where the school, already exists, it is incumbent upon the school’s professional and lay leadership to ensure a review of the school’s graduate profiles at least once every two years. The reasons for this frequency should be relatively obvious. It
keeps the school’s curriculum development and implementation on track, it helps inform teachers and the administration what they should be teaching (not how) and they empower or enable the school’s stakeholders to reboot or reset the school’s goals and make the necessary changes and adjustments, based upon, demographic changes, senior leadership transitions, and emerging student population requirements and unmet needs. Doing a Fair to Good Job is No Longer Good Enough. Our Yeshiva Day Schools Must Strive for Excellence in Student Achievement, Student Attitudes and Behaviors (Middot). So, where do we go from here? At the end of the day, our Jewish day schools and yeshivot will not be evaluated, assessed or judged solely based upon their glossy brochures, catchy taglines or impressive promo videos; but rather by their ability, capacity, bandwidth and leadership which maintains true transparency and accountability and a clear articulation of desired outcomes for their students. The beauty here is that in 2025/26, our parents have the good fortune to pick and choose the yeshiva and day school with the best fit for their children. One has only to review a school’s Graduate Profile in order to determine whether these profiles are realistic and true to form or are they only aspirational in order to help parents make that critically important decision. It is also imperative that parents ask the right questions on the granular level and become keen
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observers of those students who are either currently enrolled in the school or recently graduated. Bottom line – to parents, please do your homework; to school professional leadership, be true to what you are truly offering your students and please be certain that your expectations and outcomes are clear, measurable and are totally aligned with your institution’s curriculum and values. No school is perfect, but that does not suggest that they cannot strive to be the best that they can be. Let’s ensure that at the end of the day, our yeshiva day schools try their best to offer our students the most impactful and meaningful academic curriculum possible in both limudei kodesh and chol; and that our students are taught and exposed to the rich array of middot tovot, derech eretz, yirat shomayim. Remember, we only have these students in our schools for a limited period of time. Let’s not squander these opportunities. We owe it to our students, their parents and to our community. B’hatzlacha to all. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Chaim Botwinick is a senior executive coach and an organizational consultant. He served as president and CEO of the central agency for Jewish education in Baltimore and in Miami; in addition to head of school and principal for several Jewish day schools and yeshivot. As an Influencer, he has published and lectured extensively on topics relating to education, resource development, strategic planning and leadership development. Dr. Botwinick is co-founder of LEV Consulting Associates and is producer/host of the Chinuch Horizons podcast series. He is Author of “Think Excellence: Harnessing Your Power to Succeed beyond Greatness”, Brown Books, 2011
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The Segulah Drive It was a nice quiet Friday morning in Lakewood, but at the Refuah B’Halacha Center — it’s never quiet for the Rabbunim on call, shilos come in not only from Lakewood, New York, or anywhere else in America, but also from Eretz Yisrael. Calls can come from anywhere in the world, at any hour — especially on Erev Shabbos, when halacha questions tend to find their urgency as callers want to clarify all their medical shilos before Shabbos. The hotline phone rang. “Refuah B’Halacha Center, how can I help you?” There was a moment of silence, then a soft, hesitant voice with a clear Sephardi accent. “Ken, Shalom, kvod harav. Ata medaber Ivrit?” — Do you speak Hebrew? The rav smiled. “Ken, ani medaber Ivrit.” And so the conversation continued in Hebrew — but for you, dear reader, we’ll tell it in English. “My father is very sick…” “My name is Yitzchak BenHaim,” the caller said. “I live in Netivot. My father is in the hospital in Be’er Sheva, he’s very sick. The doctors, they say… it’s not so good.” His voice quivered. “My father, he is a big believer in tzaddikim. I came today to stay with him over Shabbos and he told me, ‘Please, Yitzchak, drive to the kever of the Baba Sali, light a candle, and daven for me, do it today.’” Yitzchak paused. “But kvod harav, it’s already almost Shabbos here. If I go, I won’t make it before
Shabbos. I told my father Aba it’s almost Shabbat! But he still insists that I go. Maybe… maybe I can drive there on Shabbos itself? For pikuach nefesh, for my father’s life? He is so insistent. He says this segulah will help him survive.” The rav sat back in his chair. These were the kinds of questions that pulled at both heart and mind. A son desperate to help his father — but through an act that could violate Shabbos. The halachic background The rav began carefully, “Yitzchak, let’s first understand what we’re dealing with. The Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim 301:25 speaks about wearing an amulet — a kameya. This was made as an effective remedy. It involves writing certain words that have the power to heal. It says that a proven kameya, one that has worked three times, may be worn even on Shabbos, because it is considered a refuah, and therefore there is no concern of carrying it outside of an eruv, and since it’s proven, it’s no longer a matter of superstition but of established effect.” However, the poskim explain that even then, the only permission is for wearing it — not for doing melacha with it such as actually writing one. The permission is limited to its status as an ornament (tachshit) or protective item for the sick person, not a license to desecrate Shabbos. Rav Moshe Feinstein ztz”l (Orach Chaim Vol. 5, Siman 18) adds an important perspective. He
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writes that in our times, we no longer rely on segulos or amulets as proven medical methods. Since we lack the clarity of which segulos truly “work,” and which are merely symbolic, we must rely on natural means — doctors, medicines, and treatments that are part of derech hateva. Rav Moshe explains that when a kameya is worn today, it serves only as a spiritual ornament, not a proven form of healing — which is why it may still be worn as a tachshit, but not used as a halachic justification for performing melacha. “So,” the rav continued, “if a person wants to wear an amulet on Shabbos, that can sometimes be allowed — but to travel on Shabbos to perform a segulah, that’s something else entirely.” A precedent from the Maharsham The rav then shared a powerful precedent from the Maharsham (Vol. 3, Siman 225). The Maharsham relates that in his hometown of Zlotchov, a certain dayan permitted someone to write a note (kvitel) on Shabbos through a non-Jew, to send to a tzaddik for prayer on behalf of a dangerously ill patient. The great gaon Rav Shmuel Klein (MaharaShK) protested sharply, saying: “Even if the one praying were as holy as Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, Shabbos was not given to be violated for such things — not even for a rabbinic prohibition. For any refuah segulis, Shabbos may not be desecrated in any form.” He even went so far as to say that the
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COMMUNITY NEWS dayan who allowed this should no longer Paskin shilos! The Maharsham brings this story approvingly — that even when the intentions are noble, a segulah does not override Shabbos, because it’s not an act of pikuach nefesh in the halachic sense. Especially if it is not a proven method. But what if the sick person is in distress? At this point, the rav’s tone softened. “However,” he said gently, “if your father is in true distress — not just emotional pain, but actual fear or anxiety that could endanger him — then the halacha sometimes allows limited leniencies, just as we light a candle for a woman in labor (Shulchan Aruch 330;1). In such cases, the relaxation of Shabbos restrictions is not because of the segulah, but because of the choleh’s sakana. The difference is subtle but crucial.” “So,” the rav explained, “if your father truly cannot be calmed and his life might be at risk from his agitation, then perhaps it could be possible to allow a yid to write a kameya on Shabbos just to ease him, so that he does not endanger himself c”v.” However, the rav added, “R’ Moshe did end off saying that this halacha is still not completely clear and further research is necessary.” The rav noted; “The Kaf H’Chaim (Siman 301;138) writes that there was a person who knew how to write a kameya that could save the life of someone who drank a deadly poison. He was approached on Shabbos to write a kameya for a young woman who drank poison. He immediately
wrote up the mystical words and as soon as she wore the amulet she was saved. Under these circumstances where it is close to curtain that the person will be saved, one may michellel Shabbos through segulos. However, in this case where there is no guarantee that your Tefillos will be accepted, any chillul Shabbos is unwarranted.” A higher segulah Yitzchak was quiet on the line. You could almost hear his heart turning. The rav spoke softly: “Tell your father that the greatest zechus for his recovery would be that his son is careful not to desecrate Shabbos for him. The z’chus haShabbos itself will stand by him more than any drive to any Tzadik. Let him know that you davened for him, that you’ll go after Shabbos to Baba Sali’s kever, but that tonight — you’re keeping Shabbos as a zechos for him.” There was a long pause. Then, in that warm, melodic Sephardi accent, the man announced,
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“Todah raba, kvod harav… Shabbat shalom U’mevorach!” The rav responded with a warm “amen! And a Shabbat shalom to you, and a refuah shelemah to your dear father.” Yitzchak responded immediately Amen V’amen! The takeaway True emunah means trusting that Hashem’s blessing flows through the framework He gave us — the Torah and its halachos. As the Ramban writes, when we keep Shabbos even in the face of fear, we declare that Hashem runs the world. The hotline closed for Shabbos soon after all the erev Shabbos calls, and somewhere across the ocean, in a small hospital room in Be’er Sheva, an old man rested, comforted by the knowledge that his son was standing strong — not by a kever, but before Hashem Himself, keeping Shabbos in his merit. Singing the beautiful melody of Kee eshmerah Shabbat kel yishmernei — just I as I watch Shabbos, Hashem should watch me.
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Operation Inspiration: Make No Mistake By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
As the saying goes, an error only becomes a mistake when you refuse to correct it. I won’t go into the specific definitions of each word, but the point is that though it’s natural to do the wrong thing sometimes, when you realize the error, you should try to correct it. If you don’t, it becomes a more permanent problem. Let’s say someone buys a product and realizes it isn’t kosher. That happens and it’s normal. If they intend to return it but put it in the pantry, from whence someone takes it and eats it, the problem is worse due to their negligence. Ideally, they should have made sure it was separated, marked, or hidden until they were able to return it to the store or otherwise dispose of it. If it’s a mistake you can’t correct, like saying something you ought not to have, you can at least learn from it for the future. But then there are other cases where the mistake seems to cause harm, or when you try to correct it, you can’t, and that’s when another dimension comes into play. R’ Yochanan ben Zakai famously asked the Roman government, who were intent on destroying Yerushalayim, to give him Yavne and its scholars. He did this to ensure Torah would continue. He also asked that they provide doctors for an ill sage and spare the life of the Nasi. They acquiesced to all of these things. There were those who said R’ Yochanan ben Zakai made a mistake. He should have asked for the Bais HaMikdash to be spared.
Some suggested he knew that wouldn’t be granted so he didn’t ask for it, but one approach is that he absolutely made a mistake. How? Because that’s Hashem arranged it. Just because something goes wrong, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t actually right. When it comes to elections, I always remind people we have an obligation to vote, but the leaders were chosen by Hashem and they will only be able to do what He allows. Especially when it comes to a large number of people, the
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individual’s free will is curtailed because it would impact people in a way Hashem didn’t ordain. Even when you see a terrible leader enact difficult or even horrific laws, it doesn’t mean they are getting their way. Those are still part of Hashem’s plan, though we don’t understand it. Then, there are lighter examples that are just as much proof that mistakes aren’t necessarily mistakes. The microwave was invented because a scientist had a chocolate bar in his pocket when working near an active magnetron. It melted and he hypothesized that it was from the microwaves being produced. When 11-year-old Frank Epperson forgot his cup of soda on the porch one winter night, with a stirring stick in it, his mistake led to the invention of the popsicle! In fact, this article was spawned by a mistake. As a writer, I’m very careful about spelling, punctuation, and grammar. But one day I made a spelling error and it taught
COMMUNITY NEWS me the value of appreciating mistakes. I write a weekly Parsha sheet. (You can e-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter.com if you’d like to subscribe.) It is formatted a specific way to fit on a single side of a page, to make it easy to print and enjoy in shul, at the Shabbos table, on the bus, or anywhere else you can learn Torah. I use specific fonts as I have for decades, but I will go up and down a bit on the font size depending on the amount of material in the Dvar Torah. One week, as I was preparing it, I had finally fit everything on the page as I wanted to, and then I noticed something. It was a red line under a word, as my word processing program highlighted some-
thing it felt wasn’t spelled right. It was a Hebrew word, which I had spelled in English. That was OK, but then I realized I didn’t spell it the way I normally would have. It wasn’t consistent with the way I’d written that word elsewhere in the document. However, when I added the extra letter to make it conform, something happened. It pushed the sentence onto the next line, and the bottom line of the page onto the next one! In order to make it fit, I could have changed the font for all the words to a smaller one, but that might make it too small – harder to read and not filling the page. What could I do? At that moment, I opted to embrace my mistake, and remove the
letter which messed up my otherwise perfect page. Most readers would not notice and certainly not be bothered by this. However, had I not made the spelling error in the first place, I would not have seen how perfectly the words fit otherwise and not been able to capitalize on it. In other words, Hashem made me make a mistake so I could find a better way to do things. Make no mistake – even when things seem to be going wrong, Hashem knows exactly what He’s doing. 2025 – All Rights Reserved Did you enjoy this column? Feedback is welcome and appreciated. E-mail info@JewishSpeechWriter.com to share your thoughts. You never know when you may be the lamp that enlightens someone else.
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originally appeared on Arutz Sheva
The American Jewish left: Will they ever learn? By Farley Weiss
Who is really responsible for October 7? Despite supporting one catastrophic decision after another, the American Jewish left has yet to conduct the most basic introspection into the long and short term results of its policies. Op-ed. As a delegate to the recently concluded World Zionist in Congress in Jerusalem, I saw the left gleefully pushing for a Commission to investigate the Israeli government’s failures that led to October 7. What I did not see was any sense of introspection by them for their own failures and their responsibility for October 7, 2023. If one really wants to investigate the failures of October 7, 2023 one needs to start with the decision supported by the left wing American Jews and enacted by Israel’s left wing Labor Government on September 13, 1993 to sign the Oslo Agreements with Arafat and the PLO (now the Palestinian Authority) based on the naive belief that the Palestinian Arabs wanted to live in peace with Israel. Israel literally gave the Palestinian Arabs guns and land, and in the Oslo agreements, Arafat actually agreed to turn over Palestinian Arab terrorists who murdered Israelis. And the Israeli government naively believed him. I and others on the right opposed Oslo, believing it would not lead to peace but to a catastrophe, while the American Jewish left support-
ed Oslo. Under the Oslo 2 Accords Annex IV, Article II, Section 7(F) the Palestinian Authority legally obligated itself by agreeing that “Requests for arrest and transfer of suspects or defendants shall be made in writing and shall include all relevant information. The requested side shall promptly respond to such requests, and the requesting side shall be notified of the outcome of its request. Persons arrested as a result of such requests shall be promptly transferred to the requesting side.” However, instead of turning such terrorists over as it had pledged, the Palestinian Authority passed a law financially rewarding such terrorists for these murders, with the more Jews and Americans murdered the more money received. Around 300 million dollars is budgeted and paid each year to such persons and their families including those who committed atrocities on October 7, 2023. Unsurprisingly, after Oslo, terrorism increased dramatically and Gaza under the rule of Arafat became a radicalized area educated in hatred of Jews and favoring the destruction of Israel. The next catastrophic decision came after Likud Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won the January 29, 2003 election in which he opposed the Labor party’s plafform to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza. Two years later, Prime Minister Sharon decided to adopt the
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idea that the Israeli electorate had rejected and decided to ask for support from his Likud party to disengage from Gaza, as polls showed that even within the Likud they now supported disengagement. Likud Minister Uzi Landau led the oppostion to Disengagement and I assisted his efforts by providing the idea to base the campaign on letting Likud voters know that a vote to disengage would lead to a coalition with the Labor party and Shimon Peres. The slogan I suggested for Landau and that they adopted to oppose disengagement was “Vote yes get Peres”. In one month Sharon went from leading by 30% in the polls to losing by 20% in the actual vote. Sharon fired Landau and decided to ignore the result of the vote and carry out Disengagement anyway. The leadership of left wing American Jewry, many of whom attended the World Zionist Congress, supported Disengagement. Israel expelled 8,500 Jews from their homes in Gaza in 2005 and the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas took over. In 2006 with the support of the Bush Administration. Parliamentary elections were held in Gaza and Hamas defeated the Palestinian Authority and violently pushed the Palestinian Authority out of Gaza. The Prime Minister of Israel at the time was Ehud Olmert, not Netanyahu. Once Hamas took over Gaza, the tunnels started
COMMUNITY NEWS to be built as well as the missile factories. Israel was repeatedly attacked by Hamas in Gaza with rocket fire in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021 and on October 7, 2023. People blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for agreeing to the requests made by the then Head of the Shin Bet Ronen Bar, who said that providing Hamas with money would keep them happy and keep the border quiet. Netanyahu was wrong to listen to Bar, who was eventually replaced after Bar’s catastrophic failures not only did he fail to prepare for October 7, despite warnings, but he did not even notify the Prime Minister and Defense Minister any time before the Hamas attack at 6:30 am that morning, despite he himself having several hours notice of the potential attack. People today falsely claim that Netanyahu wanted Hamas to stay in power in Gaza and yet October 7 showed that the only way to get Hamas out of Gaza was for Israel to take over Gaza militarily, something that Israel would only consider doing after October 7. Netanyahu allowed a limited number of Palestinian Arabs from Gaza to obtain permits to work in Israel, up to around 7,000, but the
Lapid-Bennett government that took over on June 13, 2021 and stayed in power until November 1, 2022 vastly increased this number to 20,000 or more in coordination with the Biden Administration. The idea was that this would economically benefit the Palestinian Arabs in Gaza and help lead to peace. Instead, these Palestinian Arab workers helped map out the border areas of Israel and relayed detailed information about the Israeli families who employed them to help prepare for the catastrophic Hamas attack on October 7. On that day, about 3,800 Hamas terrorists were joined by at least 2,200 Palestinian Arab civilians in the barbaric massacre, beheadings, rapings and burning alive of babies perpetrated on October 7, 2023. In September 2025, the Israeli government approved construction of 3,000 units in E1 which is a 4.6 square mile area between Jerusalem and the Judean city of 40,000 Israeli Jews in Maale Adumim. I was part of a small group that received a briefing on the building overlooking E1 from Maale Adumim the day before the Conference. The left in the Conference pushed for a resolution to
prevent Jews and only allow Palestinian Arabs to live and build in E1. The only reason behind this was to create a Palestinian Arab state in the area, as if the American left had learned nothing after October 7. The Israeli public has learned from the catastrophe of the quasi-Palestinian Arab state that ruled in Gaza before October 7 and is now firmly opposed to such a state. The result in Israel is that the Knesset overwhelmingly rejected such a state in July 2024 in a 68-9 vote with no Zionist parties supporting such a state. Furthermore, no Zionist parties opposed Israeli construction in E1, but the American Jewish left at the Conference did oppose such building. At the World Zionist Congress, the American Jewish left showed that they have not undergone a most necessary process of introspection, and have not taken responsibility for their errors of judgment before October 7, 2023. They urgently need to do so. Farley Weiss is past president of the National Council of Young Israel and coauthor of the book Because It’s Just and Right, the Untold Back Story of the U.S. Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
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(Also published in Hebrew in ramatgannet.co.il, and in Givatayimnet.co.il newspaper in Israel)
The General Staff That Failed By Dr. Yeshayahu (Yishy) Bick
Strategic Failure on October 7 The IDF General Staff, led by the Chief of Staff, failed during the war of October 7. The army was unprepared for Hamas’s attack and for the sophisticated warfare tactics Hamas had developed. The General Staff—Israel’s top military leadership—is composed of generals from various branches and roles, similar to a government with ministers overseeing different departments. It is responsible for operational decisions. Hamas, recognizing its relative inferiority to the IDF, developed a tunnel-based warfare strategy where the IDF had no advantage. Tanks cannot enter tunnels, airstrikes are ineffective, and the “terrorist army camps” are hidden deep underground. Hamas’s Underground Military
Infrastructure Hamas built: •Weapons stockpiles and underground missile production halls. •Ventilation, water, and electricity systems. •Tunnels at various depths with interconnecting passages. •Camouflaged exit points in homes, cemeteries, and other creative locations. •A network of approximately 1,000 km of tunnels in a strip only 45 km long. Hamas created a guerrilla warfare doctrine that large, cumbersome armies struggle to counter. It established command centers with internal communications and a complex command network. For example, the IDF Spokesperson has 500 personnel, while Hamas’s media division includes 1,500 people, propaganda units, photography teams, radio and TV channels, and social media operations. Where Was the IDF? Where were the generals we trusted to protect us? Where was Military Intelligence to provide warnings? The Shin Bet also failed to gather human intelligence from spies Where was the Air Force? All security leaders fell victim
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to hubris and arrogance, believing “Hamas is deterred.” They enjoy lavish salaries and service conditions costing around 100,000 NIS per month (the Prime Minister earns 55,000 NIS). Lack of Strategic Thinking IDF generals are skilled in daily management and tactics but lack strategic thinking. There’s no challenging thought, no outof-the-box thinking, and no listening to lower ranks who are experienced professionals. Civilian Rafael Hayun, who monitored Hamas and provided valuable intelligence to the IDF, had all his surveillance equipment confiscated. Prime Minister’s Strategic Leadership The Prime Minister demonstrated strategic capabilities in both military and diplomatic arenas. His operational sequence—Gaza first, then Lebanon, followed by Syria and Iraq, and finally Iran—was contrary to the General Staff ’s opinion but proved effective Key decisions that proved successful. Activating beepers in Lebanon only after Hezbollah had thousands in service proved successful. Striking Qatar with long-range missiles from outside its terri-
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tory, which pressured Qatar to push Hamas to release hostages (as admitted by Qatar’s Prime Minister). Systemic Failures and Corruption Blame also lies with previous generations of generals and chiefs of staff who developed flawed doctrines of a “small, agile, computerized army” that, when called upon, was merely “small”! The army suffers from a corrupt organizational culture. Officers advanced based on personal connections rather than merit. Many exemplify the “Peter Principle,” serving in roles one level above their competence Investigations were tainted with false statements. Brigadier General (Res.) Oren Solomon, who served in Southern Command during the war, conducted a detailed investigation into the General Staff ’s conduct. He was expelled from the army, arrested, and investigated. The Chief of Staff ignored his report. The Chief of Staff did not respond to Brigadier General Salomon’s letters and did not address his investigation! The arrest and interrogations harmed him, and he now fears for his life! Should he be harmed, he instructed that his investigations be published publicly. Let us return to the criticism of the IDF generals. The army must build a system for evaluating and assigning commanders based on their capabilities, not their clique affiliations (most generals and chiefs of staff are graduates of commando units, who natural-
ly lack experience in managing large and complex systems, unlike those who commanded field and armored corps and managed large systems). I do not need to exert effort to prove my approach, as we are all aware of the opinions of the “formers” (though not all!) in all security branches. Former generals or heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad express opinions and interpretations that quickly prove to be mistaken, nonsense, and empty rhetoric. Some of them make irresponsible and foolish statements such as “IDF soldiers kill babies for fun” or “We’ll sign agreements with Hamas to release the hostages and then figure out how to deal with Hamas.” And these are the people we entrusted with our security and well-being Therefore, my opinion of the IDF generals is different. Hamas operatives are more sophisticated than the generals! Hamas operatives are more determined than the generals and are willing to fight until they achieve their goal — the destruction of the State of Israel. Hamas has built an organized terror army that you, the generals, failed to understand or find solutions for Worst of all is the infiltration of politics into the security branches. Promotions are made based on political views and party affiliations. Security system leaders refrained from dismissing “refusers” who harmed soldier morale and the army’s readiness for war. Army and security leaders supported efforts to oust a sitting
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prime minister, harming democracy and us — the sovereign people I wish to address the case of Unit 100 from Sde Teiman. In previous articles, I noted the malice and evil of the IDF’s legal advisor, who is also the Military Advocate General. Months ago, it was clear that the video about Unit 100’s activity and the rape of a Nukhba terrorist was a malicious fabrication — a doctored video meant to serve the MAG’s political agenda. Unit 100 members were arrested and imprisoned, a trial is underway, and their families are ostracized and shamed publicly. The video was broadcast worldwide, defaming IDF soldiers and even endangering them with arrests abroad This is a mega attack!! And again, miraculously, not a single IDF general came to the soldiers’ defense, supported them, or backed them! The new head of the Shin Bet, General Zini, transferred information from the Shin Bet (a polygraph test taken by the military prosecution’s spokesperson) to the police, which immediately launched an investigation and presented findings to the Chief of Staff. The Military Advocate General was placed on forced leave until the investigation concludes — effectively dismissed In my opinion, this is just the tip of the iceberg of corruption and “interest-based rot” that has spread in the army. Time will tell that even in the civilian legal system, headed by the Attorney General, there is deep and filthy
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corruption of interests. Raviv Drucker from Channel 13 even added his opinion that if the MAG’s criminal involvement is proven, it will be evidence that Likud was right and that there is a “deep state” in Israel. And who immediately ordered an investigation into the MAG’s actions? Attorney Gali Baharav-Miara, the Attorney General. How come? Aren’t they good friends? And the MAG even prevented the prosecution of Gali Miara’s son, who stole a valuable combat vest from a volunteer who came from the United States. In my humble opinion, Gali Baharav-Miara wants to be in-
volved in all the information arising from the investigation and to conceal charges and interpret facts to save her friend.. Gali Baharav must be immediately removed from the case! In the future, we will see that the Attorney General knew and concealed facts, was conflicted (a month ago she lied and told the High Court that a thorough investigation was conducted and the MAG was cleared of all charges), and this time her path out will be paved. My conclusions from the article: 1. Establish an appointments committee for officers of briga-
dier general rank and above. 2. Build systems for evaluating and assigning senior officers. 3. Each officer will be assessed based on past performance in the role they are completing before receiving a new position. 4. Before receiving a new position, the officer will undergo a polygraph test to verify their integrity and honesty. The State of Israel needs professional commanders and deserves to receive the best among them..
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Miami Makes History: America Business Forum Brings the World’s Most Influential Leaders to a Sold-Out Kaseya Center By South Florida Community Voice
Miami cemented its status as a global capital last week as the inaugural America Business Forum: Miami brought the world’s most influential leaders in sports, business, politics, and culture to a single stage — and the world watched. Held November 5–6 in a sold-out Kaseya Center and livestreamed across the globe, the event marked the Forum’s first U.S. edition and showcased an extraordinary gathering of visionaries under the theme “The World Meets in America.” From Jeff Bezos to Lionel Messi, from Donald J. Trump to Serena Williams, and from Jamie Dimon to Rafael Nadal, the Forum united titans from every industry to share ideas shaping the future of business, culture, technology, and geopolitics. A Once-in-a-Generation Lineup This year’s America Business Forum featured one of the most diverse and powerful speaker lineups ever assembled: Jeff Bezos • Lionel Messi • Rafael Nadal • President Donald J. Trump • President Javier Milei • Tony Robbins • Serena Williams • Jamie Dimon • Ken Griffin • María Corina Machado • Stefano Domenicali • Gianni Infantino • HRH Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud • Eric Schmidt • Adam Neumann • Patrick Bet-David • Steve Witkoff • Fahad Alsaif The event was hosted by Fox
News’ Bret Baier, with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) serving as the presenting partner. This blend of global leadership — spanning sports, tech, politics, finance, activism, entrepreneurship, media, and culture — positioned Miami as the crossroads of the modern world. President Donald J. Trump: Honored Guest, Packed Arena One of the most anticipated moments came when President Donald J. Trump took the stage as an honored guest. Addressing an electrified Kaseya Center, he spoke about Miami’s booming growth, the nation’s economic future, and the city’s rising
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role as a global hub for innovation, talent, and investment. His presence underscored the Forum’s ability to unite leaders from across the spectrum — political, economic, and cultural. Jeff Bezos: Miami’s Moment — and Earth’s Future Amazon founder and Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos offered a sweeping vision of humanity’s next frontier. Bezos reflected on his Miami upbringing and how the city shaped his ambition, then spoke about moving heavy industry off Earth to protect the planet. With Blue Origin preparing new launches and Amazon expanding in South Flor-
COMMUNITY NEWS ida, he emphasized Miami’s ability to lead in AI, infrastructure, and technology. His message was clear: Miami has the talent, momentum, and strategic position to help shape the future of the world — and beyond. Jamie Dimon: AI, Resilience & the New Global Economy JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon focused on leadership and America’s economic direction. He stressed the importance of adaptability, curiosity, and the transformational role of artificial intelligence. Dimon outlined his bank’s $1.5 trillion Strategic Resiliency Initiative, investing in the next wave of national priorities — aerospace, quantum technology, energy, AI, and advanced healthcare. His warning to global markets: innovate or fall behind. Sports Icons Take the Stage: Messi & Nadal Inspire Miami Soccer legend Lionel Messi, now a resident superstar through Inter Miami, joined the Forum’s elite roster to reflect on discipline, excellence, and the power of teamwork. Tennis champion Rafael Nadal brought lessons of resilience, global sportsmanship, and adaptation — themes that resonated deeply with the Miami audience. Their presence underscored Miami’s rising stature as a global sports capital. Culture, Politics & Entrepreneurship Intersect Other standout voices included: Serena Williams on the future of investment and women in business
• Ken Griffin on the importance of talent and Miami’s unmatched momentum • Eric Schmidt (Former Google CEO) on AI as a historic turning point • President Javier Milei on global geopolitics and economic freedom • María Corina Machado on democracy and leadership • Adam Neumann on rebuilding and reinventing the real estate experience • Patrick Bet-David on entrepreneurship and American opportunity • Gianni Infantino & Stefano Domenicali on the future of global sports • HRH Ambassador Reema Bandar Al-Saud on diplomacy and cultural connection Together, they wove a narrative of bold ideas, global cooperation, and the unstoppable rise of Miami. “The World Meets in America”: Leaders Reflect on a Historic Gathering “The inaugural America Business Forum: Miami was an extraordinary gathering that connected global leaders with au-
diences around the world,” said Francis Suárez, President of the Board of America Business Forum. “We extend our deepest gratitude to our distinguished speakers, sponsors, and every attendee who helped make history with us.” “America Business Forum: Miami set the agenda for what’s next in sports, business, politics, and culture,” said Ignacio Gonzalez, Founder of America Business Forum. “The energy inside the Kaseya Center was powerful as the Earth’s greatest visionaries shared insights about the future, reflected on their journeys, and offered advice.” Miami: The Epicenter of Tomorrow For Miami — a city built on reinvention — the Forum wasn’t just an event. It was a declaration. A declaration that: • Miami is where global ideas collide. • Miami is where innovation finds home. • Miami is where leaders from every continent now gather. And with plans already being discussed for future editions, Miami’s global era is only beginning. D E C E M B E R 6 , 2 0 2 4 / P.45
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Across Borders and Histories: A Unique International Academic Collaboration in Berlin amid Kristallnacht Remembrance As memorial ceremonies marking Kristallnacht take place across Berlin, a diverse group of students from Israel, Germany, and the United States are gathered at the Center for Research on Antisemitism at TU Berlin — not to commemorate, but to learn. Across languages, backgrounds, and generations, they are exploring the traces of individual lives preserved in diaries, letters, and memoirs that endured the turbulent history of twentieth-century Europe. Their gathering marks the culmination of the groundbreaking international course “Egodocuments in Twentieth-Century German Jewish History,” jointly taught by instructors from the Open University of Israel, Technische Universität Berlin, and the University of Colorado Boulder. The week-long seminar in Berlin combines academic learning with hands-on archival work, visits to key centers for Jewish history in Berlin, and meetings with leading scholars in the field. Beyond the research itself, the encounter of students and instructors from three nations carries a profound symbolic weight, especially amid current global tensions and the renewed debate over Israel and Jewish identity. The course as a whole examines the usefulness and challenges of “egodocuments,” a concept that has gained prominence in
Reading and interpret the texts together at the archives of the jewish museum berlin
historical and cultural studies for its focus on individual voices and subjectivity. Over recent weeks, its participants — graduate and advanced undergraduate students from the three institutions — have met virtually to explore how personal writings such as diaries, letters, memoirs, and testimonies can illuminate the complex experiences of Jews in twentieth-century Europe. According to Prof. Guy Miron of the Open University of Israel, one of the course’s co-instructors, “Egodocuments — diaries, testimonies, memoirs, and family photo albums — offer the best foundation for genuine dialogue between students from different countries, communities, and cul-
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tures.” Indeed, during collaborative reading sessions, students have discovered how deeply these personal texts transcend language and cultural barriers: One child’s letter written in “Dinglish,” a mix of German and English, or a Germany diary interwoven with Hebrew words were poignant reminders of a shared heritage and human connection. Through this initiative, remembrance becomes dialogue. The course demonstrates how studying individual lives and voices can also build bridges — across borders, cultures, and histories, turning remembrance into understanding and scholarship into empathy.
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K IDS Z ONE KIDS ZONE
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RIDDLES ABOUT
HEALTHY EATING
A: Smoothie or Yogurt Pop I’m not made of sugar, but I’m still a treat, I’m made with yogurt or frozen fruit to eat! What am I?
I’m the meal that starts your day, Eat me well to learn and play! What am I? A: Breakfast
A: Water I’m sweet but natural, no candy inside, I grow on trees and come with a bite! What am I?
I come in colors — red, green, or blue, Packed with vitamins that are good for you! What am I? A: Fruits or Vegetables
A: Tomato I’m cold and clear, I make you feel bright, Drink me all day and you’ll feel just right! What am I?
I’m brown, not white, I’m full of grain, I keep you full and fuel your brain. What am I? A: Whole-wheat bread or Whole grains
A: Carrot I’m full of water, round and red, I’m tasty sliced on toast or bread. What am I?
I’m tiny and crunchy, a handful to munch, I give you energy when you need a punch! What am I? A: Nuts or Seeds
I’m crunchy and orange, I help your eyes see, Rabbits love to nibble on me!
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A: West Palm Beach
K IDS Z ONE KIDS ZONE . .. T A H T W O N K U O DID Y
FACTS ABOUT EATING HEALTHY
1. Colorful plates = powerful plates! Each color fruit or veggie has different vitamins — like orange carrots for eyes and red tomatoes for your heart.
2. Your brain loves breakfast! A healthy breakfast helps you think faster and remember more in school. 3. Water is your body’s best friend. It keeps your muscles strong, your skin clear, and your energy high! 4. Sugar hides everywhere! Even ketchup and cereal can have sneaky sugar — always check the label! 5. Healthy food makes you happier. Fruits and veggies help your brain make “happy chemicals” like serotonin.
6. Nuts and seeds are tiny superfoods. A small handful gives you energy, protein, and brain power! 7. Whole grains keep you full longer. Brown rice, oats, and whole-wheat bread give steady energy — no sugar crash! 8. Your plate is a rainbow artist. The more colors you eat, the more nutrients you get. 9. Healthy snacks can taste awesome! Try frozen grapes, apple slices with cinnamon, or yogurt pops. 10. You have taste buds for a reason! It can take 10 tries to start liking a new healthy food — so keep trying!
K IDS Z ONE KIDS ZONE HELP THE SHEEP GET TO THE CABBAGE
UNSCRAMBLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS RELATED TO
HEALTH 1. EALTHEH
6. R T O A C
2. TIURF
7. P P A E L
3. EEBLVEGTA
8. A R G N I
4. AETRW
9. G T R U O Y
5. DAERB
10. S T U N
6. CARROT 7. APPLE 8. GRAIN 9. YOGURT 10. NUTS
ANSWERS: 1. HEALTHY 2. FRUIT 3. VEGETABLE 4. WATER 5. BREAD
FOOD
Crispy Rainbow Broiled Trout By Jamie Geller
• 10 MIN DURATION • 5 MIN COOK TIME • 5 MIN PREP TIME • 6 SERVINGS •
This Crispy Broiled Rainbow Trout recipe was my grandfather’s specialty. We used to beg him for this delicacy every time we went to his house for lunch! As a child, I always imagined a lot of magic and secret ingredients went into his famous fish. One day, I finally arrived early and caught him cooking it. “This is it?” I asked. It turned out the secret wasn’t a complicated method at all; it was in the fish’s simplicity and its freshness—truly the best fish I had ever tasted. I honor him for figuring out exactly what you don’t need to do: add too many ingredients to hide a good thing. The secret to cooking the best rainbow trout is its elegant simplicity, resulting in that perfectly crispy edge we all crave. The secret to cooking the best rainbow trout is in its simplicity.
Ingredients • 6 rainbow trout fillets about 3 pounds • 1 ½ teaspoons salt • ¾ teaspoon coarse black pepper • 4 ½ teaspoons paprika • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Preparation
Recipe Courtesy of QUICK & KOSHER Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing by Jamie Geller (Feldheim 2007)
1. Preheat broiler. Spray a broiler pan with non-stick
cooking spray. 2. Rinse trout and pat dry. Arrange fillets in prepared pan. 3. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Drizzle olive oil over fish. 4. Broil for 5 minutes or until slightly brown and crispy at edges. 5. Place trout on a platter and serve immediately. 6. Serve over Crispy Onion Strings.
Jamie Geller is the Chief Media and Marketing Officer at Aish. She is also a bestselling cookbook author, celebrity chef, television producer, and businesswoman. She’s the author of eight cookbooks and the founder of Kosher Media Network. P.52 / T S F C O M M U N I T YVO I C E .C O M | +1 ( 9 5 4 ) 6 6 2 - 5 0 5 4 | I n f o @ t s f c o m m u n i t y v o i c e . c o m
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For Sale.
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$599,999
Now
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Property Features 3 bed and extra 2 full baths 4 year old roof and AC Close to houses of Worship
For Sale.
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Now
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17621 NE 7th Avenue North Miami Beach, Fl 33162
Property Features 4 bed/3 full baths Fully furnished Pool Ready to move-in Close to houses of Worship
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…And So It Begins! By Shmuel Shayowitz
“…And so it begins.” Those were the words President Trump posted just minutes after Zohran Mamdani was projected to win the New York City mayoral race. It was short, it was blunt, and it sent a clear message that a new chapter is starting, and not one that many of us were hoping for. I’ll admit, I am somewhat thankful the elections are finally over. For weeks, our inboxes and group chats were flooded with forewarnings about voting. There were messages, videos, and pleas from every corner of the community urging us to take this election seriously. And now, here we are. The results are in, and unfortunately, New York and New Jersey did not go the way we had hoped. And yes, exercising our voice is extremely important. History has shown us how dangerous inaction can be in this regard. As I learned from a Meaningful Minute video, in 1981, a no-name aspiring politician won his first mayoral race in Burlington, Vermont, by just ten votes, defeating a six-term Democratic incumbent. From that narrow victory, he built a decades-long career advancing his unpopular policies, moving from Burlington mayor to eight terms in Congress and eventually the U.S. Senate. That man, Bernie Sanders, is now a national figure whose democratic socialist agenda has influenced an entire generation, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. AOC, as she is commonly known, was working as a bartender and waitress in New York after college and admits she was highly influenced and motivated by Sanders’ policies and support. She
too won her first race by a narrow margin, unseating one of the most powerful incumbents in Congress. So, understandably, people are anxious. Mamdani, a self-described Democratic Socialist who has supported anti-Israel protests and called for defunding the NYPD, is about to take the Mayor’s office. There’s a real concern about what this means for our safety, for our values, and for the future of our communities. But while the fear feels crushing, it’s important to remember what fear really is. Fear is just a thought about the future. It’s not real. It lives in our imagination and feeds on what hasn’t even happened yet. Studies show that more than 90% of what we worry about never actually occurs. Fear can be useful if it makes you cautious and mindful. But when fear turns into paralysis, it becomes destructive. It stops people from moving forward. It prevents them from taking important steps, like buying homes, starting businesses, or investing in opportunities. It keeps them from speaking up or taking action when it matters most. The one action that frightened New Yorkers seem willing to take is to leave the city. A recent poll showed that nearly one million residents would leave the state if Mamdani won. Another 25%, about 2.12 million, said they would “consider” leaving if he won. Will they? Who knows! The question now is not what Mamdani will do. It is what we will do. Will we sit back and let fear take over, or will we create a plan and take action regardless? When New York was collapsing in the 1970s,
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everyone thought the city was finished. Crime was rampant, businesses were closing, and investors were running away. But a young Donald Trump saw a moment of opportunity. He invested when others were fleeing. He bought properties for pennies on the dollar and rebuilt them when no one else would dare. He wasn’t fearless, but he didn’t let fear stop him. He understood that turmoil and opportunity often come hand in hand. We are in a moment like that again. The national political landscape is chaotic, and the rhetoric is getting louder and louder. But the people who focus and take strategic action now will be the ones who thrive later. You don’t need to make radical moves, as long as whatever you do is not fear-based. Meet with your advisor, review your finances, explore a new investment, or take the first step on a project you have been putting off. The people who succeed during times of uncertainty are the ones who prepare, stay relentless, and move forward while everyone else is frozen. The moment ‘to begin’ is right now. Shmuel Shayowitz (NMLS#19871) is a highly regarded Real Estate & Finance Executive, Writer, Speaker, Coach, and Advisor. He is President and Chief Lending Officer of Approved Funding, a privately held national mortgage banker and direct lender that has facilitated over $3 billion in mortgage funding. Shmuel has over twenty years of industry experience and holds numerous licenses and accreditations, including certified mortgage underwriter, licensed real estate agent, residential review appraiser, and accredited investor, to name a few. Shmuel has successfully navigated through many changing markets and business landscapes, making his market insights and experience well-coveted within the real estate industry. He can be reached via email at Shmuel@approvedfunding.com.
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