0809

Fall 2008 | Elul / Tishrei 5768 | Volume 5, Issue 8 | FREE

See ad on page 28

To Advertise “ 052-6404414 | 052-3868768 | [email protected] | www.modiinfo.com

] � [

] � [

Fall 2008 | Elul/Tishrei 5768 | Volume 5, Issue 8

Dear Readers,Welcome back from a busy but hopefully restful summer. We hope that by now you

have all received the new ModiInFone 2008-9. If not, feel free to pick one up at one

of the many pickup points. E-mail us for details at [email protected].

This issue covers a lot of important topics including education, Rosh Hashanah

and the Modiin municipal elections. ModiInfo is pleased to be facilitating the only

opportunity to ask your questions in English to the mayoral candidates. The panel

will take place on September 15 at 20:30 on 18 Rechov Yosef. Don’t miss this

unique event.

After almost five years of publishing ModiInfo we are proud of its growing success

and our contribution to the Anglo communities of our area. Now ModiInfo has

made an exciting change to the magazine format and schedule. ModiInfo will come

out four times a year making each issue bigger with more ads and more articles. Our

website will continue to be a reliable source for new information and updates. Don’t

forget to visit us on the web and see what’s cooking on ModiInFood.

Best wishes for a shana tova,

Caryn and Daniella. ßModiInfo is an independently owned, advertiser supported publication distributed monthly to Modiin and the surrounding neighborhoods. ModiInfo welcomes all articles and ads but reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. The views expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of ModiInfo. ModiInfo is not responsible for facts or claims made by ads or authors, nor for any typographical errors. Work produced by ModiInfo is the property of ModiInfo and may not be reproduced without consent.

Daniella Hellerstein & Caryn Meltz

Co-publishers and editors0526-404-414 | 0523-868-768

Studio Dana CyviakDesign & Layout

054-635-8580

Judy Simon Ad Graphics

Ilana EpsteinMarketing Assistant

Fax: 077-201-1310

To Advertise:[email protected]

www.ModiInfo.comPrinting by Dfus Ayalon


] � [

By: Rav David Lau

The year 5746 was a difficult period

of time for addressing the rhetorical

question posed by the prophet

Yishayahu: “Can a woman forget the

child of her womb?” The prophet

seeks to comfort Israel by saying that

just as a mother would never forget to

have mercy on her child - the fruit of her womb, Hashem

will never forget his people. The violent and hurtful

events that have occurred lately threaten the premise of

Yishayahu’s rhetorical question.

We have become accustomed, unfortunately, to

hearing about victims of traffic accidents on the news,

and hopefully have changed our behavior to become

safer drivers. We have convinced ourselves that we have

control over the amount of traffic accidents, and that

Looking into Ourselvesit’s in our power to prevent or seriously diminish the

accidents that occur.

One place we always felt safe is our homes. The

warmth and safety of our families and the image of a

mother’s comforting arms hugging and pacifying her child

always provided us with comfort and a feeling of safety.

The recent, frightening accounts of parents abusing or

even murdering children have broken all boundaries.

Violence has entered the sanctity of the home.

HaRav Yisrael Salanter, the founder of the Mussar

Movement, teaches us that the impact of our actions

influences society. Just as we have the power to reduce

traffic accidents, we have the power, through our actions

towards each other, to prevent violence in our society.

When we behave gently, politely and with respect

towards others, our actions influence our surroundings.

When we behave in a negative manner, we have a

negative influence on our surroundings making it a place

] � [


susceptible to violence – even within the family and

home. We do not live in a bubble. A person who trains

himself to relate to others with love and respect creates

a healthy atmosphere that influences society making it a

place where acts of violence will not occur.

As we stand before the beginning of a new year, this

is the time to renew within us the feeling of friendship,

respect and patience towards each other. Although

the period of elections is an emotional time for the

citizens of Modiin, it is also the right time to improve our

interpersonal relationships, heighten our respect for one

another and with cooperation, build the city of the future

- a city that will symbolize friendship and good will – a

city of peace. ß


] � [

By: Daniella Hellerstein

Moish Levy was born in Jerusalem but

spent much of his childhood with his

family on Shlichut in the Paarl Jewish

community of South Africa. At the

age of nine, the family returned to

Jerusalem. Moish attended Himelfarb

High School, where he was selected

to be a member of the Foreign Ministry Youth Delegation

to the USA. After matriculation, Moish earned a law

degree and served in the IDF as a lawyer, where he still

serves as a military judge (res).

Moish and his family moved to Modiin 11 years ago

with the first residents. He rapidly became involved in

the city’s education system. Moish has served on the

City’s Moatza for the past four years as a representative

of Shachar Osim Chinuch and as the Holder of the City׳s

Education Portfolio (Machzik Tik Chinuch).

ModiInfo met with Levy over the summer to find out

where the educational system in Modiin is heading.

ModiInfo: What are some of the specific challenges to

Modiin as far as education goes?

Levy: Unlike any other city in Israel, Modiin must

build 2-3 new schools a year due to the influx of new

residents. Thousands of children move here and we are

required to ensure that there is a chair for every child.

This year alone the number of school age children (3-18)

grew from 20,000 to 22,000. In August, 300 children not

previously accounted for registered for school. Modiin

builds 15-20 new ganim every year, not to mention

elementary and high schools. In a recent development,

the Buchman high school which was slated to be built on

the corner of Yitzchak Rabin and Nahal Tzalmon (where

there are already two large schools) has been moved to

Reut where the high school building there is available.

Understanding Education in Modiin

] � [


Continues on page 14

Instead a new high school will be built in Kaiser.

ModiInfo: What improvements have you implemented

into the Modiin school system?

Levy: Until recently Modiin’s school system expanded

yearly but lacked an overall educational plan. One of our

most important achievements was to create a tochnit

av which is a strategic educational plan. We now have

mapped out what we expect Modiin’s educational

system to look like and we can therefore prepare for it

and improve it.

ModiInfo: As a parent and city council member, are

you satisfied with the educational system here?

Levy: You can never be satisfied because then you stop

looking forward. In education there is always room to

improve and new, more progressive methods to employ

so one must never feel completely satisfied. One of the

areas that I wish we could better improve is to reduce

the class size. According to Misrad HaChinuch, class size

is allowed to reach 41 students before the class is split. In

Modiin, we try our best to keep classes smaller by playing


] � [

It was Benjamin Franklin who said, “in this world nothing

can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Had

Franklin lived to see the Israeli political system, he may

have added elections to his list.

On November 11, 2008 a number of municipalities,

including Modiin, will hold elections to elect a mayor

and city council. Local elections in Israel are held once

every five years. The number of city council seats is based

proportionally on the overall population using a formula

developed by the Ministry of Interior. Due to the increase

in population since 2003, the number of city council seats

will increase from 15 to 17. Members of the city council

are not paid, but the mayor and any deputy mayors do

receive monthly salaries. The following is a short guide to

the electoral process:

Eligibility:Any resident whose 17th birthday falls no later than

on which the elections take place and who was registered

Election Fever By: Elliott Cahan

along with his/her address on October 2, 2008 as a

resident of the local authority. Therefore, any resident of

Modiin, age 17 and older as of the date of elections is

eligible to vote. All eligible voters will be notified by mail

21 days prior to the elections where their polling station

is located. There are an estimated 45,000 eligible voters

in Modiin.

Voting: The actual voting process is quite simple, especially

compared to the United States, for example, where

voters must elect various candidates for many positions,

but also vote on referendums as well. Modiin voters will

be cast two votes separate votes; one for mayor and one

for city council. Candidates for office may or may not be

associated with a national political party, but will have a

party name of some sort.


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] 10 [

By: Nancy Benjamin

One of the greatest “dividends”

of living in Israel is experiencing

the festival of Sukkot. The chag, of

course, is wonderful, with a plethora

of sukkot on every balcony and

courtyard. The “arba’at haminim”

are fresh and beautiful. But the week

of “Chol HaMo’ed” when everyone

is on vacation is the

nicest of all! There

are all kinds of tiyulim

and family-oriented

activities around the

country during that

week. But those living

in the Modiin region

have the advantage of having Neot Kedumim, the Biblical

landscape reserve in their backyard!

Three special sections of the 600-acre reserve are set

up specifically for Sukkot.

1. All of the 4 species flourish in their “natural habitats”.

The description from the Talmud, Masechet Sukka, is

very detailed, and we included all the other “candidates”

for the “fruit of a glorious tree” and “branch of a thickly

leaved tree”, together with written explanations.

2. Forget about your standard box-like sukka! How about

a round sukka, a double-decker or a tepee-shaped one,

a sukka under a haystack or on a camel’s back?! Our

sukkot exhibition includes 22 different sukkot , some

of them so oddly-shaped, that one can’t believe that

they are all described in the Mishna. In front of each

sukka, the mishnaic ruling, as to whether each sukka is

“k’shera” or “p’sula” is displayed.

3. The “Festival of Ingathering” trail is a paved walking

Sukkot Celebration at Neot Kedumim

] 11 [


tour, with several stops for

hands-on activities, including

deciphering coded messages and riddles relating to

the 4 species and the different symbols of the chag,

orienteering, with compasses and maps, weaving

baskets made from palm leaves, observing a potter at

her wheel, and hearing her explanation of her craft,

and watching the play: “Nakdimon ben Gurion”.

There will be large kosher sukkot set up in which families

may eat, with restrooms nearby. Thus it is easily possible

to spend an enjoyable 3-5 hours at Neot Kedumim! ß

For more details, please go to www.n-k.org.il, 08-9770770.


] 1� [

Getting to Grips with Schooling in ModiinPart 1

By: Elise Rynhold

The very world rests on the breath of a child in the

schoolhouse. (Babylonian Talmud: Shabbat, 119b)

Being open to change, adapting to different norms and

adjusting expectations are an integral part of moving to

any new country. Although often referred to as “coming

home”, the process of making Aliya is no exception to this.

Integrating our children into the Israeli education system

can seem very overwhelming so here are some facts about

the system.

Centralized System

Israel’s education system remains highly centralized

with much of the decision-making and budgetary power

residing in the Ministry of Education in Jerusalem, while the

TheListening HeartAre you looking for a way to open the doors of communication to family and friends?Do you want to improve interpersonal relationships and feel better about yourselves?

Come join our unique & interactive workshops:

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Facilitator:Ruhama Ben-David, licensed teen coach and member of the Israel Coaching Community.

Moms & Daughters Workshop: Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 6pm. Up to 16 participants.

Don’t miss out!

For information and registration:

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local authority’s role is limited. The Ministry is responsible

for school curricula, educational standards, supervision of

teaching personnel, and construction of school buildings.

Core curriculum (the largest part of the school day) is set

by the Ministry, while other subjects are at the discretion of

the municipality, school principals and parents.

Free of Charge

Although parents currently do need to pay for books,

extra-curricular and cultural programs as well as for

educational school trips (this may change in Sept 2009),

education is by law free of charge from age 6-18.

Short School Day and Six Day Schooling

There’s no getting away from it - the school day in Israel

is short, running from 8:00am-12:45pm, six days a week.

To lengthen the day, many schools add hours based on a

payment system “Talan”. There is a growing consensus in

Israel that the school day should be lengthened but the

major obstacle to this remains a lack of Ministry funding.

Class Size

According to Ministry of Education regulations, class size


] 1� [

‡Continued from page 7

with numbers because we know that smaller is better.

Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don’t, but we

always try. The other area that is difficult to deal with is

the fact that our funding for new buildings comes from the

Ministry of Education. Often it takes a very long time for

funds to come through which can be very frustrating.

ModiInfo: What is being done in the educational

system to better integrate new olim?

Levy: Misrad HaKlitah is in charge of absorption of

olim including chidren. We are currently implementing

a more specific plan for better teacher training, more

communication with parents and improved programming

for students.

ModiInfo: As a volunteer in the iriyah, how do you

have the time to invest in addition to your professional

and family life?

Levy: It is only because I care so deeply about education

that I can find time to work towards improving it. I advocate

for Modiin’s needs inside the Ministry of Education. I work

with other departments in the municipality as well as the

mayor. I visit the various schools in Modiin and meet with

parents. I also participate in various educational steering

committees and consult with educational professionals.

ModiInfo: What are you looking for in the next mayor

of Modiin?

Levy: The next mayor needs to understand that

education has to be a top priority. The education budget is

over 50% of the municipal budget and that must continue.

We have also established special education schools as well

as a school for gifted children. We launched the Student

Scholarship Fund for needy college students in return

for community volunteering. I was also very instrumental

in the planning of a state-of-the-art computer portal

for inter-school resource sharing.. Modiin was recently

awarded the National Education Prize.

There are many more exciting achievements that I have

planned for the coming four years to improve education

for all the children of Modiin. ß

] 1� [



] 1� [

Haim BibasHaim Bibas is 39 years old, married to

Yafit, and father of Roy, Dana and Shiri.

He has been a resident of Modiin-

Maccabim-Reut since 1997.

For five years Bibas has served

as Modiin’s voluntary, non-salaried

Deputy Mayor.

He has a M.A. in Public Administration and Local

Government, from Bar Ilan University. M.A. thesis

on Local Government Reform and Professional City

Management.

Bibas was a Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) – Commander of

a Training Squadron for Officers, Company Commanders,

and Reserves Duty Training Courses. He has extensive

experience in Municipal Management – Senior professional

positions in local government - managed annual budgets

in excess of half a billion NIS.

Bibas is the Director of National Construction and

Development Division-Educational and Public Institution

Construction Project Manager, Jerusalem and Central

Region Environment and Transportation Project

Manager.

He is responsible for Modiin’s Planning and

Development - Member of the City Council and Strategic

Planning Team; Member of Modiin’s Education, Planning

and Construction, Finance, Transportation and Security

Committees, and a Founder of the Modiin Kindergarten

Parents’ Leadership Board.

Alex WeinrebAlex Weinreb is currently Deputy

Mayor of Modiin-Maccabim-Reut and

was among Modiin’s first residents.

Alex Weinreb is aged 50, married to

ELECTIONS 2008

Nili and has four children (two soldiers a 13-year-old and

a 9-year-old).

Alex Weinreb immigrated from the United States in

1970. Following completion of his military service, he started

a business enterprise in Jerusalem, which he managed and

developed for many years.

Alex began his public activities in 1996 and in

2003, he was elected to the post of Deputy Mayor of

Modiin-Maccabim-Reut. Within this framework, Alex

undertook responsibility for matters such as quality of

the environment, which until then was considered only

of marginal importance and thus did not receive any

attention.

Alex fulfills many other public roles in the city: Member

of the Planning and Construction Committee, Chairman

of the Acquisitions Committee, Chair of the Quality

of the Environment Committee, Chair of the Tourism

Committee, Chair of the Names Committee, Chair of

the Sites Preservation Committee and Chair of the

Contributions Committee.

On the national level, Alex Weinreb also holds a

number of posts: Member of the Local Authorities’

Environmental Quality Committee, member of the Public

Council for a Beautiful Israel, and member of the Yarkon

Drainage Authority.

Doron SchuldenfreiDoron Schuldenfrei is 51 years old,

married to Esterjja and father of

four boys. He studied law at Bar Ilan

University and for 10 years was a

partner in a law firm that specialized

in commercial trade.

In 1992, Doron joined Ligad and

from 2002 until June 2008 he was CEO and owner of

Ligad, a public company traded on the TASE. He came to

] 1� [

Modiin eight years ago looking for a better quality of life

for his family.

Doron built his home and the only large center of

employment as he recognized the fantastic human

resource potential of our area.

His first steps as mayor will include three main areas:

1. Security - A very serious plan for 24/7 security

patrols that will be available on call.

2. Employment - Modiin is very appealing to investors

and entrepreneurs. There is so much potential that is not

being utilized.

3. Youth - The youth are Doron’s priority. We must

find jobs for the youth during the summer months and

holidays, set higher standards for matriculation eligibility

and more.

Amonon MerhavAdv. Amnon Merhav is 43 years

old; married to Shir ; father of three;

resident of Modiin since 1997.

Merhav is one of the Modiin’s first

opinion shapers. He is a partner in

a successful law firm in Modiin and

Ramat Gan.

Merhav’s municipal & administrative experience

exceeds that of any of the other candidates. He has

been one of the people who have laid down a diverse

educational substructure as well as leads and takes part in

major municipal issues, projects and reforms.

Merhav has held various positions in the Modiin City

Council and its subsidiaries. He is well connected and

has profound understanding of the national government

system. He has personal acquaintance with key persons

from various political parties on a national level.

He has significant experience with fundraising, as

well as an understanding of the business sector and

commercial systems.

Merhav believes that in order to succeed he must listen

to citizens and understand their needs in order to create a

new but realistic vision, while supporting the Municipality’s

General Manager & professional staff, providing them with

tools needed to implement this vision.

Yigal ZadokYigal Zadok is 54 years old married to

Tova, a father of three and resident of

Modiin. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in

the Israeli Air Force Reserves.

He currently holds the position

of Director General /CEO of the

Municipality of Ashdod and also

lectures at the University of Bar-Ilan in Tel-Aviv on local

government.

He held the position of Director General/CEO of the

Modiin Council between 2002-2004 and also was the

Modiin Council Engineering Dept. Head between 1998

and 2002.

Yigal Zadok was responsible for executing the work

of the Municipal Council and the work of the Council

staff. He was in charge of the Engineering, Engineering

Infrastructure, Supervising Construction, Gardening and

Landscape, Maintenance, Sanitation, Business Licensing,

City Supervision, City Appearance, Sign Postings, and the

Better Housing Association.

As the Operational head of the Modiin Council

during 1996-1998 his duties included development of an

Operational System in the Modiin Municipal Council with

an emphasis on service to its residents according to the

growing demands of a city which is forecasted to reach

240,000 residents.

September 2008 | Elul/Tishrey 5768 | Volume 5, Issue 8


] 1� [

Where did it go? Why was it so short? I’m speaking of

summer vacation. All of a sudden, it’s time to get back

into school. Each year the summer seems to go by more

quickly. It’s once again time to handle the deluge of school

papers that flow in and out of our homes. For students

and parents alike, getting an organized start to the new

school year can make the difference between having a

successful school year or not. Follow these simple steps,

and you and your child will have the best year yet.

Here are our 7 best back-to-school tips to make it a

fun, relaxing, productive and organized school year.

1. Schedule all the medical tests and immunizations

first thing as required by your child’s school. As school

opening nears, the doctors are going to have less and less

appointment times open.

2. Work out lunches. If your children don’t have school

Seven Best Back-to-School Organizing Tips By: Claudia Brodsky

luncheon programs, sit down with them to work out a

healthy schedule of meals you can brown bag for them

that they will eat and enjoy. Prepare lunches the night

before if possible so your kids can grab and go.

3. Get ready for all the paperwork. Make an individual

file folder for each child so they can put any paperwork

for school inside, specifically schedules and paperwork

that need to be signed and returned. If they are little

ones, help them place their paperwork into the folder. It

would be a wonderful good habit to start if your kids are

just starting school.

4. Create a homework zone. Determine where each

of your children will be doing his or her homework, and

how soon after school that homework should be done.

Work these details out before school starts, so your kids

know what you expect of them. Determine the rules

] 1� [


now and write them

down. For example,

no television and

no radio during

homework time.

5. Put a large

family calendar

on the fridge.

Assign each family

member a different

color dry-erase

marker. Each person

is responsible for

filling in school schedules, after-school activities, events,

etc. Mom and Dad, please check regularly to ensure there

are no conflicts, or to determine how to work around a

conflict if necessary.

6. Don’t forget about breakfast. Mornings can be hectic.

Work out what you and your family will eat for breakfast

the evening before. Have at least 3-4 possibilities, so

there’s a different, healthy choice each weekday.

7. Team up. Find friends and neighbors whose children

go to the same school as your kids. See if you can work

out carpool arrangements--you drive the kids one week,

your neighbor drives the kids the following week.

Happy Organizing! ß

Claudia Brodsky is a Professional Organizer of SOS Simple Organizing

Solutions. She can be reached at 054-521-3689.

Her focus is on new creative ideas, information, structure, solutions

and customized systems resulting in your home, office, and corporate

environments. This helps take control of your surroundings, your time,

your paper, and your systems for life.


] �0 [


can reach 40 children. In Modiin in practice, most of the

classes are closer to 35 students. Everyone understands

that children in larger classes receive less individual

attention and so there are often efforts to split classes for

some subjects. Some schools have extra teachers that float

between classes in order to allow smaller work groups and

more individual attention.

May this new school year be one of learning, growth and

joy for all our children.

With thanks to the Ministry of Education, JAFI and

particularly Joanna Maissel, Coordinator of English-Speaking

Olim, Modiin Absorption Dept, for information provided

above. ß

Elise Rynhold made aliya 10 years ago from the UK and moved

to Modiin eight years ago. Elise is currently working as a Marcom

Manager in the hi-tech sector and is involved on a voluntary basis in

local politics. Elise is married to Dr. Jonathan Rynhold, a Bar Ilan senior

lecturer, and their two “sabra” boys are happily ensconced within the

Israeli education system.


] �1 [

Sushi for Everyone! By: Daniella Hellerstein

Burgers, falafel, pizza, Indian, shwarma, Chinese, bagels and

plenty of dairy cafe׳s. Modiin does not lack for places to eat

- except a kosher sushi restaurant. That void was recently

filled by Met Su Yan, a kosher meat restaurant in the Kaiser

neighborhood specializing in Pan Asian Cuisine. Two new

olim, Ze׳ev Stepsky from London and David Blum from

Toronto, set out create a place that accommodates

everyone. The restaurant is big enough for families to sit

comfortably but elegant enough for couples to enjoy a

night out. It carries the highest possible kashrut certificate

(mehadrin) so everyone can enjoy. Customers are coming

from all over the area to choose from the extensive menu

which offers a variety of dishes including noodles, chicken,

meat and duck, desserts and of course, maki, nigri and

sashimi sushi. To celebrate opening night, Met Su Yan threw

a world class party serving up sushi, noodles, champagne,

music and entertainment. And that׳s only the beginning. ß

Food for Thought


] �� [

By: Hendy Lyons

The Talmud states, “Omens are significant; therefore

one should accustom oneself to eat, at the beginning of

each year, gourds, leeks, beets and dates.” It has therefore

become traditional to conduct a “seder” on the first night

of Rosh Hashanah; some do so on both nights.

A handy aid for the “seder” is Sefer Hakiddush. Aside

from containing all the different forms of kiddush recited

throughout the year, it also includes the Rosh Hashanah

“seder” in its entirety. Starting from the apple dipped in

honey to wish us all a good, sweet year, it goes through

different symbols and lists their appropriate “Yehi Ratzon”

prayers. Most of these are based upon word play whereby

the symbolic foods are either hinted at or mentioned by

name.

The Symbolism of Rosh Hashanah

] �� [


For example, one partakes of a gourd and recites, “May

it be Your will to tear up the evil decree. Tear up, שתקרע,

and קרא (gourd) are homophonically related. Another

example is the pomegranate. Here we recite, “May it be

Your will that our merits be as numerous as the seeds of

a pomegranate.”

These symbolic foods are not exclusive. Many make up

their own requests. Consider, for example, the following

made up of a raisin on top of a piece of celery, “May it be

Your will that this year should bring a raise in salary!”

Kidashta, the new Modiin branch of Jerusalem’s The

Personal Touch will become a Jewish center of sorts in

the Modiin community. “We hope that the residents

see the opening of our Judaica and Wine boutique as

a resource to the community for all things Jewish. We

anticipate hosting classes on a variety of topics, featuring

new musicians and enlightening the local population -

helping to enhance their homes and lives with Judaica”

says Yaakov Kessler, a founding partner of Kidashta.

Wishing you a happy and sweet new year! ß


] �� [

] �� [



Mayor: Voters will vote for an individual to be mayor. To be

elected mayor, a candidate must receive both a majority

and 40% of the votes cast. If one candidate does not meet

both these thresholds on November 11, a runoff election

will be held between the two highest vote recipients.

City Council: The 17 city council seats will be awarded proportionally

based on the number of votes each party receives.

It is estimated that the threshold for one seat is about

2,400 votes. Voters will cast one vote for a party. Some

of the national political parties’ field lists of candidates

while others do not. Each party will have a list of up to

seventeen candidates ranked from one to seventeen.

Candidates that are placed higher up on the list are more

likely to be elected. Each party has their own process

for selecting their candidates for city council and their

respective rankings.

Coalition Building: Depending on the results of the elections, the candidate

that is elected mayor will then have to put together a

coalition to ensure that they are able to govern the city.

While it is possible that the mayor’s own party may win

a majority of the council it is unlikely. The mayor will

probably have to enter into a coalition agreement with

other smaller parties.

Who to vote for? Candidates are eager to get your

vote. There will be plenty of banners, stickers, flyers,

advertisements, and candidate forums. Remember that

someone that votes is someone that has influence. ß

For more information: Contact the Ministry of Interior National

Elections Supervisor at 1-800-300-059.


] �� [

Representing Israel with a Baseball By: Danial Zacks

This past summer, River

Shertz, my dad (coach Arye

Zacks), and I went to Italy

as part of the Israel Juvenile

National Baseball Team. It

was a long hard journey just

to get there. First, there were

All Star teams from all the

regions in Israel. There were

about 50 kids that were in that. From those 50 kids the

coaches cut the amount of players to 24. Then, they cut

us down to 20, 18 of which would go to Italy. Then we

had practice every week until the summer. During the

summer, before we left, we had a two-week mini camp in

Kibbutz Gezer. Then they chose 18 players to come.

SportsOn our first day there we had a triple header. We tied

our first game 0-0, lost the second on a walk-off home

run, then won the third 14-1. The next day we crushed

the opposition 17-1 and the following day won 8-1. At

the end of the first tournament we had the second best

record but came in fifth because of the groupings.

Our first game in the second tournament was against

the Czechs. We slaughtered them 10-0. Later in the day

we beat the Arrezo home team 7-1. Next up were two

Italian teams and they both went down in order by at

least 10 runs. On the final day of the tournament we

lost in the morning and in the championship against the

Czechs.

After the second tournament we went touring in

Sienna and in Rome. We saw the Trevi Fountain, the

Pantheon, the Arch of Titus, the Colosseum, the Vatican,

and much much more.

In the end we went 7-4-1, we beat the Czechs, and

captured the silver.

Some reasons that we did so well were our spectacular

hitting and pitching. The main reason though was our

flawless defense. It was an extremely successful year for

Israeli baseball. ß

Jewish Jocks By: David Nachenberg

Seven of the 60 Jewish Olympic athletes in Beijing came

home with medals.

While we Israelis are proud of Shahar Tsuberi’s bronze

medal performance in windsurfing, Big (2.06 Meters, 105

Kg) Josh West of Great Britain helped his rowing team

win the silver medal. Sada Jacobson (USA) won a silver

medal in fencing. Four Jewish swimmers on Team USA

also came home with medals. Ben Wildman-Tobriner

won one gold medal, Garrett Weber-Gale won two gold

medals, and Jason Lezak won three medals (one bronze

and two gold medals). Dara Torres, a 41 year old Jew-by-

choice, proved she still has what it takes and won three

silver medals. ß


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“Osso Buco” means “hole of bone” because this marrow

provides the rich flavor to the sauce. A marrow spoon,

one of those long skinny spoons found in your Bubbe’s

old silverware sets, would come in handy with this dish

(although they probably used it for cholent bones, unless

they were Italian of course), as the tender marrow can be

tricky to extract (I personally don’t eat marrow, but it adds

a wonderful depth to this dish while cooking – on the other

hand, my kids put it on challah like butter). This is a truly

authentic recipe from the tenements of little Italy in New

York, it is unique in that it uses extra virgin olive oil, for the

browning of the veal and cooking of the vegetables.

Misenplas for two

1-2 cups brown veal stock (1 veal bone, 1 carrot, 1 leek,

½ turnip)

Osso Bucco By: Jay Engelmayer

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 veal shanks

1 diced carrot ( ¼ inch cubes)

2 diced celery ( ¼ inch bias)

1 medium onion, diced ¼ inch pieces

1 Tbsp (about 2 cloves) chopped garlic

3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)

1 cup dry red wine

Flour for dusting the meat before browning and developing

a roux

Salt and Pepper

2 Tbsp Minced flat (Italian) parsley

1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

½ onion brunoise

½ red and ½ green pepper brunoise

1 cup corn meal

Recipe Corner

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Brown Veal Stock

You want to take your misenplas for the stock (listed above)

and sauté them in your stock pot with a little oil until they

become nice and brown. Deglaze the pot after browning

has happened using ¼ cup of wine and add 2 liters of water

to your stock pot. Add a few peppercorns and a bay leaf.

When boiling occurs (or just before), skim the scum off

the top, leaving as much liquid as possible. After stock has

cooked at a low-med boil for 30 minutes, strain and discard

all but the liquid.

1. Preheat oven to 155°C.

2. Heat a pan on the stove top over medium heat for about

five minutes. Add the olive oil to the pan stirring the oil

around occasionally until a little smoke happens.

3. Season the veal shank well with salt and pepper. Dredge

the veal shanks through some flour, shake off any excess,

and add the meat to the hot olive fat in the pan. Increase

the heat to medium high and cook the meat on each

side until well browned (about 5 minutes per side).

Remove the shanks to a plate, set aside.

4. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan oven.

Cook the onion mixture, stirring frequently, until the

onions are translucent (about five minutes) and toss

in the garlic and rosemary. Continue cooking until the

vegetables just begin to brown (about 10 minutes).

5. Add the shanks back to the pan. Pour in the remaining

wine, and then add enough stock to come a little more

than half way up the side of the shanks. Bring to a simmer.

Cover the pan and put it in the oven to cook until the

meat is tender, about an hour.

6. Combine the gremolata ingredients, place in a separate

small serving dish.

7. Saute peppers in small sauce pot and add 2 cups of

stock, season with salt and pepper and a touch of olive

oil and lemon juice, add polenta and stir frequently until

polenta absorbs the stock and thickens. ß

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me:

[email protected]


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