five towns jewish home may 16 2013
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Five Towns Jewish Home May 16 2013TRANSCRIPT
THEJEWISHHOMEA PUBLICATION OF THE FIVE TOWNS & QUEENS COMMUNITY may 14 - may 17, 2013 | DistributeD in the Five towns, Queens & brooklynWeekly
137 SPRUCE STREET 516-569-2662— See page 5, 60 & 61 —
around theCommunity
— See page 24 —
American Friends of Ateret Cohanim Hold 34th Anniversary Gala in NY
Mercy Medical Center and Lev Leytzan Team Up to Celebrate World Laughter Day
Page 52
Page42
Yeshiva of South Shore’s Pre1A Learns About Tefilin and Sefrei Torah from a Sofer
Page 65
Page 54
The King and Queen of Sweden Join in the Unveiling of the Raoul Wallenberg
Gold Medal Design
A n s w e r t h e c A l l .
sundAy, june 2, 2013 | The SandS aTlanTic Beach
t: 516.791.4444 ext 105,
fax: 516.592.5643
Page 68
Divrei Torah ~ Recipes ~ Table Art ~ Jewish Thought ~ Stories of Inspiration
Happy ShavuosWishing our readers a
meet the Candidates of the Upcoming School Board Election
— See page 21 —
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The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.
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P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, nY 11559PhOne | 516-734-0858
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Dear Readers,
Yesterday was Mother’s Day and while most mothers were eating breakfast in bed or in the kitchen preparing for Shavuos, I was working on putting out our special Shavuos issue. So although I was not baking cakes or kugels or roasts, I was learning about Shavuos and the significance of this yom tov. Mr. Joe Bobker, in his essay, Shhh…vuos: the Undated Anniversary, points out that Shavuos is the unsung holiday on our calendar. Every person, regardless of their affiliation, knows about Chanukah and about Pesach. They are familiar with the menorahs and latkes and matzoh brei. But too many people in the world have never even heard about our beautiful yom tov of Shavous. And even when we try to explain the importance of the day, we end up talking about cheesecakes and flowers. But Shavuos is much more than that. As Mr. Bobker points out, it is the day when the Jews received the privilege of living a “heaven on earth” through the Torah.
Andrea Eller has written for The Jewish Home numerous times. I love her writing. I feel that her articles take the reader to a different time and place. This week, Andrea regales us with a personal story of her own and tells us of her journey from stage singer to Orthodox mother. I was inspired by her search for the substantial in a world that is filled with sparkly, ethereal delights.
Next week, the Five Towns is going to vote for our local school board. The school board has been in the headlines recently because of the recent Number 6 School referendum. The candidates are all worthy candidates who will work hard for our community. This week, we asked each candidate to share their views and tell you more about themselves. During a campaign, every candidate’s dream is to be able to speak to each constituent individually. But alas, that is not practical. In this issue, the candidates are reaching out to you to earn your vote. You get to hear about what’s important to them. As of now, I don’t know who I will be voting for but I do know that I will be going out to vote. It is our right and our privilege to be let our voices be heard.
As always, we love hearing from our readers. Please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].
Wishing you and your family a wonderful Shavuos—and don’t forget the cheesecake!
Shoshana
Tuesday, May 14 — ShavuosCandle Lighting: 7:47
Friday, May 17 — Parshas NassoCandle Lighting: 7:50
Shabbos Ends: 8:57 Rabbeinu Tam: 9:22
wed.May 15
thurs.May 16
fri.May 17
sun.May 19
Mon.May 20
tues.May 21
sat.May 18
HigH 62°LOW 56°
HigH 66°LOW 59°
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partLy cLOudyMOStLy cLOudy feW SHOWerSMOStLy Sunny partLy cLOudy MOStLy cLOudy partLy cLOudy
>>CommunityCommunity Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
>> NewsGlobal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
National . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Odd-but-True Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
>> IsraelIsrael News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
My Israel Home: The Emerging Har Choma Neighborhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
>> PeopleFrom Song to Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
A World After This: The Story of Lola Lieber . . . .113 The Courage of the Harel Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
>>ParshaThe Shmuz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
>>ShavuosBlooming with Sweetness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Bobker on Shhh..vuos: The Undated Anniversary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Ruth: The Matriarch of the Eternal Davidic Dynasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
>> Jewish ThoughtShavuos and the Ten Dollar Gym, by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
>>ParentingSocial Smarts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
>>HealthThe Single’s Top Seven Warning Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship, continued, by Deb Hirschhorn, PhD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
>> Food & LeisureRecipes: Dairy Delights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Recipes: Dishes to Enhance Your Yom Tov Meal . . 96
Recipes: Salmon En Croute Florentine Style by Chef Shaul Silverstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Travel: New Jersey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
>> LifestylesAsk the Attorney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Architecture at its Best, by Rivki Rosenwald . . . .104
>> HumorCenterfold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
>> ArtFrom My Private Art Collection: Shavuos Flowers with Creative Qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
>> Political CrossfireUpcoming School Board Elections: Meet the Candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Notable Quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
>> Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
The artwork on the cover, V’Zos HaTorah, is a painting by local artist Brocha Teichman.
Brocha is an instructor at the Art Studio of the Five Towns located at 48 Frost Lane in Lawrence, NY.
She can be reached at 516-374-1904.
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8The Week In news
GlobalRussia’s Mega-Rich Hide
Assets from Putin
Russia’s twenty richest people have a collective net worth of more than $227 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. All twenty billion-aires control a portion of their fortune through holding companies registered outside of their home country, angering President Vladimir Putin. But he is the primary reason these magnates attempt to conceal their wealth. Many of the en-trepreneurs grew their fortunes during
the violent and unpredictable post-Com-munist economic environment.
Last year, Alisher Usmanov, Rus-sia’s single richest person, moved con-trol of most of his $20 billion fortune to a holding company based 5,600 miles away from Moscow, in the British Vir-gin Islands.
“Offshores are the main tool for Russian businessmen to protect their assets from state authorities, rivals and all kinds of raiders,” Valery Tutykhin, an attorney whose firm specializes in wealth management, said.
Viktor Vekselberg, 56, holds the majority of his $14.8 billion fortune through Bahamas-based Renova Hold-ings. Vladimir Lisin, 56, controls his 85% stake in publicly traded OAO No-volipetsk Steel, Russia’s most valuable steelmaker, through a Cyprus-based holding company, Fletcher Group Hold-ings. Mikhail Fridman, 49, controls his banking, retail and telecommuni-cations assets through Moscow-based Alfa Group, which is owned by Gibral-tar-based CTF Holdings.
Putin is desperate to bring some of those millions “home.” Last year, the dictator took control of the Federal Fi-
nancial Monitoring Service, an exec-utive body intended to combat money laundering. The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, introduced a series of amendments to existing laws, tightening control over companies’ fi-nancial transactions.
In a speech to the nation in Decem-ber, Putin criticized the country’s legal system and the elements that led to ac-cusations of wrongdoing, vowing to eliminate the factors that have turned “economic disputes into score-settling.”
Putin said in a televised news con-ference the following week that he “hoped” the billionaires who sold their 50 percent stake in TNK-BP, Russia’s third-largest oil company, for $28 bil-lion, would reinvest the proceeds in their home country.
“Russia was and always will be the basic platform for investment,” billion-aires Vekselberg, Fridman, Len Blav-atnik, and German Khan said in a joint statement released six days after Putin’s comments.
However, as of now, there’s been minimal money flowing back to Russia. Fridman and his partners at Alfa Group announced on March 18 that they would
create a global investment company to pursue energy and telecommunications assets. Two weeks later, through Altimo, a unit of Alfa based in the British Vir-gin Islands, Fridman offered to buy out minority investors in Cairo-based Oras-com Telecom Holding SAE in a deal for as much as $1.8 billion.
Swiss attorney Tutykhin predicts that Russian billionaires will strategi-cally continue to hold their main assets out of Russia, despite Putin’s harsh talk.
I speak as an amateur, but sounds like a smart plan to me.
Auschwitz Guard Arrested in Germany German state police arrested a
93-year-old man on Monday. He is sus-pected of being a former guard at the in-famous Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust.
In accordance with German law, the news release did not reveal the suspect’s name but it confirmed that the individ-
Continued on page 12
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A n s w e r t h e c A l l .
sundAy, june 2, 2013 | The SandS aTlanTic BeachFran
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legiSlaTive leaderShip award To
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder
honorary dinner chairmen
rabbi hershel Billet
Michael Krengel
dinner chairmen
Zvi Bloom, Azriel Ganz, jay Gelman, Moti hellman, Ben lowinger, david sokol
Journal chairmen
Alon Goldberger, Meir Krengel
young leaderShip award
Moshe & nechama ratner
communiTy hakoraS haTov award
rabbi yehiel M. KalishnaTional direcTor of governmenT
affairS aT agudaTh iSrael of america
gueSTS of honor
Alan & sharoni Botwinick
phySician appreciaTion award
dr. norman saffradirecTor, diviSion of ophThalmology
maimonideS medical cenTer
communiTy Service award
reuven (ronald) & Barbara spirn
t: 516.791.4444 ext 105 | e: [email protected] | F: 516.592.5643
deAdlIne FOr Ad PlAceMent: sunday, May 26, 2013 An
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ual had been arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to murder. Alleged-ly, the suspect had served as a guard at the camp in Poland from the autumn of 1941 until its liberation in early 1945, the prosecutor’s office said in the state-ment.
Following a search of the man’s apartment, the suspect was brought be-fore a judge and was put in investiga-tive custody while an arraignment was being prepared. According to German media reports, the prosecutor’s office had launched an investigation against the man in November 2012.
It’s upsetting that this man got to live most of his life without paying for his actions.
Man Uses Spoon to Escape Russian Prison
For those of you who thought es-capes from prison only occurred in books like The Count of Monte Cristo, think again. Recently, it was reported that Oleg Topalov, 33, escaped from one of Russia’s most infamous prisons using only a spoon. He used the utensil to dig a hole through the ceiling of his cell.
Topalov is only the fourth person in 20 years to escape from the prison. Authorities blame his escape on prison staff who they claim engaged in a “dis-honest or careless attitude.”
Topalov was sentenced to prison for double murder and arms trafficking.
But apparently he’s a skilled escape art-ist. He used the spoon to open a ventila-tion shaft, climbed on the prison’s roof and escaped over the building’s perim-eter fence.
“Because of the building being run-down, Topalov had no difficulty in wid-ening the vent of the air-shaft, through which he got to the prison’s roof,” Rus-sian Federal Penitentiary Service repre-sentative Kristina Belousova explained. “Using sheets tied one to another he managed to go down the wall, then jump over the fence and run away.” An unnamed witness says the prisoner used rope from the psychiatric ward instead of the sheets to commit his escape.
Interestingly, under Russian law, To-palov only faces an additional four years of incarceration if he is captured. The prison he escaped from, Matrosskaya Tishina, was first opened in 1946 and is considered one of Russia’s most secure prisons. Inmates are checked daily for illegal objects. Topalov was singled out as someone who would be likely to try to escape.
The last person known to have es-caped from the prison was hit-man Aleksandr Solonick who used mountain
climbing equipment provided by a pris-on officer to escape in 2005. They both rappelled over the prison’s walls using 20 feet of rope and have not been recap-tured.
Taiwan’s Asthma Patients Don’t Seek
Regular Medical Care
Just a day before World Asthma Day, the Taiwan Association of Asth-ma Education revealed that more than 20 percent of Taipei first-graders suffer from asthma and 50 percent of them
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have allergic rhinitis.Each year, World Asthma Day is
celebrated on the first Tuesday in May, this year it fell out on May 7th. The association and the Taipei City Govern-ment Department of Health held a fair to promote asthma and allergy prevention.
Association chairwoman Huang Li-hsin announced that a recent survey con-ducted by the group found that, while about 50 percent of Taiwanese experi-ence allergy symptoms, 60 percent of those polled believe they are not allergic to anything.
“According to surveys done over the past three years by the city government, about 50 percent of the first-graders in Taipei have allergic rhinitis, 20 percent have asthma and nearly 10 percent suf-fer from atopic dermatitis,” Huang said.
However, a Bureau of Health Pro-motion official said that a more alarming phenomenon is that, according to statis-tics compiled by the bureau, of the chil-dren under the age of 12 who were diag-nosed with asthma in 2009, 72.4 percent have failed to visit doctors regularly in the past year. “This has resulted in 15 percent of these asthma patients going to emergency rooms at least once because of acute asthma attacks,” Huang said.
The association is urging patients and parents of patients to seek proper medical care for asthma and related al-lergies.
Catching Shut Eye While Waiting to Catch Your Flight
There is not much that is worse than waiting for your flight while you are sleep-deprived and groggy. One airport now has a solution to that problem. Abu Dhabi International Airport unveiled co-coon-like sleeping chambers inside one of its terminals. The 10 “GoSleep pods” are chairs that convert into flat beds and feature a sliding shade that isolates the occupant from noise, light and crowds.
Travelers can rent a pod for $12.25 per hour of use.
“Abu Dhabi Airports Company con-tinually strives to enhance the experience of passengers traveling to, from or via Abu Dhabi International Airport,” Mo-hammed Al Bulooki, the airport’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement. “The introduction of ‘GoSleep’ sleeping pods is another step towards exceeding customers’ expectations and delivering world-class levels of service.”
Another way to enjoy the Abu Dhabi Airport experience is by not going there at all.
Rodman Urges Kim Jong-un to Free
American Prisoner
Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman keeps interesting friends. He begged his new BFF, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to release the Korean-American man who was sentenced to 15 years of labor and is currently jailed in N. Korea
“Do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose,” Rodman said via Twitter on Wednesday.
Bae was sentenced by North Korea‘s Supreme Court to 15 years of hard labor for unspecified “hostile acts” against the country. He was arrested in November while working as a tour guide. He’s a resident of Washington state who fre-quently travels to North Korea to work, to feed orphans, and to perform other acts of charity.
Bae is the sixth American to be de-tained in North Korea since 2009. The previous five were all released and de-ported.
Rodman has been open about his affection for the North Korean dictator. Back in February, he visited the coun-try and spent time with the oppressive leader at a basketball game and told him, “You have a friend for life,” CNN reported.
Umm, stick to your day job, man. Leave politics to politicians.
The Week In news
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The Week In news
Could Diamonds be Banned from
the Central African Republic?
The Central African Republic (CAR) and Venezuela may face diamond export ban. This will be decided at the Kim-berley Process (KP) initiative, set up to stem the flow of conflict diamonds, on May 10. Controls there have collapsed after a March coup, Welile Nhlapo, KP chairman, told reporters at a meeting of the World Diamond Council in Tel Aviv. The CAR’s new leader, Michel Djoto-dia, toppled President Francois Bozize’s regime after leading thousands of his Seleka rebels into the capital Bangui, triggering days of looting. Mining con-tinues in areas controlled by the rebels “and the diamonds that are being mined are not finding themselves in the right-ful place where they can undergo all the processes that are KP compliant,” Nhl-apo said.
The CAR agreed to attend the May 10 meeting to discuss the possibility of allowing a KP review mission to estab-lish what is happening in the mining areas. However, there are no guaran-tees that the systems are in place for KP certification to be issued declaring those diamonds to be “conflict free.”
“There is sufficient evidence that di-amonds have been used by the rebels, who have been extracting and trading them to acquire the necessary resourc-es that they managed to get in order to overthrow the elected government that was in place,” Nhlapo said.
Nhlapo said an “overwhelming” number of members of the KP ballot need to approve the export suspension but he did not specify how many. The ban, if approved, will last until the KP can send a monitoring team to establish what is happening “so that no diamonds that are illegally mined by the rebels find their way through the KP certifica-tion scheme because some of them are
in government, they can have access to those certificates.”
Diamonds are an important resource for the CAR that can help post-conflict reconstruction and development.
Venezuela has already suspended it-self because of lack of compliance with KP. “They wanted to return to KP but because of complications in that coun-try, particularly in the passing of the president [Hugo Chavez] there was no possibility of getting a firm response for a review mission,” Nhlapo said, noting there are claims that mining is taking place. Venezuela has not been able to supply statistics about the amount of di-amonds in its mines.
31 Arrested in Connection with Belgium Airport
Diamond RobberyThree months ago, a group of
thieves pulled off a brilliant $50 mil-lion diamond heist at Brussels Airport. Last Wednesday, authorities arrested 31 people involved with the scandal across three different countries.
An unnamed man from France is al-legedly one of the robbers at the airport; he was arrested in France. Six to eight people were detained in Geneva, along with another 24 in and around Brussels. Police did not reveal the involvement of the other suspects.
Authorities claim that they have hard evidence that diamonds that showed up in Switzerland were part of the theft.
“In Switzerland, we have found dia-monds that we can already say are com-ing from the heist, and in Belgium large amounts of money have been found. And the investigation is still ongoing,” said Jean-Marc Meilleur, a spokesman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office.
Meilleur didn’t offer many details and did not disclose how police were led to the arrests.
The February 18 robbery is one of the biggest diamond thefts of recent times. The exact value of the diamonds is still being appraised. As TJH report-ed a few months ago, on a cold winter evening, the diamonds had been loaded on a plane bound for Zurich when rob-bers, dressed in dark police clothing and hoods, drove through a hole they had cut in the airport fence in two black cars with blue police lights flashing. They drove onto the tarmac, approached the plane, brandished machine guns, off-
loaded the diamonds, and then made their getaway. The entire operation took just five minutes. Leaving police with only a tiny clue, investigators discov-ered the charred remains of a van most likely used in the heist.
Belgian authorities said that about 10 of the 24 people detained in Belgium had previous criminal records. The sus-pects ranged in age from 30 to 50.
The World’s Most Unusual Museum
Try getting your kids to go to this museum…
Juozas Stepankevičius, 79, is the proud director and curator of the Lith-uanian Road Museum. Road making is Stepankevičius’s (say that 10 times) passion which turned into one of the strangest and most eccentric museums in the world. He began building roads after graduating high school. He saw a flyer offering a stipend for students learning road construction and chose it over a course in plumbing, which didn’t offer as much money.
Eventually, his career took him away from the back-breaking work of construction into administration and management, and slowly he began ac-cumulating road paraphernalia.
The Lithuanian Road Museum is lo-cated between the country’s two largest cities, Vilnius and Kaunas. The museum opened its doors in 1995 to mark the 25th anniversary of the road’s comple-
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tion. The museum’s exhibits showcase a collection of models, rock samples, documents, heavy machinery and road signs. They celebrate an industry that survived and occasionally thrived de-spite war, invasion, occupation and lib-eration. It attracts about 6,000 visitors each year, many of them school kids and construction-industry students.
IsraelGoogle Accused
of Halting Peace Negotiations between
Israelis and PalestiniansA senior Israeli official accused
Google on Monday of negatively affect-ing Middle East peace hopes by putting the name “Palestine” under the banner of its search page for the Palestinian ter-ritories.
Of course, Palestinians welcomed Google’s move as a cybernetic victory.
With peace negotiations paused for two and half years over Jewish settle-ment building, the Palestinians have campaigned for foreign recognition of statehood and were upgraded to “non-member state” at the United Na-tions in November. Following the U.N. lead, Google’s Palestinian homepage and other products previously labeled “Palestinian Territories” were changed on May 1 to read “Palestine.”
“I think that the Google decision from the last few days is very, very problematic,” said Deputy Israeli For-eign Minister Zeev Elkin, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “When a company like Google comes along and supports this line, it actually pushes peace further away, pushes away negotiations, and creates among the
Palestinian leadership the illusion that in this manner they can achieve the re-sult,” he said on Israeli radio. “Without direct negotiation with us, nothing will happen.”
A Google spokesman responded that their actions were not coming from their own ideas and principles. “We are fol-lowing the lead of the U.N. ... and other international organizations.”
A consultant to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the move as a “victory for Palestine and a step to-ward its liberation.”
Google had “put Palestine on the Internet map, making it a geographical reality,” the adviser, Sabri Saidam, told the official news agency WAFA, adding that the Palestinians had invited Goo-gle’s mapmakers to come and gather more data for their online maps.
Currently, Google Maps shows little or no detail for major Palestinian towns such as Nablus and Ramallah, while many Jewish West Bank settlements have streets and parks clearly labeled. Saidam said Israeli opposition to Goo-gle’s new rubric was rooted in fear that “the recognition will destroy Israel’s concept of ‘Judea and Samaria’” – the biblical names that the Jewish State uses for the West Bank.
Netanyahu Opens New East Jerusalem Road,
Angering Palestinians
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanya-hu ceremoniously opened a new road in East Jerusalem on Sunday that eased traffic congestion but angered the Pal-estinians who oppose all Israeli activity over the pre-1967 lines.
The completion of the NIS 180 million project for 400 meters of High-way 20 asphalt allows residents of the Jewish east Jerusalem neighborhoods of Pisgat Ze’ev and Neveh Ya’acov to connect with Route 443 without travel-ing through French Hill and jamming up
its roads. It will also benefit Israeli Ar-abs living in the east Jerusalem neigh-borhood of Beit Hanina. The road’s in-terchange was named for Netanyahu’s father, Benzion, who passed away on April 30 last year at the age of 102.
Netanyahu was accompanied by Transportation Minister Israel Katz and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.
“We are working continuously and systematically to link Jerusalem with it-self and to the other parts of the country, because Zion is important to us and it was important to my father,” said Net-anyahu. “He wasn’t named ‘Benzion’ for nothing. It says everything – Benzi-on, literally ‘Son of Zion,’” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said that his father had taught him “that our state is a deposit for the generations of Jews who dreamt and prayed and fought and sacrificed so that we might return to our land and re-new in it our independence. He taught me about the enormous responsibility that we have to ensure the security of the State of Israel and build up its future. This heritage needs to unite us all every day, and so it does,” Netanyahu said.
“The opening of Highway 20 and the Benzion interchange will ease traffic congestion in northern Jerusalem and allow hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists additional access that is easy and quick,” Barkat said.
Fatah spokesman Husam Zomlot criticized the opening of the road and said it is proof that Israel is not serious about a two-state solution. “It is just an-other proof that Mr. Netanyahu has only one plan for one state – and that is the state for the settlers,” Zomlot said. “It is another proof that his entire agenda is that of further colonization and pro-viding all the services possible for the settlers.” He continued, “The position of my movement, the leading party of the PLO, is that there shall be no peace and no political settlement without east Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestin-ian state.”
Netanyahu has always maintained that a united Jerusalem will remain un-der Israeli sovereignty in any possible two-state solution scenario.
Ex-Mossad Agent’s Mission Questioned Australian news outlets are claim-
ing that the late Mossad member Ben Zygier was arrested for interfering in a secret operation to recover the bodies of
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The Week In newssoldiers killed in the 1982 Lebanon war.
The version of their story begins with Siad al-Homsi, former mayor of a Leb-anese village, who was approached by the Mossad in 2007. The Mossad hired him as a spy. The spy agency’s mission was supposedly to unearth the bodies of three Israeli tank crewmen captured and killed in a battle with Syrian forces. “At the last meeting they informed me about the location of the corpses exactly. I had to find a way to get the bodies and keep them,” Homsi said.
The mission failed after Homsi was arrested on May 16, 2009 by Leb-anese Special Forces and sentenced to 15 years for spying for the Mossad. He served only three years.
Zygier’s alleged crime was acci-dentally revealing Homsi’s identity to a Lebanese man he was trying to turn into a double agent, but who actually worked for Lebanese intelligence. The plan re-portedly went wrong when Zygier tried to prove his credentials by giving up the name of Homsi and another Leba-nese agent for Israel named Mustafa Ali Awadeh. Zygier’s mistake caused Israel to abandon the mission.
In response to this report, a former senior said that those claims are com-pletely “science fiction.”
In December 2010, Zygier, 34, took his own life while serving time in a high-security jail cell.
Rami Igra, who headed the Mos-sad’s MIA and Captive Persons Divi-sion, said the soldiers had been declared dead by the Military Rabbinate, and that it was incorrect to believe that Mossad would launch an operation to retrieve the bodies. “The rabbinate would not declare them dead unless it had undeni-able evidence. The claim that an opera-tion would be launched to retrieve [the bodies] is not only empty, it is science fiction,” Igra said.
“Zygier was facing 22 years in pris-on – that kind of charge is for treachery, not an imaginary operation,” Igra said. “These claims are nonsense.”
Hawking: Selective Boycotter of Israel
Weeks ago, it was reported that physicist Stephen Hawking would be visiting Israel for the fifth annual Presi-dential Conference. But just this week, it was announced that the professor will not be making the trip. The announce-ment came amid back-and-forth suspi-cions that the decision not to attend the
conference was due either to health-re-lated issues or a desire to boycott the State of Israel.
After much debate among media outlets, it came to light that the scientist was pressured by Palestinian groups to boycott the State of Israel. This comes after Cambridge University’s Tim Holt, Acting Director of Communications and Hawking’s spokesperson said that the noted physicist’s decision to cancel his visit to Israel for the President’s Confer-ence was caused solely by health com-plications. Holt said, “Professor Hawk-ing will not be attending the conference in Israel in June for health reasons – his doctors have advised against him fly-ing.”
But it has come to light that pro-Pal-estinian Noam Chomsky added his name to a letter sent to Hawking by the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) campaign group. The letter to Hawking declared: “Israel systematically discriminates against the Palestinians who make up 20% of its population in ways that would be illegal in Britain,” its treatment of the people of Gaza amounts to “collective punish-ment,” the construction of Jewish settle-ments breaches the Geneva convention and “Israel places multiple roadblocks, physical, financial and legal, in the way of higher education, both for its own Palestinian citizens and those under oc-cupation.”
The letter continued: “Israel has a name for the promotion of its cultural and scientific standing: ‘Brand Israel.’ This is a deliberate policy of camouflag-ing its oppressive acts behind a cultured veneer.”
This letter and pressure from pro-Palestinian groups seem to be the reason why Hawking has cancelled his trip to Israel. It’s interesting to note that on Friday, liberal academic David New-man of Ben Gurion University pointed out that an academic boycott “just de-stroys one of the very few spaces left where Israelis and Palestinians actually do come together.”
Even more interesting about Hawk-ing’s boycott is the fact that if not for
the country of Israel and its brilliant minds, Hawking may not even be alive. The physicist suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and much of his com-munication system runs on a chip that was developed in Israel. “Hawking’s decision to join the boycott of Israel is quite hypocritical for an individual who prides himself on his own intel-lectual accomplishment,” said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of the Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center in a statement. “His whole computer-based communi-cation system runs on a chip designed by Israel’s Intel team.” She pointed out, “I suggest that if he truly wants to pull out of Israel he should also pull out his Intel Core i7 from his tablet.”
Hawking has been using this Intel chip since 1997. With a combination of hand movements and cheek twitches, he has been able to write at a rate of around 15 words a minute.
Darshan-Leitner points out, “He calls it an independent decision based on the unanimous advice of his own academic contacts here [to boycott the event]. I propose he first seek the ad-vice of Intel engineers working here. He
seems to have no understanding of this world,” she said.
Italian Politician Makes Aliyah
Fiamma Nirenstein was born in Florence, lived in Rome, served as a parliament member in Italy on behalf of Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative party, and recently decided to make aliyah. Nirenstein’s mother is from a Jewish Italian family and her father is of Jewish Polish descent. She has been named one of the most influential Jewish women and now many are wondering if she is headed to Knesset.
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“Life is full of surprises,” she says.Nirenstein was one of the most
outspoken activists in Italy in the war against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel propaganda. “One cannot just talk about Zionism; it’s time for deeds too,” she said.
The Italian Jew has authored 12 books, most of them dealing with the Israeli-Arab conflict, which have turned her into a local authority on Israel and the Middle East. Many give her credit for Italy’s sympathetic policy towards Israel, as well as for the fact that the country is a safe haven for its Jewish residents.
Nirenstein always kept a vacation apartment in Jerusalem which will now become her permanent residence.
Chareidi Soldiers Have High
Employment Rate Research conducted by Ministry of
Economy reveals that 70% of Chareidi
men who served in the Israeli Defense Forces found jobs after fulfilling their service and being discharged. The Min-istry of Economy’s Research Adminis-tration also noted that 25% of graduates of IDF programs specifically for Chare-di men are employed in banking and financial services sectors. More than one-third of Charedi men who served in the army feel that their services pre-pared them for the real world and posi-tively altered their attitude towards the secular public.
The IDF’s Shachar program, which stands for “Shiluv Haredim,” was launched in November 2007 and now has some 1,300 Charedi soldiers in dif-ferent positions and tracks. The study reveals that the average monthly salary of Shahar graduates who worked after their military service stood at NIS 6,250 (about $1,753).
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett met last week with representatives of the Manufacturers Association, who told him that the Israeli industry had high hopes for the integration of Charedim into the labor market.
Generally, the Charedi population has a relatively low employment rate as many men choose to remain in yeshiva. The industry is focused on this demo-graphic as the next source of high-qual-ity manpower.
NationalHi Jacob, Hi Sophia
What, that’s not your name? I guess I was just guessing the odds.
According to a recently released government report, for the 14th year, Ja-cob is the most popular name in Amer-ica for boys. The most popular girls’ name is Sophia, for the second year in a row. The top ten names for boys and girls is as follows:
Boys1. Jacob2. Mason3. Ethan4. Noah5. William6. Liam7. Jayden8. Michael9. Alexander10. Aiden
Girls1. Sophia2. Emma3. Isabella4. Livia5. Ava6. Emily7. Abigail8. Mia9. Madison10. Elizabeth
The top names reflect chang-ing cultural preferences. From 1913 through 1946, Mary was the number one girl’s name, now it is not even in the list of top 10. In the 25 years be-
tween 1970 and 1995, either Jessica or Jennifer were the number one name in 23 of those years. According to Baby-namewizard.com, King and Messiah are among the fastest-rising baby names for American boys.
Then we wonder why our kids have delusions of grandeur.
Texting While Driving Kills More
People than Drinking and Driving
According to a new study by Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, more than 3,000 teens die annual-ly from texting while driving, compared to about 2,700 for driving under the in-fluence of alcohol. Despite the fact that New York is one of forty states that has a texting-while-driving ban, the study reveals that 50 percent of students text while driving and half of high school kids who drive say they text behind the wheel.
There are a number of innovative solutions to this problem, such as sever-al companies which make smart phone docks that prevents a vehicle from ac-tually starting until a phone is inserted, ensuring the distraction remains out of the hands of the driver. As our soci-ety continues to become progressively hooked on texting, it is likely that auto-makers will start inserting such devices into cars.
Conservative Groups Targeted By IRS...For Real
In 2009, when President Obama gave the commencement speech at Ari-zona State University, after the universi-ty’s conservative president publicly stat-ed that he would not bestow an honorary
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degree on President Obama, the presi-dent jokingly stated: “President [Mi-chael] Crowe and the Board of Regents will soon learn all about being audited by the IRS.”
Three years later, Conservatives are finding that there is “some truth” con-tained in this joke.
For the past few years, Tea Party groups have been complaining about being audited and harassed by the IRS. It turns out that these groups were not just being paranoid conspiracy theo-rists, as is often their media bestowed caricature. In truth, they were directly targeted by the IRS. On Friday, the IRS apologized for what it acknowledged was “inappropriate” targeting of con-servative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violat-ing their tax-exempt status. The agency blamed low-level employees, saying no high-level officials were aware.
However, it seems like the targeting of conservative groups was more ex-tensive than the IRS initially acknowl-edged. According to a draft timeline of events compiled by the IRS inspector general, the IRS official responsible for
tax-exempt organizations was actually briefed in 2011 that her unit was tar-geting Tea Party groups for additional scrutiny.
Legendary conservative columnist George Will reacted angrily during an ABC News Panel on Sunday. He stated, “This is the 40th anniversary of the Wa-tergate summer,” and then read a pas-sage from President Richard Nixon’s ar-ticles of impeachment, which stated:
“[Nixon] has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents,
endeavored to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confi-dential information contained in income tax returns for purposed not authorized by law, and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investi-gations to be initiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner.”
In response to George Will’s insin-uation that President Obama should be impeached over this scandal, News White House correspondent Jonathan Karl quipped to him, “You better get ready for your audit.”
Notice to our readers: TJH pledges allegiance to the Obama Administration.
10 Most Exciting Cities in the U.S.
Movoto.com, which is a site ded-icated to the “lighter” side of real es-tate, recently completed its ranking of the 10 most exciting cities in the U.S. “Certainly,” you say, “Manhattan is
number one.” Well, you are wrong, it is not even in the top 5. To formulate their list, Movoto examined 10 criteria which they determined makes a city exciting. Among the criteria are parks acreage per person, percent of population between 20 and 34-years-old, fast food restau-rants per square mile (the fewer the bet-ter), big box stores per square mile (the fewer the better) and music venues per square mile.
The result is as follows:1. Oakland, CA2. Boston, MA3. San Francisco, CA4. Seattle, WA5. Washington, D.C.6. New York, NY7. Milwaukee, WI8. Atlanta, GA9. Philadelphia, PA10. Portland, ORQuite shockingly, none of the hubs
of excitement that make up the Five Towns make the top 10, despite our bus-tling Dunkin Donuts. Perhaps if they knew that you live here, we would have made the list.
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10 Cities with the Most Millionaires
This time you are certain that the Five Towns makes the list, right? Wrong. According to WealthInsight, a London-based independent research firm, the city with the most millionaires is not even in the U.S.! The list is as fol-lows:
1. Tokyo (461,000 millionaires)2. New York City ( 389,000)3. London (281,000)4. Paris (219,000)5. Frankfurt (217,000)6. Beijing (213,000)7. Osaka (190,000)8. Hong Kong (187,000)9. Shanghai (166,000)10. Singapore (157,000)However, when it comes to billion-
aires, New York City reigns supreme with 70 billionaires, followed by Mos-cow which has 64 billionaires. The top five is rounded off by London, with 54 billionaires; Hong Kong, with 40 bil-lionaires; and Beijing, which has 29 bil-lionaires.
Feeling sad that your city didn’t make the list? And even if it did, you did not contribute to its prominent place-ment? As the saying goes, “The city of happiness is in the state of mind”...unless you have a million dollar yacht, in which case the city of happiness is on your yacht.
The Rich are Enjoying Life in Sunny California
Only about one-fifth of the nation’s households earn a six figure salary. Ac-cording to recent research, those six-fig-ure families tend to reside in specific cities.
New analysis by Census data by
NerdWallet informs that there are 16 U.S. cities where more than 50 percent of the households earn six-figure in-comes.
San Ramon, California is home to companies ranging from Chevron Corp. to 24-Hour Fitness, and 63.5% of the city’s households earn annual incomes exceeding $100,000, while one-quarter earn $200,000 or more making it Amer-ica’s top-earning city.
Flower Mound, Texas, a Dallas sub-urb, has the second-lowest crime rate in the U.S., according to the FBI’s latest crime report and it was recently includ-ed in the 100 best places to live in the U.S. and I couldn’t agree more… Its 62.8% percent of residents take home more than $100,000 and 18.6% percent earn $200K or more.
Another California city makes it to the list with Pleasanton, California, home to Safeway and Ross Stores. Just south of San Ramon, some 59.8% of its residents earn over $100,000 and 22.3% earn more than $200,000.
California is the place to be….Yor-ba Linda, California also made it to the top earners list. This Southern Cal-ifornia community is the birthplace of former president Richard Nixon. Yorba Linda brags that 58.8% of its residents earn upwards of $100K and 18.6% earn $200,000 or more.
At number five is Carmel, Indiana, just a short commute to Indianapolis; it ranked first in Money Magazine’s best places to live in the U.S. With wide bike lanes and friendly residents, it’s also got a lower-than-average unemploy-ment rate and better-than-average earn-ings, with 58.4% of households earning over $100,000 and 23.2% earning over $200K.
California, here we come….Palo Alto, California, is home to Facebook, Hewlett-Packard and Stanford Univer-sity. But with 57.8% of its households earning more than $100,000 and 28.2% earning more than $200,000 it takes the number 6 spot.
Newton, Massachusetts, is a suburb just outside of Boston; its real estate is
The Week In news
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among the most expensive in the nation, with the average home selling for more than $1.2 million. As for wages, some 55.4% of Newton households earn over $100,000 and 25.7% earn more than $200,000 annually.
Naperville, a Chicago, Illinois, sub-urb was named the second-best place to live by Money Magazine in 2006; it was also cited as one of the wealth-iest towns in the nation in 2010. Now, it ranks eighth among America’s cities for the percentage of households earn-ing six-figures, with 54.8% over $100K and 22.8% taking home more than $200,000.
Frisco, Texas, some 20 miles north of Dallas, brags four professional sports teams, 150 outdoor sculptures, plenty of luxury hotels and restaurants – as well as average incomes that make this city of 131,510 residents among the nation’s richest towns. Some 53.7% of Frisco residents earn $100,000 or more, and 13.3% take home upwards of $200,000.
The Woodlands, Texas, founded by oilman George P. Mitchell in the early 1970s, was designed to be an attrac-tive community that “would entice city slickers” to move there. Well, appar-
ently some rich “city slickers” got the message. Now with some 55,000 resi-dents, it is among the nation’s wealthi-est cities, with 53.4% of the population earning more than $100,000 and 15.3% of the population earning upwards of $200,000.
Does moving to California make you rich or are these people rich before they move? Maybe it’s the air, or the land, or the juice…
Americans Trust Carter Former President Jimmy Carter is
the most trusted politician in the coun-try, according to the Reader’s Digest’s poll of the 100 most trusted people in America.
The four most trusted Americans were actors. The first politician, Carter, appears at spot number 24. This is a tes-tament that Americans have lost trust in their government.
First Lady Michelle Obama was number 19, way ahead of her husband, President Obama, who occupied spot 65, behind his contemporary Hillary Clinton who was at 51.
Readers found newsman Matt Lauer of the “Today Show” not that trust-wor-thy coming in at number 87. At least he beat cable favorite Shepard Smith, an-chor of “The Fox Report,” who was the very last.
Parents’ Saliva Can Protect Infants from
Eczema & Asthma
This is the validation that many mommies have been waiting for…
It’s happened to the best of us: you’re in the mall, your baby is hav-ing a tantrum, he throws his pacifier on the floor, you quickly snatch it up (10 second rule), you suck it to get off the germs and then stick it back into his mouth to calm him down. Many might look at you in disgust but Swedish re-searchers are saying that you may actu-ally be helping your kids avoid eczema and asthma.
“It was surprising that the effect was so strong,” says pediatric allergist Dr. Bill Hesselmar of Queen Silvia Chil-dren’s Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, lead author of the study published in the journal Pediatrics.
Of 136 infants who used a pacifier in their first six months, 65 had parents who reported sucking the pacifier to clean it. In those children, both eczema and asthma were strongly reduced when they were examined at 18 months of age. At 36 months of age, the protective effect remained for eczema but not for asthma.
The study didn’t specify how mom and dad’s saliva acted as a protective agent. But it did reveal that spit-clean-ing the binkie had no effect on respirato-ry illness. Meaning, babies aren’t more likely to get cold or flu viruses from their parents sucking on their paci.
“Transmission of colds/virus infec-tions are common in a household be-cause of ‘close contact,’ independent of if the parents suck on their child’s paci-fier or not,” Hesselmar says. When par-ents clean a pacifier with saliva, they’re introducing gut microflora, the micro-scopic organisms, mostly bacteria, that live in the digestive tract. “We know that if infants have diverse microflora in the gut, then children will have less al-lergy and less eczema,” says Hesselmar. “When parents suck on the pacifier, they are transferring microflora to the child.”
Scientists hypothesize that those tiny organisms help prevent allergy, eczema and asthma by stimulating an infant’s developing immune system. “The most exciting result was the eczema,” says Christine Johnson, chair of the public health department at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital. “I’m a bit more skeptical about the asthma findings because asth-ma is hard to measure before a child is five or six years old.”
So next time your child’s pacifier falls to the floor, proudly pick it up, give it quick wipe with your tongue and give him those protective agents.
Tennessee: The Retirement Place for Me
Planning (or dreaming) for retire-ment? Consider these states.
Bankrate’s list of best states to retire in factors in all the obvious aspects of a retirement state: sunshine, swimming pools and year-round golf. But it also considers the real important stuff like access to medical care, cost of living, local crime rates, state and local taxes.
Although North Dakota is a cold state, it made it to the list because of
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The Week In newsits incredible access to hospital care and low crime rate. There are five beds available for every 1,000 people in the state, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and it has the second-low-est crime rate in the nation. The state and local tax burden, which takes into account income, sales, property and other taxes, is a relatively mild 8.9 % of income.
Nebraska ranks at number 9 for its excellent access to hospital beds and FBI statistics show that its crime rate is slightly lower than average. Its cost of living also is one of the lowest in the country, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research, which tracks the cost of groceries, hous-ing, utilities, transportation and health care in most major U.S. cities. The state and local tax burden is near the national average at 9.7%, according to the Tax Foundation. The negative factor is that the average temperature of 49.2 degrees is colder than the national average.
Alabama boasts a trio of benefits that retirees may find alluring. It has some of the lowest local and state taxes in the nation. Its cost of living also is relatively low and its temperatures are among the warmest in the U.S. Howev-er, Alabama has relatively high crime rates, with 4,026 property and violent crimes per 100,000 people (compared to the national average of 3,253).
West Virginia ranks No. 7 on Bank-rate’s list of great retirement states for three main reasons: It has a low-er-than-average cost of living, boasts a lower-than-average crime rate, and res-idents also have better access to hospi-tal beds than the national average. Last year, temperatures in Charleston, W.V., ranged between a low of 12 and a high of 103 degrees Fahrenheit, and the 30-year state average is about 52 degrees.
Virginia ranks better than average in most categories, including cost of living, warmer temperatures and access to physicians. With only 2,446 property and violent crimes per 100,000 people, Virginia has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
Mississippi, the Magnolia State, is not just one of the warmest in the U.S., it also has relatively low state and local taxes and a lower-than-average cost of living. Those factors make Mississippi an accommodating place for retirees, even though its crime rate is a little higher than average. It also has only 178 doctors per 100,000 people – one of the lowest physician-to-resident ratios in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Kentucky offers retirees an extreme-ly low cost of living, making it number 4 on the list. The Council for Commu-nity and Economic Research, or CCER, which collects data on the relative costs of groceries, housing, utilities, trans-portation and health care in commu-nities across the U.S., found that retir-ees in Kentucky are paying less than
many of their counterparts across the country. The Bluegrass State also has warmer-than-average temperatures and a crime rate that’s slightly lower than average.
South Dakota, Mount Rushmore’s state, definitely lacks warmth but it makes up for that factor in a variety of ways. South Dakota has the lowest crime
rate in the nation. The Tax Foundation also says South Dakota residents have an estimated state and local tax burden of 7.6%, which is lower than every other state except Alaska. Its temperatures are comparable to New York and Colorado with an average of 46 degrees.
Louisiana offers retirees an excellent combination of low taxes (the Tax Foun-
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dation ranks it as the fourth lowest in the nation) and pleasant weather. Louisiana has a 30-year average temperature – that includes both winter lows and summer highs – of 66.7 degrees. That’s higher than every other state except Hawaii and Florida. It also has better-than-average access to medical care and a relatively low cost of living. The only downside is the crime rate; it’s one of the highest in the nation. The FBI says there are 4,244 property and violent crimes per 100,000 people in Louisiana.
The ultimate retirement state is Ten-nessee. Its cost of living is the second lowest in the country, just behind Okla-homa, according to data collected from the Council for Community and Eco-nomic Research. And the Tax Founda-tion puts Tennessee’s state and local tax burden as the third lowest in the nation. Tennessee also ranked among the best in the country for access to medical care, and its weather is warmer than average. The one main drawback is Tennessee’s crime rate which is among the worst in the U.S.
Where you heading? When the time is right, of course.
Terrorist List GrowsFive years ago, there were 540,000
names on a highly classified U.S. cen-tral database used to track suspected terrorists. That number has soared to 875,000, a U.S. official familiar with the matter said. The increase in names is due in part to security agencies using the system more in the wake of the failed 2009 attack on a plane by “underpants bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in Detroit.
Intelligence and law enforcement officials acknowledged in Congress that they had missed clues to that attack de-spite Abdulmutallab’s name appearing in the main database, known as TIDE.
Maintained by the National Coun-terterrorism Center, the highly classified database is not a “watchlist” but instead is a repository of information on people whom U.S. authorities see as known, suspected or potential terrorists from around the world.
The “Terrorist Identities Datama-rt Environment” is a master database which agencies use to build other cata-logs of possible terrorists, like the “no-fly” list which prevents people who fea-ture on it from boarding airplanes.
The official said that even though the number of TIDE entries has grown substantially, this does not mean that the
data is less manageable as intelligence agencies have gotten better at figuring how to extract information from the oceans of data.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s name was en-tered into TIDE by the CIA in 2011 after the U.S. spy agency received a request from Russian authorities to investigate him for suspected radical Islamist ac-tivities. The CIA also entered the name of Tsarnaev’s mother, Zubeidat Tsarnae-va’s, into the TIDE database.
Unfortunately, adding his name did not prevent him from carrying out his bloody attack.
FBI Adds Woman to Most Wanted List
The FBI added a woman to its most wanted list for the first time. The agency and the state also doubled the bounty for her capture to $2 million.
Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, is a 1970s black radical who authorities say shot a New Jersey trooper and made a daring daylight es-cape from prison and fled to Cuba. As part of the Black Liberation Army, she became one of the most notorious fugi-tives in New Jersey history.
“While we cannot right the wrongs of the past, we can and will continue to pursue justice no matter how long it takes,” said Aaron Ford, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Newark office.
In a direct appeal to Chesimard, he said: “Give yourself up, come to Ameri-ca and face justice.”
Chesimard was found guilty of mur-der in the killing of Trooper Werner Foerster, who was shot dead on May 2, 1973, after stopping her and two asso-ciates. The trooper was killed with his own weapon, and the FBI says Chesi-mard’s gun was found at his side. She was convicted in 1977 and sent to pris-on, but she broke out two years later with the help of accomplices from the BLA and the Weather Underground, a left-wing radical organization. Chesi-
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mard lived in safehouses before fleeing to Cuba, where she took the Shakur name and was shielded from the United States by the Communist government of Fidel Castro. She is now 65.
Last Thursday was the 40th anni-versary of the trooper’s killing and au-thorities feel that bringing her to justice would close a wound for New Jersey state police and prove that they will not give up when one of their own is slain.
Asked whether authorities were en-couraging bounty hunters in Cuba, New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said, “I’m not going to get into exact means. What we’re saying is there’s now $2 million for her safe return to New Jersey that’s available.”
But frosty relations between the United States and Cuba have frustrated American efforts to get her back ever since. Ford said Chesimard “remains an inspiration to the radical, left-wing, anti-government, black separatist move-ment.” He said there was no specific new threat that led the bureau to add her to the list.
“Some of those people, and the peo-ple that espouse those ideas, are still in
this country,” he said. “So we’d be naïve not to think that there’s some communi-cation between her and the people she used to run around with.”
Shakur is the 46th person added to the list of most wanted terrorists since President George W. Bush established it after the September 11 attacks. Osama bin Laden was on the list until he was killed in 2011.
USPS Workers Too Afraid to Deliver Mail in
Brownsville
Planning on sending mail to 11212?
Well, if you really want to make sure it gets there, you might be better off send-ing it UPS or FedEx.
“The neighborhood is bad,” a U.S. postal worker said outside the Browns-ville Station Post Office on Bristol Street. “I wouldn’t want to go into those buildings.”
Any mail that goes undelivered eventually finds its way back to the post office, where it can sit for several days until a carrier decides to deliver it or res-idents choose to come pick it up.
“Have you seen this neighborhood? It’s on the news every day,” a terrified employee said.
About 50 angry residents organized by the neighborhood chapter of New York Communities for Change gathered in front of the post office last week to protest the epidemic of late mail and parcels that never arrive.
Residents acknowledged the vio-lence but say it’s not a good enough excuse for carriers to slack. “The post-al workers have a right to fear for their life,” said Quantanya White, 38, a home health-care worker. “It doesn’t give them the right not to deliver the mail. Just because this place is bad, you’re not going to deliver the mail? But I do un-derstand why the mailmen feel fear. If I feel unsafe going into certain buildings, they must also.”
“That is unbelievable. Government services can’t be stopped at the bound-aries of high-crime areas,” Senator Eric Adams said. “They need to re-read that motto — through hail, sleet and snow.”
Adams, who represents Brownsville and is running for borough president, said he hasn’t heard anything about postal carriers being assaulted or robbed in his district but added that, if that’s the case, the police should start protecting them.
“We do pay taxes,” said Crystal Caesar, 30, a social-service worker. “They could make more of an effort to ring my bell when I have a package. It’s a headache to come to the post office.”
“Our carrier had a heart attack, so she can’t walk upstairs,” said Yolanda Matthews, 58. “Now we have a different person delivering every day, and it’s in-consistent. They don’t deliver mail until after 8, and if they can’t get in the build-ing by buzzing someone, they don’t come in because they don’t have a key.”
She has missed letters from her law-yer and her doctor, as well as checks from the state.
“We’re getting bad service here because it’s Brownsville — people on Riverside Drive get their mail at 10 in
the morning,” she said “Something’s got to change.”
Perhaps the residents should work on making their streets safer instead of spending their energy discussing their late mail.
Many Newborns Die at Birth in the U.S.
This is a heartbreaking statistic. The U.S. is the worst place for newborn sur-vival out of 68 other countries, including Egypt, Turkey and Peru, according to a report released by Save the Children.
A million babies die every year globally on the day of their birth, in-cluding more than 11,000 American newborns, the report estimates. The group claims that most of them could be saved with fairly cheap interventions.
“The birth of a child should be a time of wonder and celebration. But for millions of mothers and babies in developing countries, it is a dance with death,” the report reads. “A baby’s first day is the most dangerous day of life—in the United States and countries rich and poor,” it adds.
“The United States has the highest first-day death rate in the industrialized world. An estimated 11,300 newborn babies die each year in the United States on the day they are born. This is 50 per-cent more first-day deaths than all other industrialized countries combined.”
Generally most babies who die at birth die because they were born preterm. About 35% of all newborns who die are preemies. Another 23% die because of complications at birth, such as a failure to draw breath right away. Another 23% die from severe infections and 9% die because of birth defects.
Save the Children says it’s not clear exactly why the United States does so poorly in protecting newborns, but says politics and culture both play a role. “Many babies in the United States are born too early. The U.S. preterm birth rate (1 in 8 births) is one of the highest in the industrialized world (second only to Cyprus). In fact, 130 countries from all across the world have lower preterm birth rates than the United States,” the report reads.
Teen births are partly to blame, the report says – echoing other research that has shown this. The U.S. has the highest teenage birth rate of any indus-trialized country. “Teenage mothers in the U.S. tend to be poorer, less educat-ed, and receive less prenatal care than
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older mothers. Because of these chal-lenges, babies born to teen mothers are more likely to be low-birth weight and be born prematurely and to die in their first month. They are also more likely to suffer chronic medical conditions, do poorly in school, and give birth during their teen years [continuing the cycle of teen pregnancy],” the report says.
“Poverty, racism and stress are like-ly to be important contributing factors to first-day deaths in the United States and other industrialized countries,” the report adds.
The March of Dimes, a charity that promotes healthy births, says infant mortality fell by 12 percent between 2005 and 2011, and premature births have fallen by 8.5 percent since 2006. “This rate reduction has meant 125,000 fewer premature births and an estimat-ed cost savings of about $2 billion,” the group said in a statement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 24,586 U.S. babies died before they turned 1 in 2010, compared to 23,910 in 2011.
That’s OddA Good Ending to Three Bad Days
It was luck that Tim Weidman walked by Justyn “Jay” Ambrozia’s home in Pasco County, Florida, and heard Jay’s muffled screams. It seems that the 90-year-old man was locked in his car for three days until Tim walked by and called police for help.
“I can’t get out of my car. Can you help me?” Jay pleaded.
The story began three days earlier, when Jay visited the Publix supermar-ket for groceries. Unfortunately, while shopping, he fell and broke his wrist and hip. Jay managed to drive home, but
couldn’t open the handle of his car door because of his swollen wrist.
His bad day got worse. His car bat-tery soon died after he pulled into the garage so he couldn’t honk his horn. He used the remote to open and close the garage door in the hopes that someone would be alerted to his condition; but that was to no avail. Jay realized that he may just have to settle in for a few days in the vehicle. Thankfully, he bought some nutritious food at Publix—ice cream cones, Fig Newtons, and pound cake. He began to worry, though, be-cause he didn’t have any water.
“It’s been three days,” he remem-bers thinking. “I hope I don’t die in this car.” Thankfully, after three long days, his savior, Tim, walked by and heard his cries for help.
This is not the first time the army veteran was left stranded. He and his troops got lost in Paris for six hours during World War II. For that, he was demoted one stripe. But that incident taught him a valuable lesson and helped him through this ordeal.
“I can’t complain,” he said. “When something like this happens, it hap-pens.”
Man Leaves Behind $40M Estate, No Will When Roman Blum died last year at
age 97, his body lingered in the Staten Island University Hospital morgue for four days, until a rabbi at the hospital was able to track down his lawyer.
Mr. Blum survived the Holocaust and rebuilt his life in America as a real estate developer. Sadly, all of his family perished in the Holocaust and he had no children, leaving behind no heirs to his fortune. His wife died in 1992.
His funeral, held graveside at the New Montefiore Jewish Cemetery in West Babylon, N.Y., was attended by a small number of mourners, most of them elderly fellow survivors or chil-dren of survivors.
He never created a will so his estate of an estimated $40 million was left to no one. This is the largest unclaimed estate in New York State history, ac-cording to the state comptroller’s office. Gary D. Gotlin, the public administra-tor handling the case, sold Mr. Blum’s home on Staten Island, auctioned off his jewelry and his furniture and is put-ting other properties that he owned on the market. Mr. Gotlin’s office, which is overseen by Surrogate’s Court in Rich-
mond County, is also using Mr. Blum’s estate to pay his taxes, conduct an in-depth search for a will, and hire a ge-nealogist to search for relatives. If none are identified, the money will pass into the state’s coffers.
“I spoke to Roman many times be-fore he passed away, and he knew what to do, how to name beneficiaries,” said Mason D. Corn, his accountant and friend for 30 years. “Two weeks be-fore he died, I had finally gotten him to sit down. He saw the end was com-ing. He was becoming mentally feeble. We agreed. I had to go away, and so he told me, ‘O.K., when you come back I will do it.’ But by then it was too late. We came this close, but we missed the boat.”
“He had deeds on his desk piled up to the ceiling of properties he owned,” said Vincent Daino, who was Mr. Blum’s neighbor for 25 years and be-came his unpaid driver when the older man’s eyesight began to fail. “There were royalties from oil rigs in Alaska, money from his stocks — about once a month he would have me drive him to the bank so he could deposit $100,000 checks.”
This sure makes you reflect on what’s truly important in life.
Christie the Spider Slayer
The People for the Ethical Treat-ment of Animals are not very happy with New Jersey Governor Chris Chris-tie. (Not that they are ever really happy with anyone.)
The New Jersey governor killed a spider that found its way onto his desk in front of a class of fourth graders. Chris-tie shows off his fearless spider-swat-
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ting skills in a video entitled, “Governor Christie Saves School Children From Spider.”
After the tiny insect caused a com-motion amongst the 10-year-olds, the fearless leader of the Garden State stepped in and saved the day eliciting cheers from the classmates of his daugh-ter, Bridget.
He jokingly told the school children that it’s just one of the many perks of be-
ing governor. “Any bugs on your desk you’re allowed to kill them and not get in trouble,” he said.
The short 26 second video was pub-lished by the governor’s office on Fri-day. But when members of PETA saw the video, they were displeased.
PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said, “He probably did it without think-ing. Some people put the spider outside, but spiders are often scary to people,
and that can prevent them from ponder-ing their worth,” she said.
This is not the first time insects and politicians caught the attention of PETA. In 2009, the organization was in an uproar after seeing a video of Pres-ident Obama swatting a fly during a televised interview. PETA labeled it an “executive insect execution.”
Wow. That’s dramatic.
The Invasion of the Giant Rubber Duck
“Rubber ducky you’re the one…”Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor got a
friendly little visitor on May 2, 2013. Dutch conceptual artist Florentijin Hofman constructed a replica of ev-ery toddler’s favorite bathtime friend. Hofman’s inflatable floating duck sculp-ture is called “Spreading Joy Around the World.”
But this yellow bird is not a cuddly toy. The “Duckie” is 16.5 meters high (about 54 feet); it will stay in Hong Kong until June 9. Since 2007, “Rubber Duck” has traveled to 10 countries and 12 cities.
I was wondering where my kids’ bath toys went…now I know!
How Not to Quit Smoking
Etta Mae Lopez, 31, certainly fig-ured out an original way to kick her smoking habit: smack a cop. The Sac-ramento resident walked up to a Sac-ramento County Sheriff’s deputy and slapped him because she wanted to go to jail in order to stop smoking. She was arrested and when brought in front of the judge, pled “no contest” which is es-sentially the same as a guilty plea. She was sentenced to 63 days in prison.
No doubt she is counting the days to her release...so she can light up a smoke.
Ice Cream RobberyI scream, you scream, we all scream
for ice cream! But New Yorker William Hotz steals for ice cream!
The 59-year-old man has been charged with robbery after he allegedly tried to use an expired “free cone” cou-pon to pay for an ice cream and punched the store worker who confronted him
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about the unpaid $3.50 as he left.Authorities believe that Hotz walked
into the Carvel on Dutch Broadway in Valley Stream in Long Island on Wednesday morning and ordered an ice cream cone. The 55-year-old store em-ployee handed him his scoop, and Hotz presented a “One Free Ice Cream Cone” coupon that had expired.
When the employee kindly pointed out the expiration date and asked him to pay for his treat, Hotz allegedly ignored her and left the store. The worker con-fronted him outside the store, at which point Hotz allegedly punched her sever-al times in the face, giving her a cut lip and swelling.
When police arrived at the scene and attempted to arrest him, he alleged-ly resisted, flailing his arms and twisting his body out of their reach. Eventually, police pinned him down and put him in handcuffs.
That’s what we call a cold-hearted perp!
Why Our Bees Are Doing Less Buzzing
Since 2006, honeybees have been mysteriously disappearing from the U.S. A new federal report claims that the inter-twined factors for their de-mise are a par-
asitic mite, multiple viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition, genetics, habitat loss, and pesticides. Of course, the many factors make it difficult to fix the prob-lem called a colony collapse disorder, experts say. The disorder has caused as much as one-third of the nation’s bees to just disappear each winter since 2006.
I bet you’re thinking, great, a whole lot less of your 10-year-old daughter running inside from the deck screaming her loudest, but the thing is we actually need honeybees; they are responsible
for pollinating crops. Pollinators, like honeybees, are crucial to the U.S. food supply. Experts believe that about $30 billion a year in agriculture depends on their health. “It affects virtually every American whether they realize it or not,” said EPA acting administrator Bob Perciasepe.
The federal report issued by the Agriculture Department and the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency, said the biggest culprit is the parasitic mite var-roa destructor, calling it “the single most detrimental pest of honeybees.”
This epidemic has spread to col-onies in Europe. There regulators are considering a ban on a type of pesti-cides known as neonicotinoids that some environmental groups blame for the bee collapse. The U.S. report cites pesticides, but has placed them near the bottom of the list of factors. And federal officials and researchers advising them said the science doesn’t justify a ban of the pesticides yet.
May Berenbaum, a top bee research-er from the University of Illinois, said in an interview that she was “extreme-ly dubious” that banning the pesticide would have any effect on bee health. Berenbaum said more than 100 differ-ent chemicals, not only the pesticides that may be banned in Europe, have been found in bee colonies. She added that scientists find it hard to calculate how they react in different dosages and at different combinations.
The environmental group, Pesticide Action Network North America, blasted the federal government for not follow-ing Europe’s lead in looking at a ban of certain pesticides.
Let’s hope our busy bees will be able to find a safe home once again…we need them for Rosh Hashana!
Woman’s Surprising Secret to Long Life
Pearl Cantrell has a secret. The 105-year-old Texas woman re-
vealed her answer to long life. She has seven children, has outlived three of them and her husband.
Strangely, Pearl has revealed that
her key to longevity is bacon. The cen-tenarian eats bacon almost every day. She said in an interview with a local NBC station, “I love bacon and I eat it every day. I don’t feel as old as I am, that’s all I can say.”
Her recent 105th birthday bash was a three-day affair that included more than 200 guests. I don’t have that many friends and I’m only 30!
I wonder if there is a kosher version to her secret.
Baby Born at Sam’s Club
Fritz Rosales and Josephine Rosales had their fifth child in a Sam’s Club parking lot. The others were born in the hospital, but baby number five was real-ly eager to get out.
The couple was en route to the hos-pital but the ride wasn’t so smooth. First, they realized they were on emp-ty so they were forced to refill on gas. Then they got held up at a train crossing as two freight trains crawled across the tracks. “It was probably going 25-30 miles per hour, and it was probably a 90-car train,” Fritz. “Then, just as soon as that train cleared the crossing, another train came along the same track. I was like, ‘Are you serious?’”
When they realized that they were not going to make it to the hospital in time, Fritz made a quick decision to pull into a well-lit Sam’s Club parking lot. He called 911 and immediately began coaching his wife through a quick labor.
When the baby was born, his dad caught him. For the first instant, the baby wasn’t breathing but he quickly gave out a cry that calmed his worried and traumatized parents.
Although Samuel would have been a more appropriate fit for a baby boy at Sam’s Club, the couple named their son Alexander.
Woman Celebrates DUI with a DUI
Erin James, 58, of Brookfield had just gotten her license back after being arrested for DUI and she went out with her friends to celebrate.
But Ms. James did not learn her lesson. At about 2:10 a.m. on Friday, a Riverside Police officer observed a driver speeding while on the 3400 block of South Harlem Avenue. After stop-ping the speeding vehicle, the officer realized that the driver may have been
under the influence of alcohol. After she failed multiple field sobriety tests, she was taken into custody for driving un-der the influence of alcohol. Her blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit when tested at the police station. Her breath sample showed an alcohol content of .155, almost double the legal limit of .08
A check of Ms. James’ driver’s li-cense showed that her license was cur-rently suspended stemming from a 2012 DUI arrest in North Riverside.
She was arrested again and charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, the police re-lease said.
“James was supposed to be operat-ing a vehicle with a breath alcohol ig-nition interlock device (BAIID) which would have prevented her from driving intoxicated,” Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel said. “The fact that she was driving a vehicle not equipped with a BAIID shows that she had every in-tent of drinking and getting behind the wheel. Ms. James purposely drove a car that she did not own to avoid the igni-tion lock device and was driving back from a Forest Park bar where she was celebrating that fact that she would fi-nally have her driving privileges back after her 2012 conviction for DUI. Ms. James is exactly the type of motorist I want kept off the road permanently un-der a new proposed habitual DUI law that I will be proposing in the very near future.”
Weitzel’s proposal will include loss of driving privileges for 10 years, con-fiscation of vehicle and a mandatory seven year sentence upon conviction for repeat offenders, the release said.
Some people clearly don’t learn from their mistakes.
Monster InsuranceLegend has it that there’s a sea mon-
ster living in Loch Ness Lake in the Scottish Highlands. Dubbed the Loch Ness Monster, the creature is a large un-known animal.
The creature was first brought to the world’s attention in 1933 and since then its existence has been doubted. Evidence of its existence is only anecdotal, with minimal and much-disputed photograph-ic material. If this monster is indeed alive, then it turned 80 this week. Happy Birthday Monster!
Although “Nessie” hasn’t reportedly harmed a soul or ship to date, one cruise company is opting for the cautious side.
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Scottish cruise line Jacobite Cruises isn’t taking any chances, so they recently pur-chased a $1.5 million insurance policy against any potential damages incurred by Scotland’s storied monster.
Jacobite owner Freda Newton ex-plained, “I don’t know what the odds of this actually happening might be, but this is Loch Ness and how silly would we look if it did and we weren’t covered for it?”
Director of Inverness-based insurer Towergate Moray Firth, which issued the policy, admitted, “This is probably the most unusual insurance request we have ever had, but we were delighted to provide cover to Jacobite Cruises.”
This is just as unusual as the policy England’s Royal Falcon Hotel took out for more than $1.5 million in 2002, in the case that their resident ghost should harm any staff or clients. Or the poli-cy purchased by folks at Goodfellow Rebecca Ingram Pearson who have got you covered in the case of alien abduc-tion. If you’re worried about vampires sucking your blood, just contact Lloyd’s of London who insures the medical costs caused by vampire bites.
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Tremendous Beehive in Utah
Paul Bertagnolli and his family own a quaint little cabin in Eden, Utah. They generally only visit a few times a year for short-periods of time but when it came time to remodel their primary home, they decided to relocate to the cabin for a few months.
Paul, his wife, and two children moved to their temporary dwelling only to discover that they had some room-mates—about 60,000 of them. Appar-ently, a gang of honeybees had made themselves a nice little home in a cavi-ty in the Bertagnolli’s vacation home in Ogden Valley.
Although only a few bees found their way inside the house, the hive was just outside a window of the children’s bed-room and the parents felt that for safety reasons it had to be removed.
They didn’t want to kill the honey-bees, a species in decline that does hard work pollinating flowers and crops, so they phoned Vic Bachman, owner of De-seret Hive Supply, a hobbyist store that can’t keep up with demand for honey-bees. Bachman says that it was the big-gest beehive that he has ever removed.
He had to take apart a panel that hid roof rafters; the space was about 12 feet long, 4 feet wide and 16 inches deep. “We figure we got 15 pounds of bees out of there,” said Bachman, who said that con-verts to about 60,000 honeybees.
Bachman used a vacuum cleaner to suck the bees into a cage. “It doesn’t hurt them,” he said. He also used smoke to pacify the bees.
The job took six hours. At $100 an hour, the bill came to $600. “The bees were expensive,” said Paul Bertagnolli.
Bee careful!
Single Mom Accidentally Wins Millions
Thuan Le, a single mother of four sons, made a lucky mistake and she’s not too upset about it.
She accidentally spent $1 more than usual on Lotto tickets at a Mission Vie-jo, California, CVS, where she typically purchases $4 worth of Powerball tick-ets and $1 on a SuperLotto Plus ticket. Well, this mistake earned her fourteen million dollars!
She bought the winning ticket through a self-service machine. The Or-
ange County mom checked the winning ticket with her friend. After ticking off the matching numbers one by one, Le was so excited, she ran screaming from the store, according to a news release from California Lottery.
Le said she plans to use her win-nings to buy a house, travel and visit her parents in Vietnam. She will also use it to support her four sons.
“We thought she was joking,” one of her sons told Lotto officials, “but we thought would she really joke like this? My older brother said, ‘Yes, she would.’”
Le’s lucky numbers were 5, 33, 25, 46, 32, and the Mega number 26. CVS Pharmacy will receive a bonus of one half percent ($70,000), for selling the winning ticket.
We all learn from our mistakes…
WWII Jacket Finds its Way Back Home
John Dodds was browsing the racks at a Washington Goodwill with his daughter. At one point, his daughter ex-citedly called him over; she discovered an exceptional find: an authentic WWII leather bomber jacket.
The jacket was in decent shape and on the back was a bearded, red-headed man with a winged helmet, along with the words “Red Raiders” and “22nd Bomb Group.” The inside label was in-scribed with the model and order num-
ber. The lieutenant bars were in place on the shoulders. The jacket even had a leather name tag sewed on the front: Robert G. Arand.
Dodds, a Pentagon employee and self-proclaimed military history enthusi-ast, purchased the jacket for $17. He was on a mission: Dodds made some calls, and the next day located 90-year-old vet-eran Robert Arand, the original owner of the jacket.
Dodd contacted Arand by phone and told him that he wanted to give him the jacket instead of keeping it. Arand ex-plained that the jacket was most likely given away by his wife. The Red Raid-ers were named after a commander with red hair, Col. Richard Robinson, Arand explained. He had flown more than 40 missions during his time in the US Army. He flew the 22nd Bomb Group’s final bombing attack, a strike on the Kiang-wan Airdrome in China. His last mission was an exploration flight from Okina-wa to Tokyo and back on September 2, 1945, the day the Japanese signed the surrender in Tokyo Bay.
Arand retired from the Air Force in 1982 as a major. He has five children, eight grandchildren and two great-grand-children.
The Week In news
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As Jews all over the world get ready to celebrate the holy Yom Tov of Shavous, a large portion of those preparations involves the staying up and learning through the first night. It is a wonderful personal achievement for each individual and instills an amazing sense of fulfillment. The clarity and freedom of immersing in Torah during those late night hours is unparalleled, as so much learning can be accomplished without the usual obstacles that occu-pies a person during the day.
Welcome to a typical night and life of a learner of “Kollel Chatzos.”
A Night in Life of a “Kollel Chatzos” Member
As midnight descends on the busy New York suburb of Monsey, the last of the late evening learners wearily make their way home, keen for some sleep to
re-energize them for another day of To-rah. At the same time, an eager group of men awaken, refreshed and ready, to start the day at “Kollel Chatzos” and thus maintain Torah around the clock. They immerse themselves in their learn-ing all night long and then top it off with a captivating davening at Vasikin.
The esteemed kollel participants, among them dayanim and magdei shi-urim shlit”a, all declare that time seems to pass in a wink with the level of inten-sity and enthusiasm that shrouds their learning! The learners themselves will be among the first to agree that some-thing special and holy seems to sur-round the halls and people of “Kollel Chatzos”. No one is busy on the phone or taking care of mundane tasks, since there are no other people to talk to at that time of the night! Their only inter-actions are between their fellow kollel mates and the holy Torah!
Kollel Chatzos – Hub of Torah and Protection
Learning after Chatzos is hardly a new concept, Tikun Leil Shavous being a prime example. The segulahs pertain-ing to this practice are countless, includ-ing many cited by the Zohar Hakodesh. He pledges that those who get up during the night regularly to learn are bestowed the unique gift and power to have their blessings upon others be fulfilled!
That is the reason that “Kollel Chat-zos” has emerged as the central “Segu-lah address” for Jews all over the world, who have purchased a “Chatzos Partner-ship” and have been reaping the benefits and successes.
At the same time that you have the honor of supporting such an esteemed center of Torah, one that has no compar-ison, as it is written in the Kaf Hachaim and in the “Choitzois D’Meshek”- in the era of the holy Ari Hakodesh – that Jews who cannot get up at chatzos for whatever reason, should sustain those who do, and they will have the same re-wards in the learning and will merit all the success and help that “Kollel Chat-zos” reaps.
In the current days, the kollel admin-istration is gearing up for openings of more “Kollels Chatzos” in other local-ities, which is being received with joy and open arms by everyone!
If you would like to submit a name to be mentioned for a yeshuah, to recite Mishnayos in the merit of a loved one’s Yahrtzeit, or have the kollel learn in your family’s zechus on the night of a child’s wedding, please call 1855-CHATZOS 24 hours a day, six day a week or email [email protected], and you will be presented with a host of options to choose from.
Shavous Night: Another Productive Night at Work“Kollels Chatzos” – Tikun Leil Shavous Observed Every Night
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While learning about Shavous, Rabbi Betzalel Kotkofsky, a distinguished Sofer visited the Yeshiva of South Shore Pre 1a to teach them about how Tefilin and Sefer Torahs are made. Each child own’s name was written by the sofer on an actual piece of parchment.
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It’s been said that all it takes to bring together a Satmar Chassid and a YU graduate is a flat tire on a Friday after-noon.
It has been proven that all it takes to bring a diverse community, like ours, to-gether are acts of chesed.
Achiezer, the only one-stop resource organization serving the Five Towns/Far Rockaway and surrounding communi-ties, is preparing for a unique display of Achdus at its first ever Evening of Rec-ognition Dinner, slated to take place on June 2 at The Sands Atlantic Beach.
The event will be different than any the community has ever seen—thanks to the unique nature of the organization be-hind it. Achiezer is an organization that provides every type of resource that any community member may need, by max-imizing the strengths of all members of the community. Achiezer gives the Five Towns/Far Rockaway community a me-dium to reach across party lines, disre-garding yarmulke styles and Shul affil-iations, to help friends, neighbors, and community members in need—whatev-er the need may be.
The dinner itself will include an impressive cross-section of community members from every corner. They are all coming out to pay tribute to an array of diverse individuals, who have given their all to the community, each in their own way.
The honorees include:Mr. & Mrs. Alan Botwinick—
Residents of Bayswater and a Partner at Roth and Co. LLP public account-ing firm, Mr. Botwinick has served as Achiezer’s Treasurer virtually since its inception. Under his careful and ex-acting guidance, Achiezer has earned commendations from donors and orga-nizations across the country for what one admirer termed, “Achiezer’s pris-tine financial reputation.” Mr. Botwin-ick played a particularly critical role in overseeing Achiezer/CAF’s post-Sandy fundraising campaign, which distrib-uted nearly $8 million with zero over-head.
Rabbi Yehiel M. Kalish—A fairly new resident of Far Rockaway, Rabbi Kalish is a familiar figure to many for his exemplary work in Agudath Israel of America. Immediately following Hurricane Sandy, Rabbi Kalish, un-asked, parked himself in Rabbi Boruch Ber Bender’s Achiezer office to spear-head an international fundraising cam-paign. For six weeks, Rabbi Kalish did not return to work at the Agudah, de-voting himself exclusively to rebuilding our community— a still-ongoing effort that has dramatically assisted over 900 families in our neighborhood.
Dr. Norman Saffra—A resident of Lawrence, Dr. Saffra serves as Chief of Ophthalmic Surgery in Maimonides
Medical Center, and is currently one of the most sought-after eye surgeons in the country. Dr. Saffra has made himself available to the community in an unbelievable way, never refusing to treat a patient in need, regardless of time of day or ability to pay.
Mr. & Mrs. Reuven (Ronald) Spirn, Esq.—A Cedarhurst resi-dent and esteemed eldercare attorney, Mr. Spirn works hand-in-hand with Achiezer in guiding community mem-bers through knotty legal issues and seemingly impossible bureaucracy. A featured lecturer at Achiezer’s well-at-tended eldercare conference, Mr. Spirn makes himself available for legal coun-sel on a regular basis—and considers it a privilege to do so.
Mr. & Mrs. Moshe Ratner—A res-ident of Woodmere, Mr. Ratner is the CFO of the companies responsible for owning and managing Gourmet Glatt. Mr. Ratner has been a vital partner in Achiezer’s food voucher and budget-ing initiatives, through which tens of thousands of dollars in food vouchers are distributed and families are helped to create a viable financial plan for the future.
Mr. Phil Goldfeder—A Far Rock-away resident, Mr. Goldfeder is better known as Assemblyman for the 23rd district of the New York State Assem-bly, a district that includes Far Rocka-
way and Bayswater. Even prior to his election to office, Mr. Goldfeder distin-guished himself in consistently going above and beyond the call of duty to as-sist the community in any way possible. As an elected official, he continues that incredible record of selflessness in an even greater capacity.
The Dinner Chairmen include Mr. Ben Lowinger, Mr. Moti Hellman, Rab-bi Zvi Bloom, Mr. Azriel Ganz, Mr. Da-vid Sokol, and Mr. Jay Gelman, as well as Honorary Chairman Rabbi Hershel Billet (Rabbi, Young Israel of Wood-mere) and Mr. Michael Krengel. Jour-nal chairmen are Mr. Meir Krengel and Mr. Alon Goldberger. Put together, the chairmen themselves represent a broad cross-section of the community—and that is just a representation of the eve-ning to come.
Achiezer invites everyone in the community to come out and join this unforgettable evening, which will also provide an enormous amount of infor-mation about Achiezer, and the numer-ous ways that each individual can get involved.
Ask anyone; our neighborhoods are special. We work together, we face hardship together, we triumph together and on June 2nd we will join together.
Five Towns/Far Rockaway Prepares for an Unprecedented Evening of Community Achdus
The CAHAL students in Grade 5-6 in TAG began learning the Navi Ye-hoshua this year. Each perek was taught by presenting the general storyline to the students and then having them work in partners to answer specific questions in the Navi. Perek Vav discusses the very first conquest attempted by the Jewish nation in Eretz Yisroel: the capture of Yericho. The students learned about how the Jews surrounded Yericho for seven days, blew the shofar, saw the heavily fortified walls crumble to the ground, and successfully capture Yericho—all without a single Jewish casualty.
The students were assigned to groups and charged with the task of col-laboratively building a model of Yericho in one particular stage of its capture. Each student was given a specific task within her group, such as group leader,
supplies monitor, writer and time-keep-er. The project’s emphasis was on work-ing together to solve problems, being prepared and ready to help the team, accepting feedback to improve one’s work and treating teammates with re-spect. The students worked primarily in the classroom, for one week, with ma-terials brought from home and supplied by the school. At the project’s due date, the students had created three beauti-ful dioramas of Yericho, complete with Rachav’s house embedded in the walls, a red string hanging from her window and a tiny Aron Kodesh carried by Ko-hanim. These models, accompanied by a written summary of the Perek, were displayed on a table outside the class-room, which allowed for many students in the school to observe and comment on the CAHAL students’ work. Howev-
er, it was the improved communication skills, increased sensitivity, shouldering of responsibility and sense of accom-plishment displayed by the CAHAL stu-dents that characterized the true results.
CAHAL is a coalition of twelve community yeshivas sponsoring class-
es and related services for children with various learning disabilities. By establishing special edu-cation classes in the local yeshivas, CAHAL children can receive the education they require and deserve without being isolated in a separate school. The CA-HAL program prides itself on integrating our children within each school in order to mainstream them and al-low them to participate in
all activities of the yeshiva they attend, such as the Navi Project at Torah Acad-emy for Girls.
CAHAL Navi Project at Torah Academy for Girls
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Students of Lawrence Middle School and HAFTR Middle School, with guidance counselor Stephanie Henderson and Principal Rochelle Brand at the Names Not Numbers Holocaust Memorial Program
Our community gathered on May 7th for a special screening of Names, Not Numbers 2012-2013, a documen-tary created by HAFTR Middle School & Lawrence Middle School eighth grad-ers. Public and private schools students joined together to create a moving doc-umentary which introduced incredibly brave men and women who survived one of the most horrific events in histo-ry, the Holocaust.
The documentary was filmed, edit-ed and compiled by the students. With the help of a professional filmmaker and newspaper reporter, the students learned video and interview techniques, includ-ing the use of the hi-tech equipment. The
students then met with their survivor to hear their recollections of World War II and the Holocaust. The survivors shared
their experiences with these students, the last generation to hear these accounts firsthand, and with the support of HAF-TR and Lawrence Middle School staff members, the students compiled their very own documentaries.
This project was conceived by Tova Fish-Rosenberg and has been undertaken with her guidance at various Jew-ish Day Schools.
Names Not Numbers Program in HAFTR
City councilmember Donovan Richards of 31st district in Queens, with Kosher World manager Yoely Goldstein, while reaching out to the Jewish community at Far Rockaway’s kosher supermarket.
Around the Community
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Around the CommunityNEWS
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At this year’s annual YKLI Sci-ence Fair, our Junior High scientists scored high for learning and effort when they produced some of our best science projects to date. Seventy plus middle school students in our 6th and 7th grades participated and wowed the judges, parents, teachers, and students alike with their additional supporting data, better experimental design and larger sample sizes. Always impres-sive, the Science Fair, a popular part of the annual science curriculum, was even more scientifically accurate this year than years past. Led by their sci-ence teachers, each student conceived, planned, and executed projects repre-senting a branch of earth science, biolo-gy, chemistry, and physics. Some boys paired with a partner in order to explore their topic, although many opted to go it alone. They presented projects covering every imaginable topic from All about Hydropower to Zero Degree Snow Melting Tips.
Each student researched his top-ic and then created a report listing his hypothesis, materials list, procedure, results section, conclusion, and even plans for further investigation. Many students used computer technology to create an eye-catching display replete with colorful graphics (including charts, graphs, tables and Venn Diagrams) to display their data. Some charts and presentations included photos and vid-eos to explain and engage. As viewers went from project to project, our young scientists used verbal explanations, real-time science demonstrations and even ran further testing to engage their audience. The younger Science Fair at-tendees (grades 1-5) learned a lot of sci-ence and also about future expectations and Science topics from this year’s high caliber presentations.
The Science Fair lasted all after-noon as relatives, staff members, and students toured to admire the projects and to applaud each and every one
of YKLI›s “Westinghouse Wannabe Winners.” Each boy was carefully “graded” on a scale from 1-30 by a panel of three to five judges. Using the same list of criteria, judges were asked to objectively evaluate the Sci-ence Experiments and Research Proj-ects in terms of clarity with respect to the purpose of the projects, appropri-ateness vis-à-vis the curriculum and the discipline, and creativity of the science concept, oral presentation and display board design. Judges also considered the accuracy of reporting data including supporting evidence and experimental design. Verbal explanations demon-strating thorough knowledge of their topic, and an ability to think about and answer questions posed by the judges were carefully reviewed. Scores were tabulated and prizes were awarded to many of YKLI’s Einstein worthy stu-dents:
Congratulations go to all the YKLI Scientists participating in this year’s
dynamic Science Fair event!The following 7th graders repre-
sented YKLI at the Inter-Yeshiva Sci-ence Fair Competition which took place at HALB. Their winning standings are as follows:
Rafi Levin Shocking Science – First Place
Bentzi SteeleWhy You Do the Things You Do
First Place
Eitan CarrollJumping Genes – Second Place
Avi GreenbergTurf vs. Grass – Second Place
Avi HerskowitzThe Dissolution Rate of
Ibuprofen Pills– Third Place
Super Science at the 2013 YKLI Science Fair
For further information, please contact:Rabbi Barry NathanPhone: 718-820-4884/4904Email: [email protected]
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World Laughter Day was celebrated at Mercy Medical Center with a height-ened enthusiasm and, well, laughter this year with the inclusion of the world-re-nowned therapeutic medical clowns of Lev Leytzan.
Established in Mum-bai, India in 1998, World Laughter Day traditional-ly takes place of the first Sunday of the month of May. Fifteen years af-ter its start, the medical clowns of Lev Leytzan: The Heart of Therapeutic Clowning brought their best to the lobby of Mercy Medical Center kicked off with the delivery of a writ-ten Proclamation signed by Nassau County Executive Ed Man-gano in recognition of World Laughter Day and acknowledging the important work of Lev Letyzan and its hard work-ing, talented volunteer medical clowns.
Bringing “joy and playfulness,” as Margarita M. Fox, Development, Com-munications and Community Relations Manager at Mercy Medical Center put it, “the clowns navigated through the hospital rooms, making patients and their families laugh and smile all along the way.”
Mrs. T. Kopelow-itz and two of her sons, all residents of nearby Far Rockaway (Queens, NY), were at the hospital visit-ing her father when the clowns arrived: “I have had trouble get-ting my kids to visit my father because of the whole hospital at-mosphere,” Kopelow-itz said. “Having the clowns there lightened the whole experience and they were real-ly happy to be there. The clowns made the environment so much more relaxed…not just for the patients but also for the families…that’s really what made all the difference.”
In a letter to Dr. Neal Golberg, Ph.D., founder and Executive Director of Lev Leytzan, Fox wrote, “Yesterday might have been ‘Cinco de Mayo’” but at Mercy it was “Dia de muchas sonri-sas” or day of many smiles. (Our) pa-tients’ faces lit up when they realized what was happening.” Fox continued, “Bright happy faces, colorful costumes, red clown noses, smiley face balls and impromptu songfests, what a treat! On behalf of our patients, thank you, thank you, thank you for doing what you do!”
The statements above encapsulate
the work that Lev Leytzan has been doing routinely since its establishment in 2004. After rounds were finished, and all the clowning around was through, the patients and families of Mer-cy Medical Center came away with a day that they will always remember.
“It is fitting that we recog-nize the importance of the role of laughter in medicine and the role it plays in the healing process,” said Noah Gordon, Director of
Development for Lev Leytzan. “After Sunday’s program, more people may understand why.”
About Lev Leytzan™ - Lev Leytzan, a 501 © (3) non-profit, headquartered in Lawrence, New York. Founded in 2004 by Dr. Neal C. Goldberg Ph.D., its
mission is to train ambitious youth and adults in the art of medical / therapeu-tic clowning so that they may help heal others with doses of laughter, joy and empowerment. In concert with medical personnel, our therapeutic clowns en-gage the medically ill and residents at hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers and private homes both in the US and abroad. Our directed play not only lifts the spirits of the sick, it has been shown to have an impact on their healing pro-cess as well. We serve people of all ages and affiliations with sensitivity, compas-sion and lots of love.
Mercy Medical Center and Lev Leytzan Team Up to Celebrate World Laughter Day
Twenty five members of TEAM OHEL completed 42 miles this past Sunday, May 5th as part of the TD Bank 5 Boro Bike Tour. TEAM OHEL’s youngest rider, 12-year-old Michael Co-hen, is a sixth grader at the North Shore Hebrew Academy in Great Neck, and a member of Great Neck Synagogue. His Bar Mitzvah is October 19th and he has raised money in honor of his upcoming celebration. Michael says, “I learned about OHEL through my school and thought it would be a great Bar Mitz-vah chesed project to help raise money so that a boy in foster care could have a Bar Mitzvah celebration too.” These programs are not covered by govern-ment funding and are very important to the children and families we serve at
OHEL. OHEL is thankful for fundrais-ing efforts of young men like Michael and our entire Team OHEL and their sponsors in raising thousands of dollars for this event.
Many of TEAM OHEL athletes do these races to challenge themselves physically as well as for own personal journeys. Our TEAM OHEL has many amazing personal stories. Please know that your choice to join TEAM OHEL elevates the lives of the children and families we serve. If anyone would like to join TEAM OHEL, please contact Laurie Szenicer at [email protected] or by calling 718-686-3316.
TEAM OHEL: Know that you can FEEL good, while DOING good!
Team OHEL Crosses the Finish Line!
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On June 26th, Camp ATARA will open its doors with a bang to royally welcome all new and returning campers to an auspicious and mem-orable summer! Since 1998, ATARA has won acclaim for its warm, close-knit atmosphere, vibrant ruach, innova-tive and creative pro-gram, wide-ranging specialty activities, and thrilling trips. Their hand-picked staff represents the best talent and ded-icated individuals in the realm. It’s no wonder this camp boasts a loyal and royal following, one that keeps growing with each successive summer. For the past 15 years, they have earned a stellar reputation as the supreme summer camp in the neighborhood with professional leadership, qualified and experienced staff, and a first class program.
This summer promises to be a re-markable one! They are looking for-ward with untethered anticipation to once again enjoy their brand-new out-door, state-of-the-art swimming pool, one that complements their existing in-door pool; at ATARA, there is never a day without swim! ATARA is the only camp in the community to offer two separate, fully licensed swimming ven-ues, for both heated indoor and outdoor swim. Their pools are licensed by the NYCDOH. ATARA’s aquatics director has over 19 years of lifeguarding expe-rience and runs an unparalleled compre-hensive swim program in camp which includes personalized swim instruction daily. This program is part of the Amer-ican Red Cross certified learn-to-swim program. Further, all instructional swim time is based on individual level and need with all the instructors having WSI certification. The lifeguards are all CPR trained, as are all of their administrative staff. The camp’s medical director is on campus at all times.
Their new sports program boasts a colossal sized indoor auditorium and two rooftop play decks, ensuring that their girls have a summer of guaranteed fun! There is a real focus on skill, as well as sportsmanship.
At ATARA, girls entering Nursery – 1st grade enjoy the exclusivity and se-curity of their own RUBY DIVISION. Their schedules, trips, and special pro-grams are all planned with the children’s
age, ability, and safety in mind; yet they still benefit from all the regular and specialty activities offered in the upper divisions. From swim to water park, baking to ballet, music to drama, Shabbos par-ties and more, RUBY DIVISION campers are rarely seen without
ear-to-ear smiles across their angelic lit-tle faces.
For campers entering 2nd – 5th grade, ATARA offers an impressive line-up. Each bunk in the EMERALD DIVISION enjoys an exciting trip ev-ery single week. Throughout the day, the enthusiasm felt in the upper divi-sion is palpable-even their daily lunch (aka ruach session) is an adrenalin rush! Combined with special contests, cre-ative weekly onegs, and of course, an exhilarating array of daily activities, the ATARA program is unsurpassed by its competition.
Back once again by overwhelm-ing demand, ATARA’s exclusive JHS trip-travel program, the DIAMOND DIVISION, anticipates closing out for another year. This ‘tween’ program is unique in its appeal to girls who have outgrown the typical day camp routine and crave a summer with a bit more in-dependence and individuality. The AT-ARAdventurers function as a cohesive unit with their own qualified and expe-rienced division head and specially se-lected supervisors whose goal it is to en-sure our oldest campers an unparalleled experience that keeps them coming back for more. This exciting program is an expanded trip and travel camp exclusive to girls going into 6th, 7th, & 8th grades. Ask around and you’ll hear about the unique and fun-packed trips these girls go on every day, on their own air con-ditioned bus! New for 2013, ATARA is offering weekly rates for those girls who aren’t able to join us for the full July or August sessions.
ATARA also provides free bussing with bus counselors on each run, nutri-tious hot lunch, outstanding daily trips, special programs, shiurim, daily snacks, ices before heading home, and so much more!
Ensuring each camper’s safety is ATARA’s highest priority. With this in mind, supervision in every division ex-
ceeds NYC Health Department recom-mendations. RUBY division bunks are cared for and managed by qualified and experienced adult Morahs, assisted by counselors and junior counselors. The EMERALD division is staffed with ca-pable high school and college students, all of whom are trained by ATARA’s di-rectors prior to assuming their positions. The ATARA administration understands that they are entrusted with the most valuable treasures, your children, and they view this honor as their primary responsibility.
At the helm of Camp ATARA is a duo of educators by profession, each of whom is dedicated to the needs of each and every ATARA camper. Mrs. Sho-nie Schwartz and Mrs. Leah Mond are committed to the parents and families of our community, devoting their time and energy throughout the year to the entire
ATARA family. “What’s most amazing to us is see-
ing the girls’ smiling faces each morn-ing. They are so excited to arrive and that excitement remains with them the entire day,” says Shonie Schwartz. Leah Mond agrees and added, “The achdus and friendships they experience in the summer remain with them for life. The atmosphere is one of constant ruach and delight.”
ATARA is the place where excite-ment, safety, and positive experiences is their focus, their goal, and their priority.
You can fill out a camper or staff ap-plication at campatara.com.
To reach the camp office with any questions or concerns, call (718)471-8444 ext 234 or email [email protected].
Every Camper At Atara Is A Gem
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It was a combination of thought-fulness, sweet treats and the upcoming Shavuos holiday that brought a bunch of junior high and high school students together to work on an exciting chesed opportunity. On Monday night, May 6th, the group met at Congregation An-shei Shalom in West Hempstead for a marathon of candy bag packing. In as-sembly-line fashion, they stuffed bags with different kinds of children’s favor-ites. They slipped a note into each bag, hoping the recipients see there are still people who have them in mind.
The more than 300 candy bags will make their way to Oceanside and the
Five Towns. The goal is to bring smiles to children before Shavuos. The can-dy-shaped paper reads, “Adding more sweetness to your Yom Tov! From your friends at Congregation Anshei Shalom, West Hempstead,” adding a nice touch to the package.
Associate Rabbi Elon and Mrs. Es-tee Soniker really enjoy watching the congregation’s youth engage in such wonderful events. Estee added, “I was so impressed with them when they vol-unteered to do this. Seeing them work together, and with such energy, are such meaningful middos for children to de-velop toward those in need.”
Anshei Shalom’s Post-Hurricane Shavuos Project
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Yom Yerushalayim—the holiday commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty in 1967—came a day early for many New Yorkers as the American Friends of Ateret Cohanim (also known as “Jerusalem Chai” and the Jerusalem Reclamation Project) celebrated the organization’s 34th anniversary at the luxurious Elite Palace in Woodside, Queens. Among Monday night’s many distinguished dignitaries: Rabbi Yaakov and Rebbetzin Elana Kermaier of the
5th Avenue Synagogue, recipients of Jerusalem Chai’s Rabbinic Leadership Award; Jack & Barbara Beyda and Marcus and Sara Lehmann, who were honored as Bonei Yerushalayim (“Builders of Jerusalem”); and William and Mark Langfan, a father and son who received the organization’s Oheiv Yisrael (“Lover of Israel”) Award. The event was also graced with a number of dynamic speakers, including members of Ateret Cohanim/Jerusalem Chai’s senior leadership, popular talk radio host Steve Malzberg, and a keynote address by U.S. Army officer turned political commentator and bestselling author Lt. Col. Ralph Peters.
The celebration possessed an ebullient, wedding-like atmosphere, apropos of the gathering’s purpose given the intimate connection felt by
those in attendance with the Jewish nation’s political, cultural, and spiritual capital. Indeed, the reception was immediately followed by live music and dancing, which was itself kicked off by a procession of the evening’s guests of honor, who had even donned corsages and boutonnieres for the occasion.
Discussing the work of Jerusalem Chai, Dr. Joseph Frager, chairman of the organization’s executive council, said: “It’s a great privilege for American Jews to help Eretz Yisrael, especially
Yerushalayim.” “The fact is that we do count, and
our brethren in Israel, the Israeli public, need our support,” Frager explained. “They’re doing the hard work of living over there, but we can do a lot of hard work over here, doing what we do. And I think it’s crucial that we continue, and G-d should give us the strength and fortitude to do just that.”
Noticeably absent from the proceedings was Jerusalem Chai’s Executive Vice President Shani Hikind, who was in Israel observing shiva for her recently-departed mother Mrs. Miriam Kahan (z”l). Addressing the event on Mrs. Hikind’s behalf was her husband, New York State Assembly Member Dov Hikind. In a one-on-one interview, Assemblyman Hikind spoke with great admiration of his wife’s work with the
organization, noting that regardless of her title, “it’s all about Jerusalem.”
“There are a lot yeshivot, a lot of hospitals, and a lot of great causes, but there’s only one Jerusalem,” Hikind said, expressing a sentiment that he would later repeat to the assembled crowd. “And every single Jew, in some way, should be supporting Jerusalem. If you would ask the people out there, ‘what have you done for Jerusalem?’ most people would not know what to say.” He went on to explain Ateret Cohanim’s role in fulfilling this fundamental Jewish obligation.
“What Ateret Cohanim does is just amazing... If not for Ateret Cohanim, Jews would not be living in the Old City in the [Muslim, Christian and Armenian] Quarters, which [in fact] are far larger than quarters. What Ateret Cohanim does is to make sure that Jews are living in every part of Jerusalem. And you have these young families who move in, who are committed, dedicated, and not afraid … because they believe in the cause and they understand [the importance of what they are doing].”
Mark Langfan, a New York-based attorney and outspoken Israel activist known for his 3-D topographical map of Israel—which he uses in presentations to policy makers and other persons of influence to explain Israel’s strategic security concerns—was honored alongside his father, William. William Langfan is an American veteran of the Second World War, and was one of the liberators of the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp. Speaking with this reporter prior to the award ceremony, Mark Langfan proudly discussed his involvement as an American friend of Ateret Cohanim. “I have been backing Ateret Cohanim for 20-plus years. In fact, 20 years ago, I received an award from Ateret Cohanim for my map.” He even recalled the day: May 19, 1993. “Ateret Cohanim has been there for Eretz Yisrael, for Yerushalayim and for Judea & Samaria from the beginning. And we’re going to be with Israel, and
all the Jews, and all lovers of Israel, forever.”
Ateret Cohanim is “at the very front line of the battle for the Jewish people,” declared Langfan, redeeming land in East Jerusalem on behalf of the Jewish people.
The award ceremonies were interspersed with video presentations featuring each of the guests of honor. Those videos showed how the honorees, while being fully involved in Jewish life locally, nonetheless give of their time and energy to support the cause of restoring the Jewish nation’s Holy City. Rabbi Yaakov Kermaier, spiritual leader of Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Synagogue, and his wife Elana, are an example of this. The Kermaier’s credentials in the area of supporting Jewish life are extensive. A graduate of Yeshiva University, Rabbi Kermaier has served as a member of the national council of the America-Israel Public Affairs Committee, president of the New York Board of Rabbis, and rabbi of the Ohel Leah Syngogue in Hong Kong. Presently, he chairs the Manhattan Eruv Committee and serves as a dayan (religious judge) on the RCA’s Beth Din for conversion.
Jack and Barbara Beyda have been actively involved in Jewish life in Florida, New York, and New Jersey for many years. Jack is known for his support of Israeli religious institutions, having served as President of Ohr Yaacov Yeshiva and Kollel. In a similar vein, Mrs. Beyda has taken on a substantial role in supporting Jewish charitable causes, such as Jerusalem’s
Celebrating Yom Yerushalayim with Jerusalem’s RedeemersAmerican Friends of Ateret Cohanim Hold 34th Anniversary Gala in NY
By Daniel Perez
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PHOTO CREDIT: THREE STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Seated (L-R) Bonei Yerushalayim Awardees, Marcus & Sara Lehmann and Jack & Barbara Beyda. Standing (L-R) Rabbinic Leadership Honorees, Elana & Rabbi Ya’akov Kermaier; Dr. Joe Frager, Chairman, Executive Committee; Mel Wadler, Dinner Coordinator and Member, Executive
Committee; Guest Speaker, Lt. Col. Ralph Peters; Oheiv Yisrael Awardees, William K. & Mark Langfan. Behind podium is Dinner Emcee Chaim Leibtag. At right of Dais is Daniel Luria, Executive
Director, Ateret Cohanim--Israel.
Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, noted writer, strategist and media commen-tator was the keynote speaker at the 34th Anniversary Dinner of
Ateret Cohanim/Jerusalem Chai. With him are Dr. Joe Frager (L), chairman of the Executive Council, who introduced him, and Dr.
Paul Brody, member of the Executive Council.
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Zichron Menachem Cancer Center. Presenting their award, Jerusalem
Chai Executive Council Member Dr. Jonathan Halpert spoke glowingly of the Beydas. “Jack and Barbara Beyda have dedicated their lives to the building of the Jewish community throughout the United States and Israel,” he said, “and therefore it is only fitting that they receive this year’s Ateret Cohanim Bonei Yerushalayim Award.”
Also recognized as “builders of Jerusalem” were Marcus and Sarah Lehmann. Among their many accomplishments, Marcus Lehmann, who works in real estate management by day, is very involved in Jewish outreach, and tutors weekly at Aish Hatorah in Manhattan. Sara Lehmann, who has a degree in English literature, puts her writing skills to good use, expressing her love of Eretz Yisrael through activism, her work often appearing in the Jewish Press. Together, the Lehmanns frequently host singles and baalei teshuvah (returnees to traditional Jewish observance) in their home, as well as a variety of charity functions.
Following the award presentations, popular Newsmax radio show host Steve Malzberg shared his insights on the situation in Israel, as well as his thoughts on Ateret Cohanim. He emphasized the importance of Ateret Cohanim continuing “its fine work to establish Jerusalem as the one and only undivided capital of the State of Israel
forever.” To underscore this point, Malzberg went on a rant criticizing an apparent anti-Israel bias among key U.S. leaders. In particular, he lambasted Secretary of State John Kerry for his support of the defunct Saudi “peace plan,” a plan which entails an Israeli retreat to the pre-1967 borders, and a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. In a particularly poignant challenge to Kerry’s diplomatic competence and moral authority, he reminded the audience of Kerry’s dismal attempt to persuade Turkey to hold up “their end of the agreement” to re-establish diplomatic ties with Israel following the Jewish state’s apology for defending itself against a pro-terrorist flotilla. Kerry had attempted to demonstrate empathy for the Turks by pointing out that we in America know the anger of losing loved ones, as in the recent Boston Marathon terror attacks. With contempt in his voice, Malzberg recalled how Secretary of State Kerry “equated the death of an eight-year-old boy who was blown up on purpose, with the death of terrorists who were fighting when [Israeli soldiers] boarded the ship.”
Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, whose political commentary has been featured in dozens of publications, including the New
York Post, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, offered his own insights on foreign policy issues as they pertain to Israel, which he also discussed in a private interview (see sidebar).
Following the presentations, Dr. Paul Brody, a member of the Jerusalem Chai Executive Board who, along with his wife Drora helped chair the evening’s event, offered his own reflections on the night’s proceedings. Brody, who led those assembled in the singing of “Hatikva,” the Israeli national anthem, mentioned how honored he felt to have been selected for the task. He also praised Executive Vice President Shani Hikind, who, while physically absent, made her presence felt both through her
husband, and through the condolences and well wishes of the other presenters. “Shani Hikind is really the moving spirit behind the whole American scene of Ateret Cohanim.”
“The honorees were magnificent,” said Brody with a smile.
“Nobody really mentioned it tonight, but Shani Hikind always likes to say that it really ought to be called the ‘Kotel Quarter,’ not the ‘Muslim Quarter.’” he added.
“We’re really trying to re-inhabit something that was ours before. So Ateret Cohanim is striving to put Jews back in places they used to be.”
The 34th Annual Yom Yerushalayim Dinner of the American Friends of Ateret Cohanim/Jerusalem Chai at the Elite Palace began with the singing of Hatikvah by Executive Committee member Dr. Paul Brody. From left to right:
Radio personality Steve Malzberg; Chaim Leibtag, Dinner Emcee; Mel Wadler, Executive Committee member and dinner coordinator; Dr. Joe Frager, Executive Committee chairman, and keynote speaker Lt. Col. Ralph Peters.
Dr. Meyer Abittan, who sang the Star Spangled Banner, is partially obscured.
Lag B’omer Carnival Fun at Yeshiva Darchei Torah Preschool
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Councilman Donovan Richards Visits Yeshiva Darchei Torah
Councilmember Donovan Richards, Rabbi Yaakov Bender and Rabbi Boruch Rothman discuss items pertaining to children’s education.
Councilman Donovan Richards overlooks recent electrical projects completed by Yeshiva Darchei Torah students while touring their Vocational program.
Rabbi Binyomin Finkel shlita from Mir Yerushalayim speaking in Yeshiva of Far Rockaway
Students at HANC’s Sam-uel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead are preparing for Shavuot!
First graders in Morah Shoshana’s class have been very busy counting the Omer, from Pesach to Shavuot. The students created a beautiful Har Sinai mural, full of flow-ers, to use as a Sefirat HaOmer chart. Every day after dav-ening, the students count the Omer and log the number on their mural. In addition to fulfilling the mitzvah of Sefirat HaOmer, counting the Omer from their siddur has allowed the students to practice their Kriah skills and study their Hebrew numbers.
The Art Room at HANC 609 has been full of flowers for the past few
weeks as we get ready for Shavuot and the students have been hard at work cre-
ating their own personal Har Sinai. The students in kindergarten and first grade drew vividly colored, patterned flowers and vases. The second graders explored color by mixing liquid watercolor paint and twisting their circular painting into beautiful floral stems with chenille sticks and beads. The students in third
grade learned about Eric Carle’s painted paper collages and then they painted and created their own floral collage. Students in fourth grader created coil flower pots from clay.
The students can’t wait for Shavuot and share their beautiful flow-
er projects with their families!
HANC Prepares for Shavuot
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In just its first year, the Gesher Early Childhood Center has become recog-nized as a highly regarded educational option for children. Gesher focuses on students who require a proper synthesis of the varied elements of preschool edu-cation. True to its hallmark, Gesher will be hosting a special evening for the Five Towns and Far Rockaway community.
The event, An Experience of Excel-lence and Grace, will showcase some of the essentials of style and sophistica-tion. This demonstration will highlight the importance of well planned synergy.
Guests will be treated to a delicate sat-isfaction of the senses. The evening will feature a combination of savory palat-ables, striking ambiance, and stimulat-ing insights into education.
Certainly the prevailing sense of enjoyment will come from touring Sam and Rachel Septimus’ newly ren-ovated showroom of elegant interior
design, The Studio. The seamless blend of colors, shapes, and textures gen-erates a natural feeling of excitement. While slowly perusing, one detects the subtle differences in walls, ceilings, and furnishings. Rachel, well-known as an accomplished designer, al-lows the observer to appre-ciate her artistic style and talented eye.
As a complement to the fashionable visuals,
Gesher will be presenting two displays that will delight the sense of taste. Mark Glicksman will be offering a wide se-lection of fine wines. Besides carrying familiar brands, Mark produces his own label which will also be available. Dairy delicates will be provided by The Upper Crust. The authentic brick-oven café is highly reputed for its excellent interna-tional cuisine. An exclusive selection of attractive foods will be served.
At the event Gesher will exhibit its unique blend of educational compo-nents. Gesher is the only preschool that combines a Yeshiva Day School curric-ulum with full support of children with learning differences. This approach has been encouraged by the Principals of our local Yeshiva Day Schools.
Gesher employs a trans-disciplinary model. The staff is trained to develop individualized education methods that focus on the educational requirements
of each child. Additionally, techniques used by related service providers are integrated naturally into the curriculum.
Reaction to the program has been incredibly supportive. The parent body and the professionals who have worked with Gesher have consistently expressed praise and approval. Gesher has earned recognition as a vital resource for chil-dren who struggle to succeed in the typ-ical classroom setting.
Gesher’s Experience of Excellence
and Grace will take place on Tuesday evening May 28th at 8:00 pm. The Stu-dio is located at 487R Central Avenue in Cedarhurst; enter from the municipal parking lot off of Cedarhurst Avenue.
For a consultation or to learn more about Gesher’s programming, Gesher may be reached at 516-730-7377 or at [email protected]. More information is available at www.gesh-er-ecc.org.
Bridging Fine Wine, Delectable Delights, and Elegant Interior Décor with Gesher
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Please send all correspondence to:
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COMMUNITY COALITION OF THE FIVE TOWNS • P.O. Box 104, Cedarhurst, N.Y. 11516 – (516) 405-0423
DOV HERMAN
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• CHAMPION FOR SPECIAL-NEEDS CHILDREN
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327 Beach 19th Street Far Rockaway, New York 11691 • www.ehs.org
Family members of Orthodox patients at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital can now spend the Sabbath at the newlyopened Bikur Cholim Suite with kosher meals, Hebrew books and a bathroom en suite. The suite will accommodatefamily members who are unable to travel due to religious observances during challenging periods of hospitalization.
The suite features sweeping views of the ocean, Jewish-themed artwork on the walls, and separate microwaves formeat and dairy products. There is also a Sabbath elevator.
We offer:Rabbi Available Day and Night
Jewish Chapel
Pre-Sabbath & Pre-Holiday Services
Prayer Books, Talleisim, and More
Bikur Cholim
Electric Sabbath Candles
Sabbath Accommodationsfor Families upon Request
Sabbath Elevator
St. John’s Offers Quality Healthcare You Can Have Faith In.
St. John’s Offers a Bikur Cholim Suite
sj_orthodox_ad_jewish_home_sj_orthodox_ad_2013 5/7/13 8:35 PM Page 1
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This past Wednesday, to commem-orate Yom Yerushalayim, the students of DRS received the tremendous priv-ilege of hosting and hearing from Mr. Yoni Bleichbard, the chief of security for the holy town of Chevron.
Yoni coordinates all of the security details in Chevron, including the EMT service, Special Forces, and securi-ty check points in the town. Yoni ex-plained to the students that for two years straight, he and his family were living under constant fire on their home for day and night.
With the help of an incredible and powerful PowerPoint presentation, Yoni gave the students a detailed account of a terrorist plot that occurred in Chevron almost 10 years ago. As he was sitting down to the Friday night Shabbos meal with his wife at home, three terrorists opened fire on the town of Chevron,
and engaged in a heated crossfire with Chevron soldiers. Many died that day, and Yoni’s participation in the crossfire helped bring down the terrorists, and ul-timately restored safety back to the resi-dent on that Shabbos.
Yoni showed the students a real vid-eo from a drone that was flying over the city as the attack was going on. As Yoni explained, on that day “all gave some, but some gave all.” Many of his col-leagues died that day, as they protected our land. Yoni’s story gave the students a newfound appreciation for those who risk their lives every day on behalf of the State of Israel.
We continue to pray every day for their ongoing safety, and look forward to a day when we can join them together in Chevron and Yerushalayim Ir HaKo-desh.
Chief of Security in Chevron visits DRS
Around the Community
Early InterventionServicesFor children birth - 3 years with special needs.
ServicesProvidedl Evaluationsl Feeding Therapy l Special Educationl Nutrition Counseling l Service Coordinationl Family Support/Counseling l Speech/Language Therapyl Physical & Occupational Therapy l ABA Program – Center & Home ServicesRoutines Based Interventions & Collaborative Coaching
TO REFER YOUR CHILD TO THE EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM CALL 311.This Early Intervention Program (EIP) is a public program for children under the age of three who are either suspected of having or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities. EIP is funded by NYS and NYC. All EIP services are provided at no cost to parents. Health insurance may be used for approved services. A child’s eligibility for the program can be determined only by state-approved evaluators under contract, and all services must be authorized by the NYC Early Intervention Program.
For more information about CHALLENGE call: 718.851.3300
ServingFar Rockaway
Tragic Fire Leaves Family Homeless Mesivta Yam Hatorah Parents and Students Respond
Word traveled fast when a member of Yam Hatorah’s parent body, the Fu-zailov family, whose son Boruch is offi-cially a senior at the school and learning full time in Bais Medrash, suffered a horrible tragedy on Shviei Shel Pesach.
At 1:30am a fire broke out and de-stroyed their second floor apartment, leaving them literally with only the shirts on their backs. Heroically, the father saved his family by running back into the apartment several times to help his children escape the flames. The father collapsed and was saved by firemen and
is still in intensive care in the hospital. Boruch Hashem, the family was saved but, having lost all their possessions and with their breadwinner incapacitated, they are in great financial need.
Mesivta Yam Hatorah parents and students have mobilized and taken up the Fuzailov cause. At this time they have decided to donate 50% of their an-nual raffle to the family.
To purchase tickets or to find out how you can help please e-mail: [email protected] or call the mesivta office at 718-471 7471.
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The Fourth Grader girls in Morah Dafna’s class at HANC Samuel & Eliza-beth Bass Golding Elementary School in West Hempstead travelled back in time to the days of Yehoshua during their Navi class. Using toy soldiers, Lego men, a Lego fortress and their creativity, the girls re-enacted the battle of the Jews against the city of Ai. The re-enactment gave the students a hands-on under-standing of the special tactic of war that was used and brought to life the psukim of the Navi. As expected, the Jews won the battle, the city was burned and the king was hanged. It was a very hands-on and fun way to bring Navi to life.
Navi Comes to Life at HANC
Third graders at HANC Samuel & Elizabeth Bass Golding Elementa-ry School in West Hempstead learned all about pedestri-an and bike riding safety during a visit to Safety Town at Eisenhower Park. Students learned how to properly use crosswalks at traf-fic lights and how to use hand signals while riding a bicy-cle. Our third grad-ers will now always remember to stop, look and look again
before crossing the street. We hope the students have many fun and safe walks and bike rides in the future!
Safety First
Around the Community
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LOCAL
NEWS
LOCAL
On Thursday, May 9, 2013, The United States Mint unveiled the design of the Raoul Wallenberg Congressio-nal Gold Medal in the presence of their Majesties, King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia of Sweden. This event was hosted by The Honorable Jacob L. Lew, Secre-tary of the United States Treasury. The Congressional Gold Medal recognizes the achievements and heroic actions of Wallenberg during the waning days of the Holocaust.
Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York, the original sponsor of the Wallenberg Gold Medal Legislation, in his opening remarks attributed the ef-forts of Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group which spearheaded the effort to recognize the heroism of Wallenberg through the creating of the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Commis-sion established in honor of the centen-nial of Wallenberg’s birth to the driving force behind awarding Raoul Wallen-berg with the Congressional Gold Med-al.
Born in Sweden, Raoul Wallenberg graduated from the University of Mich-igan and returned to Sweden where he became a businessman and then to give him cover for his rescue efforts became a Swedish diplomat. Wallenberg’s is cred-ited with saving 100,000 lives primarily through the issuance of the schutz-pass, a document that was respected by the German Nazi’s that conferred official Swedish protection of the bearer which was handed out to desperate Hungarian Jews. Wallenberg also prevented the liquidation of the Budapest ghetto by threatening the German General that he would be brought up on war crimes if he allowed the deportation of Jews to Auschwitz, a ploy that was successful.
At the unveiling ceremony, Sec-retary Lew stated, “The War Refugee Board was commissioned two floors above of where we stand today, here in the Cash room.” The War Refugee Board was critical to the success of saving over 100,000 Jews, especially in Hungary, to escape persecution. It was this board that gave Wallenberg author-ity to commit to a plan of action that would save the lives of many.
The United States Mint worked closely with the Wallenberg Commis-sion, who was dedicated as the liaison to the Mint on the design of the medal.
As prepared by the U.S. Treasury the medal features, on the heads side, a
portrait of Wallenberg depicting him as he is last remembered with the inscrip-tions: RAOUL WALLENBERG, ACT OF CONGRESS 2012 and HERO OF HEROES. The tails side features Wal-lenberg presenting the schutz-passes and a view of those bound for a con-centration camp. The inscriptions read: HE LIVES ON FOREVER THROUGH THOSE HE SAVED around the upper border and ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE were inspired by Peter Rebenwurzel, Chairman of the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Commission, who is a Hungarian-born child of Holocaust survivors. His father, z”l, worked with Wallenberg to provide food and provisions to residents of the Budapest ghetto, and his father in-law was saved by Wallenberg.
Many of the people Wallenberg saved have been influential citizens con-
tributing to American institutions and culture, including Congressman Tom Lantos (February 1, 1928-February 11, 2008) and the Liska Rebbe, Rabbi
Yoizef (Joseph) Friedlander, who car-ried forth the Liska Chassidic dynasty from Hungary to the United States after being saved by Raoul Wallenberg.
The Unveiling Of The Raoul Wallenberg Gold Medal DesignPHOTO CREDIT: SHMUEL LENCHEvSkY
The Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Commission with the unveiled design of the Wallenberg Gold MedalRebecca Harary, Rabbi Ellie Abadie, William Nussen, Joseph Stamm, Peter Rebenwurzel - Chairman of the Wallenberg Commission, Meir Laufer,
Senator Johnny Isakson, Annette Lantos, Stanley Treitel, Robert Rechnitz, Steve Grauer, HE Gyorgy Szapary - Ambassador of Hungary to the US, Sidney Greenberger, Ezzy Rappaport, Ezra Friedlander, Leon Goldenberg, Rosa Rios - Treasurer of the United States
Unveiling of the design of the Raoul Wallenberg Congressional Gold MedalL-R: Ezra Friedlander, CEO The Friedlander Group; Jacob J. Lew, Secretary of the US Treasury;
His Majesty King Carl XVI of Sweden
Congressman Gregory Meeks with the Wallenberg CommissionL-R front : Stanley Treitel, Robert Rechnitz, Ezzy Rappaport, Rabbi Ellie Abadie, William Nussen, Ezra Friedlander, Leon Goldenberg,
Congressman Gregory Meeks, Allen Gross, Joseph Stamm, Meir LauferL-R back: Michael Treitel , Eliot Klein, Steve Grauer, Peter Rebenzurzel - Chairman
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You Gotta be Kidding! Riddle
Answers on next page
After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the stewardess announces over the intercom, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready for takeoff and are just waiting for the pilots to board.”
The passengers look out the window and see two men dressed as pilots walk-ing towards the plane. Both men are using guide dogs and appear to be blind. There are murmurs among the passengers, and some believe it is a joke.
The men board the plane and go into the cockpit. More concerned murmurs and uneasy chuckles from the passengers. The plane taxis normally to the run-way and begins its takeoff. As passengers look out the window, they realize they are nearing the end of the runway. The entire passenger cabin begins screaming but the plane lifts off just before the end of the runway. The passengers calm down and chuckle to themselves, at this point believing that they fell for a joke.
In the cockpit, the pilot turns to his copilot and says, “You know, one day those people are gonna scream too late and we’re all gonna die!”
• Noachwasavegetarianformorethan500years.
• AvrohomwaskeptinthefurnaceinUrKasdimforthreedaysandnights.
• FourpeoplewerenamedbyHashembeforetheirbirth:Yitzchok,Yishmael,ShlomoHamelechandYoshiahu.
• TheguestsatYaakov’sweddingsang“O-ley,O-ley”tohinttohimthatthebridewasreallyLeahsohecouldn’tblamethemlater.
• Yaakovwas84whenhegotmarried.(Andyouthoughtyour23-year-oldsonwasold!)
• EachoftheShevatimwasbornwithatwinsisterwhomarriedanotherbrother.
• Eisavwasbornwithamouthfulofteeth.
• YaakovandYosefwerebothborncircumcised.
• SerachbasAsherenteredGanEdenalive.
• Yaakovwasthefirstpersonevertobecomeveryillbeforehisdeath.
• Cham’swifegavebirthtothegiantSichonintheTaivah.
• Inordertoattractguests,AvrohomplantedabeautifulorchardinBeerSheva.
• ThesinewsoftheramfromAkaidasYitzchokwereusedforthetenstringsinDavid’sharp.
• MostKohanimGedolimdiedwithintheyearofYomKippurinthetimeoftheSecondBaisHamikdash.
• Rocheldiedduringchildbirthasshegavebirthtotriplets.(Binyaminandtwogirls.)
• YaakovtiedanotearoundOsnas’s(daughterbornfromDina)neckthatstated,“Whoevermarriesthisgirl,marriesoneofYaakov’sfamily.”AnangeltransferredOsnastoEgyptwhereshewasbroughttoPotifar’shomeandraised.SheeventuallymarriedYosef.
• AJewishkingisrequiredtohaveaSeferTorahwrittenforhimself.ThekingsusedtoattachaminiTorahtotheirarmsandcarryit
withthemconstantly.
Did You Know?
When do we have Kri’as Hatorah five days in a row, other than on Pesach Chanukah, and Sukkos?
What is the one mitzvah in the Torah that you cannot have kavanah before doing it?
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GOT FUNNY? Let the Commissioner decide.
Send your stuff to [email protected] Answer to riddle: Answer to first riddle: When Rosh Hashana
falls out on Thursday and Friday. The third day is the regular Shabbos leining, the fourth day is Sunday which is Tzom Gedalyah, the fifth day is Monday, in which we always lein.
Answer to second riddle: The mitzvah of Shechicha. In the part of the field that we harvest for ourselves we are obligated to leave over for poor people any of the produce that innocently falls from our hands. So, if one had kavanah before doing the mitzvah, the produce that fell would not be legitimate shechicha produce.
Answers:1. A, C, D, E (And I think F as well)2. B3. B4. D5. C- He lived 969 years6. D7. B8. A
9. D10. A
Wisdom key: 8-10 correct: You are a true Torah scholar4-7 correct: Learn hard on Shavuous night and be-
fore you know it, you too will be full of knowledge0-3 correct: Rabbi Akiva did not know anything
until 40 years old...it’s never too late
1. Who were the four men who never sinned in their lifetime?
a. Binyamin b. Mesushelachc. Amromd. Yishai e. Kilav (the son by Dovid HaMelech and Avi-
gayil)f. TJH Centerfold Commissioner (Son of Good
Humor)g. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
2. Which Yom Tov was Yitzchok Avinu born on?a. Shavuos b. Pesachc. Chanukad. Shmini Atzeres (Succos)
3. What did Hashem create on the fourth day?a. Animalb. Lights in the skyc. Plantsd. People
4. Who were Avraham Avinu’s brothers?a. Serug and Terachb. Serug and Nachorc. Charan and Terachd. Nachor and Charan
5. Who was the oldest person ever?a. Adam b. Lemechc. Mesushelach d. Enosh
6. What object did Moshe hold up, which healed the people when they looked to it?
a. A replica of the Asseres Hadibrosb. His walking stickc. A small Torah d. A copper serpent
7. What was Boaz and Ruth’s son’s name?a. Peretzb. Ovedc. Ramd. Hezron
8. Which of the following women was NOT married to Dovid Hamelech?
a. Tamarb. Michalc. Avigayild. Batsheva
9. Before he died, Moshe went on top of which mountain to see Eretz Yisroel?
a. Har Chorevb. Har Mistakelc. Har Seyird. Har Nevo
10. Under whose rule did Klal Yisroel split into two kingdoms?
a. Rechovomb. Shlomo Hamelechc. Azariad. Achav
TORAH TRIVIA
Ƨhavous Ƨcrambler
Answers1.Na’asehvenishma2.Sivan3.Cheese4.Ruth5.Elimelech6.Boaz7.Akdamos8.Milchigs9.MattanTorah10.Moshe
11.Sinai12.Learning13.Flowers14.Hallel15.Moshiach16.Dovid17.Gemara18.Chumash19.Blintzes20.Sefira
1.haeasnesivanmh2.invsa3.eehesc4.uhtr5.hellieecm6.azob7.daamosk8.hgilmisc9.aattmnrtoah10.smohe
11.iaisn12.glanerin13.wfslreo14.alllhe15.ohhiascm16.oddvi17.egaarm18.hhumasc19.litebszn20.eaisrf
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I am seeking re-election to the Law-rence Board of Education. The rea-son: There is more good work that
I hope to accomplish for our children, their parents and our entire community.
As a six-year incumbent board trust-ee, I have worked diligently to improve the quality of education and services our district provides to all public and private school students.
I am currently the most indepen-dent and outspoken voice on our school board, and I consistently stand up for the people who have twice elected me. Let’s review some of the positive prog-ress our school district has made during my tenure as a board trustee.
Special Needs AdvocacyAs many people may know, my wife
Devorah and I have three children – a 19-year-old daughter and twin 14-year-old sons, one of whom has Cerebral Pal-sy. My son’s needs inspired me to be a better, more effec-tive school board trustee.
I know first-hand the chal-lenges and frustra-tions that face the parents of special-needs children. That is why I try to champion the needs of other spe-cial-needs children and their families throughout our com-munity.
With my wife’s support, guidance and tenacity, I helped revise our district’s special education policies enabling spe-cial-needs students in private schools to receive all of the crucial therapeutic ser-vices to which they are entitled.
Working with district staff, I helped to properly equip occupational and physical therapy rooms in each of our public and private schools so therapists can better serve our special-needs chil-dren. I also helped ensure that each pub-lic school is now handicap accessible.
I have also helped to improve spe-cial-needs services for children at Kula-nu Torah Academy, Cahal For Children With Learning Disabilities and other specialized schools.
I adhere to the mantra that it is never wrong to do the right thing for a child. This is especially true when it comes to special-needs children. I wish to con-tinue to be an advocate for our special-needs children and ensure the strides we made remain in place and are enhanced.
Dedicated to Quality EducationI believe our school board’s top
priority is to ensure that all children re-ceive the best possible education. I have served on the academic excellence com-mittee that seeks new ways to enhance our educational ability. I also helped en-sure that private school students receive the proper textbook allotment from our district.
I want to continue to find the most cost-efficient ways to improve the quality of educa-tion of our chil-dren. I will con-tinue to promote professional de-velopment for our teachers and para-professionals to enhance their skill and effectiveness. I also will work
to ensure that all students have access to extracurricular and after-school pro-grams.
Equitable Student TransportationEvery child deserves fair and equi-
table access to public school transporta-tion. As a board trustee, I helped many parents resolve transportation issues and I helped remedy a variety of bus route issues so children don’t spend more time than necessary on buses.
If we can find a cost-effective way, I would like our district to provide trans-portation to Yeshiva students after their mandatory mishmar, to make existing
Politics Today
The Candidates Speak
Meet Nahum Marcus
Special School Board Election
Among the things no one men-tions when you decide to run for elected office is how many
times you will be asked: Why are you doing this? For me, that answer is easy. I have the best interests of all Law-rence School District children and my community at heart.
I believe every child deserves the best possible education from our pub-lic schools and every parent and tax-payer should expect their school board to safeguard their tax dollars and protect their in-terests. I want be that kind of school board member.
I am a 46-year-old Woodmere resident. I am a home inspector and successful small business owner. I have been married to my wife Vickie for 20 years and we are the proud par-ents of five children who range in age from age 2 to 18.
Over the last several months, our community learned that the Lawrence School Board needs more trustees who are independent-thinkers and vocal
advocates for the public good.
This realiza-tion came about when our school board made a deal to sell the Number Six School that would have ruined a quiet residential neighborhood and damaged the quality of life for all Five Towns residents.
The Community Coalition of the Five Towns (CC5T) – of which I am an active member – helped unite our
community and rally our residents to action. The eye-opening lesson that we learned from the March referendum is that a majority of school board members had not acted in the best interests of the people who elect-ed them.
That is one of the reasons I decided to run for a va-cant school board seat in the May 21st election. It is also why I am running with six-year incumbent trustee Rabbi Nahum Marcus, who was first to sound the alarm about the goings-on behind the Number Six School sale.
The Candidates Speak
Meet Dov Herman
bus routes more efficient, and to stop sharing buses between two or more schools with dissimilar schedules.
Careful Scrutiny of School SalesSince talks arose about selling the
Number Six School, I insisted the bid-ding process and sale be done fairly and transparently to instill public confidence.
Many times, I was the board’s lone voice of dissent—especially when it became obvious that fairness and trans-parency were not prioritized. I vocally objected to selling the property to Sim-one Healthcare Development because its proposal was not in the best interest of our community.
I joined forces with parents and property owners from the Community Coalition of the Five Towns to block this
sale. Working together, we demonstrated to the public how unfair and unbalanced this closed-door deal was for our com-munity.
In March, the highest voter-turnout in recent memory delivered a clear man-date to our school board — the sale of the Number Six School must benefit our entire community. So, the final reason I am seeking re-election is to fulfill that mandate and to closely monitor the next bidding and sale process.
Dov Herman and I are our commu-nity’s candidates. Our first priority will always be to work in the best interest of the children, their parents, taxpayers and the community. Our only agenda is to serve our entire community with integ-rity, honesty and compassion.
I pledge to work diligently to preserve and improve quality
of life for all Five Towns residents. Our first priority
will always be to work in the best interest
of the children, their parents, taxpayers and
the community.
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My name is Michael Hatten and I am running for a seat on the Lawrence School
Board. I decided to return to the Board, at this time, because I believe our com-munity needs experienced leadership, as we deliberate over the significant challenges fac-ing our District: Teacher contracts, the #6 school, stu-dent outcomes, allocation of re-sources and fiscal discipline. These are serious issues that will impact the lives of ALL of us. This is why I am running.
This is why I feel I am the right candidate for a seat on the Board.
I am currently the President of Global Business Institute, a two year non-degree business school, the Chair-man and Chief Executive Officer of New York Automotive and Diesel In-stitute, an automotive and diesel tech-nical school and the Chief Executive Officer of National Career Institute, a paramedical and construction trades school. I employ 132 faculty, staff and school administrators. I am responsible for educating over 2,500 students annu-ally. I am the Chairman of the Advi-sory Council for Licensed Private Ca-
reer Schools, defined in Education Law 5010. I was appointed by the Governor as Chairman. This Council reports to the Commission of Education and the Legislature on all matters affecting the 500 licensed postsecondary non-degree
schools in our state that educates over 200,000 students annually.
Many of you in the community will remember when I was first elected to the School Board in 2006. The three years I served on the Board were some of the most tumultuous years in the history of our District.
During my three years on the Board, taxes never rose, special needs children received the services they deserved, transportation became a non-issue, ball fields and other school facilities were now accessible to the entire community and the hateful rhetorical finally died down.
We live in a great and wonderfully diverse District. Our unique commu-nity dynamic presents multiple chal-lenges, but it also presents multiple opportunities. If you believe I am the best candidate, who will make thought-ful decisions, then I would be honored to represent you on the School Board.
My name is Tova Plaut and I am running for the District 15 School Board on Tuesday,
May 21. I am running for this volunteer position because I know that as a woman and an educator I will bring a unique perspective to the current school board which will benefit all the children in our district.
I am a teacher and the Director of a school. I hold a degree in community and human services with a concentration in early childhood studies, a child devel-opment credential and New York State Administrator Credential. In addition to these credentials I have also received certificates for training in school health and safety, fiscal management, educa-tional programming, medication admin-istration and other various certification areas.
As a woman and an educator I will bring a unique perspective to the board. I have lived in Cedarhurst for 17 years with my husband and five children, and I have been an active community volunteer and activist for the betterment of our neigh-borhood and children. Some examples of this are: running marathons (five and counting) with my kids for the chil-dren of Chai Lifeline, volunteering for Achiezer after Hurricane Sandy by help-ing to run the relief center and coordinate crews to clean up our neighbors homes, chairing school dinners and taking an active role in promoting public safety in our community.
Perhaps the most important local volunteer projects I have taken on are in relation to School District 15. I have been involved in every school board election for more than a decade and this has given me insight and respect for the current members of the board who have
worked on behalf of our community for so long.
For those of you who are new to the neighborhood, you may not be aware of the situation which we faced in the Law-rence School District more than a de-cade ago. Taxes rose by 10% every year. Yeshiva students were routinely denied access to services which they were en-titled to receive and the state mandates for services were ignored by district of-ficials. Some of the services often denied our children were textbooks, busing to school, special education services, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
Then a brave member of the board stepped forward. Dr. David Sussman,
whose support I am proud to enjoy in this election, stood up for the needs of yeshiva parents and yeshiva students. Eventually, Asher Mansdorf stepped up as the lone Or-thodox voice. Then others followed.
The board has kept our taxes low and our taxes are half those of our neighbors in District 14 who are paying TWICE the amount in taxes for a comparable house than residents of District 15. I am committed to continu-ing the efforts to maintain a fiscally re-sponsible board.
The issues before the school board include the management of a large school budget, providing a quality education for all our students, and maintaining and im-proving the services which our children are entitled to receive. Our community cannot afford to be divided. We have worked too hard for too many years to elect a school board that is responsive to the needs of the entire community. It’s time for a woman and an educator to serve on the school board.
Nahum is often the lone voice of public advocacy on our school board. His continued presence on the board will help make it more open and more responsive to our community.
Together, we will ensure that our school board behaves in an open and transparent manner; and that it does a better job of uniting our community.
I am fiscally conservative. So, I will also work hard to stabilize or re-duce taxes, but never at the expense of our children. I will examine our school
budgets item-by-item to find and elimi-nate the kind of wasteful spending that drives up our taxes.
Residents should also remember that the Number Six School remains a significant issue. The referendum defeat gave all of us a second chance to see the Number Six School property used in a way that benefits our commu-nity and our children.
Our school board will soon accept new bids for this property. Nahum and I want to ensure this process reflects
the best interests of our community. We also want to ensure that our school board adheres to the mandate it re-ceived from 4,155 committed voters.
Those voters sent a clear message that our neighborhoods are important to us; that our quality of life is not for sale; and that our children’s ball fields and open spaces should be preserved.
There will be another public refer-endum on whatever proposal the board ultimately accepts. My presence on the school board will ensure that the entire
process is done fairly and openly. Like other dedicated participants in
CC5T, my goal is to continue to be a positive and unifying force for good in our community. I pledge to work dili-gently to preserve and improve quality of life for all Five Towns residents.
My sincere hope is that on May 21st, residents of our community take a similar view and elect me to the Law-rence School Board and re-elect Na-hum Marcus for another term to con-tinue to protect their interests.
The Candidates Speak
Meet Tova Plaut
It’s time for a woman and an
educator to serve on the school board.
During my three years on the Board, taxes never rose and
special needs children received the services
they deserved.
I am running to ensure that the gains we have made as a community remain intact and that the services which our children are entitled to are not only maintained but improved. I believe in children and in the value of a quality education. I will never stand by while our children lose or are denied services, such as busing and special education services, as they were many years ago.
Most importantly, I am a teacher, admin-istrator and a career educator who will bring teaching and education manage-ment skills to the board for the benefit of all the children in School District 15.
Please do not divide the community. We have achieved so much with our unity.
It is time to elect a woman. It is time to elect me—Tova Plaut.
The Candidates Speak
Meet Michael J. Hatten
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Esther Ottensoser
Blooming with Sweetness
Looking for a bouquet of flowers that will satisfy everyone’s taste? Have we got a sweet (and easy!) idea for you!
This beautiful “arrangement” (as easy as Alef, Bais, “Vase”) can be simply assembled and is sure to be a most popular bunch of flowers. All it takes is a trip to the candy store...and let your creativity blossom!
Supplies2 glass vases, one to be placed
within the other Jelly beans of different colorsFlowers to coordinate with jelly
beans
DirectionsPlace flowers and water in the smaller vase. Place small vase in larger vase. Surround the smaller vase with jelly beans (mixed or layered).
This is a great way to involve the children in the yom tov. They’ll love adding and layering the jelly beans; just make they don’t sneak too many to eat!
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All the flowers that grace your Shavuos table will surely be a delight to your eye; these will surely be a delight to your palate as well. Create them at any level, simple or sophisticated; any way you make them they’re sure to be a sensation.
SuppliesFlowerpot—4” opening4” Styrofoam ball16 mini cupcakesSmall silk leavesFondant or frosting in color of your choiceChoice of flower plunger, flower mold or pastry
bag with tip (available at baking supply stores) Toothpicks
DirectionsI used rolled fondant for my bouquet, however, there are many ways to create the flower cupcakes. Here are some suggestions:
Fondant: Form flowers with a fondant plunger or mold. You can stick the flowers to the cupcake with a little icing or just by dabbing a little bit water on them.
Frosting: There are many ways to make flowers using cream. Using different tips will create different flowers from roses to hydrangeas to sunflowers…You can even tint the pastry bag with food coloring to create different shades of colors in your flowers.
Place the Styrofoam ball into the planter. Push it in to secure. Push the toothpicks into the Styrofoam and then attach the cupcakes. (I put 9 cupcakes around the bottom, 6 in the middle and one in the center.) Fill the gaps with leaves.
Brilliant Blossoms
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All the flowers that grace your Shavuos table will surely be a delight to your eye; these will surely be a delight to your palate as well. Create them at any level, simple or sophisticated; any way you make them they’re sure to be a sensation.
SuppliesFlowerpot—4” opening4” Styrofoam ball16 mini cupcakesSmall silk leavesFondant or frosting in color of your choiceChoice of flower plunger, flower mold or pastry
bag with tip (available at baking supply stores) Toothpicks
DirectionsI used rolled fondant for my bouquet, however, there are many ways to create the flower cupcakes. Here are some suggestions:
Fondant: Form flowers with a fondant plunger or mold. You can stick the flowers to the cupcake with a little icing or just by dabbing a little bit water on them.
Frosting: There are many ways to make flowers using cream. Using different tips will create different flowers from roses to hydrangeas to sunflowers…You can even tint the pastry bag with food coloring to create different shades of colors in your flowers.
Place the Styrofoam ball into the planter. Push it in to secure. Push the toothpicks into the Styrofoam and then attach the cupcakes. (I put 9 cupcakes around the bottom, 6 in the middle and one in the center.) Fill the gaps with leaves.
Brilliant Blossoms
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S havuos is a late-spring, early-summer yom tov, and our only festival with no well-defined date despite its as-sociation with a singularly imposing theophany, Sinai;
a time when “no bird put forth their song, no bird took wing, no ox gave bawl, no angel moved a feather...the sea did not roar…no creature said a word.”
In Torah vocabulary, G-d is only “heard” via an echo known as a bat kol, literally “the daughter of a voice,” and only “ap-pears” via indirect anthropomorphic images such as a dream or vision.
The terminology tension is obvious: V’chol ha’am ro’im et hakolot, “And all the people saw the thunder that announced the Revelation” – but isn’t thunder seen, not heard?
Yes, ro’im means to “see,” but this vision must coexist on two levels; by sight and by perception
as in, “I see your point,” in order to truly see the overwhelm-ing importance of the occasion.
In fact, our entire Judaic belief system is that Judaism lacks an intermediary; that G-d spoke directly to an entire people, not through a “son” (Christianity) or a “prophet” (Islam), and that through the Jews He revealed universal laws for all mankind known as sheva mitzvos Bnei Noach, “the seven Noachide laws.”
Sinai was the day Jews made the transition from being “a people to G-d” (in theory) to accepting Torah min haShamayim, by way of, in Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s description, a “Cosmic Contract, with no escape clause.” Technically, this phrase means “Torah from Heaven” but in reality it describes a lifestyle that gave Jews heaven from Torah.
G-d surfaces not once but twice at Sinai, sending Jewish mystics into a search for the episode’s hidden shtei bechinos, “two aspects.”
When the Divine Presence (Shechina) first descends on “the whole mountain in the sight of all the people,” the Torah text bursts with descriptive adjectives: “trembling, fear, thunder, lightning, dense clouds, loud blasts of a horn,” stapled to a vivid use of words (“stoned, smitten”) within emphatic expressions of awe, fear, death.
The second appearance, to only the “top of the mountain,” is more subdued; all the fire ‘n brimstone rhetoric conspicuous only by its absence.
The first dramatic emergence was for the entire nation of Is-rael, united as a people of prophets; the next was reserved for the nation’s elite; individual Jews, such as Moses and Aaron, who aspire to climb the spiritual peaks of Judaism and who are not in need of the fiery rhetoric.
But there is a vagueness: when G-d “spoke all of these words,” the Torah doesn’t tell us to whom.
R’ Ibn Ezra argues that the entire nation heard all ten com-
mands; R’ Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam) claims, based on his theory of prophecy, that only Moses understood the contents (the Jewish people hearing, but not comprehending). Rashi argues that the Jews only heard the first two (“I am the Lord,” and “You shall have no other G-ds”), and the remaining eight from Moses (based on the Torah’s switch from first person singular to third person).
Meanwhile the Ramban suggests a compromise – all ten were given by G-d however only the first two were understood by the children of an Egyptian polytheistic culture, the other eight required further explanation by Moses.
Shavuos is the day when Jews listen to the unique melody of the Torah’s “user-guide,” the Aseres Hadibros, read Ezekiel’s prophetic passages, and are riveted by the compelling and idyl-lic Akdomus, an exquisitely beautiful poem and “celebration of Torah” penned in Aramaic by 11th century German Rabbi Meir Nehorai, a chazan and teacher of Rashi, whose son was killed by Crusaders and who himself died soon after a “forced debate” with the local Christian clergy.
The day is synonymous with Revelation, an einmalig tzayt, “once only, forever,” when the Heavens attempted for the third time (after the Flood and Abraham) to fulfill the journey which began at Creation.
The Children of Israel participate “like one man, with one heart” in the grand premiere of their own arrival on the stage of history and yet the exact calendar rendezvous, the “marriage” of Jews to Torah and the giving of the most compelling kesuba (To-rah) of all time (“Shavuos” means oaths, in that on this day both parties exchanged certain vows: G-d “promises” to stick with the Jews as His chosen nation, and, in return, the Jews promise to stick with G-d), is Judaism’s best kept covert secret; a day shrouded in clandestine theology, hidden from centuries of great scholars and deep thinkers.
This calendar uncertainty is extraordinarily unusual in a reli-gion that “worships” dates and times.
Remember: The very first commandment the Jews receive as a people is time-orientated (Rosh Chodesh) and the very first Mishna discusses the “right time” to say the Sh’ma.
Perhaps the reason lies in its own structure; ein mukdam u’m’uchar ba’Torah, the view that the Torah “unfolds” in no particular chronological order.
Rashi, the “prince” of Torah commentators, is of the opinion that the mitzvos in the Torah are organized thematically, by topic, without regard to the actual chronological order in which G-d gave them to Moses (e.g.: the mitzva to build the Mishkan was given after the Golden Calf saga because of the thematic simi-larities to that event).
But the Ramban disagrees, claiming Yaish mukdam
Jewish Thought
THE UNDATED ANNIVERSARY
Mr. Joe Bobker
Bobker on Sssssh-vuos
SHAVUOS
DOES NOT
CELEBRATE
A PART OF
JUDAISM,
BUT JUDAISM
AS A WHOLE.
THEJEW
ISHHO
ME
n M
AY 24, 2012
67u’m’uchar, the Torah is in chronological order. So what do we know?
Only the year (2488), and the day of the week (Shabbas) when the Jews reach Sinai, described in a single teasing reference: either in the “third month” of Sivan, or “on the third new Moon,” after leaving Egypt. Thus, depending on which formu-la one chooses, the encounter could have occurred on the 6th, 12th, or 15th of Sivan.
What is the universally accepted date? The 6th and 7th of Sivan, making Shavuos the only festival that fluctuates year-by-year in a state of calendar non-conformity; caused by being halachically anchored not to itself but to the climax of a mandated seven-week math formula (s’firas ha’omer) that began in Pesach.
Shavuos is thus in an awkward position: not only is it held spiritual hostage to a previous yom tov but even as late as the final days of the Talmud it still lacked its own identity, being viewed simply as a “closure” (atzeres), as in atzeres shel Pesach, “the end of Pesach,” in much the same manner that Shemini Atzeres “closes” the festival of Succas.
And more: Unlike every other Jewish festival, this yom tov’s title is unrelated to its historic self.
Consider: Whereas Pesach, Chanukah and Succos are all intrinsically linked and underpinned by their respec-tive past events, the three designated titles of Shavuos are not: Hag Shavuos (“The Festival of Weeks”), Hag ha-Kazir (“The Harvest Festi-val”), and Yom Ha-Bikkurim (“First Fruits”) are all totally foreign to what Jews today associate the day with: Torah and Sinai.
The question is obvious: why then does the Torah not explicitly and openly link
the holiday of Shavuos with the giving of the Law (matan Torah)? To R’ Yehuda Liwa ben Betzalel of Prague (Maharal), the seminal thinker of
the 16th century, the answer lies in the fact that although Jews are automatically obligated to embrace all Jewish festivals with simcha, such emotions cannot be legislated nor coerced but must originate from within.
Therefore, it was left up to the Jew to “find” his own way to Shavuos and to con-
clude through the experience of time that the gift of Torah was worth rejoicing over.This linkage between Sinai and Time is found in the way the Torah spells Sha-
vuos, with a shin, beis, ayin, vav, sof, rearranged by our kabbalists as Shebo eis, “in it [Shavuos] is the meaning of Time.”
When Rabbi Meir Alter, saintly son of the Gerer Rebbe (Imrei Emes), was asked why Shavuos is referred to as z’man mattan Torataynu, “the time of the giving of the Torah [my italics]” and not “the time of receiving,” he replied that with each giving comes a bit of receiving, and that “the giving of the Torah happened at one
specified time, but the receiving of it happens at every time and in every generation.”
Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik, the brilliant Rav and rosh yeshiva of YU, considered Shavuos a beginning, not an ending; a gate through which the rabbis of each genera-tion were to preserve an unfolding yet timeless “season of Torah knowledge.”
Thus since this was a continuum gift semper et ubique, designed to link generations, it required no fixed time, no fixed laws, and no dated “receipt.”
In fact, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, America’s premier 20th century halachist, would refrain from calling Shavuos a “Torah Day” out of fear of giving the impression that Torah was special only on this day. Rabbi Samson Rapha-el Hirsch, the extraordinary leader of German orthodoxy,
went one step further: he saw an actual danger in creating a specific holiday for the Sinai-Torah axis, concerned that this would somehow “box-in” G-d’s Words in contradiction to the Torah’s own wish that it be with Jews at all times.
When asked what Shavuos meant to him, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of the British Empire, replied from a personal perspective, as he echoed an ancient observation, that “the Priestly caste did not support the Ark; the Ark supported those who carried it.”
“My great-grandfather, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Frumkin, left Lithuania in 1871 to
make his home in the Holy Land, where he became the historian of Jerusalem. He took one item with him – a Sefer Torah, which he held in his arms throughout the
Bobker on Sssssh-vuos
Ruth was chosen to symbolize Shavuos because of her good middos
TheJew
ishho
me
n m
ay 14, 201377
THEJEW
ISHHO
ME
n M
AY 24, 201267u’m’uchar, the Torah is in chronological order. So what do we know?
Only the year (2488), and the day of the week (Shabbas) when the Jews reach Sinai, described in a single teasing reference: either in the “third month” of Sivan, or “on the third new Moon,” after leaving Egypt. Thus, depending on which formu-la one chooses, the encounter could have occurred on the 6th, 12th, or 15th of Sivan.
What is the universally accepted date? The 6th and 7th of Sivan, making Shavuos the only festival that fluctuates year-by-year in a state of calendar non-conformity; caused by being halachically anchored not to itself but to the climax of a mandated seven-week math formula (s’firas ha’omer) that began in Pesach.
Shavuos is thus in an awkward position: not only is it held spiritual hostage to a previous yom tov but even as late as the final days of the Talmud it still lacked its own identity, being viewed simply as a “closure” (atzeres), as in atzeres shel Pesach, “the end of Pesach,” in much the same manner that Shemini Atzeres “closes” the festival of Succas.
And more: Unlike every other Jewish festival, this yom tov’s title is unrelated to its historic self.
Consider: Whereas Pesach, Chanukah and Succos are all intrinsically linked and underpinned by their respec-tive past events, the three designated titles of Shavuos are not: Hag Shavuos (“The Festival of Weeks”), Hag ha-Kazir (“The Harvest Festi-val”), and Yom Ha-Bikkurim (“First Fruits”) are all totally foreign to what Jews today associate the day with: Torah and Sinai.
The question is obvious: why then does the Torah not explicitly and openly link
the holiday of Shavuos with the giving of the Law (matan Torah)? To R’ Yehuda Liwa ben Betzalel of Prague (Maharal), the seminal thinker of
the 16th century, the answer lies in the fact that although Jews are automatically obligated to embrace all Jewish festivals with simcha, such emotions cannot be legislated nor coerced but must originate from within.
Therefore, it was left up to the Jew to “find” his own way to Shavuos and to con-
clude through the experience of time that the gift of Torah was worth rejoicing over.This linkage between Sinai and Time is found in the way the Torah spells Sha-
vuos, with a shin, beis, ayin, vav, sof, rearranged by our kabbalists as Shebo eis, “in it [Shavuos] is the meaning of Time.”
When Rabbi Meir Alter, saintly son of the Gerer Rebbe (Imrei Emes), was asked why Shavuos is referred to as z’man mattan Torataynu, “the time of the giving of the Torah [my italics]” and not “the time of receiving,” he replied that with each giving comes a bit of receiving, and that “the giving of the Torah happened at one
specified time, but the receiving of it happens at every time and in every generation.”
Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik, the brilliant Rav and rosh yeshiva of YU, considered Shavuos a beginning, not an ending; a gate through which the rabbis of each genera-tion were to preserve an unfolding yet timeless “season of Torah knowledge.”
Thus since this was a continuum gift semper et ubique, designed to link generations, it required no fixed time, no fixed laws, and no dated “receipt.”
In fact, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, America’s premier 20th century halachist, would refrain from calling Shavuos a “Torah Day” out of fear of giving the impression that Torah was special only on this day. Rabbi Samson Rapha-el Hirsch, the extraordinary leader of German orthodoxy,
went one step further: he saw an actual danger in creating a specific holiday for the Sinai-Torah axis, concerned that this would somehow “box-in” G-d’s Words in contradiction to the Torah’s own wish that it be with Jews at all times.
When asked what Shavuos meant to him, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of the British Empire, replied from a personal perspective, as he echoed an ancient observation, that “the Priestly caste did not support the Ark; the Ark supported those who carried it.”
“My great-grandfather, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Frumkin, left Lithuania in 1871 to
make his home in the Holy Land, where he became the historian of Jerusalem. He took one item with him – a Sefer Torah, which he held in his arms throughout the
Bobker on Sssssh-vuos
Ruth was chosen to symbolize Shavuos because of her good middos
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128 Cedarhurst Ave. Cedarhurst, New York
Sheva Brachos starting at $25 pp |
Student Lunch Special $7.50 | Includes: Sandwich, Fries & Soda
We will cater your simcha |
New Deli Menu |
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The
Jew
ish
hom
e n
m
ay 1
4, 2
013
78TH
EJE
WIS
HHO
ME
n M
AY 2
4, 2
012
68 sea voyage, and while riding on a donkey from the coast to Jerusalem....
For me, the image of my great-grandfather cra-dling the Torah as he journeyed to Jerusalem be-came a metaphor of Jewish life through the ages.
We were the people who, wherever we traveled, carried the Torah with us.
And though we thought we were carrying, in truth it was carrying us.
More than the Jewish people gave life to the To-rah, the Torah gave life to the Jewish people.”
Judaism is thus a religion of constant rebirth, evidenced each year by Shavuos, a festival that not only joyfully receives the Torah anew but sternly imposes an annual reminder: that there is a respon-sibility (first) on the fathers and (then) on the teach-ers of Torah to replicate Sinai dor to dor (genera-tion-to-generation) “in the same manner that it was first given.”
Shavuos customs include eating dairy foods, (cheesecake, blintzes, yogurt with honey, lasagna, kreplach); decorating the synagogue with greenery (this custom is so old that even Haman complains that Jews spread grass on synagogue floors on Shavuos as a reminder to worship the laws of a grassy Sinai instead of the laws of King Achashveirosh); participating in a tikkun layl Shavuos, literally, “The Repair of the Night of Shavuot,” an all-night stand of Torah study to help Jews re-experience Sinai on an annual and recurring basis; and the public reading of Megillas Ruth, “The Scroll of Ruth” (which, incidentally, contains a Purim-style absence of any in-volvement of G-d: whatever references exist are portrayed as va-yiker mikreha, natural, non-miraculous chance events).
This is the oldest of the five megillas that are read on separate Jewish festivals: the others being Pesach’s Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs); Succa’s Koheles (Ecclesiastes); Purim’s Megillas Es-ther (The Scroll of Esther), and Tisha b’Av’s Eicha (Lamenta-tions); with the exception of Koheles, all are dedicated, allegori-cally, to women.
Ruth enters the pages of Judaism as the young beautiful widow of Mahlon who sacrifices her family, religion, and burial among her own people to “walk in the ways” (vehalachta bidra-chav) of the G-d of the Jews, a tale told against a background of the barley harvest that echoes the festival’s theme of the Jewish people’s acceptance of Torah at Sinai. (And, if gematria is your hobby consider this: Ruth is 606. Add the seven Noachide laws she was obligated to keep before her conversion and the total is 613, the number of mitzvas given at Sinai on Shavuos).
As a result of her commitment, Ruth is transformed from a simple sequestered woman supporting an aging destitute moth-er-in-law (Naomi) to become the wife of Boaz, a prominent judge.
Our Sages describe her lure not in terms of “beauty” but in her exemplar qualities of courage and determination, loyalty and faithfulness.
It is Ruth who pens the famous declaration that has now resonated and ricocheted off the walls of Jewish history, “Your people shall be my people, your G-d my G-d, where you will go I will go, where you will be buried I will be buried.”
But the question is obvious: in the context of Jewish history, Ruth is just one of many proselytes, so why is she selected for such calendar prominence?
A list of other contestants is impressive: it would include Yisro, Moses’ Midianite father-in-law priest; Joseph’s wife Asenath (daughter of the Egyptian priest of On); David and Judah’s wives (Philistine and Caananite); Rahab (one of the world’s four outstanding beauties, along with Sarah, Avigayil, and Esther) who not only married Joshua, but became ancestor
to no less than eight priests and nine Prophets (including Jer-emiah and Hulda); Onkelos the Ger was a Jew-by-choice, and let’s not forget such distinguished Talmudists as Rabbis Akiva, Shmaiah and Avtalyon who were all proselyte descendants.
Why Ruth? Because of her personality traits (gitter mid-dos), specifically of chesed and, according to R’ Ze’ira, “acts of loving kindness.”
And more: as the great bubba (grandmother) of King David, “the Sweet Singer of Israel” and author of the indispensable Book of Psalms (Tehillim), who was born and died on Shavuos, her role in Jewish history is decisive (this is why David, aware of the public unease of his “non-kosher” genealogy, reminds his nation in his farewell speech, that all are “strangers” in front of G-d.”)
Meanwhile on Shavuos we can eat what, when, and where we want, in contrast to Pesach when we can’t eat what we want, Succas when we can’t eat where we want, Rosh Hashana when we can’t eat when we want, and Yom Kippur when we can’t eat at all!
Shavuos is thus unique because it is the only Jewish festival with no specific Torah-derived halachic rituals. The day might have nothing on a halachic par with, say, an esrog, matza, or shofar, and yet its whole is far greater than its parts. Why? Be-cause Shavuos does not celebrate a part of Judaism, but Juda-ism as a whole.
It is thus unconcerned with any one particular mitzva whilst being synonymous with the entire body of Jewish ideas, the Torah as a whole.
Regrettably in many Jewish communities, Shavuos is the most ignored (or unknown) festival of them all; even in its hey-day it was seen as nothing more than the finale of Pesach, the most minor of the three pilgrimage festivals (aliya le-regel).
I remember in college how even Jewish professors didn’t believe me when I said I couldn’t attend a class because of Sha-vuos; and how the official Department of Education calendar listed all the Jewish holidays as days which “teachers of the Jewish faith” were entitled to take a day off without any pay penalty – but left this one out (in malice? no, in ignorance!).
This adjunct minor role for Shavuos is highly unfair: for if Pesach gave us freedom, Shavuos gave a free people a law that infused liberty with a challenging and exhilarating purpose.
Our Sages tell us that even a sefer Torah needs mazal to be chosen from among the others in the Ark; and it seems that even Jewish festivals need mazal to be “chosen and used.” Hopefully the year will come soon when Shavuos is no longer Sssssh-vuos.
RAV MOSHE
FEINSTEIN, ZTL,
WOULD REFRAIN
FROM CALLING
SHAVUOS A
TORAH DAY
OUT OF FEAR
OF GIVING
THE IMPRESSION
THAT TORAH
WAS SPECIAL
ONLY ON
THIS DAY.
Shavuos gave the Jews a life of heaven through the Torah
TheJew
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On Shavuos we read from the book of Ruth. The Medrash tells us that the purpose of this book is
to teach the importance of chesed (lov-ing-kindness) and the reward for those who are committed to chesed. How is this the central theme in the story of Ruth?
The Talmud (B.K.38b) tells us that if not for the fact that Ruth would eventually be born from the Moabites, convert to Judaism, and play a pivotal role in Jewish history and the Davidic dynasty, G-d would have destroyed the evil nation of Moav. Why couldn’t G-d destroy the Moabites, and arrange for a nice girl named Ruth to be born to a Philistine family, or maybe an Edomite clan, or any other nation for that matter?
Males of the Moabites are forbid-den from marriage with a Jewess even after conversion. The reason given by the Torah: “Because they didn’t greet you with bread and water on the road when you were leaving Egypt.” (De-varim 23:5). This is hardly easy to un-derstand. The Egyptians enslaved us for hundreds of years and drowned our babies in the Nile. They have to wait four generations before their converts can intermarry with an ethnic Jewess. But Moav? They are forbidden for eter-nity. No matter how many generations pass, a Jewish woman can never marry a Moabite. Why? Because they weren’t generous and hospitable. Is that fair? Is failing to organize a massive soup kitchen in the desert for two million people worse than organized premed-itated genocide? How can this be the reason for their permanent exclusion when far worse crimes against human-ity were perpetrated against our people by many nations, and their descendants are not permanently excluded from full integration into Jewish society?
To answer these questions we have to explore the roots of Moav. Moav’s father, Lot, was raised by his uncle, our forefather, Avraham Avinu. Lot was ed-ucated in an atmosphere of Torah and chesed. Even after residing for years in the hedonistic, penurious, and cra-ven culture of Sodom, he still displayed dedication to the hospitality he learned from his uncle, and even opened his house to strangers at great personal risk. (see Rashi 19:1)
On the other hand, he was hardly a saint when it came to other moral is-sues. Lot lived for lust. The salacious nature of Sodom’s society was what at-tracted him to settle there (Horios 10b). This ultimately led him to consort with his own flesh and blood (Rashi 19:35). While Lot seemed to be a complex indi-vidual with paradoxical convictions and values, his core character can be under-stood in light of a concept elucidated by Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler. The Mich-tav M’eliyahu explains that unbridled chesed can manifest itself in forbidden expressions of love. When not properly
channeled, a corruption of chesed will develop, often in the form of immoral relationships. The Torah even describes the act of incest as chesed. Chesed and z’nus (immoral and forbidden relation-ships) both emanate from passion and love for another human being.
Our sages teach us that our deeds affect our spiritual character and are genetically passed down through our “soul-DNA.” (By contrast, physically acquired traits resulting from adaptation to climate and such, do not get passed on. Darwin was right about that.) Moav was the child born to Lot’s eldest daughter after she consorted with him. From conception, his very essence was one of incest and immorality.
Even generations later, his father’s licentiousness was still the defining fi-ber and form of his nation. It remained a trademark trait of his progeny, as was evidenced by that mass attempt by the Moabites and Midianites to seduce the Jewish soldiers to sin before conquering Canaan. The sole redeeming quality of these people was the underside of their fatal flaw: the trait of chesed and hospi-tality. By nature, they were inclined to extent hospitality to the Jewish refugees who had just been liberated. But they chose to not greet the tired and hungry Jews as they left Egypt, and they went against their good nature. As a collec-tive entity, they uprooted their sole re-deeming quality. Now left with only
corrupt character bereft of any posi-tive side to their natural essence, they could no longer marry into the Jewish nation. (The women, however, were not expected to go out, as it could be justi-fied as an expression of modesty. By no coincidence was it her trait of modesty that Boaz noticed, and ultimately chose Ruth to be his wife.)
In contrast to rest of her nation, Ruth, who was a direct descendant of Moav (she was the daughter of Eglon, king of Moav), managed to do the ex-act opposite. She showed great concern for others and was a paradigm of chesed
(Ruth 2:11). Yet, she displayed great modesty (see Ruth 2:5, Rashi ibid) in spite of her nature, and channeled this trait of loving-kindness only for good, purging her DNA from every vestige of its corrupted mutation. Even when she was given a mandate to “seduce”
Boaz for the fulfillment of a mitzva, she immediately accepted his counter argu-ment, obeyed his words, and restrained herself until the time was proper. She had acquired the trait of chesed in its purest form. Boaz too was a man who showed heroic restraint in matters per-taining to intimacy (See Sanhedrin 19). His name, Boaz, is a combination of the words “Bo Oz,” meaning, “In him was strength”. He too, was a paradigm of chesed and generosity, but with the proper measure and appropriate appli-cation.
A king must have a heart to bear the feelings of all his subjects (Maimonides Hil. Melachim). He must be willing to sacrifice his time, energy, and emotion for the sake his people, and it must come from pure love. Ruth created the potential for such an individual; some-one who would compose Psalms that encapsulate the expressions of frustra-tion, sorrow, and despair of all the suf-fering the Jews would ever endure, and yet uplift, and give faith and hope to all those who read his divinely inspired words. (Her name, Rus, alludes to the Psalms of David.) That is why Ruth was uniquely qualified to forebear the eter-nal Davidic Dynasty.
Yehoshua LevyJewish Thought
Is faIlIng to organIze a massIve soup kItchen In the desert for two mIllIon people worse than
organIzed premedItated genocIde?
RuthThe Matriarch of the Eternal Davidic Dynasty
Random Facts You May Never Have Known• At Matan Torah, Moshe, Aron, Nadav, Avihu, and seventy Zekainim
ascended Har Sinai to their respective positions as Hashem had command-ed. They were then given a vision of the Kisai Hakovod, perceiving that Hashem was rejoicing with Klal Yisroel at the redemption from Egypt.
• As Yehoshua waited for Moshe at the foot of the mountain, a special portion of maan fell down in order to sustain him.
• Moshe entered the thickness of the cloud and was admitted into the Heavenly camp. Afraid for his life, he recited kapital Tehilim Yoshaiv Bisa-sar, which protects from harmful powers. He also asked Bnai Yisroel to beg Hashem that he should be able to return in peace.
• Before he left, each angel revealed his particular secret, a healing formula that was from Hashem’s Names in the Parshios of the Torah. At that time the Malach Hamaves revealed to Moshe that plague could be stopped by burning Ketores.
• As Hashem descended on Har Sinai in a burst of fire surrounded by a host of 22,000 malachim, there was thunder and lightning and the earth quaked.
• When the Bnei Yisroel passed out after each commandment, Hashem sprinkled a reviving dew to bring them back to life. (The same liquid that will be used for Techiyas Hameisim, b’karov.) After they awoke, they were still weak from shock so Hashem filled the air with the scent of fragrances and they recuperated.
• Besides hearing the Ten Commandments, the Bnai Yisroel also visualized all the Medrashim and Halachos, Kal Vachomers and Gzairah Shavas that pertained to each commandment.
The
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“Speak to the Bnai Yisrael and say to them: any man whose wife shall go astray and commit treachery against him. . . ” — Bamidbar 5:12
The Parsha of SotahThe Torah describes the details of a
sotah. If a woman acts in a manner that causes her husband to suspect her of infidelity, he should warn her not to go into seclusion with that other man. If she violates this warning, then the husband is to take her to the Kohain. The Kohain will give her the “bitter waters” to drink. If she was unfaithful, she will instantly die. If she was not unfaithful, she will be redeemed and blessed.
When the Torah lays out the de-tails, it uses an unusual expression: “If a man will ‘tistheh’ his wife.” The word “tishteh” comes from the root “shoteh,” which means insanity. It’s as if to say, “If a man will accuse his wife of insanity.”
Rashi is troubled by the use of this expression. He explains, based on the Gemara, adulterers do not sin until a wave of insanity enters them. The Siftei Chachmim explains this to mean, “until their yetzer harah teaches them it is per-mitted.”
It seems clear from the Siftei Chachaim that the modus operandi of the yetzer harah is to convince the po-tential sinners that the act tempting them is permitted. Only when it succeeds, and they are convinced, will they then trans-gress.
This statement — people only sin when they are convinced that it is per-mitted — seems difficult to understand. If we are dealing with a pious, proper
Jewish woman who got into a bad sit-uation, she knows that the act that she wants to commit is forbidden. How can the yetzer harah teach her that it is per-mitted? On the other hand, the Torah may be speaking about the opposite ex-treme — a woman who has gone off the path and just doesn’t care. Why does she need the yetzer harah to tell her it is per-mitted? She doesn’t care.
So on both sides of the spectrum, the
yetzer harah either should not be able to convince the person that it is permitted, or it shouldn’t need to convince them.
The answer to this question is based on understanding one of the most con-sistent quirks of human nature: “I never do anything wrong.” Whether dealing with sophisticated adults or schoolchil-dren, whether Supreme Court justices or convicted felons, the human seems never to do anything wrong. Wardens will tell you that their jails are filled with self-proclaimed innocent men. Crimi-nals aren’t wrong. Thieves aren’t wrong. Murderers aren’t wrong. You won’t find a gangster proclaiming, “Yes, it is evil to murder and pillage, but what can I do? I am weak and give into my desires.” Instead, you will hear an entire belief system explaining that his approach to life is actually better for society and the world.
The question is why? Why can’t man just admit: it is wrong to steal, but I want to do it anyway?
Our Imagination Creates Our Free Will
The reason for this has to do with the inner working of the human. Hash-em created man out of two distinct parts. One is comprised all of the drives and passions found in the animal kingdom; it
is simply base instincts and desires. The other part of man is pure intellect: holy, good and giving. That part of me wishes to be generous and noble and only as-pires for that which is good.
Because this part of me is made up of pure intellect and wisdom, it would nev-er allow me to sin. It sees the results too clearly. It understands that all of Hash-em’s commandments are for my good and that every sin damages me. Because of this crystal clear insight, the human would not have the free will to sin. In theory, he could be tempted to sin, but he would never actually come to the act. It would be akin to sticking his hand in a fire. In theory he could do it, but it would never happen. It’s a dumb thing to do. So if Hashem created man with just these two parts, man would not have free will in a practical sense.
To allow man to be tempted so that he can choose his course and be reward-ed for his proper choices, Hashem put another component in man: imagina-tion. Imagination is the creative ability to form a mental picture and feel it as vividly as if it were real. Armed with an imagination, man can create fanciful worlds at his will and actually believe them. If man wishes to turn to evil, he can create rationales to make these ways sound noble and proper — and fool him-self at least. If he wishes, he can do what is right, or if he wishes, he can turn to wickedness. Even his brilliant intellect won’t prevent him. He is capable of creating entire worldviews that explain how the behavior he desires is righteous, correct, and appropriate. Now man has free will.
The answer to the Rashi is on two levels. First off, we see the power of rationalizing. Even a fully mature, pi-ous woman who grew up in the best of homes can be convinced, on some level, that illicit relations are permitted. The yetzer harah will use her imagination and create clever and creative ways to explain that black is white, in is out, and arayos is permitted. As ridiculous as it sounds, that is the power given to the ye-tzer harah.
The second idea is that even the woman who seems to be off the derech and wouldn’t need an excuse really does. No human can ever do something that is wrong. Because of the greatness of her soul and the truth that she knows deep down inside, she understands that for a married woman to go to another man is forbidden. The only way that she can perpetrate this act is if she has a ratio-nal way of explaining how in fact it is permitted. The human is incapable of doing something wrong. The only way he can do something wrong is by making it right.
There are two major concepts that we see in this Rashi. First, we see the greatness of the human. Without this superimposed force called imagination, man’s soul is so great that he couldn’t possibly sin. And second, because of the greatness of man’s soul, Hashem created the force of imagination that lets man be-lieve exactly what he wants to, allowing him free will. So now even the very pi-ous woman can be deluded into thinking the impossible: arayos is permitted. The power of her imagination is such that the yetzer harah can paint a picture that makes the forbidden permitted. And so, while we see the greatness of man, we also see how susceptible we are to being duped into believing whatever we wish to believe.
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R’ Ben Tzion ShafierThe Shmuz
Parshas NasohI Never Do Anything Wrong
the moduS opeRandi of the YeTzeR haRah Is to convInce the potentIal sInners
that the act temptIng them Is permItted.
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People often come up to me and say, “I’ve got an article idea for you.” Usually it’s some pet peeve
of theirs which they see as terribly rude, annoying, or wrong. Sometimes, it’s something inspirational or special, like when the rain stopped just long enough for chametz-burning to go on, and then started again.
This time, someone had a concept and said, “If anyone can come up with a good article about this, it’s Jonathan Gewirtz.” He had been speaking to the manager of a gym which charges $10 a month. “How can you make money on ten dollars a month?” he asked.
“Look around,” said the manager. “You see all these people here? These aren’t the ones I make money on. I make money on the people who pay ten dollars every month and never show up.”
“I don’t understand,” asked our guest, “Why do they keep paying if they don’t come?”
“It’s just ten dollars,” replied the gym staffer. “They tell themselves, ‘I’m not going to cancel. I’m going to start going again next month,’ or ‘It’s almost January (or spring, or summer, or school season), I’ll start then and it’ll be great.’ And so it goes. They let it ride because they plan to come to the gym, but it never happens.”
Now, dear readers, I’m not focused on whether the gym is making money or not, or whether you will actually go to a gym if it costs you more money. I’m fo-cused on the idea that keeps people pay-ing month after month.
You see, the people who pay but don’t show up are not saying that they don’t mind throwing money away. I don’t think you’d see any of them take a ten-dollar bill and throw it into the street. People like their money.
Instead, what they’re really saying, deep down, is, “It’s not too late. I want to stay a member in the gym because I know it’s good for me and I should start going more regularly. I can do it.”
What an idea! Think about it. Deep down they know what’s good and that just because you don’t look like a body-builder today is no reason you can’t trim a few pounds tomorrow. You don’t need to devote major resources to it, just be dedicated and find it important.
If you’ve ever exercised, especially when you didn’t want to, you know how wonderful you feel afterwards. You’re glad you pushed yourself. You know it was time well-spent. You feel proud of
yourself and rightfully so.Now, what about if you were ex-
hausted and just wanted to plop down on the couch with a book (or better yet, without a book!), but instead you picked up a sefer, called a friend who was down, or went out to a shiur. You pushed your-self to do what you knew was good for your soul. Afterwards, you probably felt like a million dollars; proud as a peacock.
I’ve been known to wake up very early in the morning to learn. It’s not easy pulling myself out of bed, but I can tell you that when I close the gemara or finish my weekly Dvar Torah, I am not thinking about the missing sleep. I’m thinking, “Wow, that was invigorating. I’m so happy I did that. I rock. Go me!”
Shavuos is a time for everyone who has been pushing off their involvement in Torah until they’ve got more time, or more energy, or less stress, to say, “I want to do this for me. I can do it. This is the time I’m going to make it a habit and stick to it.”
Because, you know, when you miss it, it’s not just ten bucks. It’s time.
Even if you might throw ten dol-lars out the window, would you do it to 43,200 minutes each and every month?
Think time is money? Forget it. Money doesn’t even come close.
So, as we approach Shavuos, resolve to get spiritually healthy, make good choices, and start leading a wholesome Torah lifestyle. Besides, when that’s your goal, you can still enjoy your cheesecake without feeling guilty. Not only that, it’s a mitzvah!
Jonathan Gewirtz is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in publications around the world. He also operates JewishSpeechWrit-er.com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion.
For more information, or to sign up for his weekly Dvar Torah in English, e-mail [email protected].
© 2013 by Jonathan Gewirtz. All rights reserved.
The Observant Jew
Shavuos and the Ten-Dollar Gym
Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
The Segulah with the Power of Torah
MISHNAYAS & SHASAccording to your
specications-for the soul of a loved one
SEGULAH OF KETORAS
The only Segulah written in the Torah!
CHATZOS PARTNERSHIP
Become a partner And experience miracles!
Parshas
Naso5773
“I beg you, please spread my story! It might serve as a lesson for others, especially Chatzos partners.” That was the request in a message we received a short while ago.
The story relates to a distinguished talmud chacham who was unfortunately going through a hard time with his daughter, who had fallen in with a wrong group of friends. Within a short time she was behaving and dressing inappropriately, much to the dismay and anguish of her worried parents. In response, they turned to “Kollel Chatzos” and signed up as yearly partners and submitted their daughter’s name for a positive transformation. “The Zohar Hakodesh writes that through the power of chatzos you will merit pious children” the man continued “have her in mind, learn and pray for her, that she should be pulled out of this dark abyss”.
Being enrolled as chatzos partners for an extended period, they had the opportunity to “interchange” the names and requests. After a month, seeing no progress and no improvement in the situation, they decided to change the name to their son, who was in need of assistance at the time.
A short while later, he called us back with a new request: “I made a mistake! I want to add to my partnership and re-submit my daughter’s name!” He told us that he had just completed a conversation with a counselor who was working with his daughter and her friend, and relayed that although there seemed to be no improvement with the “friend”, their daughter was making strides for the better!
“Charge my card” he concluded “because I want to keep both of my kids on your list. With “Kollel Chatzos’s” help we have seen tremendous miracles for our children!”
Topic Source: They will Merit Holy and Pious Children!
(זוהר הק' ויקרא י"ב)
2 4 2 - 8 9 6 71-855-CHATZOSCALL 24 HOURS TOLL FREE
KOLLELCHATZOS
MONROE N.Y.BAIS MORDCHEI
18 Getzel Berger
MONSEY N.Y.TOSHNOD SHUL2 Howard Dr.
The Torah Centers of Kollel Chatzos:
PROGRESS MADE?
THE HEAVENS REJOICE! “KOLLEL CHATZOS” WILLIAMSBURG BRANCH OPENING
The announcement from the Central office of “Kollel Chatzos” about the Grand Opening of its latest branch in Williamsburg right after Yom Tov, has been greeted with pride and joy. The kollel will be located at the renowned address of 500 Bedford, home of the Satmar Rebbe zy”a, with its rich history and walls steeped in countless hours of Torah and holiness. Look out for future updates.the Chatzos-partners!
The Center for Torah and Shmurah
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PreparationPreheat oven to 300° and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a small bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. Press a heaping tablespoon of crumbs onto the bottoms of the 12 muffin cups. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
Beat the cream cheese on low speed until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar and salt and beat until com-bined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and sour cream and beat until smooth. Remove the crusts from the refrigerator and evenly divide the filling among the 12 muffin cups.
Bake for about 18 - 22 minutes or until firm but the centers of the cheesecakes still wobble a little. Re-move from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (a few hours or even overnight).
Serving suggestion: top each muffin with fresh strawberries or blueberries and then drizzle with melted chocolate.
In the Kitchen
On Shavuos, many families enjoy a milchig “kiddush” before the yom tov meal during the day. Here are some easy and delicious treats to serve for kiddush or anytime you’re looking to impress your family and friends.
CHEESECAKE MUFFINS
SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE
Dairy Delights
PreparationPreheat oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs
and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and then alternate adding dry ingredients and sour cream to the cake batter.
In a separate bowl, mix topping ingredients (chocolate chips, brown sugar, cinnamon). Sprin-kle 1/4 of the topping into a greased Bundt pan. Spread 1/2 batter into Bundt pan, add 1/2 of the topping, and then add remaining batter. Sprinkle rest of topping mixture on top of the batter.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
IngredientsCrust1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 tablespoon sugar4 - 5 tablespoons butter, meltedFilling2 - 8 ounce packages of full fat cream cheese,
at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar1/8 teaspoon salt2 large eggs, room temperature1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
Ingredients2 eggs1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature1 cup sugar1 cup sour cream2 cups flour2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda1/8 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon vanillaTopping:1 cup brown sugar1 cup mini chocolate chips2 tablespoons cinnamon
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Ingredients15 ounce carton ricotta cheese¼ cup granulated sugar4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder1 teaspoon vanilla½ teaspoon finely shredded orange peel¼ cup finely chopped dark or bittersweet chocolate10 – 12 packaged chocolate cannoli shells
(if you can’t find the chocolate ones, the others will do)
PreparationFor the filling, in a medium bowl stir together ricotta cheese, granulated sugar, 4 teaspoons cocoa powder,
vanilla, and orange peel until almost smooth. Fold in chocolate. Cover and chill until needed.Meanwhile, dip the ends of each cannoli shell in melted chocolate. If you wish, before it dries, dip the end
into a bowl filled with chopped nuts. Let cool until they dry. Once they’re dry, spoon filling into a pastry bag fitted with a large open star or round tip. Pipe filling into cannoli shells. If desired, cover and chill for up to 1 hour. Before serving, sprinkle cannoli with powdered sugar and, if desired, additional cocoa powder.
CHOCOLATE CANNOLI
Ingredients2/3 cup whipping cream or Rich’s Whip1 tablespoon sugar¼ teaspoon vanilla2 cups brownies, crumbled into pieces (about 2 cups) (you can use store-bought)2 cups fresh raspberries or dark sweet cherries, pitted1 cup chocolate ice creamUnsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
PreparationCombine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium
speed until soft peaks form; set aside.Divide half of the crumbled brownies between 4 large parfait glasses or water goblets.
Divide half of the raspberries, ice cream topping, and whipped cream between the glasses, creating layers. Repeat layers with remaining brownies, raspberries, ice cream topping, and whipped cream. If desired, sprinkle with cocoa powder. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 4 hours.
SUPER-EASY INDIVIDUAL BROWNIE TRIFLES
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MRS. ADINA KATZPre-school Director
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TODAY!RESERVE YOUR SPOT
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BREAKFAST COMMITTEE:
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Howard AdelsburgDavid AidelsonShmuel BernsteinYehuda BiberLazer BliskoStephen FineDr. Daniel FinkMotti FoxIrving Fuchs
Adam GollerStu GreenbergGerald P. GrossBurt HochsteinAlan IntratorJoseph JudenbergAlain KlapholtzDr. Steven KollanderHarry Kotowitz
Dr. Jay LermanIgor LernerDr. Gabriel LeviReuben LevineMichael LevyRonnie LipsteinDr. Randy MakovskyNeal NisselReuven Perelman
Viktor RaykinAri SchertzDr. Moshe SchlusselbergHoward SchulmanMichael ShekhtikhinMordechai SternDr. Joseph SturmStuart WagnerJacob Weichholz
SHUVU: EDUCATING 15,000 CHILDREN IN 67 SCHOOLS IN ISRAEL
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Floods, spots and stage lights glance off my glitter; I’m under scrutiny downstage-center in front of the band while a college-aged crowd of four hundred strong dances and parties at my feet. I’m wearing skinny
beige jeans tucked into seven-inch platform alligator-skin boots; my jeans are stud-ded from waist to ankle with silver rivets, a black mesh glove runs up to the elbow and a red silk scarf is tied to my wrist. Bordering my left eye is a fiery rose of glit-ter, its stem and leaves trailing, sparkling down my cheek, the glitter stuck on with clear nail-polish. My rock ‘n’ roll look. I’m singing Janis Joplin’s Cry, Cry Baby in a passion.
And part of me is trying to hide behind my mike stand. Diameter: one-and-a-half-inches.
That was more than a generation ago. I was about 24 and had been singing professionally for seven years, graduating from fraternity-party bands to this group. The talent, the music, the show, the swelling fan base, our group in demand, talents moving us up, up, up, almost reaching the big time...
And niggling at the back of my brain on the ascent was the half-consciousness of an inverse fall. My compatriots, brainy and interesting in earlier college days, had morphed into something less wholesome. The culture was now one of li-cense, noxious lyrics, and ear-punishing sound. Yes, I did, after all, sing the stuff, but I’m happy to say that I was ridiculed for being just too straight, too “soft for rock ‘n’ roll.”
Only rarely would the image of my life harden into pitiless focus, but when it did, nanoseconds of clarity interposed. Like light sneaking under a door, the clarity finally broke through to frontal-lobe consciousness despite my firm resistance. It was the recognition that while we were jetting toward success, I was free-falling. The small, still voice inside asked of me, “What are you doing?”
I answered by quitting the band and going back to school. The idea was to learn something about music (I’d been depending on ear and instinct for the better part of a decade), and to work towards a degree. It was a great decision. I discovered to my delight that music is as logical as it is other-worldly, and Heaven knows I was in need of some logic.
Marrying one of my teachers wasn’t such a great decision. I’d been immersed in the distasteful for so long, that he looked good. The truth was that his quiet man-ner, which I confused with refinement, masked a quiet, constant hostility toward himself, toward the world, and toward me.
Jewish Butcher ShopsWhile we were living in Miami and in between singing gigs of the non-rock ‘n’
roll type, I had an odd pulling to things Jewish. Perhaps it was because Hostile Man was not Jewish. I’d occasionally drive to South Miami Beach on a Friday morning (this was before it went art-deco posh) for challah and kosher chicken – the makings of a Shabbos dinner. I hadn’t grown up with Shabbos and hadn’t many clues as to what it was all about, but I liked the Jewish-y feeling of entering the little butcher shops and bakeries on the beach.
On those Friday nights I’d light candles when the sun went down. I still re-membered the Aleph-Bet from Hebrew school so I would stumble over the proper blessing in an old Hebrew book. I’d close my eyes and wait for… something…. But any Sabbath holiness thus invited would be punctuated – or punctured – by the football game Hostile Man would be watching in the same room. Something just didn’t feel right.
There were other Friday nights when I’d turn up at the local JCC where Jew-ish students from U. Miami would be seated on the floor, singing along with a folk guitar player. Someone would hold up a challah and make another kind of blessing, then everyone would reach out and tear off a piece.
I’d drive home hungry.I even went to a Yom Kippur service in South Miami. After the service I asked the rabbi, “Do you believe in G-d?” I
don’t remember her answer but do remember heading for the door. I might not have known much about Ju-
daism, but I knew palaver when I heard it.And most assuredly I can’t explain why one
Friday night I drove to that synagogue on the beach. Oh, why had I parked right in front of the shul? I knew better! Outside, a gentle, little grey-bearded fellow, early-fifties, approached and in-vited me to dinner. That’s it, I thought. This guy
is trying to pick me up. Get me OUT of here. (He was inviting me to join his family for a Shabbos
meal, as I was to learn by experience – much later.)Hostile Man and I moved to California. After three
years of marriage we divorced.In LA, I enjoyed some success singing with “big bands”
(13 horns plus rhythm section), which claim a sphere in the music world more dignified than the one I’d abandoned. It was a trade-off, glitter and glove for gown and gloves. Then I began the earnest pursuit of an acting career: improv groups, headshots, agents, acting classes, auditions, industrial-film roles, bitsy movie roles, workouts, hair coloring, looks, looks, looks, me-me-me-me, me-me-me-me… until I got sick of ME.
Again, I went back to school – this time for a master’s in theater.
InspirationAndrea Eller*
From Song to Song
Ironic how I’d sung at least
a dozen times in the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, and here I was in that same
room attending a Jewish seminar.
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77Dating SeminarIt was while studying Ibsen, Lorca, and Ianesco that my having no Jewish
friends began to grate. I wanted to meet Jews. How would I do that?One fine spring day a flyer flew into my mailbox. Coming: A four-part seminar
on love, dating and marriage, the Jewish way. Jewish way? Hmm. The fellow I was dating wasn’t Jewish.
Ironic how I’d sung at least a dozen times in the Crystal Ballroom of the Bev-erly Hills Hotel, and here I was in that same room attending a Jewish seminar. A 30-something yarmulke’d rabbi, slight of build, beige polyester suit and a wildly red tie, began to speak about dat-ing. So I listen, comfortable in a conference-room chair at the back of the room. Then I lean forward in the chair. I move a few rows closer, then closer again... He’s saying that “casual dating” is an oxymoron. An impossibility. He’s saying, in short, that dating and becoming close are not casual. They leave their imprint on the heart and soul, and especially on the heart and soul of a woman. How non-PC!
Flash: Somewhere in the benthic depths of me I had known it.
The rabbi continues. He talks about why Jews should marry Jews – common sense reasons. The biggest question he ad-dresses, however, is whether anything important inheres in being Jew-ish. I’d never, ever heard anyone address such issues – not in the Hebrew School I’d detested in my youth, nor at home where the refrain had been simply, “Don’t marry a gentile.” Whoops…
The 150 singles in the Crystal Ballroom break into groups to discuss the rabbi’s comments, discussions led by youngish men and women sensitive to those like me who know little about Judaism. Each of these monitors guides the colloquy toward Jewish thinking. It’s exhilarating.
I show up the next week for Part II, and the next day it’s curtains for my current suitor. Eight days after the first session, I’m resolved to date only Jews, and with the sole intention of marriage.
I clearly remember the fourth and final meeting. The rabbi speaks, and once again he’s smart, funny, sincere, engaging and honest, and this time his tie is bright green. We break up into groups for the last time, ours led by Manny, a seasoned Jew in his early 30s. The discussion is lively and challenging – and over. I corner Manny and say, “Now what? Is that it?” He excuses himself (turns out he consults with the rabbi) and in a while returns and invites me to join his regular Monday night Torah class – that he has put together in the last five minutes as I found out years later.
The evening has ended, but I want to talk to the rabbi. He’s sitting on the prosce-nium bordering the stage, so I sit down beside him, yanking my skirt down to what I deem an acceptable length. I ask, “Why do women have to sit separately in syna-gogues as if they’re pariahs?” I wax further indignant, insulted, and self-righteous for a good half minute. He’s calm as he looks at me straight on with a quizzical almost-smile, and asks, as if he truly wants to know, “What’s really bothering you?”
Perhaps it’s the caring tone of his voice, or maybe it’s his directness: I cannot vocalize an answer. Instead, my eyes well up. After a moment or two I manage an “I don’t know.” I have to think about this.
And think I do. Hard. What bothers me is that I really want my religion, this Judaism, to make sense to me. I don’t want to be seduced by something just because it’s sweet or homey, or welcoming. It’s got to be real.
Despite the caveat, I move toward things Jewish. I show up at an LA syna-gogue for Shabbos prayers. I accept a few Shabbos dinner invitations, although I’m baffled that these strangers want me to stay overnight. (You want me to sleep here? But – why? I have my own place! I’ll come back tomorrow!) A few months pass and Manny encourages me to attend a Discovery seminar, Aish HaTorah’s three-day program focusing on the Torah’s origin. I can’t. I have Saturday afternoon and Sunday night gigs that weekend. Manny and his wife argue, successfully, that my missing a portion of the program doesn’t mean I won’t get something out of the rest of it.
I get something out of it all right. I get that things Jewish are not just sensible and stimulating, warm and sweet. Nor is it just a pleasure to hear the brilliance, intensity and logic of the lecturers. When the final speaker pulls together all the arguments for the veracity of the Torah, symphonic cymbals crash directly above my head. My whole being reverberates.
It’s not a fairy tale.It’s real. Real.Cymbal sound-waves thrumming, I decide to visit and explore Israel – and
maybe learn more about being Jewish. Chalk up another good decision.
Gary, the guitar player on the Sunday night gig, observes that I look like the cat who swallowed the canary. Well, that’s how I felt. Stuffed. With relief. Life actu-ally has meaning. Well what do you know.
Onstage AgainTwo interesting, personal truths declared themselves subsequent to my Jewish
re-education. I’d always wanted to write and perform my own show, but no theme had ever gelled. I might have had the talent, but I’d nothing to say. That and the
bewildering compulsion to hide behind the mike stand had conflated, forging an insuperable barrier between me and creativity. Now I had something to
say: Life has meaning. The spigot of inspiration was open.The second realization was more central. Astonishing, actually.
I’d no conscious idea that under the glitter and gowns had been a soul that balked at being … well… being viewed the way men view adorned women onstage. The intrusion had resulted only in a dis-connected, if profound, discomfort. Today I know no such discom-fort performing for women, who view me impartially as I entertain
them. Wait. That’s not quite right. Most women view me lovingly. Thus I’m free to sing, to be silly, serious, confident, and even giving.
Onstage I can be who I am – or a deliberately hyperbolic version of who I am. Performing has become a joy. I no longer hide behind mike stands.Musician, wife, singer, actor, writer. My connection to Torah has unified
the parts. As well, the connection has brought forth another of my “parts”: a soul – a soul that had been hidden in those benthic depths. That soul has since wrapped all my abilities into the oneness of a real self. I do believe that even in its weakened state, my soul was pressing me to the sorta-kinda, sorta-not Shabboses, the syna-gogue hopping, and my cataclysmic response to the Discovery program.
I thank G-d every day for shepherding me toward what I could not articulate – the need to connect to my Jewishness, to a freed creativity, to G-d Himself… and to a soul embracing it all.
*originally published on Aish HaTorah’s website under the pseudonym Robin Ramon Silver
Reprinted with permission.
What bothers me
is that I really want my religion,
this Judaism, to make sense
to me.
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Compiled by Nate Davis
Notable Quotes
“Say What?”
Every year for the past few years, on Mother’s Day...I’ve taken a delegation into Afghanistan or Iraq…to say thank you to our moms...who are serving there...I won’t be going this particular weekend because we don’t have—you know, under sequestration, we don’t have congressional delegations.- Nancy Pelosi decrying the sequestration
Chris Christie revealed he had lap-band surgery in February. President Obama wished him well. In fact, Obama is now thinking about having Joe Biden’s mouth stapled. - Jay Leno
Governor Christie is now saying that his decision had nothing to do with 2016, which by the way is his cholesterol. -David Letterman
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says he’s still adjusting after his surgery to reduce how much he can eat. He said, “I now have six free hours a day I don’t know what to do with.” - Conan O’Brien
Chris Christie had weight reduction surgery. As a result, I’ll be going into surgery for monologue joke reduction. - Conan O’Brien
Yesterday, police arrested 31 people involved in that big jewel heist in Belgium. One of the jewel thieves they captured yesterday was also a lawyer. That is a shame. Now lawyers will get a bad reputation. - Craig Ferguson
If I could just get your autograph on my copy of your first bill.- MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on air, after discussing a bill she sponsored
According to a new poll, Americans trust Judge Judy more than they trust Supreme Court justices. She won her trust after her landmark decision in the case of Drunk Lady vs. Other Drunk Lady.- Conan O’Brien
I swear that if we had a nuke, we’d have used it this very morning.- Jibril Rajoub, the Deputy Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee and Chairman of the Palestinian Authority Olympic Committee
Matt Harvey has Mets permission to skip game tomorrow and be at MSG to root on Rangers.- Prank Tweet sent by Jay Horwitz (Mets’ vice president of media relations), which caused a frenzy amongst fans who purchased tickets to see Met phenomenon Matt Harvey
I’m calling on the Supreme Leader of North Korea or as I call him, “Kim,” to do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose.- Former NBA star Dennis Rodman asking for the release of a Korean-American man sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea
In a land of freedom we are held hostage by the tyranny of political correctness. -Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, responding to calls that the team’s name is offensive to Indians and should be changed
I don’t think the Port Authority does a good enough job in anything that they do, quite honestly, but clearly in the area of security. Those cops get paid more than NYPD cops, and quite honestly — I know I’m going to get into trouble for saying this — they’re nothing more than mall cops. - Mayoral candidate Joe Lhota at a candidate forum
On 9/11 we searched together for 23 NYPD officers and 37 PAPD officers who sacrificed their own lives while evacuating others to safety. If that doesn’t speak to professional policing, then I don’t know what does. - Patrick J. Lynch, president of the PBA
I regret my unfortunate characterization of the Port Authority Police Department.- Joe Lhota
Why do so many people like you, but don’t like me? - Former Giants running back Tiki Barber interviewing his brother and former NFL player Ronde Barber on his CBS Sports show
I love bacon and I eat it every day. I don’t feel as old as I am, that’s all I can say. -105-year-old Pearl Cantrell, in an interview with a local NBC station discussing the secret of her longevity
A pencil is a weapon when it is pointed at someone in a threatening way and gun noises are made.- A Virginia school spokesman explaining why a 7-year-old boy was expelled for making believe his pencil was a gun
As I have said before, the woes of Iran, and the earthquakes that threaten us in particular, can all be blamed on immodest women. -Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
For the first time ever, girls in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to take part in school sports. Of course, their moms won’t be allowed to drive them to practice. But hey, it’s progress. - Jay Leno
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New predictions claim that 42 percent of Americans will be obese by the year 2030. They say the only way to stop it is for government to step in. Oh, yeah, that will work. When it comes to trimming the fat and tightening your belt, who knows better than the U.S. government? - Jay Leno
In all his recent interviews Mr. Bush has been modest, humorous, proud but unassuming, and essentially philosophical: History will decide. No finger-pointing or scoring points. If he feels rancor or resentment he didn’t show it. He didn’t attempt to manipulate. His sheer normality seemed like a relief, an echo of an older age. And all this felt like an antidote to Obama—to the imperious I, to the inability to execute, to the endless interviews and the imperturbable drone, to the sense that he is trying to teach us, like an Ivy League instructor taken aback by the backwardness of his students. And there’s the unconscious superiority. One thing Mr. Bush didn’t think he was was superior. He thought he was luckily born, quick but not deep, and he famously trusted his gut but also his heart. He always seemed moved and grateful to be in the White House. Someone who met with Mr. Obama during his first year in office, an old hand who’d worked with many presidents, came away worried and confounded. Mr. Obama, he said, was the only one who didn’t seem awed by his surroundings, or by the presidency itself.- Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the professional networking site LinkedIn. Which is weird, because on LinkedIn it says it has 15 years of experience.- Jimmy Fallon
You will address me as Dr. Gosnell. - Abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, who is on trial for running an abortion house of horrors, to the sheriff
You’re just an inmate now, Kermit.- Sheriff in response
Bill Clinton was being interviewed recently, and he said that despite all the speculation, Hillary hasn’t said anything to him about running for president in 2016. Though in fairness, she hasn’t said anything to him since 1998.- Jimmy Fallon
Beginning Memorial Day 2013, Walmart will offer a job to any honorably discharged veteran within his or her first 12 months off active duty. We believe Walmart is already the largest private employer of veterans. And we want to hire more. We project that we’ll hire more than 100,000 veterans over the next five years.- Statement by Walmart about their new policy
Walmart’s recent announcement of a plan to hire returning honorably discharged veterans is more about public relations than honoring our heroes...We owe it to our returning veterans to make sure they are treated as the heroes they are, rather than as symbols used to “greenwash” Walmart’s eroding brand. After facing enemies abroad, is an $8.81 an hour part-time job the best we can offer returning veterans? - AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka
CNN anchor Carol Costello was robbed of her iPhone in broad daylight while walking down the street in Atlanta. Unfortunately, it was on CNN, so there weren’t any witnesses. - Jay Leno
I felt horrible. I’ve played basketball a million times in my life and I’ve never elbowed anybody. So the first time I do this, it’s to the President of the United States? What is the probability of that? Nil, right? - Reynaldo Decerega talking to the Boston Globe on 5/6/13 about the incident two years ago when he elbowed President Obama in the lip during a basketball game, causing him to get 12 stitches
For Rey, the only guy that ever hit the president and never got arrested. Barack. - Note attached to a three-picture sequence of the incident sent by the president to Reynaldo Decerega
Send Nikki Haley back to wherever ... she came from. - South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman, Dick Harpootlian, talking about the GOP governor whose parents are from India
I mean, I apologized yesterday...She is not from India, she is from Bamburg, South Carolina, where she was an accountant in her parents’ clothing store called Exotica, and all I’m suggesting is she needs to go back to being an accountant in a dress store rather than being this fraud of a governor that we have.- Ibid., the following day
People are watching – and they are watching you. All of us appearing on-air should take care to present ourselves in the best light possible, and that includes physical appearance. As many of our regular guests already know, neat and professional dress, combed hair and a quick visit to our resident makeup artist on the 6th floor is encouraged before each appearance for both men and women – even for just a quick dash of powder. You want the spotlight focused on your stellar journalism – not shining off your forehead.- Wall Street Journal memos to employees
A Texas man has fired the first-ever gun created by a 3-D printer. Which raises the question: Don’t you think a gun created by a printer would jam?- Conan O’Brien
The fastest way to reduce climate change shouldn’t seem impossible, because it requires no massive new investments, technological breakthroughs or long-term infrastructure projects....it just requires us all to eat fewer animal products.- David Sirota in Salon magazine
Our house is on fire. We’re getting the big stories wrong, over and over again.- CBS anchor Scott Pelley in a speech at Quinnipiac University
As I listen to your testimony I could not help but think of something that I said very recently -- two years ago now – in a eulogy for a relative. I said that death is a part of life.- Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) to Benghazi witnesses who were testifying about how the tragedy could have been prevented
Give me my gun back and I’ll give you your phone that you dropped.- What a crook in New Orleans said to an armed-robbery victim after the victim snatched the crook’s gun, but dropped his phone in the process
The cicadas are back after 17 years, but they don’t have their original drummer.- David Letterman
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When people have long-term marriages and things are bad, there are ways to fix them.
It’s better to resolve problems so kids can grow up in a home with two loving parents. But you aren’t married and you have your life ahead of you, so why get bogged down with something hurtful when you don’t have to? Why suffer? Life was not meant for suffering, not in my opinion.
Are you shocked to hear me say this? Aren’t we in the middle of a shid-duch crisis? Shouldn’t I be promoting marriage? If you’ve read my articles or if you know me, you know I am very pro-marriage. If you want to save your marriage, I will do everything in my power to help you. On the other hand, perhaps one of the reasons for the shid-duch crisis is fear. Perhaps people have seen their recently-married friends get divorced within a year. Perhaps their own parents divorced or were unhappy.
I have figured out a way around this fear. If singles would know exactly what to look for – and avoid it like the plague – then they can relax about their dating experience with everyone else.
I think we were meant, like the Constitution says, to pursue happiness. Maybe it doesn’t come easily, not on a silver platter. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go for it. That’s why I wrote this. I want you to have a simple blueprint for your relationships that will help you stay on the road to pursuing happiness rather than being stuck in misery. I’ve boiled it down to the top seven signs that something is not right. Tips one through four were discussed in last week’s issue. Here are the rest, starting from number five.
Sign 5: You’re always the bad one.When something goes wrong, does
your significant other manage to be the victim and you seem to always turn out to be the “bad guy”? Playing vic-tim is a warning sign of someone who was emotionally abused growing up and always feels like he or she is be-ing hurt. The problem is that no matter how innocent you are, no matter how kind your heart, you are always in the wrong. As much as you are concerned about the feelings of your friend, what
about your feelings? It’s not right to make you out to al-
ways be the bad one. In a relationship of two equals, both people will make mis-takes; both people can be responsible for problems that come up. When you always become the bad one, what hap-pens to the other person? Simple: He or she is totally freed of responsibility. If it’s always your fault, it’s never theirs. Do you see what a clever way this is to not have to look at themselves? This is
another sign of a relationship you do not want to be in.
Sign 6: Conversations make no sense.
There are people in this world who just don’t like to think. And I’m not talking about doing schoolwork. They can be excellent academically or on the job. The thinking I’m talking about is what is involved in a chesbon hanefesh, a personal account-ing of one’s actions. It’s being reflective, looking at oneself. Thinking: “Could it be possible that I hurt someone else’s feelings?” In order to do this, one must be logical. One must be willing to admit, logically, that if most people say something would hurt their feelings, then that be-havior probably really is hurtful. It’s not logical to just defensively respond, “No, it isn’t!”
One way people who don’t want to look at themselves get around this is to misquote others. Ann will tell some-thing to Bill and then Bill will quote Ann as saying the exact opposite! Where in the world did Bill get that from? The answer is: It was more con-venient to keep repeating something he wants to believe rather than sticking to the facts. Here’s another example of a
conversation like that:Lisa: My brother did the wrong
thing in leaving you off the team, but he is usually a fair person. He must have had some kind of reason, even if it wasn’t a good one.
Paul: So, basically, what you’re say-ing is your brother can do no wrong.
Do you see where I’m going, here? Lisa said the exact opposite! She is try-ing to see the good in her brother and help Paul to see it, but she is taking
Paul’s side here. Paul, however, wants no part of that. It’s easier for him to just say that Lisa has not taken his side at all. Now, he can launch into Sign 5 and make her the bad one with himself the victim.
If you find conversations end up like the one above with Lisa and Paul, this is not a healthy relationship. Peo-ple have to really be able to hear what
you say and not mis-quote you. The really annoying thing is that if Lisa and Paul get married, he will keep doing this for the next 47 years if they stay together that long. If you’re Lisa, don’t get started with it; it’s not going to get better.
Sign 7: There’s too much anger.
There are angry people in this world. Maybe they have good reason, but you know what? Anger feeds on itself and it doesn’t go away. It’s like a fire that is out of control: Everything in its path burns. People who are angry more often than not have bigger problems than you, as a friend, can handle. And you can easily become the target of their anger yourself. If your boyfriend or girlfriend often complains about others or is fu-rious at them, this is not a relationship that will bring you joy.
I do understand how you might
feel compassion for the suffering your friend has had, but your compassion will not make that suffering go away. All that will happen is the pain will suck you into that dark place your friend is in and then you will both be there in it together. There is no reason to throw away your whole life like that. And a good friend who really cares about you wouldn’t want you to be in that awful place anyway.
If the anger is directed at you, that’s even more reason to end the relation-ship. Anger escalates. Eventually, it could become dangerous.
So what do you do when faced with these seven signs?
The hardest thing is to confront someone who is making you uneasy or who frightens or depresses you. It’s scary. Step one is to reach out to the friends that you’ve been out of touch with and explain what’s going on. Ex-plain that you’ve decided to break off the relationship and you want support. Get them on board. And if there is any potential for violence, you might con-sider contacting the police to be in the vicinity.
Step two is to meet in a public place to make the break so as to ensure both physical and psychological safety. With friends in the area should you need them, you can calmly explain that this relationship needs to end. Prepare for it by taking deep breaths, getting calm and focused.
Finally, you might find that you are harassed afterwards. Depending on how dangerous the relationship was, it could be violent. Be sure the right people know. Do not keep this to yourself. That is another topic, but an important one.
Most of all, focus on creating the good life that you want for yourself. And that begins by being treated well.
Dr. Deb Hirschhorn, a Marriage & Family Therapist, is proud to announce that readers of The Jewish Home will receive a $50 dis-count on every visit to her Woodmere office. For more information, call 646-54-DRDEB or check out her website at drdeb.com.
TJh StaffDrDeb
deb hirschhorn, ph.d.
anger feeds on Itself and It doesn’t go away. It’s lIke a fIre that Is out of control
The Single’s Top Seven Warning Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship…continued…
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I keep hearing about how chil-dren need recess in order to per-form better in school. I understand the general idea: you need to get your blood flowing and your body moving in order to get your brain working. However, I was wondering if there was some sort of education-al philosophy behind recess?
There are two extremely important educational principles behind recess: an opportunity for socialization and physical activity. First, socialization is a key part of the learning process. Chil-dren who have friends in the classroom and are comfortable with their peers are more likely to participate, volunteer, and speak up. These interactive ele-ments of the learning are what solidify information in a child’s brain. There-fore, the more comfortable a child is socially, the more comfortable he will be to apply his academic knowledge. Recess, as an opportunity for socializa-tion, provides a time for children to get to know one another on a more person-al level, thereby enhancing the positive feeling in the classroom.
The second element of recess that is often overlooked is the idea that through recess children get their bodies moving. John Ratey, a professor at Har-vard Medical School and the author of Spark: The Evolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, explains that “physical activity sparks biologi-cal changes that encourage brain cell to bind to one another… exercise provides an unparalleled stimulus, creating an environment in which the brain is ready, willing, and able to learn.” So, another added bonus of recess? The ability for children’s brains to function more pro-ficiently after a little physical activity.
Because our schools follow a dual curriculum, it is often hard for teachers to fit in enough time for recess during the day. One exercise that I have found to be helpful both in the classroom and in my office, is a technique Michelle Gay writes about in her book Brain Breaks for the Classroom. These “brain breaks” are a great way to get your child focused when he is doing homework or if he is preparing his leining for his bar mitzvah. The basic concept of brain breaks is that when your child engages both is body and his mind, he will be better ready to accept the information presented to him.
Below are some sample “brain
breaks” that your child can do at home or in school:Brain Wave
• Kneel on the floor. Put your feet down so that your toes are touching. Put your knees down with a little dis-tance between them.
• Rest your forearms and hands (palms down) on the floor. Spread your elbows wider than your knees.
• Put your forehead on the floor between your hands.
• Take a few deep breaths.• Push forward for your knees to-
ward your head, rolling up until most of your weight is resting on your head and hands. Curve your back like a C.
• Move in reverse until returning to kneeling position.
• Repeat two times.X’s and O’s
• Sit on the edge of your chair. Make sure your feet are touching the floor.
• Tuck in your arms, legs, and your whole body to make an “O” shape.
• Spread your arms and legs wide open to create an “X” shape.
• Curl back into the “O” position. Repeat.
These are just two of the multiple short “brain breaks” you can take with your child in order to get his brain work-ing – and his academic juices flowing!
The opinions expressed in this article reflect the view of the author and those cited by her. In all matters of hashkafah and chinuch, read-ers should seek reliable rabbinical guidance. Mrs. Rifka Schonfeld, founder and director of Strategies for Optimum Success (S.O.S.) in 1980, services all grade levels in secular as well as Hebrew studies. A long-time kriah and reading specialist, she offers evalua-tions, as well as G.E.D. preparation, social skills training and shidduch coaching. She can be reached at 718-382-5437 or at [email protected].
Social SmartsRifka Schonfeld
Recess is More than Just Fun!
We recently re-ceived an as-signment to
sell a well-maintained 165 square meter (1,775 sf) 5-bedroom penthouse in Har Cho-ma, Jerusalem. The apartment has two large sukkah balconies boasting panoram-ic views. The asking price is 2,500,000 NIS or approximate-ly $675,000. If this apartment were locat-ed in more centrally located and better established Jerusa-lem neighborhoods, it would be sold for more than double the price. So why is this apartment so reasonably priced?
LocationHar Choma is situated in south-
eastern Jerusalem and is bordered by Kibbutz Ramat Rachel to the north, the Judean Desert to the east, Bethlehem to the south and Derech Chevron to the west. As its name suggests, Har Choma is built on a hill. The apex of the hill reaches 775 meters above sea level and offers magnificent views of Jerusalem and the Judean Hills.
Har Choma is one of Jerusalem’s eight ring neighborhoods – so called because these communities form a ring around the capital – that were built after Israel’s miraculous victory in the 1967 Six Day War. Har Choma’s initial plans were drawn in the 1980s and, after fif-teen years of struggles against environ-mental and political opposition, con-struction finally began in 1997.
PastIn the mid-1940s, a Jewish group
purchased a 130-dunam (32 acre) par-cel, which comprises the majority of Har Choma. During the 1948 War of In-dependence, the hill served as the base for the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and was utilized by Jordan’s Arab Le-gion. The name Har Choma – literally Mount of Walls – refers to the walls of a Byzantine church on the side of the hill, which were visible to the Palmach forc-es that were stationed nearby at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel.
PresentAlthough Har Choma is barely
over a decade old, the neighborhood
has grown to almost 25,000 residents. Har Choma’s popularity stems from its rel-atively inexpensive housing and suburban environment despite its proximity to the center of Jerusalem. It has been well planned, offering many small parks and large play-grounds, with a pic-turesque promenade encircling the neigh-borhood and connect-ing the larger parks. Har Choma has over a dozen kindergartens, multiple elementary schools, three shop-
ping centers, and numerous bus lines connecting the neighborhood to the rest of Jerusalem.
Har Choma is a mixed neighbor-hood, with a many families in the Char-dal (charedi leumi or ultra-orthodox nationalist) camp, most of whom are affiliated with Yeshivat Mercaz Har-av, founded by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. There is also a large dati leumi (religious nationalist) community plus secular Jews. Due to its relatively inex-pensive pricing, scores of educators and civil servants – and many young fami-lies – live in this neighborhood.
FutureCurrently, only 5% of the popula-
tion is comprised of English speakers. However, there has been a recent push to attract and generate a nucleus of En-glish speakers, which would address the strong demand for inexpensive housing for Anglos with restricted budgets de-sirous of living in Jerusalem. This effort should eventually gain traction as there are no alternative Jerusalem options offering both affordable and relatively new housing.
I am keeping my eye on Har Cho-ma, as I believe it has strong potential in the near future to become a destination for a portion of my English-speaking clientele.
Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home, a real estate agency focused on help-ing people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at [email protected]. Please visit his blog at www.myisrael home.com.
My Israel HomeGedaliah Borvick
Emerging Har Choma
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Balsamic Roasted CarrotsIngredients2 bunches fresh carrots,
peeled and trimmed1 tbsp olive oil1 tsp salt½ tsp pepper5 sprigs fresh thyme2 tbsp honey2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
PreparationPreheat oven to 425°F.
Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Slice the carrots in half lengthwise. In a large mix-ing bowl, toss with oil, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Arrange carrots in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, and scatter thyme sprigs overtop. Roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
In small bowl, whisk together honey and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the car-rots, and gently roll them around to coat. Roast for a further 15-20 minutes or until carrots are tender and caramelized. Serve immediately.
Quinoa ‘n CranberriesIngredients1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained2 cups water½ cup chopped pecans, toasted½ cup craisins1 tablespoon olive oil2 tablespoons lemon juiceSalt and pepper, to taste
PreparationBring the quinoa and water
to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Scrape into a mix-ing bowl, and cool until it is warm, about 20 minutes.Once the quinoa has cooled, stir in the pecans, cranberries, olive oil, and lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before serving.
Broccoli SlawIngredients 2 heads broccoli1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons
raisins 1/2 cup finely chopped red
onions3/4 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup mayonnaise2 tablespoons lemon juice2 tablespoons rice wine
vinegar2 tablespoons sugar1 teaspoon saltfreshly ground pepper
PreparationShred the broccoli in a food processor, using the grater disk. In a large bowl,
combine the shredded broccoli, raisins, red onion, and almonds.Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a few
shakes of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper, to taste. Allow to sit for 30 minutes (or an hour in the fridge) so the flavors can mingle.
Baked Pastrami EggrollsIngredients2 teaspoons canola oil 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp.)1/2 cup chopped onion2 cups shredded cabbage or cole slaw mixSalt and pepper, to taste1 tsp. canola oil6 slices pastrami, diced3 tbsp. water + 1 tbsp. flour10-12 eggroll wrappers2 tsp. canola oil
DirectionsPreheat oven to 400°F. Heat 2 tsp canola oil in a large frying pan, add minced
garlic and chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until onion is soft and slightly golden around the edges. Add shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix to the onion mix-ture and stir for approximately 3 minutes or until cabbage begins to wilts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove cabbage mix from pan and set aside in a medium-sized bowl.
In same frying pan, heat up additional teaspoon of canola oil and fry diced pas-trami for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until crisped. Remove from heat and fold into cabbage mixture.
In a small bowl, mix together water and flour. Cover a baking tray with parch-ment paper or spray with baking spray. Set aside. Place eggroll wrapper on a plate
In the Kitchen
To Enhance Your Yom Tov MealAfter cooking so many meals, sometimes it’s nice to have a different side dish to offer your guests.
Here are some easy, delicious ideas for you to try!
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95and cover with damp cloth to keep moist and fresh.To make eggrolls: lay a wrapper flat on a workable surface, position the wrapper
in a diamond shape. Place 1/4 cup mound of the pastrami-cabbage mixture in the bottom point of the eggroll (closest to you), roll the dough up, cradling the filling, fold sides over like you would a present, tuck in any extra dough. Roll up and seal top corner with a few drop of the water/flour solution. Seal top corner, and lay on baking sheet seam-side down, brush with canola oil. Repeat process until all ingredients are used up.
Cook in oven for 15 minutes or until eggrolls are golden brown and toasty. Serve warm with duck sauce on the side.
Potato K nishes
PreparationMake dough: Stir together your dry ingredients in the bottom of a medium/large
bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, vinegar and water. Pour it over the dry ingredients and stir them to combine. Knead it until smooth, about a minute. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Set it aside for an hour (or in the fridge, up to 3 days) until needed.
Meanwhile, prepare filling: Put potatoes into a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes can be pierced easily with a knife, about 20 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil until hot and then add onions and reduce to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, until deeply caramelized, which will take about 20-45 minutes. Transfer to bowl with potatoes and mash together until almost smooth. Stir in salt and black pepper and set the filling aside.
Assemble knish: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 375°.
Divide the dough in half. On a well-floured surface, roll the first half of the dough into a very thin sheet, roughly in the shape of a 1-foot square. For moderate size knish, create a 2-inch thick log from half your potato filling across the bottom of your dough. Roll the filling up in the dough, but not too tight. A tiny amount of slack will keep the dough from opening in the oven. Keep rolling until the log has been wrapped twice in dough. Trim any unrolled length and add it to the second half of the dough; it can be used again. Repeat the process with the second half of your dough and second half of filling; you might have a small amount of dough leftover.
Trim the ends of the dough so that they’re even with the potato filling. Then, make indentations on the log every 3 to 3 1/2 inches (you’ll have about 3, if your log was 1 foot long) and twist the dough at these points, as if you were making sau-sage links. Snip the dough at each twist, then pinch one of the ends of each segment together to form a sealed knish base. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the knish a bit into a squat shape and from here, you can take one of two approaches to the top: You can pinch together the tops as you did the bottom to seal them; indenting them with a small dimple will help keep them from opening in the oven. You can gently press the dough over the filling but leave it mostly open.
Bake knish: Arrange knish on prepared baking sheet so that they don’t touch. Whisk egg yolk and water together to form a glaze and brush it over the knish dough. Bake knish for about 45 minutes, rotating your tray if needed for them to bake into an even golden brown color. Let them cool before eating as the potatoes inside are hot.
IngredientsDough2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon table salt1 large egg1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon white vinegar1/2 cup water (see Update, above)Filling1 1/2 pounds (about 3 medium) russet
potatoes, peeled and quartered1 small yellow onion, peeled and
diced small2 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepperTo finish1 large egg yolk1 teaspoon water
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Salmon En Croute F lorentine Style with Mushroom Sauce
This recipe is the perfect dish to serve with salmon left over from your yom tov meals.
IngredientsOne sheet of puff pastry
dough1 teaspoon of sesame seeds1/2 cup of chopped frozen
spinach1/4 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon onion powder3 pieces of salmon, can be
day-old cooked salmonPinch of salt and pepper to
taste1 egg for eggwash
PreparationPreheat oven to 350°F. Thaw out spinach. Mix with onion and garlic powder
as well as salt and pepper to taste. Cut frozen puff pastry into three even pieces. Place 1/3 of the spinach mixture in center of piece pastry dough. Lay salmon skin side up on top of spinach. Seal puff pastry so that the seam is on top center. Once completely sealed, turn over and place seam on the bottom. Brush egg wash on top of pouch and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut 2 or 3 vents in puff pastry diagonally. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a beautiful golden brown is achieved. (If salmon is not precooked, it should be there for minimally 40 minutes.)
Note: If you are making this dish for a dairy meal, consider smearing some good quality cream cheese between fish and spinach.
Mushroom SauceIngredients32 ounces vegetable Broth1/2 cup of white button mushrooms, thinly sliced and sautéed with some salt1/4 cup of sautéed onions1 tablespoon of onion powder, not granulated4 tablespoons of cornstarch4 tablespoons of watersalt and pepper to taste
PreparationAdd sautéed mushrooms and onions to broth. Bring broth to a boil. Mix corn-
starch with water until fully incorporated, creating a slurry. Add slurry to broth and heat until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. If serving for dairy meal, consider adding a few tablespoons of warmed (as sauce should be served warm/ hot) cream at service time.
Recipe variations: If you have an aversion to spinach, you can substitute spin-ach with mushroom, onions shallots and herbs sautéed in butter, known as dux-elles - process in food processor till somewhat spreadable. Alternatively, you can just spread some good quality whole grain mustard on top of salmon before encas-ing in the puff pastry.
Chef Shaul Silverstein
I encourage you to send me any or all suggestions to [email protected]. Also please notify me if there is any recipe or idea that you would like to see in this column. Bon appetit!
Enjoy!
Chef Shaul
In the Kitchen
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I am a divorced man with two chil-dren and am engaged to a wonderful woman. I want to be fair to my two children and any future children I may have, as well as to my future wife. What steps should I take to safeguard their financial interests?
The Attorney Responds:Mazal tov on your upcoming wed-
ding! A marriage (like the birth of a child or a divorce or death of a spouse) is a life-changing event which requires and deserves careful thought and prepara-tion. Planning now for your future will diminish later complications and enable better and happier family relationships. First and foremost, please see an attor-ney about a pre-nuptial agreement (also called an ante-nuptial or pre-marital agreement) which will clarify who gets (or does not get) what in case of divorce or death. This contract, entered into be-fore marriage, is not just for rock stars and famous athletes. Anyone marrying for a second (or third…) time with chil-dren from a prior marriage and/or sep-arate assets (e.g. home, pension, 401(k) account, bank accounts) needs to have this Agreement. New York State law is quite specific as to the requirements for a binding pre-nuptial agreement so this is a contract for which you will need assistance from an attorney who specializes in this area. A properly negoti-ated and execut-ed pre-nuptial agreement will be enforced by a court.
Please keep in mind that, in general, assets purchased or ob-tained by a mar-ried couple in New York State (other than those inherited or procured from distinct separate assets from before the marriage) belong to both spouses equal-ly – even though they are acquired by only one spouse or are listed only in one spouse’s name. It would benefit you and your future wife to know where each of you stands economically (both credits and debts) prior to the marriage. An in-tegral part of the pre-nuptial agreement is full disclosure by both parties (future
spouses) as to their financial stability (assets and liabilities).
This contract removes doubt and un-certainty as to financial matters between you and your future wife and therefore diminishes or eliminates monetary pres-sure between the two of you. Financial clarity is a great way to start a marriage and solidify your estate planning inten-tions!
Next on our checklist is insurance. Do you have life insurance? Disability insurance? Long Term Care Insurance? I am a big believer in having sufficient insurance in place to protect your family.
It is a bracha to your family to be taken care of financially whatever happens in the future. It is better to pay the premi-ums and not need the insurance. But, if you (or your family) rely on your in-come to pay the mortgage, etc., you need insurance in place. Let us start with life insurance, which is a basic component of estate planning. If you have young children and/or a spouse whom you
want to protect if you die, term life insurance is a must. Term life insurance lasts for a specific term (usually 20 years) and is rel-atively inexpen-sive – especially if you are fairly healthy. Whole life insurance combines both life insurance
and a savings component and is pric-ier. Check with a life insurance agent to see which makes more sense for you and how to structure your primary ben-eficiaries and contingent beneficiaries to ensure that both your children and future wife are covered and have the necessary monetary resources after you pass. Your future spouse will also want to look into term life insurance for your benefit.
Speaking of beneficiaries, please check all beneficiary designations for
your assets to make sure they are as you wish them to be. Even though you are divorced from your prior spouse, she will receive the proceeds of any insur-ance policy, pension, etc. if she is named beneficiary despite the divorce. The divorce does not automatically negate her status as beneficiary on any asset you have. While you are checking your designations, make sure no beneficiaries have pre-deceased you which could trig-ger problems for your estate after you pass. Make sure to think of disability in-surance, which is crucial if you become injured or incapacitated (physically or
mentally) and are unable to work. Finally, Long Term Care Insurance
is an important part of estate planning. The ironic part of LTC insurance is that the younger you are when you obtain the insurance (and are probably at that time not thinking about future health problems), the more eligible you are, the more affordable the payments are, and the greater coverage is available to you. I urge you to consider LTC in-surance at a younger (under 50) age. I was 40 years old when I purchased an affordable, comprehensive LTC poli-cy. Look for a NYS partnership policy (which also provides you with a credit on your annual NYS tax return), a com-pound interest rider (3% or more) and a health home care rider which pays for
an aide so you may stay in your home, if possible, rather than go to a nursing home. When clients ask me about Med-icaid planning, the first recommendation I make is to put a LTC policy in place.
The pre-nuptial agreement and in-surance policies are great first steps toward peace of mind as you enter the next phase of your life with your future spouse. After the marriage, you may wish to update your advance directives (Health Care Proxy, Power of Attorney, and Last Will and Testament).
Behatzlacha to you and your future wife!
W. Zehava Schechter, Esq. specializes in real estate law, estate planning and administra-tion, and business law. Her private practice is located on Long Island. Please send your comments to [email protected].
CNG Networking Group is an Orthodox Jewish networking group which meets in Queens and Long Island. The attorney sub-group of CNG specializes in the following areas of law: Trusts & Estates, Real Estate, Matrimonial, Criminal, Personal Injury, Trademarks/Copyright, Tax, Non-profits, Bankruptcy, and Litigation. We welcome questions from readers on a wide range of legal matters. Please submit your legal ques-tions to [email protected]. While we do not provide specific legal advice, we hope to present readers with a greater un-derstanding of the issues presented and po-tential means of resolving difficulties. No column is a substitute for competent legal advice. Please consult with the attorney of your choice concerning specific legal ques-tions you may have.
fInancIal clarIty Is a great way to start a marrIage.
Ask the Attorneyzehava Schechter, esq
Starting a Second Marriage on the Right Track
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Services
Hair Course Learn how to wash and style hair and wigs
Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group
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Real Estate for Sale
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Lawrence - For sale by owner Co-op, large one bedroom, 1 1/2
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Cedarhurst – For sale by owner. 5 BR, 3.5 bath. Colonial on oversize lot. Hardwood flooring throughout. Beautiful Eat-in Chef’s Kitchen
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Photos 4 your Simcha Professional Photography and Video We love what we do and it shows in
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Jewish Lower East Side Walking Tours given by licensed NYC tour guide
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Home Improvements General Contractor
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Can You Sell? Looking to make some extra cash? On-The-Marc is hiring motivated part time sales
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Real Estate For Rent
Seeking Job Experienced P-3 Provider, with M.S. in
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Boys Elementary School in the Far Rockaway / 5 Towns area seeks
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Growing shul in Inwood, NY seeking responsible, dynamic male to
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Tisha B’Av really gets to me!I mean like practically any
terrible thing you can name hap-pened on that day. Destruction of the first Temple—Tisha B’Av. Destruction of the second Temple—Tisha B’Av. Spanish Inquisition—Tisha B’Av. Need I continue?
I mean there we are, counting three weeks, then the last nine days, and what do we get at the end? Tisha B’Av! Can anything be sad-der?
Now think about the past seven weeks of counting…a whole different climax there. Shavuot—the time of receiving the To-rah, the blueprint of the universe. Can you imagine a better gift? Just think of your house, any time you need to get anything accomplished, fixed, or reno-vated—you’re kvetching for the blueprints.
Where are the studs? How strong is the foundation? Is this a supporting wall? Whoops, I should have asked that before I swung that sledgehammer. I guess we’ll have to call it a ranch from now on! Oh, and is this electric socket LLLIIIIIIVVVVVEE?!!!!?!?! Wee Ya! Hope I look good in an Afro! How of-ten are we completely frustrated not to have the original plans for our homes? So much would be known, so many mistakes could be avoided.
We are so lucky to have the blue-prints for life, delivered to us on a silver platter. Focusing on the founda-tions, reviewing the plan, the layout, exploring the information clearly re-vealed and delving into the mysteries hidden in the framework; this is what helps to guide us on a constant ba-sis. This is what we pay tribute to on
Shavuot.G-d has seen fit to share His archi-
tectural plan for this mystical world with us. “Histakalta Ba oraisa u’bara almah” (G-d looked in the Torah and built the world). We are celebrating this precious inside view.
Don’t miss the opportunity here. Register the inside information we’ve
been blessed with to help us navigate best. In life, walls are always closing in on us and ve-neers are always changing. But if we recall we have the map of what’s behind it all, we won’t get led astray
by false passageways or unsupported walls. We will know the true value of the universe we occupy and which ar-eas offer the best protection and truest
shelter!E n j o y
Shavuot and embrace and continue to study G-d’s gift to us; the entire roadmap for life, the original G.P.S; our To-rah.
Many times people ask me
what S.D.S stands for in my list of ac-complishments: “Space Design Spe-cialist.” I work with you directly, or assist your architect, to give you exact-ly what you want in your entire home design, and I design offices, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, etc. as well. And that is why I so respect and appre-ciate a good architectural plan!
Have an awe-filled and awesome Shavuot.
Rivki Rosenwald is a certified life coach and couples counselor. She can be contact-ed at 917-705-2004 or [email protected].
Rivki d. Rosenwald esq., CLC, SdS
Life coach
Architecture At Its Best
we are so lucky to have the blueprInts
for lIfe, delIvered to us on a sIlver platter.
PRESENTSA Rina C. Hirsch Production
Directed by:Rina C. Hirsch - Ariana Wolfson - Na'ama Rosenberg - Eliana Hirsch
“Where every girl is a STAR!”
For Ticket Information, please call: 516-481-1644 or 516-385-1959 for General Information.Order online: at www.jewishtickets.com or [email protected]
General Seats: $18 in advance/$22 at the doorPremium Seats: $24 in advance/$30 at the door | VIP Seats: $35 in advance/$45 at the door
Sponsored by:?
Proceeds to Benefit: Project Extreme
Sunday, June 9th, 201310:30a.m. & 3:00p.m. showsLawrence Middle School195 Broadway, Lawrence, NY
DRAMA QUEENSDRAMA QUEENS
theSTARRING
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Rabbi Aharon Brafman-Director Rabbi Moshe Shonek-Head Counselor Rabbi Shalom Rohr-Learning Director
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New Jersey is not just about roads, tolls and traffic. Many songs have been written about the Garden State, and surprisingly, not all of them have been
written by famous New Jerseyan Bruce Springsteen. The small state may feel eclipsed by its famous neigh-bor, but New Jersey has more than enough attractions to hold its own. In fact, so many people want to live in New Jersey that it has the highest population density in the United States. And I guess all those people have to eat somewhere; New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is often called the Diner Capital of the World. “I’ll take a tuna on rye—but hold the mayo, please.” Oh, and while you’re eating your sandwich, make sure to keep an eye on your car in the parking lot. North Jersey is the car theft capital of the world, with more cars stolen in Newark than in any other city—even New York City and Los Angeles!
If you manage to hold onto your car and have fin-ished your sandwich and fries, take a drive to one of New Jersey’s over fifty resort cities and towns. Some of these towns are famous across the nation including Asbury Park, Atlantic City and Cape May. Speaking of resort towns, guess where all the names for the streets in the Monopoly game came from? You guessed it—good, ol’ Atlantic City! While in Atlantic City, take a walk on its famous boardwalk which at one point was the longest boardwalk in the world.
Ever see any horses while traveling in New Jersey? Neither have I, but New Jersey has more race horses than the state of Kentucky. There are also more Cubans liv-ing in Union City than in Havana, Cuba. I wonder why they traveled from Communist Cuba to New Jersey. It’s for sure not to save money—New Jersey has the highest cost of living and the highest property taxes in the na-tion. Perhaps people love living in New Jersey because they love the myriad malls there and the fact that they don’t have to pump their own gas. I love that too.
Things You Won’t Want to MissLet Freedom Ring
Did you know that most of Ellis Island is actu-ally located in the Garden State? Yes, that took me by surprise as well. This symbol of our country’s freedoms is located in Jersey City. The first immi-grant to pass through Ellis Island was 13-year-old Annie Moore from Ireland in 1892. She received greetings from officials and a $10 gold piece, the
largest sum of money she had ever owned. Arne Peters-sen of Norway was the last immigrant to pass through Ellis Island in 1954. But alas, you won’t be able to pass through here as the island is now closed due to Hurricane Sandy but will hopefully open for visitors soon.
Up, Up and AwayIf you’re heading to New Jersey in the summer,
make sure to spend some time at the Warren County Farmers Fair featuring a hot air balloon festival. The first week in August provides ample entertainment for the whole family with tractor pulls, hay bale rolling con-tests, demolition derbies, hot air balloon rides and carni-val rides.
Spoons Reign SupremeFor those of you who are interested in silverware,
make sure to check out the Bertha Schaefer Koempel Spoon Collection at Lambert Castle Museum. The col-lection is home to 5,400 spoons—the largest collection of spoons worldwide. In fact, there are spoons from ev-ery state and almost every country in the world. Some spoons were made by jewelers and silversmiths. Others have mini paintings and some feature mechanical parts.
Farming for FunDuring the fall season, the foliage in New Jersey
offers visitors brilliant colors and hues. Spend time with the family at New Jersey’s farms where kids can get lost in a huge corn maze, go pumpkin picking, take a hay ride and meet farm animals up close. These farms are not just for kids; adults and teens will have a blast as well.
Susan SchwammLeisure & Travel
From Sea to Shining Sea: New Jersey
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SEUDAS MITZVAHGuest Speaker:Novominsker Rebbe, HaRav Yaakov Perlow, ShlitaYeshiva Dining Hall
12:15 PMFOLLOWED BY MINCHA
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The Israeli War of Independence in 1948-49 was a struggle for a tiny, fledgling country to sur-
vive against enormous odds. She was attacked by sev-eral countries that had pow-erful armies and wanted war, unlike most countries which were sick of war at the time.
There were two types of e x p e r i e n c e d soldiers in the newly created I D F — M a c h a l volunteers from abroad and Palmach veterans. While the Machal soldiers helped the country survive, it was the former Palmach men and women that formed the backbone of the army. One of the units that were created from Palmach veterans was the Harel Brigade under the command of a future prime min-ister.
The Palmach was the military arm of the Haganah during the Brit-
ish mandate. Several notable person-alities served in their ranks including Yitzchak Rabin. He became the first commander of the Harel (10th) Brigade
which was established on April 16, 1948. The brigade consisted of about 1,400 soldiers originally from Palmach units, and they were divided into three
battalions. Israel couldn’t afford to provide the time for for-mal training, and they didn’t need it any-ways, so they were sent to the front lines right away.
Immediate-ly after their formation, they
were given their first assignment.
The mission was to assist in Opera-
tion Nachshon, which had begun on April
5. They were to capture the roads near Yerushalay-
im and break through the Arab defenses. Arab patrols weren’t letting
truck convoys with vital supplies and food for the starving city pass on the roads. The brigade, along with units from Givati Brigade, opened the roads and pushed towards Yerushalayim. The Arabs weren’t organized properly
and their villag-es were taken over by the Is-raelis. The Arab leader was killed and the mission was for the most part a success even though not all the supplies made it through. More missions were required to help break the siege around Yerushalayim.
Immediately after Operation Nachshon, the
brigade partook in Operation Yevusi. The objective was to capture villages around Yerushalayim in the two weeks prior to the declaration of the state. In
the first week of the battle, the fighting was concentrated near Kever Shmuel with the brigade losing 33 men. They moved onto another village before the British intervened and declared it a demilitarized zone. The second week
of the battle took place at Katamon, and the brigade lost 19 men. The Brit-ish declared a ceasefire, and the Jews couldn’t complete the operation. Still, they conquered important neighbor-hoods and acquired food for the starving Jewish population of the city.
The brigade then participated in the Operation Maccabi around Latrun to re-open roads to Yerusha-layim. They succeeded in opening up part of the road and went into the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. However, the overall operation failed as the Jordani-ans retained control of East Yerushalayim and the Old City including the Kosel. Several bat-tles were fought to capture Latrun but they failed. These included Operations Danny and Horev in which the Harel Brigade participated. For Operation Danny, Yitzhak Rabin was promoted to the deputy commander for the op-eration which included four brigades. Altogether, 274 members of the bri-
gade died fighting in the War of Inde-pendence.
The Harel Brigade remained as a permanent unit in the IDF. They fought during the Suez Crisis in 1956, and three years later, they trained to
become an armored brigade. They were used in this capacity during the Six Day War in 1967. Tanks from the brigade were vital in the cap-ture of Radar Hill and Kever Shmuel, and they fought in one of the few tank bat-tles that took place after WWII. Three Jordanian tanks were knocked out by the M-50 tanks from Harel Brigade, and they captured key positions at Mivtar
Hill, French Hill, Neve Yaakov and Ramallah before reaching Yericho north of Yerushalayim.
The Harel Brigade is still active in the IDF Reserve, and they were called
up in the Yom Kippur War as well the 1982 and 2006 Lebanon Wars. They are part of the much larger Isra-el Defense Forces and with their courageous-ness, they went from a ragtag group in the Palmach to a force to be reckoned with that all Jews and Israelis can be proud of and ap-preciate. Without them it is doubtful that any part of Yerushalayim would have been cap-tured before the 1967.
Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your com-ments and suggestions.for future columns and can be reached at [email protected].
Forgotten Heroesavi heiligman
The Courage of the Harel Brigade
members of the Harel Brigade in the ruins of a village in 1948
Rabin (left) was put in charge of the Harel Brigade
Rafael Eitan, commander o f the 4th Battalion of the
Harel Brigade in 1948
The insignia of the Brigade
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SO MANY CANDIDATES… SO MANY CLOSED DOORS…
TUESDAY, MAY 21 – VOTE FOR MARCUS & HERMAN
WHY ARE THERE FOUR ORTHODOX CANDIDATES?OUR SCHOOL BOARD IS SPLITTING OUR VOTE — THEY RECRUITED A CANDIDATE TO OPPOSE SIX-YEAR INCUMBENT NAHUM MARCUS.
THEY HANDPICKED A LAST-MINUTE CHALLENGER TO OPPOSE COMMUNITY ADVOCATE DOV HERMAN, WHO WAS ALREADY A CANDIDATE.
THIS IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF “DIVISIVENESS” AND A BLATANT ATTEMPT TO KEEP INDEPENDENT THINKERS AND WATCHDOGS OFF OUR SCHOOL BOARD.
WHAT’S OUR SCHOOL BOARD SO AFRAID OF?THIS BOARD LIKES TO OPERATE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND FEARS OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY.
NAHUM MARCUS IS THE ONLY BOARD MEMBER TO FIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO KNOW AND DOV HERMAN SHED LIGHT ON THE NUMBER SIX SCHOOL DEAL.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH CLOSED DOOR MEETINGS?
TOO MUCH SECRECY CREATES MISTRUST, DIVIDES OUR COMMUNITY, SHOWS DISRESPECT FOR PARENTS, PREVENTS OTHER VIEWS FROM BEING EXPRESSED AND BREEDS BAD DECISIONS — LIKE BOTCHING THE NUMBER SIX SCHOOL SALE!
EVERYTHING ISN’T FINE JUST BECAUSE TAXES WERE LOW. OUR TAXES ARE NOW RISING AND OUR CHILDREN ARE GETTING LESS.
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PART FIVE: A WAY OUT
Chapter 14 - Escape
Mechel and I went over the escape plan. The truck driv-er would make three trips.
The Millionaires, our bankers for this adventure, denied our request that our family leave together. We were the planners; we had found the liaison, the driver, the woodsman, but maybe they did not trust us fully. It was easy to imagine they might be leery of us. We had just returned from three days in jail, which hardly added to our creden-tials as trustworthy escorts. Maybe we were being watched still. Everywhere one looked someone was being turned in by somebody, or sometimes it was an accidental remark that led to arrest and deportation. We did not argue with our sponsors because after all, howev-er brilliant our plans might have been, without their funds we would be stuck. Mechel and I thought that Mammiko and Tattiko should go first, as they were living with our financiers. My parents protested vehemently and we could not persuade them otherwise.
Late at night someone knocked at the door of our room. Standing in front of me was a young girl with blonde braids about fifteen years old. “Do you remember me, Lola? I am Rose Glazer of Niepolomice.” I realized she was the daughter of the rabbi who had married us. She came into the room and told her story in a straightforward and truthful way. It was very difficult for Mechel and me to hear and to accept, although we had heard other similar stories by this time. In every region where there was a Nazi presence, the officers tried to rob girls of their purity. She and a girl-friend of hers had been victims of this form of persecution, which happened often, especially to younger women.
Rose was a perfect candidate for abuse as she was gentile in appearance, not at all “worldly,” and heartbreakingly young. Those who resisted were often killed; a few did manage to evade the attacks and get away, but not everyone had the physical or emotional strength to fight or flee. For those of us who were spared these experiences, it is too easy to say what others should or should not have done. The atrocities perpetrated on Jewish women are individual tragedies inside the larger mayhem of the Shoah.
Rose was one of these victims. She had somehow learned of our escape plans, and this was the most alarming feature of her visit. Who told her? If she and her girlfriend were in the company were or captives of Nazis, should we assume that some Nazis knew? She as-sured us this was not the way she had found out. She said she had strong ties to the smuggling brokers. She was des-perate to get away. Her girlhood had been sacrificed but not her good sense. She was determined to free herself of the mess in which she had landed. We could not judge her. I felt only sadness for the direction her life had taken. However, we had nothing to offer her. Mechel spoke softly to her. “Rose, there is no room for you. We are going to be lying squeezed together like wooden matches in a tiny box as it is. There isn’t space for another person or even a tiny object. We will be crammed in there. I wish we could take you, but we just can’t do it.”
Rose’s attitude changed dramatical-ly. She became assertive and threaten-
ing. She demanded we take her along or she would see to it that our plan failed. It was sheer blackmail. She knew what she was talking about, though, and she regaled us with stories of failed escapes. Rose did not spare us the graphic de-tails of what Germans did with those they captured trying to escape. I won-dered if she had learned about these incidents from her German patrons or from the brokers and go-betweens. We just couldn’t trust her because we didn’t have a clue about her sources or
how much she knew. She held us in the grip of her pathetic power. Mechel was enraged and told her it was extortion. I saw it somewhat differently. Yes, it was extortion, but of the most misera-ble sort. Rose, the daughter of a rabbi, couldn’t see any other option to save herself and begin her life again. She had picked us because she thought we would take pity on her. She probably felt that because her father had taken a chance by marrying us during the restrictions in Niepolomice, we owed her this.
I took the initiative away from Mechel then. Rose could become a danger to us if her dispute with Mech-el escalated. I realized that when I first opened our door to her, I hadn’t been sure she was Jewish, so I thought she might be a useful human decoy. I told her to dress like a Polish peasant and wear a babushka on her head. I added that she should carry a basket of eggs and take a train to the border. Mechel told her how to get to the woodsman’s cabin where she would meet us. By now she did understand that there wasn’t
room in the truck. “If you can do this, then you can
come with us,” I told her. “We will go together through the mountains with the guide. It is the best we can offer you. Take it or leave it.”
That was really false bravado on my part, because she had us cornered. I had also come to realize her native and fluent Polish might serve us very well in case of trouble. She was reluctant to agree to our terms. Rose wanted to be in the truck with us. She probably did not trust us. Perhaps she thought we had given her fake instructions and there was no cottage and no woodsman. After a few minutes she replied. “I agree, but my friend must come with us too.”
I had to ask that awful question. It is one that many had to ask during those times. “Rose, does your girlfriend look like you or does she look Jewish?”
Rose paused and looked down at the floor. I could see her tough demean-or had been a façade. She was fighting back tears. Rose slowly shook her head no. We understood her non-verbal re-sponse: her girlfriend could not pass for a Polish peasant. She was saddened her friend would be left behind with the Nazis. Mechel ignored her. He was so angry he couldn’t speak. I went over to her. “Rose, you know we cannot risk anyone else. We don’t know your girlfriend. I am sorry but we can’t take any more chances or we will all be lost. Time is short and soon the opportuni-ties for these transports will end. It’s too risky. We can’t miss this opportunity.”
Rose nodded and did not put up any further resistance or request anything else. When she left, Mechel insisted we discuss the entire “Rose affair.” I could not do it and told him it was too pain-ful for me as a woman to see what had happened to her. While I appreciated his rage, it was so different for me. I was overcome with the reality of what had become of the rabbi’s daughter from
Lola Lieber SchwartzLola's Story
A World After ThisA Memoir of Loss and Redemption
Lola Lieber Schwartz is a world-renowned artist whose paintings have been exhibited in art galleries throughout the United States and are part of the Yad Vashem archives in Jerusalem. Most importantly, Lola is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to many. She has myriad friends and sees life in all its vibrancy and vitality. But life was not always easy. Lola was only sixteen-years-old when Hitler ym”sh invaded Poland, and Lola was forced into hiding and spent years on the run with her husband, Mechel. Through six years of trying times, near
starvation and brutality, Lola and her husband held onto their faith and values. It was Mechel’s words of encouragement, “There will be a world after this,” that helped them cling to the hope that there will be a life of light and joy waiting for them at the end.
This is the story of Lola’s life—from her grandparents’ “enchanted garden” to meeting Eichmann ym”sh to making the Pesach seder for the Bobover Rebbe during the war—her words will take you back to a different world.
the atrocItIes perpetrated on JewIsh women are IndIvIdual tragedIes InsIde
the larger mayhem of the shoah.
Continued on page 114
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114 Niepolomice. I was so grateful for my life and my personal circumstances.
“Mechel, you must hear me. Please. I can’t talk about Rose. There is nothing to say and now there is nothing to be done except to meet her in the moun-tains.”
Mechel protested further that we needed to talk about it. I would not continue with the conversation. I said something then that stopped him. I said that although she had behaved badly with us, she was trying to undo a sordid chapter of her life and to begin again. Her method was not admirable but she was trying to do the right and moral thing. Mechel understood, but of course we were both worried about the liability Rose might be.
It was time for us to go. There were seven of us: Mechel, the Millionaires, their friends, and I. We went to the agreed departure point, which was a vacant lot. It was pouring rain. Some-how, in the macabre world we were in, the storm seemed the right backdrop for our departure. The pouring rain made us even more wretched. In fact the bad weather might actually have kept us from being observed as so few people were out in it. The truck with its false wooden floor was waiting for us. We squeezed into the space between the real
floor of the truck and the false bottom. We were lying on our stomachs. There wasn’t an inch between us. It was very cold. The only air came up from the cracks in the floor of the truck but we could at least breathe. The smell of the wet roads was unpleasant and reminded me of things I did not want to remem-ber. It was the smell of fresh dirt, and for me that was the smell of the ceme-tery after the Aktion. This truck would either be the means to our survival or a
communal coffin on wheels. More than an hour into the trip,
the truck stopped so suddenly that we rolled on top of one another. We could see something through the slats but it wasn’t clear where we were or what was happening. When we heard Ger-man voices, we knew that we had come across a Nazi checkpoint.
“Where are you heading?” we heard the guard ask the driver.
We could not hear the driver’s re-sponse but did hear the rustle of his pa-
pers in the cabin of the truck. He was producing the bills of lading for the coal, which indicated he was on his way to a legitimate factory. The Nazi guards surrounded the truck. We heard a voice command him to “throw down this load of coal.”
The driver began to shovel out the coal and he did so slowly. Presumably he did this to make sure we had enough warning and were silent. When all the coal was lying on the ground, a Nazi
said, “And what’s under here?” He hit the false floor with something that sounded sharp and heavy. We could hear it just above our heads. Mechel reached over and clamped his hand over my mouth in case I couldn’t keep from crying out.
The driver was as calm as he could be. “There is nothing else in my truck,” he said with a tone of indignation.
Suddenly, a metal pole plunged through the false floor of the truck in several places. If it had penetrated even an inch in a spot where one of us lay, a
literal inch, the point of the rod would have impaled one of us. If we had been discovered, we would all have been killed, along with the driver. Death toll: eight. Miraculously, the point slipped between us. No one was touched and, just as miraculously, none of us lost nerve. By now our mutual resolve was harder than the steel rod that might have killed us.
One of the Nazis started to curse in vulgar German. Another guard said, “Forget it. He doesn’t have anything ex-cept his coal. Let’s go inside. It’s rain-ing again.”
We heard the driver swiftly shov-eling his coal over our heads, and then finally the truck lurched forward. It was such a close call that I worried about the consequences of shock to the older people. But they were strong and stead-fast. A short time later the truck stopped again. The driver helped us out. He pointed to the closest mountain.
“Climb to the top and turn left. The cottage is there. They are expecting you.” Then to prove he had delivered his load of coal, he dumped the fake cargo before he turned the truck around and drove back down the mountain.
Continued next week
by now our mutual resolve was harder than the steel rod that mIght have kIlled us.
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The smell of flowers permeates the house and adds that festive, exot-ic or romantic feeling that we all
find inviting. Fresh flowers help create and bring that elegant ambiance into the room and Yom Tov table, especial-ly enjoyed on Shavuot.
How can we create flower arrange-ments to be plentiful without spending a lot of money? As we all know, fresh flowers can be costly. Many years ago, I worked as a floral designer in a few very prestigious flower shops and had the opportunity to work under and be trained by experts in the field. I wit-nessed customers placing orders, nev-er knowing styles, colors and of most importance, the hardiness of the flow-ers. “Eeny meeny miny moe, what do I choose” and “I will leave it up to you” is what I heard ringing in my ears many times. I questioned my trainers: is it just by chance that the arrangements always come out so magnificent? Does it have to do with choice of flowers? What are all those fillers being used for? I noticed that the fillers added an enormous amount of character, design elements and personality to the flower arrangements. They supplied elements of surprise and interest as well. They added proportion and lines to the de-signs that were exotic.
There are many tricks of the trade which can be shared in order to pro-duce Shavuot flowers with creative qualities. I have compiled a list of fill-ers that make it happen without break-ing the bank.
So, what is a filler? They consist of greens and flowers
which will enhance and add elements of interest to the design. They are used to help create the illusion of fullness and add lines, shapes and forms to the creation. Certain leaves will help cre-ate an exotic feeling. When you are in the process of pur-chasing flower arrangements for display on Shavuot, for either a shul or home, take advantage of this list. It will save you time and money when deciding what types of arrangements to choose, and how much that you want to spend. Flowers can become expensive, so one has to use ingenuity in figuring out how to get a beautiful look and stretch the dol-lar. This can be achieved by combin-ing the more expensive flowers with a filler. Going shopping as an educated consumer will help you make intelli-gent choices.
I have compiled a listing of the names of the most popular greens and fillers. Question the florist as to what they can use to make the most beau-tiful piece for the money spent and which of these fillers mentioned can be used to execute the design.
(1) Aspidistra Green(2) Aspidistra Variegated (3) Aster Solidago (4) Baby Blue Eucalyptus
(5) Baby Eucalyptus(6) Baby’s Breath(7) Banana Leaves(8) Bear Grass (9) Bells of Ireland(10 Bonsai Eucalyptus (11 Branches (12) Bupleurum (13) Calendula (14) Coontie Fern (15) Dusty Miller (16) Fiddlehead Fern (17) Foxtail (18) Galax(19) Green Trick Dianthus(20) Huckleberry
(21) Israeli Ruscus (22) Ivy Green(23) Ivy Variegated(24) Jade Green(25) Lamb’s Ear(26) Leather Leaf (27) Leucadendron Safari Sunset(28) Lily Grass(29) Larkspur(30) Monstera (31) Myrtle (32) Naqi Podocarpus(33) Phlox(34) Pittosporum Green (35) Pittosporum Variegated(36) Queen Anne’s Lace(37) Statice(38) Trachelium
I hope that this information will assist everyone in choosing beautiful Shavuot flowers that possess creative qualities. Wishing all the readers of this column a wonderful and inspiring Yom Tov!
Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg is a pro-fessional art educator, artist and design-er. Among her known artwork is a floral sculpture presented to Tipper Gore, Blair House, Washington, D.C. Presently she is the Director of Operations at Shulamith School for Girls. Please feel free to email [email protected] with questions and suggestions for future columns.
Rebbetzin naomi n. herzberg
From My Private Art collection
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