south florida jewish times issue 1

Shidduch CrisisBarry Holzer, MD 18

Dates And Double DatesHannah Reich Berman 34

MindBizEsther Mann, LMSW 36

Passover 1945Dr. Rafael Medoff 66

Four SonsNison Gordon 69

B Y G I L R O N E N

Twice in the course of twoweeks, Israel–U.S. relations havebeen strained when Israelimedia published news of techni-cal approvals granted to buildingprojects in eastern Jerusalem—first in Ramat Shlomo and thenat the Shepherd Hotel com-pound. Both times, the leakscame out just as Prime MinisterBinyamin Netanyahu was aboutto meet one of the United States’two most senior officials: Vice

OBAMA-LIVNICOLLUSIONSUSPECTED

Marking 108th birthday ofLubavitcher Rebbe, zt’l.

See Page 89

YU cholent champs. See Page 67

One Israel Fund awards. See Page 80

!jnau raf dj VOL. 1 NO. 1 11 NISSAN 5770 um ,arp MARCH 26, 2010$1.00 WWW.SFLJT.COM

INSIDE

B Y L A R R Y G O R D O N

Ever since the Jewish peoplepacked up and hit the road forthat first Passover celebrationon the way out of Egypt, we justcan’t seem to shake the habit.Not that it’s a bad thing by anystretch of the imagination, butas we inch our way towardPesach it is, for many, also timeto break out the suitcases, justas our ancestors did more than3,000 years ago.

For Jews on the move at thistime of year, the movement isnot out of Egypt, nor is it neces-

sarily a trek that takes us intothe desert (unless you are goingto Arizona). For those on themove, the direction most oftentaken is south—and, in manyinstances, to our beloved SouthFlorida.

I’ve spent a good number ofPesachs in Florida, and I’veenjoyed every overheatedmoment. Why do we so craveFlorida? What makes MiamiBeach and shemurah matzah

Continued on 2

Pesach In Florida

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Continued on Page 13

See Page 92

CANDLE LIGHTINGM I A M I B E A C H A R E A

March 26 – 7:16 PMMarch 29 – 7:18 PMMarch 30 – 8:15 PM*

*or later

“Az Yashir” by Yonah Weinrib – The drama of K’rias Yam Suf is captured majestically in The Illuminated Torah, wherein the twelve rows for the twelve tribes of Israel are depicted. Fruit trees and

water were miraculously provided, as the Pillar of Fire brought punishment upon Egyptians.

WHAT ARE YOUDRINKING THISPESACH?B Y Z V I B O R N S T E I N

My family’s tradition hasalways been to drink winesfrom the Holy Land for Pesach.After all, that is part of the storyof our redemption. However, upuntil 15 years ago the choiceswere really very limited. Thatwas around the time thatIsraelis discovered the joys ofwine culture, and the quality ofIsraeli wine improved. But itwasn’t until 10 years ago that the


2 March 26, 2010 SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH TIMES

SOUTH FLORIDA JEWISH TIMES March 26, 2010 3

such a dynamic combination? Well, youwould have to search all of our personalfamily histories for the appropriateinsight.

Let’s place the relationship of theJewish people and South Florida in con-text. Simply stated, we have good reasonsfor going there. Up here in New York, it’sfrequently damp and cold with even thepossibility of snow at this time of year. InFlorida, on the other hand, even thoughthere was a pretty tough winter this year,you can rest assured that come Pesach it’sgoing to be all warmth and sunshine.

And warm and sunny on a festive holi-day like the upcoming one is alwayspreferable to cold, rainy, or snowy. Butour relationship with South Florida is notsimply built on a tropical climate and anice getaway from the freezing tempera-tures up north. It’s not one of thoseAmerican locations that temporarily setsup shop to make things user-friendly forobservant Jews and is then just as quicklydismantled.

South Florida—and this includesmany areas beyond Miami Beach—hasbecome a home away from home forJews from all over the world. It hasbecome so much of a bigger and better

tourist draw that it is an almost twelve-month-a-year place to take a vacationin, despite the exceedingly high temper-atures and elevated humidity in July

and August.I know it is starting to sound as though

almost everyone in my cloistered world isgoing to Florida or some other vacationdestination for Pesach, and that is clearly

not the case. I have informally concludedthat only about 5 to 10 percent of theOrthodox Jewish population in the U.S.makes the move into a usually pricey

hotel for Pesach. Still, that would meanthat somewhere between thirty- andsixty-thousand people are packing intoPesach hotels in New York, Florida,Arizona, California, New Jersey, thePoconos, and a variety of other luxuryspots over the next week.

I know some people that have notspent Pesach at home in more than 35years. And I also know plenty of peoplewho have never spent Pesach away fromtheir home and would not even considerit. Each feels strongly about their positionon the matter. Some used to say thatensuring the stringencies of kashrus thatare central to a proper Pesach observanceis just not possible away from home, in ahotel preparing meals for a thousand peo-ple or more.

But the kashrus systems and proce-dures in all these hotels have beenstreamlined and perfected. Weeks priorto yom tov, the kashrus staff is downthere scouring the kitchens, blowtorch-ing the ovens, and carefully checking andrechecking the thousands of pounds offoodstuffs that will make the culinaryaspect of the chag fulfilling (or filling) andenjoyable. There are strict controls onwhat comes in and what goes out ofthose kitchens. These days it’s not unlikeyour own home.

Still, while Pesach at home costs agreat deal of money, going to a hotelcosts many times more. Many of thosewho have the material wherewithal toenjoy this type of indulgence see no rea-son not to pack up and move into ahotel for the chag.

This year, as was the case last year, per-haps the best buys for Pesach away fromhome are in Israel, where you can findnice hotels to accommodate you for a lit-tle more than $1,000 per person. Add air-fare to that—and figure in the fact thatyou are in Eretz Yisrael and not BrowardCounty—and you might have a prettygood thing going there.

But let’s pay tribute for a moment tothose who are in the overwhelmingmajority—those who will not be goinganywhere but from the kitchen to thedining-room table and back over the hol-iday. For them, the hard work started along time ago. There are the lists of fami-ly and guests who will be joining the fes-tival meals. There’s making sure there issignificantly more than needed, as is theusual custom in our homes. And then thecooking begins.

Beyond the focus of the great miraclesour people experienced during theExodus from Mitzrayim, the next bigthing was originally the succulent roast-ed Paschal sacrifice, eaten without muchin the way of side dishes. My, how thingshave changed since those days of thatmassive Pesach take-out order!

Pesach is hard work, no matter howyou cut it. It requires weeks of prepara-tion whether you are indeed going tosunny Florida or staying closer to home(or actually at home). So whether you’remaking a list of kugels your guests andfamily will dine on or a list of which out-fits to take along with you on your trip,you are already deeply immersed in theholiday preparations.

Either way, it will hopefully be a won-derful yom tov for all, whether Jet Blue isincluded in your plans or not. Chagsameiach. v

Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome [email protected].


FROM THE EDITORContinued from Front Cover

It’s not one of those Americanlocations that temporarily sets upshop to make things user-friendlyfor observant Jews and is then just

as quickly dismantled.

President Joe Biden in the first, andPresident Barack Obama in the second.

Some nationalist analysts think this isno coincidence, and the conspiracy theo-ries are making their rounds. One nation-alist newspaper sees collusion betweenObama and Israeli opposition leader

Tzipi Livni (Kadima). Another newssource blames media mogul ArnonMoses, owner of Yediot Acharonot and theYnet news website.

Amnon Lord, editor of the nationalistnewspaper Makor Rishon, noted in afront-page article on Friday that JeffreyGoldberg of The Atlantic, who is close tothe Obama administration, hinted ratherbroadly that Obama was behind the veryleak—regarding construction of 1,600housing units at Ramat Shlomo—thatsupposedly surprised the administrationand made it so angry.

“Obama is not trying to destroy

America’s relations with Israel; he’s tryingto organize Tzipi Livni’s campaign forprime minister, or at least for her inclusionin a broad-based centrist government,”Goldberg wrote. “The goal,” he explained,“is to force a rupture in the governingcoalition that will make it necessary forNetanyahu to take into his governmentLivni’s centrist Kadima Party . . . and forma broad, 68-seat majority in Knesset thatdoes not have to rely on gangsters, mes-sianists, and medievalists for votes.”

‘The Prophet Yoel’Under the headline “The Prophet Yoel,”

Lord also noted that Reshet Bet govern-ment-run radio recorded MK Yoel Hasson,a Livni confidant, predicting mysterious-ly one week before Biden arrived in Israelthat “in the coming weeks it will becomeobvious just how flimsy the relationsbetween Netanyahu, the Europeans, andthe Americans really are.”

When asked, after the Biden flap, howhe had seemed to predict that such a cri-sis was coming, Hasson “smiled mysteri-ously.”

Lord’s conclusion: the affair was engi-neered with Kadima’s help.

‘Treason’Meanwhile, Jerusalem city councilman

Elisha Peleg suggested that the IsraelSecurity Agency (Shin Bet) should launchan investigation to find the individualsresponsible for news of the permits mak-ing headlines when it did. “I would ask theISA to find out who are those who believethat Palestinian interests are more impor-


CollusionContinued from Front Cover


Gilad Erdan, Minister

for Environmental

Protection, also said

that Tuesday’s news

was “left-wing spin.”

country’s wine industry really gained sig-nificant ground, driven by a young, inter-nationally oriented generation.

From the northern elevations of theGalilee and the Golan Heights, to thecoastal plains and down to the NegevDesert in the south, Israel is making out-standing wines with a distinctive styleand taste. It’s an amazing turnaround fora land that has been mostly overlooked inthe worldwide wine regions. I’m alwaysimpressed by the leaps in quality that I’veseen in the last 10 years. Finally, Israel isstarting to get recognized in the world’swine arena. The way I see it, it’s justanother fine wine-producing Mediterra-nean country.

For your tasting pleasure, I have cho-sen 10 Israeli wines that are exceptionalin every way and display a nice balance offruit, oak, mineral elements, and firmstructures, as well as rich spicy notes. I’vealso included my tasting notes for thesevalue wines. Here they are in alphabeticalorder:

Agur Kessem 2007. From the JudeanHills, Mata Vineyard. 40% CabernetSauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% PetiteVerdot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Variousaromas of berries and plum, it’s a full-bod-ied, multidimensional wine that possess-es layers of berries, currant, and pleasantfloral notes. Would pair well with richmeat and duck.

Barkan Reserve Pinotage 2004.Seasoned plum and raspberry bouquet.Structured and medium bodied withrounded tannins, balanced with subtle

hints of chocolate and a pleasant tart-ness. Can be paired with medium fla-vored grilled or sauced chicken or fishdishes.

Binyamina Yogev Cabernet/Shiraz2007. 50% Cabernet/50% Shiraz. Gemmyfruit aroma that displays ripe forestberries against a soft backdrop of spicyoak and a trace of vanilla. Soft silky tan-nins and a long finish. Medium bodiedwine that will only get better in the nextfive years. Can be paired with steaks andwell seasoned meat.

Castel–Grand Vin. Aged for 24 monthsin French oak, unrefined and unfiltered;graceful and elegant with dominant tan-nins. Full-bodied, bold, concentrated, andwith layers of aromas and flavors thatlinger on. Look for berries, plums, and ahint of olive and spices on the palate.This wine will grow the next five yearsand will go well with full-flavored beef orchicken dishes.

Dalton–Matatia, 2006. A blend of 80%Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 5%Cabernet Franc. Developed in newFrench oak. Aromas of mint, leather, anda hint of black currant. Nice balancebetween wood, acidity, tannins, andfruits with blueberry, black currant, andtangy citrus notes, Long finish with softlasting flavors. Can be paired with a vari-ety of red meats and pasta.

Flegman–Merlot. Made like Merlotshould be. Robust berries and forest fruitwith subtle hints of chocolate, cassis, andearth. Rich oak and soft spice backed bynotes of plum and cherry. It’s velvety tan-nins with a big finish. Made like old


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CONTRIBUTING EDITORSHannah Reich Berman, Anessa V. Cohen,

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Phyllis J. Lubin, Esther Mann, Rochelle Miller, Elke Probkevitz, Naomi Ross,

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The South F lor ida Jewish Times is an independent weekly newspaper. Opinions expressed by writers and columnists are not necessar-ily those of the editor or publisher. We are not responsible for the kashrus or hashgachah of any product or establishment advertisedin the South F lor ida Jewish Times .

Passover WinesContinued from Front Cover



A constant fire shallburn upon the Altar; it shall never go out

(Vayikra 6:6)

“Constantly”—even onShabbat; “constantly”—evenunder conditions of ritualimpurity; “it shall never goout”—also not during the

journeys [through the desert,when the Altar was coveredwith a cloth of purple wool].What did they do with the

fire during the journeys? Theyplaced over it a copper bowl.

(Jerusalem Talmud,Yoma 4:6)

Shabbat is when we disengageourselves from all thingsmaterial; “ritual impurity”

(tum’ah) represents an oppo-site state—one of excessive

enmeshment in the mundane.Yet the Torah instructs thatthe fire upon the Altar must

be kept burning “even onShabbat” and “even under

conditions of ritual impurity.”

There are times when webelieve ourselves to be “aboveit all” as the spirituality of themoment transports beyondthe so-called trivialities of

physical life. Conversely, thereare times when we feel over-whelmed by those very “trivi-alities.” Says the Torah: the fireon your internal Altar must—and can—be kept burning atall times. No moment in your

life is too exalted or toodebased to sustain your pas-sion and enthusiasm in the

fulfillment of the purpose towhich you were created,

which is to raise up to G-dthe materials of your everyday

existence.

(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)

“It shall never go out—alsonot during the journeys.”

Special care must be takenduring the “journeys” of life—the times that a person ven-tures away from the home

environment that fosters hischaracter and integrity-so thatthe fire in his soul should notsuccumb to alien influences.

(Maayanei shel Torah)


The American Friends of AteretCohanim/Jerusalem Chai organizationhas expressed its “great disappointmentand sadness” at the U.S. government’srecent harsh verbal attacks against itsclosest Middle East ally, the democraticState of Israel. For more than 30 yearsAteret Cohanim has encouraged and sup-ported the establishment of educationalinstitutions including yeshivas, nurseryschools, day care centers, and play-grounds throughout the Old City ofJerusalem. It is one of the leading groupsthat supports the right of Jews to livefreely in all parts of their Holy City andurges Arabs and Jews to live harmonious-ly together.

Targeting the legitimate constructionof homes in portions of Jerusalem, fromwhich the Jewish majority was forciblyevicted by Jordan in 1947 but liberatedduring the Six Day War, President BarackObama and Secretary of State HillaryClinton shockingly lashed out at PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu withunprecedented rhetoric and demands.Allegedly, the current crisis was prompt-ed during Vice President Biden’s visit toIsrael, when a lower echelon Israeli offi-cial announced plans to expand thenortheastern Jerusalem neighborhood ofRamat Shlomo two years from now.

Prime Minister Netanyahu promptlyapologized for the poor timing of theannouncement which, incidentally, didnot violate the 10-month moratorium on

new housing construction. RamatShlomo, a Chareidi neighborhood in thenortheastern part of Jerusalem, hasapproximately 18,000 residents. Once justa forested area, it is now a beautiful, built-up area that, until the current “broohaover nothing,” has never been questionedby anyone including the PalestinianAuthority.

“The astonishing disrespect showed toIsrael, particularly by Secretary Clinton,”said Jerusalem Chai Executive VicePresident, Shani Hikind, “has infuriatedmany U.S. Senators and Congressmen, notto speak of the American public at large.

“Indeed, we and they are extremelydismayed,” Hikind declared, “that, in thequest for peace—however sincere thatmay be—the leadership of our greatnation is quick to cast aside its long-timefriendship with Israel. The administra-tion has disregarded the sovereignty of afellow democracy; it has ignored the

intransigence of the Arabs and their openexpressions that nothing less than thetotal destruction of Israel will suffice forthem. When the Palestinian Authorityurges the banning of Jews from their ownCity of Jerusalem and the U.S. administra-tion concurs in such discriminatory prac-tices, all Americans should consider thatto be a personal affront to their own

beliefs of fairness and equality.”It seems quite clear that in dealing

with the State of Israel, the White Houseis practicing a “double standard”—some-thing this country has always deplored.While seemingly upset over legitimatehousing plans, the administrationremains surprisingly silent about thePalestinians’ failure to recognize Israel. Itignores recent terrorist attacks on inno-cent civilians and the rioting by Arabs afew days ago, obviously emboldened bythe administration’s scolding. WhenAmerica flexes its muscles at its friend,

the State of Israel, but continues to meek-ly wag a finger at Iran, we become thelaughing stock of the Moslem world.

And instead of praising the allotmentof huge sums for the renovation ofnational heritage sites including theTomb of Rachel and Hebron’s Cave ofMachpelah (where both Moslems andJews pray), the U.S. castigates Israel for its“provocations.” Sadly, when PalestinianTV incites Arab children to hatred of Jewsand Israelis and encourages terrorismthrough its use of offensive cartoons withfuzzy bunny rabbits, no one in theWestern World considers that to be“provocative.”

Something is amiss here.With the greatest respect for our

President, Barack Obama, the AmericanFriends of Ateret Cohanim/Jerusalem Chaiurges Mr. Obama and his administrationnot to allow America’s friendship withIsrael to falter; nor should our countryembark on a path of appeasement thatonly encourages the Palestinians and otherIslamic nations to believe that terrorism, orthe mere threat of the same, succeeds.

Surrendering to the arbitrary and base-less demands of undemocratic and tyran-nical regimes at Israel’s expense is merelythe selling of the American soul to thosewho mock us. Only if America stands talland proud and courageously adheres tothe biblical principles of truth, integrity,and justice upon which it was foundedwill true peace be achieved. v

Ateret Cohanim Expresses Disappointment Over U.S.–Israel Relations

When America flexes its muscles at itsfriend but continues to meekly wag afinger at Iran, we become the laughing

stock of the Moslem world.


school Merlots. This wine will pair wellwith lighter meats such as veal and lambor pasta.

Shiloh–Merlot/Shiraz 2005. From theJudean Hills region, 82% Merlot, 18%Shiraz. This is a medium-bodied Merlotthat features bright, ripe cherry notes bal-anced by subtle toasted oak overtonesand hints of vanilla and a soft, velvetymouth feel. The Shiraz adds dark berryflavors and a hint of black pepper. Enjoythe Shiraz-Merlot with duck, moderatelyspiced chicken or rich pastas.

Tzuba–Cabernet Sauvignon 2006.Another winner from the Judean Hillsregion, this full-bodied, rich wine is verywell balanced, with delightful aromas ofroasted oak, dark berries, and smokynotes. Ripe cherry characteristics and softsilky-smooth tannins with a chocolatyherbal finish. Has the potential to over-whelm delicate dishes; best with richbeef and lamb dishes.

Yarden Winery–Cabernet Sauvignon2004. From the Golan Heights region thiswine is aged for 18 months primarily insmall French oak barrels. Powerful matureblackberries, cherry, cassis, and plum noteswith toasty oak, vanilla, and a nuance ofspices. It is full-bodied and concentratedwith a long complex finish. Will go wellwith full-flavored foods, such as pepperedgrilled steak, roasted duck, or lamb.

Yatir Winery–Cabernet Sauvignon2006. Blended with 15% Shiraz, bigvibrant wine displaying dark flavors, tar,bittersweet chocolate, licorice, blackcurrant, and dark roasted coffee beans.

Full-bodied, with firm structure and softtannins, smoky wood, and plum andcurrant fruit flavors. This wine isdesigned for current drinking, butshould last well for the next five years.Will pair well with full-flavored beef,grilled chicken, duck, or veal.

Before you run out to the nearestliquor store, there is one final thoughtI’d like to share with you. Like every-thing else in the Middle East, Israel’swine culture is complicated, subject tothe ongoing conflict of the troubledregion. Many farmers and vintners haveto endure and endanger their livesbecause of the raining Katyusha rocketsin the northern vineyards or the mortarbombs and rocket shells in the South.For Israel’s budding wine culture, thiscollateral damage really wreaked havocon the local economy. But despite thehardship, Israeli farmers continue tosustain and preserve the vineyards, asthe vintners create a work of art.

So this Seder, as you fill up your glasswith wine, think of the Israeli farmersand their families. Leshanah haba’ahb’Yerushalayim! v

Passover WinesContinued from Page 14

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B Y R A B B I B A R R Y H O L Z E R , M D

There is much written about the cur-rent crisis in the shidduch world, andrightfully so. But, as therapists, we areoften faced with the issue of helpingsuccessful shidduchim become success-ful marriages. We are all aware of the ris-ing divorce rate in the frum community,but solving that crisis has been elusive.There are programs to give couples bet-ter skills before they get married, whichare very helpful and need wider accept-ance throughout the community. Once acouple is married and having problemsin their relationship, how do we helpthem fix the problems and be successfulin the difficult challenge of creatingshalom bayis.

Most frum couples will turn to theirrav to discuss the issues, and often havingan experienced listener giving them goodadvice based on a Torah hashkafah iswhat they need. But too often today, theproblems are not easily solved. Whetherit be a rav or a marriage counselor or ther-apist who is doing the work, satisfactionrates are not very high.

In response to this crisis, Nefesh, theInternational Network of OrthodoxMental Health Professionals, decided itwas time to bring the best training avail-able to the frum community. Towardthis goal, Nefesh contacted TheGottman Institute, world renowned forits research and training in couples ther-

apy, to have the best in the field trainour counselors. In order to share thiswith as wide an audience as possible,Nefesh partnered with YeshivaUniversity–Center for the Jewish Future(CJF), who eagerly embraced the oppor-tunity. CJF was interested not only intraining it own alumni in pulpits acrossthe country and its shadchanim inYUConnects, but shares the vision of

Nefesh of bringing this to the entirespectrum of Orthodoxy by subsidizingthe cost. To this goal not only Nefeshmembers, but all rabbis and rebbetzinsare being offered a significant discountfor the two-day workshop, on April 18-19in New York, well below the usual feethe Gottman Institute charges in theirown training in Seattle.

John Gottman has over 35 years of

research experience with over 3,000 cou-ples. He is the author of 190 publishedacademic articles and author or co-author of 40 books, including the NewYork Times bestseller, The SevenPrinciples for Making Marriage Work.Together with his wife, Julie, they havedeveloped a two-day professional train-ing that will equip a counselor with apractical and highly effective approach

to guiding couples across the chasm thatdivides them. In this workshop, Drs.John and Julie Gottman provide aresearch-based roadmap for helping cou-ples to compassionately manage theirconflicts, deepen their friendship andintimacy, and share their life purposeand dreams.

Gottman’s research has shown that acouple’s greatest problem is not conflict,

but how they argue. Criticism, defensive-ness, contempt, and stonewalling destroymarriages. Responding to your spouse,never ignoring even seemingly trivialconversation with your spouse, and giv-ing each other the gift of attention showsyour partner is important to you andbuilds relationships. Other marriage tipsfrom the Gottmans’ research include:

• Seek help early. The average couplewaits six years before seeking help formarital problems (and keep in mind, halfof all marriages that end do so in the firstseven years). This means the average cou-ple lives with unhappiness for far too long.

• Edit yourself. Couples who avoid say-ing every critical thought when dis-cussing touchy topics are consistently thehappiest.

• Soften your “start up.” Arguments first“start up” because a spouse sometimesescalates the conflict from the get-go bymaking a critical or contemptuousremark in a confrontational tone. Bringup problems gently and without blame.

• Accept influence. A marriage suc-ceeds to the extent that the husbandcan accept influence from his wife. If awoman says, “Do you have to workThursday night? My mother is comingthat weekend, and I need your help get-ting ready,” and her husband replies,“My plans are set, and I’m not changingthem,” this guy is in a shaky marriage. A


Shidduch Crisis…The Next Chapter


The most successful couples arethose who, even as newlyweds,

refused to accept hurtful behaviorfrom one another.


husband’s ability to be influenced by hiswife (rather than vice-versa) is crucialbecause research shows women arealready well practiced at acceptinginfluence from men, and a true partner-ship only occurs when a husband cando so as well.

• Have high standards. Happy coupleshave high standards for each other evenas newlyweds. The most successful cou-ples are those who, even as newlyweds,refused to accept hurtful behavior fromone another. The lower the level of toler-ance for bad behavior in the beginning ofa relationship, the happier the couple isdown the road.

• Learn to repair and exit the argument.Successful couples know how to exit anargument. Happy couples know how torepair the situation before an argumentgets completely out of control. Successfulrepair attempts include: changing thetopic to something completely unrelated;using humor; stroking your partner witha caring remark (“I understand that this is

hard for you”); making it clear you’re oncommon ground (“This is our problem”);backing down (in marriage, as in the mar-tial art Aikido, you have to yield to win);and, in general, offering signs of appreci-ation for your partner and his or her feel-ings along the way (“I really appreciateand want to thank you for . . .”). If an argu-ment gets too heated, take a 20-minutebreak, and agree to approach the topicagain when you are both calm.

• Focus on the bright side. In a happymarriage, while discussing problems, cou-ples make at least five times as many pos-itive statements to and about each otherand their relationship as negative ones.For example, “We laugh a lot;” not, “Wenever have any fun.” A good marriage musthave a rich climate of positivity. Makedeposits to your emotional bank account.

In this inspirational two-day work-shop, clinicians learn new research-based assessments and effective inter-ventions to help understand couples’struggles; research-based strategies andtools to help couples successfully man-age conflict; skills that empower couplesto dialogue about their worst gridlocked

issues by uncovering their underlyingdreams, history, and values; methods tohelp couples process their fights andheal their hurts; and techniques for cou-ples to deepen their intimacy and mini-mize relapse.

Clinicians who take this workshop willbe equipped with new methods and toolsto help couples break the cycle of criticism,defensiveness, contempt, andstonewalling. The goal is to have many rab-banim and rebbetzins join clinicians in thistraining in April and that this be the part ofthe recognition and response to this evolv-ing crisis in our community, to strengthenthe kedushah of marriage and makeshalom bayis a focus of every Jew in theentire frum community. For more informa-tion about the two-day workshop, visitwww.Nefesh.org or call 347-554-0258. v

Dr. Barry Holzer is a child, adolescent, and adultpsychiatrist practicing in the Five Towns. He alsohas offices in Brooklyn and Queens and is a co-founder of Nefesh International.Level 1: Bridging the Couple Chasm—GottmanCouples Therapy will be presented April 18–19 byNefesh International in conjunction with YeshivaUniversity Center for the Jewish Future. It will beheld at Yeshiva University’s Belfer Hall, 500 West185th Street, New York, NY.

Shidduch: The Next ChapterContinued from Page 18

The American Israeli Action Coalition(AIAC), on behalf of the more than250,000 Americans living in Israel,recently expressed its full support ofIsraeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu’s policy on residential con-struction in all of Jerusalem and wishedhim success in his meetings inWashington D.C. this week. AIAC alsocalled upon Prime Minister Netanyahu

not to make any further pre-peace-talksconcessions which would place theIsraeli population in jeopardy.

AIAC is a non-partisan, non-political,issue-oriented NGO whose purpose isto represent the united voice of themore than 250,000 Americans living inIsrael on issues which affect Israel,Israel-U.S. relations, and the Jewishpeople worldwide.

Harvey Schwartz, AIAC chairman, stat-ed that “Prime Minister Netanyahu isembarking on what appears to be a fate-ful trip to Washington D.C. under a cloudcaused by the Obama administrationwith its recently uncalled for, unneces-sary, and undiplomatically harsh criti-cism of Israel for simply announcing theapproval of new residential constructionin its capital of Jerusalem. AIAC fully sup-ports this decision, condemns theObama administration’s criticism as aninsult to Israel and its citizens, and reiter-ates its call to President Obama to issuean apology to Israel. Prime MinisterNetanyahu’s visit to the United Statesprovides a perfect opportunity forPresident Obama to do so.”

“AIAC also expresses its appreciationto the U.S. Congress and the Americanpeople as a whole for their strong sup-port for Israel during the Obama admin-istration-induced crisis,” continuedChairman Schwartz. “They recognize cor-rectly that Israel is America’s best friendin the Middle East and that the Obamaadministration’s recent outbursts arecounterproductive, encourage terrorism,and are an impediment to achieving truepeace among Israel and its neighboringstates. AIAC expresses its hope that theObama administration will align its poli-cies with the desires of Congress and theAmerican people.” v

American IsraelisExpress FullSupport ForNetanyahu’s PolicyOn Construction In Jerusalem

AIAC fully supports

this decision,

condemns the Obama

administration’s

criticism as an insult

to Israel and its

citizens.


B Y R A B B I C H A N A N Y AW E I S S M A N

We take for granted that trying to helpsingles marry is a mitzvah. What mostpeople don’t seem to account for is thefact that, like all mitzvos, there are param-eters that define what constitutes per-forming the mitzvah properly and whatcan actually be a sin—even if one’s heartis in the right place.

If one offers a sacrifice in the BeisHaMikdash, he is performing a mitzvah.If one offers the same sacrifice with thesame pure intentions outside the BeisHaMikdash, he commits a grave offense.Similarly, one can attempt to arrange ashidduch and be performing a mitzvah,but one can also be committing a terri-ble sin that far outweighs his goodintentions.

The ways in which our communitysins against singles are many and wide-spread. Because these sins are easily cam-ouflaged as mitzvos, and because thereare so many nuances and subtletiesinvolved with helping singles, it isextremely difficult for many people torecognize that they may be sinning. It isall too easy for one to rationalize hisbehavior, especially when societal normsfavor “helping” singles in ways that arenot appropriate.

I will provide common examples ofthis to help educate the community andwith hopes that those who are well-meaning will refine the manner in whichthey try to help singles. In addition, hope-fully some people will realize that thismitzvah is not for them, just as not allmitzvos are intended to be performed byall people at all times. Some people maynot yet be equipped to perform the mitz-vah, and others would be best off avoid-ing it altogether.

Individuals: Sins Of SpeechWell-meaning individuals sin against

singles with speech and action. They sinwith speech by making a variety of inap-propriate comments, such as the follow-ing common examples:

“Why aren’t you married yet?” Thisgenerally comes from people who arefavorably impressed with a single theydon’t know very well. It is intended as acompliment, as if to say, “You’re so ter-rific I can’t believe no one snapped youup!” While masquerading as a mitzvahby supposedly complimenting the sin-gle and boosting his self-esteem, it onlydraws attention to the fact that he isstill single and puts him on the spot.After all, how exactly is a person sup-posed to respond to this? “Yes, I’m won-derful, and I also can’t believe no onewants to marry me.” This doesn’t exact-ly brighten a person’s day.

Sometimes the same question isasked, but as a genuine inquiry. Thequestioner wants to help; he wants to

SinningAgainstSingles


know what’s holding the single backfrom getting married so he can try tofix the problem. Needless to say,despite the good intentions, the ques-tion is entirely tactless and bound tobe hurtful.

Furthermore, the question presup-poses that there is a clear reason whyone person may have been fortunate tofind the right person and get marriedwhile the next person has not been sofortunate. That is far from true. Mostsingles don’t need to be fixed beforethey are marriageable, and plenty ofmarried people have tremendous prob-lems and issues that may make theirrelationships very unpleasant. If thingsworked out a little differently, plenty ofsingles would be married and plenty ofmarried people would still be single.Hence, to presuppose that there is a“reason” why someone is single is veryshortsighted and even insulting.

Besides, even if there is a reason whysomeone is single, what makes anyone sosure he is able to help—or that it is evenhis business?

“This is why you aren’t married.” Thisis an incredibly presumptuous and offen-sive comment that is nevertheless quitecommon. It is never appropriate for any-one to say this to someone. Never.

Unless one is a prophet, he cannotpossibly know why anyone else is notmarried, does not have children, or isotherwise not blessed in a certain fash-ion. The best anyone can manage is aneducated guess, and even this should

only be ventured, with humility andsensitivity, if the relationship with theother person and the situation call forit. The above declaration is just theopposite; it is arrogant and insensitive,and it will only hurt, not illuminate.Generally people will make thisremark to lash out at a single andstrike at a raw nerve, not to direct himon a productive path. They will ration-alize otherwise, but this comment cannever be rationalized.

“Im yirtzeh Hashem by you!” Singlesoften bristle at this remark, whichtends to come from people on thefringes of their life—if even thatclose—and only draws attention totheir single status. Personal remarks bypeople on the fringes of someone’s lifeare generally not appropriate, even ifwell-intentioned.

At one memorable wedding, a dis-tant cousin who has no relationshipwith me advised me, with barely a

hello, to get to know a certain man,since his wife is a shadchan. (I shouldhave recommended an etiquette spe-cialist for her, but refrained.) A strangerapproached me and pronounced“Speedily! Speedily!” (I wished thesame for him, though we probably haddifferent things in mind.) Yet anotherdistant acquaintance sat down next tome and asked me straight off whathishtadlus I was doing. (My response:“None of your business.”)

Unless it is appropriate for fringeacquaintances and strangers to make sim-ilar well-intentioned comments to child-less couples, the severely ill, or those indire economic straits, it is not appropri-ate to make such comments to singlesabout their personal status. A little tactmeans more than a perfunctory blessing.

Rabbis and other people of influenceshould be especially careful beforespeaking about these issues. Much ofwhat is said by such people is terribly

misguided and uninformed, and thedamage from these remarks can betremendous and difficult to undo. Trueleaders know their limitations and don’ttread in areas outside their expertisewithout due diligence.

Individuals: Sins Of ActionIndividuals sin against singles through

action primarily in three ways. The first isby setting them up in negligent fashion.It is not a mitzvah to set two people upon a whim with the rationalization that“it’s only a date,” “you never know,” or“you can’t leave a stone unturned.” Savethe flippant attitude for your own shid-duch search if you really believe in it, andshow a little more concern for the wel-fare of others.

Bad experiences, and even a series ofneutral but unsuccessful experiences, cantake a lot out of a person, and many suchexperiences can be avoided by doing justa little homework. I am against the SecretService-like investigations common insome circles, but one should take settingpeople up seriously enough to get theirfacts straight and put some seriousthought into the matter. Ask the rightquestions, pay attention to the answers,and never lose sight of what the other per-son is going through. Fail to do so, and it’sa sin at worst, and a severely blemishedmitzvah at best. Even if it works out, it’s inspite of the effort, not because of it.

Individuals also sin against singles bybroaching the idea of setting them up andthen failing to follow through. It’s star-tling how common this is, and complete-ly inexcusable. Don’t start something youaren’t committed to seeing through.


Sinning Against SinglesContinued from Page 21

We create dating events thatresemble bad game shows and

offer singles icebreakers suitablefor small children.

A third sin is committed when peopledisparage singles’ ability to make properdecisions for themselves. There is a fineline between offering well-timed adviceand meddling too closely in someone’spersonal affairs, and many people don’teven recognize that such a line existswhen it comes to singles. If someonedecides not to pursue a relationship withsomeone, for example, his decisionshould be respected, not become thebasis for critical remarks.

A single should never be made to feellike a chesed project or a lesser person.One who sets singles up without show-ing them the same respect and regardthey would show a married adult is cer-tain to sin repeatedly against them. Iwould advise such people to find a differ-ent, safer mitzvah with which to occupythemselves, and to leave this one to peo-ple with more refined character andinterpersonal skills.

The CommunityThe community at large sins against

singles in a variety of ways. This “crisis”didn’t just appear out of thin air, after all.Our community has gone off track, andunless it seriously changes course, theproblems will only continue.

The community sins against singlesfirst and foremost by trivializing theproblem. There is no one “problem”—such as “singles are too picky,” “therearen’t enough men,” or everyone’sfavorite scapegoat, “television”—that isresponsible for a culture that makes dat-ing and marriage so difficult. To trivializethe problem is to ignore the real issues,and to ignore the real issues is to sin

against singles.Singles tend to be transient, and thus

more commonly find themselves thenew person in town—without the built-in companionship and social entry of aspouse. It is incumbent on every shul tohave some sort of welcoming committeeor similar mechanism to help new peoplefeel at home and become integrated intothe community. Singles don’t necessarilyneed meals or shidduch dates, but theyneed to feel like a valued member of thecommunity. Singles flee to places like theUpper West Side—no great sanctuary inits own right—because they are oftenmade to feel unwelcome and disregardedin more family-oriented communities.This has to change.

The community sins against singles byclosing off natural meeting opportunitiessuch as wedding meals, concerts, andother events at which there is no com-pelling reason to fence men and womenoff from one another. We do not have acrisis of Jews acting inappropriately atthese events, so these suffocating, unnec-essary strictures that only create otherproblems must be removed.

The community sins against singles bysubstituting natural meeting opportuni-ties with all manner of degrading, ineffi-cient, and generally ineffective consola-tion prizes. We don’t let singles meet oneanother at the wedding, but we consolethem that maybe someone will take pityon them and set them up. No deal.

We replace non-pressurized eventswith events that have married chaper-ones, shadchanim, and “facilitators,” lestsingles talk to one another instead. Notgood enough.

We create dating events that resemblebad game shows and offer singles ice-breakers suitable for small children tohelp lessen the pressure and awkward-ness. Just not smart thinking.

The community sins against singles bydriving them away from an observantlifestyle. I personally have encounteredmore than a few people who drifted awayfrom observance because they felt theyhad to choose between being obser-vant—shidduch system and all—and evergetting married. No one should ever haveto make such a choice.

The community sins against singles byrepackaging the same failed ideas in dif-ferent wrapping paper and presenting itas something exciting. Prior generationsdid not know of a crisis of this nature, sowe should look to them for guidanceinstead of pretending it was always donethis way or, worse, claiming it has to con-tinue to be this way. Nonsense. Thingshad to change to become like this, andthey can just as easily change again—thistime for the better.

SinglesSingles sin against themselves as well.

They sin against themselves by allowingthemselves to be degraded and mistreat-ed because they are afraid of being stig-matized. They sin against themselves bydoing all manner of things that aren’t trueto themselves “for shidduch purposes,” asif they wish to marry someone who does-n’t appreciate them for who they reallyare. They sin against themselves by neverdeveloping a true sense of self and a sen-sible derech that they can stick withinstead of changing things just for the

sake of changing.Singles sin against themselves by fail-

ing to take charge of their personal lives,and instead waiting for others to dothings for them. If the events out thereare not to your liking, organize your own.If the community isn’t working for you,then work to change the community. Ifyou see someone interesting, strike up aconversation with that person. If you hada good time on the date, ask that personout again, directly. It is normal to rejectand to be rejected. It is not normal tohave a third party do the real communi-cating for you.

Singles sin against themselves by sub-stituting real hishtadlus with praying incemeteries, adopting strange pseudo-reli-gious customs, and trying far-fetched,painful things like degrading singlesevents. Acts of desperation such as theseare not hishtadlus; quite the reverse, infact. True hishtadlus is taking normal,sensible measures to attain a goal whileputting one’s trust in Hashem.

I am optimistic that things really canchange for the better. But it won’t happenby itself or through an act of G-d. It willonly happen when singles, married peo-ple, and the community at large face upto the real issues and commit to mean-ingful changes. It can happen. It startswith you.

That’s a mitzvah. v

Rabbi Chananya Weissman is the founder ofEndTheMadness (www.endthemadness.org), avolunteer effort to rehabilitate the culture of theshidduch world and www.hotkiddush.com, afree networking site geared for the Orthodoxcommunity. He blogs atwww.daasyachid.blogspot.com and can becontacted at [email protected].




The story is retold every year at thistime about an elderly, holy Jew whoresided in just one room in a smallRussian town and the ordeal he enduredin his search for chametz on the nightbefore the yom tov of Pesach. Though helived in just one small room, the searchtook him all night, till the sun would risein the morning. As we become reorient-ed with the concept of chametz this timeof year, we learn from the story of thisrebbe that the search for chametz we tra-ditionally conduct is not simply aboutlittle pieces of bread, a wooden spoon,and a candle.

The elderly Jew’s search for chametztook him through his little apartment aswell as through the year that had tran-spired, from the conclusion of the lastPesach to the arrival of the new one. Thearrival of and the preparation for Pesachtook him on a search for the chametz inhis heart and in his mind, and all that theconcept of chametz represents. The ideasrepresented by the switch we make everyyear from consuming leavened bread tomatzah and matzah-based products isdeep, and it represents more than the

superficial dietetic changes we make atthe midpoint of the month of Nissan.

For many of us, the entire Pesach exer-cise is, to an extent, about searching—not for just a few weeks before Pesach,but actually for months. We’re lookingand searching for hotels to go to, and,once we find one, we start to shop likemaniacs for clothing to wear l’kavod yomtov and in accordance with the moststringent formulas of holiday obser-vance. For those of us staying home, thesearch for clothing is similar, though notfilled with the same inspired and reli-gious zeal as for those traveling for theholiday. Additionally, for those spendingyom tov at home, there is the inevitabili-ty of guest lists, food lists, and mealmenus. So, in effect, the search forchametz before the chag is really only theculmination of months of searching forone thing or another.

Certainly the most challenging searchis for the chametz in our hearts andminds. In a way, this is a never-endingprocess which has to entail a great deal ofintrospection and, well, soul-searching.After all, this is what chametz really repre-sents on an esoteric level. Being chametz,or leavened, means that it has risen. The

fact of the rising is representative of thehubris and ego that are a vital componentof humanity. It’s about our personalpride—the stature that we’ve developed(or think we’ve developed) for ourselves,and perhaps even excessive doses of self-esteem (something they say is in shortsupply these days). These are all necessaryelements one needs in order to survive;but at the same time, we have to measurethem carefully so as not to overdose tothe point of having too much pride orhold ourselves in too high esteem.

And this is what the flip side ofchametz—i.e., matzah—is all about: thefailure to rise allows us to consider our-selves to be something that in essence wereally are not. The Jewish people were insuch a rush to leave the land of ourenslavement that the dough they intend-ed to bake bread with for the trip into thedesert had no time to rise, and thereforewe eat matzah on Pesach. We do so tocommemorate those great days—theturning point that culminated in the cre-ation of the Jewish People after hundredsof years of torturous physical exile.

One of the fascinating things—andalways one of the great challenges—about Pesach is that according to Jewishlaw and tradition, on the Seder night weare obligated to view ourselves as if weactually were part of that great grouptour, that first Pesach away and on theroad to redemption. Interestinglyenough, the same thing is said aboutPurim—that we are required to view our-selves as having been saved from the evildecree of Haman just like out ancestorswere more than 2,300 years ago. This isbrought down by our commentators on

the matter of reading Megillas Esther. OurSages say that if one reads the Megillahbackwards, he is not considered to haveperformed the mitzvah of reading theMegillah. Commentators interpret this asmeaning that one who views the eventsof the Megillah as a series of events thathappened to some other people at someother time is not observing the holidayproperly. And it makes a great deal ofsense, because why would someone wantto read the Megillah backwards, anyway?

On the matter of the Seder, though, weare challenged with entering into a frameof mind that places us there on the scene.We are there in those final hurriedmoments, as Jews packed up to leavetheir personal Diaspora that many con-sidered home and, despite the hardshipsand discomforts, probably felt ratheraccustomed to. We learned that we couldnot have made it out of the Egyptianexile on our own. We had no Torah yet,we were physically worn down, and theEgyptians did a pretty good job of inte-grating our young people and assimilat-ing them into everyday life in Mitzrayim.

Taking a further look into the story ofthe Jewish experience in exile, we find adeeper meaning to the tragic tale of howPharaoh chose to deal with the miracu-lous numbers of offspring the Jewishwomen were producing—sometimes sixchildren per birth. Pharaoh chose to com-mand his people, in order to control theJewish population, to simply toss all theJewish males to their death into the NileRiver. Pharaoh’s plan for the Jewish futurewas far more complex than an ancient“final solution.” The Nile River was wor-shipped as a god in Egypt, and it was the

The Search For Chametz

source of livelihood for all ofthat country’s people. It rarelyrains in Egypt, and the fieldsthat supply the grain and pro-duce for the country receive thewater they need only when theNile crests and overflows, there-by watering the fields. As aresult, the Nile was the source ofall commerce throughout theland of Egypt; it represented onall levels everything that wassuccessful about the country.Without the Nile, Egypt wouldcease to be a viable country.

So, according to some, whenPharaoh demanded that his sub-ordinates throw the Jewishmale children into the Nile, hewas not only ordering them tomurder Jewish babies; he wasalso asking them to see to it thatthe Jewish children be throwninto whatever the Nile repre-sented: commerce, socializa-tion, assimilation—everythingthat makes a country workableand functioning. Short ofenslaving and torturing its Jews,Egyptians wanted more thananything else to integrate theminto all levels of their society.Elsewhere, however, there wereother plans.

So how do you sit at the Sederin 2010 and actually see, feel,and visualize yourself as havingbeen enslaved in Egypt—as hav-ing been one of the chosenmembers of the fledgling Jewishnation that was actually scurry-ing on that first night of the veryfirst Pesach to scoot out ofMitzrayim so as not to becomeirretrievably sunk down to alevel of spiritual contaminationthat could never be recoveredfrom? Our commentators tell usthat had we not left Egypt atthat specific moment, we mayhave actually lost our chance todo so and would be gone as apeople—forever.

But is feeling that way on theSeder night actually doable, or isit nothing but indulgence insome kind of virtual-reality exer-cise that was ahead of its time?How are we supposed to dealwith this stuff? We have a diffi-cult enough time relating tocontemporary problems thatintimately impact on modernJewish life—like terror in Israelas well as an upsurge in anti-Semitism around the world. Canwe sit at the Seder table,whether away or at home, andactually place our lives in a3,000-years-ago context?

I’m sure that many are able todo that, especially those whohave achieved the ability toview all of Jewish life andJewish history as a mysteriousyet uninterrupted continuumfrom the days of Adam and Eveup until today. For others, how-ever, it’s important to under-stand that the concept ofMitzrayim, Egypt, is not limitedto a geographical context of anancient nation thousands ofyears ago. The word “Mitzrayim”

itself is derived from theHebrew word “tza‘ar” or“meitzar,” which means “thatwhich afflicts or constricts.”Two times each day when werecite the third and final para-graph of the Shema, we say thewords, “I am the L-rd your G-d,who has taken you out of theland of Egypt, to be for you as aG-d . . .” And this could very wellhave a double meaning. On asimple level, it references thewatershed moment in Jewishhistory—the Exodus fromEgypt.

On a more contemporary andeasily applicable level,“Mitzrayim,” or that which con-stricts us, is something we dealwith on various levels everyweek and every day. That whichrestricts us or troubles us oroppresses us in our everydaylives—whether on a personal orprofessional level—can beviewed as our own personalMitzrayim from which our faithin Hashem liberates us daily,even constantly. Yes, there is aMitzrayim somewhere out thereon the border with Gaza at theother end of the Sinai. And theyhave tunnels that are dug under-ground and through whicharmaments continue to besmuggled to terrorists whothreaten, harm, and inflict painon Jews up to this very day. Andthere is the Mitzrayim in whichour ancestors were actual slavesand in which countless malechildren were systematicallykilled for no reason other thantheir Jewishness—and the liber-ation from which we mark andcelebrate on the Seder night andthroughout Passover.

And we prepare for thisobservance by searching forchametz. We search our homesand our offices, and we are alsoinstructed to search our heartsand minds. Like Mitzrayimitself, chametz is an all-encom-passing and pervasive concept.Maybe that’s why it is incum-bent upon us to search for, find,and destroy our own chametz,and there is no such custom tosearch for your neighbors’ orfriends’ chametz (which youwould no doubt have a mucheasier time finding). Chametzrepresents hubris and conceit.Matzah is representative ofhumility—the nullification ofthe self that facilitates the unityand uniqueness of Am Yisrael—the then newly created JewishPeople preparing to travelthrough the desert and encampat Mount Sinai to receive theTorah.

We have learned that the cir-cumstances surrounding theredemption from Egypt are aforerunner to the circumstancesthat will surround the ultimateand final redemption of theJewish People, may it happenspeedily in our days. Perhaps anintegral part of those circum-stances is our internal search for

chametz, and not just the annu-al perfunctory roundup of tensmall pieces of challah or ryebread to symbolically demon-strate the gathering and the dis-posing of the chametz from ourownership. It’s a good time tolook into our hearts and findthat which needs to be cleansedand excised. But the key is tolook into our own hearts—notthose of our neighbors.

The question is posed as towhy we burn all the utensilswith which we ceremoniouslygather up the chametz duringthe search. It’s understandablethat we have to burn the featherand the wooden spoon, becausethey actually come in contactwith the bread, the chametz. Thequestion is, though, why do wealso burn the candle? After all,the candle did not come in con-tact with the bread at all; it onlyhovered above the action to illu-minate the search. The answeris that a candle or a light thatfinds chametz—and all its mani-festations—by a Jew deserves tobe burnt along with thechametz.

Chag sameiach to all. v

Comments for Larry Gordon arewelcome at [email protected].



tant than Israeli interests,” he told IDFRadio, saying that “treason” was involved.

The Jerusalem municipality issued astatement saying that the report regard-ing Shepherd Hotel was “distorted” and“is meant to stir up a provocation duringPrime Minister Netanyahu’s visit inWashington.”

“The plan was approved in July 2009 bythe local committee,” the municipalitynoted. “Its approval was published in themedia at the time. The landowners only paidthe fees on March 15, 2010, and approval wasgranted automatically after that.”

Gilad Erdan, Minister forEnvironmental Protection, also said thatTuesday’s news was “left-wing spin.” Hecalled it “idle chatter that left-wing ele-ments are looking to use to muddyNetanyahu’s name, even at the expense ofties with the U.S.”

Was It Noni?News1, a news website owned and

operated by hard-hitting independentnewsman Yoav Yitzchak, had its own the-ory regarding the embarrassing leaks. Henoted that the Shepherd Hotel leak wasfirst published in Ynet, and he citedunnamed political sources that estimatedthat Arnon (Noni) Moses was trying tobring down Netanyahu’s government.Moses is waging a business war against anew rival, Yisrael HaYom, which threatenshis newspapers’ ascendancy in the Israelimarket. Yisrael HaYom is owned bySheldon Adelson, who is considered closeto Netanyahu. (Arutz Sheva) v

CollusionContinued from Page 13


Perhaps feeling confident, charged,and energized in the aftermath of hishealth-care victory earlier this week,President Barack Obama set his sightsTuesday night and Wednesday onIsrael, attempting to impose his willand publicly humiliate Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu.

As we went to press, Netanyahu wasstill in Washington, working with hisdiplomatic staff in the hope of craftinga statement that can both satisfy Mr.Obama and reduce the high tension thatfor the first time in half a century standsto endanger the unique relationshipbetween the U.S. and Israel. Accordingto American Jewish sources, “Obama isturning the screws on Netanyahu,threatening the very nature of theU.S.–Israel relationship.” According tothis source, Obama wants an announce-ment from Netanyahu that says thatbuilding in East Jerusalem will be imme-diately halted for the duration of thenegotiations between Israel and thePalestinians. The source said that theybelieve that Obama specifically wantsNetanyahu to commit to reopeningOrient House in East Jerusalem, whichonce served as the seat of what wasthen an illegal Palestinian governmentfunctioning in Jerusalem.

Prior to the closing of Orient Houseby Israeli police about ten years ago, itwas found to be functioning as a head-quarters for the planning of terror

attacks by Arabs in Israel and as a safehaven for perpetrators of terror. Theofficial, who asked not to be identifiedbecause he was not authorized tospeak on the matter, said that“demands are being made onNetanyahu that cannot be met.” Thatmeans that if Netanyahu does accede

to Obama’s demands, his government,which is held together by right-wingparties, will not be able to survive.

And that is in part the objective ofMr. Obama and Secretary of StateClinton—to manipulate the situationto the point where the Netanyahu gov-ernment cannot survive—or, that in

order to survive, Bibi will have to bringthe left-leaning Kadima party into theruling coalition.

Asked if Ms. Livni or even Labor leaderEhud Barak in the role of Prime Ministercould meet Obama’s demands, theAmerican Jewish leader, who is close tothe Netanyahu government, said thatthey absolutely could not.

For now, the Netanyahu effort is tobuy time and calm the difficult atmos-phere that has evolved over the last weekor so. Support for Israel and Jerusalem isstill rock-solid in Congress, and Israelneeds to nudge the process closer to theU.S. mid-term elections, as being pro-Israel generally translates into votesaround most of the country. That’s anadditional reason why Mr. Obama is insuch a hurry to pressure Netanyahu intoconcessions that cross Israel’s traditionalred lines—as, politically speaking, time isof the essence.

The Obama persona that is emergingand his stance toward Israel is exactlywhat had been feared in the past,though the hope was that the relation-ship would not come to this. Accordingto the source, Obama lashed out at theprime minister, assuring him of unprece-dented international isolation if hewouldn’t agree to the president’s terms.It is unlikely that will happen, and Israelhas to now prepare itself for whatshould not really be considered such anunusual place on the world stage—thatis, standing alone like the proverbiallamb surrounded by 70 wolves. v

The Bibi–Obama Meeting, From The Inside

For now, the

Netanyahu effort is

to buy time and

calm the difficult

atmosphere that

has evolved over

the last week or so.

“It’s a machloket between the ChazonIsh and Rav Chaim Na’eh. According tothe Chazon Ish, a revi’it is 150 milliliters,

while according to Rav Chaim Naeh it’sonly 86, the gematriya of kos.”

Although one might assume that thesewords came out of a frum-from-birth reg-ular yeshiva bachur, they were actuallyjust uttered last week by YonatanGeinkin, a seventh grader in the ShuvuRishon Letzion School, in response to aquestion on a quiz of hilchos Pesach.Yonatan grew up in a home foreign toYiddishkeit and knew practically nothingabout Judaism until just a few years ago,when he joined Shuvu.

Yonatan and 14 other contestantsfrom his Shuvu Rishon Letzion Schooland from the Shuvu Ashdod School con-gregated in Rishon Letzion for the finaland public stage of the quiz—to testtheir knowledge on the halachos ofPesach, and to add to the knowledge oftheir many classmates present in thecrowd. The quiz questions were present-ed through short movie clips starringthe students of the class, making thecontest exciting and interesting for thenon-contestants as well. Everyone inthe crowd sensed the combination ofdelight, even disbelief, and much, muchnachas, as they heard the childrenanswering with confidence and greatbekius.

A sign of the standing Shuvu has ingeneral, and in Ashdod and RishonLetzion in particular, was the atten-dance of three gedolim at the event.Hagaon Harav Yehuda Silman, shlita,one of the great poskim in Bnei Brak andthe posek for Shuvu, was joined by theChief Rabbi of Rishon Letzion, HaravYehuda Volpe, shlita, and Chief Rabbi ofAshdod, Harav Yosef Sheinin, shlita. Allthree rabbonim were amazed at whatthey were witnessing. Rav Silman could-n’t get over the children’s knowledge ingeneral, and particularly their under-standing of sha’ot zmani’ot regarding sofzman achilas chametz and sof zmanhana’ah. “I didn’t expect Shuvu studentswho only recently were introduced tolearning, to have such an understandingof the halachah!” the rav remarkedexcitedly. Rav Volpe and Rav Sheininwere no less enthusiastic. They bothstood up and gave the children abrachah that they should grow in Torahand become true talmidei chachamim.

But it wasn’t just the Torah knowledgedisplayed that was impressive. It was themidos of the children as well. Shuvu is

known not just for the high level of itsstudies, both secular and of courselimudei kodesh, but also for the emphasis

placed on derech eretz. In the unfortu-nate reality of the youth in Eretz Yisraeltoday, Shuvu children stand out like a

shining stone. Not a day goes by withoutreports in the daily papers in Israelregarding violence in schools, alcoholismamong students, and tznius issues. Thedaily paper Ma’ariv reported last weekthat several schools in Israel forbade stu-dents from bringing water canteens ontheir annual tiyulim shnati’im (school

trips lasting several days). From experi-ence, the schools knew that studentswould fill up their canteens with noth-ing less than alcoholic beverages. Sadly,the school staff was not able to trust itsstudent body, and they had no choice but


V’Higadta L’Vincha:Shuvu’s Pesach Preparations

The children at Shuvu receiving their Pesach packages.


When Yonatan noticed how excited the

second-place winner was about the

camera, he happily switched prizes.


Potatoes are the most popular veg-etable in the world. They are availablein hundreds of varieties, which vary insize, shape, taste, color, and starch con-tent. You might think that all potatoesare basically the same, but there are dif-ferences that make one variety betterfor a particular cooking method thananother. For example, red potatoes arebest for boiling, and russets are best for

frying and baking. Potatoes are oftenserved as a side dish to meat and poul-try, but they are also used as a signifi-cant ingredient in many dishes, such asstews, soups, scalloped potatoes, andother casserole-type dishes.

For all practical purposes, potatoes fallinto two categories—baking potatoes andboiling potatoes. The main differencebetween the two types is the amount andnature of starch each contains.

Baking potatoes are also called starchypotatoes. They tend to be long and havea coarse, cork-like skin. They are high instarch, with a dry, mealy texture; butthey turn light and fluffy when cooked.They are ideal for baking, mashing, andmaking french fries. They are light andfluffy when baked, light and creamywhen mashed, and really the only potatoworth frying.

Boiling potatoes are also calledwaxy potatoes. They come in a varietyof shapes and can be long or round.They have a thin, smooth skin and analmost waxy flesh. They are relativelyhigh in moisture and sugar, but low instarch. They are ideal for soups,casseroles, potato salad, roasting, andbarbecuing, because of their ability tohold their shape.

There are some potatoes that fall inthe middle, or “all-purpose,” category,such as the Yukon gold. They are moremoist than baking potatoes and willhold together in boiling water. They areparticularly well-suited for roasting, panfrying, and using in soups, stews, andgratins. They can be baked, mashed, andfried, but will not produce the same

results as the bakers.Here are some common varieties you

may have seen at the market:Russet. A brown-skinned, oblong

potato with a white interior, this is oneof the most popular potatoes. It has arough skin with numerous eyes and cangrow quite large. The russet is low inmoisture and high in starch, making itgood for baking, boiling, and making

french fries.Red. They are medium-sized with

thin red skin and white flesh that has acrisp, waxy texture. The flesh can have apink tint but is generally white. Theyare good potatoes for boiling, steaming,and roasting. They keep their shapewhen cooked, which makes them agood choice for dishes that have cookedpotatoes in them, such as potato salad,scalloped potatoes, soups, and stews.Red potatoes are available throughoutthe year.

Yukon gold. This variety has a lightyellow skin and a rich buttery flavor.They are excellent for boiling and mak-ing mashed potatoes, but are not as goodas russet potatoes for baking. They arealso more expensive than many com-mon potato varieties, but the flavor com-pensates for the price.

New potato. Any variety of potatothat is harvested very early in itsgrowth. The waxy skin of these smallpotatoes contains a high level of mois-ture, while its sweet, tender white fleshcontains a lower level of starch, makingit very suitable for boiling. New pota-toes can be boiled, baked, fried, orroasted and are excellent as side dishesor for use in potato salads, soups, stews,and casseroles.

Fingerling. A small, narrow potatothat is actually a very young tuber. Thepotato has a finger-like appearanceand a firm texture that varies frommoist to dry, with a flavor that rangesfrom mildly sweet to rich and nutty.Like many other potatoes, the finger-ling potato can be baked, boiled, fried,

The Super Popular Tuber

Fingerling potatoes


grilled, roasted, steamed, orsautéed. There are a variety ofdifferent fingerling potatoesavailable.

Purple. This unique-tintedvariety is a smaller oval-shapedpotato with a purplish blackouter skin and a vivid purple,dense inner flesh. The odd-col-ored meat adds a distinctivelook to any dish.

Whatever variety you pur-chase, store your potatoes in acool, dry place. They will keepat room temperature for up totwo weeks, and longer whenstored in cool temperatures. Ifpotatoes are purchased in aplastic bag, remove them fromthe bag and place them in abasket or similar container sothey will have enough air cir-culation. Do not store them inthe refrigerator, because thecold temperatures will con-vert the starches into sugarand the potatoes will becomesweet and turn a dark colorwhen cooked.

Grilled Potato Salad With Parsley Pesto

Ingredients:11⁄2 pounds fingerling potatoes,

cut in half lengthwisewater1 Tbsp. salt, plus 1 tsp., plus

more for potato water6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided1 Tbsp. coarsely ground black

pepper, plus 1 tsp.1⁄4 cup pine nuts11⁄2 cups fresh parsley leaves1 tsp. dried oregano1 Tbsp. lemon juice1 Tbsp. chopped garlic1 Tbsp. capers

Directions:Preheat the grill or grill pan

to medium. In a largesaucepan, add the potatoesand cover with water. Salt thewater and bring to a boil overmedium heat. Cook untilslightly tender; about 15 to 20minutes. Remove the potatoesfrom the water to a bowl andlet cool. Season with 3 table-spoons of olive oil, 1 table-spoon of salt, and 1 tablespoonof pepper. Arrange on the pre-heated grill and mark for 1 to 2minutes on each side.

In a small sauté pan, toastthe pine nuts over mediumheat until lightly browned.Add the parsley, oregano,lemon juice, garlic, capers, 1teaspoon of both salt and pep-per, 3 tablespoons olive oil,and the pine nuts to a foodprocessor. Pulse until the mix-ture forms a smooth paste. Addto the potatoes and toss tocoat well. Serve cold or atroom temperature.

Eating quality, delicious meals is easywhen all the work is done for you.Hire a personal chef to prepare yourdinners, Shabbos meals, or smallparties. For more information, contactTake Home Chef personal chef servicesby calling 516-858-0215, writing [email protected], or visitingwww.TakeHomeChef.net.


to provide the drinks them-selves.

Contrast that to whatoccurred at the hilchos Pesachquiz of Shuvu. The third andfifth place prizes were switchedby mistake, awarding the fifthplace winner an expensive MP4and the third place with a lessexpensive basketball. Afterenjoying having the MP4 in hispossession for a mere few min-utes, the fifth place winner real-ized the mistake and went overto the quiz judges on his own,pointed out the mistake, andexchanged the prizes.

The winner of the contestalso showed exemplary midos.His first place prize was a verysophisticated camera—some-thing any teenager wouldcrave. But when YonatanGeinkin noticed how excitedthe second-place winner wasabout the camera, he happilyswitched prizes.

Rav Yochanan Reiner, Rebbein the school and coordinator ofthe quiz, commented later, “Wethought we were emotional see-ing the children’s knowledge.But seeing the love between thestudents and the tremendousmidos they displayed after-wards, made us even more emo-tional. We were holding backour tears.”

It is therefore no wonderthat parents are knocking onShuvu’s doors to join theunique network of schools.Even parents initially opposedto their children’s learningabout Yiddishkeit, feel it’s“worth the risk of becomingfrum,” if their children pick upthe Shuvu midos.

The quizzes on hilchos Pesachwhich took place at several ofShuvu’s schools were only theculmination of the intenselearning of the halachos whichtook place at the dozens ofShuvu schools throughout EretzYisrael in preparation for theyom tov. As an additional tool toassist the Shuvu teachers in thismission, Shuvu’s educationaldirector, Mrs. BrochaWeinberger, produced anotherthick volume to add to herseries of teachers’ manuals, thisone on Pesach. The volumesalready published include top-ics of Chanukah, Purim,Shemittah, and more. Thesemanuals include much informa-tion about the subject matterpresented in an entertainingway for both the teachers andstudents, including puzzles,word games, etc. These manualshave been received withextreme enthusiasm by theShuvu teachers and principalsas they make the learning morecomprehensive and memorable,in a clear and enjoyable way.

ShuvuContinued from Page 29



For years, I had thought double datingwassomething that happened when two cou-ples went out to a movie or dinner together.But what was, was. That is no longer whatdouble dating means to me. It now has atotally new meaning, one that has nothingto do with social dating or couples.

Double dating is something that isprinted on milk containers. Whether themilk is in a plastic bottle or a waxed card-board container, it always has two dates.One date, the later one, appears to be forthe rest of the cow-juice-drinking worldand the second date, the one I usually failto notice, is for NYC (New York City). Thatsecond date is always several days earlierthan the other. And it drives me crazy. Dothe cows know something we don’t?

I’m never sure if I should pay attentionto the NYC date. I don’t live in NYC. I liveon Long Island, so I should be able toignore that “short” NYC date. However, Ilive on the most westerly part of theisland outside the five boroughs, andhence very close to NYC. So what is a per-son to do? This person is never sureabout it. But my strong suspicion is thatnone of the dates means anything—noth-ing, zippo, and zero. This is because thereare times when I’ve had milk go sour well

in advance of the date, and then there areother times that I have found the milk tobe perfectly fine several days after theexpiration date. What is up with that?How is one to know?

I believe the answer to that last questionis that one is not supposed to know! Theydon’t want us to know. It’s simply a hoaxperpetrated either by the dairy farmer or thebottler—or maybe both of them. It’s donejust to drive me crazy. And it’s working!

Now that it’s erev Pesach, the date non-sense is even more perplexing. I’ve beenknown to pick up a quart of milk on aMonday that has a date indicating that itwill be “good” only until Wednesday. Butnot if it’s for Pesach! Oh, no—if it’s forPesach, the product will be good straightthrough the middle of May. This is true ofcream cheese, cottage cheese, hard cheeses,eggs, and even milk. The rest of thechametz-eating year it doesn’t work likethat, and I for one would like to know why.

The same is true of cakes for Pesach.The hard plastic domes that cover thosedelicious-looking chocolate frosted cakesstarted to appear weeks ago, but theirlabels indicate that they will be good forseveral weeks after Pesach ends. My guessis that there are enough chemicals in

those cakes to justify a warning. If thepackaging and labeling were up to me, Iwould alert consumers never to standnear a flame after eating a slice!

Of course this is not a long-lastingproblem, since nobody in his right mindwould eat that stuff once Pesach is over. Acake that we consider to be tasty duringPesach is treated like poison as soon asyom tov ends. The only sweets that are asgood after the holiday as they are duringit are the home-baked ones. I don’t knowwhy this is, but it’s a fact.

I love shopping in the supermarketsbefore Pesach just to see what people arestocking up on. From what I’ve observed,it appears that people buy five times theamount of nuts, candy, potato chips, andpotato sticks before Pesach they buy atany other time of the year. It’s yet anoth-er sweet mystery of life. Apparently,because there is no bread, there is a needto feed our faces with other satisfyingsnacks. When I refer to not being able toeat bread, I mean real, honest-to-good-ness bread, not those phony Pesach rolls

that some people bake and then tellthemselves—and anyone else who willlisten—that it tastes every bit as good asregular bread. I’m here to tell the truth. Itdoes not! Pesach rolls are okay, but let’snot get carried away here. They’re notgreat. If they were, people wouldn’t bestocking up on the aforementionedsnacks as if they were going out of style.

Well, it’s here now. The eight days ofPesach are upon us, and hopefully we’llenjoy every one of those days, startingwith the Sedarim. Once again, I must saythat I don’t know many people who arehappy to have two Seders. Because therewas once a time when, outside of Israel,the exact date wasn’t known, people heldtwo Sedarim. (Again with the doubledates!) And once we take somethingupon ourselves, we’re not supposed tostop doing it. So two Sedarim it will be forthose of us who don’t live in Israel.

Personally this will be a very challeng-ing time for me. For the first time in 48years, Hubby will not sit, dressed in hissplendid white kittel, at the head of thetable to conduct our Sedarim. And, speak-ing once again of dates, our anniversarywould usually fall during Pesach. This year,nobody will wish us a happy anniversaryas they have every year. But it’s still ouranniversary. That won’t change, so: HappyAnniversary, Arnie; and our entire familywill do its best to enjoy the Sedarim as weknow you would want us to.

May we all—every one of us—enjoythem and have a chag kasher v’sameiach! v

Hannah Berman lives in Woodmere and is alicensed real-estate broker associated withMarjorie Hausman Realty. She can be reached [email protected] or 516-902-3733.

Dates And Double Dates

A cake that we

consider to be tasty

during Pesach is

treated like poison as

soon as yom tov ends.


Other Chareidi networks have alreadyvoiced interest in these unique manuals,realizing the great benefits to be reapedfrom them.

If every Jewish child is in need ofpreparatory learning prior to Pesach, atShuvu it’s even more crucial. It’s simplyimperative to have the students come intothe yom tov well prepared. After all, oftenin Shuvu it isn’t the parents who clean thehouse, kasher the kitchen, and run theSeder, but rather the little kinderlach whoassume the role of the head of the family.Instead of the chiyuv of “V’higadtaL’vincha” on leil haSeder, at Shuvu it morecommonly becomes a commandment onthe children of “V’higadta L’avicha.”

As Shuvu’s founder, HaGaon HaRavAvrohom Yaakov HaKohen Pam, zt’l,envisioned, changing a family beginswith the children. Once the childrenare brought closer to Torah andmitzvos through the classrooms, theynaturally and subsequently affect theirparents as well.

Besides learning the halachos in class,Shuvu also arranged model Seders in eachof its schools during the days beforePesach vacation. Some schools hostedthese special meals on Friday morningswhile others had them during theevenings. They were scheduled specifical-ly to allow working parents to participateas well. The family members all sataround beautifully set tables with matzos,wine, charoses, romaine lettuce, and eggs.For some parents it was the first timethey had ever observed a Seder table.

Others burst into tears remembering inthe back of their minds the Seder nightthey had experienced as children in com-munist Russia. All expressed sheer delightat the thought that the chain of traditionwas being connected again. Their chil-dren were already returning home, andthey knew deep down inside that it wasaffecting them as well.

At these model Seders Shuvu alsodistributes packages of matzos, grapejuice, wine, and Haggadot translatedinto Russian. Many Shuvu parents sim-ply cannot afford these products.Others might have the means but notthe push or knowledge to go out andpurchase them. But the little childrenare so interested in keeping themitzvos! They are so desperate to alsoeat matzah as they were taught inschool! Can we sit back while they arein need? Thanks to Shuvu’s “KimchaDePischa” program, thousands ofJewish families in Eretz Yisrael are ableto eat matzah and other kosher l’Pesachproducts during the chag.

We will sit down shortly and call out:“Kol dichphin yeisei v’yeichol,” All whoare hungry, let them come and eat. Allwho are needy, let them come and cele-brate Pesach.

This is Shuvu’s mantra. They wel-come those in need, both educationallyand physically. Anyone hungry forYiddishkeit, let them come and eat, withthe chinuch Shuvu offers. And anyonewho is needy physically, let them cometoo. All have to know that Shuvu is outthere for them, to guarantee everyone’shaving both a chag kasher and a chagsameiach. v

ShuvuContinued from Page 32


Dear Esther,How does someone know when it is

the right time to pull the plug on a terri-ble marriage? I think I knew from veryearly on that my marriage was not work-ing at all. I never felt loved or happy.Without putting too much blame on myhusband, I think we were just not meantto be a couple. We have very little in com-mon and don’t really enjoy one another’scompany. I don’t think either of us iscapable of giving the other one what theywant or need.

When my children were very young, Itold myself that once they were all inschool, it would be the perfect time tocall it quits. I would be able to go out andget a job and feel independent. But, ofcourse, once I found my youngest in firstgrade, I somehow decided to push off theinevitable and decided I would wait untilall the bar mitzvahs and bas mitzvahswere behind us. After all, why diminishthese important simchas? So I gavemyself a reprieve.

As you would expect, when I finishedwith my youngest son’s bar mitzvah, myoldest daughter was on the shidduchscene, and I felt that it wouldn’t be fair toher to get divorced at that time. It sudden-ly became the right thing to do to waituntil all of our children were married off,which I did.

My children are all married, I have afairly good job, and I’ve run out of excus-es. And yet, here I am, stuck in the samesituation, living with a man who feelslike a stranger to me, and I’m not movingforward with my big dream.

I don’t know what I’m waiting for. Iknow I’m not going to get a sign from G-d anytime soon that it’s time to move onwith my life, but somehow I just don’tseem to be able to break free from theinertia that is holding me in place.

My husband is worse than I am.Whereas at least I dream about a betterlife, I don’t think he even thinks about it.He seems to have accepted our marriagefor what it is—nothing with nothing—and goes about his business, not thinkingthat maybe we were both meant to livehappier, fuller lives.

Sometimes I wish he would beat me orspeak to me abusively, so that I’d have anexcuse and a justifiable reason to leave.But since that’s not the case, and we’re justtwo people who bring nothing into oneanother’s lives, it makes it all very hard.

I’m sure there are women reading myquestion and wondering what’s wrongwith me and how dare I complain—women who actually live with abusivemen and think that I have no right to bekvetching about my marriage. But whatmany people don’t understand is that it’s

like living with a corpse. There is no emo-tion between us, certainly no love. I feellike I’m starving for companionship butit’s just not available to me.

So getting back to my original ques-tion, how do I light a fire under myself sothat I can get on with my life? At thispoint, I don’t even fantasize about meet-ing Prince Charming anymore. But noth-ing is lonelier than being in a room withsomeone who barely knows you’re there.I’d much rather be totally alone. How doI get myself to take the leap?

LonelyDear Lonely,You pose an interesting question.

When is a marriage bad enough to war-rant a divorce? When is it legitimate,understandable, defensible, and neces-sary? Before I attempt to answer thosequestions, I have some questions of myown. What is it that you are really look-ing for from me and from the universe? Isit permission that you are ultimatelyseeking? Are you hoping for encourage-ment? Do you want some kind of guaran-tee that your life will be much improvedafter the deed is done? Do you need affir-mation that no one will blame you foryour action?

As you well know, divorce is a very seri-ous thing. So first I have to wonder howhard you have tried to find some com-monality between yourself and your hus-band, way before divorce started feelinglike your only solution. As you’ve men-tioned, you’re not suffering because ofanything that your husband is doing toyou, but on the contrary, the lack of any-thing he could be doing. There is anextreme level of passivity that has clearlytaken hold of the two of you, and you’veboth allowed yourselves to slip into yourown worlds, giving up on your marriageso very early in the game.

As predictable as this question is, I haveto ask if the two of you have gone to mar-riage therapy. Have you worked on your-selves and your marriage? Have you bothput out the necessary effort that often res-urrects hopeless marriages like the oneyou describe? Even the best marriagesdon’t happen without plenty of effort.Lots of compromising from both husbandand wife are called for, and everyone mustbe willing to go the extra mile to make itwork. Otherwise, you’re both justobservers of a relationship that never was.

If your answer is that you did go totherapy; you did both put out effort; youdid both try your hardest to understandand appreciate one another, and still themarriage has no pulse, no life, no glue,then I would say that it’s time to be hon-est with yourself and figure out what themarriage might be nevertheless offeringyou, if anything.

Perhaps you’re still in the marriagebecause it offers you some subtle perksthat you’re taking for granted. For exam-ple, being seen as one half of a “Mr. &

Mrs.” might be a perk. Or, a perk may behaving someone to walk into a simchawith. A perk may be knowing that you canask your husband to do the grocery shop-ping. Look honestly at yourself and yourmarriage and determine whether the realreason you haven’t, as you say, “pulled theplug” on your marriage is because you arestill getting something out of it.

If you can honestly say that you aren’tgetting anything out of your marriage,that you’ve tried everything, and thatyou’re not overly concerned about howyour children will react since they aregrown up and hopefully have wings of

their own, then I think it is important foryou to look within yourself for valida-tion. Only you can truly appreciate theloneliness you are living with.

People may comment, people mayjudge, people may not understand. Butthey are not walking in your shoes; theydo not know your pain. It’s much easierto devise and execute a plan when youaren’t bogged down by worries aboutwhat other people may say. Work towardfreeing yourself from those concerns, andyou may find that you’re finally able torelease the restraints that have been hold-ing you down—again, if you are certain

that divorce is what you really want.Usually, a life-altering move like get-

ting divorced is hard to do on one’s own.Working with a therapist can help yousee things more objectively, help youlook at how your life may play out,enable you to act from a place of calmand conviction, and, finally, empoweryou. And most important, you want tomake certain that there will be no regrets.

Esther

Esther Mann, LMSW, is a psychotherapist inLawrence. Esther can be reached at 516-314-2295or [email protected]. She works withindividuals and couples.



Second week of October, 1939 (end ofTishrei, 5700)

I realize now, 70 years later, how reason-able my parents were that autumn day,and how irrational and stubborn I was.

I cannot imagine what made me sodetermined to board that train and go offto yeshiva. I was 14 years old and had withme only the clothes I was wearing, my

tefillin and a few apples my mother hadgiven me. How had I managed to convincemy parents to let me leave them and go myown way—a mere month after the out-break of the Second World War, after wehad been forced to flee our town and werealmost burned alive?

Whatever it was that pushed me, it wasthe last time I would see my mother andfather, and it was my refusal to be sensiblethat saved my life.

The above passage begins the narrativeof Fire, Ice, Air, the just-published person-al recollections of Rabbi Simcha Shafran,shlita. Subtitled “A Polish Jew’s Memoir ofYeshiva, Siberia, America,” the bookrecounts Rabbi Shafran’s life to date,beginning with his youth in a Polishshtetl; his joining the Novardhok Yeshivain Vilna shortly after the start of WorldWar II; his sojourn during the war yearsin a Siberian work camp as part of agroup of young men and their rebbe,Rabbi Yehudah Leib Nekritz, zt’l; his morethan half-century as rabbi of a Baltimore

Fire, Ice, Air:The Memoirs OfRabbi SimchaShafran

“What is there iswhat remains vivid

in my father’smind. And I thinkthat gives it a deep

resonance.”

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congregation; and his continuing serviceto the Baltimore community as theadministrator of the Baltimore Beis Dinand as a rebbe to many local Jews.

“It’s a deceptively short book,” says thememoirist’s son, Rabbi Avi Shafran, whoassisted in producing the 200-page softcover book, working largely from inter-views, including one by the ShoahFoundation. “My father refuses to embel-lish, or to imagine things that he cannotremember. And so the book may seemsparse on detail.”

“But,” he adds, “that provides it a cer-tain strength and integrity. What isthere is what remains vivid in myfather’s mind. And I think that gives it adeep resonance.”

The book was self-published, theyounger Rabbi Shafran notes further, as“publishers are not very interested inmemoirs these days.”

That is unfortunate, he continues,since “an entire generation of young peo-ple has been born that has very limitedpersonal interaction, if any at all, with thegeneration of Jews who survived theHolocaust years.

“Fire, Ice, Air aims to do a small part inhelping familiarize younger people with,and further educate older ones about,that era, through the story of one man’slife experience to date, in Poland, Siberia,and America.

“It is my father’s hope, and mine, thathis story will help contemporary read-ers better understand and appreciate atime in history that is not that farremoved in years from today but which,in so many ways, is hard for most of usto even imagine.”

Rabbi Shafran’s memoirs were recentlypublished by Hashgacha Press. Inquiriesfrom booksellers can be directed to [email protected]. v

s”xc

Pesach Holiday ScheduleWe will be closed fromMonday, March 29and will reopen Wednesday, April 7!jnau raf dj

Hashem And Man: Master And Servant

B Y R ’ B E N T Z I O N S H A F I E R

The Kohein shall don a garment oflinen, and he shall don linen breeches onhis skin, and he shall remove the ashes.

—Vayikra 6:3One of the daily activities in the

Mishkan was taking out the ashes. TheChovos HaLevavos explains that Hashemcommanded Aharon to do this action

each day “to lower himself and rid him-self of the arrogance in his heart.”

This statement seems to imply thatAharon was arrogant, and that Hashemfelt he needed specific work to get rid ofthat sense of superiority. It is difficult toimagine that Aharon HaKohein was ahaughty individual, particularly when wefocus on the Torah’s description ofAharon.

A man of sterling character traits.When Hashem appeared to Moshe and

said, “I want you to lead the Jewish peo-ple out of Mitzrayim,” Moshe refused. Hewas afraid that Aharon would feel slight-ed. Up until that point, Aharon had beenthe leader of the nation, the one whobrought the word of Hashem to the peo-ple. Now his younger brother, unheardfrom for 60 years, would usurp that posi-tion. As great as Aharon was, Moshe knewthat he was still human and would feelthe pain of being displaced. Therefore,Moshe wanted no part of it.

Hashem explained to Moshe thatwhile this might be a well-founded fear inregard to the average person, because ofAharon’s great spiritual stature, he wasabove jealousy and competition, and thiswouldn’t cause him any pain. He had soeliminated bad character traits from hisheart that he would feel nothing nega-tive. When Moshe assumed this positionand Aharon set out to meet him, thepasuk says, “It was with joy in his heart.”

Hashem was telling Moshe thatAharon was in a different category of per-son. He had mastered his nature. He waslike a malach in human form. Of all men,Aharon wouldn’t be haughty and over-

bearing. So why did Hashem feel that itwas necessary for him to take out theashes each day to eliminate arrogancefrom his heart? The answer to this ques-tion is based on understanding the under-pinnings of our relationship withHashem.

A servant needs a master and a masterneeds a servant. The Chovos HaLevavos(Sha’ar HaChnah) explains a basic truism:a servant needs a master, and a masterneeds a servant. By definition, a servantcan’t be a servant without a master, and amaster can’t be a master without a ser-vant. They are mutually dependent. Withthat, he explains the danger of arrogance.The arrogant person feels powerful,mighty, and independent. These are notthe traits that one finds in a servant; quitethe opposite, these are the traits of supe-riors, people who rule. These are thetraits of the master. For that reason, thearrogant person can’t be a servant ofHashem.

Hashem alone has the right to wearthe trait of ga’avah. He alone is mighty,He alone is powerful, and He alone isindependent. Anyone else who harborsthese thoughts in his heart is “wearingthe King’s robes.” He views himself in amanner that is false and delusional. Moresignificantly, in that state, he cannotserve Hashem. “How can a person asmighty, significant, and important as Ipossibly have a master? I am the master!”For this reason, arrogance utterly skewsthe relationship of man with his Creator.Its opposite, humility, is central to all avo-das Hashem.

In no sense was Aharon haughty oroverbearing; he was among the mostmodest of men. The problem was that hisrole required even more. As the represen-tative of the nation, he was going into theHoliest of the Holies; any imperfection inhis intentions would have spelled animperfect avodah, so he needed to be per-fect in his humility. To attain that state,he needed a physical exercise. He had to,so to speak, take out the garbage eachday. By doing this, any trace of independ-ence was eliminated from his heart, andhe was able to reach that most elusiveunderstanding: “I am utterly, completely,and totally dependent upon Hashem. Iam the creation, and He is my Creator.” Asgreat as Aharon was, he still neededimprovement in this area, and it was onlythrough concrete, physical actions thathe could reach a state of true humility.

Humility is the core of being an evedHashem. All of our avodas Hashem hingesupon accepting Hashem as our Master.While we may not be haughty, unless wehave worked on acquiring humility therewill be trace elements of arrogance in ourhearts, and these will greatly impede our


The Shmuz OnThe Parashah The arrogant

person can’t bea servant of

Hashem.


being subservient to Hashem.They stop us from standing asservants in front of our Master.

The only way to achieve truehumility is by being exposed tolife situations that allow us togrow in humility. By being sub-jected to the various situationsin life, where we come to recog-nize that we are not mighty,powerful, and independent, thereality starts to seep in: I am amere mortal. Here for a fewshort years, unable to even con-trol my own existence, I am buta creation dependent upon myMaster for my very existence.

To help us grow, Hashem willoften custom-tailor situationsfor us. Not every circumstancein life is pleasant, and not everycondition is something wewould wish for. Some situationsmay be demeaning. It may feellike you are being asked to takeout the garbage. You might evenfeel indignant. “Hashem, whyare You subjecting me to this?What have I done wrong todeserve this?” The answer maywell be nothing. It wasn’t some-thing wrong that you did thatbrought this about. Rather, itwas something you did right,some merit that you have thatallowed you to have this oppor-tunity to acquire that rare com-modity—humility.

Recognizing our need for sit-uations that bring us to a senseof dependence upon Hashemcan help us understand life, andthen we can use these situationsto grow and to accomplish ourpurpose in Creation.

As there is much discussionin the sefarim equating gettingrid of chametz with ridding our-selves of the haughtiness in ourhearts, this is an appropriateconcept for Shabbos HaGadol. v

For more on this topic, please listen toShmuz #59: Humility—An Issue ofPerspective. The Shmuz, an engagingand motivating Torah lecture thatdeals with real-life issues, is availablefree at www.TheShmuz.com. TheShmuz on the Parsha book, acompilation on all of Chumash, is nowavailable for purchase in your localsefarim store and at TheShmuz.com.

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866-978-6500


There is an old joke: A doctorapproaches a lawyer in shul and com-plains to him that every time he comesinto shul, he always approached bysomeone wanting him to give them a

free checkup in shul. The lawyer toldhim, “I used to have the same problemalso. Then one time after a guy askedme for advice, I sent him a bill and henever asked me again.” The doctorthanked him and thought this was agreat idea. Monday, when he went backto work, he found a bill from the lawyer

on his desk.So why am I telling you this joke?

Because I am regularly approached bypeople asking me a variety of real-estatequestions, such as, “Where do you think

the real-estate market is going in the FiveTowns today?”; “Do you think I shouldput my house on the market now or waitawhile?”; or “How much do you think Ican get for my house?”

Now let me answer some of thesequestions that I’ve been asked—free ofcharge!

I do not think we can really call areal-estate market that has lots ofpeople out there buying houses a

“down” real-estate market.

This One Is Free


As to where the real-estate market isgoing this spring, this is an answer thatrequires some multifaceted replies. Onthe one hand, in some areas of the FiveTowns, we are finding ourselves with alack of houses for sale for the numbers ofbuyers out there who are ready, able, andwilling to buy houses as soon as they canfind the right house at the right location.On the other hand, even when thosehouses do become available and sell,they are not selling at anywhere near theprices sellers were receiving several yearsago at the height of the market, and itdoes not look as if those prices are climb-ing or will be climbing back up there any-time soon.

Does this mean the real-estate marketis down? I do not think we can really calla real-estate market that has lots of peo-ple out there buying houses a “down”real-estate market, and yet with pricesstill fluctuating the way they are, whatkind of market would you call it?

It is possible that at least for the nextfew years the market will not be one inwhich if you wait it out prices will goback up. Home prices will in all probabil-ity continue to fluctuate, hopefully in therange of where they are today and, if any-thing, just tighten themselves up withinthe next few years.

The days of huge jumps in house val-ues will, for the present and probably forthe next five to 10 years, not be some-thing just around the bend. Those hop-ing to wait it out will, like everyone else,have to make peace with the valuesbeing what they are presently in theneighborhood.

I hope to see those of you staying intown enjoying Pesach—preferably withthe 70-degree weather we have hadrecently. And for those going away foryom tov, enjoy! v

Anessa Cohen lives in Cedarhurst and is alicensed real-estate broker and a licensed N.Y.S.mortgage broker with over 20 years of experience,offering full-service residential and commercialreal-estate services (Anessa V Cohen Realty) andmortgaging services (First Meridian Mortgage) inthe Five Towns and throughout the tri-state area.She can be reached at 516-569-5007 or via herwebsite, www.AVCrealty.com. Readers areencouraged to send questions or comments [email protected].

And the fire upon

the Altar shall be

kept burning in it…

and the kohen shall

burn wood on it

every morning

(Vayikra 6:5)

There is a fire of love for

G-d that burns within

every soul. It is the task of

the “Kohen”—the spiritual

leaders of the generation—

to feed and preserve

this fire.

(Alshich)


B Y R A B B I A V I S H A F R A N

Despite the late hour and exhaustion(not to mention wine), many a Jewishmind has wondered long and hard duringa Passover Seder about all the Haggadah’s“fours.” Four questions, four sons, fourexpressions of redemption, four cups.There’s clearly a numerical theme here.

The Haggadah, of course, is no merecollection of random readings and songs;it is a subtle and wondrous educationaltool, with profound Jewish ideas layeredthrough its seemingly simple text. Therabbis who formulated its core, alreadyextant in pre-Talmudic times, wanted itto serve to plant important concepts inthe hearts and minds of its readers—espe-cially its younger ones, toward whom theSeder, our tradition teaches, is aimed. Andso the author of the Haggadah employedan array of pedagogical methods, includ-ing songs, riddles, and puzzles, as meansof conveying deeper understandings. Andhe left us some clues, too.

When it comes to the ubiquitous“fours,” we might begin by consideringthe essential fact that Passover is whenthe Jewish people’s identity is solemnlyperpetuated; through observance of theSeder, each Jewish generation inculcatesour collective history and essence in thenext. This is likely a large part of the rea-son so many Jewish parents who arealienated from virtually every otherJewish observance still feel compelled tohave at least some sort of Seder, to read aHaggadah, or even—if they have strayedtoo far from their heritage to comfortablyconfront the original—to compose theirown. (I once joked before an audiencethat a “Vegetarian Haggadah” would like-ly appear any year now, and someone inattendance later showed me preciselysuch a book—though it lacked the“Paschal turnip” I had imagined.)

And so the role we adults play onPesach night, vis-à-vis the younger Jewswith whom we share the experience, is avery specific one. We are teachers, to besure, but it is not information that we arecommunicating; it is identity.

At the Seder, in other words, we seek toinstill in our children the realization thatthey are not mere individuals but ratherparts of a people, members of a nationunconstrained by geographical bound-


What’s WithThe Fours?

We are teachers, tobe sure, but it isnot information

that we arecommunicating; it

is identity.


aries but linked by history and destiny.We impress on them the fact that theyare links in a shimmering, ethereal chainstretching back to the birth of the Jewishnation, to when our people was divinelyredeemed from mundane slavery inEgypt and entered a sublime servitude ofa very different sort—to G-d—at Sinai.

So, on Passover, as we celebrate thebirth of the Jewish nation and plant theseed of Jewish identity in the minds ofsmaller Jews, we are giving life—givingbirth, one might say—to the Jewishfuture. And, while it may be the fatherwho traditionally leads the Seder, he isacting not as teacher but rather in some-thing more akin to a maternal role, as aspiritual nurturer of the children present.

According to halachah, Jewish identity

is in fact dependent on mothers. While aJew’s tribal genealogy follows the pater-nal line, whether a child is a member ofthe Jewish people or not depends entire-ly on the status of his or her mother.

It’s only speculation, but the recurrentnumerical theme in our exquisiteHaggadah, employed each year to instillJewish identity, might be reminding us ofthat. After all, the Haggadah has its ownnumber-decoder built right in, toward itsend, where most good books’ keys andindexes are found. We’re a little hazy onceit’s reached, after four cups of wine, butit’s unmistakably there: “Echad Mi Yodea”or “Who Knows One?”?the song that pro-vides Jewish associations with numbers.

“Who knows four?”If you don’t, you can look it up. v

© 2010 Am Echad Resources. Rabbi Shafran isdirector of public affairs for Agudath Israel ofAmerica. The above essay was distributed in 2003.

FoursContinued from Page 44


B Y S A M U E L S O K O LISRAEL CORRESPONDENT

The Jewish community of SouthFlorida has proven vital to efforts to revi-talize one of Israel’s poorest townships,according to Yeruham mayor and formerLabor party chief, Amram Mitzna.Interviewed in the premiere issue ofEighteen Magazine, a quarterly journal ofarts, culture, and business based in TelAviv, Mitzna described the dramatic turn-around that he engineered in a failingNegev town and how his efforts wereaided by the Jewish Federation of Miami.

One of the first Negev developmentcommunities established by the nas-cent state of Israel during the 1950s,Yeruham has a history of economicissues. In recent years, the town with apopulation of less than 10,000 has beenhemorrhaging residents as they areunable to find work locally and leavefor greener pastures. In 2005, with thecollapse of the town’s economy, theIsraeli Minister for Internal Affairsappointed Mitzna the head of the localregional council, replacing BaruchElmakaias, the elected mayor.

Speaking with Israeli newspaperHaaretz, Mitzna said that he “read in thepaper that the interior minister wasabout to remove the Yeruham counciland the chairman of the elected council.I got on the phone to the minister, OphirPines-Paz, and told him I was ready toresign from the Knesset tomorrow and go

to Yeruham. He was slightly in shock butapproved my request and within a weekthe procedure was completed. Iannounced my resignation in the Knesseton the Wednesday of the following weekand on Thursday I went to Yeruham.”

Using his extensive connections devel-oped over years of public service, first as ageneral in the Israeli Defense Forces andsubsequently as mayor of Haifa and chair-man of the Labor party, Mitzna canvassed

the halls of power in Jerusalem. Fightingfor as much funding as he could get, thegeneral turned mayor began to rebuildthe infrastructure of Yeruham.

However, the town’s financial situa-tion required more than the central gov-ernment was able to provide. Mitzna wasambitious. “[I] decided from the begin-ning that our challenge is not just tobring back normality,” he told Eighteen.“It was to put Yeruham on [a] runwaywhich will bring it to prosperity.”

Needing a source of capital to fund hisrevitalization efforts, the mayor decidedto trade on his name and travel toAmerica to raise funds. Mitzna made sev-eral fundraising trips, infusing muchneeded capital into the local economy.

Yeruham maintains ties with theGreater Miami Jewish Federationthrough the Jewish Agency for Israel’sPartnership 2000 initiative, which isJAFI’s “flagship program for connecting

Diaspora Jewish communities with com-munities in Israel,” boasting 44 partner-ships with some 550 Jewish communitiesthroughout the world.

According to the Greater Miami JewishFederation, the relationship, which wasestablished in 2006, Mitzna’s second yearas mayor of Yeruham, serves “to buildmeaningful relationships in order tostrengthen both communities, and to fos-ter and develop a love of Judaism, Israel,and the Jewish people.”

Miami Jews have sponsored events suchas a Passover summer camp in the GolanHeights for Bnei Akiva youth group mem-bers from Yeruham and summer activitiesfor the children of the community.

The Jewish Federation runs programs“providing warm meals, enrichment pro-grams, and assistance with homework forat-risk youth,” as well as facilitating atwinning program, pairing Jewish dayschools in Miami with schools inYeruham, “enabling students to corre-spond with one another and work onjoint projects.”

Last year, the United JewishCommunities (UJC), an umbrella organiza-tion representing hundreds of Jewish com-munities across the United States held aconference in Miami, initiated by theJewish Federation of Central New Jerseyand the Greater Miami Jewish Federation,regarding the future of the Negev.

Mitzna was one of the featured speak-ers at the conference, enthusing that“While so many people concentrate onthe major strategic, military, diplomatic,and geo-political issues of the MiddleEast, it is indeed heartening to see com-mitted people focus on the Negev and itsspecial needs.”

“Now is the time to create real change,”said Mitzna. The residents of Yeruhambelieve that he has brought positivechange to their community, and a signifi-cant part of that can be attributed to hisrelationship with the Jewish communityof Florida. v

South Floridians Fund Renewal Of Negev Town

Miami Jews have sponsored events such as a Passover

summer camp in the Golan Heights for Bnei Akiva

youth group members from Yeruham and summer

activities for the children of the community.

B Y J E S S I C A N A I M A N

Up and down both ofFlorida’s coasts and throughoutits interior, Jewish travelers andresidents looking for kosherfood, prayer services, or Torahclasses don’t have to look far.With centers dotted all over themap, from Tallahassee in thenorth to Miami in the South,and some 145 locations inbetween, Chabad-Lubavitch ofFlorida has presided over half acentury of growth in theSunshine State.

A year after their marriage in1960, Rabbi Abraham and RivkaKorf uprooted themselves fromthe tight-knit Chasidic commu-nity in the Crown Heights sec-tion of Brooklyn, N.Y., and head-ed to Miami Beach on behalf ofthe Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M.Schneerson, of righteous mem-ory. What they encounteredwas a South Florida communityon the verge of a vast transfor-mation.

Until the 1940s, most of thestate’s Jewish residents wereconcentrated in the northernocean port of Jacksonville, butmigration southward, coupledwith an influx of retirees fromout of state and a swell ofJewish immigrants from LatinAmerica and the Caribbean,established Miami as Florida’sJewish hub.

By 1960, the state had about175,000 Jewish residents. In aninterview days before a galaevent celebrating his and hiswife’s launch of Chabad-Lubavitch activities in Florida,Abraham Korf remembered thatMiami had only three syna-gogues. The state as a whole hadjust two ritual baths. When hearrived, milk adhering to thestrict kosher standard known aschalav Yisrael was unheard of.He found a local dairy andsupervised the milking of cowshimself.

Educationally speaking,while Miami had modernJewish day schools, they didn’tsuit the needs of the growingKorf family. So they started theirown, establishing the LandowYeshiva in 1966, reflecting a take-charge attitude born in part bythe rabbi’s experiences learningin secret underground Jewishschools in the Soviet Union andescaping the oppressions with afake Polish passport.

“It started off with six chil-dren,” Korf, who also serves asspiritual leader of CongregationBeth Hamedrash Levi Yitzchokin Miami Beach, said of theschool, “then, 32 children thenext year, then 67, and thenhundreds. As people startedhearing about it, it grew.”

Mirroring the growth ofother programs, today, underthe umbrella of the Lubavitch

Educational Center, what beganas the Landow Yeshiva incorpo-rates a preschool, an elementaryschool, the Beis Chana HighSchool for Girls, and a rabbinicalcollege. The complex servesapproximately 800 students.

Along with the school, theKorfs built a synagogue and aJewish overnight camp. Theyeach led Torah classes. RivkaKorf earned fame among areawomen for her Saturday after-noon classes on the weeklyTorah portion and Pirkei Avot.She also taught public schoolstudents about Judaism aspart of the release time pro-gram at Miami-Dade PublicHigh School.

Local residents attend aTorah dedication ceremony inthe early days of Chabad-Lubavitch activities in Miami.

Feige Knight, who wasknown back then by the nameTeri Veccica, was one of theKorfs’ first students at the yeshi-va. She was only six years oldwhen her non-religious familysent her to the school.

“My mother and my grand-mother took me to the first[Jewish] school they’d heard ofopening in Miami Beach,” saysKnight. “Rabbi Korf is the reasonthat I was able to get a Jewisheducation. I hold him dear to myheart, and I give him the creditfor not allowing my mother to

walk out of that office.”After living in Las Vegas for

many years and helping toestablish a Chabad House there,Knight moved her own familyback to Miami, where theyattend The Shul, a Chabad-Lubavitch synagogue in BalHarbour.

Today, Florida boasts thethird-largest Jewish communityin the United States with about750,000 Jews. Some 180 Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries are spreadthroughout the state, includingRabbi Yaakov and ChanieZucker, who direct the ChabadJewish Center of the FloridaKeys and Key West.

The Zuckers’ community of

approximately 2,000 Jews scat-tered over the 40-some islandsthat stretch into the CaribbeanSea reflects the faces of modernJewry in Florida. There, Americanretirees live out their goldenyears, while Israeli expatriatesrun tourist shops and familiesvacation. “It’s a challenge, but ablessing,” said Yaakov Zucker,who arrived as a newlywed in1995, sent there by the Korfs andRabbi Yosef Biston, executivevice president of Chabad-Lubavitch of North Broward andSouth Palm Beach. “We have towear many different hats.”

Joy Emanuel-Kohen sends her


Florida Jews Mark Half A Century Of Chabad Activities


Miami Resident Is Cholent Champ!A strange aroma filled the

Washington Heights air as hundreds ofstudents, faculty, and curious visitorsfiled into Yeshiva University’s WeissbergCommons on March 11 for the 2010Cholent Cook-off. Sixteen teams madeup of 64 students from the men’s under-graduate schools, Yeshiva College, andSy Syms School of Business went head-

to-head in a culinary battle to proclaima true cholent champion.

Students prepared their dishes thenight before using a variety of ingredientsand techniques in an attempt to impressthe panel of discriminating palates.

The contest judges included Dr.Esther Joel, wife of YU President RichardM. Joel; Jeff Nathan, chef and restaura-teur (Abigael’s), TV personality, and

author; Susie Fishbein, renownedkosher chef and bestselling author ofKosher by Design; Alan Riesenburger,catering director and executive chef ofFairway Market; and Elan Kornblum,president and publisher of Great KosherRestaurants magazine.

“One of the nice things about thisyear’s contest is that we tied it in with ourfood drive for the Upper Manhattan FoodPantry,” said Jonathan Mantell, directorof university housing and organizer ofthe cook-off. “So that way it’s not justabout having fun, but it’s also aboutthinking of other people.”

Shloimie Zeffren, president of theYeshiva Student Union—one of theevent’s sponsors—said that it was impor-

tant for them “to be part of this becauseit brings all of the students together andshows the unity we have in our universi-ty. It also shows what great chefs we haveamong our students.”

After a three-way dead heat wasannounced, President Joel was called into break the tie. Despite some humor-ous attempts by the teams at winningover the president, Team Heerlijk,Flemish for “delicious,” was crownedcholent champion.

Jonathan Lamet, originally of MiamiBeach, took home first prize in YeshivaUniversity’s 2010 Cholent Cook-off. Alongwith his three New York teammates, EricKupferstein, David Kupperman, andJason Wargon, Lamet beat out 15 other


(L–R): Cholent Champs David Kupperman, Jonathan Lamet, Jason Wargon, and Eric Kupferstein.

(L–R): Cholent Bowl Judges Alan Riesenburger, Elan Kornblum, Jeff Nathan,Susie Fishbein, and Dr. Esther Joel.

teams in the contest, which required stu-dents to prepare their recipes starting theprevious day. The winning team mem-bers were all awarded iPods. Second andthird prize went to teams CholentFulfillment and the Maccabeans.

“This is like the biggest kiddush ever,”observed one student in attendance,while reaching for his second serving. “It’sa great opportunity for students to gettogether and have a fun time.” v

OU To Debut Taryag, DailyExplanations Of The 613Commandments

The Orthodox Union has long beenhelping those in the Jewish communityaccess concise, daily lessons in NachYomi—the biblical books of Nevi’im (theProphets) and Ketuvim (the Writings)—and Shnayim Mikra, an online Torah-study program that derives its name from“shnayim mikra v’echad targum,” the obli-gation to review the weekly Torah por-tion twice in the original and once intranslation. Now, the OU will focus onhelping those in the community learnmore about the 613 commandments ofthe Torah when it debuts its newest ini-tiative, Taryag (the acronym for 613),which will allow people to sign up toreceive daily e-mails with concise butinsightful explanations of the command-ments from the Torah.

Rabbi Jack Abramowitz, OU associatedirector of the Pepa and Rabbi JosephKarasick Department of SynagogueServices, will author the daily e-mails,which will be presented in the order ofthe mitzvos of the Torah and will be sentout for 613 weekdays, excluding Jewish

and some secular holidays. People will beable to sign up on the OU’s website,www.ou.org/taryag, and will begin receiv-ing the daily e-mails after Shavuot, theholiday commemorating the revelationof the Torah at Sinai. The public isencouraged to register for this programonline during the Sefirat HaOmer periodbetween Passover and Shavuot.

Rabbi Abramowitz declared, “Just asthe Jewish people needed more opportu-nities to become familiar with Tanachand Shnayim Mikra, they should alsohave the opportunity to become betteracquainted with the 613 commandmentsof the Torah. It’s not enough just to knowhow many mitzvot there are; we have tointernalize them if we want to under-stand how they impact our daily lives.”

Rabbi Steven Burg, managing directorof the OU said, “We’re so pleased to beable to offer this program. The Taryagmitzvot are one of those things that mostpeople know far more about than theyactually know. The sefirah period, leadingup to the holiday commemorating theJewish nation receiving the Torah at HarSinai, is the perfect time to prepare our-selves for this undertaking.”

Rabbi Abramowitz will be utilizing theRambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos (Book of theCommandments) as he writes each dailye-mail; Sefer HaChinuch (the Book ofEducation) and Sefer HamitzvosHakatzar (the Abridged Book ofCommandments) of the Chofetz Chaimare also sources that will be used. RabbiAbramowitz is the author of The NachYomi Companion, volumes 1 and 2, andThe Shnayim Mikra Companion.

For more information, contact

[email protected] or visit www.ou.org. v

Beis Moshe Chaim: Florida’s Best-Kept Secret

By Leo Chaim GoldfarbIt is one of Florida’s best kept secrets

that would be the envy of every bor-ough in New York. And now, this best-kept secret is about to undergo somemajor expansion.

Yeshiva v’Kollel Beis Moshe Chaim is aremarkable institution that was launchedin 1974 under the able leadership of RavYochanan Zweig, a master Talmudist witha law degree to boot. Rav Zweig studiedunder Rav Yaakov Ruderman, zt’l, andunder Rav Yaakov Weinberg, zt’l, as well.He served as rosh kollel in Bais haTalmudin Yerushalayim with Rav DovSchwartzman, the son-in-law of RabbiAharon Kotler. Rabbi Zweig has a uniqueanalytical approach that captures themind, imagination, and thoughts of hisstudents as well as his adult learners. Hisapproach is to remain on the actual pageof the Talmud, unfolding the latentprocesses of reasoning in the Talmudictext as well as the accompanyingRishonim. Rav Zweig’s methodology gen-erally avoids the “Yeshivisha Reid” meth-ods common in other institutions ofTalmudic learning.

Rav Zweig’s ability to communicateand impart the depths of Torah tothose with a strong secular backgroundhas brought thousands of people closerto Torah.

So what’s the nature of the expansion?Formerly located in South Beach, theyeshiva purchased a Howard Johnsonlocated at the entrance of Miami Beach.

Initially, the yeshiva continued running itas a hotel, but after they overcame thefinal zoning hurdles, the transformationfrom HoJo to yeshiva began. The buildingwas painted. The restaurant was trans-formed into the yeshiva dining room.Trailers were purchased to be placed inthe parking lot and attached together toform a beis midrash (the same type ofthing was done for one of the Lakewoodbatei midrashim). The hotel rooms wereredone nicely. There are rooms that serveas dormitory rooms for single students,and there are rooms that serve as apart-ments for married couples. The marriedcouples just started moving in last week.

“We are very excited about the moveand it has been a long time in coming,”remarked one insider. The dormitory stu-dents had moved in earlier and some ofthe married kollel students are planningon moving in after Pesach.

The yeshiva offers a bachelor’s andmaster’s degree as well as full rabbinicordination. It is anticipated that the newfacility will engender much growth forthe yeshiva. The yeshiva also offersonline classes and lectures. Classesinclude broadcasts on live lectures onsuch varied topics as Aggadata: ethicsand philosophy from the Talmud (formen), Torah psychology (for men), theethical personality (for women), insightsinto the parashah (for both men andwomen), and analysis of the weeklyTorah parashah. For further informationvisit www.talmudicu.edu/community_onlineclasses.php.

Howard Deering Johnson started off



by borrowing $2,000 and setting up apharmacy with a soda fountain. RabbiYochanan Zweig started off with ten stu-dents in a tiny building in South Beach.Both have built remarkable edifices, onein the realm of business and the other inthe realm of Torah. v

Beit Edmond Jacob SafraSynagogue

By Mr. Clement SofferVice-President of the SynagogueThe Beit Edmond Jacob Safra

Synagogue, located in Aventura, Florida,was a project originally conceived byMr. Ralph Tawil, and later constructedand completed by David and PaulineBraka and their son and his wife, Ivorand Robin Braka.

This synagogue is dedicated to thememory of one of the greatest Sephardicvisionaries and Jewish leaders of the20th century, Mr. Edmond J. Safra. TheBraka family pulled out all stops to builda synagogue befitting this great philan-thropic world renowned benefactor ofthe Jewish people.

The Safra Synagogue is a jewel locatedin the southeastern-most part of the U.S.and a proud Sephardic house of worshipthat demonstrates and projects the beau-ty and dedication of the Syrian Sephardiccommunity. It reflects the Syrian commu-nity’s high standard of consecration tothe Al-mighty.

After a long and arduous search for arabbi and a cantor befitting such a com-munity, the Safra Synagogue was reward-

ed by the acceptance of Rabbi YosefGalimidi. He was honored and intro-duced to the community at a breakfastprior to Passover, exactly two years ago.Prior to arriving to the synagogue, RabbiGalimidi was the rabbi of Shaare EzraSephardic Congregation, in Miami Beach,for 14 years.

Rabbi Yosef Galimidi was born in 1965,in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was educatedin Argentina, U.S., and Israel, and receivedsemichah from Rishon Lezion ChiefRabbi Mordechai Eliahu and RabbiYehuda Y. Yeruslavsky.

He received a bachelor’s degree in reli-gious studies from The RabbinicalCollege of America in Morristown N.J. Heis also a hazzan and a ba’al koreh. He isfluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese,Hebrew, as well as some French andArabic, a perfect match for this affluentnational and international SyrianSephardic community. He has officiatedin many countries including Israel,Venezuela, and Brazil. He is also a mem-ber of the kashrut dept of the localRabbinate of Miami (KM), the eiruv,mikveh, and beit din rabbinate member.He has organized daily classes and shi-urim for men and ladies, as well as manysuccessful events. He is clearly on theway to great accomplishments.

Rabbi Galimidi, aside from his dailyschedule of services and classes, alsodeals with different aspect of the commu-nity, including all lifecycle events, coun-seling, guidance, referrals, etc.

Rabbi Galimidi comes to Florida withthe highest recommendations of theSephardic Rabbinical Council ofBrooklyn, as well as by the Great Chief

Rabbis of Israel.The cantor, Mr. Jonathan Hen, comes

from Israel. He is a protégé of CantorYehezkiel Zion of Beth Torah. He has offi-ciated and was highly recommended bythe famous cantorial synagogue inJerusalem, Kenesset Ades. He has also per-formed in Deal, NJ, Brooklyn, NY, andHong Kong, China. He is organizing class-es for children, ages 6 to 11 years old,many of whom don’t know how to reador pray in Hebrew.

Beit Edmond Jacob Safra is consideredthe extension and presentation of thebest and most beautiful synagogue thatthe Syrian Sephardic community canpresent to the Jewish world. It is blessedwith a great name. The community willalways be here for you in the truest senseof Florida’s relaxation in the religioussurrounding that we are accustomed inour homes. No other vacation can offeryou what we can provide, under U.S. ter-ritory—safety for yourself and your chil-dren in a turbulent world; a Jewishneighborhood for your children in whichto congregate in and meet each other;sunshine, palm trees, flowered streets, abeautiful beach location in an economi-cal trip in comparison to what the tourscharge, a fabulous synagogue, kosher gro-cers and butchers, and of course greatchoices of kosher restaurants while youreside with us.

Our newest project is the building ofthe ladies mikveh and mikveh for dishesin the synagogue. Stay tuned for moreinformation. To learn more, visit BeitEdmond J. Safra; 19275 Mystic Pointe Dr.;Aventura, Florida 33180, or e-mail [email protected]. v

Florida Hatzolah Answers The CallBy Rabbi Yair HoffmanThe South Florida Jewish Times recent-

ly spoke with Joseph Dahan, one of themoving forces behind the new Hatzolahinitiative that began here in January.

SFJT: What is your role, exactly, inHatzolah Florida?

JD: I am the coordinator for Aventura,the PR Director, and, of course, a respon-der, as we all are.

SFJT: What was the need for aHatzolah in Florida?

JD: The need was for a first-respondergroup of volunteers that bridged the gapand cut down the response time. Ourchances of getting where we need to getto are much higher. Additionally, [wewanted to ensure] the comfort level ofsome of the elderly residents.

SFJT: Who was instrumental in form-ing it?

JD: A gentleman by the name of ZalmyCohen—a very dedicated individual whoput in countless hours—and also RabbiPinchas Weberman and our attorney,Isaac Yaroslovitch, who was instrumentalin legalities and municipalities.

SFJT: What are the plans for thefuture?

JD: We have 26 responders. We hope-fully will double that number before nextPesach. Hatzolah works best when it isdeployed in masses.

SFJT: What places do you cover?JD: We cover areas of North East

Miami-Dade County, as well as select por-tions of the city of North Miami Beachand the city of Aventura.


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SFJT: What training do you do?JD: We are state-licensed certified

EMT’s. There is EMT Basic, andParamedic. Everyone acts in the capacityof EMT Basic, even though some of usare trained paramedics. The first trainingthat we received was at Darry University.Our volunteers undergo significanttraining. We visit hospitals, emergencyrooms, in addition to the classroomtime. We also have training in 911 ambu-lances to help learn and meet staterequirements. We have dealt with life-threatening situations.

SFJT: Who is the main poseik that youlisten to for, say, hilchos Shabbos issues?

JD: Hatzolah’s rabbinic board is madeup of seven rabbanim: Rabbi Weberman,Rabbi Galamidi, Rabbi Bensinger, RabbiMarlowe, Rabbi Baumann, RabbiSchmeltzer, and Rabbi Janowski. They arethe halachic rabbinic board and ensurethat everything adheres to Jewish law.

SFJT: Do you have any ambulances orany plans for one in the future?

JD: We do not have any ambulances.The state of Florida does not allow anytransport by anyone other than 911. Wecome for the patients and deliver medicalservices.

SFJT: Do you have any defibrillators?JD: Yes, we all do. We also have oxygen,

trauma bags, obstetric kits, splints, andevery type of trauma item you can imag-ine. Medications, too. All of our equip-ment was acquired through communitydonations. There is no cost to those whoreceive assistance.

SFJT: So has Florida Hatzolah keptbusy?

JD: We have been keeping pretty busyand have already influenced [the commu-nity], from pediatrics to geriatrics. Wehave already made differences in pikuachnefesh. This is a vehicle for kiddushHashem, as well.

SFJT: Thank you so much; it has been apleasure speaking to you.

JD: Likewise! v

We All Need A Little MenuchaA cozy leather recliner… a steaming

cup of coffee…. A gentle summer breeze…A calm and peaceful interlude…These arethe things that we just can’t seem to getenough of. We’re so busy chasing our-selves that most of us don’t take the timeto enjoy the world’s simple pleasures. Ifonly we would have a little moreMenucha in our lives.

Eli Gerstner Productions proudly pres-ents Menucha 2 Sh’ma Yisroel, available inJudaica stores everywhere. In 2001 EliGerstner created the Chevra. Its firstalbum was released and it took the worldby storm. Originally meant for a youngcontemporary audience, the Chevrastruck a chord with Jewish music listen-ers of all ages. It broke every previousrecord in sales. It built an enormous fol-lowing. Apparently, it was the sound thatthe world was waiting for.

While he enjoyed the success of theChevra, deep down Eli had another ideabrewing in his head. He wondered if hecould take the concept of the Chevraand combine it with a more traditional,more hartzig, and more soothing sound.He wondered if he could create a group

that would blend in perfect harmony,excel in uplifting melodies, and inspireus to greater heights. He wondered if hecould create a musical experiencecalled Menucha.

If the Chevra represents Eli Gerstner’stalent and creativity, then Menucha repre-sents his heart and his soul. “These aremy personal favorites,” he says. Themusic, the voices, the melodies. For me,Menucha is a labor of love.” The albumwas released and a core group of unwa-vering Menucha fans was created.Apparently the album has touched thehearts and souls of others as well.

Eli would have liked to continue focus-ing on Menucha, but other projects keptgetting in the way. When the YeshivaBoys Choir was introduced, nobodycould have anticipated how it would elec-trify its audiences. Eli found himselfimmersed in YBC’s CD’s, DVD’s, and per-formances. The demand was overwhelm-ing. For the time being, Menucha had totake a back seat.

The great Izzy Taubenfeld, a’h,founder of Sameach Music, kept theflame alive. He would regularly urge Elito work on Menucha, recognizing theappeal of its heartfelt message. “Izzyused to tell me,” says Eli, “that Menuchawas his favorite.” But Eli was jugglingtoo many other projects, and once againMenucha 2 was put on hold.

Then a funny thing happened. Aboutfour years after its original release,Menucha suddenly took on a life of itsown. People were calling from every-where asking for Menucha to headline atconcerts, to appear at special events, torelease another album. Suddenly

Menucha was in demand. “Eventually,”said Eli, “I realized that Menucha wouldhave to be my priority.” And so it was. Thethree Menucha vocalists were broughttogether to create a new album. Theresult is the outstanding productioncalled Menucha 2.

Unfortunately, Izzy passed awaybefore the album was mixed, and henever got to hear any of its songs. ButMenucha 2 is unquestionably a tribute tohis memory in every sense of the word.“It was amazing how much he believed init,” Eli observes. “It would never have hap-pened without him.”

Izzy would have truly been proud.Menucha 2 combines quintessentialGerstner qualities with a soulful andinspiring message. There is almost con-stant three part harmony throughout thealbum—no gimmicks, no shtick, no hightech stunts. “Just three guys,” says Eli,“singing like they really mean it.”

Sh’ma Yisroel, the album’s title track, ismost definitely the album’s breakoutsong. It starts out upbeat with lots of gui-tars and drums. Think chassanah ‘intro’music. You can almost see the chassanand kallah coming out for their firstdance. The song has plenty of flair. It’sleibedik and fun and exciting. And yet, it’snot in your face. There’s something just alittle bit understated about it, making itaccessible and acceptable to all. On theother end of the spectrum is Racheim,which is more hartzig, slow-paced, andmeaningful. Yeshiva Boys Choir and itsstar soloist Yaakov Mordechai Gerstnerjoin Menucha as guest vocalists in this




nine-year-old daughter to the Zuckers’Hebrew school on Sundays, and attendsother programs and events with the restof her family of five. “You feel that connec-tion in your heart and soul,” she said.“They have a nice way of making it fun tocome to the synagogue. They’re very nicepeople, happy [and] welcoming.”

The Zuckers’ approach reflects that ofthe Korfs, say those who know them. Forthe Korfs and their family of five sonsand four daughters, “there was never anyconcept of something outside our mis-sion,” said Leah Jacobson, the couple’sfifth child. “We all knew from themoment we were born that everythingrevolved around that,” added Jacobson,who lives in Crown Heights and servesas the secular studies principal at theBeth Rivka girls’ high school. “We tookgreat pride in it.”

The children hardly saw their fatherduring the week, so the holy day ofShabbat was a special time for the family.He would catch up with them and quizthem on their studies. Jacobson remem-bers being one of the only visibly reli-gious students at her parents’ school, butit didn’t bother her. “We just knew it wasthe reason why we were there,” she said.“There was never any judgment.”

There also wasn’t much money. “Welived on a shoestring budget,” explainedJacobson. “But we had such inner pride inwhat we were doing. That came from myfather. He lived it and breathed it.”

An example was when she was in hersecond year of post-high school semi-nary in New York and had a job teachingfifth grade at a boys’ school. She earned$15 an hour and was about to up it to$25 when Beth Rivka offered her a jobfor just $100 a week. She turned it down.“Well, somehow my father got wind ofthis,” she recalled. “I told him it didn’tmake sense to take the job and get aquarter of the pay.” “Leah,” said Korf, “ifthose were my calculations, the money,I would never have gone [to Florida]. Ididn’t raise my children to make thosecalculations.”

To this day, Korf maintains a hecticschedule supervising activities in Miami,running the synagogue, and helpingother emissaries throughout the state.When a ritual bath opened in Key West,he was there to help the Zuckers with thegrand opening.

When asked about the most rewardingpart of the job, he responds with humili-ty, “that we’re emissaries and can do theRebbe’s work.” (Chabad.org) v


Chabad ActivitiesContinued from Page 51

He found a local

dairy and

supervised the

milking of cows

himself.

In an ominous new development, NewYork State law has now vastly expanded theauthority of health care providers to “pullthe plug” on incapacitated patients—evento withhold from them food and water,thereby causing them to starve to death.

Governor David Paterson has signedinto law the Family Health CareDecisions Act, over the strong oppositionof Agudath Israel of America and othergroups who consider it an attack onpatients’ rights and personal autonomy.

According to Rabbi Mordechai Biser,associate general counsel of AgudathIsrael, the law, which the medical estab-lishment promoted for 17 years, wasdesigned in part for a beneficial purpose.

Until now, he explains, New York Statelaw offered no mechanism for determin-ing who should make health care deci-sions for an unconscious patient who didnot designate anyone to make decisionsshould he or she be in such a state. Thatvoid did create problems, as evidenced bya case brought to Agudath Israel’s atten-tion a year ago.

A New York hospital placed a “Do NotResuscitate,” or DNR, order on an elderlyOrthodox Jewish woman’s medical chartand then allegedly administered mor-phine to hasten her death, over thestrong objections of her son, her primarycaregiver. The hospital claimed that thewoman had told its personnel that this

was what she wanted. The son lacked thesigned health care proxy that would havemade him the decision-maker for hismother’s treatment, and the law did notidentify who else should assume thatrole. And so the hospital simply dis-missed the son’s protest.

Under the newly enacted law, if apatient does not designate an agent inwriting, a designated-by-law relative orfriend of the patient is automaticallyassigned the power to act as the patient’s“surrogate” and make whatever healthcare decisions on his behalf.

But the new law creates its own prob-lems—some of them quite serious fromthe perspective of an observant Jew oranyone who feels that preservation ofeven compromised life is a moral man-date. It radically alters the position theNew York courts have taken for over 20years regarding decisions about incapaci-

tated patients. In the past, only wherethere was “clear and convincing evidence”that the patient himself would havedirected the termination of life supportcould such treatment have been withheldor withdrawn. As the state’s highest courtput it, “Nothing less than unequivocalproof will suffice when the decision to

terminate life support is at issue.”The new law abolishes that standard,

empowering a surrogate—even one neverchosen by the patient—to make life-and-death decisions for him, including thewithdrawal of food and water. While thelaw does require the surrogate to makedecisions in accordance with the wishes ofthe patient to the extent they are known,and only authorizes the withdrawal of lifesustaining treatment under certain circum-stances, if the wishes of the patient areunknown or if there is a dispute amongfamily members, the law gives the surro-gate sweeping powers over life and death.

Rabbi Biser, who fought the bill onbehalf of Agudath Israel for many years,explains that now, if an incapacitatedpatient did not designate a health careagent or proxy in writing and has no legalguardian, his automatic proxy for makinghealth care decisions will be his spouse. Ifthere is no spouse, the power is given to anadult son or daughter. If there are no suchchildren, a parent of the patient is next inline. In the absence of parents, the powerfalls to an adult sibling—and if there arenone, to a close friend of the patient.

“No one should think that the new lawwill not affect them,” warns Rabbi Biser,and he urges members of the Jewish com-munity to take immediate steps to protectthemselves and their families. “We havedealt with many cases,” he recounts,“involving disputes between family mem-bers of a patient and a hospital, andbetween family members themselves, overhealth care decisions for incapacitatedpatients. Until now, at least in New YorkState, the ‘clear and convincing evidence’standard enabled us to persuade hospitals,and in some cases judges, to respect thewishes of the family to keep patients alive.Now, however, that standard has beenabolished, and the fate of incapacitatedpatients will be largely up to the whim ofwhoever happens to rank highest on thenew law’s ‘pecking order’ of surrogates.”

Rabbi Biser describes several of whathe calls “nightmare scenarios” that couldeasily take place now in cases where inca-pacitated patients lack a properly execut-ed health care proxy:

• A recently married young man falls onthe ice and suffers a serious head injurythat leaves him unable to communicate.His doctor says the condition is irre-


Agudath Israel Stresses ImportanceOf Halachic Living Wills

“Many doctors and

hospitals are no longer

committed to the

concept of the sanctity

of human life.”


versible but his parents refuse to give uphope and, in accordance with their familyrabbi’s ruling, want their son to receive allpossible medical treatment. The patient’syoung wife, distraught at the prospect ofremaining married to a possibly perma-nent invalid, orders the doctors to with-draw life support. Under the new law, theymust follow her directive.

• After a car accident, a mother of youngchildren is on life support; the hospitaldoctor says she is permanently uncon-scious but other medical experts disagree.Her bitterly estranged husband, no longerreligiously observant and who has livedapart from her for some time but is not yetlegally separated or divorced, holds thepower to “pull the plug” and has no com-punctions about using it.

• An observant elderly man whose onlyadult son is no longer observant willrequire a feeding tube to stay alive. He isconscious and alert but cannot communi-cate his wishes. The hospital doctor saysthat he has less than six months to live;other experts disagree. The patient’s sib-lings insist that he would want to stayalive, but they have nothing in writing toprove it. The son orders the doctors tonot place the feeding tube and to with-draw intravenous hydration. They mustcomply, and the patient dies days laterfrom lack of nutrition and water.

“Lest anyone think these scenarios arefar-fetched,” says Rabbi Biser, “AgudathIsrael has been called in several cases sim-ilar to the last one. And in each case theattorney we found for the family wasable to persuade a judge to order theinsertion of a feeding tube over the objec-tions of the patient’s adult child. Under

the new law, though, we might well havelost those cases—and those lives.”

“But even under the new law,” theAgudath Israel attorney continues, “peo-ple still have a way to avoid an unchosensurrogate from making health care deci-sions for them: Completing and signing ahealth care proxy form that designates adecision-maker.”

No attorney is necessary to create such aproxy, Rabbi Biser explains. “For observantJews,” he says, “the simplest path is to con-tact Agudath Israel of America and requesta Halachic Living Will” that will ensure thatJewish religious law will govern treatmentin case of incapacitation. Halachic LivingWills for many states can be obtained bycalling Agudath Israel at 212-797-9000.

“Then,” Rabbi Biser adds, “register thedocument with a national registry, whichAgudath Israel can help you do at no charge,and make sure that appropriate familymembers have a copy of the document.”

Several years ago, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow,the Novominsker Rebbe and roshAgudath Israel, stated: “Every Jew inAmerica should fill out and sign aHalachic Living Will. We are living in anera in which many doctors and hospitalsare no longer committed to the conceptof the sanctity of human life. Having aHalachic Living Will helps ensure thathalachah will be upheld in life and deathhealth care decisions.”

A New York attorney who helpedAgudath Israel develop its Halachic LivingWill, Jonathan Rikoon, notes that it “fillsa vital need.” “It is intended to be a legal-ly binding document that doctors andhospitals must respect. No observant Jewshould be without one.” v


B Y J A C O B B E R K M A N

Spring break is a tradition of sorts forcollege students, but rather than partying,57 Hillel members from seven campusesheaded to Miami earlier this month tovolunteer at a youth center in the down-trodden Overtown district.

They spent a week engaged in com-munity service projects working withunderprivileged communities. TheOvertown Youth center, built by formerMiami Heat star Alonzo Mourning, islocated downtown in one of the city’sworst neighborhoods. The 20-blockarea, which was founded as a segregat-ed, black neighborhood because of JimCrow laws, once was the center ofblack culture in Miami. Now it is over-ridden with drugs and has the highestrate of violent crimes in the southernFlorida city.

Each morning, the Hillel studentsworked in the sun building benches andtables for an outdoor classroom fornearby Dunbar Elementary School. Inthe afternoons they tutored students atthe youth center. And at night theyreflected on the work they were doingand the experience of learning up closeabout what it means to be poor in theUnited States. They also had a bit of freetime at nights and on Shabbat to seeMiami and, if they wished, to experi-ence its nightlife.

The trip to Miami was a part of Hillel’sAlternative Spring Break program, whichthis year will involve 1,300 college stu-dents from around the world spendingtheir vacations engaged in Jewish servicelearning projects.

Such programs have been attractingincreasing philanthropic supportfrom funders who see them as apotentially effective way of buildingJewish identity among high schooland college students.

It’s a trend that recently drew somestiff criticism from Jack Wertheimer, aprofessor and former provost at theJewish Theological Seminary of America.

Writing in Commentary, Wertheimercriticized the idea of focusing moreattention and resources on creatingservice projects aimed at helping non-Jews. He took aim at the multimillion-dollar endeavor Repair the World, anonprofit that aims to help create amovement around projects such asAlternative Spring Break. Repair theWorld shot back that Wertheimer waswrong—that, in fact, the organization isspending millions to help build Jewishidentity and assist Jews in need, as wellas non-Jews.

As for Hillel, the campus organiza-tion is working with several Jewishgroups—ones that you’d expect, includ-ing the American Jewish World Service,Jewish Funds for Justice, and theAmerican Jewish Joint DistributionCommittee—to send some students

A New Twist OnSpring BreakIn Florida:Volunteering

overseas and others to New Orleans.But in Miami, Hillel was working with avery untraditional partner—City Year, anon-Jewish nonprofit. The two organi-zations are teaming up to send a totalof 140 students to volunteer in some ofthe country’s worst neighborhoods notonly in Miami, but also in Los Angelesand New York.

Hillel believes that its partnership withCity Year, which it piloted last year inTampa, is the first large-scale partnershipbetween a Jewish and non-Jewish organi-zation to create a Jewish service learningproject. The term is used to describe aprogram, like the one in Miami, that com-bines volunteer work with Jewish learn-ing about why and how community serv-ice can be understood as an extension ofJewish values.

Depending on the subsidies eachschool can raise, the program is a fairlyinexpensive way to enjoy what the stu-dents say is a meaningful experience. Forinstance, the students who came toMiami from the University of Virginiaeach paid about $200 to participate,according to the school’s Hillel director,Jake Rubin.

Most of the students had never spentextended time in such an urban environ-ment. And for many of the participants, itwas their first serious introduction toJewish learning and engagement withJewish culture.

Ziev Beresh, a freshman at MichiganState University, said growing up in NewPaltz, N.Y., he really didn’t practice muchJewish ritual aside from lightingChanukah candles. He said that while heis active with the campus Hillel, it is

only a small part of his life—a part hesees primarily as a way to meet people.He has his Jewish circles and his non-Jewish circles.

Beresh, the son of an Israeli mother,said he chose to come to Miami to dosomething meaningful with his free time.During his week stint, he tutored twokids, a fourth-grader named Adom and athird-grader named Javon. Adom wants tobe a doctor, and Javon wants to be a foot-ball player. “I expected them to be sad or

upset,” he said of the children, “but theywere fun and are great kids.”

Judging from the reactions and com-ments of many participants, the keyquestion was not the religious or ethnicidentity of those being helped. Instead,for many of the Hillel students, the tripto Miami was eye opening because itallowed them to step outside of theirrelatively privileged settings.

Beresh recounted that it felt dangerouswhen the group walked from the youth

center to Dunbar Elementary. “Peoplewere staring at us because we werewhite,” he said. Some 20 Hillel studentsfrom Michigan State sitting in a circle at afield outside the youth center expressed asimilar sentiment.

Wayne Firestone, HillelInternational’s CEO, asked if the stu-dents felt they had taken a risk bycoming to Miami. Nearly all raisedtheir hands. Asked by an observer ifthey would consider coming to a place

like this to volunteer alone or withone other person, only three raisedtheir hands.

At the discussion it was clear thatmost of the students believed thathelping the kids in Overtown was aJewish ideal. At the same time thereclearly was a large chasm between theJewish students in Miami taking part ina one-week highly organized programand the City Year volunteers, who wereabout the same age but were spending

a year of their lives immersed inOvertown.

Firestone—whose largest budget itemis immersive Jewish programming, suchas the 10-day Birthright Israel and theweeklong Alternative Spring Break—acknowledged the real challenge of help-ing students see service as a Jewish valueto be lived rather than merely experi-ences on a one-week trip.

After all, many of the scores of stu-dents being flown into Miami for theproject do not volunteer during the restof the year on their home campuses. Andwhile many Jewish students came fromout of town to help out, the Hillel at theUniversity of Miami does not have anyinvolvement with City Year.

Several participants in the Hillelprogram said that since arriving inMiami, they had started talking abouthow to create volunteer opportunitieson their home campuses. AndFirestone said that Hillel would like tomake Miami and South Florida a hubfor a broader City Year-Hillel partner-ship that would allow for more oppor-tunities for local students.

So while the debate has been overwhether such programs should befocused on helping Jews or non-Jews,some Jewish service learning organizersare beginning to wrestle with a possiblymore difficult question: How do youconvince students that volunteering tohelp the less fortunate is a Jewish valuethat should be pursued all year, not justas a component of a really neat trip?(JTA.org) v

This article was adapted from JTA’s philanthropyblog, TheFundermentalist.com.


At the discussion it was clear thatmost of the students believed thathelping the kids in Overtown was

a Jewish ideal.

beautiful melody. The harmony is impec-cable, the message is unmistakable, andthe inspiration is unbeatable.

Benny Taubenfeld is now the drivingforce behind Sameach and he is delightedwith the new Menucha album. “When Ilistened to the new CD for the first time,”he says, “I was utterly amazed at the com-positions and the music. Each song isunique and there are so many excellentones to choose from. I expect this albumto fly out of the stores as soon as it’sreleased.”

Menucha could not have happenedwere it not for the vibrant kesherbetween its three members. “These threeguys,” says Eli, “have a certain magictogether. The way they sing and harmo-nize with each other, it’s really amazing.”Danny Berkowitz, who lives in Monsey, isa distinguished member of Hatzolah. Hesings the lower pitched harmonies on thealbum. The warmth of his voice adds tothe intrinsic beauty of the songs. AviSchachter is married and has two chil-dren. He lives in the Five Towns. His inno-cence and purity lend a certain whole-someness to the album. Shlomo Schwedis a true ben Torah sitting and shteiging inyeshiva in Yerushalayim. He has an amaz-ing voice and reaches high notes that noone else can.

For more information about Menucha2, contact EG Productions at 718-853-9403or visit www.eligerstner.com. v

Pesach Message From Rabbi YosefGalimidi Of The Beit Edmond J.Safra Synagogue

The celebration of Pesach is probablythe most observed holiday of the Jewishcalendar. What special power doesPesach contains that makes it so unique?

Perhaps the message of Pesach is as fol-lows: Pesach reminds us of our slavery inEgypt, but also is our first redemption. InPesach the Jewish nation is born.

In Hebrew Egypt is known asMitzrayim, but the same letters with differ-ent vowels can be read metzareem, nar-rowness. David Hamelech in sefer Tehillim,118:5, in the Hallel, which we will readthroughout Pesach states, “Meen hametzarkaratee kah,” from the narrowness (of dis-tress) I called upon you, Hashem. He con-tinues, “A’nanee, bamerchav Kah,” youanswered me with great amplitude, withthe breadth of Divine relief.

Pesach can be considered like a resetbutton to our lives. We remove all dark-ness, difficulties, and challengingmoments, and we bring G-dliness, lightinto our lives.

The first Mishnah in tractate Pesachim

starts with the following statement, “Orle’arba’a asar,” To the light of the 14 ofNissan, we search the chametz; to thelight of the candle. The Talmud inPesachim 2A asks: what is the meaning ofthe word “or,” day or night? The conclu-sion is that or means night. If so, whydoes the Mishnah not start with theworld liyla, which means night? TheGemara answers, to teach us a mostessential lesson: that a person shouldnever say something inappropriate,unpleasant, or negative. The Talmudbrings down a proof from Noach. WhenHashem tells Noach prior to the flood:“Of the clean animal, of the animal that isnot clean…” (Bereishis 7:8) The Torah addseight letters in order to say einenah teho-rah, which is not pure, instead of theword temeya, impure. With this we areable to understand the following: or,light, is the essence of Pesach. With thecelebration of Pesach we derive energyfor the whole year.

The Zohar in Shelah writes a very inter-esting concept about chametz andmatzah. The rising of the chametz repre-sent ga’avah, arrogance, connected to the

yezter ha’ra, evil inclination. The thinnessof the matzah represents humbleness,connected to the yetzer ha’tov, goodinstinct. Asks the Zohar, if this is the case,why does the Torah not prohibit the con-sumption of chametz all year long, likeother prohibitions of the Torah? TheZohar answers: One week of matzah hasan effect on the neshamah (soul) of theperson that lasts for the whole year. Theproof of this is the yom tov Shavuot. Thisyom tov has an additional korban calledsh’tei halechem, the offering of two loavesof bread (chametz). The message of theTorah is that, as long as the person is con-nected to the Torah, we have the tools tofight against the yetzer ha’ra. The Zoharcalls the matzah: “The food of faith, thefood of healing.”

Additionally, we may be able to derivean extra lesson from the Mishnah inPesachim, “Or le’arba’a asar bodkin etha’chametz le’or ha’ner: To the light of the14 of Nissan, we search for chametz to thelight of the candle: The Talmud in Sotah21A states: “Or” means light…light meansTorah, as the pasuk states in Mishlei 6:23,“Kee ner mitzvah ve’Torah or,” The mitzvah

is compared to the candle, and the Torahis compared to the light, to search for thechametz, in order to locate and removethe chametz (yetzer ha’ra) of our homes,(our lives), we need the light to find it,which is the Torah.

Rabbi Haim Palagi, in Mo’ed Kol Haiquotes the following statement from theTalmud in Sotah 21A, “ein aveirahmechavah Torah,” No sin can extinguishTorah learning. He continues, “ein aveirahmechavah tzedakah,” No sin can extin-guish tzedakah, charity. Torah study andcharity go hand in hand.

The Talmud in Bava Basra 10: Great isthe power of charity that hastens theredemption. An important mitzvah toperform before Pesach is to give ma’otchittim, which literally means money forthe wheat, i.e., to provide for the Pesachneeds of the poor.

May the merit of Torah study and char-ity hasten our final and long awaitedredemption. With best wishes for aPesach kasher ve’sameach, Tizku lesha-neem rabbot. v




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A Floridian PesachBy Eli ShapiroWell, Hello South Florida. What an

honor it is to be in the inaugural editionof the SFJT. By the time you are readingthis, I will be gone. Gone from my homein New York, visiting y’all down there inthe Sunshine State and recreating theexodus from Egypt by walking along thesandy beaches of Florida.

From the beginning of Adar untilPesach, we eagerly wait for our W-2’s,1099’s, and other statements of incomefrom the previous year. Then we spendhours searching for receipts and otherforms of documentation that will hope-fully minimize the amount of coin weowe to Uncle Sam or, in an even betterscenario, maximize the amount thatUncle Sam owes us.

This year we can hope for a little moremoney in our pockets than usual. Ourfederal government, as part of its ongoingeconomic stimulus plan, will send bil-lions of dollars to millions of peopleacross the country, thereby encouragingus to spend more and, ultimately, stimu-late the economy. Although those checkswon’t arrive until June, between that andthe great refund that Aron at ADF Tax willwork hard to get for you, some big deci-sions have to be made. Plus, free healthcare is right around the corner.

You can go through this very paperand find a whole host of ways to spendyour money. I personally am a big fan ofthe Pesach hotel. I know there is muchdebate over whether one can truly expe-rience Pesach at one of these venues,since cooking and cleaning—two bigfeatures of Pesach—are not required.However, if the goal of Pesach is toexperience a certain degree of cheirus(freedom), then may I say, “Missionaccomplished.”

While the Pesach hotel options coverthe globe, there is a jewel in SouthFlorida that I have had the opportunity tobe a part of for the past three years, theRamada Plaza Marco Polo in Sunny IslesBeach (North Miami Beach), Florida. Aswith any organization, success or failureresults directly from its leadership.

Many have become familiar withYanni, who, with his sister-in-law Malka,runs a fantastic program. Where tobegin? Let’s start with my favorite part,the food. I religiously attend the 7:00 a.m.Shacharis so I can be at breakfast. Theoptions at this most basic of meals arestaggering. Fruit, cereals, cheeses, eggs,kosher l’Pesach bagels, lox, cream cheese,and more. They even have omelet sta-tions where a chef will make your eggs toorder, with a large assortment of add-onsavailable.

Lunch is usually a full buffet, withchoices of fish, soups, and baked pota-toes with all the toppings you can imag-ine. The dinner menus take the cake (nopun intended, but there are really greatcakes, too). When the waiter comes tothe table and asks you if you would likethe brisket, prime rib, duck, spring chick-en, or flanken, the only thing you cansay is “yes.”

In addition to the regular meals, thetearoom is almost always open, the lobbyarea is stunning, and the rooms are well



B Y R A F A E L M E D O F F

Many of us recall the use of Passoverthemes in such Jewish political activity asthe “Freedom Seders” of the 1960s Jewishstudent movement or the “Let My PeopleGo” campaigns by Soviet Jewry protestersin the 1970s and 1980s.

But the appearance of Passoverimagery in contemporary Jewish politicsgoes back much further than that. WithPassover approaching in 1945, Zionistactivists in the United States undertookan information offensive that utilized theholiday’s themes to challenge the smallbut influential segment of the Jewishcommunity that opposed Zionism.

Shortly before Passover 1945, theJewish activists known as the BergsonGroup issued a pamphlet that retoldthe “four sons” portion of the Haggadahwith a starkly modern twist. The book-let, titled “There Were Four Sons,” bore

no author’s name, but it had all the dra-matic hallmarks of the Academy Awardwinning screenwriter Ben Hecht, whowas the most prominent of the Bergson

Group’s publicists. Hecht had previous-ly authored a series of attention-grab-bing full page newspaper ads for thegroup that stoked controversy by bold-ly criticizing Allied policy towards

European Jewry.“There Were Four Sons” was illustrat-

ed by the famed artist Arthur Szyk, who,in between drawing covers for Time and

Collier’s and political cartoons for theNew York Post, put his talents at the dis-posal of the Bergson Group. Szyk’s “foursons” are taken straight out of thedebates then raging in the American

Jewish community over the future ofPalestine. The first three are differenttypes of American Jews who opposed, orat least were uninterested in, the fightfor a Jewish state.

The “Wicked Son” represents thewealthy, assimilated Jew who activelyopposed Zionism. This Wicked Sonasks, “What is this nonsense about aJewish nation and an independenthomeland? When all this fuss blowsover, let them return to the countriesthey came from . . .” “Answer him,” thepamphlet continues, in the style of thetraditional Haggadah, that “since heelects to hold himself aloof from a phys-ical concern about his brother’s plight,he has disqualified himself from a voicein the life and death affairs of a foreignand persecuted people.” The Jews inEurope and Palestine fear his involve-ment in their affairs “more than theplotting of the anti-Semites,” since “theadverse testimony of a supposed friendcan be as scriptures in the mouth of thedevil.” Szyk’s depiction of the WickedSon looks suspiciously like JosephProskauer, president of the AmericanJewish Committee, who was one of themost prominent and influential anti-Zionists of that era. Later the AJC wouldchange its position and support the cre-ation of Israel, but at that point, in 1945,it argued that the existence of a Jewishstate would compromise the status ofJews in the Diaspora.

The next son, whom English-lan-guage Haggadahs typically call theSimple Son, is here called the“Indifferent Son.” He appears to be amiddle-class Jewish businessman, wear-ing a fedora hat and chomping on acigar. “Why don’t we leave well enoughalone?” he asks. “Aren’t we doing okayhere?” He worries that paying too muchattention to European Jewry might“prod anti-Semitism here in America.”“Answer him,” the Bergson pamphletinstructs, that fighting for a Jewish statewould ultimately help decrease, notincrease, anti-Semitism. Achieving “free-dom and safety for your less fortunatekin in the death valley of Europe willcreate a sound moral foundation for aworld order of peace and security,” andthat would include “banishing anti-Semitism.”

Szyk’s “Uninformed Son” (whom mostHaggadahs call “the son who does notknow to ask”), wearing a laborer’s cap, isthe stereotypical Jewish workingman. Hesays he cannot understand why the Jews“complain against the British [administra-tion in Palestine].” After all, “Do Jews nothave freedom there to live, work, sing,play, and worship as they please?”“Answer him that Palestine is far from aland of freedom today,” the pamphletasserts. “In Palestine there are concentra-tion camps” (meaning the detentioncamps where Jewish activists were heldwithout charges), “torture chambers”(Jewish militants were often mistreatedby their British captors), “ghettoes” (a ref-erence to the curfews and other restric-tions imposed on many Jewish neighbor-hoods), and “explicit anti-Jewish laws”


Passover 1945: A Controversial Twist On The “Four Sons”


This Wicked Son asks, “What is thisnonsense about a Jewish nationand an independent homeland?”

appointed. Just picture having your Sedernext to a 30-foot-high wall of windowsoverlooking the Atlantic Ocean. With top-notch entertainment and activities onchol ha’moed, a world-class day camp, anda comfortable home-like atmosphere,Yanni and Malka put together a remark-able program everyone enjoys.

If you’re reading this and you are cur-rently at the Marco Polo just take anoth-er sip of your frozen smoothie from thetea room, come visit me on the pool deck.If you’re not already here, it’s not too lateto make reservations for the second days.Well, back to my lounge chair overlook-ing the Atlantic. Have a warm Pesach. v



It is offering thatascends upon the pyre

of the Altar (Vayikra 6:2)

Why is the word mokdah(“pyre”) written in the Torahwith a miniature hei? To teachus that the fire in one’s soul

should be understated; itshould burn within, but show

nothing on the outside.

(The Rebbe of Kotzk)

And the kohen shallput on his linen gar-ment, and his linen

breeches shall he puton his flesh (Vayikra 6:3)

“His linen garment”—thisteaches us that the priestly

garments must fit the kohen’smeasure, and must not drag

on the floor or be raisedabove. (The word used herefor “his garment,” mido, liter-

ally means “his measure.”)

“And his linen breeches shall heput on his flesh”—this teachesus that there must be nothingintervening between his flesh

and the priestly garments.

(Talmud,Yoma 23b; Rashi)

And he shall put off hisgarments, and put on

other garments (Vayikra 6:4)

Clothes in which he cookedfor his master, should not beworn when serving a goblet

to his master.

(Talmud,Yoma 23b)

B Y N I S O N G O R D O N , A ’ H

The answers that the Torah preparedfor the inquiring sons change throughoutthe generations.

The world says new Haggadahs arepublished each year because the wickedson (rasha) of the previous year is now, ayear later, considered the wise one(chacham). However, the assertions andthe questions of the four sons do notchange with the printing of that time.They remain as foretold in the Torah inparashas Bo when the Jewish people werestill in Egypt where the roles of three ofthe sons were described: The wicked son,the simple son (tam), and the son whodoes not know how to ask (she’eino yodei’alishol), and concludes with the fourth one,the wise son, who is first to appear on thescene at the seder or in parashasVa’eschanan, where Moshe, our teacher,warns the Jewish people what awaitsthem as an independent nation, beforeentering the promised land.

Not only did the four sons not changetheir roles, but hundreds of years laterwe begin to understand them better andto comprehend on a more profoundlevel the words that the Torah put intotheir mouths.

Obviously, all the questions of the foursons were not posed at the time whenthe Jewish people were in Egypt or dur-ing their sojourn in the desert but at alater time. In general, the questions didnot even pertain to that time. Even thesimple son knew the answer to ‘what isthis?’ and even the one who did notknow how to ask grasped what was hap-pening at that time. And what about thewicked son? . . . At that time he was notconsidered a heretic and he did not iso-late himself. All he desired was somemeat and bread. He was contesting theleadership of Moshe and Aharon. And ourperspective of the golden calf was revisedand was not considered to be plain idola-try—as we understand it.

Each of the questions is prefaced withthe statement, “And it shall come to passwhen you enter into the land” or “It shallbe when Hashem will bring you into theland.” Only when the Jewish people cometo Eretz Yisrael does the Torah provide thefather with the answers to the child whodoes not know how to ask.

But when one peers deeply into thewords of the Chumash, one is immediate-ly struck by the omission of one word inthe narrative of the wicked son—tomor-row (machar, meaning the future). For thesimple son it is written, “And it shall bewhen your son will ask you in the future(machar), ‘What is this?’” (Sh’mos 13:14) Forthe wise son it states, “When your sonshould ask you in the future (machar) say-ing . . .” (Devarim 6:20). However, for thewicked son it states, “And it shall be whenyour children will say to you, ‘what is thisservice to you?’” (Sh’mos 12:26) withoutthe word machar which can be interpret-ed as not looking toward a future.

It is possible to receive the impression


The Four SonsIn A ModernVersion



(such as those prohibiting most Jewishimmigration and land purchases).

The Bergson Group’s “Wise Son” con-trasts sharply with the other three. He isa Jewish soldier in the U.S. Army. He

asks, “How can I help my fellow men inEurope and Palestine?” The pamphletanswers him by urging him to “join thiscrusade [for Jewish statehood] with allhis heart and all his soul” and “add hisvoice, his influence among friends, andevery penny he can honestly spare . . .”

The long dark night of Nazi persecu-

tion was drawing to a close, and thestruggle for a Jewish state was about tobegin in earnest. It was a struggle wagedin Palestine with guerrilla warfare, onthe high seas with refugee ships, and inthe court of public opinion with broad-

sides such as “There Were Four Sons,”which invoked ancient imagery to swayhearts and minds. v

Dr. Rafael Medoff is director of The David S.Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies,www.WymanInstitute.org.

“Four Sons”Continued from Page 66


that the wicked son appears on the sceneearlier than the others. It takes less timeto hear the questions of the wicked sonwho immediately pushes to be ahead ofthe others. In the Haggadah, the wise sonis mentioned ahead of the others; howev-er, in reality, it is the wicked who seeks toascend the dais to pose his poisonousquestions. Only later (in the machar)meaning in the future, does the wise sonpresent counter arguments to defendwith all his might the work that thewicked son did to undermine it uncon-tested for the longest time.

It is remarkable that for the first time allfour sons appear on the soil of Eretz Yisraelwhere the eyes of G-d remain affixed, noton the unseemliness of Egypt, not in thewilderness of the desert, but actually in theholy atmosphere of Eretz Yisrael. It is therethat the wicked son comes with his ques-tion, “Why do you need this” and “of whatvalue is this?”

How is this possible? Why in EretzYisrael should there be grumbling with somuch force toward Hashem and HisMashiach? Perhaps the answer lies in thetone of language used in addressing thewicked son at the seder table. For the othersons the words are, “When the L-rd yourG-d shall bring you” (Devarim 7:1). Theother sons come with the knowledge thatit is the Master of the Universe that willbring them into the land of theCanaanites, the Hivites, Emorites, and theJebusites; as He swore to the forefathers togive the land which flows with milk andhoney to their children.

However, in referring to the wicked sonit only states, “And it shall come to passwhen you come to the land.” (Sh’mos 12:25)Therefore, it will seem to him that he hascome by himself (with his own power) butin truth, it does state later in the chapter“Which the L-rd will give you in accor-dance with the promise that he has madeto you”—that the land is his because theMaster of the Universe gave it to him.

If we come to Eretz Yisrael without“When the L-rd your G-d shall bringyou”—if we look at the Jewish homelandas the Irish look at Ireland and theVietnamese look at Vietnam then a gener-ation will come who speak the words of,“What does this service mean to you?”.And will even begin to embrace gnawingdoubts as to their connection to the landand the land’s connection to them.

After all, what can we possibly do with ason like that? What and how can we possi-bly answer him? Chase him away from theseder table, G-d forbid! If the Torah placeshim at the seder table and the people givethanks for the ‘tidings of the sons’ whichthey will have (Rashi Sh’mos 12:27), then noone has the right to chase him away. Evenwith all of his wicked questions, he is a sonwho is still loyal to his people and will goin ‘fire’ for the Holy Land and for the holypeople. The generation which left Egypthad to wander in the sands of the desertbecause of the sins of the spies who werethe great leaders of that time (RashiBamidbar 13:3). They disappointed and dis-couraged the people when they were sovery near the border of the Promised Land.So, how can we chase them away from thetable, a Jewish table all year—such chil-dren whose love for the land has nobounds and whose self sacrifice, each andevery day, shows their love of the land and

the Jewish people.Perhaps the Haggadah itself sheds light

on the answer. The author of the Haggadah,though he shows that he is strict in regardsto the wicked son, he at the same timeexpresses his concern on behalf of him. Heseems to indicate that he is essentially notthat wicked, rather, perhaps he is similar tothe son who does not know how to ask. Itstates, “Therefore, you must answer himbluntly and say to him, ‘Because of this G-ddid for me when I went out of Egypt.’”These are the exact same words and thesame pasuk with which we address the sonwho cannot ask.

The Torah forewarns us that in all of ourpassion and zeal we should deal sensitive-ly with the wicked son, for his wickednessmay not come from being deliberate orcontrary. Perhaps it is a result of his igno-rance of his surroundings which was voidof Judaism. Therefore, he received a falseconcept of the Jewish people and theJewish homeland and is in effect distanc-ing himself from those who should havebrought him closer.

And of further interest is the deviance oflanguage employed regarding the wickedson as opposed to the others. What is writ-ten in the Torah is what we should answerthe other sons. For the wise son, the pasukstates, “You shall say to your child ‘We wereslaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Hashemtook us out of there with a strong hand.’”(Devarim 6:21). As for the simple son, itstates, “You shall say to him, ‘With a stronghand Hashem removed us from Egypt,from the house of bondage’” (Sh’mos 13:14).Also for the son who does not know howto ask it states, “And you shall tell your sonon that day, saying, ‘It is on account of thisthat Hashem did for me when I left Egypt’”(Sh’mos 13:8). There is a completely differ-ent answer to the wicked son in the Torahfrom the way it is written in the Haggadah.In Sh’mos 12:27 the Torah states, “You shallsay, ‘It is a Pesach feast offering to Hashem,who skipped over the houses of the chil-dren of Israel in Egypt when he smote theEgyptians, but he saved our household.’” Towhom shall you tell the message of thewicked son? It does not say, ‘You shall tellhim,” rather, “You should say to your sons,”(ibid 26) as it does with the other threesons, it says, “You shall say to them,”—theentire community. You should emergefrom the narrow ‘four cubits’ of your owntable and tell everyone what Pesach is allabout. Inevitably the wicked son will beinfluenced by his new surroundings thatwill reach him.

Chase the wicked son from thetable? . . . G-d forbid! It states, “Say tothem”—by saying and telling you shine alight onto the environment, the communi-ty, and all of the wicked sons’ questionswill inevitably be answered. For it is verypossible that he may be speaking as awicked son but in reality he is similar tothe child who just does not know how toask, stemming from his ignorance towardsJudaism. It is up to us to ensure that eventhe wicked son feels comfortable asking.

Generations come and generations gobut the questions of the four sons remainthe same, no matter what language thegenerations possess, including the mod-ern-day sabra Hebrew.

Fathers should remember and diligent-ly rehearse the answers the Torah provid-ed many centuries ago. v

This was originally published in the AlgemeinerJournal, March 26, 1975, and translated fromYiddish by Victor Cohen.

Modern VersionContinued from Page 68

Lea missed the bus today (Monday), butthat’s O.K. I was all dressed and preparingfor the arrival of the roofers, so I didn’tmind driving her this morning. I’m notquite sure what is involved in preparingfor roofers because the work is all exteriorand they already know what is beingreplaced and/or repaired, so there is noth-ing for me to actually do. But I needed tobe prepared just in case my expertise wasrequired (no roofing expertise of course,but perhaps I would need to be on hand tosign off on any outstanding issues).

As I turned on my cell phone as wewere getting into the car, I noticed a voicemail message: It seems that the rooferswere not coming this morning after all—it was already drizzling, with heavier rainexpected, henceforth not a great day forexposing a bare roof! Unfortunately onemore thing that was to be accomplishedbefore Pesach that will have to wait untilWednesday (rain is expected for tomor-row as well—let’s hope we will be rela-tively leak free until the work is done).

What is Murphy’s Law? If somethingcan go wrong, it will . . . or maybe also,when it rains it pours (literally some-times)! I have a certain Friday schedule. I

can’t say that I keep to the exact scheduleall of the time, but I have a general sched-ule that has served me well until now. Itypically make my challah dough before Ileave on my errands and/or work for themorning. So you see, a quasi-schedule,since I never quite know for sure when Iwill arrive at work, or complete myerrands for that matter, but at least I usu-ally know that my dough is made and ris-ing! This past Friday, with guests joiningus for Shabbos, I needed a bit more chal-lah than usual. With that in mind, I start-ed my dough project a couple of hoursearlier, and by about 6:30 in the morning,the dough was on its way. In fact, I was soahead of my usual schedule, that by 8:15 Ialready had the challahs twisted and thechallah that was taken off as perhalachah burning in the top oven, andmy gefilte fish already boiled.

Before leaving the house, my hafrashatchallah was nice and black and I was ableto put away my sort-of cooled fish. Asusual, time got away from me on Friday.Somehow between my typical trip toGourmet Glatt and unforeseen emergen-cies at work, I did not get home untilabout 1:00 to find my rising challahs look-

ing gorgeous! They had risen beyond myexpectations, and I was excited to finallyfinish the process with the baking. I havea system when it comes to the challahbaking advised by my good friend Ruchie:the oven gets pre-heated to about 200degrees, and the challahs get put into thatwarm oven for about 10 minutes, andthen I raise the temperature to 350degrees until the challahs are complete(that time varies). The theory behind theextra ten minutes in the warm oven is togive it the maximum rising possiblebefore the final bake.

As I began the procedure of carefullytransferring the challahs into the warmoven, I noticed that the oven was notwarm. In fact, it was totally cold. I checkedto make sure I had the oven on bake (yes,I often forget that vital ingredient). Thebottom oven was certainly set to bake, andin fact the red indicator light was on, signi-fying that the oven was indeed on. Ithought perhaps the thermostat was possi-bly off the mark, so I raised the tempera-ture all the way to 500 degrees, but it wasstill cold. This oven was just not working(my top oven is only good to heat thingsup or to burn things i.e. the piece of chal-lah dough). Yes, I know that I could haverun back to Gourmet Glatt at that pointand just purchased challah, but at thispoint in my baking challah career I feltthat I couldn’t break the chazakah as itwere, and I needed to bake those challahs.After all, I had already recited thehafrashat challah blessing!

Another to-be-baked item: the choco-late cookies! I had prepared the doughthe day before, but wanted to wait untilFriday to bake them to further insure that

we would indeed have dessert forShabbos (my kids and I have a habit ofsampling the cookies beforehand). Andnow we just had raw dough . . .

What to do? A call to my neighbors,the Mosaks, cured the immediate prob-lem. We would be able to bake the chal-lahs and cookies in shifts. Being that theylive on our corner, Rochel devised a planto transport all the challahs in less time:cookie pans. We were able to transportfour small challahs at a time. With bothof us working in unison, we transportedeight challahs at one time! Fortunatelythe weather was with us on Friday, andwe had fun walking to the corner withour stock. In a short time, less than anhour, we were able to bake all our chal-lahs and our chocolate chip cookies.Thank you so much for the kindness ofour dear neighbors!

And so it is quite busy in the Lubinhousehold these days. New carpet is beingdelivered for Rochel, Lea, and Rivka’sroom tomorrow, the roof shall hopefullybe completed by Wednesday, and the newoven is on its way hopefully beforeThursday! And so today I am busy cookingchametz, since when the new oven arrivesI do not plan on using it until we are com-pletely pesadik. Chabad better have a goodkiddush on Shabbos!

And so when it rains it pours, but at theend of the day I will have a perfect roof,clean carpet, and a totally pesadik oven intime for the holiday! It’s all good! v

Phyllis Joy Lubin is an attorney with Rosenfeld &Maidenbaum, LLP, who resides in Cedarhurstwith her husband Leonard and six children:Naftali, Shoshana, Rivka, Rochel, Yosef, and Lea.She welcomes your questions and comments [email protected].


It’s Raining

B Y T O B Y K L E I NG R E E N W A L D

In the spring month of Nissan, we areinstructed to make a blessing the firsttime we see a fruit tree in bloom (Berachos43b). I would translate the blessing thus:“Blessed are Thou, L-rd of the Universe,who has seen to it that there be nothinglacking in His world, and Who created init good creations and good trees, in whichhuman beings can delight.”

I discovered this blessing for the firsttime after living in Israel, though it isrecited throughout the world.

There is something evocative about theblessing. After all, we do not make a bless-ing on the first vegetables or spices we seepushing up through the ground, or on thefirst appearance of wheat or other grain.We do not bless a new baby chick or a calf.

What is it about the fruit trees? Ibelieve I found the answer through twoexperiences.

The first is a yearly occurrence in ourfamily. We have tried to grow fruit treesin our yard in Efrat but have been unsuc-cessful, perhaps due to the position ofour yard which faces a strong westernwind. From the time our children wereyoung, they have eagerly awaited springevery year, in order to go to the home ofa neighbor who hangs a sign out by hischerry tree with the berachah on it.

They have always treated this as anevent. It is not just a casual walk-by. And

since the berachah can also be said onShabbat, now that they have their ownfamilies it is often after lunch on a springShabbat that they get up and declare,“Let’s go to the Davids’ yard to say theberachah on their tree!”

But this year, our daughter Adina andher husband took their son, YehonatanMenachem, to make the berachah on thislast Sunday morning, which was also theday before his chalakah (or ufsherin, as it isknown is some circles)—cutting his hair,

now that he has turned three years old.For some reason I find myself binding

these two events together—the newblooming of the tree and the cutting ofYehonatan’s glorious locks.

They are both new beginnings. Thetree belonging to the David family willsoon bring forth luscious, juicy cherries.And as Yehonatan receives his firsttzitziot, and his kipah will sit on shorter

hair, he will be less of a “baby.”

The Second EventLast year, while co-author Yael Valier

and I were in the midst of writing thetexts for the musical revue In Search ofCourage (to be performed by our women’sRaise Your Spirits Summer StockCompany), it fell to me to write the solil-oquy spoken by the Famine, which wehad personified. Famine, outfitted in aflowing black robe and dark makeup, rep-

resented the famine that the Children ofIsrael endured before leaving Canaan forEgypt, in the times of Joseph, and thefamine that caused Elimelech and Naomito leave Bethlehem.

In the midst of the writing, a neigh-bor had sent an e-mail to our communi-ty list, pleading for people to come andpick the apricots off his tree before thebranches broke.

I added these words to the scene.Toward the end of the speech of Famine,a spotlight came up on stage left, and ayoung girl said, “Someday, the land ofIsrael will be so replete with fruits andgrains that neighbors will beg one anoth-er, ‘Come and pick the fruits of my tree,before it breaks from the weight.’”

Art imitating life.

Starting AnewLater in that same play, Boaz says, “Ah,

Ruth—when I saw her in the field, andthen, so hesitant, so noble, on the thresh-ing floor . . . What chesed, what courage.The courage of Ruth, and the courage ofmy people, to live through a famine, andcarry on.”

The month of Nissan is considered anew beginning. A new beginning fortrees. A new beginning for the Children ofIsrael who left Egypt. And a new begin-ning for anyone in need of it.

Enjoy the holiday! v

The author is a journalist, poet, and educational-theater director.


Blessing Of The Fruit Trees

“Someday, the land of Israel will be so

replete with fruits and grains that

neighbors will beg one another,

‘Come and pick the fruits of my tree.’ ”

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

WE WANT TO KNOW!

UPLOAD YOUR COMMENTS ATwww.SFLJT.com


B Y R A B B I N O C H U MK U R I N S K YSHLIACH, PONTE VEDRA BEACH

February 24. The call came in at about2:00 p.m. “Can you be with Mr. MartinGrossman during his execution?”

How can you say no? How can you sayyes? What can you say? After speaking tomy wife, I decided to go. I made a fewphone calls and found a companion forthe road, and off we went. Along the way,another friend offered to join, and thethree of us departed down the I-95 to theI-10 to be with Mr. Grossman.

A little background.A few months ago, Rabbi Mendy Katz

from Aleph sent out an e-mail to the localChabad rabbis. In it was a very simplerequest. Due to the financial downturn,Aleph could no longer afford to sendyeshiva students to all the prisons inFlorida. Would any community be will-ing to go visit a few prisons in their area?We volunteered. Rather, I volunteeredand subsequently invited members ofour community to come along.

On our first visit, during Chanukah,our group was divided into pairs of twofor maximum efficiency. David Sall, alocal psychiatrist, and Rabbi MenachemMendel Lieberman, my lifetime friendand a local law student, teamed up; I part-nered with Dovid Moyer, a local financialrepair specialist and businessman. Ourgroup went to a number of prisons thatday, including Union Correctional.Mendy and David went to death row. Asyou know by now, death row housed thenow world-famous Martin Grossman, a’h.

Several days after our visit to deathrow, the governor signed Martin’s deathwarrant and set the date of execution forFebruary 16 at 6:00 p.m. Saddened by thenews, but not really sure what to do, Ikept about my daily business and evenwent back to visit the prison one moretime with a group.

Sometime during January, Rabbi Katzcalled me. “Martin is going to die,” hesaid. “What can we do to help him?” Atfirst, I have to admit, I was hesitant. Whatcould I do? I’m a local Chabad rabbi. Thisis for the national organizations. Afterreading the proclamation by RabbiShochat of Los Angeles that one couldeven violate Shabbos to save Mr.Grossman, I was convinced.

First, I called Rabbi Mendy Katz backand told him I was on board, but only toassist him, not to take charge of this.Then, I called Rabbi Oirechman, theChabad rabbi in Tallahassee, and asked ifhe was on board. After giving it somethought, he said that he was fully onboard. Now was time to get the plan inmotion.

Rabbi Katz put together a letter thatmost of the 150 Chabad rabbis in Floridasigned. Another letter was written byRabbi Zvi Biarsky, which many rabbisfrom every Jewish group signed as well,and they were both later hand-deliveredto the governor by Rabbi Oirechman.

In addition, I started an online peti-

tion. On the first day we had 23 signa-tures, day two we had 200, and on daythree 1,000. At about that time, many inthe broader Jewish community gotinvolved in the cause to encourage thegovernor to grant a clemency hearing toMr. Grossman. Leaders from AgudathIsrael, the OU, the RCC, many in theyeshiva world in Monsey and Lakewood,and Satmar chassidim were gettinginvolved. It was simply amazing! Thecause was taking a life of its own. Everyday e-mails were being sent out to thou-sands upon thousands of people from allwalks of life encouraging them to signthe petition. At its close, the petition hadin excess of 33,000 signatures; many peo-ple wrote personal notes. The achdus ofKlal Yisrael was heart-warming.

Just to give further insight into this, weput together a website called savemartingrossman.com. While putting the sitetogether, I realized in amazement thatthe man with the idea for the site was aLitvisher/yeshivish Jew, the man whopaid for the site was a Satmar chassid andhere I was, a card carrying Lubavitchershliach, working on the site throughChabad.org’s unbelievable server system.Incidentally, nearly 20,000 people loggedonto the site during the last week alone.

That’s the background for today’sevents. I’m now on the way to the prisonwith my two friends Dr. David Sall andRabbi Mendy Lieberman, who by divineprovidence are the same two people whovisited Martin during Chanukah. I did notspecifically call them. I asked some oth-ers first. As they say, a Jew plans and G-dlaughs. I planned on spending my after-noon and evening with some teenagers atthe local high school doing a Jewish teengroup and helping my wife (who just hada baby) give the kids dinner and do bed-time. David was busy with some neededrecreation and Mendy was at school.None of us ever expected our day to turnout the way it did.

We got to the prison and were told, asexpected, that only I could go in. Mendyand David were to wait with the mediaacross the street. I was escorted in andgiven the rundown. There was to be onlyrespectful behavior. There would be nocontact with Martin. No books or metalwere allowed in. I had the opportunity tomeet with and thank a few of the chap-lains and department heads who hadbeen very helpful in our past prison visits.I also met Martin’s attorney. It was touch-ing to be able to meet the man who putup such a fight for Martin over the years.

At about 5:30 we were escorted togeth-er with all the other people who were towitness the execution. Amongst thegroup were about seven or eight mem-bers of Ms. Parks’ family. There were anumber of state witnesses, and about sixor seven members of the press. We weretaken through the metal detectors andsearched. We then passed through a num-ber of security doors which I was all toofamiliar with from previous visits. Themood was a mix. People were chattingnervously and were very cordial with

The Day I WatchedA Man Die


each other. I was so thoroughlyimpressed with the Parks family and theother people present. They handledthemselves so courteously despite theobvious tension.

We were taken into a van and drivento another section of the prison. Wewere then escorted into a room atabout 5:45. The room was about 30 feetby 15 feet; it was lined with three rowsof chairs, each about ten chairs deep.On the last row, furthest from thefront, sat the members of the media. Infront of them, the state witnesses, andin the first row was the Parks familyand myself.

For 15 minutes you could hear a pindrop in that room. Nobody looked ateach other. People sat in silence, justreflecting. I put on my ‘gartel’ (specialbelt for prayer) and started to daven.First I said a number of prayers by heartand then I started to say Psalms. Ibecame oblivious to my surroundings,just simply lost in thought and prayer.Suddenly, I began thinking, What am Idoing here? Why would Hashem wantme to be here? What purpose does thisserve? After all, there is so much painand hurt in this room; the Parks familysuffered terribly. They are obviously stilldealing with much of it. Tens of thou-sands of Jewish people throughout theworld are sitting in prayer, hoping andpraying that Hashem will have mercyand grant Mr. Grossman reprieve. Andmuch of that burden falls on my shoul-ders as the one Jew, the one rabbi, theone ‘shliach’ of the Lubavitcher Rebbesitting in this room.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind

about all of those people, those individu-als that the Rebbe had reached out tothrough the years—one Jew at a time,mostly through his shluchim. The Rebbeloved every Jew. Here again there is oneJew sitting in a faraway place in middle ofnowhere, no family with him, no lovefrom the audience. He would have diedalone. The only person that cared abouthim was the Rebbe, who sent Rabbi Katzto spend four hours with him on hisdying day and me to be here while hebreathes his last breath.

I started to daven that whatever I

think, whatever I feel, should be whatthe Rebbe would want me to thinkand/or feel. What does Hashem want meto do now? I started to sing a niggun tomyself based on the words “Kiayil taarogal afikei mayim kein nafshi taarog eile-cho Elokim.” My soul wants to be withyou Hashem.

Almost immediately the curtainopened and there was Martin in thenext room. He was only four or fivefeet from us, but he was strappeddown and covered up until his neck.

The only visible part of him was hisarm, in which was an IV that woulddeliver the sam hamoves, the poison,and his face. In the room with himwere a police officer and someonewho stood with a paper and note-book, presumably recording everydetail of what transpired. The roomalso had a large clock behind Martinas well as video cameras and micro-phones hanging from the ceiling.Otherwise there were freshly paintedwalls, a sparkling clean floor, and aone-way glass leading to a third room

behind Martin.Martin did not look at the crowd nor

at the police officer next to him. He juststared up at the ceiling. There wassilence in the room. The tension was sothick you could cut it with a knife. I forone was almost convulsing. The clockread 6:02.

The officer asked, “Mr. Grossman, doyou have any final words?” to whichMartin replied “Yes.”

Martin began, “I completely regreteverything that I did on that night, both

that which I remember and that which Ido not.” He then said, “I would like to saya prayer.” The officer said, “Okay.”

At that point Martin says “ShemaYisrael Adon- Elokenu Adon- echod” in aloud voice. And then he said somethingthat I will never forget as long as I live.

“Ahavat Yisrael.”At that point I began to weep so loud-

ly that the guy behind me asked me if Iwould like to leave. There are no wordsto describe the way Martin died. Martincommitted a terrible crime, one thatwill haunt a family as long as they live.But with those two words he showedthat “ein davar bo bifnei haratzon,” noth-ing stands in the way of a man’s will.Martin died proclaiming his affectionfor Yisroel, his brothers and sistersthroughout the world, more for G-d andhis Torah as well. Martin died a repen-tant man, but more than that. Martindied a man that accomplished some-thing that we as Jews have been tryingto do for nearly 2,000 years. He broughtus together with true Jewish unity—Ahavas Yisrael.

Who knew a child born to an abusivefather and sick mother, a boy whocould not make it through school, ayoung man who shopped for drugs inhis mother’s closet, a man who killedsomeone—and not just a person, but abeautiful park ranger who was justdoing her job, while he was high on acocktail of drugs, could have such anincredible impact?

Martin died as a true ba’al teshuvah alKiddush Hashem, sanctifying G-d’s namein public, the highest level a Jew canreach on this earth. (Chabadbeaches.com) v

What am I doing here? Why would

Hashem want me to be here?

What purpose does this serve?


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One Israel Fund’s 16th GalaAnniversary Dinner hosted hundreds ofsupporters from around the globe onTuesday, March 16 at Terrace on the Park.The evening’s theme of Achdut (Unity)—Building Bridges, Bridging Gaps, wasmost clearly illuminated by the deservinghonorees, devoted to the safety and wel-fare of those 300,000 men, women, andchildren that are the vanguard of Israel’ssecurity and sovereignty as a Jewish State.

Dr. Yashar and Mrs. Perie Hirshautwere presented with the Bonei YisraelAward. Steven Khadavi accepted theShomer Yisrael Award on behalf of theIranian American Jewish Federation ofNew York; and Sy and Carole Oshinsky in

deep appreciation for their work onbehalf of Ulpanat Dolev received theKeter Shem Tov Award.

“I remember Israel as a country thathardly had anything to offer besides itshistory, noted Dr. Hishaut, a resident ofLawrence, NY. “Back in 1949, Jerusalemwas a hinterland—not unlike Monticello.But today [in Israel] there are boomingcities, successful manufacturing plants,international corporate leaders . . . allbuilt from nothing. One Israel Fund andthe Jewish families of YESHA are commit-ted to that continued growth—to keep-ing the flame alive and that’s why we areall here tonight.”

Contributing to the evening’s success

was Mr. Khadavi’s presentation of theIAJF’s donation of $75,000. Mr. Khadavitook a moment to essentially chastiseeveryone, including those in the room,for referring to the beautiful and thrivingcities of Judea and Samaria as settlements. . . a term that implies transience.

The evening’s keynote speaker, OdedRevivi, mayor of Efrat—a lawyer, a sol-dier, a father, a son, and a statesman—istruly an Israeli, not a mere settler. Hecame just days after the American vicepresident’s visit to Israel; just days afterthe president’s disheartening remarksand offered a firsthand view of the strainof everyday life in his part of the world.He noted, “We live in a world threatened

by violence and hatred every day. But wealso live in a world of everyday reality,one that relies on growth and continuity.We live with and around Arabs who are asaffected by the building freeze as [much,if not more so than] we are. These peopleare builders and contractors whose liveli-hoods have been grossly affected by thisbuilding freeze. We find that the onlyones satisfied with the current situationin Judea and Samaria are those livingthousands of miles away or those just afew kilometers away waiting to destroythe lives of those, Jew and Arab, actuallyliving on the land in question. One IsraelFund shines as a beacon in an ocean ofdarkness. One Israel Fund stands shoul-

Bonei Awardees Dr. Yashar and Mrs. Perie Hirshaut flanked by One Israel Fund Israel Director Irwin Borvick (L) and Executive Vice President Scott M. Feltman (R).

Steven Khadavi, Shomer Yisrael Awardee, presents check to One Israel Fund ExecutiveVice President Scott M. Feltman for $75,000 to One Israel Fund on behalf of the IranianAmerican Jewish Federation of NY. Steven and Scott are joined by (L–R) One Israel Fund

trustees Stanley Rosenberg and Jay Kestenbaum and President Steven S. Orlow.

One Israel Fund Celebrates Its 16th Gala Anniversary Dinner


der to shoulder with the families of Judeaand Samaria offering life-giving and life-saving support and security in these diffi-cult times.”

Steven Orlow, One Israel Fund’s pres-ident, echoed Mr. Revivi’s sentiments.“These are perilous times,” heremarked. “We must all commit our-selves to the safety of our brethren inJudea and Samaria. On behalf of ourstaff and supporters I thank our deserv-ing honorees for being shining exam-ples of that commitment.”

Contributing to the evening’s successwas the presence of this year’s YedideiYESHA Award recipients: Jessica Adler,Samuel Cohen, Yoni Friedman, JuliannaGershbaum, Talia Gross, JosephKestenbaum, Shira Levie, TamarLiberman, and Rachel Markowitz alongwith the members of Girl Scout Troup 703of the Young Israel of Hewlett: MichalBeer, Ariella Borah, Avigail Borah, KaylaEvans, Sara Evans, Avigail Feinberg, EstherFruchter, Samantha Lieberman, TaliaLifshutz, Yonina Schwartz, DaliaSzpilzinger, and Shoshana Weinstein. Thisannual award is presented to studentswho raise funds and awareness on behalfof our brethren in Israel.

“These dedicated and caring young menand women are the cornerstone of notjust our organization, but Jewish life bothhere and in Israel,” noted Scott Feltman,One Israel Fund’s executive vice president.“I always find it heartwarming to see somany of our young people gettinginvolved because I know it truly inspiresthose around them to do the same. Eachperson in attendance has a child, grand-child, family member, neighbor, or stu-dent who could stand up here next year aswell. The students honored here tonightare the impetus for future awardees.”

Another young face at the dinner wasBat El Gimpel, an alumnus of UlpanatDolev, a rehabilitation school in theShomron for abused and troubled jun-ior and senior high school-aged women.Bat El came to New York to share herexperiences and thank, not only OneIsrael Fund and its supporters but alsothe Oshinskys, who in 1988 foundedPROUD (Partners Reaching to UlpanatDolev), the organization which supportsthe all-girls ulpana.

“I came to Ulpanat Dolev at 14, a pret-ty wild child with no family of my ownand no clues to my past,” she said. “NowI’m 24 years old, independent, and get-ting married this May and my Dolev fam-ily will stand with me under my chupah.I’m closing the circle of my past and start-ing a new life for myself and my fiancé.With the help of the Ulpanat Dolev fam-ily and One Israel Fund, I am able tostand on my own two feet with determi-nation to succeed in life.”

One Israel Fund is more than just aforce for security and safety; it’s a meansof life-affirming wellbeing for the fami-lies of YESHA. “One Israel Fund helpskeep Israel whole,’ said Sy Oshinsky.“Ulpanat Dolev helps teenage girls thatcome to the school with broken spiritsbecome whole again. The two were madefor each other.”

Funds raised at this dinner will helpOne Israel Fund continue its efforts infilling the gaps in essential security, med-ical, educational, and social services thatare conspicuously lacking in YESHA, aswell as providing much needed supportto the families who were expelled from

their homes in Gaza during the summerof 2005. Whether we build schools, med-

ical centers, install playgrounds, or pro-vide life-saving security systems, we are

committed to the modern-day pioneerswho call YESHA their home. v

The Yedidei Yesha awardees.


When we use the term half we don’talways refer to 50%. When someone iscalled a half-wit that doesn’t mean hehas half of the intelligence of a regularhuman. The intent is merely that hehas less than 100% of normal intelli-gence. When a store has a half-off sale,very often items are only discounted20%. If you complain to the managerhe will explain that the half-offmoniker refers to the never-used andtheoretical manufacturer’s suggestedretail price (MSRP). Finally, on Pesachwe supposedly break the middlematzah in half, but who is able to pro-duce two perfect halves? Machinematzah can be divided on the perfectlyplaced perforations, but with hand-matzah you have no such luck.

On chol hamoed Pesach and on the lastdays of yom tov we recite half-Hallel. Half-Hallel is more like 85% of Hallel. We justcut out 22 pesukim from the completeHallel. Once again the term half is notused literally. Most likely the term half-Hallel originates from the fact that thetwo paragraphs that are skipped are pret-ty much the first half of two chapters inTehillim. When we recite half-Hallel we

don’t say the first 11 pesukim of kepittel 115and 116, but we do recite the remainder.The import of half-Hallel is that it is theHallel that contains some half-chapters,not that it is half of the original Hallel.

Why do we only recite half of Hallelon the last days of yom tov? The answer

given in the Talmud (Arachin 10a-b) is thatafter the first day of Pesach, the Mussafsacrifices are identical each day, while onSukkos a unique Mussaf sacrifice isoffered each day. The Mussaf sacrificesare indicative of the character of the yomtov. By mandating the same sacrifice for

each day of Pesach, the Torah is teachingus that the character of each day remainsthe same throughout the yom tov.However, the varied sacrifices of Sukkosreveal to us that each day of the holidayis different from the others.

Therefore, in honor of the specialmeaning of each day of Sukkos, repre-sented by each specific sacrifice, a com-plete Hallel is recited. The latter days ofPesach do not have this special character-istic, consequently only half-Hallel isrecited. (Answer as explained by Rabbi AriZ. Zivotofsky, Ph.D., in Jewish Action).

When the Mishnah Berurah explainswhy only half-Hallel is recited he offers atotally different reason than the onementioned in the Gemara. His source is aMidrash quoted in the Beis Yosef (OC 490).

That Midrash references a fact in ourGemara in Sanhedrin (39b). The Gemarasays that the angels wished to reciteShirah after the Egyptians drowned inthe Yam Suf but Hashem stopped them.Hashem said, “My creations are drowningin the sea and you are reciting Shirah?”

The Midrash explains that just as theangels did not recite Hallel on the sev-enth day of Pesach (at night), we also donot recite Hallel on the seventh day. Thefirst obvious problem with this Midrashis that it fails to explain why only half-Hallel is recited on chol hamoed. After all,the Egyptians drowned on the seventhday not on chol hamoed. Some Acharonimexplain that it would be inappropriate torecite full Hallel on chol hamoed and onlyhalf-Hallel on the seventh day which is afull fledged yom tov. This would seeming-ly lend more importance to chol hamoedthan to yom tov. Once we instituted thatonly half-Hallel should be recited on theseventh day, perforce Hallel had to bereduced on chol hamoed as well.

However, why do we need an alternateexplanation for the recitation of onlyhalf-Hallel in addition to the one alreadymentioned in the Gemara Eiruchin? TheKollel Iyun HaDaf offered the followinganswer in their publication Thoughts onThe Daily Daf on Eiruchin. There are twobasic reasons for reciting Hallel. First, werecite Hallel on festival days in order topraise Hashem as we celebrate His festi-val. Second, we recite Hallel in order tocommemorate a miraculous salvationfrom danger.

The Gemara in Eiruchin is asking whywe do not recite the full Hallel on all ofthe days of Pesach because of the firstreason since each day is a moed. TheGemara answers that the ensuing daysof Pesach are not considered independ-ent mo’adim, as we see from the factthat each day does not have its own


Half And Half

We are not mourning the death ofthe Egyptians who wanted to killus; rather we are signifying that

the malachim did not sing Shirah.


South Florida—The weather is nice inthe winter and there’s Disney (which wemiss terribly) nearby. But we have . . .Israel. In any case, welcome to the SouthFlorida Jewish Times in its debut issue.You now get to see why the Five Townsversion is so lauded.

The next time you complain about thekids underfoot for a couple of days dur-ing your Pesach prep, remember what Iam about to tell you. Our children, includ-ing the youngest preschoolers all had offfrom school since last Friday—11 days

before the chag (In Israel, they are inschool from Sunday through Friday). Thatmeans we had to entertain them for aweek and a half in addition to preparingfor Pesach, working at our jobs, and doingwhatever else we might need to take careof.

In order to get them out from under-foot and keep them busy, many familieswill send their kids to Pre-Pesach camps.That’s right, camps. Enterprising teensand owners of private preschools spendthe weeks leading up to Pesach distribut-ing flyers and posting e-mail noticesabout their “amazing,” “best,” “superfun”and every other adjective you can name,camp.

Parents, in a frenzy of calculation,spend time analyzing the most importantfactor to them: which camp will keep mykid occupied for the longest amount oftime. Sometimes a trade off is made. Forinstance, Moshe has a private basementpreschool that he goes to on early dis-missal days and school vacations. He hasbeen in the same preschool since wearrived in Israel. He loves the teacher andis incredibly comfortable there. Althoughwe might have been able to find anotherprogram for him that would be longer, hestayed with Etti because it is simply easi-er for us.

This is an exciting time here in Israel.There is a frenzy of activity as the countrygears up for the chag. Relatives (not justyours, but your neighbor’s as well) whomyou may not have seen in a while arrivefrom distant shores. Cleaning,cooking...the whole process is somethingthat everyone is involved with.

In our office, the secretaries made a

rotation that allowed them to worklonger individual days, but still be homeon other days in order to get their housescleaned and readied. The local e-mail listsare full of “where can I get” questions and“what can I do” questions and the spirit ofyom tov is definitely in the air.

Interestingly, Pesach is the only chagin which the differences between Israeland Chutz La’aretz (or Shmutz La’aretz, ifyou will) are minimized. OK. So we onlyhave one seder (which is huge) and wehave more chol hamoed. But Pesach hasalways been, at least to me, a tremen-dously exciting family experience. A timewhen we really get together and spendtime together maintaining family tradi-

tions.Yes, we eat meals on every chag. I

know the old adage that describes 90% ofJewish holidays as “they wanted to kill us,G-d saved us, let’s eat!” Yet, on Pesach,food is so central to the holiday that theseder and the meals take on much moremeaning and are associated with muchmore emotional impact in my memory.

Of course, we also have some compli-cations that you don’t. The kitniyot/non-kitniyot ingredients issue is a real pain.Well, actually, that is really the onlyadvantage you have.

Another annoying thing is the clockchange. Yes, you also changed the clocksalready. But you would think that a coun-try of Jews would get the concept ofdelaying the change until after the sederso that we could start (and finish) an hourearlier. We get it right in the fall, switch-ing to the early clock the week beforeYom Kippur. I am sure that the real reasonwe lose out on Pesach is that it was madeas a trade-off for Yom Kippur.

On the flip side, I was able to convincethe rabbi to start davening at 9:00 a.m. onthe first day of Pesach. It may not seem so

late. But we are one of the latest minyan-im in the area on Shabbat at 8:30, so thiswas a big jump. As a matter of fact, lastShabbat we started at 8:00 a.m. in orderto get to Shema on time. We are very par-ticular to make sure that there is enoughtime to make Shema and adjust daveningtime for 10-15 weeks of the year becauseof it.

Each chag, I try to remember to write apersonal wish to my readers. I generallytry to remind you that as a Kohein, I lookforward to bringing your yom tov korban-ot at the rebuilt Beit Hamikdash on theupcoming chag. This Pesach, I will do thesame, but Machon HaMikdash: TheTemple Institute has done me one better.They are offering reservations for a por-tion of a Korban Pesach.

As you know (or may not), on erevPesach we will sacrifice the KorbanPesach in the rebuilt Beit HaMikdash(assuming Mashiach arrives) and the peo-ple of Machon HaMikdash dedicate theirwork and lives to preparing for the BayitShlishi. They want us to show our belief

Welcome Floridians!

Continued on Page 86The TempleInstitute has done

me one better.They are offeringreservations for a

portion of aKorban Pesach.


Across1. You might take them out in this paper4. Grates, vocally9. Another famous Moshe14. Slice15. Pre- Passover Patriarch16. Egg in early stages17. ___-Wan18. Around19. Extremely cold20. Pharaoh, 199823. Plague locale, at times24. Black or Caspian25. Former Chief Rabbi of Israel28. Air and water33. With 72-Across, Moses (1981)35. ___ Miserables38. Illegal foreigner40. . . . ___ a rich man41. Dathan, 195645. Vase46. Basic cake ingredient47. ___ -cone48. With 67- Down Moses, 199851. Internet need, for some53. NBC skit show54. Pasture56. Northern European capital60. Aharon, 199865. Destroy68. Indonesian island with a population

of 3 million69. Single70. Decree71. Dodge72. What some people get over Pesach73. Gebrochts74. Membership option75. a.m. and p.m.

Down1. Tree dropping2. Persian Gulf municipality3. Calm4. Loaded

5. “Yeah, right!”6. Indian garb7. Stride8. Low-res and full color9. Mark down10. 5th and Madison11. First name of a Pharaoh actor, 195612. a.k.a. Clay13. Religious enthusiast Flanders21. Pocket protector go-with22. Cornhusker st.25. Deposit usually spread by wind26. Ohio Town27. ___ ___ Flour (Passover must)29. One to lend to Antony30. Old31. Abode32. Anti-venom, e.g.34. Have35. Veggies at some Seders36. Astronomer Hubble37. Terrific39. Not happening42. Baking soda appendage43. Like the New Jersey Nets44. Anger49. Picks50. Ump52. Cosa Nostra55. Following57. Not the quickest animal at the zoo58. Jewish calendar?59. Signs60. Athlete61. What a generous person does62. Mid-East Sultanate63. Pack64. Sketched65. “___ Not That Into You”66. “Much ___ about . . .”67. See 48 Across

Puzzle Page: The Stars Of Pesach

Solution on Page 87.

B Y Y O N I G L A T T

that the redemption is coming by reserv-ing a share in a Korban Pesach. As far as Iunderstand, they aren’t buying any ani-mals, just making a commitment to youthat the animal will be available whenyou need it. Kind of an “avoid the erevPesach rush—make sure you are coveredand reserve now” message.

Before you send me an e-mail or a let-ter to the editor telling me that this iskefirah or something of the sort, I want tostate clearly that I am not advocating thatpeople sign up for this. I did not person-ally make a reservation. I believe thatHashem will take care of all our needswhen the time comes, or at least make itpossible for us to obtain the necessarysupplies. If he could miraculously makesure that there was room for all thosewho came to Yerushalayim for the chag-gim in historical times, he can make surethat we all have an animal for Pesach.

But I do think the concept of anticipat-ing the redemption is something that welack and could use more of. Perhapsaliyah would be another way of express-ing this feeling.

So I wish you and your families a ter-rific Pesach. When you come to the BeitHemikdash to have your Korban Pesachslaughtered, if I am on duty, I would bethrilled to help you in this Avodah. On theoff chance that there is still no BeitHaMikdash by the time that Pesacharrives, let me wish you a wonderful chagand my brachot for l’shanah ha’bab’Yerushalayim habenuyah!

I wish a mazal tov to our publisher,Larry Gordon, upon the launching of hislatest venture, the South Florida JewishTimes. Although it is not as impressive assay, the Bet Shemesh Jewish Times, it is agreat step in providing news, communityinformation, and items of general inter-est to a wonderful part of the country(plus, my snowbird relatives can shep alittle nachas each week while they are intheir Florida houses). I view Larry as avisionary with an unerring sense of whatthe community wants to know and learnabout. I wish Larry and his family and the5TJT/SFJT families continued success.

Kinneret Update: This will be one ofmy final updates of the season. I may doa rain season recap after Pesach, just tosummarize how we did this year. Thisweek, the Kinneret was down 4 cm to -212.76 and looks to be at or near the highpoint of the year. With the arrival of thespring, the temps will warm up and therains will stop falling. We will probablybegin to see drops in the water levels overPesach. v

Shmuel Katz works at Machon Puah, a non-profitfertility organization that provides (worldwide)free halachic and medical counseling,independent supervision of fertility treatmentsand educational programming. Shmuel, his wifeGoldie, and their six children made aliyah in Julyof 2006. Prior to his aliyah, Shmuel was theexecutive director of the Yeshiva of South Shore inHewlett. You can contact him [email protected].


unique korban (as does each day ofSukkos). The Midrash, however, isaddressing a different question: why dowe not recite the complete Hallel on thelast day of Pesach because of the mirac-ulous salvation (k’riyas Yam Suf) thatoccurred on that day (the second rea-son)? The Midrash answers that sincesome of Hashem’s creations weredestroyed by this miracle, it is not fit-ting to recite Hallel to commemoratesuch a salvation. This clearly answersour first question as well. The reasonmentioned in the Midrash was onlymeant to explain why we don’t com-plete Hallel on the seventh day ofPesach, not chol hamoed. The completeHallel is not recited on chol hamoedbecause there was no significant mira-cle that occurred on those days andtheir yom tov status does not requireHallel as explained in the Gemara inEiruchin.

Some questions still remain. If we arenot supposed to recite Hallel or Shirah

on the day that the Egyptians drowned,why did the B’nei Yisrael during the yearof Yetzi’as Mitzrayim sing Az Yashir onthe seventh day? (The Gemara inPesachim states according to RabbiElazar that they recited Hallel as well!)Furthermore, if we really are not sup-posed to sing Shirah on the seventh dayof Pesach, we should eliminate Hallelaltogether, not just subtract a fewpesukim. Lastly, the Gemara states inMegillah that Mordechai kicked Hamanas he was stepping on him to get ontothe royal horse. Haman askedMordechai, “Doesn’t your Torah say‘Don’t rejoice at the downfall of yourenemy.’?” Mordechai responded, “Thatis only for one’s Jewish enemies.” Sowhy should we curtail our recital ofHallel at all because of the drowning ofthe gentile Egyptians?

We are forced to conclude that in factwe really should recite the full Hallel onthe seventh day in commemoration ofthe great miracle Hashem performed forus. After k’riyas Yam Suf, the Jews recit-ed Shirah. This is due to the fact that weas Jews have a special dispensation to

rejoice at the downfall of our non-Jewish enemies. No such exception,however, is extended to the malachimwho are not members of the Jewishnation. They could not sing Shirahbecause Hashem’s creations weredrowning. To commemorate the occur-rence that the malachim did not singShirah and to remind us of the accom-panying moral lesson, we curtail ourrecitation of Hallel on the seventh daysomewhat by eliminating somepesukim. We are not mourning thedeath of the Egyptians who wanted tokill us; rather we are signifying that themalachim did not sing Shirah, and thatHashem shows compassion for all of hiscreations. Therefore, half-Hallel onPesach should be recited with completejoy and exuberance and not in a half-hearted manner. Chag KosherV’sameiach. May all your matzah be welldone and not half-baked. v

Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at EitzChayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempsteadand is a rebbi at Mesivta Kesser Yisrael ofWillowbrook. He can be contacted [email protected]. Rabbi Sebrow would liketo thank Yakov Gross for his technical assistance.

DAF YOMI INSIGHTSContinued from Page 82

ALIYAH CHRONICLEContinued from Page 83

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

WE WANT TO KNOW!

E-MAIL US AT [email protected]


Puzzle appears on page 84.

Solution To This Week’s Puzzle: The Stars Of Pesach B Y S A M U E L S O K O L

ISRAEL CORRESPONDENT

Caspian Makan, former fiancé of mur-dered Green movement protester NedaSoltan, visited Israel this week, meetingPresident Shimon Peres as a self-appoint-ed “ambassador of the Iranian people.”The exiled Iranian dissident billed him-self as a “messenger from the camp ofpeace” and expressed his admiration forIsrael’s respect for human rights. Israel’shuman rights record “stands in stark con-trast to what occurs under the Iranianregime and its leaders,” said Makan.

Makan’s fiancé, Neda Soltan, was shotin the chest and killed by a member ofthe Iranian Basij paramilitary force in2009, when it was deployed to quell mas-sive civil unrest in Iran following a dis-puted presidential election. Amidst alle-gations of electoral fraud by presidentialincumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sup-porters of opposition leader Mir-HosseinMousavi staged massive protests inTehran and other Iranian cities, in whatcame to be known as the GreenRevolution. It was during one of these ral-lies that Neda Soltan, who came to beknown as “the face of the protests,” waskilled. The slain 27-year-old philosophystudent’s name means “voice” or “mes-sage” in Persian and her death was quick-ly taken up as a rallying cry for opponentsof the regime.

“What happened to Neda proves thateven if someone can murder a young,

unarmed female, nobody can murderwhat she symbolized and represented,”said Peres, meeting with Makan inJerusalem’s Bet HaNasi. “You can murder aperson, but not a spirit. One candle canscatter a lot of darkness. And this candlewill not be extinguished. In this struggle,I am sure that the progressive and moralIran will emerge victorious.”

“I came to Israel as an ambassador ofthe Iranian people, as a messenger fromthe camp of peace. I have no doubt thatthe soul and spirit of Neda felt the sensi-tivity and warmth I received in thismeeting. The fight will go on,” Makanreplied.

Peres expressed his “great respect forthe Iranian protesters who go out to fightfor freedom, unarmed, and receive inreturn bullets in cold blood. I have nodoubt you will win. You represent a truththat never grows old, a freedom that hasno alternative.”

Israel and Iran enjoyed mostly cordial rela-tions prior to the 1979 Iranian revolution. v

Meeting with President Shimon Peres.

Exiled Fiancé Of Slain Iranian ProtesterBrings Message Of Peace To Israel

PhotoByJossefAviYairEngel


108th Birthday Celebration

At a luncheon held in the New York State Assembly parlor in Albany, NewYork, in celebration of the 108th anniversary of the birth of the late

Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson (L–R): AssemblymanCharles D. Lavine, Rabbi Shmuel Butman, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver,

and Assemblyman David I. Weprin.

This is the offering ofAharon and of his

sons … a meal offer-ing perpetual, half ofit in the morning, and

half of it at night(Vayikra 6:13)

The Kohen Gadol’s dailyoffering was a meal offering,the offering of a poor man.This, for two reasons: that apoor man bringing his pau-

per’s offering to theMikdash should not be

ashamed; and to awakenhumility in the KohenGadol’s heart, with the

appreciation that beforeG-d he is the equal of themost impoverished of his

brethren.

(Abarbanel)

The kohen brought a mealoffering on the day that he

began serving in theMikdash, while the KohenGadol brought one everyday. It is a mark of great-

ness that a person regardshis every day as a newbeginning in which he

strives to transcend all hisprevious achievements.

(Maayanei Shel Torah)

By Shelly R. LaVaneshChange is occurring in Boca. Rabbi

Josh Broide, the executive director of theBoca Raton Synagogue, is taking on a newposition in outreach with the YeshivaUniversity program in the Boca area withRabbi Brander, formerly the rabbi of theBoca Synagogue. Rabbi Broide will stayon through June.

“Rabbi Josh Broide is good for the shul.He will be missed. He was very good andvery dedicated to the shul—a real gentle-man,” said Steve Peritzman, a congregantat the Boca Raton Synagogue. “He alwayshas the best interests of the shul at heart,”remarked a retired businessman wholives in the Boca area as well and is amember of the synagogue.

“Josh is an excellent and remarkableasset to any institution and his talentsand skills will be used well by YeshivaUniversity,” remarked a colleague of RabbiBroide’s. “It is good that at least he willremain in the Boca Raton community.”

The Boca Raton Synagogue, anOrthodox Union synagogue, has approxi-mately 650 member families and hasundergone impressive growth since itsbeginning almost three decades ago. Theshul has a dynamic and active sisterhood,men’s club, chesed committee, and anenviable adult education program. Theshul also offers a Shabbat hospitality pro-gram and a bikur cholim committee. BRSalso offers a unique Holocaust study pro-gram called K.A.D.I.S.H., which stands forKeeping Alive with Dedication theInterest in, and the Study of theHolocaust. The K.A.D.I.S.H. HolocaustMemorial and Learning Center’s objec-tives are to preserve, commemorate, andmemorialize the memories of lives andcommunities lost in the Holocaust; toconduct educational programming aboutthe Holocaust; and to fight bigotry andpromote tolerance through a variety ofevents. Rabbi Broide was instrumental inthe growth of the synagogue. v

BRS Loss Is YU Gain

south florida jewish times issue 1

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