Page 30 THE JEWISH PRESS  Friday, June 10, 2011 Community Currents

Upcoming events… division of – a global movement. For a rocket-propelled grenade fi red by a terrorist. His more information, contact Moshe Simcha face and head absorbed the majority of the shrap- Flatbush Park Jewish Center, 6363 Avenue U in Levine at 718-715-8485. nel. With his body broken and mangled, Kfi r lay in , is hosting “Laugh Your Way Into Summer” on a coma for two months in Soroka Medical Center, in Sunday, June 12. The evening will feature four comedi- Challenging Behaviors critical condition. To date he has had 132 surgeries. ans and a selection of desserts. The cost for the night is $30 In Children And Teens Kfi r Levy’s story is that of ’s wounded. Risk- with an advanced reservation and $36 at the door. Call ing their lives on the battlefi eld to defend the Jewish 718-444-6868 or 718-501-4551 for more information. Why do children develop challenging behaviors state, these soldiers have paid nearly the ultimate and how can we best address these behaviors? price for their service. Long after the battle has sub- In recent news… Parents, advocates, educators, and mental health sided and news crews have gone back to their sched- professionals from all over the greater area uled programming, Israel’s wounded continue to re- OU Sets Up Relief Fund learned answers to these and related questions at a cuperate and adjust to their newfound realities. recent Community Conference sponsored by The Mel Now in its second year, B’lev Echad, sponsored by The recently established a fund and Phyllis Zachter Ohel Institute for Training. Ad- the Chabad Israel Center of in coor- to aid the victims of the devastating tornado in Jop- dressing Behavioral Challenges in Children and Teens, dination with the Chabad Terror Victims Program lin, Missouri. The fund will also bring relief to inhab- funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Offi ce of Ju- of Israel (CTVP), invites a group of Israel’s wounded itants of cities such as Memphis, Tennessee and com- venile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, provided soldiers on an elaborate vacation to the U.S. where munities in Mississippi, which have found themselves an opportunity for learning and the sharing of ideas. they are wined and dined, and frequently reminded underwater from an overfl owing Mississippi River. The May 19th community conference featured that their sacrifi ce is not forgotten. Given the frequent recurrence of these disasters, Ross Greene, PhD, a world-renowned child psychol- This year’s trip took the soldiers from the shores rather than establish separate rescue funds, the OU ogist and professor at Harvard Medical School. Au- of Ellis Island to the heights of the Empire State has consolidated them into the Orthodox Union’s thor of the highly acclaimed books, The Explosive Building. The tour included an excursion to Wash- Natural Disasters Crisis Fund as a central address Child and Lost at School, Dr. Greene is the found- ington D.C. with a private reception by Israel’s am- for charitable giving. Previously, the OU had set up er of Lives in the Balance, an educational, support bassador at the Israeli Embassy. funds for the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti, the and advocacy organization for youth with behavior They were treated to a Broadway show, pampered in forest fi res in the Carmel, and for Hurricane Katrina. issue, their parents, teachers and other caregivers. a luxurious home in the Hamptons with private chefs, Contributions may be sent to Orthodox Union, 11 Drawing on insights from current clinical prac- and on Shabbat, nearly 1,000 from Chabad Israel Broadway, New York, NY 10004. They may also be tice and neuroscience research, Dr. Greene provid- Center’s community came to show support and admi- given online at www.ou.org/disasterfund. ed conference participants with insights from his in- ration for the heroes in a display of unity and affection. novative Collaborative Problem Solving approach to At the farewell party this week, Avichai Mumbaram Support For Acheinu addressing various behaviors in children and teens. summed it up, “In Israel we are treated like everybody On Tuesday, May 24, an overfl ow crowd attended For more information, visit www.ohelfamily.org else. We get used to the fact that we are wounded and just Acheinu’s Inaugural Five Towns parlor meeting. The or call 1-877-EDU-OHEL. get on with our lives. Here in we are made to event was hosted at the home of Dov and Esther Lebovic. feel like we are special. We realize the people care about The guest speaker for the evening was Rabbi Pay- A VIP Trip For Israeli Soldiers our sacrifi ces. And that to us means the world.” sach Krohn who delivered a presentation on parent- It all started off as a normal June day for Kfi r ing, featuring ideas, techniques and inspiration for Levy, a sniper in the Givati Brigade. As he was parents to help children achieve their full potential. standing guard at the Jewish community of Net- Acheinu is a leading kiruv organization and a zarim in Gaza, he sustained a near direct hit from

Remembering Martin Weiselberg On June 19, Har Torah in Bellerose, NY, lections, will receive a trophy courtesy of Crown will host the 2011 Martin Weiselberg Memorial Ju- Trophy, in Brooklyn, NY. nior High Hockey Tournament. The tournament is There is, however, a greater purpose. In addi- dedicated in memory of Marty Weiselberg, father tion to the hockey being played, the tournament will of HANC Junior High Hockey coach Elliot Weisel- also be a charity event. All proceeds from the event, berg. Tragically, Marty fell victim to a blood clot as well as individual donations, and sponsorships and passed away in March 2006. Elliot, a 26-year- not used on the event will go directly to Hatzolah. old lawyer from Brooklyn, and his brother, Stuie, In the midst of all the action, the kids will be treat- hope to use this tournament to further their late fa- ed to pizza, supplied by EJ’s Too of West Hempstead. ther’s legacy. “My father was someone who gave his The kids will also receive, as is traditional at the all for every cause that he involved himself in,” says event, a tournament t-shirt, compliments of Sportsco Elliot. “His love of Judaism and his passion for its Apparel, of Yonkers, NY , inscribed with this year’s promotion among the youth in our area reached as- motto, “Today I Am.” “This year’s motto, a movie tounding levels.” For 18 years, Marty served as trea- line that my father would often quote, is a tribute to surer on the board of Yeshiva Derech HaTorah in his belief that on any day, in any situation, whether Brooklyn and played an active role in the upbring- good or bad, it is possible for anyone to triumph as ing of over 1,000 boys during that time. long as they believe in themselves,” Elliot explained. The tournament itself will be comprised of six elite According to Elliot, the tournament is an expres- school teams from New York and New Jersey. Par- sion of midah k’neged midah, and the fact that the ticipating in this event are Yeshiva Har Torah, He- tournament is being held on Father’s Day is no mere brew Academy of Nassau County (HANC) of Union- coincidence. “Considering my father’s affi nity with dale, NY, Yavneh Academy of Paramus, NJ, The Mo- the advancement of Jewish youth in all aspects of riah School of Engelwood, NJ, North Shore Hebrew life, I felt that it was only appropriate for this tour- Academy of Great Neck, NY, and Yeshiva of Central nament to be one where the youth can reciprocate, Material for Queens (YCQ). The event is slated to run from 9:15 for their parents, their biggest supporters, while hav- a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is free for all to attend. ing an amazing time playing a game that my father Community Currents The teams will face off in a round-robin style enjoyed watching,” he explained. “He was a big sup- event, each team guaranteed to play two games. porter of everything that I was a part of, and he al- Following the round-robin portion, the four teams ways took pride in it, no matter the outcome, and may be submitted with the best records will face off. The winning because of that, I always had the belief that every school, along with the Tournament Most Valuable day I was able to say that, even if I was not the best via e-mail to: Player (MVP) and fi ve All-Tournament Team se- yesterday, or may not be tomorrow, ‘Today I Am.’ “ [email protected]

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Over 60 teenage volunteers and their friends were honored at the Friendship Circle of the Upper East Side’s Evening of Rec- ognition, which took place on Sunday, May 15, at the Bentley Hotel in the Upper East Side. Tamir Goodman, a former profes- sional basketball player who was nicknamed “Jewish Jordan” by Sports Illustrated magazine, presented the Friendship Cir- cle Fellowship Awards. Rabbi Ben Tzion Krasnianski, director of Chabad of the Upper East Side, addressed the crowd, as did teen volunteer Risa Schwartz and program coordinator Esti Estreicher-Loeub.

Rabbi Ben Tzion Krasnianski of Chabad of the Upper East Tamir Goodman, the “Jewish Jordan” with some of the volunteers and participants of the Friend- Volunteer Risa Schwartz. Side addresses the crowd. ship Circle.

Over the past few years, Mikvah USA has conducted sev- eral receptions dur- ing which money is raised in the merit of an ill person (or any other person in need) for the construction of a new mikveh. This past week, Mikvah USA held two such events in Flatbush and Mon- sey in the merit of two ill people. The receptions were host- ed by the Adler Fam- ily in Monsey and At the reception in Flatbush: (L-R) Avrumie Auerbach; Heshy Wil- the Auerbach and At the reception in Monsey: (L-R) Baruch Cywiak of Mikvah USA, lig; Rabbi Meir Platnick, rav of Khal Keser Yisroel Mordechai; and Willig families in Rabbi Zvi Adler, host; Rabbi Menachem Fischer, Vienner Dayan; and Baruch Cywiak of Mikvah USA. Flatbush. Rabbi Yitzchok Bistritzky, founder of Mikvah USA.

Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a member of the Beth Abraham Family Akiva Ackerman, 12, a resident of West Hempstead, NY, of Health Services, recently completed the extension of an eruv joining six neighborhoods – Hill- won three gold medals in table tennis at the Mid-Atlantic Ju- crest, Kew Garden Hills, Jamaica Estates, Briarwood, Holliswood, and the area of the Marga- nior Maccabi Games held on Sunday, May 22, at the Katz ret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center – allowing families to spend Shabbos together with Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, NJ. Ackerman won their loved ones. Pictured are Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and community rab- the round robin com- bis who gathered for the presentation of the offi cial proclamation for the extension of the eruv. petition, open singles tournament and dou- bles event, fi nishing with a perfect record of 13- 0. The Maccabi games bring together athletes from all along the east coast for competitions in basketball, soccer, tennis and baseball in a dis- play of Jewish pride and unity. Ackerman is cur- rently a 7th grader at the Hebrew Academy of Nas- sau County; his goal is to make the USA Table Tennis National Team for the 2013 Olympics.