Friday, February 10, 2012 THE JEWISH PRESS  Page 31 Community Currents

Last week, Misameach, a Lakewood-based organi- zation that provides relief and entertainment for sick children and their families, held its annual midwinter gala event. Hundreds of chil- dren and their families en- joyed a night with live mu- sic, a hot buffet, cotton candy and a 12-booth carnival. The night was enhanced by per- formances from popular Jew- ish singers Avraham Fried and Dovid Stein, mental- ist Marc Salem, and the cir- cus antics of the famed Twins from France.

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz at the World without Nazism’s conference.

More than 250 students and leading Jewish educators and community lead- ers convened at Yeshiva University on January 31 for Avodat Hakodesh Night – a lively and infor- mative event sponsored by the Center for the Jewish Future and YU’s Al Pi Darko Society for Fu- ture Jewish Educators. The event offered students a forum to explore the professional opportuni- ties available in the fi eld of Jewish education, as well as a look at YU’s various graduate programs.

A sold out crowd attended Emunah’s comedy event last month. (L-R) Arlene Fox; Barbara Hirsch, chairperson, MODI; Susan Weinstock; Harriet Saperstein; and Doris Hirsch. (Photo credit: Chaya Haber)

Misaskim’s representa- tives recently conducted a training session at the New York offi ce of the FBI to ed- ucate newly-assigned feder- al agents regarding Jewish cultural practices related to death. The session was part of the FBI’s cultural-diver- sity training program to provide its agents with the knowledge they need when working with the varied cul- tures present in New York. Page 32 THE JEWISH PRESS  Friday, February 10, 2012 Community Currents Yeshiva Torah Vodaas Melava Malka

(L-R) Rabbi Yonah Blumenfrucht, melava malka chairman; Shiya Hollander, exec- utive board member; Chaim Leshkowitz, Rabbi Mordechai Finkelman, mashgiach ruchni at Yaakov Hirsch receiving an award as the guest of honor at executive chairman of the board; and Rab- Yeshiva Ohr Hachaim, Mesivta Yesodei Yeshurun. the melava malka. bi Yoel Eherenreich, member of the board.

Councilmem- ber Brad Lander re- cently visited Lake- wood, NJ, where he toured the campus of Beth Medrash Govo- ha as a guest of Rab- bi Moshe Gleiberman. The councilman also attended the chassu- nah of the son of Rab- bi Yeruchim Silber where he had a long discussion with the mayor of Lakewood, Rabbi Menashe Mill- er, about the achieve- Councilmember Brad Lander, Mayor Menashe ments and challenges Miller, and Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Misaskim’s di- Students being honored for their accomplishments. of Lakewood. rector community and government relations.

Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak at During the Canadian premiere of the fi lm “Turkish a campaign Passport.” The fi lm is about the rescue of Jews stop this in Nazi-occupied France by Turkish diplomats. past Thurs- The screening was held on the eve of Canada’s day in New National Holocaust Remembrance Day. York, Presi- dent Barack Obama met with promi- nent Jewish leaders in an effort to build stronger rela- tionships with Rabbi Abe Friedman, community liai- Rabbi Avrohom Schorr speaking at Yeshiva the Jewish son to law enforcement in New York Derech HaTorah High School in Brooklyn, NY. community. and New Jersey, with President Obama.

Shopping for Tu B’Shevat. (Photo credit: JDN)

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Upcoming events… information or reservations, call Jeffrey Medetsky at Service credit for participants attending and com- 917-803-9544 or Lev Lerner at 201-725-3444. pleting the program. Neve PTI Bais Yaakov is opening a Teaneck * * * Entitled “Making Sense of Troublesome Times: branch. Taught by Blimie Lampel, a veteran educa- The Orthodox Union will collaborate with lead- Challenges and Solutions – A Retrospective-The Ho- tor with over 25 years experience, the class will cov- ing national organizations for National Eating Dis- locaust, 9/11 and More,” the conference will teach ed- er a variety of topics: Chumash reading and trans- orders Awareness Week , presenting “Everybody ucators how to incorporate Holocaust studies in an lating skills, Hebrew reading and writing, gener- Knows Somebody – Food, Body Image and Eating intellectually stimulating and educationally enrich- al Jewish knowledge, and more. The class will take Disorders in the Frum Community.” The event will ing manner and make these lessons relevant when place Monday evenings from 8-9:30 p.m. at the home take place on Sunday, February 26, from 9:30 a.m.- teaching about the events of 9/11. of Sorah Birnbaum, 565 North Forest Drive in Te- 1:30 p.m. at the Young Israel of Midwood, 1694 Registration is free but advance registration is re- aneck. The fee for the six-week session is $130.00. Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn. Admission is free. Doors quired. Educators who attend and complete the pro- For more information or to register, contact Shuli open at 9 a.m. gram will receive In-Service credit. Kosher break- Mintz at 908-278-4059 or [email protected]. The The event is co-sponsored with NCSY, the inter- fast and lunch will be served. To register, call 212- six-week session began Monday, February 6, and national youth movement of the Orthodox Union; the 220-4304 or 1-800-310-7495 or e-mail mwy@yad- will conclude Monday, March 19. (No class will take National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA); and vashemusa.org. place on February 13.) Mothers and Fathers Aligned Saving Kids (MASK). * * * Topics of discussion will include: “Eating Disorders In recent news... On Sunday, February 12, at 12 p.m., the co-found- 101: Signs, Symptoms, and Accessing Treatment,” ers of the Miracle Project, Elaine Hall and Diane “Navigating the Pressures to be Perfect: Exploring Chazzan Nasanel Carmen Davens Isaacs, will speak in Forest Hills about their new Eating Disorder Contributing Factors,” “Pressures At Young Israel of Hillcrest book, Seven Keys to Unlock Autism: Making Mira- and Stresses Contributing to Food and Body Image cles in the Classroom. The Miracle Project teaches Challenges in the Frum Community,” Cazzan Carmen’s warm tenor voice, together and parents and caregivers, children with autism, their and “What Does Recovery Look Like? Discussing his unique style and nussach, made for a beautiful siblings, as well as teachers. A part of the city-wide Their Recovery from Eating Disorders.” davening this past Shabbos. “I once sat down with Reelabilities Festival of Events, this event in the For further information, contact the OU Depart- Shlomo Carlebach, a”h,” he said, “and he explained Central Queens YM & YWHA in Forest Hills is ment of Community Services at [email protected] to me that a piece of chazzonus, however beautiful open to the public, free of charge. The Central Queens or visit www.oucommunity.org. and uplifting, can only reach people if they are al- Y is located at 67-09 108 Street in Forest Hills. For * * * ready with you in spirit. You fi rst have to draw the tickets or more information, contact 718-268-5011 Rabbi Simcha and Basie Rosenblatt will hold a congregation in with sweet, chassidic music, and ext. 151 or [email protected]. parlor meeting in their home for the benefi t of MASK. then they will be more receptive.” * * * The reception will take place on Sunday, February Chazzan Carmen, and his partner Dan Becker, The Yeshiva of Adelphia’s 41st Annual Awards 26, at 8:00 p.m. at 1262 East 9th Street in Brooklyn. are opening the Borough Park Academy of Music, Dinner will be held on Sunday, February 12, at Rabbi Paysach Krohn will be the guest speaker. where they will teach vocal production, fl ute, trum- Woodlake Country Club in Lakewood. Among the * * * pet, and piano. honorees will be Mr. and Mrs. Alan Intrator of Wood- The Education Department of the American mere, NY, Rabbi and Mrs. Asher Rottenstreich and Society for Yad Vashem, and its Young Leader- Reb Avrohom Moshe Muller. For more information ship Associates, is convening its Fourteenth Annual and dinner/journal reservations, contact the yeshi- Professional Development Conference on Holocaust va offi ce at 732-431-1600. education. The conference will take place on Sun- * * * day, March 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., at Man- On February 18 at 8:30 p.m., a melava malka fea- hattan Day School, 310 West 75th Street, New York turing Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi, founder of Divineinfor- City. The Association of Teachers of Social Stud- mation.com, will take place at Congregation Isra- ies/United Federation of Teachers is once again co- el of Kings Bay, 3903 Nostrand Avenue (corner of sponsoring the conference this year. The Manhat- Voorhies Avenue) in Brooklyn. A hot dairy buffet will tanville College School of Education is also a part- be served. The cost is $26.00 per person. For more ner to this program and will offer certifi cates for In-

Illuminating The Darkness We’ve all heard moving stories about tzaddikim of yesteryear arising at midnight to recite Tikkun Chatzos and then learning Torah until daybreak. Some people think this practice disappeared with the Holocaust, but it hasn’t. Next time you’re in Eretz Yisrael, visit Kollel Chatzos in Beitar Illit. Every night, some 60 men arise at midnight to recite Tikkun Chatzos. These men retire early each evening to be able to have the energy to de- vote the wee hours of the night to tefi llah and lim- ud haTorah. It is during those hours, when the gates of Heaven are fl ung open and the Shechi- na cries over the bitter galus, that Hashem says to the angels, “Come, let us go down and see who is learning My Torah. Whatever he will bless and decree, I will affi rm” (Zohar). break and then continue learning for an addi- The men daven Shacharis in unison at day- tional hour. Rabbi Yehoshua Meir Deutsch estab- lished Kollel Chatzos in 2001 with fi ve men. Today, there are over 60 members and a long list of talmidei cha- chamim waiting to be accepted. Almost all the men are blessed with large families, and many are liv- ing in poverty. Rabbi Deutsch devotes his life to providing them with a small monthly stipend, weekly Shab- bos food packages,and bonuses for Yom Tov. Material for Community For more informa- tion, call 646-403-3750 Currents should be e-mailed to or 2-580-3545 or e-mail [email protected]. [email protected]