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Summer's First Aliyah Charter From The Jewish Star Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island VOL. 8, NO. 28 JULY 10, 2009 | 18 TAMMUZ 5769 www.thejewishstar.com PURGING JEWISH HISTORY GRANDPARENTS & ARBIS HATE CRIME Important follow-up Azriel Ganz Swastikas on Chabad shul Page 5 Page 5 Page 11 I N M Y V I E W Summer’s first aliyah charter from JFK ‘Hafganos’ Nefesh B’Nefesh flies families from Five Towns, others from 18 states, to new lives in Israel B Y L A U R A T U R E T S K Y begin at By the end of the week Aliza and Yossi Battat expect to be living in a Petach Tivka apartment next door to Yossi’s brother. The Battat’s, now former Cedarhurst residents, home are among a number of local families that are mov- ing to Israel — making aliyah — this summer with the assistance of the Nefesh B’Nefesh organization. They and their four children and 226 other olim (immigrants) flew from JFK Monday afternoon on Time to stand up for an El Al charter — the first of the summer for Nefesh B’Nefesh. In all, 139 adults and 93 children true Torah Judaism were on board, hailing from 18 of the United States, plus Canada’s Quebec province. The youngest was just seven weeks old, the oldest 83 years old. Seven dogs and a cat accompanied the olim. This summer Editor’s note: Hafganah is a common 4,000 people from North America and the United Israeli term for protest; the plural is Kingdom (plus assorted pets) expect to arrive in Photos by Sasson Tiram Hafganos. The headline refers to the Israel on 15 aliyah group flights and charters orga- Natan Sharansky (third from left) and Nefesh B'Nefesh co-founder Tony Gelbart (second from left) at Ben Gurion air- violent protests that have dominated nized by Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Jewish Agency. port Tuesday greeting new olim Yudi and Aviva Zuller and children Navah (right), Binyamin (behind Sharansky), news from Israel in the past several For the Battat’s, the decision for aliyah came Kaylah and Gilad (in mom’s arms). Zuller (left) has raised more than $1 million for victims of terrorism in Israel. weeks, in which anger over plans to four years ago. “We realized the quality of life is bet- open a Jerusalem municipal garage on ter there for raising children,” said Aliza, referring to Shabbos morphed into pitched battles the freedom the children will have and the environ- between police and Orthodox Jews. ment they will grow up in, living in the Jewish State. Ayton, the oldest, turns five at the end of July, B Y R A B B I Y A K O V H O R O W I T Z Elon and Tzvi are three-and-a-half and Rina is 15 months. All attended pre-school at the JCC of the Let’s start with a simple multiple- Greater Five Towns. choice question: “I don’t think they understand [what it means What is a to be making aliyah], but they’re very excited for it!” greater desecra- said their mother. tion of G-d’s Aliza and Yossi’s friends are excited for the fami- name? ly, as well. “We’re making the trip of a lifetime!” said A) Non-obser- Aliza. vant Jews who Ellie and Donny Fein, also from Cedarhurst, Aliza and Yossi Battat, formerly of Cedarhurst, on the never had the plan to fly with Nefesh B’Nefesh on August 18. tarmac with Ayton, Elon, Tzvi and Rina, Nefesh B'Nefesh benefit of a They’re moving to Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph with co-founders Tony Gelbart (left) and Rabbi Yehoshua Fass ”You and I Torah education their 4 children: Sammy, 9, Azi, 7, Shraga, 4, and (right) and members of the Berrie family, which spon- driving cars on Akiva, 3 months. The older ones attended Yeshiva of sored the July 6th charter flight from JFK. know with cer- Shabbos? South Shore. “All their cousins are in Israel... so they B) Identifi- are very excited,” said Ellie. the deal,” said Ellie. tainty that our ably Orthodox Ellie recently left her position as an administra- “The hardest part was making the decision. gedolim do not people throwing tive assistant at Yeshiva of South Shore. Donny is a Now that I made it, I’m excited! It’s the best choice rocks at police life insurance broker and plans to continue his busi- for our kids and for us,” Ellie said, adding, “Everyone sanction nor officers on Shab- ness from Israel, with occasional travel. we know there [in Israel] is so happy!” support any bos in full view Donny decided eight years ago to make aliyah Ellie said she was glad to have the support that of the media. but Ellie wasn’t sure. She promised if he could sell comes with making aliyah on a Nefesh B’Nefesh After a long flight to their new home in Israel, Ronan I cannot for expression of their house in this market she would take it as a flight. Many of the traditional bureaucratic hurdles and Leah Hillel, formerly of North Woodmere, deplaned the life of me sign. Donny sold the house. “I had to keep my end of violence. But understand how See SUMMER’S FIRST, Page 9 with their six children. any decent the public at human being, let large does not alone an ehrliche Yid know that, and (upstanding Jew) Shoppers have no paints all of us who was raised learning Torah Shalhevet HS funding — Charedim, and hearing sto- beef with kosher ries of the Modern Chofetz Chaim ended by HAFTR trustees Orthodox, all can answer any- meat at Costco thing but “B.” B Y M A L K A E I S E N B E R G observant Jews And I’ll take it B Y M A Y E R F E R T I G could be saved. a step further “Shalhevet is a victim of the tumul- You won’t find the cheapest — with one and say that any- Parents of close to 50 girls who tuous economic times that many not- kosher meat in the Five Towns one who chooses expected to attend Shalhevet High for-profits, as well as yeshivot, are broad brush.“ at a kosher supermarket. It’s “A” did not learn School for Girls in September, as experiencing,” said Mark Honigsfeld, actually at Costco on Rockaway the same Torah incoming freshmen or returning 10th the incoming co-president of the Turnpike, believe it or not, vacu- and the same graders, were stunned on Tuesday to Hebrew Academy of The Five Towns um-packed by a new sister mesorah that my Photo by Malka Eisenberg hear that the HAFTR board of trustees, and Rockaway. brand of Empire Kosher Poultry, generation was taught by Reb Moshe Costco in Lawrence now stocks which has been funding Shalhevet, Shalhevet has been operating at a and jointly supervised by the OU kosher meat from Empire. voted overwhelmingly on Monday deficit, “like any start-up school,” See VIEW, Page 7 and Star-K. night to stop doing so. In all likelihood Honigsfeld said. Shalhevet was created “Costco has taken a variety Kosher Beef, LLC of Mifflintown, the decision will shut the school down to complement the all-boys Rambam Rabbi Yakov Horowitz is the founder and of cuts as tests into their Brook- PA. after just one year of operation, though See SHALHEVET, Page 12 dean of Yeshiva Darchei Noam of Monsey, lyn and Five Towns stores to see First-cut brisket, rib steaks, some parents expressed hope that it and founder and director of Agudath how well they do,” said Elie ground beef and chuck roast are Israel’s Project Y.E.S. Rosenfeld, a spokesman for EKB See KOSHER, Page 3 Y That’s Life............................................................................2 Calendar...............................................................................6 Candlelighting: 8:09 p.m. I Shabbat ends: 9:16 p.m. N AID 301 P Y Inside Shabbat T I Opinion.................................................................................4 Classified .............................................................................8 Torah reading: Parshat Pinchas 0 GE STD C 3 NO A 5 N 1 E 1 D PRST R POST A PERMIT G US 11530 NY , City REQUESTED den VICE Gar SER Blvd., CHANGE Endo 2 292782 2 The Jewish Star July 10, 2009 some slack - an air-conditioned Dear That’s Life, room, comfy seats and a dark- Overheard at Fifth of July ened theatre. That spells nap- barbeque: time to me. I went to high school to On a bright and sunny day learn how to type; I went to col- (remember that ONE day?), I lege to learn my social security took some of my children to a number. Everything else was movie about two weeks ago and useless. after making sure they were set- tled, I nestled into my chair and EDDIE LOWENTHAL once the lights were out, so was Manhattan I. Someone recently asked me if I had enjoyed the film and I honestly could not tell him, for I Dear That’s Life, had no clue what the movie was One of two things happens about. The only thing that every time I go to the movies: woke me from my slumber was either I fall asleep or I go to the my vibrating cell phone, which bathroom. Often, both happen. made me jump out of my skin. Rarely, however, do I get Walking out of the theatre through a movie without one to take the call, I decided I needed to get a soda to wake 293659 occurring and therefore, watch- ing an entire movie is a thing of me up a little.
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