I KNOW A GUY, INC. HOME RENOVATIONS See Page 55 $1.00 WWW.5TJT.COM VOL. 9 NO. 45 1 ELUL 5769 ohypua ,arp AUGUST 21, 2009 INSIDE FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK “NO ROOM FOR TWO STATES” Sotomayor & The Jews BY LARRY GORDON Rabbi Avi Shafran 23 My Husband, Arnie Town Hall Meeting Hannah Reich Berman 25 America has been expressing Granted that many of those fea- MindBiz itself of late with a unique out- tured on the news were not the Esther Mann, LMSW 26 pouring of emphatic and emo- most articulate or erudite of The Real Agenda tional communication that spokespeople, but it was that Moshe Dann 54 many of us perhaps had no idea superficial ineptitude that was possible. The groundswell made them appear so real, P h o of opposition to what the authentic, and sincere. t o Ode To The Palisades B y ? ? Obama administration appar- Frankly, I really do not know ? ? Chana Sasson 58 ? ? ? ? ? ? ently has in store for the future how much interest there is ? ? ? ? of health care in our country has among our readership in the ? outraged much of the citizenry. subject and details of national Mike Huckabee, FOX News commentator and former Republican I believe that President health care. Certainly there is presidential candidate and governor of Arkansas, surveying the security fence around Jerusalem earlier this week. Mr. Huckabee was in Israel for Obama has misjudged the feel- great concern—in particular three days as a guest of the Jerusalem Reclamation Project. He said that ings and intelligence level of as far as he can see, there is “no room for two states within the borders of much of the American people. Continued on Page 6 the State of Israel.” See Page 53 ALONE IN THE FIVE TOWNS HEARD IN THE BAGEL STORE BY JAY KAYE that clique who were serious stu- The King Is In The Field dents. And, as humans tend to Kalikstein-Strassfeld They grew up in Brooklyn. do, he mimicked those in his cir- BY LARRY GORDON there are not reflected in our ad wedding. Jack was a handsome, tall, dark- cle and buckled down to his quickly enough. While we try See Page 70 haired 21-year-old who had sur- studies. Days before Passover As you probably know, we run to keep the ad updated, we’ve vived the yeshiva system, sum- during his junior year, his accept- an ad here in the 5TJT, as a public encountered some difficulties mer camps, winter breaks in ance letter to Columbia Law service, that lists a schedule of every now and then, and this Miami, Passover in a Poconos School arrived. minyanim for Minchah and leads to people showing up hotel, and the gift of his parents’ Jane was of the privileged Maariv around the Five Towns. where there is no minyan, or eight-year-old car when he gradu- class. She grew up in Hillcrest, It’s an important feature because, where a minyan has just ended, ated from high school. Jack natu- the oldest of three girls and the as you know, the times for or where it will start an hour rally found his way to Yeshiva child of a modestly successful Minchah and Maariv, the after- later, forcing them to wait University. Early on, after surviv- businessman. The awkward- noon and evening prayer services, around. ing the impetuosity of adoles- are constantly moving around. cence, Jack found himself among Continued on Page 10 Unfortunately, changes out Continued on Page 8 BACH’s Smashing Sucess HOT DAYS OF Running for Ohel. A Wedding See Page 37 Speech SUMMER TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY Another Mother’s Musings RABBI YAIR HOFFMAN BY PHYLLIS J. LUBIN Translator’s note: Over 63 It’s hot. It’s very hot. years ago, Reb Chatzkel Leven- “Did they cancel swim for stein, zt’l, the mashgiach of the tomorrow?” Shani’s (a fellow P Mirrer Yeshiva in Shanghai and lifeguard at camp) grandmother h o t o B y of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in B’nei asked her Sunday. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Brak, spoke at the wedding of “Why would they cancel ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Rav Dovid Kviat, shlita. Rav swim?” ? Kviat is a member of Moetzes “Because it’s going to be too The Friendship Circle and the BACH Shul joined together in a successful Gedolei Torah; the mechaber of hot!” A word with Shimon Craimer. community carnival. The festivities included music, rides, games, See Page 44 face-painting, and stilt walkers. See Page 38 Continued on Page 14 Continued on Page 17 CANDLE LIGHTING August 21 – 7:25 PM August 28 – 7:15 PM See Page 35 2 August 21, 2009 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES August 21, 2009 3 4 August 21, 2009 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES August 21, 2009 5 FROM THE EDITOR because it’s not a fair, proper, or workable FEATURES Continued from Front Cover formula for future peace in the region. Just like Town Hall meetings have put Around The Five Towns 33 around here—about this notion that if the brakes on a radical “now you see it, P.O. BOX 690 LAWRENCE, NY 11559 you earn $250,000 a year or more, you’re now you don’t” application to health 516-984-0079 in a combination of some kind of care, I believe it is possible to do the same [email protected] Classified Ads 66 exposed and vulnerable state that thing in attempting to get Barack Obama [email protected] equates you with a high-income-earning and his advisers to retool their approach LARRY GORDON ESTA J. GORDON Daf Yomi Insights bad guy who has to pay up—or pay down to Israel and the Middle East. To that end Publisher/Editor Managing Editor as the case may be—in order to even I have spoken privately with some politi- YOSSI GORDON, YOCHANAN GORDON Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow 16 Sales Managers things out and share some of your hard- cal activists in our far-reaching communi- earned income with the less fortunate (or ty and am calling out to our elected repre- CHANA ROCHEL ROSS The Dish Editorial Assistant less hard-working) folks out there. sentatives in Congress to convene a Town Elke Probkevitz 21 I have been enamored these last few Hall meeting in our area to discuss the SIDI BARON YAKOV SERLE weeks with the way the idea of Town Obama approach and the role of Sales Representatives Five Towns Simcha Hall meetings seemed to have picked up Congress in future policy toward Israel. SHMUEL GERBER MICHELE JUSTIC Ira Thomas Creations 69, 70 a life and momentum of its own across I’d like to reach out to our senators— Chief Copy Editor Copy Editor the country. Our Congress is on recess, Charles Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand— CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Insights On The Torah with our representatives visiting their and to our elected officials in Congress. Hannah Reich Berman, Anessa V. Cohen, home communities and the people they That includes Carolyn McCarthy, Peter Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg, Toby Klein Greenwald, Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Sacks 30 are serving in the Senate and the House King, Anthony Weiner, Gregory Meeks, Rabbi Yair Hoffman, Miriam Horowitz, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, Shmuel Katz, Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier 32 of Representatives. The Obama adminis- Steve Israel, and others. While they may Phyllis J. Lubin, Esther Mann, Rochelle Miller, tration has adopted a policy of attempt- not read this direct appeal, by virtue of Martin Mushell, Elke Probkevitz, Naomi Ross, Letters To The Editor 45 ing to change some of the fundamentals the fact that their names appear in this Rachael Schindler, Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow, of our country at breakneck speed and essay their offices will most likely see this Eli Shapiro, Ari Sher Luach 9 before people have an opportunity to article via the Google Alerts service. DOV GORDON, ELISHEVA ELEFANT realize what is happening to us, them, The people of the U.S. have spoken on Staff Graphic Artists and the country itself. It’s not that so health care. Why can we not be just as IVAN NORMAN, IRA THOMAS MindBiz much change is needed so quickly. expressive and articulate on the adminis- Staff Photographers Esther Mann, LMSW 26 Rather, it is the specific strategy to fol- tration’s tilted and hypocritical approach FRANKEL & CO. low through with plans at maximum to Israel? Let us work to convene these Design & Production speed because they are potentially so meetings. Let’s turn out and fill the ven- TALIYE CORLEY Real Estate Art Director unpopular. ues to capacity and speak out in a civil Anessa V. Cohen 28 This approach is not only being and reasonable way and try to under- SARAH GREENBAUM Assistant Art Director applied to health care or the economy. stand why we as a community are being That’s The Way It Is! The political version of a fast break complicit in Israel’s isolation and her The Five Towns Jewish Times is an independent weekly news- paper. Opinions expressed by writers and columnists are not Hannah Reich Berman 25 approach—or “run and gun,” as it is called being turned into the one entity in the necessarily those of the editor or publisher. We are not on the basketball court—is being applied region that has traditionally been labeled responsible for the kashrus or hashgachah of any product or to Israel and the Middle East as well. the “obstacle to peace.” establishment advertised in the Five Towns Jewish Times. Travel 34 Thankfully, the strategy is failing. We The structure of the United States’ sys- should be pleased that it’s not working, tem of government is such that the 6 August 21, 2009 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES President cannot get much done without Prior to the health care issue bursting into ed that there can be one standard for city, which they have insisted has to the consent or agreement of the Congress.