Friday, December 9, 2011 THE JEWISH PRESS  Page 37 Community Currents

Upcoming events… * * * on the after nearly six decades of direction The Center for Jewish Life at Rockland Com- and dedication was immeasurable, he said. He also A hesped for Shirley Heller, Shayne Raisel bas munity College and Hillel of Rockland will hold a spoke about his esteemed cousin, Rav Nosson Tzvi Aharon, will take place on December 11 at 7:00 p.m. Chanukah Unity Concert featuring the popular band, Finkel, of Mir, and his aunt, the ven- at the Manhattan Beach Jewish Center, 30 West End 8th Day, on Thursday, December 22, in the Cultural erated Rebbetzin Batsheva Esther Kanievsky, both Avenue in Brooklyn. For more information contact Arts Theater at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available online of whom passed away recently. Mordy Levine at 718-998-5590 or [email protected]. at www.jewishtickets.com, by phone at 845-574-4422, A video presentation featured an interview with or at the following stores: Tuvia’s (Monsey), Feldheim Rav Chaim Kanievsky, whose message included a * * * (Wesley Hills), and Challah Fairy Café (New City). special berachah to the dinner participants for their Dr. Deborah E. Lipstadt, internationally re- support of the yeshiva. The video also showed foot- nowned Holocaust scholar and best-selling author * * * age of Rebbetzin Kanievsky, including one of her of the The Eichmann Trial, will discuss “The Eich- On Wednesday, February 22, at 8 p.m., STAR-K famous Thursday gatherings for hafrashat challah man Trial: A Legal Travesty or a Crowning Moment will host the world’s fi rst “Mikveh-nar.” Rav Moshe for Shabbos with hundreds of women in attendance. in Israel’s History?” on Monday, December 12. The Heinemann will address questions that arise during Special footage of Rav Lefkowitz was also included. event will be held in Koch Auditorium, on Yeshiva mikveh construction and maintenance through an in- University’s Beren Campus, 245 Lexington Ave- teractive presentation. Participants around the globe Taglit-Birthright Israel Receives nue, New York City at 8 p.m. will be able to experience a live workshop through A $5 Million Boost The lecture is free and open to the public. For the use of audio, video and pictures. more information or to RSVP, contact [email protected]. Rabbanim and mikveh overseers can register by Philanthropists Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adel- sending STAR-K an e-mail to [email protected] with son announced an additional $5 million gift to the * * * their name, capacity in which they serve a mikveh, Birthright Israel Foundation for 2011, raising their Mayim Bialik, PhD, a well-known actress and and location of the mikveh. People with questions re- total contribution to $10 million for this year. Jewish mother, will teach a special one-time class garding their mikvah can forward pictures of it (along In light of this announcement, Taglit-Birthright in the Room613 virtual classroom. She will speak with a note detailing the question) to the same ad- Israel is now sending letters to 2,000 North Ameri- and facilitate discussion on the topic, “Eight Ways to dress before the scheduled February 22nd webinar. can young adults who had applied for a trip this win- Connect to G-d through Food: A Personal Journey,” For more information, visit www.star-k.com. ter but were waitlisted, informing them that they on Wednesday, December 14, from 9-10 p.m. She will will now be able to go on the free, 10-day education- discuss her formative food experiences growing up, In recent news… al trip in the coming months thanks to the new fund- her journey into observant Judaism, and how she ing. Nearly 22,500 North Americans had registered combined them to enrich her relationship with God. Yeshiva Ponevez Holds for Taglit-Birthright Israel trips this winter and over This event is open to all women and girls. For Rededication Dinner 10,000 young adults had been waitlisted. more information, visit www.room613.net. “We couldn’t bear seeing thousands and thousands Last week an overfl ow crowd fi lled The Palace of young adults who wanted to visit Israel not able to * * * in Brooklyn for the Ponevez Yeshiva’s 71st annual go,” Dr. Miriam Adelson said. “Greater participation A grand Chanukah car parade and menorah light- rededication dinner. All came to pay tribute to the means we can change the lives of more young adults.” ing will take place on December 20 from 6:30-7:30 memory of the revered Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkow- p.m. – beginning at the Merrick Golf Course parking itz who passed away four months ago. He had served Touro Tackles Bullying lot, 2550 Clubhouse Rd. in Merrick and concluding as rosh yeshiva of the yeshiva ketanah, Yeshiva with a menorah lighting on Sunrise Highway and Ponevez L’Tzeirim Metzuyanim, for 56 years. Touro College’s Graduate School of Social Work Merrick Ave. For more info call 516-833-3057 or vis- The rosh yeshiva of Ponevez, Rav Eliezer Kah- devoted its recent annual Community Day confer- it www.ChabadJewishLife.org. aneman, spoke about Rav Lefkowitz, whose impact ence to the topic of bullying. Approximately 100 stu- dents, faculty and staff gathered to hear national experts on bullying discuss the problem and possi- Malcolm Hoenlein Speaks At Great Neck Synagogue ble solutions. According to the American Psychological Associ- Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of Sanctuary following the morning services. The ation, approximately 40 to 80 percent of school-age the Conference of Presidents of Major American congregation had an opportunity to ask Hoenlein children experience bullying at some point. Cyber- Jewish Organizations, was the featured guest of questions at a luncheon, where the con- bullying – defi ned as bullying using technology – af- Great Neck Synagogue on Shabbat, November versation ran from Iran, to Jonathan Pollard, to fects nearly half of all American teens, according to 18-19, as part of the inaugural Great Neck Syna- Syria, UNESCO and more. The National Crime Prevention Council. gogue Shabbat Speakers Series. Finally, at the seudah shlishit, Hoenlein shared Professor Allison Bobick, director of student ad- On Friday evening over Shabbat dinner, Hoen- his perspective on the Obama administration and vancement and conference organizer, said she chose lein spoke to over 300 people at the synagogue the upcoming election. He said that despite the the bullying theme after being struck by the num- about the Arab Spring based on his own eyewit- apparent policy rifts between the U.S. and Isra- ber of bullying-related suicides reported in the news. ness accounts and conversations with personalities el, their military cooperation is at an all-time high “Our research tells us that the old adage, ‘Sticks and ranging from Egyptian generals to Syrian Pres- and that Congress remains among the strongest stones may break my bones, but words will never ident Bashar Assad. Although he is pessimistic and most important bastions of pro-Israel senti- harm me’ is a dangerous myth. Words have mean- about the Arab uprisings, which he predicted will ment in the world. Israel is not as isolated inter- ing and a great deal of power,” Bobick said. “Bully- more likely lead to autocratic theocracy than de- nationally as the media often makes it out to be, ing has escalated to a human rights concern in our mocracy, he stressed the importance of vigilance he said, and it is important to know what is really school systems, our work sites and on the Internet.” and activism, from the American public in gener- happening, as opposed to what is being reported. al but especially from the Jewish community. Ju- Among the planned future guests of the Great Canada Introduces Chanukah Stamp daism, he emphasized, stresses looking deep into Neck Synagogue’s Shabbat Speakers Series are the past in order to understand the present and Steven Weil, CEO of the Orthodox Union, For the fi rst time, Canada Post has created two always thinking more about the long-term goals and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat, Is- Picture Postage stamps specifi cally designed to cel- than short-term gains. rael, and chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone Institu- ebrate Chanukah. One stamp depicts a menorah lit Hoenlein returned to that theme on Shabbat tions. For more information, call 516-487-6100 or in honor of the festival with the words “Happy Ha- morning when he addressed a packed Goldwyn visit www.gns.org. nukkah” in English and French, and the other one depicts a dreidel along with the same words. Page 38 THE JEWISH PRESS  Friday, December 9, 2011 Community Currents At the Agudath Israel of America 89th National Convention

Rav Yaakov Perlow, Novominsker Rebbe and Rosh Agudas Yisroel addressing the convention

Rav Matisyahu Salomon Rav Aryeh , Beth Medrash Rosh HaYeshiva, Beth Medrash Govo- Govoha ha, Lakewood

More than 100 educators, repre- senting nearly 200 and Bais Yaakovs from across Brooklyn South, The Nikolsburg Rebbe, Rav Jungreis, and his talmidim at Yeshivas Chaim participated in a school safety forum Berlin. hosted by Misaskim on Monday, No- vember 28. These educators and ad- ministrators are responsible for the Former Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Arens (third from right) spoke safety of 52,000 children and 8,000 about his new book – Flags over the Warsaw Ghetto – and on current events in staff members each day. Israel to a packed audience at the Great Neck Synagogue (GNS) on Thanksgiv- The forum was arranged by Misas- ing eve. He is fl anked on his right by David Schimel, editor of The Jewish Po- kim upon the request from local police litical Chronicle of the Jewish Political Education Foundation (JPEF), which offi cials, who sought to meet up with co-sponsored the event, and by Dr. Paul Brody, the foundation’s vice president. educators after several safety issues At left is GNS’s Rabbi Dale Polakoff, Hillel Milun, GNS Men’s Club president, recently surfaced. Members from Hat- Special Agent Scott Olsen demonstrates event co-sponsor, and Milton Mitzner, JPEF’s president. (Photo Credit: Karen zolah and Shomrim were also present child identifi cation kits at the forum. Rubin/news-photos-features.com) at the forum. (Photo credit: Yitzy Engel)

School administrators and principals at Misaskim’s School Safety Forum. Friday, December 9, 2011 THE JEWISH PRESS  Page 39 Community Currents

Beis HaMidrash LaTorah – Hebrew Theological College of Skokie, IL, held Six hundred fi fty friends and supporters of the National Committee for Fur- its 89th Anniversary Banquet at the Westin O’Hare on November 22. Well over therance of (NCFJE) celebrated the organization’s 71st year 450 people came to participate as Rabbi Benjamin Shandalov received the Rab- at its Annual Awards Dinner at Chelsea Piers, Manhattan. The organization binic Leadership Award and Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman received the Distin- honored NYC hotelier Michelle Domb, Sholom and Pessy Jacobs of Five Towns, guished Alumnus award. In addition, the yeshiva celebrated the 50th anniversa- and dailysteals.com CEO Matt Wiener for their commitment to philanthropy ry of its Fasman Yeshiva High School. Emceeing the evening was Brian Levin- and support of the NCFJE. Also honored were Chairman of the New York Re- son, chairman of the board at HTC, and both Chancellor Rabbi Dr. Jerold Isen- publican Party Edward F. Cox and Rabbi Yaakov Silberstein, administrator berg and Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Avraham Friedman delivered moving words. of Yeshivas Kol Yaakov Yehuda Hadar Hatorah. The dinner highlighted 50 years of Hadar Hatorah, and its distinguished place as the fi rst yeshiva fo- cused wholly on educating baalei teshuvah.

Rabbi Avraham Fried- man

(L-R) NYC Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio; Former Inspector General Judge Joseph Fisch; NCFJE Government Liaison Rabbi Hanoch Hecht; NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli; Congressman Bob Turner; and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.

Rabbi Shea Hecht presents the NYS Leadership Rabbi Chaim Jacobs, Award to Chairman of the New York Republican Chabad emissary from Party Edward F. Cox. Glassgow, Scotland (Photo Credits: Yossi Perica) gave the invocation.

Yeshiva PTI (Passaic Torah Institute) hosted Rav Matisyahu Salomon, mash- giach ruchani at Bais Me- drash Govoha, at its Yom Iyun on Thursday, Novem- ber 24. Rav Salomon spoke on the topic of honesty.

At a recent event on behalf of the legal fund of Rab- bi Sholom Rubashkin in Montreal. (Photo credit: Moishy Spira) BECOME A PART OF THE NEXT A SPECIAL NEEDS MAGAZINE FAMILY FORUM & SIBS SPEAK BULLETIN BOARD ASK THE EXPERT ORGANIZATIONAL LISTINGS To Be Published For a member of a family with To have pictures of your To ask a question of To be included in the next a special needs individual events posted free one of our therapists, directory free of charge, to submit an anecdote, of charge in this section. advocates or educators. request a submission form at December 2011 advice, or comment. [email protected] * All submissions become the property of Contact Chumie Friedman at Contact Chaya Klass at Building Blocks and may not be returned. Contact Ruchi Eisenbach at [email protected] [email protected] Note - a form must be submitted to Publication is subject to the discretion of the editors. [email protected] update any previously published listing. Please do not submit previously published material. For further information or to advertise please contact: Moshe Klass at 718.330.1100 ext. 352 or [email protected]