The Jewish Star Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island VOL. 8, NO. 31 JULY 31, 2009 | 10 AV 5769 www.thejewishstar.com THE INNER SHTETEL SUMMER AMNESIA BLUEBERRY HEAVEN David Seidemann A word from the principal ... A slice of life Page 5 Page 5 Page 10 IN MY VIEW Defending What I did on my Criminals summer vacation Another reason for ‘Armchair warrior’ from Woodmere shoots IDF jets in Nevada war games the destruction BY MAYER FERTIG have read a press release from the US Air Force announcing that a number of Israel’s F-16I fighters How often does one get to watch the Israeli Air would make the long flight across the ocean to take Force in action, rather than zipping in and out of part in an international exercise at known as ‘Red sight across the Israeli horizon? Debora and Peter Flag.” BY CHANANYA WEISSMAN Steinerman of Woodmere did, for three hours last Armed with a camera equipped with a 200mm week, during their trip to Nevada. zoom lens, the Steinermans pulled off “a highway, fter five rabbis and more than “We were driving back from the Hoover Dam extending from the Las Vegas Strip, [that] parallels a dozen other members of and my wife pointed out the proximity of Nellis Air two runways at Nellis, and we (along with about ten Orthodox Jewish communities Force Base to our route,” Peter wrote in an e-mail. “I other photographers) took position on the shoulder. A in New York and New Jersey am a serious armchair warrior/pilot and we took Several of them had radio scanners, enabling them were arrested last week, I found one advantage.” to monitor radio chatter between the tower and the Associated Press photo particularly Peter, a public relations executive, happened to striking. In that photo several people See SUMMER VACATION, Page 3 were being led Photo by Debora and Peter Steinerman away in hand- cuffs including a “rabbi” with his yarmulke sliding off the back of his hat, I’M THINKING perhaps, I won- After arrests, Sephardic der, so no one ”Let us have would suspect he wasn’t wear- community shudders The Israel missile crisis enough integri- ing one. Sephardic Jews in Great Neck, I am not BY MICHAEL ORBACH Arrow II misses its mark ty to admit the who range from Iranian to Syrian going to wax and Afghani, were taking the dramatic about On a warm summer Friday in The threat of nuclear the greatest threat emanating faults of our news personally. what a shanda Great Neck — the morning after attack by Iran is real; it is as from Iran. The Arrow II was Later, Zublie, who ten years community, this is, since the chief rabbi of Syrian Jews in palpable in the corridors of Israel’s answer to Iran’s nuclear ago waived her fee to help that is so obvi- America was perp walked for the Washington as it is on the street weapons program. Developed take responsi- Shaare Zion, a Syrian shul, buy a ous it con- cameras with several other rab- of Tel Aviv - and London and together with the United States, building, sighed heavily. “All bility for them, tributes noth- bis — Jenevieve Gold was angry. Madrid and Cairo. The only the Arrow II had all the hall- Jews, we’re part of the same ing to the dis- “It’s a horrible thing that way world leaders could close marks of a great defense system. family,” she said. and do whatev- cussion. What they did to the community!” she their eyes and sleep at night But last week, in three Joe Franco, the president of concerns me said, sitting in the office of Magic was with the knowledge that Micah D. Halpern separate attempts, the Arrow II er we can to Shaare Zion, refused to speak far more is the Home Realty. “People put their Israel had developed a secret failed to engage. about the arrests. Leon clean them up.“ reaction of faith in them... How did they live weapon, the Arrow II, an anti- Israel tested the accura- Manoucheri, who lives next door many Jews to on Shabbat?” nuclear missile. cy and efficacy of the Arrow II with the to the shul, described the arrests the breaking “You have to look at the posi- All that has changed. US as a cosponsor. A fake Shabab, a US as “very sad.” scandal. tive...,” consoled Yvette Zubli, It is no secret that Israel has been missile that closely mimics Iran’s nuclear the Iraqi born-owner of the 30- “People look at the Jewish actively developing defenses to protect the community as a whole,” he See I’M THINKING, Page 3 VosIzNeias.com, a well-read year old real estate agency. country from hostile enemy attacks with asserted. Jewish news website that seems to “What positive?” Jenevieve, At Elias’s Hair Design on attract more than its fair share of an Algerian Jew, asked in exas- Middle Neck Road, the feelings anonymous frummer-than-thous had peration, “the rabbi was selling a were the same. An older Syrian dozens of readers comment on the kidney!” woman who moved to Great story. Nearly all were outraged - but While she didn’t have the Neck this past year to be closer Trouble in the Catskills at the wrong people. They devised details exactly correct — a differ- to her daughter was aghast. all manner of blame shifting and ent defendant is charged with “It’s terrible what they did. rationalization for low-life alleged organ trafficking — her senti- Kolko kicked out of one colony but finds another ment was unmistakable. To have a rabbi...” she trailed off criminals who have completely dis- and told him to leave the neighborhood Last Thursday a decade-long and then asked not to be named BY MICHAEL ORBACH graced the Jewish people. quietly, a witness said. When Kolko FBI corruption probe in New Jer- in print. “It’s a terrible thing.” 1) It’s entrapment — as if we refused, the man interrupted the tefilah to sey and New York was wrapped Standing behind the counter, In the Catskills this summer, worries can’t expect our rabbis to say no to a announce from the bima that Kolko was a up with the arrests of 44 men, Elias, an Iranian man with Three about children's safety are extending bribe. Does the biblical prohibition child molester and posed a danger to chil- including several prominent rab- Weeks stubble and a blue-and- beyond the swimming pool. against accepting bribes, which is dren. When congregants protested, the bis from the Syrian Jewish white yarmulke, urged his two Yehuda Kolko, the rebbe who pleaded directed particularly toward commu- man at the bima, a student of Rav Dovid strongholds of Deal, N.J. and Syrian hairdressers to talk to a guilty to two counts of child endanger- nity leaders, mention anything about Feinstein, replied with multiple Halachic Brooklyn, N.Y. Most notable of reporter. Both declined and ment and who is suspected of abusing entrapment or the intentions of the sources to support his action, one of all was Rabbi Saul Kassin, 87, of quickly returned to curling their dozens of children in his teaching career, person offering the bribe? What dif- which was Masechet Chullin 8a, which Cong. Shaare Zion on Ocean customer’s hair. moved into a summer home at a develop- discusses the need to be strict when it See VIEW, Page 7 Parkway in Brooklyn. He is con- “You never know how they ment in South Fallsburg, N.Y., on June 12. comes to matters of danger. sidered the leading rav of Syrian say your words,” one hairdresser Pines Estates, where he is renting, is a The next day, Shabbat morning, at Jewry. Imagine any current explained to the other quietly. popular summer destination for Orthodox the Yeshiva of South Fallsburg nearby, the Rabbi Chananya Weissman is the founder charedi Gadol in handcuffs and “It’s not the rabbis, it’s families and is also inhabited year-round same witness said Kolko was welcomed of EndTheMadness (www.endthemad- you can imagine the shudders beyond this,” Elias stated, “Mad- by families connected to the well-known and called to the Torah for an Aliyah. ness.org), a volunteer effort to rehabilitate that went through Deal and off: It was not himself, it was a Yeshiva of South Fallsburg, nearby. Daniel Sosnowik, a resident of Pines the culture of the shidduch world. He Brooklyn. hand behind him. Jews have to On Kolko's first Friday night there, a Estates who has an eight-year-old son, was may be contacted at admin@endthemad- The tight-knit medley of summer resident aware of Kolko's history ness.org. See ARRESTS, Page 9 confronted him in the shul during Maariv See CATSKILLS, Page 9 Parsha...................................................................................2 Calendar...............................................................................6 Candlelighting: 7:52 p.m. ■ Shabbat ends: 8:56 p.m. Inside Opinion .................................................................................4 Classified .............................................................................8 Shabbat Torah reading: Parshat Va’etchanan 11530 PRST STD PERMIT NO 301 GARDEN CITY NY US POSTAGE PAID PAID US POSTAGE CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED CHANGE SERVICE 292782 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 City, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden 2 The Jewish Star July 31, 2009 PARSHAT VA’ETCHANAN Timing is everything BY RABBI AVI BILLET the Shabbat before Tisha wards, to how we can new leader; important Those who have a more commandments, and how to b’Av. rebuild. instructions for the devout intense Tisha b’Av experi- understand the Ten Com- Halakhah can be Why the comment? Is To take the point a step and committed; the down- ence walk away with a bad mandments.