• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

See Ad, Page 20 $1.00 WWW.5TJT.COM !vfubj igfhkhhrp t VOL. 8 NO. 12 27 KISLEV 5768 .en ,arp DECEMBER 7, 2007 INSIDE FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK LIGHTING UP THE CHANUKAH NIGHT Friday-Night Prayers BY LARRY GORDON Hannah Reich Berman 28 MindBiz The PR War On Terror Esther Mann, LMSW 30 The surge is working, but we ments, then we are just losing Laws of Chanukah may be losing the war miser- the war. Rabbi Yair Hoffman 39 ably anyway. That’s the public- This war is being fought relations war on terror that I’m not on the battlefield, but Daf Yomi Insights referring to, and there is no rather in the international Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow 56 military surge needed in order media—on CNN, FOX News, to set this all-important aspect the New York Times, the Photo Lost With A Map of the war on the right course. Washington Post, and so on. Michelle Nevada 74 Thomas Cr By Ira As long as international terror Mostly, however, it is being merchants and criminals like fought in the electronic media Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and that is highly competitive and eations Osama bin Laden can grab the has a need for breaking, dis- world’s attention with outra- Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, of Aish Kodesh in Woodmere lighting the geous and inflammatory state- Continued on Page 6 Chabad menorah in Cedarhurst Park. More Photos, Page 67 HEARD IN THE BAGEL STORE A FALAFEL STORY Enough Warm Weather B Y LA URA BEN-DAVID around the place and deter- BY LARRY GORDON Bar Mitzvah of Ian Mark. mined that only falafel was was here. But it was hot—too See Page 46 When trying to explain to sold there. All the while the hot. Now what? people the uniqueness of proprietor was watching us As I gingerly walked to shul So it was July in December; Israel and Israelis, I find that expectantly. As I moved last Shabbos as part of the all I had to do is tap into my a story speaks volumes. This toward the counter, he asked, continued celebration of a July–August mode so as to story, however, speaks a whole “Do you want falafel?” family wedding that had taken endure the early Shabbos bookstore. Seeing as there was noth- place two days prior, the pen- morning walk in suit and tie One evening, on our way ing else on the menu, I said, etrating heat of the sun and, in this case, a felt back from a trip, we stopped “Yes, just deciding how many.” became increasingly palpable. Borsalino hat, too—all appro- at an unfamiliar falafel store He replied that unfortu- It was over 85 degrees and it priate for the occasion. in Jerusalem. We were hungry, nately there was no pita left, was still only about 8:30 a.m. Cerebrally I was comforted by tired, and looking forward to but would I like him to run to The warm getaway to Miami the idea that the weather fore- some quick food and then our Beach weather that I had return home. We glanced Continued on Page 5 longed for and anticipated Continued on Page 7 Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky A Gallery Grows In Brooklyn 23 YEARS AND coming to the Five Towns. Chag Orim See Page 50 Sameach 6,311 ROCKETS Our Aliyah Chronicle, Part 67 BY SHMUEL SACKETT BY SHMUEL KATZ INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, MANHIGUT YEHUDIT After all of the activity and emotion of the past few A few weeks ago, the State weeks, it was nice to have an of Israel commemorated two off week for a change. very sad anniversaries. On Nothing momentous hap- November 21, Jonathan pened—just regular life. Pollard began his 23rd year We started off the week with in prison and, on that same MAY Father/Son Awards the arrival of Goldie’s sister day, the 6,311th rocket fell breakfast. See Page 46 Esther and her husband Daniel on the Israeli city of (Yormark), who came in for the S’derot—23 years in prison; CANDLE LIGHTING hakamat matzeivah (unveiling) 6,311 rockets. Is there a con- Dec. 7 – 4:09 PM by the grave of Daniel’s mother nection? There most certain- Dec. 14 – 4:10 PM “Chanukah,” by Keli Hu, one of the paintings at the Watermark Judaic Art Gallery, a treasure trove of exquisite artwork. See Story, Page 84 Continued on Page 11 Continued on Page 10 2 December 7, 2007 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 7, 2007 3 4 December 7, 2007 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES A Falafel Story Continued from Front Cover the store and buy some? Not seeing any other way to hold the falafel balls and salad together, I replied that yes, I would very much like for him to get some pita for our falafels. It was then that I realized that his hesitation was due to the fact that he was the only one manning the store. I therefore graciously offered to watch the store while he was gone. He accept- ed and dashed off. While waiting, I marched self-importantly around the store, vaguely wondering why the owner would trust a total stranger and what I would do if someone actually came in and wanted falafel. Then I realized I would tell them we were waiting for the pita. This was true, of course. Suddenly a customer who had already eaten got up to pay. This I wasn’t ready for. He seemed to have lots of change, so I offered to take his money for him. After all, that was my job at the moment, wasn’t it? The customer briefly sized me up, perhaps a bit suspi- cious, then finally explained that he only had 11 shekels, while the falafel he ordered was priced at 14. He wondered if he could come back the next day to pay the difference. I was momentarily stumped (though not any more than I’d have been if he’d asked me for change!). I asked the man if the proprietor knew him, but he said that he didn’t. He sug- gested that I describe him as “the religious man who sat at the corner table.” I thought, Hmm, that kind of describes 90 percent of the customers, but I’ll let it go. Moments later the owner returned and I gave him his money along with the explana- tion. He was positively delight- ed—I had done exactly what he would have. I was even more delighted. Realize that in Israel, a perfect stranger may tell you to lose weight, but that same stranger will also trust you with the shirt on his back. In five years I may have learned how to navigate the Israeli sys- tem, but in those 15 minutes, I was the Israeli system. And it felt really good. O Laura Ben-David is the author of MOVING UP: An Aliyah Journal (Mazo Publishers). To read more, visit www.aliyahbook.com. At 5TJT.com you can enjoy articles in 3 ways: 1. Read 2. Print 3. Email 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 7, 2007 5 FROM THE EDITOR ings be if no one reported them? At this shooting two weeks ago near Karnei the policy of some government. If that’s Continued from Front Cover point in time there is no other more Shomron. The news was that the killers so, then why can’t the same world press effective way to deal with those who seek were Palestinian policemen—terrorists utilize these abilities, now used in devi- turbing, and, if possible, shocking to undermine the foundations of democ- in uniforms and guns all furnished by ous and manipulative ways, in a fashion news. That’s why when bin Laden racy than a concerted effort to block their Israel to the PA. The point is that the that will help to fight the destructive issues a new taped message it domi- access to the world media. information was withheld until Olmert war on terror? nates all media in this country and If you consider this theory unwork- Bin Laden, Ahmadinejad, and their probably in other parts of the world. able, just take a look at how the system like use the world press like a child uses That’s why, although everyone knows is utilized, in a most natural and uncrit- a yo-yo. And this is true with others, like that there was little accomplished at ical way, on the other side of the equa- These leaders of states Nasrallah in Lebanon, Assad in Syria, the peace conference in Annapolis, tion. In Syria, the proceedings were not and even the Palestinian leaders (now Maryland, still, when the Iranian pres- broadcast on state-run radio and TV. that sanction the use of trying to shrink Israel through diploma- ident announced that the conference The Wall Street Journal reported on cy) and the like, who know that the more was a failure, it got top billing on all Monday that the Syrians broadcast a terror fit into the format destructively sensationalistic their pro- the news outlets. soccer game instead, and there was no nouncements are, the more the interna- My suggestion is that there be an hint that anything was taking place in of what is considered tional media outlets will be falling over international conference of media com- Annapolis—least of all a peace forum popular entertainment. one another trying to get the scoop. panies and that they try to reach an that included both Syrian and Israeli And yes, this is the nature of news agreement that when despots, dictators, participation.

Load more

  88

Copy Link