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THE JEWISH OBSERVER (ISSN) 0021-6615 is published monthly except July and August by the Agudath Israel of America, 42 Broadway, New York, NY10004. Periodicals postage paid In New York, NY. Subscription $24.00 per year; two years, $44.00; three years, $60.00. Outside of the United States (US funds drawn on a US bank only) $12.00 surcharge per year. Single copy $3.50; foreign $4.50. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Observer, 42 Broadway, NY.. NY.10004. Tel: 212-797-9000. Fax: 646-254-1600. Printed in the U.S.A. s Remembering the Columbia RABBI NISSON WOLPIN, EDITOR
EDITORIAL SOARD RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS THE ISRAELI ELECTIONS Chairman The Rise ofTommy Lapid and His Shinui Party RABBI ABBA BRUDNY JOSEPH FRIEDENSON Yonoson Rosenblum RABBI YISAOEL MEIR KIRZNER RABBI NOSSON SCHERMAN PROF. AARON TWERSKI
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NYC Regional Office: 1100 Coney Island Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11230 Corp. Office: 718·256·6000 Westchester Office: 914-696-3200 www.americareny.com. The early intervention program is funded and regulated by the NY State Dept. of Health, and in NYC by the NYC Dept. of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services. We join the American public, ll as Jews the world over, in moufu"' terrible loss of human lives in the bia disaster, wherein the space s11 rying seven astronauts, includi Ramon irv, an Israeli, disintegrate Texas on Saturday, February 1. We take special note of the em that Ilan Ramon, not known to hav~ observant in his personal life, focused on the Jewish aspect of his identity. It seemed that he recognized that in the eyes of the world, he functioned not only as an ambassador at large for the State of Israel, but, in effect, was also a represen tative of Kial Yisroel. As such, he took pains to demonstrate that the essence of Kial Yisroel is most faithfully conveyed by adherence to the laws of kashrus, as reflected in his diet; the personal me1nen tos he took aboard with him - includ ing a mezuza and a small Sefer Torah entrusted to hi1n by a Holocaust survivor who had used it at his bar 1nitzva in a concentration can1p; his acknowledge ment of the advent of Shabbo~ and a stir ring declaration of "Shema Yisroel, Hashem Elokainu Hashem Echad!"when the Columbia passed over jerusale declaration of Kiddush Hashem throughout the world. This tragic episode has moved ostensibly irreligious people, Jew gentile, to recognize, as they cast t gaze to the skies, the Hand of the ator in determining the fate of m dreams and aspirations. The Presidcii of the United States was inspired to saY:' In the skies today we saw destruct~~· and tragedy. Yet farther than we can:See'" there is comfort and hope. In the - ·-·-·-·-···-·------~~+, The Jewish Observer, February 2003 "It it Portends, What We Must Do I. SHINUI'S PLANS FOR of Israeli politics brought Shinui six Even though Sharon remains the over THE CHAREIDIM Knesset seats with his non-stop attacks whelming choice of the electorate for on the chareidi corn1nunity. prime minister, only 26% of those polled wo stories dominated the recent Prior to the recent elections, The New believe he has a solution to Palestinian Israeli elections. First, Israeli vot York Times and Newsweek both profiled terrorism. Confidence in his econo1nic Ters bid adieu to the Oslo process, Lapid, and the Jerusalem Report put him leadership is no higher. An electorate that at least as long as Yasser Arafat still heads on its cover with the caption "The Power sees no hope of either major party solv the Palestinian Authority. The parties Broker:' After Shinui captured 15 seats ing the most pressing problems con- most closely identified with Oslo - Labor in the election, the description as TA~·~'f.ti~is writing, it still to·~---~-;;iy to know and Meretz - were reduced to a total of "power broker" could not be dismissed, is \vhether Sharon will find a \vay to bring Shinui 25 seats, and the Likud, under Prime and indeed Prin1e Minister Sharon was into a governinent with one or 01ore of his tra Minister Ariel Sharon, a staunch oppo quick to call Lapid and ask him to join ditional religious party allil"s, especially as Shinui nent of Oslo from the beginning, the new government coalition. has ruled out joining a coalition 'Nith any charei jumped to 38 seats, making it Israel's Shinui has always been known as a di parties, except during a national emergency, and its platform is anathema to the National Reli dominant party to a degree not seen one-issue party, and that issue is "stop gious Party as well. ping the chareidim." Still, it would be a since the old days of Labor hegemony. 2 In order to wrest control of the Likud Central The other major story was the meteoric mistake to attribute the entire swell of Committee fron1 his chief rival Binyamin rise of Tommy Lapid's virulently anti support for Shinui to hardcore anti-reli Netanyahu, Pri1ne Minister Sharon engineered religious Shinui Party'. The Lapid phe gious voters. Widespread disgust with a 1nassive registration drive of new party n1en1- nomenon serves as an important warn the Likud corruption scandals caused bers to choose a ne'v Central Con1n1ittee. That Central Con1mittee then picked the list of Likud ing to the chareidi community of certain some voters who were intending to vote Knesset candidates. Much evidence has accu long-range social trends in Israel. for Likud to look elsewhere'. For most n1ulated that fan1ilics with close connections to Almost defunct four years ago, of those voters, Labor, with its platform organized crime acted as voting contractors in Shinui revived its fortunes by choosing of unconditional negotiations and uni the registration drive and then used their con trol over blocs of Central Committee members Lapid to head its list in the 1999 elec lateral withdrawal, was not an option. to solicit bribes from candidates in the Likud tions. The outspoken "Archie Bunker" Many drifted to Shinui for want of any internal primaries. alternative. In addition to the vote-buying scandals in the Rabbi Rosenblum, who lives in Jerusalem, is a A wave of national despair over the Likud itself, the police are currently investigat ing a number of allegations against Prime contributing editor to The Jewish Observer. He possibility of finding any solutions to the is also director of the Israeli division of Am Echad, Minister Sharon and his sons. Those investiga the Agudath Israel-inspired educational outreach security situation or the current eco tions 'vere the subject of 1nassive press coverage effort and n1edia resource. nomic doldrums further helped Shinui. during the can1paign. 6 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 fronting the country feels freer to indulge demands repeal of the Tai Law, which Also last sun11ner, Shinui's number itself in the pleasure of"sticking it" to the for the first time formalized in legisla two man, Yossi Paritzky, fired off a let chareidim by voting for Shinui. tion the draft deferment for yeshiva stu ter to Ha'aretz urging that the state of VVhatever the reasons that voters have dents, and the institution of civil mar Israel should not permit any religious moved to Shinui, those voters 1nust at riage - first for those couples unable to judges. The cause of his ire - an opin least be comfortable with the party's vir marry religiously, and later for all cou ion by Stephen Adler, Chief Judge of the ulent anti-chareidi line.3 Though Lapid ples who prefer a civil marriage. Labor Court, in which he ruled that has made some attempts recently to flesh Shabbos under the statute governing out his views on other issues, Shinui's Playing the Hate Card "Days of work and rest" begins at sun raison d'etre ren1ains its anti-chareidi down and not at midnight, as a Tel Aviv agenda. That agenda consists of two apid does not confine himself to district court had ruled. 5 parts. The first - a plan to "dry out" the his issues. He seeks to arouse a vis Ignoring the fact that two non-reli chareidi community by cutting off gov L ceral hatred of chareidim, and gious judges had joined in Adler's opin ernment subsidies to individuals and delights in expressing his contempt for ion, Paritzky argued that the opinion institutions who do not toe the line. The every aspect of Jewish tradition. Shinui's could only be explained by the yarmullze second - a dran1atic reordering of the nun1ber two man Yossi Paritzky has even that Adler wears. In his anti-religious religious status quo. introduced Knesset legislation to keep frenzy, Paritzky led himself into an obvi Shinui's Knesset leader Avraham stores open on Yorn Kippur, the one day ous absurdity: according to his reading Poraz recently outlined for Ha' aretz the viewed as sancrosanct by virtually all of the statute, all businesses would have party's legislative agenda upon entering Israeli Jews. to remain closed on Motza'ei Shabbos the government. "First of all, we'll One of Shinui's campaign handouts until midnight. demand everything that does not shows a baby in a crib surrounded by One wonders whether Lapid and Par require legislation: an end to pay seafood and pork. The baby boasts, "I itzky would be dismayed to find that ments to fictitious yeshivas, an end to eat what I want when I want it. That their fuJn1inations against religious payments to kollels. In short, we want means I exist." immigrants and judges only serve to to end the preferential treatment of the Shinui shamelessly traffics in the same prove the rabbinic dictum, "Hatred chareidim. We'll immediately dry up stereotypes ofharedim that anti-Semites breaks all protocol." that flow of funding." Lapid proposes once employed vis-a-vis all Jews. Lapid's a complete cut off of funding to charei portrayal of kashrus certification, for II. WHAT HAPPENS NOW di schools unless they agree to a core instance, as a tax on consumers - rather curriculum of math, English, history, than as an advertising expense designed y the time this issue of The Jew Zionis1n and citizenship.4 to lower per unit costs by increasing ish Observer arrives, the coalition The second part of the Shinui agen demand - can be found today on neo Bnegotiations to form a new gov da includes abolishing the Religious Nazi websites as well. After the Dolphi ernment will likely be completed and Affairs Ministry, government financing nariu1n homicide bombing in which over Prime Minister Sharon will have chosen of the Conservative and l{eform move 20 young immigrants from the FSU - one of tlie two major options facing him ments, and an order by the Trans many of them not Jewish - were killed, the morning after the elections. Either portation Minister ending the ban on Lapid filled the airwaves on Shabboswith he will have opted for a narrow coali public transportation on Shabbos. Those pure incitement. He charged, without any tion of the Likud's traditional allies initiatives can all be achieved without basis, that the burial society had refused among the right-wing and religious par any new legislation. to bury the victims and compared the ties or a grand "secular coalition" of On the legislative front, Shinui burial society to the Islamic jihad: "The Likud, Labor and Shinui. The latter j---;fh-~p~-~t-.t~~-~-n~i--~~-iiy;;~;-~f.. ~arf;·;-e with Islamic jihad attacks live youths while the would be the first Israeli government the Palestinians inevitably bring the issue of the burial society strikes at dead youths by without religious representation. Co1n draft defenncnt for yeshiva students to the fore, refusing to bury them." plicating matters for Sharon is the fact and that pattern has been exacerbated by the sig Last summer, Israelis were inspired that Labor leader Amram Mitzna says nificant increase in reserve duty for those who serve in the arn1y. when a group of 400 North Americans Labor will not sit in a national unity 4 Econon1ic dependence on the governn1cnt has made aliya in the midst of the ongoing government led by Likud, and Shinui long been the point of vulnerability tOr the charei violence and deepening recession. Not insists it will not sit with any chareidi di educational systen1. Sooner or later that Lapid. He told an interviewer from a parties. Of the latter promise, at least, dependence virtually assured that conditions Florida newspaper, "Quite frankly, we can be sure. would be placed on government support. Of late, proposals for curricular changes in the chadorim Israel could do without [religious Even if Shinui once again finds itself and yesf1ivos ketanos have co1ne fron1 Likud Edu North American Jews I:· Even the sacred outside the governing coalition, how- cation Minister Lin1or Livnat, not just fro1n cow of immigration did not cause him 5·-Ai'JJ;-~acli holida)~S, i~~i~ding ~~~cu la-;· ~ncs lik~ Shinui. to bite his tongue. Independence Day, begin and end at sunset. The Jewish Observer, February 2003 7 ever, it would be a serious mistake to In the area of dramatic cuts in the families headed by full-time Torah stu believe that its influence will not be felt. social transfer payments, it appears dents are designed to parallel unem The other major parties will attempt in inevitable that the next government will ployment insurance, they too will be cut, various ways to appropriate the issues move in the direction of Shinui. As the perhaps drastically. Child support pay that Lapid has popularized.6 Running poorest sector of the population, the ments, which make up a considerable against the chareidim has long been con chareidi community will feel these cuts portion of the chareidi family budget, are sidered the safest and surest path for cur most intensely. The previous govern also prime targets for the budget cutters. rying public favor. The rise of Shinui will ment was forced to cut billions of shekels The dramatic cuts in chareidi fam only reinforce the popular political from the budget in the middle of the fis ily budgets are likely to be accompanied \Visdom. cal year due to plummeting tax revenues, by severe cuts in government payments and experts unanimously predict that to the major chareidi institutions. billions more will be have to be cut from Already, funding for students in yeshi AREIVIM the just passed 2003 budget because of va gedala under the age of 18 has been the declining economic situation. stopped - a particularly serious blow to HOTLINE Globalization has made it unthinkable the Chassidic yeshivas. The Education that any country, Israel included, can Ministry has also proposed limiting From crisis to control. continue to incur large budget deficits. funding of yeshivas ketanas to only those Helping our boys and girls To do so would lead to a downgrading with over 150 students - a virtual null of Israel's international credit rating and set. With the education budget to be cut Parents: 1·866·6AREIVIM the implosion of the economy. The Inter by hundreds of millions of shekels, Teens: 1·866-0URGUYS national Monetary Fund imposes budg chareidi institutions can expect to Email: [email protected] et austerity on poorer countries seeking share proportionately in this cut, and All calls are confidential. its aid, and even the economically they will consider themselves fortunate ,.,)>,.,~ '=>• l> 1''• r.i , .. y., advanced countries of Western Europe to do that well. are subjected to steep fines by the Euro In short, for reasons only partially r -, pean Union if they incur budget deficits related to Shinui's proposals for "drying New Tapes on in excess of 3% of Gross National Prod out" the chareidi community, thousands uct. These iron rules of economics will of kollel families may find their personal Melachim Beis not be suspended for Israel. income diminishing dramatically just as Finance Minister Silvan Shalom has tuition costs increase sharply. Interpreting The Message made increasing the rate of the partici /The Unique Belt pation in the labor force - Israel's is the Ill. WHAT CAN WE DO! Appreciating our Mentors lowest in the industrialized world - the Observe the Righteous centerpiece of his economic plan. His ypically, the chareidi communi Activating Hashem's Blessing goal is to break patterns of generation ty was slow to recognize the A New Lease on Life to-generation poverty in much the same magnitude of the threat posed by What Can You.Lose? T way that the Clinton welfare reforms did Lapid. Once again, we find ourselves 1,;fr,e~2sii.fn· ·1~ t. in America. Accordingly, cuts in unem responding to a situation of vital inter ployment insurance, and onerous con est at five minutes to midnight, if not ditions on recipients, occupy pride of five minutes after midnight. place in his budget slashing plans. Since An overall strategy for dealing with the income supplement payments the Lapid phenomena would first received by approximately 10,000 poor address the anti-religious hostility of the Israeli media. With the sole exception of Applications now being accepted for Elul 5763 f August 2003 ---- .. ------·····-~- 6 Holland provides a good example of this process. Prior to the 2000 Dutch elections, Pim The Rabbi Naftali Riff Fortyn broke a longstanding taboo by n1aking the threat of Moslem immigration to Dutch socie ty and culture the centerpiece of his campaign. Yeshiva The success of the eponymous Fortyn List Rabbinical College - High School (named after Fortyn, who was assassinated in the course of the campaign) led every Dutch party SOUTH BEND, INDIANA in the recent January 23 election to place restric For more information, contact Rabbi Yisrael Gettinger tions on im1nigration and the preservation of Holland's national character at the top of their Telephone (574) 291-4239 Fax (574) 291-9490 electoral agendas. 8 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 the Jerusalem Post, there is not one paper from the government a disproportion budgets, is required to refute the in the country with a regular chareidi ate share of the national resources. claim of chareidi extortion. A few such columnist. Not surprisingly, Lapid and Shinui had Hareidi, Inc., a book-length studies have been made on the local Shinui have received almost a free ride "expose" of this phenomenon by level, including one dealing with the in the mainstream Israeli press. Lapid Ha'aretz journalist Shahar Ilan, trans Jerusalem education budget. The has been treated as the celebrity of the lated into Russian and distributed in the study of Jerusalem's educational budg election season, and his party turned Russian-speaking con11nunity. Among et demonstrated that contrary to the into the "hip" party of the smart set. Han's fantastic charges is the claim that popular perception chareidi schools Only Ha'aretz has openly criticized the average chareidi family is subsidized are the victims of significant dis Lapid - not because of his anti-charei by the state to the tune of 17,000 shekels crimination. Many such similar stud di tirades, of course, but because he is (over $35,000) monthly. So far no full ies, however, are required, if the siphoning off the traditional anti-reli scale refutation or analysis of Han's data chareidi ·community wishes to gious vote from the paper's preferred has been undertaken though the book respond effectively to either popular party, Meretz. has been widely cited in Israel. perceptions or those of Treasury A full-page headline in last week's A systematic, professional analysis budget-cutters. Once again no fund Ma'ariv proclaiming "Seculars attacked of the national budget, as well as local ing has been forthcoming to do such on the streets of Bnei Brak," will briefly indicate the extent of the press problem. Back after its 1st The article begins: "It is not recom Digest of Meforshim Successful Year! mended for secular Jews to walk on the forthe 16-17vr-oldbochur streets of Bnei Brak at night, lest they ')v1p7 in:i ')v1p7 be beaten by a private security compa 7""lll 1))V':>N 7N1r.l1V l"01To'lr.l Bethel ny hired by residents of the city:' The Available at clear implication is that Bnei Brak has Liveslotk filrm LEKUTE I Farm & Wildnerness Summer Progra hired a security company to keep secu clo Yitzchok Rosenherg lar Jews off its streets. 1445 54th Street learn under Rabbi J;~~~ In fact, the security co1npany was Brooklyn, NY Jl219-422R Shmuel Brazil, renowned;.;;;..--1 mechanech and mashpiah. hired because of an ongoing problem 718-854-6701 Do genuine farm work: sheep, with gangs of youths in the area who 20 Volumes on Torah, Perek, Medrash, g cows & chickens, gardening, were terrorizing and robbing charei Megilos, Talmud, and Tehilim. . construction, and more! di youth. There was no sanction, rab Proceeds of sales distributed an1ong Intensive backpacking, binic or otherwise, for preventing sec Ycshivos and used for reprinting of mountain biking, hiking volun1cs out-of-print ular Jews from using the streets of Bnei and canoe trips Brak. Yet this improbable claim was PRICE: $8.00 PER VOLUME not only reported in Ma'ariv, but 845-425-4559 picked up eagerly by all the morning radio talk shows. 1b counteract such distorted news stories a group of trained volunteers needs to be organized to call in to radio talk shows. The leading newspapers also have active on-line discussions of news items, and there too a well-organized cadre of volunteers could make an impact. A little more than a year ago, a young rosh yeshiva presented the Am FOR Echad-lsrael office with precisely such THE FINEST a plan for training volunteers, but the project ultimately went nowhere for lack IN of funding. PHOTOGRAPHY None of Lapid's tirades against the AND VIDEO chareidi community- not even the anny issue - so resonates with the secular pop ulation as the charge that chareidim are "bloodsuckers,'' constantly extorting ------The Jewish Observer, February 2003 9 projects in a credible fashion. this or that Chassidic group], and who will rotate with whom." IV. DO WE BEAR PART OF THE BLAME? Admittedly, there are serious limits on what the chareidi world can do to he remarkable jump in support lessen the hatred. We will not cease to for a party based on arousing vis be chareidim and send our yeshiva Tceral hatred of other Jews should bachurim to join the army en masse, or be a matter of concern for all Israelis. empty the kollelim in order to silence our Most disturbing is that Shinui is even critics. That is too high a price to pay Child Development more popular among educated young for secular approbation. voters than among the general popula At the same time, it would be a n1is Specialists serving tion. Lapid is "cool." That popularity take to think that there is nothing that reflects the degree to which our young we can do to improve the situation. The infants/toddlers are cut off from any sense of themselves first step is to unequivocally disassoci as Jews. ate ourselves from those who bring dis & their families One would expect the Lapid phe grace to the Torah in the name of reli nomenon to have provoked some gion. Here we should learn from the soul-searching in the chareidi co1n settlement enterprise, which has been munity. Yet to a remarkable degree that delegitimized in the eyes of the vast has not occurred. We have not yet majority of Israel's Jews, in large part due addressed the question: Have we con to the actions of a relatively small num tributed in any way to the present sit ber of violent settlers. uation in which young Jews do not hes The same can happen to us as well. itate to express their contempt for all Many who witnessed the first stirrings things Jewish? of a 1nass teshuva movement after the Shahar Ilan is no friend of the Yorn Kippur War blame the Shabbos chareidi community, but one can share stone-throwers on the Ramot Road with some of his wonderment over the lack having dampened the spirits of secular of self-scrutiny occasioned by the rise of Israelis. Torah Jewry became identified Lapid. "Has the chareidi community in the public mind with the stone considered how it is possible that a party throwers. Today, the descendants of whose main message is 'stop the charei those stone-throwers, now moved to dim' has doubled its strength in the polls Ramal Beit Shemesh, blacken the name and sprung from six to 12 mandates?" of Torah in the same way by throwing Jlan writes. "Has a rabbinical commit rocks and sending burning shopping tee been appointed to investigate this carts hurtling at motorists hours after EARLY• INTERVENTION• MAKES• A• DIFFERENCE failure? .... Hard to believe - but the the end of Shabbos. Evaluation & Therapy answer is No. A survey of editorials in A community that feels itself under the ultra-Orthodox media shows there constant attack finds it difficult to dis at our center or in the has been no debate on issues like - How avow those who wrap themselves in the privacy of your home did we make ourselves so hated! .... By mantel of believing Jews, but when they contrast, there is ... public debate ... in falsify the Torah by their actions, we have Free of Charge the chareidi media about who will be no choice. United Torah Judaism's fifth Knesset Similarly, a community under siege is Bi-lingual Services Available member - the representative ... [from loathe to ever concede any point to its Executive Offices 4228 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219 718•972•0880 For careful attention to your SERVING 8ROOKlYN, QUEENS, STATEN ISIAND & MANffATTAN individual needs, call us today! Fuode 10 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 critics. But son1eti1nes a proactive strably false. Virtually every major med response from us would be the best ical referral organization in the country defense. For instance, one of the Shinui's was founded by chareidim, and there are top agenda items is the closure of all the dozens of chareidi organizations devot religious councils around Israel. What if ed to the needs of the entire community. we were to admit that there are, in fact, The media, however, focuses almost n1any sinecures on the religious councils exclusively on Zaka, as if it were the and members drawing large salaries for exception proving the general rule of doing little or nothing'. What if we were chareidi indifference to the well-being 1537 50th Street, to agree that only the very largest cities of secular Israelis. Brooklyn, NY 11219 require two chief rabbis, one Sephardi Chareidi representatives on the Knes (718) 854-2911 and one Ashkenazi? By showing a will set Budget Committee are regularly ingness to confront the waste of public described as holding up the passage of funds, we would thereby strengthen our the state budget until the Treasury case for essential funding. guarantees continued funding for Lapid has 1nade "religious coercion" chareidi institutions. On occasion, \Ve one of his signature issues. "Let me help have haplessly played into this percep you go on enjoying yourselves;' he tells tion. The Big Family Law, which young audiences. As Yair Sheleg, him increased child allowances only from the self a frequent critic of the chareidi fifth child on, is a classic example. At a world, pointed out in the January 22 tin1e of budgetary constraints, passing •fofall'l!ge groups Ha'aretz, religious coercion is a fake a law that primarily benefited only for the· Orthodox Jewish community. issue. Not a single piece of religious leg chareidim and Arabs, and offered little Rabbinical referenees available islation has been introduced since 1993, additional support for the vast major and even that was only to restore a long ity of children living under the pover Home: (718) 338-1765 standing administrative ban on the ty line, was a n1ajor tactical blunder. P er: (917) 486-5655 import of the non-kosher meat, which had been struck down by the Supreme Court. In every area, including most dra matically commercial activity on Shab bos, the religious "status quo" has been eroding. Nevertheless cries of"religious coer Trave~ cion" succeed in rallying the secular pop Global Cellphone Rental ulation. In part, that reflects fears of a "The Name You Trust" religious takeover caused by the rapid growth of Shas. Shas and Shinui exist in DOMESTIC CORPORATE A IVATIONS perfect sy1nbiosis. Each derives its • Cellphone. .·Rental for over j1so countries strength, in part, from fears of the other. In such a situation, it is particularly • Nationwide delivery avail.,ble . incumbent upon us not to do anything • Voice mail & text messaging · to encourage such fears. No threats to • Guaranteed lowest rates I turn the Knesset into a Beit Knesset; no musings about legislation to make the • 24 hr. customer support recitation of Tehillim mandatory during • Fax & data service the moment of silence observed for fall • Itemized bill en soldiers. • Call waiting I •Caller ID Counteracting the "Us Only" Image I o image harms the chareidi 877.CELL P community more than that of I N being exclusively and single 877.235.5746 mindedly devoted to our own particu laristic interests. That image is demon- www.tra"~lcell.com The Jewish Observer, February 2003 11 The Large Family Law became a ests of the chareidi community. They secular brethren - not just for the pur lightning rod for criticism, and ren are also charged with demonstrating pose of kiruv, but to give them a feel dered all child allowances vulnerable to the relevance of the Torah to every chal ing of connectedness. The thousands of the budget cutters in the Treasury. Not lenge confronting Kial Yisroel. The avreichim organized by Lev I:Achim surprisingly, the first cuts in child insistence that every major issue - not who go door-to-door in non-religious allowances proposed by Finance Min just those dealing with mixtures of milk neighborhoods asking, "Is there any ister Silvan Shalom were aimed at those and meat - is within the ambit of the thing in the Torah you would like to who do not serve in the army. A law gedolei Torah is what distinguishes the study?" provide the model. designed to provide benefits for charei chareidi parties from Mizrachi. To From a young age) we must instill dim and Arabs begat an Emergency make that clear, our elected represen our children with a determination to Economic Plan designed specifically to tatives must speak in the name of the make every interaction with non-reli cut benefits to those groups. gedolim on all the major issues. gious Jews - and there are many such We must broaden our measure of The election propaganda of United interactions - an affirmative one. In political success to include more than Torah Judaism in the recent campaign addition, we must ensure that those simply the size of the budgetary allo indicates the party's appreciation of this occasions when secular Israelis are cation secured. Larger budgetary allo point. That propaganda plays up the 7 The ca;-~"f'R~bb·i·~Gafni shows some of the cations must be balanced against the party's support for social legislation and obstacles placed before chareidi MKs who wish cost of increased secular hatred and the the efforts of MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni to demonstrate the Torah's concern with every further alienation of the secular pop on behalf of the environment. 7 This aspect of Israeli life. The media gives no cover age to his efforts as head of the Knesset Co1n ulation from Torah. promising start, however, reminds us n1ittee on the Protection of the Environment. Counteracting the image of selfish of how long it has been since the gen Ma'ariv even ridiculed the UTJ election ads for chareidim requires not only the avoid eral Israeli public knew, for instance, of portraying the party as champions of the envi ance of tactical blunders but also the views of Rabbi Shach 7"~T on the ronment. In response, the chairman of the Soci recalling the primary purpose of reli settlements, or other major national ety for the Preservation of the Environment wrote the paper lauding Rabbi Gafni's efforts and rebuk gious representatives in the Knesset. issues. ing the paper for deen1ing it inconceivable that Those representatives are charged not Above all, we must do everything a chareidi representative could be so involved in just with protecting the narrow inter- possible to share the Torah with our an ostensibly "non-religious" issue. PURIM IN A NEW LIGHT 1l'il£>1 Nl'l»l pns' 1n£> PACllAD YITZCllAK by Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner zt'1 For the first time ever, the dynamic, yet cryptic, writings of Rav Hutner zt"l are available in English, faithfully translated and elu cidated by RABBI PINCHAS STOLPER, a talmid of Rav Hutner and a communal leader of world renown. These rich and penetrat ing essays, which are part poetry, part philosophy, part mysti cism and part piercing analysis, shed a brilliant new light on this most critical day in the Jewish calendar. Bask in the spiritual light of58 chapters ofpure Pachad Yitzchok! "'· _,,.< ... ,,.clir~·y:f~:Olii the·d.is~iblltor. OOKSHOP ~ 12 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 more or less forced into contact with The pervasive lack of hope among without a positive vision of Jews in the religious establishment are positive the Israeli Jews and their lack of sense Bretz Yisroel, they will ask themselves experiences. Batei din (religious of their own place in the panorama of whether the struggle is worth it, and courts)) for instance, should start on history of the Jewish people are not head for safer places. Among the upper time, and litigants leave impressed with unrelated phenomena. Those lacking socio-economic strata to which Lapid the dignity and concern shown them. any vision of what brought us to this has exclusively pitched his message, Unfortunately, the opposite can be the Land, any sense of themselves as the many are doing so already. case. bearers of a glorious tradition, can find When we combat the Lapid phe Every Jewish bride is required to reg no real purpose in persevering. nomenon, we do so not only to save our ister with the Chief Rabbinate, where They will fight the Palestinians selves but on behalf of Kial Yisroel. It is she typically hears a cursory review of because they have no wish to leave the incumbent upon us to anwer those who some relevant halachos in a group of land in which they were born or to speak only to the fears of secular Israelis similarly uninterested young won1en. co1nmit suicide. But at some point, with a vision of hope. • A pilot project in selected localities to provide each new bride and groom with a specially trained counselor to discuss Jewish marriage over several individual sessions proved a great suc cess. Yet rather than expanding to meet THE VORT • The menu for the seuda is limited to 3 the requests fron1 other localities, it • The Vort celebration is to be courses followed by a regular dessert. shriveled due to lack of funding. discontinued. The L'chaim (held at • No Viennese table and no bar. the time that the engagement is V. THE LARGER MEANING OF THE MUSIC THE LAPID PHENOMENON announced) should also not turn into a Vo rt. • A band may consist of a maximum of hareidim have good cause to fear THE WEDDING 5 musicians (one of the musicians may act as a vocalist) or four musicians and one Tommy Lapid and the enactment • Only 400 invited guests may be of any part of the Shinui pro additional vocalist. C seated at the chassuna seuda. gram. But secular Israelis should be • A one-man band is recommended. equally concerned about what he reveals • The kabbolas panim smorgasbord about secular Israeli society. He has pro should be limited to basic cakes, fruit plat FLOWERS & CHUPA DECOR vided a chilling snapshot of the nation ters, a modest buffet, and the caterer's • The total cost of these rt ems for the entire al soul. standard chicken or meat hot dishes. wedding should not exceed $1,800. The general malaise and hopeless ness reflected in the popularity of a FOR THE FULL VERSION OF THE SIMCHA GUIDELINES one-issue hate1nongerer is the first AND THE ACCOMPANYING KOL KOREH, source of concern. Messianic move please email [email protected] or call 212-612-2300 ments, both secular and religious, in Jewish history have always sprung We the rabbinical signatories - barring familial obligations - and unusual and from such despair. The entire Oslo extraordinary circumstances-will not participate in or attend a wedding celebration that process was an outgrowth of the shock disregards these guidelines. (Rabbinical Listing in formation} occasioned by the first intifada when Rabbi Shmuel Birnbaum Rabbi Eli Simcha Schustal Rabbi Elya Ber Wachtfogel Israeli tanks proved incapable of Rosh Hayeshiva, Mirer Yeshiva Rosh Hayeihivo, Bcis Binyomin, Stilmford Rosh HilYeshiva. Yes/uva Gedo/ah of 5ouih Failsbvrg quelling stone-throwing youngsters. Rabbi Elya Svei Rabbi Yisroel Rokowsky Roih Hayeiliiva, Yeshiva Gedold of Phiiildelphia Rabbi Yisroel Simcha Schorr Rabbi Chaim Boruch Wolpin That hopelessness is exacerbated by Rosh Hayeshiva, Yeshiva Kcr/m Stolin Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzky Roihei HaYeihiva, Yeshiva Ohr Somayach the alienation fron1 any sense of one's Ro1h Ha yeshiva, Yeshiva Gedo/a of Philadelphia Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler Rabbi Zecharia Gelley own Jewishness. (See "Israel on the Rabbi Yaakov Perlow Rosh Ha yeshiva, Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood Rov, Kha! Adas Jeshurun Brink;' by this author in The Jewish Novomimker Rebbe Rabbi Yisroel Tzvi Neuman Rabbi Lipa Margulies Observer, Nov. '00, pp. 6-8.) Without Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Feigel stock Rmh Ha yeshiva, Beth Medrash Govoha. Lakewood Rosh Hayeshiva, Yeshiva & Mesi ft a Torah Temimah Rosh Ha yeshiva, YeshM• of Long Beach that alienation, Lapid would be Rabbi Dovid Tzvi Schustal Rabbi David Kviat Rabbi Moshe Wolfson Choirman, Conferen,e of SyMgogue Rabbonim Rosh Hilyeshrva, Beth Medraih Govoha, Lakewood unthinkable. The Palestinians' belief in Mashgiach, Yeshiva Torah Vodaas of Agudath Israel their future triumph has been fueled to Rabbi Aron Moshe Schechter Rabbi Yeruchem Olshin Rabbi Shlomo Mandel a very large extent by their sense that Rosh Hayeihiva, Yeshiva Chaim Berlin Rosh Ha yeshiva, Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood Rosh Haye>hiva, Yeshiva of Brooklyn the Jews of Israel have lost all connec Rabbi Yosef Rosenblum Rabbi Mattisyahu Salamon Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman tion to their roots. (Ibid, pp. 8-10.) Rosh Hayeshiva, Yeshiva Shaarei Yosher Mashgiach, Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood Roih Hayeihiva, MeiMa Meor Yi!zchok The Jewish Observer, February 2003 13 T+-\E Tl2.AVELS Ai\JD TALES OF Purim Shpil!I will d(Jzz!f YOU with its The Weekly Halachah Discussion (2 volumes) and The Monthly Halachah Discussion l)Ji~ BY RABBI DONIEL YEHUDA NEUSTADT . . . . ~..l,!l!!p•...,.'I"' The author's popular style and foffilat have made this sencs an ongomg success. Rabbi Neustadt ·· carefully selects ba!achic topics that are relevant and that appeal to a broad s~ectrum of :caders. The result is a series of halachic discussions that are contemporary, tl1ougbt provokmg. dynamic, and ,gu~r antced to crenerate discussion - at your Shabbos table. at shuL or m the classroom. If you haven t dis covered this contemporary classic as yet you're in for a stimulating surprise. And What Can Be Done a court to send his sons to spend sev their mother and out of yeshiva. The The article by Dr. Sylvan Schaf eral weeks during the sun1n1er with his children are now attending public fer provides valuable information ex-wife, who, despite attending Bais school and Ahuva has very limited and insights in regard to matters that Yaakov schools from childhood, has contact with them. must be addressed in marital sep abandoned religious observance. To aration agreements and in court orders dealing with children whose "get back" at her former husband, she *" lives are so seriously affected by the takes the boys to non-kosher restaurants, dissolution of a marriage. Sadly, with enrolls them in a Catholic day camp, and hese anecdotes are based on real considerable frequency, in the bit takes then1 to a circus on the Seven cases*, some of which were terness that often attends divorce, teenth ofTamuz (a fast day). Tbrought to the attention of Agu the parties lose sight of the best inter • Baruch Isaacs, who still wears a dath Israel of America in search oflegal ests of the children. We have in the yarmulke and a beard, is awarded cus assistance in resolving these dilemmas. past addressed the need for tody of Avi, his teenage son, after a pro In1agine the trau1na and shame for chil greater civility and less confronta tracted court battle. Dena Isaacs' lawyer dren brought up to be strictly observant tion in the divorce process·. Unless assumes that Baruch will certainly keep and yirei Shan1ayim, who are forced to we rid divorce of the extreme per Avi in a yeshiva, and therefore the cus get into a car on Shabbos, sometin1es in sonal bitterness, the ability to accomplish the laudatory goals tody agreement states only that the boy front of their friends and neighbors. Pic that Dr. Schaffer addresses will be must attend "a Jewish school." Baruch ture the horror of a caring parent, a hard to achieve. Where war is the then inoves to Connecticut, where he shorner n1itzvos, who is watching this first order of the day, children enrolls Avi in a Conservative day school. occur after pleading in court to prevent become pawns in the battle and The mother's legal challenge to this this scene! ultimately its first casualties. To min rnove is rejected by the courts. It is our responsibility to do whatever imize collateral damage, religious • Batsheva Yellin is ordered by a court possible to 1nake certain that these divorces must also be civil. to drive her children on Shabbos to meet unfortunate situations are either avoid with Mark, their father, who is no longer ed or minin1ized. first, however, it is "'For example Dr. Meir Wilder's "iwo 'Ex's' and a 'Why?'" (March '93) and "From Stcp observant. essential to understand how helpless and Families to Blended Families" (Nov: '96). • Ahuva Sanders, who bccan1e obser vulnerable children become trapped in vant so1netin1e after her marriage, files such a state of affairs. for divorce and is granted custody of her alman Abraham, father of three four young children. Her ex-husband, ROOT CAUSES OF TRAGIC SITUATIONS sons who attend a yeshiva day Stanley, then charges that the children Zschool in Chicago, is ordered by are being raised in a cult and persuades hese scenarios are the end result a judge to take the children away from Sylvan Schaffer J.D., Ph.D. is both an attorney when child-custody disputes arise between divorcing spouses and clinical psychologist who practices law and na1ncs and identifying details of these cases T psychology, and is affiliated with NYU, Einstein have been changed to protect the confidentiali who differ in their religious observance Medical School, and Hofstra Law SchooL ty of the parties. and philosophy. This happens in two The Jewish Observer, February 2003 15 primary ways: first, both parents were Reform, or failed to spell out the myr edgeable about family law, but also originally observant and one later iad ramifications of "raising a child as familiar with the full range of needs of began to stray from observance; or sec an Orthodox Jew": Shabbos, Kashrus, an Orthodox family. If such an attorney ond, the couple was originally non and educational influences. Thus, the is not available, experts may be enlist observant and one party became more critical details of a child's religious ed with whom the attorney would con religious and raised the children in this upbringing may be left up to a judge to sult about these issues. One such expert manner with the consent of the non define, and he may have little knowledge is the rabbi, who can explain the vital practicing parent. When these parents about such matters, or may harbor neg religious details to the attorney. Also, the decide to divorce, the religious upbring ative myths about Orthodox religious attorney can consult with Orthodox ing of the children becomes an issue, practices. attorneys who can highlight key points and sometimes may be used as a Such cases may ultimately be dealt that should be included in the separa weapon despite the damaging impact it with through litigation by attorneys and tion, custody, or visitation agreement, may have on the children. expert witnesses who are familiar with and indicate time-tested approaches to In addition - this is especially true for such issues and the psychological avoiding unfortunate cases similar to families living outside of large Ortho impact they can have on the children, those in the opening anecdotes. dox communities - when the couple but this method is usually pursued as a Although the other parent may not begins the divorce process, they may last resort. Litigation is generally resort cooperate prior to going to court, the engage attorneys who themselves are not ed to only after other methods have been Orthodox parent may attempt to bring Jewish or observant, and therefore may tried and failed, since trials are very cost the other party to a beis din, which not be familiar with the religious ly, and the child may already be in the would certainly be conversant with the nuances and requirements that must be traumatic situation while the lengthy lit religious issues. In addition, the parties put into matrimonial agreements in igation process grinds on. Also, the out may seek mediation with a knowledge order to protect the children. For exam come of a trial is uncertain, since a judge able, neutral party so that these issues ple, the agreement may say that the chil will make the decision, which is then may be dealt with in a non-adversarial dren must be raised as "Jewish,'' with imposed on the parents. environment. out defining the specifics of what that means, i.e. Orthodox, Conservative or AN ALTERNATIVE: EARLY PREVENTION SOME IMPORTANT POINTS ar more effective is early preven here are several points that are tion. Planning for the religious important in formulating sepa Fneeds of the children must begin Tration custody, and visitation very early, and the rabbinate can play a agreements. First, religious issues should • Each Daf is read, very important role in making their con be dealt with explicitly. Sometimes, they translated, and explained slowly and clearly in just gregants aware of the need for such are actually overlooked. Second, gener 20 minutes planning. The rabbi often has been al terms such as ( 16 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 age; the specific neighborhoods and cities ment, they are usually upheld by the should provide emotional, financial, that are acceptable; the living arrange courts. If religious observance issues are and informational support to the fam ments in the home (especially who else not spelled out clearly, the result is quite ily in a time of personal and spiritual will be living in the home); remarriage; often the horror stories recounted at the crisis. With proper planning and care, what name the children will call a new beginning of this article. the children can be spared such trau spouse; which parent has control of reli Parents need to take these actions as matic experiences. • gious standards; standards of religious early as possible in the custody process. practice in the non-observant parent's Courts may question a parent's sincer home during visitations, and methods ity if an activity, which is labeled as objec of verification; bar mitzvas and weddings tionable, has been allowed to continue (religious, financial, and family issues); for a long period without protest. It travel outside the country (i.e. studying should be emphasized to a judge that the in Bretz Yisroe[); role of grandparents; child's religious observance is of inter arbitration by beis din; choice of doctors est even to a secular court, since its lack Torah newspaper seeks and therapists; summer camps; visitation of continuity may have negative impact schedules (especially as they involve on a child's psychological stability. EXPERIENCED Shabbos and Yorn Tov); and other similar issues. A COMMUNAL CONCERN NEWS It is essential to make the agreement FEATURE clear enough so that judicial involve hese religion-based custody cases ment may be avoided or minimized, and provide the Orthodox commu WRITERS the religious definitions are not left open Tnity with an opportunity to Please fax resume to for a judge to interpret. If religious assist children who are suffering great observance issues are spelled out clear ly, and whose lives may be drastically (718) 692-4873 ly in the visitation and custody agree- altered by the ordeal. The community The Sberna Yisrael Torah Network ofYerushalayim Has developed a structured learning program for those who work full time. All shiurim are given in English following the !!J(act order of the text of the TUR and SHULCHAN ARUCH. Onewill receive weekly a written shiur sent to you via email. You will learn: MECHABER, RAMA, SHACH, S"MA, MISHNA BllURA and more.) There are separate programs in Choshen Mish pat, Shabbos, Yoreh Deah, Niddah, Avellus, and soon Orech Chaim and Even HaEzer ·----·---·------·---·------··--··-----·--·------·------The Jewish Observer, February 2003 17 MOTHERS AND FATHERS ALIGNED SAVING KIDS p ----H IRIEFIEIR R AILISI 0 E T v L IM E NITIOIR I N G N N R ISIUIPPOIR T E 0 L I u I 0 p B IAIW A RIE N EISISI s TIAIR R R A T HIEIR AIPIYI R y NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP 718-758-0400 Help for Parents of Children-In-Conflict Sponsored by: jJl)lJSAMEACH MUSIC)JiJI 718-479- 4507 I 1-888-3-SAMEACH Yaakov Yosef Reinman Don't Judge tlte Book by Its Cover The December issue of The Jewish Observer discussed "The Dangers of Dialogue," in response to the recently published book, One People, Two Worlds, which consists of a dialogue on fundamental principles of faith between Rabbi Yosef Reinman, a recognized Torah scholar, and Ammie! Hirsch, the leader of the Association of Reform Zionists of America. The appearance of the book prompted the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah to issue a declaration rejecting the book's premise, and therefore the book itself. Rabbi Reinman accepted the decision of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah and cancelled a promotional tour with the co-author. This move won the praise of many Torah leaders, but was criticized by the secular media. Reflecting on the episode, Rabbi Rein man has written the following article for the Jewish Week. With permission from the author and the Jewish Week, we are reprinting it in full. he media have been busy for curiosity. We also connected on a per Ammi offers us the answer. "The Jew months with One People, Two sonal level, and I loved it and them. By ish world needs you;' he calls out to the TWorlds, the book I co-authored withdrawing from the tour, I had to Orthodox, "to bring your love of Torah, with Ammie! Hirsch, and the promo forgo meeting hundreds of people discipline, commitment, knowledge tional tour from which I withdrew after under similar circumstances. A great and passion to the Jewish world .... The two appearances in deference to the loss. enemy is not Reform Judaism. The Council of Torah Sages. Now that the But why did I withdraw from the enemy is apathy, assimilation and igno dust has settled somewhat, I would like tour? And even more important, why rance. We should see ourselves as allies to add a few remarks and observations was this opportunity for an Orthodox in our common struggle to sustain and of my own. rabbi to meet non-Orthodox people ensure Jewish continuity." A few weeks ago, upon his return such a rare phenomenon? You see? 1"here are strings attached fron1 his now solo appearances on the tour, An1mi wrote a piece for the Jew YOUR CAR IN ISRAEL FROM- ish Week (Ol-03-03) in which he lament * US$ ed the missed opportunity for the .90 p~::.AY Orthodox. He had met "thousands of 15 Jews ... precisely the people Rabbi Rein TYPE OF CAR PER WEEK $ man wanted to reach - n1ostly non A FIAT PUNTO 3 DR 112 Orthodox Jews eager to learn more B FIAT PUNTO 5 DR 126 about Torah and the Orthodox world." FREE* c FORD FIESTA 147 It was indeed a missed opportunity. Cl PEUGEOT 306 182 My message resonated well with the peo MT MINIBUS 10 SEATS 518 ple during the first two appearances - SHABBAT D OPEL CORSA 189 in the "State of World Jewry" forum at "' Minimum 3 days rental, exc.in$. E DAEWOO LANOS 217 the 92'"1 St. Y and at a book fair in Indi subject to offer regulation$. F SUZUKI BALENO 245 anapolis - despite my long caftan, U.S.A New-York XL PEUGEOT 406 2.0 357 beard and peyot. After the presentations, 1-800-938-5000 212-629-6090 vx VOLVO S-70 630 many people approached me with com www.eldan.co.il EX MERCEDES E240 770 ments, questions and an overwhelming KX MAZDA MPV 6SI "'unlimited mileage, exc. ins. Rabbi Reinman, a Tahnudic scholar, author and *Va1id low season only historian, lives in Lakewood, New Jersey. The Jewish Observer, February 2003 19 to these wonderful opportunities. So denies the binding nature of Halachah let go of the religion of their ancestors, Reform laypeople want to hear and learn and, by doing so, rejects the Judaism of that the national memory of Sinai is still from Orthodox rabbis? Fine, but only our ancestors. Reform laypeople know etched into their chromosomes, that if those Orthodox rabbis acknowledge this full well, and that is why they are deep down they know that the divine Reform rabbis as allies. It is like a par so eager to learn about Orthodoxy, the covenant between the Creator and His ent using the children as pawns in a religion of their ancestors. They don't people is real. marital struggle. If the Orthodox rabbi display the same interest in Conser Fifty years ago, a group of leading stands on the stage side by side with a vatism and Reconstructionism, which Orthodox sages erected a firewall Reform rabbi, then he can speak to the are just different flavors of the liberal between the Orthodox rabbinate and the people. Otherwise, no visitation. stream. Reform rabbinate, forbidding any offi During these last few months, I cial contact whatsoever between the two; ut Reform rabbis are not our col have met and heard from numerous they placed no restrictions, however, on leagues in the work of perpetu non-Orthodox people yearning for a contact with Reform Jews as individu Bating Jewish continuity. Reform stronger Jewish identity, and I wondered als. The sages felt that sharing common ideology embraces moral relativism, what motivated them to set themselves platforms with movements so antithet denies the divine authorship of the apart from American society. Then it ical to the religion of our ancestors Torah, denies the divine covenant, struck me that the laypeople have never would give them an aura of legitimacy they did not deserve. Since then, Ortho doxy has flourished, but the lines of communications with our non-Ortho dox brothers and sisters have been shut down. Their rabbis have told them that the Orthodox hate them and do not consider them authentic Jews - absolute lies - and then they have stood guard over the people to make sure that no Orthodox rabbi speaks to them unat tended. o why did I write my book when I knew that our revered sages dis Sapproved of sharing platforms with Reform rabbis? Was I breaking away and setting out in a new direction? Heaven forbid. There is a deep sense of desperation in the Orthodox commu nity at the disintegration of the non Orthodox world. There is a feeling that time is running out and that something must be done. The rabbis who author ized and supported this project decid ed, based on several fine distinctions, that it was an exception to the rule. To mention just one of these distinctions, since I am an independent scholar and writer rather than a 1nember of the rab binate, my participation was considered "individual" rather than "official" con tact; I mention this distinction in the book several times. We felt we could thus circumvent the rabbinate and speak directly to the people. We were wrong. The media com pletely ignored my explicit distinctions and depicted the exchange as a break- 20 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 through, a breach in the Orthodox wall when I was sitting Shivah for my father they do not allow you to meet Ortho of rejection - which it was never meant last week. The sages just set policy; they dox rabbis, read the books I mention in to be. Most did not even bother to read never tell individuals what to do, and the Afterword. If you need more guid the book. They just looked at the cover they certainly never threatened me in ance, write to me at the email address and, to my horror, painted me as the any way whatsoever. Their declaration ([email protected]) that appears Rosa Parks of interdenominational dia treated me with kindness and respect, there. logue. I have yet to see one serious, in and when I issued my brief statement As Ammi mentioned, when we were depth review of the book. of acceptance and withdrew from the at the 92od St Y, the moderator asked The declaration of the Council of tour, they were surprised and respond me, "If someone has a choice between Sages simply reaffirmed what we already ed with a nice complimentary state watching the Sopranos and learning knew - that the distinctions had failed ment. I have only good things to say Talmud with a Reform rabbi, what to register with all those people eager to about them. would you advise him to do?" Things portray the book in a light that suited In retrospect, the premise of the book had been going so well, and now this them better. Under these circumstances, was a mistake. But what is done is done. bomb. I tried to wiggle out, but the the tour would just compound the error. The book has taken on a life of its own, moderator pinned me down. What What could I say? They were right. and I hope and pray that it does only could I do? So I took a deep breath and And so, I withdrew. Unfortunately, the good and no harm. Ultimately, the book said, "He should watch the Sopranos." media ridiculed the Council of Sages as will stand as convincing evidence that There was an audible gasp from the beady-eyed ayatollahs issuing fatwas Orthodoxy is intellectually sophisticat audience. I was mortified. against me and my family and bans of ed and compelling, that our rejection of Afterward, Richard Curtis, my wise excommunication against anyone who dialogue does not stem from fear and friend and agent, told me, "Don't worry. dared pick up the book. This was all that our expressions oflove for all Jews People will respect your intellectual hon nonsense. are genuine and sincere. esty. And besides, many people will go The members of the Council are home wondering, What is so bad about wise, intelligent, highly principled peo n the meantime, I urge all my Jew learning Talmud with a Reform rabbi? ple, most of whom I have known for ish brothers and sisters not to allow Why would he say something like that?" years; two of them paid their respects I your rabbis to hold you hostage. 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PRl> The Jewish Observer, February 2003 21 Eliyahu Shm '.}{:··i" membering the 1iiJ"iJ;. Rabbi Mordechai arpsky, grew up with stories of gedolim. Yet him, and less still have been published. it was my father's recollections of This sketch is a modest attempt to I Reb Mordechai Pogromansky that capture a spoke in the wheel on the captured my intense interest and excite chariot of fire that was Rabbi ment. A brilliant illuy, whose name Mordechai Pogromansky. caused a stir in the Torah world, but whose life remained a closed book, Reb DISCOVERING A GENIUS Motte! left no children or chiddushim behind. Yet in his close to forty-seven t was the famed baa[ mussar, Rabbi years on this world, he influenced Reb Motte/, gaon hagaonim!" Elya Lopian, who first discovered countless of his contemporaries, many Klal Yisroel is familiar with the tzad I Reb Motte!. After World War I, Reb of whom wistfully recalled fragments of dikim g'luyim, the great Roshei Yeshiva, Elya traveled from shtetl to shtetl in his brilliance, his fiery personality, his Chassidishe Rebbe'im, and Rabbanim Lithuania, seeking out Jewish children, extraordinary memory, the sheer force whose names have become household encouraging them to study Torah. He of his powerful shmuessen. words. Then there are the nistarim (hid would spend a day or two in each com Indeed, whenever my father had the den men of greatness) -the shoemak munity, giving shiurim, and urging the privilege of encountering Rabbi ers, blacksmiths and leather tanners children to remain loyal to the Torah Mordechai Gifter ':nil, at the Agudath who plied their trade, while their lips way. Israel conventions, or at a chasuna, he murmured pure words of Torah; men When Reb Elya Lopian reached the would mention the zechus he had of so great that the generation did not shtetl of Tavrig in Lita, he followed his meeting Reb Motte! after the war. deserve to know them. Only after their usual custom of visiting the local beis Immediately, Rabbi Gifter's face would passing was the true scope of their midrash and speaking to the young boys light up with joy, as he began to remi greatness revealed, if at all. Finally, there learning there, but he had a special rea nisce about the greatness of Reb Mot are those tzaddikim whose gadlus was son for coming to Tavrig. He had heard tel with a passionate exclamation," Oy, appreciated only by those few who knew that a fourteen-year-old grandson of to appraise the rare and precious jewel. Reb Chaim Yanover, a renowned mar Rabbi Berney, a Maggid Shiur and principal in To the masses, these tzaddikim bitz ( disseminator) of Torah in Lithua Monsey, is involved in various kiruvprojects. His remained an enigma. nia, had been enrolled in gymnasium article, "The Radiner Rosh Hayeshiva Remen1bers His Saintly Father-in-Lav.', the Chafetz Chaim," Reb Motte! belonged to the final (secular school) and was not receiving appeared in JO, Jan. '84. category. Little has been written of a proper Torah education. Reb Elya -·---··--·---·------·------···-···-· --··--····-···--·--··--·------··- 22 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 sought out the young genius - AFLAME WITH TORAH 1elzer, young Mattel's razor-sharp mind Mordechai ("Motte!") Pogromanski - raced. With every proof that Reb Chaim and persuaded him to come to his yeshi eb Motte] Pogromansky was would submit, he responded with an va in Kelm. Intellectually curious, the born in 1904, in Tavrig, near the "up-shlug" (refutation). "!hr zent a teenager agreed to join hin1. He began RGerman border. I-Iis parents \Vere gaon 1" Reb Chaim said with excitement. learning Torah day and night, making humble, ehrliche Yidden. The Roshei Yeshiva labeled him "an illuy," up for lost time. Tavrig boasted n1any batei midrashhn an accolade that was used sparingly. Three months later he disappeared. with talmidei chachan1irn. The 1nora Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch commented Reb Elya soon discovered that he had d'asra (Rabbi) of the city was the that he had not seen an illuy of such returned to Tavrig. Young Motte! esteemed Rabbi Avrohom Abba stature since the days of his own youth, explained that he could not abandon his Burzsytn, one of the accomplished when he had learned at the world widowed mother and siblings. As the scholars of Lita.At the same time, it had renowned "mother of all yeshivas" in eldest, he was responsible for his fami many gy1nnasiurns and secular schools Volozhin. ly's welfare. He had returned to resume with a large secularized population Reb Motte! had moved rapidly his successful trading ventures. Reb Elya that wanted to ensure their children's through all the four levels of shiurim of arranged an alternative means of sup entry into the universities of Germany. Telshe, and as the star of the yeshiva, the port for the family, and the gifted Thus, young Motte!, a brilliant and bachurim would come to him to talk in bachurreturned to Kelm. precocious child, was influenced by both learning. The shiurim he responded with A recollection ftom Rabbi Mordechai of these competing forces. Although he were not formal addresses, such as those Gifter ?": The Jewish Observer, February 2003 23 than we already have.) Rosh Yeshiva in Heide, a suburb of in 1940, at a shiur the Rav was pre At the same time, he had the uncan Antwerp. (See background photo, p.22) senting there. Reb Mattel made a ny ability of relating even to a small There he cultivated a warm relationship lomdishe comment that so impressed child. Likewise, when talmidim came to with Rabbi Mordechai Rottenberg, then the Brisker Rav that he immediately him for guidance, Reb Mattel would dis Rav of Antwerp, and endeared himself sought out his identity. Years later, cuss the topic in a manner that the lis to the Orthodox Jewish community in while living in Yerushalayim, Reb tener could relate to. He demonstrated Belgium. Velvel would frequently talk of the a keen perception of business issues, and The talmidim of the yeshiva in Heide young illuy, praising him highly - was known to be a gifted baal eitza were in awe of Reb Mattel. In fact, dur unusual in the world of Brisk. (source of counsel). ing the dark days of the underground His intense concentration was leg Reb Mattel's brilliance came along movement in Vichy, France, my father, endary. Reb Mattel was able to remain with a forceful, dynamic intellect that hiding together with yeshiva bachurim absorbed in his learning for hours on was impossible to be contained within as partisans, learned under one of Reh end, losing track of the time. One night, the confines of the conventional derech Mattel's prized talmidim, Rabbi David at 2:00 AM, he knocked on someone's (approach) in the yeshiva. The Roshei Moshe Lieberman. Rabbi Lieberman, door to ask for a warm drink) since he Yeshiva eventually asked him to learn on today a leading Rav in Antwerp, talked had just come from the beis midrash. his own, since his methodology was dis constantly of Reb Mattel, and the pro After he was given a drink, he asked, rupting the seder hayeshiva. He began found impact he had upon the "What time is it?" When told that it was learning alone in his room; however, bachurim. 2:00 AM, he was stunned, and apolo asking Reb Motte! to keep his thoughts During the l 930's, Reb Motte! spent gized profusely, saying, "I thought it was to himself was like asking a volcano to some time recovering from extreme a little after Maariv!" hold forth its lava. mental exhaustion brought on by his Despite his intense concentration, Reb Motte! then set out for the strenuous study schedule. He stayed in or perhaps because of it, Reb Mattel renowned Slobodka Yeshiva, located near the shtetl of Kushlat at the home of his had a superb sense of scent. Once, Kovno (Kaunus), the capital of Lithua brother, Reb Yosef Pogromansky (also while learning with bachurim in nia. Jn Slobodka, the same sequence of a Telshe talmid) who was Ravo[ the city. Telshe, he broke off in the middle of events repeated itself. Thus Reb Motte! In the proximity to Ponevezh, he forged a sentence. When asked what was began to learn on his own, in Kovno. a close connection with the Rosh Yeshi wrong, Reb Mattel replied, "I sense a There, he had the opportunity to discuss va of Ponevezh, Rabbi Asher Kalman bad spirit in the room:' When the Torah topics and become close with the Barron. Rabbi Barron later stated, "Men bachurim looked around, bewildered, Rav of Kovno, Rabbi Avrohom Kahana darf ehm farshteyn, one needs to under they noticed the non-Jewish janitor - Shapiro (the Dvar Avrohom). stand Reb Mattel!" a rather depraved individual - was While he was recuperating, the doc peeking in the door. His finely honed A BRILLIANT ROSH YESHIVA tors forbade him to learn Torah. Instead, sense told hin1 that there was someone he went to the local library, and within nearby lacking a refined neshama. n 1929, at the age of twenty-five, Reb a few days, had read all the books on the Mattel, then already known in "der shelves! He later attested, "All the YIRAS SHAMAYIM I Lita" as a gadol and illuy, accepted the chochma of the secular world does not position of Rosh Yeshiva in Riga, Latvia. come close to the wisdom of one maa eb Motte! went to great extremes He remained there until about 193 7, mar Chazal!" o avoid even a trace of an aveira. when he traveled to Belgium, to become Rabbi Gifter related that during this -le was so terrified of sin, that he time, he mastered the Swedish lan would devote much time and energy to guage merely by reading from the ensure that he not inadvertently trans Unique Gift Swedish newspaper that wrapped his gress a halacha. Rabbi Gifter would recall daily diet of herring! Yet he always his yiras Shamayim with the following regretted the secular knowledge stories: Mitzvah Watch amassed in his youth, saying that it pre Rabbi Gifter once met him in the with 6 constant vented him from achieving pure daas resort area of Palonga, on the Baltic Sea mitzvos on dial. Torah. He often said, "I don't have where the bachurim would go to regain complete daas Torah. Only a person on their health during bein hazmanim $25 with bklt. the level of Reb Boruch Ber (intercession). As they were walking on 3 for $54. [Liebowitz, ofKaminetz] cau have total the boardwalk, Rabbi Gifter asked Reb daas Torah!" Mattel if he would join him in a row Yeshiva Fund The Brisker Rav, Rabbi Velvel boat, as the excursion would be benefi Box 82 • S. I., NY 10309 Soloveitchik, met Reb Mattel in Vilna cial for his health. Reb Motte! agreed, and --·----··------·------·------24 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 Rabbi Gifter went to hire the boat. When morning, I have my regular seder Reb Motte! later asked Rabbi he returned, he found that Reb Motte! (scheduled session) of fifty daf Gifter if he would have the same had changed his mind. His problem? He (pages of Gemora!). After that, I learn potential for kiruv with the assimi had a question as to whether he would other sedarim until nightfall. And lated American youth. Rabbi Gifter be required to say Tefillas Haderech on then, for an hour after Maariv, my replied that the concept of someone a trip of this nature, and decided to door is open. During this tin1e, uni immersed in solitary study for many forego the outing. versity students come in, and sit hours, and then being available late Reb Motte! wore a hat that was either down to learn for one hour. After the at night, would be a novelty. He too big or too small, one that never fit hour of intense learning, the added that America loves eccentric him. When Rabbi Gifter asked him bachurim ask for yarmulkas, cover ities. He asked Rabbi Gifter to make about it, Reb Motte! explained that he their heads, and walk out, kissing the the necessary travel arrangements1 was concerned about the possibility of mezuza!" Reb Mattel attested, "I but for various reasons this did not shatnez in the hat. Thus, he would pur transform them from frei students to come to be. chase the first hat that seemed the right d'veikim b'Torah u'v'yira!" size, to avoid trying on many hats, which would present the possibility of being culpable of wearing shatnez! He would then have its fabric checked. A door in the yeshiva had a ten dency to get stuck. He suspected that RESURRECTl·ON forcing it open on Shabbos might vio late one of the 39 melachos (forbidden wa$What he. experienced, labors). Reb Motte! thus preferred to enter the room through the window, when a· last minute rather than risk chillul Shabbos. While he walked in the streets of transplant succeeded Paris, Reb Motte! had a habit of stay ing very close to the building walls that lined the street. He was afraid that, in His Family Received his intense concentration on Torah, he would accidentally walk between two A Rejuvenated Father women! Once, while walking in Paris, Reb Mattel asked a companion what time it was. The friend looked up at a big clock on the wall of a nearby church. Reb Motte! cried out, "Don't tell me what time it is! It is forbidden to derive benefit from a place of alien worship!" OUTREACH IN KOVNO ong before the word" kiruv" was in vogue, Reb Motte! held out Become A Partner in Lreach classes in Kovno for uni versity students. His magnetic power thi$ marvelous recovery! and soul-stirring words turned their lives around. This worthy ca111e is strangly endorsed by these Gedo/Im In fact, as he later told Rabbi Gifter during one of his bein haz manin1 visits to Telshe, this outreach work was part of his daily schedule, which was so intense and strenuous, it was nearly impossible to duplicate. In Reb Mattel's own words, "In the The Jewish Observer, February 2003 25 MIRACULOUS SURVIVAL Nearly every night, the Gern1ans able to n1ove about within the confines arrived with their search dogs and of the ghetto walls, Reb Mordechai deliv hen World War II broke out, bullhorns, warning those hiding in ered regular shiurim in "Hoizman's in 1939, Reb Mattel found their bunkers to surrender before they Kloiz;' the main shul of the Kovno ghet W himself in Kovno, trapped in were asphyxiated or burned to death. to, and spoke at the Seuda Shlishis. Dur a city besieged by war. He would remain The S.S. set fire to many apartment ing this time, he developed a close rela in Lithuania for several years, hiding in buildings, and the blinding smoke waft tionship with the Menahel Ruchani of the ghetto, miraculously surviving the ed into the bunkers, forcing the terrified the Slobodka Yeshiva, Rabbi Avraham ravages of the Holocaust. Jews to flee straight into the hail of Nazi Grodzinski, who was also in Kovno. The Nazis soon began imple bullets. During these dark days, he was a menting their plans for the "final By the time the Third Reich was beacon of support and encourage solution," the annihilation of defeated, the bustling ghetto of Kovno rnent, exuding a sense of purpose, of Lithuanian Jewry. Tens of thousands had become a ghost town. Out of the ironclad bitachan. Whenever he were herded into the ghetto of thousands of Jews who were crammed received a care package from outside Kovno, where there was little food within its walls, there were only a the ghetto, he immediately handed it and almost no medical care. The only handful of people, mostly young men, out to his impoverished neighbors, way to avoid starvation was to regis who had miraculously survived. with the explanation that they need ter with the Judenrat, and have one's Where was Reb Motte! Pogromansky ed it more than he did. In the ghet name placed on the list of able-bod during this time? Eyewitnesses who sur to's secret beis midrash, he gave shi ied working men. These men were vived remember him well. He remained urin1 to yeshiva bachurirn from often the first to be deported to the underground during the entire period, several different yeshivas, teaching labor camps, while the wo1nen and never registering with the Nazis to them 1nussar and bitachon in addition children were "selected" and placed receive his quota of food. During those to their regular studies. Reb Mattel on trains heading to a crematorium. years, he lived with a family named Lop once told a ta/mid, "You see the sol The story of the Kovno ghetto is a tale iansky, who, with great self-sacrifice, diers and murderers all around this of triumph amidst the tragedy. As shared their last morsel of bread. ghetto. But I see Hakadash Baruch poignantly related by Rabbi Ephraim Hu, who is watching us, and saving Oshry in his Zichronos, chronicling the HEROISM OF A DIFFERENT SORT us from them." human spirit amidst indescribable pain Reb Motte] once asked a fellow ghet and torture, the Jews of Kovno prevailed eb Motte! was a hero in the ghet to dweller if he understands the mean until the end. Underground yeshivas to, though not in the usual sense. ing of the ghetto experience, and what were set up, secret n1inyanim and brissin RUnlike the partisans who aimed Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants of His peo took place; there was even a mikva in the to kill as many Nazis as they could, his ple. He then answered his own question. ghetto. Jewish life flourished in the ghet heroisn1 lay in his determination to serve "Hashem wants to show us that it is to, even while roundups and mass his Creator under the most impossible impossible for us to exist for even one deportations occurred with 1nurderous circumstances. day without His direct intervention!" frequency. In the early days, when the Jews were While in the ghetto, he never sat Not just a cheese, a tradition... Hao!am, the most trusted name in Cho\ov Yisroel Kosher Cheese. A reputation earned through 25 years of scrupulous devotion to quality and kashruth. With 12 delicious varieties. Haolam, a tradition you'll enjoy keeping. All Haolam cheese products are made in the U.S.A. under the strict rabbinical supervision of: Cholov Yisroel The Rabbinate of K'hal A.dath Jeshumn, Washington Heights, NY THURM BROS. WORLD CHEESE CO. INC. BROOKLYN, NY 11232 Hao lam. ----·-·~·------26 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 down on a chair, only on a stone. He rvhen everyone else was required to be how such a frail scholar, not well versed knew that during the war people lost registered and listed in some way. He in the ways of the street and of how to all their possessions, and there was no even had ren1ained hidden during the hide, managed to survive. Apparently way of knowing whon1 the items great Aktzion of October 28, 1941, on Kial Yisroel still needed him. belonged to. Perhaps the owners of the Kovno's Black Day, lvhen even the sick chairs had not yet given up hope of had to be carried out on their beds, and LIBERATION reclaiming their furniture. If so, Reb the Chief Rabbi, who was old and sick, Mattel reasoned, sitting on their chairs had to appear in the main square. Yet, n 1945, after the Russians liberat without pennission is tanta111ount to Reb Mattel lvas not seen." ed the remains of the Kovno Ghet· stealing. Thus, he spent over eighteen How did Reb Mordechai survive the I to, the surviving Jews emerged hours a day sitting on a stone and learn liquidation in the ghetto? How did he fron1 their burrows) blinking in the ing Torah from me1nory. rernain alive when so 1nany thousands unaccustomed sunlight. The broken After the war, one of his taln1idin1 of his brothers perished in the flames? hearted remnants of Kovno tiptoed asked him how he managed to learn the There are several differing accounts. among the ruins, unable to believe that entire Mesechta Kesubos with the Shita According to Rabbi Mordechai they, alone, out of their entire fami Mekubetzes (anthology of early com Gifter, Reb Motte! escaped from the lies, had survived. mentaries) in one week in the Kovno ghetto, (probably through a sewer During those depressing days and Ghetto. Reb Motte! explained, "It's pos syste1n, as did n1any others,) and confusing times, Reb Motte! become sible to learn at least fourteen hours a joined partisans hiding in surround a do1ninant force among Lithuanian day. Learning a blatt Gemora with Rashi ing forests. Other reports have him Jewry. He followed the dictum, and Tosafos takes half an hour, so you hiding in the German-occupied area of "Bin1ekom she' ein anashi1n, hishtadel can learn twenty blatt in ten hours. Then Kovno until war's end. li'hiyos ish": His brothers needed him, you revievv for two hours, and then you Regarding his escape to the enemy and he rose to the challenge. still have two hours left for Rishoniln, side, a miraculous story is told about a Reb Motte! joined forces with other Acharoniln, and the Ran1ba1n:' When he Jew living outside of the ghetto, who Rabbanim who had survived to saw his student's surprise, Reb Mattel had had a dream. In his dream, the rebuild from the ashes of Clwrban apologetically added that he knew nian's deceased father ordered hi1n to Lita. Entire kehillos had been wiped Meseclzes Kesubos fairly well, and thus go to the ghetto and take out Reb out, and the great Torah centers of yes could go through it quickly. Mordechai Pogromansky. When the son terday were reduced to cinders. Yet Reb The following is an excerpt from an protested that he did not know Reb Motte] did not despair. He was a tower essay written by a close acquaintance, Mordechai, his father told him that he of strength, a fountain of wisdom) who met him in the ghetto: should go into the ghetto, and the first en1una and bitachon. "On my few visits to hin1, I always person he will meet will be Reb He played an important role in the found him deep in thought, studying Mordechai. And so it was. Thus, Reb distribution of much-needed food, Torah 1-vithout any texts. He would tell Mordechai's life \Vas saved. clothing and supplies from America to 1ne so1ne ofhis thoughts on mussar sub In a third version, Rabbi Oshry the she'aris hapleita (survivors). In jects, which he had developed with his recalls him hiding in a bunker in the fact, Rabbi Gifter later related how he own sharp perspective. ghetto until the Red Anny liberated the had learned that Reb Motte! had sur "I've always been amazed that he city. Each of these stories, however, is not vived the war: A Yiddish newspaper managed to stay hidden in the ghetto as 1niraculous as the overall 1niracle of reported how an angelic man in HAT PLUS Hats • Shirts • Ties •Accessories Your#l Stop Personal responsibility throughout sen•ice - NOT JUST "PAPERWORK" for ORIGINATOR OF THE PRESENT RABBINICALLY APPROVED METHOD Quality Hats Highly recommended by Gedolai Hador- Here and in Eretz Yisrael 104.1-42nd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219 WE ALSO DRY CLEAN LARGEST SELECTION & RESHAPE HATS OF CHDSONIM TIES IN J)ay &Night phone: (718) 851-8925 (All work done on premises/ BROOKLYN ]))t,,ON1~0Nj7 ))l"j7 - ]>"!:l 1Nl nlr.l::I)) 'll~ 1368 Coney Island Avenue Kavod Haniftar with Mesiras Nefesh and compassion for the bereaved family. (718) 377-5050 TAHARAS HANIFTAR SHOULD NEVER BE COMMERCIALIZED Major credU cards accepted • We ship UPS The Jewish Observer, February 2003 27 Kovno was distributing food and sup plies to the refugees and survivors. Rabbi Gifter knew it had to be Rabbi Mordechai Pogromansky! As recounted by a survivor, "After liberation, I noticed that he was always dressed in tatters, and had no decent clothes. When rescue parcels containing shoes and overcoats arrived, I made sure that Reb Motte! received some immediately. When I met him some weeks later, he was still wearing his tattered clothing. I asked him, (Why aren't you wearing the new items?' He replied. 'Isn't it possible that the clothing was bought with money that came from Shabbos desecrators?"' Reb Motte! soon realized that there was no future for the remainder of the for Hospital Visits • Think survivors in blood-soaked Lithuania. Before You Speak • Be The hatred of the Lithuanian mur Careful What You Say to derers was still strong, and many Single Parents Privacy: Jews who had miraculously survived Respecting & Preserving It • the inferno were murdered in cold On Losing a Spouse• Making blood. Thus, Reb Motte! was instru A Shivah Call • Children mental in helping many of his broth Going Back to School After A ers escape to the free world via Poland. Death • Single Parent In 1947, after Lithuania became a Families: the Physical, Soviet Republic, Reb Motte! smuggled Emotional, himself into Poland, a very dangerous Aspects • How to Keep A undertaking. Living in Poland as an illegal fugitive from the USSR, with no Happy Occasion Happy!• The identification papers, his life was in importance of Mental Health danger every day. The "heroine of res Getaways • Helping Within cue;' Mrs. Reeba Sternbuch (daughter Your Field of Expertise • Ask of Rabbi Mordechai Rottenberg), Before You Help arranged for a special car to smuggle Shidduchim • HowtoHelpon ow can I help another in his or him out of Poland, through Czecho the Sabbath and Festivals • slovakia, and then into France. H her time of need? What should The Different Needs of I say or do? What shouldn't I say or do? Children HIS FINAL YEARS This indispensable guide shows us how Children • Teenagers in to deal with life's delicate and difficult Mourning • Patients' Advice eb Mattel settled in Bailly, a moments when it comes to addressing suburb near Paris where sever To Doctors • Doctors' Advice another's emotional anguish. Ral prominent survivors had to Patients • What You Can Compassionate, uplifting, and beauti established a yeshiva. He joined forces Do For Our Sons and with chaveirim from Telshe, including fully written, this thoughtful guide Daughters • Stop and Smell Rabbi Chaim Stein, to build yeshivas, belongs in every Jewish heart and home. the Roses• And much more ... orphanages, and other institutions for the survivors. The Sternbuchs invited him to Aix-les-Bains, in southern France, where they had set up chil dren's homes. He became the spiritu al mentor of the orphaned children who lived in these homes, with no 28 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 family left to care for them. During his years in France, Reb A SAMPLE OF REB MORDECHAI POGRAMANSKY'S DIVREI TORAH Motte! was considered one of the lead ing Rabbanim in that area, and no Although Reb Mordechai left over very few written Torah thoughts, educational or halacha decision was a few gems of his great mind remain, a.nd are brought down in sefer Siach Yoseph, by Rabbi Yosef Roth of Bnei Brak, in the chapter entitled Gedu reached by the askanim without con /as Mordechai. sulting with him. When asked why he didn't write down his chiddushei Torah, Reb Mordechai Rabbi Yosef Kahaneman, the Pon explained, "I once tried to write down my Torah thoughts, but I realized evezher Rav, who knew him from der that I would have to spend so much time on it, that I wouldn't have any Lita, invited him to join the Pon time left to teach." In addition, as Rabbi Gifter explained,"lleb Motte! evezher Yeshiva in Bretz Yisroel. Reb was such a genius, that his brain simply worked too fast for him to organ Motte] initially refused. He was afraid ize his thoughts on paper!" that perhaps it might interfere with the Rabbi Chaim Stein also said, "He was like a gushing stream, forever status of the newly arrived Mashgiach, sprouting forth new ideas, one thought after another. He could not halt Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler (the the current of thoughts and concentrate on one of them long enough to Michtav Me'Eliyahu). Only after being write it down." Alas, we are poorer because ofthis. Out of his numerous shmuessen, only one shmuess was recorded and assured by the Ponevezher Rav that a handful. of brilliant insights remain. Here is one such insight there was a place for everyone, did Reb Chazal tell us that "one should do teshuva the day before he. dies." Mattel agree to join. The Gemora raises the obvious question: How does a person know when However, this was not to be. A short he will die? How can one be certain which day will be the ''day before while later, Reb Motte] became seri he dies"?The Gemora answers, "A person must do teshuva today, because ously ill and only reached Eretz Yisroel perhaps his end will come tomorrow." In other words, one is being exhort after his petira, when he was buried in ed to consider eac.h day as potentially his last, and thus do teshuva just Bnei Brak. The Illuy had perhaps fore as he would if it were certainly his last day on earth. seen his early demise, as he once Teshuva ls a profound avoda, consisting of many layers. Through doing remarked: "There is no place for me teshuva, a person has the ability to reach many exalted levels of avodas in this world." Hashem. Can we so simplify teshuva, as to bring it down to the level where one is doing teshuvajust because he is frightened of death? With time, Reb Mattel found his Let us derive understanding from the following: The mineral waters that zivug, a true tzaddeikes, who was will come from the famous springs in the city of Karlsbad are renown for their ing to marry him, knowing full well his healing qualities. People come from all over the world to benefit from the . precarious 1nedical condition. This healing properties of the Karlsbad mineral water. True, this special mineral · pious woman wished to be married to water can be obtained even far away from Karlsbad. In fact, here in Kovno the great tzaddik and Illuy, regardless one can .buy a bottle of Karlsbad water. Nevertheless,· the Karlsbad water of how many years they would have purchased in Kovno does not have the same potency and healing proper together on this world. Later, when he ties as the water obtained in Karlsbad. The further the water is from its source, was at death's door, she refused his the less potent it becomes. The closer one gets to Karlsbad, however, its poten offer of a get so as to free her from cy increases. Obviously, the source itself has the greatest healing powers. chalitza (Reb Motte! had an irreligious Teshuva is every person's imperative. How can he enter into the world of teshuva? His exalted neshama is extremely limited by the inhibitions brother in America) because she of the mundane, material world, by arrogance, an inflated sense of self would rather remain his al1nana worth, and a person's base desires. How can one free himself from the (widow). trappings of his gut (body) and enter into the pure, spiritual world of teshu Although he married late in life, va? How can one detach himself sufficiently from the mundane to ana Reb Mattel still understood the nec lyze his actions and motives with a purity of heart so that he can deter essary components for shalom bayis. mine what requires rectification? He would hold vaadim( discussion First, he must place before his eyes the picture of the day he wiU d.ie. groups) for chassanim, explaining to What will he look like when his aron will be interred in the cemetery? then1 the significance of n1aking their What will become of his arrogance, his bloated sense of self on that final ho1ne a mikdash tne'at (1niniature trip to the cemetery as his body is lowered into the cold, hard earth? Yes, sanctuary). He stressed the importance we have all attended a levaya, but we divorce ourselves from the reali of privacy and refraining from social ty. It is "Reuven's funeral," or "Shimon's funeral." The Gemora is telling us that one must constantly place the picture of one's own funeral in front interactions with other married cou of his eyes, as morbid and difficult as that may be. Only then will a per ples. He also advised them to make a son be able to free himself from the trappings of his corporeal existence, policy of not discussing other people shed his false sense of greatness to enter the rarified world of teshuva, in their home. and progress from one spiritual level to the next. 1111 After his marriage, Reb Motte] .. . . The Jewish Observer, February 2003 29 moved near Versailles, where he start went a complicated surgery, he refused garten and the Sternbuch family, con ed a yeshiva. As his health deteriorat to allow the doctors to put him to stantly at his side. According to Reb ed, however, arrangements were made sleep. "If yissurirn (suffering) are Mottel's alrnana, "It is impossible to for him to go to Switzerland for med decreed upon a person in this world, describe the efforts done for over a ical care. He remained there for a year, he should not try to avoid them;' was year to sustain him." during which top medical specialists his explanation. His suffering was so On Motza'ei Shabbos, 25 Shevat, attended to him. Initially, he refused intense that he once remarked, "There 5710 (1950), he returned his holy to stay in the hospital, because he was are people who have yissurirn, but l am nesharna at the yonng age of 46, leav afraid of the issur of yichud. Only after yissurin1 personified!" ing no children. On Rosh Chodesh special arrangements were made, did Tremendous efforts were made by Adar, (a year to the day after his mar Reh Motte! agree to be admitted. many to save Reb Mottel's life. Rabbi riage,) his aron (casket) was brought Reh Mottel's extraordinary strength Gifter, then in America, attempted to to Eretz Yisroel for kevura (burial). of character shone through during obtain new medicines to fight his can Even though hespeidirn are tradi those difficult days. When he under- cer. Especially active were Wolf Rosen- tionally not given on Rosh Chodesh, the Ponevezher Rav deemed it appro priate to eulogize him because of his greatness in Torah and yiras Shamay im. The Chazon lsh, with many Torah leaders, escorted the aron to the Zichron Meir Beis Olan1 in Bnei Brak. Though they never met, the Chazon lsh could not be moved from the kever, remaining there for over a Time and time again, this half hour, crying bitterly at the loss to resounds in a Jerusalem home. Kial Yisroel. the bewildered child gets no response, Reb Motte! was a single, dazzling flash of lightning who lit up the BECAUSE TOTTY HAS FAINTED night's darkness, illuminating the ONCE AGAIN ... majestic horizon before it disappears. Those who benefited from his light were helped to see their way through the enveloping darkness that engulfed Jewry during those difficult times. It is impossible for us to fathom Unfortunately, this father is way too how much more the brilliant Illuy ill for simple medication to work on could have accomplished had he lived to a ripe old age. In his less than fifty him. He must undergo a serious years in this world, however, he taught operation next month, but the cost is us, by example, how great one can astounding and he cannot pay it. become through intense an1eilus (supreme effort) baTorah and how much one can accomplish by reaching EIGHT CHILDREN out and sharing his skills and knowl Please make . edge with others. CRY "MOMMY, ISN'T THERE A tax-deductible checks .I My father finally met Reb Mattel in per MEDICINE THAT CAN MAKE TOTTY payable to· /1 son in Paris at the end of the war, where he FEEL BETTER?" had come to help refugee children. My father RELIEF & HATZOLAS r: accompanied him to the railroad station, NEFOSHAS and send to· and as they walked, he gave over warm EIGHT CHILDRENIRabbi Yehoshua Pe I , words of encouragement, laced with DESPERATELY AWAIT •• 18 Ma'amorei Chazal. To my father, a young 60-52'' Street # ~~: boy orphaned of his father during the war, A HEALTHY TOTTY. Brooklyn, NY 11204 Reb Mordechai's words were a great inspi ration for him to go on. They continue to Please contribute all you can to help this happen!! inspire his children to this day. • ------30 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 Rabbi Hillel Goldberg From the Depths, a ho could believe? One-liners pean Jewish piety of his youth in Lodz, "!have 88 books on the Holocaust. on the Holocaust? Then Poland, and the rndically different real· I have read 88 books on the Holocaust! W again, if you think about it, it ity of post-World War II America. But I still don't understand the Holocaust." makes perfect sense. How can the Holo his voice was different this tin1e, broken, "I was in Auschwitz. I survived. caust be reduced to language? What can cracking, agonized. It lacked his usual Don't ask rne hovv I survived - I don't one say? All language is either not joy. You could see he was having trou know." enough or too much. l)enverite ble. Tears filled his eyes. Afterward, he "I went to the library for a book on Ephraim Englard found the midpoint: turned to me, voice still cracking, body the blueprints of the crematoria. The one-liners. quaking, yet also conveying his sense of librarian went downstairs to search for He was there, so everything he said transcendence, which was also his pride the book, and didn't have it. I told him, had the ring of authenticity. Everything in having kept his own faith and that of 'You know why I want that bookl I am he said also carried intense emotion. l-Ie the generations. With great declarative a survivor of Ausch\vitz.' He started to packed a lot into his one-liners. He force, Ephraim Englard said to me: "Es tremble. 'Haven't you ever met a sur looked you straight in the eye. He was Shimcha lo shachachti - I did not for· vivor?' 'No; he said. My eye looked into riveting. He stated a few words, expect get Your Name." his eye and his eye looked into mine, and ed you to absorb them and to be That was his one-line take on the not a word passed between us for one silenced by them - the same as he. memorial of his parents, his sisters and minute. It was 'Auschwitz: The word In the midst of dancing on Simchas who knows who else; in fact, his take on affected him so:' Torah - exuberant, S\Veating, s1niling, the entire destruction, "J did not forget What is the message that Englard left unstoppable - Ephraim Englard sud Your Nan1e." with public high school classes. "Jn 20 denly turned to me and said: "Could you A variation: "I have no ton1bstones. years there will be no more eyewitnesses believe that a person could go through I took my cemetery with me, inside me." - you can say you saw a man who was Auschwitz and still dance like this?" He Another variation: "People say, there." smiled still broader. Where was G-d? I say, Did G-d build Another example: "They can kill Jews, Auschwitz? 1:Vhere was nian?" phraim Englard was a man of but not Judaism:' n1any facets. He was a proud Or this: "Holocaust revisionists? No fact: In 1944, in Auschwitz, on the Egrandfather and his grandchildren problem. I have no problem with revi first night of Rosh Hashana, a were not only biological. He had a spe· sionists. Just let them bring my parents Anumber of Jews gathered to cial relationship with many young men back. Where are they? I'm waiting- I will daven. The organizer of the rninyan and whom he taught to lain the Torah for be very happy for the revisionists to the leader of the prayers was Ephraim their Bar Mitzva. His own rendition of return my parents to me." Englard. the Torah on Shabbos morning vas very On the yahrzeit- the anniversary of Ephraim Englard always spoke about slow, deliberate, strong, unforgettable. the death of his family- Englard led the the Holocaust. His way of coping was In teaching boys, he formed a special shul in prayer. This very short man had not silence; still less, internal paralysis. bond between the generations. He con· a very powerful voice. He imbued his Nor did he limit his speaking to formal veyed just by who he was, hy the mem· prayers and his zemiroswith a haunting presentations in classrooms. He spoke ories he bore and the feeling-tone he emotional depth that, in part, bridged to anyone who would listen. He but· transmitted, a sense of life before Halo· the great chasm between the East Euro· tonholed you. It took a lot to listen to caust to those who otherwise would Englard because he expected active lis· never see it) and maybe never even heard Rabbi Goldberg is executive editor of Denver's Jntcnnountain Jewish News. He was most recent tening. He expected people to listen to of it. ly represented in these pages with "Unfinished the resonances of his one-liners, to the He taught without remuneration, just Symphony" (on Rabbi Nachman Bulman ""Yr) emotions, and to the unspeakable, as he served without remuneration as his and a tribute to the late Bostoner Rebbetzin ;r:v which he deftly yet directly described shuI's librarian, for decades. His last Bar (both in Sept. '02). Severa! statements in this arti cle arc taken from an article by Chris Leppek in through his one· liners. Yes, this was his Mitzva student recalled: "Mr. Englard the Intennountain Jewish News, Nov. l l, 1994. own way of coping: speak. said I had it down ninety-nine percent. The Jewish Observer, February 2003 37 I was disappointed. Why not one hun records Rachel's death, Englard dred percent? 'One hundred percent is approached me: "My memory takes me only for G-d; he said. The last time we back 70 years. When we were in ched POSTSCRIPT practiced together, I thought maybe he er, we had a special tune for that verse. It was so sad that we thought we were would say, 'Ninety-nine-and-a-half per ver the last year, Ephraim cent: But he said, "Twenty percent.' Only right there, standing right there at the OEnglard suffered major medical twenty percent? 'Technically.' he funeral of Rachel Immeinu!" setbacks. Not always was he conscious answered, 'it was perfect ... but you I wondered whether he remembered and not always could he speak. didn't put in enough feeling.'" the tune. "Sure!" he answered defini Months ago, when he thought he was tively, as if to say, You think I would ever on his deathbed, he requested that e had an infectious sense of forget something like this? "Could you his family bring him his tallis and tefill humor. In fact, if I had taken sing it?" He did. It was sad. And he was in, and put them on him for several notes of every witticism, joke sad, still; and he was smiling too - smil minutes, before he passes on. H Months ago, his timing was off. Once and tongue-in-cheek remark he made ing that he remembered. "Rabbi Rosen again, he survived despite the odds. to me over the years, I'd have a book by feld [a seatmate in shul, also a survivor As the months wore on, he eventu now. Eprhaim Englard made you laugh, of Auschwitz J says he sang the same tune ally lost his power of speech. His fam made you cry, made you wonder at the in his cheder." Israel Rosenfeld is from ily was stupefied when, on three Shab stature of man - a human being could Hungary, Ephraim Englard is from bosos before he died, he suddenly suffer so much, yet smile so much. Poland. Yet, it was one civilization. Same joined in the Zemiros! Then, on 11 Twelve years ago, he collapsed on Purim tune, same verse, for children the same Teves, 5763, his physician summoned and was clinically dead. An ER physician, age. That was Ephraim Englard's bottom the family. His granddaughter remembered - she brought his tal/is fortuitously on the scene, revived him. line: How can words recapture an and tefillin. He was comatose. He was entire civilization? Only one-liners can "I dropped dead. I went up there, barely breathing. When his family looked around, and decided I didn't like do justice to the explicit and implicit, the entered, suddenly his breathing sta it. So I came back." speakable and the unspeakable: "I saw bilized. His grandson adorned him in He said this, as he said and did it, and I still don't believe it." his tallis and then began putting on everything, with a twinkle in his eye, a his tefillin. Suddenly, Ephraim Englard bren - Yiddish for enthusiasm, feeling, opened his eyes. He saw. He knew. He "fire." Often, a person with a keen sense watched intently. He followed the wrap of humor, all the more so if he has ping of each strap around his arm. strong opinions, is at risk of running nglard's family, to whom he spoke When the last wind of the tefil/in strap around his fingers was completed, his afoul of the laws of about his experiences during the shemiras halashon, grandson said, "Zayde, see, Shin of insulting speech. Ephraim Englard EHolocaust incessantly, was aston Daled Yud." At precisely that studied these laws; far more impressive, ished to learn one fact only after his moment, Ephraim Englard passed on he lived them. He would differ with passing. This, he never related: During to the next world. people's opinions, never with people. He the infamous Nazi death marches at the His grandson, saying that at the provoked laughter, but not at someone very end of World War II, a man next funeral, added that when Ephraim else's expense. He proved the Chofetz to Englard dropped. This man would Englard was young, he adorned his Chaim's contention that the Torah's either die of utter exhaustion and mal grandfather in his tefillin on his deathbed, before he passed away. many restrictions of speech need not nutrition, or be shot. Englard, barely What Eprhaim Englard had done for limit one's social interactions nor sti over five feet tall, picked him up and car his grandfather was done for him. fle one's personality. Speaking of ried him. For what distance, we do not Notwithstanding the great interrup which, he could bend one's emotions know, but whatever it was, Englard saved tion - Englard lost both parents with on many subjects. his life. Only about this, his own hero out a chance to say goodbye - the echo Once, after the Torah reading that ism, Englard never spoke. • between the generations reverberated. Can a person design his last moments? Can a person deliberate GEFEN Jlp __,,_ ly drape himself in kedusha as he takes his last breath? Clearly not. Clearly, FINtJh.9.AL-· Hashgacha, Providence- and a multi generational Hashgacha at that - must Registered Mortgage Brokers ••• be at work. It enabled Eprhaim NYS Dept. of Banking ii'ii!I 800 Manor Road, Suite #1 W Englard, in death, as in life, to ele Staten Island, New York 10314 vate his survival to an act of spiritu Phone 718-983-9272 • 914-MORTGAGE al resplendence. Lruns arranged through 3rd party providers 32 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 Barbara Bensoussan An Era of "More Money Than Time" had a hlast of nostalgia recently did in previous generations suddenly ily, not to mention the example to the when I read an article by commen seem to diminish in value when co1n children that Shabbos is worth a moth I tator Peggy Noonan about the pared to activities that bring home a er's best efforts? imminent attempt to reinstate S & H paycheck. By the sa1ne Jogic, one can ask why Green Stamps) those sheets of sta1nps we Take the example of baking challa. It's any woman would bother to stay home used to receive at the grocery store and more expensive to buy challa than to changing dirty diapers when she could redeem for items like toasters and cof make it; for the price of one bakery chal hire a babysitter to do the job for a grand fee machines. Ms. Noonan wistfully la, one can buy a bag of flour that will total of perhaps fifteen dollars an hour? remembers pasting stamps in the S & H yield six cha/las. But if a woman works From the point of view of pure eco books with her mother, and the way and makes thirty or forty dollars an nomics, parenting one's own child slowly filling up the books made for an hour, then she can more than afford to makes less sense than working at a job exercise in patience and discipline. But absorb the extra costs of store-bought that pays substantially more than the she is not very optin1istic that Green bread. She can sit at her desk and never babysitter makes. For many women, the Stamps will go over in the twenty-first have to S\Veat from a hot oven, wash out margin of profit that remains after pay century. "Once we had more time than a n1ixer, or aggravate her varicose veins. ing the babysitter is enough to make money in America;' she writes. "Now we It makes an ordinary balabusta feel working outside the hon1e an uncon have more money than time.That is the downright foolish for knocking herself tested necessity. difference between your child's Amer out when it's so much easier to run to But each family has to evaluate its ica and yours." the corner and buy the stuff. Her only priorities. Some "needs"-rent, food, "More inoney than time:' ... The consolation is the thought that at least phrase caught in my mind and rever if she bakes challa herself, she can be sure Unde Moishy, berated for days. It rang so true. Not that there are no suspicious chemicals in it Mordechai Ben David, I am rolling in money, mind you. It's to give it a longer shelf life. rather that today's econon1ic pressures and other top-of-the-line and general mindset so often lead us to WHAT PRICE HOME-BAKED CHALLA! Jewish entertainers evaluate all our pursuits in terms of their are available dollar value. Using time in ways that nd yet there are considerations to visit don't bring in 1noney, or taking time other than saving time or money) seriously ill away from bringing in money, gets Aor even avoiding nasty food looked at as a waste or an indulgence, children additives. What price the taste of fresh thanks to rather than something that may have ly-baked, homemade challa, or the mnnnr.w essential (albeit intangible) value for smell that fills a house as it is baking? """'~:::i.m.»'im;nn .,,,,, one's quality oflife or spiritual growth. What price the knowledge that our ACbessed project run by It's an issue of particular relevance to valiant balabusta was mafrish (separat Agudath Israel of America • in conjunction with .",; ~ women, because as more and more of ed) the ritual dough herself, rather than Suki & .Oittg Productions .,'J. ~~· ~ • us work outside the home, those counting on the bakery to do it for her? To set up an appointment, ca TI: t, <' unpaid, time-consuming activities we What price the appreciation of her fam- (212)797·9000 Ext.235 • M-F, 9·. ~' The Jewish Observer, February 2003 33 etc. - are clearly nonnegotiable; others sidering things in terms of their dol money, we run the risk that the home are more debatable. And children have lar value, consider this: skimping on will become reduced to a place where needs as well, which can only be being there for our children, in the everybody comes only at night to wolf "paid" for by a mother's investment of short term, can turn out to be very down a takeout meal and roll into bed. time with them. The early years of a expensive in the long term, if we end I know people who work hard to afford child's life never come back, and I can up having to call in therapists and their gorgeous homes, but they're never tell you from experience, they go by tutors to repair the damages later home to enjoy them (ditto the women very fast. Who is going to leave those down the road. with beautiful custom kitchens who indelible first impressions, that first ori never cook). A vicious cycle gets creat entation to our derech in this life, in the DEFINING THE FUNCTION OF "HOME" ed where the more a woman works, the child's mind? How does one weigh the more she needs to run out and buy the tradeoffs between creating solid bank hen we - especially women - things she otherwise would have made accounts and creating solid kids? And exchange our titne at home at home. Then she needs to make yet since we've all gotten so used to con- W for time outside to make more money to support her expensive habits of buying meals, repairs and serv ices from other people. When she's not at work, she's out shopping; then she Bais Yaakov Academy Seminary wonders why so many of our youth are spending all their time running around RABBI SHLOMO TEICHMAN on the streets. Why should they stay '1Jea11 home if nobody's there, physically or RABBI AVROHOM GREENBERG · emotionally? rDea11 Both our quality of life and our MRS. fAIGIE SELENGUT ruchnius suffer when we seek to buy on Coortfinator the outside rather than personally invest ourselves in the areas that are so fundamental to our lives: food, an orderly honse, clothing, Shabbosos and Yamim Toviln. For example, I know people whose "celebration" of Chanu ka means telling the housekeeper to pop a package of frozen latkes into the microwave for the kids. That certain ly avoids the problems of scraped knuckles, dirty pots, and potato starch turning brown on the counters. But frozen latkes are only the weakest approximation of the real thing (my apologies to frozen latke makers); BYA HALF DAY SEMINARY OFFERS: more importantly, there is a message • Dua! da.ss programs for the Sais • Honorsda.sswithindepth being sent that the holiday is not Yaalwv graduate who de.>ires •tnwi •PiJ:J>? for the motivated continued \!.nip >1iJ:Ji? and student who wants a greater important enough to warrant scraped +FACULTY+ development of a solid n!)p'lln for intellectual challenge knuckles and an evening spent next to R' Naftali Bruck her adultyears a frying pan. Similarly, these days a R' Yosef Mitnick R' E!iezer Sandler PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: mother has a choice between buying a R' Shlomo Teichman * lnrcrai:tive visits wi(/1 oi'.;WTJ * Optional mid-winter trip to Purim costume for her child or mak 7N 34 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 chintzy store-bought costume as they with her particular talents and inclina· children. I truly doubt that Hashem will over an original "creation" tions. While today it is often necessary intended our Yiddishkeit to be some· Mommy stayed up half the night to spend money rather than time, and thing to purchase rather than create. sewing, nor will he or she get to bask to take shortcuts wherever we can, ulti- When we devote time and energy to in the exclamations of the neighbors: 111ately, there are no shortcuts when it creating beautiful Shabbosos, Yamim "Your mommy made that! Wowr' The comes to creating truly warm, nostalgia Tovim, and vibrantly Jewish home lives message registers: Look how i1nportant laden Jewish memories in the mind of in generat we becon1e partners with Mommy thinks I am! Look how a child. Hashem in generating ruchnius. We important Puri1n is in our fa1nily! It used to be very hard to be Jew· grow ourselves, and enjoy observance ish; in our generation, at least in the more fully. And we inspire our children QUALITYTIME ... BUILT ON QUANTITY urban centers of America, it's a pleas to want to do the same. ure. We have an explosion of choices ot every Jewish won1an 1nust in every aspect of Jewish living; no MORE THAN GREEN STAMPS CAN BUY stay home, chained to her stove mesiras nefesh is necessary to obtain N and sewing machine. A Jewish kosher food, keep Shabbos, dress in don't think I'd collect Green Stamps mother's primary job is the chinuch of Jewish ways. Our challenge is to avoid if they came back, for the same rea· her children, to bring them up in the taking it all for granted and, instead, ! son I rarely use coupons; neither is derech of Torah, rather than to keep the to use our new opportunities and pros worth the time. But some things are furniture immaculate or make her own perity to do n1itzvos with as much worth the investment of my time. In the muffins from scratch twice a week. But enthusiasn1 as we can muster. If our Jewish world, it has become more dif· even the job of bringing up children as children see no element of personal ficult, but more important, to reserve avdei Hashem cannot be accomplished investment or mesiras nefesh in the way time for Jewish family life. There's not if she does not allow herself the time to we carry out our Jewish lifestyle, they much point in paying all that money for create a joyful, inspiring Jewish home life will infer that Yiddishkeit is not truly yeshiva tuition if the child returns to a for them. As a psychologist once said, i1nportant to us; not something we vacant Jewish home and a hollow home there is no way to have ''quality time" need to strive for, but rather a set of life. Money can be earned and lost and with children unless a minimum of rules we follow out of social pressure. earned again; it is replaceable. But time "quantity time" has been spent. (This Their youthful need for ideals will is not. If we devote enough time to applies equally to our relationships become frustrated and turn into cyn improving the quality of our Jewish with spouses, friends, even Hashen1.) icism and disillusion1nent, if they see family life, we will end up with bonus· And the chinuch she gives will not Judaism as just another commodity to es much longer lasting than all that inspire then1 unless it is clear that she buy, along with food for Shabbos and Green Stamps can procure: the contin herself is enthusiastic about Yiddishkeit Yam Tov, kosher roo1ns for Pesach, cos uation of the Mesora that Hashem has and is willing to put the best of her time tumes for Purim, and babysitters and entrusted to us, and Yiddishe nachas and energy into the practice of it, in line tutors to bring up and educate our from our children i'l'"tN. B We put the 11 organize 11 into Organizations. You work tirelessly for Kial Yisroel. 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The educational version prints report cards and transcripts, tracks tuitions and scholarships, and manages pledge-to-raise The Jewish Observer, February 2003 35 s Reva Rubenstein elech says. "The troubles of my heart condition in his room when you think have expanded." Rav Hirsch, however, he's sleeping ...." translates the pasuk to mean - "Trou Even suggestions such as not bles have widened my heart:' Vicari bringing flower arrangements and ously, we gain depth of feeling as we are stuffed animals to a patient who will confronted with the effect our words be in a hospital for a short stay and have on others. For example, did the may be inconvenienced by trans "If There's Anything I Can Do ... " by woman begging for a donation know the porting it home. Rebecca Bram Feldbaum, (published by effect of her words "Ani almana- Chazal tells us that when Feldheim Publishers, Nanuet, NY/ I a1n a widow" when she Reuvain saved Yosef Jerusalem, 2003 $21.95) addressed Mrs. Feld from death at the baum on her first hands of his brothers, ow often do we, as caring Jews, visit to the Kosel the he would have carried reach out to help someone, only day after shiva? Is an him on his shoulders H to find we've caused more harm elementary school back to his father had than good? How often does our" chizuk teacher aware that as he known that his call" weaken the receiver to distraught she teaches Bereishes deeds would be tears? Are our pick-me-ups taken as put and the deaths of recorded for genera downs? And do we find ourselves yet our forefathers, that tions in the Torah. again wondering, "What should I have the young child in One gets a twinge of done or said?" class could be reliv similar lost opportu This new book by Rebecca Bram ing his own father's nity when reading Feldbaum is a volume in sensitivity death? the last chapter, training. A widow at a young age, with The scope of her "Acknowledgements." four small children, she shares her book goes far beyond How real and sincere experiences in an open, heartfelt way. this. It is loaded with are her thanks to all Reading of her first confrontation with practical suggestions those who stood by her in the title "widow;' of her husband's that would make rec difficult times! Here are people who funeral, of her children's experiences, she ommended reading for gave generously and kindly by being true does much more than open her heart to high schoolers. They could be directed friends. These are accomplishments us. She opens our hearts. to chapters such as "Do's and Don'ts For each of us should strive to emulate in "Tzoros levovi hirchivu;' David Han1- Hospital Visits:' For example, "Do not our circles. Reading Mrs. Feldbaum's speak to a family member in the hos acknowledgments is gentle mussar for Mrs. Rubenstein, who lives in Monsey, NY, has been the pital room as if the patient isn't there. all of us. fewioh Observer layout artist for many years. This is her first literary contribution to these pages Do not discuss the patient's medical Just as the Chofetz Chaim opened up a whole new field of guarding one's tongue from slander, Mrs. Feldbaum - You can! Just: call on her modest scale - opens up a world wish I could The Yit:t:i Leibel of guarding against causing emotional ''r Helpline. pain. She touches on topics of divorce, HOURS: remarriage, childlessness and loss, vvhile speak to a Monday-Friday ...... Sam -12pm teaching caring and gentleness. Monday-Thursday ...... Spin -1 l pin You may wonder why such a book Sunday ...... 9am-12pm, 9pm-1lpm has a bright blue cover with yellow stick frum therapist ums scattered around. In fact, as much 1~11sc;Tir!3~;~~w as it tells of sadness, this book will make you laugh as the author's inner simcha, Chicago .•••...... ••....•.. (800) HELP-023 humor and bitachon glimmers through on the phone Lakewood ...... (732) 363-1010 Cleveland ...... (888) 209-8079 many pages. Somber, of course, but Baltimore ...... (410) 578-1111 never morbid, this is a unique testimo without giving Detroit...... (877) 435-7611 ny of a true n1a' am in, which teaches, San Diego ...... (866) 385-0348 inspires and prods its readers in uplift rn; 07',m?-n "j'\"O l;Ni.':lit-' '1 n::i wc·,1 ;rn ro~J •P.i17 (;:"':wn ,,.~ ~"' ;'i~:l ing, practical growth. You can judge this •rv ~N'U ,r, '1C'7J 'i r:i n·-;;c" 'i my name.'' (r;•';wnfl":l'::~~) book by its cover, and you'll open it and Dedicated b Mr. & Mrs. Shmuel Boruch Wilhelm turn to its wisdom again and again. • 36 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 dren's future should do so raises an important point, something for all families to keep in mind. However, my observation of my parents and other families, second and third generations in koilcl and chinuch, taught me two valuable lessons in 1nanaging our WHO IS THE REAL "SHEVET LEVI"? trust in Haslicr11), and are not content lifestyle in the long run. to live forever without homes of their Of course, one should keep in mind To the Editor: O\vn, occasional ne\v clothes, and, yes, the possibility of saving whenever pos I read "Yoscf's Wisdom" by Ozer shoes and sefnrim. ! t is they that we both sible. Much more important, though, is Alport (June '02), and his follow-up address. to reme1nber not to panic, which means response to the letters sent to hin1 (11ec. ()zer 1\lport's assertion that all those not to over-plan. No sooner does a cou '02). If I may, l would like to point out who can save for their O\vn or their chil- ple panic about how they will manage what J sec as t\vo crucial misreadings of the current situation. In his response, he made it clear that he is not addressing "Shcvct Levi," who have their vision set Subscribe or give a gift of squarely on Olam Ha/1/}(I - the World to-Co111e, and can live in utter si1nplic ity and rely entirely on bitachon. J n1ust The Jewish Observer emphasize that I an1 not speaking about them either. The fact is that they represent the absolutely tiniest n1inor and $ave! ity of ko/lel families. Most koilcl fam iii cs today live v,1ithin son1e balance bet\vcen WHY NOT GIVE OR GET A PRESENT hislitadlus and bitachon (effort and THAT WILL LAST AN ENTIRE YEAR? Subscribe, or give a gift at these reducerl prices and 1'he Jeu1ish Observer- filled \Vith the vie\VS of leading Torah thinkerf> on current issues- \Vill he delivered each n1onth, directly to your door. 'fhe longer you suhse1ibe f(>r, the larger yow· savint,rs. Of cour:-;f'. thiR offer is unconditionally guaran!Ped; (718) 971-4003 you n1ay cancel at any tin1e and receive a refund for :i-~.,t( alJ undelivered copies. ..,i,~w So order lo(h:iy, and the very next issue \vill be on ils 1xay to you as soon as possible. Specializing in small batim for a perfect fit. :.:J 'YES. I wan! lo takP mlvantal.!•' of 1his money saving off•~r: Entt•r nty or ::J :) ;1«1r.~ Cmp1· l'l'i(·1· .SJO;) }'(J11r 1·0M 860 ,)96 28 Weaver Avenue, Newport, RI 02840 :..J 2 1c;11·~ Cm1·r !\i1·1· .)70 hmr 1·osf $44 :368 Tel.: 1401 l 849-0051 •Fax: {401) 847-5902 www.kosherbedandbreakfast.com Enjoy the freedom and convenience of a ..J E.wlowd; S -----~ or kosher guesthouse, located only minutes away from 12 lfroad1,a:. I l-t!i Vluor. :'\o·w )-{,rk. \~ ]{)()().j the Toure Synagogue, n,,, _1,,,,,_,/1 11/.,,.,,,,, i.1 ;urlhd1!·1l ''"mtltl\ "-""''f'I .fo/_1 and -\11,c'ml. \n·nu11t '\o. -·------the oldest synagogue /'/nm· llifou ./ 6 'rn·/,, Im d··it'•"'' E~1iirntion lbte: (mnnlhl_1<·;u-)_,~-·--··--- in North America 'l)1Mid•· I ..<-\.pi-[<,• 1"11••<'1' 812 ,.,1,-d i"'' '""r lo do'f1a: "'' "hi1>pi";: v The Jewish Observer, February 2003 37 in five to seven years, fifteen years, twen bitachon. This is a balance of hishtadlus CHEVRA OSEH CHESED ty years, than the husband is in law and bitachon that has been allowing the OF AGUDATH ISRAEL school the next day. For many kollel cou average time spent in kollel to double ples, saving ten dollars a week per child, and triple over recent years. BURIAL PLOTS which works out to $80, $120, $160 plus It's good to remember, too, that the a month, is an astronomical and out-of kollel stage of life, though longer than IN ERETI YISROEL reach sum. This is not close to a realis it used to be, is still that - a stage. If a Interment in a ShOlll.er Shahbos Beis tic plan for the average long-term kol family can manage to remain in it longer Olain ~ Beis Shemesh lel! chinuch family. If a family can by not worrying over saving for the Please photli! ·or write to: manage to eat and pay their electric bill, future, they shouldn't be presumed to Chevra OsehCheSed Of Agudath Israel balance their budget - not weekly, but be thoughtless or irresponsible. A sav over time - borrowing occasionally with ings plan is a wonderful idea, if it can 42 Broadway, New:!oA NY 10004 some plan of paying back, and not man be managed - but an absolute necessi (212) 791-9000 aging to save, this is not the far side of ty? - a goal in and of itself? That is as much a mistaken priority of American materialism as owning a large house or late-model car. If any single financial fac tor has been instrumental in insuring e6rowing Jewish Community long-term learning, it is training in not Complete family Resources panicking, in developing some level of bitachon when savings aren't possible or •Healthy Job Market are lost, in weathering financial crises as •Affordable Housing they come. These have kept families in •Nurturing Community •Learning Opportunities kollel and chinuch over the long haul. •Shomer Shabbos Medical Residencies There is a second point for families •Community Activities planning to remain in long-term kollel or chinuch- a point that, again, is more Total Torah Environment important than squirreling away every •Cheder •Bois Yakov extra penny for "the future:' It is to •Yeshiva Gedola •Kollel indulge few and judiciously. A discus • Mikveh • Eruv sion group I joined this summer was •Wisconsin School Tuition Vouchers entitled "How to Help our Children Be for Qualifying Families Happy With Less," and this was one of The Torah Community of Rabbi Michel Twerski invites your interest 1·800·226·3129 our conclusions. If our children - and we ourselves - never have any luxuries or extras, they could develop a great dis taste for a life of being osek betzarchei tzibbur, dedicating one's life to com Jonah's Fashion Inc. munity service. In kollel and chinuch, one certainly has to be mistapek be'muatand live with less. But our occasional "splurges" over the last twelve years - the few sheitles I bought for myself, for example, or the Casio I bought for my • We make skirts and jumpers, solids husband- allow us to fill our home with and plaids, from size 5 thru music and feel content for a long-term junior and pre-teens life without luxuries. • Bais Yaacov blouses made from A well-known Rebbetzin, expert in our own custom made shalom bayis, once spoke in Lakewood (extra heavy) material and said that if she could do one thing differently, it would be to have hired more household help. Doing without some necessities and all luxuries might allow us to save more, but we must con sider the balance of what we really need 38 The Jewish Observer, February 2003 to give our children. Sane parents (as in Hashem we were never short of food or My children tell me it's a different the case of employing a cleaning lady), clothing - even if they were second world nowadays! I do not understand a home of contentment with what we hand. My children baruch Hashem did why. Because there is more Torah now, have, a home of joy in a life of Torah and not ask for more. people do not feel the need for such mitzvos. this legacy will help them to stay I had friends in the same position, mesiras nefesh( in learning and chinuch much longer and some had more - but I didn't want NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST than a few thousand more dollars in the what they had, as I was satisfied with ferusale1n bank. Torah. Baruch Hashem, our children Lastly, though I know Rabbi Alpert were - or married - bnei Torah, and with VISITING NY? didn't mean to contradict this by say nissim, as my husband 7~ said, we even MIDWOOD ing that he sleeps soundly at night tually moved to Eretz Yisroel, to be GUEST SUITES thanks to his mutual funds, I feel I must among our children. He continued his Ave. J, Brooklyn emphasize that we all sleep soundly at work and learning here as long as he 718-253-9535 night, not because of our "rabbos could. machshavos- the many schemes of mor tals," but because "Hinei lo yanun1 v'lo yishan Shomer Yisroel- the Guardian of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps:' MRS. M.R. PERR It hurts Brooklyn 10 c II GETTING BY ON LESS, ACHIEVING MORE omes IC To the Editor: 5 I still have my notes on the substance of a shiur given by Rabbi Dessler ?""7 8tli over 50 years ago, in the early years of • the Gateshead seminary. I used to con sult them often. He taught us that the whole concept of men learning all day was based on our having bitachon for our parnasa, and not It hurts worry about earning money, as long as we have enough to eat each day. We were the first seminary students r in Europe after the Holocaust, and served as a source of wives for this first kollel in Western Europe. Some of us o. were prepared to live with the bare min imum in order to restore a Torah pres ence in the world, even when their fam It feels better just to talk about it. That's why we're here. Our staff is made up of ilies would not help - or did not caring and sensitive individuals. Together, approve. we can help you explore your options. We My husband '>""7 was learning and can refer you to recognized professionals for counseling, legal advice or help in teaching a bit on kollel pay, and was very finding a safe environment. We can also matzliach (successful) in that effort, put you in touch with some very special baruch Hashem. Rabbis. But in order for us to reach out to you, you must first reach out to us. I was soon able to see, after a few years, that whenever we needed money Confidential Hotline 1.888.883.2323 for big expenses, it came. Hashem (Toll Free) helped us, so it didn't worry me that we 718.337.3700 lived with the minimum - especially Do it for yourself. !NYC Area) since I had a husband completely Do it for your children. Shalom ldsk force IS a S01(c)(3) charitable orga11ization involved in Torah, as I wished. Baruch ----·-·-·--- The Jewish Observer, February 2003 39 THE by Rabbi Menachem Brayer The Holy Rizhiner - that is how chassidim referred to Rabbi Visroel of Rizhin for over 150 years. He was a grandson of the Great Maggid of Mezritch, the successor of the Baal Shem Tov and the man who taught, inspired and guided the founders of the earliest chassidic dynasties. Rizhin, a small town in the Ukraine, is one of those places that is immortalized in history as the cradle of a great man. In it, the Holy Rizhiner was an emperor of the spirit in a kingdom of sanctity, scholarship and piety. He was a magnet for people who needed wise counsel, spiritual elevation, efficacious blessings, incisive Torah thoughts and parables that cast a shaft of light on previously obscure concepts. Czarist persecution forced him to leave his native land, but nothing could dim the glow of his greatness. Wherever he settled, his reputation followed him and his holiness lit up new hearts and lands. His great sons and descendants made towns like Sadigora, Chortkov, Boyan, Husiatin and Bohush synonyms for chassidic aristocracy. The Holocaust could diminish but not destroy the aura of Rizhin, which still lives, grows and inspires. In this magnificent kaleidoscopic work, Rabbi Menachem Brayer, a scion of the Rizhiner and the father of the present Boyaner Rebbe, N:"V~?w traces the life of the Rizhiner and the several dynasties that emerged from him. This book is filled with the biographies, anecdotes, Torah teachings, parables, and wise sayings of all the pillars of Rizhin. For anyone in search of timeles:.::,. wisdom and the history of movements that are still shaping the Jewish world, this is an indispensable treasure. A great study by an exceptional author. '~:/ Noblu LiVus NobIR ouuds II Captivating stories and biographical profiles of spiritual giants by Rabbi Dovid Silber Thirty~eight great Jews come to life in this unique book, Unlike tales of heroic feats, this rare collection of anecdotes recounts the seemingly "simple" acts of extraordinary individuals. We !earn how the truly great lived their lives with a sense of inner nobility that carried them through challenges both great and small. Why would Rabbi Schneur Kotler reschedule an important conference on short notice? When did Rabbi Raphael Baruch Tolidano take part in a magnificent kiddush Hashem? What lesson did Rabbi Dov Berish Weidenfeld, the Tchebiner Rav, derive from the actions of a simple wagoner? How did Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky manage to hit a bull's-eye on his first try? Rabbi Dovid Silber does more than tell these stories. Each inspirational narrative is accompanied by an authoritative biographical sketch giving a meaning unique to the individual it presents. RABBI TWERSKl'S FIRST FICTION! LIGHT AT THE END Of THE TUNNEL by Rabbi Abraham J. T\Nerski, M.D. As the author of this gripping narrative, Rabbi 1\verski, makes his debut as a novelist par excellence. World renowned for his self-help books, in Light at the End of the Tunnel he departs from this mode to create charac ters that are compelling, vulnerable, witty, curious - and most of all, palpably human. The story revolves around a secular Jew, Alan Silverman, a successful lawyer, whose professional life has earned him wealth, prestige and a reputation for invincibility. Everything is going well for him, until a dreaded dis ease threatens to upend his carefully built personal empire. Suddenly faced with the prospect that his life may soon end, he searches for answers to questions he had never asked before. In the process, he discovers a new element in his life - a neshamah, an eternal soul. A world closed to him in the past - an eternal world of spiritual meaning - slowly unfolds as he relentlessly pursues the purpose of his life. Challenged and enthralled by the mystical teachings of Judaism, he explores the idea of an Afterlife and, most surprisingly, discovers the fulfillment of a life well lived. With the talent of a novelist, the deep insight of a master psychologist and the Torah wisdom of his ft;=Fc:~--;:t heritage, Rabbi Dr. Twerski has achieved a powerful literary breakthrough. This one-of-a-kind book is ttc ''L'·''' an illuminating and uplifting masterpiece. ~ Available at your local Hebrew bookstore or call: 1-800-MESORAH • In NYS: (718) 921-9000 • FAX: (718) 680-187 5 • ;yww.artscroll.com