The Jewish Star

The Jewish Star Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island VOL. 8, NO. 19 MAY 8, 2009 | 14 IYAR 5769 www.thejewishstar.com CHATEAU LE CROCK THE REST OF THE STORY HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY Is the wine worth the money? Homeless in Cedarhurst Kosher Bookworm Page 2 Page 4 Page 9 RIGHT ANGLE The art Campaign trail through Woodmere Partisan of growth sniping in don’t often ride the New York subways, Dist. 15 race but not long ago I found myself leaving a train deep beneath Brooklyn, at the BY MICHAEL ORBACH borough’s cavernous Atlantic Street sta- I As a rule of thumb, Lawrence school board election. And I was surprised to be greeted, amid all the usual squalor and bustle, by a tions are never pretty, at least not recently. They’re large and exquisite reproduction of “The not even homely. And following the announcement Starry Night,” Vincent Van Gogh’s eerie that the Number Six school will close, the election painting. I’m no art aficionado but the scheduled for May 19 will be no different, if a meet- famous rendering of a haloed moon and ing held last Tuesday in Inwood is any indicator. stars in a swirling blue firmament has The event dubbed a meet-the-candidate night always moved me. What in the world — or was initially scheduled for the Five Towns Commu- underworld — though, was a copy of the nity Center, but the community center canceled the painting doing on a subway station wall? meeting when it was discovered that only two can- Then, turning to find the track I need- didates, John Kinder and Barry Ringelheim, were ed, I found myself face to face with an invited. unmistakable Monet pond scene. Nearby, I “As a 501(c)(3) you can’t have partisan poli- noticed with increasing amusement, were tics,” said Peter Visconti, Associate Director of the cubist visions by Five Towns Community Center. “What [the event] Picasso, Warholian was supposed to be about, it wasn’t about.” soup cans and vari- From now on the community center would only ous other copies of hold meetings that the center itself sponsors, he paintings, drawings Photo courtesy Avi Lauer added. According to one of the rally organizers, the and photographs meeting was moved due to a “mix-up.” whose originals Rabbis, community leaders and local elected officials met with Nassau County District Attorney Two seats will be up for grabs, with Barry hang in museums. Kathleen Rice on Sunday, May 3 at the home of Aleeza and Avi Lauer of Woodmere. Rice reached out to Ringelheim of Atlantic Beach challenging incumbent Or, as I discov- the Jewish community as part of her bid for re-election in November. Lauer and Rice served together Uri Kaufman. Ringelheim is best known as the ered, a museum — as assistant district attorneys in Brooklyn during the early '90s. author of incendiary comments at school board ”As long as we New York’s Muse- are honestly um of Modern Art. See PARTISAN, Page 7 The posters were working toward part of an advertis- ing campaign to our goal, our lure subway riders efforts bring us to visit the originals. Going out on Topp closer.“ Clever, I thought, and a nice touch for a famous- Leaving Woodmere for sunny Beverly Hills ly unrefined envi- BY YAFFI SPODEK ly’s impending relocation is emotional. members, learning with them, davening ronment. Then my “We are certainly moving with mixed with them and sharing their life cycle thoughts drifted. Rabbi Kalman Topp of the Young feelings,” he told The Jewish Star. “YIW events.” The reproductions before me were, at Israel of Woodmere will leave the com- is a wonderful community with many The new position at Beth Jacob “was a least to untrained eyes like mine, virtually munity this summer to become the phenomenal people. The shul is always great opportunity and one that we indistinguishable from the originals. I’m sure senior rabbi at California’s Beth Jacob pulsating with tefilah, talmud Torah couldn’t pass up,” Rabbi Topp said, the textures of the brushstrokes are evident Congregation of Beverly Hills. (Torah study), chesed, activism for the explaining his family's decision. “Posi- in the actual paintings, and they alone, after After eight years at YIW, during which State of Israel and the people of Israel. In tions are hard to come by, and with our all, were produced by the artists’ hands. But he moved up the ranks from assistant the time we’ve been here, we’ve created kids getting older, if we were going to great pains had been taken to present sub- rabbi to rabbi, working alongside Rabbi many strong relationships. There’s no make a move, we felt it needed to be way patrons with top-notch copies of the Rabbi Kalman Topp Hershel Billet, Rabbi Topp says his fami- question that I am going to miss all the See TOPP, Page 8 MOMA possessions. The results, had they been hanging on a museum wall, could probably have fooled most people. Yet the originals are, well, authentic, and priceless; and the copies mere copies, worth only their printing costs (and copy- Teaching yeshivas to save Noam Shalit shares right fees). People, too, I ruminated, can be real or ersatz. Some are just what they seem. Oth- money by going green message of hope ers, though, are, in effect, cheap copies, pre- tending to be what they project but lacking BY MAYER FERTIG opportunities where schools can save money” BY MALKA EISENBERG authenticity of character, the brushstrokes as well. of the soul. Saving money by going green was the The utility companies offer free audits to Noam Shalit, father of captive There are, for instance, genuine leaders topic of the second meeting between adminis- help schools find efficiencies and potential sav- Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, spoke at a dedicated to advancing the interests of those trators of Jewish schools in Nassau County and ings, Shapiro said. Also, three schools in the number of yeshiva high schools in the they lead, and shameful imitations, dema- Far Rockaway, and Yeshiva University's Nation- Five Towns and Far Rockaway will receive con- Five Towns and Brooklyn on Wednes- gogues donning mantles of power for their al School Affordability Team. Sixteen schools sulting grants from YU. Three schools have day, Yom Ha’atzmaut. Shalit made own personal gain. There are true scientists, attended the gathering at Yeshiva Ketana of already submitted applications, he said. time for the visits during a trip to the open to wonder and dedicated to discerning Long Island last week. Administrators heard The meeting on April 30 got high marks U.S. to meet with political leaders, natural truths; and there are counterfeit from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), from Shalom Siegfried, Yeshiva Ketana's direc- government officials and members of ones, duly credentialed but without the National Grid and other presenters. tor of development. He said he has already fol- Jewish communities to raise aware- lowed up with LIPA about rebates and other ness and garner support for his son. See VIEW, Page 5 “A number of schools are doing new con- struction,” noted Eli Shapiro, regional coordina- money-saving ideas mentioned at the meeting. At HAFTR Shalit addressed a full tor for the school affordability program and a “The takeaway idea was that there are a auditorium of students in front of a Rabbi Shafran is director of public affairs Far Rockaway resident. “There are retrofitting for Agudath Israel of America. See YESHIVAS, Page 3 See SHALIT, Page 10 Noam Shalit That’s Life............................................................................2 Calendar...............................................................................6 Candlelighting: 7:40 p.m. ■ Shabbat ends: 8:46 p.m. Inside Opinion .................................................................................4 Classified .............................................................................6 Shabbat Torah reading: Parshat Emor 11530 PRST STD PERMIT NO 301 GARDEN CITY NY US POSTAGE PAID PAID US POSTAGE CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED CHANGE SERVICE 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 City, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden 276092 2 The Jewish Star May 8, 2009 Dear That’s Life, You weren’t the one with the problem at the “luxury item” store. It was ridiculous for them to do that to you, and then expect you to pay for delivery. Dear That’s Life, So don’t listen when people tell you that you were the wrong I was standing at the pack- one! History will be made at The Garden. aged fish case at Gourmet Glatt Here’s my story — one that Again. last week talking to a friend could only happen in the Five when we both distinctly heard Towns: music, and it seemed to be com- Whenever I get my nails ing from the fish itself. done, go out to dinner at Cho- Strangely, I was not sur- Sen, or even when speaking to prised since the store does have the custodians at school, I’m a sound and light show near the used to non-Jewish people say- produce — sounds of thunder, ing Jewish things like “Shabbat flashing lights and mist to keep Shalom” and even telling me the vegetables moist and fresh what time is candle lighting. go on intermittently. I also Last year at Cho-Sen Island, vaguely recalled stories of a Eunice, the hostess even talking fish, but as I leaned clos- reminded us, “Don’t forget to er, I pulled out a cell phone count sefira!” But this latest from beneath a package of experience was a shocker and salmon. Flipping it open and different from the rest. scrolling through the address My mother needed some book to find the owner, I dialed things from Costco so I decided the number listed under I would accompany her.

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