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MindBiz BY LARRY GORDON Esther Mann, LMSW 28 Killing Two Birds Rivka and Rachel Hannah Reich Berman 31 “Rachel died. She was thousands of years apart, and Halachah Discussion buried on the road to Efrat, neither is understood by our Rav Shimon Isaacson 37 which is Bethlehem. Yaakov fragile human psyches that erected a monument on her yearn so desperately to grasp Response To Terror grave, which is the monument and understand. Lawrence Kulak 59 of Rachel’s grave until this How did our forefather day” (Bereishis 38:19). Yaakov deal with the prema- Dads Do Reading And last week Rivka was ture death of the woman the Rochelle M. Miller 66 buried along with her hus- Torah so clearly states that he band, Gavriel, after being loved with all his heart and murdered in Mumbai, India. soul? Rachel passed away at Pictured above are Zara, Eden, and Ruthie Hoffman (10th-, 8th-, and 6th- They were buried in the young age of 36 years. As graders at HAFTR) with their dad, Steven Hoffman. The four ran in the Las Jerusalem, on the Mount of Vegas marathon as part of Team Lifeline to raise money for Olives. These deaths occurred Continued on Page 4 Chai Lifeline. See Page 54 JEWISH LEADERSHIP HEARD IN THE BAGEL STORE Split Peas In Nitzan Feiglin To Go To Knesset Bat Mitzvah of Adina Feder. BY TZVI BEN BY LARRY GORDON See Page 77 GEDALYAHU The mighty Israeli govern- Nearly 50,000 Likud party ment lives in fear of Anita members gave the camp of Tucker, Rachel Saperstein, Jewish Leadership faction and others like them. These leader Moshe Feiglin a big grandmothers have tough victory in the Likud primaries talkers like Ehud Barak and Monday, when Feiglin placed Tzipi Livni petrified of what in the top 20, all but guaran- they might do next. So scared teeing him a seat in the next is the Israeli government that Knesset. Feiglin was voted they will do everything they

Continued on Page 21 Moshe Feiglin Continued on Page 8 Stuart and Anita Tucker in Nitzan. Nikolsburger Rebbe visits Five Towns. THAT’S See Page 42 Finishing Up, Starting Over Small Knocks ENTERTAINMENT Halachic Musings Another Mother’s Musings B Y RABBI YAIR B Y PHYLLIS J. HOFFMAN LUBIN

They knock on your door Many of my readers recall asking for funds. No, they are that during the summer not meshulachim from Israel. months my husband and I Nor are they the regular enjoy a nightly stroll on the fundraisers for our worthy Atlantic Beach or Long Beach hometown mosdos. They are boardwalk to relieve the ten- In memory of children from the neighbor- sions of the day and enjoy Herbert Kamlet. hood yeshivos who have been each other’s company while See Ad, Page 53 recruited by various tzedakah getting back to nature. The organizations to knock on cool summer breeze off the CANDLE LIGHTING Students and faculty of Yeshiva of Far Rockaway concluded their studies of doors and raise funds for the ocean’s edge, along with the Maseches Gittin on Thursday night, December 4, with a grand siyum Dec. 12 – 4:10 PM celebration. In all, 30 students of the yeshiva completed the tractate for the organization. comfort of spotting other Dec. 19 – 4:12 PM second time. Above, Rabbi Aaron Brafman (R) and Rabbi Arye D. Ginsburg enthusiastically take part in the dancing. Continued on Page 12 Continued on Page 14 2 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 3 FROM THE EDITOR niously and piously buried there. Rivka ple through history. Who will ever forget Continued from Front Cover Holtzberg and her husband, Gavriel, the Holtzbergs or Leibush Teitlebaum Chabad sh’lichim in India, died in a (the grandson of the Sulitzer Rebbe in you know, she passed away while giv- spectacle that was broadcast around the Far Rockaway), or Rabbi Benzion ing birth to the last of the twelve tribal world in an instant. But now, two weeks Kruman, or Norma Shvarzblat- P.O. BOX 690 LAWRENCE, NY 11559 leaders, Binyamin. Such was the fate later, while the pain in our collective Rabinovich, or Yocheved Orpaz? 516-984-0079 [email protected] of Rachel that she could not be buried The events in India two weeks ago, [email protected] with the other matriarchs and their just like that premature death that LARRY GORDON ESTA J. GORDON husbands in the Cave of the Patriarchs occurred on the roadside in Bethlehem Publisher/Editor Managing Editor in Hebron. Yaakov had to make do with a few thousand years ago, are now Their sacrifice, like YOSSI GORDON, YOCHANAN GORDON a makeshift burial site on the side of defining moments in so many of our Sales Managers the road where Rachel both gave birth Mama Rachel’s, has lives. We are a people whose history is CHANA ROCHEL ROSS and died. punctuated with tragedies and loss on Editorial Assistant There was obviously something become a milepost on both a personal and communal level. SIDI BARON extra special about our matriarch Every now and then there is a loss of YAKOV SERLE Rachel and all that she endured— the long-distance life that has an impact on some seg- JERRY MARKOVITZ including stepping aside for her sister, ment or even at times on all of K’lal Sales Representatives Leah, experiencing difficulty having journey of the Jewish Yisrael. It’s been written here and else- SHMUEL GERBER MICHELE JUSTIC Chief Copy Editor Copy Editor children, and then dying in isolation people through history. where that the miraculous survival of and at such a young age. Whatever it little Moshe Holtzberg can be inter- CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Irwin H. Benjamin, Hannah Reich Berman was, she apparently made quite an preted as an indication to us on some Anessa V. Cohen, Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg impression on us all, as evidenced by level that there is still some hope and a Toby Klein Greenwald, Michele Herenstein the consistent and persistent efforts to future that lies ahead. Rabbi Yair Hoffman, Miriam Horowitz make her burial site an imperative stop souls is still raw and penetrating and And there is also another sign of Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky Shmuel Katz, Phyllis J. Lubin, Esther Mann for so many of us when we travel to while the families of all the victims hope—that is, the changes that have Rochelle Miller, Martin Mushell, Naomi Ross Eretz Yisrael. mourn, their sacrifice, like Mama once again occurred around the burial Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow, Eli Shapiro, Ari Sher But Rachel Imeinu died quietly on Rachel’s, has become a milepost on the MICHAL WEINSTEIN, BINYAMIN RHODES the side of the road and was unceremo- long-distance journey of the Jewish peo- Continued on Page 7 DOV GORDON Staff Graphic Artists IVAN NORMAN, IRA THOMAS Staff Photographers FRANKEL & CO. Design & Production TALIYE CORLEY Art Director SUZETTE LEE Assistant Art Director

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Letters To The Editor 39

Luach 15

MindBiz Esther Mann, LMSW 28

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Real Estate Anessa V. Cohen 32

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4 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 5 6 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES FROM THE EDITOR Continued from Page 4 site of Rachel Imeinu in Bethlehem. In the aftermath of the Oslo accords signed in 1993 between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the plan was for all of Bethlehem—including Kever Rachel—to be handed over to Arab control. The decision by the architects of Oslo, as well as Prime Minister Rabin and then–Foreign Minister Peres, was that it would be more prob- lematic for Israel to maintain control over the site. Who needs Bethlehem, they argued, where only Palestinian Arabs reside anyway? And as long as it’s really an

It could be argued that she was as alone then as she had been after Yaakov buried her on the side of that road all those years ago.

Arab town, why do we need to antago- nize them by holding on to this little stone structure that such a small per- centage of our population regards as important and an even much smaller number bothers to ever visit? But there was an uproar that ensued. How could the State of Israel forsake Mother Rachel? The Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi at the time was Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, who appealed directly to Prime Minister Rabin to not abandon our mother Rachel. I don’t know what Rabin or Peres or the Oslo gang was thinking at the time, but they conceded the international Jewish world that much. We could have Rachel’s burial site in Israeli sovereign territory, but as far as Bethlehem was concerned, that was going to be all. So while visiting Bethlehem and praying at Kever Rachel was, in post- 1967 Israel, a routine thing to do, now with the signing of the new peace accords it became extremely dangerous. As part of the new agreement, Israel had to surrender some security control over the city, which allowed snipers and assorted other terrorists to turn visiting Kever Rachel into an adventure. And yes, at times visitors as well as soldiers stationed there have been shot at, some killed and others injured, over the years. While the surrender did not happen overnight, I had the sad distinction to be present at Kever Rachel with my family as the sun set on a December evening when the IDF officially handed over security control of the city to the PA police in 1996. There were soldiers, police, and dignitaries from both

Continued on Page 15 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 7 BAGEL STORE They are both deeply com- Israel and her Palestinian Continued from Front Cover mitted to Eretz Yisrael as well neighbors. As you know, the as filled with dedication, project was a miserable fail- can to keep these two and honesty, and integrity. The ure on every level, and today hundreds of others like them government is afraid of what the sites of former Jewish apart from each other. they might do next, because communities in Gaza are I spent a day in Israel the politicians are filled with used as staging grounds for recently with both Tucker the exact opposite, particu- Hamas and Islamic Jihad ter- and Saperstein, and I now larly during this election sea- ror groups to launch Kassam understand what has the big, son—dishonesty, unreliabili- missiles at Israel. strong Israelis so concerned. ty, and a lack of dedication. On my 12-day trip to Israel Tucker and Saperstein were For now, Tucker, whose at the end of last month, I felt among the 10,000 people family were very successful that an eyewitness, firsthand extricated from their homes farmers in Gaza, and look at what was going on in in Gush Katif in the summer Saperstein work relentlessly Nitzan was imperative. Nitzan of 2005. They and their fam- to restore dignity and health is living proof of how a govern- ilies, who made the desert to those who were broken by ment in a decidedly Jewish blossom in Gaza, had to be the government in the after- country made a deliberate forcibly removed from their math of the withdrawal from political decision to sacrifice a homes. Tucker lives in the Gaza Strip. The removal part, albeit a minority, of the Nitzan, Israel’s attempted of settlers from Gush Katif people they represent. Where version of a refugee camp, was purportedly an effort to has something like this been and Saperstein lives nearby. foster greater peace between done so openly and brazenly in the annals of modern-day civilization? At some point shortly after entering into the Oslo Accords with the PLO’s Yasser Aarfat and the infamous hand- shake on the White House lawn, then-Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin stated that the settlers in Judea and Samaria and in Gaza are only 3 percent of the Israeli population and that he had to do what was right for the future of the other 97 percent of the citizens of Israel. Cutting loose a segment of your population is, sadly, not an entirely new policy when it comes to modern Israeli gov- ernance. In the past it was done mostly with the Jewish population that immigrated to Israel shortly after the cre- ation of the state in 1948. More recently, it is being done with the people who reside in S’derot, also mostly an immigrant population from Morocco, Algieria, and Tunisia. They are mostly a hard-working underclass in Israeli society that is seen as somewhat expendable by the powers in the Knesset and the pencil-pushers in Tel Aviv. Is there any other conceivable reason why it is acceptable to Jerusalem for rockets to land day after day amidst the citizens of Israel with nothing more than yet another warning of Israeli action coming at some future time? It is mostly this type of thinking that led the Ariel Sharons and the Ehud Olmerts of the Israeli political world to develop policies which ostracized and mar- ginalized the courageous residents of Gush Katif. Pulling them out of their homes with overwhelming military force was an opportunity for the Israeli government to flex their collective muscle at a time when the same political and military leaders refused to do the same with the vio- lent enemy in their midst and on their borders. Actions to 8 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

Anita Tucker and Esta Gordon. halt the firing of Kassam rockets on family homes in S’derot and Ashkelon could offend international sensibili- ties. What international forum is going to get overly exercised about Jews punishing other Jews? It’s even hard to find much criticism of these policies coming from the organized Jewish establishment groups. That’s why Anita and Rachel are so dangerous. They do not give in and will not give up where the pride of the Jewish people and the safety of the Land of Israel are at stake. Viewed from this internal vantage point, the plight of the Gush Katif refugees strikes one as a unique and overt tragedy of the Jewish people. The Sharon government built 250 caravilla homes in Nitzan, though they knew well that they were uprooting and evacuating 1,700 families. The key to the plan was to demonstrate to the world that Jews have the ability to administer cruel and unusual punishment to other Jews. People were pulled from their homes in the summer of 2005 with nowhere to go. And now, three-and-a-half years later, it seems to some that this no- plan approach the Sharon people hatched was indeed very much part of the plan. The idea was not to just empty out the Gaza Strip so that Israel could demonstrate its understanding of the rightful ownership of so much of this land by the Palestinian people, as claimed by the world. The point was to break the collective backs of those who, more than anyone else, repre- sented to the people of Israel the notion, ideals, and philosophy of the concept of a Greater Israel. Ehud Olmert today and the pre- stroke Ariel Sharon, along with others, have declared the idea of a Greater Israel as dead and non-exis- tent. But this now-contradictory idea of a Greater Israel, which Israel had operated under for so many decades, could not be destroyed unless the Gush Katif settlers could be disband- ed as well. And that was the goal. The objective was to break the back of these 23 settlement communities that dotted the Gaza landscape. They were the hard-line settlers, much more than any similar communities in Judea or Samaria. So the government threw them out of their homes with no designated place to resettle them. A couple of hundred families moved into Nitzan, others went to the Golan, and they were absorbed into existing com-

Continued on Page 17 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 9 10 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 11 Small Knocks place. The Gemara in Shabbos Torah. So, is it appropriate for mitzvos—which certainly not always careful. It is a Continued from Front Cover (119b) tells us that we do not the yeshiva to set aside school includes giving, and perhaps grave responsibility to have stop the study of tinokos shel time to explain the tzedakah even soliciting charity when young children traveling door The whole concept raises a beis rabban even for the build- program? It seems that this is necessary—it might be more to door, block to block, cross- number of questions. ing of the Beis HaMikdash. the type of question that should appropriate for the parents to ing street after street. Even 1. We must ask whether it is Reish Lakish is quoted there as be reserved only for a renowned involve their children with children trained in looking appropriate for these organiza- saying that the world does not poseik, one who is apprised of them in their own charitable both ways before they cross tions to recruit children to do exist except on account of the all the details (including when acts. Young children going off sometimes make mistakes their work for them in the first sound of children studying and where the children are collecting on their own is not when they are thinking about going out collecting). the ideal method of teaching other things or when they are 2. Is it such a simple matter our children about tzedakah. fussing with an envelope or that so many young children 3. Do the charitable organ- counting money. It happens. can afford to take off home- izations take into account the 4. What about other types work time? While it is true risks of traffic accidents? of dangers? There was a that it is the parents’ responsi- Traffic accidents happen all recent near-miss incident bility to train their children in too often, and children are where a child was almost taken by someone that was “less than wholesome.” Do the organizations tell the children what to do in these types of situations? Often there is not much that can be done in such circumstances. 5. Can the child be trusted with the funds? Tosefos in Kesubos (28b) write that a child is not believed, whether for heter (to permit something) or for issur (to forbid something). The testimony of a child, according to Tosefos, is merely given the halachic status of a kol—a rumor that should be investigated. We also find a halachah in regard to tevillas keilim, the immersion of vessels. Although if a child did put the vessels in a mikveh to immerse them the

Continued on Page 16

12 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 13 Mother’s Musings in which to take advantage of two to sleep, I look forward to Lenny has returned to the I can still recall going to the Continued from Front Cover our boardwalk time. We count watching mindless television basement to do his exercise, movies every Saturday night down the trips remaining on or glancing at a fast-reading while I only go down there to (pre-children) no matter what walkers along the path, is very our Atlantic Beach Bridge novel. My husband has gotten do the laundry. Please be was playing in the theater! calming, while at the same card and sadly realize that our back into his exercise regimen aware that I am making an Once we needed a babysit- time invigorating. Especially last walk for the season is most evenings (45 minutes on attempt to go back to the ter to enable our weekly on a Saturday night, while slowly coming to pass. his elliptical). Last year, we treadmill. I swept off the dust entertainment, we became still warmed by the glow of November arrives and the invested in exercise equip- the other day and I put away more selective of our movie the passing Shabbos, we enjoy cold night air makes our ment: an elliptical for the surrounding toys. I’m needs: an outing needed to the solace along the water as almost nightly walks no longer Lenny—I certainly cannot almost there, just not quite. pass the “babysitter worthy” we have the opportunity to possible. Busy work and after- maneuver that thing—and a And so, Saturday night test. But we still yearned for greet others and be greeted school schedules make daily treadmill for me. While the arrives, and we have had to some type of nightlife without with a comforting “Shavua night activities as a couple weather was nice we both replace our exciting nightlife the need for a babysitter. I Tov” (wishes for a good week). almost a thing of the past. abandoned the equipment in in the beautiful outdoors. remember the Sunday nights The fall arrives, but even Exhausted at the end of the favor of the fresh air. Now There are many who still go when we would take baby then we still have a few weeks day, after getting the youngest that the weather is against us, out to the movies every week. Naftali (now 20 years old) in his infant car seat out to eat at Edna’s Delicatessen in Brooklyn. He would usually sleep while I rocked the car seat with my foot, and I would savor my rare (almost mooing) roast beef on rye and Hubbie would enjoy his pastrami or corned beef on club (before the fear of cholesterol set in). Years passed, and finally our Naftali was old enough to babysit the rest of our brood. Somehow, though, we never returned to the enjoyment of the movie theater. (It still needed to be a worthwhile film to capture my husband’s interest, and it had to be exciting enough to keep me up “past my bedtime.”) So what has replaced the boardwalk on a Saturday

Continued on Page 18

14 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES FROM THE EDITOR and other nearby areas. As the walls restrictions loosened and after a few commentaries on Rashi says that this Continued from Page 7 went up, the debate raged about years once again you were able to drive means that Yaakov sent “the mamush whether or not these walls were sup- your car right up to Kever Rachel and of the angels”—that is, he sent the sides present. An Israeli flag was taken posed to be the future boundaries of even park in the nearby parking lot physical nature of the angels ahead of down and a Palestinian flag unfurled the State of Israel, with everything on where cars had once streamed to, with him, but their spiritual essence did not and raised on a pole. I was aghast at the outside of the walls being part of the visitors unencumbered and go ahead; they stayed with Yaakov. the time, not sure what was taking some future Palestinian state. Those unafraid. Perhaps to the outside world In Mumbai, we lost the physical place and only later learning that I was walls also enclosed Kever Rachel. this was just a security or policy adjust- Rivka and Gavriel, the physical observing history being made. But that wasn’t good enough for the ment. To others it was a step closer to Leibush and Benzion, along with the It took some time, but things became Israel security apparatus. Even though Mother Rachel whose weeping, the others. Their holy essence, however— progressively worse in and around the outside of Kever Rachel was recon- prophet says, is heard on high in a way their spirit—has remained, like that of Kever Rachel. Unlike in Hebron where figured and the high gray walls sur- unlike any other’s. She weeps and Mama Rachel, right here with us. O there was a permanent Jewish pres- rounded this part of Bethlehem, still prays for her children who must pass ence, with upward of 500 Jews living in one has to endure inconvenience and this remote area on their way out to Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome at the city, the burial site of Rachel was obstacles in order to get to Kever their emotional and physical exile. [email protected]. truly isolated. It could be argued that Rachel to recite some Psalms. Up until There’s little doubt that last week she was as alone then as she had been just a few months ago, you could only she cried, as many of us did, for Rivka after Yaakov buried her on the side of drive or take a bus to the outskirts of and Gavriel and the other men and that road all those years ago. Bethlehem, where you had to transfer women ripped from us—just like It came to the point after the intifa- to a bulletproof bus with an armed sol- Rachel was inexplicably taken from us WHAT’S YOUR OPINION? da of 2000 that the Israeli government dier aboard. Then when you arrived at so long ago—with young, now mother- had to close Bethlehem to Jews. And the entrance of the Kever, you had to less and parentless children. In the WE WANT TO KNOW! that also meant setting Kever Rachel scurry inside as soldiers looked around very first words of this week’s Torah off limits so that, for the first time for snipers or other attackers. It wasn’t portion, it states that “Yaakov sent E-MAIL US AT since the Six Day War and the libera- a great time. Later, Kever Rachel malachim,” either angels or ordinary [email protected] tion of Kever Rachel from enemy would even be closed to the public for messengers, to his brother Eisav. hands, no Jews would be allowed. a short time. Rashi says they were “malachim The years following the scourge of But then something happened. The mamash,” genuine angels. One of the suicide bombings on buses and in cafés that killed hundreds led to the idea of building these high, smooth, gray security walls around Jerusalem

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immersion is valid, the child is not believed to say that he has immersed them (see Yoreh Deah 120:14). The explanation is that on a biblical matter a child does not have legal credibility. In Yoreh Deah, chapter one, there is a discussion as to whether a child is believed to say that an animal was slaughtered properly. Although generally speaking a child is not believed (See Shach 1:27 cit- ing the Raah and the Maharshal), there are situations when a child is believed. For example, the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (the first Lubavitcher Rebbe) writes that when there is a chazakah (a legal psycho-statistical based assump- tion) that a child will not mess something up, a child is believed (Y.D. 1:42). His example deals with sending an animal with a child to the slaughterer. Another example he cites is when a child is sent to ask a rav a question as to the kashrus of something. Since the child is fearful that they will check up on things with the rav, he is believed. The Shulchan Aruch HaRav qualifies it further by saying that only a child who is known to be honest may be relied upon. According to this ruling, then, one may trust a child with funds only if one knows him to be honest. This view is also the opinion of the Simlah Chadashah 1:35. Indeed, the Simlah Chadashah writes that one should ascer- tain whether a child’s behavior is good before one believes him. The Aruch HaShulchan (Yoreh Deah 1:48), however, seems to understand things slightly differently. He limits the Talmudic notion of the non-believability of a child to difficult situations. However, sending something through a child is a rather simple matter, and he writes that a child would be believed under such circumstances. He provides the caveat that the child cannot be too young, however. (The Magen Avraham (O.C. 399:7) writes that a child is believed on the kashrus of an item if it is “beyado”—within his ability—to, in fact, make it kosher. This, however, does not bear on our case as to whether to believe the child, since the concept of “beyado” is not applicable.) In conclusion, if one clearly knows that the child is trustworthy, it is permitted to entrust him with money. If one does not know the child, it seems that there would be a debate between the Aruch HaShulchan and the Shulchan Aruch HaRav as to whether the child is to be trusted, and there is a concern of lifnei iver—providing a temptation for the child to take the money for himself. If one knows that the child engages in misdeeds, then it would be a problem of lifnei iver to give him the money. O

The author can be reached at [email protected].

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16 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES BAGEL STORE busy with at least something produc- Continued from Page 9 tive during the day,” says Anita Tucker. In fact, we were taken later in the day munities, while hundreds of families to a little mall a few miles away from were forced to live in hotels for months Nitzan where all the stores received with absolutely nothing to do. their startup funds from JobKatif. I Men and women who had careers and don’t know how well or poorly they are businesses were left to wander aimlessly. doing, but they are building a business Some became so despondent and so and serving this area of Israel with an depressed, says Mrs. Tucker, that they irreplaceable entrepreneurial spirit. could not get out of bed for months, as Later in the day we sat in Rachel their families fell apart. Someone had to Saperstein’s dinette, where she served step up and combat the devious govern- us delicious breads with humus, delec- ment plans to destroy on numerous lev- table home-baked cakes, and the most els not just the people of Gush Katif but delicious pea soup, which hit the spot also the admirable spirit and personal after a long day of driving around an self-esteem of those who once brought unfamiliar area and absorbing some of Jewish life to an arid desert. the trauma that these outstandingly That’s where Rabbi Yosef Rimon good people, lovers of Israel, have comes in. With the assistance of undeservedly been forced to endure. numerous others, he created JobKatif, I sat there dining in this caravilla an organization charged with bringing that’s supposed to be a home, contem- work and dignity back to the expellees. plating the interesting message of the Before the disengagement from Gaza, bowl of soup in front of me. Split peas more than 2,100 individuals were is the delicacy that the biblical Yosef, employed in Gush Katif. Today, three then viceroy of Egypt, sent to his father and a half years later, 600 are still who was living in Israel. They had been unemployed and 500 families are separated from one another for 22 underemployed. More than 70 percent years, with Yaakov believing that Yosef of the people needing work are over 40 had been killed. Why split peas? The years of age. During its rather brief life Midrash explains that this was a delica- so far, JobKatif has helped with the cy, for the pea is most tasteful when it funding of 140 new businesses, has is split. The message from Yosef to offered professional retraining courses Yakov? Though we have been apart for to over 200 individuals, and has placed 22 years, the outcome will be sweet, over 1,000 people in new jobs. tasty, and very good. The message res- In our walk through Nitzan two onates for the people of Gush Katif, weeks ago, we met former farmers split from the land they loved. who are now picture-frame manufac- The Israeli government says it turers, tour guides, and supermarket clerks. “It’s important that people be Continued on Page 19

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 17 Mother’s Musings Continued from Page 14

night? I’ll give you a hint: it’s something I do almost every day, and yet it takes on a new excitement when we venture to a different zip code to do it. Have you guessed yet? Yes, you are right: food shopping! Lately we have been venturing out to B.J.’s to utilize my 90- day free trial, but this past week (while waiting for Yussie to return from yet another Yachad shabbaton), without even a circular to see in

So instead of wasting our time on a mindless movie, we were able to bond over three boxes of Chex cereal for the price of one!

advance, we ventured into Pathmark in far-off East Rockaway. There always seems to be something on sale there that will give us a thrill. Who would have thought, 20- plus years ago, that a sale on Tropicana orange juice for $1.98 would make my heart race? And walking up and down the aisles discovering these amazing sales together is exercise while at the same time giving us a common goal: saving money! So instead of wasting our time on a mindless movie, we were able to bond over three boxes of Chex cereal for the price of one! As we drove home in the snow on Saturday night, I thought to myself how much fun we had navigating every sale possible. That’s entertainment! O

Phyllis Joy Lubin is an attorney with Rosenfeld & Maidenbaum, LLP, who resides in Cedarhurst with her husband Leonard and six children: Naftali, Shoshana, Rivka, Rochel, Yosef, and Lea. She welcomes your questions and comments at [email protected].

At 5TJT.com you can enjoy articles in 3 ways: 1. Read 2. Print 3. Email

18 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES BAGEL STORE tomorrow,” she says with a bright Continued from Page 17 smile. And interestingly enough, they are not the only ones who want to would facilitate any one of the people return to live in Gaza. Over the in Nitzan moving anywhere they desire decades, both say, they developed in the country. But they don’t want to excellent relationships with the local move individually. They want to stick population in Gaza. In fact, at the time together as family, neighbors, and of the evacuation, they were taking friends who enjoyed the miracles of an Arabic-language lessons. “We attended extraordinary high and who have now each other’s family celebrations and been laid so miserably low. A commu- just got along well,” they said. nity for Anita and Stuart Tucker, their Today, three and a half years later, families and friends—all former resi- Mrs. Tucker says, “We still speak about dents of Netzar Hazani—is being once a week to some of our Arab developed, but painfully slowly. It’s not friends in Gaza. Since the Jewish pop- the way the government wants it, so ulation was evacuated from Gush Katif they are taking their time. the land has been uncooperative, not The dream is to rebuild Netzar producing anywhere at the rate that it Hazani along the lines and according once did. One of my Arab friends, a to the plans of what it once was. The farmer, asks me all the time, ‘When are Israeli government doesn’t want that. you coming back?’” They want the Gush Katif refugees to Of course, they really never wanted remain as a living reminder of what a to leave. In fact, Anita Tucker says, government can do to people if they when the IDF came to remove them become too independent and are from their homes in August 2005, noth- viewed as obstacles to what some view ing had been packed. Her children and as a peace process which, after a their families were gathered around decade and a half, has yielded few them, and the dining-room table was set practical results. for a meal. Fifteen soldiers were “We lived in Gaza for close to 30 assigned to remove the family from their years,” says Mrs. Saperstein, originally home. Mrs. Tucker said that she insist- from the Lower East Side of Manhattan. ed she would go only if they sat and ate “Considering that over that period over a meal with her one last time. 6,000 rockets and shells were fired at As to why she refused to pack any our communities, you would think that items or prepare in any way for what we would be crazy to state that we are was clearly inevitable, she once willing to return tomorrow.” again smiles and says, “I wanted to Mrs. Tucker, born and raised in give Hashem more time to change Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, sounds His mind.” O the same theme. “Tell us we can return Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome at to Gush Katif, and we are back there [email protected].

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 19 20 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES Jewish Leadership Home religious-Zionist party. The ment its extremist policies.” Political realized that this is my party—the Continued from Front Cover Kadima and Labor parties are expect- analysts said that Kadima was stabbing party of the Jewish nation.” ed to use the new Likud candidate in the dark, however, and that this char- into the 20th spot on the Knesset can- list as ammunition to paint the Likud acterization could barely be justified. Likud Gains In First Post-Feiglin didate list, which was topped by party as a nationalist and religious faction All Monday night, until after 4:00 Poll; Bibi Tries To Bump Him. caucus chairman Gidon Saar. The vot- that would stymie chances for an a.m., thousands of Likud members The first post-Likud primaries poll ing had been extended until 1 a.m. due agreement with the Palestinian waited anxiously in the Tel Aviv dispels chairman Binyamin to a computer communications cable Netanyahu’s fears that Jewish break Monday morning and long lines Leadership faction leader Moshe the rest of the day. Feiglin’s victory will hurt the party, but Knesset Member Gilad Erdan won Netanyahu and his allies are appealing second place, followed by MK Reuven to the party’s court in an effort to Rivlin, and Benny Begin, son of for- dump him. mer Prime Minister Menachem “I realized that this is my party— The Likud actually would gain two Begin. Next in line were MK Moshe seats if elections were held today, Kahlon, MK Silvan Shalom, and for- the party of the Jewish nation.” according to a Haaretz-Dialog poll, mer IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.- while a Yediot Acharonot survey shows Gen. Moshe Yaalon. the party would lose one Knesset All of the rankings will be pushed Member. However, the same poll also back by one in order to place party shows that the Kadima party would chairman Binyamin Netanyahu in the win two seats less than in the previous first spot. Among U.S. immigrants, Authority if placed in power. Fairgrounds complex for the final survey, while Labor would gain two. Shomron resident Yechiel Leiter barely Following the announcement of the results. Jewish Leadership faction The Green, Pensioners, HaTikvah, made it into the top 40, former basket- results of the Likud primaries, a activist Dovid Shirel said that the and Meimad parties would not win ball star Tal Brody did not win a realis- Kadima spokesman called the Likud, crowds began singing songs, including enough support for Knesset representa- tic slot, and attorney Yossi Fuchs lost which is leading in pre-election polls, a “We have no one to rely upon except tion, according to the polls. A Likud-led to Feiglin-backed Boaz HaEztni in the “prisoner of the extreme Right…that for our Father in heaven.” “I was Judea and Samaria slot. Pre-election will try to come to power and imple- moved to tears,” says Shirel, “and I Continued on Page 22 polls show that Likud will win approximately 35 seats. MK Yuval Steinitz won ninth place, and former Likud MK Dr. Leah Ness was voted into the 10th spot, which was reserved for a current or former woman MK. She is followed by MKs Yisrael Katz, Yuli Edelstein, and Limor Livnat. Dan Meridor and MK Michael Eitan also were placed in the top 20, but one of chairman Bibi Netanyahu’s favorites, former police chief Asaf Hefetz, did not win a spot in the top 35 places, leaving in doubt the possibility of his gaining a seat in the next Knesset. The complete line-up of the first 40 Likud candidates for parliament is as follows: 1. Binyamin Netanyahu; 2. Gideon Saar; 3. Gilad Erdan; 4. Reuven Rivlin; 5. Benny Begin; 6. Moshe Kahlon; 7. Silvan Shalom; 8. Moshe Yaalon; 9. Yuval Shteinitz; 10. Leah Ness; 11. Yisrael Katz; 12. Yuli Edelshtein; 13. Limor Livnat; 14. Chaim Katz; 15. Yossi Peled; 16. Michael Eitan; 17. Dan Meridor; 18. Tzipi Hotobeli; 19. Gila Gamliel; 20. Moshe Feiglin; 21. Zev Elkin; 22. Yariv Levin; 23. Tzion Finian; 24. Mickey Ratzon; 25. Ayoub Kara; 26. Danny Danon; 27. Carmel Shama; 28. Ofir Akunis; 29. Ehud Yatom; 30. Hilleli Adbosi; 31. Yitzchak Danino; 32. David Even-Tzur; 33. Kati Sheetrit; 34. Miri Regev; 35. Sagiv Asulin; 36. Boaz HaEtzni; 37. Guy Yifrah; 38. Assaf Hefetz; 39. Yechiel Leiter; 40. Keren Barak. Most of the attention was focused on Jewish Leadership faction leader Moshe Feiglin, whose presence in the party—let alone a realistic slot on the party’s Knesset candidate list— Netanyahu bitterly opposed. Out of the top 30 candidates listed above, 15 were on Feiglin’s recommended voting list. (They are spots 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, and 29 above.) The placement of several religious and nationalist candidates in the top 20 spots represents a change in the character of the Likud and explains a drop in the polls for the new Jewish 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 21 Jewish Leadership government radio highlighted anti- Continued from Page 21 nationalist views that the victories of Likud Could Sweep Knesset Elections Feiglin, former IDF Chief of Staff coalition including nationalist and reli- Moshe Ya’alon, and Benny Begin have According to recent polls, Likud back hope, security, and pride to gious parties would include 64 MKs, turned the Likud into “an extreme could sweep the coming Knesset Israel on February 10th” at the gener- compared with 45 for a coalition led by right-wing” party. Haaretz published an elections. As such, those who secured al elections. Kadima, not including the Arab parties. article by former Meretz Knesset high places on the party’s list stand to The Likud suffered an embarrass- The poll also revealed that nearly Member and party leader Yossi Sarid gain senior governmental positions. ing blow on Monday when problems half of the respondents do not know if that made comparisons with Hitler The Likud Party announced the offi- with its computer system and long Feiglin’s winning the 20th place on the and stated that Feiglin is a fascist. cial results of its primary early lines at polling stations forced the party’s list of Knesset candidates will Feiglin’s victory came at the cost of Tuesday morning in Tel Aviv. party’s legal advisers to extend the affect the party in the general elections Netanyahu’s favorites, such as Asaf Netanyahu spoke after the 41 candi- voting in its primary race until 1 a.m. on February 10. Twenty percent Hefetz and Uzi Dayan, whose distant dates were called to the stage, Netanyahu wanted to resume the vot- thought that the results would be pos- places on the Knesset list mean they announcing, “Friends, today we ing for at least a few hours on itive, and 27 percent said the party will enter the legislature only if the chose a new leadership for Israel.” Tuesday afternoon, but Feiglin would be hurt at the polls. Likud can score a large victory in the Some 50,000 Likud members cast threatened to petition the High However, Netanyahu and his allies general elections. votes because they “know what diffi- Court of Justice, and the party’s legal are not accepting the Feiglin victory Haaretz noted that the “Feiglin cult challenges Israel faces today: advisers decided that there was no quietly and have appealed to the effect” may take time before it is economic, security, and diplomatic,” legal basis for allowing the vote to go party’s court to change the placements reflected in the pre-election polls, but Netanyahu continued. These issues on for another day. of several candidates who won places Feiglin has claimed that his winning a “demand a response,” he said, calling The head of the Likud’s election higher than the spots that had been high place on the list of candidates will the Likud Knesset list “a list that rep- committee, retired judge Yehoshua reserved for them. If the appeal is attract national religious voters. The resents Israel.” Before the Likud Gross, said he made the decision to accepted, Feiglin and other strong new Jewish Home party, a spin-off of gathering rose to sing the national extend the voting in an effort to allow nationalists would move further down the National Union party, would win anthem, Netanyahu vowed that his as many Likud members to vote as the list. only four seats, compared with nine in party would continue work to “bring possible. (JPost.com) O Israeli media, particularly Yediot the current NRP-National Union Acharonot, Haaretz, and Voice of Israel party. (Arutz Sheva) O

I am unworthy of the least of all the mer- cies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant (Bereishis 32:11) The meaning of this is that every kindness bestowed by G-d upon a person should cause him to be exceedingly humble. For a Divine kindness is an expression of “His right hand does embrace me”—G-d is literally bringing the person closer to Himself.And the closer a person is to G-d, the greater the humility this should evoke in him, for since “all before Him is as naught,” the more “before Him” a person is, the more “as naught” does he perceive himself to be. This is the manner of Yaakov.The very opposite is the case in the contrasting realm of kelipah (evil). There, the greater the kindness shown a person, the more he grows in arro- gance and self-satisfaction.

(Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi)

22 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES Prisoner Release A ‘Spit In The Face’ Of Mumbai Terror Victims

B Y NISSAN RATZLAV-KATZ cogent platform that is in tandem with murdered throughout Israel, and should Israel?” the stated American goal of fighting suicide bombers then made their Women In Green added that the Israel’s cabinet decided last week and defeating terror.” way next to U.S. soil on 9/11. The appropriate response to Islamic ter- to authorize the release of 250 ter- rorism and the government’s policies rorist prisoners from Israel’s jails, as is “to show the terrorists that the a goodwill gesture to the Palestinian People [of Israel] will not be scared Authority (PA) ahead of the Muslim off and will continue to be proud holiday of Eid al-Adha. In statements “The U.S. would never adopt a land for Jews in the Land of Israel, will con- to the media, both the extra-parlia- tinue to settle it, build in it and mentary Women In Green organiza- peace platform on its own homeland to expand in it.” tion and the Likud’s Manhigut The non-governmental organiza- Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) faction tion called on Israelis to join the linked the decision with the Mumbai appease al-Qaeda. Why should Israel?” people defending the rights of Jews Massacre perpetrated by Muslim ter- to live in the Peace House in rorists. Hevron, where Israeli authorities Women In Green said that the intend to forcibly evict the building’s “criminal and murderous terror Reflecting on past Israeli conces- United States would never adopt a residents despite the absence of any attack [in Mumbai] by Islamic ter- sionist policies, Manhigut Yehudit land for peace platform on its own legal resolution mandating their rorists against non-Muslims, Jews, said, “Oslo resulted in thousands homeland to appease al-Qaeda. Why removal. (Arutz Sheva) O and non-Jews alike, should have made the government of Israel understand that time has come to finally start fighting against Arab Islamic terror from Gaza and from Judea and Samaria, instead of capit- ulating to terror and rewarding it. But instead, to our shame, shock, and horror, the government of Israel decided this morning to release another 250 terrorists as a ‘goodwill gesture’ to the mass murderer Abu Mazen (the terrorist name for PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas).” That decision, Women In Green said, “is a spit in the face of victims of Arab terror in general and of the latest Mumbai victims in particular.” A Manhigut Yehudit spokesman took the theme further and claimed, “The fact that the government in the Jewish homeland releases terrorists as a ‘goodwill gesture’ only empow- ers the terrorists and makes citizens of free countries worldwide susceptible. Olmert’s actions clearly create a situation that could precipitate more attacks globally.” The policies of Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and other Israeli leaders, according to the Manhigut Yehudit statement, have “only led to dead and maimed Jews, and the loss in the belief of the justness of our cause by Jews, in Israel and worldwide. [Manhigut Yehudit faction leader Moshe] Feiglin is the only leader in Israel who has a

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5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 23 The Tenacity Of The Jewish Soul BOOK REVIEW child who had been sent by her par- her life was not orchestrated by a for- B Y FERN SIDMAN ents, along with her siblings, from tuitous confluence of events, but their home in Vienna, Austria to the rather by the hand of the G-d that her The corpus of modern Jewish litera- relative safety of England. The story family so tightly embraced. ture is replete with a multitude of In the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust memoirs, each one person- anschluss, the devoutly Orthodox ally adding a unique dimension to the Stolzberg family struggled to survive, tragic, unspeakable horror of the event as the grip of Nazi oppression could be that defined the 20th century. Some When Hitler’s felt ever more acutely with each pass- are stories of hope, faith, and courage ing day. Despite the tremendous finan- against all odds, while others offer rumblings were heard cial hardships and the emotional strain graphic depictions of the depravity of that her family endured, Friedl (as she modern civilization. Throw Your Feet in the early ’30s, Papa is called) is nurtured adoringly by her Over Your Shoulders: Beyond the loving parents, Yocheved and Nissan, Kindertransport (182 pp., Devora continued to say and her beloved grandparents, Oma Publishing, 2008) by Frieda Stolzberg Blima and Opa Shmuel. Her father is Korobkin is a poignant account of the Gott wird helfen. an accomplished Torah scholar, a grad- Holocaust years and beyond, one that uate of the Vizhnitz yeshiva, and a man When Mama miscarried her first few speaks to the heart and soul of a young of true faith and trust in G-d. Of her pregnancies, he said, Gott wird helfen. and frightened child separated from father she says, “Papa’s favorite saying When Hitler’s rumblings were heard in her family. that follows serves as a true testament was Gott wird helfen, ‘God will help.’ the early ’30s and the family’s econom- Mrs. Korobkin presents a com- to the strength of the Jewish soul and When Opa Shmuel lost all his money ic situation became ever more dire, pelling, powerful, and vividly described will surely arouse a panoply of emo- and was no longer able to help his chil- Papa continued to say Gott wird odyssey of her life as a six-year-old tions. It is clear that the trajectory of dren, Papa said, Gott wird helfen. helfen. And Papa was right.” It is December of 1938, and with great anguish, Friedl’s parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her older sisters Miriam and Erika and brother Ephraim on a kindertransport to England organized by Rabbi Solomon Schonfeld. Her parents tell her that with G-d’s help they will all be reunited after the war. Upon her arrival in Holland, Friedl sees Rabbi Schonfeld for the first time. Frightened by her journey and intimi- dated by strangers, Friedl is overcome by diffidence. She would soon find out that the man with the undulating voice was indeed an innocuous soul whose gentleness, sensitivity, care, and concern would sustain Friedl throughout the course of her life. When Rabbi Schonfeld queries her as to whether she speaks Yiddish, she is afraid to reply, yet suddenly blurts out, “Throw your feet over your shoulders and run away!” Rabbi Schonfeld laughs heartily and draws her gently to his side. The eternal bond had been forged. Separated from her sister and brother, Friedl lives with a barely observant Jewish family in London. It is there that she is forced to desecrate Shabbos for the first time, while living with an adoptive mother who coerces Friedl to call her “Aunty” and excori- ates her publicly for falling asleep during a movie. After the British government issues an edict that all children must be evacuated from London due to the impending Nazi threat to bomb the city, Friedl is adopted by a kindly non-Jewish couple, Mrs. Whyte-Smith and her husband, a retired Colonel. She now lives in a stately home in the English countryside, in a village in Surrey called Thorpe. While Mrs. Whyte-Smith and her housekeeper, Annie, lovingly raise Friedl, they also take her to church on a weekly basis, celebrate Christmas with her, and teach her gentile prayers to recite. Despite the pervasive non- Jewish culture that is being thrust upon her, young Friedl continues to recite the bedtime Shema Yisrael prayer that her parents taught her years ago. When Annie gets called up to serve her country during wartime, Friedl is told by 24 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES Mrs. Whyte-Smith that she can no longer care for her without Annie’s help. Friedl is once again transferred to a new gentile home. She resides there for but a brief time before she is reunited with her sister Miriam and brother Ephraim. She now lives in the Cardiff hostel where her brother had been living with other Jewish boys. Rabbi Schonfeld is thrilled that she is there and she is once again surrounded by other Orthodox Jews and is taken under the wing of the hostel matron and her husband. She attends the Cardiff school for girls, a secular institution in which she and only two other girls are Jewish. She again experiences anti-Semitic taunts and innuendo as she had while attending school in Thorpe, but takes comfort in returning to the hostel each day to be with her siblings and to spend Shabbos with the other children. When the hostel closes in 1943, Rabbi Schonfeld sends her to the village of Shefford in Bedfordshire to attend his Jewish Secondary School. It is at JSS where Friedl extricates herself from the shell she had been trapped in and excels in both academics and sports. She flour- ishes in a genuinely observant Jewish environment, yet as the war winds down she still has no clue as to whether her parents are still alive. Mrs. Korobkin’s lively description of her formative years at JSS resonate with gladness as she speaks of her teachers and fellow students with the similitude of beloved family members. Rabbi Schonfeld is a surrogate father of sorts to Friedl as he makes sure she has everything she needs and listens with deep concern when she needs to share her feelings. He is cognizant of the fact that Friedl is a child who vehemently clung to her Jewish faith in spite of the enormous non-Jewish influence in her life and without the benefit of encouragement and support from her parents. Subsequent to her graduation from JSS, Friedl decides to move to Israel, and her excitement upon seeing the Holy Land remains one of her greatest moments. She eventually moves to the United States, where she marries and raises three children in a strictly Orthodox home. In 1973, the author learns the fate of her beloved parents. A mass grave was uncovered in Brko, Yugoslavia. The Nazis had kept lists of those they murdered, and amongst the names of 200 Viennese Jews on this list were the names of her parents and her grandmother. The remains were transferred to the Jewish cemetery in Vienna and given a proper Jewish burial by the Vienna chevrah kadishah (Jewish burial society). It is abundantly clear that the author of this heartwarming book faced innumerable struggles and challenges throughout her life. Yet the faith in G-d that her father had inculcated in her as a very young child served as a beacon of light and hope during the dense darkness of those nightmarish years. This book is a real page-turner, a captivating true tale that will leave you inspired and moved. The resilience of the Jewish soul—the indomitable “Pintele Yid”—leaps forth from these pages and into your heart. O 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 25 Bullet-Riddled Mumbai Torah Verse: ‘Almighty Spoke After Deaths’

B Y TZVI BEN GEDALYAHU infested building. The Torah scroll arrived in Israel along with Rabbi The verse in the Torah that was and Rivka Holtzberg. (Arutz Sheva) O shot through by Mumbai terrorists reads: “The Al-mighty spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharon’s two sons….” It is from Vayikra, Chapter 16, Verse 1. The damaged Torah scroll was discovered when officials examined the Chabad House following the massacre of six Israelis by the Muslim terrorists who staged the mass slaughter in at least 10 different places Wednesday night. They saw bullet holes in the Holy P h o t

Ark where the scroll was kept and o B y Y

then examined it to see if it had been o s s i Y a

damaged. The verse refers to Nadav m p e l - -

and Avihu, the sons of the High Z A K Priest Aaron who died when they A performed an offering that was not Torah scrolls shot up by Muslim terrorists. commanded by the Almighty. The Torah states that the Almighty said, “I will be sanctified through those who are close to me,” a statement WHAT’S YOUR OPINION? that often is quoted following inex- WE WANT TO KNOW! plicable deaths. Among those murdered in the E-MAIL US AT Chabad House were its rabbi, [email protected] Gavriel Holtzberg, and his wife Rivka. Their oldest son died at the OR UPLOAD age of three from a rare disease. YOUR COMMENTS AT Their youngest son, Moshe, was saved from murder when his nanny www.5tjt.com snatched him and fled the terror-

26 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 27 Dear Esther, I wound up falling and banging my My husband and I have been mar- head so hard I had a clear and obvious ried for 11 difficult years. I suppose I bump. I thought for sure this incident have to believe that it takes two to would force my mother-in-law to see tango, but I think most women would that Moshe was no angel and had find my husband almost impossible some serious problems. Even then she to live with. He was always one of found a way to make me the responsi- those guys who believed that the world revolved around him and no one else. Not even our children were as important. After we were married for a little The fact that your while, it became obvious to me where this thinking came from. His mother mother-in-law had absolutely doted on him. She thought he was the most adorable, brilliant, the audacity to blame wonderful person that ever walked the earth. I made the mistake, when we were first married, of telling my moth- you for his assault er-in-law about some of the problems we were having. I knew she was very is very telling. close to “Moshe,” her son, and the things he was doing were clearly out- rageous, so I figured she’d be a good person to intervene and encourage ble one, and said that I must have Moshe to behave. But no matter what done something really terrible to make I told her, she found a way of turning Moshe push me so hard. it around so that I was the guilty party. Anyway, last year Moshe and I sep- There was nothing I could say about arated on the advice of a therapist I Moshe that would make her see him was seeing. I basically told him that in a bad light. until certain things changed, there In fact, early on in our marriage, was no way I was going to stay married Moshe once pushed me very hard and to him. He needed to do some serious

28 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES work on himself. This was probably the best advice I ever got and the best move I could have made. After six months of being apart, we started “dating” again, and I finally agreed to let Moshe move back in to our home three months ago. Thank G-d, things between us are better than ever. Not perfect, but so much better. But here is the problem. His entire family has nothing to do with me anymore. When I kicked him out, his siblings (whom I actually had a decent relationship with before- hand), his parents, and the entire gang acted as though I had fallen off the planet. I understood their loyalty to Moshe at that time. But now that Moshe and I are doing better than ever, his parents don’t want to come over to visit, his siblings don’t call me anymore, and I feel like they have all written me off. To make matters worse, it seems to me as though my family is angry at me for taking Moshe back. My parents were never really thrilled with him, and my siblings and even some friends can’t understand how I would ever allow him back into my life. So though I’m thrilled to be doing better with Moshe, I’m feeling very alone and misunderstood. I feel like I’m the guilty party now and everyone is mad at me! How do I straighten out this mess that my life is now in? Misunderstood

Dear Misunderstood, It looks like the old expression “blood is thicker than water” has really proven itself to be true in your experience. Obviously, it is a credo that Moshe’s family has lived by since day one. When it came to Moshe, since he is your mother-in-law’s flesh and blood, he could do no wrong. Many parents will stand by their married children during conflict between them and their spouses, at least up to a point. It takes a very special kind of parent to see their children with truly objective honesty and be able to assess a situation in terms of right and wrong as opposed to who is a blood relative and who isn’t. But even a parent who is partial to “their own” would most likely withhold their support if and when physical abuse comes into play. The fact that your mother-in-law had the audacity to blame you for his assault is very telling— frighteningly so. She is clearly living in an intense state of denial, and nothing you can say will change that.

Continued on Page 30 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 29 MINDBIZ applaud the very brave move you way by making their feelings about It’s scary and risky for everyone Continued from Page 29 made. By separating from Moshe, you Moshe known, as they show annoy- involved, but sometimes in life it’s gave him a much-needed wake-up call ance that you are once more together. important and necessary to take risks. I’m sure it’s very hard for you to feel that enabled and inspired him to begin But they need to understand that The same idea needs to be conveyed so alone and to suddenly be snubbed to work on himself. they are hurting you and also hurting to your friends. Again, they probably from all sides. You definitely don’t I think you need to have a serious any prospects of your marriage ulti- believe they are protecting you, but it deserve such treatment, and it’s a conversation with your parents and mately succeeding. You mentioned sounds as though you know what you shame that no one can see past their siblings. I don’t know whether they children, so I imagine there are chil- are doing and don’t want this particu- immediate knee-jerk reactions and feel they are protecting you in some dren to consider, and—for that rea- lar form of protection at the moment. son alone—they need to figure out Explain to your friends that you appre- how to be supportive. ciate their good intentions but that, for As you and Moshe work toward now, it is far from helpful. building, for the first time, a whole- Regarding Moshe’s family, he some marriage together—one that needs to handle them. It sounds like involves mutual respect and kind- they are a close family that sticks ness—the fewer sources of anxiety you together through thick and thin. It encounter, the better. Your parents would be in Moshe’s best interests, as need to know that by creating a nega- well as yours and your children’s, for tive experience for all of you, they are his family to once again include you seriously sabotaging your chances of in their lives. My guess is that if it success. The Moshe that they resent comes from Moshe’s mouth, they will because of all the pain he caused you be more inclined to listen and react for over a decade may be very different appropriately. I’m sure they don’t than the Moshe you are now living want to be your best friends and you with. Try to explain to your parents certainly don’t want to be their best how much it would mean to you if they friend, but keeping it civil and polite could open their hearts and give him a is a worthwhile goal. chance. People sometimes do change. In the meantime, good luck with your marriage. Stay strong, work toward getting the respect that you deserve, and hopefully the two of you will continue to grow as individuals and as a couple. Esther

Esther Mann, LMSW, has a private practice in Lawrence. Esther is a psychotherapist and life coach and can be reached at 516-314-2295 or [email protected]. She works with individuals, couples, premarital couples, and families.

And he bought the piece of land… for a hundred kesitahs (Bereishis 33:19) This is one of the three places regarding which the nations of the world cannot accuse Israel and say,“You have stolen them.” The three places are: the Cave of Machpelah, the site of the Holy Temple, and the tomb of Yosef at Shechem. The cave of Machpelah, as it is written (Bereishis 23:16): “And Avraham weighed to Ephron the silver.” The Temple:“So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold” (Divrei HaYamim 1, 21:25). And Yosef’s tomb:“ And [Yaakov] bought the piece of land for a hundred kesitahs.”

(Midrash Rabbah)

30 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

in his murder trial. That may or may purely symbolic gesture. But it does not be true. Maybe she said it too the trick. It reminds us what we’re many times for it to be believable. all about. And, while Pesach is many But we’ll never know. Those of us months away, this is nevertheless with long memories and short fuses still a timely observation, since we’ve are still exasperated by the outcome just heard the news about the suffer- of the earlier criminal trial, and we’re ing of one of the most famous crim- overjoyed with the verdict resulting inals in recent history. Even if one is Killing Two Birds... from this one. open-minded enough to give him the Still, questions do arise. Jews benefit of the doubt, and to consider aren’t supposed to take pleasure in him innocent of murdering two peo- The guilty verdict that was handed hero’s fate. As if the state of our econ- the sorrows of others. We’re expressly ple simply because he was acquitted down in O.J. Simpson’s second crim- omy isn’t depressing enough, we’re prohibited from rejoicing in the death after his murder trial, one cannot inal trial took place months ago. still reeling from the devastating of another human being—however ignore the fact that he was found When it was over, many people were news of what happened in Mumbai, evil that individual may be. It’s for guilty after the civil trial. And if that mighty pleased to hear it. Sentencing India. Our pain is intolerable as well this reason that, at the Passover wasn’t enough to convince the think- was scheduled for early December, as enduring. Seder, we remove a drop of wine from ing public of his penchant for doing and we mentally put it on the back In a less volatile climate, we would our cup at the mention of each the wrong thing, he was found guilty burner until then. The Yamim likely have heard many weeks of plague that befell the Egyptians; we of robbery and kidnapping in his Nora’im came and went, the presi- most recent criminal trial. What a dential campaign occupied our guy! Most people never even have thoughts, and eventually there was— one trial, but this hero had a crimi- and still is—the economy to worry nal trial, a civil trial, and a second about. With all of that, we were too I would have been so ecstatic that nothing criminal trial! preoccupied to focus on an ex–foot- Most people were convinced he ball hero’s problems. was guilty of the murders. But fair is The holidays ended and so too did less than a total fast would have expressed fair. He wasn’t convicted, and he the campaigning. The economy, as never spent a day behind bars. O.J.’s they say, is what it is, which is horrific. mindfulness of his suffering. biggest punishment, until now, has Possibly because of our collective eco- been that Fred Goldman, father of nomic woes, even as O.J.’s date for victim Ron Goldman, never let him sentencing approached, the airwaves rest for a single moment. Good for weren’t filled with speculation about you, Fred! The Goldman family con- the man and his troubles. His case reporting about Simpson’s approach- engage in that bit of symbolism to sistently and relentlessly hounded evoked very little interest in a media ing sentencing. We didn’t. And now, indicate that we’re taking away a little The Juice all these years. One theory that normally hangs on every salacious it’s over. Last week O.J. was sen- bit of our joy—the wine. But there is that O.J. tried to pull the robbery in detail in an effort to refer to these tenced to a possible 33 years in are many types of death. And being order to hide his memorabilia from details as “news.” prison. He will be eligible for parole incarcerated for many years is a form the Goldmans and their civil judg- In short, there continues to be too in 9 years. The judge repeatedly of death, to be sure. ment against him. And now, at long much else going on in this world to avowed that her sentence had noth- The removal of those droplets of make a big deal out of a has-been ing to do with his long-ago acquittal wine is no particular hardship. It’s a Continued on Page 33

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 31 • Which homes were previously on sale in the area with him so that he the market, whether on MLS data or could then have his real-estate agent outside the MLS data arena. who was not from this area make • How your house compares to appointments. I asked him, if he was other houses for sale and not for sale doing all this legwork, what was his real- in the immediate local area. estate agent doing for him? The answer Whereas these are but a few of the I got was not intelligible. Disadvantages Of Using Out-Of-Area reasons for staying local when choosing As I have always been of the opinion a real-estate agent, there are many oth- that the entire point of hiring a good Real-Estate Agents ers. In the last few weeks, I have found real-estate agent is to acquire someone outside real-estate agents tapping me on experienced and knowledgeable who will I have always been perplexed as to the and determine values based on recent the shoulder while I was showing hous- make the experience of buying or selling reasoning used by some local sellers or sales and contracts. es, asking me if they and their customer a home easier and financially more buyers in hiring a real-estate agent from • Knowledge of day-to-day neigh- could listen in to what I was saying and advantageous, I have as yet not seen an area outside of the Five Towns. borhood information and what is hap- possibly show the same house—yes, it even one advantage of utilizing a real- Certainly any reasons they might have pening in the local real-estate market. really did happen, believe it or not. I estate agent who is working in an area are more than eclipsed by the many dis- • Pending legislation or building have also gotten calls from two other unknown to him and possibly very far advantages they have created for them- regulations and ordinances of the dif- out-of-area agents trying to list some from his usual area of work. I guess this selves, which can only hurt rather than is what you would call penny-wise and help them in getting the best value in pound-foolish. What am I missing? O the Five Towns real-estate market. A real-estate agent working outside of the Anessa Cohen lives in Cedarhurst and is a licensed real-estate broker (Anessa V Cohen area does not have the intimate knowl- I asked him, if he was doing all this Realty) and a licensed N.Y.S. mortgage broker edge of the neighborhood that can make (A.C. Action Mortgage Corp.) with over 20 years or break getting the best house available of experience, offering full-service residential and commercial real-estate services in the Five Towns for a buyer’s budget or selling a house at legwork, what was his real-estate and throughout the tri-state area. She can be its best advantage for a seller. Here are reached at 516-569-5007 or via her website, www.AVCrealty.com. Readers are encouraged to some crucial bits of information that a agent doing for him? send questions or comments to neighborhood specialist should know, [email protected]. whereas an out-of-area real-estate agent usually will not. • Which streets are considered desirable and which are not. ferent villages and towns. houses here in the Five Towns, asking You can now upload • History of neighborhood homes, • New inventory that is not yet on me if I could suggest some comparable who lives where, and what the on-dits the market or being shown quietly. sales for them to use that they could your display ad directly are on individual blocks. • Which agents take listings at mar- show their prospective sellers, since • The many shuls and yeshivas in ket value and who takes overpriced they did not know for how much to via our website at the Five Towns and what streets the listings. advise the sellers to price their homes, memberships of these various places • How to get inside information as they usually did not market this area. www.5tjt/com/ad reside on. from other listing agents, because they I even had one buyer call me asking me • How to accurately price homes know each other. to review a variety of possible homes for

32 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES THAT’S THE WAY IT IS! eleven of which (dark chocolate only) Continued from Page 31 are equal to five points. If I limit myself to nine pieces, that could be last, we may refer to O.J. as guilty! It my way of showing some feeling for took 13 years to hear the word guilty the guy. applied to Simpson. I, for one, was But would my show of remorse be happy to hear it. considered genuine when, in truth, From a Jewish perspective, it’s I’m thrilled that he will finally serve appropriate to temper our joy. I would time? Does removing some of my consider removing a drop of wine pleasure mean that I’m doing the cor- from my Friday-night sip, but that rect thing? I think it should, because wouldn’t do, because the start of consuming even minimally less choco- Shabbos is a time for spiritual rejuve- late does temper my joy. I would much nation and the wine provides us with, prefer to have eleven pieces of choco- among other things, a spiritual con- late than nine. nection to Jews around the world. It’s a good thing Simpson didn’t get However, after years of being taught a life sentence without possibility of that we’re not supposed to rejoice at parole. If he had, I would have been another person’s tzurus, I feel duty- so ecstatic that nothing less than a bound to show some sensitivity, even total fast would have expressed mind- if the person in question is O.J. fulness of his suffering. But, while Simpson. There is little doubt that I’m thrilled that at last he’s getting the man is miserable right now, and what he deserves, it’s a shame that he faces a death of sorts. he’s been convicted of a felony and In wondering how I might show kidnapping instead of a murder con- mindfulness of his suffering, it even- viction. The important thing, howev- tually came to me! It happened at a er, is that they finally got him! Weight Watcher’s meeting. Maybe I will do the right thing, The lecturer was explaining that from that Jewish perspective. It we’re allowed to consume an extra would be a win-win situation for me, five points (all foods have points) because eating two fewer Hershey each day. These extra points may be Kisses each day would be like killing used however the dieter wishes. It two birds with one stone. It will might be a sliver of cake, two cookies, remind me not to rejoice over anoth- or anything else totaling five points. er person’s suffering, and at the same Now, in an attempt to show that I am time it might help me lose weight not rejoicing too much, maybe I’ll faster. That’s The Way It Is! O reduce my pleasure by cutting back to four extra points instead of the allot- Hannah Berman lives in Woodmere and is a licensed real-estate broker associated with ted five. I often use these extra points Marjorie Hausman Realty. She can be reached at in the form of Hershey’s Kisses, [email protected] or 516-902-3733.

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 33 True compassion. A telling example their victims unsuspecting, they took place during the second intifada attached an explosive device to a lone, launched by the evil terrorist Yasser traveling donkey. They then sent it on Arafat (may his name be erased) the road, where the device was deto- around the turn of this century. Arafat nated alongside a vehicle carrying unleashed his minions of bloodthirsty Jewish occupants. Arab kamikazes on the Jews of Eretz Yisrael. Homicidal terrorists saw it as their life’s mission to cut down families Mishnas Chayim who had stopped for pizza or com- They immediately muters on their way to work. Men, women, infants, and the elderly were penned a letter to all counted amongst what was an ever- On The Parashah mounting tally of victims, may Hashem Arafat ha’rasha, avenge their blood. There is a certain prominent ani- imploring him to The Reality And The Hope their activities in the court of public mal-rights group that has been very opinion as being sufficiently humane involved in recent years in examining Kindly take a moment to study Mishnas Chayim “keep animals out of in the merit of Yaakov ben Dovid, a fellow Jew and ethical. Historically, such inspec- and ensuring the “humane treatment” who passed away with no relatives to arrange tion campaigns have been spearheaded of animals in slaughterhouses. For the the conflict.” Torah study on behalf of his neshamah. by a wide assortment of groups; among greater part of the terror campaign, them have been the Polish government, they were completely silent. Many times in the past—and, unfor- the Nazis, and animal-rights activists. It happened one time that the ter- tunately, of late as well—the institution It would be instructive for us to take rorists—who channeled their energies This event prompted the animal- of shechitah (kosher slaughter) has a closer look at this latter group and toward developing new and efficient rights group to take action; an inno- come under intense and intrusive scrutinize the ethical standards they methods of exterminating Jews—came cent donkey had been killed! They scrutiny. Devout Jews are suddenly have displayed in recent times. The up with an innovative method of exe- immediately penned a letter to Arafat made to feel that they need to defend results may prove to be quite revealing. cuting their evil plans. In order to keep ha’rasha, imploring him to “keep animals out of the conflict.” This is nothing short of incredible. Such are the moral principles of these people; they are not bothered by the wholesale slaughter of Jewish babies and expectant mothers, but they will not stand for the mistreatment of don- keys or cattle. The truth of the matter is that this unfortunate, blatant disregard for Jewish life was already present at the beginning of our history. Avoiding critique. One of the dramatic events depicted in this week’s parashah involves b’nei Yaakov’s stay in the city of Shechem. This episode is quite complex and intriguing and really requires intensive study to be properly understood. Here, we merely present a brief account of the basic high- lights and focus on one specific aspect. Yaakov and his sons were extremely distressed about the fact that Shechem (the namesake of the city) had disgraced Dinah, the daughter of Yaakov. This Shechem, the prince of the land, did not seem to know his boundaries; not only did he express no remorse, but he plead- ed for permission to wed the girl. Yaakov’s sons knew exactly how to handle the situation and responded with an element of “cunning” (Bereishis 34:13). They told the people of Shechem that the b’nei Yaakov would agree to intermarry with the Canaanite people of Shechem on one condition: all males of the city would have to undergo the Jewish ritual of circumcision. The eager Shechem quickly convinced his people to agree to the propo-

34 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES sition, and they all circumcised themselves. Then, “On the third day, while (the townspeople were) languishing in pain, Shimon and Levi, the two sons of Yaakov…took their swords… They killed all of the males…and Shechem… They took Dinah (their sister)…and left” (ibid. 25, 26). What exactly was the “cunning” displayed by the sons of Yaakov in their initial response to Shechem? The conventional wisdom seems to be that it refers to the intentional weak- ening of the enemy. That is, they led the Shechemites into circumcision in order to render them weak and defenseless. However, the K’li Yakar offers a novel approach; based on his commentary, it seems that a different calculation accounted for their “cunning.” According to the K’li Yakar, the circumcision plan accomplished an important objective: it provided the brothers with a type of immuni- ty, one that basically ensured that they need not fear reprisal from the surrounding nations. By circumcising themselves, the Shechemites had become— in the eyes of the world—like Jews. Shimon and Levi were well aware of the attitude of the nations. If they had killed members of some other tribe, it would cause an uproar. But when “Jews” were assassinated, quite frankly, no one was particularly interested. Now that the Shechemites looked Jewish, no one would protest their demise. Unfortunately, we see that Jewish blood has been cheap from time immemorial. In fact, the concern goes quite far, as reflected in the Mishnah in Avodah Zarah (2:1): “A person should not seclude himself in the company of an idolater; he is susceptible to the perpetra- tion of wanton murder.” History has proven time and again that such caution is warranted. What should be encouraging, though, is the fact that the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Inquisitors, the Cossacks, the Nazis—for all intents and purposes, are gone, while we are still here. “In every generation they rise up to annihilate us, but You save us from their hands” (Pesach Haggadah). And so we pray that we should merit to witness the ultimate fulfillment of the verse, “So shall all of Your enemies disappear” (Shof’tim 5:31). O

Mishnas Chayim is brought to you by Chevrah Lomdei Mishnah, a network of Torah scholars dedicated to bringing the merits of Mishnah study to the greater Jewish public. Encompassing Mishnah, Gemara, and a variety of other services, Chevrah Lomdei Mishnah primarily assists mourners interested in acquiring the merit of Torah study for their loved ones. They can be contacted at 732-364-7029 or at www.societyformishnahstudy.org. 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 35 legitimacy under Torah law. (In The Foundation Bereishis 34:30: “And Yaakov said to As Shimon and Levi replied to Shimon and to Levi, ‘You have Yaakov, (Bereishis 34:31), the situa- besmirched me, making me odious tion that prompted their action did among the inhabitants of the land… I not allow them the luxury of rational being but few in number, they shall consideration of its consequences. mass against me and smite me, and I The integrity of Israel was at stake, shall be destroyed, I and my house- and the brothers of Dinah could give hold,’” and in Bereishis 49:5–7: no thought to their own person—not From The Chassidic Masters “Shimon and Levi are brethren— to the jeopardy of their physical instruments of violence are their lives, nor to the jeopardy of their wares. Let my soul not come into spiritual selves by the violence and An Unreasonable Source their council, let my honor not unite impropriety of their deed. In the with their assembly; for in their wrath end, their instinctive reaction, com- they slew a man, and willfully they ing from the deepest place in their Thirteen years is the age at which that the Torah considers a male of have maimed an ox. Cursed be their souls—deeper than reason, deeper the Jewish male becomes bar mitz- thirteen years to be a “man.” (The wrath, for it is fierce, and their fury than all self-consideration—was val- vah. At this point in his life, his mind sages calculated that the equivalent for it is cruel.” See Likkutei Sichos, idated; G-d condoned their deed and attains the state of da’as—the matu- age in a female, who matures earlier vol. V, pp. 150–152, and the sources came to their assistance (see rity of awareness and understanding than a male, is 12 years.) cited there, for a discussion of the Midrash Rabbah, Bereishis 99:7; that makes a person responsible for Tanchumah, Vayechi 106). his actions. From this point on he is This is the message that the Torah a “man,” bound by the Divine com- wishes to convey when establishing mandments of the Torah, individual- the age of reason and the obligation ly responsible to G-d to fulfill his of mitzvos. Rare is the person who is mission in life. The situation that prompted their action called upon to act as did Shimon The age of da’as is derived from and Levi. This is not the norm; Bereishis 34:25, in the Torah’s did not allow them the luxury of rational indeed, the norm forbids it. But the account of the destruction of the city essence of their deed should perme- of Shechem by Shimon and Levi in ate our rational lives. Our every retaliation for the rape of Dinah. The consideration of its consequences. mitzvah should be saturated with verse reads: “On the third the self-sacrifice and depth of com- day…Yaakov’s two sons, Shimon and mitment that motivated the brothers Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each man of Dinah. O took his sword, and confidently attacked the city…” The term “man” But the context in which this law is halachic pros and cons of the (“ish”) is used to refer to both broth- derived is surprising. Shimon and destruction of Shechem.) Based on an address by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shabbos Parashas Vayishlach 5725 (November ers, the younger of whom, Levi, was Levi’s act seems hardly an exemplar Yet this is the event that the Torah 21, 1964). Likkutei Sichos, vol. V, pp. 150–162, exactly 13 years old, to the day, at the of da’as; indeed, Yaakov denounced chooses to teach us the age of reason, 421. Adapted by Yanki Tauber; courtesy of MeaningfulLife.com via Chabad.org. Find more time (see Reshimos No. 21 and the their deed as irrational, immature, maturity, responsibility, and commit- Torah articles for the whole family at sources cited there). Thus we derive irresponsible and of questionable ment to the fulfillment of the mitzvos! www.chabad.org/parshah.

36 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES Halachah Discussion

BY RAV SHIMON ISAACSON MENAHEL CHINUCHI YESHIVAT SHAAREI MEVASSERET TZION

Question: Glenn is a very busy lawyer working for one of the most prestigious law firms in New York City. Invariably, Friday is his busiest day in the office, especially in the winter months where he has to squeeze twelve hours of work into a six-hour workday. On this particular Friday, his client has asked for a legal document which must be prepared immediately and be ready for the client’s Saturday- morning meeting. Glenn finished the document before he had to leave the office to get home for Shabbos. He gave his secretary instructions to have the document “Fed Ex’d” for Saturday delivery. Did Glenn act in a permissible fashion? Discussion: The Talmud tells us that not only is it prohibited for a Jew to violate Shabbos, but Chazal prohibited a Jew from enlisting a gentile to violate Shabbos on behalf of the Jew (amirah l’Akum). Three reasons are cited for the prohibition of amirah l’Akum. First, if a Jew is accustomed to asking a gentile to do melachah on his behalf, the Jew will take Shabbos lightly and may come to do melachah himself.1 Second, a Jew is supposed to speak differently on Shabbos than he does on chol, and asking gentiles to do melachah is a form of prohibited chol- like speech.2 Finally, based on the rule of shelucho shel adam k’moso—that the agent of a principal is considered as the principal—when a gentile does something at the behest of a Jew, it is as if the Jew did it himself.3 Although the second reason does not apply to a request made of a gentile on erev Shabbos for melachah to be performed on Shabbos, the first and third reasons do apply, and thus the prohibition of amirah l’Akum applies even to requests made on Friday.4 In general, a Jew may hire a gentile before Shabbos to perform a service for a fee, as long as the Jew does not instruct that the melachah specifically be performed on Shabbos.5 Once it is understood that payment will be made for services performed and the gentile is not specifically instructed to work on Shabbos—even if the service is actually performed on Shabbos—we assume that the gentile is acting on his own behalf (to collect his fee), and not on behalf of the Jew. Accordingly, it is permitted to drop off clothing at a clean- er,6 letters at a mail carrier,7 or an automobile at a mechanic on Friday afternoon,8 as long as no instruction is given that the work be performed on Shabbos. Even if the gentile expressly states that he or she will be doing the work on Saturday, it is permissible.9 However, if the Jew requests that the

Continued on Page 38 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 37 Halachah Discussion the proof, claiming that the prohibi- there is no prohibition.15 (The ration- unless there is a situation of signifi- Continued from Page 37 tion in the Gemara relates to identify- ale for the leniency is that on erev cant financial loss.18 The case of ami- ing a particular rate at which the Shabbos, because there is no prohibi- rah l’amirah is analagous to the well- work be completed early Sunday laborers would work, and this prohibition of “v’daber davar,” no violation by established halachah of amirah l’Akum morning and the only way this tion exists whether the Jew speaks to the Jew will be incurred to ask a gen- where the underlying request involves timetable can be achieved is if the gen- the laborers themselves or a gentile tile to enlist another gentile to perform only a rabbinic prohibition. In such a tile works on Shabbos, then it is as if middleman.14 However, where no melachah on Shabbos.) The Biur case, where there is also a special need the Jew has specifically requested the such as (i) a mitzvah, (ii) financial loss, work to be performed on Shabbos.10 In or (iii) illness, amirah l’Akum is per- our case, Glenn would appear to have mitted.19 This principle is known as a serious problem, because he is ask- shvus d’shvus bemakom tzorech. The ing that melachah be performed on his Glenn would appear to have a serious case of amirah l’amirah is similar in behalf specifically on Shabbos. that it also involves an attenuated case Indeed, many poskim rule stringently problem, because he is asking that of amirah l’Akum, where we are two on this matter.11 Is there any basis to steps removed from the Torah prohibi- be lenient? melachah be performed on his behalf tion. Thus, where significant financial While Chazal prohibited amirah loss is involved, amirah l’amirah is per- l’Akum, there is a major debate among specifically on Shabbos. mitted. (What constitutes significant the poskim whether there is a prohibi- financial loss will need to be deter- tion of amirah l’amirah—where a Jew mined on a case-by-case basis). asks a gentile, who in turn asks a sec- Conclusion: In Glenn’s case (and in ond gentile to perform the melachah. rates are mentioned, then amirah Halachah16 questions this leniency, most cases), Fed Ex’ing documents for The Chavos Ya’ir12 cites the Avodas l’amirah is permitted. because it is against an explicit posi- Saturday delivery will involve amirah HaGershuni, who rules stringently The Chasam Sofer has a further tion of the Rashba.17 l’amirah. Glenn instructs his secretary, based on the Gemara that prohibits leniency that the prohibition of amirah L’halachah, the position of the who in turn instructs Fed Ex. Even if enlisting a gentile to hire other gentile l’amirah only exists where the instruc- Mishneh Berurah and the consensus of the secretary were Jewish, arranging laborers to work for a Jew on tions were given on Shabbos. Where most poskim is that one should not rely the delivery will likely involve amirah Shabbos.13 The Chavos Ya’ir rejects the instructions were given on chol, on the leniency of amirah l’amirah l’amirah, since within Federal Express there are multiple layers of instruction. In general, amirah l’amirah is prohibited. However, if Glenn could lose his client—or, even worse, his job—by not arranging for delivery of the documents, then a significant financial loss would be involved and it would be permitted. O

NOTES: 1. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hil. Shabbos 6:1. 2. Rashi, Avodah Zarah 15a, d”h keivan 3. Rashi, Shabbos 153a, d”h mai ta’ama; Rashi, Avodah Zarah 22a, d”h lo. 4. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 307(2); Shu”t Avnei Nezer 43(6). 5. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 247(1-2); 244(5). 6. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 252(2). 7. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 247(1). 8. Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 30:26; Shu”t Kinyan Torah 2:35. 9. Mishneh Berurah, Orach Chayim 247(3). 10. Magen Avraham, Orach Chayim 247(2); Mishneh Berurah, Orach Chayim 247(4). See also Taz, Orach Chayim 244(5). 11. Shu”t Chelkas Yaakov, Orach Chayim 66; Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Orach Chayim 1:278(b); Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 31:20. 12. Shu”t Chavos Ya’ir 49. 13. Shabbos 150a. 14. Shu”t Chavot Ya’ir 53. 15. Shu”t Chasam Sofer, Orach Chayim 60. 16. Biur Halachah, Orach Chayim 307(2) d”h v’afilu. 17. Shu”t HaRashba 1:875. 18. Mishneh Berurah, Orach Chayim 307(24). See also Shu”t Chelkas Yaakov, Orach Chayim 66; Teshuvos VeHanhagos, Orach Chayim 1:278(b); Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 31:20. 19. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 307(5).

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38 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

by their ideals. They can be them- their homes; the families who are selves, and I can be myself, so long as being dragged down by credit-card we all live by the book. debt; the American people. It would In summary, it is important for Jews probably cost less than these billions to stand up for themselves as a unified and trillions of dollars that the govern- group. It is also important for each Jew ment is spending now. A one-time deal to think for himself or herself. Never for these families: the government should any Jew identify with a segment gives them the money to pay off their One, But Not The Same life like true b’nei Torah, there is plen- of our religion in a way that misrepre- mortgages and their credit-card debt, Dear Editor, ty room for individuality and the abili- sents individual ideals. they in turn pay their banks, and every- After reading your passionate and ty to express the differences we have Respectfully submitted, one is happy. This way the banks get well-written article “Tears for with one another in a manner that is Elkanah Adelman their money, the Americans can then Mumbai” in the December 5 issue, I respectful and productive. put money back into the economy by feel the need to address a particular In addition to this, one must main- Trickle-Up Economics spending wiser, and everyone wins. point that you raised within that arti- tain his/her true religious conviction Dear Editor, Why is it that solutions never start cle. That point was that now more despite the need to be a part of the With all the talk about government at the bottom and work their way up? than ever, the Jewish people in today’s unified group we know as K’lal Yisrael. bailouts, it occurred to me that the It only starts from the top and never day and age need to join together “like True, we sympathize with our mur- only ones not being bailed out are the really gets to the bottom, so the people one man with one heart.” Allow me to dered brethren and their families. American people who are suffering. All lose again. I would like to get this idea suggest that although such an Their tragedy is ours. However, the these large corporations and banks to the politicians but don’t know how approach is generally noble, it is tragedy of Mumbai does not make all with their greediness are partially to to do that. If anyone out there can potentially counterproductive. of K’lal Yisrael Lubabvitch; nor does blame for this mess we are in, and yet help, I would appreciate if you could Before expressing my point in its the terrorist murder of the students in the government deems it necessary to send this letter to them. I really would entirety, I would like to preface it by Mercaz HaRav make all of K’lal Yisrael help them out. like to know your opinion of this idea. explaining where we see eye-to-eye, so students of Mercaz HaRav, as you I have another plan which I think Is there something I am not seeing to that I can adequately explain where seem to suggest. We can and must would be a better solution. Why not prove this would not work out? you and I differ. Jews must remain stand united with them like “one man bail out the people who really need Waiting for some feedback. united despite the fundamental differ- with one heart” without having to live it—the families who are going to lose R. Gold ences they may have with one another, especially when they as a people are under attack. Our enemies truly do see us as one group, Jews. Furthermore, it is important for us not to air our dirty laundry to the world through argumen- tative behavior toward one another. We must show that we will stand up for one another despite the internal differences we have amongst ourselves. However, there is something to be said about the importance of individuality. We Jews all serve Hashem in our own special way. It is what makes us Jews. We are not robots that follow trends. Only “sheeple” act as dictated and according to the ways and desires of the masses that they wish to follow. Certainly Jews must follow the uni- form set of laws known as halachah. However, within the confines of halachah and the need for us to live

And Eisav ran toward him and embraced him, and he fell on his neck and kissed him (Bereishis 33:4) In the Torah, the word vayishakeihu (“and he kissed him”) is dotted on top, implying that this was an exception to the rule. Said Rabbi Yanai:This is to tell us that he did not intend to kiss him, but to bite him. But Yaakov’s throat turned to marble and broke the evil one’s teeth.

(Midrash Rabbah)

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 39 with any nutritional value whatsoever). over ziti to cover. And then, for those who steadfastly 7. Bake, covered, at 375° for 45 watch their health and waistlines (oh, minutes to 1 hour. Uncover and con- how I yearn to be one of you!), we will tinue baking until cheese is golden Quick & Kosher definitely do a fish main. I am toying brown and bubbly. B Y JAMIE GELLER around with the idea of either Barbecued 8. Serve hot, straight out of the pan. Salmon or Tilapia Topped with Sun- Tips. One of the secrets to this ziti Dried Tomatoes and Parmesan. is that the pasta is slightly under- The Chanukah Countdown Continues Okay, here go the recipes… cooked before it goes into the oven, which helps prevent it from becoming The Geller Chanukah-party planning was time well spent, I’m sure. Creamy Ziti too mushy. Make up to 1 month ahead continues this week with steps two and I loved the e-vite idea, because then Prep time: 12 minutes of time and freeze fully cooked. Fully three, which sort of took place simulta- I could delegate (oh, I am the best del- Cook time: 1 hour–1 hour, 15 minutes defrost at room temp and just warm at neously, step 3 being the rest of the egater ever) to Hubby the task of creat- Chill time: none 350° covered in the oven. menu but step two being the guest list. ing the e-vite and sending it out. Well, Yields: 6 to 8 servings After all, what on earth is food for 60 we had to make a bunch of phone calls Ingredients: good for without some hungry people? anyway to gather e-mail addresses, and 1 box (1 lb.) ziti or penne rigate wouldn’t you know—half our fam is 2 jars (26 oz. each) prepared mari- Step 2: The Guest List way too frum to even have one (I love nara sauce We started by making a guest list it!). And the ones that do have one are 1 container (32 oz.) ricotta cheese and splitting up the phone calls. the men who use it for work and 2 packages (8 oz. each) shredded Hubby called Auntie Rachey first, in couldn’t be relied on to RSVP let alone mozzarella cheese, divided typical organized Geller fashion. In bring a pie to the BYOD (bring your Directions: typical not-so-organized I-married- own dessert) theme of the event. 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly into-the-Gellers-so-what-can-you- So, as it turns out, we still have grease a 9"x13" pan with non-stick expect-of-me fashion, my list of calls plenty of second-round phone calls to cooking spray. had oil stains on it and I wasn’t even make. But at least the menu is taking 2. Cook ziti about 2 to 3 minutes less Creamy Spinach Fettuccini sure I could remember where I put it. shape nicely. than package directions for al dente Prep time: 7 minutes So as he was talking to Auntie pasta. Drain, rinse with cold water to Cook time: 20 to 22 minutes Rachey—a superb cook, of course Step 3: The Menu, Continued stop the cooking, and set aside. Chill time: none (what else would you expect) and pre- The main will basically be a sit- 3. In a large bowl, mix marinara Yields: 4 to 6 servings vious Geller Chanukah party hostess— down carb extravaganza. We’ve decid- sauce, ricotta, and 1 cup of mozzarella. Ingredients: she told us all about a not-so-heimishe ed we must have the Geller Classic 4. Pour about 2 cups of the sauce 1 box (1 lb.) spinach fettuccini but very streamlined concept for deal- Creamy Ziti, which is just loaded with mixture in prepared pan, spreading for sauce: ing with the invitation part: an e-vite. ricotta cheese and freezes so well. over bottom. 1 cup chopped frozen spinach, It’s this fabulously free (no, they’re not Creamy Spinach Fettuccini (sans the 5. Combine ziti and remaining thawed and drained paying me) online e-mail invitation spinach—not because it’s not delish, sauce mixture; stir until well com- 1 cup heavy cream 1 service. After searching through the but mostly because we seem to have bined, making sure there are no dry ⁄2 cup butter 1 1,800 pages of available template holi- adopted a rule and made it into a reli- patches of pasta. Pour into pan and ⁄2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese 1 day party cards, we finally found the gion that G-d forbid we should have a spread to edges. ⁄8 tsp. onion powder 1 one with the token blue dreidel. That fully fabulous highly caloric pastafest 6. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella ⁄8 tsp. garlic powder

40 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 1 tsp. salt Additional fresh grated Parmesan (optional) Directions: 1. Cook fettuccini according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. 2. In a 4-quart saucepan, mix spinach, cream, butter, Parmesan, onion and garlic powders, and salt. Simmer over low heat until combined and heated through. 3. Pour sauce over fettuccini and mix well. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese on the side, if desired. Tip. If not served immediately, the sauce will dry out on the pasta. (I refuse to divulge how I came across this valuable lesson. Just take my word for it.) So if not serving immediately, keep sauce and pasta separate. Usually I double the sauce because I’m an “extra sauce” kind of gal, and better to have a little left over than have pasta that is too dry. Reheat and mix just before serving.

Tilapia Topped With Sun-Dried Tomatoes And Parmesan Prep time: 11 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Chill time: none Yields: 4 servings Ingredients: 1 4 tilapia fillets, about 2 ⁄2 pounds 1 ⁄2 tsp. sea salt 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced, divided 4 to 6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 3 ⁄4 cup Parmesan cheese 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 ⁄4 cup light mayonnaise Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. 2. Lightly grease a 9"x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray. 3. Rinse fish, pat dry, and place in prepared pan. 4. Sprinkle with salt and 1 table- spoon of dill. 5. Bake, uncovered, at 450° for 10 minutes. 6. In a bowl, mix sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, remaining dill, olive oil, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. 7. Remove fillets from oven and turn oven to broil; spread sun-dried tomato mixture over fish. 8. Return to oven and broil for another 4 to 5 minutes, until cheese topping is slightly browned.

Jamie Geller is the author of Quick & Kosher: Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing, published by Feldheim. Jamie is an internation- ally syndicated food and lifestyle columnist and the host of two Internet cooking shows (Simply Kosher at ou.org/shabbat_shalom/video and Quick & Kosher: The Internet Show at aish.com/family/cooking), and she travels the country giving cooking demonstrations and sharing her inspirational journey from TV producer to Torah Jew. To schedule personal appearances, watch cooking videos, and pick up shortcuts, cooking tips, and new recipes, visit Jamie at her online home, www.quickandkosher.com. 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 41 Inspiring Shabbos In Five Towns receive his guidance and blessing. We With The Rebbe Of Nikolsburg can use this incident as an analogy to the The Jewish communities of the Five neshamah yeseirah, which visits us every Towns experienced a memorable week. Many people hardly realize what a Shabbos with the Nikolsburger Rebbe special gift they have been given and on Shabbos Parashas Chayei Sarah and ignore this exceptional opportunity.” the following days. The Rebbe spoke The Rebbe also spoke about achdus, on several occasions, touching the unity. He cited from Chazal that hearts of all listeners and inspiring Hashem doesn’t sit on His throne, so them deeply. to speak, until there is unity in the The Rebbe arrived on Friday and was world. He concluded by saying that he warmly welcomed by many distin- overheard one of the shul members guished rabbanim in the area. On Friday wondering aloud how a chassidishe night, the Rebbe davened at Rabbi guest will daven together with a The Nikolsburger Rebbe greets talmidim at Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island. Gruber’s shul. The Rebbe spoke for sev- Litvishe guest who happened to be eral minutes about Shabbos, discussing present in shul at that time. “We are all among others the special neshamah brothers, we are all one people!” he Gemara that Avraham, and Sarah as him a chunk of cheese and a small cup yeseirah that every Jew receives on exclaimed. “Why shouldn’t this work?” well, discovered Hashem only later in of whiskey, commanding him to eat Shabbos. “I once visited an elderly Jew After Maariv, the Rebbe received life. If so, the early years of their lives and drink. Being a true chassid, the vis- who had the privilege of seeing the the congregants, wishing them gut were marred by idol worship. How can itor did not ask any questions and did Chofetz Chaim,” the Rebbe related. “I Shabbos. The out-of-town guests ate such an existence be termed as good?” as the rebbe told him to do. After fin- asked him when he saw this great tzad- the seudah together, and Rabbi Moshe The Rebbe interjected with a story to ishing, he became extremely tired and dik, to which he replied, “The Chofetz Dweck, rav of Sharei Tefilla of Deal, clarify the forthcoming answer: he went to rest. When he awoke, he Chaim used to travel from town to New Jersey, spoke beautifully on the “A chassid of the saintly R’ Dovid of felt like a new person. town, selling his sefarim, and he passed parashah. A short while later, the Lelov became very ill. The doctors “Years later he met his doctor, who my hometown. We didn’t know who he Rebbe entered for the Friday night were unable to cure him. They warned was most surprised to see him alive. was and the people hardly gave him a tisch. Everyone joined in the stirring him to avoid cheese and alcoholic bev- After hearing about the rebbe’s ‘cure,’ second glance. When he left, we found zemiros. The residents of Lawrence erages, because these things could the doctor decided that he must see R’ out who we had in our midst.” and the neighboring communities hasten his death. The chassid came to Dovid in person. He came to Lelov, “It is easy to imagine the consterna- came to join as well. see his rebbe. As soon as he arrived, and he left the rebbe’s presence as a tion of the townspeople after learning The Rebbe spoke on the parashah, the rebbe told his attendant to bring baal teshuvah. He became known as that the Chofetz Chaim was in their discussing the first pasuk. “Why does some cheese and whiskey. The chassid Reb Chaim Dovid Bernad, who was neighborhood, yet they didn’t use this Rashi say that all of Sarah’s days were tried to protest, but his rebbe didn’t opportunity to get close to him and good?” he asked. “We learn from the pay any attention to his words. He gave Continued on Page 44

42 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 43 AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS desire to experience an authentic Continued from Page 42 Chassidic shalosh seudos. After the tisch and the rav’s address, the Rebbe the Rebbe of the Tiferes Shlomo. spoke regarding the importance of “Before his passing, his disciple, the keeping ourselves apart from the sur- Tiferes Shlomo, saw his rebbe crying. rounding cultures. The shmuess con- Thinking that his rebbe was bemoaning tinued until well after the z’man in the the years when he was not observant, dark, as customary. the Tiferes Shlomo tried to console him On motzaei Shabbos, the Rebbe by saying, ‘The actions of your youth joined the local chapter of avos u’ban- have been erased.’ Hearing this, Reb im and praised this worthy arrange- Chaim Dovid vehemently replied, ‘G-d ment. He explained how important it is forbid! I do not want those actions to be for every father to build a strong rela- erased, because when a person repents tionship with his sons through learn- out of love of Hashem, all his sins are ing together. He then recited Shema counted as mitzvos!’ Yisrael together with the children and “The same could be said about distributed beautifully printed K’riyas Sarah,” the Rebbe concluded. Shema booklets for the children. “Although she was unaware of The following morning, the Rebbe Hashem in her youth, the mistakes of davened at the Yeshiva of Long Island those years were transformed into together with the boys. The Rebbe The Rebbe with Rabbi Binyomin Kamenetzky, shlita. zechuyos. This is why Rashi says that then spoke to the boys, discussing the all the days of her life were good.” topics they are currently learning and On Shabbos morning, the Rebbe bringing out important mussar points. alike will gain strength from the Moshe Faskowitz, together with Rabbi davened at Bais Medrash Heichel Afterwards, the Rebbe distributed Rebbe’s chizuk and guidance. Avraham Yitzchak Berman, opened Dovid. The Rebbe spoke once more on fruits to the boys and gave them his On Motzaei Shabbos Parashas Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam with a the parashah, sharing with the congre- blessings to grow up as talmidei Tol’dos, the Rebbe spoke about the hope and a philosophy that was both gants beautiful insights on the deal chachamim. The Rebbe then visited recent tragedy in India. To hear the bold and novel. A full-time yeshiva that between Avraham and Efron. The the Talmud Torah department, enter- original Yiddish shmuess, call 718-705- welcomes students who incorporate Shabbos-morning meal was conducted ing the classrooms and testing the boys 6060, press #3 and select Tol’dos. O their day or night college schedules into at the residence of R’ Chaim Hoffman. on their learning. their learning programs. The talmidim A select group of guests were invited to On Tuesday, the Rebbe delivered a Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam could arrange their sedorim to fit their partake in the seudah. After the meal, formal address at Young Israel. He spoke Awards Semichah various classes and schedules in the Rebbe conducted the tisch, to words of chizuk and discussed topics of The moment was dramatic. A Queens or Touro College, both a mere which the public was invited. chinuch. He stressed that parents must moment frozen in time, for all time. five minutes from the yeshiva, which The Rebbe visited the home of R’ raise their children in a pleasant atmos- One that marked the culmination of further allowed the flexibility in fash- Berel Daskal, and later went to phere and elaborated on the importance an extraordinary undertaking and a ioning their Torah program, maximizing Congregation Bais Ephraim Yitzchok of performing mitzvos with joy. validation to those who believed in each talmid’s learning potential. for Minchah and shalosh seudos. A The Jewish communities of the Five their endeavor, despite the skeptics In the past, bnei Torah who chose to large group of local residents awaited Towns will remember this special visit who said it could not be done the Rebbe in shul, expressing their for many years to come. Young and old It began nine years ago, when Rabbi Continued on Page 46

44 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 45 AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS bound students the flavor of is to grow into a man, to get gallantry, and sacrifice made skills that it engenders is Continued from Page 44 Mir and Lakewood or the married, to create a family, every day by those who seek remote. Many young bnei combination of Torah and and to support that family; to the working and learning alter- Torah understand the current learn full time, had yeshivas Musar in as refined and be a self-sufficient provider native. These young heroes predicament and desire a fine that could offer the best pure authentic a form as does and a contributor to K’lal make daily sacrifices upon the foundation and education in Torah environment; making Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam. Yisrael. That is everyone’s duty. altar of Torah in order to make their chosen fields. These sin- this choice indeed deserved Whereas other colleges offer a Maharshah in Kiddushin Torah a mainstay of their day- cere young men must be given the loftiest and most eminent wonderful learning program, points out that even the to-day existence. every opportunity to continue Torah atmosphere. However, Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam is talmidim of Rebbi Shimon Bar We live in a new age. Jobs learning Torah in a wonderful the young man who chose to not a college. Rather, it is a Yochai, the classic promulgator are no longer available yeshiva environment. pursue his secular aspirations yeshiva that offers a wonder- of full-time learning, worked through the good-old-boy net- Enter Madreigas HaAdam. toward a career path, commit- ful opportunity for its to provide for their family’s work. Positions of prominence Five years ago, in addition to ted to making a living and talmidim to pursue a fine col- needs, at the very least. are not offered casually, and a their formal yeshiva curricu- supporting a family, had great lege education. Making a living is not a sin, decent income is hard to lum, they introduced a semi- difficulty finding a serious The philosophy is simple. nor something to be ashamed attain. Today we find our- chah program. Norman and ‘yeshivish’ environment that The biggest privilege a person of. Indeed, the princes selves in a skill-oriented econ- Frances Giller of Miami gave him the opportunity to has in the world is to learn amongst us dedicate their omy where outsourcing and Beach, Florida, established learn as much as he could in Torah full time. Whoever has entire lives and all their time to downsizing is the norm, jobs the semichah/ordination chair. the time afforded to him. this privilege is most fortu- learning Torah. We should are at a premium, and expens- Rabbi Yakov Tzvi Nierman, a This leads us to what is nate. That, however, is the applaud and admire them and es are at a maximum. The musmach of Tiferes unique about Yeshiva biggest privilege, but not the consider it a privilege to sup- chance of finding gainful Yerushalayim was brought in Madreigas HaAdam. No biggest responsibility. A port them. At the same time, employment without a good to teach Yoreh Deah. yeshiva can offer college- talmid’s biggest responsibility we must recognize the beauty, secular education and the Subsequently, HaRav Feivel Wagner, zt’l, taught dinim of basar v’cholov, up until his untimely passing two years ago. The yeshiva then had the good fortune of being joined by Rabbi Yosef Eisen, the head of kashrus of the Five Towns Vaad Harabbonim. With tenacious dedication, enduring patience, and deter- mined focus, the first four musmachim concluded a com- prehensive semichah program, which in addition to the standard melichah, basar v’chalav, and ta’aruvos halachos, also demanded a keen familiarity with a wide range of halachos from all over Even Ha’Ezer and Choshen Mishpat. On Wednesday evening, November 26, in Hillcrest, Queens, more than 400 people gathered at the Electric Building Hall to pay tribute to the yeshiva’s first four musmachim: Rabbi Binyomin Grossman, Rabbi Doniel Gutlove, Rabbi Oren Moshe Kagan, and Rabbi Gilboa Merdinger. The rosh hayeshiva, Harav Moshe Faskowitz, shlita, noted that a rebbi is supposed to place his hands upon a talmid when confer- ring semichah. He suggested, “It is because the rebbi is making a statement. Until this moment all of you were lean- ing on me, but now K’lal Yisrael and I can lean upon you.” (see Iban Ezra, Devarim 34) “These young men,” said the rosh hayeshiva, “will lead by example, contributing rather then receiving. They will embrace the difficult challenges in life with courage and fortitude. They will be eager to serve their community in a dual role, as skilled lay- men, contributing to communal needs, and also as rabbanim who disseminate Torah to those willing to join their pursuit of spiritual aliyah.” Yes, indeed, we can lean on them and on the future musmachim of Yeshiva Madreigas HaAdam with great confidence. That is why the moment 46 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

was so special. How wonderful it was An early season playoff preview puts to have finally reached the top of the Treasures and Duscany head to head mountain. The achievement speaks for next week. itself, and the musmachim and partici- King Kosher 53, Quality pants were so proud and will always Healthcare 33. King climbs to an remember the moment. impressive 3-0 as Yitzchok Weiss con- The yeshiva continues to grow rap- tinued to shoot lights out from the idly with more than 20 new talmidim floor. He had 3. having joined in Elul, with many more Goldsmith Roofing 84, Caraville already registered for the January Glatt 53. Goldsmith pulled away in the semester. In these troubled financial second half with a balanced scoring times, the students appreciate the fact attack. Doni Caller had a season high that the tuition is the lowest offered by 27. Mickey Sasson had 15 in the loss. almost any yeshiva. The dormitory is Window Palace 49, Wheels to superb, and the warmth and sense of Lease 47. The window of opportunity pride that permeates Madreigas closed late for Wheels as Window HaAdam makes it the most desirable Palace’s Yitzy Lubin scored often and yeshiva for those who have chosen the late to keep Wheels winless. Yoni path of the “learners and earners”. Eisenberger had 16 in the losing effort. For information call 718-969-8501 Lazer Marble 72, Aura Electric or visit www.yeshivamadreigashaadam. 42. Chaim Gelber continues to play at org. Ask for a short CD describing the an all-star level scoring 23 for the yeshiva. streaky Marble team. Gershon Szanser chipped in with 18. Flatbush Basketball League Home and Stone 51, Harrico Week 3 Recap Pharmacy 47; 2OT. Newly acquired Duscany 48, Global Leasing 46. In Baruch Steinmantz and Baruch what seemed to be a blowout heading Jeremail combined for 36 for Harrico into fourth changed quickly with but Daniel Bressler and Stone were too Mordechai Cynamon’s hot hand. strong in the double overtime thriller. Mordechai scored 15 in the fourth to TSI 45, Creative Lighting 40. TSI’s bring Global all the way back to tie the leading scorer Moishe Basch did it game with under a minute left. again leading with 26 to help TSI to vic- However Chesky Itzkowitz’s shot with tory. Yisroel Harrar had 13 for Creative. just ten left moved Duscany to 3-0. Corner Hardware 42, Midwood Torah Treasures 86, Jewish Press Lumber 41. In a matchup of the two 35. Treasures has established them- first place teams, Corner hit the big selves as the league’s offensive power- shot late to remain undefeated. house blowing out a solid Jewish Press Kalman Schonbrun had 17. team. Asher Abramson and Zalmy Leiberman had 41 and 26 respectively. Continued on Page 48

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 47 AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS Esther Feigenbaum, the Bikur Cholim Continued from Page 47 Brunch is sure to be a very enjoyable and successful event. Hundreds of women Schreiber’s Bakery 33, N.V. from the entire Far Rockaway and Five Securities 22. Mordechai Itzkowitz Towns community attend this very excit- was the floor general scoring the first 8 ing brunch annually. points for Schreibers who won their This volunteer organization was first game. O founded by a group of women, including, among others, Mrs. Roz Eichen, Bikur Cholim Brunch, December 14 Mrs. Esther Zomick, a’h, Mrs. Hinda The Bikur Cholim of Far Rockaway Karmel, a’h, Mrs. Selma Weinberg, and the Five Towns has scheduled its a’h, and Rebbetzin Shifra Rubin, a’h. 27th annual brunch for women on These women realized that the cholim Sunday, December 14, at 10:00 a.m. at (the troubled, sick, or frail elderly) of Kneseth Israel. our community sometimes needed Rabbi Yerachmiel Milstein, executive more help than their immediate fami- vice-president of Project Chazon, has lies or good friends can provide. been invited to share some inspiring While there have always been many words. Devora Reich and Gitty Spetner successful organizations that raise are being honored with a Sefer Tehillim. money for different causes, such as the Under the chairmanship of Mrs. Marilyn needs of patients with specific dis- Wolowitz, Mrs. Tzippy David, and Mrs. eases, there was no local organization

48 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES or tzedakah at the time that was deal- pay medical bills, provides meals, ing with the everyday difficulties of liv- helps people get to doctors’ appoint- ing in the suburbs when one could no ments, provides visitation to hospitals longer drive, go shopping, cook, or and nursing homes, and lends medical clean due to illness. Everyday activities equipment, more volunteers are that are no big deal when one is well always welcome. can become insurmountable when one So please come join the bikur cholim is sick. The women who founded this for brunch and spend a pleasant, inspir- bikur cholim saw a growing need to ing morning, knowing that your support extend a helping hand to the members is important and helps make our com- of their communities. munity one in which chesed lives. O So, as our community has grown beyond the wildest dreams of the bikur OHEL’s Upcoming Events cholim’s founders, the need for volun- Clinician Workshop on teers has grown, as well. If we realize Depression in Adults. Depression that Hashem’s greatest gift to us is affects millions of people each year, time, in sharing that gift with someone and the number is increasing. The who needs a visit, a ride, a meal, or a stress of today’s economic environ- smile, we extend that personal gift ment has a profound impact on the from Hashem. propensity for someone to become The time we give becomes a great chesed, and though bikur cholim helps Continued on Page 50

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 49 AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS 851-6300. Continued from Page 49 Raising Children to Protect Themselves and Respect Others. depressive. People of all ages, in all Project CHINUCH (Children Need communities, and from different per- Chizuk), a joint venture of the JCC of sonal backgrounds and all walks of life the Greater Five Towns and Ohel can be affected by depression. It is not Children’s Home and Family Services, a personal weakness or condition that invites the community to this educa- can be willed away, and its impact on tional seminar. Targeting parents with individuals and their families can be children in grades 5-12, this seminar painful and far-reaching. will be presented by Dr. Rona Novick, On December 17 and 23, The Mel assistant professor at Yeshiva and Phyllis Zachter Institute for University and well-known child psy- Advanced Professional Education at chologist, and will offer constructive Ohel will be offering a certificate pro- ideas on how to achieve this goal. gram and workshop series for experi- Dr. Novick is a licensed clinical psy- enced mental-health professionals to chologist with a Ph.D. from Rutgers enhance their expertise in the assess- University. She has vast experience in ment and treatment of depression in the field of education and child psy- adults. Clinicians attending this forum chology, and helping children deal will have the opportunity to gain valu- with various forms of violence (includ- able insights and learn up-to-date ing bullying) is one of the hallmarks of information from presenters with the her career. highest level of expertise in clinical The seminar will be held at the JCC practice and research. Topics will of the Greater Five Towns at 207 Grove include depression related to bereave- Avenue in Cedarhurst on Thursday, ment, injury and loss of functioning, December 18 at 8:00 p.m. The lecture and postpartum and psychosocial is free and open to the public. stressors. Assessment strategies, cre- Project CHINUCH is an exciting ative narrative approaches, and cogni- program made possible by a grant from tive-behavioral and medication treat- the Caring Commission of the UJA ments will be discussed. The full-day Federation of New York. Through this skill-building workshops will take program, certified social workers are place at the Young Israel of Avenue K placed in various schools in the Five in Brooklyn. Certificates will be award- Towns. These professionals have the ed to individuals completing both expertise to assist each school and workshops, and continuing-education work with all stakeholders to identify credits will be provided. the most pressing needs at each school For more information about this and address them accordingly. This advanced educational opportunity, program also provides a number of visit www.ohelfamily.org or call 718- education community forums, such as

50 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES this one, on topical themes of interest to students and families. For more information on this seminar or on Project CHINUCH, please call Ohel at 718-851-6300 or the JCC at 516- s”xc 569-6733. Annual Dinner Slated for February 8. Ohel has announced its annual dinner to be held on Sunday, February 8, 2009 at the New York Hilton. The dinner celebrates nearly 40 years of service excellence at Ohel and its ongoing commitment to help children and adults with disabilities and families in crisis. The evening’s corporate guests of honor will be Heritage Bank, N.A. and its president and CEO, Mr. David S. Bagatelle. More than 1,400 people are expected to attend this dinner in his honor. Ohel is proud to honor Heritage Bank and Mr. Bagatelle following their recent grand opening of a premier, relationship-based institution focusing on the small to mid-sized corporate and high net worth personal markets. Mr. Bagatelle and his more than 13 teams of experienced bankers are poised to become business partners with their clients and assist them with strategic financial decisions through consulting, advice, loan making, and business decision development. Concurrent with the bank’s opening, Heritage Bank has announced a first quarter opening of its Brooklyn office in Boro Park. Ohel is pleased that Heritage Bank, while primarily involved in commercial banking, has chosen to partner with Ohel and invest in the lives of the children and families of Ohel. Mr. Bagatelle and Heritage Bank are proud to collaborate with Ohel in its Corporate America Initiative, a strategic effort to reach out to the business community and help foster community reinvestment opportunities. For more information, please visit www.heritagebankny.com. The board of directors has announced once again that in connection with this year’s dinner, The Mel and Phyllis Zachter Ohel Endowment Fund will help to secure Ohel’s future by matching gifts to this fund with an additional $1 from an anonymous donor to every $2 contributed by donors, up to $500,000. Daniel M. Healy, executive chairman of the board, Heritage Bank, N.A. will serve as honorary dinner chairman and Meir Laufer, chairman of the advi- sory board, Heritage Bank, N.A. and, CEO, Plaza Capital Group, will serve as dinner chairman. Saul N. Friedman, Ronny Hersh, and Chaim Kaminetzky will serve as dinner co-chairs and Jay Kestenbaum and Miriam Lubling will be journal chairs. The annual dinner is the corner- stone event of the year for Ohel. It raises essential funds to meet Ohel’s operational budget for the year. Key Ohel programs are not covered by government programs. The special care provided by Ohel to each of its clients also places a significant financial bur- den on Ohel. For dinner reservations or to learn more about the dinner please call 718-972-9338 or visit www.OHELdinner.org. O

Continued on Page 52 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 51 AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS Continued from Page 51 An Arrowsmith HALB Success Story Dear HALB, I would like to take this opportunity to thank HALB and the Arrowsmith program. My daughter, Mindy, entered the program when she began the fourth grade. While Mindy is a bright girl and a B student, I recognized that there were definite learning deficits. In order for her to obtain those B’s, it was necessary for me to spend hours re-teaching her material the teachers had taught in class. Before an exam I would spend days reviewing. Many parents are apt to accept this situation—not everyone is an A student. However, as the work became more and more demanding, I began to worry for the future. After all, if Mindy was fighting for B’s in third grade, what would high school and college hold for her? After two years in the Arrowsmith program, I no longer worry. Last year Mindy was in fifth grade. In my opinion, this is the hardest year of elementary school. Much more is expected of the students. The teachers put a great deal of emphasis on independence in order to ready the students for middle school. I decided to follow the teachers’ lead. I did not moni- tor Mindy’s homework as I had done in the past. I am proud to say that Mindy’s homework was done independently and correctly. I also did not re-teach Mindy material for her tests. I reviewed with her the night before, at her request. During these review sessions I was amazed at her retention and understanding. She knew the answers to all questions asked; she had absorbed and understood the information in class. In truth, the review was a formality. Mindy received high marks last year (except in writing, which is still being addressed by Arrowsmith). Not one major test score fell below the 90% mark. In addition, she received a 93% and a 91% on the Tara Nova Tests in math and listening, respectively, and average to above average marks in the other categories (except spelling). There is no doubt in my mind that the majority of Mindy’s success is attributa- ble to the Arrowsmith program. As a result of this program, I have every confidence that not only will Mindy pass high school, but also that she will succeed in college and will not be limited by learning difficulties. It is for this reason that I wish to extend my 52 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES praise to HALB for being innovative select group of couples and families and the first Jewish day school to who wish to celebrate the holiday in implement the Arrowsmith program. the breathtaking Swiss Alpine village Thank you, of Davos. There they will imbibe the A grateful mom unique “heimishe” atmosphere and be As a result of the success at HALB, pampered by the world-renowned staff seven Jewish day schools are now of the Steigenberger Hotel Belvedere. implementing the Arrowsmith program “K-Deluxe is a new player in the for strengthening learning capacities. high-end sector of the tourism market- They are: the Hebrew Academy of place. They have assembled an experi- Long Beach; Beth Jacob of Boro Park; enced team of Pesach tourism profes- Yeshiva Tiferes Yisroel–Chofetz sionals who understand how to select Chaim, Brooklyn; Yeshiva Degel and perfect unique glatt kosher Pesach Hatorah, Spring Valley, N.Y.; Jewish vacation packages,” a spokesman for Educational Center, Elizabeth, N.J.; the company revealed. “Switzerland is Maimonides Academy, Los Angeles; one of the most beautiful places on the and Toras Emes Academy of Miami, planet, and Davos, which hosts the North Miami Beach, Fla. annual World Economic Forum, is The Arrowsmith program is written renowned for accentuating elegance about in detail in Chapter 2 of The and relaxation. The Hotel Belvedere is Brain That Changes Itself, a New York also recognized as one of the best Times bestseller by Dr. Norman hotels in all of Europe and offers a Doidge. Dr. Doidge explains that level of service that is unsurpassed. groundbreaking work by neuropsychol- The whole setting offers Pesach vaca- ogists demonstrated that the brain can tioners a once-in-a-lifetime opportuni- be modified and that learning disabili- ty to experience something truly ties are not an unchanging fact of life. unique.” The Arrowsmith cognitive exercises K-Deluxe is deliberately marketing change the brain’s abilities and chil- the Davos Pesach package to a select dren to begin to learn at the natural group of vacationers who do not wish rate of their peers; they no longer to be part of a large holiday crowd. The require remedial support, program spokesman added, “We want this to be modification, or other forms of com- a more intimate and relaxing experi- pensation. To learn more, visit ence, which is why while we have the www.arrowsmithschool.org. O complete hotel exclusively for our group, we are planning to limit our- K-Deluxe Crafts A Luxury Pesach selves to 103 deluxe double rooms and Vacation In Davos, Switzerland suites in the hotel. It’s more important K-Deluxe Destinations, an upscale to revel in the lap of luxury and enjoy tourism operator, is offering a spectac- ular Pesach holiday excursion for a Continued on Page 54

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 53 AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS features a luxury spa, sauna, indoor Continued from Page 53 swimming pool, fitness room, and extensive facilities. Davos also has an every moment, whether it’s the gour- indoor water park for the kids, as well met mehadrin, non-gebrokts cuisine as hockey, squash, and tennis, while (full board) prepared by talented the outdoor activities are highlighted European and Jewish chefs, being by Alpine skiing and snowboarding, inspired by the various shiurim or horseback riding, etc. Davos is also a enjoying the wide variety of indoor and vibrant town that features a wide vari- outdoor activities in the hotel and in ety of shopping and a lovely prome- Davos itself.” Due to very stringent nade. It’s a dream Pesach vacation in customer requirements, K-Deluxe has the lap of luxury. engaged the very strict hashgachah of For more information and rates con- Rabbi E. Rottenberg, shlita. In addi- tact K-Deluxe at [email protected] or tion, due to popular demand, K- visit www.kdeluxe.com. O Deluxe will also be featuring an additional hashgachah, that of Rabbi HAFTR Family Runs Rabinowitz of Lugano. Chai Lifeline Marathon The spacious, deluxe suites feature By Zara Hoffman pastoral views of the snow-capped This past Sunday, December 7, I ran Swiss Alps and the town of Davos. The the Las Vegas Half Marathon along Steigenberger Hotel Belvedere also with my dad Steven, and sisters Eden

54 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

(13), and Ruthie (11). We ran with comprised of Jewish studies and liberal area. The devastation to the dining area Team Lifeline which is a part of the arts courses. Its graduate and affiliate is extensive and the entire structure unbelievable organization, Chai schools include Albert Einstein College will need to be rebuilt. In addition, Lifeline. Chai Lifeline opens their of Medicine, Benjamin N. Cardozo there was fire damage to the kitchen as arms and helps families that have School of Law, Wurzweiler School of well as heavy smoke and water damage loved ones who have been diagnosed Social Work, Ferkauf Graduate School to the lobbies, office, and shul. with cancer. We decided to take on this of Psychology, Azrieli Graduate School of Under the auspices of the Jewish “challenge” before this past summer. Jewish Education and Administration, Education Program of Long Island, One day, we received an information Bernard Revel Graduate School of the center also operates as a year booklet in the mail about Team Jewish Studies, and Rabbi Isaac round facility for kiruv training and Lifeline and all of its remarkable work, Elchanan Theological Seminary. YU is Torah learning. It hosts weekly shabba- and my dad’s face immediately lit up. ranked among the nation’s leading aca- tonim for schools, yeshivos, and various He asked jokingly “who wants to run demic research institutions. O other organizations. With numerous the half marathon with me?” and groups scheduled throughout this year, shockingly my sisters and myself said Jewish Education Program Of Long the need to rebuild the facility expedi- “of course we do!” Island Emergency Fire Campaign tiously is paramount. In fact, contin- The marathon weekend was one of On Thursday evening December 4, gency plans are already underway to the best weekends of our lives. We the Fallsburg Campus of the Suri utilize the unharmed areas so as to spent a beautiful Shabbat with fellow Dean Michael J. Ginzberg Schwartz Jewish Experience Center of allow these groups to partake of the runners, and the ambiance of the room JEP-LI and home to its famed Camp center and its existing facilities. was indescribable. We ate meals Nageela, suffered a serious fire to its Throughout the summer months, the together with 68 “fellow marathon Jewish law and life. More than 7,000 main dining hall. Thankfully, the fire center is home to the legendary JEP-LI runners,” heard inspirational speech- undergraduate and graduate students was detected quickly and no one was Camp Nageela for Girls and Camp es, and created new friendships that study at YU’s four New York City cam- hurt. Due to the heroic efforts of the Nageela for Boys. Both Camp Nageelas will definitely last a lifetime. On puses. YU’s undergraduate schools— center’s staff, the local fire department offer meaningful Jewish camping experi- Saturday night, December 6, we had a Yeshiva College, Stern College for as well as the firewall that separated ences for girls and boys who come from kickoff “pasta party.” While loading up Women, and Sy Syms School of the dining area from the rest of the on the carbs before the race, the ener- Business––offer a unique dual program complex, the fire was contained to one Continued on Page 57 gy and excitement in the room was so contagious. Everyone couldn’t wait to wake up at 3:45 a.m., and get ready for this moment of a lifetime. After stretching, drinking gallons of PowerAde and water, and eating countless bananas, we started the race at its kickoff time—6:08 a.m. We ran side by side with smiling faces the full 13.1 miles! Our mom, Fran, and five- year-old sister, Perie, cheered us on while shedding tears of joy and pride. What really kept us motivated was seeing fellow Team Lifeline racers, sport- ing the same yellow and blue shirts that the four of us were wearing. The highlight of the race was cross- ing the finish line hand in hand, shedding a few tears, and seeing the clock read 2 hours and 57 minutes. We definitely knew that those 2 hours and 57 minutes were spent in the most meaningful way possible. They raised over $13,000 and fulfilled a dream!! O

Yeshiva University Presents Economic Forum To Five Towns Community Congregation Beth Shalom of Lawrence hosted an enlightening forum on the economy entitled, “Understanding the Current Economic Crisis and What it Means For Our Families.” The December 2 event was presented by Yeshiva University (YU) and featured Michael J. Ginzberg, dean of YU’s Sy Syms School of Business (SSSB), as well as Dr. John Malindretos, associate professor of finance at SSSB, and Michael Strauss, chairman and CEO of BSafeElectrix Inc. and an adjunct professor and Entrepreneur-in- Residence at SSSB. Dr. Malindretos spoke to the crowd about financial markets and institutions and Mr. Strauss discussed devel- opments in the real economy. “Though times are tough, we still wanted to let the community know that Yeshiva University is here for them,” said Dr. Ginzberg, who fielded various questions on an array of financial issues. Founded in 1886, Yeshiva University brings together the heritage of Western civilization and the ancient traditions of 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 55 56 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS Lasko Family Kosher Tours, which has provided by popular Jewish musicians. Russia, August 9; two 10-day cruises to Continued from Page 55 been serving the Jewish community for Among the other added-value features the Eastern Mediterranean and exotic over 20 years, most notably in Kosher of a Lasko Kosher Cruise are extensive Greek Isles, June 26 and August 7; a limited or no Jewish backgrounds. Due for Passover hotel programs. “We pride tea rooms between meals as well as seven-day cruise to the Norwegian to the enormous success of Camp ourselves on the personal attention we personalized tours that visit Jewish Fjords, August 16; and a combined Nageela, the campus is already in the provide, from the moment a customer related points of interest and explore Northern Europe/Norwegian Fjords midst of an expansion project in order to calls to book until they disembark. the culture of the Jewish people. As an cruise for 14 days leaving August 9. accommodate the increased enrollment. Going that extra mile to create a warm independent yet integrated group of Lasko Kosher Cruises is now taking Fortunately, this expansion project was family environment is part of our oper- each cruise, guests are always free to reservations for all of its 2009 cruises. spared from any damage. The staff, com- ating philosophy.” partake in all of the ship’s programs Lasko Kosher Cruises, an affiliate of prised mostly of volunteers, dedicate “What is so nice about a kosher and exhilarating excursions. Lasko Family Kosher Tours, the largest themselves throughout the summer and cruise is that you enjoy a true luxury “When we launch Celebrity kosher tour operator in the world, is the following school year to the children vacation yet you don’t have to compro- Equinox in Europe in 2009, some of based in South Florida. The company of Camp Nageela. Founded over 20 mise any of your religious practices,” her first voyages will include calls at partners exclusively with top-tier cruise years ago and led by Rabbi Dovid added Avrumi Flam, a partner in Lasko Ashdod and Haifa,” said Dondra lines such as Celebrity Cruises and Costa Shenker, JEP-LI offers many programs Kosher Cruises and a singer well Ritzenthaler, senior vice president of Cruises, and embarks from different ports throughout the year to help enrich the known in the tri-state area Jewish sales, Celebrity Cruises. “We know of call around the world. Lasko Kosher lives of Jewish children throughout Long community. “We make you feel like that our guests will be as thrilled to Cruises uses independent kosher supervi- Island. Remarkably, despite the painful you’re home, but you’re actually in the discover these parts of Israel as they sion through Rabbi Levi Teitlebaum, events upstate, four enriching JEP-LI most fascinating destinations you will be to discover all that the ship her- director of the Ottowa Vaad HaKashrus shabbatonim took place across Long would otherwise not be able to experi- self has to offer.” (OVH), and Rabbi Yossi Birnbaum, the Island this past weekend. ence without the services of a kosher In 2009, Lasko Kosher Cruises is Israeli Field Representative of DSJ Despite suffering this devastating tour company like Lasko.” also offering nine other first-class sail- Global Kashrus Organization. For more setback, JEP-LI cannot and will not be In addition to delicious gourmet ings: two seven-day cruises to the detailed itinerary information or to deterred. With much determination, dining, Lasko Kosher Cruises is known Eastern Caribbean, January 18 and reserve a cabin now, call 866-604-9838 plans to restore the campus are already for its esteemed scholar in residence January 25; two seven-day cruises to or visit www.koshercruises.com. O underway. Insurance will only cover program, inspiring lectures from high- Alaska, June 28 and August 2; a seven- part of the rebuilding costs. Despite ly respected rabbis, and entertainment day cruise to the Baltic region and Continued on Page 64 the difficult economic times, this potentially destructive incident presents an unexpected opportunity. A newly refurbished dining hall will enable JEP-LI to meet its growing needs to carry out its programs as well as service other communal organizations. To partner in this unique opportunity, please contact the office at 516- 374-1528 or visit www.jepli.org for further information. O

Lasko Kosher Cruises Offers First Glatt Kosher Cruise To Israel And Egypt Lasko Kosher Cruises, which recently merged with Suite Life, a leading kosher cruise operator for the past seven years, has announced that it will be adding the first glatt kosher cruise to Israel and Egypt to its list of 2009 sailings. This “Ancient Empires” cruise will include 13 days aboard Celebrity Cruises’s brand new Equinox leaving from Rome, Italy on Tuesday, August 18, 2009. The Ancient Empires itinerary features culturally rich ports of call including Rome and Naples, Italy; Athens and Rhodes, Greece; Ephesus, Turkey; Alexandria, Egypt; and Haifa and Ashdod, Israel. Guests will sail around the Mediterranean Sea visiting ruins, perusing architecture, and sampling the flavor of these ancient empires. The Israel/Egypt cruise, like all Lasko Kosher Cruises, offers premium accom- modations plus three fresh, gourmet glatt kosher, cholov Yisrael meals and snacks daily as well as three minyanim a day in a dedicated shul on board. All are complimentary and reserved for Lasko Kosher Cruises passengers exclusively. Lasko brings onboard a full staff of mashgichim to kasher a designated portion of the galley in advance of the sail- ing and maintain 24-hour presence in the kitchen. A Lasko Kosher Cruise representative is also onboard every cruise to tend to guests’ personal needs. “Our all-inclusive destinations at sea are dis- tinguished by the quality of the ships we use, the standards of kashrus we uphold, and the unique vacations we provide our guests,” said Sam Lasko, a partner in Lasko Kosher Cruises and founder of 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 57 58 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

The Appropriate Response To Islamic Terror

BY LAWRENCE KULAK

Some of the greatest discoveries of medical science, most notably peni- cillin, have been made by sheer accident. It is a signal tragedy of our times that, in the all too conspicuous absence of competent statesmanship among the leadership of democracies around the world, the solutions to certain international security issues must also be discovered by accident. About six months ago, there was an article published in the New York Times about an incident in Afghanistan where the U.S. military, while attempting to take out a certain

“Did Stalin drop tzetlach when he bombed Berlin during the Second World War?”

Taliban terrorist, dropped a bomb on a tent that was occupied by members of his extended family, killing several women and children. The particular terrorist that was being hunted was not home at the time, although there were several others that were part of the same terrorist network who were also killed. This story ostensibly was published for the purpose of demonstrating the “horrors” of warfare, focusing primarily on the women and children in the tent who were killed, by all accounts of the U.S. military spokespeople, unin- tentionally. In our dangerous age of political tentativeness and compro- mised militaries, however, there is an overwhelming probability that even top-ranking U.S. military commanders were unaware that they may have acci- dentally stumbled upon the solution to international terror. I’ll never forget how, during the last Lebanon war with Hezbollah, an Orthodox Jewish Russian immigrant who had survived Stalin approached me, gesturing with his hand while repeating the word “tzetlach” (“notes” or “letters” in Yiddish). He was refer- ring to the pieces of paper which were dropped by the Israeli Air Force over Lebanon warning civilians of the bombs that were about to be dropped. In the process, the Hezbollah terrorists were also warned, which may have allowed them to escape to the north in large numbers and ultimately force Israel to belatedly engage its

Continued on Page 60 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 59 Response To Terror zens of Germany during the In terms of Jewish law, I state of affairs that is etched groups, there is ample evi- Continued from Page 59 Holocaust. The United think that the issue is proba- in the Mosaic law are proba- dence of complicity by the States, it seems, did in fact bly clear. While no army bly easily forgetful of the fact Pakistani Intelligence Service ground troops, leading to originally institute the prac- should go out of its way to that Muslim countries are (known as the ISI.) which has numerous casualties and the tice of dropping leaflets over harm a civilian population in routinely targeting innocent a long and well-known history loss of the war. an enemy population, as it did times of war, during the legit- civilians via their terrorist of facilitating acts of terror in “Did Stalin drop tzetlach before it bombed Dresden imate pursuit of an enemy proxies and leaving the stand- Indian-held Kashmir. Reports when he bombed Berlin dur- and Berlin, but apparently that has instigated an attack ing armies of nations alone. indicate that a rogue element ing the Second World War?” Stalin had his own ideas. against its people, a nation This is more or less what of the ISI recently forged a my Russian immigrant friend Israel was apparently afraid to may defend itself with what- recently occurred in link with a local terrorist asked, obviously comparing stray from the U.S. precedent ever means necessary, even if Mumbai, India. commander linked to Al the militant, pro-Hezbollah even if it meant risking the it includes causing death to Although the attack had all Qaeda, which then embarked Lebanese civilians to the citi- loss of a war. civilians. Those who are the hallmarks of Al Qaeda upon a plan to target inclined to issue knee-jerk penetration into local Westerners in Mumbai. gasps to this common sense Pakistani Muslim terror The Mumbai attack signi- fies a change of course for Al Qaeda, which until this point had refrained from attacking India because of India’s prior course of neutrality vis-à-vis Islam’s conflicts with the West, and because of the need for its use of India as a transfer point to fly undetected in and out of Pakistan and the Afghan regions. This perhaps explains in part why India’s naval security was in such a state of low awareness and why there was not a perceived need to update their police department’s anti-terrorist training. (The Jewish Center was allegedly targeted specifically for attack for reasons stemming from the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.) Whatever the level or degree of the Pakistani government’s complicity in the attack that is ultimately

60 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES proven to have taken place, the fact is unwise course of conciliation with he knows that his family will all be might also explain why his main prom- that this operation could not have premeditated and avowed murderers. killed, and there will be nobody left ise in continuing Bush’s war on terror been accomplished without assistance President Bush also delivered a set- after him to claim that honor, he will was to pursue this archterrorist from Pakistani Intelligence. This fac- back to his own war on terror when, in be left with little reason to pursue his through the hills of Pakistan. If Bin tor makes the Mumbai attack as much the immediate aftermath of 9/11, he murderous mission. Laden is killed and hence martyred, it of an attack on India’s sovereignty as it labeled Islam a peaceful religion that One of the main daggers which will only bring honor to himself and was an attack on its civilians and for- had been hijacked by radical elements. Israel has thrust into its own heart his family, who will be very much eign visitors. As such, it cries out for By making that statement, the presi- was the government’s decision to intact and alive. That will only give rise some type of retaliatory attack by the dent all but rejected the possibility of abort the practice of demolishing the to more militant imams and more ter- Indian government. taking drastic action to eliminate homes of terrorists. The prospect of rorist leaders. Aside from India, however, the entire terrorist networks that would of rendering his own family homeless Moreover, the only way to deal with attack on the foreign nationals of necessity cause the mass deaths of and desperate served to deter a Islamic terrorists is the same way in Israel, the United States, and Great other potential operatives, and those potential terrorist from killing him- which they deal with their victims. Britain by proxy also constitutes an others clandestinely associated with self and anybody else by reducing the Muslims believe in the literal interpre- act of war against these countries and the actual terrorists, who provide honor and machismo associated with tation of the Biblical doctrine of an eye therefore legitimizes the infiltration means of support. the act. The notion of the 72 virgins for an eye, and they do not have of Pakistani territory for the purpose Contrary to all attention that has is only a reward for the achievement respect for anything perceived as a of pursuing the aggressors. While a been given to the Muslim shaheed’s of an act that brings honor to himself lesser standard of justice. They killed generalized war with Pakistan should pursuit of the 72 virgins, the idea of and his family, but there is nothing our innocents, and unless we kill not be contemplated or pursued, it martyrdom in Islam is really more of honorable in Islam about bringing theirs, they will go on killing ours. The may be unavoidable, depending upon an exaggerated spin-off of good old harm to one’s family. Torah, however, preaches a doctrine the vigilance with which Pakistan fashioned American machismo and Perhaps this is the underlying rea- which, if implemented by the West, seeks to defend the terrorists within hero worship. A Muslim will seek mar- son why, since the war of terror has could finally put an end to all Islamic its borders. tyrdom in order to bring honor to him- begun, we have been unsuccessful in terror: If somebody is coming to kill The retaliation that is undertaken self and to his family, just as a Muslim tracking down Bin Laden. And if, as you, rise up and kill him first. O should strike hard at the training will kill others even within his own many feared before the presidential bases, madrassa schools, and homes family to prevent or offset a similar election, Barack Obama is really sym- Lawrence Kulak can be reached at of all the properly identified terrorist association with dishonor or shame. If pathetic to the Muslims radicals, it [email protected]. commanders and fellow terrorists of those identified in the attack, in a series of sustained surprise attacks over a period of time that is aimed at total eradication of the entire network that coordinated this attack. Any and all collateral damage in the form of casualties to friends, relatives, or anyone connected to the lives of these terrorists should be swiftly ignored. Public opinion and what is written in the newspapers should also be ignored by nations seeking to avenge the death of its innocent civilians. When terrorists undertake to hide behind a sovereign government and to attempt to hide within its borders, it becomes the responsibility of that government to take swift action to flush them out and to neutralize them. Pakistan has obviously not done this, and is itself responsible for failing to purge itself of rogue commanders who facilitated the carnage in Mumbai. It must now step aside and let the foreign governments whose citizens have been mercilessly attacked take the proper course of action. George W. Bush certainly knows how to do it, and if his heart will be in the right place, so does Barack Obama. As for the Islamic terrorists themselves, there has been a universal ineptitude in understanding their mentalities and how they work. Primarily because of leftist leaders and public sympathy with revolution- ary mindsets, which have in cancer- ous fashion infiltrated the efficient workings of Western governments and Israel, the tactics that are necessary to defeat Islamic terror have been suppressed and discarded as politically incorrect. Many will remember how before Shimon Peres encouraged Prime Minister Rabin to embark on his infamous peace process with Arafat, the latter advo- cated “breaking the bones” of Arab rioters in the West Bank and Gaza as a means of putting down the intifada. Those means were apparently used for a period of time by Rabin, with much success, until his government decided to embark on a seriously 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 61 house that was not surrounded by a Having other people also sleep in the large Jewish community. However, house is one possible way. Since there Daf Yomi Insights there was an elderly couple that per- are permissible ways for him to sleep mitted him to eat and sleep by them. at the house of the widow, there is no The husband passed away so the problem of chashad. People will Moon Stones Igros Moshe last week that even dis- widow lived alone. Her son, though, assume that he is sleeping there in a B Y RABBI AVROHOM playing the stones as one would display would take her to his house every permissible fashion—which is the SEBROW an antique constitutes me’ilah, deriv- night so she could sleep there. The truth, in fact, since the woman no ing unauthorized benefit from conse- question was, is the shochet permitted longer sleeps there. R’ Moshe cites a Last week, I discussed the prohibi- crated property. to sleep in the widow’s house at night? Gemara in Avodah Zarah to prove that tion of taking stones from the Kosel. This week my creative juices weren’t In reality, there is no issur of yichud, when dealing with the issur of chashad Many readers likely assumed that it flowing and I was trying to find an since he in fact is the only one pres- we take into account what people’s was a bizarre and irrelevant topic. (Not interesting topic that relates to the daf, ent. Perhaps, though, it should be for- perception will be: We don’t blindly that it would make a difference to me but I couldn’t come up with any. The bidden because of ma’aras ayin or forbid something because maybe anyway; I like writing about the Shas Lublin, in the Aliba D’Hilchasa chashad. Maybe not everyone would someone will have a suspicion; there obscure.) However, I have since been section, quotes a teshuvah from R’ realize that the woman goes home has to be a good reason to assume that told that two people who I’m familiar Moshe on one daf this week regarding every night, and they might assume onlookers might suspect an avierah is with have such stones. the prohibition of yichud. I think that that he is violating the issur of yichud, being committed before we forbid One individual related to me how he something on account of chashad. happened to come into possession of The truth is that I have wanted to such stones. Archaeologists were exca- write about the following for some vating near the Kosel. During the dig, time but I kept putting it off until I many stone fragments were uncov- There has to be a good reason to assume that would be able to deliver a comprehen- ered. However, the archaeologists were sive article on the subject. Since I have only interested in the large pieces of onlookers might suspect an avierah is being not done that, and I can tie this into stone. My friend was free to take the the article, I will write what I have smaller ones. There is no concrete committed before we forbid something on researched. (Please ask your rav for a proof, so to speak, that these stones final p’sak). came from the Kosel or other Har account of chashad. The Chochmas Adam writes (k’lal HaBayis walls, but it was a distinct 86:3) that there is a Biblical prohibi- possibility. The following question was tion against making solid models or sent to R’ Dovid Feinstein, shlita: What statues of a man or an angel. He should one do if one already has frag- tying that teshuvah to the daf is a bit of being secluded with a woman who is writes that this prohibition extends to ments of the Kosel in his possession? a stretch—after all, only passing refer- not his wife. His only other choice was making pictures of the sun, moon, The answer: He should throw them ence is made to yichud in our to sleep on the cold, wet slaughter- and stars as well, but with one impor- into the ocean or other large body of Gemara—but it’s not worse than some house floor. (Apparently, Motel 6 had- tant distinction: The prohibition water. It is forbidden to derive any ben- feeble correlations that I’ve made in n’t opened yet in 1965.) against making a form of a man only efit from the stones, so it’s better to the past. So I decided to use it. R’ Moshe permitted him to sleep at applies to a 3-D form, whereas the not keep around an object that can A shochet sent the following ques- the woman’s house. One of his reasons injunction against pictures of the sun easily lead one to a Biblical prohibition to R’ Moshe (see Igros Moshe was that in general there are several and moon would apply not only to a tion. As a reminder, we quoted the E.H. 3:19): He worked at a slaughter- ways to escape the issur of yichud. solid model, but even to two-dimen-

62 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES sional flat, realistic drawings (or pho- al circumstances. The rabbis only for- tos). Many schools encourage their bade owning these type of items back young students to only draw partial in their days, because then there was pictures of the sun, as this is permit- actually a basis for suspicion. ted by many authorities. (This is However, even back then, the rabbis accomplished by putting the sun in gave examples of where owning these the corner or top of the page and only would not arouse suspicion (e.g., drawing the part of the sun that Torah purposes and public displays.) “extends” on the page. One could Therefore, if a reasonable person argue that children’s pictures do not nowadays would not have a basis for resemble the sun and the moon, and suspicion of idolatry, we do not have this indeed would be a basis for to worry about the issur of chashad leniency.) (even if in earlier times we did). However, this discussion was so far To clarify, there are two prohibitions: limited to forming these images. 1. A Biblical prohibition against Owning them is a different story. The creating human forms and pictures of Chochmas Adam quotes the Shach as the sun and moon. That remains in stating that one should not even own full force regardless of current cir- statues of a man, the reason being cumstances. chashad; someone might assume that 2. A rabbinic prohibition against the statue is being used as an idol. To avoid desecration, don’t take home stones that might be from the Kosel. owning human forms and pictures of If you want to save yourselves a lot the sun and the moon. This only of money, you can stop reading after applies where there is basis for suspi- this paragraph! When your child asks the other hand takes a much simpler facturing dolls or re-attaching a part cion that one is using these items for for an American Girl doll for approach: “We won’t have such of a doll that came off; one should idolatrous purposes. Chanukah, tell her, “It’s treif! It’s American sh’tus in our house!”) seek halachic guidance.) Therefore, R’ Dovid Feinsten, shlita, assur! I wouldn’t dare bring such avo- Hopefully, your daughter won’t get The Nachal Eshkol writes the same ruled that one is permitted to own dah zarah into my house. Don’t you her hands on the rest of this article. reasoning regarding a similar issue. books that have pictures of the sun know the Shach says that you can’t The Chochmas Adam, after quoting Apparently, the wealthy men of his and the moon, as no one would ever own human forms! What is a doll, if the Shach, continues and says, “It times had human forms on their think that he is using the pictures in not a baby statue!” She might say, appears to me that nowadays owning stoves. He writes that since these the book for idolatry. This is the basis “But Daddy, these dolls are not human forms is permitted.” No one forms are no longer worshipped, one for our schools and yeshivos using sci- anatomically correct! Can’t we be will suspect an individual of owning a is permitted to own them. No one ence books that have these pictures. meikil?” So you’ll respond, “My little human form for idolatry, as these would become suspicious that you Just to come full circle, is there any girl, you have been reading too much forms are no longer worshipped. If practice idolatry when they see that prohibition in keeping rocks from the ArtScroll! True, the bodies may not be that was said back in the Chochmas your oven knobs are shaped like moon? Does anyone out there worship anatomically correct, but the faces Adam’s time, it would certainly apply human heads. (They may have some moon stones? O are and there is an opinion that the to today’s dolls. No one would assume other suspicions, though…) The prohibition applies to just forms of that one owns a Cabbage Patch Kid Nachal Eshkol then makes a remark Rabbi Sebrow leads a daf yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead faces!” Defeated, your little girl will for idolatrous purposes. (There still similar to R’ Moshe’s. Chashad prohi- and is an outreach professional at JEP of LI. He whimper to her room. (My wife, on may be a problem, however, of manu- bitions are based on current and actu- can be contacted at [email protected].

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 63 AROUND THE FIVE TOWNS cooperation with various gov- Israeli philanthropists and a strong support system serv- The ‘Go North’ program Continued from Page 57 ernment offices and the from the government of ing as a catalyst for expansion aims to encourage olim who Jewish Agency for Israel, will Israel. The foundation funds of the Jewish communities in are drawn to Northern Israel Nefesh B’Nefesh And bring over 1,000 newcomers innovative projects including the North for years to come,” but are held back because of Russell Berrie Foundation to the North over the next few pluralistic Jewish education in said Angelica Berrie, presi- concerns that moving to a Launch $10 Million ‘Go years. The initiative will pro- Israel—such as the Be’eri sec- dent of the Russell Berrie less developed area will be North’ Aliyah Project vide additional support to ular high school program of Foundation. “Go North will more costly and more diffi- Nefesh B’Nefesh with the Nefesh B’Nefesh olim seeking the Shalom Hartman Institute enable modern day pioneers cult. The program will support of the Russell Berrie quality of life and fulfillment and the Russell Berrie to fulfill their dreams by mov- address these issues by pro- Foundation of Teaneck, NJ, is of ideals in the Northern Nanotechnology Institute at ing to a region of Israel that is viding significant financial launching the ‘Go North’ proj- region of Israel. The unparal- the Technion. less Westernized and needs grants and other forms of ect (www.gonorth.org.il), to leled project was made possi- “Building on Nefesh the skills, talents, and energy assistance specifically geared encourage Anglo olim (new ble through a generous gift B’Nefesh’s ongoing success in they will bring. We see to make the aliyah and immigrants) to settle in and partnership with the bringing Western Jews on strengthening the North as a absorption experience more Northern Israel. The aliyah Russell Berrie Foundation aliyah, this initiative will gen- vital strategic priority,” she successful. It is designed to organization, which works in together with funding from erate momentum by creating continued. ease the transition into communities in the North by creating the conditions for seam- less professional and social integration. The benefits will include: enhanced financial grants, employment assistance, creating suitable social infrastructures, and transportation subsidies. Nefesh B’Nefesh will also appoint dedicated employment professionals and regional coor- dinators who will assist olim with their employment and social needs. “Nefesh B’Nefesh is honored to be partnering with the Russell Berrie Foundation on this essential program which will infuse a vibrancy and energy into the North— socially, demographically, and economically,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of

64 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES Nefesh B’Nefesh. He added “We are said that in light of the worldwide eco- excited to be a part of the first concert- nomic crisis, increasing aliyah is even ed effort in Israel’s history to bring more important to Israel’s economic Anglo olim to the North and thereby and social growth, and especially for build a stronger Israel.” strengthening the Northern region and Minister of the Development of the Israel’s periphery. “My office will allo- Negev and Galilee, Yaakov Edery com- cate major resources to ensuring the mented on the importance of this olim moving up north will have a suc- strategic project: “The Ministry for the cessful absorption and will work Development of the Negev and the towards developing tailored absorption Galilee sees the absorption of olim programs that will meet the needs of from Western countries in Israel’s Western olim.” Northern region as a top priority in Founded in 2002, Nefesh B’Nefesh order to strengthen the existing popu- in cooperation with the Israeli govern- lation and bring an added vibrancy to ment and the Jewish Agency for Israel, is this beautiful area. The Ministry will dedicated to revitalizing aliyah from do all that is in its power to ensure North America and the UK by removing these pioneer olim will integrate and or minimizing the financial, profession- acclimate in the best possible way. We al, logistical, and social obstacles of allocated extensive resources to make aliyah. Through the support and com- sure they have a high quality of life, prehensive social services provided to its good education, and can easily find 18,000 newcomers, Nefesh B’Nefesh jobs. This is a vital endeavor, today has ensured that 98% of its olim have more than ever.” remained in Israel, and 94% of the fam- Minister of Immigrant Absorption, ilies have one or both spouses employed. Eli Aflalo, praised the program and For more, visit www.nbn.org.il. O

Yaakov arrived, whole, in the city of Shechem (Bereishis 33:18) Whole in body, for he was healed of his limp.Whole in wealth, for he sustained no loss as a result of the gift [he dispatched to Eisav].Whole in his Torah, for he forgot nothing of his learning in the house of Lavan. (Talmud; Rashi)

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 65 Once Upon A Time: Dads Do Reading

BY ROCHELLE nothing else, a story at bedtime helps “What would you do?” or “Do you books, even if they pick one that is MARUCH MILLER establish healthy sleeping patterns. know any other tabby cats?” too complex for them but they like Here are some tips to enhance the Book a boys’ night in! It’s even the pictures. Encourage them to As parents, of course we want the storytelling experience: more important for dads to actively browse and find stories they like to very best for our children. Reading Get into character. Bedtime sto- encourage their sons to read. Reading look at. Children who have favorite every day with your child is the most ries should be told in a relaxed atmos- is often thought of by boys as a “girl’s books when they are young tend to important thing you can do to help phere. So let’s begin by switching off thing to do,” which may explain why do better in school. O nurture curiosity and knowledge the TV and, where possible, adding boys do so poorly on literacy tests. Rochelle Maruch Miller is a journalist, media about the world, strengthen vocabu- some dramatization to the stories. Try But if young boys see their main role consultant, educator, and lecturer. She can be lary and comprehension skills, and reading in different voices or carrying model enjoying reading, it will reached at [email protected]. model the joy of reading. You can mix it up with some oral storytelling (improv style!). Your children will love the invented stories and might even jump in with ideas of their own. And every male was This is the first in a series of arti- Try reading in different voices or carrying circumcised, all that cles which we hope will provide you with tips on how to support, encour- out some of the actions being performed went out of the gate age, and ensure that your children of [Shechem] will have what they need in order to thrive in school, learn to—and love by the characters in the book. (Bereishis 34:24) to—read, and be all they can be! Favorite stories get shared many When any one of them times over. Bedtime stories aren’t just entered the city laden with for tiny tots. Older children enjoy out some of the actions being per- encourage them, too. In fact, it does- his wares they said to him, them, too! What’s more, it’s the performed by the characters in the book. n’t always have to be the “tough guy” fect means to strengthen the bond Anything that will make it a more stories. Reading off your favorite line “Come and be between father and child. Want to stimulating story will make it more or two from a newspaper story or circumcised,” while he improve your storytelling skills? fun, too! magazine or football program will would reply,“Shechem is Well, if you’re sitting comfortably, Make the connection! Avoid turn- help them build an association then we’ll begin. Research shows that ing storytime into an academic exer- between reading and fun. marrying her and Magbai when dads read bedtime stories, their cise by using it to test your child’s aca- Find the age level. Spend some must be circumcised?!” kids do better at school. Bedtime sto- demic skills. Instead, just ask open quality time with your children at ries encourage speech and language questions about the stories that help the library. Look for books aimed at (Midrash Rabbah) development and help children learn them build a link between the story their age level and stories you literacy skills in an enjoyable way. If and their everyday life. For example, enjoyed as a child. Let them choose

66 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES Druze Soldiers To IDF: Don’t Use Troops To Expel Jews B Y TZVI BEN of the government, and I proudly showed respect and The Druze leader wrote sons to serve under your GEDALYAHU hope that you will be deter- honor for the IDF and the Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi, “In order command...” mined…to prevent the country as Druze men served to prevent hostility that is He expressed fears that an The Druze Forum for [mis]use of your position … in the army. liable to develop Heaven for- IDF order to Druze soldiers Israel has appealed to IDF because the IDF is likely to The Druze community in bid over expulsions from the to carry out the government Chief of Staff Gabi lose its lofty status as the Israel numbers nearly Peace House in Hebron, we expulsion will cause a deep Ashkenazi to preserve unity army of the people.” 120,000 and is a separate appeal to you in the name of division. Safdie appealed to and not to order Druze sol- Safdie stated that the religious entity. It is rooted in Druze IDF soldiers, in the the Chief of Staff “for the commander-in-chief must Arab culture but fought name of all Druze who have sake of Druze who continue safeguard the high values of alongside Jews instead of served from the beginning of to serve the country in faith the IDF and to retain it as “a joining Arab enemies during the country and in the name and determination. model to youth to copy.” He the re-establishment of the of all the Druze community The Druze recalled his youth, when he modern State of Israel. that sends 94.6 percent of its Continued on Page 69 community fought alongside Jews instead of joining Arab enemies.

diers to expel Jews from the Hebron Peace House, which he referred to as a political decision. Druze Forum chairman Mandee Safdie wrote, “The duty of IDF soldiers is to protect Israeli citizens from enemies and not to carry out political decisions

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 67 68 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES Druze Soldiers the side of the just. remain within the family, but find myself in agreement Continued from Page 67 “There is close blood that when cousins fight, it is with the Jews of Hebron.” between Druze and Jews dat- liable to become hostile. I (Arutz Sheva) O For the “IDF soldiers of the Druze ing back from the time of the community are known as Druze prophet Yithro…. The next issue, brave soldiers and among the fateful friendship and togeth- best of IDF fighters with erness between Druze and deadline for high motivation and devotion Jews is felt closely day by day.” to their tasks,” he wrote. Safdie asked Lt. Gen. reserving “They have proved their Ashkenazi to prevent open- worth…against cruel ene- ing a severe gap between ad space is mies on all fronts and even members of this covenant. before the establishment of He said that Jewish residents Monday, the State of Israel in defend- of Hebron turned to him to ing Jewish communities help “make it clear that if December 15 where we chose to fight on brothers quarrel, it should at 5:00 P.M.

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5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 69 70 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES Chagigat Chumash At HAFTR

HAFTR’s second-grade students celebrated receiving their Chumashim with song before a proud audience of family, friends, and guests. The children were thrilled as they hugged and kissed their Chumashim. The Ottensoser family dedicated the seforim in loving memory of Elliott and Hazel Austern.

Submit your Five Towns Events/News for the Next Issue by 5:00 P.M. Monday. Send e-mail to: [email protected]

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 71 72 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 73 SERVICES SERVICES PROVIDED PROVIDED

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Reasonable. should be math oriented, love working Renovated Apartment Facing Back Call 631-664-0075 Owner 347-439-8234 with numbers, be proficient in comput- Property. 3 Bedrooms, EIK, Formal ers and have the ability to multi task. Dining, Terrace, Washer/Dryer in Unit! Woodmere Open House Sunday 1:30- Miami Beach — Tower 41. Ocean View...... $325K This full time position with benefits is 3:00 p.m. 838 Dickens St. Grand 6 1 bdrm, 17th floor. Stunning. Morton Haves Inc. 516-374-0100 located in Far Rockaway. Ohel Bais bdrm, 2 dens, new hi end construction. 732-522-0813 www.havesrealestate.com Ezra. Phone: 718-686-3102, fax 718-851- Owners motivated. 6428, e-mail to [email protected] Always Welcoming Licensed; Motivated Lawrence— For rent. 4 bdrm col on Far Rockaway: 2 Family. All NU, Real Estate Agents and Brokers! oversized property 3 over 1 Bdrm, 3 full baths. Great Lawrence— Condo for rent. 1 bdrm, 1 Receptionist/Secretary — Looking for Open House Sunday 12/14 545 Location ...... $599K 1/2 bths, doorman bldg. secretarial staff who are reliable, well Call 516-322-3555 Clubhouse Road 1-2:30 Woodmere— West Lawrence— Open Houses Sunday organized, have the ability to multi-task Brand new construction on Clubhouse 12-2p.m. and work well with others to work in Road in the heart of Woodmere Park. Condos— New Construction our mental health clinic in Far Contemporary style home. 6 BR, 4 Bths, 1117 B. 12th St. Far Rockaway Rockaway. Responsibilities include custom granite kosher kitchen, Radiant Gardens 1st show. hi end construction, FOR RENT answering phones, registering patients, Heat, Alarms, Camera equipped, hard- granite eik, luxurious bths. $299K and collecting fees and co-pays, inputting wood floors, plus much, much more. up therapist schedules into computer and Price reduced. POR 156 Beach 9th St. Sale/Rent 2/3 bedrooms, luxurious designer kitchen and Cedarhurst: NU House, CH more. Must have typing, computer Call Sherri 516-297-7995 skills and have excellent English com- bths. Steps from beach. Col.LR,FDR, Kosher Eik, Woodmere Park— Brand new Milky Forst Properties Inc munication. (Part Time: Mon-Thurs Mediterranean style construction. 6 BR, 516-239-0306 Den,4BR.3BTHS. Bsmt...... …$3,200 5pm-10pm & Sunday 9am-4pm). 3.5 Bths, kosher granit kitchen, Radiant 5 TOWN HOMES 516-569-5710 Ohel Bais Ezra. Phone: 718-686-3102, heat, Alarms, Camera equipped. POR fax 718-851-6428, e-mail to Weissman Realty Group, LLC Lawrence — NU 2 Mkt. Col., Brk., Woodmere/Cedarhurst— 2 BR avail- [email protected] Large property, near ALL, 5Br, 3.5Bth, 516-791-6100 able. Secure buildings, new EIK, close Den, full bsmt ...... $1.9M to all and train station. Male and Female Shadows needed for Far Rockaway: 2 Fam. All NU Call 516-322-3555 Far Rockaway Yeshivot. Immediate 3 over 3 Br. 4Fbth, Dr, Full bsmt Call Sherri 516-297-7995 Placements Available. Good Hourly All features ...... $779K Lawrence — Co-op. Central Ave. bright, Far Rockaway listings: Wage. E-mail resume: Call 516-263-6417 beautiful, large 2 BR, large LR, 1 bth, Neilson Street— Brand new construc- [email protected] or fax attn: separate tub, stall shower, new appli- tion. 3/ 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths central Shadow Job to 718-559-4811 ances, storage, walk all. By owner. Far Rockaway/Lawrence: 2 BR/ 2 BA, air, laundry hook up, parking. No Newly Renovated, Dead-end street, 516-371-4442 Experienced secretary wanted for elec- Price...... $539K Rental Fee. Call Avromy, 347-752-0948 trical business in Hewlett area. F/T. Call Owner: 516-750-9257 Valley Stream: Nu 2 Mkt. Brick ranch, 833 Central Avenue. 1 BR apt. secure great condition, quiet street. Nu EIK, Hebrew speaking a plus. doorman building Shabbos elevator. Lawrence — 18 Berkley Place LR, Den, Lg Prop ...... $439K Fax resume to 516-812-7607 Call Sherri 516-297-7995 Center hall col., 4 BR, 3 bths, stunning For Rent ...... $2,500 Plainview/ Beach 11— 4 BR, 2 bths, cul-de-sac, best location ...... $850K 5 TOWN HOMES 516-569-5710 new construction, plenty of closets, Wig Salon on Central Ave looking for Call 516-902-0936 full time employee for wash and setting washer/dryer hookup, parking, no rental wigs. Nice environment with growth Hewlett — Col. MIC, 4br, 2bth, 2fpl, full fee. Reduced rent. Lawrence: OURS ONLY!! potential. 917-543-9138, ask for Allen. deck, wood flr, Lg. den. Walk to all. Weissman Realty Group, LLC BRICK, C/H COL, Stately BRICK, w/old ...... $729K 516-791-6100 world charm, Hi ceilings, 6Br, 4.5 New salon looking for experienced: hair 5 TOWN HOMES 516-322-3555 dresser/sheitel macher, make-up BTHS, Kosher Eik, Lg. LR W/FPL, Lg. Classified Ads are artist, manicurist, masseuse in central Far Rockaway: Coop, 3Br, 1Bth FDR, Library, Fin. Bsmt., Lg Prop., Cedarhurst area. Lr/Dr, Walk to All ...... $179K WALK ALL. Continued on the Next Page. Please call 516-791-2520 or 646-270-3381 Call 516-322-3555 5 TOWN HOMES 516-569-5710 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 75 CLASSIFIED ADS Your Real Estate, Continued from Page 75 FOR RENT FOR SALE Service, or

FOR RENT Rockville Center — 3,500 sq ft, fully Sony 20" flat screen TV for sale . . $100 Help Wanted Ad wired for WEB, partitioned, will divide. Call 646-637-1310 Call 516-322-3555 Here Every Thursday Nicest house rental in Far Rockaway. Far Rockaway — Lg. Hse Rental: 4br, MISCELLANEOUS 100,000 readers Beautiful, Ready to move in, 5 BR 2bth, bsmt., hi-ceilings, NU bths, W\D. house on excellent block in Far Call 516-322-3555 look forward to Rockaway. Brand new kitchen and very spacious backyard. Call owner 1 BR apt for rent. Elevator building Get A New Computer! Brand name what’s happening in the 917-617-0768 near RR and houses of worship. Laptops & Desktops Bad or NoCredit-No Call Sonia 516-284-0262 Problem Smallest weekly payments 5 Towns by reading Lawrence— Newly Renov. C/H Col. w/ lots avail. Call NOW 800-840-5439 of charm, 4 BR, 2.5 bath, Lg, Sunny LR, Cedarhurst: Garden apt. Nu 2 Mkt. The Five Towns FPL- 6 rms, Hi ceiling, wood study, den, 2BR. 2Bth, Mint, 1st Flr, heat & prk Ocean Corp. Houston, Texas. Train for Jewish Times. Brand New Kosher granite EIK w/New Appl, incld. $2,500. New Career. Underwater Welder, Alarm, wd floors, Ctrl Locatn. 5Town Homes 516-569-5710 Commercial Diver, NDT/Weld Inspector. Job placement and financial aid for Owner: 516-316-3176 Lawrence — 18 Berkley Place those who qualify. 1-800-321-0298 Deadline is Monday Far Rockaway — 2 Huge Office Spaces. Center hall col., 4 BR, 3 bths, stunning at 5:00 p.m. 6,000 and 2,500 Sq Ft. 2nd Floor. Near cul-de-sac, best location. $4K monthly Subway & LIRR. Build to Suit. Can be Call Irene 516-652-7099 1 Week ...... $35 divided. Owner 917-359-9776 For the next issue, Cedarhurst — Nu House CH Col. LR, Ced. — 3+ br apt, 1.5 bth, lg FDR, new FDR, Kosher EIK, Den, 4BR, 3BTHS. 2 Weeks ...... $60 EIK, on quiet street, walk to all . . . $2,200 Bsmt. For Rent ...... $2,500 the deadline N Wdm. — house rental. Hi-ranch in 5 TOWN HOMES 516-569-5710 4 Weeks...... $100 MIC. 4 br, CAC, den, on quiet street. for placing a Far Rockaway — Apartment available. 5 TOWN HOMES 516-569-5710 Weekly Ads of up to 25 words Brand new construction. Furnished or Miami Alexander Hotel. 2 BR, 2 bths, unfurnished. 3 BR, 2bths. Cleaning and classified ad is magnificent ocean view, balcony, valet, laundry services available. Perfect for Call: 516-569-0502 washer/dryer, beautifully furnished. the elderly. Call Sherri 516-569-5450 Short, long-term, Pesach. Monday, December 15 Fax: 516-977-0608 Call Shelly 516-481-7987 Cedarhurst — House Rental LR/FDR, den, 3br, 2.5bth, Fin. Bsmt . . . . . $2,300 at 5:00 P.M. Or E-mail ads to: Miami Alexander Hotel — Short or long Call 516-322-3555 term rental. 2 BR, 2 bths, luxury, [email protected] Shabbos elevator, swimming pool, bal- Cedarhurst: Office rental: Executive 2 Call 516-569-0502 cony, parking, beachfront. Call Zeev Kolman 212-245-1715 Bths, Fully Web wired, 1,250 sq. ft., Include payment info. or 917-287-5858 CAC. 5TGR 516-322-3555

76 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

A Five Towns Simcha Photo By Jeff Neckonoff

Adina Feder of Lawrence celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on December 7 at Congregation Beth Sholom. Adina, a TAG student, is the daughter of Raizel and Yankie Feder. Entertainment was provided by Azamra Events, featuring Jeff Neckonoff; Supersol catered the affair.

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 77 Hebron: The Backstory, Part 2 BY DAVID BEDEIN AND Principles (Oslo Accords) in 1993, area to the east and southeast of the would have exclusive access. ARLENE KUSHNER agreements were reached for turning city, and it incorporates the old The Protocol for Deployment called over land to the Palestinian Authority. Jewish neighborhoods of Hebron as for joint Israeli-Palestinian patrols of The city of Hebron, approximately 20 The Gaza-Jericho first agreement, in well as the Machpelah. several areas within the H-1 area miles south of Jerusalem in the Judean 1994, spelled out the first withdrawals. The Israeli army was given full under Palestinian control—most Hills, has been linked to the Jewish peo- In September 1995, Oslo II responsibility for the security of notably Abu Sneinah, Harat a-Sheikh, ple from time immemorial. It is, after (Interim Agreement), which provid- Hebron’s Jewish community—which and the high ground overlooking the Jerusalem, the most sacred city for the ed for additional withdrawals from at that point numbered about 300; new Route No. 35. Fairly worthless in Jewish people. Today, about 1,000 Jews major areas of Palestinian popula- police under the jurisdiction of the any event, these patrols were discon- live in four small neighborhoods of the tion, was concluded. A subsequent IDF assumed responsibility for han- tinued in 2000 with the advent of the city: Avraham Avinu, Beit Hadassah, Tel special arrangement with regard to dling possible Israeli violations of law violence of the Second Intifada. Romano, and a region above Tel Residents of Hebron warned of Rumeida where mobile homes are the dangers inherent in Palestinian located. The population comprises some of control of Abu Sneinah, which 100 families as well as 250 students was adjacent to the Jewish area and studying at the Yeshivat Shavei Hevron Hebron is being portrayed as an “Arab” city, provided a high point from which in Tel Romano. Arabs could shoot at the Israeli pop- Within Hebron, near the Jewish ulation. Unfortunately, these warn- neighborhoods, is the Cave of which by sufferance is tolerating an irritating ings were prescient: On March 26, Machpelah, the Tomb of the Patriarchs. 2001, Shalhevet Pass, 10 months An exceedingly ancient site of enormous small minority of Jews in its midst. old, was fatally shot in the head by a religious significance to Jews, it too is sniper positioned on a hill at Abu under Israeli control today. Immediately Sneinah. Shalhevet and her parents, to the east of Hebron is the modern Yitzhak—who was wounded in the Jewish municipality of Kiryat Arba; legs—and Oriyah Pass, were at the founded in 1971, it now boasts 6,5000 Hebron—the Protocol Concerning in Hebron—military, not civil law. entrance to the Avraham Avinu residents and provides services— Withdrawal in Hebron—was signed Responsibility for security at the neighborhood; the baby was buried schools, stores, clinics—upon which the by Prime Minister Binyamin Cave of Machpelah was also allocated in the ancient Jewish cemetery of Jewish residents of Hebron rely. Netanyahu and Yasser Arafat in to the IDF, which utilizes police under Hebron. 1997. It required IDF withdrawal its jurisdiction inside the Machpelah. Since Operation Defensive Shield in Modern Times: from 80 percent of Hebron by 1998, A procedure was arranged that provid- the spring of 2002, the IDF has The Struggle To Return with division of the city into H-1, ed for complete separation of Jews and patrolled in the Palestinian areas of (Continued from the November 28 under full control by the Palestinian Muslims worshipping inside the Hebron and has set up permanent sta- issue of the Five Towns Jewish Times) Authority (and Hebron Arab munici- Machpelah, with a calendar set up tions at Abu Sneinah, Harat a-Sheikh, The Oslo process. Following the pal authority), and H-2, with full providing for ten religiously significant signing of the Declaration of Israeli control. H-2 is a contiguous days for each group on which they Continued on Page 80

78 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 79 Hebron tolerating an irritating small erty was treated—it was con- etable market there. leased to Hebron’s Jewish Continued from Page 78 minority of Jews in its sidered by the Jordanians as After Israel took Hebron in community. The attorney midst—a small minority of “enemy property,” which was 1967, legal anomalies persist- general, who rejected this and the high ground overlook- Jews who are “radical settlers” under the administrative juris- ed. The IDF leased the land to compromise, explained that ing the new Route No. 35. and a thorn in the side of the diction of a custodian. But the Hebron municipality and “the criminal must not be Oslo II, in 1995, had pro- Arab majority. The fact that Israel was the enemy, and the the market continued to func- rewarded.” In this case, it was vided for a Temporary Hebron was the first of Jews who owned the land in tion. By the 1990s, lease the Jewish residents of International Presence in Jewish cities and has a long the ancient Jewish Quarter agreements had expired, and Mitzpe Shalhevet who were Hebron (TIPH), in response and deep connection to the were not Israeli; properly, this the market was then finally considered to be “criminal” to the killing of Muslim wor- Jewish people is either deni- closed for security reasons. because they had not secured shippers in the Cave of grated or ignored. This set a The Israeli government, how- IDF permission to move into Machpelah by Kiryat Arba res- precedent, with the ominous ever, denied numerous their homes. ident Dr. Baruch Goldstein in possibility that all of Hebron It was the Jewish requests by the Jewish com- Following an extended 1994. Agreement was made might be claimed as Arab and munity to rent the structures delay in executing the eviction with Norway to establish this the rights of the Jews dis- residents of remaining from the market- order, Attorney General mission, which was supposed missed. The Jewish claim to place, and the site was left Menachem Mazuz applied to observe and provide a stabi- the old Jewish Quarter and to Mitzpe Shalhevet vacant. After Shalhevet Pass pressure upon then-Defense lizing force. In 1997, a second the Cave of Machpelah who were was murdered in 2001 by a Minister Shaul Mofaz to agreement—coinciding with became more tenuous. sniper located very close to remove the families. When Israeli partial withdrawal from Mitzpe Shalhevet. In considered to be the site of this market, the the residents were given until Hebron—was established 1807, Haim Bajaoi pur- decision was made to occupy February 15, 2006 to vacate, with Norway, Italy, Denmark, chased, on behalf of the Jews “criminal” it for reasons of security. The protesters by the hundreds Sweden, Switzerland, and of Hebron, a five-dunam plot Hebron community invested gathered to lend support, and Turkey providing personnel of land adjacent to the old tens of thousands of dollars the area was declared a closed for TIPH, and Norway as Jewish Quarter for 1,200 converting this space into liv- military zone. coordinator. g’rushim; the deal was wit- land should have been treated able small apartments. The What appeared to be an While the Palestinian Arab nessed by 22 Hebron Arab as privately owned land. neighborhood—named imminent crisis was then population was jubilant at notables. The property was The land that had been Mitzpe Shalhevet—housed averted when an agreement Israeli withdrawal from 97 put to use by the Jewish purchased by Bajaoi in Hebron families and a Torah was struck between Israeli percent of part of Hebron, community. 1807 was leased by Jordan study hall established in army officials and the Mitzpe the Jewish population, and When the Jordanians occu- to the municipality of memory of Shalhevet Pass. Shalhevet residents, who those supporting them, was pied Hebron in 1948, they Hebron, which in turn sub- Shortly after the families were assured that Jewish deeply concerned. Hebron is razed the Jewish Quarter. leased it to Arab merchants moved in, an Arab demand acquisition of the buildings being portrayed as an “Arab” There was, however, a legal who, in the early 1960s, was made to reclaim the mar- was to be expedited and that city, which by sufferance is anomaly in the way this prop- established a fruit-and-veg- ket. In response, the attorney residents of Hebron would be general’s office filed papers allowed to reoccupy the with the Supreme Court indi- neighborhood within two cating that the Arabs had no months. The residents then remaining legal rights to the began to move out voluntarily. market, and that Israeli “tres- Attorney General Mazuz, passers” would be evicted however, on hearing reports of from the site. The Supreme this agreement, denied its Court issued no ruling. existence, saying, “There is no After an eviction order was compromise or proposed com- issued, requiring the resi- promise from the state on the dents to vacate Mitzpe evacuation of the wholesale Shalhevet, the Jewish com- market structure in Hebron… munity of Hebron appealed. The state has not made any An appeal committee of three obligation to repopulate the judges ruled, 2 to 1, that the concerned structures.” The land did belong to a private residents then replied, “We Jewish organization, but that have an agreement in our the buildings—which were of hands. We intend to honor it Jordanian origin—legally fell and we expect and are certain under the jurisdiction of the that the other side will also Israeli government as the cus- honor it.” todian of captured property. “The other side”—the The recommendation was made that the structures be Continued on Page 82

80 December 12, 20088 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 81 Hebron action against these two fam- study alternative ways to all was in order. The building ty began. Appropriate agen- Continued from Page 80 ilies. Barak did this in spite resolve Jewish residence at was named for Rabbi Shlomo cies of the Israeli government of the fact that the represen- this site, legally… Yitzhak Shapira, who was now have the issue under State of Israel—did not honor tatives of seven factions “The residents of Hebron killed by terrorists at the site investigation. At one point, it. Mazuz claimed that the within the Knesset had prevented violence and con- during Sukkot in 2003. Three before all documentation had Israeli Army had no jurisdic- appealed to him to not go flict…when they voluntarily families, with a total of 20 been reviewed, the police tion to strike such an agree- this route. In July 2007 they moved out of these homes, children, moved in. leaked a “suspicion” that doc- ment. The neighborhood of wrote a letter to him: based upon promises that A month later, the residents uments might have been Mitzpe Shavhelet stood “We are marking 78 years they would be allowed to were forcibly expelled from forged. This reflects a hostili- empty for 18 months. since the 1929 riots, and you return, honoring and respect- the building because police ty to the residents of Hebron Trying again in Mitzpe are faced with a fateful deci- ing promises of representa- investigators decided, even that has become almost com- Shalhevet. In mid-2007, two sion concerning one of the tives of the state, IDF officers. before seeing the originals, monplace. Left-wing organi- families grew tired of the wait- sites which represents, more This type of approach is to be that the papers were forged; zations, most notably the ing and of the failed promises, than anything else, the mur- encouraged and rewarded, not the Supreme Court, accepting Peace Now organization, pro- and they moved back into der and the thievery [commit- discouraged… the government’s position, mote the notion that there Mitzpe Shalhevet. And, once ted upon] the Hebron Jewish “For all the above reasons, moved the case to a different should be an all-Arab more, the government decid- community of those days: the we request that you order that court but said that the build- Hebron—and that any Jewish ed to remove them. “We’ve site of the shuk [marketplace] the issue of Jewish residency ing had to be vacated in the presence infringes on Arab been fooled too many times,” in Hebron, where presently in the shuk be studied serious- meantime. The Court rejected rights and is counterproduc- the families declared. “This several families are living… ly, and that, in any case, you a petition from Hebron resi- tive to “peace.” time we’re not going peaceful- We are dealing with Jewish- prevent, for the time being, dents that there be a tempo- The Jewish community of ly.” The community was mind- owned land, which was stolen any eviction of Jewish resi- rary injunction against the Hebron was confident of the ful of the fact that the court as a result of the terrible dents from the site.” eviction order until a decision propriety of the documents had provided a way out with slaughter. It is incumbent on On August 6, 2007, govern- was made on the authenticity they have presented to its recommendation, and the the government to act to ment forces evicted the fami- of the papers. authorities. However, the government refused to take it, return the stolen property as lies from the shuk and It was apparent that this Israeli High Court of Justice preferring confrontation. would be expected in relation- destroyed the neighborhood. action was political in nature. has ruled that the purchase Now Defense Minister ship to stolen Jewish property Beit Shapira. In April Decisions to act on this were agreement was not legal, and Barak was making the deci- anywhere in the world. 2006, the Jewish community made at the highest political Israeli armed forces were sion in this regard. “We the undersigned, of Hebron acquired a new levels even before papers were positioned to evict the resi- Responding to pressure from chairmen of various parties in building adjacent to the examined; the fact that the dents of Beit Shalom. the left (and mindful, the Knesset, turn to you with Avraham Avinu neighborhood. prior Arab owner of the build- undoubtedly, of elections this request to refrain from The process had taken years, ing denied selling it to Jews Why Jews Stay In Hebron coming up before too very expelling these Jewish fami- with lawyers guiding every was to be expected—as an To live in Hebron is not an long) he decided to take lies living in the shuk and to step of the way to ensure that Arab takes his life in his easy thing to do. Yet there is a hands when selling to Jews. As solid core of Jewish residents the Hebron Jewish communi- who are deeply devoted to ty is confident that the papers remaining. Their dream is to regarding the acquisition of ensure forever the right of Beit Shapira are fully in order, Jews to have access to this they expect that this situation ancient city of sanctity and to will be rectified in due course. live again in areas that have However, the course will be been Jewish for millennia. lengthy, and they are now Hebron spokesman David preparing for a legal battle. Wilder writes about visitors to Beit HaShalom (House of Hebron who spoke with the Peace). In the spring of 2007, Arab mayor, Mustepha Jewish residents of Hebron Natsche. “Were Jews allowed moved into a new building to pray at the Cave of the that the community had Machpelah?” they asked. acquired. It is a large four- “No,” he replied. “It is a story structure on the road mosque and only Muslims that leads from Kiryat Arba to may pray at a mosque.” Other the Cave of the Machpelah Muslims have reiterated the (“Worshippers’ Way”), and is same approach. within the Israeli area of Without a Jewish presence Hebron. It was considered a in Hebron, the second-holiest particularly noteworthy acqui- site in Judaism would be sition both because it will per- closed to the Jewish people. O mit several more families to David Bedein can be contacted at live in Jewish Hebron and [email protected]. because the presence of Jews on this road will provide security to worshippers going to Submit your photo pray in the Machpelah. (There have been incidents on to the this road, and the IDF has used the roof of this building 5 Towns as a lookout.) Jewish Times! It had been purchased, after lengthy negotiations, from the former Arab owner via Jordan, for the sum of You can upload your $700,000; legal documenta- digital photos and tion for this exists. The Jews took occupancy before reno- see them printed in the vations had been done because of rumors that Arab weekly edition of the squatters were about to move 5 Towns Jewish Times in; that renovation is now in progress. As soon as Jewish occupancy took place, Arab challenges www.5tjt.com/sendphotos to Jewish rights to the proper- 82 December 12, 20088 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES December 12, 2008 83 84 December 12, 2008 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES