PESACH 5777 APRIL 2017

Am Yisroel’s Document of Proof RESTORING THE SIFREI TORAH OF YESTERYEAR

Libel Wellspring Blood Accusations through the Generations Dr Mosheof Rothschild Salvation One Doctor for One City

rom gypt to ternity שליט“א HoRav HaGaon R’ Avrohom Gurwicz Editorial 4 Thoughts from Andrew Cohen, Federation President Am Yisroel’s Document of Proof 6 Restoring the Sifrei Torah of yesteryear From Egypt to Eternity 11 HoRav HaGaon R’ Avrohom Gurwicz shlita, translated and adapted by Rabbi Dovid Roberts Remembering Dayan Berel Berkovits z”tl 14 As a book of his responsa is prepared for publication he mere mention of even the first letter of the word Blood Accusations through the generations Libelby Rabbi Aubrey Hersh Pesach strikes fear into the heart of Jewish women 16 Din Torah in Beis Din • Collects 2.3 million hot meals Teverywhere – nightmarish images of elusive pretzel 22 Arbitration and mediation of financial disputes in Beis Din crumbs loom large, and in many communities, the battle of 7 Adar Chevra Kadisha Seuda 5777 • Rescues 14,000 tons of fresh A tribute to Mr Arnold Cohen z”l the cleaning ladies begins. 28 produce from destruction Charged with the responsibility (and privilege) of editing AWellspring profile of Dr Moshe of RothschildSalvation – One Doctor for One City • Distributes surplus food to Hamaor, however, ‘the P-word’ begins to appear in my diary 32 Return to Egypt 195 non-profit partners, as early in the year as November, when we begin planning 34 Highlights and lowlights of Jewish communal life in Egypt since the Exodus this edition. APesach fast track to spiritual liberation feeding 175,000+ people For those of you who are reading this while taking a break 43 A Message for Generations in need each week from the cleaning and cooking, Dayan Posen’s article about 46 An interview with Rebbetzin Rena Lichtenstein viewing Pesach as a fast-track to spiritual liberation may Recipes from the Rebbetzins well resonate strongly. And Rochel Grunewald’s short story 50 A collection of Pesach recipes ‘A Miracle for Miri’ is a humorous and timely reminder that AShort Miracle story for Pesachfor Miri everything tends to work out alright in the end. 53 Inside the Factory From engaging historical pieces by Rebbetzin Shoshana 56 A visit to Gilberts’ Kosher Foods Tugendhaft and Rabbi Aubrey Hersh, to illuminating EgyptKids’ fun Hamaor facts profiles of inspirational role models, Dr Moshe Rothschild 58 and Rebbetzin Rena Lichtenstein, there is plenty of other fascinating reading to be found in these pages.

All that remains for me to do is to wish you a chag kosher v’sameach and a freilichen Pesach.

Judy Silkoff Editor

Federation of Synagogues | 65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQ [email protected] | www.federation.org.uk

TRUSTEES CHIEF EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT Andrew Cohen Rabbi Avi Lazarus Dov Black BURIAL SOCIETY Menachem Gertner SEXTON Noson Kahler In Israel This Pesach? Adam Jacobs Tel: 020 8202 3903 Join Leket’s network of 56,000+ volunteers Leon Newmark Fax: 020 8203 0610 Jacky Weg Out of hours answerphone: and pick vegetables for distribution to Israel’s needy Moshe Winegarten 020 8202 3903 BEIS DIN CEMETERIES Montagu Road, th th ROSH BEIS DIN Dayan Y Y Lichtenstein April 12 and 13 Edmonton N18 2NF Dayan M D Elzas Tel: 020 8807 2268 416 Dayan Y D Hool Email [email protected], or call (+972)-52-743-3541 for details Upminster Road North, DIRECTOR OF BEIS DIN OPERATIONS Rainham, Essex RM13 9SB Dayan Y Y Posen Tel: 01708 552825

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www.leket.org/en Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 3 OP ED >> Andrew Cohen, Federation President בס“ד PRE-PESACH As an interested party, being Chair of Governors of Beis Yaakov, I was recently involved in the relaunching of NAJOS (National Association of Jewish Orthodox Schools). No HAGOLAS KEILIM sooner had Mrs Judith Nemeth been appointed as the new Executive Director, than she was invited by the Secretary ADDITIONAL VENUE FOR 2017! of State for Education, Justine Greening, to a round table discussion on the Government’s planned changes to ©DAVE HADLEY ©DAVE schools - and specifically its removal of the 50 percent cap on admissions based on religion into faith schools.

SAFEGUARDING THREATS change that is occurring, Orthodox Jews are It takes positions on many political, What became clear from that meeting expected to constitute a majority among the religious and social issues, advises its was that the Government had yet to fully British Jewish population as a whole, and members, advocates for its constituency in understand the position of the Jewish among children as early as the 2030s. the halls of Government and files amicus Orthodox community regarding what is Since 1836, when the British Government briefs on behalf of the Orthodox Jewish deemed appropriate and acceptable to our gave statutory recognition to the Board community in the US. parents on diverse topical issues, such as the of Deputies, issues affecting the Jewish In this country, no such organisation Sunday 2nd April from 2-6pm teaching of British values and safeguarding population and for which Parliament wishes exists but there is a growing urgency to threats from social media. Mrs Nemeth to consult to hear their views, have primarily bring together our united voice. We, the was able to present a comprehensive been directed to the Board of Deputies. The fastest growing section of British Jewry, document collated with guidance and BEIS HAMEDRASH NISHMAS YISROEL Board of Deputies is thereby a significant in Gateshead, Manchester, North West advice from ten Orthodox school leaders. 4 Brent Green London NW4 (Rear Carpark) The paper set out clearly the way our and influential voice, and has perpetrated London and Stamford Hill, must be heard the perception that, arising from this status, as one powerful pressure group by the Board schools respond to the legal requirement שליט“א ON SITE SUPERVISION BY DAYAN Y POSEN for faith schools to demonstrate delivery of it speaks for all Jews in this country. of Deputies and to present the views of the community cohesion. Orthodox Community to the Government. AN UMBRELLA ORGANISATION It is a dereliction of our responsibility EDGWARE YESHURUN CALL FROM DOWNING STREET FOR TORAH JUDAISM to under-estimate the significance of So impressed were Government advisors In 1971, the Federation along with the petitioning in the process of Government Fernhurst Gardens Edgware HA8 (Front Carpark) with the contribution from our schools and Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, policy-setting. Lobbying the judicial and the presentation from Mrs Nemeth, that left the Board of Deputies after they amended legislative branches of Government on שליט“א RABBI D ROBERTS & שליט“א ON SITE SUPERVISION BY RABBI A LEWIS a couple of weeks later she received an Clause 43 of the Board’s constitution, critical issues deemed significant morally Please ensure all items for kashering are clean and have not have been used for 24 hours. Though maximum care invitation from 10 Downing Street to meet conferring consultative status upon the or religiously to our community is vital to the Prime Minister, to discuss the initiative religious leaderships of those congregations will be taken, the Federation takes no responsibility for any damage to property or persons. protect our future. ‘Schools that Work for Everyone’. not under the jurisdiction either of the Equally, maintaining ongoing relations United Synagogue’s Chief Rabbi or of the Here was a demonstration of policy with Ministers, Members of Parliament Chacham of the Spanish & Portuguese Jews’ agenda-setting, through consultation with and Civil Servants on numerous issues and Congregation. vested interest groups, and the opportunity being heard at the highest levels, ensures to access the decision-making process at the In the intervening years, representation a continuing relevance and a credibility highest levels of our Government. of the views of the Orthodox communities of our representation. Our communities against growing challenges to its observance ADULTS OF TOMORROW should be monitoring and interceding on has been met in an uncoordinated and The Institute for Jewish Policy Research behalf of causes important to maintaining sporadic manner. In specific religious recently issued a report entitled ‘The their lifestyle and being active in the political areas, where a clear threat to continuity rise and rise of Jewish schools in the governance of this country. and practice has arisen, the community has UK’. It summarised that in the academic year 2014/5 there were 30,900 children come together to defend its observance. The A COLLECTIVE VOICE enrolled in Jewish schools, of which 17,475 National Council of Shechita Boards, Milah The Orthodox community requires were in strictly Orthodox schools. Of the UK and Najos are examples; however a recognition of its substantial combined 139 Jewish schools in operation, 97 were national unified communal representative status. Such a shift in perception will only For more information email [email protected] strictly Orthodox. The pupil number is 134 organisation has yet to emerge. materialise from the formation of a cohesive percent of that in 1995, ie, the size of the In America, Agudas Israel was set up umbrella organisation, established purely to or telephone 020 8202 2263 pupil population has more than doubled almost 100 years ago and advocates for represent the spectrum of well-defined and over this twenty-year period. religious, cultural and civil rights as a unambiguous of views of its constituency. If you have any questions regarding Hagolas Keilim The children of today are the adults leadership and policy umbrella organisation Collective voice, exercised through union, please send a message to ShailaText 07860 017 641 of tomorrow. Within the demographic for Torah Judaism. is power to drive change. A COMMUNITY SERVICE OF THE FEDERATION Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 5 In November 2015, following a tip-off to the Israeli police force, over 40 sifrei Torah were discovered stashed away in an apartment in Yerushalayim. An unscrupulous dealer with a knowledge of sofrus, it seemed, had been acquiring them from questionable sources without verifying their origins, fixing them up and attempting to resell them at a profit. As soon as news of the discovery was made public, the police were inundated with anxious people coming to reclaim their stolen and missing Torah scrolls – but with the mantles all having been removed by the dealer, they were seemingly unidentifiable and no-one could prove ownership. s Newspaper reports at the time, Holocaust or uncovered in Judaica sales; this work’עם ישראל however, noted that seven of the is the lifeblood of Machon Ot, its raison d’etre. sifrei Torah were almost immediately Rabbi Goldstein, who lives in Bayit Vegan, founded recognized as having been stolen and Machon Ot some forty years ago in the mid-1980s were subsequently returned to their with his brother-in-law, Rabbi Yitzchok Steiner z”l. Document rightful owners. These scrolls had had Rabbi Steiner, who was older than Rabbi Goldstein, the bene t of an ID from the Machon was already a sofer stam by profession when they Ot institute of Yerushalayim, which has started out and had begun to train Rabbi Goldstein developed a unique system of encoding in this avodas hakodesh. Together, they began to sifrei Torah in a manner that leaves no mark learn the halochos of writing a sefer Torah, and as of Proof on the scroll itself, but allows ownership to be time went on found that they were increasingly unequivocally proven. The system has been focusing their time in this area. described by the Head of the Department of Security at the police force as “impressive “More and more people were bringing us old sifrei Restoring and ecient”. Torah to look at,” recalls Rabbi Goldstein, “asking us x them up and restore them to use. It was clear to ספרי תורה VIRTUAL FINGERPRINT there was no-one else out there doing this work.” of Yesteryear “There is a real problem in Eretz Yisroel of thieves targeting sifrei Torah,” explains Rabbi MERGING THE ANCIENT AND Yitzchok Goldstein, director of Machon Ot. “The MODERN Judy Silkoff programme we developed is unique in that it The brothers-in-law decided to establish Machon creates a virtual ‘ ngerprint’ for every sefer Torah Ot to assist the shuls who were turning to them for in our database. We photograph each Torah, note help and advice. As time went on, their experience down any unusual features that we discover, any grew and they began to recognise patterns in the errors, tears, or other anomalies, and also as much sifrei Torah they were examining – if one Torah information about the origins of the sefer Torah that whose origins were well-documented came to we can extrapolate.” them for example, and they noticed something To date, Machon Ot has documented information unusual about the klaf or the kesav, they began to on over 16,000 sifrei Torah from across the globe in piece together a picture of the way sifrei Torah were its database – over 3,000 of these during the last written at that time, in that place. Eventually, this vast three years alone. Some 60 percent of the sifrei storehouse of knowledge led to the development of Torah are newly written scrolls whose owners are their encoding system. Three years ago, they began keen to register them with the institute’s protective the enormous project of digitising all their records ID – work which can, for these pristine sifrei Torah, (previously they worked with transparencies) and be done remotely. this has brought them to the attention of the National Library, who is working together with them The remaining 40 percent of the database, to document ancient sifrei Torah. however, is devoted to restored sifrei Torah – the last remnants of defunct shuls, rescued from the Machon Ot is located in a non-descript building on an industrial estate in Talpiot – but on climbing

THE SCROLL IMAGES USED IN THIS GRAPHIC ARE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY. CREDITS: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM, JEWISH MUSEUM ATHENS, ETZ HAYYIM SYNAGOGUE �ROMANIOTE SYNAGOGUE� ATHENS. L: RABBI GOLDSTEIN IN HIS STUDIO

6 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 7 THE SEFER TORAH THAT WALKED OUT OF GERMANY s Document of Proof’עם ישראל

the stairs to the institute and entering displays a fragment of klaf that was seven Machon Ot sta members takes Indeed, old sifrei Torah that have been “Every sefer Torah that I come across has the doors to its oces, one is catapulted rescued from the embers of Kristallnacht. responsibility for this important role. rescued from the ashes of the Holocaust a story that it is trying to tell us, but when hold a special place in his heart. He recently it lies disused we cannot hear it” he says. into a world where the ancient and the Across the oce, a sefer Torah sits unrolled As I arrived at the building, an American modern mingle seamlessly. On one side on a pristine white counter, while a sta travelled to Poland with Rav Yisrael Meir “We must understand that the Torah is our gentleman who had purchased a restored Lau shlita, where he was privileged to certi cate, it is the ‘document of proof’ of the room, a storage cupboard houses members scans it with state-of-the- Russian sefer Torah was just leaving – his antique sifrei Torah that the institute is art digital equipment from end to end, complete the restoration of an old Italian that every Jew is ghting for – and it is a intention is to donate it to a border guard sefer on the grounds of Auschwitz – as privilege for me to be able to restore them currently working on; nearby, a large to highlight any problems that need unit to use for their minyan. frame amending. Specialist software is the son of a survivor and the grandson of back to Jewish life and give voice to their used for this. However, before an “In general, we don’t look to purchase grandparents who perished there, it was histories.” old sefer Torah reaches this stage, and restore old sifrei Torah for commercial a profoundly moving experience for him. it must rst go through a careful reasons,” explains Rabbi Goldstein. “We cleaning process. A dedicated look for sponsors to cover the cost of our room is set aside for this in the work and then donate them to the army, A very special sefer Torah that institute’s premises – gentle the police force and organisations that Machon Ot recently restored was chemicals that will not erase words support victims of terror and their families.” brought to Eretz Yisroel before 1948 after having been heroically or damage the sefer Torah in any RESTORING SIFREI spirited out of Nazi Germany. The way are employed, and one of the Torah was brought over from TORAH TO LIFE England by a decorated World War I Indeed, Machon Ot is currently in the German Jewish army process of purchasing a number of sifrei Officer, Theodore Torah from the Federation; Rabbi Goldstein Goldschmidt. Officer THE TORAH OF spent 24 hours in London some six months Goldschmidt lost his TZAR NIKOLAI II ago, examining some of the scrolls that leg during the war and It is through sifrei Torah whose the Federation has been safeguarding, was awarded the Iron origins are well-documented either because they are posul or because Cross for his bravery that Machon Ot is able to gather they had not been rehoused from defunct in 1918. His children שליט“א Rabbi Goldstein with Rav Lau knowledge and understanding shuls in the East End of London (see Eric and Walter were fortunate to completing the Sefer Torah at Auschwitz about other antique scrolls it sidebar). He hopes to donate at least 50 find themselves in comes into contact with. One percent of these sifrei Torah to the Yad such example is the exquisite Palestine when Hitler L’Banim charity, l’iluis nishmas soldiers of miniature sefer Torah that came to power in the Israel Defence Forces who lost their was commission by the Jews 1935, and decided ORIGINS of Novgorod for the Tzar in lives al kiddush Hashem. not to return to July 1904. It was customary In addition to his work restoring sifrei Germany. Their THE FEDERATION’S SIFREI TORAH he vast majority of the Federation’s sifrei Torah that Rabbi Goldstein is for Jewish communities to father, however, Theodore Goldschmidt Torah, ‘returning them to life’ as he puts preparing to restore were written in Russia in the early 20th century, it, Rabbi Goldstein is also passionate refused to follow them to safety, although some originated in Germany, Italy, Romania and Poland – the about education and dreams of one T so secure was he in his status as list of countries being a direct reflection of the origins of the Federation’s earliest The Oron Kodesh of Tzar day establishing a visitors’ centre a German War Hero. After the members, who had fled to England to escape pogroms in Eastern Europe. The Sefer Torah of Tzar Nikolai II Nikolai’s Sefer Torah as part of the institute. He recently shock and horror of Kristallnacht, The roots of the sifrei Torah are revealed by the unusual way that the inverted letter travelled to Montreal, where a large Goldschmidt found himself the nun appears around the pesukim of ‘vayehi binsoa’ in parshas behaalosecho. There Jewish school encompassing all age guardian of a sefer Torah that had are 13 different ways that these ‘nunim menzusaros’ can be written, and the manner present the Tzar with this symbol of loyal groups from nursery to the highest been rescued from a Frankfurt in which they appear in some of the Federation’s sifrei Torah places them firmly in service whenever they were subject to a grade had purchased a sefer Torah shul. W hen he was, inevitably, Russia at the end of the 19th century. royal visit. When the reign of the Tzar was and brought him to write the last few eventually deported to Terezenstadt he smuggled it in along with him The Polish sifrei Torah on the other hand are identified by theklaf rather than the kesav. overturned by the Communists, they put 17 letters there. He created a programme in place of his prosthesis, putting Polish Jewry was poor, and the animals they kept, like the kehillah itself, subsisted on a such scrolls up for public auction in London; that taught the students about the his own life in great peril as a diet that may at times have lacked in vital nutrients. As a result, the parchment was of religious artefacts held little significance to enormous kedusha and signi cance consequence. While in the camps, poor quality and often riddled with holes – the columns in these sifrei Torah are uneven them. A wealthy Russian-Jewish banker, of the sefer Torah in Yiddishkeit. he encountered an officer who had in width as the sofer had to avoid these areas of the klaf when carrying out his work. Walter (Nochum Zeev) Williams, purchased “A Jew has an obligation to in fact served under him during the scrolls and in the mid-1950s began Finally, the German and Romanian sifrei Torah are often identified by the way the pieces know what a sefer Torah looks like World War I – still retaining a sense distributing them to dignitaries as gifts, of parchment are stitched together, with distinctive and what is special inside it,” he loyalty to his commanding officer, including the President of the State of Israel placing of the seams. this Nazi helped Theodore and his and Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook zt”l. One of the emphasises passionately. “It was no Although we cannot trace the history of these sifrei wife escape to England, and the sefer sifrei Torah, owned by a private collector, coincidence that the Nazis y”s began Torah directly, we know that they came to the Torah came with them. Having been was recently brought to Machon Ot for their campaign against the Jewish Federation from its shuls across London; from Fieldgate fully restored, the sefer Torah is now evaluation and restoration - still housed people by destroying the shuls – they housed in a shul in Kiryat Tivon near Street, which closed its doors for the last time in 2015, understood the centrality of the sefer in its original Oron Kodesh complete with Haifa and was recently used in the to Ilford, Woolwich, Putney, Clapton, Greatorex Street date, place of origin and the royal emblem Torah in Jewish life.” barmitzvah of the great-grandson of and Notting Hill. of the Tzar. Theodore Goldschmidt.

8 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 9 rom Egypt to Eternity

שליט“א HoRav HaGaon R’ Avrohom Gurwicz ROSH YESHIVAS BEIS YOSEF (GATESHEAD YESHIVA GEDOLAH)

TRANSLATED AND ADAPTED BY RABBI DOVID ROBERTS �WITH PERMISSION�

The pesukim at the end of Parshas Bo reveal that, quite apart from the obvious themes of liberation and the evocation of the Divine kindnesses, Sovereignty and infinite power that the Exodus narrative conveys, and the gratitude that this acknowledgement should generate, there are two additional motifs that are central to its message. We shall endeavour to expand upon these.

reason for the performance of a particular FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF mitzva, it is entirely erroneous to assume that this is the exclusive cause of the mitzva. NATURE AND PURPOSE OF MITZVOS The rationale for specific mitzvos that is “And you shall relate to your son on The Beis Halevi, in a seminal essay on occasionally provided by the Torah, such that day saying it is for the sake of this, this posuk, utilises it as the prooftext for as that which we say in the course of the Hashem did for me as I exited Egypt”. the re-evaluation of the nature of mitzvos in hagodo, “This matzah that we eat, for what? general. Even when we are informed of the

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Because the dough of our forefathers didn’t Perhaps, says the Beis Halevi, we need Dovid Hamelech is emphasising that, Finally, however, these elevated manage to rise, etc” merely provides the to re-evaluate our entire understanding of despite the superficial perception and THE CENTRALITY AND SUPREMACY aspirations can only be realised if the OF TORAH STUDY motivation to learn is one of love. Rabbenu עדות imperative for us to perform the mitzva the nature of cause and effect as it relates to designation of certain mitzvos as " אַ ל a discerning ear will pick up the nuanced Torah and mitzvos. We are so accustomed - testimonials, seemingly linked to Yona (Mishlei 4: 5-6) on the posuk) “And it shall be as a sign on your thereafter, they merited to enter into the Do not“ - תַּ עַ ְ ז בֶ הָ ְ ו תִ שְׁ מְ רֶ ךָּ אֱ הָ בֶ הָ ְ ו תִ צְּ רֶ ךָּ " ,emphasis in the phrase “This matzah that to routinely assigning physical causes to specific events in our national experience hand, and a remembrance in between Covenant of Torah. We too ask for this wondrous, forsake it (the Torah) and it will guard - פלאות we eat”), but in no way acts as the cause and simultaneously they are temporal effects, that we find it hard to grasp your eyes, in order that the Torah of understanding, this level of trust, so that we defining identity of this spiritual activity. alluding to their transcendental nature. you, love it, and it will preserve you”, that in actuality, spiritual forces are the real Hashem shall be in your mouth, that may be suitable to be granted the mitzva of Much as the Beis Halevi reminds us that the comments on the distinction in the posuk To view mitzvos merely as some sort of drivers and generators of physical outcomes with a strong hand, Hashem extracted Talmud Torah and acquire Torah wisdom. that signify , נצור and שמור between two verbs symbolic act, fashioned as a response to a and events. That being so, and given that Korban Pesach is referred to as a statute, a you from Egypt.” The Gateshead Rosh Yeshiva, R’Laib preserving and guarding, as utilised within historic event, is a travesty and a fatal fallacy the realm of ruchniyos operates, at its term reserved for a mitzva that defies rational explains the necessity to , זצ“ל This is the second motif that acts as the Gurwitz ,שמור ,As such”, the context of learning Torah. The first“ .(ושמרת את החקה הזאת) .that can quite easily be comprehensively explanation root, outside of, and beyond he limitations final ‘take-home’, all the previous messages expend much time and energy in acquiring refuted. says Dovid Hamelech, “I will guard them is impersonal; it implies no connection to of space-time, we can now appreciate the and lessons of Yetzias Mitzrayim crystallised Torah wisdom with a medrash in Shir because I know that they emanate from a far the item in question. A bailee is known as a This fundamental reappraisal of following reformulation, as expressed by the and channelled into the mitzva of Tefillin, Hashirim (1:9). someone entrusted to take an item and ,שומר superior intellect to which I need to submit the essential nature of mitzvos can be Beis Halevi; that itself serves the endpoint, the ultimate myself, and not offer comment on matters demonstrated through our belief in the purpose of it all - that the Torah be ‘in your Rather than matzah being a far beyond my comprehension, thus their existence of Torah prior to creation itself mouth’. The Chofetz Chayim observes that response to the Exodus, the Exodus eternal observance is guaranteed, for their (indeed acting as the very agent of creation), despite the lessons gained from Yetzias is a reaction to the mitzva of matzah! performance is not limited to an era in which and yet containing a mitzva to eat matzah! Mitzrayim contained in the parshiyos of Our ancestors merited the mitzvos of the This now is the true understanding of the the event that they are commemorating the Tefillin, the emunah in Hashem and orah only after they had acknowledged remains relevant.” They are future–proof, the inherent kedusha of Tefillin attesting to says the Beis Halevi, in a clear reference and Creation and the Exodus, the emunah and ashem as aster of the niverse. rebuke to those who would wish to reform bitochon derived serve primarily to facilitate Judaism by offering explanations for the and enable commitment to learning Torah. e nd it hard to grasp that in actuality, mitzvos, bringing them down to their own One must first be utterly convinced of ideals and then viewing their significance spiritual forces are the real drivers of Hashem as Creator and Orchestrator, “R’Elozor commented that, from his place it in a safe place, to gather dust, until purely in terms of the prevailing zeitgeist. having, in the language of the Ramban, physical outcomes and events. youth, no one ever arrived before him the bailor returns to claim it. The second, the ability and ,חפץ and the יכולת both the implies the connection that is the result ,נצור The next posuk then is a continuation of in the Beis Hamedrash, or left after the inclination, to be involved in this is merely שמירה him, until early one morning when he of care and love. The result of - ”פתח דבריך יאיר מבין פתיים“ - this theme physical world. This is a process; choosing “the entrance of Your words illuminates, arrived to find some garbage and straw the preservation of the item, whereas the to reflect upon the lessons of the Exodus and is twofold. It impacts the item נצירה enabling the simple to gain some merchants already working.” His response result of Additionally, Chazal famously identify the Rashi on the posuk quoted at the beginning utilising them to cultivate and internalise he who“ - ”נוצר תאנה יאכל פריה“ - understanding.” An analogous situation was to quote the posuk that says that if one positively ‘matzos’ that Lot prepares for his angelic of this article. He comments “so that I shall that frame of mind and perspective. Only would be a street in a remote hamlet in the seeks Torah like silver and buried treasure, cultivates the fig, will eat the fruit” - a once that process is complete can one truly "בעבור - ”perform the mitzvos in the future guests as matzos mitzvah (Rashi 19:3), as dead of night, far from any form of light. then one is granted understanding. He clear reference to the nurturing tending of a the real education that a choose to relinquish the existential need to ;שאקיים מצותיו“ it was Pesach; this centuries prior to the Pitch black obscures everything. There lamented that his level of commitment gardener - and perhaps more importantly, it father has to impart to his children is the focus primarily on matters of the flesh, and didn’t even match up to that of the garbage Exodus! is a house that is well lit, but has shutters transforms the one who protects it, by virtue gift of understanding that the purpose of, rearrange ones priorities to channel all of workers! From here R’Pinchos Ben Yoir Clearly, therefore, the very existence of and blackout curtains, preventing any of the involvement and proximity to it. and merit that generated the Exodus was one’s energy and resources into Torah study. derived his famous comment that ‘diligence Egypt, much less the Exodus, is no pre- light escaping. But when one is within a the mitzvos themselves. The events served For this reason, explains the Siach Yitzchok brings to cleanliness, which brings to purity, The ability of Torah to impact and requisite to the reality or performance of few inches of the house, where the door change a person is commensurate with, and the purpose of transforming the mitzvos (in the Siddur Hagra), the preamble and followed by holiness, humility, fear of the mitzva. Avrohom Ovinu, exquisitely opens and closes, there are usually a few proportional to, the connection that we forge that were clearly already in existence, the prerequisite to the heartfelt entreaties Heaven, piety, ruach hakodesh’ and so on. sensitive to the cosmic pathways, the cracks through which tiny slivers of light with it. The only brocha that incorporates from chukim (statutes with no discernible of the brocha of Ahava Rabba to open one’s (This forms the basis for the mussar classic spiritual channels that connect all of shine, providing minimal relief. So too, the a prayer to appreciate the sweetness of the rationale) to eidos (testimonials to an event). heart to be receptive to listen, learn, teach of the Ramchal, the Mesilas Yeshorim). existence, which are nurtured and sustained “entrance of Your words”, a proximity mitzva is Torah. The connection between the incident with ”בעבור and observe, is the recognition that to Torah, allows an infinitesimally small זצ“ל by these representations of the Divine In this vein, R’Laib Chasman R’Elozor, and the conclusion drawn by the “Vehaarev No”, we implore, please allow אבותינו שבטחו בך, ותלמדם חוקי חיים, כן תחננו energies and Will, intuitively understood explains the pesukim in Tehillim (119:129), pinprick of Eternal light to escape, a very is the realisation us to experience the delight and exquisite ,זצ“ל medrash, says R’Laib ותלמדינו“ ,your basic idea that enables us to gain a handle“ - ”פלאות עדותיך על כן נצרתם נפשי“ that on the night of the 15th of Nissan one ”יודעי Our ancestors merited the mitzvos of the of the enormity and complexity of the task pleasure of Torah, so that we may be eats matzah1! testimonies are wondrous, therefore my a rudimentary idea that we can relate to. ,”knowledgeable of Your Name“ - שמך“ Torah – the “statutes of life” - only after that we face as we navigate our way through 1 Admittedly, as mentioned above, the outright obligation did soul guards them.” However, a wise person appreciates that it not exist yet at this stage, but the imperative was as valid they had acknowledged Hashem as Master life. One morning’s tardiness is significant and continually strive to gain the insight and then, as it is today. is, in essence, no more than that. of the Universe, and trusted him implicitly; viewed through the prism of Eternity. wisdom of the Torah.

12 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 13 only to freeing an agunah or mamzer, but equally to any teshuva he wrote. Despite his brilliance, he did not allow his quickness to stop him from thoroughly researching the topic he was involved with. Each subject Remembering was accorded a full and thorough treatment, whether they were in his areas of natural expertise, such as gittin (a son recalls him Dayan Berel doing chazoro of the entire Maseches Gittin one Succos between meals), or even shailos By his sons that arose on an ad hoc basis - for example, when a new proposal arose to adapt the זצ“ל Berkovits format of mishloach monos in London, on It has been almost twelve to obtain a parnossah, which was when he Dayan Lichtenstein: “As a colleague I was which he wrote a 21-page teshuva. He also chose to study law. In doing so, hashgocha privileged to watch his linguistic prowess ensured he researched and understood the DAYAN BERKOVITS WITH RAV OVADIA YOSEF Z”TL years since the petiroh, would have it that this choice would later be in action on a daily basis... even more technicalities and the metsius of an issue after the shiva: “Many a person can write a the plane (doors, rivets, undercarriage, could be in 2005, of Dayan Berel put to good use in enhancing his eventual outstanding than his clarity of expression before delivering an accurate psak, eg Kuntres on Inyonei Orach Chaim... but how considered maamid; and overall, whether modern role as a Dayan. was his exceptional style in both English engaging in detailed correspondence with many active Rabonim or Dayonim dwelling day airplanes are comparable to that which the Berkovits z”tl, Dayan of Hindu priests and professors to understand Chazon Ish, on whom many based their issur, Acquaintances recall that he barely and Loshon Hakodesh”. This ability earned in the pressing day-to-day shailos could the nature of avoda zorah practiced would have been familiar with. the Federation Beis Din for attended university throughout his degree the praise even of the gedolim with whom manage to write on somewhat esoteric areas nowadays, during his preparation of a היתר ממזרות באשה שנעלם בעלה שנים רבות ”?term, spending most of his time in ‘Hagers he consulted. In response to a teshuva he in Halacha with such bekius and amkus fifteen years. Now, as his teshuva on that subject. Kollel’ and learning in Edgware; his sent to R’Ovadia Yosef z”tl regarding birur A brief synopsis of some of the more A woman had remarried in the 1930s believing her yahrtzeit approaches on first husband to have died in the Spanish civil war, brilliance meant he nevertheless passed yuchsin (the status of a woman who claimed noteworthy teshuvos follows: as informed to her by the authorities. Thirty years his exams and received a scholarship to to be Jewish), R’Ovadia wrote: ,later it transpired her first husband was in fact alive בענין עריכת שמחות באולם שהעמידו שם העכו“ם Nissan, work is finally 6 the International Court of Justice. After “I have reviewed his beloved teshuvah... leading a Beis Din to declare then that her children צלמי אליליהם underway to prepare qualifying, he lectured in human rights written with great understanding, with Perhaps the most well-known of his teshuvos. were definitely mamzerim. Her grandchildren some of his writings for law at the University of Buckingham for six great bekius in Rishonim and both new and Regarding a popular wedding hall frequented by the approached Dayan Berkovits to see if he could publication. years, later joining the Federation as Dayan old Acharonim, to determine the correct kehillah, owned by religious Hindus. Motivation to help. In the years before his petiroh virtually all in 1990, where he served until his petiroh. In Halacha. I very much enjoyed his clear and investigate the issue was fueled by Dayan Berkovits’ mamzerus shailos in England were referred to him. doing so, he was renouncing an undoubtedly yoshor writing style...using the penmanship trips to India to inspect Kashrus factories, where he The teshuva displays both Dayan Berkovits’ great ayan Berkovits was a prolific writer, lucrative career in favour of serving the klal. of an expert author...” discovered how much avoda zora is still practiced persistence to leave no stone unturned in search authoring many letters, articles nowadays. This wide reaching teshuvah includes of a heter - and his original thinking. He considers and essays, including a popular Dayan Berkovits’ legal expertise meant On several occasions he was asked to discussion of all the various possible shailos, whether we can assume the children were indeed D that in 1995 the Chief Rabbi turned to him to summarise a psak din in English for the including paying the owners for the hall hire, born to the second husband; alternatively, can weekly newspaper column on the haftoros. However, his most significant output, work out a new draft of the PNA (Prenuptial benefit of a UK court. These ‘Opinions’, entering a building containing avoda zora, davening we speculate they were born from a non-Jew both in scope and in importance, was his Agreement committing a divorcing couple to written in immaculate legal terms, but DAYAN BERKOVITS IN THE EARLY 1990S SOON within such a building, and the most problematic despite no such testimony from their mother or obtain a get before receiving a civil divorce), comprising the shakla vetarya of the AFTER THE FEDERATION MOVED ITS HEAD issue, deriving benefit from such a building. The even in spite of contrary testimony. In doing so written pesokim / teshuvos, and it is these OFFICE FROM GREATOREX STREET IN THE which had been proposed two years earlier sources used to pasken, often ran to more teshuvah takes us through an exhaustive analysis the teshuva covers a huge number of shitos on the which are being prioritised and currently EAST END, TO HENDON NW4 of the Sugyos of Meseches Avoda Zora and the but had been delayed due to doubts than 50 pages. In an obituary Rabbi D Bleich relevant sugyos, presented in his characteristically worked upon. As early as 2003 he himself There was another reason behind the Rishonim thereon. Characteristically, it includes methodical and thorough style. Apart from the regarding its Halachic and legal validity. His noted that “Halacha does not mandate that had already started compiling some of his length and exhaustiveness of his teshuvos. a researched analysis of the particular avoda tremendous yegiah shel Torah which is clearly suggestions resulted in the extraordinary a Beit Din issue opinions incorporating practiced by the worshippers. The teshuva created teshuvos for publication, but his heavy Dayan Berkovits had a single-minded apparent, he also expended considerable effort feat of being successfully enacted in an the precedents, principles and reasoning a storm in the London kehillah and was the subject to obtain the electoral register from the 1930s, workload and untimely petiroh put an end dedication to determine the correct Halacha, to his efforts. amendment to the Family Law Act 1996. upon which a decision is based. But Dayan of opposition from other Rabbonim, some of whose as this could indicate whether she lived in a and in doing so, he would cover every angle correspondence is included in the manuscript. It It also enabled him to successfully argue Berkovits did author many such decisions, predominantly Jewish neighbourhood, which could Dayan Berkovits was born in 1949 to an to ensure there was no question about was arguably the first time in contemporary times in court that a Jewish man buried in a each one a scholarly gem marked by clarity affect the second suggestion. esteemed family of Rabbonim; his father, the truth. His fellow Dayonim recall his that a shaila of avoda zora had been addressed of analysis and elegance of style.” תוקף הסכם בין שני צדדים שידונו בדיני עכו"ם R’Moshe Dovid z”tl, was the Rov of the Christian cemetery could be exhumed and readiness to discard a reasoning he had in such great depth. Ultimately, Dayan Berkovits An inventor received funding from an investor, Shomrei Hadath in Hampstead (the first transferred to a Beis Olom, his arguments In his book review of a biography of the spent hours on during their deliberations turned to Rav Wosner who unequivocally agreed in return for patent rights. They contractually constituent shul of the Federation) and earning praise from the judge, who was then Seridei Eish, Dayan Berkovits wrote: if he felt it was not absolutely emes. (This with his psak. stipulated that any disagreement was to be בענין נסיעה לכהנים במטוסים שנוסעים headmaster of the Yesodei Hatorah; his the UK’s leading practitioner of ecclesiastical “Halacha, in its most profound sense, attitude had already manifested itself law. decided only by a lawyer with expertise in patent legislation. Such a dispute did take place, and they מעל בית הקברות mother was the daughter of the Turda Rov, consists of the delicate balancing of many years previously. As a young man in R’Yosef Adler zt”l, who was (as his father- Perhaps more importantly, the years different goals, varying strands of thought, New York he had made an appointment A shaila erupted in 2001 as to whether Kohanim approached the Federation for a psak. Would the in-law before him) the Nosi of the Orthodox of discipline and academic rigour would and conflicting logical principles... What to be farhered by R’Moshe Feinstein z”tl could board flights travelling over the Holon Beis Din be obligated to issue a psak that would communities of Transylvania, and later a later assist him in producing teshuvos of a any posek worthy of the name does is to and receive semicha. On the way to the cemetery. Many Halachic journals discussed it and meet the approval of such a lawyer, or does this most concluded it was ossur. This greatly perturbed member of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah in literary style described by the Rosh Beis Din, weigh up all the varying factors as honestly appointment, while mentally reviewing contravene Halacha? The Teshuva discusses some Dayan Berkovits as the route plan had been in use Eretz Yisroel. Dayan Lichtenstein shlita, as ‘chad bedora’ and objectively as possible, with a view fifteen shitos of the Rishonim on this issue. his piece, he felt that it wasn’t entirely for 18 years already, not to mention that UK flights He attended Gateshead yeshiva (once – unique in his generation. to arriving at what he perceives to be the emes, so he cancelled the meeting.) More from Heathrow fly over Willesden cemetery, The manuscript also includes remarking that R’Leib used to ask the He was already a prolific writer, true Halachic balance and conclusion... as impressively, he disregarded unpopularity which would mean many thousands of Kohanim correspondence between Dayan Berkovits bochurim in his shiur “Zog Ibber” - to prove producing a voluminous correspondence I know from cases in my own experience... or opposition that sometimes arose from had unwittingly transgressed Hilchos Tumah. The and many of the leading gedolim of our their participation by repeating what he had of letters and articles in the public press a posek devotes all his energy to finding a his psakim. lengthy teshuvah includes detailed discussion generation, including R’Elyashiv, R’Wosner, of many of the key concepts of tumah vetahara just said - and he never got a “Zog Ibber”) (spanning all spectrums of the Jewish Halachic way to free an agunah or mamzer.” This approach to delivering detailed, R’Ovadia Yosef, R’M Eliyahu and others. (Ohel Zoruk, Tzomid Possil), and simultaneously, and then the Mir. He was on the verge of community). Now his ability came to Dayan Berkovits had indeed persevered comprehensive psakim permeates the entire analysis of the modern day construction of Hish’ir acharov berocha – his legacy having a chavrusa with R’Nochom Persovitz the fore in preparing piskei din for the for five years to uncover factual information manuscript, whose scope suitably displays airplanes as communicated by an expert from the continues in the form of his many writings, when his father requested that, due to Federation’s Beis Din and teshuvos written and Halachic grounds to rectify a mamzerus Dayan Berkovits’ encyclopaedic knowledge. Defence Research Agency; whether aluminium which it is hoped will benefit his admirers as economic considerations, he return home in a personal capacity. In the words of the case. This dedication, however, applied not A contemporary Rov commented in a letter is mekabel tumah; whether metal elements of much now as they did in his lifetime.

14 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 15 This peaceful looking city of Blois, France, was the site of a medieval blood libel against Blood Libel Bloodits entire Jewish Libel Community.

The Jewish people have been accused by their By Rabbi Aubrey Hersh enemies, throughout the many years of exile, of committing countless vidence was generally not And although the Christian world has crucifixion. Given the nature of the crime, a requirement for a verdict nowadays mostly laid this libellous myth to the timing would often coincide with Easter. crimes. But perhaps to be secured. Indeed in rest, it is pertinent to examine the reasons, The Blood Libel alleged that Jews many cases, the occurrence none were as baseless effects and outcomes, not least because large would kill a Christian (often a child) and of alleged miracles would and malicious as those parts of the Islamic world are still being make use of their blood in a religious Esuffice to establish the guilt of the Jews. exposed to this lie through the various media ceremony, especially in the preparation of commonly referred to Where necessary, non-Jewish witnesses as well as through children’s text books and matzah. The first of these occurs in Fulda, as the Blood Libels. In were found to support the accusations or political statements. Germany, in 1235 more than 200 recorded confessions were pursued through torture. Desecrating the Host stemmed from instances - many of Often the body itself was never found, or The Accusations the Catholic belief that eating of the wafer was discovered to have perished of natural bread (the Host) during a communion which took place in the causes, and on occasion the child would turn It is assumed by most people that the crime ceremony allows the body of their saviour spring, due variously to up unharmed. involved allegedly sacrificing a Christian to enter into the believer – known as child and collecting their blood for ritual transubstantiation. Despite the rather Naturally, none of this would have been Pesach, Purim or Easter purposes – generally connected to Pesach pagan concept associated with this belief, it – and across much of possible were it not for the position that the - and that William of Norwich was the first became official church dogma at the Lateran the European continent, Jew occupied in Christian society. As Cecil recorded ‘victim’. But in fact there were Council of 1215. This strange idea (which is Roth writes: three separate sins which the Jews would still current) opened the door to one of the most irrational yet appalling accusations this widely-believed and Misbelievers such as these were plainly be accused of: Ritual Murder, Blood Libel to be made against the Jewish nation. The repeated slander resulted less than human and were capable and Desecration of the Host; each of which claim was that these wafers were stolen from of any crime. Their physicians were would have their own theological roots. in the death of many churches by Jews, and ‘tortured’ by being Jews and often in the suspected of intention of murdering all Ritual Murder was the charge that Jews pierced with sharp objects, so as to recreate patients who came under their charge. kidnapped a Christian child, most often a the suffering on the cross. The crime would expulsion of the remaining They were the declared enemies of the boy, whom they killed through a form of come to light because of the astounding through the Generations through Blood Accusations Blood Accusations community members. Christian faith and of humankind. crucifixion, so as to re-enact the original reactions of the Host to its abuse, which in

16 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 17 Norwich Cathedral – the burial site of the boy William, Blood Libel first recorded ‘victim’ of a blood libel in England Blood Libel

many cases would supposedly shed large the local church. It is the latter that gave rise of 11 children, were found in a well during a ”וַיֹּאמְ רוּ לְהוֹצִיא אוֹתָם לְבֵית (.Creation of the Blood Accusation quantities of blood. Despite the obvious to the first case of ritual murder in Europe. city wide renovation הַשְּׂרֵ פָה, יַחְדָּיו שָׂמְחוּ כְּהַכְ נָסַ ת fact that for a Jew to do this would be A child went missing in Norwich on This tragedy opened the floodgates in History and in Torah completely paradoxical - as it pre-supposes Wednesday 22nd March 1144 – two days in England and would be followed by כַּלָּה לְחֻפָּה, ﬠָלֵינוּ לְשַׁבֵּחַ שִׁבְ ּחוּ“ the acceptance of the beliefs of Catholicism ne of the most puzzling features of this myth is the entirely illogical before Good Friday. Subsequently it was Gloucester (1168), Bury St Edmund (1181), and of its supernatural elements - hundreds nature of the claim, which is contrary to all Halacha and would said that the Jews had kidnapped the child Bristol (1183) and Lincoln (1255) where “And it was decreed that they be of Jews would be burnt at the stake for this taken out to the pyre. Yet the Jews therefore have found no basis in any Jewish activity or writings. and fastened him to a post and beam - as if to Henry III himself condemned the accused crime. rejoiced, as at the time of a bride How did it then originate? a cross - before stabbing him. Yet for several Jews to death. being brought under the Chupa, and years this did not result in any prosecution. the words of Aleinu Leshabeiach they OChristians will point to one of the most inflammatory passages in the ‘New The first tragedy was at Belitz (near Berlin) But whereas Norwich and Lincoln All this changed in 1149 when a monk, sang.” Testament’ which describes a purported conversation that took place just prior in 1243, where many Jews were killed at a contributed to anti-Semitic prejudices and Thomas of Monmouth, began writing his סליחות כ“ סיון להרוגי בלויש - אמוני שלומי ישראל to the alleged crucifixion. The Roman ruler (Pontius Pilate) declares to the Jews: spot subsequently known as the Judenberg; propaganda, it was France that created a two-volume account of the life and ‘miracles’ “I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility!” At which point the no individual accepted the offer of baptism, rabbinic response. The first known case EXTRACT FROM SELICHOS WRITTEN IN 1171 of little William, coupled with evidence that BY R’ HILLEL BEN YAAKOV people ‘answer’: “His blood is upon us and upon our children!” even though this would have saved their life. outside England was in Blois in 1171, and was As a commemoration to the mesiras nefesh the Jews were guilty of the child’s death. This was followed by Paris in 1290, Austria a blood libel against the town’s entire Jewish of these great Jews and as a day of teshuvah, One of the earliest church fathers (a virulent anti-Semite), wrote of this incident This murder now qualified as martyrdom in 1294 and 1299, Deggendorf in 1337 community. A Christian reported that he had Rabbeinu Tam and the other Baalei Tosafos in the 4th century: “They curse themselves and even entail the curse upon their and thus William was recognised as a (leading to a series of massacres across the seen a Jew disposing of the corpse of a child of France declared the 20th of Sivan a fast children forever.” saint. Thomas’ information was based on region) and Brussels in 1370 which resulted (possibly to cover the traces of a murder that day. Special selichos and piyutim were Theobald, a Jew of Cambridge who had The following incident may serve to explain how extensive the spread of this in the community’s expulsion. he himself had carried out). In fact, no actual composed, and the seder of selichos included supposedly converted upon hearing of the statement became. body was ever found, yet members of the those compiled by earlier paytanim, such The eleventh and twelfth centuries ‘miracles’ ascribed to William and who In December 2016, I was asked to lead a seminar in Auschwitz to teach the community were arrested and imprisoned. as Rabbeinu Gershom, and Rabbi Meir ben marked a period of profound change in revealed that the Jews assembled every Having been offered and refused baptism Rabbi Yitzchak (the author of the Akdomus). 80 English speaking non-Jewish guides who work at the museum, about the Christendom itself and increased hostility year in Narbonne to arrange a sacrifice of as a way out of death, 31 Jews were placed Orthodox Jew’s moral and spiritual dilemmas at Auschwitz-Birkenau. They towards the Jews. Economic opportunities Over the next six centuries the libels would a Christian through crucifixion, so as to on a pyre and burned alive, on the 20th of wanted to have a better understanding of the specific issues that faced them became more restricted; their legal status spread out to Austria, Switzerland, Poland, ensure the Jews would eventually return to Sivan, 4931 (1171). At that fateful moment, and how they dealt with them. At the end of the lecture there were a number declined, and they came to be regarded as Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, Germany, the Holy Land. the Jews sang oleinu leshabayach. of questions, but one guide waited until most of the audience left to share the enemies of the majority religion. However Bulgaria, Russia & Bohemia-Moravia. (In 2013, the remains of 17 Jews suspected following with me: many historians view these new attacks to have been killed in Norwich in the “I was told by a Polish prisoner who was in the camp that on one occasion a as a watershed in Christian attitudes, as it 12th century were reburied in the Jewish group of Jews, which included a Rabbi, were gathered in Birkenau prior to their now allowed for dangerously irrational and cemetery. The bones, which include those execution, and they proclaimed that the reason they were being exterminated unfounded beliefs about Jews and Judaism. was in fulfilment of the verse; “His blood is upon us” Indeed, this medieval concept of the Jew as a As this was not the first time I had been confronted with this type of claim, it deliberate wrongdoer rather than as a mere was not too difficult to dispel the idea, yet the shocking fact remains that even unbeliever, meant that when dealing with after the war (and down to this day), certain non-Jews view the Holocaust the Jews, it was deemed both impossible Icons of Infamy simply as a continuation of the punishment the Jews deserved for what they and wrong to feel any human sentiment For centuries, numerous references to these ‘crimes’ were to be found in Western culture – many of them enduring into modern times. had supposedly done and said 2000 years ago. for them. Any Christian monarch who persecuted them performed a duty rather However there is a Torah perspective which explains what could have brought than a crime, and Jews could be eliminated this accusation into being, in a piece written about Pesach by Rav Mattisyahu with no more hesitation than a pack of Salomon shlita, wherein he quotes Rav Elchonon Wasserman hy’d (Kovetz wolves. In fact, many other types of attacks Ma’amorim): perpetrated against the Jews over the next “The reason the blood libel myth persists through the centuries and across seven centuries would trace their ideology many countries, (though it has no shred of truth to it) even though we have back to these very ideas, and would generate a principle in our Torah that sheker which is devoid of any element of truth an ever-growing basis for Jew hatred. never endures, is due to the fact that these accusations of blood are a middah Chaucer making reference A painting depicting In Trentino, Italy, a stone Woodcuts were made keneged middah (measure for measure) punishment for the sin of the brothers to the blood libel of 1255 blood libels in statue of the killing of in Germany of various selling Yosef into slavery, expressed by the dipping of Yosef’s coat in blood.” The Middle-Ages in Lincoln as part of Sandomierz, Poland Simon of Trent still stands scenes from a Host his Canterbury Tales. which was still on display in the Palazzo Salvadori. Desecration in Berlin He also quotes the Ben Ish Chai who explains that the custom of dipping twice Beyond the overall religious motives, the local non-Jews also stood to gain financially The lasting popularity in the town’s cathedral in in 1510, which were during Seder night reflects the two biblical acts of dipping in blood, the first of the legend certainly 2005. exhibited in public for being the cause of Exile (the dipping of the coat) and the second being the in making these accusations, either by contributed to modern many years. cause for Redemption (the dipping into and placing of blood on the doorposts eliminating the people to whom they owed anti-Semitism in England. in Egypt). money or by increasing the numbers of IMAGES FROM FLICKR � WIKIMEDIA COMMONS religious pilgrims in their town, through having a ‘martyr’ (and his relics) buried in

18 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 19 Blood Libel Blood Libel

75 charges levelled against Jews between place on 4 July 1946 and during the violence the local Jewish Committee building on of the Jews in Poland. Over 100,000 Jews The 1800s 1891 and 1900 alone - many in Austro- at least 42 Jews were murdered. 7 Planty Street. The building housed 180 would leave, many doing so because they The Damascus Blood Libel in 1840 Hungary and Germany. They were reported Jews, as well as various Jewish institutions. felt they could no longer remain in such an helped spread the accusation not only in great detail by the press and helped fan Two days later, the boy, his father and a anti-Semitic country. Most of those who beyond Europe but beyond Christianity. the flames of anti-Semitism. neighbour went to the local police station (it emigrated would however be spared the Enormous efforts were expended by Sir is unclear whether his father had encouraged subsequent 40 years of communism. A short time after the verdict was Moses Montefiore, which ultimately the story or not). delivered, Tomas Masaryk, then a professor One of the direct outcomes of the murders secured the release of most of the accused at the Charles University in Prague and Police publicised rumours of the was the Irgun decision to bomb the King Jews and would be commemorated in later the first president of Czechoslovakia, kidnapping and announced that they were David hotel in Jerusalem two weeks later. piyutim composed for him by the grateful appealed on Hilsner’s behalf. Masaryk was planning to search the cellar for bodies of It produced a backlash from the British, Jews of Damascus. However, it was the denounced as a traitor bought with Jewish Polish children who may have been ritually but was also a catalyst in their decision to last year of that century which set alarm money and was dismissed from his position murdered and kept in the house. This leave Palestine. bells ringing, when the seemingly cultured as a lecturer, but heroically persevered and resulted in the gathering of a mob of Polish As a footnote it is worth mentioning that and progressive Czech people nevertheless succeeded in commuting the sentence to a THE CURIOUSHISTORIAN.BLOGSPOT.COM soldiers, police officers, and civilians, who having visited the actual building in Kielce, accepted superstitious reports about Jews A memorial to the Jews prison term. The real benefit that emerged eventually attacked the house. it is very obvious that the house never had that should have been relegated to an murdered in Kielce from the affair was the cementing of a long- As the deadliest pogrom in Poland after a cellar. Evidence was clearly still not a archaic and primitive past. The pogrom came about after a nine-year- term relationship between Masaryk and WWII, it shocked the Jews, and was a requirement in deciding Jewish guilt, even old non-Jewish boy claimed he had been In 1899 in Bohemia, a nineteen-year-old the Jews. He moved from being a friend of significant point in the post-war history in 1946. kidnapped and hidden in the basement of woman disappeared after leaving work. Her the Jews to becoming the most pro-Jewish body was discovered three days later in a leader of any country in the inter-war period. forest, the day before Easter Sunday – which As we reflect on our nation’s past during Seder night and specifically on the moror of golus, and as we that year coincided with Pesach – and the consider with gratitude the malchus shel chessed in which we find ourselves presently, we would do local newspapers wrote that although she well to think of the trials, mesiras nefesh and martydom of the past generations. Their emunah created had apparently died from loss of blood, only a legacy which helps shape our existence today. If we are more conscious of how they lived their lives a small amount was found at the site of the under the most difficult circumstances, it gives us a perspective for living ours. murder, which suggested a ritual motive WIKIPEDIA COMMONS for the crime. The culprit was identified as Gravestone of ע“ה Leopold Hilsner. Menahem Mendel Beilis During both the investigation and trial, anti-Semitic riots broke out in a number ATLAS OF EUROPEAN HISTORY of towns in Bohemia and Moravia. Hilsner Western Europe was sentenced to death on September 16 NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL, SCHWADRON COLLECTION C 1190 President Masaryk of Czechoslovakia and the affair received a huge amount of walking through the Old City of (The countries in international press, coming as it did just Yerushalayim with Rav Yosef Chaim Europe where J ews days after Alfred Dreyfus (the French-Jewish Sonnenfeld in 1927 would be accused of military officer who had been convicted of blood libels) espionage) was convicted for a second time 20th Century in the September 1899 retrial. As in France In the 20th century use would be made during the Dreyfus case, this nation-wide of the blood libel in two shameful ways. In affair led to a split in society and on the 1913 the Beilis trial took place in Kiev, and political scene. although resulting in an acquittal, allowed This incident would expose the fact that for anti-Semitism to be stirred up in the despite the age of enlightenment witnessing entire region – which achieved a strategic a strong decline in religious anti-Semitism goal for the Russian government. Indeed, – to be substituted by a seemingly more the jury members were made up of illiterate genteel social anti-Semitism – it was still peasants, as they would be more likely Cover of Der Stürmer, the Nazi able to very effectively call upon these to unquestioningly accept superstitious propoganda newspaper ancient prejudices, even in educated people notions and beliefs. During the 1930s, the - so deeply had they become part of the Nazis would exploit the imagery of ritual Kielce - Poland 1946 European psyche. Jewish murders to support their anti-Jewish This would translate into the spate of propaganda efforts, by demonstrating how The Kielce pogrom was directed against accusations actually increasing as the the Jews residing in Europe had always the fledgling Jewish community of survivors nineteenth century drew to a close, with over behaved in a corrupt manner. that developed after the Holocaust. It took

20 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 21 Din Torah in By Dayan Y D Hool Beis Din Arbitration and mediation of financial disputes in Beis Din

The Federation Beis Din was first established in 1966. In addition to marriage option to have the dispute resolved via the parties to recognize the weaknesses In arbitration, the parties to a dispute litigation in the courts. of their cases, and by suggesting creative refer the dispute to an impartial adjudicator, authorisation and gittin, and shechita and kashrus supervision, the Federation However, many parties that find solutions that may be mutually satisfactory. ie, one or more persons (the “arbitrators” Beis Din is highly respected for its expertise in matters of commercial and financial themselves in a situation of financial In mediation, parties talk directly to or “arbitral tribunal”), by whose decision Halacha. It recently launched a Small Claims division to deal with cases of claims dispute, instead of turning to the courts, one another in a way that litigation makes (the “award”) they agree to be bound. The turn to other methods of dispute resolution, virtually impossible. They may indicate decision is legally binding and enforceable. up to £5,000. collectively referred to as Alternative willingness to move from strongly-expressed The parties grant authority to the Dispute Resolution, or ADR. The most litigation positions, and may make offers arbitrators to adjudicate the dispute G G common methods of dispute resolution are Here, Dayan Y D Hool, who joined the Someone objects to disturbances coming A corporation wishes to sue another to each other and discuss alternative ways mediation and arbitration. by an agreement, called an Arbitration Federation Beis Din in 2016 and recently from a neighbour, or to a proposed company for breach of contract. of mending business relationships. Thus Agreement. This is often a document published a book entitled ‘Beth Din Mediation is a facilitative process, building extension being contemplated What options are available to parties negotiation and mediation are more ideal signed by the parties after the dispute has Commercial Arbitration: The Application whereby a solution is not imposed upon the by a neighbour. to resolve their financial disputes? forums than litigation for enabling warring arisen. Additionally, commercial contracts of the Jewish Model to Modern Commercial parties, but the parties are brought together G neighbours to resolve their differences, Family members have a dispute over In this article we will first consider the and the mediator assists them in reaching often include an arbitration clause, to the Arbitration’, explains the purpose of a Beis for resolving disputes within families or the division of the estate of a deceased options available from a general point of a mutually acceptable resolution of their effect that any future disputes arising in Din and how it functions in adjudicating family businesses, and indeed for resolving view, and then consider these options in dispute. That resolution need not reflect the connection with the contract are to be financial disputes. relative. the context of Jewish parties to a dispute. many other disputes between individuals or decided by arbitration, and often that clause G parties’ legal rights nor mirror the judgment Two or more parties have a financial An employee claims compensation from groups who will, by necessity, be in social To many, the first thing that springs to that would have been given by a court. will name a predetermined arbitrator or or commercial dispute: a former employer for unfair dismissal. or commercial contact after the issues have mind is litigation in court. All countries Mediation can be more effective than arbitral institution under whose auspices G been resolved. G Someone orders and pays for a product An investor claims that he was defrauded are served by national court systems that direct negotiation because the mediator, a the arbitration is to take place. Such clauses, or service, and is not satisfied with the of his capital by an unscrupulous administer civil justice, and parties to a neutral third party, works with the parties, Arbitration is a form of ADR that is if correctly drafted, are legally binding and result. entrepreneur with whom he invested. commercial or financial dispute have the by noting grounds of agreement, by forcing similar to court litigation. enforceable by the courts.

22 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 23 Din Torah in Beis Din

over even court proceedings. Furthermore, parties have the power to choose which However, this approach is problematic So if a party has a financial claim against to convene a tribunal if it will determine SERVICES OF because of the provisions of the 1958 New law should be applicable to the substantial for Jewish parties, because the Halacha another party, since it is not permitted to an award solely on the basis of its sense of York Convention,1 international arbitral matters pertaining to the arbitration. The forbids litigation between Jewish parties in go to court, the claim must be filed in a Beis fairness and equity, rather than adopting THE FEDERATION awards are generally easier to enforce in law applied can be a national law, or an a secular court. Din instead. a set of laws other than the Torah.9 This 2 BEIS DIN other nations than court judgments. a-national law such as the lex mercatoria3 If one party refuses to be adjudicated by is because the prohibition to be arbitrated or the Halacha. THE HALACHIC Beis Din, leaving the other party with no under secular law is based on the concept A DIN TORAH WHY ARBITRATION? choice, a Beis Din will grant permission to that adopting a law other than the Halacha All forms of ADR, including arbitration, PROHIBITION TO LITIGATE Full arbitration proceedings al the other party to proceed with a claim in accords a disrespect for Jewish law, whereas There are a number of distinct advantages have the advantage (over judicial IN A SECULAR COURT pi Halacha in front of either a secular court. (Likewise, if the losing party if no specific alternative system of law is that arbitration has over litigation in court. proceedings) of confidentiality, and thus Judaism possesses a comprehensive and Beis Din of three Dayonim or a refuses to comply with an award issued by a applied, this would not apply. Since the arbitrators derive their powers can help preserve reputations and prevent highly sophisticated system of commercial single Dayan. Written, legally and Beis Din, the Beis Din will grant permission from a private agreement, and not from the public disclosure of conduct and assets etc. and civil law, capable of dealing with the halachically binding psak din. to apply to the secular courts to enforce the THE FEDERATION BEIS DIN authority of a state, the parties have a wide most intricate commercial or financial There are many cases in which, for good ruling of the Beis Din.)7 A SMALL CLAIMS BEIS DIN degree of autonomy in deciding how the disputes. The Federation operates a Beis Din that reason, the parties desire that the court is staffed by Talmidei Chachomim who are For claims up to £5000, brief arbitration should proceed, including the uphold their legal rights. Indeed, the knowledgeable in the specialised field of proceedings in front of a single identity of the arbitrator(s), the location, assumption that contracts will be enforced financial Halacha (Choshen Mishpot) as Dayan, nominal cost, brief, timing, and language of the hearings. by the courts, if they are not performed, well as in the world of business, and have written, binding psak within a Parties can ensure a balanced and wide experience in arbitrating all types of short time underpins all business dealings. effective tribunal by selecting arbitrators commercial and financial disputes. The Beis As a rule, however, individuals and A MEDIATION with experience, relevant expertise, and Din applies the Halacha to the procedural geographical familiarity with the area of companies seek a fair and reasonable Non-binding process in which aspects of the arbitration, and also of course dispute. resolution of their disputes, rather than a full parties meet to attempt to reach a to rule on the substantive issues of the case. trial or a minute dissection of their precise consensual settlement, facilitated Court proceedings can be rigid and (Occasionally, if the circumstances legal rights. Arbitration can often achieve by a Dayan inflexible, with immutable rules for warrant it the Dayonim might suggest a this in a quicker and more economical procedure, advancing of legal arguments, peshoro – compromise – to the parties. However, if either party insists on an With regards to effective procedure, award in line with the din, Beis Din will rule arbitration has a pronounced advantage DAVE HADLEY over the other forms of ADR. Mediators do not have the power of the courts to compel Halacha requires that all financial and commercial disputes between two Jewish the parties to cooperate, whereas if parties The very act of submitting to the authority of a parties be adjudicated according to Jewish have signed an arbitration agreement, they law by a Beis Din. It is severely prohibited secular court and ignoring the laws of the Torah can be compelled to cooperate at the risk for one party to force another to adjudication of a binding decision against them if they is a Chilul Hashem in a secular court.4 This is for two reasons: do not. Arbitrators (with the support of the courts) can grant protective orders, such as The Torah forbids this primarily because freezing orders (injunctions) designed to money awarded to a party by a secular court that would not be justified by the Halacha preserve money or assets for the purpose of Additionally, if there is a need for a according to din and not peshoro.) fashion than the courts, with the additional enforcement, or alternatively, to locate and discovery, witness testimony, etc. In is considered to be ‘illegally’ gained; in restraining order such as an injunction flexibility and autonomy of party-chosen To initiate a Beis Din proceeding, a preserve evidence for the fair resolution of arbitration, the parties themselves can other words, one who forces another to to preserve the status quo until Beis Din claimant will typically contact the Beis Din a dispute. Other ADR practitioners have no decide in advance the rules that will be adjudicators, venue, language, procedural be adjudicated in a secular court and is proceedings can take place, and a Beis Din is registrar, and fill out a claim form. The such powers. used for the arbitration, or they can give rules, and applicable law. For these reasons, awarded a sum larger than Halacha would either unavailable or does not have the legal registrar will then contact the other party authority to the arbitral tribunal to decide as well as the finality and enforcement of have dictated is effectively stealing from authority to issue one, it is permitted to apply Furthermore, arbitration provides a final, and send them a hazmono (summons), how to run the arbitration in the fairest and arbitration, it is a very attractive form of the other party. (If, however, both parties to a secular court for such an order. This is binding resolution of the dispute. inviting them to attend a hearing with most efficient manner. As a result, effective alternative dispute resolution, providing a consent to litigate in secular court, this not considered to be an act of submission to 5 both parties present before the Beis Din. Regarding enforcement, national arbitrations are usually more cost effective professional, inexpensive, speedy, fair, and reason would not apply. ) a foreign court for adjudication, because in (In Halacha, the respondent in a Beis Din arbitration laws ensure that arbitral awards and much faster than court litigations (a final alternative to court litigation. However, even if both parties consent, this case, the court does not determine an proceedings usually has the right to choose are enforceable by the courts, and there is crucial factor particularly in commercial the Halacha prohibits arbitration between award; it merely freezes the situation until 8 the forum, and so the respondent is entitled very little scope for appeal. (Usually, only cases in which companies or individuals two Jews in a secular court. The very act a Beis Din can adjudicate it. OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO before the proceedings begin to move them procedural matters, such as the arbitration often have an urgent need to know where of submitting to the authority of a secular JEWISH PARTIES TO A Additionally, it should be noted that to a different Beis Din.) agreement or the due process of the actual they stand regarding the disputed matter). court and ignoring the laws of the Torah is a the Halacha has no objection to parties proceedings, will be subject to appeal, and Courts are bound to rule according to FINANCIAL DISPUTE Chilul Hashem, and demonstrates contempt submitting to mediation, or even arbitration, Before the hearing commences, both not the decisions of the arbitrators). This the laws of the state that grants them As mentioned earlier, for many the first for the Torah and a lack of appreciation of providing that no substantive law other parties sign an arbitration agreement which presents a distinct advantage for arbitration their authority, but in arbitration, the port of call will be litigation in court. its crucial importance.6 than the Torah is applied. It is permissible commits them to carrying out the Beis Din’s

24 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 25 בס“ד Din Torah in Beis Din

קהילה award. The hearing will then proceed as professional counsel, but must represent work with the parties to see if a solution or In response to demand from the per the directions of the Dayonim on the themselves. In most cases a brief written settlement can be found that might satisfy or Beis Din. psak will be issued within 72 hours. at least be acceptable to both parties. Parties may be accompanied by Everyone has a right to a Din Torah in Mediation is non-binding and a settlement professional counsel (a lawyer, or toe’n front of three Dayonim, and to be allowed cannot be imposed upon the parties. If they rabbani – rabbinical attorney), and if unable to take as much time as is necessary for the do reach a settlement, an agreement will be to attend in person may be allowed to be case to be heard. However, the Halacha drawn up by the Dayan and the parties will represented at the hearing by such counsel. allows for parties to mutually agree to adjust then sign on it, committing themselves to Witnesses may be called and documents the rules for procedure. If both parties agree the final settlement agreed upon. presented, and legal and Halachic arguments to it, they can subscribe to the procedural submitted, and in complex cases this may rules of the ‘Small Claims Beis Din’. SUMMARY All in all, the Federation provides a Everyone has a right to a Din Torah in front of three number of different options for financial dispute resolution. Parties can opt for a full Dayonim, and to be allowed to take as much time as Beis Din procedure, or if they both agree, to the small Claims Beis Din process, or if is necessary for the case to be heard. they prefer, to facilitated mediation. These services offer professional, inexpensive, expeditious, fair, just, and final alternatives NEW: SMALL CLAIMS for dispute resolution, in line with Halacha. run to two or more hearings. The Beis Din, when satisfied that both parties have had full 1 The Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement BEIS DIN SERVICE opportunity to present their case, will allow of Foreign Arbitral Awards, also known as the New the parties to summarise their respective York Arbitration Convention or the New York Convention, is one of the key instruments in arguments. Later, having considered the international arbitration. The New York Convention G case and conferred amongst themselves, the requires courts of contracting states to give effect For claims up to £5,000 to private agreements to arbitrate and to recognize Beis Din will issue a written Award that will and enforce arbitration awards made in other be binding on the parties both Halachically contracting states. As of June 2015, 156 state parties G פסק and legally. have adopted the New York Convention. Receive a brief, written, binding 2 A settlement agreement reached in the course of arbitral proceedings can, in some jurisdictions, be drawn up in the form of an award by consent, so that within 72 hours SMALL CLAIMS BEIS DIN it can be enforced by the New York Convention; see, Beis Din proceedings can be quite lengthy for example, UNCITRAL Rules, 34.1. if there are major issues involved, and this 3 Lex mercatoria refers to a body of oral, customary G mercantile law which developed in medieval Cases heard only by mutual consent of can mean that they can be costly too. Often, Europe and was administered uniformly across people with claims for even significant sums Europe by merchant judges, adjudicating disputes MEDIATION AT THE between merchants. In the contemporary world, both parties will nonetheless find that a full Beis Din the term lex mercatoria refers to a system of law procedure is not the ideal way forward. FEDERATION BEIS DIN that includes certain transnational trade usages and As mentioned earlier, mediation is a commercial customs recognized internationally by G The Federation Beis Din has recently the mercantile community. Cases will be heard by a single Dayan facilitative process, whereby a solution is not launched a Small Claims Beis Din service 4 Shulchan Aruch 26:1. imposed upon the parties, but the parties 5 Ibid. in order to speedily hear claims for up to are brought together and the mediator 6 Ibid. (A vital clarification is required here. The £5,000. The service is the first of its kind Halacha obligates all Jews to adhere to the local, assists them in reaching a mutually in the UK kehilla and has been developed secular law of the nation in which they reside. The For information or to make an appointment acceptable resolution of their dispute. The Talmud rules that “dina d’malchusa dina” — the in response to great demand from Federation Beis Din offers a mediation law of the land is law. It is only with regard to the community. private commercial dealings between Jewish parties service for cases in which both parties opt that the Halacha requires that they be arbitrated Telephone 020 8202 2263 (Option 3) In order to ensure that the service will have for this. The Federation Dayonim have wide according to Jewish law. Such an arrangement is perfectly acceptable in national law too.) a fast turnaround, cases will be heard by a experience in mediation, and some of them 7 Shulchan Aruch 26:2. or email [email protected] single Dayan. Hazmanos will not be sent; are accredited mediators too. 8 Rabbi Menachem Azariah of Fano (16th century, cases will be heard only with the consent of Italy), Responsum 51; See also Responsa Mahari’az Parties will be invited to sit together with both parties, and will usually be allotted a Enzil, 86; Igros Moshe (), Ch. M. II, 11. one of the Dayonim in a non-confrontational A SERVICE OF THE FEDERATION BEIS DIN one-hour time slot, booked in advance. To 9 Chazon Ish, Sanhedrin, 15:4. See also Rabbi setting, at which the Dayan will allow the Yehudah Silman, Hayashar Vehatov, vol. 4, p. ensure minimum costs to the parties, they 47 who derives from Rashba that it is nonetheless parties to air their views and claims, and will will not be permitted to be accompanied by preferable to submit the arbitration to Beis Din if possible.

Nominal fees apply 26 HAMAOR 7  d a r HRA AHA

Members of the Federation chevra kadisha Dayan Yehoshua euda Posen The Federation’s annual 7 Adar seudah for the chevra kadisha was this year held l”ilui nishmas its beloved former life President, Mr Arnold (Avrohom Yeshaya) Cohen z”l. Mr Cohen, who was niftar this past summer, was President of the organisation for 12 Dayan Y D Hool years between 1989 and 2001. and Dayan M D Elzas The seudah was attended by some Later, Rosh Beis Din Dayan Lichtenstein 200 members of the chevra kadisha, took the podium, noting that it was the first Rabbi C Z Pearlman, Dayan B Eckstein, Dayan M D Elzas, Dayan Y Y Lichtenstein, Rabbi Yossi representatives of the Federation’s shuls 7 Adar seudah he had attended in nearly Rabbi Y Cohen, Mr A Cohen, Dayan Y Posen, Cohen, guest 30 years of seudos, without the presence and Rabbonim and askonim from across Rabbi Y M Greenberg speaker of Arnold z”l. Arnold, he said, was one of R’ Moishe Yitzchok the kehillah. R’Moishe Yitzchok Eckstein Eckstein his closest friends – and when he was on made the siyum mishnayos. Many of your side, you knew he would stand by you the Cohen family’s friends and relatives, ‘ad hasof’. and former colleagues of Mr Cohen from his firm, Cohen Arnold, also joined the Guest speaker Rabbi Yossi Cohen paid Federation for the occasion and his oldest moving tribute to his father. It was a real opportunity for him to look around the hall son, Rabbi Yossi Cohen, who is a well- and see the results of his father’s efforts at known mechanech at seminaries across the Federation, his wisdom and foresight. Eretz Yisroel, was the guest speaker. Arnold z”l led the great metamorphosis The evening was opened by Dayan of the organisation and ensured it was on Yehoshua Posen. Dayan Posen thanked the right derech vis a vis the growth of the the chevra; they give of themselves and Anglo-Jewish kehillah. He concluded by their time in an entirely selfless manner, mentioning his mother, Mrs Sara Cohen carrying out their chessed to ensure the shetichye – all of his father’s successes Dayan Y Y Rabbi J Roodyn, Rabbi D Tugendhaft, utmost kovod hameis. belonged to her too, he noted. Lichtenstein Rabbi Y Benzaquen, Rabbi D Roberts PHOTOS BY SHMULI SMUS BY PHOTOS

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30 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 31 One Doctor for One City don’t shake – and from his office at the heart the hospital, and was preparing for a two- The unit was established with the full of Mayanei Hayeshua, plans and dreams for week trip to the UK when we met. support of the gedolim and proudly states its A Wellspring Of Salvation the future of the hospital that he still has big “I consider our donors to be our closest purpose on the front of the building. Despite aspirations for. friends,” he says. “Not everyone can become the stigma that is still associated with A PROFILE OF DR MOSHE ROTHSCHILD The driving ethic behind Mayanei a talmid chochom but we must use the gifts mental health issues, the male inpatient Hayeshua, and indeed the guiding principle and brochos that Hakodosh Boruch Hu has unit, which has just moved in, is already FOUNDER OF THE MAYANEI HAYESHUA MEDICAL CENTRE, BNEI BRAK that Dr Rothschild has built it upon, is that it blessed us with. If you have money, and you almost full. Next on the horizon is raising the funds to finish the beis haknesses in the JUDY SILKOFF new building, and then to establish a unit for the treatment of religious girls suffering Not everyone can become a talmid chochom, from anorexia. he Bnei Brak of 45 years ago was a very different place but we must use the gifts and brochos that “Although some cases of anorexia are Hakodosh Boruch Hu has blessed us with linked to behavioural and environmental to the bustling city of 185,000 people it is today, with its causes, there are others that have a strong genetic factor. In these situations, achieving business district, office towers and gleaming state-of-the- treats the patient, not the disease. Operating donate it to save lives, you become a partner a cure is much more difficult and some 20 art hospital. In 1971, when Dr Moshe Rothschild made on strictly halachic principles (even the in doing the best possible thing.” percent will end up dying from the disease,” elevator doors have notices on them Of course, with close to 30 years of explains Dr Rothschild. “If we can develop a aliyah from Zurich with his wife and 17 children k”ah, its informing visitors that according the poskim ‘schnorrering’ experience behind him, Dr framework to treat girls while allowing them there is no yichud situation in entering alone Rothschild has many incredible stories of to stay strong in their faith, we will be giving with a member of the opposite sex), the siyata dishmaya to relate – all of which many a chance at a future.” population was half the size it is now, there was no hospital – and hospital has become known for the fact that simultaneously highlight the yashrus of I asked Dr Rothschild if he has any plans it treats its patients with dignity and respect. both this great man and of his hospital. to retire in the near future and he seemed he was the city’s sole paediatrician. Regardless of whether they are eight or 80, T aghast at the suggestion. “I will carry on every single person is given the maximum “There was once a time that we were working for as long as I am capable,” he tells chance for healing and recovery – “but if offered a donation of $5M by a wealthy “I used to spend all of Shabbos and Yom people. “With hindsight she was right,” he build”), but despite this the hospital sprung me. Indeed, in addition to his work within I feel, on rare occasions, that they can get man from Frankfurt,” he recalls. “But he Tov at home seeing patients,” he recalls smiles. Having trained and worked both up from nothing, on the grounds of an old the walls of the hospital, he is also busy better treatment in a different hospital, I only wanted to give it on the condition somewhat ruefully. in Europe (Switzerland and France) and orchard, opening its doors in 1990. The with advising and assisting in the making send them there,” insists Dr Rothschild. “I that we add his name to the name of the of medically challenging shidduchim. Today in his late 80s, Dr Rothschild’s the US, he spent some time at the Shaarei initial funds were donated by R’Yehoshua consider it an honour.” hospital. I turned it down – you don’t sell Tzedek hospital in Yerushalayim after Freshwater z”l, from whom the hospital, the same car twice!” he quips. But the story “I consider myself to be simultaneously impetus for making aliyah came after Dr Rothschild tells me that you will never moving to Eretz Yisroel. By the time he was Mayanei Hayeshua, takes its name. But lack has a happy ending: “The woman who had both the biggest shadchan and the biggest attending a Yarchei Kalloh at the Ponovezh see a patient on a stretcher in the corridor at first introduced me to this man came back approached with a seemingly impossible of funds was not the only obstacle faced by destroyer of shidduchim,” he claims. yeshiva and building a relationship with its Mayanei Hayeshua – and as a small hospital to me and made a substantial donation, mashgiach, Rav Chatzkel Levenstein z”tl. task by the gedolei hador in the late 1980s, the fledgling institution. they pride themselves on swift, efficient, she was so impressed by With people coming to Mayanei Hayeshua individualised treatment. for treatment and to give birth from all Although he was a paediatrician by virtue he was more than cognisant of the fact that “Bnei Brak is a city where many births the fact that we had over Eretz Yisroel and further afield (they of his training, he soon added another string there was a great and pressing need for a take place, boruch Hashem,” smiles Dr “If an elderly man breaks his hip, we acted honourably. Rothschild. “In the first month after we operate on the same day,” he says, “On You never lose out by once had a patient who came to them from opened, there were 200 births and today the first day he has a 100 percent greater doing the right thing.” Buenos Aeres, he recalls), he will certainly we see six times that amount. The other be kept busy for the foreseeable future. It was obvious that a hospital would save lives, chance of making a good recovery than if For the past few major hospitals in the area – Beilinson in we would leave it until the third day after years, Dr Rothschild’s “We have a beautiful hospital here, with Petach Tikvah, Tel Hashomer in Ramat Gan and this is what Yiddishkeit commands us to do. the accident. Similarly, an MRI appointment main goal has the most experienced doctors and the and Ichilov in Tel Aviv, were initially very will be given within a time frame of a few been the nicest patients – whom we don’t opposed to our opening. We may not be a days rather than a few months – there is establishment treat like patients,” he smiles. teaching hospital; we don’t have anywhere no agonising waiting around. We may not to his bow, becoming the family practitioner hospital in such a densely populated city as of a dedicated “Everything that is done here near as many departments as they do – but Bnei Brak. have all the technological support of a large six -floor is done in the derech Hatorah not only of R’Chatzkel, but of many of the we were taking many births a week away university hospital, but we can achieve this mental and with Jewish spirit – though city’s gedolim. “The gedolim came to me and they said from them!” precisely because we are small.” health unit we probably have more chilul ‘open a hospital’,” he states simply. “So I Dr Rothschild had begun his career Government officials told Dr Rothschild It is no surprise that Mayanei Hayeshua which has Shabbos than anywhere else somewhat reluctantly, turning to the study did. It was obvious that a hospital would that there was no need for a hospital in Bnei was recently awarded the highest possible just opened because we understand what is allowed in order to save of medicine in the main “because my save lives, and this is what Yiddishkeit Brak, but with the blessing and support of the rating for patient relations by the Israeli its doors on gedolei hador, he pressed on tirelessly. He lives al pi halocho. I built mother told me this is what she wanted me commands us to do.” Health Ministry. But as an independent/ the grounds credits his success to the fact that he doesn’t public hospital (they are accepted by of Mayanei this hospital because of the to do”. He was no stranger to the concept, A true yekke, one of Dr Rothschild’s sleep, to siyata dishmaya of course, and to Kupat Cholim but not considered to be a Hayeshua, sanctity of human life – and as there were already several doctors in overriding principles both then and now the brocho he once received that he would state institution) they receive next to no the first of we are saving lives.” the family, and he recognised that it was was that one does not spend funds one does live a long life with a clear mind. Indeed, at government funding. Dr Rothschild does not its kind Dr Rothschild outside the a role that would enable him to help many not have (“if there is no money, we don’t nearly 90 he still occasionally practises as a see himself as a professional fundraiser, but in the mohel – proudly showing me that his hands new mental health centre at he still travels abroad to solicit donations for country. Mayanei Hayeshua

32 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 33 return to Egypt

misfortunes of our people’s sojourn in the Egypt henceforth as a humbled vassal land of their adversary. kingdom of greater Empirical powers and it is to this new diluted Egypt that Jews Of Wars and would return. Prophesies: The Under Persian First Millennium Rule: Surprise The rst millennium after the Exodus did not show much promise for Findings reconciliation. Wars and failed political Soon after the destruction of the rst alliances were the order of the day. Egypt Temple, Egypt became subsumed into arose as a power in the region and the the vast Persian Empire (525 BCE). Persia’s prophets went to great lengths to warn foreign policy was vastly dierent from Ptolemy II (308 – 246 BCE) is pictured the Kings of Judah not to put faith in the iron st of Assyria and Babylon under on this coin with his second wife (who was his sister) Arsinoe II. He was keen treaties with Egypt in the South to ward whom the exiles of Israel and Judah were to add a Greek translation of the Torah o the threat of Assyria and Babylon living. Cyrus the Great distinguished to his Alexandrian Library. To this end in the North. King Menashe of Judah himself by following a policy of religious he freed Jewish slaves and invited 70 Jewish Sages to Alexandria where the chose to pay homage to Assyria and tolerance, allowing all exiles to return Septuagint would be written. ended up sending his Judean forces into to their lands, rebuild their temples and Egypt to ght alongside Assyria in the practice their religion wherever they basket’ of the Middle East, with a view capture and sack of Thebes (663 BCE)3. lived. Was there a Jewish presence in to set up a coastal base there. In Egypt, Egypt at this time? With the discovery of Alexander was welcomed as a liberator Highlights and lowlights of Jewish the Elephantine Papyri at the end of the and proclaimed Pharaoh (332 BCE) and This photo of Ramses II chasing Nubians 19th Century, the presence of a religious for the next three centuries Egypt would communal life in Egypt since the Exodus from the Temple of Beit el-Wali in Nubia Jewish community in the southern remain under Greek Hellenistic rule. gives us a glimpse into Egyptian warfare Before leaving Egypt, Alexander laid the Rebbetzin Shoshana Tugendhaft at the time of the 18th dynasty when Egyptian town of Yeb/Elephantine in this the Jewish people were establishing era was discovered. foundation for the rst Hellenistic city in themselves in their land. Egypt, Alexandria. Alexandria would grow Elephantine is located on an island to be a large and beautifully adorned city, in the Nile on the border with Nubia, the jewel of the Mediterranean, a bustling making it a strategic forti cation post port city to which merchants from three and a trading centre. A number of papyri, continents would be drawn. Its famous written in Aramaic and dated to the reign lighthouse heralded the capital city of of Darius II (423 - 405 BCE), bear testimony Egypt, residence of the Ptolemaic kings, to a thriving community with its own who prided themselves on being patrons centre of worship, with Jewish soldiers in of the arts and sciences. Alexandria would the garrison and with a good relationship also become home to the largest Jewish to the administration of Darius. community in the world. After Alexander’s death, his kingdom The Beauty of was split amongst his A few years later, when the Egyptian Greece: Jews of STAVROS MARKOPOULOS army was on the march to Carchemish, An Unlikely our people. With Divine Intervention, we always turned heavenwards in prayer for Alexandria emerged a nation apart, leaving behind rain. The Torah goes to pains to say ‘Like righteous king Yoshiyahu confronted Alliance utter devastation: natural, economic and the [abominable] practices of the land them and ended up being defeated Less than two centuries later, Alexander political. Our longterm relationship with of Egypt in which you dwelt, do not do’ 1 and killed. The remnants of Judah after the Great (356 - 323 BCE) rose to power We’ve always had a conicted the destruction of the Temple tried to and marched his Greek army east to wage relationship with Egypt. No, I’m not Egypt had not kicked o to a good start. and warns us ‘You shall never again return that way [to Egypt]’ 2. nd respite in Egypt but the prophet war with mighty Persia. Along the way, talking about the post-1948 political Adding to the antipathy, we nd that Yirmiyahu4 predicted their demise there. he set his sights on Egypt, the ‘bread vicissitudes with Egypt. I’m talking ... the Torah regards ancient Egyptian culture With all this in mind, it may be surprising The prophet Yechezkel5 then foretold not since the beginning of time. When our as antithetical to everything Israel stood to discover that over the millennia, Jews only the downfall of Egypt, but an eternal forefathers rst arrived in Egypt we for. While Egypt was steeped in the pagan did indeed return to Egypt. They built diminishment of its kingdom: ‘It shall be Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE) were welcomed into its aristocracy and arts of dark magic, Israel is described as a thriving communities there, they set conquers both Israel and Egypt in the lowliest of the kingdoms; neither the fourth century BCE. In Egypt he is bureaucracy, yet just a few generations land that can’t stomach spiritual in delity up shuls and yeshivos, they attained shall it exalt itself any more above the welcomed as a liberator and lays the later our warm hosts turned on us and and moral depravity. While Egypt was a positions in the royal courts. In the nations: for I will diminish them, that they foundation for the new port town of almost succeeded in carrying out a proud land, self-sustained by the regular following pages, we will follow the thread shall no more rule other nations’. We nd Alexandria, to be built to dazzle with the programme of ethnic cleansing against rising of the river Nile, Israel’s eyes were of this story, touching on the fortunes and best of Greek and Egyptian architecture.

34 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 35 return to Egypt READ ROBERT return to Egypt

DAN LUNDBERG

empire. Although at rst the emperors extended consideration to the Jews’ civil PASSOVER PAPYRUS rights and their rights to abstain from the cult of emperor worship, relations Possibly the earliest post-Exodus evidence for Jewish communal life in with Rome progressively deteriorated. The rst century of the Common Era was Egypt is to be found in the hoard of papyri discovered on the island-town of Our own little piece of Alexandria in Elephantine, in southern Egypt. Mainly legal documents in five different London! Cleopatra’s needle on the one in which the Jews living in Judea and languages from over 2000 years of life on the island were discovered in banks of the river Thames, made of Samaria led a prolonged revolt against red granite and standing 21 metres Roman rule (66 - 73 CE), culminating in the late 1800s and constituted a veritable treasure trove for historians high, comes from Alexandria. Gifted to trying to reconstruct the history of this important fortress island. One Britain in 1819, the obelisk was quarried the destruction of the second Temple in 69 CE. This was followed by the Bar of the surprise findings was that a Jewish colony, with its own temple to in Aswan, commissioned by Thutmose III for a Heliopolis ornament, inscribed Kochba revolt (132 - 135 CE) and by Hashem, existed alongside the pagan temple to Khnum and its adherents. by Ramesses II and finally brought Roman pogroms against the Jews of It is clear from the surviving letters that the temple serviced a group of by Cleopatra to Alexandria for the Caesareum temple. Mesopotamia. With Jews viewed as soldiers stationed in the fortress who were interested in keeping Halacha! dissenting enemies of the State, it was Of particular interest is the famous Passover Letter (dated 419 BCE) to easy for their detractors, for greedy generals and Ptolemy I came to power in the garrison of Jewish soldiers stationed at Elephantine, describing how governors and for bitter enemies to take Egypt. Josephus, a Jewish born historian they are to celebrate Pesach. It was sent from the Persian Governor of advantage of the situation. living in the rst century AD, describes6 Judea named Chanania and describes how the soldiers must be given Ptolemy’s campaigns to annex Israel to In Alexandria, the large community was leave to celebrate a seven-day festival, starting at sunset on the 14th of his territory, claiming that Ptolemy exiled also a powerful one and confrontations Nissan, with no leavened bread or beer and a rest day at either end of the 120 000 Jews to Egypt as slaves at this became blood- lled battles. Riots in festival. It exhorts the soldiers ‘do not let any leavened bread be seen in time, many to become soldiers. His son Ancient Alexandria, a beautiful port city, was home to a large, wealthy, religious Jewish the year 38 CE, where Jewish property your house during these days...bring them into your chambers and seal community from c. 350 BCE to 117 CE. Today you can see remains of Egyptian, Greek and Ptolemy II, however, freed the Jewish Roman relics from those days. Here you can see the Pompey Pillar, a commemorative pillar was burned and looted and many Jews them up’. Sounds familiar?! Pesach, which commemorates our defeat of slaves at the price of 120 drachmas per put up by Roman emperor Diocletian after he re-conquered the city in the third century killed, were fully sanctioned by Roman Egypt, was celebrated in Egypt some 2500 years ago! The Passover Letter head and accorded the Jews of Alexandria CE. In the foreground, remains of the Serapium, a temple originally built by Ptolemy I for a governor Flaccus. New conicts arose can be viewed in the Egyptian Museum of Berlin. In the letter below, the equal legal rights to its Macedonian newly invented deity which amalgamated Greek and Egyptian religions. around the time of the destruction of community appeals for aid to Sanballat, a Samaritan ruler in Judea and residents. Thereafter many Jews migrated the Beis Hamikdosh but this time it was begged Ptolemy VI for permission to build to the Cohen Godol Yochanan ben Eliashiv, both of whom are mentioned to Egypt of their own accord because The Sword of Eisav: the Jewish governor to Alexandria who a Jewish temple in Egypt. For over two of the favourable condition for Jews in called in Roman troops to restore order, in the book of Nechemiah (2:19, 12:23) as living in the time of Daryavesh. centuries, the structure now known as the Under Roman Rule WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Egypt and the devastation that the wars leading to much bloodshed. The worst of Leontopolis Temple held services for the had wrought. The battle of Actium in 31 BCE ocially the uprisings came in 115 - 117CE while Jews of Egypt7, employing cohanim and ended Greek domination in the region Emperor Trajan was away at war in the In the city of Alexandria, the Jewish sacri cing animals! This temple was never and the Jews of Alexandria found east; three large Jewish communities community ourished. Of the ve districts legitimised by the sages and did not gain themselves subjects of a vast Roman across the empire were ravaged by of Alexandria, two were populated much popularity. The Jews of Alexandria

by a burgeoning Jewish community continued to send their tithes and to go GUNNAR BACH PEDERSEN who enjoyed a rich religious, political, on pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem economic, and intellectual life. They were whenever possible. Chonyo’s temple was able to choose their own ethnarchs and destroyed by Roman forces in 73 CE. to regulate their own courts and taxation. Tragically, the Jewish community of Josephus points out that being separated Alexandria would meet a grizzly end from the rest of the city allowed them with the slaughter of most of the 150 to practice their religion unhampered. 000 Jewish inhabitants at the hands of Tensions between the Samaritans and the the Roman army in the riots of 66CE and Jews occasionally rocked the community in the Kitos wars of 115-117 CE. and there was an isolated incident where an enraged Ptolemy ordered the heads of the community to death by elephant stampede. The elephants, however, Scene from the triumphal procession in panicked and the Jews were released; Rome following the destruction of the One of the Elephantine Papyri. The writer Adoniah, a representative second Temple in 69CE, from the Arch of a miracle that was commemorated of the Jewish community of Elephantine, writes to Bagoas, the Persian Titus in Rome. Half a century later, the forces annually. of Emperor Trajan would wipe out the Jewish governor to Judea for permission to rebuild their ‘temple’ which had community of Alexandria. been destroyed by rioting pagans. The letter is dated to the 17th year of During the persecutions of Antiochus IV whose Seleucid Greek regime dominated King Darius II which corresponds to 407 BCE. It is written in Aramaic, Israel, one cohen called Chonyo the son of the lingua franca of the Persian administration, in ksav ashuris. Shimon Hatzadik ed from Jerusalem and

36 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 37 MOHAMMED SHAMMA MOHAMMED Court Jews: the age return to Egypt of the Caliphs and return to Egypt

their gentile compatriots. Christian (Emperor Trajan) … At that time the horn Sultans historians8lay the blame for the uprisings (strength) of Israel was cut o, and it will The rule of the Fatimid Caliphate in on Jewish insurrection but our sources not return to its place until ben Dovid Egypt (969 - 1171 CE) was something of a MAIMONIDES indicate to the contrary. The pogrom (Moshiach) comes.” golden age for the Jews of Egypt, with the in Alexandria is described as an all-out exception of the latter half of the rule of Al IN EGYPT battle between the Greeks and the Jews Hakim. At this time, Jews were prominent HAKLAI YAIR Under Cross and View from a home in Old Cairo today. in the courts of the Caliphs as physicians, In 1166 the Rambam (Maimonides) arrived outside the city walls. When the Greeks The Coptic churches were replaced secretaries and ministers. Occasionally, in Egypt, having been forced to flee his were overcome, however, they retreated Crescent with domes and minarets when Egypt came under Muslim rule in 640 CE. Jews this aroused the envy of the court and native Spain in the face of a Muslim into the city itself where they proceeded It is interesting to note that early were tolerated though heavily taxed and we have at least one account of a Jewish extremist invasion. He settled in Fostat restricted under Muslim rule. to massacre the Jewish inhabitants Christianity rst spread in those areas master of nances who was driven out (which is old Cairo) where he gained of the city. The rioters also destroyed where there was a Jewish presence. renown as a physician and holy man of Christian and lost all his property under vizier Alexandria’s famous shul which would Devout pagan Egyptians took up learning. He was summoned to treat ideas to take root. After 313 CE when Al-Malik al-Afdal (1137). His Christian members of the family of Saladin only be rebuilt centuries later. Trajan Christianity enthusiastically, as well as successor tried to drive the Jews out of Christianity became the ocial religion (1169 - 93 CE), the famous Sultan then sent sadistic general Lusius Quietus other major cities in Syria and Asia Minor, the kingdom. of the Roman Empire, Rome’s relations who wrestled Palestine back from to put down the revolt, with terrible Greece and Italy. Either we can surmise with Egypt’s Jewish communities further In around 1160, Italian traveller the Crusaders. Maimonides was consequences for the remaining Jews of that the missionaries rst approached honoured with the title ‘Rais al deteriorated. The Church councils Benjamin of Tudela was in Egypt and Alexandria. The Talmud9 concludes, after their Jewish brethren, or else we can Umma’ which means ‘Head of the increasingly de ned Christianity in his report gives us an idea of the size of describing the shul’s magni cence: “And suggest that exposure to Judaism, to its the communities at this time. Relative Faith’ and it was in Fostat that he wrote his magnum opus, the Mishnah opposition to Judaism culminating in Torah as well as the more controversial Moreh Nevuchim - Guide to the who destroyed it? The wicked Trugainus ethics and law, prepared the ground for to its glorious past, the modest number the Justinian Code (529-534 CE) which Perplexed. The Rambam was also able to bring his political clout to bear of 3000 Jews in Alexandria and 2000 in established an inferior status for Jews, in aid of his people by removing the Karaites from the court and driving in law. Fostat/Cairo seems to point to a vanishing out the hated tax collector Zuta from office in 1189 CE. These events are community. Fostat, however, boasted a recorded in the Megillas Zuta that was written in 1196 by Avraham bar ALEXANDRIA AND With the Arab conquest of Egypt in 641 thriving yeshiva which is thought to have Hillel. When he died, Egyptian Jews observed three full days of mourning CE, the Treaty of Alexandria stipulated originated in the providential incident of and applied to his death the verse from the book of Shmuel: ‘The ark of THE SEPTUAGINT that Jews be allowed to remain in that the four captives. Four great Torah Sages Hashem has been taken’ (I Shmuel 4:11). Above his tomb in Teveriah, in city. A surviving letter10 relates that there had set out from Italy to collect funds but Israel, is the epithet that has been declared about the Rambam since Greek King Ptolemy II lived in the magnificent port city of Alexandria were 40,000 Jews in Alexandria at the were apprehended by the infamous pirate the Middle Ages: ‘From Moshe to Moshe there was none like Moshe’. in the third century BCE from where he fought a number of wars to time. The Pact of Umar in the 8th Century Ibn Rumahis and ransomed at a high price hold on to the province of Judea. He prided himself on the superior Maimonides/Rambam (1135 - 1204 CE) lived in Old Cairo and was also de ned in law an inferior status to four far-ung Jewish communities. accoutrements of culture in Alexandria and Josephus tells us that it was a physician in the household of the Sultan Saladin. It was in Egypt for the ‘dhimmi’, the non-Muslims who At Alexandria, Rabbi Shemariah ben that he wrote the Mishnah Torah and the Moreh Nevuchim. This it was this same Ptolemy who, in a bid to furnish his world-renowned were monotheistic. From that time on, Elchanan was redeemed and he settled in commemorative statue is in the old Jewish Quarter of Cordoba in Spain Alexandrian Library, ordered 70 Jewish Sages to come from Jerusalem and the welfare of the Jews of Egypt would Fostat where he headed the yeshiva and where the Rambam was born and spent his childhood. independently translate the Torah into Greek. This translation became depend on the extent and the severity of taught Torah. The Rambam, Rabbi Moshe known as the Septuagint, from the Latin word for seventy, ‘Septuaginta’. the enactment of the Pact of Omar. Jews ben Maimon, arguably the most famous The sages of the Talmud see this incident as a tragic one. So tragic, indeed, was also imprisoned and he promised to in Egypt maintained a community under of Jewish philosophers and halachists, A Purim Miracle in that an annual fast day on the date of its completion was declared. With execute all the leaders on that day. While these burdens and Rabbi Saadia Gaon lived and worked in Egypt from 1166 - hindsight, we can say that the Septuagint laid the foundation for the spread Egypt having a bath before the executions, one (822 - 942 CE) was one of the brilliant 1204 CE. of Christianity whose adherents would oppress the Jews for thousands Under the Marmelukes (1250 -1390 of the viceroy’s viziers attacked him and

scholars that came from Fayum, Egypt. He BROCKHAUS AND EFRON JEWISH ENCYLOPEDIA of years. In contradistinction, the Jews of Alexandria in Ptolemaic Egypt CE) the Jews had a quiet existence but the Pasha was forced to ee. Ahmed greeted the Greek translation of the Torah with jubilation. It allowed was driven out of Egypt when, as a young Pasha was caught and beheaded on the man, he courageously took a strong were exorbitantly taxed. In the 15th them to learn their Torah in their natural tongue and they held an annual century the Jewish communities were 28th of Adar and the Jews were released stand against the Karaite community celebration on the date of its completion! It is interesting that the second augmented by Jews eeing Spain who from prison. A second Purim salvation in Egypt, using his scholarship and wit oldest surviving copy of the Septuagint was found in the Egyptian town brought Torah scholarship back to the in the month of Adar was celebrated by to challenge their beliefs. The Karaites of Fouad. It is dated to the second century BCE and it has the name of Fostat yeshiva. The Turks came to power Cairo’s community for many generations. Hashem written in Hebrew letters, indicating it may have been used by were a Jewish sect who denied the in Egypt in 1517 and it was during the Egypt under the Turkish Ottoman the Jewish community there. authority of the Sages and the integrity reign of Suleiman II that the miracu lous Empire (1517 - 1867 CE) boasted small of the oral tradition. When they saw Ptolemy II of Egypt demanded that delivery of the ‘Cairo Purim’ came about. but prominent communities. According they couldn’t win the argument, they seventy elders come from Judea to When Ahmed Pasha, the viceroy of to Menashe ben Israel (1656) ‘The viceroy Alexandria to translate the Torah into ransacked his home and burned his Egypt, tried to seize power in a coup, of Egypt has always at his side a Jew with Greek. This fragment of the Septuagint is writings. He ed for his life to Palestine, a Jew denounced him to the Sultan the title of treasurer who gathers the dated to the first century BCE. The and was later summoned to head the who was in Constantinople. Hearing of taxes of the land...’ In the 16th Century, scroll was found in Israel and is a academy of Sura in Bavel. The famous this, the viceroy vented his rage on the such great luminaries as Rav Betzalel Greek translation from the Trei yeshiva ourished under his leadership Jewish community in Cairo: pillaging the Ashkenazi and Rav Chaim Vital studied in Asar/ Minor Prophets. Note how and his book ‘Emunos ve’Deos’ - ‘On Faith Jewish quarter and imprisoning twelve the Yeshivas of Egypt attracting students the tetragrammaton is not written and Philosophy’ greatly strengthened Shabbesai Zvi, the false messiah, a community leaders. Attempts to bribe the like Rav Yitzhak Luria (the Arizal). Perhaps in Greek but in palao Hebrew script. the conviction of Jews living amongst portrait from 1665. Shabbesai Tzvi WIKIMEDIA COMMONS lived in Cairo for two years and Pasha were met with fury: the delegation it was the pro ciency in kabbalah of these adherents of Christianity and Islam. married there.

38 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 39 Charity Reg No. 802559

One of the prized possessions of the Cairo Geniza: the oldest extant illustrated Hagaddah! Called the Ryland’s return to Egypt Hagaddah, it is now in the John Rylands University Library in Manchester WIKIMEDIA COMMONS MUSEUM | MET

yeshivas that made the community ripe contained ancient manuscripts, letters, UNGER ROLAND for the prevarications of Shabbesai Tzvi, books and documents that were primary the false messiah who was twice in Cairo evidence for Jewish life in Egypt over and lived there for two years (1660 - 62 the centuries. When the shul was being CE). It was there that he married the IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE LIVING beautiful but strange Sarah who had had renovated in 1880, the contents of the such a shady past. Naturally, his presence geniza were left out in the open in a huge created a great stir in Egypt. pile and in 1888 the 25,000 documents WITH DEMENTIA. REMEMBER JEWISH CARE and fragments were purchased by E.N. The Cairo Geniza, Adler, a book collector. Rabbi Solomon Shechter, then teaching in Cambridge The Eliyahu Hanavi Shul in Alexandria was a Shul with a Story twice torn down before being rebuilt in University, undertook to academically From the 1800s to the present, the the mid 19th Century. Today the Jewish Dementia doesn’t happen overnight. It happens in stages. Our specialist care teams are investigate the documents and to that Community has vanished and the Shul Jewish communities of Egypt have is like a museum, preserved by the declined from being some 25,000 strong end they were sent to Cambridge. The Antiquities Authority as a historic site, here for you at every stage of the journey. We can help people with dementia carry on living to only a handful of elderly people. Before Rambam lived only a short walk away testimony to the glorious past of the Jewish community in this town. they left, however, they renovated some from the shul and although he did not in their own homes, help you to look after your own loved ones, and even give them a place of the ancient and magni cent shuls and daven there (its members followed the to live in a special care home when the time comes. We connect people with dementia to took from them a priceless treasure: the rulings of the Talmud Yerushalmi while contents of the Cairo Geniza. A geniza is 1 Vayikra chapter 18:3 he followed the rulings of the Babylonian today called a ‘Sheimos box’, a place to 2 Devorim chapter 17:16. See Rabbeinu Bachya and the their past, to the community we share and to their treasured memories. So if you know Talmud) the geniza includes some Riva here for Halachic discussion on permissibility of living put any documents that are required in Egypt. by Halacha to be buried because they documents and letters in his own hand 3 Dating follows conventional historiography. For a full someone who is living with dementia and needs help, please remember Jewish Care. contain some holy writing or reference treatment of the subject of divergent Jewish traditional discussing his life and work. The earliest dating for the Persian period see ‘The Challenge of Jewish on it. The Ben Ezra Shul in Fostat/Cairo extant illustrated hagodo comes from History’ by Rabbi Alexander Hool, Mosaica Press 2014 4 Yirmiyohu chapter 43 REMEMBER OUR DEMENTIA CARE SERVICES. WE’RE HERE FOR YOU. was burnt down in 1012 CE on the orders the Cairo geniza in Egypt. Yes, the Jews of the Caliph al Hakim and when it was 5 Yechezkel chapter 29 of Egypt may have been physically living 6 Antiquities 12:1 rebuilt a few decades later, an unusually 020 8922 2222. in Egypt but each year they celebrated 7 Talmud Menachos 109b and Josephus, Wars of the Jews large two-storey geniza room was built VII:10 JEWISHCARE.ORG into it. When it was rediscovered by the freedom to live as Jews, even in the 8 Eusebius, ‘History of the Church’ 9 Yerushalmi 55a traveller Ibn Saphir in 1859 he realised it most unlikely of places. 10 Letter from commanding officer Amr ibn al-‘As to the Caliph

40 HAMAOR

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here was once a group of bochurim who wanted to visit the Mekomos Hakedoshim in northern Eretz Yisroel. One of them, who we will refer to as Shimon, volunteered to be Tthe driver. He planned the trip, calculating the most efficient route. When the day arrived, they left at the crack of dawn and Shimon began the long drive while his friends slept in the car. After a number of hours of driving they arrived in Tzfas. The boys woke up and were eager to begin. Shimon, however, was exhausted and he told them to go ahead while he took a quick nap, and he would catch them up later. The bochurim spent an inspiring few hours davening at all the famous kevorim but didn’t hear from Shimon. After three hours, it was time to begin the trip home, and so they returned to the car. To their shock, they discovered Shimon, still fast asleep in the car! He awoke with a start. All that remained for him to do at this stage was to drive his friends right back to Yerusholayim... ©SHULI SMUS INTERNALISING THE LESSONS OF PESACH Dayan Y Y Posen There is no Yom Tov in the calendar for which we prepare more than Pesach. The hours Federation and hours of hard work that many families put into preparing their homes sometimes leaves people ready to drop by the time we arrive at the beautiful Seder table and prepare to recite the Shehechiyonu brocho. Every Yom Tov has its own special kochos for us to absorb, its own special messages and lessons which we are meant to consider and internalise. Pesach is no exception. Unfortunately, however, many of us are like Shimon; we spend so much of our effort and strength getting ourselves to Yom Tov that by the time we get there we are too exhausted to be able to focus on the true purpose of all that work. Before we know it, Pesach has past us by, and we have missed the precious lessons and messages we were meant to receive, strengthening us for the months ahead. One of the biggest nisyonos of today’s generation is that people lack self-confidence and are insecure. The Yetzer Hora uses this to his advantage, telling us that we don’t matter and that we can’t and don’t make a difference, so we might as well not bother. The result is that people go through the motions, keeping the Torah and mitzvos externally, while internally the flames have been reduced to embers which are merely flickering.

42 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 43 RECURRING EXCUSES of nature. Rather, anything is possible and can be achieved, TAKE THE PLUNGE b’siyatoh d’shmayoh. In actual fact, this lesson is magnified when one bears in "קול The Medrash Raboh on the posuk in Shir Hashirim explains that this is referring to Moshe Rabeinu WHAT WAS SO SPECIAL ABOUT mind that the Oruch Hashulchon explains that this event took דודי הנה זה בא" when he came to Klal Yisroel to tell them that it was time place the very first Pesach after the destruction of the Beis for Hakodosh Boruch Hu to take them out of Mitzrayim. The BNEI BRAK? Hamikdosh. Imagine, the previous year they had brought of the five Tanoim their lambs to the Beis Hamikdosh and offered them up as - ’מעשה‘ - medrash lists a number of different versions of what happened. In the Hagodo, we recite the story Reb Yehuda says that Klal Yisroel challenged Moshe, that who were conducting their Seder in Bnei Brak and were so a Korbon Pesach. They had eaten them together with their it can’t be time to be saved, as Hashem had told Avrohom engrossed in their discussions that they ended up talking until matzah and moror and fulfilled the mitzva min Hatorah to Ovinu that Klal Yisroel would be in golus for 400 years, and daybreak. The question is obvious, surely many of our Godolim eat each one of them. And in contrast, now they sat in golus only 210 had passed. Moshe responded that since Hashem over the generations have spent Seder night deep in discussion with no Korbon Pesach, and the mitzva of moror reduced is so desperate to save us, He doesn’t get bogged down in on the matters of the Hagodo. Why does this particular event to a mitzva derabonon. At this stage, they would have had calculations. This is what the posuk means when it says that He get a special mention? every justification to lack the level of enthusiasm which they explains that if we analyse specifically would normally have had. However, the Tanna tells us, that זצ''ל He jumps over hills; He doesn’t let obstacles Rav Elyashiv - "מדלג על ההרים" is this is Klal Yisroel’s who these Tanoim were and their history, we will discover a even on this year, the gedolim did not despair nor did they SHEIMOS IN - "החודש הזה לכם" ,get in His way. Rather month to become free from the slavery of Paroh and Mitzrayim! common theme. question Hashem. They threw themselves wholeheartedly YOUR PESACH Reb Nechemya explains that Klal Yisroel’s question to Until he reached the age of 28, R’ Eliezer hadn’t merited into the avodas Hashem which came their way. Perhaps Moshe was that “How can we be worthy of being saved, when having the privilege of learning Torah. He didn’t even know because on a personal level they had managed to push aside CLEANING PILE? we have no merits?” Moshe replied, “Since He wants to save krias shema! Yet he grew up to become the great R’ Eliezer! the obstacles and ignore the fact that their situation looked you, he isn’t looking at your aveiros, rather He is looking at bleak, so too when it came to the communal level, they were Regarding , we are told in Meseches Kalloh of his First check if it needs geniza the maasim tovim of the tzadikim amongst you. R’ Tarfon able to overcome the after effects of the destruction of the Beis extreme wealth, yet he didn’t allow the normal requirements Hamikdosh and throw themselves entirely into their Torah and The Rabonon explain that the people questioned Moshe, that come with such wealth to distract him from his learning. “How can we be worthy of being saved, when Mitzrayim is full mitzvos to such a high level. tells us that דף כ''ח On the other hand, the gemoro in Brochos of our avoda zoroh?” Moshe Rabeinu answered, that since He Pesach is a time when everything is fast-tracked. One can lived in such abject poverty wants to save you, he “jumps over your aveiros”. R’Yehoshua ben Chanina grow spiritually to heights which would normally take years that the walls of his house were literally black; yet he focused to achieve. on his avodas hakodesh, and prevailed. FROM THE ABYSS TO THE PEAK But like in Mitzrayim, we first have to have emunoh - faith - R’ Akiva is well known for being ignorant still at the age We can see that since the birth of our nation, the Yetzer that Hashem can save us spiritually and physically in the blink of 40. When he finally decided to take the plunge, his wife Horah has tried to convince us on a communal and on a of an eye. We find that the posuk refers to our redemption www.federation.org.uk/sheimos-lgeniza suggested that he should go to school to learn how to read, personal level that we aren’t worthy of Hakodosh Boruch Hu’s from Egypt as comparable to a ride of a little eagle chick on alongside the little children. However, he was embarrassed as special love, care and holding hand. its mother’s back. Rashi explains that most birds hold their he thought they might laugh at him. She took a donkey which Our exit from Mitzrayim happened with incredible haste - young in their claws to protect them from birds of prey circling had a groove in its back, placed earth in the groove and sowed We weren’t even allowed to delay long enough for our above. However, the eagle flies higher than any bird. She only !בחפזון flowers in the earth. After a short while the flowers started matzah to become bread. Similarly, our Korban Pesach had has to protect them from the arrows of the hunter below, so growing. To the onlooker, it looked as though the donkey to be eaten b’chipozon (hastily), and it is just as well, as we she carries them on her back. So too Hashem took us out had a garden of flowers growing out its back. The first day were just saved in time, when we were at our lowest spiritual from Mitzrayim, protecting Klal Yisroel from the arrows of th she walked with it through the market, everyone came out to SHEIMOS BANKS point, on the 49 level of tumah. If we saw a Jew today who the chasing Egyptians. see this unusual spectacle. The second day, she again walked was so lost that he was on the 49th level of tumah, we would R’ Shimon Shwaab makes an observation on this medrash. be convinced that there was no possibility of saving him, he with it through the market and it attracted interest, but not NISHMAS OHR Any other bird which wants to transport her young simply has would be perceived as being too far gone. Yet in a mere 49 days as much as on the first. After a few days, her donkey almost didn’t get a second look. She turned to Akiva and said “You see, to pick them up from her nest with her claws. When it comes YISROEL YISRAEL Hakodosh Boruch Hu took us from the abyss and brought us 4 Brent Green 31-33 Theobald Str up through the madreigos, until we were at our peak, at Har however bizarre something might initially be perceived to be, to the eagle, she is not able to physically put them on her back. London NW4 2HA Elstree WD6 4RN Sinai receiving the Torah from Hashem personally. after a short period of time people become used to it”. Akiva She flies past the nest, as close as she can, and her young need got the message and went to school… until eventually he had to jump onto her back. Explains R’Shimon, Hakodosh Boruch he posuk tells us that we are told to supervise the baking thousands of talmidim of his own. He reached such a high Hu wants to soar with us to the skies, helping us achieve the of the matzos… YESHURUN SINAI level, the medrash tells us, that even Moshe Rabeinu himself impossible and beyond, exceeding our expectations and those Fernhurst Gardens 54 Woodstock Ave Edgware HA8 7PH London NW11 9SP For was jealous of him. around us; but there is one condition - we have to take the“ - "כי בעצם היום הזה הוצאתי את צבאותיכם מארץ מצרים“ T on that very day I brought your hosts out from the land of Finally, in the presence of such esteemed Torah giants, who first leap of faith. Mitzrayim.” The Sipornoh explains, the posuk is telling us that would be of a sufficiently high calibre to be suitable to be the Hashem is waiting to greet us with a warm, enveloping hug, “On that very day” Hashem achieved what by nature should For more information telephone 020 8202 2263 Nossi, the leader? R’ Elozor ben Azaria, an 18-year-old, like the father who is reunited with his long-lost son, he has have taken, far far longer. He moved approximately two million or email [email protected] who had a meteoric rise to prominence. men, women and children out of a huge country - in one day! been waiting for so long. He is ready to elevate us speedily, In order to show that just like Yetzias Mitzrayim was done with Explains Rav Elyashiv, The Tanna of our Hagodo is trying on this special Yom Tov of Pesach, but we have to ready A COMMUNITY SERVICE OF THE speed, faster than what can be achieved in the natural order of to convey an important lesson; that in Yiddishkeit anyone can and waiting. things; so too the creation of Klal Yisroel as a nation, and the achieve greatness, no matter how late one might start, or what future we have, is not one which will be confined to the laws handicaps one may have. Gut Yom Tov!

44 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 45 Rebbetzin Rena Lichtenstein is the A itri wt wife of Federation Rosh Beis Din, Dayan Yisroel Yaakov Lichtenstein shlita. Rebbetzin Rena Originally from the USA, she moved to London with her Lichtenstein family in 1988. by Judy Silko

Ou-o-tw Chegs shlita, the Rosh Beis Din of the II after spending nearly six years in hardship. But Rebbetzin Lichtenstein Federation, is a renowned expert Shanghai with the Mirrer Yeshiva. Rav recalls her grandparents as “honest It was a classic ‘you say to-may- in shechita and kashrus and has Kagan z”tl grew up in Rakov on the and upright, and an amazing to, I say to-mah-to’, American-in- overseen something of a sea-change Polish/Belarusian border, and was example of partnership in marriage England situation. Rebbetzin Rena in the London kehillah since the late encouraged to go out to learn by and sholom bayis.” Lichtenstein, newly arrived in London, 1980s. Rebbetzin Lichtenstein holds the Rav of the town, Rav Avrohom was trying to order cupcakes from a Growing up frum in the States at a highly-respected position in her Kalmanowitz z”tl, who later became local kosher bakery for her young that time was very dierent to what own right, as Teaching and Learning the Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir in New daughter’s birthday party and the it is today – Rebbetzin Lichtenstein Manager at the Side by Side school York. Learning first in the Baranovitch hapless shop assistant on the other and her sisters attended Jewish in Stamford Hill. yeshiva, then moving on to Kletzk end of the phone hadn’t the foggiest schools but the choice was limited. and finally the Mir, the influence of idea what a cupcake actually was. Rebbetzin Lichtenstein credits “There was one Jewish day school her willingness to uproot her family R’Kalmanowitz shaped his life and in “It’s a situation that probably in town,” she recalls. “Girls and boys from the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel, turn the lives of his children. wouldn’t happen today,” laughs studied together until 5th grade and determination to make the Rebbetzin Lichtenstein as she recalls (the age of ten) and after that the challenging move a success, to the the 29-year-old memory. “Nowadays learning was completely separate. upbringing she received in the home everyone knows what a cupcake is, I remember that my father used to of her parents, Rav Meyer Getzel but back then I tried several bakeries give a gemoro shiur to the 8th grade Kagan z”tl and Rebbetzin Miriam before giving up and calling a friend, boys, and I was very proud of that.” Kagan (nee Karlin) t”blct. who told me that a cupcake in (In fact, Rav Kagan’s students England was known as a ‘fairy cake’!” “It was very hard for me to tear myself included the young Noson Zvi away from Eretz Yisroel,” she says, The Anglo-American language Finkel, the future Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva, “But it was a real opportunity for my dierences may have led to z”tl, whom he was instrumental in husband, and my father in particular some amusing situations. But persuading to learn in Eretz Yisroel was very much of the opinion that the dierences between the sir a dlvrn K gan R v after high school). we should accept the position at the American-Israeli mentality that the After graduating elementary Federation. I learnt from my parents “My father zt”l engrained in all Lichtensteins and their children school, the young Rena moved on to that marriage is a partnership, and of us a love and appreciation had grown accustomed to after 18 the aptly named ‘Girls’ High School’ that it’s very important for a wife to of Torah and Yiddishkeit as the years in Eretz Yisroel, and the British- (now known as the Hanna Sacks Beis ensure that her husband is fulfilled most important thing,” remembers Jewish culture they were catapulted Yaakov High School, it was then the in his work. Of course, if a woman is Rebbetzin Lichtenstein. “He was a into when they arrived in the UK only one in town and was in fact working outside the home it’s equally man of strong principles and had the in 1988, was no laughing matter. started by Rav Kagan z”tl when his important for her to enjoy the work most unbelievable bitochon. It was Rebbetzin Lichtenstein describes the oldest daughter reached high school and to be fulfilled – but this isn’t her phenomenal. No matter what trials move to London as “challenging and age). At the age of 18, she took what main essence. My husband had been he faced, he was firm in his emunah at times uncomfortable”, arriving as was still an unusual step at the time, in learning for many years and I had that this was what Hashem wanted.” they did with a crew of small children traveling to Eretz Yisroel to attend the been supporting him in that, but we Rebbetzin Miriam Kagan tblc”t had generations aged between the ages of two and ‘machal’ (chutz l’aretz) programme at both knew it was time to give back to moved to the USA between World nine, whose first language was the Michlalah college in Bayit Vegan the kehillah. You go where and when Wars I and II. Her father, a talmid Ivrit, into a community where they – then only in its second year. One it works for both of you and that’s chochom who had learnt and taught had no close family members and year turned into three however, as what we did.” in yeshivos in Europe, took up a few acquaintances. she decided to stay on after the job as a painter when he arrived overseas programme concluded. Despite the early diculties, fast- Ea l Leos i Emn in America – because it was a role She enrolled in the college’s Special forward nearly three decades and Rebbetzin Lichtenstein was born in that would not require him to work Education programme, established the Lichtensteins are an important Chicago, Illinois, the second of four on Shabbos. At that time, house- at the behest of her and a few and established part of the daughters. Her father had arrived in painting was seasonal work; money a message for fellow students. community in North West London. the States at the end of World War was scarce and there was economic Dayan Yisroel Yaakov Lichtenstein

46 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 47 A Voa i r Chl h  with us had a strong environment in the move to Side by Side in Stamford which to learn and thrive. Some of Hill. Here, she works mainly with the A COMMUNITY SERVICE OF THE ?ארץ ישראל Education was a field that Has your supermarket delivered fruit or veg from the boys spoke only Yiddish, some Rebbetzin Lichtenstein had long over-barmitzvah age boys, both in spoke Ivrit – but the school grew and .מעשרות and תרומות had an interest in. Teaching was the mechina (ages 13-16) and mesivta Before eating, you must take flourished and still exists today.” in her blood – her father, though a (16-19) divisions. How to use: “It’s a great sta and a wonderfully businessman, was a Torah teacher O t Ote Si  o t Po  PREPARING THE FOOD Separate slightly more than 1% of the edible part of the produce. Each type at heart, and her mother had taught supportive environment to work in,” of food (eg avocados, potatoes) needs to be maasered separately. WARNING: ensure you don’t separate Rebbetzin Lichtenstein remained one grade ahead of her in school she says, “We really feel as if we are less than the required amount. at the helm of Limudei Hashem until for as long as she could recall. But it making a dierence.”  1984, when her fourth child was Text ‘MAASER’ to 07800 006 913 to receive one-o permission to use the Federation’s coin. was a fondly-remembered children’s Text again each time that you repeat the separating procedure. born and she decided to go part- book about dierent professions that A P
oei – No  Ca  time, taking on a consultancy role  DECLARATION Upon receiving con rmation from MaaserText, make the following first ignited her spark of interest in Despite the impressive resume at the school. This continued until declaration: special needs education. spanning over thirty years of 1988 when the call came from the ”כָּל הַהַפְרָשׁוֹת שֶׁל תְּרוּמוֹת וּמַעֲ שׂרוֹת וְחִלוּלֵי מַעֲשֵׂ ר ,professional development “As a little girl, I loved to read,” Federation to move to London. she smiles. “My sisters and I were Rebbetzin Lichtenstein says she שֵׁ נִי וּרְבָ עי יָחוּלוּ בָּזֶ ה כַּדָּ ת כְּמוֹ שֶׁ כָּתוּב בְּ נֻסָח שֶׁ ל בֵּ ית At the time, Rebbetzin Lichtenstein always going to the library. I clearly never considered herself to be a הַדִּין שֶׁל הַפֶדֶרֵישָ ׁן וּלְפִי הַתְּ נָאִים שֶׁ ל בֵּית הַדִּ ין.“ knew very little of the British Jewish remember a series of books that we ‘career woman’. community (“I had heard that “I hereby designate the required Terumos and Maasros, according to the Federation Beis read in elementary school about more people drank cholov Yisroel “At the end of the day, I worked ‘people at work’ – there was a Din’s nusach, and I hereby redeem any Maaser Sheni and Revai onto the coin that has been milk than in the States, and that to support my husband in learning, fireman, a vet – and one book about set aside for this by the Federation Beis Din in accordance with the Beis Din’s nusach, and the the houses were pretty small by and then to support our family,” she a teacher in a special classroom. terms of usage of the coin.” American standards,” she laughs). explains. “The reality of life is that It really grabbed my interest and  The small amount of food separated, which is now Teruma and Terumas Maaser, should be well wrapped and thrown away. At her farewell party, she recalls most families these days will need stayed with me.” The rest of the produce may now be eaten. overhearing a couple of Mancunian two incomes to survive.” and may not be separated on Shabbos or Yom Tov. Separating and does not alter any Shemitta-related מעשרות תרומות מעשרות תרומות On returning to the States from kollel wives musing that ‘London isn’t Rebbetzin Lichtenstein’s main restrictions. Please visit www.federation.org.uk for an up-to-date list of produce which has Shemitta restrictions. Eretz Yisroel, Rebbetzin Lichtenstein that bad’, so it’s hardly surprising that philosophy when it comes to this moved to New York where she she took leave from Yerushalayim topic, is that wherever women are For more detailed instructions visit www.federation.org.uk continued her studies, earning both with more than a little sense of working outside the home, it’s crucial or email [email protected] a BA in Speech and Language and For questions or further information text ShailaText on 07860 017 641 trepidation! But an ‘out of towner’ by for that work to be fulfilling, enjoyable TEXT MAASER TO 07800 006 913 a Masters in Special Education, all birth, she knew how to make the best and meaningful to them. MaaserText operates in conjunction with Keren Hamaasros of England rate standard network provider’s your at charged *Texts לע“נ ר‘ שלמה דוד בן ר‘ משה וינגרטן ז“ל the while teaching kodesh at Beis of it and spent the first year on British “I wanted a profession where I Yaakov of the Bronx. Once qualified, shores helping her children settle in could feel that I was giving back she spent a year teaching at the to school and make friends. renowned Chush School in Brooklyn; and doing chesed,” she says. “That’s Yet the field of Jewish Special why even though I have a college the first charedi special needs school Education in London was already to open in the States. degree, I always chose to work within waiting for her – barely two months the kehillah. But my first priority after her arrival she ran into Mrs A Pin i Edcto was always to my husband and my Ruth Deutsch, then head of Binoh, in children. When my kids were little I In 1978, Rena Kagan married the supermarket. “I’ve heard about shaped my work around their needs R’Yisroel Yaakov Lichtenstein and you!” she exclaimed. “Would you be and worked around their hours.” they returned to Eretz Yisroel, where interested in coming to work for us?”. she remained in the education sector, Binoh, it transpired, had also been Today, Rebbetzin Lichtenstein working at first for Chinuch Atzmai. established by Rabbi Dr Fried, and watches the young wives, mothers Just a few months later however, she Rebbetzin Lichtenstein’s reputation and indeed Rebbetzins in her received a call from Rabbi Dr Aharon had preceded her. By the time her kehillah from a vantage point of Hersh Fried, the founder of Chush in then-youngest child (and first native many years’ experience, working on New York. He was planning to set up Brit!) was a year old, she was working three continents and raising a family a similar school in Yerushalayim, he for the organisation, and stayed with on two. The main message she feels DELIVERING CREATIVE told her – and he wanted her to run it. them for the next 24 years. it’s vital to convey is that women “I agreed!” she recalls simply. “We “I started out teaching Jewish should “believe in themselves.” opened the school, called Limudei Studies but the role evolved over “Everyone is dierent and everyone SOLUTIONS TO Hashem-Magen Avraham, in 1979, the years,” she explains. “I worked has dierent talents and kochos,” starting the year with three students in teacher training, in a schools’ she says. “You must give what you and ending it with more than 20.” advisory role, and in on-site units can give and know where to draw COMPLEX PROBLEMS Like its predecessor Chush in the from pre-primary to post-secondary the line; everything in life needs a USA, Limudei Hashem was the first age.” balance. But ultimately, if you are charedi special needs school in Eretz Rebbetzin Lichtenstein’s years at true to your ideals and do what you Yisroel, catering for boys from cheder Binoh encompassed the transition can for yourself, your family and your age until barmitzvah, with the aim of to Norwood and saw many changes kehillah, you will be transmitting the eventually mainstreaming some of in the field of Special Education. “I right hashkofos to your precious them back into a regular classroom. am proud of the work I did there,” children.” TAX SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESS ADVISORY IT STRATEGY “We mainstreamed around 25 she says. As indeed, her grandparents and percent of the boys,” recalls the Nevertheless, three years ago, she parents did for her and her sisters so Rebbetzin, “and those who remained felt ready for a change, and made many years ago in Chicago. 0203 841 7010 fusionconsult.co.uk /fusionconsultuk /fusionconsultuk fusionconsultuk

48 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 49 Rebbetzin Eva Chapper L RECIPESRECIPESPesac i on o m favour fesval. Sede nigh i suc  spirua uplifn a we a fu even tha w do’ noc ho lat th hou i an ou guest ofte retur yea afte yea t experienc th tast o frdo . Durin Cho Hamoe m childre n  constan om su l om o homemadee bake g d an yo neve kno wh wi tur u a th d . M 12-yea-ol so i m bakin companio an h make sur tha I k thethekitchenkitchenof...of... REBBETZINSREBBETZINSt m schedul.  e she pil u an th sme o romrom freshl bake almon biscu an chocolat chi c kie FF fi th hous. Brownie ar alway popula an ca b enjoye a  deer w som vani ic-crea o a  Rebbetzin Aviva Landau te-m snac. Rebbetzin Shoshana Tugendhaft L i recip come fro m grea-grandmothe. He Choc Chip Cookies L RECIPES famil wer chaidis an woul onl gebrocht Make a roximatel fou doze. T m, ci
amo ba ar closel boun u w Pesac o th las da o Pesac . e woul hos  hug Easil mad b han nostalgi: th aroma sme, th chew textur, th no-t - kius a thei hom an m grea-grandmothe sw trea fo sasfyin th nos craving o fo servin w woul c  u a enormou batc o ‘bobelac ’ - 2 cups sugar lemo te afte th mea . I m yout , the wer sho bough frie cake mad w matza mea . 2 eggs i sma quane bu a  mothe I wa delighte t fin om e Bobelac ar serve ho an di e int  mixtur 1 cup oil the coul b easil mad a hom, fa mor economica! N o suga an ci
amo. I tr t connu th 2 teaspoons vanilla extract/essence mae ho man batche I mak, the fl o thos rack s famil tradio b makin the a leas onc 450g ground almonds fas tha I hav t hid the awa i sma seale bag t REBBETZINS durin Pesac . Mor importantl, th eight da 1 cup potato flour or 2/3 potato flour with 1/3 cup cocoa deligh everyon w late! of... o Pesac ha becom a importan da fo ou 1 cup chocolate chips famil t shar w other. kitchen Preheat the oven to 180°c the  measurement i th recip ar extremel Cinnamon Balls rom a roximat an shoul b prepare w heap b make abou 15 Rebbetzin Aviva Zobin o lov. Mix the first three ingredients and add the two teaspoons F of vanilla 175g ground almonds 75g caster sugar L Stir in the ground almonds, potato flour (and cocoa if using) with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon i recip ha becom m Pesac standar Bobelach the chocolate chips becaus  neve fail, an yield lot o perfec 2 egg whites 2 cups of matzah meal Use a tablespoon to shape into balls and place on a baking tray. blintze tha ca b use i  variet o recipe. oil, for greasing Us the thinl cu a sou lokshe, o fi 1 egg Be sure to leave enough space between each cookie to allow icing sugar, for dredging the w  fiin o potat/ chicke/ mince 1 cup ground almonds them to spread as they bake. b mea o whateve els yo hav o han. es 1-2 cups water Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. blintze frz we an ca b adapte fo Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Grease a baking sheet. chs o charose blintze b substun th b Mix together the ground almonds, sugar and cinnamon. Whisk sal fo suga. Mix, shape into balls and shallow fry in oil on each side. the egg whites until they begin to stiffen and fold enough into the Dip into sugar and cinnamon as they come out the pan. almonds to make a fairly firm mixture. Best Pesach Brownies Wet your hands with cold water and roll small spoonfuls of the Never Fail Blintzes Sheets 2 cups sugar mixture into balls. Place these at intervals on the baking sheet. 24 eggs 4 eggs Bake for approximately 15 minutes in the centre of the oven. They 2 tsp salt 1 cup oil should be slightly soft inside - too much cooking will make them ½ cup oil 1/2 cup cocoa hard and tough. 2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt Slide a palette knife under the balls to release them from the baking 2 cups sifted potato starch 3/4 cup potato flour sheet and leave to cool. Sift a few tablespoons of icing sugar on to 1/2 cup ground nuts b 1 teaspoon vanilla essence a plate and when the cinnamon balls are cold slide them on to the Whisk eggs salt and oil until well blended. In a (1/2 cup chocolate chips optional - but recommended!) plate. Shake gently to completely cover the cinnamon balls in sugar separate container mix potato starch and water and store in an airtight container or in the freezer. and then blend both mixtures. Ladle out a small b amount to cover a heated oiled crepe pan. I Preheat the oven to 180°c usually use two pans to get faster results. They get Beat the sugar and eggs until thick, then add the remaining done in 2 minutes, and need to be turned over for ingredients in the order given. 1-2 minutes longer. Pour into a greased 9”x12” pan and bake for 45 minutes.

50 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 51 Shalom Bayis can sometimes be hard work.

Our community prides itself on the Jewish Women’s Aid is a national charity, and the only organisation in the UK which deals specifically strength of its family values, where with the needs of Jewish women and their children who are facing this situation. Shalom Bayis is the ideal. All of our services are completely free. We offer a Helpline, 9.30-9.30 Mon-Thurs (apart from Yomtov), But there’s only so much that one which is completely anonymous and confidential person can do. When faced with so you can talk freely to someone who will believe you, and care. We have refuge provision across the aggression, shouting, constant UK, ensuring a safe, kosher home for women and children to live in if they need it. Our professional criticism or belittling, the impact on staff offer practical and emotional support for as long as it is needed, and they can advise on safety, Shalom Bayis can be enormous, and By Rochel Grunewald and legal and financial matters. Our highly-trained s Miri stepped through “The boys are in bed,” he said “Sounds interesting.” counsellors help women regain their peace of mind. very frightening. the door, she shed helpfully. “And – er – Esther’s on her “It was. But cold. You’d think the And our specialist children’s worker helps children her pu y purple way there.” weather would be warming up by rebuild trust in relationships and themselves. Ahandbag, her leopard- “Thanks.” The heels were killing now.” Miri’s mouth tightened into a Jewish Women’s Aid is here to help print jacket, and her professional and they weren’t even that high. hard, straight line. “And that brings us If you are experiencing this, you don’t need to deal photographer’s persona. She’d spent the day traipsing around to the disaster, doesn’t it?” you and your children. with it alone. We can help. “This – is – disastrous!” London Zoo after all; moderate heels “The weather?” were certainly the way to go. “Sorry my “What?” Aaron emerged from the Sometimes she wondered whether work went on so late. The elephants living room, navigating between Aaron genuinely didn’t get it, or was weren’t in the mood for posing. And Playmobil dustbin lorries and a trying to change the subject. “No! the lioness was lazy as anything. fascinating selection of dustballs, torn- Not the weather! Springtime. Pesach! Couldn’t get her to stand up for all the Get help [email protected] up wads of tissues and sweet wrappers. Cleaning. And shopping, and cooking, cameras in England.” Miri rolled her The boys believed that even make- and clothes, and hosting, and cleaning! eyes. This was her biggest job yet, and Helpline 0808 801 0500 believe characters deserved some real And just look at the state of this house! she should be thrilled that her private mess in their lives. Hmm, now what What are we going to do?” did that say about their upbringing? photographer’s business had grown to the extent that she was being sought “This house,” Aaron pronounced Miri groaned in response. JWA supports Jewish women and their children out by the Zoo to take the photos for mildly, “is not that bad.” affected by domestic violence and abuse: Helpline • its revamped website. She looked around helplessly. It Advocacy & Support • Refuge • Counselling • Specialist wasn’t, for a regular night, but for two Children’s Worker • Education • Campus Outreach • Training Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 53 PO Box 65550, London, N3 9EG Registered Charity Number 1047045 A M acle f M i A M acle f M i and a half weeks to Pesach it certainly the cold dreariness as they’d toys in the chest clean the shelves eyes as she began a second, thorough was. “But… when I have so much on been yesterday. Or worse. in the corner and with these wipes. clean of the bathroom floor. There was this week, and the zoo wants some At least she was home before anything you’re not All of them. And the work to do. more shots within the next two days, the children today. And Miracle sure about in this box floors... and windows. Oh, we’ll Bedikas Chometz night arrived, the and we haven’t even started –” had been and gone. Miri looked over here – I’ll sort it wash the curtains as well, throw them smell of horseradish and wax drips “We haven’t started supper, that’s at the floors. Still crumb-strewn as out later.” in the machine.” and potatoes and fresh orange juice. what we haven’t started. And you ever. Maybe Miracle had only had time probably haven’t eaten since breakfast. for the windows? She would have liked to stay a Miracle nodded and her earrings Miri cooked and spiced and cooked while, see what was happening, and clinked to the beat, quick and eager. and chopped and cooked, enjoying There’s pizza, come eat.” But no, the windows were streaky the crispness of the neat silver-foil She followed him into the kitchen, and fingerprinted, just as when she if Miracle really did work any miracles Today it was all going to work out still talking in monosyllables. “Pizza. rooms had left in the morning. of her own. But she had an early job fine. covering every surface. Miracle had you’ll today – an upsherin, as it happened, done it, but Miri spotted that she’d used Crumbs. Sticky chometz. We’re never In the kitchen, she found the mop find carpet Miri had time to send the kids gonna get there.” and bucket, prominently placed. A and they wanted to start with pre- the roll from the chometz’dik, crumb- shampoo in the cupboard under o to school and sit down to a cup “We will.” kettle that had long cooled stood haircut poses. covered old pack of foil, so the whole the stairs, together with the Hoover. of co ee before setting o on foot on the counter adjacent to the floor thing had had to be redone. The light Miri sank down into a chair and You’ll vacuum first, of course. But for Her camera was full of golden- to the local tzedoko organisation’s squeezed her eyes shut. “What I need,” cleaner. Propped up carefully between fixtures were brightly cleaned, though. Passover, you know, we like it to be blonde ringlets (why is it always the headquarters. Prior to Pesach, she she announced, “is a miracle.” them was a note: Miracle had promised to do them, but absolutely perfectly clean.” boys with the most adorable curls?!) was going to provide the photography only managed one when she’d been It was less than twelve hours later, Miracle beamed again. Every smile Emgency ca.Back tomow. when Miri entered her house once for their latest appeal campaign. The called away on an emergency of early the next morning, when the was a thousand-watt for her, no half- Miri sighed. The mop was out again. Miracle was gone, it seemed. doorbell rang. Insistent. Once, twice, soup kitchen, the food packages, the chuckles or little winks. Well, Miri liked anyway; she may as well see to Miri started up the stairs to the boys’ some kind. Unable to stand the half- a third time. cramped oces and huge piles of a cleaner who didn’t believe in half- it herself. room. A breeze wafted out at her. It done look, Miri had taken an hour boxes sent o each Erev Shabbos, Miri stumbled down the stairs, measures. “Me, I know Passover,” she She almost wondered if Miracle was cool... no, it was cold! What was o to clean all her light-bulbs, in the clicked open the latch, and gaped. all to be snapped and tweaked and announced. “Don’t you worry, Mrs would be back the next day. But bright going on? whole house while she was at it. You The woman was tall and broad, with Miri. I know Passover like you know and early came the jangle of beaded developed as part of the fundraising never know where crumbs could get In the bedroom, she soon found out. sun-drenched skin. She wore looping squishing your toes into those high- bracelets and the incessant peal of advertisement. Another long day, but to after all… gold-and-feather contraptions for heeled spiky things.” The windows were thrown open. at least it was close to home. the doorbell. The toy cupboard was another earrings. She sported layers of shawls Wide. Apparently, Miracle needed Miri gaped. She plastered a smile to her face and When she left, Miracle was humming Miracle almost-disaster and another and skirts, reminiscent of rainbows. “No good for the little toes,” Miracle opened the door. a good air flow to work. At least she under her breath and she could feel a She had clogs on her feet. And a duster late night of Miri’s. And the sofas. And added sagely. “Me, I wear these clogs. “Me, I am back!” Miracle informed had – worked, that is. The floors breeze creeping through the house. in her hand. the breakfront. And the stairs. Every day. Made to measure, they are, her, beaming ear-to-ear. “I will were spotless, and when Miri pushed But that meant work was getting done, Miri’s eyes darted to the duster. To Aaron plopped down on a carefully- bought them in Holland. I’ve travelled continue with the floors?” the beds away from the wall, it so it was good news. the twinkling, dark-chocolate eyes. scrubbed chair – Miri’s handiwork, of in my day!” No apologies. No nothing. seemed to have been vacuumed out And back to the duster. Miracle was leaving when she course. “See? We made it!” He wore a Miri recovered. “I see, lovely. Now, Miri stared. underneath. The old clothes boxes “Who – are you?” she asked cautiously. returned. “All done, Mrs Miri!” look of smug victory. “Just a matter of on to the windows...” “Well, what are you waiting for?” were suspiciously light, though. And She would have liked to check that a cleaning lady and some time! Didn’t The woman beamed like she had a She left to the zoo with the words Miracle barrelled past her, into the the beds were empty. Where were all you say you just needed a Miracle?” He secret to tell, and she knew she had all the windows, all the floors, freshly-cleaned kitchen. Aaron had the toys, books, stray socks – for herself, but seeing as Miracle the full, rapt attention of her audience. playing in her mind to the tune of done all the windows last night, and was already halfway out of the door chuckled, enjoying the play on words. “Me?” She said conspiratorially. “I With a sudden flash of suspicion (or Humpty Dumpty. she’d channelled all remaining energy she didn’t think she stood much of a “Some cleaning lady. Some miracle!” am Miracle.” intuition), Miri ripped o the plastic at 10pm to see to the carpets. Upon chance. And once she sat down, there But apparently, all the Miracles in cover of the box she had hastily But somehow, with the house Miracle breezed in that day, nodded the world couldn’t put her house back sning closely, she’d realized they was no standing up again for a good designated as the ‘not-sure’ box. glowing and fresh and clean, and airily in Aaron’s direction, packed the together again when they were done. were already shampooed. Maybe. half-hour – not after all those hours boys o to the corner of the playroom And there it was, all of it. The entire the sense of satisfaction spreading Miri staggered home. It was In any case, she wanted them done on her feet, in wedges today. (“And there you will make your mess, contents of the floor, under the beds, through her limbs, she found she barely 4pm, but today it had rained properly before she went to bed. nowhere else!”) and proceeded to and most of the old clothes – there, for So it was only much later on that she could hardly bring herself to feel incessantly, and the weather combined “No – not floors!” Miri found her follow Miri on a guided tour of her found the main bathroom, sparkling angry. In fact, as she looked around with the mud of the zoo combined tongue too late, hurrying after Miracle. her perusal and entertainment. cleaning supplies. clean save for a trail of crumbs leading with her heels (her lowest “Here – see – we’re doing today She dropped to the floor and sighed. and saw that it had really happened, “So this is the mop and bucket, to the bin. Apparently, Miracle had pair! She’d tried her best!) something else.” She struck around It would be a long night. somewhere between then and now, and oh the kettle so you can hadn’t made for easy for inspiration. “Today, we’re, um – decided to eat her cheese-and-onion she realized something else. fill it up with hot water, and Morning number three, she had a walking. Her wig was cleaning the kids’ rooms!” bagel lunch while on the job. She had done it. Really made Pesach, under the sink you’ll job Miracle couldn’t possibly mess up. a disaster, despite the Upstairs, Miri dragged out old cases find floor cleaner, I Oh, and the curtains were carefully managed the cleaning- waterproof of clothes from under the beds. “The bathrooms,” she informed the like to put just a little placed in the washing cooking marathon and hood. And cleaning woman grimly, wielding into the bucket for an “These need to be sorted, refolded. machine – which made it in good time the animals the bathroom mop and anti-bacterial extra shine. And Anything too worn out to wear again, wasn’t switched on. too. Maybe… just were just that’s the kitchen, put in a pile for me to see to. Then you wipes. “The bathtubs. The surfaces. as non- Miri fetched the maybe… she had had but for the other can vacuum under the beds, clean And the cupboards. Empty them all, compliant in her miracle, after all. windows, and tidy the floor. Put their throw out anything nearly empty, mop and rolled her

54 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 55 1 THE DAILY GRIND 3 The next step is to break down the pure beef into ground form for producing the perfect Vienna, frankfurter or American-style hot dog. Gilberts’ manufacturing plant puts out around 100 tons of cooked product a month, and these fearsome looking machines get the process started. Two interlocking blades spin at 3000 revolutions per minute, evaporating any gristle, fat or bone that may have been introduced. It is clear to see that only high quality lean beef is used in the manufacture of They’re a perennial favourite these products. at barbecues and children’s birthday parties, and a lot of harried mothers will be CHOP CHOP From the mincer, the beef is fed directly into the ‘bowl chopper’ serving them up for supper – an even deadlier piece of equipment comprising six large KEEPING THINGS COOL rotating knives turning at high speed inside a revolving bowl. in the run-up to Pesach, but Gilberts take health and safety requirements very seriously The minced beef is drawn into the chopping action of the have you ever wondered about (as reflected by their top level technical accreditation from knives, where is it broken down further into a paste, and mixed the British Retail Consortium) – and so the very first step in with high quality seasonings. The chopped and seasoned meat the origins of the frankfurter the manufacturing process takes place in the ‘intake fridge’ – is then fed into a further system where two inter-locking blades where a temperature probe is employed to ensure that all spin at 3,000 revolutions per minute blending the mix to a on your dinner plate? Hamaor beef has been maintained at the correct temperature before smooth uniform consistency. production begins. takes a visit to the factory floor 2 of Gilberts Kosher Foods, to 4 find out what goes into the 6 COOKED TO PERFECTION making of the humble hot dog. Around 400kg of hot dogs are cooked at one time on these dedicated cooking racks. Over a period of 75 minutes they are Hint: it’s more dried, roasted, smoked and steamed to perfection. complicated than you’d imagine! inside the SAUSAGE SURROUNDS PEEL AND COOL The sausage meat is now ready for cooking. It’s fed into special After the cooking, comes the peeling… the outer casing is sausage casings – surrounding the inner skin we are all familiar removed from the hot dogs leaving the familiar pink viennas with from the hot dogs on our dinner tables, is this special T behind. This finished product is cooled and brought down to casing that allows the product to be cooked safely in Gilberts’ F the correct temperature. industrial ovens. AC 5

Y METAL FREE ZONE ON THE ROAD O The cooled and peeled The finished hot hogs are then R hot dogs are then laid into carefully boxed into export- high-speed continuous quality cardboard cartons, A peek into the world of Gilberts Kosher Foods sealing machines, where each box bearing the product Gilberts Kosher Foods started life as Gilberts Food Technology, a small they are vacuum-packed or details and all the necessary gas-flushed before passing veterinary traceability information butchers’ shop in North Finchley selling fresh meat and a limited range of through metal detection demanded under EU law. The cooked products. It was sold and acquired in its current incarnation in 1996, tunnels. Although the mincers cartons are then palletised and and choppers have done the despatched to supermarkets when it began manufacturing from a state-of-the-art purpose built factory job of breaking down all the and independent kosher grocery in Milton Keynes. Forty sta are employed at the Gilberts plant, the vast animal products thoroughly, stores around the UK and Europe. majority of whom have been working there for many years. The KF brands this final check is crucial to Gilberts’ food service operations ensure that there is no foreign have seen enormous growth manufactured on site include Blooms and Gilberts, and Gourmet Mehadrin matter present. over the last few years. and Chicago Best, which are KF Mehadrin. 7 8

56 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 57 Kids 2 Have a go at answering our quiz questions and impress your friends with these amazing Egypt facts!

8 NILE FUNCTIONS funfactsLife in ancient Egypt was 1 egypt 1 UPPER 3 totally dependent on the Nile & LOWER 4 river. Can you think of at least You’ll notice four different things that the that Upper river provided? Egypt is in the SOUTH and Lower 9 GOSHEN IN MOTION Egypt is in the NORTH! doesn’t only go through valley. The ancient Egyptians, When the Jewish people came Why is this? CLUE think of the Egypt though, it goes through however, called it Aur, meaning to Egypt they settled in a place way the river Nile is flowing. Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, the ‘black’. Why do you think they called Goshen. How do we know Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, called it such a funny name? that this place was in the Nile 2 PAPYRUS PUZZLE Ethiopia and Uganda before Think of what happened when Delta, that green triangle right The papyrus plant grew in it gets to Egypt. For many the river overflowed its banks for at the top of the map, where the abundance on the banks of centuries people tried to find out five months each year... Nile splits up into many different the Nile in ancient Egypt. It was where the Nile began. Now they streams? CLUE what was their used for food, for making ropes, know it starts in two different 7 PHARAOHS OF FAME profession? boats and shoes. Its stems were places: one river in Ethiopia Each Pharaoh had at least five soaked and laid out criss-cross and one in Uganda which join different names! But they all over each other to make long up and flow into Egypt. How also got the name Pharaoh scrolls to write on. What modern many countries does the Nile which means ‘great house’. word comes from the word flow through? Why do you think they were papyrus? called Pharaoh? 5 I SPHINX SO 3 MITZRAYIM OF OLD A sphinx is a made-up creature Egypt is called Mitzrayim in with the body of a lion and the 5 Hebrew. The name Mitzrayim is head of a human or another from the Hebrew word ‘meitzar’ animal. The pharaohs of ancient 9 meaning narrow straits, a Egypt had giant sphinxes made narrow place from which you with a likeness of their head can’t escape. Why is this a on them. What do you think

perfect name for this land? this symbolised?

Our forefathers were shepherds, they requested the green pasture land of the Delta. the of land pasture green the requested they shepherds, were forefathers Our 9 irrigation

Food, drink, transport and and transport drink, Food, 8 palace a in lived He 7

around the river, mineral rich and good for planting. planting. for good and rich mineral river, the around 4 The flooding brought thick black mud to the areas areas the to mud black thick brought flooding The 6 power and royalty represent Lions 5 Nine 4

country country MILES OF NILE 6 NILE NAMES

With harsh deserts on both sides of the Nile, all the cities are along the river, a long narrow narrow long a river, the along are cities the all Nile, the of sides both on deserts harsh With 3 Paper 2

sea sea The Nile is 6650 km long, the We call it the River Nile, from the

The south of the country is more mountainous and higher than the north, river runs up in to the the to in up runs river north, the than higher and mountainous more is country the of south The 1 Answers longest river in the world! It Greek word ‘neilos’ meaning

58 HAMAOR Pesach 5777 / April 2017 HAMAOR 59 65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQ | Tel: (+44) 020 8202 2263 | Fax: (+44) 020 8203 0610 E-mail: [email protected] | Website: www.kfkosher.org 11859 This form should be completed and handed over or delivered to the Beis Din before Friday 7th April 2017 SHAILOS SENT TO SHAILATEXT POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR THE SALE OF CHOMETZ I, the undersigned, fully empower and authorise Dayan M D Elzas to act in my place and stead and, on my behalf, to sell any Chometz possessed by me (knowingly or unknowingly) up to and including Monday 10th April 2017 at 11.36am including any food in respect of which there is a doubt or possibility that it might contain Chometz, and all kinds of Chometz mixtures, and to lease all places wherein the Chometz owned by me is stored and found, especially in the premises specified below, or elsewhere. Dayan M D Elzas has full authority to sell or lease all Chometz and all places wherein the Chometz owned by me is found, by any transaction in any manner which he deems fit and proper, and for such time as he believes necessary, in accordance with the detailed terms and conditions set out in the agreed Contract or Sale which he will draw up. This authorisation is made a part of that Contract. I also give Dayan M D Elzas power and authority to appoint any proxy he deems fit in his place, with full power to sell or lease as provided herein. The above-given powers are to be exercised in conformity with all Torah and Rabbinical regulations and laws, and also in SHO’ALIM USING THE SERVICE accordance with the laws of the country. 2280 And to this I hereby affix my signature on this ...... day of ...... 2017

Name ...... RABBONIM IN THE Address ...... SHAILATEXT TEAM ...... City ...... Postcode ...... 5776 Signature ...... Witness ...... 2016 Exact location of Chometz within the above premises ...... TAMMUZ ......

5 SHOALIM THAT ...... 04 29 AUGUST SHAILOS RECEIVED ON COUNTRIES HAVE TEXTED FROM HAVE 99 FOREIGN OUR BUSIEST DAY Sale price of Chometz (approx) ......

Keys available at ......

TYPES OF CHOMETZ (please delete items that are not applicable) Bread products, biscuits, flour, cereals, beverages, alcoholic spirits, beer, pasta products, semolina, farfel, canned foods, soft SHAILASHAILATEXTTEXT drinks, confectionery, all other foods containing Chometz, medicaments, perfumes, cosmetics, aerosols, cleaning materials, any Chometz in or adhering to ovens, food mixers or food processors, and any other Chometz on any other utensils, shares in companies or business producing, trading or owning Chometz. TO TEXT TO NUMBER 07860 017 641 Pesach 5777 / April 2017 07860 017 641 HAMAOR 61 זצ“ל DAYAN GERSHON LOPIAN לע“נ 1 Licensees The following establishments are licensed by the Federation Kashrus Board and are under the Supervision of the Beis Din of the Federation of Synagogues

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