See Page 80 $1.00 WWW.5TJT.COM VOL. 10 NO. 5 12 CHESHVAN 5770 lk lk ,arp OCTOBER 30, 2009 INSIDE FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK THE NEW AND IMPROVED KOTEL Soupy Sales BY LARRY GORDON Danny O’Doul 22 Guilty As Charged KOPEL VS. TOBACK Hannah Reich Berman 32 Those of you outside the Five The Daily Jews Towns area might feel a little Rabbi Avi Shafran 36 lost as we analyze and explore MindBiz what promises to be a hard- Esther Mann, LMSW 37 fought race between the incum- bent Nassau County Legislator Positive Parenting for the 7th District, Jeff Toback Jeff Toback and Howard Kopel C o u r t of the Democratic Party, and e Rochelle Miller 64 s y o f I the Republican challenger, one resides is how we are bom- s r a e l i A Howard (Chaim) Kopel. What is barded through the mail with n t i q u i t i relevant to all our readers is the colorful oversized cards featur- e s A u t h electoral dynamics of the ing sensational accusations that o r i t Jewish community that is on each candidate levels at the y An artist’s rendition of the Kotel Plaza archaeological park being display in this race. other. Mired beneath some- developed with excavations taking place at the Western Wall in What also may be easy to Jerusalem. A new area, at the level used in ancient times, is to be added relate to regardless of where Continued on Page 8 under the existing plaza. See Page 26 KIDS NOT AT RISK HEARD IN THE BAGEL STORE Mosholu Rebbe in 5Ts Light And Darkness this Shabbos. Surprising Reasons Why factors noticed—not by a single See Page 49 Some Reject Yiddishkeit relative, educator, or friend? BY LARRY GORDON tion of Chanukah. BY DR. YAKOV What does this say about our Chanukah, as you know, LOWINGER understanding of what drives Many of us are still basking in marks the triumph of the few kids “off the derech”? the glow of the intense month over the many, the underdog He managed to stay under of holidays that recently con- over the favorite. It celebrates the radar, despite having Two Questions cluded. We go to shul on the destiny of the Jewish people become nonobservant when he Every time a young person Shabbos without a machzor, kit- throughout the ages as well as began elementary school. He from our community begins to tel, or lulav and esrog, and it our imminent future. If you’ve progressively cast off religious show obvious signs of a decline feels like we’ve forgotten some- been following these columns obligations until he hit the radar in his Yiddishkeit, the experi- thing. Now, as we float through over the last decade, then you in a big way at 17, when he was ence is accompanied by under- the celebrationless month of may be somewhat acquainted sent to the first of a series of standable sadness and pain. But Cheshvan, we naturally have no with what Chanukah has come alternative yeshivos for drug and it is often accompanied by choice but to instinctively set to mean to me over the last 20 alcohol users. Why did it come our sights on the upcoming to this? Why weren’t the risk Continued on Page 19 month of Kislev and the celebra- Continued on Page 15 Who knows Y-Love? See Page 24 Only For The Children LIVING MOMMY LETTERS TIME The Legacy Of Rav Henoch Another Mother’s Musings Leibowitz, zt’l BY PHYLLIS J. BY RAV ARYEH Z. LUBIN GINZBERG CHOFETZ CHAIM TORAH CENTER As mothers, it’s sometimes difficult for us to devote time Our Chazal tell us that when for ourselves. Aside from night a person passes away, it’s com- traffic-court appearances, it is parable to a sefer Torah that is difficult for me to get away. I In support of burnt. On a simple level, this must admit, though, that I am a Yeshiva Bais Hillel. means that just as a person’s little spoiled. I happen to have a See Page 56 neshamah lives on even after it few in-house babysitters (two in departs from the physical body, high school and one in college) CANDLE LIGHTING so too when a holy sefer Torah is that are available on occasion. Oct. 30 – 5:35 PM burnt, only the physical parch- Still, I have to keep track of their Nov. 6 – 4:27 PM At the Ohel Child Safety Fair that took place this Sunday. See Page 54 Continued on Page 17 Continued on Page 14 2 October 30, 2009 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES October 30, 2009 3 4 October 30, 2009 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES October 30, 2009 5 6 October 30, 2009 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES October 30, 2009 7 FROM THE EDITOR Continued from Front Cover times only partly true or sub- ject-to-spin suggestions is a real- ity that the average voter just does not have the acumen or time to discern. And one gets the feeling that this is what the candi- dates have their hopes pinned on—that you won’t have time for more than a cursory glance at the material and will draw conclusions based on these political darts that are thrown at us, and at one another, every chance they get—at, by the way, not insignificant expense. The substance of the race is that the candidates are vying for a seat on the Nassau County Legislature, which meets in Mineola, New York. The Legislature is composed of 19 members, and for the last few years it has had a 10–9 Democratic majority. Mr. Toback is a ten-year incumbent who has served the needs of the community well. Many of those in leadership positions say they’ve always been able to depend on Toback and that he is always available and responsive when there is an issue that impacts the com- munity in some specific way. He is accessible and person- able. Though the political demographics of the Five Towns would seem to lean in the Republican direction, that is not necessarily the case when it comes to local politics. Howard Kopel, 58, is a prod- uct of what has evolved into an influential Orthodox Jewish community that has firmly established itself as a political force in the Five Towns over the last decade. Kopel is an attorney in the real-estate investment business. He’s a conservative thinker and sub- scribes to the idea that contin- ual tax increases are a financial imposition on citizens and counterproductive in righting a shaky economy. It is true that until Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi was swept into office eight years ago and the Democrats took control of the Legislature, Nassau County had been run by Republican leadership for decades and was left on the verge of insolvency. The new Democratic leadership had no choice but to raise real-estate taxes almost 40 percent in order to balance the county budget. As Toback rightly points out, since those draconian increases, the Democratic leadership has held firm over the last several years and has raised our taxes by only 3.9 percent. Mr. Kopel says—in his campaign literature as well as in an interview last week—that this is “smoke and Continued on Page 12 8 October 30, 2009 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES October 30, 2009 9 FEATURES Around The Five Towns 44 P.O. BOX 690 LAWRENCE, NY 11559 516-984-0079 [email protected] Classified Ads 70 [email protected] LARRY GORDON ESTA J. GORDON The Dish Publisher/Editor Managing Editor Elke Probkevitz 30 YOSSI GORDON, YOCHANAN GORDON Sales Managers CHANA ROCHEL ROSS Five Towns Simcha Editorial Assistant Jason Finegold 75 SIDI BARON YAKOV SERLE Halachic Musings Sales Representatives Rabbi Yair Hoffman 59 SHMUEL GERBER MICHELE JUSTIC Chief Copy Editor Copy Editor CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Insights On The Torah Hannah Reich Berman, Anessa V. Cohen, R’ Yanki Tauber 39 Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg, Toby Klein Greenwald, Rabbi Yair Hoffman, Miriam Horowitz, R’ Ben Tzion Shafier 66 Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, Shmuel Katz, Phyllis J. Lubin, Esther Mann, Rochelle Miller, The Legendary . Martin Mushell, Elke Probkevitz, Naomi Ross, Rachael Schindler, Rabbi Avrohom Sebrow, . Danny O’Doul 22 Rabbi Avi Shafran, Eli Shapiro, Ari Sher DOV GORDON, ELISHEVA ELEFANT Letters To The Editor 62 Staff Graphic Artists IVAN NORMAN, IRA THOMAS Luach 13 Staff Photographers FRANKEL & CO. Design & Production MindBiz TALIYE CORLEY Esther Mann, LMSW 37 Art Director SARAH GREENBAUM Real Estate Assistant Art Director Anessa V. Cohen 38 The Five Towns Jewish Times is an independent weekly news- paper. Opinions expressed by writers and columnists are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. We are not That’s The Way It Is! responsible for the kashrus or hashgachah of any product or establishment advertised in the Five Towns Jewish Times. Hannah Reich Berman 32 10 October 30, 2009 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES October 30, 2009 11 FROM THE EDITOR their assessments and very often receive decision to make at the polls next week support the change, though the Continued from Page 8 favorable rulings, reductions, and between electing Howard Kopel and Republican-dominated Town of rebates on their property taxes. Kopel reelecting Jeff Toback. Hempstead trustees have voiced opposi- mirrors” and that in reality the explains that while in most instances Those active in the local political tion to the plan.