The Jewish Star Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island VOL. 9, NO. 1 JANUARY 8, 2010 | 22 TEVET 5770 www.thejewishstar.com DON’T BE MY FRIEND THE BOSTONER REBBE B-BALL SHABBATON A nephew remembers HAFTR Satran tournament weekend Why I don’t use Page 10 Page 12 Page 9 I N M Y V I E W Wounded No more Cast Lead shandas, please hero visits Five Towns B Y A L L I S O N J O S E P H S B Y M A L K A E I S E N B E R G little over two years ago, I took on A chance to show appreciation for the the job — well, I don’t know if it’s sacrifice and commitment of an Israeli war actually a “job” since I don’t get hero brought men, women and children from A paid to do it, but then again, I across the Five Towns and Far Rockaway to fill don’t get paid to be a mother, either — of the main sanctuary of Congregation Shaaray improving the public perception of Ortho- Tefila last Wednesday. dox Jews. This position — which, I might “I want to thank everyone,” said Lt. add, is self-appointed — involves harness- Aharon Karov, 23, whose face bears scars from ing the power of new media through my his wounds. “All of you, and pass it on to those site, JewintheCity.com, to rebrand the who are not here.” image of religious Karov, a platoon commander in the para- Jews. troopers’ Battalion 890, was critically injured Things have when he entered a booby-trapped house in been going as well Photo by Susan Grieco Gaza during Operation Cast Lead in December as could be hoped Legislator Howard Kopel (R—Lawrence) being sworn in with Norma Gonsalves (R—East Meadow). 2008. He had been called up for reserve ser- for a poorly fund- vice the day after his wedding. As a student at ed one-woman a yeshiva in Netzarim, Karov was also among worldwide cam- those expelled from Gush Katif four years ago. paign. The biggest He came to the United States to have recon- ”There’s been trouble I seem to structive surgery and stopped in Lawrence on be encountering, the way to the airport to return to Israel. a slew of clear- actually, is from Kopel plans big, Jews around the world prayed for him as ly misbehaving, Orthodox Jews his life hung in the balance from the severity themselves, as of his injuries. “This is a true story of a mira- allegedly law there’s been a cle,” said Aharon’s father, Rabbi Ze’ev Karov, slew of clearly head of the Karnei Shomron yeshiva high breaking, and misbehaving, school. “This is a night of appreciation, a true allegedly law thinks local downright hakarat hatov [gratefulness] to Hakadosh breaking, and Baruch Hu [G-d].” He noted, alternating naughty reli- downright New leaders, new lawmakers sworn into 8th Legislature between Hebrew and English, that it was an naughty religious acknowledgement of the “natural dedication, DiNapoli swore in the minority Democrats. gious Jews.“ Jews making the B Y M I C H A E L O R B A C H A N D the mesirut nefesh” of Aharon, as well. Rabbi Dovid Weinberger of Cong. Shaaray Tefila, headlines these M A Y E R F E R T I G Rabbi Karov pointed out that last Satur- where Kopel is a member, delivered a benediction, days. For some day night, Jan. 2, was exactly a year since his following a minister and a priest, who delivered the reason, the media Legislator Howard Kopel and 18 fellow members son was wounded, and stressed the need to invocation and a prayer, respectively. pays much more of the Eighth Nassau County Legislature were sworn find the good in all situations. He quoted a les- There was no swearing at, at the swearing in. As attention to the “rabbis” in the scandals in Monday in a quick-moving ceremony punctuated son from Ethics of the Fathers to be among the on most inauguration days, speakers struck a tone of (the secular media assumes all religious with laughter and humorous asides at the Cradle of students of Avraham, to have a “good eye.” bipartisan cooperation. The newly elected Nassau men are rabbis) than they do to me. Aviation Museum in Garden City. Rabbi Karov recalled seeing Aharon lying County executive, Edward Mangano, briefly touched In the past year or so, the papers Congressman Peter King administered the oath motionless in the hospital bed, then seeing on that theme as he warned, “Next year could be a have been filled with awful stories like of office to the Republican legislators including him move his hands, then open an eye, stand the Rubashkin immigration fiasco, a Kopel, while New York State Comptroller Thomas See KOPEL, Page 12 up, and then talk, whereupon the father made Ponzi schemer (not Madoff; this guy was the blessing of “shehechiyanu im shem Orthodox), a number of molestation alle- umalchut,” the complete blessing of having gations, rabbis in Deal and Brooklyn lived to see this day. He said that good is allegedly taking bribes and trafficking in stronger than bad and can change the bad to human organs, the Tropper conversion good; that even bad has some good in it, not- scandal and now the Lakewood embez- ing that Avraham prayed for Sodom and that zler. And so on. Please, people: just behave. You’re Expert on German Ashkenaz See WOUNDED, Page 11 bringing us down with you. And you’re making my job harder by tarnishing all the good that most of us do but no one customs to speak in Bayswater reports on. If you really feel the need to sin in, like, a big way, then leave the com- Ashkenaz, the Institute for Ashke- ent possible sources — one includ- munity. How about the halacha which B Y M I C H A E L O R B A C H nazi Heritage, which he runs out of ing the short jacket German Jews See VIEW, Page 5 Rabbi Binyamin Shlomo Ham- his home in Bnei Brak. Rabbi Ham- wore), have one of the most burger, one of the world’s leading burger is a self-taught expert of Ger- authentic records of traditions. Allison Josephs is the creator of experts on German Ashkenazic cus- man customs who began investigat- “The German [Jews] were the JewintheCity.com, which features her toms will be speaking at the Young ing the traditions as a teenager. guardians of the heritage,” Rabbi online videos and blogs that challenge the Israel of Wavecrest and Bayswater According to Rabbi Hamburger, Hamburger explained by phone, his public perception of Orthodox Jews and on Jan. 16. though considered a minority inside accent colored by study in London. traditional Judaism. She earned a degree Rabbi Hamburger is the author the Jewish community, the Yecke “They did not go through changes in philosophy from Columbia University of the five-volume set Shorashei segment, as they are commonly for two reasons: they stayed in the and lives in New York with her husband Minhagei Ashkenaz, and the known (the term, Rabbi Hamburger same country and didn’t emigrate. Tzivia and Aharon Karov on their wedding day. explained, has at least eight differ- and three children. founder of Machon Moreshes See EXPERT, Page 9 The next day, he was called up for duty. 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CHANGE Fantastic Selection of the Finest Fashions d n We Will Also Re-Style E Mink • Sheared Mink • Reversibles "0" Off 2 Sable • Shearling 328143 2 The Jewish Star January 8, 2010 Marriages Juravel (Baltimore, MD) — Dec. I Wedding of Arianna Mazurek 31, 2009 (Great Neck, NY) & Adam Muskatt (Forest Hills, NY) — Dec. 28, 2009 Upsherin I Upsherin of Zevy Freud I Wedding of Rachel Cooper (Hewlett, NY) — Jan. 3, 2010 (Calabasas, CA) & Daniel I Upsherin of Dovid Ariel Schilowitz (Highland Park, CA) Schecter (Ramat Beit Shemesh with some friends, and there’s — Dec. 28, 2009 and Jerusalem) — Dec. 29, 2009 Dear That’s Life, nothing like feeling like an idiot I Wedding of Aviva Yaffa Having two kids in college at the end of the night. Androphy (East Meadow, NY) & now, we eagerly look forward to The National Conference of Evan Seth Marlin (San Antonio, Birth both the secular and Jewish hol- Synagogue Youth’s (NCSY) TX) — Dec. 31, 2010 I Birth of Eliana Leba to Elyssa idays for having our boys return annual “Q” event happens to be & Baruch Gruenbaum home so we can feel like a com- a lot of fun and it seemed from Engagements (Cedarhurst, NY) — Dec 28, Rachel Cooper & Arianna Mazurek & plete family again.