The Jewish Star Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island VOL. 8, NO. 11 MARCH 13, 2009 | 17 ADAR 5769 SHE’S BAAACK DEDUCTION REDUCTION ISRAEL TRAVEL That’s Life Editorial Cheaper deals Page 2 Page 4 Page 7 RIGHT ANGLE CAHAL and A thought TOVA merger about will cut costs thinking BY MALKA EISENBERG Two local organizations, CAHAL and TOVA, will be combining operations immediately to cut costs and raise funds to continue to serve the community efficiently and effectively, in a move approved by the board of directors BY RABBI AVI SHAFRAN of both organizations. The planning for the move began in mid January, Photo by Ari Shane Schwartz-Weitz or decades the IBM slogan seemed said Richard Altabe, vice president of CAHAL and execu- The Far Rockaway-based group Guns-N-Moses posed happily after Lander College’s Battle of the Bands. to be everywhere. THINK, it read, tive vice president of TOVA. simply and starkly. It is apparently “Everybody was very supportive and thought that it F long phased out, but the advice was an excellent idea,” he said, noting that no one was remains as good as ever. Local musicians compete in laid off. “It’s an operational restructuring to reduce costs I was reminded of that on a recent from nonduplication of phones, office space and the trip to another city, where I witnessed an merger of fund-raising where appropriate.” interaction between two young men, one The annual appeal in the synagogues until now about four and a half years old, the other rotated between the organizations, one year for CAHAL a year younger. They might be related to Lander’s Battle of the Bands the next year for TOVA, Altabe explained. The yearly me, or they might not. I’m not saying. appeal can now be joint, he suggested. The older boy was playing in the Top prize goes to Jewish pop rock group “Except Saturday” “The office was a financial burden for TOVA,” said bathtub; his mother had left him for a Shimmie Ehrenreich, CAHAL’s executive director. “We moment and I, sitting within feet of the BY BARUCH SPIER College’s fourth floor auditorium in Queens to offered to share facilities, the conference room, consoli- bathroom, could hear him talking to his watch musicians from the Jewish community dated the phones, offices. If we reconfigure we can fit bath toys. Suddenly, his younger brother Two Far Rockaway-based bands, Min She- display their skills. them in. I’ve been managing the finances of TOVA the appeared. With a quick look around to maya and Guns-N-Moses, won second and Min Shemaya fell short of first place with last couple of years anyway.” make sure his mother wasn’t watching (I third place, respectively, at Lander College’s their final round song, Enu LaHashem. The Other cost cutting measures will include joint mail- didn’t count, apparently), he darted to Battle of the Bands competition on Motza’ei band, comprised of musicians from Bayswater, ings and shared events, he said. CAHAL currently runs the bathroom light switch, flicked it off Shabbat. The group Except Saturday, whose Far Rockaway and Lido Beach, played soulful concerts and TOVA holds summer barbecues to raise and swiftly members hail from Brooklyn and Queens, originals with an acoustic sound. A slightly funds, he pointed out. slammed the door earned first place, beating out seven other older band in the night’s mostly teenage line- “The impetus for the move was a direct result of an shut. bands. up, Min Shemaya is already working on pro- article by Azriel Ganz in The Jewish Star,” said Altabe, The older boy, Over 300 young men flocked to Lander See BATTLE OF THE BANDS, Page 5 who is a past principal of Yeshiva Darchei Torah and cur- suddenly plunged into darkness, See CAHAL, Page 5 howled in terror, which brought his mother in an instant. She ”We opened the door, Anti-Jewish turned the light Tomchei Shabbos gears humans differ back on, comfort- from other ed the victim and sentiments apprehended the up for greater need living things culprit, who was unceremoniously in Inwood in requests for food,” said comes as Tomchei Shabbos largely because BY YAFFI SPODEK sent to his room. Flyers, meeting seek support Jeanette Lamm, the coordinator begins to prepare for its Pesach of the quality of It was then Like many other charity of Tomchei Shabbos for the Five campaign, its largest project of the perp’s turn to against Bnot Shulamith move organizations, Tomchei Shabbos Towns and Far Rockaway. the year, coordinated by Ari our ability to howl. No! Not his –– which provides weekly food “We’re now sending over 190 Schonbrun of Cedarhurst. As BY MICHAEL ORBACH think. And yet, room! Anything packages to needy local families packages every Shabbos, and the holiday approaches, the but that! Like –– is feeling the effects of the the numbers are gradually organization expects the num- A flyer recently found stapled to utility poles and how often we Cain’s, his punish- recession. creeping up. “ ber of needy families to contin- placed inside grocery stores in Inwood may indicate sour- ment was too “We’re up about 20 percent The increased demand simply don’t.“ much to bear. ing relations between Jewish and non-Jewish residents of See TOMCHEI, Page 8 But off he the less-heralded fifth town. The flyer announced a meet- went as ordered, ing intended to galvanize support against the planned whimpering all purchase of a campus for Bnot Shulamith. the way. “District 15 schools have already been taken from our “I guess he didn’t see that coming,” I children and gone to Jewish organizations,” the flyer read. remarked to the mother with a laugh. It concluded with a list of schools and public places that “He sure should have,” she respond- the flyer warned would be taken over unless “we take Fatal fall in Lawrence ed. “He’s done it before, and always gets action.” “Let’s save one block at a time,” it said, ominously. sent to his room.” Word of the flyers came just before deadline for The Levi Zahn a”h I guess he could have used a flashing Jewish Star’s March 6 issue — too late to be included. “THINK” sign at the crucial moment. But Inwood has been the logical site of overflow from the BY MAYER FERTIG Zahn was an interior decorator known for it’s only at a certain point of development neighboring Jewish communities of the Five Towns and his sense of personal style and as a ba’al tefilah that thinking –– at least about conse- Far Rockaway. Yeshiva Ketanah of Long Island opened a (cantor) at Shaaray Tefilah, where he was a quences –– really kicks in, that the relent- building there last year, and Bnot Shulamith hopes to do Levi Zahn a”h, a husband and father of longtime member. He was described as very less logic of “if then” becomes clear. so as well, pending the conclusion of an unrelated, inter- three daughters and a son, passed away late close to the shul’s rav, Rabbi Dovid Weinberger, Last month, the Jewish world lost a nal legal battle. Motza’ei Shabbat after a fall down a flight of who declined to comment. His funeral was The meeting mentioned in the flyer took place on stairs in his Lawrence home. He was 50 years held in Shaaray Tefilah on Ta’anit Esther (Fast See A THOUGHT, Page 4 Feb. 26 at the Community Bible Church, diagonally old and was described by a friend as someone of Esther), Monday morning. across the street from Yeshiva Ketana. The church, a who made a point of “greeting everyone b’sev- It was unclear if Zahn suffered any sort of Rabbi Shafran is director of public affairs white clapboard building with an adjoining annex, was er panim yafot,” with a smile. See FALL, Page 8 for Agudath Israel of America. See INWOOD, Page 7 That’s Life............................................................................2 Calendar...............................................................................6 Candlelighting: 6:41 p.m. ■ Shabbat ends: 7:44 p.m. Inside Opinion .................................................................................4 Classified .............................................................................6 Shabbat Torah reading: Parshat Ki Tisa 11530 PRST STD PERMIT NO 301 GARDEN CITY NY US POSTAGE PAID PAID US POSTAGE CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED CHANGE SERVICE 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 City, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden 268305 2 The Jewish Star March 13, 2009 “What just happened?” she asked me and I quickly summed it up in one or two sentences. “Doesn’t she know who she’s deal- ing with?” she asked. “I guess not,” I replied. “And you’re going to write about this, aren’t you?” 564 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516 she continued. “Yes, I am,” I Tel: 516 374 9200 Fax: 516 374 9202 answered. Tea for Two is an Italian dairy restaurant when I went to shul. It wasn’t a Truth is, once I moved, I offering contemporary dining Dear That’s Life, ‘hacking, quasi-typhoid’ kind a stopped coughing. Maybe it was as well as a delectable sushi bar Well, well, well. Everyone cough, but it was a ‘we live in her coat, maybe it was dust in the Our culinary team prepares delicious antipasti, freshly made and hand-tossed needs a break every once in a New York and it’s winter’ kind of area –– who knows? But I was a salads, exceptional pizza and pasta, carefully prepared fish dishes, while and coming back to life’s cough. Many others in shul pretty silent member of the shul not to mention sinfully decadent desserts made daily by our renowned pastry chef normal state of affairs is often a seemed to be coughing as well.