Snowpocalypse versus Eruv: who wins? Page 5 David Seidemann for Congress? Page 4 Srugim, Israel TV phenomon, arrives in America Page 23 Rabbi Herschel Billet: I’d Rabbah not Page 14 THE JEWISH STAR VOL 9, NO 7 ■ FEBRUARY 19, 2010 / 5 ADAR, 5770 WWW.THEJEWISHSTAR.COM Fresh face for Albany? Bukharian A perfect season for HAFTR from Queens Hawks and runs for Lady Hawks undefeated Assembly By Michael Orbach It’s a good time to be a Hawk. By Michael Orbach Both the boys’ and girls’ varsity basket- ball teams at the Hebrew Academy of the Lilianna Zulunova, a 26-year-old obser- Five Towns and Rockaway, the Hawks and vant Bukharian Jew from Forest Hills, wants the Lady Hawks, are undefeated this season. you to vote. And then, assuming you’re eli- This marks the fi rst time that either team has gible to do so, she’d like you to vote for her. gone undefeated, and the fi rst time in Yeshi- “Whether you vote for Joe Shmo, I don’t va League history that one school has fi elded care. It’s important you vote. It’s all based on two undefeated varsity squads. the vote,” Zulunova told the Jewish Star in For the boy’s team, the string of victories her one-bedroom co-op that doubles as her came out of nowhere, according to coach campaign headquarters; a map of the district Joey Hoenig. is taped to the wall. “The Bukharian commu- “It was pretty much an unknown team,” nity needs to understand that.” explained Hoenig, who lives in Lawrence. Zulunova, a former deputy chief of staff “There was one kid from last year that was for state Sen. John Sabini, is challenging coming back — Mikey Gindea, he’s a super- incumbent Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi in star, no question about it — but he was the the 28th District. Her base is the thousands only one coming back that we knew was a of Bukharian Jews — formerly of Central starter.” Asia — who live in the Forest Hills area of However, the combination of Gindea and Queens. This past Monday, Zulunova, who his fellow starters Shelby Rosenberg, Jonny has a cherubic face and dark brown eyes, Daniel, Yoni Kestenbaum and Joey Borgan relaxed on a couch in her apartment while proved to be unstoppable. Rosenberg, Hoe- her fi ancé cut vegetables in the kitchen and a nig pointed out, is 6 feet 3 and “still grow- campaign consultant answered messages on ing”; he’s one of the few Yeshiva League ath- his BlackBerry. letes who can dunk. Zulunova has a quintessentially American The team is 14-0 in the regular season. Add story. She arrived penniless in the U.S. from in tournament competition and the team’s re- Uzbekistan in 1992 when she was nine years cord during this year jumps to 27-1, with a old, after a pogrom in the town where her lone 6-point loss to Ramaz in one of the earli- family lived. est games. Hoenig described his team as “easy- “My block was burned down completely,” going” and “relaxed,” a contrast to Hoenig’s she said. “I remember my parents huddled own intense demeanor. my siblings into a car and packed what we “They’re actually too calm sometimes,” could, and we heard gunshots.” Hoenig said. “When their backs are against Neither of her parents spoke a word of Photo by Ron Manfredi the wall, they begin to play. I believe that’s English when they arrived in the U.S. The HAFTR Hawk Shelby Rosenberg towers over a DRS Wildcat. all part of their success.” now-defunct New York Association for New This is Hoenig’s fi rst undefeated team; Americans helped get them settled. Her fa- Continued on page 3 ther worked as a limousine driver and her Continued on page 3 Shabbat Candlelighting: 5:16 p.m. Shabbat ends 6:17 p.m. 72 minute zman 6:48 p.m. Torah Reading Parshat Teruma Zman Kriat Shma 8:45 (Magen Avrohom) and 9:26 (GRA & Ba’al Tanya) PERMIT NO 301 NO PERMIT 11530 GARDEN CITY, NY CITY, GARDEN US POSTAGE PAID POSTAGE US PRST STD PRST 342395 2 Inside The Jewish Star Classified Ads 24 Crossword 24 Editorial 19 Welcome to the new THE JEWISH STAR THE JEWISH I’m Thinking 13 Is the Wine Worth the Money? 20 5770 5770 Kosher Bookworm 22 Letters to the Editor 19 ADAR On the Calendar 6-9 Only Simchas 12 Opinion 13-18 Parsha 11 19, 2010 6 2010 19, That’s Life 26 ary The Other Side of the Bench 18 u How to reach us: Febr Our offices at 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530 are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every weekday, with early closing as necessary on Erev Shabbat. Contact us via e-mail or telephone as listed below. 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They are subject to editing for length and clarity. 3 HAFTR Hawks, Lady Hawks achieve perfection STAR THE JEWISH Continued from page 1 The HAFTR Hawks he has been coaching in the Yeshiva League and Lady Hawks had since the 1980’s. many heroes and “It’s a milestone for me,” he said. heroines as their Febr The team is also the fi rst he’s had that didn’t require any disciplinary action. spectacular perfect season wore on. Girls u “Every year you had kids who needed to ary be suspended; this year, I didn’t have any is- co-captain Danielle sues. They’re doing very well this year, and Miller noted, ‘Our team 6 2010 19, they’re davening every morning, it’s a nice is so close, they were combination,” he said. like my sisters.’ For While the team remains undefeated, Hoenig boys co-captain Jonny stressed that there have really not been many Daniel it was all about ADAR blowouts and most teams are pretty evenly focusing ‘on one game matched. During a tournament held in Balti- at a time, and never 5770 more, a Toronto team led at halftime by close to 20 points. Two games against the HANC Hur- look[ing] ahead or ricanes have been tight; one November game behind.’ was won with a buzzer beating shot by Mike Gindea to earn a score of 49-48. A rematch ended with a Hawk victory in overtime. For the juniors on the team this could be chel, the Lady Hawks began the fourth quar- Co-Captain Danielle Miller was equally “It’s not like we walked over everybody,” their third opportunity to win a champion- ter down by two points. Alyssa Greenberg pleased. concurred Jonny Daniel, co-captain of the ship.