See Page 29 See Pages 3,4, 5 $1.00 WWW.5TJT.COM VOL. 10 NO. 31 23 IYAR 5770 h,ejc-rvc ,arp MAY 7, 2010 INSIDE FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK LAG B’OMER IN THE PARK A Day Of Covenants BY LARRY GORDON Toby Klein Greenwald 25 Call Me Mikey School Neighbors Hannah Reich Berman 30 I am accountable for writing process—those serving on the Global Health Israel too much and almost exclusive- board, working for the district Rochelle Maruch Miller 35 ly about the goings-on these last schools, parents of children MindBiz few weeks in the Lawrence who attend private and public Esther Mann, LMSW 40 School District (#15), which cov- schools—contribute to the con- ers about half of the Five Towns sensus that next week’s election A Ray Of Light plus several other adjacent com- is about the very character of liv- Rabbi Avi Shafran 78 munities. The election here ing and educating our children takes place next Tuesday, May 11, out here. with the polls open from 7 a.m. A few months ago, the big to 10 p.m. news was that the school-board The election is not simply election here as well as in dis- Once again this year, Chabad of the Five Towns enthralled the more than two thousand participants who gathered in Cedarhurst Park to celebrate Lag about schools policy on this tricts throughout the length and B’Omer this past Sunday afternoon. Above, the Chassidic Acrobatic Twins sliver of western Long Island. from France wowed the crowd with their jaw-dropping gymnastic feats. The people involved in the Continued on Page 4 See Page 39 PERSONAL INSIGHTS HEARD IN THE BAGEL STORE A School-Board Member’s Having lived in Cedarhurst Everyday Heroes Wife Speaks for nearly 15 years I found Bar Mitzvah of Ariel Dachs. BY DEVORAH MARCUS myself quite naive when it came BY LARRY GORDON Back on January 12, word was See Page 74 to district issues. Like most peo- received in Israel—as it was Allow me to introduce ple I was rather ignorant of He is a hero that you likely around the world—that a cata- myself. My name is Devorah what actually went on political- never heard of and will proba- strophic earthquake had struck Marcus and I am the wife of ly and how it affected me per- bly not hear of again. That is Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Vach’s unit Rabbi Nahum Marcus, current sonally. I was on automatic because he doesn’t crave or seek was summoned, and 40 minutes board member who is now a pilot. I paid taxes to the district the limelight. He sees his role as after the news broke a decision candidate for re-election. not fully realizing how this a Jew and a soldier in the Israeli was made in Israel to send a Anyone who has followed local money was being allocated. army as dedicated to repairing, team to Haiti to assist those in politics has asked why. Why Thus my story begins. I have to whatever extent possible, need. would I allow him to run again? been blessed with three won- what is so terribly wrong with Israel’s springing into action To understand why you must derful children, my daughter this world of ours. the way it did was greeted with know how and why my family Ricki, and my twin sons, Elly Golan Vach is the command- high praise and accolades from was negatively affected by er of the Search and Rescue Unit school district policies. Continued on Page 14 of the Israel Defense Forces. Continued on Page 6 New Agudah 5T inaugurated. See Page 76 Trump Jump Challenge Rubashkin’s LAG B’OMER’S Fate Is In MESSAGE Our Hands RAV ARYEH Z. BY YOCHANAN GINZBERG GORDON CHOFETZ CHAIM TORAH CENTER It is very easy to place respon- This past Sunday was Lag sibility and guilt on others’ B’Omer, and it was a very busy shoulders. Yet one day we will day. Three community break- be obligated to answer for our fasts, two hachnasas sefer misdeeds and inactions, and Torahs, one chanukas habayis that very same guilt which we for a community shul, a bar Kulanu Fair patrons. shoved on our neighbor’s shoul- mitzvah, an upsherin, two shiva See Page 62 ders will be transferred to us. At calls to make, and then an that time, it will be unbearable. evening of several simchas. It is a natural human tendency Beyond our own community, it CANDLE LIGHTING SKA participants in JUMP—the Jewish Unity Mentoring Program—Elissa to do away with annoyances, was also a painful day, with sev- Schertz (coordinator), Stephanie Leichtung, Rachel Simon, Gila Joseph, May 7 – 7:39 PM and Shira Stavsky receive an oversized check from Donald Trump to fund hoping they will never return. eral levayos: a prominent rosh May 14 – 7:46 PM their “Livelong” community health awareness project. See Page 58 Continued on Page 16 Continued on Page 18 2 May 7, 2010 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES May 7, 2010 3 FROM THE EDITOR changed either. That’s one way to meas- Continued from Front Cover ure the extent to which things have changed for the better. breadth of Nassau and Suffolk counties And there are other situations that was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, might have evolved in a similar fashion May 18. A quick glance at the calendar tells had the community not asserted and you that that particular day happens to be exercised its rights as tax-paying citizens erev Shavuos. Holding an election on the and voted for a sane and responsible eve of a Jewish holiday would unques- board that works in a sincere manner tionably impact its outcome dramatically. for all the people in the district and not Ten or twelve years ago, an election scheduled to take place in District #15 on an erev yom tov would not have been changed either. Taking into consideration the impact of just for a self-serving segment of the holding the election on that day, the pow- population. ers that be petitioned the state to change The dirty little secret today in District the date to the week prior. District #14, #14 is that the votes are present there too which encompasses half of Woodmere as for the Orthodox community to have a well as Hewlett and Valley Stream, made real impact on the schools and their poli- no such effort to accommodate their not- cies. What #14 lacks is organization and insubstantial Orthodox constituency and coordination. As a result, the people with change the election date. Five districts a vested interest in keeping taxes down around New York State made the change. and education on the upswing are sim- After all, why use a religious holiday for an ply not being heard; they are not coming unfair political advantage? out to vote in force. That’s why when an Ten or twelve years ago, an election election in Woodmere is scheduled for scheduled to take place in District #15 on an erev yom tov would not have been Continued on Page 10 4 May 7, 2010 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES May 7, 2010 5 BAGEL STORE part in the mission, along with a number faint sound of someone calling back crash course in dealing with the local Continued from Front Cover of military personnel. The first order of with the identical refrain of “Hello.” population, and pointed out locations business was to set up a field hospital to Once the team located a victim under of collapsed buildings and where he around the world. Why Israel reacts this deal with the injured people lying in the what might have been several hundred believed the Israelis should concentrate way, whether in China or South streets or wandering aimlessly around. pounds of broken concrete, the job their efforts. Over the two-week period America, is a subject of much debate Vach says proudly of his unit that it became to extricate the victim as quick- the Israeli search and rescue team led by and discussion. usually takes up to 48 hours to build and ly, safely, and smoothly as possible. Vach Lt. Vach was in the country, they res- Listening to Lt. Col. Vach, it becomes set up a field hospital, but that in this explained that since he is short in cued four people from certain death in immediately apparent that the motiva- instance it took the Israeli group just 8 stature, and, at the age of 36, in great the rubble. tion and goal of such an undertaking is hours for their hospital to begin treating military-style shape, it was he who “slid One additional Israeli innovation that solely to preserve human lives. Those patients. Over several weeks, the Israelis into position like a compact disc,” to Vach speaks of proudly is the way in who served on the ground in Port-au- treated more than 1,100 patients, bringing help wedge the trapped person out from which water was distributed throughout Prince, like Lt. Col. Vach, are soldiers com- many literally back to life. the rubble. the island. He says that when the Israelis mitted to the task at hand, which in this Golan Vach’s personal mission was Golan Vach said that the Israeli force arrived there were two modes of water case was saving lives and treating the search and rescue, which meant hunting could not have accomplished all that it distribution.