a day of remembrance · apr. 20 – 7:21 pm apr. 27 – 7:28 pm campaign of deception a day of...

On the day Jews worldwidehonored the memory of thosewho were murdered in theHolocaust, a 76-year-old sur-vivor sacrificed his life to savehis students in Monday’sshooting at Virginia Poly-technic Institute that left 33people dead and over twodozen wounded.

Professor Liviu Librescu,76, threw himself in front ofthe shooter when the manattempted to enter his class-

Sheldon Margules confers withRav Elyashiv. See Page 47

Bat Mitzvah ofNechama Schwartz.

Simcha Photos,Pages 42 & 68

INSIDE

LA versus BARabbi Yair Hoffman 17

MindBizEsther Mann, LMSW 24

World Of Real EstateAnessa V. Cohen 26

When Swallows ReturnHannah Reich Berman 28

Letters to the EditorOur Readers 30

VOL. 7 NO. 28 2 IYAR 5767 grumn-ghrz, ,arp APRIL 20, 2007$1.00 WWW.5TJT.COM

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Imus And MeHEARD IN THE BAGEL STORE

The Ultimate Commuter,Part 7

B Y D A N N Y B L O C K

It’s Sunday night at about10:15, and everyone isupstairs sleeping except Yogi(my dog) and me. He is justwaiting for me to walk him,after which he will undoubt-edly go to sleep on my vacantpillow. I am waiting for mydriver, Avi, to pick me up to goto the sadeh (slang for s’deihha’te‘ufa, airport). This week’schallenge is that I had tochange my flight schedule

Pesach PlusTHE BICYCLEB Y I R W I N H .B E N J A M I N

I was alone in the room,with a bunch of memories. Itwas late morning. Sunlightwas coming in through theshades. Motes of dust weredancing in the air. The factthat it was a day after the longPesach holiday served only toheighten the leisurely atmos-phere. It was a morning todawdle over a cup of hot cof-fee, to take stock of one’s cir-cumstance and ponder one’smortality.

Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed in the Five Towns, as it isannually, this past Sunday night at Beth Sholom in Lawrence. Six familieslit candles, commemorating the six million Jews who perished in the Shoah.

Above, three generations of the Mitgang family – Holocaust survivors Mr. and Mrs. Mitgang, their son Dr. Charles Mitgang, and grandchildren –

kindled one of the flames. See Photos, Page 49

Continued on 4

B Y L A R R Y G O R D O N

Information obtained bythe Five Towns Jewish Timesindicates that the “publicschool” candidates running inthe District 15 May electionare planning an ad campaignthat intentionally indulges inmisinformation. In reviewingthe material provided, itbecame apparent that themotivation for this campaign’sapproach is to instill fear andhostility among the unin-

formed members of the com-munity. This information,coupled with the leaflets thaturge public-school parents to“take back” the school board,harkens to the original hate-filled campaigns of yesteryear.

The material, including thedraft text of an ad to be spon-sored by the Alliance ofLawrence Public Schools, was

B Y S H M U E L K A T Z

“As we drove home with thekids still bursting with excite-ment and pleasure from theexperience, Goldie commentedto me that she would love to goout every week and do thesame thing. No matter howmany times we go out to sup-port our chayalim, I hope thateach time I have the sameexcitement and emotion as Ihad that Sunday.”

I wrote those words last

week with joy in my heart anda satisfaction that we havereally found a sense of homeand belonging in our movehere. Three days later, ourlives were forever changed.

On Wednesday morning,we got a call from the doctorto come in so that Goldiecould be scheduled for somemore tests. When we arrived,the doctor sat us down todeliver the news that they had

Continued on Page 4

B Y L A R R Y G O R D O N

I found him refreshing,inspiring, and a little off thewall. As an 18-year-old collegestudent and the news directorof my college radio station, Ifelt that somehow I just hadto meet this guy. He was rela-tively new to New York, and Ibelieved I was a connoisseurof radio and had hopes of

Continued on Page 12Continued on Page 10

CANDLE LIGHTINGApr. 20 – 7:21 PMApr. 27 – 7:28 PM

Campaign Of Deception

A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

Israel Chief Rabbi Yona Metzgerto be in Woodmere this Shabbos.

See Page 38

Don Imus

Professor Liviu Librescu, z’l

Israeli Professor KilledIn Virginia Tech Attack

PhotoByIvan

H.Norman

Continued on Page 19

A PERSONAL NOTE


2 April 20, 2007 5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES April 20, 2007 3


provided to the 5TJT by a sourcerequesting anonymity, not having beenauthorized to release the information.

The ad suggests that the objective ofthe current board is to seize theMiddle School—“the jewel in our real-estate crown”—and turn it into abuilding that will host a yeshiva. Thead contains a photo from the yearbookof a girls’ yeshiva in Brooklyn, and itasks if there is a hidden agenda by theprivate-school community to sell offpublic-school properties to Brooklyn-based yeshivas.

In reality, some members of theyeshiva’s senior class, to illustratethe contrast between the imposingLawrence Middle School buildingand their own (less impressive)school building in Brooklyn, insertedthe picture into their yearbook as ajoke. Whoever provided the ALPScampaigners with the informationfrom the yearbook also providedthem with a list of graduates of thatclass, including their home address-es, e-mail addresses, and phonenumbers. Reasonable people under-stand that this is a wild idea and thefurthest thing from an actual plan,and that the current board in itspresent structure has worked dili-gently to support and even elevatethe quality of education—on all lev-els—within the district.

The ad’s conclusion is so bizarrethat it defines new boundaries fordebate. Imagine: a student-sponsored

yearbook in Brooklyn holds the secretplans of a “private-school community”in Long Island to take over the publicschools! (Perhaps it should be calledProtocols of the Children of Brooklyn.)

The thrust and tone of the ads is tocreate a type of hysteria and theimpression that there is some kind ofdevious plan being plotted by themajority of the current school board toseize control of the district and ulti-mately dismantle the public schools.The whole thing seems to be some-thing between a joke and a lurid fanta-sy that resorts to conjuring up extremescenarios in order to scare voters intovoting for candidates who are cam-paigning to limit the influence of pri-vate-school-oriented candidates.

The headline of the ad reads:“Prepare To Be Shocked.” The ad, asshown in the draft copy goes on to say:“Lawrence Middle School is our archi-tectural treasure, a local icon and thecore of the public-school system… Sowhat’s its picture doing in a Brooklynyeshiva’s yearbook?? Is there a long-range plan?”

The ad continues: “The MiddleSchool may be the jewel in our real-estate crown…but an excellent pub-lic-school education is our children’sentitlement.” It then states in large,bold letters: “We will not be robbed ofeither.” The ad then concludes: “OnMay 15 voting day you can save ourpublic schools and give our studentsall they deserve.” It then goes on tolist the three candidates closely iden-

FROM THE EDITORContinued from Front Cover

Continued on Page 6

tified with creating imbalance in thedistrict between the public and pri-vate schools.

It’s not a new approach for thesecampaign organizers, but one has towonder how people who have beenexposed to the issues that are repeated-ly present in these election campaigns,especially over these last seven years,can fall for this type of pie-in-the-skyhysteria about the board’s plans for thedistrict’s schools. For the last six years—and particularly the last four years,when the schools budgets have beenrejected at the polls—the previousboards have told us that a budget with-out an increase will cause the children’seducation to suffer irreparably. Ofcourse, none of these claims ever hadany validity; the school years coasted byintact, and the district completed eachyear with a significant budget surplus.

This year, with several new boardmembers, a more prudent approachhas been applied to the multimillion-dollar matters that come up before theboard at almost every meeting. As aresult, after fighting hard to achieve it,the board finally has a good grasp onthe budget as it relates to the needs ofthe district. They’ve also finallybrought under control this idea thattaxing and spending is the answer toall of the district’s problems. Withmore than half the district today madeup of families who send their childrento private schools, it would be disap-pointing to learn that the desire to

spend so freely exists mainly becausemost of the money would come fromthose who do not utilize the schoolsand therefore it doesn’t matter howhigh taxes get driven.

Thankfully, there has been a sanemajority on the school board thisyear—and it’s vitally important to keepit that way for the next year. The major-ity of this board has done everythingthey can to gain a consensus and createa unity that can move the district for-

ward in a good and healthy direction.They unfortunately have been rebuffedat every turn. Represented on thisboard by Pamela Greenbaum andStanley Kopilow, the public-schoolcaucus has adopted a policy of non-cooperation with the rest of the board.Whatever it is that a majority of theboard is in favor of, they make certainto oppose.

The entire ordeal is like an episodeof the old Twilight Zone TV series. Forfour years, the voters have rejectedthe budget because they clearly didnot trust the board. Still, the board

warned the public—meeting aftermeeting and year after year—that vot-ing down the budget would cripplethe educational ability of the district.Somehow the budget was voted downand, strangely enough, not one educa-tional program was cut. And this isthe way it’s been, and this is probablythe way it’s going to continue to be,until both groups decide to worktogether. The way it seems todayunfortunately is that we will probably

not get to that place where we can allwork together as long as the presentattitude prevails.

This is a district with different typesof people who have to find commonground, but that effort is not evenbeing made. Instead, resources arebeing spent on campaigns—like theone described above—that aim to hurtand, if possible, intimidate people theydo not agree with.

Just look at what happened a fewweeks ago. The board, with the help of


FROM THE EDITORContinued from Page 4

Continued on Page 8

It would be disappointing to learn that the

desire to spend so freely exists mainly

because most of the money would come

from those who do not utilize the schools.

P.O. BOX 690 LAWRENCE, NY 11559516-984-0079

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SHMUEL GERBER MICHELE JUSTICChief Copy Editor Copy Editor

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSHoward M. Adelsberg, Irwin H. BenjaminHannah Reich Berman, Anessa V. CohenJamie Geller, Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg

Shani Goldner, Yochanan GordonMichele Herenstein, Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Karen Kahn, Rabbi Mordechai KamenetzkyShmuel Katz, Esther Mann, Rochelle Miller

Rabbi Yoni Posnick, Gary Rabenko, Naomi RossRabbi Avrohom Sebrow

YOSEF BROWN, MICHAL WEINSTEINStaff Graphic Artists

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The F ive Towns Jewish Times is an independent weekly news-paper. Opinions expressed by writers and columnists are notnecessarily those of the editor or publisher. We are notresponsible for the kashrus or hashgachah of any product orestablishment advertised in the F ive Towns Jewish Times .


the superintendent and his financialadvisors, finally devised a budget thatcalls for a minimal increase in the taxlevy on the district. This is the firstgood opportunity in five years to pullthe district out of very restrictive aus-terity budgets. It’s in the interest ofeveryone—especially the district’s chil-dren—to be able to do things likeupgrade the school’s equipment. TheGreenbaum, Kopilow, and ALPSresponse is to oppose the new budget,thereby endorsing the continuation ofoperating under contingency.

The Greenbaum and Kopilowapproach is riddled with unconstruc-tive contradictions. Earlier this year,when several board members receiveddeath threats in the mail, a policy wasadopted that called for those wishingto attend board meetings to presentphoto identification. The requirementwas immediately and vociferouslyopposed by Ms. Greenbaum and Mr.Kopilow. Their contention was that

this type of requirement might “chillfree speech,” meaning that, once iden-tified, people might be inclined to actresponsibly and more civilized duringthe public comment portion of school-board meetings.

Ms. Greenbaum was particularly out-spoken on the issue, and her concernsabout free speech might have beenadmirable. But then she turned rightaround and attempted to place freespeech into a deep freeze by servingcourt papers on Google, seeking to forcethem to identify Orthomom, the popu-lar and erudite blogger. There is nomore salient mode of free speech thanthe Internet these days, but Ms.Greenbaum is seeking to suppress andlimit that privilege and freedom becausethe pressure of Orthomom’s criticism ofher seemed too much to take.

And that’s just one of this group’svery odd but also very profound con-tradictions. They are against passingthe upcoming well-thought-out budg-et, but at the same time are also infavor of spending more money.Perhaps the problem is that they are

not truly against the budget, but ratherjust determined to create obstacles tosharing with their neighbors, in a legaland proper way, the tens of millions ofdollars in the budget. They support a$100 million teachers’ contract, butare against Pre-K busing for private-school children, against providingaccess to the school buildings andfacilities for all the children of the dis-trict, and, most puzzling, they are crit-ical of and opposed to the excellentand important special-education pro-vided by Kulanu Torah Academy forspecial-needs children.

As you can surmise from the above,this hotly contested election is anextremely important one. It is criticalthat everyone who is not yet registeredto vote do so, and that everyone comeout to vote on May 15. It’s unfair tothe children of this district to allowthose who are not focused on vitaleducational issues to distort the issuesand distract all of us from the impor-tant work that needs to be done. ❖

Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome [email protected].

FROM THE EDITORContinued from Page 6

On the eighth day theflesh of his foreskinshall be circumcised

(Vayikra 12:3)

A Jew is in essence“circumcised” even if, for

whatever reason, hisphysical foreskin has not

yet been removed.Thus theverse says, “On the eighth

day the flesh of his foreskinshall be circumcised”--the flesh need to be

circumcised, but,spiritually, the Jew

is always “circumcised”.

(Alshich)

2 Iyar – Erev Shabbos

Friday, April 20Daf yomi: Chagigah 13

Omer: 17Z’manim*:

Earliest tefillin: 5:12 am

Sunrise: 6:10 am

latest Shema:

M. Av. 8:55 am

Gr’a 9:31 am

Candle Lighting: 7:21 pm

3 Iyar – Shabbos

Saturday, April 21Shabbos Parashas Tazria-Metzora

Pirkei Avos: Ch. 2Shabbos ends**:

8:24 pm

72 min. 8:53 pm

5 Iyar

Monday, April 23Yom HaAtzmaut– Israel Independence Day

9 Iyar – Erev Shabbos

Friday, April 27Daf yomi: Chagigah 20

Omer: 24Earliest tefillin: 5:01 am

Sunrise: 6:00 am

latest Shema:

M. Av. 8:50 am

Gr’a 9:26 am

Candle Lighting: 7:28 pm

10 Iyar – Shabbos

Saturday, April 28Shabbos Parashas Acharei–Kedoshim

Pirkei Avos: Ch. 3Shabbos ends**:

8:32 pm

72 min. 9:00 pm* from MyZmanim.com

** add a few minutes for tosefos Shabbos according to

your minhag

CALENDARLUACH

April 20 – April 28ZIP Code: 11516


finally identified what theybelieve is the source of herproblems.

A scan ordered by her neu-rologist had discovered anabnormal cluster of cells, andher biopsy results showed amalignant tumor.

We are obviously terrifiedat what may come and areinvestigating all avenues oftreatment, both here andinternationally. We pray toHashem that he deliver a cureto us and that we should havethe merit of continuing ourlives together here in Israel.

We do not regret our movein any way. This illness hadbeen developing before wepacked our first box or suit-case and is clearly part ofHashem’s grand plan for us.We look forward to spendingmany more years here in theland that is truly home foreach and every one of us.

We debated the merits of sopublicly disclosing her illness,but Goldie turned to me onSunday morning and said,“Thousands of people readthe paper, and each one ofthem is a person who candaven for me.”

So I ask each and every oneof you to include Golda Susyabat Shoshana in your prayers.Please add her name to yourTehillim lists and your MiShebeirach lists and askHashem to grant her a full andcomplete recovery. ❖

Shmuel Katz is the director ofYeshivat Eretz HaTzvi in the Katamonneighborhood in Jerusalem. Shmueland his wife, Goldie (the controller atBnos Bais Yaakov of Far Rockaway),and their six children made aliyah inJuly of 2006. Prior to his aliyah,Shmuel was the executive director ofthe Yeshiva of South Shore inHewlett. You can contact him [email protected].

KatzContinued from Front Cover

For the next issue,

deadline for

reserving

ad space is

Monday,

April 23

at 5:00 P.M.

All graphics for ads

must be in by

Tuesday,

April 24

at 5:00 P.M.

Call 516-984-0079


I thought about how it would be inthe world to come, and I thought ofthose neshamas who were alreadythere. And, as inevitably happens inthese moments, I thought of my father.

My father was not learned in Torahor Talmud, but made up for it by cre-ating metaphorical imagery to bringout some moral or religious point.When he did, his innate morality andpiety became readily apparent.

After suffering four heart attacks,and many more hospitalizations, we allknew the end was near. I was eight, mysister eleven when my father asked usinto a room which looked more like ahospital ward than it did his bedroom.The audio signal on the EKG had beenturned off, leaving only the rhythmical-ly bouncing light endlessly making itsway across the screen. The only soundswere the soft moans of the wind at thewindow and the occasional faint tap-ping of rain against the glass.

Seeing the fear in our eyes, my fathersmiled that broad smile of his, and inhis starchy English accent told us,“Don’t worry. You know what I’ll bedoing when I get to Heaven, don’t you?”

My sister and I were silent.“I’ll be riding a brand new Schwinn

bicycle; that’s what I’ll be doing.”“Really?” I asked.“Red, of course. They always give

you the red ones. Didn’t you knowthat? I’m surprised at you that you did-n’t know that!”

A short while later, the man whom I

worshipped more than anything elsein the world, my wonderful andbeloved father, suffered his fifth andfinal heart attack.

My sister and I were inconsolable.Every night, as we went to bed, we criedour eyes out. Our nightly pain onlyended when my sister reminded mewhat my father was doing right at thatprecise moment. He was, of course,enjoying himself, having a good time ashe rode his bike all around shamayim.There were times I could have sworn Isaw him smiling and waving to us, blow-ing us kisses, as he whizzed past us onhis bicycle. As ridiculous as it sounds, Ibelieved it. That thought comforted usthrough the years, allowing us to dealwith our numbing pain.

Of course, besides Chazal, no onetruly knows what really goes on inshamayim. No one knows what a fatalheart attack feels like. There are no sur-vivors to tell us. Doctors talk aboutnecrosis, and clots, and oxygen starva-tion, and occluded blood vessels. Theyuse words like infarction and fibrilla-tion, but those terms mean nothing tous. They merely describe the mechani-cal or chemical process that takes place.

We know that in Hashem’s originalscheme of the world, man was not sup-posed to die. Adam changed that. Hechanged it because he sinned eatingfrom the eitz hada’as when Hashemtold him specifically not to. That’s thereason why, for Jews, “death” and “sin”has become more or less synonymous.Had there been no sin, there wouldhave been no death.

Stories abound of tanaaim and other

tzadikim who would not die. The rea-son, ostensibly, was because they didnot sin. As soon as there was a lapse,however, no matter how imperceptible,the tanna died.

In a recent daf yomi shiur, theGemorah at the end of Moed Katanrecords an amazing dialogue.

Rav Nachman was dying. Rava

asked him that when he finally diedand arrived in shamayim, he shouldreappear before Rava to tell him how itwas, and what he had experienced.

Being the obedient student he was,Rav Nachman did reappear. He toldhim that dying was no big deal, “likepicking out an eyelash from a glass ofmilk. But if you ask me to return to theliving, I will refuse.”

Rava asked him for his reason.“Because,” said Rav Nachman,

“even though death is not a problem,I’m terrified at the thought of facingthe Mal’ach HaMaves again.”

I believe what Rav Nachman wasimplying was that the worst thing onecan experience in life was sin, as person-ified by the Mal’ach HaMaves. The con-

stant battles that a tzadik wages in orderto stay away from sin is so difficult, thatRav Nachman would prefer staying inshamayim, insulated, rather than havingto constantly be on the alert, thwartingoff the never ending onslaught of life’stemptations. He couldn’t go through itagain. That’s what he meant when hesaid he was terrified at the prospect ofconfronting the Mal’ach HaMaves again.

My father has been gone now forquite a while. Yet, whenever I say Yizkor,as I did a few days ago, I can’t help butremember a certain point in time many,many years ago.

I was sitting on the back bench of theDoliner shul on Rodney Street. Muffledsounds of trolley cars seeped throughthe thin walls. Shouting of peddlersannouncing their wares could be heardin the distance. The lights were off, butslotted shafts of sun poured into theoversized windows. My hand reachedout to my father sitting next to me. Mysmall hand slid across the smooth woodbench and was quickly enfolded by his.I looked up to him as he looked down tome. And in those precious fewmoments, looking into his loving, twin-kling eyes, I was overcome with a deepfeeling of emotion and well-being. Aslong as I had his love, I knew that I hadnothing to fear, that everything wasgoing to be right with the world.

It was then that I saw him. A thinEnglishman, smiling from ear to ear,without a care in the world, riding hisbright red bicycle. ❖

Irwin Benjamin can be reached [email protected].

The BicycleContinued from Front Cover

“You know what I’ll be

doing when I get to

Heaven, don’t you?

I’ll be riding a brand new

Schwinn bicycle.”

merging my radio skills with myupbringing and create some innovativeJewish radio (which I indeed had theprivilege of doing, a few years later).

So I thought it would be a goodstory for the radio station and wouldalso possibly serve my radio fantasieswell, at least for a while. Whatintrigued me about Don Imus wasprobably the same things that stillinterests people in him today—or atleast up until last week, when he wassummarily fired from his job, after 35years, for making some inappropriateremarks on the air. The current Imusepisode is a case study of a classicalfall from grace that, as we have seen,can happen in the blink of an eye.

Today, three and a half decades afterI sat in the NBC studios with Imus from6 o’clock to 10 o’clock on a Fridaymorning, I was reminded about the timethat I was fired from a radio job—alsoon a moment’s notice—back in 1980.Aside from the money that is involved, itis a terribly frustrating and hurtful thingto endure. It is very public and thereforesomewhat more humiliating than con-ventional job-related problems. Ofcourse my situation was nothing likewhat Imus is going through today, but atthe time it probably hurt me as much ashe is hurting today.

When you are on the radio everyday, talking to people, entertainingthem, meeting them, and having yourback slapped for doing such a goodand nice job, you can’t help but gain a

sense that this is the most wonderfulthing in the world and that everyone—whether it’s a voice over the phone orsomeone you meet at an event—isyour friend. That was the case with meback in the late 1970s and part of1980, when I started and hosted adaily morning Jewish music and newsprogram on WFMU, then an affiliateof Upsala College, located in EastOrange, New Jersey.

I was young and brash, driven andambitious—but did not think clearlyenough to turn the project into what it

could have become. The program is stillbroadcast to this day, and is now knownas JM in the AM. I have to admit that Ido have a great deal of satisfaction thatthe program that was started in mid1977 on nothing more than a whim anda lark has had and continues to have animpact on Jewish life in the New Yorkarea. I have to additionally admit thatthere were times during those yearsthat I felt indestructible and very excit-ed about where this whole thing wouldgo. Then, in June of 1980, the whole

thing came—virtually overnight—unglued for me.

I was already married and had onesmall child. I was confident and certainthat I was this radio program and thisradio program was me; the two wereinseparable. In retrospect I probablyprecipitated the unfortunate chain ofevents that ensued by going to theschool management in my cocky style ofyesteryear and telling them that I want-ed more money than they were paying. Ihad to do that, because the setup wasthat all money that came into the radio

station went to the college, and the col-lege paid me. It was a paltry sum at thetime, and one that stayed the same forthose few years, even though my showwas bringing in more money each year.Unbeknownst to me, someone who Ihad recruited to work with me at thetime had secretly gone to the schooloffering to do the program for half thesum I had been receiving.

When I went into the meeting withthe dean of the school to negotiate mynew deal, I quickly realized that the

whole thing was about to be pulled outfrom under me and there was almostnothing I could do about it. Well, therewas one thing I thought would workfor sure: to marshal to my side thefriends, supporters, and allies that Ihad come to know over the three yearsand, through the power of numbers,turn things around and once againassume my daily position behind themicrophone.

The point of all this is that I wasastounded at the time at the lack ofsupport from people that I had done somuch for and sacrificed so much for,when they saw that my days were num-bered at the radio station. It’s not thatthey ran from me because their friend-ships were artificial or anything likethat. At least I didn’t think so. They ranto line up to ingratiate themselves withthe new guy. You know—the king isdead, long live the king. Once thehandwriting was on the wall, I couldnot get a return call from people I hadspoken with sometimes half a dozentimes a day.

And so I thought about those daysafter listening and reading about whathappened with Don Imus last week. Iwas thinking about it because I’vealways liked the Imus style and, thoughhe’s always been quite a bit “out there,”he did redefine a medium in a fashionthat saw to it that popular radio wouldnever be the same. I’ve felt over allthese years that Imus took radio out ofand beyond the “time and temperature”age. I still feel that, though he certain-ly must have had enough, somehow hewill be back once the hubbub dies


HEARD IN THE BAGEL STOREContinued from Front Cover

Once the handwriting was on the wall, I could not get a return call from people

I had spoken with sometimes half a dozen times a day.


down, as it inevitably will.I know that Mr. Imus was making

lots of money on his radio show; theNew York Times said that he hadrecently signed a new five-year con-tract at $10 million per year. In addi-tion to those big bucks, Imus appar-ently also has a very big and benevo-lent heart. His involvement in charita-ble causes is probably unmatched intoday’s media. He’s a man who did notjust talk about giving something backsomeday but was actually doing it.Though he had conservative politicalleanings, he wasn’t your typical con-servative. Nevertheless, he held noth-ing back when it came to the need tocriticize in stark terms the hypocrisy ofso many liberals, especially Bill andHillary Clinton, whom he was able tosee right through.

What he said about the Rutgerswomen’s basketball team was more stu-pid than hurtful. Certainly what he saiddid not warrant this type of treatment,and certainly not by men who presentthemselves as clergymen and black lead-ers, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Ifthese men are genuine Christians, thenwhere is their so-called Christian lovefor Mr. Imus? Where do they stand onthe adage to condemn the sin, not thesinner? Is that all some kind of joke orsomething?

Imus has to be hurting—though the$50 million he still stands to earn willhelp to assuage some of the pain. Butafter 38 years of being behind a broad-cast microphone and wielding the typeof influence and power he had, thishas to be a very difficult time for him.

I’m certain that the passage of just alittle bit of time will put things in a lit-tle better perspective for him. I washurting for a while, too, after I was cutfrom my radio show back in 1980, butafter a three-week trip to Israel I cameback to New York and another radioopportunity that lasted about five moreyears before I chose a different field ofendeavor for myself.

On that morning that I met Mr. Imusat the NBC studios in 1972, I broughta tape recorder with me because, afterall, I wanted to play part of the inter-view on the college radio station. So Iwalked into the studio and the broad-cast engineer saw me carrying a taperecorder. He stopped me and told meand Imus that I am not a union techni-cian, and, according to the agreementwith the union, only a union techniciancan operate electronic equipment in anNBC studio. I was shocked and disap-pointed, as I saw my prospect for animportant interview dissipate before myeyes. Imus walked out of the studio andsaid, “Give me the tape recorder, kid.”He put the tape machine in his jacketpocket and then led me back into thestudio. He took his jacket off anddraped it over the back of the chair thatstood between us. He told me to reachinto the jacket pocket and press “play,”and that’s how I salvaged my interviewwith Imus in the morning.

I guess for me it’s a matter of “oncea decent guy, always a decent guy.” Iwish him much continued luck andsuccess. ❖

Comments for Larry Gordon are welcome [email protected].

and my workweek at the last minute.On Friday afternoon I received a

phone call from the chairperson of theva‘ad ha’kittah (Israel’s version of theclass P.T.A.) of my oldest son’s(Jordan) class. She informed me thatmy wife had written a check to theschool that should have been made outdifferently or paid in cash. The checkwas for the bar mitzvah gift that eachmember of Jordan’s class receives. Thetheory is that they all receive a gift inschool and they therefore have allgiven each other a bar mitzvah gift andcan go to each other’s smachot (cele-brations) and not have to buy anothergift. It’s a great idea that takes somepressure off the parents and the boys.The bar mitzvah boys get a choice ofthree gifts and the parents pay accord-ingly. My son chose a shlooker, whichis a water-containing device worn likea backpack that has a straw type ofattachment from which one can drinkwithout removing it from one’s back.In Israel, kids do a lot of hiking.

When I was made aware on Fridaythat there was a problem with ourcheck, I immediately went to the per-son responsible for collecting themoney and replaced the check withcash. Shekels, of course. She thankedme and mentioned that she would seeme at the mesibah (party) for the barmitzvah boys on Wednesday night.This was the first time I had heardabout the gathering. When I informedher that I did not know about the mesi-

bah she answered that a note went outa week ago. Welcome to Israel!Generally speaking, things are notplanned out well in advance.

This bit of information was mildlyupsetting to me because I was sched-uled to be in the air during the mesi-bah, and had I known about it earlier,I could have adjusted both my workand flight schedules accordingly.Instead of starting my work week onMonday, I would have begun onSunday and returned Tuesday night. Ibelieve that a note did in fact go home

a week earlier, but it still would nothave made any difference. It’s alsoworth noting at this point thatalthough I am very conversant inHebrew due to my Ramaz education,reading things like bank statements,insurance statements, and even noteshome from school can be difficult. It ispossible we missed the note or thatJordan forgot to give it to us and didnot recognize its importance. The rea-son that I landed in this situation wasirrelevant. I just had to deal with it. I

was not going to allow my son to be theonly one whose father did not make itto his reception in school.

I went to work changing my sched-ule and rearranging my flights immedi-ately. I called Express Travel. My new“caseworker,” Gitty, (my regular agent,Judy, was on leave to have a baby) wasnot there. However, someone who wasthere rearranged the flights for me. Bythe end of the phone call I was movedto the flight I required, Tuesday nightat 8:30 p.m. The next task was tochange my work schedule. I was able

to access my computer at work fromthe kitchen table in Chashmonaim dueto an excellent program called“Radmin” and the fine computer net-working work of my friend ArthurCarp. Most of my non-religiouspatients and even some of those whoare religious do not know that I live inIsrael. It’s like any other personaldetail in my life. Those who are veryclose to us know, and those who arenot as close need not know. My officeis covered 24/7 regardless. My patients

were all very understanding when Icalled and told them that I had a per-sonal issue, and they allowed me tochange their appointments. Most ofthem did not know I was calling fromIsrael. An additional aside: I can callthe U.S. at any time and not incur anyoverseas long distance charges due toour use of voice-over-IP (VoIP). Itallows us to call many places in theworld using our regular phone and theInternet. Most Americans living inIsrael are set up this way. It is an indis-pensable part of making life in Israelmore comfortable. Essentially, everycall to the U.S. is a local phone call.

So now I am sitting on the planeabout to land at JFK in New York,knowing I will spend one night andone and a half days working in NewYork. I know if I stayed longer I wouldearn more money this week, and that Ihave a tough two days of work ahead ofme. Even so, I am flying with a goofysmile on my face, because I know I willbe back home with my family verysoon, and I know that I will not disap-point my son. I also know I will enjoyspending time with him and be veryproud at his mesibah.

◆ ◆ ◆

It is now Tuesday night, and I amwaiting in the King David Lounge tofind out if I will receive the upgrade. Ihave been informed that my sikuyim(chances) are pretty good. At JFK, theyclose the flight one hour before take-off, and they inform those who havebeen upgraded shortly thereafter. The


The Ultimate CommuterContinued from Front Cover


Although I had moved all my patients

and done everything in my power to be

there for my son, it was possible I still

would not make it.


one thing that is putting my chancesfor the upgrade in question is the factthat there are three deadheads on thisflight. In our context, deadheads arenot Grateful Dead fans, although theycould be. In the airport, the termmeans captains who are not pilotingthe plane but are taking a free ride.The deadheads who work for El Al getthe upgrades to business class beforeanyone else. I was fortunate to benumber one on this flight and receivedthe only upgrade after the deadheads.There have been times that I havebeen number one to get upgraded andhave not received it.

I am now on the plane and veryhappy to be here, not just because Iwas upgraded, and only partiallybecause I am going home early. Thereal reason I am so overjoyed to be sit-ting on this plane is because right nowas I fly over Greece there is a generalshevitah (strike) in Israel, and yester-day morning I was not at all sure that Iwould be able to board this plane atall. I was uptight all day. I called mytravel agent and members of the El Alstaff, and no one could give me astraight answer. I was trying to figureout other ways to get home. Perhapsthrough a different country. I wasgrowing uneasy all afternoon because Irealized that although I had moved allmy patients and done everything in mypower to be there for my son, it waspossible I still would not make it. Itwas frustrating. At about 2:30 I called

the supervisor at JFK for El Al, and hetold me that the plane would in factdepart, but he was not sure about thenext day’s flights. His news put memore at ease.

I am about to land in Israel, toattend my son’s mesibah. I am in busi-ness class, and I am getting home aday and a half early. I flew happy, andI even caught a nice nap. I won’t haveto go back to the U.S. for five days, andthen I will work a full week (Sunday toThursday) and then return for thePesach break. Life is good. I hope I getthe upgrade!

◆ ◆ ◆

The above was the entry that wasmeant for last week. This week I amproviding a double dose due to my unfa-miliarity with deadlines and how theyrelate to chagim and frum newspapers.

The mesibah was great and I was sovery happy to have been present. I amnow writing on Tuesday night, April10. Today was Yom Tov for my parentsand friends in the U.S. and Isru Chag(post-holiday) for my family here inIsrael. This morning I had brunch at“Holy Bagels” in Modiin. My daughter,Miriam, even commented, “There’snothing like eating bagels on Pesach.”This Pesach was the first time I cele-brated one seder instead of two. It wasa strange feeling, but one to which itwas easy to become accustomed. Itseemed to make more sense. We hadone seder with as much kavanah (reli-gious feeling) as we could muster anddid not have to repeat the sameprocess the next night. It took a bitlonger because we could not divide the

children’s divrei Torah (commentaries)and participation, or the adult discus-sion of the Haggadah into two nights.Nevertheless, it was very enjoyable.

We spent Pesach in the MagicNirvana Hotel at the Dead Sea. It wasextremely relaxing and fun. We consid-ered making Pesach at our home, butwe are ill-equipped. Personally, I couldnot see having my wife do all thecleaning, cooking, and entertainingour children (schools close one weekbefore the chag) while I was not evenin the country. The shopping is alsonot as easy as one would expectbecause many Israelis eat kitniyot.One has to read the labels carefully.The hotel was beautiful as was thescenery. It was on the beach. Betweenthe pool, the beach, the playground,and miniature golf, we were all veryrelaxed and busy throughout CholHaMoed. It is also amazing to sit at aseder or Yom Tov davening and realizethat we are commemorating eventsthat took place about a two-hour drivefrom our location. When we read ShirHaShirim on Shabbat and the ba‘alkriah (reader) read a sentence thatreferred to the beauty of Ein Gedi, allI could think of was, “Wow! I was thereon Thursday!”

The Dead Sea was gorgeous, andalthough I had spent time therebefore, I never really spent any timefloating in its famous waters. After Idid it once I was hooked! I floated asoften as I could. Even my six-year-oldson, Eli, floated on his own. I wasalways within arm’s reach but neverneeded. It was very relaxing and more

fun than I had thought it would be. Ihave been to hotels for Pesach before,and no matter how wonderful theaccommodations and the food, by theend of the holiday I was usually veryanxious to leave. I don’t know if it wasthe relaxing nature of this place, thefun my family had, or even the greaterfreedom of a longer Chol HaMoed, butthis year I was almost sad to leave.

It is just over nine months since wemoved to Israel. At the outset weplanned to spend an “open ended” yearliving in Israel. It is coming close todecision-making time. I will try to giveyou a window into our decision-makingprocess in my next entry. Feel free to e-mail me your comments or suggestions.

One of the evening shows at thehotel was two Israeli guitarists whosang Simon and Garfunkel songs.They were quite good. One of thesongs they sang was “Me And JulioDown By The School Yard.” There is aline in that song that struck me as theperfect statement about our experi-ence in Israel thus far. “I’m on my way,I don’t know where I’m going. I’m onmy way, takin’ my time, but I don’tknow when.” I am confident we willfigure it out. Meanwhile I am enjoyinga full two weeks without going any-where near the airport. I will be flyingout Saturday night as I return to mynormal routine, and if all the touristshave already returned home maybe Iwill get the shidrug (the upgrade)! ❖

Danny Block, a dentist from Cedarhurst, movedto Israel last year and commutes weekly from hisfamily’s home there to his office in Forest Hills.He can be reached at [email protected].

The Ultimate CommuterContinued from Page 14


s”xc

B Y R A B B I Y A I R H O F F M A NDEAN, TIFERET CHAYA–THE CAROL TEPLER

HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

Baseball season is upon us. In lateMarch, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcherRandy Wolf pitched into the sixthinning and allowed just five hits andtwo runs, as the L.A. Dodgers beat theBaltimore Orioles, 4–2, in springtraining action. But, as the astutehalachic reader has probably assumed,that is not what this article is about.“LA” does not refer to Los Angeles and“BA” does not refer to Baltimore.

No, we are concerned about thenusach of Sefiras HaOmer.

When counting each day of theomer, do we say the word ba’omer ordo we say the word la’omer? TheRashba (responsa Vol. I, No. 457) andthe Kol Bo (Siman 55) both have thewording as la’omer. These two author-ities lived in the late 1200s and early1300s and seem to offer the earliestdiscussion on the subject. On theother hand, the Sefer HaMinhagim,Rabbi Yitzchok Tirnau (who lived inthe 1300s to early 1400s), has theword as ba’omer.

The TaZ supports ba’omer instead ofla’omer because la’omer refers to thefuture. On the first night of the omer,how can we say something that we didnot yet do? Ba’omer refers to some-thing that we are currently within, andtherefore is more accurate.

The AriZal in Shaar HaKavanos(Sefiras HaOmer Drush, No. 11) hasthe word la’omer, as does the Shla(Pesachim 23).

What seems to be a bit of a shockis that neither the Tur nor theShulchan mention either form(Orach Chaim 489). It seems that theRama added the word ba’omer in hisgloss to Rav Karo’s Shulchan Aruch,but it did not appear in Rav Karo’soriginal text. The Shulchan Aruchincludes neither word.

Leaving out the word is actually theposition of the responsa of theMaharshal, Rabbi Shlomo Luria(1510–1574). In siman 64, theMaharshal quotes his rebbi as not hav-ing ended with any prepositionalphrase. Apparently there are someKabbalistic streams that it is better notto identify with either word. This veryquestion was addressed by the Rashbain his responsa and he responded thatone should say the word because itclarifies it more.

Interestingly enough, Rav YosephKaro in his Beis Yoseph does cite theRan who appends the word la’omer,but for some reason Rav Karo did notsee fit to include either la’omer orba’omer in his Shulchan Aruch.

The Mateh Moshe 667 writes thatla’omer should be said, as do otheracharonim. Rabbi Chaim MordechaiMargolios, author of the ShaareiTeshuvah, quotes the responsa of the


Omer: ‘LA’ Versus ‘BA’Halachic Musings

Beis Yaakov who states thathis father-in-law used theform la’omer, whereas heused the form ba’omer. Theauthor of the Beis Yaakovattempts to bring a proof tothe ba’omer version fromChoshen Mishpat 253 (thelaws of shechiv meira). RabbiMargolios (1780–1820)wrote that there is no prooffrom there, and cited thatthere are a number of versesthat do use the prefix of “la,”as well. He further writesthat la’omer conforms betterwith the method of people’sspeech than does ba’omer.Finally, he cites the halachosof writing a get (divorce doc-

ument) discussed in EvenHoEzer 126, where layerach(“to the month of”) is usedinstead of bayerach (“in themonth of”). He also statesthat the majority of poskimwent with la’omer. The cus-tom seems to be to sayla’omer, and that is theMishnah Berurah’s conclu-sion—that the majority ofposkim go with la’omer.

But how do we answer theTaZ’s question? There is amanuscript cited in the backof the new high-techShulchan Aruch entitledBirkas Avraham. He proposesthat the TaZ’s question can beanswered based on a Rashi inRosh Hashanah (4a): The pre-fix “la” refers to the entireperiod of time discussed. It is

only to fulfill the requirementof temimus, doing it perfectly,that we recite it at the veryfirst time that we can. Thus

the meaning is “the day(tomorrow) that we firstentered now (tonight) is thefirst of the omer.”

No ‘Shehecheyanu’As an aside, there is no

blessing of Shehecheyanu onthe mitzvah of counting theomer. The reason for this isthe subject of much debate.The Ran, Baal HaMaor,Avudraham, and Rashbawrite that the mitzvah in itscurrent form does not havesimcha in it, rather it is areminder of what we oncehad. It is mournful in itsinherent nature.

Another reason is that the

mitzvah, according to manyauthorities (Rokeach 671,Ran, and Ba‘al HaMaor) wasonly enacted as a commemo-

ration of the Temple.Consequently, its status is notas important or as significantas other mitzvos, and wouldnot warrant a Shehecheyanu.Yet another reason is that themitzvah does not have a phys-ically distinct characteristic,and thus would not warrant aShehecheyanu (Rokeach 671).

Others explain that themitzvah is only in preparationfor the mitzvah of bikkurim;the Shehecheyanu recited onthe Kiddush for Shavuoswould therefore cover it(Avudraham).

The Manhig (No. 64)writes that it is as if it does nothave a set time, since many

authorities hold that one con-tinues counting on the rest ofthe days if one missed thefirst. The Ran in Sukkah(84a) states that since theberachah is not recited in thedaytime and one does not ful-fill the mitzvah in the daytime,the Shehecheyanu was notenacted. (It is unclear whythis would matter.)

The Shvilei HaLeket (234)writes that no Shehecheyanuis recited since its time isdependent upon the holidayof Pesach. Therefore theShehecheyanu of PesachKiddush covers it.

A final thought: TheRamban, in the end ofParashas Emor, has a some-what different view of thesefirah period than we mightgenerally have based upon allthe mourning restrictionsduring this time. TheRamban, based uponKabbalistic sources, views thesefirah period as infused withsuch kedushah that it is com-parable to the Chol HaMoeddays. We should therefore usethis period as a time ofgrowth. The B’nei Yisraeldeveloped from the lowestspiritual level to the highestof any generation, and thepower inherent within thesedays is quite potent. ❖

The author can be reached [email protected].


Halachic MusingsContinued from Page 17

The Ramban, based upon

Kabbalistic sources, views the

sefirah period as infused with such

kedushah that it is comparable to

the Chol HaMoed days.

room. The Israeli mechanics and engi-neering lecturer was shot to death,“but…the students lived because ofhim,” Virginia Tech student Asael Arad(also an Israeli) told Israel Army Radio.

Several of Librescu’s other studentssent e-mails to his wife, Marlena,telling of how he had blocked the gun-man’s way and saved their lives, saidLibrescu’s son, Joe. “My father blockedthe doorway with his body and askedthe students to flee,” Joe Librescu saidin a telephone interview from his homeoutside of Tel Aviv. “Students startedopening windows and jumping out.”

Librescu was respected in his field,his son said. “His work was his life, ina sense,” said Joe. “That was a goodplace for him to practice his research.”

The couple immigrated to Israelfrom Romania in 1978. They thenmoved to Virginia in 1986 for his sab-batical and had stayed since then, Joetold Army Radio.

The gunman was identified onTuesday afternoon as Cho Seung-Hui,23, a South Korean citizen who wasstudying legally in the United States asan English major at Virginia Tech.Earlier, Virginia Tech’s president saidthe gunman in the second of two cam-pus attacks was a student at the uni-versity. He also defended the school’sdelay in warning students about whatbecame the deadliest shooting ram-page in U.S. history.

Though University PresidentCharles Steger did not explicitly saythe student, whom he identified as anAsian male, was also the gunman inthe first shooting, he said he did notbelieve there was another shooter. Thegunman struck down two people at adormitory Monday before killing 30more people in a campus building andfinally killing himself with a shot tohis head.

“We do know that he was an Asianmale—this is the second incident—anAsian man who was a resident in one ofour dormitories,” said Steger in aninterview with CNN, confirming for thefirst time that the killer was a student.

Some students said their first warn-ing came more than two hours after thefirst shooting, in an e-mail at 9:26 a.m.By then the second shooting had begun.

“I think the university has blood ontheir hands because of their lack ofaction after the first incident,” said Billy

Bason, 18, who lives on the seventhfloor of West Ambler Johnston, a high-rise coed dormitory where the shootingbegan and two people died. Steger saidthe university was trying to notify stu-dents who were already on campus, notthose who were commuting in.

“We warned the students that we

thought were immediately impacted,”he told CNN. “We felt that confiningthem to the classroom was how to keepthem safest.” He said investigators didnot know there was a shooter loose oncampus in the interval between thetwo shootings because the first could

have been a murder-suicide.Two students told NBC television’s

Today show they were unaware of thedorm shooting when they reported to aGerman class where the gunman lateropened fire.

Derek O’Dell, his arm in a cast afterbeing shot, described a shooter who

fired away in “eery silence” with “nospecific target—just taking out any-body he could.” After the gunman leftthe room, students could hear himshooting other people down the hall.O’Dell said he and other students bar-ricaded the door so the shooter could-

n’t get back in—though he later tried.“After he couldn’t get the door open

he tried shooting it open…but thegunshots were blunted by the door,”O’Dell said.

President George W. Bush and firstlady Laura Bush attended a convoca-tion Tuesday, and people sought com-fort Monday night at a church service.

“For Ryan and Emily and for thosewhose names we do not know,” onewoman pleaded in a church serviceMonday night. Another mourner added:“For parents near and far who wonderat a time like this, ‘Is my child safe?”’That question promises to hauntBlacksburg long after Monday’sattacks.

The shooting began about 7:15 a.m.on the fourth floor of the dorm. Policewere still investigating around 9:15 a.m.,when a gunman wielding two handgunsand carrying multiple clips of ammuni-tion stormed Norris Hall, a classroombuilding a half-mile away on the otherside of the 2,600-acre campus.



“My father blocked the doorwaywith his body and asked the

students to flee.”

Virginia Tech ShootingContinued from Front Cover

A woman who shallseed and give birth to

a male child (Vayikra 12:2)

If the woman gives seedfirst, she gives birth to a

male; if the man gives seedfirst, she gives birth to a

female.

(Talmud, Niddah 31a)

At least 15 people were hurt in thesecond attack, some seriously. Manyfound themselves trapped after some-one, apparently the shooter, chained andlocked Norris Hall doors from the inside.

Students jumped from windows,and students and faculty carried awaysome of the wounded without waitingfor ambulances to arrive. Police com-mandos swarmed over the campus. Astudent used his cell-phone camera torecord the sound of bullets echoingthrough a stone building.

Inside Norris, the attack began witha thunderous sound from Room 206—“what sounded like an enormous ham-mer,” said Alec Calhoun, a 20-year-oldjunior who was in a solid mechanicslecture in a classroom next door.

Screams followed an instant later,and the banging continued. When stu-dents realized the sounds were gun-shots, Calhoun said, he started flip-ping over desks to make hiding places.Others dashed to the windows of thesecond-floor classroom, kicking outthe screens and jumping from theledge of Room 204, he said.

“I must’ve been the eighth or ninthperson who jumped, and I think I wasthe last,” said Calhoun. He landed in abush and ran. Calhoun said that thetwo students behind him were shot,but that he believed they survived. Justbefore he climbed out the window,Calhoun said, he turned to look at hisprofessor, who had stayed behind,apparently to prevent the gunman

from opening the door. The instructorwas killed, Calhoun said.

Erin Sheehan, who was in theGerman class next door to Calhoun’sclass, told the student newspaper, theCollegiate Times, that she was one ofonly four of about two dozen people inthe class to walk out of the room. Therest were dead or wounded, she said.

She said the gunman “was just anormal-looking kid, Asian, but he hadon a Boy Scout-type outfit. He wore atan button-up vest, and this black vest,maybe it was for ammo or something.”

The gunman first shot the professorin the head and then fired on the class,another student, Trey Perkins, told TheWashington Post. The gunman was about19 years old and had a “very serious butvery calm look on his face,” he said.“Everyone hit the floor at that moment,”said Perkins, a second year studentstudying mechanical engineering. “Andthe shots seemed like it lasted forever.”

At an evening news conference,Police Chief Wendell Flinchumrefused to dismiss the possibility that aco-conspirator or second shooter wasinvolved. He said police had inter-viewed a male who was a “person ofinterest” in the dorm shooting and whoknew one of the victims, but hedeclined to give details.

Steger said authorities believed theshooting at the dorm was a domesticdispute and mistakenly thought thegunman had fled the campus. “We hadno reason to suspect any other inci-dent was going to occur,” he said.

Steger emphasized that the universityclosed off the dorm after the first attack

and decided to rely on e-mail and otherelectronic means to spread the word,but said that with 11,000 people drivingonto campus first thing in the morning,it was difficult to get the word out.

He said that before the e-mail wassent, the university began telephoningresident advisers in the dorms and sentpeople to knock on doors. Studentswere warned to stay inside and awayfrom the windows. “We can only makedecisions based on the informationyou had at the time. You don’t havehours to reflect on it,” Steger said.

The 9:26 e-mail had few details: “Ashooting incident occurred at WestAmber Johnston earlier this morning.Police are on the scene and are inves-tigating.” The message warned stu-dents to be cautious and contact policeabout anything suspicious.

Until Monday, the deadliest shoot-ing in modern U.S. history was inKilleen, Texas, in 1991, when GeorgeHennard plowed his pickup truck intoa Luby’s Cafeteria and shot 23 peopleto death, then himself.

The massacre Monday took placealmost eight years to the day after theColumbine High bloodbath nearLittleton, Colorado. On April 20,1999, two teenagers killed 12 fellowstudents and a teacher before takingtheir own lives.

Previously, the deadliest campusshooting in U.S. history was a rampagethat took place in 1966 at theUniversity of Texas at Austin, whereCharles Whitman climbed the clocktower and opened fire with a rifle fromthe 28th-floor observation deck. He

killed 16 people before he was shot todeath by police.

Founded in 1872, Virginia Tech isnestled in southwestern Virginia,about 160 miles west of Richmond.With more than 25,000 full-time stu-dents, it has the state’s largest full-timestudent population. The school is bestknown for its engineering school andits powerhouse Hokies football team.

Police said there had been bombthreats on campus over the past twoweeks but that they had not deter-mined whether they were linked to theshootings. It was the second time inless than a year that the campus wasclosed because of gunfire.

Last August, the opening day of class-es was canceled when an escaped jailinmate allegedly killed a hospital guardoff campus and fled to the Tech area. Asheriff ’s deputy was killed just off cam-pus. The accused gunman, WilliamMorva, faces capital murder charges.

As well as Librescu, among the deadwere Kevin Granata, said Ishwar K. Puri,the head of the engineering science andmechanics department. (JPost.com) ❖

To send a condolence message to the Librescufamily, go to www.chabad.edu/templates/articlecco.html?AID=504498.


Virginia Tech ShootingContinued from Page 19

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

WE WANT TO KNOW!

E-MAIL US AT [email protected]

B Y A V I T A L M E D O F F

As bar and bat mitzvahs approach,many parents plan a trip for theircoming-of-age child that will not onlycelebrate and mark the occasion, butalso serve as a learning experience asthe child takes on greater Jewishresponsibility. The destination may beIsrael—to learn its history, participatein ritual, and be part of the continu-um of Jews celebrating the land. Butimportant sites closer to home,whether in addition to or separatefrom an Israel trip, can create alearning opportunity and rite of pas-sage experience. Two New York muse-ums—the Museum of JewishHeritage: A Living Memorial to theHolocaust and the Lower East SideTenement Museum—are worth justsuch a visit.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage:A Living Memorial to theHolocaust. This museum gives visi-tors a unique perspective on 20th-century Jewish history. The museum,which opened nearly ten years ago,celebrates the lives, traditions, andachievements of Jewish life, bothbefore and after the Holocaust.

Well-traveled children may wonderwhat a trip to this museum offers ifthey already visited the HolocaustMuseum in Washington, DC, andYad Vashem in Jerusalem. (The best

answer, of course, is that with sixmillion gone, three museums is notnearly enough.) The Museum ofJewish Heritage stands out becauseof its emphasis.

“Other Jewish museums focus onhow Jews died in the Holocaust,” saidBetsy Aldredge, the museum’s public-relations manager. “We focus on indi-vidual stories and personal narrative—

how these people lived, their thrivingcommunities before the war, and whatthey did afterwards to rebuild.”

The museum spends a good deal oftime organizing programs for full class-room visits, but you may want to con-sider a quiet visit with your bar or batmitzvah to let them take in what ismost meaningful.

The core of the museum is its per-manent collection, divided into three

chronological themes, each told on aseparate floor: “Jewish Life A CenturyAgo,” “The War Against the Jews,” and“Jewish Renewal.”

There are more than 15,000 objectson rotating display in the collection,including 2,000 photographs, 800 his-torical and cultural artifacts, and 24original documentary films.

Exhibitions change frequently; oneon view now is “From the Heart: ThePhotojournalism of Ruth Gruber.”Gruber, now 95, photographed herpersonal involvement in modernJewish history, including escorting war

refugees from Europe to America, vis-iting displaced persons camps, detail-ing the plight of the Exodus 1947,describing the establishment of theState of Israel, and documenting thestate’s ingathering of refugees fromEurope, Iraq, North Africa, Yemen,and Ethiopia. Her photographs are ondisplay through October 8.

For $10 to $12 per person, youcan arrange group tours led by a

museum educator—well worth thetime and money.

The museum also rents space forbar and bat mitzvah parties—worthconsidering, with their distinctive loca-tion overlooking the Statue of Libertyand Ellis Island. Depending on thespace, the museum can host between300 and 800 guests. The price for astandard reception ranges from $6,000to $10,000, but they “try to be flexible,if possible,” said Rachel Heumann,manager of museum events. The rentalfee may also include the cost of amuseum tour.

April Rudin of Fort Lee, N.J., host-ed her son Alec’s bar mitzvah party atthe Museum of Jewish Heritage inMarch 2006. Rudin said she chose tohold the reception at the museumbecause it represents “the merging ofall of our worlds. It looks out on EllisIsland and has the Holocaust remem-brance aspect.”

“The theme of Alec’s bar mitzvahwas l’dor va’dor, from generation togeneration,” she added. “And that tome was what the museum symbolized.”

For more information, contact theMuseum of Jewish Heritage: A LivingMemorial to the Holocaust at 646-437-4200 or www.mjhnyc.org.

The Lower East Side TenementMuseum. This museum is made up ofa series of historic tenements built in1863. The Tenement Museum differsfrom the traditional museum in that itdoes not have open gallery space forpeople to peruse, said Ted Gorodetzky,group marketing coordinator. “Themuseum illustrates the history of the


History Museums:An Unusual Option For Bar And Bat Mitzvah Parties

The theme of Alec’s bar mitzvahwas l’dor va’dor, from generationto generation. That to me waswhat the museum symbolized.


Lower East Side and its immi-grants by investigating thelives of tenement residents,”he added.

All tours leave from the vis-itors center and museumshop, located at 108 OrchardStreet. Tours take place acrossthe road in the tenements at97 Orchard Street.

Each of the three toursoffered focuses on one ortwo families who lived in thetenements:

The Confino Living Historytour is led by a costumed inter-preter portraying 13-year-oldVictoria Confino. The Confinoswere a Sephardic family (circa1916) from Kastoria (in mod-ern-day Greece). Visitors canask Victoria anything, but shealways stays in character, so formaximum benefit, ask themuseum for the backgroundmaterials they normally sendschools. Don’t forget to find outwhere Victoria’s family prayed(since most Lower East Sideresidents were Ashkenazi),what rent cost, and what herparents thought about her dat-ing young men. Also ask whather mother cooked (not muchkugel); the answer will be strik-ing to kids used to the standardFriday night dinner.

The Getting By tour takesvisitors to the apartments ofthe German-Jewish Gumpertzfamily (1870s) and theSicilian-Catholic Baldizzifamily (1930s). Backgroundmaterials could help yourbudding teen think about sim-ilarities and differencesbetween the two families.

The Piecing it Togethertour brings visitors to theJewish Levine family (1897)from Poland to celebrate thebirth of a baby boy and to theLithuanian Rogarshevskyfamily (1918), also Jewish, topay a shivah call. The tene-ment artifacts, like babyclothes and Sabbath ritualitems, are likely to provokequestions from your teensand preteens.

Cocktail receptions for upto 75 guests cost $1,200 andare held at the visitors center.For a small dinner party, youcan seat up to 24 people in ahistoric tenement for $1,000.

“A bar or bat mitzvah is alovely occasion to hold in afacility like this because ofour historic programming,”Gorodetzky said. “The great-est aspect [of hosting an eventat the Tenement Museum] isthat the tours stimulate con-versation, so it makes forinteresting parties.”

For more information, con-tact the Lower East SideTenement Museum atwww.tenement.org or 212-982-8420. ❖

Avital Medoff is a journalism majorat the University of Maryland atCollege Park.

Dear Esther,Here is my situation. I have three

grown children, who are more or lessindependent (married or otherwise).Six years ago, to my surprise, I becamepregnant and had another child, adaughter. Though I was thrilled tohave a new, healthy addition to ourfamily, I really thought that my intensemothering days were behind me. I hadlong ago said good-bye to car pools,babysitters, play dates, etc.

My daughter is now six, andthough she is adorable, I sometimesenvy my friends who seem so free atthis stage of life. Ariella, my daughter,is very sociable and loves to be keptbusy. From the moment she walks inthe door from school, she wants toknow what she can do after she fin-ishes her homework. She seems toget easily bored and is always lookingfor action.

During the week is one thing; Imanage fine. But weekends arebecoming increasingly difficult, and Ifind myself starting to feel tremendousanxiety as early as Thursday evening. Istart making phone calls to arrange aplay date, especially now that the dayis so long. Sometimes I’m successfuland sometimes not. Often, her friends’parents are totally non-receptive. I

think maybe it’s because they haveother children at home who are closein age, and they figure their childrenwill entertain one another. I’m notsure. Rarely does anyone call me tomake plans. I can’t understand whythey sometimes sound so removed andseemingly apathetic about makingplans for their daughter, as thoughthey couldn’t care less.

So I’m busy going through my list

and literally getting knots in my stom-ach. When I can’t drum up any “busi-ness,” I start dreading Shabbos, won-dering how we will all survive the long(and “boring”) day. I know that Ariellawill be antsy and demanding, whichwill drive me crazy.

It’s become so bad lately that I’malready thinking about Shabbos on

Wednesday and sometimes evenTuesday. So much of my life is becom-ing geared toward making plans forAriella. I just don’t understand whyother mothers aren’t as concerned as Iam about making plans and why theyare so unresponsive. I feel like this sit-uation is taking on a life of its own,even though on some level I knowthere are so many more importantthings to be busy with.

Any reaction?Anxious

Dear Anxious,I do have a reaction to your question

and will go through what occurs to me,step by step.

My first overall reaction, however,is to wonder why you are so troubled

by a bored, kvetchy child. True, it canbe annoying, even distressing, attimes. But you seem to be giving it anenormous amount of power overyourself, and I have to wonder why.Kids get bored. And yes, there aresome children who are much moreadept at finding ways to entertainthemselves for long stretches of time

than others. Some children are lessdemanding; you hardly know they’rearound. And then there are childrenlike Ariella, who need constantaction. Whether this is because shewas born that way or whether shefeels the need to constantly be enter-tained because that is how you havebeen raising her is irrelevant at thispoint. What matters is that youunderstand that no one ever died ofboredom. Not only is it not lifethreatening, but ultimately, it’s notreally a very big deal.

It seems Ariella thinks it’s a bigdeal, and you confirm that reality forher in your never-ending quest forfinding playmates for her. Don’t thinkthat she doesn’t pick up on your anx-iety when you haven’t succeeded inmaking a plan for her. Kids do that—they know what we feel and they usu-ally can feel what we feel. Maybe ifyou would relax a bit and try to beless reactive to her demands, Ariellamight figure out that it’s OK to bealone sometimes and it’s even OK tobe bored on a long Shabbos. It hap-pens…life goes on. Instead, what I’mhearing is that you are both feedingoff one another’s dread of being leftwithout a plan.

I guess that the mothers who don’tseem overly concerned about whethertheir daughters have Shabbos plansprobably have a more relaxed attitudetoward the whole “play date” concept.And yes, maybe there are other chil-dren at home who are around to keepone another company. However,might it be that you have some con-


Maybe if you would relax a bit and try tobe less reactive to her demands,

Ariella might figure out that it’s OK to be alone sometimes.


cern as to whether your daughter ispopular enough? Could that be driv-ing some of your anxiety? Do you haveyour own issues about being popularenough, possibly projecting themonto your daughter?

And while I’m on track for making itpersonal, I wonder how well you han-dle downtime. Are you OK with spend-ing an aimless day, not necessarily hav-ing a plan? Does boredom threatenyou? Do you need to be constantlybusy? Again, what I’m getting at is,could any of this be about you?

And finally, I wonder how acuteyour resentment truly is for once againbeing thrown into a life stage that youwere happy to say “so long” to quitesome time ago. And though you loveand are grateful for your daughter, on

some deeper level, you feel maybemore than a bit of annoyance that youare again busy catering to a child’snever-ending needs, while your con-temporaries are no longer dealing withthat demanding stage of life.

I’ve given you some possibilities toconsider. They may fit and they maynot; that is for you to decide.Meanwhile, try to relax and enjoy theseprecious years with Ariella. As you mustknow, time flies by so quickly. Beforeyou know it, she’ll be on her own andyou may find yourself longing for thedays when you had her all to yourself.

Esther

Esther Mann, LMSW, has a private practice inLawrence. She can be reached at 516-314-2295or [email protected]. She works withindividuals and couples.

On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shallbe circumcised

(Vayikra 12:3)

Yitzchak and Yishmael were engaged in a controvery. SaidYishmael to Yitzchak: "I am more beloved to G-d than you,since I was circumcised at the age of thirteen, but you were

circumcised as a baby and could not refuse." Yitzchakretorted: "All that you gave up to G-d was three drops ofblood. But lo, I am now thirty-seven years old, yet if G-ddesired of me that I be slaughtered, I would not refuse."

(Midrash Rabbah)


When you start shopping for ahouse, inevitably your real-estatebroker will suggest that you visit witha mortgage broker and find out howmuch house you will qualify for onpaper. You get all your financialinformation together and you headout to the mortgage broker to getpre-qualified.

After sitting down with the mort-gage broker, one of two things mighthappen. One mortgage broker mighthand you a generic form he keeps inthe back room saying you are pre-qualified for a mortgage, and tell younot to worry about it—you will qualifyfor something.

A more responsible mortgage brokerwill sit you down and review all youremployment and asset information,

the same as she or he would whenactually taking a mortgage application,pull a credit report, and possibly evengive you a desktop approval from alender which pre-approves you for amortgage based on the conditions out-lined in the desktop approval.

What are the differences betweenthese two qualification processes? A

generic letter or a pre-qualificationletter basically is not worth the paperit is written on it. It essentially saysthat the buyer will qualify for a mort-gage, if the income, assets, and creditstated are verified as being correct.Translated, that means the buyerguessed what his credit would be,gave the mortgage broker an ideawhat his income was and how muchmoney he was hoping to come up

with, and is hoping and praying every-thing will be okay.

This obviously does not qualify any-one for anything. Unfortunately, buy-ers and sellers unaware of the realprocess of qualifying borrowers for amortgage might see this pre-qualifica-tion typed on a pretty letterhead andthink, “Okay, this guy’s set with amortgage.”

The second and correct qualifica-tion process is the one I mentionedpreviously, where the buyers sit withthe mortgage broker and present theirincome and financial documents. Themortgage broker can then put togeth-er a mortgage package with a creditreport, get it desktop approved (desk-top approval is a process that is usedwhen the mortgage broker is a pro-cessing broker and can submit anapplication that can be underwrittenonline directly to the lender for imme-diate approval) and receive an actualapproval subject to an appraisal, con-tract of sale, and title. There might beadditional conditions as well, but amortgage broker examining thoseconditions will know immediately ifthe conditions are such that willcause a problem or not.

This type of qualification process isknown as a pre-approval as opposedto a pre-qualification, since the onlyreal conditions on this type of anapproval are property-related, i.e.,contract of sale, appraisal, title andhomeowner’s insurance. As you cansee, having a pre-approval letter inhand says that the buyer in questionhas already submitted a mortgage

application package and beenapproved subject to additional infor-mation regarding the property to bepurchased. This puts the buyer in anextremely strong position when nego-tiating for a house, since his financialsituation is very straightforward. Italso gives the seller peace of mindand a level of comfort in accepting anoffer and making a deal with this typeof buyer. ❖

Anessa Cohen lives in Cedarhurst and is alicensed real estate broker (Anessa V CohenRealty) and a licensed N.Y.S. mortgage broker(A.C. Action Mortgage Corp.) with over 20 yearsof experience, offering full-service residential andcommercial real estate services and mortgageservices. She can be reached at 516-569-5007.Readers are encouraged to send any questions orscenarios to [email protected].

Having a pre-approval letter in hand says

that the buyer in question has already

submitted a mortgage application

package and been approved.

A person to whomshall occur in the

skin of his flesh... theplague of tzaraas

(Vayikra 13:2)

Evil talk is like an arrow.A person who unsheathes

a sword can regret hisintention and return it toits sheath. But the arrow

cannot be retrieved.

(Midrash Tehillim)

It’s that time of year again. Startingright now, we will gradually begin tosee faces that we haven’t laid eyes onin months—not since temperaturesfirst dipped below 60 degrees. A hand-ful of seniors, possibly the sturdierones, hung around here for an extramonth and waited for the first frostbefore heading south. But the majorityfled earlier. The exodus generallyextends from mid-November throughlate December.

A few souls do things differently:they leave for Florida immediatelyfollowing the yamim nora’im anddon’t return until the end of June. Inother words, their permanent quar-ters are in Florida but, since it’s sohot there during the summer, theyreturn to see their kids during Julyand August. On paper, this looks pret-ty good, but there’s a caveat here, tobe sure. As a rule, seniors see nosense in renting here for two months,and since most don’t keep homes orapartments for such a short period oftime, they move in with their marriedchildren for eight weeks. This is not

always a walk in the park.It would seem that this scheduling

would work best if there are severalchildren involved, so that Mom andDad could spend two or three weekswith each family. The only problem isthat most of the time the elders in

question are not overjoyed to do allthat moving about. Their inclinationis to stagger it differently: one sum-mer with one child, the next summerwith another, and so on and so forth!All of which brings one child back tohaving Mom and Dad move in for twofull months. Sometimes it works well,

and sometimes not so well.Regardless of whether people dis-

appear for ten months, six months, orless, there are always some who willneed to return for the bar mitzvah,bat mitzvah, or wedding of a grand-child. The celebration might be forone’s own progeny, or it could be forthat of a friend’s grandchild. Eitherway, these snowbirds (as they arecalled by year-round Florida resi-dents) will have to schlep themselvesup north for a few days, all the whilehoping fervently that it won’t be dur-ing a lengthy cold spell or immediate-ly following an ice storm.

In those instances where the simchais that of a family member, that veryfirst flight to Florida in late fall or earlywinter is preceded by numerous shop-

ping excursions in an effort to find adress for the gala event. No woman inher right mind leaves for the Floridascene until she has made her purchasefor the big day and has the garmentready and waiting in her closet.

The permanent Florida residents,and those who go for ten months, will

continue to wing their way north andsouth as the need arises, but for thesnowbirds who go south for only afew months, all the shuttling is fin-ished for the time being. Their finalflights for this year are taking placeright now, and these folks are slowlydrifting back into our lives.

This reverse mass migration alwaysstarts right after Pesach, and contin-ues for about two weeks. By lateApril, everyone who intends to returnis here, settling back in and attempt-ing to resume life in the fast lane. It’san adjustment of sorts, since the paceof life in the South is somewhat slow-er and more leisurely than in theEmpire State.

Snowbirds are a hardy bunch, andthey easily pick up where they leftoff—with tennis pals, golf mates, andcard-playing buddies. This is a “sametime, same station, different location”type of scenario. Tennis games, roundsof golf, and card playing are all part oflife in Florida, so it’s only the sur-roundings that have changed. Femaleswill return to their longtime hair-dressers and favorite manicurists,males will once again visit their regularbarbers, and men and women alike willbe scheduling appointments with theirdoctors and dentists.

Those of us who stay put have anentire year to go for a dental checkup,and an annual physical, but those whospend half the year in Florida have tosqueeze everything into six months.Those snowbirds who spend tenmonths in Florida have physicians anddentists in place down there. And peo-


When SwallowsReturn To Capistrano

By late April, everyone who intends to

return is here, settling back in and

attempting to resume life in the fast lane.


ple who travel south for short periodsof time don’t have a problem, becausethey have ample time to take care oftheir New York appointments.

But traveling to warmer climes for ashort time is a risky business, becausenobody really knows exactly when thesnow and the cold will begin. For thatmatter, nobody knows when it willend. This includes the NationalWeather Service, AccuWeather, andthe Climate Prediction Center. All theforecasters put together don’t have atrue clue. Take this past Pesach, forinstance. It wasn’t as early as it mighthave been, yet we had little in the wayof mild temperatures and only mini-mal sunshine.

As a result of the lingering cold,everyone who was up here for Pesachhad to deal with the biannual shul hatconundrum: “Do I wear straw or do Istick with felt?” This question is fore-most on the mind of every femalewhen she’s planning what she’ll wearto shul. It’s a given that felt is for RoshHashanah and straw is for Pesach. Butthis becomes problematic when there’swarm weather in September or frigidtemperatures in April. And one neednot be a fashion aficionado to be inter-ested enough to take a hat count. I’mno maven, but I took a count.

For the uninitiated, a hat count issimilar to a body count, except thatmen are not included. The point ofinterest is strictly in the number of felthats versus straw. I take no note of silkhats, because women who wear thoseare taking the cowardly way out. Asany hat retailer will attest, a silk hat isconsidered transitional and is accept-able in all types of weather. I poll onlythe females who take a stand, make adecision, and wear what they feel isappropriate.

But all that is in the past. Pesach isover and the next hat count is manymonths away. In the meantime, wehave an entire spring and summer toreconnect with friends who are return-ing home. And make no mistake aboutit: regardless of how many monthspeople spend in Florida, New York isstill considered home.

Welcome back, y’all! ❖

Hannah Berman lives in Woodmere and is alicensed real-estate broker associated withMarjorie Hausman Realty. She can be reached [email protected] or 516-902-3733.

For the next issue, deadline for reserving

ad space is Monday, April 23

at 5:00 P.M.

All graphics for ads must be in by

Tuesday, April 24

at 5:00 P.M.

Call 516-984-0079

Dear Editor,In his front-page article in last

week’s Five Towns Jewish Times (“Mythird visit with Jonathan Pollard”),Shmuel Sackett states that Pollard’s“love for…his G-d led him to sacrificehis own liberty” and that “his actionssaved millions of Jews.”

I agree we should try to do whateverwe can to help free Mr. Pollard simplybecause his punishment is unprece-dented in its severity for the crimecommitted. It is irresponsible, howev-er, to write and publish these exagger-ations and to couch his actions (whicheveryone would agree were illegal andhalachically wrong) within the contextof G-d and saving millions of lives.

Unfortunately, we are all familiarwith extremists who justify their illegal

acts in the name of G-d. Let’s not, G-dforbid, do the same.

Cal Nathan

Dear Editor,Every year at around this time, I get

riled. I get upset. I wonder and wishsomeone would explain the illogic ofmy thinking. Let me explain my prob-lem to the good folks out there.

I am an immigrant to the UnitedStates, having arrived here about eightyears ago. A few months after myarrival, Thanksgiving came along and Isaw that good Jews—frum Jews,heimishe Jews—celebrated what Ithought was a completely Americanfestival. I inquired and was told thatthe point of the day was to thankHashem for His goodness in allowing

the people of this land to live religious-ly in freedom, even though the dayitself has no particular religious con-notation; anybody from any religion orreligious affiliation could celebrate.

I could understand this, especiallyin view of the fact that many gedolimhave stressed that we should appreci-ate living in a medinah of chesed afterthe millennia of persecution we havesuffered as a people. So, the good,frum, heimishe people eat their turkey(“hodu” in Ivrit!) at a family celebra-tion, in a non-religious feast.

So far, so good.And then Chodesh Iyar comes along,

and with it the fifth day of Iyar. A timewhen Hashem showed open miracles toour people, after the most horrificdecade. A day when we were given theopportunity to live in our own land,promised to us by Hashem, in religiousfreedom. Does anyone but myself see acorrelation here, or the contradiction innot celebrating? Yes, indeed, the finaloutcome has not yet arrived; Mashiachis not obvious, and Israel is not perfectby any means, even religiously.

But maybe that is because so manyof the Orthodox didn’t believe in mak-ing a day of thanksgiving. According tothem, it has to be an all-or-nothingthank-you (even though we celebrate somany yamim tovim for miracles whoseoutcome was not “complete,” as inChanukah.) Therefore irreligiousIsraelis and others celebrate, mostly ina non-religious way, and the othersdon’t recognize it as a miracle day at all;they don’t even eat a piece of turkey.

If the American Thanksgiving is OKbecause it is a non-religious day for say-ing thank you, then surely YomHa’atzmaut could be at least the same. Ifit should be a religious celebration, thenmake it so: acknowledge the miracles.Don’t you think Hashem might be, kivy-achol, upset at our ignoring this time?He gave us another opportunity to showappreciation on Yom Yerushalayim; wecan hardly imagine nowadays going toYerushalayim without the ability todaven at the Kotel. Have the ultra-Orthodox taken this opportunity—in anyway? Shirah? Hallel? Turkey??

Tamar ‘bas Chorin’

Dear Editor,Please permit me to relay a story

that happened last year.I have the great honor to accompany

a rosh yeshiva of great stature two orthree times a year, assisting him to raisefunds for his worthy yeshiva in PetachTikvah, the second oldest yeshiva inEretz Yisrael. I have been with him tovisit people across a broad spectrum ofimportance and wealth. I admire thetime that they give to people coming toget help for their mosdos. Some havespecial days where they give out funds tolines of people. One successful fellowtold us that he was once asked by hisneighbors to move, since they can’t drivedown their street on Monday nights, dueto all the meshulachim on line. Mike‘amcha Yisrael! And this is right here inthe Five Towns community.

In the last three years, theLevenbrown home has been on the list,although we had not been fortunateenough to meet face to face. This year,in January, we arrived at the house justas Mrs. Levenbrown, a’h, was leaving togo to a HAFTR function meeting. Itwas obvious that she was pressed to begoing, and didn’t see us arriving to ringthe bell. As she locked the door andturned to leave, the rosh yeshiva intro-duced himself, and inquired after thehealth of her husband and family. Iexpected, from the initial look on herface as she had turned, to get aresponse of “I am sorry, but…”

Instead, she put her keys in her pock-et, relaxed, and said, “Thank you. He iswell. I am on my way to a yeshiva meet-ing, but I would like to tell him youstopped by.” She then took an envelopeand thanked the rosh yeshiva, and wewent on our way. The utter respect andhumility of her tone, especially comingfrom such an elegant person, struck me.It did so because for the three years thatI have been doing this, I have not seenthis much kavod for this rosh yeshivafrom any other home that we have beento. There have been some warm, someeffusive, some lukewarm, and a fewdownright rude receptions.

But the most effusive, warm,kavodik of those greetings did not



come close to the one or two sentencesspoken by Mrs. Levenbrown. I did notknow at the time, nor would I havebeen able to tell, that she was not ather best. I take the time to write thisletter, never thinking that I would havehad to, because while I had heardabout the Levenbrowns frequently,Mrs. Levenbrown is not someone thatI normally would have been intro-duced to directly. However, when I sawthe article about her in last week’s FiveTowns Jewish Times, I wanted to testi-fy, firsthand, that everything said, andmore, about Mrs. Levenbrown is true.When I told the story to my children atthe Shabbos table this past week, thebeginnings of lifetimes of kiddushHashems and inspiration for acts ofkavod haTorah and kavod ha’berioswere born. Yehei zichrah baruch.

Zvi JacobsWoodmere

Dear Editor,“V’al nifle’osecha v’tovosecha she’be-

chol eis—We thank You, Hashem, forYour wonders and goodness thatoccur at all times.” We would like totake a moment and relate whatoccurred to us on motzaei Yom Tov, afew nights ago:

We arrived home from our parentsand, upon opening the door, found thecarbon-monoxide alarm beeping. Wecalled the fire department, and theywere able to trace the source to ourboiler, some part of which had brokenand was leaking dangerous gas. One ofthe firemen told me that it was impos-sible to tell when the leak had started

or how long it had been spreading, butbecause carbon monoxide gas is unde-tectable by sight or smell—it cannot beseen like smoke or smelled like oil orfire—there are many stories of peoplewho go to sleep and do not wake up.

We feel very fortunate that we werenot home for Yom Tov, and we haveimmense hakaras ha’tov to HaKadoshBaruch Hu for his hashgachah inwatching over and protecting us. This,particularly in light of the fact that car-bon monoxide gas quickly effects preg-nant women and unborn children (andmy wife, may we be blessed to seemuch nachas from our children andgrandchildren, is due in one week’stime, b’sha‘ah tovah). We thankHashem we are healthy and able to tellthis story.

The firemen all agreed that the keywas the working alarm, which alertedus as soon as we walked in the houseso we could avoid breathing in theharmful fumes. We publicly thankHashem, Yisbarach, for His greatchesed to us.

We feel it is our achrayus, therefore,to strongly advise all reading this tomake yourselves and families aware ofthis very real potential sakanas nefashosand take all proper precautions to haveproper alarms installed, inspected, bat-teries updated, and put in the rightlocations (by boiler rooms and outsidebedrooms). Please take note of the fol-lowing statement from the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency:“Carbon monoxide is an odorless, color-



Before Emergency Strikes:Managing Senior Health Care In ACrisis

As a service to the community, theNational Council of Young Israel, theYoung Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst,Atria Kew Gardens, and theWoodmere Rehabilitation and Health-care Center have scheduled a programto address issues related to managinghealth care for seniors, set to takeplace on Sunday, April 29, at 10:00a.m. at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst (8 Spruce Street inCedarhurst).

Other sponsors of the event includeTender Loving Care StaffbuildersHome Health Care and VirginiaBelling Senior Placement Services.

A panel of experts will address ques-tions such as:

• How do you select a quality rehabfacility after hospitalization?

• Why would you choose to stay inan assisted living community afterrehab?

• What services are covered underhome care?

• How can a geographically distantfamily member help a senior who can’tlive alone anymore?

A senior resource fair is also plannedas part of the program. Complimentarybrunch will be provided by Atria Kew

Gardens. Space is limited; pleasereserve by contacting Rebbetzin JudiSteinig at [email protected] 212-929-1525 ext. 103. ❖

Gov. Mitt Romney To Address SymsSchool 20th Anniversary Dinner,April 26

The Sy Syms School of Business,Yeshiva University’s undergraduatebusiness school, plans to celebrate its20th anniversary on Thursday, April26, at its first “Student and AlumniAwards and Networking Dinner,” tobegin at 6:30 p.m. at Gotham Hall(1356 Broadway in Manhattan). MittRomney, formerly the governor ofMassachusetts and now a candidatefor the Republican nomination forPresident of the U.S., is scheduled toprovide the keynote address, sharinghis expertise as a business leader andformer CEO of Bain & Company, amanagement consulting firm.

The celebration was initiated by stu-dents at the school, who raised morethan $50,000 in sponsorship gifts forthe dinner. Inspired by the students,alumni leaders joined in and commit-ted to raise additional unrestrictedfunds for the school as a means ofdemonstrating their appreciation tothe school’s founding benefactors,leadership, and faculty.

“The Sy Syms School is on a newtrajectory with stellar faculty and anenergized alumni organization,” YUPresident Richard M. Joel said. “Thisanniversary is a wonderful opportunityto reflect on the school’s impact on anentire generation of Jewish businessleaders as well as to plan for thefuture, so that our students can con-tinue to flourish in today’s global busi-

ness environment and have a signifi-cant influence on society.”

The honorees are alumni from thefirst graduating class of 1988: RoAnna(Bienstock) Pascher (a partner atGrant Thornton) and JonathanNierenberg (vice-president for globalservices at the IDT Corp.). The eventwill also be a tribute to the founders of

the school: Sy Syms, Marcy Syms, andthe Syms family, the founding benefac-tors; Hal H. Beretz, the foundingchairman of the board; and eightfounding faculty members.

The honorary co-chairs are HowardJonas (founder and chairman of IDT);Jack Katz (a managing partner atGrant Thornton); Daniel C. Kurtzer (aformer United States Ambassador toIsrael and Egypt and a Yeshiva Collegealumnus); and Bernard L. Madoff (ofMadoff Investment Securities), who ischairman of the board of Sy SymsSchool of Business. ❖

MAY In Semifinals Of Mock TrialCompetition

Achieving great success in theNassau County Mock Trial Compe-tition, the Mesivta Ateres Yaakov teamprogressed undefeated to the semifinalsin the week before Pesach. Under theguidance of their coach, Ateres Yaakovalumnus Yehoshua Sladowsky, thesearticulate and dedicated young menwere among the final four teams froman original roster of more than 60 com-peting teams. Although they were nar-rowly defeated by the Port Washingtonteam, their efforts and abilities wereapparent to all. Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe,the menahel of MAY, said, “Although wewere all incredibly pleased by their per-formance against such talented teams, Itake the greatest pride in having beentold by one of the competition organiz-ers that they are consistently impressedas to how refined and well-manneredour students are. What could be betternachas than this?” ❖

Gov. Mitt Romney


‘April Madness’ Coming To The Five Towns

March Madness will be succeededby April Madness, as 24 teams are setto compete on Sunday, April 22, in theLong Island Basketball Tournament,sponsored by Long Island NCSY andexpected to become an annual event.

Unlike NCAA March Madness,which takes place over a period ofthree weeks, NCSY April Madness willbe concentrated in a single, action-packed day, with teams from commu-nities throughout Nassau meeting inthe Five Towns. Competitors willinclude current and former YeshivaLeague all-stars as well as current andformer members of the YeshivaUniversity basketball team. The tour-nament chairs are Jeremy Frenkel,Elliot Steinmetz, Kenny Sicklick, andCharles Harary, all of Woodmere.

Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, director ofLong Island NCSY, explained that thecompetition will consist of 24 teamsplaying five-on-five games starting at8:45 a.m. on six courts—HollywoodAtrium, Lawrence High School,Rambam, HAFTR Middle School,DRS, and SKA—with both the Sweet16 at 2:30 p.m. and the Final Four at5:30 p.m. being held at the LawrenceMiddle School (195 Broadway).Admission at all games is free.

The games will last for 20 minutes,with teams playing three times in themorning, and the top 16 will move intothe single elimination afternoon brack-ets. The players will face a challenge inthe grueling one-day format; in order towin, the champions will need to havethe energy to play well in all the games.

The championship game will be pre-ceded by family entertainment startingat 2:00 p.m. and a free barbecue at3:00, along with a raffle for two round-trip tickets to Israel, sponsored byIsrair. The winning team will receive atrophy.

Proceeds from the tournament willsupport year-round local activities aswell as scholarships for NCSY summerprograms in Israel, Europe, and NorthAmerica.

“Long Island yeshiva students haveplayed a sophisticated and skilledbrand of basketball for years, both inthe Yeshiva League and at YU,” saidRabbi Lightstone. “Now for the firsttime, current and past top players willhave the opportunity to demonstratetheir skills for the benefit of NCSY.There is no doubt that this will be thepremier basketball tournament in ourarea, combining endurance, midos,energy, and, of course, free food.” ❖

Mesivta Ateres Yaakov DinnerAwards, May 15

Rabbi Shaya Richmond, mara d’asraof Congregation Bais Tefilah ofWoodmere, has been chosen byMesivta Ateres Yaakov to receive theRabbinic Service Award for his leadingrole within the Five Towns community.Membership in the shul has growntremendously since he became rav 16years ago. Rabbi Richmond is also anactive member of the Vaad Harabanimof Queens.

Rabbi Yehuda Horowitz, a rebbi inthe mesivta for over 15 years, has



been chosen for the MarbitzTorah Award. His refinednature and exemplary midostovos have inspired hundredsof talmidim. Rabbi Mor-dechai Yaffe, Ph.D., theyeshiva’s menahel said,“What can one say about arebbi who the talmidim them-selves refer to as a malach?Rabbi Horowitz is an inspira-tion to both colleagues andstudents alike. His gentle,sincere demeanor makeseveryone strive to be just alittle better.”

The Mesivta Ateres Yaakovdinner is scheduled to takeplace on Tuesday, May 15. ❖

JNF Israel Baseball Tour,June 21–27

Created by Boston business-man Larry Baras, the profes-sional Israel Baseball League(IBL) has already establisheditself as a league of choice forbaseball players from the U.S.,Canada, Venezuela, theDominican Republic, Aus-tralia, Europe, and Israel.Former major leaguers KenHoltzman, Art Shamsky, andRon Blomberg will managethree of the six teams in thisfirst season. The league’s com-missioner is Daniel C. Kurtzer,former U.S. Ambassador toEgypt and then Israel.

In March of last year, theIBL announced a joint ven-ture with Jewish NationalFund called “Project Base-ball,” a campaign aimed atdotting the landscape of Israelwith community baseballfields. Later, the IBL revealedits plans for the new profes-sional league and announcedthe date for opening day: June24, 2007 (8 Tammuz 5767).

Now you can take part inthe excitement! Join theJewish National Fund—andbaseball fans from all over—on the first JNF “Field ofDreams” Mission, June21–27. Watch the historicopening-day ceremonies inpremier seats with sports starsand VIPs, and learn about thecritical work that JNF is doingto help the Jewish homelandin its continued growth andsurvival, including the newJNF Project Baseball.

For more information, con-tact Joyce Sachartoff [email protected] or 818-704-5454, or call JNF Travel andTours at 877-JNF-TOUR. ❖

Community Events At RoyReuther Senior Center

The Roy Reuther SeniorCenter (711 Seagirt Avenue inFar Rockaway, 718-471-3110)welcomes community membersto come for a hot kosher lunch(Monday–Friday) or join any ofthe many activities offered.

AROUND THE FIVE TOWNSContinued from Page 33

Bingo. Monday 10:00 a.m.and Wednesday 2:00 p.m.

Yoga. Monday, Wednesday,and Thursday mornings 9:30–10:30, meeting room D.

Arts and crafts. Thursday,10:30 a.m., with Rochele.

Mon., April 23, 11 a.m.:dance therapy.

Tue., April 24, 10:30 a.m.:crochet and knitting class.

Wed., April 25, 11:00 a.m.:Volskayas, Domra and Bayanmusical entertainment.

Thurs., April 26, 1:30 p.m.:Craft Mother’s Day corsageswith silk flowers. ❖

Ner Israel BreakfastThe annual Ner Israel

breakfast is scheduled to behosted by Moshe and ArielleWolfson at their home (621Hicksville Road in FarRockaway) this Sunday, April22 at 9:30 a.m.

The Wolfsons, who cur-rently have children at theyeshiva, have enjoyed a long-standing relationship datingback to when Moshe studiedthere. HaRav Moshe Brown, aprominent local alumnus, isto address the crowd. Heenjoyed a very close relation-ship with the founder of theyeshiva, HaRav YaakovYitzchok Ruderman, zt”l, andhis successor and son-in-law,HaRav Yaakov Weinberg, zt”l.Rabbi Shraga Neuberger, a

beloved rebbi at the yeshiva,will be the guest speaker.

Ner Israel takes pride in thefact that close to 200 alumninow live in the Five Towns.Many serve as rabbanim,mechanchim, and askanim inthe community. Communalresponsibility is part and par-cel of the unique chinuch thatis the legacy of the yeshiva.

Though still mourning thepassing of its menahel for 65years, Rabbi Naftoli Neu-berger, Ner Israel continuesto grow under the leadership

of the rosh yeshiva, RabbiAharon Feldman, shlita,together with Rabbi BerylWeisbord as menahel ruchaniand Rabbi Sheftel Neubergeras menahel, who will attendas well. The entire communi-ty is invited to join in supportof this special endeavor. ❖

Elder Care Program AtYoung Israel Of Oceanside

Are you in the sandwichgeneration of raising your ownchildren and also needing tomeet the needs of your aging

parents? Do you have con-cerns about your future as asenior? Have you preparedyour assets for your retire-ment? Are you familiar withthe options of assisted living,home health care, and nurs-ing homes?

The Young Israel ofOceanside Sisterhood plansto present an outstandingpanel of professionals in thefield of elder care on Tuesday,April 24, at 7:45 p.m. RabbiReuven Becker, founder ofOrech Yomim Center for

Healthy Living, will speakabout how to honor and carefor your aging parents.

Michael D. Lissner, Esq.,will provide information aboutestate planning and elder law.Sy Endlich will enlighteneveryone concerning longterm care insurance. BellaKirschner will present infor-mation about assisted livingoptions. Virginia Belling, ageriatric care manager, willdiscuss advanced directives




for patients.This promises to be a most informa-

tive evening, and it is open to the pub-lic and free of charge. For furtherinformation or directions, call theYoung Israel of Oceanside at 516-764-1099, located on the corner ofOceanside Road and WaukenaAvenue. ❖

Robert Satloff To Speak At SternCollege

Robert Satloff, executive director ofthe Washington Institute, an expert onU.S. Middle East Policy, and author ofAmong the Righteous: Lost Stories fromthe Holocaust’s Long Reach into ArabLands, is scheduled to speak onWednesday, April 25 about the roleArabs played in saving Jews from theHolocaust. The event is to be held atthe Schottenstein Cultural Center ofYeshiva University’s Stern College forWomen (239 E. 34th Street, betweenSecond and Third Avenues.) He willdiscuss the real-life stories reported inhis book and how best to use these sto-ries to combat Holocaust denial inArab and Muslim countries. [See relat-ed story on page 65.] The program issponsored by the Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf Scholar-in-Residence Program atStern College.

Also appearing with Satloff will beFaiza Abdelwahhab, daughter ofKhaled Abdelwahhab, the first Arab tobe nominated for recognition as “right-eous among the nations” by Yad

Vashem, the Israeli HolocaustMemorial. This honor is given to non-Jews who saved Jews during theHolocaust. Of more than 20,000“righteous” recognized so far, there hasnever been an Arab. The evidence andtestimonials Satloff collected in theprocess of writing his book ultimatelyled to Abdelwahhab’s nomination asone of the “righteous.”

Satloff first uncoveredAbdelwahhab’s story while conduct-ing research for his book in Tunisia.Abdelwahhab, the son of a well-known writer, was 32 years old whenthe Germans occupied Tunisia. Helearned that a German officerplanned to rape a Jewish womannamed Odette Boukris, whose familyAbdelwahhab vaguely knew. TheBoukrises, who had already been


Robert Satloff


evicted from their home by Germantroops, had sought refuge in an olivepress factory with other Jews.Abdelwahhab got to the factorybefore the Germans, warned the Jewshiding there, and that evening ferried24 people in his car from the factoryto his family farm. There he protect-ed them for the rest of the Germanoccupation.

“It brings me great joy and pride tohelp bring to light forgotten and loststories which reflect the contributionsand heroism of Arabs in helping Jewsduring the Holocaust,” said Satloff.“My hope and ambition is that thesepositive stories of Arabs standing upfor human rights and protecting Jewsin their darkest hour will help untanglethe web of lies put forth by Holocaustdeniers throughout the Arab world.”

“We at YU are privileged to host aneminent historian and expert onMiddle Eastern affairs such as RobertSatloff,” said Bryan Daves, an assistantprofessor of political science whodirects the Robbins-Wilf Scholar-in-Residence Program. “His work hasbrought to light a previously unknownchapter in Jewish history. In so doing,he is helping build bridges over whatsometimes seem to be gaps too wide tocross. It is an honor to host him.”

Dr. Satloff is the author or editor ofnine books and monographs, and hisviews on Middle East issues appear fre-quently in major newspapers such asthe New York Times, Wall StreetJournal, Washington Post, and LosAngeles Times, and he regularly com-ments on major television networknews programs, talk shows, andNational Public Radio. In addition, Dr.Satloff is the creator and host of DakhilWashington (Inside Washington), aweekly news and interview program onal-Hurra, the U.S. government-sup-ported Arabic satellite TV channelbroadcast throughout the Middle Eastand Europe. In that capacity, he is theonly non-Arab to host a program on anArab satellite channel. ❖

Koby Mandell Fundraiser, April 29The JCC of the Greater Five Towns

and Assemblyman Harvey Weisenbergare planning to co-host a specialfundraiser for the Koby MandellFoundation on Sunday, April 29, 11:00a.m–12:30 p.m., at the JCC.

In 1996, Sherri Lederman Mandell,originally from the Five Towns, and herhusband, Rabbi Seth Mandell, movedtheir family from Bethesda, Maryland,to Israel. In 2001, they were plungedinto a nightmare: Their 13-year-old son,Koby, and his good friend, Yosef, werestoned to death by terrorists while hik-ing near their home.

From that tragedy, the Koby MandellFoundation was created to offer a well-spring of hope and healing for thou-sands in Israel and America. The foun-dation provides therapeutic healingprograms for those who suffer the trau-ma of losing a family member to terrorin Israel. Camp Koby is a place wherechildren can have fun and be with oth-ers who truly understand them; pro-grams especially designed for familiesand teens offer lifelines of emotionalsupport. At the Retreats for Mothers,


women draw strength from each other,creating long-lasting bonds of friend-ship and a community of survivors.

Nearly two-thirds of all those directlyaffected by terror in Israel are reachedby the Koby Mandell Foundation. “Icould have stayed in bed the rest of mylife mourning him. I could haveremained broken, resenting my life, mylot,” Sherri Mandell wrote in her award-winning book, The Blessing of a BrokenHeart. “But there is something in methat refuses to be broken, no matterhow intense the pain, something thatmoves toward the light.”

“I had the honor of meeting theMandells on a recent trip to Israel,”said Mr. Weisenberg. “They are trulyextraordinary people. We are thrilled towelcome Sherri and Seth Mandell asthe keynote speakers at our fundraiser.This event is a wonderful opportunityto show our solidarity with peoplearound the globe suffering from thelingering effects of terrorism.”

Rina Shkolnik, executive director ofthe JCC of the Greater Five Townsadded that “co-hosting this fundraisermeets the goals of our mission state-ment to enrich the quality of life forthe Jewish community and to strength-en bonds with the state of Israel.”

Contributions of any amount shouldbe made out to the Koby MandellFoundation and brought to the eventat the JCC, located at 207 GroveAvenue in Cedarhurst, or mailed toMr. Weisenberg at 730 W. Broadway,Apt. 5G, Long Beach, NY 11561. Formore information about the founda-tion’s extraordinary work, visitwww.kobymandell.org. ❖

Yom HaAtzmaut Celebration AtYoung Israel Of Woodmere

In honor of Israel’s IndependenceDay, the Young Israel of Woodmereproudly announces a gala celebrationweekend this Shabbos, April 20–21.Rabbi Yona Metzger, the ChiefAshkenazic Rabbi of the State ofIsrael, is scheduled to be in attendanceand to speak to the congregation. In

addition, world-renowned Cantor Ben-Zion Miller and his choir are to leadthe Shabbat services.

“The establishment of the State ofIsrael is an important religious eventfor the Jewish People in our times. Ingratitude to Hashem, it is appropriateto celebrate the momentous occasionthrough prayer and Torah study,” saidRabbi Hershel Billet, rabbi of theYoung Israel of Woodmere. RabbiBillet strongly urged and encouragedall members of the shul and communi-ty to be part of this celebration.

Rabbi Metzger is a graduate of theYeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh. He wasrecruited into the Israel DefenseForces and served as a tank fighter inthe 7th Division of the 77th Battalion.He concluded his Army service as cap-tain in the military rabbinate. RabbiMetzger commenced his rabbinicalcareer as district rabbi of Northern TelAviv and as the Rabbi of the TiferetTzvi Synagogue. Rabbi Metzger hasestablished a close relationship withthe leaders of all sectors of Israeli soci-ety and does not identify with any spe-

cific political party.Cantor Ben-Zion Miller is an

acclaimed interpreter of liturgicalmusic. For the past 26 years, he hasbeen the chief chazzan of CongregationBeth El in Boro Park. Cantor Millerregularly travels to Israel and has per-formed with the Israeli PhilharmonicOrchestra and the JerusalemSymphony. Cantor Miller’s choir will beled by his son, Shimmy Miller.

Minchah on Friday at the YoungIsrael of Woodmere’s Joseph K. Millermain shul is at 6:35 p.m.; Shabbosmorning services begin at 8:30 a.m.Rabbi Metzger will address the congre-gation following services and will begiving a special lecture on Saturdayfollowing Minchah at 7:15 p.m. ❖

Rockaway Republicans Host NewQueens Republican Leadership

With the Pledge of Allegiance and aminute of silence to honor our bravetroops serving thousands of miles fromhome, Tom Lynch opened the first2007 meeting of the RockawayRepublicans at the Belle Harbor YachtClub on Wednesday evening, April 11.

Before introducing the club’s guestspeaker, and while noting the beautifulrestoration to the Yacht Club,President Lynch reported on the reju-venation of Republican principles onour peninsula. Lynch recalled and readverbatim Abraham Lincoln’s ten stepsto success, as relevant today as theywere 150 years ago (see the RockRepublicans website, www.rockawayrepublicans.com).

“Number one,” Lynch continued,“Rock Republicans need to boost ourvoice in the county Republican Party.Presently, less than half our countycommittee members are Rockawayresidents! This is deplorable…all 90county members rep’ing our districtshould be—must be—local residents.”Lynch further explained thatRepublican apathy is long gone, andthat the club has no more importantshort term goal than repositioningitself this year. “All our ED membersshould be Rockaway women and men.”

Republican rejuvenation proceedsnot only here but throughout the bor-ough. The club’s principal guest forthe evening was to be newly-nominat-ed Queens County Republican leaderPhilip Ragusa. Phil, though, is not aprofessional politician but a CPA andthis week—of all weeks—is his busiest;so, in his stead, he sent three represen-tatives, Vincent Tabone, Daniel Egers,



Cantor Miller

and Stephen Graves.Vince, Dan, and Steve highlighted

Phil’s first few months as countyleader: a new website, www.qgop.com;better and more ongoing relations withQueens media; much improved coun-tywide communications among partymembers; the development of aQueens County Young Republican(YR) Club; resurgent Republican regis-tration drives; and active candidaterecruitment.

Dan noted that the inaugural eventof the reconstituted Queens CountyYR’s will be a cocktail party atBayside’s Bourbon Street restaurant,40-12 Bell Boulevard, on ThursdayMay 3, 7:30–10:30 p.m. A portion ofthe proceeds are expected to benefitthe City Parks Foundation. “Any andall young Republicans (39 years andyounger),” Dan announced, “are invit-ed to this enjoyable event, with anopen bar and hors d’oeuvres. We’dlike as big a crowd there as possible,since young people are the future ofour party.”

Vince noted in a press release thatthe Senate version of a new bill(S.3684) to further protect NewYork’s elderly from vicious and brutalattacks is being stymied by AssemblyLeader Silver. “Please,” Vince said“contact your elected Assembly repre-sentatives to speak out in support ofthis bill…nicknamed the ‘Granny’Bill.” Two elderly Queens womenwere viciously mugged this winter,and in response this bill was spon-sored by State Senators Golden,Maltese, and Padavan.

Vince, Dan, and Steve also speculat-ed on future political races includingthe NYC council and NYC mayoralraces, as well as state senate and, ofcourse, U.S. presidential races. “Ournumber one priority,” Steve empha-sized, “is to improve New York City andNew York State governance…that is, toelect Republicans. Chairman Ragusa,therefore, has appointed frequent NY1TV pundit and GOP consultant RobertHornak to head a new committee, thecandidate recruitment and develop-ment committee, to recruit, support,and assist Republican candidates inthe 2008 and 2009 election cycles.”

The busy evening continued withthe RR’s next guest speaker and—speaking of upcoming elections—exciting developments on a local race.Rockaway Republican member EricUlrich announced he will seek toserve as Republican district leader.Eric promised to raise the profile ofRepublicanism—along with the RRclub—as district leader. Many headsnodded in agreement as he spokeabout communications, professional-ism, and “actions speaking louderthan words.”

Finally, RR chair George Grecoraised the issue of the disgraceful andcontinued SRO’ing of Rockaway’sbeautiful homes. RR President Lynchannounced future meetings will bepromoted in the local press andthrough e-mail. A big hand was givento all the evening’s speakers. ❖

JCC Events And ProgramsThe JCC of the Greater Five Towns

announces the following programs.Unless otherwise noted, all events take

place at 207 Grove Avenue inCedarhurst. For more information orto register for any of these programs,please call the JCC at 516-569-6733.To speak to Cathy Byrne, dial ext. 220;Chana Pfeifer, ext. 213; Dee, ext. 203;Linda Balch, ext. 211; Lisa Barnett,ext. 210; Lisa Stern, ext. 209; MarySheffield, ext. 219; Gilda Tesser, ext.212; or Sheryl Wyszkowski, ext. 222.

Meetings And GroupsAdult Singles with Disabilities.

Monday, April 30, 7:00–9:00 p.m. Jointhe JCC for an amazing evening withBen Cohen, the magician who will per-form incredible feats. Light refresh-ments to be served. Fee $5. To register,call Chana Pfeifer.

Autistic Children and Their Families.Monthly social skills groups for childrenof all ages on the ASD spectrum.Monthly support groups for parents/grandparents with children on the ASDspectrum. A support group for childrenwho have an autistic sibling meets oncea week on Wednesdays, 5:30–6:30 p.m.Recreational programs for children onthe ASD spectrum (music, art, physicaleducation) meets once a week,Wednesdays 5:30–6:30 p.m. Ongoingmentoring programs for children on theASD spectrum. On Sunday, May 6 at11:00 a.m. see Beauty & the Beast at theStage Theater at 22 Hewlett Avenue inMerrick. Free admission for childrenwith special needs and their families.Pre-registration required. Tickets avail-able on a first to call basis. To register,call Gilda Tesser.

Come Alive Social Day Care atCongregation Sons of Israel. The pro-gram takes place on Mondays andThursdays, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.; thefee is $40. This is a social day programfor homebound, physically challengedolder adults. It includes door-to-doortransportation, kosher lunch, andactivities. Pre-registration is required;call Mary or Linda.

Enrichment Program for HolocaustSurvivors. Meets every Thursday at10:30 a.m. Call Lisa Barnett.

L’chaim Club at Temple Gates Of Zion.The program for older adults meets oncea week on Wednesday at 322 N. CoronaAvenue in Valley Stream, 1:00–3:00 p.m.It features exercise, lunch, and refresh-ments for older adults; call Linda.

Moving On Group Meeting onMonday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. To reg-ister please call Lisa Stern.

Multiple Sclerosis Exercise Program.The program features yoga, tai chi, andexercise to music for those with MS. Itmeets every Monday, 1:00–2:00 p.m.For more information, call Cathy.

Ongoing Phase I/BereavementSupport Group. The initial stages ofbereavement can be a painful andlonely time. You may feel sad, aban-doned, angry, confused, or uncertain.Grief is both an emotional and a phys-ical reaction. You are not alone in cop-ing with your grief. For further infor-mation, please contact Lisa Stern.

Parkinson’s Support Group. A week-ly group takes place on Tuesdays,11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.; call Cathy.

Scrabble Players Club. A weeklygroup takes place on Mondays at 7:30p.m. Fee $5; call Sheryl Wyszkowski.

Shalom Club at Temple Hillel. This

5 TOWNS JEWISH TIMES April 20, 2007 39Continued on Page 40

program for older adults meets once aweek on Monday at 1000 RosedaleRoad, North Woodmere, 10:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. It features exercise, lunch,and a lecture for older adults; call LisaStern for dates.

Traumatic Brain Injury Program.Promotes wellness and friendshipswhile managing the difficult symptomsof TBI. Meets once a week onWednesdays, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., atSons of Israel. Pre-registration required;call Chana Pfeifer or Lisa Barnett.

EducationBridge. Learn to play eight

Mondays, starting April 23, 1:00–3:00 p.m.; the fee is $80. For furtherinformation or to register, please callSheryl Wyszkowski.

Cake Decorating by Gitti Allman.Tuesday, May 1: springtime entertain-ing. Cake decorating classes are $36.All classes offered 10:00 a.m. and7:30 p.m. For further information or toregister, please call Sheryl Wyszkowski.

Cooking Classes by NaomiNachman. Monday, April 23: fantasticfish; Monday, May 7: chicken, sevenways; Monday, May 14: dairy delights;Monday, June 4: super summer salads.Cooking classes are $45. All classesoffered 10:00 a.m and 7:30 p.m. Forfurther information or to register,please call Sheryl Wyszkowski.

Intermediate-Level Hebrew Ulpan. Anew session will begin on Tuesdayevening, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tenclasses, fee $180. For further informa-tion or to register, please call SherylWyszkowski.

Israeli Film Festival. May 14, 16, 30.Save the dates! For further informa-tion or to register, please call SherylWyszkowski.

JUNIOR Enrichment Programs. Forchildren grades K through 9. The JCCoffers a variety of classes after schooland Friday afternoons such as SuperSports, Karate, Tutus & Taps, HipHop, Tons of Talents, and many more.For further information or to register,please call Dee Greenberg.

KAPAP with Brett Halem (defensive

tactics systems). The program willbegin on Tuesday, May 15. Women:7:00–8:00 p.m., six sessions for a feeof $75. Men: eight classes, 8:10–9:10 p.m. for a fee of $100. For furtherinformation or to register, please callSheryl Wyszkowski.

Still Life in Pastels. Four Tuesdays,beginning May 15, 11:00 a.m.–noon.Fee $80. No drawing experiencerequired. For further information or toregister, please call Sheryl Wyszkowski. ❖

Ohr Halimud/The Multi-SensoryLearning Center: Helping DyslexicStudents ShineBy Rochelle Maruch Miller

With determination, perseverance,and, above all else, s’yata d’Shmaya,Leah David has dared to dream theimpossible dream and single-handedlybring it to fruition. Indeed, after a longsearch in pursuit of academic excel-lence for her own daughter, the inde-fatigable Mrs. David decided to takematters into her own hands and ensurethat no child is left behind.

Treading where no one had before, she

founded Ohr Halimud/The Multi-Sensory Learning Center, the onlyOrthodox school in the United States forgirls with dyslexia that utilizes the innova-tive Orton-Gillingham multi-sensory lan-guage arts approach, in grades 1 through8. Truly geared to help each pupil reachher full potential, this enriched programcustomizes a curriculum for every stu-dent at Ohr Halimud/The Multi-SensoryLearning Center.

Since its inception four years ago,Ohr Halimud’s professional staff hashelped over 35 children learn to read.That most of these children have con-tinued on to be successful readers is acredit to Leah David, for whom OhrHalimud is clearly a labor of love, andtherein lies the story.

As a toddler, it was apparent thatGittel Bracha was a bright child.Inquisitive and alert, she expressed akeen interest in her surroundings, oftenfar beyond her years. Consider herquery, as a two-year-old one evening,following a bedtime story, while takingnotice of the darkened sky: “Mommy,when it’s dark outside, why does themoon follow me wherever I go?”

As a long-awaited and much belovedonly child, Gittel Bracha has alwaysbeen the apple of her parents’ eyes,and a source of great joy and nachas—an adorable, sweet, and happy child.

Entering first grade was a milestoneevent, but something was clearly notright. While Gittel Bracha’s classmateswere learning how to read, she just was-n’t “getting it.” But why? Searching foranswers, Mrs. David, who holds a B.S.and an M.A., spent the next two yearsmeeting with Gittel Bracha’s teachersand principals in a futile attempt todetermine the source of her daughter’sinability to read. The school, a “good,”traditional Bais Yaakov, placed GittelBracha in their resource room—aremedial classroom, where she andother “resource room” students weretaught by two of the school’s “best andbrightest” recent graduates, who hadcompleted their seminary year inYerushalayim. Mrs. David recalls bothteachers as being enthusiastic aboutteaching, but possessing neither thetraining nor the experience in specialeducation. To the academic detrimentof their students, the school’s principalshad assigned the young teachers to theresource room, so they could gainteaching experience.

Still frustrated by her inability toread, Gittel Bracha got by with memo-rization. With summer fast approach-ing, Leah hired a teacher to tutorGittel Bracha, investing hundreds ofdollars, while her daughter invested aninordinate amount of time and effort,only to be frustrated by the lack ofprogress. Although she was about toenter third grade, Gittel Bracha still“didn’t get it.” While her friends werediscussing their favorite chapterbooks, the highly intelligent youngsterstill could not read. Unable to pick upon sounds, letters, and words, GittelBracha was becoming increasinglyfrustrated. “She resented me and gotupset because she realized she wasn’tgetting it,” her mother recalls.

A private evaluator determined thatGittel Bracha had dyslexia, a neurologi-





Several members of the Ohel Sara Amen Group came to share in the simcha of member Judy Rubin and her husband, Allen, at the March 1st b’ris of their first grandchild, Tzvi Rosner. Mazel Tov to the proud parents, Devorah and Emmanuel Rosner, and the entire mishpachot on both sides of the ocean.

Tzvi officially became the possession of his parents following the beautiful Pidyon HaBen at Occasions on March 25! May we all continue to be zocheh to share in each other’s simchas.

A Five Towns SimchaPhotos By Ira Thomas Creations

cal language-processing disorder thattypically causes one to mix up the orderof letters and words. Leah managed tofind one Orthodox school for dyslexicstudents, located near her Brooklynhome—but it was for boys only.

Since there was no school in exis-tence that addressed the needs ofOrthodox girls, Leah David decidedto take matters into her own handsand establish one on her own—butonly after conducting extensiveresearch on dyslexia and on any exist-ing curricula and programs thatwould conform to her standards ofacademic excellence. With the appro-bation of leading gedolim and rabban-im, including Rabbi Chaim PincusScheinberg, shlita, the school’s rab-binic advisor, she founded OhrHalimud—“The light of learning.”

In her capacity as executive directorand founder of Ohr Halimud, the per-sonable Mrs. David professes to wear-ing “many hats,” handling her manyduties with aplomb. Says she, “I wearevery hat you could possibly thinkof—principal, administrator, fundrais-er, advertiser, maintenance…and allwithout a salary!”

Ultimately, Mrs. David would like tosee Ohr Halimud become an accept-able alternative for students withdyslexia, which is said to affect about10 percent of the population. If neces-sary, she is prepared to extend OhrHalimud through high school, but thegoal is to eventually mainstream thestudent. “Every child receives a solidfoundation and the tools necessary tobe able to succeed.”

At Ohr Halimud, each student hasat least one hour each day of privateOrton-Gillingham instruction in read-ing and language arts. Incorporatedinto the schedule are extracurricularactivities such as photography, yoga,cooking, and drama.

It doesn’t take a village to raise orteach a child, but it does take anextraordinary and compassionateindividual like Mrs. Leah David. Inhis keynote address at “A Night ofChizuk,” sponsored by Ohr Halimudfour years ago, Rabbi Dovid Gold-wasser’s central message was that inthese turbulent times, Jews must pur-sue a roadmap for excellence in theways we bring up our children, thefuture leaders of Klal Yisrael. RabbiGoldwasser singled Mrs. David outfor her trailblazing efforts.

“She shows the importance of teach-ing even one student. She will turn overthe world in order to reach that one stu-dent.” In describing Mrs. David, RabbiGoldwasser said that she stronglyespouses and advocates a philosophythat “each and every daughter deservesto have a tailor-made chinuch that willfit her character, her personality and themode she needs to learn in… Believe inall children, believe in their greatness,in the abilities they have, and in thosethat we don’t know they possess.”

This is the philosophy of OhrHalimud—where every child is a shin-ing star. For additional informationabout Ohr Halimud/The Multi-SensoryLearning Center, please call 718-972-0170. Every child can succeed! ❖

Great Neck Singers Spark HitJewish Music Group

Growing up in Great Neck, StuartMayer and Avi Ishofsky would sing infront of their families for dozens ofpeople. Now the two sing for thou-sands as part of Six13, the hit Jewish acappella group, which released its sec-ond album this week. The all-malegroup has caught fire, performing atShea Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, andMayor Bloomberg’s Chanukah party inCrown Heights. The group is evenbooked to perform in Panama.

Six13 got one of its first gigs with alittle help from their friends when the

group was booked to perform at GreatNeck Synagogue. “A lot of people saythey’ll help you, but they really backedit up,” Mayer said of the Great Neckcommunity. “It meant a lot.”

Six13’s latest release, Encore, featuresMayer on a spirited original version ofD’ror Yikra, while Ishofsky uses hisbooming bass to solo on Lo Yisa Goy. Hedeveloped the original tune for that songwith musical director Mike Boxer.

Mayer said he is excited about thenew CD, which is distributed bySameach Music, because it demon-strates how the group can continue itsreputation for sounding great not only

in the studio but on stage as well. “Ithink what makes us different from alot of other a cappella groups is thatwe have a certain sound on our CDand maintain that same sound whenwe perform live,” Mayer said. “We arehappy to do performances because itgives us a chance to show that.”

The group’s first CD was nominatedfor “Best Religious Album of The Year”as part of the 2006 Contemporary ACappella Recording Awards. Mayer sanga rousing Kol Mekadesh, while Ishofsky’ssmooth rendition of the hit Uf Gozal was




a fan favorite at concerts. The fusion oftraditional Jewish music with elementsof rock, jazz, hip-hop, and Israeli soundmade for a formidable combination.

Mayer is a controller for a hedgefund in Manhattan and Ishofsky workslocally as the director of businessdevelopment for 877spirits, a world-wide gift delivery service that special-izes in fine goods. So, with their busyday jobs, how do they find time to sing,practice, and record?

“It’s definitely tough,” Ishofksy said.“Things can get pretty hectic,but…when something is really worththe time, you make the time. I’m gladto have the opportunity to sing withgood friends and make music that res-onates with people.”

The group has set itself apart with asound that mimics real music, thanks tovocal percussion done by Boxer, as wellas members Shlomo Ressler and MosheCohn. Boxer, a nationally renownedexpert in arranging a cappella, has guid-ed the group in developing its distinctstyle, which appeals to all ages. Resslerand Cohn bring experience from singingin Beat’achon, the group that broughtJewish a cappella to the forefront ofJewish music. Alan Zeitlin, who went tocollege with Mayer, Ishofksy, and Boxerat Binghamton University, wrote andsang the rock anthem Son, about anIsraeli father who hopes his son willreturn safely from war.

Six13 also makes use of technologyas Boxer sends the members audio files

with their specific voice-part to learn.Demonstrating its versatility, Six13 isthe rare group that can make a bar orbat mitzvah or wedding memorable andalso get up on a stage and perform in aconcert that can rival a rock band.

“It brings me a lot of joy to singJewish music, whether it’s in a smallvenue or a huge venue,” said Mayer,who also serves as a chazzan for RoshHashanah and Yom Kippur. Six13 islooking forward to a possible encoreperformance in Great Neck as well asother spots across the country. Visitwww.six13.net for information aboutthe group and to hear clips. ❖

‘Flashbacks In Jewish History’ At Chabad JLI

The Rohr Jewish Learning Instituteis set to launch an intriguing new his-tory course at over 200 affiliates acrossthe globe. But unlike traditional histo-ry courses where students focus ondates, names, and events, “Flashbacksin Jewish History” looks beneath thesurface at what history means to theJews as a people.

“Jews have had to grapple with thechallenge of maintaining their identityin environments that were foreign andoften hostile,” explained RabbiShneur Z. Wolowik, director ofChabad of the Five Towns and localJewish Learning Institute instructor.“By probing the wonder of Jewish sur-vival, we hope our students will be ledto think critically about their ownstrategies for interacting successfullywith the greater culture.”

Flashbacks in Jewish History does

not attempt to be comprehensive in itscoverage of any era; rather, it tries tospark curiosity and to engage studentsemotionally. Flashbacks in JewishHistory appeals to the intellect byintroducing the impassioned debate ofhistorians over what really happened,at times even casting students directlyinto the historian’s role as they areasked to interpret primary texts. Thecourse touches the heart, as studentsare shown that history is about peoplejust like them, with hopes, dreams,and challenges.

“We live in an increasingly globalcommunity, where people with differ-ing views are forced to interact morethan at any other time in human histo-ry,” says Rabbi Wolowik. “So I’m excit-ed to explore with the students howJews have survived history with theirculture and traditions intact.”

As cries of “jihad” resound throughthe Middle East today, one could bereminded of the radical Almohadssweeping through Spain, leavingdestruction in their wake. On encoun-tering religious and cultural intolerancein many parts of the world today, we notinfrequently experience déjà vu, anuncanny feeling that we have livedthrough all of this before. Flashbacks inJewish History shows students how wecan learn from the past to better guideand direct our future.

This exciting new course will beoffered at Chabad of the Five Townsfor six Wednesdays, starting April 25.The course costs $99, which includesa beautiful student textbook. “We areso sure that you will enjoy it,” says

Rabbi Wolowik, “that we invite anyoneinterested to attend the first lessonfree, with no obligation.”

What can students gain by takingthis course? A chance to discoverwhere they came from and how theysurvived countless persecutions to gethere, to experience the wonder ofJewish survival and reflect back on thepast, to face the future with renewedhope and inspiration, and to learn thesecrets that will help make that futurebrighter and more meaningful.

The Jewish Learning Institute (JLI)is the adult education arm of Chabad-Lubavitch. JLI’s classes and programs,now offered in over 250 locations in200 cities nationwide, as well as inter-national locations (including Australia,Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia,Denmark, Finland, Holland, SouthAfrica, Sweden, the United Kingdom,and Venezuela), have been attended bynearly 40,000 people since JLI’s cre-ation in 1998. Many others participatevirtually through online message boardsand other Internet-based channels.

Every course offered by the JLI issynchronized so that lessons areoffered concurrently in all locations.This not only has helped to create atrue global learning community, it is aunique feature that sets JLI apart fromother such programs. Please visitwww.myjli.com for up-to-the-minuteinformation about Flashbacks inJewish History. JLI courses are pre-sented in the Five Towns under theauspices of Chabad of the Five Towns.For further information, please con-tact Shainy at 516-295-2478. ❖




less, and toxic gas. Because it is impos-sible to see, taste, or smell the toxicfumes, CO can kill you before you areaware it is in your home. At lower levelsof exposure, CO causes mild effectsthat are often mistaken for the flu.These symptoms include headaches,dizziness, disorientation, nausea, andfatigue. The effects of CO exposure canvary greatly from person to persondepending on age, overall health, andthe concentration and length of expo-sure. The best safeguard is to installand regularly maintain a COdetector/alarm in the hallway near everyseparate sleeping area of the home.Make sure the detector cannot be cov-ered up by furniture or draperies.”

There is a mitzvah to not “stand idlyby on the blood of your brother.” Thiscertainly applies to ourselves and pre-cious families as well! One of the great-est mitzvos is protecting and guardingour health so we may properly live toserve Hashem and fulfill our purposesin this world. May Hashem protect usfrom all seen and unseen dangers, andbless of all His children with long lifeand health to serve Him and stay closeto His Torah and mitzvos!

Hashem yishmor tzeischa u’voechame‘attah v’ad olam.

Rabbi Yoni and Mrs. Rikki Posnick

Dear Editor,I applaud the courage and convic-

tion of the concerned parent who

wrote last week’s article “Why can’t webe nice to one another?” This articlereally struck a chord with me andinspired me to do the same.

There is a big problem brewingwithin the yeshiva world and it’s timefor the yeshivos and parents to takenotice of it (and hopefully take action).Before a yeshiva or rebbi can focus onlearning another blatt of Gemara, Iencourage them to take stock of thederech eretz and midos of their stu-dents (or lack thereof). Are theyrespectful and nice to one another?Are they being kind and sensitive? Dothey bully certain kids in the class?What takes place during recess? Dothey include all the boys in the game,or are many kids insensitively left out?What takes place on the school bus onthe way to yeshiva…or after a day oflearning in yeshiva? Are they behavinglike good frum boys are supposed tobehave, or are they making a chillulHashem by screaming out of the buswindow, or worse yet, throwing thingsout of the bus window while proudlywearing their yarmulkes?

While on the topic of wearing a yar-mulke, I fear that many frum boystoday do not think about the meaningof their yarmulke as they put it on theirprecious heads in the morning, or themeaning of placing their tzitzis overtheir heads. Instead, I’m concernedtoo many just go through the motions,not realizing that these wonderfulactions mean they need to first andforemost have midos and act in a man-ner suitable for a good frum, ehrlichJewish boy. We should all easily be able

to pick out the frum boys in the crowdby how they act and speak, and notjust by the yarmulke on their heads.

I urge the yeshivos and parents toplease focus greater attention on thewise words of Pirkei Avos, which makesmany references to derech eretz,including the most famous “derecheretz kadmah l’Torah”—proper socialconduct needs to precede the learningof Torah itself. I don’t, chas v’shalom,mean to imply that most frum boys areacting this way, but I’m concerned thattoo many are—and this seems to begoing unchecked. If you’re a yeshivarebbi or involved in running a yeshivain any way, please pay closer attentionto this. Parents, please try to learnfirsthand what may be going on duringthe bus ride or during the yeshiva day,and please use this to start a discus-sion with your son(s) to clearly sepa-rate right from wrong.

Let us all please work a little harderto ensure we raise our children andour talmidim according to the beauti-ful words of Pirkei Avos.

Signed,Another Concerned Parent

Dear Editor,Recent stories in your paper and

others (local and national) havebrought to light issues the children ofour community are facing today. Manyin the frum community incorrectlyassume that because they live a “Torahlife,” their children are immune to theills of society around them. Nothingcould be further from the truth. Justrecently we read and heard of three

local frum youths who were caughtand arrested by the police driving in acar they had stolen from a local shul.These youths are also linked to severalhome burglaries and other offenses.

The media is all but screaming ofissues in our schools, students beingpassed to higher grades regardless oftheir abilities, and of outright bullyinggoing on in our classes. In our ownyeshivos, students are bullied shame-lessly and often right under the nose ofteachers and administrators who don’tsee it happening.

When school principals and theiradministration turn a blind eye tothese problems, they are giving tacitpermission for the abuse to continue.Some might say “So what! Childrenshould learn to stand up for them-selves.” In an ideal world that would begreat, but the reality is if we don’tchampion for our own children, whowill? If we don’t parent our own chil-dren, who will? How many youths arewe losing today—kids who aren’t justfalling off the derech, but are outrightwalking away from it because of theblatant dual standards they see? Ourchildren are clearly seeing a case of“do as I say and not as I do.”

I know of one young man who is notonly a great student, but loves Torah,mitzvos, and school. Correction—lovedall these things, until he and his par-ents were ignored for the last two yearswhen they complained to his schoolprincipal of a bullying problem. Nowthis boy is literally sick to his stomach

LETTERS TO THE EDITORContinued from Page 31


and is losing weight rapidly, causinghis parents and his doctors to be con-cerned. He now dreads getting up andgoing to school. He loathes theprospect of being forced to face thesame bully day in and day out—who isin almost all the same classes this boyattends throughout the day. Theschool has talked to the bully and rea-soned with him, yet no significantchanges have been made.

The victim’s parents have gonethrough the proper channels—havingmeetings upon meetings with the prin-cipal and administration with promisesof investigation and action. Promisesthat for all intents and purposes areempty and void of any changes. So yetagain, the victim is left to fend for him-self in an environment that should bea safe one, but is not.

The bully, it seems, has more rightto privacy and protection than do hisvictims. The victim can be moved outof the class, away from his friends, andhis beloved rebbi, but not the bully.The victim can change schools if hemust, but the bully will be allowed toattend school unencumbered by thecode of conduct each student and par-ent was required to sign at the begin-ning of the school year.

There was a wonderful piece thatwas circulated via e-mail aroundThanksgiving. It was from a frum per-son who proudly wrote that atThanksgiving, they are personallythankful to be living in this country

where we are able to pray as we wish,have our children attend the schools ofour choosing, and to wear ouryarmulkes proudly. In fact, all thesewonderful privileges are guaranteed bythe Constitution of this fine country.

We need to protect our children andhold accountable unresponsive admin-istrators who would rather pretendthere is no problem than to face ithead on. When our children thinkback to their years in school, thosememories should be pleasant andbring smiles of happiness, not theshudders of memories they wouldrather forget.

Respectfully,A Concerned Grandparent

Dear Editor,After reading about the sad and

poignant visit made by Shmuel Sackettto Jonathan Pollard, I was propelledagain into a whirlpool of action. Theentire episode got me thinking, Are wedoing enough within our ability totruly help Jonathan Pollard? The weekbefore Pesach, almost every school inthe metropolitan area sent out inform-ative flyers requesting students andparents to call the White House and toinclude Pollard in their daily tefillos. Igave a rah-rah speech to my second-grade class before departing for Pesachbreak, to perform this special mitzvahof pidyon shevuyim together with theirparents. When the students returnedafter Pesach and I asked how manycalled the White House, two studentsresponded—less than 10 percent ofthe class. Was the percentage more or

less in your school or among the read-ers of the 5TJT?

My family spent Pesach at a popularCatskills resort that hosted over 1,000guests. I placed some flyers (re: callingWhite House for Pollard) on the maindesk in the lobby to encourage interestand participation. Upon striking upconversations on the subject, a sprin-kling of comments were, “You do knowhe is guilty”; “There’s more to this thanmeets the eye”; “He put America in aprecarious and dangerous situation”;“Why should we help if the Israeli gov-ernment is not interested?” “Sincewhen do phone calls change thePresident’s mind”; “I’m not anactivist”; “There are more importantthings for the Jewish people to be con-cerned with”; etc. When I retortedwith, “He’s our brother; wouldn’t youdo this for a family member who hasbeen incarcerated for over 22 years?”the honest response was, “Yes, you areright but I’m not comfortable calling;I’ve never done it before!”

A family member of mine is a rebbi ina prominent mesivtah in the New Yorkarea. The rosh yeshiva spoke about theplight of Pollard and this rebbi imple-mented a plan. Almost daily followingbreakfast, he marches his class into theschool’s office, where phone lines areavailable, and has each talmid make acall. The first time they were nervousand apprehensive. Subsequently theyencouraged each other. Will thesephone calls make a difference in freeingPollard? Beats me—but it will make adifference in the caller.

The season of learning Pirkei Avos is

upon us. The holy words of ourchachamim penetrate the soul and urgeus to grow with care and compassion.We are the messengers of Hashem onthis world to deal kindly and benevo-lently, offering hope and comfort toeach other. We are capable and have thecapacity to make a difference!!

Some humble suggestions of how tohelp: Make phone calls to the WhiteHouse, put the White House phonenumber in your cell phone as speeddial 1, include Yehonoson benMalkah’s name in a Tehillim list and inShemoneh Esreih, encourage familymembers to do the same, learn specif-ically for his z’chus, write letters to theWhite House (follow in the steps ofour gedolim), include a short article inthe school’s newsletter about yourclass’s activities on behalf of Pollard,creative writing programs can includeletters to Jonathan in jail, etc., etc.

Find the time, show you care, anddeepen the commitment to our broth-er in need. The sefirah period is anauspicious time to create relationshipsof respect, love, and care.

Mrs. Caren V. MayBrooklyn


LETTERS TO THE EDITORContinued from Page 45


WE WANT TO KNOW!

E-MAIL US [email protected]


Hachnasas Sefer Torah In Israel

Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, shlita, with Sheldon Margules of Lawrence at ahachnasas sefer Torah in Jerusalem. The sefer was dedicated by Sarki andElchonon Galbut of Miami. Pictured in center is their son, Simcha, grandson

of Sheldon and Gitti Margules.

Cedar wood... and hyssop(Vayikra 14:4)

Because he has exalted himself like a cedar... he shouldhumble himself like a grass.

(Midrash Tanchuma)


Syrian Information Minister MohsenBilal threatened to return the GolanHeights to Syrian hands “by way ofresistance if Israel [rejects] the Arabpeace initiative.” Bilal did not elaborate,but some analysts raised the possibilityof either a full scale conventional waror a terror campaign in the Golan asone of the means to undertake amukawama (“resistance” in Arabic).

After saying that “Syria wishes torevive the peace process with Israelwith the help of U.S. and Russianmediators,” Bilal immediately added athreat, saying that “if Israel [rejects]the Arab peace initiative, the only wayto get the Golan Heights back wouldbe the way of resistance.”

Bilal, speaking at a press conferencein Damascus, was referring to the Arabpeace initiative of 2002. Bilal’s belliger-ent remarks followed on the heels of avisit by Syrian-born American business-man Abe Suleiman to Jerusalem lastweek. Suleiman promised the Knesset’sForeign Affairs and Defense Committeethat “peace with Syria could be achievedwithin six months.”

George Jabour, a Syrian member ofparliament, said Suleiman was speak-ing on his own behalf and was in noway affiliated with the Syrian leader-ship. “Suleiman has zero credibility inthe eyes of Syrians,” Jabour said. Bilalechoed Jabour’s statements in an inter-

view he gave on Syrian TV onSaturday, quoted by SANA (the SyrianArab News Agency). He said that allthe Syrian people stood behindPresident Bashar Assad’s leadershipfor the achievement of just and com-prehensive peace in the region.

He defined this “just and comprehen-sive peace” as the restoration of the“whole occupied Syrian Golan,” whatremained of the Lebanese territoriesunder occupation, and the establishmentof a Palestinian state with Jerusalem asits capital. Bilal also demanded therecognition of the Palestinian refugees’right to return to their homeland.

While Bilal echoed the tenets of theArab peace initiative, rejected by Israelwholesale, his demands went beyondthe more recent Saudi initiative, whichremains vague on the question of theright of return. Jerusalem did not fullyaccept the Saudi initiative either, say-ing only that it contained a basis forfurther negotiations.

During the Second Lebanon War,Syria made peace overtures by agree-ing to “unconditional” negotiationswith Israel. However, as soon as acease-fire was achieved and Syria nolonger feared possible engagementwith the IDF as part of its campaignagainst Hezbollah, the Syrian leader-ship denied any willingness for uncon-ditional negotiations. (JPost.com) ❖

B Y H A N A L E V I J U L I A N

The Palestinian Authority is system-atically teaching its children to denythe Holocaust ever happened, accord-ing to a report by the PalestinianMedia Watch.

The new twelfth grade textbookswere written by the Center forDeveloping Palestinian Curricula, anorganization which is supported byforeign funding. The textbooks, whichbear a special “thanks” to Belgium,were introduced by the PA Ministry ofHigher Education at the end of 2006.Not surprisingly, the new materialswhich will be used to guide young PAArab minds were found to educate thechildren toward Jewish genocide,both virtually and physically.

The textbooks are diametricallyopposed to the concept of peaceful co-existence with Jews in the State ofIsrael, according to the PMW report.In fact, the teachings deny Israel’sright to exist altogether, referring tothe founding of the Jewish State as a“catastrophe unprecedented in history,when the Zionist gangs stole Palestineand expelled its people from theircities, their villages, their lands andtheir houses…”

The new PA history books also makeno mention of the Holocaust, thoughthe textbook “History of the Arabs and

the World in the 20th Century”includes extensive information on theevents of World War II—except those

relating to Jews.Former PA Foreign Minister

Mahmoud A-Zahar, who is now amember of the Palestinian LegislativeCouncil, was quoted recently in aHamas newspaper as saying,“Germany is imprisoned by a complexof the so-called ‘Holocaust’ and theysuffer from it.” It is also important tonote that PA Chairman and Fatahleader Mahmoud Abbas, touted by theUnited States and other Westernnations as a “moderate” force amongterrorists, denied central elements ofthe genocide of the Jews in his doctor-al dissertation. (Arutz Sheva) ❖

Holocaust Denial And HateIn New PA School Textbooks

Syria Threatens ViolenceOver Arab Plan

In fact, the

teachings deny

Israel’s right to

exist altogether.


Observing Yom HaShoah

Above: HAFTR choir and Cantor Yitzchak Freund

Above, right: Writing competition winner.

Top, right: Guest speaker Rabbi Jacob Schachter.

Photos By Ivan H. Norman

B Y D A V I D B E D E I N

The 27th day of Nissan in the Jewishcalendar marks the day when theWarsaw Ghetto uprising began againstthe Nazis in 1943. This day was there-fore selected as Holocaust and HeroismRemembrance Day in Israel—the dayon which Israel would remember themass murder of Jews in World War II,but also remember those who foughtback against the Nazis and their allies.

To paraphrase the question asked onPassover two weeks ago, people oftenask why this persecution of Jews inChristian countries was different thanother persecutions. After all, Jews hadsuffered persecution in manyChristian lands over the centuries.

The answer? This time, the Nazisincorporated the Muslim idea ofjihad—the impulse for total destruc-tion and complete annihilation, in thespirit of a Holy War. The Muslim cler-

ic who inspired Adolf Hitler with theidea of jihad was none other than theMufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin Al-Husseini. He did not want masses ofexiled Jews to wind up in the land of

Israel, which he claimed as a futureArab country devoid of Jews.

Indeed, in 1936, the Mufti wel-comed Hitler’s deputy, AdolfEichmann, to his office at the SupremeIslamic Council based at the PalaceHotel in the center of Jerusalem, where

Eichmann kept meticulous records ofhis meetings with the Mufti. ThePalestinian Arab leader of that genera-tion taught Eichmann about the phi-losophy of jihad.

Journalist Maurice Pearlman, whoreviewed the records of Eichmann’smeetings with the Mufti at the trialsfor Nazi leader in Nuremberg, wrote abook entitled The Mufti of Jerusalem,published in 1947. Pearlman notedthat the Mufti instructed Eichmann as

to the way in which the Nazis couldbest persecute the Jews—slowly and instages, so as to catch them unaware ofthe next stage of persecution.

Eichmann offered reciprocal hospi-tality for the Mufti in Nazi Germany.In 1939, with the outbreak of WorldWar II, the British government, thenpresiding over the Mandatory govern-ment in Palestine, expelled the Mufti.He chose to travel to Fascist Italy andthen to Berlin, where he remained forthe remainder of World War II. Hitlerprovided the Mufti with a radio stationin Berlin, from which he propagatedthe Nazi message in the Arabic lan-guage. The Mufti was assigned thetask of organizing a Muslim contingentof the Nazi murder machine, whichkilled Jews throughout Yugoslavia.

The Mufti obtained Hitler’s assur-ance in November 1941 that, afterdealing with the Jews of Europe, Hitlerwould treat the Jews of the MiddleEast similarly. Husseini promised thesupport of the Arabs for the Nazi wareffort. In Berlin, Husseini used themoney confiscated from Jewish victimsto finance pro-Nazi activities in theMiddle East and to raise 20,000Muslim troops in Bosnia. The HanjarS.S. Waffen murdered tens of thou-sands of Serbs and Jews in theBalkans, and served as police auxiliaryin Hungary. Heinrich Himmler, theadministrator of the Nazi deathmachine, brought the Mufti onnumerous tours of the death camps.

Most recently, a book was writtenabout the Zunderkommandos, whosetask it was to remove the dead Jewsfrom the crematoria. One of thoseZunderkommandos remarked in aninterview with a researcher that he wit-nessed a man with a turban whom theNazi camp commandant brought towitness the gassing of the Jews and theremoval of the bodies from the gaschambers, the stripping of their valu-ables and the burning of their remains.The Nazi told the Zunderkommandothat this was the Mufti of Jerusalem.During the final months of the war, theMufti actually lived in Hitler’s bunker.Although arrested by the French army,the Mufti was somehow able to escapeto Cairo. He was later sentenced todeath in absentia in Yugoslavia.

After Adolf Eichmann was abductedand brought to Jerusalem for trial in1961, Golda Meir, then-ForeignMinister of Israel, demanded that theMufti also be brought to trial for thesame crime of genocide against theJewish people.

Yet, the Mufti’s legacy did not endwhen he escaped the defeated NaziGermany. Upon arrival in Cairo, heresumed the role that he had left, asthe spiritual leader—in exile—of thePalestinian Arab community. TheMufti played a key role in the decisionof the Arab League to reject the UnitedNations partition plan in 1947.Instead, the Mufti rallied Arabsthroughout the Arab world to applyHitler’s concept of the Final Solution,to wipe out the Jews in their nascentstate of Israel.

The Mufti raised a new generationof young Palestinian Arabs to form anew Muslim Brotherhood to take upthe cause of a lifelong effort to eradi-cate the Jewish state. The Mufti also


Recalling The Man Who Inspired Hitler

The Mufti instructed Eichmann as to the way

in which the Nazis could best persecute the

Jews—slowly and in stages, so as to catch

them unaware.


became a surrogate father to a youngman who took the name Yasser Arafat,a name given to him by the Mufti inmemory of Yasser Bin-Ammar, a cele-brated Muslim warrior and companionof the prophet. The relationshipbetween the Mufti and Arafat wasrelated by Arafat’s brother Fatchi toHa’aretz in December, 1996.

The Mufti died in July 1974, onemonth after the PLO National Councilmet and ratified the Mufti’s “strategyof stages”—to conquer Palestine inphases. It is the strategic methodologythat the PLO uses to this day.

With the outbreak of what becameknown as the “second intifada” inOctober 2000, a theme that repeateditself on official Palestinian Authoritytelevision was academic lectures bro-ken up by martial music, to highlightthe comparison between Yasser Arafatand the late Haj Amin Al-Husseini.Viewers were told how Al-Husseiniopposed the Jews in Jerusalem andhow he stood up to the then-worldpower Great Britain—a model forArafat’s struggle in the modern era.

U.S. Holocaust Museum Ignores The Mufti

Boston attorney Charles Morse hasmade an issue of the fact that the U.S.Holocaust Museum simply ignores anymention of the Arab or Muslim role inthe Holocaust, as well as the linkbetween Nazism and current Islamicextremism. The museum has programson the role of Christianity in promotinganti-Semitism; yet, nothing on Islam.

There is no mention of the Mufti Al-Husseini in the museum’s permanentexhibit, nor is there any reference tothe Mufti in the millions of files in theU.S. Holocaust Museum. In contrast,there are 33 large files on the Mufti inthe Yad VaShem Holocaust Memorialin Jerusalem.

Walter Reich, who served as the direc-tor of the U.S. Holocaust Museum from1995 to 1998, was quoted in theWashington Times on February 9, 2006as saying that “a focus on Arab andMuslim anti-Semitism and Holocaustdenial at the Holocaust museum…would be, I believe, appropriately withinthe museum’s mandate. Indeed, it wouldbe strange if the museum did not focuson such anti-Semitism and Holocaustdenial, given the museum’s devotion notonly to the Holocaust, but also to con-temporary genocides and given theprevalence in contemporary Arab rheto-ric of not only the kind of anti-Semitismthat helped lead to the Holocaust, butalso the calls for genocide that are aimedat the Jews of Israel.”

Reich lost his position at the U.S.Holocaust Museum when he objectedto the overture of President BillClinton’s Middle East advisor, DennisRoss, who suggested that YasserArafat, the protégé of the Mufti, bebrought as an honored guest to theMuseum. (Arutz Sheva) ❖

Historical note: Following the recent passing ofNazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, one of the filesdiscovered in his library was a record of his pursuitof the Mufti of Jerusalem in the late 1940s, afterthe Mufti escaped punishment for his war crimes.That file is now being translated and edited forpublication.

David Bedein is bureau chief of the IsraelResource News Agency, located in Beit AgronInternational Press Center, Jerusalem.

The Torah sections of Tazria(Vayikra 12–13) and Metzora (14–15)discuss the laws of tzara‘as, a spiritu-al illness whose identifying mark wasa white patch or patches appearingon the skin of a person, on the wallsof a home, or on a cloth or leathergarment.

Not every white patch indicatestzara‘as. There are several secondarysymptoms that determine whether theperson (or house or garment) shouldbe declared tamei (impure). In thehuman body, one of the signs oftzara‘as is if the white patch subse-quently caused (at least) two hairs inits area to turn white. Regarding thislaw, there is a remarkable passage inthe Talmud that recounts a debate tak-ing place in the “Academy of Heaven”:

It was debated in the Academy ofHeaven: If the white patch precedesthe white hair, it is impure; if the whitehair precedes the white patch, it ispure; but what if there is doubt (as towhich came first)?

The Holy One, Blessed be He, said:“It is pure.”

The entire Academy of Heaven said:“It is impure.”

Said they: “Who shall decide it forus? Rabbah bar Nachmeini. ForRabbah bar Nachmeini had declared: ‘Iam singular in the laws of tzara‘as…’”They dispatched a messenger [to bringhim to heaven]… Said [Rabbah]:“Tahor! Tahor!—Pure! Pure!” (Talmud,Bava Metzia 86a)

Flight From SelfTo understand the meaning of this

debate between the Holy One and theAcademy of Heaven—and why a mor-tal human being was called upon todecide between them—we must firstunderstand the nature of the tzara‘asdisease in general, and the significanceof the white patch and the white hairin particular.

Chassidic teaching explains thatthe human soul is driven by two con-trary forces: the drive to run or escape(ratzo), and the drive to settle (shov).Every time we are overcome by excite-ment, love, ambition, or yearning, weare running—escaping the self toreach for something greater, morebeautiful, and perfect than it.Whenever we experience awe, humil-ity, devotion, and commitment, we aresettling—affirming our connection toour existence; to our place in theworld and our mission in life. Ratzodrives us to climb a mountain, shov tobuild a home; ratzo to pray, shov to doa mitzvah.

In the spiritually healthy soul, thewill vacillates between ratzo and shovlike the rise and fall of a well-bal-

anced pendulum; like the contractionand expansion of a smoothly beatingheart. The constraints of our place inthe world, the finiteness of our natureand body, the boundaries of our verybeing—these impel us to escapethem, to strive for the unbounded andthe infinite. But our very escapebrings us to a place from which webetter appreciate the beauty andnecessity of our existence. Thus theratzo peaks and provokes a counterac-tion of shov, of return to oneself and

one’s place in the world.Tzara‘as is the condition in which

this crucial balance in disrupted, inwhich the pendulum of the soulascends in its ratzo arc but fails toswing back in shov. The will escapesthe self but fails to return, leavingbehind a vacuum in which all sortsof undesirable elements can nowtake root like weeds in an abandonedgarden.

This is the significance of the whitepatches and the white hairs that arethe symptoms of tzara‘as. A patch ofwhite skin indicates that life and vital-ity have departed from (this part of)the body. Still, a white patch alonedoes not mean that the will’s failure tosettle has resulted in any negativedevelopments in the character andbehavior of the person. But when wesee white hairs sprouting in the whitepatch—when we see dead things feed-ing on this dead place—we have a full-blown case of tzara‘as.

On the other hand, the existence ofwhite hairs, in and of themselves, donot indicate tzara‘as. These might rep-

resent the ordinary garbage that welug through life, the run-of-the millnegative traits and experiences whichactually have the positive function ofchallenging us and provoking ourfinest talents and most potent ener-gies. It is only when the white hairsare caused by the white patch thatsomething serious is afoot. Such acondition indicates that the personhas run away with his escapist impuls-es so high and so far that he has com-pletely abandoned his commitmentsto life and productivity, leaving behinda hollow and lifeless self that is abreeding ground for what is worst inhuman nature.

Hence the law that a white hair is asymptom of tzara‘as only when thewhite patch precedes the white hair,indicating that this dead growth is theresult of a certain area of the person’slife having been drained of its vitality.

Two Visions Of ManWhat is the root cause of tzara‘as?


From The Chassidic Masters

The Runaway Soul


Ratzo is the escape from self, whileshov is the return to self. It wouldtherefore seem that tzara‘as—ratzowithout shov—derives from excessiveselflessness.

In truth, however, the very oppositeis the case. Ratzo is what the souldesires to do, while shov is what thesoul is committed to do. Escapistbehavior is the ultimate self-indul-gence, while settling down is the ulti-mate submission. Tzara‘as, then,derives from a lack of humility; fromthe failure to yield one’s own will tothe will of one’s Creator.

This explains the aforementioneddebate between The Holy One and theacademy of heaven. The Kabbalistsspeak of two types of Divine energythat nourish our existence: a Divine“light that fills the worlds,” enteringwithin them to relate to the individualcharacter of every creature; and aDivine “light that encompasses theworlds”—a transcendent energy to

which we can relate only as somethingmystical or spiritual; something that isoutside of ourselves.

Of course, the Divine essence is nei-ther “filling” nor “encompassing.”Ultimately, G-d’s relationship with ourexistence cannot be defined as internalor external—it is neither and both, for

the Divine reality is beyond such dis-tinctions and characterizations. But G-ddesired to relate to us in a manner thatis consistent with our reality. In ourexperience, there are things that areinternal—things that we can under-stand and empathize with—and things

that are encompassing, meaning thatthey are beyond the parameters of ourunderstanding. So He, too, relates to usvia these two channels, making Himselfavailable to us via rational and appre-hensible media (e.g., the laws ofnature), as well as through mystical andspiritual vectors.

There are numerous differencesbetween these two modes of Divineenergy and their effects upon us, dis-cussed at length in the works ofKabbalah and Chassidism. One basicdifference is that the Divine light thatfills the world gives credence to our

sense of reality and selfhood, whilefrom the perspective of the encom-passing light, which transcends theparameters of our existence, our reali-ty has no true validity and our sense ofself is little more than an illusion.

The “Academy of Heaven” is anallusion to the filling light, while “TheHoly One” (kedushah, holiness, mean-ing transcendence) connotes theencompassing light of G-d. So regard-ing the case in which there is doubt asto whether the white hair came beforeor after the white patch, the “Academyof Heaven” is inclined to declare this acase of tzara‘as. For this is the Divineperspective on man that recognizesman’s selfishness. If tzara‘as is a possi-bility, we must suspect that it hasindeed occurred.

“The Holy One,” however, sees manas an essentially selfless being. Fromthe standpoint of the encompassinglight, tzara‘as is an anomaly. If there isclear and conclusive evidence that aperson has indulged his escapistdesires to such an extreme, the laws oftzara‘as apply. But where there isdoubt, this Divine perspective isinclined to declare him pure.

The VerdictWho might decide between these

two Divine visions? Only one who isin touch with the overriding vision,with the singular truth that tran-scends both the filling and theencompassing modes of Divine rela-tionship with reality.

Rabbah bar Nachmeini was “singu-lar in the laws of tzara‘as.” He was ahuman being, but a human being whohad so thoroughly devoted himself toG-d’s Torah that he had uncovered itssingular core; he had uncovered theDivine vision of reality as it relates tothe very essence of G-d rather than tothe “filling” or “encompassing” ele-ments of His light.

When Rabbah bar Nachmeini pon-dered the laws of human selfishnessand selflessness, he saw man as G-dHimself sees him: as a creation utterlydevoted to the will of its Creator. A cre-ation who, even if touched by the pos-sibility of the malady of shov-deficien-cy, is invariably declared, “Pure! Pure!”(Chabad.org) ❖

Based on the teachings of the LubavitcherRebbe. Courtesy of MeaningfulLife.com.


INSIGHTS ON THE TORAHContinued from Page 53

Ratzo drives us to climb amountain, shov to build a home;

ratzo to pray, shov to do a mitzvah.



(Vayikra 13:2)

Evil talk kills three people:the speaker, the listener, andthe one who is spoken of.

(Talmud, Erachin 15a)

B Y R A B B I Y O N I P O S N I C K

This week’s parashios deal mainlywith tzara‘as, a miraculous afflictionwhich Chazal tell us came to a personwho committed certain aveiros, mostnotably among them lashon ha’ra.The halachos of tzara‘as make it abun-dantly clear that it was not a physicaldisease such as leprosy, as it is com-monly mistranslated, but ratherentirely spiritual in nature. Simplyput, tzara‘as was a miraculous spiritu-al sickness unlike any other diseaseknown to mankind. For this reasonthe Torah makes it clear that tzara‘ascould only be diagnosed and cured bya kohein. Just as the affliction wastotally spiritual and a result of spiri-tual shortcomings, so too the curewas not in the hands of a doctor butrather through the model evedHashem, the kohein, who spent hisdays performing the holy avodah inthe Beis HaMikdash.

There is a fascinating comment bythe Seforno, which gives us just a hintof just how spiritual tzara‘as was. Hewrites that even though the Talmudlists certain aveiros which were pun-ished with tzara‘as, we don’t findtzara‘as in our times. The reason forthis is that tzara‘as was a totally super-natural occurrence brought fromHeaven, and nowadays we are noteven worthy to be punished miracu-lously by Hashem! A most powerfulthought indeed.

If we look at the halachos of tzara‘asin our parashah, we realize thattzara‘as was drastically different fromall other types of tumah, impurity,recorded in the Torah. The metzorahad to follow laws and proceduresmuch different than any other tameiindividual. The metzora had to act likean aveil, a mourner; he had to tear hisclothes, cover himself, and, perhapsmost harshly, sit in isolation outsideall three camps of Klal Yisrael. Noteven another metzora, another personwho had the very same tzara‘as as he,could come within four amos, and ifsomeone approached, he had to callout “tamei, tamei!” Indeed, Rashiasks, why in fact was tzara‘as so dras-tically different from all other types oftumah?

Rashi’s answer contains a criticallyimportant life message. He cites theTalmud in Arachin which explains thatthe entire process of tzara‘as wasdesigned to give the metzora the clearand unmistakable message of midahk’neged midah, that all he was goingthrough was a direct consequence andin direct proportion to his actions,namely speaking lashon ha’ra and mis-using his koach hadibbur. Everyhalachah, both during the quarantineas well as during the purification, con-tained this message.

The Dubno Maggid gives one sim-ple yet profound example of this prin-ciple: Many people fall into the trapof misusing their speech and speak-ing lashon ha’ra because they are sim-ply unaware of the tremendouspotency of the spoken word. Theywill readily admit that words areimportant and have an effect, butthey don’t fully appreciate or thinkabout their true power, and thereforestumble into evil speech. The metzo-ra is taught a poignant personal les-son about the power of a single word.He must go to a kohein who, by justone word, “tamei,” can isolate himfrom all of society—his family,friends, and community. His entirefate and future hung on one simpleword. This would impress upon theindividual the awesome power a per-son carries in his mouth.

Baruch Hashem, much has beensaid and written about the topic of thepower of speech and the gravity ofloshon ha’ra. Books upon books havebeen devoted to the topic and muchinterest and discussion has beenraised in recent times. There hasnever been such worldwide interestand desire as there is today to fulfillwhat the Chofetz Chaim set out forus—mastery of our greatest powerand resource. Nevertheless, as theMesillas Yeshorim says in his introduc-tion, it is particularly those most fun-damental truths that are so oftenoverlooked and taken for granted andtherefore require the most study andreview. Certainly, this applies on aneven deeper level when it comes tothe most delicate and immenselypowerful matter of speech.

We can never learn enough aboutthis most holy faculty which distin-guishes man from all other creaturesand enables him to fulfill his purposein Creation. Let us therefore share afew thoughts:

Hashem created the world withwords. This is such a simple statementthat we all know, yet we often fail tothink about its implications. We aretaught in Pirkei Avos that the worldwas created with asara maamaros, tenutterances. This itself should impressupon us the immense power of words.However, let’s go deeper. According toJewish thought, these utterances arenot to be regarded as past events; it isthey that still provide the basic back-bone of existence. The words ofHashem issued at creation are still outthere; existence continues onlybecause the words were never with-drawn. If we think about it, therefore,we realize that words are in fact themost important occurrence in the uni-verse, for it is only due to words thatthe world came into existence and


The Power Of Words



remains in existence. We mistakenlyperceive words as abstract and unrealand the physical body and tangibleworld as the most real, while the reali-ty is that all of existence, including thephysical world, is actually based onwords!

Chazal repeatedly emphasize thatman should strive to emulate hisCreator. There is a mitzvah of “v’ha-lachta bid’rachav,” to walk in Hashem’sways. For example, Chazal learn that“just as He is merciful and doeschesed, so should you be merciful anddo chesed.” The greatest achievementwe can attain as human beings is to actlike Hashem and strive to emulate Histraits. By doing so, we literally become“G-d-like” and fully express the poten-

tial of our tzelem Elokim, literallytranslated as a “shadow of G-d.” Weproject Hashem’s heavenly presenceand middos down here in this world,just as a shadow takes on the sameform as its source. Certainly then, ifwe are told that Hashem used words tocreate the world to bring everythinginto existence, we too must use ourwords productively, to build ourselvesup and those around us. Just as Hecreates with words, so must we createwith words. However, just as Hashemuses words to build and bestow good,so too we only have license to use ourwords to build and grow. This is thegreatest emulation of Hashem, and inthis way we literally “walk in His ways”and become partners with the Al-mighty in creation.

Interestingly, the Hebrew word fortongue, lashon, is related to the word

losh, kneading, the process of mixingsolids and liquids together. We knowthat in Yiddishkeit a name does notmerely serve as a descriptor or identi-fier, but it contains the essence ofwhat that object or person is. Thetongue takes the spiritual inneressence of the soul, man’s innermostideas and inspirations, and expressesit in the physical realm, thereby mix-ing spiritual and physical together.

The Maharal writes that the tongueis a unique organ. Unlike most otherbody parts, which are either foundtotally outside or totally inside thebody, the tongue is partly hidden andpartly revealed. He explains thatHaKadosh Baruch Hu specificallydesigned the tongue in this fashion soit would clearly reflect its function—to reveal the hidden self, theneshamah of man. The tongue brings

what’s in the hidden inner neshamahto light, allowing it to shine and havea voice in the world. Our mouth is themeans by which we connect heavenand earth and our inner neshamos tothe outside world.

Thus we see that the great gift ofkoach hadibbur is what best allows usto emulate Hashem—to speak wordsof Torah, tefillah, and chesed; to speakbuilding, helping, healing words,thereby reflecting upon and testifyingto our Source, the Ribbono ShelOlam!

Just as any person with wisdomcarefully protects and guards anexpensive treasure in his possession—certainly if it came from the King him-self—so we must be on constant guardof what comes out of our treasure-



house. When a person abuses thispower, speaking lashon ha’ra and,instead of building and creating, caus-ing separation, damage, and destruc-tion, he disgraces and shows contemptfor the greatest gift G-d Himself gavehim, losing that very trait that distin-guishes him from the animals.

We now have new insight into thereason that one afflicted with tzara‘ascarries such a severe form of tumah, soharsh that it is equal to the most seri-ous form of tumah, tumas meis. This isno mere coincidence. Now we under-stand that this is the ultimate midahk’neged midah—a piece of his veryneshamah has died, and so this individ-ual is banished from all threemachanos, all of society. He takes onthe halachos of tumas meis and sits inaveilus—mourning himself, for thevery essence of his being has beendamaged and lost.

With this insight we gain newunderstanding of the smichushaparashios, juxtaposition of topics inthe Torah. The parashah begins withthe halachos of childbirth and thenproceeds to the laws of tzara‘as. Whyput these two seemingly unconnectedsections together? Could there betwo more unrelated concepts? Wecan suggest that this is precisely theanswer! The Torah gives us this majorcontrast, with the laws of childbirth,new life coming into the world, pre-ceding the laws of tzara‘as, the dis-eased individual who spoke lashon

ha’ra, to give us the unmistakablemessage that man has the ability tobe a partner in Creation, to create lifejust like Hashem Himself…or he can,chas v’shalom, divest himself of hisDivine essence by taking his greatestpotential for kedushah, G-dliness, andusing it for harmful means. TheTorah places these extremes neareach other to demonstrate the starkcontrast between them: the choice isin our hands, or perhaps more pre-cisely, in our mouths!

Lashon ha’ra does not just inflict theobvious negative damage to our rela-tionships with others—indeed, one

can destroy someone’s livelihood, mar-riage, reputation, and even life with afew misplaced words—it also affectsour personal connection to Hashem. Ifsomeone went over to a clock or com-puter and smashed it to pieces with abaseball bat, he couldn’t afterward bejustified in asking why it’s not working.Our mouths are meant to express con-structive words of Torah and tefillah. Ifone uses his speech to speak hurtfulwords of lashon ha’ra, he destroys this

valuable tool and even his constructivewords of tefillah will be severelyimpaired. Can he then sincerely ques-tion why his tefillos don’t seem to havepositive results?

We often hear people who sincerelyclaim, “I can’t control what I say andhow I say it,” but the control depends ontheir motivation. Many people actuallybelieve this about themselves. But thevery same people can usually controlwhat they say and how they say it ifsomeone they respect knocks on thedoor. And most people can do this evenif the person at the door is a totalstranger whom they will never see again.

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin in his book on mar-riage writes that he interviewed a retiredAmerican rabbi who settled in Yerusha-layim, not far from most of his marriedchildren and grandchildren. He askedhim about the first thought that comesto mind when he thinks about an impor-tant principle for marriage. “Don’t sayeverything that comes to your mind,” hesaid. This is one of the key pieces of wis-dom Rabbi Pliskin imparts in his book:Words must be measured, for theydetermine our relationships—with ourwives, our friends, and most cruciallywith the One above. Words must bemeasured, for indeed they are the meas-ure of each one of us.

Words cannot be seen—but theireffect surely can be! Wars have beenstarted between families, spouses,friends—even countries—because of afew words. Klal Yisrael was forced towander 40 years in the desert; Korachand company were swallowed by the

earth because of a few words. We arenot talking about ordinary individuals.Chazal tell us without exaggerationthat our Beis HaMikdash, the house ofHashem’s Shechinah, was destroyed,and we languish in galus to this veryday, because of sinas chinam, whichmanifests itself through lashon ha’ra.

If one is far away from home, and isgiven the opportunity to send a letterto his family back home, he would bevery careful and exacting in what hewanted to send, making sure he wrotewhat was essential, what he needed toconvey and wanted them to hear. TheVilna Gaon once wrote a letter to hisfamily during his travels. He had beenaway for a while and his family anx-iously awaited word from him. If wewould have to guess what the contentswere, what this Torah giant wrote tohis family, we would think maybesomething about the importance oflearning Torah, proper shemirasShabbos, tzedaka, or tzenius perhaps.Listen to the message of the Gaon:“The most important factor to earnOlam HaBa is guarding one’s tonguefrom forbidden speech. This is morethan all the Torah one learns andmitzvos one performs, because themouth is kodesh kodashim.” This wasthe Gaon’s essential message for hisfamily. Eye-opening indeed. It is themouth which has the ability to bring usthe greatest fulfillment and kedushah.

The Poor MillionaireThe Torah tells us of three types of

tzara‘as: nigei adam—tzara‘as whichappeared on a person’s body; nigeibegadim—tzara‘as which manifesteditself on a person’s clothes; and nigeibatim—tzara‘as on a person’s house.Rashi cites the Midrash which teach-es that nigei batim, tzara‘as on a per-son’s home, was in fact at times ablessing in disguise. When theCanaanim living in Eretz Yisrael knewBnei Yisrael were about the take overthe land, they hid their money and



Just as Hashem uses words to build and

bestow good, so too we only have license to

use our words to build and grow.


gold in the walls of theirhouses so that it would notbe discovered and enjoyed bythe entering Jews. Hashemtherefore sometimes causedtzara‘as to appear on thehome, requiring the home-owner to destroy the part ofthe wall which was afflicted,and he would thereby uncov-er this hidden treasure.

HaRav Avrohom Pam, zt’l,taught a striking lesson fromthis Midrash regarding nigeibatim. He writes that it wasquite possible that the per-son living in the house wasan ani, living in the depths ofpoverty. He would scrapetogether day to day to makeends meet and feed himselfand his family. Little does heknow that he is literally sit-ting on a million dollars. Heis totally unaware that a mas-sive treasure has been lyingright there under his chairsince the day he moved in,and he has in fact been a mil-lionaire all along! Eventhough all of this time it wasright there in the wall next tohim or buried right in hisbackyard, because heremains unaware of its exis-tence he continues to liveday after day in utter destitu-tion, struggling endlessly.

Note the haunting words ofRav Pam: “In a spiritual sensemany people go through lifeas ‘poor millionaires.’ Lyingdormant in their neshamos areunbelievable capabilities andkochos of which they are sim-ply unaware. If only theywould know what is insidethemselves, their drive to suc-ceed would be so muchgreater!” He goes on to saythat many people live theirwhole lives without discover-ing their skills and specialgifts, until they are forced into

a given situation. For exam-ple, parents who give birth tomentally or physically dis-abled children who end upcreating programs which nowbenefit all of Klal Yisrael. Aboy or girl takes a job in asummer camp and realizes heor she has a real talent work-ing with children. Someonespends a Shabbos as a guestand realizes he has a koach tobe mekareiv people or to teachother Jews. How often doessomeone not even givethought about what they cando and accomplish, aboutwhat strengths Hashem hasput inside of them, until theytake part in a chesed project orsimilar endeavor, even “byaccident,” only to discover—or, more precisely, uncover—akoach in that area or field?

We must look inside our-selves and find the capabili-ties and strengths we havehidden inside, just waiting tobe drawn out. This is a per-son’s mission in the world.We must not let the giftsHashem has blessed us withlie dormant or chas v’shalomgo to waste. We look at the“poor millionaire” and sigh,“Nebach! Such a pity andwaste that he is sitting on afortune and just doesn’t real-ize it.” Woe to the one who isdoomed to live life this way,just barely scraping by whenin truth he is the owner of afortune, rich beyond meas-ure. We must strive not to fallinto this tragic category butrather make full use of thetreasures HaKadosh BaruchHu has given and put insideeach and every one of ourunique irreplaceableneshamos, just waiting to bediscovered so we may enrichour own lives and perhaps thelives of countless others! ❖

Questions and comments for theauthor are welcome [email protected].



BackgroundsB Y G A R Y R A B E N K O

Backgrounds are important. But notas important as the subject!

Shooting against a pretty picture-postcard scenic is easy but make surethe subject looks great too. Many selecta scenic background only to have hor-rific lighting attack their faces. Othersmake themselves miserable complain-ing about a lackluster background whenthe photographer could do wonderfulwork if only he had your confidencerather than criticism. A background cancontribute to the overall impact andmood of an image. Certainly it must beconsidered. But is it as important as thesubject? People comment how beauti-ful a friend’s photo is when the friendlooks bad, non-descript, or unimpres-sive in front of a pretty picture-postcardbackground. Look first at the subject.

As you shop for a photographer, lookfirst at the subjects in the photos. Notthe flowers, décor, gown, or tuxedo—look at the faces, personalities, andexpressions.

You should not have garbage in thebackground—no poles, wires, or otherdistractions. But when a good photog-rapher comes to your home, as he isphotographing you, getting greatexpressions, emotion, and feeling, in asoft, flattering, painterly light on theside of your house, you should notwish he used the pretty sunflowers youpurposely planted in the backyard,which currently is in awfully harshsunlight. He is doing beautiful photog-raphy of a person who will look beauti-ful. The background is not the goaland should not be considered a result.

If a particular background is signifi-cant, a good photographer would wantto know this. Becoming a photographer

involves sensitivity to many varying fac-tors. Your concerns are some of them.Ultimately, many things that most pro-fessional picture-takers fail to considerare major factors to the better photog-raphers. If you have seen the resultsand they look special and inspired, havepersonality and strong photogenicappeal, then it is likely the photogra-pher has the talent and skill that canmake you shine. You will come first!Where you are photographed should bebased on where the photographer canhave you looking your best.

Often people look at a photo whichlooks like a picture postcard. Everythinglooks amazing except for one thing—thesubject! More likely the subject will lookbetter if the emphasis from the begin-ning was his goal. When you view pho-tos of your family and friends theyshould seem alive! Not just a passportphoto. How they look depends on theirexpression, body placement, pose, andthe camera position. But lighting is veryimportant. I can take any pose, angle,and expression, and make it look betterjust by lighting for that situation. Many

say they understand this but they simplydo not. The public thinks they under-stand light. “Oh yeah, we need morelight!” Not necessarily. We need theright light. We need just the right lightfor each and every expression, body lan-guage, mood, etc.

How much better could you look ifthe photographer was able to choosethe spot for the subject, rather than thebackground! I have worked in oppres-sive overhead high noon sunlightwhere one can bake in ten minutes. Sotoo, I have worked late at night, witheverything from powerful lights thatmake daylight from darkness, to flash-lights which add just the little lightneeded for the situation. In bright sun-light, I have worked with such intenselighting that we overpowered the sun,and I have worked in a way that usesthe sunlight as a spotlight on stage withno other light but the sun. In everycase my goal is to best render the sub-ject under those circumstances. Thereare times when no other location ispossible. But when alternatives exist,the better photographer is not the onewho has you looking second bestbefore a first rate scenic, but ratherstanding out impressively!

Photo sessions that occur indoors onnice sunny days always involve discus-sion of outdoor photos. It is a tradeoffin time and appearance. Wonderfulphotography can be done outdoors but,the lighting has to be right for the sub-ject. Or the situation has to be one inwhich the photographer can create theright light. When choosing to shootoutdoors, consider the lighting ramifi-cations on the subject, as well as theobvious hair-blowing, squinting, dirtygrounds, and more.

Indoors, other factors come intoplay that can be trickier and less obvi-ous. Essentially, a three dimensionalbackground, like a room, floralarrangement, fireplace, needs to beproperly lit for it to have character—just as the subject needs to be lit.

In practice, a shoot involving peoplealways has some time constraintimposed by the schedule or the per-sonalities. Faster is better, and empha-sizing the background over the subjectis putting the cart before the horse.Ideally, the subject looks great and thebackground enhances the total experi-ence. But too often a pretty back-ground tends to impress people,including yourself as you shop for pho-tography. Later, as the subject, youmight care most how you and yourloved ones look, and less about thebackground.

It is far more difficult to consistent-ly produce great looking subjects. Thatshould be the photographer’s numberone goal. Sometimes it means down-playing the background and evenselecting a simpler one in order totreat the subjects with the best tech-niques possible.

Since you care how you look andyou want images to be flattering, andalso have personality, help your pho-tographer make you look your best byletting him know your priorities. ❖

Gary Gershon Rabenko may be reached [email protected]. Questions regardingphotographic philosophies are welcome.Rabenko Photography & Video Artists is locatedat 1001 Broadway in Woodmere.


Photo Prose

Israel marked Holocaust Remem-brance Day on Monday with memori-als at the Knesset and the Yad VashemHolocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’Remembrance Authority. Names ofHolocaust victims were read aloud at“Every Person Has a Name” memorialsheld at both locations.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tookpart in the Knesset memorial by read-ing the names of his wife’s relativeswho were killed in the Holocaust.Opposition Leader Benjamin Netan-yahu also read aloud the names of hiswife Sara’s relatives.

Vice Premier Shimon Peres told ofhis farewell from his grandfather,Rabbi Zvi Melzer, who instructed him“to be Jewish.” “My Grandfather Zvi,Grandmother Rivka and one of theirsons were burned to death while stillgripping their Bibles,” Peres related.

Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog toldof his father’s cousin, AnnetteGoldberg, who was caught trying tocross the French border and was sentto her death in Auschwitz. On thetrain ride to the concentration camp,she threw a letter out the windowwhich said: “Dear mother, there arethousands in my condition. I willreturn soon.”

Infrastructure Minister BenjaminBen-Eliezer read a list of the names ofHolocaust victims from Baghdad.Former Knesset Chairman DanTichon called for a solution by legisla-tion for the Holocaust survivors’ dire

financial troubles.The memorials began after Israelis

stood silently for two minutes toremember the victims of theHolocaust, as sirens wailed throughoutIsrael on Monday morning.

At the Helen Keller house in TelAviv, a memorial took place for thedeaf victims of the Holocaust. TheAssociation of the Deaf in Israel (ADI)which held the memorial explainedthat deaf people needed unique sur-vival techniques since they could nothear bombings, shootings, or the warn-ings of an oncoming raid.

On Monday afternoon, the “Marchof the Living” set out from Auschwitzconcentration camp in Poland, endingin the Birkenau concentration camp.More than one million, predominant-ly Jewish, prisoners were murderedthere. Over 8,000 teens from Israeland the Diaspora will take part in themarch which commemorates thedeath marches which occurredtowards the end of World War II.

Israel marked the opening of theremembrance day with vocal concernfor the plight of aging survivors, manyof whom are living in poverty in Israel.“We must never accept a reality inwhich even one of the Holocaust sur-vivors in Israel is living without digni-ty,” Acting President Dalia Itzikdeclared at the opening ceremony atthe Yad Vashem Holocaust memorialin Jerusalem, referring to reports that athird of the Holocaust survivors living

in Israel live below the poverty line.On Monday morning, MK Ahmed

Tibi (Ra’am-Ta’al) said that “theHolocaust is the greatest crime in thehistory of humanity.” He added thatthose that deny the Holocaust must becondemned.

Hundreds of people, many of themHolocaust survivors, sat in rows at the

central plaza at Yad Vashem for theceremony Sunday evening, bundled upagainst the cold weather. A youth choirsang, and Israeli leaders addressed thesomber gathering.

Itzik said at the beginning of theceremony that “the Holocaust is notonly a stain on the history of Germany,not only on the history of Europeanpeoples, but a mark of Cain on all ofhumanity.”

Former MK Joseph (Tommy)Lapid, addressing the gathering ofsurvivors, government leaders andforeign dignitaries, said that theworld is yet again ignoring geno-cide—this time in Darfur.

Speaking on behalf of Holocaustsurvivors, Lapid said that while theHolocaust was a unique event in histo-ry, “even after the Holocaust we wit-nessed genocide in Biafra, Cambodia,Rwanda, and we must cry out againstthe genocide currently being commit-ted in Darfur in Sudan—and the worldis sitting on its hands and sends a fewsacks of flour, not so much in order tofeed the hungry, but rather to calm itsconscience.”

Lapid, who currently chairs the YadVashem council, added that “eventoday there is an existential threat tothe Jewish people on the part of theIranian president.”

Regarding Iran’s nuclear program,Lapid said “[Iranian PresidentMahmoud] Ahmadinejad is planningto have means of destruction com-pared to which the gas chambers atAuschwitz were just the beginning.”“Six million who were murdered say tous, ‘We thought it could not happen,we relied on the goodness of others,and when we awoke from our illusionsit was too late,’” said Lapid.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert saidin his address that “there are many,gathered in prestigious academicinstitutions, whose eyes are blinded


Israel Marks Holocaust Remembrance Day With Siren, Memorial Services

“Shaking off theashes of the

Holocaust for a newlife in its historicbirthplace is thepinnacle of its

victory.”

and hearts are closed by hatred forIsrael. They deny the right of theJewish people to exist in a sovereignstate. They are the first to find justifi-cation for any atrocious act againstthe residents of Israel and to vehe-mently condemn any defensive actiontaken by the State of Israel.”

Olmert noted that Israel celebratesits 59th Independence Day next week.“The renewal of the Jewish people, itsshaking off the ashes of the Holocaustfor a new life and national rebirth in itshistoric birthplace, is the pinnacle ofits victory,” he said.

The central theme for this year’sHolocaust Remembrance Day is bear-ing witness.

At the former German concentra-tion camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau onSunday, several thousand young Jewsremembered the six million victims ofthe Holocaust.

Education Minister Yuli Tamir alsoattended ceremonies on InternationalHolocaust Memorial Day. The youthsfrom Israel, Europe, and NorthAmerica said the Kaddish prayer for thedead. (Haaretz) ❖


More than a quarter of Israel’s Arabcitizens believe the Holocaust neverhappened, and nearly two thirds ofIsraeli Jews avoid entering Arab towns,a poll by a University of Haifa sociolo-gist shows.

The poll, conducted by SamiSmoocha, a prominent sociologist atthe University of Haifa, showed a widegap of mistrust, anger and fearbetween Israel’s majority Jews and itsArab citizens, who make up a fifth ofIsrael’s citizens.

In its most dramatic finding, thepoll showed that 28 percent of IsraeliArabs did not believe the Holocausthappened, and that among high schooland college graduates the figure waseven higher—33 percent.

According to Smoocha’s analysis,radicals in the Arab world believe theHolocaust to be a political event, andmany feel that by denying it they areexpressing opposition to Israel.

Among Israeli Jews, 63 percentsaid they avoid entering Arab townsand cities, and 68 percent fear thepossibility of civil unrest amongIsraeli Arabs.

Pollsters interviewed 721 Arabs and702 Jews. The margin of error was 3.7percentage points. Asked aboutIsrael’s war with Hezbollah guerrillasin Lebanon last summer, nearly halfof the Israeli Arabs polled—48 per-cent—said they believe thatHezbollah’s rocket attacks on townsin northern Israel during that warwere justified, even though numerous

Arabs were killed and wounded inthose attacks.

While 89 percent said they viewIsrael’s bombing of Lebanon as a warcrime, only 44 percent said they seeHezbollah’s attacks on Israel as such.Hezbollah pelted northern Israel withnearly 4,000 rockets.

Half of Israeli Arab respondentssaid Hezbollah’s capture of Israel

Defense Forces reserves soldiersEhud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev ina cross-border raid was justified. Thatincident sparked the 34-day conflict.

In a press release accompanyingthe poll’s publication, Smoochaexpressed surprise at the results.“One would have expected more pro-Israeli results among Israeli Arabsdue to the uniqueness of the mostrecent war: a war with no involve-ment of the Palestinians, a war in

which the lives and belongings ofIsraelis were endangered, a waragainst an Islamic fundamentalistgroup that most of them don’t sup-port,” Smoocha said.

MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta’al) said he doubted some of thefindings. Tibi said he could not explainthe numbers indicating support forHezbollah, but noted that usuallythere is no empathy for the aggressor,which Tibi said was Israel.

Tibi also said he doubted that thestatistics on Holocaust denial reflectthe situation in the Arab elite. Tibicalled the Holocaust the worst crimeever against humanity and saidHolocaust denial is immoral.

But some of the sentiments, he said,“might stem from reservations aboutthe way the Holocaust is used as apolitical tool by Israel.”

The poll also found that IsraeliArabs have fears about their future inIsrael: 62 percent worry that Israelcould transfer their communities tothe jurisdiction of a future Palestinianstate, an idea supported by one of theparties in Israel’s current governingcoalition. 60 percent said they areconcerned about a possible massexpulsion.

Among the Arab respondents, 76percent described Zionism as racist.

But more than two thirds said theywould be content to live in Israel as aJewish state, if it existed alongside aPalestinian state in the West Bank andGaza Strip. (AP) ❖

Over 25% Of Israeli Arabs Say Holocaust Never Happened


WE WANT TO KNOW!


62 percent of IsraeliArabs worry that

Israel could transfertheir communities to

the jurisdiction of a future

Palestinian state.


B Y G I L R O N E N A N DH I L L E L F E N D E L

For as yet unknown reasons, a mas-sive Hamas terror attack intended totake place in the Tel Aviv area duringthe Passover Seder was averted. A sim-ilar attack five years ago killed 30 peo-ple in Netanya and triggered the IDF’sOperation Defensive Shield.

The General Security Service(Shabak) released the news of thenear-attack while announcing that ithad arrested 19 Hamas terrorists inKalkilye who were involved with thisand other planned attacks.

The Shabak said that a Hamas ter-rorist had successfully entered theGreater Tel Aviv area in a car ladenwith 100 kg. (220 lbs.) of explosivesbefore Passover. Besides the explo-sives, it contained large amounts ofshrapnel material, intended to maxi-mize carnage. For reasons that are notyet known, the attack was not carriedout and the terrorist drove the car backto Kalkilye, from where it had come.The car exploded in Kalkilyeh, in whatthe Shabak says was a ‘work accident.’

Some reports say the suicide terror-ist simply “changed his mind.” Thewould-be suicide terrorist was able todrive the car into Tel Aviv with the helpof his Israeli ID card, which hereceived as a result of his marriage (orhis father’s, according to some ver-

sions) to an Arab-Israeli from Taibeh.The ID made it easy for him to drivepast IDF roadblocks from Kalkilye—which is under Hamas/PalestinianAuthority control—into the nearby TelAviv area. His vehicle also carriedIsraeli license plates.

Security officials note that Arab ter-ror organizations routinely make use offamily ties to Israeli-Arabs in order tofacilitate terror attacks.

Kalkilye, east of Raanana, is sur-rounded by the partition fence onthree sides, part of which is a tall con-crete wall. PA affairs correspondentHaggai Huberman notes the irony:“While the State of Israel spends bil-lions of shekels on walls and fences, atthe same time it issues Palestinian ter-rorists Israeli ID cards so that the ter-rorists can turn the wall/fence into amockery and cross them easily.”

Huberman adds that the Shabak has

admitted that Israel’s attempt to pre-vent harm to the fabric of life of theArabs of Kalkilye and nearby “allowsfree movement to those with Israeli IDcards, and even those with PA identitycards, in and out of Kalkilye.”

“We also see,” Huberman noted,“that specifically in Kalkilye, one ofthe quieter PA cities, Hamas terroristsare now working to carry out majorattacks, after spending time buildingtheir capabilities to do so. The stageof ‘building the force’ has passed, andthe process is now in the stage of ‘car-rying out attacks.’ Even after thearrest of the 19, attacks are still being

planned, including in the immediateshort-range.”

The Kalkilye Hamas infrastructurewas responsible for the massacre of 21young Israelis outside theDolphinarium discotheque in June2001. After a period of dormancy ithas now rebuilt itself, according tosecurity officials. The officials say thatfrom November 2006, Hamas hasbeen upgrading its terror abilities inJudea and Samaria, and preparing

attacks that can be carried out at shortnotice. Iran and Syria have beenassisting this project.

The Shabak recently arrestednumerous Hamas terrorists in theKalkilye area, after a period in whichthe local Hamas cell grew and devel-oped its abilities to carry out attacks.The GSS action was intended to pre-vent attacks during the Pesach holiday.The results of the interrogations whichfollowed showed that the Hamas terrorinfrastructure in Kalkilye was workingon several attacks simultaneously.

The officials say that Hamas hasswitched phases from preparation ofthe attacks to implementation, and isnow planning to launch additionalattacks. (Arutz Sheva) ❖

Pesach Massacre Averted: HamasMass Murder Car Was In Tel Aviv



(Vayikra 13:2)

The plague of tzaraascomes only as punishmentfor lashon harah (evil talk).

(Midrash Rabbah;Talmud; Rashi)

While the State of Israel spends billionsof shekels on walls and fences, at the

same time it issues Palestinian terroristsIsraeli ID cards.


B Y A M N O N R U B I N S T E I N

It is sad that Gilad, Udi, and Eldadwere missing from the Schalit,Goldwasser and Regev family Sedersthis year. Not only their families but allof Israeli society felt their absence.

Our lives continue normally, but theabduction of our soldiers and dearth ofinformation about their fate toucheseach and every one of us.

The abduction of the soldiers, therefusal of their captors to permit theInternational Red Cross to visit them,their complete isolation from the worldand the lack of any knowledge regard-ing their health is one of the most seri-ous crimes being perpetrated by thePalestinian terrorist organizations.

What could be more natural, then,than for the celebrated internationalhuman-rights organizations to cry out inprotest against this ongoing cruelty to thesoldiers’ families?

Amazingly enough, however, untilnow only a feeble murmur of mildprotest has been heard. Human RightsWatch issued a statement on June 29,2006 which defined the abduction ofGilad Schalit as a war crime. The mainthrust of the statement, however, was acondemnation of the Israeli attack on theGaza power station that came in its wake.

Amnesty International, the organiza-tion that has—with the support of itsIsraeli branch—implicitly blamed theIsraeli occupation for the many cases of“honor killing” in the territories in which

Palestinian women have been murderedby their families, on June 27 called forthe release of Shalit, but of course addeda knee-jerk condemnation of Israel.

But at least these two organizationsdemanded the release of the abductedsoldiers. Unlike them, the Israeli humanrights organizations issued a joint state-ment on the same day in which they nei-ther condemned the abduction as a warcrime nor demanded Schalit’s release.

The Association for Civil Rights inIsrael (ACRI), together with the Al-Mazen Center, Hamoked Center for theDefense of the Individual, the GazaMental Health Program, the PublicCommittee against Torture in Israel, theAddamir Prisoner Support Center, andPhysicians for Human Rights, issued astatement in which they demanded thatGilad Schalit be given medical care. Butthey did not insist that he be released, orthat his captors provide a sign of lifefrom him.

Since then, ACRI has not returned tothe matter of the abducted soldiers at alland no mention of them can be found onits website. Only the Physicians forHuman Rights organization has appealedto its fellow doctors in Lebanon to helpfree the soldiers who were abducted fromNorthern Israel into Lebanon.

ACRI has kept silent. And it’s not thatthe human rights organizations don’tknow how to wage an international cam-paign. On the contrary, if they wanted tothey could surely have considerableinfluence in getting the soldiers

released. That is what the British organ-izations did, contributing to the ulti-mately successful struggle to release theBritish captives seized recently by Iran.

Why hasn’t ACRI demanded therelease of the Israeli captives? Why didit make do with a one-time request toprovide Schalit with medical care? Whyhasn’t it at least demanded that theInternational Red Cross be allowed tovisit the captive soldiers? Why has itrefrained from taking a stand regardingthe soldiers abducted to Lebanon?

ACRI has accepted the claim that theabducted soldiers are not prisoners ofwar, in accordance with the GenevaConvention. However, the conventionguarantees a minimum standard ofproper treatment for ordinary detaineeswho are not POWs, and it includes med-ical treatment. That is why ACRI wascontent with demanding medical carefor Schalit. It is a completely distortedinterpretation of international law.

If POWs are entitled to visits from theInternational Red Cross, and to send andreceive mail, all the more so shouldabductees. After all, their seizure is itselfa war crime and has been defined assuch by Human Rights Watch. And ifeven Amnesty International has seen fitto demand Schalit’s release, what is pre-venting ACRI from lending its voice tothis appeal?

One of the organizations had evenpetitioned the High Court of Justiceagainst the holding of Hezbollahabductees by Israel. Aren’t Israeli sol-

diers entitled to at least that which ter-rorists and enemy citizens receive?There’s no limit to hypocrisy, it seems.

ACRI has been fighting forcefully forthe right of Palestinian spouses of IsraeliArabs to enter Israel and receive residen-cy, and it attacked Justice MishaelCheshin’s ruling against this right withharsh words, calling it ultra-nationalism.It accused Cheshin of “undermining thepillars of constitutional democratic gov-ernment” while turning a blind eye to theabduction of soldiers from Israel’s sover-eign territory.

One increasingly gets the feeling thathuman rights—the issue that, quiterightly, has been placed at the top ofinternational priorities—is no morethan a pretext for a very particularworld view. ACRI objects to Israel beingdefined in its constitution as a Jewishstate, although it is willing to includehistorical mention of the Jews’ right toself-determination in the preamble.The fact is human rights can be safe-guarded in a nation-state too, as is thecase in most European countries.

There is no connection betweenACRI’s opposition to Israel’s definitionas a Jewish state (as stated in the UnitedNations partition resolution) and thepreservation of human rights. One can,of course, object to Israel’s Jewish char-acter, but those who use human rights tofurther this position are exploiting theissue for political ends that have nothingto do with genuine human rights.(JPost.com) ❖

The writer is former president of theInterdisciplinary Center-Herzliya, Minister ofEducation and member of the Knesset.

When ‘Human Rights’ Groups Look The Other Way


Bat Mitzvah ofNechamaSchwartz

took place on April 15 at the

Ateres NechamaLiba Simcha

Hall. Cateringwas provided by

Chap-A-Noshand

entertainmentwas provided

by the Shloime Dachs

Orchestra.

Bar Mitzvah ofYosef Dov

Rosenthal tookplace on

March 25 atTemple Beth Elin Lawrence.

Five Towns Simcha GalleryPhotos By Captured Images

B Y U R I E L H E I L M A N

Underscoring the vulnerability of the7,000 or so Falash Mura waiting inEthiopia to make aliyah, the mainJewish aid compound in the countrywas shut down for nearly two weeksafter locals persuaded Ethiopian author-ities that the compound was a publicnuisance and operating illegally.

But the facility in Gondar—whichprovides schooling, Jewish education,some food aid, and some employmentassistance to the Falash Mura who livein adjacent neighborhoods—was re-opened March 30 following pressure onthe Ethiopian government by AmericanJewish Federation leaders.

In a letter sent to Ethiopia’s ambas-sador to the United States, eightJewish Federation leaders wrote thatlocal complainants constituted an ille-gally elected community leadershipand that they essentially were trouble-makers intent on disrupting the order-ly aliyah process.

“The illegally elected new leadershipis headed by individuals not eligible foremigration to Israel,” the federationexecutives, led by Stephen Hoffman,president of the Jewish CommunityFederation of Cleveland, wrote. “If thisillegally elected leadership remains,the compound’s programs will notreceive our funding, as we cannot trustour funds to people whose integrityand ability to handle money honestly is

in grave doubt.”The multi-site Gondar aid com-

pound is funded by the NorthAmerican Conference on EthiopianJewry, or NACOEJ, but has been runby intermediaries since the New York-based group was barred from operatingin Ethiopia following legal troublestwo-and-a-half years ago.

Those legal problems and a disputewith the local community forced theclosure of NACOEJ’s other Ethiopianaid compound, in Addis Ababa, in late2004. That compound remains closed.

NACOEJ does not sponsor any aidfacilities in Ethiopia other than themulti-site Gondar compound.

The closure appears to have beenprompted by a fight among localsinterested in control over the substan-tial aid money being spent there—anestimated $1 million per year in a des-perately impoverished country wheremost people make about $1 per day—and greater say over who is and who isnot eligible for aliyah.

This comes despite the fact thatcommunity leaders have no say indetermining who is eligible to immi-grate to Israel and that American Jewishgroups have pledged not to fund anyrenegade communal leadership.

“It is my understanding that thereare competing factions within theEthiopian community itself who havecalled into question the leadership ofthe compounds,” said Doron Krakow,

the United Jewish Communities’ sen-ior vice president for Israel and over-seas affairs, who happened to be inGondar on March 19, the day thecompound was shuttered. “Those whoare interested in impugning the localleadership of the compound are look-ing for any way possible to knockthese guys out.”

Until the compound was reopened,officials from Jewish groups inEthiopia—including the JewishAgency for Israel, which managesimmigration to Israel; the AmericanJewish Joint Distribution Committee,which provides the Falash Mura withmedical care; and the UJC federationumbrella group, which sponsors aidoperations for the Falash Mura—saidthey were monitoring the situationclosely to respond quickly to any devel-oping humanitarian needs.

This was not the first crisis for theGondar facility. Last May the com-pound’s local director, Getu Zemene,was arrested following an internecinedispute over control of the compound,and the facility was shut down for afew days. Zemene was soon releasedand the compound was reopened.

Several weeks ago, however,Ethiopian authorities issued a formalorder to close the Gondar compound,leaving 7,000 Falash Mura without aidservices.

The Falash Mura are Ethiopians ofJewish ancestry whose progenitors con-

verted to Christianity several genera-tions ago to escape economic andsocial pressures. They and their fami-lies now are turning to Judaism in a bidto come to Israel, and they have beenemigrating at a rate of 300 per month.

Since the 1990s, the prospect ofimmigration to Israel has promptedtens of thousands of Ethiopian farmersand craftsmen to leave their rural vil-lages and relocate to Gondar, wherethe Israeli Interior Ministry verifiestheir eligibility for aliyah.

Many of them have found the moveto the city difficult and have availedthemselves of local Jewish aid services.NACOEJ heralds these operations as abulwark against penury and starvation.

Others, however, argue that the aidhas fostered the development of a wel-fare-dependent population, encourag-ing the impoverishing move to the cityand hindering the Falash Mura fromdeveloping independent sources offood and income in Gondar.

While the Israeli government esti-mates that some 7,000 Falash Muraremain in Ethiopia, some advocates ofEthiopian aliyah contend that thenumber is more than twice that.

In the past, locals have tried towrest control of the Gondar compoundthrough allegations of corruption,intimidation and violence, and armedguards had been stationed at some ofthe facilities’ entrances.

Similar problems, along with a dis-pute between local employees andNACOEJ’s directorship, led to the clo-sure of NACOEJ’s Addis Ababa aidcompound. (JTA) ❖


Falash Mura Compound Reopened

B Y M A R T I N A B R A M O W I T Z

Lou Limmer, part of a little-known bitof Jewish baseball trivia, passed awayApril 1 at age 82 in Boca Raton, Florida.The Philadelphia A’s first-basemanappeared in a total of 209 games in 1951and 1954, batting .202 with 19 homers,62 RBIs and three stolen bases.

Notwithstanding those modestnumbers, fans with a particular inter-est in Jews in baseball and the histo-ry of baseball in Philadelphia remem-ber Limmer fondly for four reasons:his membership in a small group ofJewish players whose careers spannedthe years between the HankGreenberg and Sandy Koufax eras;his central role in a “historic baseballencounter”; his place in PhiladelphiaAthletics history; and his unique con-tribution to “the Jewish angle” amongall Jewish players.

Hank Greenberg retired after spend-ing the 1947 season with Pittsburgh,and Sandy Koufax made his “bonusbaby” debut with the Brooklyn Dodgersin the summer of 1955. During theintervening seven seasons, a dozenJewish players played or were called upto the major leagues. In their ranks werethree prominent players, three journey-men and a half-dozen players who cameup from the minors only briefly.

Although the word is often overused,these players formed a kind of commu-nity. In varying and interlocking combi-nations they knew each other, social-ized, played winter ball together and,on at least one occasion, held aPassover Seder together.

The prominent players were NewYork Giants and Boston Braves slugger-

outfielder Sid Gordon; 1951 AmericanLeague ERA-leader Saul Rogovin, and1953 AL MVP Al Rosen, who almostwon the Ttriple Crown.

The journeymen were catcherMyron (later “Joe”) Ginsberg, outfield-er Cal Abrams, and Bronx- born LouieLimmer, who was one of 12 childrenfrom an Orthodox household.

It was Limmer who told the story of

three Jewish players and one Italian-American umpire. It happened May 2,1951, and remains the only knowntime that a Jewish batter faced aJewish pitcher with a Jewish catcherbehind the plate.

In Limmer’s words:“I got along with most of the umpires.

There was this one Joe Paparella—hewas a nice guy. We had a game inDetroit and Saul Rogovin was pitchingand Joe Ginsberg was catching. I cameup to pinch hit.

So Paparella comes from behindhome plate and he dusts it off and hesays. ‘Boy, now I’ve got the three Heebs.I wonder who’s going to win the battle?’and Rogovin throws the first pitch and Ihit it into the stands, and Paparella says,‘I guess you’re the winner, Lou.’

“It so happens I wasn’t the winnerbecause Joe Ginsberg stayed withDetroit, and Saul Rogovin went to theWhite Sox that year and he led theleague in ERA and poor Lou Limmer,he got shipped to the minors.”

Limmer’s minor-league career, bothbefore and after his major-league stint,reads like a railroad signboard: Omaha,Lincoln, Louisville, St. Paul, Buffalo,Toronto, Columbus, Birmingham.Virtually wherever he played, Limmerrecalled, Jews reached out to him—thedairy owner in Lincoln, the car dealersin Omaha and Toronto. He alsorecalled anti-Jewish, anti-Black roadsigns in the South, and hanging outwith Jackie Robinson in Florida inspring training towns where neither ofthem was welcome.

A frequent participant in gatherings

of the Philadelphia A’s HistoricalSociety, Limmer was proud to relatethat, at the end of the 1954 season,just before the A’s moved to KansasCity, he had the last homer and the lastbase-hit in franchise history.

Limmer also was the first Jewishballplayer to serve as president of his syn-agogue, at Castle Hill Jewish CommunityCenter in his native and beloved Bronx.He served a five-year term.

Lou Limmer was a great story-teller,a reminder of a unique between-the-superstars era of Jews in Baseball—and a mensch. (JTA) ❖

Martin Abramowitz produces Jewish baseballcards and lectures on Jews in baseball aspresident of Jewish Major Leaguers, Inc., on theweb at www.jewishmajorleaguers.org. Thisappreciation is based in large measure on aJewish Major Leaguers oral history interview ofLou Limmer conducted in November 2005 byjournalist Marc Katz.


Lou Limmer, 82, MadeJewish Baseball History

Limmer told the story

of three Jewish

players and one

Italian-American

umpire…


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Woodmere/Cedarhurst Oppty!12,000 sq. ft. approx. 90’x150’,Colonial, 17 rooms, bull bsmt. with hiceilings, clean 2 car garage plus stor-age, 6 space parking, 2 family, profes-sional use, accountant, Esq., medicaland/or educational and religious uses.Grand colonial with charm and greatpossibilities. Available at once.$875K. Negotiable. Owner 516-322-3555

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Commercial Building For Sale inLynbrook— 36,000 SF. Office andmanufacturing use. Amazing locationon Broadway. $3,000,000 EquiShares Real Estate516-792-9888

Hewlett — By builder by appoint-ment 354 Felter Avenue. You'll fall inlove with this Hampton style colonial.5 BRs, 3.5 bths, 9' ceilings, largekosher kitchen. Granite tops. NAshuls. All welcome. 516-295-4555

Vacant land for Sale in center ofFrum area in Far Rockaway—over14,000 sq ft. Call 718-858-9805

F.R./ W. Lawrence. Brick c/h colo-nial 4 BR, 2.5 bths, flr with fireplace,den, FDR, sprinkler, alarm, new win-dows. 50x100. ........................$645K718-337-4039

Far Rockaway — 1 bedroom apart-ments. some balconies. NewKitchens, lots of closets, 24 hr door-man, Security cameras. Close toWhite Shul, Shor Yoshuv and [email protected]

Open House Sunday, April 22 11-1343 Hewlett Parkway. Move right in.4 BR, 2.5 bths, hardwood floors, newroof, new security, walk to YIH andYSS. Just reduced $610K.Weisman Realty 516-791-6100 or 516-297-7995

Beautiful co-op 2 bedroom 1.5 bath-room, ocean view, oak floors, 24 hourconcierge, prestigious building.Motivated owner. Call Topper Realty 516-889-6677Ask for Heddy.

Investment property for Sale —4 Family House 242 Beach 13th St.Currently Occupied GovernmentTenants. Next door to what will benext year a renovated YeshivaBuilding. Asking $699K. Please e-mail [email protected] more information.

Cedarhurst house for sale. Locatednear major shuls and walking distanceto town. 5 BR 3.5 bths, finished base-ment, principals only.Call 516-510-7880

If you already have an apt. inYerushalayim, take this opportunity tobuy in the #1 frum community of all:"Lakewood". Prime locations, beau-tiful house, oversized property. For appt. call 732-492-0760

Salesperson needed for women'sboutique. Cheerful, professional, anddetail-oriented. Sales experienceneeded. Full or p/t positions. Formore info call Amy at 516-374-1095.Fax resumes to 516-295-7287.

Office Assistant F/T position avail-able immediately. Queens Location.Excellent phone & computer skills aplus. Fax resume to: 718-997-7029.

Secretary/School, Bnos Bais Yaakovof Far Rockaway, Efficient in organi-zational and office management,updated computer and correspon-dence skills needed. Experience only,Mon-Thurs 11:00 AM-5:00 PM.Fax resume: 718-337-9160 Att:Mrs. Chavie Katz, include references.

Teacher & Assistants — SecularStudies teacher, Special Ed, P/T PM,JHS boys class in 5 Towns. Assistantsneeded P/T AM or PM 'til end ofJune. Also for 2007-08. Fax resume toCAHAL 516-295-2899.

F/T Service Coordinator positionavailable. Queens Location BA inHuman Services or related fieldrequired. LMSW preferred. Hebrew Speaking a Plus. ExcellentBenefits Package. Fax resume to: 718-997-7029.

Teachers needed, grades 5-8.Experienced Morah Ivrit as well asexcellent teachers in all subject areasof both Limudei Kodesh and GeneralStudies for a strong, rapidly growinggirls' school in FR/FT area. Excellentenvironment and opportunity. E-mailresume and references to [email protected].

5 Towns Jan Kalman RealtyOpen Houses, April 22nd

70 Lewis, Atl Bch (1-2:30) Fab New4BR Col............................. $1.59M

42 Carman, Ced (11-1) Newly Renov5BR Col............................... $749K589 W.B'way, Ced (11:30-1:30) BrkCol. Huge prop. ....................$799K557 Central, Ced. Apt. 8A (11:30-1)1st flr. Lg 1BR, Terr............. $210K521 Allen Rd. Saddle Rdg (12:30-2)Excl! Ren 3BR Exp Rnch. .....$649K

516-569-5651Woodmere Grand 14 Rm Tudor. Lgprop. 8BR, 5 fpls, kosher EIK. Qualrenov's in & out.................. $1.15M

Jan Kalman Realty 516-569-5651

Classified Ads are

Continued on the Next Page.


Cdhrst — New ConstructionGrand CH Col. 4br, 3bth incl hugemstr suite, gorgeous EIK, radiant heatcac, walk to all........................$1.2MCall Simmy Cdhrst — Beautiful updated 6 bdrmcolonial walk to all................. $775KN.Wdmre — Walk to YI & Shteibel.Beautifully renovated 4br, 3bthsStucco contemp w/cath. ceilings, 2kosher kitchens, 2 zone cac...$769K

Anessa V Cohen516-569-5007

Newly renovated Beauty Salon look-ing for a manicurist with a follow-ing. Also, space available for a bou-tique. Ask for Anna or Angela 516-374-4400

REAL ESTATEFOR RENT

Lawrence — 2 Br, LR, 1 Bth, all nuapt., own heat. 917-757-9351.

Lawrence — Young 2BR, 2.5 bthTwnhse. w/d. gar...................$2,600Jan Kalman Realty 516-569-5651

Lawrence — Brand new 6 bedroomhouse for Rent in Lawrence -$6,500/month. Call 917-337-0962

Warehouse Space inHewlett/Woodmere — 1150Broadway 5,000-30,000 avail. Willdivide. 516-792-9444EquiShares Real Estate


Cedarhurst — House RentalLR/FDR, den, 3br, 2.5bth, Fin. Bsmt.$2,300. Call 516-322-3555.

Far Rockaway — Apartment avail-able. Brand new construction.Furnished or unfurnished. 3 BR,2bths. Cleaning and laundry servicesavailable. Perfect for the elderly. Call Sherri 516-569-5450.

REAL ESTATEFOR RENT

REAL ESTATEFOR RENT

Bayswater —"Forget Far Rockaway".Move to this cozy Bayswater 1 BRapartment. Furnished or unfurnished,private entrance, washer and dryer.Call 516-374-3635.

Private office space inHewlett/Woodmere — All utilitiesincluded, Conference room, On-siteparking, 24/7 Access. $600 P/M.516-792-9444EquiShares Real Estate

Far Rockaway — Legal 2 Family, 3 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom, Lr, Dr,EIK, laundry room, hardwood floors. Lori & Associates 516-791-8300.

Cedarhurst — House Rental; kit,den, 3br., 2.5 bth. bsmt.$2,5005 Town Homes 516-569-5710

CLASSIFIED ADSContinued from Page 75

Palestinian Prime Minister IsmailHaniyeh of Hamas said that Fatah mil-itant leader Marwan Barghouti appearson the list of prisoners the Palestinianswant freed by Israel in return for therelease of an Israel Defense Forces sol-dier held captive since June. Haniyeh’scomments came after his deputy, Azzamal-Ahmad of Fatah, said earlier thatBarghouti’s name would not be includ-ed on the list presented to Israel.

Israel has said it will not freeBarghouti, who is serving five consec-utive life terms for his role in shootingattacks that killed five people—fourIsraelis and a Greek monk. Hamas,meanwhile, issued a statement toreporters in support of capturing IDFsoldiers in order to use them as bar-gaining chips in negotiating the releaseof Palestinian prisoners. “We believethat kidnapping soldiers and exchang-ing them for prisoners is the best solu-tion for releasing our heroes, after thefailure of all the diplomatic channels.”

Fatah’s armed wing also urged itsmembers Monday to kidnap Israelis toswap them for Palestinians held in Israelijails. Blaming “the Israeli enemy” for thefailure to release prisoners, a statementfaxed to the media issued “an open callfor all our fighters to concentrate on kid-napping Israeli soldiers and civilians.”

Several thousand Palestinians gath-ered outside the Red Cross office in Gaza

to call for the release of Palestinian pris-oners held in Israeli prisons. ThePalestinians’ annual Prisoners Day thisyear falls on Tuesday. The rally came asnegotiations continued for a prisonerswap in return for IDF soldier GiladShalit, who was captured by Hamas-linked militants last June. Shalit’s captorshave demanded the release of hundredsof Palestinians, including prisoners con-victed for the murders of Israelis.Haniyeh assured the crowd that the listof prisoners Hamas is demanding fromIsrael in return for Shalit includes “allour people from all the factions.”

According to recent statistics fromthe human rights group B’Tselem,there are currently 9,250 Palestiniansin Israeli jails. One Gazan at the rallywas Nedal Sarifiti, 52, who said his sonAli is serving a 25-year sentence inIsrael on charges of being a Fatah mil-itant. “I am optimistic that the day offreedom is coming,” Sarifiti said. PrimeMinister Ehud Olmert has expresseddisappointment over names on the list,but has not ruled out a deal. (AP) ❖

Barghouti’s Name Is On ListOf Prisoners In Shalit Swap

Far Rockaway — 2 Huge OfficeSpaces. 6,000 and 2,500 Sq Ft. 2ndFloor. Near Subway & LIRR. Build toSuit. Can Be Divided. Owner 917-359-9776.

Far Rockaway — Lg. Hse Rental:4br, 2bth, bsmt., Hi ceil’g, NU bths,W\D. Call 516-322-3555.

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