VOL 11, NO 31 ■ AUGUST 10, 2012 / 22 AV 5772 WWW.THEJEWISHSTAR.COM

Beloved local educator makes Aliyah Page 3 Bookworm: Rabbi Sacks and the Koren Birkon Page 5Who’s in the kitchen on real sole food Page 7 Joy and introspection at the Siyum HaShas Page 13

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By Eliezer Cohen

A Kiddush Hashem. 93,000 joined from all walks of Jewish life. Men, women, chil-dren. Religious and not yet religious. FFB and BT. Black hat and kippa seruga. Ach-dus permeated the air. Festive, spiritual and humbling. As we move further into Meshecta Brachos, the impact of the 12th Siyum Hashas is still very much in the air and in the hearts of people. Although there were major celebrations around the world, the primary focus was East Rutherford, New Jersey and the gathering of 93,000+ Yidden to celebrate the monumental accomplish-ment of daily study for 2711 days. Organiz-ers’ worst fears, the four letter word RAIN, materialized as dawn broke and heavy thun-derstorms crossed the New York-New Jer-sey metropolitan area. 6:20 AM the skies opened over the stadium. Throughout the morning torrential downpours fl ooded parts of NYC and, unbeknownst to those planning to take buses to MetLife stadium, roads were closed. However, the decision had been made to celebrate on August 1. There was no turning back.

The famous LIRR daf was joined Wednes-day morning by a reporter from National Public Radio to get the feel of learning the Daf before he went to the stadium to observe how the Jews celebrated their “book a month club,” as this NPR reporter elucidated the feel-ing of what daf yomi is. As the day wore on, the interspersed thundershowers turned into a steady rain. Yet the electricity generated by the anticipation of joining over 150,000 fellow Jews across the globe in this mass cel-ebration infused the day with a ray of light, a speck of sunshine that peaked through the mist and clouds. Entering the subway for the trip to Penn station the buzz grew as one witnessed hundreds of other Jews join ranks for the trip to New Jersey. Penn Sta-tion looked like the heart of Yerushalyim with streams of people in defi nitive Jewish dress merging for a similar purpose, to cel-ebrate Limud HaTorah. Thousands took N.J. Transit for the fi nal leg. The trip was smooth and everyone seemed in high spirits as Jews from all corners of the area converged on the stadium. A steady drizzle could not dampen the growing joy and excitement. The Agudah planning committee had prepared pre-siyum

Siyum Refl ections

Continued on page 14

By Malka Eisenberg

In the battle against anti-Israel misinfor-mation, StandWithUs (SWU) is a bulwark, countering the diatribes with positive, edu-cational, factual accounts of Israel’s history. This month, starting August 2nd, SWU placed 75 ads with six variations in Metro-North train stations in New York and Connecticut as a response to a blatantly anti-Israel and factually incorrect advertising campaign.

“We want to respond to negative anti-Isra-el messages with positive pro-Israel messag-es,” said Avi Posnick, New York Regional Co-ordinator for StandWithUs. “We challenge what they said with facts. That is what we will do throughout the country as need be.”

StandWithUs was founded by Roz and Jerry Rothstein, Esther Renzer, and a small group of volunteers in Los Angeles in 2001in response to the murder of Koby Mandell, 13, and Yosef Ishran, 14, by Arab terrorists near

Tekoa in Israel. Rothstein saw this murderand other violence as a product of the Arabs’“hateful training” and “creation of hatred.” They reached out to leaders, clergy and me-dia in the United States and planned rallies, but saw the tide of misinformation on college campuses and the helplessness of students tobolster Israel’s defense and cause.

“For 30 years, we took Israel for granted

By Michael Teplitsky

The excitement of be-ing together with over 93,000 Jews at the sta-dium, rejoicing, singing and dancing in celebra-tion of the completion of the Talmud and immedi-ately starting it all over again to be completed January 4, 2020 (I hope to be there for that cel-ebration as well), is truly impossible to describe in a few words. All I can say is WOW. My son Avi, who accompanied me to the Siyum, had the great-est surprise planned for me. He excused himself and returned, lo and be-hold, with my son Saul, and grandson, Sammy, 5 and a wonderful sign. My grandson Sammy said something that made me stand 10 feet tall. He said, “Zaidy, when I grow up I want to be like you.”

This was the topping on the cake of a wonder-ful experience.

LIer counters anti-Israel rhetoric

Continued on page 14

(l to r ) Michael Teplitsky, of Young Israel of Woodmere, with sons Avi Teplitsky, Saul Teplitsky and grandson Sammy Teplitsky celebrate along with tens of thousands.

For more Siyum coverage see page 13

There probably is no better known state-ment that reveals racism in America than the phrase that begins, “Some of

my best friends are …,” with the blank fi lled in with “Jews,” “blacks,” or some other such qualifi er. It reeks of a closet bigot’s desperate attempt to backpedal on a comment or po-sition regarding the inserted group that ex-

poses him for what he really is. It is so wide-ly known an expression for what it is, that when author Tanner Colby released his new book last month, “Some of My Best Friends Are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America,” readers and reviewers had no problem understanding the main point – that America still struggles with racism, even with an African-American President. Those seven words have become almost iconic in the annals of closet racism, but there is an-other such concept lurking in our language.

It is not a mere phrase, but the actual name of an organization – a nonprofi t, no less, and through its name, its founders re-veal their true intent as much as “some of my best friends” does. The subtly subversive name of the group: Jewish People for the Betterment of Westhampton Beach.

For those who do not know it, Westhamp-ton Beach is a bucolic little village at the

east end of Long Island inhabited now by either long-time residents or wealthier newcomers who have found it to be the summer playground for the elite of New York City. Sixty-eight percent of the people who live there are religious and of those, 76 percent are Catholic, 16 percent are Protestant, and the rest are assorted others, Jews included. So what can a group of Jewish People

for the Betterment of Westhampton Beach do alone that the 92 percent of Christians can-not do with them to “improve” their village? Given the demographics, the mere thought of the organization’s name would almost seem exclusionary and perhaps even a bit sanctimonious.

Yet, as Hamlet said, “there’s the rub.” The founders of Jewish People for the Betterment of Westhampton Beach are actually JPOE (Jewish People Opposed to the Eruv), an or-ganization begun in 2008 for the sole reason of keeping more Orthodox Jews from pitch-ing their tents in the backyards of these virtu-ous people seeking to “better” their own little hamlet. Christians cannot easily oppose the idea of an eruv publicly without appearing anti-Semitic, at the very least, but as “some of my best friends” insinuates, the JPBWB sounds so innocent to the untrained ear.

Anyone who knows what an eruv is — the thin string posted up in areas to turn a “public domain” into a “private” one for the purpose of carrying on the Jewish Sabbath — knows that it really does not look bad, it does not interfere with sightlines, it really does not impact anyone other than those people who believe they need one to legally wheel their baby stroller on the Seventh Day of Creation.

For those who do not know, it is hard to get a grip on the concept. An eruv is a Jew-ish legal loophole used to get around certain Sabbath restrictions against carrying any ob-ject in public spaces (“carrying” being a loose term that also includes pushing a baby car-riage down the street, or having your house key in your pocket). Suffi ce it to say, the only thing that an eruv really does that is “bad” is provide an incentive for observant Jewish families (Orthodox or Conservative; it mat-ters not since both require an eruv) – to live within the eruv’s area. Hence the motivation of the JPBWB to keep Westhampton Beach beautiful.

The JPBWB’s president, Arnold Sheiffer,

claims in a statement to “respect the rights of all Jews, and in fact all people, to worship God and practice their faiths in their own way.” Yet, after explaining that his practice rejects the eruv as a “legal fi ction” that is “inconsistent with the true spiritual obser-vance of the Sabbath under Jewish law,” he pounces on the rights of those Jews who see it differently. He then throws into the mix the number game, claiming that Reform Jews make up approximately 38 percent of the to-tal adult Jews in America, “making [his] by far the largest single Jewish denomination in the United States.” That was telling, because

while he claims to respect others, his “law”is all that counts – or so he seems to imply.

The Jews who want to better Westhamp-ton Beach are petitioning the Long IslandPower Authority not to allow use of its elec-tric poles to string up an eruv. Sheiffer says,“It is impossible to view these actions by LIPA as anything other than active support for theprivate religious mission [of those support-ing the eruv].”

Speaking for all of his members, he says, “[We] do not wish to live in a Village whose

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Opinion

Jewish people for the suppression of other Jewish people

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Shalhevet teacher making Aliyah to reach a higher spiritual plane

Life’s a beach at Young IsraelBy Malka Eisenberg

The Young Israel of Long Beach is encour-aging young families to not only come and visit, but stay, join and live in the vibrant, beach community.

On Shabbat Parshat Re’ay, August 17th-18th, YILB and the community of Long Beach is hosting a Summer Shabbaton. Rabbi Dr. Chaim Wakslak, the Morah D’asrah of YILB, reported a strong response to the campaign. “Twenty-two couples have actually made in-quiries,” he said.

“The Young Israel of Long Beach is mak-ing an attempt to present Long Beach as an option for young couples to move in,” said Rabbi Wakslak. “It’s a wonderful commu-nity that has not been fully actualized as an option. We are running the Shabbaton to introduce people to our community and try-

ing fi rst of all to highlight a lot of what we have and offer any assistance to facilitate the move.”

The Shabbaton will be “relaxing and in-spiring” with “ruach, lectures, learning, and the special atmosphere of this close knit com-munity.” They will provide housing, meals and babysitting.

The modern shul, active for over 50 years, offers men’s and women’s learning, commu-nity facilities and activities. They present shiurim Monday through Thursday evenings and Shabbat afternoon, and other learning opportunities with Rabbi Wakslak and three assistant rabbis.

Long Beach boasts an eruv, a mikvah, a glatt kosher butcher, a kosher bakery and ba-gel store and other local kosher eateries. It is also home to the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach and Mesivta of Long Beach.

Housing is affordable with rental apart-ments of one to three bedrooms ranging in price from $1,600 to $2,100 a month, single family homes ranging from $219,000 to

$500,000. The community is 45 minutesfrom Manhattan by Long Island Railroad andis close to the Five Towns. For more informa-tion and reservations call 1-855-MOV-YILB.

From left, Assistant Rabbi Binyamin Silver; Berel Neumark Dinner Guest ofHonor; Rabbi Chaim Wakslak, Morah D’asrah; Nelson Spiess President; RabbiEphraim Polokoff and Rabbi Chaim Axelrod Assistant Rabbis.

By Malka Eisenberg

On Monday, August 13th, Chana Schwartz will be taking a simultaneous leap into his-tory and into the future, joining with her fam-ily and almost 400 other Jews on a Nefesh B’Nefesh fl ight to become olim chadashim, new immigrants to Israel.

Schwartz will be cheered and hugged by her former students, the graduates of Midreshet Shalhevet, before the fl ight, with the commitment to visit her in her home in Ramat Beit Shemesh when they arrive for their year in Israel, a few days later.

“I feel that I am on the verge of doing some-thing great, larger than life, spiritual, holy, opening a new life,” contemplated Schwartz from her empty Far Rockaway home. She conceded that it is a “major fi nancial under-taking” and that there is a “risk factor, just like other things in life.”

She said that Aliyah was initially “not my thing,” but it was always her husband’s dream. “It felt right then,” she said. “He was the initiator. It wasn’t on my radar screen but it triggered a very positive response.” She said that she went to a Zionist day school--Kush-ner, then called Hebrew Youth Academy. “It was already in my chinuch, in my schooling,” she noted. “It resonated with me.”

There were “a lot of things” that went into the calculations of Aliyah, she explained. “My husband (said) that when he is in Israel he is on a higher spiritual plane, he feels closer to Hashem. Our mission as an oved Hashem (servant of G-d) comes more clear because of the kedusha (holiness) of the land. It’s a high-er mission. It’s more than just joining Israeli culture and giving up the U.S. comforts.” She also pointed out that it’s a “golden opportu-nity” to raise her youngest children there.

Her husband, Rabbi J. Yaacov Schwartz, will be opening a therapy practice attached to their home in Ramat Beit Shemesh. A li-censed master in social work, he has been a therapist for ten years, marriage counseling, couples counseling, and a life coach for men. Prior to that he was a pulpit rabbi in Ohev Shalom in Manhattan for eight years and than Rav of the Young Israel of Oceanside for ten years. A musmach of Rav Pam, zt”l, he had a close relationship with Rav Pam who gave Rabbi Schwartz a bracha (blessing) because of his “gift for connecting with Jews on all lev-els and that he will be successful in kiruv (out-reach).” Aside from the Schwartzs having an open home to visitors, Rabbi Schwartz is plan-ning on opening the fi rst Shuvu shul that will not only be an outreach center for Russians,

as Rav Pam’s Shuvu organization was started for, but will also be for all “seekers of Torah” from unaffi liated or not yet frum to frum for seminars and lectures.

The Schwartzs waited to go on Aliyah till their two older sons graduated from high school and their daughter from elementary school. The two youngest, ages fi ve and six will have an easier time adapting, noted Cha-na. The oldest, 19, will be learning in a ye-shiva in New York this year. “As a parent, it’s diffi cult to leave a kid behind,” she said. She hopes that he will follow.

Chana Schwartz was involved with Chabad and kiruv and ran summer camps in Switzer-land, Russia and did shlichut in Australia. She taught in many different schools and ran a fi t-ness program for women in Far Rockaway for eight years. Mrs. Schwartz returned to teach-ing and taught in HAFTR one year. She taught classes in all grades in Jewish studies for three years and was also Mechanechet in Midreshet Shalhevet. Initially, she will be “a home mom-my doing the mommy thing” since her young-est children will be home from school by 1 or 2 in the afternoon. She is hoping to also concentrate on her singing and composing on an “increased level,” she said, pointing out that she does women’s concerts for Harmony, Chabad, the Amen group, and a fund raiser in Manhattan.

Her impending Aliyah hit home the day the shippers came with seven men to pack up and empty her four-story house into a crate that took up half a block by the curb in front of her house. The shipping crate wasn’t big

enough and another smaller crate completed the package. The crates, sent by boat, will arrive in Israel in two weeks, carrying the Schwartzs’ furniture, 220 volt appliances, a treadmill with a transformer, a piano, and a Sefer Torah for their new shul. “I’m so glad the packing is over,” she sighed. “It’s like la-bor pains. And there is no detail you can over-look. You are uprooting everything. You have to confront everything.”

Over 30,000 Jews have made Aliyah through Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) since its founding in 2002, with a 97% retention rate. Rabbi Yehoshua Fass started the organization in response to the murder of his fi rst cousin in a terrorist attack in 2001. The name, a soul for a soul, was chosen to memorialize his cousin’s death and build from it. As executive Director and with chairman Tony Gelbart, a congregant and friend, the stated mission is to “revitalize Aliyah and substantially increase the number of olim from North America by removing the fi nancial, professional and logis-tical obstacles that prevent many individuals from actualizing their dreams.” They suc-ceed by providing “comprehensive support for Olim by directly interfacing with them, both in the pre-Aliyah and post-Aliyah stages” and offering “fi nancial assistance, employment re-sources, social services and guidance through governmental absorption.”

A small ceremony at JFK will send off the olim, explained Yael Katzman, director of mar-keting and communications for NBN, and they will be greeted in Israel at the old terminal by 1,000 friends and family members with fan-

fare, music and emotion and a welcoming cer-emony with the Prime Minister and other dig-nitaries. Most of the paper work has alreadybeen processed but the last bit will be donein fl ight and the olim will receive their citi-zen cards at Ben-Gurion airport. This fl ight’spassengers hail from 32 states and are settlingall over Israel with 127 planning on enlistingin the IDF. Overall, planning took anywherefrom a year and a half to ten years and 2500olim will be coming over this summer.

Celebrity kosher Chef Jamie Geller will alsobe on this fl ight and she is documenting allstages of her Aliyah process on NBN’s website.

“I have been realizing that what we’re do-ing is not such a popular thing,” Chana consid-ered. “It’s novel, ‘wow’ it’s not like a lot havedone this, but people have the right reaction,they say they are jealous, that they wish theycould do that and marvel at the step we aretaking and think if we can do it they can do it.The community talks of Aliyah but there is notenough of it going on. It’s sad. For the mostpart, it’s fi nancial or they have elderly parents.

“I hope in the near future it’s not a novelty.With technology it’s a lot easier but it’s not thesame. Now you can count on one hand thosewho have gone. We can be an inspiration toothers. It shouldn’t be such a shock; it shouldbe familiar. People are getting too comfort-able here in America, they have to step out oftheir comfort zone to make Aliyah. It’s bitter-sweet, leaving family, dear friends and neigh-bors; I’m holding back emotionally; we haveto be strong to take that step.”

For more information go to nbn.org.il.

A Nefesh B”Nefesh charter Aliyah fl ight last summer with a large group of young professionals and singles. FoundersTony Gelbart (left) and Rabbi Yehoshua Fass (fourth from left) joined the group, organized with Israel’s Ministry of Im-migrant Absorption and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

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Opinion

In an interview with the Huffi ngton Post last week, Reid cites an anonymous Bain investor to report that Mitt Romney hasn’t paid any taxes for the

past ten years. What PROOF? (Is proof important?) The next day Reid doubled down, repeating the

charge to Nevada papers and on the fl oor of the Sen-ate.

“I am not basing this on some fi gment of my imag-ination,” Reid told Nevada reporters. “I have had a number of people tell me that.” But he would not ex-pand on his sources. “I don’t think the burden should be on me,” he said. “The burden should be on him. He’s the one I’ve alleged has not paid any taxes.”

And on the Senate fl oor that same day, Reid said, “The word is out he hasn’t paid taxes for 10 years.”

That’s a pretty stiff charge for a man like Senator Reid who has not released his tax returns for the past three years while Romney has released all of his fi -nancial disclosures and his 2010 returns. He plans to release 2011 as soon as they are done.

At fi rst the Democrats were all over this; it fi t into the Obama strategy of talk about anything but his record as President. But in the days since the ridiculous charge was made, little by little

Democrats have been trying to move away from the majority leader.

On Sunday’s Face the Nation, host and liberal apologist Bob Schieffer went on the attack as he in-terviewed former Ohio governor and Obama mouth-piece Ted Strickland and compared Harry Reid’s tac-tics to Joe McCarthy:

BOB SCHIEFFER: Let me go to you, Governor Strickland. You have been pounding Mitt Romney for not releasing his tax returns, and you have repeated what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has been saying that Mitt Romney may have paid no taxes in all of, in some of those years. You know, this morning Reince Priebus who’s the chairman of the Republican Party, said I think over on Fox, that, that Harry Reid is a dirty liar. And I have to say, he has shown noth-ing, no evidence to substantiate that charge. He just says he heard it from somebody. Do you have any proof that Mitt Romney paid no taxes in some years?

TED STRICKLAND: No, but Mr. Romney could give us the proof that he has paid taxes consistently. The fact is, Bob, Mitt Romney wants the American people to trust him with the Presidency, but he won’t trust us with his tax returns. All he has to do is release his tax returns. The question that I think is this: why is Mitt Romney refusing to give us his tax returns?

SCHIEFFER: Well, you know, I take your point, Governor, but isn’t this kind of like Joe McCarthy

back in the era when he said, “I have here in my hand the names of 400 people in the State Department who are communist?” It turned out he didn’t and he was saying the way to prove that they’re not is for them to come forward here. I mean, asking some-body to come forward to, to just because there’s been an unsubstantiated charge, that’s a little thin to me.

Liberal Washington Post Columnist Richard Cohen called Reid’s charges gutter politics and wrote:

In “The Godfather Part II,” a senator from Ne-vada is portrayed as corrupt. His name is Pat Geary. In real life, a senator from Nevada is a jerk. His name is Harry Reid.

Reid is where he loves to be: the center of con-troversy. He has accused Mitt Romney of paying no taxes for 10 years. Romney denies the accusation and challenged Reid to put up or shut up. In an apparent response, Reid repeated the charges on the Senate fl oor. Countless aides have echoed their boss. They and he attribute their information to a source they will not name.

Whether such a source exists, really, is beside the point. It could be that someone did indeed tell Reid that Romney paid no taxes for 10 years. Journal-ists get that sort of tip all the time, and their responsi-bility is (1) to check it out and (2) identify the source. Reid has not done the latter and apparently has not done the former, either. The truth is that Reid doesn’t really care if the charge is true or not. He would pre-fer the former, but he’ll settle for the latter.

Perhaps the biggest and at the same time the most subtle slam came from the White House, which on Monday announced they would leave poor Harry dangling.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Monday that Reid (D-Nev.) “speaks for himself” and had spoken on the issue without any guidance from Team Obama.

“He certainly speaks for himself,” Carney said, adding that Obama hasn’t expressed an opinion on Reid’s recent comments.

But Carney said Reid’s comments speak to a “broader question” about the President’s views on in-come taxes, saying that a “tradition” which “has been in place since 1968 of candidates for the President releasing multiple years of their tax returns is an im-portant one.”

Allow us to examine that tradition. Mitt’s dad re-leased 12 years of taxes, so did Bill Clinton; Ronald Reagan released one year in 1980 when he ran, John McCain two years in 2008. John Kerry released 20 years, but that did not include that of his wife whose wealth accounted for the vast majority of the house-hold income. In 2000, Bush provided nine years and Al Gore eight. In the 2008 primary, then Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., delivered seven, a move that was matched by Hillary Clinton about a month later. In 1988, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis re-leased six years of returns.

Letters to the editor

Photo opTo the Editor:Orthodox Rabbis in the Five

Towns urge their followers to can-cel subscriptions to The New York Times. In the opinion of these Jew-ish leaders, The Times, in an effort to promote its liberal agenda, edi-torializes, rather than reports, the news. This practice of literally color-ing the news in an effort to promote its agenda now seems to resonate with The Five Towns Jewish Times as well.

In its July 27, 2012 edition, The 5TJT ran a cover page story prais-ing the work being done by Ameri-can students in Israel volunteering at Camp Koby. The story featured a photograph of twelve teens from the Five Towns who were honored by the Knesset. The picture appears again, accompanied by a full story, on page 72 of the same issue.

In its July 26, 2012 publication, The Jewish Star ran the same story, accompanied by the same photo - with one major difference. The photographs were markedly differ-ent. Whereas the Jewish Star ran the authentic photo, The Five Towns Jewish Times - in an apparent effort to promote tzniut - photoshopped the picture prior to publication. In a simple act of lengthening the sleeves and lowering the hemlines without noting the change, the editor of The 5TJT evidenced that he could no longer be trusted to report the news without a certain bias.

The concern here is not about knees or elbows. Despite how they dress, those students are worthy of praise by virtue of the work they are doing. The issue is journalistic in-tegrity. Our Orthodox leaders stress that revisionism and misrepresenta-tion of the facts are no friend to the Jewish People. If the editor of the 5TJT found the photo offensive, he had the option not to run the story, or at the very least, he could have omitted the photo. By electing to run the story while concurrently doctor-ing the photograph, the editor vio-lated the confi dence given him by his readers. Shame.

It is refreshing to know that The Jewish Star is the one local Jewish publication that adheres to the truth.

Raphael FinkWoodmere

Kitchen complimentsTo the Editor:I am writing this letter in response

to the article written by Judy Joszef last week... I spent almost every yearof life in the Catskills, either work-ing in camp, hotels (Like the Pinev-iew, Lakehouse or the Homowack) Woodbourne or in Vacation Village. Yet, NOTHING ever compared to Grossingers! The Big G! ...But work-ing there, that was amazing in itself.I was a lifeguard there and worked with Lou Goldstein (Mr. Simon Says)working the shows and bartend-ing. I remember every July 4th and Shabbos Nachamu everyone wouldleave me messages saying they aremy cousin or relative to get the go ahead to pass the guard and enter on that incredible night! As Judy men-tioned, the food, the social scene, and all the activities ..we never real-ized how lucky we had it and I reallythink it is great to read about others that had some incredible times there as well. It is really unfortunate that the youth/teens of today never really experienced how great it was to be at HOJO’s at 3 a.m. where 80% of the store was frum, hanging out and eating ice cream. This letter brought back some great times ...weeknights going to the racetrack for an eveningactivity to see all your friends whowould show up (without their I-Phones, just yarn to crochet the kip-pot and a walkman) and of course on many other nights, it would not be complete without The Lucky Dip! I guess that generation that we grew up with can’t put a price on our past,

Just remember..you only liveonce and those great days of theMountains are in my mind forever, thanks for sharing....

Gary WeissWoodmere

Kudos

To the Editor:FYI, I enjoy reading your articles.

Keep up the great job that you are doing. On Thursdays I look forward to your publication. I wish that you, (Karen), as Publisher and Editor would have the capability to write more articles. Congratulations toyou and your staff.

Salomon Cohen

Brooklyn

THE JEWISH STARIndependent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island and New York City

All opinions expressed are solely those of The Jewish Star’s editorial staff or contributing writers Publisher and Editor Karen C. Green Assistant Editor Malka Eisenberg Account Executives Helene Parsons Charles Slamowitz Contributors Miriam Bradman Abrahams Rabbi Avi Billet Eliezer Cohen Jeff Dunetz Juda Engelmayer Rabbi Binny Freedman Alan Jay Gerber Rabbi Noam Himelstein Judy Joszef Sergey Kadinsky Jeff Ratz Editorial Designers Kristen Edelman Alyson Goodman Photo Editor Christina Daly

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POLITICO TO GO

Jeff Dunetz

Democrats are telling Harry Reid to please shut up So what is the verdict? Well, there is no standard. In fact, it seems as if the majority of candidates release fewer than ten years worth of re-turns.

The tax return issue is an impor-tant one for the Obama reelection effort as it diverts attention away from Obama’s record as President. Remember, in his last run for the job in 2008, Obama’s opponent also released the previous two years’ re-

turns, but it was okay then because the Democrat didn’t have a record to avoid.

It seems that this issue is now getting too silly even for the Obama campaign. By backing away from Harry Reid, they are signaling that it is time for him to move on to another slander against the GOP candidate, and as a loyal attack dog he will be sure to obey.

According to the teachings of Rav Kook, while most bless-ings are of rabbinic origin, one of the most popular ones is to be found in this week’s parsha, Eikev, the Grace After Meals - Birkat HaMazon.

This mitzvah comes from the verse, “When you eat and are satisfi ed, you must bless the L-rd your G-d…” [Devarim 8:10; Ein Eyah vol.1, page 103].

This blessing is further described by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin in his teachings as the “Mother of all blessings” inasmuch as

it is in reality a grouping of various the-matic blessings that are said after the performance of the eating act.

Inasmuch as everyone has to eat, it should come as no surprise that one of the most popular liturgical works of our faith is the bencher, the booklet con-taining the Birkat HaMazon and related liturgical works, specifi cally designed in format and size to be used at the din-ner table. Whether it be at home, or at a festive occasion, the bencher is ever present for the convenience of those who had partaken of a meal with bread.

This popularity has, as a result, gen-erated a plethora of benchers refl ecting

varied asthetic and ideological tastes.Among some of the most recently published benchers is

“The Koren Birkon” with an introduction and translation by British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

In his learned introduction, Rabbi Sacks teaches us that we should learn from the benching experience and Moshe’s command that, “the great danger to the soul is not pover-

ty but affl uence, not persecution but freedom. When Jews are poor, they thanked G-d. When they become rich, they stopped doing so. When Jews were persecuted, they stayed Jews. When they found freedom, they lost their identity. Moshe warned the Israelites that it was not the wilderness years that were the trial of faith. It would be having a land, a home, security and ease.” Rabbi Sacks then links this rather severe observation to a brief but telling analysis of the rel-evant verses mandating the Birkat HaMazon.

According to Rabbi Sacks, “Moshe sets out the point in two passages, both of which contain the phrase, ‘eat and be satisfi ed.’

“The fi rst: ‘When the L-rd your G-d brings you into the land He promised to your fathers… with large fl ourishing cit-ies you did not build, houses full of all good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – then when you eat and are satis-fi ed, be careful not to forget the L-rd who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.’ [Devarim 6:10-12].

“The second: ‘When you have eaten and are satisfi ed, bless the L-rd your G-d for the good land He has given you.’

“That is the choice: to eat and forget, or to eat and re-member. Giving thanks is what saves us from the decadence of affl uence.”

Although this work does not contain a detailed commen-tary, it is designed for practical use at the table, for Shabbat, festivals as well as for weekdays. Its layout, using the classic Koren Hebrew typeset makes it, text wise, one of the most attractive benchers on the market today.

Till next week, then, hearty appetite, and don’t forget to bench.

Alan Jay Gerber

The Kosher Bookworm

Benching with grace

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Hebrew only please!

How can the Jewish people be comforted after the destruction? The Temple hasn`t yet been rebuilt! And why should our genera-tion merit this any more than previous generations?! The Sfat Emet suggested that it`s not the merits of any particular generation that count; rather the accumulated merits of all generations continu-ously add up ... This truly is comforting, especially as we hear daily about Syria, Iran, internal divisions within Israel ... we really are moving forward, day by day!

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts!

Rabbi Noam Himelstein studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion and served in the Tanks Corps of theIDF. He has taught in yeshiva high schools, post-high school women’s seminaries, and headed the Torah MiTzion Kollel in Melbourne, Australia. He currently teaches at Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusa-lem, and lives with his wife and six children in Neve Daniel, Gush Etzion.

By Rabbi Noam Himelstein

A t our house, the summer thus far has revolved around packing and unpack-ing. Our suitcases and duffel bags are

dug out of the basement and then hidden away again. They have been used and abused and look it. Our sons have come and gone and returned, collectively, from an apart-ment in Brooklyn and from a dorm at uni-versity to home, to camp, to Greece, to home, to school, back to the borough of Kings and soon back home again. This may sound con-fusing, but it makes perfect sense to me, since as the mom of our family I keep fi ve persons’ schedules in my head at all times. I write down the details in my pocket calendar, but that’s just a reminder of the various comings and goings.

This week, three of us are getting ready to fl y out to a family bar mitzvah in Austin. Yes, in Texas, and yes in August. I was a bit nervous about dealing with the heat there, but honestly it’s been pretty darn hot right here in New York. In-stead I’m focusing on the task of packing for a long weekend. In re-cent years, I’ve decided I don’t want to waste time checking in lug-gage and waiting for it to appear, or not. It’s

always the last one out on the conveyor belt at our destination. For shorter trips, I’ve chal-lenged (forced) my family to minimize what we take to carry on size.

Packing for a drive to camp or college or a fl ight for a year in Israel is one thing; we take the largest luggage allowed and fi ll them up with assorted clothes and toiletries for every possible occasion and eventuality. Packing for a weekend or week long jaunt is quite an-other thing; we squeeze in only the bare es-sentials, taking along those tiny three ounce containers of liquids and gels and curtailing the shoe count.

It takes a lot more effort to pack less than more. I have been known to sit on my small suitcase to make the zipper close and worry that I’ll be singled out during boarding to check in a bulging carry on. I weigh and re-weigh the bags to make sure they’re within the limit. Despite that, I see it as a fun puzzle to solve. This is one of the rare instances in which I actually live “less is more” and fi nd it quite liberating. I love not having to fear

that my belongings are lost. I feel a little bit smug walking off the

plane and right onto the taxi

line. I fi nd pleasure in realizing how little I really need and notice that I don’t miss much of what I’ve left behind. If I’m really missing something I can replace it at my destination. I have discovered that even with the smallest suitcase I may come home with something extra I didn’t use.

Of course, this light and easy travel is quite the opposite of what we did for so many years. It’s easy to be self righteous now, but for a dozen years or so, we couldn’t fi t our stuff into a normal size cab, needing to re-serve a minivan. Relatives awaiting us at our destination were appalled to have to fetch us in two cars. We were the ugly Americans, traveling heavy - lugging car seats, strollers, port-a-cribs, packaged foods, extra changes of clothes and hostess gifts. We schlepped stuffed animals, Legos, Game boys and snacks. I carried a diaper bag that weighed me down into a hunchback. It’s no wonder I now wear only the tiniest of handbags.

Now let’s discuss unpacking. There are two schools of thought. Some (like my hus-band) relish unpacking every single item out of the suitcase into hotel drawers and the closet, making himself feel at home, even for an overnight stay. Others, (including myself) can live right out of the luggage, even for a couple of weeks. I don’t like to spread out into alien surroundings, and confi ne myself and my stuff to a small radius, continuing with the theme of minimizing, or perhaps a way of controlling my unfamiliar, temporary environment.

As we back out of the driveway and get on our way to begin any trip, I anxiously quiz each traveler, “do you have your ticket, your id, your wallet?” What do we really need to bring on a voyage? Passport, cash, appropri-ate clothing, comfortable shoes, toothbrush, glasses and medications are essential. A great book, notepad and a pen are important, too. Someone you love with whom you can share your journey is extra special. An open mind, sense of adventure, positive attitude, sense of humor, and being in the moment are vital ingredients. At the end of the trip, what will really matter is not what you brought with you, but what you took away from the ex-perience.

Wherever you’re headed - whether for a day at the beach or an end of summer get-away, whoever you’re going with – just one partner or an entire gang, however you pack – traveling light or weighing yourself down, I wish you nesiya tova, happy travels!

Miriam Bradman Abrahams is Cuban born, Brooklyn bred and lives in Woodmere. She organizes author events for Hadassah, re-views books for Jewish Book World a n d is very slowly writing her father’s immigration story. She can be contacted at mabraha1@op-tonline.net

MIRIAM’S MUSINGS

Miriam Bradman Abrahams

Taking fl ight, packing light

There are no records dating back to the time of the invention of the shoe. There are just assumptions based on primitive

cave paintings. But you can be sure a lot has changed since then. Today the average woman owns 19 pairs of shoes and the average man, 7. Women have different shoes, for different outfi ts, different activities, and even different moods. Gone are the days when shoes were worn as necessities. Men can’t seem to under-

stand why women need such a variety of shoes. Some psychologists say men seek variety while women seek stability; maybe women are just trying to balance that out with shoes. And men, it’s a lot cheaper than sports cars, expen-sive wine and season tickets to the Mets and Yankees. Most popu-lar among all women’s shoes are the high heels.

The 1500s brought about the invention of high heels, which is at-tributed to Catherine de Medici. On her wed-ding day to Henry II, she wore two inch heels to appear taller, as she was barely fi ve feet tall. By 1580, fashionable heels were popular for both sexes, and a person who had authority or wealth was often referred to as “well-heeled.”

In the 1600s The English Parliament pun-ished women who used high heels to seduce men into marrying them.

In the 1700s King Louis XIV wore fi ve inch

heels decorated with battle scenes. It became known as the Louis Heel and was popular with women as well as men.

1902 brought the British ladies’ pump to America and the rest is history.

There are many pros and cons of wearing heels. My favorite pro is that feeling of ecstasy I feel when I remove them after a long night out wearing them! Really, I don’t care what anyone says, they are not comfortable. I’ll give you bearable, but comfortable? No! I got into the habit of wearing fl ats and changing right before I reach my destination. Of course there was the time that I brought one shoe instead of two, to a wedding, but that’s a whole differ-ent article.

Many women do master the art of wearing heels and some even make it look simple. Hey, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, backwards and on high heels – Faith Whittle-sey. And let’s not forget the iconic Barbie. Since 1959 her foot has been permanently molded to fi t into those pink plastic stilettos. Although I’m guessing she had to take them off every now and then since she’s had over 110 career changes since 1959. Her career has taken her from the classroom to the boardroom to outer space. Even Barbie would have had trouble wearing heels in a space shuttle!

For those of you who’d rather wear fl ats, but enjoy high heels, sink your teeth into this stiletto.

Prepare your favorite cupcake/chocolate cake or brownie recipe and pour it into the zebra cupcake holders. For those who would like, you can email me and I’ll send you my favorite recipe.

DECORATING INGREDIENTS■ Betty Crocker cookie icing in a tube, 1 tube of red and 1 of white.■ Lieber’s graham crackers■ (Twizzlers pull and peel cherry fl avor (you won’t need more than 3 individual strands of one bunch)■ Pirouline artisan rolled wafers (any fl avors)■ Wilton red chocolate melting wafers (Mi-chael’s)■ Lieber’s sugar crystals in red■ Cupcake holders in zebra print (Michael’s)■ Small amount of black tulle (sold at Mi-chael’s, in a spool, under $3.00)

Make the cupcakes a day ahead, so they won’t be too delicate to work with.

For the soles, place a graham cracker on a fl at surface. Using a small knife, cut the gra-ham cracker in half crosswise. Remove a cor-ner, angled to 3/4 inch, on both sides of each cracker half to make the tapered sole. Cut the wafers to the desirable heel height. Place the “soles” on waxed paper and pipe the white cookie icing to cover entire front of cracker. Allow to dry thoroughly, about half an hour.

While they are drying pipe the red icing overthe wafer and smooth it all over so the “heel”is covered in the icing. Gently roll the waferin the red sugar crystals and lay down to dry.After a few minutes, you can roll the waferbetween your palms to make sure it’s even allaround. Keeping the cupcake in its zebra hold-er, slice a third of the way down the cupcake,a quarter from the edge. Next apply the redcookie icing making sure to cover the entiretop of the cupcake as well as what ever is ex-posed over the rim of the holder. Sprinkle thered crystals to cover all the icing, and let dry.At this point the white icing on the sole shouldbe dry. Gently turn it over and apply the redicing to the back. (Try not to let Mr. Loubou-tin know, he’s not happy when people copy histrademark red soles). While they are drying,take a string of the Twizzlers and cut them intopieces long enough so that you can tie a bow.Attach it to the top of the sole. If the icing isdry add a drop more. Take a piece of the blacktulle, about an inch long, and pinch the middlewith a small piece of the Twizzler and attachwith a bit of red icing to the tip of the shoe top.

When everything is dry, add a bit of meltedred chocolate to the bottom of the wafer heeland attach it to the plate that the “shoe” will beserved on. Add a little more icing to the top ofthe heel as well. Next apply a little more whiteicing to the wide end of the sole and slide itinto the slot you made in the cupcake. lift thecupcake with the sole and lean the sole on thetop of the wafer heel so that it will stick. If youcan still see some of the chocolate cup cakewhere the sole meets the cupcake fi ll it in withsome more white icing. Let dry completely.

It’s a lot less complicated than it looks andit will really wow your guests.

You think the old woman who lived in ashoe chose a stiletto? Just wondering…..

Judy Joszef can be reached at judy.soiree@gmail.com

Who’s in the kitchen

Head over heels for stiletto cupcakes

Judy Joszef

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We log over 6,000 miles in the air each year.Without ever leaving Long Island.Most of us don’t have to think about how electricity gets to our homes or businesses,

because at LIPA, that’s what we think and care about 24/7. That’s why you see LIPA

line crews out in the field every day testing and strengthening power lines, trimming

trees and inspecting every mile of our 6,000 miles of transmission lines. So on the

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Kulanu’s night at the beachSunny Atlantic Beach Club was the setting

on Tuesday night for a gala event which was hosted by Kulanu’s Young Leaderhip Division.

All in attendance enjoyed music by Azamra DJ, a BBQ, drinks and music at the ocean. Some guests won fabulous raffl e prizes!

Andrew J. Parise Park in The Village of Cedarhurst is always the place to be on Tues-day nights for the fabulous concerts. This past Tuesday night was especially well at-

tended as concert go-ers enjoyed the sounds of Jewish music sensation Shlomie Dachs. Kids were treated to the magic of Amore in a preconcert show.

If it’s Tuesday night, it must be Cedarhurst Park!!!

(L to R) Michael Todfeld, Lisa Todfeld, Naomi Levinson and Steve Levinson enjoya lovely summer evening at Sunny Atlantic.

Mitchell Greebel addressed the crowd .” The Youth Leadership division is the future of Kulanu.”

(L to R) Jonathan Glaubach, Karen Appel, Sharona Hoffman, Event Chairwomen,Lauren Myer, and past president Geoffrey Miller had a great time !

Mayor Andrew J. Parise and Senator Dean Skelos enjoy the evening.

Lawrence School Bd trustee, Dr. David J. Sussman,(r) and Mr. Leibel Zisman.

Musical sensation Shlomie Dachs wowsthe exuberant crowd.

Lawrence School Board Trustee Uri Kaufman, Avi Fertig, Izzy Wasser and Dan Plaut enjoy the music of Shlomie Dachs at Andrew Parise Park in Cedarhurst.

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T he fi rst chapter and a half that begins Parshat Eikev contains what we might describe as the opposite formula of the

“Tokhachot/Rebukes” that appear in Bechu-kotai and Ki Tavo. In those cases, an ideal is put forth, which is subsequently dwarfed by the enormity of the rebuke which follows it. In our parsha, the ideal eclipses the pos-sible bad.

The parsha begins (7:12) with the words “V’haya Eikev Tish’m’oon” – On ac-count of your listen-ing and observing the following laws… G-d will love you, will heal you of your illnesses, will give you bravery unmatched, will cause your enemies to fl ee from before you, etc. All you have to do is rid yourselves of their idols.

The emphasis on avoiding the wor-

shipped images of silver and gold is so strong that other terms are introduced (7:25-26) to bring the point home: To’evah – serving these items is an abomination; Cherem – en-emies’ belongings are taboo and may not be used; Sheketz – having these items is offen-sive; Mokesh – taking the idols will ensnare or trap you into becoming more curious about them.

“Mokesh” contains a rare root form (in the Torah) which appears one other time here (7:16 as “Mokesh” and in 7:25 as “Ti-vakesh”), in Shmot 10:7 (in a different con-text) as well as in Shmot 34:12 and Shmot 23:33 (similar contexts to here), the latter example ending a description of what the conquest of the land will look like. Much of what is mentioned there is echoed here, with a few slight differences.

Back in our parsha, Moshe continues painting an idyllic scene when we expect to hear the bad that could come from turning away from G-d.

“Guard yourself, lest you forget G-d and are not observant of His laws. Maybe you’ll… build nice homes... have cattle, sheep, silver and gold aplenty. You will be-come haughty and forget G-d, Who took you out of Egypt… You will say, ‘My strength and fortitude made all this happen.’ Be sure to remember G-d, because He is the One Who has given you the ability to be success-ful.” (8:11-18)

The concern is that amidst all the good you have you’ll forget G-d. Therefore, don’t forget G-d. Fair enough.

Moshe continues however, with the consequence of forgetting G-d. “If you for-get G-d and start worshipping other gods, you will be lost or destroyed. Just like the nations who are being removed from be-fore you, so will be your lot – ‘Eikev,’ (on account of) your not listening to G-d.” The word Eikev closes the unit with a nice book-

end paralleling the way the parsha began. In context, it highlights how abandoning G-d for the snare of idolatrous worship and how losing all, due to misplaced apprecia-tion, becomes the theme of this chapter and a half. A President said, “You didn’t build that.” But the Torah argues that G-d (not Government) had a lot to do with your suc-cess.

The Or HaChaim focuses on the double language of “Avod Tovedun,” and says there are two stages of what can happen: becom-ing lost, then being destroyed. [The root alef-vet-dalet can mean either one.]

As I believe “destruction” is ultimately G-d’s choice, I also believe it is truly in our power to do more to avoid becoming lost.

ast week’s Siyum HaShas of Daf Yomi was a fantastic spectacle of what Kavod HaTorah should and could look like. It wasn’t perfect – what is? – but if 90,000 Jews of many dif-ferent spectrums of Orthodoxy can gather together in one place (not to mention other large gatherings elsewhere in the US and Israel) to celebrate Torah learning, there is hope for us to not get lost.

But the concern over the success of Jewish education, which is a challenge ad-dressed regularly in schools, online discus-sion boards, synagogue meetings, the blogo-sphere or the Jewish Press, is the biggest litmus test which will determine whether we, as the Or HaChaim puts it (in remov-ing a punctuation mark), “will be lost just like the nations.” This is not to suggest that

the nations of the world are “lost.” But thenations of the world do not have the Torah –certainly not in the way we have the Torah.

If we are to succeed as Jews “Eikev” (onaccount of) our remembering G-d and heed-ing His bidding, a real overhaul is needed inJewish education. Schools could always useimprovement. But the overhaul that is need-ed is in the homes, where children mustbe taught over and over, “What we have isa gift of G-d.” And where parents literallylearn Torah with their children.

Consigning all our children’s Torahlearning to other people is a recipe for say-ing, “Of all the things we do as a family–learning Torah is not one of them.” Withthat kind of attitude, we will be lost “like thenations” who don’t value Torah in their ownhomes. Making TVs, computers, mobile de-vices and similar technology into the itemswe utilize the most in our homes – unlessthey are used regularly for maintaining theG-d-focus – is the modern-day challenge ofavoiding the “Mokesh” (the snare and trap)that helps us get lost.

It doesn’t have to be Daf Yomi, Gemara,or even something in the Hebrew language- though that is, of course, ideal. But a textshould be picked and studied – not just read– and discussed on a regular basis. This willnot only enhance parent/child relation-ships, but will also make absolutely clearwhat our values are, and will helpfully as-sure we don’t get lost along the way.

Parshat Eikev

Avoiding getting lost: A modest proposal for education overhaul

Rabbi Avi Billet

This week’s article is dedicated to the memory of our cousin Daniel Gomez (son of Patrick and Miriam) H”YD, a

true embodiment of the partnership we are challenged in trying to make this a better world. Captain Daniel Gomez, an Israeli Air Force helicopter pilot, was shot down over

Lebanon while on a mission to aid his com-rades, on the 19th day of the month of Men-achem Av, during the second Lebanon war. May this Torah be an elevation for his soul, and some measure of comfort to his family.

What motivates some people to do more than just appre-ciate the blessings they have in their lives; and to actually be a vehicle for blessing?

This week’s portion, Ekev, contains one of the pivotal verses of the entire Torah re-

garding the concept of blessings:“Ve’achalta’ ve’sava’ta’ u’verachta’ et

Hashem Elokecha al ha’aretz hatovah asher natan lach.”“And (when) you shall eat and be sat-

isfi ed and bless G-d your G-d for the good land which He has given you.” (Devarim (Deuteronomy) 8:10)

This verse is actually the biblical basis for the Grace after Meals (known as the Birkat hamazon: the four blessings we say after a meal which includes a satisfying helping of bread) and begs a number of questions.

First of all, how does one bless G-d? Thanking G-d is one thing; after all, it makes sense to be appreciative of all the gifts we are blessed with and the value of being thankful for it all, especially to the source of all good in this world. But what does it mean to bless G-d? Why would G-d need our blessings, much less demand them? In fact, what exactly is a blessing?

I recall once, at a Friday night dinner, meeting a fellow who seemed quite promi-nent in his synagogue, and who had spon-sored the evening in memory of his son who had passed away in a tragic car accident. At the end of dinner, thinking it would be appropriate, I asked him if he would honor us by leading the blessings after the meals but he politely declined, saying “I don’t do that!”

Given that he appeared quite knowledge-able in Judaism and seemed familiar and even comfortable with Jewish tradition, I was somewhat surprised by his comment and later found the opportunity to ask him what he meant.

“I used to buy it all; the whole nine yards,” he explained to me.

“And I still think Judaism is an incred-ible system with a magnifi cent community structure. I grew up religious and have nev-er driven on Shabbat nor knowingly placed non-kosher food in my mouth, and I never will. I even believe in G-d; who else could be the reason we are all here?’

“But after He took my son, I’ll be damned if I’m ever going to bless Him again!”

While at the time, due to the circum-stances, I wasn’t able to have the long dis-cussion such a comment almost demands (and of course, far be it from me to have the

arrogance to judge such a person, given the pain he had obviously been and continued to be going through…) I did manage to ask him what he thought blessings were. After all, if you decide you are not going to bless, you must have a working defi nition of what a blessing really is, right?

Fascinatingly, he had never really thought about it, but upon refl ection real-ized he considered it to be a form of thanks-giving and recognition (and he felt himself unable to be fully thankful to a G-d whom he perceived to have taken his son).

And yet, blessings are not really about saying thank you. The Hebrew word for ‘thanks’ is todah, which is very different from the Hebrew word for blessing, which is ‘bracha.’

In fact, thanksgiving is an entirely dif-ferent topic, and we do in fact have many blessings that are about thanksgiving, such as the ‘Modim’ prayer (in the silent Amidah) and the ‘Nodeh Lecha’ blessing after meals.

So what is the meaning of the word ‘bra-chah’ (blessing)?

When Hashem (G-d) blesses Avraham, the verse in Genesis says:

“Va’Hashem Beirach et Avraham Bakol.” “And G-d blessed Avraham with every-

thing.” And the commentaries there suggest that

Hashem actually blessed Avraham by in-creasing his wealth as well as his progeny. Rav Soleveitchick suggests that this is in-deed the true nature of the word ‘bracha’: to increase.

To be blessed means that something is increased, whether it is the joy in your life, your sense of fulfi llment or even hav-ing more children. In fact when you bless

someone that their business should be suc-cessful, you are really hoping they will earnmore money.

So how do we bless Hashem, and whydoes Hashem need our blessing? Obviously,Hashem doesn’t need our blessings; rather,we need to be blessing Hashem. BlessingG-d is, quite simply, the art of increasingHashem’s presence in our lives, and in allthat we do.

Thus, blessing G-d when you are eatingan apple is actually a conscious decision toelevate the simple act of eating an appleinto an opportunity to appreciate G-d’s pres-ence in your life. By making a blessing overan apple, we allow this apple to become avehicle for increasing Hashem’s presence inour life, which, of course, not only elevatesthe act of eating an apple, but elevates, aswell, the person eating the apple.

And the more we are willing to be part-ners in bringing G-d into our lives and intothis world, the higher level the world, andus along with it, will reach….

In these times fi lled with so many chal-lenges, and with so much work needed tocreate a better society , the daily act of bless-ing our bread, serves as both a reminder aswell as an inspiration of how different theworld could be, if only we were all willingto make it so….

Shabbat Shalom from Yerushalayim,Rav Binny Freedman

Rav Binny Freedman, Rosh Yeshivat Oray-ta in Jerusalem’s Old City is a Company Com-mander in the IDF reserves, and lives in Efratwith his wife Doreet and their four children.His weekly Internet ‘Parsha Bytes’ can befound at www.orayta.org

FROM THE HEART OF JERUSALEM

Rabbi Binny Freedman

Elevating ourselves through blessing Hashem

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August 11Birthday Shabbat For children who celebrate their Jewish birthday in Elul. Meet at Chabad to celebrate your special day with friends, and family. Cake will be served.Place: Chabad, 74 Maple Avenue, Cedarhurst Time: After Morning Services Info: 516-295-2478 or www.chabad5towns.com

August 122012 Atlantic Northeast Area Meet and Fun Car ShowCome to this car show from 9 am- 3 pm at the Town of Hempstead Rock Hall Museum (199 Broadway, Lawrence 11559). Pre-registration fee is $35.00 for judged Chevrolets. Free admission for spectators. Call 718-224-2674 or email toms-53belair@aol.com for an application.

Supplies for Success Fundraiser We’re working to ensure that children on Long Island return to school with the tools they need to succeed. From 10 am-12 pm, come drop off supplies to help families in need at Congregation Anshei Chesed (in Toras Chaim Yeshiva of South Shore’s Gymnasium, 1170 Williams Street, Hewlett) People can also help assist with the packing of the supplies. If you cannot make the drop off, Lisa Septimus has volunteered to bring the items. Just drop the items at the rabbi’s house by August 10. All questions to lseptimus@nshahs.org or meln423@aol.com.

August 13North Shore Hebrew Academy Ninth Annual Golf and Tennis Outing North Shore Country Club, Glen Head NY. Golf, Mahjong, Tennis, and Texas Hold Em. Golf Schedule: 10 am registration (Brunch and Warm-ups) Tennis Schedule: 9:30 am registration (for women) 2 pm registration (for men)Mahjong Schedule: 10 am registration Texas Hold Em Schedule: 7:30 pm registrationCosts: Golf, cocktails, and dinner-$500. Tennis and/or Mahjong and dinner- $275. Cocktails and dinner only- $150. For more information, call 516-487-8687.

August 15Congregation Sons of Israel Blood Drive Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere, New York has completed plans for its semi-annual Blood Drive between 3:00 PM and 8:30 PM. Re-freshments will be served. Your neighbors’ lives will be protected. To make an appointment and obtain further information, call 516-374-0655.

August 16, 23, 30JCC Yoga ClassesPlease join the JCC of the Greater Five Towns for a Thursday morning Yoga class, 9:15-10:30am - $75. This class will take place at our Grove Street location and will be taught by Miriam Abrahams. For registration information please call Sheryl at (516) 569-6733 x 222.

August 16Tzipora Long Beach Chapter Presents Bingo NightBring your family and friends out for a night of laughter and fun! This is an event that you will not want to miss. The Bingo night will take place at the Magnolia Community Center (650 Magnolia Blvd. Long Beach, NY) A donation of $20 includes card, marker, desserts and Prizes.All proceeds from this event will go to Hadassah Hospital for medi-cal research and to fund current projects. The event will start at 7 pm.

August 17-18Young Israel of Long Beach hosts ShabbatonYoung Israel of Long Beach is pleased to an-nounce that we have embarked on an exciting new program to attract young couples to our beautiful community. As part of our new initia-tive, we are hosting a Summer Shabbaton in our community. Shabbos Parshas Ra’ay promises to be a unique and fulfi lling experience. Attendees

will be treated to a relaxing and inspiring Shab-bos fi lled with ruach, lectures, learning, and the special atmosphere of this close knit commu-nity. All accommodations including babysitting, housing arrangements, and meals will be taken care of, just come and enjoy! Don’t miss this op-portunity! For registration and more information please call 1-855-MOV-YILB. Space is limited, so don’t delay!

August 21JCC Golden Notes Choir Please join us at the JCC of the Greater Five Towns’ “Golden Notes” (choir), 270 Grove Avenue in Cedarhurst, Tuesday mornings at 11am for a joyful hour of singing with choir master Zvi Klein. We sing songs in all languages and we perform for local venues. For information please call Sheryl at (516) 569-6733 x 222. The next sessions will be on August 28, September 4, and Septem-ber 11.

August 27-31Friendship Circle Summer CampEnd of summer camp for children with special needs. A week fi lled with fun activities, trips, crafts and much more. Meet at Chabad, 74 Maple Avenue, Cedarhurst at 10 am. For Info Call 516-295-2478*13 or batsheva@chabad5towns.com to register.

OngoingWeekday Golf Specials Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced today that all four of Nassau County’s 9-hole golf courses will be offering a special weekday discount. Conveniently spread around the county park system, Nassau offers residents

four executive-level 9 hole golf courses at Canti-ague Park, Christopher Morley, North Woodmere, and Bay Park.

“With these lower green fee prices, golfers of all skill levels are invited to continue to enjoy our 9-hole County golf courses at an even more economical and low-cost rate” said Mangano. “Every course provides the perfect setting to enjoy a day of golf.”

The new special rates, which must be pur-chased in packages of 5 rounds and are valid for weekday play only, are as follows:Original Price Special Price Savings Senior/Discount with Leisure Pass $8.50 $7.50 $5.00*5 Rounds for $37.50*Resident Leisure Pass $15.00 $12.00 $15.00*5 Rounds for $60.00*Non-Resident No Leisure Pass $26.00 $21.00 $25.00*5 Rounds for $105.00*

For more information regarding Nassau Coun-ty’s four executive 9-hole golf courses, or the three 18-hole golf courses located in Eisenhower Park, please visit the Nassau County website at: www.nassaucountyny.gov/parks.

Calling all Senior Song Birds THE JCC OF THE GREATER FIVE TOWNS, located at 270 Grove Avenue in Cedarhurst, hosts a choir for seniors every Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. for a joyful hour of singing with choir master Zvi Klein.We sing songs in all languages and we perform for local venues. There is a $5.00 optional con-tribution requested per session. For information please call Sheryl at 516-569-6733 x222.

Support groupTHE JCC OF THE GREATER FIVE TOWNS will sponsor a new support group for the economi-cally challenged as a result of the economic downturn. Key themes will include unemploy-ment, fi nancial issues, empowerment and support. Please join us on Thursday mornings at 10:15 a.m. at Temple Israel, 140 Central Ave, Lawrence until January 20th. This group is part of Connect to Care, an initiative funded by UJA-Federation of NY. For further information and to pre-register, please contact Talia Rapps, L.M.S.W. at 516-569-6733 x213.

Movement class for special needsTHE JCC OF THE GREATER FIVE TOWNS of-fers “Movement with Mary Moshos,” a class for children with special needs ages 5 and up, designed to enhance interaction with the environment through work with music, bubbles, and various textures. Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30pm at the JCC, 207 Grove Avenue, Cedarhurst. 12 sessions/$240. Please call Sharona Arbeit at 516-569-6733 x218 for more information.

Parkinson’s Support GroupTHE JCC OF THE GREATER FIVE TOWNS, located at 207 Grove Avenue in Cedarhurst, hosts every Tuesday a Parkinson’s Support Group from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The purpose of this group is to bring together Parkinsonians, spouses and their fami-lies in order to help them better understand the nature of the condition, gain confi dence and join in community activities. For further information, please contact Cathy Byrne at 516-569-6733 x220.

Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder met last week with Rina Shkolnik, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Five Towns. Shkolnik thanked Assemblyman Weisenberg for his many years of funding and support to the JCC and discussed ways that they could col-laborate in the future to ensure the continued success of the organization.

ON THE

CalendarSubmit your shul or organization’s events or shiurim to jscalendar@thejewishstar.com.

Deadline is Wednesday of the week prior to publication.

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By Sergey Kadinsky

I am often asked about my personal path towards obser-vance. When did it begin and what circumstances inspired it? Where do I see myself on the Orthodox spectrum? With ahavat Yisrael in mind, I feel as comfortable at a Drisha lec-ture fi lled with Orthodox feminists as I have at a Kuf Alef Kislev celebration in the heart of Williamsburg where Satmar Hasidim commemorate their late rebbe’s liberation from a Nazi death camp.

Since moving to Kew Gardens Hills in January, I have committed to growing in my observance by attending shul daily and attending a shiur whenever possible. With so many opportunities to learn Torah in my neighborhood, there are simply no excuses. In those early days, my close friend Yitzi Borenstein introduced me to the Talmud Bavli, a page with a paragraph of Aramaic wrapped in commentaries by Rashi, with the Mesorah, cross-references and notes from the To-safot generation of medieval commentators. Feeling over-whelmed by the text, I politely deferred, focusing at the time on my professional and personal goals.

A couple of months later, tickets for the Siyum Hashas were being sold at Kehilas Ishei Yisrael, a congregation of mostly singles and young couples, where my friend Josh Goldsmith encouraged me, “You don’t need to be a Shas Yid to attend, go and get inspired.” I bought the ticket, not knowing when I would begin formal learning, how much I would be able to cover, and ultimately, the importance of the Oral Law.

I sought a non-judgmental learning setting and found it this past Shavuot at the home of Brooklyn couple Rena and Mark Goldstein. With their three sons Sam, Ben and Josh, we studied Tractate Middot overnight in the basement of Young Israel of Flatbush, returning for lunch to honor Rav Papa and his ten sons, who always threw a banquet upon the comple-tion of a tractate. In all likelihood, I am the fi rst person in my family in at least four generations to complete a tractate and the lunch served by the Goldsteins was as much a tribute to Matan Torah as to my historic moment.

In Woodmere, there is a resident who personifi es ahavat Yisrael through his philanthropy, volunteering and lecturing before thousands of people. And while Charlie Harary’s up-bringing had more observance than mine, he also wondered

about the importance of the Oral Law. Harary spoke to a group of mostly Russian-speaking baalei teshuva attendees at the Meadowlands Crowne Plaza ahead of the Siyum.

“Why does it have to be complicated? I fi nally got the answer I loved in law school,” Harary said. Growing up with legal shows such as Law and Order, Harary did not expect his education to be a thorough review of case law. “I wanted to see laws, but I was getting case after case, page after page and reading the tes-timony from the losing team. So I went to the dean.”

David W. Leebron, his dean at Columbia Law School, in-formed Charlie that anyone could purchase a book of laws and quote them, but a law school’s purpose is to apply the statutes to specifi c situations. “Like a robot, you can try to apply it. You’re paying us to understand the greatest minds of all time, how cases were lost on a point, how the law evolved, the principles behind the law and how to bring the law to the next phase,” Leebron told Harary, who then understood that the Talmud works in a similar fashion, with centuries of com-mentaries and specifi c examples that tested the application of biblical laws.

Harary said that the vagueness of many biblical laws was intentional and G-d wants the Jewish people to debate and struggle over their meaning rather than robotically follow them. “Talk about it and struggle over it. It was lively and real.”

In the roughly 1,400 years between the codifi cation of the Talmud and the historic 1923 Agudath Israel convention, the Oral Law was studied by only a few dedicated scholars, without a set schedule. That was when Rabbi Meir Shapiro, a relatively young member of the Agudah’s Council of Torah Sages and head of the Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin, proposed a ritualized study cycle for the Talmud: Daf Yomi- a page a day. In total, 2,711 in a seven and a half year cycle. The Chofetz Chaim, the Gerrer Rebbe and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, who were the leading European Torah scholars at the time, enthusiastically received the idea.

Surviving the devastation of the Holocaust, each siyum has grown in attendance and venue, with the Met Life Stadi-um at the Meadowlands counting a sold-out crowd of 92,000 that included a wide spectrum of Orthodox Jews including a women’s section in the top tier. All around the Meadowlands, traffi c was choked, even by New Jersey standards. The $1.6 billion arena, still widely called Giants Stadium or Meadow-

lands by many attendees, opened in 2010 and in contrast to the traffi c jams, has a very spacious feel, with every seat pro-viding a sense of closeness to the fi eld and an unexpectedcleanliness. It felt very ironic to host a Torah convention in an arena better known for the Giants and Jets of football, BonJovi and Monster Jam.

The event was a mix of masterfully produced tribute vid-eos and speeches by leading rabbinic fi gures. Alongside a tribute to Rabbi Shapiro was one for Jerome Schottenstein,namesake of the 38-volume Artscroll Talmud Bavli, launched in 2005, that has enabled readers who do not possess a com-mand of Aramaic or Hebrew to learn in English.

Not having a command of Yiddish either, I struggled tocomprehend Agudah chair Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, and RabbiAryeh Malkiel Kotler, who spoke at length before concludingthe last passages of Tractate Niddah. As thousands of attendeesdialed the phone number for a live translation of the speeches,I paused to appreciate the event, knowing that as I grow in mystudy of Torah law, I can always fi nd myself on the same pageas nearly 100,000 fellow Jews. No matter what type of hat orkippa we wear, we can always catch up to the Daf and fi nd our-selves in the company of great scholars and commoners alike,examining historical insights on the Torah, and with enoughperspective, adding in our own two cents.

Switching to English, Rabbi Perlow used analogies to de-scribe Daf Yomi. “Learning Torah is nutrition for the Jew-ish soul. The world does not understand us. When all theempires of the past have perished and the Torah will not beforgotten,” Rabbi Perlow said. “It is the secret ingredient, theonly ingredient that makes Jewish continuity possible.”

Mr. Kadinsky is a former Assistant Editor at The Jewish Star.He is an adjunct professor of history at Touro College and Com-munity Liaison for Assemblyman Rory Lancman.

W e complete cycles each day: the circa-dian rhythm that drives our waking hours is a cycle; eating three meals a

day is a cycle; commuting in rush-hour traffi c is a cycle. Some cycles, though, become mean-ingful through repetition. There are many cycles on the Jewish calendar, too. Count-

ing the Omer is a cycle; so is “Mashiv Ha’Ruach U’Morid Ha’Gashem” during the Amidah. We have the cycles of the Jewish calendar, and we have the cycles of Jewish culture. Every seven and a half years, as a relevant example, individuals, shiurim, and chavrutot complete the study of the entire Talmud, the multi-volume collection of Mishna and commentary that sets the foundation

for Jewish legal and ethical thinking. The Tal-mud’s millennia-old wisdom is reviewed day-by-day and year-by-year, and after the cycle is completed, it is begun again. We turn back to the starting page and review the whole vol-ume for another seven and a half years.

This year marks, for me, the beginning of my fourth decade studying Talmud; I started as a ninth grader at the Brooklyn Talmudical

Academy (BTA), in 1972. What impressed me then were the personalities of the Talmud; the larger-than-life names of Rav Ashi, Rabbi Akiva, Rav, Rabban Gamliel, Ravina, and others. More than the halakhic principles, as a ninth-grader I wanted to know these people and express to them my gratitude—my hakarat ha’tov—for their contributions to my world. Of course, all of these individu-als have been gone from this world for thou-sands of years, but each time I complete a cycle of daf yomi, I am reminded of that time in 1972 when I wanted to thank these pow-erhouse rabbis. So while I cannot personally express my gratitude to the personalities of the Talmud, I can, as the daf yomi cycle ends and begins again, express my hakarat ha’tov to the modern-day rabbis whose infl uence has shaped me into the man, the learner, the parent, and the professional I am today.

Four rabbis hold the distinction of earn-ing my perpetual hakarat ha’tov. Rabbi Da-vid Halpern, Rabbi Chaim Berger, Rabbi Zvi Bajnon, and Rabbi Hirschel Billet have each made an indelible imprint on my thoughts, actions, and refl ections much like the an-shei k’neset ha’gedolah who developed the Talmud and left lasting imprints on the Jew-ish people. Rabbi Halpern, who just retired after 60 years as the Rabbi of the Flatbush Park Jewish Center in Mill Basin, was my rabbi since my teenage years. His support

and guidance during the challenging period of my mother’s illness and eventual death in 2006 were so meaningful to me, they escape articulation. And his continued reminders about my duty as a son and my need to se-cure “eternity” for myself through my obli-gations to my parents remain a buoy for me even in the choppiest waters.

Rabbi Bajnon, fi rst as my Math teacher at BTA in 1972 and then again as my son’s Judaic Principal at HAFTR in 1998, added to my understanding of fatherhood. He not only initiated my study of Talmud and so-lidifi ed a number of religious practices that persist till today, but he impressed upon me the importance—both for me and for my children—that I consistently and observably engage in the practice of mitzvoth. Rabbi Bajnon, in 1998, made it evident to me that my children’s memories of me will be affect-ed by the mitzvoth and the acts of chesed I engage in throughout my adult life. Almost two-decades earlier, Rabbi Berger, my rabbi throughout my stay in Kansas City, Missouri from 1980-1983, gave me the opportunity to engage in visible and meaningful mitz-voth. As a young married man, I served on a Beit Din, on the Vaad of Kashrut, and on the Chevra Kadisha; I expanded my involve-ment in the Jewish community, but more im-portantly, I learned the importance of chesed shel emet—true chesed that cannot be recip-

rocated—and of k’vod ha’meit. Rabbi Bergerimpressed upon me the lesson of the chevrakadisha—if you show so much respect to thebodies of the deceased, how much more so should I show kavod ha’chai—honor and dig-nity to the living.

The fi nal rabbi for whom I have perpetualhakarat ha’tov has been my family’s rabbisince we moved to Woodmere in 1987. As rabbi of the Young Israel of Woodmere, Rab-bi Billet has encouraged me to carpe diem,seize the day, at each opportunity. Whenever I dithered or procrastinated when it came toa decision that would affect me religiously,personally, or professionally, Rabbi Billet would remind me of the fl eeting opportuni-ties this life provides. His encouragement to take advantage of the chances I have beengiven has been a tremendous reason for much of my success in life. In sum, these four rabbis have added dimension to my life thatI could not have imagined forty years ago.

As the crowds gather for the grand siyyum upon the completion of the study of Talmud,I see this moment as the perfect time to be-gin the cycle of perpetual gratitude again. My hakarat ha’tov extends from the ansheik’neset ha’gedolah who sat over a thousand years ago and whose words contributed tothe Talmud, and it stretches to these fourrabbis who, for four decades, have shapedme into who I am today.

Daf Yomi:

A perpetually-additive, never redundant cycle

A grand experience:

Attending the Siyum Ha’Shas

Sergey Kadinsky at the Siyum Ha’Shas

Dr. Jeffrey Ratz

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entertainment to keep the crowd occupied as the countdown clock ticked off to Mincha. Seven o’clock and the rain was still lingering as the crowds continued to fi le in. A deci-sion was made to delay Mincha 30 minutes. In the Bud Light Lounge, the Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim were exchanging greetings, discussing the daf, learning and catching up with friends. It was a pleasure to see Rabbi Binyamin Kaminetsky holding court as Roshe Yeshivas and Admorim all came to wish him greetings. Young Israel Rabbis convers-ing, discussing the daf or chiddushim with Chassidic Rabbonim and Admorim. Yeshiva University Roshei Yeshiva and Litvish Roshei Yeshiva sharing thoughts of Torah. Daf 6a of Brachos Abaye said: The reward that comes from a halachic discussion is the reasoning it involves. Here the added reward was the ob-

vious love of Torah and each other that per-meated the room, the achdus that glistened from the smiles and eyes as these Gedolei HaTorah all mingled.

As the announcement that Mincha would begin was heard, the last of the rain seemed to vanish into thin air. There was no need for rain gear or umbrellas as the Siyum be-gan. For the remainder of the evening par-ticipants enjoyed a beautiful night, punc-tuated by wonderful videos, uplifting and inspiring speeches, singing, dancing and Di-vrei Torah. Rabbi Shlomo Gertzulin and the planning committee had put together an un-believable program. Each stitch in the fabric of the evening was so perfectly woven that despite the long program, everyone walked away uplifted and inspired. It did not make a difference if you were 9 or 89, you never learned or were fi nishing your fi fth cycle,

man or women; whatever your situation, you were motivated to learn more Torah. A young boy of nine told his Zeidy he wants to start learning. “The daf?” he was asked. “No mishnayos,” he answered. The Zeidy said, “I will fi nd time to add this to what I learn with you.” He was stunned when his grandson said, “No, I want this to be in addi-tion, on my own.”

The line up of Rabbi Frand, Rabbi Shiner, Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Lau was like scoring four touchdowns on successive possessions. It was just unbelievable to hear each deliver a moving, inspiring and uplifting message. Their message of the supremacy of Torah, the importance of achdus, the need to have a plan and that we are all part of a unique family, made time stand still. As Rabbi Frand said, “If a Jew has a Blatt Gemara, he is never alone,” “Learn with a Plan” and “Beyond

your reach is always within your grasp.”These are lessons and ideals that have been dedicated partners to our people through thebad times and the good times. Torah hasbeen not only our companion, but has been our life preserver. Torah is a unifying factor.The daf gives us a common language.

Friday morning as the 13th cycle wascommenced with daf 2 of Brachos, everyshiur saw an infl ux of new faces. The LIRRstill has room on both trains. It is not toolate to join one of the 60 plus shiurim in ourneighborhood. Brachos is an easy mesechtato jump in at any point. Give it a try, youmay fi nd you enjoy it. If you were not there,I would suggest that you go to the link ofthe Siyum and listen to the inspiring words.This was one time when too much was not enough. Hopefully, in January 2020, you will be celebrating your Siyum Hashas.

A Kiddush Hashem with thousands of my closest friendsContinued from page 1

A StandWithUs billboard campaign poster showing the Arch of Titus

territory has been demarcated by the erec-tion of an eruv on government property. Wewould view the erection of an eruv on LIPA’spoles as a symbolic endorsement by LIPA of an interpretation of Jewish law with whichwe personally disagree and which, as statedabove, our spiritual leaders expressly reject. “

Just like a Christmas tree on public prop-erty, he argued, “The hanging…on a LIPApole has no other meaning except a reli-gious meaning, i.e., a visible embodiment of a certain kind of legalistic Jewish religiousobservance which my denomination fi rmlyrejects.”

He and his people would feel oppressed,he wrote. “Every time [he] walked in [his] neighborhood and witnessed the [eruv], [he] would feel that [his] own interpreta-tion of Jewish law had been belittled anddemeaned by [his] own government,” thestatement read.

The truth is far different from the statedopposition. Just as places like New York City have made Sabbath accommodations by sus-pending parking rules in heavily populatedJewish neighborhoods, use of LIPA poles arenot an endorsement of religion, but an ac-commodation to those who adhere to a belief – and the use of the public poles are paid for,not free, making it a business transaction,not a religious statement. More to the point,unless you know that it is there, the eruv isvirtually invisible. No one sees it unless they are looking for it and straight at it.

Jewish People for the Betterment of West-hampton Beach is deceptively named. Actual-ly, it is a euphemism for “keep the observantJews from moving in.”

While we expend so much effort beingwatchful of those who would seek to harmthe Jewish people, we too often forget to lookinward to what we are doing to ourselves.Whether it is the charedi attacking the less ob-servant, the Orthodox man on the street avert-ing his or her eyes rather than wish a non-Orthodox Jew a good Sabbath, or these “civicminded” Westhampton Beach Jews workinghard to challenge observances they reject, weall too often are our own worst enemies.

Juda Engelmayer is a senior vice president of the New York public relations agency, 5WPR

and now we are faced with a lot of catch-up,” explained Rothstein. “We have to learn how to mend that, how to create connection between young people and Israel, make them feel like they want to engage.”

SWU is now an international non-profi t, based in L.A. with chapters across the U.S. and in Israel, France and the United King-dom. Their stated goal is to use students to educate students on campuses and in local communities about Israel through lectures, social media, and conferences, and provides literature and access to further resources on their website.

The current campaign counters a poster placed in 100 sites on Metro-North that in-correctly shows Israel as Palestine (there never was a State of Palestine: the Romans renamed the Jewish state of Judea Pales-tine after they conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple there. The area had been a Jewish country for over 1200 years. Since that time, there was never a sovereign country there, the land desolate and barely inhabited until the return of the Jews and the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948.)

The SWU posters counter that “Jews have had a continuous presence in Israel for over 3,000 years,” “Israel is the Jewish Home-land,” and advertise Israel’s contributions through innovations and water conservation and the Palestinian Arabs refusal to partner

with Israel in the quest for peace.Avi Posnick, an alumnus of Rambam Me-

sivta and a native of Oceanside, said that he got involved in SWU “in 2007, right out of college.” He said that he knew about SWU “through Rambam and all the activism there.” As NY regional coordinator, he said he is involved in “community outreach, until recently working with high schools, public speaking, helping coordinate campaigns and speaking at meetings to coordinate pro-Israel responses to anti-Israel campaigns—like the Park Slope Food Co-op, and is currently help-ing to start a young leadership division, ages 23-39.”

The current effort countered billboards that the Anti-Defamation League called “de-liberately misleading and biased” placed in Metro-North stations by Henry Clifford, a former Wall Street Tycoon who paid $25,000 of his own money for the ads.

“We wanted to put our own billboards in the same stations, as we did in train stations around the country wherever anti-Israel billboards were up,” said Posnick. Previous SWU campaigns to counter anti-Israel misin-formation were in September 2011 in New York’s subway stations and in 2007 and 2009 in Washington, DC, Albuquerque, Houston as well as other campaigns in Chicago San Francisco, Berkeley, Denver and convinced Seattle not to permit the posting of anti-Isra-

el material there.Posnick credits his leaning to advocacy to

his education and his parents. “A huge factor was with the Israel advocacy and the Zion-ism class with Rabbi (Yotav) Eliach and that I helped organize rallies that Rabbi (Zev Meir) Friedman (Rosh Mesivta of Rambam) coor-dinated.” His involvement in these activities made him realize that “this is what I wanted to do, with their guidance, that was my inspi-ration for getting involved.” He also “always thanks” his parents. “My parents always told us that when you have a skill expect that you give back to help others; you should do that.” He hopes to continue in this kind of work and to advocate and speak up for Is-rael and the Jewish people “for the rest of my life.” Posnick pointed out that the campaign has already brought results, noting a “lot of reactions, all over the news, CBS, NBC, New York Daily News, Haaretz.” He also pointed out that “people on the station platforms are happy to see a pro-Israel response to the mis-leading, anti-Israel billboards.”

The “major goal,” he said, is that people should get involved to get educated regard-ing the truth about Israel and educate oth-ers, to learn the facts and the history. “Our mission is to educate and empower people to educate others,” he emphasized. He stressed that SWU has “all kinds of material, for high school, college, young” and not so young adults. “I urge everyone to go to the website, learn the facts, and become empowered to advocate for Israel.”

For more information go to StandWithUs.com.

The eruv wars:Jews versus

JewsContinued from page 2

StandWithUs stands fi rmContinued from page 1

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We’re commited to meeting the needs of the Jewish Community:

Winthrop-University Hospital has a Shabbos & Yom Tov House, a kosher home where families of patients may stay during the Shabbos Festivals and High Holy Days.

Glatt Kosher food is available in the coffee shop located in the main lobby of the hospital.

Shabbos candles and kosher refrigerators are available to patients.

Mincha minyan services are held in the hospital chapel, Monday through Thursday at 1:30 pm.

Siddurim and benchers are available in the chapel.

A shabbos elevator is located in the North Pavilion of the hospital.

Rabbi A. Perl of Congregation Beth Sholom Chabad is available to meet any religious needs patients and their families may have. He may be contacted at 516-739-3636. The Synagogue is located

0.57 miles from the hospital within the eruv.