Jewish Home LA, March 13 2013

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THIS PASSOVER SEASON GLATT MART AND CAMBRIDGE FARMS, In Cooperation with The Jewish National Fund will plant a tree,

IN YOUR HONOR, IN ISRAEL with a purchase of $250.00 or more. A CERTIFICATE WILL BE MAILED TO YOU

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arch 14, 2013Contents

The Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.

ShabboS Z’manimFriday, March 15

Parshas vayikraCandle lighting 6:43

ShabboS endS 7:40Rabbeinu tam 8:15

Friday, March 22Parshas Tzav

Candle lighting 6:48ShabboS endS 7:45Rabbeinu tam 8:19

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Dear Readers,

Pesach is upon us and, ready or not, we will soon be sitting at the Seder with our families, recounting our people’s slavery and subsequent exodus from Egypt which led to our becoming a nation and receiving the Torah… as well as our working on getting the “Egypt out of the Jew” for the past few thousand years.

In the spirit of being one nation, we’ve decided to highlight an organization – Tomchei Shabbos - which focuses on just that - people of one nation sharing what they have with those in need, whether it be food, clothes, tuition, a job or even legal help... Let us get involved with the local organizations who make it their business that every household be able to have a Seder the way it should be.

We’ve also included an interview with Ben Shapiro, the brilliant political commentator and analyst who is also a home-grown LA boy. Full of ambition, his deep commitment to his beliefs and values is something we can all learn from and apply to our daily lives.

We also profiled an old-time LA establishment in a piece that will take you on a trip to yesteryear and back… we hope you enjoy!

Don’t forget to check out all the wonderful programs and events included in the “Happenings” section - we have so much to be proud of.

Congratulations to Rabbi Pinny Dunner on being honored with the Ally of the Year award, as well as to our local basketball teams for their outstanding representation of our city in the YU Sarachek tournament with Shalhavet winning the big game!

Kudos again to our local students for sharing their thoughts on one our most precious gifts, and thank you to Rabbi Grama for topping it off with a practical suggestion on how to counter a new, albeit unfortunate, fad...

Now you can figure out how to make the Seder interesting with the Hillel Q&A, learn that refocusing is sometimes necessary with Rabbi Einhorn, get your “animal” involved in it all with Rabbi Wolf, browse the latest news or figure out which dishes to make for Pesach. Whatever it is, we hope this issue helps you to have an enjoyable, meaningful and happy Pesach.

With wishes for the fulfillment of the promise “K’mei Tzeitcha M’eretz Mitzrayim Ar’enu Niflaot” when we will truly be free from all negativity, so we can be our real selves.

Have a wonderful Shabbos & a most enjoyable Pesach,

Shalom

PeoPleExclusive Interview with Ben Shapiro . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Forgotten Heroes - the Rough Riders Help Defeat the Spanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

CommunityCommunity Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Building on Long History,Western Kosher Gears up for New Era . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Tomchei Shabbos Rallies to Serve Community’s Needy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Jewish thoughtTo the Edge of our Universe – Knowing when to Walk Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Students Write - Shabbat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

eduCationQuestion & Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

ParshaVayikra – Pesach - Inspiration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

oPed

Shabbos - Fun For The Entire Family

By Rabbi Daniel Grama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

humor & entertainmentCenterfold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Quotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Serial Novel – Moon Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

newsGlobal News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

National News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Odd-but-True Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

israelIsrael news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

lifestylesTravel: Prague - Czech Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Recipe: I Can’t Believe It’s Pesachdik Dessert . . . . 52

LA Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

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Jewish Home: Can you describe your primary work? You do a lot of things: columns, Breitbart etc.; where do you spend the most of your time?

Ben Shapiro: My schedule is: I wake up at 5:15 in the morning, do a radio show, (KRLA 870-AM for LA, KTIE 590-AM for Orange County), and then after giving that show I go to Bre-itbart.com where I’m the editor-at-large. I spend most of the day writing, editing and reporting over there, and then at night I write books.

JH: Were you interested in politics from a young age or did this develop later on in college?

BS: I can’t remember when I wasn’t interested in politics. I recently discov-ered a paper I had written when I was 11 years old, where I was saying that Clin-ton should be impeached for perjury. So I guess I would say I’ve always been in-terested in politics.

I really got politically active in col-lege. By the time I graduated undergrad (at UCLA) I had already written and

published a book - Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth - and had already been a syndi-cated columnist for three years.

JH: What helped shape your politi-cal views? Are there any specific influ-ences you can point to?

BS: My parents are both strong Re-publicans; they shaped my values. Be-ing Orthodox shaped my values, how I think and believe. Beyond that there were certain books: Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt – that was the first major book on economics that I ever read, and it shaped my thinking about America in a very significant way.

JH: Being a vocal Republican on a college campus, I’m sure you faced a lot of controversy. How did you deal with that?

BS: You have to embrace it; it’s the only way to move forward with your life. As one of my mentors said, “you have to walk towards the fire.” That’s the only way to function in this setting. If you’re not willing to take the conflict and take the fire, you have to get out of this environment.

JH: You be-came successful and well-known at quite a young age. What do you think makes your views and opin-ions compelling for people?

BS: I’ve al-ways been some-body who reads a lot, studies a lot, and I’m a real go-getter when it comes to making contacts. And G-d has given me a lot of opportu-nities in my life.

I’ve been willing to put myself out there and take strong positions. And I’ve met a lot of kind people in this business who have been very helpful to me.

JH: What differentiates you from other conservative columnists/talk show hosts etc.?

BS: I think that I take stronger posi-tions than a lot of them. I’m unapolo-getic about my views and I don’t make any bones about it. I don’t try to please the other side. I like to leave it to other people to say what differentiates them. Because I spend so much time read-ing up on the issues, I understand the left as well as I understand the right. If you asked me to argue as leftist I could. Most people can’t do that.

JH: What are your primary goals in the work that you do? Are you hoping to educate people, influence policies or something else?

BS: Both. I want to educate people and influence policies. I believe in ed-

ucating the population in politics and trying to make things clear. As Dennis Prager says, I want to clarify for people what’s going on in the world. I’m in love with reality. Many people are fooled in a major way by the media that has pulled a veil over their eyes.

JH: How do people respond to your message being an Orthodox Jew?

BS: I hope they recognize that I’m standing up for something I deeply be-lieve, for the undergirding values of the United States. Judeo-Christian values are what founded this country, and these are the basic values underlying the liber-ties that we cherish. It’s important that people see Orthodox Jewish people in positions of influence and who are proud of their Judaism. I think it’s shameful that so many Jews have run from the public sphere because they’re ashamed.

Learn more about Mr. Shapiro’s work and the books he’s authored at www.BenjaminShapiro.com.

happenings

Ben Shapiro on CNN with Piers Morgan

exclusive interview with with Ben shapiro

interView

A conservative radio show host, syndicated columnist, oft-quoted political commentator and author of several best-selling books, including Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences Americans, Ben Shapiro has become a voice to be reckoned with at the young age of 29.

Last week, Mr. Shapiro spoke at the California Republican Party Spring Convention on how the Republican Party can regain not just victory, but domi-nance, in the state of California.

Here, the LA native, who attended both Maimonides and YULA before heading to UCLA and Harvard Law School, talks with the Jewish Home about what drives his political passion and the impact Judaism has made on his work.

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Another year, another successful part-nership program between 6th grade Mai-monides students and their Meron friends in Tel-Aviv. For some years now, Mai-monides Academy and Meron, a Malachti Da’ati (religious public school), in Tel-Aviv, Israel, have had an educational cor-respondence. With the gracious help and funding of the Federation of Los Angeles and Tel-Aviv, in alternating years, have sent a delegation of students to relate and befriend one another, engaging in con-versation, touring, and other activities to

realize the strong link between Eretz Yis-rael and the Jewish community of Los Angeles.

The students from Maimonides are each placed at a host home in Tel-Aviv, who ‘adopt’ them as their own child for the week in Israel. For months Meron has

been developing programs designed specif-ically for the Mai-monides students, offering uniquely Israeli experienc-es. The students travel all over the country, north to the Galil to see the holy city of Tzfat, capped off by a re-laxing boat ride on the Kinneret in Te-

veriah. Shabbat is spent in Yerushlayim’s Old City, with guided tours, and davening at the Kotel. Additionally, many local tours are scheduled in Tel-Aviv, to appreciate the culture of the city.

The partnership this year was again a tremendous success, and an experience that will not be soon forgotten by the 14 brave Maimonides students who came to Israel. We anticipate the arrival of the Meron students to Los Angeles next year, where we will attempt to offer them an equally memorable experience.

This year, Yachad LA is embarking on a grand mission: to learn about the cultures of the world through our “Yachad LA World Tour”. To-date, we have explored Mexico, the United States, Greece, the North Pole, and Asia. In honor of Pesach, we have entered “Egyptian March” with many activities planned to get us ready for the upcoming holiday. To inaugurate this

incredibly exciting month, we reconnected with our childhood for an evening of Egyp-tian ARTifacts, where we made colorful Pesach themed sand-art, built sphinx, pyr-amids, and matzah out of Play-Doh, and decorated wine glasses for the seder with “sandy candy.” Over 50 participants joined the fun evening as we relived the experi-ence of traveling in the sand-filled desert

while preparing ourselves for the seder in a fun-filled environment. Activities for the rest of the month include a Chametz Treasure Hunt and our 3rd Annual Mock-Seder on March 17th. Yachad is dedicated to enhancing the life opportunities of indi-viduals with special needs, ensuring their participation in the full spectrum of Jew-ish life. We provide weekly social inclu-

sive programming which brings together individuals with special needs with high school and elementary students, creating friendships and memories which last a lifetime.

For more information, contact Ian Lu-rie at [email protected] or 310-229-9000 ext. 206.

The LINK Kollel in Los Angeles was privileged last week to hear shiurim from two leading Roshei Yeshiva, on back to back days.

On Tuesday March 5, LINK hosted Ha-Rav Shalom Kamenetzky, Rosh Yeshiva of the Talmudic Yeshiva of Philadelphia, for an early morning shiur. Rav Shalom took time from his very busy schedule in LA to give a shiur at 6:15AM (before Shacha-ris) to the Yungerleit and bal habattim of LINK. (He is currently the Rebbe of Yaa-kov Brander, son of LINK’s Founder and Dean, Rabbi Asher Brander.) The shiur, given in his inimitably lucid style, was a masterful Talmudic analysis, partly based upon the Brisker Rav, of the mitzvah of leaning at the Seder Pesach night, in rela-tion to the Four Cups and Matzah. After

davening, Rav Kamenetzky graciously stayed on for a few extra moments, giving individual brachos and chizuk to many of the participants.

The very next day, the Yungerleit of the Kollel travelled to the home of the renowned Mokir Hatorah and M’chaber Seforim, R’ Zvika Ryzman, for a special shiur given by HaRav Asher Weiss, author of the famed seforim Minchas Asher. Rav Weiss, a well-known Rav, Poseik and Rosh Yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael, was visit-ing LA on behalf of his institutions. He ad-dressed issues in Meseches Eruvin {which the Kollel is presently learning under the tutelage of its esteemed Rosh Chabura, Rav Avrohom Morgenstern}, with a focus on many practical halachic difficulties that arise in contemporary Eruvin in metro-

politan areas. His in-depth knowledge of the sugya as well as his intimate fa-miliarity with the practi-cal halachic issues were of immense value to the Av-reichim.

The LINK Kollel, now

in its 11th year of service to the LA community, of-fers more than 50 daily ad weekly shiurim in a wide variety of subjects, for all levels of learning. For more information, please call Rabbi Stern at (310) 441-5289 or visit www.lin-kla.org.

happenings

maimonides-meron educational Partnership Continues to Build Bridges

yachad la’s Pre-Pesach “egyptian march” Kickoff

two leading roshei yeshiva address linK Kollel in la

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touro College los angeles Crisis intervention helpline

newly released sefer dorash dovid in english on moadim welcomed Over 40 Insightful, Inspirational Maamarim Afford New Meaning to Pesach

By: Chaim Gold

Touro College Los Angeles (TCLA), the only Orthodox Jewish WASC accred-ited college on the West coast, is drawing attention with their newest addition to their psychology department; an evening crisis helpline. Under the supervision and direc-tion of Psychology Department co-chair, Dr. Lucien Chocron Psy.D., the Helpline is already in its third batch of trainees with a waiting list for fall semester. Partici-pating students must complete a 10 week course training them in the fundamentals of crisis intervention. Students are intro-duced to a broad range of crises includ-ing but not limited to, depression, anxiety, marital discord, parental issues as well as physical and substance abuse. This is not a routine lecture but an intense training where students are stepping into a sphere of accountability and responsibility. Dr.

Chocron is developing the students’ active listening skills and encouraging open ex-pression to gain deeper understanding of a crisis through participating in role play. The purpose of the helpline is to provide the students with the opportunity to be ac-tive participants in the field of psychology and provide the community with an addi-tional outlet to reach out for help in a safe and confidential manner. Students man-ning the phone lines will assist callers to grasp reality and offer them alternatives to dealing with their crisis by connecting them to networks that specialize in their specific crisis.

The launching of this helpline is pro-viding Touro LA psychology majors with the opportunity to begin taking initiative in their field of study and gain real experi-ence under the direction of the department

co-chair. “What the students are getting is a strong extracurricular activity that will help enhance their qualifications for ad-mission for any master’s degree program. This is a skill students can take with them anytime, anywhere. The training is boost-ing the sense of pride and self esteem of our students and this idea of serving and giving back to the community is really in the spirit of Touro’s mission statement,” says Dr. Chocron. Students are eager and excited to put to use the training they have undergone. “What makes this different from other classes is the large variety of crises that we are exposed to and the op-portunity for intense critical thinking. The role play provides us with a deep sense of emotional responsibility. You don’t get this in a regular psychology class, this is an op-portunity to get hands on experience,” says

one student. It’s clear that this helpline is doing as much for the volunteers as they hope it will do for the callers.

Touro LA’s mission has always been inclusive of “serving the general commu-nity in keeping with the Judaic commit-ment to intellectual inquiry and social jus-tice”. In initiating a crisis helpline on the Touro campus, Dr. Chocron, and the par-ticipating students are taking the college’s mission and putting it into practice. This offers the larger Jewish community an op-portunity to connect in a hugely significant way to TCLA.

The helpline has just been officially launched as of February 18th. Hours are Monday through Thursday 6 pm – 9 pm. The Helpline phone number is 323-822-9700 ext 85151. All calls are kept confidential.

Everyone prepares for Pesach; Jew-ish women world over are scrubbing and cleaning; Men are running around shop-ping, cleaning, taking care of myriad “last minute things”. Often we are so involved in the physical and logistical holiday preparations that we lack the wherewithal to contemplate the many questions on the Moadim that are in the back of our minds. There are always seemingly troubling questions about the Yom Tov. There are always spiritual vistas that we know exist, but have not been able to access. This year, there is a new sefer in English that address-es so many of the questions you always wanted to know about Pesach but never had a chance to seek anything more than a perfunctory, unsatisfying answer. Indeed, as the Yom Tov that is the foundation of our emunah, Pesach certainly requires not only much physical preparation but exten-sive spiritual planning too! Whether it is achieving an enhanced understanding of the hallowed seder night or comprehend-ing the lessons of Yetzias Mitzrayim or Kriyas Yam Suf, there is extensive inspira-tion to be gleaned from a heightened un-derstanding of Pesach.

Dorash Dovid: Spiritual Preparation for Pesach

The newly released, striking, two-vol-ume English sefer Dorash Dovid, written by Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, on the Moadim does just that. It is a sefer that provides new insight and meaning to every area of Pesach as well as Shavuos, Bein Hametzarim, Rosh Chodesh and Shab-bos. It is the sefer that asks many of the questions that lurk beneath the surface. The thought provoking questions lead into stimulating, inspiring answers that chal-

lenge one’s intellect and leave one with a practical lesson to incorporate into one’s personal service of Hashem. If you want to really prepare for Pesach and inject more meaning into your Yom Tov then the new-ly released sefer Dorash Dovid in English is a must!

In this unique work, Rav Dovid Hofst-edter, Nasi of the internationally acclaimed Dirshu Torah organization, analyzes the Moadim of Pesach and Shavuos and offers insights into the Three Weeks and Tishah B’Av, Rosh Chodesh and the weekly “holi-day” of Shabbos. Virtually every aspect of these special times is covered extensively, with a focus on discerning each Yom Tov’s message for us. In Dorash Dovid, there are more than 40 ma’amarim on Pesach and an additional 60 ma’amarim on Shavuos, Bein Hametzorim, Shabbos and Rosh Ch-odesh!

This newest addition to the Dorash Dovid Library comes on the heels of the release of the Hebrew addition on Moadim released last year. Dorash Dovid on the entire Torah and the two-volume English Dorash Dovid on Chumash have also sold many thousands of copies and continue to enrich the Torah world, enhancing the Shabbos of scores of individuals, week af-ter week.

Sample Questions That You Thought or Should Have Thought to Ask

Every maamar in Dorash Dovid begins with several questions, and then develops an in-depth approach, opening new vistas that enable one to truly grasp the messages imparted by the Torah and our Sages.

For example: Why do we invite all of the poor to come eat with us at the seder? By the time we are sitting at the seder say-

ing “ho lachmo anya…” it is already too late? The seder has already begun and certainly they have already found a place. In addition, even if they have not found a place, how would they even know they are being invited? After all, the invitation is being given at one’s own seder, behind closed doors! The only ones privy to the invitation is the inviter and his family members?

Why does the Haggadah state that the reason we eat matzah is because Bnei Yis-rael’s dough did not have time to rise – when Bnei Yisrael had already been com-manded to refrain from eating chametz before this happened?

On Shavuos: Why didn’t Bnei Yisrael wake up early on the day they received the Torah?

On Bein Hametzarim: How can a lack of feeling joy in serving Hashem result in destruction and exile?

Rav Hofstedter masterfully addresses these questions by delving into the inner meaning behind the mitzvos as enumer-ated throughout Chazal, the Rishonim and Acharonim. He has the uncanny ability to break down difficult concepts in a clear and concise fashion shedding new light and adding layers of meaning to the mitz-vos of every Yom Tov.

This is certainly not Rav Dovid Hof-stedter’s first contribution to the Torah world. He is founder and Nasi of Dirshu, the worldwide Torah movement that, since its inception, has impacted well over 100,000 participants. Through Dirshu, whose raison d’être is accountability in Torah learning among all segments of Klal Yisrael, Rav Hofstedter has transformed the lives of countless individuals. He has

brought that same degree of accountabil-ity to kiruv rechokim with his founding of Acheinu, the kiruv arm of Dirshu. In addi-tion, his Seforim Dorash Dovid al HaTo-rah in Hebrew and English have earned wide-ranging acclaim in the Jewish world.

A Sefer for the Thinking JewThe new, handsome, two-volume sefer

Dorash Dovid on Moadim in English of-fer the thinking Jew who wishes to elevate him or herself, the ability to enhance their Yiddishkeit and relationship with Hashem - the ultimate opportunity to “draw closer to Hashem” by injecting new meaning and vibrancy into Yom Tov and thereby make oneself and one’s home a dwelling place fit for the Shechinah!

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yachad sensitizes yavneh middle school

tashbar students field trip for Birkat ha’ilanot

On Erev Shabbat Zachor, Yavneh Middle School students were engaged in a Sensitivity

Training Workshop given by Ian Lurie of Yachad. The unique program, an arm of the Orthodox

Union, helps students to, be sensitive and accepting of other differences. The workshop engaged

the students using a number of experimental strategies.

Chazal state that one who notices at least two fruit trees blossoming for the first time in the new season must recite a special Beracha. This is an expression of gratitude to Hashem for the wonderful fruit trees He has created for us to enjoy. This Beracha, called Birkat Ha’ilanot (the blessing of the trees), may be recited only once each year.

The Gemara mentions Nisan as the month for reciting Birkat Ha’ilanot, as this is the month when fruit trees gener-ally begin to blossom. There are various views among the Poskim as to whether one recites this Beracha if he sees blos-

soming trees before or after Nisan. The Kaf Hahayim (Rabbi Yaakov Haim Sofer of Baghdad, 1870-1939) and the Or Lesion (Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul, past Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Porat Yosef in Jerusa-lem, 1923-1998) maintain that the Beracha may be recited only during Nisan, though one who did not recite the Beracha during Nisan may recite it afterward, but without Hashem’s name. These authorities add that one should make every effort to recite the blessing as early as possible during the month.

Students at Tashbar Torat Hayim in

Los Angeles had the opportunity to per-form this unique Mitzvah on Rosh Cho-desh Nisan! Students in preschool through 2nd Grade made a trip to Underwood Fam-ily Farm in Moorpark, California. Not only did the children get a chance to say Birkat Ha’ilanot on the first day of Nisan, they also spent the day picking vegetables and visiting the farm animals.

Tashbar Torat Hayim provides a thor-ough, well-balanced curriculum in both Judaic and General Studies in a warm en-vironment rich in Sephardic tradition.

5850 W. 3rd St . S te. 320 Los Angeles, CA 90036david@morr is insgroup.com • www.morr is insgroup.com

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p: 323.833.9912 f: 213.406.1314

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happenings

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hile the media may say un-employment is lowering and the economy is on an uptick, Tomchei Shabbos of Los Angeles has yet

to see a decrease in requests for services. Currently, Tomchei Shabbos – Touch of

Kindness serves 1,000 people with week-ly food assistance – the number doubles pre-Pesach - along with other services, in-cluding furniture and clothing donations, a job network, catered event food pick-up and more.

The need is just growing, according to Rabbi Yona Landau, who runs the organi-zation and has been involved since its in-ception in 1977.

“Every week it grows. I’m in NY right now and I got an email about three new ap-

plicants. Our list is growing on a weekly basis,” he said.

On a typi-cal week, fam-ilies receive a box of challah, grape juice, fresh chicken, milk, eggs, ge-filte fish, pro-duce and dried goods like bar-ley, pasta and soup mix. For Pesach, they receive much of the same thing, swap-

ping in Matzah for challah and

omitting the barley, and usually get meat as well. Portions are assessed based on family size, and packers try to take house-hold preferences into account, say if the kids don’t eat fish or if a family needs extra chicken one week.

“We have families that they rely com-pletely on the food from Tomchei Shabbos for the week,” said Rivky Farber, Tomchei Shabbos’ executive assistant. “We don’t have a concept of just how poor some of these people are - they just don’t have. We think our idea of not having is you can’t buy a new Shabbos dress every Yuntif or don’t frivolously go into DSW. For these families, the kids haven’t worn something brand-new ever; there’s no budget for clothing.”

She noted that LA is an interesting de-mographic where the gap between those

that have and have not is quite large. While many people in the LA frum community are quite affluent, there is a huge – and growing – population that’s quite poor and in need – and they’re families and house-holds that look just like everybody else.

“Their kids go to Toras Emes, Emek, Ohr Eliyahu, Yavneh and Maimnoides,” said Farber. Most Tomchei Shabbos recip-ients are families with children, as opposed to seniors and Holocaust survivors, or im-migrant families, which many assume is their demographic. “I promise you - you walk into La Brea market, there’s at least one person there who gets Tomchei Shab-bos….they live in La Brea, Pico and North Hollywood. It’s the Frum community – they’re not out in the boonies.”

In 2011, Tomchei Shabbos began get-ting applications from people losing their jobs left, right and center, Farber said, but now the typical recipients are households that are under-earning or without steady work.

“He’s doing Mashgiach work and she just had a baby,” Farber gave as an exam-ple.

Many women have recently been laid off from jobs as aids in the Jewish schools day schools here, and many men who do contracting work and odds and ends sim-ply don’t earn a steady paycheck. While layoffs seem to have slowed, there are still many heads of households who were laid off in 2010 or 2011 and still haven’t found work.

While some people will go on Tomchei Shabbos for a few months while in tem-porary need, others may stay longer up to even two and a half years. If it becomes longer than that, it’s usually a chronic, long-term situation, Farber said.

Cover story

with increased need and decreased resources, tomchei shabbos rallies to serve Community’s needy

By Rachel Wizenfeld

w

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Volunteers of all ages

From 2010-2013, Tomchei Shabbos saw a 100% increase in applicants, and at the same time the cost of food has gone up and fundraising has become more chal-lenging. Because they rely totally on pri-vate donations and many people affected by the economy aren’t able to be as gen-erous as in the past, they are now in the tricky situation of trying to do more with less.

It helps that with only two full-time employees drawing a salary– all up-per-level staff are completely volunteer –

they have a very low overhead with 96% of donations going straight to food and services. While Tomchei Shabbos doesn’t get money from other organizations, Rabbi Landau said they do work with the Jew-ish Federation, which makes referrals to people in need and also donates food from their events.

Their immense volunteer program also keeps costs down. Coordinated by Steve Berger, who has been involved with Tom-chei Shabbos for 30 years, over a hundred volun-teers gather each week to package and deliver food directly to house-holds in need. Mothers bring young children, high school stu-dents come with their friends and many elemen-tary and middle school students get dropped off by their parents to pack and help out in any way they can.

One such stu-dent is Batsheva Berkowitz, 13, who helps pack and get orders out at the Pico lo-cation on Thurs-day evenings.

“It’s really fun coming here – I like the hustle

and bustle,” she said.Besides food, Rabbi Landau would like

to see an expanded job services network for the Frum community in Los Angeles, and is applying for grants to hire dedicated staff for this.

“The most important service is to help people get jobs,” he said. “I do this myself on a small scale, but it needs to be done on a bigger scale.”

Rabbi Landau, who devotes hundreds of hours to running Tomchei Shabbos each month in addition to his insurance busi-

ness, said that everybody should be doing whatever they can to help people in need.

“Hashem helped me and my Parnasa, and I thank Hashem and I think everybody should be giving back to the community…Baruch Hashem they are not on that side,” he said.

He has been involved with Tomchei Shabbos since it started in 1977, giving food to six families out of a garage. When other organizers moved on, it fell into his

hands by default. “I took it further – now we help with furniture, clothing, diapers, other assistance that people need…rent, utility bills, medical bills, these are all things that we raise for.”

In addition to monetary donations which are always sorely needed to sustain their two-million dollar budget, Tomchei Shabbos is in urgent need of a building or warehouse. They recently lost an 8,000 square-food warehouse, and now their fur-niture service is very fragmented in several

locations around town. They also are always in need of volun-

teers – not only to help with packaging and delivering, but skilled volunteers who can help with writing, grant-writing, comput-ers and websites, photography and more, Rabbi Landau said.

To donate money, volunteer or to seek help, visit www.TomcheiShabbos.org or call 323-851-1000.

Cover story

EVERYBODY SHOULD BE DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN

TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED.

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The Yeshiva University Red Sarachek Basketball Tournament trophy is coming back to Los Angeles, but this time it’s a dif-ferent school that is bringing it home. The Shalhevet High School Firehawks capped off an amazing season with a 62-53 win at the largest Yeshiva basketball tournament in the country.

“I am still in shock. I can’t believe that I can say that we won the Sarachek Tour-nament,” said Shalhevet point guard Ari Wachtenheim. “Hearing that final buzzer was the perfect way to cap off an amazing four years of basketball at Shalhevet and phenomenal 27-2 season.”

The Firehawks were ranked #1 head-ed into the tournament and advance to the championship round with decisive victo-ries over the #10 Cooper Yeshiva Macca-bees from Memphis, TN and the #4 North Shore Hebrew Academy Stars from Great Neck, NY. In the championship game on Monday Shalhevet faced the #2 ranked Frisch School Cougars from Paramus, NJ.

In the championship game both Shalhe-vet and Frisch nerves got the best of them as they got off to a rocky start before the bigger size and quicker speed of Shalhe-vet took them to a 9-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game. At a number of points throughout the game Frisch tried to close the gap, but was no match for Shalhevet.

“Not many people get to win their last game in high school,” said senior JoJo Fal-las. “I am honored and proud that my final game involved me and my teammates win-ning the most prestigious Jewish basket-ball tournament in the country. There could not be a more fulfilling way to end my high school career.”

Fallas scored a game high 25 points and was awarded the tournament MVP award.

“It is amazing to think about how far

we have come from where we were four years ago and incredibly gratifying to fi-nally hold this championship trophy.” Said 6’8” Shalhevet Center Eitan Rothman. Rothman scored 12 points and had 11 re-bounds in the game.

“As impressive as they way our stu-dents played, was the way they acted throughout this tournament,” said Rabbi Ari Segal, Shalhevet’s Head of School. “The class and character of our players was simply amazing. The entire Shalhe-vet community could not be more proud of what they accomplished and how they did it. One mother mentioned to me that in addition to the incredible basketball the boys were playing, she is most proud of the Midot and Derech Eretz that they were displaying.”

Back at Shalhevet, over excited 100 students crowded together in the school’s Beit Midrash to watch a live stream of the game. The school had rearranged the day’s schedule so lunch corresponded with the game time. When the final seconds ticketed off the clock and their team was victorious, the fans erupted and started cheering down the halls.

At Yeshiva University, the team cele-brated in a most unique fashion. After the obligatory pile at half court, the team broke into a rendition of Shmelkie’s Niggun – a old Jewish song that has become a hall-mark of the team.

“Last year, after we won the champi-onship at the Yaffee Tournament in Hous-ton, our team started singing that song,” explained Rabbi Segal. “It has caught on with our fans and is now a standard chant at our games. I think its great – I love it.”

happenings

shalhevet wins Big at yeshiva university tournament

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Despite a late fourth quarter comeback bid by the North Shore Stars, the YULA Panthers were able to hold on for the 37-35 win in a Tier I consolation game.

In the fourth quarter, the Stars seemed to completely run out of steam, as the Pan-thers were able to pull away thanks to a strong offensive effort by Avi Zilberstein (13 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast).

The Stars however were not done, as they were able to pull back to within two with ten seconds left in the game. They were however unable to finish off the comeback bid as Jojo Himmelman (2 pts, 4 reb) was able to steal a pass from Avery Lubin in the waning seconds of the game.

The game began with a rough start, as neither team seemed to be able to make a shot. The real story of the first quarter however was the high rebounding rate of the Panthers, as YULA was able to pick up nine rebounds in the quarter alone, with Zilberstein and Leron Rayn (8 pts, 15 reb, 1 ast) picking up three apiece. The quarter ended with a small lead by the Panthers of 10-6.

The second quarter was an entirely different story, as North Shore was able to steal the lead from YULA, outscoring

them 13-8 en route to a 19-18 halftime lead. The comeback was thanks in part to the strong balanced attack of Benjy Haka-kian (12 pts, 3 reb), Jason Levian (8 pts, 11 reb), and Michael Zborowski (7 pts, 3 reb).

The Panthers however continued to dominate the boards, finishing off the quarter with a 17-7 rebounding advantage behind the continued efforts of Rayn and Zilberstein.

The second half began with a low scor-ing third quarter thanks to high defensive intensity from both teams. While the Pan-thers were able to maintain their advantage on the defensive boards, the Stars forced YULA into 13 turnovers by the end of the quarter. With the score tied heading into the fourth quarter, neither team established a clear advantage.

In the Camp Judah West Post-game in-terview, Menachem Solomon (6 pts, 4 ast, 1 reb) mentioned that the coaches were really disappointed in their teams effort af-ter the Memphis tournament earlier in the year and that they were really looking to come out and finish the Sarachek tourna-

ment strong. Solomon and Co. did not disappoint,

as the YULA Panthers will finish in third

place for the tournament. The North Shore Stars will finish off the tournament in fourth place.

happenings

Cheder menachem gala dinner

yula defeats north shore hebrew academy 37-35Finishes Third Place Overall in 2013 Sarachek Tournament

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On Monday, Shushan Purim, the 11th Annual Banquet of Cheder Menachem was held at Neman Hall in West Hollywood. The event featured a lavish buffet dinner catered by MGM Caterers and an exciting program for nearly 200 Trustee donors.

Rabbi Yehoshua Binyomin Gordon emceed the event. He inspired the guests by talking about his father who was one of the bochurim in the first group of talmidim of Tomchei Tmimim, and his mother who was at the pier when the Frierdiker Rebbe

arrived to these shores to change the face of Chinuch and Yiddishkeit in America. Today, 73 years later, over 20 great-grand-children ka”h study at Cheder Menachem.

Rabbi Yisroel Hecht, Director of De-velopment, welcomed all the guests and recited Tehillim. Rabbi Mendel Green-baum, Menahel, focused on the Chinuch at Cheder Menachem and acknowledged the dedicated staff of Rebbeim, Moros and teachers. Rabbi Greenbaum also thanked the Board of Cheder Menachem: Nota

Berger, Shmuel Fogelman, Yerachmiel Forer, Mendel Goldman, Yossi Lipsker, Yossi Mayberg, and Melech Weiss for their commitment and vision, as they face the challenge of securing the financial sta-bility of the Cheder and maintaining its high standard of success.

The crowd enjoyed the musical enter-tainment of the sensational 8th Day and was treated to a surprise appearance by Mordechai ben David and Yeedle. The evening ended with the comedy of Mr.

Mario Joyner.The evening was organized and coordi-

nated by Mrs. Ruchie Stillman.Attendees received a complimentary

copy of the 7th edition of Bracha V’Hat-zlacha — 240 pages of students’ f a m -ily stories with the Rebbe or the Frierdiker Rebbe. This annual Cheder publication is produced through the tire-less efforts of Rabbi Leibel Cohen.

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The parking situation in my neighbor-hood is terrible! What can I do about the frightening crime stats in my area? Does my neighborhood have a plan when there is a natural disaster? What’s the deal with marijuana dispensaries? Why don’t my street lights work?

The community is great at asking ques-tions, but more often than not, these ques-tions don’t develop into anything more than colorful Shabbos table talk. To be per-fectly frank, I don’t blame you. Local pol-itics is a bureaucratic labyrinth that would frustrate even the most patient navigator among us…until now.

Enter your local Neighborhood Coun-cil.

To begin, I will give you a very brief background to our Neighborhood Coun-cil system, as even I start to doze when I think about it for too long. In 1999 a City Charter enacted a system of Neighbor-hood Councils, 95 in total, throughout the City of Los Angeles. These Neighborhood Councils are comprised of residents and business owners who are elected to stag-gered four year terms. These representa-tives work closely with local City Coun-cilman to make sure the interests of the neighborhood are protected from special interests, big money, or sometimes just plain old ignorance. In other words, the Neighborhood Council system stands on the philosophy that we, as residents, know what’s in our best interest, not politicians in City Hall. So before a City Councilman grants a zoning permit or introduces a new bill that will directly impact our communi-ty, the City Councilman would be wise to, and often does, request the Neighborhood Council’s approval before acting.

The South Robertson Neighborhoods Council (SORONC) covers the areas of Pico/Robertson, West Los Angeles, Bever-lywood, Castle Heights, and much more. They meet once a month at the Museum of Tolerance to discuss local issues and all meetings are open to the public.

Another aspect of the Neighborhood Council system is that each Neighborhood Council is given approximately $37,500 a year to fund different community projects. The SORONC is comprised of a various committees that are all allocated mon-

ey from the original $37,500. The Public Safety Committee, for example, spends a good chunk of its funds on emergency supplies stored at Robertson Park in case of a natural disaster, while the Green Com-mittee spends money on replacing dead or missing trees on Pico Blvd. with healthy new trees. The SORONC also funds gen-eral purpose grants for worthy causes, all you need to do is apply.

In January, almost 50 members of the frum community attended the SORONC meeting to voice their opinions and watch the representatives debate and vote. The issue on the agenda that night was Adas Torah’s new building plans for their new shul at the old Victory Furniture building on Pico Blvd. The problem was that by law, the shul was required to have 113 parking spots. Adas Torah only wanted a permit for 8 spots. So before Councilman Koretz would approve the permit to allow only 8 parking spots, Koretz required Adas Torah obtain the Neighborhood Council’s approval. The main concern was that only having 8 spots for an up-and-coming shul like Adas Torah, would cause a parking nightmare for residents in the area. After a well thought out presentation was made by Adas Torah, and some heated debate on the issue by the representatives, the Neighborhood Council overwhelmingly approved the parking permit. It may seem fairly obvious to us that a permit like this would be approved, right? Wrong. It took careful research, an impressive presenta-tion, and a big community showing to get

the job done. Don’t take my word for it, just ask any member of Adas Torah who was there.

On that same action packed night in January, over three hundred residents, many frum people included, signed a peti-tion against a proposed site for a new Met-ro PCS cell tower sub-station on 18th St. and Robertson. The community made their voice heard and once again the SORONC got the message.

Knowing the most effective channels to address local problems is half the battle in seeing positive change in our commu-nity. I hope you now feel armed with this information to make your voice heard and take the next step in bettering our neigh-borhood. Let’s turn that colorful Friday night table talk into Motzei Shabbos ac-tion. I am sure March’s SORONC meet-ing will be exciting, so feel free to stop by. If you are interested in getting involved or have any questions, concerns, sugges-tions, or comments, NOW you know who to ask...your local Neighborhood Coun-cilman. For more information about your local Neighborhood Council, visit www.soronc.org.

Kevin Gres is a recently elected Board Member and Zone 1 Representative on the South Robertson Neighborhoods Council. He Co-Chairs the Education Committee and is an active member on the Public Safety Committee and the Community Po-lice Advisory Board. He can be reached at [email protected].

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) recognized the pro-Israel activism of Rabbi Pini Dunner of Yeshiva University Boys High School of Los Angeles (YULA), at the AIPAC Campus Awards Dinner held during its an-nual Policy Conference in Washington.

Rabbi Dunner was presented with the “Ally of the Year” award for being a shining example of what a campus profes-sional can mean to an entire school. His profound contribution to the creation of an environment on campus where students are excited to be involved in pro-Israel po-litical activism has led activists at YULA to be some of the most productive in the country.

The award was presented during the 2013 AIPAC Policy Conference, an event that brought together about 13,000 pro-Israel advocates, including more than 2,000 pro-Israel campus delegates and 242 Geller Student Government Associa-tion Presidents. Students represented more

than 449 campuses, from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. “Ally of the Year” awards were also presented to Gil Schpero, Muhlenberg College Hillel Assistant Area Director, and to Elan Carr, International President of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity.

Consistently ranked as the most influential foreign policy lobbying organization on Capitol Hill, AIPAC is an American membership organi-zation that seeks to strengthen the re-lationship between the United States and Israel. For more than 50 years, AIPAC has been working with Con-gress to build a strong, vibrant rela-tionship between the U.S. and Israel. With more than 100,000 members across the United States, AIPAC works throughout the country to im-prove and strengthen that relationship by supporting U.S.-Israel military, economic, scientific and cultural co-operation.

‘round the hood

rabbi Pini dunner of yeshiva university Boys high school of los angeles receives aiPaC “ALLY OF THE YEAR” honor

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t was just after midnight as I stood at the bottom of a parking garage in Secaucus, New Jersey. Over 1200 other people and I were get-

ting ready to walk through fire. For over 13 hours we’ve been pumped with the mes-sage that anything is possible – and now we were going to prove it. Flash forward two hours. I’m driving alone in my car, totally lost somewhere near the Meadow-lands or is it East Brunswick? I keep tell-ing myself “anything is possible” – and then I tell myself “yeah, so is getting lost.”

The modern self-help movement, or millionaire messenger troop, will tell you that we can do anything once we unleash the Kraken within. Tony Robbins qualifies that statement with something a bit more inspiring: “what we thought were our limi-tations, are not our limitations.” There is great truth to this paradigm. We all put up walls. These walls of limitation are synthetic, creations of our own need for self-sabotage and preservation. Neverthe-less, at some point, you can fire yourself up - you can dig deeper than you’ve ever have been able to dig and still find that you slip. You may find that affording the big-gest house on the block is still out of your reach. Maybe the message is one of a more Qui Jong nature: stop trying so hard. Con-quering the world is hubris. It’s a mistake. Maybe G-d gives us the illusion that we can achieve, succeed, and build – when in fact we are capable of nothing significant – only smoke and mirrors.

Can I conquer the world or am I con-fined to the realism of my space?

Success according to Judaism is living comfortably with the knowledge that I am capable of colossal achievement but G-d can, at any moment, tell us “that space is not for you to conquer.”

A statement of power emerges from the pen of ancient Jewish scholars (Avot D’Rebbe Natan) - “May you always be the captain of your ship.” In other words, as the American Novelist Louisa May Alcott put it, “I don’t worry about the storms, I am learning to sail my own ship.”

We are called upon to be bold and inno-vative. We are asked to become partners in creation. G-d is not content with us stand-ing outside the fire. We are all captains. We are harbingers of change and difference.

S o m e t i m e s life seems to push back and tell us that we’re not ca-pable of making a difference. To that narrative we have to be force-ful enough to say, “No!” The saint-ly Hassidic master, the Bobover Rebbe, lost everything in the Holocaust - family, friends, followers, disciples, and students. The Rebbe arrived in America after the war with nothing but the clothes on his back. The average human, after witness-ing such destruction, would give credence to the push back and live out their days in depression or apathy. The Bobover Rebbe was not willing to accept this fate. Piece by piece, brick by brick, he rebuilt first himself, then his family, and then an entire dynasty.

But then, when we are at our most powerful, when there is nothing that can get in our way – when we make decisions that seem to alter the course of destiny – G-d says, “Hold.”

Here is where the line in the sand is drawn. Here is where you must set up your station. Moses had grand dreams of entering the land. He was an unlikely con-queror, a leader of men. He was humble, he was valiant, he kept leading and chart-ing a new course when the tide was against him – but Israel, as the poet says, “that ever elusive dream,” was no longer in the cards for Moses.

There is plenty of area for us all to master. There is no shortage of impact-ful space. But at some point G-d lets us know that our domain, our world, ends right at this point. The Sages teach, “Who is happy? He who is content with his por-tion.” Happiness comes from harnessing the powers availed to us within our orbit. Beyond that is meaningless for our deci-sions. It’s not our portion of the world. This thought may at first seem inhibiting but on the contrary, it’s liberating. There is no room for jealousy when you don’t have Job X or House Y because those positions and acquisitions are not even in your realm of existence.

Chart your course. Be bold, be strong, be creative, but know that at some point G-d can turn to you and say, “Ad Kaan,” those words in our tradition when a text is at completion - until there.

Here is one bit of advice that may take

us in a different direction. Sometimes a problem or a challenge is just that – a problem or a challenge. Often they allow us to rise above and bring out the best that we have hidden within. Other times those

challenges evolve and they ultimately become that wall where G-d says “until there.” Perhaps we are capable of extend-ing our reach if we make decisions before they become problems. In the book Flash Foresight by Daniel Burrus, he argues that so many of our battles would cease to exist if we can learn to see the problem before it happens. If we can plan for success and see our hurdle before it gets there, we can better manage it. Turning a problem into an opportunity is almost overwhelming once the problem has hit and often it’s too late. Become preactive. Preactive change (before a problem forces you to change) is a very powerful tool to help ensure, as best as possible, that you still have room to maneuver.

The question you may ask, though, is how does one know if the proverbial wall in front of your charge is a wall that is syn-thetic and can still be traversed, or if it is a wall that G-d has placed there to tell you, “until there”?

I would simply say that if the only way to scale that wall is by hurting others or by going against your moral compass then you know it’s the end of your space.

Kansas City Royals veteran Pitcher Gil Meche knew where his space ended. At 32 he walked away from a guaranteed $12.4 million. Why? He felt that after a series of injuries he wouldn’t be able to properly do the job. Taking that money would simply be wrong.

Another way to know if you have come to the limit of your particular orbit is if the job at hand is asking you to compromise your identity, values, and/or your loved ones. No real long term success can come about by being somebody that you are not. Adjusting is always necessary to find true success, but to adjust to the extent that you no longer recognize yourself, or to the point where those that care most about you no longer recognize who you are, is a shift that G-d does not ask of you.

How do you know when it’s your time to quit a particular job or a particular proj-ect? It is not an indicator when your job

or investment hits a low point. The low point may in fact just be the great battle cry you need to make some shift that places you into the category of winners. Know-ing when to quit is about recognizing

what truly makes something a “low point.” Am I no longer reaping value from what I set out to do? If my low point comes because I’m doing the same things I’ve

always done and it’s not working, that’s not a sign to quit - that’s a sign to try your job a little differently. But if your low point comes because you’re not feeling the same invigoration you’ve always felt, then it may be a sign.

Another indication that it’s time to stop pursuing the path you’re on is when your current venture is capitalizing on all your weaknesses and ignoring most of your strengths. According to numerous sourc-es, the ancient Egyptians who enslaved the Israelites employed an insidious trick to weaken the spirit of the people. They would give the men the jobs normally giv-en to the women, and they would give the women jobs normally given to the men. When we’re doing those things that go against our nature, or just the things we are weakest at, it can literally tear you apart.

You also have to be careful about ir-rational behavior. Ori and Ron Brafman, in their book Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior, make this case pretty clearly. At the beginning of their work they talk about an airplane pilot who took off in fog without getting clearance from traffic control. His plane crashed and over 500 people were killed. The tragedy is ex-plained by irrational behavior. He went through all the negative consequences of leaving late or having to stay overnight and all those trivial consequences meant more to him than departing safely. We tend to fear the smaller more immediate loss even at the possible expense of disaster. If a situation is simply not working but the only reason you’re staying in it is because you’re afraid of a new job hunt, or may-be being behind in your bills for several months, it’s simply not worth your dimin-ished quality of life, possible depression, and later regret of not seizing other oppor-tunities. Know when you’ve hit the edge of your universe and respond accordingly.

Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn is currently the Rav & Dean of Yeshivat Yavneh in Los Angeles. He is the creator of WINGS; a synagogue consulting group for the Orhodox Union. He is also the author of 3 se-farim. For any comments, thoughts, or observations email the Rabbi at [email protected]

Judaism alive

to the edge of our universe – Knowing when to walk away

Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn

i

WE ARE ALL CAPTAINS

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his week we begin Sefer Vayikra, the Book of Leviticus—now that we have learned about the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, it seems appropriate that we would

hear about what was done in the Mishkan. Many people find this section of the To-rah uninspiring and dreary—it seems to be preoccupied with the way animals are to be slaughtered and burnt on the altar; we won’t get back to dramatic stories of the B’nei Yisroel in the Wilderness until the next Book, Sefer Bamidbar. But at the very start of Parshas Vayikra, we find a verse (the second verse, in fact), that seems to be filled with inconsistencies and strange language.

Verse Two of Chapter One of Vayikra reads: [Hashem instructs Moshe:] “Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: If any man [adam] shall offer a sacrifice from among you [mikem], from the animals, the herds of cattle, or from the flocks of sheep, then you all [plural] should bring your [again plural] offer-ings.” The Torah then goes on in the chap-ters that follow to lay out the various rules that apply to each of these sacrifices. But the text of this verse has so many problems, that it may seem that we made mistakes translating it. Why, for example, does the phrase “from among you” occur after the word “sacrifice”—shouldn’t the text read: “If any man from among you shall offer a sacrifice”? And why does the beginning of the verse speak of the person offering the sacrifice in the third person—“if he of-fers a sacrifice”—and then switches to the second person—“you all should bring…”? And why does the verse change from the singular—“any man”—to the plural—“you all”?

As you would imagine, the commen-taries work hard to explain these strange phrasings, but here we’ll look at an expla-nation offered by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, zt”l, author of the Tanya, in his commentary on Vayikra, the Likutei Torah from which this insight is taken. Perhaps (as often happens), by delving into the deeper, mystical, Kabbalistic and spiritual meaning of the subject being discussed here, namely, the entire rational and pur-pose of sacrifices in the first place, we’ll find that the language and structure of the verse makes perfect sense—in fact, can’t be put any other way!

Let’s begin with a simple question that nearly every person for whom their spiri-tual journey and the growth or decline of their Neshama, their soul, is important has asked at one time or another—and some-times frequently: That question is, What happens to inspiration? We are frequently inspired by an event—a prayer service in the Shul, perhaps during Yom Kippur; or

perhaps during the Seder, just around the corner; or the joyous dancing and singing on Simchas Torah; or a class or a Drasha that touches us deeply—or perhaps by a dream that has struck at our core. Then again, it may come spontaneously out of nowhere—just from the things we think

about through the hum-drum of the day. But here’s the sad truth: these peri-

ods and experiences of inspiration seem very fleeting. They disappear like smoke, sometimes in a matter of minutes, but al-most always after a few hours or days. The inspirational fervor and resolve vanishes, and we are right back at “square-one”. Or worse, we might enjoy the “high” of these inspirational moments so much, that when they pass, we will seek substitutes in plea-sures and material, artificial “highs”. And pretty soon, we become so disappointed by the fleeting nature of these feelings of inspiration that we begin to doubt their reality or legitimacy. We become resis-tant to such feelings and become immune to inspiration. We might even settle into a life of observance of Jewish life and law, but without passion and without convic-tion. When that happens, we might just as well knock a nail into our spiritual cof-fin—we have condemned ourselves to a life of mundane, uninspired living, devoid of spirituality, and with no growth possible for our soul, our Neshama.

This is the question that our verse deals with, says the Baal HaTanya, and not only does the Torah give us here the cause of this malaise, this problem, but also the so-lution and the remedy. First, we need to realize that we often make a mistake about the relationship between two forces, two “souls,” that are at work within us. The Chassidic masters teach us that we are im-bued with two souls when we are put on this earth as living beings: one is an ethe-real soul that is a spark of the Divine—a piece of the Almighty that beats and glows within each of us. But then we are also im-bued with an “animal soul”—a soul that seeks to negotiate its way thorough the material world as best it can. Sometimes we refer to that animal soul as the Yetzer Hara—the “evil inclination,” because it is the part of us that falls prey to tempta-tion and pushes us to seek pleasure and to gratify our lusts and appetites.

We might be inclined to conclude that our animal soul is irrelevant to our spiri-tual life—that we must, in fact, suppress

the animal soul in us in order to achieve anything in our spiritual lives. But this would be a mistake. Chazal—the Sag-es—tell us that, when we are command-ed in the Shema to love and serve Hash-em “B’chol levavecha”—“with all your heart”—the word used for “heart” is not

the usual singular “libeh-cha,” but “le-vaveh-cha,” with two letter Bet’s, which actually means, “with both your hearts”—meaning, bishnei yitzut-cha—with your two inclinations: “with your animal heart as well as with your Neshama.” But how can an animal soul be directed to spiritual pursuits and to G-dliness; how can it be put into the service of Hashem?

It may surprise us that there are super-nal, Heavenly creatures—we might consid-er them akin to angels—who are referred to as Chayot Hakodesh—“Holy Beasts”—and we spend a good deal of the blessings we recite leading up to the recitation of the Shema in our morning prayers, Shacharit, talking about the manner in which these “beasts” give praise to Hashem in Heaven. But we may wonder why we seem to deni-grate these beings by calling them chayot, “beasts”—doesn’t Maimonides tell us that these beings have intelligences and powers that dwarf our own, but there is something we have that they don’t: free will. When these heavenly creatures sing praises to Hashem and bask in His glorious light, they are reacting instinctively—like true animals. And these “upper class” relatives and sources of the animals here on earth give rise to the animal consciousness in the world, including the animal souls in us. So, in truth, the essence of all our physical instincts and animal cravings is, at its core, the sublime yearning of a supernal creature to G-dly light.

Now, the G-dly soul can be awakened by a momentary burst of light or jolt from above—or by the radiance of sanctity that emanates from the performance of a Mitz-vah or the celebration of a Festival, such as dancing with a Torah scroll on Simchat Torah, or the warm and beautiful obser-vances of the Seder. In addition, The Ba’al Shem Tov comments on the Kabbalistic passages of Midrash that relate how angel-ic calls periodically emanate from Heaven calling on human souls to recognize Hash-em and to observe His com-mandments. He wonders, what is the purpose of these calls? His answer: these are Divine gifts that awaken and infuse Divine radiance

that can inspire the dark and dormant souls of human beings. If we then use this in-spiration to work on the animal soul, it is possible to transform the animal soul to a higher G-dly level.

This influence—this inspiration—is only fleeting, however. One may liken it to a “jump-start” of a car’s dead battery us-ing a cable from another car. The jolt from the working battery may get the car run-ning, but if one were to turn the ignition off, the battery would be dead again. Only by running the motor and charging the bat-tery from the car itself can the battery once again start the car and function. Our ani-mal soul is like that dead battery: it goes fast asleep as soon as the inspiration stops, and once again devotes itself solely to the satisfaction of its animal desires and plea-sures. It’s up to the Neshama—the Divine spark that is the soul that resides in every human being (our “motor”)—to continue and complete the process of raising that animal soul to a higher level of spiritual consciousness.

This was the entire purpose of the Mishkan and of the institution of sacrific-es: to act as a model of this most import-ant task of raising the animal soul to the recognition of and service to the G-dly. Thus, the puzzling verse at the beginning of Vayikra must be read like this: Adam ki yakriv mikem—“If adam”—the sin-gular person, which is a veiled reference to Hashem—“will bring a part of you close to Him” by sending an inspiration to touch your soul, then: min ha-behei-ma min ha-bokor u’min hatzon takrivu es korbanchem—“then it is incumbent upon you—all of you—to take inspiration from this and to apply it to your animal souls”—by forgoing a bit of the pursuit of physi-cal pleasure and meditating on serving the Will of Hashem. That will lead to making the inspiration more permanent and more lasting. And this may serve as a model for us as we approach the Seder in a few weeks: to continue the task of lifting our animal soul to serve Hashem, even after the inspiring light of the Seder night has passed.

Rabbi Reuven Wolf is a world renowned educator & lecturer who has devoted his life to reaching out and rekindling the spirit of Judaism in his fellow Jews. He was raised in the Ropshetz Chassidic dynasty, educat-ed in the Belz and Bluzhev Yeshivos, and later, in the famous Lithuanian schools of Slabodkea and Mir. He is profoundly influenced by Jewish Mysticism and Kab-balah, and particularly Chabad Chassidic philosophy.

Since 1995, Rabbi Wolf has been teaching stu-dents of all ages, from elementary school children to adults, and has lectured across North America. Maay-on Yisroel was founded in 2006 by Rabbi Wolf & Haki Abhesera, as a center to fulfill the vision of spreading the profound mystical teachings of Chassidic Judaism.

hassidic thoughtRabbi Reuven Wolf

WE BEGIN TO DOUBT THEIR REALITY

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Q: We have a seder every year. It has become monotonous, and it seems like we do the same things each year. How do we make it a stimulating evening for our fami-ly?

-Tired of the Monotony

Dear Tired of the Monotony,

The beauty of the seder night is that even though we call the evening the Seder Night, which connotes “order” and monot-ony, it is actually designed to be the op-posite. When the Torah introduces us to the concept of children asking questions, it is so interesting how it uses four examples for the types of verbal questions and non-verbal questions being asked. Even the answers vary each time the Torah brings up the possibility that a child in the future may ask about Pesach laws and customs. Perhaps even more interesting is the fact

that the Haggadah, when listing the ques-tions and answers, mixes and matches. The question that the Haggadah attributes to the rasha—the wicked son—is answered in the Torah with the answer that the Hag-gadah attributes to the wise son.

The message is clear. The questions and answers can vary from time to time, depending on to whom they are asked and in what context. When a child asks a ques-tion, even if the words are the same, the intent may be different and therefore the answer should change depending on the circumstance.

Rav Lichtenstein explains that in gen-eral we learn from the Torah’s inclusion of these parent-child discussions about the need for careful differentiation in the fields of education and outreach. There is no one answer, eternal and triumphant, to every question. Rather, the Torah teaches us that each and every generation, society and cultural milieu requires its own type of response. As the questioners differ one from the other in background and attitude,

so must the answers.In Chapter 12 of Exodus, when it talks

about the topic of a child being taught about the seder, it states: “The people bowed down and they prostrated them-selves [to G-d].” Why is this inserted in the Torah at this juncture?

This is because there is a final lesson to learn from the Four Sons: In contrast to the variety of sons, the Torah has only one fa-ther, one respondent. The Torah aspires to a situation in which one person can answer all of the questions: from the wise son who asks about tiny details; from the wicked son who is quarrelsome and aggressive; from the simple son who knows nothing but asks; and from the son who does not even know to ask. At the end of the discus-sion the child has to see how everything emanates from the Divine and G-d. The answers we give are not man-made. Rath-er, they are divinely inspired.

If we bring G-d into our seder and we allow for stimulating discussions, we can take the monotony out and bring variety

and new ideas in...The core of the seder experience is the

telling of the story of leaving Mizrayim. Everyone has a story to tell about their own personal Mitzrayim.

We know that in every generation each Jew should see himself as though he per-sonally has been freed from Mitzrayim. The story of enslavement and freedom we describe at the seder gives us hope. We know our faith should be in the miracles of what Hashem did for us and continues to show us in our daily lives.

To continue the dialogue and share other ideas on this topic, email [email protected]. We want to hear your thoughts.

This article was compiled by the Edu-cational Administrative Team of Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy and edited by the English Language Department.

education

Question & answer Education is at the fore of every parent’s mind. Parents and Educators have many questions, concerns and worries.

If you wish to have your question or issue considered by a team of Educators feel free to email [email protected] and your topic may be discussed in this column in future weeks. All names will be held confidential.

מוהל מומחה ומוסמך

Traditional Ritual Circumcision

RabbiSholom D. LangsamCM, NREMT

(216) FOR-BRIS [email protected] N Alta Vista Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 90036

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By Erin Sharfman Shalhevet student, class of 2013

Throughout my life, the impact and presence of Shabbat in my life has been ever-changing and evolving. As I reflect back on my relationship with Shabbat, it is clear that my attitude towards this special day drastically shifted during the various phases of my life.

As a child, Shabbat was mostly a day of dos and don’ts. My observance and my understanding of the day revolved around what was permitted and what was pro-hibited. On Friday afternoon, I showered in preparation of Shabbat, made sure my closet and bathroom lights remained on, and that any electronics were shut off. I knew that for the next twenty five hours I could not touch the light switches in our house or heat any food in the micro-wave. Without any greater insight into the day such an existence felt restrictive. Be-sides for it being a day of leisure and good food, my relationship with the seventh day of the week was lacking. The limitations cast upon the Jewish people on Shabbat felt slightly arbitrary and I didn’t compre-hend the value of restricting many of our mundane actions.

The meaning of Shabbat developed as I got older. With a life greatly impact-ed by the stress of school and a compli-cated social life, Shabbat gained deeper meaning in my life beyond the superficial. I acquired a new appreciation for Shabbat as a day of rest. Shabbat became synon-ymous with friendships and family I no longer had the opportunity to connect with during the week. I had a separate group of “Shabbat friends” in the neighborhood and my family often hosted large seuda shleshit meals in which the men participat-ed in Torah study, while the mothers talked in the kitchen and the children ran around the house. I began to appreciate Shabbat as a singular day which allowed me to sepa-rate myself from the pressures and whirl-wind of my school life.

Upon reaching high school, my re-lationship with Shabbat was further strengthened. With new responsibilities and increased anxieties, Shabbat became a necessary and cherished part of my life. I fondly recall having some of the deepest conversations with my friends and family over Shabbat meals and Shabbat afternoon gatherings. Though this may be a product of natural growth and maturity, Shabbat af-

forded us the space, time, and atmosphere to engage in a different type of discussion and dialogue than our norm. Strange as it may seem, those experiences with my friends and family gave me the necessary break to fully recover from the previous week and help me properly prepare for the upcoming week.

As a senior in high school, my teach-er posed the following conceptual ques-tion about Shabbat. Simply put, he asked whether Shabbat should be viewed as the rule or the exception in its relationship with the other six days of the week. Ini-tially, I thought the question was shallow and the answer obvious. Shabbat is clearly the exception. It made sense; Shabbat was only one day of the week, and it is often defined by either decompressing the previ-ous week’s events or prepping for upcom-ing work.

However, my perspective, and ulti-mately my relationship with Shabbat shift-ed after being exposed to the incomparable work of Abraham J. Heschel, The Sabbath. The great twentieth century scholar and philosopher writes that “The Sabbath is not for the sake of the weekdays, the week-days are for the sake of the Shabbath” (14). Heschel profoundly posits that Shabbat must be viewed as far more than a recharg-ing station. Shabbat, if properly perceived, is the pinnacle of our existence. As we say in our Friday night Tefilla, Shabbat is ta-chlit ma’aseh shamayim va’aretz, Shab-bat is the culmination and true purpose of creation. Such an understanding yields a revolutionary perspective. Rather than ob-serving Shabbat as a respite from our days of work, the six days of work are in fact preparatory for the day of Shabbat. While this may be a difficult perspective to mas-ter, the focus of our lives becomes more meaningful if Shabbat is viewed as the cli-max of our week. Shabbat, as a day of rec-ognizing God as the Creator of all allows us the opportunity to place our material concerns and work in their proper place. According to Heschel, the tribulations and hardships of the week are best valued if performed in order to properly celebrate, appreciate, and enjoy Shabbat. In a perfect world, Shabbat is ‘the rule’ and the week is ‘the exception.’

Although my relationship with Shab-bat has gone through many stages, and I can foresee the cycle repeating itself as I leave high school, I look forward to the continued exploration of the greatest gift the Jewish people have given the world: Shabbat.

By Hila MachmaliMaimonides Academy, 7th grade

Shabbat has a different feeling for me than the rest of the week. It is a day when I feel connected to Hashem through the different rituals that I perform with my family. Although I Daven each day in school, on Shabbat when I go to Shul and am surrounded by friends and family I feel like my Tefilot are stronger.

This past Shabbat, Maimonides Acad-emy took the middle school girls away for a Shabbaton to San Diego. Although I thought I knew how much I loved Shab-bat, after the Shabbaton I realized I didn’t even know how great a Shabbat could be. The Ruach and spiritual environment that I experienced was at a level I didn’t know existed. As I sat singing Jewish songs with my friends and teachers at each Seudah, I felt my soul uplifted. I felt that I was con-necting to Hashem in a special way. The Davening was also extra special because my Rabbis took the time to explain what we were saying. At each meal we heard Divrei Torah which inspired us to reach higher both as individuals and as a group. My friends and I discussed how much we enjoyed Shabbat together.

When I returned home, I shared my excitement with my family and have com-mitted to add more Zemirot into our Shab-bat meals. I look forward to taking a piece of what I experienced on the Shabbaton and adding it to my own Shabbat in Brent-wood.

By Yonah HillerOf Yula Boys High

My mouth waters as aromas of freshly cooked delicacies waft through the air. The counters shining with a sparkle, the floors swept clean, hot water running down my back, as I prepare myself for the holiest day of the week. Emerging from the steamed shower as a new person, I stand ready to greet the Shabbos Queen. Electrifying Jewish music fills the room as I dress in my finest clothes: freshly pressed suit, shirt, tie, and polished shoes that glis-ten and twinkle in the waning hour of sun-light. During my walk to shul with a big smile on my face, I mentally prepare for

the ultimate words of true joy and appreci-ation that I will soon be expressing in uni-son among others. The camaraderie in the room is palpable. Finally it starts: “yedid nefesh av harachaman,” yes, Shabbos has finally come!

Many contemplate the rationale behind the day and question its’ purpose. Often the words “What’s the point, I have so much to do?” being bellowed by some, rings in my ear. The answer requires perspective. “Perspective” is the key to solving this difficult equation and under-standing the importance of the day. If one views Shabbos appropriately and has the proper “perspective” he will appre-ciate and love the gift that the day truly is. We must recognize that Hashem gave the Jewish people Shabbos, one of the only mitzvos that a gentile is forbidden to perform, because he wanted us to have a day devoted solely to Him, the Master of the Universe, along with oneself, family, and friends. Shabbos is that special day where we have the ability to transcend the physical and temporarily shut off a reality defined by the outside, and instead, thrive in a new reality defined by the needs our of souls. Shabbos is the time in which we try to tune out that which punctuates the “outside” and get the opportunity to tune into more selfish needs - a time dedicated to laughter, enjoyment, relaxation and re-juvenation, along with those that are most important in our lives. Shabbos is a time to create sacred space and to develop an in-timate relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu, to become close to Him and float upon a spiritual high.

Hilchos Shabbos do not exist in a vac-uum and are of not much benefit with-out context or purpose. The “do’s” and “don’ts” of the day are tools that at worst enable, and at best encourage, us to savor the day before it is gone. Once it’s gone, we are once again chained to technolo-gy and imprisoned by the society around us. We are again forced to rush, scream, text, and live our lives in the frantic fash-ion upon which we all survive. Luckily, however, we are so very blessed to begin the countdown until the next Shabbos, only six days away, at which we will once again have an invitation to enjoy the sooth-ing and calming, “spa” experience, deeply connecting with our Creator.

students write

the meaning of shabbat

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Overcast skies, misty air and heavy traffic jams could do nothing to dampen the spirit of the nearly 125 attendees at Wednesday’s Master Fundraiser Forum at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Fort Lee, New Jersey, hosted by Bottom Line Marketing Group.

Founders, executive directors, and fun-draisers affiliated with schools and non-profit organizations of all sizes converged upon the hotel for a full day program of-fering them the chizuk, vision and tools to be most effective in their work. The diverse crowd of men and women - from across the New York/New Jersey region and beyond, including two from Europe; representing out-of-town Day Schools to chassidishe mosdos – listened attentively to each speaker, jotting down notes of the valuable lessons they were learning.

The camaraderie between attendees and their mutual respect of the common cause to help Klal Yisrael’s communities was visible in every aspect of the loaded program – including the amiable schmooz-ing and networking throughout the day.

Yet, at the same time, there was no at-tempt to hide some of the more challeng-ing realities that those in the room face on a day to day basis. With his infectious good nature and sense of humor, Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, shlita, Rav of Khal Bnei Yitzchok and noted author, opened the program and spoke of the positivity and dedication necessary to be successful in the field – and offered practical tips to help achieve that goal.

Rabbi Goldwasser related a poignant story where he met a veteran fundraiser and asked him how his “avodas hakodesh” was going. The man was downcast and re-fused to answer; it turned out that he was on his way to resign due to his inability to raise funds in today’s tough economic climate. However, after being reminded by the Rav how holy and valuable his work is, he continued working that day and saw a level of success that he hadn’t seen in years – and stayed on. “Hashem could help us rise above all statistics and limita-tions,” Rabbi Goldwasser concluded. “All we need to do is dream and not give up.”

Nuts and BoltsJudging by the crowd’s reaction to

Rabbi Goldwasser’s words, his message was warmly received, but, beyond the vision, successful fundraisers must also learn the most successful practical tools of the trade – with many rules of the game being rewritten on a constant basis. The program was filled with practical advice from seasoned insiders coming from a va-riety of angles.

“My entire trip was worth it if it in-formed me of even one good idea,” re-marked Rabbi Dovid Morgan, co-founder of Ateres Girls High School in Gateshead, England, “and I’ll be returning home with a lot more than that.”

Nary a minute of Rabbi Richard C. Bieler’s presentation went by without another unique insight, anecdote or tip. Rabbi Bieler is the founder of R. Bieler Consulting, and has decades of fundraising and outreach experience on behalf of insti-tutions like Yeshiva University and Ohel.

Rabbi Bieler spoke of the tremendous benefit vs. cost ratio of courting the sup-port of major donors and detailed some of the steps to accomplish that. He related the fascinating story of how Ohel courted the support of philanthropist Harvey Kay-lie, who was impressed by an Ohel foster family, began by contributing small toy clowns for an Ohel event, and eventually dedicated a major summer camp campus. Some of the points touched upon by Rabbi Bieler were how to identify potential major donors, familiarize them firsthand with the organization’s work, and cultivate a long term relationship in a professional manner. “We kept one of the Kaylie clowns in the office to encourage us when we had a dif-ficult day,” he remarked.

Next up was Yitzchok Saftlas, Presi-dent of Bottom Line Marketing Group, who has decades of marketing experience with hundreds of organizational, political and corporate clients and is the vision-ary behind the Master Fundraiser Forum. “Marketing is the way you spread your message,” he summed up succinctly.

In his PowerPoint presentation, Mr. Saftlas showcased various ad campaigns, newsletters, and other projects and exam-ples, in order to illustrate the tips and ideas that he shared. Some of the principles that he expounded upon were balancing cre-ativity with effectiveness – the need to pro-duce materials that will impress donors, yet effectively communicate the cause.

Diversified ExperienceWhile sitting down to lunch, Dennis

Eisenberg, Director of Torah Umesorah’s Leadership and Fundraising Academy, and President of DME Partners, spoke of the unique breadth of the forum. “It makes you know your craft and everything that’s mar-ried to it – the whole package in one day,” he said.

Indeed, no possible angle remained untouched.

In order to give attendees a rare win-dow into the mind of the donor, the forum allotted one prized slot to someone on the other side of the fence. Due to a medical emergency, the original philanthropist speaker, Richard Jedwab, CEO of Silk Tree Capital Partners, was unable to at-tend. With barely 48 hours of prior notice, Bottom Line scrambled and sought a qual-ified fill-in. They were somehow able to secure Jonathan Gassman of Gassman Fi-nancial Group and G & G Planning Con-cepts to take his place.

Mr. Gassman is one of only several hundred Americans who are certified as a “Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy,” and

advises many high net-worth clients on their philanthropic activities. With a per-petual smile on his face and quip on his tongue, Mr. Gassman kept the audience spellbound throughout his presentation, during which he interacted with audience members.

He spoke of various aspects of appear-ing professional and successful to wealthy donors, while being 100% transparent. But perhaps the most memorable part of the presentation was when he told the au-dience not to despair or feel slighted by a donor who refuses to donate. He inscribed on the board “SW3/N” which stands for: “Some Will, Some Won’t…So What! Next!” Something every fundraiser can relate with!

Brass Tacks One of the Jewish community’s most

experienced hands at coordinating suc-cessful fundraising events then offered some of his experiences and perspectives. Norman G. Gildin, President of Strategic Fundraising Group, who has helped raise millions of dollars for organizations like Ohel and the Metropolitan Jewish Geriat-ric Foundation, spoke about the evolving model of fundraising events, which max-imize donations and minimize expenses. Mr. Gildin detailed some of the more re-cent innovations in this area, such as text message donations and VIP receptions.

As the afternoon progressed, the high-ly anticipated “Fundraising Inspiration Workshop” took place, offering a variety of time efficient tips and perspectives. Rabbi Eliezer Stern, CEO of Yeshiva of Spring Valley, who led a capital campaign to build an 11 acre campus spoke about the Siyata D’shmaya he encountered every step of the way – despite entering the field without a fundraising background.

Noted entrepreneur Shea Rubenstein, Executive Vice President of the JCC of Marine Park, particularly elaborated on the successful fundraising efforts of the JCC’s Project Mazon, which helps families with their grocery bills. Mr. Rubenstein spoke of some of the methods that enabled the

organization to receive automatically re-curring donations and familiarize powerful elected officials with their work.

The third part of this workshop was delivered by Marty Siegmeister, National Sales Manager for Allied Importers, who has spent his life in the food and bever-age industry. Mr. Siegmeister spoke about various successful wine related fundrais-ing methods, including wine tastings and vineyard visits.

Spirited SummationThe forum’s keynote address was, as

they say, last but not least. Rabbi Simcha Scholar, M.B.A., M.A., the renowned Ex-ecutive Vice President of Chai Lifeline held an open talk with the audience, shar-ing some of the lesser known aspects of his journey building the prestigious organiza-tion.

Rabbi Scholar stressed the need for honesty and gave the attendees lots of chizuk on how to advance past the inevi-table setbacks. He related one particular-ly painful anecdote when Camp Simcha lacked the necessary funds to open, and one major donor turned down the opportu-nity to assist because “sick children don’t grow.” Rabbi Scholar, on the other hand, takes an entirely different view of the pained holy neshamos he helps – and that belies his success, B’Siyata D’shmaya. “I look at the pictures of the children in my office, and I get to see why I’m doing this,” he explained.

The conclusion of Rabbi Scholar’s talk brought the meticulously executed fo-rum – including nine presentations, three catered meals and networking opportuni-ties – to a close at precisely the time it was scheduled to. Attendees were all fascinated at what they had learned, and gathered all their notes and contact information of all the valuable people they met.

After all was said and done, Rabbi Goldwasser’s words at the beginning of the day – “This is an entire Shabbaton in one day” – seemed more prescient than ever.

master fundraiser forum attracts diverse Crowd and offers fascinating PerspectivesBy: Shimmy Blum

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Dovid Kagan, owner of Western Ko-sher and son of Moshe Kagan who ran the store for years after being brought on to help his father-in-law, says that his priority in serving the community is giving the best customer service possible.

“We don’t take it for granted that [peo-ple] are shopping here,” he says, “we try to see what the customers need and accom-modate any requests as long as it’s in our means.”

Recently a customer with an ill child in a San Francisco hospital asked if West-ern Kosher could send food to the hospital; another customer, a woman from LA who is married to an army chaplain, recently called and asked if Kagan could ship food to South Korea, their new station, which he agreed to do.

Kagan, who spent summers working in the store as a kid, took over Western Kosher in 1990 right after their devastating fire in 1989 which destroyed the old location and forced them to move to their current lo-cation at 444 N. Fairfax Blvd. Under his watch, the Fairfax location expanded and Western Kosher added a second location on Pico which is slightly larger.

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He has been quick to make changes to modernize the way meat is packaged and sold. In his grandfather’s time, they would buy meat in quarters and wrap it up in wrapping paper. Now, in addition to the modern way of packaging, customers expect customization and self-service, and

Kagan says he takes notes on what big-ger stores in the industry are doing – both kosher and non-kosher, but especially the kosher butchers on the east coast – to see how they’re evolving and to get ideas of what more he can do to be in on the latest developments.

A major thing Mr. Kagan implemented was to start his own shechitah operation in Wichita, Kansas after the Agriproces-sors raid in 2008 left many communities with shortages of kosher meat. Though Agriprocessors has since reopened oper-ations in Postville, IA under the name of Agri Star, Mr. Kagan said he found it use-ful to have his own production line to be able to ensure supply for his needs.

The Midwest plant provides kosher meat to New York, Chicago and LA as

well as other cities under the brand name Heartland Kosher. While it’s a cost-effec-tive operation, Mr. Kagan said he keeps the plant running more to have “control over our destiny” than to turn a profit.

“Everybody was very reliant on Agriprocessors,” he said. “I really think they changed the pace of kosher meat. 20 years ago, not every little town had kosher meat. They had to fly it in from New York and LA. Talahassee couldn’t have their own kosher meat. Agriprocessors really changed that and we relied on them for product. Unfortunately after the raid, the kosher meat industry regressed 20 years.”

Since then Mr. Kagan’s used other sup-pliers, but is committed to using his own shechitah so he no longer has to depend on

any one vendor. Currently Western Kosher sells be-

tween 15,000-20,000 pounds of meat and poultry each week to 4-5,000 customers. The majority are walk-in customers from Los Angeles, but they also ship all over the country to states like Utah, Hawaii, Ore-gon, Colorado, Nevada, Alaska and more. While Kagan ships mostly to individuals,

caterers and Chabad houses in small Jew-ish communities will often place orders. The Jewish community in Tahiti used to buy from Australia – shechitah has been banned in Tahiti - but residents found they liked American meat better so now West-ern Kosher ships meat to Tahiti.

Kagan has already begun the yearly store switchover for Pesach, which he calls a “very tedious and time-consuming tran-sition,” as they switch all the knives and utensils and ensure that no chometz goes within the butcher area. “It’s like a game – flipping over to be completely pesachdik.”

Sales do go up for Pesach, and not just from the frum community. A lot of Jews that don’t necessarily keep kosher year-round but grew up with some knowledge of

kosher come in to buy kosher meat before Rosh Hashanah and Pesach, and Western Kosher gets an influx of gluten-free cus-tomers each Pesach as well. “We get a lot of non-kosher consumers coming in – this is the time of year that someone with Celi-ac disease can get pizza, cakes, everything is gluten-free,” Kagan says.

Some of the special kosher for Pass-

Building on long history, western Kosher gears up for new era

Dovid, owner of Western Kosher, with Moshe Kagan- his father

WE TRY TO SEE WHAT THE CUSTOMERS NEED & ACCOMMODATE ANY REQUESTS

AS LONG AS IT’S IN OUR MEANS

Western Kosher- 444 fairfax before it was remodeled

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over products this year include quinoa, panko crumbs made from potato starch, which Kagan believes is better than year round – “I was shocked at how good it is,” – Coke and Diet Coke from the East coast, as well as their full-service deli and unique takeout selection. This year they’re considering offering sushi for Pesach, sub-bing in quinoa for the rice, which Kagan believes would be a hit.

Kagan says in addition to serving many restaurants in the LA area, he still has a handful of customers who shopped with his grandfather in the 50’s and 60’s.

“Honestly, it’s more than just a cus-

tomer/vendor relationship,” he says. “We try to have a real relationship. I live in the community where we service, I went to the local schools, I send my family to the local schools. My mother grew up in LA and I lived in LA my whole life. I grew up here when we had maybe three or four restau-rants,” in contrast to the more than a dozen we find today on Pico Blvd alone!

“I myself deal with the second genera-tion,” Kagan says. “Kids used to come in with their parents, now they’re coming in with their own kids to do their shopping. It’s interesting to see the cycle evolve.”

Cover story

how glatt Kosher meat got started in los angeles

Abraham Sochor, a Holocaust survivor who had been trained as an expert “trei-borer,” or ritual “de-veiner” in Lithuania, arrived in Los Angeles in 1945 along with his wife, Zipora, and quickly found work with Mr. Horn, an old American butcher on Beverly Blvd. next door to the Etz Jacob synagogue.

After some business reshuffling, Abraham chose to start his own meat market near-by, called the Mehadrin store. Unique about this operation was that it was granted exclusive kashrut supervision by the Grand Rabbi Schuck, from Oberland area of Hun-gary. Once a week Abraham would travel to the city of Vernon to select animals, which were then carefully slaughtered by a Rabbi named Izik Weiss. Each lung was blown up by mouth, and the three rabbis, Schuck, Weiss, and Abraham huddled in a corner to hear if the animals were kosher or not. This was the beginning of the glatt kosher meat industry in Los Angeles.

Abraham often charged lower prices to teachers in the local Yeshiva schools with large families, and once this became known, some customers who were better-off asked to be charged slightly higher prices, to help subsidize this practice.

Abraham’s daughter Sara would often help her father wrap meat after school – first in white paper, then in traditional pink butcher’s wrap, with the customer’s name writ-ten neatly on the outside.

In 1967, Moshe Kagan arrived in LA after having been trained as a shochet in England. After marrying Sara in 1968, he began helping out in the Mehadrin store which was greatly needed due to Abraham’s frequent illnesses, residual effects of the concentration camps.

Their son, Yisroel Dovid, was born a year later and spent much of his early months in a baby carriage in the store with his mother, who was busy taking orders at the cash register and on the phone. Moshe was busy making changes in the store, such as beginning to sell meat and chicken pre-wrapped in tight clear cellophane on white foam trays. This led customers to begin ordering large numbers of their favorite cuts to store in the freezer, and caused Moshe to become involved with another slaughtering plant, the Shamrock Meat Company, to keep up with the demand. Mehadrin also began to make a variety of smoked and pickled meats, salami and salami sticks, known as “karnotzel,” a kid-favorite that was given out to every child that came into the store.

At some point Abraham had to cease working, and the store was transferred to Mr. Herman Berger while Moshe became a shochet working for the OU’s very first glatt-shechita operation in York, Nebraska. During this period, the only local kosher cold water-dressed poultry plant, Western Kosher Poultry, closed due to the passing of its owner, Mr. Sam Brastow. The facility went up for auction and was purchased by Moshe and a partner, Zalman Roth. Numerous difficulties were encountered in the operation of this plant and Zalman left. Moshe remained, however, with the help of a young shochet, Rabbi Dovid Strigman. Sara once again became the delivery system, driving a truck loaded with cases of chickens, freshly killed,to be delivered to the all the kosher butchers. Mr. Joe Simon of Ventura Kosher, one of the largest butchers in town, told Sara to bring him all the poultry that was left unsold at the end of each week’s production, as he wanted to help this little plant survive.

Moshe and Sara also began producing various other kosher products, including kosher for Passover honey and almond oil, and a line of locally-produced dairy prod-ucts at the San Fernando Creamery in Downey. To ensure that the dairy products were cholov yisroel, the young couple often slept on a farm over Shabbos with their children in tow in order to collect enough kosher milk to send to the dairy to make sour cream, cottage cheese, buttermilk, butter and farmer’s cheese.

In the 1980’s, Moshe made arrangements with the owners of an old beef processing plant in Pico Rivera to allow him to shecht and process kosher meat. Moshe imported Rabbi Zalman Schmukler, an experienced shochet, through a mutual friend from Mon-treal, to settle in Los Angeles. This was achieved with the blessing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who encouraged Moshe to carry out this new operation for the benefit of the en-tire LA community. Moshe also relied on the assistance of Rabbi Avrohom Teichman, who was at that time the principal of Toras Emes Yeshiva, and who spent the entire summer in New York, studying all the aspects of a shechita operation.

The first shechita began on August 1,1979, Erev Rosh Chodesh Av 5739. The fresh meat came to the new Western Kosher store on 426 North Fairfax Ave., to be de-veined and kashered in-house.

On June 17, 1989, at about midnight, a disastrous fire broke out and the store and factory were burned down. It took a little over a year for Western Kosher to re-open at a new location at 444 N. Fairfax. Now Moshe’s son David was in charge, and to this day directs the store with his attention to detail, personal customer service, recipes and suggestions for every single item being sold. Meanwhile, Moshe retired from the store to concentrate on obtaining the best quality supplies and equipment for the new operation.

Today, Western Kosher continues on its strong tradition of providing the high-est-quality kosher meats and superb customer service to the LA Jewish community.

Sara Kagan with Mother Cecilia Socher

A label from Dublin Ireland Jewish museum of meat Schechted by Lubavitcher Chassidim my father’s father was one of the main shochtim

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Find us online at: westerNkosher.com & facebook.com/westernkosherEXPIRES MARCH 31ST 2013 • Not responsible for typographic errors


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The Jewish hom

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Find us online at: westerNkosher.com & facebook.com/westernkosherEXPIRES MARCH 31ST 2013 • Not responsible for typographic errors


PESACH SPECIALS

B”HPICO: (323) 933-8283 • FAIRFAX: (323) 655-8870

PICO: [email protected]

fairfax: [email protected]

Phone:

Email:

VISIT:

EASY

WAYS

TO SHOP Pico: 4817 West Pico Blvd. LA, CA 90016

Fairfax: 444 N. Fairfax Ave. LA, CA 900363

CA CHUNK LIGHT TUNABY THE CASE (48PC.)

$59.00 $2.49ea $6.99ea ELITE

COFFEEPASSOVER

COKE & DIET COKE

GEFENCOTTONSEED OIL

$4.99ea $2.49ea $1.99ea SUCRALIS SWEETENER(LIKE SPLENDA) 100CT

GLICKS KETCHUP

$1.99ea $5.00ea $2.99ea TORINO SWISS

CHOCOLATE BARS

2/

LIEBER EX LIGHTOLIVE OIL

$6.99ea $2.69ea $1.89ea PLASTIC CUPS

100 COUNT

GEFEN POTATOSTARCH

GLICKS APPLEJUICE

LIEBERS ALMOND MILK

$3.99ea $25.00ea $1.99ea LIEBERS GROUND

ALMONDS9X13 FOIL PANS BY THE

CASE 100 COUNT

WINES

"’Bin’ by Binyamina

wines

Terroso wines

Dolcementered & white

Segals cabernet sauvignon

Elvi classico

Elvi mati

Chateau Thenac

Weinstock cabernet, merlot & chardonnay

HERZOG SPECIAL RESERVE ALEXANDER VALLEY

Zakon petit syrah

Herzog pink moscato jeunesse

CA DELIGHT WHOLEHEARTS OF PALM

grocery

AARONS CHUBSALAMI

$4.99ea J & J COTTAGE CHEESE

REG. & LOW FAT

WHOLE BRISKETGRAIN FED

$5.99lb $7.99lb.

$3.99ea VEAL ROLLED

ROAST

MINUTE ROASTGRASS FED

$6.99lb $8.99lb BONELESS FLANKEN

HORMONE FREE

WHOLE BEEFSHOULDER

$3.99ea AARONS CLASSIC

FRANKS

$2.39lb FROZEN CUT UP

CHICKEN BY THE CASE

$6.99lb CHICKEN

BONELESS STUFFEDPOTATO & PASTRAMI

HAOLAM 18PK STRING CHEESE

$8.99ea

$1.99 UNGARS COFFEE

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MEHADRINCHOCOLATE LEBEN

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30Th

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emek hebrew academy annual dinner

The Emek Hebrew Academy Teich-man Family Torah Center’s Trustee dinner was held on Tuesday night, March 5, at the Herzog winery in Oxnard. The event drew some of the school’s strongest sup-porters, board members and administrators

and was a rousing success. The theme of the evening, Hakarat Hatov, giving thanks, was highlighted through a special tribute video to Rabbi Gilbert Shoham ob”m, the founding head of Emek Hebrew Academy Teichman Family Torah Center. Videos

of Emek students thanking the school’s devout donors, as well as through the in-spiring words of Emek’s Head of School, Rabbi Mordechai Shifman. “We reap the fruits of Rabbi Shoham’s dedication,” said Rabbi Shifman. “He was a visionary, a builder... who knew that it was important to create a community that understands the need for a Torah Day School, a com-munity that understands the need for a

religious infrastructure, a community that understands that it needs to reach out and be more inclusive to give as many children as possible the opportunity to have a To-rah education.” A book of artwork, poems and letters about the holocaust and visits to The Museum of Tolerance by students, was presented to Mr. and Mrs. Sol Teich-man. The entertainment for the dinner was provided by the school’s Director of Ad-vancement, Rabbi Jonathan Benzaquen, who served as the master of ceremonies for the evening. A special thank you to Vard-it Aharonoff and the entire Trustee dinner committee for the warm and elegant event.

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31The Jew

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Davie Stein

When I think of my roommate, I always think of his ears.

Hanging low, clinging to the rear of his head as if ironed down, Tuvia’s outer flap is a coil of contours composing an intricate maze. I like to trace it with my eyes when we speak into the night, imagining my words shuttling through this hollow vestibule on a journey to his heart of gold. They travel up, up, up and then down, down, down as he flips them over like pancakes in his head.

I wait patiently as he digests my mono-logues knowing that good wholesome words will emerge from his blessed mouth, words that build me even in their very short lifetime.

When I speak to Tuvia, I feel his ears on me. I marvel at how he’s honed them so sharp. He’s all of twenty four.

Sometimes, when I come into our room to find his clothes strewn all over the floor, his chest rising so slightly in the bed I hope he’s not dead, I wish for him to awaken. I long for his ears, desperately.

Is it fair of me that very rarely do I of-fer mine? I’m not entirely at fault because he never seems to need them. Tuvia’s construct-ed a facade so strong I sometimes think him a statue.

He goes and he comes mechanically, a soldier in a league of his own. Now and then he’ll stop to strum a tune on my guitar, this unrivaled botcher at lyrics humming to him-self. Once, when I was fixing pizza sand-wiches with loads of olives and hot peppers in the kitchen, I strained my ears to listen to his version of a song that goes “And when the dark night comes, I turn the lights on inside.” Instead, he was crooning, confident as a horse, “And when the dart eyes scum, I do light on both sides.”

“Now what exactly were you singing?” I asked him when I brought the plates into our room, maneuvering the night chest with my legs so we’d have ourselves a little table.

“You listened?” he laughed. “That was between me and… me.”

I tapped him on the shoulder. “Deeper meaning there, huh?”

“Didn’t think of that but maybe.” He paused. “You know what the dart eyes are, right?”

I nodded as I chewed. I also knew how they hurt, tearing me apart at the core.

I didn’t want to say much, though, be-cause it was one of the only times in our life together that Tuvia spoke about things like dart eyes. It was always him talking about my issues, never his. I wanted to keep his mouth

open for as long as I could lest I stop those words from pouring forth, leaving them for-ever locked up inside his swelling heart.

“We’ve got no choice but to light up any-way. On both sides,” he said.

He just has it in him, this guy.When I returned from Becca’s kiddush, I

understood what it felt like to light up on both sides. It was fun to help out with the serving and clearing, to be part of some project where I was needed. It was a long, long walk from her home to my apartment at the other end of the city but I decided to do it by foot. It was nice to be a good boy once in a blue moon. I walked briskly, stretching the seam of my dress pants to its capacity, until I reached the front stairs to my apartment. The brownstone made me feel warm inside though it was not remotely, vaguely close to the home I’d envi-sioned for myself.

When Tuvia and I had come to check out this apartment four years earlier, I was at first appalled at the state of it. After the one-minute-and-twenty-second tour provided by a gracious landlady who kept jumping from wall to wall, leaning on rusty pipes and dusty wires she tried desperately to conceal behind her dirty apron, I asked, “That’s it?” I could practically fold up the whole of it and put it in my back pocket.

She raised her shoulders. “You’re only two people, you said.”

The brilliant woman must’ve realized I wasn’t convinced. She led us to the only window in the apartment and motioned to the empty, cemented courtyard down below. “There’s always more room to extend, if you’d like.”

“Nope,” I had said to Tuvia when we fi-nally left the hovel. “There’s no way I could live here, ever.” Why would I want to live on a floor that groaned at my every step? I was afraid that one soft touch of the walls would have them slope instantly like dead trees. I was coming from a real house, with comfort-able space for everyone, even the guests that never came. But since I couldn’t pull another breath in that house so tense the atmosphere almost choked me, Tuvia didn’t have to say much to convince me. For an easygoing per-son like him, it seemed, anything would do.

Within a week, we had settled into this hole.

Sloppily painted a deep shade of pur-ple with more scratches than I could count, the door squeaked like a mouse as I walked through it. I made a mental note to oil it; if I’d wait for the superintendent to come around I think I’d be white-haired first. I skipped up the stairs, two at a time, pulling the folded

napkin out of my pocket. I looked inside, hop-ing I hadn’t dirtied this dry-clean stuff. Good. It was clean.

“Buddy, a special treat I have for you,” I called out as I walked through the door, stum-bling over some old magazines we should’ve gotten rid of a long time ago. I’d wrapped up some goodies for Tuvia, packing in as many as I could of the chocolatey ones I knew he loved. As I had stacked them one atop the oth-er, I felt happy that I’d be able to bring him something he deserved. As much as I tried to, it wasn’t easy to repay a trusty friend like Tuvia.

I stood in our tiny front room, which we called ‘the den’ in merit of the soft grey couch it housed, waiting for Tuvia to appear from somewhere. The size of our apartment al-lowed us the pleasure of hearing each others’ breaths even when I was at one end and Tuvia at the other.

“Tuvia?” I called out when I was greet-ed by a cold silence. Weird. Where was he at this hour? I knew his schedule better than I did mine. If he wasn’t lounging around on the couch now, he’d be hiding underneath it. But he wasn’t.

The bathroom door was wide open, dis-playing long streaks of water on the dirty mir-ror. I checked behind the door, under the tow-el. Perhaps he was in the mood of some good old hide-and-go-seek. The towel hung limply on the hook. There was no life inside.

I kicked open the door to our room. On the floor, in a fetal position, lay Tuvia, stiff, his eyelids dipping down. “Tuvia,” I screamed, trying to stir him awake. But it seemed his ears, pierced three times in the left and four in the right, didn’t even hear me.

***

Lisa Stein Marcus

I love Sunday. It’s the one day in the week when I can really do my own thing. Though I enjoy my work thoroughly, looking forward to sessions with my young clients whose unreserved frankness has me pinching their cheeks more times than I should, there’s something about the freedom to be unbound of a schedule.

I relish the long, lazy mornings on which I treat my kids to perfectly round pancakes topped with maple syrup and whipped cream. When blueberries are in season, I pour them generously atop the syrup as my kids squeal, “More, more!” They lick their fingers with such gusto, the joy of the togetherness glitter-ing in their eyes.

On the Sunday after Becca’s kiddush, I awoke even before the naughty ring of the alarm clock, my eyes fluttering open at five minutes to eight. I like to switch the alarm off on mornings like these, feeling triumphant, one step ahead.

Within twenty minutes, I was already searching for the skillet in the pot cabinet that can never be organized enough. I was in the mood of eating my pancake alone, before the children would come down in their pajamas and crimped hair. A little me-time wouldn’t hurt.

As I cracked the eggs into the green bowl, there was no way I could avoid thinking of Becca. But I didn’t want to. “I want real me-time,” I complained out loud.

I turned on soft music to calm my in-nards. At least it would drown out some of the thoughts I didn’t want to go near.

Instead of dirtying the hand blender, I chose to mix the batter by hand. The me-chanical movement proved therapeutic as I massaged the thick batter from one end of the bowl to the other. Before I dropped the liquid mixture into the pan, I dipped my finger into the bowl, then I licked it for a long, long time. Nobody was looking as I indulged in my spe-cial treat. Was I the only one in the world who liked the batter more than the finished prod-uct? It was just… good.

While the pancake sizzled in the skillet, filling the sun-lit kitchen with the aroma I longed for as a child, I stared out the window. Sunday mornings had never looked anything similar to this when I was growing up. On the very rare occasion that the kitchen smelled of pancakes and love, it wasn’t my mother at the stove.

It wasn’t her fault, though, I know today. How could I expect one person to bare so much pain and then reflect only love to the world? True, she hadn’t put us to bed with nighttimes lullabies and soft caresses, but she never hurt us. She never hurt a soul, our forev-er-suffering mother whose fate in life was one she’d have never chosen. Torn by the need to defend us, herself, and even the husband who’d caused her only heartache, she hadn’t found her place in the very walls of her home, often floundering about as he screamed and we cried. My mother was a broken woman and now Becca was breaking her even more.

Why was I constantly bouncing back to Becca like a broken record? I wanted to move on but an inner force kept dragging me back to the mud. I couldn’t let her despicable be-havior pass by unnoticed. She wasn’t being kind to the woman who’d raised her and I felt it was my duty to get even.

When the wicked thought of revenge burst into my mind, it catapulted instantly into something larger than myself. Just then, while the pancake turned from a brilliant yellow to a dead brown, the idea came to me in a spark.

It was time for me to divulge her secret, to breach the vow I’d made to Becca over a decade ago, when I cared more for her than I did for myself. She deserved it.

Part oneChapter two

by Shiffy Friedman ©Shiffy Friedman is a Jerusalem-based freelance writer.

Her works have been published widely, primarily in Ami Magazine. She would love to hear feedback on her writing.

Feel free to contact her at [email protected].

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eeping Shabbos. Enjoying Shab-bos. When I was growing up, these goals were challenged by basket-ball, then it became swimming on

Shabbos, and then skateboards and roller blades and... Today we face a most danger-ous fad called “half-Shabbos.” Half-Shab-bos is a term coined by those that feel they cannot refrain from texting on Shabbos. Texting, a clear desecration of Shabbos, is a unique challenge since it can be done in absolute privacy, (most of our youth today can even text with their phones in their pockets). “Half - Shabbos” is as much of a Shabbos as a half-Minyan is a Minyan. It simply isn’t.

Much has been written and said about the Torah community’s struggle with tech-nology, as, at times, they seem to conflict. As parents and educators we struggle with striking the balance between embracing the new without throwing out the old. We know that technology is here to stay, so how do we incorporate our Torah values and standards in a world that has gone technological? We are constantly work-ing on solutions for this growing dilemma in areas of education and social appropri-ateness. We need to include Shabbos on the list as well. In a recent conversation, a parent suggested that we find more le-niencies for Shabbos. While we may have a problem on our hands, one idea for sure will not work; lowering our standards of Shabbos.

While there are no quick solutions, or “click here” responses that will resolve the issue, we would be wise to begin with considering how our children perceive the standard of Shabbos of their home. Every

home has standards on an array of issues; education, religion, boy/girl relationships, curfew, homework, dress-code. Every time you tell your child, “you may not do...” or “you must do...” you are setting a standard. The more often you say something, and the more passionately it is said, is a message to your family of what is important to you. So, how do your children per-ceive your value of Shabbos?

There are many specifics in creating a Shabbos at-mosphere, but let’s focus on a main Shab-bos function, the Shabbos meal. How is it presented in your home - when there aren’t any guests? In my beginning years in LA, I noticed that when my students would come for a Shabbos meal, they had a hard time sitting for more than 45 minutes. I discovered that many kids are not provid-ed with an enjoyable Shabbos table that in-cludes conversations about them, singing or special Shabbos delicacies. Obviously, not every week will be a spiritual home run, but the Shabbos table is an amazing family opportunity to be embraced, and not ignored. A child who walks away from a Shabbos meal physically, emotionally and spiritually satisfied is much less likely to want to desecrate our special gift from Hashem. The solution begins with under-standing that it isn’t about having fun on Shabbos, rather how do we make Shabbos more fun.

The following is a well-known story. Rabbi Berel Wein was lecturing on the top-ic of Shabbos, and told of a young rebel in the town of Radin, home to the renowned Tzaddik, the Chofetz Chaim. This young man began to desecrate Shabbos, first pri-vately, and then publicly. In an attempt to encourage his repentance, he was brought to the home of the Tzaddik. It isn’t known, said Rabbi Wein, what transpired, but the wayward fellow repaired his ways and re-turned to full Shabbos observance. At the end of the speech an elderly gentleman ap-proached the rabbi, “I am that young boy, and I will tell you what happened in the room with the Chofetz Chaim. He took my hand in his caring hands, holding them with such warmth. He began to say, over

and over, ‘Shabbos, Shabbos, Shabbos...’ until tears began to swell in his eyes, fall down his cheek and on to my hand. Till today I feel those hot loving tears.”

So, dear reader, I ask you to consider, before we condemn Shabbos to more le-niencies, are we confident that we are pro-viding our children a true taste of Shabbos, Shabbos, Shabbos...?

Rabbi Daniel Grama is rabbi of YOLA and serves as a Rebbe and Director of Recruitment at Valley Torah HS. He is ordained by the Is-rael Rabbinate, and has a Masters in Educa-

tional Leadership. Rabbi Grama has been involved with formal and informal outreach for over twenty years includ-ing NCSY and Aish HaTorah. Rabbi Grama loves spend-ing Shabbos with his family.

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in the Op-Ed section are those of the writer & does not necessarily reflect the view of The Jewish Home.

op-ed

shaBBos: fun for the entire family

Rabbi Daniel Grama

Ari Markowitz424-256-7251 x103 [email protected]

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“HALF - SHABBOS” IS AS MUCH OF A SHABBOS

AS A HALF-MINYAN IS A MINYAN.

It sImply Isn’t.

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• WheatieswereinventedwhenadieticianworkingfortheWashburnCrosbyCompanywaspreparingbrangruelin1924andspilledsomeontothehotstovetop.Thedropletssizzledandthenhardenedintotiny“flakes.”Theclumsycookfoundthemtobefartastierthanstandardgruel.

• In1937,GeneralMillssponsoredacontestinwhichthepublicvotedfortheirfavoriteWheatiesannouncer(thevoicethatintonedWheatiescommercialsduringballgames).ThewinnerwasasportscasterfromDesMoines,Iowa,namedRonaldReagan(whocalledtheplay-by-playusinghisnickname“Dutch”),andhisprizewasanall-expensetriptotheCubs’springtrainingcampinCalifornia.Whilethere,hemanagedtogetascreentestatWarnerBrothers...becameanactor...becamegovernorofCalifornia...andbecamePOTUS.

• ThefirstathletetoappearonaWheatiesbox–thebackofthepackage–wasbaseballgreatLouGehrigin1934.

• The1987WorldChampionMinnesotaTwinswerethefirstteamtoappearonthepackage.

• Thefirstnon-orangeWheatiesboxwasreleasedin1992.TheredandblackpackagehonoredtheNBAChampionChicagoBulls.

• In1934,AviatorElinorSmithbecamethefirstfemaletoappearonthebackoftheWheatiesbox.

• In1926,Wheatiespioneeredthesingingradiocommercialwith“HaveYouTriedWheaties?”

• Wheatiessponsoredthefirsttelevisedcommercialsportsbroadcastwhen,onAugust29,1939,NBCpresentedabaseballgamebetweentheCincinnatiRedsandtheBrooklynDodgers

forsome500ownersoftelevisionsetsinNewYorkCity.

• ThefirstathletetoappearonthefrontofaWheatiesboxwasdecathlongoldmedalistBobRichardsin1958.

• ThefirstwomantoappearonthefrontofaWheatiesboxwasgoldmedal gymnastMaryLouRettonin1984.

• ThefirstracecardrivertoappearonthefrontofaWheatiesboxwasDaleEarnhardtin1997.

• ThefirstfootballplayertoappearonthefrontofaWheatiesboxwasWalterPaytonin1986.

• The1991StanleyCupChampionPittsburghPenguinswerethefirst

hockeyteamtoappearontheWheatiespackage.

• LeeTrevinobecamethefirstgolfertoappearonthefrontofaWheatiesboxin1969.

• MichaelJordanhasappearedontheWheatiesboxmorethananyotherathlete–18times,includingappearanceswiththeNBAchampionChicagoBullsin1991,1993and1995.

• Oneshould-beWheatiesfact:ThefirsthumoristtoappearonaboxofWheatieswastheTJHCenterfoldCommissioner.

You Gotta be Kidding! Riddle

Submitted by Pessie SingerAs your very health conscious Centerfold Commissioner, I have a wonderful

breakfast every morning. I eat five bowls of cereal in a specific order. (It is what fuels my humor for the rest of the day.) But I bumped my head and forgot the or-der. So, I summoned my four assistant humorists, who on occasion are given the privilege of eating breakfast with me, and perhaps they can remind me of the order in which I eat the cereal. It turns out that one of my prodigies got all five right. One got three right. One got one right. And one got them all wrong.

Here is what they said. Can you figure out the order that I eat the cereal in and which one of my underlings got it right?

What were the correct answers? Who got them all right? Who got three right? Who got one right? And who got them all wrong?

Answer on next page

Submitted by Sammy Klein

Jimbo calls his buddy, Hank, at his mechanic shop one day and says, “Hank, I need you to come by my place after work to help me out; I’m working on a really hard project.”

“Sure,” replies Hank, “What’s it your doin’?”“Well, I started a really hard puzzle and I am determined to see it through. But

to tell you the truth bro, I can’t even figure out where dem’ edge pieces are,” says Jimbo.

“Look on the box,” Hank says, “There’s always a picture of what the puzzle is.”

“It’s a big rooster,” replies Jimbo. Soon enough Hank stops by Jimbo’s place, eager to help his buddy. He walks

into the house, takes one look and says: “Uh, Jimbo, you may want to put dem’ corn flakes back in the box.”

Dovi1. Cocoa Puffs2. Fruity Pebbles3. Trix4. Honey Combs5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Eli1. Trix2. Honey Combs3. Cocoa Puffs4. Fruity Pebbles5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Noah1. Trix2. Cocoa Puffs3. Fruity Pebbles4. Cinnamon Toast Crunch5. Honey Combs

Donny1. Cocoa Puffs2. Fruity Pebbles3. Trix4. Cinnamon Toast Crunch5. Honey Combs

“Breakfast of Champions”FaCts

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Got funny? Let the Commissioner decide.

Send your stuff to [email protected] Answer to riddle: The correct answers were: 1. Cocoa Puffs

2. Fruity Pebbles 3. Trix 4. Honey Combs 5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Dovi got them all right. Donny got three right. Eli got one right. And Noah got them all wrong.

1. Which is the best-selling cereal of all time? (Hint: If you’re a parent, you’ve probably just vacuumed it from your minivan and under the high-chair cushion by the cupful.)

a. Cheeriosb. Raisin Branc. Frosted Flakesd. Rice Krispies

2. Which company is America’s largest cereal mak-er?

a. Quaker Oatsb. Kelloggc. Postd. General Mills

3. Kellogg and Post each have a cereal called what?a. Corn Flakesb. Shredded Wheatc. Raisin Brand. Fruit Loops

4. The US cereal industry uses enough sugar ev-ery year to cover every single American with how much sugar?

a. 1/2 cupb. 1/2 poundc. 1 poundd. 3 pounds

5. What’s the only industry to spend more money on TV commercials each year than the cereal in-dustry?

a. Automobile manufacturersb. Cell phone companiesc. Personal injury lawyersd. Beer companies

6. Which cereal is “Kid-Tested...Mother-Ap-proved?”

a. Quaker Oatsb. Kixc. Wheatiesd. Corn Chex

7. Which brother is the oldest: Snap, Crackle or Pop?

a. Popb. Cracklec. Snapd. Snap and Pop are actually twins

8. Which of the following was never part of the Pebble line of cereals?

a. Fruity Pebblesb. Cocoa Pebblesc. Dino Pebbles d. Rainbow Pebbles

9. Who snacks on cereal more during the day (meaning after breakfast) - men or women?

a. Womenb. Men

Answers:1. A-One out of every eight boxes of cereal to leave

the shelf in America is Cheerios. That includes Honey Nut Cheerios, including Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Yogurt Burst Cheerios, Oat Cluster Crunch Cheerios, Banana Nut Cheerios, Chocolate Cheerios, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios and MultiGrain Peanut Butter Cheerios (sorry for getting you hungry). In 2009, sales of Honey Nut Cheerios surpassed the original flavor for the first time and remain in the top spot today.

2. C-Kellogg’s is the largest with 32% of global sales in 2011, General Mills comes in second with 11% of global sales.

3. C- Both Kellogg’s and Post have a cereal called Raisin Bran. The main difference is that Post’s raisins

are just plain raisins, and Kellogg’s raisins are sugar-coated. The question is: which brand has more raisins in the box? Start counting.

4. D- The cereal industry uses 816,000,000 of sugar every year for cereal sold in the U.S. Now you understand why you are so hyper?

5. A6. B7. C-Snap, Crackle and Pop are Kellogg’s oldest

cartoon icons. Snap, the oldest brother, first appeared in 1933. His brothers, Crackle and Pop, didn’t join Snap until 1941. In the mid-1950s, a fourth brother, Pow, was briefly mentioned. But he disappeared faster than you can say “onomatopoeia.”

8. D- Fruity Pebbles debuted in 1969, with Cocoa Pebbles following a year later. Dino Pebbles was in-

troduced in the 1990s.9. A- According to a Kellogg’s survey, 26% of

Americans snack on cereal during the day; 61% of that group is women.

Scorecard7-9 correct: You are so smart. You probably play

scrabble with your Alpha-bits. 4-6 correct: Talking about Alpha-bits, which are

“A-B-C Delicious,” you gotta start paying more atten-tion to the answer sequences. (Believe it or not, you can ace a multiple choice test if you guess right.)

0-3 correct: You may want to slow down on the Fruity Pebbles—it’s a real brain-cell burner.

With the mad rush to finish all of the cereal before Pesach and not much other food around to eat, you will probably spend a lot of time reacquainting yourselves with all of the stale cereal remaining in your cereal cabinet. You will probably also spend a lot of time staring at the back of cereal boxes, or fighting with your younger sister about who gets to look at the back of the cereal box, as you both crunch away. So, take this quiz to test your cereal wisdom.

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Compiled by Nate Davis

Notable Quotes

“Say What?”“President Obama took a group of Republicans to dinner last night. And at the end of the meal, the president personally picked up the tab. Afterwards, Republicans said, ‘Typical Democrat. Spend, spend, spend.’”- Conan O’Brien

“Killing Jews is worship that draws us closer to Allah.” - Ads placed on San Francisco buses by the American Freedom Defense Institute, in response to an ad campaign by the Council on American-Islamic Relations which seeks to make people think that “jihad” is a peaceful concept

“This is a joke. We’re wasting the president’s time and ours. I hope you all [in the media] are happy because we’re doing it for you.” - An email sent by a senior White House official to a reporter about President Obama’s new outreach to Republicans

“Ohhh, is this for our d... Thank you so much.” - Kate Middleton, when someone handed her a teddy bear

“It’s disgraceful for any game to glorify it. PETA encourages video game companies to create games that celebrate animals – not games that promote hurting and killing them.”- PETA’s statement condemning a new video games which allows players to hunt for whales

“POTUS might be the ultimate global power player, but he also wields significant influence in the Republic of Sports. One relevant riff – on his NCAA tourney picks, on his desire for a college football playoff, on his concern over permitting the sons that he doesn’t have to play football – and the sports world takes notice. Plus, the 51-year-old can shoot the J.”- Sports Illustrated Magazine on why President Obama is one of the 50 most powerful people in sports

“Any notion that there is a set price for a meeting with the president of the United States is just wrong.”- White House Press Secretary Jay Carney responding to allegations that donors are able to purchase meetings with the President

“Go run on Dunkin’.”- What a Connecticut Dunkin Donuts employee said to a would-be thief as she poured hot coffee on him and chased him out of the store

During a forum at a technology convention in Austin, Texas:

Walt Mossberg: You just sold your TV network to Al Jazeera, which is owned by a government. And that government is basically an oil producer. And they’re producing exactly the kind of fuel that you say is a terrible danger for the planet. How could you do that?

Al Gore: Okay. I knew when I made that decision with my partners… I had obligations to my investors, but that didn’t drive the decision… I knew that my principle obligation was to do business in a way that makes the world a better place. I thought it was the most disruptive move on the chess board. You have heard me be very critical of American television journalism. I think that the addition of a very high quality, 24/7, honest-to-goodness news channel that covers international news as well as national, that covers climate, that covers poverty, that covers issues that are ignored today, has the potential to be disruptive in a creative and positive way, and raise the game for television journalism here in the United States of America.

“Due to staffing reductions resulting from sequestration, we regret to inform you that White House tours will be canceled effective Saturday, March 9, 2013 until further notice.” - White House letter cancelling all public tours of the White House

“The White House is our house. Please let us visit.”- A now famous video by the sixth-grade class at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Waverly, Iowa, whose class trip to the White House was cancelled

“Due to budget cuts, all tours of the White House have been canceled indefinitely. When he heard, Joe Biden said, ‘Now I’ll never see it.’”- Conan O’Brien “All tours of the White House have been canceled due to budget concerns. Don’t worry, there’s another way get into the White House if you don’t belong. Fake your birth certificate.”- Craig Ferguson

“Even though our budget’s been cut like everyone else’s, thanks to proper planning, we’re able to avoid furloughs amongst Capitol workers, and tours are going to remain available for all Americans.”- House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner to reporters

“[George W. Bush] is going to go down in the history books as a great artist.” - The 43rd president’s art teacher

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“Exercise is great for you, but how do you convince people to do it? And should you force them to do it? Probably not.”- Mayor Bloomberg on 710 WOR in response to a question whether government can force people to exercise because it promotes better health

“I have a soft spot for Joe Biden. I like him. But he’s dumb as an ashtray.”- Fox News head Roger Ailes in an excerpt from a soon-to-be-released biography about Ailes

”We regret to inform you that your suite is scheduled for demolition in the next three days.”- False notices distributed by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee to Jewish students at the school

“We measure a great leader by how he treats the least of these. Hugo fed the hungry. He lifted the poor. He raised their hopes. He helped them realize their dreams.”- Jesse Jackson eulogizing Hugo Chavez

“He was extremely warm, he was very open, huggable, he came in singing. We talked baseball for ten minutes before the interviewed started. He followed all the Major League Baseball teams, followed the Venezuelan players who went on to the major leagues... He was extremely effusive, extremely relaxed, very, very, very friendly.”- Larry King recalling meeting and interviewing Hugo Chavez

“I think it will be 50 years before they declassify a document [that] I think [will show] the hand of the enemy is involved.”- Venezuelan Gen. Jose Ornella, referring to Chavez’s death

“It’s always the wacko birds on right and left that get the media megaphone.”- John McCain to the Huffington Post in reference to Republican Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz “I take that as a badge of honor.”- Sen. Ted Cruz in response to Sen. McCain’s comments

“All of us navigate certain tensions, between community and mobility, autonomy and moral order. Mainstream Americans have gravitated toward one set of solutions. The families stuffing their groceries into their Honda Odyssey minivans in the Pomegranate parking lot represent a challenging counterculture. Mostly, I notice how incredibly self-confident they are. Once dismissed as relics, they now feel that they are the future.” -3/7 Op-Ed by David Brooks in the New York Times about a surge in Orthodoxy as he observed during his visit to Pomegranate Supermarket in Brooklyn

President Obama at the 2013 Gridiron Dinner:

“My joke writers have been placed on furlough. I know a lot of you reported that no one will feel any immediate impact because of the sequester. Well, you’re about to find out how wrong you are.”

“Now I know that some folks think we responded to Woodward too aggressively. But hey … can anybody tell me when an administration has ever regretted picking a fight with Bob Woodward? What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Of course, maintaining credibility in this cynical atmosphere is harder than ever — incredibly challenging. My administration recently put out a photo of me skeet shooting and even that wasn’t enough for some people. Next week, we’re releasing a photo of me clinging to religion.”

“It took a while, but I’m glad that the Senate finally confirmed my Secretary of Defense. And I have to say, I don’t know what happened to Chuck in those hearings. I know he worked hard, he studied his brief. And I even lent him my presidential debate team to work with him. It’s confusing what happened.”

“Another big change has been at the State Department. Everybody has noticed that obviously. And let’s face it — Hillary is a tough act to follow. But John Kerry is doing great so far. He is doing everything he can to ensure continuity. Frankly, though, I think it’s time for him to stop showing up at work in pantsuits. It’s a disturbing image. It really is. I don’t know where he buys them. He is a tall guy.”

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindel at the 2013 Gridiron Dinner“The Gridiron Dinner used to be known as the night the media and the administration set aside their differences — back in the days when they had some.”

“I am too skinny to run [in 2016]. At least that’s what my friend Chris Christie keeps telling me.”

“I did a lot of campaigning in the last election. I was one of Rick Perry’s strongest supporters. I supported Rick because he’s a loyal friend, a great governor, and…oops…I forget the third reason.”

“I ran into Joe Biden earlier today. I don’t think he recognized me, though. He asked me to go get him a Slurpee.”

“You know, sometimes I wonder where we would be without Vice President Biden. And then I realize: Pretty much exactly where we are right now.”

“The former mayor of Detroit has been convicted of racketeering and extortion charges. The sentence is pretty hard. He has to serve another term as mayor of Detroit.”- Conan O’Brien

“Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a new Facebook news feed today. It promises to revolutionize the way we see pictures of our friends’ feet on vacation.”- Jimmy Kimmel

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The Spanish-American War was the shortest war the U.S. has even partaken

in as it lasted just the three months between April and August 1898. There were two theaters of war. One of them was in the Pacific where the U.S. fought the Spanish to gain land mainly for imperialistic reasons. The other took place in the Caribbean where the U.S. wanted to help Cuba declare independence from Spain and in doing so, the U.S. took control of Puerto Rico.

The founder of the most famous unit in the war was a future president

who was a big supporter of Jewish causes. During Teddy Roosevelt’s ten-

ure as leader of the Rough Riders, there were many Jews under his command.

When a rabbi from Philadelphia who was serving in Cuba approached him and asked him for permission to conduct services, Teddy came along with his soldiers. When he ran for president in 1904 (William McKinley had died in 1901 and as vice presi-dent, Teddy took over so technically this was his reelec-tion bid), posters

sprang up all over the Lower East Side encouraging citizens to vote for him – a person who championed for Jewish rights and freedoms.

The U.S. was not happy with Spanish dom-inance in the Caribbean because their economic status was being hurt by the ongoing conflict be-tween Spain and Cuban nationals. The U.S. de-manded that Spain leave Cuba and was further in-furiated when the battle-ship USS Maine mysteri-ously blew up in Havana Harbor, killing over 250 Americans including five Jewish sailors. Naturally,

the U.S. blamed Spain and declared war on them in April 1898.

President McKinley asked for troops and hundreds of volunteers to sign up to join the army. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, who was assistant secretary of the navy at the time, asked the Department of War for permission to raise a Calvary unit. Teddy had no battle experience and therefore asked Colonel Leonard Wood, an army doc-tor who had won the Medal of Honor during the American-Indian War in the 1880s, to lead the regiment. It was called the 1st Volunteer Calvary and soon was given the nickname the Rough Riders.

Since they were needed for war shortly after the creation of the unit, Roosevelt wanted men who were “in shape” and could easily prepare for battle. The regiment had about 1,250 men coming from two very different backgrounds. Many were from the west and were cow-boys, Indians, cattle ranchers and other rough-‘n-tumble types. The rest were athletes from East-ern schools, mainly Ivy League colleg-es. Both types of men blended together nicely as a fighting unit as they were physically capable of handling the stress of the training.

On June 14, the men shipped out from Tampa and arrived on Cuban soil eight days later—minus a third of the regiment and practically all of their horses. This put the men at a major dis-advantage because they weren’t used to marching and fighting as foot soldiers. Two days later, on June 24, the Rough Riders saw their first action during the battle of Las Guasimas—a Spanish outpost. Weary from the trek to the out-post, many men fell out of position and more couldn’t make it up the steep hill. They went into the hour and half battle with less than 500 men but were able to root out the enemy from entrenched po-sitions. The Americans lost only eight dead and thirty-one wounded. The first Rough Rider to die in battle was Troop-er Jacob Wilbusky—a Jewish cowboy from Texas.

Before the Battle of San Juan Heights, Roosevelt was promoted to full colonel and made commander of

the Rough Riders. The battle took place on July 1 on San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill but at the beginning, they were only to be a diversion for the main as-sault. Roosevelt noticed that his men were exposed and taking advantage of loose orders and that he was the highest ranking officer in the vicinity, charged up the hill with his men following. The unit had three Gatling guns (an early version of the machine gun) in support that took care of 600 advancing Span-

ish soldiers. The heights had been taken but the Americans suffered many losses including fifteen Jewish Rough Riders who had been wounded or killed.

Once the heights had been taken, the Spanish were forced to fall back on the city of Santiago, and after a few minor battles, they surrendered to the Americans on August 12. Teddy Roo-sevelt wanted to get his Rough Riders out of the disease-ridden country and back to the states and within a week they were sent to Long Island. Twen-ty men had died of from illness, most were from malaria, and many more were sick in the hospital recovering from it and other tropical diseases. The unit wasn’t needed anymore and the First Volunteer Calvary was disbanded after less than five months of service. They played a huge part of the United States gaining international prestige as they defeated a world power.

Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your com-ments and suggestions.for future columns and can be reached at [email protected].

Forgotten HeroesAvi Heiligman

the Rough Riders Help Defeat the spanish

Teddy Roosevelt during the Spanish-American War

Rough Riders gathered around Teddy Roosevelt

Rough Riders charging up Kettle Hill

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GlobalPrince Alwaleed

Bickers with Forbes

Kingdom Holding Company, the in-vesting firm of Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, is accusing Forbes maga-zine of being biased against Mideast in-vestors. This criticism follows the release of the coveted billionaire issue. The prince feels that the publication gave the prince’s disclosures unwarranted scrutiny.

But what Prince Alwaleed doesn’t real-ize is that Forbes won’t let itself be bullied. The publication responded with a brutal 3,000-plus word rebuttal.

Kerry Dolan, the writer behind the Forbes’ 2013 Billionaire list, wrote an article entitled, “Prince Alwaleed And The Curious Case Of Kingdom Holding Stock.” She paints a picture of a man obsessed with presenting the image of a consummate, global business mogul. She explains how he personally sends in Pho-to-shopped magazine covers and constant-ly watches CNBC. She points out that the Kingdom Holding website describes the prince as “the world’s foremost value in-vestor.”

In fact, originally in 1988, the prince himself contacted Forbes to inform them just how successful his Kingdom Estab-lishment for Trading & Contracting Com-pany was and to notify them that he be-longed on the new list, which was only a year old at the time.

Dolan says that that initial contact was the beginning of what is now a long history of sporadic lobbying, cajoling and threatening when it comes to his net worth listing. Dolan writes, “Of the 1,426 billionaires on our list, not one–not even the vainglorious Donald Trump–goes to greater measure to try to affect his or her ranking. In 2006 when Forbes estimated that the prince was actually worth $7 bil-lion less than he said he was, he called me at home the day after the list was released, sounding nearly in tears. ‘What do you want?’ he pleaded, offering up his private banker in Switzerland. ‘Tell me what you need.’”

Alwaleed got his first big break by making a massive bet on Citi. Dolan feels that he is desperately trying to live up to the legacy of his family, who are the founders of Saudi Arabia and leaders of Lebanon.

As regulators pressured Citicorp to increase its capital base in the face of bad loans across developing countries, Alwaleed, then-unknown outside Saudi Arabia, amassed an $800 million position. That enormous bet ballooned across two Wall Street boom cycles–by 2005 it was worth $10 billion, making Alwaleed, at the time, one of the ten richest people in the world, and earning him a nickname, which he encouraged, of “the Buffett of Arabia.”

The prince lives the life of a hard-work-ing executive, sleeping little and expecting his staff to be on call at his 420-room pal-ace, or his jet, or his 120-acre “farm and resort” at all times.

The main issue is that Kingdom Hold-ings’ underlying assets do not add up to its own reported value. In this year’s calcula-tions, Forbes said it could not justify King-dom’s estimation of Alwaleed’s wealth and that the gap between their estimates and his is about $9.6 billion. Dolan believe that the Prince is using his own personal fortune to boost the company in order to maintain his image.

Here’s an interesting fact about Prince Alwaleed. Right after the September 11 attacks, Alwaleed gave a check of $10 million to then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He publicized a written statement upon his do-nation, stating, “At times like this, we must address some of the issues that led to such a criminal attack. I believe the government of the United States of America should re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stance toward the Palestinian cause.” Giuliani returned the check.

No Honor for Egyptian Anti-Semite

On Thursday, the State Department decided to defer awarding the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award to Egyptian activist Samira Ibrahim after she tweeted anti-Semitic messages.

On one of her tweets, Ibrahim stated: “I have discovered with the passage of days that no act contrary to morality, no crime against society, takes place except with the Jews having a hand in it. Hitler.” After the suicide bombing in Burgas, Bulgaria, which killed five Israelis, she exulted, “To-day is a very sweet day with a lot of very sweet news.” She also posted a message about the Saudi royals, calling them “dirti-er than the Jews.”

The Egyptian was one of ten women scheduled to receive an award from First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of

State John Kerry at a ceremony at the State Department.

Ibrahim denied authoring the venom-ous tweets. She tweeted, “My account has

been previously stolen and any tweet on racism and hatred is not me,” although the objectionable tweets remain on her feed.

Abraham H. Foxman of the ADL stat-ed, “We commend Secretary John Kerry and the Department of State for taking this matter seriously, and holding in abeyance the award to Ms. Ibrahim. There is no courage, and there should be no honor, in propagating anti-Semitism. If it is ascer-tained that Ms. Ibrahim is responsible for these anti-Semitic messages, she is unwor-thy of U.S. recognition and the honor and award should be withdrawn.”

Vienna Philharmonic’s Bloody Past

When one visits Vienna’s prestigious Philharmonic Orchestra, the melodious strains of symphony are calming. But when one hears about the past of some of the members of the orchestra, the calming sense is replaced with chills.

Helmut Wobisch served as the man-aging director of Vienna’s Philharmonic from 1954-1968. But Wobisch’s past is blackened by his connection to the Nazi party. He was a member of the party since 1933, when it was still illegal in Austria. He became a member of the infamous SS in 1938. In 1966, he presented a replica of the orchestra’s Honorary Ring to former Nazi youth leader Baldur von Schirach who was convicted of crimes against hu-

manity at the Nuremberg trials in 1946. Von Schirach, Vienna’s local Nazi leader, had received the orchestra’s highest dis-tinction in 1942 but U.S. troops seized it when he was arrested in 1945.

Researchers have found that six Jewish members of the orchestra were murdered and ten were deported to Nazi camps during Nazi rule. None of those who em-igrated, mainly to Britain and the United States, returned after World War II. At the time, 60 musicians out of a total of 123 were members of the Nazi party; that per-centage was well above that of the general population, which was about 10 percent.

Last month, the Austrian Academy of Sciences acknowledged that many of its scientists were members of the Nazi par-ty and that some of its students served in the SS. 21 Jewish scientists were exclud-ed from the Academy during World War II, including three Nobel laureates. Out of the 21 banished Jewish academics, nine were murdered by Nazis during the war.

A recent poll published chilling results last Friday. In the survey, 42 percent of Austrians were found to believe that things were not all that bad under Hitler’s ym”sh rule. 61 percent of those surveyed favored the idea of a “strong leaders who does not have to worry about a parliament or elec-tions. 57 percent said they saw “no good aspects” to the Nazi era.

It has been 75 years since Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938. At the time, cheering crowds greeted Hitler and his thugs as Austria was conquered in a bloodless coup by the Nazis.

Kenya’s Presidential Election to be Challenged

Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s founding father, was named the winner of the country’s presidential election on Sat-urday with 50.07 percent of the vote. His opponent Raila Odinga, the current Prime Minister refused to concede, alleging mul-tiple failures in the election process’ integ-rity. Odinga plans to petition the Supreme Court.

Kenyatta was accused by an interna-tional court of helping to orchestrate the

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vicious violence that marred the nation’s last vote. More than 1,000 people were killed and the country was at the brink of a civil war.

Kenyatta’s slim margin of victory in-creases the focus on a multitude of elec-toral failures that occurred during the six-day voting and counting process. Kenyatta surpassed the 50-percent level needed to avoid a runoff by just over 8,000 votes out of 12.3 million cast.

The United States, Britain and the Eu-ropean Union received Kenyatta’s victory with subtle disapproval. All released state-ments congratulating the Kenyan people but none mentioned Kenyatta by name. Prior to the election, the US warned of “consequences” if Kenyatta wins, the na-ture of which depends on what happens in coming months. Britain has said it would have only essential contact with Kenyatta as president.

In his acceptance speech, Kenyat-ta pledged to continue to cooperate with “international institutions,” but he also said he expects the international commu-nity to “respect our sovereignty and the democratic will of the people of Kenya.” He also thanked Odinga calling him “my brother” for a spirited campaign.

Kenyatta was instantaneously given the state security for a president-elect, traveling in a shiny black car escorted by a fleet from the tallying center to his election headquarters. He addressed supporters saying, “Today we celebrate the triumph of democracy, the triumph of peace, the triumph of nationhood,” he said, adding later: “My pledge to you is that as your president I will work on behalf of all cit-izens regardless of political affiliation. I will honor the will of Kenyans and ensure that my government protects their rights and acts without fear or favor, in the inter-ests of our nation.”

If Kenyatta’s victory holds, then he will be the fourth president of Kenya since its independence from British colonial rule in 1963.

N. Korea Rejects UN Resolution

The U.N. Security Council formally demanded that North Korea end its nuclear arms program and N. Korea has formally rejected the resolution.

The country’s refusal signals they will defy international sanctions and pursue its goal of becoming a full-fledged nuclear weapons state.

The Security Council unanimously im-posed new sanctions on North Korea last Friday, narrowing financial restrictions and enforcing its attempts to transport banned cargo. The North’s sole major ally, China,

wants the sanctions fully implemented. The sanctions are designed to make puni-tive measures more similar to those used against Iran, which Western officials say have been surprisingly successful.

The resolution, the fifth since 2006 and aimed at stopping the North’s nuclear and ballistic missile program, coincides with a sharp escalation of security tensions on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang’s third nuclear test on February 12.

“The DPRK, as it did in the past, ve-hemently denounces and totally rejects the ‘resolution on sanctions’ against the DPRK, a product of the U.S. hostile pol-icy toward it,” the North’s foreign minis-try spokesman said in a statement. DPRK is short for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “The world will clearly see what perma-nent position the DPRK will reinforce as a nuclear weapons state and satellite launcher as a result of the U.S. attitude of prodding the UNSC into cooking up the ‘resolution.’”

The United States warned North Korea it will achieve nothing by repeating threats of provocative actions and will only drive itself deeper into international isolation.

“The United States of America and our allies are prepared to deal with any threat and any reality that occurs in the world,” U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said ahead of his visit to Afghanistan on Fri-day. “We are aware of what’s going on. We have partnerships in that part of the world that are important.”

River of SwineThis week, thousands of dead pigs were

fished out the Huangpu River in China. Many of them were diseased and infected with porcine circovirus (PCV). The river is part of Shanghai’s major drinking water supply for the city’s 23 million people.

According to Xinmin newspaper, 2,813 pigs were fished out of the river and water management officials said that they are adding more chlorine to the water as a precaution, although the water is safe to drink.

Some in the city were unfortunately not perturbed by the news. Apparently, news like this is commonplace in a country where air and water pollution are rampant.

Others expressed outrage, although there is not much they can do to make sure they are drinking non-contaminated water.

Interestingly, it seems that many of the pigs came from the Zhejiang and Jiangshu provinces. Many pigs have died there re-cently, most from cramped conditions, and were disposed by being dumped in the river. The carcasses then ended up down-stream in the Huangpu River.

Japan’s Tremendous Decontamination

Records on DisplayMarch 11th marked two years since the

devastating Japan earthquake and tsunami. The natural disaster killed nearly 19,000 people and forced about 160,000 peo-ple out of their homes. Journalists have been given a rare glimpse inside Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was crippled in the 9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit the coun-try two years ago. The tour of the plant ahead of the anniversary sheds light on the colossal effort to decommission the nucle-ar reactors. The process is expected to take up to 40 years.

According to a briefing by plant oper-ator TEPCO, each container holds up to 1,100 tons of water and fills up in two-and-a-half days. There are 930 of these tanks, and already 75 percent have been filled, according to officials. Although TEPCO plans to increase capacity by an addition-al 771,600 tons, they are running out of space.

The process is also yielding roughly 440 tons of water every day, raising the issue of what to do with the contaminated liquid. Officials hope that this water puri-fication system will remove nuclear parti-cles when completed.

TEPCO expects the water’s contami-nation levels to be reduced to low enough levels to release it into the ocean. Howev-er, it is not clear how they will be able to overcome the public discontent over this plan.

But the most important task in decom-missioning the reactors is the removal of the fuel rods, a process that will begin in November. Work is already under way to build a protective cover for the rods. There is still no plan to remove fuel rods for the other reactor units, which are much more damaged.

Although the government’s aim is to finish decommissioning the plant in 30 to 40 years, the plan also relies on technolog-ical advances, an assumption that presents a profound challenge as Japan struggles to contain this daunting nuclear crisis.

Pakistani Protestors Burn Homes

More than 100 houses of Pakistani Christians in the eastern city of Lahore were burned by angry protestors over the weekend. Over 3,000 Muslim protesters turned violent over derogatory remarks against the Prophet Mohammed allegedly made by a young Christian, Sawan Masih, 28, three days earlier.

Joseph Colony is a primarily Christian neighborhood in Badami Bagh area; its in-habitants are mostly low to middle-class families from the minority community.

“Police arrested Masih, a sanitary worker, on Friday night while the incident actually happened on Wednesday eve-ning,” police official Multan Khan said. He said that the arrest was made when Masih’s barber friend, Shahid Imran, com-plained that he had made blasphemous re-marks about Prophet Mohammed, adding that Christians had fled the area on Friday evening, fearing a backlash.

Protesters began to assemble in the area on Saturday morning and later set fire to houses and other items including fur-niture, crockery, auto rickshaws, bicycles and motorbikes belonging to local Chris-tians. “Thick clouds of smoke engulfed the small houses, mostly consisting of one or two rooms, and many of them looked like charred shells,” said a bystander.

Police said protesters burnt 25 houses but Dr. Ahmad Raza, who is in charge of local rescue operations and the indepen-dent Human Rights Commission of Paki-stan (HRCP), put the number at more than 100. “At least 160 houses, 18 shops and two small churches were burnt by protest-ers,” Raza claims.

Provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah said in Lahore that the gov-ernment will be sure to prosecute those involved. “These people committed a se-rious crime... there was no moral, legal or religious ground to indulge in such an act,” he said.

Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive issue in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the population is Muslim, and allegations of insulting Islam or the Prophet Mohammed can prompt violent outbursts of public an-ger, even when unproven.

Chavez’s Body to be Preserved

Last week, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez passed away at the age of 58. He had been battling cancer for two years. Chavez ruled as the socialist leader for 14 years. Vice President Nicolas Maduro an-nounced on Thursday on state television

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Who are these people? Why don’t you know them?For a number of reasons. Some are embarrassed to ask for help – we seek them out and quietly, we do all we can. Others, simply scrape by with very little. Others, unfortunately, forego the holiday entirely.

So, now you know. That’s good, we’re glad. We can’t do this alone. We need every community member to be aware of the situation.

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that Hugo Chavez’s body will be perma-nently displayed in a special tomb.

The official state funeral began Friday at 10:30 a.m. Some thirty heads of state, along with delegations from 50 coun-tries, attended. Following the ceremony, Chavez’s body remained in state for seven additional days, so that more people can see it. People waited in a line that was lon-ger than a mile for more than 12 hours to pay their respects.

Maduro also announced that Chavez’s body will be preserved in the same manner as that of Russia’s Vladimir Lenin or Chi-na’s Mao Zedong, so “he will always be with the people.”

Visitors will be able to view Chavez’s body in a special tomb now under con-struction in a Caracas museum devoted to his populist revolution. The site is called el Museo Histórico Militar de Caracas or Cuartel 4 de Febrero.

Ahmadinejad’s Controversial Hug

One of the attendees at Chavez’s fu-neral was Iranian despot Mahmoud Ah-madinejad. The leader of Iran may have endeared himself to many in Latin Amer-ica when he came to pay his respects, but those in the Middle East region lost respect for the leader when he consoled Chavez’s mourning mother. A photograph was tak-en of the Iranian leader clasping Chavez’s mother, Elena Frias’s, hands and consoling her cheek to cheek. In strict Islamic so-cieties, contact between men and women who are not related or married is forbid-den and the photograph sparked outrage in Iran.

Hojat al-Islam Hossein Ibrahimi, a member of the Society of Militant Cler-gy of Tehran, announced the severity of the action. “In relation to what is allowed (halal) and what is forbidden (haram) we know that no unrelated women can be touched unless she is drowning at sea or needs (medical) treatment.”

Islamic leaders also found fault with Ahmadinejad’s eulogy of the late Venezue-

lan leader. In his eulogy, he put Chavez in the same realm as other holy leaders, such as Al-Imam al-Mahdi. Some said that this remark was a symbol of a “deviant cur-rent” that was driving him away from the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A member of parliament called for reli-gious leaders to confront Ahmadinejad’s “un-Islamic” acts. Some religious leaders urged the leader to become better educated in the laws of Islam.

The only question I am left with is as follows: when is a hug not really a hug? When it is given by a snake like Ah-madinejad himself.

IsraelConflict between Abbas and Fayyad

A sharp dispute has erupted between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad over the resignation of Finance Minister Nabil Qassis, Palestinian sources reported over the weekend.

Rumor has it that the Palestinian Au-thority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad are in a dis-agreement that some predict can cause the government to collapse.

Qassis decided to quit the PA govern-ment much to Abbas disappointment. Qas-sis was Abbas’s choice for finance minister – a job that Fayyad held for the past four years. Abbas did not accept his resigna-tion. A few days later, however, Fayyad, in a surprise move, announced that he had accepted Qassis’s resignation. Fayyad’s announcement was seen by Palestinians as a direct challenge to Abbas.

The sources said that the dispute could lead to the resignation of the PA government.

Qassis did not offer any explanation as to why he decided to step down. Some officials suspect he was protesting against a series of agreements reached between Fayyad and union workers.

Abbas and Fayyad met last week in a bid to end the dispute, but to no avail, the sources said. They added that Fayyad was determined to have Qassis removed from his post. Fayyad’s move has also angered Fatah leaders in the West Bank who ac-

cused him of “insulting” the PA president and seeking to seize regain control over the Finance Ministry.

Najat Abu Baker, a Fatah member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, ac-cused Fayyad, who is from the small Third Way party of “openly challenging the de-cisions of the Palestinian president.” She warned Fayyad against taking the finance portfolio for himself and called on all the ministers to submit their resignations to Abbas immediately.

“Fayyad does not want anyone else to control the Finance Ministry; he wants it for himself,” Abu Baker claimed. “Fayyad has been treating his ministers as if he was a headmaster and they were the teachers.”

Palestinians Warn Obama Against Visiting

Temple MountHamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups

have threatened that if President Barack Obama chooses to visit the Temple Mount during his upcoming visit to Israel, it will be looked at as a declaration of war on the Arab and the Islamic world. A Hamas representative in the Al-Aqsa mosque, Mushir al-Masri, even called for a third intifada and for Egyptian assistance in the “resistance” if Obama chooses to visit the Temple Mount. Khalid al-Batash, a senior Islamic Jihad member, also attempted to prevent Obama from visiting the com-pound.

The threats were made during a protest march on Friday over the riots that broke out earlier in the day on the Temple Mount.

According to police, nine officers and five protesters were injured during the in-cident.

Sheikh Akrameh Sabri, head of the higher Islamic council and former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, said if Obama would like to arrive in peace, he must enter through a gate that was not under Israeli auspices.

“Any visitor is welcome to Al-Aqsa, but they should follow the regulations of the Waqf and enter through the Lions’ Gate

and not through Mughrabi Gate, to ensure Muslim sovereignty,” he said.

Israel liberated the Temple Mount during the 1967 Six Day War, leaving the Waqf in charge of the compound. In re-turn, the Waqf erased every sign of ancient Jewish presence from the holy site and de-liberately destroyed Jewish antiquities in a direct violation of a ruling by the Supreme Court.

Obama is scheduled to arrive in the Middle East later this month, and PA media has been widely speculating that he plans to visit the site of the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Hamas Locks out Humanitarian Aid in Protest

Tens of heavy trucks transporting hu-manitarian aid have been sitting idly on the border of the Gaza Strip since Monday, unable to enter the coastal enclave after Hamas shut the gates from its side. The goods include perishable items that will eventually spoil if the situation isn’t re-solved rather soon.

The conflict began when Hamas de-cided to seize control of Gaza’s border crossings from the Palestinian Authority. Israel has been working with the PA to ensure that supplies enter Gaza regularly. But Hamas has refused to cooperate and the terror group has been unresponsive in getting the 65 trucks into their territory.

Israeli Gen. Eitan Dangot, the officer in charge of coordinating aid transfers, stressed that Israel continues to facilitate the entry of goods to Gaza, and will gladly resume that practice if someone on the oth-er side will let that happen.

Gen. Dangot noted that Hamas is in-flicting great harm on its own people in a misguided attempt to score PR points with the international community.

Bolton: Israel Has to Act Fast

Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton had some advice for Prime Minis-ter Benjamin Netanyahu this week. In a

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radio interview with “Aaron Klein Investi-gative Radio,” Bolton spoke about Israel’s need to strike quickly against Iran.

“Obviously, in the short term, Israel is focused on forming its own government,” Bolton stated. “But I think assuming it’s Prime Minister Netanyahu forming that government, he has a very short period of time in which to determine whether Isra-el will use military force knowing that the United States will not or whether Israel is prepared to allow Iran to get to the point where it has nuclear weapons.” He ex-pressed the need for swift action. “I don’t know what Netanyahu’s decision will be but I do think he is very limited in how much time he has because every day that goes by allows Iran to put its nuclear capa-bilities beyond Israel’s power to destroy.”

The former diplomat stated that he does not believe that the Obama administration will be taking any military action against Iran. He said the main question is whether Israel will be acting in its own self-defense or not as it was forced to do “twice before when it struck Saddam Hussein’s reactor in 1981 and the Syrian reactor in Septem-ber of 2007.”

The interview was given just a week before President Obama’s planned visit to the Jewish State.

NationalDubbya the Painter

Although George W. Bush has been out of the spotlight for some time, he has not been sitting at home knitting sweat-ers. Instead, the former president has been spending his time painting. And he’s be-come quite a pro.

Bonnie Flood is Dubbya’s painting teacher and she has a lot to say about her pupil. “He has such a passion for painting, it’s amazing,” she said. “He’s going to go down in the history books as a great artist.”

“He started off painting dogs. I think he said he painted 50 dogs,” Flood add-ed. “He pulled out this canvas and started painting dogs and I thought, ‘Oh my G-d,

I don’t paint dogs!” Eventually, she man-aged to convince Bush 43 to try his hand at landscape painting. Some of his paintings, including one of his beloved Barney, the former First Dog who passed away earlier this year, have become public.

Flood spent time teaching the former leader of the free world about how to mix colors and the right way to make brush-strokes. She recalled that at first she did not know how to address him, but decid-ed to call him “43” since that was how he signed his artwork.

“When I really wanted him to do something, I would say, ‘Mr. President, you know that you don’t do it that way,’” Flood added.

No Jews on My JuryJury selection is important to lawyers.

They want to make sure that those sitting on the jury are not predisposed to certain ideas. But a Jewish attorney for a Mus-lim in New York took jury selection to an extreme.

Frederick Cohn, who is Jewish, asked a judge to keep Jews off his panel while defending Abdel Hameed Shehadeh. The accused is charged with making false statements in connection with a terrorism offense.

“I’m not wild about having Jews on the jury in this case,” the attorney told the judge. “Given that there’s going to be in-flammatory testimony about Jews and Zi-onism, I think it would be hard for Jews to cast aside any innate antipathy,” Cohn said.

Etzion Neuer of the Anti-Defamation League pointed out, “The notion that Jews cannot serve in a jury and be objective is simply offensive to us.” Others said that the attorney’s request is “discriminatory.”

Outside the courthouse, one person commented, “This is America. This is New York. We’re a melting pot.” Another add-ed, “Regardless of your race you should be able to participate in the judicial system.”

The judge, in his wisdom, ruled against Cohn’s request and jury selection is set to begin later in the week.

A 1986 Supreme Court ruling held that jurors cannot be excluded solely on the ba-sis of their race.

80 Percent of NYC High School Students are

Unprepared for College An upsetting statistic was recently re-

vealed regarding NYC public education.Nearly 80 percent of New York City

high school graduates need to re-learn basic skills before they can enter the City University’s community college system. Upon graduation, the majority of students do not have basic reading, writing, and math skills, the fundamentals for college.

Officials say 80 percent of those who graduate from city high schools arrived at City University’s community college system without having mastered the skills to do college-level work. That’s nearly 11,000 kids who received diplomas from city high schools who need remedial courses.

To meet the needs of the students and promote further education, City Universi-ty has launched a special program called CUNY Start. It provides low-cost immer-sion classes.

Sherry Mason teaches a writing class. “They get lost sometimes in the classroom and in CUNY Start we give them a lot more one-on-one attention, small group work. It helps them achieve more in a short amount of time and so they’re able to get on with their credit classes,” she explained.

Nicholas Gonzalez, a graduate of New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, partic-ipated in the CUNY Start program. He is grateful that he had the opportunity and claims he would never had been able of at-tending college without these services. “I was nervous about how hard it was going to be, how much of a change it was going to be from high school,” Gonzalez said. “I knew I needed to take remedial. If I started right away with credit classes it wasn’t go-ing to be so well, so it’s better off starting somewhere.”

This statistic is alarming. Yet it is im-portant to look at the positive side of the NYC Department of Education and note that high school rates increased by 40 per-cent over the last seven years.

Obama the Sports Star This week, Sports Illustrated released

an issue that ranks the fifty most powerful people in sports. There were many obvi-ous names on the list but one of the famous names caught people by surprise.

President Barack Obama was named one of the most powerful people in sports.

Oddly enough, the 44th president ranked the 44th most powerful person in sports.

At the top of the list was David Stern, the NBA commissioner, who was just af-ter the most powerful person in sports, Roger Goodell, the NFL commission-er. In third place was Denver billion-aire Philip Anschutz who’s looking to sell his sports and entertainment divi-sion AEG, and the fourth spot was held by John Skipper, the president of ESPN.

Many are left wondering: if Obama truly is so powerful in sports, why did he fail in his bid to bring the 2016 Olympics to America?

Certainly something to think about…

Super-Mosquitos to Visit Florida this Summer

Have you been dreaming of getting away for the weekend to the Sunshine State? Well, before you book that flight consider this…

It’s the size of a quarter and it bites. Victims describe the pain to that of a cut from a knife and they’re planning to in-vade Florida this summer.

Floridians can expect to see an explo-sion of shaggy-haired gallinippers (Pso-rophora ciliata), a type of giant mosquito, according to entomologist Phil Kaufman of the University of Florida.

Gallinipper eggs hatch after a rain-storm or flood, and the state saw a big jump in the numbers of gallinippers last summer after Tropical Storm Debby. Eggs laid last year could produce a bumper crop of the blood-sucking bugs this summer if Florida sees a soggy rainy season.

“I wouldn’t be surprised, given the numbers we saw last year,” Kaufman said in a statement. “When we hit the rainy cy-cle, we may see that again.”

Gallinippers are particularly formi-dable. Their eggs lay dormant for years, awaiting the floodwaters that will enable them to hatch. Even in their larval stage, gallinippers are so tough, they’ll eat tad-poles and other small aquatic prey.

As adults, the voracious pests feed day and night, unlike everyday mosquitoes, which generally feed only at dawn and dusk. Their bodies are strong enough to

news

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/03/07/officials-most-nyc-high-school-grads-need-remedial-help-before-entering-cuny-community-colleges/

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/03/07/officials-most-nyc-high-school-grads-need-remedial-help-before-entering-cuny-community-colleges/

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bite through clothing, and they’re known to go after pets, wild animals and even fish.

The only positive side of being invaded by gallinippers is that they are so ravenous that they eat the larvae of other insects, in-cluding mosquitoes, so there may be less mosquitoes at your weekly barbeque. They are also not known to carry any diseases.

Granny Nannies is a Growing Industry

The job market is still pretty weak but there is one particular profession that is seeking employees.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports there are 40 million Americans ages 65 or old-er, and nearly 10 million that are at least 85 years old. Life expectancy is on the rise and therefore there are a lot more old people around who need help. The “Granny Nan-ny” market has many job opportunities and luckily for those interested, elderly Ameri-cans have long-term care insurance or some other means of paying for care in their own homes.

“The senior care industry, just for senior home care, has grown more than 40 percent in the last five years,” said Julie Northcutt, CEO of Caregiverlist.com, which tracks the market. “Everything predicts care is going to continue to move to the home.”

Supposedly, there are almost 11,000 se-nior care agencies in the U.S., with 1,000 of them created in 2012 alone.

Jack Fackrell saw a business opportu-nity in this industry and co-founded Alta Home care, a full-service caregiver compa-ny. “A lot of the nation’s wealth is tied up in the seniors,” he said. Ten years later, Alta now has about 600 clients in California and Louisiana, where it just acquired a smaller company. “This year we’ll do about $15 million” in revenues, Fackrell said. He is hiring 15 to 20 people a week, but most ap-plicants are rejected. “The hardest part is finding good people.”

Nationally, 4,000 caregivers and cer-tified nursing assistants are being hired

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vistas that enable one to truly grasp the messages that the Torah and our Sages impart.

continued on page 48

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http://www.caregiverlist.com/

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njoy the Holiday of Freedom with your family at an inspirational Seder, complete with the original hand baked Shmurah Matzah, Four Cups of fine kosher wine, and a gourmet Passover dinner.

First Seder: Monday, March 25th 2013 • 7:30 pmבליל ראשון דחג הפסח יום שני בערב י”ד בניסן בשעה 7:30 בערב

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monthly, according to Caregiverlist.com.So there’s definitely a need out there

and it seems like fulfilling work but don’t think that this line of work is always easy. It can be challenging and emotional. Workers are often required to do chores that are rather unpleasant, at times clients can be demanding, and there’s always the risk of facing a client who you’ve grown to love and passes away. Oh, and the pay is only $10 per hour on average, but they’re hiring!

More Women Have Driver’s Licenses, More

Men Actually Drive, More Men Die in Accidents

Men may say that women are bad drivers but a recent statistic indicates that women may be safer drivers.

According to Michael Sivak at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, the number of Ameri-can women with driver’s licenses steadily grew throughout the 1900s. By 2005, men had officially become a minority. In 2010, the latest year for which data was avail-able, men made up 49.7% of America’s drivers.

While the numbers indicate that more women hold driver’s licenses, men con-tinue to do significantly more driving. In 1969, the average U.S. male drove 11,352 miles a year, while his female counterpart drove less than half that—just 5,411 miles.

Four decades later, the figures have evened out a bit but there is still a gap. In 2009, the average American male drove 15,139 miles, while women drove roughly 2/3 of that total or 10,244 miles.

Although women drive less often than men, they’re also more likely to be in-volved in traffic accidents. However, guys are more likely to be found at fault for road accidents and sadly they’re significantly

more likely to be involved in fatal colli-sions—80% more likely.

Drive safe!

Walmart Shoppers Not Too Happy

In the current market, there is so much competition that retailers are being forced to improve their customer service or else consumers will just find another retailer. Due to that, customer satisfaction with re-tailers overall is at an all-time high.

However, while the industry improved overall, according to the American Con-sumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), not all retailers received high marks.

24/7 Wall St. recently reviewed ACSI data to find the nine companies with the worst satisfaction scores in retail. Of all retailers, the largest, Walmart, received the worst customer satisfaction score of 71.

Following Walmart was Netflix with a score of 75. Supermarket operator Safeway Inc. came in next with a score of 75 as well.

Although CVS Caremark Corp. is one of the nation’s largest businesses in any in-dustry (it ranked 18th in the Fortune 500 for 2012), it gets a customer satisfaction rate of 75 in the number four worst spot.

If you’ve had any interactions with the customer service at Sears or Kmart, then you are probably not surprised to see Sears Holdings Corp., owner of Sears and Kmart, sitting in the number 5 spot with a satisfaction rate of 75.

Supervalu Inc. is a grocery retailer op-erating discount store Save-A-Lot as well as a list of grocery chains that includes Al-bertsons, Jewel-Osco and Shop ‘N Save. Their customers were only 76 percent sat-isfied.

The Gap’s customers are also not par-ticularly satisfied. With a number of well-known retail chains, including the Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, you can’t go too far without running into a retail store but they only received a satisfaction

score of 76. (Although I have to say that I’m pretty happy with the cute shirt I just bought for my son at the Gap.)

The number seven spot is occupied by TJX Companies Inc., which owns dis-count retail stores T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods. They received 76 in the customer satisfaction category.

As of December 2012, Walgreens had more than 8,500 locations but that’s not enough to satisfy customers; they received a 76 customer satisfaction as well.

Police Chief Screens for Racism Using Lie Detector Test

Coopertown Police Chief Shane Sulli-van was hired to the tiny Tennessee depart-ment after it was dismantled by scandal. His new initiative uses a lie-detector test to help keep racists off his force.

Sullivan took over the department in November, becoming the 11th chief in as many years. He was hired on the heels of a series of police scandals that for a few months left Coopertown with no police at all. Years before that, a mayor was voted out of office after the local prosecutor ac-cused him of racism and running a notori-ous speed trap.

Though it is not uncommon to use lie detector tests for other purposes during the application process, law enforcement experts say Sullivan’s approach to test for racism is unusual. Sullivan hopes that the lie detector test will dissuade racists from applying all together. “I think the poly-graph will definitely keep these people from applying,” the 39-year-old chief said.

And he believes the policy is working, because he says it’s already discouraged some applicants. “I’ve told a couple of ones about the polygraph who have not called me back.”

The rural community of about 4,000 people that is 95 percent white earned a reputation as a notorious speed trap, with about a third of its revenue coming from speeding tickets handed out by city police during the former mayor’s tenure. In 2006, the National Motorists Association said

Coopertown had one of the most “blatant examples of speed traps in the country.” It stopped after a prosecutor filed a petition against the mayor in 2006. Its 25 squares miles encompass significant stretches of Interstate 24 and another highway that drivers use to cut through to Interstate 65.

In 2006, the county prosecutor asked a court to oust then-Mayor Danny Crosby on allegations he was running a speed trap and ordering police to target Hispanics, out-of-towners and soldiers from nearby Fort Campbell, Ky., for traffic tickets.

Although an appellate court agreed with a lower court’s finding that Crosby’s conduct and statements were strongly sug-gestive of “bigotry…or utter foolishness,” it refused to remove him. Crosby was lat-er voted out of office and the speed trap is gone.

Sullivan, who has taken the lie detector test himself, said he’s hoping to establish a professional police department that can eventually provide 24-hour service, seven days a week. Right now, he doesn’t have the staff to police the town around the clock and leaves those duties up to the sheriff’s office. He’s already hired two po-lice officers, both of whom have passed the polygraph, and he wants to add more. The department’s budget is about $250,000 this fiscal year, Sullivan said, and the chief makes $41,000.

It’s good he knows that no one is above the law.

Racing Through the Snow

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska. Participants in this year’s race are struggling with their own exhaustion in their journey toward the finish line in Nome on Alaska’s western coast.

Four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser of Big Lake reclaimed the lead on Friday afternoon that was taken earlier by Aliy Zirkle, last year’s runner-up. Zirkle, of Two Rivers, had been the first to reach the village of Grayling, a checkpoint on the Yukon River, which is the trail for 238 miles of the race, but Buser caught up and

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sled_dog

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorage,_Alaska

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nome,_Alaska

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left before Zirkle.Buser was first into the previous check-

point at Anvik early Friday. But he decid-ed to take a mandatory eight-hour break there, while Zirkle blew out of the village one minute after arriving. Zirkle arrived at Grayling 18 miles away almost three hours before Buser, but he caught up and left the village after only 10 minutes.

Buser was headed to the next check-point at Eagle Island, where no one lives. It’s 62 miles from Grayling.

Because of a low cloud ceiling, planes apparently weren’t able to get to the checkpoint earlier Friday, and it was like-ly people were headed to the checkpoint on snow machines from Kaltag ahead of Buser’s anticipated arrival, race spokes-woman Erin McLarnon said. Communi-cations also have been affected because of the weather, forcing people to use satellite phones.

Zirkle led more than a half-dozen mushers or trainers out of Grayling on Friday night. That group included 2004 winner Mitch Seavey and four-time win-ner Jeff King. Because of the situation in Eagle Island, race officials asked mushers to carry extra food with them when they left Grayling.

Teams must take the eight-hour lay-over at one checkpoint on the frozen Yu-kon River. Mushers also may take the lay-over at Shageluk — 25 miles east of the river — during odd-numbered years when the village is included in a part of the race that takes a southern route. Mushers also are required to take another eight-hour rest at the White Mountain checkpoint, 77 miles from the finish line in Nome.

Break or no break, mushers get only a fraction of the rest that their hard-running dogs do, many said before the race began last weekend. The human participants take care of their dogs first when they stop, serving up hearty stews for their teams. Dogs nap while the mushers melt snow to fix food for their teams, massage dog paws and shoulders, fill up on their own grub, fix damaged sleds and study the strategy of rivals.

“They know what they’re supposed to do, and they absolutely know what I’m supposed to give them,” Zirkle said of her team. “And if I don’t, that relationship is broken and we can’t do the race. So it’s re-ally on me, honestly.”

Mushers catch what little sleep they can, when they can. That is all part of run-ning an endurance match in some of the world’s toughest conditions, where bliz-zards can create blinding stretches of trail, temperatures can plunge to 50 below or above-freezing temperatures which can slow teams down in punchy snow or river overflows as in this race.

The race is a grueling run that mushers and their teams train hard for.

There comes a time during the race when fatigue can turn Alaska’s frozen landscape into an unlikely habitat for an elephant that really isn’t there or all sorts of other strange images. Lynda Plettner, a former participant in the 1,000-mile race, tells about her experience. The Big Lake, Alaska, musher was so sleep-deprived once that she saw a large gray African ele-phant in the distance trudging in the snow toward a metal building that had no doors or windows. Both the elephant and the building got bigger as Plettner got closer and her weary brain focused on getting the dogs safely past them before it dawned on her that she was hallucinating.

“I concluded that that couldn’t possibly be there,” she said.

Wealthy’s Tax Bill Will Hit 30-Year High

Wealthy families are paying some of their biggest federal tax bills in decades as the rest of the population continues to pay at historically low rates.

President Obama and Democratic lead-ers in Congress say the wealthy must pay their fair share if the federal government is ever going to fix its finances and reduce the budget deficit to a manageable level. A new analysis shows that average tax bills for high-income families have rarely been higher since the Congressional Budget Of-fice began tracking the data in 1979.

For 2013, families with incomes in the top 20 percent of the nation will pay an average of 27.2 percent of their income in federal taxes, according to projections by the Tax Policy Center, a research organi-zation based in Washington. The top one percent of households, those with incomes averaging $1.4 million, will pay an aver-age of 35.5 percent. Those tax rates, which include income, payroll, corporate and estate taxes, are among the highest since 1979.

The average family in the bottom 20 percent of households won’t pay any fed-eral taxes at all. Instead, many families in this group will get payments from the federal government by claiming more in credits than they owe in taxes, including payroll taxes. That will give them a nega-tive tax rate.

“My sense is that high-income people feel abused by being targeted always for more taxes,” said Roberton Williams, a fellow at the Tax Policy Center. “You can understand why they feel that way.”

Can you?Last week, Senate Democrats were un-

able to advance their proposal to raise tax-es on some wealthy families for the second time this year as part of a package to avoid

automatic spending cuts. The bill failed Thursday when Republicans blocked it. A competing Republican bill that included no tax increases also failed, and the auto-matic spending cuts began taking effect Friday.

The issue remains unresolved. Obama and Democratic leaders in Con-

gress insist that any future deal to reduce government borrowing must include a mix of spending cuts and more tax revenue. “I am prepared to do hard things and to push my Democratic friends to do hard things,” Obama said Friday. “But what I can’t do is ask middle-class families, ask seniors, ask students to bear the entire burden of defi-cit reduction when we know we’ve got a bunch of tax loopholes that are benefiting the well-off and the well-connected, aren’t contributing to growth, aren’t contributing to our economy. It’s not fair. It’s not right.”

The Democrats’ bill included the “Buf-fett Rule,” named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett. It gradually would phase in a requirement that people making more than $1 million a year pay at least 30 per-cent of their income in federal taxes.

Police Office Patrols School at No Cost

In the aftermath of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, schools have been thinking about precautionary measures to prevent such tragedies.

Schools around the country have con-sidered posting armed police officers in-side their buildings. Great idea but that costs a lot of money. One school district in South Carolina has a creative solution to that problem at zero cost to taxpayers.

In Simpsonville, police officer Justin Chandler has set up his community service office at Plain Elementary School. There, he can handle administrative duties and make phone calls while also having time to patrol the halls and keep the school safe as an armed guard. “I’d rather be here and not be needed, than be needed and not be here,’’ Chandler said. “All I needed from the school is a desk and Wi-Fi. We said it’s a no-brainer. When we got down to brass tacks with it, it didn’t cost a dime.’’

“I feel safer,’’ school principal Debbie Mihalic said. “I never thought that actual-ly having an officer at [Plain] Elementary would be that valuable, but now that he’s here, I don’t want him to leave.’’

“He’s made us feel safe, especially what happened over in Connecticut,’’ one parent said.

Perhaps this idea will spread and more districts would adopt similar practices.

Glitch for the Subway

Last week 80,000 New York City sub-way maps were distributed with a typo in them.

The mistake was regarding rates, not with rail stops.

The New York Transit system sent out the maps with the wrong fares listed, which is especially embarrassing as they issued the maps specifically to reflect a rate change but forgot to change the rates.

That’s an expensive mistake. It will take $250,000 to correct the maps. I guess our increased fare money will help pay for it.

That’s OddThis Carr is Not a Star

Here’s a hint for criminals: if you’re looking to counterfeit some money, don’t buy your printer at Walmart.

Jarad S. Carr ain’t so smart. He need-ed some extra cash but instead of working for the dough, he decided to make some of his own. Smart, right? Wrong! It turns

news

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/

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out that Carr needed a printer to print some Benjamins, so he went to his local Walmart and bought himself a printer. Well, if you haven’t noticed this on your own, Walmart does not stock the best printers around and Carr’s broke while he was printing his loot.

Instead of buying another printer, Carr went back to Walmart, without the receipt for the printer because he couldn’t find it, and tried to return the broken printer. When employees told him they couldn’t refund his money, his insisted on getting his money back—even when they found two sheets of paper inside the printer with two $100 bills printed on it!

Employees called the cops after Carr started to get belligerent. Cops found an-other three counterfeit bills on Carr, who is wanted on two felony warrants for armed robbery and burglary.

The counterfeit bills weren’t even that great. They were printed on heavy-weight printer paper and the colors were a little too blue. In any case, Carr is now on his way to the slammer…without a refund!

Human Chain Saves Boy from Drowning

After being swept out to sea by rough waters, a 12-year-old New Zealand boy was saved by a human chain.

Josh McQuoid was playing along the water’s edge on Marine Parade in Napier, New Zealand, when he was whisked out to sea. The boy was dragged nearly 500 feet along the beach and fought for his life for at least eight minutes.

“The waves smashed me so much, there were five really big ones, they flipped me around quite a few times,” McQuoid recalled. “I think the longest for about 20 seconds.” Constable Paul Bailey of the Napier Police was the first one into the wa-ter to attempt to rescue McQuoid, but he had a difficult time holding on to him. “A few times under the waves I was thinking, ‘Have I done the right thing charging in here? Is it going to be two bodies they’re looking for,” Bailey said.

Another police officer instructed others to form a human chain from the shoreline into the water to bring McQuoid and Bai-ley to safety. The boy was unresponsive when his lifeless body was brought back to shore. Once again, his rescuers stepped up and helped revive him before he was taken to a local hospital.

The dramatic video of the rescue shows more than a dozen people holding hands from the beach into the whitecap waves to bring the two to safety.

“I’d love to thank them so much for what they did. They saved my life. If it wasn’t for them I’d be dead,” McQuoid said gratefully.

That’s the power of numbers.

Graduating High School at 106

Fred Butler has accomplished many things in his long lifetime. He was married for 65 years, raised five children, served in the army during World War II, and worked for years for the local water department. However, he did all this without having ever graduated from high school.

Butler dropped out of school before the ninth-grade to accept a full-time job at a print shop to support his mother and five younger siblings. He has always regretted not having a high school diploma and now can cross it off his bucket list.

School officials, state lawmakers, and Beverly Mayor Bill Scanlon awarded the 106-year-old his honorary diploma on Monday during an emotional ceremony. “I thank everybody who is responsible for this,” Butler said, wearing a mortarboard hat and tassel and holding the prized doc-ument in his hands. “I certainly appreciate it.”

Daughter-in-law Cathy Butler says he regretted dropping out and always empha-sized the importance of education to his children and grandchildren. A grandson, Mike Calabro, said Butler gave him $5 for every A on his report card.

Cathy Butler launched the effort to get her father-in-law his diploma as a way to raise his spirits following the death of his wife, Ruth, last year.

Fred Butler’s only concern was that he hadn’t earned it. Scanlon put that concern to rest. “It’s a long time to wait for your diploma,” Scanlon said, “but you’ve obvi-ously earned it very well.”

Stomach Cancer Breathalyzer

A new study has found that a quick and simple breath test can diagnose stomach cancer. Scientists from Israel and China found the test was 90% ac-

curate at detecting and distinguishing cancers from other stomach complaints in 130 patients.

Doctors are very excited because ear-ly detection is the most likely factor in survival rates of stomach cancer. Two-fifths of patients with stomach cancer survive for at least a year, but only a fifth are still alive after five years, despite treatment. Currently, doctors diagnose stomach cancer by taking a biopsy of the stomach lining using a probe and a flex-ible camera passed via mouth and down the gullet.

The new test looks for chemical pro-files in exhaled breath that are unique to patients with stomach cancer. Cancer appears to give off a signature smell of volatile organic compounds that can be detected using the right technical med-ical kit – and perhaps even dogs. The science behind the test itself is not new; many researchers have been working on the possibility of breath tests for a number of cancers, including lung. But the work by Prof Hossam Haick, of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, suggests it is a good way to spot stomach cancer.

In the study, 37 of the patients had stomach cancer, 32 had stomach ulcers and 61 had other stomach complaints. As well as accurately distinguishing be-tween these conditions 90% of the time, the breath test could tell the difference between early and late-stage stomach cancers.

The team is now running a bigger study in more patients to validate their test.

Kate Law, director of clinical re-search at Cancer Research UK, said: “The results of this latest study are prom-ising – although large scale trials will now be needed to confirm these findings. “Only one in five people are able to have surgery as part of their treatment as most stomach cancers are diagnosed at stages that are too advanced for surgery. Any test that could help diagnose stomach cancers earlier would make a difference to patients’ long-term survival.”

Hopefully this test will save a lot of lives.

Instagram Reunites Toddler and His Bunny

A story of lost loves reunited took place this week when a tourist took a photo of an abandoned plush bunny on a side street in Los Angeles. Jason Ho didn’t

realize he was providing the key clue to help reunite a young boy with a precious gift from his dearly departed grand-mother. The bunny, which doesn’t have a name, belongs to two-and-a-half-year-old Max. “It’s never taken outside of the house,” said Frances Page, Max’s mom. “He must’ve snuck it into the stroller and dropped it.”

As soon as the bunny’s absence was noted, a frantic search began. After all, it was a gift from Max’s grandmother, who had passed away. “I decided to go the traditional route and put up posters,” Page said. “My husband put a photo of the poster on Twitter and Instagram.”

At the same time that Matt Ross, Max’s dad, was uploading a photo of the poster to Instagram, Jason Ho, a Minne-apolis resident visiting Los Angeles for the first time, posted a photo of a sad, stuffed bunny lying in the road, that he’d spotted during a stroll. “The fur matted down from hugs and squeezes, I could tell this little guy lying in the sun had been much loved,” Ho wrote in a post on his personal blog. “But by its whimsi-cal position on the ground he must have been abandoned on accident.”

“I collect a lot of toys and I love childhood memory type things,” Ho said, elaborating on how he felt when he saw the bunny. “Oh, let’s take a shot of this.”

So why didn’t he pick it up? “I kinda debated … I didn’t want to touch it. Peo-ple usually come back for these things,” he added. “And I didn’t even know where I would take it.” He heard some kids playing nearby, so he figured chanc-es were good that the bunny belonged to one of them.

By the time Ho arrived at his tempo-rary L.A. lodging, he noticed that he’d been tagged on a stranger’s Instagram photo. An eagle-eyed user commented on Ross’ photo to say that Ho “just post-ed something that looks like what [he’s] looking for.”

Ho quickly shared the geotag infor-mation from his photo of the bunny with Max’s parents and then spoke to them on the phone, describing the spot where he’d encountered it in more detail. Page and her son set out to retrieve the pre-

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cious plush.“We ended up asking around,” Page

said. A kind man working on a nearby home had seen the bunny as well, hours earlier. He helped Page check trashcans, in case someone had callously chucked the bunny into one. And what do you know? That’s where the bunny was found.

“We put him into the wash, cleaned him up and he’s back with us,” Page concludes a retelling of the adventure. “It’s so sweet that people we don’t know at all … helped us.”

And so technology and strangers join together to solve the case of missing bunny.

Man Fined for Laughing Too Loud

Did you know it’s a crime to laugh to loud?

Robert Schiavelli of Rockville Centre, Long Island, received two summonses for “disturbing the peace” by laughing too loudly.

Police appeared at his home on Febru-ary 12 and 13 after receiving complaints from his next-door neighbor that his loud laughs could be heard across the driveway. He was charged with acting “in such a manner as to annoy, disturb, interfere with, obstruct, or be offensive to others.”

At his arraignment on Tuesday, a judge declined to dismiss the charges.

Schiavelli, 45, tells the New York Post that his neighbor often taunts him. He deals with it by laughing him off. Schia-velli suffers from seizures and neurologi-cal impairments.

Bullying doesn’t end after high school and it’s no laughing matter.

Golfing with ChopsticksCelebrated golf course designer Brian

Curley of Schmidt-Curley Design has re-vealed plans for what he calls a “full-scale mini golf” experience at Mission Hills Haikou resort on the Chinese island of Hainan.

Visitors will encounter a replica of the Great Wall of China on one hole and a hu-mongous bowl of noodles and chopsticks on another.

The 18-hole course, which is sched-uled to be completed in 2014, will fea-ture several unique obstacles, includ-ing an 80-meter wide bowl of noodles, a set of Mayan ruins and a par-3 that drills golfers with winds from large fans.

“It’s still going to be real golf, with real clubs,” Curley told ESPN. “You’ll need to putt and you’ll need to drive. Everything will be the same except instead of being surrounded by pine trees, you’re in China.”

“The shot is no different, it’s just that visually it’s different,” Curley said of the Sawgrass-Mission Hills Haikou compari-son. “When you’re hitting into a bowl and there are chopsticks and noodles floating in the water, it takes on a whole new level – the purists are going to have a fit.”

Going Nowhere FastThis woman was so drunk, she couldn’t

even drive a toy car.Jeanette Craft, 29, crashed into a mo-

bile home in her 2001 Pontiac Grand Am and then tried to make her escape by trying to drive a Power Wheels children’s truck.

When the owner of the mobile home went to investigate the crash, he found Craft in his grandson’s truck trying to drive away in it. She chose the wrong vehi-cle. These children’s trucks don’t go very fast; some can achieve speeds of up to 5 mph—chump change when the police are chasing you.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Craft to be “irate and very intoxi-cated.”

Apparently, she forgot her training wheels at home.

French Mom Fined for Her 3 Year Old’s T-shirt A French woman sent her 3-year-old

son to kindergarten wearing a T-shirt that read “Jihad, born September 11” on the back and “I am a bomb” on the front.

She told a judge on Wednesday that she simply wasn’t thinking.

The woman, Boucha Bagour, 34, and her brother, Zeyad Bagour, 29, could be fined between 1,000 to 3,000 euros ($1,300 and $3,900), respectively, when their trial on charges of “apologizing for terrorism” resumes next month.

Both have pleaded not guilty.At the hearing, Bagour, a single moth-

er, said last September she dressed her son whose name is Jihad and was born on Sep-tember 11 “without thinking about it.”

She was charged after teachers and the

principal notified authorities. “I thought it might make people laugh,”

she said.Zeyad Bagour, the boy’s uncle, who is

also charged because he bought the T-shirt. He didn’t either think it was a problem.

The French phrase “je suis une bombe” — literally, “I am a bomb” — is a slang expression of self-regard, and “to me, it means ‘I am beautiful,’” Zeyad said, add-ing, that T-shirts with the slogan are widely available.

The Bagours’ lawyer candidly told the court that if they truly meant to support ter-rorism, they picked a poor venue, noting that the class was filled with kindergart-ners “who cannot read.”

In an interview in November, Boucha Bagour said that while she is Muslim, “there is no message to be conveyed by the T-shirt — no intent. Bomb’ is used in the sense of ‘handsome,’ nothing more,” she said. “And my son was actually born on September 11. It’s just a simple phrase on a T-shirt,” she said. “It’s nothing danger-ous.”

Maybe she should be charged for nam-ing her son, Jihad. What an awful name to give a child.

Solving Her Own Case of Stolen Identity

It was a good day for Brianna Priddy when a customer handed her their ID.

You see, Priddy is a waitress at Ap-plebee’s and had her wallet stolen a few days ago. Since then, someone has been writing hundreds of dollars in bad checks under Priddy’s name. But Priddy got to meet the thief while on duty on February 25th. When a customer handed her their

ID, Priddy was shocked to see her own face on the card. “But I didn’t say any-thing,” she recalled. “I handed it back to her and said, ‘Sure, I’ll be right back with your margarita.’” Priddy then called the police who arrested the 26-year-old thief.

Ironically, the thief could have used her own ID to buy drinks, but apparently was too crooked to even think straight.

Snakes All Around The town of Sweetwater, Texas, has a

strange annual tradition. Each March, the town holds a rattlesnake roundup. It’s a weekend event whereby rattlesnake hunt-ers round up as many rattlesnakes as they can as a means of population control.

At the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Round-up, the largest such event in the world, an average of 5,000 pounds of rattlesnakes are collected and used for meat and var-ious products. The event, ongoing since 1958, attracts about 30,000 people each year and has a reported economic impact of $5 million.

At each event, the snakes are measured and weighed for the state’s wildlife de-partment for management purposes. Once skinned, the meat is cooked and the skins are made into belts, wallets, boots, and other products.

“It’s a really amazing event,” spokes-man Riley Sawyers said. “People are in-terested in rattlesnakes. I think that’s what surprises me most.”

Some animal rights activists might frown on this practice, but Sawyers views the roundup as a management tool to help farmers keep rattlesnakes in check. “It’s like any hunting,” he said. “It’s needed to control the population. It’s more about conservation than it is extermination.”

news

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/18771/future-of-golf-mayans-noodles-pandas

http://www.laprovence.com/article/actualites/2082415/vaucluse-poursuivis-pour-apologie-de-crime-a-cause-dun-t-shirt.html

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Cheesecake (Non Gebrochts)

Ingredients Crust1 ½ cups ground nuts3 tablespoon melted butter2 tablespoon sugar

Filling16oz cream cheese in blocks, not whipped.

Each brand has their own size so you can give or take on ounce or two.2 eggs½ cup sugar½ teaspoon lemon

PreparationIn a medium bowl,

mix nuts, melted butter and sugar. Press evenly into a 8x8 pan, forming crust. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour into prepared crust and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Remove and cool. Chill until firm.

Mandel Bread or Biscotti (Gebrochts)This recipe easily doubles and freezes well. Great for dunking into coffee!

Ingredients4 eggs, beaten1 cup sugar2/3 cup oil¼ teaspoon salt2 tablespoon potato

starch1 1/2- cups cake meal1 ½ cups ground al-

monds or walnutsChocolate chips, op-

tional

PreparationBeat eggs well. Add

sugar gradually. Add other ingredients in order given, beating constantly to blend well. Divide into five portions and form into logs. Place logs on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until golden. While hot, cut into slices and return to oven for another 10 minutes.

Cinnamon Wine Cake(Gebrochts)This is my daughter Eliana’s favorite cake. It freezes well.

Ingredients12 eggs, separated1 ½ cups sugar½ teaspoon lemon juice1 cup cake meal½ cup potato starch1 teaspoon cinnamon½ cup Cream Malaga wine or similar brand

PreparationBeat egg yolks until light and fluffy. Add sugar, lemon juice, and wine. Blend

well. Stir in cake meal and potato starch. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites un-til stiff and fold into bat-ter. Take off 1/3 of batter and blend cinnamon into this. Spoon cinnamon batter and white batter alternately into greased 10-inch tube pan, making marble effect. Bake at 350° for one hour or un-til a toothpick comes out clean. Invert and cool.

In the KitchenNaomi Nachman

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring com-munities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cook-ing presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media cov-ering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website,www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.

Yikes! I can’t believe it’s Pesach in just under 2 weeks from the night I am writing this article. So, with that in mind, I thought I would start off the Pesach season by sharing some wonderful Pesach recipes. Well, why not start

with some desserts? These are my family’s favorite Pesach recipes. I actually make eight cheesecakes -- one for each morning of Pesach. My children don’t like the Pesach cereal. (Yes, they can tell the difference!) So for breakfast each morning, I serve a small 8x8 pan of cheesecake and it invariably is completely finished by the end of the day. The recipe easily quadruples (yes, you read right) and it freezes really well. Just put in the fridge the night before, and it will be defrosted.

I Can’t Believe It’s Pesachdik Desserts

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3real estate

In today’s real estate market, these are the questions going through everyone’s mind. Do I sell my home? Do I buy my first home? What about that little invest-ment property?

Just like our market took an overnight decline a few years back, we are experi-encing an overnight sharp incline/recovery. On a basic level what we are witnessing is an extreme shortage in inventory matched up against buyers who are ready to buy and take advantage of the incredible low rates.

“This fledgling housing recovery has momentum. Already, price hikes have caused some to question whether it’s sus-tainable, whether it’s a ‘bubble.’ Let’s not forget, though, that we’re still climbing out of a deep hole from the housing down-turn. That’s not to say we don’t see risks. Sharp price gains can attract speculation, which could lead to unsustainable, short-term gains in certain submarkets. A lot of today’s housing demand is fueled not by spectacular job growth and soaring con-sumer confidence, but by super-low mort-gage rates and unusually high levels of in-vestor and cash purchases. Take away any one of those elements and it will matter,” said John Walsh, DataQuick president.

What needs to happen to level out the market so we don’t witness another “burst-ing bubble”?

For the overall market, price pressures should gradually ease as more homeown-ers react to rising values. This is the “sup-ply response” that many analysts expect. The idea is that many who’ve held out for

higher prices will be tempted to stick a for-sale sign in the front yard and call me, their local Real Estate expert to get their homes sold for top dollar. Fewer will owe more than their homes are worth, enabling them to sell. Construction is already rising, and one other component that would help with the inventory “crisis” is that we could see lenders clear backlogs of distressed prop-erties faster, thereby adding to the supply.

My response to an increasing Seller’s market was to start my own Home-Staging company. I saw this is as a much needed service for my clients, especially the ones who do not have deep pockets to be spend-ing tens of thousands of dollars on high-priced Home-Staging companies. Most of us have high tuition bills that we need to be concentrating on; this was one place I felt I can help my clients get top dollar for their homes by making their homes look and feel incredible at a fraction of the cost. Because it is not my primary focus and getting a house sold is, I don’t look at my staging services as needing to be a major money maker, but a tool that helps me do my job better and faster, which is getting my client’s homes sold!

Moving to The Valley has become a great option for so many families who have been trying to hold out for deeper price drops in The City. The average price in January for a home in Valley Village was $529,000 (according to DataQuick) which was up 15% year over year. For a family who wants to be within w a l k - ing distance of Shuls,

to buy or not to buy? is it the right time to sell or not?

la real estate

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PRICESALE PRICE BED-

ROOMSBATH-ROOMS

SQR FT (approx.)

5738 Wilkinson $489,000 $500,000 3 2 190012751 Kling $729,000 $715,000 3 2 170012612 Califa $531,000 In escrow! 3 2 170012718 Califa $675,000 In escrow! 3 2 200013633 Sylvan $589,000 In escrow! 4 3 200012536 Burbank #7 $447,500 In escrow 4 3 200012540 Burbank #205 $295,000 $310,000 2 2 140012540 Burbank #204 $332,000 In escrow! 2 2 160012830 Burbank #302 $279,000 In escrow! 2 2 120012390 Chandler #A $359,000 $359,000 3 3 1500

MEIR KROLLOFFICE: 310.341.4393CEL: 310.658.1288FAX: 310077309247EMAIL:MEIRRMEIRKROLL.COMWWW.MEIRKROLL.COMDRE#01864039DRE#01864039

schools, kosher markets, shiurim, Daf Yomi shiurim, and be able to actually own a home, there isn’t a better choice than The Valley. The amount of phone calls I get on a weekly basis from people wanting to start their home search in The Valley has increased tremendously. With the market starting a very noticeable upswing, people are getting very nervous that they might get priced out of the real estate market very soon. What some are willing to pay for a “fixer” in The City, one can buy a gorgeous ready-to- move- into home in The Valley.

This is a wonderful time to buy. Yes, prices have increased, but we are still com-ing out of a big hole and prices are still low and that mixed with the incredible rates, have what I call, created a perfect storm for buyers and even sellers!

Here are some properties that I am cur-rently in escrow or have recently closed on

in the Valley Village/Sherman Oaks areas: For properties that are not yet on the mar-ket please email me.

Michelle Hirsch has been a top produc-ing agentfor the last 9 years. When meet-ing her for the first time, you will notice one of the friendliest and inviting personalities in Real Estate. At the same time her strong negotiation skills and experience, ensure a high success rate for accomplishing her client’s goals.Michelle can be reached at 818-512-4226, [email protected], and through her website: www.mi-chellehirsch.com

TOURO COLLEGE LOS ANGELES IS A DIVISION OF TOURO UNIVERSITY WORLDWIDE, WHICH IS ACCREDITED BY THE ACCREDITING COMMISSION FOR SENIOR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES OF THE WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: 985 ATLANTIC AVE. #100, ALAMEDA, CA 94501-6444: TEL. 510-748-9001. TOURO COLLEGE LOS ANGELES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY INSTITUTION.

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Jewish Home LA, March 13 2013

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