Jewish Voice and Opinion September 2013

THE JEWISH VOICEAND OPINION

Promoting Classical JudaismSeptember 2013 Vol. 27 • No. 1 Tishrei 5774

BOLD Schools ..........................................5Kol Ami: Iran Winner? .......................... 6The Current Crisis .............................. 7Rabbi Perry Tirschwell @ NCYI ....12 Anny Sings for Chai Lifeline ................14Tzedaka and Business ............................21

Walk for Life ................................................18New at Holy Name...................................22The Log .........................................................24R.av Schachter at CareOne .................26New Classes .......................................30Mazel Tov ............................................32

Ess Gezint: Starter and Sides ........38Palestinian Leaks ..............................39Index of Advertisers .......................41Honor the Professional ..................43 Letters to the Editor .......................44 Walk To Shul ......................................47

Inside the Voice

Israeli Investigation Says the IDF Did Not Kill Mohammed Al-Dura; French Supreme Court Says New Evidence Cannot Be Used

to Clear a Libel CaseThe legal-and-PR baTTle waged by Philippe Karsenty against the France 2 televi-sion network continued its ups and downs this summer.

Mr. Karsenty is vice-mayor of Neuilly, France, and founder and president of Media Ratings, an online watchdog organiza-tion that holds French media ac-countable for its content. He is the individual most responsible for exposing and combating the fraudulent, anti-Israeli production

aired by France 2. The network’s program claimed a 12-year-old Palestinian boy was intention-ally murdered by the IDF as he cowered in his father’s arms,

On one hand, the French Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Karsenty was guilty of having defamed the television sta-tion. He was fined 8,000 eu-ros ($14,000), despite having proved that France 2 television’s coverage of the alleged mur-der of 12-year-old Mohammad

continued on page 21The photo of a hoax that may have cost some 2,500 Jewish lives

Glimmer of Hope: Syrian Rebel Leader Linked with Al-Qaeda Says, “Our Enemy Is Assad, Not Israel”

an IsRaelI offIcIal’s out-pouring of emotion at the thought of Syrian children being subjected to a chemi-cal and poison gas attack touched the heart of one of the rebel leaders. For a brief moment at the beginning of September, this seemed to signal the possibility of a brighter, peaceful future for both countries.

Up until last month, Is-raeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) had, like most officials in the Jewish state,

carefully maintained studied neutrality regarding the sides in the civil war in Syria.

Most Israelis think Syrian President Bashar Assad is as equally anti-Israel as the ex-tremist Islamist elements com-prising most of the rebel forces arrayed against him.

Allied with Iran and its Leba-nese proxy Hezbollah, Mr. Assad has identified himself with the staunchest Shiite enemies of the Jewish state. Many of the rebel groups fighting him are linked to Al-Qaeda and other

Sunni Muslim extremists whose antagonism towards Israel is no secret.Siding with the Children

But last month, Mr. Ariel, like many Jews in Israel and throughout the world, found himself taking sides—with Syr-ia’s child victims. Old cultur-al memories were stirred by the images of children outside Damascus suffering and dy-ing from poison gas attacks, and by indications pointing to Mr. Assad’s regime as the perpetrator.

Last month, Mr. Ariel spoke about the atrocities in Syria, during his speech at a dedica-tion ceremony for a new neigh-borhood in Samaria. Israel had informed Washington and the Palestinians that the Jewish state intended to continue building even as peace talks were being held. The opening of the new neighborhood is seen in Israel as a victory for Mr. Ariel and his supporters.

Although he stressed that the day was indeed a time of

continued on page 36

Page - 2 September 2013 / Tishrei 5774 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice and Opinion”

http://jewishvoiceandopinion.com September 2013 / Tishrei 5774 The Jewish Voice and Opinion Page - 3

Holy Name Medical Center Physician Network—we’re here to care for you, your whole life through.

Life is precious. No one is more aware of that than our network of doctors. It’s why you and your family are the focus of all we do. Practicing quality medicine. Maintaining the highest standards. Making safety a priority. From primary care physicians to specialists, we’re well prepared to handle any health challenge you’re facing, no matter how old or young you are. Because when you visit one Holy Name Network physician, you have access to all the comprehensive resources of Holy Name Medical Center—with seamless communication and collaboration. No one is better prepared to care for you at every stage of your life than we are.

Find a Holy Name physician who’s right for you at holyname.org/network, or call 1-877-Holy-Name (465-9626).

Healing begins here.

Access one Holy Name doctor and benefit from all of them.

David Wild, MD, Cardiology


THE JEWISH VOICE AND OPINION, Inc. © 2013; Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Susan L. Rosenbluth Phone (201)569-2845Managing Editor: Sharon Beck, Advertising: Rivkie SternThe Jewish Voice & Opinion (ISSN # 1527-3814), POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631, is published monthly in coordination with

The Central Committee for Israel. A one-year subscription is $25. Periodicals postage is paid at Englewood, NJ and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Jewish Voice and Opinion, POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631. All advertising in the Jewish Voice and Opinion must conform to the standards of the Orthodox Rabbinic kashruth. Editorial con-

tent reflects the views of the writer and not necessarily any other group. The Jewish Voice is not responsible for typographical errors.

Since 1989, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) has told the truth aboutJews, guns, the Second Amendment, freedom and liberty: Jews have not just a G-d-given right toself-defense but a commandment to protect others. We thank G-d every day for the gift of life He hasgiven us; to forswear the most useful tools available to protect that gift is foolish and un-Jewish.Do those around you say Never Again? Do their actions demonstrate that they really mean it?JPFO has found repeated evidence between so-called "gun control" and genocide. In 2001, we publishedDeath by Gun Control, demonstrating that every genocide of the 20th Century, including the Holocaust,was preceded and enabled by first confiscating arms from the intended victims.In 1993 we discovered evidence that the omnibus U.S. Gun Control Act of 1968 , in part, was copiedby Congressman Thomas Dodd (D,CT) from the Nazi gun control laws of 1928 and 1938 used to disarmJews. Tragically, most Jews seem to actively support these Nazi-based U.S. gun laws.

In 2013, we continue to stand in defense of your right to keep and bear arms. We stand for freedom, liberty and the right ofself-defense. We say Never Again. And we mean it.

www.jpfo.org · [email protected] P.O. Box 270143, Hartford, WI 53027, USA · 1-800-869-1884 · 1-262-673-9745 · Fax: 1-262-673-9746

••• PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A "FREE OFFER" INFO PACKET •••Visit JPFO.org and also see our special offer for the month of September – The Ten Commandments of

Self Defense by Rabbi Dovid Bendory, which will be on offer for just $13.95, S&H included.

Do Those Around You Say “Never Again”?Do Their Actions Mean What they Say?

Welcome to the organization that takes solid actions to fulfill this goal

JEWS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FIREARMS OWNERSHIP

A BOLD Solution to the Tuition CrisisRabbI danIel PRIce, principal of the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey (RYNJ) in River Edge, told parents just before the school year began, that RYNJ’s Middle School had been one of the five yeshivas and day schools across the country to be awarded a BOLD grant from the Avi Chai Founda-tion, the Affordable Jewish Education Project (AJE), and The Kohelet Foundation.

The acronym BOLD stands for “Blending Online Learning in Day Schools.” BOLD schools will be given financial and tech-nical assistance to design and apply sustainable, cost-saving

blended-learning programs that will “ignite the potential of students through the de-livery of innovative and per-sonalized learning.”

Blended learning allows more students per teacher. The instructor works with small groups, while the rest of the class uses individual computers. Proponents insist this cutting-edge model will improve edu-cation while bringing down tuition fees in day schools and yeshivot.

“In addition to improved educational outcomes for stu-dents, blended learning edu-cational models provide op-portunities for cost savings

through reducing schools’ personnel, facility, and text-book costs. Schools can oper-ate at a much lower cost per pupil which will allow them to reallocate resources,” said Jeff Kiderman, executive di-rector of AJE.

Golden MeanProponents of blended

learning say it is a happy me-dium between the traditional model (many students to a single instructor) and the “iso-lationist” model of a student sitting at home alone in front of a computer screen. Traditional learning forces the instructor to teach to the “middle” of his class, while hoping that

more advanced students, and lower-functioning students, will not get lost in the shuffle.

At its best, blended learning integrates online learning with face-to-face instruction. It allows teachers to address the particu-lar academic needs of each stu-dent based on data collected from computerized learning.

“Digital content online engages students in under-standing and remembering; the teacher is then able to work with students in small groups that can focus on ap-plying and analyzing what they have learned online. Students alternate regularly between

continued on page 8


Kol Ami: What Did Iran See and Who Was the Winner?In The end, Russian President Vladimir Putin saved Presi-dent Barack Obama from an embarrassing defeat on the international stage as well as in the American Congress. Mr. Obama seemed eager to do something (even if it was “un-believably small”) to the Iran-proxy regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad after his forces defied the US by launching a series of chemical and poison gas attacks against areas controlled by the rebel forces at war with him. But America’s traditional allies, such as Britain and Germany, wanted nothing to do with a US-

led attack. When Mr. Obama brought the issue to Congress, it was less than certain that a debate and vote would have gone in his favor. Finally, Mr. Putin offered to supervise Mr. Assad’s chemical weapons and have them destroyed under international oversight. When Mr. Assad agreed (provided the US agreed not to use force against him), the threat of an imminent US attack against Syria was over. Several high-profile experts were asked: What will Iran make of US behavior and who was the winner in the President’s decision to do nothing? Y

Iran has already taken the measure of President Obama and found him wanting. It would have been much harder all along for the Iranians to

continued on page 40Shoshana BryenWashington, DC

Many people think Presi-dent Obama accomplished nothing in this crisis, but, in fact, Iran saw that that the current US government is

continued on page 40Dr. Ben Chouake

Englewood, NJ

The big winner in the Pres-ident’s decision to do nothing is obviously Putin, who is now largely in control of the situation. He was able to play the President

continued on page 40Prof Rael Jean Isaac

Irvington, NY

in only one way: the President and his team are in way over their heads, lurch-ing from self-imposed trap to self-inflicted crisis, while

continued on page 40Dr. Daniel Pipes

Philadelphia, PA


The Current Crisis: “Even in Laughter, the Heart Can Ache”John Cleese, the British writer, actor, and tall person, isn’t

Jewish, but he really should be. He is in a commercial for an Israeli chocolate-nut spread called Sababa Egozim. In the com-mercial, he plays a US army general sitting in a war room in Tel Aviv while Israeli officials look at the red phone in front of them and beg for permission to strike.

“We have a right to defend ourselves,” they say, but Gen Cleese, is distracted by the pot of hazelnut-chocolate spread. He tastes it, and, as if inspired, says its name, which means “Great Nuts” in Hebrew and roughly means “Let’s go nuts” in English.

The Israelis take this as their cue to pick up the phone and order the missile strike. A sound of missile launchings is heard, but the general concentrates on licking his knife, leav-ing a splodge of the spread unnoticed on his nose.

A few people called the ADL to complain (hey, we’re not making this up, you know) and while it probably killed them to admit it, the league said, “While we do not think the subject is one that should be made light of, John Cleese is legendary for these kind of over-the-top shenanigans—and we feel he’s entitled to use it in this context.”

Thank G-d the world is still safe for Democracy.Last month, still playing general, Cleese sent out the kind

of alerts and threat-levels Europe in 2013 should get used to:The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent

events in Syria and have therefore raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.” Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.” The Eng-lish have not been “A Bit Cross” since the Blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out.

Terrorists have been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to “A Bloody Nuisance.” The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide.” The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.” The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France’s white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout Loudly and Excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.” Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”

The Germans have increased their alert state from “Disdain-ful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbor” and “Lose.”

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be right, Mate.” Two more escalation levels remain: “Crikey! I think we’ll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!” and “The barbie is cancelled.” So far no situa-tion has ever warranted use of the last final escalation level.

And as a final thought - Greece is collapsing, the Irani-ans are getting aggressive, and Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BCE. Chag Sameach, everyone. Enjoy, SLR


engaging with teachers and peers and focusing on online content tailored to their learn-ing pace and progress. Tight-ly integrating online content and offline instruction helps students get what they need when they need it,” said Mr. Kiderman.

No “Resource Rooms”Research has shown that

students generally retain 20 percent of what they hear in traditional school models and 80 percent of what they ex-perience either in computer labs or project-based learn-ing stations, which are part of blended learning models.

Blended-learning schools do not generally need “resource room or enrichment” programs. These have become staples in traditional day schools for stu-dents who either have not been able to keep up with teacher-led classes or who are ready to surpass them.

In the blended-learning schools, a real-time dashboard connected to the students’ com-puters alerts teachers to topics individual students are having trouble with. Teachers then can provide one-on-one assis-tance or create a peer-to-peer arrangement in which students who have mastered a concept can then teach it to students who are still struggling with it. Longtime educators gener-ally agree that the best way to encourage student reten-tion of a subject is to ask him to teach it to someone else.

Students who are ready to move more quickly can do so with the computer-based programs, which offer imme-diate feedback to the student and the teacher, allowing for monitoring and adjustments.

No Speed LimitsMr. Kiderman stressed that

properly used blended-learning programs employ technology

to help each student master content and skills, allow teach-ers to work with small groups, and streamline operations so that costs go down.

Like other proponents of blended learning, he suggested that traditional classrooms nec-essarily set “speed limits” for the class, based on grade-level standards and assessments.

“This makes it hard for some kids to catch up and holds oth-ers back from moving ahead when they’re ready. But blended learning revs up students’ learn-ing velocity, allowing them to go further and faster,” he said.

However, he cautioned that blended-learning is not a mat-ter of simply putting comput-ers and other attractive high-tech devices in the classroom, as some detractors suggest.

“Blended-learning isn’t simply adding online com-puter games or videos to a student’s day or homework time. It doesn’t mean simply rolling a laptop into the school. And it certainly doesn’t mean students are isolated at their keyboards with no social in-teraction,” he said.

No Tuition HikesThe three organizations

funding the grant have com-mitted approximately $3 mil-lion to the BOLD project. This funding will cover most of the costs associated with moving each school to a blended-learn-ing model, with the schools gradually assuming respon-sibility for all ongoing costs, including software, hardware, and personnel.

“It is important to us that the BOLD Day Schools be able to sustain these innovations within their own annual bud-gets moving forward without relying on outside funding,” said Rachel Mohl Abrahams, senior program officer at the Avi Chai Foundation.

In a letter to RYNJ parents, Rabbi Price explained that over the past few years, the school had focused on upgrading its basic technology infrastructure, including hardware, software, wiring, and teacher-training. All of these changes were neces-sary because “this technology will play a major role in the future of education,” he said.

However, he also recog-nized that the expense of these upgrades could not be passed along to parents in the form of tuition increases.

His plan had been to intro-duce the technology slowly, to minimize the financial impact.

ApplicationBut last spring, RYNJ—and

thirty other day schools across the country—applied for the BOLD grants, an intensive process that required the BOLD committee to assess each school’s vision for blended learning, implementa-tion design, and financial plan outlining cost savings and pro-gram sustainability.

The funding organizations also considered school size, lo-cation, denomination, and divi-sion, in order to recognize the diversity of Jewish day schools.

According to Rabbi Price, the BOLD committee was “im-pressed by our commitment to utilizing educational tech-nology as a strategy for reduc-ing cost while enhancing the quality of education provided by our school.”

“They told us that our appli-cation stood out both because of our success in keeping our tuition flat for so many years and because we have publicly shared our financials through the publication of our annual report,” he said.

Math and ScienceRYNJ intends to use its

BOLD grant initially to apply blended learning in the mid-

BOLD Schools continued from page 5



For thirty years, Deerwood

Developers has been building

commercial and residential

properties while exceeding

expectations. Our precision

and quality workmanship

will astound you as we

perfect every inch of your

renovation, addition, or

custom home.

Call Neil

845.354.8743

You Dream It,

We Build it.

Deerwood DevelopersInc.

Builders and General Contractors

[email protected]


dle school’s math and science classes. The funds will be used for consulting services to help design and use the plan, as well as oversee teacher training and provide professional develop-ment; purchase hardware and infrastructure, including laptop computers, which will remain in school; and purchase software programs and online materials.

“We chose to begin with seventh and eighth-grade math and science because the tech-nology and educational ap-proaches are the most devel-oped and allow for differentiated instruction as well as frequent and detailed assessments of student performance,” said Rabbi Price.

Rabbi Price explained that differentiated instruction means using the best teaching practices and strategies to tailor instruc-tion to the different learning needs of individual students.

Although the program has already begun, RYNJ students and parents should not expect to see much change for at least six months, while teachers are trained, programs are finalized, and the first wave of equip-ment is acquired and installed.

“The transition will be steady, controlled, and pro-ductive,” said Rabbi Price.

By the third year of the program (2015-16), he expects to expand blended learning to other secular subjects.

More difficult will be in-corporating blended learning into the Judaic studies pro-gram. Currently, the options for Judaic blended learning are limited, but as with ev-erything else in education, things are changing rapidly. As more interactive and on-line Judaic Studies curricula become available, the BOLD committee expects its schools

to assess them and incorpo-rate the good ones.

School-WideThis is in keeping with the

BOLD committee’s general plan. To qualify for the grant, the win-ning schools had to show that school-wide implementation will occur over a period of three years and that their programs will be self-sustaining and cost-reducing in one to three years.

“While numerous public and secular schools and school dis-tricts throughout the nation are already benefitting from blend-ed-learning models, few Jewish day schools have explored it as a viable option. It is time to create demonstration proofs of success-ful blended learning in Jewish day schools,” said Mr. Kiderman.

Of the five BOLD schools, two are from Bergen County, NJ. In addition to RYNJ, the Moriah School of Englewood was selected.

The other recipients were: Denver Academy of Torah’s el-ementary and high school, Magen David Yeshiva High School in Brooklyn, and the Tarbut v’Torah Community Elementary Day School in Irvine, California.

$5,000 Tuition CapAmong the schools the

committee recommends as a resource for these new BOLD schools is the East Brunswick-based Pre-Collegiate Learn-ing Center, Merkaz HaLimud (PCLC), a Jewish day school high school “dedicated to Jewish learning and inspired by the love of Torah.” The tuition cap for PCLC is $5,000 per year.

The school was designed from its inception to apply blended learning, and has just added a middle school with the same tuition structure.

According to the school’s director, Lauren Ariev Gellman, each student has an individu-al team of coaches and men-tors; his or her own distinctive

academic and non-academic “game plan,” based on the in-dividual’s interests and goals; maximum opportunities to customize learning; unprec-edented flexibility in course selection; the possibility of self-paced learning in many subjects, including Jewish and secular studies; and an annual two-week mini-mester in which students are actively mentored as they undertake individual-ized learning projects.

“Our educational excellence is based on great learning and teaching activated by technol-ogy; small, high-participation, seminar-style humanities classes; exceptional teachers; conver-sation immersion; individual tutoring; strategic use of mixed-grade classes; and self-paced instruction,” she said.

The $5,000 tuition cap, she said, has “reignited the demand for Jewish education among families either struggling with or currently shut out by pro-hibitive tuition costs.”

Role ModelsMs. Gellman said she is de-

lighted that PCLC is viewed as a resource and a role model for other day schools making the transition to blended learning.

“PCLC is replicable and customizable, empowering every community in the US to radically reduce the cost of the most expensive component of Jewish K-12 education,” she said, stressing that her school is “committed to assisting oth-ers interested in starting their own learning centers.”

“This is an ‘open source’ venture,” she said.

Yeshivat He’AtidAnother school that was

conceived from the beginning to incorporate blended learning is Yeshivat He’Atid. The co-ed elementary school opened in Bergenfield in September 2012




with 116 students in pre-kin-dergarten, kindergarten, and first grade. It is also seen as a role model for the BOLD grant winners.

This year, Yeshivat He’Atid added a second grade. It plans eventually to go up to eighth grade.

The school’s tuition cap is $9,000, which represents

a 40 percent savings when compared to other Jewish day schools in Bergen County.

According to Yeshivat He’Atid’s head of school, Rabbi Netanel Gralla, the school will eventually save the commu-nity $5 million annually.

Reduced CostsThis will be accomplished

because the school’s “personal-ized blended-learning approach, which provides students with individualized instruction, cre-ates a more efficient classroom and reduces the need for re-sources outside the classroom.”

“The manageable increase in class size reduces cost, but the blended-learning approach increases meaningful interac-tions between teacher and stu-dent,” said Rabbi Gralla.

At the school, teachers take on some administrative duties, decreasing administra-tive overhead.

Right for All Children?Asked if blended learning is

right for all children, Rabbi Gralla said the model’s combination of multiple approaches to learn-ing “enhances the classroom experience for most students.”

“Students hear, see, and

interact with the lesson in a more personalized manner with immediate feedback. Blended learning is an ef-fective means of teaching a greater number of learners and allowing for individual-ized instruction,” he said.

The BOLD committee said it hopes the current batch of BOLD schools will serve as additional models to provide guidance for future Jewish day schools seek-ing to apply blended learning.

“We hope the BOLD Day Schools will serve as paradigms of how established Jewish day schools can transform themselves into more inno-vative, affordable institutions that prepare our students for successful Jewish lives in the 21st century,” said Holly Cohen, executive director of The Ko-helet Foundation. S.L.R.


New National Council of Young Israel Director, Rabbi Perry Tirschwell, Plans to Engage Post-College Singles, Seniors, Activists

When execuTIve boaRd mem-bers of the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) first approached Rabbi Perry Tirschwell earlier this year to ask him to assume the helm of their century-old network of Orthodox syna-gogues, the veteran educa-tor thought the board might have misread his résumé.

The 50-year-old Rockland County native, now a resident with his family in Teaneck, has spent more than twenty-five years in Jewish education. After earn-ing smicha at Yeshiva University, he had worked in yeshivas and youth groups in New Jersey, de-veloping a reputation as a be-loved teacher and an enthusi-astic, energetic administrator.

In 1997, Rabbi Kenneth Brander, then spiritual leader of the Orthodox Boca Raton Syna-gogue, asked Rabbi Tirschwell to move his family—his wife,

Miriam (née Losinski), originally from Englewood, and their four daughters (now five)—to Florida to start South Palm Beach Coun-ty’s first yeshiva high school. It would be the first Jewish high school anywhere between Mi-ami and Atlanta.A Generation of Students

After pounding the side-walk and discussing the im-portance of Jewish education with anyone who would listen, Rabbi Tirschwell opened the Weinbaum Yeshiva High School in 1998 with small 9th and 10th grades and a $1 million seed grant from an anonymous do-nor. By the time he left fifteen years later, the school had 250 students, an incoming fresh-man class of 75, and a reputa-tion as one of the best yeshiva high schools in the country.

“A generation of students is in Rabbi and Mrs. Tirschwell’s debt for the way they opened

their home and their hearts. I know of no head of school who had as many students and fami-lies at their home, has had as many meatball-eating contests, traveled to as many alumni wed-dings, visited as many college campuses to spend time with alumni, or delivered as many mishloach manot Purim bas-kets as Rabbi Perry Tirschwell,” said Rabbi Brander.

During his last year in Boca Raton, Rabbi Tirschwell spent con-siderable time commuting to and from Houston, to work with that city’s K-12 Jewish day school, the Robert M Beren Academy.

Organizational ShiftAt about the same time,

major changes were taking place at NCYI. After more than 20 years, the organization’s much-admired executive vice-president, Rabbi Pesach Lerner, decided to step down from his position. According to a statement re-

leased by NCYI, Rabbi Lerner had made the decision to “fo-cus his efforts and energy on a number of critical and pressing issues facing the larger Jew-ish community and the State of Israel.” He had been highly esteemed by Jewish activists in causes ranging from justice for Jonathan Pollard and Sholom Rubashkin to Ethiopian Jewry and Jewish communities in Is-rael beyond the Green Line.

While the NCYI board made clear they wanted a rabbi rather than an organization profes-sional to replace Rabbi Lerner, Rabbi Tirschwell did not know why they wanted an educa-tor rather than a pulpit leader.

“It turned out they wanted someone who understood how to work with a large number of employees, knew how to run a tight ship, and knew how to start from scratch,” said Rabbi Tirschwell.


Outside the BoxThey also seemed very

interested in gaining a lead-er who thought outside the box. For ideas, Rabbi Tirschwell went back to NCYI’s history. The organization was founded in 1912 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side by a group of fifteen Jews in their early twenties. Most of the religious world around them was Yiddish-speaking and older. The NCYI founders’ goal was to make Orthodox Judaism more rel-evant to young Americanized Jews who were still devoted to Jewish tradition and law.

Their first accomplishment was a Friday night series of lectures that were delivered in English.

“They couldn’t relate to shuls that were more like ‘lands-manshaftn’ than spiritual centers. They couldn’t see themselves growing in shuls in which Yid-dish was the spoken language and aliyahs were auctioned off,” said Rabbi Tirschwell.

Bound by HalachaAt the same time that the

Conservative and Reform move-ments were making steady in-roads into the general Jewish community, NCYI forged a new path for the Orthodox, making changes that the older generation could accept halachically and which made the environment more appealing for younger, American-born Jews.

By 1924, NCYI was able to hold a convention for all the other groups that had emulated them by setting up their own Young

Israel lectures, groups, and shuls. These independent synagogues and groups agreed to abide by a charter, and, two years later, the organization was incorporated and owned the trademarked name “Young Israel.”

By 1930, there were more than two dozen Young Israels and the national office began expanding to social services, such as a support agency for Sabbath-observant employ-ment which included job place-ment and vocational training.

A few years later, there were Young Israel branches in New York, New England, Chicago and elsewhere in the Midwest, Canada, and even in Palestine.

Victim of SuccessToday, NCYI consists of nearly

150 Orthodox congregations with nearly 25,000 member families throughout the US and Canada. In Israel, its sister organization, Yisrael Hatzair (The Young Israel Movement in Israel), has more than 50 synagogues.

Nevertheless, Rabbi Tirschwell said, Young Israel has, in recent years, “became a victim of its own success.”

“While, in many communi-ties, the Young Israel remains the area’s one Orthodox syna-gogue, many others have their own Orthodox shuls, which are like Young Israel synagogues, but are not part of the move-ment,” he said.

Singles and SeniorsAfter many discussions

with NCYI staff, board mem-bers, and congregants, Rab-bi Tirschwell emerged with a four-part plan to take NCYI in a new direction. His first goal, he said, was to try hard not to duplicate services already being ably provided by other Jewish organizations.

“There are plenty of Jewish groups, even Orthodox ones, on college campuses,” he said. “The problem is no one is providing programs for young Orthodox

Jews once they leave college and before they get married. These are young Jews with high levels of education who often are marry-ing later than earlier generations used to do. NCYI was started by young people just like them. We have to provide programming and services for them.”

Similarly, he said, at the other end of the spectrum are seniors, many of whom, although healthy and vibrant, are forced into retirement.

“People are living lon-ger, but the retirement age

has not changed. These are people who, please G-d, will be members of the Jewish com-munity for 25-30 years after they are no longer working. Their invaluable wisdom and experience are vital to the Jew-ish community, and, at NCYI, we intend to use that to the community’s and the seniors’ best advantage,” he said.

He pointed out as an ex-ample that at the Young Israel of Staten Island, more than 60 seniors come every day to par-


Rabbi Perry Tirschwell


ticipate in one form of learning or another. He also had words of praise for the learning program initiated by Rabbi Menachem Meier at Congregation Keter Torah in Teaneck. Every Tues-day and Thursday, the former principal of the Frisch Yeshiva High School in Paramus, where Rabbi Tirschwell went to school, leads a program, “Torah in the

AM,” which attracts mostly (but not only) retirees.

OutsourcingThe third part in Rabbi

Tirschwell’s program is a need he has identified in many Young Israel synagogues in the organi-zation’s network: outsourcing.

“I want the national office to be India for our member congregations,” he laughed.

He explained that many Young Israels are too small to hire their own full-time staffs. Phone calls are usually answered by machines, and while callers can be direct-ed to cell phones, some people are reluctant to make the further phone call, especially if the situ-ation is not an emergency.

“Callers can be given a choice, to leave a message or to be connected to the national office. We can do the websites for all member synagogues. We can do their mailings. We can do their bookkeeping. We can order their stationery, which will have the NCYI ‘brand.’ We can do as much or as little as each member congregation would like,” he said.

The ability to outsource to the national office should be-come one of the most impor-tant purposes of NCYI, he said.

ActivismThe final part of the pro-

gram is the one that was dear to Rabbi Lerner’s heart and which Rabbi Tirschwell hopes to make a vital part of the en-tire NCYI network: activism on behalf of the State of Israel and Jewish causes in general in the United States, Canada, and abroad.

He pointed out that NCYI’s founders were young Jews who wanted to make a difference.

“In the museum in Hyde Park, the home of President Franklin D Roosevelt, there is a Sefer Torah which was pre-sented to him by NCYI rabbis in 1941. They went to FDR to plead with him to intervene on behalf of the Jewish commu-nity in Israel. That is the kind of passion we want to see again in NCYI,” he said. S.L.R.

Giving Back to Those Who Helped Her, Fair Lawn’s Anny Safier Has a CD to Benefit Chai Lifeline

When 12-yeaR-old anny Safier of Fair Lawn decided to undertake a Bat Mitzvah tzedakah project, no one was surprised that she singled out Chai Lifeline, or that she used her love of music (and vocal performance in particular) to accomplish her goal. Anny is a seventh grader at the Rosenbaum Ye-shiva of North Jersey (RYNJ).

She is currently market-ing her own nine-song solo CD, “Anny Sings for Chai Life-line,” consisting of both well-known and new Hebrew and English songs.

Some of the songs are by popular performers including Shalsheles, Benny Friedman, the Yeshiva Boys Choir, Mati-syahu, and Shlomo Carlebach. But one of the tracks, “Desig-nated,” was written by Anny herself. She also included “Wave

Your Flag,” which is popular among children who attend Chai Lifeline’s Camp Simcha.

Founded in 1987, the New York-based Chai Lifeline is a support organization for chil-dren with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses and their families. Chai Lifeline’s motto is “Fighting Illness with Love.” The organization strives to ensure that stricken children are minimally affected by their illnesses. Chai Lifeline offers many free services to families struggling with the financial impact of a child needing many medical treatments.

One of Chai Lifeline’s best known projects is Camp Sim-cha, a 125-acre campus in Glen Spey, NY, which every year hosts some 450 Jewish children bat-tling cancer and hematologi-cal illnesses, to enjoy normal summer activities while still

receiving medical supervision.Camp Simcha Camper

Anny knows Chai Lifeline well. Born legally blind, she was diagnosed two years ago with multiple brain tumors, necessitating rounds of che-motherapy and a full year’s worth of hospital stays and visits to doctors’ offices and treatment centers.

While her prognosis is good, only one of the tumors was suitable for surgical remov-al last spring. The remaining growths are still impinging on her optic nerve, further affect-ing her already limited vision.

“Through it all, Chai Life-line and its Camp Simcha were there for us,” said Anny’s mother, Robyn Safier, who is proud that despite Anny’s struggle, she has maintained an A average in school, including highest marks on her honors math final.

MainstreamedAccording to Mrs. Safier,

despite Anny’s limited vision, she has been doing well in a fully mainstreamed class. “There are no other partially sighted children in her grade,” she said.

Before being mainstreamed at RYNJ in River Edge, Anny spent a few years at the SINAI Special-Needs Institute, where her intelligence, musical tal-ent, and spirituality were rec-ognized and nurtured.

According to Mrs. Safier, Anny’s desire to use her vo-cal talent to help Chai Life-line reflects her belief in the basic goodness of Hashem and His world.

“Anny is a spiritual young lady who mostly looks for the good in people,” said Mrs. Safier.

Singing “Forever”Neither vision issues nor

Rabbi Tirschwell at NCYI continued from page 13



cancer has adversely affected her outlook or her singing voice, which has long been a point of pride at RYNJ.

“We have been listening to Anny’s beautiful voice for many years, begin-ning in third grade, when she led her entire lunch shift in benching on the mi-crophone, and more recently in color war competitions and in the junior high tal-ent show,” said RYNJ Mashgicha Ruchanit Cindy Zucker.

Although Anny has been singing “forever,” she is self-taught, according to her mother. Aside from a few piano and guitar lessons, she has had no formal music education.

“She just has this incredible voice and perfect pitch,” said Mrs. Safier.

Her talent is immediately discernible on the CD, which is a perfect vehicle for her sweet yet powerful voice. With the help of an adult family friend, she was able to record the music and then re-record the songs, allowing her to har-monize with herself.

Raising the BarLike her daughter, Mrs. Safier said

that she is also grateful for the support the family received from Chai Lifeline. In addition to Camp Simcha, Anny has attended many other Chai Lifeline pro-grams and events.

Anny’s original goal for the CD was to raise $5,000 for Chai Lifeline. But after she heard about the early morning elec-

trical fire at Camp Simcha last August, she decided to make efforts to bring in much more. The fire, which completely demolished one bunkhouse and inflicted extensive damage on another, proved how well the camp’s staff is trained. There were no casualties or serious injuries.

According to Rabbi Simcha Schol-ar, founder of Chai Lifeline, many of the children lost belongings, including fa-vorite items, such as blankets, “cozies,” and stuffed animals that had comforted them during treatments for their illnesses.

“These children have gone through so much in their young lives. This is a set-back for the camp, but not for them. We will rebuild. Camp Simcha will be back next year and every year until pediatric illness is a thing of the past,” he said.

Community CooperationAnny is determined to be part of that

rebuilding. She is selling her CDs for a suggested minimum donation of $10 to Chai Lifeline. At the end of the first week after the album’s release, almost 100 CDs were sold, many for more than the sug-gested contribution, bringing her dona-tion to Chai Lifeline to well over $1,000.

To bring further attention to the proj-ect, she plans to upload to YouTube an-other song she wrote at Camp Simcha this past summer. While that song was not included on the CD, Anny is hoping the YouTube clip will prompt more people to purchase the CD.

The CD can be purchased by email-ing [email protected]. Pick-up is by mail as well as through RYNJ and The Frisch Yeshiva High School and Yeshivat Noam in Paramus.

RecognitionAccolades are already pouring in for

Anny and the CD. Melanie Kwestel, direc-tor of communications at Chai Lifeline, told the “Vois Isz Neis” online news site that the organization was honored to be the recipients of Anny’s talents “and her chesed.”

“Anny has always been an extraordi-nary child and she’s grown into an amazing young woman. She has faced adversity and illness with grace, charm, maturity, and a sense of humor that keeps her fam-ily, friends, and community positive,” said Ms. Kwestel.

Mrs. Zucker said RYNJ was extremely proud that Anny “is using the special gift with which Hashem blessed her for such a meaningful bat mitzvah chesed project.”

An ExampleThe head of school at RYNJ, Rabbi

Daniel Price, agreed, calling Anny “an ex-ample for us all on how to turn adversity into opportunity.”

Characterizing Anny as “warm, caring, and friendly,” he said, “She has a golden heart and a golden smile on her face at all times.”

He said he was not surprised at all when he learned about her project for Chai Lifeline. “Anny has always used her inner talents, abilities, and charismatic personality to sanctify G-d’s name, mi-kadesh shem shamayim,” he said. S.L.R.

Anny continued from page 14

Anny Safier


Skills Learned While Building a Tzedaka Turned Yakov Shisha into a Successful Businessman as Well

By Sharon GivatifRom The age of eight, Yakov Shisha, the eldest of 13 siblings in a family liv-ing in the heart of Jerusalem’s Meah Shearim neighborhood, was responsible for finding food for his family. Though his father worked hard, it was always ex-tremely difficult to make ends meet.

The boy was given the task of pick-ing up leftover fruits and vegetables that were no longer fresh enough to sell, and gathering days-old loaves of bread from neighborhood bakeries before Shabbat. Going to cheder hungry, without snacks, he grew up knowing the shame of beg-ging for food and the burden of provid-ing for others.

As a child, he says, he made a prom-ise to himself that when he grew up, “I’ll make this better.”

Today, at age 30 and the father of a young growing family, he does whatever he can to make good on that promise. Following years of hard work to bring himself and his family out of an increas-ingly desperate situation, Mr. Shisha has become something of a legend in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in which he still resides. He combines a passion for charity with an increasingly success-ful business.

Feeding ThousandsWhat began 12 years ago as personal

help for his own family and friends has today turned into Tov v’Chesed, an orga-nization which supplies food and basic necessities to over 3000 families—close to 18,000 people throughout Israel, where, according to Mr. Shisha, nearly 25 per-cent of the population lives below the poverty line.

Among those helped by Tov v’Chesed are single-parent families, families in cri-sis, and large families struggling to make ends meet. Some of the recipients are widows, divorcees, agunot, and families burdened with medical bills.

According to Mr. Shisha, each fam-ily’s situation is carefully considered to determine which level of support best suits its needs.

“We run an array of projects and de-liver food packages weekly, monthly, or just for Yom Tov,” he said.

Kosher ApartmentsBut while he was raising money for

others in need, he discovered he had ac-tually acquired an acute business sense and a developing network of contacts that would become eventual clients.

“My business actually started when I met people from all over the world while collecting for Tov v’Chesed,” said Mr. Shisha. “One thing led to another and these new friends and colleagues were asking for my help in finding kosher vacation apartments for their upcoming visits to Eretz Yisroel.”

And so began ReserveKosher.com, an online portal connecting kosher and observant vacationers from around the world with rentals that can accommo-date their required lifestyle.

EmploymentReserve Kosher lists kosher vacation rentals

by owners as well as kosher hotels throughout the world, allowing Jewish travelers to vaca-tion worry-free. The service has a huge selec-tion of beautiful apartments in Jerusalem as well as other cities in Israel and elsewhere.



Those who sign up with Reserve Ko-sher are provided with an easy way to keep track of the listings and locations in which they are interested. Reserve Kosher then keeps them updated whenever a new listing appears in an area in which they have expressed interest.

Building on that enterprise, Mr. Shi-sha created YES Management to manage properties and construction projects in Israel for people abroad. The YES Group

is a collection of real estate holdings, a management company, vacation homes, and several other divisions, which are al-ways expanding.

His ventures mean employment for a dozen members of Israel’s ultra-orthodox community.

Restoring SuccessDespite his professional success, Mr.

Shisha’s passion remains firmly rooted in helping families suffering from the poverty

and hunger that defined his own youth. He is determined to provide the help in a way that helps restore the kavod and respect he felt was lacking when he was living in poverty.

Weekly packages of chicken, fruits, vegetables, grape juice, and challah to fatherless families; monthly Rosh Chodesh packages to the sick and infirm; and food and staples coupons; all combine to help make the lives of thousands of families throughout Israel a little bit easier.

Tov v’Chesed packages are hand-delivered to the doors of recipients as if the bundles were pre-ordered groceries. Tov v’Chesed clients do not have to wait for hours only to be seen and viewed as charity cases.

A fully tax-exempt organization, Tov v’Chesed maintains offices in Israel, Lon-don, and the US. The American office, based in Spring Valley, NY, can be reached at 845-517-0656. The website can be ac-cessed at www.tovvchesed.com,

“I was determined to help people in a manner that would not compromise their dignity,” said Shisha. “No one should have to live through the bitter embar-rassment that I had experienced.” Y

Tzedaka and Business continued from page 17

Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation: Donor Drives and “Walk for Life” Produce People Who Save Other People’s Lives

on sunday, ocTobeR 6th, the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation will hold its Second Annual Walk for Life at Van Saun Park in Paramus, NJ. Gift of Life is North America’s only public bone marrow, blood stem cell and cord blood registry dedicated to recruiting volunteers from the Jewish community.

Gift of Life helps children and adults suffering from leukemia, lymphoma, and other cancers and genetic disorders find donors for blood and marrow transplants.

Every year, 10,000 people are diag-nosed with illnesses that require a trans-plant. These patients have just a 30 per-cent chance that a sibling will be a close enough match to donate. Others must rely on an unrelated donor to save their lives, and those donors can often be found on Gift of Life’s registry.

The Last TestedBased in Boca Raton, FL, the Gift of

Life started in 1991 when its founder and

executive director, Jay Feinberg (formerly of West Orange, New Jersey) was diagnosed with leukemia and told he would need a bone marrow transplant to survive. When neither of his brothers was a close enough match to donate, doctors told Mr. Fein-berg, an Ashkenazi Jew, that his chances of finding an unrelated donor were slim, because Jews were poorly represented on the registry of volunteer donors.

Learning that a patient’s best chance of finding a genetic match lies with those of similar ethnic background, Mr. Fein-berg’s family and friends launched an ambitious grassroots campaign to find a donor. Recruitment drives were held in Jewish communities throughout North America, Israel and Belarus. Tens of thou-sands of volunteers joined the registry, resulting in matches for other patients in need along the way.

After four years, Mr. Feinberg had run out of time, but miraculously, the very last

potential donor tested at the very last drive turned out to be his perfect match. Mr. Feinberg received his transplant and devoted his life to finding matches for patients in need around the world.

Since its inception, Gift of Life has registered over 230,000 volunteer do-nors and facilitated more than 2,600 transplants for patients in need. The or-ganization’s services include transplant coordination, community donor recruit-ment, patient advocacy and assistance, and public education.

Easy, Painless TestThe 5K Walk for Life is the only event

in New Jersey that is dedicated solely to raising awareness for bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants.

Funds raised through the Walk go directly towards adding new donors to the registry. The more donors on the reg-istry, the better the chances that patients needing transplants will find their miracle


Wishing you and your families a Healthy and Happy New Year

District 38: Bergenfield,

Fair Lawn, Paramus,New Milford

Paid for by Alonso for Senate

Opportunity for All New Jerseyans

Alonso_JV:Layout 1 8/6/13 3:18 PM Page 1

matches. The cost to process one donor’s registration is $60.

In addition to providing a variety of fun activities, presentations, and raffles, the Walk will feature the opportunity for participants to join the registry. The test is fast and easy, requiring just a simple swab of cells from inside the cheek.

Two Brothers, Three PatientsMany recent donors have been identi-

fied at drives such as the one in Paramus, including brothers Yigal and Eli Sklarin. Originally from Teaneck, the brothers have been able to donate to three different patients between them.

Yigal Sklarin, 33, is a Judaic Studies teach-er at Ramaz High School in New York. He originally joined Gift of Life’s registry in 2001 at a drive held at Yeshiva University, where he was a student at the time. Although he never imagined he might actually match a patient needing a transplant, he said he was excited and thrilled to get the call. He had the relatively rare opportunity to donate to one patient in 2004 and then again in 2012 to another person.

Yigal Sklarin, who doesn’t like being called a “hero,” insists that he never ques-tioned going through with the transplant.

“The whole thing took just a few hours and, perhaps the most important thing is, by doing something so simple, it gave two patients and their families so much hope,” he said.

Easy ProcessExplaining that he still feels awkward

when “people kept making me feel so important,” he said going through the process “really was not a big deal.”

“How could I not do it? I felt like this was the easiest thing I could do to help save someone else’s life,” he said.

He strongly encourages all those eligible to join the registry and donate if they can.

“The process is so easy and the out-come is tremendous. Being a donor was a wonderful experience and Gift of Life made it simple, straightforward and seam-less,” he said.

“In My Hands”Soon after Yigal Sklarin’s second

donation, his brother Eli also received a call from Gift of Life saying that he also matched a patient. Eli Sklarin was tested to join the registry in 2010 while spend-ing his gap year between high school and college at Yeshivat Reishit Yerusha-layim in Israel.

He said his brother’s experiences during the donations inspired him to be tested, but Eli Sklarin said he never imagined he would also match a patient.

“Not in a million years,” he said.Now 22 and an economics major at

the University of Maryland, Eli Sklarin said that from the moment he received the call, “I really understood that this person’s life was in my hands and that it was my duty to follow through with the dona-tion process.”

Painless TransplantThis past August, one year after the

transplant, Eli Sklarin traveled with his family to Boston in order to meet his re-cipient at a Red Sox Game.

“I still can’t imagine what it must have been like to be in my recipient’s shoes. When we met, he told me it was a harrow-ing experience. It felt very weird for me because I had it so easy,” said Eli Sklarin.

Both Sklarin brothers credited Gift of Life for making the entire process from registration through donation simple, seamless, and painless.

“Gift of Life was very good at tak-ing care of me. They helped me prepare for the donation and had a fantastic rep-resentative meet me at the hospital on donation day,” said Eli Sklarin.

18-35The Sklarin brothers urge anyone

who meets the criteria to donate to join the registry. In general, anyone in good health between the ages of 18 and 60 can undergo the painless cheek swab. Gift of Life is especially eager for young people between the ages of 18 and 35 to register.

“Younger donors produce more stem cells than do older people and, in general, they tend to be healthier,” said Mr. Feinberg.

Statistically, 79 percent of all possible matches are with donors between the ages of 18 and 35; 46 percent of the 79 percent figure are for donors aged 18-25.

T-ShirtsDonors between the ages of 36 and 45

are selected 13 percent of the time; those between 46 and 55, seven percent of the time. Donors between the ages of 55 and 60 are selected only one percent of the time.

“We don’t want to dissuade anyone from joining the registry, but we do need to highlight the urgent need for donors between the ages of 18 and 35—and, in particular, those between 18 and 25. They are able to provide the best chance of survival to patients in urgent need,” said Mr. Feinberg.

Registration for the Gift of Life Walk on October 6 in Paramus costs $25 ($30 on the day of the event) and is now open at www.giftoflifeorg/walk4life for runners, walkers, students, and children. More in-formation can be found at the website or by calling 800-9-MARROW.



Participants should plan to arrive at 10am at Pavilion I, near Walden Pond.

Those who can’t make it to the Walk but still wish to support Gift of Life can register as virtual

walkers and receive a t-shirt. Those too old to undergo a cheek swab are welcome to support Gift of Life by participating in the Walk or by making a much-needed contribution. S.L.R.

Walk for Life continued from page 19

Holy Name Recognized as a Primary Stroke Center and Engaged in Clinical Trial to Help Patients with CLI

IT Was a busy summer at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck. Towards the end of August, Holy Name was rec-ognized with “Advanced Cer-tification as a Primary Stroke Center” by the Joint Commis-sion in conjunction with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

In early September, Holy Name announced that it is par-ticipating in a breakthrough randomized clinical trial, which evaluates the effectiveness of a new cell-based technology in patients with non-reconstruc-table critical limb ischemia (CLI).

CLI, a severe condition of peripheral artery disease (PAD), is a blockage of the ar-teries which causes a decrease in blood flow to the legs and feet, causing severe pain at rest or skin-ulcer formation. Not only is the condition painful, but it also may result in am-putation of the affected limb.

Improving OutcomesHoly Name’s acknowledge-

ment as a Primary Stroke Center demonstrates how it is recog-nized for its dedicated fostering of better outcomes for stroke victims. The center has shown that its program meets criti-cal elements of performance to achieve long-term success in improving stroke patients’ outcomes.

“You may have heard that a stroke is also called a ‘brain attack,’ much like a heart attack, in which lost minutes mean lost brain cells. The smartest thing you can do is double-time it to a hospital emergency room where they’re experts at identifying the signs of stroke and can deliver the best pos-sible outcomes for patients,” said Sheryl Slonim, executive vice president of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Of-ficer at Holy Name.

To receive recognition as a Primary Stroke Center, Holy Name underwent a rigorous on-site review last spring by Joint Commission experts.

Lower Mortality RateDeveloped in collabora-

tion with the American Stroke Association in 2003, the Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification program is available only to stroke pro-grams in Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.

“Certification is a voluntary process and The Joint Com-mission commends Holy Name for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill con-fidence in the community it serves,” said Jean Range, ex-ecutive director of The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification.

According to data from the 2012 report of the Department of Health’s Inpatient Quality Indicators, released this past July, Holy Name’s mortality rate for stroke victims is significantly lower than the state’s rate and lowest among all hospitals in Bergen County.

“Holy Name Medical Cen-ter is thoroughly committed to providing our patients with the highest quality stroke care, as based on current scientific research, to ensure continued improvement in treatment. In addition to our Joint Commis-sion accreditation, the Prima-ry Stroke Center Certification has given us the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care we provide for our patients, and has helped us improve care overall for our community,” said Ms. Slonim.The Patient’s Own Stem Cells

The medical center’s par-ticipation in the new clinical trial for patients with non- re-constructable CLI is also a sign of recognition: Holy Name is the only hospital in northern New Jersey and one of only thirty sites in the US currently participating in this trial.

This investigational ap-proach, called “bone marrow aspirate concentrate” (BMAC), uses a patient’s own cells, in-cluding stem cells harvested from their own bone marrow, to stimulate growth of new blood vessels in the lower extremi-ties. These patients with CLI have no surgical or catheter-

based option, sometimes re-ferred to as “no option critical limb ischemia” or “NO-CLI.”

A unique aspect of this stem cell-based treatment is that this procedure allows both the cell harvest and implanta-tion to be carried out in one procedure under local anes-thesia with sedation.

The patient’s bone marrow is harvested from the pelvis. Then a centrifuge-type machine, the size of a desktop computer, concen-trates the marrow cells. Doctors inject the cell concentrate into the leg that has poor circulation. There, the cells may respond to the low-oxygen environment and help build new vessels, improv-ing blood flow. With increased blood flow in the extremity, ul-cers may be able to heal.Looking for Qualified Patients

Patients accepted into the study will have a 66 percent chance of being randomized to receive their own bone marrow concen-trate (stem cell) and a 33 percent chance of being randomized to receive a placebo. Since this is a randomized study, all patients will have bone marrow samples drawn, so neither they nor the investigators will know which they have received.

The study will enroll approxi-mately 210 patients. To qualify, patients must be diagnosed by a physician as suffering from advanced PAD or CLI; have gan-grene, an ulcer, or sore of the foot or leg; no longer be a can-didate for surgical treatment or other invasive procedure, such


as angioplasty or bypass surgery, and have exhausted all viable options; and not be receiving dialysis treatment.

Those interested in the Harvest CLI clinical trial can contact the Institute for Clinical Research at Holy Name at 201-

530-7968. The study website is at www.harvestclistudy.com.

Candidates will be evalu-ated for eligibility. If enrolled, the safety and efficacy of the investigational treatment will be assessed over a two-year period.

Holy Name continued from page 20

al-Dura—supposedly shot by IDF soldiers—was a “staged hoax and the blood libel of this generation.”

On the other hand, the Israeli government finally empaneled an official inves-tigative committee which is-sued a report documenting that everything Mr. Karsenty has claimed is true.

“It may not help me in the French courts, but it gives my documentation a kosher seal of approval,” said Mr. Karsenty.

Mr. Karsenty made his re-marks in Manhattan last month at a meeting convened by the Lawfare Project, an organiza-tion dedicated to identifying, analyzing, and facilitating a response to the use of the law as a weapon of war.

“Specifically, we address the abuse of Western laws and judicial systems to achieve strategic military and politi-cal ends. This consists of the negative manipulation of in-ternational and national hu-man rights laws to accomplish purposes other than, or con-trary to, those for which they were originally enacted,” said Brooke Goldstein, director of The Lawfare Project.

Truth Is Not a DefenseThe strange part of the

French Supreme Court’s rul-ing is that it did not deny Mr. Karsenty’s proof that France 2 had staged and aired a hoax.

“The court found me guilty, because in 2004, when the case was first presented, we didn’t have access to France

2’s raw footage. When we got it later, it proved beyond ques-tion the boy was still alive after the supposed shooting. But I was found guilty because I didn’t have the footage in 2004. In France, truth is not a defense against libel or defa-mation. If the truth was not known when the case was first presented, later documenta-tion and proof is thrown out. It wouldn’t matter if France 2 admitted to the hoax now. I would still be guilty,” said Mr. Karsenty.

The new footage acquired by Mr. Karsenty, which had never been aired by France 2, shows the boy raising his foot, mov-ing his elbow and head, and shielding his eyes from the sun, and it shows his father smiling—all filmed after gun-fire had stopped and the boy had been pronounced dead.

“This was a staged hoax,” said Mr. Karsenty.

Open to DistortionMr. Karsenty intends to

continue his legal battle, pos-sibly in the US, “because of procedural and ethical issues that led to this miscarriage of justice [in the French Supreme Court].” He thinks the case will drag on for another four or five years, but, ultimately, he said, “with the help of people who care about the truth,” he believes he will be successful.

The actions taken by France 2 television in its suit against Mr. Karsenty have prompted the Lawfare Project to support his legal case.

The reasons for Mr. Karsen-ty’s failure in the court are ob-vious and, to American sensi-bilities, unfair. But the problem for the Jewish community is that al-Jazeera and other an-ti-Israel media outlets began their reports on the case by declaring, “French court rules intifada video was authentic.”

Video of a Dead ChildThe alleged shooting of

Mohammed al-Dura took place on September 30, 2000, a few days after the start of the Sec-ond Intifada, sometimes called the Oslo War. It was character-ized by Palestinian-Arab vio-lence throughout Judea and Samaria, initiated at the behest of then-PLO leader Yasir Arafat.

The footage of the “shoot-ing” of Mohammed al-Dura was taken by Palestinian cam-eraman Talal Abu Rahma, who was freelancing for France 2 television. The voiceover was by Charles Enderlin, France 2’s bureau chief in Israel who made aliyah a number of years ago at the age of 22.

The footage, which lasts just over a minute, shows Jamal al-Dura and his 12-year-old son, Mohammed, caught in cross-fire between IDF troops and PA security forces. The father and son are shown attempting to take cover behind a concrete cylinder. There they hold onto each other, the boy crying and the father waving. Then there

is a burst of gunfire and dust, after which the boy is seen slumped across his father’s legs, presumably dead.

The video is not a continu-ous feed and does not show the boy being wounded or killed. It shows only footage of him lying motionless, ap-parently dead.

Reporting by PhoneMr. Enderlin has testi-

fied that he did not witness the incident himself (he was in Ramallah at the time), but, rather, reported the informa-tion as it was given to him on the phone by the cameraman.

Mr. Enderlin reported that the al-Duras had been the “tar-get of fire from the Israeli po-sitions” and that the boy had died. The implication was that the IDF had knowingly and recklessly killed an obviously defenseless child.

In an interview with the French magazine Telerama three weeks after the incident, Mr. Enderlin said that before run-ning the report, he personally had cut out the images of the child dying. “They were un-bearable,” he said.

But three French jour-nalists who had been per-mitted by France 2 to review the channel’s raw footage ac-cused Mr. Enderlin of lying. In an op-ed printed in Le Figaro, two of these journalists said

Blood Libel continued from page 1



the “agony” described by Mr. Enderlin had not been edited out. “It simply did not exist,” they said.

In PallywoodAccording to author Rael-Jean Isaac,

who is also the editor of Outpost, published by Americans for a Safe Israel, blogger Rich-ard Landes was also allowed to see the raw footage. Mrs. Isaac, who was at the Law-fare meeting, said Mr. Enderlin welcomed Mr. Landes in 2003 because the latter had been recommended by a mutual friend.

When Mr. Landes told Mr. Enderlin that “everything” on the video seemed staged, Mr. Enderlin reportedly responded, “Oh, they do that all the time.”

Mr. Landes coined the word “Pally-wood” to describe “the national Pales-tinian film industry that produces staged news footage for complicit journalists.” According to his blog Second Draft, he was shocked.

Blaming Israel FirstMr. Enderlin’s story about the al-Du-

ras and Mr. Abu Rahma’s images were picked up by media sources throughout the world, many of which have continued to promote the report as proof that Israeli soldiers deliberately murder children.

France 2 rebroadcast the piece re-peatedly.

“Enderlin is one of those quondam Israelis whose attachment to the Jewish state is supposedly attested by the vigor of his criticism of it. Enderlin may have been initially taken in by his cameraman, but soon enough had to realize he was

dealing with phony footage and dug in, misrepresenting the footage and cling-ing to the story,” said Mrs. Isaac.

Symbol of the IntifadaAfter an emotional public funeral,

Mohammed al-Dura was hailed through-out the Arab and Muslim world as a mar-tyr, a designation that has grown more popular and ferocious over time.

One of Baghdad’s main thoroughfares was renamed “The Martyr Mohammed al-Dura Street.” Morocco has an al-Dura Park. The image of the boy and his father has been engraved on stamps used in Jordan, Egypt, and Tunisia, and on a huge poster outside the Ministry of Health in Gaza. Muslim schools often have programs and even ice-cream days in honor of the boy. The image of the “dead” child was recently reproduced on a designer dress in Saudi Arabia.

“The image of the martyred child has inspired barbarous acts of revenge against Jews throughout the world,” said Mr. Karsenty.

When Muslim terrorists murdered the Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Pearl in Paki-stan in 2002, his executioners forced him to “acknowledge” Israel’s role as “child-killer.” The image of the al-Duras was on the wall behind them. Osama Bin-Laden cited the al-Dura case in a recruitment video for Al-Qaeda.

Replacing the HolocaustThe al-Dura incident was the basis

of a video designed for children by the Palestinian Authority. The video showed the boy in heaven beckoning other Pal-

estinian children to “martyr” themselves by becoming suicide bombers so that they might join him in paradise.

In many ways, the boy became the symbol of the second intifada.

French journalist Catherin Nay said the death of Mohammed al-Dura “cancels out, erases that of the Jewish child, his hands in the air from the SS in the Warsaw Ghetto.”

Initial InvestigationAlmost from the beginning, Mr. Karsenty

had his doubts about the veracity of the story. Although the IDF initially apologized for the boy’s death, in effect authenticating the France 2 version of the incident, the army quickly issued a retraction after an investigation indicated that Israeli soldiers “probably did not shoot at the al-Duras.” Discussing angles and distances, the Is-raeli report suggested it was Arab terror gunfire that killed the boy.

The investigation was the result of a request by Israeli physicist Nahum Shahaf to Maj-Gen Yom Tov Sarnia, the commanding officer in the Netzarim area who was con-vinced his soldiers had not shot at the boy.

Mr. Sarnia put Mr. Shahaf in charge of the investigation, which reconstruct-ed the incident and concluded that the bullets could not have come from the Israeli position.

DiscrepanciesEven without the investigation, Mr.

Karsenty said the discrepancies in the story were too big to be ignored. The cameraman maintained that there had been “hundreds” of bullets shot at the father and son, pointing to the bullet-pocked wall behind them as proof. But when asked what had happened to the actual bullets, the cameraman fumbled, finally saying they had been picked up by France 2, but were now “secrets” that the station could not give to the police.

“No one knows when the bullets hit the wall in question. It could have been before the incident or afterwards,” said Mr. Karsenty.

According to the report broadcast by Mr. Enderlin, the Israeli soldiers contin-ued shooting at the father and son for 45 minutes. The cameraman said they fired at their sitting target until they “finally” killed the Palestinian “child deliberately in cold blood.”



“These were supposedly Israeli sharp-shooters. They needed 45 minutes to kill two sitting targets? Come on,” said Mr. Karsenty, who said he was also struck by the fact that, with all those bullets alleg-edly being shot at the father and son, there were no blood stains anywhere.

In the Same PlaceWorking on his own, Mr. Karsenty

collected between 50 and 100 separate pieces of evidence that he said would prove the al-Dura incident was a hoax.

For example, he had retrieved some raw footage, shot by Reuters and AP cam-eramen on the same day and in the same spot where the al-Dura incident alleg-edly took place. This footage, only parts of which were ever aired, shows Arabs staging incidents for media purposes.

According to writer Nidra Poller, who saw the Reuters and AP outtakes, these films show Palestinian “stringers sport-ing prestigious logos on their vests and cameras are seen filming battle scenes staged behind the abandoned factory, well out of range of Israeli gunfire.”

Those playing that they were wounded “sail through the air like modern dancers and then collapse,” she said.

In the meantime, she said, the videos show cameramen cavorting with laughing youths who jump on the “‘casualties,’ push-ing and shoving, howling Allahu akbar.”

Only split seconds of these “ludicrous vignettes” ever appeared for broadcast, she said. “The raw footage that would reveal the fakery had been removed,” said Ms. Poller.

Which Mohammed?In addition, Mr. Karsenty found evi-

dence that, at 9am on September 30, a child named Mohammed al-Dura was taken to Shifra Hospital in Gaza where he died. The incident shot by Mr. Abu Rahma took place at 3pm that same day.

“So how is it possible that there was a dead child at 9am and they want us to believe it is the same child who was shot by Israeli soldiers at 3 in the afternoon?” said Mr. Karsenty.

In fact, according to an investigation conducted by a German documentary team, the shape of the skull of the buried child was different from that of the child in the video. One theory is that the bur-ied child is the real Mohammed al-Dura and the one in Mr. Abu Rahma’s video might be a cousin or a brother, said Mr.

Karsenty. Some say the one in the video might still be alive.

No StandingArmed with his evidence, Mr. Karsenty

went to court to sue France 2 television as well as Mr. Enderlin and the cameraman. The court informed him that he had no standing to file a complaint and, thus, he was dismissed.

Determined to force France 2 into court, Mr. Karsenty wrote what he acknowledges was “a provocative piece” and published it on his internet blog. In the piece, he ac-cused France 2 of broadcasting a staged scene in which local Arabs played the part of shooters in order to create a media incident.

Mr. Karsenty said his intention was to provoke France 2 to sue him for libel, and it worked.

In 2004, France 2 hauled Mr. Karsenty into court, where the issue was finally publicly discussed.

“The pressure brought to bear on my supporters and me was impossible. We were told we were denying the death of a child and compared to Holocaust deniers,” he said.

In court, France 2 tried to portray Mr. Karsenty and his supporters as “far-right crackpot conspiracy theorists with axes to grind.”

Israel’s SilenceEqually disturbing, he said, was the

fact that he received no support at all from the Israeli government. Israelis who commented on his case against France 2 tended to side with Mr. Enderlin, who was consistently described as an honorable journalist, as opposed to Mr. Karsenty, who was described as a “nut.”

Mr. Karsenty has his own theories to explain Israel’s silence. “In 2000, Ehud Barak was hoping to partner with Arafat on a peace plan. Israeli intelligentsia hoped there would be peace. They didn’t want to bring up this story, showing how the Palestinians behave. Many were angry at me for keeping the story alive,” he said.

In addition, he said, there is some evidence that Mr. Abu Rahma may have worked for Israel and, thus, was in danger of being designated a “collaborator,” a capital offense in the PA.

“The Israelis were hesitant to make any trouble for him,” said Mr. Karsenty.

Chief ArgumentIn fact, one of Mr. Enderlin’s chief argu-

ments in court was the fact that no Israeli authority had challenged him or his report.

“And his argument was persuasive even to many of Israel’s supporters. They figured if the story were a hoax, surely Israel would be the first to vigorously press the case,” said Mrs. Isaac.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Karsenty lost the first round in court and, in 2006, was found guilty of having defamed France 2.

AppealedTwo years later, on appeal, the ruling

against Mr. Karsenty was overturned; the Paris Court of Appeals said he was within his rights to call the al-Dura video a hoax. The difference between the two rulings was that the appellate court was able to review France 2’s full footage of the incident, including the sequence which shows the boy moving around after he was allegedly dead.



Do It NowJudaic Visual Arts Online

Mentoring Program, for students in grades 7-12 who are interested in learning how to create Jew-ish art, spons by the American Guild of Judaic Art, applications by sending an email to [email protected] or 404-981-2308, deadline is Nov 1

Be a Volunteer for the Su-per Bowl; the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee needs 15,000 volunteers to meet and greet visi-tors and generally help out for two four-hour shifts between Sun., Jan 26 and Mon., Feb 3. Volunteers must attend only one of many training sessions that will be held at vari-ous times in November. Volunteers will receive uniforms that will be theirs to keep. Go to www.nynj-superbowl.com and click on Vol-unteer. You can use the Volunteer Center of Bergen County as your organization affiliate.

Entries to the 2013 ING New York City Marathon (Nov 3, 2014) available through the In-ternational March of the Living, 201-417-5374

Sun., Sept 15EMUNAH Pre-Sukkot Bake

Sale, to volunteer as a baker or to order baked goods to be delivered erev Sukkot, [email protected]

Schedule the Torah Acad-emy of Bergen County Sukkah Builders to put up and take down your sukkah, all proceeds go to Project Ezra, [email protected]

“Inyanei Sukkot,” Rabbi Yo-nason Sacks, Cong Bnai Yeshurun,

Teaneck, 8:30am, 201-836-8916Setting up the Sukkah, bring

wrenches and step ladders, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 8:30am, [email protected]

Photographic Exhibit: “The Legacy: A Daughter’s Experi-ence of the Holocaust,” Beth Burstein, JCC MetroWest, West Orange, 9am-6pm; also Mon-Thurs, 9am-9pm; Fri, 9am-5pm, through Sun., Oct 27, 973-530-3413

Special Movies, Smoothies, and Free Play Featuring Sukkah Decora-tions, for children, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 10am, 718-796-4730

“Sukkot: Connecting—The Four Kinds and Their Lessons for Life,” Rabbi Avrohom Rapo-port, Chabad Shul, Ventnor, 10am, 609-822-8500

Decorate the Sukkah, for children grades K-4, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, 10am, 201-907-0180

House Majority Leader Rep Eric Cantor (R-VA), spons by NORPAC, private home in Te-aneck, 10:30am, 201-788-5133

Decorate and Donuts, for children, decorate the shul sukkah, make arts-and-crafts projects to take home, and enjoy Dunkin Do-nuts, Cong Beth Aaron, Teaneck, 10:30am, 201-836-6210

Decorate the Shul’s Sukkah and Yours, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 10:30am, 732-254-1860

Sukkah Building, spons by Rutgers Hillel, at the corner of College Ave and Stone St, New Brunswick, 11am, 732-545-2407

Sukkah Decorating, for grades K-3, includes pizza, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 11am, 201-837-2795

6-Mile Hike with Jersey Tribe, to walk off holiday meals, South Mountain Reservation, Mill-burn, noon, www.jerseytribe.org

Jewish Educational Center High School Chessed Program, stocking the Jewish Family Ser-vice food pantry, Elizabeth, noon, 917-583-5963

HaZamir Bergen County Choir Open House Auditions, for boys and girls in grades 8-12, Ronit Hanan, Cong Beth Sholom, Teaneck, 1-3pm, 201-873-2868

NJ Friendship Walk, spons by the Friendship Circle for spe-cial-needs children, at Yeshivat Noam, Paramus, 1pm, 201-262-7172

“Raisins and Almonds: Jew-ish Songs from the Heart,” Dr. Lois Morton, accompanied by Larry Moser, Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library, Gar-nerville, NY, 2pm, 845-786-3800 or 845-429-3445

Auditions for Beauty and the Beast, for grades 2-4, spons by the Riverdale Children’s Theater, at the Riverdale Jewish Center, 2-3pm, 646-436-3045

Auditions for Beauty and the Beast and Les Miserables, for grades 5-8, spons by the Riverdale Children’s Theater, at the Riverdale Jewish Center, 3-5pm, 646-436-3045

Arba Minim and Sukkah Posters Sale, Young Israel of Pas-saic-Clifton, Passaic, 3-10:30pm, 718-309-3983

Sinai Special Needs Institute Schools Yom Tov Boutique, Te-aneck Marriott at Glenpointe, Te-aneck, 5-9pm, 201-833-1134 ext 105

Sukkah Celebration, for Is-raeli families, JCC, Tenafly, 6pm, 201-569-7900

Sisterhood Membership Dinner, includes gifts, Hedy’s hats, and raffles, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 7pm, 732-254-1860

Auditions for Kol Halayla, Rutgers Jewish a Cappella Group, Ruthers Hillel, New Brunswick, 7:30pm, [email protected]

Women’s Book Club: “Next Stop” by Glen Finland, reviewed by Chani Gurkov, Chabad House, Wayne, 8pm, 973-694-6274

“The Chatzos Lady: The Gift of Preparing Our Homes Early for Shabbos,” for women,

Azriella Jaffee, Cong Beth Abra-ham, Bergenfield, 8:30pm, 201-384-0434

Mon., Sept 16“The Biblical Book of Le-

viticus: Surfing Life’s Waves,” Rabbi Asher Herson, Chabad Cen-ter of Northwest NJ, Rockaway, 7pm, 973-625-1525 ext 227

Sukkoth Cooking Class, Chabad House, Margate, 7pm, 609-992-4100

Jersey Tribe Sukkot Arts and Crafts, for singles, private location in Jersey City, 7:30pm, www.jerseytribe.org

Volunteers Orientation, for students in grade 6 and up who want to work with special-needs children through the Friendship Circle, Zeesy Grossbaum, at Cong Beth Tefillah, Paramus, 8pm, 201-262-7172

Tues., Sept 17Senior Citizens Picnic, in-

cludes free lunch (kosher avail-able) with entertainment and a craft fair, Van Saun Park, Passaic, 10am-3pm, for kosher lunch, 201-336-7416 or 201-336-7400

Community Service Bake Sale, Rutgers Hillel, New Bruns-wick, 10am-noon, 732-545-2407

Women’s Club for Widows, Jewish Federation and Vocation-al Services, Concordia Shopping Center, Monroe, 10:30am, 732-777-1940 or 609-395-7979

Café Europa Joy Lunch Club Luncheon for Holocaust Survivors, spons by Jewish Fam-ily Service, transportation avail-able, Cong Beth Sholom, Teaneck, 11:30am, 201-837-9090

Men’s Bereavement Discus-sion Group, Dr. Sherry Schachter, Calvary Hospital, Bronx, 1pm, 718-518-2125 or 718-518-2674

“The Jewish Soul,” violinist David Podles, JCC of Middlesex County, Edison, 1:30pm, 732-494-3232 ext 3603

Celebrate Sukkot, for chil-dren ages 2-5 with an adult, in-cludes pizza in the hut and making sukkah decorations, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 3:45pm, 845-362-4400

Auditions for Beauty and the Beast and Les Miserables, spons by the Riverdale Children’s Theatre, at the Riverdale Jewish Center, grades 5-8, 3-5pm, 646-436-3045

The Log: “Separate Yourself Not from the Community”


NCSY

SEPTEMBER

GREAT ADVENTURE

GOES TO

22SUNDAY

For more information, go to www.ncsygreatadventure.com

New Jersey NCSY at 201.862.0250 · Mordechai at 732.961.1233 or 848.525.2295 TO PURCHASE TICKETS CALL:

TICKETS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT: Z Berman (Passaic) and Tuvia's (Monsey)

PARK HOURS 10:30AM-10PM

A Sukkah will be available. Kosher food will be available for purchase. No outside food will be allowed in the park.

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW AND SAVE! $30 UNTIL SEPT. 16, $35 AT THE GATE

Auditions for Beauty and the Beast, grades 2-4, spons by the Riverdale Children’s Theatre, at the Riverdale Jewish Center, 4-5pm, 646-436-3045

Auditions for Les Miserables, grades 8-12, spons by the Riverdale Children’s Theater, at the Riverdale Jewish Center, 5-7pm, 646-436-3045

“Let’s Get Ready for Suk-kot,” Debbie Dobin Gerber, spons by Hadassah, how to make deco-rations from nature to hang in the sukkah, Highland Park Se-nior Center, 7:30pm, [email protected]

Sukkos and Simchat To-rah, Rabbi Eli Kornfeld, Chabad of Hunterdon County, Clinton, 7:30pm, 908-238-9002

Create an Edible Sukkah and Sukkah Decorations, Rut-gers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8:15pm, 732-545-2407

“Dealing with Issues of a Work-ing Mom,” in Hebrew, Einat Harari, JCC, Tenafly, 8:30pm, 201-569-7900Wed., Sept 18, Erev Sukkoth

TV Film: “Glickman,” about Marty Glickman who was denied

the chance to represent the US at the 1936 Berlin Olympics be-cause he was Jewish and went on to become one of the most revered and influential sportscast-ers in history, on HBO2, 12:45am

Erev Sukkot Camp, for chil-dren in grades K-2, run by seniors at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, at Ma’ayanot, Teaneck, 9am-noon, [email protected]

Sukkah Decorating, for grades K-4, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 10am, 917-583-5963

Hilchos Teshuva Shiur, Rabbi Menachem Genack, Cong Shomrei Emunah, 6:45pm, 201-567-9420

Free Sukkah Dinner, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 7:30pm, 732-545-2407

Thurs., Sept 19, SukkothHot Dairy Kiddush, Cong

Keter Torah, Teaneck, noon, [email protected]

Free Sukkoth Lunch, Rut-gers Hillel, New Brunswick, 1pm, 732-545-2407

Sukkah Hop, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 2pm, rain date

Sept 20, 201-837-2795Sukkah Hop, for boys and

girls in separate groups also di-vided by age, nursery (with par-ents) through grade 5, Cong Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, 2:30pm, 201-384-0434

Sukkah Hop, spons by Cong Arzei Darom, meet at private home in Teaneck, 3:30pm, 917-816-1447


Fri., Sept 20, SukkothFree Sukkoth Lunch, Rut-

gers Hillel, New Brunswick 1pm, 732-545-2407

Sukkah Hunt, for children, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 3:45pm, 732-254-1860

Sukkah Hop, for children, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 4pm, 732-254-1860

Sukkah Hop, for Nursery-K, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 4:30pm, [email protected]

Bnai Akiva Sukkah Hop, for grades 1-6, meet at private loca-tion in Teaneck, 4:30pm, [email protected]

Sukkah Hop, for children in grades K-4, Cong Keter Torah, Te-aneck, 4:30pm, [email protected]

“Daven and Dine”: Service and Friday Night Meal in the Sukkah, Rabbi Shlomo Marks, Cong Mt. Sinai, Jersey City, 7:30pm, [email protected]

Sukkot Tisch, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-837-2795

Free Shabbat Dinner un-der the Stars, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 7:30pm, 732-545-2407

Kumsitz in the Sukkah, des-serts, divrei Torah, and singing, private home in Teaneck, 9pm-midnight, [email protected]

Shabbat, Sept 21Chol Hamoed Sukkoth

Shabbat Youth Program, for children ages 2-10, Hava Finkel, Cong Shomrei Emunah, Engle-wood, 9:30-11am, 201-567-9420

Hot Meat Kiddush, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, noon, [email protected]

Shabbat Lunch, spons by Rabbi and Mrs. Akiva Weiss, Rut-

The Log: “Separate Yourself Not from the Community”



gers Hillel, New Brunswick, 1pm, 732-545-2407

Sukkah Hop, for children, Dovi and Daniella Shenkman, spons by Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 2pm, [email protected]

Sukkah Hop, for children, Cong Adath Israel of the Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 3pm, [email protected]

Sukkah Party, spons by Young Israel of Passaic Clifton, private suk-kah in Passaic, 3:30-6:30pm, 973-778-7117 or [email protected]

Study Group: “The Thought of Rabbi Tzadok from Lublin,” Prof Alan Brill, private home in Te-aneck, 5:30pm, [email protected]

Motzei Shabbat, Sept 21Trip to Crown Heights,

to visit Sukkot and dance in the streets, leave Chabad, West Or-ange, 8:30pm, 973-486-2362

Simchar Beit Hashoeva, Rabbi and Mrs. Akiva Weiss, pri-vate home in New Brunswick, 8-10pm, 732-246-0207

Sun., Sept 22Chol Hamoed Sukkoth

NCSY Chol Hamoed Trip to Hershey Park, leave from Te-aneck, Highland Park, and West Orange, 8am, park is open 11am-7pm, 201-862-0250

Fall Fest Open House, in-cludes activities in the sukkah, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 9am-4pm, 845-362-4400

NCSY Chol Hamoed Trip to Six Flags Great Adventure, leave from a variety of shuls in

NY and NJ, 9am, 201-862-0250Sen Lindsey Graham (R-

SC), spons by NORPAC, private sukkah in Englewood, 10am, 201-788-5133

Sukkot Festival, for fami-lies with special-needs children and volunteers in grades 6 and up, spons by the Friendship Cir-cle, private location in Paramus, 10am, 201-262-7172

Sukkah Party, Chabad House, Margate, 12-4pm, 609-992-4900

Sukkah in the Hay, family fun day at Butterhof Farm in Egg Harbor Twnshp, includes sukkah, hayrides, and corn maze, spons by Chabad at the Shore, Ventnor, noon, 609-822-8500

Film: “Jerusalem,” the in-tersection of science, history,

and religion, IMAX Theater Pali-sades Center, W Nyack, 11:30am, 12:45pm, 2pm, 3:15pm, 4:30pm, 5:45pm, 7pm, 845-353-5555 ext 200 or 845-358 IMAX (4629)

Community-Wide Suk-kah Party, for families, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 1:30-3:30pm. 201-833-0515

Pizza in the Hut, for high school students, Jewish Educa-tional Center, Elizabeth, 6pm, 917-583-5963

Progressive Sukkah Supper, for high school students, spons by the Young Israel of East Brunswick, private homes in East Brunswick, 6:30pm, 732-254-1860

Hadassah L’Dor V’Dor Young Women’s Group Sukkah Hop-ping, for adults, various homes in

The Log continued from page 25

At CareOne, Rav Schachter Discussed Honoring ParentsaT caReone In Teaneck last month, Rabbi Hershel Schachter of Yeshiva Uni-versity addressed an issue close to the hearts of all the residents and community members who made up his audience: “Kibbud Av V’eim, Honoring One’s Mother and Father: Taking Care of One’s Elderly Parents.”

As Rav Schachter explained this mitzvah, introduced in the Ten Commandments and elab-orated on by Jewish scholars over the centuries, is consid-ered one of the most difficult to accomplish successfully.

To begin with, he said, it encompasses two distinct be-haviors: honor, which the rabbis interpret as service, and fear, which is taken to mean respect.

Each requires separate ac-tions, mindsets, and deeds, he said.

For example, honoring a parent may mean anything from literally tying a parent’s shoes to making sure to tele-phone regularly. Respecting a parent means not sitting in his or her chair and not calling one’s parent—or one’s in-law

parent—by his or her first name.Often, knowing what to

do is a matter of listening so as to ascertain what it is the parent needs and wants.

A Duty to G-dFurther, he said, it is not a

mitzvah that can be forsaken even if the parent demands it. Rav Schachter gave the ex-ample of a father who, at age 50, tells his son to go away and leave him alone forever. But if, at age 80, the father requires service from the son, the adult child is required to render it.

The reason: Because the commandment has two com-ponents. The child honors and respects the parent as a person

because the son or daughter is grateful to have been brought into the world. But the child also honors and respects the parent as G-d’s partner.

According to Jewish tra-dition, every child is the result of a partnership between a mother, a father, and G-d, which is why the commandment to serve and respect one’s parents continues even after death.

Jewish sons recite kad-dish to lessen the anguish of a parent’s soul. Because, ac-cording to Jewish tradition, the maximum any soul spends in Gehenom is 12 months, kad-dish is said for only 11.

Part of honoring one’s

parent is knowing he or she could not have deserved a 12-month sentence.

Community FacilityAccording to Ari Markow-

itz, assistant administrator at CareOne in Teaneck, the glatt kosher sub-acute rehabilita-tion, assisted living, and long-term care facility, will host many more programs with speakers such as Rav Schachter that will be open to the community.

While CareOne at Teaneck welcomes people of all faiths, its special programs to support members of the Jewish com-munity include Glatt Kosher meals under the supervision of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County, restaurant-style fine dining, daily activities, an on-site Orthodox synagogue, Jewish cultural entertainment, and much more.

“It is wonderful for the resi-dents and members of the com-munity to be able to come to-gether for a lecture which can be enjoyed on so many differ-ent levels,” said Mr. Markowitz.

For more information about programs at CareOne, call 201-862-3300. S.L.R.

At CareOne, Rav Hershel Schachter, left, had a chance to speak with resident, Dr. Nathan Lander, the former chairman of Touro College’s


Highland Park, 7pm, 908-227-4869Community-Wide Simchas

Bais Hashoeva, Cong Keter To-rah, Teaneck, 7pm, 201-907-0180 or [email protected]

Chol Hamoed Sukkoth Con-cert, featuring Lipa Schmeltzer, Benny Friedman, and Nachas with the BaRock Orchestra, at Provi-dent Bank Park (Boulder Stadium), Pomona, NY (also available on a pay-per-view option, http://lipa.vazzt.com), 7pm, 866-625-4586 or www.lipabenny.com

Simchas Bais Hashoeva, Passaic Torah Institute, 7:30pm, 973-594-4774

Simchat Beit Hashoeva, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 7:30pm, 718-796-4730

Mon., Sept 23Chol Hamoed Sukkoth

Film: “Jerusalem,” the in-tersection of science, history, and religion, IMAX Theater Palisades Center, W Nyack, 12:45pm, 2pm, 3:15pm, 4:30pm, 5:45pm, 7pm, 845-358 IMAX (4629), also Tues, Sept 24 and Wed., Sept 25, 845-353-5555 ext 200 or 845-358 IMAX (4629)

TV Film: “Glickman,” about Marty Glickman who was denied the chance to represent the US at the 1936 Berlin Olympics be-cause he was Jewish and went on to become one of the most revered and influential sportscast-ers in history, on HBO2, 12:50pm

Fun and Games with Laser Tag, for grades 1-8, Jewish Educa-tional Center, 3pm, 917-583-5963 or 908-447-6881

Bubble Trouble and Pizza in the Sukkah, for children ages 2-12, featuring Interactive Bubble Show with Casey Carle, Bris Avra-ham, Hillside, 5pm, 908-289-0770

Progressive Sukkah Sup-per, for middle school students, spons by the Young Israel of East Brunswick, private homes in East Brunswick, 6:30pm, 732-254-1860

Shaare Tefillah Jewish Book Club: “You Saved Me Too” by Susan Kushner Resnick, pri-vate sukkah in Teaneck, 8pm, 201-692-7710

Tues., Sept 24Chol Hamoed Sukkoth

Trip to NYC, for high school students, leave Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 9am, 917-583-5963 or 908-447-6881

Sukkot Fun: Kids Day Out, for children, includes obstacle course, holiday crafts, bouncy house, face-painting and balloon animals, spons by AMIT, at East Hill Synagogue Sukkah, Engle-wood, 10am-noon, 212-477-1207

Bereavement Group for the Death of a Spouse, Dr. Sherry Schachter, Calvary Hospital, Bronx, 1pm, 718-518-2125 or 718-518-2674

New Beginnings Recon-nects in a Sukkah, for seniors, featuring “Yom Tov Sentiments,” Rabbi Joseph Siev, and “OHEL Se-nior Services,” Devirah Sinensky, CSW, spons by the Jewish Center of Teaneck, at the CareOne Sukkah, Teaneck, 1:30pm, 201-833-0515

Community Simchat Beit Hashoeva, welcoming the new Mekor Chaim Steinsaltz Ambassadors Ariel Odes and Amichai Bauer, includes food and music, Rabbi Pesach Ray-mon Yeshiva sukkah, Edison, 6pm, [email protected]

Hoshana Raba Night Seder, Passaic Torah Institute, 8:30pm, 973-594-4774

Wed., Sept 25Hoshana Raba

Last Day to See Watercolor Exhibit: “Heavens Above and Earth Below,” Paula Cantor, JCC, Tenafly, 201-569-7900

Hoshana Raba Service, Rabbi Akiva Weiss, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8:15am, 732-545-2407


Shemini Atzeret Meal, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 7:30pm, 732-545-2407

Yachad Simchat Torah, for special-needs students and young adults, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, through Shabbat, Sept 28, housing and meals are needed, 516-650-0416 or [email protected]

Thurs., Sept 26Shemini Atzeret

Riverdale Carlebach Minyan, Noah Solomon and Cantor Sidney Langer, includes community dairy/parve potluck, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 9am, 646-784-0339

Kiddie Hakafot, for families, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 4:45pm, 732-254-1860

Live Wax Museum of Bibli-cal Characters, Magic Show and

Dancing with Goody Bags, Black Tie Dinner, for high school stu-dents, Hebrew Institute of River-dale, 6pm, 718-796-4730

Simchat Torah Services, Rab-bi Akiva Weiss, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 6:30pm, 732-545-2407


Fri., Sept 27Simchat Torah

Simchat Torah Services, Rabbi Akiva Weiss, Rutgers Hil-lel, New Brunswick, 9:30am, 732-545-2407

Kol Ha’Nearim Tisch, Rabbi Joseph Adler and Rabbi Beni Krohn, includes singing, divrei Torah, and food, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 10am, 201-837-2795

Women’s Torah Reading, Teaneck Jewish Center, 10:30am, 201-833-0515

Teshuva Palooza: Simchat Torah Experience, for women, special siyum for women and girls who signed up to learn two hal-achot from the ten perakim of the Rambam’s Hilchot Teshuva, Laws of Repentence, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 10:30am, 732-254-

1860 or [email protected]/Lunch, Cong Rinat

Yisrael, Teaneck, noon, 201-837-2795Luncheon, for high school

students, Jewish Educational Cen-ter, Elizabeth, noon, 917-583-5963 or 908-447-6881

Gala Hot Kiddush, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, noon, 732-247-0532

Carlebach Davening, Jew-ish Center of Teaneck, 7pm, 201-833-0515

Shabbat, Sept 28Carlebach Minyan, Cong

Darchei Noam, Fair Lawn, 8:45am, [email protected]

Tefilat Shlomo: The Car-lebach Tefila of Riverdale, in-cludes light and healthy Kiddush, at the Hebrew Institute of River-dale, 9am, 718-796-4730

Educational Prayer Service, spons by the Jewish Learning Ex-perience, includes discussions and commentary, prayers in English and Hebrew transliteration, at Cong Zichron Mordechai, Te-aneck, 9:45am, 201-966-4498

Freshman Shabbat Lunch, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Akiva Weiss,


O ct0620

1 3R e g i s t e r o n l i n e N O W :

www . g i f t o f l i f e . o r g / n j w a l k

V A NSAUNPARK

GOL_Walk4Life_Ad_Layout 1 7/29/13 10:21 AM Page 1


private home in New Brunswick, 1pm, 732-246-0207

Isru Chag “Enlightenment of the Eyes,” for women and ma-ture girls, T. Plotkin, private home in Passaic, 3:45pm, 973-464-4463

Sun., Sept 29Bergen Bike Tour, to benefit

Tomorrows Children’s Fund for chil-dren with cancer and The Volunteer Center of Bergen County, includes free gifts and prizes, up to $1,000 in value, Darlington County Park, Mahwah, 50-mile route, 7:30am; 25-mile route, 8:30am; 10-mile route, 10am; Kids Ride, for children 10 and under, 10:30am, 1-877-BER-BIKE

Fair Lawn Community-Wide Yard Sale, private homes in Fair Lawn, 9am-5pm, 201-794-5314

Donations of Used Se-forim for Future Sale, Hebrew or English seforim may be do-nated by no single volumes of Gemara, Chumash, Siddurim, or Tehillim, a volunteer will see if the donation meets the criteria, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 9-11am, [email protected]

HudsonJewish at the Hobo-ken Arts Festival, includes vendors, kosher food, and music, Wash-ington St between 1st and 2nd Streets, 11am-6pm, [email protected]

American Heart Association CPR Course, Charlie Wohlberg, spons by Riverdale Hatzalah Vol-unteer EMS, includes adult, child, and infant CPR skills, choking relief, and use of a defibrillator, Riverdale Jewish Center, 5:30pm, [email protected]

JACS Meeting, 12-steps meeting for Jews in recovery, Rabbi Steven Bayar, Cong B’nai Israel, Millburn, 6pm, 973-379-3811

Support Group for Fathers of Special-Needs Children, Chani

Herrmann, LMSW, spons by Yachad, at Yachad, Teaneck, 8pm, [email protected]

Mon., Sept 30Deadline to apply for a

Jewish Educational Fellowship for Russian-Speaking Jews, 18 cho-sen participants will be helped to create a Jewish communal project with a mini-grant of up to $5,000, includes 14 sessions throughout the year, being matched with a personal mentor who is an expert in the field of the project, and a lot of network-ing opportunities, spons by COJECO (Council of Jewish Émigré Commu-nity Organizations) BluePrint Fellow-ship, http://cojeco.org/cojeco-blue-print-fellowship-application-13-14/ or [email protected]

Smile on Seniors, for senior men and women, Chabad Center, Wayne, 11:30am, 973-694-6274

Webinar on Ovarian Cancer Genetics: “BRCA and Ovarian Cancer: Risk, Prevention, Detec-tion, and Treatment,” Danielle Singer and Dr. Elizabeth Swisher, spons by Sharsheret. 6pm, [email protected]

Tues., Oct 1Photography Exhibit: “Ev-

eryday Israel through a Digital Lens,” Devorah Rosen Goldman, JCC, Tenafly, through Wed., Oct 30, 201-569-7900

Women’s Club for Widows, Jewish Federation and Vocation-al Services, Concordia Shopping Center, Monroe, 10:30am, 732-777-1940 or 609-395-7979

Men’s Bereavement Discus-sion Group, Dr. Sherry Schachter, Calvary Hospital, Bronx, 1pm, 718-518-2125 or 718-518-2674

“Pipeline: How Oil Created the Modern Middle East and How Water Can Transform It,” Rachel Havrelock, Rutgers Student

Center, New Brunswick, 7:30pm, 848-932-2033

“Who Is Yemima: The Yemima Method,” in Hebrew, Smadar Taub, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-569-7900

“Tehillim in Today’s Times: Historical Background, Literary Structure, Questions of Authorship, Spirtuality,” Benjamin Sommer, Cong Netivot Shalom, Teaneck, 8pm, [email protected]

Wed., Oct 2Contemporary Israeli Po-

etry Group, in the original with English translation and discussion, Atara Fobar, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 7pm, 718-796-4730

Strength-to-Strength Sup-port Group for Parents Whose Children, Ages 15-25, Are Deal-ing with Chemical Dependency, Psychological Disorders, or Co-Occurring Issues, JCC, Tenafly, 7pm, 201-408-1403

Jewish 12-Step Meeting, JACS—Jewish Alcoholics, Chem-ically Dependent Persons, and Significant Others, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:30pm, 201-837-9090, ask for IRA (Informa-tion and Referral) or 201-981-1071

Shomer Shabbos Boy Scout Meeting, for boys in 6th grade or 11 years old and up, Bais Medrash L’Torah, Rabbi Davis’s shul, Passaic, 8pm, [email protected]

Sefer Shmuel I, Rabbi Marc Spivak, spons by Cong Ohr Torah, at private homes, West Orange, 8pm, 973-669-7320

Makhela Israeli-Style Choir, for those who can read Hebrew, Zev Klein, JCC, Tenafly, 8pm, 201-569-7900

Pirkei Avot, Jeffrey Cam-ras, Rutgers Hillel, New Bruns-wick, 9pm, 732-545-2407

Thurs., Oct 3Somaich Achim Jewish Fam-

ily Services Food Pantry Program non-perishable food and consum-er items and produce available free of charge or for a nominal fee, volunteers needed, too, Cong Adas Israel, Passaic, 9:30am-1:30pm; 8-9pm, 973-246-7717

“Jewish Secrets to Having Better Relationships with Family and Friends,” Irwin Graulich, JCC, Tenafly, 11:15am, 201-569-7900

“Having a Survivor/Victim in the Classroom: Learn Tech-

niques to Make the Classroom Experience Meaningful,” spons by the Holocaust/Genocide Re-source Center of Princeton, at the Historical Society of Princeton, 4pm, 609-292-9274 or 609-273-2944

“Continuing the Legacy,” for second and third generation survivors of the Holocaust, spons by the Holocaust Museum and Study Center, at the JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-574-4099

Flu Clinic, offering influenza vaccines, Thimerisol-free (mercu-ry-free) influenza vaccines, and mercury-free nasal-spray influenza vaccines, for adults and children 6 months and older, proceeds ben-efit the Mitzvah Fund, Cong Aha-was Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 7pm, 973-736-1407

“The GOP and the Jewish Vote,” Ari Fleischer and Rabbi Ste-ven Pruzansky, Cong Bnai Yeshu-run, Teaneck, 8pm, 201-836-8916

Fri., Oct 4Lunch and Learn: Israel Up-

date, Nat Cember, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 12:30pm, 845-362-4400

Flag Football, for boys in grades 3-8, spons by Dube Zone, Minish Park, Teaneck, 2:30pm, [email protected]

Ravi Eliyahoo Ben-Haim, schol-ar-in-residence, Teaneck Sephardic Center, through Shabbat, Oct 5, [email protected]

Shabbat, Oct 5Shabbat Youth Program,

for children ages 2-10, Hava Finkel, Cong Shomrei Emunah, Engle-wood, 9:30-11am, 201-567-9420

“Border Crossings: Jewish Views on This Century’s Great Immigration Debate,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 11:45am, 201-833-0515

Welcome Shabbat Lunch, for those who have just moved to Riverdale, Hebrew Institute of River-dale, noon, 718-796-4730 ext 101

Study Group: “The Thought of Rabbi Tzadok from Lublin,” Prof Alan Brill, private home in Te-aneck, 5:30pm, [email protected]

Pearls of Prayer, for girls, includes seudah shlishit, River-dale Jewish Center, after mincha, 718-548-1850

Motzei Shabbat, Oct 5Preparing for Bas Mitzvah:

The Log is a free service provided to the Jewish community in northern and central New Jersey, Rockland County and Riverdale. Events that we list include special and guest lectures, concerts, boutiques, dinners, open houses, club meetings, and new classes.

Announcements are requested by the 25th of the month prior to the month of the event. Due to space and editorial constraints, we cannot guarantee publication of any announcement. Please email them to :

[email protected]



Jewish Woman through the Ages from Chumash and Navi through Modern Times and How They Re-late to Our Lives, for bat mitzvah-age girls and their mothers, Aliza Davis, includes chavrusa, activities, games, and projects, Cong Ahavas Israel, Passaic, 8:30pm, 516-967-0589 or 973-777-4838

The Israeli Business Circle, in Hebrew, Nili Shalev, Israeli Eco-nomic Minister to North America, JCC, Tenafly, 8:30pm, 201-569-7900

“Navigating through To-day’s Dating Maze: Ways Our Community Can Be Helpful,” Dr. Efrat Sobolofsky, spons by the Orthodox Forum of Edison/High-land Park, at Cong Ohav Emeth, Highland Park, 8:45pm, [email protected]

Sun., Oct 6Highland Park Town-Wide

Garage Sale, 9am-6pm, 732-572-3400J-ADD Walkathon, Engle-

wood Boat Basin, Englewood, 9am, [email protected]

“Celebrating Women! A Healthy Lifestyle for a Better You,” featuring “Survival Les-sons,” Alice Hoffman, Bergen County YJCC, Washington Twn-shp, 9am, 201-666-6610

NJ Gov. Chris Christie, Key-note Speaker at the Orthodox Union Advocacy-NY/NJ Votes Legislative Breakfast, to hear candidates’ views on issues of importance to the Jew-ish community, Cong Keter Torah, 9:30am, 201-416-7742 or 201-461-7740

Teleconference: Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh: Chaburah on the Energies of the Chodesh, for women, Rabbi Itamar Schwartz, 9:30am, 973-246-5223

Parshat Noach Petting Zoo, for children, includes goats, sheep, rabbits, tortoises, and more, Riverdale Jewish Center, 10am, 718-548-1850

Gift of Life Foundation Walk for Life, Pavilion I, Van Saun Park, Paramus, 10am, 800-9-MARROW

Keepers of the Gate, spons by Hadassah Southern NJ Region, at Branches Catering, West Long Branch, 11am, 732-542-5050 or [email protected]

Children’s Circle, for special-needs children, includes music, art, baking, story-time, sports, and entertainment, spons by the Friendship Circle, Rosen-

baum Yeshiva of North Jersey, noon, 201-262-7172

Teen Circle, for special-needs young adults 12-21, high school volunteers, spons by the Friend-ship Circle, Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, noon, 201-262-7172

“Life Lessons from the Bas-ketball Court,” Tamir Goodman, Young Israel of East Brunswick, brunch and lecture, noon; basket-ball clinic, for students in grades 6-8, East Brunswick Jewish Center, 1:30pm, 732-254-1860

Meet the Artist: Devorah Rosen Goldman, photographer, “Everyday Israel through a Digital Lens,” JCC, Tenafly, 1-3pm, 201-569-7900

“A Nuclear Iran: What It Means for You,” Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi, David Ibsen, and Hin-dy Poupko, Bergen County YJCC, Washington Twnshp, 2pm, 201-666-6610 ext 5812 or 201-820-3944

Yeshivat He’Atid Fall Meet and Greet, featuring a science show with Dr. Schnitzel, at Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 2:30pm, 201-374-2272

Film: “Jerusalem, the Movie,” at the IMAX Theater, Palisade Mall, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400

“In the Courtyard of the Kab-balist,” Ruchama King Feuerman, private home in Clifton, 7:30pm, [email protected]

Queen’s Tea: Next Stop au-thor Glen Finland, for women, Chabad House, Wayne, 8pm, at 973-694-6274

Musical Evening of Middle Eastern Songs, in Hebew, Tzeirei and Habima, Israel’s National Theater, JCC, Tenafly, 8pm, 201-569-7900

Mon., Oct 7Film: “Everything Is Illu-

minated,” discussion with Har-old Chapler, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-569-7900

Tues., Oct 8Lunch and Learn: “Pepper,

Silk, and Ivory: The Exotic Jews of China, Japan, and India,” Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, spons by Dr. and Mrs Jack Wimmer in memory of their parents and siblings who perished in the Holocaust, includes lunch, Young Israel of Fort Lee, noon, 201-592-1518

Bereavement Group for the Death of a Spouse, Dr. Sherry Schachter, Calvary Hospital, Bronx, 1pm, 718-518-2125 or 718-518-2674

Avrum Pengas in Concert, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 2:30pm, 845-362-4400

“Jews and Food: Tradition, Sustainability and Health,” Nigel Savage, Jennifer Berg, Jordan Rosen-blum, Dr. Richard McCormick, and Dr. Yael Zerubavel, Douglas Cam-pus Center, New Brunswick, 7pm, 848-932-2033

Women’s Rosh Chodesh Shiur, spons by Cong Beth Aaron, private home in Teaneck, 8pm, 201-836-6210

Yiddish Club, for speakers on all levels, Rabbi Gerald Friedman, JCC, Tenafly, 8:30pm, 201-569-7900

Wed., Oct 9Passaic Bais Yaakov, for wom-

en, Goldie Cohen, private home in Passaic, 9:15am, 973-594-4774

“Music of Shalom Aleichem,” David Aaron, JCC, Tenafly, 11:15am, 201-569-7900

JCC Book Club: “Defend-ing Jacob” by Willian Landay, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7pm, 845-362-4400

Abused Women’s Confi-dential Support Group, Jewish Family Service, Teaneck, 7:15pm, 201-837-9090

Mom’s Support Group, for mothers of children with special needs, Beth Giladi, LSW, spons by Jewish Family Service of MetroW-est, JCC, West Orange, 7:30pm, 973-765-9050 or 973-929-3129

Tehillim Group, Cong Shaare Tefillah, Teaneck, 8:15pm, 201-289-5474, 917-902-9303, or 201-836-3431

Advanced Jewish Learning Fellowship, Rabbi Akiva Weiss, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8:30pm, 732-545-2407

Thurs., Oct 10Hudson County’s Jewish

Business Networking Break-fast, private location in Hoboken, 8:30am, [email protected]

Teleconference: “Changing Your Relationship with Money,” Chana Borgman, CPF, 10am, http://spiritualityandfinance.blogspot.co.il/p/registration.html

Lion of Judah Luncheon, for women, spons by the Jewish Federation, at the Jewish Federa-tion, Paramus, 11am, 201-820-3953

“Not Having a Will Is Often a Test of Wills,” Julie Globus, Esq, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 1pm, 845-362-4400 ext 100



Teaneck Community Awards Dinner, kosher option available, honoring Larry Bauer, Dr. Harry Lefkowitz, Barbara Pin-sak, Pat Battle, Oritani Bank, mili-tary veterans, Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Police and Fire Departments, and the Depart-ment of Public Works, Marriott at Glenpointe, Teaneck, 5:30pm, 201-801-0012

Rockland Jewish Federa-tion Kickoff, music by Bobby and the Israelites and Avraham Infeld, includes food, Rockleigh Country Club, 7pm, 845-362-4200

Flu Clinic, offering influenza vaccines, Thimerisol-free (mercu-ry-free) influenza vaccines, and mercury-free nasal-spray influenza vaccines, for adults and children 6 months and older, proceeds ben-efit the Mitzvah Fund, Cong Aha-was Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 7pm, 973-736-1407

Staged Reading of “In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist,” Ruchama King Feuerman, at the Madison Public Library, 7:30pm, 973-514-1787 ext 20

Fri., Oct 11Flag Football, for boys in

grades 3-8, spons by Dube Zone, Minish Park, Teaneck, 2:30pm, [email protected]

Rabbi Hershel Schachter, scholar-in-residence, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, through Shab-bat, Oct 12, 201-791-7676

Shabbat, Oct 12Educational Prayer Service,

spons by the Jewish Learning Ex-perience, includes discussions and commentary, prayers in English and Hebrew transliteration, at Cong Zichron Mordechai, Te-aneck, 9:45am, 201-966-4498

Potluck Seuda Shlishit, to welcome new families, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 5:30pm, [email protected]

Motzei Shabbat, Oct 12Preparing for Bas Mitz-

vah: Jewish Woman through the Ages from Chumash and Navi through Modern Times and How They Relate to Our Lives, for bat mitzvah-age girls and their mothers, Aliza Davis, in-cludes chavrusa, activities, games,

and projects, Cong Ahavas Israel, Passaic, 8:30pm, 516-967-0589 or 973-777-4838

Frisch Yeshiva High School Class of 2008 Reunion, Frisch School, Paramus, 8:30pm, 201-267-9100

Sun., Oct 13Torah Tuesday Breakfast:

“Rabbi Yudin on the Parsha,” Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 9am, [email protected]

Noach’s Petting Zoo, for children, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Te-aneck, 10am, 201-837-2795

Animal Show, for children, Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, 10am, 917-583-5963 or 908-447-6881

“7-11,” for children ages 7-11 who have difficulties reading so-cial cues or navigating social situa-tions, such as those with ADHD and Asperger’s, Dr. Avigael Wodinsky, includes strategies for emotion regulation, friendship skills, under-standing thoughts and feelings, conversation and social-problem solving skills, spons by The Friend-ship Circle, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Te-aneck, 10am, 201-262-7172

Community Fair and Car-nival, Ben Porat Yosef, Paramus, 11am-2pm, 201-845-5007

Jewish Home Foundation Gala, The Rockleigh, Rockleigh, 5:30pm, 201-750-4231

Art Auction and Wine-Tast-ing, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 201-837-2795, Art preview, wine-tasting, and dairy desserts, 7pm; auction and raffle, 8pm

“Educating in the Divine Image: Gender Issues in Ortho-dox Jewish Day Schools,” Chaya Gorsetman and Elana Sztokman, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 7:30pm, 718-796-4730

Rockland and Bergen County Adoptive Families Meet-Up and Support Group, for those who have already adopted or are in the pro-cess of adopting, internationally and domestically, private home, 7:30pm, www.meetup.com/Rockland-and-Bergen-Adoptive-Families

Mom’s Night Out, for mothers of special-needs children, spons by the Friendship Circle, private homes in Bergen County, 8pm, 201-262-7172 Y

New Classes This MonthSundays

Jewish Education for Special Children, male and female assis-tants in 10th grade and up are needed, Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, River Edge, 9am, 201-262-1090

NFL Flag Football League, for grades K-8, Overpeck County Park Football Stadium, Palisades Park, 9am-6:30pm, 201-314-8931

Bike Riding Rockland County Trails, for singles, meet at park-ing lot of Viola, 9am, [email protected]

Hebrew School, for children, Rabbi Moshe Schapiro, Chabad of Hoboken, 9:30am, 201-386-5222

The Youth Arcade, for children in grades K-8, includes games, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 10am-12:30pm, 845-362-4400

Tele-Shiur: “Heymish Yiddish: Conversational Yiddish Lan-guage,” for beginners, Chaim Werdyger, 10am, 516-924-7694, begins Oct 13

HaZamir Bergen County Choir, for boys and girls in grades 8-12, Ronit Hanan, Cong Beth Sholom, Teaneck, 1pm, 201-873-2868

Yoga for Kids, Sheri Klugmann, includes breathing, moving, using laughter, and encouraging positive feelings of community, re-spect, and friendship, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, ages four through grade 1, 5pm; grades 2-5, 6pm, [email protected], begins Oct 6

Avot uBanim: Father/Son Learning, Yeshivas Bais Mordechai of Teaneck, 7pm, 917-991-7985

MondaysSpeak Hebrew Beginners Bet, Drora Arussy, Jewish Federa-

tion, Paramus, 9:30am, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 7Speak Hebrew Beginners Gimel, Galit Avishay-Cohen, JCC,

Tenafly, 9:30am 201-820-3908, begins Oct 7

“Understanding the Language of the Torah: The Book of Exodus,” Etia Segall, JCC, Tenafly, 9:30am, 201-569-7900, begins Oct 7

Rebbetzin Leah Kohn, for women, spons by the Jewish Re-naissance Center, private home in Teaneck, 9:45am, 201-692-3757 or [email protected]

Beginner Israeli Dance, Sara Burnbaum, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 10am, 845-362-4400

Speak Hebrew Intermediate Aleph, Galit Avishay-Cohen, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 7

Hebrew Reading: Minor Prophets, Etia Segall, JCC, Tenafly, 11:30am, 201-569-7900, begins Oct 7

Intermediate Israeli Dance, Sara Burnbaum, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, noon, 845-362-4400

“Rosh Chodesh: Why Do We Celebrate It?” for women, Merri Rosenbaum and Ellie Budoff, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 1pm, 845-362-4400, begins Oct 7

Support Group for Parents Raising Challenging Children with ADHD, Mood Disregulation Disorders, and Other Behavioral Issues, Judith Cooper, LCSW, private home in Teaneck, 7pm, [email protected]

Project Cares: Learning to Work with Special-Needs Chil-dren, for students in grades 6-12, JCC, Tenafly, 7pm, 201-569-7900, begins Sept 30

“The Book of Genesis,” Rabbi Asher Herson, Chabad Center of Northwest NJ, Rockaway, 7:30pm, 973-625-1525 ext 227, begins Sept 30

Speak Hebrew Beginners Bet, Nava Regev, Jewish Federation, Paramus, 7:30pm, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 7

Speak Hebrew Intermediate Gimel, Pirhia Rozman, Fair Lawn Jewish Center, 7:30pm, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 7



Hebrew Club, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 7:30pm, 732-545-2407“The Religious Thought and Concept of Community of Rabbi

Dr. David Harman, z”l,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Te-aneck, 8pm, 201-833-0515, begins Sept 30

Internet Program: “Two Hours of Jewish Soul Music: Chaz-zonus,” with Charlie Bernhaut, www.charliebernhaut.com, 8pm and available all week

Shiur, Rabbi Zev Reichman, East Hill Synagogue, Englewood, after mincha-maariv, 201-569-4008

Night Seder: Mesechta Succah, Rabbi Pinny Roth, Yeshivas Bais Mordechai of Teaneck, 8:30pm, 917-991-7985

TuesdaysTorah Gems, for men, Rabbi Moshe Goldberger, Cong Ahavas

Achim, Highland Park, 8:30am, 732-247-0532Torah in the AM, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, Chavura on Sefer

Yonah, 9am; “Isaiah,” Rabbi Menachem Meier, 9:45am, 201-907-0180Speak Hebrew Beginners Aleph, Pirhia Rozman, JCC, Tenafly,

9:30am, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 8Mishna, for men, Rabbi Avigdor Weitzner, Cong Ahavas Achim,

Highland Park, 9:30am, 732-247-0532“The American Dream: Exploration through Literature of F

Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ and Philip Roth’s ‘American Pastoral,’” Nancy Melser, JCC, Tenafly, 10am, 201-569-7900, begins Oct 8

Lunch ‘n’ Learn, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Akiva Weiss, Rutgers Hil-lel, New Brunswick, 1pm, 732-545-2407

Our Time, for children and teens who stutter, Taro Alexander, Montclair State University Center of Audiology and Speech Pathol-ogy, Bloomfield, teens (13-18), 5pm; pre-teens (8-12), 6:30pm, begins Oct 8, 212-414-9696, ext. 203

Toradojo, for children and beginners, Gene White, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Jacob and David, West Orange, 6pm, [email protected]

Alateen Meeting, for observant-Jewish girls 9-19 who have friends or family with addiction issues, including co-dependency, substance abuse, eating disorders, OCD, and addiction to internet or gaming, Rikki Wisotsky, Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic, 7pm, 973-249-7435

Speak Hebrew Intermediate Aleph, Ornit Michael, Jewish Fed-eration, Paramus, 7:30pm, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 8

Shirah Community Chorus on the Palisades, for men and wom-en, Matthew Lazar, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-569-7900, begins Oct 8

Yemima, for women, in Hebrew, Smadar Taub, JCC, Tenafly, 7:30pm, 201-569-7900, begins Oct 8

Yoga, for women, Sheri Klugmann, Cong Ahawas Achim Bnai Ja-cob and David, West Orange, 8pm, [email protected], begins Oct 1

“Topics on Tuesdays,” Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, private homes in Fair Lawn, 8pm, 201-791-7676

Machshava: Interactive Chabura Exploring Relevant Issues in Machshava Yisrael and Avodat Hashem, Rabbi Beni Krohn, Cong Rinat Yisrael, Teaneck, 8:30pm

Gemara, Rabbi Shlomo Nussbaum, spons by the Young Israel of East Brunswick and the Highland Park Community Kollel, at the Young Israel of East Brunswick, 8:30pm, 732-254-1860

Daf Yomi B’Iyun: To Explore in Depth One Topic from the Week’s Daf Yomi, Rabbi Shlomo Landau, Young Israel of East Bruns-wick, 8:45pm, 732-254-1860

WednesdaysSefer HaChinuch, for women, Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, Cong

Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 9am, 201-791-7676Speak Hebrew Intermediate Gimmel, Orna Green, JCC, Tenafly,

9:15am, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 9Speak Hebrew Intermediate Bet, Galit Avishay-Cohen, Bergen

County YJCC, Washing Twnshp, 9:30am, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 9“Kohelet: Ancient Solomonic Wisdom for the 21st Centu-

ry,” for women, Rabbi Jay Weinstein, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 9:45am, 732-254-1860 or 732-354-5912

Yemima, for women, in English, Smadar Taub, JCC, Tenafly, 10am, 201-569-7900, begins Oct 9

“Principles of Faith,” for women, Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 10:15am, 201-791-7676

Speak Hebrew Advanced, Orna Green, JCC, Tenafly, 11am, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 9

Free Tutoring and Homework Help for Grades 1-5, offered by students at the Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, at Ma’ayanot, Teaneck, 4:40-5:30pm, 201-833-4307 ext 237, begins Oct 2

Teen Scene, for special-needs young adults ages 13-21, with high school volunteers, spons by The Friendship Circle, Frisch Yeshiva High School, Paramus, 6pm, 201-262-7172

Speak Hebrew Advanced, Pirhia Rozman, Fair Lawn Jewish Center, 7:30pm, 201-820-3908, begins Oct 9

Surfing through Shas, Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, Cong Shomrei Torah, Fair Lawn, 8:15pm, 201-791-7676

Night Seder: Mesechta Succah, Rabbi Pinny Roth, Yeshivas Bais Mordechai of Teaneck, 8:30pm, 917-991-7985

Thursdays“Sefer Tehillim Revealed: Lessons for Life in All Its Complex-

ity: Daat Mikra Edition of Tehillim by Mossad HaRav Kook,” Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, Jewish Center of Teaneck, 8am, 201-833-0515

Gemara, for men, Rabbi Shlomo Nussbaum, Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, 8:30am, 732-247-0532

Torah in the AM, Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck, Chavura on Sefer Yonah, 9am; “Isaiah,” Rabbi Menachem Meier, 9:45am; Navi, Rabbi Shalom Baum, 11am, 201-907-0180

The Grandparent Caretaker Club, for grandparents who are caregivers of their grandchildren ages birth-3years old, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 10am, 845-362-4400, begins Oct 10



JCC University, JCC, Tenafly, coffee, 10:30am; “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been—McCarthyism in ‘The Crucible’ and ‘A View from the Bridge,’” Prof Ben Nelson, 10:45am; lunch, noon; “Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted and All the Brilliant Minds Who Made ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ a Classic,” Jennifer Kelshin Armstrong, 1pm, be-gins Oct 10, 201-569-7900

Mostly Mishmar, for grades K-3, exploring middot and pizza dinner, Young Israel of East Brunswick, 5:30pm, 732-254-1860

Toradojo, Gene White, Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange, children and beginners, 6pm; adults and advanced, 7pm, [email protected]

Open Israeli Dance, Sara Burnbaum, includes circle, line, and couples dancing, JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 7:30pm, 845-362-4400, begins Oct 3

Mishmar, Rabbi Akiva Weiss, Rutgers Hillel, New Brunswick, 8pm, 732-545-2407

Chumash Shiur, Rabbi Yissocher Frand, via satellite, Cong K’Hal Zichron Mordechai, Monsey (845-356-7188);Young Israel of Fair Lawn (201-797-1800); Cong Keter Torah, Teaneck (201-907-0180); Cong Ohr Torah, West Orange (973-669-7320); Cong Tifereth Israel, Passaic (973-

773-2552); Cong Ahavas Achim, Highland Park (732-247-0532); Kehil-las Bais Yehudah, Wesley Hills, (917-623-4711), Cong Knesses Yisrael, Spring Valley (845-354-6493), 8:30pm

FridaysMommy and Me, in Hebrew, for mothers and babies to age 2, Orly

Gal and Devorah Froind, JCC, Tenafly, 9am, begins Oct 4 201-569-7900Wise Aging with Ruth, for those over 60, YMHA of Washington

Hts, 2pm, 212-569-6200 ext 230Dube Zone Flag Football, for boys in grades 3-8, Joseph Min-

ish Park, West Orange, 2:30pm, begins Oct 4, 657-888-DUBE (3823) or [email protected]

Dube Zone Flag Football, for boys in grades 3-8, Argonne Park, Teaneck, 2:30pm, begins Oct 4, 657-888-DUBE (3823) or [email protected]

Dube Zone Flag Football, for boys in grades 1-2, 3-8, Mackay Park, Englewood, 3pm, begins Oct 4, 657-888-DUBE (3823) or [email protected]

Chess and Cholent, students and adults, private homes in Te-aneck, 9pm, [email protected]

ShabbatKabbalah Class, Rabbi Moshe Shapiro, Chabad House, Hobo-

ken, 9am, followed by Shabbat services, 201-562-7116, begins Oct 5NCSY Shabbat Oneg, for high school students, Rael Blumen-

thal, private home in Teaneck, 4pm, 201-862-0250Mishna Men, for boys, includes seudah shlishit, Riverdale Jew-

ish Center, after mincha, 718-548-1850, begins Oct 5“Halacha and Machshava: Insights into the Weekly Parsha,”

Rabbi Mordechai Gershon, Cong Ahavath Torah, Englewood, 6:15pm, 201-568-1315

Motzei ShabbatRoundtable Study of Machsheves Hachassidus: The Funda-

mentals of Judaism from a Chabad Chassidic Perspective, Rabbi Avrohom Bergstein, private home in Fair Lawn, 9:30pm, 201-794-3770

SpecialThe Youth Arcade, for children in grades K-8, includes games,

JCC Rockland, West Nyack, 3:30-6pm, Mon-Thurs., 845-362-4400Halacha Kollel, Rabbi Gavriel Schuster, includes chaburahs and

shiurim, Cong Knesses Yisroel, New Hempstead (Spring Valley), 8:15pm; maariv, 10:30pm, Sun-Thurs, [email protected]

New MinyanimYeshiva Ohr Simcha, Englewood, Rabbi Yossi Strassfeld, shacharis,

Sun-Fri, 8am; mincha, Sun-Thurs, 2:50pm; maariv, Sun-Thurs, 9:10pm; other minyanim upon request, 201-832-4771

Chesed OpsFountain View Senior Residence, Monsey, Rabbi Yerachmiel

Seplowitz (one night, there wasn’t a minyan, and a 98-year-old resi-dent, a former Gabbai who used to make minyan calls for his shul, was heartbroken), mincha, Sun-Thurs, 3:15pm; maariv, Sun-Thurs, 8:30pm, 845-300-6940 or [email protected]

The Highland Park-Edison Bikur Cholim Medical Equipment Loan Program is always in need of wheelchairs, rollators, and other items, 732-819-4979; to borrow a wheelchair, go to bcwheelchairs.com

Bikur Cholim of Highland Park-Edison is looking for male drivers who would be available to drive patients to or from ap-pointments. Please respond to this email or call the bikur cholim hotline at 732-572-7181 or [email protected]

Teaneck Bris Gemach, including bris outfits, pillows, pillow cases, and tefilos for the mother to recite, 718-704-6225 or [email protected]

Tablecloth Gemach, in memory of Chaim Yissachar ben Yechiel Zeidel Dov, z”l, featuring specialty cloths in all colors and sizes for simchas, tax-deductible donations go to Project Yi’che, [email protected] Y

Mazal Tov

New Classes continued from page 31

Mazal Tov to the Bat Mitzvah Girls: Elianna Ashendorf, Edin Feiglin, Beth Gononsky, Chavi Gruenspecht, Avi-gayil Halpert, Namma Katz, Raquel Kohn, Tehila Korn-wasser, Abby Lowensteiner, Ahuva Kay and Kayla Mar-kovitz, Josie Ella Rosen, and Leia Rubinstein; and the Bar Mitzvah Boys: Braeden Badner, Daniel Barth, Shimon Yochanan Breuer, Yehoshua Burstein, Evan Chesner, Ezra Friedman, Yosef Friedman, Matthew Ganchrow, Eliyahu Goodman, Noam Hirschorn, Gavriel Kaplan, Ari Katz, Jonnie Lazerowitz, Yitzy Lehmann, Binya-min Shlomo Matheson, Gabriel Mehler, Azriel Muller, Elisha Ness, Shlomo Newman, Yoni Rothberg, Yehuda Saks, Jake Schwalbe, Ayden Shankman, Justin Stern, Shua Weber, Chaim Weinstein, Sammy Weiss, Sammy Witkes, and Avi Wolk

Mazal Tov to Rabbi Dr. Bernhard and Rebbetzin Charlene Rosenberg on the birth of a grandson to their children Ilana and Joshua Merl.

Mazal Tov to NJ Gov Chris Christie on proclaiming Oct 12 “Raoul Wallenberg Day.” This is the 68th anniver-sary of his capture by the Russians and disappearance into the Soviet Union, and the 32nd anniversary of his becom-ing the second person in history to be awarded honorary US citizenship

Mazal Tov to Norman B. Gildin of the Strategic Fund-raising Group, on being named number 12 among the top 40 Most Effective Fundraising Consultants by Fundraising Digest Weekly

Mazal Tov to Nathan Lewin on being voted by his peers as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litiga-tion, Criminal Defense: White Collar, and Litigation: First Amendment

Mazal Tov to Margot Mann on winning eight gold medals at the Maccabia in Israel. Y


France 2 said those move-ments were “death throes,” a reference, perhaps, to the foot-age Mr. Enderlin said he had personally removed, but an Israeli team of inquiry, which included several physicians, later agreed with Mr. Karsenty that the footage showed the boy moving voluntarily.

According to Mr. Karsenty, the appellate judge withstood enormous pressure to rule against him. One government official went so far as to threaten her job and her career, he said.

“She told him she was re-tiring in three months anyway and so she didn’t care what he did,” said Mr. Karsenty.

PetitionThe French media and its

supporters were outraged at the Appellate Court’s verdict. Le Nouvel Observateur, France’s chief left-wing newsweekly, called for a petition in sup-port of Mr. Enderlin and the station, calling Mr. Karsenty’s

documentation “a seven-year hate-filled smear campaign.”

The publication expressed shock at the legal ruling “granting equal credibility to a journalist renowned for his rigorous work and to willful deniers ignorant of the local realities and with no journalistic experience.”

According to French jour-nalist Anne Elizabeth Moutet, 300 of France’s leading jour-nalists and 600 assorted “ce-lebrity intellectuals” signed the petition.

When Ms. Moutet called some of them for a story, those few who agreed to speak to her said they had signed the petition because they wanted to support Mr. Enderlin and because they were asked.

The CRIFMs. Isaac said the most

remarkable response came from Richard Prasquier, the former head of the CRIF, the official umbrella representa-tive body of French Jews.

Ms. Isaac reported that when the Jewish leader was pressed to explain why he had signed the petition, he admitted he had not even read the document. “I have macular retinal degeneration. I can no longer read,” he said.

According to Mr. Karsenty, the current president of the CRIF, Roger Cukierman, has been very supportive of his case.

In 2009, the French govern-ment showed its displeasure with the Appellate Court’s ruling when the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner awarded Mr. Enderlin France’s highest award, the Legion of Honor.

“Counterproductive”Winning on appeal gar-

nered Mr. Karsenty no additional support from Israeli officials. He said that when asked about the court victory, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Pal-mor referred to Mr. Karsenty as “only one individual and no one asked him to take on the battle against France 2.”

“Palmor said it was an in-ternal French affair and that my work had been counter-productive,” said Mr. Karsenty.

Mr. Karsenty said he tried to explain to the spokesman that the al-Dura incident was neither an Israeli nor a French “story,” but, rather, a blood libel that affected all Jews.

“In the US, there may be some fallout from the al-Dura story, but in France, we feel the effects of antisemitism every day,” said Mr. Karsenty.

According to Mr. Karsenty, Mr. Palmor’s response was that antisemitism in France may be a positive development be-cause it means more Jews will relocate to Israel.

Not Bullet WoundsWhile Mr. Karsenty’s suit

was wending its way through the French courts, a related case was also being heard by French judges. In December 2007, Dr. Yehuda David, an Israeli ortho-


802 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, New Jersey 07666p. 201.801.0012 | f. 201.490.1808 | e. [email protected]

Photo © Ray Turkin

A�� y�� c��n�?Come out on Thursday, October 10th at 5:30 PM to the Teaneck

Chamber of Commerce’s 12th Annual Community Awards Dinnerto be held at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe.

* Great networking opportunity Pat Battle, WNBC-4 News Anchor, Woman of the YearOritani Bank, Business of the YearLarry Bauer, Community Service AwardTeaneck Cinema, Cultural Arts AwardKhaliyah Legette, Youth Achievement AwardDr. Harry Lefkowitz, Healer of the YearBarbara Pinsak, Superintendent, Educator of the YearDetective Edward Kazmierczak, Police DeptCaptain Paul Kearns, Jr., Fire DeptJoseph P. Harris, TVACTBD- DPW

For more info, please [email protected] or call us at 201.801.0012

Support your community!* Take an ad in our journal - http://bit.ly/TCC-CADSponsorship2013* Get your tickets now and save! http://bit.ly/TCC-CAD13

Jennifer Glass - TCC CAD JV&O AD 091313

* Good company and food

* Amazing exposure to other business owners and leaders

* Celebrity Sightings

OUR HONOREES

& Recognizing our veterans



pedist at Tel Hashomer Hospital near Tel Aviv, told Israel’s Channel 10 that the scars Jamal al-Dura claimed were from bullet wounds from the 2000 incident were, in fact, scars from a tendon repair operation that Dr. David had per-formed on him in 1994. Dr. David said he had treated Mr. al-Dura for knife-and-axe wounds to his arms and legs sustained during an Arab gang attack.

According to Dr. David, in 1991, Mr. al-Dura had been doing some work for Israel in Gaza, activity which was frowned upon by Hamas. When Hamas officials discovered what he was doing, Mr. al-Dura was punished by a violent attack in which he suffered a serious paralysis of the right hand.

In 1992, Mr. al-Dura un-derwent an operation in Shifa Hospital in Gaza, but when he did not regain use of his hand, he was brought to Dr. David’s hand-and-micro-surgery unit at Tel HaShomer. According to Dr. David, surgery there in 1994 resulted in “almost perfect re-habilitation of his right hand.”

“So the scars that Jamal al-Dura is showing in front of all the televisions of the world are the scars of the violent at-tack of the Hamas and from the operation,” said Dr. David.

Mr. al-Dura promptly sued Dr. David for libel in France, and initially won. But in Febru-ary 2012, the French Supreme Court overturned the judgment.

VictoryDr. David called it a “great

victory.” “This is proof that I spoke the truth and the Palestinians lied in an attempt to discredit the State of Israel,” he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Dr. David “an Israeli hero” and said the gov-ernment had decided to cover his legal costs. It was the first time an Israeli official spoke out against the propaganda machine built around the al-Dura cult.

Echoing Mr. Karsenty, Mr. Netanyahu recognized that the al-Dura incident “has come to symbolize the ongoing propa-ganda war against the State of Israel.”

“While this war does not involve bullets and missiles, it is, nonetheless, as vicious and as destructive. This war, being fought in the sphere of public diplomacy, propagates lies and libels in an effort to cast Israel as an international pariah and strip her of all le-gitimacy and credibility,” said Mr. Netanyahu.

He recognized that Dr. Da-vid’s victory was more than a personal and professional tri-umph. “It is a victory for justice and for truth. It is Israel’s vic-tory over Palestinian propagan-da’s long tale of lies, which is spreading around the world and, according to which, Israel is guilty even if it is proven oth-erwise, and even then, Israel is still guilty,” he said.

Definitive Report

In March 2012, one month after Dr. David’s court victory, the re-percussions of the al-Dura martyrdom hoax became even clearer. French-Muslim terrorist Moham-med Merah, 23, murdered three French soldiers and then went on a killing spree at a Jewish school, Ozar HaTo-rah, in Toulouse, killing a young rabbi, his two small children, and the 10-year-old daughter of the principal. The terrorist made clear he had acted to avenge the death of Moham-med al-Dura.

The attack prompted the Israeli government to empan-el an investigative committee tasked with determining the truth about the al-Dura Case.

This past May, the com-mittee, headed by Yossi Ku-perwasser, director general of the Ministry of International Relations, delivered its report: The France 2 broadcast pur-porting to show IDF soldiers shooting and killing the boy was not only a lie, but there is reason to suspect the child may not be dead.

Never Hit by BulletsIn its report, the commit-

tee referred extensively to the portion of the video that was never broadcast, which was the footage showing the child moving after he allegedly had been shot dead.

“As opposed to the media reports that stated that the child was killed, an examina-tion of the raw video shot by the France 2 staff shows the child alive. In addition, there

is a great deal of evidence to indicate that al-Dura and his father were never hit by any bullets. The investigation shows that it is very unlikely that the bullet holes seen in the wall behind the two came from shots fired by IDF soldiers,” said the report, which was written by Mr. Kuperwasser.

Dr. David said the only way to know for certain the iden-tity of the child in the video is to exhume the body of the Mohammed al-Dura who died in Shifra Hospital. He said he personally believes the bur-ied child is the real Moham-med al-Dura and the one in the video, a brother or cousin, is probably “alive and well.”

“Mohammed al-Dura’s father assisted Israel. Hamas murdered one of his children. Then they demanded that he bring a different son, Rami al-Dura, and make it look like IDF soldiers were murdering him. That child who was suppos-edly killed by the IDF is alive to this day,” said Dr. David.

Public InquiryMr. al-Dura responded to

the committee’s findings with fury, insisting “the Israelis are ly-ing and trying to cover the truth.”

He said he has requested the formation of “an international commission of inquiry, includ-ing his family and the Israelis.”

Blood Libel cont. from page 33

Left, Brooke Goldstein, director of The Lawfare Project, and Philippe Karsenty, the individual most responsible for waging a battle against those who insist a 12-year-old Palestinian boy

was purposefully murdered by the IDF


Team Schmelz and the Republican team wish everyone

in Bergenfield a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Paid for by Schmelz Team for Mayor 2013

Mr. Kuperwasser’s report may in fact present real prob-lems for Mr. Enderlin. Observers say he usually dismisses critics, saying that since they have nev-er set foot in Gaza, they know nothing about war in that area. But now he is faced with the findings of a commission com-prised of specialists.

According to some sources, Mr. Enderlin is now claiming France 2 was not invited to ad-dress the committee. Ms Poller said her sources told her that the invitation, relayed to France 2 by the French ambassador to Israel, was declined.

Asked about the Israeli committee’s report, Mr. Ender-lin said he and France 2 were ready for an independent pub-lic inquiry.

“We have always said, in-cluding to the Supreme Court, that we were ready for an in-dependent public inquiry by international standards,” he said.

Criminal ChargesThat did not mollify many

Israelis, especially those, like Dr. David, who see the al-Dura incident as largely responsi-ble for 2,500 lost Israeli lives, including those in Toulouse.

Nitsa Darshan-Leitner, di-rector of Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, insisted that crimi-nal charges should be filed. She said Mr. Enderlin “should never be allowed to practice journalism in Israel again” and Israel’s Government Press Of-fice “should revoke France 2’s credentials.”

“The fact the al-Dura story has turned out to be a hoax should cause us to take action against those who invented and spread this staged fable,” she said.

In 2007, Shurat HaDin argued in the High Court in Jerusalem that France 2’s cre-dentials should be canceled, but, at the time, the press of-fice claimed the court lacked the authority to act.

“Now that the government has determined we were right, it’s time France 2’s bureau chief be prosecuted. Enderlin’s report became a symbol of the second Intifada and a modern-day blood libel directly resulting in hundreds of Jewish and Arab deaths, only for the purpose of raising France 2’s ratings,” she said.

Helping Each OtherMr. Karsenty said he is now

considering how to proceed with his next legal step, and Dr. David said he hopes Mr. Karsenty will allow him to help.

Dr. David said that if were called to testify on Mr. Karsen-ty’s behalf, he would begin by explaining that Mr. al-Dura’s alleged bullet-wound scars were nothing of the sort.

“It’s a totally political trial. That’s why in my trial, I fled from politics and focused on scientific proofs based on medical documents,” he said.

Dr. David said not using him was “Karsenty’s fatal mistake.”

“He had a winning card. I introduced him at one point to the man who was com-mander at the IDF position. His testimony was also golden, but Karsenty decided to go it alone, and that is why it didn’t work,” said Dr. David.

Different PlanBut, with the help of the

Lawfare Project, Mr. Karsenty may be looking at a very differ-ent plan. He said he wants to become more active in the US, where he hopes to establish chapters of people willing to speak out on the issue of the “al-Dura blood libel against the Jewish people.”

Those who want to help should contact the Lawfare Project by visiting its website, www.The LawfareProject.org.

“It is completely unaccept-able that any country accuse us of murdering a child when we didn’t do it,” said Dr. David.

Police InformationWhile Mr. Karsenty may

or may not want Dr. David’s help, it seems certain both men would have appreciated assis-tance from official Israeli ex-perts. None was forthcoming, and now some Israeli media outlets are asking why.

This past July, recently retired Israel Police Weapons Lab Director Elliot Springer re-vealed that, just weeks after the alleged shooting of the al-Duras, senior IDF officials met and watched the entire video, not just the edited ver-sion aired by France 2.

“Despite the media reports based on edited and doctored video footage, we watched the original, and all sounds of IDF fire were muffled—far away in the background. When the barrage aimed at the al-Duras was fired, the audio was sud-denly close by. In other words, Arab gunmen right beside the camera near the al-Duras fired at them, not the IDF,” he said.

Why Didn’t They Help?According to Arutz Sheva,

while Mr. Springer’s testimony

strengthens those of other wit-nesses and experts who have declared the IDF innocent of shooting the al-Duras, it also raises a disturbing new ques-tion: If the IDF had the original full footage of the shooting, why did Israel not share it with Dr. David or Mr. Karsenty who could have used this evidence to bolster their cases?

“Both men fought lengthy legal battles over their attempts to defend the IDF from libel, and yet the IDF apparently did not offer them help when it could, by making the video available to them,” said Arutz Sheva.

Mr. Springer explained that he could not help the men be-cause, during his tenure with the Israeli police, he was not authorized to speak to the media about the affair.

“I could only watch in silence as Western media blamed Isra-el for the death of al-Dura, and Arab terrorist groups used it as an excuse for further attacks on Israel,” he said. S.L.R.


Web Design & Development since 1995Book Design & Editorial Services

Aldine Web & Print

http://[email protected]

Call 917-675-4781 for a free consultation1636 Third Avenue, Suite 300New York, New York 10128

joy, Mr. Ariel admitted it was marred by “what is happening in the north in our neighbor Syria.”

“We Jews cannot remain silent in the face of genocide, no matter who it is or where it is,” he said. “I must tell you that, as Jews, as citizens of Israel, as a minister in the government Israel, there will not be another genocide. We will not allow it.”

Speaking OutHe insisted that the “Jews

in Zion and throughout the world have an obligation—not a right, an obligation of the first degree—to alert and wake up the entire world, ev-erywhere, in the UN, in the US, and Europe—we are obligated to do this because we experi-enced this as a nation, and we are the Jewish people.”

He said he was already taking measures to “stop this horror [in Syria].”

“I am not in charge of the military steps,” he said. “There is a cabinet and government for that. Our duty, first and fore-most, is to talk about this, to cry out, and protest it, and to activate whoever we can, who has a human heart, to prevent another genocide.”

Giving ThanksHis words touched Abu Ad-

nan, a 36-year-old rebel leader in northern Syria. Mr. Abu Adnan praised Mr. Ariel and expressed his appreciation for the hous-ing minister’s remarks regard-ing the chemical attack.

“Allow me to send a mes-sage of thanks and appreciation to Housing Minister Uri Ariel for his humane and valuable statements and for his beauti-ful expression of emotion to-ward the children and women killed in Syria. We appreciate this stance and thank him very much,” Mr. Abu Adnan told Channel One News’s Arab affairs analyst Oded Granot.

During the interview, Mr. Abu Adnan said the Syrian reb-els opposing Mr. Assad were disappointed in America for choosing to postpone the mili-tary strike against Mr. Assad’s regime. Mr. Abu Adnan said his group and others believed Israel could be instrumental in convincing the world to act against Mr. Assad.

“We believe Israel could as-sist us greatly in bringing down this regime,” he said. “We, as the Syrian people, have discovered that our first and primary enemy is the Assad family, Hezbollah, and Iran. The main enemy is this regime and not Israel.”

Linked to Al-QaedaMr. Abu Adnan’s tone took

many people by surprise, espe-cially given that he represents one of the Islamist groups, Jab-hat al-Nursa, that the US has designated as a terrorist orga-nization allied with al-Qaeda.

Formed in 2011, the group is clandestine but makes no secret of the fact that it plans to form an Islamist state at least in

the Aleppo area after the civil war, which it intends to win.

Jabhat al-Nursa can also act with thuggish brutality. In one video, members of the group are shown gunning down regime loyalists.

Asked about the execution by a magazine interviewer, Mr. Abu Adnan did not deny the video’s veracity. “We detained them, lined them up, and killed them,” Mr. Abu Adnan told the interviewer. “They were fighters fighting us. So this is terrorism, but we forget that there is an entire state that has terrorized people for 40 years.”

ExtremistsJabhat al-Nursa has also

used prisoners as suicide bomb-ers, calling them “unwilling” as opposed to the willing ones that come from the group itself.

Mr. Abu Adnan denied that the beliefs of Jabhat al-Nursa are different from those of any of the other Sunni rebel groups. What makes his organization unique, he said, is the type of fighter the group will accept.

A potential recruit must undertake a 10-day religious-training course “to ascertain his understanding of religion, his morals, his reputation,” said Mr. Abu Adnan. Then there is a 15-to-20 day military-train-ing program. Smokers need not apply.

After the WarThe more secular-minded

members of the rebel forces

insist there will be no home for Jabhat al-Nursa’s brand of Islamist extremism in a post-Assad Syria. The secularists have said that they will “deal” with extremist groups such as Jabhat al-Nursa later, but that, right now, they need them in the fight against Mr. Assad.

Other rebels say that members of Jabhat al-Nursa are transient jihadis who will move onto foreign fronts like Chechnya or Afghanistan after Mr. Assad falls. This is exactly the fear that haunts Russian Presi-dent Vladimir Putin, and explains why he has openly supported Mr. Assad’s fight against the ji-hadists, hoping the Islamists will be weakened and unable to do much damage in Russia.

Mr. Abu Adnan rejected the notion that members of Jabhat al-Nursa will go else-where after the civil war. “We are Syrians,” he said, admit-ting that some of the fighters in his ranks come from other Arab countries as well, “But that is because the wounds in the Arab lands are the same wound, and the oppression is the same oppression,” he said.

Providing HopeIn any case, Mr. Abu Ad-

nan’s response to Mr. Ariel provided many Israelis with a glimmer of hope. Others say Mr. Abu Adnan has many more attitudinal changes to make before it warrants optimism.

One day after Mr. Abu Ad-

Syria Through Israel’s Eyes continued from page 1


nan’s interview with Channel One, Israel’s Economy Minister and head of the Jewish Home Party, Naftali Bennett, also spoke out against Mr. Assad’s chemi-cal attack.

“Seventy years ago, when they annihilated children and babies, the world was silent. The internet and television stations are not moving the world out of its complacency. Images of mass graves and piles of chil-dren cannot pass in silence. A child is a child, and don’t tell me it’s just Arabs killing Ar-abs. I will not be silent,” said Mr. Bennett.

Hoping for AmericaStatements like those of Mr.

Ariel and Mr. Bennett, coupled with those from some Jewish or-ganizations in the US, may show Mr. Abu Adnan that he can count on Israel to oppose Mr. Assad.

According to some inter-views he has given, Mr. Abu Adnan believes Washington (and, therefore, Israel) is not serious about removing Mr. Assad from power.

“We see it as if America wants to give the regime a big break, to give it an opportu-nity to remain in power for as long as it can. The regime has been practicing terrorism for years and America did nothing, so why has it moved quickly against us, a fighting force on the ground in Syria, labeling us a terrorist organization? Has it forgotten the Assad regime?” he said to the magazine in-terviewer.

“Israel-Centric”According to the inter-

viewer, the core of Mr. Abu Adnan’s thinking has been that the West wants to retain the “Israel-centric status quo,” which means keeping lead-ers like Mr. Assad in control rather than risking Islamists coming to power in Damascus.

Mr. Abu Adnan has men-tioned that Mr. Assad, like his father and predecessor, Hafez

Assad, ensured that the Golan Heights was the quietest Arab-Israeli front line for decades, despite the confrontational rhetoric that sometimes erupted.

Given that frame of refer-ence, there is speculation that the anti-Assad, anti-Hezbol-lah, and anti-Iran sentiment among the majority of Jews in Israel and abroad, may strike a chord with Mr. Abu Adnan.

In the US, the America-Israel Public Affairs Commit-tee (AIPAC) said in a prepared statement: “The civilized world cannot tolerate the use of these barbaric weapons, particular-ly against an innocent civilian population, including hundreds of children. Simply put, barba-rism on a mass scale must not be given a free pass.”

Staying UninvolvedBut despite these private

sentiments, Israeli Defense Min-ister Moshe Ya’alon said the Jew-ish state will “not get involved in what is happening in Syria.”

He said Israel recognizes that Mr. Assad used chemical weapons against Syrian civil-ians and that his actions could trigger an attack by the US.

“What happened there crossed a red line from the Americans’ perspective, but we aren’t supporting or involved in a possible strike,” he said.

Whose Red LinesIsrael’s approach, he said, was

what it has been all along: to avoid involvement and remain alert.

“We will not interfere un-less Syria crosses the red lines we have set,” said Mr. Ya’alon. “Our neighbors in Syria under-stand that if they challenge us, they will meet the strength and power of the IDF.”

Syria, he said, was chal-lenging the world order, ally-ing itself with terror groups, such as Hezbollah, and rogue states, such as Iran.

“The forces of terror are taking advantage of this situ-ation, and we must learn from

this in order not to commit mistakes out of ignorance. We cannot be naïve and we can-not be enslaved to outmod-ed conceptions. We must also learn to recognize not only the shades of the current situa-tion’s threats and challenges, but also the opportunities and possibilities for new and sur-prising alliances in the region. We must always ask ourselves what has changed, and be able to deal with the current and future challenges,” he said.

Some observers wondered if the “opportunities and pos-sibilities” to which the defense minister referred meant build-ing on the warm moment that passed between Messrs Ariel and Abu Adnan.

Medical AidThe medical assistance

provided by Israel to Syrian civilians—most of them from areas controlled by the reb-els—may also help in build-ing alliances.

At the beginning of Septem-ber, a 15-year old Syrian girl who was severely injured in a violent attack on her home more than a month earlier, was released from the Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat. She walked out of the hospital with crutches and a smile de-spite the fact that her brother, grandmother, and cousin did not survive the bombing.

The IDF had transferred her from a field hospital in Syria where she underwent

surgery for abdominal wounds and shrapnel injuries on both her legs. The Syrian medics had amputated one of her legs. The Israeli medical team was able to save the other one.

All Human BeingsThe young girl’s mother,

who stayed with her daugh-ter throughout her six-week hospitalization, seemed over-whelmed by the kindness ex-tended to them by Israel. Not only had one leg been saved, but the Ziv Medical Center fa-cilitated the donation of an artificial limb for her daughter from a private donor.

After thanking the medical team, the girl’s mother wished the people of Israel “a happy new year.”

“I wish that we will be able to meet again in a saner Middle East as we are all human be-ings,” she told the staff.

More PatientsThe IDF paramedic who

brought the girl to Ziv recalled that when she came to the medical center she was in criti-cal condition, “almost dying.”

“I can’t believe she is stand-ing on her legs with a big smile on her face. It’s a wonderful feeling to see her like this,” the paramedic said.

Since February 2013, 85 Syrians wounded in the civil war have been treated at Ziv. At the beginning of September, there were 17 Syrians in the



Ess Gezint: Starters and Sides in the SukkahLeah Schapira and Victoria Dwek, have a new cookbook

filled with recipes that may have you feeling sorry for the main dish. “Starters and Sides Made Easy” (Mesorah Publications)

has great suggestions to make it simple to take these dishes into the sukkah, where there’s no reason a few of them put together can’t be a full meal. Chag Sameach, everyone. Y

Teriyaki Mushrooms1 Tbs oil1 small onion, thinly

sliced1 (10-oz) pkg baby bella

mushrooms, large ones halved

½ cup sugar

¼ cup rice vinegar3 Tbs soy sauce3 garlic cloves, crushed2 tsp cornstarch dis-

solved in 1 Tbs water2 Tbs cashews1 scallion, chopped

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms and onions from the pan. To prepare the sauce, add sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic to the same pan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook until sauce has thickened, about 6-8 minutes. Return mushrooms and on-ions to the pan and toss to combine. Toss with cashews and scallions before serving. Serves 4.

Seed-Crusted Salmon4 (4-6 oz) salmon fillets3 Tbs honey1 Tbs soy sauce¼ cup salted sunflower seeds¼ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

2 Tbs sesame seeds1 Tbs poppy seeds1 Tbs minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place fish into the pan. In a small bowl, combine honey and soy sauce. Smear tops and sides of salmon. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Press topping onto fish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 4.

Peach Cracker Crumble2 Tbs honey2 lbs peaches, slicedJuice of ½ lemon1½ cups crushed saltines

(not unsalted)

¾ cup brown sugar5 Tbs oil½ tsp cinnamon2 cups blueberries1 Tbs flour

Preheat oven to 350º. In a small microwave-safe dish, micro-wave honey for 20 seconds. In a large bowl, toss honey, peaches, and lemon juice. Pour peaches into a deep 9-inch baking dish. Prepare the crumble: In a large bowl, combine saltines, brown sugar, oil, and cinnamon. Mix ⅓ of the crumble mixture with the peaches. Bake for 20 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400º. In a medium bowl, toss blueberries with the flour. Layer blueberries over cooked peaches. Top with remaining crumble, packing it to form a crust. Bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Serves 10-12.


hospital suffering from vary-ing degrees of injury. Seven new patients came in between September 2-4.

The number of patients prompted the medical center to open a bank account in or-der to accept donations for the treatment of Syrian casualties.

Oblique ThreatsFor Israel, the fluid nature

of the situation in Syria means carefully watching and being prepared for all scenarios, in-cluding what might happen if the US does finally attack Damascus and what could happen if it does not.

At the beginning of Sep-tember, senior Iranian official Alaeddin Boroujerdi warned that a US strike on Syria “could backfire on the entire region, particularly against American and Israeli interests.”

He insisted that only an American approach of “self-restraint” would serve US in-terests on one hand and “the Zionist entity’s on the other.”

Direct ThreatsHezbollah, on the other

hand, was more direct, saying that it would retaliate for any strike against Damascus by fir-ing rockets at Israel. Because it has promised the Lebanese government not to do so from Lebanon itself, Hezbollah said it would fire at Israel from Syria.

Secular and Sunni Leba-nese politicians have told the Iranian-backed, Shiite Hezbol-lah that they will not tolerate Lebanon’s being dragged into yet another destructive war with Israel, this time on be-half of Syria.

The Assad regime also did not pull punches. Syrian Deputy Information Minister Halaf al-Maftah warned that, in the event of a US attack, Is-rael would face attacks from a coalition consisting of Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria.

Mr. al- Maftah said Syria has “strategic weapons” that could be used in its attack on Israel.Danger of Doing Nothing

Some Israeli leaders rec-ognize that even doing and saying nothing can have con-sequences. After the chemical attack on civilians, one Israeli politician said, “We’re between a rock and a hard place. If we say nothing, we’re heartless; and if we condemn Assad, it looks like we’re trying to goad the Americans into war.”

Statements from Secre-tary of State John Kerry did not help in this regard. After comparing Mr. Assad to Adolf

Hitler, Mr. Kerry suggested that Congressman would not turn down the call to support an attack on Syria because say-ing no would potentially harm Israel and other allies, includ-ing Jordan and Turkey.

Mr. Obama referred to Is-rael in his Rose Garden address, saying that allowing Mr. Assad the use of chemical weapons “endangers our friends and our partners along Syria’s borders, including Israel, Jordan, Tur-key, Lebanon and Iraq.” S.L.R.

Syria Through Israel’s Eyes continued from page 37

Palestinian Leaks on the Peace Talks: Information, a Wish List, or Just Propaganda?

secReTaRy of sTaTe John Kerry promised there would be no leaks from the US-sponsored peace talks be-tween representatives of the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Aside from Israeli negotiator Tzipi Livni’s wish that the right-wing Jewish Home Party would leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition so that negotiations would be “easier,” there has been no substantial news from the Israeli side.

Martin Indyk, the Obama administration’s representa-tive to the talks, has also been quiet.

Virtually all of the news leaks about the negotiations have come from the Palestinians.

According to Arab-Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh, Palestinian officials in Ramal-lah have been competing with one another to see who could release the most statements regarding the talks, which are supposed to be secret.

“All these statements have one theme in common: hold-ing Israel responsible for the expected failure of the talks,” said Mr. Abu Toameh, who writes for the Jerusalem Post and the Gatestone Institute in New York.

ThreatsThe PA officials who have

discussed the talks with the press include the chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat, PLO Secretary-General Yasser Abed Rabbo, PLO executive commit-

tee member Wasel Abu Yusef, and Fatah central committee member Nabil Sha’ath.

Some PA officials have briefed reporters “on condi-tion of anonymity,” which is itself a breach of the under-standings laid out by Mr. Kerry.

Several times, in briefings with Palestinian journalists, PA officials have issued threats to pull out of the talks if the Is-raelis do not comply with one demand or another, ranging from a cessation of building in Judea, Samaria, or Jerusa-lem, to agreeing to speed up the release of more prisoners.

Wish ListMost of the time, the Pal-

estinian leaks have centered on what might be called the PA’s

wish-lists, items they wish had been guaranteed to them before they agreed even to sit down.

Although it had been an-nounced before the resumption of talks that neither side had agreed to any preconditions, on August 21, Mr. Erekat revealed that the PA had agreed to sit down again with Israel only because the Palestinians had received a letter of assurances from the US, guaranteeing the Arabs would receive all their principal nego-tiating preconditions.

Mr. Erekat said the US had assured the PA in writing that talks would recognize Israel’s indefensible pre-1967 borders as the basis of a Palestinian state; would deal with all the



CORPORATE ACCOUNTS | LOCAL & LONG DISTANCE | LICENSED & INSURED

CAR SERVICE & LIMOUSINE WORLD CLASS TRANSPORTATION

10% INSTANT DISCOUNT FOR ONLINE RESERVATIONS

“Serving over 500 cities worldwide”

Teaneck Taxi

24 HOURS - 7 DAYS A WEEK

SEDANS | STRETCHES | MINIVANS | SHUTTLE VANS | BUS CHARTERSFOR ALL YOUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS:

WWW.TEANECKTAXI.COM201-836-8282 | 1-888-441-8294

800 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07302

Iran has already taken the measure of President Obama and found him wanting. It would have been much harder all along for the Iranians to supply Syria if the US physically controlled Iraqi skies, but the President withdrew troops from Iraq, leaving the strategically important space between Iran and Syria without US influence or control of the air. Events this month in Syria showed Iran that the US has a President who cannot put for-ward a clear, achievable military mission, even though interna-tional norms were violated.

Iran is obviously the big winner. Its client, Syria, is still standing, and Russia just an-nounced it will sell the Islamic Republic S-300 missiles that had previously been with-held. Russia will also sell Iran a nuclear reactor.

Iran would be making a mis-take, however, if it believes there will never be a clear, achievable military mission in the Middle

East or a mandate to pursue it. The mullahs might be surprised at what will coalesce American resolve. Sometimes, we surprise even ourselves.

Putin was almost another big winner, because Syria is his client, too. In the long run, how-ever, Putin is on the losing side because he wanted Shiite-allied Syria to defeat the Sunni coalition arrayed against Assad. Russia’s restive, nationalist Muslims are Sunnis, too, and a short, nasty war culminating in an Assad-Shiite victory might deter Rus-sian-Muslim separatists. But Al-Qaeda and the Sunni jihadists have been strengthened by the fighting in Syria, and Pu-tin will likely find some of them in Chechnya and Dagestan in the future, better armed and more experienced—precisely the opposite of his aims.

Oh, yes, Assad is a small winner because he’s still alive, although that may be a tem-porary condition.

Shoshana BryenWashington, DC

Ms. Bryen was, for more than 25 years, executive director and senior director for security policy at the Jewish Institute for Security Affairs and author of its JINSA Reports. She has worked with the Strategic Studies Institute of the US War Army College and the Institute for National Secu-rity Studies in Tel Aviv, and lec-tured at the National Defense University in Washington.

The Iranians—and the entire rest of the world—can understand the Obama administration’s diplomatic acrobatics in only one way: the President and his team are in way over their heads, lurch-ing from self-imposed trap to self-inflicted crisis, while erod-ing the credibility of the US government and increasing the dangers facing Americans and their allies. The fact that Obama seems driven to defend his own honor and credibility, regardless of the price to the country, makes this episode particularly troublesome. The big winners in his decision to do nothing were all opponents and enemies of the US, its allies, and modern civilization itself.

Dr. Daniel PipesPhiladelphia, PA

Dr. Pipes is president of the Mid-dle East Forum. His bi-weekly column appears regularly in the Washington Times, Israel Hayom, La Razon (Spain), Libral (Italy), National Post (Canada), and The Australian.

Many people think Pres-ident Obama accomplished nothing in this crisis, but, in fact, Iran saw that that the cur-rent US government is willing to mobilize its military if nec-essary and, with the help of a few allies, including France and the Arab League, has set the stage for Assad to lose his

chemical weapons. Without chemical weapons, the situ-ation in Syria reverts to a civ-il war rather than a regional threat. The winner is everyone who hates chemical weapons. Maybe the children in Tel Aviv won’t need their gas masks after all.

Dr. Ben ChouakeEnglewood, NJ

A physician, Dr. Chouake is presi-dent of NORPAC, a bipartisan, multi-candidate political action committee (PAC) working to strengthen the United States-Israel relationship.

The big winner in the Presi-dent’s decision to do nothing is obviously Putin, who is now largely in control of the situa-tion. He was able to play the President along, dangle the bait, and then snap it out of reach. For example, he told Obama, yes, Assad will give up his chemi-cal weapons, but only if you renounce the use of force in advance. Iranian leaders have to take heart in Putin’s victory because it is the Russian leader who has Iran’s back. He has not only proved his mettle as an ally, he has promised to supply them with the most advanced missile weapons. If Iran had any worries about Obama’s taking out its nuclear sites, those fears are surely alleviated. In fact, if Obama had made the “unbeliev-ably small” strike promised by Secretary of State Kerry, Iran’s concerns would still have been put to rest.

Prof Rael Jean IsaacIrvington, NY

Editor of Americans for a Safe Israel’s “Outpost,” Dr. Isaac is a prolific author. Her most re-cent book is “Roosters of the Apocalypse: How the Junk Sci-ence of Global Warming Al-most Bankrupted the West-ern World,” published by the Heartland Institute.

Kol Ami: Iran Winner? continued from page 6


Index of AdvertisersAd With CouponTeaneck Hot Bagels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Chopstix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Glatt27 Supermarket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Burial ServicesEden Memorial Chapels. . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Gutterman and Musicant/Wien & Wien.. 46

Car ServiceTeaneck Taxi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Catering Hall/Event PlanningCongr. Shomrei Emunah . . . . . . . . . . . 20

CharitiesDonate Your Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Umbrella Tzedaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Computer Services Aldine Web & Print. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Garb Consulting Group . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Rivkie.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Education Open Houses10/10: Teaneck CofC Awards Dinner. . 3311/3: Bruriah High School . . . . . . . . . . 2911/18: Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy. . 21

Events/Entertainment9/22: NCSY @ SixFlags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259/22: Lipa & Benny Concert . . . . . . . . . . . 1110/6: Walk for Life, Van Saun Park . . . . . 27

Financial ServicesBankruptcy, Ira S. Kornstein . . . . . . . . 12

Home Products & ServicesAmerican General Windows. . . . . . . . 43Classic Tile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Deerwood Developers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Shalom Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Starr Carpets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42World Carpentry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Kosher GroceriesButterflake Bakery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Evergreen Kosher Market . . . . . . . . . . . .2Glatt27 Supermarket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Teaneck Hot Bagels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Zomick’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Kosher Restaurant, Take-OutChopstix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Ma’adan Take Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Medical ServicesBergen Veterinary Hospital. . . . . . . . . 10Holy Name Medical Center. . . . . . . . . . .3Home Health Aide, Kosher experience 41Psychotherapy, Chana Simmonds . . 43

MiscellaneousFernando Alonso Greetings . . . . . . . . 19Gideon Jewelry Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8JPFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Team Schmelz Bergenfield Greetings. 35

MusiciansJeff Wilks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

PhotographyLarry Levy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Real EstateLong Branch Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . 47Teaneck Offices for Rent . . . . . . . . . . . 37Verner-23: Tiberias Apts. . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Travel & VacationsKosherica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Kutscher’s Yom Tov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Vim’s Holidays Passover . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Walking Israel Tour Guide . . . . . . . . . . 18

“core issues” (Jerusalem, the “right-of-return” for all Palestin-ian refugees, borders, security, and water) to the Palestinians’ satisfaction; would be complet-ed in six to nine months; and would not allow for any interim solutions before a final-status agreement is signed.

For years, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas tried to im-pose preconditions on talks with Israel, including a demand that Israel release all terrorists who were jailed before the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993; freeze all construction in Ju-dea, Samaria, and Jerusalem; and even present a map of the future Palestinian state before any negotiations took place.

PreconditionsBefore this latest round of

talks, Israel agreed to the peri-odic release of two dozen ter-rorist prisoners, many of whom were convicted of multiple mur-ders, until, gradually, over sev-eral months, all 104 who had

been sentenced before 1993 would be freed, provided the talks continued. The other two PA preconditions were reject-ed. According to Israeli officials, Mr. Abbas agreed to drop his preconditions, too.

Two weeks later, on Sep-tember 2, speaking in Ramallah, Mr. Abbas confirmed that the US had promised him it would support the PA’s demand that Israel withdraw to the 1948 cease-fire lines as the basis for any final-status agreement.

Mr. Abbas’s statement con-tradicted assurances by Israeli officials, including President Shimon Peres, that the PA had agreed to Israel’s retention of so-called settlement blocs.

In his speech, Mr. Abbas stressed that, without this promise from the US, the PA would not have agreed to par-ticipate in the talks.

Offer to EvictAt the beginning of Sep-

tember, a PA official speaking

anonymously told the AP that, during negotiations, Israel had proposed evicting Jews from their homes in dozens of com-munities in Judea and Samaria, but would leave the actual com-munities intact so they could be used as military bases and early warning stations. This would offer the Palestinians a state in provisional borders.

The PA official told the AP the proposal was unaccept-able to the Palestinians.

“Israel is using the issue of security to take land. From the general discussions we had in the last couple of weeks, the Israelis have shown no intention of dismantling any settlements,” said the official.

EU’s GuidelinesAccording to Mr. Erekat,

the European Union’s new guidelines, which boycott Is-raeli entities operating beyond the so-called Green Line, were designed by the EU as part of a

Palestinian Leaks continued from page 39



deal reached between Europe and the PA so that the Pales-tinians would resume peace negotiations.

He said the PA was in discus-sions with Latin American coun-tries, China, Russia, Japan, and the African Union to adopt similar sanctions against Jewish com-munities in Judea and Samaria.

In response to those guide-lines, Israeli Prime Minister Ben-jamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not sign any contracts with Europe as long as the boycott of Judea and Samaria continues.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has ordered the Coordi-nator of Government Activities in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza to deny any requests from the EU which relate to these regions.

Ending the ProjectEven more upsetting to

the Europeans is the prospect that Israel will back out of the EU’s Research and Develop-ment program, scheduled to begin in Brussels in September.

The project aims to “de-pollute the Mediterranean by the year 2020 by tackling the sources of pollution that ac-count for around 80 percent of the overall pollution in the sea.”

Israeli green technology is a centerpiece of the project with Israeli researchers providing numerous systems to remove pollution from the shores of Greece, Turkey, Italy, France, and Northern African countries.

Israel had been scheduled to allocate 600 million euros to the project over the next seven years and be one of its major contributors. But because some of the technologies Is-rael would be contributing to the project were developed by companies and academic institutions located in Judea and Samaria, areas of Jerusalem liberated in the 1967 Six-Day War, and the Golan Heights, the EU’s new policy has put the entire project in doubt.

No Legal Basis“Once they insist on the

pre-1967 borders, we’re talk-ing about very large parts of Jerusalem, including Jerusalem-based high-tech enterprises, some of them very large compa-nies. Under Europe’s proposed new operating method, many Israeli bodies that were not re-jected before will be disquali-fied,” said Israeli Deputy For-eign Minister Zev Elkin (Likud).

Almost 1,000 legal experts from Israel and around the world have appealed to EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Cathe-rine Ashton to annul the EU’s plan. The experts note that the decision does not have a legal basis, because, they ar-gue, Judea and Samaria are not occupied territory in the legal sense of the term.

Mr. Netanyahu told EU leaders that the guidelines do nothing to achieve peace and,

in fact, will actually negatively affect its chances.

“[The guidelines] have hard-ened Palestinians’ positions, en-couraging them to seek unreal-istic ends that everybody knows are not going to happen, and stand in the way of reaching a solution which can only be accomplished by negotiations by the parties and not by an external dictate,” he said.

No ConcessionsMr. Erekat, in his interview

detailing what the PA had been promised, seemed to prove Mr. Netanyahu’s point.

The only concession Mr. Erekat admitted the PA had made was an agreement that, in exchange for Israel’s release of 104 terrorists, the Palestin-ians would not turn unilater-ally to the UN for recognition.

Mr. Erekat told reporters that if Israel fails to release all 104 terrorists, the PA would be free to turn to the UN. Ms. Livni recently said the terrorists would be freed only if progress is made in the negotiations.

After talks had begun, Mr. Abbas said the PA would de-mand an additional 250 terror-ist prisoners as a condition for continuing the negotiations. He said after Israel agreed to release the terrorists, the PA had shelved plans to charge the Jewish state with “war crimes” in the International Criminal Court.

Martin IndykAnother point of informa-

tion gleaned about the negotia-tions through Palestinian leaks was that the US was not actively participating in the meetings between the Israel and the PA. According to Mr. Abed Rabbo, the Jewish state is not allowing Mr. Indyk, who is not trusted by many Israelis, to be a direct participant.

“Washington has said it would be a direct partner in

talks, but so far this hasn’t hap-pened because of Israel’s in-sistence on keeping the US away from meetings,” said Mr. Abed Rabbo. “If the US can’t impose its presence, then it will not have any direct influ-ence on achieving progress in negotiations.”

At the beginning of Septem-ber, the US State Department announced that Mr. Indyk had attended only one of the five meetings held since late July.No Homes or Prayer Stations

The PA slammed Israel’s construction plans for 2,000 housing units, despite the an-nouncement made by Mr. Kerry before the talks, that he and Mr. Abbas were aware that Israel would not institute a building freeze in Judea, Samaria, or Jerusalem. The homes in ques-tion are slated for areas the PA has already agreed would remain in Israel’s hands in any peace deal.

The PA and the Jordani-ans even objected to the new prayer section adjacent to the Kotel in Jerusalem, established by Jewish Home chairman Naf-tali Bennett. The new section, Ezrat Yisrael, will offer a place for non-Orthodox Jews to carry out their rituals without dis-turbing Orthodox Jews else-where at the Kotel.

Towards the end of Au-gust, the PA threatened to sue Israel through an international body if the Jewish state con-tinues to expand in Judea, Sa-maria, and Jerusalem. The PA also warned that would signal an end to the talks.

Right of ReturnOne of the more tor-

tured leaks came from Mr. Abbas himself. On August 23, he told members of the left-wing Israeli Meretz Party that if a peace agreement is reached with Israel, it would




“Honor the Professional According to Your Need”


Letters to the Editor “Thought Is the World of Freedom” (R’ Dov Ber of Mazeritch)Pity Jewish Women

I feel verbally disabled to express adequately my feelings of sadness and anger over the power of petty officials and self-appointed enforcers who barred Dr. Qanta Ahmed from fully expressing her spirituality at various Muslim holy places [“The Dome of the Rock: A Muslim’s Requiem,” Aug 2013].

Moreover, I feel I can empathize and identify with her outrage because of the misuse of authority by religious extremists of my own Jewish faith who block women from performing prayer as they wish, or divorce and remarry, or participate in a host of spiritually uplifting experiences.

Even murder and mutilation is not uncommon in the name of religious experience, not to mention war and worse. This perverse exercise of religious power, sad to say, seems to be intensifying and with no end in sight.

It seems it will take legions of well-meaning women—and men—to alter this world’s misogynous mindset.

Theodore FettmanRiverdale, NY

SLR responds: Yes, we Jewish women are a deprived lot. In Orthodox shuls, we can’t march up to the bima—where everyone knows the only spiritual experience is available. The last time I recall a Jewish woman being mutilated for religious reasons was when a granddaughter insisted on having her ears pierced in time for her bat mitzvah. Yes, halachic divorce and remarriage can be problems, but they are issues only for those who believe this is the proper path, and many well-meaning Jewish men and women are working on halachic solutions. Women who don’t want to play by Orthodox rules are free to go elsewhere where they will be welcomed with open arms.

A Special Phone Call The phone rang early on the morning of Friday, August

16, 2013. “Grandma,” came the voice on the other end of the line. Okay, I thought, so which one of my 11 granddaughters is calling me early in the morn to wish me a happy birthday.

“Bailey? I responded, somewhat hesitantly. “No!” came the answer in a drawn-out, somewhat teasing voice.

Hmm, I thought, let’s give it another try. “Jordyn?” I asked in a tentative voice, hoping that I was right this time. Once again, the voice at the other end of the line said: “No!”

Whichever granddaughter is calling me, I thought, she obviously is refusing to identify herself and is enjoying my predicament.

“Talya?” I responded on my third try, with ever-waning confidence in my grandmotherly abilities to differentiate the voices of my similarly aged teen-age granddaughters. In quiet desperation I realized that if I were wrong, then it’s three strikes you’re out!

“No!” came the answer once again, this time, undoubtedly, I thought, with growing annoyance at my not placing her on the top of my list but rather low down on the totem pole of grandkids.

Just then a lightbulb went on in my head. “Gabi!” I exclaimed excitedly. “Yes” came the happy response. “Happy Birthday, Grandma”.

“Oh my G-d” I said. “I didn’t expect a phone call from you. I know that you don’t have much free time. I’m so happy you called.”

Okay, let me explain why I didn’t expect a phone call from Gabi, despite the fact that I have been e-mailing her and getting short responses from her on her activities. Gabi joined the

Israeli army on August 13th. She was in pre-army training for one month prior to her official entry into Tzahal, the Hebrew acronym for the Army in Defense of Israel. She had just returned from a three day hike from Latrun to Jerusalem and was busy constantly with drills and exercises.

Unlike six of her cousins who had opted to spend a gap year in Israel at a yeshiva before attending college, Gabi opted to join the army. It was her trip to Poland with her senior class that motivated her to take this less-traveled track. Visiting the death camps at Auschwitz and Treblinka had an overwhelmingly emotional effect on her psyche. She felt that she needed to do something positive for her people and for its Homeland. Despite the incredulousness of many, she went with her heart and embarked on this life-altering journey. Although I would have preferred that she take the conventional yeshiva path, I cannot deny the incredible pride that I feel in her bold decision.

Next week Gabi and her fellow “lone soldiers” will be getting their guns. My sound advice to all the Hamas-ites, Hezboll-ites, and all sworn enemies of Israel and the Jewish people: Here comes Gabi! Watch your backs!

Ellen WassermanNew Rochelle, NY

Importance of Jewish GenealogyThough The Jewish Voice’s roving reporters did not encounter

me at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) Conference in Boston [“Kol Ami: Jewish Genealogy,” Aug 2013), it is certainly a very positive sign that attendance at the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) Conference in Boston was so great and numerous that, per the law of averages, your reporter and I did not meet.

As my fellow panelists and I strove to emphasize during our presentation, access to vital genealogical records in America and abroad is now under threat as various legislators, government agencies and organizations promulgate laws, regulations and procedures that are hostile to genealogy.

As exemplified by most of the people interviewed for the your Kol Ami column, genealogical research can give one the immense personal satisfaction of meeting formerly unknown relatives. But there are more cogent reasons that genealogy needs to be promoted to the public in a positive light. Knowing one’s family history can be invaluable to understanding one’s medical issues, establishing title to property, and finding family members to take charge of the mortal remains of military casualties and crime victims.

Genealogy-specific concerns of the Jewish people include, among other things, the repatriation of looted artwork and stolen property from the Nazi era. And those, myself included, who believe that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people will, in the final analysis, ultimately need to propound and document what amount to genealogical arguments, as the enemies of the Jews grow increasingly bolder in their attempts to deny us our rights.

Accordingly, it is very important that Jewish people make the case for Jewish family history research.

Kenneth H. Ryesky, Esq.East Northport, NY


“Thought Is the World of Freedom” (R’ Dov Ber of Mazeritch)Is There a Doctor in the House?

Only 35 percent of physicians would recommend to their children or younger family members that they become physicians and only 22 percent of physicians would recommend to medical students that they practice in New York State, according to a survey conducted in August by the Weekly Update for New York State Physicians. The survey of over 800 physician respondents sought to gauge physician perspective of a variety of issues relating to the state of New York’s health care delivery system.

The findings provide additional statistical proof of the frustrations physicians often express that New York State is a very difficult state in which to deliver care. This is due to a confluence of a number of factors, including its extraordinarily high liability insurance costs and the large number of practice mandates, at the same time that insurers continue to impose additional roadblocks to delivering patient care and continue to reduce, deny and delay payment for necessary care delivered.

These problems must be considered and addressed as policymakers hope to assure an adequate health care safety net for the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who will likely be obtaining health insurance coverage for the first time through the State’s Health Insurance Exchange.

Notably, the survey highlighted the increasing “hassle factor” physicians experience in attempting to assure their patients can obtain the care they need. Nearly 83 percent of physicians responding indicated that the time they spend obtaining authorizations from health insurers for patient care has increased in the last three years, with nearly 60 percent indicating that it had “increased significantly.” Moreover, nearly 25 percent of respondents highlighted administrative hassles as the biggest impediment to delivering care to their patients while an additional 31 percent indicated that it was the second biggest impediment.

With nearly 65 percent of physicians indicating that their compensation has gone down in the last five years and 32 percent indicating that it had “decreased significantly,” not surprisingly, the biggest problem identified by physicians (41 percent) in delivering care to their patients was insufficient payment by insurers

and government payers. And nearly 25 percent indicated that it was the second biggest problem.

With regard to liability costs, nearly 40 percent of the respondents indicated that medical liability insurance costs consumed at least 10 percent of their practice revenue, and nearly 16 percent indicated that it consumed at least 20 percent of their practice revenue. Over 17 percent of physicians highlighted high liability costs as the biggest impediment to delivering care in New York while over 22 percent noted it as the second biggest impediment.

As a result of all these hassles, over one-third (34 percent) of the respondents indicated that they were “seriously considering” retiring from practice in the next two years, and over 37 percent indicated that they plan to reduce the services they deliver over the next two years.

Other notable results were that nearly 65 percent of respondents currently use an electronic prescribing system, and over 62 percent have implemented an electronic medical record system in their practice. Over 83 percent of the respondents participate in Medicare and over two-thirds (67.6 percent) participate in Medicaid or with a Medicaid managed care plan.

Weekly Update’s editor, Christina Cronin Southard, and assistant editor, Julie Vecchione DeSimone, urged the NY State Legislature and the governor to carefully consider the findings of this study. You cannot have a functioning healthcare system without assuring an adequate supply of physicians to deliver the care patients expect. Legislation must be enacted and regulatory steps must be taken to assure that New York will once again be an attractive place to start and continue a medical practice. Equally important, legislation that may further drive physicians from remaining to practice in New York must be rejected.

Sam Unterricht, MDBrooklyn, NY

The Jewish Voice and Opinion welcomes letters, especially if they are typed, double-spaced, and legible. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and style.

Please send all mail to POB 8097, Englewood, NJ 07631.The phone number is (201) 569-2845. The email address is [email protected]


GUTTERMAN AND MUSICANT JEWISH FUNERAL DIRECTORS

800-522-0588Since Biblical times the value of kavod hameit, “respect for the dead” has been part of Jewish tradition.

WIEN & WIEN, INC. MEMORIAL CHAPELS

800-322-0533402 PARK STREET, HACKENSACK, NJ 07601

ALAN L. MUSICANT, Mgr., N.J. Lic. No. 2890 • MARTIN D. KASDAN, N.J. Lic. No. 4482

IRVING KLEINBERG, N.J. Lic. No. 2517 • RONALD BLOOM, N.J. Lic. No. 4545 (Advance Planning Director)

GuttermanMusicantWien.com

For generations our families have providedJewish Funeral Management to those

we are chosen to serveand have made family, community and tradition

our promise to youALAN L. MUSICANT MARTIN D. KASDAN

mark the end to his people’s demands on the Jewish state.

Most Israelis understand that to mean that the PA would relinquish or moderate its “right of return”: a demand that mil-lions of Palestinians who fled Israel in 1948 and 1967—and their descendants—have the right to flood back into Israel, demographically destroying the Jewish state.

Two days later, during a meeting of the Fatah move-ment’s Central Committee, Mr. Abbas made clear that the main goals of negotiations with Is-rael had not changed: an in-dependent Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders, with its capital in Jerusalem (Al Quds), release of all prisoners, and the return of refugees.

Caught in a LieAt the end of August, a

terrorist incident seemed to put the talks on hold. When Israeli border police, accompa-

nied by an IDF force, entered the Palestinian Kalandia camp north of Jerusalem to arrest an individual suspected of terror-ism, more than 1,000 Palestin-ians rioted, throwing rocks and firebombs at Israeli officials.

Feeling their lives endan-gered, Israeli forces opened fire at the attackers. Three men were killed and the suspect was arrested. One of the riot-ers was a former prisoner who had been released as part of the deal to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011.

The following morning, Mr. Abed Rabbo announced that the peace talks had been suspended, but the US State Department maintained this was not true.

When State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf would not confirm that he PA side had lied about the cancelled meeting, AP reporter Matt Lee said, “There is one side in this

situation that is not telling the truth. It’s not the American side and it’s not the Israeli side.”

“We are not going to an-nounce when every meeting takes place, but I can assure you that no meeting has been canceled,” said Ms. Harf.

“No Progress”But although meetings have

been held, Mr. Abed Rabbo told Voice of Palestine radio at the beginning of Septem-ber that there has been “no progress.”

“Despite our decision to take part in talks, we’re now seeing what we expected—that there is little hope for their progress, in fact that hope is non-existent and negotiations are futile,” he said, blaming Israel for building in Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem.

The only way to save the process, he said, is for the US to agree to apply “pressure on Israel.”

Building OppositionAccording to Mr. Abu

Toameh, the Palestinians are hoping that when the talks ultimately fail, they will be able to tell their people and the international community: “You see, we told you from the beginning that the Israelis do not want peace.”

The problem for the Pales-tinian leaders is that with every complaint, it is the Palestinian people who turn away from the process.

“The more Palestinians of-ficials and leaders talk about the ‘futility’ and ‘ineffective-ness’ of the peace talks, the bigger the opposition grows to negotiations with Israel,” said Mr. Abu Toameh.

Waiting It OutThe real danger is that

“this type of anti-Israel rhet-oric could spark another round of violence between the two sides,” he said.



Asked by Mr. Abu Toameh why the Palestinians are simply not carrying out their threat to walk out of the “unproduc-tive” talks, a senior PA official said, “We cannot pull out at this stage because of American and European pressure. We will continue with the talks for six to nine months in order to show the world that Israel is not interested in peace.”

An Israeli official pointed out that in nine months, all 104 Palestinian terrorists will be freed from prison. “That’s what the PA is waiting for,” said the official.

PollsIn fact, no one besides Mr.

Kerry seems to have faith in the talks. Palestinians in Gaza and Ramallah have demonstrated against them, as have Jews in Judea and Samaria. Even Iran got into the act, telling Agence France Presse that the Islamic Republic was “hostile” to the negotiations brokered by the US.

According to a poll by the Israeli research institute Hagal

Hahadash, 80 percent of Israeli Jews believe a peace deal with the PA is impossible. Asked if “this time, we will reach a final agreement that will put an end to the conflict,” 79.7 percent of respondents said no; 6.2 percent said yes; and 14.1 percent had no opinion.

Asked about the Israeli government’s decision to re-lease long-serving terrorists in order to resume the peace talks, 77.5 percent said they were opposed; just 14.2 per-cent were in favor. A full 62.9 percent said they would rath-er the government have an-nounced a freeze on Jewish construction in Judea and Sa-maria than release terrorists.

A Maagar Mohot poll found that 53 percent of Israelis would not vote for a diplomatic agree-ment that involves an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, even if the PA agreed to recognize Israel as a Jew-ish state and would relinquish their “right of return.” S.L.R.

PeriodicalsPOSTAGE PAIDat Englewood, NJ& additional offices

Jewish Voice and OpinionPO Box 8097Englewood, NJ 07631Address Service Requested

Jewish Voice and Opinion September 2013

Documents

Transcript of Jewish Voice and Opinion September 2013