See the Jewish Star as it appears in print 10-31-08

The Jewish Star (PDF format) 10-31-08

Opinion: The history of Israel, the Jews and the Democrats

By David M. Singer

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

In a recent article in The Jewish Star (Selective memory; Oct. 10, 2008)
it was suggested that Democrats in the Oval Office are better for Jewish
interests and for Israel than Republicans. Since 1920, there have been just
six Democrats in the White House. Let¹s review the facts:

From the other side of the bench: Appreciating the imperfections

By David Seidemann

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Before delving into this week’s article, allow me to detour and offer
some election year advice having nothing to do with my intended topic. Do
not let the media decide who our next President should be. Do not let
eloquence or economic desperation decide. Do not let apathy decide. Do not
let allegiance to a particular party held by our grandparents decide. Do not

Opinion: We should only tolerate tolerance

By Jeff Toback

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

With the dark, heavy clouds of the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht
floating slowly in our direction, an incident that occurred barely 25 miles
to our east has brought a shiver to my spine. Newsday reported that on
Tuesday, Oct. 21, hundreds of fliers inscribed with the image of a
white-hooded horseman holding a blazing cross were placed on cars parked at
the Deer Park LIRR station. The fliers implored the reader to “Join the Klan
and save our land.” The United Northern & Southern Knights of the Ku Klux
Klan have proudly taken responsibility for the leaflets.

Headquartered in Michigan and Florida, the United Northern and Southern
Knights of the Ku Klux Klan have established a chapter in

Leadership day planned for local shuls

Staff Report

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) will present a Regional
Synagogue Leadership Day on Sunday, Nov. 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at
the Young Israel of West Hempstead.

The event aims to address a multitude of issues relating to the
operation and growth of synagogues, including fundraising, programming,
membership growth, publicity strategies, legal issues, maximizing the
Internet and special programming for women, singles, seniors and youth. The
program will be geared toward

The kosher bookworm: Why the Bible Commands You to Be a Conservative

Literature and thoughts on the election

By Alan Jay Gerber

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Well, at long last, it is going to be over. Election Day is Tuesday and we will be joining our fellow Americans at the polls in choosing our next president.

Voter turnout is expected to be high as a result of the interest in the
candidates and the issues. We are a nation at war and in economic distress,
just the ingredients that will make for the expected long lines at our area
polling places.

In the world of literature, this year’s crop of books included one that
directly impacts upon the Jewish community. Why the Bible Commands You to
Be a Conservative by David Klinghoffer directly challenges the Jewish
community to re-evaluate its traditional political support of those
candidates and public officials who are of the liberal-left persuasion.

Dealing directly with such issues as Islamic terror and gay marriage, economic issues such as poverty, high taxes and government waste, as well as immigration and global warming, the author goes directly to the holy writ to attempt to prove his case that the conservative political cause is in sync with our religious beliefs and our self interests for survival, both spiritually and physically.

Klinghoffer goes straight for the rhetorical jugular as he lays out his political polemic, claiming that the conservative cause is in consonance with the Bible, whereas the left advocates fore causes that are in direct
contradiction to the tenets of our faith. He further claims that the Bible is an unapologetically political book in the context of today¹s political scene.

Two recent articles by Klinghoffer, both written after his latest book, further buttress his thesis. The first, a Q & A on his beliefs with National Review On Line Editor Kathryn Lopez, further expands on the reasoning behind Klinghoffer¹s thinking. Entitled, God & Man on Election Day, Klinghoffer sharply ties his opinions to the current campaign to the point of tackling such “religious” personalities as the Reverend Jeremiah
Wright and his Bible-based beliefs to those of his own, questioning Wright’s religious integrity and political patriotism.

Within the context of this piece, I was most taken by the quote by one of my heroes, Whittaker Chambers, who once said: “Political freedom, as the Western world has known it, is only a political reading of the Bible.” I urge you to google Chambers and read his memoir, Witness, to better appreciate the man and his quote, so relevant to our troubled times.

The second article, Why Jews Fear Sarah Palin, (The Forward; Oct. 2, 2008) bears close scrutiny in its sharp evaluation of Jewish political behavior in light of their economic status and place in American society,
especially when it affects their vital self-interests and physical survival.

Basically, the less religiously committed the Jew, the more likely that they feel “threatened” by Sarah Palin. Unfortunately, this element constitutes the overwhelming number of American Jews who have lost their way
spiritually and who have come to view political liberalism and even socialism, in all its shades and varieties, as a surrogate for their lapsed faith in the Judaism of their forebears.

The very fact that Palin is so open about her religious beliefs and is so supportive of many Jewish causes has for some reason generated offense among many in the Jewish community, thus constituting a monumental chillul Hashem that might come back to haunt all of us and our progeny. This behavior will serve as a warning to others that it does not pay to advocate Jewish interest causes if you are political conservatives. Jews only vote for political liberals, even liberals who are hostile to Jewish interest causes. Case in point: Just ask our neighbor, Alfonse D’Amato.

Klinghoffer responds: “Torah, whether we like this fact or not, is about nothing if not giving practical expression to religious beliefs, in both private and public life, often in demanding and intrusive ways. That is a basic axiom of the Jewish worldview that offered transcendent meaning in life to generations of Jews before us.”

To this, Klinghoffer asks the question, “So should not we be running toward Palin, instead of away? You might think so. But Jews of all denominations have grown increasingly distant from the traditional Jewish
view of the world.”

Indeed, we have lose our way.

The author concludes the thesis of this piece by noting, sadly, from a recent survey that “Jews were the second most liberal religious group, with 34% identifying with the political left, behind only Buddhists [who include many born Jews].”

Now, ain’t that nachas!

While there is much in this book that I would consider a bit overstated, at least these overstated arguments are presented for what this writer considers a just cause. I share the apprehensions of many in our community if a wrong decision is made next Tuesday. This apprehension is reflected in both verbal and written conversation that I have had since my last ‘political piece about the JStreet activities. A good read of this book will give the fortunate reader the chizuk he or she will need in the days to come.

One last thought: No matter what the media and their polls show, please remember to go vote. Expect long lines, so bring a good book along with you to read. A chumash or tehillim would be ideal, but please, remember to show up. I hope to be there, too. Even acorn-chomping bookworms can vote this year.

In 1980 Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, wrote urging his fellow Jews to exercise their rights, as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution to vote so as to protect our rights to religious freedom. His words ring loudly and even
more urgently today. Let’s do it.

On the Calendar 10-31-08

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Kristallnacht Commemorations – Sunday, Nov. 2

Cedarhurst - The Beis Midrash of Cedarhurst (the shtibel) and Rabbi Dovid Spiegel will
host a program, together with Kehilas Beis Yehudah Tzvi (the red shul) at
7:30 p.m., featuring guest speaker Rabbi Yaakov Feitman of the Red Shul. The
program will be held at the shtibel on West Broadway and Cedarhurst Ave.
Admission is free and all are welcome. There will be separate seating for
men and women.

Lawrence - Congregation Beth Sholom and Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst are
hosting ³Remember Then & Now: Kristallnacht 1938-2008 at 1:00PM at
Congregation Beth Sholom at 390 Broadway. The program will feature ³Into the
Arms of Strangers,² an academy award winning film with an introduction by
Belle Silverstein. Parents & children are urged to see this powerful story
of the Kinder-transport which was a result of November 9, 1938. There is no
admission charge for the event. For more information, please call  (516)
569-3600.

Long Beach – The Holocaust Memorial Committee of Long Island is sponsoring a
Kristallnacht Program at 1:00 p.m. at Long Beach City Hall Council Chambers,
1 W. Chester St. For more information, please call (516) 431-7816 or
526-7218.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Far Rockaway – The Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula is holding its
annual Legislative Breakfast on Sunday, November 2 at 9:30 AM at the White
Shul, Congregation Knesset Israel, in Far Rockaway. The JCCRP will present
its Man of Distinction Award to Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly of the
New York Police Department. The Public Service Award will be given to Howard
Pollack, Deputy Director of Members Services, Office of Speaker of New York
City Council Christine Quinn. Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty will
receive the Hakoros HaTov Award and Esther Schenker, Executive Director,
Jewish Service Coalition, will be awarded the Community Service Award. A
journal is being published in connection with the breakfast. Inquiries about
the breakfast or services offered by the JCCRP should be directed to Harvey
Gordon, Executive Director at  (718) 327-7755 ext.  11 or hgordon@jccrp.org.

Cedarhurst - The JCC of the Five Towns, in conjunction with Nassau County, is offering
Flu and Pneumonia immunizations for senior citizens, aged 60+ on Monday,
November 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the JCC, 207 Grove Avenue. There is no
out-of-pocket expense and pre-registration is required. For more information
or to register, please call (516) 569-6733.

Oceanside - The Friedberg JCC Baby Boomer Program is hosting a lecture called
³Is it hot in here or is it me² on Thursday, November 5 from 12 noon until
1 p.m. Join us as we hear from Lisa Cooleen, Women¹s Health Nurse
Practitioner, Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology, LIJ.  Topics will include
menopause and who is affected by it, symptoms, health consequences and
natural therapy vs. medication. The cost is $5. The JCC is located at 15
Neil Court in Oceanside. For more information, please call (516) 766-4341,
ext. 130 or aschiller@friedbergjcc.org.

Oceanside - The Friedberg JCC is hosting a lecture, “Westward Oy! Pioneer Jews in
America” by Kenneth Libo on Wednesday, November 5 from 2:00 p.m. until 3:30
p.m. at the JCC. Come find out what Jews like Levi Strauss and Mike
Goldwater did to make an impact as transporters of civilization and culture
to the furthest reaches of this country.
Dr. Kenneth Libo is an author and a professor of Jewish History at Hunter
College. The lecture is free and open to the public, and is supported in
part by Speakers in the Humanities, a program of the New York Council for
the Humanities. Light refreshments will be served, and there is an optional
donation of $5. The JCC is located at 15 Neil Court in Oceanside. For more
information, please contact (516) 766-4341, ext. 114 or e-mail
mlevi@friedbergjcc.org.

Merrick - The Friedberg JCC Baby Boomer Programs is hosting a fall shopping event at
Chico¹s of Merrick, 1999 Merrick Road, on Wednesday, November 5 from 7 to 10
p.m. Join us for an amazing shopping experience. Style experts will be
available to help you coordinate, accessorize, and build a winter and
holiday wardrobe that you¹ll love! Light refreshments will be provided.
Bring your friends, sisters, and moms! Ten percent of all sales will be
donated to Sunrise Day Camp, the only dedicated day camp in the nation for
children with cancer and their siblings. For more information, please
contact (516) 766-4341, ext. 130 or ASchiller@friedbergjcc.org

Long Beach – Do your holiday shopping early at the Friedberg JCC-Long Beach branch on
Sunday, November 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be something for
everyone ­ jewelry, personalized children¹s gifts, custom picture frames,
Israeli silver jewelry, cosmetics, accessories, personalized note cards,
toys, chocolate and more! The JCC is located at 310 National Blvd. in Long
Beach For more information, please call (516) 431-2929.

West Hempstead – The National Council of Young Israel will present a Regional Synagogue
Leadership Day on Sunday November 9 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., at the Young
Israel of West Hempstead. The program will address issues related to the
growth and operation of shuls. It is open to Young Israel shuls for free and
to non-Young Israel synagogues for $18. The Young Israel of West Hempstead
is located at 630 Hempstead Ave. For more information, call (212) 929-1525,
ext. 103 or e-mail mroizman@youngisrael.org.

Oceanside - The Friedberg JCC is hosting a Veteran’s Day Event on Tuesday, November 11
from 2 to 3 p.m. “Listening With Your Eyes”
starring Chip Bryant – Vaudevillian Silent Clown creates an artful blend of
mime, clowning, juggling, magic, puppetry, and music to create an engaging
audience-interactive experience. The event costs  $7 in advance and $8 at
the door. The JCC is located at 15 Neil Court in Oceanside. For more
information, please call (516) 766-4341, ext. 114 or e-mail:
mlevi@friedbergjcc.org.

Cedarhurst - The JCC of the Greater Five Towns is hosting a lecture and discussion with
author Barbara Kessel speaking about her book, “Suddenly Jewish, Jews Raised
as Gentiles Discover Their Jewish Roots” on Tuesday, November 11, 2008, at
8:00 p.m. The fee for this event is $5. For further information please call
(516) 569-6733.

Manhattan - The Mel and Phyllis Zachter Institute for Advanced Professional Education
of OHEL presents a full-day conference for professionals, parents and
advocates supporting individuals with autism on November 13 from 9 a.m.
until 4 p.m. at Baruch College in Manhattan, 55 Lexington Ave. and the
corner of 24th St. (Newman Conference Center, 14th floor, room 220).
Presenters will include Jordan Ackerson; Paula Kluth, PhD; Lisa Lieberman,
LCSW; Valerie Paradiz, PhD; and Elijah Wapner. For more information or to
register, please visit www.ohelfamily.org or call (718) 851-6300.

Woodmere - The Young Israel of Woodmere, in an event sponsored by StandWithUs, is
hosting Itamar Marcus on Thursday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. Marcus, the
founder and director of Palestinian Media Watch ­­ a world renowned
organization that monitors Palestinian Authority¹s media and schoolbooks ­­
will present his most recent findings. The event is free and open to the
public. The Young Israel is located at 859 Peninsula Boulevard. For more
information, please contact Avi Posnick of StandWithUs at (212) 398-2524.

Oceanside - South Nassau Communities Hospital and head and neck cancer specialist Dr.
Rajiv Datta and Dr. Louis Rosner, Ear, Nose, Throat specialist, will provide
free head and neck cancer screenings on Friday, November 14 from 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. in the hospital¹s Conference Center. For more information, please call
(516) 632-3350.

Oceanside - A free seminar, “New Insights About Genetic Testing for Breast and Ovarian
Cancer,” will be held at South Nassau’s Conference Center on Sunday,
November 16 from 9 a.m. until 12 noon. It will be hosted jointly by South
Nassau Communities Hospital, the 1 in 9 Hewlett House and Myriad Genetics.
For information about registering for the seminar, call South Nassau’s
Oncology Program at (516) 632-43310 or 1 in 9 Hewlett House at (516)
374-3190. Registration information may also be obtained by sending an e-mail
to oncology@snch.org.

Lawrence -The JCC of the Greater Five Towns announces the beginning of a new Phase I
Bereavement Support Group for anyone who has lost a spouse within the past
year. This six-week group will begin Tuesday, November 18, 2008, from 1:00
p.m. to 2:15p.m, at Temple Israel of Lawrence, 140 Central Avenue.
Pre-registration is required. For more information, please contact Lisa
Stern, LCSW, at (516) 569-6733, ext. 209.

Mineola - The 16th Annual Chanukah Telethon, hosted by Rabbi Anchelle Perl of Chabad
and Mickey ŒB¹ will air its ³Chabad¹s Got Talent² live finale on Sunday,
December 14 from 7 to 11 p.m, broadcast on WLNY TV55 and on live webcast.
The audition deadline is November 5. To be considered for a try-out, please
send a picture, brief bio and a DVD/ cassette tape of your talent to
Chabad¹s Got Talent, c/o NCFJE Chabad Telethon, POB 1579, Mineola NY, 11501.
All proceeds from the event go towards charity. For more information, please
contact Rabbi Perl at (516) 739-3636 or rabbi@rabbiperl.com.

Glen Cove – The Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County is looking to
expand their Speakers’ Bureau and needs volunteers to accompany survivors to
speaking engagements, introduce speakers and provide information about the
Center to audiences. For more information and to become a volunteer, please
call Carol Ragione at (516) 571-8040, ext. 100.

Lawrence - The JCC of the Greater Five Towns Rainbow School, an after school
Enrichment Program for children from Russian families meets on Wednesdays,
from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Temple Israel, 140 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY.
For further information please call (516) 569-6733, ext. 214.

Cedarhurst - The JCC of the Greater Five Towns offers a variety of Hebrew classes. The
Conversational Hebrew Intermediate day class will meet Mondays from 10:30 to
11:45 am. The Conversational Hebrew Beginner day class will meet Mondays
from 11:50 to 1:05 p.m.. The Learn How to Read Hebrew day class will meet
Mondays from 1:10 to 2:25 p.m.. The Conversational Hebrew Beginner night
class will meet Tuesdays from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m.. The Conversational Hebrew
Intermediate night class will meet Tuesdays from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m.. The
Learn How to Read Hebrew night class will meet Mondays beginning 7:30 to
8:45 p.m.. Each class meets 12 times and costs $200.

Cedarhurst - The JCC of the Greater Five Towns will host a variety of classes this
September. Learn How to Knit will be Mondays from 10:30 to 11:30 am; the
cost is $120. Learn How to Crochet will be Mondays from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m.;
the cost is $120. Pilates will be Wednesdays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.; the
cost is $130. Yoga will be Mondays from 7:30 to 8:30 or Tuesdays from 9 to
10 am; the cost is $156. Israeli Dance for beginners will be Wednesdays from
9:15 to 10:15 am; the cost is $100. The advanced class is from 10:15 to
12:30 p.m.; the cost is $10 per session, continuous all year. All events,
unless otherwise noted, will be at the JCC of the Greater Five Towns, at 207
Grove Avenue. For more information, please contact Sheryl Wyszkowski at
(516) 569-6733 ext. 222.

West Hempstead – Bereavement Support Group for widows and widowers will be held every
Wednesday in the Jewish Community Center of West Hempstead, from 10:30 to
11:45 a.m. There is a $140 fee. The JCC is located at 711 Dogwood Avenue in
West Hempstead. To join, please call Rachel Bruckenstein, LMSW at (516)
766-4341, ext. 131.

Hewlett - The Hewlett House offers free ongoing cancer support groups and classes.
The yoga and stress reduction group meets on Mondays from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
The breast cancer support group for those undergoing treatment meets on
Tuesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, and on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:00
p.m. The knitting circle meets on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. The
writer’s roundtable meets on Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
Pre-registration is required for all events. The Hewlett House is located at
86 East Rockaway Road in Hewlett. For more information, please call
Christine at (516) 374-3190.

Cedarhurst - Every Tuesday, the JCC of the Greater Five Towns offers a social day
program called “Remember When” from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Sons of
Israel in Woodmere. This program is especially designed for memory
enhancement and socialization. The cost includes a full range of therapeutic
activities, morning beverage, dessert, and a kosher lunch. Round-trip
door-to-door handicapped accessible transportation is available on a limited
basis. Registration is limited to ensure maximum benefits to each
participant. For further information call the JCC at (516) 569-6733.

Cedarhurst - Every Tuesday, the JCC of the Greater Five Towns hosts a Parkinson’s
Support Group. The purpose of this group is to bring together Parkinsonians,
spouses and their families in order to help them better understand the
nature of the condition, gain confidence and join in community activities.
For further information, please contact Cathy Byrne at (516) 569-6733, ext.
220.

Cedarhurst - Every Wednesday, the JCC of the Greater Five Towns hosts a Cards and
Friendship group from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Come alone or bring a friend for a
fun afternoon at the JCC. Enjoy meeting new people, good conversation and
challenging games. The JCC is located at 207 Grove Avenue in Cedarhurst. For
more information, please call Lisa Stern at (516) 569-6733, ext. 209.

Woodmere - Every Wednesday, the JCC of the Greater Five Towns hosts Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI) group at Sons of Israel in Woodmere. The goal is to offer a
safe haven where clients and family members feel accepted for who they are.
For further information, please contact Chana Pfeifer at (516) 569-6733,
ext. 213 or Lisa Barnett at ext. 210.

Woodmere - The JCC of the Greater Five Towns hosts the Come Alive Program at Sons of
Israel in Woodmere. This program provides an opportunity for homebound older
adults to participate in social, recreational and intellectual activities.
Kosher lunch will be provided and door-to-door transportation is available
on a limited basis. This program runs on a summer schedule. For further
information, please call Linda Balch at (516) 569-6733, ext. 211 or Mary
Sheffield, ext. 219.

Parshat Bereishit: Misguided unity

By Rabbi Avi Billet

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Reading the story of the dispersion at the beginning of chapter 11, it is hard to see where the people went wrong. In the words of Targum Yonatan, they spoke one language, one kind of speech and had the same

Only Simchas — Oct. 31, 2008

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

For a complete list of recent smachot visit our web partner www.onlysimchas.com

That’s Life — Oct. 31, 2008

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Dear That’s Life,

Jerusalem — Arriving in Israel after the long trip it takes to get there is not nearly as difficult as packing up and having to make the return trip back to New York. It’s not the flight itself that is so daunting; it’s having to say goodbye.

I have been long interested in collecting ceramic pomegranates and displaying them in my home. I’ve brought some back from Israel on previous trips, but it was on this trip that I decided to really

Nusach sefard debuts in Young Israel of Woodmere

New minyan offered on Shabbat morning

By Malka Eisenberg

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

The Young Israel of Woodmere marked Shabbat Parshat Breishit by inaugurating a new, Nusach Sefard minyan, which attracted a standing-room-only crowd in its first week. The minyan — open to men and

Editorial: Thanks and keep up the good work

Endorsements

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Fourth Congressional District

Hakarat hatov — gratitude — is an integral aspect of our lives. For the last 12 years, Congresswoman

Team HAFTR goes the extra mile

Participants in the Cancer Walk at Jones Beach over Chol Hamoed bundled against the chill wind blowing off the water. It was the economy, however, and not the weather, that kept numbers down somewhat. Team HAFTR put on a respectable showing, coming in 4th overall, and raising over $15,000, “which, in this economy, is near miraculous,” said one of the organizers.

Photos by Daniella Schertz

In My view: Charity begins at home

By Rabbi Yakov Horowitz

Issue of  Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Imagine that one of your married sons recently lost his job or is working hard and just not making ends meet. He and your daughter-in-law are struggling to pay for groceries for your grandchildren. As a caring parent, you have been assisting the couple with whatever discretionary money you can send to them. One Sunday afternoon, you get a call from a friend who is collecting funds for a needy family overseas.

You:

a) Politely decline to participate and explain that you have more pressing needs closer to home at this moment.

b) Offer a small donation and continue to direct the bulk of your assistance to your children and grandchildren.

c) Give a large donation to the overseas family and suspend supporting your children.

I assume that you answered choice “A” or “B,” depending on your ability to contribute in a small way to the other worthwhile cause. But choice “C” would seem to be rather unusual behavior. Even a casual reading of halachic sources would indicate that your obligation to your close family members supersedes those of non-relatives. If fact, halacha — and common sense — informs us to draw concentric circles, like the ripples of a stone tossed in a pond, with our primary responsibilities beginning within the innermost ring. The Rambam clearly states (Hilchos Matnos Aniyim 7:13) that our initial duty is to our family members, followed by the poor of our neighborhood, and then the needs of those far away.

”chinuch nowadays is viewed as a commodity whose cost should be underwritten by the consumers (parents). This is a departure from our tradition of public support for the chinuch of our young children.“

I would strongly suggest that we apply this logical thread to our overall “tzedakah portfolios” and examine the amount that we invest in the chinuch of the children of our community. Discounting the ever-rising tuition costs incurred by yeshiva parents, and the resources donated to the galaxy of fundraisers that are also mostly supported by the parent body of these schools, there is sadly not much communal support for Jewish education nowadays. Other, more “glamorous,” tzedakos are successfully competing for — and receiving — our tzedakah dollars, while our schools are under-funded and our rebbeim, moros and teachers underpaid.

So using the “concentric rings” model that I noted above, I believe it is fair to pose the question: Where do our children who are currently in yeshivos and day schools fit in the equation? And, if I may be so bold, how do their needs — and the needs of those who we entrust their chinuch to — stack up against other charities?

To loosely quote Dr. Marvin Schick — a tireless voice in the wilderness advocating for enhanced communal support for Jewish education for several decades –– chinuch nowadays is viewed by most members of our kehila as a commodity like a bottle of milk whose cost should be underwritten by the consumers (parents). This is a historic departure from our tradition of public support for the chinuch of our young children.

Even if your children are grown and your tuition-paying years are over (although more than a few grandparents nowadays are helping with the tuition of their grandchildren), you simply cannot turn this page and feel that this issue does not affect you significantly. For the necessary and perhaps uncomfortable discussion of school tuition, teacher compensation and retention, teacher training, charity priorities and school affordability should be and must become a high-profile matter on our collective agenda — especially with the downturn in the economy and the inevitable shrinking pool of our charity funds. Parents of school-age children are staggering under the burden of paying tuition and at the same time our schools are understaffed and under-funded. It is simply naive for us to think that we are not paying the price for this neglect — individually and collectively.

If you are unconvinced that this is the case, I suggest that you conduct your own informal assessment of the facts on the ground by asking the head of an elementary school the following two questions:

1. In your estimation, what percentage of your time is spent fundraising for your school and what portion is devoted to the chinuch of your students?

2. If the finances of your school were more manageable, what programs would you implement to assist those who are “falling through the cracks?”

Having served as the director (and fundraiser) of a high-profile at-risk program, Project Y.E.S., I can hardly be accused of insensitivity to valuable non-yeshiva causes. But as the dean of an elementary school and an advocate for our children who are simply not making it in our school system, I must pose these uncomfortable questions:

*Should it be a higher priority — and much wiser — to invest in our school-age children rather than spending far more to “bring them back” once they have failed in our schools that operate on a shoestring budget?

*Should keeping our own kids on the path to success come before our noble quest to enroll public school children in yeshivos?

*Should kiruv rechokim (outreach) be getting a larger share of our tzedakah attention than kiruv kerovim (reaching out to assist our own schools and the children they serve)?

From my vantage point, educating and raising children is far more challenging today than at any time in recent memory. With that in mind, the discussion about our charity priorities and the funding of our chinuch system is one that is long overdue.

Election 2008: Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy seeks re-election

By Michael Orbach

Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy touring a new Ohel facility in Cedarhurst earlier this month

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

At the opening of an Ohel residence for adolescents with developmental disabilities two weeks ago, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) of the Fourth District was in her element.

Two parents discussed the problems they faced raising children with serious disabilities and McCarthy listened attentively, interjecting her opinion and stories from her own experience as a nurse. In an upstairs bedroom she explained how parents could make sure that the sheets were changed

Election 2008: Mayor Jack Martins of Mineola runs for Congress

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Republican Jack Martins is hoping to defeat incumbent Carolyn McCarthy in the Congressional race for the Fourth District, by running on the platforms of fiscal responsibility and the establishment of an open government.

“I hope to be part of a solution to get us out of the financial crisis,” Martins told The Jewish Star during a phone interview. “We can’t keep spending money that we don’t have. The government needs to invest in capital gains to get us out of this crisis.”

Recognizing the current plight of homeowners struggling to meet their mortgage payments, Martins says that it is the responsibility of the banks to “re-negotiate their loans with appropriate interest rates and if necessary extend the loans to the make the homes affordable for the people who are there.”

He also emphasized

Battling Abuse: Hikind selects new task force leader

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Assemblyman Dov Hikind says he has selected a new leader for his task force to combat sexual abuse in the orthodox Jewish community. While Hikind said the name would only be available later this week, he elaborated that the new leader’s responsibilities will consist of gathering and organizing the information about sexual abuse that Hikind intends to present to the national Rabbinical leaders.

The new leader’s role seems different from that of Rabbi Bentzion Twerski, the task force’s high profile initial leader, who resigned after a week because of family pressure.

On his radio program last Saturday night, Hikind gave a deadline of January for the end of “Phase 1” of his campaign, which consists of creating a dossier of information about sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community, in particular the Chareidi community, culled from interviews with abuse victims, therapists and even accused pedophiles. Hikind is convinced that once he presents the information to the Rabbinical leadership, they will act.

“People are skeptical about the Rabbis,” Hikind said. “I prefer not to believe that, but we’ll find out soon enough. I’m committed to this. The more I listen, [the more] I can’t imagine anyone not being committed.”

Hikind intends to create multi-faceted approach to the sexual abuse problem including prevention aspects for schools and parents as well as the creation of a network so other schools would know when a teacher

Great, one more reason to never let go of that BlackBerry

Cedarhurst resident, Lawrence native, behind software Siddur maker Jewberry.com

By Mayer Fertig

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

Just about any BlackBerry addict — ahem, user — can lecture at length as to why his or her choice of smartphone is smarter than a crash-prone Palm Treo. Many have horror stories about the old days when they, too, carried a Treo. (Full disclosure: I suffered through the trials and tribulations of more than a half dozen Treos – Windows and Palm versions – before switching to a BlackBerry World Edition several years ago.) But one thing most Torah-observant former Treo users will admit they miss is all the Jewish content available on the Palm operating system — the Siddur, the calendar, Tehillim, just to name a few — that they do without on the BlackBerry.

It turns out BlackBerry users don’t have to do without a digital Siddur, at all. For the past year or so, Jewberry.com, a small company that offers Jewish content for BlackBerry

Merkaz HaRav survivor visits West Hempstead before surgery

Triple operation planned in Indianapolis

Naftali Sheetrit, 14, in an Israeli hospital in April recovering from catastrophic injuries suffered a month earlier in the Merkaz HaRav massacre. (Photo by Yediot Acharonot)

By Mayer Fertig

Issue of Oct. 31, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

He’s a miracle child — the most grievously wounded of the boys who survived the massacre at Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav in March – but although he lived when eight other boys did not, Naftali Sheetrit, 14, faces a long road to recovery.

West Hempstead was one stop along that road, where he spent last Shabbat with family before continuing on to Indiana. There, on Thursday, Dr. Richard Rink, the chief of pediatric urology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, was scheduled to perform a complex three-in-one surgery to reconstruct Naftali’s urethra, rectum and stomach. The loss of any one of those obviously constitutes a life-altering injury. All three were destroyed by gunfire.

“With this surgery he will be able to

See The Jewish Star as it appears in print 10-17-08

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Editorial: It’s really not just the economy, stupid

The Jewish Star endorses John McCain

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

With 19 days until Election Day, it is not too soon to say that the 2008 presidential campaign has been fascinating. One man’s candidacy was written off as the impossible dream on account of his race, yet Barack Obama knocked out the shoo-in candidate and went on to secure his party’s nomination. The other candidate’s race for the White House nearly fizzled for lack of cash, yet John McCain regained his footing and his fundraising and went on to win his party’s nomination.

For much of the last six weeks the campaign was dominated by endless discussion, not of the candidates, but of their running mates. Surely no candidate for the vice presidency has inspired as much passion for and against as Governor Sarah Palin — even Dan Quayle, who was running for re-election with George H.W. Bush in 1992 when we learned that he couldn’t spell potato.

As the post-Cheney era approaches, it seems clear that future veeps are likely to loom large in the administrations they serve. Even so, all the talk about whether Palin or Biden is better prepared to assume office in an emergency is a smokescreen. For all of Governor Palin’s political ability, Senator Biden is clearly the better prepared today to be president but, as it happens, he’s not running for president. And there’s no

That’s Life 10-17-08

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

Dear That’s Life,

It’s our family’s annual tradition to enjoy Rosh Hashana in Brooklyn at my parents’ home in Midwood. We enjoy stuffing ourselves with delicious home cooked food made by my mom and my dad’s attention to every detail of our stay, including getting us his next-door neighbor’s safe parking spot where our car won’t get hit

Republican Dean Skelos vs. Democrat Roy Simon

Incumbent and challenger share their views before Election Day

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

Dean Skelos — Incumbent, Republican

Roy Simon— Challenger, DemocratBy Yaffi Spodek

Roy Simon (D-West Hempstead) is running for the New York State Senate, challenging incumbent Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) who is seeking his 13th term representing the Ninth District, and who recently became the Senate Majority Leader.

Simon, a professor of legal ethics at Hofstra University School of Law, is passionate about ethics and has written extensively on the subject. “Ethics above all” is his campaign slogan, and he pledges to “bring ethical reform

Jews in green

Observant life for U.S. soldiers and marines

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

U.S. Army Specialist Jason Claude

On his first day of basic training Army Specialist Jason Claude experienced what he considers the embodiment of the military’s attitude towards practicing Jews. It was Friday afternoon and he was carefully explaining the rules and regulations of Shabbat to his drill sergeant, when the drill sergeant interrupted him and said in the thickest Southern drawl Jason ever heard: “Boy, the army says you can worship any G-d, but you worship Him on my time. “

The military’s attitude towards Jewish soldiers has recently come under scrutiny after the Anti Defamation League intervened in a case of alleged anti-Semitism in Fort Bennings, Georgia. Private Michael Handman, an observant Jew,

A sukkah for Ohel Bais Ezra

Building a sukkah for someone else can be much more than a chesed project. Rabbi Steve Moskowitz, a rebbe at Shalhevet High School for Girls, used this sukkah his ninth graders built at an Ohel Bais Ezra residence for women in Woodmere as a hands-on tool to teach the halachot of constructing a sukkah. (L-R) Devora Eisenberg, Michelle Weisblum, Deena Warshaw, Shoshana Wagman, Zahava Moskowitz and Rabbi Moskowitz. (Photo courtesy of Machon HaTorah)

Ohel Bais Ezra opens new Cedarhurst residence

Group home for adolescents is agency’s fourth in the area

Ohel CEO David Mandel leads Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy on a tour of Ohel Bais Ezra’s new group home for developmentally disabled adolescents in Cedarhurst. (Photo by Andrew Vardakis)

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

With the opening of its newest group home, located at 545 Arlington Avenue in Cedarhurst, Ohel Bais Ezra now has four residences for the developmentally disabled in the Five Towns. The Brooklyn-based Jewish social service agency also recently opened an office complex at Beach 9th Street in Far Rockaway.

Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy was

The permanent sukkah: A Sukkos essay inspired by a color photograph

By Judah S. Harris

“All seven days, one makes his sukkah permanent and his house temporary” (Mishnah Sukkah 28b).

The opening line of the last Mishna in the second chapter of the tractate of Sukkah instructs us to adjust our definition of dwelling. For seven days, and one additional day outside of the Land of Israel, our homes — which come in all shapes and sizes — are to be viewed as the more temporal, and the simpler structures that we have erected, the more permanent,

Slice of life: Recipes for Chol HaMoed Sukkot

Bring out the cucumbers

By Eileen Goltz

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

When it comes to eating lunch during chol hamoed Sukkot, we’re all scrambling for simple meal ideas that don’t include cooking. We’ve all done enough of that these past few weeks.

This is when I say: bring out the cucumbers and start chopping. They’re tasty, low in calories and can be diced and sliced and thrown into a salad, sandwich or even used

On the Calendar 10-17-08

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

Manhattan – The Mel and Phyllis Zachter Institute for Advanced Professional Education of OHEL presents a full-day conference for professionals, parents and advocates supporting individuals with autism. The conference will take place on

Opinion: Workers of the world, be proud

By Rabbi Chananya Weissman

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

Our label-driven community, in which everyone must be neatly pegged and categorized within seconds of meeting them, tells us that there are two types of “boys”: those who would be Learners, and those who would be Learner-Earners. The former refers to those who presumably devote their entire waking existence

From the other side of the bench: Not my brother’s keeper

By David Seidemann

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

The number seven represents nature in Judaism, and the ultimate that man can achieve in its realm. At the conclusion of every cycle of seven, days or years, we are reminded of G-d’s ultimate direction over the course of our lives.

Every seven days we celebrate a Sabbath indicating to mankind that despite man’s creativity in this world, G-d is the ultimate creator. Every seven years Jewish farmers must let their fields lie fallow to mark Shmittah. Despite all that we were able to provide for our families over seven years,

Letters to the Editor 10-17-08

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

Someone else’s problem

To the Editor:

My appreciation to Howard Kopel for a well written, appropriate article (Rabbinical malpractice: evaluating the actions of our leaders; Sept. 26, 2008).

He made some significant points including one which is very close to

Fall fear factor

Sukkot/Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah 5769

By Rabbi Avi Billet

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

There are few things in life that can elicit a collective gasp from everyone in a room. A real shocking twist in a novel is limited to the reader, while the same twist in a film might be expected by a percentage of the viewers. But there is one moment I can visualize that can deflate a Jewish crowd in a second: when a Sefer Torah (Torah scroll) falls to the ground.

Here are two examples I experienced.

One Simchat Torah, I was witness to overexcited dancers grabbing a 75-plus year old man who was holding a Torah. Down they all went.

Only Simchas in The Jewish Star 10-17-08

Engagements

Engagement of Kara Goldschmidt (Silver Spring, MD/Washington Heights, NY) & Jacob Sassoon (Houston, TX/Washington Heights, NY) – Oct. 12, 2008

Engagement of Chani Schonbrun (Cedarhurst, NY) & Menachem Yondorf (Philadelphia, PA) – Oct. 12, 2008.

Birth

Birth of boy to Yubie & Rivkah Leah Richt (Lakewood, NJ) — Oct. 9, 2008

To see more current smachot visit our web partner, www.onlysimchas.com

In memory of Mark Davidman a”h

Photo courtesy of HAFTR

Students at HAFTR High School raised $1,800 dollars for Hatzalah in memory of Mark Davidman a”h, on the occasion of his first yahrtzeit. The money is to go toward an ambulance garage the volunteer squad hopes to build on West Broadway in Woodmere, possibly to be named for Davidman, who was a 25-year Hatzalah veteran. Pictured (L-R) Mikey and Josh Davidman, sons of Mark Davidman; Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, Associate Principal of Student Life in HAFTR High School; Rabbi Elozer Kanner, a Hatzalah coordinator; not pictured: Zeke Bernstein, HAFTR High School junior who spearheaded the fundraising effort.

Photo courtesy of HAFTR

Opinion: A history of Project Y.E.S.

By Rabbi Yakov Horowitz

Issue of Oct. 17, 2008

The first column that I ever wrote was published in the May, 1996 issue of The Jewish Observer on a topic that was simply not discussed in polite company at that time: underachieving children and the increased rate of drop-outs of boys and girls from the Orthodox community.

When I submitted the 4,500 word essay, I honestly had no idea of the impact it would have and the firestorm it would ignite. But I soon discovered the incredible power of the written word. In the first month after the column was published, my wife and I received more than 300 phone calls at home from Jewish parents around the world. Some complimented or critiqued what I had written, but the vast majority of them were just begging for relief from the searing agony they and their at-risk children were experiencing. Clearly a raw nerve had been touched.

Soon, I was invited to address the National Conventions of both Torah Umesorah and Agudath Israel on the issue of teens at risk. Over the following months, I wrote several follow-up columns on this topic.

In September of 1997, I requested a meeting with Rabbi Moshe Sherer, the late, dynamic president of Agudath Israel, to explore the possibility of harnessing the resources of Agudath Israel to address this issue. At that time, Rabbi Sherer was well past retirement age, and was silently battling the illness that would shortly take his life. It would have been well within his right to take an extended leave of absence and disconnect his phone. But his dedication to Klal Yisroel did not permit him to do so. He took the time to meet with me and took an active role in the founding and growth of Project Y.E.S. over the following months, almost until the week of his death.

Project Y.E.S. is special because it evolves with the changing needs of our children. While one-on-one mentoring was once an adequate response toward prevention of the at-risk phenomena, much more is needed today.

In 1996, with the encouragement of our gedolim, we began offering jobs to teens who were out of school. Unfortunately, we soon discovered that many of the children simply did not have the skills to hold down a job. So we changed our model to incorporate career counseling and aptitude testing along with the job placement. In 1999, we developed a professional, all-volunteer teen-mentoring program, utilizing the best practices of several agencies with successful mentoring programs, among them Big Brother/Big Sister of NYC. This has quite literally changed the lives of hundreds of children in our communities, and, according to our teen mentors, improved their own parenting skills as well. The key component of this program is the training and ongoing supervision which our volunteers receive from our experienced mental health professionals.

Over time, we soon came to realize that the parents of at-risk children have as great a need for a “lifeline” as their children do. In 2002, using the experience we had earned in the mentoring program, we developed our parent-mentoring program which provides highly trained volunteers to be one-on-two coaches to parents for a twelve week period, resulting in the improvement of the parent/child relationships in hundreds of homes.

In 2005, responding to many requests from parents and educators across North America, we introduced our KESHER School Program. An onsite clinician is assigned to more than 25 schools in four states, and works exclusively with the teachers and administration, one-on-one, to effectively manage challenged students within the mainstream classroom. In a relatively short time, our KESHER program has added an entirely new dimension to the children’s school experience. Almost 10,000 children have been helped.

We are now exploring diverse and creative uses of the Internet to all who turn to us for help. We have already created:

— An online referral database of all Orthodox, private therapists, services and agencies that offer assistance to parents of at-risk teens to improve the children’s quality of life and educational success.

— An online registry of all mainstream and alternative yeshiva schools in the US and Israel, where you can learn the particulars about any school and share your comments and personal experiences with that school to help others in the future.

— Additionally, we are now expanding our Internet, “People Helping People,” program of dynamic parent forums, allowing our participants to pose parenting questions to professionals and lay experts who bring a broad range of life experiences to our communal discussion.

— We are also actively exploring the development of a new “kid-friendly” teen site, where Jewish teens can safely and confidentially interact with volunteers and professionals who can provide sound guidance, when they do seek our help.

Fried and Helfgott to sing for Project Y.E.S.

On Sunday, October 26th, Project Y.E.S. will run its first major fundraising event — a concert in The Jazz at New York City’s Lincoln Center, featuring Avrohom Fried and Chazzan Yitzchok Meir Helfgot. There are only 1,000 seats in the concert hall, and it promises to be an elegant and enjoyable evening. To reserve seats visit www.rabbihorowitz.com, email admin@rabbihorowitz.com or call 718-758-3131, ext. 106.

See The Jewish Star as it appears in print 10-10-08

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Beth Din switch sought by Shulamith

November deadline to close on Inwood campus nears

By Mayer Fertig

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

In a sharply worded response to a third hazmanah from the Beth Din of America, an attorney for Shulamith School for Girls said he answered a second summons three days before the Aug. 15 deadline.

“I have never received any substantive response to that letter [dated Aug. 12] but I have been informed that you have taken the position that Shulamith never responded to the second hazmanah,” Edward Rubin wrote.

“This is simply false.”

A group of nearly 100 Shulamith parents more or less simultaneously has summoned the school administration to a din torah and filed a civil suit, seeking to block an apparent plan to sell the school’s valuable Flatbush campus and use the proceeds to purchase a campus for Bnot Shulamith in Inwood. That purchase, which was scheduled to close in November, is now in doubt, as is the status of the deposit paid on the property by Rabbi Moshe Zwick, the venerable institution’s executive director.

“Please do bear in mind the distinction between no response and a response you don’t like,” Rubin’s letter continued. “They are not the same. I trust I will not hear attributed to you the further falsehood

Editorial: The Book of Livelihood

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

To most of us the 21st line of Avinu Malkeinu is even more fraught with meaning than the rest of that poignant tefilah. Inscribe us b’sefer parnasa –– in the Book of Livelihood –– in the New Year, we beg of G-d.
Eleven times annually in the Birchat HaChodesh, the ba’al tefilah will usually put a little something extra into that word, parnasa –– a little extra kvetch, something to make sure G-d gets the message: this one is really, really important.

As people of faith we know just Who it is that provides our daily bread –– or we should know it, though truth be told, we all benefit from a reminder every now and again that while it’s our job to put in the appropriate effort, it is G-d, and He alone, who apportions our lot in life.

Unfortunately, many of our neighbors, friends and relatives, newly unemployed, lived with this knowledge, vivid and front-of-mind, on Yom Kippur and now, into Sukkot.

September ended with the number of new applications for unemployment at their highest point since just after 9/11. Nationally, the effects of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike were blamed, but on the east coast we know we can look toward Wall St.

Moshe Tyberg, the director of

For the sin of silence during the Holocaust

By Dr. Rafael Medoff

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

On Yom Kippur, in synagogues throughout the country, American Jews will lightly strike their chests while reciting the “Al Chets,” the litany of confessions for sins committed during the previous year. “For the sin of lying … For the sin of gossiping … For the sin of being disrespectful ….” and so on. Some years ago, one of the most prominent rabbis in America made a startling suggestion — that American Jews should add an “Al Chet” to acknowledge the community’s

From the other side of the bench: A passport from G-d

By David Seidemann

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

Shmulik lives in Israel with his wife and six children. He is a successful businessman who commutes to the United States approximately three times a month. Arriving on Mondays and leaving again on Thursdays, he insists at all costs to be home with his family for Shabbos. I heard this story from Shmulik’s first cousin, who was a guest at our Rosh Hashana table last week.

Chesed in the Sukkah

As a Sukkot morale booster for the Houston Jewish community, which is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Ike, HAFTR Middle School students Abigail Alon (left) and Emma Decter, prepared hand-made sukkah decorations. (Photo by Yehuda Marchuck)

Strengthening our children

JCC and Ohel partner in program to help students

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

The JCC of the Greater Five Towns has joined with the Ohel Bais Ezra Lifetime Care Foundation to offer a program called Project CHINUCH –– Children Need Chizuk. Funded by a grant from the Caring Commission of the UJA Federation, the new initiative provides the services of a certified social worker one day a week in several yeshivas and day schools in the Five Towns, to help children face

That’s Life 10-10-08

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

Dear That’s Life,

Before leaving the house very early the other morning I made a strategic error and gently kissed my three-and-a-half year old son as he slept in my bed. Moments later he was wide awake, cheerful, and ready to chat.

“Daddy, do you know what we do on Kippah Day?” he asked.

Parshat Ha’azinu

Resolutions for remarkable Jews

By Rabbi Avi Billet

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

It is a bit of a challenge to reflect on Yom Kippur before it happens. This issue of The Jewish Star went to press before Yom Kippur, but may reach readers’ hands after the chag.

Letters to the Editor 10-10-08

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

A rav on ‘rabbinical malpractice’

To the Editor:

I read with great interest, and with much agreement with the sentiments expressed within, the insightful critique of our rabbinic leadership by Howard Kopel (Rabbinical malpractice: evaluating the actions of our leaders; Sept. 26, 2008).

On the Calendar 10-10-08

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

Yoga in the park

A way to achieve serenity in the bustling village of Cedarhurst

Kahn demonstrates a yoga position.

By Malka Eisenberg

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

Cedarhurst Park is usually a green oasis in the noise and rush of a weekday morning. One September morning, further tranquility was being promoted at a free yoga class led by Andrew Kahn on a grassy space by the park’s gazebo.

Andrew Kahn is a certified professional yoga instructor and a licensed massage therapist.

“I wrote a letter to the mayor and board of Cedarhurst and they responded positively for my offer of free yoga in the park,” said Kahn,

New venue for delicate questions of family purity

North Woodmere woman heads Yoetzet Halacha program

By Malka Eisenberg

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

When they are faced with personal questions concerning Jewish family law, many observant women turn to a knowledgeable rabbi for a solution. Some women are uncomfortable broaching intimate issues with a rav, however. They tend to decide such matters for themselves, taking either an approach more stringent than necessary or

Great Neck: A look at Tomchei Shabbos

Local charity connects those in need with others willing to share

By Lisa Schiffman

Issue of Oct. 10. 2008

A volunteer loads up for a Tomchei Shabbos delivery route

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon in late September, a group of dedicated Orthodox men, women and students worked together inside the warehouse of Tomchei Shabbos of Queens in Kew Gardens. Cardboard boxes laden with food, each labeled and tagged, were stacked high on metal shelves. Quietly and without fuss, the well-organized team of volunteers loaded each box containing challah, fruits, vegetables and cake –– all the food necessary for a proper Shabbos dinner –– for delivery to needy Jewish families in Queens and other areas of Long Island. Near the front door, a woman with a computer printout checked each outgoing box to ensure it was complete. Finally, a young girl placed a frozen chicken in each box before it was loaded into the waiting car trunks

The Kosher Bookworm: Waiting for rain

Reflections at the turning of the year

Reviewed by Alan Jay Gerber

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

Yom Kippur has passed and the hints of a winter chill envelop us with every step. The weather now garners increased attention as we are about to eat our meals in the sukkah. Any forecast of rain casts a pall upon our holiday plans. Yet, rain is a commodity that we will soon pray for and welcome as a gift and sign of Divine grace, especially for our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael.

A new book entitled “Waiting for Rain” by Dr. Bryna Jocheved Levy, and published by the prestigious Jewish Publication Society, is a series of elegantly

Opinion: Selective memory

By Menashe Shapiro

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

Jewish Republicans fell for it again. They continually fall for the patented Republican “bait and switch” act. When Sarah Palin made sure during her debate to mention moving the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, no doubt Jewish Republicans across the nation smiled, probably thought of the Israeli flag in her Alaskan office and felt all warm and fuzzy about their new friend.

Saying ‘cain’ to McCain

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman (left) at a McCain-Palin fundraiser in the Five Towns in September. Dr. Paul Brody (with sign) is a political activist from Great Neck and a founding member of the fledgling World Committee for the Land of Israel. He coined the Hebrew play-on-words catchphrase ‘Say Cain to McCain.’ Dr. Brody’s placard also notes “McCain is able.”

Scoring high at Rambam

Merit Scholarship results

Issue of Oct. 10, 2008

Seven seniors at Rambam Mesivta have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program for achieving outstanding scores on the PSAT exam. Aryeh Baruch (pictured at right) has qualified as a semifinalist while six other students have been named as Commended Students. Pictured below (L-R) are: Rabbi Yotav Eliach, Principal; Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Rosh Mesivta; Sender Klein; Akiva Pollak; Avrumi Kessler; Max Plaut; Uri Weinberg; Eitan Adler; Rabbi Peretz Hochbaum, Associate Principal; and Dr. Lisa Korman, Director of Student Guidance.

See The Jewish Star as it appears in print 10-3-08

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Kosher ethics guide proposed

Industry observers predict limited impact

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

In the wake of the immigration and child labor scandals at the AgriProcessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa, the Rabbinical Council of America has begun to formulate a practical guide to Jewish principles and ethics relevant to the kosher food industry.

“We plan to specifically spell out Jewish ethics of business and encourage companies in the food area to incorporate a higher ethical standard, and do this on a voluntary basis,” explained Rabbi Basil Herring of Woodmere, executive vice president of the RCA.

“Every kashrus contract will specify that the company adhere to local law and regulation. By having that commitment in a kosher contract, the company understands that there are other penalties they may get from the government, and if it will cost them their hashgacha, they will take it more seriously,” he said.

The RCA’s move is not solely in response to recent events concerning the AgriProcessors

Editorial: Forgiveness

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

A radio listener who called in to the popular program hosted by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch a number of years ago went to great lengths to stress the extent to which he agreed with pretty much everything Koch had ever said or done in office, or on the air. Then the caller segued into a description of the anger, shock and disappointment he experienced over something Koch had said that actually didn’t fit this caller’s worldview.

“Pick 12 issues,” Koch advised his disillusioned fan. “If you agree with me on nine out of 12 then you and I see eye to eye on most things.” In his nasal New York accent, the former mayor then added a zinger: “But if you agree with me on all 12 … go see a psychiatrist!”

Any newspaper worth the time it takes to read is bound to tick off even the most loyal reader from time to time, with a story that strikes particularly close to home, or perhaps with an editorial opposing one’s deeply held view. Agreeing to disagree is part of growing up, it seems, and those who can’t probably haven’t.

We always get a little chuckle out of criticism — presumably constructive — that begins with the critic cautioning that

Anti-drug blueprint draws on existing yeshiva policies

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

At a window table at a kosher pizza store on Central Avenue in Cedarhurst on a recent Friday, two young men in their 20s sat with a reporter and discussed fact and fiction about drug use in the Modern Orthodox community.

One of them, who graduated from HAFTR five years ago, said he thinks drug use in yeshiva day schools is down since his high school days –– down on account of random drug test policies, and on account of administrators who are more aware of the problem than they were in the past. However, he also believes that illegal drugs are more accessible now than ever before and that “younger kids are doing drugs these days,” than in the past.

His friend, who recently moved from Florida, agreed. Looking outside, he added that he thought kids “were getting dumber” by doing drugs in public places and getting caught more often.

A few minutes later, as if on cue, a quiet drug hand-off between two teens, one wearing a kippah, took place under the

A match made in heaven

From a HAFTR blood drive to kidney donor

HAFTR’s Jennifer Peretti will offer Kevin O’Brien a new lease on life by giving him a kidney. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Peretti)

By Miriam L. Wallach

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

Eighteen-year-old Kevin O’Brien goes to school, enjoys hanging out with his friends, playing video games and taking things apart to see how they work and then reassembling them. Tall and lanky as a teen, he was so striking as a young child that he was a baby model for the Ford agency. Outgoing and quite intelligent, Kevin seems like a typical teen — one who hopes for a future in the medical field. In fact, he wants to develop a way to clone a kidney — “a bio-identical kidney,” in which everything is the same, explaining “it has to be science fiction before it becomes science fact.”

JCC announces expansion plans

New facility to be built at Temple Israel

By Yaffi Spodek

The JCC plans to build on 50,000 square feet of property newly acquired from Temple Israel. (Image by John Capobianco)

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

The Jewish Community Center of the Greater Five Towns has signed a letter of intent to purchase property at Temple Israel in Lawrence, firming up previously announced plans to construct a new 50,000 square foot headquarters for the community agency.

“Allowing us to share the Temple Israel property, a location that is so prominent and well-known to many inside and outside of our community, provides us with an ideal cornerstone location,” said Dr. Kenneth Berman, president of the board of directors of the JCC. “We all understand the need to provide our community with a state-of-the-art full-service JCC that will serve all members of the Five Towns.”

That’s Life

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

Dear That’s Life,

As I read the news last week I noticed that the Mets lost (again). I commented out loud that it looks like the Mets are going to blow it. My four year old daughter, Chani, a student at T.A.G., looked at me with a puzzled face and asked, “I thought that the ba’al tokea blows it.”

Judah Hulkower
West Hempstead

Parshat Vayelech

G-d’s clear indirect message

By Rabbi Avi Billet

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

For the parsha with the fewest number of verses in the Torah, Vayelech is quite busy. (Nitzavim has 10 more verses, but it takes up less space in the Torah.)

Between warnings of bad that may come, commanding about “hak’hel,” finalizing the Torah’s script, empowering Yehoshua, talking to the Levites, the elders, and the people, Moshe is doing well for a man of 120 years.

The Kosher Bookworm: The Rav on Teshuva

Teshuva and Yomim Noraim, The Noraos Harav (vol. 16)

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, zt”l

Suggested reading for Yom Kippur

Reviewed by Alan Jay Gerber

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

As we are now in the midst of the yemei ratzon with Yom Kippur just around the corner, I would like to bring to your attention a new book of divrei Torah from one of the greatest talmudic scholars of the 20th century, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, zt”l.

From the other side of the bench: When it’s good to be nice

By David Seidemann

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

I was meandering near the intersection of Court St. and Montague in downtown Brooklyn the other day, when a young lady with a clip-board and pen impeded my progress. Dressed in slacks, a T-shirt, and an American flag pin on her lapel, she began to ask me some questions.

“Would you vote for a candidate simply because he is black?” I answered no. “Would you not vote for a candidate because he is black?” Once again I answered no.

Right Angle: Momentous moments

By Rabbi Avi Shafran

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008

The weeks before a presidential election provide spiritual fodder for the week between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

Second message for Mahmoud

Rambam Mesivta High School organized a second demonstration against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Joined by hundreds of other protestors, they rallied outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City during his appearance before Christian peace groups on Thursday, Sept. 25th. (Photo courtesy Machon HaTorah)

On the Calendar 10-3-08

West Hempstead – Shlug kaporos with live chickens in West Hempstead on Sunday, October 5, from 12:00 noon until 3:30 pm at 783 Evergreen Drive. The price is $18 per chicken and the proceeds are donated to tzedaka. Checks may be made payable to the Yeshiva of South Shore. The chickens will be distributed to poor families. Reservations are required. For more information or to reserve, e-mail kaporos@gmail.com or call (516) 538-8227.