See The Jewish Star as it appears in print 11-28-08

js08-11-28

Charity begins at home

New group will help victims of financial crisis

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

“Who would have imagined that in the affluent Five Towns, which have given so much money to causes outside the community, we are really now faced with ‘aniyei ircha,’” wondered Rabbi Hershel Billet of the Young Israel of Woodmere.

Local families are in financial distress due to the economic downturn. Principals of local schools report that significant numbers of parents have lost their jobs and can’t pay tuition.

“For the first time ever, some yeshivas are behind in paying salaries to rebbeim,” warned Dovid Friedman of Lawrence.

He was the co-chair, with Sam Bergman, of a group of lay leaders from Lawrence and Far Rockaway who planned to help unemployed breadwinners. Unbeknownst to them, a parallel effort was underway in Woodmere. The two groups have now pooled their resources into what will be known as the Eliezer Project.

“We realized that for us to proceed on our own would be redundant,” said Bergman.

“Our goal was to help people who lost their jobs [to] deal with collateral issues

Do cheaper cheese and flour mean cheaper pizza and bagels? Not always.

By Daniella Adler

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Despite the reduced price of raw ingredients from their highs more than a month ago, not all bagel and pizza stores have lowered their prices accordingly.

Responses to the plummeting price of commodities like cheese and flour differ greatly. When asked,

Younger generation sees Rubashkin case in black and white

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Three days after Sholom Rubashkin, the former CEO of Agriprocessors, was denied bail by the federal court, and two months after Iowa’s attorney general charged the company’s slaughterhouse in Iowa with thousands of child labor law violations, Zehava Zelasko, 28, waxed philosophical about the case in the Young Israel of Woodmere.

“I totally think it was a chilul Hashem,” she said. “If it’s a kosher company, you can’t ignore such issues.”

“It’s disgraceful,” said a 29-year-old trader at Goldman Sachs as he left the White Shul. “It has been difficult trying to explain to people

Twenty-four hour shopping in Lawrence — beat that, Brooklyn

By Mayer Fertig

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

After waiting several long months for final sign-offs by health and building inspectors, the Five Town’s fourth full-service all-kosher supermarket opened its doors last week. Glatt Kosher Kingdom may have seemed a little quiet in its first few days, but by Sunday the calm was shattered. Crowds of shoppers descended on Rockaway Turnpike to try the new store on for size, practically picking the shelves clean.

Glatt Kosher Kingdom has entered into head-to-head competition with three other stores — Gourmet Glatt, Supersol and, particularly, with Brach’s, located just a stone’s throw away, off Burnside Avenue. Each is popular with its own regular shoppers, sometimes in a very partisan way, and Glatt Kosher Kingdom needed something to set it apart from the very beginning. Twenty-four hour a day, six day a week shopping is the answer, and while not everyone is inclined to shop for groceries at 1:00 a.m., it works well for Stephen Wallach of Woodmere. He stopped in early last Friday to pick up a few things on his way home from a Hatzalah call.

“It was like being in Brooklyn and being able to eat after a call,” he joked. “Instead I can

Review: “Kosher by Design Lightens Up”

Susie Fishbein’s latest: Kosher by Design Lightens Up

Susie Fishbein’s newest cookbook

Reviewed by Miriam L. Wallach

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

It’s safe to say that no one cook and author has influenced kosher cooking in the last 15 years or so more than Susie Fishbein. Dubbed the “Jewish Martha Stewart,” albeit without the felony conviction, Mrs. Fishbein has impacted kosher cooking the way Ms. Stewart has impacted homemaking; both have transformed the way one looks at these household responsibilities as more than chores. In fact, they can be looked at as skills, opportunities and art.

A far cry from the famed purple cookbook of years past whose main ingredients were margarine, pareve milk and onion soup mix, Fishbein has taken kosher cooking one step further in this sixth installment in her Kosher by Design series. “Kosher by Design Lightens Up” attempts to teach the kosher cook a thing or two, not only about cooking better, but about cooking healthier, as well.

In her introduction, Fishbein makes it clear that this should not be mistaken for a “diet book,” as her intention is to educate readers in the simple ways they can adjust their culinary habits to make tasty, interesting and healthy food. Fishbein reassures readers that eating well is not only something they can do by starting slowly, but also that “delicious” and “nutritious” can coexist harmoniously on [their] plate.” Numerous aspects of the book support this message.

The cover of the book, for instance, with its decadent slice of cheesecake — often the poster-child for high fat food — is the ambassador to this journey in which one learns immediately that this book is about food that we love but that no longer has to be high in fat and high in calories.

While being interviewed on the Nov. 17 edition of “JM in the AM with Nachum Segal” (91.1 FM / www.jmintheam.org), Fishbein talked about the cover, which she said was “the hardest thing to come up with, as you want a cover to represent what’s in the book,” and so in looking for a food that was going to represent her mission, “cheesecake really hit it.”

The recipes are also laid out in an inviting format, each page having colored squares at the top which complement a picture of the highlighted dish on the opposite page. It’s attractive and pleasing to the eye, subliminally reinforcing the author’s point that everything she is proposing is both doable and enjoyable. The text is clear and uncomplicated, with introductory information provided by the author and by Bonnie Taub-Dix, a Hewlett-based nutritionist who advised Fishbein, explaining the nutritional benefits of each recipe.

Most importantly, every recipe has an accompanying picture — the absence of which is often a pet peeve of cooks (“How am I supposed to know what it looks like if I don’t have a picture of it?”). To fans of Fishbein’s other cookbooks the photographs are often a highlight. The food is displayed and styled so perfectly, enticing the reader to try it, almost promising that if the recipe is made, the food will look like that because “you can do it, too.”

That certainly is what Fishbein wants readers to know and believe — that you can eat good, healthy food and it can still be attractive. A chef’s expression is that “eating begins with the eyes” — food tastes better when it looks good. So abandon your fear of wheat grass and tofu, because healthy food can come in the form of “chicken skewers with ponzu dipping sauce” and “pastrami wrapped stuffed figs.” You will actually want to eat it and it won’t kill you when you do.

The primer at the start of the book also provides vital information to readers about basic tenets of healthy eating and the bounty of healthy products readily available to consumers. From GMOs to the difference between spelt and faro (who knew?), Fishbein demystifies healthy eating so that even one’s trips to the supermarket can be more informed, understanding, as she puts it, that “healthy eating begins with healthy choices.”

While Lightens Up, in her words, is “not about numbers or nutritional analysis,” readers could have benefited from certain nutritional data that was not included and would have only underscored the author’s overall message. For example, knowing how much fiber is provided by a particular recipe, and what percentage of a person’s daily fiber intake that dish accounts for, would have furthered the education of the reader and also supported the book’s mission in proving how these foods directly benefit the body.

Fishbein even addressed this aspect of the book in the “JM in the AM” radio interview when she explained that it was not the purpose of the book, saying that “it’s an informational ‘let’s start moving in a better direction’ [book] — it’s really about being a more ‘educated eater.’” However, readers who are already cooking this way would be interested in learning more and this information could have provided that something “extra” they may be seeking. Without this data, however, the introductions to each recipe are still sufficient and convincing enough that readers will certainly try them out. And why wouldn’t they? Fishbein has few skeptics and a very large fan base. She has proven time and again that not only does she know what she is doing, but that she’s also good at it.

Becoming a household name is no easy trick, but “Which Fishbein did you get that recipe from?” is a question often heard when kosher cooks get together. No doubt, Lightens Up will also take its place in numerous kitchen libraries and rightfully so — it does the Fishbein reputation right.

In her own words:

Excerpt and sample recipes from Kosher by Design Lightens Up

Fishbein recently described regular deli roll as a “heart attack on a plate” to radio interviewer Nachum Segal, but said her family loves it, too.

Healthy Deli Rolls

MEAT — MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Deli roll is where it all began for me and this book. Deli roll is not in my usual repertoire nor has it been in any of my cookbooks, but it is and has been all the rage for years on Shabbos tables across this country.

My kids requested it one Shabbos.

As I began to assemble the dish on Friday morning it struck me, “This represents everything wrong with how we cook today. This item right here.”

Enraged, I called my girlfriend Estee and ranted, “Layers of puff pastry, spread thick with mayonnaise and layered with pounds and pounds of salami, pastrami, corned beef! No wonder obesity and diabetes are rampant!”

“Do something,” she said. “Your cookbooks have made a dent toward healthier eating, make a bigger dent.”

That was it. I began jotting down ideas that afternoon. The ideas included a healthier version of the deli roll that won’t make such a big dent on your scale! Not only is this dish lower in fat, cholesterol, and calories, but it also provides vitamin-packed sweet potato. You can have Thanksgiving any day of the year! I hope you enjoy it.

TURKEY-SWEET POTATO ROLL:

1 large sweet potato (about 3⁄4 pound)
1 (8-ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
1⁄4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1⁄2 box phyllo dough, defrosted
nonstick cooking spray
8 ounces thinly sliced turkey breast
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Wrap the sweet potato in a paper towel and microwave for 10–12 minutes, until soft. Peel and mash in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the cranberry sauce with the sage.

Open the phyllo dough. Lay one sheet of the dough on the prepared cookie sheet. Spray a light, even coating of nonstick cooking spray. Top with another sheet of phyllo dough and nonstick cooking spray.

Repeat for a total of 5 sheets of dough.

With an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of cranberry sauce. Top with an even layer of turkey. Spread the sweet potato over the turkey. From a long side end, roll up the dough.

Brush the top of the roll with beaten egg and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. Bake, uncovered for 35 minutes.

Slice and serve hot.

ROAST BEEF DELI ROLL:

2 teaspoons canola oil
2 red onions, very thinly sliced
nonstick cooking spray
1⁄2 box phyllo dough, defrosted
1⁄2 cup stone-ground honey mustard, such as Honeycup
8 ounces cooked roast beef, very thinly sliced, very rare
1⁄4 cup prepared white horseradish
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 10–15 minutes, until soft and caramelized.

Open the phyllo dough. Lay one sheet of the dough on the prepared cookie sheet. Spray a light, even coating of nonstick cooking spray. Top with another sheet of phyllo dough and nonstick cooking spray.

Repeat for a total of 5 sheets of dough.

With an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of honey mustard. Top with an even layer of roast beef. Spread the horseradish over the roast beef and top with caramelized onions. From a long side end, roll up the dough.

Brush the top of the roll with beaten egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake, uncovered for 35 minutes. Slice and serve hot.

Zucchini Lentil Soup

Perfect for Parshat Toldot: Zucchini-Lentil Soup

MEAT OR PARVE — MAKES 6 SERVINGS

3 egg roll wrappers, such as the Nasoya brand
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1⁄4 teaspoon dried dill
1⁄4 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, cut into 1⁄4-inch pieces
4 cloves fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon dried sage
1⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 large or 3 medium zucchini, with skin, cut into 1⁄4-inch pieces
1⁄4 cup fresh dill, stems trimmed, loosely packed
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup dried red lentils

Red lentils add an earthy tone to this soup and are one of the fastest cooking legumes. Lentils are even mentoned in the Bible, as Esau traded his birthright to Jacob for “a potage of lentils”! This historic legume is rich in fiber, niacin, potassium, and zinc. Don’t overcook the The Jewish Star › Edit — WordPresslentils or they will start to come apart.

The spiced egg roll wrappers are a crisp garnish and sub in nicely for crusty bread or soup nuts.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Lay the egg roll wrappers on the prepared cookie sheet. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white and water.

Brush each egg roll wrapper very lightly with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with dried dill and dried basil.

Place into the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until just golden brown. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, sage, and thyme. Cook until the onion is translucent; do not allow it to brown.

Add the zucchini and dill. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, until zucchini is a little shiny.

Add the stock. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the zucchini is soft.

Using an immersion blender, right in the pot, purée the soup until creamy. This can also be done in batches in a blender.

Add the lentils. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Holding a spiced egg roll crisp over the pot to catch the spices that may fall off, break each into uneven shards and stand a few in the center of each bowl.

Raspberry Mousse Triflettes

Rasberry Mousse Trifflettes

PARVE — MAKES 8-10 SERVINGS

6 ounces frozen raspberries, not in syrup, rinsed with hot water, drained
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1⁄8 teaspoon coarse sea salt
4 egg whites (from large eggs)
4 ounces nondairy whipping cream
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 (3-ounce) box soft ladyfingers (24 ladyfingers)

Whether frozen or fresh, these garnet-colored beauties are healthy as well as delicious. Raspberries are full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber and are a welcome addition to your meal or great for a snack. Abounding in quercetin, an antioxidant, and ellagic acid, a phenolic compound, raspberries can help fight cancer, and their fiber content can benefit digestion.

Place the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Do not turn on the machine. Allow the raspberries to stand and defrost for 15 minutes. Run the machine for a full 2 minutes to purée and form a smooth mixture.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the raspberry mixture into the strainer and, using the back of a wooden spoon, press the mixture through so it all strains through. Discard the seeds. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. Whip at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold the egg whites into the raspberries, a large scoop at a time.

Place the whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the raspberry mixture, a large scoop at a time.

Drop a few fresh raspberries into the bottom of a wine glass. Stand 3–4 ladyfingers in the wine glass, with their rounded sides facing out. Add a dollop of raspberry mousse in the center, pressing lightly so it gets down into the glass and between the ladyfingers. Top with a fresh raspberry. Depending on the size of your wine glasses, you may have extra mousse.

Place into refrigerator. Chill 3–4 hours or overnight to set.

Recipes from Kosher by Design Lightens Up — Copyright 2008 by Susie Fishbein

Review: Lonely Man of Faith

Photo copyright Yeshiva University

The Life and Legacy of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

Reviewed by Alan Jay Gerber

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

To review a movie documentary of a great rav and poseik is a daunting experience. A reviewer is trained to see the downside as well as the good in a work; however, when the subject itself is a work of pure greatness and ideological perfection, the critic in me has to stand aside in awe. Oh, there are the little technical flaws, since this is after all a human documentary. Nevertheless,

That’s Life 11-28-08

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Dear That’s Life,

I must admit there are times I have wondered about the after world — about heaven and, well, about the alternate destination. I just never imagined it was filled with turkeys.

The front page of Newsday this past Sunday brought attention to the shortage of turkeys being donated for Thanksgiving to soup kitchens and food pantries across Long Island. Due to the economic situation, many pantries were suffering serious shortages and they were concerned enough would not be donated to feed the numerous families in the area who depend on these charities for sustenance. Being a lover of Thanksgiving, I called Island Harvest to find out where turkeys can be donated and until when donations were being accepted. I wanted to give them a turkey.

But I also realized that charity begins at home and there were Kosher soup kitchens that

From the other side of the bench: Managing our time

By David Seidemann

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Time elapsed is not always time measured. In the criminal justice system one can be sentenced for multiple crimes to either consecutive terms of confinement or concurrent terms.

In football, 60 minutes of play on the clock translates to at least three hours of airtime.

In Jewish law, “miktzas hayom k’kulo,” part of the day is considered as the whole day, and so the last day of shiva

In My View: Speaking to your children about money

By Robin Daar, R.N., LCSW

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Your children have seen you do it many times. You take a plastic card from your wallet and magically get money from the ATM. Or they see you fill your shopping cart, swipe your card and take home your purchases without seeming to spend a penny. What do they know about these transactions?

Money is a difficult topic to discuss and we may forget to explain many of the basic concepts to our children. Helping our children understand what money is all about

Seeking “The Smile,” Ossie’s Toy Fund launches 2008 campaign

Toys piling up before the 2007 mission to Israel.

By Jewish Star Staff

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Chanukah’s coming, which must mean the clowns are packing for Israel again.

In a few weeks the mostly teenaged medical clowns of Lev Leytzan — nine from the Five Towns will meet up with another 10 who are studying there for the year — will begin a grueling, nearly

News in brief 11-28-08

By Mayer Fertig

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Lawrence school board hopes to avoid tax increase

Governor David Paterson’s proposed cuts in state aid to schools would mean a less than $1 million reduction for the Lawrence School District — “a very manageable number,” according to Board President Murray Forman, and one that he hopes would mean no increase

Parshat Toldot: In-laws

By Rabbi Avi Billet

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Sometimes a new point we’ve perhaps never considered becomes apparent and leaves us wondering: save for Rachel and Leah — who were sisters — the Imahot (Four Mothers) never met one another.

Sara died before Rivka was introduced to her son. Rivka died before Yaakov returned home with his family. Surely Rachel never met her daughters-in-law, and we can only speculate as to

On the Calendar 11-28-08

Taking action

On Monday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. Legislator Jeff Toback and New York City Councilman Jim Sanders will host a meeting at the White Shul, 728 Empire Road in Far Rockaway, to discuss a strategy for the removal of the Platinum Club billboard. For further information, please contact Legislator Toback at (516) 571-6207.

Cedarhurst – Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi (The Red Shul) will resume a weekly late night seder each Thursday night in the shul at 395 Oakland Avenue, beginning

Editorial: Lonely man of faith

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Photo copyright Yeshiva University

Known to his many talmidim simply as ‘The Rav,” Rabbi Yosef Ber Soloveitchik was among the few most famous personalities of the observant Jewish world of the 20th century.

Many students had the opportunity to interact with Rav Soloveitchik during his decades at Yeshiva University, but younger people who may have attended YU or even MTA after failing health forced the Rav to withdraw from teaching missed out on those opportunities, or even of the chance to catch a glimpse of him in a hallway.

Many of those younger people suffer gaps in their knowledge

Only Simchas in The Jewish Star 11-28-08

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Engagements

Samuel David and Ariana Sufian

Engagement of Ariana Sufian (Paramus, NJ) & Samuel David (Merrick, LI) – Nov. 24, 2008

Joshua Pollack and Elianna Kohn

Engagement of Elianna Kohn (Hillcrest, NY) & Joshua Pollack (New Hempstead, NY) – Nov. 16, 2008

 

Birth

Birth of baby boy to Alisha and Josh Summers (Woodmere, NY) – Nov. 18, 2008

Delivering a message of hope

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht, Shalhevet students heard Holocaust survivor Mrs. Eva Lux Braun speak about her experience during the Shoah. Mrs. Braun told a remarkable story of how she saved the lives of her younger sister and a friend in the concentration camp, a spontaneous action that taught her to never give up hope.

Israel night

Issue of Nov. 28, 2008 / 1 Kislev 5769

Rambam Mesivta hosted the Nassau County Men’s Communal Israel Night Program on Nov. 17.

It was attended by close to 450 students and parents from Rambam, HALB, HANC, HAFTR and North Shore.

Thirty two Israel Yeshivot participated, representing a wide spectrum of the various options available.

Students had the opportunity to attend four different presentations and accumulate detailed information regarding each Yeshiva program. Pictured, Rabbi Michael Olshin of Yeshivat Torat Shraga.

See The Jewish Star as it appears in print 11-21-08

js08-11-21

Billboard impasse

The sign is legal, authorities say, and unlikely to be removed

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5758

She’s 10 feet tall, not wearing much at all, and as of Tuesday night, despite the combined efforts of community activists, government officials, and local lawmakers to apply pressure, apparently not going anywhere.

‘She’ is the billboard that for the past month or so has been heralding the Platinum Club on Rockaway Turnpike. It has not been taken town and immediate plans to have it removed have stalled.

“The more first amendment research I do the less optimistic I get,” said Legislator Jeff Toback. His original hope was that the billboard, which is on the Rosedale, Queens side of the border, had been put up without permission from the New York City Department of Buildings and could therefore be ordered to be taken down.

Toback has since learned that the Building Dept. only regulates the size of billboards, and not their content. So far as the city is concerned the billboard is

Editorial: HaMavdil bein kodesh l’chol

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

In all the fuss about the oversized, underdressed young woman who is dominating the skyline on Rockaway Turnpike, and conversations in Jewish neighborhoods throughout the immediate area, the only thing that everyone seems to understand clearly is that no single community, ours or any other, can assume that it has the absolute right to tell everyone else what to do. And that’s something to be proud of, even as efforts continue to have that obnoxious billboard removed.

In some other predominantly Jewish neighborhoods in the New York region the matter would perhaps already have been “resolved” with the defacement or destruction of private property, which, of course, would not have amounted to a resolution at all. Obviously, the story would then have been splashed all over the secular media in a manner most unbecoming of and uncomplimentary to a Torah community.

Forgive the back patting — the matter is far from over and it is still too early for self-congratulations — but we make this observation and raise this point mainly to urge that the restraint continue.

As our report on Page 1 indicates, various options have been attempted or are still being considered, but since the billboard is not likely to be removed soon we’re just going to have to deal with it.

How?

The report indicates that the construction schedule on Rockaway Turnpike recently changed to an evening pattern, as scheduled, which should reduce waiting time at the traffic light nearest the billboard. Now drivers who don’t wish to have the image on the billboard seared into the backs of their eyelids just have to … not look. Keeping your eyes on the road is a wise course of action in any event. Now there’s an extra reason to do so.

The provocative question posed on Shabbos by a local rav wonders what other forms of secular influence we take pains to avoid — both in terms of the messages we send to our children, and for our own sakes. Pious discomfort and unhappiness over a prurient billboard can healthily be channeled into introspection about other areas of our lives that we might wish to change or improve.

As Shabbos ends we say the words HaMavdil bein kodesh l’chol, thanking G-d for the gift he gives us each week. The words should also remind us that even as we exercise our choice to not live in a ghetto we must face the challenges of the secular world, such as this one, and live our lives in a manner that ennobles us and brings credit to the notion of HaMavdil … bein Yisroel lo’amim.

Feeling betrayed after Hikind subpoena

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

Assemblyman Dov Hikind’s quest to end sexual abuse in the Orthodox community has taken a strange twist: he is refusing to cooperate with a subpoena served by an attorney on behalf of victims of abuse in a Brooklyn yeshiva.

Michael Dowd represents two men who believe that Yeshiva Torah Temimah, run by Lipa Margolis, knew that their alleged abuser, Yehuda Kolko, was a serial child molester but chose to not fire him. They have subpoenaed Hikind for information about the case that may be contained in the massive dossier he claims he has compiled about hundred of cases of abuse.

In response, Hikind said he would go to jail before revealing the names of victims who have revealed themselves to him or his staff. Testifying against Kolko and Torah Temimah would also pit Hikind squarely against a powerful institution in his own district.

The subpoena has been referred to an attorney for the New York State Assembly, said Hikind. He called it “irrelevant” to what he trying to accomplish: a plan to deal with the problem of abuse

A second chance at life

Naftali Sheetrit in an Israeli hospital several weeks after the Merkaz HaRav massacre.

Merkaz HaRav survivor recuperating after surgery

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

Naftali Sheetrit’s 11-hour triple surgery on Oct. 30 was successful, and the 14-year-old survivor of the Merkaz HaRav massacre is now recovering in Indianapolis.

“The doctor [Richard Rink] repaired everything and his body is working,” said Rabbi Hershel Billet of the Young Israel of Woodmere,who flew out to Indiana on Tuesday to visit him.

Rabbi Billet spoke to The Jewish Star from aboard the airplane before his return trip

Kosherfest 2008

Long Island vendors take top honors

Andy Kaufman of Mikee Exotic Sauce Packaging at Kosherfest 2008.

By Lisa Schiffman

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

More than 6,000 exhibitors and visitors from 28 countries attended the kosher food trade show known as Kosherfest last week at The Meadowland’s Exposition Center in Secaucus, N.J. A handful of Long Island companies were recognized with special honors, including Simply Sushi Café, located in Gourmet Glatt in Cedarhurst, which beat out three well-known competitors for the bragging rights to ‘best kosher sushi.’

The winning platter was a collection of black dragon and red alert rolls, garnished with pepper tuna sashimi, which won top marks from the judges in every category.

Three other Long Island firms won prizes in the best new products competition.

Get Healthy America of Plainview, a gourmet diet food market and distributor, won in the “Best Health & Wellness” category for Gluten Free Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce.

The Kosher Cook in Cedarhurst, owned by Gitelle Steinfeld and Ilana Moskowitz, took first prize in The Best Giftware/ Novelty Category for their new line of holiday bake ware.

Woodmere-based Shabtai Gourmet won in the “Best New Passover Product” category for Gluten Free “Brownie Bites from their Cinderella Sweets line.

“We needed a snack for children [with special dietary needs] to take to school that was gluten, casein and lactose free,” proprietor Cindy Fern Itzkowitz told The Jewish Star. Shabtai Gourmet has won the same category four times in the last seven years –– last year for an almond and sugar confection called “Marzipan Sushi.”

Zelda’s Sweet Shoppe of Skokie, IL. won “Best in Show” for their Southern Pecan Pie.

This was the 20th anniversary of the show celebrating the multi-billion-dollar kosher food industry. Its creator, Menachem Lubinsky, who sold Kosherfest to Diversified Business Communications several years ago, still played the role of impresario, noting that, “A walk through Kosherfest will include seeing Asian kosher, gluten-free kosher, sugar-free kosher, gourmet kosher, Italian kosher, Mediterranean kosher and more.”

More than 300 new kosher products swere introduced at Kosherfest –– many by entrepreneurs seeking distribution deals from the handful of giant kosher food companies who dominated the show, including Manischewitz, Kedem and Osem.

“Some kosher products have no equal in the non-kosher market, making them attractive to almost every shopper that walks into a supermarket,” Lubinsky said. Improved packaging makes kosher products attractive not only to traditional consumers, but to non-traditional –– read: not Jewish –– ones who shop in the kosher aisles, he added.

According to Lubinsky, whose firm, LUBICOM, tracks the kosher industry, an estimated 11.5 million Americans buy $12.5 billion of kosher foods annually. Those figures reflect both Jewish consumers and non-Jewish ones who perceive kosher products as being of better quality because of religious reasons or due to dietary and taste preferences. Kosher product sales have increased by 10 to 15 percent each year in the last eight years, he said.

Many new products showcased were geared towards the health-conscious consumer. “Everyone is looking for a healthy lifestyle diet,” DPI Specialty Foods’ Joe Plueger told The Jewish Star. Plueger is responsible for supplying the kosher food aisles of major supermarket chains in the Midwest.

At The Manischewitz Company booth, Passover Tam Tams were displayed in sleek new packaging, as was a line of all-natural, no MSG, ready-to-eat Beef and Chicken broths to be launched in local supermarkets this spring.

At MIKEE Exotic Sauce Packaging, Vice President of Sales Adam Kaufman, decked out in chef’s whites and hat, busily sliced brisket cooked in their newest product, New York Style Old Fashioned Brisket Cooking Sauce. “With this product, you can make a real brisket every time — perfect!” he assured visitors.

At a seminar on what’s new and hot in kosher cooking, Jeff Nathan, acclaimed chef, cookbook author and restaurateur, discussed how mainstream non-kosher trends, such as the national craze for South American and Asian cuisine, has impacted on the kosher food industry.

“Once it happens in non-kosher it will happen in kosher,” he explained. “Ethnicity is really hot –– the sub regions of Asia are the hottest category. Ten years ago, you couldn’t get kosher rice wine vinegar. Since then, the kosher consumer has become more sophisticated. Now there isn’t a Jew on the planet who doesn’t know what sushi is.”

A number of exotic new sauces on display reflected this trend. One intriguing example: Israeli company Oriental Food Importers Co. LTD.’s Healthy Boy Brand of Red, Green and Yellow curry sauces. These sauces, intended to fill a niche in the kosher Asian segment, replicate the authentic flavors of traditional Thai cooking.

Friday-only train debuts on the LIRR

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

The Long Island Rail Road inaugurated a new train on Friday Nov. 14, which will continue to operate until Feb. 27, when the sun sets early, to provide additional service before sundown.

“The LIRR’s new Friday-only train to Far Rockaway is new this year and was added as a result of customer requests,” said Susan McGowan of the LIRR Public Affairs Department.

The train originates at Jamaica at 3:04 p.m. with a Penn Station connection leaving New York at 2:39 p.m. and a Brooklyn connection departing from Flatbush Avenue at 2:35 p.m.

“The train appears to be popular and had almost 400 customers using it in its first day of operation,” said LIRR spokesman Sam Zambuto.

From the other side of the bench: Acting like a brother

By David Seidemann

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

I wondered how long the line would be if the coffee was actually good. I was standing in line for my morning cup of java when I witnessed two young men reintroducing themselves to each other. They hadn’t seen each other in about five years, since they had been members of a Jewish boys choir. They reminisced and updated each other of their whereabouts and doings since, in the span of time it took me to move closer to the front of the caffeine line. It reminded me of an incident that occurred not too long ago.

An old acquaintance referred a matrimonial client to our firm. My partner and I share all cases that our firm handles. We discuss how each particular case should proceed and we meet periodically to discuss the progress of each case, but in the interim, each one of us works on files by ourselves. It basically works on a rotation basis. I’ll assume the primary responsibility for one case, she’ll do that for the next case, and so it goes.

When the Goldstone (name changed) case was referred to the firm, it was my partner’s turn and she accepted primary responsibility for that file. I consulted with her regularly and whenever Mr. Goldstone came to the office, I made sure to pop my head into my partner’s office and say hello.

Due to scheduling conflicts, I actually appeared in Family Court custody hearings with Mr. Goldstone, all the while not being prepared for what was revealed almost a year into our representation of him.

Almost a year after having regular contact with him, we sat together at his deposition. The other attorney, representing Mr. Goldstone’s wife, asked my client to state his name and address for the record. Goldstone was then asked if he had any nicknames. When he shared his nickname, I almost fell off my chair. I was stunned.

Goldstone, who I knew only by his nickname back then, was an old friend of mine. We used to hang out together some 30 years ago. In the year that our office represented him, I never made the connection. I never matched the face with his name, never matched his face with the nickname.

Oh what a toll some 30 years had taken on him. Not only did I not recognize his face, I didn’t recognize anything about his existence. He was on top of the world when I knew him and now was barely treading water.

I remember thinking what would have been had I stayed in touch with him? Who knows what I could have done for him and him for me? Maybe if I would have known of his troubles I would have been able to lend at least an ear if not an outstretched hand. Why did I cease to treat him like the “brothers” we once were?

And that reminded me of yet another story I heard from a lawyer who drafted a will for a wealthy man with two sons. It seems as if the two sons were estranged from one another and had not spoken in about 20 years. One son called his father once a day; the other called him once a month.

It came as a great surprise therefore when the wealthy man left three quarters of his estate to the son that called once a month and one quarter to the son that called everyday. Attached to the will was a letter that provided an explanation for the seemingly counterintuitive division.

“You see,” the father wrote, “it is true that you called me every day and your older brother called me only once a month. But when you called, while you always asked about my welfare, you never once asked about your brother. Your older brother on the other hand, every time he called, even though it was only once a month, every time he called, he asked me about you.         “Though the two of you were estranged, he never forgot that you were brothers. And that my son, is more important to me than anything else. That is, that you always remember that you are brothers.”

This financial crisis has hit all of us very hard. It is not my place to suggest that wealth be redistributed. It is not my place to suggest that the better off give of their money to those that are having a difficult time making ends meet. But I do feel comfortable making four suggestions:

1. Don’t flaunt what you have. It is torture for those that aren’t as blessed as you and prevents the “flaunter” from feeling the pain of his less fortunate neighbor.

2. Patronize the merchants that your research reveals are in the greatest need of livelihood.

3. Treat the poor with the same respect and warmth with which you treat the wealthy. I have said many times that Moshiach will come when institutions honor the most humble and not necessarily those that write large checks.

4. Assume, despite the outer expressions, that your neighbor is struggling. Ask him questions. Take him out for coffee. Listen to him. Commiserate with him, encourage him.

Be a brother or a sister like you’ve never been a sibling before. Don’t look back after 30 years and wonder what could have been.

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach of blessed memory was famous for calling everyone, “Holy Brother.” He felt that love and kinship with each of G-d’s creations. We have erected huge walls around us that often separate us from feeling that brotherhood. Reb Shlomo zt”l destroyed those walls and those are walls that are at best left destroyed.

Opinion — Ger and Porush: crossroads in Jerusalem?

By Nicole Brackman

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

The recent Jerusalem mayoral election may mark a turning point in Israeli politics — the public splintering of the once-monolithic Chareidi religious voting bloc. Although politicians at the leadership level have been duking it out for generations in back offices, once the ballots were determined and rabbinically approved, the faithful have heretofore marched in near lockstep in the casting of votes.
Last week, secular candidate Nir Barkat defeated Meir Porush — scion of a religious-political dynasty; government minister; and Member of Knesset — in a landslide. Barkat garnered 52 percent of the vote with Porush coming in a distant second, with 43 percent.

Porush certainly did himself no favors. Just days before the election, he had a foot-meets-mouth moment when he remarked in Yiddish to an audience of Belz Chassidim that “In another 15 years there will not be a secular mayor in any city in Israel, [except for] perhaps in some far-flung village.”

More a comment on the rising birthrate in the religious community than a warning of a nefarious plot, the statement nevertheless was fodder for Barkat’s campaign of inclusion: “Victory belongs to all those who love and cherish this special and amazing city of ours, the Jewish people’s eternal capital,” he said. “It belongs to the Right and the Left, it belongs to the religious and the secular.”

But it wasn’t a faux-pas that cost Porush the election. It was a combination of disastrous political deal-making and a split in the Chareidi camp between Porush and the Ger Chassidim that set religious politics squarely on its head.

The first ingredient in the recipe for failure was a deal brokered between the two factions of the United Torah Judaism party, (Chassidic) Agudat Israel and (Lithuanian) Degel HaTorah. Outgoing Mayor Uri Lupolianski (Degel HaTorah) was first elected to office in 2003. The bargain stipulated that Lupolianski would not run for re-election, turning over the reins to Porush (Agudat Israel). Lupolianski, popular and respected in the city, would have been expected to win. But Porush was hampered by his image as a veteran of the Chareidi political machine. He attempted to deflect skepticism, asking that “[people] refrain from judging me according to the length of my beard but rather according to my experience and [my] ability.”

Even that might not have been enough to ensure defeat. More significant was a historic — if infamous — rupture between Porush and the Ger Chassidim. Stemming from a dispute with Ger politician/UTJ chairman Yakov Litzman over a deal that excluded Ger from its traditional leadership of Chinuch Atzamai (the Chareidi education network in Israel), the Gerrer camp went all-out in its fight against Porush. From editorials denouncing Porush, to charges of election tampering and mischief sabotage, it seemed that there was no limit to Ger’s intent to bring defeat to Rabbi Porush.

Jerusalem wasn’t the only city affected; the rumpus created a noticeable ripple effect on other mayoral elections around Israel. In both Beit Shemesh and Beitar Illit, the dispute wrecked Agudat Israel-Degel HaTorah power-sharing agreements; splintered alliances between Chassidic sects; and drew in some of Israel’s most important rabbinic figures.

Porush leads a group within Agudat Israel which unites over a dozen small Chassidic groups in the faction. The break with Ger weakens Agudat Israel’s position inside United Torah Judaism vis-à-vis Degel HaTorah, and it represents a realignment of traditional party loyalties. With some of his own Boyar Chassidim pitted against him, and other UTJ officials now disputing over positions within the party, the quarrel portends uncertainty for UTJ’s future in the coming national elections. Religious voters do not traditionally deviate from established party loyalties; the fracas over Jerusalem heralds the unprecedented possibility of constituency defections.

Mayor-elect Barkat won on a platform of inclusion meant to soothe secular voters. Mayor Lupolianski was able to sustain the delicate secular-religious-Arab balance in the city on the strength of his experience as deputy mayor under Ehud Olmert and on his reputation as founder of Yad Sarah, an organization which helps needy Israelis across the religious spectrum.

Jerusalem mayors share a nearly insurmountable challenge. They must maintain a balance between the prosaic needs of daily urban management; while keeping an eye on the tension-wire of international affairs that invites constant media and political focus.

Whether Barkat is up to the challenge is anyone’s guess. The Chareidi political camp is in disarray for the first time in recent memory, and the Jerusalem elections are a bitter memory. Attention will now turn to whether the squabblers will be able to unite in the face of a significant national election on the horizon.

Dr. Nicole Brackman has written and taught extensively on Israeli and Middle Eastern politics, and is formerly a Soref Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Currently she is an instructor of Jewish History at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from Washington University in St. Louis. She lives in Cedarhurst with her husband and children.

The Kosher Bookworm: The Forgotten Man

A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes

Reviewed by Alan Jay Gerber

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

With the economic situation deteriorating each day, anything dealing with the history of past economic disasters is bound to peak our interest. This week’s book under review, “The Forgotten Man,” published by Harper-Collins, provides us with appropriate reading fare.

Amity Shlaes wrote this book some time before the current economic crisis, but its unusual take on the historic significance of the Great Depression of the 1930s has generated the notoriety that would be the envy of any author. Shlaes does not accept the political and

Chaim Dovid performs in Lawrence

Israeli entertainer Chaim Dovid at Lawrence High School. (Photo courtesy District 15)

Singer makes guest appearance at public school

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

The halls of Lawrence High School resonated with the sounds of Jewish music on Nov. 10, when Israeli singer Chaim Dovid gave a surprise presentation to an advanced music class.

“I was blown away by his performance,” said Gary Schall, the director of music for the Lawrence Public Schools. “On a personal level, I was so moved by the event.”

Schall, who leads the Lawrence High School marching band, was familiar with Chaim Dovid’s music, having performed several of the singer’s compositions with his band at an Orthodox wedding in August. Upon hearing that Chaim Dovid was in America, Schall attended one of his concerts in Manhattan and spoke to him after the show.

“It was an honor to meet him… I was so moved by his musicianship, artistry and spirituality,” Schall recounted. “I asked if he would do a presentation for my A.P. Music Theory class and he graciously agreed.”

During his performance at the school, Chaim Dovid played guitar and sang his famous “ya ma mai” niggun as well as a Hebrew-English selection from shmoneh esrei, “l’ma’an sh’mo.” The students were particularly excited to hear the niggun, since several had performed the song with the Lawrence marching band at the wedding; two students even joined Chaim Dovid during his presentation and played together with him.
Schall explained that his students study harmony and the theory of music, and also discuss how “music can be used to benefit society and serve the community.” While they hadn’t really touched upon the angle of music and its connection to spirituality, “Chaim Dovid really addressed that,” Schall said. “It was a spiritual message that was really universal that the kids could appreciate, how music makes people feel a connection to a higher source… Everybody was impacted.”

With the help of Asher Mansdorf, a member of the Lawrence school board, the visit turned into a festive event, with the students and the high school’s music teachers enjoying bagels and cream cheese together with their guest.

Schall is also collaborating with Mansdorf to try to arrange for Chaim Dovid to perform with the Lawrence Philharmonic Orchestra later in the year.

BJE Conference draws large crowd

By Malka Eisenberg

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

A standing room only crowd of over 1,300 educators and administrators filled the gym at Hewlett High School on Nov. 11, Veterans Day, for the first Joint Early Childhood and Yeshiva Day School Education Conference.

“It was an awesome sight,”

Parshat Chayei Sarah

By Rabbi Avi Billet

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

How old was Rivka when she was discovered by Avraham’s servant and brought to Canaan to marry Yitzchak?

You are a graduate of a yeshiva education and you still say “three years old.” And you justify this by saying that “three-year-olds were more sophisticated in those days.”

Heavily scheduled Torah

YIW publishes a year’s worth of shiurim, programs and events

By Malka Eisenberg

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

The Young Israel of Woodmere has ushered in the new year with a colorful, glossy 23-page brochure of extensive learning opportunities that encourages readers to set aside time each week for Torah study.
The adult education program catalogue [young-israel-of-woodmere-2008-program-guide] is a take-off of the CBS News program “60 Minutes,”

That’s Life 11-21-08

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

Dear Readers,

Want to play a game?

I have been enjoying a little game with many of my friends. I’ve entitled it “What’s the most embarrassing

Only Simchas in The Jewish Star 11-21-08

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

Engagements

Eli Katz & Elana Mehl

Engagement of Eli Katz (Suffern, NY) & Elana Mehl (Woodmere, NY) — Nov. 16, 2008

On the Calendar 11-21-08

Issue of Nov. 21, 2008 / 23 Cheshvan 5769

See The Jewish Star as it appears in print 11-14-08

js08-11-14

Glatt kosher meat supply dwindling

Local stores starting to feel the pinch

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

Reported shortages of glatt kosher meat and concern about extreme price hikes have followed the Nov. 4 bankruptcy filing by Agriprocessors, owned by the Rubashkin family. The company has suspended operations at its Postville, Iowa meatpacking plant, and at a smaller plant in Nebraska. A third major U.S. slaughterhouse, leased by Alle, also known as Meal Mart, for glatt meat production, is also reportedly not in operation at this time, further squeezing the supply.

Though not unexpected – months of financial troubles followed a May 12 immigration raid in Postville during which 389 workers were arrested – the Agriprocessors shutdowns are likely to have a significant impact on the kosher meat industry. Local suppliers, such as Brach’s and Gourmet Glatt, are starting to feel the effects.

Yanky Brach, the owner of Brach’s supermarket in Lawrence, says that his store has not bought Rubashkin meat in years,

Supervised vote sought for Shulamith

Reprieve for high school from plan for shutdown

By Mayer Fertig

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

Urgent decisions about the purchase of a new building for Bnot Shulamith of Long Island, whether or not the campus of Shulamith School for Girls in Brooklyn should be sold, and related matters could soon be in the hands of

Agudath Israel supports fingerprinting bill

Local attorney champions the cause

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

Elliot Pasik, a local lawyer, celebrated a minor victory this past week as Agudath Israel of America announced they will actively support a bill that would require non-public schools to fingerprint and perform background checks on prospective employees. Pasik and his organization, Jewish Advisory Board for Children, have been working towards getting the same

After election, a wary eye on new prez

Voters speak their minds about President-elect Obama

By Malka Eisenberg

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769
A random survey of Five Towns residents finds most voters agree that Barack Obama’s election as the 44th president is historic, but most adopt a “wait and see” attitude towards his policies.

According to the Nassau County Board of Elections, the Lawrence Middle School polling station recorded that 81 percent of people voted for John McCain, the highest percentage in Long Island.

Election results show Cedarhurst voted 64 percent for McCain and 36 percent for Obama; Hewlett was 45 percent for McCain and 54 percent for Obama,

That’s Life 11-14-08

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

Dear That’s Life,

In the spirit of the recent elections, my two older sons, students at HALB, learned all about the candidates at school.

Chaim, my second grader, was completing a homework assignment, which required him to fill in the blanks and answer questions about the

Obscene billboard still in plain sight on Rockaway Turnpike

A community mulls action

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

A loose coalition of community activists, lawmakers and government officials are working together to get an explicit billboard on Rockaway Turnpike taken down. The billboard belongs to a ‘gentleman’s club’ and is part of a new advertising campaign.

Lenore Davis, an estate attorney and the owner of thefivetowns.com, is leading the community effort. She collected more than 50 signatures on a petition against the billboard in less than two days. She maintains that the sign’s location next to, in her words, a family-oriented Orthodox Jewish population, makes its explicitness almost illegal.

“The argument should at least be brought that this billboard is tantamount to saying fire in a movie theatre,” Davis told The Jewish Star.

If the billboard is not removed, Davis said, she would consider other ways to persuade the owner to do so, such as videotaping patrons entering the club and

Kollel leaders plan group visit to Five Towns

Staff report

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

If you’ve made sizable donations in the past to kollels in Israel, you can rest a little easier –– someone you probably have never met is praying for your financial well-being. And early next week, he might be coming to visit.

Since the economy cratered, a number of fundraisers for kollels in Israel have returned nearly empty-handed

The Kosher Bookworm on Kristallnacht: Prelude to destruction

An historical account by Sir Martin Gilbert

Reviewed by Alan Jay Gerber

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

Last week marked the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht. On the nights of Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, gangs of Nazi thugs roamed through Jewish neighborhoods across Germany and destroyed Jewish-owned shops and burned down synagogues. Over 1,000 synagogues were destroyed and almost 7,500 Jewish owned businesses were physically wiped out. In addition, over 25,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps.

This pogrom represented what is now regarded as the beginning of the end for the German Jewish community

Local chain stores mostly unaffected by economy

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

It seems the reports of Central Avenue’s commercial decline have been exaggerated.

Banana Republic just signed a new lease, a manager at Gap said that sales have been

Influenza: Protecting children from the flu

By David Rosenberg, MD, FAAP

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

This time of year, a question I get asked very often is, “Should my child get the flu vaccine?” As my patients know very well, I am not one to give a simple “yes” or “no” answer to such a question. Rather, here is what I tell them.

Influenza, commonly called “the flu,” is a serious and potentially deadly disease caused by a virus that spreads very easily. It infects the respiratory tract (nose, throat, and lungs). The symptoms usually include high fever, body aches, chills, headache, cough, sore throat and a stuffed nose. Children, especially infants and toddlers, may have additional symptoms that adults usually don’t experience, including

From the other side of the bench: Past, present and future

By David Seidemann

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

Wrap your mind around this concept. Our Sages tell us that genetics is a two-way street. Not only do we contain the genetic predispositions of our ancestors, but we also contain the character traits of generations yet to be born.

We receive from our ancestors, we pass along to our children, and they, even the unborn generations, transmit their strengths (and weaknesses) back to us. That

Helping a family rebuild

After a fire on Nov. 5 destroyed a home and all of its contents in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, HAFTR students mobilized to to help the family of 10 rebuild.

In my view: Thoughts amidst rising waters

By Roy S. Neuberger

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

I believe that we are entering a period of history in which we must be very cautious. During the month of Cheshvan, the flood inundated the world in the time of Noah, and it now seems the water is rising fast.

There is a terrible news story these days about a kosher meat-processing plant in the Midwest which is in bankruptcy as a result of

Right angle: Maimonides’ microscope

By Rabbi Avi Shafran

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

In its purest form, the human spirit of inquiry is a holy thing. According to the renowned 12th century Jewish thinker Maimonides, nothing less than the Biblical commandment to love G-d is fulfilled

Editorial: Dangerous times for Jerusalem

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

Jewish control over the city of Jerusalem is in grave jeopardy – perhaps as much so now as ever before. The Bush administration is in the throes of its predictable lame-duck race for the prize of a Mideast peace agreement,

Letters to the Editor 11-14-08

A late endorsement

To the Editor:

I don’t know if I have been placed under a cheirem or nidui, but I have riled up a well-attended Jewish news group on the Internet, including the moderators.

I expressed my resentment at the Israelis who participate in the discussions, who advise Americans

Jerusalem elects secular mayor

By Uriel Heilman (JTA) and Jewish Star staff

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

(Updated 11-12-08)

A secular businessman has won Jerusalem’s mayoral elections. A city councilman and high-tech entrepreneur, defeated Rabbi Meir Porush,

Parshat Vayera

Childlike Innocence

By Rabbi Avi Billet

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

The banishment of Yishmael and Hagar leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth. How could Sarah justify throwing them out of the house? How could G-d tell Avraham to do exactly as Sarah told him? How could Avraham send them on their way without enough food to survive in the desert?

Remembering Kristallnacht

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769
A community program marking the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht took place Nov. 9 at Beis Medrash of Cedarhurst, Rabbi Dovid Spiegel’s Shteibel. The program, which included a memorial hazkarah and poetry reading, was sponsored by Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi — The Red Shul, and co-sponsored by the Agudath Israel of The Five Towns led by Rabbi Yitzchok Frankel.

The Red Shul’s Rabbi Yaakov Feitman, a son of Holocaust survivors, was the guest speaker. His full remarks can be downloaded from www. media.libsyn.com/media/kbyt/KRISTELNACHT.RavFeitman_DvarTorah.mp3.

On the Calendar 11-14-08

Issue of Nov. 14, 2008 / 17 Cheshvan 5769

NCYI to honor female leaders

The National Council of Young Israel Women’s Division will pay tribute to 12 exemplary women from various Young Israel branches around the United States

See The Jewish Star as it appears in print 11-07-08

js08-11-07

Obscenity on Rockaway Turnpike

Billboard atop the Platinum Gentlemen's Club on Rockaway Turnpike in Far Rockaway, a short distance from the Nassau County border. Image has been modified. (Photo by Michael Orbach)

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

Driving on Rockaway Turnpike toward Brooklyn on Motzei Shabbat, a Cedarhurst woman was surprised to hear her three-year old son pipe up from the middle seat.

“She’s not wearing any clothing!”

The young mother glanced up and regretted it immediately. She found herself staring at a large billboard atop a “gentleman’s club” upon which one of the professionals employed inside is prominently featured more or less unclothed.

The young woman and her state of undress are perhaps unremarkable as compared to ads for more mainstream products that appear in magazines and on TV. But to parents who attempt to shield children from the seamier aspects of the secular world, it is a large understatement to call the billboard inappropriate. To those parents the new sign is inappropriate in a way that the Titanic was simply a poorly organized cruise.

“It just goes against everything we teach our children. It’s porn,” the young mother told The Jewish Star.

“It’s horrible. You walk down 42nd street and this is what they hand out.”

“It’s five minutes from my house. I live in a high-tax area. This shouldn’t be anywhere near my house. It was horrible. It’s a route that I take very often with my family,” said the woman, who asked to not be named.

The Jewish Star has received numerous comments and complaints about the sign.

Calls about the offending billboard have been flooding into Councilman James Sanders’ office. Dan Andrews, press secretary to Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, said their office has also received calls about the billboard. He said the City Department of Buildings, which regulates billboards, has been asked to determine if it’s up to code.

To some, the sign is part of a much larger discussion about what is permissible and what is forbidden; what is allowed in America and what is allowed in Torah-observant homes; what is allowed in the public sphere, but invades the private, and what parents wish to protect their children from and to what extent that is possible.

“I understood in one second, in a flash, what goes on in Meah Shearim,” said Avi Fertig, a Woodmere resident who also drove down Rockaway Turnpike on Saturday night, past the sign. “I just didn’t want to be there.”

One well-known community member who admitted that he had not yet seen the billboard, questioned the extent to which a public fuss is justified.

“Does the Orthodox Jewish community have a voice in what appears in ads on the train or newspaper? This is America. If people are troubled by a billboard, then they should take a different route or move to a neighborhood where there are no billboards. I have seen scantily dressed women on billboards on the LIE near the Midtown Tunnel. This is America, not Bnai Brak. I have also seen scantily dressed women in the Five Towns. Some of them may even be Jewish … Frum … Should we deny them the right to walk on Central Avenue?”

Phone calls and emails to the Platinum Club were not returned.

That’s Life 11-7-08

Dear That’s Life,

Crazy follows me everywhere.

On the second night of our family trip to Israel, my husband left the apartment we were renting to take out the garbage –– an annoying but otherwise innocuous activity… or so it should have been.

In the process, he nicked his ankle on some freshly cut s’chach (palm branches, in this case) that were lying on the ground near the garbage bins. We thought nothing much of it, although the small cut

Parshat Lech Lecha

By Rabbi Avi Billet

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

When we were first introduced to Noach last week, we were told that he was righteous and “Tamim,” perfect or complete. While rabbinic literature records the debate over the degree of his righteousness, most notably in comparing him to Avraham, none can argue that a “tzaddik” is not a “tzaddik,” even when compared to one of the greatest Jews who ever lived.

It is fascinating that Avraham is not described as “tamim” until after he circumcises himself. The bris –– Avraham’s fulfillment of his covenant with G-d in which G-d promises to be Avraham’s G-d –– helps Avraham achieve the “perfection” he needs in order to become the prodigal, “perfect” father of the new nation.

How does Noach achieve this perfection while Avraham needs to undergo surgery to achieve it?

Before we answer this question, let us note a strange similarity between Avraham and Noach. Both of them fulfill their ultimate task in this world at a noted time on the clock: “b’etzem hayom hazeh.” It is in the middle of the day that Noach enters the ark (7:13) and Avraham and Yishmael are circumcised (17:26).

Without taking away from Noach’s accomplishments as a righteous man, the Torah does add a clear caveat to his description. All applicable accolades were “in his generation” (6:9). In comparison to everyone else, he was more than special. He was unique. However, once he is the only person around, after the flood, he is no longer called “ish tzaddik,” a righteous man, but “ish ha’adamah” (9:20), a man of the earth. While the tzaddik was perfect, whole and complete, the man of the earth gets drunk and embarrasses himself in front of his sons.

Righteousness is apparently measured relative to others.

Avraham, on the other hand, is never called righteous until after his circumcision. In 18:19, G-d contemplates telling Avraham about the pending destruction of Sodom simply because He knows Avraham is a person who will eventually teach his children to be mindful towards and proactive seekers of righteousness and justice.

What is the connection? Noach took 600 years to achieve perfection, and his success came from the fact that he was simply better than those around him. He may have had exemplary “middot” (character traits), but once the competition was eliminated, he became a regular man of the earth.

Avraham constantly sought to and was challenged to achieve his newer status in the future, as early as the bright old age of 99. In 17:1, he is told to “go before Me and become perfect,” while in 18:19, his righteousness is reported as something he will most definitely teach his own children when he has them.

Why do Noach and Avraham each fulfill their appointed task, entering the ark and circumcision, respectively, in the middle of the day? An approach which I first heard from my father, Rabbi Hershel Billet, and of which I am guilty of not presenting completely, begins with the idea that when G-d commands something which may seem controversial, the best way to show allegiance to G-d is to fulfill the commandment in front of others, so long as the action, in and of itself, doesn’t harm anyone.

I believe there is a deeper lesson as well. The difference lies in what the individuals do, after their “b’etzem hayom hazeh” experience. Noach goes into the ark and has no contact with the soon-to-be-extinct world. And after the flood, at best, Noach rests on the laurels of his earlier righteousness while he turns into a man of the earth.

Avraham is not ready to rest on his laurels. He needs to actively do something, to sacrifice a part of himself in a way that indicates his attachment to his Creator. Once circumcised, Avraham sits outside of his tent looking to greet wayward travelers. He does not dwell on the past; he looks only to what he can accomplish in the future.

The message is clear. What we do is not just about how we flaunt our better qualities or how we measure up to the Joneses (though that may make us look very righteous). We can dwell on the past if we wish to, but it is unproductive. Rather, our task is to go from our spiritual high to look out in the world and help others, with a vision for the betterment of our collective future.

Avi Billet welcomes your thoughts and comments at avbillet@gmail.com.

Your health: Breast cancer awareness and prevention

New study focuses on Jewish women

By Malka Eisenberg

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

New research from New York University — the Jewish Women’s Breast and Ovarian Cancer Genetics Study — will be analyzing DNA samples of older Jewish women across the United States to determine why they did not develop breast or ovarian cancer with an eye to prevention. This is a study highlighting research into breast cancer, a disease that, according to the National Cancer Institute, will strike one in eight women in their lifetime, or 12.7 percent.

On the other hand, the study found that the “the chance that they will never have breast cancer is 87.3 percent.”

October marked National Breast Cancer Awareness month and there is much that can be done to make people more cognizant of the issue and help them employ preventative measures.
“It’s a cause that needs attention and affects everybody and they need to find a cure,” said Liz Gindea, a HAFTR parent and co-coordinator of HAFTR’s participation in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Oct. 19 at Jones Beach. “It’s to raise awareness; I can’t imagine that everybody doesn’t know somebody who has had breast cancer.”

Current recommendations from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute call for women to begin monthly self screening exams beginning in their early 20s, both standing and lying down, yearly clinical exams from an internist, gynecologist or breast specialist and yearly or bi-yearly mammography beginning at age 40. Some also recommend an ultrasound along with a mammogram. Other tests include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). If something abnormal is detected in any of these screening methods, further testing such as x-rays and possibly a biopsy is required. An abnormality could be a lump or hardening in or near the breast or the underarm, any change in the appearance of the breast and skin and any discharge or discomfort. A biopsy may take a sample of the suspect area or the entire lump. A pathologist will determine if the tissue is cancerous or not and its type.

If it is indeed cancer, decisions must be made. It is helpful to have a relative or friend come along for consultations; ask questions, get second opinions, take notes. The size, location and extent of the cancer as well as the age and health of the patient will determine the course of treatment. Options in surgery include lumpectomy, removing the cancer and some surrounding tissue, or mastectomy, removing all of the breast tissue. Lymph nodes may also be removed.

The patient will have to meet with a breast surgeon, a plastic surgeon for reconstruction, a medical oncologist for chemotherapy and a radiation oncologist for radiation therapy. The treatment required will be determined by a few doctors, depending on the staging of the tumor, its size and where the cancer has spread to. Other treatments include hormone therapy, such as tamoxifen that blocks estrogen, and biological therapy, such as trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody that assists the immune system in its fight against cancer. A nutritionist and a genetic counselor may also be consulted. Some of the treatments have unpleasant side effects, such as nausea or hair loss. The patient should get sufficient rest, maintain a healthy diet and exercise to better cope with the treatment.

“Unfortunately cancer doesn’t always follow the rules,” said Dr. Elisa Kadish, a radiologist at Citron-Hammer Radiology, P.C., and former clinical assistant professor of radiology at Montefiore Medical Center and SUNY Downstate Medical Center. “The first rule is if someone has a first degree relative, mother, sister, daughter who was diagnosed premenopausally with breast cancer she must go [for a mammogram] 10 years before the age of diagnosis. You want to find it before it can be felt.”
If the cancer patient was diagnosed at age 42, then the relative should be screened at 32, she explained. Kadish said she would send a patient for an MRI since it “will often detect things hiding behind dense tissue.” It’s also recommended “to determine the extent of the disease,” she said. “No test is perfect,” she added, noting that reading the tests is “really an art.”

“A significant advance in the surgical evaluation of breast cancer is the use of Axillary Sentinel lymph node biopsy,” said Dr. Susan M. Palleschi, a Surgeon Specializing in Diseases and Surgery of the Breast affiliated with North Shore University Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center and St. Francis Hospital. “This technique was first used in breast cancer in 1995, and has since been established as the standard of care in the evaluation of the axilla to determine if there is evidence of metastasis to the lymph nodes.”
With this technique, a combination of blue dye and radioactive tracer is used to identify the first lymph node or nodes that drain the breast. If they are negative for metastasis then the remainder of the axillary lymph nodes may be left in place, significantly reducing the potential risk for postoperative lymphedema, swelling of the arm, Palleschi explained. If the sentinel lymph node is “positive” for metastasis then the remainder of the lymph nodes will be removed.

“For women undergoing mastectomy,” continued Palleschi, in an e-mail, “immediate breast reconstruction by the plastic surgeon offers excellent cosmetic results with many added psychological and emotional benefits. The reconstructive options include a temporary saline filled tissue expander which is ultimately replaced with a permanent implant, versus a ‘flap’ reconstruction, whereby a patient’s native tissue is used to reconstruct the breast mound. Subsequently, the patient will undergo reconstruction of the nipple areola complex. The specific type of reconstruction performed will be determined by the recommendations of the plastic surgeon as well as by patient preference.”

Information beyond this basic overview of breast cancer is available from Sharsheret, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute at www.cancer.gov, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and other organizations.

Your health: New tools for improved management of Knee Osteoarthritis

By Jeffry Beer, MD

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

Osteoarthritis (OA) can result in irreversible cartilage loss in patients of all ages. However, it is more commonly seen in patients of older age. A diagnosis of OA can potentially set the stage for many years of pain, stiffness, inactivity, and immobility.

Traditionally, this progressive deterioration required joint replacement surgery; however, an integrated program of innovative treatments can slow or prevent disease progression, relieve joint pain and stiffness and alleviate the need for surgery. In addition, although not currently available, much research is being devoted to treatments that are designed to replace or regrow the worn cartilage that is the hallmark of OA.

An individual with OA is best served by a comprehensive outpatient program that provides careful clinical evaluation and diagnosis as well as treatment to meet unique patient needs.

Physical therapy remains a cornerstone of treatment. Strengthening and conditioning of the muscles that surround the knee, together with flexibility and range of motion program exercises are essential to decreasing the transmission of large forces across the knee joint.

Such efforts have been shown to decrease pain and may slow or prevent further progression of the disease process. The Arthritis Foundation has a number of programs, including a tai chi exercise program, which can be helpful in patients attempting to manage symptoms of OA.

There is evidence from the medical literature that weight loss is beneficial in decreasing pain, improving function and preventing disease progression. In selected patients, nutrition counseling may be essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Some studies have shown that acupuncture may be helpful in decreasing knee pain in patients with OA. Such modalities may be appropriate for select patients.

Conflicting evidence is noted regarding the potential benefits of supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin. Although it may be helpful to reduce pain in some and it is usually well tolerated with minimal side effects, it has not been shown in human studies to cause the regrowth of joint cartilage.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) represents a relatively new treatment option to enhance joint function and relieve pain. Primarily, injections of HA are thought to improve the quality of joint fluid, providing more efficient lubrication and better shock absorption within the joint. Currently FDA approved to treat OA of the knee, the effectiveness of HA is other joints is being investigated. Better tolerated than steroid injections, HA also avoids the systemic side effects of those agents. Although significant improvements may be realized with the use of HA, such benefits are usually temporary; repeated courses of injections may be performed at intervals of six months or longer.

Minor side effects, such as injection site soreness, are rare and usually self-limited. No long-term adverse effects have been seen with HA use. There are currently five different brands of HA available on the market. The most recent introduction is a synthetic preparation that can be used in patients with avian allergies.

These injections are performed as a series of three or five injections, depending on the product used. Most physicians will perform “blind” injections, utilizing skin landmarks and palpation techniques to determine proper placement. Despite this, there is a growing body of literature to suggest that even in experienced hands, these injections are inaccurate and may miss their target in 25 to 30 percent of cases. To minimize this, the use of x-ray (fluoroscopy) or ultrasound images to guide the injection is a preferred approach.

For many patients, the use of HA injections can mean significant pain reduction and greater mobility. Some patients have been able to resume activities previously curtailed because of OA. Most can expect to realize at least a mild to moderate degree of relief.

Although still in experimental stages, there is ongoing investigation into the use of stem cells to regrow worn cartilage in patients with advanced OA. Such treatments are likely to be of major benefit in the years to come and one day may make the use of joint replacement surgery obsolete. Despite this, significant challenges exist to the use of this technology and it may be some time before we begin to see this in clinical practice.

By combining both traditional and innovative treatment approaches for treating the symptoms of OA, a comprehensive program of care provides effective nonsurgical options to help patients overcome the debilitating effects of this condition and reserves surgery for those patients for whom conservative treatment measures have failed.

Jeffry Beer, MD is an associate at Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, PC (www.lispine med.com), where he specializes in the nonsurgical treatment of joint and spine disorders. He regularly performs joint injections with the use of fluoroscopic guidance. He can be reached at (516) 393-8941.Your

Your health: AIDS and religion

Rabbi Aaron Glatt, MD, will present the Jewish approach to treating patients with AIDS at an international conference in Moscow.

Local rabbi to present Jewish perspective at international conference

By Yaffi Spodek

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

A Nov. 16 symposium in Moscow, organized by the Russian government, will explore different religious approaches to treatment of the HIV/AIDS virus. Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt, an infectious diseases doctor and assistant to the rabbi at the Young Israel of Woodmere, has been invited to discuss the Jewish physician’s approach to patients suffering from the debilitating and deadly disease.

“I will be talking about how Jewish religion requires every individual to be treated with compassion regardless of whatever aveiros they do,” Rabbi Glatt explained. “A physician is not supposed to be a judge, jury or executioner, while at the same time Jewish physicians, and certainly Jewish religion, do not condone behaviors that are contrary to halacha and good health.”

Rabbi Glatt was asked to address the conference by Russia’s chief rabbi Berel Lazar and Project Kesher, an advocacy and human rights organization in the Commonwealth of Independent States of the former Soviet Union, with a grassroots movement of 160 Jewish women’s groups and close to 90 multi-ethnic, multi-faith coalitions of women. Outside of Africa, the Ukraine has the fastest growing HIV/AIDS population and Project Kesher women’s groups are actively engaged in raising awareness and initiating programs there to prevent AIDS from spreading.

As the president and CEO of New Island Hospital in Bethpage, and a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Association of America, Rabbi Glatt has published extensively on the subject and has been treating patients for decades. His position as an ordained Rabbi also qualifies him even further to speak at the conference about the Jewish and halachic approach to the issue.

“The activities that [HIV-infected] people might be engaging in are k’neged halacha, but that does not and should not prevent physicians from treating patients with compassion,” Rabbi Glatt said, describing the Jewish approach. “There is also nothing wrong with the decision to educate patients that what they’re doing is medically wrong and dangerous. “

Though most of Rabbi Glatt’s patients are not Orthodox or even Jewish, he does try to provide them with spiritual advice.

“The doctor’s job is not to be the rav, but he can be a spiritual source of guidance under certain circumstances,” he emphasized. “People can advise in the appropriate setting.”

Rabbi Glatt also noted that other religions have entirely different approaches in determining what is allowed and not allowed in the treatment of HIV-infected patients, pointing out that some of them are stricter in some ways but more lenient in others and that there is a wide range of opinions.

HIV — Human Immunodeficiency Virus — is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system, destroying or impairing their function. Though there are no symptoms present during the early stages of infection, the immune system gets weaker as it progresses, making the victim more susceptible to infection.

AIDS — Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome — is the most advanced stage of the HIV virus. It can take between 10 to 15 years for a person with HIV to develop AIDS and anti-retroviral drugs can slow down the process further.

An Oct. 3 article in Newsday reported that the number of people infected with the AIDS virus increased 11 percent in the United States between 2003 to 2006, as better treatments have prolonged their lives. According to scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the HIV population in the United States rose to 1.1 million in 2006 from an estimated 994,000 in 2003, as revealed in a study published in the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Your health: Caring for your heart

Unblocking arteries and keeping them open

By Marc A. Singer, MD, FACC

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

It’s been more than 30 years since cardiologists learned how to alleviate blocked arteries by gaining access to the blockages through arteries in the arms or legs. By threading catheters to their destination under radiographic guidance, they are able to restore normal blood flow and relieve symptoms of angina. But that is only the beginning of the story.

It is one thing to open a blocked artery; it is another to keep it open. Historically, blockages were alleviated using a small balloon at the end of a catheter. These angioplasties had a tremendous Achilles’ heel called restonisis. One out of every three angioplasties was likely to close down, or re-stenose, within three months. For years, scientists toiled to fix this problem. Many different medications were tried, and though in principle they all should have worked, in practice it was difficult to get sufficient doses of medication to areas that needed it.

Sometimes, where chemistry fails, mechanical strength can help. About 10 years ago, stents were introduced. Resembling a section of chain-link fence, stents work to buttress an artery and keep it open. They are loaded onto a wire, and placed inside an artery after it was unblocked.

The results were encouraging, and certainly an improvement over angioplasty, reducing the re-closure rate down to about 10 percent. However, one out of every 10 stents required a repeat procedure (among other problems), a less than satisfactory success rate.

Of course, improvement came when two approaches were successfully combined: stents were impregnated with medications. The medication would slowly be released over the course of time and, since they were on the stent, were delivered to where they were needed the most. Drug eluding stents, as they are known, further reduced the need for repeat procedures for re-stenosis. But the story does not end there.

Stents are made of metal, and therefore are thrombogenic, or prone to develop clot. This presented a new challenge: preventing stents from closing due to clots. The clotting issue was addressed with a combination of medications, including aspirin. They prevented clots by working against the blood cells that play a key role in forming clots: platelets. These medications need to be taken for a full year.

In 2008 we still are faced with challenges. What if someone with a drug eluding stent develops a bleeding ulcer? What if someone needs surgery and the anti-platelet medications increase bleeding? This dilemma is one that clinical cardiologists frequently have to deal with.

Though I am certain research will continue to find even better methods to address coronary artery blockages, I must emphasize that it is best to avoid developing blockages to begin with. Eating healthy foods, getting regular exercise and living a healthy lifestyle make for a good start. You might say that an ounce of prevention is worth a stent of cure.

Dr. Marc Singer practices cardiology and internal medicine in Lake Success and is on staff at both Long Island Jewish Medical Center and North Shore Hospital, Manhasset.

Your health: Winter workout tips

By Sari Nossbaum

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, the thought of spending time exercising outside in sub-zero conditions is not particularly appealing. Curling up in bed with a hot drink and

Your health: Salt to heal the soul

Halotherapy centers in Israel bring new, natural relief option to respiratory ailment sufferers

Staff Report

For years, medical doctors in the United States have been telling their patients to cut out the salt. However, many doctors in Europe are actually sending their patients to get more salt in their lives. Not to eat, but instead sending them to man-made rooms of salt where they can find a natural therapy solution to their nagging ear, nose and throat medical conditions.

Back in the middle ages, Roman Catholic monks utilized the power of salt caves to help sick people suffering from medical conditions such as asthma, snoring, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory ailments. However, they were not the first. The therapy actually dates back to ancient times in Israel, where Breathewell is keeping the traditional remedy alive today.

“There are currently 13 salt rooms throughout Israel helping people suffering from respiratory diseases find some relief, and often a simple cure, to their afflictions,” said Jonathan Bennett.

Bennett and his partner, Jonathan Kestenbaum, are both Five Towns natives who co-founded Breathewell after working together on various business ventures over the past six years.

“This is a time tested natural therapy that helps patients and does not require life-long prescription medication or expensive invasive surgical procedures,” said Kestenbaum.

The salt room therapy — more commonly known as halotherapy from the Greek word “halos” meaning salt — helps patients because when the salt particles are breathed in, they act as a natural disinfectant and absorbent material that clears the lungs of foreign matter and phlegm, allowing the patient to breathe easier.

“During the session in the Cheder Melach [Hebrew for salt room], patients simply have to sit in our specialized halotherapy room and breathe to allow the tiny salt particles to enter their lungs,” Bennett said. “The salt provides a cleansing experience that helps the patient breath easier.”

Many patients find some relief after a few sessions; however, for optimal relief from respiratory ailments, Breathewell recommends halotherapy spread out over a therapy period of seven weeks with two quick one-hour sessions per week.

“Halotherapy centers can be found throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada,” Kestenbaum said.

“People, young and old, are finding substantial relief from their respiratory ailments by visiting salt rooms.”

It has even been demonstrated that halotherapy can assist children with very late stage chronic ear infections.

“Doctors tell parents that their only solution is antibiotics or the implantation of tubes in the child’s ear canals,” Bennett said. “However because the ear, nose and throat are all connected, many patients overseas are finding dramatic relief from chronic ear infections by using the natural and non-invasive solution –– halotherapy.”

Along with chronic ear infections, record numbers of children are suffering from asthma in the United States. Lung disease is one of the leading killers in our country. Despite all of the Americans suffering from respiratory ailments, Halotherapy hasn’t yet made its way to the United States.

Breathewell is on a mission to change that by bringing this natural therapy here. After opening two more salt rooms in the coming months in Jerusalem and Modiin, the founders of Breathewell are focusing their efforts on helping thousands of Americans breathe better.

“We are working on securing investment capital to open a chain of these centers across the nation to help people in the United States find relief from their respiratory illnesses,” said Bennett. “With some partnership assistance, we think 2009 is the year that this ancient halotherapy solution finally arrives in our country.”

With the recent growth in natural therapies, homeopathic medicine and non-invasive medicine in the United States, the time may have finally arrived for halotherapy to be accepted here. For millions of people suffering from respiratory problems and children fighting chronic ear infections, the time couldn’t be better. Halotherapy may truly be an ancient answer to a very modern health problem.

For more information on the Breathewell halotherapy centers and their mission to bring the time-tested therapy to the United States, please visit their web site at www. breathewell.biz.

Your health: Treating ADHD

Book promotes behavioral therapy in addition to medication

By Malka Eisenberg

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

A treatment for ADHD that combines physical and mental exercise is promoted in a new book that empowers parents to

Your health: Examining medical ethics

Dr. Leon Zacharowicz

The clash between secular and Jewish perspectives

By Dr. Leon Zacharowicz

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

The amazing technological advances of the last century have created new solutions to medical and psychiatric disorders, but also have resulted in highly complex ethical and legal

On the Calendar 11-07-08

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

Kristallnacht Commemorations

Cedarhurst – The Beis Midrash of Cedarhurst (The Shteibel) and Rabbi Dovid Spiegel will host a program on Sunday, November 9 being co-sponsored by Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi (The Red Shul) and Agudath Israel of the Five Towns at 7:30 p.m., featuring guest speaker Rabbi Yaakov Feitman of the Red Shul. The program will be held at the Shteibel 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 “Remember Then & Now: Kristallnacht 1938-2008 on Tuesday, November 11 at 1:00 p.m. at Congregation Beth Sholom at 390 Broadway. The program will feature “Into the Arms of Strangers,” 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.

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 children’s 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, 630 Hempstead Ave. 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 shuls for $18. For more information, call (212) 929-1525, ext. 103 or e-mail mroizman@youngisrael.org.

Immediately afterward, NCYI will present an Israel Advocacy Seminar from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. “Winning The War Of Words — How To Become An Effective Advocate For Israel” is the signature program on Israel advocacy of NCYI in conjunction with The David Project — Center For Jewish Leadership. The program is specifically designed to train and educate people about the difficult issues facing the Jewish community. It is free but advance registration is requested, as space is limited. To register, send an e-mail with your name, address, and telephone number to cleibtag@youngisrael.org. For more information, call (212) 929-1525, ext. 100, or visit www.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.

Oceanside - The Young Israel of Oceanside will host a book club meeting on Tuesday, November 11 on “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. YIO is located at 150 Waukena Avenue. For more information, please contact Phylis Buchwald at pbuchwald@tsgins.com.

Cedarhurst - The JCC of the Greater Five Towns is hosting a lecture and discussion with author Barbara Kessel 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 Authority’s 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 hospital’s Conference Center, located at One Healthy Way in Oceanside. For more information, please call (516) 632-3350.

Oceanside - The Young Israel of Oceanside welcomes Rabbi Dr. Shnayer Z. Leiman as a Shabbat Scholar-in-Residence on Nov. 14-15, Parshat Vayera. Rabbi Leiman, a professor of Judaic Studies, will speak on topics in Jewish History and Literature. Following a community Friday night dinner, he will lecture on “The Bible and the Talmud in Light of Modern Archaeological Discovery.” The topic of a Shabbat morning lecture will be “Did the Maharal of Prague Create A Golem?” and during Seudat Shlishit he will focus on “The Emden-Eibeschutz Controversy.” The YIO is located at 150 Waukena Ave. For more information, call the shul at (516) 764-1099.

West Hempstead - Congregation Anshei Shalom welcomes Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss as a Shabbat Scholar-in-Residence on Nov. 14-15, Parshat Vayera. Rabbi Weiss is the Rav of Agudath Israel of Staten Island. His topics will include “Sweetening our marriage;” he will also give a daf yomi shiur at 3:15 p.m. on Shabbos afternoon. For information and how to become a sponsor of the event please call Congregation Anshei Shalom at (516) 489-8112.

Lawrence - Meryl and Sam Futersak will host “Kiruv in Hollywood,” an evening in honor of the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, on Motza’ei Shabbos, November 15, at their home at 28 Auerbach Lane, in Lawrence. The guest speaker is Rabbi Daniel Mechanic, a musmach of Rav Pam zt”l, and head of Project Chazon, an organization dedicated to strengthening yiddishkeit in Yeshiva high schools. Rabbi Mechanic has inspired a number of Hollywood personalities in his career in kiruv and his charismatic personality amazes his listeners as he makes them laugh and think in earnest. Join us for an evening filled with delicious food, great company, and inspirational entertainment. For more information and to make a reservation, please call the Yeshiva office at 718-327-7600 or email yfr1@verizon.net.

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.

Far Rockaway - Canfei Ruach, Wings of the Spirit, the Israeli duo of Tirtza Singer and Chana Sofia Yaffe is touring the United States and will perform on Sunday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. at 626 Alonzo Rd. Canfei Ruach aims to connect today’s Jewish woman with her ancestral matriarchs through the universal language of song and music, uplifting women’s hearts and spirits through inspirational tales, emotional drumming and movement, and biblical song accompanied by guitar, keyboard and harp. Tickets cost $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Sponsorships are available from $36 to $100, with a portion of the proceeds given to tzedakah. For more information, please call Leyna at (516) 263-4311 or visit www.wingsofthespirit.com.

Plainview - Hebrew Academy of Nassau County is hosting a blood drive on Monday, November 17 from 2:00 to 7:15 p.m. at 25 Country Drive in Plainview. You are encouraged to make an appointment in advance but walk-ins welcome. For more information, please contact the HANC office at (516) 681-5922.

Oceanside - The Friedberg JCC is holding a Veteran’s Day Celebration on Monday, November 17 at 4 p.m. The program will begin with an Honor Guard, followed by guest speaker Captain Donald Caetano of the United States Marine Corp, a 30-year veteran. We will also be dining on a buffet dinner. After dinner there will be a live USO show, featuring the Joey Armino band. The group will perform a salute to veterans, and live music including everything from the Supremes to Frank Sinatra. The cost is $40 per person. The JCC is located at 15 Neil Court in Oceanside. For more information, please call (516) 766-4341, ext. 111 or e-mail slederman@friedbergjcc.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 2:15 p.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.

Woodmere - Woodmere Rehabilitation and Health Care Center presents a COPD Support Group on Tuesday, November 18 from 4 to 5 p.m. for people with respiratory disease. Join us for an evening of educational materials, free giveaways and light refreshments. Friends and family welcome. Woodmere Rehab is located at 121 Franklin Place. For more information, please contact (516) 374-9300, ext. 223

East Rockaway - The National Council of Jewish Women Peninsula Section is hosting a holiday boutique on Tuesday, November 18, open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2 to 3 p.m. and at night from 7 to 9 p.m. You can shop for women’s and children’s apparel, accessories and items for the home, including jewelry, toys, books, dolls, handbags, watches, leather goods and Judaica. On the same day at 1 p.m., Stephen Axelrod, an actor/playwright, will perform his autobiographical show “Blue Collar Bay.” The event is free for members and will be held at the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre on 295 Main Street, East Rockaway. A $50 yearly membership fee can be paid at the door. For more information, please call Rhoda Glenn at (516) 569-3660.

Merrick - The Friedberg JCC, Merrick/Bellmore branch is hosting an event, “The Road to Health: Starting Children on the Nutrition Superhighway on Wednesday, November 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., as part of their Parenting Resource Network. Come learn tricks to make food fun for young children, avoid the increasing trend toward childhood obesity, get kid-friendly recipes and help children develop healthy eating habits. The event is free and open to the community and will be held at the Merrick Jewish Center, 225 Fox Blvd. For more information, please call (516) 240-6018.

Oceanside - The Friedberg JCC is hosting a Lunch & Learn series, beginning on Wednesday, November 19, featuring guest speaker Doug LeBlang, a graduate of the University of Boston. Session I will be on “Van Gogh: Madman or Genius.” Session II on Wednesday, December 3, will focus on “Leonardo Da Vinci: Embodiment of the Renaissance.” Session III, on Wednesday, December 17, will be on “Diego Rivera: Voice for the Oppressed.” Each lecture will start at 12 noon. Prior to each lecture, a dairy lunch will be served. Registration is required one week prior to the event. The cost is $60 for all three sessions or $21 per lecture. For more information, please call (516) 766-4341, ext. 111 or e-mail drosen@friedbergjcc.org.

Long Beach - The Young Israel of Long Beach is hosting a Chanukah mall on Wednesday, November 19 from 7 to 10 p.m.. There will be personal shoppers, a glatt kosher food court, raffle prizes, and a large assortment of vendors offering Judaica, jewelry, toys, clothing and more. The event will benefit the Sisterhood of the Young Israel of Long Beach. The shul is located at 120 Long Beach Blvd. For more information, please call (516) 431-2404 or e-mail ilana@civilizedpeople.com

Rockville Centre - Molloy College, in collaboration with FEGS Health & Human Services System will host a Palliative Care conference on Friday, November 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The conference will provide an opportunity for professionals to explore the key principles of palliative care and their application. It will enable attendees to develop greater confidence in the practice of palliative care skills within their own clinical areas and in multi-professional teams. The conference will be held at Molloy College, 1000 Hempstead Avenue. For more information, please call (516) 678-5000, ext. 6206 or e-mail lcino@molloy.edu.

Brooklyn - Shulamith High School will host an open house on Tuesday, November 25 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m., at 1277 E. 14th St, between Locust Ave and Ave M. The open house will be held on the 3rd floor, in the school lunchroom. Come learn about the warm environment, the students, the staff, the curriculum and our college preparation. For more information, please call (718) 338-7154, ext. 20.

Cedarhurst - Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi (The Red Shul) will resume a weekly late night seder each Thursday night in the shul at 395 Oakland Avenue, beginning Thursday, November 30, and running until Pesach. The seder will begin at 10:30 p.m. and conclude at 11:30 p.m., followed immediately by Maariv. Learning will be b’chavrusa or solo, and chulent will be served. For more information or for assistance with chavrusas, please e-mail Eli Moskowitz at moskow@dpw.com.

Oceanside – The Friedberg JCC invites you to an evening of Laughter, Latkes & a Special Film Screening of “Making Trouble” on Monday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m. “Making Trouble” tells the story of six of the greatest female comic performers of the last century including Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers, Gilda Radner, and Wendy Wasserstein. The film, produced by the Jewish Women’s Archive, is filled with interviews and rare footage. The cost is $8 and advance reservations are recommended. Light refreshments will be served. 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

Oceanside - The Friedberg JCC is hosting an event, “The Road to Health: Starting Children on the Nutrition Superhighway on Monday, December 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., as part of their Parenting Resource Network. Come learn tricks to make food fun for young children, avoid the increasing trend toward childhood obesity, get kid-friendly recipes and help children develop healthy eating habits. The event is free and open to the community and will be held at the Friedber JCC, 15 Neil Court. For more information, please call (516) 240-6018.

Cedarhurst
- Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter will be speaking on Jews and Islam at the closing session of the Five Towns Jewish Council Adult Education Program on Tuesday December 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sephardic Temple. The annual 5TJC Adult Education Program is currently held each Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. Participating local rabbis and educators include Bruce Ginsburg, Steven M. Graber, Kenneth N. Hain, Arnold B. Marans, Jay H. Rosenbaum, Mira Rosenfeld-Sennet, Yehuda Septimus, Elliot Skydell, Sholom Stern, Paula Winnig and Kalman S. Topp, all lecturing on diverse topics. A contribution for all sessions is $50.00. Each session is followed by a collation. For more information, please call Eli Hirmes at (516) 295-0359.

Oceanside
- The Friedberg JCC is offering a day trip on Thursday, Dec. 11 to the newly renovated Queens Theater in the Park for the new smash hit comedy, “The Men of Mah Jongg.” Prior to the show, we’ll enjoy a three-course luncheon with wine at the French bistro, La Baraka. Please register by Nov. 20. The cost is $120. For more information, please call (516) 766-4341, ext. 111 or e-mail drosen@friedbergjcc.org.

West Hempstead – A book and music sale will be held on Friday, December 12 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday evening, December 13, from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. and Sunday, December 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of West Hempstead, 711 Dogwood Avenue. Donations of books, LPs, and 45 rpm records are needed. For more information, please call the synagogue office at (516) 481-7448 or e-mail edleah@aol.com.

Mineola - The 16th Annual Chanukah Telethon, hosted by Rabbi Anchelle Perl of Chabad and Mickey ‘B’ will air its “Chabad’s Got Talent” live finale on Sunday, December 14 from 7 to 11 p.m., broadcast on WLNY TV55 and on the web. 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 Chabad’s 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 a.m. 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.

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.

Read more >> Options >>

From the other side of the bench: Judgment never ends

By David Seidemann

Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

I sauntered into a local retail store on the days between Yom Kippur and Sukkos on a mission from my wife to find matching napkins and paper plates. I overheard two of the store clerks bemoaning the fact that every few days the store had to be closed

Editorial: Slowly, progress on crimes once unmentioned

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

Great progress has been made in recent months toward the goal of waking up the organized Jewish community — the Torah-observant Jewish community, in particular — to the tragedy of child molestation

The only poll that counts

Yosef, a voter from Woodmere, casts an historic ballot at Yeshiva of South Shore’s Early Childhood program. (Photo courtesy of Yeshiva of South Shore)

Abuse victims gather at Cardozo conference

New effort to extend window for prosecution

By Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769
At a sparsely attended conference held Oct. 29 at Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, the seeds of an unlikely friendship were planted between Catholic and Jewish sexual abuse survivors and advocates.

“We need not to be siloed within our religious communities; we need to be thinking more broadly, cooperating more broadly,” said Bill Kritston, the head of Bishop Accountability, a group that documents sexual abuse in the clergy.

The conference, organized by the New York chapter of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), brought together victims and advocates of sexual abuse inside the Catholic community and the Jewish community, which recently has seen a spate of allegations of sexual abuse, mostly in

In my view: On the night of the murder

Meir Weingarten

By Meir Weingarten

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

There used to be a cozy little restaurant, no more than six or seven tables, hidden away in what were then vacant fields behind the King David Hotel.

It’s a beautiful Saturday night in November. We park near the restaurant. As we’re about to get out of the car a report on the radio of breaking news holds us back. It was a confused report: shots heard at the pro-Oslo rally in Tel Aviv. No one knows where they came from. But, the announcer assures us, Rabin, Peres et al are fine and

Letter to the Editor 11-07-08

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

Tolerating intolerance

To the Editor:

A recent article in The Jewish Star (We should only tolerate tolerance; Oct. 31, 2008) made a surprising claim: some speech is not as free as other speech. Speech, of any form, including that of discrimination or hatred, so long as it is non-violent,

YES, HE COULD!

Barack Obama first black president; Skelos, McCarthy re-elected

By Mayer Fertig and Michael Orbach

Issue of Nov. 7, 2008 / 9 Cheshvan 5769

Senator Barack Obama made history Tuesday, earning a decisive victory over Senator John McCain to become the 44th president of the United States, and the first black man to win the job.

President-elect Obama’s impending election was looked upon with grave apprehension by many Orthodox Jewish voters who professed concern about his foreign policy positions in general, and his attitudes toward Israel in particular.

Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, who won re-election Tuesday, said she hoped the president-elect would reassure Jewish voters.

“I hope that within the first few months he’ll go back to Israel