QJL 31 (273) Aug9 IY · 2018. 8. 8. · Vol. VII No. 31 (#273) • August 9, 2018 QueensJewishLink.com • 718-880-2622 • [email protected] 3 Congratulations to Dean Steven

QueensJewishLink.com • 718-880-2622 • [email protected]. VII No. 31 (#273) • August 9, 2018 1

Dear Editor:

In his article, “Dual Loyal-ties,” Warren Hecht argues that as Jews we must be very con-cerned about being charged with dual loyalties if we judge politicians solely by their help-ful attitude towards Israel. Of course, Mr. Hecht fi nally comes to his point toward the end of the article when he says that this includes the president. Once again, Mr. Hecht makes a case against showing support

Your Say US News

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Anti-Semitism Envoy Post Still

Vacant

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On his relationship towards Jews, President Donald Trump can speak of the

personal, professional, and polit-ical ties that include his daugh-ter, the embassy in Jerusalem, its

I Can See Clearly Now

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The drive-up cash machine at the Chase Bank on Main Street (you know, the one

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Iwonder if others have had this experience, too.

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QueensJewishLink.com • 718-880-2622 • [email protected] Vol. VII No. 31 (#273) • August 9, 20182

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While we make every effort to publish articles that are within the bounds of normative halachah and hashka-fah, we cannot take responsibility for every article writ-ten. If you feel that anything you read is objectionable, please write a letter to the editor and, if appropriate, it will be published.

Additionally, the views expressed within all articles appearing in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily refl ect the position or policy of the Queens Jewish Link. Additionally, the Queens Jewish Link does not support or endorse any political candidate.

Also, please be advised that the Queens Jewish Link takes no responsibility for the kashruth standards of any of its advertisers. Do not take the fact that an eat-ery appears in our paper as a kosher endorsement of their product. If you feel that a particular establishment is under questionable supervision, please consult your rabbi for his advice.

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Calendar– Rebecca Wittert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Recent Happenings – Sergey Kadinsky, Susie Garber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-26

Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Classifieds & Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

General Interest

Financially Forward - Gerald Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Style & Living

Beauty Briefs -Risselle Naimark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Dating Today – Goldy Krantz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Nutrition Notes – Alice Horrosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Style Myths Debunked – Meira Schneider-Atik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Light & Fun

Feelin’ Funny - Mordechai Schmutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Musical Notes (Fiction Serial) – Susie Garber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Snippets of Strange – QJL Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-16

The Fun Side – QJL Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42/43

Mental Health & Physical Wellness

Hooked on Healing – Caroline Schumsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Opinion

As I See It - Cynthia Zalitsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

This is Loit - Simcha Loiterman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

For What it’s Worth – Warren Hecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Your Say . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Torah/Tefilah/Parshah

Halachic Highlights – R’ Ephraim Glatt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Rabbi’s Musings and Amusings – R’ Dani Staum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

A Shabbat Thought - R’ David Algaze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Shmuz on the Parshah – R’ Ben Tzion Shafier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Stories of Greatness – R’ Dovid Hoffman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Weekly Tefilah Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Special Articles

Anti-Semitism Envoy Post Still Vacant - Sergey Kadinsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

KGH Backyard Barbecue Supports Life-Giving Work of Bonei Olam - Susie Garber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Beyond Kosher: Emet’s Rabbi Reuven Kigel’s Torah-Based Approach to Healthful Eating . . . . . . . . . 24

Jamaica Estates’ Dr. Joseph Frager Leads Delegation to Israel to Celebrate

Efrat Expansion - Sergey Kadinsky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Hamas Official Says Truce With Israel to be Inked Within Weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

The Law School Parshah - Chaim Yehuda Meyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

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for President Trump, who has proven to be the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.

The charge of “dual loyalties” is an old canard leveled by anti-Semites. It is a charge applied uniquely to Jews. The Irish and Mexicans that Mr. Hecht cites, nor any other ethnic groups, have ever been accused of dual loyalties. Of course John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt accused Jews of dual loyalties; they are anti-Semites! It’s really quite simple. Showing that we care about other social issues never did and never will make a difference to anti-Semites. Ask the likes of Louis Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton how much they cared that Jews were in the forefront of the civil rights movement.

In fact, the problem we Jews are bring-ing about is not dual loyalties, but no loyalties. We do not reward those who have been good to us, and we reward those who have been our nemesis. Al-fonse D’Amato was one of the most devoted senators that we as Jews have had. He fought valiantly for every issue that Israel faced. He helped survivors get millions of dollars from European coun-tries that stole their possessions during the War years. How did we reward him? Thanks to one editorial in The Jewish Week, we tossed him in favor of Charles Schumer, whose devotion to Israel and Jewish causes pales in comparison to Al D’Amato. What an embarrassment!

By constantly trashing President Trump, the message goes out: Don’t sup-

port the Jews because they won’t sup-port you; they have no loyalties. That should be your true concern.

Rabbi Yoel SchonfeldYoung Israel of Kew Gardens Hills

Dear Editor:I would like to congratulate you on

publishing the wonderful column writ-ten by Sarah Shalek (previously New-comb). Each week, I look forward eager-ly to reading it, as it is always interesting and inspiring. She portrays her life and thoughts in a way that we don’t see any-where else.

As a doctor in our Queens commu-nity, I come across many of the issues she mentions. Life can sometimes be diffi cult, and handling tough issues with children and teens strains fami-lies. We have a lot of social pressure on us to be perfect in all ways. To feel that your family is the only one struggling and having diffi culties is isolating and depressing.

But, hey! Here is a woman who is open about her past struggles. She shows us that you can move forward, take chanc-es, be afraid, but still try new ways and approaches, and succeed. Even in hard times, we can be grateful for all Hashem has granted us, and spread love and joy to everyone. Smile, be happy, welcome people, and be kind and accepting. Reach out your hand, don’t judge, encourage! This is her message to her readers.

Sarah provides an incredible role mod-el to people of all ages. In her column,

she models what courage looks like, as she “tells it like it is” with total honesty. She models what love, outreach, and re-spect for all people looks like.

She has an open house, where all are welcome and encouraged to be their best – especially young people, who blossom when received with warmth and openness.

It is extraordinary to have someone willing to tell the truth about what is re-ally going on in our community and our lives. Sarah does it so that others will know that they are not alone in dealing with some issues that some in our com-munity are afraid to talk about openly.

There are many people in Queens who admire the Queens Jewish Link for giving a voice and a forum for a writer this brave and inspiring. If there are naysayers who want to whitewash life’s realities and brush life’s challenges un-der the carpet, don’t let them stamp out her voice and that of others like her. Let truth reign.

Sarah’s column is a breath of fresh air, and so many appreciate you giving her the chance for her voice to be heard. Her emunah strengthens ours, her warmth and loving outreach inspire us, and her honesty and courage light the way for all.

Thank you for publishing this excep-tional writer!

Ada Hass, MD

Dear Editor:Previous generations of subway riders

would have no problems with a handful

of the 6,300 NYC Transit subway cars operating without functioning air condi-tioning, as recently reported. The same would be true, with similar numbers, of 4,500 NYC Transit and 1,300 MTA Bus (the seven old NYC DOT-franchised private bus operator routes) buses.

Air-conditioned buses and subway cars, which we all take for granted today, were virtually nonexistent during the time of the 1964-65 World’s Fair.

Air-conditioned buses were still a novelty. It was not until 1966 that NYC Transit fi rst purchased over 600 buses with this new feature. Subsequently, all future new buses would include air con-ditioning. By the early 1990s, 100 percent of the bus fl eet was air conditioned.

In 1967, NYC Transit introduced the fi rst ten air-conditioned subway cars op-erating on the old IND line. It was not until 1975 that air-conditioned subway cars were introduced on the old IRT lines. It took until 1982 to retrofi t all the original IRT “Redbird” series subway cars. By 1993, 99 percent of New York City’s 6,000 subway cars were air condi-tioned, with the exception of a handful running on the #7 Flushing line.

Sincerely,Larry Penner

Larry Penner is a transportation histo-rian, advocate, and writer who previously worked 31 years for the US Department of Transportation Federal Transit Adminis-tration Region 2 NY Offi ce.

Your SayYour Say • Readers Write

CONTINUED FROM P. 1


that the man’s situation had changed and he barely had enough money to live. He didn’t feel it was appropriate to visit him at this time and expect a donation.

But R’ Kahaneman wouldn’t hear of it. “Of course, we must go visit him. Now especially he would want us to come!”

Well, as anyone who had ever met the Ponovezher Rav would know, when he put

his mind to something there was no stop-ping him. The two got in the car and drove out to the nonagenarian’s home. They rang the bell and the man himself came to the door. When he saw who was standing there, his face immediately fell and turned white. He began to stammer that perhaps it was not a good time, but the Ponovezher Rav just smiled, shook his hand warmly, and kissed him on the cheek. They all sat down in the parlor and the man began telling the rav how his income had dried up and he was sadly un-able to write out even a small check to the yeshivah. R’ Kahaneman stopped him in mid-sentence and said, “My dear friend, you need not worry. For so many years you took care of the Ponovezh Yeshivah. Now the Ponovezh

Yeshivah is happy to take care of you!” The rav asked how much the annuity had paid him for all the years, and then assured the elderly man that as long as he lived, the yes-hivah would continue making payments in that exact amount!

Well, the man lived until the ripe old age of 96, and for the fi nal six years of his life he indeed received a check every quarter in the amount he was used to. Rabbi Wein later learned that the bulk of the money came from R’ Kahaneman’s personal bank account and allowed the man to live out his years in luxury and dignity. The rav would smile and tell the young rabbi from Miami that in the end it was all worth it, for when the man fi -nally passed he left his palatial home to the Ponovezh Yeshivah!

For many years, until his death in 1969, the Ponevezher Rav, R’ Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, zt”l, used to visit Miami

Beach, Florida, annually in order to raise funds for his yeshivah. He would come in late Novem-ber and often remain in the warm sunshine of South Florida until February or March. Rabbi Berel Wein, shlita, who was a congregational rabbi in Miami during that period, developed a close personal relationship with the Ponovez-her Rav and on numerous occasions would drive him around to the homes of wealthy members of his congregation to collect money. The Ponovezher Rav had a magnetic personal-ity and his love for every single Jew was clear and apparent at all times. As a result, these wealthy individuals enjoyed the time spent in their homes with the rav and looked forward to his visits – often two or three times in the course of a few months – while the rav was in town.

Rabbi Wein recalls that there was one man in his congregation, a widower with no children, who had retired years earlier and moved down to Miami from New York City. This man had been a successful attorney un-til a number of medical issues cropped up. First, he had a heart attack when he was in his 50s, and not long after that he was diag-nosed with a malignant tumor. The doctors were not very optimistic and gave him only a few short years to live. The man became despondent and decided to retire and move to Miami to live out his remaining time in comfort. He purchased an annuity (a fi nan-

cial product that pays out income, a reliable means of securing a steady cash fl ow for an individual during his retirement years and to alleviate fears of outliving one’s assets)

that would last until the age of 90, bought a palatial home, and awaited the inevitable. Fortunately for him, the inevitable was long in coming, and at the age of 88 he was still energetic, spry, and sharp as a whip. He was also an outstanding member and donor to the Miami community.

The Ponovezher Rav developed an attach-ment to this gentleman and the two would engage in hours of conversation. Rabbi Wein would drive the rav to the man’s beautiful home at least two or three times each winter, and the wealthy retiree would always con-clude their meetings with a check of no less than $5,000 each and every time.

Rabbi Wein became aware of a change in the man when he turned 90 and his an-nuity ran out. Now he had no more income, and aside from his home, he had few assets. Rabbi Wein wasn’t even sure if the man had any cash available for necessary staples. So, when the Ponovezher Rav came to town and asked him one morning if they can go visit his elderly friend, Rabbi Wein was uncharac-teristically hesitant. He explained to the rav

Rabbi Dovid Hoffman is the author of the popular “Torah Tavlin” book series, fi lled with stories, wit and hundreds of divrei Torah, including the brand new “Torah Tavlin Yamim Noraim” in stores everywhere. You’ll love this popular series. Also look for his book, “Heroes of Spirit,” containing one hundred fascinating stories on the Holocaust. They are fantastic gifts, available in all Judaica bookstores and online at http://israelbookshoppublications.com. To receive Rabbi Hoffman’s weekly “Torah Tavlin” sheet on the parsha, e-mail [email protected]

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StoriesStories Of Greatness

Feeding The Hand That Feeds You

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the Ponovezh Yeshivah is happy to take care of you!”


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“If there should stand up in your midst a prophet or a dreamer of a dream, and he will produce to you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes about, of which he spoke to you saying, “Let us follow gods of others…” (Devarim 13:2ff)

*****

This passage is the defi nitive state-ment in the Torah that G-d will not change His mind and that no

precept in the Torah will ever be abro-gated. Despite any miracle performed by any person, if his message is that the Torah needs to be changed, that a “new” covenant need be established, this is the indubitable sign of the falsehood of that prophet. The Torah and G-d’s covenant are forever unchanged and unchangea-ble and any claims to the contrary are to be regarded as utterly false. Just as truth does not sustain changes, the Torah in its entirety and Israel’s chosenness in history will never be altered. But the false prophet will have brought “proofs,” performed miracles – how can we dis-

regard his words? The answer lies in an understanding of the position of error in the universe.

The world, our lives, and everything that exists are full of errors, mistakes, fl aws. Every few years we discover, yet again, that our perceptions were wrong, that our theories were faulty, or that our priorities and our decisions were incor-rect. What we thought was right yester-day appears to be wide of the mark to-day. Why do we err?

Rav Yerucham Leibowitz (Da’at Hoh-ma Umussar II 44) explains that mistakes are not accidental; they are part of the fabric of Creation. The phenomenon of the false prophet is an example of this condition. He is given the power to pro-duce wonders, effect miracles, and pos-sess a spiritual power in order to entice people and lead them astray. Why would G-d permit such an impostor to be able to have these powers and perform mira-cles? Rashi answers that G-d is testing our faith. As the Torah says, “For Hashem your G-d is testing you to know whether you love Hashem your G-d…” (Devarim 13:4)

We see from this that negative forc-es are sometimes given the ability to seduce us and make us take the wrong turns in life. This is what we call the Sa-tan, that is, the power to “derail” us from the right path. Satan means “derailer” or “spoiler” – whose function is to attempt to disrupt our lives and seduce us into abandoning Hashem. This is the basis for all errors in the world: the power that G-d conferred to the Satan. The ba-sis for all our mistakes is a mispercep-tion, a blind spot that prevents us from seeing correctly. The Satan always shows us chimeras, mirages, and illusions. The secret not to fall into its trap is to remain

steadfast in our faith and our belief in G-d. We should be always vigilant about the next test, the next mirage that the Satan will put in our path and realize that in this world there always will be tests along the way.

The traps and deceptions vary with the times and with the nature of each in-dividual. To some it could take the form of physical or material attraction, to oth-ers it could be a political ideology, and yet to others it could take the form of an intellectual misconception. Science and technological advances could be used to prove the “falsehood” of a belief in the Divine, a form of “and the sign or won-der comes about” that may lead some to dispose of their faith and reject spiritual-ity altogether.

While the deception may work in some, it does not affect others. A wrong theory may lead some astray but oth-ers are impervious to the “miracles.” Why is that? The Torah replies that the difference lies in the degree of love of Hashem. Among those whose love for G-d is weak, any trap may ensnare them

quickly. However, people whose faith is strong and who love G-d with all their heart are not so prone to error and are often spared from the appeal of delu-sion and deceit. This is evident in the fact that scientifi c theory or new discov-eries do not disturb the faith for some scientists, while for others the fact of scientifi c explanations and any new “wonder-theory” immediately confi rm and validate their negation of G-d. The great American scientist writer, Carl Sa-gan, commented that for anyone to be a real atheist, he would have to possess compelling evidence against the exist-ence of G-d, and no such evidence ex-ists. Yet, there are many who fi nd it easy to deny G-d while hanging on to some scientifi c “proof” or fact, not because the evidence is actually compelling but because they lack a “love of G-d.” Per-haps, from a psychological perspective, the need to deny the Divine may pre-cede the fi nding of such facts or theo-ries.

Genuine love must often withstand challenges and trials. It is no different with the love of G-d. That is the reason that we are presented with these delu-sions and temptations. It is our ability to stand fi rm in the face of such appeals and mirages that ultimately confi rms and strengthens our faith. Just as love becomes stronger after a crisis and a test, the love of G-d becomes more po-tent when we overcome the desire and refuse to be ensnared by the “magic” of Satan and his multifarious tricks.

At every turn in life, we may expect that this challenge may rear its head. We need to be prepared for this ubiquitous and unavoidable test in order to show that we “love G-d with all our hearts and all our souls.”

R’ David Algaze

A A ShabbatShabbat Thought

Rabbi David Algaze is the founder and Rav of Havurat Yisrael, Forest Hills. He is a noted public speaker and author and is the President of the international Committee for the Land of Israel.

Why We Err

Genuine love must often withstand challenges and trials. It is no

different with the love of G-d


R' Dani Staum

Rabbi’s MusingsRabbi’s Musings & Amusings

Essentially, it refers to our obligation to empathize with the plight of others. In some instances, it motivates us to do all we can to help alleviate the pain of others, while in other situations it at least ensures that those going through challenges don’t feel alone, but that there are those who care about their plight.

But, it goes beyond even that. On a metaphysical level, our feeling and sharing the pain of others demon-strates to Hashem that we care about our brethren, an important key to bringing about the future redemption.

The renowned speaker shared some incredible anecdotes that demonstrate the unparalleled love and care that great Torah leaders have even for stran-gers, including that a gadol couldn’t sleep or eat normally because he was so disturbed by the pain of others.

But the strange thing was, the more I listened to those stories the more de-fl ated I felt. Instead of being inspired, I felt dejected. I have a hard enough time balancing all of the responsibilities in my own life. Am I obligated to strive to fully internalize the pain of others? If I am, how can I ever be happy and dance

at a wedding or appreciate a sunny day, when there is so much suffering and sadness in this world?

I reminded myself of a conversation I had with our family’s rebbe, Rabbi Chaim Schabes. Rabbi Schabes is not just a scholar and rabbi of note, but also a selfl ess person who gives freely

of his time for the needs of klal Yisrael, well beyond those of his own k’hilah. I am constantly astounded when I hear from numerous friends and acquaint-ances that when there were commu-nal issues or personal struggles, they turned to Rabbi Schabes for advice, even though he is not their “rabbi.” I cannot understand where he has the time in his day for his k’hilah, the mul-titudes of others who seek his counsel, and to prepare and give drashos and shiurim.

Throughout the years, whenever we have met privately with Rabbi Schabes to consult with him about various fam-ily matters, he always gives us his full

attention, as if nothing else was going on. The only interruption is from the incessant buzzing of his phone, which indicates that there are plenty of other matters vying for his attention beyond our meeting.

I once asked Rabbi Schabes how he is able to deal with all of the painful sto-

ries he hears on a constant basis. How does he always exude so much simchahdespite all the tragedies he is privy to?

He replied that when one hears painful news, and surely when one is listening to another relate a person-ally painful experience, at that time he is obligated to try to be nosei b’ol and empathize with true care. Then when he davens, he should include heartfelt prayers on behalf of the suffering per-son and his situation. But beyond that,

one must live his own life, and cannot allow himself to be overwhelmed by the suffering of others.

(Of course, that doesn’t include do-ing what one can on behalf of the per-son. This only refers to one’s emotional investment. Rabbi Schabes noted that he believes that he heard this perspec-tive in the name of Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer zt”l.)

When my rebbe related to me this idea, I was very much moved. I sug-gested that it’s a mitzvah to publicize it to others in order to alleviate the need-less guilt many of us feel that we are not nosei b’ol. He nodded affi rmatively.

It is no small order to truly empathize with another when he is sharing his pain and you have other things to do. Nor is it easy to remember his plight when you are davening, to add t’fi los on his behalf. But if one has done so, he has fulfi lled his obligation to be nosei b’ol. At that point, he should strive to be b’simchahwith the feeling of the words we say in bentching: “And for all, Hashem our G-d, we thank You and bless You…”

Striking A Balance

Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, is a rebbe and guidance counselor at Heichal HaTorah in Te-aneck, Principal at Mesivta Ohr Naftoli of New Windsor, and a division head at Camp Dora Golding. He can be reached at [email protected]. Looking for “instant inspiration” on the parshah in under minutes? Follow him on Torahanytime.com.

How does he always exude so much simchah despite all the

tragedies he is privy to?

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CONTINUED FROM P. 1


“When Hashem, your G-d, will broaden your boundary as He spoke to you, and you say, “I will eat meat,” for you will have a desire to eat meat, to your heart’s entire desire you may eat meat.”

– D’varim 12:20

*****

For 40 years in the midbar the Jewish people ate maan. Guided by Moshe Rabbeinu, and engaged in constant

Torah study with every physical need taken care of, the klal Yisrael lived on a lofty spir-itual plane. Now that they were being ush-ered into a different era – entering Eretz Yisrael where they would begin living in a natural manner – they were given many di-rectives to retain their status as an exalted nation.

One of the points that Moshe Rabbeinu made to the klal Yisrael is that when they settled the land and followed the Torah, they would fi nd success in their endeavors, and Hashem would expand their borders. When this would occur, they would desire meat. And they would be allowed to eat it anywhere they wished.

Rashi is bothered by the relationship between the expanding of borders and the “desire to eat meat.” It almost implies that the expansion of borders brings on the de-sire. Rashi explains that the Torah is teach-ing us a principle in derech eretz. A person should only desire meat when he can af-

ford it. When Hashem expands our borders and we enjoy fi nancial success, then it is appropriate to desire meat – not before.

This Rashi seems diffi cult to understand. What is wrong with desiring meat? The To-rah might tell me that if I can’t afford meat, I shouldn’t eat it. If it is beyond my means and purchasing it would create an undue expense, I shouldn’t buy any. But what is wrong with just desiring it?

Pleasures and LustsThe answer to this can be best under-

stood with a mashal. Imagine that you fi nd yourself shipwrecked on a desert island. You haven’t eaten in three days, and you are driven by one burning desire – food. As you hobble along the island, you notice a brown paper bag under a palm tree. You open it up to fi nd a dry peanut butter sand-wich that has sat out in the sun for three months. You gulp down that sandwich with more gusto than anything that you have ever eaten in your life.

Here is the question: How much pleasure did you derive from eating that sandwich? There is no question that you had a power-ful urge, a very real desire; but how much enjoyment did you receive from that activ-

ity? The answer is not much. It certainly re-lieved your hunger, and in that sense brought a release from pain; but it would be hard to imagine that for the rest of your life you would be reminiscing back to the sensation of the bitter, spoiled peanut butter and the dry, cracked bread as it scratched your throat when you swallowed it.

This is a good example of the distinction between pleasure and lust. You ate that sand-

wich with great desire – a lot of passion – but you didn’t derive much pleasure from that activity. Lust is the pull to engage in a given activity. Pleasure is the amount of enjoyment you receive from it. As unusual as it may sound, most people fail to make a distinction between pleasures and passions.

Hashem Wants Us to Be HappyThis seems to be the answer to the

Rashi. While it is true that life is a battle,

and exerting self-control is the primary ve-hicle of growth, Hashem created us to be happy. If you bring new desires into your world, desires that you can’t possibly fulfi ll, you are destined to be miserable. You will be constantly wanting, constantly hungry. Your life will become the opposite of a pleasurable existence.

The Torah is teaching us that our de-sires are things that we can and need to control. If you have the capacity to meet the desire to eat meat, there is nothing wrong with allowing those desires to sur-face. Hashem created many pleasures for man to enjoy, and you should use those pleasures to better serve Him. But if you don’t have the means to fulfi ll those hun-gers and you allow them to be present, then you will be living a very uncomfort-able existence, constantly hungering for something that can’t be met.

When Hashem grants you abundance and you can afford luxuries, then you will desire meat – but not before. The Torah is educating us into a higher form of living.

R’ Ben Tzion Shafier

The ShmuzThe Shmuz On The Parshah

Consumerism And The Overspent Generation

Born and bred in Kew Gardens Hills, R’ Ben Tzion Shafier joined the Choftez Chaim Ye-shiva after high school. Shortly thereafter he got married and moved with his new family to Rochester, where he remained in for 12 years. R’ Shafi er then moved to Monsey, NY, where he was a Rebbe in the new Chofetz Chaim branch there for three years. Upon the Rosh Yeshiva’s request, he stopped teaching to devote his time to running Tiferes Bnei Torah. R” Shafi er, a happily married father of six children, currently resides in Monsey.

The Torah is teaching us that our desires are things that we can

and need to control

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mediate gratifi cation when all I wanted to do was make a simple withdrawal. I stuck in my card, punched in my code, slapped the “fast cash” option, and waited there with half my body dangling out the win-dow, reaching for the cash drawer. I was starting to get annoyed (and uncomfort-able) waiting and waiting for my money. Where was my money? I then noticed a friendly toggle that reminded me to re-trieve my debit card. Only after I took my card would the machine release my money, which it did, and I was on my way to have some much-deserved falafel (with a certain unapologetic Miami Dolphins fan who will remain nameless).

This story reveals many things about me:• I’m short.• I will jump through hoops – or at least

a car window – to get money.• I don’t hold sports affi liations against

my friends (even if they secretly own a Bob and a Brian Griese jersey).

• I have almost driven off without my debit card many times.

• I like falafel.

It also reveals a kind of microcosm of the human condition. What’s more impor-tant: the money, or the means to getting it? My behavior along with that machine’s de-sign implies in a small way that people will tend to focus on short-term gains like cash over long-term tools for retrieving more

money like the debit card. Lunging for the cash, rather than pulling out my card, showed that at the moment my priorities were skewed. (I later thought of something called the “Marshmallow Test,” conducted by Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel in 1990 and replicated recently by Tyler Watts, Greg Duncan, and Haonan Quan. Basically,

it correlated the ability to delay gratifi ca-tion with success and achievement. You should look into it, and it fi ts somewhere here in this article, but whatever… I don’t have the patience to fi t it in. Google it.)

We answer texts in the middle of din-ner with the family, we fi nd out the box score on Shabbos, we talk during daven-ing, we look at things that our eyes were not meant to see, and we lose sight of the broader context and go for what feels bet-ter at the time but hurts us in the long-run. Life isn’t just about being in the moment; it’s also about knowing what to do when the moment arrives. We have to live life with both eyes wide open.

Parshas R’ei opens our eyes by telling us that we Jews have the elevated ability to discern between right and wrong. We

Simcha Loiterman is a resident of Kew Gardens Hills. He is available for speaking engage-ments and presentations or a cup of coffee and a good talk. He would love to hear from you at [email protected]. He feels very strongly that you can learn from everyone because we all have stories to tell, lessons to teach, and can kindle a spark of goodness inside. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in “Life.” Visit his blog at thisisloit.wordpress.com to learn more of his ideas and opinions about our beautiful world.

I Can See Clearly NowCONTINUED FROM P. 1

can choose to live life or let life live us. We can connect to the good in the world – to Hashem, Torah, mitzvos, love – or we can choose a life that’s no life at all, an unexam-ined life, a selfi sh life, a distracted life. Each day, we choose to live or die.

When my son was a baby, he would often cry and cry and then...cry. The cries would come in the middle of an important phone call, during unimportant phone calls, late at night, early in the morning, during Sunday Night Football, during Mon-day Night Football (Jets-Dolphins Monday Night Miracle). Not surprising, that’s one of

the things babies do.To be honest, I often found myself tak-

ing care of my son: feeding him, cleaning him, holding him, just to solve a problem. My problem. I just wanted him to stop cry-ing. Again, it was like taking the cash but forgetting the card – my job is to love him and to take care of him, not to give him what he needed so I could be free.

Why was he crying anyway? It occurred to me that he was in need; he just wanted to tell me that he wanted to be fed, he was

dirty, he wanted to be held, he wasn’t feel-ing well. These are basic needs. All he was asking for were his basic needs, but I was too preoccupied with myself.

The next time my son cried, I decided not to just shut him up but to actually help him. Everything changed. I wasn’t just solving the problem of my life being inter-rupted; I was giving love. I was doing one of the greatest things a person could do in this world. My son, only months old, had taught me an amazing lesson in priorities.

It’s funny how, when kids or adults get upset over something insignifi cant, we sometimes say that they are acting like a baby. But babies cry only when they are in need of something. We’d be acting more

It’s funny how, when kids or adults get upset over something

insignificant, we sometimes say that they are acting like a baby.

But babies cry only when they are in need of something

CONTINUED ON P. 27

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Elderly German Men Escape

Nursing Home To Attend

Heavy Metal Concert

Two elderly men escaped from a nurs-ing home in Germany to attend a heavy metal festival on Friday.

Nursing home offi cials discovered that the men were missing and alerted police, who eventually found the men at Wacken Open Air, the world’s largest heavy metal festival, held every year since 1990.

Although police found the men “disori-ented and dazed,” they didn’t want to leave the concert.

“They obviously liked the metal festi-val,” a police spokeswoman said. “The care home quickly organized return transport after police picked them up.”

The men reportedly took a taxi back to the nursing home, along with a police es-cort.

95-Year-Old Woman Chases

Bear Out Of Kitchen - Twice

A 95-year-old British Columbia wom-an said she had to chase a hungry black bear out of her kitchen twice

in one day.Anna Stady said she was watching TV at

her home when she heard a noise in the kitchen and looked to discover a black bear rummaging for food.

“I was annoyed,” Stady said. “I told him to go and then he just went about halfway to the backyard and I said ‘No! Go home!’”

Stady said the bear sauntered off, but later in the same day she found the animal going through her cupboard.

“He made a regular mess,” she said. “I was really annoyed with him and I told him to go. He looked at me and then he grabbed something, I don’t know what it was, and ran out.”

The nonagenarian said she was fi rm with the bear.

“Well, now I was really cross with him, and I told him so. I said ‘I’m really angry with you. Go home and don’t come back.’ I guess he believed me, because as far as I know, he hasn’t been back,” Stady said.

She said she wasn’t afraid during either of the encounters.

“I still rule my kitchen,” she said.

Airbnb Offering A Stay

At The Great Wall Of China

Airbnb announced a contest for the chance to spend the night in a unique location - the Great Wall of

China.The accommodation-fi nding website

posted a listing for the opportunity to win a stay for two at “a custom-designed home situated along the ancient portion of the wall.”

The bedroom, constructed in an ancient guard tower, is roofl ess, giving guests a full view of the stars.

“Known as one of the greatest architec-tural feats in human history, the Great Wall was built as a border to protect Chinese states against raids thousands of years ago,” the company said. “Today, it is widely con-sidered to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world, bringing visitors from all walks of life together.”

The company said those looking to win a stay at the Great Wall in September must answer two questions on the website: “Why is it more important now than ever to break down barriers between cultures? How would you want to build new connections?”

The experience includes a gourmet din-ner, a traditional Chinese music demon-stration, a sunrise hike through the Chi-nese countryside, a Chinese calligraphy lesson, and conversations with the Great Wall’s offi cial historians.

The stay features some unique house rules: “Respect the neighbors, all 1.38 billion of them. No loud music that might disturb the ancient wall guards. Do not attempt to scale, skip, jump over, crawl under, or run the length of the wall. If you see any drag-ons, do not disturb them, but be sure to re-port it. On social media.”

Entries are being accepted through Aug. 11.

Former Waitress Sends

Eatery $1,000,

Apology For Stealing

The owners of an Arizona restaurant said an anonymous former employ-ee sent them $1,000 along with an

apology for stealing decades ago.Carlotta Flores, the owner of the res-

taurant, said a letter came in the mail last week from anonymous woman who said she worked at the eatery in the 1990s while attending college.

Flores’ son posted a photo of the letter to Facebook.

“One of the waiters I worked with had encouraged me to ‘forget’ to ring in a few drinks a shift and pocket the cash. And for some stupid reason, I did it,” the woman wrote.

The woman, who identifi ed herself only as “a thankful former employee,” said the theft was out of character for her.

“I grew up in the church, I knew better. I hadn’t stolen a dime before then, nor have I since,” she wrote. “Thankfully, I was a ter-rible waitress and you all fi red me before it could amount to more than a few hundred dollars total.”

“It’s been 20 years, but I still carry great remorse. I am very sorry that I stole from you. Please accept my apology + this mon-ey as a repayment + 20 years of interest. May G-d forever bless you+ your family,” the letter reads.

The envelope also contained $1,000 cash.

“Some of my managers read the letter and they actually had tears in their eyes be-cause they know that there’s very long days and food has a very little profi t margin on it,” Carlotta said.

She said the letter came at an opportune time to restore her faith in humanity.

“I had my purse stolen and this sort of renewed the faith that we had a lot of good people out there,” she said.

Flores said she is hoping the woman will come forward so she can return the money.

“I don’t know where she’s at or who she is but I will tell you one thing. I hope that she’s read or has seen what an impact this has made not only on me, my family, my business but where it will go in the future so I hope she keeps looking to see what we’re doing with it,” Flores said.

Identical Twin Brothers

Marrying Identical Twin

Sisters In Michigan

A pair of identical twins in Michigan are getting married on consecutive days - to another set of identical

twins.Nick Lewan and Kassie Bevier met in

2014 at college when their psychology pro-fessor asked if anyone in the class was a twin.

“I was looking around and I looked behind and I was like, ‘Oh. I’m in trouble now,’” Lewan said.

The couple soon ended up going on a double date to church with their respective siblings, Zack Lewan and Krissie Bevier.

“We’re standing there in the church get-ting ready to sing and they just start belt-ing it out,” Kassie said of the twin brothers. “They were actually singing. My sister and I looked at each other like, ‘Who are these guys?’”

The Lewans proposed during a trip to the Henry Ford Museum with both sets of parents.

“It basically happened at the same time....which is par for the course for us. We do things in twos,” Kassie Bevier said.

Krissie and Zack are scheduled to get married Friday, followed by Kassie and Nick’s ceremony on Saturday. Both couples are slated to stand at each other’s weddings and a joint reception is planned for Satur-day.

“There is a woman at our church who was like, ‘You guys just need to marry brothers and get a duplex,’” Krissie Bevier said. “And we were just like, ‘Oh, OK, that’s a funny story.’ But it just became our reality.”

Michigan Man Turns Horse

And Buggy Into ‘Amish Uber’

An Amish man in Michigan is putting a new spin on ride-sharing with his horse and buggy service that he

branded “Amish Uber.”Timothy Hochstedler said he started of-

fering $5 rides in his horse-drawn buggy af-ter learning about Uber, the app-based ride sharing service.

SnippetsSnippets Of Strange

CONTINUED ON P. 15


“Uber is a cool thing, every single year something new comes in and Uber is hot right now, so we have the Amish Uber. We can deliver people to their front door steps,” Hochstedler said.

Hochstedler, who is not affi liated with Uber, said most of his customers are tour-ists, but locals also enjoy his services.

“Most of them aren’t from here, but the people here have given me a few options like, ‘Would you give me a ride to Curly’s? Would you go to my house?’ And, yeah, I’d do that,” Hochstedler said.

Hochstedler’s analog Uber is slightly more diffi cult to book than its app-based namesake: Customers have to wave him down on the street.

Meddling Fly Foils Domino

World Record Attempt

Ateam of domino enthusiasts in Germany said a Guinness record at-tempt involving more than 600,000

tiles was foiled by a mischievous fl y.

Patrick Sinner, who led the team of 20 people in setting up the dominoes at a gym, said the team’s two weeks of hard work were ruined when a fl y landed on a mini-domino and set off a 600,000-strong chain reaction prematurely.

He said the mini-dominoes are easy to knock over, as they are only about the size of a fi ngernail.

Sinner and his team were still able to break Guinness records for the largest dom-ino wall, the largest spiral and the largest domino cube.

Rhinoceros Attacks SUV

At Safari Park In Mexico

Avisitor to a safari-style Mexican zoo captured video of a rhinoceros at-tacking another vehicle traveling

through the park.A video taken last week shows the rhino

repeatedly ramming an SUV driving on a road through the zoo.

The rhino at one point puts its head un-der the rear bumper of the SUV and lifts it off the ground.

The animal continues to follow and attack the vehicle as it attempts to drive away.

African Safari employees were able to distract the rhino and allow the SUV to drive away, offi cials said.

Park offi cials said no one inside the ve-hicle was hurt during the encounter and measures are being taken to prevent future incidents.

Cat And Chicken Found

Hiding From Fire Together

Firefi ghters battling a wildfi re in Cali-fornia found an “unlikely pair” of animals sheltering from the fl ames

together - a cat and a chicken.

A Facebook post said offi cers were pa-trolling structures affected by the fi re when they found “an unlikely pair of animals im-pacted by the fi re.”

“In the doorway of a home, they found a cat and a chicken huddled together for safety and support,” the post said.

The department said fi refi ghters were able to coax both animals into sharing a carrier and they were taken to the SPCA, where veterinarians treated their burn wounds.

“The fi refi ghters checked on the pair a day later, both the cat and chicken are ex-pected to make full recoveries from their injuries,” the post said.

Man Kept $1 Million Lottery

Ticket For Two Months

AVirginia man who won a $1 million lottery jackpot said he held onto his winning ticket for two months so

he could get his “thoughts together.”Fred Dove said he scored a $1 million

prize on a scratch-off ticket but decided not to turn it in right away.

“I was so excited, but I needed to plan,” Dove said. “I needed to get my thoughts to-gether.”

Dove said he also wanted to complete a handyman job for some clients before claiming his money.

He visited lottery headquarters this week and took the lump sum option for

CONTINUED FROM P. 14


CONTINUED ON P. 16


his prize, which came out to $657,030 be-fore taxes.

World’s Largest Cheeseboard

Assembled In Wisconsin

The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin as-sembled a cheese board with a 4,437-pound spread to break a Guin-

ness World Record.The group announced Guinness World

Records has offi cially recognized the re-cord for the world’s largest cheeseboard after the dairy farmers covered the custom-made board, measuring 35 feet long and 7 feet wide, with 4,437 pounds of cheese in 145 different varieties.

The event, which took over an entire street, included a visit from a Guinness adjudicator who certifi ed that the cheese board was more than 1,000 pounds larger than the previous record-holder, which was assembled in Europe.

Some of the cheese was served to spec-tators, while some wheels were auctioned for charity and the rest were donated to a food bank.

Couple’s $75.5 Million

Lottery Ticket Ripped In Half,

Thrown In Trash

A Scottish couple said their $75.5 mil-lion winning lottery ticket was ini-tially ripped in half and thrown out

by a clerk who thought it was a dud.Fred and Lesley Higgins said that Fred

took their ticket from the July 10 drawing to a store to check if it was a winner.

“I handed the ticket over and the young man put it through the machine, telling me it wasn’t a winner,” Fred said. “He ripped the ticket in two and threw it into the bin, as they would with all non-winning tick-ets.”

Higgins said the ticket was retrieved when the machine then printed out a mes-sage.

“The terminal produced a message which said I needed to retain my ticket and call the lottery,” he said. “The retailer immediately grabbed it out of the bin and handed it to me.

Lottery offi cials said they performed checks on the ticket including reviewing CCTV footage from the store to verify the ripped ticket.

“I wasn’t ever concerned that we wouldn’t get the money as I knew it was an honest mistake - it just had to be looked at to make sure everything was correct,” Hig-gins said.

Police Seize Dummy Used

To Prank Drivers In Utah

Police in Utah said they apprehended a dummy used by pranksters to scare drivers who thought the mannequin

was a body.A group of juvenile suspects dressed the

dummy, dubbed “Fred” by police, in clothes and placed it in a road.

The suspects hid nearby to watch the re-actions of drivers, police said.

“It may have been funny to them, but wasn’t funny to female driver who hap-pened across Fred,” a police Facebook post read. “Offi cers arrived and took Fred into

custody. He’s now being used to prank fel-low co-workers at the PD.”

Police are inviting the dummy’s owners to claim him at police headquarters and “have a chat” with offi cers.

Pet Pig Credited With Foiling

Indiana Home Burglary

Police said an attempted burglary at an Indiana home was foiled by an unusual guard animal - a family’s pet

pig.Investigators said thieves broke into a

home through the back door last week, but they left empty handed after apparently be-ing confronted by Dumplin the pig.

“The offi cers were guessing when the person broke in they were probably sur-prised I had a pig and were like, ‘We don’t want to deal with this,’” the homeowner said. “The cop was like we defi nitely think they got in and made it to where Dumplin was and thought, ‘Nope. We don’t want no part of this.’”

The woman said she adopted Dumplin, a fully-grown adult pig, from a rescue ear-lier this year.

“The moment I saw him I knew he loved me instantly. He’s the perfect animal,” the homeowner said.

Police said there were two other break-ins in the same neighborhood on the same day.




The Queens Jewish Community Council

Celebrates its

of Service to the Community

Invites you to a Gala Dinner Event

Da Mikele Illagio 79-17 Albion Ave., Elmhurst, NY 11373

The QJCC Visionary Award

Jerry LippmanPublisher of

Long Island Jewish World

The QJCC Community

Service Award

Michael ZavolunovRestauranteur, Caterer and

Champion of Israel

The QJCC Young Leadership Award

Alliance of Bukharian AmericansMichael Nussbaum President Cynthia Zalisky Executive Director

119-45 UNION TURNPIKE, FOREST HILLS, NY 11375718-544-9033 • WWW.QJCC.ORG

The QJCC Jason Weinstein

Ahavat Chesed Award

The QJCC Claire Shulman

Queens Public Service Award

Hon. Michael SimanowitzAccepted by the

Michael Simanowitz Family

In Loving Memory


There are some really good compa-nies out there. The problem: Their stocks have correspondingly high

prices. Many trade in the low- to mid-hundreds of dollars per share and some are considerably higher. As a result, indi-vidual investors who have modest port-folios are effectively priced out of those stocks.

But here’s some good news for them: 24/7 Wall St. recently scanned its data base, searching for companies that have a lot of upside potential but that neverthe-less were trading for less than $10/share. Five companies met their criteria. And be-cause they represent different industries and have different risk/reward ratios, there’s something for almost everybody.

Here’s how 24/7 put it: “Many inves-tors, especially more aggressive traders, look at lower-priced stocks as a way to not only make some good money but to get a higher share count. That can really help in the decision-making process, es-pecially when you are on to a winner, as you can always sell half and keep half.

“We screened our 24/7 Wall St. re-search database and found fi ve stocks trading under the $10 level that could provide investors with some solid up-side potential. While more suited for

aggressive accounts, they could prove exciting additions to portfolios looking for solid alpha potential.”

The names of these companies, along with a brief description, follow below.

Cidara Therapeutics (Symbol: CDTX)Cidara may be a small-cap, but 24/7

says this clinical-stage biotech has huge potential. Cidara is developing a pipe-line of anti-infective products that po-tentially could treat or even prevent serious fungal infections. Anti-infective products either stop the spread of an in-fection or kill it outright.

Earnings estimates have been ris-ing for this company and Cidara is now ranked #2 by Zacks, which is “Buy.” Citi-group also rates Cidara “Buy” and has a target price of $8 for the stock. However,

the consensus view on Wall Street is a much more bullish $13.06. Recent price: $3.89.

Glu Mobile (Symbol: GLUU)Glu Mobile develops and sells games

designed to be used on smartphones and tablets; these include Design Home,

Contract Killer, Deer Hunter, and various sports-related games among others. Some analysts think this gaming stock, best suited for aggressive accounts, may have some big upside in its future.

Second-quarter revenues jumped 31 percent over the year before to $90.2 mil-lion. Although EPS was slightly lower than analysts’ expectations, the company enjoyed strong bookings growth – strong enough for management to bump esti-mates of full-year earnings higher. The CEO recently said the company is well positioned to “monetize existing titles while continuing to develop our pipe-line of new games,” which it believes will generate signifi cant growth heading into next year.

Piper Jaffray rates Glu Mobile’s stock a “Buy” and has a $7.50 price target, which is above the consensus target of $6.96. Re-cent price: $5.93.

Kinross Gold (Symbol: KGC) 24/7 notes that “more aggressive” in-

vestors interested in precious metal companies may consider Kinross Gold Corp., a smaller-cap Canadian gold miner. Kinross purchases, explores, develops, and produces gold properties and it also mines and sells silver. The company does business in Canada, the US, Russia, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, and Mauritania.

The just-released second-quarter earn-ings were in line with Zacks Consensus Estimate; in the last four quarters Kin-ross has surpassed estimates twice. “We remain on track to meet both our annual production and cost guidance,” said com-pany CEO and President J. Paul Rollinson. “We achieved solid cash fl ow and main-tained our strong balance sheet as we continued to advance our development projects.”

As of June 30, 2018, Kinross had cash and cash equivalents of $918.7 million

and available credit of nearly $1.6 billion; there are no debt maturities until 2021. Kinross is actively involved in develop-ing new projects, and when those reach full production by 2020 they are expected to stabilize the company’s gold output in the 2.5-million-ounce range.

Merrill Lynch rates the stock a “Buy” and has set a target price of $4.75, slightly below the consensus price target of $4.91. Recent price: $3.45.

Kosmos Energy (Symbol: KOS)24/7 calls this company “a solid energy

exploration and production play.” Kos-mos explores and produces oil and gas in several countries in Africa and in South America. The company is also exploring new oil and gas properties, while also trying to boost production from existing fi elds through additional exploration.

Unlike other companies in the indus-try, which have scaled back production, Kosmos is hoping to fi nd another fi eld like Jubilee in Ghana, an offshore oilfi eld that began production in 2010. Jubilee has proven reserves of around 3 billion barrels and produces 150,000 barrels per day.

Jefferies rates Kosmos “Buy” and has a target price of $9.50, higher than the consensus target of $8.98. Kosmos was re-cently trading at $7.61.

Rigel Pharmaceuticals (Symbol: RIGL)Jefferies has covered this company for

years and believes its low price makes it an attractive takeover target. Rigel Phar-maceuticals Inc. is a biotech researching and developing novel small-molecule drugs that improve the lives of patients with immune and hematological disor-ders, cancer, and rare diseases.

24/7 notes that “the company’s pio-neering research focuses on signaling pathways that are critical to disease mechanisms. Its clinical programs in-clude clinical trials of fostamatinib, an oral spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in a number of indications.”

The Wall St. fi rm Jefferies has a target price of $7 for Rigel, which is less than the $7.92 consensus target. The shares re-cently traded at $2.66 apiece.

As always, speak to an investment pro-fessional before making any investment.

Sources: medicinenet.com; 24/7wallst.com; yahoofi nance.com.

Gerald Harris

FinanciallyFinancially Forward

Gerald Harris is a fi nancial and feature writer. Gerald can be reached at [email protected]

Are These Stocks Bargains On Wall Street?

24/7 Wall St. recently scanned its data base, searching for companies

that have a lot of upside potential but that nevertheless were trading

for less than $10/share. They found five


KING DAVID 718-896-7686

Address: 101-10 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375


For months, the Mueller team has been quiet, although it has faced a barrage of attacks by the president

and his supporters. Lawyers try their cases in the courtroom and not in the media. Now the fi rst Paul Manafort trial has begun.

There are two cases regarding Manafort. The case that is being tried fi rst involves tax evasion and lying to lenders to obtain a loan. If that sounds familiar, the fraudulent loan application was the charge that Ru-bashkin was convicted of. In other words, Manafort under-reported his income to the IRS when he was making millions, and then when it dried up he infl ated his income to the banks when he wanted to obtain funds.

This trial is important because it gives us a glimpse into the workings of the special prosecutor and his team. They are well pre-pared and are trying a case like thousands of other cases that go through the federal judicial system. It is not a political clown show like the House Intelligence Commit-tee investigation of Russian interference in our elections and collusion between with the Trump campaign and Russia. It is all about the facts.

The prosecution presents its evidence through documents and through witness-es. In this case, like many other cases, some witnesses for the prosecution have incen-tives to testify favorably to the prosecution because they are being given immunity or have taken a plea with a favorable dispo-sition if they testify on behalf of the pros-

ecution. At Manafort’s trial the defense will have a chance to cross-examine the witnesses and present evidence, although they do not have to. The motive of these witnesses is something that a jury can consider in determining their credibility. However, it does not make their testimony incredible as a matter of law. This is crucial in debunking the argument of Trumpians that since some of the individuals who had been involved in the Mueller investigation did not like Trump or must not like Trump since they are Democrats, the investigation must be improper.

A jury of 12 was selected and is hearing this case. No one is talking about their par-ty affi liation, if known. They were picked because they would be fair whether they are Democrats or Republicans. Juries are fair and so are investigators. They are pro-fessionals, and thus the president’s “12 an-gry Democrats” claim falls fl at.

If Manafort is convicted it would have

additional ramifi cations. It will put addi-tional pressure on Manafort to cooperate. At a minimum, it sends a message that the Mueller team is serious about bringing and pursuing charges and can be successful. It

also improves their standing in the public, which the president is most worried about since impeachment goes through the House of Representatives and not through a jury.

It is not coincidental that the president and his supporters have become more un-hinged since the trial has started. The presi-

dent has asked Attorney General Sessions to fi re Mueller, which he does not have the power to do, and has gone beyond the pale in attacking the press, claiming they cause wars. They are very worried about this trial.

It was a smart move by the Mueller team to start with a trial that does not have any political overtones – to show the public how they are operating in a professional, methodical manner and not being infl u-enced by the noise around them.

The Trumpians talk about the 12 angry Democrats. If Manafort is convicted, will they refer to this jury as 12 angry Demo-crats?

For WhatFor What It’s WorthWarren S. Hecht

12 Angry Democrats

Warren S. Hecht is a local attorney. He can be reached at [email protected]

It is not coincidental that the president and his supporters have

become more unhinged since the trial has started


candidates and political groups can get Waters’ offi cial backing. The fee earns them a spot on the slate mailers, campaign mailers that promote Waters’ allies who pay her campaign committee for those mailers. She has demeaned the offi ce that she holds in the House of Representatives with this outrageous scheme to raise money for her own personal gain. The woman is a millionaire and should not have to lower herself to this level.

It’s uncanny that this “kehsheneh ganif” (petty crook) has been able to reinvent her-self. She has aligned herself with some questionable anti-Semitic characters, including noted Is-rael haters Rep. Keith Ellison and Nation of Islam leader Louis Far-rakhan, so she’s not a friend of ours by any stretch. She also supports J Street: “We look to J Street in order to continue to [not only]

educate us but to guide us to have peace in the Middle East.” Waters was one of only six Democrats who declined to sign a letter sup-porting the two-state solution because she refused to address President Trump.

Trump responded to Waters’ thrash-ing by saying, “Congresswoman Waters, an extraordinarily low IQ person, has be-come, along with Nancy Pelosi, the face of the Democrat party. She has called for harm to supporters, of which there are many of the Make America Great Again movement.”

This paragon of virtue wants to impeach 45. I suggest that if Congress is inclined to impeach anyone, Maxine Waters is an ideal candidate. That would be is an excellent example of what President Trump means by “draining the swamp.” Our country de-serves better than having the likes of Max-ine Waters in Congress. It’s a shanda!

Ihave always thought that Rep. Maxine Waters of California was a disgrace to the offi ce she holds and should have

been booted out years ago. Her crass, big mouth has always been an embarrassment to all of us who hold America dear. Recently, in an act of downright chutzpah, she criti-cized President Trump’s meeting with Rus-sian president Putin and called him “Putin’s apprentice.” As she explained on MSNBC, “In fact, for months I’ve been trying to tell the American public that the President is dangerous and that he’s in bed with Putin. Don’t forget this President can’t borrow money in the United States from any bank. This President is looking at Russia for his new money, fi nancial playground.”

Waters has been a longtime opponent of Trump, consistently referring to him as the “illegitimate president” and has frequently called for his impeachment. Her battle cry has been “Impeach 45! Impeach 45!”

This woman has been an eyesore in the US House of Representatives for nearly three decades. She has recently come under fi re from both sides of the aisle after she called on Americans to “push back” against members of the Trump administration over its immigration policy. Waters called on her supporters to publically confront and harass members of the Trump admin-istration in response to the zero tolerance policy that led to the separation of fami-lies at the border. The comments came af-ter several Trump administration offi cials have been recently accosted at restaurants and in front of their homes. She screamed out, “Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. And if you see any-body from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere. We’ve got to get the children connected to their parents.” The last line was what my mother would have called “a tehretz fahr yehnem” (an excuse). Waters has always been a rabble-rouser whose patriotism has always been in question. Does she re-ally care about those children or is she just using them for her own advantage? She is clamoring for publicity, and by bashing Trump she is getting it.

That call to her supporters was incite-ment and many in Congress feel that she should at least be censured for her abysmal behavior. She is creating an environment of hostility in our country and a blatant disregard for the rule of law.

Just last week, Waters’ sycophants burned and stomped on an American fl ag they snatched off a pickup truck, chanting “black power” outside of her California of-fi ce. Waters did not condemn the act. That is a perfect indication of where she is com-ing from.

Long before Ocasio-Cortez, Waters’ ex-treme socialist philosophy was a glaring example of someone that did not appreci-

ate the values that America stands for. In-credibly, Waters is now the darling of the far left. She is accusing the president of be-ing “a crooked and racist liar.” That is a pot calling the kettle black, knowing her his-tory. She’s the crook and has been a racist throughout her entire political life.

What is surprising is that the powers in the Democratic left don’t remember Waters’ past. She was dubbed the nation’s most corrupt elected offi cial by the Citi-zens for Responsibility and Ethics in Wash-ington in 2011. She was accused of paying family members close to a million dollars from public and campaign funds since 2007. Waters has also been investigated for issuing undue infl uence to secure a $12 mil-lion TARP bailout for a bank in which her husband was a director and shareholder. Her husband’s stock in the institution was worth between $250,000-$500,000. Waters was eventually cleared by investigators, but her grandson, who served as her chief of staff, was not.

But that hasn’t stopped her dishonesty and fraudulent behavior. Besides all that, she is also a schnorrer. Waters’ daughter earned $650,000 for running a “slate mailer” opera-tion for Waters’ campaign that ethics groups have described as an “end run of campaign fi nance limits.” For a fee of $250-$45,000,

As IAs I See It

Cynthia Zalisky is the Executive Director of the Queens Jewish Community. She can be contacted at [email protected]

Cynthia Zalisky

Move Out, Maxine!How Is This Disgrace

Of A Congresswoman Still In Office?

Long before Ocasio-Cortez, Waters’ extreme socialist philosophy

was a glaring example of someone that did not appreciate the

values that America stands for

Solution to this issue’s puzzles


RecentRecent Happenings

KGH Backyard Barbecue Supports Life-Giving Work Of Bonei Olam By Susie Garber

On Tish’ah B’Av, the theme of the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation videos was to be nosei b’ol chaveiro.

This is exactly what our Kew Gardens Hills community did with a beautiful event to support Bonei Olam at the home of Hudi and Orit Newman on Wednesday even-ing, August 1. A large group of community supporters gathered in the backyard of the Newman home in an elegant tent with can-dlelight and live musical entertainment from Eli Levin. Seasons and Tevya’s Ranch sponsored the event with a delicious bar-becue and other delicacies. Bonei Olam is an organization that provides millions of dollars in fi nancial assistance to cover the costs of fertility treatments and medical procedures. As of today, 7,400 babies were born with Hashem’s help through Bonei Olam. The organization was founded by fi ve volunteer couples and is still run by volunteers.

Mr. Newman welcomed everyone to his home and then shared a poignant letter written by his younger sister, Esti. She was married at age 19, hoping to start a family. At age 21, there was still no baby. Doctors told her, “You’re young and healthy.” At age 23, she and her husband saw four doctors. They all offered different opinions. At this point, all her friends and family were get-ting married and starting families. She stat-ed that she wanted to share one hundredth of the pain a young frum couple is dealing with, with fertility and genetic issues. “Your pain is unbearable. The looks, the ques-tions. The whispers. Obviously, something is wrong with you.”

Esti wrote, “Finally, we called Rabbi Bochner. He said, “You may be young and healthy, but something is going on.” He sent Esti to a doctor in New Jersey who specialized in a condition called PCOS, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which is a ge-netic condition. She was diagnosed with

this, and so they were guided by Bonei Olam and told to call Dr. Chaim Jalas, a ge-netic specialist. They learned that if they conceived children naturally, their chil-dren would have genetic issues, so they needed to perform IVF, in vitro fertiliza-tion, to prevent any genetic problems. The next problem was that insurance would not cover this extremely costly procedure because insurance classifi es pregnancy as an illness.

With Bonei Olam’s help, they did not have to worry about the fi nancial aspect. They endured dozens of doctor appoint-ments, some at seven a.m., an hour from their home. There were many painful in-jections that Esti’s husband had to give her but, baruch Hashem, Hudi stated, he has a healthy niece and nephew. “Nobody ever thought they would have kids!”

Esti’s letter concluded, “Hashem sent us Bonei Olam!”

Next, Rabbi Binyomin Kleinbart, one of the founders of Bonei Olam, spoke briefl y about the organization. He shared a story about a man named Yitzchok Guttman from Hungary who went to the Kodesher Rav and asked if he should travel to America and settle there. The rav gave him a brachah that his children and grandchildren would stay in the way of Torah and be healthy. He

settled in Scranton, Pennsylva-nia, and everything went well with his children and grand-children. At one point, there was a typhus epidemic, but his family was spared. Some-one came to him and asked if he would adopt his child. The child had typhus, but this man knew that Yitzchok Gutt-man had this blessing from the Kodesher Rav that all his children and grandchildren would be healthy. He agreed to adopt the child. After that, many more families brought their children to him, so they could benefi t from this brachah. In the end, he opened his door to 100 children and adopted them all. Rabbi Kleinbart not-ed that there was a reunion of all of these children a few weeks ago. This story proves how one individual can help so many. We should each merit to help Bonei Olam, and so many children will be born because of this help.

Rabbi Kleinbart imparted, “Bonei Olam’s mission is that money should not hold back any couple from having children.” Bonei Olam is a world-wide organization founded by volunteers and run by volun-teers. It helps with basic infertility, genetic

infertility, pre- and post-cancer fertility help. Its pet project is Bonei Olam With-out Borders, which means that twice a year Bonei Olam sends a specialist to Israel to help give special treatments to men with infertility. Out of 15 men recently treated through Bonei Olam Without Borders, 12 were helped.

He concluded, “A childless couple can come to Bonei Olam and, with siyata diSh-maya, they can walk away a happy mother and a happy father.” He urged everyone to use the 40 days before Rosh HaShanah to help support Bonei Olam.

For more information about Bonei Olam, call 718-252-1212 (ext. 229), visit www.bonei-olam.org, or email [email protected].

Chazaq Couples Event Inspires The Community(See more photos on our snapshots page)

When thinking of an organization that tries to touch upon all as-pects of Jewish life, one of the

fi rst that comes to mind is Chazaq.Over the past decade, Chazaq has risen

from being a community outreach or-ganization (The “q” in Chazaq stands for Queens), to becoming an organization that has spread well beyond the Tri-State Area, with riveting lectures and programs for men and women of all ages.

“Our main focus continues to be our after-school programs for public school students,” says Chazaq operations manager Yaniv Meirov. “Our entire staff, board of directors, and rabbinical leaders are con-stantly looking for ways to inspire more and more of our Jewish youth, and we will keep working hard until we maximize our potential.”

“But we also look for new ways to inspire all segments of the community. We have a children’s division, women’s division, and even a division for senior citizens, among others,” says Meirov. “One division that we

touch upon in private, but not so much in a public fashion, has been our married cou-ples division. Our rabbis literally touch the lives of scores of couples on a weekly ba-sis via group learning sessions and private counseling, so some of the couples pushed us to put together a couples’ event for the broader community.”

Indeed, Chazaq board members Mr. & Mrs. Boris Shamayev joined Mr. & Mrs. Isaac Abraham to organize a luxurious cou-ples event at the Shiraz Restaurant in Great Neck. The event was sold out within two weeks, and unfortunately scores of couples were unable to join.

The evening featured couples from com-munities around New York who were treat-ed to a lavish dinner along with words of inspiration by Chazaq Director Rabbi Ilan Meirov and special guest speakers Rabbi Benzion Klatzko and clinical psychologist Dr. Sara Barris.

The theme of the event was learning how to appreciate one’s spouse and improv-ing on communication skills. The speakers shared fascinating personal stories to help bring their messages across, and from the

look on everyone’s face, the messages were very well received.

“We have been going to Chazaq lectures for nearly three years,” said one couple. “Last summer, we heard about Chazaq’s af-ter-school programs and our eldest daugh-ter was immediately enrolled. Thank G-d,

within two months, Chazaq placed her in yeshivah. Now, Chazaq is also helping us with our shalom bayit, too,” they said with a smile.

For more information about Chazaq, please visit www.chazaq.org or email [email protected].

Photo credits: Izzy PeskowitzPhoto credits: Izzy Peskowitz



Touro Student From KGH Receives Prestigious Accounting Award

Noah Leibowitz of Kew Gardens Hills, a student at Touro’s Lander College of Arts and Sciences (LAS) in Flat-

bush, was selected to receive a $10,000 mer-it-based scholarship from The Public Com-pany Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

Dean of Undergraduate Business and Ac-counting Barry Bressler nominated Noah because of his interest and aptitude in ac-counting. In addition to excelling in his coursework, Noah is an IRS-certifi ed vol-unteer tax preparer with Touro’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, which pro-vides free tax returns to low-income New Yorkers. Noah is on track to receive his BS in Accounting in June 2019 with a 4.0 GPA.

“I was honored to fi nd out that I was selected for the PCAOB scholarship,” said Noah. “I am getting an excellent education at Touro, and this scholarship will open even more doors and help me achieve my goals.” The PCAOB scholarship program was established to encourage accounting students to pursue careers in audit.

After graduating, Noah hopes to work in an accounting fi rm with the objective of one day opening up his own practice. He credits both his classes and the experiences offered to him at Touro, with helping him develop the skills needed to achieve this goal.

Rabbi Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff Speaks In KGH To Commemorate 25th Yahrzeit Of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt”l

By Susie Garber

To commemorate the 25th yahrzeit of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

zt”l, the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills featured a scholar-in-residence lecture by Rabbi Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff, Professor of Rab-binic Literature at Yeshiva University’s Gruss Institute in Jerusalem. The lecture took place on Sunday evening, July 29, at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills.

Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld, rav of the Young Israel, greeted the large crowd and intro-duced the program. Next, Mr. Stuart Ver-standig, Chairman of the shul’s Adult Edu-cation Program, introduced Rabbi Rakeffet.

Rabbi Rakeffet lives in Yerushalayim. He is a student of the Rav, Rabbi Josef B. So-loveitchik, and he has over 415 shiurim re-corded on the Yeshiva University website.

The title of his lecture was: “Fate and Destiny from Churban to Binyan: Rabbi Soloveitchik on Personal and National Redemption.” He began with a question posed by the Rav: Why do we need two covenants? We have the covenant of the forefathers and the covenant with Moshe Rabbeinu. The Rav answers that there are two different levels to being a Jew. On the fi rst level, you are an individual with your personal relationship with G-d. This is the covenant of the Avos. The second covenant is that we are a nation, and this is the cov-enant of Moshe Rabbeinu. “We have a dual responsibility. Live as an individual Jew, but as part of am Yisrael.” Rabbi Rakeffet taught, “If a Jew is bleeding in Siberia, we should be hurting in Kew Gardens Hills.”

He shared a chilling story that illustrates this point, about a soldier in World War I who shot a German soldier, and he heard that soldier scream, “Sh’ma Yisrael.” The sol-dier who killed this man was so distraught

that he had killed a fellow Jew, that he then took his own life.

Rabbi Rakeffet noted that the second covenant begins at the end of the Seder on Pesach night, when each Jew ate a k’zayis of the korban Pesach during the time of the Beis HaMikdash. Hundreds of Jews shared a korban Pesach,

and he explained that this act prepares the Jewish people for being there for one an-other.

He spoke about a group of Jews in Da-mour, Lebanon, who were trapped during the Lebanon War and the Israeli Army res-cued them. Jews are there for one another. “No other group has this,” he said. He add-ed, for example, that Muslims blow them-selves up with other Muslims. Not only do they not care about each other, but they murder each other. He stated, “We are not only individuals, we are am Yisrael.” With the Churban HaBayis, this is what we lost. He shared, “The concept of cohesiveness is basic to our existence. When the Beis Ha-Mikdash was destroyed and we went into galus, we lost cohesiveness. We are just in-dividuals.”

He noted how Napoleon in 1807 asked Jewish leaders, “Are you going to become French or will you maintain Jewish co-hesiveness. Will you accept French laws? Who are you? Is Judaism a private matter or will it interfere with your integration into French society?”

Rabbi Rakeffet went on to share won-derful examples of Jewish cohesiveness today. He stated, “Visit Moscow and see the miracle that happened in our time. It’s the greatest miracle since the establishment of the State of Israel.” He said, “Millions of Jews have come back to Judaism.” He point-ed out that what is happening in Israel to-day is magnifi cent. There are more people learning Torah in Israel than ever in the his-

tory of the Jewish people!He stated, “Today you can be

chareidi and be part of building Eretz Yisrael!” He noted that of the 15 justices on the Israeli Supreme Court, fi ve of them are shomrei mitzvos. There are women judges who wear shei-tels. In high tech companies there are chareidi Jews. He stated, “The concept of broth-erhood has come back.”

He shared a story about the Rav that demonstrates his love for the Jewish people and the importance of being there for one another. There was a man who was anti-Zionist and asked the Rav for tz’dakah. The Rav gave him a large amount of money. People asked the Rav how he could do this, since the man was so virulently anti-Zion-ist. The Rav said that the man is shomer Shabbos and that is enough reason to give him tz’dakah. In fact, that man’s grandson

became the head of ZAKA in Israel.At the end of the lecture, the audience

was shown Rabbi Rakeffet’s impressive list of scholarly books, and they were able to purchase books whose proceeds go to ben-efi t Shvut Ami, an organization that helps Russian immigrants to Israel and helps to stop assimilation.

Rabbinical Alliance Of America Lauds Orthodox Jewish Chamber Of Commerce’s Support For Los

Angeles Immigrant Business

The Rabbinical Alliance of Amer-ica — Igud HaRabbonim, with a membership of over 950 Orthodox

Rabbis — praises the Wall Street-based Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce in their support of the grand opening of Asher Caffé and Lounge in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles against anti-Semitic protest.

In recent weeks, Asher Shalom, the Ira-nian-born proprietor of the Asher Caffé, has been the target of a vicious boycott campaign by those who have attempted to quash free speech, cloaking their anti-Semitism in political activism.

Mr. Shalom, an immigrant who es-caped Iran after the Islamic Revolution, exercised his constitutional right of free speech by sharing some tweets by Presi-dent Trump. He was immediately stigma-tized by political opponents and subject to organized demonstrations against his business. According to a reporter on the scene, “the scenes were outrageous, remi-niscent of the pogroms of yore.”

“In America, we cannot tolerate the boycotting of any business due to the religion or personal political views of its owner,” said Rabbi Duvi Honig, the found-er and CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Cham-ber of Commerce.

He added, “We are proud to step in and help bring unity and love to this coun-try in a bipartisan manner while helping the café voice its message of peace to the community, loud and clear.”

Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, the Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Alliance of America/Igud HaRabbonim, said, “We ap-plaud the valiant efforts of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce in standing up to the egregious anti-Semitism to which Mr. Shalom and his café are being subjected. As Jews, we are eternally grateful to G-d for allowing us to enjoy the benefi ts of free speech and other constitutionally protected rights in this great nation of America. As we also know, freedom is not free, and all of us must exercise vigilance in protecting it each and every day.”

Losers from a radical “anti-gentrification” group harassed customers who were patronizing Losers from a radical “anti-gentrification” group harassed customers who were patronizing Asher Caffe and Lounge’s grand opening in LA. They also shouted anti-Semitic slurs, Asher Caffe and Lounge’s grand opening in LA. They also shouted anti-Semitic slurs, according to the caf owner’s son. Police had to be called to escort customers in and out of according to the caf owner’s son. Police had to be called to escort customers in and out of the restaurantthe restaurant



Beyond Kosher: Emet’s Rabbi Reuven Kigel’s Torah-Based Approach to Healthful Eating

Two weeks ago at the Emet Outreach Learning Center in Jamaica Estates, Campus Director Rabbi Reuven Kigel

gave a lecture about a topic he’s very pas-sionate about: healthful eating.

Rabbi Kigel stressed that, from the To-rah’s perspective, eating is not an end unto itself but a tool to serve Hashem. “Many rabbis discuss the importance of eating properly,” Rabbi Kigel explained, “because the healthier we are, the stronger our avo-das Hashem will be. When we’re healthy, we can perform at our best, and thus our avodas Hashem is at its peak. Our ultimate goal should be to think about food as little as possible.”

Rabbi Kigel pointed out that we follow the Torah’s guidance and wisdom in many areas, to discover the best practices that lead to a productive and happy life. For example, secular society has a 60 percent divorce rate, while the Orthodox Jewish community’s divorce rate is a staggering 90 percent lower.

The US is riddled with health problems. A shocking 70 percent of Americans are obese, and 86 million are prediabetic. Some 44 percent of people between the ages of 75 and 85 suffer from Alzheimer’s or demen-tia, yet according to some recent studies, physically fi t people in this age group are as much as 90 percent less likely to have these conditions. The food we eat has a big impact on these and other illnesses. For ex-ample, 70-90 percent of cancer is linked to poor nutrition.

Rabbi Kigel said that, as a veteran m’kareiv, he’s discovered that it’s easier to help someone become shomer Shabbos than become fi t. If you invite individuals to experience Shabbos with your family for just 25 hours, they often get a taste of the beauty it can offer, and want to be-

come more observant to enjoy it week af-ter week. However, it’s not feasible to show someone the joy and benefi ts of being fi t without putting in a lot of time and effort.

Rabbi Kigel quoted multiple Torah sources that demonstrate the impor-tance of healthful eating. The Rambam in Sh’monah P’rakim says that someone who eats whatever he wants whenever he wants is an animal. One of the Lubavitcher Reb-bes said, “A hole in your health is equiva-lent to a hole in your soul.” Another gadol went even further, saying that anything we ingest that’s detrimental to our health is “bal tashchis,” the transgression of wasting something valuable.

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch says, “Since being healthy is necessary for serving Hashem, a person should stay away from eating things that are bad for him, and rath-er eat things that are good for him.”

Rabbi Kigel quoted the Shulchan Aruch and then he quoted the Mishnah B’rurah in Orach Chayim 157, where he discusses the proper time to eat daily meals, from which he derived fi ve rules:

Rule 1: Your fi rst meal should be at the beginning of the fourth hour after you wake up. A worker should eat at the begin-ning of the fi fth hour, and a talmid cha-cham at the sixth hour.

Rule 2: If one cannot wait until noon, or cannot eat a meal until after noon, he may eat a small snack in the morning known as “pas Shacharis.” It need not be bread, and should not be a meal that one would bentch on.

Rule 3: You should have two meals a day (except on Shabbos).

Rule 4: The day meal should be lighter than the evening meal, because a heavier meal diminishes one’s energy.

Rule 5: The fi rst meal should be bread

or a different carbohydrate, and the night meal should contain meat.

Rabbi Kigel also emphasized the impor-tance of avoiding processed foods, sugars, vegetable oils, and refi ned grains, along with other common foods that are bad for us. He quoted research that shows that contrary to what the western world has believed for decades, low-fat/high-carb di-ets have minimal health benefi ts, if any. It turns out that eating the right fats and oils are healthful, while processed carbs and sugars are not.

Because many people may not have the willpower to avoid these foods all week long, Rabbi Kigel’s recommended diet is a six-day regimen. “On Shabbos, you get to party and eat doughnuts, potato chips, cho-lent and kugel, all of which are extremely tempting,” he says. “Having Shabbos off helps virtually anyone stick with this regi-men psychologically. It’s not about will-power, but setting a standard for yourself. Everyone has the willpower if they commit themselves to values they want to live by.”

Rabbi Kigel’s passion for health goes back a long way. He discovered Judaism in his 20s, and says his health-conscious mindset helped make it easier to become frum, because the lifestyle he led already had dietary restrictions, similar to keep-ing Halachah. He adds, “When I fi rst read

through the Torah before I became frum, I saw all of its restrictions and thought ‘Wow, this will be amazing.’”

Throughout his years doing outreach, while he has focused on teaching Torah, halachah, and hashkafah, he has not dis-cussed health and nutrition. Then he saw an article about the link between cancer and nutrition, and decided it was time to incorporate health into his kiruv and teach-ings about Judaism. Rather than viewing health from a secular lens, he shifted his perspective and started to look at health-ful eating from a Torah perspective. He did extensive research and discovered many sources in Chazal and poskim that discuss healthful eating.

Recently, one of Rabbi Kigel’s Emet stu-dents asked him to give a class about his Torah-based approach to healthful eating, and he decided the time had come. After spending years developing his regimen, he’s extremely excited to fi nally share it with the public. He hopes that this will be the beginning of a larger movement, and that he can spread his message to help Jews everywhere become healthier and focus on serving Hashem in the best possible way.

Rabbi Kigel’s entire lecture can be found at TorahAnytime.com. It’s entitled: “Beyond Kosher: A Torah-Based Approach to Healthy Eating.”


CommunityCommunity Snapshots

Chazaq Couples' Night Out At Shiraz Restaurant Wednesday, July 25, Great Neck



Jamaica Estates’ Dr. Joseph Frager Leads Delegation To Israel To Celebrate Efrat Expansion

By Sergey Kadinsky

Among the leading pro-Israel activists in Queens, Dr. Joseph Frager logged thousands of miles on fl ights to Is-

rael, providing tours to politicians, media personalities, and fellow activists, showing them facts on the ground. He was joined on last week’s trip by former Arkansas Gov-ernor and Fox News Channel host Mike Huckabee, fi nancier Anthony Scaramucci, activist Ken Abramowitz, and Long Island congressional candidate Ameer Benno, who is running as a Republican against in-cumbent Kathleen Rice.

The group traveled across Israel with to see the recently-opened U.S. embassy in Je-rusalem, Hebron, the Golan Heights over-looking Syria, and the Iron Dome facility that protects southern Israel from rockets.

The opposite of such a deathtrap is the new Tamar neighborhood in Efrat, the largest town in the Gush Etzion bloc. Last Wednesday, Frager and Huckabee stood be-hind the Trump-inspired banner to congrat-ulate Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi on the long-awaited expansion. “If President Trump could be here today, he’d be a very happy man,” said Huckabee. “President Trump is naturally a builder and he would be proud to see what is going on here in Efrat.”

Although the State Department regards the Israeli administration of Yehuda and Shomron as an “occupation,” its statements concerning the expansion of Jewish com-munities have been much less critical than under previous administrations. Huckabee added that the uptick in construction as a positive step towards peace. “The greatest path to peace is by empowering people via economic growth, and that is exactly what

we are seeing. Every single day some 1,300 Palestinian workers come into this area to build homes and are given the means to provide for their families as a result.”

An ordained Southern Baptist minister, Huckabee fi rst visited Israel in 1973 and has been back numerous times, visiting com-munities and watching them grow. At the Efrat brick-laying ceremony, the Trump theme also included red baseball caps with the “Built Israel Great Again” slogan. The branding was designed to attract the Presi-dent’s attention. “The idea is that Judea and Samaria have to grow,” said Frager. “I think this catches his eye and his interest, and it could be helpful.”

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L-R: Yoel Lefkowitz, Igor Fruman, Ken Abramowitz, Dr. Joe Frager, Lev Parnas, Anthony Scaramucci, Yair Netanyahu, Ameer Benno, and L-R: Yoel Lefkowitz, Igor Fruman, Ken Abramowitz, Dr. Joe Frager, Lev Parnas, Anthony Scaramucci, Yair Netanyahu, Ameer Benno, and David Perlotto at the home of Simon FalicDavid Perlotto at the home of Simon Falic

L-R: Nachman Mostofsky, Dr. Joe Frager, Anthony Scaramucci, Charles Gucciardo, and Lev L-R: Nachman Mostofsky, Dr. Joe Frager, Anthony Scaramucci, Charles Gucciardo, and Lev Parnas at Kever RochelParnas at Kever Rochel

L-R: Charles Gucciardo, Lev Parnas, Anthony Scaramucci, Mike Huckabee, Robert Cavino, L-R: Charles Gucciardo, Lev Parnas, Anthony Scaramucci, Mike Huckabee, Robert Cavino, and Dr. Joe Frager at the King David Hoteland Dr. Joe Frager at the King David Hotel

L-R: Charles Gucciardo, Tammy Friedman, Chana Falic, Amb. David Friedman, Mike Hucka-L-R: Charles Gucciardo, Tammy Friedman, Chana Falic, Amb. David Friedman, Mike Hucka-bee, Simon Falic, Dr. Joe Frager, Chanina Sperlin, and Nachman Mostofskybee, Simon Falic, Dr. Joe Frager, Chanina Sperlin, and Nachman Mostofsky


AUGUSTAUGUST

9Thurs

day At 1:00 p.m., Yad

L’Yad will show a lm called “Big

Eyes: The True Sto-ry” at the Young Is-rael of Hillcrest. Women only. Cost:

$6, which includes popcorn, coffee, and tea. For more information or to RSVP, please call Carol at 718-487-3703.

11Shabbos At 5:45 p.m., the

Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills will hold the tenth lec-ture in its Summer Shabbos Afternoon Lecture Series for

men and women. Dr. Bernard Pinchuk will speak on the topic “Lost in the Desert and Other Mathematical Gems in the Tal-mud.” The talk will take place in the Beis Midrash.

13Monday At 8:15 p.m., Chazaq

and Congregation Anshei Shalom of Ja-maica Estates will present Rabbi Alon Anava on “The Keys to Successful Mar-

riage and Dating” at Congregation Anshei Shalom (80-15 Kent Street, Jamaica Estates).

For more information, please call 718-285-9132 or email [email protected].

14Tuesday At 8:15 p.m., Rabbi

Zvi Lew, popular limudei kodesh edu-cator, will deliver the seventh of his weekly summer shi-urim for women on

“Interesting Personalities in Tanach” at Congregation Etz Chaim of Kew Gardens Hills (147-19 73rd Avenue, Kew Gardens Hills). For more information, please call 718-575-0594.

26Sunday There will be a

Hanachah K’Halachah T’ lin Program at Torah Ohr Hebrew Acade-my in Great Neck. Details to follow.

SEPTEMBERSEPTEMBER

5

Wednesday

At 8:00 p.m., Congre-gation Ahavas Yisro-el will present a spe-cial Yamim Nora’im shiur by Rabbi Dov-id Fohrman of Aleph Beta, author of The

Beast That Crouches at the Door, The Queen You Thought You Knew, and more.

Community CalendarCommunity CalendarCompiled by Rebecca Wittert

THE CALENDAR FOR ALL EVENTS IN QUEENS

TO ADD YOUR EVENT TO OUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR,

PLEASE EMAIL THE EVENT, DATE/TIME, PLACE, AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION TO:

[email protected]

Your business can sponsor the QJL Community Calendar.

Please contact Yaakov at 718-880-2622 or e-mail [email protected]

BIRTHSBIRTHSAlan and Miriam Gold on the birth of their granddaughter Ayala Ahuva, born to Ela-na and Michael Eisman. Special mazel tov to the great-grandparents, Abe and Thelma WadlerLeon and Dr. Shiela Strauss on the birth of a great-grandson, born to Moshe Tzvi and Batya Strauss

BAT AND BAT MITZVAHSBAT AND BAT MITZVAHSNat and Sandy Geller on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Akiva Yehuda RothenbergDr. David and Sharon Levenson on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Aryeh Rapp

Send your simcha notices to [email protected]

Simcha Simcha SectionSend your simcha notices to

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like babies if we took better care of our-selves and knew when to ask for help.

I am thankful that babies cry. Maybe we should all start acting more like ba-bies. It seems that the older we get, the more we risk drifting away from the im-portant things in life, from remember-ing that we have a special connection to Hashem. Hopefully we’ll try to see things more differently.

Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky once observed that, while everyone dies, unfortunately some people die decades before they get lowered into the ground. I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want to spend my life burrowing through haystacks in search of a needle only to forget that I’m lost in a haystack and then wonder just what I’m supposed to do with that needle. The Torah is specifi cally calling on us to see (R’ei) – it wants us to have clarity and to choose life.


I Can See Clearly Now

When you enjoy the pleasures and con-trol your desires, then you use this world for its intended purpose, thereby living bi’shleimus – complete, not lacking.

Consumerism: A National Culture of Competitive Acquisitions

This concept is very applicable, as we are the Chosen Nation – expected to be above the rest of the nations. Unfor-tunately, that sense of living at a higher standard can become perverted into ma-terialism, where the expectation is that for people like “us,” nothing less than the best will do. And so our weddings, our wardrobes, our homes, and our cars have

to be the best. The way our children dress and the types of toys that they expect are nothing short of top-notch. And we fi nd ourselves with an ever-increasing cost of living. When barely surviving in our com-munities means that we are expected to earn three to four times the national median household income, something is wrong with our lifestyle.

We live in times of mass prosperity, where the average person is rich; but to enjoy that great brachah, we must main-tain control. Everything in this world was created for man’s use – but it must be used properly, in balance, in the right time, and in the right measure. When man does that, he enjoys his short stay on this planet and accomplishes his purpose in Creation.


Consumerism And The Overspent Generation


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ambassador who previously served as his bankruptcy lawyer, and his late father, who contributed towards the building of a couple of synagogues in Brooklyn. Perhaps for all of these examples, the va-cancy in the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semi-tism is so striking.

“The Special Envoy has played a unique and important role in the effort against anti-Semitism and for human rights,” Assemblywoman Nily Rozic wrote in a July 31 letter to the president. “As a state legislator representing communities in Queens that have seen a concerning rise in anti-Semitic incidents over the past two years, I write to again ask that you fi ll the vacancy.”

The position was created in 2004 by Congress and submitted reports on anti-Semitic incidents across the world. These included honors given to Nazi collabo-rators in Eastern European states, anti-Semitic speeches and articles written by nationalist candidates, and vandalism of cemeteries and monuments. The envoy

served as a Holocaust educator, watch-dog, and diplomat, while demonstrating the country’s resolve to take anti-Sem-itism seriously. The last envoy, Ira For-man, retired along with President Barack

Obama on January 20, 2017.“America plays an essential role in the

fi ght against anti-Semitism, but this role has been hamstrung for well over a year,” said ADL spokesman Todd Gutnick in a statement. “Giving the near daily reports of anti-Semitic attacks and incidents across Europe and elsewhere, there’s no better time for a capable and dedicated individual in this post to spur diplomatic efforts to stem anti-Semitism abroad.”

Back in May, the ADL and Human Rights First circulated a letter addressed to Sec-retary of State Mike Pompeo requesting to fi ll the vacancy. It was cosponsored by

more than a dozen organizations, which include Agudath Israel of America and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.

Perhaps in his desire to reduce the size

of government, President Trump does not feel that this position is needed, and its tasks could be performed by other units within the State Department and his Ambassador-at-Large for Internation-al Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. Maybe the vacancy is part of his America First policy of non-interference in the in-ternal matters of other countries. But un-til either Secretary Pompeo or President Trump has a statement on the vacancy, we can only guess.

The United States has long served as a beacon and example in defending vul-nerable minority groups. In a time when

the boundary between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism is blurred in Britain, while Jews young and old are murdered in France by religious fanatics, and when the president of Turkey spews wild con-spiracy theories and Nazi comparisons towards Israel, the need to fi ll the anti-Semitism envoy position is more needed than ever. Two weeks ago, Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld wrote about his British cous-ins’ experience back home, where a yar-mulke in public results in a “guaranteed anti-Semitic remark.”

When the Jerusalem embassy opened in May, many Jewish supporters of Pres-ident Trump noted that not only was a promise fulfi lled, but a law passed by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support was not being followed. Like-wise, the position of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism is also a matter of law. To be consistent and respectful of the legislative branch, President Trump should fi ll this position and demonstrate that combating anti-Semitism must remain not only a matter of his personal approach, but a tool of diplomacy, as well.

Perhaps for all of these examples, the vacancy

in the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor

and Combat Anti-Semitism is so striking

What Happens When A Medicaid Recipient Receives A Personal Injury Award

By Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq. and Debby Rosenfeld, Esq.

Several years ago, Mrs. Schwartz en-tered a nursing home because she could no longer care for herself in

the community. At the time, she was in her early 90s and had used up most of her assets. The nursing home applied for Medicaid on her behalf in order to cover the cost of her care. It was a fairly simple case because Mrs. Schwartz was essentially eligible for Medicaid from the get-go. Her assets were under the then-applicable Medicaid asset limita-tion (In 2018, that limitation is $15,150 in non-exempt assets).

Mrs. Schwartz’s case was simple at the start; however, what took place after her admission added a layer of complexity. Several months later, she scheduled a doctor’s appointment to address some pain in her wrist. Her family arranged for a taxi to transport Mrs. Schwartz to the doctor. On her

way to the appointment, another car rammed into the taxi causing serious injuries to Mrs. Schwartz. She was hospitalized for several months with broken ribs, and eventually returned to the same nursing home for rehabilita-tion and continued custodial care. Mrs. Schwartz’s children initiated a lawsuit against the other driver due to the ex-treme pain and emotional distress that their mother endured. Ultimately, the case was settled and the driver agreed to pay Mrs. Schwartz $500,000.

While many might think that person-al injury law has virtually nothing to do with elder law, the above scenario is a good illustration of why the two areas are sometimes connected. The prob-lem with Mrs. Schwartz receiving the $500,000 settlement is that she would no longer be eligible for Medicaid be-cause her assets exceed the Medicaid resource threshold. In such a situation, an elder law attorney can help with planning that can potentially preserve about half of the individual’s assets.

Through a strategy that is often referred to as a gift/promissory note plan, a sig-nifi cant portion of the proceeds may be salvaged.

There are additional issues that must be addressed in a personal injury action. Typically, when the injured individual is permanently disabled, a certain portion of the settlement funds will have to be allocated to Medicare. Over the course of the person’s life, Medicare will have to lay out funds directly attributable to the medical care required as a result of

the injury. Accordingly, an elder law attorney will be able to determine if Medicare has a valid lien against any of the proceeds and whether a Medicare set aside is necessary.

If an individual is under the age of 65 and will require nursing care as a result of a personal injury, a trust can be uti-lized to protect the proceeds from the settlement. If the funds are transferred to a special needs trust, the individual can remain on Medicaid without any penalty or interruption of services. A

special needs trust will essentially pro-vide for all of the “extras” for that indi-vidual. The trustee of the trust cannot use the funds to pay for any medical expenses, but he/she can use the trust funds for anything else that personally benefi ts the disabled individual.

Sometimes, an injury is so severe that it results in the incapacity of the injured party. In such a case, a guardian-ship proceeding may also be in order. A guardianship allows another person to step in and manage the personal and fi nancial affairs of the alleged incapaci-tated person (“AIP”). The attorney han-dling the guardianship must be familiar with Medicaid planning and other enti-tlements that the AIP might need.

It is important to always consider the elder law and special needs plan-ning considerations in the event there is a personal injury action or award.

Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq. is the found-er of Ronald Fatoullah & Associates, a law fi rm that concentrates in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, guardianships, estate administration, trusts, wills, and real estate. Debby Rosenfeld, Esq. is a senior staff attorney at the fi rm. The law fi rm can be reached at 718-261-1700, 516-466-4422, or toll free at 1-877-ELDER-LAW or 1-877-ESTATES. Mr. Fatoullah is also a partner with Ad-vice Period, a wealth management fi rm, and he can be reached at 424-256-7273.

The problem with Mrs. Schwartz receiving the $500,000

settlement is that she would no longer be eligible for Medicaid

because her assets exceed the Medicaid resource threshold

CONTINUED FROM P. 1

Anti-Semitism Envoy Post Still Vacant


ered on the bus. I saw the man turning back towards the water. Maybe he was just a regular person. Was I letting my im-agination turn everyone into a terrorist? I plopped down next to Vera.

“You okay?” Vera asked.“Just getting some exercise,” I lied. I

didn’t want to frighten her, and I wasn’t sure if I should tell her about my fears.“You sure you’re okay?”

I nodded.I tried to stop my heart from pound-

ing. Just then my father’s warning echoed in my ears. “Stay in Yerushalayim.”

I‘d ignored his directive again. Well, this was a guided tour. We were safe. The bus drove on and on until we reached Rosh HaNikra. The tour guide informed us, “This is the most northern tip of Israel where the sea meets the cliffs. You’ll see stunning views and sea caves called grot-toes.” When we exited the bus, the tour guide pointed up to a barbed wire fence behind us. “That is the border of Leba-non,” he said.

I gasped. I had gone too far from Ye-rushalayim.

T o be continued…

Recap: Devori spends Shabbos at Rosh Tzurim with Vera and her family. She has a wonderful Shabbos. At the end of Shab-bos, Kochava informs her that there was a bomb scare at the dorm.

After the threats to our school on Shabbos, the Rebbetzin felt we all needed to get away. The

school planned a tiyul to Rosh HaNikra. We would go to Caesarea on the way. I’d heard about this fabulous tour. I was so excited to go.

Vera and I packed a delicious lunch with hummus and peppers, and toma-toes, and olive dip. I loved the Israeli foods.

Early the next morning, the whole high school piled into a coach bus head-ing for Caesarea. Vera and I sat togeth-er. “I’m so excited to go,” Vera said. “I always wanted to see Caesarea.” Vera’s excitement was contagious. I loved be-ing with her on a tiyul. I needed this distraction. I stared out the window and watched the scenery of Eretz Yis-rael. We left the city with its Jerusalem stone buildings. Along the way I saw the Judean Hills in the distance. We stopped in a very green area. It was Cae-sarea National Park. The tour guide said we were about to view an extremely old and beautiful bird mosaic. It had 120 medallions depicting various birds like fl amingo, peacock, and duck. There

were other animals native to Israel like wild boar, bear, lion, tiger, and elephant. It dated from the year 6 CE. The guide said it was the fl oor of an open court-yard, part of a palace commissioned by a wealthy Byzantine owner. There were adjacent rooms uncovered with geo-metric design mosaic fl oors.

I loved looking at the mosaic. I want-ed to imagine the wealthy palace owner stepping outside on this magnifi cent fl oor with his long golden robe brushing the ground. I could imagine the luxurious palace.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Vera said.Our next stop was an ancient aque-

duct built by Herod. We stepped towards the shore. The water was a lovely aqua color. We found lots of seashells scat-tered around. Vera began collecting small shells. I stood and stared at the gorgeous scene. I noticed a man nearby who was also collecting shells.

Our tour guide signaled us to go back to the bus. Vera ran ahead. I stayed to pick up a few more fan-shaped shells. Just then, the man who had collected a large number of shells approached me. “Here, you can have these,” he said. I was about to take them when I suddenly felt fright-ened. Maybe he was a terrorist.

“No, thank you.” I turned and ran as fast as I could to

put distance between me and the man with the shells. Out of breath, I scamp-

Chapter 18 – Rosh HaNikra

Musical NotesMusical Notes (Fiction Serial)By Susie Garber

Susie Garber is the author of Denver Dreams (a novel, Jerusalem Publications, 2009), Memorable Characters…Magnifi cent Stories (Scholastic, 2002), Befriend (Menucha Publishers, 2013), The Road Less Traveled (Feldheim, 2015), fi ction serials and features in various magazines including A Bridge in Time – historical fi ction serial (Binyan Magazine, 2017). She writes for the community column for the Queens Jewish Link and she writes the Queens page for Hamodia. She works as a writing consultant in many yeshivos and she teaches creative writing to students of all ages.

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Hamas Offi cial Says Truce With Israel To Be Inked Within WeeksSenior member of terror group says deal to include exchange of bodies, five-year

ceasefire, opening of Gaza crossings and building of Sinai airport

(This article is reprinted with permission from the Times of Israel website)

Asenior Hamas member signaled the terror group was optimistic regard-ing efforts to broker a ceasefi re with

Israel Tuesday, saying talks on an agree-ment would likely wrap up by the end of August.

In addition to the United Nations and Egypt, the Hamas offi cial told Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency that Qatar and Turkey are also helping to oversee the talks.

According to the unnamed Hamas member, the deal would see the perma-nent opening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and an easing of strictures on the fl ow of goods through the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel.

Additionally, sea and air terminals meant to facilitate the fl ow of goods to and from Gaza would be established in the Si-nai Peninsula.

The agreement would also likely include a fi ve-year ceasefi re between Israel and Hamas, the offi cial said, as well as the return of two Israeli civilians and the remains of two sol-diers killed in 2014 being held in the Strip.

Furthermore, the deal would require the complete cessation of the launching of incendiary airborne devices from Gaza toward Israeli territory, according to the Hamas member. Tuesday saw 10 fi res break out in the border region from suspected arson attacks from Gaza, the latest of hun-dreds of such attacks to wreak havoc on Israel’s south and burn thousands of acres since April.

The comments by the Hamas offi -cial came after the terror group’s leaders wrapped up deliberations in Gaza earlier Tuesday on a UN-led ceasefi re proposal.

“The Hamas leadership delegation that arrived in Gaza last Thursday will return to the Egyptian capital Cairo bearing the vision of the movement regarding all fi les that were discussed,” Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh told a meeting of Palestinian poli-ticians in Gaza.

The Israeli government will also discuss the proposal at a special cabinet meeting on Thursday.

UN Middle East peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov, who has been involved in the talks, said on Twitter Tuesday he held a “constructive” meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Gaza.

Senior Hamas offi cials based in Arab and Islamic countries who entered Gaza last week have been seeking the approval of other Palestinian factions for the ceasefi re agreement with Israel, Palestinian sources said Monday. The group’s armed wing is op-posed to a truce.

Hamas leaders were also considering proposals for a reconciliation deal with the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority un-der which the PA would take control of the Gaza Strip under the auspices of Egypt.

“The delegation will return Cairo bear-ing the vision of the movement regard-ing reconciliation, breaking the siege, talk about a ceasefi re, confronting the occupa-tion’s acts of aggression and the rebuilding of the Palestinian scene on national foun-

dations,” Haniyeh said.Hamas an Islamist terror group that

seeks Israel’s destruction, seized control of Gaza in 2007, and pushed out the Fatah fac-tion of PA president Mahmoud Abbas.

The deputy head of Hamas’s politburo, Saleh al-Arouri, is expected to head the del-egation to Cairo.

The marathon meeting of Hamas lead-ers ended a day after Israeli political and

military brass huddled for several hours to discuss a detente, but did not release any concrete decisions.

Following the meeting, a statement from the cabinet said, “the IDF is prepared for any scenario.” It gave no indication if any decision on a truce had been made.

Earlier on Tuesday, two Hamas fi ghters were reported killed by Israel in a Hamas post in Gaza. The IDF said the two opened

fi re on IDF soldiers patrolling the Gaza Strip border. Hamas disputed the Israeli version and said the two were taking part in a naval commando drill.

Hamas threatened to avenge their deaths and warned Israel that it would pay for the attack. “The resistance cannot allow the occupation to impose a policy of bomb-ing sites and targeting fi ghters without pay-ing the price,” it said in a statement.

Israel Israel News


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GREAT SUMMER READS,WITH AN EYE ON ELUL


HalachicHalachic HighlightsRabbi Ephraim Glatt, Esq.

Birkas HaTorah #3(For p’sak halachah, please ask your own rav.)

For the next two weeks, in preparation for Elul, we will be reviewing four of the fi rst fi ve segments from the start

of the Shemoneh Esrei series.At the start of Elul, rather than plunging

ourselves into cheshbon ha’nefesh (account-ing of one’s soul), many advise to begin by strengthening the core areas of our avodas Hashem. Since we are involved in tefi lah in this program, and since tefi lah is certainly one of the core areas of our service to Hashem, we will review four segments in particular, between this week and next week, since they speak about the purpose of tefi lah, and argu-ably the three most important words of tef-ilah and of all of our brachos, which, in Elul, is another area we must work on strengthening.

Shemoneh Esrei 1Introduction

Shemoneh Esrei is the core of our tefi lahand therefore requires the highest level of ka-vanah. The Meiri writes (on B’rachos 32b) that one cannot compare the kavanah required even for Shema with the kavanah required for Shemoneh Esrei. “With every word [of Shemoneh Esrei] one will fi nd inspiration to fear and love Hashem...and to increase one’s humility before Hashem” [sefer Beis Tefi lah, by the author of the Pele Yoeitz]. Each and every word will rise above, each to its source and root, to accomplish wondrous p’ulos (ac-tions) and tikunim (corrections) [sefer nefesh HaChaim 2:13] in creation.

The Chovos HaL’vavos sums up tefi lah

with just a few words: “Our intent in tefi lah is essentially nothing but longing for Hashem and humbling ourselves before Him, recog-nizing that we are totally dependent upon Him.”

The following two paragraphs are mostly excerpts from Rabbi Warren Goldstein, the Chief Rabbi of South Africa:

The key to successful tefi lah is that it must come from the heart; it has to be sincere, not just going through the motions and the ex-ternalities, having a siddur open in front of us though our minds and hearts are in many different places. It means having a spiritual and emotional connection to Hashem.

Real prayer should have the power to up-lift and transform us. We daven three times a day, Shacharis, Minchah, and Maariv; at each stage in the day we have the opportunity to step out of life and connect with Hashem. This is why, when we step into the Amidahprayer, we take three steps back and then three steps forward: Symbolically, we are taking three steps back out of our lives, and then three steps forward into the presence of Hashem. These moments give us the op-portunity to have the clarity, peace, and tran-quility that come with knowing that G-d is in charge and that, no matter what happens in the end, He is a loving father and we can connect with Him.

The reason tefi lah is called avodah (ser-vice) is that through tefi lah we recognize that we own nothing, that all we have is from Hashem, and that we are completely depend-

Weekly Tefilah FocusTefilah Focus

Question: Can you perform a mitzvah in the morning before you say Birkas Ha-Torah?

Short Answer: Many poskim do not re-quire one to make a Birkas HaTorah before performing a mitzvah. Yet, to avoid this issue, one should fi rst make a Birkas Ha-Torah and learn a little bit of Torah before performing a mitzvah in the morning.

Explanation:

I. The Famous Bikurei YaakovThe Bikurei Yaakov (Orach Chayim

644:1) has a famous comment where he suggests that a person should shake lu-lav and esrog before davening because of Z’rizin makdimin l’mitzvos, but should fi rst say Birkas HaTorah. Rav Yitzchak Pal-agi (sefer Yafeh L’Lev 25:10) deduces from here that a Birkas HaTorah needs to be recited before one performs a mitzvah. Additionally, the T’shuvos V’Hanhagos(2:280) cites the Eimek B’rachah who cites the Agur who holds that performing a mitzvah is like learning Torah and thus requires a Birkas HaTorah beforehand.

However, others signifi cantly limit the ruling of the Bikurei Yaakov. For example, the B’Tzeil HaChochmah (4:150) cites the Gerrer Rebbe (Micht’vei Torah 26) who understands the Bikurei Yaakov as merely

applying to talmidei chachamim whose performance of mitzvos constitutes limud haTorah. The B’Tzeil HaChochmah like-wise cites the Tikunei HaZohar who lim-its the Bikurei Yaakov as merely applying to mitzvos pertaining to Yom Tov.

II. Opinion of the Vilna GaonThe Vilna Gaon (Orach Chayim 47), on

the other hand, disagrees altogether with the Bikurei Yaakov. Although the Vilna Gaon requires a Birkas HaTorah before one thinks about Torah, the Vilna Gaon is clear that one does not need to make a Birkas HaTorah before performing any mitzvah. The Mishnah B’rurah (Orach Chayim 47:8) follows the opinion of the Vilna Gaon.

Thus, there is a dispute between the Bikurei Yaakov and the Vilna Gaon as to whether one needs to make a Birkas Ha-Torah before performing a mitzvah.

III. Understanding This MachlokesRav Yitzchak Zilberstein (Chashukei

Chemed, B’choros 29a) suggests that this dispute can be explained based on a dif-ferent dispute regarding the nusach of Birkas HaTorah. The Beis Yosef (Orach Chayim 47) brings some Rishonim who believe that the proper nusach of Birkas HaTorah should be “al divrei Torah” in-

stead of our nusach of “laasok b’divrei So-rah.” Indeed, the Beis Yosef explains that the Rishonim who prefer “al divrei To-rah” believe that this language incorpo-rates Torah study and the performance of mitzvos. Our nusach of “laasok b’divrei Sorah,” however, only references Torah study. Indeed, that is why the Mishnah B’rurah rules that one need not make a Birkas HaTorah before performing a mitzvah.

IV. Unique Opinion of the Eretz TzviThe Eretz Tzvi (16) suggests a novel

approach to this law by distinguishing between mitzvos that have their own b’rachah and mitzvos that are other-wise devoid of b’rachos. For these latter b’rachos, a Birkas HaTorah must fi rst be recited, as the Birkas HaTorah is consid-ered the b’rachah for these mitzvos. The Maharam Schick (29) makes a similar dis-tinction.

V. Other Practical ApplicationsThis dispute is applicable to many

common situations. For example, the Be’er Sarim (12) and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichos Shlomo, T’fi lah 10:14)

pasken that a kohen can duchan before Birkas HaTorah based on the ruling of the Vilna Gaon and the Mishnah B’rurah. Likewise, the sefer P’as Sadchah (10) al-lows putting on t’fi lin before Birkas HaTo-rah based on the ruling of the Vilna Gaon and the Mishnah B’rurah.

VI. P’sukim Before a MitzvahThe B’Tzeil HaChochmah (ibid.) clari-

fi es that all agree, however, that a Birkas HaTorah must be recited before a mitzvahwhere p’sukim will be recited before the performance of the mitzvah, such as the pasuk of “Viyhi Noam.”

VII. Good AdviceTo avoid this whole issue, the sefer

Lev Avraham (7) suggests that one who wishes to perform a mitzvah in the morn-ing should fi rst recite Birkas HaTorah and learn a little bit of Torah (such as to re-cite the verses of Y’varech’cha). This way one can fulfi ll all opinions, including the opinion of the Bikurei Yaakov.

Next week’s topic: You hear your friend recite the b’rachah of “Laasok b’divrei So-rah” in the morning. Should you answer Amen after the b’rachah?

Rabbi Ephraim Glatt, Esq. is Assistant to the Rabbi at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills and a practicing litigation attorney. Questions? Comments? Email [email protected].

Birkas HaTorah Before Mitzvos

Elul Preparation 2018 – Part 1

Praying for a Better Futureent on Him, the same way a servant owns nothing and is completely dependent upon his master.

Many of the external acts we perform im-mediately before and during the Shemoneh Esrei symbolize and reinforce the very pur-pose of tefi lah as expressed above by Chovos HaL’vavos in six words that translate as “long-ing for Hashem and humbling ourselves be-fore Him.” Some examples based on the Ma-haral include the following:

Standing with our legs together – We can-not move when we stand with our legs to-gether; we are stuck. This inability to move our legs refl ects our total dependence on Hashem (Rashba). Thus, standing with our legs together for the Amidah is a statement to Hashem and to ourselves that we cannot make a single move in this world without Him. All our dreams, aspirations, and achieve-ments, everything we want and need, come from Hashem.

Eyes cast downward/heart directed to-wards heavens – The eyes cast downward represents our standing before Hashem as humble servants, completely dependent on Him; and having our heart directed toward the heavens represents our being close to Him. We need both aspects, because tef-ilah is not just about being dependent on Hashem, but about coming close to Him. Our dependency on Hashem is what brings about our closeness to Him; when we realize how much we need Him and that everything in life comes from Him, we are drawn closer to Him.

There are two aspects to kavanah (con-centration or intent) in tefi lah. The fi rst and most crucial aspect is recognizing and inter-

nalizing that we are standing before the King of Kings (“Da lifnei Mi atah omeid–Know be-fore Whom you stand”) and speaking directly to Him. The second aspect is understanding the meaning of the words we say.

The Rambam defi nes “kavanah” as clear-ing our minds and visualizing ourselves standing before the Sh’chinah. This is codi-fi ed in both the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch. There are specifi c halachos that we derive from this concept, because we are actually standing before Hashem.

The challenge of tefi lah today is to block out all noise and throw ourselves into our tef-ilah. We live in a world where we are pulled in many different directions and are constantly distracted by all the electronic devices and the pressures of life. This is an enormous chal-lenge, but it is also a great opportunity. Amidst all of the pressures and distractions of life, we have an opportunity to disengage from our preoccupations and pull ourselves together, to be inspired, and to come close to Hashem through our tefi los.

Let us use this week to focus on our ap-proach to Shemoneh Esrei, removing our-selves from the distractions of life, focus-ing on our feelings of total dependence on Hashem, and longing for closeness to Him that results from our total dependence.

As part of our new Mitzvah Series, daily recordings of less than two minutes each day are available. Sign up by sending an email to [email protected] and put the word “Sub-scribe” in the Subject line. In addition, we now have a daily one-minute recording on Tefi lah.

To access Audio, Video, and Archives of previous Tefi lah segments, please visit www.WeeklyTefi lahFocus.com.

You can direct any questions or comments to Eliezer Szrolovits at 917-551-0150.



redt to me. My mother always did what-ever she could to help, and always did her best by me. I can’t say that the same goes for everyone. Sometimes singles, depend-ing on their age, don’t want their parents involved at all in their dating life, and will only tell them what they choose to, or will just introduce them to their kallah/chasan right before or after they have already de-cided on getting married (I know quite a number of those cases).

Others depend solely on their parents to do all the work regarding fi nding them dates and speaking with shadchanim. I re-member speaking with a shadchan years ago, and she told me that she had to get back to “the boy’s mother in the next day or so because she’s leaving for a cruise next week.” I asked what that had to do with an-ything. She answered that the mother dealt with everything for her 35-year-old son. All the mother tells the son is the name of the girl and her phone number when it’s time to set up the date. I couldn’t believe it! But yes, there are quite a few people who have their parents serving as their social secre-taries.

Anyway, below is a letter I received from a woman who asked for help dealing with her mother, who she feels is taking too much control and being too selective in her dating life.

Dear Goldy:I am 22 years old and I have only gone

out with six guys in the last two years. I’m upset about this, but not for reasons that you may think. I’m upset because I am blaming the lack of dates on my mother.

My mother has taken control of my dat-ing. I know it’s normal for parents to be in-volved and to speak with shadchanim and to call people, but I think my mother has

gone overboard. My father has given over the control to her. He isn’t really involved except, when the time comes for me to go out with a guy, he meets with him when I am picked up, and he talks with him for a few minutes. That’s basically it. I think my dad is far more easygoing than my mom is in this area. Whenever someone mentions a guy to me or my mom, it’s like she goes into battle mode. She interrogates the

shadchan or whoever recommended the match. She then calls everyone that she can think of who may know the guy and his family. My mom has a cousin who is into astrological signs, and my mom talks to her about the guys I’m redt to. She asks her cousins if our birthdays match up or if our “signs are compatible.” I think it’s crazy. I can understand my mom want-ing to check out the guy and his family to make sure they aren’t crazy and that they and he are normal, but she’s the FBI and CIA rolled into one. I have an older broth-er who has been married for three years and I don’t remember my mom doing all of this while “investigating” girls for my brother to date. Maybe she did, but I don’t remember.

I have spoken with my mother, telling her that she is doing me a disservice by do-ing all of this research and then rejecting a guy because of something that she feels is an imperfection about him or his fam-ily. We are regular people, not millionaires who have to protect the money or royal bloodline. Both of my parents work and we live average lives, so I don’t understand why she is doing all of this. My mom told me that she is doing this to make sure

that I end up with the right person and I will thank her in the long run. Really? My friends are either married or have gone out with at least double or triple the guys I have dated. I know it’s not a numbers game, but I just feel that if I am not out there and dating, then I lessen my chances of getting married before I turn into an old maid and people start pitying me at the ripe old age of 25.

Any advice on what I should say to my mother?

Chava

Thank you for your letter, Chava.I feel for you. I really do. You want to

get out there and start dating in order to fi nd your bashert, but you feel as if your mother is being overprotective and pre-venting you from doing just that. But also, believe me when I tell you that dat-ing dozens and dozens of fellows isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When I was in my mid-to-late 20s, I would tell people that I’d rather have one good date than go out with seven or eight fellows who were not right for me. So you are right when you said that it’s not a numbers game.

I want you to keep in mind one fact: Your mother loves you and is only trying to do right by you. You don’t have to be a royal or a millionaire in order to screen potential suitors who will potentially car-ry on the family bloodline. You just want the right person. Your mother may be

weeding out fellows who are simply not right for you, and she feels that she will be sparing you the pain of dating someone who isn’t right for you. Her heart is in the right place, so don’t forget that.

I’m not sure what your mother is asking of references or shadchanim. Is she asking what shtetl the family came from in Eu-rope and if the fellow colored in the lines in kindergarten, or is she asking about general education, midos, hashkafah, etc.? What is important to one person may not be important to another. Your mother may be asking what she thinks is important to know if the match will work. You men-tioned that your mother asks her cousin if astrological signs match up. Personally, I am not a believer in that, but many are. I know a couple of people that won’t date someone if their signs don’t match or if Venus is in the third hemisphere with the red moon. Don’t negate someone’s belief if you don’t share it. But again, I can under-stand your frustration.

You mentioned that you feel that your father may be more easygoing than your mother is in the area of your dating. Do you know that for a fact? Maybe your fa-ther put his trust in your mother that she will fi nd your bashert and she is doing everything to live up to that responsibility and doesn’t want to let you or your father down. If you feel that your father may be the right person to discuss your feelings with your mother, because you said that you tried to speak with your mother, but it didn’t work out, then ask your father to speak on your behalf. I fi rmly believe that you are your best advocate. You can make the best argument on your behalf for what you want. Can I suggest that you sit down with both of your parents to discuss this?

Hatzlachah to you all!

DatingDating TodayGoldy Krantz

Overprotective Mother

Goldy Krantz is an LMSW and a lifelong Queens resident, guest lecturer, and author of the shidduch dating book, The Best of My Worst and children’s book Where Has Zaidy Gone? She can be contacted at [email protected].

“I can understand my mom wanting to check out the guy and his

family to make sure they aren’t crazy and that they and he are

normal, but she’s the FBI and CIA rolled into one”

Daily ZmanimDaily ZmanimWeek of Wednesday August 8 - Tuesday August 14, 2018

WED THURS FRI SAT SUN MON TUES

Dawn 4:24 am 4:26 am 4:27 am 4:29 am 4:30 am 4:31 am 4:33 am

Earliest talis & tefillin 5:03 am 5:04am 5:05 am 5:06 am 5:07 am 5:09 am 5:10 am

Sunrise 5:58 am 5:59 am 6:00 am 6:01 am 6:02 am 6:03 am 6:04 am Latest shema

Magen Avraham 8:42 am 8:43 am 8:43 am 8:44 am 8:45 am 8:45 am 8:46am

Midday 1:00pm 1:00pm 1:00pm 1:00pm 12:59pm 12:59pm 12:59pm

Earliest mincha 1:35pm 1:35pm 1:35pm 1:35pm 1:34pm 1:34pm 1:34pm

Plag hamincha Gra & Baal HaTanya

6:34 pm 6:33 pm 6:32 pm 6:31 pm 6:30 pm 6:29 pm 6:28 pm

Sunset 8:02 pm 8:01 pm 7:59 pm 7:58 pm 7:57 pm 7:55 pm 7:54 pm

Nightfall - 3 stars emerge

8:47 pm 8:46 pm 8:44 pm 8:43 pm 8:42 pm 8:40 pm 8:38 pm

Nightfall - 72 minutes 9:14 pm 9:13 pm 9:11 pm 9:10 pm 9:09 pm 9:07 pm 9:06 pm

Friday August 10, 2018: Candle lighting 7:41pm Shabbos August 11, 2018 ends 8:44 pm; ends 9:11 pm R’Tam

CONTINUED FROM P. 1


“I’m not always right. But when I am, it’s usually all the time.”

Yikes. “All I know is that one of us is right and other one is you.” All righty, then. Recognize any-one? As they say: “Don’t be so humble. You’re not that great.”

“Believe in yourself. Be bold. Be brash.” That is what we are constantly told. “Don’t sell yourself short. Sure, confi dence is awesome, but it is not the same as compe-tence.” Well, you know what they say: “To succeed in life, you need two things: igno-rance and confi dence.” So just how puffed up, presumptuous, and pushy are you? If looking for admiration and being loved by all is the aim that you wear daily, you may wish to consider trying on a different out-fi t.

No one is suggesting we fall down the rabbit hole of anxiety or low self-esteem, sweet friends. Granted there is something to be said for cherishing a genuine, heart-felt, and deserved compliment. It’s okay to take your daily self-esteem bath, provided you do not value yourself at the expense of others.

If you’ve ever heard a great lecture, you may think that the speaker was assured, un-daunted – even a tad uppity. But you can bet that if you were truly moved by her, she was unpretentious and modest. And with-out a doubt, he was practiced, prepared, and profi cient. That, my friends is called expertise. Acting showy or superior cer-tainly does not reveal your inner warmth.

Humility gets a bad rap in this ego-based society of ours. It may very well be one of the most underrated virtues out there, ac-tually. But the secret is that true humility requires us to be self-aware. Ouch, I know. But without it, we are not mindful of the damage some of our behavior causes. Start by gently observing what produces negativ-ity in your life. See how often, if ever, you admit that you were wrong. I know: Being right half the time beats being half right all the time. Heh.

Without meekness, how can you even accept others’ advice? And let’s face it, if your ego is not at the wheel, then frustra-tion and even loss becomes so much easier to bear. So would you rather be a modest, unpretentious, but talented person, or a conceited, puffed-up phony?

Lack of pretention simply means you are receptive to improving yourself. Simple as that. Sure, you may be poised and pumped up, but contrite enough to know that there is always room for growth, no matter how “great” you are at something. Heck, if only I had a little humility, I’d be perfect.’

Do you say things like: “I’m sorry I up-set you; I’ll try not to be right next time”? Sheesh. Humility is a strange thing, my friends. The minute you think you got it,

you lost it. It is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. But truth be told, we live in the Age of Arrogance. Everyone is unabashedly over-infl ating their own importance and accomplishments; and

making darn sure we all see it, on Insta-gram. We are certainly not encouraged to have a modest opinion of ourselves, now, are we? …when, in fact, a wise person is one who knows how little he knows.

Let’s be honest. Sometimes our train-ing ground for work on our restraint and reservation comes from relationships with diffi cult and even arrogant people. That, my friends, is how true virtue is cultivated. Observe how much you crave respect or ad-miration from others. Shedding the ego is no easy task. As the surgeon said: “I re-moved your ego. Turns out, that was what was clogging your reality.” Next time you think about your “ego,” skip the “E” and let it “go.”

If you have ever prepared and cooked a meal, you may be tempted to say: “I made that meal all by myself.” But did you, re-ally? Someone planted those vegetables, drove the truck that brought them to your city long before you tossed that salad. How connected are you to the efforts of others and the whole of the Universe?

Listen when you and others speak. Is the convo more about everyone’s appear-ance and achievements or of people’s struggles, hopes, and dreams? When you recount your life to others, what do you highlight? Do you introduce yourself or others with titles? How seriously do you take yourself? Can you laugh at yourself?

Okay, admit it. You have pulled up your blankets and punched yourself in the face at least once. You know what they say: “Laugh, and the whole world laughs with you. Snore, and you sleep alone.” Heh. Please make an effort to acknowledge your shortcomings, sweet friends. Feel free to present your positive traits and attributes, so long as you are somewhat accurate. “You know, when I told you I was normal, I may have exaggerated slightly.” Lol.

It’s like the old proverb says: “Be like the bamboo. The higher you grow, the deeper you bow.’

Caroline is a licensed psychotherapist, crisis counselor, and writer with an offi ce in Queens. She works with individuals, couples, and families. Appointments are available throughout the week and weekends. She can be reached at 917-717-1775 or at [email protected] or at face-book.com/pages/Safe-Haven-Healing.

Humility Is Not Something To Be Proud Of

Caroline Schumsky, LCSW, MS

HookedHooked On Healing



Makeup knockoffs aren’t just the ugly side of beauty; they also pose a public health hazard.

Many of these fake cosmetics can be found at local fl ea markets. However, they are not just a local problem, but a huge multi-million-dollar global opera-tion.

China is certainly a key player in the counterfeit market, where huge amounts of products are manufactured, stored, and shipped in the international market. Unfortunately, the profi ts from these op-erations are possibly used to fund terror-ism, traffi cking, and child labor.

Allegiance Protection Group works closely with Estee Lauder Companies, one of the largest cosmetic companies, which owns MAC and controls a major portion of the U.S. cosmetic industry. They have created an anti-counterfeit unit to seek out fake beauty products. Because of its simple and well-known packaging, MAC products are frequent-ly a target for counterfeiters. There are agents stationed in NYC, Canada, Paris, London, Belgium, South Africa, Hong Kong, and China. The counterfeit law en-forcement has made China a top-priority country and goes after them to seize the knockoffs and their production equip-ment.

Fakes are usually manufactured in huge warehouses where there’s no regu-lation. This translates to toxic chemicals, unsafe temperatures, and fi lthy condi-tions. A tube of lipstick may look fi ne but can contain heavy metals and paint thinners, stuff you wouldn’t want to ap-ply to your mouth or elsewhere. In 2015, the London police found traces of arse-nic, mercury, lead, and rat feces in fake

products they seized. It’s one thing hav-ing a handbag made of cheap fabric, but a different issue applying arsenic-laced products to your face.

Beauty imposters aren’t limited to makeup alone. There are also numer-ous skincare knockoffs that can easily be found on the Internet. What’s inside some of these potions may be glue in-stead of retinol or rubbing alcohol in-stead of hyaluronic acid. From the look of the outside, it’s almost impossible to detect a counterfeit item. Many can be found on reputable websites such as Amazon, who in the past removed many items that turned out to be fakes. Global online wholesale markets like Alibaba, DHgate, and TradeKey have many popu-lar brands advertised at very low prices.

The problem has become so wide-spread that, in 2015, U.S. Homeland Secu-rity launched Operation Plastic Beauty, a division created to stop the spread of counterfeit health and beauty products. Most of these problems originate in China, where a raid in Zhejiang located seven underground operations totaling

Risselle Naimark

BeautyBeauty Briefs

Counterfeit Cosmetics

$120 million. These goods are peddled from the streets to the global Internet. According to Lew Rice, a former DEA agent who heads the anti-counterfeit team for Estee Lauder, if a particular cos-

metic brand seems too cheap to be true, it’s probably counterfeit. So remember that when in doubt, do without, and be sure to purchase cosmetics from a reli-able source.

Risselle Naimark is a Professional Freelance Makeup Artist and Skincare Consultant. She carries an extensive line of personalized skincare, cosmetics, and anti-aging products. Risselle is also avail-able for weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, makeup lessons, and all of your beauty needs. She can be reached at 718 263-5517.


In last week’s column I wrote a bunch of ideas about how to dress for Shab-bat and chagim. While I believe that

your clothes need to be refi ned and dig-nifi ed, I allowed for some un-traditional ideas. That was no accident or mistake. However, I still hear from members of my generation that certain items are not appropriate. Those ideas would’ve been right many years ago because those rules were in place, but those rules have died and there are a lot more options for men and women.

From me, you get the truth.I remember once planning to have a

couple of friends come to my home in Queens for Shabbat, and one of them asked me if it was all right for her to wear a twinset and skirt for shul instead of a jacket. I was able to confi dently assure her that it was fi ne and she did wear the twinset. While I appreciate her wanting to respect her surroundings, the fact that she had to ask if a twinset (completely tzniut) was okay is not good. It may be un-traditional, but it’s completely appro-priate.

If your personal style is classic, then it’s perfectly fi ne for men to wear clas-sic suits and ties and for women to wear skirt suits or dresses. There are plenty of people, from my generation, whose style is classic and they pull off the classic looks beautifully. But not everyone’s style is classic. Mine isn’t. So what do you do then?

You work with your unique body type and your personal style and you put to-gether outfi ts that are clean and refi ned but that still fl atter you and refl ect your style. Clean and refi ned are the main buz-zwords here. I remember dressing one

woman who was concerned that the out-fi t I put together for her was too plain. It was a simple skirt with a simple top. I told her that because it was plain, it was a blank canvas for great accessories and I showed her how it would look with a showstopper pair of earrings. That outfi t would’ve also worked with a showstop-per necklace, but I didn’t have one avail-able at the time.

For the men, you may want to wear a suit and that’s fi ne, but what if pre-coordinated suits give you trouble? You know what? Suit separates are perfect for you. They’ll give you the same look but with a better fi t and a lower cost. Don’t rule them out. What if your style is more casual? It’s okay to wear a button-down shirt with plain trousers. If your style is more creative, go with a colored shirt. If your style is more edgy, go with a dark shirt and dark trousers. If your style is more sporty, don’t go more casual than a simple button-down shirt with plain trousers. Remember that Shabbat and chagim do call for some formality and re-fi nement.

For the women, if you want to wear a skirt suit, that’s fi ne, but remember that suit separates are an option even if the pre-coordinated suits work well. Break-ing up the jacket and skirt is a great way to get more bang for your buck. If you love dresses, wear one. And feel free to add a jacket or other overtop if you want a different look or if you’re just cold. If you like a softer look, wear a cardigan instead of a jacket. If your style is more casual but you want structure, wear a but-ton-down shirt. You could wear one open over a shell if you like. Wrap tops are a great option too. And what if you prefer

print skirts? Go ahead and wear them, but make sure they fl atter your bottom half. If they don’t fl atter, move the prints to your top half.

Please do not skip accessories. These can add personal style and take a basic outfi t from blah to bold in no time. Like I said before, if the base outfi t is very plain and simple, it’s a blank canvas, so add one showstopper accessory that you love. Maybe that’s a leopard print scarf. Maybe it’s your green necklace. Maybe it’s your chandelier earrings. Even if the outfi t is otherwise busy, you may still add a sim-ple pair of drop earrings.

On your head, it still depends what you want and what you like. Gentlemen, if you prefer a basic black hat, go with that, but it’s also okay to wear a basic solid kippah or a kippah srugah with a fun colorful pattern (this is the covering of choice for my husband and my dad). Ladies, if you’re wearing hair (your own or a sheitel), just make sure it’s clean and neat, but don’t be afraid to wear it down, half-up, in a bun, twist, or what-ever. And let its movement be; if it’s curly, you don’t have to straighten it. If you’re

wearing a non-sheitel covering, hats, be-rets, and mitpachot are all great options. As always, I don’t like snoods (except for snood wraps) because they’re not fl at-tering, and I don’t like pre-tieds (except when the tails can go over the head) for the same reason. Even if your personal style is more casual, remember that what you wear has to fl atter.

Which brings me to my only words of caution. Sloppy is not good in any con-text and it’s especially bad here. While a plain top can work with a great skirt, they can only work if both items are fi tted and neat. A loose T-shirt is rarely fl attering and usually looks messy. Same with a big wide skirt. If your body type benefi ts from structure, then use it; look for jack-ets and button-down shirts and skirts in structured fabrics. You need to look dig-nifi ed here, and when items don’t fl atter your body, it’s anything but dignifi ed.

My main point is that there are a lot of options. Even for Shabbat and chagim, when you do need to dress with some dignity, you can still express your person-al style and look great in your own way. Enjoy that.

Meira E. Schneider-Atik is a wardrobe organizer, personal shopper, jewelry designer, and fashion writer/blogger and speaker. She helps women look great while saving time, effort, and money, all within tznius guidelines, and she’ll add to that with custom-designed jewelry. Read more about her ideas on her blog- www.truetzniutistruebeauty.wordpress.com. She also has a YouTube channel, “Look Your Best in Mitpachot,” where she does head-wrapping tutorials, and she is also available for private demonstrations. She can be reached at (718) 644-6135 or at [email protected].

Personal Style For Shabbat And ChagimMyth: For Shabbat and chagim, old-school styles are still

the only way to go.

Truth: You have a lot of options based on your personal style.

Meira E. Schneider-Atik

Style Myths Debunked Debunked


Jewish MusicUnder The Stars

THE PROGRAM IS AS FOLLOWS:

August 15, 2018Yiddish Swings

Starring: Frank London’s Klezmer Allstars featuringmembers of the Grammy winning Klezmatics Yiddish Theater,and Recording Stars: Joanne Borts, Lisa Fishman, Daniel KahnMembers of the current cast of Fiddler On the Roof in Yiddish

August 22, 2018Bukharian International Festival

Featuring: Albert Narkalayev and his Mazal Tov Orchestra and Singers

August 29, 2018Featuring: Singing Sensation Ari Goldwag

Events are co-sponsored by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz

CUNNINGHAM PARK196th Street and Union Turnpike

ALL CONCERTS ARE AT 7 PM

Please Bring Your Own Chair

THE QUEENS JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL’S

SUMMER CONCERT SERIESFREE


Organic MythsDear Alice,

I’ve recently been interested in fi nding out more about organic products. What makes something organic?

Organic produce: Any produce that has been grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers.

In order to mass-produce food quickly and cheaply, chemicals like pesticides and herbicides were created to extend the life of the fruits and vegetables and to make sure that animals and insects don’t attack them, as well as to prevent mold from growing on them.

Organic meat/dairy products:Come from animals raised without the

use of antibiotics, growth hormones, exces-sive antibiotics, or other drugs.

Myths:

1. It’s expensive.Fact: Many discount hypermarket chains

like Walmart are slashing the markup to 10 percent versus the usual 20-30 percent. Also, if you don’t switch over everything but only some things, then the cost will not be felt as much.

2. If I make the switch, it’s all or none. Fact: Even switching a few items is help-

ful; we will talk about which are more worth it soon. Do make sure to keep organic and non-organic produce separately, though, because if they touch, pesticide residue can transfer if the produce was sprayed.

3. Doesn’t matter/I eat healthy anyway. Fact: If you believe you’re eating healthy

because you’re having fruits and vegeta-bles, that actually may be counterproduc-tive since those are full of chemicals, so you’re actually doing more harm than good if they are not organic.

4. You don’t have to wash organic pro-duce.

Fact: Organic produce is very likely to get E. coli and bacteria on it, specifi cally melons, lettuce, spinach, and onion, since they grow close to the ground. You must wash them thoroughly under running wa-ter.

5. If a product says organic ingredients or is made with organic products, that’s good enough.

Fact: No, that’s deceiving. It should say USDA certifi ed, 100 percent organic.

6. If it’s organic, it has zero herbicides or pesticides.

Fact: It can still have some, especially if it doesn’t say 100 percent organic. It could be something that’s in the water and is used to irrigate the crop. It can also be a waft from a nearby fi eld or smokestack.

7. If I “go organic” I won’t be able to eat

my regular favorites.Fact: Many companies, like Kellogg’s and

Kraft, are making versions of their popular foods in organic form. Nowadays you can get almost anything you love in an organic version.

8. Chips and cookies are better and healthier for me if they’re organic.

Fact: Cane sugar is still sugar and fried chips are still fried, so no justifi cations there.

Hope this informed you well!Best,Alice

Alice Harrosh

NutritionNutrition Notes

Alice Harrosh, is a nutrition counselor and manager at Nutrition by Tanya, with 10 loca-tions plus a brand-new one in Queens. Alice knows that making healthy choices is not always easy, as she has been through the struggle herself. As an optimistic person, Al-ice’s favorite quote is: “It’s never too late to start eating better. If you have a bad morn-ing, make it a better afternoon.” For more in-formation on Nutrition by Tanya or the TAP (Tanya-approved products) food line, please visit www.nutritionbytanya.com or call 844-Tanya-Diet (844-826-9234). For daily tips and inspiration, you may follow @nutrition-bytanya on Instagram.


Side-Splitting Stand-Up

LeBron James has a new

talk show that will feature him and four random guests

you may or may not have heard of. You know, like when

he plays basketball.

- James Corden

A recent government report revealed that a

California DMV employee fell asleep at her desk for up to

three hours a day and this went on for nearly four years. Or

as they call that at the DMV, Employee of the Month.

- James Corden

ed that a

A guy here in New York swims in the Hudson River every

A guy here in New York swims in the Hudson River every week to prove that it's clean. If you want to meet him in person,

week to prove that it's clean. If you want to meet him in person, services are being held on 43rd Street at the

services are being held on 43rd Street at the Sherwood Funeral Home. Sherwood Funeral Home. - Jimmy Fallon

- Jimmy Fallon

Recently, couples in Montana com-peted in the fi rst ever Rocky Moun-tain Wife Carrying Championship. This is a competition where hus-bands carry their wives on their backs through an obstacle course. The only requirements to compete are that you must be married and it must not be going well.

- James Corden

The obstacles included a mud pit, a median wall, and a dirt ramp, al-though most of the couples failed at the fi nal challenge, which was agreeing on a place for dinner.

- James Corden

There's a brand-new style of Crocs that have just been introduced and they're selling out all over the place, although I'm not sure why. High-heel Crocs! Did we ask for this? High-heel Crocs: The perfect shoe for when you get invited to a wedding and the invitation says, "Food court formal."

- James Corden

Apple has become the fi rst U.S. company worth over $1 trillion. Then Americans looked at their drawers fi lled with old iPods, and said, "Yep. Seems about right."

- Jimmy Fallon

The New York Mets suffered their worst loss in franchise history last night losing to the Washington Na-tionals 25-4. It was so bad that even the ceremonial fi rst pitch was hit for a triple.

- Seth Meyers

It was so embarrassing Mr. Met switched jerseys in the third in-ning.

- Seth Meyers

An ice cream shop in Scotland has introduced a new fl avor made with a very familiar ingredient. It's called Mayonnaise ice cream. Coincidentally, "Mayonnaise ice cream" is also how dermatologists describe my skin tone.

- James Corden

Facebook is working on a “talent show” feature that would let us-ers record themselves singing and then upload their videos for com-ments. Facebook even has a catchy name for it: “YouTube.”

- Jimmy Fallon

Police in Maine just pulled over a man who drove a scooter all the way from Massachusetts using his cell phone as a headlight. Police had a lot of questions, mainly, “How’d you get your battery to last that long?!”

- Jimmy Fallon

615 WINTHROP ROAD, TEANECK

For Sale By Owner 201-836-3403 or email [email protected]

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1. Draconian

2. Prefix with phobia

3. Some reach it, others waste it

4. Jeff Bridges sci-fi film

5. Physicians’ org.

6. Like Joyce and Wilde

7. Part of a forbidden mixture in

Judaism

8. Locator

9. Flight info.

10. Hezekiah’s Tunnel and the

Yeruham Dam?

11. Make jubilant

12. ___ Chinam (baseless hatred)

13. It’s a sense

18. Legendary sitcom actress

Stapleton

22. “___ the best you can do?”

26. Choir selection

28. One may be close or cold

30. St. for the character that’s

appeared in the most Spielberg’s

films?

31. “Get lost!”

32. Places to sleep, in ads

33. “Can’t Fight This Feeling” ( ___

Speedwagon)

35. Israeli coins

37. Like some spiders

38. Partake in a siyum

39. Driller’s deg.?

41. Eric who wrote some Jewish

jokes into “Spamalot”

42. Wife of Sacha (Baron Cohen)

47. Conflicting

49. Sound in a cave

50. Jacobs and Cohn

51. “I won’t tell ___”

52. Mystery or romance, e.g.

53. Dough

55. Dot option

56. Illicit get-together

59. I.R.S. worker

61. Fire ___ (gem)

63. Start of Moses’ most famous line

65. Saquon Barkley’s team, on the

scoreboard

“Musical Translation”“Musical Translation”

1. Deep in thought

5. Goal

8. Least amount

14. Radcliffe’s role in “Victor

Frankenstein”

15. X-ray cousin, briefly

16. Home of the Tempio Maggiore

17. Make like Madoff?

19. Belonging to Sharansky

20. Adler of “Sherlock Holmes”

stories

21. Word with mark or row

23. Coup d’___ (overthrow)

24. Writer Brown

25. “That feels nice”

27. Make like a gland

29. Wee

31. Pig’s building material

32. Google co-founder Sergey

34. Sonic-speed unit

36. Ran at an easy pace

40. Transportation for Torah lainers?

43. Favor, in slang

44. Food for American Pharoah

45. Pearl or Mapex sets

46. Smartphone feature

48. More, some say

50. Role for McKellen or Fassbender

53. i item

54. Pick

57. On the ocean

58. Bus driver on “The Simpsons”

60. Observe the fifth commandment

62. Actor Reagan

64. What the Israelites had on water

during the first plague...or the

board for this puzzle’s theme?

66. Like some grading

67. Reisman of Olympic fame

68. Web-footed diving birds

69. Creates slippery conditions,

perhaps

70. Be a noodge

71. Exam with a max. score of 180

DownBy: Yoni Glatt, [email protected]

Difficulty Level: EASY

See solution in this issue

Across

CAN

YOU

SPOT

CAN

YOU

SPOT

10

10

DIFF

EREN

CES?

DIFF

EREN

CES?


Mordechai Schmutter

Feelin’Feelin’ Funny

Why Did It Cross The Road?

Let the record show that about once a year, I have some kind of animal adventure in my backyard that turns

into an article. It’s not even like I live on a farm. Most of the animals in my area are of the variety that one would generally fi nd lying squished on the road, though some-times I fi nd them dead but not squished.

“What’s that about? He clearly wasn’t run over, so why did he die in middle of the road? Did he crawl out here to fl ag down Hatzalah?”

But most of my animal adventures involve the ones in the cage trap in my backyard. My wife has a garden where she grows beautiful vegetables that are then eaten by local animals. This is not ideal. She wants us to have some too. Or at least for these animals to pitch in on the weed-ing. Ideally not when she’s around.

So she keeps opening this trap, which she borrowed from her boss, and while it’s nice and humane, we did not get it with instructions. We know how to catch the animals, but what are we supposed to do with them? There has to be a step 2. It’s not like a fl y strip, where it’s going to keep fi lling up with animals.

Animal Control is no help. We tried call-ing them the fi rst time we caught some-thing, and they told us that they don’t actu-ally control live animals. Just dead ones. They’re scared of live animals - same as you. If you’re stupid enough to actually catch an animal you don’t want, it’s your problem to get rid of it. But they will tell you that it has to be within a mile of your house.

Anyway, one Shabbos morning, during the seudah, my son says, “Hey! There’s something in our trap!”

So at fi rst I’m like, “Let’s deal with it af-ter Shabbos.” We’ve done that before.

Then he goes, “It’s a skunk.”My fi rst thought was that I actually

wrote in a previous article that the day there’s a skunk in that trap, I’m moving. So I might have to do hataras nedarim. I have no idea how to get a skunk into a car and drive it to the park without getting sprayed, and I’m not going to walk down the street with it. I’d have to tie it to the roof rack or something. And probably get a ticket. Or lose it going around a corner.

I don’t even know how to approach this cage in the fi rst place. And when am I gon-na do this? It’s the middle of the summer, and it’s 100 degrees in the sun. The skunk is probably dehydrating. Should I really wait until the night?

Add in the fact that, on this particular week, Motzoei Shabbos was Tisha B’Av. And waiting until Monday wasn’t really an option if I wanted the skunk to move out of the cage on its own power.

So I fi gured I could either release it on Shabbos and possibly get sprayed, or I could release it on Tisha B’Av and possibly get sprayed. And while getting sprayed by a skunk is probably in the spirit of Tisha B’Av, I fi gured that on Shabbos I can bathe, at least in cold water. Whereas if I did it on Tisha B’Av, I don’t I don’t know how many times I could wash to my knuckles until the smell is gone.

Sure, I could probably get a heter from a rav to bathe on Tisha B’Av, especially if I asked in person. But time was of the es-sence, and I wasn’t going to run around town in the heat to wake a rav up from his nap and ask him what to do about a skunk. Though I did ask a rav after Tisha B’Av, in

case it ever happens again, and he told me that while I didn’t break halachah, he prob-ably would’ve let it die. Even during the week.

Yeah, a lot of people said that.But I did look up Hilchos Shabbos, and it

turns out I could release it. The sefer didn’t say how either.

Then I thought, “What if I let my 12-year-old do it?”

So fi rst my son (Daniel) changes out of his suit into the worst clothes he has. Actu-ally, the fi rst thing he does is run across the street and get his friend Yudi, who, while Daniel is inside getting dressed, marches

straight into the backyard in his older brother’s slippers with 3 siblings and his mother. And Daniel, who’s upstairs with the windows closed, turns to me and says, “I think the skunk just sprayed.”

We didn’t really have a plan. The plan, as far as we could fi gure, was for my son and apparently Yudi to approach the cage very carefully, and if the skunk lifted its tail, to run. Except for Yudi, in his brother’s slippers.

So they started making their way to the cage, very slowly, and they got most of the way there before it occurred to Daniel that he didn’t know how to open the cage. So he ran back to me, and Yudi freaked out.

But then Daniel headed back out, and the backyard was really starting to stink, and Daniel decided to climb the swing set to sneak up on it from above, and I was shouting at him from the porch over the noise of the air conditioner, and Yudi’s brother was shouting, “Don’t go near the cage in my slippers!” and it turns out that shouting isn’t great for keeping a skunk calm.

Then I got the idea that maybe we should cover the cage so that if the skunk sprayed, it wouldn’t hit anyone directly. I

handed Daniel a towel that had been on our back porch for a while. But instead of just walking toward the cage with the tow-el shielding most of his body, he had Yudi grab the other end. So now they’re hold-ing the towel sideways, walking toward the cage with their faces turned, like Noach’s sons, the towel was perpendicular to the cage, and neither of them was behind it. So we all yelled some more, which did won-ders for the smell.

Then my son had this idea to climb on top of the swing set and drop the towel onto the cage. It did not land squarely. Yudi ran over and rearranged the towel

“properly”, but he thought “properly” meant “like a tablecloth” – evenly centered with the bottom half of the cage uncovered on all four sides.

The other issue was that the cage was facing a wall. So once we opened the cage, the skunk would have to come out and make a U-turn toward everyone.

So we had to turn the cage around. I said, “Okay, push the cage through the towel.”

And Daniel’s like, “Let me get a broom-stick.”

There’s no way this cage is not going to fl ip over.

So I decided to do it myself. I ap-proached the cage from behind, and I propped it open.

Nothing happened. Now this is pretty normal. I’ve had

groundhogs that didn’t dart out either, and most opossums have no clue what they’re supposed to do when the cage opens. They just ignore it and continue fi ghting with the closed end.

Usually the way I get them out is I tilt the cage or kick the closed end. But I didn’t want to startle the skunk. Again.

So I’m like, “Maybe it’s dehydrated. Or it’s comfortable in there now that we’ve made it some shade.” But I can’t put a bowl of water in front of the cage, because it’s Shabbos, and also if you feed things they tend to come back.

But I had the bright idea that maybe I could pour some water on it, which would either revive it or get it to run out of the path of the water without spraying the guy who had to lift the towel off the top of the cage to make this happen. We couldn’t just splash water on it from a distance, as there was a garden right next to it.

So I told my son go inside and get a cup of water. He comes out fi ve minutes later, hands me a cup and says, “I fi nished the bottle.”

“What bottle? Wait. We’re giving it fi l-tered water? That we need for the fast?”

So I take the ice-cold fi ltered water and pour it directly on the skunk, and it doesn’t move. But it’s defi nitely still breathing.

So fi nally I say, “That looks like a good idea. I’m going for a nap.”

Anyway, when I checked the skunk later, it was dead.

So I had to go out in middle of the night on Tisha B’Av to dump it out of the cage onto the middle of the road. Right before going back inside to sit shiva for it.

But on the other hand, right now I have a dead skunk out on the street in front of my house that clearly wasn’t run over by a car. Well, until Yudi’s other brother ran over it doing a K-turn in our driveway in a 15-passenger van. But it occurred to me: This is how they get in middle of the road! People are putting them there!

That’s disgusting. But at least they’re not judging me. And maybe now Animal Con-trol will take it away.

The street sweeper certainly hasn’t. We just watched him go around it.

I figured I could either release it on Shabbos and possibly get

sprayed, or I could release it on Tisha B’Av

and possibly get sprayed

Mordechai Schmutter is a weekly humor columnist for Hamodia, a monthly humor columnist for The Jewish Press, and has written three books, all published by Israel Book Shop. He also does freelance writing for hire. You can send any questions, comments, or ideas to [email protected]



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The Law School ParshahBy Chaim Yehuda Meyer

It is frightening to think that this Shab-bos (and Sunday) is Rosh Chodesh Elul. Having gone through a trial of

my own (law school), I wanted to share my experience with you, the reader.

Jury selection is supposed to consist of a cross-section of the community. How much more so is the need to have repre-sentatives of our people in the workforce. Whatever fi eld you go into, or whomever you hire, there should be members of our community who are willing to embark on varied career paths. One cannot prac-tice law or medicine without a license, of course. Once you are in the practice, you can use your education and skills in as-sisting all members of society with their unique needs.

If a legal or medical issue arises that af-fects the Jewish community, you can be the one who speaks up. In New York State, the legislature wants to pass a Right to Die act. This is abhorrent and totally against our values. In the legal fi eld, lawyers are sometimes served with a summons min-utes before they are leaving their offi ces on Friday. If you don’t speak up and advo-cate, who will?

As a law student, I learned a whole variety of law, and made friends with a diverse student body. While law school is intense, we need law students who can be the bridge between attorneys and those young men and women who may have the potential for law school. Mentorships are key. Without guidance, someone who is a good fi t for law school might not fathom embarking on the legal path. It really does not take one specifi c skill set or “type” to be a law student. I was honored to have gone to school with students of varied ages, experiences, and backgrounds. It is with the above in mind that I hope to help readers or their family members who might consider go-ing to law school (whichever law school that might be).

Parshas R’ei talks about sacrifi ces. I know I had to make some sacrifi ces on my own in going to law school: I cut down on outside employment, spent less time with family, and studied hard. However, I learned to fi nd a balance. Of course, I tried to make a kiddush Hashem, never compro-mising on my religion. Further, Parshas R’ei talks about tz’dakah (charity). What

better way to give back to the community than assisting someone in embarking on a career path that could have great returns later on. In addition, through your legal work, you can help fi ght for justice and fi nd equity for people who have nowhere else to turn. Whomever you represent, know you are representing klal Yisrael.

As busy as we may be with work or school, Shabbos is a day of rest. Like the Sabbatical year, sh’nas ha’sh mitah, we take a leap of faith and take a rest, know-ing that by taking a step back, G-d will help us move forward the following week. As we are still in Pirkei Avos mode, it is im-portant to point out that the ethics of our fathers guide us from morning till night. In the outside world, one who sleeps all day doesn’t necessarily owe a duty to the world. However, when entering the legal fi eld, you owe a duty to act ethically from

morning till night (in all your endeavors). We, of course, know that this has always applied to us (the Jewish people) and will always apply to us. Therefore, as Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur approach, we ask Hashem to bless us as he does in this week’s parshah.

While summer has only begun for me (as I recently took the Bar), I realize the awe and seriousness one must have in avodas ha’kodesh, regardless of the time of year. During vacation time, it is easy to fall into the false trappings and materialism of the outside world. Nevertheless, one can vacation with Jewish values: Don’t go to places that’ll lead you to sin, daven every day, and research any kashrus issues that may arise. Like the false prophet we are warned of in this week’s Torah por-tion, bad friends can take you far down. Good friends can help you rise above. I am grateful for my friends and family for being there for me even though I wasn’t always there for them while engaged in my studies. With G-d’s help, I was able to make it through, and so can you.

I, therefore, would like to invite any readers to email me with questions and concerns that they may have about the law school experience. Hopefully, I can allay your fears. I hope that I can help you “see” the blessings of a legal educa-tion. Take your education seriously, but take your religion more seriously. In this way, we will merit going up to our fi nal pilgrimage to Eretz Yisrael with the com-ing of Mashiach, quickly and speedily in our days.

With G-d’s help, I was able to make it through,

and so can you.

The author, Chaim Yehuda Meyer ([email protected]), graduated from Benja-min N. Cardozo School of Law this past spring.



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QJL 31 (273) Aug9 IY · 2018. 8. 8. · Vol. VII No. 31 (#273) • August 9, 2018 QueensJewishLink.com • 718-880-2622 • [email protected] 3 Congratulations to Dean Steven