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The Jewish Star
Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island
VOL. 8, NO. 10
MARCH 5, 2009 | 10 ADAR 5769
CLOWNING AROUND
Turn your clocks forward
this Sunday and change
your smoke detector batteries
Lev Leytzan honors local volunteers
Page 3
W
W
See VIEW, Page 5
David Seidemann is a partner with the
law firm of Seidemann & Mermelstein.
He can be reached at (718) 692-1013 and
at ds@lawofficesm.com.
Inside
Eliezer Project expanding
Fund raising planned for West Hempstead and Oceanside
BY YA F F I S P O D E K
With the recession deepening
and a seemingly ever-increasing
number of jobs being lost, the
Cedarhurst-based Eliezer Project
–– a not-for profit that is helping
families weather the economic crisis –– is expanding to meet
requests for help from people in
nearby communities who are also
struggling to make ends meet.
Since its inception several
months ago, The Eliezer Project
has grown from an ambitious idea
into a professional organization
servicing close to 80 clients,
unemployed heads of household
throughout the Five Towns and
Far Rockaway.
At a parlor meeting later this
month, members of The Eliezer
Project will visit West Hempstead
to explain their mission and outline the different services that they
provide. There are plans to host a
similar meeting in Oceanside in
the coming weeks.
“We’ve had numerous clients
from West Hempstead come to us
for help and we are already servicing them,” said Ellen Aronovitz,
the project’s director of employ-
ment, “so we are reaching out to
explain what kinds of things we
do and to try to raise money from
community members there.”
Volunteers from the Five
Towns and Far Rockaway offer
professional, financial and legal
advice to clients of The Eliezer
Project. Aronovitz hopes that people from West Hempstead and
other communities will follow suit.
Over the weekend of March
6-7, shuls in the Five Towns and
Far Rockaway plan to conduct
appeals for The Eliezer Project.
Flu was the apparent cause of death
BY M AY E R F E R T I G
— to a new generation: “Eilecho,” “Pischu Li,” “Ura
Kevodi,” “Tzion Tzion,” “Ani Ma’amin,” “Toras
Hashem Temimah,” which is familiar to many as a
Simchat Torah standby, and a few more.
In dark pants and white shirts, the choir
looked like the spitting image of what you’d imagine a Pirchei choir might look like. A man sitting
next to me with binoculars turned out to be Jay
See EVENT, Page 10
See COPING, Page 9
See ELIEZER, Page 7
The Event really was big
BY M AY E R F E RT I G
Only Simchas......................................................................2
Opinion .................................................................................4
Helping classmates
cope with tragedy
When word got out Saturday night of the shocking
loss of Levi Yitzchok Wolowick, administrators of Yeshiva
Darchei Torah, where he was a fourth grader, had to prepare their staff and their students to deal with his death.
Rabbi Dovid Morgenstern, the menahel of the fourth
and fifth grades, himself a trained grief counselor, said the
yeshiva immediately sought guidance from Chai Lifeline’s
bereavement and crisis intervention team, led by Dr. Norman Blumenthal and Mrs.
Zahava Farbman.
Blumenthal met that
night with administrators
and teachers, Rabbi Morgenstern said. The next night
“we had a meeting...in the
yeshiva for parents specifically of the fourth grade,”
though it was open for all
who wished to attend.
When
school
resumed on Tuesday followPhoto courtesy Chabad.org ing the snow storm, Dr. Blumenthal, a psychologist,
Levi Yitzchok Wolowick a”h and Mrs. Farbman, a
licensed clinical social worker, planned to spend the day at Darchei offering counseling.
Parents of children who don’t attend that yeshiva but
who knew Levi or otherwise learn of his passing should
“not fish” for a reaction, Dr. Blumenthal advised.
“Don’t ask kids aggressively ‘are you sure you’re not
upset.’ Don’t tell your child how to respond. Respect who
your child is and how your child copes, like we would with
adults,” he said.
Also, he advised, “don’t give your child more information than they need. Don’t try to explain [Levi’s death] theologically or medically if they’re not asking.”
“There is no normal reaction to an abnormal situation,” Mrs. Farbman said. “Kids, like adults, will react differently. How children will react will also depend, in large
part, on their age.”
Preschoolers often act out their feelings in their play.
“After the Chanukah Wonderland accident we had kids
playing crashes,” she said, “while “school-aged kids are
very focused on the facts, the details, what happened, how
it happened. They’ll listen to every rumor possible. You
want to be as clear as you can on their age level. In their
REVIEW
The people who tried and failed to ruin the
Lipa Schmeltzer concert billed as “The Event”
weren’t missed at the WaMu Theater at Madison
Square Garden on Sunday night — but they
missed some show.
Producer Sheya Mendlowitz orchestrated a
nearly seamless blend of live performance, clever
video clips, and surprise guests — including
Mordechai Ben David and Far Rockaway’s own
Rabbi Boruch Chait — plus multiple costume
changes — all presented without benefit of a live
master of ceremonies, usually an omission that
invites disaster, at least in my opinion, but certainly not in this case. (Note to concert promoters: if
your name isn’t Sheya Mendlowitz you probably
can’t pull that off; get an M.C).
The Event was billed as a tribute to the late
Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum a”h and it was a nice one.
Among his many accomplishments Rabbi Teitelbaum produced the very successful Pirchei Boys
Choir albums of the 1960s, and the show opened
with the “new” Pirchei choir (actually the Yeshiva
Boys Choir enthusiastically led by Yossi Newman)
reintroducing Pirchei classics — as Pirchei songs
See GRIEVING, Page 9
Photo by Shimon Gifter
Lipa Schmeltzer, joined by Mordechai Ben David,
onstage at the WaMu Theater at MSG Sunday night.
Calendar...............................................................................6
Classified .............................................................................8
Shabbat
Candlelighting: 5:34 p.m. ■ Shabbat ends: 6:35 p.m.
Torah reading: Parshat Tetzaveh, Shabbat Zachor
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
e sat around the table, the rabbis, three of them, the maybe
soon to be ex-husband, the
maybe soon to be ex-wife,
myself and a few other family members
and friends there to lend support. Could
this marriage be saved, the relationship
repaired?
At one point during the dialogue, the
wife remarked, “We are at this point
because you constantly have been
asking me to be
someone I am
not.”
“Not true,”
said the husband.
“All I have been
doing over the last
few years was to
ask you to be the
” hen
person I know you
could be.”
G-d takes a
Silence perchild, that child meated the room.
one spoke, no
would not have No
one moved. All of
us, as I discovered
been taken
in subsequent
unless that
conversations, felt
an immediate
child has
rush of guilt and
unequivocally shame about
missing the mark,
completed his as Rabbis,
husor her task on lawyers,
bands, fathers,
sons and friends.
this Earth.“
The meeting actually ended after
that remark
because no one
knew what to say afterwards.
Sunday morning, a bris. Sunday
afternoon, a funeral for a nine-year-old
boy. So which runs deeper, the joy of new
life or the pain of the loss of a life? There
is no answer for one who doesn’t believe
in the potential of man, the concept of a
Creator and the concept of an afterlife.
Life is measured in fulfillment of potential, not in the counting of birthdays celebrated. The bris of an eight-day-old can
be more depressing than the funeral of a
nine-year-old if we hold out little or no
hope of that eight-day-old being nurtured
in an environment that will develop his
potential.
I am willing to listen to any dissenting opinion from any Torah scholar but I
believe as follows: G-d takes people who
are in their sixties, seventies and eighties
More than 500 people packed the
banquet hall of the Sephardic Temple in
Cedarhurst for the annual dinner of the
Chabad of the Five Towns, but the couple who has worked tirelessly for almost
15 years to strengthen Jewish life in Nassau County, Rabbi Zalman and Chanie
Wolowik, was noticeably missing.
The Wolowiks were observing shiva
for their nine-year-old son Levi, who had
Photo by Yosef Lewis tragically passed away just two nights
Just hours after the burial of nine-year-old Levi Yitzchak Wolowik, stunned supporters before.
If the March 1 dinner’s organizers
of Chabad of the Five Towns entered a banquet hall for the center’s 14th-annual dinner
and honorees had had their way, there
to honor the wishes of their beloved rabbi and rebbetzin.
might have been no event at all. Some
wanted to cancel, while others spoke of
postponing the affair to some time after
Shloshim, the traditional 30-day mourning period. But the Wolowiks would
have none of it, and sent a note to the
community urging everyone’s participation.
“I did not feel I would be able to celebrate,” related Tamar Pewzner, one of
the evening’s honorees.
“We were all trying to push it off or
to cancel it,” echoed Debbie Werner,
another honoree. “People were saying
they weren’t in the mood, that they
PRST STD
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Perceiving
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FROM THE
OTH E R SI DE
OF THE BENCH
HAPPY PURIM!
TIME TO SPRING AHEAD
The Jewish Star
March 6, 2009
Singing for Israel’s solidarity
The Jewish Star offers heartfelt condolences
to Rabbi Zalman and Rebbetzin Chanie Wolowick
and their family
High school girls’ choirs compete for tzedaka
BY MALKA EISENBERG
Yeshiva University High
School for Girls (Central) may
have won first place in the Second Annual Girls’ Choir Competition at HAFTR High School on
Feb. 23, but the joy and camaraderie of all five participating
schools raising money for charity
eclipsed any feelings of rivalry.
Close to 400 women and
girls filled HAFTR’s auditorium,
raising over $3,500 in ticket sales
for this year’s charity, the Israel
Solidarity Fund of America
(ISFA). Choirs from Central,
HAFTR, HANC, Shalhevet and
SKA took their turns on stage;
some sang a cappella, others with
musical or rhythmic accompaniment. Each group was announced
and then greeted with raucous
cheers from the audience as well
as from opposing schools. Competitors called out to each other,
offering moral support and highlighting friendships.
The concert competition
was organized by Rachel Gerstley, a Judaic Studies teacher and
student activities coordinator at
HAFTR. She gave an opening
speech and dvar Torah in front of
a video screen with a picture of
the Kotel (Western Wall) and the
words “Shirei Shalom” (songs of
peace). She spoke of Esther finding her hidden potential, gather-
Levi Yitzchok Wolowick a”h
Hamakom Yenachem Etchem
B'toch Sha'ar Aveilei Tzion
V'Yerushalayim
Cliff Richner
Stuart Richner
Richner Communications
266852
Mayer Fertig
Publisher & Editor in chief
Engagements
■ Engagement
of Miriam Eyal
(Brooklyn, NY) & Sruly
Osherovitz (Monsey, NY) —
Feb. 26, 2009
■ Engagement of Devora
Jacobowitz (Staten Island, NY)
& Yoni Cohen (Staten Island,
NY) — Feb. 15, 2009
Girls from five yeshiva high schools sang in a choir competition on Feb. 23 to raise money for the Israel
Solidarity Fund of America, which distributes money to victims of terrorism and their families.
ing all Jews together in achdut
(unity) –– “Different schools, different backgrounds raising
money for Israel, revealing their
hidden potential, their individual
and global potential and seeing
the hidden hand of G-d as in the
Megillah... The message behind
Purim is to be able to experience
the hand of G-d on a global
level,” Gerstley said.
Yudi Zuller spoke about
ISFA, the organization he established in 2002 on Staten Island,
and screened a video about his
efforts. Through barbecues and
concerts, he has successfully
raised money to help victims of
terrorism and their families,
traveling to Israel several times
a year to distribute the funds,
most recently last week.
“Follow your dreams, pursue your passions and never for-
■ Birth
get your fellow Jews,” he said.
“We can all make a difference.
By being here, you have.”
Gerstley modeled the competition after a similar event
held for seminaries in Israel. She
noted the success of last year’s
inaugural competition, when the
choirs raised money for the Koby
Mandell Foundation.
“Girls who went to Camp
Koby spoke,” said Gerstley.
“Koby’s father came and spoke
when we gave him the check. It
was very moving... One of the
things I wanted the girls to see
this year was this speaker, to see
what one person can do, running concerts, raising money
and bringing it to Israel.”
“Everybody always likes to
hear singing,” she continued. “It
was a way to bring the community together, the different
schools. It was packed last year
and this year we had the same”
number of people, she observed.
Student coordinators led
some choirs while teachers led
others. Each choir appeared
onstage two times to sing. The
concert ended with all the
choirs on stage together, singing
L’shana Haba b’Yerushalayim
and Acheinu. SKA won second
place at the event while HAFTR
won third.
“It was a great event,
everyone was thrilled and we
want to continue next year,”
Gerstley said to sum up. “The
girls have a wonderful way of
expressing their talent for a
good cause. They work hard,
spend time and it’s all worth it
when they see the auditorium
jam-packed and it’s all for tzedaka. It’s a nice feeling for them.”
Miriam Eyal & Sruly Osherovitz
Baby Boy Berger
Births
of a baby boy to David &
Paula Berger (Flushing, NY) —
Feb. 25, 2009
■ Birth of baby girl to Shmaya &
Hindy Modes — Feb. 19, 2009
■ Birth of Basya Rochail to
Rabbi Menachem & Elke Weiss
(Far Rockaway, NY) — Feb. 18,
2009
266851
To view entire galleries, please visit www.onlysimchas.com
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The Jewish Star
March 6, 2009
3
When your nose is that red, it’s Purim all year
Lev Leytzan honors local volunteers who clown around for a good cause
troupe that creates performances
to teach safety education to
younger audiences and has been
adapted for children with disabilities.
“I joined the program when
it was just starting, as a way to
do something extra, and I
haven’t looked back since,”
recalled Aron Martin, who will
receive the Golden Nose Award
for Dedication and Leadership.
The 21-year-old from Far
Rockaway has moved up the
ranks over the years and now
supervises the training sessions
and performances of those just
beginning their clowning careers
at Lev Leytzan.
“It’s not a skill set I had
before I joined,” Martin told The
Jewish Star, describing his
clowning experience. “Clowning
is a very serious business, as Neal
[Goldberg] likes to say. It takes a
lot of focus and dedication to
learn the skills and apply them.”
One aspect of clowning that
he enjoys is the camaraderie
between the volunteers.
“It is definitely a great bonding experience,” Martin says,
“and we all respect each other
for our skills. It’s also a very gratifying experience.”
Asher Mechanic, a fellow
honoree, expressed similar feelings.
“It’s just a great environment to be in, the idea of making
people happy,” said Mechanic,
who will receive the Golden
Nose award for Achievement in
Clowning.
A senior at Queens College
who lives in West Hempstead,
Mechanic, like Martin, has been
clowning since the organization
began when he was 16 years old.
“I am going to continue
clowning for as long as I can,” he
pledged.
Two other honorees, Yosef
Dov Kopelowitz and Meir Dovid
Weinberg, seniors at Mesivta
Ateres Yaakov, will receive the
Red Nose Award for Outstanding
Who needs stodgy old
awards like Guest of Honor and
Parent of the Year when you can
confer deserving honorees with a
distinction known as the Golden
Nose?
While that might be a bit of
a bold step for more traditional
charities, it’s a perfect fit for the
Woodmere-based medical clowning troupe called Lev Leytzan,
the Compassionate Clown Alley,
Inc.
Lev Leytzan is a not-for-profit organization that trains volunteers to visit hospitals, nursing
homes and other facilities to perform, entertain and bring laughter to patients through therapeutic clowning.
The organization will hold
its annual dinner on Sunday,
March 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Cong.
Beth Sholom in Lawrence, honoring four local volunteers who
have been active in the unique
chesed organization since its
launch in 2004. Other highlights
of the evening will include a
comedy performance featuring
Chicago City Limits, refreshments, and a Chinese and silent
auction.
“The dinner is our event
where we try to be really different and the program is all about
being mesame’ach people (making them happy) and allowing
them to enjoy,” said Dr. Neal
Goldberg, a psychologist and Lev
Leytzan’s founder. “These boys
are really the pillars of the program and we want to honor
them for their tremendous dedication and the countless hours of
time and effort that they have
put into it.”
The “Clowns on Call” –– as
the program is named –– act out
improvisational skits while using
various tools of the trade such as
balloons and juggling balls to
enhance the experience.
Lev Leytzan also has a
“Clowns for Safety Squad,” a
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Photo courtesy of Lev Leytzan
(From left) Oooshie the Clown (Asher Mechanic), Schmeggles the Clown
(Shlomo Dov Kopelowitz), Timmy the Clown (Meir Dovid Weinberg), and
Marlin the Clown (Aron Martin) in blue hat at right during a “Learn, Don’t
Burn” fire safety show.
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with a lot of Jewish families and
others, including victims of terror.”
“People often focus on the
patients and the sick kids, but I’m
in awe of our volunteers as
clowns –– their growth and
development in their creativity,
and how they learn how to be
more compassionate and sensitive in their interaction with the
people they perform for,” Dr.
Goldberg explained. “We have
become like a family over the
years. It is really an amazing
thing and I take a tremendous
amount of pride in what these
kids have accomplished.”
The annual dinner is a
major component of Lev
Leytzan’s fund-raising. For more
information about the event or to
make a donation, please call
(516) 612-3264 or e-mail
Purim Gala@LevLeytzan.com.
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“These are boys who have
used their unique skills and personalities to demonstrate their
commitment to doing chesed,”
commented Rabbi Mordechai
Yaffe, the menahel of Ateres
Yaakov. “We support our students in this program because it
facilitates their learning and
teaches them how to think of
others. Our yeshiva is extremely
proud that two such fine future
leaders have been selected to be
honored and their honor is our
honor as well.”
Dr. Goldberg noted that Lev
Leytzan’s annual trip to Israel
with the Ossie Schonfeld Memorial Toy Fund, to deliver toys to
sick children, is a highlight
among the organization’s programs. It gives the clowns the
opportunity to perform for “a
multicultural audience...working
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265158
BY YA F F I S P O D E K
4
The Jewish Star
March 6, 2009
OPINION
Sure there’s a cycle of violence
MAYER FERTIG
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
YAFFI SPODEK
Assistant Editor
MALKA EISENBERG, MICHAEL ORBACH
Reporters
HELENE PARSONS AND RACHEL WEINBERG
Account Executives
RABBI AVI BILLET, AYALA COHEN, ALAN JAY GERBER,
RABBI YAKOV HOROWITZ, ADAM NEUSTADTER, SARI
NOSSBAUM, LISA SCHIFFMAN, RABBI AVI SHAFRAN,
DAVID SEIDEMANN, MIRIAM L. WALLACH, CHANANYA
WEISSMAN
Contributors
ALYSON GOODMAN
Editorial Designer
■
The Jewish Star is an independent community newspaper. All opinions expressed
are solely those of The Jewish Star’s editorial staff or contributing writers.
■
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Letters
Bnei Akiva
rides again
To the Editor:
Kudos to the Young Israel of
Lawrence-Cedarhurst and to
Rabbi Teitelbaum on opening a
Snif (what’s a branch?) of Bnei
Akiva (Bnei Akiva Zionist youth
movement opens LawrenceCedahurst Branch; Feb. 27,
2009). Will you allow some old
Bnei Akivaniks to stop by and
join in Mifkad and to sing Yad
Achim? The article brought
back wonderful memories of
Bnei Akiva in Borough Park and
at the Ave N Jewish Center in
Flatbush more than 40 years
ago. I am sure that the teaching of Bnei Akiva will also last a
lifetime with this generation of
kids.
JACK RUBIN
Cedarhurst
or years, Mideast watchers have
objected to the term “cycle of violence,” a media favorite, on the
grounds that it morally equivocates between Arab belligerence and
Israeli self-defense. The phrase neatly
ignores the fact that if the Arabs would
just stop shooting, the violence would
end at once.
However, there certainly is a cycle of
something going on there, so far as U.S.
policy is concerned — actually several
cycles.
The first is somewhat newly revealed.
Back when she was merely the First
Lady, Hillary Clinton made a lot of people angry by kissing Suha Arafat after
Suha had just launched a modern blood
libel, accusing Israel of poisoning the
Arabs’ water. Suha’s important job at the
time was to prop up the French economy. She did that by spending U.S. taxpayer dollars in Paris almost as fast as
her late husband, Yasser, could steal
them from aid intended for his impoverished constituents.
When Hillary decided that she would
make a crackerjack U.S. Senator from
New York, the wheel began to turn. She
suddenly discovered within herself a passionate well of support for Israel's security and a deep, abiding love for its people.
F
Editorial
Who knew? Not everyone believed her,
of course, but most did, and soon we
were calling her Senator. For the record,
we at The Jewish Star didn’t believe her.
Now Senator Clinton is Secretary
Clinton, the wheel has turned again and
it seems the cycle has revealed itself in
full. Secretary of State Clinton is in the
Mideast this week proposing to give the
Arabs of the Gaza Strip $300 million,
with another $600 million to go to the
West Bank. She insists the money will
not go to Hamas, but to the Palestinian
Authority, which likes to think it's in
charge, and that safeguards are in place
to prevent the money from being misused.
And that's another Mideast cycle. The
U.S. sends piles of cash to the Arabs
there and then finds itself disappointed
when the dollars are neatly divvied up
between corrupt officials and terrorists
shooting at Israel’s civilian population.
Israel has also gotten plenty of cash
from the U.S. and uses it to build and
defend a modern, flowering society
where none stood before, and to build
schools, hospitals and sewers for the
aforementioned Arabs who choose to
shoot at Israel rather than building
schools, hospitals and sewers for themselves.
Now that much of the Gaza infrastructure must be rebuilt on account of
said Arab shooting, Secretary Clinton
and President Obama seem to believe
that it's the United State's turn once
again to pony up.
And the Arabs are still shooting. Over
100 rockets have been fired into Sderot
and nearby cities since the Jan. 18 ceasefire. Over the weekend an upgraded type
of missile landed in an empty schoolyard. And that seems likely to become a
Mideast cycle too.
Arabs shoot missiles over the border,
Israel pacifies them for a while and then
it all starts up again. Doesn’t anyone in
Washington see it coming?
It seems clear that Israel is going to
have to go back into Gaza again, perhaps
to finish what it started late in 2008, or
perhaps just to make some more noise
and again leave undone the job of finally
restoring peace and quiet.
Spending $300 million right now to
rebuild Gaza is probably not such a great
idea. If the President wants to throw
money down a rat hole he might as well
give it to AIG or Citibank. At least no one
there is shooting at Israel.
Star online
To the Editor:
It's about time you guys got
yourself a real Web site. I’ve
been trying to magnify your
PDFs for way too long. You are
finally getting the recognition
you deserve in the way yeshivish websites pick up your news
pieces. I for one am grateful
that the caliber of the writing
on The Yeshiva World and
VosIzNeias has been improved
through their posting of your
articles. Especially with the billboard updates. Shkoiach!
REB NOACH
Meadowmere Park
The L word
To the Editor:
What does the L in MLW
stand for?
Bernie Bernowitzman
Lawrence
ABOUT LETTERS
The Jewish Star welcomes Letters to the Editor
of no more than 250 words. We reserve the
right to edit letters for style, content and
space. Deadline is Monday at noon; we cannot
guarantee placement. Letters must include the
name of the writer, current address and daytime
telephone number and may be mailed to The Jewish Star,
2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530; faxed to (516) 569-4942;
or e-mailed to letters@thejewishstar.com.
RIGHT ANGLE
Purim present
n the first day of the
the likely culprit, they say,
Jewish month Adar,
was Lavrenti P. Beria, the
the Talmud enjoins us
chief of the Soviet secret
to “increase happipolice.
ness.” It is, after all,
The book also
the month that holds Purim,
recounts the story of the
when we express our gratiinfamous “Doctors’ Plot,” a
tude to G-d for delivering the
fabricated collusion by
Jews in ancient Persia from
Kremlin doctors to kill top
their enemies, and when we
Communist leaders.
Rabbi Avi Shafran
give alms to the poor and
“By the time Stalin
gifts of food to one another.
disclosed the plot to a
In 2003, the first day of Adar
stunned Soviet populace in January
brought us an early Purim present. It
1953,” the article noted, “he had spun it
wasn’t food, but rather food for
into a vast conspiracy, led by Jews
thought.
under the United States’ secret direcThe previous day had been the
tion, to kill him and destroy the Soviet
50th anniversary of the death of Iosef
Union itself.”
Vissarionovich Dzugashvili, better
The article went on to relate someknown as Joseph Stalin. A new book on thing less widely known. “That Februthe Soviet dictator and mass murderer,
ary,” it states, “the Kremlin ordered the
“Stalin’s Last Crime,” was about to be
construction of four giant prison camps
published, and The New York Times ran in Kazakhstan, Siberia and the Arctic
a lengthy article that day about the
north, apparently in preparation for a
book, including its suggestion that Stalsecond great terror –– this time directed
in may have been poisoned. The Soviet
at the millions of Soviet citizens of Jewleader had collapsed after an all-night
ish descent.”
dinner with four members of his PolitThat terror, however, thankfully
buro at Blizhnaya, a north Moscow
never unfolded. Two weeks after the
dacha, and he languished for several
camps were ordered built, Stalin attenddays before dying. If indeed he was
ed the Blizhnaya dinner and, four days
done in, as the book’s authors suspect,
later, was dead at the age of 73.
O
The gift that Adar in 2003 brought
was the knowledge of that theretofore
unrecognized salvation, of what the
killer of millions of his countrymen had
apparently planned for the Jews under
his control but which never came to
pass. That Stalin met his fate (however
that may have happened) just as he was
poised to launch a post-Holocaust holocaust of his own, is something we might
well add to our thoughts of gratitude at
our own Purim celebrations today, more
than a half century later.
And we might note something else
as well, especially during this season of
meaningful ironies, when G-d’s hand is
evident “between the lines” of history to
all who are sufficiently sensitive to see
it.
During the feast at which Stalin
collapsed, according to his successor
Nikita Khrushchev, who was present,
the dictator had become thoroughly
drunk. And the party, he testified,
ended in the early hours of March 1.
Which, in 1953, corresponded to
the 14th day of Adar, otherwise known
as Purim.
Rabbi Shafran is director of public
affairs for Agudath Israel of America.
Friends don’t let friends drink
irresponsibly on Purim.
265592
Safe Homes, Safe Shuls, Safe Schools
The Jewish Star
March 6, 2009
5
TH E KOSH E R BOOKWORM
“Remember Amalek!” by Dr. Louis H. Feldman
A review of a nation we are commanded to hate
Rav Kook in his “Midwould appear to be cruel
bar Shiur” teaches that the
and primitive.
Jewish people have two
In his introduction,
missions, one as a mamDr. Feldman details the orilechet kohanim (a kingdom
gins of Amalek, and the
of priests) and the other as
precedents and parallels
a goy kadosh (a holy
among the ancients that
nation). The first mission
warranted such actions.
refers to the aspiration to
Cited among Jewish histouplift the entire world to
rians are the views of Philo
recognize G-d. The second
and Josephus. The conmission is designed for
trasts between each are
Alan Jay Gerber
Israel to achieve its full
detailed and analyzed.
spiritual potential. One is
Motivations behind these
universal in its goal and the second, differences are speculated upon and it
parochial. According to Rav Kook, is ultimately left to the reader to decide
Amalek’s goal was to negate and refute on the “correct” version of these early
both missions. G-d’s command for the historians’ views of this tragic event.
total elimination of Amalek is couched
In detailing Josephus’s account,
by the phrase, “macho emcheh,” a dou- Feldman relates the historian’s full verble expression indicating that Amalek’s sion of the importance of Amalek’s
punishment is reflective of its two attack. The account of King Saul’s failgoals: targeting Israel’s dual mission ure to exterminate Amalek, which cost
and thus preventing its fulfillment.
him his crown at the word of the
Amalek, on its own initiative, took prophet Samuel, is brought into the litupon itself to reject Israel’s sacred mis- erary fray. Also enumerated is David’s
sion. Unprovoked, Amalek acted as the campaign against Amalek and its impliclassic bully, attacking the Jews at their cations in the scheme of history.
most vulnerable, thus earning our
At the center of the book is a
enmity for eternity. The Amalek scholarly yet brief chapter entitled,
episode has come to us as a legacy “Amalek in Rabbinic Literature,” which
from which we learn. Thus, we have brings the topic of its relationship to
Shabbat Zachor this coming Shabbat, Jewish religious observance into
before the feast of Purim. The historical greater focus and justification as a reliunderpinnings of this Amalek story are gious mandate.
the subject of this week’s essay.
Another interesting facet that FeldAmong the most learned studies man treats with even greater depth is a
on the topic is “Remember Amalek!,” a topic that has bedeviled the Jewish
book by Dr. Louis Feldman (Hebrew people through the ages, “The Alleged
Union College Press, 2004). This study Jewish Hatred of Gentiles.” This chapof 272 pages encompasses the vast ter provides powerful historical insight
gamut of the study, not only of the concerning a canard that has cost the
Amalek encounter, but also of the com- lives of thousands of our people. The
mand by G-d to destroy other people as examples of events related by Feldman
part of a religious obligation. The moti- of people whose racist behavior
vating factors are discussed, as are the betrayed their prominent place in historeligious and political forces that bring ry will surprise many.
forth what to the “modern” mindset
The author concludes this study by
placing the Amalek mandate into its
historic perspective by expounding
upon other incidents in both biblical
and ancient history that parallel the
command to wipe out Amalek. First we
are led through the entire flood
episode and the attempt by G-d to get
humanity to repent. We have a justification for the saving of Noach and his
family. The tradition of the Noachian
Covenant and its implications are given
their due, especially of G-d’s expectation of its observance by all nations,
including Amalek.
Other incidents are detailed as
well, such as the revenge of the rape of
Dina, the annihilation of the nations of
Sichon and Og, and the extermination
of the priests of Nob and the people of
Jericho. The book concludes with a
detailed discussion of the action of Pinchas Hacohen and the sages’ justification of his zealotry, a chapter that warrants careful reading.
Each chapter in the book is completely footnoted, and the study provides an index of citations, a complete
and comprehensive bibliography, and
index.
Dr. Feldman has been a professor
of classics and literature at Yeshiva University for over 40 years. He has
authored 11 books and over 160 articles. Currently, he is engaged in a
groundbreaking project, editing a publication entitled “The Lost Bible:
Ancient Jewish Writings Relating to
Scripture.” He will be working with a
team of two other scholars, Dr.
Lawrence Schiffman and Dr. James
Kugel in an enterprising effort at restoring Second Temple literature to its original Jewish character and context.
Amalek, the historical prototype
for the anti-Semite, has been associated
with the festival of Purim since its
inception. With so joyous, and yes, so
riotous a holiday, it is indeed an irony
that we give
pause on the
Shabbat before
Purim to ponder
the role of the
Amalek legacy in
both our history
and its tragedies.
What follows is
intended to continue
that
somber theme.
In concluding this essay,
the
following
incident
was
brought to my
attention from
Philip
Goodman’s classic,
“The
Purim
Anthology” (The
Jewish Publication Society).
“When Hitler was delivering one
of his infamous speeches in a large hall
in Munich at the start of the Nazi
ascent to power, he could not help but
notice that a man in the front row was
making facial contortions of derision
and joy marked with an occasional outburst of laughter. The man’s behavior
resulted in bringing confusion to Hitler
midst his anti-Semitic invectives and
causing annoyance to the Fuhrer. When
the speech was concluded, Hitler in
great ire sent for the one who disturbed
him and indignantly inquired who he
was.
‘I am a Jew,’ he said innocently.
‘Then you should be taking my
address more seriously,’ warned Hitler.
‘Do you not believe that I will fulfill my threats to bring about the
destruction of the Jews?’
‘You should be aware,’ the Jew
replied, ‘that you are not the first antiSemite who sought to destroy us. You
may recall that the great Pharaoh of
Egypt sought to
enslave the Jews.
To commemorate
his defeat and
our redemption,
we eat tasty Matzos and observe
the festival of
Passover. Haman
was
another
enemy of ours
who
brought
about his own
downfall.
The
delicious Hamantashen we eat
and the jolly festival of Purim
recall our deliverance from him.
While listening to your
venomous diatribe, I wondered what
kind of delicacy would the Jews invent
and what kind of holiday they would
establish to celebrate your downfall.”
I looked back at this incident and
pondered its innocence until I gathered
its full meaning and implication for us
today. We survived the plots of Haman
and we celebrate, as we should. However, we have yet to recover from the
results of the plots of Hitler and we
have yet to have a holiday established
to celebrate his demise.
This is the reason that makes the
commandment of “Remember Amalek”
even more relevant today. Do not forget
that for us, Amalek lives in the atomic
might of Iran, and we too will have to
await the day to celebrate the demise
of that tyranny. The lesson of Purim is
that the struggle never ends.
I wish all my readers a meaningful
Purim, filled with joy and most importantly, with prayer.
FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BENCH: PERCEIVING OUR POTENTIAL
who for some reason or another
have not reached their potential.
But I am equally convinced that
when G-d takes a child, that
child would not have been taken
unless that child has unequivocally completed his or her task
on this Earth.
So the parents of the newborn shed tears at the bris of
their newborn after their
tremendous joy at bringing
another Jewish soul into the
world. Their joy is tempered by
the worry and fear of perhaps
having a child who won’t reach
his potential.
And the parents of a nineyear-old cry bitter tears as they
return their son to his Creator.
But hopefully, over the years,
those tears will be sweetened
with the knowledge that no
nine-year-old boy leaves this
world unless he has fulfilled his
potential, concluded his task
and made his mark.
Most of us spend the first
third of our lives fulfilling someone else’s perception of our
potential. The next third is spent
identifying our potential and
only the last third, trying to
reach it. But G-d is brilliant. He
devised measurements of time,
by which we can measure ourselves.
There are seconds, minutes,
hours, days, months, years and
decades. True potential seekers
take stock at least every day,
others at the end of a week
before each Shabbat, and still
others only once a year, before
Yom Kippur.
Why in the world would Gd, through the rabbis, institute
Bircat Hachama, the blessing
over the sun that we recite once
every 28 years? (This year it
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(and wasted foolishly to
impress our friends
who might only be our friends
because of our lavish spending);
if we measure success by the fulfillment of potential, then the
hearts of parents, grieving over
the loss of their son, can somewhat be comforted with the
knowledge that their son, Levi
Yitzchok Wolowik, was one of
the wealthiest among us.
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like the
rise and
the setting of
the sun, which
appears to be the same and
needs to be evaluated anew.
There are subtle changes,
subtle differences that require
one to challenge himself at the
very least once very 28 years
and ask the painful question,
“Can I be better?”
If we begin to measure success not by the money we have
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For those of us who have
squandered our opportunities to
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are being afforded the opportunity to evaluate our lives at a
28-year mark. We don’t have to
wait for illness, infirmity, or
impending death to ask ourselves the painful question
“Were we the best we could
have been?”
The “Blessing of the sun”
instructs us that even when it
appears that everything is the
same today as it was yesterday,
that today is an affirmation that
my actions yesterday were fine,
after all I am still here. The blessing, every 28 years, instructs us
to stop and take stock of a life
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can understand the blessing on
the new moon which we say
once a month. Just look at the
moon as it changes its shape
every day of every month. It is
clear to the naked eye that a
renewal is occurring. But a
blessing over the sun?
The sun as it will appear on
April 8, 2009 looks the same as
it will have looked on April 7,
2009. It will appear on April 8,
2009, the same way it appeared
in April of 1981, the last time we
made the blessing. And with all
deference to Al Gore, it will
appear this year as it will on
Wednesday, April 8, 2037, the
next time we can make the
blessing.
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450 Central Avenue • Cedarhurst • (516) 374-9546
Sun. 10-5; Mon. & Tues. 9-6; Wed. & Thurs. 9-7; Fri. 9-3
265772
Continued from Page One
The Jewish Star
March 6, 2009
ON THE
Jewish Center is located at 400 Old
Westbury Road in East Meadow.
Reserve your space by March 17 by
calling (516) 796-8833.
Calendar
For a complete listing of upcoming
community events, including items
that didn’t make it into the print
edition, go to
www.thejewishstar.com.
Cedarhurst - Young Israel of
Lawrence-Cedarhurst and Bnei
Akiva North America are happy to
announce the launching of a new
Bnei Akiva chapter in the Five
Towns. The chapter will be open for
4th and 5th grade boys and girls of
the entire community. Activities for
boys and girls will be separate and
will be led by our Bat Ami girls,
Alona and Nofar. YILC is located at 8
Spruce Street in Cedarhurst. For
more information, please call
(516) 569-3324.
Cedarhurst - The Beis Medrash of
Cedarhurst is introducing a Flexible
Morning Learning Program, which
will take place every Monday
through Thursday from 10:30 a.m.
until 12:45 p.m. There are shiurim
and chavrusas in Chumash, Gemara,
Halacha and Chovos Halevavos.
Learners can come and go as they
please The Beis Medrash of
Cedarhurst is located at 504 W.
Broadway (off the corner of W.
Broadway and Cedarhurst Ave.) For
more information, please contact
Rabbi Moshe Kaufman at (718) 4712780 or moshehkaufman
@gmail.com.
Cedarhurst - The JCC of the
Greater Five Towns will host an
evening of music with Israeli entertainer and songwriter Yoram
Teharlev on Saturday night, March 7
at 8:00 p.m. at Temple Israel, 140
Central Avenue. Tickets are $25 per
person. For tickets and more information, please call (516) 569-6733.
Cedarhurst - The JCC of the
Greater Five Towns will host a
Purim Costume Party for its LIFE
members on Sunday, March 8, from
3-5 p.m. The LIFE program is for single adults with disabilities. For more
information, please call (516) 5696733.
Merrick - Purim in India is Chabad
of Merrick’s exotic theme this year
for their annual Purim party to be
held at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
March 10. The event will feature
Master Hypnotist Ronnie Baras,
Purim activities with an Indian
twist, and more! The program will
be held at the Norman J. Levy
Lakeside School, 21 Babylon Road in
Merrick. Visit www.ChabadJewish
Life.org for more details.
Long Beach - The Friedberg JCC
Long Beach Branch is hosting a parenting workshop series, “Discipline
is NOT a Dirty Word,” with sessions
on three conescutive Thursdays,
March 12, 19 and 26, beginning at
7:00 p.m. and ending at 9:00 p.m.
Topics include: parenting styles,
punishment vs. discipline and
developing self-discipline. The sessions will take place at 310 National
Blvd. in Long Beach. The cost is $35.
For more information, please call
(516) 766-4341, ext. 162 or e-mail
khorowitz@friedbergjcc.org.
Oceanside - The Friedberg JCC is
hosting a Purim carnival on Sunday
March 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Come in costume and enjoy rides
and food. In the spirit of mishloach
manot, please bring in non-perishable items for those in need.
Admission is free. The JCC is located at 15 Neil Court in Oceanside. For
more information, please call
(516) 766-4341.
Long Beach - The Sephardic
Congregation of Long Beach is
hosting a casino night on Saturday,
March 14 from 9 p.m. until midnight.
Admission is $25 per single and $40
per couple. There will be 4 tables of
blackjack, roulette and poker with
prizes at the end of the night. Light
refreshments will be served. The
shul is located at 401 W Penn. St NW
Corner of Lafayette Blvd in Long
Beach. For more information, please
call Roni Shetrit (516) 432-1806 or
Hindy Mizrahi at (516) 431-8664.
East Meadow - The Suburban Park
Jewish Center invites the community to experience Shabbat Across
America on Friday night, March 20
beginning with a full course Glatt
Kosher dinner at 6:30 p.m. with all
the rituals explained. A donation of
$15 for adults and $5 for children
under age 12 is requested. The
Cedarhurst - The JCC of the
Greater Five Towns has scheduled
their seventh annual fundraising
dinner for Wednesday, March 25, to
be held at The Sephardic Temple,
775 Branch Boulevard at 6:30 p.m.
For more information and/or reservations, please call the JCC office at
(516) 569-6733.
Oceanside - The Friedberg JCC is
hosting Author Talk with Haggai
Carmon on Thursday, March 26 from
7:30-8:30 p.m. Hear the Israeli
American author and international
lawyer discuss his 20 years of
adventures working undercover for
the U.S. government, which inspired
his latest intelligence thriller, “The
Chameleon Conspiracy.” Cost is $6.
The JCC is located at 15 Neil Court
in Oceanside. For more information,
please call (516) 766-4341.
ONGOING EVENTS
Cedarhurst - The “Sunday Night
Torah Lecture Series” in memory of
Shari Siman-Tov z”l is held weekly
at 8:00 p.m. at Congregation Shaare
Emunah, the Sephardic
Congregation of the Five Towns, 539
Oakland Avenue (Corner Oakland
Ave. & Peninsula Blvd). Both men
and women are invited. Ner Sarah is
a network of Torah and chesed
Projects in memory of Shari SimanTov z”l. For more information,
please e-mail nersarah@nersarahproject.com or visit www.nersarahproject.com.
Hewlett - 1 in 9’s Hewlett House is
offering a wide array of ongoing
classes and support groups at the
Hewlett House is a community
Tomchei Shabbos offers Purim cards
Because our neighbors need
us, Tomchei Shabbos Yad Yeshaya
is offering Purim Cards to help
cover the costs of meals for families in need in our community.
Four packages are available: 10
cards for $36, 36 cards for $100,
50 cards for $136, 200 cards for
$360. In Cedarhurst call Marilyn
resource center for all cancer concerns, located at 86 East Rockaway
Road. A new class, held on
Tuesdays, from 10-11 a.m., is a “Mind
Body Spiritual Healing Journey” for
cancer patients looking to connect
to their inner sanctuary. Please call
(516) 374-3190 to register.
Woodmere - The Young Israel of
Woodmere hosts a Torah
Conference Call (TCC) program
every Monday through Thursday
from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m., and Sundays
from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m., sponsored
by IDT. The schedule is as follows:
Sundays, Rabbi Binny Freedman:
tastings on the parsha; Mondays,
Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman: contemporary hashkafic topics; Tuesdays,
Rabbi Kalman Topp: halachic topics
of daily life; Wednesdays, Rabbi
Aaron Glatt, MD: Bentching and
halachos relating to benching; and
Thursdays, Rabbi Yisrael
Kamintesky: hashkafa from the parsha. To participate, dial (718) 7326924 or (973) 409-3117. Enter the
conference ID#: 516 295 0950 and
enter the password: 613613#.
Cedarhurst - The JCC of the
Greater Five Towns offers a variety
of Hebrew classes. The
Conversational Hebrew
Intermediate meets Mondays from
10:30 to 11:45 a.m. The
Nussbaum at (516) 569-0451. In
Far Rockaway call Sima Krischer
(718) 471-8974. In Lawrence call
Joy Paley at (516) 603-2531. In
Woodmere call Marilyn Blau at
(516) 295-1175. In West Hempstead
call Shira Beer at (516) 485-1426.
In Bayswater call Judy Merlis at
(718) 327-5294.
Conversational Hebrew Beginner
class meets Mondays from 11:50 to
1:05 p.m. The Learn How to Read
Hebrew day class meets Mondays
from 1:10 to 2:25 p.m. The
Conversational Hebrew Beginner
night class meets Tuesdays from
7:30 to 8:45 p.m. The Conversational
Hebrew Intermediate night class
meets Tuesdays from 7:30 to 8:45
p.m. The Learn How to Read Hebrew
night class meets Mondays beginning 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. Each class
meets 12 times and costs $200.
Hewlett - The 1 in 9 Hewlett House
offers support groups at 86 East
Rockaway Road. The groups include:
yoga and stress reduction, meets
Mondays from 1-2 p.m.; breast cancer support for those undergoing
treatment meets Tuesdays from 11
a.m. to 12 noon, and on Wednesdays
from 1-2 p.m.; knitting circle meets
on Tuesdays from 10-11 a.m.; the
writer’s roundtable meets
Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 12 noon;
Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer
group meets Tuesdays from 12:151:15 p.m. for 8 sessions, facilitated
by Jill Alper, MSW, CSW; breast cancer group for the working woman
meets Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and is
facilitated by Sue Champlin, CSW. All
classes and support groups are a
free service. Please call Christine
(516) 374-3190 to register.
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264164
6
The Jewish Star
March 6, 2009
7
M E G I L L AT E S T H E R
Open
Sunday
12-6
Haman’s beloved advisors
Avi Billet welcomes your comments and thoughts at avbillet
@gmail.com.
PRE-PURIM SALE
For a Complete list go to www.topswines.com
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appreciative that they’re there for
us in this partnership.”
To become a client or to volunteer your services, please call
(516) 284-2942 or go to
www.theeliezerproject.org.
PROMPT, COURTEOUS SERVICE
SEE OUR AD IN THE YELLOW PAGES
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successful landing, as it’s called in
the industry,” said Bergman. “We
don’t just look for jobs for our
clients, we point them in the
direction they should be looking.”
Recently, The Eliezer Project
held a series of seminars on different aspects of the employment
process: resume writing, conducting job searches and sitting for an
interview. Clients heard a presentation by a human resources professional, Avi Singer, who offered
tips and answered questions.
A second series of seminars is
being planned with a focus on
computer skills.
“We will have someone who
will be teaching Microsoft Word,
PowerPoint and Excel since many
of our clients are not computer
savvy,” Aronovitz said.
The Eliezer Project relies on
community members who volunteer time and expertise to help
clients work out various financial
struggles, including mortgage
negotiations, foreclosures and
pending evictions, credit card
debt and other obstacles.
“People in the community
are so responsive,” said Aronovitz,
noting that her periodic postings
on the FiveTownsShuls Yahoo
group are always answered. “The
community has been so receptive
and so helpful and we are so
This Purim, in the midst of
a financial crisis, the mitzvah
of matanot l’evyonim — gifts to
the poor —needs special
emphasis, said Rabbi Kenneth
Hain of Cong. Beth Sholom.
“As a community we must
take stock of the circumstances and react to new realities in a responsible way,” he
wrote in a message. “The phenomenon of so many of our
friends and neighbors experiencing hardship deserves our
attention and consideration.”
“We should fulfill mishloach
manot — presents of food — in
the simplest way, two food
items to one friend,” Rabbi
Hain recommended. “Instead
of spending large sums of
money on fancy mishloach
manot packages, consider
what you have budgeted to be
given to our local tzedakot
(charities) such as The Eliezer
Project [and] Tomchei
Shabbos.”
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“It looks like every rabbi has
signed on in support of the project,” said Dovid Friedman, a
board member. “The money will
be used to help run the operation,
for staff, expenses and rent. We
need to expand our services and
the money will be used for that.”
Friedman noted that this is the
first major fund raiser; until now
the organization “has been operating mostly from discretionary funds
from a few individuals.”
“We’ve been helped so far by
large local shuls who have made
contributions and a number of
generous community members,”
said Sam Bergman, the executive
director.
The organization also plans
to augment its executive board
with new members representing a
broader spectrum of the community. Current board members
include David Pollack, Jacob
Weichholz, Joel Moskowitz, Jay
Rabinowitz, Dovid Friedman and
Mendy Weissman.
Though a number of clients
have already been placed in new
positions, the staff acknowledges
that the job search is often a long
and harrowing process.
“The job market is extremely
difficult, and we celebrate each
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Haman’s advisors, who gave
him what Rabbi Ashkenazi calls
“foolish advice” when they suggested he build a 50-cubit tree
(could he not hang Mordechai on
a regular gallows to satisfy his
desire to kill Mordechai?), told
him he should give up the plan
and take down the tree.
He refused. They were still
arguing about the tree when the
officers of the king arrived to collect Haman for the party and
overheard the conversation. Charvona was one of these officers,
and he mentioned it to the king at
the party, and personally hanged
Haman on it as per the king’s
command in 7:9-10.
Sometimes those who love
you need to take a step back from
saying the things you “want” to
hear, to tell you, with good counsel, the things you “need” to hear.
Haman’s friends and advisors may
have been fair weather fans. But
they were appointed to their positions because they were bright.
Hatred can consume a person to the point he can hear nothing else. Haman’s advisors were
meant to be the voice of reason in
his head. He turned to them, but
they answered with “We love you,
but we are putting our feelings for
you aside so you understand the
political and professional implications of the hatred you are looking to act upon. Give it up.”
He couldn’t, so he didn’t.
And indeed, he fell because of it.
May we continue to celebrate
Purim forever, and may we as per
the Magen Avraham (on
Shulchan Arukh - 686:5) find reasons to celebrate other Purims
due to the miracles that may yet
happen in our days.
Exp. 3/10
There is a very subtle change
in the way Megillat Esther refers
to Haman’s family and advisors
before he is disgraced leading
Mordechai through the street on a
horse, and how they are presented immediately after the episode.
At the end of chapter 5,
when Haman feels so confident of
his success in the king’s court, he
speaks to “Ohavav” (those who
love him) and his wife Zeresh,
who tell him his best move would
be to suggest to the king that he
hang Mordechai. (5:10,14)
After the horse incident,
Haman speaks once again to his
wife Zeresh and to “Ohavav”
about his woes with Mordechai,
and the same people respond, but
they are now called “Chakhamav”
–– his wise advisors –– and they
tell him since Mordechai is Jewish
Haman will fail. (6:13)
The simplest explanation for
the difference in how they perceive themselves –– for Haman
continues to perceive them as
“those who love him –– is they are
fair weather fans. When Haman is
riding high, they love him. Being
“in” with Haman is a great thing.
But when Haman is disgraced
and seems to be on a downward
turn, they become “advisors,”
wise people with a keen insight
that says “Haman is no longer at
the top of the world.” And they
create distance from him.
On a deeper level, let us
examine the specific details of the
words Haman’s “beloved advisors” use, to see if their advice
was ever useful at all, and if not,
how did Haman get duped by
them in the first place?
In 5:14, he is told “Make a
tree (wood) 50 cubits high, and in
the morning tell they king they
should hang Mordechai on it, and
then you’ll come joyfully with the
king to [Esther’s] party.” Haman
perceives the plan to be a good
one, and he makes the tree.
After the turn of events of
the evening and early morning,
and right before Haman is ushered to Esther’s second party, he is
told (6:13) “If this Mordechai, in
front of whom you have begun to
fall, is of the seed of the Jews, you
will not defeat him. You will fall
before him.” As they are speaking
with him, the officers of the king
enter and rush to bring Haman to
Esther’s party. (6:14)
The commentary Yosef
Lekach (Rabbi Eliezer Ashkenazi,
1512-1585) raises a number of
questions to the lead up to 6:13
and the nature of the advice
Haman received. Why are they
called
“Ohavav”
and
“Chakhamav?” Why do they
change their opinion now based
on information that Mordechai is
Jewish? Haman told them he is
Jewish back in 5:13! How do they
conclude from one setback that
Mordechai will defeat Haman?
What kind of confidence boost do
they give him with “you will not
defeat him”? And why the premonition that Haman will fall? These
are his friends?
Apparently, Haman told over
everything that had happened,
from his excitement to build the
tree to his rushing to the king’s
palace, to his efforts to honor himself on the king’s horse, down to
giving Mordechai the royal treatment with his own plan.
Despite all this, Haman felt
now that Mordechai had been
repaid by the king, his later infractions and disobedience, namely
through not bowing to Haman,
would be enough to convince the
king that Mordechai could still be
eliminated, despite today’s royal
treatment.
750ml
BY R A B B I AV I B I L L E T
8
The Jewish Star
March 6, 2009
Thinking of moving to Eretz Yisroel?
Nefesh B’Nefesh pitches Aliyah to the Yeshiva world
BY MICHAEL ORBACH
Advertisements for several
recent Nefesh B’Nefesh events
didn’t actually contain the word
aliyah. Instead, they delicately
asked, ‘Are you thinking about
moving to Eretz Yisroel? The
locations –– Flatbush and Lakewood –– were not previously on
the Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN)
schedule. Many of the men who
attended wore black and white.
The events were part of a new,
coordinated effort by NBN to
appeal to and capture one of the
rarest animals of the Aliyah
movement: the Yeshivish community.
According to the founder
and executive director of Nefesh
B’Nefesh, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass,
the project is part of the organization’s continued expansion.
NBN works to encourage
Aliyah among Jews in North
America and the United Kingdom by providing financial
assistance, streamlining the
Israeli citizenship procedure and
assisting in the absorption
process inside Israel.
“We are witnessing a significant interest in Aliyah from all
sectors of American Jewry,” Fass
told The Jewish Star, adding
that NBN is working with all
spectrums of Jewry, as well as
targeting Jews based on work
and age groups. Since 2002,
Nefesh B’Nefesh has helped
close to 19,000 people make
Aliyah, Fass said. Many of those
were Orthodox families from
Nassau County, mostly of a
more modern bent.
In November, NBN hired
Rabbi Yigal Segal to specifically
work with the Yeshivish community. Segal, who describes himself as Yeshivish, made Aliyah in
August of 2005, on the first day
of the Gaza withdrawal.
“I think that the yeshiva
community never felt that someone
understood
them,”
explained Segal during a brief
recruiting tour to the United
States. “It’s good for someone in
our community to talk to some-
one who understands where
they’re coming from.”
Close to 100 people attended an event in Brooklyn two
weeks ago; 40 attended a similar event in Lakewood last Sunday, said Segal.
While it would be wildly
inaccurate to describe the yeshiva community in general as
anti-Zionistic in the way that
say, Neturei Karta is (small
groups of picketers from that
fringe Chassidic group were present outside both events), it is
fair to say that a cultural chasm
exists between the Aliyah experiences of the more right-wing
Yeshiva community and other
Orthodox Jews.
“Rabbis in the shuls of the
right-wing people are not pushing it,” Segal asserted. “The
principals and the schools are
not pushing it.”
There are fears of army service and of cultural differences.
But Segal believes members of
the yeshivish community who
might otherwise contemplate a
Photos courtesy Nefesh B’Nefesh
Rabbi Yigal Segal, the new Nefesh B’Nefesh ambassador to the yeshiva world, speaking in Brooklyn last month.
move to Israel are also scared
about what effect that might
have on their children.
“The Yeshivish community
is afraid that if they move their
children [to Israel], their children will become drug addicts,
because the stories that they’re
CLASSIFIEDS
hearing are all horror stories,”
said Segal bluntly. This problem,
he maintains, isn’t specifically
an Israeli problem.
“There are kids here [in
America] that are doing badly in
school, who are dropping out
and becoming kids at risk [of
drug abuse and other negative
aspects of the secular culture].
My message to people is you
really need to know your issues
and every kid is different.”
When Segal and his family
made Aliyah, many yeshivish
people they encountered were
not supportive, he added. “They
thought we were crazy.” He
hopes to help encourage a
change in attitude.
Most Yeshivish families who
make the move, according to
Segal, settle in Ramat Beit
Shemesh, Har Nof and Beitar.
In 2008, 3,150 people
made Aliya from North America
according to Israeli National
News, almost double the number of North Americans who
made Aliyah in 2000.
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Boca Woods
Features two 18-hole Championship Golf
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BRANHAM REALTY INC. 561-306-2119
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REAL ESTATE
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5 TOWNS: RENOVATED Kosher Upscale
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MANHEIM REALTY 516-520-1000 LINDA,
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MERCHANDISE MART
Houses For Rent
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West Realty 516-889-7500
BOCA WOODS: FOR Rent or Buy, 3 BR
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Won't Last!
516-984-5941
CEDARHURST: 136 CEDARHURST AVE.
1 Room, 2 Windows, Front of Building,
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516-295-1551
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NASSAU HERALD — January 15,
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Floor, $325K. Marjorie
516-569-5110
TO KNOW FOR
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STRESS FREE DOWNSIZING
The Plaza
410
360 Central Ave, Lawrence-Suite
2pm
January 25, 2009 at
will be served
Kosher refreshments
Open Houses
SUNDAY 1/18,
LAWRENCE CO-OPS
PL. 2 BR, 2
BY APPOINT. 1 ROSALIND Redone 1
Bth, Private Terrace, $225K;
Studio, $105K.
BR With Terrace, $235K;
516-569-5110
Marjorie Hausman Realty
1/18, BY
WOODMERE: SUNDAY DR. Cedar
APPOINT. 2 CLUBSIDE
BRs, 3.5 Bths,
Glen Condo SD#14, 4
Marjorie
Den, Pool, Tennis, $609,500.
Hausman Realty 516-569-5110
RSVP: Pugatch Realty
by January 21, 2009
516-295-3000 ext 143
Enter our drawing to
WIN DINNER FOR TWO
Today)
(Limited Seating Call
SELL YOUR HOUSE
Call 516-569-4000,
in our Real Estate Section.
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press 5 to speak to an Account
Salary, Weekly Commissions, Spiffs,
Bonus Quarterly, Health Benefits,
Dental, 401K, Life Insurance,
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C8950
Real Estate
1
(516) 569-565
5BR Col. . . . . . . .Red! $999K-$1,050M
CED 427 Barnard (12:30-2)New
Col.4BR.Den,Playrm. . .Lo$4s
GIBSON 129 Edgeworth (12-1:30)SD14.3BR Ranch. Den, Bsmt . .$399K
HEW 1477 Peninsula (12-1:30)SD14. 4BR Col. Updtd. . . . . . . .$299K
Hi$5s
LYN 296 Hendrickson (11:30-1)SD20.
4BR Rnch. 3Bth. Good prop.
N.WDM 722 Park Ln (By Appt)Mint Updtd 4BR Col. Lg prop. . .$439K
SD14
WDM. 1033 W. B’way (12:30-2) 4BR Split. Updtd EIK, Lg prop$Low $6s
WDM. 563 Sunset Dr (By Appt)Lgst show! Immac 3BR,2.5Bth Spl. $595K
WDM. 602 Church (11-12:30)1
to expand $449K
Rnch. Fab lg prop. EIK. Rm
CED. Spac 3BR, 2Bth Exp
acre . .$1.250M
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HEW. NECK Country setting.
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NO. WDM. SD14 Totally Renov Quiet Str. Lg prop. Near Park . .$699K
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HEWLETT NECK Totally Redone 5BR, 3.5Bth, IGP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.799M.
HEWLETT NECK Colonial RenovBuilt 6BR, 4Bth, 6000 sq. ft . . . . . . . $3.999M.
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4BR,
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N.WOODMERE Col. SD #14, 3Bths, All Lg. Rms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $765K
CEDARHURST Hi-Ranch, 6BR, 3BRs, 1.5Bths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $584,9K
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The finest in luxury living
For Confidential Interview
Email Your Resume to: EReynolds@LIHerald.com
ADVERTISING SALES
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Richner Communications, Publisher of
The Jewish Star, Seeks Advertising Sales
Representatives for a Lucrative Territory
in the Five Towns. Must Have a Car
and Phone. Competitive Compensation
Package Includes Salary, Commission,
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Qualified applicants must have at least
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E-mail or fax resume to EDITOR, to
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BY MICHAEL ORBACH
At least one local school
reports tuition payments are
down at least seven to 10 percent this year, according to
Yeshiva University’s new National School Affordability Initiative.
“Everyone is hurting, no one
is unscathed,” Eli Shapiro, the
regional coordinator for the
Affordability Initiative, told The
Jewish Star by phone on Friday.
Shapiro added that general
tuition for most high schools
and elementary schools usually
only covers 70 percent of the
budget; the remaining 30 percent derives from contributions.
“No one knows how far
down that is,” explained
Shapiro, who is also a social
worker and a doctoral fellow at
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YU’s Azrieli Graduate School of
Jewish Education.
Despite the grim prognosis,
The National School Affordability Initiative, a joint venture of
the
YU
Institute
for
University/School Partnership
and YU’s Center for the Jewish
Future is the one generally
bright spot in a dim year. The
Initiative, whose founding preceded the crisis but whose official launch was this past fall,
aims to stop the rise of what
many consider impossibly high
tuition cost. The pilot program
is set for the Five Towns and Far
Rockaway.
“We looked at the Five
Towns uniquely because of the
heavy Wall Street presence and
schools spanning a wide [reliSee TUITION, Page 10
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as well as manage all budgetary matters involving sales/ marketing joint
ventures. The ideal candidate will have
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Health & Fitness
EARLY DEADLINES
for the issue of
March 13, 2009
Reserve ads by 11:00 a.m.
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*Art due by 1:00 p.m.
on Friday, March 6
Also...don’t miss these upcoming specials:
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(reserve by Mon., March 30);
and the Pesach Double Issue
publishing April 10
(reserve by Fri., April 3).
264147
Health & Fitness
The Jewish Star
Continued from Page One
would be going straight from the
funeral to the dinner.”
Community members, who
all share an individual and personal relationship with the
Wolowiks, she said, “wanted to
mourn with them.”
Nevertheless, the Wolowiks
“felt that it was the right thing to
go ahead with the Chabad dinner,” said Faivish Pewzner, a
health executive, also an honoree.
Rabbi Wolowick specifically
asked Pewzner “not only to be
happy,” but, in keeping with the
joy inherent in the current Jewish
month of Adar, “to increase in
joy.”
Hours before the dinner
began, a funeral procession carried Levi Yitzchak Wolowik from
a chapel in Borough Park to his
resting place at the Old Montefiore Cemetery in Cambria
Heights, Queens. It passed by
Lubavitch World Headquarters in
Crown Heights and Chabad of the
Five Towns, where the Wolowiks
serve.
Thousands of people crowded the streets in each neighborhood, leaving cars double- and
sometimes triple-parked. At the
funeral chapel in Borough Park,
police units blocked the road outside.
Referring to the outpouring
of grief, Tamar Pewzner said that
the young boy was an emissary
“just like his parents are. He sacrificed a lot, just like his parents do
for this community.”
Levi was warm “to everyone
he met,” Pewzner added, and “he
was always meticulous in following the Jewish customs.”
“It was just a pleasure to see
him in synagogue,” said Werner.
“He was such a sweet boy. He was
a good friend to all of our kids.”
He “just had a very good
nature,” offered Leibel Shmotkin,
a bunkmate of Levi’s at the Camp
Gan Israel summer camp in
Kalkaska, Mich. He “was an
example to the rest of us in the
way he learned and [prayed].”
“I can just see his smile,” said
Leah Muller, who accompanied
Levi on a trip to Israel in 2007.
“He brought happiness to everybody.”
“He was very mature,” related Shmulik Greenberg, 20, Levi’s
camp counselor. Despite his
young age, “I remember that he
did not need any help packing or
unpacking.”
Dr. William Muller, a founding member of Chabad of the Five
Towns, agreed, telling of an activity that he and Levi worked out on
the Israel trip. Each day, the pair
would decide on one Hebrew
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word to teach to their entire bus.
“He was a very wise and serious student,” said Muller.
Shortly after the funeral finished, the crowd began filling the
Sephardic Temple for the Chabad
dinner. Predictably, the event
began with a somber air.
“People were not sure how
they were supposed to act,” said
Werner. “We were just not sure
whether we were really supposed
to be happy or upset.”
Many felt out of place, she
added, without the Wolowiks
being there. “A lot of people know
the rabbi in a personal way. When
he’s in a room, he’s very
approachable and friendly. People
attend because of Rebbetzin
Chanie and Rabbi Zalman.”
“I admire them,” said Rabbi
Kenneth Hain of Congregation
Beth Sholom in Lawrence. “I cherish them and the work they do.
We have only the utmost admiration, both personally and communally.”
“The Wolowiks are a role
model for inspiration,” echoed
William Muller, “for caring and
love, and for the fulfillment of life
to its greatest extent.”
Behind the scenes, the couple “raised funds for people for
their failing mortgages, and to
provide for people’s basic needs
when they lose their jobs,” he
added. “It’s all done discreetly.”
(The day before his son’s
passing, Rabbi Wolowik organized a last-minute burial for a
Jewish man who had died penniless. He spent the day raising the
necessary funds, gathering a quorum for services, working through
the legal requirements, and personally leading the burial ceremony. He returned home just
moments before Shabbat.)
In a letter they wrote to the
dinner’s attendees, which was
placed beside each table setting,
the Wolowiks sought to encourage their community, referring to
teachings of the Rebbe, Rabbi
Menachem M. Schneerson, of
righteous memory, on dealing
with tragedy.
“The only way to confront
tragedy,” they wrote, “is to persist
with even more energy and more
joy.
“There could be no greater
way to honor Levi,” the Wolowiks
continued, than by each guest
being there as an expression of
Jewish unity. “[Levi] is no doubt
looking on and having [pleasure]
from this gathering tonight.”
An hour into the evening,
Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Levi’s
grandfather, took the microphone
and spoke of his deep personal
pain.
“In my life I have never seen
such an outpouring of love,” Kotlarsky said, his voice breaking.
“You’ll never know what this
means to us, because there are no
words... This is not an easy day.”
Yet, he announced, the
resolve of his daughter and sonin-law to move forward is unshakable.
“Tonight’s program should
be full of happiness,” he emphasized, “the opposite of what we
endured today. Everyone should
be joyous. [As the Talmud says,]
‘Joy breaks through all boundaries.’”
While attendees had originally feared that the dinner would
serve as a painful reminder of a
deep scar in the community, afterwards, recalled Leah Muller, “people said that this was the most
wonderful experience. There was
so much unity.”
And instead of honoring the
end of a young boy’s short life,
said Faivish Pewzner, the dinner
was “a means to continue his life.”
During the dinner, attendees
filled out cards with pledges of
good deeds in memory of Levi.
After the event, the honorees
joined Rabbi Meir and Hadassah
Geisinsky, the youth directors at
Chabad of the Five Towns, to
deliver the pledges to the
Wolowiks.
“The family appeared to
derive comfort from it,” said
Werner. “The dinner turned out
to be a positive experience for
everyone, instead of a depressing
one.”
“Levi was a gift to our community for these past 10 years,”
added an emotional Werner.
“This was a night to celebrate his
short and special life.”
Courtesy of chabad.org
COPING WITH TRAGEDY
Continued from Page One
thinking, if they understand how
it happened, why it happened,
then it won’t happen to them.”
Some children will have a
delayed reaction, perhaps a week
later.
“Parents should validate
whatever they’re seeing,” she said.
“Whatever you’re seeing, especially in the first week, is fine and
normal.”
Parents often ask if it’s OK to
cry in front of their children. Yes,
Blumenthal and Farbman both
said, but...
“Make sure you as the parent
are clear yourself about how
you’re reacting,” said Blumenthal.
“There’s nothing wrong with
being sad or even crying in front
of your child as long as you’re in
control.”
“A rule of thumb is...if you
can cry for a minute and then
stop, then it’s OK. It’s OK for children to see their parents cry but if
you feel yourself getting hysterical, then walk away,” Farbman
advised. “It’s scary for children to
see their parents not in control.”
Finally, if you are planning to
bring a classmate for a shiva visit,
“prepare your child,” said Dr. Blumenthal.
“If they know what they’re
going to see they handle it well.
Try to paint a picture for them
ahead of time. Often children’s
fantasies are worse than reality.”
A press release from the Nassau County Dept. of Health said
the “presumptive cause of death
in a 9-year-old student in Woodmere” is influenza A — the flu. A
final confirmation from the medical examiner’s office is not
expected before the end of the
week, pending laboratory results.
A spokeswoman for the
health department, Cynthia
Nixon, wouldn’t confirm that the
press refers to Levi Yitzchok
Wolowick, but no other similar
cases are reported.
Just two pediatric deaths
have been blamed on the flu in
Nassau County since such cases
became reportable in 2004. The
only other one occurred several
weeks ago in Levittown, where a
10-year-old student died.
“There have in the past been
[cases of a] very ... rapid course of
the disease reported to us but
more often it takes a normal
course where you come down
first with a sniffle and runny
nose, then you come down with a
high fever and aches — and with
children you can also have nausea, vomiting and diarrhea,”
Nixon said.
She recommended that anyone with symptoms of the flu contact their doctor since medications
to treat the flu are available. Flu
season runs through May, she
noted, so there is still time to be
vaccinated. Anyone who has not
had a flu shot is advised to see
their doctor. Doctors who do not
have any more doses of the vaccine can call the Health Dept. she
said; the vaccine is still available.
While vaccination does not guarantee that someone will not contact the flu, Nixon said vaccination does offer the likelihood of a
lighter dose of the flu and more
rapid recuperation.
564 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY 11516
Tel: 516 374 9200
Fax: 516 374 9202
Tea for Two is an Italian dairy restaurant
offering contemporary dining
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Our culinary team prepares delicious antipasti, freshly made and hand-tossed
salads, exceptional pizza and pasta, carefully prepared fish dishes,
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10 The Jewish Star
March 6, 2009
EVENT WAS BIG
Continued from Page One
Dolitsky of Cedarhurst, the
father of a choir member —
Jack Dolitsky, 9, of HAFTR.
“So I assume he doesn’t
usually wear his tzitzis out,” I
asked. “No, but you can be
taught anything,” he noted with
a smile.
I never saw Rabbi Teitelbaum’s Pirchei Choir perform
but I’m guessing they never
fronted a 22-piece orchestra.
Lipa Schmeltzer made his
entrance on the WaMu Theater
stage a year later than planned,
but it was worth the wait.
He appeared in a spotlight
from behind the orchestra riser
at the top of a flight of stairs at
center stage. He sang the title
track of his last album, “A
Poshiter Yid,” (a simple Jew),
into the type of headset microphone common on secular performers but not generally seen in
Jewish music (perhaps because
few other Jewish singers would
know what to do with two free
hands, someone observed).
He wore a cloth cap and a
black velvet blazer — the first of
at least a half dozen costumes
he would wear through the
course of the evening. Twice I
looked up from taking notes and
realized that I had missed a costume change.
Immediately after the first
song an assistant entered from
stage left with a large briefcase
so Lipa could exchange his
glasses for a different pair.
Next was a well-produced
video prepared for last year’s
concert. Set in an operating
room, it turned out to be a commercial for an ink and toner
Photo by Shimon Gifter
The Pirchei Boys Choir (aka Yeshiva Boys Choir) onstage at “The Event” at the WaMu Theater Sunday. The choir includes a number of Long Island and Far Rockaway residents.
company. Surgeons finishing an
operation have trouble bringing
the patient out from under
anesthesia. “Let me see the EKG
printout,” the lead surgeon
orders. When the anesthesiologist tells him the printer on the
electrocardiograph was out of
ink, the surgeon reacts with
anger, and the video cuts to a
slide with the advertiser’s name
and other information.
Then, from behind the surgical drape, the “patient” sits up
smiling: Lipa.
Cut back to live action with
Lipa striding onstage — this
time in full Chassidishe levush
(traditional Hasidic attire).
Before singing another note Lipa
turned the whole evening into a
siyum (completion of study) —
his first ever — on Masechet
(tractate) Megillah, complete
with everyone in the theater rising for Kaddish.
Then he sang an ode to
Torah study, a song from his last
album with the chorus, “Torah
sheh’bichsav (the written
Torah), Torah she’ ba’al p’eh
(the oral Torah).
A guest appearance by Dedi
was introduced with another
video — a funny skit about Lipa
and Dedi in the IDF; the choir
sang several more Pirchei songs;
and Rabbi Boruch Chait performed with Yisroel Williger and
members of the group ‘Acheinu.’
Rabbi Chait took a moment
to recall the joy that Rabbi Teitelbaum took in living life — “his
simchas hachaim” — and in
partaking of the permitted,
rather than seeking to ban.
A video tribute to Rabbi
Teitelbaum was hosted by a
young grandson; another tribute was also pre-recorded by
composer Abie Rottenberg, who
had a family obligation that didn’t let him attend in person.
That turned out to be the
most technically interesting part
of the show — a virtual performance by Rottenberg, singing
and playing piano, soon joined
by a virtual Mordechai Ben
David, who sat next to him on
the piano bench, accompanied
by the live orchestra onstage, by
the choir, Acheinu, Sruli
Williger and, finally, Lipa.
Next, Lipa was back on
stage by himself, at least for a
CAPPING YESHIVA TUITION
Continued from Page Eight
gious] array from HAFTR to Darchei
and TAG,” said Dr. Scott Goldberg,
Director of the Institute for University
School partnership at YU.
Goldberg emphasized the holistic
aspect of the project of making schools
affordable, noting that despite what
many consider to be high tuition, it still
doesn’t cover the full cost of education.
So far a number of local schools
have taken advantage of the Initiative
and participated in meetings focused
on ways of reducing costs. After the
first meeting in December, three areas
were specified: increasing availability
of cash infusions from foundations, a
while. He seemed to dismiss his
critics and the controversy that
has surrounded him for more
than a year, while discussing his
frequent visits to the sick.
“When I go to a hospital to
lift them up it breaks my heart,”
he said. “Not the other stuff —
the other stuff is nonsense.
THIS breaks my heart.”
He sang a medley of songs
from past albums, explaining
that he would try to make
everyone happy by singing their
favorite song — and was soon
wearing his most interesting
costume yet, which seemed to
incorporate the traditional garb
of four or five different groups
of Chassidim: pants with one
dark leg, one light, with a white
sock on one foot, and a long
coat that seemed to be several
garments stitched together.
Possibly the best part of the
show came when Lipa, now in
brown slacks and long coat with
a matching bowler hat, sang
Mordechai Ben David’s “Just
One Shabbos,” in Yiddish, after
poking fun at himself and his
Yiddish-inflected speech with a
promise to also “try it in Ying-
kehillah (congregation) model of contribution that stressed donations from
individuals not related to the school
that was used successfully in Chicago,
and joint and discount purchasing
plans for the schools.
“We’re sort of a clearing house for
opportunities to make schools more
affordable,” Shapiro quipped.
Shapiro stressed that the initiative is
focused on “research-based data-driven
practices,” be it hiring one full-time
lish.” He didn’t have to make the
attempt: Mordechai Ben David,
in the flesh, this time, joined
him halfway through to sing the
chorus and the rest of the song.
The crowd gave a huge roar as
MBD made the same grand
entrance from the top of the
orchestra riser that Lipa had
made earlier. Hundreds leaped
(Lip’d?) to their feet.
With tastes running more
toward classic rock, my seatmate, Jay Dolitsky, has been to
very few Jewish music concerts,
he said. He had heard of MBD
but didn’t recognize him when
he appeared. Still, he quickly
figured out what was what.
“I can see why he’s so well
liked,” he said. “He just has a
very palatable voice. He’s got
great presence. I get the impression that Lipa is more of an
entertainer” than purely a singer.
Got it in one.
Seeing the two of them
together on stage was a lot of
fun — all the more so because it
was Lipa’s show, and for all of
Mordechai’s stage presence, it
remained Lipa’s show. Maybe it
was the headset mic that did it.
teacher instead of multiple part-time
teachers or working with community
Rabbis to make yeshivas a communal
fiscal priority. The Initiative worked
alongside Teach NYS last week to set
up a lobbying trip to Albany to urge
elected officials to reinstate close to $1
million in funding to private schools
that Governor Paterson cut out of this
year’s budget.
It seems that the old cheder model
may be on its way out. Yeshiva day
MBD sang past favorites
including “Ki Lo Yitosh,” “Da’aga
Minayin,” “Anachnu Ma’aminim” and “Yidden.”
Lipa changed costumes
again toward the end, this time
into a large pair of black-striped
tzitzis worn outside his shirt.
His dancers (did I mention there
were male dancers, as well as a
trio of backup singers, who also
changed costumes several
times) — soon followed suit,
wearing tzitzis over their ...
track suits, while Lipa soon
switched up again into a grey
bekeshe (long coat). In most, if
not all of the costume changes,
he also switched his glasses.
Toward the end, Lipa told
the cheering crowd, “We will do
this again and again and again.
We will bring simcha!” Which is
really what he’s all about.
As someone who has found
himself bored to distraction at
more than one Jewish music
concert in the last 10 years I will
tell you that this show wasn’t
one of them, and I’m looking
forward to what Lipa and Sheya
Mendlowitz will follow up with
for next year.
schools, after years of being unable to
cope with rising cost, are slowly entering the 21st century. Part of the Federal
government’s new stimulus package,
Shapiro noted, is for energy conservation technologies in schools, which
yeshivas may be able to take advantage
of.
“It’s the business of education,” he
said.
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