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DECEMBER 7, 2011
11 KISLEV, 5772
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12.7.2011
Departments
EDITORIAL
From Frankfurt to Brisk
LETTERS
NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
THE SOUND OF SILENCE
GLEANINGS
NEWS COMMENTARY
OP-ED
Q&A
WITH MALCOLM HOENLEIN
JEWISH NEWS
JEWISH LIVING IN:
36MARSEILLE, FRANCE
BUSINESS
41 AMBASSADORS
Mesiras nefesh for the common man
THE EMOTIONAL MIND
66What a pleasure!
THE SHUL CHRONICLES
Mum’s the word
THE PRINCIPAL
All alone
THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE
Was our marriage hopeless?
STREETS OF LIFE
A record prize
MY WORD!
Features
SPYVIEW: ASSAD’S LAST
STAND
A trapped dictator is a dangerous dictator.
GRAVE MATTERS
Rav Elyakim Schlesinger challenges a crisis
for Polish batei chaim.
ENGINEERING SHABBOS
The Zomet Institute melds Torah and
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RABBI YITZCHOK FRANKFURTER
Rav Elyakim Schlesinger of London, whom I had
the great privilege to speak with last week and
glean from his daas Torah, hails from Frankfurt am
Main, Germany. His mother was a daughter of the
famed resident of that German city, Moreinu Yaakov
Rosenheim, one of the founders of the Agudath Israel World
Organization, and one of that Orthodox organization’s foremost
leaders for many years.
When Rav Schlesinger asked me whether my ancestors too
were from Frankfurt, as indicated by my family surname, his
and I may have to the city Frankfurt that made Rav Schlesinger
seem so instantaneously familiar to me, but rather his connection
to a city that is today the metaphysical center of the Torah
world, Brisk. Rav
Schlesinger not only
has the mannerism
of his great rebbi,
Rav Yitzchok Zev
Halevi Soloveitchik,
the Brisker Rav,
whom he repeatedly
quoted during
our conversation,
but he also has an
uncanny physical
resemblance to him.
The Second
World War had
some strange consequences.
As a
result of the war, I
was thinking, one of
the primary propagators
today of the
Brisker school of thought is none other than a grandson of Rav
Yaakov Rosenheim, a noted Hirschian whose leadership of the
Agudah caused Rav Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk apprehension
about joining that movement. Rav Chaim feared that the Hirshian
derech, of Torah and Derech Eretz
its way into Russia and Poland through the Agudah.
It was Rav Yitzhak Isaac Halevy (Rabinowitz) (1847–1914)
Rosenheim’s partner as co-founder of the Agudath Israel orga-
Rav Chaim to join, notwithstanding his many misgivings. Consequently,
upon Halevy’s passing in 1914 Rav Chaim withdrew
his involvement in the Agudah movement.
The letter that Halevy wrote to Rosenheim about getting Rav
Chaim involved in the Agudah movement is compelling:
“Herrn Jacob Rosenheim:
the Rav of Brisk to take part in our endeavor requires great and respected
ministers. Therefore you think that it may be helpful if Marx
perhaps riches would.
“From this I see but one thing: You know most of the Russian rabbonim.
But not the cream of the crop. The Rav of Brisk has in his
world only Torah. The riches of the wealthy, even of millionaires like
Rothschild, can’t make him budge one inch.
ence,
but that, due to his nature, he fears to issue a ruling. To take this
he fears that he may
cause damage and
perhaps his opinion
was wrong, etc.
“If this were only
ing
him, everyone
knows in Russia that
we are literally close
to each other like
two brothers…
“The Rebbe of
Lubavitch (the
Rashab) only knows
the Rav of Brisk
from hearsay, for
he never saw him,
therefore his words
regarding my sending
Lipshitz to the
Rav of Brisk are
somewhat inaccurate….”
Halevy’s responsibilities toward Rav Chaim didn’t end with
Rav Chaim’s arrival in Katowice for the Agudah convention in
1912. As soon as he arrived, there was a deep crisis over the
so-called “Hungarian demand” that only Orthodox congregations
that separated from general communities that included the
Reform could join the movement. Halevy had the daunting task
of maintaining the peace between Rav Shlomo Zalman Breuer
of Frankfurt, who was behind the Hungarian demand, and Rav
Chaim of Brisk, who opposed it.
That Rav Yaakov Rosenheim’s grandson, Rav Schlesinger, is a
leading Brisker disciple and protégé, is certainly one of the uncanny
outcomes of an incomprehensible war.
8 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

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ED KOCH ALSO A “SURVIVOR”
Unusual exchange between Rabbi Lau and the former Mayor
In reference to “Q &A with Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau,” Issue 44
Dear Editor,
I am writing to thank you for
your very interesting dialogue with
Rabbi Lau, and also to relate an unusual
anecdote I heard involving
Rabbi Lau and former New York
City Mayor Ed Koch.
It seems that Mayor Koch once
told Rabbi Lau that he too was a
Holocaust survivor. When Rabbi
Lau asked him where he was born, Mayor Koch replied that he was born and bred in
the Bronx, where he spent the duration of the Second World War. When the bemused
Rabbi Lau then asked him how he was a survivor of the Holocaust, Mayor Koch explained:
“When I was in Berlin I visited Hitler’s headquarters. On his desk was a globe that indicated
the number of Jews who lived in each country; on America, it was written that
six million Jews lived there. These were his targets for extermination. Accordingly,”
concluded Mayor Koch, “I, as a Jewish citizen of the United States, was also on Hitler’s
hit list. I am therefore, like you, Rabbi Lau, a Holocaust survivor.”
T. Jacobowitz
Q&A
AMI MAGAZINE
1575 50 th St., Brooklyn, NY 11219 | letters@amimagazine.org
Phone: (718) 534-8800 Fax: (718) 484-7731
Q
Your arrival at Buchenwald at the
age of seven, hidden in a sack carried
by your older brother, Naftali, is one
of the most fascinating Holocaust survival
stories I’ve ever encountered. But why is it
What purpose does it serve? What are we
importan to keep going back in memory
to that dark period in Jewish history?
actua ly giving the kedoshim by remembering
them?
A
The kadoshim don’t need to get anything
from us. “Harugei Malchus ein
kol briah yecholah lamod bemichitzasam”
[“Those who were murdered—no one
can stand among them in their place.”]
People such as Rabbi Akiva and the 10
Harugei Malchus, and also a l of the kedoshim
from every generation; they are
found in the highest place in palmalya were. How they kept their emunah, how
shel maalah, more so than a l of the they said Shema Yisrael and ani mamin,
us to continue in their path. And, in truth,
the best revenge is—as I discussed in the
book—the continuation, th eternity. The
immortality of the Jewish people is in our
BY RABBI YITZCHOK FRANKFURTER
WITH RABBI YISROEL MEIR LAU
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE?
Rabbi Lau viewing a photo of himself af ter
he was liberated from Buchenwald.
RABBI YISROEL MEIR LAU served as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1993
to 2003. He is currently the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Israel and chairman of Yad Vashem. He
authored several seforim on halacha, and a commentary on Pirkei Avos. His best-se ling
Hebrew autobiography was recently translated into English, titled “Out of the Depths.” Last
week, Rav Lau sat with Rabbi Frankfurter, discussing his book and why he found it importan
to publish his life story.
Tanaim and Amoraim; they don’t need us.
They only need to know tha they have a
continuation. They need to know “Shelo
yitosh Hashem amo v’nachalaso lo Yaazov.”
[Hashem won’t forsake His people and
His portion He won’t abandon.] When
people say Yizkor, or Kel malai rachamim
or Kaddish, they aren’t doing anyone a
favor. The favor is for us. By remembering
the kedoshim we fulfi l the injunction,
“Datah mayayin bataa.” [Know where you
came from.] We need to know who our
fathers and mothers were. The memorials
are more for the sake of present and
future generations, so that we should
know our roots, and the foundations on
which Klal Yisroel stands. If we don’t remember
the Holocaust, chas v’shalom, the
younger generation wi l think that we can
start over, with no past. But there is no
future when there is no past. When we
remember the past, not for revenge, and
not as a favor to the korbonos, but rather
for ourselves and for future generations,
we do so to remember what happened to
us.
the memory of them.
They don’t need us; it is we who need
Q
Is remembering, therefore, a matter
of kavod hachayim, respect for the
living, rather than kavod hamaysim, respect
for the dead?
A
Yes. It’s yikra d’chaya, to know where
you came from and who your parents
roots.
Q
Do you think that the people who
lived through tha time period, such
as you and your brother, have something
aside from memories to give to the next
generation? If so, what is the basic message
that your generation, which is now
ge ting older, can relay?
A
First, that you can’t rely on anyone,
only on our Father in Heaven. Not on
people. What didn’t we give to Poland for
over 1,000 years? What didn’t we give Germany,
with our Rothschilds, our Einsteins generations back. In spite of a l the differences,
everyone understood that we are a l
overwhelmed by the “sun.” Emancipation.
Jews. The enemies understood that we are
even until the last minute. This obligates
they initiated an Inquisition, Tach V’tat,
Romans, Kristalnacht—a l so that Jews
continuity. The chain is unbroken. We
would abandon Yiddishkeit. The stronger
remember the fundaments; we know the how to live together al Kiddush Hashem. the wind, though, the tighter the Jews
Chassidim and misnagdim died together held on to their coats. They said “Shema
al Kiddush Hashem. More religious; less
religious; not religious at a l. Even misboolilim
who had Jewish blood from six But we have a generation now that is
and Mendolsohns, and so many other
creative people of the world? We gave so
lesson that we are the same people? That to teach the future generations that our
many presents to Germany, and what did
we get in return? Like Yosef in Mitzrayim,
he saved Mitzrayim from hunger, and was
there any protection for his children Me-
which I wish to give over with a parable:
throw them in the river?!“Shelo yadah es
Yosef.” Phaaroh made no exceptions for
The wind tried to blow o f a man’s coat,
but the colder it got, the tighter the man
held onto his coat, and it wouldn’t come
then on, from before yetziyas Mitrayim o f. Then the sun made it hotter, and got
until today, the number one message is:
The emunah is like the coat. A l of the
goyim always wanted us to get rid of our
nashe and Efrayim, so that no one would
Q
A
Is there another important message
for us and our children?”
The second thing to learn is this: We
knew how to die together al Kiddush
Hashem. The time has come for us to learn
the same people. Why don’t we learn the
we are one nation?
There is another important lesson here,
There was once an argument between the
sun and the wind over who wa stronger.
Yosef’s children. Instead of making statues
and stamps of Yosef’s face, they took a l of
his sons and threw them in the river. From
the man to take o f his coat.
don’t rely.
aderet, that we should be like a l the other
nations. They tried to be like the wind—
the decrees of Antiochus, the Greeks, the
Yisroel,” and threw themselves into the fire
like Avraham Avinu.
“We knew how to die together al
Kiddush Hashem. The time has come
for us to learn how to live together al
Kiddush Hashem.”
It is in a l of the universities, and they try
to marry into us with intermarriages, G-d
forbid. In this time, my generation needs
parents didn’t give up their emunah, even
when it was hard. They had mesirus nefesh.
How much more so, for you—the young
generation—there’s no danger today in
wearing tefi lin or wrapping oneself in a
ta lis, no issur against blowing a shofar
on Rosh Hashana, no prohibition against
wearing a yarmulkeh or keeping Shabbos
or kashrus. So if your parents and grandparents
kept a l of these mitzvos, and were
wi ling to sacrifice their lives for it, then
you can keep the mitzvos without sacrific-
24 AMI MAGAZINE // NOVEMBER 9, 2011 // 12 CHESHVAN, 5772 12 CHESHVAN, 5772 // NOVEMBER 9, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 25
Ami Magazine
P: 718.534.8800
F: 718.484.7731
info@amimagazine.org
Ami Magazine. Published by Mezoogmag LLC. All
rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in
any form without prior written permission from the
publisher is prohibited. The publisher reserves the
right to edit all articles for clarity, space, and editorial
sensitivities. Ami Magazine assumes no responsibility
for the content of articles or advertisements
in the publication, nor for the contents of books that
are referred to or excerpted herein.

LETTERS
MORE ON SARAH SCHENIRER
Defending her fellow Yidden, even after death
In reference to “The Mother of Klal Yisrael,” Issue 17
FOLLOWING DAAS TORAH
Kudos for standing up
In reference to Op-ed, Issue 47
Dear Editor,
In reviewing past issues of Ami
Magazine, I happened upon an article
about Sarah Schenirer’s burial
site (March 30, 2011). A while
back I heard a fascinating account
from the late Rabbi Chazkel Besser,
former chairman of the Lauder
Foundation who was responsible
for the repair and upkeep of Jewish
cemeteries in Eastern Europe, who
learned of this amazing incident directly
from the protagonist:
This gentleman, along with many
of his fellow Jews, has been ordered
by the Nazi soldiers to destroy the
tombstones in the Plashov cemetery
in Krakow. Under threat of death,
they had no choice but to comply.
Shouldering their axes, they began
to knock down the markers one by
one. However, when this man approached
a particular tombstone,
broke in this hands. He tried with
another axe; this one also broke. The
scene was repeated several times. He
could not make a dent in the stone.
At this point a Nazi soldier who
was standing nearby became enraged
and let out a barrage of curses.
“You ----- Jew!” he shouted at
him. “I’ll show you how to do it!”
The soldier grabbed the axe and
swung it at the tombstone with
all his might. It struck the stone,
which then ricocheted off the stone,
missing the soldier’s head by a hair.
The soldier, in shock, shuddered
and backed off, stumbling from
fright.
The Jew and his brethren who had
witnessed the scene were incredulous.
With their ragged garments
they did their best to clean off the
tombstone in order to see just who
was buried there. Who was it who
commanded such strength, even in
death? When they could make out
the wording on the tombstone, they
saw it was the grave of Sarah Schenirer,
caring for her beloved fellow
Yidden, unto eternity.
Yehi zichrona livracha.
Miriam Liebermann
Dear Editor,
Thank you for the insightful op-ed piece by Rabbi
Emanuel Feldman. As an activist against same-gen-
Ami, like the
noted newspapers, Yated and Hamodia, took an active
position in addressing this scourge, as directed by
many leading rabbonim.
May Hashem continue to guide you in your endeavors
towards glorifying the name of Heaven.
Yaakov Cohen
Lawrence, NY
CORRECTION.
Q & A feature with Rabbi Krinsky,
Photo credit, Lubavitch.com
SHEIMOS: A picture of a scrap of the “War Scroll,” which
is a scroll describing beliefs of the Qumran cult, in the
article “The Scholars and the Scrolls,” was accidentally
printed containing sheimos. Please treat it accordingly.
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The Lesser and Greater
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EGYPTIAN ELECTIONS CONFIRM ISRAELI FEARS
Ever since the beginning of popular
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nascent democracy movement nervously,
concerned about the direction Israel’s south-
round of parliamentary elections has con-
mood to say, “I told you so.”
The liberal, secular parties in Egypt seem to
have garnered very few seats in parliament.
Mohammed ElBaradei, former head of the
possible Egyptian presidential candidate, said
that the reformists have been “decimated.”
The High Election Commission announced
that the Freedom and Justice
Party, a right-wing religious
party associated with
the Muslim Brotherhood—
an Islamist movement that
had been crushed for years
by former Egyptian president
Hosni Mubarak—won
36 percent of the votes cast.
The Nour Party, represent-
Islamists, won 24 percent.
There were 9.7 million ballots
cast altogether. There
still are runoff elections this
week for many of the positions
that were already
voted on, as well as two
more rounds of voting in
18 of Egypt’s 27 provinces.
But the Islamist hold seems
assured.
There have been no signs
of voting irregularities, something
that many protestors in
recent uprisings against the military government
were worried would knock the voting
off-kilter.
ElBaradei attributed the popularity of the
religious parties to the conditions in which the
populace lived during the Mubarak dictatorship.
“It should not be a surprise people are
voting with their gut. People lost their sense
of identity with the state. They identify with
religion,” ElBaradei said.
The liberal and secular parties also failed to
form stable coalitions early on; the Islamists
retained name and “brand” recognition from
years of opposing Mubarak.
Whether the two Islamist parties will work
Old Egyptian man places ballot in box
already made statements suggesting that
they do not want to join the Muslim Brotherhood
in a coalition government, and ElBaradei
believes that the Muslim Brotherhood
would rather join liberal groups for a coalition.
One other question revolves around the
1978 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
Some members of the Muslim Brotherhood
have stated that they oppose the treaty, but
whether Egyptian politicians would jeopardize
their international standing over the treaty is
unclear. ElBaradei said that he believes that
the Muslim Brotherhood does want to keep
a healthy relationship between Egypt and the
West.
16 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

BY YOSSI KRAUSZ
Friends in High and
Low Places
HOW TO GET A PRESIDENTIAL PARDON
If you’re convicted of a crime, you’re on your own.
If you’re black, poor, or you don’t know a member of Congress,
that is.
For rich white folks who are chummy with a member of Congress,
the standard byways of justice may not be necessary to
travel. A new study by the Washington Post and the investigative
journalism group ProPublica analyzed 500 randomly chosen
pardon applications from the term of George W. Bush, out of a
total of 1,918 applications.
The pardon application process is a complicated and
tedious process, and it comes as no surprise that someone
with resources may be more capable of completing it. But the
fact, that those with connections to senators and representatives
are much more likely to receive a pardon, sheds a dis-
the pardon process. The Justice Department runs extensive
background checks on all those who request a presiden-
Critics claim that by not examining the money trail and
party loyalties, the Justice Department ensures that money and
member of Congress makes to the pardon commission, which
advises the President on the subject of pardons, can be in return
kept itself from gaining any suspicion of that.
Minorities received far fewer pardons than whites in the
sample, and not a single one of the 62 African-Americans in the
sample received a pardon.
The Postence
on the pardon process in the case of Dale Critz, Jr., who
had been convicted of auto-loan fraud and other criminal acts.
Critz needed a pardon in order to take over his family’s Georgia
car dealership. He had been convicted of a crime that was
related to the business that he wanted to enter, he had been
involved in multiple crimes, and he had lied during interviews
by the FBI and on his pardon request forms. Despite these
facts, Critz received a pardon after Georgia Representative Jack
Kingston wrote a letter and made two phone calls to the top
It seems that a successful pardon application may lie somewhere
on the continuum between protekzia and baksheesh.
Experimenting
with Our Lives
A LABORATORY EXPERIMENT IN THE
NETHERLANDS RAISES SOME QUESTIONS
It’s possible to be very intelligent but not so smart, apparently.
The New Scientist reports that Dutch researchers have developed a
of spreading from mammal to mammal easily, yet is still as deadly as the
original virus.
H5N1 kills about 60 percent of those it infects, according to U.S.
Health Department statistics, but it is only known to have infected a little
over 500 people worldwide. The low rate of transmission is because the
virus generally does not pass from person to person.
somewhere between 20 million and 100 million people. The fact that
strikes many as irresponsible.
ated
the mutation, wants to publish his work, detailing for others how
the strain was created.
Dr. Thomas Inglesby, the director and CEO of the Center for Bio-
just a bad idea for scientists to turn a lethal virus into a lethal and highly
they did it so others can copy it.”
eliminated all sources of smallpox except for samples held in the U.S.
while others claimed that research needs trumped safety concerns.
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 17

NEWS
NATIONAL AND WORLD
Russian Revolution?
PUTIN’S POWER MAY BE WANING
Not long ago, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had little to worry about
peting
in any way with Putin’s clout. But recent parliamentary elections show that
the ex-KGB man’s hold may be loosening.
Putin’s party, United Russia, had held a supermajority of seats in the Russian
Duma, or parliament, until elections early this week. Exit polling, however, showed
that the latest rounds of voting have skimmed off United Russia’s seats, with the
party only holding 50 percent of the legislature. And even those numbers, political
tion
fraud. Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party, said that his party’s
observers found one ballot box in a Moscow polling station containing 300 ballots
Communist Party election observers, keeping the real observers away from the polling
site. Early ballot counting seemed to show United Russia doing far better than
exit polling would suggest.
Putin left the position of president four years ago, due to a law against more than
eight consecutive years in the position. He had the constitution amended to create
a position of prime minister; many observers saw the move as a gambit to remain in
power even after leaving the presidency. His successor, Dmitry Medvedev, worked
closely with Putin. Although Medvedev carried out a small number of reforms, he
has been widely seen as Putin’s surrogate in power.
This past September, at the United Russia Congress, Medvedev suggested that
Putin seek the presidency again in 2012; Putin agreed to the idea. (It was awfully
nice of Medvedev to offer.)
The parliamentary elections may show that economic and social conditions
between rich and poor citizens a growing complaint. The Communist Party seems
were slated to receive over 20
percent of the vote, according
to exit polling. Several of the
most vocal opposition groups
candidates.
Whether Putin himself will
suffer in next year’s election
still remains to be seen. Part
of what will determine that
is whether opposition par-
can appeal to voters against
the heretofore wildly popular
strongman of the Kremlin.
ELECTIONS 2012
weekly
update
RUNAWAY CAIN
TRAIN
CAMPAIGNS OUTLIVE CANDIDATES
Herman Cain announced on Saturday that
he would be suspending his presidential cam-
campaign may go on without him.
Candidates are still allowed to raise money
toward their election committees even after
withdrawing from a race, according to election
have to, simply because their campaign has
incurred debts that need to be paid off.
But sometimes the process of paying off
debt doesn’t go so smoothly, and campaign
committees linger on long after the candidate
is working at some other endeavor. Hillary
Clinton’s campaign committee, for example,
remains active three and a half years after
she suspended her bid for the 2008 Democratic
nomination; her campaign reported
being $274,010 in debt this past September.
Other candidates with committees that live on
In September, the last time the candidates
were required to report their campaign
against $675,000 in debt. Those numbers have
certainly changed wildly; Cain became the
frontrunner for a short time after the numbers
were reported, attracting donors.
to vie for dollars as well, to make certain that
their campaigns don’t have to live on without
them.
18 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

BY YOSSI KRAUSZ
Iran Against the World
BELLIGERENCE FROM TEHRAN TOWARD THE
U.K. AND U.S.
Iran has not won
the Most Popular
Country in the
World contest for
some time now.
But developments
over the last two
weeks have seen a
slide from an attitude
of hostility to
actual hostilities.
Last Tuesday,
hundreds of Iranian
protestors attacked the British embassy in Iran and a second
British diplomatic compound, destroying furnishings and equip-
only have occurred with the sanction of the Iranian government,
and they claimed that they would seek compensation for the
damages, which look likely to exceed £1 million.
The British expelled the Iranian ambassador from the United
Kingdom in response, and several countries were considering
moving their diplomatic staff from Tehran.
On Sunday, Iran claimed to have shot down a U.S. drone near
manned
aircraft had crashed and was in the hands of the Iranian
probably suffered mechanical failure and was not shot down.
Iran claimed that the downed drone was the RQ-170 Sentinel,
the so-called “Beast of Kandahar.”
Iran has repeatedly claimed to have shot down U.S. drone aircraft,
although they have repeatedly failed to provide evidence.
On Sunday, the New York Times reported that the recent blast at
an Iranian missile development site was a major setback for the
cials,
as well as technology experts, said that photos of the explosion
site show that most of the Iranian facilities were destroyed in
the huge explosion.
There has been speculation that Israel was behind the explo-
explanation from the Iranians has also been that it was accidental.
Iran continues to face international isolation over its nuclear
program, and its recent actions are not expected to increase its
international standing.

Rabbi Avi Shafran
The Sound of Silence
ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE?
The latest hope for signs of possible life on other planets
lies in the cargo bay of a spacecraft that blasted off
from Cape Canaveral the morning of Shabbos parshas
Toldos.
The Mars Science Laboratory will deliver a rover,
aptly named Curiosity, to the surface of the Red Planet. Methane
gas, which can be emitted by living organisms, has tentatively
been detected in the Martian atmosphere, and instruments on
other carbon-based molecules likewise considered to be “building
blocks of life.”
Many scientists assume that life must exist on other planets.
Although science doesn’t usually
embrace beliefs that have not been
supported by observations, the
conviction that there is life elsewhere
in the universe derives from
the creed that chance pervades and
governs the universe—that randomness
lies at the root of reality.
If probability is the loom on which
the universe’s fabric is stretched,
the creed’s canon proclaims, what
reason could there possibly be for
only a single, unremarkable planet
in a single, unremarkable solar
system in a single, unremarkable
galaxy to alone have spawned life?
This abiding scientific faith
assumes something of a miracle: that terrestrial life somehow
arose from inanimate matter here on earth. It reveres a trinity: a
single-celled ancestor, random mutation, and natural selection.
Their interplay, the belief goes, is responsible for the astounding
diversity of life on earth.
And so, during the same eons over which time and chance on
Earth allowed inert elements to slowly morph into iPods and
their owners, countless other worlds should have done no worse.
Indeed, they may have done considerably better.
Creation, we believing Jews know, was in fact an act of Divine
will, not the yield of randomness. Still and all, it isn’t unthinkable
that rudimentary life on other planets exists, like the kind Curiosity
is looking for. After all, G-d created life here on Earth that
remained unseen for most of human history—whether in undersea
volcanic vents or Amazonian jungle canopies. The discovery
of life on other planets would hardly challenge Jewish belief.
But intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos? Unlikely, I think.
One thing is certain: all efforts thus far to detect it have come up
empty.
Over the 1960s and 1970s, there was SETI, or the “Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence,”; META, the “Megachannel Extraterrestrial
Assay”; and META II. In 1972 and 1973, plaques
depicting the location of Earth in the galaxy and solar system,
and what humans look like, were launched aboard the Pioneer
and Voyager probes. In 1974, the Arecibo message, which
carried coded information about chemistry and terrestrial life,
was beamed into space. And in the 1990s, the “Billion-channel
Extraterrestrial Assay” (BETA) was created, as well as a project
harnessing the computing power
ers
to crunch numbers that might
reveal patterns indicative of intelligent
life beyond our planet. Tens of
billions of hours of processing time
have so far been consumed by the
project.
So far, though, nothing.
The dearth of any sign of intelligent
life beyond our own planet
doesn’t prove anything, of course.
It’s a big universe.
But I’m reminded of what Rabbi
Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev had
to say about a verse in the Torah
(Devarim, 17:3) concerning a false
prophet who will “prostrate himself to… the sun or the moon
or to any host of heaven, which I have not commanded.” Rashi
explains that last phrase as meaning “which I have not commanded
you to worship.”
The Berditchever had a different approach. The reason one
may not bow down to a heavenly body, he explained, is because
G-d has not commanded it in any way. One may, however, bow
down in respect to a human being, because humans are unique,
sublime creatures—beings who have been commanded, who
uniquely possess the free will to accept and execute G-d’s will.
Intelligent extraterrestrials, I suppose, could have received
their own Divine commandments. A planet revolving in the
Alpha Centauri system may have had its own Mt. Sinai revelation,
or some alien equivalent.
One could, I imagine, “hear” such a thing.
Personally, I think the silence out there speaks louder.
20 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

Rabbi Avi Shafran
Synopses of, and excerpts from, interesting items that have recently
appeared here and there—and sometimes way over there—in the media
PEANUT BUTTER
AND JIHAD
Would-be murderer goes from
kitchen to jail
In a November 21 report about
the arrest of Jose Pimentel in New
York, on charges that he
attempted to build bombs to kill
city workers and military personnel,
the online magazine Tablet
reprised an article from last year
that it had published about
Inspire, an al-Qaida magazine that
people familiar with Mr. Pimentel
said had influenced him.
That earlier article highlights one
from Inspire, providing a recipe for
a “simple but deadly bomb.”
What “you have to do,” the inspirational
piece insists, “is enter
your kitchen and make an explosive
device.” If, that is, “you are
sincere in your intentions to serve
[Islam].”
They left out “the religion of
peace.”
BENDING THE RULES
Straw man finally gets credit
The Atlantic carried a story on
November 22 about the invention
of the “bendy straw”—the nowfamiliar
drinking facilitator that
allows one to sip a beverage from
a position other than directly
above its container.
The article notes the drinking
straw’s apparent origins in ancient
Sumeria, and the first mass-produced
version of a straw in the
1880s. Then it explains how, in
1930s San Francisco, one Joseph
B. Friedman watched his little
daughter, Judith, struggle with her
milkshake, which she was drinking
from a rigid straw.
Friedman “inserted a screw into
the straw toward the top…
wrapped dental floss around the
paper, tracing grooves made by
the inserted screw. Finally, he
removed the screw, leaving an
accordion-like ridge in the middle
of the once-straight straw. Voila!
He had created a straw that could
bend around its grooves to reach
a child’s face over the edge of a
glass.”
Thus was the bendy straw
born, which has been helping children
and the bed-bound ever
since.
Tall cup, meet Yiddishe kup.
NOTHING FUNNYE
AT ALL
The hat doesn’t make the man
Haaretz also carried an interview,
on November 16 with Rabbi
Capers Funnye, the rabbi of Beth
Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian
Hebrew Congregation of Chicago,
cofounder of the Alliance of Black
Jews, and first cousin once
removed of Michelle Obama.
Recalling his first trip to Nigeria,
he told the interviewer that, “The
men had on black hats and they
said ‘We’re Orthodox,’ because
they thought wearing black hats
made them Orthodox Jews.”
Yeah, that’s a problem
elsewhere too.
WHAT’S THAT
SOUND?
“No news” is good news
Iran’s Islamic Republic News
Agency (IRNA) reported on
November 28 that the Deputy
Governor of Isfahan denied that
he had acknowledged to the
media a “heavy sound” of an
explosion in Isfahan on November
12. Western media reported that
a large explosion had taken place
at a nuclear site there, and satellite
photos confirmed vast
destruction of a sprawling complex.
The Public Relations Manager
of Isfahan Fire Department,
Mas’oud Anayeb, also rejected
news broadcasts of a noise in
Isfahan. “So far,” he said, “the
Fire Department has received no
news in this respect.”
Just move on, folks. Nothing
to see here. Nothing at all.
FINAL SOLUTION
German mathematicians do
some computations
On November 25, Haaretz featured
an article about Jewish
mathematicians in Nazi Germany.
Professor Christian Baer, president
of the German Mathematical
Society, is quoted as admitting
that “for decades after the war we
ignored the issue of the fate of the
Jewish mathematicians [since] we
were afraid to discover unpleasant
things”—like collaboration with the
Nazis, and the Society’s expulsion
of Jewish members even before it
was compulsory.
The article notes that, before
the Nazis’ rise to power in 1933,
one-third of all math professors in
Germany were Jewish—although
“Jews constituted less than 1 percent
of the total population.”
“What would have happened,”
wonders Professor Moritz Epple
of Frankfurt University, an expert
on the history of mathematics
“had this mathematical flourishing
continued in a world without anti-
Semitism…?”
Not hard, indeed, to do the
math.
GLEANINGS
22 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

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NEWS
NEWS COMMENTARY
RABBI AVI SHAFRAN
Protocols of the
Elders of Agudah
“ACTIVISTS” ACTIVATE VILIFICATION CAMPAIGN
The tone of the report—about
ostensible goings-on at a
“closed-door meeting”—conveyed
something sinister.
“Security people manned
managed to elude the security forces
“requested anonymity” out of “fear [of]
retribution,” in order to “to protect themselves
and their families.”
But the report concerned not some organized
crime tribunal or governmental star
chamber but rather a meeting of synagogue
rabbis at Agudath Israel of America’s
recent national convention in East Bruns-
“revelations,” though, this one too had an
antagonistic relationship to truth.
That should have been suspected from
etriciousness
and his unbridled animus
charedi community.
tion
enough, then its content itself should
scheduled rabbonim meeting—there is one
at every Agudah convention—aimed at
and the opportunity to engage in discussion
of timely topics pertinent to a rabbi’s
The blogger asserted that the gathered
clergy had been apprised to act as “gate-
-
of being complicit in the conspiracy, and
an effort by Agudath Israel to ensure that
rabbonim-
prepared to handle accusations of the
same. It consisted of addresses stressing
-
on victims, and asserting the critical need
to institute means of undermining the
Yeshiva, a mental health professional, an
menahel
as director of public affairs for Agu-
meeting. At no point did anyone suggest
anything other than the procedure
lengths to inform the public. Earlier this
Conference in Manhattan and in a subsequent
detailed public statement, responsa
decisors permit, indeed demand, that in
“raglayim
la’davar” (roughly, reason to believe) that
contact the secular authorities—not the
such things is to help the claimant ascer-
raglayim la’davar
The only mention at the meeting of the
reportedly been told of the halachic decisors’
rulings and had found them entirely
is reasonable cause to suspect that a child
vary from state to state.)
others. One of those “activists” railed that
“blood on their hands”; and asserted that
it’s “time to call in the feds”— the FBI and
-
the Agudah of “violating the civil rights
of children… in Torah observant households.”
Both sought to disseminate the
The issue of child abuse is serious and
the charedi community and its institutions.
What some “activists” seem to have
trouble fathoming is that spreading base-
24 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

op- ed
You May Already Be a
“Winner”!
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF UNCLAIMED FUNDS GATHERING DUST
We have all seen those sweepstakes
ads that say you may
have won $10,000 or a brand
new car. Realistically, however,
the chances of your winning these are slim to
none. Well, in New York State, we are sitting
on $11 billion in 26 million different accounts,
and some of it may already be yours. And
we’re not kidding!
Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars
in unclaimed funds are turned over to the
from a wide variety of sources: dormant bank
accounts, un-refunded utility deposits, for-
cards, life insurance policies that were never
cashed in, or tax refund checks that never
found their way home.
When the rightful owners don’t claim their
money, the law requires companies, after a
certain period of time, to turn the money over
efforts to inform the public that we are holding
abandoned or unclaimed property. We’ve
been to dozens of fairs, conferences, town
hall meetings, senior events, and other
venues statewide with our Unclaimed Funds
booth, where people can check to see if
we’re holding any of their unclaimed money.
In addition, we’ve made it even easier to
get your money back through our new online
New Yorkers claim their funds in six easy
steps, and get their money back in up to 10
business days.
STATE COMPTROLLER THOMAS P.
DINAPOLI-
the operations of all State agencies and
local governments; managing the State’s
$146.9 billion pension fund; overseeing
the New York State and Local Retirement
System; reviewing the State and NYC
budgets; approving State contracts; and
administering the State’s payroll and central
accounting system.
Last year, we reunited $296 million with
their rightful owners. While we occasionally
process claims for thousands of dollars, most
even a single unclaimed fund account in the
money might belong to you.
holding your abandoned property, and to
claim your money, is by following these easy
steps:
Visit my website at www.osc.state.ny.us
and click on “Search for Unclaimed Funds.”
Enter the Last Name and First Name or
Company Name that you want to search for
unclaimed funds. Review the search results
for items that match your search criteria.
After you select the item you wish to claim
from the search results, if the item is eligible
to be claimed online, you will be asked
to answer a few questions. Based upon
your answers, and the information we have
in our system about the item, you may be
given the option to claim it online. Step-bystep
instructions are provided throughout the
process.
If you choose not to claim online, or if the
item is not eligible to be claimed that way,
select the item you wish to claim from the
search results, and then select the “Mail
Form” link. After you enter the required
information, print and sign the form. Have
your signature notarized and attach all the
required documentation. Mail your com-
-
26 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

op- ed
Street, Albany, NY 12236.
Of course, the best way to hold onto your
money is to never let it be abandoned in the
Keep your accounts active. More than
half of unclaimed accounts are dormant
savings accounts that have had no activity
for three years. Make a small deposit or
withdrawal every year.
Cash all checks promptly for utility
deposits, dividends, insurance premiums,
wages, and any
We’ve made
it even easier
to get your
money back
through our
new online
claim form.
other refunds
you receive.
Keep accurate
financial
records.
Record all bank
accounts, stock
certificates,
insurance policies,
utility and
rent deposits,
and your safe
deposit number.
institutions with which you have accounts.
Tell a family member or trusted friend
records.
Unfortunately, there are scam artists
who will use the cover of unclaimed funds
to steal information from you. And some
“for a fee.” You don’t need to pay a fee
to look for unclaimed funds is to go to
our website. You can also call our toll-free
number at 1-800-221-9311, between 8:00
your money. It might be the easiest jackpot
you ever hit.

Q&A
WITH MALCOLM
HOENLEIN
MALCOLM HOENLEIN has served as
executive vice chairman of the Conference
of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations
since 1986. He is the founding
executive director of the Greater New
York Conference on Soviet Jewry and
the Jewish Community Relations Council
of New York, and has been associated
with the Council on Foreign Relations, the
America-Israel Chamber of Commerce,
the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, Jerusalem’s
Shaare Zedek Medical Center, The
Fairness Project, and One Family, among
other organizations.
In the wake of the Muslim Brotherhood‘s
victory in the Egyptian election, Ami spoke
with Mr. Hoenlein regarding its implication.
QWhat is your primary function with
the Conference of Presidents of
Major Jewish Organizations?
AMy primary function is to bring together
the different elements of the
Jewish community, to build a consensus
in order to be able to act together in addressing
the national and international
challenges that confront American and
world Jewry. We do not deal with domestic
issues, or halachic issues. We deal with
things ranging from U.S.-Israel relations,
terrorism, the delegitimization of Israel,
Iran’s nuclear program, and the United Nations’
efforts to isolate Israel; to issues like
welfare, global terrorism, and the safety of
28 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

BY RABBI YITZCHOK FRANKFURTER
the world Jewish community. The point is
to enhance the security of our generation
as well as future generations, and to mobilize
Jewish resources in order to enhance
the ability of Jews to affect their destiny.
QIs your organization mostly Democrat
or Republican?
AWe don’t take sides. We work with
everyone. We meet with all the
presidential candidates and don’t endorse
anyone.
QDo you ever take a public position
and criticize an administration for a
policy?
APolicy is different. Of course we criticize
when we disagree.
QHow about the Israeli government?
Do you take positions?
AMostly we communicate privately,
sometimes we go public.
QDo you think that Iran is the biggest
danger at present to the existence of
Israel?
A
a Jewish issue per se. It is an American
issue and a world issue, given their quest
for hegemony, which is then compounded
by their worldwide support of terrorism.
And if you think of the Iranians obtaining
nuclear weapons capacity, the whole
international order could be destabilized.
[The problem] is augmented today because
of the growth and empowerment of
the Middle East.
Q
a Jewish issue, because it threatens
the United States. Is that something that
is widely accepted, or do you still have to
persuade some circles to adopt that point
of view?
AWell, I can tell you that when we
started, 80 percent of Americans said
that Iran was a Jewish/Israeli issue. Today,
80 percent say it’s an American issue. I
think more and more members of Congress
have come to see it as a threat to the
interests of the United States, as it is to
Israel and to other countries in the Middle
in the context of being a threat to Israel.
We told him on numerous occasions that
even though he did it out of concern for
Israel, the fact is that if you narrow it down
to that, you narrow the support, because
then people don’t see it as relevant to them.
They are now seeing the Iranian issue as
relevant to their own security.
QDoes the Obama administration see
it as a global issue?
AYes. President Obama and his administration
talk about it in that context.
Arabs talk about in that context, including
Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Every Arab leader
we meet talks to us about it. In public
statements they talk about the enemy. It’s
not Israel; it’s Iran.
QDo you take some credit for changing
the dialogue?
ANo. I think it’s been an educational
process. People have been exposed to
groups like UANI, United Against Nuclear
Iran, which get the message across.
Q
Jewish issue. What do you consider
a Jewish issue?
AThe global campaign to delegitimize
Israel and the Jewish people is a spe-
be involved in both, there is a difference.
QIs the global delegitimization of Israel
and the Jewish people coming from
Muslim quarters, or is it broader?
AIt’s broader. There is incitement
coming from various extremist ideological
groups that are against Israel and
the United States, but it’s easier to attack
Israel than the U.S. However, a lot of it is
funded by money coming from Muslim
countries, and it’s also rooted in Middle
East propaganda—the lies and distortions
that are spread from there. Today it’s being
done via satellite. They can reach hundreds
of millions of people—billions of people.
There are tens of thousands of anti-Semitic
and anti-Israel websites. Some of them are
crude, but they also hire professionals to
do it in a sophisticated way.
QHow do you counter that?
AWe’ve set up a strategic communication
center here in New York. We
publish a daily alert to educate people
about the issues. We have 60 organizations
and a national interagency task force dealing
with delegitimization. We try to build
on each other’s assets and resources, and
not replicate and duplicate, but try to use
all of our collective efforts. It’s a huge undertaking,
and a priority issue. The consequences
will be felt for many generations
to come.
QDo you think that the delegitimization
of the Jewish people is connected to
the delegitimization of Israel?
AIsrael is seen as the corporate entity of
Lewis said. It’s still not politically acceptable
in many places to say “I hate Jews,”
but you can say “I hate Israel.” Israel has
become the collective Jew of 70 years ago.
You see the same kind of hatred being
propagated, and it’s not about Israeli policies,
or territory, or settlements. It’s not
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 29

Q&A
about ’67, it’s about ‘47. It’s about Israel’s
right to exist, not a particular policy. It’s a
way to attack the right of Jews to exist, to
say that they don’t have the right to defend
themselves, to self-determination, to a
State.
QDo you think the problem is getting
worse?
AYes, especially on the campuses, and
in virtually every sector of society—
entertainment, unions, cultural areas,
churches, academia. We are trying to counter
it everywhere. We conducted a huge
national study of every sector of American
society to try and understand this phenomenon.
And while there is broad support for
Israel, if you dig down you can see all the
doubts and questions. People are ignorant;
they don’t know the facts. They are there-
people on campuses or in high schools
who don’t know how to answer and fall for
the lies.
Q
that inasmuch as the outside world is
trying to delegitimize the Jewish people—
AI what you’re going to ask.
Q
AThe delegitimization of the charedi
community.
Q Absolutely.
AI think it’s a legitimate concern in
some respects. Some of it we bring on
ourselves. Some of it is that the frum community
is an easy target, just as Jews are an
easy target, and within that you have an
easier target. Sometimes it’s things we do or
generalizations, categorizations, and blanket
charges against religious Jews.
QHow should we deal with that?
AFirst we have to change our behavior
and make sure there’s no cause for
it. Second, we’ve got to hold to account
people who say outrageous things.
QIs that something your organization
would be able to facilitate?
AWe don’t deal with domestic and internal
affairs; that’s not what the Conference
does. We don’t deal with halachic
issues, or anything that cannot be dealt
with by consensus. I see the critical com-
ence,
as achdus. It’s the one precondition
that Hakadosh Baruch Hu set for everything
that’s happened to us. When achdus is lacking
within the frum community, and between
the frum community and non-frum
community, we undermine ourselves. We
waste our energy and efforts, and we shift
the focus from those who seek to do us
harm, to harming each other.
Q
facilitate that common goodwill and
emphasize what unites us rather than what
divides us?
AThat’s what I talk about wherever I go.
QFantastic. You say that you represent
people of different strands of Judaism.
AI don’t say I represent. My job is to
bring together 52 organizations that
represent every aspect of the Jewish community.
I never purport to say that I’m a
spokesman for every Jew, or every sector of
the Jewish community. I don’t think any-
try to build achdus among different people.
QAre you frustrated that no matter
what you do, anti-Semitism and the
delegitimization of the Jewish people keep
on growing?
AI don’t think that’s accurate. Our efforts
are making an impact. Our
surveys show that two-thirds of the respondents
said that they support Israel.
It’s not something we can take for granted.
At the same time, if we ask whether they
believe some of the lies about Israel that
have been disproven, they also say yes. A
lot of people still believe that America was
responsible for the World Trade Center. I’m
talking about domestically, let alone those
around the world.
QHow important is it to provide people
with accurate information?
AWe have proven that when people are
given credible information in a timely
manner, the results are different, and we
have created vehicles by which to do this.
It is crucial to get ahead of the curve. You
know better than anyone that the news
cycle today is 30 seconds. It used to be 24
hours, then 12, then 8, then 6. Now, if you
don’t catch something in the blink of an
eye it’s gone, and you can’t get it back.
QDo you think that the Internet is feeding
the delegitimization process?
AAbsolutely. It’s a vehicle for the rapid
dissemination of “the big lie.” It took
Hitler months to spread the big lie, but you
can now do it in seconds. And you can’t kill
it; once it’s out there, it’s out there.
QThe map of the Middle East is
changing so dramatically. Are you
concerned about this change, or are you
hopeful that something good will emerge?
AI don’t see any good in the immediate
future. The only organized opposition
hood,
as demonstrated in Morocco, Tuni-
30 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

sia, and Egypt, although maybe
in time secular and other opposition
groups will be cre-
doesn’t want responsibility, it
wants control. You’ll notice that
they’re not putting up a presidential
candidate in Egypt.
They don’t want the day-to-day
obligations of taking care of the
garbage and being the target
of criticism. So wherever they
win they want to see others in
power, but retain veto power
and control. In Lebanon they
were forced into having to
assume power, but what did
they do? They put a Sunni up
as president. So now everyone
can yell at him! Then they tell
the people that they agree with
them!
QAre you happy with the
way America dealt with
Mubarak?
AI was in Egypt after the
revolution. I spoke to generals
and to regular people. I
saw that America was hurt by
the way we treated Mubarak.
Some felt that we acted too late.
Some felt we reacted improperly,
that you shouldn’t send
a “kid,” as they called him—a
29-year-old deputy spokesman,
to make a statement to
Mubarak to step down, instead
of a more senior person. They
saw that as compounding the
insult, without recognition of
all the decades of friendship.
QWhy does the American
government keep on
making the same mistakes?
ADon’t ask me that! I can’t
even understand what
I do sometimes! I think they
tion
in terms of trying to determine
what to do. I meet with
Arab leaders all the time. I get
from them a sense of disappointment
and alienation from
the U.S., and also from Europe.
They wonder why the West
doesn’t react to what they’re
doing to Christians in Iran,
Iraq, Lebanon, and elsewhere.
People say, “Look, if they don’t
stand up for their own, who
can count on them?”
QDo you fear a global
Muslim movement getting
stronger?
AI believe they have global
aspirations, but I don’t see
them taking over the world. I
do think, though, that people
have to take the growth of the
Muslim population in Europe
more seriously. Efforts have to
be made to counter radicalization
of these populations.
People are afraid to address this
issue because of political correctness.
I’m not saying to persecute
them, to subject them to
religious discrimination, but I
do think there is room for very
legitimate action.
QAs the year 2011 comes
to an end, are you optimistic
or pessimistic about our
future?
A
The optimist says that this
is the best possible world,
and the pessimist agrees. Jews
can’t afford to be optimistic or
pessimistic. We have to see the
world as it is, but we have to be
optimistic about our ability to
change it.

JEWISHNEWS
The Missing Grave, Found
THE KEVER OF A SPECIAL RAV IS DISCOVERED
Sometimes mesorah, Jewish heritage, is made tangible.
The recent discovery of the grave of Rav Yosef
Yitzchak Schneerson, the son of the Tzemach Tzedek
of Lubavitch, has opened a new connection to a cen-
outside the chassidic movement. It was known that he
was a rebbe in the town of Ovrutch in the Ukraine, but
has quickly becoming a sought-after place for tefillah.
Rav Yisroel Meir Gabbai, founder of the Agudas Oholei
Tzaddikim Organization, spoke to me from the Ukraine
about this important discovery.
Identifying lost burial places involves various methods.
In this case, the kever
locals who remembered where the Ovrutcher was
buried. Using modern techniques, Rav Gabbai determined
that there indeed was a kever at that spot. Rav
Gabbai also mentioned that, surrounding the kever, are
a bit of the foundations of a building that the communists tried but
failed to erect over the kever.
Rav Yosef Yitzchak impacted Chabad on many levels. He was the
son of the Tzemach Tzedek (the third Lubavitcher Rebbe), the brother
of the Rebbe Maharash (the fourth Rebbe) and the father-in-law of the
There is a fascinating story relating how Rav Yosef Yitzchak’s daugh-
Dovber Schneerson. When the Rebbe was in his grandfather’s—the
Tzemach Tzedek’s—home, the Tzemach Tzedek indicated that he
desired that Sholom Ber become betrothed to his granddaughter
Shterna Sara. Amazingly, The Rebbe Rashab was only four years old
Yitzchak wondered aloud that “maybe when they grow older they
won’t be a match,” the Tzemach Tzedek dismissed the claim, saying
that the Rashab would grow to be a great tzaddik and a good match
for his daughter. A detailed tenayim (engagement contract) was written
that same year between the two mechutanim (who were brothers),
which indicated what each side would provide for the young couple. It
The recently found Kever of Rav Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson of Ovrutch
The Tzemach Tzedek himself contributed toward this fund.
Tcherkas before settling in Ovruch. He led his chassidus with slightly
different minhagim (customs) than those of Chabad. He was known
as a miracle worker in his own right and attracted a large following.
He often davened
long. In fact, when his father-in-law sent a messenger to call on Rav
Yosef Yitzchak, the messenger informed him that he had to wait sev-
tefillah.
thought you told me that you daven b’tzibbur [with a minyan].”
Rav Yosef Yitzchak replied that he had a mesorah originating with
the Baal Hatanya that b’tzibbur meant to gather all of the powers of
the souls as well as all of their nitzotzos (divine sparks), and that took
him quite a while.
kever
once the search had begun. “Things take time and we are having a
kivrei tzaddikim. He
responded, “Yes, there is more to do.”
Thanks to Rav Zalmen Hertzl—author of the sefer, Nesuei Nesiim—
for contributing to this article.
32 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

BY NESANEL GANTZ
Clinton Causes Consternation
SECRETARY OF STATE CRITICIZES CHAREIDI LIFE AS
UNDEMOCRATIC
Hillary Clinton caused an uproar with recent comments comparing the separate
seating on mehadrin bus lines in Israel to segregation like that perpetrated against
the African-Americans of the 1950s. In a closed forum for Israeli politicians, Clinton
said she is concerned over Israel’s democracy and the rights of women in Israel. She
directly referred to the mehadrin buses, saying that they reminded her of Rosa Parks’
stand against segregation on buses. She said that the refusal of IDF soldiers to hear
women singing in Army-related events was reminiscent of religious fanaticism in
Iran. Clinton’s remarks immediately caused rapid response from MKs; although not
“Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. I assume that whatever will be done
here will be within the measure of the law.”
they seemed to agree with her regarding gender segregation. Finance Minister Yuval
Steinitz said in response, “These voices are totally exaggerated. Israel is a living,
breathing, liberal democracy.” He added, however, “The issue of the exclusion of
women and separation is unacceptable and must be stopped.”
Tzipi Livni was in full agreement with Clinton, saying: “Friends and admirers of
Israel from within and without are worried about processes that Israel is undergo-
detractors, and who act to preserve Israel’s military advantage in the area.”
Livni, a longtime antagonist of the chareidim, referenced them indirectly by adding
that, “It is time to awaken those still blind to the ugly wave washing over Israel from
inside.”
Blame Government,
Not Business
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS IN
ISRAEL LINKED TO INCREASED
TAXES.
a quarter million Israelis slept in tents until early
September to protest rising prices in the food
and housing industries. On August 6, at a rally
entitled “Rally for Justice,” people publicly protested
the increased housing prices, which were
As protests started gathering momentum,
demonstrators urged the Israeli public to boycott
Tnuva Food Industries, as well as Strauss
Group, Ltd. The severe backlash, at that time
focusing on increased cottage cheese prices,
caused these companies to offer loss-entailing
The chairman of Israel Discount Bank, Matthew
Bronfman, says that, while the complaints
group.
“The food-prices protests in Israel have to
said in an interview in New York today. “The
imbalances don’t come from our side. It’s the
government.”
Interestingly, the problems that infuriated
Occupy Wall Street protesters seem to be
affecting Israel, as well. The OECD, Organization
for Economic Co-Operation and
Development, released data showing that while
some countries around the world still have a
small rich to poor gap, Israel doesn’t fare as
well. Denmark, Sweden, and Germany have a
shows an alarmingly widening gap in Israel of
ratio? The United States of America. Is Occupy
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 33

JEWISHNEWS
Rabbeinu Na Nach Nachman……
M’Eretz Yisroel???
THE BATTLE OVER MOVING RAV NACHMAN OF BRESLOV
people make an annual pilgrimage there. The small city in the
zt”l, and
the masses travel there for Rosh Hashana. The yearly migration,
which has increased by the thousands each year, has become a
highlight of the year for those who make the trip to the far away
terred
in Eretz Yisrael? MK Danny Dannon wants to make it a
reality and bring the cherished tzaddik to Har Hamenuchos.
mashpia
-
ago when there was serious consideration
about moving Rav
government was planning on
erecting buildings on and sur-
kever.
Even then, strong international
shtadlonus (political pressure)
was carried out, even including
speaking to the President of The
the construction of the build-
slov,
conveyed his wishes several times to his beloved talmid Rav
stemmed from the fact that he would be interred near the resting
place of thousands of children killed during the terrible pogroms
of Tach V’tat (1648-1649).
There are several other factors, both technical and spiritual,
eternal resting place.
and while he had expressed the desire to be buried in Eretz Yisroel
as well, the fact that he expressly stated his desire to be interred
halachically
are buried in extremely close proximity of each other, with no
clear data where everybody is located; that would make it virtually
impossible to open the ground without disturbing the bones
of other dead Jews.
Observes Rav Frank: “If a move wouldn’t receive the blessing
kever of
ing
on his kever, the topic has resurfaced due to Danon’s com-
MK Danon stated that, “Thousands
of Israelis who cannot
make it to Israel would now be
able to visit his kever. It would
bring honor to the Jewish people
Eretz Yisrael.” MK Danon is in
the minority, it seems, possibly
favor of it, are not mainstream
mashpia or rav
Land.
pointing to another underlying factor in the decision, at least
American dollars.
moving the Rebbe would be best, they would have their ways of
A token of thanks is offered to Rav Frank for his insight and information
for this article.
34 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

BY NESANEL GANTZ
The Color of Money
CHAGALLS GO ON THE BLOCK
Famed artist Marc (Moishe) Chagall’s paintings are hard to come by and are rarely offered up
for auction today. Even a so-called “unimportant” painting by the “quintessential Jewish artist
While Chagall is famous for his paintings of stained windows in actual synagogues, these
in depicting actual shuls. I spoke to Emily Bergland, of Sotheby’s Auction House in New York
one time a year when Sotheby’s auctions all of its Judaica. We are happily surprised at the
press the Chagall paintings are receiving.”
In fact, the press may drive up prices.
drawn to his Jewish roots. He would ultimately return to Israel several more times in his life.
highest of all three.
While in Tzfas, Chagall was drawn to the two shuls of the Arizal. He painted two versions of
the Sephardi shul, which now hang in the Israeli Museum. He painted one version of the Ashkenazi
Ari Shul, which is now for sale.
kloiz (study hall), is the only known portrayal of the interior of this small shul,
which was destroyed by the Nazis, yms”h, during World War II.
The sale is open to international buyers as well and it is unique, as it focuses on the Judaism
rooted in Chagall, who was mostly irreligious. Emily stated that “all three paintings are being
lery
in New York.” A worthy investment, indeed.
Chagall’s painting of the Vilna Gaon’s kloiz (study hall).
The only known depiction of the shul which was destroyed during WWII.

JEWISHLIVING IN
Marseille,
Marseille, the secondbiggest
city in France, is
home to about 75,000
Jews, out of a total population
of 850,000. Today,
the vast majority of the Jews are Sephardic
immigrants from the countries of North
Africa. In general, France has the largest
Jewish population in all of Europe.
If the Jewish community of Marseille
had to be characterized in one word, that
word would be warm. People are generally
polite, kind, and friendly. Although
it is not a wealthy community, it isn’t
poor either. Fortunately, extreme poverty
is rare, because the law sets a minimum
income for each individual.
According to the deputy chief rabbi
of the city, Rabbi Shmuel Hatuel, the
munity
of Marseille, which enjoys a high
of categorization into sectors is not comprehensible
to the Jews of Marseille. Everyone
converges together around their
Jewishness, and it is unimportant to them
36 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

France
BY NECHAMA
MIMOUN
Jewish life in Marseille, located in the
south of France, is organized around 50
synagogues, seven schools, three kollelim,
a yeshiva ketana, a yeshiva gedola, and two
retirement homes. Most of the institutions
are under Sephardic supervision, with the
exception of the kollelim, two schools, and
the yeshiva ketana, which are under Litvish
supervision.
Kosher products are readily available,
and there are more than 20 kosher restaurants.
About 20 percent of the Jewish
population is observant (keeping Shabbos
more or less), while two percent would
be characterized as bnei Torah. It has been
estimated that one third of the primary
school-aged Jewish children receive their
education in Jewish schools. There are also
several Chabad Houses and institutions in
the city.
In France, the Representative Council of
French Jewish Institutions (CRIF—Conseil
Representatif des Institutions Juives de
France) is the umbrella organization of all
Jewish groups. There is also the Consistoire,
which looks after the religious needs
of the community, such as kashrus, cemetery
management, and community repre-
Approximately 300 people per year
make aliyah to Israel, many of whom are
young kollel couples. Unfortunately, there
is also a high rate of intermarriage, which
is a real challenge for the chief rabbi.
Thank G-d, there is no particular problem
with anti-Semitism. But like any other
place in the world, we do hear of isolated
incidents from time to time.
Curiously, France has very few Jewish
archaeological sites, although the Jewish
presence in the country is ancient. Traces
of Judaism date back to the 6th century
If the Jewish community of Marseille
had to be characterized in one word, that
word would be warm.
B.C.E., when Jewish slaves were brought
in for their business acumen. In Marseille,
there is one small street that evokes its existence
in medieval times: Rue de la Juiverie—Jewry
Street.
In the Middle Ages the Jewish popula-
chachmei Proventzia
among them famous rishonim. Marseille
was one of several cities in southern France
(Bezier, Lunel, Avignon, and Carpentras)
that was visited by prestigious meshulachim
from Israel such as the Chida. In 1257,
the Jews of Marseille were granted equal
rights, although they were prohibited from
working on non-Jewish holidays. In the
14th century there were three synagogues,
a guest house, and a mikvah. Another wave
of immigration occurred after the Spanish
Inquisition in 1492.
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 37

JEWISHLIVING IN
The French Revolution, in 1789,
granted Jews citizenship, which unfortunately,
led to the mass assimilation of most
French-born Jews. Another element of the
Jewish population came from Turkey after
the First World War. They are also mostly
assimilated. The community only began
to renew itself with the arrival of very discreetly
repatriated Jews from North Africa,
pushed out of their homes by decolonization.
Other Jews arrived while escaping
Nazi Germany, and still others were displaced
by the British White Paper of 1939.
The oldest functioning synagogue in
Marseille today was built in 1864, which
houses the Consistoire. Up until a few decades
ago there was only one Ashkenazic
synagogue in the city.
The opening of the Suez Canal, in 1869,
greatly facilitated the economic expansion
of the city’s port. From 1830 to 1915,
France had established a huge colonial
empire around the world. Parts of North
America, Indochina, North Africa, West
nized.
The port still plays a large role in
international shipping. Today, Marseille is
a modern city with great cultural diversity,
featuring its own airport, metro system,
and high-speed train.
Ruimy from Morocco, who was sent to
Marseille by Rabbi Lipmann of the Novardok
yeshiva in Paris, and Rabbi Kohn,
sent after WWII by the Steipler, Rav
Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky. Chassidic Judaism
saw a rebirth in France after the
Lubavitcher Rebbe lived there during
WWII, and today, the country has hundreds
of Chabad institutions.
Behind the belief that France will play
a central role at the time of Moshiach’s
exiles will leave Tsarfat
which many identify with France. May it
happen immediately!
Cost of Living
½ GALLON CHOLOV YISRAEL MILK
Approx. $3 U.S.
½ GALLON GRAPE JUICE
$7 U.S.
TUITION
Gan and primary school — $200 U.S. per
month.
Yeshiva ketana — $450 U.S. per month
High school — $225 U.S. per month
MINIMUM WAGE (SMIC)
$1,500 U.S. per month
Real Estate
A four-room house rents for $1,200 U.S.
per month, but the state provides housing and
family stipends.
The current price of residential property is
around $600 U.S. per square foot.
Weather
Marseille enjoys a temperate Mediterranean
climate. Both its winters and summers are
mild, and it is sunny throughout the year.
Getting There
BY PLANE:
To New York — 8 hours
To Israel — 4 ½ hours
To Paris —1 hour, 20 minutes
To London— 2 hours
BY TRAIN:
To Paris — 3 hours
To London — with a stop in
Paris, 5 ½ hours
38 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

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BUSINESS
Doomed
to Fail
EURO FOUNDER SAYS SYSTEM
FLAWED FROM THE OUTSET
Facebook IPO 2012
BYYEDIDA WOLFE
INVESTMENT WINDFALL OR ROOKIE INVESTOR TRAP?
W
-
Euro architect Jacque Delors claims
-
-
-
of
-
-
the situation—otherwise it’s
into a tailspin.
YOU SHOULDN’T BE
10SIGNS
A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
1 You can’t make decisions—dawdling
results in lost opportunities.
2 You won’t take responsibility—the
best part of owning a business is being
in charge; the worst part is having to be.
3 Your only motivation is money—you’ll
need motivation to go forward before
you get a fat paycheck.
4 You swing
between
extremes—extremes send investors
running, employees cowering, and drive
customers away.
5 You can’t overcome chronic disorganization—do
what needs to be done
when it needs to be done.
6 You have no track record of comple-
a lack of success.
7 You have no support system—without
mentors to call for advice, you
reduce your chances for success.
8 You are addicted to the familiar—
keep pace with market changes so you
don’t get left behind.
9 You never set your own limits—live
by your own rules to get the job done.
10 You don’t keep your word—
there’s no trust without honesty.
40 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

40 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

&
Halacha
Hi-Tech
BY SAMUEL SOKOL
GADGETS FOR THE ARMY AND THEDISABLED
“People write articles saying that what [we say]
promotes chillul Shabbos,” Dan Marans opined,
as soon as we sat down in the Zomet Institute’s
new presentation center in its headquarters in
Alon Shvut, Israel. “And they’re right, but it isn’t
what we said. It’s what the reporter thought we
said, and it’s often accidently inaccurate.”
Marans, portly and bearded, with an infectious
smile, is the director of Machon Zomet: the
Center for Science and Technology, best known
for the development of devices such as electric
wheelchairs, telephones, elevators, and—
coming soon—computers that can be used on
Shabbos. While it is only a small fraction of what
his organization actually does, Marans, an American
immigrant living in Bet Shemesh, is naturally
wary, given the way that many in the media have
portrayed his institution’s innovations.
The Machon was founded 35 years ago in the
Gush Etzion suburb of Alon Shvut by Rabbi Yis-
Lev, the Jerusalem College of Technology. Initially
working at the Institute for Science and Halacha in
Jerusalem, a charedi entity, Rozen saw the need for
the establishment of a similar organization in order
to, in Marans’ words, “synthesize modern life and
halacha.”
That mandate, which sees the Machon developing
technology for the use of the Israeli Army and
police, and for medical professionals throughout
the Orthodox world, has led to Zomet being pro-
The New York
Times describing it as “trying to solve the problems
that arise when technology and the Torah collide.”
Marans was understandably nervous. While operating
strictly within the parameters of halacha,
he does encourage innovations that on the surface
appear to be breaking down barriers and could
present issues of marat ayin, “giving the appearance
of wrongdoing.” The Machon’s innovative
technologies are used by many throughout the Orthodox
spectrum in Israel and around the world,
from traditional to chassidic, but as with any halachic
issue, there are differing opinions on the utility
of the halachic positions on which Zomet’s work
rests.
Zomet is a “progressive” institution in the best
sense of the word, Marans explained. While the
use of this term has become associated in people’s
minds with organized movements that have
sought to throw off the constraints of halacha,
cult
questions through the application of halacha.
Zomet is working to synthesize our post-industrial
world with the traditions passed down from
Mount Sinai.
This is reinforced by the physical layout of
Zomet. Walking down a narrow corridor toward
the presentation center—which is used to teach
schoolchildren and tour groups about technol-
ing
with tool chests, bales of wire, and numerous
open sefarim.
Toward the end of the hall, immediately before
the entrance, is a medium-sized laboratory, partitioned
into cubicles, in which engineers in knitted
kippot and long payos sit and tinker with
circuit boards. While I was there, I saw, in an open
space in the middle of the room, an industrialsized
soda machine. A client, most likely a kosher
hotel, had commissioned Marans’ engineers to
Marans was proud to inform me that Zomet’s
work on devices such as industrial water heaters
and Shabbos elevators (Zomet services some 90
percent of Israel’s automatic lifts) have led to a
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 41

ZOMET IS WORKING TO SYNTHESIZE
OUR POST-INDUSTRIAL WORLD WITH
THE TRADITIONS PASSED DOWN FROM
MOUNT SINAI.
dramatic reduction in chillul Shabbos in hotels frequented
by Israel’s large secular population.
“We deal with all sorts of halachic issues,” said
Marans. “However, we are best known for our work
in technology, as that is the most visible aspect of
what we do. When we consult with various institutions
and government ministries, that is not as
public.”
There are, at any given time, 20-25 full-time employees,
mostly engineers, although the Machon
consults with various gedolei hador from the various
streams of Orthodoxy.
“We have numerous rabbis who work here, either
editing, writing, or dealing with halachic issues,”
Marans told me. While reticent to provide a comprehensive
list of rabbis in consultation with his organization,
Marans was willing to say that they span the
gamut of Torah Judaism.
Marans himself recently received rabbinic ordination
as well, making him and Rabbi Rozen superb
bridges between the rabbinic and technical staffs.
“The Machon is well known for dealing with electricity
on Shabbos and Shabbos elevators. Some
used by the [Israeli] Army and by hospitals, or Shabbos
telephones, or medical equipment, or electric
scooters, or the metal detectors at the Me’arat
HaMachpelah or the Kotel. All of these things are
ple’s
heads,” Marans said.
Zomet’s Shabbos products are so well known, at
least in Israel, that people’s reaction when hearing
the name is to mention grama (indirect cause), the
halachic principle on which many Zomet products
are based.
Or, as Marans put it, “You say Machon Zomet, and
people go, ‘Ah! The grama guys’.”
However, he is quick to point out, “Most of what
we do isn’t grama, and increasingly we’re doing less
and less because there are solutions that are much
more lechatchila (at the preferred halachic level at the
outset rather than retroactively), such as modulating
existing current.”
“There is a disagreement between the Chazon Ish
and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach [upon whose
opinions the Machon frequently relies] regarding
whether or not the use of electricity on Shabbos is
forbidden because of the melacha of boneh (building).”
According to the Chazon Ish, it is boneh, which
means that electricity is forbidden d’oraisa; according
to Rav Auerbach, electricity is forbidden d’rabbanan.
“If you go according to Rav Auerbach you can
allow people to use Shabbos wheelchairs and scoot-
heat and light by the application of electricity, as in a
light bulb, someone using a device reliant on grama
would only be indirectly causing a transgression of a
rabbinical prohibition, which is permitted ‘when you
are looking in terms of great need’.”
“The fact that grama is permitted in ‘a situation
of loss’ [as the Rema wrote] has been interpreted in
matters related to health and security,” Rabbi Rozen
explained.
“In fact, this has been extended to include anything
related to health, which has been given a
status on an equal footing with ‘a situation of
loss,’ and often even greater importance.”
One such need led to the creation of a power unit
into which you can plug an inhalation machine.
Rather than turning on the machine itself, you press
a button on the external grama unit. The machine,
at regular intervals, checks if the button has been
pressed, and once this is detected it powers on and
provides current to the inhaler.
children’s inhalations in advance, the grama switch
allows parents to use the machines as necessary.
Many of the technologies that Zomet develops
doctors and soldiers frequently operate under
conditions that are life threatening.
The legal dictum that “pikuach nefesh docheh Shabbos,”
that the saving of a life overrides the prohibitions
of the Shabbos, is certainly applicable to much
of what they do. While this principle is applicable,
said Marans, it is still preferable “to limit the chillul
Shabbos.”
If there are two ways to do an action, he explained,
one in which you are violating a Biblical
prohibition and one in which you are violating a
42 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

abbinic prohibition, it is preferable to choose the
one that allows you to refrain from violating Torah
law.
Another way in which technology permits those
required to violate the Shabbos to avoid doing so
on a d’oraisa level is the use of the Shabbos pen.
While permanent writing is a melacha (act prohibited
on Shabbos), writing letters that disappear,
written in invisible ink, is not.
One of the more interesting aspects of Zomet’s
work is the way it allows those with pressing needs,
either medical- or security-related, to perform activities
they never thought they would be allowed to
engage in on Shabbos.
Genesis
“More than 20 years ago, the phone rang at my
home in Alon Shevut,” wrote Rabbi Rozen, explaining
the origin of the Shabbos wheelchair. “Upon
answering I heard, ‘This is Shlomo Zalman.’ I immediately
recognized the voice of the most famous halachic
authority in the world, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman
Auerbach, from Jerusalem.
“In the modest way that was so typical of him, the
Rav asked if I could come to his house the next day
to help him with something. I replied, ‘Certainly,’
very happy that I had been given this great honor.”
That visit was to change the lives of hundreds of disabled
Jews around the world.
As Marans and Rozen looked on with expressions
of tolerant amusement, I took one of
the Institute’s electric scooters for a test drive,
almost crashing into desks and bookshelves, ex-
by those less fortunate than me. Although I had
good health, I was able to temporarily put myself
in the position of one of Zomet’s “clients” and
gained some appreciation for what these machines
mean for their quality of life.
Rozen continued: “The next afternoon, the Rabbi
asked me to accompany him to a dilapidated house
in his neighborhood in Jerusalem, known as Shaarei
Chesed. He knocked on the door, and it was opened
by a young girl in an electric wheelchair. ‘Can you
use the expertise of the Zomet Institute to make
some sort of arrangement for her to be mobile on
Shabbos?’ he asked.”
As he told me, Shira was a young victim of paralysis,
unable to move or play. The introduction of
a Shabbos wheelchair into her life allowed Shira,
of oneg Shabbos, having been introduced by the
prophets, can override rabbinic prohibitions under
certain circumstances.)
According to Mrs. Posner, Shira’s mother, “Shabbos
would come, and the fun would go down the
ing
for someone to come and push her.”
However, since being given her scooter, what
Rabbi Rozen terms a “techno-halachic device,” Shira’s
entire life has changed. “Now I have legs,” she said.
“I can do it myself.”
While seeing someone perambulate through a
synagogue or beis midrash on a motorized vehicle on
Shabbos is disconcerting, it is certainly no match for
the sight of a frum soldier typing and using a computer
system on the holiest of days.
Other Inventions
Through the use of a capacitive keyboard, based
by tablet computers and smart phones, IDF soldiers
can now use computers that are unfortunately
necessary for security reasons on Shabbos without
doing anything beyond modulating an existing current.
A mouse with two grama-buttons completes
the system.
In fact, Marans informed me that Zomet is currently
looking into the creation of smartphones,
along the lines of Apple’s popular iPhone, featuring
capacitive touch screens that can be used by
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 43

security personnel.
Another invention that relies on the modulation
of existing current are the gates and handheld
metal detectors used by guards at the Me’arat
HaMachpelah and the Kotel, two of Israel’s holiest
and most contentious sites.
According to Zomet, the hand-held metal detecting
wand is a device “in which no electric circuit is
turned on or off. A mechanism that causes very lowlevel
vibrations (as in a cell phone) is left on for the
entire Shabbos, and if the device is brought close
to metal, the level of vibration increases. The prohibitions
related to operating electrical devices on
Shabbos (“giving birth” to a new current, lighting a
is turned on or off, but not if the level of current is
altered.”
Zomet claims that this techno-halachic device
“may be used on Shabbos even according to the
most stringent halachic requirements. It has been
approved by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Rabbi
Yehoshua Neubirt [author of Shemiras Shabbos
K’Hilchaso].”
The gates at Shaarei Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem
and the abovementioned holy sites are guarded by
electronic gates operating on the same principles.
“If a person passes through carrying a large enough
quantity of metal (such as a gun), a buzzer sounds.
People with evil intentions will certainly not be
inhibited by the Shabbos desecration involved
in going through the gate, but what about an observant
Jew? Sometimes a belt buckle or a tallis
ornament is enough to set off the alarm, thereby
desecrating Shabbos.”
In order to avoid this scenario, the Institute utilized
the same principle of the modulation of current. “In
these entrance gates the buzzer has been replaced
by a meter, and a small current exists even when no
metal is present. A person who passes through the
of current in the device, but does not open or close
an electrical circuit. A sign at the entrance explains
to those passing through that they need not fear desecrating
the Shabbos.”
Returning to grama, Zomet has developed systems
for use in secure locations such as the City of David
BY MAKING PENS WHOSE INK
DISAPPEARS OVER SEVERAL DAYS,
ZOMET HAS ALLOWED DOCTORS TO
KEEP RECORDS ON SHABBOS
in the Shiloah/Silwan neighborhood, the scene of
frequent violent clashes between Arab and Jewish
residents. Due to concerns over violence, doors in
the gates of the Ir David compound are locked and
barred.
Standing in the exhibition room, Marans demonstrated
a system whereby one can have a locked door
opened remotely by security guards, allowing one to
enter a secure zone on Shabbos.
According to Zomet:
Electronic and magnetic systems are very
common for use in locking doors in public places,
such as entrances to cooperative housing, hospitals,
and secure installations. Anybody who wants
to enter these places must typically enter a number
into a keypad to open the door, or alert a guard
inside the installation by using a bell or an intercom.
Sometimes it is possible to leave the installation
using a one-way handle, but at many sites the
only way to leave also requires operating a buzzer.
In the past, we suggested that the way to operate
such systems on Shabbos was to install a separate
buzzer for Shabbos, operating on the technique of
grama, indirect action. The problem with this solution
is that it has various halachic problems. The
only cases for which electrical devices using grama
may be used on Shabbos are in situations of a large
danger, or to avoid great suffering. A new technology
that has been developed allows opening doors
electronically without any problems. This is based
mitted
on Shabbos without any limitations.
The change-sensor operates through the use of
a capacitance-sensing device. Touching the cover
properties and frequency of the sensor, because of
the electronic properties of the human body. There
is no need to open or close an electric circuit. The
halachic approval for this action is based on the
fact that the prohibition against using electricity
on Shabbos involves opening or closing a circuit
(in violation of boneh—construction—or molid—
giving birth to something new). But modifying a
property setting (current, voltage, frequency, or
capacitance) of an existing current is permitted.
The change-sensor applies a voltage to electrical
devices connected to it. When the capacitance of
the sensor changes, the change-sensor increases or
decreases the voltage, depending on how long the
hand maintains contact with the surface.
This technique is suitable for exit doors that are
operated through the use of a magnetic or electronic
lock.
Magnetic lock: A very strong electromagnet
44 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

slowly, until a small push on the door will open it.
No electric circuit is opened or closed. A few seconds
after the hand is removed the current is decreased,
once again reducing the pull of the magnet and locking
the door.
Ringing a bell: Sometimes a locked door is opened
from the inside by a guard who must be alerted by
ringing a bell or talking through an intercom. The
button normally used to ring a bell will be replaced
by a change-sensor. Putting a hand close to the
sensor will cause the current to gradually increase in
a buzzer or LED display, alerting the guard. In this
technique, no electric circuit is opened or closed.
When the hand is removed, the current gradually decreases
and the buzz or the LED light at the guard’s
station returns to its initial very weak state.
keeps the door pressed tight to the doorpost,
exerting a force of hundreds of kilograms. The
button that is normally used to leave the installation
is replaced by a change-sensor. When a hand
comes close to the control box, the current passing
through the electromagnet will be gradually reduced
so that a light push on the door will open it.
In this way, there is no electric circuit that is created
or broken (and the pull of the magnet continues all
the time). A few seconds after the hand is removed
from the control box, the current is increased and
the magnet returns to full strength.
Electronic lock: The electronic locks have a built-
the door remains locked. Pressing a switch closes a
circuit and sends a current through the magnet, releasing
the tongue of the lock. In this case, the usual
button will be replaced by a change-sensor. Putting
the hand near the control box or touching it causes
the electric current in the electromagnet to increase
Hospitals
Aside from the security sphere, Machon Zomet’s
Jerusalem’s Shaarei Zedek Medical Center near Bayit
Marans, Rozen, and their team of frum engineers.
One of the more interesting devices sold by the
institute is the “Shab-et,” a pen used by many Israeli
doctors. While writing is a biblical prohibition,
temporary writing that fades after several days
is only banned rabbinically. By making pens whose
ink gradually disappears over the course of several
days, Zomet has allowed doctors to keep records on
Shabbos that can be transcribed or photocopied after
Havdalah.
Explains Zomet: “The Shab-et is in regular use in
many hospitals, by security forces, and even in the
if necessary). The use of a Shabbos pen is permitted
only if the action is so essential that it takes precedence
over the rabbinical prohibition of writing using
temporary ink.”
Another innovation introduced by Marans,
Rozen, and team is the food cart grama plug. It is
generally accepted that it is very important for patients
to be served hot food. It is true that not all
patients in a hospital are considered to be in mortal

THE ABILITY FOR SECULAR JEWS
TO KEEP SHABBOS WITHOUT
FEELING COERCED IS A BIG DEAL
IN AN INCREASINGLY POLARIZED
ISRAELI SOCIETY.
danger, but a public institution cannot differentiate
between one patient and another. Thus, as a
general rule, all the patients should receive hot
food. But how can this be done on Shabbos?
“The solution is an automatic grama outlet,”
standard one, so that it cannot be plugged into
regular sockets. Most of the time the circuit in this
special outlet is not live, both during the week
and on Shabbos. The equipment (hidden in the
wall) has an electrical mechanism that operates
as follows:
A digit is displayed on a wall panel, cycling
through the numbers 0 to 9, with the value chang-
instant that the number changes from 0 to 1, an internal
electronic test is performed (with a duration
of about 1 millisecond) to check whether something
has been inserted into the plug (by measuring
the resistance on the line). If the test shows that the
outlet is “occupied” (by a plug for a food cart or
for any other electrical device) the current will be
turned on, and the food will be heated. The numbers
on the panel continue to cycle, and the heating
continues. That is, in each cycle the food is warmed
for four and a half minutes and is not warmed for
half a minute (while the 0 is shown on the panel).
The heating cycle continues as long as the wire remains
in the plug.
The worker puts the plug into the socket and
goes on to other tasks. When the number in the
panel changes from 0 to 1, the mechanism “senses”
the plug and connects the electric circuit for the
next four and a half minutes, corresponding to the
changing digits.
A worker who observes Shabbos will be careful to
disconnect the food cart from the socket only when
the digit 0 is shown on the display (when the current
is off). But even if the worker desecrates the
Shabbos, the food is not forbidden to the patient,
since it was heated in a permitted way. The fact that
the current might have been turned off in a prohibited
way does not have any effect on the food.
A buzzer, used for calling nurses to one’s bedside,
also operates on similar principles, Marans told me,
handing me a buzzer to click while he explained the
halachic implications and rationales underpinning
his work.
Commercial Applications
Not everything that Zomet manufactures, however,
is bedi’eved. One lechatchila gadget (Marans
claims that thousands of units are sold annually.)
is the Chagaz, a holiday gas timer sold in stores
throughout Israel. The Chagaz is a “spring-operated
mechanical timer” that is hooked into the
gas line leading to the stove.
a Yom Tov on which cooking is permitted, the
device, approved both by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and
a preset time.” Sold for less than 200 shekels, the
Chagaz limits the dangers inherent in leaving
period.
Zomet also manufactures equipment for use in
agriculture and industry. While milking a cow on
Shabbos is absolutely prohibited, “in principle, it is
permitted to ‘milk’ a substance that is not needed.
from the stalk in order to keep the grain, milking is
prohibited only if the person needs the substance
that is removed (in this case, the milk). Milking in
such a way that the milk will be discarded is not
prohibited. Since not milking the cow will also
cause it discomfort, this process is permitted if the
milk will not be kept. “
However, in a modern dairy farm it is not possible
to actually throw away the milk. A farmer who
discards 15 percent of all the milk (taking into account
Shabbos and holidays throughout the year)
great rabbis of the previous generation (Rabbi Isaac
Halevy Herzog and the Chazon Ish) found a way to
keep the milk while, from a halachic point of view,
it is being “discarded.” The principle is that at the
start of the process, the milk is sent to a tank with a
substance that spoils it (such as soap or kerosene).
clean tank.
Implementing this solution (in addition to other
halachic limitations that the rabbis insisted on)
leads to various technical problems. For example,
how can we be sure that the farmer will not forget
to return the equipment in the direction of “spoil-
46 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

ing” before starting to milk the next cow? How can we make
sure that nothing will contaminate the pipes that lead to the
“spoiled” milk container and ruin the entire system? Is there a
farmer will not have to be involved with the inconvenience of
valves, which may stick?
The Zomet Institute uses pneumatic and vacuum systems for
this purpose. Such systems are standard equipment in modern
dairies, and their use makes it possible for all the work in a dairy
to be carried out by Jews on Shabbos without any halachic problems.
There are also a number of problems involving electronics and
electrical systems in the modern dairy farm, and innovative solutions
have also been found for them.
Social Impact
The impact of the Zomet revolution has been felt all over Israel,
technology. From patients in Shaarei Zedek hospital who buzz
for a nurse, to visitors to the Kotel passing through metal detectors
made by the Machon, Israelis of all stripes have gained from
Zomet’s work.
Marans explained that by creating technologies that provide
in kosher hotels without feeling that they have to heat the water
themselves, a grave desecration of the Shabbos. The ability for
secular Jews to keep Shabbos without feeling coerced is a big deal
in an increasingly polarized Israeli society. Through the installation
of Shabbos elevators in buildings throughout the country,
Marans has helped prevent mass chillul Shabbos.
Despite the success of the technology, however, the Machon
will never be a cash cow. Due to limited manufacturing capac-
rather than manufacturing their own. “We are not dealing with
scale,” he explained.
After thanking my host for a wonderful tour, I was ushered
into Ravble
determination hidden behind his affability, the Rabbi expressed
his satisfaction in helping those in need.
That, Zomet certainly has done.

AMBASSADORS
KIDDUSH HASHEM IN THE WORKPLACE
Mesiras Nefesh for the
Common Man
WHEN PUSH CAME TO SHOVE, HE WOULDN’T BUDGE BY BASHA MAJERCZYK
It is said that each and every Yid
possesses the innate quality of
mesirat nefesh—the willingness to
tion
of Hashem’s Name, rather
than commit idolatry. This always brings
to mind Jews tied to the stake during the
Inquisition, crazed Muslims with
outstretched swords lopping off
heads left and right, and images
of the Nazi Holocaust.
As a spoiled and pampered
American, born and bred in the
lap of relative luxury and raised
on 1960s sitcoms, this has always
been somewhat theoretical.
(Thank G-d, and may it always
remain so.) I personally have
had very little experience with
anyone demanding that I deny
my Jewishness.
However, I was recently
reminded of a true story I heard
years ago, which illustrates that
the pintele Yid exists in every
Jewish heart, even those that
outwardly seem to be assimilated. It was
related to me by a public school teacher,
who had taught English for many years in
a junior high school in Brooklyn. Decades
of teaching Shakespeare, Dickens, and
Chaucer had created in this man a strong
desire to visit England, the birthplace of
all the literature he had taught. And so,
he and his wife booked a trip to England,
which included various historical places of
interest. It was the culmination of a lifelong
dream.
One stop on their itinerary was a dinner
theater, which featured waiters and waitresses
in Elizabethan garb. The patrons
ate dinner at their tables in the audience,
while watching reenactments of Shakespearean
themes on the stage at the front
of the theater.
There they sat, Mr. and Mrs. American
tourist, enjoying their meal and watching
the festivities. Then, all of a sudden,
it was announced—with much fanfare
and blowing of medieval trumpets—that
“Queen Elizabeth” herself was about to
knight a member of the audience! Onto
the stage marched an actress, dressed up
to look like the Queen of Elizabethan
times. Scanning the audience, who should
her “guards” choose, for the distinct honor
of being knighted, but our friend. Leading
him toward the stage, they danced and
sang and gave honor to this individual,
who was about to undergo the special ceremony
required to become a knight.
Bashfully standing on the stage in front
of hundreds of people, the man was asked
his name (an obviously Jewish-sounding
one) by the Queen, so that he
could become “Sir” so-and-so.
Then, yielding her royal sword,
the Queen made a demand as a
prerequisite for being knighted:
“Kneel!” she bellowed at him.
There he was on stage, with
all these people looking at him,
and a little bell went off in his
head. As he told me later, “I
remembered suddenly that a
Jew isn’t supposed to bow down
to anyone except G-d.” He
just stood there in front of the
Queen, not moving. “Kneel!”
she said again in an even louder
voice, thinking that perhaps
he hadn’t heard her. There was
silence in the entire theater as
the bareheaded but obviously Jewish man
did not respond. Slowly, he shook his head
no. Having no other choice, the Queen
then knighted him with her sword, while
he stood. “Maybe she thought I had arthritis
or something,” the man told me later,
marveling at his own audacity.
The Alter Rebbe taught that “A Jew neither
desires, nor is capable of being separated
(G-d forbid) from G-dliness.” One
intrinsic worth.
41 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

y John Loftus
Removing the Syri
from the
Iranian W
42 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

Arab League in session
Will Syria sink, survive,
or launch
a sneak attack on
Israel?
an Brick
all
I
never thought I would see the day when the
Arab League would condemn another Arab
nation. Usually they can only agree on con-
Hussein received so much as a verbal reprimand
for slaughtering their fellow Arabs. In
November 2011, the unthinkable happened.
The Arab League, by a vote of 19–3, man-
-
nations that voted against the embargo were Iraq and Lebanon.
A no vote makes sense for those two countries. For many years
Lebanese trade has been intertwined with its dominant neighbor.
The only international telephone landline out of Lebanon runs
lies
depend upon remittances from relatives in Lebanon, which,
into chaos from an embargo. The real problem for the sanctions
his American detractors, is a thug in clerical dress. Mookie pre-
political terrorism.
Iraq by forming an alliance with Iran, the number one killer of
terpretation
that would unseat the Ayatollah. The Ayatollah hates
does Mookie.
Under orders from his bosses in Iran, Mookie says sanc-
off a throw-away vote on something as meaningless as the Arab
took a unanimous vote before the Arab League acted, which
rendered it a toothless body. The Assads whined that imposing
sanctions with a less than unanimous vote of 19-3 was a violation
of democratic principles. You have to laugh at the notion of
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 43

y John Loftus
Bashar Assad, the
current dictator,
has only killed 4,000
of his people so
far after months of
struggle to put down
the revolution. His
father killed 4,000 an
hour in Hama. Never
underestimate the
killing capacity of an
Assad.
the Assad family standing up for anything to do with democracy.
But then, it was also pretty laughable for the Arab League to say
you could gag a maggot. Nothing but Israel ever disgusted the
Mongol invasion, and he was never sanctioned this way.
Union and foisted upon Arab populations at gunpoint.
a communist puppet state. The Assads came to power because
-
against the King and his Hashemite dynasty.
The sneaky old King quickly changed sides and made a deal
with Israel, and the Israeli Defense Forces promptly booted the
The King of Jordan and the Israelis still get along pretty well.
In fact, an emergency escape plan was drawn up for the King.
In any future uprising, he and his family would head south to
ponies. Every once in a while, one of his horses gets lose and
wanders down the beach to the Israeli resort city of Eilat. There
is no barrier. If the King is ever attacked, he and his family will
just follow the horses to the Israeli end of the beach. When the
your back.
-
-
-
gas worked.
in Hama with Russian-made chemical weapons. The revolt was
suppressed with savage force. The Hama massacre was, Arab historians
say, the single largest event of mass murder in the entire
the willingness of the Assad family to use any means necessary,
no matter how sickening, to stay in power. Brutality is an Assad
family tradition. It will take more than economic sanctions to get
them out.
Bashar Assad, the current dictator, has only killed 4,000 of his
people so far after months of struggle to put down the revolution.
His father killed 4,000 an hour in Hama. Never underestimate
the killing capacity of an Assad.
Just because the current dictator holds a medical degree
and studied ophthalmology in London does not mean that the
younger Assad is any more merciful than his father. Bashar has
justice or traditions of humanity. Evidently, the only thing that
Many uneducated analysts repeat the conventional wisdom that
the Assad family is supported by the Alawite religious minority as
the base of its power. The Alawites are at most nine percent of the
Assad family. Their base of power comes not from their coreli-
44 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

division, and population area, and all are ready to suppress the
counterrevolution. The Assads worship security as if it were a re-
vengeance against those who want them gone.
human rights, cruising Europe in search of a Western sucker to
back his play to become the new dictator.
Bashar Assad was never supposed to be dictator. His older
brother was heir to the post, but he passed away. Bashar was
quickly sheep-dipped into military uniform and taught the rudiments
of counterrevolutionary suppression. His peculiar fascination
with electronic toys has earned him the nickname
smart enough to have earned a medical degree on his own. He
may be the most intelligent, the most cunning Assad ever, and
that should give us pause. The Assad family, indeed their entire
-
rich charging a transit fee to the smaller drug lords. Even the
matic
credentials. He embarrassed the family by dropping his
suitcase, which split open to reveal a very large quantity of very
undiplomatic narcotics. The bemused border guards helped him
sweep up the powder and sent him on his way.
When the Assads are not selling drugs, they are selling guns.
a massive dossier on him.
Before my Republican friends jump on me for defaming Ronald
bank account showed that a one million dollar check was in fact
istration
has decided that gun runners should not be protected.
American prison, awaiting trial. That should be fun.
several French politicians on their payroll as well. It would be
curious if the French were to oppose economic sanctions against
to be an interesting year.
a great deal of credit for keeping the spotlight on the Hariri as-
billionaire who rebuilt much of war-torn Beirut out of his own
-
-
lah
terrorists to assassinate Hariri with a truck bomb. A few moments
after the bomb went off, Western intelligence recorded a
The Assad clan has a lot of blood on their hands, but the worst
ment
to the press, that if the Assad regime is taken down, they
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 45

y John Loftus
innocent of any attack on the Assads, and has offered to return
unprovoked missile attack on Israel no matter who is behind the
movement to overthrow the Assads.
rising
over a little boy who was tortured to death with burning
the Assads and paid for it with his life. His parents circulated
those photos that launched the uprising, not Israel.
Apparently, the Assads believe that it is the Americans who are
behind the revolution, and the best way to force the Americans to
quit would be to threaten a mini-genocide of Jews in Israel. There
funding of the Freedom House campaign from 2005 to 2010 that
point the Bush administration even asked Israel if they would
Assad family in power. Now, Israel has reversed its position and
It is too late.
There was a time when it would have been easy to take down
-
army: nineteen to stop laughing, and one to blow them away.
the attack was called off. It was one of the worst decisions made
develop a capability for nuclear weapons.
built reactor and plutonium processing factory. But Israel will be
Iran) have located the rest of their nuclear processing facilities.
Israel simply does not know where to drop the bunker-busting
The truth is that the
current Syrian revolt
is a spontaneous
uprising over a
little boy who was
tortured to death by
the Assads’ regime.
46 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

population centers of Israel.
within a three-foot circle hundreds of kilometers
away. They can hit what they aim
for, and kill what they hit. Imagine missile
knew to aim his suicide planes towards
the top of the towers. The weight of a few
structure.
If the Assads order a missile launch
while they are on their way to sanctuary in
there be for Israel to retaliate against in-
has nuclear weapons, but if the enemy
the country, what point would there be to
The Israeli nuclear response was
pened
in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Israel
developed the neutron bomb and tested it
invisible radiation. The tanks, crops, and
are no longer of any strategic value. The
neutron bomb means there will never be
another tank invasion of Israel.
with a massive missile strike. Iron Dome
will look more like a sieve than shield
hundred missiles in its arsenal. If it looks
like the Assads will really launch a doomsday
missile strike, Israel may have no
better option than a preemptive strike to

48 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

BY YOSSI KRAUSZ
GRAVE
MATTERS
Rav Elyakim Schlesinger’s work to save
Jewish graves involves halacha, politics…
and a great deal of emotion.
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 49

“Ich farshtay dos nisht
Harav Elyakim Schlesinger, shlita, of London is
world-renowned for his deep comprehension of the
able
rosh yeshiva, a beloved talmid
sefarim
that examine and dissect the depths of Torah,
his rebbi
What Rav Schlesinger was referring to, as he re-
Rav Shmuel, was the lack of emotion he feels from
the Jewish community at large about the subject that,
along with his teaching and learning, he’s made an
integral part of his life’s work: the rescue of Jewish
on an urgent matter involving kevarim in Poland, he
spoke with us about the challenges of saving our an-
BEHIND THE CURTAIN
The buried dead of much of Europe were separated from their
living descendants in the twentieth century by the mass murder,
transport, and expulsion of Europe’s Jews by the Nazis, which
uprooted communities across the continent and the invisible but
iron curtain that fell over Eastern Europe, as countries came into
-
communism in the late 1980s meant that these Jewish sites were
The communist years were not kind to Jewish cemeteries, with
many that had survived the Nazi onslaught succumbing to the
The subject of saving kevarim is one that Rav Schlesinger has
ago, in the wake of the collapse of communism, he founded the
Committee (or Vaad) for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in
batei chaim across
Ami’s editor in chief, Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter, and I met Rav
Schlesinger during a recent meeting in Kensington, New York,
about kevarimsimcha
the meeting with him were several askanim from Rav Schlesinger’s
Committee and the New York-based organization Admas Kodesh,
Rav Schlesinger (back to camera) presides over the meeting regarding
Jewish cemeteries in Poland
Committee and also a board member of the Foundation for the
Rav Schlesinger headed the meeting, listening as others spoke,
but interjecting frequently with pointed comments, intermittently
-
was the resistance his committee was ostensibly encountering, in
preserving Jewish cemeteries in Poland, from the very organization
that was established to help this cause: Fundacja Ochrony Dziedzictwa
Zydowskiego (Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heri-
with Rav Schlesinger alone, about his approach to saving kevarim
What inspired him to get involved in saving kevarim, he says,
are statements about this subject he had heard from his rebbi, the
resemblance he has to his renowned rebbi.)
shiva
should go out [of yeshiva] for, was to save kevarim,” Rav
askanus -
50 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

cumstances! The tears that he shed over the desecration of the
kevarim-
It is amazing that an active rosh yeshiva, who heads a kollel in
his Yeshivas HaRama, together with his famed son, Rav Eliezer
Schlesinger, and gives shiurim several times a week, has the time
and ability to manage an effort that spans a continent and in-
“I come home from yeshiva at two o’clock after mincha
There is a vaad of rabbonim for the Committee that pasken on
vaad consists of Rav Schlesinger; Rav
dayan of London;
son-in-law; and Rav Lev, the dayan
posek shailos is Rav Shmuel Wosner, shlita,
He does not travel to the kevarim himself anymore; journeying
kevarim, as activists and
THE PROBLEM WITH POLAND
The Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in
Poland, the organization that oversees many of the cemeteries
and other Jewish sites in Poland, was set up in 2000 by the Union
of Jewish Communities in Poland and the World Jewish Restitu-
Foundation is carried out under the auspices of Rav Schlesinger’s
Vaad
Poland ostensibly has very strong legal protections for cemeteries,
with a requirement to immediately report to the Chief
-
the legal property of the state during the years of communism,
and the titles for the properties, as well as records showing them
projects, in Szczebrzeszyn (Shebreshin in Yiddish), Myslenice,
-
often are misconceptions that people who are not on the ground
She said that she feels that some of the problems that people
Spanish Ambassador Fernando Villalonga visits Satmar Rebbe.
The Rebbe viewing a painting he received from the ambassador.
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 51

“THE MAGEN AVRAHAM AND THE NEFESH CHAYA AND
OTHER GEDOLEI YISRAEL ARE BURIED IN THE FIELD.
AND KIDS ARE DANCING ON IT.”
have with the Foundation have not been conveyed to her, and
Hertz Frankel, who writes the “The Principal” column for
Ami, told me that he has been working to preserve the bais
hakvaros
of the bais hakvaros was covered by a housing project, part was
covered by a school for developmentally delayed children, and
“Each cemetery in Poland takes a struggle to get repaired, to
I’m talking about cases where the Jewish community was ready
“I consider Kalisch to be an acid test about the state of preserva-
60 percent of the town, before the war, was Jewish; it was a well-
“We didn’t ask for the preservation of the part under the hous-
-
of the experts in the history of this cemetery claimed that the
gedolei Yisrael
was always a city of gedolei Yisrael
it, kids are dancing on it, playing football, and people are jogging
Ohel of Rav Chaim of Brisk and the Netziv in Warsaw
lisch
three times with committees; I went to Warsaw
sentative
of the federal Polish government, as well as
Rabbi Frankel sees bureaucratic wrangling and
He told us in no uncertain terms that the school is
“The Chief Rabbi was involved, the Vaad from
-
was particularly touchy, because Polish public opinion
saw it as the Jews trying to kick out special needs
She agreed that anti-Semitism is a factor in many
cases, but she said that there is a cultural divide, as
well; non-Jewish cemeteries are not expected to be
Polish laws, non-Jewish gravesites can be moved after
projects to convince the public of the importance of
Rabbi Frankel says that Poland must do something about its
Jewish cemeteries, simply to make up for the destruction that
ies
and synagogues as a memorial to those thousand years!”
RED TAPE AND RESCUE
The ease of saving the graves varies from country to country,
dependent on the political and economic situation in each country,
the legal protections that exist for cemeteries, and various his-
Poland has strong laws, but the cemeteries are often no longer
In Romania, on the other hand, the original ownership of the
52 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

a lower level of protection for cemeteries, is why Jewish cemeter-
and the well-developed expertise of the Committee is needed to
Rav Schlesinger gave us a quick rundown on the ability to protect
batei chaim
bais hakvaros;
“For example, in Metz [located in France], we have worked
with a questionable Jewish background bought the
rasha mirusha
protesting, he can’t carry on, but the head of police
said that he can’t allow a demonstration against the
said that he could offer a second place for the project,
“There is no cemetery with as many gedolei Yisrael as
There are no gravestones left in Metz; they were all
The case in Metz is the only one in which Rav
case, about the old Sephardic bais hachaim, which is
gedolai olam
Forty years ago, the Sephardic kehilla sold the cem-
There had been 7,700 graves there, and most were al-
-
ehrliche rabbonim there,
there were kevarim
make a bridge over the kevarim
He showed us a map of a bais hakvaros
-
The owners were willing to take an exchange of another piece of
A NEW PROBLEM
years is that of kivrei achim
“There was a psak from the rabbonim that we didn’t need to
-
revealed, and threats from development have sprung up almost
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 53

To his left is Rabbi Shmidel of Asra Kadisha.
“There are bones that are exposed at the mass graves all the
There are sometimes legal differences between mass graves and
pass to the Jewish community, mass graves are to be overseen by
THE DANCE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS
to 1,400 known batei chaim
Romanian batei chaim are under the control of the Committee; it
is a fearsome responsibility, the Rosh Yeshiva
Saving kevarim requires an ability to wade through bureaucracy
-
-
In some countries, there are Jewish organizations that are of-
there is the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in
-
Jewish kehillas that are involved with a cemetery; the kehilla may
There are other international Jewish organizations to deal with,
vation
of Jewish Heritage in Poland partially comes from the Joint
frum organization that has contributed greatly to the
upkeep of cemeteries in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia,
Western Ukraine, and some parts of Poland is Avoyseinu
Avoyseinu
those buried in a threatened cemetery to make investments in
its restoration and preservation, often working together with
or other interested parties to step in, Avoyseinu does not get in-
The United States is important in cemetery preservation activi-
it is possible to approach individual members of Congress, who
The Satmar organization Admas Kodesh serves as a representa-
Admas Kodesh, was in the case of the ancient Jewish cemetery in
of the Jews from Spain in 1492, the cemetery was threatened by
Askanim from Admas Kodesh developed a relationship
with the Spanish ambassador to the United States; he even
Kiryas Joel, and attended a chasuna
54 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

“THERE ARE BONES THAT ARE
EXPOSED AT THE MASS GRAVES ALL
THE TIME; EVERY FEW WEEKS WE NEED
TO COLLECT BONES.”
help was instrumental in the effort to save
Admas Kodesh pointed out that Rav
Schlesinger, along with their organization,
understands how to deal with for-
The Rosh Yeshiva expressed his respect
for the help he has received from his chas-
“They have a feeling for it,” the Rosh
Yeshiva said about the Satmar yungeleit
believe Jewish people hailing from Hun-
THE EFFORT
Rav Schlesinger has a very practical view
on his efforts, which he summed up in a
Gershon Schlesinger of Admas Kodesh
If it is an issur
To save kevarim, askanim must travel
tion
and other costs can eat into a small
He told us that the week we met, one
askan alone had traveled to the Ukraine,
Romania, and Spain, the sort of itiner-
Even when the askanim receive money for
their work, Rav Schlesinger says that their
acts are clearly and obviously done l’shem
shamayim
“Sometimes there are community institutions
that a person doesn’t necessar-
is obligatory for all of Klal Yisrael
-
every single Jew! It is your zeides just like
it is my zeides, and it is your rebbeim
“Much of the funding come from
amount that comes from Kiryas Yoel,
where the Rosh Yeshiva has gotten
male follower of the Satmar
Rebbe has to contribute at least
kofer nefesh
erev
“The velt has to understand
that, I don’t understand what the
reason for the gezeira is, but that
this is a gezeira [decree], and it is
incumbent on this generation to
cheshbonos
work for those are yishainai afar
[sleepers in the dust], they will
work for us in shamayim
derstand
that this is a Klal Yis-

Rav Schlesinger
speaks to
Herbert Block
rael
did you do for me?’ The
zeides will come and say,
mandel]
writes that when he
was working [to save Jews]
in Hungary, someone told
him that they should work to save the bais hachaim
Halevai [if only] I would have worked for them [the
should we work for the yisheinai afar? Let’s work for the living!’
S’iz tut eich nisht vei. For ven tut vei, shreit men
“He also held that it says in sefarim that this is a sakana for Klal
Yisrael
Rav Schlesinger told us that the Steipler was once approached
written in earlier years, in which it said that disinterring graves
causes danger to Klal Yisrael-
-
called them back: “I have a source: the Rav writes it!”
DIVINE PROVIDENCE
In Vilna, there was supposed to be an international business
center, serving all of Europe, built on the bais hachaim
“WE SEE OISOIS
mittee
was still able to save
AND MOIFSIM [MIRACLES],
the cemetery from destruc-
ON EVERY SIDE.”
Rav Schlesinger told us an
amazing story that went on
when he was trying to save
the Vilna bais hakvaros
had been trying to meet the president of the European Parliament
In Posen the very large bais hakvaros had been mostly covered
Eventually the Vaad was able to get the entire courtyard converted
back into a bais hakvaros
Using old photos and other sources, the Vaad researched which
kevarim
“In that bais hakvaros
-
Rav Schlesinger was visiting the bais hakvaros in Posen as the
ceived
notice that the president of the European Parliament was
coming to Posen and had heard that Rav Schlesinger was there as
They met, with the president arriving with his full entourage,
and they discussed the Vilna bais hakvaros
very interested in helping, and in fact, his help ended up securing
the preservation of the bais hakvaros
“I asked him, at our meeting, why he was coming to Posen, and
56 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

Rav Schlesinger found the meeting fortuitous, and he wondered
whether some zechus connected to his work on the bais
hachaim in Posen had helped him gain an advantage in saving the
bais hachaim
When he returned home from the trip, he found the sefer Igros
Sofrim
Sofer, and their descendants, open on a shtender
looked at the page to which the sefer was open, and noticed that
it was the ksav rabbanus that the town of Vilna had sent to Rav
their rav, but because he was weak he never was able to actually
grave, and then he had received the divine assistance, no doubt in
the zechus
“We see oisois and moifsim
Rav Schlesinger’s work on the kevarim is accompanied by a feeling
of awe at the gedolim
that he entered Rav Chaim Soloveitchik’s ohel in Warsaw, and Rav
Rav Schlesinger told us that he was scared to go to the Vilna
kever in Vilna, remembering the fear he felt at Rav Chaim’s
ohel
The Rosh Yeshiva said that those involved with the holy work
Al minas shelo l’kabel schar—on condition
not to get reward’? It means that we forget the world when we do
That thought is what probably keeps this esteemed rosh yeshiva
Schlesinger walked us to the front door, and as he bid us farewell
he said, with a gentle smile: “You should know that I’m no longer
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 57

Moshe L. Lax
We discussed in the last few articles how halacha and science point
ness
and simcha.
David Linden, professor of neuroscience at Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine, explores
in his book, The Compass of Pleasure, how the brain
creates the experience of pleasure, joy, and desire,
as well as the basis of craving, addiction, and satisfaction.
Many people have heard that the neurotransmitter, dopamine,
controls the brain’s “pleasure” signal, but it’s more complicated
than that. What does it really do?
It has a dual role. For example, if you
have a person in a brain scanner who is
hungry, and you show him a picture of
food that he enjoys, you will see dopamine
release in part of the pleasure circuit,
a part called the striatum. If he actually
gets a chance to eat that food or any other
food that he enjoys while in the scanner,
you will also see release of dopamine.
Dopamine actually is what underlies the
feeling of pleasure. We know that if you
ask people to report on how much pleasure they’re getting from
eating or other pleasurable experiences, their response matches
the level of their dopamine response.
The role of dopamine is tied up with both liking and wanting,
and it’s probably even tied up with something more general,
called salience. (Salience is when an object is set apart from its
surroundings.) Part of what dopamine seems to do is to say, Here’s
something going on that is emotionally relevant and likely important
for continued survival or successful procreation, so wake up and pay
attention.
There are some studies in which some dopamine-producing
cells in the brain are activated by both painful and pleasurable
stimulation. How can that be? Both pain and pleasure are salient.
They say, Hey, this is important!
Dovid Hamelech says [Tehillim 145:16]: “You [G-d] open your
hand, and satiate the desire and wants of every living thing.”
The use of the word “satiate “—masbia—in relation to the word
“wants”—ratzon—indicates that the fact of feeling satiated is tied
to wants, a thought in our minds, rather than just to physical
hunger.
Professor Linden speculates that this may account for the fact
The Emotional Mind
What a Pleasure!
HOW MEMORY AND LIKING DEFINE ENJOYMENT
that some people take pleasure in pain.
One has to wonder about foods like chili peppers. Many people
enjoy them, though they are a little painful. Why? Linden says
his suspicion is that chili peppers engage the brain systems that
say, Hey, this is important, and that aspect adds to the pleasure of
eating spicy food.
Some researchers also theorize that dopamine is not so much
about actual pleasure but about the expectation or prediction of
pleasure.
Indeed, the most intense excitement among researchers is over
the role of dopamine within the limbic system, a brain region
that helps regulate emotions. Basically, dopamine brightens and
highlights our connections with the world
around us, says David Goldman, Ph.D., a
neuroscientist with the National Institute
of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “It’s
essential for associating something that
happens with the feeling of pleasure.”
What makes pleasure so compelling is
that, through the interconnection of the
pleasure circuit with other brain regions,
we adorn it with memory; with associations
and emotions and social meaning;
and with sights, sounds, and smells.
For that reason, our past experience of a certain taste, sound, or
smell plays a tremendous role in shaping our like or distaste for it.
It’s the past emotion which we experienced, that creates and
ence.
We sometimes hear people say, “I can’t eat this food. It smells
like hospital food,” or, “It tastes like medicine.” What that means
is that the negative emotions associated with hospitals and illness
can impact your taste and smell, creating a negative sensation.
Shlomo Hamelech says in Mishlei (15:30): “The light of the
eyes rejoices the heart; and a good report makes the bones fat.”
These words could possibly indicate the close connection of
visual and aural memories to the pleasure and happiness of any
experience.
For me, this raises an old memory of the principal at my elementary
school telling the parent body how important and
powerful is the smell of fresh challah, baked by a Jewish mother
before Shabbos, to the growth of her child.
Moshe L. Lax is co-author of Memory and Self-knowledge in Young
Adults with ADHD.
66 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

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Mum’s the Word
RABBIS AND THE QUESTION OF CONFIDENTIALITY
In January of 1973 a young political
philosophy professor at the University
of Toronto named George Will
began to write for National Review
magazine. While he would eventually go
on to win a Pulitzer Prize, and to become
a staple of American intellectual punditry,
he was then having trouble coming
up with new columns week after week.
He approached the magazine’s founder,
legendary writer and father of modern
conservatism, William F. Buckley. “I asked
Bill Buckley what I now know is the question
most frequently asked of a columnist:
‘How do you come up with things to write
about?’ Bill’s answer was: ‘The world
irritates me three times a week, and sometimes
a little more often. I don’t have any
problem coming up with ideas’.”
Several weeks ago, fellow contributor
to Ami, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky,
bemoaned the difficulty inherent in
coming up with a relatively lengthy
weekly column.
While this is a common concern, and
one that I share, it somehow works itself
out for him, for me, and for others, with
the result that thousands of magazines are
published every week around the globe,
with tens of thousands of writers composing
new and hopefully informative and
interesting content.
Writing a column on the rabbinate
sometimes brings with it a related but
somewhat reverse concern. Rabbis, like
dentiality,
and may even be sued should
they breach that trust, according to New
York State law C.P.L.R. Section 4505—“A
clergyman… shall not be allowed to dis-
him”. For this reason, the most fascinating
experiences I have been fortunate enough
to have been involved in cannot be disclosed
in these pages. In addition, the
more interesting shailos, political quandaries,
and counseling issues must never be
even alluded to, lest the people involved
become revealed. Soon after I began to
write this weekly column, some friends
approached me to share their concern
that I might easily reveal too much. Some
have even been hesitant to share sensitive
matters with me. Of course, while
an understandable concern, it has been
shown to be unfounded, as I would never
disclose sensitive matters.
In fact, rabbis learn, early on, how to
keep secrets, even if it harms them. Allow
me to give an example: One weekday
morning there was an avel in shul. This
person was from Eretz Yisrael and had
come to Buffalo to bury his father. Because
there was no minyan in his mother’s
house, he was planning on davening with
So the natural question was, Do we say
tachanun? In other words does a shul take
on the status of a bais avel (shiva-house) in
which tachanun is omitted, or do we view
it as a bais haknesses, that an avel is simply
visiting? What is more, many people did
not even know that this guest was in the
middle of shiva, as he was not acting as the
shliach tzibbur, and the tear in his clothing
went unnoticed.
To be sure, this question is discussed
in the classic sources (e.g. Mishnah Berura
130:20). Generally, a shul will not take on
68 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

BY RABBI MOSHE TAUB
the status of a bais avel and tachanun would
therefore be recited. But this halacha is not
cut and dry, and certain facts can entirely
cumstances
in which a shul would have
a quasi-status of a bais avel, and tachanun
would then not be said.
Because of particular information that
I could not reveal to my balebatim, gabbaim,
and undoubtedly not in these pages,
I decided that tachanun should not be said.
This was based on certain facts, as well as
a precedent set by Reb Shlomo Zalman
Auerbach. (See, for example, Ishei Yisrael,
page 266, footnotes 75-77 for a comparable
ruling).
So when I instructed the gabbai not
to say tachanun he had no choice but to
follow, although he did not even know
that an avel was in shul. One guest came
over to me and asked the reason behind
my ruling. I explained to him that there
was an avel davening with us. “So what?
The Mishnah Berura says....” I tried to stop
him short by quoting the very same Mishnah
Berura, hopeful that informing him of
my knowledge in this area would cultivate
some trust and calm him down. This,
however, did not work, and the man made
a point of putting down his head for tachanun
right in front of me.
Rabbi Yisroel Reisman is quoted as
having once remarked, “A non-Jew will
never know the thrill of not having to say
tachanun on a Monday or a Thursday.”
Apparently, this man never got that memo.
Now, I do not completely fault this individual;
he did not know me, and based on
the information he was given, in his mind
I had made a huge blunder. While it would
have been liberating to simply explain the
facts not known to him, I could not do
that, and I momentarily looked like a fool.
More stressful than the above example
is the fact that I cannot reveal things to
my wife.
There is a married member in my shul
who is, remotely, through Yeshiva University,
working on attaining his semicha. One
part of the Y.U. semicha process is a wonderful
shimush program. So, using me as
his “mentor,” he is allowed to sit in during
meetings and counseling sessions if the relevant
parties consent. (As an aside: What a
wonderful image of achdus (unity) to have
a musmach from Lakewood working with
a candidate musmach from Yeshiva University!)
Some weeks ago he sat in on a passionate
and intense session. It lasted deep
into the night, and when it was time to
go home he asked if he could talk to his
wife about what had transpired. After all,
that he could attend. I explained that this
too is part of rabbanus and its training; that
however painful it is, one’s wife must not
only be kept out of the loop, but, and this
takes real strength, be convinced that there
is nothing even going on.
Much has been written of late about the
pressures of the rabbinate, but nothing
holds a candle to this. The most natural
thing to be shared between spouses is
work frustrations. Yet, for a rav, this must
not happen.
many of the events in Sefer Bereishis.
Sarah, so shocked at the suggestion of a
future child, laughed. But didn’t Hashem
already inform Avraham, at the end of Lech
Lecha, about this joyous future event?
Wouldn’t he have already told Sarah?
According to the commentators who
explain that Yitzchak was ignorant of
Eisav’s evil ways, wasn’t Rivkah already
told, through a navi at the beginning of
the parsha, the true nature of her in-utero
sons? Indeed, that is why she made sure
that Yaakov would receive the brachos!
Why, then, did she leave Yitzchak in the
dark?
The Ramban (18:15 and 27:4, respectively)
asks these questions. It is beyond
this column to go into the reasons he offers
(see also Netziv as it relates to Rivkah),
remarks: How easily Rivkah could have
avoided the need for subterfuge! How
delighted Avraham would have been to be
Rabbi Yisroel Reisman is quoted as having once
remarked, “A non-Jew will never know the thrill of not
having to say tachanun on a Monday or a Thursday.”
the one to reveal to Sarah, as soon as he
heard, that her dream of bearing a child
would soon come true! But for whatever
holy reason they had to keep quiet, and
they left their respective spouses in the
dark.
What a nisayon!
Many years ago, Rebbetzin Pam, z”l, was
sitting at a wedding when some women
asked her how she was managing with
all that was “going on” in Torah Vodaas
during a famously and publicly trying
period. Bewildered, Rebbetzin Pam looked
at them and asked sincerely, “What is
going on in the yeshiva?” The whole world
was talking about it at their kitchen tables,
but Rav Pam—who worked there!—knew
to keep quiet, and his wife may have been
the one person left who was oblivious to
the shameful hearsay.
So, this column shall continue, the best
stories concealed, and proper order preserved.
Rabbi Moshe Taub has served as the
rabbi of the Young Israel of Greater Buffalo
since September 2003, and also serves as
the rav hamachshir of the Buffalo Vaad
HaKashrut.
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 69

LAST WEEK we saw the Satmar Rebbe train his followers in the mitzvah of tzedakah.
THIS WEEK we see how many people boycotted his institutions and causes.
All Alone
THE SATMAR REBBE’S ANTI-ZIONIST STANCE AFFECTED HIS ABILITY
TO OBTAIN FINANCIAL SUPPORT
One cannot fully appreciate
the Rebbe’s unequaled
chessed and tzedakah without
understanding how
ostracized the Rebbe was.
There has been no leader in the history
of Klal Yisrael who has been as abused,
maligned, and insulted as the Satmar
Rebbe. Every day he was attacked in the
secular press. Books were written against
the Rebbe, calling him the worst of names.
Satmar Rebbe on the way to the pier to
board a ship to Israel. On the right is his
nephew, the Beirach Moshe.
The Rebbe also had very few friends in the
frum world. This was a direct result of his
strong opposition to Zionism.
The Jewish street was very sympathetic
to Zionism in the ’50s and ’60s, and the
Rebbe’s outspoken opposition to Zionism
didn’t make him very popular. On the
contrary, he was shunned by the Jewish
community and denounced at every
opportunity. There was, consequently,
no person in Jewish history who was so
limited in his ability to raise funds as the
Satmar Rebbe.
No Jewish group permitted Satmar to
make an appeal in their shul. You cannot
point to a single synagogue in America in
which Satmar was able to formally raise
funds. I’m not referring to Reform or Conservative
synagogues. In those places the
Rebbe wouldn’t consent to making an
appeal in any event. The Rebbe refused
to take money from a person who was
mechalel Shabbos, or from anyone else who
the Rebbe believed had money that was
tainted. The Rebbe once declined a substantial
donation from a well-to-do individual
solely because he was a benefactor
of Israel, and the Rebbe learned that he
had bought $50,000 in Israeli Bonds.
Once a person offered Reb Lipa Friedman
a considerable sum of money for
Satmar, but on the condition that he be
permitted to put an ad in the name of
Satmar in the Morgen Journal newspaper
thanking him for the donation. When the
Rebbe was told of this arrangement, he
didn’t allow Reb Lipa to accept the money.
The Rebbe, nevertheless, would have
gladly accepted money for his mosdos from
other frum Jews. However, they all boycotted
him. Most kehillos would permit Bobov,
Torah Vodaath, or Chaim Berlin to make
an appeal. But not Satmar. The Rebbe had
no entrée to Jewish philanthropists who
were benefactors of other Orthodox yeshi-
70 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

BY RABBI HERTZ FRANKEL
vas and institutions.
When the Rebbe founded Bais Rochel,
a group of patrons of other yeshivas came
to the Rebbe to plead with him to stop his
negative campaign against Zionism. One of
the people in this group was the renowned
philanthropist and supporter of Lakewood
Yeshiva, Irving Bunim. They begged the
Rebbe to stop going to war with the State
of Israel, for only then would his institu-
The Rebbe, of course, would hear none
of that. The Rebbe would often say, in the
name of Rav Yehoshua Rokeach of Belz,
that if there were no evil people in town
from whom to separate, the frum people
would need to import into town a group of
evildoers. Separation from wicked people
is something positive, he held; it is an end
in itself. One must be able to highlight
what is good by contrasting it with what
is bad.
The frum world, which was at that
time quite supportive of Zionism, had no
interest in this campaign of the Rebbe,
and therefore ostracized him. As a result,
everything the Rebbe built had to be
funded from within; he was forced to
ects
solely from his own followers. How
these few Holocaust survivors found the
means to do that is beyond me.
It should be noted that the Rebbe
wasn’t building only in New York. The
same massive infrastructure he built
here, with all of its community facilities
and charity organizations, he also
built in London, Antwerp, Montreal,
and so many other places throughout
the world. Everything had to be built
from the ground up, as nothing was in
existence after the Second World War.
The Rebbe was involved in every detail
decide whether or not to build a new shul
in some city, and where to build one if he
deemed it necessary. Of course, all these
foreign institutions also had to be based
upon his exacting standards. The Rebbe
undertook the building of Yiddishkeit
through a vast charity network around the
world. Again, this became the burden of
his followers. He trained his chassidim—
both men and women—to give, and he
lived to see the results, which continue to
this day.
If one goes to Williamsburg on any given
tzedakah functions going on in every home
and shul, organized by the women of the
community. Flyers are distributed by
children inviting women to participate in
these events. Whether for a yeshiva or a
time and the money to help others.
The Rebbe and Rebbetzin taught people
how to give by setting an example. They
were both pillars of tzedakah. The Rebbe
and Rebbetzin gave charity not through
intermediaries or gabbaim, but insisted on
doing charity themselves. They gave not
only with their hearts but also with great
wisdom and understanding.
Once a person from another city was
his daughter from her estranged husband.
His son-in-law was demanding $5,000 in
exchange for a get. The father-in-law had
The Rebbe would have gladly accepted money for
his mosdos from other frum Jews. However, they all
boycotted him.
come to New York to collect money, and
had put together a measly few hundred
dollars. Though not a Satmar chassid,
heartbroken and not knowing what to do,
he came to the Rebbe.
The man started pouring his heart out,
telling the Rebbe that his daughter would
not receive a divorce unless her husband
was given a minimum of $5,000.
The Rebbe told him to return the following
day. The next day the Rebbe handed
him an envelope containing $5,000, and
some advice as well: “Listen to me,” the
Rebbe said. “Give your son-in-law only
$2,500, half of his request, and you’ll see
that it will satisfy him.” That is precisely
what happened. He gave him $2,500, and
his daughter got the divorce. So the man
called Rav Yosef Ashkenazi to ask what
he should do with the rest of the money,
whether he needed to return it.
The Rebbe’s response was that he should
use the remaining money to marry off his
daughter. The Rebbe not only gave tzedakah,
but he gave it with such kindheartedness,
and yes, with a tremendous amount
of wisdom.
“The Principal” is a series by Rabbi Hertz Frankel,
who is the English principal of Torah Veyirah
school for boys and Bais Rochel school for girls,
a position he has held since 1959. When not running
the schools, he was acting as “Secretary
of State” for the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitlebaum,
zt”l.
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 71

Was Our Marriage Too
Hopeless to Save?
IT WAS TIME TO PUT ON MY ROSE-COLORED GLASSES
He was all I had ever hoped
for. His middos were impeccable
and he learned with
great diligence, never missing
a seder and often attending
extra shiurim. My father was thrilled,
and my mother gulped when the shadchan
reassured her that the boy’s father,
who was considerably wealthy, “insists on
buying a house for each of his children.”
and when I noticed that over four hours
Although it took a few nerve-wracking
days for the “other side” to get back with
an answer, in the end the answer was yes,
and I could scarcely mask my excitement
when he picked me up for our second
date. Once more, our time together was
home close to midnight I was certain this
was going to be it. Again it took a while for
the other side to respond, but I was not
overly concerned. After all, we had clicked
of time before they gave the go-ahead.
We waited anxiously for the shadchan
it seemed that she had forgotten about
The shadchan, who was a close friend of
was perfectly happy and had been ready
to continue the shidduch from the moment
formidable opponent: his father. As they
fought a battle of wills, the boy decided to
take it up with his rosh yeshiva, who convinced
him to drop the shidduch. It turned
out that his father was unhappy with my
short stature, and was afraid that if we
married, we would have “tiny kids ‘like the
other couple in the family’.”
There followed a string of shidduchim,
all ending in disappointment. Each time
a boy walked through our front door I
date, and the shidduch was doomed from
the start. In truth, I never stopped hoping
that I would somehow marry him—the
dream boy who was really meant for me.
I prayed that his father would relent. But
when news came that he was engaged, my
hopes were dashed forever. It was time to
move on.
By the time I turned 21, I was at my
wits’ end. I had gone out with a total of
Would I ever marry? I was aware of the
grim statistics: I belonged to the Litvish
set, in which girls far outnumbered boys,
or so it seemed. The shadchanim scratched
their heads as they tackled lists of girls that
were pages long, while their lists of boys
were woefully short. In high demand, the
72 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 / 11 KISLEV, 5772

BY SHAINA KLEIN
eeny, meeny,
miny, mo, and haughtily put forth their
demands.
In any event, when Danny Fisher walked
through the front door, my heart sank. He
was from “out-of-town,” and other than
his middos
(great masmid
His family dynamics were equally sketchy.
His parents owned a small housewares
store in their hometown and were far from
wealthy, while his siblings were all married
and living in Lakewood. That’s all. The
that he was the proverbial “neb.” His beard
was rumpled, and his hat sat askew atop
a shock of hair that had not seen a pair
of scissors for quite some time. Tall and
gangly, his posture was that of an old man
with the weight of the world on his shoulders,
yet he was all of 22. He seemed ill at
ease when my father asked him the customary
opening questions, such as which
yeshivas he had attended, and how many
years he had been learning in Lakewood.
I cringed, wishing he’d leave the poor guy
alone. My mother, who stood on the sidelines,
looked at me and our eyes met in
mutual understanding. This was certainly
a no from the word go. Desperate as I was
to tie the knot, I was not going to do it
with this wimp. Forget marriage, I could
hardly imagine spending a few hours with
this guy. This was going to be a long evening.
As I followed Danny out of the house, I
was dismayed to see his car, or more accu-
his brother for the occasion. The doors
squeaked and the seats were strewn with
proud creations of his nieces and nephews.
As I prepared to take the passenger
seat, I gingerly wiped away some crumbs.
Danny looked at me questioningly. “Are
you afraid it’s dirty?” he asked with a halfsmile.
I felt myself blushing. Had I acted
rudely? But Danny was unperturbed.
“Don’t worry,” he reassured me. “I spent
hours vacuuming the car. It’s my brother’s
van, and his kids are kind of messy.” Hmm,
I thought, I wonder if it’s genetic....
In all fairness, our evening turned out
we had a great time. As we walked through
the park’s winding paths, Danny displayed
a wealth and breadth of knowledge that
surprised me. His keen mind observed
everything around him, and he seemed to
whole lot about any topic I broached. He
asked appropriate questions, and seemed
genuinely interested in all I had to say.
Unlike some of the other boys I had met,
he was not nearly as self-absorbed. He was
attentive, and had a way of making me feel
tary
school teacher was a grand achievement,
and he was genuinely impressed by
how I managed to control the students. He
had once done a short stint as a substitute
teacher, and the boys were “all over the
place.” Somehow, I found myself squaring
my shoulders.
About two hours into our date, I got
a tickling feeling in my throat. It was a
blustery August evening, and coming
on the heels of several rainy days, it triggered
my allergies in a big way. I started to
cough and sputter, and desperately rummaged
around in my little handbag for my
inhaler, which in my haste I had forgotten
to take along. This threatened to be an allout
asthma attack, the kind I hadn’t had
in years. Danny offered me a drink, which
I eagerly gulped down, after which the
attack ended as abruptly as it had started.
I dared not look up; my makeup was running,
my face was all red from coughing,
and I was sure Danny was about to cut
the date short and dump me back home.
He may not have been Prince Charming,
but he was no fool. Why start up with a
up, there was kindness in his green eyes.
Somehow, he made me feel good about
myself, even during an asthma attack.
It was late August, and I was working
as a head counselor at a girls’ camp from
which Danny would pick me up about
twice a week for our dates. I felt comfortable
in his presence, and if I didn’t look
too closely, he wasn’t bad looking at all.
I did wish he’d have sewn back on the
the life of me I couldn’t fathom how any
self-respecting man could allow his hat
to collect so much dust. But while there
were many things that bothered me about
Danny, there really wasn’t anything noteworthy
enough to prompt me to issue a
resolute no. My parents acted neutral in
the matter and, when pressed, were loath
to voice their opinions. Each time I spoke
to them after a date they would listen
patiently, and at the end of the conversation,
gently ask if I wanted to go out with
him again. I wished they’d be more assertive,
to relieve me of the burden of this
weighty decision.
I lay awake at night, thinking of Danny’s
lack of social graces, his habit of blowing
loudly into crumpled up tissues, and
and I’d cringe. For one of our dates Danny
had shown up with a mishloach manos bag
rugelach and a
bottle of Mayim Chaim seltzer, which we
consumed on a park bench. But Danny
seemed oblivious to my misgivings. He
smiled shyly, and I wondered what an outside
observer might think of us—a tall,
stooped man wearing drab clothes, alongside
a short but perfectly groomed girl. If I
was reluctant to be seen with him now, in
the backwoods of Woodridge, how would
I feel about walking with him on the street
in broad daylight when I got home?
After eight dates the inevitable happened.
Danny proposed, and I accepted.
By now I was convinced that Danny was a
an attentive husband and a loving father to
our future children—lack of fashion sense
notwithstanding. My twenty-second birthday
was fast approaching, and I dreaded
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 73

spinsterhood more than anything else in
the world. If Danny, socially awkward as
he was, was the one to save me from a desolate
future, so be it. And if I failed to be
terribly excited about him at the time of
our engagement, here was hoping that we
would grow closer in time, once we were
bound by marriage and our mutual desire
to build a Torah’dike home.
Yet despite my pious intentions, no
sooner were we engaged than I had serious
doubts. What had I done? Was I really
going to go through with it? The worst
part was that I had no one to blame but
myself. How clever of my parents to have
remained neutral! The vort was a disaster,
and although I smiled through the entire
affair until my cheeks actually hurt, I was
sobbing inside. Each time I glimpsed
Danny on the men’s side, I quickly turned
away. He hadn’t managed to put himself
together, even for his own vort. His parents
and siblings were all in attendance,
and they were thrilled with the shidduch.
Danny was the baby, and I was going to
be their sweet little sister-in-law. “She’s
make the cutest couple!” Like Danny, they
paid little heed to their appearance. Their
guess they had their own unique set of priorities.
I cried myself to sleep that night,
as I did on many nights leading up to the
wedding. As I shopped and readied for the
big day, my sense of dread grew.
We were married in early winter. Before
long, the noisy celebration of our wedding
guests was replaced by an eerie silence
that pervaded our perfect little apartment.
I cooked delicious gourmet meals,
and cleaned the house until every corner
gleamed and sparkled. I worked full time,
yet managed to invite numerous guests
for Shabbos. I was the consummate balabusta,
the envy of my friends and neighbors.
How did I manage, they all wanted
to know, to do everything so perfectly? I
must be Superwoman!
I smiled in feigned appreciation, personifying
perfection until I crossed the threshold
of my own apartment and closed the
door. Inside, I was allowed to shed my
veneer, and for an hour or so until Danny
returned from yeshiva I could allow my
pent-up feelings to surface. I dreaded
Danny’s coming home and having to pretend
that I was happy, when in truth, I was
downright miserable. He always complimented
me on my food, but I knew that he
would have preferred a plate of lettuce and
tuna—without the side order of tension.
In a desperate attempt to please me, he’d
payos, and I’d
feel terribly guilty.
G-d knows I tried, or so I thought back
then, when a clean house and a groomed
appearance were all-important. But Danny
knew that my efforts were all a farce, a desperate
and shoddy pretense. It went so far
that, a few months after the chasuna, Danny’s
father called my parents to an urgent
meeting. Something had to be done, he
mechutonim. Danny, his
kind and gentle son who wouldn’t hurt
candid moment, his normally reserved
weren’t going well between him and his
wife, and that try as he might, he could
not manage to please her. His father desperately
asked my parents to get involved,
but they refused. Let them sort it out,
themselves. This, of course, was all done
in clandestine fashion, and we were not
aware of this meeting until much later.
By Pesach, things had gotten so bad
between us that when Danny suggested
we take a trip on Chol Hamoed, I came
act
with their spouses with the ease that
comes from years of mutual respect
and shared experiences, our relationship
appeared—in stark contrast—more
dismal than ever. I ached for a happy marriage,
yet I was so entrenched in my illconceived
values that placed social graces
and aesthetics above all else, that I could
not extricate myself from them no matter
how hard I tried. I could not forgive myself
for having given my hand in marriage to a
man who espoused all the wrong values—
who threw off his shoes in the middle of
the dining room, and brushed his teeth at
the kitchen sink in front of a houseful of
guests.
As soon as Pesach was over, I embraced
the return to routine for all it was worth.
I breathed a sigh of relief when Danny
went back to yeshiva. It had been so sti-
at times I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. The
burden of pretending to be the attentive
wife, when in reality I felt like a hollow
shell, was too much to bear. Thus a few
B., a marriage counselor who was said to
have helped countless young couples with
Danny.
“You’re sure it’s worth it?” Danny asked
skeptically. He doubted that anyone could
help us. Over the past months we had
gotten into a kind of rut where we each
did our own thing. In the evenings, Danny
would take a walk, while I talked incessantly
to friends and family on the phone.
By now it was quite obvious that I wasn’t
fond of him, and no rabbi in the world
working in a camp up in the Catskills,
and the trip would involve upwards of
three hours each way. But I persisted, and
so, early the next morning, we ventured
to reverse an all but hopeless pattern of
mutual discontent.
As soon as we arrived the two men
to me with a smile. “So, young lady, what
is the problem that brings you here?”
I was thrown by his abruptness and
felt myself blush. I wished he would have
broken the ice with some social niceties,
small talk and preferred to get to the point.
“We are here to ask you to help us with
our marriage,” I said, enunciating my
words carefully.
me.
“It seems—although correct me if I’m
wrong—that it is you, young lady, who is
unhappy. This young fellow,” he said, smiling
and nodding toward Danny, “appears
74 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 / 11 KISLEV, 5772

quite happy with the marriage.”
How was he so sure? I wondered. But I
dared not say anything. We had traveled
over three hours and I wasn’t about to ruin
it by sounding off.
“Nu
I clasped my hands together and took a
deep breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I
peered over at Danny. He smiled his usual
shy smile and waited for me to speak.
“Well,” I began, “it seems like we weren’t
really meant for each other.”
“Because we are so different. There’s
very little that we agree on.”
Without much further prompting, once
Danny left the room, I plunged into a
lengthy soliloquy, pouring out my heart
tidy house and a groomed appearance,
while Danny always looked so messy and
unkempt. I told him how I lived my life
with precision and on a tight schedule,
while Danny paid little heed to the clock
and was almost never on time. This went
on for almost an hour, and I would have
continued until G-d knows when, were it
“Young lady,” he said, “don’t you realize
that all his problems are really his maylos
How so? I wondered.
“Well,” he said, “take, for instance, his
lack of interest in a clean, orderly home.
While it may be exasperating to be constantly
rearranging the bookshelves after
him, and removing his shoes from the
ful
to have a husband who comes home
after a full day of learning or working, and
instead of complaining about the mess,
he walks through two feet of clutter and
greets his wife with a smile! And while you
may think that a four-course meal is necessary,
once you have a houseful of children
macaroni, your husband will in all likeli-
fanciest recipes.”
How unfair, I thought, laying the blame
on me. What about Danny and his bad
habits? What about his slumped posture
and unkempt appearance? Wasn’t there
also something he had to do to enhance
our marriage?
B.’s words ringing in my ears. “Don’t you
realize that all his problems are really his
maylos?” I couldn’t get his words out of my
head.
Over the next few weeks and months, I
found myself undergoing a gradual emotional
shift. It didn’t happen overnight,
more I thought about it, the more I realized
that the reasons I had married Danny
were still valid. Why had I chosen to focus
on his faults? And who was I, anyway? I
was short, overweight, and had a bad case
of allergies. Worse still, I was intolerant
and rigid.
After rethinking my attitude, I resolved
to change my behavior. It wasn’t easy. But I
found that the less critical I was, the more
my husband was relaxed and happy. And,
much to my surprise, I also discovered
that I wanted him to be happy!
point in our marriage. It is now over three
years since then, and with a second baby
on the way, we have grown ever closer.
have to remind him to get a haircut, or
button. But I have come to realize how
unimportant these things really are, and
have grown to appreciate Danny for the
wonderful human being he is.
As I look around and see other couples
resorting to divorce as casually as I
once considered it, G-d forbid, I want to
shout, “Stop! Have you explored all your
options?”
Interestingly, the marriage counselor,
with whom we had met only once, later
told Danny that he had never met a couple
who were so unhappy, yet able to turn
their marriage around so drastically. All it
took was a willingness to accept that it was
up to me to change my thinking, rather
than expect to change the man I married
into someone he was not meant to be.
I am very grateful for having done so.
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THE LOOK ON HIS FACE GAVE IT AWAY
Having a “gleam in one’s eye”
is often used to describe a
sparkle—sometimes spiritual,
sometimes ethereal—a
sparkle that can hardly be
and blood.
Over the years I have seen many gleams,
mostly from children who were about to
be rewarded.
But one gleam from a middle-aged
tycoon taught me that even the
childhood excitement of a spiritual
treasure cannot be
withered by age.
About 28 years ago
I was a member of
the Pittsburgh kollel.
I came in the second
or third shift of yungeleit,
who I believe were part of
the Pittsburgh renaissance,
a period in which its chimneys
in nearby Homestead
stopped belching the residue
of coke factories, and liver and
lung transplants, as well as the emergence
of robotics and technology, became
the avant-garde industries that took center
stage.
The rosh kollel, Rabbi Shaul Kagan,
ob”m, and I had much in common, and he
revered my zaide, Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky,
and treated me accordingly. Rabbi Kagan
had a keen interest in so many worlds and
ideas, and though he was anchored by the
vision of his rebbe, Rav Aharon Kotler, his
curious enthusiasm for the world at large
allowed him to relate to and appreciate the
widest spectrum of the human race that I
had ever seen in my yeshiva mentors.
He imparted in me a fascination and
appreciation for the history and heritage
of that city’s rabbinate, and with his guid-
a large cache of discarded old sefarim, and
the benevolence of the Ungar and Pfeffer
families, I established a small but respectable
library, the Otzar Chachmei Pittsburgh.
It contained a collection of works
authored by many of the rabbanim who
graced the city of Pittsburgh from the early
1900s until my time in the kollel.
Though he was a traditionalist, Rabbi
Kagan and the newly-recruited rosh kollel,
Rabbi Naftali Beer, had a penchant for new
ideas to bring people into the kollel and
strengthen their bond to Torah learning.
It was the early 1980s, and the Inter-
imagination. Audiovisual learning (at least
in the kollel communities) was basically
limited to teachers, blackboards, and overhead
projectors. But I knew of a Torah tape
library in Brooklyn that lent out cassettes
free of charge, and I wanted to replicate
the concept some 500 miles west on Interstate
76—in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(For those of you under 18 who have
been given an assignment to read a classic
piece of contemporary literature, let
me explain something that may have left
you scratching your heads. In the olden
days, when car windows were cranked
and phones had dials with holes for your
tape recorder. In it you would place a plastic
cartridge that had two spools of very
thin, brown vinyl tape. The
tape would pass through
something on the recorder
and it would play or record
music. Of course, the tape
could get stuck, and you
would then have to untangle
about 20 yards of it, which
you could never stuff back into
the cartridge. It would also often
rip, creating an exercise in dexterity
as we would try to tape the two
ends together and get it back into the
cartridge without impeding its ability
to spin properly. Without fail, we
would mess things up by inadvertently
twisting the strip before attaching the two
ends. This would result in the sounds
being played backwards, which made for
lots of fun for the younger set, and lots of
frustration for their parents. The tape was
also used for amusement purposes in kollel
homes, where children would occupy
themselves for hours unraveling them to
see how many dining room chairs they
could string together.)
I had approached the rosh kollel and suggested
that a tape library would be a wonderful
addition to our kollel’s community
outreach services, and he was enthusiastic
about the idea, but not about the cost. I
76 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

RABBI MORDECHAI KAMENETZKY
had told him that we would need cases
speed duplicating machine, in order to
make copies of the many ongoing lectures
that the kollel offered through its resident
scholars. I estimated that the start-up cost
for a 200-plus tape library would run close
to $2,000. Pittsburgh was not a wealthy
community, and the burden of fund raising
was beginning to take its toll on Rabbi
Kagan. “It’s a great idea, but you will have
to raise the money for it!”
I asked him if he would allow me to
revisit the usual suspects—the donors
whom I had known from their visits to
the kollel, or from their being thanked by
name, for various philanthropic endeavors.
“All right,” he said, “but don’t tell them
that I sent you!”
There was one name on the radar that
I had seen quite often in the publications
of many Jewish organizations—Jason
Shapiro. He was regularly either dedicating
something or being honored at some
lanthropy
ranged from UJA-Federation to
Israel Bonds, to Lubavitch and the kollel.
I found out that he was the president
of a Pittsburgh-based company, National
Record Mart, and though it took a while, I
got an appointment to see him. As a young
kid, I would often accompany my father to
I remember delivering mishloach manos to
one of the presidents of the Paragon Oil
Company. I didn’t watch my father in
tchatchke to play with, and if the visit was
to a home, they would plop me in front of
the TV, where I would stare in wonder at
the moving images on the screen.
I was indeed a bit intimidated by the
large boardroom in which he seated me.
He offered me a drink, and sat down at
the head of the table. The room was massive
and elegantly appointed. Besides my
seat, there were about a dozen empty
leather chairs around the massive dark
cherry wood table. There were various
golden records on the wall, representing
the albums that must have sold in the millions,
and there were some record jackets
as well. (Youngsters, this time I will spare
you the explanation of what a record is,
until a later date.) Opposite Mr. Shapiro
was a large curtain-like tapestry that was
hung across the width of the room. I was
not sure if it was covering something, or
was there just for show. But I had no time
right next to me. “Why do I have the pleasure
of meeting you today?”
It went fairly well. I explained that I had
a project, a tape library that I wanted to
create, and he had the money to help me.
Simple as that. I said I needed $1,800, and
waited for his response.
He asked me a simple question. “There
are many secular Jews in Pittsburgh. There
are many philanthropic Jews as well. Why
did you choose me?”
I was a bit dumfounded. I could not say,
“Because I spotted your name on a poster
somewhere.” What I did say was, “We are
known as ‘the people of the book.’ Most
of our institutions have libraries of books.
Thousands of them. But you are the owner
of National Record Mart. I could not think
of anyone who appreciates the power of
audio over the written word. That is why I
came to you.”
Mr. Shapiro smiled broadly, then got up
and walked to the far side of the room.
Standing in front of a button on the wall
curtain with a slight nod of his chin. “Tell
me, what do you think is behind that curtain?”
I had absolutely no idea. I looked around
the room and saw assorted record industry
paraphernalia, and made a wild guess.
Mr. Shapiro looked at me with mock
disdain. He crunched his nose slightly as if
he were one of my rabbeim saying “shtusim”
to an attempt to compare the sacred to the
mundane.
I knew I was off by a long shot, and I
was certain that I would not be getting
my $1,800 either. But then I saw the glint
in his eye, as he smiled and offered me a
I looked at his expression, at the
delighted anticipation expressed in his
eagerness to reveal the secret behind the
curtain. And I knew the answer. I was,
in fact, so sure that I said it with a smug
He asked me a simple question. “There are many secular
Jews in Pittsburgh. There are many philanthropic Jews as
well. Why did you choose me?”
“It’s a sefer Torah!”
His eyes widened in a mixture of surprise
and satisfaction as he pressed the
button on the wall. The curtains slowly
drew apart, and I caught a glimpse of the
velvet mantel. “How did you know?”
“Mr. Shapiro,” I replied, “the gleam in
your eyes and the smile on your face transcended
any mundane item. That expression
shouted out to me, ‘I have something
sacred in there!’ I knew it had to be a
Torah.”
Mr. Shapiro then explained that he had
found the Torah buried in rubble behind a
gas station in Buffalo, New York, and that
he’d had it restored. He decided to keep it
in the most prominent place in his business,
to remind him where he came from.
I believe that it always did.
He also wrote out a check for $1,800 to
start the tape library.
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky is the Rosh
Yeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Chaim at South Shore,
a weekly columnist in Yated Ne’eman, and the
author of the Parsha Parable series. He can
share your story through the “Streets of Life.”
He can reached at streets@amimagazine.org.
11 KISLEV, 5772 // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // AMI MAGAZINE 77

my
word!
ASHER V. FINN
Each week, “My Word!”—penned by the esteemed president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
English—highlights often-misused or misspelled phrases or words, common grammatical challenges, unusual
expressions, or neologisms. Or it just calls attention to curious or interesting locutions.
So, if you want to learn some new things about English—or are already expert in the language and want to
prove it to yourself—you’ve come to the right place.
Hold the Forte!
You’ve probably heard people say things
like, “Well, I’d really love to help you, but
carrying pianos isn’t really my forte”—pronouncing
the last word, used in the sense
of “talent” or “expertise,” as “fortay,” as if
the “e” carries a French acute accent. That is so gauche
(which is not, the reader presumably knows, pronounced
“gauchay”).
There is in fact no word in English—or in French,
for that matter—that is properly pronounced “fortay.”
In the piano-carrying excuse sentence above, as in all
employment of the word to mean “talent,” the word is
pronounced just as it reads: “fort”—as if the “e” isn’t
there at all.
There is, as it happens, an Italian word, forte, that is
pronounced somewhat differently, with the “e” sounding
not like an accented French “e” but more like “eh”
(as in the sentence: “Eh! You call that gelatinous blob
but rather to a way of playing (not carrying) a piano. It
is a musical term indicating that a piece of music is to
be played loudly.
Somehow, someone somewhere managed to misconstrue
the Italian word meaning “with force” as a French
word, topped it with an accent mark, mispronounced
it and passed it off as an English word meaning “talent.”
And masses eager to sound sophisticated showed
themselves anything but, and adopted the mistaken
pronunciation.
Oy.
As the ancient Chinese saying goes, let’s “fung on fun
unfung”—or, “start from the beginning.” (Actually, it
might be Yiddish.)
The word, “forte,” is closely related to the word, “fort,”
meaning “a stronghold.” That is because the word “forte”
means “strong” (f.) in French. Thus we have obvious Eng-
In fact, the word, “forte’s,” original (and still current,
for fencers and executioners) meaning is “the strong
part of a sword blade”—that is to say the half of the
blade’s length closest to the hilt, or handle. (Interestingly,
the rest of the blade until the tip, the weaker half,
is called the “foible,” which also, of course, means a
weakness of character, and is in turn related to “feeble.”)
Which brings us to the “talent” use of the word, the
more common one these days. It’s pretty simple: A
talent is a strength.
Unfortunately, as happens in languages, even mistakes
can become so widespread that they earn a place
in the dictionaries. And so, the “fortay” pronunciation
of the word, “forte” (pronounced “fort!” pronounced
“fort!”) has wiggled its way into common usage and
you, dear reader!) must do what we can to, so to speak,
hold the fort.
So the next time someone tells you that “vocabulary
isn’t my forte” and pronounces it “fortay,” just smile
sadly and say with resignation, “Obviously.”
78 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772

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ETTY DEUTSCH’S CHANUKAH DAIRY MEAL: LINGUINE WITH WHITE WINE CREAM SAUCE AND BETTER THAN SNICKERS DESSERT!
DECEMBER 7, 2011 11 KISLEV, 5772 ISSUE 48
24
EXPANDED
page
plus
NEW COLUMN
PAULA SHOYER
expert baker
Will
Justice
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A mother’s battle
for custody of her daughter
DECEMBER 7, 2011
11 KISLEV, 5772
Delectable Dairy
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BYTES // Morsels of Wisdom, Wit, and Practical Advice By Chaya Silber
WEIGHT TO GO,
SENATOR
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) may be a savvy politician, but
she struggles with the same “weighty” issue many of us do: excess
poundage.
was ready to lose weight.
“I’m tired of looking and feeling fat,” McCaskill announced to all
and sundry on May 12. “Maybe talking about it publicly will keep
The Senator was desperate to lose weight, not for reasons of
possible Republican challenger.
“The metabolism shuts down on you, and all of a sudden you’re
feeling slow and tired. And I knew I was going to need lots of energy
in the next year, so I decided I needed to put the excuses aside and
get more physical.”
How did McCaskill actually accomplish such a remarkable feat in
a relatively short time?
There’s no magic potion. It involved the “tried and true” rules:
eating less, walking two miles on a treadmill each day, and utilizing
the help of a personal trainer. “Most importantly, I ‘divorced’ myself
from bread and pasta,” Claire declared.
The Senator decided to go public, in order to be held accountable
to her constituency.
“It meant that people were going to be watching to see if, in fact,
I stayed on track,” she said. “If I manage to get healthy and then I go
back to my old ways, it will be a public humiliation.”
Babies “R” Not Us
It’s not much fun to travel with young
children, especially in midair. Recently,
it’s become a nightmare. Parents are
complaining of airline seating policies that
create “baby ghettoes,” large areas with
tiny tots in the very back of planes, to give
the front passengers some peace.
If that isn’t troubling enough, it gets
worse. In many cases, entire families are
split up, leaving small children frightened,
in the company of complete strangers.
Michael Lyon, one irate passenger,
booked seats together for his family for a
trip from Washington, D.C., to Bangkok
on United Airlines last summer. But
when he checked in, his family was split
up, and his six year-old son was moved to
the back of the plane by himself for the
13-hour trip.
A United gate agent told Lyon
that there were no available seats and
nothing could be done. He protested to
a supervisor, who found two seats next to
each other so he could sit with his son.
“Not only did the United gate staff not
seem to understand the importance of
having him next to us, they were hostile,”
Lyon later told the media.
What gives? It’s the bottom line,
weary parents say. In most cases, paying
adults outnumber children on planes,
and airlines have to balance the needs of
parents with child-free passengers who
want peace and quiet.
Bulkhead rows at the front of coach
cabins, once reserved for infants, are now
saved for passengers with disabilities. As a
result, families often end up separated, or
at the back of the plane.
So if you’re planning to travel with a
small child (good luck to you), make sure
to call the airline in advance, and specify
that you must sit next to your child at all
costs. Even so, be prepared for surprises.
10 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

Nothing to Cry About
Johnson & Johnson—the prestigious, 125-year-old company that is supposedly the
Rolls Royce of shampoo and baby lotions in the U.S.—has pledged to remove two
harmful chemicals from its baby shampoo and other products.
An international coalition of environmental groups has been pressuring J & J to
remove two potentially cancer-causing chemicals from its products. These products
include the iconic Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo, which costs double the price of
generic brands, and is famously advertised under the slogan,
“No More Tears.”
Recently, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
realized that the health care giant had
removed the two chemicals—dioxane,
considered a carcinogen, and
quaternium-15, a chemical that releases
the preservative formaldehyde—from
products in several other countries,
including the U.K., Scandinavia, and
South Africa.
American parents, who’d been shelling
out extra dough for the Johnson brand,
cried foul, and the company paid attention.
After all, Johnson & Johnson would rather
pay now than cry later.
Have You Got the
“Kindness Gene”?
People with a specific genetic trait often appear to be kinder and more caring than
the average Joe. The variation is linked to the body’s oxytocin (a hormone) receptor
gene.
To prove their point, scientists at Oregon State University filmed over 20 sets of
friends. One person was asked to tell the other about a difficult experience in his or her
life. Observers were asked to watch the listener for 20 seconds, with the sound turned
off.
In most cases, the observers were able to tell which of the listeners had the “kindness
gene” and which ones did not, said the article in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences.
“Our findings suggest even slight genetic variation may have a tangible impact on
people’s behavior, and that these behavioral differences are quickly noticed by others,”
explained lead author Aleksandr Kogan of the University of Toronto.
Nine out of 10 people who were judged by the neutral observers to be “least trusted”
carried the A version of the gene, while six out of 10 deemed “most prosocial” had the
GG genotype, and were judged as more empathetic, trusting, and loving.
But regardless of your genetic makeup, never fear. Kindness and compassion can be
cultivated over a lifetime of selfless giving. Your family would be the best place to start.
ThAN A
A persoNAlized progrAM
of liMUd ToRAh
iN YoUr zechus
I dated for quite a few
years and had reached
the point where I felt that
barring a neis, I would not find
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Less than three
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kallah! I was
Less than three
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opportunity to earn such merit;
may we only hear and share
simchos in Klal Yisrael!
SB, Lakewood, NJ
732.364.7029
ChevrahLomdeiMishnah.org

12 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

To Err is Human
[ ]
BY RATZY SZIMONOWITZ
I
t was my first day on the job, and by 5 A.M. I had been
tossing and turning for quite a while. I was therefore only
too happy to leave for work at a “normal” hour—ten to seven,
to be exact. It was a frosty November morning, and the sun
had barely made its presence known to those few hardy
individuals who had already braved the outdoors. Despite my
warm down coat and fur-lined boots, I felt myself shiver. My
teeth were chattering as I walked briskly to the address where
I was to begin work. Before climbing the stairs, I took one last
glance at the exterior of the building. It was a nondescript, twostory
corner brick house, set on a Boro Park street, pretty much
like all the others on the block and beyond. Yet once inside, I
knew that all similarities would end.
I fumbled for the keys in my oversized pocketbook, and was
glad to find them on the first try. With slight hesitation but with
complete confidence, I turned the lock and walked inside the
residence where I would be working as nurse. The house was
eerily silent, and I felt like an intruder, an unwelcome stranger. I
wished I was past the “introductory period” so I could enter the
home as part of “them” rather than as an outsider. But I did not
have much time to think, as no sooner had I removed my coat
than my beeper went off. I glanced at the digital readout and
recognized the number of my new supervisor, Joan. As dictated
by protocol, I immediately called her on a nearby landline (this
was the pre-cell phone era), and in her chirpy voice she asked
whether—in addition to my other duties—I’d be so kind as to fill
in for the residence’s AMAP (counselor certified in medication
administration) who had called in sick. I readily agreed, as in
truth, I had little choice in the matter. And even if I did have
the option of refusing, it was really no big deal because I was
working part-time on Beth Israel’s oncology floor, where I
regularly infused lethal IV concoctions into the mangled veins
of very sick patients. Dispensing a few relatively benign tablets
to eight mentally disabled individuals would be a cinch in
comparison.
How wrong I was!
I set to work immediately. The guys would be off to their day
program by eight o’clock, and there was little time to spare. I
quickly went to the nurse’s office, checked the patient roster, and
decided to start with Moe. I had met him during my orientation
and was enamored by his affable demeanor. During our brief
encounter, I had learned that he liked to redeem recyclable soda
bottles, and it being a Thursday, today would be his weekly trip
to Pathmark’s recycling station. I pulled out his sizeable supply
of medications and carefully reviewed the venerable “five rights:”
The right patient, the right medication, the right dose, the right
route, and the right time.
Moe’s treatment regimen included the typical medications
taken at the home: 2 tabs of Tegretol 100 mg; 1 tab Ativan 0.5
mg; Risperdal 2 mg in AM, 3 mg in PM; and several other
potent psychotropics, each intended to address Moe’s severe
agitation and self-injurious behaviors that included beating
his hands against the edge of just about any hard object that
happened to be in front of him. It was little wonder that he
frequently sustained serious trauma, often accompanied by
fractures. What was unusual was that in spite of the medication
regimen that tended to cause significant weight gain in others,
Moe was rail thin. I still remember his weight: 102 pounds on
a good day, which at 5’8” put him at a dismally low BMI (body
mass index). But the meds had not left him unscathed—not by a
long shot. They had done a mean number on Moe, most notably
on his balance, which was way off. In fact, he had had a positive
Rhomberg test, which meant that when he stood straight and
closed his eyes, his body swayed back and forth like an autumn
leaf in the breeze.
Since Moe preferred to take his meds in bed, I gathered my
supplies and climbed the rickety stairs to his upstairs bedroom.
I cleared a spot on his cluttered dresser and carefully set down
the container with the meds, the med sheets, and a cup of water.
I felt more than ready to tackle a task that was a no-brainer for
a pro like me. I was glad to see that Moe was already up, and
introduced myself as his new nurse-turned-AMAP. Moe, in turn,
was delighted to greet his new nurse; he was an old fashioned
gentleman of a bygone era, who bowed and asked “How do you
do?” upon introduction to ladies.
His partiality to the female gender stemmed from a
deep-rooted mistrust of men, dating back to the time when
he was mercilessly teased by the boys in his class. Their
gentler counterparts, by contrast, showed him kindness and
understanding. Moe had been mainstreamed into a regular
public school back in the early 1960s, not because of any
particular educational theory, but because there were no other
options for someone who was fully verbal and literate, yet
lacked basic social skills. In time, he would be diagnosed with
paranoid schizophrenia which, with proper medications and
individualized behavioral programs, was held in check, and his
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | | 13

izarre behaviors partially normalized. Nevertheless, I still found
him rather tense, his gaunt face and flat affect testimony to a
troubled mind.
“Are you ready for your meds?” I asked. It wasn’t about
whether he wanted to take them or not; there was no choice
in the matter. But allowing him to choose the time within a
framework of an hour or so provided him with both dignity
and a measure of control, wonderful tools to help him gain
confidence and independence.
“But, of course,” came Moe’s expansive response, for he did
and said everything expansively. He then added apologetically,
“Do you mind if I wash negel vasser first?”
Moe adhered to his traditions with ferocious tenacity. He went
to shul regularly, and cherished the shofar he’d inherited decades
back, practicing the sounds weeks before Rosh Hashanah. (We
won’t discuss the quality of the sounds that emanated from the
ancient ram’s horn.)
I dutifully performed the “three checks,” comparing the labels
on the medication bottles to the entries on the medication sheets
three times: first, when taking the bottles out of the bin; next,
when handing the medication to the patient; and finally, when
returning the bottles to the container. These checks, although
tedious and time-consuming, are designed to avoid medication
errors.
All went well until I got to Moe’s last medication, Risperdal.
As I reviewed the label on the bottle one last time before setting
it back into the container, I was horrified to realize that I had
made a grave error: I had given Moe his evening dose together
with his morning dose, a total of five pills instead of the usual
two he took upon rising. Moe had been overdosed, and I was
the guilty party. My simple task had suddenly morphed into
a disaster. Here I was, my very first day on the job, and I had
already proved myself to be completely inept. I was a dismal
failure, the proverbial klutz.
What to do?
My thoughts went into overdrive as I reviewed my options.
There was really only one thing for me to do: pretend it never
happened. Luckily it hadn’t involved Moe’s Ativan, a controlled
substance that in light of its addictive properties, must be
counted at each shift. The missing pills would not be noted.
Since the culprit was Risperdal, which, although a potent
antipsychotic with serious sedating effects, was not considered
habit-forming, no one would pick up on my mistake. And so,
with shaking hands and my heart beating wildly, I bid Moe a
good day, gathered up my supplies, and continued to administer
medications to the others who were by now waiting anxiously for
their turn.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of activity. Before I
knew it, the first of the buses arrived to take the residents to their
respective day programs. As I was watching my new patients
at the door I suddenly noticed Moe. Holding a bag filled with
recyclable bottles, he was about to leave the residence. His bus
came much later than the others, so he would have ample time
to make it to Pathmark and back. His balance was off, but it was
always off. Okay, so maybe it was slightly worse than the last
time I saw him, but no two days are ever alike. I continued to
rationalize until my conscience got the better of me.
What about the cardinal rule of “First, do no harm,” the
holiest of mantras, taught to every student nurse on planet
Earth?
What about “To thine own self be true”?
And lastly, what about Moe? What if he fell and got hurt?
How could I live with the guilt?
I ran into the kitchen and dialed Joan’s number.
“Hello, Joan.”
“Oh, hi, Ratzy!” said she with her usual good cheer. “How was
your first morning?”
Wait until she hears the “good news,” I thought bitterly. I
wondered by how many octaves her voice would fall. Most
certainly to the sub-basement level.
“Uh, Joan,” I croaked, “I need to report a little problem.”
“What is it?” she asked, her voice sounding not overly
concerned, but nowhere near as cheerful.
“I gave Moe his evening dose of Risperdal.”
Pause.
“Well,” she finally managed to say, “it’s probably not a big deal,
as we can give him the morning dose tonight. He’ll have gotten
the daily dose, only in reversed order.”
That would have been a pretty neat idea, if only I hadn’t given
him the morning dose as well.
“Actually,” I said plaintively, “I gave Moe the entire day’s
Risperdal.”
I waited to hear from Joan that I had nothing to worry about,
but it wasn’t that simple. With a positive Rhomberg and bones as
thin as an 80-year-old woman’s, Moe was in danger of losing his
balance entirely, and even a slight fall could lead to serious bone
fractures. Joan called Moe’s doctor, who was reassuring but at the
same time did not want to take any chances. We kept a careful
eye on Moe that day, providing him with a constant companion.
And so went my first day on the job. To call it mortifying is
putting it mildly.
Many years have since passed, but I can honestly say that
I have never grown more from an experience than that
fateful morning, when I first started to work with the special
population. I have since trained more AMAPs than I care to
count, and have overseen untold numbers of direct care workers.
My professional advice always concludes with the same words:
“Above all, to thine own self be true.” No matter how many times
I repeat it, I say it with the same heartfelt conviction I felt on
that unforgettable day, when I managed to overcome my evil
inclination and admit that I had erred, because it was really the
only human thing to do. n
14 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

DECEMBER 7, 2011
11 KISLEV, 5772
Delectable Dairy
Etty’s Chanukah Menu
Includes Irresistable Recipes Like This
Better Than Snickers Bar Dessert
You’re Invited
Watch Your Children Delight
at Victoria Dwek’s Chanukah Party
Plus! Easy Ideas for Your Own Party

- Yves St. Laurent
up
to 50% off
select merchandise
Sunday to Thursday 11 – 6
718.305.1680
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Dear Readers,
I am so excited to bring you “Pastry School with Paula Shoyer,” a
monthly column where you won’t only enjoy tantalizing sweet recipes—
you’ll also learn technique and the secrets behind successful pastry.
The other night, at my son’s PTA, my friend Esther Dayon told me that
she is cooking through Paula’s cookbook, The Kosher Baker. She said that
every recipe of Paula’s is foolproof because, when she writes a recipe, she
is descriptive and walks the at-home baker through every step. Baking
is a science—and unclear directions can easily result in a flop. When you
recreate Paula’s recipes in your own home, you won’t only emerge with a
delicious dessert—you’ll emerge a better baker. Enjoy! -Victoria Dwek
Pastry
School
Perfect
Learn the technique of frying the crispiest,
grease-free, most delectable doughnut holes
Deep Frying
I know I am not alone in saving my annual indulgence of fried food for Chanukah.
Who am I to break with tradition? The truth is, if cooked correctly, fried food and
desserts do not have to be heavy and greasy. As for all desserts, eating in moderation
is key, which means that your small portion better taste really good, which is why I
created the chocolate-hazelnut dipping sauce for my doughnut holes.
The science behind deep frying is that if the oil is the proper temperature, then
only the outside of the food is actually fried. The frying seals the outside layer and
doesn’t allow the oil to penetrate the inside. If the oil temperature isn’t high enough,
it cannot form the exterior seal and the food absorbs the oil, leaving you with a greasy
taste. If the oil is too hot, then the outside burns before the inside is fully cooked.
If you follow the deep-frying tips below (which apply to sweet and savory foods
alike), you will have perfect doughnut holes that have a nice golden exterior and a
fluffy, bread-like middle. Then go ahead and dip them in the sauce for a candy-bar
experience.
CHOOSE THE CORRECT OIL. The best oils
to use are those that have a high smoke
point, the point at which oil breaks down,
starts to smoke and deteriorates both in
can be heated to the high temperatures required
for deep-frying without exceeding
the smoke point. I prefer to use canola oil
because it is low in saturated fat, and does
not lend its own taste to the food you are
frying, as peanut oil does.
You will need
a saucepan that can hold 2 inches of oil.
Your saucepan must also have 2 inches of
space above the oil because, once you add
food to the oil, the oil will bubble up. I use
a medium-sized saucepan.
The
right temperature is the key to successful
frying. You need to buy a simple candy
supermarkets. The ideal temperature range
is between 360°F- 375°F. Check the temperature
between batches and adjust the
Like people, fried
you fry too many pieces at one time, then
they are likely to stick together and the
temperature of the oil will also drop down
too far. For these doughnut holes (and
when frying vegetables), 6 - 8 pieces are
optimum, for larger doughnuts fry no more
than 4 at a time.
For
safety reasons, do not drop doughnuts or
other food into the oil from more than a
half-inch above the oil or it will splatter
and may burn you. Treat them tenderly and
place carefully into the oil.
You need to babysit frying
food as you would a newborn. Do not go
anywhere while deep frying anything. Your
food, and especially these little doughnut
holes, can go from golden to burned in
seconds.
I set up a
cooling rack over a cookie sheet covered
remove fried food, let excess oil drip into
the saucepan, and then place on the rack.
best eaten as soon as cool enough to
touch, but these doughnuts are still tasty
many hours later. You can always reheat
them in a 250°F to 300°F oven or the microwave
oven.
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | WHISK | 11

Pastry
School
Doughnut Holes with Gianduja Dipping Sauce
Gianduja is an Italian chocolate made with hazelnut paste. In this sauce, you toast and grind up the hazelnuts yourself to
back into a ball and let rest for 10 minutes.
DOUGHNUTS
¼ ounce active dry yeast
¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
¾ cup pareve plain soy milk
4 tablespoons pareve margarine
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
for sprinkling
4 - 5 cups canola or vegetable oil
(amount depends on the size of your
saucepan)
½ cup additional sugar for rolling
doughnuts
2.
margarine, eggs, salt, vanilla, and 3 cups
spoon or with a dough hook in a stand mixer.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the
in, and see if the dough is smooth and not
sticky. If the dough remains sticky, mix in the
5.
circles and place on the prepared cookie
sheets.
1. To make the doughnuts, in a large bowl,
place the yeast, ¼ cup warm water, and 1
teaspoon of the sugar and stir. Let sit 10
minutes.
4. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise
for 1 hour in a warm place. I use a warming
drawer on a low setting, or you can turn your
oven to its lowest setting, place the bowl in
6.
back in a warm place—a warming drawer
on low or in the oven (turn the oven on its
lowest setting again for 5 minutes, then turn
12 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

Pastry
School
SAUCE
½ cup whole hazelnuts
6 ounces pareve bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
7. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a medium
saucepan until it reaches 365°F on a candy
thermometer. You may need to adjust the
8. Take out a cookie sheet and cover with foil.
stovetop.
9.
chopsticks to turn the doughnut over and
cook another 45 seconds.
10. Remove using a slotted spoon and place
on the wire rack to cool.
Repeat for all the doughnuts, checking the
oil temperature in between batches. Roll the
doughnuts, a few at a time, in the remaining
¼ cup sugar and serve.
Paula Shoyer is the author of
Trendy. She teaches cooking and baking classes around the country and recently appeared
. She can be found at www.paulaspastry.com. You can
enjoy this column, Pastry School with Paula Shoyer, every month in Whisk.
°F.
baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or
until nuts are browned and fragrant. Shake
the pan after 10 minutes. Let cool a minimum
of 10 minutes. I sometimes toast them the
day before. Rub the nuts with your hands to
remove as much of the skin as you can and
discard the skin pieces.
like peanut butter and sticks to the sides of
the bowl. Melt the chocolate over a double
about 1 minute, or until mixture is smooth.
thoroughly combined. Serve alongside the
doughnuts for dipping. Store covered at room
temperature and stir before serving. If the
sauce starts to get too thick the next day,
reheat the sauce in microwave oven for 45
seconds and stir until smooth.
Yield: 75 doughnut holes
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | WHISK | 13

A personal journal
A Family Like This
By Gitty Gold
LAST WEEK: Gitty came to the realization that things weren’t going well. The older
girls confided in their school principal, telling him how much they dislike their new
stepmother. The situation continued to deteriorate.
September 1996
CHAPTER six
Iwas grateful for the calm and the quiet that would allow
us to discuss the sensitive issue of this coming Shabbos
without undue pressure, and as two sensible adults. I
was still clueless as to why the children had not come
home today, and I wanted to know why it had been
decided (behind my back) that baby Nati was staying in
Yerushalayim for Shabbos.
Nachum did not respond immediately. He appeared
downcast, fidgeting with his beard and rocking in his chair
as though he were learning. I too was tense and uneasy,
still under the spell of my dream. I began to speak first,
choosing my words carefully. While I did not wish to
offend Nachum, who was extremely sensitive, I did want to
sound firm. One thing I wanted to make clear at the outset:
I was not responsible for the death of his first wife, even
though the children were likely to see me as such; they felt
as though she had to go in order to make room for me. The
children had to be told that this way of thinking was totally
incorrect.
I explained to Nachum that I completely understood
the older girls finding it difficult to accept my presence,
especially Mindel, the oldest. The age gap between the
two of us was only 14 years. She had been the closest to
her mother; they were confidantes and friends. When her
mother passed away, she became the mother figure at home.
Now, before the children even had a chance to recover, I
had come to take their mother’s place.
As parents, Nachum and I needed to set an example by
demonstrating good middos and self-control. I had to move
beyond my normal pettiness and not be hurt by their barbs.
At the same time, the children had to be taught that the
mitzvah of honoring parents includes your father’s wife. For
that I needed Nachum. If he would stand by me and defend
my honor, and if we would put up a united front, we would
succeed. Decisions could not be made impulsively, without
consulting one another. It was necessary to exercise the
utmost care and consideration so there would be no regrets.
In addition, it was imperative that we decide on one
mentor we both respect (not a family member!) who could
guide us objectively in times of doubt. I promised to do my
best not to be overly assertive, and to mother his children in
the same way I would want someone else to treat my own.
I reminded him of how thoroughly he had checked my
“credentials” before agreeing to meet me. If he had approved
of me then, he must stand by me now.
I felt that our conversation had been very productive.
I had kept my calm throughout. That evening, Nachum
missed kollel for the first time in his married life (except for
when he was sitting shiva), but it couldn’t be helped. What
was at stake was too important to ignore. When I was done
speaking, Nachum filled me in on everything that had
transpired that day, and told me about the meeting at the
32 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

principal’s home.
I was devastated. All the wind had been let out of my
sails. I felt all my previous satisfaction fade away. What a
shame that this part of the conversation had not taken place
earlier! I fell apart. Hot, scalding tears ran down my face.
I cried like a baby. I was so hurt, I felt as if I were being
rubbed with sandpaper in an effort to see how sensitive
my nerves were. I, Gitty, who had tried to live a dignified
and independent life, the daughter of a maggid shiur, whose
mother was famous and successful in her own right, who
had bravely left the chassidus of my father in favor of a
life of selflessness—now found myself in the lions’ den. It
seemed that I would have to struggle—planning my battles,
strategies, and defense tactics—just to stay alive. This was
not the way things were supposed to be.
When my tears were
spent, we decided to
let the matter drop
until after Shabbos.
In the meanwhile,
we would greet the
children as though
nothing had happened.
I needed to speak to a
gadol b’Yisrael as soon
as possible. I needed
advice on to how to
move forward, and
for someone to tell
me how much I was
capable of handling.
Nachum called his
parents and told the children to come home. Gitty asked
to be allowed to stay for the night but Nachum said no,
insisting that everyone return home. I was pleased that
Nachum had been firm. I was not looking for victories,
but felt that we had to get everybody back under one roof.
Inwardly, I prayed for success in projecting a united front
not just in front of the children but also before the extended
family, until that day when it would no longer be a “front”
and we would truly be united, of one mind and one heart.
I looked over at Nachum, with his kind eyes, wrinkles,
and shoulders that seem to sag a little, and I was hopeful.
I knew that we could and would do it. One day we would
look back and be proud.
Later that evening I called my mother and told her that I
had had a rough day, and she should go get another bracha
from the Rebbe for our continued success.
The children came home. I settled the younger ones while
the older girls got their school things ready for the next day.
I pretended not to hear as Yaakov explained to Yitzchak
that “she” was not really like their mother, but rather Abba
had taken her to be like a servant so he could continue to
learn Torah. Now that their sister Gitty was getting married
“she” would do all the washing and the cooking.
Yitzchak asked if that’s why Abba hadn’t gone to learn
that evening. Yaakov didn’t have a reply.
At 10 o’clock that night Nachum and I went to meet
the school principal. I heard firsthand how the girls had
released all their tension and anger of the last few months
by venting and fuming against me. The principal was a wise,
experienced man who believed that time would be a great
healer. He warned me
against getting into
I had to move beyond my normal pettiness
and not be hurt by their barbs. At the
same time, the children had to be taught
thathe mitzvah of honoring parents
includes your father’s wife.
direct confrontation
with them.
The principal gave
us encouragement, and
agreed that a united
front was of utmost
importance. He quoted
a number of Torah
sources to prove his
point. He also advised
me to go back to work
as soon as possible.
“It is unhealthy for
the children to see you
doing housework all
day. It will only reinforce the belief that you were brought
into the family to serve their needs. They must all have
specific chores, and they must treat you with respect.”
Before we left he took a look at my own Chani’s report
cards, and agreed to accept her into the school after
Chanukah. Leah Gold and Chani would be in the same
grade but in parallel classes. In addition, he asked me
to send him recommendations from my former school
in case there was a job vacancy. Although he gave no
guarantees for a position, I left feeling encouraged. I saw
him as an ally who would do all in his power to help us
succeed.
We returned home exhausted but optimistic. n
To be continued...
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | | 33

You’re Invited
to My
Chanukah
BY VICTORIA DWEK
Party
14 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

I love entertaining—and
I am one of those crazy people
who doesn’t let anyone take a menu item
off my hands. Though I’ve relaxed a bit over the
last year or so (just a bit!), I like menus to be very wellplanned
and coordinated. Pot luck is not for me.
Last year, though, Chanukah coincided with the launch of Ami
Magazine. If I slept in those days, it was a luxury…so no party there
would be. But, when my sisters-in-law asked if my home could be the
venue for the family Chanukah party and said that they’d bring all the
food—I was thrilled. The party would be brunch time on Sunday—so that
everyone could enjoy, and then arrive back home in time to light the menorah. I
wouldn’t have to travel to Lakewood or cook? No problem!
I picked up an ice cream cake from Sprinkles in Boro Park after leaving work
one day (it was freezing outside and the owner promised me it wouldn’t melt
before I got to Deal…if I didn’t put on the heat in the car), and had the party
come to me.
One sister-in-law, who wasn’t involved in the planning, was shocked, “Why
did Vikki let us bring food this time?” Because it wasn’t my party!
This year, though, I am going to be the hostess. I want my children and all
my nieces and nephews to have the best time ever—and for the adults to
feel like kids again too. I planned a day full of fun Chanukah activities, fun
décor that can’t help but put everyone in a good mood, and a menu full
of dairy Whisk recipes from throughout the year.
I planned this party for Whisk readers so that anyone can
easily implement any of the ideas you see here. Everything is
inexpensive and accessible at craft stores.
But for today, you don’t need to cook anything.
Just come, enjoy, and be my guest.

If your children are like mine, they hardly sit at a table
and eat a bite before they run off and find something that’s
more fun to do. But when there are crayons at their place
setting, the fun is at the table. Little crayon cello bags
double as napkin rings on this table. Use a paper tablecloth
or cover the kids’ table at your party with oaktags or giant
coloring pages so they can color while they eat—and give
the adults a chance to sit and enjoy the meal as well.
To create a fun surface, I lined up paper squares in different
patterns. On the buffet and adult table, these paper
squares will serve as the table runner. Should I match
everything in turquoise, or use a different bright color on
each table? Either way works!
16 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

Flowers die, and
toys…well I can’t
say that they last
much longer. But
they do make a
cute centerpiece!
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | WHISK | 17

A
B
A
B
C
D
E
B
If I were a kid, I would think it has to be more
fun to get a little bag of jelly beans sealed with a
cute sticker than to just grab some from a bowl. As
a mommy, I’m thinking, maybe fewer will end up
on the floor? And there won’t be any fights that one
child got more candy than another? And maybe
they’ll want to save their little bag of jelly beans for
later and we won’t end up with super-hyper kids by
the end of the day? I’m dreaming, right?
Want to know the secret to easy and delicious cake
pops? To save the step of baking and crumbling a
cake, I use a Babycakes cake pop maker. Cake balls
bake in three minutes, and it’s a cinch to dip them in
chocolate. Now for the delicious part. Since candy
melts aren’t available chalav Yisrael, and colored
baking bars don’t taste nearly as good as real chocolate—skip
the colors and just use the best quality bittersweet
chocolate you can find. I only use Alprose or
Scharffen Berger. You can give them a punch of color
using sprinkles. These shiny blue sprinkles are made
by Wilton, who offers a huge variety certified by the
CRC. They are very accessible, including at The Peppermill
in Brooklyn.
First—I love these huge latex balloons. They’re
the giant 16-inch size—never mind the kids, they
even get me excited. Every child loves balloons, and
I thought it would be extra fun if each one received a
balloon with a personalized bag attached (just keep
extra balloons in the bedroom…avoid those tears
when one pops or flies away). I’m going to attach
empty bags to my balloons. This way, each child has
a place to keep all the treats and prizes they’ll collect
throughout the day.
I pinned these mini donuts and cake pops onto a
foam board. It’s another fun way to display the treats
before they’re consumed.
Who will win the dreidel tournament? One of the
best parts of the game of dreidel is that older children
and teenagers don’t have an advantage over the
younger ones. It doesn’t matter how well you spin
it, just where it lands! When they arrive at my party,
every child (or adult if they want to play too!) will receive
a bag with the same amount of fake money and
gelt to use in the dreidel tournament (if they eat the
gelt, they just have fewer chances to win). We’ll divide
everyone up into groups of four to compete…winners
will advance to the quarterfinals, the semifinals, and
finally…the finals. At the end of the day, there will be
one grand dreidel champion (although everyone will
get a prize, of course).
18 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

C
E
D
F
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | WHISK | 19

20 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

Have Fun
at Our Dreidel
Factory!
At my son’s upsherin, I set up a craft
room where children could keep busy and
have fun making Purim-themed projects,
since his birthday is Rosh Chodesh Adar.
It was a hit! At my Chanukah party, we’re
going to have a dreidel factory. Jewishcrafts.com
has projects ready-to-go, or you
can purchase your own wooden pieces.
Amazingly, the standard wooden parts
available at craft stores (shown here) make
great dreidels. Cubes work as the body of
the dreidel, doll heads for the bottom, and
pegs for the top. Wheels (shown on the
right) make a great dreidel stand. Markers
and glitter pens (washable only!), mosaic
tiles, sequins, rhinestones, foam pieces,
and pom poms are some of the ways to
decorate. If you can’t find foam Hebrew
letters, print out nuns, gimmels, heys, and
shins from the computer or let the kids
just draw their own.
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | WHISK | 21

NOVEMBER 23, 2011
26 CHESHVAN, 5772
IN FOOD CURRENTS.
Shifrah Devorah Witt and
Zipporah Malka Heller
Go South with The Best of
Mexican Kosher Cooking
CONTENTS
11 kislev, 5772
december 7, 2011
Features
18 The Clean Bill
Dangerous Choices
Not vaccinating your children is
more than a personal preference.
How the anti-immunization
By Sarah Perl
26 For the Sake of My Daughter
After 13 months in solitary
extradition for a crime she didn’t
commit. Will justice prevail?
By Chaya Silber
Departments
8 Parsha
By Batya Channa Shevach
9 Golden Nuggets
By Adele Jacobs
10 Bytes
By Chaya Silber
12 Truth or Consequences
made a terrible mistake. Yikes!
By Ratzy Szimonowitz
32 A Family Like This
Gitty and Nachum resolve to put up
a united front.
By Gitty Gold
34 Our Days
A literary compilation.
38 Here & Now
By Sarah Shapiro
26
14
in Whisk
18
Inside
Whisk
2 Manna
Dinner is Dairy!
Treat your Chanukah party
guests with sumptuous dairy
dishes like Sour Cream Apple
Pie, Linguine with White
Wine Sauce, Better Than
Snickers Pie, and More.
By Etty Deutsch
10 Pastry School with
Paula Shoyer
New Column!
Learn the techniques of
perfect frying and enjoy
delicious doughnuts with
chocolate hazelnut dipping
sauce.
By Paula Shoyer
14 You’re Invited to a
Chanukah Party
Be my guest in the pages of
Whisk, and bring these easy
party ideas into your own
home.
By Victoria Dwek
22 Food Currents
By Racheli Sofer
Soup Season
Etty Deutsch Warms the
Table with Beef Bourguignon,
Tomato Vodka, and the Best
Chicken Soup yet.
HOW ABOUT SOME
4 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

DearReaders
Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter
Editorial
Rechy Frankfurter
Rabbi Avi Shafran
Yossi Krausz
Yitta Halberstam Mandelbaum
Toby Worch
Sarah Shapiro
Art
Art Director
Alex Katalkin
Junior Art Director
Joy Yih
Food
Advertising
Executive Account Manager
Zack Blumenfeld
Executive Sales Directors
Frumi Meisels
Surie Katz
Sarah Sternstein
Malky Friedman
Markowitz Distribution
917-202-3973
646-247-0262
Ami Magazine
P: 718-534-8800
F: 718-484-7731
info@amimagazine.org
Ami Magazine. Published by Mezoogmag LLC. All rights
reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form
without prior written permission from the publisher is
prohibited. The publisher reserves the right to edit all
articles for clarity, space, and editorial sensitivities. Ami
Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of
advertisements in the publication, nor for the contents of
books that are referred to or excerpted herein.
At a recent simcha that was long in coming, a friend of mine urged me,
“Write about the miracle that happened tonight. Let people feel encouraged that
miracles really do happen.”
I’ve been thinking about it all week.
About miracles and our daily lives
And the miracle of our daily lives.
How much of a separation is there between the two?
Is a simcha more miraculous because there was an interminable wait and yearning
for it? The end result is, after all, the same: a shidduch is made, a child is born.
simcha from another as a “miracle”?
Last night I visited someone dear in the hospital. Each time I walk into a hospital,
I am struck by the thought that by just stepping over the threshold of a
a world unto its own. It has its own language, its own hierarchy, its own rhythm.
Its denizens may have—as recently as that morning—been blithely going about
their business, enjoying life, yet by nightfall found themselves thrust into this
alternate universe of medicine and healing, at the mercy of and often totally
dependent on others.
able to live in the “outside world” suddenly seems like a miracle.
In this issueer
whose world, for the last few years, has consisted of prison and injustice. One,
But then again, why is it a miracle if the courts realize that an injustice has been
done?
There is a famous story of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, who once answered
the question “Isn’t Hashem everywhere?” with the simple reply, “Yes,
Hashem is everywhere you let Him in.”
it is with miracles: Although they are all around us, much depends
on our willingness and openness to perceive them.
Let’s let them in.
May the prism through which we view the good in our daily lives be a kaleidoscope
of miracles. So that every time a shidduch is made, or a baby is born—not
only after years in shidduchim, or time spent dealing with infertility—we experience
the simcha with the same profound joy for what it is: a miracle just the
same.
Rechy Frankfurter
rechy@amimagazine.org
4 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

Food Currents
By Racheli Sofer
Is It Safe to Drink?
IApparently, it’s not just all the added sugar
that is scaring parents away from apple
juice. In their effort to substantiate Dr.
Oz’s claim that apple juices contain arsenic,
Consumer Reports tested
almost 100 brands of apple and
grape juice and found Dr.
Oz’s shocking statement to
be true: the juice bottles had
higher levels of arsenic than
federal regulations allow for
bottled water. The researchers
also found the juices to contain
unacceptable levels of lead.
Kiwi Cuts
Blood
Pressure
According to a new
study, all it might take
is three kiwis a day
to keep high blood
pressure away. Men
and women with mildly high
blood pressure who ate three
kiwi fruits a day for eight weeks
had systolic blood pressure
levels that were 3.6 millimeters
of mercury lower than those of
volunteers who ate an apple a
day. Cardiologists were quick
preliminary. Don’t stop taking
your medication just yet….
SNACK
MORE,
WEIGH LESS
Doesn’t snacking put on the
pounds? Not according to a new
study published in the Journal
of the American Dietetic Association.
The researchers of this study found
that people who are overweight tend
to eat fewer times a day than people who
are of normal weight. This is attributed to the
fact that even though overweight people eat less
often, they consume more calories each time they eat
researchers found that, generally, the overweight people
who participated in the study ate three meals and just over a
snack a day, while the normal-weight participants ate three meals and
just over two snacks a day. Sounds like grazing isn’t such a bad idea
after all…
QUICK TIP
Add a large raw
carrot to the hot oil
in your pan before
you start frying those
latkes. The carrot will
absorb all the brown
pieces, leaving
you with picture
perfect latkes, and
a pan full of oil that
doesn’t need to be
repeatedly replaced.
22 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

FROM SEED TO SUPPER
DIY
Crème Fraiche
Like sour cream, only richer and sweeter, crème fraiche
is the perfect ingredient for so many of your milchig
Chankuah dishes and treats. Whip it and serve over any
dessert, or use it as a decadent thickener for soups and
sauces in place of heavy cream.
This luxurious dairy product that is unique for its rich
and velvety texture is considered a staple in finer French
cooking. Not so fast—it isn’t so readily available in kosher
supermarkets. Fortunately, you can easily make it yourself:
In a small pot, heat 1 cup heavy cream over low heat until
it reaches room temperature, and pour into a Tupperware
container.
Add 2 tablespoons buttermilk (or milk with a pinch of
vinegar, that has thickened), and the zest of one lemon; stir.
Keep in a warm place near your stove or in a bowl filled
with warm water for up to 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Refrigerate for 24 hours. Your homemade crème
fraiche will keep for seven to 10 days refrigerated.
Kitchen Lab
Did you ever look up at that pile of
peeled potatoes, waiting on your counter
to be grated and fried into delicious
latkes, only to discover that they’ve turned
pink?
Inside every potato there are little
pockets of phenols—an acidic chemical
compound—that are surrounded by
enzymes. When you cut into a potato,
you damage the cell walls, unleashing
the phenols and enzymes that undergo
a chemical reaction when exposed to
oxygen, turning the potato surface pink.
This is the same chemical reaction that
causes fruits to turn brown and mushy.
So, how do you keep your potatoes
from blushing?
First, use a sharp knife—it causes less
damage to the cell walls. And, keep your
peeled spuds soaking in freezing cold
water while they wait their turn in the
food processor. Cold water cuts down
contact between the potato cells and
oxygen, creating a temporary seal over the
cut surface.
BREAKING BREAD
The spot where Whisk readers share their own recipes.
1. Marinate sliced baby bella mushrooms with a sprinkle of
Billybee teriyaki sauce for several hours.
2. Sauté chopped garlic and the marinated mushrooms in
olive oil.
3. Meanwhile, steam green beans about 4 minutes. They
should remain crisp and bright green.
4. Shock in cold water.
5. Combine mushrooms and pan drippings with green
beans.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Thank you to Manya Kanner for this sophisticated side dish that’s
perfect for an elegant Chanukah meal.

It’s here! This week, a package with
a secret ingredient arrived at the
homes of our favorite columnists
and cookbook authors.
Now they’re busy creating special
recipes for you.
Stay tuned...

THE CLEAN BILL // Real People on the Quest for Health

Dangerous
AS TOLD TO SARAH PERL
Choices
What the anti-immunization movement doesn’t want you to know
It was 3:00 A.M. when my pager went off. I stumbled
out of bed, wondering if it was going to be another
mother of a cranky baby, and made my way to the
study to return the call. It was Mrs. Gould, and she was
sobbing into the phone. I found this to be alarming;
Mrs. Gould is generally a very calm mother.
“Mrs. Gould, what is it?” I asked.
“My four-month-old son, Eli. He hasn’t been feeling well
for a few days now. We are up in the Catskills in our country
house. I took him to a local pediatrician who said that it’s
probably a virus, and we should wait it out. But I just went in to
check on him, and he’s very lethargic and vomiting. I took his
temperature, and it’s 105.4!”
As she spoke, I had a niggling feeling that there was
something important I should be remembering. I racked my
sleep-deprived brain, trying to remember. Suddenly I snapped
awake.
“Mrs. Gould,” I said, “your children are not vaccinated,
correct?”
“I know, Dr. Rosenberg, I know! But, please. It’s three o’clock
in the morning, and my son is very sick. This is not the time for
another lecture on vaccinations!”
“You’re right, but because your child is not vaccinated, we
have to consider much more serious possibilities.”
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention), the use of vaccinations is “perhaps the greatest
success story in public health…. Routine immunization
has eradicated smallpox from the globe and led to the near
elimination of wild polio virus. Vaccines have reduced some
preventable infectious diseases to an all-time low, and now, few
people experience the devastating effects of measles, pertussis,
and other illnesses.”
According to research by The Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia (CHOP), before the widespread use of
vaccinations, each year in the United States, parents could
expect polio to paralyze 10,000 children; rubella to cause
birth defects and mental retardation in as many as 20,000
newborns; measles to infect about four million children, killing
3,000; Haemophilus influenza (Hib) to cause meningitis in
15,000 children, leaving many with permanent brain damage;
and whooping cough (pertussis) to kill thousands of infants.
Therefore, vaccines have “literally transformed the landscape of
medicine over the course of the 20th century.”
Despite the powerful impact vaccines have had on public
health, there are still parents who choose not to vaccinate
their children. These parents believe they are acting with
their children’s best interests in mind. But they often obtain
their information from sources that are flawed, rather than
from proven scientific findings. Much of the anti-vaccination
movement is driven by cynicism toward the government and
“greedy” pharmaceutical industries, and publicizes its theories
through sensational stories in the media. The vast majority
of health care professionals agree that it is misinformation
that confuses parents who choose not to vaccinate their
children, and that prevents them from making sound medical
decisions.
Children have no say in their own immunizations; their
parents are the ones making the choice. It is precisely for this
reason that many doctors have stepped in to advocate for them.
For, as science has come increasingly under attack by the antivaccination
movement, it is the children who have become the
victims.
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | | 17

THE CLEAN BILL // Real People on the Quest for Health
CASE STUDIES IN THE FAILURE TO IMMUNIZE
CASE A:
One afternoon, Mr. Hertz came in with his teenaged daughter,
Leahle, for what he thought was just a “plain old-fashioned
cough” that had been lingering for awhile. I checked his
daughter thoroughly.
“It’s seems like it’s just a virus,” I said. “Her lungs sound
normal, so let’s give it some time. If it gets worse, please come
back to see me.”
“Thanks,” said Mr. Hertz. “You know me, Dr. Rosenberg. I’m
not the paranoid type; I don’t usually come running in at the
first possible sign of illness, but my new grandchild is coming
tonight! My oldest daughter just had her first child, and will be
moving in with us for awhile. My wife is really excited. She’s
been preparing for weeks!”
“Mazel tov! May you see lots of nachas from the new baby,” I
said as I leafed through Leahle’s chart. I froze when I came to
her vaccination record.
“Your daughter never received the DTap booster shot, correct?”
I asked Mr. Hertz.
“Oh, that one!” he answered. “Yeah, well, she’ll get it eventually.
We like to take it easy with the vaccinations. We don’t want to
bombard our children with too many shots at once. Eventually
we do get to everything.…”
“But she has not yet received the DTap vaccination?”
“No, she has not. But Dr. Rosenberg, I’m in a rush to get
home. Can we please discuss this a different time? Our new
grandchild will be arriving soon.”
“No. Your new grandchild will not be arriving soon,” I
corrected him.
Mr. Hertz seemed confused.
“Since your daughter was not vaccinated, we cannot rule out
whooping cough. I understand that you plan to vaccinate her
for that in the future. But the life-threatening illnesses that
the vaccinations protect us against do not recognize parents’
intentions. Good intentions offer no protection.”
Mr. Hertz sighed as he took out his cell phone. “Don’t you
think you are being too alarmist, Dr. Rosenberg? Isn’t whooping
cough something from the Dark Ages?
“Not quite,” I answered. “Because of children who haven’t been
vaccinated, pertussis, also known as whooping cough, has made
a comeback. According the CDC, last year there were 27,550
cases of whooping cough in the U.S. Twenty-seven people died,
including 25 infants under the age of one.”
“So my daughter can’t bring the new baby into our home?” He
glanced at his watch. “She’s supposed to be arriving any minute.
What are we supposed to do?”
“Mr. Hertz, under no circumstances should she be allowed
into your house. Your daughter may have already contracted
whooping cough,” I answered firmly.
I asked him to wait a minute while I found a copy of a
newspaper article I wanted him to read. His face paled when he
saw the headline: “Whooping Cough Kills Palm Beach County
Infant; Health Officials Urge Vaccination.”
“As for your daughter, we will have to monitor the situation
carefully. In the meantime, she must have no contact with the
new baby. This is very critical. Remember, the best way to protect
newborn babies who are too young to be vaccinated is by making
sure that the people around them are vaccinated. The rest of your
children should receive this vaccination at once.”
“Okay,” said Mr. Hertz, “But my wife isn’t going to be happy.”
“Happier than if her new grandchild became a statistic, G-d
forbid.”
Infants are more susceptible to infection than older children.
If an adolescent or adult contracts whooping cough, it causes
a severe cough that generally lasts for three months. In infants,
however, it can be fatal. That is why it is recommended that
babies be immunized at the first possible opportunity.
Unfortunately, some parents ignore the recommended
schedule. I remind my patients that the immunization schedule
was formulated by medical researchers and experts, based on
years of scientific investigation and constant monitoring for
the benefit of infants and children. Based on years of scientific
data, it is constantly being updated to reflect current research.
Deviation from the recommended schedule at the whim of a
misinformed parent can have devastating consequences.
Regarding the argument against timely vaccinations “that
vaccines overwhelm the immune system,” it is important to note
that vaccines have drastically decreased the occurrence of many
diseases and their complications. Vaccines accomplish this by
strengthening the immune system, not weakening it. Any person
who has ever seen a child in an I.C.U., suffering the devastating
effects of severe bacterial meningitis, knows what a child with an
overwhelmed immune system looks like. The vaccines we give
our children do not have the ability to overwhelm the immune
system, unlike the diseases that we prevent with these vaccines.
18 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

CASE B:
“Sorry to disturb you,” my secretary said to me one day, “But Mrs. Klein is on the
phone. Her five-year-old son, Yossi, is currently undergoing chemotherapy.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“She says that he’s broken out in a rash. She recently switched to a new kind of
detergent, and thinks it might be from that. She wants to know what to do.”
“Since Yossi is on chemotherapy, his body is very sensitive right now and susceptible
to illness. Tell her to bring him right in.”
About an hour later Mrs. Klein came into my office with her son. I was walking
through the waiting room when I noticed him. And his rash. Chicken pox, I realized
immediately.
“Mrs. Klein, please follow me into the exam room,” I said.
I examined the rash carefully. “Mrs. Klein,” I said gently, “it seems that your son has
chicken pox.”
“Wait! He can’t have chicken pox! He’s been vaccinated.”
“Yes, I know, but the treatment he’s been undergoing lately has weakened his immune
system, and caused him to lose the immunity provided by the vaccine. Has Yossi been in
contact with anyone who may have had chicken pox?” I asked.
“I’ve actually been very careful to keep him away from children who might be sick,”

THE CLEAN BILL // Real People on the Quest for Health
ARE
SAFE?
DR. SUSAN SCHULMAN
Because I’m a pediatrician who is an old-timer, I have seen the
diseases that these vaccinations are preventing. I’ve seen measles
that caused brain damage, and mumps that caused encephalitis.
Infertility doctors know all about the children who had mumps;
they’re treating men who are now infertile because of it.
year with Hib bacterial meningitis. Before the Hib vaccine was
thing we would do is check for it with a spinal tap. We lived in
constant fear, because if left untreated, even for 12 hours, the
baby could die or be left brain damaged for life. When the vaccine
came out, the number of cases in my practice went from about
Some parents don’t want to vaccinate their children right
away; they want to wait until the baby is older and “stronger.”
I tell these parents that they are leaving their baby vulnerable
and totally unprotected. In their minds, they are protecting their
child from the vaccine; what they’re really doing is leaving their
children open to the diseases these vaccinations protect against.
There is never a good excuse to leave a child unprotected against
potentially devastating preventable diseases.
While there is a theoretical risk of an allergic reaction to a
vaccine, it is exceptionally uncommon. And a connection between
vaccines and autism or food allergies or other medical conditions
has simply never been shown. In my practice, since 1976, I have
never seen a severe reaction of any type from any vaccine.
I truly believe that in order to do the best for our children
we must do our hishtadlus. Leaving a child unvaccinated is not
doing our hishtadlus. If you neglect vaccinations and something
happens to your child, it’s your responsibility. It’s like allowing a
It is our job as parents to protect our children. A parent who
withholds vaccinations puts a child in potential danger. Vaccines
are an incredible asset to the health and welfare of our families.
A prestigious Brooklyn pediatrician Dr. Susan Schulman is the
author of Understanding Your Child’s Health.
she said tearfully. “Even when I took him to my sister’s
wedding, I called everyone first to make sure that everyone
was okay.”
I nodded sympathetically. “I understand how careful you
have been, but it happened anyway. And because of his
condition right now, this is not good. I want you to contact
your oncologist immediately to see what the next step should
be.”
A few days later, one of the children who had been at the
wedding came down with chicken pox. His parents had
assumed he was healthy, as he was still symptom-free at the
time. “Was the child at the wedding vaccinated?” I asked Mrs.
Klein.
“Yes, he was vaccinated. But not for chicken pox. His
parents figured that chicken pox is harmless, and decided to
skip that series of shots. I guess they never dreamed what
serious consequences their decision would have for my
Yossi….”
Some parents pick and choose which vaccinations they feel
are important. “Flu shots?” I’m often asked. “Chicken pox?
Harmless childhood illnesses. We all had them as kids and
lived to tell the tale!”
The first thing I answer is that for children with weakened
immune systems, those on immunosuppressive drugs such as
chemotherapy, or those who are taking steroids for asthma,
chicken pox can be fatal. And for the sick and elderly, or
pregnant women, these diseases are very dangerous. By not
vaccinating our children, we put the whole community at
risk.
Not everyone is strong enough to be immunized; they may
be too young or too sick to receive the vaccine, or for various
reasons they cannot hold immunity. But by vaccinating our
children we protect the weaker members of our community
by creating what is known as “herd immunity:” When a
significant portion of the population has been vaccinated, it
provides a measure of protection even to those who haven’t
been immunized. By vaccinating all of our children, we
are protecting not only our children, but everyone in the
community, including its vulnerable members.
People think of vaccinations as a decision that only impacts
the health of their own child; in truth, it impacts everyone.
Of course, the most dangerous choice a parent can make is
not to vaccinate a child at all. Which brings me back to Mrs.
Gould and the frantic phone call at 3:00 A.M.…
Continues on page 21
20 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

THE CLEAN BILL // Real People on the Quest for Health
Continued from page 20
“Since your child was not vaccinated,” I said to Mrs. Gould,
“there is a far greater danger that she contracted a serious
illness.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t want to say anything without seeing your child. But
you must take him to the emergency room immediately. And
when I say the emergency room, I don’t mean the local Harris
Hospital. Your child should be flown to one of the prominent
hospitals in New York.”
“Does it have to be now? Can’t it wait until the morning?”
she asked.
“No, you shouldn’t wait another hour. Your child’s life may be
in great danger.”
Mrs. Gould made an effort to pull herself together, and
promised to call Hatzolah as soon as she hung up.
“And one more thing, Mrs. Gould. When you get to the
hospital, please give the ER doctor my pager number, and have
him fill me in. I am very worried about Eli.”
As it turned out, preliminary testing indicated that Eli
had bacterial meningitis. When I spoke to the doctor, Eli’s
condition was, thankfully, stable. However, the long term
effects won’t be known for awhile; hearing loss and brain
damage are major concerns in children who survive bacterial
meningitis.
When I think about this tragic story, I am bothered by the
thought that it most likely could have been prevented, had
Mrs. Gould vaccinated her son. Nowadays, it is almost always
the unvaccinated or insufficiently vaccinated children who
contract these severe diseases. We don’t always know why
things happen in life, but it is our responsibility to make the
right choices to protect our children and community.
Acknowledgments: The author is particularly grateful to Chaya
In many states, a
religious exemption
from vaccinations
may be granted to a
child when administration
of vaccines
would be in direct
tenets of his/her religion,
or when administration
of vaccines
would interfere with
the exercise of the
child’s religious rights. During
the mumps outbreak in Lakewood,
New Jersey in 2009,
several physicians serving
the Orthodox community
provided medical guidance to
the local Jewish schools, and
included a psak from the Bais
Hora’ah of Lakewood that
on “religious exemptions” to
vaccinations:
psak
“…Schools should certainly
comply with the requirements
that are established
by appropriate governmental
agencies with regard to im-
there is no place [in Torah] for
someone to claim a ‘religious
not only allows im-
have them in accordance
with the prevailing medical
opinion.”
25 Kislev 5770, Lakewood
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | | 21

THE CLEAN BILL // Real People on the Quest for Health
The History of the Anti-Vaccination Movement
The timing was right. The parents of
the anti-vaccination generation didn’t
that the vaccinations had eradicated. To
these parents, polio and diphtheria and
pertussis were historical incidents. They
However, what these parents did
see was the discomfort that their
children had to go through when they
were vaccinated. It isn’t pleasant to
bring your newborn baby in for shots;
perhaps these parents were looking
for an excuse to avoid this situation.
Vaccinations have become a scapegoat
in medicine because they are a sore
topic for the parents. Another strong
factor is misinformation: coincidental
evidence lacking an objective medical
Science, Risky Medicine, and the
and his latest
one:
Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens
Us All
basis. An incident in 1998 aroused
widespread controversy and fear of
vaccinations. A British physician claimed
that his research showed a link between
autism and the measles vaccine in 12
children. His research was later found
to be fabricated and false; he and his
research were completely discredited.
But that was only after widespread fear
had set in, causing people, especially in
his native U.K., to stop giving the MMR
vaccine to their children.
studies have been done around the
world, involving hundreds of thousands
of children, that have disproven the
theory that the MMR vaccine causes
autism. In 2009, after extensive
ruled against legal claims linking autism
with such vaccines, calling the theory
that vaccinations cause autism is a classic
example of fear, scandal, and alarming
media headlines convincing people,
and data.
When it comes to medical decisions,
some people are compelled by stories
they hear, rather than by objective
information. As soon as they hear an
alarming story, which often completely
lacks any medical basis, they are
convinced. It is an unfortunate reality that
these anecdotes and stories drive public
opinion.
Science is not a democracy. Science is
fact—with evidence and statistics to back
it up.
In recent years the anti-vaccination
movement has been losing momentum. In
2010 there was an outbreak of whooping
children. In 2009 there was an outbreak
of mumps, and in 2011, an outbreak of
measles.
The media are now covering these
outbreaks of deadly diseases that could
have been prevented with vaccinations.
These stories are shaking people up,
and they are once again beginning to
appreciate what vaccinations do.
At present, 48 states allow parents to
obtain a religious exemption as grounds
for not vaccinating their children. I do
not believe that religion plays a role
in vaccinations. Whenever I encounter
parents who want to use religion as a
basis for making a poor medical decision
for their children, I ask them to bring me
a letter from a clergyman explaining why
it goes against their religion. No one has
ever returned with such a letter.
22 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

24 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

For
Sake
the
of My
by Chaya Silber
Daughter
WILL JUSTICE PREVAIL FOR VALERIE CARLTON?
Last Friday I drove up to the Rockland Country
Correctional Facility at 1:00 P.M., a bit
apprehensive. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as I’d
(fortunately) never been in jail before. Located
behind the New City Courthouse, the jail is a drab, rather
unassuming building, surrounded by a low gate. It is a minimal
security prison, where people are incarcerated for petty crimes,
usually until they find a lawyer and can post bail.
Nervous about what I’d encounter, I entered the main lobby,
where three armed sheriffs were sitting at their computer
terminals, looking none too friendly. There was a large metal
detector, the type used in airports, blocking access, and a
forbidding corridor stretched beyond.
I knew that visiting hours for Valerie, whose last name
begins with a C, were from 12:30-2:30. (Visits are arranged by
alphabetical order and the day of the week; there are four groups
of prisoners, each with its own visiting hours.)
“Can I help you?” One guard looked up, wondering what I’d
come for.
“I, uh, I’m looking for Valerie Carl—”
“You can’t see her now,” the sheriff replied tersely, even before
I’d finished.
“Why not?” I had checked and rechecked the visiting hours
on the automated message system. I had cleared the visit with
Valerie’s lawyer, and was looking forward to meeting with her
and trying to make sense of her situation.
“Visiting hours started an hour ago, and she already has a
visitor,” he explained. “Every prisoner is allowed only two visits a
week; if someone is already visiting, that counts as a visit.”
“Can’t I join the other visitor?” I know I sounded obnoxious,
but Valerie’s tale had stirred my passion for justice, and I really
needed to speak with her.
“I’m sorry, but those are the rules. If you want to see her, come
back on Saturday morning. Oh, sorry, that won’t work for you,”
he glanced at my obviously religious attire. “Well, you can try
Monday at 12:30. But be here on time, even a few minutes early.”
I thanked the sheriff and left, casting an anxious glance behind
me toward the sinister vibes I’d picked up. Poor Valerie. To think
she was stuck here for another month, until the governor would
make a decision whether or not to intervene….
Actually, Valerie was better off in the Rockland County Jail
than where she’d come from, but I was only to find that out
later, after I’d spoken to two of her lawyers and a concerned
community activist.
My quest to visit Valerie hit another roadblock on Monday,
when her lawyer tersely informed me that another journalist
from the secular media was meeting with her, and it was critical
that she receive the proper exposure. My request to join the
other journalist was politely refused; it was suggested I try on
Wednesday, at 8:30 in the morning.
During this time I did not sit by idly. In addition to my
numerous deadlines and journalistic responsibilities, I read
all I could about the Valerie Carlton saga, including lawyers’
statements, articles in the media, and the investigation of a
forensic scientist whose testimony cleared her of all charges.
By the time Wednesday morning arrived, I was consumed
with the Valerie Carlton saga. Each person I shared the story
with was incredulous. It was difficult to fathom that, in this day
and age, such rampant abuse of judicial powers can exist. It is
hard to understand how an innocent woman, who was tarred and
feathered by her vindictive ex-husband, can be beaten bloody by
a six-foot-tall security guard, and then charged with assaulting
him.
I was itching to write the story, but wanted to visit Valerie first.
Then I got another phone call from Michael Ettinger, Esq., one
of her lawyers. “I’m really sorry, but Valerie is not feeling well, and
cannot see any visitors,” he said. “She is suffering from PTSD
(post traumatic stress disorder) after what she experienced, and
needs a few days to recover.”
I resigned myself to writing the article without seeing Valerie
in person. Yet I knew I needed more information from a reliable
source. After all, her lawyers are presumably working for her
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | | 25

A team of activists, including her
lawyers and Mr. Kalman Weber,
tried to appeal to Judge Kelly of
Rockland County,
benefit; I wanted to speak with someone who knew Valerie and
could vouch for her character.
My research led me to Rabbi Sheftel Neuberger of Yeshivas
Ner Yisroel, the prominent rosh yeshiva and askan who has been
instrumental in helping tens of thousands of people. He works
around the clock for the benefit of klal Yisrael, speaking with
politicians and the “Who’s Who” of the political world to help
those in trouble.
Rabbi Neuberger immediately remembered Valerie, who had
come to him for assistance several months earlier. “Valerie is a
wonderful, sincere baalas teshuvah,” he said. “I knew Valerie’s
mother as well. These are good people, who didn’t have the
benefit of a Bais Yaakov education. But she is a wonderful
mother to her little girl, and completely innocent of the trumped
up charges against her.
“It’s terrible what they did to her,” Rabbi Neuberger stressed.
“The whole system there is treif.”
By now you are probably wondering what this is about, and
how Valerie’s saga affects us all. Bear with me another few
moments, as I start at the beginning.
Where it all began
Valerie Carlton was born to a Jewish mother and non-Jewish
father, and was raised in an environment devoid of religious
identity. Her mother, a stewardess for American Airlines, was
warm and caring. Her father, it is alleged, was verbally abusive;
he constantly mocked her and tried to make her feel worthless.
Often, children from abusive homes end up marrying abusive
spouses, and the vicious cycle continues.
Although Valerie suffered from a learning disorder, her father
refused to recognize it or treat it in any way. It was only after her
parents were divorced that a teenaged Valerie finally received
a diagnosis of Auditory Processing Disorder, which affects the
way the brain processes auditory information. This means that
she has difficulty processing the meaning of sounds when there
is background noise, and may have difficulty understanding
what people are saying if she is not looking directly at their lips.
Nonetheless, despite this disability, Valerie completed nearly all
the requirements for a degree in social work.
Valerie married Russell Carlton, an Evangelist Christian.
They moved to a rural neighborhood near Annapolis, toward
the south of Maryland. When their daughter, Winnifer, was
born, Valerie was a proud and doting mother, who lavished all
her love and attention on the little girl. Unfortunately, Russell,
who was diagnosed with psychopathic tendencies, was explosive
and controlling. A short
while after the little girl’s
birth, Russell and Valerie
were divorced due to
irreconcilable differences.
As long as Valerie
continued raising their
child as a Christian, and
sending her to church,
Russell basically left her
alone. The trouble began
when Valerie, alone and
friendless, reached out
to her coreligionists in the greater Baltimore community. It was
during that time that Rabbi Neuberger first met her, and he was
impressed with her commitment to her daughter and her faith.
When Russell heard that his ex-wife was learning about her
Jewish heritage, and wanted Winnifer raised as a Jewess, his fury
knew no bounds.
Come what may, Mr. Carlton would make sure Valerie ended
up behind bars for a long time, possibly forever. And not just in
any jail. The prison in Harford County, Maryland was privately
owned and run by a local sheriff, a close friend of Russell’s
family. Due to overcrowding in state prisons, several states
“lease” their prisoners to private jails, where the supervision and
maintenance are privately run. This particular prison is notorious
for “accidental deaths,” and is answerable to no state authority.
How was it possible to get an innocent person behind bars for
an imaginary crime?
The answer? Easy as pie.
All Russell had to do was call the Child Protective Services,
and say his daughter was being abused by her mother.
One phone call. That’s all it took.
When I express amazement that it is possible, in today’s day
and age, to accuse someone of child abuse without any proof,
Ettinger, Valerie’s attorney, says, “That’s because you’re naïve.
You have no idea what goes on in our country, all in the name of
justice. The system is broken.”
The child abuse charges were taken very seriously, and
Winnifer, then six years old, was interrogated. Although in
situations like these social workers often lead the child to say
what they want to hear, Winnifer was a clever girl, and kept on
repeating the truth: that her mother loved her, never yelled at her,
or hurt her in any way. The interview showed no proof of abuse.
Yet the truth did not agree with Russell’s plans, so he twisted
the facts to meet his requirements. He procured testimony from
26 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

a next door neighbor, who said that her
daughter was also abused by Valerie.
Interestingly enough, the same neighbor
had lodged the same complaint against
several of her own family members, and
had a history of making false charges.
No matter. Now, Social Services—aided
and abetted by Russell Carlton—claimed
to have “two little girls” who were abused.
According to Valerie’s advocate, Dr.
Leora Rosen, “Valerie never objected to
Russell continuing to take their daughter
to church. But when Valerie began her
return to Judaism and began to light
Sabbath candles with her daughter
present, Russell, his church, and the judges
and sheriffs viewed her religious practice
as a crime.”
After a brief trial, during which Valerie
was not given an opportunity to defend
herself, Judge William Carr put her
behind bars in early 2009.
Valerie had married a man who
battered her, abused their young child,
and then vowed to destroy her. Russell
Carlton turned out to be a psychopath
who used his Evangelical Christian and
powerful, local connections against the
Jewish woman who dared to return to her
roots, light Sabbath candles, and “practice
Judaism” with her daughter. When he
heard she now planned to marry a Jewish
man, he wasted no time in taking action.
Both the search warrant and the
document for the criminal charges
against Ms. Carlton stated that she was
an “Orthodox Jew who practiced Jewish
customs with her daughter whenever they
were together.”
What followed next was beyond
horrific.
Shortly after she was jailed, on April 15,
authorities put Valerie’s newborn son in
foster care, in the custody of the Delaware
County Social Services. On June 11,
two months later, the infant was dead,
having been accidentally smothered by his
caretaker. The foster care agency denied all
liability or accountability.
Valerie was informed of her baby’s
death while she was in jail, but the
prosecutor arranged that the chaplain
was not permitted to perform this duty.
Instead it was done by an employee of the
sheriff ’s office, who brutally announced
that the baby was dead, then had Valerie
strapped into a medieval torture device
called a “restraint chair,” which caused her
to choke on her own mucus as she wept
and tried to pray for her dead baby. (After
this incident the Sheriff ’s department
claimed, in writing, that Valerie was
“talking in tongues” because she was
praying in Hebrew.)
Her punishers literally tied her down in
a chair and told her that her son was dead,
waiting to see if she would “break.”
For 13 months, Valerie was kept
in solitary confinement “for her own
protection,” in order that she should not
be harmed by other inmates, who were
told she was an abusive mother.
But Valerie really needed protection
from her guards, who often kept her in
restraints, hands and feet tightly shackled.
She was threatened, cursed, and “roughed
up” by the guards, who banged her head
into the wall as sport. Her jailers denied
her medical treatment after these beatings.
According to a former inmate
(contained in an affidavit), he “personally
witnessed Valerie’s kosher food opened
and handled by numerous prisoners. It
was then partially rewrapped and taken…
for Valerie to consume. She was singled
out for this treatment especially by the
‘Black Muslims’ working in the kitchen.
They wanted to contaminate her food
because she is Jewish.”

WHAT IS A PRIVATE JAIL,
AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
A private prison, jail, or
detention center is a place
in which individuals are
United
in Europe to use private prisons
Wolds
Finance Initiative, where
, the GEO Group
and
sentence the juveniles without
All this time, the public defender assigned to her by the
authorities, Harford County Defender John Janowich,
was doing his “job,” cooperating with the sheriff who ran
the prison—the sheriff who made destroying Valerie his
personal mission.
How could the prison wardens allow these injustices to
occur?
According to other inmates, who later testified about
conversations they had overheard, the jailers wanted to drive
her to the brink, so that she would never be allowed custody
of her daughter or even visitation. The sheriff and various
law enforcement officials kept offering her a way out: If she
pleaded guilty to “Not Criminally Responsible,” she would
be allowed out of jail. However, she would be tarred as an
“insane” mother whose visitation with her daughter would
have to be supervised.
“It’s a witch-hunt, a travesty of justice,” said attorney
Michael Ettinger. “She was tarred with a scarlet letter,
vilified by the state prosecutor and media. She was put in
solitary for her own protection, then abused and tortured by
the guards in solitary.”
Philip Murphy, Esq., another one of her attorneys, called
the court case a “sham proceeding.”
Valerie knew she was innocent, and refused to cooperate
with their vicious plot. She would rather suffer until the
truth was uncovered, because that was her only hope of
seeing her daughter again.
Finally, Valerie’s desperate pleas for help were heard,
and some friends hired an attorney, Issac Klein, Esq., from
Baltimore. Within days of hearing about the case, Klein
uncovered a shocking, sordid tale of abuse and torture.
Dr. Mark J. Mills, a forensic psychiatrist who sits on
the faculty of Columbia University, was asked to evaluate
the charges of abuse. After an intense investigation and
interview with all the parties involved, Mills wrote a letter
saying that Carlton “is not psychotic, not dangerous, and it
is unlikely that she ever abused a child.”
After 13 months of torture and abuse, Valerie Carlton was
formally cleared of all charges. The Harford County Jail had
no choice but to release her. However, they had one more
diabolical trick up their sleeve.
Instead of apologizing to Valerie for the pain and torture,
they prepared a “goodbye present” to remember. This would
protect them from being sued for false arrest and other
charges.
On March 8, 2010, shortly before Valerie was scheduled
to be released, she was standing in the hallway during her
one “free” hour a day when she could walk around and not
be locked in her cell. Suddenly (and this was all caught on
security cameras) the guard, who sat at his desk, walked up
the stairs and approached her. Without warning, he grabbed
her and began to beat her savagely, throwing her to the
ground.
In the seven-minute video, the six-foot-tall guard is seen
pummeling Valerie, finally lifting her up off the floor and
28 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

slamming her head into a wall. Then
the guard left her, dazed and bleeding,
and calmly went back to his desk, where
he filed a report saying that Valerie had
assaulted him.
It seems like a horror novel, but it is
sadly all too true.
Instead of waiting for Valerie to recover
from her wounds and file a complaint, the
guard preempted her, filling out a form
stating that the petite, frail woman had
assaulted him.
There was only one problem. The
overwhelming evidence of what actually
happened is clear to anyone who sees
the video feed, available on a website
established by Valerie’s friends.
No matter. As soon as Valerie was
released, she fled to Monsey, terrified
for her life. She had heard some of the
inmates saying that she would be coming
back soon, to face additional concocted
charges. “When she comes back, we’ll
finish her off,” the inmates gloated.
And these weren’t just empty words.
Several inmates had been Tasered to
death or thrown down stairs and left
permanently disabled in the very same jail.
The jail officials had never been charged,
and there were no investigations. In this
jail of horrors, the sheriff and his cronies
wield absolute power over the lives of
their captives.
As Valerie tried to piece her life
together (her daughter was still living with
her ex-husband, and her son was dead)
she received the news she’d been dreading.
Shortly after her mother, Winnifer’s
grandmother, sent the CPS a request
asking to visit the child, Russell Carlton
put Plan B into motion.
An extradition order was speedily sent
to the Rockland County Courthouse,
asking for Valerie Carlton to be sent back
to Harford County, to face charges of
assaulting a guard!
The death sentence had been delivered,
signed and sealed.
When Valerie heard about the order,
she told her friends that it was only a
matter of time before the jail guards
and inmates carried out their threat.
“Be prepared to write my obituary,” she
warned.
Valerie said she would rather be a
condemned criminal on death row than
sent back to the Jail of Horrors. “At
least on death row I’ll be treated with
respect, and when my end will come, it
will be painless. In that torture chamber
jailhouse, I know I’ll die a violent and
painful death. The only question is how
long it will take.”
When Valerie’s friends and newfound
support system heard what was awaiting
her, there was an outcry of protest. How
dare the authorities send an innocent
woman back into the lions’ den?
On October 11, 2011, Valerie was
arrested and placed in the Rockland
County Jail. Rockland County authorities
had no jurisdiction to investigate the
charges; their responsibility was to arrest
a “wanted criminal,” and arrange for her
transportation to Harford County.
A team of activists, including her
lawyers and Mr. Kalman Weber, tried
to appeal to Judge Kelly of Rockland
County, but he explained that he had no
right to intervene in an extradition order
from another state. All he has to do is
make sure the order was properly filled
out, and comply with the instructions.
Sensing imminent danger, Valerie’s
lawyers sent an emergency petition to
Governor Cuomo, asking him to stop the
extradition order, and save an innocent
life. The Governor’s staff has asked for a
month’s time to review the information.
In the meantime, Judge Kelly refused to
grant bail.
At present, as the Governor’s office
reviews the information, Valerie is in
solitary confinement in the Rockland
County Jail, suffering from a recurrence of
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Although there are powerful grounds to
sue the Harford County Jail, and uncover
the pattern of horrific abuse, right now
the focus is on the immediate danger to
Valerie’s life.
She has not seen her now 10-year-old
daughter, her only surviving child, in years,
and doesn’t know if she will ever see her
again.
Valerie (whose Hebrew name is Serach)
Carlton deserves our tefillos and support.
She is a Jewish mother, pining for her
daughter, now fearing for her life.
Dare we ignore her plea for help?

Postscript:
A Visit to
Valerie Carlton
It’s Tuesday afternoon as I try to type these words. I just
returned from a visit to Valerie Carlton in prison, and my hands
are still trembling.
I’ve read many articles and testimonials about what prison can
do to a person, and what a degrading, inhumane experience it is.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I’ll second that.
After trying unsuccessfully to visit for about 10 days, and
being given the runaround each time (Valerie is receiving
medical care; her visiting hours were changed; she is being held
in administrative detention, etc.) I was finally given the okay this
morning. As long as I got there before 10:00 A.M., I would be
allowed to see her until 10:30.
I arrived at the jail, about a 20 minute ride from my home,
with literally seconds to spare. I hurried into the building, and
presented my ID to the guard. He conferred with someone
on the phone, and told me the visit was approved. I was to put
everything I own into a locker. “That includes earrings, watch,
cell phone, belt, keys…everything.”
In my haste to put my things under lock and key, I locked
away my ID and had to go back and retrieve it. The guard urged
me to “slow down.” I probably looked as frazzled as I felt. Soon
I was buzzed through a door that locked behind me, and I
found myself in a small holding area, under the watch of several
security screens, and a six-foot female guard.
“The women are the worst,” a former inmate once wrote, and
now, seeing her hostile expression, I was grateful this was only
a visit. The guard roughly ushered me through a metal detector,
asked if I had any piercings, and if the flowers on my sweater
were part of the fabric or an accessory. “This is a jail,” she stated.
As if I could have possibly thought otherwise.
“Sit down and wait,” the guard ordered. “What is your
connection to Valerie?”
“Just a friend.”
“Are you from the media?” she hissed.
“I’m here to spend some time with her,” I replied. I was advised
to visit Valerie in a non-official capacity, just to give her support
and show her someone cares.
I waited, and waited, as the moments ticked by. Through
the clear window I could see a large common table with the
prisoners seated inside, and the visitors on the outer row. They
were separated by a glass barrier, and could have no physical
contact at all.
I noticed a young woman with two small, squirming blonde
children seated at one of the “booths.” On the other side, the
fair-haired young inmate was trying his best to keep his family
entertained. One of the children started to cry, and I felt like
crying along.
After about 10 minutes, the guard spoke into the receiver and
asked if Carlton was coming down. “Oh, there are no visitor’s
hours today?” she said. My heart sank. What, they changed the
rules again? But I just checked this morning!
Suddenly, “She’s here,” the guard said. “Open that door.”
I was shoved into a tiny room with a glass window that
overlooked a matchbox-sized cell. Standing there, even more
frail and emaciated than I had imagined, was Valerie, dressed in
an orange prison suit, her arms tightly manacled. She was pale,
blonde, and looked like the slightest breeze would blow her
away.
Valerie smiled at me, obviously thrilled to see a compassionate
face. She lifted her receiver, and gestured for me to do the same.
“I want you to see this,” she started the conversation, picking
up her sleeves with effort, to show me the purple bruises that
dotted her limbs. I shrank back, horrified. “I need as many
witnesses as I can get, to prove that I am not making this up.
This is what they did to me in Harford County Jail.”
All of a sudden, there was a series of beeps, and I felt that I
was being photographed.
30 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

“Put down the phone,” a voice
ordered over the loudspeaker.
Confused, I dropped the phone,
and whispered an apology to
Valerie. The door opened, and two
burly female guards (one of them
had been guarding me all this time)
stood two inches from my face.
“You lied to us!” they shouted.
“You said you weren’t from the
media. Why did you misrepresent
yourself?”
I began to quake all over,
mentally reviewing what I had
said to Valerie. Had I foolishly
insinuated that I was writing
an article about her? How
could I have forgotten that our
conversation was recorded?”
“Who are you, and what is your purpose?” They were breathing
fire down my back.
I hyperventilated. This is what utter, sheer terror feels like, I
realized. It was almost an out-of-body experience.
Waves of panic washed over me, again and again. Hashem, help!
Will I ever get out of here? I could almost feel the cold metallic
pinch of the handcuffs around my wrists.
“I…I’m not an official journalist,” I stammered. “I came to see
Valerie as a friend, to show my sympathy, and perhaps write a
small article about her.”
But they were not interested. “Get out,” the guards snapped,
propelling me to the door.
A second later, I found myself in the lobby, the doors slamming
shut behind me. My ID card was returned, and I was warned not
to show my face again without official permission from Valerie’s
lawyer.
I left, still quaking, my mind unable to register that they had
actually let me go free.
Though I don’t view myself as a timid, easily frightened person,
the visit left me shaky and emotionally drained for the rest of the
day. Every time I heard a loud noise I jumped. I knew it wasn’t
logical, but I couldn’t help it. Were they coming after me? They
had my address, after all.
I could only imagine what Valerie must be going through,
poor soul. She is currently suffering from the effects of the severe
trauma she has endured. Her mental condition is precarious.
What Valerie needs at this time is medical attention and support,
not imprisonment and harassment. n

days
When Daddy Missed Work
Some things were simply more important
By Varda Meyers Epstein
Only twice did my dad ever miss
a day of work. Maybe that’s why
he died so young. He worked
long hours, often leaving the
house for the office at 5:30 A.M. Some
people would call that Type A behavior;
the kind that befits a guy just looking for
a heart attack.
But my father wasn’t like some gerbil
on a wheel, working for work’s sake. There
was no manic activity. He wasn’t some
fast-spieling, hyperactive marketeer, but
rather, a thoughtful kind of guy who took
the time to puzzle things out to their
logical conclusions. He was in no hurry.
Not with anything.
We always took the scenic route
on family car trips, stopping to pick
fruit at farms along the way to faraway
destinations. I remember Daddy pulling
over on the highway and taking out
his penknife to cut me a length of raw
sugarcane. He held out the blackish stalk,
“Go ahead. Take a nibble.”
I spent the rest of the four-hour car
trip chewing on the cane, getting past
my initial squeamishness over the fibrous
texture, to enjoy the juicy green sweetness
of the raw sugarcane. I would enjoy this
forever, after my own firsthand knowledge
of cane sugar’s origins, thanks to my Dad.
To my mind, it was just my father’s
good old American work ethic that made
him apply himself to his job with such
singular focus. His steadfastness might
also have been his way of expressing
gratitude to my great uncle Morris, who
had made Dad his second in command
at the lumberyard after my paternal
grandfather, like my own father, died
suddenly and young. Overnight, at the age
of 19, my father became the sole support
of his mother and younger brother.
But back to those two days on which
my father elected to miss work. In the first
instance, it was my turn at nursery school
to be the mother in the mock Kabbalat
Shabbat ceremony we held every Thursday.
Mothers always showed up for this event,
but it was uncommon for a father to put
in an appearance. My four-year-old pride
knew no bounds.
I was the youngest of four siblings
and the apple of my father’s eye. As my
father and mother entered the classroom,
an extra folding chair, adult-sized, was
found and set up alongside the one
already-waiting chair. I was so proud of
my handsome father in his suit, and of
my beautiful mother. Like every child, I
thought my parents the best and bestlooking
of all parents in the world.
My nursery school teacher, Mrs.
Margolis, produced a lace doily, placed
it over my curls, and nodded approval. I
felt such joy as I circled my hands thrice
about the candles and made the blessing,
knowing that my Daddy was beaming
at me as I performed the age-old ritual.
Not quite five decades later, I can still
remember the thrill that ran through me
as I gave my parents—and in particular,
my Daddy—Yiddishe nachas: Jewish joy.
It’s not that my mother wasn’t
important in this context. I was proud of
her and basking in her approval, too. But
it was so rare for my father to attend the
little events that marked the peaks and
valleys of my development at that early
stage, that I knew there was something
momentous about the occasion. This was
more than it seemed on the surface.
What my Dad’s attendance at that little
nursery school event did was cement in
my mind the idea that Jewish ritual and
continuity were of prime importance to
my father. After all, he missed work for
this ceremony: an unheard-of exception
to his way of life. My Dad was showing
me that THIS was what was important
34 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

MY FATHER’S SLEEP THAT NIGHT WAS FITFUL AND
PUNCTUATED WITH NIGHTMARES. IN THE MORNING,
HE RECALLED ONE DREAM IN WHICH HE SAW HIS
MOTHER’S GRAVE. THERE WAS A SENSE CONVEYED,
PERHAPS SOME KIND OF AURA, THAT ALL WAS NOT
WELL WITH THE GRAVE.
to him: Shabbos, lighting the candles,
being Jewish. And all of that, for me, was
tangled up with the pleasant feelings
engendered by my father’s expressions of
love and warmth.
The fact that I remember all this
with such clarity—and the fact that I
do, indeed, light Shabbos candles every
week—proves the impact of my father’s
attendance at my nursery school Kabbalat
Shabbat performance. I do believe that this
strong positive reinforcement, which took
shape in the form of a workaholic father
missing work, did what my father hoped
it would do: inspire me to carry the torch
of Yiddishkeit and strive for excellence in
my Jewish observance.
While the first time my father missed
work was on behalf of the future, the
second time he called in late concerned
the past. This is a story that I heard from
my mother. Though related secondhand,
the telling of this tale made a chill run
up my spine and gooseflesh overtake my
arms.
One night, as all the occupants of my
family home slept, there was a severe
storm, complete with thunder and
lightning. My father’s sleep that night was
fitful and punctuated with nightmares.
In the morning, he recalled one dream in
which he saw his mother’s grave. There
was a sense conveyed, perhaps some
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | | 35

days
THE CEMETERY WAS STREWN WITH MUDDY
PUDDLES, BROKEN BRANCHES, AND WET YELLOW
LEAVES. MY DAD MADE HIS WAY TO HIS MOTHER’S
GRAVE, WHERE HE DISCOVERED THE REASON FOR
HIS DREAMS OF THE NIGHT BEFORE.
kind of aura, that all was not well with
the grave. There was nothing specific he
could point to, only the knowledge that
something was wrong.
Someone else would have said, “It was
just a noisy storm. The noise disrupted my
sleep and gave me unpleasant dreams.”
But my father didn’t waste any time
with conjecture. He called the office
to let them know he would be late and
started out for the cemetery. Even if he
found that nothing was wrong with my
grandmother’s grave, he would have done
a mitzvah; there was nothing to lose in
visiting the cemetery.
The cemetery was strewn with muddy
puddles, broken branches, and wet
yellow leaves. My dad made his way to
his mother’s grave, where he discovered
the reason for his dreams of the night
before. The gravestone was cracked
through—slashed on the diagonal. It
was apparent that lightning had struck
my grandmother’s gravestone during
the storm. The stone would need to be
replaced. My father hastened to take the
necessary steps to purchase and lay a new
stone.
My father was a simple man. Home
and family meant everything, as did his
Jewish identity. He was not some deep
philosopher, nor did he concern himself
with the paranormal. The main quality of
my father was that he prioritized a very
simple list of the things that mattered to
him. Work? Of prime importance. But
even more important was his Jewishness.
That was the real drive behind everything
he did. Both of these things, work and
Judaism, were really about the family, of
course. He might not have articulated
these ideas. He didn’t need to put them
into words. My father’s actions during his
abbreviated lifespan spoke volumes about
his beliefs.
For my father, Judaism, work, and
family were a triangle of interlocking
concepts, where one point might need
more attention at a given moment to
strengthen the whole. Years ago, I had
a garden, and as I diagnosed aphids,
applied fertilizer, weeded, and pruned,
it occurred to me that my father was a
bit like a gardener who sees the state
of his garden and tends to the plants
according to their dispositions. Seen from
this perspective, a workaholic missing
work on two occasions was really not so
remarkable. To my father, ensuring future
Jewish continuity and paying honor to his
roots were the obvious twin pathways to
a healthy garden—one that continues to
bear fruit until today. n
(The author is a third-generation born
Pittsburgher and mother of 12 who left
America at the age of 18 to live in Israel, and
has never regretted her decision.)
36 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

If Only They Knew
Sometimes things are not what they appear to be
They whispered about her in the
hallways. They talked about her
in the teachers’ room. She was a
hopeless case. Not interested in
academics, or else just not that capable.
And not interested in being frum. It was a
real shame.
If only they knew.
Her grades were slipping, and she
seemed perpetually annoyed at her
teachers. Was it their fault that she wasn’t
handing in homework assignments or
studying enough before tests? Her skirts
were always right above her knees, but she
managed to pull them down whenever
a teacher looked at her directly. She had
already been caught twice trying to send
a text on her cell phone during class. Her
teachers shook their heads and wondered
how much longer she would be permitted
to remain in school. She probably didn’t
want to be here, anyway.
If only they knew.
Then one morning, she arrived at school
looking extra tired: bags under her eyes,
hair disheveled. That afternoon she had a
history test. In the middle of writing her
answers she became really frustrated, and
slammed the paper down on her desk,
as if slamming a door shut. Her teacher
looked at her and thought, What does she
expect if she stays up all night on the phone or
on Facebook? Then something in the girl’s
eyes caught her attention.
And so, later in the day, when her
teacher happened to find her alone in
the hallway, she stopped her. The girl
immediately struck a defensive pose,
pulling down her skirt, waiting to hear
what she had done wrong this time. But
the teacher said very gently, “You look
really tired. Did you have a hard night?
She looked back at her teacher with
eyes that seemed to say, “I was waiting for
someone to ask.” Her whole demeanor
changed. She took a deep breath, relaxed
her shoulders, and then said, “Well,
my older sister had to have a medical
procedure today. It was a brain scan, and
she wasn’t allowed to sleep all night, so
I had to keep her awake. It was hard. I
tried showing her videos, telling her jokes.
Whenever she started to doze I had to
think creatively to prevent her from falling
asleep.”
The teacher was surprised. “You have
an older sister? She must not go to school
here, because I never met her.”
“Yeah, she’s a year older than me. But
she has developmental delays, and a lot of
medical conditions.”
“So you were the one who had to stay
up with her all night?”
“Well, my mom is in a psychiatric
facility, and it’s way too much for my dad.”
“Your mother is in a psychiatric
facility?” The story was only getting wilder.
“Yeah. She tried to hurt herself a month
ago. I found her. I called 911. They took
her to a hospital, and she’s been there
ever since. This is the second time it
happened.”
“But Pesach was three weeks ago. What
did you do for Pesach?”
“I know. It was really bad. My dad
said everything was too hard, and he just
wasn’t going to do Pesach this year. He
wasn’t going to clean. He wasn’t going
to cook. He said he just couldn’t. So I
cleaned the whole house myself. I cooked
all the meals, too. And I made both the
sedarim.”
“Wow! I can’t believe it. How did you
do all that? How old are you again?” the
teacher’s voice was incredulous, even
though she tried to mask her shock.
“I know. I’m only 15. It’s a lot. But what
can I do?” The girl’s eyes looked sad.
A girl who had no motivation? A girl
who wasn’t interested in being frum? The
teacher tried to process everything she
had heard.
If only they had known. At least she
knew now.
The teacher gave the girl a hug. And
they both had tears in their eyes. n
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | | 37

Here
Now
&
By Sarah Shapiro
Q AND A WITH…CINDERELLA
QOn behalf of the entire Ami
AMy pleasure. I must say it wasn’t easy,
though, in these slippers. And I’m
supposed to be exempt from suffering.
Q
AA hoax?
Q
AIt’s all right. I’m just sensitive…
because…well you know, it’s no picnic,
being imaginary. I get so tired of people
thinking I’m not real.
Q
APlease. Your Royal Highness.
Q
zt”l
whole mishpocha
AToo real?
Q
AI never had a life.
Q
AYour Royal Highness.
Q
ATime froze for me with that last line.
For both of us. Have you ever stopped
to think what it’s like for us, being limited
to one dimension? Not only for me and
the Prince, but for Sleeping Beauty, too,
in the castle. The Beast feels the same way.
So does Peter. We’re trapped.
Q
APan. In Never-Never Land. Where
he never grows old. Little Red
Riding Hood’s grandmother has the
opposite problem—she was never young.
Snow White, and the Queen, the whole
Mirror, mirror on the wall complex.
Always worrying how they look. To
dwell in a fairy tale is to be imprisoned in
meaninglessness. It’s like Oklahoma. No
ups and downs. Everything’s always the
same. It bores me to tears!
Q
AMy wicked stepsisters are eternally
jealous of me and there’s nothing I
can do about it.
Q
AFor what? It’s not my fault the Prince
chose me. I’m pretty. They’re ugly.
Q
ANot so well. He has no memory of
anything after that last line.
Q
AI am 18. I’m sick of it already.
Q
ANo, not the first. There’ve been a few
girls here and there who have read my
story, but generally speaking—and I don’t
know whether this is just paranoia on my
part—I really don’t feel welcome here.
Q
AYour Roy—
Q
don’t mean to be rude but it was the
AI other way around. As a figment of
your imagination, I found myself on your
mind. It’s I who should be interviewing
you. What made you think of me?
Q
38 | | NOVEMBER 23, 2011 | 26 CHESHVAN, 5772

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LETTERS
Slots almost impossible to obtain
Dear Editor,
I’ve been following with keen interest the ongoing discussion in
Ami about long-term placement for special needs young adults. As the
mother of a beautiful, lovable, three-year-old boy with autism, I am part
of a support network of parents of autistic children. During our tri-annual
support brunch, the conversation always centers around the painful
topic of long-term placement. Since my own child is still so young, and
we don’t know how high-functioning he might eventually be, it is not
something I’m remotely considering at the moment. But the mothers
in the group whose children are older and more difficult to manage are
very much interested.
The problem is: There are no openings. Due to federal budget cuts,
there is a freeze on new homes, and there are no slots available in the
existing group homes. Some parents are desperate; autistic children
can become behaviorally impossible once they hit their preteen years.
THERE IS A TEN-YEAR WAIT FOR A SLOT IN A GROUP HOME.
With this knowledge, some parents have put their kids—some of them
as young as six years old—on the waiting list of every group home in
New York. If they don’t feel ready they can turn it down when there is
an opening; but if they don’t act now, they will be lost when their child
is in his 20s and impossible to be around.
I was therefore shocked to learn through your letters page about the
creation of a new home this spring; I hope my friends who need this
are aware of it. To the mother of the letter in issue #46: If your son is
currently not in need of this home, you are doing a tremendous chessed
by leaving his slot open to other desperate parents. But I hope you’ll
leave him on the waiting list, because slots for long-term placements are
extremely rare and precious.
P.D.
WRITE TO US:
AMI MAGAZINE
1575 50 th St., Brooklyn, NY 11219
Phone: (718) 534-8800 | Fax: (718) 484-7731
letters@amimagazine.org
You can have your cake and eat it, too
Dear Editor,
Thanks for your amazing magazine, which is a
delight to read week after week.
I would like to respond to your article about
children being too attached to their parents.
I live in Williamsburg, and feel that some points
in the article were somewhat misrepresented.
Your assessment of couples spending more time
with the wife’s parents for suppers and Shabbosim/
Yomim Tovim is incorrect. If both the husband’s
and wife’s parents reside in Williamsburg, then the
time spent with both sets of parents with regard to
meals is divided equally.
Also, concerning eating meals at parents’ homes:
In general, I remember my kallah teacher telling
us to be smart and to use our time wisely to spend
time with one another while it was just the two of
us. So I remember many times when we would pick
up our supper from our parents, and eat it at home.
Although living away from parents makes you rely
on each other more, there’s no reason why you cannot
have a similar close relationship even if you live
nearby. I believe that every situation can be worked
out accordingly. You just need to use wisdom and
common sense.
In my case, my parents live in the neighborhood,
and it didn’t have an impact on building our
relationship. I set up boundaries for our privacy
and our commitment early on, which my parents
respected very much. With Hashem’s help, we
have built a relationship where we each rely on
each other for everything from shopping advice, to
friendship, to all major decisions and so on.
While most of my family and friends live nearby,
my husband is certainly my very best friend.
R.S.
8 | | DECEMBER 30, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

Hospice care truly remarkable
Dear Editor,
I always enjoy your
“Clean Bill” columns,
but last week’s
story really hit home.
Unfortunately, in
the past year I have
also gained firsthand
knowledge about
palliative and hospice
care—although I
would have definitely
preferred to remain
ignorant, and still
have my parents alive!
Nonetheless, I am
truly grateful that they were both able to avail themselves of this wonderful option,
which didn’t exist too many years ago.
My mother fought a brave battle (sounds like a cliché, but it’s true) against her
disease for three years. When the doctors suddenly announced that they had run out
of treatment strategies she was genuinely surprised. As her condition deteriorated,
she was the one who made the choice to enter hospice care. The doctors and nurses
who specialize in this field are amazing. I could not believe the skill with which they
explained her situation to her, with kindness, and without being patronizing. When
they gave her the option of having them repeatedly resuscitate her, and told her that
the procedure would be painful, would probably break her ribs, and would ultimately
not make much of a difference, she declined. The offer of palliative care—being
unhooked from all the invasive equipment and being pain-free—was clearly the best
alternative to her. Incredibly, she actually told one of her grandchildren that she was
grateful for having such a wonderful place to die in!
By contrast, my father was diagnosed with “the illness” just a week and a half
before his petira. Although he was suffering from dementia, after they gave him a
blood transfusion he was more alert and oriented than he’d been in months. The first
thing he said upon realizing he was in a hospital was “Get me out of here! This is a
crazy place! I want to go home.” A couple of days later everything had been arranged
for him to receive hospice care at home. He passed away the following week. I have
since found a letter dated only a few years ago in which he wrote that he never
wanted to enter a nursing home. And he didn’t.
The people who work in hospice care are the most unusual people I have ever met.
I would never choose a job like that for all the money in the world, but I am very
grateful to those who do, until the time of “Hakitzu veran’nu shochnei afar! (Awake
and sing, you who dwell in dust!)” (Yeshayahu 26: 16)
VERTICAL
1/3
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PARSHAS VAYISHLACH
Choose
Your
Battles
Choosing our battles
BY BATYA CHANNA SHEVACH
Jacob heard that he
had defiled Dina his
daughter; and his sons
“Now,
were with his cattle in
the field; and Jacob held his peace until
they came.” (Bereishis 34:5)
When Yaakov’s daughter Dina was
accosted by a Canaani, Yaakov was, of
course, devastated. But after weighing his
options, he decided to hold his peace. He
didn’t seek revenge, but instead hoped to
foster amiable relations with the people
who would be his neighbors.
Yaakov’s sons, however, were unable
to even consider forgiving the men they
viewed as the vilest of enemies. Their
approach to the situation was to kill the
offenders and everyone associated with
them, to wipe out any sign that they
had ever existed. After Shechem and
all the residents of his community had
been circumcised, Shimon and Levi took
advantage of the moment.
“And it came to pass on the third day,
when they were in pain, that two of
the sons of Yaakov—Shimon and Levi,
Dina’s brothers—took each man his
sword, and came upon the city unawares,
and slew all the males.” (Bereishis 34:25)
After the deed was done, Yaakov was
disappointed in his sons and worried
about how their actions would appear to
others. He was afraid that one violent act
would lead to another, and that the peace
Yaakov sought for himself and his family
would never be achieved.
“And Yaakov said to Shimon and
Levi, ‘You have troubled me, to make
me odious to the inhabitants of the land,
even to the Canaanites and the Perizzites;
and, I being few in number, they will
gather themselves together against me
and smite me; and I shall be destroyed,
I and my house. And they said: ‘Should
one deal with our sister as with a harlot?’”
(Bereishis 34:30-31)
Yaakov’s sons still felt that their
conduct had been justified. To them, the
honor of their family, of their sister, came
before any consideration of alliance with
strangers.
v
Today, just as in Biblical times, when
one nation commits a wrong against
another or even against its own people,
the injured party can either turn the other
cheek or engage in acts of warfare. The
Israeli government and its armed forces
face daily challenges regarding how to
deal with terrorists who threaten and
harm innocent Jews. The United States
made decisions affecting thousands of
American soldiers and their families when
military action was initiated in Vietnam,
Iraq, and Afghanistan. And when no
violent act has been committed as of
yet, but the possibility seems imminent,
how should the world react? In the case
of Iran, the peace-loving nations of the
world have reached an impasse: Do we
keep pushing for a peaceful solution, or
do we follow an extreme path of action to
prevent wide-scale disaster?
Within our small Jewish “world,”
we have an obligation to protect the
spiritual well-being of our communities
and families. We do our best to shelter
our spouses and children from outside
influences that threaten to lead them off
the path of Torah. But before taking any
major action in life, we need to define our
agenda. Even within our own families
we must focus on our goals, and carefully
calculate our plan of action. If a child
breaks one of our rules, is punishment
necessary, or is compromise preferable as
a means of regaining peace? If our spouse
commits a despicable deed, can we ever
forgive, or is the only solution a drastic
one?
Yaakov never accepted his sons’
approach in dealing with their family
crisis. In Parshas Vayechi, when Yaakov
blesses his sons, he says, “Shimon and
Levi are brothers; instruments of violence
are their wares. Let my soul not come
into their council; let my honor not unite
with their assembly, for in their wrath
they killed a man.” (Bereishis 49:5-6)
If the violation of Dina was not cause
enough for war in the eyes of Yaakov
Avinu, then how very careful we need to
be, when choosing our battles over less
serious offenses. n
8 | | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

GOLDEN NUGGETS // by Adele Jacobs
THINGS LOOK
DIFFERENT HERE
If anyone could pierce the heavens with
his tefillos, surely it was Rabbi Dov Ber,
the Maggid of Mezritch. Therefore,
when the Russian ruler instituted
several evil decrees against the Jewish
people, it was no wonder that the eyes of
the community turned to Mezritch and
its Rebbe.
In truth, though, the Maggid was
already very ill and weak. One of his
followers, Rabbi Elimelech of Lyzhensk,
was therefore worried that perhaps the
Maggid would not have the strength to
plead with his usual fervor.
“We will fast or do whatever you wish,
to help you,” Rabbi Elimelech assured the
Maggid.
“There is no need for a public fast. In
fact, there is no need for me to leave my
sickbed and go daven.”
“But, Rebbe—” Rabbi Elimelech
couldn’t help but blurt out.
“Don’t worry. I am very aware of the
gravity of the situation. But very soon I
will be in a much better position to plead
on behalf of the Jewish people. Soon I
will be leaving this world. When I do, I
will go straight to the heavenly throne,
and I will not leave until these decrees
have been annulled.”
A few weeks later the Maggid did,
indeed, leave this world. During the
week of shiva, while everyone else was
bemoaning the loss of their leader and
advocate, Rabbi Elimelech was calm.
But as the weeks passed and the edicts
remained in place, even he began to
worry.
It was unthinkable that the Maggid’s
pleas, which had been so effective in this
world, had lost their power in the World
of Truth. It was also unthinkable that
the Maggid no longer cared about the
people he had left behind. Why, then,
had nothing changed?
Rabbi Elimelech went to the Maggid’s
kever, where he asked Hashem to help
him understand why the Maggid had
seemingly not kept his promise.
That night the Maggid appeared to
Rabbi Elimelech in a dream.
“Know that I haven’t forgotten you,”
said the Maggid, “but things look
different from here. When I lived among
you, I shared your view that these decrees
and all the suffering that am Yisrael
has endured are a terrible thing. Now,
though, I view the world below from a
different perspective.”
“But, Rebbe, people are in so much
pain,” Rebbe Elimelech pleaded in his
dream.
“I can no longer help you. Because
I no longer see these decrees as being
bad for the Jewish people, I can not
daven to have them annulled. But you,
who feel the evil of the decree, must
call out to Hashem yourselves and
plead for what you think you need. And
may your cries succeed in opening up
the Gates of Mercy, if it is the will of
Hashem.”
C. WOLCOWITZ | 917.202.2593
SPECIAL!
FRE E
UNDERARM
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*Restrictions may apply
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | | 9

Dinner is
Delightful Dairy Dishes
for Your CHANUKAH
Dinner or Party
DAIRY
SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE WITH
WALNUT STREUSEL
2 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 Photography: | 11 KISLEV, John 5772 Uher Food Styling: Studioestherdeutsch@gmail.com

For years, I would receive the Dean and Deluca catalog in the mail.
Before tossing it in the trash along with the rest of my junk mail, I would
naturally study the photos of the food items, page by page. (You never
know where you’ll find inspiration.) They always featured a famous sour
cream apple pie with a walnut streusel by “The Little Pie Co.” that had
me salivating. And, because I’ll take a good piece of pie over a sophisticated
pastry any day, I just had to taste what looked like pie heaven. I
scoured the Internet for this famous recipe. Dozens of websites claimed
that they had the exact “The Little Pie Co.” recipe—all vastly different
variations though. Because I couldn’t compare all these recipes to the
original pie, I was on my own. What renders this pie unique is using a
combination of apples to produce a mélange of textures and flavors that’s
perfectly complemented by the walnut streusel. I also love how the sour
cream gives this pie a slightly piquant taste, instead of tasting overly
sweet. Although I can’t vouch for how my version compares to the original
recipe, it doesn’t matter. This beats regular apple pie any day.
Welcome to my kitchen. Life happens here.
manna@amimagazine.org

CARAMELIZED PEAR SPINACH SALAD WITH POMEGRANATES, PECANS, AND CRAISINS
(DAIRY AND PAREVE OPTIONS)
-
4 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

-
-
2 large Bartlett or Anjou pears,
peeled cored and cut lengthwise
into 8ths
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup brown sugar
10 ounces baby spinach
1 cup honey glazed pecans
¾ - 1 cup Craisins
1 cup pomegranate seeds
Goat cheese or feta cheese (for dairy,
optional)
For the dressing:
2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Juice of caramelized pears
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Dip all
sides of sliced pears in lemon juice, and
then dip in brown sugar. Arrange the
pears in a single layer on a large baking
pan. Roast for 25 minutes. Remove
from heat, and allow to cool to room
temperature. Cut each pear wedge
into 1-inch thick slices. Reserve pear
juice that has been released during the
roasting.
2. To prepare the dressing: In a small
bowl or cruet, vigorously whisk the oil,
vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and
the reserved pear juice together until
combined well.
3. Toss dressing with baby spinach,
pears, glazed pecans, and Craisins.
Sprinkle pomegranate seeds evenly over
the top of the salad. Serve immediately.
For a dairy version, sprinkle the top of
the salad with crumbled goat or feta
cheese.
DAIRY VERSION
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | WHISK | 5

6 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772
LINGUINE WITH WHITE WINE CREAM SAUCE
AND MUSHROOMS
-
-

BETTER THAN SNICKERS DESSERT BARS
-
-
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | WHISK | 7

LINGUINE WITH WHITE
WINE CREAM SAUCE AND
MUSHROOMS
1 pound linguine pasta
For the sauce:
½ cup (1 stick) butter
16 ounces (2 boxes) white button
mushrooms, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup good quality dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more
Fresh black pepper
Optional garnish:
fresh basil
parsley
Parmesan cheese
1. Cook pasta until al dente according to
package directions; drain.
2. To prepare the sauce: In a large skillet,
melt butter over medium heat. Add
mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are
lightly browned and soft, approximately 5
minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another
minute. Add wine and allow to reduce for
4 - 5 minutes. Add heavy cream, parmesan
cheese, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 - 3
minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly
thickened.
3. Lower heat to low and fold linguine
into sauce, mixing well until all strands are
coated well. Add additional kosher salt and
pepper as needed. Garnish with fresh basil
or parsley and/or Parmesan cheese. Serve
hot.
Yield: serves 4
SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE WITH
WALNUT STREUSEL
2 frozen 9-inch-deep dough pie crusts
(not graham cracker crust)
1 ¼ cups sour cream
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Granny Smith apples, sliced thin (1/8-
inch thick)
3 Cortland apples, sliced thin (1/8-inch
thick)
1 Gala or McIntosh apple sliced thin (1/8-
inch thick)
For the walnut streusel topping:
¾ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
8 (1 stick) tablespoons butter, melted
Optional garnish:
store bought caramel sauce
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl,
and vanilla. Stir in sliced apples. Pour into
2 pie crusts. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce
oven to 350°F and bake for 35 minutes
longer.
2. To prepare the crumb topping: Combine
cinnamon, and salt. Stir in melted butter and
mix until crumb forms.
3. Sprinkle the topping over the 2 pies
and bake for an additional 30 - 35 minutes
until golden. Cool at room temperature for
several hours before serving.
After refrigerating, bring to room
temperature before serving.
BETTER THAN SNICKERS
DESSERT BARS
layer 1:
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Pinch salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into squares
1 large egg yolk
layer 2:
2 cups store bought caramel cream (I like
Baker’s Choice) at room temperature (so
that it’s easy to mix)
1 ½ cups chopped roasted salted
peanuts
layer 3:
7 ounces (2 bars) bittersweet chocolate
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter
Chopped roasted salted nuts, for
sprinkling
1.
until a dough forms. Put the dough in a
hands until you have a smooth, thin layer.
Put the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes
and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the
dough straight from the freezer for 15
minutes and let cool.
2. Prepare the second layer: Combine
caramel cream and peanuts. Pour the
3. Prepare the third layer: Microwave
chocolate and butter until melted. Be
careful: Don’t let it burn. Smooth the
chocolate on top of the caramel layer with
a spatula, sprinkle chopped salted peanuts
on top. Freeze until ready to serve. When
serving, cut the dessert into squares while
still slightly frozen and plate. Bring to room
temperature for at least 15 minutes and
serve.
8 | WHISK | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | 11 KISLEV, 5772

CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP
-
1 large onion, diced
¼ cup (½ stick) butter
10 ounces frozen spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups water mixed with msg-free,
pareve chicken soup powder, prepared
according to package directions
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 dash nutmeg
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
For optional garnishes:
Toasted pine nuts
Baby spinach leaves
Herbed goat cheese
1. Sauté the onion in butter over medium
heat for 5 - 7 minutes, until translucent.
Add spinach and garlic, sauté for 2 more
stock gradually. Season with salt, pepper,
and nutmeg. Simmer uncovered for 25
minutes. Add milk and cream and cook
another 15 minutes uncovered.
2. Puree with an immersion blender until
minutes. Season to taste with additional
seasoning if needed. Serve hot with toasted
pine nuts. Garnish with fresh baby spinach
leaves and/or herbed goat cheese.
11 KISLEV, 5772 | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | WHISK | 9