Last month we celebrated Purim, wherein a day of potential grief and annihilation was transformed into a day of celebration and laughter. This turn-around was so miraculous, that our sages mandated that we increase joy during the entire month of Adar. In the finale of Megillat Esther we read that Mordechai was “highly regarded by the Jews and popular with most of his brethren. He sought the good of his people and interceded for the welfare of all his kindred.” David “Hurdle” Tawil, a”h, was a man who embodied the spirit of Purim – full of joy and laughter. Like Mordechai, Mr. Tawil was highly regarded by our community, sought the good of his people through his hesed efforts, interceded for the benefit of peace between business partners and spouses, and was a popular public speaker and mentor.

Family Background

Born in Brooklyn in 1936, David “Hurdle” was the third of six children and was a phenomenal athlete. At 6’3,” he was a natural on the basketball court, which he shared with players of all ages for many years. Married to Renee, a”h, for 55 years, the couple raised a beautiful family, with Ralph, Eddie, Eliot, Pauline Wahba, and Lena Waingort. The children were imbued with the values of work hard and don’t stop until the job is done. When the family moved to the Bedford area in 1972, Mr. Tawil worked to create the Kol Israel congregation, and was chosen to be the first President.

Six years ago, he married Joyce Tawil, who was, as one of the children related, “an angel of a woman who took such good care of our father and to whom we are so grateful.” Mr. Tawil was long ago dubbed the nickname “Hurdle” although no one seems to remember why.

Love of Laughter

Hurdle Tawil loved an audience. It provided him with the opportunity to mediate for shalom, teach a skill, such as public speaking, encourage others to do hesed, and most importantly to make people laugh. Rabbi Ralph Tawil, Mr. Tawil’s eldest son, recalls, “The two highest values my father taught us were to help others and to make them laugh. Laughter was such an important element of my father’s life. And he was very ‘machmir’ on telling a joke correctly.”

The old adage that “laughter is the best medicine” is actually a proven fact. Research shows that laughter gets rid of tension, strengthens the immune system, and like chocolate cake, helps the body release feel-good endorphins. Having a sense of humor is a sign of maturity because it demonstrates a sense of perspective about what is truly important. Mr. Tawil may have balked at all the clinical data, “too fussy” he might have said, because he knew instinctively that while a person is laughing, life seems easier. Ikey Ades, who considered Mr. Tawil his best friend, concurs. “I never saw David as a comedian. He really was a serious and intelligent person. The jokes and stories were for us. He knew how tough life could be so he took us away for a while – from all the stress and pressure and made us laugh. It was his way of giving tzedakah.”

Mr. Tawil’s son Eliot says, “Laughter was more important than money to my father.” Mr. Tawil said repeatedly that he “has never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse” to illustrate that the only thing you can take with you to the Next World are your good deeds. Eliot continues, “My father believed that success was not defined by the amount of money in your bank account, but by the amount of good deeds you can tally up. In this sense, my father was the most successful man in the world.”

Natural Sportsman

Mr. Tawil’s work hard/play hard ethic made him a major player in the leagues at the Sephardic Community Center and he was the first member inducted into their Sports Hall of Fame. Mr. Tawil’s athletic prowess extended to softball where he was, according to son Eddie, renowned as a quick pitch artist who confused many a batter. He played basketball until he was 65 and softball until he was 74. When his “knees and hips gave out” he played golf. His talents extended off the court and field as Mr. Tawil also played the violin. In all these arenas Mr. Tawil did what he did best – made connections, gave advice, and made people laugh (except for all the batters who couldn’t get a hit when he was on the pitcher’s mound).

Whether on or off the court, on stage, or in gemara class, one of Mr. Tawil’s greatest talents was bringing energy and excitement to everything he did. Rabbi Avi Harari credits Mr. Tawil with teaching him “how to live a life of meaning, purpose, and impact.” Rabbi Harari describes Mr. Tawil as “wise and well intentioned. He was confident enough to offer advice while being humble enough to laugh at himself while he did so. He understood people and used creative

thinking to problem solve. At the same time, he would say, ‘If my advice doesn’t make sense to you, don’t follow it.’ He gave people space to grow.” These qualities made Mr. Tawil a much sought-after mentor and advisor.

Dedication to Hesed

It was easy for Mr. Tawil to educate others in living a life of meaning because that is exactly how he chose to live his life. His daughter Paulie recalls that, from a young age she received the message to always be involved in hesed. “My father always believed that hesed is what makes you who you are.” From SAFE to the Mitzvah Man, almost every organization in our community benefitted from Mr. Tawil’s involvement. He considered men like Joe Beyda, Morris Bailey, and Michael Cohen visionaries, who created organizations that continue to serve our community. Mr. Tawil involved himself with these organizations, being fully present and on the front lines, wherever and whenever he was needed.

Mr. Tawil’s son Eddie remembers him saying, “I went out and sought people who needed help and didn’t think of the next day until I found a mission of who I could help.” Mr. Tawil used another one of his great talents, public speaking, le shem shamayim. “The rabbis are teaching Torah and they need to deliver a message, so I went to all the yeshivot and kollels to teach them public speaking.” In fact, Mr. Tawil spent two weeks at the Shehebar Sephardic Center in Yerushalayim teaching the rabbis how to grab the audience’s attention and keep it by using the proper inflection, pauses, and format for delivering the speech. Following the rules of good comedic delivery, which he applied to all his public speaking engagements, Mr. Tawil encouraged the rabbis to have a strong voice, read the room, and adjust the content based on the audience’s reaction.

Dedication to Learning Torah

Rabbi Edmund Nahum learned daf yomi with Mr. Tawil at 5:30am every day for 12 years. Rabbi Nahum recalls that Mr. Tawil accompanied him to pay shiva calls and visit people in the hospital. “Hurdle was very helpful to me in my work mediating financial disputes. He understood business and technology more than I did and would explain business concepts to me.” Mr. Tawil attended the morning class religiously and while he always had a funny joke to share, he took his learning very seriously, focusing on every word of the gemara and absorbing its meaning. “Hurdle came to our classes with what he called ‘western thinking,’ a secular mindset. But over the years he acknowledged that he had a new understanding of everything as seen through the teaching of the gemara.”

His commitment to learning continued during Covid with daily daf yomi classes via zoom with his son Rabbi Ralph Tawil. Son Eliot acknowledges that, “even while my dad was in the hospital he would say, ‘get Ralphie on the phone – I want to get started on the class.’ Those classes were his sustenance, his medicine. It was so vital that he had that time with Ralphie.”

A Laughing Good Time

Masechet Taanit relates the story of when Rabbi Beroka Hoza’a asked Eliyahu HaNavi if anyone in the marketplace would merit a place in the World-to-Come. Eliahu HaNavi pointed out two brothers who he claimed would be going straight to the World-to-Come. When asked their occupation they replied: “We are jesters, and we cheer up the depressed. Alternatively, when we see two people who have a quarrel between them, we strive to make peace.” It is said that for these deeds one enjoys the profits of his actions in this world, and yet his reward is not diminished in the World-to-Come. Mr. David “Hurdle” Tawil lived his life by these principles – cheering us up and resolving our quarrels. Rabbi Ralph Tawil quotes Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa, “‘Anyone who people are pleased with – Hashem is pleased with him.’ When we live our lives to make people happy, resolve conflict, and do good for people, people are pleased with us and Hashem is pleased with us. In this way I know Hashem loves my father.”

While we have lost a man of indomitable spirit, resilience, dedication, and kindness, up in shamayim they must be having a laughing good time with “Hurdle” at the mike.

The MSB softball league is bringing up this season’s games to a whole new level. We all know what amazing work the hesed organizations of our community do for us all. Now MSB is giving back to them in a great new way. Each team in the league will be named after one charity, giving them major publicity.

The exposure will be multi-pronged. Each organization’s logo will be featured on MSB’s social media and website, which are highly trafficked by the Syrian community. MSB’s Instagram page alone has a few thousand followers. The charities will also be featured on all league shows, videos, and highlight reels. The league has multiple shows a week, which get four to five hundred views per show. The league’s broadcast list has about two hundred fifty people. They also have thousands of readers like you following our game articles right here in Community Magazine. To further advertise these organizations, MSB is working on a promotional video. This will encourage support for the incredible work the organizations do. And representatives will be welcomed down to the field to fundraise.

The Seven Featured Hesed Organizations and Their Team Captains

The organizations to be featured this season include seven amazing charities. One is SFF (Sephardic Food Fund), a charity that gives money for food to the needy. This enables them to sustain themselves and their families in a dignified manner, without any shame. The captain for team SFF is Mordechai Grazi.

Also featured is Bnei Melachim, an organization that supports widows and orphans with whatever they may need. The captain for this team is Ralph Shama.

CARE is an acronym for community, advocacy, resources, and encouragement. The team at CARE live up to their name as they help special needs children and their families with tremendous dedication. Team CARE is captained by Mordy Chrem.

The Safe foundation featured as well. This charity well known for their life saving work. They provide clients and their families with counseling and support in dealing with addiction. Their goal is to educate all members of our community on the dangers of addiction and its prevention. Leo Esses is captain of Team Safe.

Another group that will be publicized is the Community Assistance Fund. It is the first organization people call when in need. They comfort callers and help to stabilize the situation, making sure the callers get whatever they need for the moment. They then guide them to the organizations best suited to help them long term. This team will be captained by Yanky Itzkowitz.

Also included is the Maskeel El Dal Society, which helps the needy as well as helping brides that cannot afford to make a wedding. In addition, they have a full day Hacham Baruch Kollel and a Bet Hora’ah. Team Maskeel El Dal’s captain is Dan Braun.

Another group that will be featured is the one and only SBH (Sephardic Bikur Holim). SBH helps our community in countless ways. Their food pantry provides food for anyone struggling financially. These families can also receive financial counseling to get back on their feet. SBH also offers mental health services and has a medical line for anyone seeking help in finding a suitable doctor. To keep our seniors connected and active in an enjoyable atmosphere, SBH has fantastic senior programs as well. Of course, all of these services are offered free of charge. Edmund Beyda will be the captain of team SBH.

This new endeavor will help raise money and heighten awareness for the beautiful work of these organizations. Bezrat Hashem each of these charities will gain tremendously through this initiative. MSB is helping to build our community’s future in hesed – one game at a time.

Team sponsorships are available. For more information please email Samjsutton@gmail.com.

Our Sages teach us, “In the merit of the righteous women, we were redeemed from Egypt.” It seems that the valiant women in every generation empower our reliving the experience of Pesah in how they prepare our homes in so many ways. Cleaning the house is just the beginning, as their noble efforts to bring together the joy of the holiday, with lavish meals and ambiance, set the backdrop for the story of our Exodus that we will retell to our children Pesah night.

Bedikat Hamets

What if I can’t make it home in time?

The time to do bedikat hamets, searching for hamets, is at around 7:55pm (Deal area) Thursday evening, April 14, 2022, the night of the fourteenth of Nissan. One should make every effort to do bedikah at the proper time. If one can’t make it home that night for bedikah, then his wife should search the house after she recites the berachah.

One may not eat two ounces of bread or cake, begin studying Torah, or involve himself in any project from a half-hour before the time to search.

Should I use a candle or a flashlight?

It is preferred to recite the berachah and begin to check with a candle, and then switch over to a flashlight. One can make a berachah and check with a flashlight. In either case, one should leave the light on in the room while searching.

Where do I have to check?

Any place into which you even occasionally bring hamets must be searched, such as bedrooms and the like. If no one ever brings hamets into a room, for example, a boiler room, one need not check that room. Knapsacks and coat pockets should be checked. One’s car must be checked; it can be done earlier that day or later that night. If one owns a boat or aircraft, he must check it as well. One’s office or store can be checked, either in the morning before the night of checking, or at the last time he leaves before the holiday. What one was not able to do in the night, can be done the next morning without a berachah.

What if I just cleaned my room?

The objective of cleaning is to enable smooth checking. So now that the room is cleaned, it is ready to be checked!

What am I looking for?

One should focus on trying to find anything that is edible, even something as small as Cheerios. Whatever is not found, will be nullified when saying kal hamirah.

Additionally, many seemingly innocent products in the house could have hamets ingredients. For example, if there is vinegar in the ingredients, it may be derived from grain that is hamets. Gluten-free products may also be bona fide hamets as oats can be gluten-free. Products such as flour, uncooked oatmeal, cake mixes, beer, scotch, and whiskey are hamets. Yeast that we commonly use these days is actually not hamets.

Read all product labels carefully as there are many look-alikes of non-kosher for Passover items. Additionally, not everything that was kosher last year is kosher this year. If a “P” is next to a hechsher, it always means kosher for Pesah (pareve is spelled out). Finally, not all kosher certifications are equal. One should do research and set a standard in his own home for which agencies he feels comfortable accepting.

What about pet food?

The benchmark of what is considered hamets is its suitability to be consumed by a dog. Therefore, pet foods also need to be hamets-free. If the pet food has actual hamets, one should look for a non-hamets substitute. If you go to the zoo and would like to buy food to feed the animals, be mindful of what you are purchasing.

Do I have to check the pockets of my clothing?

If the clothing went through the wash, it does not have to be checked. If one does not intend to use the garment on Pesah, he can check by patting the pockets to feel that there is no significant amount of hamets.

What should I do with the Birkat Hamazon books?

Ideally, they should be locked up, and Haggadot can be used throughout Pesah for Birkat Hamazon. Otherwise, they can be thoroughly cleaned by going through every page, ensuring no crumbs are there.

Do I have to check under the refrigerator or move the furniture?

The criteria of up to what point one is obligated to search for hamets is when it is beyond reach. It is very common to find wafers, candies, and other hamets that roll under furniture, refrigerators. or the like. So, when cleaning before Pesah, everything that can be reached or moved without exerting an inordinate amount of effort should be moved to access any hamets. One can have in mind then to be searching for hamets and on the night of bedikah just look with a flashlight to see if it was cleaned well.

What should I clean out from the children’s toys?

Playdough and children’s arts and crafts that include hamets, like colored macaroni, need not be thrown out, but should be locked up for Pesah.

What if I get a phone call in the middle of checking?

As soon as one recites the berachah to check, he may not interrupt at all until he begins to check; just like any berachah that one recites, he performs the mitzvah immediately. If he

starts to check, he should not engage in talking other than that which is relevant to the bedikah until he completes the checking and recites the bittul. If he did speak of other matters, he does not need to make another berachah. One should have other family members listen to the berachah so that he may appoint other members of the household to help with the checking.

Why do I hide ten pieces?

The berachah recited is al biur hamets―to destroy hamets. So the question arises, if one does not find any hamets, then on what is his blessing going? Therefore, it is customary to hide pieces of hamets to fulfill his blessing. The symbolism of ten is to encompass all aspects of impurity and sin that are present in the world that we seek to search out and destroy. Each piece should be smaller than the size of an olive, so if not found, you will not be in violation of owning hamets. Wrap each one in silver foil or plastic so it does not leave crumbs.

What if I can’t find all ten pieces?

If you cannot find them, look a little harder! If you still can’t find them, rely on the bittul you recite to nullify the hamets wherever it is. To avoid this, one person can be in charge of memorizing where all the pieces are hidden or write them down.

If I am traveling for Pesah, what should I do?

Your house must be cleaned and checked prior to departing. If you are leaving on or after the night of bedikat hamets, then check like you would usually do, with a berachah. If leaving before the night of bedikah, then check the night before you leave without a berachah.

If one rents and enters an apartment, house, hotel, car, etc., on or before the night of the fourteenth of Nissan, the obligation of bedikah is upon him. Therefore, check at the proper time with a berachah.

If one is checking into a hotel in the middle of Pesah, then upon arrival, he should check his hotel room without a berachah. If there is a minibar or snack closet, it should be removed or sealed off.

Do I have to burn the hamets?

Although one may dispose of his hamets in any manner, the custom is to burn the hamets with fire. Additionally, it is customary to use the lulav from the previous Sukkot for the firewood, thereby using the mitsvah of lulav for another mitsvah of burning the hamets. However, one may destroy the hamets in any other way he chooses. However, by just throwing it in the garbage, it is not necessarily destroyed and out of your property.

What if I forgot kal hamirah?

After burning the hamets before the eleventh hour, one should recite kal hamirah― “all hamets found in my possession…shall be considered like the dust of the earth.” This is found in many Haggadot. It is a declaration that all hamets currently owned shall be nullified and ownerless and not in one’s possession. After the time that hamets is already forbidden, it does not take effect; however, one can rely on the kal hamirah that he recited at night after the bedikah.

What if I found hamets?

If one finds hamets during yom tov, he should treat it as mukseh and cover it. After yom tov, he should destroy the hamets. If discovered on hol hamoed, it should be burned or flushed away immediately.

Why did close to a million people go to this rabbi’s funeral?

Imagine discovering at the earliest age a passion for an endeavor for which you have an abundance of natural talent and skill. Add to that the head start of growing up surrounded by the giants in your chosen field, who closely mentor your progress. For decades, thousands flock to your home seeking sagely advice, and you produce dozens of scholarly volumes on the entire breadth and depth of your chosen field.

Add to that a single-minded focus and unwavering devotion to the goal – day after day, year after year – for 94 years.

That was the life of Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky – the undisputed Prince of Torah (Sar HaTorah) – who was buried March 20, 2022 in the city of Bnei Brak in central Israel, as hundreds of thousands converged to pay their last respects.

Early Years

Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky was born in 1928 in Pinsk, now Belarus. His father, Rabbi Yaakov Y. Kanievsky, was the widely revered Steipler Ga’on. When Chaim was six, the Kanievsky family moved to Israel. On the sea voyage, Chaim sat day after day with his father, absorbed in Torah study. As they neared the shores of the Holy Land, they were about to complete study of Exodus, when suddenly his father kissed the book and closed it. “Let’s wait until we arrive,” he explained, “so we can celebrate in the Holy Land.”

This gave young Chaim not only an appreciation for the preciousness of Torah study, but also love for the land of Israel. Since then, he never departed the borders of Israel, and became a lifetime advocate for aliyah, encouraging people to move to Israel.

Rav Chaim’s childhood home was the center of the Torah world, with people from around the world gathering there to confer with some of the greatest rabbis of the 20th century. Besides his revered father, Rav Chaim’s uncle was Rabbi Avraham Y. Karelitz (the Chazon Ish), the premier Torah leader during the critical years of Israeli independence. The Chazon Ish, himself childless, showered Rav Chaim with constant tutelage and individual attention, grooming him in the art of Torah scholarship.

Rav Chaim, a child prodigy with a photographic memory, elucidated complex talmudic teachings at a young age. As a boy, he studied at Yeshiva Tiferes Tzion in Bnei Brak, amusing himself during recess breaks – not with a ball or board game – but by counting the number of times

various sages are quoted in the Talmud. For his bar mitzvah, he completed the Babylonian Talmud (Shas), a feat that many do not manage to achieve in a lifetime. Rav Chaim married Batsheva, the daughter of Judaism’s leading legal decisor, Rabbi Yosef S. Elyashiv (and granddaughter of Rabbi Aryeh Levine, the beloved Tzaddik of Jerusalem). Rav Chaim’s illustrious lineage was unmatched, although that alone is insufficient to ensure success. Metaphorically, “nine zeros is not a billion” unless an actual number is added in front. So too, Rav Chaim was surrounded by Judaism’s leading sages, but what he added at the beginning made it all count.

Torah Study

Rav Chaim was a private citizen, leading no synagogue or yeshiva, and with no official teaching or rabbinic position. For years, he occupied a nondescript seat in Kollel Chazon Ish, conducting uninterrupted in-depth research and writing. Once, as a young man, he considered taking a paid position, but his father said: “Your contribution is to sit and learn. Period.” With commitment and diligence, Rav Chaim never wavered from that advice, becoming this generation’s paradigm of nonstop Torah study.

Inside Rav Chaim’s modest home on Rashbam Street, every room and hallway were lined with bookshelves, crammed with thousands of Torah books. On Shabbat, Rav Chaim would play a game with his children. One of them would name a book title, and Rav Chaim would entertain the children by immediately telling them its precise location among the volumes filling every inch of wall space.

Rav Chaim maintained a breathtaking schedule, waking at 2am for a rigorous 20-hour-a-day study of the entire biblical and rabbinic corpus including Tanach, Mishnah, the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud, Midrashim, Zohar, and all the primary works of Jewish law: Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, Tur, Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), and Mishnah Berurah.

Rav Chaim toiled day and night, saying that the mental energy expended on Torah study is more physically taxing than digging ditches or laying bricks. Few people manage to study so many intricate works in a lifetime. Rav Chaim completed them all – every single year.

The Kanievsky’s had a small apartment, and the young children slept in a room filled to the brim with beds. When a wealthy visitor once offered to buy them a spacious house, they declined, explaining that it encourages people to see that economic hardship does not preclude devotion to Torah study.

Rav Chaim learned before dawn with a study partner and they wanted to be able to awaken and study right away. Despite the already over-crowded conditions, a spot was found for the study partner to sleep in the Kanievsky’s apartment on a regular basis.

Rav Chaim published dozens of volumes that are modern classics, including Derech Emunah, Derech Chochma, Shoneh Halachos, and Ta’ama D’kra. With unparalleled breadth of knowledge, Rav Chaim was uniquely qualified in obscure topics of Jewish law, such as lunar cycles, and agricultural laws in Israel. In his lectures, Rav Kanievsky delivered groundbreaking

commentary on the Jerusalem Talmud, which are the basis of a book by his son-in-law Rabbi Zelig Leib Braverman.

Additionally, Rav Chaim authored tens of thousands of rabbinic responsa on nearly every conceivable aspect of Torah. Each week he would sequester himself in a room with stacks of hundreds of letters, and patiently responded to every single one. Due to the sheer volume and to maximize his time, Rav Chaim’s responses were record-breakingly brief – typically a single line, and were often limited to one word in microscopic letters, occasionally adding a reference to the Jewish codes.

Rav Chaim made an art out of brevity. When delivering words of encouragement, to save precious seconds, he invented the word “Boo-ha,” an acronym for “blessings and success.”

Servant of the People

As the world’s most learned sage, Rav Chaim had insights into every possible dilemma – personal, communal, or global. Despite his reluctance to take a position of public leadership, tens of thousands of people from around the world – politicians, businesspeople, educators, and foreign dignitaries – flocked to Rav Chaim’s modest home on Rashbam Street.

At appointed times each day, the steep staircase outside Rav Chaim’s home would be lined with visitors waiting to enter, with lines often snaking around his house. Thousands would enter his inner chamber for blessings, inspiration, and sage advice from this humble human being, endowed with Divine guidance. Preferential treatment was given to little boys celebrating their third birthday, the day of their upsherin (first haircut), as Rav Chaim recognized the challenge of asking young children to wait in line.

For most of Rav Chaim’s life, he left decisions on communal matters to others. A few years ago, when I went to consult with Rav Chaim regarding a project of communal concern, he listened to my question and then, characteristically, sent me to consult with his Bnei Brak colleague, Rabbi A.Y.L. Shteinman. Rav Chaim often expressed tremendous gratitude to Rabbi Shteinman for shouldering that burden of responsibility, enabling Rav Chaim to continue his studies uninterrupted.

Wealth Is Not Limited to Money

Rav Chaim was renowned for being honored multiple times – every day – as sandek, holding the baby at a bris milah. Serving as sandek is considered a merit for becoming wealthy, and someone once asked Rav Chaim, “If you serve so often as sandek, why are you not wealthy?” He replied that “wealth” is not limited to money, and quoted his father that wealth is attained by publishing Torah commentaries. Rav Chaim added his own opinion that grandchildren are a source of tremendous wealth.

Rav Chaim’s time was highly structured, and keeping to such a rigorous schedule comes with intendant risks, particularly regarding one’s private life. Rebbetzin Kanievsky had every right to voice opposition to this hyper-focus on Torah study, which ostensibly came at her expense. Yet, she was his biggest supporter. Someone once made Rav Chaim a generous offer, which involved

him spending two minutes not related to Torah study or community matters. Rav Chaim presented the proposal to his wife, who nixed the idea, saying that two additional minutes of Torah study were worth more to her than anything else.

Battling Amalek

Fittingly, Rav Chaim passed away on Shushan Purim, a day when Haman – descendant of the biblical Amalek – fought to annihilate the Jewish people. Amalek represents ideologies antithetical to Torah; the best weapon we have against that is the study and practice of Torah. For 94 years, Rav Chaim Kanievsky fulfilled that mandate to the utmost.

Editor’s Note

Rav Chaim’s greatness, accomplishments, and contributions to the Jewish Nation could fill volumes. However, as his sudden passing occurred just a couple of days before our deadline, we were, unfortunately, unable to put together a proper tribute to this Torah giant in the current issue of Community. We will, please Gd, include a more extensive tribute in the next issue. We join the family, rabbis, and all world Jewry in mourning this great loss.

Rabbi Shraga Simmons is the co-founder of Aish.com, and co-author of “48 Ways to Wisdom” (ArtScroll). He is also the Founder and Director of Aish.com’s advanced learning site.

Reprinted with permission from Aish.com.

Visitors to Magen David Yeshivah High School’s gym last February were treated to the sight of some 385 students huddled in groups engaged in animated discussions about a topic that one might think only involves Jews halfway around the world. They learned that, in fact, the mitzvot involved in shemittah, the Sabbatical year, (which is happening now) are important for all of us.

Magen David Yeshivah was proud to host NCSY educators for a spiritually uplifting and meaningful Yom Iyun, a communal day of learning, centered around these beautiful and complex mitzvot.

Shemittah refers to the sabbatical year, which is observed in the Land of Israel. Farmers are dictated by the Torah to leave their land unfarmed and unharvested during this year. It may seem like an archaic concept to contemporary U.S. teens, but Jews in Israel from North to South have learned about the laws of shemittah in order to observe them. This includes both professional farmers as well as city dwellers who happen to have a fruit tree in their yard or herbs growing in their herb garden.

Day of Learning Planned as Team Effort

MDY is dedicated to bringing Torah to life for its students. Since they were aware of NCSY’s excellent educational programming, the MDY staff recruited NCSY to lead an informative and dynamic day of learning for their students.

“NCSY provided our students with a meaningful, interactive, thoughtful program that spoke to the core values of the laws of shemittah, connected our students to the larger Jewish world, and gave our students an opportunity to reflect on their own values,” said Esther Tokayer, MDY’s Assistant Principal.

The Yom Iyun was led by Rabbi Josh Grajower, NCSY’s Director of Day School Engagement, and a team of NCSY educators.

After a video presentation featuring farmers in Israel discussing the challenges of observing the mitzvot related to shemittah, students split into six groups led by NCSY staff. The groups rotated, and with each rotation they focused on different ways to connect to the mitzvah of shemittah. In one group they wrote letters to show their gratitude and give support to these selfless farmers. In another group the students did an activity in which they discussed their personal priorities and life values. In a third group the students discussed the emunah shown by the farmers and how they can inculcate that level of emunah into their own lives.

“It was such a privilege and pleasure to be able to run our Shemittah Yom Iyun at Magen David Yeshiva where students were extremely engaged in the activities with our staff. The interactions were genuine and meaningful,” said Rabbi Grajower. “The gym had an incredible energy as we had six groups of NCSY staff educational activities with the students. It was clear that this was a unique experience for the students and one which definitely brought the meaning and purpose of shemittah to life for them.”

The Take Home Message

Rabbi Gideon Black, CEO of New York NCSY, closed the program. He told the students that farmers know their avoda (mission) this year is to leave their fields empty. They can be proud of their tremendous mesirat nefesh (self-sacrifice). Rabbi Black then challenged the students attending to discover their own personal “empty fields.” What for them would be a mitzvah equivalent to shemittah in their own lives that they will take ownership of and prioritize this year?

“I was deeply impressed by the caliber of the students’ and the questions they shared with NCSY’s team of educators,” said Rabbi Black. “Learning is more dynamic when it’s interactive, and Magen David should be very proud of its students for fully engaging with the material presented as they strived to relate it to their own lives.”

Rabbi Mikey Albala, NCSY’s new Chief Development Officer, commented, “NCSY has so much to offer Jewish teens of any community, and we are thankfully able to reach and inspire a diverse swath of young adults who thirst for spiritual inspiration and a way to relate their religion and heritage to their everyday lives. I very much look forward to continuing to build on this incredible partnership between NCSY and Brooklyn’s Sephardic community.”

Lena (not her real name), 31, a new immigrant to Israel from the Ukraine, describes her family’s story. “My two children and I are without my husband, their father, who had to stay behind to fight in the army. Three days ago, we brought my mother to be with us. We scrambled to leave our apartment in Kyiv and got in the car to go towards the border with Poland, where we could get out and then get on a plane to Israel. We left everything behind. I believe we barely escaped with our lives because I heard that our building got bombed. I’m glad we made it out, but I don’t know how I can make a new life here in Israel. I’m just living one day at a time. We need food, a place to sleep, and I need formula and diapers for my little one…”

Israel Again Called On To Be a Safe Haven for Jews

Israel is known as a refuge for new immigrants. Once again, Israel has been called upon to absorb Jews in distress. The new refugees from Ukraine present special challenges, as many have fled with little but the shirts on their backs, and their journey to Israel was truly harrowing, making them feel especially vulnerable.

Thousands of new immigrants from war-torn Ukraine, including orphans, have arrived in Israel. Israeli government officials estimate that tens of thousands more will immigrate in the coming weeks. Yad Ezra V’Shulamit is working with the Israeli government to get food to Ukrainian refugees in Israel, distributing both food baskets and vouchers.

These new immigrants to Israel have experienced real trauma. It is hard enough for the new immigrants to cope with dramatic life changes and the fear they experienced with intense worries for themselves and their loved ones. We Jews are known as rachmanim b’nei rachmanim – compassionate children of compassionate parents. As such, it is not surprising that a number of Jewish organizations, such as Yad Ezra V’Shulamit, have stepped up to the plate to ease the immigrants’ burdens so that they will have food to eat and basic supplies. Yad Ezra V’Shulamit, which provides 10,000 food baskets to the needy in Israel every week, has opened a special

warehouse in Bat Yam to help serve the needs of the new Ukrainian refugees. Volunteers from across Israel have joined together and are filling baskets to provide sustenance for the new immigrants.

Group Effort Needed to Help New Ukrainian Immigrants

Israel is planning to take in hundreds of thousands of new immigrants. The Israeli government is committed to absorbing these new immigrants and helping them integrate into Israeli society. Many organizations are helping worldwide. Extensive resources are needed. These refugees first need help with the perilous journey to the Ukrainian border. They require basic food and supplies while in transit. And along the way they must stay in makeshift housing in host countries such as Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. And, then they need to be assigned to flights to Israel.

Once they arrive, they need temporary housing quarters, food, toiletries, and basics such as sheets, towels, clothing, and food.

Jews around the world have rallied to help their Ukrainian brothers and sisters to settle in Israel and reestablish their lives. The founder of the Yad Ezra V’Shulamit, Aryeh Lurie, said, “We can do this. If everyone gives a little, we can help everyone make it here in Israel.”

Please partner with Yad Ezra V’Shulamit here in Israel to help get Ukrainian orphans and families like Lena’s the food and assistance they so desperately need.

To donate, visit www.yadezra.net/ukraine.

As the war in Ukraine continues, people around the world are rallying around President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s unconventional, Jewish, 44-year-old leader. The grandson of Holocaust survivors, Volodymyr Zelensky was born January 25, 1978. He grew up as a native Russian speaker in Kryvyi Rih, the largest city in central Ukraine.

During World War II, the town of Kryvyi Rih was occupied by Nazi Germany. It was home to a sizeable Jewish community, and in the years before the Nazi takeover, many Jews fled eastward. Zelensky’s grandmother was one of the Jews who fled. “My grandmother was living in Kryvyi Rih, in a part of south Ukraine that was occupied by the fascists,” Zelensky explained. “They killed all the Jews who remained. She had left in an evacuation of Jews to Almaty, Kazakhstan. Many people fled to there. She studied there. She’s a teacher. After World II, she came back. That’s where I was born.”

Career as Comedian

Zelensky completed his law degree from Kyiv National Economic University, but never practiced law. He started acting in college and eventually founded his own production company called Kvartal 95 – “Neighborhood 95” – after the area in Kryvyi Rih where he grew up. He tried his hand at comedy and became a hit throughout the former Soviet Union, performing stand up and acting in some comic films. In 2006, he won Ukraine’s “Strictly Come Dancing” television competition. He has also performed in Israel.

President Zelensky

Campaigning for the presidency, Zelensky relied heavily on his comedy background, posting humorous speeches and skits on social media. His unusual campaigning style paid off: In Ukraine’s 2019 presidential election, Zelensky won an astonishing 73 percent of the vote.

His political career was not always smooth. He faced accusations of being close to corrupt figures and was accused of bringing in members of his TV production company to serve as key political advisors. Within days of his election, Russia declared a major provocation, extending Russian citizenship to people living in eastern Ukrainian regions controlled by separatist insurgents whom Russia was backing in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Zelensky responded to this major assault on Ukrainian territorial integrity with humor, posting on Facebook that he would extend Ukrainian citizenship to people in Russia and others “who suffer from authoritarian or corrupt regimes.”

Recognizing Jewish History

When Zelensky ran for office, the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro told the New York Times: “He should not run because we will have pogroms here again in two years if things go wrong.” Those fears proved misplaced. Indeed, Zelensky was open about his Jewishness. He oversaw an ongoing project to rename streets and monuments throughout Ukraine, erasing the names of Soviet figures and replacing them with Ukrainian heroes, including some Ukrainian Jews.

Zelensky began construction on a memorial at Babi Yar, the ravine outside Kyiv where 150,000 Jews were executed. The Ukrainian city of Uman is the burial place of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, and is a major site for Jewish pilgrims. On Rosh Hashana, Uman boasts the largest minyan in the world, as thousands of Jews flock to Uman from Israel and worldwide. Under Zelensky’s administration, a large project is underway in Uman. Zelensky stated, “In the city we are starting to construct a ‘Little Jerusalem.’ So, we have decided to construct a historical museum, to create a big park, and to reconstruct the synagogue [that Rabbi Nachman prayed in].”

Resolution in Wartime

In the first hours of the Russian attack on Ukraine, President Zelensky vowed to remain in Kiyv, Ukraine’s capital. On a video hastily recorded on a cellphone, he declared, “We are all here. Our soldiers are here. The citizens of our country are here…We are all here protecting our independence, our country, and it will continue to be this way. Glory to our defenders. Glory to our heroes. Glory to Ukraine.”

The eyes of the world stay glued to Zelensky and the Ukraine. Vladamir Putin did not expect resistance from the Ukrainians and thought his military action would be swift and relatively easy. Putin was mistaken. Tentative peace talks are underway and Zelensky has suggested Jerusalem as a possible venue for negotiations. The world is holding its breath.