Blogs | Community Magazine | New Community Magazine

A Biblical Timeout – What Could Be The Meaning Of a Virus Forcing Millions Into a “Timeout” of Quarantine and Seclusion?

-

April 2020

0

A Biblical Timeout – What Could Be The Meaning Of a Virus Forcing Millions Into a “Timeout” of Quarantine and Seclusion?

Rabbi Benjamin Blech

“When we are directed by doctors to wash our hands we are required to do so by Torah law.”

Coronavirus is officially a global pandemic. Suddenly we find ourselves smitten by a plague of biblical severity.

Pesach asks us to remember the ten plagues which Hashem sent against the Egyptians. With the help of the Torah we know the purpose behind these afflictions of a people. Gd had a plan. Egyptian suffering had meaning. What makes our contemporary anguish so particularly unbearable is its seeming incomprehensibility.

In the age of the prophets there would have been an effort to discern some Divine message in this global tragedy. But today we somehow assume that scientific knowledge precludes the possibility for including Hashem as part of the management of the universe. After all, who can argue with Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch who, in the latter half of the 19^th century, proved the germ theory of disease – that pathogens too small to see without magnification are the true cause of illness? Germs are the villains and viruses are the sole reasons for the presence of diseases that determine whether we live or die.

A Divine Message

And I dare to ask: Doesn’t belief in Gd demand that we merge the germ theory of disease with the conviction of faith in a Supreme Being who actually decides where, when, and how far viruses spread?

Please understand exactly what I’m saying. Rambam long ago made clear that it is our obligation to ensure our good health. We can’t simply rely on Hashem; Hashem has made us his partners in our quest for longevity. Hygiene is a mitzvah; it’s an obligation. Taking care of our bodies is a spiritual requirement akin to protecting our souls. When we are directed by doctors to wash our hands we are required to do so by Torah law.

But the ultimate decision of life or death remains, as we make clear every year on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when our fate is sealed, with the Almighty.

That is why I’m amazed that of the countless suggestions for how to counter and to cope with the coronavirus we hear so little of the word Gd and the possibility that this global pandemic brings with it a profound Divine message.

I am obviously no prophet, but here is a thought that I think is worth considering and taking to heart. Every parent knows that one of the most obvious responses to a child’s misbehavior is what is commonly known as a “timeout.” The child is restricted from enjoying pleasurable activities. The child has his normal life disrupted. The child is encouraged to reflect upon his disobedience. Is it too much to consider that as our world continues to sink ever lower in our commitment to virtue that Hashem responded with a virus that has forced millions into a “timeout” of quarantine and seclusion?

The Ten Commandments – 620 letters

The Ten Commandments are the biblical source of the most basic system of ethical and moral behavior. They represent the primary justification for our continued existence on earth. And the commentators took note of a remarkable number. In the original Hebrew, the language in which the commandments were inscribed by Gd on the two tablets, there are exactly 620 letters.

620 would seem to be a number with no particular theological significance. It would have been perfect and readily comprehensible if there were exactly 613 letters in the Ten Commandments. Those are the numbers of mitzvot given to the Jewish people in the Torah. The Ten Commandments are the principles inherent in all of Jewish law. But what is the meaning of 620 letters? The rabbis explained. While the number of mitzvot for Jews is 613, the number seven represents universal law – what is commonly referred to as the seven laws of the descendants of Noah, required as a minimum for all of mankind. And 620, of course, is the sum of 613 and seven, the totality of Divine guidance for both Jews as well as the rest of the world.

The commentary does not end there. 620 is the gematria, the numerical value, of an important Hebrew word, keter, which means crown. A keter – a crown – is placed on top of every Torah scroll. The symbolism is obvious. The crown above the Torah demonstrates the relationship of the Ten Commandments to the rest of the Torah. From the 10 – in number of letters 620 – we have the principles which subsequently found expression in the entirety of the Torah.

The keter – the crown – is the most powerful symbol of our connection with Gd.

The word corona – as in coronavirus – comes from the Latin word for crown.

Perhaps we need to consider the world’s present affliction not just in the context of a disease caused by pathogens, but as a Divine message reminding us that we have been given our lives to invest them with meaning and virtue as defined by Hashem’s Ten Commandments.

The Biblical Quarantine

There is a biblical parallel of quarantine that Jewish scholars viewed from a moral perspective.

The book of Vayikra describes the metzora, a person afflicted with tzara’at, a disease commonly mistranslated as leprosy. In fact, the disease is a spiritual malady, primarily caused by speaking slander about others. The metzora is someone who was, in Hebrew, motzi ra – an originator of evil talk, and he was to be quarantined, sent outside of the camp, sparing the community from his ability to infect others with his destructive gossip.

Thus, the biblical quarantine was intended not to isolate a carrier of physical disease but rather of moral turpitude.

While we hope to find a cure for the coronavirus, let us derive an ethical lesson from the ongoing misfortune. Everyone acknowledges the obvious: we dare not allow the healthy to be exposed to those who can harm them.

Isn’t this the most fundamental truth about human relationships?

Friends are assuredly good for you. In recent years, scientific research has suggested that people who have strong friendships experience less stress, recover more quickly from heart attacks, and are likely to live longer than the friendless.

But not all friends have such a salutary effect. Some lie, insult, and betray. Some give bad advice and have immoral values. Psychologists and sociologists are now calling attention to the negative health effects of bad friends.

Do not underestimate the warning of Shlomo Hamelech in his book of Proverbs: “He that walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20).

Perhaps the most important way in which we can help direct the path of our children’s lives is by constantly reminding them how important it is for them to not only have good friends, but friends who are good. It’s a lesson we all need to take to heart. Some people need to be quarantined before they get a chance to infect us with their diseased values.

Rabbi Benjamin Blech is the author of 19 highly acclaimed books. A much sought after speaker, he is available as scholar-in-residence in your community. See his website at rabbibenjaminblech.com

One on One with Ellen Geller Kamaras

Community Magazine

-

April 2020

0

Lois Sutton

“Put your own oxygen mask on first-people depend on you. If you are feeling down, get outside and reach out to someone in need, and don’t forget to smile.” – Ellen

For the past three years, Ellen Kamaras has brought us insightful articles, profiling women in our community. I had the honor of being interviewed by her last month and in the process, I learned of her fascinating story. This month the tables are turned, and I present to you the woman behind the byline.

Ellen is not only a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She is also a CPA, patient advocate, divorce financial analyst, entitlements specialist, writer, life coach, and did I mention successful matchmaker?

A Little History

Let me take you on Ellen’s journey. Her life is a case study in recognizing opportunity when it presents itself and constantly reinventing herself by building on her past strengths and experiences. Ellen was born in Brooklyn to holocaust survivors Malcia and Israel Geller. Ellen says being the child of survivors shaped who she is. Her parents were her role models who taught her to appreciate what she had and to recognize the performance of good deeds.

“Gratitude and kindness were the values they modeled and spoke about, even though they suffered greatly. They weren’t bitter; they had hope and were resilient.” Her father taught her about the importance of balance in life, speaking of Rambam and the shviel hazav, the golden path. Ellen cites balance as one of her guiding principles. From her mother she learned sensitivity and kindness. A shy but over-achieving student, Ellen attended Yeshivah of Flatbush High School, where she made her SY connections, which she maintains to this day. Her dream was to become a nurse or a social worker, but when she graduated Brooklyn College summa cum laude with a double major in Accounting and Psychology, she took a job offer with a Big 8 accounting firm that provided a lucrative salary and job security. Ellen passed the CPA exam in one year and received an MBA in Taxation from Baruch College.

It was her older brother Martin who encouraged her to try the first accounting class, and it set the course of her life for the next 34 years. Ellen began at Ernst and Young and after four years moved to Manufacturers Hanover Trust (now Chase). While at Chase, she met and married the love of her life, Phil, after he graduated law school. Phil has been a matrimonial attorney since the early 90s. They met indirectly as a result of a match she made for her close friend from Flatbush Yeshiva.

Teamwork Leads to Success

From 1981 until 2011, Ellen was a finance professional at Chase, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and at a consulting firm. She was a working mom while she and Phil raised their two children, Jacob and Sarah. Her biggest challenge was work-life balance. This led to Ellen’s push for part-time work three days a week for one year after Jacob was born and for job sharing after giving birth to Sarah, which at that time was revolutionary. Ellen convinced her boss at Chase that “60 percent of me was better than 100 percent of someone new.” When she job-shared, Ellen recalls that she and her job mate, Katy, would leave handwritten notes for each other, passing the baton regarding the special projects they were jointly working on. These arrangements enabled Ellen to have the flexibility she needed while her children were young. Phil was involved too; the house rule was that whoever gets home first starts dinner. Ellen’s parents helped with babysitting, and once the kids were older they pitched in, too.

Ellen and Phil’s hard work paid off as their children are both accomplished and successful in their fields: Jacob was a journalist and in 2011 he successfully launched JNS.org, a Jewish news wire service. He is now a public relations specialist and lives in California with his wife Megan Marcus, founder of FuelEd, and their son Elliott. Sarah is a film producer at Vox Media and also produced and directed documentaries, including a series about her maternal grandparents’ town in the Ukraine. The series is called The Podkamieners. It follows a group of Holocaust survivors who were forced to flee their small town of Podkamien and hide in the woods during WWII.

Ellen Takes a Leap

When Sarah graduated from college, Ellen decided to follow her passion and left the corporate world. She earned a divorce financial analyst certification and prepared financial affidavits for her husband’s clients. Ellen also trained and was accepted as a matchmaker on Sawyouatsinai.com, making two matches on the site, including one for her son (Ellen previously arranged two successful matches before joining this service).

Her most rewarding life change was being a volunteer family liaison and patient ambassador at NYP Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She visits patients, troubleshoots for them, helps families navigate the system, and trains new volunteers.

“It grounds me and helps me appreciate what Hashem has given me, including my health.”

Ellen’s dream of social work was rekindled, and she was accepted into the Wurzweiler Graduate School. She was sidelined again, this time with a medical issue, and never attended. Instead, Ellen tried a coaching class at NYU. She immediately fell in love with the concept of helping people make positive changes in their lives. She enrolled in the program and is credentialed by the International Coaching Federation as an Associate Certified Coach. Ellen also trained to become a relationship coach for singles, thus, opening the newest chapter in her life. Her coaching brand is “passion, purpose, and positivity,” which also describes Ellen herself. She adds that she is a spiritual optimist and a glass half-full person.

Ellen’s foray into coaching led her to writing for Community Magazine. Her business coach encouraged her to write for a local magazine as a way to build her brand. Living in a Syrian neighborhood, she received Community. She contacted the editor, and the rest is history. Ellen also works part-time as an entitlements specialist for Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services. She advocates for her clients to ensure they receive their governmental benefits.

Ellen’s position at Ohel enables her to use both her coaching and finance skills and to thrive in a structured and collaborative environment. Her childhood friend Bonnie recommended her to Ohel, and it was a perfect match for her and for the organization. Although Ellen is now very outgoing, she admits that she used to be a “shy nerd” who blossomed by going out of her comfort zone in each new phase of her life.

The Biggest Move

A major event in Ellen’s life was the recent downsizing from her home of 31 years to start again in Brooklyn Heights. Had she not trained as a life coach, Ellen would not have had the courage to sell the family house and move. She yearned for a neighborhood with a small town feel and a close-knit connection among its residents. Ellen is grateful that her husband trusted her and joined her on this adventure.

“A vibrant shul and a warm and welcoming community were the deal breakers in making this enormous decision. Shabbat is the centerpiece of my week.”

Now fully entrenched in neighborhood and shul life, Ellen leads workshops and programs such as Finding Your Spark and The Shabbos Project, and she participates in summer learn-a-thons. Ellen even arranged for an organizational expert to teach the women in her new community how to declutter while they prepare for Pesach. It should not surprise you that she is currently Sisterhood President and was honored last year as Woman of the Year.

Challenges and Strengths

What are some of her challenges? Ellen says she has a problem saying “no.” When she becomes overwhelmed with commitments, she “presses the reset button” and takes a step back. She also talks about practicing empathy, “It’s a challenge for most people to just listen and validate feelings.” Ellen remembers the mnemonic her professor suggested: WAIT- why am I talking?

What are her strengths? “I am definitely a Type A personality, and my best friend is a To Do list. I have a short learning curve for computers and technology.”

One secret to her success is being the “queen of follow up,” with a great memory and a penchant for paying attention to details. Ellen is a team player and is open to others’ viewpoints. I would add that she is perseverant, tenacious, resilient, warmhearted, and constantly learning and adding to her skills. She loves connecting with people including the women she interviews for Community.

Ellen unwinds by reading, doing Zumba, taking a walk in the fresh air alone or with friends, and enjoying a hot cappuccino or green juice. She is inspired by the Brooklyn Promenade, just a block away from her new home, and enjoys the view of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. Her highpoints are her bi-monthly visits to her beloved grandson in California and his parents, of course, and spending time with her daughter who lives across the Bridge.

Parting Advice

Her career advice? Go into a profession that you are on fire about. Recognize that all jobs have their tedious components but being passionate about what you do is key.

Her tips to her contemporaries: you are never too old to grow or to make changes in your work and relationships. If you need help, ask for it. Tell your friends and family what you need from them. They can’t read your mind.

Ellen’s parting words: THINK before you speak- Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

Lois Sutton is a practicing attorney with an office in NJ. She specializes in real estate, estate planning, will and trust, probate, estate administration, and business matters. She can be reached at Lsutton@loissuttonlaw.com (732-245-4500).

The Pesach Sink

Community Magazine

-

April 2020

0

“It was in the reward of the righteous women who lived in that generation that Israel was redeemed from Egypt.”

The sink plays an important role on Pesach.

No, we are not talking about the various solutions for how to use one’s kitchen sink on Pesach, whether by being “koshered” with boiling water or with special inserts.

We are talking about the seder, when our rabbis added an extra hand-washing.

Normally, of course, when we sit down to a meal, we are required to wash our hands before eating bread. On Pesach, too, we wash our hands before eating our “bread” – matzah. But much earlier in the seder, we wash our hands for a different reason – to prepare for eating the karpas vegetables in salt water. Throughout the year, we do not require hand washing before eating a moistened vegetable, but at the seder, we do, such that we wash our hands twice on the night of the seder.

Let’s take a closer look at these two washings.

The first, as mentioned, is in preparation for the karpas. The Gemara explains that we eat karpas at the seder to arouse the children’s curiosity. Normally, after kiddush, we wash our hands and then eat bread, and so the children will notice something different when we wash our hands and eat a vegetable dipped in water. We want to pique the children’s interest at the seder to keep them awake and involved, and so we eat karpas, anticipating their bewilderment which will then draw their interest.

We might say, then, that the first washing prepares us for engaging our children at the seder.

The second washing, of course, is in preparation for eating matzah. However, the Gemara in one place speaks of the second washing as performed for “tibul sheni – the second dipping.” Meaning, we wash in preparation for the dipping of the marror in haroset, which we do after eating the matzah. Apparently, the second washing serves to prepare us not only for the matzah, but also for the marror and haroset.

At first glance, these two washings are entirely unrelated to one another – one precedes our efforts to arouse the children’s curiosity, and the other precedes the matzah and marror. In truth, however, these two washings are very closely linked – and embody one of the important themes of the Pesach celebration.

The Egyptian Apple Orchards

To understand how, we need to examine the custom to dip the marror in the haroset.

The Gemara teaches that we eat haroset on Pesach, “to commemorate the apple.” Rashi explains that this refers to the Gemara’s account elsewhere (in Masechet Sotah) of how Beneh Yisrael miraculously continued procreating in Egypt. The Gemara relates that the men, physically and emotionally shattered from the backbreaking slave labor, had no interest in building families. They questioned the value of bringing into the world children who would be enslaved, humiliated, and subjected to endless suffering. They returned home in the evening without any interest in creating children.

The righteous women, however, refused to surrender. With extraordinary strength, courage and faith, they insisted on creating the next generation of Jews, trusting that Gd would help. They would adorn themselves, encourage their husbands, and entice them, so that the Nation of Israel would continue.

The Gemara tells that when a woman was ready to deliver a child, she would go out to apple orchards, to hide from the Egyptian officials. Gd dispatched special angels from the heavens who cared for these infants, and later brought them to their parents. After the Exodus, when Beneh Yisrael beheld the vision of angels during the miracle of the splitting of the sea, they recognized these angels who had cared for them and raised them when they were young infants.

Thus, the Gemara teaches, “It was in the reward of the righteous women who lived in that generation that Israel was redeemed from Egypt.” If it weren’t for the faith and heroism of these righteous women, there would be no “Israel” to redeem. The nation survived the bitter experience of bondage only because of these women.

This is what we commemorate when we dip the marror into haroset at the seder. The haroset represents the apple orchards where the righteous women of Beneh Yisrael produced the next generation, in spite of the bitter conditions that they endured. We dip the marror into haroset to demonstrate that in times of “bitterness,” in periods of hardship and pain, we must draw inspiration from the righteous women who continued trusting in Gd and in the future of the Jewish Nation even under the harshest conditions. The men despaired, but the women didn’t – providing us with a powerful lesson about faith, courage and resilience even in trying times. This is the message of dipping our bitter herbs in the haroset at the seder.

The Sacred Mirrors

Once we understand this symbolic message of the marror and haroset, we are closer to understanding why this stage of the seder is preceded by washing our hands.

The secret is found in the Torah’s account in Parashat Vayakhel of the construction of the Mishkan, the mobile Sanctuary which served as the “Bet Hamikdash” during Beneh Yisrael’s sojourn through the wilderness. The Mishkan included numerous furnishings, including the kiyor – the sink from which the kohanim would wash their hands and feet before entering to perform the service. Significantly, the Torah makes a point of informing us who brought the metal from which the kiyor was made. Rather than simply telling us in general terms that the kiyor was made from copper which Beneh Yisrael had donated, it specifies that it was made with the mirrors donated by the nation’s women. Why is this piece of information necessary? Why do we need to know that the sink was made from mirrors donated by women? The Torah does not specify who donated the wood or gold for the ark or the altar – so why does it specify who donated the copper for the kiyor?

Rashi explains that these mirrors were, in fact, especially significant. When the women brought their mirrors to be used in the Mishkan, Rashi writes, Moshe initially refused to accept them. Mirrors, he figured, are tools of vanity, used by the yetzer hara (evil inclination) to arouse inappropriate thoughts and desires. What place could such items possibly have in the Mishkan, the nation’s sanctuary, where Gd Himself resided?

Gd, however, informed Moshe that he was wrong. He explained that not only were these mirrors acceptable – they were the most beloved and precious of all the materials donated by Beneh Yisrael for the Mishkan. These mirrors were used for the most sacred of all purposes – to bring the broken, downcast slaves in Egypt to create children and thereby ensure the survival of Am Yisrael. These mirrors were the symbol of the unbreakable spirit of the righteous women who were determined, under unspeakably difficult conditions, to produce the next generation so that the nation would endure. And so nothing was more sacred than these mirrors. Nothing Beneh Yisrael donated was worthier of inclusion in the Mishkan than the mirrors which they used for purpose of producing the next generation of Jews.

The Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azoulay, 1724-1806) extends this idea one step further, suggesting an explanation for why these mirrors were used specifically for the sink. The letters of the word “kiyor” can be divided into two pairs: resh-yod, and kaf-vav. The combined gematria (numerical value) of resh and yod is 210 – the number of years spent by Beneh Yisrael in Egypt. Initially, it was decreed that they should suffer for 400 years under the oppression of foreign rule, but Gd released them from bondage after just 210 years. The Hida explains that because Beneh Yisrael reproduced so rapidly, they completed 400 years’ worth of slave labor in just over half that time. The nation grew so large so quickly that the amount of slavery endured by the population in 210 years equaled the amount that would have been endured in 400 years by a population produced through natural growth. The second pair of letters – kaf-vav – has the gematria of 26, which is the gematria of the divine Name of Havayah, the Name which signifies Gd’s mercy and compassion. The word “kiyor,” then, signifies the fact that Beneh Yisrael’s rapid population growth aroused Gd’s compassion such that the period of bondage ended much earlier than it was supposed to.

And precisely for this reason, the Hida explained, the kiyor is forever associated with the sacred mirrors donated by the righteous women. It was these mirrors that enabled Beneh Yisrael to grow and flourish even under the harsh conditions of slave labor – and so appropriately, they formed the kiyor, the feature in the Mishkan that represents Beneh Yisrael’s early departure from Egypt by virtue of their exponential growth.

The Sink and the Seder

In light of all we have seen, we clearly see the connection between the two washings at the seder.

As mentioned earlier, the first time we wash our hands is in preparation for karpas – which is the first thing we do at the seder to arouse the children’s interest, encouraging them to ask questions and participate. The second time we wash our hands is in preparation for the marror and haroset – when we recall the determination of the righteous women in Egypt to continue producing children, to extend the glorious chain of Am Yisrael, despite the hardships of exile. We prepare for both these stages of the seder by going to the sink – to remind ourselves of, and draw strength and inspiration from, those women. We are to reflect on their heroism which facilitated the redemption from Egypt, so we, too, are driven to commit ourselves to the process of producing and raising the next generation of Am Yisrael.

This is why children occupy such an important part of the seder experience. Halachah requires us to make a special effort to engage the children at the seder, to encourage them to ask, to speak, to share, and to discuss the event of the Exodus and its significance for us. This is because Pesach celebrates not only what Gd did to bring us out of Egypt – but what our ancestors did to be deserving of this miracle. And the most important thing they did to earn this miracle was ensuring that there would be for whom to perform this miracle, that there would be a new generation of Am Yisrael. Therefore, we focus a great deal of attention at the seder on the children, because this celebration is all about the work we need to do to produce the next generation of Am Yisrael.

The Arizal (Rav Yitzhak Luria, 1534-1572) taught that the letters of Gd’s Name represent the link between parents and children. The first two letters of the Name – yod and heh – represent the father and mother, and the next two letters – vav and heh – represent the children. On this basis, the Arizal explained the sages’ comment that as long as the wicked nation of Amalek exists in the world, the divine Name is incomplete, and consists of only the first two letters – yod and heh – without the last two. (See Rashi to Shemot 17:16.) Amalek seeks to destroy the Jewish People by disrupting the process of mesorah (tradition), interfering with the transmission of our laws, values and lifestyle to the next generation. And so as long as Amalek succeeds, Gd’s Name is “broken.” Our responsibility is to complete the Name, to bring the two halves together, by extending the chain of Jewish tradition, creating the next link, producing children and transmitting to them our beautiful tradition and heritage.

If so, then we can perhaps explain the terms used to refer to the two washings at the seder: urhatz and rohtzah. These two stages entail the same act of hand washing, and yet, the sages gave them two different names. Both words contain the root r.h.tz. (“wash”), but the first adds the letter vav, and the second, the letter heh. This is hardly coincidental. Together, they form vav-heh – the missing link, so-to-speak, in Gd’s Name, the notion of connecting the generations. Our hand washing at the sink, the symbol of the heroic women in Egypt, teaches us to commit ourselves to the perpetuation of Am Yisrael and of our Torah tradition even under the harshest circumstances, as this holds the key to our nation’s success and our long-awaited final redemption.

Raising Children in the American Exile

We, too, find ourselves in a bitter exile, though quite obviously, of a much different kind. Thank Gd, we are not enslaved, subjugated, persecuted or oppressed by a foreign government. The challenges of our exile are, primarily, spiritual in nature. One could definitely make the case that it has never been more difficult than now to raise religiously devoted children. It is clear and evident that we cannot possibly hope to motivate and educate our children to embrace our values and practices without enrolling them in religious schools, the cost of which entails an enormous financial burden. And, even with the outstanding institutions and educators with which our generation is blessed, we are up against the pervasive influence of general society, and the technology which exposes our youngsters to general culture already from a young age, around the clock. This exposure is terribly destructive, not to mention a source of distraction. In our effort to inspire our children to study Torah and perform mitzvot, we are competing with a deluge of media, the constant availability of forms of amusement which, in many cases, are in complete odds with our values.

It is understandable that some of us might feel discouraged, or even hopeless, about the prospects of successfully raising religiously committed children given the financial and cultural challenges. We run the risk of giving up, like the men in Egypt. But on Pesach, we draw inspiration from the women who refused to surrender, who understood that they needed to do everything they could to produce the next generation, and then look to Gd for help. Our continuation as a people depends upon our hard work to beget and raise children, and our faith in Gd’s assistance in overcoming the difficult challenges entailed. Let us learn from our great-grandmothers in Egypt – and our great-grandmothers in generations past, who made great sacrifices to build beautiful Torah homes even under the harshest conditions. And let us pray that Gd, as He did in Egypt, will send our children the “angels” they need to care for them, to protect them from the spiritual dangers that abound, until we will all be taken from this bitter exile and brought to the Land of Israel where we will, like our ancestors at the sea, behold the divine presence, speedily and in our days, amen.

PROPEL – Honoring the Original Working Women of our Community

Community Magazine

-

April 2020

0

PROPEL – Honoring the Original Working Women of our Community

Vivian Darwish

This past January, The New York Times published a piece titled, “The Overlooked History of Women at Work,” which was about an exhibition in NYC that explored 500 years of women as scientists, midwives, writers, activists, and more. The memorabilia were presented to show viewers that working women have had a long history with a breadth of vocations. “Women have been working people, always,” Lisa Unger, the collection’s founder, explained. “Women’s work,” did not always entail domestic work as many might assume about women born before the 21st century.

PROPEL’s mission is to inspire women to generate a second household income while doing what they love and while keeping the community traditions of being devoted mothers and wives.

People are under the impression that women were always housewives and homemakers. But, if anything, Syrian women have shown the community and the world at large that we’ve always held more than just our traditional roles. Our very own iconic matriarchs were in real estate, retail, and catering. When people think back to the 19th century, they conjure a visual image of Syrian women kneading challah or frying kibbeh. But we have our own overlooked history of women at work who were monetizing their passions long before women were selling goods and services or breaking into innovative industries. In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating women from our past who have set the stage for generations of working women to come.

When Bonnie Azoulay, our marketing coordinator’s grandmother, immigrated from Israel to America by herself in the 1960s at age 16, she went to NYU for a year to study architecture. Although she did not graduate, she took her skills and flair for design to decorate her own home and her children’s. Because she had to support herself before she was married, she worked at a Syrian owned jewelry store in midtown and moved into a small apartment on Kings Highway.

Similarly, many Syrian women are recognized for their impeccable taste. Whether it be fashion, food, or design, we pride ourselves on being the ultimate tastemakers. We’ve even used these skills to our advantage and turned them into businesses. Thankfully, because our community is always celebrating happy occasions, there is someone and something for everything one might need. From invitation designers to makeup artists to kosher restaurant owners, we give each other supply and demand. After all, necessity is the mother of invention.

In celebration of all working women in the community today, the PROPEL Board of Directors has decided to promote women who sell goods and services or have a profession by creating the PROPEL List – a print and digital directory that will showcase women’s businesses, professions, and careers. This user-friendly marketplace will allow women to grow their clientele and network free of charge. Sign up to be added or check out the list at http://bit.ly/PROPEL-List.

If you are interested in a career, please reach out to PROPEL and we can help you fulfill your professional goal. Follow PROPEL on Instagram @PropelNetwork to find out information about upcoming PROPEL programs and events.

PROPEL 646-494-0822 | info@thepropelnetwork.org

Pesah – Not Just a Story of Redemption

Community Magazine

-

April 2020

0

Pesah is the time when we commemorate our freedom and the birth of our nation. But we are meant to carry its lessons with us throughout the year, as well. Based on the teachings of Rav Moshe Shapiro, zt”l, we will attempt here to explain one way to accomplish this.

Rabbi Yehuda Beyda

The Thirteen Principles

The Rambam writes in the beginning of his commentary to the tenth perek of Masechet Sanhedrin that there are thirteen fundamental beliefs that every Jew must believe in order to be considered a Torah Jew. We are familiar with these as “The Ani Ma’amins,” based on one of the prevalent encapsulations of these teachings. The Rambam explains at length the definition of each of these foundations and exhorts us to “review them many times and contemplate them with a deep understanding” in order to fully internalize their lessons.

Now, the question can be asked: from where does the Rambam draw the fact that there are fundamentals in the first place? Where do we find that there are certain beliefs without which one’s observance is meaningless?

The Exodus as Our Guide

If we look in the Torah, we find yetziat mitzrayim mentioned many times in conjunction with the keeping of the commandments. Indeed, we read every day at the conclusion of the shema: “I am Hashem your Gd who brought you out of the land of Egypt in order to be your Gd.” What we see, both implicitly and explicitly, is that the Exodus was not merely a means to free us from slavery, but was an integral part of the crafting of a nation that was established to represent Gd on earth. Let us delve into this a bit deeper.

The First Commandment

The Ramban writes in his commentary to the first of the Aseret Hadibrot that “this commandment (anochi Hashem Elokecha) shows and commands them that they should be aware of, and believe in, the fact that there is a Gd, and that he is their deity.” And so he continues to elucidate there.

What is clear is that the very first commandment that we heard on Sinai consisted of setting yetziat mitzrayim as the cornerstone and foundation of our belief. That the command to believe in Gd is inextricably enwrapped in the events of the Exodus.

Let us now examine Rambam’s Thirteen Principles and how they were incorporated in the events in Egypt.

That Gd exists, and that He supervises and conducts all the world’s affairs: this principle is clearly stated numerous times throughout the story of the ten plagues. Gd repeatedly says that He is striking the Egyptians “so that they will know that I am Gd.” Further, it says how Hashem has listened to the cries of the Benei Yisrael, and therefore He has come to save them. We see clearly that the first principle was one of the guiding reasons for the whole story.
That He is alone: this principle states that Gd is the only power to rule the universe. The truth of this was demonstrated in the systematic destruction of Egypt by both natural and supernatural methods. Hashem proved that He is in control of all natural processes, and is able to override them at will.
That He has no physical form: Gd’s limitless power, and the Egyptians’ complete inability to impede His actions, despite their mastery of arts both martial and magical, showed the validity of this principle.

That He predates all of creation: again, by playing conductor to all the forces of nature, Hashem illustrated how He is not subject to any power that may exist, which would not be the case if He were brought into existence by another.

He is the only One worthy of serving: this follows naturally from the above; if every power on earth and in the heavens lies under His control, then they all serve Him in turn, leaving Him as the sole deity.
That He is aware of all the thoughts of Mankind: this principle was demonstrated by the exactitude of the punishments meted out to the Egyptians. As Yitro (who was in the position of close advisor to Par’oh before departing for Midian) pointed out, Hashem struck them in exactly the ways that they plotted to hurt us. Only one who reads thoughts can accomplish that.

Moshe’s Mission

Let us pause for a moment and examine the nature of the mission of Moshe Rabbenu. He was a navi – one who speaks the word of Hashem – but we had millions of nevi’im throughout our history. What sets him apart from the rest?

After his initial unsuccessful foray into Egypt to attempt and free his nation, Moshe returned to Hashem to clarify what was required of him. It was then that Hashem explained to him that up to that point in history, He had conducted the world under a different Name – one that indicates power and control – but from now it would be different. Now Hashem was ready to reveal the Shem Hameforash – the Explicit Name, which reveals the essence of how He runs the world.[1] What this means in practical terms is: now He was prepared to unveil His true purpose in creating the world, and how we as His creations are to act in accordance with that design.

Moshe’s job is to reveal to humankind Gd’s vision for the world, along with the instructions – the Torah – how to achieve that vision. This mission began with the Ten Plagues, continued through the Exodus and the giving of the Torah, and culminated with the establishment of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) as Gd’s home on Earth.

That the prophecy of Moshe Rabbenu is truthful: this principle, as explained above, is an integral part of the story of yetziat mitzrayim. Hashem brought the makkot in order to establish clearly in the minds of all that Moshe was His instrument for bringing the Shechina (the Divine presence) into this world. By bringing awareness of Hashem’s complete mastery of the universe by the hand of Moshe, Gd was establishing Moshe as the conduit between this world and its Creator.
That Moshe is the master of all the nevi’im: all the other nevi’im were given specific tasks to help us understand and adhere to the foundation set down by Hashem through Moshe. Thus, all their authority derives from his achievement.
That the Torah was given from Heaven: Moshe was the one who went to Heaven to receive the Torah, and then taught it to us as the embodiment of Hashem’s designs for us.
That the Torah will never be altered, chas v’shalom: just as Hashem Himself is eternal, His plan for the world is unchanging, as well.
That Gd punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous: Hashem simultaneously punished the Egyptians for their wicked deeds and rewarded the Jews for keeping faith.
That Mashiah will come: the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah – all through the establishment of the Mishkan, were laying the groundwork for thousands of years of striving toward the goal: that the entire world, not just one nation, will recognize Hashem and live lives in His service. We, the People of Hashem, were given the mission of beginning that process and perfecting its application in this imperfect world.

The culmination of that process will be when Mashiah arrives and spreads the word to all the rest of the world. As such, the Final Redemption is the natural outgrowth of the Exodus from Egypt. Indeed, the Semak writes in the first misva that this is why the words “who has brought you out of Egypt” were inserted into the first of the Ten Commandments. We must anticipate the coming of the Final Redemption as following the first. This principle too, then, is sourced in yetziat mitzrayim.

That the dead will be brought back to life: the final principle is hinted at in the final act of the Exodus. In the Torah’s recounting of the Song on the Sea, it uses the future tense of the verb “sing,” alluding to the rising of the dead at the End of Days.

On a deeper level, the entire story of the redemption from Egypt was one of tehiyat hametim. After the glorious family of Ya’akov came down to Egypt, we slowly sank beneath the waves of societal pressure and servitude, to the point that we were indistinguishable from our captors. And yet, from that withered husk grew a robust and young nation, full of verve and ready to tackle the most difficult mission in the history of Mankind.

The story of the Exodus, and indeed the entire story of the Jewish People, is one of resilience and regrowth after there seems to be no hope. Let us remember these Thirteen Foundations every day, and may we soon see the embodiment of the final Arising from the Dead of the Jewish People, in our days.

[1] We must not make the mistake of thinking that this is His true name. The hachamim teach us that just as we cannot comprehend the nature or the essence of Hashem himself, so too we cannot know His true Name.

Once Upon A Thyme – Coconut Flour Banana Bread

Community Magazine

-

April 2020

0

Once Upon A Thyme – Coconut Flour Banana Bread

This banana bread is made with coconut flour which is extremely high in fiber. Compared to regular flour, coconut flour contains four times the amount of fiber, more healthy fats, and is lower in carbs. Coconuts are high in manganese, a mineral which is crucial for bone health and digestion of protein. Since there’s no sugar, but a small amount of honey in this recipe, it’s imperative to use overripe bananas for sweetness. Double the recipe and freeze the banana bread slices in an airtight container for a quick but nutritious breakfast idea.

“Kosher for Passover”

“Gluten free”

INGREDIENTS:

3 overripe bananas (should have a couple brown dots)

½ cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup almond butter

2 eggs

½ cup coconut flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mash bananas well in a processor or by hand.
In a large mixing bowl, combine bananas, honey, vanilla and almond butter. Mix until well combined.
Add in eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined.
Add in coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix again until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top and pat top smooth again with spatula. Bake for 30 minutes.

Recipe, Photo, and Styling By Adina Yaakov, Dietetic Intern and Recipe Developer

For more recipes follow @OnceUponAThyme__ on Instagram

NEW! Find more recipes on www.OnceUponaThyme.co

Hacham Matloub Abadi, zt”l

Community Magazine

-

April 2020

0

Thank you for commemorating the legacy of Hacham Matloub Abadi, zt”l on his 50^th yahrtzeit. Although the article was a bit too short, it did bring out an important point on how the best way to remember a Sage is to emulate him. Hacham Abadi certainly led by example. By learning his works, his commentaries, and his teachings on the Jewish way of life – he will remain in our hearts and minds forever.

Abraham P.

Escape from Syria

Last issue’s feature article about the experiences of the families of fellow community members while leaving Syria was so beautifully presented by our very own high school students (MDY and YOF Students Share Family Stories of Their Escape from Syria). Each one of us through our families, history, and experiences has a story that we must continue to tell. What is sad, is the stories of the 6.5 million Jews murdered within my lifetime in the Shoah, had stories that we will never know or hear. We must continue to tell our stories. Perhaps one day, our stories will pierce the hearts and minds of the “others,” and they will feel our tortured souls, and realize we all have to live in peace, for their children’s sake and for ours.

Charlotte N.

Do’s & Don’ts of Dating

Last month’s article about dating (The Do’s & Don’ts of Dating) was very informative. I have two daughters that are currently looking to get married. Unfortunately, many people think of dating as “just having fun” and the common values aspect is often disastrously ignored. Marriage is not “fun.” This is not a word that comes to my mind about it. That is not to say that one does not have fun in marriage – but marriage is about commitment and building a life together. Too many young people do not discuss matters of money, family, child rearing, faith, work ethics, and personal ethics. Once the “fun” wears off – the marriage is often, sadly, doomed.

Meryl S.

Unwanted Guest

Jido’s advice to the family who was stressed out about their guest who overstayed his welcome was spot on. Nothing will run someone off like giving them chores to do. If you find someone staying past their welcome after a party or a vacation, let them know they’re expected to start pitching in. Offer them some chores to do and make them pay their way if they’re going to stay – then watch how quickly they run!

Part of the reason our friends and family take advantage of our charity is because of the level of comfort we offer them. Striving to be good hosts, we go above and beyond for our guest, often taking care of them more like a mother than a friend.

David E.

The Coronavirus

I would like to share the following medical advice that I just learned with your readers. In regards to the coronavirus, one of the first things you should do is get the flu vaccine. It is at least fifty percent effective this year. More importantly than preventing the flu, it reduces your risk of having two viral respiratory infections at the same time. It takes 10-14 days for your body to respond to the influenza vaccine to prevent getting sick from the flu. Get the influenza vaccine for your all your family members especially if they are over 45 years old. Let us hope and pray that the coronavirus will soon be history and our lives can get back to normal!

Eddie L.

The Lighter Side – March 2020

Community Magazine

-

March 2020

0

Career or Commute

After starting a great new job, Richard’s ninety-minute commute to work wore him down quickly. The time he spent stuck in traffic was starting to send him over the edge, until finally he decided to quit and try to find something closer to home.

After several weeks, his good friend Bill was especially happy when he heard that Richard finally found a new job in the neighborhood.

“That’s great!” Bill exclaimed upon hearing the good news. “What are you doing now?”

With a deep sigh Richard replied, “I’m a bus driver.”

Abe C.

A Measure of Money

Our mom needed a new mattress for her antique bed, so my sister and I decided to buy her one as a gift. The problem was we weren’t sure what to order, because it was an odd size. Fortunately, my sister happened to be visiting my mother one day when I called home.

“Measure the bed frame before you leave,” I told her.

“I don’t have a tape measure.”

“You can use a dollar bill,” I suggested. “Each one is six inches long.”

“Can’t,” she replied, after digging through her purse. “I only have a ten.”

Isaac D.

Mark Mom’s Words

One day, little Mark came home from school only to find his mother angry at the messy state of his room. Pointing to the disorder on the floor, she stated in no uncertain terms, “Every speck in that room better be picked up!”

After two and a half hours, Mom went to check up on Mark, expecting to find the room neat and orderly with all the clothing put away in its proper place. Instead, she found him on his hands and knees, still surrounded by mounds of clothes, slowly picking up tiny specks of dust…

Alice N.

Suspicious Soup

The truck driver looked suspiciously at the soup he had just been served in a backwoods eatery. It contained dark flecks of seasoning, but two of the spots were suspicious.

“Hey,” he called out to the waitress. “These particles in my soup – aren’t they foreign objects?”

The waitress came and scrutinized his bowl. “No, sir!” she reassured him. “Those things live around here.”

Jamie A.

Baseball Composition

Teacher: Class, you have 30 minutes to write a composition on the subject of baseball.

One minute later…

Jonah: Here’s my paper.

Teacher: Jonah, you spent only one minute writing your essay. Let’s hear what you wrote.

Jonah: Game called off on account of rain.

Michael L.

Real Estate Speak

Seller: What do you think of the house?

Buyer: It seems nice, but…

Seller: What’s the matter?

Buyer: It says in the ad that it’s overlooking the water…

Seller: Oh, you must not have seen the basement yet.

Channie L.

Role Modeling 

Scolding his students for not reading enough literature, a college professor compared them to a famous self-taught book enthusiast. “By the time Abraham Lincoln was your age,” he said to the class, “he had already read thousands of literary works.”

The remark didn’t seem to impress the class. Then from the back of the class a student answered, “When Abraham Lincoln was your age, he was already president.”

Barbra K.

Map Quest

Professor Hadari was teaching advanced map reading in his earth sciences class at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After explaining about latitude, longitude, degrees, and minutes Professor Hadari asked, “Suppose I asked you to meet me for lunch at 23 degrees, 4 minutes north latitude and 45 degrees, 15 minutes east longitude…?”

After a moment of silence, a student named Itzik volunteered, “I guess you’d be eating alone.”

Carl Z.

The Public Defender

At a press conference before the second day of the trial, the defense attorney expressed confidence in his case. “My client has been accused by the prosecutor of being an incorrigible bank robber, without a single socially redeeming feature,” the counselor said. “I intend to disprove that.”

“And how will you accomplish this?” one reporter inquired.

“Well for one thing,” replied the lawyer, “I intend to prove that the note my client handed the teller was written on recycled paper.”

M. Lalehfar

Officers Without Borders

Arriving at a large ranch in Texas, the Drug Enforcement Officer informed the old rancher that he would be inspecting the premises for illegally grown drugs.

“Okay,” the rancher said. He then pointed to a certain location and added, “But don’t go in that field over there.”

“Listen mister,” the officer said angrily, “I have the authority of the federal government with me!” Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removed his badge and displayed it right in front of the rancher’s face as he exploded into a verbal tirade. “See this badge?! This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish… On any land! No questions asked or answers given! Have I made myself clear? Do you understand now?!”

The rancher nodded politely, apologized, and went about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher heard loud screams, looked up, and saw the officer running for his life, being chased by the rancher’s big Santa Gertrudis bull. With every step the bull was gaining ground on

the officer, and it seemed likely that he’d sure enough get gored before he reached safety. The officer was clearly terrified.

Alarmed, the rancher threw down his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Your badge! Show him your BADGE!”

Alfred H.

The Right Wheels

Three boys are in the schoolyard bragging about how great their fathers are.

Little Jake says: “My father is a bike messenger; he can squeeze in between cars. In fact if he left here now, he could get all the way across town in less than two minutes.”

Little Brian says: “Ha! You think that’s fast! My father is a policeman. If he left here now and put his siren on, he could get across town in less than one minute.”

Young John listens to the other two and shakes his head. He then says, “You two don’t know anything about fast. My father is a union worker and he’s so fast that if his shift was over right now, he would have been home 15 minutes ago.”

C.E.

Flower Power

Moshe was at the flower store. “Sorry, we don’t have potted geraniums,” the clerk told Moshe, and then added helpfully, “Could you use African violets?”

“No,” replied Moshe sadly, “It was geraniums my wife Miriam told me to water while she was gone.”

Joyce B.

Between Carpools – Caramelized French Roast

Community Magazine

-

March 2020

0

Why do you even need any of the bottled stuff when a roast made with simple ingredients like this is just so, so good?

3‑4 lb. French roast

Salt and pepper, for sprinkling

Paprika, for sprinkling

1⅓ cup sugar

2 large onions, sliced in rounds

2 tbsp cold water

2 tbsp potato starch

Rinse the French roast and pat dry. Season well with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Place the sugar in a sauté or braising pot (the pot should also be large enough to fit the meat, covered). Over low heat, cook sugar, stirring occasionally, until sugar melts and turns into a caramel color.
Add the meat to the pan on top of the caramelized sugar. Sear both sides of the meat two times, using a fork or tongs to rotate the meat.
When all surfaces of the meat are browned, lift the roast and place the onions underneath. Cover and let cook over medium low heat for 2^1/2‑ 3 hours. (Make sure the flame is low enough so as not to burn the meat, but high enough so that the sauce is still bubbling slightly.) Remove meat from pan.
As the onions cook, the water from the onions will mix with the sugar, creating a sauce.
In a small bowl, combine the potato starch and water. Add to the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens. Slice meat and serve with caramelized onion sauce.
To freeze and rewarm, slightly undercook the roast. Freeze the meat and sugar-onion sauce separately. Rewarm the sauce, only adding the potato starch and water at this point. Slice the meat and reheat with the sauce.

Grape Juice Sorbet in Mini Cups

This grape juice sorbet is delicious. But so much more genius than that is the packaging! Individual servings, people. This one is all about the individual servings. Make a batch, scoop it into little containers and the sticky, messy part of the treat is behind you. Poof! Keep a 9×13 full of these little containers in the freezer and everyone can help themselves without making a mess. Thanks to Chantzy Weinstein.

6 cups water

3 cups sugar (note: for a tangier flavor, you can use 2 cups of sugar instead of 3. Sugar can also be substituted with Xylitol.)

1 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)

3 cups grape juice

Combine the water and sugar in a pot on a low flame until the sugar dissolves. Add both juices. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Let cool completely and transfer to two 9×13 disposable pans. Freeze overnight.
Break ices into pieces and blend in food processor using the S blade. Don’t over-process! Scoop into individual 4-ounce cups with lids.

Want to Dress It Up?

When preparing the sorbet to serve as a dessert freeze it in a pan for easy scooping, and not in individual containers. In order to get a nice soft and scoopable consistency you will need to follow the recipe as directed and then process the mix in the food processor one additional time.

To plate the dessert, simply place the grapefruit supremes in the base of your dish, then top with a scoop of sorbet and pomegranate arils.

Drama at the UN – Former Speech Writer for Israel Shares the Inside Story

Community Magazine

-

March 2020

0

Drama at the UN – Former Speech Writer for Israel Shares the Inside Story

DAVE GORDON

At the United Nations, Israel is constantly being barraged by one-sided condemnations, biased resolutions, decades-long enmity, and harassment from her enemies.

In the face of these hostilities Israel does not stand by quietly. On the world stage, Israel’s voice is loud and clear, telling her side of the story, and protesting unjust treatment. But what occurs behind the scenes at the UN is largely unknown. Until now.

Aviva Klompas knows the inside story, having served as the Director of Speechwriting for Israel’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City. Klompas crafted highly acclaimed speeches for Ambassador Ron Prosor, that served to advance Israel’s policies and inform the public.

During Klompas’ time at the UN, several major events occurred, including the collapse of four Middle Eastern states, the international “Iran Deal” that gave the Islamic state $150 billion, countless anti-Israel resolutions, the Palestinians’ bid to join the International Criminal Court, the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers, and fifty days of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Her just-released book, Speaking for Israel: A Speechwriter Battles Anti-Israel Opinions in the United Nations, is a memoir about her time as a speechwriter for Israel at the United Nations.

Community Magazine asked Klompas to talk about the trials and tribulations of her job, and Israel’s struggles in the UN.

CM: What was the office culture like?

Aviva: I recall that if I wanted to get a speech reviewed, it’s not like you could book time to come at this time. It was, sort of, come to the office and see if you could squeeze yourself in. You could stand outside the door for five minutes or you could stand outside the door for 35 minutes. That’s one component of it.

Certainly, Israelis are much more direct in their feedback, which is, for better or for worse. At first it is startling, but then you get to understand that it’s not personal. There is a certain freedom once you can understand that. Once you understand, you realize that this is my team and we are trying to achieve the same thing together, and we are going to get to the point. There is a directness that you can appreciate. But it certainly took some getting used to.

CM: Could you give me a specific example on a time where you locked horns with your Israeli counterparts?

Aviva: One example that comes to mind is when we were giving a speech for an event that was to raise awareness of efforts in Israel by a particular NGO to support children with autism. There was an exhibit of paintings by children set up by the UN. I was writing remarks for a reception that the ambassador would be attending. It happened to also be when there were elections for Israel’s president.

Our spokesperson had been interested in revising the remarks that I had written for the reception to not just be about Israel’s partnership with the NGO’s amazing work in that area, and how Israel is leading the way in working with children with autism. They wanted to add a more political note to it. I felt it wasn’t the right thing to do. We don’t have to always politicize everything Israel does. There are plenty of good news stories and apolitical situations, and this could be an opportunity for that.

On the other hand, the spokesperson thought that nice stories don’t always make news, and if there is an opportunity to garner attention for our work, then take the opportunity. So, we were coming at it from two different perspectives. I remember we were totally at odds about which way it should go. The chief of staff happened to come by and say, “Here’s a compromise. Why don’t we say we will invite the President of Israel to come to the UN, and be able to see the amazing work that is going on.” So, it was halfway in between having this political note, and not making it all about sensationalizing the politics of it all.

CM: What would you say was the toughest part of the job?

Aviva: Learning to write in someone else’s voice, and to learn the things they wanted to say and didn’t want to say. If it was me speaking, I’d want to say it one way. As a speech writer, you have to learn to appreciate that’s the person that is going to be live and on the record. That’s the person that is going to be archived and be on the news. That is the person who has to be able to stand by what they are saying. So, your own opinions or personal style has to take a back seat to the person you are writing for. It’s not always easy. The deeper you are in your work, the more it’s very personal. You want it to be the best it can be. The better you can get to know the person you are writing for, the better you are going to be at this. It took me a long time to be able to write well for Ambassador Ron Prosor – he has a very distinct style. He is, by his own rights, extremely articulate, funny, charming, and intelligent. To be able to write for somebody like that takes time.

CM: Tell me about a backfire, something you thought would go one way but, in the end, did not.

Aviva: Lots. One example was very early on, as I’m learning to write his style, I kept being told, “Be more direct. Be more assertive about things.” I couldn’t really figure out when, where, or how. There was one instance where there had been an incident in Israel with its neighbor where Syria had fired on an Israeli post. It wasn’t the first time. It has happened before. The natural course of events is that Syria will write an outrage letter to the UN telling their side of the story, and Israel will do the same thing. I thought to myself: channel outrage. I tried to do so. I wrote this very stern letter, and I took it to the ambassador to review. He read it quietly to himself and said, “I believe that you have declared war on Syria in this letter.” In that moment, I wasn’t sure if I’d finally succeeded in nailing the right tone or not. Then, he continued, “To be clear, you don’t have any authority to declare war.”

CM: What in your job did you find the most unexpected?

Aviva: My boss. He, certainly, took an unexpected approach to diplomacy. One example is that I nicknamed him “The Singing Diplomat.” He’d be all too happy to break out into song in the middle of a speech, like the time he sung a song about African nations, which got him a standing ovation from some of the African nations in the General Assembly. He would sometimes sing John Lennon’s “Imagine.” In a speech about women he sang Aretha Franklin’s RESPECT. That was an unexpected way to see someone approach diplomacy. His perspective was that most countries don’t have a full-time speech writer on staff, so they are written by a technical expert. They can be dry and not entirely lively. Ambassador Prosor felt it was very important to be heard, and to be heard you have to be different. He really leaned into it because he wanted people to listen to what he was saying. He knew he had to capture attention to get people to listen.

CM: Tell me about an emergency session and how you coped with it.

Aviva: So, it’s pretty stressful. You can get a phone call any time of day or night, or over the weekend, and be told the Security Council is convening a special session, come down to the office, we have to get writing. You could have a couple of days’ notice or a couple of hours’ notice.

One the one hand, it didn’t happen very early on in my job. It happened when I had a little more experience. And it got to the point that I could write pretty fast. So, it wasn’t an absolute disaster. But still, you realize that you only have a few hours to pen what is going to be said, and emergency sessions tend to get a lot of publicity. So, it’s more than likely going to be live broadcast somewhere – certainly in Israeli media.

CM: And finally, if someone comes to you and says, “I want to be a speechwriter at the UN for Israel,” what would they need to know?

Aviva: It’s chaotic and haphazard. It’s hard work, long hours, and considerable stress. And you’re going to need to learn to write an endless number of quasi-funny one liners.