DAVE GORDON
This year we face critical presidential elections, with so much at stake. Tensions are high regarding Iran, anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. are alarmingly on the rise, violence and terror threaten our allies abroad, and economic stability continues to be a concern.
President Donald Trump has addressed these issues, and many more. As the Presidential election grows closer, his accomplishments and failings will be scrutinized. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the Trump administration in 2019.
The Economy
The upturn in the economy has been a feather in Trump’s hat since the beginning of his presidency. Just weeks after his election, the stock market went up, and economic indices showed consumer and corporate confidence at an all-time high. This trend has continued, virtually unabated, for the past three years.
The unemployment rate is still the lowest it has been in 50 years, at three and a half per cent, and job growth is up, with an impressive 200,000 more jobs on the market per month. Wage increases are also on the rise at more than three percent growth for the first time in more than 10 years. Household income has also risen steadily since the last year of the Obama administration, with the average middle-class family income reaching $63,179.
Meanwhile, Trump has offered economic assistance to disabled vets, with an executive order to forgive their student loans. Though this initiative had existed previously, Trump removed many of the roadblocks and complications involved in making this assistance readily available. 24,000 veterans will be affected in 2020 alone.
Environmental Initiatives
Big surprises for Trump critics included numerous environmental initiatives in 2019. A major public lands and conservation bill was signed into law. The bill, which is the most sweeping Congress has considered regarding public lands in over a decade, not only adds 1.3 million acres of wilderness to protected lands, but it also reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
To reduce overspending and maintain accountability, The Environmental Protection Agency received an additional mandate to ensure that its regulatory decisions are rooted in sound, transparent, and consistent approaches to evaluating benefits and costs.
Trump’s detractors may criticize him for not investing in green energy. However, they might do well to consider the president’s reticence to do so after President Obama left in his wake $50 billion spent on 34 projects that barely produced a kilowatt of energy. Instead, Trump increased the budget to support nuclear energy, with $3.7 billion provided in new loans, earmarked to help complete two new commercial reactors over the course of a decade.
Fighting Terror
In the last days of 2019, Trump ordered the killing of arch terrorist Major General Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s powerful military commander. The U.S. Department of Defense revealed that Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. Soleimani oversaw funding, training, and equipping of Iraqi Shi’ite militias, the Taliban, and the Houthis in Yemen. Under his leadership, thousands of operatives were trained in groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Jihad. Killed along with Soleimani was Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, an Iraqi politician and military commander. He was deputy chief of the Popular Mobilization Committee, a group of pro-Iranian paramilitaries in Iraq. He was killed together with Soleimani on a road leading to the Baghdad International Airport.
The Trump doctrine has always been to fight fire with fire, and that’s what he has done with those who threaten the US and her allies. The White House launched airstrikes against Iranian allies in Iraq and Syria, to cite one example. Five locations were targeted, which included weapons and munitions depots linked to Iran. It is believed the weapons had been used in recent attacks against coalition fighters – including an attack which caused the death of an American contractor.
The President also ordered the operation that killed ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi. Known leader of ISIS since 2010, Al-Baghdadi brought the terrorist organization into prominence in the region, taking advantage of regional power vacuums. Trump ordered a Special Operations raid that ended in al-Baghdadi blowing himself up.
Fighting evil must be done collaboratively, not only with boots on the ground, but also with resources. That is why Trump has made it clear that his partners and allies must do their fair share. Last year, Trump negotiated with our NATO allies to pay more for collective security, to the tune of $130 million. The ultimate goal is that all members pay the benchmark of at least two percent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to the cause. The United States currently pays 3.42% of its GDP.
Foreign Policy
On the topic of foreign relations, Trump continues to develop détente with North Korea, in the hopes of influencing the hermit kingdom to pare down its nuclear program and to ease its relentless iron clutch on its citizens. Though no agreement was reached at the Hanoi, Vietnam summit between Kim Jung-Un and Trump, many hailed it as a historic meeting.
South of the border, an immigration deal was signed with Mexico, in an effort to push Mexico to do more to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants from Central America. Trump, always a tough negotiator, threatened five percent tariffs on all Mexican imports. That threat seemingly paid off when Mexico came to the table and agreed to strengthen their own northern border. When the Mexicans agreed to Trump’s terms, Trump rescinded the proposed tariff.
Then there’s Israel. Known for his philosemitic views and deep affinity for the Jewish State, 2019 was the year that the Trump administration recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel. This was the first time a U.S. President had officially took such a goodwill stance. In addition, and probably more significant, 2019 was the year that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that Jewish settlements in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) “are not illegal per se,” a departure of decades-old U.S. State Department policy.
In other Jewish related items, Trump signed an order to address antisemitism on college campuses.
Specifically relating to campuses that have been openly hostile to Jewish student groups and Israel, the order would strip federal funding from universities deemed to be promoting a climate of intolerance for minority students. It reminds universities that their Jewish and Israeli students are vulnerable minorities who need protection.
Health & Safety
Trump signed an Executive Order expanding private benefits under Medicare. Dubbed the Medicare Advantage – the private option of the Medicare program – its goal is to provide lower costs, and health savings plans. The administration believes this will get even more seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage, a step towards the promotion of private healthcare for seniors. It’s an initiative that is intended to improve the quality and length of life for seniors.
Trump signed another executive order intended to save lives: banning bump stocks. Bump stocks allow a shooter to shoot several rounds in rapid succession. Spurred by the deadly Las Vegas shooting in 2017, the order went into effect in March of 2019.
Court Judges
And finally, Trump-appointed judges will set in motion rulings that will preserve conservative values for some time to come, far beyond the Trump presidency. Trump has appointed 172 federal judges, including Supreme Court justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, 48 Appeals Court judges, and 120 District Court judges.
In Conclusion
Only after the elections will we know whether this will be Trump’s last year in office, or he will serve another four years. Despite impeachment proceedings and scrutiny from detractors, Trump ended the decade with some significant accomplishments: a new NAFTA Agreement (USMCA – United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), Space Force (USSF, the space operations branch of the U.S. Armed Forces), appointment of a historic number of federal judges, the lowest unemployment in half a century, and a stock market that has increased by 50 percent since election day, 2016. We will all have to see how the coming year unfolds.
Mozelle Forman
The first commandment Gd gave to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” Very soon after in the book of Beresheet we encounter the issue of infertility, a real impediment to fulfilling Gd’s directive. Sarah our Matriarch did not become a mother until the age of 90. After years of infertility Rivka gave birth for Yaakov and Esau. And Rachel endured years of suffering as her sister (who she shared a secret signal with that enabled her to marry Yaakov first) and their handmaidens all bore children. The grief she experienced was most profoundly expressed when she beseeched Yaakov to pray for her saying: “Give me children – otherwise I am dead” (Beresheet 30:1). The Torah relates that Yaakov’s response was uttered in anger. (He replied, “Am I instead of Gd Who has withheld from you fruit of the womb?”) And although there are many explanations for Yaakov’s response, our sages tell us that Hashem took Yaakov to task for his insensitivity to Rachel.
Fast forward to the year 2020 – a time when many women still suffer from the grief of infertility as did Rachel, which is compounded by coping with the emotionally charged fertility treatments that are now available. And still, many of us are unsure of how to speak to these women, comfort them, and encourage them. There are many wonderful organizations, such as ATime, The Puah Institute, and Boneh Olam, that connect women to the vital medical services they require to manage infertility. But, until recently, there was no organization specifically addressing the emotional aspects of coping with infertility and with the medical treatments involved.
SBH Steps Up
Enter the SBH Fertility Support Program, which was created about a year and a half ago. with the mission of providing support to women undergoing fertility treatments and to their family members. Audrey Grazi, LCSW, Director of Mental Health Resource elaborates: “It was brought to our attention by women in our community that this population was not being served. Our goal is to focus on the emotional needs of the women with support groups, both in Brooklyn and Deal, workshops, one-on-one peer support, and yoga classes . Our support group leaders were professionally trained, using the model of the Gefen Fertility Center in Israel, and we have trained about 50 women as peer mentors.”
As the facilitator of the support group in Deal, NJ, I can attest to the necessity and effectiveness of the groups. The first benefit to the women is the peer support the women receive in these groups, which is vital to their wellbeing. One woman shared: “It helps me feel like I am not the only one going through this, which takes away the feeling that there is something wrong with me because I can’t have a baby. I feel less embarrassed and ashamed about my situation.” Secondly, the women provide reassurance and hope to one another. They discuss strategies for dealing with misguided statements and for coping with their feelings of disappointment. And, last but not least, the women receive education and tools to cope with the anxiety inherent in this challenging life experience.
Sensitivity to Families Experiencing Infertility
On January 8, the Fertility Support Program sponsored a sensitivity event entitled “How to approach, respond to, and support your loved one through infertility and pregnancy loss.” The speaker, Aimee Baron, MD, was formerly the Director of Innovation and Growth at Nechama Comfort as well as serving as an attending pediatrician in the newborn nursery and neo-natal intensive care unit at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital. Dr. Baron shared some staggering statistics about infertility and pregnancy loss. “Approximately one in eight couples are experiencing some form of infertility, and one in four pregnancies end in loss or miscarriage. One out of one hundred pregnancies end in stillbirth, which is a miscarriage that occurs after 20 or more weeks of pregnancy. Infertility is a universal struggle to have a child – whether you’ve never had a child before or are having difficulty conceiving after you have a child already, whether you have experienced pregnancy loss, or you are considering adoption, or surrogacy.” With the statistics this high, there’s a good chance we know someone who is or has been affected by infertility, and we need a clearer understanding of how to properly support someone who is struggling to have a child.
Dr. Baron shared her personal story to help the audience understand the emotional upheaval infertility wreaks on a couple. She explained that there is a constant cycle of hope and disappointment in the life of a couple trying to conceive. Doctors’ appointments, treatments, and the waiting to see if their treatment took. When, in many cases, the pregnancy is lost, the disappointment can be crushing. “Losing a pregnancy is an intangible loss,” Dr Baron explains. “There are no real concrete memories of the baby that was lost, making it very hard to move on.” But the couple must move on to the next cycle, to the next chance, to the next hope.
After her third miscarriage, Dr. Baron took a leave of absence and became an “ambassador” and support to other women facing the same challenges. “I recognized that there were many wonderful organizations that helped couples with referrals and the medical issues associated with infertility. But what happens when you are home alone, or in the middle of the night when you are crying because the last cycle didn’t work, or you just lost a baby?” Dr. Baron chose Instagram as the social media platform through which she could reach the most women and founded “I was supposed to have a baby” in August 2019. “This platform supports Jewish families who are going through infertility, pregnancy loss, infant loss, surrogacy, and adoption. It allows couples to tell their stories and share resources with one another at any time of the day or night.”
Riddle: A Bumpy Ride
SUBMITTED BY: Leon M.
You have 5 kids and you have to get them all into a car. Tommy and Timmy are twins but they fight so they can’t sit together. Sarah and Sally fight too, so they can’t sit together. Max fights with his sisters so he can only sit by his brothers. There’s 5 seats side by side and you have to put them in order. How would you seat the kids, so that everyone is happy?
Last Month’s Riddle: Truck Stop
A truck is stuck under a bridge and the driver cannot get it out. A man walks by and stops to help. He easily gets the truck unstuck. How did he do it?
Solution: He let the air out of the tires!
Solved by: Saul H., Leibowitz Family, Fay Chesir, Blimi Yoffe, Mishael Lavizadeh, Eliyahu Cohen, Big Mike, and Joey Dabah.
JUNIOR RIDDLE: Cats and Mice
SUBMITTED BY: Sherry C.
If 5 cats catch 5 mice in 5 minutes, how long will it take one cat to catch a mouse?
Last Month’s Junior Riddle: Bat and Ball
A bat and a ball cost $1.10. The bat costs one dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
Solution: The ball costs 5 cents. One dollar more than 5 cents is $1.05, the sum of which is $1.10.
Solved by: Daniel Tapiro, Fay Chesir, Blimi Yoffe, Yosef and Rena Wahba, Mishael Lavizadeh, Joey Dabah, and The Shmulster.
Karen Behfar
For all the new buyers that just started looking to make the move, I’ve decided to take this opportunity to go back to the basics and give you the run-down on credit scores. This is definitely a good starting point, but of course it is not the only step involved in beginning the process of purchasing a home.
The Basics of Credit Scores
If you’ve ever heard someone referring to their credit score and thought, “Huh?”, you’re not alone. Roughly forty percent of Americans don’t know how credit scores work. Here are the basics:
A credit score helps lenders – like banks and credit unions – decide whether you qualify for a loan, and it helps to determine the terms of the loan they can offer you. It is generated using an algorithm that examines your borrowing history, which is calculated by checking your credit reports. Every time you take out a loan, your lender reports the activity to a credit bureau, which then compiles it into a credit report.
Although there are multiple types of credit scores, the most popular score is the FICO score, which is the standard for home and car loans. Your FICO score will range from 300 to 850, incorporating the following components:
Since your payment history and current debt make up more than sixty percent of your score, they are the two most important elements. The best way to do well in these areas is to make all of your payments on time, and ensure that most of your available credit is unused.
As a rule of thumb, credit scores considered “good” typically fall between 670 and 740. Anything above 800 is considered to be exceptional, and anything below 580 is considered to be poor.
An annual free credit report is available to all U.S. consumers under federal law, and many banks provide free credit scores. It’s important to check your credit score regularly, so if you’re unsure about what your credit score is, make an appointment to discuss it with someone at your financial institution.
Home Equity Line of Credit
Let’s talk about another very important part of the home buying process – loans. More specifically, a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit). To break it down in short, if a homeowner bought their house a few years ago for $400,000 and it’s currently worth $1.2M – this is the equity in their home. Obviously, it goes against your home and there is a monthly payment.
The Basics of HELOC Loans
If you’re thinking about taking out a loan for something major – you might want to consider a home equity line of credit. With a HELOC you can use the equity from your house as collateral, similar to a second mortgage.
Unlike a traditional home equity loan, with a HELOC you won’t be advanced the entire loan upfront; instead, you’ll be given a line of credit to borrow against with a set credit limit. Your HELOC will also have a set “draw period” during which you can borrow funds. You will be required to repay the amount you’ve withdrawn, plus interest, by the end of your draw period.
One of the main benefits of a HELOC loan is that the interest paid can often be deducted under state income tax laws. However, it’s important to remember that the interest rate on a HELOC is typically variable and is based on an index, so it may change over time.
A HELOC also offers more flexibility than a traditional home equity loan because it allows you to repay on your own schedule. You can pay back your loan using the minimum repayment amount over the course of your entire draw period, or you can repay the entire sum plus interest in a single payment if you prefer.
If you’d like to change the rate, payment, or term on your HELOC, it is possible to refinance. You may be able to replace your existing HELOC with a new one, or merge your HELOC with a first mortgage to take advantage of lower interest rates. You can also take out a second HELOC, which will reset your interest-only draw period and keep your monthly payments low. This can be a slippery slope though, so it’s best to consult with your financial advisor first.
Tammy Sassoon, M.S. ED
Parents often ask how to “get” their children to be kinder, more responsible, or more of anything, for that matter. The problem with this question is that if your children feel that you are trying to “get” them to act a certain way they will feel like you are trying to control them.
Imagine a mother who learns that if you empathize with your children in times of intense feelings, children often calm down. So, the next time her son is crying, she says, “Oh that must be so hard for you,” and she is secretly hoping that he quiets down already. Then she wonders why it didn’t “work.” The answer is that the child felt controlled. Kids feel our vibes and her son knew that she wasn’t really emotionally with him. Her intent was to quiet him down.
In any relationship we lose sight of closeness when we search for conditions.
Children Need Proper Guidance
There is nothing wrong with our children, except our own perceptions. We do not have to do anything to make our children good kids. They already are!
Was there ever a time when you thought otherwise? I know I used to think that my children were problematic when they acted in certain ways. When I let go of all that unhelpful thinking, I started to see that every child on the planet is an amazingly valuable human being. I don’t have to have them act a certain way in order to see that. Obviously, as a responsible parent, I have to guide them, but I don’t need any conditions any more to see them for who they are. I don’t judge them when they make mistakes because that’s just a part of the human experience. And ironically, if kids feel that we believe mistakes are a big problem, so do they, and in turn that makes them suffer from feelings of low self-worth, causes them to fear mistakes, and creates a disconnect between us and them.
So now the question is, when your kids act up how do you guide them in a way that shows that you don’t think one drop less of them just because they made a mistake?
I will present you with several ideas:
1. Firstly, don’t even bring up things that are isolated incidents. It’s just plain annoying at best, and counterproductive at worst.
2. Make sure you are modeling whatever behavior you want your children to adopt. If you are trying to raise children who are happy with whatever comes their way, make sure you show them how you embrace the challenges in your own life. If you want them to value kindness, make sure they see how sweet and considerate you are to others.
3. Let them know the benefits of whatever you would like them to do. For example, people who try to solve problems in ways that are good for themselves and the other party are actually happier in the end. People who only care about themselves do not lead lives that are as happy and fulfilling.
4. For repeated infractions have the “I know you don’t mean to…” conversation. Here’s how it goes:
● “I know you don’t mean to be hurtful. When you____it makes____feel like you think they are not important. And I know you’d never want to do that.”
● “Can you please try your best to pay attention to not doing____?”
● If it happens again say, “What happened?”( not in a judgmental way, but in an accountable way, even with a smile) if the child says they forgot, say, “That’s okay, everyone forgets sometimes, now please go and___.”
What behaviors make you forget your kids’ true value? Mine is the fighting between them. So, when they fight, I try to remember the gift of life, and I remember holding them in my arms when they were newly born. Same person. New challenges. Same gift. Same life. That memory reminds me of their real true unchanging value and helps me speak to them in ways that demonstrate just that. ⠀
Rabbi David Ashear
“When a mitzvah becomes difficult, it is a present from Hashem.”
Earn A Title
If a person sets out to do a mitzvah and is confronted with obstacles, his natural reaction might be, Doesn’t Hashem want me to do this mitzvah? Why is He making it so hard for me? For example, a person is out of town and wants to pray with a minyan. He finds out there is a shul about 15 minutes from his hotel that starts prayers at 7am. The next day he wakes up early and arrives to the shul on time. Then someone tells him, “We don’t use this shul during the week anymore. There is another shul about 20 minutes in the other direction, which starts at 7:45am.” The man could think, I already went out of my way to do something good. Why didn’t Hashem let me find out about the other minyan initially? Why did it have to be so much trouble to do this mitzvah?
This is the natural reaction. What is our reaction supposed to be?
The Mesillat Yesharim (Chapter 19) states that those who really know are happy when they find out that a mitzvah they want to do became more difficult. Now they are able to show how much they value the mitzvah and how much they really love Hashem.
The sefer BaYam Derech adds that when someone does a mitzvah that requires self-sacrifice, his status regarding that mitzvah, becomes elevated. From then on, every time he does that mitzvah, even if it is easy, his rewards are much greater, because he has already shown how much he values it.
For example, if a person is in medical school studying to become a doctor, he might reach a point where he already knows exactly how to treat patients and he is ready to practice. However, as long as he is still a student, he cannot charge for his services. The moment he is granted the title “Doctor” he can start charging for the exact same service. It is the title itself that elevates him. When a person sacrifices for a mitzvah, his title in that mitzvah changes, and he is now rewarded much more for anything he does in that area.
Yosef HaTzaddik earned the title Tzaddik by overcoming one awkward and difficult dilemma, and that title remains with him forever. It is a major zechut to be given an opportunity to do a mitzvah with self-sacrifice and to earn a title.
In Parashat Vayeira, when Avraham was in pain from his brit milah, Hashem made it the hottest day in history to ensure that Avraham could rest instead of having to tend to guests. Then Hashem saw how much Avraham was yearning to have guests, despite his pain, so He sent angels that appeared to be human beings to him. One of those angels was sent to eventually heal him.
The question could be asked: If Hashem felt bad for Avraham and wanted to give him the opportunity to take care of guests, why did He not just heal Avraham first, and make it easier for him? Why didn’t Hashem just make it cooler outside and send regular people? The answer is, since Avraham had such a yearning to do the mitzvah, Hashem gave him the greatest gift of all – an opportunity to receive a new title in hachnassat orchim – inviting guests, to do the mitzvah with self-sacrifice that would in turn earn Avraham unfathomable rewards in that area. Indeed, Avraham became our example of how to do hachanassat orchim.
When a mitzvah becomes difficult, it is a present from Hashem. If we understand how to view Hashem with the proper perspective, our attitudes will change, and we will embrace all of the opportunities that He gives us.
Dear Jido,
My husband and I do not have a television in our home. When my husband’s parents come to visit, they seem uncomfortable that we do not have one. They consider us very unusual because we do not have at least one television in the house. Last week, for our wedding anniversary, they gave us an expensive 60-inch television. We do not want to have this in our home. How should we handle this without hurting their feelings?
Signed,
Non-boob-tubers
Dear NBTs,
As your parents’ favorite old-time TV show may have told them, tell them – “Just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.” Try telling them the following:
“We decided to give up TV to avoid exposing our family to the excessive violence and advertising that’s constantly promoted onscreen. We also felt it intrudes too much into our lives, interferes with the conversation, and takes away quality time from the family. Research also shows that increased exposure to television and violence results in greater aggression in children.” (That’s a pretty consistent finding.)
If they respond with something along the lines of, “So just watch sports or the news.” You can answer them with the following facts:
“The news is not something we want our children exposed to and we have found that the world continues on by itself even without us knowing all the gory details. It’s also been shown that when parents did cut television out of their homes, they reported that their kids didn’t bug them as much for the junk food and toys advertised on TV. Parents also said giving up television made their children easier to manage. It’s sort of counter-intuitive because people think their kids would drive them nuts without TV, but parents found that kids became very good at entertaining themselves and didn’t need to be entertained all the time by something that was lively, silly, and active. They also didn’t complain about being bored.”
Those are the facts. Not just from Jewish homes, but from all those brave enough to dump their televisions.
Then conclude with the following: “So, thank you so much for the present, but it’s something we can never use. But if it makes you feel better, we don’t mind if you get us a little portable one that we can plug in any time the two of you want to come over to watch.”
Jido
Efraim Harari
Domestic dogs have been loyal pets for people since the earliest of times. They are smart, playful, and helpful creatures. Besides being prized as pets, dogs are also used to protect and assist people. They can be taught to understand hundreds of human words, and can be trained for all types of important jobs.
Dogs are extraordinarily attentive and have an unusual ability to predict what their owners will do, such as getting the dog a treat or preparing to go out for a walk. Studies have shown that dogs can often read human body language, using the direction of a person’s gaze to locate hidden food. Dogs also seem attuned to the positive and negative moods of their masters. For example, a dog can express sadness when its owner is annoyed.
Another reason why dogs are popular pets is because they are clever enough to learn all sorts of tricks. They can be taught to beg, roll over, play dead, and so much more.
Color Blind : Dogs cannot see the colors green, orange, or red. Guide dogs learn to watch traffic lights and read them by their brightness and position rather than by color!
A Closer Look At…
Why Dogs Make Good Pets
Dogs are social animals; they like to live with other animals and people. In the wild, a group of dogs usually has a leader. The leader decides what the group will do, and the other dogs in the group follow his or her lead. Pet dogs treat their owners as if they are their “leaders,” and that is why they can be so obedient. Because dogs were created to be easily trained, they make excellent pets for people in need.
During the First World War, service dogs were trained to help soldiers who were wounded and became blind in battle. Since then, dogs around the world have been taught to assist blind people. Service dogs can be trained to open doors, turn on switches, carry packages, and help their owners take off their shoes and socks.
Search-and-rescue units that race to disaster sites to find and help survivors often rely on the help of search dogs. These dogs are specially trained to sniff out survivors who may be trapped under rubble.
Torah Connection
According to the Midrash (Beresheet Rabbah 22:8), before Kayin killed Hevel, there was a physical struggle, during which Hevel pinned Kayin to the ground. Kayin pleaded with his brother to release him, and Hevel agreed. But then Kayin stood up from beneath Hevel, and he killed him. The fact that Hevel was willing to make peace, and in fact let go of Kayin, makes Kayin’s murderous act even worse.
Kayin realized what a terrible crime he committed. Worried about others coming to take revenge on him, he pleaded with Hashem to help him out. Hashem listened to his request, as it says, Hashem gave Kayin a sign, so that anyone who would find him would not kill him (Beresheet 4:15).
There are different opinions as to what exactly this sign was. Rav says that Hashem gave Kayin a dog to protect him.
Why a dog? Many other animals would also have been able to guard him.
A student of the Chafetz Chaim once heard him scolding himself: “Yisrael Meir, do you not appreciate the kindness Hashem has done with you, that He gave you the wisdom and understanding to compile an entire sefer on the laws of lashon hara, and that so many people are learning from this sefer? Don’t you realize that if you don’t show appreciation to Hashem for these gifts, then the lowly dog is greater than you?”
Puzzled by his rebbi’s words, the student asked the Chafetz Chaim what he meant. The Chafetz Chaim explained: “The Midrash says Hashem gave Kayin a dog. Why a dog? Because there is no animal that shows as much love, appreciation, and devotion to its owner as a dog. And what Kayin did by taking advantage of Hevel’s kindness, and using it to kill him, is the exact opposite of these traits. By giving Kayin a dog, Hashem was giving him a constant reminder of his lack of hakarat hatov. That’s why I told myself that if I fail to appreciate the gifts Hashem has given me, then even the dog is greater than me!”
A security update from CSA President David Assis
Sarina Roffé
What could be more important than the safety and security of the thousands of people who enter our synagogues, our schools, and other community buildings? As a community, hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in our infrastructure, and these buildings – and the people who use them – must be protected.
All around the community, extra cameras are being installed and guard protection increased. Locks are being changed, and entry doors to facilities are being more carefully monitored and limited. The security of the 10,000 students attending yeshivot in our community is a major concern.
Community Security Alliance (CSA) was created to ensure the security and the safety of our community’s institutions through a thorough, carefully designed and coordinated plan of actions and protocols. CSA has developed a community-wide proactive plan that will provide oversight, training, supervision, and professional security applications for all our Sephardic community buildings. CSA is committed to proactive planning, training, and supervision to avert potential tragedy.
During the past five years, CSA has been instrumental in helping the 24 buildings under its auspices to receive over $4 million in federal grant funding from the Department of Homeland Security.
In 2019, a few dedicated men from Shaare Zion took the initiative and trained fellow community volunteers to stand outside the synagogue and screen each person upon entering the shul. With extensive training by a third party company, the volunteers learned how to spot suspicious activity and behavior and how to respond accordingly if action is needed. There are currently five additional community synagogues that have joined and emulated Shaare Zion’s security measures.
Introducing CSA President David Assis
At the helm of CSA is President David Assis. David is passionate and deeply committed to community security. Besides being a member of Flatbush Shomrim, David is our community’s liaison with CSS (Community Security Service), the Ashkenazi organization that helps train synagogues nationwide to protect themselves against terrorist threats. David is also a registered Homeland Security officer and is in charge of security at Shaare Zion.
In light of the recent rash of anti-Semitic attacks, Community Magazine reached out to David Assis to see what more can be done to keep our community neighborhoods and institutions safe and secure.
CM: What can we do as community members?
DA: We have been working with NYPD to increase patrols because police presence is a deterrent. We cannot put our guard down at any time. Some of our buildings are more exposed than others. As a community, we must take the initiative to do something about it. Every institution is obligated to safeguard its congregants, or the people going in and out of their buildings.
The police cannot be everywhere all the time. We always have our community members everywhere. It is imperative that if someone sees anything suspicious or out of place, that they report it to the police. If a person walks on a particular street regularly, and sees something not right, then he or she must alert the police.
All anti-Semitic attacks start with a planning stage. Planning is when people walk by, take photos, or get information online about the target. An attack does not come as a last-minute decision. It starts with planning surveillance by going through the area. So if you see something that does not look right, report it to 911 or Flatbush Shomrim (718 338-9797). Don’t brush it off. We cannot be asleep if we want to protect our area and our community.
We cannot limit our activities due to fear, so it is very important that we continue our day to day lives and not alter our lifestyle. If we alter our lifestyle, then we become victims of terrorism.
When you go anywhere, be aware of your surroundings. Suspicious activity can be a person walking up and down the block. Or a car parked in front of a school to do surveillance. Usually the attacker is not the same person who does the surveillance. If you feel something is out of place, then report it to 911. They have a counter terrorism unit and professionals who deal with threats every day. While sometimes it might take a few minutes for a patrol car to come by, you can also contact Flatbush Shomrim.
I am putting together a dream team for CSA to cover all our goals (grants, security, training, hardware and software logistics, social media, and so much more.) to assist in making sure that our community members will not have to alter their lives because of terror.
CSA has received feedback that people feel they don’t want to be bothered with police reporting. However, reporting activity to police is used to help the facilities where action was reported to apply for and receive grant funding. It is imperative that suspicious activity be reported.
CM: What about profiling?
DA: Unfortunately, there is no one profile anymore, as we saw in the last few incidents. Authorities never expected some of the profiles that they have seen.
We tend to think of a terrorist as someone who is a Neo-Nazi or of Middle Eastern descent, but it can be anyone. We are not racial profiling. We are profiling behavior. It can be a person in the community who has a mental health problem. Do not look for one or two types of people. Be alert and report anything suspicious to authorities.
CM: What is CSA and what are they doing?
DA: CSA is the security umbrella for the entire community and has over 25 buildings under its auspices. CSA has primarily worked with risk assessments and building enhancements. In the past four years, CSA has helped its member institutions receive over $4 million in grants from the US Department of Homeland Security as well as many state grants. CSA has provided training for volunteers who attend our synagogues.
Our plans have been enhanced and now include bringing NYPD officers to guard our buildings, radio communications among the facilities to ensure that if something happens in one building, surrounding buildings are alerted. CSA is also working with the institutions on applying for more funding for building enhancements, guards, and guard training. We have to fundraise. We need policies and procedures in place to evacuate or lock down a building. We have a lot of work to do!
During the last few months our community’s social media was bombarded with on overload of information about terror and crime in our area and most were just not true or embellished. This created a panic in our community. CSA will be the source of information and will only report verified information on social media to better assist and alert our community and be the trusted source for credible and verifiable information, which can be used to guide the people.
Volunteer-based initiatives have been effective worldwide. One of the most important parts of the CSA plan is the recruitment of teams of volunteers who will be trained to prevent incidents. CSA is training volunteers to protect and prevent incidents at their respective buildings. It is these volunteers who know the facilities, know the fellow congregants, and have a vested interest in protecting their families and friends. To become a trained security volunteer at your synagogue, visit csalive.org/volunteer.
More information about CSA can be found at csalive.org or by emailing info@csalive.org.
Community member Sarina Roffé is Executive Director of Community Security Alliance. She also consults with nonprofit organizations in the community.
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