Jenna Ashkenazie

Every November, Americans prepare to turn their clocks back one hour, marking the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) and the return to Standard Time. This shift effectively moves an hour of daylight from the evening to the morning, helping to brighten the darker winter mornings. In March, the clocks “spring forward” again, and Daylight Saving Time resumes, extending daylight into the evening hours.

Daylight Saving Time was first implemented during World War I as a strategy to conserve energy. It was repealed after the war, reinstated during World War II, and finally standardized nationwide with the passage of the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which set consistent start and end dates.

Who Observes – and Who Doesn’t

Not all countries – and not even all U.S. states – follow DST. Hawaii, due to its equatorial location, and most of Arizona, due to its desert climate, observe Standard Time year-round. The Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona is an exception and does follow DST.

Most of Asia, South America, and Africa also do not observe Daylight Saving Time. These regions are located closer to the equator, where the amount of daylight remains relatively consistent year-round, making clock changes largely unnecessary.

A National Debate: Should DST Be Permanent?

In recent years, the relevance of Daylight Saving Time has come under scrutiny. Some argue it’s an outdated practice that disrupts sleep and daily rhythms. Others advocate for making DST permanent to take advantage of longer evening daylight.

Among the most vocal proponents of permanent DST is U.S. Secretary of State and former Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Along with Washington Senator Patty Murray, he introduced the Sunshine Protection Act, a bipartisan bill aiming to eliminate the biannual clock change and maintain Daylight Saving Time year-round.

Rubio stated, “Americans are sick and tired of changing their clocks twice a year – it’s an unnecessary, decades-old practice that’s more of an annoyance to families than a benefit to them.”

Health Experts Push Back

Despite public support for permanent DST, many sleep and health experts urge caution. They argue that permanent Standard Time – not DST – is more beneficial to human health.

Dr. Alaina Tiani, a clinical health psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Sleep Disorder Center, emphasizes the biological importance of morning light.

“Sticking to Standard Time is undeniably better for our health. We would have more light in the mornings, and having more of that light exposure at those earlier times is essentially better for our body’s rhythms.”

Morning light helps regulate the circadian rhythm, our internal biological clock that influences critical functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels.

Sleep, Learning, and Behavior

Children, in particular, may benefit from permanent Standard Time. According to Dr. Karin Johnson, studies have shown that students living in areas that follow Standard Time perform better on standardized tests like the SAT.

She notes that earlier sunrises, while sometimes seen as a nuisance, could be beneficial:

“You’re more likely to be able to sleep through those early sunrise hours. They also come with earlier sunsets, which could make falling asleep at night easier – especially for your kids.”

Earlier daylight may also encourage healthy routines such as morning exercise and reduce reliance on artificial light in the mornings.

Lack of sleep due to circadian misalignment has been linked to a range of serious issues, including mental health disorders, risky behavior, poor academic performance, and even lower employment salaries. Dr. Johnson adds,

“We know that a lot of the drivers for people becoming criminals increase in the sleep-deprived population.”

Arguments in Favor of Permanent Daylight Saving Time

Despite medical concerns, many politicians and members of the public support staying on DST year-round, citing both social and economic benefits.

According to The Columbus Dispatch, permanent DST could reduce household energy usage by minimizing the need for lighting and appliance use in the evening—a claim supported by a U.S. Department of Energy study.

Safety may also improve. The Brookings Institution found that crime rates drop when daylight is extended into the evening hours:

“Offenders know they’re more likely to be recognized and get caught if they’re fully visible.”

Steve P. Calandrillo of the University of Washington further explains that:

“Crime rates are lower by 30 percent in the morning-to-afternoon hours, even when those morning hours occur before sunrise, when it’s still dark.”

Potential Downsides to Permanent DST

Still, the shift to permanent DST is not without its risks. Northwestern Medicine reports that DST has been linked to an increased risk of various health problems, from cognitive and mental health issues to heart disease and digestive disorders.

Neurologist Dr. Beth Ann Malow warns:

“The misalignment of our natural circadian rhythms can contribute to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.”

Lack of sleep and circadian disruption also contribute to lower productivity in workplaces and schools. Dr. Ilene M. Rosen of the University of Pennsylvania notes:

“Employers are recognizing the costs of poor sleep in their employees,” adding that there’s “a strong U-shaped relationship between absenteeism and presenteeism (when employees come to work while physically or mentally not well, which leads to decreased productivity) and hours of sleep.”

In educational settings, students – especially those at earlystarting schools like yeshivot – may find it harder to focus and stay safe when leaving home in the dark.

Lessons from Around the World

Other countries have experimented with permanent DST – with mixed results. In 2011, Russia adopted permanent DST but reversed the decision in 2014 after widespread public dissatisfaction and health complaints.

According to TimeandDate.com, medical studies found a spike in morning road accidents, particularly in northern regions. The backlash was so strong that the government passed a law to reinstate permanent Standard Time instead.

Russia’s experience serves as a cautionary tale: even well-intentioned changes can produce unintended consequences.

What’s Next for the U.S.?

With public opinion split and expert opinions largely favoring Standard Time, the future of clock changes in the U.S. remains uncertain. Bills like the Sunshine Protection Act have garnered support in Congress, but no federal law has yet been passed to make DST permanent.

While it’s tempting to embrace more evening light year-round, the trade-offs to health, safety, and productivity need to be carefully considered. As the debate continues, one thing remains clear: any decision should be made with the full picture in view—not just what feels convenient.

In the end, only time will tell…

Rabbi David Sutton & Dr. David Katzenstein, LCSW-R

The Alter of Kelm notes that in our heads, we have certain ways of looking at things, certain preconceived notions that are rooted in our minds. And even if we receive a sudden epiphany in the opposite direction, a short time later we naturally revert to our previous state.

Yosef and the Brothers

The Alter of Kelm uses the example of the shevatim to prove his point. The Midrash (Tanchuma, Vayigash 5) tells us that when Yosef revealed himself to his brothers and said, “I am Yosef” (Beresheet 45:3), the shevatim were so scared that their souls left them (they basically had heart attacks), and Hashem performed a miracle and their souls were returned to them.

We would think that afterward all would be good and well.

But that’s not what happened.

The Midrash continues with the story. In order to convince them that he was truly their brother, Yosef showed the shevatim his brit milah. Yet instead of being thrilled that he was now king, the Midrash tells us that Yosef’s brothers wanted to kill him. A malach came and spread them out, separating them by sending them to the four corners of the palace, in order to protect Yosef.

Why did the shevatim want to kill Yosef at this time?

Because, explains the Alter, years ago, they had concluded that Yosef was chayav mitah, deserving the death penalty, and even after twenty-two years, nothing changed in their minds. Although they initially had a sudden shockwave when he introduced himself, they naturally reverted to their original belief, their preconceived notion that he was guilty. The Alter calls this hashrashah harishonah, the first implantation.

If the shivtei Kah operated that way, how much more difficult is it for us to uproot old ideas from our psyche and plant new ones in their place!

UprootingOur Preconceived Notions

In Yosef Ometz (Perek HaBitachon), Rav Yosef Yuzpa Hahn-Noirlingenof Frankfurt echoes this idea. People may think that we don’t see the same miracles today as we did many years ago. In truth, Rav Yosef Yuzpa opines, this is a mistake. There’s no difference today. In fact, he advises, if the yetzer hara tells us that today we don’t see miracles, we must not listen to him. True, we may not see open miracles, they may be hidden, but there are miracles nonetheless.

We must make sure not to revert back to our preconceived notions, to the way we always believed, that all is in the natural realm.

This is not just about bitachon. This is true anytime we want to change anything. Why is it so hard for people to keep their new commitments, whether it’s Jewish people keeping their Rosh Hashanah kabbalot or people dropping their New Year’s resolutions in the secular world? Yes, everyone signs up for the gym in January, but stops going in February. Or we commit to being the best (fill in the blank: spouse/ child/ parent/ sibling/ friend) on Sunday morning, but by the end of the week, the resolution is out the window. What happened?

Our preconceived notions hardwire us one way, and to change them takes a lot of effort. We must constantly and consistently work on ourselves to incorporate our commitments into our very being, until they are part of us. Otherwise, we will continue doing the same things, making the same commitments, year after year, without any lasting change.

This applies not only to mindsets – as in the case of Yosef and the brothers, or in today’s day and age, of looking at the world through the lens of random events rather than through the lens of Gd’s supervision – but also to habits. People are chronically late, people are argumentative, people have an aggressive streak. All of these tendencies occur because those pathways in our brain have been enforced and reinforced so many times that they become automatic.

Changing Ourselves

But we can change…

Rav Yerucham Levovitz compares this to somebody who’s writing with a light pencil (i.e., lighter than the number 2 pencils we used to write with in school). He goes back and forth with the pencil, again and again and again, until that vague imprint eventually becomes darker and darker, even though initially, it was too light to read.

When we’re trying to change, going down that new pathway, we’re not going to see such a strong imprint on the paper. But as we keep on going over that imprint, it becomes deeper and deeper, and darker and darker. If we stick to the task, eventually we’ll create new pathways, and we will actually be able to change the way we think and the way we act.

Sam J. Sutton

We’ve reached the home stretch of the 2025 M&S Softball season, and every pitch, every swing, and every bounce of the ball is feels heavier. The scoreboard isn’t just telling you the score, it’s telling you your season’s fate.

It’s a 12-game campaign, and the math is brutally simple: finish in the top five and you’re in, with seeds four and five battling in a one-game Wild Card showdown for the right to join the big boys. Finish sixth or seventh, and you’re packing up the bats until next summer.

Up top, there’s an extra twist. The first, second, and third seeds get the same bye into the semifinals, but the number one seed gets to choose their opponent, a decision that can swing an entire postseason. The Wild Card winner often rides their momentum straight to a championship. In M&S lore, that one-game scrap is less of a formality and more of a launchpad.

Kaboom! (6-2)
What a Week 6 for Uri Adler’s squad. Kaboom walked into their showdown with the Texas Longhorns tied in the loss column, and walked out with a clean sweep and the best record in the league. Their mix of power hitting, steady defense, and timely pitching has them looking like the team to beat. When you’ve got the talent Kaboom has, plus the confidence of knowing you’ve already taken down the other top contender, it’s a dangerous combination.

Texas Longhorns (7-3)
The Longhorns aren’t panicking. They got stung by Kaboom, but they’ve been one of the most consistent teams all season. Max Yedid’s club has an explosive lineup – 75 runs scored is tops in the league – and they know how to win in bunches. The key for them is bouncing back, reclaiming their swagger, and ensuring they’re peaking when the playoffs hit.

King Salomon Part Deux (5-3)
Michael “Sabon” Salomon’s crew has been riding a roller coaster, but the recent stretch has been on the upswing. Their offense can erupt at any time, and the defense has started to gel. They’ve got the tools to make noise in October, and they know it. With their veteran leadership, this is the kind of team that can quietly put together a run.

Stayin’ Alive (4-4)
After a brutal start, Stayin’ Alive clawed their way back to .500. They’ve found their rhythm, and they’re exactly the kind of fourth or fifth seed no one wants to see in a one-game Wild Card. They have that “dangerous if you let them hang around” vibe, and their resilience matches their name.

Vandelay Industries (5-7)
Sammy Seruya’s squad has officially wrapped up their regular season slate and now enters the most stressful part of the year: scoreboard watching. They’re hoping their five wins are enough to hold off the chasers, but without games left to play, they’re at the mercy of the standings. If they sneak in, they could be a Wild Card landmine – the kind of opponent that’s been battle-tested with nothing to lose.

Sephardic Bananas (1-5)
Don’t let the record fool you – this is a team with opportunity. They’ve played fewer games than anyone, meaning they’ve got a heavy schedule ahead and a chance to climb fast. It’s going to take a strong push, but with talent on the roster and plenty of games left, the Bananas can still write a sweet ending to their season.

Thundering Hooves (2-6)
It’s been a frustrating run for the Hooves. On paper, they’ve got the roster to compete with anyone. On the field, they keep leaving runners on base, which cost them in the win column. If they can start cashing in their scoring chances, they could be a dangerous spoiler down the stretch.

The Road Ahead
Every team knows what’s at stake now. For the top three, it’s about securing seeding and avoiding the Wild Card minefield. For the middle of the pack, it’s about fighting for that 4-5 spot and surviving the do-or-die opener. Buckle up! The playoff push is here, the drama is high, and the next few weeks will decide who gets a shot at immortality – and whose season ends with a quiet walk back to the parking lot at M&S Park.

Pnina Souid 

A special Shabbat food program for needy Holocaust survivors was in danger of shutting down due to lack of funding. However, one Mitzvah Man volunteer, doing one small act of hesed, lead the way to others getting involved. “Mitzvah goreret mitzvah,” one mitzvah brings about another. One small act and the forging of a connection can snowball. And, how it did! Below is a letter of thanks from a dedicated social worker at the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island. What a beautiful expression of hakarat hatov for the Mitzvah Man Organization, whose volunteers step up to the plate to help those in need, all with compassion and joy in doing hesed.

Dear Mitzvah Man and Lillie,

Please forgive me for not writing sooner. My colleague at JCCGCI, Sarala Lieberman, and I wanted to thank you. I know that you do a lot of things, both big and small. You have provided the Holocaust survivors in my program major household appliances and other big-ticket items. However, as you have said in your Erev Shabbat audio messages, it’s the small things that lay a foundation for something bigger. And you never know what Hashem will bring unless you make an effort to do your part.

At the start of Covid in 2020, many of the Holocaust survivors and senior clients whom we service needed tasty, better food, especially for Shabbat. We still had funding from the Leader Family Fund and the IAC (Israeli American Council) also sponsored Shabbat food for quite some time in Brooklyn.

During that time, a Holocaust survivor, Mrs. Dora Marcus, isolated due to the pandemic, requested food. She asked me if the Mitzvah Man was still in business. I emailed the Mitzvah Man and in under a minute he recruited  the nicest volunteer, Judy Bassali, who cooked food for Mrs. Marcus and visited with her, giving her the company she had longed for.

Judy’s hesed was so appreciated. I called her to thank her, as the Mitzvah Man always stresses “to treat each volunteer with love and respect.”

About two weeks later, Judy told me, “I have a friend, Jazzie Einalhori, who owns a restaurant called Sage Kitchen. Jazzie would like to give a few Holocaust survivors meals, as she has wanted to help this population for a long time. Jazzie cooked for three Holocaust survivors that week. She was assisted by her partner Rachel Fuchs. The next week Jazzie offered to cook for ten survivors and even had her partners drive to Brooklyn to make deliveries.

Steven Galapo, another Mitzvah Man volunteer, then offered to match ten for ten.

At the same time, our other Shabbat food funding was running out. I spoke to Jazzie about this. She took it upon herself to fundraise and advertise awareness for our Holocaust survivors’ Shabbat Food program. She cooked and fundraised for many months.

Adi Heyman and Esther Soleimani, activists with a grassroots group in Manhattan called “Me for We” stepped in and met with Jazzie, and the staff at the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI)/Holocaust Survivor Support Services (HSSS).

Baruch Hashem, Me for We stepped in and saved the project. Until today, Me for We and JCCGCI/HSSS collaborate to serve seventy plus needy Holocaust survivors who either cannot afford to pay for food or cannot cook for themselves. We provide food and ongoing visits. Many friendly relationships have resulted from this initial hesed.

Other donors provided food as well, such as  Alenbi restaurant. “The Well” (in memory of the Sassoon children) stored food and served as a pickup site. Many others were motivated to donate, including the Leader and Cayton Family funds.

Currently, our caterer is Tov u’Mativ, who kindly offer us  a discount. The food is delicious and the volunteers who pick up for delivery are greeted with warm smiles.

So many donors and volunteers got involved, following in Judy Bassali’s footsteps, and have gained from their volunteering experience both emotionally and spiritually. It is truly amazing!

I believe the program would have disappeared after the first year when funding ran out if the Mitzvah Man had not responded so swiftly. What got the ball rolling was one small act performed by one volunteer, Judy Bassali, to reach out to one survivor, Dora Marcus. If that hadn’t happened, all the other connections would never have materialized!

Tizku l’mitzvot!

Elisheva Lock MPA, LCSW

Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI) Holocaust Survivor Support Services (HSSS)

By Stuart H. Ditchek, MD
Board Certified PediatricianFaculty, NYU School of Medicine

The issue of childhood vaccinations is critical for parents to understand fully and not be influenced by parties that frankly will take no responsibility should a child be harmed by a serious and preventable infection.  During my early career and training, I witnessed the horror parents faced in the pre-vaccine era. I trained in the 1980s at Kings County Hospital which was an epicenter of care for many poor families and many new immigrant families.

Many came from countries that had very poor conditions, poor nutrition, and limited vaccination availability. We treated many cases of bacterial meningitis (typically Haemophilus Influenza B or Hib), whooping cough (Pertussis) and Measles.  Babies with whooping cough have sporadic but severe episodes of coughing spells to the point of turning blue (cyanosis).

Firsthand Experience in the Pre-Vaccine Era

The drooling and secretions would not allow the child to even take a complete breath. All we could do was provide oxygen by mask and hold the child until the coughing fit and choking resolved. Many suffered seizures as a result causing significant damage to their young brains.

In the case of bacterial meningitis which we saw frequently, there was not yet any vaccine (Hib  vaccine). Babies were brought to the hospital with fever and often poorly responsive as these infections act quickly and invade the spinal fluid surrounding the brain.

Spinal taps were a daily event in order to determine the extent and specific type of the infection. Virtually none of these babies left the hospital intact. Many died over days. Those that survived were often left with deafness, blindness, or severely cognitively impaired.  Since the vaccine introduction in the  early 1990s, the number of cases of invasive Hib infection in the United States has gone from 20,000 cases a year to less than 50 currently. This accounts for more than 99 percent reduction. I have not seen a case of Hib meningitis or invasive disease since 1991.

Measles victims were often admitted with classical rashes followed by high fevers, coughs and in many cases invasion of the lungs  and involvement of the developing brain(encephalitis). Many affected babies who were admitted died or were left with lifelong neurological impairment as Measles can destroy young brain tissue often  liquefying the damaged brain cells.  

Let’s take one more example that hit our community in the most catastrophic manner. The names have been changed for anonymity purposes. Years ago, Sara, a”h, was a young mother of a four-year-old child. Sarah was a patient in my practice in her later teen years. At the age of 26 years old, she developed rapid onset meningococcal disease (bacterial blood and brain infection). Despite dramatic efforts to save her, she succumbed to the infection within 36 hours. This was not uncommon in the pre-meningococcal vaccine era.

The meningococcal vaccine was approved several years later, too late to save Sara. Several years later when her mother Rebecca, a”h, was suffering from end stage cancer. I had the privilege of spending many hours with her. I asked if I could encourage apprehensive parents to vaccinate by using her name and discussing the tragedy. She looked at me and said, “Of course! Why should any parent ever suffer the loss of a beautiful child as we did when it is preventable? Please tell them what I said.”  I have not seen a single meningococcal infection since the vaccine has been implemented in my practice. 

Debunking Vaccine Myths and Ensuring Safety

The  anti-vaccine movement has exploded in recent years for a variety of reasons, all false and misinformation. They would have you believe that doctors are being paid and influenced by “big pharma” or  false claims  that vaccines cause autism. This issue has been studied repetitively over the last forty years with absolutely no evidence of that claim. They will also tell you that vaccines are not monitored for safety, also false.

Vaccines go through well over ten years of study before approval. I have participated in both successful and unsuccessful FDA-monitored vaccine trials and I can attest that the oversight is absolutely intense and multi-layered.

Parents should not confuse theemergency implementation of the COVID vaccine with childhood vaccinations. That vaccine was critically needed during the peak of the pandemic when we were seeing many thousands of deaths a week during the Spring and Fall of 2020. At this time, the vaccine saved millions of lives worldwide. The mandates that followed were certainly politically influenced on both sides of the aisle. The mandates had nothing to do with childhood vaccinations for the diseases being discussed. At this point, there is very little need for COVID vaccination except in the highest risk groups.

Just to give one final example of how serious an issue vaccine safety is to physicians. In 1998, the initial Rotavirus vaccine was being implemented nationally. Many agencies and organizations were responsible to monitor for variations in safety signals. In 1999, monitoring agencies noticed a possible safety signal raising the question of whether a very small number of babies who received the vaccine had developed a complication of the intestine called intussusception.

The CDC, FDA, and American Academy of Pediatrics acted very quickly. Within 24 hours, ALL pediatricians in the United States received a series of  faxes instructing  doctors to immediately cease vaccination with Rotavirus vaccine and to return all existing doses to the manufacturer. The vaccine was put on hold, reformulated, tested, studied, and reintroduced in 2006 with none of the complications seen initially. That is how vaccine surveillance worked in the 1990s and it has improved dramatically since then with even better computer modeling. Pediatricians take vaccine safety very seriously as we should do with all therapies and interventions. 

Currently, parents are being inundated with false information from anti-vaccine activists on social media. These are individuals who frankly feel that if they can create fear in young parents who will then refuse or delay vaccination, it will somehow validate their own dangerous actions.

The Measles crisis in Texas(January 2025)  was very serious with three deaths and many hospitalizations including ICU admissions. Almost all cases were proven to be unimmunized.

Israel is currently experiencing a serious outbreak with over 500 cases in the past three months reported and growing. There have been many hospitalizations and currently several toddlers on ECMO(extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) who are critically ill, both with lung involvement. Unfortunately, a two-year-old passed away in Jerusalem in mid-August.

ECMO is used when the heart or lungs are no longer capable of providing oxygen when severely damaged. The child is sedated and invasive access lines are placed in the child as a life saving last effort. The ECMO machine then functions essentially as an artificial heart and lung by removing blood from the body and oxygenating the blood externally. The blood is then returned the bodyThis is a very high risk situation which can result in strokes, blood clots, bleeding, and infection complications, all avoidable if the children would have been immunized. These are preventable tragedies.

If the crisis hits our community, it could lead to many cases of Measles in children and pregnant women who have impaired immunity during pregnancy. Unfortunately, there are now many in the community who are avoiding vaccination, some by very nefarious means.

For those who have falsified vaccination records, they will be at very high risk when we are faced with new infections as the unimmunized account for more than 98 percent of new infections. What is especially dangerous to the public is that many with falsified records who come down with Measles will claim that they became infected despite immunization. This false claim will further erode trust in vaccinations which serves the anti-vaccine movement well.

Proper vaccination at 12 months and four years of age provides 98 percent immunity to children. Measles is a highly contagious infection which can remain in air particles in closed spaces such as rooms or elevators for several hours. The 2019 outbreak in the New York area had several terrible outcomes including children with encephalitis.

Why Vaccine Timing Matters for Babies

I am often asked why babies need to be immunized under a year of age. Some parents are attempting to tailor their own vaccine schedule starting late. This is a dangerous approach for a variety of reasons, most importantly the susceptibility of the young brain to infection.

Babies need to be protected from very young ages because they have limited ability to fight infections naturally. In addition, their immature blood brain barrier allows infection to invade from the blood to the young brain and damage the developing neurological system. Delaying vaccination until children are older makes absolutely no sense as it leaves the most susceptible, babies under a year of age, open to terrible outcomes should they get infected with one of these vaccine preventable infections.

In my practice, I have never, and will never allow modifications in the recommended vaccine schedules. The timing of vaccination was not created in a vacuum. It required many years of testing and research to know which vaccines need to be given and at what timing. Vaccines in 2025 are the safest vaccines and continue to be monitored as always. Seeing reemergence of these vaccine preventable diseases is devastating knowing historically how life was before many vaccines were available My prayer is that our communities will take these warnings seriously. Having a child is a gift and a privilege. It is not an experiment when being educated by those who quite frankly will take no responsibility when a child is stricken.

“Drawing and painting are what I love to do. It’s demanding and hard work, but I love the challenge. Before I put brush to canvas, I approach my easel with a prayer to Hashem asking for success. I know that success depends on siyata dishmayah,  Divine intervention.”

~~ Chava Roth ~~

Ellen Geller Kamaras

Chava Roth is a gifted and passionate artist and teacher. She is a loving sister, wife, mother, and grandmother.  She has an extensive background in the visual arts and throughout her flourishing career has won scholarships and prestigious prizes for her art.

Her Flatbush home and art studio is a visual delight.  Portraits adorn the walls, including a beautiful rendition of Rabbi Avigdor Miller, zt”l, Chava’s husband’s rebbe.Another touching portrait features her husband sitting at a table learning, with their young son gazing at him.

Chava recently completed a stunning oil painting, a scene featuring the charming Yemin Moshe neighborhood in Yerushalayim.  Yemin Moshe was the first settlement built outside the Old City walls in 1892. Adding her own special touch, Chava included her personal vision and perspective to the painting, so you will not find the exact house or even block in Yemin Moshe if you go looking.

Her most popular painting is titled “Four Soldiers.” It depicts two soldiers and two Chassidim wearing talletim walking in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Chava’s studio is lovely, well-lit, and spacious. Her easel was signed by a mentor and close friend, the artist Itzshak Holtz, a”h.  Holtz was considered the most influential contemporary Jewish genre painter of his time.

Let’s explore Chava’s roots, her childhood and education, her professional trajectory, and Chavathe Jewish woman.

Roots

Of Ashkenazic descent, Chava was born and bred in Baltimore, Maryland. Her parents, Hadassa and Chaim Shapiro, were Polish Holocaust survivors who met and married in a D.P. camp in Germany before emigrating to the United States. 

Hadassa spent four of her teenage years in a concentration camp. After raising her children, she worked as a mashgiach for the OU and Star K. “My mother was a tremendous ba’alat hesed.”

Her father Chaim, a”h, was a renowned speaker and author who told of his war experiences of hiding and survival. He is the author of the popular memoir, Go My Son. As a young yeshiva student, he went from frozen tundra to battlefields, fleeing from the Nazis and barely escaping death. His account is an upbeat story of survival, faith, and ingenuity laced with miracles and Divine intervention.  He was the first to write about the Gedolim of Europe in his many articles in the Jewish Observer and his book Once Upon a Shtetl.

The second of five children, Chava describes her childhood as very happy.  Her parents chose to speak about the Shoah with their children. They always provided an uplifting and loving atmosphere filled with Yiddishkeit.

Chava studied at Bais Yaakov institutions from 1^st through 12^th grade. After high school she spent a year at “BJJ” Bais Yaakov of Yerushalayim Seminary in Israel.

“I had no formal art lessons until after seminary.  I recall my mother showing me how to draw flowers at a young age.”

In sixth grade, Chava had a school assignment to create a booklet of the 39 melachot, the categories of creative activity that are forbidden on Shabbat. Her fellow classmates illustrated their booklets with pictures from magazines.  Since her parents didnot subscribe to any magazines, Chava drew her own illustrations of the 39 melachot. Upon returning the graded booklets, her teacher praised Chava profusely and she became the “artist of the class” and the school artist as well.

Awarded a scholarship to the prominent Maryland Institute of Art, Chava began her studies there after studying in seminary in Israel.  While pursuing her degree, she taught in a Baltimore Hebrew school.  A summa cum laude recipient of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Chava moved to New York to study for her master’s in fine arts at Queens College. 

Chava’s Essence

She possesses a special spark, charm, and chen (grace).  Her friends and family say she is creative and fun, and she lights up when speaking about her family and her art.

And Then Came Marriage

Chava was introduced to her husband, Dovid Roth, in her second year of graduate school.  He was a math lecturer and later became a statistical analyst working in medical research and for retail companies.

They adopted the hashkafa of Rabbi Avigdor Miller, Dovid’s rav, and raised their children accordingly. Rabbi Miller teaches that, “In Hakodesh Boruch Hu’s beautiful world, a person has to utilize everything around him to attain perfection of his soul. And to know that this temporary world is a corridor to Olam Haba, the true everlasting world.”

Now retired, Dovid is the gabbai at Rabbi Miller’s shul and instructs people of all ages how to learn Gemara. He studies and teaches Rabbi Miller’s sefer, Lev Avigdor, which imparts how to live successfully in this world. Lectures are available on Zoom.

During graduate school, Chava’s work was primarily abstract expressionism.  She appreciates her husband’s encouragement for her subsequent focus on realism.  Shortly after they married, he asked Chava to paint a charcoal portrait of Rabbi Miller.

“Several people saw it and commissioned me to paint the Rav’s portrait in oil. So began my career in portrait painting.”Chava has created portrait paintings of many famous rabbis including Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, zt”l.

She was given a photo of the Lubavitcher Rebbe delivering a lecture surrounded by his followers.  After obtaining written permission from the photographer, she began the painting. It took her a full six months to complete.  Leaving the Rebbe’s portrait for last, she spent all night working on it. In the morning the news spread that the Rebbe had passed away that night. 

Chava has created captivating, realistic Jewish marionettes, which are beautifully crafted.  She even madea marionette that looks like of herself as a narrator.  At the Maryland Institute, Chava took a course in puppet making.  Her teacher was a famous puppeteer who had performed in the White House for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s family.  When her teacher retired, Chava bought his marionette stage (used in the White House performance) that he had spent a lifetime building.  She constructed the marionettes and stage sets and developed shows based on midrashim.

Her first puppet performance was in a notable Manhattan gallery, along with her paintings.  Metropolitan Museum of Art and Jewish Museum representatives attended. As a young newlywed, Chava received a government grant to create and perform puppet shows all over NY in hospitals, nursing homes, community centers, and schools.  She and her puppets appeared on television.

“When I was expecting our first child, I gave up puppeteering because the stage setup was physically too taxing.  But the puppets still accompany us to weddings to be misameach the chattan and kallah and for our grandchildren on Hanukah.”

Chava focused on two-dimensional projects for the next years, drawing and painting classical realism. She uses the classical approach to paint true-to-life strikingly beautiful scenes.

She took a position as an art teacher for women at the Boro Park Y when her youngest child started school.  Chava has been there for over 35 years, teaching Chassidic, Sephardic, and Ashkenazic women of all ages.  “These classes are so much fun and [are] an important part of my life.”  

Chava also gives art lessons to developmentally disabled adult women in HASC residences. These students especially enjoy the creative process.

She established her own company, Judaica Fine Art, where she sells originals, reproductions, and accepts new commissions.

Balance

Chava always found time to draw and paint.  When her kids were young, she focused on pastels instead of oils as this medium was neater, which was necessary in her small apartment. She worked on many commissions.

Her children appreciate her art.  Before leaving for camp one summer, one of her sons set up a shul scene in her living room for her to paint.  He borrowed a Sefer Torah cover and a parochet, (the Ark cover) from his yeshiva.  Chava added her own vision by inserting a sewing machine, thereby making it relatable to her. Portraits of her grandchildren are often included in Chava’s scenes, which gives them her own personal touch.

For over 40 years, Chava has created Judaica paintings portraying the Jewish people and religious places and objects that are close to her heart.  Her paintings have been showcased in galleries, museums, and private collections throughout the U.S., Europe, and Israel.

”It’s a privilege that I don’t take lightly to be able to focus on the beauty and splendor of Hashem’s world, for it is truly breathtaking.”

Fun Facts

Chava illustrates and paints portraits for invitations and benchers for semachot. Prints of her pictures hang in kosher restaurants and other venues. You can email Chava at chavaroth@verizon.netand check out her website, www.judaicafineart.com.Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach.  Her coaching specialties include life, career, and dating coaching.   She can be contacted at ellen@lifecoachellen.com.