Across the community, families are confronting an escalating challenge: the cost of tuition. For many, these expenses have grown into one of the heaviest financial burdens they carry, forcing difficult decisions and putting strain on households. The issue is no longer isolated – it is widespread, affecting parents from all walks of life.
Enter UCEF (United Children Education Foundation), a grassroots effort that has quickly gained momentum by approaching the tuition crisis in a new way. Rather than leaving parents to shoulder the burden alone, UCEF taps into the collective power of the community. The idea is simple yet powerful: when everyone contributes where they can, the impact multiplies.
UCEF has already begun to prove this model works. Its vendor partnerships generate ongoing royalties for tuition. Its insurance collaborations save families money while directing funds back toward education. And with additional creative programs in the works, UCEF is constantly finding fresh ways to reduce costs and increase support.
Of course, everyone complains about tuition – but the question is, are we ready to do something about it? UCEF offers countless ways to make a difference: through your business, your insurance, your shopping, and through new ideas that are just getting started. No one is asked to go out of their comfort zone. What’s needed is for everyone to get involved in ways within their reach. UCEF doesn’t claim it can erase tuition overnight – but the more people who step up, the faster real change will come.
As Executive Director Sammy Esses puts it: “Our community is amazing, we always step up when someone is in need. Right now, most of the community needs help. Everyone in this community can play a roll, all we ask is that you take a couple of minutes to learn more about what UCEF does and reach out to me – call or text 917-647-9276, or email Sammy@ucef.com. Let’s have a conversation to see how you can be part of the solution.”
Magen David Yeshivah Students Honor the Legacy of Their Heritage
Last month, the students of Magen David Yeshivah paid a meaningful and moving tribute to its foundational roots by gathering for the annual Selichot Gedolah program. This year’s event was held within the historic Magen David Synagogue on 67th Street, the very location where the community’s inspiring story first began.
The program commenced with Rabbi Eli Mansour offering impactful words that underscored the profound spiritual significance of the day, emphasizing the importance of repentance and reflection as the Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days) approach. Following the Rabbi’s address, the congregation was led in the powerful liturgical songs of Selichot by Hazzan Mordechai Salem. The atmosphere allowed both students and long-time members to deeply connect with the traditions of their forefathers. It was a beautiful expression of kavod (respect) for the past, inspiring the present generation to maintain the chain of mesorah (tradition) with strength and devotion.
Flatbush Shomrim and NYPD Nab Car Theft Suspect
In a powerful testament to community vigilance and seamless cooperation with law enforcement, volunteers from Flatbush Shomrim (FSSP) recently played a critical role in the recovery of a stolen vehicle, in an operation that ultimately led to the discovery of a larger criminal network operating across the boroughs.
The incident began when Shomrim volunteers were alerted to the theft of an Acura. Utilizing advanced tracking systems available to the organization, volunteers successfully located the stolen vehicle in a specific location within the Bronx. Following established protocol, the Shomrim team immediately notified the New York City Police Department (NYPD) of the confirmed location.
NYPD officers quickly responded to the area, where they successfully took a suspect into custody. The subsequent investigation and search prompted by this initial recovery uncovered a much more extensive operation. Law enforcement confirmed that the search led not only to the apprehension of the individual but also to the recovery of multiple stolen vehicles, an inventory of various stolen license plates, and an assortment of sophisticated electronic devices used to facilitate vehicle thefts.
This operation highlights the invaluable commitment of Flatbush Shomrim’s dedicated volunteers, who work tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to ensure the security and stability of the community.
When good people experience pain in life, they may feel like Hashem is betraying them, chas v’shalom. They have been trying to be the best they can be; they have gotten closer to Hashem, yet it doesn’t seem that He is getting closer to them. But that is incorrect. They only feel that way because they don’t understand Hashem properly.
Rabbi Yosef Mugrabi gave a mashal of an elderly farmer who had been retired for years. In his yard there was a large, deep pit in his yard that had previously been used as a well. One day, his donkey, who was also getting on in years, slipped and fell into the pit. The animal cried and screamed for help, but the old man was not able to pull the donkey out. He then took a shovel and began throwing earth into the pit.
I have spent so many years serving my owner in good faith, the donkey thought, and now he’s just going to bug me alive because he can’t get me out of here? Every shovelful of earth that hit the donkey’s back felt like fire. The pain was intolerable. But the dirt kept coming and the donkey understood that if it didn’t do something about it, it would be buried alive.
It looked to the right and it looked to the left and saw earth piling up. Suddenly, the donkey realized there was a way to use the earth to its benefit. The donkey climbed onto a pile. As each shovelful of earth hit its back, the donkey shook it off to the side, thereby elevating the pile, and climbed higher. It shook off the next batch of earth, again, and climbed higher.
Eventually, the donkey raised itself up to the top of the pit and was reunited once again with its owner, who had been hoping that the donkey would use the earth that way.
In life there are challenges, and sometimes they are very painful. There is no lack of situations that cause people to feel betrayed:
– A father raised four sons and gave them everything. Eventually, they married and moved away. In his old age, the father needed help going to the doctor one day for surgery, but none of his children helped. None of them were willing to give up time from their workday to bring their father to the doctor. The father needed just one child to help him. He had sacrificed the best years of his life for his sons, and now, when he needs assistance, they give him no sympathy. How much pain would that cause a father?
– A man hires an employee and teaches him about his business. He tells him company secrets; he elevates him to a prominent position. One day, the employee tells the boss he’s leaving. He proceeds to open up the exact same business on the same block, three doors away, and takes all the clients with him. How much pain would that cause an employer?
– A couple has a child go off the derech, abandoning Torah and mitzvot, talking disrespectfully. How much pain do the parents have?
– A father and mother have four older daughters, still single, still home. One is 32, one is 35, one is 37, and one is 39. All the parents are asking for is to see at least one wedding. Just let one daughter break the ice and get married! How much pain does that family have?
These are big challenges, and the natural reaction in these circumstances is to feel betrayed. We don’t understand the benefits these challenges are providing us. But we have a choice to make. We can sit and wallow in our misery, or we can use the challenges to elevate ourselves. We can shake them off and grow from them. We can trust that Hashem is giving them to us for our own benefit, as hard as that is to imagine. And if we do that, we’ll look back and say, “My most difficult struggles are what made me into the person I am today.”
There are paintings that are not merely art, but soul. Works in which every brushstroke echoes a verse, and every layer of color carries a prayer. Such is the painting of the artist Yossi Bitton, depicting the Tomb of Rachel Imein, a work that reaches that sacred point where art ceases to be creation and becomes a language of the Jewish heart.
In just a few days, we will mark the 11th of Cheshvan, the day of Rachel Imeinu’s passin, a day when the entire Jewish people pause for a moment to look again toward the first mother of compassion, the one the navi called “Rachel weeping for her children.” Her image is woven into every prayer and every hope; she is not only a story from the past but a living presence in the soul of the nation.
“A voice is heard on high,” says the navi, “lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children, for they are no more.” And the Divine response follows with words that have carried our people through millennia: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is reward for your labor, says the Lord, and your children shall return to their border.”
Few verses in Scripture capture so poignantly the meeting of human pain and eternal comfort. That dialogue, between tears and promise, is the beating heart of Bitton’s painting.
In his portrayal, there is no figure and no face. Rachel herself is unseen, yet powerfully present. The tomb stands at the center of the canvas, wrapped in a soft, golden-white glow, not the light of the sun, but the light of a soul. Around it, the sky shifts between gray clouds and a pale line of blue, mirroring the tension between sorrow and consolation, between exile and redemption. A long gaze at the painting reveals not only layers of pigment, but layers of feeling. It is not a depiction of a place, it is a visual rendering of an eternal covenant.
The artist describes his process in simple words: “I stood before an old photograph of Rachel’s Tomb,” he says, “and I thought, every stone here has absorbed prayer. There is no other place on earth where every tear becomes part of the landscape. When I painted, I didn’t feel I was adding color; I felt I was uncovering what was already there.”
Indeed, Bitton’s work is not about innovation, it is about revelation. Born and raised in Tzfat, the mystical city of light and spirit, he absorbed from his youth the deep connection between creativity and faith. In the narrow alleys of the artists’ quarter he learned that color can be a vessel for the Divine. “In Tzfat,” he recalls, “I learned that art is not an imitation of reality, it is a way to touch the truth beyond it. Every painting is a form of prayer.”
That influence permeates all his works, but especially this one. Bitton’s style combines delicate realism with a sense of haze, an intentional blurring that hints that what is visible is never the whole story. Here, too, the lines of the stones are clear, yet they dissolve in light; the tomb appears solid, yet one feels it might vanish into mist. It is a dialogue between the seen and the unseen, between what the eye perceives and what the heart knows.
In this painting, Bitton captures the essence of Rachel Imeinu herself, a rare fusion of unending sorrow and quiet hope. Rachel is not buried with the Patriarchs and Matriarchs in the Cave of Machpelah but “on the road to Efrat.” She is not at home, and yet by remaining on the road she became the spiritual home of all Israel. She stands there, in the open, waiting for her children. Between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, between exile and redemption, the mother still waits and still prays.
“I wanted to convey that feeling of being on the road,” Bitton explains. “Rachel’s Tomb is not an endpoint, it’s a crossroads. It’s the place where every Jew meets himself on the way back home.” And when one looks at the painting, there is indeed a sense of motion, as if time itself is breathing. The clouds seem to move, the light shifts, the shadows fade. Every moment something changes, as within the praying soul. The viewer feels himself standing there, on that very road where countless generations poured out their hearts, and he hears within his own chest the echo of that ancient cry, the cry of mercy.
The Midrash teaches that when the Jewish people were exiled from Jerusalem, they passed by Rachel’s tomb. She rose from her grave, wept, and pleaded before God to have mercy on them. And God answered: “For your sake, Rachel, I will bring them back.” Since that moment, her image has stood forever as the symbol of prayer without despair.
Bitton, with extraordinary sensitivity, gives that image a new voice, a voice of light. In his painting, even the tears shine. The glow emerging from the stone embodies the hope of redemption, the promise that “your children shall return to their border” is not only a comfort for the past, but a reality drawing near.
Today, Yossi Bitton is recognized as one of the leading names in contemporary Jewish art. His paintings adorn homes, shuls, and galleries around the world, yet they all share one signature: faith. Each work carries an inner radiance, a quiet sanctity that can be felt more than described. He does not paint for novelty’s sake, but to preserve eternity in the heart of man. In “Rachel’s Tomb,” Bitton reaches a point of spiritual and artistic maturity. The background, unlike a classic landscape, is almost abstract. The sky breathes; the boundaries blur. There is no line dividing earth and heaven, light and shadow, weeping and consolation. The entire work is unity.
Perhaps that is why so many are drawn to it. The painting speaks a universal emotional language, yet it remains deeply rooted. It is not simply a beautiful depiction of a holy site; it is a reminder. A reminder to a people still on its journey, a reminder of tears that have not vanished, a reminder of a mother who still waits.
Every year on the 11th of Cheshvan, thousands of Jews travel to Rachel’s Tomb. Many stand there for the first time, overcome by a sense that defies explanation, as if the place itself listens. No many words are needed. A person stands, says one or two, and weeps. That weeping, not of despair but of yearning, may be the purest prayer there is. One feels the same within Bitton’s painting, the solitude, the pain, and the quiet certainty that we are not alone. Bitton defines his work with characteristic humility: “I don’t paint to show what people see,” he says. “I paint to remind them of what they’ve forgotten. We sometimes forget how close Rachel still is to us, how alive her prayer remains within us.” And he is right. Rachel Imeinu is not a figure of the past; she lives with us, weeps with us, embraces us in every prayer. Throughout the generations, from great sages to simple souls, Jews have known that Rachel is the final gate of mercy. When words fail, they go to her. When strength fades, they stand before her. And she, says the Midrash, “is answered immediately.” She understands every broken heart, every pain, every longing.
In that sense, Bitton’s painting is more than an artistic tribute; it is a visual expression of pure faith, the belief that prayers are heard, that compassion endures, and that there is one mother who will not rest until she sees the redemption of her children.
His deliberate use of a warm, almost monochromatic palette is no coincidence. There are no sharp contrasts, no shouting colors. Everything is soft, balanced, quiet, whispering that even within sorrow there is beauty, even within tears there is light. Gaze long enough, and the light seems to change: at times gold, at times mist, at times twilight. Perhaps that is the painting’s way of telling us that sorrow itself transforms, that tears too have a journey.
Many see in this painting not merely a work of art, but a mirror for reflection. It invites stillness, not only to look, but to listen. Perhaps this is why Bitton regards his art not as a profession but as a mission.
“I feel,” he says, “that I was sent to remind people, through color, of what words sometimes cannot say.”
And this year, his painting seems to speak even more directly. The stone that for generations symbolized comfort now also feels like a call, a call from a mother to her nation: Do not forget to pray. Do not forget to weep. Do not forget to believe.
Rachel Imeinu, who once wept for her children as they went into exile, weeps today for her children who have not yet come home, for those still held captive, for those who have not yet been brought to burial, for a nation still praying for complete redemption.
Between the light and the shadow, between tears and hope, the prophet’s words return once more, not only as a promise, but as a mission: “Your children shall return to their border.”
Not only the exiles of Babylon, not only the wanderers of past generations, but all the children, the living and the fallen, the near and the far, those who have returned and those still missing. All of them will come home.
Yossi Bitton’s painting, born of silence and prayer, feels this year almost prophetic. It reminds us that Rachel did not give up then, and she will not give up now. She still stands, on the ancient road, watching over her scattered children, whispering her eternal prayer:
that they return.
That we all may soon behold the day when God’s promise is fulfilled in its fullness
“Refrain your voice from weeping… for there is reward for your labor, says the Lord, and your children shall return to their border.”
There is an 8-letter word that can have consecutive letters taken out and remain a complete word until only one letter is left?
Last Month’s Riddle: On the Right Track
A train 1-mile long is traveling at a speed of one mile per minute through a tunnel 1-mile long. How long will it take for the train to completely pass through the tunnel?
Solution: It will take 2 minutes. The front of the train takes 1 minute to exit the tunnel, but the back still needs another minute to completely pass through.
Solved by: Eli Nuseiri, Ralphie F., Joey Esses, Family Blum, Sharon K., Big Mike, Carol Dweck, Maurice Tawil, and The Shmulster.
JUNIOR RIDDLE: WHAT AM I?
Submitted by: Audrey H.
Almost everyone needs it, most certainly asks for it, but almost nobody takes it. What am I?
Last Month’s Junior Riddle: Twin Teaser
Two people born on the same day, from the same mother and father, but they are not twins. How is this possible?
Solution: They are part of a set of triplets (or more). They have other siblings born on the same day, which means they are not twins!
Solved by: The Blum Family, Mimi Chehebar, Gabriel Tawil, Rose Elbaz, Sharon K., The Shmulster, Ralphie F., Dave Cohen, and The Big Cheese.
A guy goes into a company for a job interview. The interviewer asks him, “What would you consider to be your biggest weakness?” The guy thinks for a minute and says, “I’m honest with everyone. I don’t know how to be anything other than completely honest, no matter what someone asks me.” The interviewer says, “I don’t really see how honesty could be considered a weakness. In fact, I think it’s a great strength!” The guy looks the interviewer right in the eye and says, “I don’t really care what you think.”
Jake D.
Looking for Work
A lion walks into a police station and asks the policeman at the front desk, “Do you have any job openings?” The policeman shakes his head sadly and says, “No, sorry. Why don’t you try the circus?” The lion gives him a funny look and says, “Why would the circus need a detective?”
Joey S.
Cool Recognition
The three Goldberg brothers, Norman, Hyman, and Maximillian invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner.
On July 17th, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
The three brothers walked into old man Henry Ford’s office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that three gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter.
Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car.
They persuaded him to get into the car, which was about 130 degrees inside, turned on the air-conditioner and cooled the car off immediately.
The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them 3 million dollars for the patent.
The brothers refused saying they would settle for 2 million but they wanted the recognition by having a label, “The Goldberg Air-Conditioner” on the dashboard of each car that it was installed in.
They haggled back and forth for about two hours and finally agreed on 4 million dollars and that just their first names would be shown.
And so, even today, all Ford air-conditioners show on the controls the names: “Norm,” “Hi,” and “Max.”
Isaac S.
Stranded in the Desert
Three men are in the middle of a desert when their car breaks down. For their hike to town, they each decide to take one thing with them. One man takes a jug of water. The second man takes a sandwich. The last man takes one of the car doors. The first man says to the last man, “I’m bringing the water because if I get thirsty, I can take a drink. And it makes sense to bring a sandwich in case we get hungry, but why bring a car door?” The last man replies, “If I get hot, I can just roll down the window.”
Marty A.
No Politics, Please
Four Israelis are sitting in a restaurant in Tel Aviv. For a long time, nobody says a word. Finally, one man groans, “Oy.”
“Oy vey,” says the second man.
“Nu,” says the third.
At this the fourth man gets up from his chair and says, “Listen, if you guys don’t stop talking politics, I’m leaving.”
Esther K.
Play Ball
Many of the schools in the local neighborhood fielded a baseball team, forming the School Baseball League. Beth Israel challenged Beth Tikvah to a game in a week’s time and Principal Goldberg felt that he needed to do something to support his kids. So he gave a special contribution of one hundred dollars to the captain, with the direction that the money should be used to buy bats, balls, gloves, or anything else that might help to win the game.
On the day of the game, the principal was somewhat surprised to observe nothing new in the team’s paraphernalia. He called the captain to him.
“I don’t see any new bats, or balls, or gloves,” he said.
“We don’t have anything like that,” the captain admitted.
“But I gave you one hundred dollars to buy them,” the rabbi exclaimed.
“Well, you see Principal Goldberg,” came the explanation, “you told us to spend it for bats, or balls, or gloves, or anything that we thought might help to win the game, so we gave it to the umpire.”
Ikey F.
Bad Word
A young boy was sitting in the waiting room for a little bit after getting his tooth pulled. The receptionist asked him if he was okay. “Yes, but I didn’t like the bad word the dentist used while he was pulling my tooth.” “What did he say?” asked the receptionist, worried. The boy replied, “Oops.”
Raymond K.
Late for School
A child was late to school for the first time. The teacher asked him if anything was wrong. “No,” the child said, “I wanted to go fishing, but my dad told me I needed to go to school.” The teacher was impressed. “And did your father explain why it was important to go to school instead of going fishing?” The child nodded solemnly and said, “He said it was because there’s not enough bait for both of us.”
Sharon B.
That Special Something
A little old lady gets onto a crowded bus and stands in front of a seated young girl. Holding her hand to her chest, she says to the girl, “If you knew what I have, you would give me your seat.” The girl gets up and gives up her seat to the old lady. It is hot.
The girl then takes out a fan and starts fanning herself. The woman looks up and says, “If you knew what I have, you would give me that fan.” The girl gives her the fan, too.
Fifteen minutes later the woman gets up and says to the bus driver, “Stop, I want to get off here.” The bus driver tells her he has to drop her at the next corner, not in the middle of the block. With
her hand across her chest, she tells the driver, “If you knew what I have, you would let me off the bus right here.”
The bus driver pulls over and opens the door to let her out. As she’s walking out of the bus, he asks, “Madam, what is it you have?” The old woman looks at him and nonchalantly replies, “Chutzpah!”
Weddings are a major topic of conversation in our community, but not always for the reasons we’d like. Instead of focusing on the happy couple and the Jewish home they will be building, often the focal point of making a wedding becomes the physical side rather than the spiritual. Weddings can turn into another status symbol, where community members are judged according to how much money they spend on one lavish night (or in many instances, on all the additional parties that go along with a wedding). High-ticket items that have become standard at community weddings may include large halls, expensive florists with exquisite flowers, drapery, lighting, DJs, caterers, photographers, and videographers, to name a few.
Let’s hear from community members about the whole wedding scene, especially when many are struggling to afford just the basics.
First, I’d like to share my thoughts. During Covid, my perspective on weddings completely shifted and I had some hope for the future of our community weddings. However, it’s been five years and it seems as though nothing has changed. In August 2020, my sister-in-law got married in the backyard of my father-in-law’s Long Branch summer house where I currently live. It’s not an extravagant setting, but it has a nice amount of grass in the backyard, which was large enough for the 150 guests, a chuppah, and a dance floor. The food and desserts were set out inside the house. For reference, my wedding was at the West Deal Shul. My brother-in-law’s wedding was at a large fancy bank in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And my other brother-in-law got married in Tzfat, Israel. In our family, we actually all regard this intimate backyard wedding as the best, most special and intimate wedding of all our family weddings. It was the best night, spent with all the people who knew and loved the bride and groom personally.
This little Covid wedding changed my entire perspective on the subject. I realized that our children could be married with modest, intimate get-togethers and maybe there would even be cash left over to give to the couple to start their lives! I think that would be ideal. So, let’s hear what some community members think, and also, we’ll discuss a new initiative to address the sky rocketing costs of throwing a wedding in this community. I’m proud to say, it was initiated in the shul where I got married.
Esther Chirazi
I think the expense is one major issue, but it’s also people needing to keep up with “community standards” that adds to the burden and stress [of making a wedding]. Being in the real estate market, I see many people taking out major loans against their homes to make weddings and to keep up with our high standards. I know someone who needs to sell [their home] and cannot because they took loans to make beautiful weddings for their daughters and then through the years business was not as good as it used to be because life happens… If they sell they have no place to go because they owe so much in loans. It is crazy and unfortunate the lengths parents are expected to go to in order to “keep up with the Joneses.”
Community Member 2
Brit milot have become like bar mitzvahs, bar mitzvahs have become like weddings, and weddings are next-level luxury. This can be looked at as good, but there’s a flip side – the cost, the pressure, how it can suck the fun and joy out of the night for the ones hosting and footing the bills. The bigger the hoopla the bigger the stress.
Community Member 3
It’s an important lesson to teach our kids, that even if we have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on a wedding, it isn’t practical to actually spend it on (for example) flowers that will be torn apart hours later. We should be able to make our children weddings that they’re proud of without all of the pressure. Young men are afraid to get married for financial reasons. We are scaring them away from marrying our daughters! It’s a major issue! Instead they should be able to see all of the good the community has to offer. And maybe our community should come up with a good solution to this wedding expense issue.
I’m in the midst of planning a wedding for my daughter so I have to include a disclaimer. Don’t call me a hypocrite when I don’t necessarily follow my own opinion but I sincerely hope I can find somewhat of a happy medium. After all, the expectations still exist.
A major problem is when the vendors monopolize the venues and people are stuck using those vendors they can’t afford. The adage says that people pay for what they get. But if a couple wants a certain venue, and that venue locks them in to high-priced vendors, that’s when things really get out of hand. People should be able to use vendors that they can actually afford. I do understand how a venue benefits from special arrangements with specific vendors. But if venues are going to force people to use their vendors, it would be a good idea to offer the services of multiple vendors in each category with different price points to choose from!
Community Member 4
Wedding costs are a huge problem. It’s practically turned into a house payment, which honestly would be a better use of that money. People are taking out loans for one big party! I think one cause of this issue is the vendors. * Because we all use the same few vendors, they’ve not only raised their prices but also assume we can all easily afford those prices.. Basically, what only the top one percent of us could once afford comfortably has now become the new normal, and everyone feels pressured to keep up.
* I’d like to comment here, I’m a vendor myself, as I’m a professional photographer. Yes, sometimes you are locked into a certain vendor because of an arrangement with your venue, as discussed above. Yes, the popular vendors may charge a lot per hour. But usually, if so, they are very experienced, are in high demand, or offer a premium product. Also, their expenses have gone up just like yours. On the flip side, there are always new vendors popping up who offer lower price points. For example, my prices may be on the high-end as a photographer for small events, but for weddings I'm considered a very affordable option, as I charge more modestly than big names because I'm trying to get my foot in the door. I’ve advertised that I can be a cost-effective option. I still offer a high-quality product, bringing my over eight years of experience as a professional photographer. Yet, to date I have received almost no inquiries for weddings in this community. Therefore, I conclude that people are really not doing the work it takes to find lower priced options. They just stick with what everyone else is doing.
Community Member #5
It’s unfortunate that everyone is afraid to not do what others do for weddings and semachot, and it’s a tremendous amount of pressure. When I made my daughter’s wedding, I was given a
budget. But I knew I wanted to do more. She was my only girl. In order to afford what I wanted to do I got a job. And I paid for whatever was not in my husband’s budget. Even so, I was still very frugal with our money. We shopped for discounts, and I found a florist that wouldn’t cost me an arm and a leg, and I toned down the food to fit into what we could afford.
Nowadays, shuls have contracts with caterers, florists, etc. and you are obligated to use them. And you have to pay their price. Unfortunately, even most dual-income families cannot afford it at all.
Steps Toward a Brighter Future in Deal and Lakewood
Congregation Magen David of West Deal has just presented the community with a beautiful affordable wedding package starting at $52,000. All-inclusive weddings include the shul rental, decor, as well as specific mainstream vendors such as the caterer, florist, photo/video, DJ, security, and valet. Their flyer reads: All-inclusive Weddings -Because Breaking the Glass Shouldn’t Break the Bank.
Mayer Ashear, Director of Events from Magen David states, “The shul committee sought a solution to tackle community need for assistance making affordable weddings. Weddings have become out of control, super expensive, and very stressful. The packages were created for a host to feel respectable to make a beautiful wedding that they can afford. Shortly after Labor Day the All Inclusive Weddings began. They’ve been regarded as beautiful and people loved and enjoyed them. It’s great, especially in the wintertime when weddings are not that large here in Deal. It’s a very good option. We have packages from Labor Day to Memorial Day for 500, 650, or 850 guests. Prices vary depending on the guest count.”
Lakewood
Meanwhile, in Lakewood, two newly dedicated wedding halls, Ateres Blima and Ateres Esther, are marking the beginning of a new era in local simcha planning. Both halls are located at 400 Oak Street, and are named in memory of R’ Ari Stern’s grandmothers. The halls were built to address a pressing need in the community, to lower the overwhelming cost of weddings.
Backed by numerous donors, the project was designed to reset community expectations and to bring weddings back to a simpler, more manageable standard. At these new halls, a complete wedding package will cost just $13,000.
The all-inclusive package at Ateres Blima and Ateres Esther is designed for peace of mind. It includes hall rental, catering, photographer, videographer, musician, singer, kallah’s bouquet, artificial floral arrangements, a lavish smorgasbord, and a seudah.
What an incredibly important topic we discussed this month! Many important points were made. I hope we continue finding solutions to help families marry off their children without the need to take out loans. It’s nice when you can throw fancy parties and invite guests. It’s just tricky when we’re all expected to do the same or more than the next guy. Young couples will likely need help starting their lives and there are much better causes to put our money towards. We have single moms, orphans, and struggling young families in our community. We should collectively care and do more for them rather than conspicuously spend money, whether earned or borrowed, to throw a lavish wedding party.
Frieda Schweky
Frieda is an event and portrait photographer. Check Frieda out on Instagram @friedaschwekyphoto For photography inquiries or article topic suggestions email her friedaschweky@gmail.com
This flavorful, Mediterranean inspired recipe is the perfect one-pan meal. Juicy chicken roasts on a bed of farro, leafy greens, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes, soaking up a tangy balsamic and lemon marinade as it cooks. The flavors are incredibly rich and satisfying, and the best part is that it bakes together in one dish, making cleanup easy.
Ingredients
● 2 lbs. chicken breasts
● 2 cups farro
● 4 cups boiling water
● 2 tbsp chicken consommé
● 9 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
● 10 sun-dried tomatoes
● ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
● 1 purple onion, sliced
● ½ cup lemon juice
● ½ cup balsamic vinegar
● 2 cups baby spinach or kale
● 2 tbsp salt (divided)
● ½ tsp black pepper
● Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, combine the boiling water, chicken consommé, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, 6 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Stir well, then add the farro and let it soak briefly while you prepare the chicken.
3. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with black pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt. Gently lift the skin and rub the remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic underneath.
4. Transfer the soaked farro and its liquid into a large oven-safe baking dish or sheet pan. Spread the baby spinach evenly over the farro. Place the chicken breasts on top.
5. Evenly distribute the sliced purple onion, sun dried tomatoes, and Kalamata olives around the chicken.
6. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes on 450 degrees Fahrenheit until the chicken is fully cooked and slightly golden. Add a splash of water if the farro looks too dry.
7. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes.
By Stuart H. Ditchek, MD Board Certified Pediatrician Faculty, NYU School of Medicine
As a follow up to last month’s article (The Reality of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases), I have been asked to continue the discussion regarding the importance of childhood vaccinations and why parents should understand this complex issue. In addition, I will provide a follow up on the current Israel measles outbreak.
Unfortunately, as of the end of August, Israel saw a reported 700 cases of measles over three months resulting in the death of two toddlers to date. The majority of hospitalized seriously sick children are unimmunized. Historically, both Israel and New York have had outbreaks in similar time periods as there is so much travel between the two locations, especially for the New York Jewish community. Unfortunately, with the number of families who have sought out falsified vaccination records recently, we do not currently know how many children in our communities are unimmunized or under immunized. This makes the risk to susceptible individuals much greater.
Why Vaccine Protocols Have Changed
Understanding historical perspectives and how many of the vaccine protocols have developed is an important part of good parenting. Let’s take a few examples of how recommendations evolved as science advances over time. For example, flu vaccines are recommended now for all children over six months, whereas years back it was only recommended to vaccinate the highest risk individuals such as those with heart or respiratory disease. The answer lies in the complication rates over the past 20 plus years and how it has changed.
In 2010, the flu vaccine was added to the annual recommendations for all children. The two factors that changed the recommendations were bacterial secondary complications and the post swine flu lessons of 2009.
Years back, there was minimal bacterial resistance throughout the United States. Over time with the overuse of antibiotics, we have seen a tremendous emergence of MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus). This dangerous aggressive bacteria finds the most susceptible hosts and wreaks havoc on certain patients.
Flu Patients Have Gotten Sicker
The research supports the fact that as MRSA and other bacterial strains became dominant, those sick with flu were getting hospitalized at much higher rates. The majority of flu complications are the result of secondary pneumonias, many with MRSA. This type of complication often leads to hospitalization and serious complications including respiratory failure.
ICU-level care became more common for the unimmunized. Many of the sickest patients suffered terrible outcomes including deaths and amputations as a result of the severe infections. In children, the overwhelming majority of hospitalized children with flu complications are those not immunized. The fact remains that immunized children have a dramatically lower complication rate specifically for hospitalization.
While the flu vaccine is approximately 60 percent effective to prevent getting the flu, it is more than 90 percent effective in preventing hospitalizations in children. The other factor that has evolved and made the seasonal flu much more serious is the effects of the H1N1 swine flu variant.
Swine Flu
The novel swine flu variant appeared in the late spring of 2009. Existing flu vaccines were ineffective against this variant. That year, many pregnant and postpartum women were very sick and hospitalized with swine flu. Babies were being delivered by C-section in the ICUs as the mothers were too critical to risk transport to the operating room.
Why did the new variants cause such serious disease? Firstly, pregnant and postpartum women lose immunity to many infections as a result of a normal pregnancy. The other factor is related to these newer variants effects on the bone marrow causing an inability to fight infections. The current flu variants cause very significant and often unnoticed suppression of the white blood cells originating in the bone marrow. This suppression can lead to the inability to fight off the bacterial complications seen in flu, especially pneumonias.
In other words, this was not your mother’s seasonal flu that mostly affected those at highest risk. Flu vaccination is critical for all children especially the youngest ones. In my practice, flu vaccine compliance has been very good as the result of efforts to educate families. However, since the recent anti-vaccine movement has erupted, this has become more difficult.
RSV Vaccine
Let’s look at the RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccine, which is now a standard recommendation for all babies either after delivery or by the mother receiving it in the third trimester.
RSV is a very dangerous respiratory virus that affects tens of thousands of babies annually, often resulting in hospitalization and sometimes, unfortunately, death. This virus is benign to most healthy older children and adults (with the exception of seniors) but is very serious in newborns.
In the past two years, a recommendation came about to give babies these monoclonal antibodies to prevent complications. Those who object to vaccines would have you believe that this is a brand new vaccine and not studied. That is false. RSV vaccine is a passive antibody administration, much like the monoclonal infusions that saved so many during early COVID. There is no immune response required by the infant. The vaccine simply provides long-acting antibodies to the infection that lasts for a period of months.
This monoclonal antibody is not new. Pediatricians have been giving a product called Synagis to preemies and high risk infants since 1999. Synagis is very similar to the RSV monoclonal product (Beyfortus) except that it is a short acting antibody that requires five doses per season rather than one, as required for Beyfortus. Since the introduction of the RSV monoclonal vaccine, hospitalizations have been dramatically reduced. It is very well tolerated with minimal side effects as the baby is not required to actively mount an immune response. The antibody is given to protect the baby during RSV season in the first year of life and in the second year for higher risk babies. It is very important for parents to understand the critical nature of how this simple passive immunization with monoclonal antibody is saving lives.
Chickenpox Vaccine
One more vaccine innovation that did not exist until the early 1990s is the vaccine for Varicella (chickenpox), initially developed for use in high risk children recovering from cancer or other immunosuppressive treatments.
The recommendations changed in the early 1990s to now give this vaccine to healthy children. This is due to the complication rates from MRSA and other bacterial risks. When I was a child, chickenpox was a rite of passage with minimal bacterial secondary complications. Once antibiotic resistance and MRSA came about in the late 1980s, we started seeing children hospitalized with bacterial sepsis (blood infections), cellulitis (soft tissue infections), and serious complications.
The reason is that a typical child with Varicella has a large number (sometimes in the hundreds) of open wounds that are easy penetration points for bacteria such as MRSA. Once again, this is not your mother’s chickenpox of past years. As a young practitioner, it took me two years to adopt this recommendation as I wanted to see more data before using it broadly with my patients. It was clear that the vaccine led to dramatic hospitalization reduction and the associated complications. Is it as perfect as natural immunity? No. But the benefits far outweigh the risks. Once again, in my private practice, I have not seen a single case of chickenpox since the mid-1990s.
Mercury in Vaccines?
As you can see, understanding disease processes and solutions is critical for parents. I am often asked if vaccines contain thimerosal (ethyl mercury), a preservative. The thimerosal scare is a myth often touted by anti-vaccine activists. In my 35-year history, my practice has never used the only thimerosal containing vaccine, which is the multi-dose flu vial.
These vials are primarily used in countries where storage and shipping of single dose vaccines is difficult, such as third world countries. More importantly, ethyl mercury is excreted easily in all humans and not stored in tissues. Methyl mercury present in carnivorous fish (i.e. tuna) and present in certain environmental exposures is potentially toxic. In the book that I authored in 2001 on integrative pediatrics, Healthy Child Whole Child (Harper Collins Publishers), I advise no fish during pregnancy and limited carnivorous fish for all children and adults in general. Mercury is not an issue in childhood vaccinations in almost all medical practices.
In Conclusion
In closing, be smart and don’t let the politics of vaccination influence your decision process. We have an obligation to protect our own children and all children in our communities. When we allow those who refuse vaccinations into our schools, it puts many at risk. I have many families with children who are in the highest risk categories in schools all over Brooklyn and Manhattan. These are children recovering from cancer, immune disorders who are on immunosuppressive therapies, and others.
They must often wait until their immune systems recover from the effects of their treatments to receive boosters or get re-immunized after their immune system gets washed out by the treatments. That makes them very susceptible. The parents of those children are terrified right now as they are well aware that there are those in the community who have falsified their children’s vaccination status. That is not who we are as a community.
Please listen to your doctor and do the right thing to protect all children.
“Jeffrey and I have been raising our family and working together for over two decades. My family is Ashkenazi Hungarian and his is Egyptian. Our home is the best mix of both Ashkenaz and Sephardic customs and food. We run a home health care company that we built together.”
~~ Agnes ~~
Ellen Geller Kamaras
Please meet Agnes Shemia.
Agnes exudes positive energy, warmth, and an upbeat perspective. She is definitely a people person.
Agnes describes herself as giving, hardworking, diligent, and relentless. Agnes is both driven and is committed to her family, business, and community.
Agnes was born in Hungary and moved to New York with her parents, Susan and Leslie Gollender, at the tender age of one. Her grandparents were Holocaust survivors. Agnes speaks fluent Hungarian. She is very close with her brother, Alen, who is five years younger and lives in New Jersey.
Growing up in Mill Basin, Brooklyn, Agnes attended Shulamith Elementary school until sixth grade. She then transferred to Yeshiva of Flatbush and studied there through high school.
“I was shy as an adolescent and became less so as I got older. By the time I graduated college I was a total extrovert.”
Agnes greatly enjoyed her Judaic and Hebrew classes and preferred science to math and history. Languages came easy to her, and she was an above average student. Agnes was very social, however, and admits to chatting a lot in class.
After high school, Agnes studied at New York University and majored in speech-language pathology (SLP). Why speech? “I always loved medicine, and I thought I could be a great teacher. SLP seemed like a great combination of the two.”
Family
Agnes was introduced to her naseeb, Jeffrey Shemia, of Egyptian descent, through her high school friend, Debbie. The couple have been married for twenty-six years and combined forces to create a family and build successful home health care companies operating in New York, Florida, and Missouri.
Their children are Victor (25), Esther (22), Jacob (18), and Sophie (16). Victor attended NYU Stern School of business and is working in the family health care business. Esther is studying nursing at NYU and is married to Samuel Krost, who is like a son to the Shemias. Jacob is starting his sophomore year at NYU and Sophie is a junior at Ramaz High School.
Agnes and Jeffrey raised their children in Brooklyn and spent summers in Deal. Their office is in Brooklyn. As they started their family, the Shemias moved to Mill Basin to be close to Agnes’ parents. “My career would not have flourished if not for my parents. They helped us with our kids tremendously.”
With their youngest in school in Manhattan, Agnes and Jeffrey are planning a move from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side.
Their Journey
As a newlywed, Agnes completed her master’s degree in SLP at Lehman College. She has always preferred working with adults. Her patients were primarily stroke victims or had traumatic brain injuries.
It was Jeffrey’s idea and dream to build a home health care company. An avid newspaper reader, he recognized in his early twenties that the aging baby boomers would need and desire home health care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cited that by 2050 those over age 85 are projected to more than triple, and an estimated 70 percent of older adults reaching age 65 are expected to require, in their lifetime, some type of long-term care assistance, such as help with bathing, dressing, meal preparation, medication management, housekeeping, and transportation.
Jeffrey worked in Agnes’ father diamond business and Agnes practiced SLP at outpatient rehabilitation centers. They worked hard to build up savings to realize their dream. A few short years after graduation, Agnes and Jeffrey built their home health care business one patient at a time.
After many failed and challenging attempts, the Shemias were licensed by the NYS Department of Health. They opened their first home health care business, HCS Home Care, in 2004, providing non-skilled services. In 2017, they expanded their scope and purchased Girling, which includes a range of skilled services, nursing, SLP, physical therapy and occupational therapy.
Approximately a year ago, HCS-Girling entered into a strategic partnership with Pinnacle, one of the largest private Medicare certified providers of skilled home health and extended care services in Florida.
Passions
On a personal level, Agnes is most proud of her children and family.
Professionally, she is thrilled with the business she and Jeffrey created. Agnes loves the purposeful work that she does.
She is impassioned about health care and truly enjoys helping people.
“Unfortunately, there will always be a need for home health care. Fortunately, with the advances in technology, we have been able to take care of so many patients, their caregivers, and families.”
Agnes’s biggest challenge is finding the right people to take care of the patients. She is always looking for new opportunities and new creative and smart talent.
During the pandemic the Shemias went to their office daily. If their staff was required to work and be there for their clients, then they were there, too.
Agnes explained how HCS-Girling is different than other agencies – it’s about their adherence to compliance with government regulations and also her accessibility. “I can be reached on the phone and help a family find the right caregiver. I genuinely care. I am aware and appreciative that my secret to success is Hashem.”
Balance
“I am obsessed with my children. I don’t want to miss out on being a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a hostess, and a community member. I do what needs to get done. I love to cook and entertain. Chicken soup for Shabbat and cholent parties are a must. Juggling business and family is challenging but greatly rewarding.”
Agnes is grateful that she and Jeffrey have very similar values, and they are on the same page regarding parenting. “We work a lot, talk shop a lot, and our kids grew up in the business. Both my daughters want to have careers.”
The Shemias appeared on a Propel panel called Couples Who Work. Watching the interview, one could see the love and effort they both gave and continue to contribute to their children and the business.
Agnes is happy that she was able to practice SLP for several years and has grown in her time management skills, organization skills, and as a clinical director and administrator of HCS-Girling. “I don’t work less but I work with more intention.”
Jeffrey is proud of how he and Agnes partner on both fronts, at work and at home, and he confesses that achieving work-life balance is not easy and requires a lot of effort.
Community is essential to Agnes. She is involved with SBH, Propel, various mikvehs, and helping Chabad houses all over the world. She does not say no when organizations reach out to her.
Agnes acknowledged that she is not so good at relaxing, but she does enjoy cooking and she loves music.
Tips for Young Adults
Don’t give up and don’t take yourself too seriously. Do what you love, and it won’t feel like work. Stay humble especially when you are successful – it’s not only because of you.
You can connect with Agnes at Ashemia@hcshomecare.com. Please check out her Instagram pages @HCS Home Care, @Girling Healthcare, @Extended Home Care and @Pinnacle Home Care.
Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach. Her coaching specialties include life, career, and dating coaching. Ellen can be contacted at ellen@lifecoachellen.com.
A transformative new institution is opening its doors at the Jersey Shore: Jersey Shore Yeshiva (JSY) – a premier yeshiva high school for boys dedicated to raising the next generation of Torah-driven leaders.
JSY’s mission is to inspire and cultivate Bnei Torah who are proud of their identity, grounded in Torah and mitzvot, and deeply connected to Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael. The school offers a warm, structured, and forward-thinking environment where each talmid is encouraged to grow – spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally.
Blending rigorous Torah learning with a dynamic general studies curriculum, JSY fosters critical thinking, effective communication, and inner confidence – skills that will serve students in the beit midrash, in their careers, and throughout their lives.
Under the guidance of leading rabbis and educators of the Jersey Shore community – Rabbi Shlomo Diamond, Rabbi Saul Kassin, Rabbi Joey Dayan, and Rabbi Joseph Dana – the Yeshiva is poised to fill a crucial gap in the community.
“An institution like JSY has long been missing,” said Rabbi Diamond. “This Yeshiva isn’t just a school – it’s an investment in the future of Klal Yisrael.”
NY Supreme Court Halts Yeshiva Closures
A New York State Supreme Court judge has ruled that six Brooklyn yeshivas are allowed to remain open while working to meet state education standards.
Last month, Judge Richard McNally issued an injunction after the New York State Education Department revoked the schools’ accreditation. The department claimed the yeshivas – located in
Borough Park and Williamsburg – failed to provide instruction in math, science, and English that was “substantially equivalent” to public schools.
A new law passed over the summer allows private schools to create alternative “pathways” to meet state requirements. However, the Education Department argued the yeshivas were ineligible because they were already deemed noncompliant when the law passed. Parents were told students would need to find new schools for the 2025–26 year.
McNally ruled the state acted “contrary to law” by asserting the yeshivas were no longer schools once found noncompliant. He said they remained schools – albeit ones needing improvement – and are therefore eligible to pursue the new compliance pathways.
The decision means the yeshivas can stay open during the review process and continue receiving public services like transportation and special education.
Agudath Israel, which supported the schools, said the ruling sets an important precedent: “If, in the future, any school is declared non-equivalent, it can still choose to avail itself of a pathway. The ‘non-school’ argument was soundly defeated.”
The Last Step Before the Siyum
The Olam HaTorah is abuzz with anticipation as multitudes of Oraysa lomdim take their final strides toward a siyum on Seder Moed. With the beginning of Masechet Chagigah, tens of thousands across the globe are embarking on the last leg of a journey that began nearly six years ago. And now, for the first time in Oraysa’s history, a global community of lomdei Torah stands on the threshold of completing an entire seder of Shas together.
Kehillot across the U.S., Eretz Yisrael, and Europe are preparing to converge for a historic ma’amad kavod haTorah to celebrate this milestone. This will be a once-in-a-generation aseifa – not only marking an ending, but celebrating a shared journey and the start of something even greater.
The journey of Seder Moed has been extraordinary, but the accomplishment that awaits is greater still. With gedolim, roshei yeshiva, and thousands united in celebration, the Siyum promises to be monumental. Each daf of Chagigah is more than learning – it is a contribution to a global accomplishment, a chance to write yourself into the history of Oraysa.
To learn more about the Siyum, please go to oraysasiyum.org.
