DAVE GORDON 

There has never been a sovereign Palestinian Arab state, the Arabs  are not  indigenous to Israel, there was no “Palestinian” ethnicity in history, and many scholars hold that Arab populations did not really come in large numbers until the late 19th century. 

And unlike Zionism, the movement to return Jews to their ancestral homeland, there was no movement for an independent “Palestinian” state for Arabs anywhere in history. 

The Soviets Enter the Picture 

Then something happened in the 1960s that successfully pushed a narrative contrary to these facts. The Soviets, jockeying for global power and a larger sphere of influence, sought to get cozier with Arabs.  

The Arab countries had the oil– and the oil meant infinitely more than a tiny Jewish country with no resources. It helped that the USSR opposed anything America supported, including Israel. And  the Arabs were bitter about Israel’s existence, and bore a grudge against Israel for its victories over Arab armies in multiple wars.  

But it was not always this way. For a brief time in the late 1940s the Russians had Israel’s back: they recognized the state, supported its entry into the UN, and  let one of its satellite communist states, Czechoslovakia, sell arms to the nascent state. However, the honeymoon did not last long because  Josef Stalin – the Soviet dictator of the time – fell under the influence of anti-Semitic paranoia – and saw benefit in courting the Islamic world. 

“Palestinian Arabs” – Convenient Partners in Promoting Anti-Semitism 

The Russians knew of a key group that was already fighting the Jews from within the territory of Palestine – a group that did not have a nation,  and thus did not have to abide by international treaties – those who referred to themselves as Palestinian Arabs. They were the ones neatly positioned to punish the Jews. (By this time, the cause had already planted some roots. Haj Amin al Husseini, who eventually became the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and allied with Hitler during the Second World War. Husseini began spreading the Brotherhood’s jihadist doctrines.)   

The PLO and Yasser Arafat 

To further the cause of annihilating Jews, in 1964 the Soviets helped launch the Palestine Liberation Organization.  

Its Charter, drafted in Moscow, was rubber stamped by some four hundred KGB-picked Arab representatives. (As an aside, its preamble mentioned something called “Palestinian Arab People” – since up until 1948, “Palestinians” specifically meant Jews who lived in the Holy Land.) The Charter’s messaging was filled with a not-so-coded message to eliminate Israel. In 1968, Article 24 – which said that the Palestinians lay no claim to Gaza or the West Bank – was quietly removed, because, of course, it was a year after Israel won these areas in the Six-Day War. And naturally, Jews cannot have their land back after two thousand years, or acquire land in a defensive war, like so many other countries have. 

Hundreds of Soviet secret service agents fanned out in the Arab world, looking for leaders who would take up the cause – and in the 1960s one of them was arch-terrorist Yasir Arafat, at the time a dedicated Marxist-Leninist, who became chairman of the PLO in 1969.  

Onetime head of Romanian intelligence under Nicolae Ceauscscu, Lieutenant  General , Ion Mihai Pacepa – who later, in 1978, became the highest-ranking KGB officer to ever defect from a Soviet bloc country — was closely associated with Arafat, the PLO chairman as part of his KGB duties.  Decades after he defected,  Pacepa began writing and speaking about Soviet plans to destroy Israel. He had recorded several conversations with Arafat when they met in Romania, at dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s palace. Arafat, in these recordings, unabashedly revealed that his primary goal is to destroy Israel. Ceausescu personally mentored Arafat on propaganda techniques.  

Disinformation Campaign with International Partners 

The Soviet propaganda project  included a disinformation campaign that misused and contorted language to make the Palestinian cause appear noble and acceptable: that is, concocting a narrative of a human rights battle, a homeland struggle, or an anti-imperialist or anti-colonialist struggle, to hide the true aim:  destroying the Jews. After all – he needed to whitewash terrorism to make murdering innocent civilians “justifiable.” The strategy worked: the world was soon convinced that the Palestinian Arab dream was about a land claim, rather than the plain old anti-Semitic  desire to wipe Israel off the map. 

Other guidance for Arafat came from Muhammad Yazid, one-time minister of information in two Algerian wartime governments from 1958 and 1962, as well as from General Vo Ngyuen Giap, an important Vietnamese Communist revolutionary and military leader and a close colleague of Ho Chi Minh.  

During the Vietnam War, Giap was a North Vietnamese propagandist, who realized that the Palestinian Arabs would have an easier time “selling” a struggle for human rights, than a war of annihilation. In Pacepa’s view, the sanitizing of this kind of message had eventually successfully switched the West’s support during the Vietnam War and would do so again with the Palestinians. By this time, the Soviets already had created “liberation movements” in Bolivia (1964), Colombia (1965), and Armenia (in the 70s). The Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia bombed American airline offices in parts of Europe. Armenia remains something of a Russian puppet regime to this day. 

The Soviets Ramp Up Their Hate and Propaganda 

The Soviets bankrolled Palestinian leaders, and their terror activities, while ramping up a strategic propaganda campaign to demonize Jews and Zionism across the Arab world. That included a “disinformation office” that pumped out every kind of vile anti-Semitic message in every Arabic media publication. 

Pacepa confirmed this in his article “Russian Footprints” in National Review Online, Aug. 24, 2006, saying that the Kremlin decided to turn the Islamic world against the Jews and the US with “Nazi-style hatred.”  

KGB Chairman, and soon to be the sixth leader of the Soviet Union, Yury Andropov, told Pacepa, that a war of brainwashing of a billion Arabs “could inflict far greater damage” than could a few million soldiers. “We in the Soviet bloc tried to conquer minds, because we knew we could not win any military battles,” Pacepa wrote, paraphrasing Andropov. The point was that “no one within the American/Zionist sphere of influence should any longer feel safe.”
 

“The Islamic world,” he wrote, “was a waiting petri dish in which we could nurture a virulent strain of America-hatred… Islamic anti-Semitism ran deep. The Muslims had a taste for nationalism, jingoism, and victimology. Their illiterate, oppressed mobs could be whipped up to a fever pitch.” 

“We had only to keep repeating our themes — that the United States and Israel were ‘fascist, imperial-Zionist countries’ bankrolled by rich Jews” and that the little Satan and the big Satan’s goals were to convert “the Islamic world into a Jewish colony.”  

The Soviet machine and its Warsaw Pact tentacles continued to provide intelligence, arms, training, aid, funding, and political cover to the Palestinian cause. 

These details are outlined in the Stanford Review, Feb. 27, 2008, in an article called “Deception of Palestinian Nationalism,” and in an online essay called “Soviet Russia, The Creator of the PLO and The Palestinian People” by Wallace Edward Brand. 

PLO Rejects Peace, Chooses Destruction 

In ensuing years, Arafat would preach one thing in Arabic – Jihad – and another, more palatable message in English to the West. He would go on to outright reject the generous offer at Camp David in 2000, that gave 96% of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria – which Israelis call Yehuda V’Shomron) to the Palestinians, choosing instead to launch a deadly Intifada. Five peace offers were rejected by Arafat since that time, demonstrating his single motive to destroy Israel, rather than build a state of his own.  

Current Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who kicked off his international political career by writing a paper denying the Holocaust during graduate studies at Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow,  has vowed that any Palestinian state would be free of Jews and supported the destruction of Israel. Most recently, he has denied the atrocities of Oct. 7., and has– Throughout, he has courted  heads of state under the cover of being a partner in peace. The widespread support of these poisonous ideas has taken hold amongst leftwing activists around the globe, and many foreign leaders, while fully supported in many forms by the Russians, Iranians, Arab dictatorships, and to a certain extent, the Chinese. In recent months, global fora have pushed the idea of a “two state solution” even after the Hamas terror attacks, and the high number of Palestinians who supported it – still buying the idea that the war is about land. 

A member of the PLO’s Executive Committee,, Zahir Muhse’in, went on record plainly, on this very idea. “The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the State of Israel for our Arab unity,” stated Muhse’in,  in a 1977 interview with Amsterdam-based newspaper Trouw.  

“In reality, today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians, and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct ‘Palestinian people’ to oppose Zionism.”

Victor Cohen 

Tradition and history have always been among the cornerstones of our community. Many of our community institutions are named after giants of our past, and even our manner of speech and unique cuisine feature elements that preserve our ancient culture. We are a community that values its history and strives to connect with it each and every day. 

This quality has never assumed greater importance than it does now, in today’s day and age, when we are constantly exposed to foreign influences. Jews today face unprecedented spiritual dangers, and we are more susceptible than ever before to being lured away from our sacred traditions.  

Our generation’s unique challenges make the recent publication of The Customs of Aleppo an especially meaningful project and valuable contribution to our community. This book helps us strengthen our connection to our past by teaching us about our ancient customs, and showing us what our community was like centuries ago. By bolstering our knowledge of our history, The Customs of Aleppo helps ensure that our sacred traditions will be preserved through us and through our progeny, well into the future. 

A Firsthand Account of Aleppo’s Traditions 

This volume is an English translation of the scholarly Hebrew work Minhageh Aretz written by Hacham Yosef Abadi Shayo in Yerushalayim.  Hacham Shayo spent much of his life in Aleppo, where he observed and absorbed the sacred traditions and customs of the community. His publication thus reflects not only his outstanding scholarship and comprehensive knowledge of relevant halachic source material, but also his firsthand experiences in Aleppo.  Thus, for example, in his discussion of the customs regarding the Friday night prayers (chapter 2, Shabbat, p. 88), the rabbi writes: 

After they finished Arbit, the people would go to the cave (adjacent to the synagogue) where, according to tradition, Eliyahu the Prophet once appeared, and they would chant the entire Shir Hashirim melodiously, with its traditional liturgical tune, one minyan after another, until about twenty minutes after sunset. As they exited, at the entrance of the synagogue, a variety of fragrant herbs were distributed to everyone, and they all made their way to their houses in joy.  

Reading this, one gets the feeling that the rabbi himself personally witnessed and participated in this practice, thus lending greater power to his words. He is not merely presenting material he had learned in earlier sources – he is providing us with a firsthand report of how the Jews of Aleppo prayed. He is describing his own customs, and, by extension, our customs.  

“A Tower of Wisdom” 

Born in Aleppo in 1893, Hacham Yosef Abadi Shayo was a scion of a family renowned for its Torah scholarship. His father was Rabbi Ezra Abadi Shayo, a rabbinical judge who authored the work Shaare Ezra. His maternal grandfather was Rabbi Yeshayah Dayan, Aleppo’s chief rabbinical judge. Hacham Yosef was renowned for his exceptional piety, wisdom, and breadth of knowledge. In the foreword to The Customs of Aleppo, the publisher writes: “He was a tower of wisdom, a master of Kabbalah worthy of his holy ancestors.”  

Hacham Shayo’s Torah scholarship was complemented by a remarkably versatile set of skills in various fields of practical halachah.  He was a mohel, and the overseer of the city’s eruv and of many of its mikvaot. After moving to Jerusalem, he served as the shofar blower on Rosh Hashanah in the illustrious Ades Synagogue. He spent time studying in the renowned Yeshivat Porat Yosef, the institution which, over the years, produced numerous leading sages, including Hacham Ovadia Yosef. He also learned in other prestigious yeshivot – Yeshivat Shaare Orah, Yeshivat Bet El, and Yeshivat Od Yosef Hai. He drew from the Torah wellsprings of many different sages, growing to become a giant of his own, a repository of Torah scholarship and wisdom. 

Preserving the Torah Gems of the Past  

In addition to all these skills, Hacham Shayo was also a talented writer – even in the physical sense, being ambidextrous, capable of writing with both his right hand and left hand. But he did not only produce his own scholarship – he also worked tirelessly to preserve and publish the writings of other great rabbis. When he moved to Jerusalem, he brought with him a considerable collection of handwritten manuscripts, scholarly essays composed by earlier sages of Aleppo. The foreword to The Customs of Aleppo lists 20 books that the Hacham took with him, and cites his description of the intensive efforts he invested into preserving these precious texts: 

I gleaned these commentaries from wherever they had been scattered – a page here and a page there. In many cases the ink was faded and barely legible, but I took it upon myself to copy them, edit them, and arrange them according to the order of the Talmud… It is my hope that the authors of these commentaries, who are basking in the glory of Gan Eden, will be pleased with this. I pray their merit will protect us, Amen.  

On one occasion, some ink fell onto one of the manuscripts. Refusing to allow any “novel Torah thoughts to fall by the wayside,” Hacham Shayo carefully examined the page, dampened it, and held it up to the sun to see the original writing. He then quickly copied the text in order to preserve the Torah gems it contained. 

This example of passionate devotion to preserving our heritage and tradition, and ensuring its accessibility to future generations, should resonate deeply with each and every one of us. Seeing the indefatigable efforts Hacham Shayo exerted to safeguard the Torah insights of Aleppo’s luminaries, and to meticulously document the community’s customs, down to the very last detail, should motivate and inspire us all to reaffirm our own commitment to our ancient sacred traditions.    

Hacham Shayo’s talents as both a scholar and writer were inherited by his grandson, Rabbi Moshe Rahamim Shayo, shelit”a, who translated Minhageh Aretz into English. Rabbi Shayo says that his grandfather’s objective in authoring this work was to ensure “that the memory of this community’s customs would not be forgotten. It is a historical record of the city’s Jews, especially of the practices observed in Aleppo’s Great Synagogue under the leadership of the city’s great Torah Scholars.” 

The Customs of Aleppo is truly a fascinating read, and highly recommended for anyone looking to spark their connection to their history – an ambition that we should certainly all share.  

Michael Kaplan and family generously helped sponsor the publication of this book, which, with Hashem’s help, will serve to foster greater love and appreciation for our sacred heritage for generations to come. 

Mozelle Forman 

A community is united by shared customs, values, and goals. While geography certainly plays a part in the cohesiveness of a community, a few tolls and bridges have never separated our beloved Deal and Brooklyn branches. We feel a deep bond, and are committed to supporting and caring for each other. A heartwarming example of this bond of shared values and mutual concern is the renovation and expansion of the Shore Area Mikveh, with the community in its entirety coming together for this sacred undertaking. 

Mikvaot in the Syrian Community – A Brief History 

When Rabbi Jacob S. Kassin, zt”l, and his beloved wife Mazal, a”h,  arrived in Brooklyn with their young family in 1933, they had a mission – to help the area’s Syrian Jews become a cohesive, Torah-observing community. With their boundless love and kindness, and unconditional acceptance of all community members, the rabbi and rebbetzin gently encouraged their congregants to observe more mitzvot, and to build the infrastructure needed in order for a thriving Jewish community to develop. The building on 67th Street emerged as a hub of Torah life, housing the synagogue, the ktab, the boys’ after-school learning program, and, deep down in the basement, a one-room mikveh. As the community grew and moved from Bensonhurst to the Ocean Parkway area, the need for new infrastructure was apparent. 

With the generosity of lay leaders, foundations were set in the building of Magen David Yeshiva and Shaare Zion. Many yeshivot and synagogues followed. But one important facility was still missing – a mikveh.   

Without a mikveh, community women who were committed to observing this sacred mitzvah  needed to go through a great deal of trouble to do so. Sylvia Laniado recalls that during this period, many people had never even heard of a mikveh.  

“There were no classes, instructions, or information,” she says, but we agreed to go.”  Sylvia describes how women would travel by bus or train to 67th St. to use the existing mikveh. On Friday nights or holidays, they walked to the mikveh on Ocean Parkway, near Avenue Z, which was situated inside a garage in the backyard of a property.   

“After walking there on a Friday night, you’d open the garage door and be met by a pool full of stagnant water, bugs, and flies,” she reminisces, less than fondly. “You had to move your arms in circles to clear the water so you could dip!” Needless to say, this state of affairs discouraged many from observing the mitzvah. 

“The Purity of the Community” 

As often happens in our community, the first communal mikveh project was initiated by a group consisting of rabbis and lay leaders who saw a need and set out to meet it. Rabbi Kassin approached Sonny Laniado and said, “Sonny, my boy, I want you to build a mikveh in our community.”  According to Sonny’s wife, Sylvia, Sonny did not think he was the right man for the job, until he spoke to Rabbi Yosef Raful, whose encouragement propelled Sonny into the project.  

Mr. Laniado enlisted the help of visionaries Mr. Isaac Hidary and Mr. Manny Haber, who began raising money, and finding and purchasing a property on Avenue S in Brooklyn. Simultaneously – because we are, after all, one community – they worked with Rabbi Isaac Dwek, approaching donors to raise funds for a mikveh in Deal. Mr. Ezra E. Ashkenazi was a major benefactor who was involved from the project’s inception, and assumed the responsibility of funding the mikveh for many years.  

“When we were first approached to open the mikveh,” Manny Haber recalls, “we didn’t understand the significance. But the building of the Brooklyn and Deal mikvehs together changed the purity of the community in a very significant way.” Both projects proceeded in tandem, with the smaller Deal project finishing first, and both were celebrated with beautiful ceremonies and a great deal of fanfare. 

“A Place Where We Connect with Hashem” 

The Shore Area Mikveh, located on Norwood Avenue in Deal, opened its doors in 1976, with a dedication in memory of Mrs. Sylvia Serouya.  

Rabbi Shlomo Farhi describes, “The mikveh is a place where we connect with Hashem in the most profound manner, observing a mitzvah that spans the generations as it upholds the very essence of Jewish family purity.”   

Rabbi David Ozeri explains that “the mikveh is not just a facility; it is a sacred space that facilitates spiritual renewal and personal sanctification. It is where individuals connect with a tradition that has sustained our people through the ages.”  

In fact, according to halachah, building a mikveh takes precedence over building other religious institutions in terms of allocation of funds. Thanks to the generosity of our community members, this precious mitzvah is being fulfilled. 

After several false starts, the original building was completed at its present site on Norwood Avenue. The facility underwent several renovations and expansions over the years to accommodate the growing needs of the community. The first expansion occurred in 1990, with the addition of four dressing rooms. At that point, the community of full-time Deal residents had, baruch Hashem, grown from 65 families (4,000) people to 5,600.  And in the summer, when the Brooklyn and Deal segments of the community reunite geographically at the shore, the mikveh served about 30-40 women each night, including Shabbat.  

It can be proudly said that the regular use of the mikveh by so many righteous community women in those years led to considerable wear-and-tear. When the boiler broke, Rabbi Shmuel Choueka knew who to contact – Mr. Louie Massry. Initial repairs were made, but Lou was not satisfied with just fixing what was broken – he wanted to ensure that the mikveh served our community in the best way possible. Lou became a devoted patron of the mikveh, meticulously looking after the mikveh’s maintenance. When it became obvious that the mikveh would need another expansion, he worked diligently with architects and builders, raised money, and, along with Tita Matut, oversaw all the work necessary to expand the facility to four pools and 15 dressing rooms. 

One of the community members that Lou contacted to support the Deal mikveh was Eli Cohen, a Shaare Zion board member. Mr. Cohen was excited to join this endeavor.  

“Our first mitzvah,” Mr. Cohen says, “is peru urvu [procreation – Beresheet 1:28]. In order to fulfill this mitzvah, we must follow the laws of taharat hamishpahah [family purity], and in order to follow those laws, we must have a kosher mikveh. By supporting a mikveh, we ensure the continuity of our beautiful community. We don’t know the merit of our mitzvot, but it is clear that supporting a mikveh allows one to gain merit from all the mitzvot that follow from it.” 

Now, in 2024, the number of full-time residents in the Deal area stands at approximately 10,000, nearly double the number of residents since the mikveh’s last expansion. Its summer clientele is up to 80 women every night. As the community has spread out in the Jersey Shore area, other mikvehs have been built to service local women on Friday night by appointment, but the Shore Area mikveh remains the sole mikveh open seven nights per week, 365 days a year, with no appointment required. The dedicated mikveh attendants even accommodate women who require late entry to the mikveh due to delayed flights, family occasions and weddings, sometimes as late as 1am! No one is ever turned away.   

Unfortunately, however, some women have reported being reluctant to use the mikveh due to its poor condition. Moreover, the recent development of the property next door has made privacy a new and pressing issue. And thus the time has come to refurbish, renovate, and expand. 

Meeting the Highest Standards 

Halachic sources delineate the minimum requirements of the mitzvot – a sukkah must have certain dimensions and be constructed in a particular manner; a kiddush cup must be a certain minimum size; a mikveh must be filled with a minimum amount of rain water collected in a specific manner. But in addition, the halachic concept of hiddur mitzvah requires showing respect to mitzvot through aesthetic enhancements. We adorn the sukkah with decorations, and we use a silver cup for kiddush. This obligation is derived from our ancestors’ proclamation in their song of praise after the miracle of the sea, “Zeh Keli ve’anvehu – This is my Gd, and I shall glorify Him” (Shemot 15:2).  The Sages (Shabbat 133b) understood “ve’anvehu” (“and I shall glorify Him”) to mean, “hitnaeh lefanav bemitzvot” – that we must make the mitzvot aesthetically beautiful. Indeed, when Gd commanded Beneh Yisrael to build a special site for serving Him, He instructed that they construct a magnificent Mishkan, with gold, silver, precious gems and other materials, which the people enthusiastically donated for this purpose – so much so, in fact, that Moshe needed to tell them to stop donating! When it comes to the aesthetic beauty of our mitzvot, we must be prepared to give generously, thereby displaying our love for Hashem’s commands and the priority we ascribe to them. 

Accordingly, community rabbis are appealing to community members to donate toward the renovation of the Shore Area Mikveh. 

“The current condition of our mikveh, while functional, does not fully mirror the kedushah and reverence this vital mitzvah deserves,” Rabbi Farhi says.  “The time has come for us as a strong and dedicated community, to elevate this sacred space, ensuring it meets the highest standards of tzeniut, kashrut, and comfort.”   

Rabbi Joey Haber likewise reminds us that we live in a time where our homes are prettier, our cars are nicer, and our vacations more beautiful. “How can our mikvaot not meet the same standard?” he asks. 

Rabbi Meyer Yedid comments that, “Making the mikveh roomier and more accessible aligns with the principle of hiddur mitzvah – beautifying a commandment. By renovating our mikveh to be more beautiful and inviting, we are not merely enhancing our physical experience, but elevating the spiritual value and fulfillment of this mitzvah. By investing in its renovation, we reaffirm our commitment to our shared values and the future of our community.”  

Uniting the Community 

A project of this scope and magnitude requires a great deal of support and dedication. Eddie Mizrahi, President of the Executive Board, felt compelled to get involved in this project which has, in his words, “united every dimension of our community.” He explains, “This project is community-driven with unity and the backing of the rabbis of the Deal community and the support of the Brooklyn rabbinic leaders, as well.”  The Rabbinical Board is comprised of Rabbi Shlomo Diamond, Rabbi Shmuel Choueka,  Rabbi Edmond Nahum, Rabbi Saul Kassin, and Rabbi Moshe Malka. Other members of the Executive board include Maurice Zekaria (Vice President), Edgar Cohen (Treasurer), Eli Cohen, Ray Haber, Soli Mizrahi, and Joey Setton. 

The mikveh could not function without the devoted efforts of Mrs. Diana Kuessous and Mrs. Susie Choueka, who have been working tirelessly for over 40 years, greeting the women each night and providing them with support.  

Mrs. Elyse Kairey, who has helped women perform this mitzvah for over 24 years, is passionate about the renovation project.  “The mikveh is not just a place to perform this important mitzvah,” she explains. “We tend to the women in a caring way. There is a sensitivity and a beauty to their commitment to this personal, private time, and with the renovations, we hope to create an uplifting, welcoming and warm environment, assuring a pleasant experience as they perform this vital mitzvah.”  

Mrs. Kairey also expresses her heartfelt gratitude to Rabbi Choueka “for his ongoing, selfless devotion to the mikveh. He tirelessly addresses inquiries and offers guidance on mikveh issues, and we deeply appreciate his dedication and support.” 

Designer Deborah Shiloach has generously devoted her time and her many talents to the current project since its inception three years ago. Abe Jerome has shared his invaluable expertise and guidance. Maurice Zekaria and Ray Builders, at the helm of the construction, are ensuring that the project not only meets but exceeds our community’s expectations.  

The renovated mikveh will have as its centerpiece the Matriarch Wall and Eshet Chayil Wall, with dedication opportunities to acknowledge and honor the holy women of our community.  The Matriarch Wall, generously donated by Jack and Joyce Kassin, is fittingly dedicated to the matriarch of our community, Rabbanit Mazal Kassin, a”h, who lovingly served alongside her husband, Rabbi Jacob Kassin, zt”l, for 45 years, working to promote the values of purity, family, and fealty to tradition. I am proud to have called her Sito, and humbled to be her namesake.   

The Eshet Chayil Wall, generously dedicated by the Shiloach family, honors Mrs. Molly Chappan Shiloach, a”h, who epitomized commitment to tradition and community. Her legacy, which was built in Maryland and then brought by her family when they moved to New Jersey, endures through her children and grandchildren.  

“A Cornerstone of Jewish Life” 

This project will profoundly affect the entire community, raising the levels of sanctity and purity. Rabbi Rachamim Aboud says, “Purifying in a mikveh brings kedushah and taharah into the home, which will influence children to follow the ways of the Torah. Therefore, all who are involved in supporting or enhancing the mikveh, thus encouraging the observance of this vital mitzvah, will be blessed that their children will follow the path of Torah. Mitzvah goreret mitzvah [one mitzvah leads to another].”   

Rabbi David Ozeri eloquently reminds us that “for millennia, the practice of taharat hamishpahah has been a cornerstone of Jewish life, enriching our families and communities with sanctity and unity.”   

Rabbi David Tawil describes family purity as the “hallmark of Am Yisrael…which we have maintained through even the harshest oppression. Our women have gone to heroic lengths to ensure the preservation of our holy line, observing the laws of family purity with respect.”  And Rabbi Yaakov Nissim Ben-Haim attests that “our grandfather, Rabbi Jacob Kassin, zt”l, and our father, Hacham Baruch Ben-Haim, zt”l, reiterated many times the importance of not only a kosher mikveh, but an appealing mikveh for the women of our community.” 

There are many ways to become involved in this critically important initiative, with many dedication opportunities still available. Rabbi Choueka has emphasized that the Shechinah (divine presence) rests where there is taharah.  It is our hope that together we can truly and profoundly enhance the purity and sanctity of our community, and thereby bring the Shechinah into our midst, now and throughout future generations. 

Rav Wolbe (Alei Shur Vol. II, p. 248) quotes the Gemara (Shabbat 105b), based on the verse,לֹא יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֵל זָר  — There shall be no strange god within you (Tehillim 81:10). The Gemara asks: What is the strange god inside a person?  The Gemara answers: It is the yetzer hara. 

The Evil Inclination – A Foreign God 

Simply speaking, the yetzer hara, evil inclination, is like a foreign god, because we listen to what it dictates instead of listening to the One and Only Gd. But Rav Wolbe takes it further. The evil inclination has the power of zarut, of strangeness, making us strangers to spirituality and to our own souls, Torah, and Gd. The evil inclination disconnects us from everything holy, without letting us recognize all the good inside of us, leading us to think that the emotions and feelings inside of us are really us, when they are not. 

Let’s say someone has a meltdown or demonstrates road rage. After calming down, he may excuse himself by saying, “I was not myself.” He realizes that the force of anger was not him, but rather was a force inside him that fooled him into thinking it was him.  

Our Thoughts Are Simply Thoughts 

Many people are ashamed of some of their thoughts, believing that if anyone were aware of these thoughts, they would be considered crazy. What they fail to understand is that all of us have countless thoughts a day that may seem strange, inappropriate, or scary. Yet this does not mean we are strange, inappropriate, or that others should fear us.  

That would only be true if we acted on those thoughts. If we chose to give in to all of our desires, impulses, grandiose ideas, then certainly it would be concerning for others, and for ourselves. The more we comprehend the fact that thoughts are just thoughts, the less we internalize them and the less we see them as a part of us. 

Hold on to Your Thoughts 

Of course, there are times that we will fall, that we might engage in actual behaviors that we are not proud of.  And this can apply to all kinds of detrimental behaviors. In order to be patient, and to tolerate people or events that threaten our equilibrium, we must learn to hold the thought of impatience or intolerance.  Because that is all it is, a thought, not us. 

The power of evil makes us strangers to ourselves. The job of humanity is to become aware of the strange gods inside of us and to identify who we really are, to peel ourselves away, and to realize that the strange gods are not us.  This is the first step towards emotional wellness. 

TAKEAWAY  

The next time someone annoys or irritates you, try to imagine the anger boiling within you as an outside force, one that you can choose to let in or to keep at bay. And then keep it at bay. 

Or, if you hear your phone ding while you are trying to learn or pray, remind yourself that the desire to check your texts is also an outside force, which can be tamped down, as well. And then tamp it down until you are finished learning or praying and are ready to check your texts. (Then turn the phone off so it does not happen again.) 

That is a way of being your true self.