Charlie suffers from serious heart problems. His doctor warned him that fasting on Yom Kippur could endanger his life and instructed him to drink fluids. Troubled by the idea of drinking on this sacred day, Charlie asked me if he could use intravenous (IV) hydration instead.

His son Jack, who is generally healthy, had a bout of food poisoning and became severely dehydrated. He asked if he needs to remove his IV before the fast begins in order to observe Yom Kippur properly.

Is IV Hydration Considered Eating or Drinking?

Halachically, IV hydration is not considered eating or drinking. The Torah prohibition on Yom Kippur refers specifically to consuming food or drink through the mouth. Hydration administered intravenously bypasses this and is therefore not technically a violation of the fast.

Hacham Ovadia Yosef

Despite the technical leniency, Hacham Ovadia, zt”l,  (Chazon Ovadia Yom Kippur, p. 298) opposed the use of IV hydration on Yom Kippur when not medically necessary. He explains that while IV fluids are not halachically defined as food or drink, they should not be used unless clearly required for health reasons.

He gives three key reasons: Firstly, drinking shiurim (small amounts) provides physical and psychological comfort (ituvei da’at) to a sick person. IV hydration does not offer the same level of satisfaction. The Chachamim were deeply concerned with ensuring the comfort of the ill.

Secondly,halacha already allows eating or drinking when health is in danger. There is no halachic requirement to find artificial alternatives. Insisting on IVs could mislead people into thinking they must use IV hydration rather than eat or drink – potentially putting lives in danger if IVs aren’t available.

Lastly,inserting an IV causes minor bleeding, which constitutes an unnecessary wound – another prohibition on Yom Kippur. Since eating or drinking is already permitted in such cases, this injury is avoidable and therefore unjustified.

Hacham Ben Zion Abba Shaul

In contrast, Hacham Ben Zion Abba Shaul, zt”l,(Or LeTzion 4:15:5) held that IV hydration is halachically preferable. He argued that even drinking in shiurim is still be a biblical prohibition, especially according to the Rambam (Shevitat Assor 2:3). IV hydration, by contrast, is not a normal form of drinking and is therefore permitted. As for the bleeding involved in inserting the IV, he viewed it as an unintended and destructive act (pesik reisha d’lo nicha lei), which does not carry a Torah prohibition and is therefore preferable to drinking in shiurim.

Drinking in Shiurim

When someone must drink on Yom Kippur due to pikuach nefesh, when medically possible they should drink in shiurim (melo lugmav, about 1.3 oz or 40 ml). The required pause between sips varies by opinion, from five seconds to nine minutes. Hacham Ovadia (Yabia Omer, OC 2:31) ruled that a pause of five seconds suffices, especially if longer breaks compromise the person’s health.

When Fasting Becomes Forbidden

If fasting could endanger Charlie’s life, not only is he permitted to drink – it is a halachic obligation. In Yechaveh Daat (1:61), Hacham Ovadia writes unequivocally: “If there is concern of possible danger to his life by fasting, one must listen to the doctor and eat on Yom Kippur, because pikuach nefesh overrides the mitzvah of fasting. If the sick person is stringent and fasts nonetheless, he is not acting righteously – on the contrary, he will be punished for this.”

What Should Charlie and Jack Do?

Charlie must not fast if doing so endangers his life. Ideally, he should drink in measured amounts (shiurim). If that is not possible or safe, IV hydration is permitted. Similarly, if Charlie refuses to drink IV hydration is permitted due to pikuach nefesh. Jack, who is already connected to an IV due to dehydration, does not need to remove it before Yom Kippur. In his case, continuing hydration through the IV is fully permitted.

Some people feel guilt or shame about eating or drinking on Yom Kippur, even when halachically necessary. But we must remember: the same Hashem who commands the healthy to fast commands the very sick to eat. When halacha requires eating or drinking on Yom Kippur, doing so is not only allowed – it is amitzvah. No atonement is needed. In fact, following halacha in these cases is the highest mitzvah.

Rabbi Yehuda Finchas is a worldwide expert, lecturer and author on Medical Halacha. He heads the Torat Habayit Medical Halacha Institute. His latest book is “Brain Death in Halacha and the Tower of Babel Syndrome.” To contact Rabbi Finchas, email rabbi@torathabayit.com.

Linda Argalgi Sadacka

This September is not politics as usual. It is a referendum on the future of New York City: Will we remain a city of law, prosperity, and safety, or will we hand the keys to Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a self-declared democratic socialist, a cheerleader for Hamas, and an enemy of the Jewish community?

Mamdani doesnot just sympathize with radicals – he is one. His rise is powered by the Democratic Socialists of America, whose ideology is embraced by the likes of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It is the same movement that has pushed to defund the police, vilify Israel, and dismantle the economy. This isnot hidden information. It is Mamdani’s platform: weaken policing, punish the wealthy, and side with Israel’s enemies under the banner of “solidarity.”

The Record That Speaks for Itself

In Albany, Mamdani was the face of the “Not On Our Dime” bill (A6101/S606), a scheme to weaponize the courts against Jewish charities that support Israel. Leaders across the Jewish spectrum warned the bill would unleash harassment against mainstream institutions. This was not sloppy drafting. It was deliberate lawfare to punish Jews for standing with their homeland.

On moral issues, Mamdani’s record is equally alarming. He pledged support for dismantling long-standing restrictions on vice industries, signaling his willingness to erode the guardrails that protect families and neighborhoods. As mayor, he would have the authority to set enforcement priorities, shape budgets, and broadcast this agenda across the city.

The Company He Keeps

His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is not simply a Columbia University scholar. He sits on the Gaza Tribunal’sAdvisory Policy Council, a body known for echoing Hamas propaganda and anti-Israel positions. This alignment is not accidental. It reflects an ideology passed down and proudly carried forward.

What New York Would Look Like Under Mamdani

• A diminished police force, which would cause an increase in crime. A mayor wedded to de-policing means fewer officers, slower responses, and emboldened criminals.
• Jewish life under siege. A City Hall that normalizes “Not On Our Dime” gives a message to schools, agencies, and institutions that Jewish organizations are fair game, inviting harassment and intimidation.
• Economic punishment. Mamdani’s worldview is not about opportunity but is about envy. He seeks to abolish the wealthy, penalize hardworking New Yorkers, and drive out small businesses. Capital flight will not be a risk; it will be inevitable.

Families are already saying what once they only whispered: “If Mamdani wins, we’re leaving.” Community members are preparing to move to Deal, New Jersey, or Florida. This is not melodrama. It is rational self-preservation when Jewish life feels conditional, not guaranteed.

Why Registration Is Everything

Mamdani’s strategy is simple: count on apathy. He doesn’t need most New Yorkers to agree with him. He only needs enough people to stay home. That is how he won his primary, and that is how he plans to march into City Hall.

The answer is clear: register and vote. Every eligible voter must be on the voting rolls before the deadline. Applications must be received by a board of elections no later than October 25^th to be eligible to vote in the November general election. In the general election, your party doesnot matter. Republican, Democrat, Independent – if you are registered, you can vote. Two minutes online secures your voice. Do it now, and make sure your family and friends do the same.

The Bottom Line

This election is not about left versus right. It is about survival: safe streets, a working economy, and Jewish life in New York. Mamdani has shown us exactly who he is: a radical, a Hamas sympathizer, and an adversary of everything this city was built upon.

If you want a New York that protects families, rewards hard work, and refuses to launder anti-Semitism through policy, there are only two steps: register and vote.

Stop Mamdani. Save New York.

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Linda Argalgi Sadacka is a political strategist, writer, and community leader. She serves as lead strategist for World Likud.

By Rabbi Hayim Asher Arking and Rabbi Ezra Ghodsi

Why Do We Eat Symbolic Foods?

On Rosh Hashanah, it is customary to eat simanim – symbolic foods – representing blessings and hopes for the coming year. For example, we eat apples dipped in honey for a sweet year, pomegranates for abundant merits, and dates for the elimination of our enemies. Each food is often accompanied by a “yehi ratzon” prayer, linking its symbolism to a specific blessing for the year ahead.

Why Do We Eat Sweet, but Not Sour Foods on Rosh Hashanah?

It is customary to eat sweet foods and not have foods with a sour or bitter taste. This should be a siman – an omen – for the coming year that it shall be a sweet year. The sweetness of a food does not necessarily change its nutritional value or composition; however, the desire to eat something sweet and palatable prevails. So too, although judgement is being passed, and we know that we cannot avoid His judgement, Hashem grants the ability for the judgement to be sweetened in a way that allows us to gain the “nutritional value” and benefit of what He would like us to perform and accomplish in this world, yet in a way that is sweet and palatable.

Even more than the symbolism of foods eaten, one should be careful to exhibit a calm demeanor, not get angry, and just be happy, as this also portends the future year.

Why Are There Different Orders of the Simanim?

One can find in the Mahzorim two different orders for the simanim, one based upon the preference of order of blessings in general, and the other based on the successive order of vanquishing our enemies. Either way is good, and it is preferable for one to follow their custom.

Should Each Person Recite Their Own Blessing?

It is preferable for everyone to fulfill their obligation with the beracha of the leader of the household. When many people do a mitsvah together, it is a greater honor for Hashem, as the pasuk says, “be’rov aam hadrat melech – with more people performing a mitsvah together, it is the splendor of the King.” If one wishes to recite his own beracha and not be “yotzai” with the baalhabayit he may do so.

Why Should We Have a New Fruit on the Second Night?

All holidays outside of Erets Yisrael are each two days due to the sanctity imposed by custom of when the new month was determined by witnesses. Within Israel, all knew the determination of which day was Rosh Hodesh through messengers. However, outside of Israel, as it was distant, it may not have been known for a while, so two days of the holiday were kept. This custom infused this second day with holiness, and even after the custom of setting Rosh Chodesh by witness testimony was replaced with the fixed calendar system we follow today, the holiness of the second day continues with us. Rosh Hashanah, because it falls out on Rosh Hodesh, even in Erets Yisrael Rosh Chodesh was not known around the country until after the holiday. Therefore, this same custom of observing the holiday for two days had been rooted even then. Furthermore, the two days of Rosh Hashanah are of great symbolic nature, inherently considered like one long day. When it comes to reciting shehechianu, we recite it on both the first and second nights of each holiday. However, since Rosh Hashanah is considered as one long day, technically, one should not recite it on the second day. Therefore, the preferred way is to have a new fruit or a new suit or an item with which to recite shehechianu on in conjunction with the second night of the holiday. If you do not have a new fruit or new suit for the second night, you may still recite the blessing of shehechianu.

Victor Cohen

Over the past several decades, our community has been blessed with tremendous growth and success. Our institutions have flourished, our businesses have expanded, and our schools and synagogues have been beautifully renovated. Families celebrate joyous occasions with Pesach vacations, weddings, engagements, and large sebets. In many ways, community life has never been stronger.

Yet, this picture is not complete. Behind the scenes, there are families among us who quietly struggle to meet even their most basic needs. Some cannot put enough food on the table. Others find it difficult to afford a proper Shabbat meal or the extra expenses that come with our many Jewish holidays. For these parents, the most painful challenge of all is explaining to their children why they cannot provide what others seem to enjoy so easily.

In a community as blessed as ours, it may seem unthinkable that families could be struggling to put food on the table. And yet, this is a reality.

Thankfully, however, struggling families are not without support. For more than 25 years, theTomchei Shabbosorganization has stood quietly at the forefront of this effort – ensuring that families maintain their dignity by enabling them to enjoy large, scrumptious meals on Shabbat and holidays. Working discreetly and with great sensitivity, and without much advertising, publicity or fanfare, Tomchei Shabbos has become a lifeline for countless families.

Today, this vital organization turns to the community it has long served, asking for the help it needs to continue its essential work.

More Food to More Families

Based in Lakewood, NJ, the broader Tomchei Shabbos network is a 14 million-dollar organization, supporting over 2,000 families,each according to its particular financial needs. Those in the greatest need of assistance comeonce a week to receive food for Shabbat. Families who require less help making ends meet receive assistance monthly. There is also a “holiday-only section” providing food for those who need help only with their holiday expenses. Lines extend out into the highway as people receiving weekly or monthly assistance come to the Tomchei Shabbos warehouse where they are generously provided with food.

What sets Tomchei Shabbos apart from other organizations is its direct and efficient approach: it provides food itself, rather than simply offering financial assistance. By leveraging its infrastructure and strategic location in Lakewood, where food can be sourced at lower costs, Tomchei Shabbos maximizes every dollar to deliver more food to more families. With remarkable efficiency and complete discretion, the organization ensures that those it helps receive what they need while preserving their dignity.

For the past 25 years, our community has turned to Tomchei Shabbos under the dedicated guidance of Rabbi Ben Sion Kaye. Rabbi Kaye personally oversaw and carried out countless deliveries, often doing the work himself, to quietly and discreetly support families through Shabbat, holidays, and other occasions. His tireless efforts behind the scenes ensured that no family felt shame and that every table could be filled with the joy and honor befitting Shabbat and Yom Tov.

Tomchei Shabbat of the Jersey Shore

When Rabbi Kaye started this sacred work, he was delivering Pesach meals to 35 families. Unfortunately, the number of families in need of assistance has tripled.

For 25 years, Tomchei Shabbos’ Lakewood headquarters handled all this work themselves, but several months ago, around Pesach time, the organization soberly informed Rabbi Kaye that they would need our community’s assistance in order to continue providing food to our members.

Rabbi Kaye quickly convened a meeting with all the rabbis of the Jersey Shore to discuss the situation. They decided right away to move forward and open a new Sephardic Division of Tomchei Shabbat under the leadership of the director of development,Abie Tawil, who lives in Deal with his wife, Susan.And thus Tomchei Shabbat of the Jersey Shore was born.

The founders of the new division hit the ground running. Fundraising drives were held in the community’s synagogues each week. Numerous conversations were held with prospective donors, and significant sums of moneywere raised for struggling families.

“When we help others welcome the Shabbat, we’re welcoming blessing and peace into our homes,” says committee member Hymie Dana, who is heavily involved with Tomchei Shabbat. “Supporting Tomchei Shabbat is definitely a source of berachah for our homes.”

“Helping to feed those in need is one of the biggest mitzvot,” added Ricky Esses, who is also involved. “But giving a sense of joy and hope to these families on Shabbat and holidays is the greatest mitzvah. We must continue taking care of our community, and we must first start with those most in need. Tomchei Shabbat of the Jersey Shore does that.”

The Call of Our Community’s Rabbis

The initiative has been graced with the involvement of many community rabbis, who have lauded the organization’s work. Rabbi Shaul Kassin of Congregation Magen David said, “Tomchei Shabbat gives a tremendous amount of relief to these families who cannot imagine what they are going to do for Shabbat.”

“It is unimaginable in our eyes, but it really exists,” Rabbi David Ozeri noted. “We know for a fact that there are people in our community who cannot put food on the table for Shabbat.”

“There are families in our community that live down the block from you and me who can’t look forward to Friday night,” Rabbi Joey Haber said. “Tomchei Shabbat will ensure that every family in Deal is able to have the gift that all of us have.”

Rabbi Shlomo Diamond added, “We have an organization in our community called Tomchei Shabbat of the Jersey Shore that actually gives food to families throughout the year.”

Rabbi Moshe Douek of Eatontown Synagogue said that he personally knows many people who receive the boxes from Tomchei Shabbat, and when these packages, arrive, “a huge stress is taken off their head.”

“It is crucial for us to support Tomchei Shabbat because they support our community,” Rabbi Eli Mansour said.

Rabbi Joey Mizrahi called Tomchei Shabbat an “amazing organization” that “gives people basic necessities…that they need for weekdays, Shabbat, and just to live life with dignity.”

Rabbi Avi Harari of Ohel Yishak of Allenhurst described Tomchei Shabbat as “embodying the highest form of tzedakah,” noting how it extends help “with such discretion and dignity that families can rebuild their lives without shame, knowing their community stands behind them in their time of need.”

“Tomchei Shabbat is an organization that provides vital assistance to the families in need in our Jersey Shore community,” Rabbi Reuven Semah of Magen Abraham said. “Especially helpful are their food distributions during holiday times when expenses are high.” The rabbi then appealed to the community, imploring, “Please donate generously.”

“It is an honor to recommend Tomchei Shabbat, an organization which beautifully exemplifies the Torah values of caring for those in need,” Rabbi Aviad Bar Hen of Cedar Avenue Synagogue  said. “With dignity and compassion, they ensure that every family has access to Shabbat meals, fulfilling the sacred mitzvah of ma’achil re’evim – feeding the hungry.”

Many other rabbis also vouched for the organization, including Rabbi Shmuel Choueka, Rabbi David Tawil, Rabbi David Sutton, Rabbi David Nakash, Rabbi Raymond Beyda, Rabbi Meyer Yedid, and Rabbi David Ashear.

Becoming Eliyahu Ha’navi

Last month, to build on its growing momentum, Tomchei Shabbat held its inaugural community event at the home of Franny and Morris Beyda. The evening was both elegant and uplifting, bringing together inspirational speakers and community members united for a common cause.

The program opened with words from Rabbi Moshe Malka, who emphasized the importance of cultivating gratitude and avoiding attitudes that withhold blessing – such as excessive worry, anxiety, and ingratitude. When Hashem grants us blessings, he noted, we must share them. In this way, the work of Tomchei Shabbat – easing the worries of families in need and extending the blessings of our community to those less fortunate – embodies the path to continued success and divine favor.

Abie Tawil then spoke passionately about the responsibility we share as a community. “Through these few weeks,” he reflected, “I realized that we had to create this as a community. There are over 100 families who need our help. We have the sources, the distribution, and the mechanics to continue it. So we have to, and we have to save the ones who call the rabbis, saying, ‘We can’t afford to live without it.’ It’s so special that we have our community to step up and help our people.”

Shmuel Kairey told a story about a man who very much wished to meet Eliyahu Hanavi, and so he approached the Baal Shem Tov to ask where he could find him. The Baal Shem Tov told him to bring food to a certain town on Friday, and ask around for somebody to host him for Shabbat. He would then find Eliyahu Hanavi.

The man did precisely as he was told. He purchased food, brought it to the town, and asked around for hospitality. He ended up in the home of a poor orphan and widow. It was a beautiful Shabbat, but the man did not find Eliyahu Hanavi.

After Shabbat, he returned to the Baal Shem Tov, who told himto do the same thing the next Shabbat. Once again, the man bought food and went to the town. This time, already knowing the orphan and widow, he proceeded to their home, and spent another uplifting Shabbat with them – but once again, without encountering Eliyahu.

The Baal Shem Tov told him to go back once more, and so he made his way back to the town for Shabbat with more food.

This time, the window to the orphan’s house was open, and the man could hear the orphan, lying weakly in bed, saying to his mother, “I’m very sick, I don’t know what to do.”

The widow replied: “Hashem will send Eliyahu Hanavi again this Shabbat. He sent him the past two weeks, Hashem will send him again!”

The man stopped looking for Eliyahu Hanavi, as he understood what the Baal Shem Tov was trying to teach him. If you want to meet Eliyahu Hanavi, you should be like him. Take care of the orphan, take care of the widow, help those who cannot help themselves.

Through the work of Tomchei Shabbat, Shmuel Kairey said, “We are emulating Eliyahu Hanavi,” expressing his fervent hope that, with Gd’s help, the organization will continue assisting everyone in need.

Harry Adjmi, who led the fundraising rounds, spoke of his relationship with Rabbi Ben Sion Kaye of The Sephardic Torah Center, saying, “I don’t believe there is a single Jew in the world whom Rabbi Kaye does not have empathy for.”

He then added, “You couldn’t have heard more. Every rabbi in the community, whether they were on Joe Mansour’s video, or came this morning, showed up to support Tomchei Shabbat.”

Rabbi Meyer Yedid also spoke, emphasizing the important role that Jews have in the world. He explained that we were not chosen as Gd’s special nation because of our ability to do great things. Rather, “Hashem chose us because even when we are so big, when we get bigger, we ask more of ourselves.” We Jews are always saying, “I’m not doing enough!” – and this, Rabbi Yedid said, is one of the most special qualities of a Jew, his desire to continue doing more.

One committee member commented, “Since I started fundraising, we’ve gotten dozens of calls from people you’d never think of. The father’s trying to work and trying to make it work, even the mother is working. A lot of them are widows or divorcees.” People come to Tomchei Shabbat at their lowest, and it’s up to Tomchei Shabbat to help give these families the support that they need to get back on their feet.

No matter the circumstance – whether a family faces the loss of a loved one, a sudden job loss, or any unforeseen hardship – Tomchei Shabbat is there to lift them up, restoring hope, stability, and dignity with quiet compassion. It is a truly beautiful organization, built on the values of kindness and discretion, ensuring that no member of our community is left behind. With the continued support of the Jersey Shore community, Tomchei Shabbat will remain a steadfast source of strength, ready to help every family who turns to them in their time of need.

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

~~ Chava Roth ~~

Ellen Geller Kamaras

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roots

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chava’s Essence

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

And Then Came Marriage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Balance

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

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

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

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

Fun Facts

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