Kelly Jemal Massry 

According to the dictionary, the verb “travel” means “to make a journey, typically of some length, or abroad.” There’s a lot to be gleaned from this definition, with insightful nuggets that can be used to fully appreciate the unique gifts offered by the travel experience. 

First, let’s consider the act of making a journey. The symbolic undertones can’t be ignored. They beg the question: how will you emerge changed from the process you’ve undertaken to uproot yourself from one place to go to another? How will you make good on the financial, physical, logistical, and even psychological efforts you’ve expended on this endeavor? 

Travel does take a lot out of us. The hassle of baggage check-in, airport security, connecting flights, red eyes, and jet lag is enough to send us spinning. So, before you get on that plane and make your journey, consider why you’re doing so. Is it to spend much-needed time with loved ones? If so, then when you get to your destination, truly look at them. Engage them in deep conversation. Stop to take note of the radiance of their smile and the peal of their laughter. Put away the phones, the computers, even the Kindles – anything that will sink you into the mindless black hole that has no place on your trip. In today’s day and age, “unplugging” may entail withdrawal symptoms, but the detox is necessary in order to get the most out of this time of closeness. 

Consider the next part of our definition – “to make a journey, typically of some length.” Focus on the stretch of time you’ve given yourself to live outside your routine. Make the most of the blissful respite you now have, by relaxing and releasing tension. All trips come to an end, but until they do, they last a certain amount of days. Stretch out those days to the last minute. Revel in the gift of leisure, which really amounts to the gift of time – to sleep, to read, to enjoy family and friends.

There is nothing like these moments Hashem grants us – when the normal rhythm of our lives seems to freeze and we exist in whatever exotic bubble we find ourselves in. Whether the travel is for the occasion of a holiday or a winter vacation, the fact of the matter is, it’s special because it’s separate from our regular routine.  On that note, seal your boundaries hermetically. Draw a clear line between work and play, and do your best not to bring work along with you. Take a similar attitude towards distractions that knock you off-center, that keep you from being in the moment. Unburden yourself of all of it, and let that lightness carry you through to a new state of being. If you’re fortunate, even after the “length of time” has expired and your vacation has regrettably ended, some of that special feeling will remain, and you’ll return to your workplace reenergized and happier. 

Now for the final part of our definition, one word that has us traversing the globe in our minds: abroad. While this may not true for everyone traveling this season – or at least for those who will not leave the country – the term still calls attention to setting. It bids us to look around, to appreciate where we are, whatever locale we’re in. While you’re traveling, observe differently. Walk more slowly. Find the right words to employ to comment on what amazes you.  Get your scenic snapshots, if only to remind yourself of the picturesque images when you’re back home. After all, you’ve planted yourself in a new part of the natural world, and part of honoring that fact is letting it seep into you.

This year, as you make your journey, for whatever length of time, whether it’s close to home or abroad, consider what it is you’re really after. Remind yourself that when you travel, you hope to gain a new perspective, to be someone other than yourself for a while, and to be with the people you love in new contexts. We should view our trip as the grandest of opportunities – to unplug, to relax, to not work, to squeeze the life out of every moment. Seen that way, the act of travel doesn’t seem so exhausting. It seems, in fact, like a cause for celebration – what a gift we’ve been given!

It is our hope that this attitude of hope, renewal, and gratitude will enrich your travel experience – and that you can bring some of that positive attitude back with you, even after you’ve returned home. 

Safe travels!   

Marilyn Faham                 

A truly gifted painter, Raphael Morcillo is known for his Judaic scenes of the twelve tribes and the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, emblazoned in colorful expanses.  Raphael’s oversized works incorporate Jewish symbolism in an expressive, dynamic style.   

Born in Paris, France, Raphael moved to Miami, Florida with his family when he was ten years old. In ninth grade he attended DASH, Design Architecture Sr. High School, in Miami and he immersed himself in his painting. As a student in high school, he drew animals and human anatomy in his sketchbook.    

The following year, in tenth grade, Raphael attended Yeshiva Toras Chaim in Northern Miami.  During that period, he worked in his studio on his canvases.  “My pieces at that time were pop art, very shiny, geometric works.”  Raphael recalls that during SAT week one of his pieces was delivered via private jet as a gift to a special client.  His early paintings were influenced by graffiti and different commercial/pop artists.  His father, Hugo, encouraged him to upgrade to more formal compositions.  Hugo told his son, “Whatever is hard or complicated, draw it!” 

Since then, Raphael’s subjects have included scenes from Kohanim at the Kotel, to a lion symbolizing kingship with a timepiece, to the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds.  

“I don’t sketch anything [before painting on the canvas].  I take a very big canvas and sketch with paint.  If to my eyes it’s not perfect, I paint right on top of it,” Raphael states. 

One of the artist’s recent paintings, “The Yam Suf” measures 12 feet tall and five feet wide.  The painting instantly draws the viewer into the dramatic Splitting of the Sea of Reeds.  B’nai Israel cross the sea in this modern rendition, which shows the sea emblazoned in blue with crests of white foam.  Hebrew words from Perashat Beshalach spray upward from the parting waters.  Executed in a beautifully  expressive style, Raphael creates an expansive scene that truly engages and uplifts the viewer. 

In another major piece, “Birkat Kohanim,” Raphael divides the scene into two canvases measuring six feet by four feet each.  The majestic Kotel stands in the background, rendered in expressive dabs of rich color.  Covered in prayer shawls, the kohanim recite Birkat Kohanim in the foreground. Spirituality and energy are expressed in this captivating work against the sanctity of the Kotel.  

 As a student at the Mikdash Melech yeshiva, Raphael’s Torah studies brought a new depth and significance to his work. He recently made a portrait of the rosh yeshivah of the Brooklyn branch of Mikdash Melech, Rabbi Haim Benoliel, and of the yeshivah’s patron Albert Dweck.  The rosh yeshivah’s portrait now hangs in the rabbi’s home in Brooklyn. 

Raphael recently met with Rabbi Benoliel. Raphael discussed his plans to create eight to ten new works to be showcased at an upcoming fundraising event for the new building addition to Mikdash Melech.       

If you are interested in learning more about Raphael’s work, please contact: karine.abbou@gmail.com.

Thanks to the generosity of Sharyn and Ezra S. Ashkenazi, PROPEL launched a new division designed to support the women entrepreneurs of the community. The division, PROPEL Entrepreneurs, was named in honor of PROPEL supporter Mrs. Chella Safra, and Rebecca Harary, co-founder of PROPEL.  

On February 1st, the new division hosted an impressive event at The Club showcasing remarkable working women who were all professionally successful and to whom  other community women could relate to who were aspiring to launch their own entrepreneurial dreams. The room was filled, and included in the audience were many PROPEL Ambassadors – there to support the next cohort of working women. Among them, Joyce Silverman of Joyce D. Silverman Interiors, Evet Balas of Light Lab, Julie Maleh of Jus by Julie, Joy Bijou of Hydrangeas & Co, Stacy Ayash, an interior designer, Barbara Kroub of Peace of Cake, Shelly Shmool of By Shelly, Nicole Cohen of Sketch 42, Alexis Cohen, designer of custom cakes and desserts, Karen Sabbagh, CBC Counselor, Celia Naomi, an artist, and Celia Beyda of On Reserve Events.  

PROPEL’s all women professional team, alongside its board of directors led by Dr. Gayle Krost, inaugurated PROPEL Entrepreneurs with an all-star panel that included Batya Cohen, founder of Floorplay, Julie Danziger, co-founder of Embark Travel, Jennifer Nisan, founder of Front Row Live, and Sonia Mosseri, founder of Still Here in New York. 

The female talent that evening included our moderators, three of PROPEL’s board members, Gitta Kaplan, attorney for Mamiye Brothers, Elaine Parker, Director of Business Development and Marketing Solutions at Promoshop, and Heleyne Mishan Tamir, co-founder and executive at luxury makeup brand, Surratt Beauty, as well as the owner of Bloom Bar Flower Market.  

The questions asked drew the audience into the personal stories of how each of these panelists came to create and grow their businesses.  

Julie’s honest, engaging, and humorous style kicked off the panel. We learned of Julie’s professional story, and how she came to head up Embark Beyond, a luxury travel company that boasts several hundred employees. Julie generously offered an incredible opportunity to a woman interested in becoming a travel advisor and agent, as Embark has its own training program.  

Sonia, always artistic and creative, shared her remarkable experiences as she built her fashion jeans business and beyond. The audience was touched by the story of how her father came to this country from Egypt with very little, but he had a pair of jeans that eventually became old and worn. These jeans became a symbol to Sonia, and eventually, along with her husband, Sonia capitalized on this idea and has grown a business that sells to major retail stores. They also opened their own storefront in downtown Manhattan.  

Batya was confident from a young age that she wanted to study to become an architect. While attending Pratt Institute, Batya acquired the training she needed and gained experience interning for several architectural firms. Batya began her business by consulting on furniture layouts, which quickly scaled to a one-stop-shop for Architectural & Interior Design services. Batya was incredibly professional and confident. She credited her husband with supporting her dream of building her own business. Today she heads up Floorplay, a growing business that employs a team of designers that work alongside Batya. 

Jennifer, in describing her professional journey, revealed that she started with earning a degree in social work. She explained that she always, however, had a passion for fashion. Her business of sourcing and acquiring luxury goods for clients began when she noticed it was somewhat difficult to obtain designer items, and she realized there was a market for consumers to pay her to find these items. Jennifer has grown an incredible business and has expanded her reach into this industry allowing her to be successful in her market.  

Each panelist was incredibly honest about balancing home life and work commitments. Many thank yous were given to husbands and mothers!  Strategies in the kitchen to ensure Shabbat dinner and beyond were shared, and stories of being present at family events while simultaneously attending work-related functions and meetings were acknowledged.

The audience was in awe!  

PROPEL has received many calls from burgeoning women entrepreneurs inspired that evening and hoping to build their own brands and businesses.  

———— 

PROPEL: Call 646-494-0822 | Email info@thepropelnetwork.org | Instagram @PropelNetwork  

Pikuach Nefesh is a fundamental principle in Judaism that highlights the value and sanctity of human life. It means the “safeguarding of life” and emphasizes the importance of preserving and protecting human life above all else, at the expense of overriding all other mitzvot with the sole exception of the three cardinal sins of murder, idolatry, and adultery (Sanhedrin 74a).

Practically, this means that when someone’s life is in danger, it is not only permissible but obligatory to violate the halacha if necessary to save their life. For example, if a person suddenly takes ill on Shabbat, we are obligated to provide any lifesaving medical treatment, call the ambulance service, or drive to the hospital, even though these actions would otherwise be forbidden. When it comes to pikuach nefesh, we don’t need to be 100 percent certain that somebody’s life is in danger or that our possible treatment will definitely help. Even when in doubt, so long as our concern is real and our life-saving intentions pure, if necessary, we may violate halacha to try to save a life (Yoma 83a). If a person has a life-threatening illness and the only cure involves some violation of hamets, he must avail himself of this option, because just like all other mitzvot, saving a life takes priority over the prohibition of hamets. 

Judaism teaches that every human life is precious and invaluable and that it is our duty to preserve and protect human life. The mishnah declares, “Whoever saves a single life is considered as if they saved an entire world” (Sanhedrin 4:5). As Rambam reasons, this mitzvah intends to foster “compassion, loving-kindness, and peace in the world” (Mishneh Torah, Shabbat, 2:3). 

This is what Hacham Ovadia, zt”l, (Yechaveh Daat 1:61) writes regarding a seriously ill person, who is instructed by his physician not to fast on Yom Kippur: “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 on Yom Kippur. If the sick person is stringent and fasts, has he not acted in a pious manner, on the contrary, he will be punished for this.”  

VeNishmartem Meod Lenafshotechem – Guarding One’s Soul 

The Torah furthermore instructs us, “Guard yourself and exceedingly safeguard your soul” (Devarim 4:9). The Talmud interprets this to mean that we are obligated to protect ourselves and others from potentially dangerous situations (Brachot 32b). Included in this mitzvah is the obligation to preserve our health with many halachot to help ensure our safety and wellbeing. Even though the Torah refers to our nefesh, our spiritual self, the Talmud extends this to our body and physical health as well. There is no contradiction between the two, and the message is clear and profound. We do not safeguard, protect, and care for our bodies merely as an end in itself, and certainly not as a vehicle for a self-glorification or idolization. Rather, we protect and embrace the physical self as it houses our soul. We maintain our physical health as a means of protecting, sustaining, and nurturing our souls.

Rabbi Moshe Rivkes concludes his commentary, Beer haGolah, on the Shulḥan Arukh, with an eternal message written over four hundred years ago but still relevant today: The reason why the Torah insisted a person protect his soul and his wellbeing is because Hashem created the world out of kindness, with the purpose of doing good to those He created. He wanted them to be able to recognize His greatness, perform His mitzvot and fulfill His Torah. However, anyone who places themself in danger acts as though he despises the Will of Hashem and in serving Him and there is no greater act of heresy and disrespect than that. 

With Hashem’s assistance, I will be writing a series of practical medical halacha columns elaborating on the mitzvot of Pikuach Nefesh, safeguarding one’s soul and one’s health. 

Rabbi Yehuda Finchas is a worldwide expert and writer on medical halacha, and his latest book is entitled “Brain Death in Halacha and the Tower of Babel Syndrome.” To contact Rabbi Finchas, email rabbi@torathabayit.com.