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New Science Textbooks Put Hashem in the Picture

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October 2021

New Science Textbooks Put Hashem in the Picture

MACHLA ABRAMOVITZ

A buzz is in the air. Middle schoolers at Jewish schools and yeshivot such as YDE, Mekor Haim, Ateret Torah, Yeshivat Shaare Torah, and Ahi Ezer have become super excited over the past four years about one particular subject. These students come home quoting the Rambam and the Chovot HaLevavot and they seem more engaged with and aware of their natural environment.

This class is not a hashkafa class, at least not in the traditional sense, although its lessons are packed with Torah teachings. Rather, this is a science class taught not as part of their limudei Kodesh curriculum but in their secular studies program.

Science Textbooks Like No Others

If you have middle schoolers, you will also notice your children enthusiastically waving – or incredibly reading – a rather unique-looking textbook unlike any you may have seen before. For one, it is small and thin, is very colorful, and is packed with photos and illustrations. Secondly, unlike the standard Pearson texts for natural sciences (which are studied in most middle schools, and your older children probably used more as a paperweight than for examining its content), these textbooks are fun to read and bring a smile to children’s faces. And not only the children are enamored, teachers and rebbes are, too!

Despite the enticing format, these are texts to be taken seriously. They contain all the requisite information and complex designations children need to know to pass their exams, such as what are hyphae (hy-fee) and mycelia (my-see-lee-uh). But in these textbooks, the words are not intimidating. Instead, they pop out above or below cleverly designed illustrations, tickling children’s fancies. More than pictures, though, the writing is not boring; it excites and stimulates the imagination. It also tells stories about the natural environment, expanding children’s knowledge base using words and ideas that speak to them in a language with which they are familiar and comfortable.

Your children and their classmates are not alone in experiencing this phenomenon: In over 120 schools in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, more than 10,000 sixth to eighth graders are similarly engaged. And no wonder. These texts represent the culmination of twenty years of perseverance and four intensive years of actual work. Quite a feat for author Rabbi Yaakov Lubin, 42, a science enthusiast and “a big kid” at heart. As he puts it, “It took me 20 years to write the first book [Fundamentals of Life Science] in one-and-a-half years.”

It also took the insight and initiative of Yeshivat Mekor Haim’s Rosh

Yeshiva Rabbi Yosef Ozeri and its General Studies Principal Rabbi Eli Sultan. They watched Rabbi Lubin’s presentation to the Sephardic schools introducing his science program and they enthusiastically endorsed his unique endeavor – writing and creating a science textbook that combined high secular standards with a Torah perspective.

The Author’s Journey

From an early age, the Ft. Lauderdale resident gravitated towards studying the sciences. Becoming religious added a profound dimension to his understanding and appreciation of the natural world. Subsequently, the Rambam’s famous words spoke directly to his neshama: “When a person contemplates His wondrous and great deeds and creations … he will immediately love and praise Him, yearning with tremendous desire to know [Gd’s] great name” (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:2).

For Rabbi Lubin, studying science was simply a means towards seeing Gd within science.

He was 23 years of age and attending the Weizmann Institute of Technology in Rechovot when the budding talmid hacham and scientist first recognized the need for science textbooks for religious students. “The only science textbooks used in yeshivot and Bet Yaakov’s in Israel and the United States didn’t have religious hashkafot,” he recalls.

Rabbi Lubin does not understand why nobody else thought of addressing this pressing need before, given that the issue was around for over fifty years when governments began pressuring yeshivot to teach their students science-based curriculums.

However, it wasn’t until twelve years later that Rabbi Lubin attempted to design a science textbook for religious students. Meanwhile, he had dropped out of the Weizmann Institute, married, received smicha, and dedicated himself to learning Torah full time at Kolel Toldos Moshe Yitzchak in Yerushalayim.

All the while, his dream of producing such a textbook continued to percolate. But how could he combine his passion for Torah and science to create a text that spoke directly to religious students?

Rabbi Lubin’s expertise was in biology, earth sciences, and astronomy. He decided to embark on his first project by creating a biology textbook for religious high school students. The project proved much more complicated than he anticipated. This first attempt, which he named “Exploring the Wonders of Creation,” flopped.

“Nobody wanted to publish it,” he recalls with a laugh.

Not only was the book too academic, but Rabbi Lubin’s writing was not yet on a high level.

Regardless, he did not give up.

Website Leads to Author’s Focus on Writing for Students

Rabbi Lubin giving a video presentation to elementary students.

Instead, the now father of eight and Beitar resident started a website titled “Our Wondrous World.” This time, Rabbi Lubin geared his short essays for the ordinary person who knew little about science. Slowly, slowly his mailing list grew. A while later, Junior Mishpacha editor Libby Teschler approached Rabbi Lubin, impressed with the content of his articles. She saw in them the potential for a monthly column for her magazine. But how was Rabbi Lubin to write about scientific information for children? It requires a skill that, fortunately, can be acquired. Two years of monthly columns under the patient guidance of Mrs. Teschler did the trick. He started reinterpreting science in a brand-new way. So now, from his newly developed vantage point, fungi (mushrooms) were not merely eukaryotic organisms but Hashem’s garbagemen that clean up the planet, making it habitable for people and animals alike.

At the same time, Rabbi Lubin started teaching high school biology at the Yerushalayim Torah Academy for American olim. “I designed courses, which provided me with a structure.”

It also brought him in direct contact with students, which confirmed his gut feelings.

“What I discovered was that many students couldn’t even read the standard science textbooks. They were way over their heads. And, that they hate learning science if taught from traditional textbooks, but love learning science if taught to them in a meaningful way.”

Aha! Fun and Informative Science Teaching Is Born

Suddenly, a distinct image of the textbooks Rabbi Lubin wanted to write materialized in his mind’s eye. These books would fuse the joy and excitement of science captured in his monthly articles with the educational content teachers must convey. In other words, the textbooks would be a cross between a Mishpacha article and a heavy-duty traditional textbook. “I wanted them to be fun, exciting, and cool. But at the same time filled with the information they needed to learn.”

Creating that fusion was quite a challenge, but this time he felt up to the task.

And the task he assigned for himself was immense. This textbook was but a by-product of a much larger project, which was creating the Jewish Center for Science, a non-profit that provides religious Jews with the resources needed to explore the wonders of the world safely and from a place of comfort. Why dream small when you can dream big?

Armed with a professionally produced audiovisual presentation that he called Borchi Nafshi, Rabbi Lubin began publicizing his program to middle schools, which proved a phenomenal success. Financial partner Andrew Sossin from Hollywood, Florida, then introduced him to Mark Dwek from NY, who, in turn, connected Rabbi Lubin to many of the rabbis in charge of Sephardic schools, including Rabbi Yosef Ozeri.

“Rabbi Yosef was so excited about my writing a science textbook from a Torah perspective that he asked me to prepare a chapter and, if good, he promised to help raise funds to finance the text.”

Team Effort Goes into First Textbook

Rabbi Lubin filming ‘Tour of the Kennedy Space Center.’

Rabbi Lubin produced the finished chapter on fungi, as Hashem’s little cleaners fascinate him. He showed the sample chapter to oncologist Dr. Joseph Safdie. Genuinely impressed, Dr. Safdie referred it to Rabbi Eli Sultan and other general studies educators for their opinions. Designing the text became a team effort.

“There was a lot of input to make sure that the textbook would be a first-class production and that the parents would be happy with it,” Rabbi Lubin says.

They started with grade six.

“I used the NY State core curriculum standard as my base of information. I also referenced other texts but rewrote everything. I didn’t want it to be a kosher version of the Pearson textbook. Those texts aren’t educating kids; they are boring them.”

On an airboat for his upcoming film about the Florida Everglades.

Rabbi Lubin also went much further. Not only did he include a slew of fabulous pictures and illustrations, but he also added a repertoire of teachers’ aids and resources that included tests and dynamic PowerPoint presentations. “When I gave my school presentations, I noticed that the kids loved the videos. So, I included a series of educational videos for teachers to use so the kids could see all this awesome stuff come to life.”

Rabbi Lubin also stepped out of the box in choosing an editor with no scientific background whatsoever. “She would read the script and tell me, ‘I don’t know what you’re saying here. What does this mean?’ I knew that if she, a university graduate, didn’t understand what I wrote, how could I expect sixth graders to understand it?”

In Iceland while producing “Iceland: The Land of Fire and Ice.”

His second textbook, Anatomy and Physiology, was written with the guidance of Drs. Isaac and Ralph Madeb, and Dr. Safdieh, the three of whom comprised Dr. Lubin’s advisory board. These prominent physicians gave his textbook much-needed credibility by ensuring that it measured up to the highest standards. Dr. Isaac Madeb was so convinced of the book’s value that he sponsored its publication.

Rabbi Lubin has now completed his third book for eighth graders on physics, chemistry, science, and astronomy, which just hit the schools.

Textbooks’ Wide Appeal

Not only Sephardic children are benefitting from these texts; they appeal to religious schools of all types. In fact, Rav Ahron Feldman, Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisroel Baltimore, was so enthused that he readily added his haskamah to the book.

Moreover, he also asked Rabbi Lubin to include an explanation of how the thought processes of the Talmud leading to a halachic psak mirror the scientific method in the sixth-grade book’s introduction.

Many Chassidic yeshivot who never had science books before also use Rabbi Lubin’s textbooks. He has had numerous requests to translate them into Yiddish.

Why are these texts so successful? “It’s the style of writing. They’re easy to read; you don’t have to be really smart to read the book from cover to cover. And, of course, the ruchnius element guides the readers throughout the books. It’s hard to convince children to learn something that they feel doesn’t apply to them. But if you change the focus away from pure science to Niflaos Ha’boreh (the wonders of Hashem), it’s an entirely different discipline,” Rabbi Lubin explains.

Meanwhile, our roving scientist and talmid hacham, a tripod resting on his shoulder, continues his quest to integrate science and ruchniut. Before Covid hit, he pursued yet another dream to produce documentaries combining these two elements. For his first film, he flew to Iceland, where he shot “The Land of Fire and Ice,” available at https://jewishcenterforscience.com/.

He also made a film about the Amazon and has since put out two films about space, including a tour of the Kennedy Space Center. NASA allowed Rabbi Lubin to shoot his documentary before the Center opened to create a better experience.

What Is Up Next?

Rabbi Lubin hopes to eventually bring viewers along with him virtually on a safari in Africa, a visit to China, and other fascinating places on earth and beyond.

His plans, though, do not stop there. Rabbi Lubin envisions creating a portable science museum with a planetarium and 3D theater, circulating in North American schools. Children will get the opportunity to wear 3D Virtual reality goggles to have “incredible experiences.”

The universe is vast, and middle schoolers – and all us kids at heart – are fortunate that for Rabbi Yaakov Lubin, the possibilities of glorifying Hashem’s name through His creation remain endless.

The First Orthodox Sephardic Wowan to Join the NY Supreme Court – An Exclusive Interview with Judge Gina Levy Abadi

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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The First Orthodox Sephardic Wowan to Join the NY Supreme Court – An Exclusive Interview with Judge Gina Levy Abadi

Judge Gina Levy Abadi, an Orthodox woman, will be the newest judge to join the Kings County Supreme Court. She says she is the first in this position to be the child of parents who both were Jewish refugees from Arab lands.

“I think it was very important for the Orthodox community to get an Orthodox Jew in,” Levy Abadi says, “because there were so many that left the bench.” She proudly adds that her deep understanding of her community’s practices and beliefs “help me make a better decision than, maybe, someone else would have made.”

“They Put Every Penny Toward Our Education”

Justice Levy Abadi credits her professional accomplishments to her parents’ passionate commitment to education. Originating from authoritarian Middle Eastern countries, they wanted for her what they could not receive.

Her father, David, a native of Egypt, and her mother, Ivette, originally from Syria, both fled the persecution in the 1970s, arriving in the United States as refugees.

As youngsters, neither was afforded the opportunity to complete high school. Ivette’s school burned down, and classes discontinued after that. David’s father died at an early age, and David was tasked to find gainful employment in ninth grade to help the family.

“Education was very important to give their children, because they were never able to complete even high school,” the justice says. “My father came to this country and took a very humble job. He didn’t have the education to go work in an office and ‘wheel and deal.’ They did what they could. They put every penny toward our education. That’s always in my mind, what he and she both sacrificed for us.”

About a quarter-century ago, Levy Abadi graduated from Brooklyn College, and later, from Brooklyn Law School, something she says bucked the norms at the time, when women in the community mostly focused on family over professional life.

“I’m proud to say, now, more women go to college… Again, because my parents didn’t finish school, they wanted me to have something to fall back on.”

Helping, Instead of Imprisoning

She worked as a law clerk for 17 years under Justice Donald Kurtz in the Civil Court, and later in the Supreme Court. She then became a judge of the Kings County Civil Court, a position she filled for six years. In 2019, she served as a civil court judge, and later that year, as criminal court judge.

There were times, Levy Abadi noted, where she was especially proud of rulings that were less punitive and more compassionate. In one example, a serial thief with a drug abuse problem kept returning to her court, and rather than cycle him in and out of prison, she steered him towards counseling.

“I’m proud of the times we can get people help, so they aren’t coming back to court every week. Sometimes, throwing them in jail – we try that, and they go out and steal again, because they have to pay for their drugs. That’s a lot of cases that I saw. So, I’m proud when I can help them.”

Juggling Career, Family & Religion

Over the course of the Levy Abadi’s career, being religiously observant required some skillful scheduling maneuvering.

During her stint as a criminal court judge, she was assigned Saturdays as a work day, which she then switched with colleagues in exchange for the night shift. Or, her supervising judge would cover for her. On occasion, she said she had to take chunks of Fridays off to cook for her family, and hop in a cab the moment Shabbat ended to get to court in time. She also noted there were female Orthodox attorneys who had to rearrange court dates because of Shabbat preparation or Jewish holidays. The more exposure the public has to these religious observances, she says, “it becomes less strange” to them.

“It Turned Out Better Than I Thought”

Upon the passing last year of Judge Noach Dear (also an Orthodox Jew), a seat opened on the New York Supreme Court, and Levy Abadi pursued the position. The application process for a Supreme Court position is lengthy and detailed, she says, and includes outlining the minutia of cases, and an intense interview process. Then the prospective candidates are voted on. Councilmember Mark Treyger, who represents Coney Island, Gravesend, and Bensonhurst, put forward the nomination, which was supported by Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte.

“You can’t do something like this on your own; you need the support from all of Brooklyn,” she says. Justice Levy Abadi credits many people with helping through their support and lobbying efforts, such as Ari Kagen, District Leader David Schwartz, Sam Sutton, Ron Tawil, local neighborhood leaders, and leaders of the Sephardic Community Federation.

And, of course, there is somebody else whom she thanks.

“I have to tell you, if not for Gd, I would never be where I am,” she says. “I feel like Hashem always had a plan for me, even when I didn’t see it, or I was down.” Last Rosh Hashanah, the justice recalls, she prayed for a good year, and to be able to serve on the Supreme Court. “It turned out better than I thought. I got better than what I asked for.”

Now, it has come full circle, as she feels it her duty to inspire her own children to follow their passions, and pursue their goals – and showing them that the work/family balance is possible.

“I have three kids. I brought them to the court to see me. Honestly, it was a shock – in a black robe, making decisions that affect people’s lives. It’s the same lady that is rolling the grape leaves so they can have a wonderful Shabbat. That’s the same lady in the robe. That is something important, I think, for young women to see in any community across Brooklyn.”

Household Help: To Hire or Not to Hire?

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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FRIEDA SCHWEKY

While household help has been pretty standard for several generations, things have changed significantly in recent years. Back in the day, housekeepers and housewives would work together cleaning, cooking, organizing, and caring for young children. But as more community women work, they have come to rely on housekeepers to care for much of the home’s needs independently.

As a busy photographer, I relied heavily on my dayworker for household chores and for caring for my preschool child. Unfortunately, my housekeeper wanted more money per hour and more hours than I needed, and we couldn’t come to an agreement. I’ve since been on the hunt for good help, and the journey has taught me a lot. I’ve become a member of a WhatsApp group chat aimed at connecting community women with local cleaning help. Many members lamented that it is very hard to find a good housekeeper and to convince her to stay once you have found her. I felt discouraged, but then I remembered that Hashem runs the world, so things can turn around at any moment!

For this month’s column, I decided to interview several community women to hear their thoughts on the subject of housekeepers.

Florence Doueck – “We All Came Out Stronger and Better”

One thing that can help a household run smoothly is to train your kids from an early age to help out. Assigning small chores to each child can have a huge impact. Have one child collect the garbage from each room, another collect the towels for laundry, a third load the dishwasher, and so on. If you have a system in place and you’re all pitching in, then you have a head start on things if the worker doesn’t show up.

Don’t let things build knowing someone is coming to clean your house. Being too reliant on anyone is risky business. Since I taught my kids to pitch in from a young age, I’ve never been stuck with a mess.

Covid was a struggle, but we prevailed. We went from having help 2-3 times a week to having no outside help for about six months. My kids took turns doing the laundry every other day. One would wash towels, another would take delicates, whites, and so on. They’d shlep the clothing upstairs for me to fold, and then take turns putting the clothing away in everyone’s rooms. We all took turns loading the dishwasher every day. My daughter went to each bedroom and bathroom collecting the garbage bags and putting in clean ones. The boys took the garbage out twice a week and brought back the cans when they were emptied. I did the vacuuming, windexing, cooking, and zoom monitoring. It was definitely stressful, but we all came out stronger and better for it. The kids were taught a lesson in responsibility and learned to appreciate what it takes to have a clean home.

Sarah R. Cohen – “It’s Best They Learn Now”

I’ve had a full-time, live-in housekeeper since about the time my third child was born. I feel that once you have three or more, the help becomes necessary if you can afford it. My kids are a bit older now, so things are different, but nevertheless, it was a big adjustment when Covid hit and we went from having a housekeeper six days a week to zero. Chores suddenly became a thing. Everyone was responsible for cleaning their own rooms.

Assigning chores gave my children a new appreciation for all that the housekeeper does for us. It also taught them about responsibility, and showed them that when you work hard, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. And, they’ll all eventually need these skills in the future, so it’s best they learn now. Although it’s not realistic to have a large list of chores for children who are now in school fulltime, I still give them tasks here and there around the house to do.

When all your kids are old enough to attend school, like mine, the value of a fulltime housekeeper is that it frees up your schedule. I can visit my parents regularly and take them to doctor’s visits. I can get involved with SBH to focus on hesed projects, knowing that I’ll come home to a clean house and the laundry will be clean and put away.

Lisa Gindi – The Blessing of Live-In Help

Pre-Covid, I had a dayworker 2-3 times a week.

Once Covid hit, she was too afraid to come to my home, so things got a little challenging. It wasn’t easy to go from that much help to none at all, but we did it and survived. My husband and I

took turns cleaning the bathroom and doing other chores we’d typically leave to a hired helper. Now I am blessed to have a live-in housekeeper. It’s so important for me to have someone here I can rely on in case of an emergency. I live in Deal and my family lives in Brooklyn, so if I have an appointment or some pressing matter to tend to, it’s helpful to have someone at home who can look after my kids while I’m gone.

The financial aspect of cleaning help has gotten somewhat absurd these days. People are agreeing to pay astronomical prices for housekeeping, which is driving up the cost. Even inexperienced cleaners are asking for upwards of $600 a week. They’re also making demands unreasonable demands such as not bathing kids, feeding, changing diapers, or babysitting for more than a couple of hours. At the end of the day, if you’re a busy mom hiring help, you’ll often need an extra set of hands with the kids. Especially if the helper is there for over three days in the house, the cleaning work tends to run out and you need help with cooking and childcare.

Sari Greene – “Not for Everyone”

I’ve had a housekeeper consistently since I got married over 30 years ago. In my opinion, with small children it is a must, and the cost of a housekeeper should be factored into monthly expenses just like rent and tuition. As my children got older and moved out of the house, I gradually reduced the amount of help I hired. Last year, after my youngest got married and moved into her own apartment, I had a housekeeper 1-2 times a week for about six months. Then, a few months ago, I decided that since I’m living alone, I don’t make a mess and I can do my own laundry, it was pretty silly to spend over $100 a day for someone to clean up after me. It was nice to come home to a clean house, but not nice enough to shell out that kind of money. So, after many years of domestic help, I gave up my housekeeper (who is very dear to me) to my daughter. I’ve been doing all the cleaning, laundry, and organizing on my own, and it’s been working out just fine. Everything is done exactly how I want, and I’m saving a bunch of money. So no, housekeepers are not for everyone, but if you’re a mother, and especially if you work, you need one.

Rachel G. Cattan – Training the Kids for the Future

I prefer to clean the house myself, but with children, it’s quite a challenge to keep it up on my own. My aunt’s housekeeper, whom I trust, comes a couple of days a week to help me. I still do the laundry myself and care for my baby when he’s awake, but it’s so helpful to have someone home while he naps so I can run errands. I strongly believe in giving chores to children. I taught my daughter already from a young age to clean up after herself and to pitch in whenever I need her. She’s old enough now that when I ask her, she does dishes, folds laundry, and performs other household chores. I can tell that she finds it rewarding, and I know it’s teaching her valuable life skills. When I first got married, after living in a home with a live-in housekeeper, I really didn’t know how to properly run a home on my own. I had to teach myself. I know my daughter won’t have to go through that confusing phase because she’s learned how to upkeep a home.

Speaking to these women gave me some perspective on the delicate balance between the value of household help, and training children to take responsibility. I remember how hard an adjustment it was when I got married, and I don’t want that for my girls. I taught my oldest, who is six, to organize, and she loves pulling everything out of the pantry and putting it back neatly. I hope to soon start teaching her to make her bed each morning. I’ve been telling my kids to put their clothes in the hamper since age two, but that seems to go in one ear and out the other. Mitzvah charts have worked well in the past, and perhaps I will try it again.

Even with hired help, having the kids pitch in is not only useful in maintaining the home, but a great way to train them for the future.

Arming the Taliban – Former Marine Corps Major Speaks Candidly About the U.S. Exit from Afghanistan

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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Arming the Taliban – Former Marine Corps Major Speaks Candidly About the U.S. Exit from Afghanistan

Chaos in Afghanistan

Many Americans did not anticipate such chaos. Weeks before, President Joe Biden assured the American people that there would be “zero” similarity between the U.S.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the 1975 flight out of Saigon, which resulted in 7,000 South Vietnamese being evacuated by helicopters, many clinging to the helicopters’ landing skids. However, the images we saw of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan belied those assurances: Here, too, Afghanis precariously held on to landing gears, desperate to leave, but instead, they fell to their deaths.

Moreover, President Biden had assured Americans that the Taliban’s takeover was “not inevitable,” that he trusted the Afghan army’s capability to withstand attacks because it was “better trained, better equipped, and more competent [than the Taliban] in terms of conducting war.”

Again, these were empty assurances, and Afghanistan fell to the Taliban only a month later.

Marine Corps Major Speaks Out

Perhaps President Biden was surprised by how quickly Afghanistan fell. However, Marine Corps Major and Afghanistan veteran Joshua S. Zager, 50, was not. He had sadly watched the slow but inevitable disintegration of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan for over twenty years, which he had initially helped to secure.

“For me, it was equivalent to observing a friend with emphysema smoking five packs of cigarettes a day,” Zager said. “I knew how it would end for him. It’s one thing to train and equip the Afghan army,

but it’s all for naught if there is no operational will and belief in a unified mission. So, no matter how much training and equipment we gave them [the Afghan government forces], the Taliban were always going to take over again.”

What shocked Zager, however, was just how badly America’s disengagement ended. Operationally, he says, President Biden’s evacuation efforts were a debacle. Leaving Bagram airport in the middle of the night when the U.S. military had not started evacuating people not only demoralized the Afghan army, but it was comparable to barring the main exit of a building with a fire raging inside.

Zagar’s heart also breaks for the thirteen U.S. troops and nearly 170 people – all victims of an Aug. 26 ISIS-K (the regional affiliate of ISIS, which is the most extreme and violent of all the jihadist militant groups in Afghanistan) suicide attack – who needlessly died days before the U.S. military’s final withdrawal.

Zagar commented, “Sometimes, if you are competent, have a good plan, and are trying to execute a plan to the best of your ability, still people die. Unfortunately, that’s what happens in a war. But what is shameful is when that [competency and a well-designed plan] isn’t the case, and then people die, which is what happened here.”

U.S. Involvement in Afghanistan

Zager enroute to Afghanistan in December 2001.

Back in October 2001, three weeks after 9/11, nobody anticipated this kind of ending. That is when Major Zager’s squadron was assigned the task of helping decimate the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Their mission was clear: to destroy the Taliban’s infrastructure and to make it crystal clear to them that they cannot harbor terrorists whose aim is to attack the U.S. by blowing up buildings and murdering its citizens.

“For me, it was all about retribution. On the first bomb I dropped on Oct. 7, 2001, I wrote a family friend’s name. He died in the World Trade Center barely a month before,” Zagar says, speaking from his hometown of Fair Haven, N.J.

Major Zager trained for such a mission for over three years. He had returned from Israel, having volunteered for two years with the IDF fighting in Israel’s Security Zone in Southern Lebanon after joining its Paratroopers Brigade. Shortly afterward, Zager enlisted in the U.S. Marines, where he “learned how to bomb, prevail in aerial dog fights, and how to land his fighter-attack jet on ships.”

Stationed 100 nautical miles off Karachi, Pakistan, on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Zager nightly flew his single-seater FA-18 Hornet jet on bombing missions into Afghanistan – the first mission of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. The most challenging task was flying his jet back onto the carrier in the dead of night after a grueling eight-hour stint.

Was he afraid? “I was maybe scared of failure, of not doing something right.”

The mood onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt was solemn and business-like, and there was much satisfaction in what the crew accomplished. After 9/11, most of the world wanted to see the Taliban and Al Qaeda destroyed, and these fighter pilots were able to do it. Their mission was just, clearly defined, and one the U.S. Marines were capable of accomplishing.

The Marines’ Accomplishments and Their Decline

Indeed, when Zager came home to his wife and son six months later, little remained for the U.S. military to do in Afghanistan. “By then, my friends and I had decimated the Taliban and Al Qaeda. When we first arrived, the Taliban controlled 90 percent of the country. With our airpower, we drove them out of the cities within a matter of weeks. They ran into the mountainous regions of Tora Bora and later into the Pakistani tribal regions, which became a haven. The Northern Alliance, a composite of rival tribes, could now take over the country.”

However, over a short period, the Marines’ accomplishments began unraveling.

So, what went wrong?

“The U.S. military tried to do the impossible: The Bush administration changed the mission into ‘nation-building,’ which the U.S. military does not do. Instituting an Afghan government and army and telling them what to teach their children in school and how to treat their women – that’s nation-building. The U.S. government and military brass lived in a dream world. They tried making Afghanistan into a country that would keep out the Taliban and terrorists. That wasn’t going to happen. Look what happened the minute we pulled out.”

Afghanistan, Zager insists, is not like Japan, South Korea, or Germany, where the U.S. still maintains troops. It is not a unified country, but rather is a composite of warring tribes. And that makes all the difference.

What If?

After Zager left Afghanistan, he served as an advanced strike fighter instructor in South Korea and Japan; then as a U.S. Marine Corps Attaché to Ghana, Togo, and Benin; and then as part of the Pentagon Staff of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. With all his military experience he asks the question: If the U.S. had not maintained a presence in Afghanistan, would the Taliban have not tried to take over again?

“Then you devastate them again. You keep vigilant” Zager answers.

He believes that if the U.S. had taught the Taliban a lesson and had left Afghanistan alone, the world would be in a much better place, but he admits that we will never know.

A Shameful Exit

Still, whether staying in Afghanistan was the right move or not, how the Americans left was “absolutely atrocious,” leaving behind American citizens and Afghanis most at risk at the hands of the Taliban. Not to mention the billions of dollars in military equipment left behind, which the Taliban appropriated.

“The gross ineptitude of the Biden administration and the military doesn’t surprise me,“ Zager states. “I saw much ineptitude in my time in the military. Many issues were handled poorly. Once women’s rights were a pressing issue. Today, it’s racism and gender that get the focus rather than the missions. As for the pullout, the Boy Scouts could have come up with a better plan.”

As an officer, Zager is appalled that nobody was held accountable. “In the military, if someone crashed a ship, he’s held accountable, and he loses command of the vessel. This ship crashed, and no one was held accountable. I don’t know how these military commanders – Secretary of Defense General Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley – are still in office. It’s a sign of profound issues that are wrong about how things get done.”

Major Zager mournfully reflects on the tragedies in Afghanistan. “There were 2,400 American service people killed and more grievously injured, returning without arms and legs. I had three friends who died, each of whom had two sons. These are six sons of Marine aviators who died in Afghanistan and who are now wondering why.”

“We gave the Taliban 20 years of reasons to attack us, and now we’ve given them the means to do it.”

Trust the Driver

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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RABBI DAVID ASHEAR

The Rosh used to instruct his students, “Want that which Hashem wants for you.” If you wanted something, such as to purchase a certain house, and in the end it did not work out, you should say, “If this is what Hashem wanted, then I am happy.”

People who accept the way Hashem treats them enjoy much more peace of mind. If we recognize that our lives are led by Hashem, and He always knows what He is doing, then we will be much happier.

I once heard an analogy of two men who board a bus for an eight-hour ride, both of whom are traveling for important business meetings. The first gets on the bus and looks anxiously at the bus driver, wondering if he really knows the route. This is such an important meeting, the fellow thinks to himself, I really hope he gets me there on time. From the moment the bus pulls out, he is worried. Why did he turn left? Wasn’t he supposed to turn right? Why is he going this way – there is traffic on this highway! The entire ride he is at the edge of his seat, concerned whether the driver knows what he’s doing. Eventually, the bus arrives at its destination with fifteen minutes to spare. The man arrives at his meeting all stressed out and bent out of shape.

The second fellow, meanwhile, boards the bus, smiles at the bus driver and thinks to himself, He looks like a good man. He sits comfortably in his seat, pulls out his headphones, and spends the time listening to pleasant music, learning some Torah, taking a nap, and enjoying the beautiful scenery outside the window. The bus arrives fifteen minutes early, and the man thanks the bus driver and arrives at his meeting calm, relaxed, and happy.

Both men paid the same fare and reached the same destination. The first fellow suffered through nearly eight hours of unnecessary anxiety and stress because he didn’t trust the driver, whereas the second man enjoyed a relaxing, pleasant ride because he did trust the driver.

If we trust our “Driver” Who leads us along our journey through life, we can avoid so much stress. Even when we appear to take a wrong turn, we must remember that Hashem knows the “back roads,” He knows what He’s doing, and we are always going the right way.

Rav Avraham Schorr told of a Rabbi in Eretz Yisrael who was suffering with cancer. He was bitten by a poisonous snake and treated by a specialist in Ramat Gan. Ten days after his initial treatment he returned for a follow-up examination.

After the doctor saw the test results, he said, “I never believed in Hashem until now. The poison injected by the snake burned up the cancer in your kidneys. You are completely fine.”

Do we know what is good for us? Would we have ever imagined that being bitten by a poisonous snake is a good thing? We have to trust our Driver.

Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman told of a certain yeshivah in Russia that was on the run, fleeing the Communists who were searching for them. At one point, a car drove by, and the students, thinking it was the police, were terrified. They began racing about frantically fleeing out of fear. The Rabbi was disappointed by their reaction, and decided that they needed to strengthen their emunah. He instituted that each day they would recite together the thirteen Ani Ma’amin declarations of faith.

One week later, the police found them and arrested the entire yeshivah. They were brought to prison in chains, and all throughout they were humming a song about how Hashem is with them. They were later deported to Siberia, and continued humming the entire time. Three days later, the Germans entered the town where they had been staying, and massacred the entire population. The yeshivah was saved.

Hashem always knows what He’s doing.

If we follow the Rosh’s advice to his students, and always accept Hashem’s will, then we will see the fulfillment of the Mishnah in Avot (5:16), “If you make Hashem’s will your will, then He will make your will His will.”

Adapted from “Living Emunah,” by Rabbi David Ashear, with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll / Mesorah Publications, Ltd.

A Matter of Priorities

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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It was one of the darkest periods in our nation’s history. The nation was divided into two kingdoms, and the ruler of the Northern Kingdom, Ahav, married a gentile woman who worshipped idols, Queen Izevel. As part of her effort to institutionalize idol-worship in the country, Izevel embarked on a ruthless campaign to rid the kingdom of authentic prophets, those who spoke out about the evils of idol-worship. The majority of them were killed in cold blood, and only 100 remained.

One man, named Ovadia, selflessly took on the dangerous task of protecting the surviving prophets. He hid them in two separate caves – fifty in each – and brought them food provisions each day. This necessitated selling his personal belongings so he could purchase enough food. Ovadia made an enormous sacrifice, and put himself at great risk, for the sake of rescuing the lives of the remaining prophets.

When he ran out of funds, he had no choice but to borrow money. He approached the prince – Ahav’s son, Yoram – who was very wealthy and had the wherewithal to grant a considerable loan. Sinful like his father, Yoram demanded interest, which the Torah strictly forbids. Normally, it is forbidden not only to charge interest, but also to pay interest, but Ovadia had no choice. This was a matter of life-and-death, and so he signed the contract and received the loan on interest so he could continue his life-saving mission.

Tragically, Ovadia died, leaving behind a destitute widow with her two orphans, and a large amount of debt that continued to grow. The dire situation quickly turned outright horrific, when Yoram – the creditor – demanded that the widow give him her two sons as slaves in lieu of the loan payments which she was unable to make.

This is the background to the story in the Book of Melachim II (chapter 4) which we read this month, as the haftara (selection from the Prophets) for Shabbat Parashat Vayera.

The haftarah begins with the downtrodden widow desperately approaching the prophet Elisha and begging for help. Elisha replied by asking her if she had anything at home, and she replied that she had some oil. He instructed her to borrow utensils from her neighbors – as many as she could – and then pour the oil from her flask into these utensils.

Miraculously, the oil jug kept pouring oil until all the utensils were filled. The prophet then advised the widow to sell the oil and use the money to repay her debt. The remaining funds would be used to support the family. This is how Elisha saved Ovadia’s widow and two sons from slavery and poverty.

The Widow’s Greatest Concern

When analyzing this story, there are a number of interesting elements to consider. First, let us take a moment to think of the state of destitution in which this woman and her sons lived. When Elisha asked her what she had in her home, she said all she had was a little oil. She had nothing else. She even had to borrow utensils. The family lacked even basic items such as bowls and containers.

And yet, when she approached Elisha for help, Ovadia’s wife did not complain. She did not say, “Look at what my husband did! He gave away everything we had! He died and left me with no possessions and lots of debt!” On the contrary, she complimented her husband, telling Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, died, and you know that your servant was Gd-fearing…” Ovadia’s widow fully supported her husband’s righteous endeavor and was fully prepared to make the difficult sacrifices entailed. She understood the grave importance of protecting and supporting the remaining prophets, and did not object to her husband’s selling all their possessions, and then incurring debt, for this holy purpose. As hard it was, she was willing to sacrifice her material comforts for the sake of this vitally important mitzvah.

There was only thing that troubled the widow. She cried to Elisha, “The creditor is coming to take my two sons for himself as slaves.” One commentator noted that what concerned the woman was that her sons would be taken “for himself as slaves” – to be the slaves of an evil idolater, Yoram. She did not care about money or about her material possessions. Her highest priority,

and greatest concern, was her sons’ spiritual wellbeing. And so as long as it was only her property that was at stake, she was not troubled. She ran to Elisha for help only when her sons’ upbringing was being threatened, when they were at risk of being transformed from servants of Gd into servants of a sinful idolater; when they were in danger of being forced out of her home and being raised with foreign values and beliefs.

We might add that this is perhaps the meaning of Elisha’s question, “What do you have at home?” and the widow’s response, “All I have is oil.”

The Gemara (Shabbat 23b) teaches that in the merit of the mitzvah of Shabbat candles, one is rewarded with children who become outstanding Torah scholars. This is why Shabbat candle lighting has always been considered an especially auspicious time to pray for one’s children’s spiritual success. Indeed, many women have the practice to spend some time after lighting the candles praying that their children should be righteous and proficient in Torah. Perhaps, then, when Elisha asked the widow, “What do you have at home?” he meant, “What merits does your home have, on account of which you are deserving of a miracle?”

The woman answered, “I have nothing, other than oil.” She humbly replied that she had no special merit – other than her commitment to her home’s “oil,” to raising her sons along the path of Torah and sanctity. It was specifically because this was her home’s highest priority that she was terror-stricken at the prospect of her sons being raised in the home of an idolater and that she desperately sought Elisha’s help.

The Mezuzah’s Message

At the entrance to every Jewish home there is a mezuzah affixed to the right side of the doorframe. One of the Chassidic masters noted that the right side signifies importance and prominence, and so every time we enter our home, we look at the mezuzah and are reminded of what the home’s priority must be. The mezuzah contains parchment upon which the first two paragraphs of the Shema are written. These include the commands, “Veshinantam levanecha” and “Velimadetem otam et benechem” – which obligate us to teach our children Torah, to educate them according to Torah values and tradition. This is the message conveyed to us by the mezuzah every time we walk through our front door – that our highest property must be teaching our children, raising them to become devoted servants of Gd.

The Zohar comments that the first paragraph of Shema is associated with the Ten Commandments. Starting with the command, “Veshinantam levanecha” (“You shall teach them to your children”), the Zohar lists ten phrases in this paragraph, which correspond to the Ten Commandments which Gd proclaimed at Mount Sinai. According to this correspondence, the command to teach one’s children Torah is associated with the first of the Ten Commandments – “Anochi Hashem Elokecha” (“I am Hashem your Gd”), the obligation of emunah, to believe in the existence of a Creator who governs the world. This is how critically important,

and how central, Torah education is to religious life. Embedded within the command to believe in Hashem is a command to perpetuate this belief through education, by doing everything we can to instill within our children this faith and a commitment to obey Gd’s will. This responsibility is part and parcel of fundamental Jewish faith.

Protecting Our Children

From “Slavery”

Today, our children are all at risk of being taken as “slaves” to foreign beliefs and values. Our society’s alluring culture threatens to draw our youngsters’ loyalties away from Torah, towards celebrities, meaningless entertainment, decadence, overindulgence, and materialism.

As we face this danger, the character of Ovadia’s widow serves as an inspiring role model. No, we are not expected to sell our belongings and cast ourselves and our families into destitution for the sake of supporting Torah scholars, as Ovadia and his wife did. Nevertheless, their example teaches us about where our priorities must lie. For them, material possessions took a backseat to supporting Torah and instilling Torah values within their children. They were prepared to give away everything except the “oil,” except what they needed to kindle the light of Torah in their homes. This was their highest priority – and it must be our highest priority, as well.

Needless to say, there is nothing wrong with accumulating wealth and enjoying it. Poverty is not a virtue, and we are entitled and expected to strive to live comfortably. The problem becomes when the quest for luxury and comforts becomes one’s top priority, his primary pursuit and point of focus. We must be happily prepared to compromise our material

standards for the sake of our and our children’s Torah education. This is what the mezuzah announces to us each time we arrive at our doorstep – that there can be nothing more important in our home than Torah education. Although we are all involved in many different things throughout the day, including many important and worthwhile undertakings, we must never forget that our single highest priority is ensuring the transmission of Torah to the next generation by raising our children along the path of Torah, and generously supporting our Torah educational institutions.

May we all succeed in kindling the light of Torah within our homes, and be rewarded with children who grow to become devoted servants of Gd and sources of pride to us, our community, and the entire Jewish Nation, amen.

Words of Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Community Magazine

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October 2021

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After reading last month’s cover story (How To Get Your Prayers Answered), I just had to write in thanking Rabbi Eli Mansour for his inspirational words, so appropriate before the High Holidays. Despite the fact that our prayers and actions on Rosh Hashanah impact the entire year, I sometimes find it hard to remember that, so reading Rabbi Mansour’s divrei Torah and incredible insights of prayer was extremely helpful. Thank you for your excellent advice. Shana tova!

Chana B.

RABBI LANKRY, ZT”L

I want to thank you for publishing such a beautiful tribute to our father, Rabbi Lankry, zt”l. It was so special to read. My father really loved everyone in this community as if they were his own family. He took so much pride in seeing the growth of the children and then grandchildren of the friends he once knew. He loved everyone simply for who they were – and that message came through so well in the article. May you always be able to write powerful articles and highlight the beauty of this community.

If anyone has any stories or pictures they want to share we would love to see them! Please email us at rabbilankrymemories@gmail.com.

Thank you,

Adina Mezrahi and the entire Lankry Family

BACK TO SCHOOL

I enjoyed ready last month’s article about returning to school (Back to School – Can We Move Forward?). I would like to add one very important point that was not mentioned in the column. And that is in regards to the unnecessary stress and anxiety our kids experience during the school year. I believe one way of reducing the pressure off our children is to change the way they are evaluated. Test grades are overrated. Test scores are important, but they aren’t everything. In my opinion, more emphasis should definitely be put on a child’s effort. It is the child’s decision if he or she wants to put an effort into his or her studies. The problem is that not only the parents, but the education system and the schools emphasize grades more than effort. If the child puts an effort into studying for a test, writing a research paper, or doing a certain project and is unsuccessful and receives a low grade, it could affect his or her acceptance into a good yeshiva, seminary, or college.

Behavior and effort must be included in the child’s or teen’s grades as well as scholastic achievement.

Everything must be done in order to help the child or teen achieve good grades by including an evaluation of behavior and effort, as well as just grades. From my experience in teaching and working with children, these endeavors provide a very rewarding experience and I believe that working with and teaching children and teens should be thought of from the very beginning as a rewarding experience, NOT as a burden. Putting an emphasis on effort will only help the child academically.

Sharon T.

CAMP SIMCHA

As parents of a special needs child, we were so moved by the article about Camp Simcha (Deal Welcomes Camp Simcha Without Borders). We send our child to camp and don’t take for granted what the wonderful counselors do for him. It’s not an easy task (although it is quite rewarding). Thank you so much to all the wonderful people at Chai Lifeline and Camp Simcha. And a special thanks to this past summer’s gracious hosts – Ricky & Jamie Cohen and Jeff & Rachel Sutton.

E.R.

The Case – Saved From the Lion’s Den

Community Magazine

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September 2021

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Avi was driving his car through the streets of a city in central Israel with three other passengers in his car. He stopped the car to run an errand and requested of one of the passengers to take the wheel and pick him up in twenty minutes. Sammy took the wheel and casually drove the car with the other two passengers. At the turn of the corner a mob of Arab young men surrounded the car and began throwing rocks at its windows. Sammy, the driver, was aware that the scene was life threatening and he decided to recklessly drive the car onto the sidewalk to escape the imminent danger. By doing so, Sammy tore the bottom of the car, and side-swiped the car into an adjacent wall. Backing up and maneuvering the car away from the surrounding mob added further damage to the vehicle. The group escaped danger without wounding any of the attackers, however, hefty damage was done to Avi’s car. In Bet Din, Avi explained that his insurance policy did not cover acts of terror, and surely not deliberate acts of damage such as what Sammy inflicted to his vehicle. As per collecting compensation from the Israeli government, Avi explained that the process is costly and very lengthy. Avi requested of Sammy and the other passengers to pay for the damage to the car.

Is Sammy responsible for the damage? Are the other passengers required to participate? How should the Bet Din rule and why?

Torah Law

According to the ruling of the Shulhan Aruch, one who inflicts damage to property is responsible to pay the property owner for the loss sustained. The offender is required to pay for damages even if the tort was unintentional or due to extenuating circumstances.

By rule of the Shulhan Aruch, even if one inflicts damage to another’s property in order to save his own life, he is nevertheless responsible to reimburse the property owner for the damage. The underlying reasoning for this ruling is that although one is required by law to save his own life at any expense, it does not exempt him from his obligation to compensate a victim for the loss sustained.

By rabbinical enactment, one who damages another’s property in order to save someone else’s life is exempt from paying for such damages. This enactment was instituted in order to promote and encourage civilians to act when someone’s life is in danger. For if one is required by law to pay for damages while saving someone else’s life, one would be hesitant and ultimately refrain from saving a life.

Leading halachic authorities debate whether one is required to pay for damages he caused to another’s property while saving his life and the life of others at the same time.

On the one hand, logic dictates that such a hero is liable for damages since he saved his life as well. A hero will always act and save his life even if he knows he is liable to pay for damages. The fact that he also saved others is not a factor and he is not included in the above-mentioned rabbinical enactment.

On the other hand, such a hero did indeed save the lives of others. If he is required to pay for damages, other civilians will not calculate that he was required to pay because he saved his own life as well. Rather, the general public will assume that a hero who saves others is required to pay for damages. Hence, one who saves others, even if he saved his own life as well, is included in the above-mentioned enactment and is exempt from payment.

This latter view, exempting a hero although he saved his own life as well, is the opinion of a highly recognized halachic authority. A Bet Din will be unwilling to collect payment from such a hero without his consent or approval.

VERDICT: A Hero Is Revealed

Our Bet Din ruled in favor of Sammy the driver by exempting him of payment for damages he inflicted to Avi’s car. As mentioned in Torah law, by rabbinical enactment a hero who saves the lives of others is exempt from payment of damages caused to private property. If Sammy or any other hero is required to pay, then other civilians will hesitate or refrain from saving lives for fear of the possible expense that might be incurred. This ruling is in accordance with a recognized early halachic authority. Hence, although Sammy saved his own life as well while deliberately damaging Avi’s car, he is nevertheless included in the above-mentioned rabbinical enactment.

Nonetheless, our Bet Din reached out to Sammy and the other two passengers that were in the car to participate in Avi’s loss. The three consented to collectively pay for half of Avi’s repairs to his car.

YOU BE THE JUDGE

A Summer Retreat

Benny rented Alex’s home every summer for the past three years. In preparation for this year’s summer’s rental, they verbally agreed on the cost of rent for the 2021 season. Alex then sent an email request to Benny for a $3,000 deposit along with an attachment of a written contract for signing. Benny immediately transferred to Alex’s account three thousand dollars but did not sign and send back the contract. With only two weeks before the summer season, Benny called Alex just to follow up and was informed by Alex that the house was just rented to another party. Alex explained that although Benny gave a deposit, he never signed the contract. Alex continued to explain that he did not willingly renege on his agreement with Benny, but rather he was unaware that the exclusive agent that rented out his home during the winter was authorized by contract to rent it out for the summer as well. In order not to ruin his relationship with the agent that rents out his home every winter, he agreed to rent it via the agent for the summer as well. In Bet Din, Benny claimed that since he put a $3,000 deposit towards the rental he was legally entitled to the home and demanded that the other party be denied access to the property. Furthermore, Benny claimed, that upon inquiry in the market for a last-minute vacancy available for rent, he found prices to be substantially higher. The rent for one property of interest was nearly 25 percent higher than that of Alex’s home. Benny was vehemently unwilling to release Alex from his commitment to rent him the property unless Alex compensates him for the additional cost of rent due to a last-minute rental.

Is Benny entitled to the property for the summer? Is Alex required to compensate him for the additional cost of a last-minute rental.

How should the Bet Din rule and why?

How Do They Do It? – Community Women Share Their Holiday Prep Secrets

Community Magazine

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September 2021

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How Do They Do It? – Community Women Share Their Holiday Prep Secrets

Frieda Schweky

Holiday prep can be a stressful undertaking anytime, but during the summer, when no one feels like cooking even an ordinary weeknight dinner, it can be particularly daunting. This year, with Rosh Hashanah set to arrive in early September, there seems to be no way around beginning prepping for the holiday in August.

I, for one, after doing Pesach on my own for two years in a row thanks to COVID-19, plan on cooking as little as humanly possible and trying to be invited out as much as I can. I know this may not be an option for all, so I decided to see how some of our community’s shaatras are gearing up for the holiday season.

I’ll start with my fabulous mother-in-law, who does holidays like a pro. I can attest to step number one: she asks everyone for which meals they plan on joining her. She has already asked me several times this summer, and the answer remains the same: as many meals as she’s willing to cook, I’m willing to attend! I plan on cooking some dishes for her, but after a busy season in my photography business, I’m not looking to host any meals right after the summer.

I’ll let her take over from there:

Selene Schweky, Cofounder and Owner of SM Stitches

My best advice would be to shop once. Don’t waste time going back and forth to the store; make sure everything is under one roof before you begin. How do you do that? Menu plan for each meal you intend to host. Then go through each dish and see what ingredients you need to buy, and that becomes your shopping list. Make sure you have it all on one list – down to the spices. Even if some things need to be purchased last minute because it’s fresh produce, if you have it down on paper, the stress is off and you shouldn’t forget anything. Organization is key! I recommend having one paper or note on your phone, as opposed to multiple papers or notes which can get lost.

Once you have your ingredients, you should start with what can be frozen. In the weeks leading up to the holiday, whenever you cook Shabbat dinner, make double recipes and freeze one for the holiday. I do this all the time, and it makes the meals far less daunting, because you’re always chipping away.

My holiday dairy go-to’s: eggplant parmigiana, spinach jibben, calzones with egg noodles, fried cauliflower, and pistachio encrusted Chilean sea bass. These are all freezable.

My holiday meat go-to’s: Any kind of mechshe (hashu stuffed vegetable), fasuliah (white beans in tomato sauce), black beans, roast, shepherd’s pie – all freezable.

My holiday go-to’s for dessert: tiramisu, white chocolate cheesecake, almond butter cookies – all freezable.

All you should have left to do on the holiday is prepare the fresh dishes, such as salads and fish, that require same-day preparation, and pull everything you already made out of the freezer!

Enjoy!

Next, I spoke to my friend Leah, who blogs her recipes on Instagram. I know she always makes holiday meals because she lives in Deal, away from her parents and in-laws. Already in early August, she was preparing Swiss chard on her Instagram story, so I knew she’d be the perfect person to consult with on the matter.

Leah of @dumb_and_delish

When my shaatra planner says that it’s Elul, I immediately start preparing for the holidays. First things first, I write a grocery list from all the dishes I can make that will freeze and thaw well. This year, the first thing I prepared for the freezer was my Swiss chard. I got it from Wegmans, checked and cleaned it very well, and as always, I watched my giant pile of greens wilt into a small ball in my pot. (That’s a great tip, by the way – similar to spinach, when you’re cooking with Swiss chard, buy more than you think you’ll need, because it shrinks.) I make a lot more than I think I’ll need, and then I give some to my mother, mother-in-law and friends. Black-eyed peas I freeze in advance, as well as dates stuffed with ground meat – a recipe I got from the Millennial Kosher cookbook. I believe that one should still eat a regular date for the simanim, but I also like to make dishes with the simanim to change it up. In addition, brisket or any slow-cooked roast could be cooked and frozen in advance.

I have two different shopping lists. One consists of items that I can buy in advance, such as the things mentioned above that are freezable, as well as non-perishables like honey, dates, and plasticware. My other list consists of perishables such as apples, pomegranates, and veggies for salads. That stuff I try to buy around three days before the holiday.

Décor Tip From Leah

Since meat boards are so popular these days, I came up with the idea last year of doing a simanim board. Instead of putting your pomegranates, honey, apples, black-eyed peas, and other special foods in separate bowls, put them all together displayed on a wooden cutting board. This works great for small crowds. If you’re hosting a lot of people, you could make multiple boards and put them out as centerpieces. They come out beautiful, and who doesn’t love edible decor?!

Recipe by @dumb_and_delish – HOT HONEY

Place your honey into a pot, add sliced jalapenos, and bring to a boil. Strain immediately and enjoy with caution!

This simple throw-together is surprisingly addictive, and will being some spice to your holiday table this year!

Danielle Mizrahi

Personally, I don’t prepare for the holiday far in advance. The first thing I do is try to coordinate meals with my siblings and in-laws. The married ones have their obligations, as do we. But since we all want to have a turn to see one another, we do our best to plan meals according to each other’s schedules. Then I see which dishes we’re making for each other’s meals, and I make my own menu plan.

My first point of focus when planning a menu is the simanim. I always try to change up my recipes instead of going with the same classic recipes, to keep it exciting. For example, last year, instead of plan dates, I make Medjool dates stuffed with almond butter and drizzled with dark chocolate. Then I top them with flaky Maldon salt – they’re delish! This year I’m planning to make energy balls with mashed dates, crushed almonds, and maple syrup.

After I have a set plan for the food, I like to put some effort into my decor. I feel like after COVID the shutdown, all those missed extended family meals, it’s even more important to cultivate a vibe with decor and really make things memorable. Last year, I put by each table setting miniature jars of different flavored honey, honey sticks, and little bumble bee charms. For the centerpieces, we had lemons in vases, as well as yellow and orange flowers. It was so special and we all really enjoyed!

Lynn Sued

I like to see who’s coming to which meals before I make my menu plans. I do this because I like to make something for everyone who comes that he or she will like. For example, I know my daughter Annie loves hamid, my daughter Sophia loves my red sauce, and my son-in-law loves stuffed peppers. I make sure not to make anything with mushrooms when my other son-in-law is coming, because he doesn’t like them. I accommodate their preferences so they feel special and enjoy coming over.

For my meat dinner meals, I like to do one meal of Shabbat-style food, and the other with Holiday-themed food. The Shabbat-styled meal will consist of the typical Syrian dishes that I make weekly. I try to keep them different because I generally have the same guests on both nights.

For dairy lunches, I try to keep it light, because the nighttime meals are heavy. For a light dairy lunch, I’ll do pickups like spinach tarts, sambusaks, olive balls, koosah jibben in cupcake liners, baby pizzas, etc. I’ll make a few salads and serve salmon. Sometimes, if I’m having lots of guests, I’ll also make a ziti or pesto pasta.

I know it’s in style to put nice table décor, but I don’t focus much on that, as I prefer putting all of my energy into cooking. I won’t bake, either; it’s not my thing. I’ll have my daughter or daughter-in-law bake something for dessert, or I’ll buy from a community baker.

The absolute best part of the holidays is spending quality time with my family – no phones, no distractions. We talk, we laugh, we catch up. It’s such a blessing!

My number one piece of advice for holiday preparations would be: don’t stress! No matter what, somehow it all gets done, and is beautiful.

Michelle Oved @grandmasgarlic

I typically make the evening meals for Rosh Hashanah. Before anything else, I make and freeze the simanim in advance. I prepare the quince jelly for shehehiyanu, following my mom’s recipe, which I proudly share below. I make basic loubieh, which is very easy. Swiss chard is a challenge to clean properly, so I clean and chop it in advance, cook it down, and freeze it. The day before the holiday, I defrost it and cook it with tabileh (chopped meat). The leek is cleaned, cooked, and frozen in advance, as well. Closer to the holiday, I defrost it and make mini edge out of it. I either fry patties or put small amounts of the mixture into mini muffin tins and bake them. They come out very uniform in the muffin tins, and are much easier to prepare than frying. The head of lamb is simple – I just roast it in the oven with rosemary and garlic. We traditionally use fresh dates instead of dried. The key is to freeze them in advance, and then, several hours before the meal, allow them to defrost fully. If you eat them without freezing them, or don’t allow them to defrost, they will be unripe and hard, and will make your mouth dry. If you freeze and defrost properly, they should be mushy and taste delicious.

For this holiday in particular, I really love focusing on decor. I always make sure something new and beautiful is on the table, whether it be new chargers, place mats, napkin rings, a table cloth, etc. The table has to look pretty – if it looks good, it feels good!

Getting back to the food, I have a secret ingredient that adds a little boost to all my dishes: my “Grandma’s Garlic.” It’s a special roasted and marinated garlic which I’ve recently started selling. I add it to the majority of the staple dishes: chicken, roast, kibbeh balls, potatoes – you name it. My family loves it. I even bake it into my challah!

Some dishes we typically serve on this holiday are potato sofrito, veal pocket, and my mother’s special roast dish – she gets top of the rib roast sliced thin from the butcher, stuffs it with hashu, rolls it, and then cooks it with mushrooms and onions. It’s delicious! We also serve the leftover lubiah, any kind of mechsi, kibbeh with peas, rice, and so on.

What I learned from interviewing these amazing women, and discussing this topic with others along the way, is that a lot of hard work and love goes into each and every holiday meal. I was also reminded of how our special, cherished culture and heritage are infused into every aspect of the preparations, at every step along the way. These remarkable mothers and grandmothers are planning meals for their families so they can come and spend quality time together over good food, enjoying recipes that have been handed down from mother to daughter for generations. At the same time, the younger generation likes to put a spin on some of the classics – no doubt being influenced by Jewish food bloggers on social media who are constantly trying to reinvent some of our age-old staples. The new and the old are both wonderful and have a place on our holiday tables. The hours of hard work and painstaking attention to every detail pays off when these women see family members catching up and bonding, enjoying their favorite homecooked dishes and praising the chef and hostess.

Until next time, wishing you and your families a happy and healthy new year,

Frieda Schweky

Selteya recipe (Swiss chard with chop meat)

By Suzy Mosseri

Rinse two heads of Swiss chard individually very well.
Chop it and rinse again.
Add to a pot with a bit of water, and boil.
When it shrinks, allow it to cool, put in a zip-top bag, and freeze.
Defrost when cooking for the holiday.
Chop 4-5 celery stalks, and sauté with 4 cloves of garlic.
Add Swiss chard mixture and cook until it is all soft and combined.
Add tebileh (sauteed chop meat) and 3-4 raw eggs, scrambled.
Add salt and garlic powder to taste.
Cook down until dry, and it’s ready to serve!

Quince Jelly

By Suzy Mosseri

Chop 4 quince apples into cubes and put on stove.
Add 1½ cups sugar and a drop of water to the pot.
Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
Use a silicone spatula to stir so as to not smash quince.
Cook on very low flame. Once it boils, add a tsp of lemon juice.
It should keep its form, but become textured like a jelly!
Allow to cool and store in the fridge.

Deal Welcomes Camp Simcha Without Borders

Community Magazine

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September 2021

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Deal Welcomes Camp Simcha Without Borders

Chai Lifeline children enjoy magical “Simcha at the Shore”

Following the success of last year’s inaugural season, Camp Simcha Without Borders recently came to Deal, NJ for another incredible summer. Launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Camp Simcha Without Borders was developed to safely bring the magic of Simcha, Chai Lifeline’s flagship summer program for children with life-threatening and lifelong illnesses, to communities across the country. Camp Simcha Without Borders operates day camps and hosts special events in all of Chai Lifeline regions across the country.

Camp Simcha Without Borders ran its “Simcha at the Shore” program for boys on August 3 and was generously hosted by Jeff and Rachel Sutton.

“For the children of Chai Lifeline, a day like this is a beacon of light in a time of darkness,” said Jeff and Rachel Sutton. “It’s the least we can do to help these Warriors along their journeys.”

In 2020, more than 1,200 children around the world took part in Camp Simcha Without Borders programming.

“These kids have been through a lot, and their resiliency continues to inspire all of us,” said Jack Tabbush, director of Camp Simcha Without Borders. “It’s amazing to be able to give the children a day of joy amidst everything else.”

Chai Lifeline is an international children’s health support network providing social, emotional, and financial assistance to children with life-threatening or lifelong illnesses and their families. To learn more, visit www.chailifeline.org