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One on One with Allison Noam

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May 2022

Ellen Geller Kamaras

“Ilan has the most wonderful, hesed-oriented, and energetic environment. I feel so appreciated as the school nurse. Working as a pediatric home-care nurse makes me appreciate what I have, and the miracles Hashem performs every day.”

~ Allison

I am honored to introduce Allison Sutton Noam, who is the school nurse at Ilan High School, where she is highly regarded by students and staff alike. Allison also works as a pediatric home-care nurse for children with multiple medical issues.

Allison describes herself as hard working, dedicated, and loyal. Friends and family refer to her as warm, vibrant, motivated, driven, ambitious, multi-faceted, and industrious. I would add passionate and energetic. As you read her life story and note these diverse aspects of Allison, you will see how fitting these adjectives are.

To understand Allison’s spark and spirit, let’s start with her childhood and follow her on her path to marriage, family, and nursing.

Growing Up

Allison was born in Brooklyn to Judy and Albert Sutton, and is one of five daughters. Her grandparents are from Syria and Lebanon. Allison attended Magen David Yeshivah until she was ten years old.

Although Allison does not remember too much about her family’s move to New Jersey, she does recall Hillel Yeshiva’s friendly atmosphere, and that the classes were smaller and more intimate. She graduated from Hillel Elementary School and High School.

Allison says she was a well-behaved child, on the quite side. “My parents raised me to choose between right and wrong, so I was a good kid.” She shared that she always had her small group of friends and was happy with that. “I was never interested in being part of a clique socially or in an ‘exclusive’ group of friends.”

Allison took her studies seriously and graduated as salutatorian of her 8th grade class in Hillel. Allison continued to work hard in high school, was a member of the National Honors Society, performed in school plays, and played on the school hockey team.

Here is a fun fact about Allison that most people don’t know. She has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, which she earned as a teenager!

College and Career

After graduating high school, Allison commuted from NJ to Touro College in NYC and majored in Judaic studies and psychology. Her parents were her role models, and they consistently encouraged her and supported her choices. Allison’s father was a teacher and some of her sisters are teachers too. As a young girl, she always thought she would end up in education. As a matter of fact, Allison worked as a substitute teacher in a pre-school during her college years.

Then Came Marriage

Allison met her husband, David Noam, on the website, Sephardic Link. She and David connected on the first date. “He even jokingly proposed on the first date because we were so compatible.”

David is from Israel, and he had been staying at his sister’s house in Long Branch for two years before the couple met. He comes from a family of teachers, too. David is a mashgiah kashrut for caterers. The couple lives in Long Branch with their five children, aged one, three, six, ten, and twelve.

The Pivot to Health Care and Nursing

After the wedding, Allison changed career tracks. “I narrowed my choices to either becoming a hairdresser or a medical assistant. I also took a small wig styling course later and had the best of both worlds.”

Allison trained and worked as a medical assistant for less than two years, and loved the connection and conversations she had with her patients, listening to the reasons for their visits and helping them. Allison decided to further her education and become a nurse.

When she started Brookdale College Nursing School, Allison had two young children. She took her academic classes online at home and did her clinical classes, lab skills exams, and rounds at night between 5:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m., twice a week. “It took me thirty months. It was the most difficult period of my life. I couldn’t have done it without my husband’s support! He took over when I was out, and I was out a lot! I have the most encouraging, supportive husband a wife could ask for.

“There were many times when I thought I couldn’t handle it anymore. David was there as a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. He always encouraged me to keep going.”

Family Juggling – a Team Effort!

It was a family effort to get Allison through nursing school. David and Allison’s parents watched the kids at night. Her brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews were also enlisted. They drove carpool if there was no school bus, and more. After graduation, Allison threw herself a graduation party, invited everyone who had helped her, and she gave a “thank you” speech.

It was not easy landing her first nursing job. Allison became an overnight nurse doing in- home care. She committed to finishing up her Yeshiva job for the school year and was awake all day with her day job, rested a bit after her children got into bed, then went to her home care job from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Allison is grateful to have more reasonable hours now. She works four days a week at Ilan High School from 9:45 to 3:45. Sometimes she does partial shifts doing in-home care in the evenings and on the weekends. David helps her to get all five kids out in the mornings and back home from school or the babysitter in the afternoons.

“Juggling who is taking the kids off the bus, picking up the little ones, and taking care of them after school, are the most difficult aspects especially when we work the same hours. Without my husband’s partnership, I wouldn’t be able to work.”

Allison’s Evolving Role

Allison loves being a nurse and finds the field rewarding and ever-changing, with doors always opening with new opportunities. She views her school nurse role at Ilan “as wonderful, working with dedicated, caring staff members and the most energetic, hesed- oriented, and united group of students.” Her job involves being prepared for emergencies such as asthma attacks, doling out ice packs and sympathy, and caring for students with medical conditions.

When Covid hit, Allison was thrust into the world of “infectious diseases,” with students and parents asking questions about quarantine policies, testing rules, exposure situations, and travel guidelines. She connected with a doctor who responded to all of her questions, so she could confidently advise those asking.

“I went from being a behind the scenes office nurse collecting immunization records, to being on the front lines of communication between students, parents, the doctor, and the school administration. I learned to become a more effective communicator and learned what it took to enforce policies. I also gave out many, many masks.”

Allison loves her pediatric home care nursing because she can give much needed respite to families with ill children who serve as their children’s care givers.  “I take care of children with multiple medical issues who are connected to tracheostomies, ventilators, or gastric tubes and who are immobile and non-verbal. Some need a ventilator to breathe, a feeding tube to eat and drink, a wheelchair to get around, medications for their illnesses, and special equipment to be able to speak. The fact that I have air in my lungs, can breathe on my own, can walk using my legs, can eat with my mouth and taste my food, can communicate my needs with people, and I don’t need medicine to live–these are all miracles and I thank Hashem for these abilities every day.” 

Allison works as a day camp nurse in the summer and is always finding ways to enhance her nursing expertise. She recently became certified as a CPR instructor and can share her knowledge of life-saving skills with others.

Passions

Allison is passionate about how amazing Hashem is. Reading books about real life hashgacha pratit opened her eyes to how involved Hashem is in the details of our lives. It inspires her to have hakarat hatov for all the miracles that occur every second of every day.

Focus on Family and Community

Allison tries to avoid getting caught up with comparing herself to others and instead focuses on her family’s well-being and on earning a living. 

Her greatest accomplishments? Hands down, giving birth to and raising her five children, BH, and earning her nursing degree.

When Allison and David have a bit of free time, they go out to relax and unwind with some good food and just enjoy each other’s company.

Allison’s commitment to community is reflected in her position as a school nurse and as a pediatric home care nurse. She aims to give back to the community by using her nursing skills for hesed and became a volunteer for Health@Home of Deal. This is a group of medical professionals who offer medical expertise for families in need in their own homes

Advice to Aspiring Nurses

“Get a support system to help you cope with nursing school’s demands, difficulties, intensity, and hours required. It will bring you to tears, you will want to quit, but don’t. Nursing was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.”

You can reach Allison at allisonnoam@gmail.com.

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Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach.  Her coaching specialties include life, career, and dating coaching.   Ellen works part-time as an entitlement specialist at Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services. She can be contacted at ellen@lifecoachellen.com (www.lifecoachellen.com)

Every Day is Friday!

Community Magazine

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May 2022

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This year, some of the greatest – though unsung – heroes of the Jewish Nation are religious farmers in Israel.

The current Hebrew year, 5772, is a shemitah year, during which agricultural activity in the Land of Israel must come to a halt. To get a sense of what this means, let us imagine ourselves taking a year off from whatever work it is that we do to earn a livelihood. For an entire year, we don’t do business, or we ignore our professional practice. Remarkably, this is what the Torah demands that farmers in the Land of Israel do every seven years. And today there are heroic farmers in the Land of Israel who faithfully abide by this restriction, and place their trust in the Torah’s eternal promise that Gd will care for those who observe this mitzvah.

Living in the Diaspora, where this law does not apply, we naturally feel disconnected from the concept of shemitah. The reading this month of Parashat Behar – where the Torah presents the laws of shemitah – affords us the opportunity to delve into this fascinating topic, and gain insights and lessons which are no less relevant to us Jews in New York and New Jersey than it is to our brethren across the ocean in Israel.

Several explanations have been advanced for why the Torah would issue such a command. The Rambam suggested that practically speaking, a yearlong cessation of agricultural activity is beneficial for the ground, ensuring its sustained capability to continue producing food. Others explain that the institution of shemitah enables farmers to devote one out of every seven years to Torah study, as they are freed from their responsibilities in the field. Yet another theory is that the law of shemitah – perhaps like no other mitzvah – reinforces our faith in Hashem as our provider, as the one who gives our sustenance. When a farmer sees that he has a sufficient livelihood despite taking a year off from work, he is reminded that his sustenance depends solely on Gd. This faith saves one from the anxiety and fear which so many people experience with regard to their livelihood.

However, I would like to take this opportunity to present a lesser known approach to the mitzvah of shemitah that has been developed, one which can, I believe, motivate us to utilize each day of our lives to its very fullest.

Past, Present, and Future

This approach brings us back to the beginning of human history, to the brief time Adam and Havah spent in Gan Eden.

Before they sinned by partaking of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Havah did not need to exert effort to obtain food. Readymade food products were made available in the garden, requiring no work whatsoever. This changed after Adam and Havah sinned. Adam’s punishment included the curse of “Beze’at apecha tochal lechem – By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread.” No longer would everything be readily accessible. Man would have to exert immense effort to produce food.

In order obtain a simple loaf of bread, one needs to plow, plant, fertilize, water, harvest, winnow, thresh, grind, sift, knead, and bake – just to produce edible food which, before the sin, was accessible without any effort.

In the future, after the final redemption, the world will return to this state of perfection. Once the tikkun (rectification) of Adam’s sin is complete, mankind will again live a blissful existence, free of the pressures, burdens and grueling work which we must go through in our current state in order to survive.

The shemitah year provides us with a reminder – and a glimpse – of this ideal existence which once was, and which will one day be. Once in seven years, we do not have to work the land, and instead, “I shall command My blessing toward you” (Vayikra 25:21) – we receive our sustenance directly from Gd. He sends us His blessing to free us from the grueling labor of producing food. This experience reminds us of the past – Gan Eden – and of the future – the world after our final redemption, when we will receive Gd’s blessing without struggle.

This is why the Torah describes the shemitah year as “shabbat l’Hashem – a Sabbath to Gd” (Vayikra 25:2). The Name of Gd in this verse is the Name of “Havayah” (spelled “yod,” “heh,” “yod” and “heh”), which represents a combination of the words “hayah” (“was”), “hoveh” (“is”), and “yiheyeh” (“will be”). This Name signifies Gd’s eternity, the fact that He always existed, still exists, and will always exist. Shemitah is a “shabbat l’Hashem” because it merges together the past, present and future. It gives us a glimpse of the reality in Gan Eden at the beginning of time, and of the reality that we will experience in the future. We are given a yearlong respite from our complicated, difficult reality of struggle and exertion, and are reminded that the day will yet come when we will return to the blissful existence of Gan Eden.

Our Weekly Shemitah

The seven-year shemitah cycle parallels the weekly observance of Shabbat. Just as farmers in Eretz Yisrael till the land for six years and then desist from agricultural work during the seventh year, we work hard during the six days of the workweek, and then refrain from work on Shabbat. Not surprisingly, the weekly Shabbat, like shemitah, is also described as “shabbat l’Hashem Elokecha – a Sabbath for Hashem your Gd” (Shemot 20:10). Shabbat, too, offers us a glimpse of the past and the future; it is a period when, like in Gan Eden and in the future world, we enjoy Gd’s blessings without having to work as we do during the other days.

One of the mitzvot that apply on Shabbat is the obligation to eat three meals. It has been explained that these meals correspond to three special “Shabbatot.” The first represents the first Shabbat after creation, signifying the pristine conditions of Gan Eden. The second Shabbat meal parallels the day of Matan Torah, which, as the Talmud teaches us, occurred on Shabbat. It is through the Torah that we are given the ability – and assigned the responsibility – to work towards rectifying the world, and bringing mankind back to the idyllic conditions of Gan Eden. And se’udah shelishit, the third Shabbat meal, signifies the future redemption, when the world will again attain perfection.

Thus, while we do not observe shemitah here in the Diaspora, we experience the idea of shemitah, on some level, each and every week. Our weekly period of cessation from work, like the septennial break from agricultural activity in the Land of Israel, reminds us of our aspirations to perfect the world and return to Gan Eden. And we are reminded that this is done through the Torah, by committing ourselves to strictly adhere to its laws and values, through which we move mankind closer to perfection.

Using Every Day

There is a famous proverb, sourced in the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 3a), which says “Mi shetarah be’erev Shabbat yochal be’Shabbat – One who exerted effort the day before Shabbat shall eat on Shabbat.” The Shabbat prohibitions require us to prepare before Shabbat in order to experience its special joy and delight. If one spends Friday relaxing, or on a trip, without buying and preparing food, he will be left with nothing to eat on Shabbat, because shopping and cooking are forbidden on Shabbat.

But in truth, this proverb was not actually said about Shabbat. It merely enlists Friday and Shabbat as metaphors for our current world and the world to come. All our preparation for the next world must be done now, before the final redemption arrives. Our enjoyment of the “yom shekulo Shabbat,” the eternal Shabbat, depends upon the extent of our preparations now, the period of “Erev Shabbat,” the limited amount of time we are given to build our share in the next world. If we waste our time now, on “Erev Shabbat,” then we will go into the next world like a person going into Shabbat without having purchased or cooked any delicacies. We will enter the eternal “Shabbat” bereft of the spiritual delights which we would otherwise be enjoying.

One of the difficult challenges of our generation is the challenge of using our time productively. We each carry with us some device with endless lures and distractions. Let us ignore for a moment the problematic content which these devices make accessible; the literally unlimited amount of vanity and meaningless media that threatens to consume – and, unfortunately, does consume – so many hours of precious time. Videos, social media, games, and so many other digital features are specifically designed to keep our eyes glued to the screen. The companies who create these applications profit by luring us and making it exceedingly difficult to keep away. The result is nothing short of tragic – hours upon hours of time each day wasted on useless activity – or, we might say, non-activity.

Imagine if the time spent on our devices was used for learning Torah, for strengthening our relationships with our spouses and children, for volunteering for any of the innumerable worthy institutions and organizations that are woefully understaffed, or for speaking or meeting with lonely friends and family members who need companionship and encouragement. Imagine the kind of “delicacies” we can prepare each and every day if we just free up the time wasted on our screens.

I am not saying this is easy. In the digital age, this is an enormous challenge. But it is a challenge we must overcome if we want to live productive, meaningful lives.

Let us treat each and every day like Erev Shabbat, like a short period of time we are given to prepare. Let us be very careful with what we choose to spend our precious time on, and try to utilize every day to the fullest, preparing all we can for the eternal life in the next world.

Assemblyman Simcha Eisenstein’s Historic CDPAP Legislation

Community Magazine

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May 2022

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Assemblyman Simcha Eisenstein’s Historic CDPAP Legislation

In a monumental win for vulnerable New Yorkers and their caregivers, Bill #A9457, sponsored by Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, has been included in the 2023 state budget.

The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is a New York State Medicaid program that allows eligible individuals to select their own caregivers. The program allows for the consumer to hire a family member or friend as their caregiver, therefore eliminating language barriers and the potential stress of having strangers serve as a caregiver at the consumer’s home.

“Covid-19 has shown us that the need for quality home care services is more important than ever,” said Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein. “As more people are seeking care at home rather than in a nursing home, the demand for qualified caregivers who are caring and compassionate is increasing dramatically. Now is not the time to exclude fiscal intermediaries that have been servicing these vulnerable populations.”

“I would like to thank Assembly Speaker Heastie as well as Governor Hochul for recognizing the significance of this legislation and for their commitment to the health and well-being of all New Yorkers, including the elderly and those with developmental disabilities.”

Enforcement and Education Keys to Fighting Anti-Semitic Crimes

Mayor Eric Adams told Jewish community leaders last month that New York City will need to combine strict enforcement of hate-crime laws along with tolerance education to stem a tide of antisemitic crimes.

There have been 86 complaints of anti-Semitic crimes in 2022, Deputy Inspector Andrew Arias, commander of the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force, told the annual pre-Pesach meeting of Jewish leaders with NYPD brass. The meeting was held this year via Zoom due to the COVID pandemic. 21 of those 86 complaints have been crimes against individuals, such as assault, menacing, or aggravated harassment, while 65 have been property crimes such as vandalism or graffiti, with 45 including the scrawling of swastikas. The 86 anti-Semitic crimes accounted for 45 percent all hate-crime complaints this year, and represent a 258 percent increase from the same period of 2021, according to NYPD data.

Adams is a former NYPD captain who won election in November running a tough-on-crime campaign. He received considerable support from the Orthodox Jewish community. Adams said he will seek to hold 100 dinner events around the city, each including 10 people from various faiths and ethnicities..

Following Monday’s briefing, which he moderated, Inspector Richie Taylor, the NYPD’s highest-ranking yarmulke-wearing officer, said, “New York is the greatest melting pot in the world, and must remain a safe city for people of all backgrounds and faiths to live in. This city is sending a clear message, from the mayor and police commissioner all the way down to the cops on the street, that criminal behavior against anyone will not be tolerated.”

Coney Island Excited to Announce Reopening of 2022 Season

Last month Luna Park in Coney Island reopened for the season.

“Spring ushers in the best time of year with warmer weather and never-ending fun in Coney Island. We are ecstatic to welcome New Yorkers and visitors back to the Amusement District for a year unlike any other,” said Alexandra Silversmith, Executive Director of the Alliance for Coney Island.

On opening day, Luna Park commemorated the 95th birthday of its iconic roller coaster, the Coney Island Cyclone. The first 95 guests who rode the Coney Island Cyclone received a free ride and a drink.

Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park at Coney Island hosted its opening day on April 10th with its decades-long tradition of the “Blessing of the Rides” ceremony. The first 102 guests received a free ride on the Wonder Wheel to commemorate its 102nd anniversary.

“From an amusement park to the aquarium, great food, and the beach, Coney Island is a summer staple for all New Yorkers,” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said. “As we continue to move past the restrictions of the past two years, it’s time to enjoy the historic pastimes our great city has to offer.”

The Case – Domino Effect

Community Magazine

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May 2022

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Jack verbally agreed to sell his home to Sam for the sum of two million four hundred thousand dollars. In preparation for the purchase, Sam put his current home on the market and found a buyer ready to close at one million eight hundred thousand dollars. Both sales were steadily progressing when Bobby, a real estate agent, approached Jack and informed him that another buyer was interested in his property. Jack rejected the offer, explaining that he was already committed to Sam. Bobby and his client aggressively persisted, and repeatedly submitted higher offers for Jack’s home. Ultimately, Jack buckled under pressure and accepted an offer for an additional two hundred thousand dollars for his property. Sam was frustrated by the news, especially since he needed to renege on the sale of his own home. He did his best to convince Jack not to back out, but Bobby, Jack’s new agent, was simultaneously helping Jack to justify his two hundred-thousand-dollar decision. Sam was unwilling to pay more than his original offer, let alone create a price war. Sam turned to our Bet Din for assistance.

How should our Bet Din proceed and why?

Torah Law

According to the ruling of the Shulhan Aruch, the sale of real estate is final after money is transferred and the required legal documentation is signed. In the absence of either payment or a legally documented closing, both the buyer and seller are not legally bound to finalize a sale.

Albeit, in many instances reneging in an advanced stage of a real estate purchase can result in penalty fees for damages and the like.

Nevertheless, even prior to the signing of an enforceable agreement between a buyer and seller, there exists a moral and ethical obligation to uphold their verbal agreement. This ethical obligation is recorded in the Talmud and in the laws of the Shulhan Aruch. Our sages labeled one who reneges on his word as an untrustworthy individual. They further expressed their view of one who reneges on a verbal agreement by classifying the offender as possessing unsatisfactory social behavior.

By contrast, our Sages extend immeasurable blessing to men of their word. Hence, aside from earning a fine reputation, Divine providence assists a man who is true to his word.

By Torah law, a third party who wrongfully interferes in a purchase by snatching a deal away from a buyer is publicly denounced by a Bet Din. Such deplorable conduct is not tolerated by a Bet Din and such an individual is labeled as wicked and evil. This severe restriction of wrongful interference applies to any instance in which a buyer and seller had a confirmed verbal agreement to complete a sale. Thus, the restriction is only applicable if the sale would have come to fruition if not for a third party deliberately interfering.

It is important to note, that deal snatching is restricted even if the third party is willing to pay more for the property.

A real estate agent interested in earning a commission is as well included in the above restriction. An agent who is made aware that a property is spoken for, and deliberately interferes by prying away the property, is subject to the same penalty and treatment by a Bet Din. Too often, agents who regularly interact in the market are found guilty of wrongful interference. This restriction is compounded when an agent influences a buyer or a seller to snatch a deal away from another. Serving as an accomplice to such activity is shameful and promotes corruption within our community.

Lastly, although deal snatching is a severe wrongdoing, if a third party interferes and purchases the property, the sale is nevertheless final. Since the original buyer did not have a binding agreement with the seller, he is legally unprotected from a potential snatcher. Apparently, it was the wishes of our Sages that certain business laws be subject to an honor system. As Jews we have a responsibility to live honorably and respectably.

Hence, it is our fervent responsibility not to renege on our word and surely not to deal snatch.

Not long ago, our community interacted with nobility of character and in good faith. Even without extensive Torah knowledge, our grandparents understood right from wrong and naturally conducted themselves in accordance with Torah law. Their ability to do so stemmed from their deep respect and admiration for each other, and from training, which was embedded in their noble spirit.

VERDICT: Fair Warning

Our Bet Din issued a warning to Bobby, the real estate agent, that if he continues to wrongfully interfere with Sam’s verbal agreement to purchase Jack’s property, action will be taken against him. A Bet Din has the halachic right to publicly denounce someone who is wrongfully attempting to snatch a deal from another. Bobby’s interference was detrimental and halachically forbidden, and if he chose to violate Torah law, our Bet Din would have no choice but to subject him to the measures discussed in the Torah law section of this article. Thereafter, our Bet Din explained to Jack the immeasurable blessing gifted to those who honor their word, and the negative consequences in store for those who conduct themselves in an unsatisfactory manner, such as those who renege on their word. Jack acted honorably and sold his property to Sam for the original price agreed upon.

Not long thereafter, Jack contacted our Bet Din to thank us for our guidance. He informed us that Bobby’s client was not approved by the bank for a mortgage to purchase a smaller, less expensive property. Jack explained that had he reneged on Sam, it is likely he would have lost out on both customers.

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YOU BE THE JUDGE

Better Late Than Never

Rachel rented an elaborate gown for her granddaughter’s upcoming wedding. The terms of the rental included a one-time wearing of the gown for the price of fifteen hundred dollars. After wearing the gown on the night of the festive wedding occasion, the next morning Rachel experienced pain on one side of her body and shortness of breath. She wisely phoned an ambulance and was rushed to the hospital before losing consciousness. In the hospital she recovered quickly and was discharged only a week after being admitted. When she returned home, she remembered that it was her responsibility to return the gown to the store it was rented from within three days of usage. When she finally called the store and explained her predicament, the store owner patiently explained that since the gown was not returned as scheduled, he lost a paying customer that was scheduled to rent the gown. Rachel explained that she lived alone, and her family was unaware of the urgency of the prompt return of the gown. The store owner sympathized with her condition but reasoned that she rented the gown knowing the consequences of a late return. In Bet Din, he further claimed that he understands that Rachel fell ill, however, renting a gown is like renting a car, if for any reason you do not return it, you are required to pay.

Is Rachel required to reimburse the store owner with an additional fifteen hundred dollars in damages for the lost customer? How should the Bet Din rule and why?

@HungryMom’s Food Diary – Pastrami Pizza

Community Magazine

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May 2022

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@HungryMom’s Food Diary – Pastrami Pizza

We’re now on to our next segment of HungryMom’s Food diary which is Pizza. That definitely doesn’t mean plain old sauce and cheese. I love serving different types of pizzas for appetizers in both dairy and meat dinners (obviously keeping that non-dairy.) This week I’m starting off with one of our favorites. I like to serve this when during dinner parties or even for Shabbat lunch.

I always buy store bought frozen pizza balls. The way I defrost and proof the dough is as follows. I put a nice amount of olive oil on a plastic plate. I put the frozen dough on the plate with the oil, flip it so both sides get covered in oil, and put a piece of saran wrap lightly on top. I leave it out on my counter for a few hours until I’m ready to use it. I then roll it out lightly and put it on a greased pizza tray. It’s hard to get the exact shape so I gently push the pizza dough all around with my hands to cover the pizza tray.

Now for our pastrami topping.

Ingredients

Half an onion

Olive oil

¼ lb pastrami

¼ lb Mexican turkey

2 tbsp duck sauce

3 tbsp spicy brown mustard

BBQ sauce

Jalapeno

Garlic mayo

Sauté half an onion in 1-2 tbsp of oil until translucent. Add in ¼ lb of sliced deli pastrami, and ¼ lb of sliced deli turkey, my favorite is Mexican turkey, and sauté for around 3 minutes.
Add in 3 tbsp spicy brown mustard and 2 tbsp duck sauce. Lower the flame to a lower heat and cook for around 5 minutes, mixing every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Meanwhile brush BBQ sauce on the pizza dough, and spread the deli mixture on top.
Bake on 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, until the pizza dough cooks.
Before serving – slice jalapenos and arrange on pizza, and drizzle spicy mayo.

The Loyal Shepherd: Rabbi Elie Khalife, zt”l

Community Magazine

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May 2022

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The Loyal Shepherd: Rabbi Elie Khalife, zt”l

On 6 Adar I (February 7), our community and the Jewish word lost a Torah giant, a father and a leader, a figure who had served as the last link to the sages of previous generations.

Hacham Elie Khalife was the grandson of the famous kabbalist Hacham Nissim Indibo, Chief Rabbi of Damascus and head of the city’s Bet Din. (Hacham Nissim, a disciple of the illustrious kabbalist Hacham Yitzhak Abulafia, was the rabbi who accompanied the Israeli spy Ellie Cohen during his final moments before his execution by the Syrian authorities, reciting vidui (confession) with him.) Tragically, Hacham Elie lost his father when he was just three years old, and his esteemed grandfather became his mentor and guide. He lived in his grandfather’s house, which was near the Shevet Ahim synagogue. Every night, young Elie would join his grandfather in the El Atiq bet midrash where they would study Zohar and Hok LeYisrael, and recite Tikkun Hatzot.

Already at a young age, Hacham Elie exhibited a fierce passion for learning. He mastered all areas of Torah, including Kabbalah, the study of which flourished in Damascus during this period. He studied shehitah (the laws of slaughtering animals to produce kosher meat) under Hacham Yitzhak Assa. He also learned to be a mohel, a hazzan, and a ba’al koreh, and blew the shofar.

After Hacham Nissim’s passing, Hacham Ellie succeeded his grandfather as the city’s Chief Rabbi. People of all backgrounds – Jews and non-Jews alike, including government officials – flocked to him to receive his blessings.

The hacham devoted himself tirelessly and selflessly to the needs of Syria’s Jews. He would travel by bus to Aleppo to perform a berit, refusing compensation. He would even travel to the town of Kamishle, near the Turkish border, to perform shehitah and tend to the needs of the community.

As a child, I had the great privilege of praying with Hacham Elie every Shabbat in the Kitab El Dewer synagogue. He would arrive an hour-and-a-half early in order to prepare and recite the introductory Patah Eliyahu prayer. I, along with several others, took this opportunity to learn with the rabbi, and he joyfully taught us without ever asking for any renumeration.

“Come Before Him With Song”

“Serve Gd with joy, come before Him with song” (Tehillim 100:2 ). Nobody embodied this verse better than Hacham Elie. He exuded palpable, contagious joy in the service of Hashem. As a gifted hazzan, he loved singing and hearing other hazzanim sing praises to Gd.

Through his example, leadership and inspiration, the synagogue produced numerous scholars, hazzanim, ba’aleh koreh, and shofar blowers. The joy and enthusiasm with which he performed each and every mitzvah inspired others to want to emulate him.

During his final moments of life, I was with his sons at his bedside in the hospital, reciting Tehillim, and I began singing the hacham’s favorite song – Lichvod Hemdat Levavi, a song sung in honor of the great prophet, Eliyahu. The rabbi sang this song countless times, every time he performed a berit. Although he was in a coma, his left eye opened as we sang. Even in his state of physical incapacitation, his soul was enjoying the beautiful song of praise for Eliyahu.

Concealing His Greatness

The hacham’s humility was extraordinary, and almost hard to believe. In his own synagogue, which he led, he sat in the back. He dressed simply, just like an ordinary layman, except on Shabbat. His wife once suggested that he wear a tie and suit, but he said he preferred dressing like everybody else. He would get around the city by bicycle, often with a chicken in the back for a poor family. He performed an extraordinary amount of hesed, helping so many widows, orphans and other people in need, without anybody knowing. The hacham gave the appearance of a simple, ordinary Jew, concealing his outstanding piety and scholarship.

Rabbis would often ask him to write kamiot (amulets) for people who needed assistance. The hacham would comply, but he always requested that the rabbis never reveal the source of the kamiot, so nobody would attribute them to him.

He treated all people – scholar and layman, rich and poor, young and old – with great respect, but refused to accept honor from others. At my wedding, I needed to leave the huppah in order to bring Hacham Elie to stand together with the other rabbis. If he was invited to a hanukat habayit, and there was another rabbi present, he would insist that the other rabbi receive all the honor, while he sat and read the text quietly.

Of course, his efforts to conceal his greatness ultimately proved unsuccessful. As an outstanding scholar, produced by a generation of Torah giants, his stature was recognized and appreciated by all. One year, during kapparot before Yom Kippur, I approached a group of hassidic Jews who had come to do kapparot with Hacham Elie, and I asked them why they came to the hacham, instead of doing kapparot with their own rabbis. They explained that they looked forward to this the entire year, because everything Hacham Elie did followed the wisdom of kabbalistic tradition.

At the hacham’s funeral, 3,000 people of all different backgrounds – Sepharadim, Ashkenazim, hasidim, children, and adults – assembled on a cold, dreary, rainy day to pay their respects – testifying to the remarkably wide array of Jews whose lives he touched, and for whom he provided great inspiration.

“It’s the Creator of the World!”

People flocked to the hacham’s house for his blessings, which helped so many people overcome so many hardships. They would come and pour their hearts out before him, and he graciously blessed them. Even when he himself was dealing with his own difficult medical conditions, he listened attentively and patiently to everybody who came to him, felt their pain, expressed his genuine concern, and offered a heartfelt prayer on their behalf. He was famous for placing his large hands over the people’s heads and forcing their heads downward, indicating that one must humble himself in order to receive blessing. No matter what kind of hardship the person was experiencing, the hacham assured him that his Father in heaven is capable of changing any situation and resolving any problem. Indeed, there were occasions when the situation seemed hopeless, and even when doctors determined that a patient could not be cured, but Gd listened to Hacham Elie’s prayers and rescued the person in need.

His blessings and prayers wrought miracles for so many people. Whenever somebody would thank Hacham Elie for his blessing which helped them, he would point his finger to the sky and say, “It’s the Creator of the world! The Almighty is the one to whom we owe such immense gratitude! He is the one who deserve our praises and appreciation!”

The Joy of Serving Hashem

The hacham endured a great deal of hardship throughout his life. His father, as mentioned, died during his childhood. He lost his wife and lived alone for many years. He suffered from poor health, underwent many surgeries, and experienced a great amount of pain. And yet, despite all his personal suffering, he focused not on his own problems, but rather on Am Yisrael. He was always concerned about his fellow Jew in distress, and not about himself.

Hacham Elie’s greatest joy was helping other people and serving Hashem. He never went on vacation, because he felt no need to take a break from what he was doing and go away. He experienced happiness through the kindness he extended to other people, and through the mitzvot he performed. He did not need anything else.

He also found joy in all the simple blessings of life. He rejoiced every time it rained, particularly when rain fell on Friday night. He found it foolish that most people complain about the rain and how it “ruins” their day. For him, rainfall is an expression of Hashem literally showering the earth with His abundant blessings.

Rabbi Khalife has left us, but consistent with his limitless care and concern for the Jewish people, he ensured to leave behind his two sons, Rabbi David Khalife and Rabbi Rahamim Khalife, both of whom, inspired by his greatness and guided by his teachings, are outstanding scholars and role models. Like their father and great-grandfather, they devote themselves tirelessly to Torah study, and observe Tikkun Hatzot each night from midnight until the early dawn hours, sitting in ashes and mourning the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash. They then spend their entire day learning and teaching Torah.

Hacham Elie passed away on 6 Adar – the day before 7 Adar, the yahrtzeit of Moshe Rabbenu. Like Moshe Rabbenu, he, too, was a teacher who communicated the Torah to his people, and a loyal shepherd who tended to his flock with unbridled love and selfless commitment. And just as Moshe Rabbenu continues to live through our loyal study and observance of the Torah he gave us, so will Hacham Elie continue to live through our perpetuation of his precious legacy of Torah, hesed and true joy in the service of Gd

Charm Spray

Community Magazine

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May 2022

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We live in a very competitive world. At times there are one hundred people vying for the same position, and one hundred companies trying to sell the same product. And so we become apprehensive. We see so many people who seem to be better than us against whom we need to compete, and other products that are better than ours whose companies are fighting for the market. A medical student sits in class with dozens of other aspiring doctors, and he thinks to himself, They’re smarter than I am. I don’t have a chance!

We need to repeatedly remind ourselves that we know the One Who made other people smart, and He can just as easily make us smart. There are no boundaries in life. Everything is available to everyone. All we have to do is speak to the only One Who truly matters.

Even if the product one is trying to sell is clearly inferior to others, it could still generate sales. Sometimes companies who have had limited success will suddenly find that a product starts selling like crazy, everyone wants it, and the company cannot even keep up with the demand, causing the price to skyrocket. A man I know sold children’s costume wigs and made a nice living. In 2007, there was a craze for Hanna Montana, and so this fellow took the same wig he had been selling for many years and put a Hanna Montana label on it. Millions of his wigs sold. In 1996, there was an Elmo doll selling for $28.99 apiece until there was a sudden demand, and the price rose by hundreds of dollars. There were even reports of that doll selling for $1,500 apiece. The same thing happened in 2006.

Why does this happen? How could a product suddenly become popular?

In a shmuz Rabbi Moshe Malka said that Hashem has a special “spray,” so to speak, which we might call “charm spray.” When He decides a product should sell, He “sprays” it, and suddenly everyone wants it. Hashem can give products a certain “charm” that makes them popular, and He can also give people a certain charm. A person could be less qualified than others for a certain job but yet be hired because Hashem gives him chein – charm – in the employer’s eyes. Hazal teach us (Bereisheet Rabbah 39: 13) that Esther was 75 years old at the time Achashverosh chose her over all the other maidens in his kingdom, from Hodu until Kush, to be his queen. And the Gemara (Megillah 13a) says that she had a greenish complexion and refused to wear cosmetics or perfumes. She was chosen, the Gemara (ibid.) explains, because “Hashem granted her a certain charm,” and this was all she needed. Similarly, when Yosef HaTzaddik was thrown into jail, Hashem gave him chein in the eyes of the prison warden (Bereisheet 39:21) – “And he was appointed the one in charge of the prison.”

How does a person earn this special “charm”? We have to recognize that Hashem is the only One Who counts, and not become sidetracked by our impressions. It appears as though the people with whom we deal are the ones who control our fate, and we therefore enslave ourselves to them, trying to please them and earn their favor. But the truth is that our fate depends only on Gd. The Chovot HaLevavot (end of Shaar HaBitachon) writes that the more directly a certain cause appears to affect us, the less powerful that cause actually is, and the more indirect the cause appears, the more powerful it actually is. For example, when a police officer issues a ticket, his decision and actions are the direct cause of the ticket. But the truth is that he does not have the power to make you pay for that ticket. He is under the authority of the sergeant, who is himself under the authority of the lieutenant, who is under the authority of the police chief, who is under the authority of the mayor. The higher up one is in this hierarchy, the less directly he was involved in the ticket, but the greater his authority to determine whether you are responsible for that ticket. Similarly, the people we deal with in our lives are not the ones with the authority and control. Let us not be fooled. Everyone is under the authority of Gd and answers to Him. And the more we recognize this, the more blessings we will enjoy.

Once Upon a Thyme – Deconstructed Taco Pizza

Community Magazine

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May 2022

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Once Upon a Thyme – Deconstructed Taco Pizza

Pizza is the perfect food. It can be eaten without cutlery and appeals to people of all ages. Virtually any flavor combination can be translated into a pizza form. Although the thought of pizza tends to invoke cheese and tomato sauce vibes, meat pizzas are equally delicious. This taco style pizza is a great weeknight dinner idea or can work as a superb Shabbat meal appetizer as well.

Ingredients:

2 large onions, cut lengthwise

1 tbsp canola oil

1 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 package of frozen store-bought pizza dough, thawed

½ red bell pepper, sliced into strips

½ yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

1 tsp olive oil 1 avocado, cubed

1 cup black beans

1 hard taco shell or 1 cup tortilla chips

½ cup fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large pan, sauté onions in canola oil until golden. Remove half for pizza topping.
Add ground beef to half the onions in the pot and cook on a medium flame until browned. Use a potato masher or fork to break up beef into small pieces.
Add tomato paste, salt, and taco seasoning to the pan and cover to cook, about 20 more minutes.
Stretch or roll out room temperature pizza dough until thin.
Spread the ground beef evenly on the raw pizza dough.
Bake pizza uncovered for 10-15 minutes until the bottom is crisp and lightly golden.
Place pepper strips in a separate pan with olive oil, minced garlic, and salt to taste. Bake for 15 minutes.
Top with reserved onions, roasted peppers, black beans, and avocado.
1 Top with crumbled taco shell or tortilla chips, and fresh parsley.

Riddles – May 2022

Community Magazine

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May 2022

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Riddle: Egg-Zactly

Submitted by: Martin L.

If 5 peacocks lay 10 eggs in two days, how many peacocks will lay 100 eggs in 24 days?

Last Month’s Riddle: Flower Garden

You planted sunflower seeds in your back garden. Every day, the number of flowers doubles. If it takes 52 days for the flowers to fill the garden, how many days would it take for them to fill half the garden?

Solution: It would take 51 days. If the number of flowers doubles every day, half the garden would be full the day before, on the 51st day.

Solved by: The Tawil Family, Morris B., and The Shmulster.

Junior Riddle: Chess Masters

Submitted by: Barbra H.

Two girls played and completed five games of chess. Each of them won the same number of games and there weren’t any draws. How did it happen?

Last Month’s Junior Riddle: What Am I?

I can be driven, but I do not have wheels. I can be sliced, but I always remain whole. What am I?

Solution: A golf ball!

Solved by: Eddie F., The Shmulster, The Tawil Family, and Big Mike.

The Community’s Torah Experience of The Year Misiinatiion

Community Magazine

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May 2022

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The Community’s Torah Experience of The Year Misiinatiion

I C TURE T H E S CENE- hundreds of guests seated in a magnificently decorated social hall, berachot from Gedolei Yisrael, an elaborate dinner, top of the line entertainment… this may sound like a fancy VIP wedding, but it’s actually a union of a different sort. It’s the Annual Yeshivat Shaare Torah Mishnathon, the dream of Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Hillel Haber, shlita. Now in its fifth year, the Mishnathon has truly become a community phenomenon. The guests are all study partners, or havrutot. Fathers pair off with sons, students with rebbes, friends and relatives unite. They sign up in pairs and commit to learn a designated portion of the Shisha Sidre Mishna for one hour, all together under the same roof, on Lag B’Omer in order to collectively complete the Siyum.

THE PARTICIPANTS COME F ROM A DIVERSE RANGE OF SCHOOLS AND SHULS IN THE COMMUNITY AND JOIN TOGETHER FOR THIS COMMON GOAL, ALL WHILE RAISING MONEY FOR Y ESHIVAT SHAARE TORAH, AN INSTITUTION THAT HAS BEEN PRODUCING RABBIS AND L EADERS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR THE PAST FORTY YEARS.

Once the teams are enrolled they receive preparation booklets for the portions they will be
learning, and work towards reaching their specified pledge amounts. And then the countdown begins… Seating plans are meticulously arranged, the menu is carefully selected, and every detail is mapped out by the Mishnathon team.

Since its inception in 2018, the event has certainly evolved, but the heart of the program has stayed the same. Hundreds of boys and men of all ages come together on Lag B’Omer to learn in unity, as one whole with a common goal – to complete the entire Shas Mishnayot.

The buildup is thrilling, and the night exceeds all expectations, year in and year out.

Last year, the attendees were especially privileged to be greeted by, Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Philadelphia Yeshiva, one of the Gedolei HaDor. The Rosh Yeshiva was invited to recite the Hadran, the closing portion of the Mishna, and complete the Siyum. The achdut and love of Torah that this event inspires is what prompted the Rosh Yeshiva to be a part of it. A special song was played by the band as the Rosh Yeshiva was escorted to the stage. His warm and regal bearing left a tremendous impression on the crowd. Also in attendance was famed author and internationally acclaimed speaker Rabbi Yechiel Spero. The audience was quite moved and inspired by his words.

Each stage of this endearing and spectacular evening is perfectly thought out and executed. Participants enter the lobby at cocktail hour and a delicious and vast array of hors d’oeuvres is set up for them to enjoy until the program begins. They then enter the main ballroom, and after praying minha and arbit, Rabbi David Haber, who puts his heart and soul into everything he does, makes the introductory remarks.

Last year, a special Yehi Ratzon was recited by Rabbi Hillel Haber, shlita, and a blessing for the entire kahal was recited by Rabbi Shlomo Diamond.

And then the learning begins! One hour of frenziedspirituality commences. The young boys see firsthand what it’s like to learn in the holy tumult of a large-scale yeshiva. As hundreds upon hundreds of voices clamor to be heard, fathers shout excitedly to their sons across the table. Everyone is engaged in the unified task of completing the Shas together – right there, in one hour.

As the night reaches a fevered pitch and the learning comes to a close, silence falls upon the crowd.

When the Siyum is completed, it’s the high point of the evening, and the realization of a dream.

Six benefactors, representing the six Sidre Mishna ascend the stage, one by one, and take their place to say kaddish. It’s a very spiritual and holy time, where the zechut of learning the entire Shas is dedicated in memory of loved ones. One previous benefactor reported that of all the dedications he’d made, and all of the causes he had donated to over the year of his father’s passing, the kaddish of this Mishnathon was the most moving and meaningful.

In this day and age, as technology encroaches on all but the most sacred of times, and when factions of our Jewish nation feel splintered and divided, the elements of the Mishnathon help us recalibrate what our priorities and goals are, or should be.

Last year, at the 2021 Mishnathon, fifty rabbis, representing various community schools and congregations, were honored, and received a beautiful token of appreciation. It was yet another lesson for our children to take home, showing them what our priorities are, and where our kavod is worthy of going.

After the ceremony is concluded, live music instantaneously erupts from the talented band and stellar performers. Last year, world famous superstars Yaakov Shwekey and Simcha Leiner serenaded the crowd, along with the Energy band keeping the beat.

Watching community icons break out in spontaneous dance along with the next generation of community leaders, you couldn’t help but want to part of the joyous celebration.

After 32 days without music due to the Omer, and coming off the spiritual high of the learning and Siyum, being a part of this spectacular live performance is a thrilling and unabashed delight.

A delicious seated dinner is then served, after which the dancing continues, and a candle is lit in a moving memorial to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

The Kumzitz that follows is emotional and spiritual. Leaving the crowd warm and inspired, it’s the perfect cap to a high energy and powerful night.

PART OF THE BEAUTY OF THE NIGHT, ASIDE FROM THE SPECTACULAR LINEUP AND SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, I S THE UNITY I T IMPARTS. BOYS AND MEN FROM ALL YESHIVOT AND CONGREGATIONS COME TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF. YESHIVAT SHAARE TORAH MAY BE THE HOST, BUT ALL ARE WELCOME AND EMBRACED. THE TREMENDOUS KIDDUSH HASHEM THIS INVOKES CAN NOT B E QUANTIFIED. AHAVAT YISRAEL, LOVING OUR FELLOW JEW, AND YIRAT SHAMAYIM, FEAR OF GD, ARE THE CORNERSTONES OF OUR RELIGION, AND THEY COME TOGETHER I N T H I S UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL EVENT.

Although each team of the Mishnathon has just a portion to contribute, the impact is immeasurable. 250 pairs of Havrutot are needed in order to make the Siyum complete, and each pair must do their part. But it doesn’t end there. The band, the musicians, the catering and decorating committee, the sponsors and donors are each an integral part of this uniquely beautiful and heart warming undertaking.

What an exemplary lesson in how every person in Am Yisrael is vital and necessary.

As one proud participant reflected on the experience, “There was something very special taking place, from the first minute to the last. It was the highlight of my year.”

May the Mishnathon continue to unite the community in this beautiful milestone year after year, in good health and shalom.

For more information visit themishnathon.com