Thirteen diverse New York elected leaders invoke the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. to inspire a new coalition against history’s oldest hate
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, unveiled the Center’s 2015 Top Ten Anti-Semitic/Anti-Israel Incidents. “Last year was a disastrous year. We are confronting an unprecedented and toxic combination of terrorist threats, an online sub-culture of hate, and theologically and ideologically fueled anti-Semitism… To defeat anti-Semitism, we need to build new coalitions. Today’s remarkable turnout, representing the full diversity of the great City of New York, is an important step in the right direction, but we need to do more… We call on President Obama to convene a summit on anti-Semitism in the coming months.”
Council Member Mark Levine, Chair of the New York City Council Jewish Caucus and the chairman of the event, said, “With an uptick in anti-Semitic incidents around New York City and across the globe, it is more important than ever to denounce such hate and build coalitions based on compassion and mutual understanding. The Simon Wiesenthal Center shines a light on anti-Semitic acts around the world in order to raise awareness about hate-fueled attacks against Jews with their annual list of “Top Ten Worst Global Anti-Semitic/Anti-Israel Incidents.”
“As we hit upon the dawn of Dr. King’s birthday, we remember he taught us that if good men and women fail to speak out, then hatred will never be defeated,” said Assembly Member Walter Mosely (D-Brooklyn). “Dr. King wasn’t just about a dream, but about acts and solidarity.”
“The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Top Ten are but the tip of the iceberg, but they reveal that the mega-events start with hate at home and on the streets. If we’re not careful, they can turn into the new normal,” said Council Member Rory I. Lancman (D-Queens).
Council Member Chaim Deutsch (D-Brooklyn) spoke emotionally: “As a son of Holocaust survivors, I was raised to respect all human beings, whatever their race, nationality, religion, or creed. Today’s event is a reminder of the need for New Yorkers to work together and speak out against all hate crimes.”
Council Member Mathieu Eugene (D-Brooklyn) denounced the so-called BDS movement that lobbies for the boycotting of the Jewish State: “I remember visiting the pediatric ward of a hospital in Israel, in which a Haitian child who survived the earthquake, but suffered from a disease that couldn’t be treated in Haiti, was recovering. Lying alongside him were Jewish, Arab and other youngsters from around the world. That is the true face of Israel, which I will always cherish and seek to protect.”
“Echoing sentiments expressed by every speaker, an attack against a Jewish person is an attack against all of us,” said Council Member Mark Treyger, Chair of the Brooklyn Council Delegation. “The NYPD informed me that Jews are the number one victims of hate crimes in New York City. We will continue to march with other groups so that no one – no Jew, Christian, or Muslim – has to be afraid.”
Council Member Barry Grodenchik (D-Queens) referred to the historic fact that “my district, which includes Flushing, Queens, was the community that first invited persecuted minorities to settle in what was then the New World. Now in 2016, we are again confronted with that same persecution.”
State Assembly Member David I. Weprin (D-Queens) said: “Seventy years after the Holocaust, it’s hard to believe these incidents are happening. Hate crimes are also targeting other minorities in my district who’ve come from as far away as South Asia.”
Council Member Margaret Chin (D-Manhattan) spoke of the unique solidarity and friendship that Holocaust survivors who reached safe haven in Shanghai during World War II have established with elderly Chinese immigrants who are now residents in New York.
Among the other attendees at the press conference were Council Member Andrew Cohen, Council Member Daniel Garodnick, Council Member David Greenfield, Mark Weitzman (the Wiesenthal Center’s Director of Governmental Affairs), and Michael Cohen (the Eastern Director of the Wiesenthal Center).
Laser Light Show at Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe
Did you know that laser light beams read music on a CD player, scan bar codes at the super market, can cut metal, and are used in laser eye surgery? They also guide missiles and are used in nuclear research. But what has the entire school jumping and clapping was the laser light shows specially created for yeshivos. Boys watched in awe as the words Siyum HaShas appeared on the screen, followed by laser created pictures of the g’dolei ha’dor and the Beis HaMikdash. Miami Boys Choir’s “Light Up the Nights” accompanied an explosive light show. The boys watched the space ship take off as it brought the first man to the moon and the boats that brought many great-grandparents to America, past the Statue of Liberty. The boys sang “Candle Light,” and when the screen lit up with “Yesh Tikvah,” every boy from Kindergarten through Grade 6 couldn’t stop singing and cheering. Their enthusiasm was wonderful to see and hear. Our boys made a true kiddush Hashem. We can’t wait until February when the boys will climb inside a 19-foot globe to learn about the earth. Thank you to the Parents Association for helping to sponsor this educational laser light show.
Yeshiva University Students Present North America’s Largest Jewish Book Sale, February 7-28
The students of Yeshiva University will hold their annual Seforim Sale, North America’s largest Jewish book sale, from Sunday, February 7, to Sunday, February 28, in Belfer Hall, 2495 Amsterdam Avenue, on YU’s Wilf Campus in Manhattan. The sale is operated entirely by YU students – from ordering books to setting up the premises, marketing, and all the technology the project demands.
Last year the acclaimed Judaica book sale drew more than 15,000 people from the tri-state area and grossed more than $700,000 in sales. The annual event provides discounted prices on the latest of nearly 10,000 titles in rabbinic and academic literature, cookbooks, and children’s books. The 2016 Seforim Sale will also offer a wide range of music and Judaica options from around the world.
The Seforim Sale has become a highlight for the YU community, as students, alumni, and members of the community gather to visit their alma mater, see old friends, and add books to their personal libraries. Proceeds from the sale support various initiatives, including student activities on campus and undergraduate scholarships.
“The Seforim Sale offers one of the largest selections of Jewish works available,” said Sarah Sheps, the Seforim Sale’s director of marketing. “There are titles to suit every taste, and we hope the community will take part, both on campus or online, in this annual YU event.”
Those who cannot attend the sale can take advantage of the great prices and vast catalog selection by ordering online on the Seforim Sale’s website. For a complete listing of dates and times, to purchase gift certificates, or to view the online catalog, visit www.theseforimsale.com.
YCQ Engineering Club
At the Yeshiva of Central Queens, the grade 8 students participating in the afterschool Engineering Club have been learning about different aspects of engineering while at the same time realizing that science and technology are fun. The participants in the club have the opportunity to learn about how the world works through science, technology, and engineering by using hands-on experiments that encourage teamwork, independent thinking, and problem solving. This week, the students used different materials to design and build structures that could hold varying weights. This program introduces the JHS students to the exciting world of designing, building, and using machines and structures that will help make our lives easier. YCQ is introducing an engineering component to science this year as part of the STEM curriculum that will benefit them at yeshivah high schools, colleges, and into their futures.
Agra D’Pirka Sponsors Legal Holiday Shiur With HaRav Noach Isaac Oelbaum Discussing K’vurah In Eretz Yisrael
Recently, HaRav Noach Isaac Oelbaum spoke to the Kew Gardens Hills community on the subject of k’vurah in Eretz Yisrael. The community-wide shiur was given on behalf of the Queens Chapter of Agra D’Pirka, the Morning Kollel.
The fascinating and comprehensive shiur explored the topic of whether k’vurah in Eretz Yisrael is proper for those living in chutz la’Aretz. According to Rav Oelbaum, the topic appears in Parshas VaY’chi, when Yaakov Avinu was on his deathbed and instructed his son Yosef, “Al na sikbereini b’Mitzrayim.” Rashi gives several reasons why Yaakov insisted on this, many of which were specific to Mitzrayim. For example, he realized that the destiny of Mitzrayim would be that the soil will turn to lice during makas kinim. Yaakov said that they would crawl beneath his body and he didn’t want that.
But Rashi continues to say that Yaakov knew that the meisim of chutz la’Aretz will not rise up during T’chiyas HaMeisim except through tzaar gilgul m’chilos. We don’t know exactly what this means, but it is speaking about the pain of rolling through the tunnels. Yaakov wanted to avoid this tzaar.
Another reason, says Rashi, is that Yaakov was concerned that the Mitzrim would deify him.
But why did the Avos yearn to davka be buried in Eretz Yisrael? There are two inyanim, said Rav Oelbaum. The first is because during T’chiyas HaMeisim, those who are buried in Eretz Yisrael will rise first. Meisei chutz la’Aretz will also rise, but they’ll have to wait. As a matter of fact, he added that according to tradition the meisim who are buried on Har HaZeisim will truly be the first.
Rav Chanina adds that those who are buried in chutz la’Aretz really die twice. How? Because all the ehrliche Yidden who are buried in chutz la’Aretz will have to roll towards Eretz Yisrael. Imagine, said Rav Oelbaum, traveling underground from New York to Eretz Yisrael. It could be a long and difficult trip. It will be a much less painful process if one is buried in Eretz Yisrael.
Also, we learn from the Gemara in K’subos that being buried in Eretz Yisrael is like being buried under the Mizbei’ach. This means that merely being buried in Eretz Yisrael is a kaparah. The Mizbei’ach is the seat of atonement for klal Yisrael. So there’s a positive maaleh, and that’s to provide a kaparah for a person after his death, which every individual needs.
It would seem like an open-and-shut case, said Rav Oelbaum, except that there are those who say it’s a chisaron to be buried in Eretz Yisrael when one is niftar in chutz la’Aretz. There is a Yerushalmi about an Amora named Rabbi bar Korei’a. He was walking through the streets with Rav Lezer and they saw many coffins being brought from chutz la’Aretz to Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi bar Korei’a said to Rav Lezer, “What do these people think they are accomplishing?” He quoted a pasuk in sefer Yirmiyahu stating that bringing niftarim to Eretz Yisrael is an abomination. “A meis is m’tamei and you are bringing tum’ah into Eretz Yisrael.”
Furthermore, he stated, these people lived their whole lives in chutz la’Aretz. They enjoyed all the conveniences there. Now all of a sudden they want to be buried in Eretz Yisrael? They show up with their dead bodies and are m’tamei the land.
Rav Lezer did not completely agree. He felt that the earth of Eretz Yisrael is a kaparah for them. And the pasuk in Yirmiyahu actually refers to something else.
All agree, however, that it’s a great idea to be buried in Eretz Yisrael if one actually lives there. There’s no question about that. But Bar Korei’a was against coming to Eretz Yisrael just for burial.
We find that the Zohar HaKadosh has the same opinion as the Yerushalmi. So it’s a big inyan to live in Eretz Yisrael and to subsequently be buried there. But for one who lives in chutz la’Aretz, the Zohar agrees with Rabbi bar Korei’a and the Yerushalmi. They all decry the practice of living in chutz la’Aretz and being buried in Eretz Yisrael.
That should not be shocking, said Rav Oelbaum, because many times the Zohar HaKadosh differs with the Bavli. “It’s not uncommon at all.” And, in fact, there are many Amora’im in the Bavli who insisted on being buried in Eretz Yisrael even though they were niftar in chutz la’Aretz. Tzadikim were m’chabed k’vuras Eretz Yisrael even if they were niftar outside of Eretz Yisrael. This, he says, is a classic case where Toras HaNiglah, the Talmud Bavli, differs in opinion from the Toras HaNistar, the Zohar HaKadosh.
Now, says Rav Oelbaum, we look at the sifrei halachah for the bottom line. The Rambam, he said, agrees that it’s a maaleh to have k’vurah in Eretz Yisrael. The P’nei Yehoshua, the Divrei Yoel, and the Sheivet HaLevi all seem to agree, although they point out that it’s a greater z’chus if one had been living in Eretz Yisrael first and then had k’vurah there.
According to the Rambam, in spite of the fact that the person lived his whole life in chutz la’Aretz, the mere burial is a kaparah and tremendous z’chus. And that’s how we pasken. It may not be for everyone, but it’s a “gevaldige maaleh.”
Rav Oelbaum then discussed a fascinating question that was presented to Rav Ovadia Yosef. A woman who was not married and had been living in chutz la’Aretz suddenly suffered a heart attack while visiting Eretz Yisrael. Unfortunately, she was nifteres and she was buried there. But during her lifetime she strongly expressed her desire to be buried near her father in Elmont, New York. And now her surviving sister wants to have her disinterred and brought back to America to be reinterred.
The sister went to the American Consulate to ask for a permit. But the chevrah kadisha asked a sh’eilah on whether this would be permitted. The answer is that it’s very difficult to bring someone who’s already buried in Eretz Yisrael back to chutz la’Aretz.
It was based on a t’shuvah that was given by the Maharal Bach back in the 1500s. A talmid chacham who lived in Eretz Yisrael died in chutz la’Aretz. His children wanted to bring him home for k’vurah but they wondered that perhaps that wasn’t his final wish. The Maharal Bach answered that it’s appropriate that he be brought to Eretz Yisrael. He went even further to say that even if a tzava’ah [last will] would have stated otherwise, it would still be okay for his children to override the tzava’ah and bring him to Eretz Yisrael.
The Maharal Bach felt strongly about k’vurah in Eretz Yisrael, and felt that no individual is great enough today to say that he holds like the Yerushalmi and prefers to forego this z’chus. So even if this talmid chacham had said before his p’tirah that he doesn’t want to be brought to Eretz Yisrael, the children do not have to listen to him.
There’s the story of the Karlin-Stoliner Rebbe, who was niftar in chutz la’Aretz. Many of his chasidim wanted to bring him to Eretz Yisrael for k’vurah but many others didn’t. The sh’eilah was asked to Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank. He answered that it was well known that the Rebbe had a deep love for Eretz Yisrael and wanted to live there. So in this case, it’s a mitzvah to bring him to Eretz Yisrael for k’vurah.
Rav Wosner and the P’nei Yehoshua felt that even the Zohar and the Yerushalmi would permit it for someone who really wanted to live in Eretz Yisrael but didn’t have the opportunity to do so during his lifetime. Similarly, this would be the case for those who could not live in Eretz Yisrael because of various personal reasons such as caring for elderly parents in chutz la’Aretz or having their parnasah there. “Because if they could have lived in Eretz Yisrael,” said Rav Oelbaum, “they would have.”
So, ultimately, the woman who was buried in Eretz Yisrael will have to remain there. And the surviving sister will have to understand that it’s the right thing to do.
Moreover, the poskim said, the nifteres never imagined that she would one day die in Eretz Yisrael. She always assumed that she would be nifteres in chutz la’Aretz, so that is presumably why she felt so strongly that she wanted to be buried near her father. Had she known that it would happen in Eretz Yisrael, they reasoned, she very possibly would have said she wants to stay there. According to Rav Ovadia Yosef, had it dawned on her that she would ultimately die in Eretz Yisrael, she would have certainly wanted to remain there.
He continued to say that this world is really an olam ha’sheker. Only in the olam ha’emes do we discover what’s really important. Now that this woman is in the olam ha’emes, said Rav Ovadia, she knows the truth. And the truth is that one who is buried in Eretz Yisrael will want to stay there.
As an aside, Rav Oelbaum pointed out that disinterring a body is not a simple process. “To shake up the m’nuchah of a meis is not so pashut,” he said. “There’s a lot of tzaar.”
In conclusion, Rav Wosner says that bringing a meis to Eretz Yisrael is not a chiyuv but it’s a mitzvah and a chesed shel emes.
The Satmar Rav was once asked about a woman who died in chutz la’Aretz and had a few thousand dollars in her bank account. She had always wished to go to Eretz Yisrael, but somehow never got there. She asked the Veitzener Rav in Chicago what should be done with the money after her p’tirah. She it be used for k’vurah in Eretz Yisrael, or given to a yeshivah for hachzakas haTorah? The answer was that hachzakas haTorah is more chashuv and will benefit the n’shamah more. This was the Satmar Rebbe’s opinion in Divrei Yoel.
At this point, Rav Oelbaum added that there is a minority opinion that holds against bringing a meis to Eretz Yisrael for k’vurah. Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, one of America’s greatest poskim, wrote in Kisvei Rav Henkin that if one is talking about talmidei chachamim, then k’vurah b’Eretz Yisrael is a nice thing.
But he considered it a form of gaavah for those of a lesser stature, those who did not spend a lifetime in Torah and avodas Hashem. He felt that it’s a waste of money at the expense of the almanos and y’somim who often can’t afford it but are too embarrassed to object. Similarly, Rabbi Daniel Neustadt of the Vaad HaRabbonim in Detroit thinks that Rav Moshe Feinstein also counseled the average person against k’vurah in Eretz Yisrael.
In conclusion, said Rav Oelbaum, we should be zocheh soon to T’chiyas HaMeisim and all these sh’eilos should not be relevant anymore. Thus ended an intriguing and thorough discussion of a very important topic.
Agra D’pirka is a morning Kollel program held Mondays through Thursdays in Rabbi Oelbaum’s shul. The program is in its seventh year and is geared to local professionals, business owners, retirees, and anyone interested in serious limud haTorah. The program features two learning tracks. The track in the main shul, is led by Rabbi Henoch Savitsky who gives a daily shiur. The second track, in the downstairs Social Hall, is led by Rabbi Ilan Meirov. For more information, call Agra D’Pirka at 212-661 9400.
Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion Girls Celebrate Their New Best Friend Forever
Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion would like to congratulate Morah Tova Friedman’s Kita Alef on receiving their very first siddurim! The students celebrated this important milestone with parents, family, and friends. The girls performed beautifully at the Siddur Play, singing and dancing with enthusiasm and zeal.
Rabbi Label Lam introduced the event, reminding the parents that the girls are not just getting another book, but rather they are meeting up today with their BFF, their Best Friend Forever. “A good friend helps you get to where you need to be and a BFF stays with you forever. Therefore, the presence of the parents helps to highlight the importance of this event.”
The girls’ sweet angelic voices warmed hearts and inspired hope. The crowd was treated to a window of the girls’ daily accomplishments at Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion while getting an impressive sample of what they are capable of doing. The parents and guests applauded with approval at the end of the performance. The program ended with tasty refreshments for all the guests and students who shared in the simchah. As the students were handed their siddurim, their faces lit up with such joy and enthusiasm. May they continue to have that same excitement each and every time they open their siddurim. What better way to spend a Sunday morning than with family, friends, and best friends forever. Mazal Tov!
Rosh Chodesh at Bnos Malka
Bnos Malka Academy had a special assembly for Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat. Students always engage in fun activities connected to the new chodesh at assemblies, but this time students took the fun to a whole new level. Each student made her very own shiv’as ha’minim memory game. The girls enjoyed using their artistic flair to personalize their game cards. Then, each student in Grades 3 and 4 was paired with a student in the younger grades and they played their memory game together.
Prior to the assembly, the third and fourth grade students were coached in how to make sure their play-partner had a good time, and how to be gracious and solicitous during play. It was truly lovely to see the students having so much fun and putting into practice all of the important skills and midos that we discuss each month. Mrs. Rivky Babad, the assistant principal for the lower grades, shepped much nachas watching the younger and older students interact. “This is an authentic learning opportunity for students to practice achdus and good social skills. These are important parts of our school culture, and this assembly gives students the chance to put into practice many of the life lessons we impart daily to our students. Students can have fun while reviewing their knowledge of the shiv’as ha’minim, and at the same time practice kindness towards others.”
HANC High School Girls’ Retreat “Rocked Simchah”
The HANC (Hebrew Academy of Nassau County) High School Girls’ Retreat took place on Shabbos Parshas VaY’chi, December 25-27, at the Radisson Hotel in New Jersey, and once again proved to be a highlight of the year. Students bonded with peers and teachers alike, and felt an enhanced sense of closeness and connection that the Shabbos experience often brings. The achdus and simchah that the girls exuded was palpable all Shabbos long and will certainly carry over into school.
The theme of “Rock Simchah” was woven through the entire weekend. From the simchah-themed music videos produced by the girls during the icebreaker Friday activity, through the parting slideshow on Sunday morning, the girls took part in inspiring activities and workshops that will leave a lasting impression. Our renowned guest speaker, Mrs. Jackie Bitton, captivated and touched each and every student. The beautiful singing of z’miros led by the heads of chorus, the student-delivered divrei Torah, the workshops conducted by our own HANC faculty and their spouses, and the participation of many teachers’ families, all came together to create an uplifting Shabbos atmosphere.
On Motza’ei Shabbos, the girls participated in HANC’s Got Talent Show in which many of the students displayed their unique talents on stage, featuring a beautiful performance by the girls’ chorus and individual acts in song and dance. HANC’s morot starred in a hilarious and entertaining skit written by our very own Morah Nathan. The entire show was brilliantly emceed by seniors ZB Weiss, Liana Hersch, and Vanessa Roga. The evening continued with a delicious m’laveh malkah and a spirited chagigah, culminating in a beautiful kumsitz.
The girls boarded the buses with newfound friends and a renewed appreciation for their school, Shabbos, and their teachers. A huge thank you to Morah Leigh Henoch, Mrs. Channi Packer, and to senior Retreat heads Naomi Liviem, Gila Ornstein, and Emily Eisman for making this event a huge success!
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