Ya’acov Meridor died 25 years ago this summer and his remarkable book, “Long is the Road to Freedom” is worth recalling as is his amazing life. Photo Credit: Amazon.com
“Zionist History Book Of The Month” for September 2020
By: Moshe Phillips
Ya’acov Meridor begins his memoir of the nearly three year period of his life he spent in a British prison camp and elsewhere in East Africa with hundreds of other young Zionists with the words “I was arrested at 3AM on the 13th of February, 1945.”
His book is titled Long Is The Road To Freedom and was first published in a U.S. edition forty years later. Meridor died 25 years ago this summer and his remarkable book is worth recalling as is his amazing life.
But more than the tale and the man we should take the time to consider the overwhelming sacrifices that the women and men who comprised Israel’s founding generation took upon themselves and be inspired to do more for the Jewish People.
Ze’ev Jabotinsky died in August of 1940 at Camp Betar in Hunter, New York. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Meridor was just 19 when he led over two dozen other young members of the Jabotinsky movement against the British blockade that was in place stopping European Jews from entering the Land of Israel. Once in Israel, he joined the Irgun underground army, as did hundreds of other recent immigrants. He rose quickly and became a part of the underground’s leadership.
The summer of 1940 left the Irgun reeling. The Nazis launched their North Africa Campaign in June and Ze’ev Jabotinsky died in August.
When Menachem Begin arrived in the British Mandate in 1943 Meridor handed over his command to him. Photo Credit: nobelprize.org
In May 1941 Meridor agreed to accompany the commander of the Irgun, David Raziel, on a British army conceived commando sabotage mission to Iraq aimed at destroying a high value target, an aviation fuel depot near Baghdad. The operation was during the pro-Nazi Rashid Ali al-Gaylani coup that had led to what is remembered as the Anglo-Iraqi War. Raziel was killed in action. Subsequently, Meridor became the Irgun’s commander after he returned home.
When Menachem Begin arrived in the British Mandate in 1943 Meridor handed over his command to him. Meridor, however, did not leave the Irgun and continued as a member of its high command.
“The Revolt” by Menachem Begin is the story of the Irgun Zvai Leumi. Photo Credit: Amazon.com
In 1945 Meridor was captured by the British, at the time he was second-in-command of the Irgun. Begin depended on Meridor so thoroughly that he relates in his memoir The Revolt that when he learned of Meridor’s arrest he “thought the blow (to the Irgun) would be fatal.”
It is seldom remembered today that the British Mandate authorities sent over 430 Jews to prison camps in East Africa in an attempt to disable the Zionist revolt against them.
The World War Two epic 1963 film The Great Escape.
Meridor was one of the highest ranking prisoners and as such he personally led five escapes from the camps and spent 18 months at large.
His imprisonment and escape make up the bulk of Long Is The Road To Freedom and Meridor’s exploits rival –and at times surpass– those dramatized in the World War Two epic 1963 film The Great Escape.
Ya’acov Meridor begins his memoir of the nearly three year period of his life he spent in a British prison camp and elsewhere in East Africa with hundreds of other young Zionists with the words “I was arrested at 3AM on the 13th of February, 1945.” Photo Credit: Wikipedia.com
On January 14, 1947, Meridor and future Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir escaped prison through a 200 foot long tunnel they had dug by hand. Later, they hid in an oil truck’s tank for three days as it was driven over the Djibouti border Eventually, Meridor made his way to France and it was there that he was granted political asylum.
Meridor arrived in Tel Aviv on a flight with other exiled top Irgun leaders. It was the first passenger flight to land in the new State of Israel.
He was at the center of the tragedy of the Altalena episode when Jewish forces attacked Irgun soldiers without provocation and killed many.
After Israel’s independence, Meridor turned to politics and alongside Begin founded the original Herut party. He won a seat in six out of the first 10 Knesset elections and eventually served as Israel’s Minister of Economics and Inter-Ministry Coordination when Begin was prime minister and most fittingly held the post under Shamir as well. He died in 1995 at the age of 81.
Yitshaq Ben-Ami, a leading Irgun member and the father of the founder of J Street, Jeremy Ben Ami, wrote about Meridor in his Irgun memoir Years of Wrath, Days of Glory. “Meridor was undoubtedly one of the most courageous men we ever had…” stated Ben-Ami.
Moshe Phillips is national director of Herut North America’s U.S. division; Herut is an international movement for Zionist pride and education and is dedicated to the ideals of pre-World War Two Zionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky. Herut’s website is www.herutna.org
Bruce Bawer writes: “The Blacklist has become a byword for political intolerance, but the Hollywood Ten were all Party members, taking orders from Moscow and fiercely dedicated to the overthrow of American democracy.”
Shenanigans at the National Book Critics Circle
By: Bruce Bawer
Never underestimate the determination of left-wing ideologues to take over social, cultural, and political institutions – or the willingness of fools and knaves to whitewash the history of those takeovers. Joe McCarthy has become a symbol of unjust persecution, but there were Stalinists in the State Department. The Blacklist has become a byword for political intolerance, but the Hollywood Ten were all Party members, taking orders from Moscow and fiercely dedicated to the overthrow of American democracy. In the years between the wars, Communists took control of one trade union after another, often succeeding simply because, relentless and brutally unscrupulous in their lust for power, they managed either to wear their enemies down or terrify them into submission.
In his fascinating 2015 book Hollywood Traitors, Allan H. Ryskind writes that during World War II, “a cabal of top Communist writers” taught newbies how to work Stalinist ideas into scripts. Seven of the Hollywood Ten – the screenwriters, all Party members, who were blacklisted for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947 – were part of this cabal. The protégés got career boosts; the anti-Communist holdouts often suffered professionally. But while Blacklist victims are still celebrated as heroes, Hollywood writers whose anti-Communism damaged their livelihoods got bupkus.
Ryskind also recalls the powerful Screen Writers Guild (SWG), which, while consisting in 1940 of about 400 members, was run by a small board dominated by Stalinists like Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Hammett. When in 1944 anti-Communist filmmakers formed the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals (MPA), the SWG joined other Moscow-directed unions in attacking it – with flagrant dishonesty – as “fascistic and anti-Semitic.” So effective was this savage campaign in damaging the MPA’s reputation that Ryskind’s father, Morrie, writer of Penny Serenade and His Girl Friday, felt compelled to defend the MPA in an article for the Saturday Review of Literature. It didn’t help: the smear continued.
I mention all this by way of background. In early June, the board of the National Book Critics Circle responded to the George Floyd killing with a simple statement deploring racism. A board member named Hope Wabuke, however, then extended this document into a j’accuse charging the entire publishing industry with stifling black voices. As I wrote in an earlier article, another board member, Carlin Romano, reacted strongly to this screed, saying that it smeared generations of white editors and publishers who’d helped black writers. Wabuke, in response, called Romano a racist and demanded he be censured. When she failed to get her way, she posted his comments on Twitter – a violation of the board’s confidentiality rules – and quit the board. Her action triggered the resignation of fifteen other board members. Some opposed her; others thought that by quitting they could bring the edifice down and help rebuild it in “woke” fashion.
You see, while many other American cultural institutions have long since been fully captured by the left, the NBCC has lagged at least somewhat behind. The main reason: its 800-odd general members. They’re spread across the U.S., red states as well as blue; most of them review books for small local newspapers and websites; many are conservatives or centrists. There’s no political test for joining: anyone with the publishing credits can get in. It’s these general members who pick the 24-member board, and while that board definitely leans left, it’s never been entirely lockstep: it’s always been possible for prominent non-leftists to get elected to the board and have their voices heard. This state of affairs gives the NBCC a different feel from other literary organizations with which I’ve been familiar over the years. Compared to those organizations – snobby, cosmopolitan, reputation-obsessed, New York-based – the NBCC has always felt friendly, collegial, and almost quaintly democratic.
What to say about Wabuke’s charges? No, New York editors and publishers aren’t racist. Nor is the NBCC. Nor is Romano. Who, then, you ask, is Wabuke? Until this dustup I’d never heard of her. It turns out she’s a poet whose parents fled to America as refugees from Idi Amin’s Uganda – but who hasn’t let this keep her from maligning America in her poems as, yes, racist. Perusing those poems, I find an intense hatred for white people. Clearly, the only racist here is Wabuke herself.
But on with our story. At a June 17 meeting of the nine remaining NBCC board members, Jane Ciabattari (pictured above), a writer for the BBC and NPR, was named acting NBCC president. This would appear to have been an illegitimate move, given that NBCC bylaws prohibit official action by fewer than 21 board members. On July 6, Ciabattari e-mailed eight of the nine board members – she excluded Romano, another apparently illegitimate move – cancelling a July 21 board meeting and calling a “special” meeting, via Zoom, for July 14 (that is, today). At this meeting, she explained, Romano would be removed from the board, the eight remaining board members would then appoint 15 new board members, and the bylaws would be altered to give board members financial benefits for the first time in the organization’s 46-year history.
Ciabattari included with her e-mail a list of fifteen critics who’d agreed to be selected for the vacant positions. Among them: Diego Baez (“I’m committed to centering the lives and experiences of writers who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color”); Rod Davis (“My literary approach is…informed through my political orientation and awareness of critical theory”); Tara Wanda Merrigan (“I look forward to working with other board members to promote diversity in American literature and strengthen the NBCC’s support for minority writers”); and Ben Olguín (“I received an NEA grant to inaugurate the Voces Nuevas: New LatinxAuthors Series…We are very excited about featuring the diversity within the diversity of the Latinx communities”). In short, Ciabattari had already chosen her new board; the idea was simply for the eight remaining board members to ratify her choices.
Just to be clear, this was the very height of irregularity – and chutzpah. It’s the job of the NBCC’s 800-odd general members – not the president, and not the board itself – to elect board members. To compound the audacity, Ciabattari kept the plans for her “special” meeting secret from the general membership. An inside source confirmed that Ciabattari had privately expressed her determination to make the new board politically homogeneous, so that it could move beyond the awarding of literary prizes into “political activism.”
What are we to make of this situation? Allan Ryskind would know what to make of it. His father would’ve known, too. So would Ronald Reagan, whose successful fight against Communist influence in the Screen Actors Guild is memorably recounted in Ryskind’s book. What Ciabattari is trying to engineer at the NBCC is nothing short of a good old-fashioned Communist-style power grab. But one man is standing in her way: Romano. When he got wind of Ciabattari’s high-handed plans, he e-mailed the NBCC’s general members, telling them what she was up to and urging those who objected to contact her and the other board members.
So things stand at this juncture. Why does all this matter? No, the NBCC isn’t hugely powerful: the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award have more cultural prestige. But that’s not the point. As the leftists know full well, every little bit matters. They’ve taken over every broadcast news operation, every major newspaper, and every major publishing house. And they’re not done yet. Ciabattari’s attempt to subvert the NBCC’s bylaws and weaponize it politically is one more despicable step on the left’s long march through the institutions – one more effort by a member of the “woke” crowd to control and exploit a cultural organization to her own ends. Let’s hope that Carlin Romano – along with whatever allies he’s able to find among the NBCC membership – manages to prevent this brazen hijacking.
This is an interactive piece to be read by parents and their children together. Read about Sephardic customs of Rosh Hashanah with your children. Have them color in pictures/symbols and talk about the holiday.
On the Seudot, or meals, of Rosh Hashanah we make Berachot, blessings, and eat special foods that are symbols of the holiday, that will bring goodness and blessing into our lives, and direct us to be meritorious in Hashem’s judgement. Some of the foods we eat are pomegranate seeds, apples dipped in honey, a calf’s tongue, Lubia (black eyed peas), dates and more. Before tasting each food, a prayer beginning with the Hebrew words, “Yehi Ratzon”, is said asking Hashem to bless or protect us.
A Shofar
Let’s begin by examining the Rimon (Pomegranate):
The Rimon is one of the Seven Species or Shivat Ha Minim. Inside are hundreds of tiny seeds that remind us of the many Mitzvot we hope to do in the upcoming year. We say: “Be full of mitzvot like the Rimon!” Keep in mind that pomegranates have long been an important symbol in Judaism. Pomegranates decorated the tops of the two columns in the Beit Hamikdash (Temple in Jerusalem) And tiny bells and pomegranates hung from the robe of the Cohen Gadol.
We eat apples dipped in honey and dates that are tasty so we will have a sweet New Year. The tongue of a calf is another delicacy we serve. Why? So, our deeds Will be strong and complete. So, we will be a Rosh or head, and not a Zanav or tail. We strive to be leaders, not followers! We also eat other symbolic foods such as leek and swiss chard so that, Hashem will ward off our enemies and protect us from all who wish to harm us. We also have Lubia (black eyed peas), so our good deeds and merits will be multiplied.
In addition to the Berachot, many Sephardic homes serve a variety of sweets and homemade pastries made with dates, figs, and almonds (such as “Maamool”, “Resab Adweh”) to symbolize our wish that the upcoming year be sweet and joyous. What are some of the other unique customs we experience on Rosh Hashanah? We listen to the kolot of the Shofar. A Shofar is a ram’s horn that reminds us of the Sacrifice of Isaac to Hashem. We listen to the special kolot or sounds of the Shofar to open our hearts to do Teshuva. Teshuva means thinking about what we did wrong and trying to correct ourselves. Unlike animals, man can think and has free will to do Teshuva. We will do better next time!
Apples dipped in honey
Our tradition states that Man or Adam Ha Rishon was created on Rosh Hashanah. Hashem created the whole world for man to use for his benefit. Man, for his part, crowns Hashem King and proclaims Him as ruler over us on this day. Rosh Hashanah is also called “The Day of Judgement” because every man is judged for his deeds of the year that passed. Each New Year, everyone’s deeds are weighed on the scales by our Creator. We hope to tip the scales in our favor, so we have more Zechuyot (merits) than Avonot (sins).
On Rosh Hashanah after midday we make Tashlich. We walk to the ocean or stand by a pool of water and say a special prayer “Tashlich”. This prayer is our request to Hashem to throw our sins into the sea and cast them off forever.
The Rimon is one of the Seven Species or Shivat Ha Minim
Now that Hashem is crowned as our King, man is judged for his deeds and the Ten Days of Repentance begin. During these days we hope to make Teshuva and begin anew.
Members of Team Israel Start-Up Nation riding in the peloton in the Tour de France. Credit: Noa Arnon.
It’s not just about winning, say organizers, but about offering the world a glimpse of the Jewish state and inspiring young people to bike on.
By: Josh Hasten
For the first time in its 107-year-old history, a team representing the State of Israel is dressed in blue-and-white jerseys and participating in the 21-stage Tour de France, the most prestigious bicycle race in the world.
Known as “Team Israel Start-Up Nation,” thanks to a sponsorship from the Israeli nonprofit incubator “Start-Up Nation Central,” eight riders representing the Jewish state are competing alongside the world’s best cyclists and are currently making their way through the grueling French mountain course.
Sylvan Adams blessing Guy Niv at the beginning of the race. Credit: Noa Arnon.
Guy Niv, the first native Israeli Tour de France participant ever, is part of the team, which also includes seven other riders from various countries around the world (the team has a total of 30 riders, some of whom are currently competing at other venues).
The contest kicked off in the southern French Riviera town of Nice. It will see 22 teams try and make their way across 2,156 miles to the finish line in Paris.
The vision of getting an Israeli cycling team into international competitions started just five years ago, when two friends—Israeli businessman Ron Baron, and professional cyclist Ran Margaliot—dreamed of taking the sport to a new level and founded the “Israel Cycling Academy,” (ICA) the first professional cycling team in Israel.
A little while later, Sylvan Adams—an Israeli Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and cycling enthusiast—joined the ICA as a co-owner with Baron. In 2018, Adams successfully helped bring the first three stages of the Giro d’Italia, another major international cycling competition to the streets of Israel, marking the first time the event was held outside European soil.
NS caught up with Adams, along with Tsadok Yecheskeli, the ICA’s media director and a board member, as the team was getting reading to get on their bikes for the start of the 186 KM Stage 5 of the race.
When asked how the team was doing, Adams replied, “We had a bad start with three riders going down and getting banged up on the first day, but fortunately, there were no broken bones, and they were able to continue.” He added that according to the rules of the competition, a rider who misses a starting day is out of the race.
A Team Israel Start-Up Nation rider. Credit: Noa Arnon.
However, Adams said that during Stage 4, one of the team’s riders, Krists Neilands from Latvia, had a very successful day. Describing what took place using cycling lingo, Adams said “we are really making noise out here, and yesterday, we got our first podium.”
In other words, Neilands was singled out as “the most combative rider” and donned a special jersey for his performance during that stage. For a large portion of the ride, Neilands broke away from the pack and was leading the race.
But more importantly to Adams, “the media covering the race was talking about our team, and the word ‘Israel’ was repeated hundreds of times over a six-hour period. Did you realize that 3.5 billion people watch the Tour de France?”
Winning the overall Tour de France might appear unrealistic for Israel’s team this year, as it has only been on the world stage at major competitions for less than a year. But for Adams, there is much more to it than just first-place finishes.
“The goals I have with this team are two-fold,” he said. “Firstly, I want to create opportunities for cyclists and build the sport in Israel,” explaining that he was responsible for the construction of a velodrome in Tel Aviv, which is a practice arena for cyclists. “I want young Israeli cyclists to aspire and have the opportunities to be professional.”
“But my bigger goal,” he said, is to show the world the real face of Israel—normal Israel, not the one portrayed by the media, which is obsessed with conflict. Our daily life is nothing like that. That is not what Israel is all about.”
He added that “first-time visitors to Israel, almost to a person, are completely surprised when they arrive. It isn’t what they were expecting. They see an Israel that is safe, diverse and tolerant. I am bringing that message to the rest of the world” through cycling.
‘We want to change minds’
Yecheskeli was a long-time Israeli journalist and war correspondent before he was seriously injured covering Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008. After a lengthy recovery process, he decided to make a change.
Speaking to JNS from inside the car that travels alongside the cyclists on Israel’s team offering any assistance the riders might need, he explained that he turned to biking as tool for recovery and rehabilitation. “The bike saved my life in a way, so I decided that I wanted to give back,” he said.
Tsadok Yecheskeli, the ICA’s media director and a board member. Photo Credit: Steephill.com
Joining the ICA, Yecheskeli said his “dream from day one was to inspire a new generation in Israel. Our goal is to make cycling the top sport in Israel, and we’re on our way.”
He acknowledged that he didn’t realize that Israel’s success in the sport on an international level would happen so fast, but he was quick to praise the commitment of Adams, along with Baron and Margaliot, for making it happen.
While he said that the team is making waves at its first-ever Tour de France, “this year we are not a contender. We are competing to win any of the individual stages, and it would be huge if that happens. But to win the whole tour, that’s another level. We are aiming for it for next year.”
Yecheskeli shared that the Israeli team has already signed legendary cyclist and four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome from the United Kingdom, who will join the squad in January. “We believe that with Chris and other new riders, the team will be upgraded, and the goal is to be a contender here in France.”
Like Adams, Yecheskeli is focused on the next generation of cycling in Israel, explaining that Margaliot’s focus within the ICA these days is to introduce the sport in youth villages throughout the country. He also noted the establishment of a “continental team” of 20- to 21-year-old Israelis who are gaining experience in lower-level competitions to prepare them for the world stage.
Turning his attention back to the current race, he said that Neilands’ ride the day before was “unbelievable,” and that he is looking forward to hopefully greeting Niv at the finish line. “We really hope he makes it,” he said.
Yecheskeli and Adams discussed took a more serious note in responding to how the Israeli team had been targeted by the anti-Israel/anti-Semitic BDS movement leading up to the competition. Various news outlets reported how certain hate groups urged supporters to harass the riders who were representing Israel on social media.
“While BDS is targeting the team, we are answering them in the right way by being successful and sticking to our values,” said Yecheskeli.
Adams added that “the more attention we get, the more opportunity we have to reach the ‘silent majority’—those sports fans who are not political, but probably have a negative image of Israel. We want to change their minds. The media and BDS-haters pollute the minds of that silent majority. And through our team, we are trying to bring the antidote to BDS and show them that Israel is a normal country.”
The Wilf Campus of Yeshiva University; the flagship college of the modern Orthodox movement in the United States. Photo Credit: Yu.edu
By: TJV News Staff
As colleges and universities across the country continue to struggle to maintain the safety of students safe during the coronavirus, many of these institutions of higher learning are also experiencing a panoply of financial challenges due to a significant drop in student enrollment.
Previously, the Jewish Voice had filed a revealing report about the scandals and financial hardships of Yeshiva University; the flagship college of the modern Orthodox movement in the United States.
Once considered a highly prestigious college that boasted top national rankings among universities, YU has taken a nose dive in the rankings due to several factors.
As was reported, financial scandals have rocked this venerable institution to the core and undoubtedly contributed to the significant drop in national rankings for YU.
In June of 2014, Business Insider reported that Yeshiva University lost an estimated $105 million with convicted Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, who just happened to be a trustee of the university. The article also intimated that according to the credit-ratings agency known as Moody’s, the school would eventually find themselves in a permanent state of insolvency.
At the conclusion of a two-year investigation by The Jewish Channel and renowned journalist, Steven I Weiss of Takepart.com, evidence emerged about YU’s mishandling of investment funds and the colossal losses that they sustained.
At one point before the 2008 financial crisis, the university allocated 65% in hedge funds, which was the third-highest of any university endowment, the June 2014 report said.
According to the Takepart.com story:
“The school lost more than $500 million on its high-risk investment portfolio—after selling off nearly $500 million of ultrasafe U.S. Treasury bonds when the new regime took over a decade ago, plowing the proceeds mostly into hedge funds and corporate stocks. Assuming the strategy of increasing risk in its investment portfolio would pay off with higher returns, the new president and the board that hired him took on a bevy of new expenses, spending down their cash reserves and resting much of Yeshiva’s fate on their hedge fund gambles. Now that those investments have proved to be losses, Yeshiva faces more than $550 million of debt, and it appears to have been tapping into the principal of its investment portfolio to cover annual deficits. On their own, any one of these changes—the half-billion-dollar hit to its portfolio, the diminution of liquidity, and the mass of debt—would be a significant, though bearable, difficulty for a university; together, their effect has been devastating.”
The report adds that in order for YU to stay “in the black” financially and avoid the insolvency crisis, the school would need to become creative in devising ways to generate growth in the school’s student and donor base, such as tuition increases, expansion of student enrollment and funding solicitations. The report emphasized that these efforts would need to be sufficient in terms of balancing its budget and paying down its debt, while slashing its budget and selling off assets while trying not to slow its growth.
The 2014 Business Insider report indicated that the two-year investigation involved the review of more than 10,000 pages of legal and financial documents, dozens of interviews and many New York State Freedom of Information Law requests and it showed precisely how Wall Street titans helped create these devastating losses for YU.
Taking these financial woes into account, what is more than shocking is a fairly recent report that indicates that the salaries and compensation packages for YU top administrators are among the highest in the country.
According to an August 6, 2020 article that appeared in the YU Commentator, the university’s finances as well as salaries being paid to senior executives at the university were disclosed in Form 990 tax records for the fiscal year of 2018. The school newspaper received the public filing on July 31st.
Federal law requires that all non-profit organizations and institutions make their financial disclosures public.
According to the YU Commentator report, “The tax record revealed that YU President, Dr. Ari Berman made nearly $750,000 in aggregate compensation in 2018. Berman’s salary consisted of a $592,834 base with over $150,000 in other compensation, totaling $747,392. This aggregated sum was $160,000 higher than his $582,000 total compensation for the first ten months of his presidency in 2017.
Dr. Berman is also provided with a parsonage house in Teaneck, New Jersey, which YU purchased for $1.8 million upfront more than three years ago.
Former President Richard Joel, who currently teaches on a part-time basis in the Sy Syms School of Business, received $665,889 in aggregate compensation in 2018, including a base salary of more than $500,000, the tax record revealed. This was in addition to the use of his university-owned residence. During the final years of Joel’s tenure, he was among the highest-paid university presidents in America.
In response to The Commentator’s inquiries on Joel’s pay and other related matters, a YU spokesperson said, “Other than what is required by law to be disclosed in the Form 990, the university does not disclose confidential salary or benefit information of individual employees.”
Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Andrew Lauer’s total compensation was over $700,000 — about $50,000 less than his pay reported in YU’s 2017 filing — ranking him the highest-paid senior staff member after Berman. Jacob Harman, vice president of business affairs, trailed behind Lauer with approximately $655,000 in total pay, making him the third-highest paid employee of the university listed on the filing.
As The Commentator previously reported, for the 2020 payroll year, President Berman is taking a voluntary 20% cut through December, while other senior staff members are voluntarily taking a pay cut between 5 and 10 percent.
The 2018 Form 990 also included key financial information about the YU’s expenditures and fiscal positions. According to the document, the university spent roughly $2.5 million in advertising in 2018 — around $1 million more than it spent in 2017. Additionally, more than $3 million was spent on travel costs in 2018, and roughly $5 million was spent on outside consulting costs, including fundraising consultants, third-party legal and lobbying firms as well as outside accounting services. The university spent over $3.75 million on food in 2018, and office expenses exceeded $6 million.
According to the filing, in 2018, over $95 million in grants and assistance went to student financial aid, scholarships and fellowships, including “emergency assistance student grants.” This marked a more than $7 million increase from such assistance disbursed by the university in 2017.
The university spent more than $9.16 million on security services in 2018, the overwhelming majority of which went to a $9 million contract with Securitas, which YU contracts with to provide security personnel for its campuses.”
The Jewish Voice editorial staff is of the belief that it is fairly easy to conclude that YU’s financial burden’s need to be evaluated and assessed by professional financial advisors.
The salaries of senior staff members and administrators need to be substantially reduced by the board of directors of the school. And that brings us to our next question. Just who in on the YU board of directors? How long have they served in this role and what is motivating them to grant such ridiculously high salaries to administrators when the school is struggling to stay afloat financially?
We might also ask if it is fair to students and their families to increase tuition rates without providing the kind of student services that many other colleges provide.
A searing and thorough internal examination needs to be conducted to save this school’s reputation.
Libbie Mugrabi and Brock Pierce. Credit for all photos: Lieba Nesis
By: Lieba Nesis
The Hamptons, notorious for housing the most illustrious clientele, has been allowing one dangerous group to live rent free. As article after article documents the rising rents, with summer dwellers deciding to reside in the Hamptons year-round as rentals skyrocket to $75,000 per month and more; a group of insects known as bees have been flying around wreaking havoc on unsuspecting dwellers. Unfortunately, I was amongst that group. After my delightful one and a half hour $38 ride on the Jitney Wednesday night September 2nd I guilelessly arrived at my $600 per night spotless hotel. Unwittingly, I ran to Citarella Thursday morning to indulge in a delectable chocolate chip muffin on the outside porch. Before I had a chance to digest, 6 bees relentlessly attacked me as I ran to seek refuge at a nearby clothing store.
Rabbi Berel Lerman and Adam Weiss
Jogging to the beach for some tranquility I made a pit stop at the bathroom. I emerged with three bees on my tail. Kicking and swatting my flailing hands left a nearby woman puzzled “are you okay”? she inquired. Soon she saw the group of unwanted intruders trailing me “ is there any way I can help?” she yelled. I ran frantically as one bee decided to encamp in my ear. Two miles and ten buckets of sweat later, I arrived at White’s Apothecary to purchase a bee repellent made of lime and eucalyptus oil-salvaging the rest of my Labor Day weekend. While running into dozens of bees during the next four days, I passed by confidently with my repellent in hand.
Thursday night was delightfully reminiscent of pre-Covid days. I attended the Southampton Animal Shelter party hosted by Jean Shafiroff at Capri Southampton where more than $60,000 was raised. Next stop was a party hosted by Jared Epstein at his Water Mill home for the Chabad of Sag Harbor. Publicity maven Adam Weiss, who is the go-to for Republican honchos, was toasted by Rabbi Berel Lerman and 60 others for his tireless work and enthusiasm for the synagogue. Friday night was similarly busy with a party hosted by CEO of Douglas Elliman Dottie Herman, as well as a fundraiser for GOP candidate Chele Farley. Dottie Herman, the kindest female power player in the Hamptons, welcomed guests such as Ramona Singer and Mitch Modell to Capri Southampton.
Hugh Jackman in Southampton walking dogs
Hours later I attended services and dinner with the always dynamic Rabbi Rafe Konikov whose wife Chany cooked one of the best meals to date. Saturday Southampton Main Street was replete with protests for Blue and Black Lives Matter. Zach Erdem, whose restaurant 75 Main and Blu Mar unfairly lost their liquor license, could be seen outside watching the rallies with a smile on his face.
While Zach’s business has suffered immeasurably his ubiquitous popularity has resulted in loyal customers frequenting his establishments even if liquor wasn’t on the table-so to speak. Saturday night was no less busy as John Catsimatidis held a highly exclusive birthday party at his East Quogue home attended by the likes of Bill O’Reilly, Ray Kelly and Rita Cosby. Temperatures were taken before entering the party and social media and photographs were strictly prohibited for the approximately 60 guests.
A competing but no less illustrious event, was held nearby by the ultra chic Libbie Mugrabi and her beautiful mother Jane Scher at their Bridgehampton mansion. Scher is a nurse injector for the Manhattan elite and she joined her daughter Libbie for an elaborate evening where dozens of waiters served copious amounts of food and alcohol until the wee hours of the morning. Mugrabi’s ex husband, David, owns over 1,000 Warhols, and she continues to take the social world by storm as she and boyfriend, Brock Pierce, travel the globe pursuing his candidacy for president. Pierce, a blockchain billionaire, regaled partygoers with a speech about universal health care and compassion for all as the mesmerized crowd snapped pictures of the powerhouse.
Hugh Jackman in Southampton walking dogs
If Libbie ever enters the White House, she will undoubtedly be the First Lady of fashion with her Size Zero figure and effortless style. Some other notable guests at the Mugrabi party included Cuba Gooding Jr. and Mitch Modell-owner of Modell’s Sporting Goods. Modell, one of the gentlest moguls around, was in surprisingly good spirits despite Modell’s recent liquidation, with him excitedly mentioning he will be moving to Florida in the upcoming months.
Sunday was no less scintillating with a planned luncheon with designer to the stars Helen Yarmak, and an equally fascinating evening with fashion powerhouse Fern Mallis. Mallis held a panel and movie at the Southampton Arts Center discussing the genius of designer Pierre Cardin who democratized fashion to the masses by licensing over 800 products. Despite a dinner party Monday night I decided to jump on an Ambassador bus to New York on Sunday at 9:45 PM.
Owner Zach Erdem at his restaurant 75 Main
The spacious vehicle only set me back $62 as I arrived in New York an amazing one and a half hours later. Talking to the ebullient 25-year-old bus monitor Jaden was enlightening as she recounted her arduous six day a week schedule which included: working from 7 AM until 5 PM at the Southampton Cheese shop and then making a round trip Montauk to NY excursion from 6 PM until 2 AM. The bubbly twenty something whose three hour a night sleep schedule left me dumbfounded was the antithesis of the spoiled rich kid paradigm of the Hamptons-a welcomed reminder that the underpinnings of the Hamptons are made up of hard working middle class heroes.
In a personal letter from King Christian X to the Chief Rabbi Dr. Moses Friediger (pictured above) following the first incident, he stated, “I have heard about the attempted fire at the Synagogue and I am very happy that there was only slight damage. I beg of you to give my congratulations and best wishes for the New Year to your congregation.”
By: Larry Domnitch
On the eve of Rosh Hashanah 1943, an entire Jewish community was hidden by their neighbors from those who sought their annihilation. When Yom Kippur arrived, members of that community were safe, at arms length from danger.
Adolf Hitler claimed he had a kinship with the people of Denmark on account of their common Nordic background. But he was very mistaken. The Danes proved themselves to be humanitarians in a world largely of indifference to the victims of Nazism.
On April 9, 1940 the Germans invaded and took occupation of Denmark. The Danes did not put up a fight but gave token resistance against the far superior German armed forces. The Germans, seeking the cooperation of the Danes granted them control over their affairs. One of the reasons was that Denmark provided needed agricultural food supplies for Germany. In turn, Danish Prime Minister, Thorvald Stauning issued a proclamation urging cooperation with the occupying forces so “quiet and order would prevail.” Life continued for the Danes and the Jewish community.
The Nazis were aware that anti-Jewish activities would be opposed by the Danes and initially left the Jews unharmed. The Jews nonetheless maintained a low profile. Community activities continued but in a private manner so as to not attract attention. Amid the turmoil and horrors in Europe, there was a strange calm in Denmark.
Denmark’s first Jews were Sephardim from Portugal who arrived in 1622. By 1722, the Jewish Community became a mixture of Portuguese and German Jews numbering 1830. By the turn of the twentieth century about fifteen hundred immigrants arrived from Russia. By the outbreak of the Second World War, Danish Jewry numbered over 7,000.
Perhaps the Nazis were testing the loyalty of the Danes to their Jewish citizens, when in December 1941 there was an attempted arson against the Synagogue in Krystalgrade. The Danish police prevented the attack along with another one a year later.
In a personal letter from King Christian X to the Chief Rabbi Dr. Moses Friediger following the first incident, he stated, “I have heard about the attempted fire at the Synagogue and I am very happy that there was only slight damage. I beg of you to give my congratulations and best wishes for the New Year to your congregation.”
In the summer of 1943 as the tide of the war was shifting toward the allies, acts of sabotage against the Germans increased throughout German-occupied territories. Danes began to join the resistance and engaged in anti-German sabotage. After the Danish government refused German demands to try those responsible and impose the death penalty against them, the Germans responded by taking one hundred hostages among prominent citizens including a dozen Jews and the Chief Rabbi. The German military announced martial law and the Danes then dissolved the government in protest on August 29.
Without the protection of the Danish government, the situation facing Danish Jewry became dire.
The Germans soon obtained records of the Jewish community and their residences. On September 18, a special commando force of Gestapo arrived with orders to begin the liquidation of Danish Jewry. The planned arrests were set for Wednesday night, October 1-the first night of Rosh Hashanah. The Nazis assumed that the Jews would be in their homes that day celebrating the holiday. The plan was to deport the Jews by ships to concentration camps.
On September 18, the German Reich Commissioner, Werner Best, notified the German director of shipping in Denmark, George Duckitz that ships anchored in the harbor would be used to transport Jews. Duckitz had no intention of cooperating and flew to nearby neutral Sweden to request that they accept the Jews. Although initially receiving no reply following his pleas, on September 28, he revealed the German plans to leader of the Danish Social Democrat Party, Hans Hedtoft who immediately contacted the Danish resistance. Members of the Jewish community were alerted and most found refuge in the homes of Christian neighbors.
On the night of October 1, the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, Gestapo agents invaded the homes of Jews and found them empty. Over the next week, hundreds of Danish members of the resistance clandestinely smuggled the Jews from their places of hiding to Sweden via boats. The Swedish government had announced on October 2 that it was prepared to accept the Danish Jewish refugees. The last group arrived on Friday morning, October 9, the eve of Yom Kippur.
Over six thousand Jews managed to escape along with their 686 non-Jewish relatives, while 464 of the 580 who remained behind were deported to Theresienstadt.
The Jewish community had already lived under Nazi control for three years and some did not believe the warnings of deportations. Others lived in remote areas and were not warned. There were also those who had no place for refuge or considered themselves too elderly to flee. Then there were some who were betrayed by Nazi sympathizers and found while in flight.
The Danes continued to intercede on behalf of those Jews while under Nazi internment. They sent food parcels and needed supplies. In total, fifty two of the deported Jews did not return, a figure far lower than any other Jewish community under German occupation.
The Germans had expected the Danes to betray the Jews by revealing their hiding places. They offered the incentive that imprisoned Danish troops would be released in return for some measure of cooperation. But to no avail. Rabbi Ib Nathan Bamberger was forewarned of the impending danger and he and his family left their home on September 29 as Rosh Hashanah was approaching. He records in “The Viking Jews” how the Danes also protected their property. “The table was set, candles placed in candlesticks, and the traditional holiday bread baked. When, after twenty months, in May 1945, we returned to Copenhagen and reentered our home, everything was exactly as we left it! The Danes had seen to it that no one entered our home during our absence. Similarly, the Danes watched our Synagogues, the Jewish schools and community center and many Jewish apartments. No looting, stealing, or other mischievous acts occurred there.”
That Rosh Hashanah, amid the horrors of Nazi Germany, Danish Jewry was saved.
Soymilk is the secret to a parve Creamy Carrot Soup that will bring a rich, healthful, and colorful splash to the holiday table.
Featuring Recipes from the Best-Selling New Cookbook, *Peas Love & Carrots by Danielle Renov
Edited by: JV Staff
The folks at KAYCO and kosher.com are longtime fans of healthy, multicultural meals that are as easy to make as they are delicious. And when the High Holidays approach, we’re always inspired to find some fabulous, family-friendly new dishes for an unforgettable Rosh Hashanah table.
Here are some intriguing options for welcoming the New Year – 5781 on the Jewish calendar. Some are classics with an updated spin; others will take you to surprising gastronomic heights. Super easy and right on trend, these are just some of our current favorites from the extensive Rosh Hashanah recipe collection at kosher.com, the online authority for all things kosher.
And if you plan to try these recipes out, you’ll want to make sure that everything you need is on hand. Read on for a list of kitchen essentials courtesy of KAYCO, America’s leading distributor and manufacturer of kosher foods.
(Note: if you’re a guest at someone’s table, don’t forget the hostess gift. KAYCO’s got you covered with new products like Tuscanini sodas in elegant glass serving bottles or Prigat clear juices, a healthier alternative to sugary drinks. Of course, there’s always a place of honor for traditional foods from Manischewitz!)
Entrees
Apples and Honey Mustard Chicken, from the popular Peas, Love & Carrots cookbook, captures the essence of Rosh Hashanah on a platter. The honey-mustard sauce is a beautiful companion for the chicken, which is baked with apples and finished with a crunchy Panko topping.
Pomegranate Braised Beef, another highlight from Peas, Love & Carrots, puts a sweet-tart spin on a holiday classic. Deglazed with hard apple cider, the meat cooks in a flavorful sauce starring pomegranate syrup to ensure a sweet new year.
Fish
Citrus Teryaki Salmon is a great entrée for non-meat eaters and a wonderful alternative to the classic gefilte fish appetizer. Best of all, it couldn’t be easier to make.
Or, you can take salmon on an exotic journey with Danielle Renov’s show-stopping Tahini and Tamarind Glazed Salmon with Kadiaf Topping, finished with fresh pomegranate seeds. A nest of ultra-thin kadaif noodles (think baklava) tops it all off for a crispy, golden crunch.
Soups
Soymilk is the secret to a parve Creamy Carrot Soup that will bring a rich, healthful, and colorful splash to the holiday table.
Anyone from the American south knows that black-eyed peas are essential for bringing good luck in the New Year. Sausage, Black-Eyed Pea and Swiss Chard Soup is a hearty way to ensure good fortune and eat your greens at the same time.
Sides.
Pastrami Leek Galette? Yes, you read that right. Sautéing pastrami with mushrooms and leeks cooks the veggies down to their caramelized essence. The savory, thyme-scented filling bakes right inside the dough for an elegant presentation.
This Ashkenazic Roasted Tzimmes keeps it traditional, simple, and light. In this updated version, a bit of ginger adds a subtle, warm kick while fresh mint offers an herbaceous finish.
Desserts
Thanks to a few shortcuts, nobody has to know how easy it is to make these unique and oh-so-decadent desserts. Caramel Apple Halva Babka bakes up on frozen challah dough, while Apple Bourekas with Silan-Sesame Drizzle calls for frozen puff pastry squares and apple pie filling.
KAYCO’S ROSH HASHANA CHECKLIST
Fresh
Brisket
Chicken
Salmon
Sausage
Apples
Pomegranates
Carrots
Leeks
Pastrami
Mushrooms
Frozen
Kadaif (ultra-thin noodles)
Kineret Frozen Challah Dough
Puff Pastry Squares
Heaven and Earth Riced Cauliflower
GefenFrozen Garlic Gefen Frozen Ginger
Pantry
Zeta Extra Virgin Oil
Haddar Tahini by Barake
Gefen Apple Pie Filling
Silan (date syrup)
Manischewitz Beef Broth
Gefen Honey
Raisins
Tamarind Concentrate
Pomegranate Syrup
Jeff Nathan’s Panko Crumbs
Gefen Unflavored Soymilk
Hard Apple Cider
Black-Eyed Peas
*Excerpted from Peas Love and Carrots by Danielle Renov. Copyright 2020 by ArtScroll Mesorah Publications, photos by Moshe Wulliger. Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved. Carrie Bachman; Carrie Bachman Public Relations; Mobile: (646) 637-6303; email: [email protected]; www.carriebachman.com
Kayco is one of the largest producers and distributors of kosher foods and beverages. The NJ based company acquired the iconic Manischewitz brand in 2019. Kosher.com offers a complete resource of kosher recipes, videos, lifestyle tips, holiday menus and more, with new content added weekly.
There are two holidays mentioned in the Torah whose primary significance is not described there. Nowhere in the Torah is Rosh Hashanah described as the Day of Judgment. Likewise, Shavuot is not referred to in the Torah as the holiday of the Giving of the Torah. Why?
R’ Shlomo Ephraim z”l of Lunschitz (17th century; author of the Torah commentary Kli Yakar) answers by noting that there are two other dates that are hidden as well: the date of one’s eventual death and the date of the arrival of mashiach. The reason for all of these is the same, says R’ Shlomo Ephraim. Being in doubt forces us to think differently. Not knowing the date of the Giving of the Torah allows us to feel every day as if the Torah is new. Not knowing when mashiach will come can drive us to repent constantly in order to merit his arrival. Not knowing when we will die also can lead us to repent constantly in preparation for the Great Judgment. Finally, not knowing when the Day of Judgment (Rosh Hashanah) is prevents us from sinning all year long, when it is seemingly safe to do so, and planning to repent at the last moment. (Olelot Ephraim II 33)
Of course, we do know when the Day of Judgment (Rosh Hashanah) and the Day of the Giving of the Torah (Shavuot) are because the Oral Tradition teaches us these facts. Perhaps, suggests R’ Menachem Simcha Katz shlita (Brooklyn, NY), the Torah is teaching us a second lesson: that without complete loyalty to the Oral Tradition and meticulous adherence to the laws found in it (i.e., in the Talmud), teshuvah is impossible or meaningless. This is alluded to in the blessing of the daily Shemoneh Esrei which speaks of teshuvah: “Return us our Father to Your Torah, draw us close our King to Your service, and [then] return us in complete repentance before You.” (Simcha L’ish p. 406)
“You will return until Hashem, your Elokim.” (30:2)
R’ Moshe Zvi Neriyah z”l (1913-1995; rosh yeshiva in Kfar Ha’roeh, Israel, and founder of the Bnei Akiva youth movement) wonders: Is this verse referring to a place to which one returns, as the word “until” implies?
He explains: The result of the teshuvah process is that G-d forms man anew. He continues: Teshuvah is remarkable; had Hashem not told us that it is effective, we would never have imagined it on our own. *Doing* teshuvah is logical, but that teshuvah is *accepted* is not. How can one just erase the past and be born anew?!
Several verses refer to teshuvah using “purification” as a metaphor, for example (Vayikra 16:30) “For on this day he shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you; from all your sins before Hashem shall you be cleansed” and (Yirmiyah 17:13) “Hashem, mikveh of Israel!” This is because we can grasp the concept of purification by analogy to physical cleansing. In turn, this assists us in grasping the cleansing and renewing effect of teshuvah.
With this we can understand as well the “place” to which one returns when he repents. It is not a physical place but rather the “point” from which one was created. (Me’orot Neriyah: Elul-Tishrei p.19)
One might think that he is *obligated* to sin so that he can fulfill the mitzvah of teshuvah. Otherwise, he might go through his entire life without ever performing this mitzvah.
Not so, says R’ Chaim Chizkiyah Medini z”l (author of the halachic encyclopedia Sdei Chemed; died 1904). Rather, just as our Sages say that one who studies the laws of the Temple service is deemed to have performed the service, so one who studies the laws of teshuvah is considered to have performed that mitzvah. Thus, even if one never sins, he still can fulfill the commandment to repent. (Drush B’ma’alat Midat Ha’anavah; reprinted in Ohr Ha’chamah p.338)
“For this commandment that I command you today – it is not hidden from you and it is not distant.” (30:11)
R’ Moshe ben Nachman z”l (Ramban; 1194-1270) writes that this refers to the mitzvah of teshuvah.
R’ Moshe Zuriel shlita (former Mashgiach Ruchani of Yeshivat Sha’alvim) observes that many people find teshuvah difficult. We all feel as if we generally do what is right. Morever, our Sages teach us that we should approach the Day of Judgment with the confidence that we will emerge vindicated and triumphant.
Nevertheless, R’ Zuriel writes, if we understood the depth of Hashem’s judgment, we would not be so complacent. Who can claim that he has not offended his spouse, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. during the year? Do we realize the seriousness of this sin? Do we repent for it properly?
We are all familiar with the halachah that teshuvah does not atone for a sin against another human being unless the offended person is appeased. We therefore are used to asking our friends, “Do you forgive me?” And, of course, they say, “I forgive you.” But do they really forgive us, or are they simply too embarrassed or uncomfortable to tell us that they still feel hurt? Do we take steps to right the wrongs that we have committed, or are we satisfied with a pro forma apology?
Moreover, we forget that appeasing those we have offended is only the first step. We still must appease Hashem when we offend His loved ones. The Gemara relates that a great sage was severely punished because he came home late from yeshiva and caused his wife to shed one tear as she sat by the window watching for him. She would not have wanted him to be punished, but Hashem does not tolerate even a small show of insensitivity from a person of stature. Even the fact that he was preoccupied with Torah study did not save him. True, we are not on the stature of that sage, but our sins are not as subtle either.
Even when a person hurts another with the best of intentions, he is punished. We read at the beginning of Shmuel I that a man named Elkanah had two wives-Peninah and Chana. Peninah had children and Chana did not. Our Sages say that Peninah used to goad Chana to pray for children by asking questions such as, “Have you bathed your children for school today?” Peninah had the best of intentions; she wanted Chana to cry from the depths of her heart so that she too would give birth.
And it worked! Nevertheless, Peninah was punished severely.
And who has not offended his parents?! The halachic work Chayei Adam (67:3) writes that even thinking negatively about one’s parents is a grave sin about which the Torah says (Devarim 27:16),
“Cursed is one who degrades his father or mother.”
Therefore, concludes R’ Zuriel, let us all realize that we have sinned grievously. Let us ask for forgiveness from those we have offended and from their Father in Heaven. Then we truly will be able to enter Rosh Hashanah with confidence. (Otzrot Ha’Torah p. 664) –
Parshas Nitzavim contains a section called Parshas ha-Teshuva, The Chapter of Repentance. Photo Credit: Chabad.org
By: Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffman
Parshas Nitzavim contains a section called Parshas ha-Teshuva, The Chapter of Repentance; so called because in this chapter Moshe encourages Bnei Yisrael (the Children of Israel) by telling them that as far as they may have strayed from the Almighty, hope is never lost, and there is always room for teshuva.
“It will be, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse… then you will take it to heart, among all the nations where Hashem, your G-d, has dispersed you. And you will return to Hashem, your G-d, and listen to His voice… And Hashem, your G-d, will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your offspring, to love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul; that you may live.” (30:1-6)
This promise – that Hashem will “circumcise,” or remove the spiritual impediments from our hearts, thereby stirring within us a great love for Him – while ‘heartening,’ is problematic. It seems to fly in the face of the famous dictum of Chazal (our Sages) that, Everything is in the hands of G-d, except for the fear of G-d. (Berachos 33b) It is a basic tenet of Jewish belief that while Hashem is in complete control over all that occurs within the physical realm, He does not exercise control over man’s free-will, and will not coerce us to choose good over evil. That choice is completely ours, and we will either be rewarded for choosing good, or, G-d forbid, punished for doing bad. So how is it that here the pasuk seems to promise that Hashem is going to “step in” and compel us – and our children – to love Him by “circumcising” our hearts?
A minyan of at least 10 Jewish males have the obligation to pray together. The “call to prayer,” as it were, is when the Chazzan calls out: Let us Bless Hashem, Who is blessed. The congregation responds: May Hashem, Who is blessed, be blessed forever and ever. Similarly, when ten males have eaten together, they are lead in a zimun, or “call to bentching,” in which the leader recites: Let us bless G-d, from Whom we have partaken. Those present respond: Blessed is G-d, from Whom we have partaken, and in His goodness, He has granted us life.
In a famous comment, the Mishnaic commentary Tosafos Yom Tov (Berachos 7:3) notes a discrepancy between the two declarations: When we call to pray, we do so by invoking the Four Letter Name, Hashem, spelled Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei. But when we call to recite Birkas HaMazon (Grace), we invoke G-d, or Elokeinu. What is the reason for this distinction?
While we are infinitely thankful for Hashem’s grace in having given us to eat, we realize that in fact He must do so. After all, we didn’t ask to be born; He created us, and to some extent He is obligated to sustain us. Making sure His creations have what to eat is not an act of compassion, but rather a logical outcome of having put us here in the first place. To allude to this, we invoke the name Elokeinu, which signifies din, or obligation and justice.
Conversely, giving us the Torah and its mitzvos, one of which is the mitzvah to pray, is an act of extreme benevolence and generosity, which Hashem was certainly not “obligated” to do. He did so out of great compassion and love. Thus, when we call to pray, we invoke the name Hashem, which signifies compassion and mercy.
This raises the following question: How far does Hashem’s “obligation” to sustain us go? Are we talking about the barest of necessities, or does it also include delicacies and the finer things in life? Logic dictates that the answer to this question differs from person to person. Hashem must give a person whatever he or she absolutely needs to survive. For Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, that was a measure of carob each week. For others, it might include a hearty diet of grains, fruits and vegetables. Whatever we absolutely need is given to us with justice; the rest is compassion.
But what if a person’s Yiddishkeit – his connection to Torah and mitzvos – is so critical that it is no less a necessity to him than are his daily bread and water? What if a day without Torah is just as distressing to him than a day without food and drink – and perhaps more so? What if to him the yiras Shamayim (fear of Heaven) of his children is so dear, that were he to see them straying from a Torah life, it would be tantamount to death itself? For such a person, his spiritual sustenance of Torah and mitzvos is just as much a lifeline as are the food he eats and the air he breathes. For him, loving Hashem and the Torah cease to be elements of free-will and compassion; they are every bit as necessary as is his physical well being. And since we are entitled to at least the bare necessities of life, he is entitled to an extra measure of Heavenly providence ensuring that he, and his children, will love Hashem and go in His ways. Anything less would be to deprive him of life itself! (How’s that for circumventing free will?!)
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (to Num. 19:20, Ps. 3:3) writes that the word sal literally means “to lift,” because a basket’s main purpose is to help a person lift and carry various items.
By: Reuven Chaim Klein
When the Torah speaks about bringing the first fruits to Jerusalem in baskets, it uses a non-standard word for “basket”: tene. The standard Hebrew word for “basket” is sal — which appears fifteen times throughout the Bible. By contrast, the word tene appears only four times in the entire Bible—all of them in Parashat Ki Tavo (Deut. 26:2, 26:4, 28:5, and 28:17). In this essay, we will seek to better understand the differences between the words tene and sal, and how those words relate to another handful of synonyms for “basket.”
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (to Num. 19:20, Ps. 3:3) writes that the word sal literally means “to lift,” because a basket’s main purpose is to help a person lift and carry various items. Rabbi Hirsch compares this word to sulam (“ladder” up which one climbs), solelah (high mound used for circumventing city walls), and mesilah (road that goes up a mountain) which all have the two-letter string SAMECH-LAMMED.
Rabbi Aharon Marcus’ (1843–1916) proposed that in all Hebrew words whose root is comprised of the biliteral string SAMECH-LAMMED, the SAMECH is actually a placeholder for the letter AYIN that follows it.
Rabbi Hirsch’s explanation fits with Rabbi Aharon Marcus’ (1843–1916) theory to explain the etymology of the word sela (“rock”). Rabbi Marcus proposed that in all Hebrew words whose root is comprised of the biliteral string SAMECH-LAMMED, the SAMECH is actually a placeholder for the letter AYIN that follows it. In other words, when a word’s root seems to be SAMECH-LAMMED, it should really be understood as AYIN-LAMMED. The letters AYIN-LAMMED refer to something “on top” (al/lemalah) of something else, or something which is “elevated” or “ascends upward” (oleh/aliyah). Based on this, Rabbi Marcus suggested that the word sela refers to something which “comes up”—i.e. a rock which “comes up” from underground. According to Rabbi Hirsch, the word sal also refers to “elevation,” as it is the vessel used to “lift up” various items and carry them elsewhere.
Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim (1740–1814) offers a different take on the SAMECH-LAMMED root. He explains that this two-letter root refers to things related to repeated actions. For example, the word mesilah (“road”) is derived from this root because it is a well-travelled path upon which many have tread. Similarly, one who constantly twists and twirls one’s hair is said to be misalsel (Rosh HaShanah 26b) because he repeatedly does the same action. In that spirit, Rabbi Pappenheim explains that sal refers specifically to a “bread basket” (see Gen. 40:16, Lev. 8:2) because it is an item constantly in use every single day. This notwithstanding, Rabbi Pappenheim admits that the term sal can refer to any sort of basket in a borrowed sense, even a basket of meat (Jud. 6:19) or grapes (Jer. 6:9).
That said, Dr. Chaim Tawil points out that the Hebrew word sal actually seems to derive from the Akkadian word sallu, which also means “basket.”
In all four places that the word tene appears in the Bible, the Targum translates it into the Aramaic sala, an Aramaicized version of the Hebrew word sal. In Talmudic parlance, the word teni means the same as tene. But where does the word tene come from?
When the Torah speaks about bringing the first fruits to Jerusalem in baskets, it uses a non-standard word for “basket”: tene. The standard Hebrew word for “basket” is sal — which appears fifteen times throughout the Bible. Photo Credit: fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk
Unlike sal which he maintains refer to a basket used for “bread,” Rabbi Pappenheim explains that tene refers to a basket used specifically for fruits. Such baskets were typically woven with extra space to allow air to waft through, thus ensuring that the fruits will not spoil. Rabbi Pappenheim argues that the letter ALEPH of tene is a radical, while its actual root is just TET-NUN. He explains that the word eitun (Prov. 7:16) also derives from this root, and it refers to clothing woven in such a way that more air is allowed through. Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (1785–1865) adds that the TET-NUN element in the word shaatnez refers to “weaving,” as well.
Like Rabbi Pappenheim, Rabbi Aharon Marcus also connects tene to eitun. But he argues that both words are actually of Egyptian origin. Indeed, master etymologist Rabbi Dr. Ernest Klein (1899–1983) confirms tene’s status as an Egyptian loanword. [I first heard this theory of tene being an Egyptian loanword many years ago from Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch (the Liozna Rebbe), the founder and curator of the Living Torah Museum.]
Rabbi David Chaim Chelouche (1920–2016), the late Chief Rabbi of Netanya, connects the word tene to beten (“stomach”), as a basket has an open “cavity” into which people can put things, just like a stomach has. Photo Credit: YouTube
Interestingly, Rabbi David Chaim Chelouche (1920–2016), the late Chief Rabbi of Netanya, connects the word tene to beten (“stomach”), as a basket has an open “cavity” into which people can put things, just like a stomach has.
There are two more words in Biblical Hebrew for “basket”: keluv and dud. In one instance, the word keluv (Amos 8:1) refers to a basket into which one puts undeveloped figs, while in the other instance, keluv (Jer. 5:27) refers to a basket into which one placed birds in order to fatten them up. Based on this second usage, Modern Hebrew redefines keluv as a “bird cage” or even “animal cage” in general. The word dud sometimes means “basket” (see Jer. 24:1–2), but sometimes means “pot” (I Sam. 2:14, II Chron. 35:13)—both of which are fashioned in practically the same shape.
The word kalkalah in the sense of “basket” appears multiple times in the Mishnah (see Peah 7:3, Demai 7:6, Terumot 4:6, Maasrot 1:5, 4:2, Shabbos 20:3, 21:1, Eruvin 3:8, Kiddushin 2:7, Keilim 16:2, 22:9). Rabbi Tanchum HaYerushalmi (a 13th century exegete who lived in the Holy Land) writes that a kalkalah is an especially big sal, which people would typically use to store all sorts of foods. Because its contents generally provide sustenance and nourishment, the word for this type of basket is a cognate of the verb kalkal (see, for example, Gen. 47:12) which means, “to sustain.” Another word for “basket” in Mishnaic Hebrew is kefifah (sometimes spelled with a KUF and sometimes with a KAF); this terms seems to refer specifically to a “wicker basket” (see Shabbos 2:2, Sotah 2:1, 3:1, Keilim 26:1).
In the Talmudic vernacular, there are another eight Hebrew/Aramaic words for “basket.” How they differ from one another is not readily apparent or addressed by the commentators, but from context clues we can hone in on their exact meanings:
Dikula (Chullin 32b) seems to refer specifically to a basket made from the bast of a dekel, the Hebrew word for “palm tree” (see Rashi to Shabbos 90b).
Gridia means “vegetable basket” (see Rashi to Sotah 10a).
Traskal refers to a wide “basket” that is typically filled with barley and hung around an animal’s neck so that it can eat more easily (see Rashi to Shabbos 5a, 53a, and Eruvin 33b).
Tzana (see Rashi to Chullin 57a and Rashbam to Bava Basra 126b) also mean “basket,” and Rabbi Dr. Ernest Klein explains that it refers to a basket made out of thorns (related to the Biblical Hebrew word tzan, see Num. 33:55, Prov. 22:5, Amos 4:2).
Kelet refers to a vase-shaped basket that women used to wear on their heads (Kesubos 72b, 82b, Gittin 77a, Bava Basra 85b, and Bava Meztia 9b).
Sharkafa seems to be a basket in which one placed birds (see Chullin 53b, with Rashi and Tosafos there).
Tuvila was apparently a basket used for harvesting dates (see Rashi and Rabbeinu Gershon to Bava Basra 33b).
Tirina (Pesachim 88a) seems to have been a special basket for date fruits.
What is Rosh Hashanah all about? In addition to its meaning as the “head of the year”, we also refer to it as the “Day of Judgment”.
By: Rabbi Asher Resnick
Before discussing the specific aspects of any particular holiday, it is important to understand the uniquely Jewish perspective of time as well as holidays in general. The world at large views time essentially as a straight line. The present moment is a unique point along this line that never existed before and will never exist again. The past is completely finished and the future is yet to occur.
The Jewish model of time is a spiral. While time is certainly moving forward, it progresses ahead specifically through a seasonal cycle. Each year we pass through the same seasonal coordinates that are imbued with whatever spiritual potentials were initially established within them.
This is the significance of the Jewish holidays. They serve as signposts on the spiral of time to teach us which specific quality has been embedded into that particular season. When the Jewish people left Egypt at Passover time, for example, it showed us that both physical and spiritual freedom are incorporated within the fabric of every springtime. Whenever our cyclical journey through time encounters a holiday, therefore, we directly re-experience the quality of that time. In addition, whatever it is that originally occurred at that time actually occurs again every single year. Thus, every holiday is a metaphysical window of opportunity.
So, the key question regarding every holiday is – What is the particular opportunity that it presents us with? There are three clues which help us to uncover the meaning of each holiday.
First, what was the actual historical event that occurred the first time that this day was significant? And what was its metaphysical impact upon the Jewish people and the world? This is the most obvious question to ask. As we explained, it is specifically this metaphysical impact that recurs every subsequent year at the same time. This is what the holiday actually consists of.
Second, what are the various mitzvot, Rabbinical guidelines, and customs of the holiday?
If the Torah or the Rabbis tell us to do certain activities or to refrain from others during the holiday, clearly these do’s and don’ts are designed to help us access its opportunity. Even the customs, developed from the subconscious of the Jewish people over the centuries, are rooted in an awareness of the unique potential of these days. The more one understands the particular tools that are appropriate for each holiday, the more one will understand the opportunities themselves that these tools are designed to access.
And, finally, what is the name of the holiday?
Judaism views Hebrew names as having tremendous significance. Far from merely serving as convenient labels, Hebrew names both identify and express the underlying essence of whatever it is that they are describing.
With these three clues to guide us, we can now begin to unravel the various layers of meaning and significance within each of the Jewish holidays.
Rosh Hashanah
Let’s begin by thinking about some curious aspects of the High Holidays. We’ll discuss three different questions and then try to resolve them with the help of our three clues.
What is Rosh Hashanah all about? In addition to its meaning as the “head of the year”, we also refer to it as the “Day of Judgment”. Every single person in the world is judged individually on Rosh Hashanah.
In fact, the Talmud tells us that three different books are opened on Rosh Hashanah: The Book of Life – for those judged to be completely righteous, the Book of Death – for those judged to be completely wicked, and the Middle Book for all who are judged to be in between.
If Rosh Hashanah is really the day when every single person is evaluated for life or death, how would we expect people to act on that day? Wouldn’t we expect people to spend the day fixing up past mistakes, pleading their personal cases, and praying for God to give them all good judgments?
What, in fact, did the Rabbis tell us to do on Rosh Hashanah? Curiously, there is virtually no mention of our own personal judgment in the Rosh Hashanah prayers. Instead, the prayers are all about the general condition of the world. We pray that the world will recognize God is its exclusive King, that He is aware of everything that occurs, and that the shofar of Mt. Sinai will demonstrate God’s love and concern for all of mankind. These are certainly beautiful and meaningful prayers. The difficulty is why we would focus exclusively on the overall world situation just at the time when our lives are on the line? This is our first difficulty.
Now let’s think about Yom Kippur. Why is it such a significant day? It is the “day of kapara” – the time of spiritual cleansing. It is the day that we are able to fix up the damage caused by our various past mistakes. That being so, wouldn’t it be much more logical for Yom Kippur to come first, i.e., for the “day of cleansing” to precede the “day of judgment”? This is our second difficulty.
The third question arises from a discussion in the Talmud tractate Rosh Hashanah on the nature of the judgment of Rosh Hashanah. The Torah reading for the first day of Rosh Hashanah presents the story of Yishmael (the father of the Arab nation) pleading for his life (on Rosh Hashanah). The verse tells us that “God heard the voice of the lad where he was.” The Talmud explains that the words “where he was” do not refer to Yishmael’s physical location. That would be completely superfluous. Where else would God be answering him other than the specific place he was in? Rather, the verse is speaking in terms of time. Based on this, Rebbe Yitzchak (in the Talmud) said, “A person is not judged (on Rosh Hashanah) except according to his actions of that exact moment.”
The commentaries explain that Yishmael was saved at that time even though his descendants were destined to hurt the Jewish people throughout later history. In other words, the negative future deeds of his descendants did not change his judgment at that time.
There is a different source quoted by the Jerusalem Talmud, however, which seems to go much further than this. It tells us that even if an individual was not pure and straight in the past, as long as he is pure and straight in the present, on Rosh Hashanah itself, then he will have a positive judgment.
These two different sources together (i.e., the positive judgment of Yishmael on Rosh Hashanah despite his descendants hurting the Jewish people later in history, and ignoring the fact that the person being judged was not pure and straight in the past) teach us a remarkable fact. It sounds like the judgment of Rosh Hashanah does not have to do with either the past or the future, but rather exclusively with one’s situation on the day of Rosh Hashanah. This would seem to be telling us that even if the one being judged was evil during the entire previous year, as long as he was righteous on Rosh Hashanah, he would be judged as a righteous person. This, of course, runs counter to any notion of logic and fairness in the nature of judgment. This is our third difficulty.
To summarize, the three questions are:
Since we are all being judged for life and death on Rosh Hashanah, why don’t we do teshuva or plead our personal case?
Why doesn’t Yom Kippur – the “day of cleansing” – precede Rosh Hashanah – the “day of judgment”?
How can the judgment of Rosh Hashanah be exclusively a function of the day of Rosh Hashanah itself, irrelevant of the future and even of the past?
The blowing of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is a call for all Jews to do teshuvah (repentance) and to stir our hearts to become closer to Hashem. Photo Credit: INN
We mentioned previously that every holiday has three clues that help us to unlock its hidden meaning. Let’s begin with the first one, its historical significance, to try to resolve these various difficulties.
What is it that actually occurred on the very first Rosh Hashanah? Although in the davening (prayers) of Rosh Hashanah it is referred to as “yom harat olam” (the birthday of the world), it was not actually the day of creation of the world, but rather the creation of mankind. The first Rosh Hashanah was day number six of creation, and the day upon which the first man, Adam, was created.
The Birthday of Free Will
Let’s ask what may seem like an odd question – What is the great significance of the creation of mankind? Prior to day six, the Torah tells us that God had already created the entire physical world as well as a vast number of different forms of life. What, then, did mankind bring to the world that had not previously existed?
When the Torah describes the creation of mankind, it tells us that man was created “b’tzelem Elokim” (in God’s image). One of the most central meanings of this fundamental concept is that human beings have the ability to exercise free will in relation to moral decisions.
To properly understand this, we need to appreciate the Jewish view of a human being. Every person has a body and a soul. The body desires physicality, the soul wants spirituality; the body is interested in short-term gratification, the soul in eternity. What is it that decides which side will prevail?
Judaism understands that there is a third component in the system – free will. Free will is what arbitrates this existential tug-of-war between the body and the soul. It is specifically the creation of free will, which epitomizes our very humanity, that we celebrate and relive every Rosh Hashanah. As Rav Berkowitz, a teacher of mine, once expressed it – Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of free will.
Free will Exists Only in the Present
It is significant that of these three different components within every human being – the body, the soul, and the free will – it is specifically the free will which exists exclusively in the present moment. For example, a person could live his life by a particular set of moral guidelines for many years and then, in an instant, decide to completely shift course. The state of one’s free will is, by definition, whatever he chooses at that particular moment.
In contrast to free will, which exists only in the present, the state of both the body and the soul are almost entirely a function of the past. A person’s physical health at any given time, for example, is mostly determined by their past diet and exercise even if they happen to deviate from that at the present. Similarly for the soul, it is generally the cumulative past behavior that determines one’s spiritual health, not occasional changes afterwards.
Focus of Rosh Hashanah
Now if we put this point – that free will exists exclusively in the present, together with the cryptic statement in the Talmud that: “A person is not judged (on Rosh Hashanah) except according to his actions of that exact moment,” we come to a remarkable insight – the judgment of Rosh Hashanah is specifically on the state of our free will. Let’s try to understand what that means.
We generally assume that the focus of Rosh Hashanah is on the state of our soul – i.e., the spiritual repository of our actions of the previous year, not on what our free will is choosing at that particular time. This would explain why it seems so obvious that the judgment of Rosh Hashanah would be a cumulative evaluation based on our actions of the previous year.
The spiritual health of one’s soul as a result of one’s past behavior is obviously of critical importance, it just happens not to be the focus of Rosh Hashanah.
Everything that we have ever done, both positively and negatively, has affected our souls. And if this is left as is, these various impacts will be with us forever, in both this world and the next. Fortunately Judaism says that there is a way to minimize or even to eliminate the negative impact of our past mistakes on our eternity. This mechanism is “teshuva” (return) and the result is called “kaparah” (a spiritual cleansing). This goal of kaparah is so important that we have a holiday devoted exclusively to its attainment – Yom Kippur (the “day of kaparah”). It is on Yom Kippur that we try to address our actions of the previous year and fix up all of our mistakes.
Since it is specifically Yom Kippur that addresses our behavior and situation of the previous year, what, then, is the purpose of Rosh Hashanah? We mentioned earlier that one of the clues to uncovering the essence of a holiday is to examine its name. The way that Rosh Hashanah is often understood, it would seem more appropriate for it to have been called “Sof Hashanah” (the “end of the year”), and for it to have been placed at the end of the previous year. However, it is actually called Rosh Hashanah (the “head of the year”), and, of course, it is situated at the very beginning of the brand new year. Besides reinforcing that the focus of Rosh Hashanah is not on our actions of the previous year, what else does the name teach us?
Delta Air Lines said Monday, Aug. 31, 2020 that it will drop the fee for domestic flights. Delta is following the example set by United Airlines and saying it will drop an unpopular $200 fee on customers who change a ticket for travel within the United States. The moves come as airlines are desperately trying to lure people back to flying. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
By: David Koenig
This could be the final boarding call for the $200 ticket-change fee that has enraged so many U.S. airline travelers over the past decade.
Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said Monday that they are dropping the fee on most tickets for domestic flights, copying United Airlines’ move one day earlier.
Southwest Airlines didn’t levy change fees to start with, so Monday’s announcements mean that the four biggest U.S. carriers will have roughly similar policies.
Airlines are being battered by the coronavirus pandemic, as travel restrictions and fear of contracting the virus are keeping travelers at home. Normally in summer, 2 million or more people pass through security checkpoints at U.S. airports each day, but that number hasn’t been above 900,000 since mid-March, the early days of the pandemic.
To woo passengers, airlines have required face masks and stepped up cleaning of planes. A few, including Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, limit seating, although American and United try to sell every seat.
Wolfe Research airline analyst Hunter Keay said he believes Delta and United were considering dropping change fees even before the pandemic because they were seen as too punitive.
“This is another example of a crisis accelerating forward thinking ideas,” Keay said, adding that United could have gone further and dropped change fees on international itineraries too.
Delta and American said they have permanently eliminated change fees for all domestic flights for premium and most economy fares except the lowest fare, called basic economy. American is also dropping the fee on trips to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
American said it will let all passengers fly standby for earlier same-day flights without charge beginning Oct. 1. United is making that change on Jan. 1.
Both carriers also extended temporary waivers on change fees for domestic and international flights, so ditching the fees permanently won’t make much difference to passengers right away. But by doing so, United, Delta and American are abandoning a fee that has drawn particular scorn from customers, consumer advocates and members of Congress.
The fee, however, has raised lots of revenue for the airlines at very little cost.
After months spent indoors at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s clear that many people are itching to get back out there and take a vacation. This is with good reason. Staying isolated for too long can take a substantial toll on one’s mental health and well-being, according to the American Psychological Association.
If you still feel uncomfortable with going far from your home for a travel experience however, traveling domestically can be a step in the right direction. There are lots of great places to visit a few hours’ drive from your home that you probably didn’t think of! Whether you’re looking for a beach stay, or some nature, exploring options close to home can allow for an escape you and your family want, and in a safe environment, such as an apartment or home vacation rental. And it’s an increasingly popular choice. According to trivago, a global accommodation metasearch provider, the share of users clicking on deals for such vacation rentals increased by 5 percent from February to June 2020, both in the U.S. and internationally.
As you book and plan your travel, here are a few tips to consider to help ensure you have a healthy and safe experience:
DIY Cleaning: If you are worried about cleaning standards, consider seeking out accommodations where you don’t have to worry about someone else coming into your space during your stay. Bring your own wipes, anti-bacterial soap and other supplies and wipe down surfaces when you arrive, and as often as needed. Of course, you should always check with your accommodation provider about their hygiene standards to make sure they meet your expectations. Major hotel chains have announced special cleaning protocols in light of the coronavirus.
Beating the Crowds: From beach houses to mountain cabins, try to look for a vacation experience away from densely populated city destinations, which is a good choice for those wanting to beat the crowds.
Staying Active: Getting away doesn’t have to mean staying indoors somewhere new. Take a leisurely stroll on a beach. Go on a hike in the mountains. Explore a national park you’ve always wanted to see. Brunch at a small local café. There are plenty of ways to stay active and have fun, all while following social distance guidelines.
Choosing Your Destination: So where is everybody going? The current most popular U.S travel destinations by click share according to trivago are:
Las Vegas
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Panama City Beach, Fla.
Virginia Beach, Va.
Destin, Fla.
Miami Beach, Fla.
Ocean City, Md.
Galveston, Texas
South Padre Island, Texas
Orlando, Fla.
Key West, Fla.
For more travel tips and ideas, visit trivago.com, and trivago.com/corona for the most up-to-date travel restrictions.
Whether you hit up a popular destination or head somewhere remote, make sure you adhere to local health guidelines when traveling. And above all, stay safe and healthy.
The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort has created a monitored learning environment that will give you a break and empower your child to complete their virtual learning assignments in a safe, clean, and unique environment. Photo Credit: Pocono Mountains
By: Rachel Camaerei
In the year 2020, anything goes. So why not try something new with two words that sound like total opposites – working vacation. We know, it sounds funny but working vacations are a great option for a change of scenery and a chance to relax. A working vacation is just that; a trip where you set designated parameters to both work and enjoy your time off.
For parents, the kids can even partake in their own version of a working vacation with a schoolcation. If they’re going to school online this fall, they can virtually learn while you work. Everyone can accomplish their tasks for the day and unplug when finished to spend quality time with each other.
Poconos resorts offer the best of both worlds when it comes to work and play. From the phone line to the zip line, a working vacation is a breeze in the Pocono Mountains. So, why work and vacation here? Check out the offers, reasons and tips below for maximizing your trip.
Offers for Working and Learning Vacations
Who doesn’t like saving money? Especially on vacation, when you can put that cash towards treating yourself. Check out the packages below to save on your working and/or learning vacation in the Poconos.
Reasons to Work and Learn from the Poconos
Work Life Balance
We like to work hard and play hard here. Once you’ve signed off for the day, you can get straight to the fun! Poconos activity can be included in your stay on-site or experienced at different locations throughout the destination.
From surfing the web to surfing the waves, this is just one way you can balance both at Poconos water park resorts like Camelback and Great Wolf Lodge!
Revitalizing Beauty
Everyone thinks of scenic beauty when they think of the Poconos. What better way to recharge after working and learning than connected to the majesty?
Simply appreciate the outdoor beauty sightseeing or experience the adventures that come along with it. Walk the waterfall trails at Bushkill Falls or jet ski at Lake Wallenpaupack. Please remember to visit responsibly and take your trash with you while exploring outside.
Privacy
You deserve to feel comfortable and have your space to relax on vacation. Resorts like Skytop Lodge and Mountain Springs Lake Resort are just a couple lodgings tucked away on private acreage.
Having an abundance of secluded property, both resorts feature lakeside privacy, onsite activities, and even offer cabins accommodations as an added privacy bonus.
Delicious Food
The best part of vacation can arguably be not having to cook. Whether eating at your resort or stepping out for a meal, you won’t have to lift a finger while on vacation.
Our restaurants offer a wide range of cuisines and atmospheres for all types of appetites. Order takeout to have your meal ready for pickup when you’re done for the day, or even check out our restaurants currently offering outdoor dining for some fresh air and fresh food.
Mountain Springs Lake Resort. Credit: Pocono Mountains
Year-Round Availability
Winter, spring, summer or fall, the area inspires invigorating recreational activities for all! As a premiere four-season destination, there is always something to do in the Pocono Mountains.
Best of all, the region provides a wide variety of both outdoor and indoor adventures to enjoy any time of the year whether hiking in the spring or skiing during the winter.
Tips for a Working Vacation
What do you need for a working vacation? Obviously you’ll need your laptop, but we’ve covered some quick tips to help you stay on track with business and pleasure.
Wi-Fi
o It’s a no-brainer in the digital age that Wi-Fi is key when working remotely. Resorts and hotels in the Poconos like Cove Haven and Mountain Laurel Resort have high-speed wireless Internet and bandwidth. Our campgrounds have internet connections as well; camping is another great way to get some privacy to relax and work.
Quiet Space
Find a place at your hotel where you can be productive with little distraction. Whether outside in the garden or inside the business area, discover a space conducive for work. Also be aware of what energizes and what drains you when choosing a work station. The Stourbridge Project offers free coworking space for the whole family or has quiet areas for personal privacy.
Schedule
Set a schedule for your work. Block off the time of day you’re most focused to work; in the mornings, at night. Let your coworkers and team know beforehand when you’ll be working, so you can be accessible and separate work from the leisure part of your trip. After all, it is a vacation!
So, the final question is, what are you waiting for?! Check out our working vacation offers to save on your stay. These include both working vacation and schoolcation offers. The entire family can take the time to work and play while taking a vacation.
You can also find other accommodations and activities. Remember the region is 2,400-square miles, roughly the size of Delaware, so be sure to do your research on where you want to stay when you visit.
Lately, research has suggested that Covid 19 may also cause the sudden onset of insulin-dependent diabetes.
By: Serena Gordon
A COVID-19 infection can cause a lot of serious, sometimes lingering health problems, like lung damage, kidney damage and ongoing heart issues. Lately, research has suggested it may also cause the sudden onset of insulin-dependent diabetes.
A new report details the case of a 19-year-old German with asymptomatic COVID-19 infection who ended up hospitalized with a new case of insulin-dependent diabetes.
Five to seven weeks before his diabetes developed, the young man’s parents developed COVID-19 symptoms after an Austrian ski trip. Eventually, the entire family was tested. Both parents tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, as did the 19-year-old, indicating all had been infected with the coronavirus. However, the son had never had symptoms of the infection.
When the 19-year-old was admitted to the hospital, he was exhausted, had lost more than 26 pounds in a few weeks, was urinating frequently and had left-sided flank pain. His blood sugar level was over 550 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) — a normal level is less than 140 mg/dL on a random blood test.
Doctors suspected he had type 1 diabetes. He tested positive for a genetic variant that is rarely associated with type 1 diabetes, but not genetic variants commonly present in type 1. He also didn’t have antibodies that people with type 1 diabetes usually have at diagnosis.
New type of diabetes?
This left the experts puzzled. Was this type 1 or type 2 diabetes or some new type of diabetes? If it isn’t type 1 diabetes, might this sudden onset diabetes go away on its own? And finally, they couldn’t be sure that the COVID-19 infection caused the diabetes. It’s possible it was a preexisting condition that hadn’t yet been diagnosed.
Still, the authors of the study, led by Dr. Matthias Laudes of University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, Germany, believe they have a plausible explanation for how COVID-19 infections could lead to a new and sudden diabetes diagnosis. Their report is in the Sept. 2 Nature Metabolism.
Beta cells in the pancreas contain a significant number of so-called ACE2 receptors. These receptors are believed to be where the spike protein from the coronavirus attaches to cells. Beta cells produce insulin, a hormone that helps usher the sugar from foods into the body’s cells for fuel. The authors theorized that a coronavirus infection, which affects the ACE2 receptors, might also damage beta cells in the pancreas.
This process is similar to what’s believed to occur in type 1 diabetes. The immune system mistakenly turns on healthy cells (autoimmune attack) after a viral infection and damages or destroys beta cells, possibly causing type 1 diabetes. Someone with type 1 diabetes has little to no insulin. Classic type 1 diabetes requires lifelong insulin injections or delivery of insulin via an insulin pump.
Dr. Caroline Messer, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said she’s heard there’s been an uptick in autoimmune diabetes since the pandemic started.
She said the authors’ suggestion that beta cells may be destroyed in COVID infections makes sense.
“This could account for the uptick in antibody negative type 1 diabetes,” she said. “It is important for practitioners to be aware of the possibility of insulin-dependent diabetes approximately four weeks after infection in spite of negative [type 1 diabetes] antibodies.”
Sanjoy Dutta, vice president of research for JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), said, “I don’t think this is type 1 or type 2 diabetes. I think it should be called new onset or sudden onset insulin-dependent diabetes.”
Tracking these cases
Dutta said there have been enough of these cases in COVID patients that a registry has been created to keep track of their frequency. It includes more than 150 clinical centers throughout the world.
He said people with sudden onset diabetes also seem to have significant insulin resistance and need very high doses of intravenous insulin. Insulin resistance is more common in type 2 diabetes.
He has also read of diabetes cases that have reversed — no longer requiring insulin, which does not happen with type 1 diabetes.
“We need to know the mechanism behind these cases, and until we get more evidence, we should stay open-minded. We don’t know if it’s beta cell destruction. It’s too soon for this to be boxed in as type 1 diabetes,” Dutta noted.
A new study from the University of Florida may put a damper on the German authors’ theory. They looked at the pancreases of 36 deceased people without COVID, and didn’t find ACE2 in their beta cells.
Their finding “does not provide support to the notion that you’re going to develop diabetes because the coronavirus goes in and destroys an individual’s insulin-producing cells,” senior author Mark Atkinson, director of the UF Diabetes Institute, said in a university news release.
The UF study was just published as a preprint on the website bioRxiv.org. Preprint websites let scientists distribute research quickly. However, information on them has not been peer-reviewed and should be considered preliminary.
Dutta said whatever the mechanism might be, the general public and health care providers should be alert for symptoms of diabetes after a COVID-19 infection. These include extreme fatigue, dry mouth, extreme thirst, frequent urination and unexplained weight loss.
