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VOL. 1, NO. 1 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 BI-MONTHLY • FREE ROSH CHODESH KISLEV 5779

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Page 2
Greetings!
I
t’s my sincere pleasure to intro-
duce to you this new publica-
tion, The Jewish Chronicle of
West Palm Beach. It’s not only new to
you, but new to me as well. My name
is Irwin (Yitzchak) Benjamin, the so-
called publisher. After being in court
reporting for 40 years and reaching
the age of 63, I decided to retire. A
man, they say, lives three score and
ten years; I had a lot of other things
I wanted to do, and time was running
out. As a court reporter I became en-
amored with the written word and de-
veloped a strong affinity for it. I was a
fair writer, had a creative mind, and
thought I’d try my hand at writing. I
wound up writing articles for Hamo-
dia for a couple of years and publish-
ing a couple of books.
As my wife and I got older, and the
winters up north began getting too
cold, we bought a small apartment
in West Palm Beach. We love it. The
people are great, Rabbi Richmond is
terrific, and except for the dearth of
shopping and restaurants, the ameni-
ties are more than we could ever hope
The Jewish Chronicle of West Palm Beach, LLC
3900 N. Haverhill Rd., P.O. Box 221826, West
Palm Beach, FL 33417-9998
Email: ihbenjbb@gmail.com
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief:
Irwin H. Benjamin
Sales Manager:
Irwin Cohen
Technical Advisor:
Katie McFadden
Contributing Writers:
Rabbi Shaya Richmond
Rabbi Yehoshua Kurland
Rabbi Shlomo Aschkenasy
Rabbi Shmuel Moshe Benjamin
Chaim Saller
Irwin Cohen
Shulamis Benjamin
Mr. Jacob Rosenberg
Rabbi Uri Benjamin
Rabbi Eiton Feiner
Gerry Sutofsky
Susan Richmond
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
for.
Then I thought to myself, perhaps
it’s time for me to move on, to take
the next step. As the classic oxymoron
goes, nothing’s more constant than
change. Let me now try my hand at
publishing, I thought. It’s still dealing
with the written word, it’s disseminat-
ing Torah, and it certainly will pull
our small Century Village West Palm
Beach closer to the mainstream of
southern Florida.
So, my friends, that’s where I am.
Truth be told I have no idea about
running or publishing a paper but I’m
a hard worker and eager to learn.
That’s where you, the readers, come
in. I need your comments, your sug- I presently plan to publish every cover.
gestions, your criticism and your other week. Advertising and any sub- Now, with those housekeeping mat-
praise (if deserving). I’m inviting missions must reach me via email ters out of the way, please start turn-
– no, I implore you to hold back no (only) at least 10 days before the next ing the pages. I just hope you enjoy
punches. In fact, I will attempt, bli publication. Try not to contact me by reading my newspaper as much as I
neder, to print every letter to the phone, and certainly DO NOT LEAVE enjoyed putting it together.
editor that comes in (please keep it VOICEMAIL. I am hard of hearing
short). In addition, I invite you to and NEVER retrieve my voicemails. Irwin
submit stories or anecdotes that you If you do not know how to email, ask “When skating over thin
think will be entertaining, motivat- your granddaughter. Prices for ad- ice, our safety is in our speed.”
ing, or will send a moral lesson. vertising are listed on the inside back Ralph Waldo Emerson
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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
By Irwin H. Benjamin
August 17, 2015
N
estled somewhere roughly
between Syracuse and Utica,
more particularly Exit 28 on
the New York Thruway, are one of the
most peaceful groups of little villages
you can ever hope to find. If you feel a
need to break away from the furious-
ly fast paced contemporary lifestyle
most of us are forced to endure, Ful-
ton County and its environs could be
the antidote you have been dreaming
of.
Caroga Lake, Ephrata, Johnstown,
Dolgeville and Gloversville, are but a
few of the very beautiful and peace-
ful villages that are to be found in this
gloriously serene fairyland. Fulton
County was once the Indian reserva-
tion of the Mohawks, whose tribe still
retains ownership to certain sections
of the area. Fulton County was also
the home to Elizabeth Cady Staton, a
central pioneer in the women’s rights
movement in America.
Shortly after the Revolutionary War,
the manufacture of gloves and leath-
er became the primary industry of
the area. At one point Johnstown and
Gloversville were known as the glove
and leather capital of the world. Many
of the ancestors of these people still
claim a connection to the glove and
leather trade.
Unfortunately, Fulton County is as
Judenfrie as they come. The closest
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
Our Property
Jewish area is Saratoga Springs, some
40 miles to the west of Fulton County.
So why out of the blue did I now de-
cide to pick Fulton County as a topic
for discussion? It’s a long story, but
it’s a very interesting story that spans
more than half a century.
Commencing my exciting career
as a court reporter, I quickly discov-
ered that there was a big wide world
out there. On one day I could be in-
volved with reporting the testimony of
an accountant, the next day a doctor,
the next day a sailor, and so on. The
unexpected and unsolicited education
I received was priceless, which more
than made up for my less than stellar
formal education. And I loved it.
One day, as I feverishly struggled
to capture the words of a highly suc-
cessful real estate magnate, the court
appointed referee declared a recess
and requested everyone to adjourn to
another room for a discussion out of
the presence of the witness and my-
self. The recess lasted about 15 min-
utes. The witness and I, alone together
in the room, tried to fill the vacuum
by making small talk, when I got up
enough courage to ask him how he be-
came so successful, and was it possible
for someone like me to get into the
real estate business as well.
I remember a little snicker, but he
did not discard my question out of
hand. He told me real estate basically
required a lot of money to be success-
ful, and he asked me if I had any mon-
ey to invest. I confided in him that I
had some money in the bank, but only
the sum of $1,200 to “play around
with,” which I naively thought at that
time was significant and was so proud
of. He slightly chuckled, but then sort
of regretted it, got serious and told me
how even I, with that small amount
of money, could get into the real es-
tate business, and he was now going to
show me how. He then removed a pen
from his inside jacket pocket, drew a
bull’s eye on a white sheet of paper,
and proceeded to draw a series of con-
centric circles around the bull’s eye.
The bull’s eye, he said, represent-
ed the heart of the city, the most ex-
pensive pieces of property, which for
now was definitely out of my range.
The first circle outside of that were
the suburbs, which were also expen-
Page 3
sive, but less than the real estate in the
bull’s eye. The third circle represented
an even less expensive piece of proper-
ty, and so on.
As the center of the cities expands
and become worth more, he ex-
plained, there is a ripple effect that
impacts on the lesser priced proper-
ties on the outer rings of the bull’s eye,
making the price of the outer property
increase.
He then concluded by telling me
that with $1,200 I would have to go
very far out, far from the city, to pur-
chase something, but eventually, if I
have patience, it could be worth a sig-
nificant amount. And if I was serious
about getting into the real estate busi-
ness, that would be the way to go.
I took to heart what the man said.
In the days and weeks that followed, I
scanned the real estate section of the
major papers looking for something
that would excite me and yet fit my
budget.
A month later I found what I was
looking for. It was an extremely large
piece of property, 50 acres of wood-
ed land in Fulton County, New York.
They were asking $1,500 for it. I called
the broker and made an appointment
for my wife and me to see it. We met
him in Dolgeville at the courthouse.
Incidentally, that courthouse had the
distinction of being the oldest func-
tioning courthouse in America.
It was love at first sight. I couldn’t get
over how enormous fifty acres actually
was. We walked the wooded property
as my heart felt it was going to burst.
It was hard to believe that I - me, Irwin
Benjamin, would soon be the owner
of such a tremendous piece of prop-
erty. He told me that although there
was no water on the property, there
was a county road that ran alongside
it, which meant it would be plowed in
the winter. He also told me there were
44 lakes in Fulton County, and that
it was considered the gateway to the
Adirondacks. I bargained for a while,
and wound up paying the grand sum
of $1,200 for the property that was
to become one of the most enjoyable
purchases I ever made in my life.
The broker threw in some tantaliz-
ing inside information that he said
only he and a few other people were
Continued on page 4
Page 4
OUR PROPERTY
Continued from Page 3
privy to. He said there was talk in Al-
bany about building a state road near
our property as well as a train station.
He said if that happened, the price of
our property would skyrocket. He also
said there was talk of a gambling casi-
no opening up as well.
Every summer from that day on we
would pack up the children, pack up
our freezer filled with food, and made
the five hour trek to go see “our prop-
erty.”
Every year, when we first arrived, we
would proudly inspect “our property.”
We looked around to see if we saw any
signs of a state road or railroad, but,
of course, that never came. We would
aggravate ourselves if we noticed that
several of our trees had been cut down
during the winter for firewood, even
though there obviously were still hun-
dreds more. We asked around how we
could stop people from cutting our
trees down and was told that to keep
people away we had to put “posted”
signs on the property, but that was a
two edged sword. Hunting was a large
activity in the area, and if we “post-
ed” it, the hunters could not go into
our property and hunt, making them
dislike us and who knows how they
would take it, so we just left it the way
it was.
Although we would have loved to
stay on our own property and avoid
paying for a motel, the practicality of
it was not there. We couldn’t very well
put up a pup tent or some shelter for
my family in the middle of the woods
– as much as our children begged us to
do so. So instead we found a wonder-
ful motel on Canada Lake, about two
miles from our property.
It was called the “Lakeside Motel.”
It was run and owned by Ronnie and
Bonnie Buchner, people who were
truly the “salt of the earth.”
The entire motel consisted of about
seven rooms off a long wooden porch.
At the end of the porch was where the
office was located and in that same
area was where the Buchner’s resided.
The motel fronted a road, and be-
yond that road was Canada Lake, a
large beautiful, serene blue-green
body of water surrounded by luxuri-
ant green mountains. In the lake, the
Buckners had a wooden dock, literally
just steps away from where our rooms
were. There was also a fire pit for our
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
use. The Buchner’s were proud peo-
ple. Ronnie was an engineer for Knox
Gelatin, where he traveled to and from
daily. They had a son and a daughter.
Their daughter was in medical school,
and their son in some college in King-
ston. Bonnie’s maiden name was
Yates, a name which Bonnie was so
very proud of.
The Yates’ were very long time Ful-
ton County residents and owned a
few of the stores in the downtown
area of Canada Lake; the liquor store,
the grocery and the garage, and the
Yates’ could trace their family in Ful-
ton County back many generations.
Bonnie was full of life, dancing one
night and singing the next, running
for political office, or working for the
local politicians. She was a dynamo.
She was as uninhibited as you can get,
but in a good, healthy, wholesome
way. But she was non-stop motion.
Many nights, when the kids slept she
would invite us into her apartment
at the end of the porch and regale us
with her exciting and exhausting ad-
ventures. Through the years of always
staying at the Lakeside Hotel we were
able to forge a strong bond with the
Buchner’s and looked forward every
year to catching up on what we each
were up to.
At the top of Canada Lake was a
real old time “general store” that sold
everything from cans of peas, worms
for fishing, ice, to renting boats,
matches, batteries; they even sold
flannel shirts, and most importantly,
they graciously gave us instructions
on which bait to use for fishing, and
how to operate the boat, and where
was the best place to fish.
For years and years we had our little
holy ritual: Go up to “our property,”
say hello to it, in a sense, see if there
were any state roads being built, then
to the Buchner’s, get our room, eat
and go on the dock and fish, and then
go up to the store and rent a boat and
dock it near our motel. The only prob-
lem we had fishing off the motel’s dock
was that the only fish we caught there
were catfish, which number one was
not kosher, so we couldn’t clean and
eat them, and also they had vicious
stingers on their fins, which made it
difficult to grab out of the water.
The other exciting activity we en-
gaged in was going to Peck Lake where
they had a large hemp rope hanging
high from a tree. The boys (not my
daughter) would grab onto the rope
and run toward the lake. When they
cleared the hill they let go of the rope
and dropped some 200 feet into the
deep water of Peck Lake. It was great
fun, but that was when I first noticed
my hair turning grey.
Another exciting feature was
Avery’s, which was a restaurant
that had a lake next to it, which was
stocked with trout. People fished (and
always caught something because it
was stocked with fish) and take it into
Avery’s who cleaned and cooked them
and then sat down for a meal to eat
their own freshly caught fish. Avery’s
also had a real live stuffed giant bear
standing guard at the front entrance.
The legend at the bottom said that it
was the largest black bear ever caught
in North America. No matter how
many times the kids saw it, they al-
ways gasped and froze in fear.
Caroga Lake was actually the high-
light of the trip for my little children.
Besides the beautiful lake, they had a
place called Sherman’s, which was a
real old fashioned amusement park,
with a large Ferris wheel, bumper cars,
and the most beautiful carousel you
can imagine. Spinning to loud circus
music, the wonderfully colored paint-
ed horses, zebras, camels and giraffes
carried my happy children round and
round. Outside, in front of the car-
ousel was the “popcorn lady with the
popcorn hair.” She had this square ki-
osk that made fresh popcorn, which
perfectly matched her yellow, blond
hair. The younger children at one point
thought her hair turned that unusual
color was because she was always deal-
ing with the popcorn. But the iconic
“popcorn lady with the popcorn hair”
was an exciting topic that was dis-
cussed with laughter throughout the
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
entire year. At times, when our kids
were sleeping, my wife and I would
sneak out to Caroga Lake where Sher-
man’s had nightly square dancing.
As the years passed by and the chil-
dren got older we sadly had to stop
going to “our property.” The summer
vacations were replaced with camps,
hotels, trips abroad, and other more
“civilized” activities. The hopes of
ever getting rich with the 50 acres I
knew was a pipe dream and was never
going to materialize, so I gave up on it
and turned it over to a broker to sell.
About ten years later we received an
offer, and I took it. It was for much
more money than I originally paid for
it, but taking into the account all the
taxes I had to pay for so many years, I
probably broke even. But we did have
a lot of fun.
Since I am close to celebrating my
80th birthday, and reflecting more
and more on what I did or did not ac-
complish in my life, and getting a little
sentimental, my wife thought it would
be a good idea to visit Fulton County,
a place that held such good and warm
old time memories for us.
Last week we did, indeed, go back
up to Fulton County. It turned out
to be truly a trip down memory lane.
As we approached our exit, I could
actually feel the butterflies dancing
around inside my stomach as I began
to see the familiar sights. I felt like a
little boy again. We knew we would
not stay overnight at a Lakeside Mo-
tel type of place, or one of those local
bed and breakfast places, so we select-
ed a Holiday Inn several miles from
the Buchner’s. It was thrilling to pass
the courthouse where it all had start-
ed, and proceeded to visit the places
we remembered. Surprisingly, we re-
membered everything.
Since I knew that the Buchner’s and
the Yates’ were household names dur-
ing the years we were there, I took a
chance to ask the concierge at the desk
of the Holiday Inn if she ever heard
of the Buchner’s. She said of course,
in fact, she said, Mrs. Buchner was
just honored. I immediately told my
wife, who confirmed my suspicions,
that it couldn’t be Bonnie Buchner,
because she was much older than us,
so she must be long gone by now, and
the Buchner she mentioned must be a
daughter or granddaughter that was
being honored.
Continued on page 5
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
OUR PROPERTY
Continued from Page 4
The first place we visited was “our
(old) property,” which looked much
the same when we owned it minus a
few more trees. And no, there was no
state road or railroad – not even an In-
dian casino. We visited all of our old
haunts, including the general store,
which looked exactly the same, al-
though it was now run by the original
owner’s nephew.
It was sad to see Caroga Lake. Al-
though the lake was thriving with
beachgoers on the very warm day we
visited, Sherman’s amusement park
was a veritable ghost town. An aban-
doned amusement park is probably
one of the most depressing scenes to
behold, probably because its very es-
sence is to delight and amuse, and
when it is not doing that it’s unnatural
and tremendously sad. The large Fer-
ris wheel was in shambles with half
of it actually ripped out of its founda-
tion. The bumper car section lay ee-
rily empty. But the saddest sight of all
was going into the carousel and seeing
the still beautiful colorful wooden
horses and zebras frozen as if caught
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 Page 5
in a time warp. They all seemed to be
eagerly waiting for the music to start
again so they could once again carry
the happy, squealing children round
and round. I quietly internalized that
same feeling about myself, at my age,
waiting for the music to begin once
again and carrying my happy children
as I did many, many years ago.
The popcorn kiosk was all dark, and
of course, the popcorn girl with the
popcorn hair was nowhere to be seen.
When we arrived at the Lakeside
Motel, it was like we never left. The
Lakeside Motel did not change one
iota. Everything was just where we left
it 50 years ago, the motel, the dock, the
fire pit, and the chimes that hung near
the Buchner’s office that announced
visitors. we did, she was there, but she was very ma, and that we will always be there.
And then the surprise of all surpris- hard of hearing and obviously could Moments rarely come, like this one,
es. Plastered in the center of the motel not hear our knock. But it was nice when we realize that even though we
was the sign. We just could not believe knowing that our old friend Bonnie may have had a long and nice run,
it. It was indeed Bonnie herself who Buchner was still alive and kicking, we know that life does not remain
was being honored. We knocked on like I remembered her. Happy Birth- the same, so keep doing mitzvahs
the door, but there was no answer. I day, Bonnie! and chesed and hope and pray that
would have given anything to see the So now you know why I decided, Hashem continues to shower us with
old Mrs. Buchner again, but it was not out of the blue, to write about Fulton his kindness.
to happen. I even went down to one of County. “Life should be like a ‘leibidika
the Yates stores, and they said that if We live our lives with the conviction chasana.’ Even when the music stops
we saw a car outside the motel, which that we stand at the center of the dra- you should keep on dancing.”
Page 6
By Harav Shlomo Aschkenasy, Shlita
Rosh Kollel of the Bostoner Kollel in Har
Nof, Israel
Y
oung children’s natural cu-
riosity and ingenuity often
lead them to perform orig-
inal experiments with humorous re-
sults. For example, a Chassidic child
once heard his grandfather exhort
his family to do teshuvah and in-
crease their yiras Shamayim in Elul.
The sagacious zeide said, “Kinder-
lach, my dear children, you know
what my Rebbe said? ‘Even the fish
in the water tremble when they hear
the shofar blowing of Elul,’ And so
should you!”
Not much later one of the eineklach
(grandchildren) came breathlessly
running and excitedly proclaimed,
“Zeide, it’s true, it’s true. I saw it
with my own eyes! I checked it out.
I pulled one of the fish out from our
aquarium and it trembled and flut-
tered around. I could see that it was
really scared; it was just after they
blew shofar and I couldn’t calm down
the fish so I threw it back into the
water. I wish I could be aroused like
that too!”
It’s an amusing anecdote which
highlights the innocent faith of a
young child. I recently heard anoth-
er experiment with fish by an adult,
whose results can teach us a lot.
A young man came to Harav
Chaim Kanievsky, shlita, and made
a very original inquiry. “Chazal say
that fish swimming in the ocean are
forever thirsty for new water (Bere-
ishis Rabba 97:3). Thus whenever it
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
PARSHAS TOLDOS
THIRSTING FOR MORE
rains they jump up and reach out to
swallow new raindrops. Yet, when I
pour new water into my aquarium, I
don’t see any reaction whatsoever.”
Rav Chaim smiled and responded:
“You didn’t notice the exact wording
of Chazal (??). It talks about fish in
the ocean waters. Those fish always
want more and jump up to catch more
because in the vast expanses of the
ocean they see novelties all around
them. They see all kinds of food and
glittering objects which draw their
attention, and they are always curi-
ous to know what new things there
are. Therefore, they try to test the
new raindrops too. But the fish in
the aquarium, they are confined and
limited to what they have. There’re
no expansive places to search and
Rabbi Aschkenasy
find new items. They’re docile and
have no idea about the potential for
more.” He continued and said, “We
must approach our Torah learning
with the same vigor as the fish in the
ocean, reaching for new waters. That
will keep us fresh and inspired.”
With this insight we gain a new un-
derstanding of the famous dialogue
between the fox and the fish. The ge-
mara (Berachos 61b) tells us a para-
ble Rabbi Akiva gave about an invita-
tion the wily fox extended to the fish
whom he saw scampering around in
the ocean trying to escape the nets of
the fishermen.
Said the fox, “Come out of the
ocean; join me on land, that way you
won’t be prey for the fishermen and
their nets!”
The fish responded with ridicule,
“You’re the wise fox. Don’t you re-
alize that if in our natural habitat,
where our ancestors lived, we are en-
dangered, certainly if we come out of
the sea we will be dead!” At first sight
it sounds like the wily fox is very silly,
fish can’t exist at all on dry land, so
what was he suggesting?
In light of Rav Chaim’s insight we
can understand the offer. The fox
wasn’t inviting them just to come up
on the beach. He was suggesting that
they be brought into an aquarium or
a pool where they could be protected
from attack. But the fish vehemently
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
responded, “Wise fox that you are,
don’t you realize that on land, where
we will be safe from hunters, we will
be dead even while we are still alive.
Confined and constricted in a pool,
we’ll stagnate very soon and be as
good as dead!”
Of course the insight into the be-
havior of the fish is a basis for the
understanding of human character.
Thus when looking at what the Torah
tells us about Yaakov and Esav we can
try to analyze who was like the fish in
the ocean and who was the one in the
aquarium. Who was truly alive and
who was as good as dead? How does
this reflect our hashkafa on galus
Edom and Am Yisrael?
After the account of the birth of
Yaakov and Esav, the Torah goes on
to tell us, Vayigdelu hane’arim, “And
the boys grew up and Esav became
a knowledgeable hunter, a man of
the field while Yaakov was a plain,
straightforward person, residing in
tents” (Bereishis 25:27).
At first glance, it would seem that
Esav is the explorer who goes out in
the fields and seeks new horizons
to conquer. He hunts and masters
over the prey he finds. Conceptual-
ly speaking this could represent the
fish in the ocean who appreciates the
expanses of the seas and its novelties.
Continued on page 7
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
PARSHAS TOLDOS
Continued from Page 6
Esav too looks for new things to ac-
quire. Sefarim indicate that this may
have been why Yitzchak was fond of
him because he saw in him a poten-
tial disseminator of Torah and its val-
ues. In fact when Esav glibly inquired
about applying the laws of maaser
(tithes) to salt and straw (Rashi, ibid)
Yitzchak saw it as an aspiration to ex-
pand the Torah’s influence into new
areas to bring kedushah to lifeless
objects and inject them with holiness
and purpose. He valued this more
than the simple devotion of Yaakov,
who remained in the confines of the
tents of Torah and tefillah, something
that he himself had done all of his
life. Since the Akeida he was sancti-
fied as on offering of the Mizbei’ach
and remained restricted to Eretz Yis-
rael. He was limited in much of his
material activities, mostly attached
to the highest levels of spiritually.
While we find him also involved
in the physical activities of digging
wells later on in the parashah (26:15-
33), he was merely resurrecting the
works of Avraham Avinu. It was val-
uable and has symbolic spiritual con-
notations, but it wasn’t new. Yitzchak
was seeking a way to reveal some-
thing new in the middah of Gevurah,
strength, which was his hallmark and
unique characteristic at the Akeida.
His Gevurah gave him the ability
to overcome the instinct to live and
willingly accepted the command-
ment to be a sacrifice. His power of
self-restraint enabled him to domi-
nate his physical inclinations, but he
lacked a venue to express the dynam-
ic energy of his Gevurah to expand
the Torah’s authority. Esav’s outgoing
style offered such an opportunity of
development, while Yaakov’s con-
striction to the tents of Torah didn’t
contribute an additional dimension
to Avraham’s legacy of sanctifying
the world.
When Yitzchak revealed Yaakov’s
ability to deal with Esav and outsmart
him in the sale of the birthright – and
the getting of the brachos – in con-
trast to the duplicity of Esav and his
lowliness (see Rashi 27:5/ibid:33), he
realized that Yaakov’s attachment to
Torah was true and he could dissem-
inate it, while Esav was superficial
and treacherous.
This understanding of Yitzchak’s
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 Page 7
relationship to Yaakov and Esav
represents one of the challenges of
galus Edom. There is a mistaken in-
Wishing
terpretation of Torah im derech eretz,
which views it to accord equal status
and importance to materialism and
Torah. Rav Shamson Refael Hirsch,
much
who was called the Baal Shem Tov of
Germany and equated by Rav Moshe
Feinstein to the Maharal Diskin, nev-
er espoused such an idea. He was the
success to
flagbearer of a movement to assert
the Torah’s supremacy to rule over
all worldly matters. It requires care-
ful balancing and only those deeply
rooted in Yaakov’s tents can bring the
sap of the Torah tree to be sustenance
of all of life. Without this anchorage
we can fall into the deep abysses of
Edomite wildlife.
The Jewish
There is an additional dimension
to the parable of the fish. Esav and
the victims of galus Edom aspire to be
out “in the field”. They are hunting
for new sources of gratification, for
Chronicle
new experiences, new acquisitions.
There is an insatiable hunger for
kinah, taavah and kavod – people try
to do things which will make others
of West
jealous of them. People crave for new
ways to cater to their self-indulgence.
People seek bombastic grandeur to
attain status instead of true great-
ness. Satisfaction is dependent on
Palm Beach
others, all of that is out in the field.
Rav Elchanan Wasserman, hy”d,
once commented that one of the
worse curses at the end of the to-
chacha (Devarim 28:44) is, vehaya
chayecha teluyim mineged, “Your life
will hang before you.” Your life will
always depend on something beyond
thinking the grass is greener on the
other side. You’ll be hungry and dis-
satisfied with what you have. Like the
“back-packers” who constantly look
for “new kicks”. Ironically they’re ac-
tually fish in aquariums who don’t
realize what true revelations, and
true discoveries are.
Yaakov ish tam yosheiv ohalim, in
the tents of Torah and tefillah reveals
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Page 8 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

if he hasn’t, there might be even more This matter is dependent on no one

reason for concern. Gone are the days
when getting help is a stigma, and ba-
ruch Hashem many have been reha-
bilitated in the process.
But there is grave danger that lurks
beneath the surface. It is the danger
of a ben adam losing sight of his real
potential as he relegates himself to
some limited being, who is emotion-
ally dependent on others and cannot
deal with situations on his own. Con-
but me” – Avodah Zarah 17a), simi-
larly, a person dealing with the vicis-
situdes of life must realize that only I
can help myself. Even when receiving
assistance, the success of that thera-
py ultimately depends on the person
returning to his personal reserve of
strength.
A well-known comedian’s quip
about paying his psychologist comes
to mind. He reasoned, upon being

Playing With
fidence is easily lost as one succumbs
to a mindset that renders escaping re-
ality socially acceptable and tolerable.
With all due respect to the many ca-
handed the $500 invoice for his visit:
“Why should I pay him $500 for tell-
ing me that perhaps I’m not really me?
Why, if I’m not me, maybe he’s not

a Full Deck
pable and altruistic professionals, and
to those who are in fact emotionally
compromised and in need of assis-
tance, we still have to remember the
fundamental basics. It is through the
Man to a psychiatrist: “Doctor, you’ve got to help me! structure of the Torah and the guid-
I keep thinking that I’m a deck of cards!” ance of the sefarim hakedoshim, con-
Doctor: “Sit over there, and I’ll deal with you later!” sultation with our rabbeim and men-
him, and if that’s so, why should I pay
him for services that he didn’t pro-
vide?” Indeed, if somehow we could
tap into the reserve that Hashem
gave us that is uniquely ours to face
the challenges of life; if we could re-
main in touch with the “real me,” we
wouldn’t need those professional ser-

T
he world we live in today
is plagued with so much
emotional upheaval that at
times, even the well-adjusted people
wonder if they are one hundred per-
cent stable. The many challenges of
life and the ever-changing reality of
our existence contribute to our inse-
curities, and make us contemplate if
we are, in fact, “playing with a full
deck.” Every Tom, Dick, and Harry
has been in some form of therapy, and
tors, and working on our middos in a
systematic way, that we can ultimately
stand up to the challenges that face us,
and emerge strong in mind and soul.
The Torah corroborates the idea
that a person could G-d forbid “lose
it” and become insane. One of the
klallos (curses) of the Tochachah (the
Rebuke) is “V’hayisa mishuga — And
vices in the first place.
Avraham Avinu was instructed:
“lech lecha — go for your own bene-
fit.” My rebbi, Harav Shlomo Freifeld
zt”l, couldn’t emphasize enough how
this Divine command, the first of the
ten tests, incorporated the built-in
mechanism for surpassing all of life’s
trials. Go into yourself! Seek out that

A Warm
you will succumb to insanity.” There is reserve of strength and counsel that is
no guarantee that simply because one uniquely yours. Take the bull by the
attempts to learn Torah and observe horns, and tackle the problem. You

Welcome
mitzvos, he will be mentally healthy.
Indeed, one could even be learned,
and yet emotionally unstable. When
there are real problems, they need to
be attended to by mental health pro-
My friend, Abie G, whose grandson was lucky enough to at- fessionals.
My only question is: To what de-
tend Yale, recorded his opening orientation by his professor:
gree have we caved in to the mores of
“Good morning, my assembled prodigies, all you former a bankrupt secular society, who have
class presidents and valedictorians, Type A go-getters and become dependent upon counseling
professionals for emotional support,
relentless overachievers and hopefully only a tiny smattering of
because of a lack of any depth or
you whose mommies and daddies knew the right people on the meaning in their lives? Wellsprings
Yale admissions committee. of strength and resources to deal with
life’s disappointments lie deeply in-
“Know that you will attend every one of my classes. Your side of each person, if only he would
only excuse for missing a class will be your own death or some- reach for them. Yet when he gives up
one else’s, provided this someone else has either nursed you, immediately and depends on others to
support him through the tough times,
coached your Little League team or routinely put a five dollar he loses touch with those innate ko-
bill in your childhood birthday card and signed it Love, Grand- chos with which he was provided, and
ma and Grandpa.” emotional atrophy sets in.
Just as the famously penitent R’ Ela-
Despite that “warm and wonderful” introduction, my zar ben Durdai realized that nobody
friend’s son is going to have to shell out $68,230 a year! could intercede on his behalf; that the
matter of his teshuvah was dependent
on him (“Ein hadavar talui ela bi —
can do it! Yes, you can! By no means
do I suggest that one shouldn’t ask ad-
vice, nor do I mean to minimize the
importance of consulting with one’s
rebbi or mentor, or, at times, seeking
professional intervention, but never
should we forget that Hashem gave us
the means to deal with life’s travails,
and with perseverance, we can tap in
to those resources.
We must always remember a hom-
iletical exegesis of the pasuk “Rabos
machshavos b’leiv ish vaatzas Hashem
hi sakum — There are many designs in
the heart of a man, but the counsel of
Hashem, it will prevail.” It is expound-
ed as follows: “Rabos machshavos
b’leiv ish vaatzas Hashem… — There
are many thoughts in the heart of man
and the counsel of Hashem is there as
well.” Seek it, and you shall find it.
Uncover it, and it will guide you.
Rabbi Yehoshua Kurland is a well-
known speaker, author and Magid Shi-
ur in Yeshiva Shor Yoshuv.
Atheism is a non-Prophet organi-
zation.
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
WEST PALM BEACH NICHE
Let the
Games
Begin!
T
o My Friends And Neigh-
bors Of Century Village,
West Palm Beach:
Besides the perishables you brought
from up north, let everything else
wait, get into your shvim klaider,
and get wet. You have all winter to
unpack. No hurry. You’re on va-
cation. The sun’s been waiting for
you all year. Enjoy! Just a reminder,
though, don’t stay in the pool too
long; you have the Rabbi’s class at
12:30, Tehilim at the home of Feige
Bigelheim, and then there’s Canasta
Rabbi’s Halachic Corner
By Rabbi Shaya Richmond
Cong. Aitz Chaim
West Palm Beach, Fl.
I
want to begin my inaugural article
in this newspaper with a huge Yas-
har Koach to Irwin Benjamin. His
exciting endeavor to create a newspaper
for our community will add to its cohe-
siveness and unity. It will afford a wel-
come opportunity for everyone to share
their unique life experiences and special
insights to our community. Hakadosh
Baruch Hu should bless Irwin and his
staff with Bracha and Hatzlacha.
Irwin asked me to participate by sub-
mitting a Dvar Torah to the paper. I have
opted to write a clarification of a Halach-
ic issue, which is not widely understood.
The Torah (Devorim 4;15) states
“You shall Guard your life very much.”
This Biblical mitzvah prohibits placing
oneself in any dangerous life-threaten-
ing situation. (Rambam Hil. Rotzeiach
11;4). In addition to such obviously
dangerous behavior our sages warned
us against other dangers not as clearly
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
at Dottie’s house, Mahjong at Devo-
rah’s, and Rummikop at Leah’s. And
for the men there’s Rabbi Grohman’s
Daf Yomi shiur at 4:30 and mincha at
6:45. So, men, please leave the volley-
ball court early so you’ll have plen-
ty of time to get ready. There have
been some major improvements and
changes since you’ve been away. The
following pages hopefully will allow
you to catch up and bring you up to
date. It’s good to see you all again!
Irwin
Rabbi Shaya Richmond
understood today. The well known in-
junction against eating Meat and Fish
together. (Pesachim 76a) Although we
cannot define the danger in terms of
medical science, we adhere faithfully to
our sages that eating fish and meat to-
gether is a danger.
Another practice involving food,
which our sages considered dangerous
SO...DID YOU KNOW...
 The “Town” of West Palm
Beach was established Novem-
ber 5, 1894.
 West Palm Beach is the oldest
municipality in South Florida.
(We edged out Miami by two
years.)
 West Palm Beach changed
from a town to a city, becom-
ing the City of West Palm
Beach on July 21, 1903.
 West Palm Beach was named
the county seat for the newly
formed Palm Beach County
on April 30, 1909.
 Population of the newly
founded city: 1,743 in 1910.
is eating a shelled egg, peeled onion or
peeled garlic clove that was left over-
night. Although this practice is less
widespread than the universally accept-
ed prohibition against eating meat and
fish. The Gemara (Niddah 17a) explains
a Ruach Raah or a “spirit of impurity”
rests on these three foods when peeled
and left overnight, similar to the Ruach
Raah that rests on one’s hands during
night time sleep. There are certain com-
munities, which do not comply with the
restriction of peeled eggs, onions and
garlic. How do they ignore these?
There is a basic difference. The pro-
hibition against eating meat and fish
together is quoted in Shulchan Aruch
as normative Halachah (Yoreh Deah
116;2). All Jews without exception are
obligated to follow the rulings of Shul-
chan Aruch. The prohibition against
eating these three peeled foods left
overnight is omitted by the Shulchan
Aruch and not mentioned by three ma-
jor Rishonim Rif, Rambam and Tur. The
reason may be according to some, this
Ruach Raah was no longer prevalent in
Page 9
 Population today (2013 cen-
sus): 102,463.
 West Palm Beach is the largest
city in Palm Beach County.
 During a work day, the popu-
lation more than doubles.
 Total size of the city: City land
area: 58.1 square miles.
 Size of Grassy Waters Ever-
glades Preserve: 20 square
miles (just over one third of
the city).
 Average temperature: 75
degrees! (How can you beat
that?)
their times (Yam shel Shlomo Chullin,
kol habasar 31; Tos. Yoma 77b). But in
many other communities, this practice
is in force. While omitted by the Shul-
chan Aruch, many latter authorities
among them Pri Chodosh, Shulchan
Aruch HaRav, Aruch Hashulchan and
Ben Ish Chai insist these prohibitions
are in force. Whoever comes from a fam-
ily that adheres strictly to this custom,
should continue to do so. It has a source
in the Gemara and should be consid-
ered as valid as any Custom (Minhag)
of the family or sect. Contemporary
Poskim (decisors) differ as to whether
one who never followed this practice is
required to adopt it. Some rule that the
practice is mandatory (Shulchan Aruch
Harav, Aruch Hashulchan), others rec-
ommend adopting it (Igros Moshe, Ya-
bia Omer), while others do not require
it at all (Chochmas Adam. Pischei Te-
shuva, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch).
Please contact me about further topics
you would like to be discussed. I can be
reached by email rabbirichmond@gmail.
com.
Page 10 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

WEST PALM BEACH NICHE

WEST PALM REAL ESTATE

C
By Susan Richmond
entury Village has become
the HOT SPOT for BUY-
ERS looking to get a REAL
DEAL in communities for individu-
als 55 and over.
Centrally located in Palm Beach
County on Okeechobee Blvd, be-
tween Florida Turnpike and 1-95.
Century Village offers affordable
living with the lifestyle amenities of
much higher-end communities.
What residents love most about
living in Century Village is the con-
venience of everything within the
community. Century Village offers
free transportation to most plac-
es you want to go, Publix, doctors,
shopping and pharmacies. In fact,
a Walgreens Pharmacy is directly
on the premises. There is a beauti-
ful 92,000 square foot Clubhouse,
which features a variety of exciting
classes and shopping. The Club-
house contains meeting rooms, bil-
liards and a Broadway style theatre
that can seat 1,221 people. You can
choose whichever event or hob-
by you prefer – seven days a week,
throughout the entire year.
Dozens of pools are strategically
located throughout the 704 acres
of carefully manicured lawns, lakes
and gardens. In addition, there is
a complete Fitness Center, which
also contains a wonderful resistance
pool, which is a favorite among the
residents.
Adjacent to the village is the fo-
cal point of it all: Congregation Aitz
Chaim. It boasts a membership of Condo prices at Century Village being $64.9K and the average cumu-
350 families and has both Ashke- West Palm Beach are less than those lative days on the market are 76.2
nazi and Safadi minyanim during compared to the other Century Vil- days. The absorption rate (inven-
the season. Many varied interesting lages in South Florida. Currently tory) is just under six months. This
Torah classes are available by skilled there are 223 active listings in Cen- means that now is a great time to
and learned rabbis. There is a vi- tury Village West Palm Beach. De- both buy and sell in Century Village.
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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
WEST PALM BEACH NICHE
A
By Irwin Benjamin
s the saying goes there are
a million stories in the big
city. Especially in an over 55
community. Listen closely and you will
be amazed by what you hear. It seems
that almost everyone I speak with in
Fourth Ranked Cop, First Rate Jew
Former Deputy Police Commissioner R’ Ovadya Wechsler shares with the Yated his experiences
as a frum Yid in the upper echelons of the NYPD
T
By Chaim Saller
he nature of the shailah ini-
tially was very familiar to the
rov.
“My entire life, I’ve never gone to
work on Chol Hamoed. But some-
thing came up now that may consti-
tute dovor ha’avud.”
The rov pressed for the details.
“Well, you see, Mayor Giuliani just
appointed Howard Safir to be the new
Police Commissioner of New York
City. Without me, he cannot legally
become commissioner. Am I allowed
to go into police headquarters to pro-
cess him?”
Some professions come along with
stereotypes. Just a mention of the
position will cause you to conjure up
an image in your mind of the type of
person who fits the role.
By no accounts does the persona of
R’ Ovadya Wechsler fit the portrait
that the title Deputy Police Commis-
sioner evokes.
R’ Ovadya appears to be the typi-
cal person who calls Pine River Vil-
lage home. He is retired and spends a
chunk of his day learning. His three
sons are all in kollel or chinuch, and
the jovial sounds of visiting ainiklach
frequently resonate from his house.
His tastefully adorned home has all
the furnishings that any Lakewood
home may have - a large seforim
shrank, an elaborate wall of chasunah
pictures, and a leichter and meno-
rah-laden breakfront.
On the wall of the dining room
hangs the famous Shanghai picture,
the one with row after row of Mir Ye-
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
PROFILES OF GREATNESS
Century Village, West Palm, has had
interesting and colorful lives, without
exception. I hope to present in this
column profiles of some of the extraor-
dinary personalities that reside in our
little community.
The first gentleman I am privileged
shiva bochurim sitting at shtenders,
learning diligently, with no hint to
their inner uncertainties about the
dangers and death facing their fam-
ilies. R’ Ovadya is quick to point
out his shver, R’ Yisroel Beniawski
zt”l, sitting prominently in the sec-
ond row, right behind Rav Chaim
Shmulevitz. Everything about the
house points to that of the ordinary.
But R’ Ovadya’s recently retired ca-
reer seems to be somewhat of a fan-
tasy. For over 40 years, he worked at
the NYPD – starting out as a simple
employee, and working his way up
to Deputy Commissioner, one of the
highest-ranking civilians on the po-
lice force – all without sacrifice to his
frumkeit.
The Yated sat down with R’ Ovadya
to talk about his career - the story, the
challenges, and the lessons to glean.
The Early Years
R’ Ovadya grew up a typical ye-
shivishe kid. He attended Mesivta of
Crown Heights, which later merged
with Mesivta Rabbeinu Chaim Ber-
lin. After high school, he went to
learn by the Tenke Rov, who had a
yeshiva in East Flatbush.
“My parents insisted that I go to
college, so I attended Brooklyn Col-
lege and got a degree in history,” he
recounts.
It was only after he became a histo-
ry teacher that he discovered, to his
chagrin, that kids in New York had
absolutely no interest in history, so
he decided to seek employment else-
where.
to present is a bearded, generally quiet,
mild-mannered man of average height
and weight. But that’s where the ordi-
nary part of him ends. He is an excep-
tional masmid, devoted Torah Scholar,
first in shul, first to volunteer to do cha-
sodim and who is liked by all. We thank
In 1974, there was a civil service
test going on for the city called the
Management Intern Test, and he
took it on a fluke. The test results are
shared by all city agencies, who use it
to hire the employees for their agen-
cies. He was interviewed by a num-
ber of city agencies and was eventu-
ally hired by the police department.
“It was complete Yad Hashem. I
was never a police officer, and I even
had doubts about it being a suitable
job for a Jewish boy. Nevertheless,
they were the ones who hired me, so
that is where I worked.”
Joining the Force
R’ Ovadya started out as a person-
nel management intern. It was the
lowest rung on the ladder and paid a
modest salary.
His first assignment was to help
identify which jobs being done by
cops could be performed by civilians
instead. It cost less to hire a civilian,
Page 11
Yated Magazine for permission to re-
print this wonderful article. This gentle-
man was the fourth ranking policeman
under Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Come and meet Rabbi Ovadia (Ar-
nold) Wechsler.
and replacing uniformed officers
with capable civilians – to, say, an-
swer phone calls, paint the station, or
care for the horses – would save the
city a substantial amount of money
and put more cops on patrol.
Over his tenure, the ratio of civil-
ians to cops changed drastically, re-
sulting in millions of dollars of sav-
ings for the city.
“When I started, there were around
28,000 cops and 2,000 civilians,” he
recalls. “By the time I retired, there
were approximately 37,000 cops, and
17,000 civilians.”
Ascending the Ladder
From time to time, the city gives
civil service tests to reassess the level
of employees. The results are com-
piled on a list, with the person who
does best listed as number one, fol-
lowed by second best, etc. In an ef-
fort to minimize discrimination, the
law mandates that promotions be
given in order of place on the list.
“They did have a drop of flexibility.
They could pick numbers 1, 2, or 3,
but nothing could be given to num-
ber 4 until one of the first three got
promoted,” he explains.
R’ Ovadya’s promotions were in-
itially based solely on good test re-
sults. Once an employee reaches
management, though, promotions
are based on performance and no
longer depend on test results.
“This is because people can be
good test-takers, but not necessarily
Continued on page 12
Page 12
WEST PALM BEACH NICHE
FOURTH RANKED COP,
FIRST RATE JEW
Continued from Page 11
good in practicality. Also, the may-
or and the commissioners need to
be able to promote people who share
their vision of how to do things.”
R’ Ovadya got into management in
1984, after only 10 years in civil ser-
vice. He was then promoted to Dep-
uty Director, then Director, Assistant
Commissioner, and finally Deputy
Commissioner, all in the personnel
department.
“I had the fourth highest position
in the police department, alongside
the other Deputy Commissioners.
First is the Commissioner, followed
by his First Deputy and Chief of De-
partment, the highest uniformed
cop. Next in rank are the Deputy
Commissioners.”
There are about a dozen Deputy
Commissioners, each in charge of a dif-
ferent aspect of the department. There
is one for management and budget,
one for legal matters, one for intelli-
gence, one for labor relations, one for
public information, etc. He was Depu-
ty Commissioner of Personnel. His job
included hiring, firing, promoting, as-
signing, and all other human-resourc-
es-related activity for the entire New
York City Police Department.
Frum in a Secular Field
While such a position naturally
may come along with challenges for
a frum Jew, R’ Ovadya never had any
personal problems with it.
“It was well-known that I would
walk out of meetings on Friday after-
noon, even with the Commissioner.
People were shocked, but you gotta
do what you gotta do.”
Being a frum Jew in such a position
does not come without its fair share
of humorous encounters.
“When I first started out, EZ-pass
wasn’t invented yet. The police de-
partment had a system where they is-
sued plaques to their employees who
drove unmarked police cars to pres-
ent at the toll booths to get through
without paying.
“I remember handing my police
plaque to a toll collector and notic-
ing him eyeing my yarmulka and
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
beard. He then leaned forward and
whispered, ‘Wow, that’s the best dis-
guise I ever saw!’”
Spreading a Positive Message
The position gave R’ Ovadya the
ability to portray to officers what
Jewish people are all about.
“There was a program to teach the
executives about various groups in or-
der to familiarize them with the peo-
ple they would deal with in New York
City. There were courses on black
culture, Hispanic culture, and Jewish
culture.”
Out of sheer curiosity, R’ Ovadya
took the course on Jewish culture.
“It was terrible! While one of the
presenters was a Chabad rabbi, the
other was a fraye professor of Jewish
subjects. So I told the guy running
the program, ‘I’ll do it for free, and
much better than them.’”
Twice a year, he would go to the
Police Academy and lecture on Jew-
ish culture.
“There were two parts to the
course. The first was about Jewish
history, which included the pogroms
and persecution of our history (I was
finally able to use my education as a
history teacher!). This is important
because it gives them an insight into
Jewish mentality. The second part
was an overview of our Yomim Tovim
and minhagim, so that they would be
familiar with what they would other-
wise think suspicious.”
He explains why such a course is so
important.
“A few years ago, a story took place
on Kings Highway and East 13th Street,
in the heart of Flatbush. A cop stopped
a frum Yid for J-walking on Friday
night. I’m not sure why – nobody ever
got a ticket for J-walking before! He
asked him for ID, which he obviously
didn’t have. The cop threatened to ar-
rest him, and eventually forced him to
sign a document. Had this cop taken
the course, he would’ve known that it’s
not considered suspicious for a frum
Yid to not have ID on Shabbos.
“I transferred the cop to the mid-
dle of Harlem, where he will never
have to deal with frum Yidden again.”
Commissioner Ray Kelly
Throughout his 41 years on the de-
partment, R’ Ovadya worked under
10 different police commissioners.
“Interestingly, I knew each one
personally. Since I always worked in
police headquarters, I met them all
during the course of a day’s work.
The first ones I worked under didn’t
know me too well, but as I worked
my way up, I developed a closer
working relationship with the com-
missioners.”
R’ Ovadya shared a special rela-
tionship with New York’s longest
serving commissioner, Ray Kelly,
who was initially appointed by May-
or David Dinkins, and was brought
back to serve under Mayor Michael
Bloomberg through all three of his
terms.
“In 1984, a young guy showed up
in my office and introduced himself
as Deputy Inspector Kelly. He told
me that Ben Ward, who at the time
was commissioner, had picked him
to open a new program called the
Cadet Corps. The program would
hire college-age kids to do minor
police work, with the aim of having
them eventually join the force as reg-
ular officers. Commissioner Ward
had told him that I was the guy to
see to assure that the program was
designed to meet all civil service re-
quirements.”
After that initial meeting, they
formed a bond that lasted decades.
Kelly eventually appointed his com-
rade Deputy Commissioner.
“He even used to call me ‘Mr. Per-
sonnel,’” says R’ Ovadya, who recalls
Kelly fondly.
“When they stick a microphone in
your face and ask you questions, you
really have to know how to think on
your feet. To be honest, there were
times when I was asked questions,
and hours later it dawned on me,
‘Hey, why didn’t I answer something
else?’ Kelly was very tactful with the
media and always had a good answer
instantaneously.
“When a certain tragedy took
place, Ray Kelly was the commis-
sioner. When asked by the media, ‘Is
it true that you arrested an Orthodox
Jew charged with the murder?’ Kelly
responded, ‘We arrested an individ-
ual who was dressed in Orthodox
garb,’ a subtle message that a true
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
frum person would never murder an
innocent child.”
Where Credit is Due
Anyone who attended Rav Shmuel
Berenbaum’s levaya and was able to
hear the speeches has R’ Ovadya to
thank for it.
“I came to Rav Shmuel’s levaya late,
and stood outside, like many others.
There were loudspeakers all around
broadcasting the hespeidim, but it
was extremely hard to hear, due to
the police helicopter hovering di-
rectly overhead. By any large event,
the police prefer to survey the scene
from above, as it makes it much eas-
ier to spot crime and danger. For the
same reason, the force still uses hors-
es, as it gives officers a much better
vantage point.”
So he approached an officer, and
asked to speak to the scene com-
mander, who was a local police in-
spector.
“The inspector came over and im-
mediately recognized me. He stood
at attention and said, ‘Yes sir?’
“I replied with one simple sen-
tence: ‘That helicopter is so annoy-
ing. I cannot hear the speeches.’”
The inspector saluted and pulled
out his radio. Within seconds, the
helicopter departed the scene and
the speeches were audible.
A humorous exchange took place
later at the levaya.
“I was shmoozing with Chief Joseph
Fox, then chief of the Brooklyn south
division, and a big ‘macher’ walked up
to me, with a few radios hanging from
his belt. In an effort to impress Chief
Fox, he turns to me and says, ‘You
know who that is? That is Chief Fox.
If you need anything, he’s the guy who
can help you out.’
“Chief Fox looked directly at him
and said, pointing at me, ‘I know him.
He’s my boss!’ and turned around and
walked off, leaving the guy staring at
me with his mouth hanging open.”)
Assisting Those in Need
Being at the helm of a major de-
partment in the police force definite-
ly presents opportunities to assist
Jewish communities.
Continued on page 13
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
WEST PALM BEACH NICHE
FOURTH RANKED COP,
FIRST RATE JEW
Continued from Page 12
One Friday afternoon, R’ Ovadya’s
secretary informed him that a Rabbi
Spielman was on the phone wanting
to speak to him.
“My name is Rabbi Spielman,” the
caller said. “I represent Chabad in
Crown Heights. Are you familiar
with Chabad?”
He acknowledged that he was.
Rabbi Spielman continued.
“Chabad just bought the Brooklyn
Jewish Center, with the intention of
making it into a school. Since the
building is across Eastern Parkway
from the Crown Heights neighbor-
hood, we need a crossing guard to
cross our children.
“I went to the 71st precinct, which
covers our neighborhood, and re-
quested that a crossing guard be as-
signed. They refused. ‘Sorry, but be-
ing that the school is across Eastern
Parkway, which is the 77th precinct,
it is not under our jurisdiction,’ they
said.
“I mentioned that I’ll have to go
ask Chief Fox, who is in charge of the
whole Brooklyn south division. They
told me it wouldn’t work. ‘The oth-
er side of Eastern Parkway is not in
Brooklyn south,’ they said. ‘It’s con-
sidered Bedford Stuyvesant, which
is part of Brooklyn north. I’m afraid
even Chief Fox won’t be able to help
you.’
“I was hopeless. ‘Who, then, can
help me,’ I asked. ‘There is only one
person who can help you navigate
between two divisions,’ they told me.
‘The one who assigns personnel for
the entire department. His name is
Mr. Wechsler and his office is in po-
lice headquarters in Manhattan.’
“Mr. Wechsler, can you indeed help
me?”
R’ Ovadya replied, “Rabbi Spiel-
man, you’ve come to the right ad-
dress. I am indeed the one who can
help you. However, I cannot help you
now because it’s Erev Shabbos and I
have to get home in time for Shab-
bos.”
There was complete silence at the
end of the line. He was shocked. That
was far from the type of answer he
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
was expecting.
R’ Ovadya took care of the issue
the next week and expected the epi-
sode to end there. A few weeks later,
however, Rabbi Spielman showed up
at his office, unannounced.
“I told the Lubavitcher Rebbe what
transpired, and the rebbe would like
to meet you.”
R’ Ovadya deferred. “I’m not chas-
sidish and my children are in Litvishe
yeshivos. It is not my type.”
Rabbi Spielman insisted, saying
that as a VIP, he would have direct
access through a side door.
“After relentlessly pressing, I even-
tually acquiesced, and went with my
family to see the rebbe.”
An interesting anecdote transpired
when R’ Ovadya was by the rebbe.
“He had asked us all our names, and
then gave us each a dollar. When my
youngest son told him that his name
was Yosef Yitzchok, the rebbe start-
ed to hand him a few extra dollars.
I interjected, telling the rebbe that
he was not named after the previous
Lubavitcher Rebbe, but after my Uncle
Joe and Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt”l. The
rebbe brushed me aside, saying that
it did not matter who he was named
after; as long as he had the name, he
deserved the extra dollars.”)
R’ Ovadya shares another occasion
when he tried helping out a fellow
Yid.
A frum guy from his then home-
town of Staten Island became a cop.
The young man was a chosson at the
time, and both his mother and his
kallah were very nervous about his
career choice. The mother went to
R’ Ovadya and asked that he speak
to the kallah and calm her fears. He
immediately agreed.
“The chosson and kallah both came
to my house on a Sunday morning.
I turned to the kallah and asked her
why she is nervous. She replied that
she feared that her future husband
might get killed in the line of duty.”
R’ Ovadya assured her that the
death rate among cops is no high-
er than the death rate of any other
industry, and disasters can happen
in any line of work. (Life insurance
does not cost more if you are a cop.)
“It was not enough to appease her,
so I switched tactics. I turned to her
and said, ‘You have three options. If
it really bothers you enough, break
the shidduch.’
“Her face turned white from the
suggestion. I continued, ‘You appar-
ently don’t like that idea. So here is
option number two. Convince him to
become an accountant.’
“Now his face turned white! I con-
tinued, ‘That doesn’t seem like an
option either. That leaves just one
option. Learn to live with it.’”
R’ Ovadya also offered to put him
in whatever precinct he wanted, but
cautioned him that even good pre-
cincts can have undesirable neigh-
borhoods.
“It would have been inappropri-
ate for me to request the he only
be placed in desirable places and at
desirable times, but actual precinct
placement request is allowed.”
He also vowed to help out in the
future.
‘If they ever try switching your
precinct, or pulling any shtick, come
back to me and I’ll gladly help you.’
The engaged couple left, and R’
Ovadya didn’t hear from them for a
while.
“A year or two later, I met the moth-
er somewhere, and she complained
to me that her son was transferred
to a precinct in a terrible neighbor-
hood. I was surprised, but assured
her that I’ll look into it right away.”
R’ Ovadya called the cop into his
office and inquired about what had
transpired.
His answer was anything but ex-
pected.
‘I got bored working in such a safe
neighborhood,’ he replied. ‘So when
they asked for volunteers to switch
to a more dangerous neighborhood,
I jumped at the opportunity.’
“I wished him well and sent him on
his way.”
A Word on Lakewood
I asked R’ Ovadya if, as someone
who knows the inside workings of
the biggest police department in the
country, there are any thoughts he
wants to share about law enforce-
ment in frum areas. He shares an in-
teresting story.
“Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt”l
was in New York in 1938 collecting
Page 13
funds for his yeshiva in Baranovtich.
He approached a corner on the Low-
er East Side one night and stopped.
There was no traffic in any direction.
When questioned by his escort if
something was wrong, he responded
that he was fine, but the traffic light
was red, and he would not cross.
When advised that there was no traf-
fic, his response was, ‘Dina demal-
chusa dina. L’halacha, you cannot
cross against a red light.’
“What a mussar haskel for us.”
Future Aspirations
I probed as to why he retired just a
few years after reaching such a pin-
nacle.
“The halacha is that we say Birkas
HaTorah in the morning, and there’s
no need to say it again later, even if
we work in the interim. That is be-
cause the work is not called hesech
hadaas, as it is necessary to make
money in order to learn.”
After working for the police de-
partment for 41 years, his pension
allowed him to retire.
“To me, there was no longer a jus-
tification to work.”
Although rabbonim told him that
he was definitely allowed to stay on,
he opted to retire and to have more
time to learn.
Now R’ Ovadya spends much of his
time learning. He has sedorim in Ge-
mara, Mishnayos and Ramban. Be-
ing a Chaim Berliner, he relishes his
special seder in Maharal. He spends
half the year in Lakewood, and mi-
grates down south, where his oldest
son, R’ Dovid, a s’gan menahel, lives
with his wife and children. (His son,
R’ Yehuda, a Lakewood resident, is
a tenth grade rebbi at Torah Vodaas,
and his son, R’ Yosef Yitzchok, is
a longtime member of Kollel Gur
Aryeh at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim
Berlin).
His 41 years climbing the ladder
of the law enforcement hierarchy
is a testament that will long outlast
his career. It teaches that no matter
what path one follows, there is never
an excuse to waver from being a true
eved Hashem. R’ Ovadya personifies
that. It motivates anyone who knows
him, and inspires us all to follow his
lead.
Page 14 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

WEST PALM BEACH NICHE

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“COMPLETE CAR HAPPENING NOW AT

CENTURY VILLAGE WPB
CARE CENTER”
S
By Gerry Sutofsky
2188A N Military Trail o, what is going on here at CV
WPB and the surrounding
West Palm Beach, Fl 33409 area?
On Haverhill Road to the south of
Aitz Chaim, a group, called Luma,
has bought the property and is in the
process of obtaining all permits and
permission to build 275 rental apart-
ments. It will be a gated community
with all vehicles exiting via right turn.
It is projected that at minimum 300
additional cars will be added to the
traffic on Haverhill Road going North.
Public hearings are going to be held in
November and any interested party is
invited to attend.
With regard to the golf course ad-
jacent to CV: During the summer
move the entire fencing from Haver-
hill to the 4-corner intersection. UCO
had plans to build a wall at a cost of
$250,000. However, it was then told
that the golf course may be sold to
Lennar Home Developers and now
there is a wait-and-see attitude to see
if UCO can negotiate to have them
build the wall. Bear in mind, two
problems exist. One is there is a high
level of arsenic in the ground and sec-
ondly, a solution must be found for
wastewater runoff. Time will tell.
Atlantic Broadband will start ser-
vicing the residents as of June. They
plan to have people come and meet
with them in January to decide what
services they want. Choose only what
you need - nothing more.

Tel: (561) 682-0950 • Fax (561) 478-0971 Mr. Waldman, who is the owner, was
advised either to fix the part of the
Finally, those of you who go to the
Kravis Center should be aware that
www.alltunewpb.com fence that blew down after last year’s
hurricane or to remove it altogeth-
there is a major renovation project
going on which will extend well into
alltunewpb@yahoo.com er. Mr. Waldman, whose project has
been held up for 10 years, opted to re-
2019.
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
By the Editor
A
lthough I am obviously
excited about launching
the first edition of my new
newspaper, the tragic event that befell
Klal Yisroel two weeks ago in Pitts-
burgh still looms heavily on every
Jew. It would be remiss on my part not
to acknowledge the intense pain we
are still experiencing. I asked Rabbi
Feiner if I could reprint his excellent
article sent to his congregants at the
White Shul in Far Rockaway.
Motzai Shabbos,
Parshas Vayeira, 5779
October 27, 2018
Lichvod all our Special Members
and Mispallelim:
Hashem Yerachem Aleinu. Our
family has been hit oh so terribly
hard—the family we love with heart
and soul, the mishpachah we call Klal
Yisroel. We suffered a devastating and
horrific tragedy today, are still reeling
in utter shock and disbelief, and find
T
here are many ways in which
the Torah expects us to work
on oneself to become a better
person. One of these instances is “Mid-
var Sheker Tirchak” (never tell a lie.)
The Jew is expected to carry himself in
a certain manner as to constantly strive
to always tell the truth.
Our forefather Yaakov stands as the
prime example of what a Jew should
look and act like, as it states in the
Gemorah, that Yaakov was the “Cho-
sen” (epitome) of the forefathers. The
prophet Micha says, “Give truth to
Yaakov,” the understanding of which is
that the main attribute of Yaakov was
that he was an honest, truthful person.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
PITTSBURGH
ourselves overcome by an unfathom-
able maelstrom of emotion.
Oy, how it truly hurts so very much.
Mamash pierces the heart. They are
our dear brothers and sisters, beloved
Jewish brethren in the midst of Shab-
bos morning prayer-- and their lives
were taken suddenly and ruthlessly
by a rabid antisemite who unleashed
his despicable hatred upon these pre-
cious, innocent victims. It is a time to
cry, to shed heartfelt tears for a syna-
gogue in Pittsburgh and, indeed, all of
Am Yisroel. We must never forget this
atrocity, claimed by many to be the
worst massacre against Jews in this
country—and we surely never will...
It must also serve as a crucial wake-
up call for us all. We will shed those
bitter tears, we will continue saying
Tehillim- b’lev vi’nefesh- for the fami-
lies of the victims and the injured, and
we will each commit to take some-
thing upon ourselves: a little kabbalah
that will help us become better peo-
ple, better Jews, and help guarantee
that we never, ever forget the Tree of
Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and the
Yet, the nisyonos (tests) that Yaak-
ov had to go through all seemed to
go against this main ideal. When his
mother Rivka heard that his father
Yitzchak planned to give the blessings
to Esav, she immediately told Yaakov to
dress up as Esav and “steal” the bless-
ings from him. To do so, Yaakov had
to bend the truth in a myriad of ways:
From the actual dressing up, to answer-
ing Yitzchak’s questions of “Who are
you?” where he answered, “It is I, Esav
(is) your firstborn.” (Note that Yaak-
ov did NOT lie, rather, he purposely
worded his answer in a way to be mis-
construed by his father, Yitzchak.)
He was also sent to live with his
calamity that befell our brethren the
Shabbos of parshas Vayeira.
Nistarim Darchei Hashem. There
simply are no words, no explana-
tion, nothing that can console us at
this painful time. The intensity of the
tza’ar is still too raw, too fresh, too
shocking... Only HaKB”H can bring
us a true, meaningful, and ever-last-
ing nechama, and ‫ ה”יא‬He will in the
near future. We must put all our hope
and faith in the Ribbono Shel Olam
Who is clearly leading us ever closer
to the final geulah ‫א”בב‬.
The Paradox of
Truthfulness
uncle Lavan who was known as The
Charlatan. There, after Lavan repeat-
edly (one hundred times, to be ex-
act) attempted to cheat him out of his
rightful payments, he played a multi-
tude of tricks consisting of getting the
sheep to be born in stripes or spots,
etc. (again, NOT cheating, just “play-
ing the game.”)
How could it be that the chosen of
the forefathers, the one who was in-
trinsically connected to the attribute of
truth, be forced into such situations?
There are times in a person’s life when
the situation arises where an assertion
of absolute truth could be very detri-
mental to the subject of the statement.
A classic example would be in the cat-
egory of shiduchim. If the knowledge-
able person would answer exactly as he
sees the truth then the person being
asked about could, potentially, lose the
shidduch.
How should one act in such a situ-
ation? Should he answer with the real
H.T. (truth,) or should he fudge a bit?
Page 15
I’mahem a’nachnu b’tzara. We will
continue to do our utmost to feel their
pain and anguish, to cry and daven
along with the beautiful people of
Pittsburgh and all of Klal Yisroel, and
HaKB”H will see our sincere tears and
immense pain and IY”H bring an end
to all suffering once and for all bi’karov
mamash. Mashiach is closer than ever...
Crying out with you in pain,
mei’omek li’bi, and wishing Jews the
world over only Kol Tuv always,
‫םמד םוקני ’ה‬
R’ Eytan Feiner
When Avraham was told that he
would have a child at the age of 100
(he was 99 at the time,) his wife Sarah
laughed. She said to herself “My hus-
band is so old.” Yet when G-D men-
tioned this to Avraham, He said that
Sarah laughed because SHE was so old
(she was 90.) (Note that this was also
the truth, just Sarah had specifically
mentioned Avraham, {see Netziv}.)
We see from here that in certain (ex-
treme) scenarios it is better to shade
the truth; not to lie, but, to carefully
word the answer so that the situation
would sound better than it was. This
is not meant to be used as an escape
route for one’s own misdeeds, but only
to help others.
The reason Yaakov was tested in these
manners was because being that he was
the epitome of truth, G-D had to test
him to see if he would take this to the
extreme, that even when it would have
been wrong it could have been so right.
Rabbi S.M. Benjamin is a Torah
Scholar living in Monsey, New York.
Page 16
By Uri Benjamin
O
n Monday, 13 MarChesh-
van, Rav Eliahu Pesach
Rominek, ZT”L, was Niftar
at the age of 93. The Levaya was held
on Tuesday at the Yeshiva of Far Rock-
away, and an overflow crowd of over
500 men and women came together to
pay Kavod Acharon to this gentle giant
of a man.
In Mishpacha’s Pesach issue this past
year, I wrote a short piece for the “Shul
of My Youth” segment. I wrote about
the Young Israel of Laurelton, and how
growing up in this little “Shtetle in
Queens” was a sublime place to live.
As I stressed in the article, the heart
and soul of Laurelton was the Rov,
Rabbi Rominek – whom everyone re-
ferred to simply as “The Rabbi.” There
was only one Shul, and only one Rabbi,
and he was The Rabbi.
At the Levaya, the Maspidim focused
mostly on two of Rabbi Rominek’s
Ma’alos - his brilliance in Torah and
Avodah, and his incredibly Shtark,
unwavering, and unyielding attitude
towards anything that he felt was not
true to authentic Torah-true Judaism.
As retold at the Levaya – Reb Ahron
Kotlor, ZT”L, said that there were per-
haps five people in America who truly
understood a Reb Akiva Eiger – and
Rabbi Rominek was one of those five.
His fiery objection and rejection to
any possibility of the “intermarriage”
of Orthodox Jewry with the Conserv-
ative or Reform movements, is legend-
ary. Rabbi Rominek would fight for
the Emes no matter how unpopular
his viewpoint was, and he would nev-
er apologize for anything he did – be-
cause he never did anything that wasn’t
backed – 100% - by Torah guidelines.
His fierce battle to end the horrible
Kedushei Ketana issue was also hailed
as one of Rabbi Rominek’s great ac-
complishments.
All this was repeated by multiple
Maspidim at the Levaya, and it is all
true.
Personally, though, what I feel was
Rabbi Rominek’s most shining and
important accomplishment was none
of the above.
To me, his most important achieve-
ment was what he accomplished dur-
ing his years as the Rabbi of the Young
Israel of Laurelton.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
THE RABBI
Uri Benjamin with “The Rabbi”
He was the Rov of my parents, Shey-
ichyu L’Orech Yamom V’Shanim. He
took a young couple, both of who came
from not such Frum homes, nurtured
them, advised them, held their hands
– and turned my beloved parents into
true Torah King and Queen. Their dy-
nasty – thanks to The Rabbi – includes
many grandchildren and great-grand-
children, K’Y – all of whom are not
just “Shomer Shabbos” but are all true
Frum Yidden, and Yorei Shamayim,
Lomdei Torah, Kollel Yungerleit, Cho-
shuva Ballei Battim.
A vivid memory…
I was a child of perhaps 8 or 9. My
father would take me to visit “The
Rabbi” while he spent a few weeks of
the summer at Wagon Wheels Bunga-
low Colony. It was time for my annu-
al “Farher.” My stomach churned, my
face burned, as my father pushed me
from behind, “Go, Uri. Go and learn
with The Rabbi.” I approached Rabbi
Rominek with a mixture of fear and
awe, trepidation… shivering. He held
a cigar in one hand and a Gemarah in
the other, sitting on a simple wooden
chair.
He said, “Come, Uri, let’s see what
you learned in Yeshiva this year. What
did you learn?”
“I learned Gemarah Bava Metzia.”
“Oh, I have one right here. What
Daf?”
“Eilu Metzias.”
He opened to the page, pointed to
the first Mishna, and I started reciting
the Gemara, read a Rashi or two… and
I held my breath. How did I do?
“The Rabbi” – who wasn’t one to
smile often – looked at me, smiled
warmly, and said “You’re going to be
a big Talmid Chacham one day.” A
pinch on my cheek with fingers that
lingered with the smell of his thick ci-
gar, a pinch that I still feel today… and
it was over.
To this very day, that smile warms
me and gives me confidence, and the
smell of a cigar has me thinking that
maybe I’m still 9 years old.
I so very much wanted to get up at
Time and
Talents
W
e should use the
time and talents that
Hashem gives us for the
highest purposes possible.
A mashal is why
do we make the
bracha “She-
hakol” on beer
when it is made
of barley? It should
at least be “Mizonos.”
Answer could be: “She-
Hakol” is the least
chashuv of brochos.
“HaAitz” is next,
then comes “HaHad-
oma,” and then “Mazo-
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
the Levaya and say simply, “Rabbi, I am
who I am because of your influence on
my parents and our family. Rabbi, my
grandson who is saying Aleph Beis in
Cheder today is in your Zchus. Rabbi,
go swiftly into Gan Eden. We owe you
everything.”
And should you think that my fam-
ily is unique, you would be mistaken.
Dozens, possibly hundreds of fami-
lies would all have been able to get up
and say the identical thing. How many
people that we know can boast having
brought dozens and dozens of whole
families into Torah-True Yiddishkeit.
I can’t think of any…
Laurelton was truly a unique Torah
community. And the trees that The
Rabbi’s planted there are now spread
around the globe – giving more and
more sweet fruit each minute, each
second.
Imagine the welcome “The Rabbi” is
receiving in Shamayim.
Imagine the dancing Malachim…
Imagine the Shechina smiling warm-
ly, saying, “Come, Rabbi, come sit next
to me.”
Perhaps Hashem even pinched “The
Rabbi” on his cheek.
Yehi Zichro Boruch
nos,” and then “Hamotzi” and then
“Borei Pri Hagofen.”
You, barley, you could have made
something of yourself, you could
have been cake or even “Hamotzi,”
but instead you made yourself into
lowly beer, so because
of that we only
make the lowly
“Shehakol.”
The nimshol is
that you should
use your time,
your Gd-given tal-
ents, and kochos for its best
and most important purpose
– don’t just use it frivolously.
 Recipes
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 Page 17

ISRAEL’S POPULATION

T
he Holy Land is bursting
with people. Israel’s popula-
tion has reached 8.907 mil-
lion – 162,000 more than a year ago,
according to data published by the
Central Bureau of Statistics.
In a press release including data on
wide-ranging topics, the bureau sum-
marized the Jewish year of 5778 in
numbers, highlighting the fact that 89
by Shulamis
is 84.6 years for women and 80.7 for
men.
There were 52,809 marriages in Isra-
el in 5778 and 14,819 divorces.
The most popular baby name for
girls was Tamar and the most popular
name for boys was Mohammad.
The most frequently chosen names
for girls were Tamar, Avigail, Miriam,
By Shulamis Benjamin
Sarah, Adele, Yael, Noa, Shira, Noya

Moroccan
percent of Israelis say they are largely and Lia. The most frequently chosen
satisfied with life. names for boys were Mohammad, Yo-
Israel’s Jewish population number sef, Ariel, Omer, Adam, David, Daniel,

Salmon
6,625 million people – 74.4 percent of Lavi, Eitan and Ori.
the country’s population. Some 1,864 THREE ISRAELI HOSPITALS
million, or 20.9 percent are Arab, and BREAK NEWBORN BIRTH RE-

the remaining 418,000 are other mi-
norities.
The country’s population is expect-
ed to reach 10 million in late 2024, ac-
cording to the data.
Some 44.3 percent of Israelis define
themselves as secular, while 21.4 per-
cent are traditional, 12.3 percent are
traditional with religious leanings,
11.5 percent are religious, and 10.2
percent are ultra-orthodox.
Almost 90 percent of Israelis said
they were satisfied with their lives.
Eighty-four percent said they were in
good or very good health. Fifty-one
percent said they exercise regularly.
Israel’s fertility rate, at an average, is
3.11 children born per woman, con-
tinued to be the highest among mem-
ber countries of the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Develop-
ment (OECD).
About 175,000 babies were born and
43,000 people died during the past
year, with 25,000 people making ali-
yah.
The average life expectancy in Isra-
el – one of the highest in the world –
CORDS IN JULY
Massive numbers of births in Israeli
hospitals are breaking records around
the country, with departments report-
ing labor and delivery services being
maxed above capacity.
Though Shaarei Zedek Medical
Center in Jerusalem has been deliver-
ing more than 22,000 babies a year on
its two campuses – the hospital with
the most births per year in the world –
it is not one of the hospitals that broke
records in July.
Seroka Medical Center in Beersheba
broke its record for births in a month
with 1,518 deliveries in July, a 10 per-
cent increase over the number record-
ed there during the last six Julys.
Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv saw
1,014 births in July, a 10 percent rise
over its month average in a new mater-
nity ward with 51 private rooms and a
newborn department.
HaEmek Medical Center in Afu-
la had a nearly 15 percent increase in
July, delivering 393 babies.
Police were called to a daycare center.
A 3-year old was resisting a rest.
A
colorful dish on a plate is
so inviting, and this attrac-
tive looking salmon dish,
with its myriad of colors that look
like jewels, is no exception. It is per-
fect for a Friday night seuda, served
warm, but is also light and refreshing
at room temperature for Shabbos af-
ternoon or Shalosh seudos.
The authentic Moroccan way is
to make it with cilantro, but I pre-
fer parsley. It is versatile in that you
can interchange the two, or omit the
crushed peppers. The fish lets out
its own juices as it cooks, so don’t be
concerned that there is no liquid in
the recipe. In my home we are always
looking for different salmon reci-
pes to add to our collection. I hope
you will include this delicious one to
your Shabbos table.
• ½ Red pepper
• ½ Green pepper
• ¼ onion (red or yellow)
• 1 medium Carrot
• 4-6 Salmon Fillets
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• **¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• 4 cloves garlic (4 frozen cubes if
fine)
• (Feel free to omit the crushed
pepper if you don’t like heat)
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh
parsley or cilantro
1. Cut the peppers and carrot into
matchsticks, and cut the onion into
strips about the same size and the
peppers and carrots. This will make
the dish attractive looking. Heat the
oil on medium heat and add the on-
ions, carrot and peppers. Sprinkle
with a little kosher salt and sauté for
several minutes.
2. Lower the heat and add the salt,
pepper, onion powder, paprika, gar-
lic and crushed pepper. Let cook for
thirty seconds.
3. Gently put in the salmon and
spoon half of the pepper mixture over
the fish. Chop the parsley and distrib-
ute on top of the salmon. Cover and
cook for 20-30 minutes. Gently place
a fork inside one piece to see if the fish
is cooked after 25 minutes. Enjoy!
To Bake it in the oven:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
After step 2, place the salmon in the
tin and spread half of the vegeta-
ble mixture on the sides of the fish.
Spoon the remaining mixture on top.
Cover with foil and bake 20-30 min-
utes.
Serve and enjoy!
What is a thesaurus’s favorite des-
sert? Synonym buns.
Page 18 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

The Funny Easy Sudoku

Easy Sudoku Puzzles
Bone Puzzles
S
Sudoku Puzzle 1
hlomo’s business had done the side of the road and waited.
so well that he treated The police car pulled up behind
Sudoku
himself to a brand new
Mercedes convertible. When he
him and a policeman got
walked up to Shlomo Puzzle
out. He
and said 1 4 2 9 5
picked up the car from the deal-
ers, he decided to take it out on 1
“This just might be your lucky
day, sir. Today is Friday the 13th, 7 4 8 9
a spin on the highway. Soon he and I get off duty in three min-
was driving at 80 mph with the
wind blowing through his hair.
utes. If you can give me a good
reason why you were speeding, 8 5 2 4
“This is unbelievable,” he said to and it’s a reason I never heard
himself, as he increased his speed
a bit more. But a quick look in
before, I’ll let you off with just a
warning.
2 4 8
his rear-view mirror showed him
a police car with flashing lights
Shlomo looked at the police-
man and said. “Last week my wife 3 1 2 6
coming up quickly behind him. Sadie ran off with a policeman
Shlomo thought: “I could easily
get away from him,” as he start-
and I thought you were bringing
her back. That’s why I was trying
8 7 2 9 4 1
5 2 6
ed to accelerate away. But then to get away from you.”
he had another thought: “What The policeman said: “Enjoy the
the hell am I doing? This is mad- rest of your day, sir.”
ness,” so he quickly pulled over to
2 8 9 4 1
7 9 1 8 5 3
Jewish Chronicle
Word Search
Sudoku Puzzle 2
T S Z A M M R G I I G O O H S
I A N L B Q X I L K F V D A A
Q A C Z S A P K L F T F VSudoku
M W
Q M E H D R S E A Y P T C Puzzle
S I 1 9 4 7 5
V I H M L X N H L A A Y B E Z
Q
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5 7 3 1 2
X X Z A P R P A K O E C H G K
S P A H C S R L R O I Y Y B E 4 5 3 1 8
M E S D Z I A O I H V M G U A
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W S P L P L P W E O G L B G H
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8 1 7
ABBA 5 6 4 9 2
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MAZEL TOV
MISHPACHA
4 6 9
SABA
SAVTA 3 9 1 7 6
SHALOM
TACHLIS 9 4
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 Page 19

downsize to eight teams. That meant son-in-law, Bill Benswanger.

four teams had to go. The Louisville
club was one of the four. Dreyfuss ne-
gotiated a deal to purchase a half in-
terest in the Pittsburg Pirates and take
14 of his Louisville players with him.
By the time the American League was
born in 1901, Dreyfuss was a majority
owner of the Pirates.
Dreyfuss built baseball’s first steel
and concrete ballpark in 1909 in Pitts-
burgh’s Forbes Field. He owned the
Pirates until his passing in 1932, a few
weeks shy of his 67th birthday.
Barney Dreyfuss: Jewish Florence Dreyfuss, who shared a
keen interest in all facets of manage-
Fourteen years later, Benswanger
negotiated the sale of the Pirates to a
group that included entertainer Bing
Crosby. The new group scored big in
its first season, 1947, by purchasing
Hank Greenberg from the Tigers. Sad-
ly, the famous Hank Greenberg ended
his illustrious career with the Pirates
finishing in last place.
Author, columnist and public speaker,
Irwin Cohen headed a national baseball
publication for five years and was the
first Orthodox Jew to earn a World Se-
ries ring by working for a major league
team. He may be reached in his dugout

Father of the World Series ment with her husband, assumed

ownership and delegated the day-to-
at irdav@sbeglobal.net.
“I used to have a fear of hurdles,

C
oming off of rooting for your
favorite team in the latest
World Series, now’s a good
time to look at the origin of the Fall
Classic, which was born in 1903 and
had a Jewish father.
Barney Dreyfuss owned the Nation-
al League’s Pittsburgh Pirates, con-
sidered by most observers at the time
to be the best team in either league.
The Pirates had topped the National
League in 1901 and 1902. During all
the years Dreyfuss owned the Pitts-
burgh Pirates, he had the privilege of
having the best player in baseball, Ho-
nus Wagner, the legendary shortstop.
As the Pirates were on their way to
topping the National League again in
’03, and the Boston club marched on
to clinch first place in the American
League, Dreyfuss wrote his Boston
counterpart, trumpeting the merits of
a series of games between the league’s
best teams.
“The time has come for the National
League and American League to or-
ganize a World Series,” Dreyfuss wrote.
“It is my belief that if our clubs played a
series on a best-of-nine basis we would
create great interest in baseball in our
leagues and in our players. I also be-
lieve it would be a financial success.”
After many long meetings and dis-
cussions, an agreement was reached.
The first game of the first World Series
took place on Thursday, October 1 in
Boston. An overflow crowd of 16,242
packed Boston’s Huntington Avenue
Grounds, but Barney Dreyfuss did not
have the pleasure of seeing his Pirates
win 7-3. It was Yom Kippur.
Dreyfuss watched the second game
with two guests, the rabbi from Bos-
ton’s oldest congregation and the rabbi
day operations of the franchise to her but I got over it.”
from Dreyfuss’s Pittsburgh congre-
gation. The rabbis saw Boston shut THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
out the Pirates 3-0 to even the series. OF WPB WILL BE PUBLISHED, BLI NEDER,
Pittsburgh managed to win only two ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22.
more games, though, and lost that first
All ads much reach us via email no later than November 14. For ad information,
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Dreyfuss exemplified the great The Jewish Chronicle is distributed in the cities of West Palm Beach, Palm
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The only son among Samuel and
exact address, your name and affiliation to that entity and the amount of papers
Fanny Goldschmidt Dreyfuss’s four required.
children, Bernard was born and edu-
cated n Germany. He apprenticed as a
bank clerk before arriving in America
in 1882 at age 17.
A smallish fellow with a thick Ger-
man accent, Barney, as he later became
known, made his way to Paducah,
Kentucky, to take a job at a distillery
owned by relatives.
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As he worked his way up from bar- DISCOUNT RATES
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team National League decided to
Page 20 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

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