Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced last Thursday that a Crown Heights man has been sentenced to 24 years to life in prison for the kidnapping and murder of Williamsburg businessman Menachem Stark during a botched abduction in 2014.
Edited by: JV Staff
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant orchestrated the callous kidnapping that led to the murder of Menachem Stark, a husband, father and beloved member of the Williamsburg community. With today’s substantial prison sentence this defendant has now been brought to justice and held accountable for his role in this senseless loss of life.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Erskin Felix, 40, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He was sentenced last week by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 24 years to life in prison. The defendant was convicted of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence on April 8, 2019, following a jury trial.
In the aftermath of the Stark kidnapping and murder, newspapers portrayed a vehemently anti-Semitic portrait of the Williamsburg resident. The media purposely attempted to concoct an image of Stark as a callous and ruthless slumlord, when nothing could be further from the truth. People who had professional business dealings with Stark, as well as friends and neighbors described him as an exceptionally generous man and someone who donated significant sums of money to various charities.
The District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on January 2, 2014, at approximately 11:30 p.m., during a blizzard, the defendant and his cousin Kendel Felix, 31, ambushed Menachem Stark, 39, on the street as he left his office, located at 331 Rutledge Street in Williamsburg, and abducted him with the intention of holding him for ransom. Erskin Felix worked as a contractor for the victim and his cousin, Kendel Felix, did construction work for him.
After the victim fought unsuccessfully to escape, the defendants forced him into a Dodge minivan, bound his arms and legs with duct tape, taped his mouth and placed a ski mask over his head. Kendel drove away while Erskin restrained Stark in the back of the van by sitting on his chest, according to testimony. Erskin and Kendel picked up defendant Kendall Felix (Erskin’s brother) and they drove to the home of Irvine Henry (another cousin), the evidence showed.
Upon arrival, they discovered that the victim was dead due to Erskin’s actions in trying to subdue him, according to the evidence. The defendants attempted to return to the kidnapping scene to retrieve the victim’s Lexus SUV, but saw police on the scene.
Erskin then directed Kendel and Kendall to drive to Long Island to dispose of the body, the evidence showed. They drove to Nassau County, threw the body in a dumpster and set it on fire.
Approximately 17 hours later, a Nassau County police officer found the partially burned body in a garbage dumpster behind a gas station in Great Neck, Long Island. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was asphyxia by compression of the neck and chest.
Kendel Felix was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on May 1, 2019. A jury convicted him of first-degree kidnapping and second-degree murder in September 2016.
Kendall Felix was sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison on March 27, 2019 following his guilty plea to second-degree conspiracy and first-degree hindering prosecution over the objection of the prosecution.
Irvine Henry was sentenced to three months in prison on May 1, 2019 following his guilty plea to attempted tampering with physical evidence. (VIN Staff)
Hundreds of first responders on West 51st Street and 7th Ave.
View of 787 7th Ave from 8th Ave (Jewish Voice)
A helicopter crash landed on the roof of a 54-story building in Midtown Manhattan in the middle of a rainy Monday afternoon, starting a fire and killing the pilot, NBC News reported.
By Henrietta Fishman
The helicopter hard landed. on the roof of 787 Seventh Avenue.
A senior official told NBC NY 4 that the pilot, was identified as Tim McCormack and he had just dropped off a passenger at the East 34th Street heliport, and may have been making his way back to the chopper’s base in Linden, New Jersey, when the crash occurred.
The victim’s body remained inside the mangled wreckage of the chopper, which burst into flames but was quickly extinguished by firefighters, FDNY sources said
The incident happened around 2pm according to local media. Roads in the area were said to be closed with crews in the area as a precautionary measure. Hundreds of first responders were at the scene within seconds to keep the city safe and help with the evacuation of the 7th Ave building and several others.
The 54-floor skyscraper, known as the AXA Equitable Center, is home to Le Bernardin, the acclaimed French seafood restaurant.
Zach Escalante, a computer programmer who works on the third floor told the NY Post “We felt the building move, It felt like something hit or impacted the building,” he said.
Governor Cuomo was on the scene very quickly and said at a briefing “”the helicopter was making a forced landing or emergency landing… and landed on the roof.” He added that there was no indication of terrorism.
The mayor arrived over two hours later as he was busy campaigning for president. Local talk radio show commentators on WNYM 970 AM pointed out that it is not responsible for a mayor of most powerful city in the country to be out and about campaigning for president, when major incidents occur like this one in NYC.
The chopper is an Agusta 109E that was not being handled by air traffic controllers, Zero Hedge reported. The Agusta 109E is a two-engine model that can carry two crew members and as many as seven passengers, according to the online GlobalAir aviation marketplace.
This is not the first time in recent memory a lightweight aircraft crashed in NYC. The most recent significant crash occurred on October 11, 2006, when a Cirrus SR20 general aviation, fixed-wing, single-engine light aircraft crashed into the Belaire Apartment. Both people aboard the aircraft were killed in the accident, New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor.
“This could have a tremendous impact as we head into the season where helicopter rides are popular from the City to the Hamptons, and could have a chilling effect”, Jewish Voice Publisher David Ben Hooren pointed out.
Italian soccer team A.C. Milan comes under fire from Israeli fans after posting map with Israel without Samaria, Judea and Golan.
In a Facebook post ahead of the match for the Polish national team, AC Milan presented a partial map of Israel and caused a commotion.
Israel will host the Polish national team for an important game in the battle for Euro 2020, when one of the biggest threats to the Israeli goal is to be the striker of the AC AC Milan soccer team – Christoph Piatek.
Before the game of the big star, the group of magnificence raised a picture in which you see the map of Israel without the territories of Judea and Samaria and without the Golan Heights, which created a great uproar in responses to the post.
After realizing the mistake a new map was posted with all parts of Israel, but, later both were removed as the sports team ties to distance itself from the political debate.
In TV interview during his visit to the United States son of Israel’s Prime Minister says that President Trump is the greatest friend of Israel and the Jewish people in the history of White House. “He will be remembered forever, like Cyrus the king of Persia 2500 years ago.
Over the past days thousands of acres of gazing land and barley fields have been destroyed by terror motivated arson attacks in Shomron. These attacks are aimed at starving out local Jewish owned flocks of sheep and cows.
Seven arson attacks simultaneously took place on a Friday evening in the hills of Itamar. The fire spread between Gitit in the Jordan Valley and Itamar Hill 777. The fires reached the outskirts of the houses.
The Samaria Region fire brigade and about 150 volunteers set out to help extinguish the fire, among them the residents of Itamar, the high school students in Itamar and the residents of Elon Moreh.
Security forces together with IDF Samaria Brigade and the Security Branch of the Shomron Regional Council conducted a chase after the arsonists to the Palestinian village of Akraba.
The head of the Shomron Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, turned to the IDF Central Command after a briefing on the activities of the security forces, and asked not to leave until the terrorists were apprehended.
“These fires must stop,” Dagan said, adding: “We expect the security forces to capture the arsonists and to act against them with a hard hand.”
Chen Weiss, a resident of the hills, one of the volunteers who left the area: “We were lucky that the high yeshiva students were near by during the Sabbath and came to help, without them things would have ended otherwise The Arabs came up with a method and apparently learned from the Gaza area. Anyone with a match in the heat and dryness of the time can bring the situation of a Shabbat in which no one is available has made it even more difficult. The damage is estimated at almost a million shekels, this must stop. ”
The residents of the hills opened their doors to help the hilltop farmers, who were badly hit by the last set of fires, and called upon the security forces to stop the terrorists once and for all.
IDF soldiers took control of the foreign trading ship in which a fire was set overnight by unknown elements near a beach in the north of the country. During the event, and in coordination with the ship’s captain, IDF soldiers combed the ship. During the search, the soldiers captured an hidden passenger who was transferred to the Israel Police.
In the interview published by The New York Times on Saturday, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that some degree of annexation of Judea and Samaria would be legitimate.
“Under certain circumstances, I think Israel has the right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank,” he said. He did not state what the US government’s stance would be if Israel made such a move.
“The absolute last thing the world needs is a failed Palestinian state between Israel and Jordan,” Friedman said in the Times interview.
“We’re relying upon the fact that the right plan, for the right time, will get the right reaction over time.”
Friedman, a staunch supporter of Israel, told the Times that the Trump plan was aimed at improving the quality of life for PA Arabs but would fall well short of a “permanent resolution to the conflict.”
He said he did not believe the plan would trigger PA Arab violence.
But he said the United States would coordinate closely with Arab ally Jordan, which could face unrest among its large population of PA “refugees” over a plan perceived as overly favorable to Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Thursday, 6 June 2019), at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, met with former IAEA Deputy Director General for Safeguards Olli Heinonen.
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
“It’s very clear Iran is lying. Iran is continuing to work towards an arsenal of nuclear bombs, and we’re committed to stop it. Thank you for your forthright analysis and your clear-cut conclusion. I thank you for pointing out what Iran is doing.”
Olli Heinonen:
“Thank you for this brave action of taking them out [the nuclear archive documents] because this gives the material for the international community to think about it and it’s a good place on how to talk with the Iranians, how to stop it.”
The funeral service for Nechama Rivlin ז”ל was held at the Great Leaders of the Nation plot at Mount Herzl cemetery
The funeral service for Nechama Rivlin ז”ל, wife of the tenth President of the State of Israel, was held today, Wednesday 5 June / 2 Sivan, her 74th birthday, at the Great Leaders of the Nation Plot at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem. At the request of the family, and in recognition of her deep appreciation for the love and support Israeli citizens showed Nechama during her illness, the funeral was open to the general public and many of those who loved her came to pay their respects.
Among those who attended the funeral were Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Speaker of the Knesset Yuli (Yoel) Edelstein, Deputy President of the Supreme Court Judge Hanan Melcer, IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Aviv Cochavi, Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau, acting Commissioner of Police Moti Cohen, current and former ministers and members of the Knesset, ambassadors from around the world, religious leaders from the Christian, Muslim, Druze communities in Israel, artists, writers and poets.
President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin, accompanied by his children Rivi, Ran and Anat, read Kaddish, the traditional mourners’ prayer and delivered a moving eulogy for wife. Their daughter Anat Rivlin and the author Haim Be’er, a close friend of Nechama’s also delivered eulogies.
The ceremony was led by Cantor Shai Abramson and Rabbi Benny Lau, who read the following beautiful piece: “Jerusalem worked its magic on a young student from Moshav Herut in the Sharon area. All her senses were dedicated to this magical city and its people. Two years ago, Nechama wrote a short article about Psalm 122 on the website of the 929 initiative, in which she said, ‘I was not born in Jerusalem and I did not grow up here. But I have lived in Jerusalem longer than anywhere else. I came here at the age of 19, to be a student at the Hebrew University. Along the way, I built a home with Ruvi, a Jerusalemite son of Jerusalemites. Still, every time I see Jerusalem laid out before me at the entry to the city, I can feel the biblical passage ‘Our feet shall stand at thy gates, O Jerusalem’. I love to walk the streets of Jerusalem, with their heart and soul. Sometimes, I feel like the buildings tell a story. My Jerusalem is that of the hawkers at Machane Yehuda market, some of whom I know by name, of the Hebrew University, the museums, the holy places, the artists’ houses, and my home.’
Thus, Nechama became one of the jewels of Jerusalem, on the tastes of the market, the dancers at the Gerard Behar Center, the Israel Museum and the Smadar Cinema. But above all, she loved poetry and literature.”
As part of the ceremony, singer Rona Keinan performed her song ‘Mabul’ and Alon Eder sang his song ‘Ahuvati Sheli Livnat Tzavar’.
President Rivlin’s eulogy for his wife, Nechama:
“Nechama. My Nechama. Our Ima. I got up this morning. You know I could not sleep. I looked at the date, so familiar. 5th of June. Happy birthday, sweetheart. A sad birthday. A few weeks ago, in the hospital, when you were still able to say what was on your mind, and you were already worried, you asked me to bring you home. Today, Nechama, you have come home. So close to our house, here across the hill. Close to the plants you cultivated. Close to the view. Near the forest – ‘the herb store,’ you called it – collecting moss, thyme and even mushrooms. Close by are the paths and the roads we loved and walked. You were born in the days after the war, World War II. Your parents, pioneers from Ukraine, among the founders of Moshav Herut in Tel Mond, who lost their entire family in the cursed Holocaust, saw in you their hope, their comfort.
Nechama, comfort. That’s what they called you. You were a village girl, a child of nature, a moshavnik, a woman of the land. When we sang at home, ‘we are both from the same village,’ we knew that only you came from the village in our house. You tilled, you fertilized, you watered, you milked the cows in the morning, collected the eggs from the chicken coop, and then went to school. Your father, Menachem Shulman, died when you were only five years old. And your mother, Drora (Keila), remained alone on the farm, with you and Varda, and later our brother-in-law Chaim, to help her. ‘My mother, you said, ‘worked hard, and fought like a lion for the right to work the land.’
When I met you, I sometimes thought that I had done you an injustice, that I might be too urban, too much of a Jerusalemite. I learned very quickly from you that you can uncover the earth in Jerusalem, ride horses, hoe the land, raise vegetables in season! Only in season and herbs in the garden. At the University in Jerusalem, you studied agriculture, biology and zoology, and worked at the Zoological and Biological Institute. Slowly, you grew roots in Jerusalem. You were more Jerusalemite than Jerusalemites, and more Rivlin than the Rivlins. Your Jerusalem kugel, sweet and peppery at the same time, was better than the kugel of Shaarei Chesed. And from my mother, you learned the recipe for brojinis, spicy eggplants, which were my favorite food. Then one day, after years as a child of nature, a woman of natural science, you decided to study art. Your rich soul knew no rest. The art world opened up to you. Every time we traveled overseas, you already knew where you wanted to go, which museum you cannot miss, what artwork you have to see. Sometimes you tried to save me from the boring ceremonies and the official receptions and drag me to the nearby museum, saying ‘you must see this,’ and took me and explained.
Sometimes after an exhausting day of breathing difficulties, I saw you getting dressed, getting ready to go out. Where to, Ima’le, I would ask? And the answer: there’s a dance show today at Suzanne Dalal that I absolutely refuse to miss. Because even when it was hard, the art, the flowers, the movies at the Cinematheque, the exhibitions at the Museum on the Seam gave you strength. They were the essence of life for you. And most of all you loved poetry. You read books by male poets, but you were mostly interested in what women poets wrote. Sometimes you would force me to listen. You would sit me next to you when you read to me, from a newspaper clipping, or from a small book. You called me and did not give up, and thank you for not giving up. Thank you for insisting for many years, for widening my heart and deepening my soul. You taught me a love that was clear-sighted, direct and intelligent, but also a love that knew to cut corners and was compassionate. And most of all, like everything you did, like everything you said, to be real. Always real.
You never wanted to be in the limelight, but you understood that as the president’s wife you had a role, and you accepted it for yourself. And yet you decided not be “the president’s wife,” but to sow, water and raise the things that really need such dedicated and knowledgeable care. You chose to support children with special educational needs. To always stand by women, without being a vocal feminist. To foster artists and the arts. You saw Arabs and Jews first of all as people, but there was no greater Zionist than you. And with your choices and your actions the garden of the people who loved you flourished. The whole country is full of those who love you.
How much they loved you, Nechama. How much did they ask how you were doing, and wished you well and prayed for your recovery all these months. How many people sent us messages of strength and their embraces of you. Nechama, yesterday I looked at the books you left next to the bed, some of them bookmarked, others with a popsicle stick in them. You went to sleep next to Novokov’s “Lolita” and Agi Mishol’s “Angel of the Room”. On the shelf was “Back from Emek Refaim” by Haim Be’er, alongside Ami Rubinger’s “Pishpesh Mitlabesh (the flea gets dressed)”, “Tishrin” by Ayman Sicksek and Dan Tsalka’s “A Thousand Hearts.” And in Amos’s latest book, our beloved Amos Oz, a popsicle stick shows you read it all and got to the last chapter, entitled: “The traffic lights have been changing for a long time without us.” But what traffic light can change without you?
In recent months, I have been asked me what kind of a mother you are, and I answered that you are the kind of mother that for four months, her children and their spouses did not leave her side. They did not leave you alone for a moment. That is the kind of mother you were, the kind of grandmother. Rivi and Tomer, Anat and Gadi, Ran and Einat, thank you for being there for Ima. Matan, Ziv, Shay, Karni, Maya, Daniela and Yahav, Savta loved you forever, and she will continue to love you, even from above. Thank you all for being my family. And thank you to all the citizens through whose eyes and words and presence the light of our Nechama is shining again and again, like a thousand suns.
And to you, Nechama, my wife, my love, I find it difficult to believe that these are words of farewell. I am sure I will look for you at night, and in the days too. Thank you Nechama, for love, for your partnership, for family, for being always with me, for the supportive hand and the listening heart, for the humor and the sharp thought, and for giving me the privilege to be the husband of the president’s wife. ‘Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away.’ Rest in peace.”
Haim Be’er’s eulogy for Nechama Rivlin:
“Ruvi, Ran, Anat, Rivi, Varda, grandsons and granddaughters, and all Israel who are mourning the passing of a unique woman – noble, authentic, precious. A woman who since yesterday has been crowned with crowns of honor.
On her fresh grave, I would like to lay, as it were, a few wildflowers that she loved so much – a few fragments of memories of our acquaintance and friendship, memories whose common denominator is a love of Hebrew, a love of literature, a love of culture and art.
On 10 June 2014, Ruvi was elected president. Four days later, his first public appearance was in Tel Aviv. He and Nechama left Jerusalem on Saturday night and went to Rabin Square, where Hebrew Book Week was taking place. They chose to honor Hebrew books, Hebrew writers, Hebrew readers, their true electorate.
“Wait for the president-elect and his wife at the Am Oved booth,” the spokeswoman told me. Ruvi, as usual, hugged the authors, talked with the readers, leafed through the books, and Nehama, Nechama was behind the scenes, the imaginary scenes. She stood and had a spirited and deep conversation with one of the hidden heroes of the literary world, the editor Avraham Yavin. She was deeply interested in the intimate details of book production. She asked him what the editor really did with the writer’s manuscript, what the typesetter and proofreader really did. And I saw how this critical and wise man was charmed by the soon-to-be First Lady. At one point, he asked her with pointed irony how she would fit into her new role. Then she turned to him and said, ‘you know me, now I’ll have to learn to shut up, to be silent – me, who has so much to say.’ It was impossible not to love this straight-talking woman, who did not have the capacity to be fake. ‘You know what,’ she said, ‘at least I have the books, the exhibitions and the lectures.’
Nechama was a ‘frequent flyer’ of the literary world, a ‘heavy user’ of culture. The editors of the radio literature programs can attest to the WhatsApp messages she sent them after she and the president listened to their programs. She would slip into literary evenings, appear in art exhibitions, correspond with poets and poets on their books. Once I was surprised to see Nechama in the elevator of the Science Museum in Jerusalem. She was alone. “What are you doing here?” I asked her. ‘I heard there is an excellent exhibition here and interesting activities for the children, and I decided to come,’ she said.
She kept on discussing how she could use the platform of Beit HaNasi to promote, assist, support and help writers and poets. And it should be noted, she did not ask ‘how will leave my mark,’ but ‘how will I be among those who help?’ The opportunity came when the Custodian General, Sigal Yaakobi, approached her and told her about the estate of Dr. Gardner Simon. That was the beginning of the process which eventually became the crowning glory of her activities as a patron of Hebrew culture. She roped me in from the beginning. We held long, serious and responsible discussions. Together, we drew up the rules of the prize. We chose judges, discussed all aspects of the prize with the dedicated staff of Beit HaNasi. She was not only first among equals, but also modest and secret. ‘Invisible, but present everywhere’ as Natan Alterman said about Shaul Avigur. In the end, the prize was announced, lots of books arrived and we, the judges, began to read them and without our knowledge it became clear that Nechama herself was reading all the books and was well versed in every detail. Then the big moment came. The panel of judges met in the private wing of Beit HaNasi, surrounded by the paintings of Israeli artists she chose to decorate the walls of the Residence.
We sat and discussed. “Where is Nechama?” I asked her loyal assistants: “Nechama will join you only after you decide, not a minute earlier.” When a candidate was chosen, Nehama entered the room as if she were floating on air. She listened to the judges and found a way to raise more money and increase the prize from one to three winners. At the same time, she also told us that she was a candidate for transplant, and that anxiety and hope mingled with her voice.
On 19 December 2018, a Wednesday just like now, just after six, as it is now, the awards ceremony took place at Beit HaNasi. At the end of the evening, as Nechama got up to speak, she had trouble walking. The microphones and loudspeakers made her breath resonate in the hall. She talked about her love for poetry, how she read poems every day. The atmosphere was electric. Everyone knew that he was witness to the mystery of a woman’s soul for whom honesty and love were the building blocks of her personality. When she finished speaking, everyone stood up for a long, long time, cheering and applauded her. She was among people like her. But she was embarrassed. She did not believe she really was loved. ‘Everybody loves you,’ I told her, and touched her shaking shoulder, ‘really, everyone loves you.’ She gave me a skeptical look. ‘Do you think so? she asked. “Yes, Nechama, we all love you.’ And we reaffirm this here today.
To your memory, Nehama, I will read a poem by the poet Sabina Messeg:
The soul is a nun. And from time to time she needs a cell to be herself in so strongly when things are not going well outside. The soul is meant to go on vacation and not to be scared by anyone. There are only two seasons a year: together and alone.
“Southampton is for sporting rich; Bridgehampton is for nearly rich; East Hampton is for the very rich,” remarked author Steven Gaines who has studied the culture of excess in the United States, specifically focusing on the Hamptons and South Beach. While East Hampton might be the wealthiest, Montauk and Southampton are by far superior in terms of nightlife.
Lieba Nesis
The Hamptons has become nearly as famous for its after-hours activities as it is for its beaches as restaurant after restaurant opens along with clubs, bars and lounges. In fact, renowned restaurant Tutto Il Giorno in Sag Harbor has now morphed into a club after midnight with over one hundred people joining Donna Karan this past weekend as her son-in-law Gianpaolo De Felice DJ’ed to an enthusiastic crowd.
Southampton Social Club
East Hampton woods
Polo in the Hamptons
The empty Southampton beach this past weekend
Our Writer and Photographer Lieba Nesis takes us on a tour of the Hamptons nightlife
a Hamptons house party
Zach Erdem at 75 Main
East Hampton House Resort Hotel
Hamptons benefit with host Greg Kelly
Another Hamptonite who has taken advantage of the thriving nightlife scene is hospitality entrepreneur Zach Erdem whose name is synonymous with Southampton. Erdem emigrated from Turkey to the US at age 21 and started his career as a dishwasher at Southampton’s 75 Main, worked his way up to busboy and bartender until he was chosen by restaurateur Nello Balan to become General Manager of Nello’s from 2003 to 2009 before being unceremoniously fired. In 2010 he was approached by investors to run restaurant 75 Main which he now owns along with Restaurant Blu Mar at 136 Main St. which just received its liquor license allowing club AM to move there this weekend. Last year Erdem ran AM Southampton at 125 Tuckahoe Lane; however, when the Landlord requested $250,000 in annual rent he was forced to vacate. Erdem works seven days and nights a week as I have observed him picking up garbage at AM Southampton at the early hour of 4 in the morning. AM Southampton at 125 Tuckahoe Lane has now been taken over by the Hedge Club which has failed to gain its footing with a nearly empty Memorial Day weekend opening.
This past weekend Erdem was minding 75 Main which he now owns with a massive smile on his face. “How’s the nightlife scene in the Hamptons?” I nosely inquired. “Well,” Erdem remarked, “on the Saturday night of Memorial Day I did over $100,000 in business-a record”. The cheapest table at club AM is $3,000 and Erdem revealed that one partygoer spent more than $14,000 on bottles. When I asked who his favorite celebrity customer was he responded that Joe Biden was like family recalling how he patiently waited for a table last summer despite Erdem offering him priority seating. Erdem’s main competitor is Southampton Social Club which is located at 256 Elm Street and exemplifies the rarely used aphorism “white men can dance.” This locale attracts men in their mid-20’s from affluent families who come to dine, drink and dance-and these guys can bust a move. Each time I visit this hot spot I am astounded by the breakdancing of these preppy looking guys.
Some other musical venues worth mentioning include The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett which has lines down the block and a $20-$40 cover charge (the same as Southampton Social Club). The Talkhouse which opened in 1970 has hosted Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and The Allman Brothers and this summer will have cover bands, karaoke nights and reggae performances with tickets available online. While Sag Harbor has made a slight footprint on the scene with Murf’s Tavern, Page at 63 Main, and the overhyped and played out Bilboquet it is Montauk that continues to sizzle each year as twenty somethings descend on this destination area. Precisely because Montauk remains the hardest to reach it has become an enclave for the rich and famous to gather with abandon as the Surf Club, Sloppy Tuna, and Ruschmeyer’s continue to dominate the landscape.
After a decade of fighting between the Town of East Hampton and the Surf Lodge there is a new reservations policy in effect to prevent large crowds on the roadway with capacity being capped at 395 and musical acts being forced to conclude at 8 PM with a maximum two hour per day of playing time. Sloppy Tuna will continue to rage this summer as the four partners remain in an ongoing legal battle over title to the $5.3 million property, occupancy rights, and ownership of the trademark and logo of the grinning sunglass clad tuna fish-why can’t we all get along. Some other less contentious places include the renowned Gurney’s Inn which contains a comprehensive spa and restaurant Scarpetta, The Point, Memory Motel, Grey Lady and Swallow East. Many of these bars are open past 4 AM and are jammed on weekends with rowdy millennials seeking to blow off some steam.
One of my favorite little known clubs is Beach Bar in Hampton Bays which recently celebrated its 25th summer at its Foster Avenue location. Yes, the crowds are blind drunk and more than one fight will most certainly break out; however, these Hampton locals know how to party with a contagious recklessness. Whatever happened to the house parties that the Hamptons was formerly celebrated for? with parking permits and noise and capacity regulations becoming increasingly onerous these gatherings have become nearly extinct to the chagrin of many summer residents.
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania walk with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Mrs. Brigitte Macron, en route to the Omaha Beach overlook Thursday, June 6, 2019, at the Normandy American Cemetery in Normandy, France. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron attended a ceremony Thursday at the American Military Cemetery in Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, following with a bilateral meeting in the city of Caen.
By: Henry Ridgwell
Ceremonies have been taking place at other cemeteries and monuments across the region as the U.S., France, Britain, Canada and other Allied nations pay tribute to the fallen.
About 2,500 U.S. troops died in a single day on June 6, 1944, as Allied forces invaded Nazi-occupied France. Total Allied casualties that day are estimated at 10,000. Less than a year after the invasion, officially named “Operation Overlord,” Germany surrendered as Berlin fell to the Allies.
The 75th anniversary was marked at dawn on Omaha Beach, below the U.S. cemetery. American D-Day veterans were among the crowd that had gathered to greet the sunrise with a minute’s silence. President Trump and French President Macron arrived by helicopter several hours later. Seated in the front row, the D-Day veterans were given repeated standing ovations by the thousands-strong crowd. The French president spoke first.
“We know what we owe to you, veterans, our freedom. On behalf of my nation, I just want to say thank you,” Emmanuel Macron told the veterans in English.
Turning to his American counterpart, he spoke pointedly of the alliance between nations underpinning victory and freedom.
“The United States of America, dear President Trump, is never so great as when it fights for the freedom of others,” said Macron.
President Trump continued the tribute to the fallen and to the veterans present at the ceremony, saying they had saved not only a nation, but a civilization.
“To the more than 170 veterans of World War II, who join us today, you are among the very greatest Americans who will ever live. You are the pride of our nation, you are the glory of our republic, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Today we express our undying gratitude, when you were young, these men enlisted their lives, in a great crusade, one of the greatest of all times,” Trump said, before paying tribute to the shared sacrifice among allies.
“Our cherished alliance was forged in the heat of battle, tested in the trials of war, and proven in the blessings of peace. Our bond is unbreakable,” Trump said.
General Dwight Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces on D-Day. That post, now known as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, is currently held by General Tod Wolters, who also attended the ceremony Thursday. Despite transatlantic political tensions, he told VOA the alliance with Europe is in good health.
“Take a look at what took place on Utah Beach, the cooperation between multiple nations and multiple domains,” said Wolters. “And all you have to do is put your feet on the sands and you get a deep appreciation for how powerful the alliance is and the importance of keeping that alliance together. And today I feel very, very confident that the alliance is a strong as it’s ever been.”
European leaders have repeatedly praised America’s sacrifice, hoping to underline to President Trump the importance of the transatlantic bond at a time of heightened tension and fears over the future of the alliance.
Following the ceremony, Trump and Macron held a bilateral meeting in the nearby city of Caen, where NATO, trade and defense issues were expected to feature high on the agenda. (VOA)
The Holiday of Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. At that fateful event, G-d presented Moshe with two tablets upon which were etched the Aseret HaDibbrot. With all due respect to Cecil B. DeMille and Chartlon Heston, Aseret HaDibbrot would be better translated as “Ten Sayings” or “Decalogue.” The Mishna speaks of another series of “Ten Sayings”: “With Ten Sayings, the world was created” (Avot 5:1). In Hebrew, they are called Asara Maamarot. Why are the “Ten Sayings” that G-d said at Sinai called Dibbrot while the “Ten Sayings” with which G-d created the world called Maamarot? What is the difference between speech denoted with dibbur-related verbs (like vayidaber or dibber), and speech denoted with amirah-related verbs (like vayomer, amar, or leymor)?
When G-d told Moshe to prepare the Jewish People to receive the Torah, He told him, “So shall you say (tomar) to the House of Jacob and tell to the Sons of Israel…” (Ex. 19:3). Rashi explains that “the House of Jacob” refers to the Jewish women, to whom Moshe was supposed to broach the idea of receiving the Torah in a gentle manner (tomar/amirah). It follows then, that amirah connotes a softer form of speech. Similarly, Rashi (to Num. 12:1) writes that while dibbur connotes harsh speech, amirah connotes supplicatory speech in which the speaker seeks the listener’s favor.
Rashi (to Ex. 6:2 and 32:7) derives the notion that dibbur refers to harsh speech from the passage in which Yosef’s brothers told their father, “The man — the master of the Land — spoke (dibber) with us harshly” (Gen. 42:30). Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (1785-1865) points out that not in every instance where the Torah uses the word dibbur does it have to mean harsh speech. An example: Concerning Shechem seducing Dinah the Torah says, “And he spoke (vayidaber) to the lass’s heart” (Gen. 34:3), which simply means that he spoke to her in an intense way but not necessarily in a harsh way (otherwise she presumably would not have acceded to his advances). Indeed, Rashi (to Lev. 10:19) writes that dibbur implies boldness, not necessarily harshness.
A rare form of dibbur is the word yadber (in Ps. 47:4), which refers to a type of “leadership.” One might be tempted to say that this type of leadership entails speaking in strong, forceful terms. Nonetheless, the Talmud (Maccot 11a) differentiates between yadber and dibbur, saying that only the latter connotes harshness, while the former actually connotes softness. The Maharal in Netivot Olam writes that dibbur in the context of Torah study is always pleasant, and it refers to harsh speech only when used in other contexts. See also Moshav Zekanim (to Ex. 6:2) who differentiates between the Pentateuch, in which dibbur implies an expression of harshness, and the rest of the Bible in which it does not.
The Zohar’s commentary to Parshat Nasso, also known as Idra Rabbah (132b),explains that dibbur requires raising one’s voice to forcefully make an announcement, while amirah does not require raising one’s voice. Based on this we can argue that whole point of ever raising one’s voice is to make a forceful impression on a listener. Therefore, when G-d created the world and no listeners yet existed, He did not need to “raise His voice,” and so His sayings are called Maamarot. Later, when He revealed the Decalogue to an audience of Jews assembled at Mount Sinai, there were listeners, so there was a point in “raising His voice.” Therefore, those ten sayings are called Dibbrot.
Sefer HaChachmah, ascribed to the late 12th century Asheknazic scholar Rabbi Elazar Rokeach of Worms, writes that amirah denotes setting up a framework and context within which a dibbur can be said. According to this understanding, the Asara Maamarot which created the world served to set up a reality within which the Aseret HaDibbrot can have relevance.
Rabbeinu Bachaya (to Ex. 13:1) writes that the difference between dibbur and amirah is that dibbur alludes to the Written Torah, while amirah alludes to the Oral Torah. Many other Sages have cited this idea and expanded on it, including the Vilna Gaon (1720-1797), Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz of Frankfurt (1731-1805) and Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin (1816-1893). Interestingly, the word Amora (derived from amirah) refers to a rabbinic Sage of the Talmud who expounds on the scriptures and laws, the hero of the Oral Torah.
With this in mind the Vilna Gaon explicates the opening words of the song of Ha’azinu: “Listen O Heavens and I shall speak (va’adabeira), and the Earth shall hear the sayings (imrei) of my mouth” (Deut. 32:1). When speaking of the Heavens, from whence the Written Torah is revealed to man, Moshe uses the term dibbur, but when speaking of the Earth — whose inhabitants are the ones who bring out the ideas of the Oral Torah — he uses an amirah- related word.
In fact, the Zohar (Genesis 239b) explains that in the oft-repeated expression of Vayidaber Hashem el Mosheleymor (“And G-d said to Moshe to say…”), the word leymor (“to say”) refers to revealing the hidden elements which are not included in Vayidaber (“and He said”). In other words, amirah denotes an expansion on dibbur. When contrasting the Written Torah to the Oral Torah one notices that the former is a fixed, canonized text, while the latter is simply an expansion on the former. In light of this paradigm we see a parallel between the Torah and the world at large. The Zohar (Exodus 161a) teaches that G-d looked into the Torah and created the world. This means that the Torah served as the blueprint which G-d “consulted” when creating the world, and that the world is the final outgrowth of those plans. In other words, the Torah is the fixed cannon, while the world is an expansion on the Torah. With this in place, it is quite appropriate that the type of speech used to express the Torah is dibbur, while the words used to create the world are called amirah — an expansion on said dibbur.
Although certainly at odds with what we presented above, Malbim offers two more ways of differentiating between dibbur and amirah that can help us better understand the two sets of “Ten Sayings.”
Firstly, Malbim explains that amirah is absolute, while dibbur denotes a suggestion or proposition that is not necessarily absolute. In terms of Asara Maamarot versus Aseret HaDibbrot, it seems that the words used to create the world — and thus the rules of nature — must have been uttered in absolute, forceful terms, because they are so powerful that only G-d can break those rules. On the other hand, the words used to express the Decalogue connote a more malleable reality, because, for example, some prohibitions can legitimately be suspended in certain circumstances. However, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986) uses the exact opposite reasoning to explain why the commandment of tzitzit, which is not absolutely obligatory but is essentially optional, opens with the word vayomer instead of the usual vayidabber (Num. 15:37).
Alternatively, Malbim explains that amirah is used for short statements, while dibburis used for longer discourses that elaborate upon and explain short statements. Similarly, Rabbi Shmuel Jaffa-Ashkenazi of Istanbul (1525-1595) writes that amirah denotes “headings” or “headlines” of a specific topic, without getting into the details. To support this understanding he cites Isaiah 17:6, which foretells that Sancheriv will be unable to conquer Jerusalem, just as a harvester cannot reach the olives on the uppermost branch (rosh amir). In that case, amir refers merely to the branch but not to all of its contents, just like amirah refers to the chapter headings but not to all the nitty-gritty details. We can argue that verbosity, or wordiness, is a rhetorical device used to ensure one’s audience completely understands one’s intentions. If so, when G-d used “Ten Sayings” to create the world He could have been as brief as He wanted since there was no intended audience. Because of this, those Sayings are called maamarot/amirah and were said with much brevity — just the “headlines.” On the other hand, when G-d instructed the Jewish People of His expectations for them, He sought to make sure they completely understood Him, and so He sacrificed brevity for clarity — the results being the Aseret HaDibbrot.
That’s Amore! — Part 2: The Speech of Love
In Part 1, we explored various ways of differentiating between dibbur and amirah. We showedhow those ideas help shed light on why the “Ten Sayings” with which G-d created the world are called Asara Maamarot, and the “Ten Sayings” which He revealed to the Jews at Sinai are called Aseret HaDibbrot. In this installment, we will continue that discussion and also explain how amirah is connected to the concept of “love”.
Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim of Brelsau (1740-1814) writes in Yeriot Shlomo that dibbur refers to the act of using one’s vocal cords, whether or not that produces any sound with a particular meaning. On the other hand, amirah denotes speaking in order to convey a certain message that must have a particular meaning. Rabbi Wolf Heidenheim (1757-1832), in his comments to Yeriot Shlomo, notes that both Ibn Ezra and Rabbi Yoel Ibn Shuaib offer very similar approaches to this in their respective commentaries to Psalm 19:4.
Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) also follows this basic approach and expands on it. He writes that dibbur refers to the simple, physiological act of expressing an idea in words. Because it refers to the act of speech itself, dibbur can even apply to speech uttered when nobody else is around to hear or understand it. Dibbur is just a conglomeration of phonomes, or sounds, which are meant to express an idea. On the other hand, Rabbi Hirsch explains, amirah is not simply the act of verbalizing an idea or thought, but denotes an act of communication. Amirah must be said to somebody who then translates the sounds that he hears into the ideas that they express. However, the Vilna Gaon’s commentary to Numbers 22:5 (second version) seems to understand that dibbur implies more of a form of communication than amirah does.
Based on this distinction made by Rav Hirsch, he explains that the ten utterances with which G-d created the world are called Asara Maamarot because a maamar (whose root is the same as amirah) requires an active listener on the receiving end to hear what has been uttered and translate that into reality. In the case of creating the world, G-d’s utterances had immediate effect, as each time He said something it came into being. By contrast, the ten sayings of the Decalogue are called Aseret HaDibbrot because as a form of dibbur they exist independently of the listener. The Decalogue was G-d’s way of revealing His absolute will. And that Divine will continues to exist regardless of whether anybody follows its instructions.
Rabbi Pappenheim also writes that the root of amirah is MEM-REISH which refers to “switching” or “exchanging.” He explains that amirah fits into that umbrella because amirah denotes the exchanging of ideas, and in polite dialogue the parties involved constantly “switch” their status from being vocal (when it is their turn to speak) to being quiet (when it is their turn to listen). Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (1785-1865) expands on this idea and writes that amirah represents a form of speech which creates a reality. It “switches” the situation into something different. If we follow his logic it makes sense that the Ten Sayings that created the world would be denoted with an amirah-related verb because those Sayings represented the ultimate “change” in reality — the change from nothing to something.
A Rare Form of Amirah
The Torah uses a rare cognate of amirah when discussing a consequence of G-dgiving the Jewish People special commandments, and the Jews accepting those commandments (see Deut. 26:17-18). In that context Rashi explains that the amirah-related cognates are forms of “separation” and “division.” He explains that by accepting G-d’s commands the Jewish People “separated” (he’emarta)Him from the false gods of the world. And by singling out the Jewish People to receive His commandments G-d “separated” (he’emricha) the Jews from the other nations of the world.
Alternatively, Rashi explains that these amirah-related words are forms of “glory” and “pride.” In support of this reading, Rashi cites Psalm 94:4 which speaks of the wicked “taking pride in themselves” (yitamru).
Rabbi Saadia Gaon (882-942) offers two more explanations to the amirah-related words in question. Firstly, he explains that he’emarta/he’emricha are expressions of “being on top,” just as the amir (Isaiah 17:6) is the most important branch of a tree because it is on top. In his reading, G-d put the Jews “on top” and the Jews put G-d“on top.” This is also related to the Arabic word Emir (“military commander” or “tribal chief”), who sits on top of the hierarchical society over which he presides (see Bartenuro to Shekalim 5:3).
Secondly, Rabbi Saadia Gaon explains these amirah-related words as references to what G-d said to the Jewish People (“I am Hashem your G-d…”) and what the Jewish People said about G-d (“Hashem our G-d, Hashem is one”).
In some ways, Rabbi Saadia’s first approach — the one preferred by his interlocutor Dunash ibn Labrat (925-990) — resembles Rashi’s way of explaining those words as forms of glory/pride (see also Ibn Ezra to Deut. 26:17 who explains those words as referring to “greatness”). Rabbi Mecklenburg similarly explains the doublet emor and amarta said concerning the special prohibition that applies to kohanim (Lev. 21:1) by arguing that the former denotes “raising the kohanim’s status” (i.e. making them great again), while the latter simply means that these laws should be “said.”
Amirahas an Expression of Love
Another way of explaining he’emarta/he’emricha is cited by many Hassidic commentators, such as Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz of Frankfurt (1731-1805) and his brother Rabbi Shmuel Shmelka Horowitz of Nikolsburg (1726-1778), Rabbi Kalonymous Kalman Epstein of Krakow (1753-1823), Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Ostrog (1738-1791), Rabbi Shimon Maryles of Jaroslaw (1758-1849), and many others. They all explain that amirah is an expression of “love,” and thus the passages in question mean that G-d showed His love for the Jewish People, and that the Jewish People, in turn, showed their love towards Him. (See Sifsei Chachamim to Deut. 2:16 who deals with the implication of Rashi’s comment that dibbur is a term of endearment.)
When a person feels the weight of the responsibility to live up to certain expectations it generally feels as though those expectations were said in harsh, demanding terms — even if objectively they were not. Because the Decalogue lays out G-d’s expectations of us — which may sometimes feel like a burden — those Ten Sayings are called Dibbrot, as though He spoke them harshly. By contrast, the Asara Maamarot that created the world represent G-d’s gift to us. When somebody receives a gift it is taken as an expression of love — a maamar. (In Talmudic jargon the word maamar denotes a type of marriage instituted by the Rabbis as a prelude to the consummation of the yibbum relationship.)
But what is the philological basis for linking amirah to “love”?
One might perhaps suggest that this homily is based on the Latin word amor (the basis for the English words amorous and enamored), which sounds like a homonym of amirah, but is actually a word for “love.” However, it is quite implausible to presume that these Hassidic Masters based their teaching on a homonym from Latin.
There is a much sounder basis for this explanation. The Targumim translate the cognates of amirah that we are discussing as chativah. The word chativah in Biblical Hebrew refers to “splitting” or “chopping” (which might be the basis for Rashi’s first explanation that renders the terms as “separation”). However, in Aramaic it can also mean “to fall in love” or “to woo” (perhaps because two lovebirds feel like one person “split” into two). A piyyut (liturgical poem) customarily recited by some on the Second Night of Passover uses the word chativah.
In explaining the meaning of that word, Rabbi Eliezer ben Nosson of Mainz (1090-1170, also known as Raavan) writes that it is an expression of “love,” and he references the aforementioned Targumim to the words he’emarta/he’emricha. Similarly, a line in the cryptic poem Akdamot (customarily recited on Shavuot) says about the Jewish People, “They make Him a chativah at [sun]rise and [sun]set”. Rabbi Yonah Isaac Neiman of Makow explains that chativah is an expression of “love,” and refers to the Jewish People declaring their love for G-d twice daily when reading Kriyat Shema (see Berachot 6a). Thus, the connection between amirah and “love” is already found in the works of Rishonim, and is even alluded to in the Targumim.
A sign of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project in Hebron (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)
The Partnership Fund for Peace Act strives for “shared community building, peaceful coexistence, dialogue, and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.”
By: WIN Staff
A bipartisan bill to encourage investment in Palestinian ventures and strengthen cooperation among Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans, was introduced in both houses of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday.
The legislation calls for joint economic development and financial ventures involving entrepreneurs and companies in Palestinian areas and their counterparts in the United States and Israel, with the aim of enhancing cooperation and developing “people-to-people peace-building” programs.
Its stated objective is to “improve the quality of life, stimulate the economy, and advance security by creating private sector jobs for Palestinians in the Palestinian territories and furthering the development of a Palestinian middle class.”
The program would operate under the auspices of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department.
The bill comes at a time of a delay in the publication of President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Israelis and Palestinians and amid a cut in aid to Palestinians.
It’s called the Partnership Fund for Peace Act and also strives for “shared community building, peaceful coexistence, dialogue, and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.”
The bill is supported by both Democrats and Republicans, but, perhaps even more uncharacteristically, is backed by both AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby group in Washington – which often toes the line of the Israeli government – and the J Street and Peace Now organizations, very vocal in their criticism of the Netanyahu government.
“Time and time again, Congress has reiterated its support for a two-state solution,” said Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), one of the bill’s sponsors.
“To aid the pursuit of this dream, this bipartisan legislation would stimulate economic development and build community ties between Israelis and Palestinians,” she said.
Later in June, a conference is scheduled to take place in Bahrain under U.S. leadership to promote Palestinian economic prosperity and lay the groundwork for implementation of the diplomatic plan which would be announced by the Trump administration.
In a similar vein, the new Congressional bill seeks to allow for an economic atmosphere that would help the chances of achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace.
“There are no shortcuts to peace,” said Lowey, “and this bill lays the foundation for this generation and those to come to engage in the hard work of peace-building.”
Scene from the accident in which two girls lost their lives. (Negev Firefighters Spokesperson's Office)
Two girls, new immigrants from France, perish in horrific accident on way to Eilat.
By: WIN Staff
Two girls, ages seven and four, were killed in a head-on collision on Route 90 on Thursday afternoon. They had just immigrated to Israel from France three months ago with their parents and had been on their way to Eilat for a family vacation, Israel media reports.
Magen David Adom teams confirmed the deaths of the girls and treated the other victims, two men, a woman and a 3-year-old toddler – the girls’ younger brother. The father of the girls was listed as moderately injured, the boy lightly injured. They were evacuated by helicopter to the Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva.
The cause of the accident still needs to be determined.
Anan Haham, an MDA paramedic, told Ynet news site, that he was on the way back from Eilat with his family when he saw the accident.
“I immediately stopped and quickly scanned the scene to assess the condition of the wounded. With the help of a military medical force that arrived on the scene and the MDA forces from the nearby communities, we gave medical treatment to the wounded, and unfortunately we had to determine the death of the girls after advanced and prolonged CPR,” he said.
Highway 90, which passes the Dead Sea and goes to the vacation resort of Eilat in Israel’s south, has been the scene of many accidents over the years. In 2018, an entire family of eight lost their lives on the road.
According to data presented by the Green Light Association for Safer Driving in Israel, more than 2,250 road accidents have occurred on Route 90 over the past 15 years.
Following the accident, the head of the Arava Regional Council, Eyal Blum, called on the prime minister, minister of transportation and minister of finance to provide the funding and planning to fix Route 90, Israel Hayom reports.
“There is no price too high for human life, and it is inconceivable that the elections will preoccupy the government, and it will not deal with the most important thing – preserving human life,” he said. (World Israel News)
After it came to the public’s attention that there was going to be a reading at the local public library of Highland Park, New Jersey of a book called “P” is for Palestine which contains the phrase “I” is for Intifada, outrage ensued. “Intifada” is the violent outbreak of terror that engulfed Israel in the late 80s and early 2000s, claiming thousands of innocent lives. My own sons were studying in Israel during the waves of violent terror brought on by the intifada, so I can tell you how outrageous it is that this sick propagandist author has attempted to pass it off as child-friendly, and that they’re being accommodated in a public library no less!
After loud calls for protest were heard, the library realized what it had done and cancelled the reading, calling instead for a public hearing on the matter. Scheduled for today.
And then suddenly, it was cancelled. Shut down. Why? The official reason given was “about citizen safety and crowd control concerns posed by the meeting.” Now, instead of rescheduling the hearing so the voices of the community could be heard, they simply decided to schedule the book’s reading, completely disregarding the concerns of the local community. Oh, they threw us a bone: they will, “on the advice of counsel” attempt to “balance” the scales by also having a reading for a book titled “I” is for Israel. So the message they’re sending is simple: it’s OK to have a book that teaches children about the violent intifada so long as we also have one about Jews.
In short, the Highland Park Public Library sold its constituents out, and for real cheap. Shame on all of them for cancelling the hearing and stifling the voices of democracy! Starting with the Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler, a Democrat, and a coward, as well as the board of “trustees” that came up with this arrangement.
But this isn’t the last they will hear on this should that reading go forward. The Jewish community of Highland Park will exercise its Constitutional right of assembly and protest to make sure their voices of opposition to the horrific indoctrination of children set to occur in their backyard are heard. And I will be there to support them in every way I can. Because, “N” is for NO WAY!
APPENDIX A – STATEMENT FROM LIBRARY:
Notice of Cancellation of the June 5, 2019 meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Highland Park Public Library
After Library Director Jane Stanley’s consultation with Highland Park Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler and Highland Park Chief of Police Rick Abrams about citizen safety and crowd control concerns posed by the meeting of the Highland Park Public Library Board of Trustees scheduled for June 5, Library Board of Trustees President Bruce Tucker has concluded that the Library cannot in good conscience proceed with the meeting. While the Highland Park Public Library has the utmost confidence in the Borough Police Department, it has been decided that the June 5, 2019 meeting of the Library Board of Trustees is hereby cancelled.
Because there is no time in the foreseeable future when those conditions are likely to change, the Library Director, on the advice of counsel, is taking the following actions:
The Library will reschedule the “P” is for Palestine author talk at a time that is mutually acceptable to the author and the Library.
The Library will schedule a program around the book “I” is for Israel” by Gili Bar-Hillel and Prodeepta Das as soon as possible
Lenox Hill Hospital, a world premier medical institution opened its doors to a joint program of the Rabbinical Alliance of America/Igud HaRabbonim (RAA/IGUD), an Orthodox rabbinical association with a membership near 1,000 Orthodox rabbis serving throughout the United States, and the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI), an Orthodox synagogue association with over 130 congregations across America. The symposium, entitled “Mchayil Lchayil, Taking YOUR SELF seriously, THE RABBI and HIS SELF care!”, was geared toward congregational rabbis and institutional chaplains. The symposium reflects the desire of both the RAA/IGUD and the NCYI to collaborate long-term on professional development and training that will enhance the Orthodox rabbi and chaplain. This training focuses on the rabbi’s and chaplain’s need to avoid burnout and to make certain that they are physically and spiritually healthy. A burnt-out rabbi or chaplain is unable to properly tend to the religious and spiritual needs of his congregation and patient. Therefore, the first of this series of professional development focused on staying healthy in order to best answer their calling to serve the community.
Rabbi Leonard (Yehuda) Blank, director of the Chaplaincy Commission and External Affairs of the RAA/IGUD, opened the program and introduced Mr. Joe Leggio, associate executive director of Hospital Administration at Lenox Hill Hospital, who warmly greeted the attendees and emphasized the hospital’s sensitivity to and celebration of local communities. Rabbi Simcha Silverman, the director of Chaplaincy Services at Lenox Hill Hospital, also serves as Rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim of Flatbush and as a member of the Chaplaincy Commission of the RAA/IGUD, further welcomed the rabbis and chaplains, and gave his insight as both a synagogue rabbi and hospital chaplain. Also participating in the Symposium were Rabbi Michoel Chazan, Rabbi Yochanan Ivry and Rabbi Tzephania Kreger, the other members of the Chaplaincy Commission of the RAA/IGUD.
Rabbi Binyamin Hammer, director of Rabbinic Services at NCYI; Rabbi Marc Volk, executive director of NCYI and Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, executive vice-president of RAA/IGUD, spoke of the unprecedented stress and pressures felt by the contemporary rabbi. These demands represent the complex reality in which the rabbi finds himself today, which are different from rabbis in previous generations.
Dr. Steven Mandel, Neurologist at Lenox Hill Hospital; Ms. Katrina Hartog, Dietician at Lenox Hill Hospital; Dr. Adam Rosenbluth, Cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital; and Rabbi Richard Weiss MD, a practicing physician and the rabbi of the Young Israel of Hillcrest, gave brilliant lectures in their respective fields of medicine. In particular, they focused on how a rabbi and chaplain can lead a healthy life and be more productive as a religious leader and guide.
During the dinner catered and sponsored by Lenox Hill Hospital, Inspector Mark Molinari, commanding officer of the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force, spoke about the rise of anti-Semitic incidents and hate crimes and presented security solutions that synagogues and houses of worship can implement. Inspector Molinari gave great security tips and expressed his gratitude to Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik for inviting him to participate in the symposium. Inspector Molinari concluded that he looks forward to continuing his collaboration with the RAA/IGUD and NCYI, who are great community partners and play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of life for New Yorkers.
The successful symposium concluded with a grand tour of the hospital, its operating rooms, emergency rooms and its cutting-edge technology led by Rabbi Simcha Silverman and Dr. Brandon J. Godbout, vice-chairman of Emergency Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital.
At the end of the night, the rabbis and chaplains left recharged and encouraged, all possible thanks to the generosity and kindness of Lenox Hill Hospital.
