Das Torah Op Ed + Stern College Article Brouhaha + Student Cheating: The Oligarchy+Winners of Where in the World + Cedarhurst Midnight Madness Sale+Ally No More +Community Announcements

Home Travel Dining Special Ocassions Lectures Real Estate Local Events Community

GROUPON WITH US NOW, CLICK ABOVE

Welcome To TheFiveTowns e-Newsletter

December 12th, 2011

Email Us at:

TheFiveTowns@aol.com

Or By Phone:

(516)569-4671

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THIS?

The first three correct emailers receive gift certificates

store

HINTS:

They pick up and drop off computer repairs

They sell and repair vacuum cleaners

Owned by the Tsadok family, long time residents of the 5T

They sell and install security and intercom systems

They have a dish mikvah for those who purchase

their crockpots, water urns and other cookware.

They create custom computers

They sell and repair cell phones with a wonderful T-Mobile family plan

And Of Course, They sell all kinds of electronics, small and big.

ANSWER

The new Central Electronics located on Central Avenue, near David's Pizza

and they have all of the above, plus more.

Congrats to the winners: Stephen Bonner, Yehudah Furst and Karen Krasnow who won gift certificates to Central Electronics.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS SALE

IN CEDARHURST

Saturday, December 17, 2011

8PM-12 Midnight

PARTICIPATING STORES WILL BE OFFERING AN

INCREDIBLE 20% - 80% OFF UPSCALE MERCHANDISE.

GET THE PERFECT GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS AT AMAZING PRICES!

FREE PARKING EVERYWHERE AFTER 7PM!

ANOTHER GREAT EVENT BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE CEDARHURST BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES SUPPORTING AND BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE PARTICIPATING STORES AND RESTAURANTS!

For further details go to http://www.shopcedarhurst.com/midnight_madness.php.

Monday, December 12th, 2011

If you would like to see your Ad/Announcement on This Newsletter: Please Send an Email to: thefivetowns@aol.com

or call Lenore at (516)569-4671

sharmel hotel

Personal Chef
Party Planner/Decorator
Small Catering Affairs

PART I: DISCRETION

Das Torah: Op Ed

By: Suri Stern

Shooting the messenger. In this case the internet. I wonder why those who want to shun the internet, have not shunned printing and the telephone, they have a far greater track record of misuse and abuse.

For every bible that is printed, there is a Penthouse being printed, and it is debatable as to which one is bought more. For every holy book that has been printed, there has been blasphemous books that were printed. We have clear footage of Hitler burning books he didn't like, it only takes a match.

But in the 100 years since Alexander Graham Bell invented the phone, oh how has it enabled evil gossip/loshon horah, how it enabled the old 976 x-rated phone calls, how it enabled all kinds of crimes. Yet the Rabbis and charities have no problem calling me all hours of the day and night to solicit funds for their upcoming events and yeshivas. We use the phones to call Hatzoloh, Chaveirim, our grandparents erev shabbos and yom tov and for International Torah conferences. If the internet is trayf, then all media is trayf...and, indeed, it can be.

By the same token, on Erev Yom Kippur, as we wait for the Kol Nidre Torahs to join the congregation, we ask G-d to excuse us for using the body parts that he gave us for evil, does that mean that G-d should take away our hands because instead of using them to give charity, we used them to dial our friends to gossip? Instead of using our legs to visit those in the hospital, we ran after the best sales on Black Friday?

What the problem really is, is not what G-d gave us physically and materially and all the technological advancements. These advancements, like our body parts, like everything G-d has given us is a test and challenge to our discretion. What the Rabbis are really afraid of is a person's discretion. Yet, discretion is inherent in the system of choices that G-d gave us. He could not reward or punish us unless we had the right to choose good or evil.

Judaism is not into ascetism. Indeed those who become Nazarites and refrain from cutting their hair and enjoying wine, have to bring a sin offering for denying themselves that which G-d gave them to enjoy.

Chabad used the internet last week to allow hundreds of thousands of people to join the beautiful torah shiurim and discussions at their annual convention. Torah.org, torahanytime.org, ouradio.org disseminate and make easily accessible Torah to those who don't live in Torah hubs, or could not otherwise afford it.

So why limit the internet? Maybe because it provides Torah free, and we no longer have to pay to learn. Maybe because a person has access to a variety of Rabbanim, and therefore no longer has to pay one Rabbi for his Torah, or can pick and choose. Maybe it allows more Torah to be disseminated to the masses and has taken it away from the exclusive halls of the yeshivas. No club wants to lose its exclusivity.

The Rabbis no longer have a stronghold over the baal habatim or even their own words.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

WE BUY GOLD!!!

TELL MIRIAM AND CHAIM THAT SURI SENT YOU

BEST PRICES AROUND

AIRPORT SHUTTLE CHEAP

NO PERSON OR LUGGAGE LIMIT

Click here for menu

ENJOYING LIFE!!

PART II: DISCRETION

FROM ENRON DOWN

TO HIGH SCHOOL CHEATING

By: Suri Stern

Over the weekend, the New York Times wrote about the fall of MF Global, a commodities firm, and the impact on its investors. The article talked about regulators trusting the companies to "self-regulate". Obama tried to pass new progressive laws to protect consumers from further abuse by the Oligarchy of financial companies, but these companies use their millions to lobby our Congressmen to water down these laws into nullity. Self-regulate means that there has to be regulations to begin with. When there are no regulations, then it is each person's instinct of survival of the fittest which controls.

It is about entitlement, you are entitled to feel successful. The old rule was that if a person worked hard, he could succeed. The present day parent somehow thought that for their children's self esteem, they had to affirm in their children that everyone is a winner, there are no losers. A child could succeed without working hard. Since they get what they want without working hard, they have not developed the skill set to really succeed and wherewithal to withstand obstacles, rejection and failure, necessary components of success. We have deluded children into thinking that there is nothing more they need to strive for, and have robbed them of their ability to be really great.

Because more and more society feels that children are a reflection and extension of parents, parents refuse to allow them to fail. Parents can barely tolerate watching toddlers teeter at 18 months old, knowing that falling is a necessary step in learning how to walk. Parents want their bragging rights, "our child is in ____________ college and ____________ graduate school. She's dating ___________ guy", and on and on and on. What does it mean to parents of a high school child who wants to ensure that they get bragging rights?

It means that they will hire "facilitators" who will help their child write his college essay. How much the student writes is debatable, but it is not his own work. What message does it send the child/student? We don't think you can do it on your own, your own work can't get you where you want to go. Eighth graders are having mock high school interviews to prepare them for their high school interviews. The schools are doing this on their own initiative to ensure their students get accepted to the right yeshiva high schools. One need not stretch one's imagination too far to see by extension how cheating is accepted or even promoted by parents and schools.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

dee

PREMIUM PROPERTIES IN ISRAEL FOR SALE OR RENTAL

Reserv e for Chanukkah online

Part III: Discretion:
Stern College For Women Explicit Sexual Article
By: Suri Stern
I am a Stern College for Women graduate. Yup. We come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colors. There is brouhaha brewing at Stern College because one of its students decided to reveal all about a sexual encounter in detail in a school sponsored publication. So why should she be different than any other woman out there? She needn't be, but YU does not have to sponsor tabloid confessionals.
Let's start with the state of our society. I wrote above Part I how important it is to use discretion on the internet. Four-year-olds with Facebook accounts, 10 year olds with nude photographs online, reality t.v. where we need to see hoarders and bridezillas and all the horrible reality that is out there that we thought we were immune from by virtue of our class and religion. Accept it, it's true. I was shocked when Sponge Bob, rated G, was able to use the word stupid and idiot while my little guy watched. But that's why I am there, to ensure that he isn't exposed to what I believe he is too young to be exposed to. Am I censoring him? You bet, and that is appropriate, and I have to determine for my house what is acceptable and appropriate.
YU sometimes struggles with its motto, Torah Umada/Torah and Secularism/Wisdom, as it struggles to remain the bastion and representative of Modern Orthodoxy. A colleague of mine and senior director of media relations at YU, Mayer Fertig was quoted by the NYTimes as saying "We have a vibrant student press and a vibrant democracy here...rather than being about censorship, this whole thing showcases our diversity in our campus that we are proud of. This is a yeshiva and a university, and we take both very seriously."
In my humble opinion, the university should not be a democracy, but a theocracy, where religion rules.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Outstanding Silver
Outstanding Customer Service

Central Air Conditioning installation and repair
Where really nice "real", live people
answer the phone to help 24/7.

Bowling fall 2011

WOODMERE LANES SPECIALS

Our World: An Ally No More _
By CAROLINE GLICK, JPOST.COM
Instead of warning Egypt against breaking its treaty with the Jewish state, US officials chose to criticize Israel instead. With vote tallies in for Egypt's first round of parliamentary elections in it is abundantly clear that Egypt is on the fast track to becoming a totalitarian Islamic state. The first round of voting took place in Egypt's most liberal, cosmopolitan cities. And still the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists received more than 60 percent of the vote. Run-off elections for 52 seats will by all estimates increase their representation. And then in the months to come, Egyptian voters in the far more Islamist Nile Delta and Sinai will undoubtedly provide the forces of jihadist Islam with an even greater margin of victory. Until the US-supported overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt served as the anchor of the US alliance system in the Arab world. The Egyptian military is US-armed, US-trained and US-financed. The Suez Canal is among the most vital waterways in the world for the US Navy and the global economy. Due to Mubarak's commitment to stemming the tide of jihadist forces that threatened his regime, under his rule Egypt served as a major counter-terror hub in the US-led war against international jihad. GIVEN EGYPT'S singular importance to US strategic interests in the Arab world, the Obama administration's response to the calamitous election results has been shocking. Rather than sound the alarm bells, US President Barack Obama has celebrated the results as a victory for "democracy." Rather than warn Egypt that it will face severe consequences if it completes its Islamist transformation, the Obama administration has turned its guns on the first country that will pay a price for Egypt's Islamic revolution: Israel.
Speaking at the annual policy conclave in Washington sponsored by the leftist Brookings Institute's Saban Center for Middle East Policy, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hammered Israel, the only real ally the US has left in the Middle East after Mubarak's fall. Clinton felt it necessary - in the name of democracy - to embrace the positions of Israel's radical Left against the majority of Israelis. The same Secretary of State that has heralded negotiations with the violent, fanatical misogynists of the Taliban; who has extolled Saudi Arabia where women are given ten lashes for driving, and whose State Department trained female-hating Muslim Brotherhood operatives in the lead-up to the current elections in Egypt accused Israel of repressing women's rights. The only state in the region where women are given full rights and legal protections became the focus of Clinton's righteous feminist wrath.
In the IDF, as in the rest of the country, religious coercion is forbidden. Jewish law prohibits men from listening to women's voices in song. And recently, when a group of religious soldiers were presented with an IDF band that featured female vocalists, keeping faith with their Orthodox observance, they walked out of the auditorium. The vocalists were not barred from singing. They were not mistreated. They were simply not listened to. And as far as Clinton is concerned, this is proof that women in Israel are under attack. Barred by law from forcing their soldiers from spurning their religious obligations, IDF commanders were guilty of crimes against democracy for allowing the troops to exit the hall. But Clinton didn't end her diatribe with the IDF's supposed war against women. She continued her onslaught by proclaiming that Israel is taking a knife to democracy by permitting its legislators to legislate laws that she doesn't like. The legislative initiatives that provoked the ire of the US Secretary of State are the bills now under discussion which seek to curtail the ability to foreign governments to subvert Israel's elected government by funding non-representative, anti-Israel political NGOs like B'Tselem and Peace Now. In attacking Israel in the way she did, Clinton showed that she holds Israel to a unique standard of behavior. Whereas fellow Western democracies are within their rights when they undertake initiatives like banning Islamic headdresses from the public square, Israel is a criminal state for affording Jewish soldiers freedom of religion.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

lanutrition

Wonderful nutritionists to work with.

Call Lisa or Ann.

*****************

SHOP LOCAL, CLICK ON THE PIC

FOR CIRCULARS

The Five Towns Weather

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 45. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35. West wind around 6 mph.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 49. North wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. North wind around 8 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 51.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.

For More Community Events, Click here

With profound sorrow, we record the passing of our member Rabbi Sholom Schlessel, alav hashalom, beloved husband of Ina Schlessel, and beloved father of Laya Daniel, Seth, Joshua, Zachary and Jason Schlessel.

The funeral will take place on Monday, December 12th, at 11:30am promptly at the Boulevard Funeral Home in Hewlett.

Please note - The family requests that there be no visiting prior to the chapel service. Please proceed directly to the chapel for the service at 11:30am.

Shiva will be observed at the Schlessel residence, 1114 Fordham Lane, Woodmere, until Sunday morning, December 18th.

'May his soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life.'

Minyanim

Shacharis:

Daily: 7:00am

Sunday: 8:30am

Mincha-Maariv: 4:15pm

Rabbi Hershel Billet

Rabbi Shalom Axelrod

Shlomo Zuller, President

Mazel Tov's

To Dr. and Mrs Yitzchock Moskowitz upon the Bar Mitzvah of their son Eliyahu Simcha on Parshat Vayeshev at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst.. Mazel Tov to the Grandparents, Rabbi and Mrs. Benjamin Samson and Mrs. Sandy Moskowitz. Mazel Tov to Eliyahu's siblings and the rest of the family.

***********

IT'S MY PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THE BIRTH OF A BABY BOY BORN TODAY,

DECEMBER 11 TO MY GRANDCHILDREN, DAHLIA (FEIN) AND BARUCH GOLDBRENNER.

HIS GRANDPARENTS ARE RENEE (EDELMAN) AND AVROMY FEIN.

HANNAH EDELMAN

Roah Malavah Malka

Amen Group December

*************

Strangers No More on HBO

At last year's Oscar ceremony, Israel won the prize for best Short Documentary with a film entitled Strangers No More . It will be broadcast on HBO 13 times this month and I recommend it highly, The movie is a total of 40 minutes.

Strangers No More tells the very moving story of the Bialik-Rogozin School located in Tel Aviv. This school has a high population of non-Jewish children whose families have fled religious and political persecution, poverty, and even genocide to find asylum in the Jewish State. Strangers No More follows several students as they struggle to acclimate to life in a new land while slowly opening up to share their stories of hardship and tragedy. With tremendous effort and dedication, the school provides the support these children need to recover from their past. Together, the bonds between teacher and student, and among the students themselves, enables them to create new lives in this exceptional community.

If you have a recordable DVD and can record the program for our RCBE library that would be greatly appreciated!

*******************

Young Israel of Woodmere

A COUPLE OF CHANCES FOR CHESED

1)We need a couple of shadows on shabbos mornings during youth groups. -If we get a few volunteers they can partner up or rotate etc.

2)We need some volunteers to walk on Central Avenue and stop in every store, and ask them if they'd like ton be sponsors of a Youth Event.

To Volunteer Send an email to:

psilverste@aol.com

************

The Young Israel of Long Beach Annual Hanukkah Mall

We will be having fabulous vendors selling the hottest (and most fun) educational toys, ties and cufflinks, Judaica, beautiful handbags and jewelry, unique housewares and gorgeous gifts for everyone on your list. No admission charge and great raffle prizes.

Click Here For More Info

*****************

Please join us for a 2-Part workshop for women:

Dating With A Menuchas Hanefesh State Of Mind

Mr. Shaya Ostrov, L.C.S.W

Author: 7Gates to Marriage and the forthcoming book The Menuchah Principle in Shidduchim, Dating and Engagement

The sessions will be experiential and also help participants create their own ongoing support and chavrusah programs that will enable each to maximize each opportunity to its fullest.

Suggested fee will be $50.00 for both sessions made out to a not for profit tax-deductible fund.

Motzai Shabbos December 10th 7:45 ,Sunday night December 11th 7:45

At the Marton home , 2 Forest Lane , Lawrence, NY 11559

PLEASE NOTE: As appreciation to the Marton's for opening their home to us please park on Broadway on the side where there is a fence, that is also the side where the entrance to the house is. We cannot have any parking across the street because it disturbs the neighbors.

**If you are interested, please contact:**An RSVP is much appreciated.

Chaya at chayaf123456@gmail.com

Chavi at mindl123@yahoo.com

***************

HADASSAH SHARES BREAKFAST WITH ROGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN

The Woodmere/Lailah Hadassah Chapter will share Breakfast with Rogers and Hammerstein in the Woodmere Country Club on Wednesday, December 14, 2011, at 10:00 AM. The featured speaker, Jack Schur, is known for his presentations on the South Shore. The couvert is $18 per person. For reservations, call 536-1614.

Hadassah is currently celebrating its centennial year by completing a new state-of-the-art hospital on its Ein Kerem campus just outside Jerusalem. They also are completing a year-long campaign to increase membership. Until December 31st, Life (for Women) and Associate (for Men) Memberships are available for $100. For further information, call 295-2833.

Gitti Allman at Breezy's

Join us for a hands-on cake decorating class by Gitti Allman at Breezy's in Cedarhurst!

We are so excited to have Gitti teach us how to create a beautiful Chanukah inspired cake

Click Here For More Info

CLICK HERE FOR COOKING DEMOS

********************

FIVE TOWNS COMMUNITY WOMEN'S SHABBOS SHIUR

IN MEMORY OF YERACHMIEL MEIR BEN NISSIM AVRAHAM A"H

If you would like to speak, host or receive emails please contact:Chana Bienstock-569-4077-

Marcia Behar 374-0741-Chana Epstein- 295-2537 HYPERLINK "mailto:chanaeps@optonline.net" chanaeps@optonline.net

A Kesivah V'chasima Tova 5772

THE SHIUR WILL BEGIN AT 3:15 P.M

Dec 17/21 Kislev-Vayeshev-NECHAMA SPIEGEL, 271 OAKWOOD AVE. CED.

Dec 24/28 Kislev-CHANUKA Mikeitz-DAVID &FRAN SCHARF, 541 HEMLOCK DR.,CED.

Dec 31/5 Teves- Vayigash- MITCHELL & TAMMY PAK, 434 OAK

Jcc Tutoring

Miracles and fate of 9/11

To Buy This Book and For More Info

Please Click Here

***********

Donating Challah For the Troops Fighting Overseas

Click here

*****************

The Avraham Yonah Reading Group

There are many people in our community who are home bound or for various reasons cannot get out often and seldom have visitors. The Avraham Yonah Reading Group is a volunteer group consisting mostly of women, who go to these peoples homes and read to them. It gives these individuals an opportunity to make friends, have consistent visitors and know that others care about them.

The organization is intended to help people who are home bound, elderly, ill and in treatment or anyone else who may benefit from this service. Volunteers will visit the individuals home for approximately 1/2 - 1 hour, and will either read a book, learn Torah, play a game or just talk with the person depending on their preference. There will be a different volunteer going each day of the week, depending on how many days are requested by the person in need. It is hoped that each volunteer will continue to visit on the same day of every week.

If you know of anyone who could benefit from this service, please contact us.

We hope you will be interested in volunteering to be a part of this wonderful chessed and join us in reaching out to our friends and neighbors who are in need and hopefully making a difference in their lives.

To volunteer, please contact:

Helen Wolff, Helencharlotte@gmail.com 516 569-4813

Jenny Rosenberg Jennyrosenberg@msn.com 516 569-4450

Irit Kerstein Diygk@aol.com 516 374-3608

Other Jewish Local Events, Click Here

Ads

Coupons

Print Out and Run

	In This Issue
	· Community News
	· Announcements
	· Website Links
	· Around Town/TGIFunny
	· The Fivetowns Gallery
	· Local Charities
	· Ads
	· Coupons

Announcements

Shiva Notices

Rabbi Sholom Schlessel

Boris Revzin (Shoemaker)

Esther Friedman

Specializing in Multi-State and International NY/Israel Probate

.

Website Links

	TheFiveTowns.com
	School Calendars Weekly Classes
	What To Do With Kids
	Job Listings Community Tehillim List Announcements
	Coupon/Circulars
	EstherWein.com
	Coupon Exchange
	Frugal Gourmet
	Services
	Around Town/Local Events

	Around Town
	Chabad Events JCC Events Fall Cultural Events Click here for Cooking Demos Family Specials, As Low As $20!!!

	The Fivetowns Gallery
	Click on the Picture Real Estate Experience for over 40 years. Go with the Pros Grab your outfit Have Blima customize your hat Pre-Order, Easy Cedarhurst Pickup Perfect time for family portraits. Think ahead to New Year's cards.

Local Charities

ishinelogo

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO DONATE, CLICK HERE

Tomchei Shabbos-Yad Yeshaya
634 Oak Dr
Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Chaveirim
P.O. Box 701
Lawrence, NY 11559

Hatzalah of Rockaway Lawrence

The Eliezer Project

Help our friends and neighbors who are unemployed and struggling
through this tough economic crisis.

Please contact Esthy
Hersch at (516)284-2942or esthy@eliezerproject.org

The Chessed Network

The Five Towns Community is known as one of the most active when it comes to Chessed and acts of kindness. There numerous Help Hotlines and G'machs for whatever ones needs may be. To view the entire list of Hotlines and G'machs, please visit:

www.thechessednetworknews.orgl

Rock and Wrap It Up

Collects food from events and donates it to food banks. Cedarhurst-based CEO, Syd Mandelbaum

Click here to donate.

TheFiveTowns.com | Email: TheFiveTowns@aol.com | Phone: 516 569 4671