One beautiful morning my toddler was playing in his Cozy Coupe toy car when it was time for me to take him to playgroup. He was having a great time playing, and when I told him it was time to go to Morah, he (quite cutely but determinedly) insisted, “No, it is not time to go to Morah.” I saw a possible tantrum coming and recalled the guidance of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, who explained that, to a child, his toy ship is as complete a reality as a real ship is to a wealthy merchant. When either ship is taken away, it is a tragedy to its owner. So instead of taking my son’s words at face value, I quickly thought about what was underlying his thoughts. I realized that he was just enjoying his Cozy Coupe, and that the best thing I could do was to validate and embrace his reality. I asked him if he wanted me to put gas into his car so it would work better. He smiled brightly. Within 30 seconds he was parking the car by the house and reaching his hand into mine so we could go to Morah.

No one would say no to free money, right?

Well, many of us miss out on free money that is already sitting in our wallet or is readily available with just a few clicks. I am talking of course about the world of credit cards. Though often rightly regarded as money traps for the profligate or undisciplined, credit cards can be a valuable source of cash-back or travel perks.

 This coming June will be the 54^th anniversary of the Six Day War. In the spring of 1967, Israel found itself surrounded by enemies bent on its imminent destruction. On May 14, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser ordered full mobilization of Egypt’s armed forces. On May 16, he ordered the withdrawal of UN peace-keeping troops from the Sinai desert and advanced his own troops there. On May 22, he announced the closing of the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, thus blocking Israeli access to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. There was no doubt of Arab intentions. On May 27, Nasser proclaimed that “Our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel.”[i] The Arab forces greatly outnumbered the Israeli forces: Arab troops numbered 350,000 versus the Israeli’s 264,000; the Arabs had 2,000 tanks versus 800 for the Israelis, and the Arabs had 700 combat aircraft versus 300 for Israel.[ii]

WWW: Hello, we are here today with Yitzy Schleifer, Councilman for the Fifth District. Yitzy, thank you for sitting down with us today. Let’s start by talking about COVID and the vaccine effort; then we’ll touch on crime. First off, how has COVID impacted the community? How has the community responded to it?

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. When Rabbi Aharon Gross, Bais Yaakov’s Director of Development, told me that the Bais Yaakov High School’s parking lot was fuller than he’d ever seen it, I didn’t doubt him, but I was still astounded when I saw it for myself. When I finally found an empty spot and crossed over to the high school building, it was as if I had entered a different world: a world of laughter, hard work, persistence, and friendship; a world where toothpicks, dice, and medicine bottles form breathtaking mosaics; a world where glue guns, staple guns, and black fabric are the most precious of commodities. 

I have a friend whom everyone likes. Know the type? She claims it’s because they like listening to her South African accent, but I know better. My friend Wendy has this wonderful way about her that draws everyone to her like a magnet. She is also known for the incredible amount of chesed that she does for her community. I remember when Wendy used to hold sheva brachos in her house for upwards of 60 to 70 people even if she barely knew the baal simcha. She did more than that. Wendy organized the events and helped cook the food too. Who does that? Wendy’s kindness to others was truly amazing but she always acted like it was nothing.

It was 2010. My father, z”l, had passed away, and I was sitting shiva with my sister at my parents’ apartment on Diskin Street. The apartment was full of people, when suddenly a young woman in her late twenties or early thirties walks in. She was wearing flannel shirt, flopped over her jeans, and her head was completely shaved. People’s gazes darted to and away from her. 

She sat down next to me.

It goes without saying that the COVID pandemic has increased levels of anxiety for many people. The whole thing can be very traumatic. Some have contracted the virus, while others have family or friends who have been seriously ill or have died. With the lockdowns have come lost jobs, diminished savings, family conflict, and substance abuse. The daily news announcements about infection rates, variant strains, changing guidelines, and death counts can be overwhelming.

Exercise is a topic that arouses passions, either positive or negative.

For enthusiastic exercisers, it is the highlight of their life. “I found a beautiful trail near my house, and I go there to walk and run a few times a week,” said Dovid. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything. It clears my head and makes me feel great. I am always surprised that there is no one else on the trail.”

Then there are people like my friend Sara, who says, “The only exercise I do is jumping to conclusions.” For these non-exercisers, it is uncomfortable to even talk about exercise, something they know they should be doing but don’t.

Recently, a small business owner contacted me for advice. He said, “I understand that you are an industrial psychologist and you work in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors.” I asked him how I might be of assistance. The gentleman went on to describe the numerous problems he has with his current employees. I asked him about his former employees, and he said that they were mostly unmotivated, ungrateful people who used him and then either quit or he had to fire them. I asked what prompted him to call me. He said, “I want you to help me fix the problem. I need you

Recently my father was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. That drew my attention to the nurses who care for those who must spend time in the hospital. It was inspiring to meet people who dedicate their lives to caring for others at their most vulnerable time. It is not easy or pleasant work. The nurses I saw were on their feet all the time, responsible for many patients, and dealing with life and death situations. We had a WellTab tablet for my father, so I could see the nurses coming in and out of the room even when I wasn’t able to be with my father.

Another thing I noticed through the WellTab was that you could tell immediately which of the nurses were part of our community. The way they dress – in skirts, covering their hair, and with long sleeves – is different and unique and makes them stand out from the other staff.

Diego Rivera,* the owner of a popular 7-11 was having a regular long spring day when, all of a sudden, the doors to his convenience store were flung open, warm air rushing behind. It was a young man who seemed agitated while trying to appear calm, cool, and collected. Decked out in a suit, white shirt, shined shoes, and tie, the young man came running in asking for assistance.

We moved to Eretz Yisrael in 2014. It wasn’t because of the finances; we were, b”H, doing fine in Cleveland. It wasn’t because of the chinuch; our kids were learning in Mosdos Ohr HaTorah, a very chareidi place with about 75 percent of the student body coming from kollel homes or whose parents were involved in chinuch. Socially, as well as in ruchniyus, we felt that we and our children would be just fine if we stayed. There was no “real” reason for us to pick ourselves up and leave everything behind, aside for one: We felt that the future for us Yidden is only in Eretz Yisrael.