For the past four years, Yonatan Grinberg has been connecting Baltimore’s Torah community with classical music and changing lives for the better. Mr. Grinberg’s fledgling after-school program, Baltimore Bows, has outgrown its space and is now a part of CEMA, the Chamber Encounters Music Academy. CEMA offers music instruction both after and during school hours, teaches at all levels and to all ages, and gives stunning educational concerts at the Gordon Center. As Mr. Grinberg says, “The Baltimore community recognized the many intellectual, emotional, and spiritual benefits of serious music instruction for both children and adults and has been supportive of our growth.”

The support started as soon as the Grinbergs moved to Baltimore. “In many communities, when I tell people I’m a musician, they say, ‘What can you do with that?’ says Mr. Grinberg, “but when I moved to Baltimore they asked, ‘Can you teach my children?’” And with that, Baltimore Bows was launched, in 2014, with only 16 students.

 “I grew up in the ’60s, a time when everyone was finding their way,” reminisces Rabbi Sholom Weingot. “Because I was always very individualistic, even as a yeshiva bachur, I learned to also look at other people as unique individuals and try to understand their needs.”

This statement revealed to me where Rabbi Weingot was coming from. The director of Bnainu, a Baltimore-based organization that provides chinuch (Jewish education) services for children and families, Rabbi Weingot held an intimate meeting this July for a core group of women. He hopes to spread his simple yet revolutionary grassroots movement as widely as possible. Its purpose? To reach deeper levels of communications and promote listening on a higher level.

About 20 years ago, under the Clinton administration, the country took a turn toward paying for college – that is, helping to pay for it via an income tax credit. This was named The Hope credit, and it allowed undergraduate students to save taxes based on college tuition. However, you could only claim the credit for two tax years. Our attitude at the time, therefore, was to not delve into complicated issues. With the many questions surrounding yeshivas and Israel programs, we simply waited to use the credit until the student was attending a “real college,” when there were no doubts.  

Ten years ago, however, the tax credit was renamed the American opportunity tax credit (AOTC) and extended to four tax years. This forced some important questions and issues, especially in the frum world. So, this article is 10 years overdue – but better late than never.

The only thing that seems to fluctuate faster than the stock market is one’s ratings as a mother. It seems that the qualifications of motherhood cover a very wide range. In fact, that range includes everything, leaving me and fellow mothers to being rated on multiple levels. Here is an exhausting though not exhaustive glimpse at some of the categories on which one’s success in motherhood hinges: intelligence, fashion, cooking, carpool, candy, and yes, even the frequency with which one requires her children to shower.

This all came to my attention many years ago when visiting with a friend. Without warning, her sweet toddler’s delight at receiving a delicious brownie turned into anger when her mother refused to allow her to grind it into the carpet. In response to this absurd limitation that was being imposed, the little girl pushed away her mother’s hand and exclaimed in anger, “No like you!” Believe it or not, my friend was thrilled. She and I had just had the honor of hearing her daughter’s first complete sentence. Without a moment’s hesitation, my friend called her husband, who quickly called his parents, who immediately called every person they knew in Brooklyn. In addition to witnessing someone celebrating a developmental milestone with an entire borough of New York, it was also my first inkling that the fluctuation in “motherhood ratings” might eventually put the Dow Jones Industrial Average to shame.

Just in time for Rosh Hashanah, we have some honey-filled recipes to use up all our honey – when we’re not dipping apples into it or spreading it on challa.

Honey Glazed Meatballs

These mouth-watering meatballs are saucy, sweet, and tangy, with a hint of umami. I like to serve this recipe with rice and it can be doubled. If we’re in a party mood, we eat these meatballs with toothpicks or skewers.
 
2 large eggs

1 c. corn flake crumbs

1/2 to 1 c. finely chopped onion

2 tsp. salt

2 lbs. ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. oil

3/4 c. ketchup

1/2 c. honey

3 T. soy sauce

Pre-heat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, mix eggs and add corn flake crumbs, onions, and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on sprayed racks in shallow baking pans. Bake, uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the ketchup, honey, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain meatballs; add to sauce. Carefully stir to evenly coat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to blend the flavors.

In case you missed the Staples ads, back-to-school season has come. Do the following comments sound familiar?

• “My son was out of the class more than he was in last year. I’m really nervous about this coming year.”
• “First grade! She’s a baby. How can they put her behind a desk!”
• “Middle school is so different. I’m nervous my son won’t be able to handle it.”
• “My daughter thrives in camp. Why can’t school be more like camp?”

If this is what parents are saying, we can only imagine what our children are feeling about going back to school. How can we, as parents, help our children have a successful and happy school year? What does it even mean to be successful? And, by the way, remind me: Why are we doing this to our kids – again? Torture is banned in all first-world countries.

The Gemara (Taanis 22a) tells us how Rabbi Beroka asked Eliyahu Hanavi, “Who in this marketplace is a ben Olam Haba?” Eliyahu pointed to two men, explaining that they had a direct ticket to the World to Come. Curious as to what made them worthy of such definite reward, Rabbi Beroka asked the men what they do. They replied that they make jokes and bring joy and happiness to people.

Michelle Jakobovits, a close neighbor and cousin of mine, who passed away on Tuesday July 10, 2018, was like the two men singled out by Eliyahu Hanavi, for she was always bringing joy and simcha to others. Michelle was overflowing with ahavas Yisrael, and this love was felt by all those privileged to come into her orbit – family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and, really, any member of klal Yisrael. This manifested itself in the simchos she participated in wholeheartedly, the many organizations she involved herself in and even helped directly, the shiva houses she managed, as well as her ordinary day-to-day interactions.

Dovid needs a fun but productive activity after a long school day. Miri wants to learn how to play Jewish songs on the piano. Yaakov is looking for some professional tips before he sings at his sister’s chupa. Two cousins, one on keyboard and one on drums, learn to play together. A bar mitzva boy records his original composition with the help of a recording engineer. These are just a sampling of the students enrolled in the Zemer School of Music. Established over seven years ago with the encouragement of Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, who felt that the youth of our community would benefit from this positive outlet, Zemer School offers lessons in a wide variety of instruments, including keyboard, drums, saxophone, flute, violin, guitar, and voice.

Imagine the challenge of learning a foreign language with its strange vocabulary, grammar rules, and idioms. Picture the struggle of moving to a new country and navigating an unfamiliar culture. Now, visualize an adult entering the Yam shel Torah, the “Ocean of Torah,” striving mightily to plumb the depths of the ancient Jewish religion with all its observances and intricate laws while also trying to figure out the subtle social nuances of frum society.

My involvement in Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin, a women’s Torah study program in Gush Etzion, grants me the privilege of getting to know several converts and students studying for conversion. These women, from an array of nationalities, chose to leave their families, lifestyles, religions, and countries and travel to Eretz Yisrael to embrace the path of Torah. They were led by their strong desire and inner conviction, although they were under no obligation whatsoever. Meet the world of gerei tzedek, righteous converts, who undergo a complete changeover to pursue the truth. I share the story of one such woman, Amber, in hopes that it will inspire each of us to appreciate the privilege we have to be part of the am segula.  

*  *  *