As we suffer from soaring temperatures and merciless humidity, there seems to be no refuge for our overheated lives. Since we can’t cool down the outside, a chilly interior is the next best thing. Ice cream makes people feel more comfortable and carefree; it’s hard to resist. With hundreds of variations to choose from, the hardest thing about eating ice cream is which flavor to pick. National favorites include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, chocolate chip cookie dough, and mint chocolate chip. There even exist some horrific flavors like garlic, pizza, and mustard! Setting that thought aside, ice cream has been the “go to” food of choice for Americans nationwide since the colonial era.

Pesach has come and gone, but most of us can still remember the amount of energy expended into making this special Yom Tov. In case you did forget, or erased it from your memory, I ask you, what does one do the week before Pesach? Some people are kashering their kitchens, while others are shopping and cooking. And then there are those who decide to spend time in a recording studio producing a song just in time for Pesach. This is the story of some local creative individuals who used their G-d given talents and energy to record a beautiful song and make an accompanying video in addition to kashering, cooking, and Pesach shopping.

It started out with two former Simchas Esther cast members, who were itching to do something creative as there hasn’t been a play in two years. One cast member, Michelle Anflick, who released her own single “Please See,” (available on YouTube and Spotify) sung and produced by local artists Pinny Schachter and Moshe Siegel, collaborated with another cast member, Judy Landman, author of Seasons of the Rain (available on Amazon). In a very last moment of insanity and altruism, the two women/actresses joined forces to make a song, which would be fine and fun, but who produces a song the week before Pesach!? Combining their writing and composition talents, this would be a song to honor the Ichud Hatzalah and the Chabad Shluchim in Ukraine who have worked tirelessly and continue to do so as they save hundreds of thousands of people there.

With spring here and summer not far behind, the relaxed warm-weather activities bring a plethora of safety concerns that our community needs to be vigilant about. The Chesed Fund and Project Ezra President Frank Storch recently received this heartbreaking email from a very concerned community member:

I’m not sure if you are aware of what happened this week with a bike accident in our community. On Tuesday, I was driving, and as I crossed over an intersection, a young boy slammed into the side of my car. It happened so fast… I really think something needs to be done for the safety of the kids in this community. He was riding a bike with a motor. He was going very fast and did not stop at the stop sign. Judging from the damage to my SUV, he had a serious impact when his bike hit the side… He flew into the air and hit the windshield with his head and elbow. Thank G-d he was wearing a proper helmet, but now, days later, he is still in the hospital.

 I’m still shaken, and he’s still in the hospital having needed surgery. B”H, it wasn’t fatal, but it could have been. Just a few seconds and a guardian angel for him and me, and thankfully he is alive. I see many kids biking, often unsafely in the streets. We teach our kids how to ride bikes, but more importantly we need to teach them bike safety. And when they are riding in the street, we need to teach them to read and adhere to road signs and basic safety on the road.

 Summer camp is a subject that consumes parents starting in the dead of winter. Should I send my child this year? Or should I wait for next year? Which camp should she go to? Should he go at all? How can I get the camp to accept my child?

My parents sent me to camp at the young age of 9 to try to cure me of my shyness. The camp had very strict rules, and parents were not allowed to visit or speak to their children for the full three weeks. My father often reminded me of the time he happened to be in the area and wanted to visit me but they wouldn’t let him onto the grounds. Instead, the counselor came to talk to him at the gate of the camp. My parents sacrificed to send me to camp, and I am sure they missed me, but they wanted me to have a great summer, and it was a priority to do what they thought was good for me.

Administrator, Baltimore Bais Din

Reviewed by Rabbi Mordechai Schuchatowitz, Head of the Baltimore Bais Din

In last month’s issue of Where What When, Mrs. Schor wrote an article about situations in which someone went above and beyond to return a lost object to its owner and thereby do the mitzva of hashavas aveida. Mrs. Schor had communicated with me and wondered whether these people actually had a halachic obligation to return the lost objects. The question is an important one since many of us, as Torah-observant Jews, often encounter an object and wonder whether we should bother ourselves to bring it home and attempt to find the owner. This article will explore the parameters of this mitzva, with the hope that it will give some practical guidance.

We will start by depicting two scenarios. In each scenario, we will give an A and B version in which one detail is changed. That detail will change the halacha. Let’s begin:

I’m looking online for vitamins. Who wants to pay 12 dollars when I can get them for seven? But in order to get them for that lower price, I’ll need to spend at least 35 dollars on other merchandise to get the free shipping. I rack my brain as I think, now what do I need? How about tights? No. What about my husband’s favorite snack bars? No, he just ordered a box of them recently. Toothpaste? Shampoo? Nope, I’m well stocked.

The birth of grandchildren is a much-celebrated event. The adoring grandparents indulge in many delightful moments contemplating the terms of endearment they will eventually be called by their adorable grandchildren. Some of the more mainstream choices are grandma and grandpa, bubby and zaidy, or saba and savta. Of course, there are multiple variations on these themes, depending on tradition or personal preference. Despite the planning and possible friendly debate that goes into making these decisions, the people whose opinions are not taken into account are the grandchildren themselves. This is unfortunate since they ultimately make the decision.

“Lo tachmod – do not covet.” Oh, but I do covet, I do. Whenever someone mentioned they were making aliyah, my heart did a little flutter. I began to yearn for it. It meant that we would give up all that we have and know here in Baltimore. And man, it is a comfortable life.

I believe everyone has had The Conversation – the do-you-want-to-live-in-Eretz-Yisrael? convo. Maybe you even went as far as to ask your Rav if it was the right move for you. Everyone has their reasons for going. Or not going. What makes someone decide to give up everything and go? I will share my journey with you. Life is like a book. I will begin with my chapter of coming back to America after living in Israel.

Since the Cross Country Elementary Middle School (#247) building has been demolished, many neighborhood residents have been asking “Why?” As the Secretary of the Cross Country Improvement Association, I have been involved in the meetings about the rebuilding of the Cross Country Elementary Middle School building since 2016. I have been following the letters to the editor to the Where What When about the new school. After reading the letters and speaking with neighbors who are impacted by the changes, I found that many neighbors were not aware of the process that took place that brought about the changes to the school site. Let’s look at the history of the school as well as plans for its future.

During my lengthy career I have been privileged to become friends with some very special and interesting people. One of those individuals is Professor Gerald Schroeder. Dr. Schroeder holds graduate degrees in nuclear (and astro) physics from MIT, where he served as a faculty member prior to his appointment to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. Dr. Schroeder became a baal teshuva during his tenure at MIT. While in Boston, he studied with the Bostoner Rebbe, Rav Levi Horowitz, zt”l. Later, in Israel, he learned with two roshei yeshiva: with Rav Noach Weinberg, zt”l, with whom he had a regular chavrusa for many years, and with Rav Chaim Brovender, may he be blessed. Dr. Schroeder and his wife Barbara, who is a journalist and author, made aliyah with their children in the seventies. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, Dr. Schroeder was appointed to the faculty of the Weizmann Institute and Yeshiva Aish HaTorah, while Barbara became a columnist for the Jerusalem Post.