About Autism : An Interview with Miriam Newmark

Autism, the mysterious neurological disorder that was first described in 1943 and once considered very rare, now affects one in 34 boys (2.97 percent) and one in 145 girls (0.69 percent). Are there really more children with autism, or are we just looking for it harder? Most likely, the increase is due to the expansion of the diagnostic criteria, in the 1990s, to reflect the concept that autism is a spectrum of impairments, called Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD.

Autism is not an illness or disease. Rather, it is a neurodevelopmental condition that can be recognized by age two or three and lasts a lifetime. There is a wide range of symptoms, some of which may seem contradictory. For instance, some people on the spectrum have a strong aversion to social situations, while others are incredibly outgoing and want to make friends. Some people might struggle to be empathetic, while others are overly sensitive to others’ emotions. Moreover, the learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from the gifted to the severely challenged. People with autism can be high functioning to low functioning. Some may hold a job and go about their days with little problem, and others struggle with basic skills.

Every Man Has His Hour : Eddie Jacobson, Harry Truman, and the Founding of the State of Israel

Pirkei Avos tells us that we should show respect for every person for “each one has his hour.” Sometimes, major events of history turn on the actions of seemingly insignificant individuals. If this is true in general, it is certainly true in the saga of the recognition of the new State of Israel by President Harry S Truman in 1948. But to understand this very interesting chain of events, let us go back to the administration of the president who preceded Truman.

There was once a saying that American Jews believed in three worlds: “Di velt, yenner velt, and Roosevelt – this world, the next world, and Roosevelt.” The overwhelming majority of Jews voted for and loved Franklin D. Roosevelt. Years after the war, blame for not rescuing more Jews from Hitler’s clutches was laid at FDR’s feet. He could have done more, but he didn’t. Roosevelt regularly advised Jewish leaders to be patient, to put their demands on hold. He said that the best way to help Europe’s Jews was to win the war.

China and Israel

I was curious about Israel’s relationship with China. All I knew was that China always voted against Israel in the U.N. I was directed to an organization called SIGNAL (Sino-Israel Global Network and Global Leadership) and its founder and executive director, Carice Witte. I asked her if she would grant me an interview, and she kindly invited me to the organization’s headquarters.

When I arrived at the address on Jabotinsky Street, I looked up at the two sleek, 14-story buildings of the Twin Towers complex, covered with reflective glass windows, located in Ramat Gan’s Diamond District. As I entered Carice’s office, I felt as if I had been transported to the Far East. It was meticulously furnished in the Chinese style.

Now I was sitting in front of Carice Witte, a most remarkable person. How many of us have dreams and passions that we have actualized no matter how long the wait and the delays that life throws at us? How many people get satisfaction from their passions in that they know they are used in the service of their people? Carice Witte is one of those people. In the following interview, I got to find out about her and learn a bit about her great knowledge of China. Here are segments of the interview.

Competition Conundrum

As Torah-observant Jews, we try to live up to the Halachos of lashon hara, which guide us in what is appropriate speech, especially in regards to derogatory information. However, there are numerous situations where Halacha defines what we may or may not say, even if no derogatory information is exchanged. This can especially be relevant in business.

In a previous article, we explored the Halachos of lashon hara as relating to business situations. This article will explore speech where lashon hara is not an issue. Let’s consider the following case study:

Mid-Winter Recipes

The long Friday nights in the middle of the winter are a great time for a long, leisurely meal – or a quick meal followed by some special snacks. If you’ve been reading this column regularly, you know that I like bars – taco bar, burrito bar, whatever…. That way, everyone gets to choose what they want. It’s fun to try different flavors with our family and guests. My kids love to pile on the “sides” they want, and picky eaters have lots of options. They might even try new things if other people are trying them. Stranger things have happened!

Baltimore Yeshiva High Schools

For much of Jewish history children were sent away from home at very young ages, even before bar mitzvah, to learn in other cities. In Europe, before the war, traveling was difficult, and boys sometimes did not see their families for long periods of time. Today, in Baltimore, we are fortunate to have many choices of high schools, and families do not have to make that difficult choice.

One of the rebbeim I talked to for the purpose of this article explained, “There is a great advantage to having younger teenagers, during the turbulent period when they are maturing, close to their families. They can have the support and love of their mothers and the good example of their fathers. They can be raised by their parents rather than by their roommates! That way, the yeshiva is in partnership with the parents.” He continued, “Rav Shach felt it was very important that every city in Eretz Yisrael have a yeshiva for boys where they could live at home until they were at least 16.”

To help parents make the choice of where to send their eighth-grade sons next year, I contacted these schools to get some of the details.

Musings through a Bifocal Lens: Tchotchkes

I walked by my dining room just now and closed an open drawer. It was from a little table we bought after moving here a few years ago. I needed it for my leichter, and it was a chore finding just the right one. I learned that what I was looking for is called a console table and searched high and low but couldn’t find one that fit the very small space that I had for it. I remember feeling pleased when my search was finally over – and even happier when the table fit perfectly in the spot where it needed to go.

The console table has three drawers, which I had no intention of using when I first bought it. But wouldn’t you know: Those drawers are now stuffed to the gills. Well, I could argue that they’re filled with necessary things that I use when I light my candles every Friday night. One drawer holds boxes of wicks, another the book of brachas I say for Shabbos and Yom Tov, and the last one contains lighters, matches, and tea lights – all things needed for candle lighting. I wondered as I closed the drawer where I would have put all those things if I didn’t have that cute little console table. Frankly, I just can’t imagine.

Not So Simple Shemiras Halashon in the Age of Social Media

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

Shemiras halashon – observing the Torah laws of proper speech – is among the basic obligations of a Jew striving for care in performance of mitzvos. This has especially been so in klal Yisrael since the Chofetz Chaim published his sefer on the halachos of shemiras halashon nearly 150 years ago. While the halachos of Hashem are immutable, the methods of communication have definitely changed in significant ways in modern times. The invention of the telephone in 1876 was arguably the first invention which made shemiras halashon relevant to modern methods of communication. In today’s world, we can add email, social media, and all forms of electronic communication to the list of communication methods that are subject to the halachos of shemiras halashon.

The Chofetz Chaim dedicates the last chapter of the halachos of Lashon Hara to the halachos of toeles: conveying negative information for a constructive purpose. We have all heard about its application to shidduchim. Other examples that the Chofetz Chaim gives are taking on a business partner or making a loan. There is another area in which these halachos become quite relevant: when passing information about the services of a professional or the purchase of merchandise from a vendor. This article will examine what halacha has to say with regards to passing information about these different providers.

We will now give some case studies through which to examine these halachos:

Motivating the Crowd

For many years, Mr. Greenberg* wrote a Torah book every year, which he sent out to a specific mailing list. He built up a following of people who looked forward to getting the book each year and responded generously. The money was used to support a yeshiva. Mr. Greenberg was very proud of the money that he was able to raise, and said that his books brought in more money than any other donor to the yeshiva.

Chonon Shugarman, a”h A Yud of a Yid

When I think of my father, Chonon Shugarman, a”h, an anecdote that he shared with us, his family, arises in my mind. That is of my father as a little boy, sucking on a candy ever so slowly, trying to keep the moment of pleasure for as long as possible. His love for life and enjoyment of the wonders of this world led my father to explore a question that he entertained even as a youngster – which was what happens after death? None of the adults around him were able to give my father an adequate answer to his persistent question. Born into a traditional family and attending Baltimore public schools, my father’s search for truth was aided by the Hebrew School he attended. By the time he reached bar mitzva, he was already keeping Shabbos and kashrus as best as he could. Later, Harav Moshe Heinemann, shlita, as well as the community surrounding TA, Etz Chaim Center, and his co-worker Chaim Pollock contributed to his becoming a proper Orthodox Jew.