Addiction is not a new phenomenon, but it has unfortunately become more “popular” in recent years, affecting all communities, including our Jewish community. The Twelve Step programs to conquer addiction are also not new. But, although eclipsed in the public view by all sorts of other approaches and treatment methods, they remain just as relevant and effective as in the past for those who choose to participate.

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Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was the first Twelve Step program, established in 1935. Its cofounders, Bill Wilson and “Dr. Bob” Smith, dedicated their lives to advancing the belief that alcoholism was not a result of poor upbringing or faulty morals but, rather, a spiritual malady that manifested itself in the form of a behavior driven by obsession and compulsion. They believed that the disease was incurable but that it could be arrested one day at a time – not by proselytizing to other troubled alcoholics but by sharing their struggles and successes with each other, and by relying upon a Higher Power (of their own conception). These means, they believed, would give them the power, wisdom, and protection they needed to deal with life without alcohol.

Today, there are Twelve Step programs for addictions not only to alcohol but also to drugs, food, gambling, codependency, debt and under-earning, workaholism, online gaming, nicotine, cluttering, among others. There are also programs, like Al-Anon, for those in a relationship with an addict, whose members admit to eventually taking on many of the unpredictable, codependent, or dishonest behaviors of the addicts themselves.

Last Spring, I was mesmerized by my first Waterfalls, a Chinese auction sponsored by Kollel Avodas Levi of Yeshiva Ner Israel. For several years, I had studied the Waterfalls catalog and purchased tickets from 700 miles away. I hoped I would win and wished that I could attend in person. Now, back in Baltimore, that wish came true – at least part of it. I didn’t win a prize – not the exciting ones displayed around the perimeter of the room. But something positive happened when I attended my first Waterfalls and gave tzedaka to a Jewish institution that I love.

My connection with Ner Israel began before my sons learned there. Growing up in Baltimore, I attended seventh grade at Garrison Junior High. One winter day, there was a fierce snowstorm that came down so heavily that we were let out of school early. Trudging through the snow on Garrison Boulevard in hopes of catching a ride home to Shirley Avenue, I remember walking by a huge mansion that was the Yeshiva’s first building. For a fleeting moment, I wondered what was going on inside.

To the Shadchan:

Our daughter came back from seminary very idealistic and in love with Eretz Yisrael. Her dream is to live in Israel forever. In the almost two years since she’s been home, she has been studying for an associate’s degree in a field that is practical in Israel. She is also working as much as possible and saving money for her eventual aliyah. I must say that she is very responsible – but she has not “settled down” or given up her dream as most of her friends have done. Whenever a suggestion for a shidduch comes our way, the first thing she wants to know is if he wants to live in Israel. If not, she refuses to go out with him.

My husband and I are worried that she is limiting her options to a very small group of candidates. I also wonder how realistic she is, since living in Israel requires a lot more money than she can earn in a few years or that we can help her with. But our main concern is that there seem to be very few young men who match her criteria. What should we do?

So, what do Baltimoreans Chavi Barenbaum, Esky Cook, Malky Goldstein, Rebbetzin Fredda Hopfer, Rebbetzin Judy Neuberger, and Chaya Zwick have in common?

Why, Rebbetzin Chana Wesel, of course!

The veteran teacher par excellence taught them all at the Bais Yaakov in Williamsburg, in Brooklyn, New York. The adage, “Teachers live forever in the hearts they touch,” is certainly true of Rebbetzin Wesel. And after having the pleasure of meeting and interviewing her, I understand how this beloved and inspirational protégé of Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan – the founder of the first Bais Yaakov high school and teachers seminary in America – captured the minds and hearts of her students. Indeed, many of her former students – who are scattered around the world – still keep in touch with her over a half-century later.

Here is her story and theirs:

A Close Escape

Rebbetzin Wesel did not start life in America. Born in Vienna, she was only seven years old when her family left. But she clearly remembers the events that foreshadowed their escape.

“It was March, 1938, on Shabbos Parshas Zachor, when Hitler, y”s, marched into Vienna and annexed Austria to Germany,” recalls Rebbetzin Wesel. “We knew then that we had to get out; we were fortunate that we made it out.”

Rebbetzin Wesel explains that the word, “Jude” was painted on all the Jewish-owned stores, and signs were affixed to benches that said Jews were not allowed to sit there. Her mother was afraid for them to use their Jewish names, and her eight-year-old brother was only allowed to wear a cap instead of a yarmulke.

In this latest in the series of articles presented by Chayeinu, a new organization dedicated to providing education and guidance to our community regarding substance use disorder, I would like to talk about marijuana. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. In 2018, over a third of high school seniors reported using marijuana in the past month, with 6% using it daily. A substantial number of eighth graders are also using the drug. Marijuana remains quite popular among adults as well. Approximately 15 to 20% report using the drug each year, with higher rates of use in states that have legalized recreational or medical use of the drug. While we hope that these statistics are not as high in our Jewish community, we would be naïve to think that we are untouched.

What Is Marijuana?

Marijuana usually refers to the leaves that come from the cannabis plant. The main psychoactive compound in marijuana is THC, and it appears that levels of THC in marijuana are rising. Smoking THC-rich resins or extracts from cannabis, which are called by names like hash, wax, or shatter, is also increasing in popularity. There is incredible diversity among marijuana extracts, one more potent than the other. The point is that this is not the same marijuana smoked by Bill Clinton or Barack Obama.

Marijuana can be purchased relatively cheaply. In Maryland, where marijuana for recreational use remains illegal, marijuana is purchased on the street in different amounts. An ounce costs somewhere between $250 and $350, while a gram can be purchased for as little as $12 to $20. Synthetic forms of cannabis, such as K2 and Spice, which are considerably more powerful and unpredictable than marijuana – and are sometimes called “parole-weed” because they do not show up on routine urinalysis testing – seem to be somewhat less popular at this time.

The two months before Pesach is an intense parenting/teaching time. Teachers fill every moment with projects and lessons to prepare their students for the two central holidays of Purim and Pesach. For parents, the month before Purim requires juggling and creativity to plan the costumes, calculate who will get what kind of shalach manos, and shuttle kids from party to party. The day of Purim itself is exhilarating and exhausting. Despite the hard work, I walked away this year feeling satisfied, like I was a real mom doing real chinuch (education). 

The minute Purim ended, we went into full Pesach mode. The intensity continued and even grew as we scrubbed, shopped, and planned. The importance of the time superseded anything else – homework, bedtime, dinner; everything had to fit into the mitzvos of Pesach rather than the other way around. The Seder was, of course, an evening devoted to chinuch. And then we had trips to the zoo for the younger crew and trips to an escape room for the older kids. We baked together in the kitchen, listened to music when cleaning up, and spent the long Yom Tov afternoons playing games.

Spinach and Butternut Squash Calzone

I like anything surrounded by dough, and with dairy dishes on the agenda for Shavuos, it’s hard to go wrong with a calzone. Calzones are a pizza turned into a pocket. The fillings can vary as far as your imagination takes you. Cheese and spinach makes a great combination. You can add broccoli, red sauce, and more to this delicious dish. You can make them small (cut the dough into 8) and use them as appetizers, or make them medium for individual main courses, or make them big (use the whole dough), to slice and serve at the meal.  

1/2 c. ricotta cheese

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c. sautéed onions

1/2 c. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 c. butternut squash, diced and cooked

1 T. fresh basil, minced

1 T. fresh parsley, minced

1 lb. raw pizza dough

1 egg

1/2 T. sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix cheeses, spinach, basil, and parsley. Divide dough into 4 equal parts and roll out on a floured board to about 6 inches in diameter. Spoon equal amounts of filling onto each piece of pizza dough. Fold over and seal edges, pinching closed with fingers or tines of a fork. Place calzones on prepared cookie sheet. Beat egg and brush tops. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30 minutes or until dough is golden. Makes 4.

It’s hard to believe that 30 days have passed. I just came back from an azkara for a friend who passed away at the age of 62. We sat in a circle. I, as a friend, the staff of the assisted living residence (“the hostel”) in Jerusalem where he had lived, and the residents. I choked away tears when I quoted the Talmud that stated that Hillel caused the poor to be incriminated. Poor people, when they come to Heaven, bring to their defense the argument that they didn’t learn Torah because they were suffering from poverty. The “prosecutor” in the heavenly tribunal then points to Hillel: “Who could be poorer than Hillel? Yet he learned Torah!”

Aryeh Leib Freedman did his “homework” before he spearheaded the formation of Misaskim of Maryland, a full year ago, in memory of his father, Rabbi Mendel (Menachem Mendel Don ben Aryeh Leib) Freedman, z”l, longtime principal of Bais Yaakov of Baltimore. This homework included conferring with Sol Levinson and Bros. as well as with the Chevra Kadisha to gauge the volume of services needed. So Aryeh Leib was surprised by the higher than anticipated numbers of aveilim (mourners) that the eight-member volunteer organization serviced in its first year: over 150 shiva houses and over 350 aveilim (mourners).

“It was a lot more than we expected,” remarks Aryeh Leib. “We had heard there would be about 50 to 60 shiva houses per year. However, because many people sit shiva in Baltimore for levayas (funerals) held out of town, the numbers are much higher.”

The locally-run, independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, which is modeled after the New York-based Misaskim, has alleviated the last-minute scrambling by Baltimore aveilim for shiva house items and other needs above what Levinson’s and other organizations already graciously provide for community members. These include: sifrei Torah, each with an aron kodesh; siddurim in nusach Ashkenaz, Sefard, Ari, and Edot Hamizrach; shtenders; a bima for laining; low aveilim chairs and tray tables; a lending library of English and Hebrew sefarim about the halachos of mourning; and Mishnayos charts, among other items. Air conditioners, fans, and heaters are also provided when needed.

When Misaskim first started, Mr. Dovid Davis, stepped up to donate two sifrei Torah for use in shiva houses. As the greater need became apparent, the Tuchman family, Chaim Pollack family, and Gershon Seidel family also lent sifrei Torah to Misaskim. Recently, the Zobdeh and Moeinzadeh families kindly donated a Sefardi sefer Torah for use by Misaskim as well.

Back in September of 2016 I wrote an article for WWW, “Vote Trump and Feel Good about It.” I think the things Donald Trump has done during the past 18 months have proven me right.

Fifty years from now, when people look back at the decade that began in 2010, and they ask what was most special about that decade for Israel, I think three things will come to mind: the train line now being completed that is going to put Tel Aviv just 28 minutes from Jerusalem; American’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; and America’s recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli.

The 28-minute train between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will forge a link between Israel’s two largest city centers, one largely spiritual and the other largely material, enriching both, and making Israel much stronger. Jerusalemites will be able to lead a spiritual, Jerusalem-based life and find work, 28 minutes away.