Page 26 - issue
P. 26
34 BALTIMORE’S JEWISH FAMILY MAGAZINE
Where Have All the Dear Readers,
Doctors Gone? The death of Israeli leader Shimon Peres yesterday, just before the New Year, is cause for
by Eta Kushner
thoughtful reflection of the times in which we live. The bios and obituaries we leave to others;
44 Peres’ rich and controversial career will inspire many writers, hostile and sympathetic. But we are
thinking in somewhat different terms. The career of Shimon Peres reflects the old truism: a men-
A Tuesday Morning sch tracht und Got lacht, man proposes, G-d disposes.
by Avron Elbaum
If ever there was a loyal, dedicated, and talented servant of the secular Zionist vision of the
52 Jewish future, of a State of Israel that would succeed and replace Orthodox Judaism, it was
Shimon Peres. Indeed, he was Israel’s number-one Ben Gurionist. When he came to power not
Journey to Netanya long after 1948, Peres and his generation were sure “old-fashioned” Judaism was on its way out,
by Shira Bracha to be replaced by something post-religious and better. Indeed, one of the main reasons Ben
Shugarman Gurion and Peres negotiated the historic deal whereby bnai yeshiva were exempted from the mil-
itary draft was that the yeshivos and the world they lived in would soon expire of natural causes.
64
Thing is, it didn’t quite work out that way. As the decades went by, Peres lived to witness an
Advocating for unexpected revival of Orthodox Judaism, and unprecedented growth of yeshivos of all kinds and
Your Child limud Torah on a massive scale.
by Dr. Aviva Weisbord Doubtless, the Shimon Peres who was the disciple of Ben Gurion viewed this unforeseen
development with consternation. Yet, the Shimon Peres who was a great-great grandson of the
70 founder of the modern yeshiva world (R. Chaim of Volozhin), the Shimon Peres who as a child
was taken by his pious grandfather to get a blessing from the Choftez Chaim, that other Shimon
Retooling the Peres, may have viewed the revival of Torah in Eretz Yisrael in an altogether different light.
Diet Mindset
by A. and E. Michelsohn We would like to think so. We would like to think that the Shimon Peres who played such a
crucial role in creating the Israeli military-industrial complex, from Sten-guns to atomic bombs,
82 the one who built the physical defenses of Israel, came to realize that the massive limud haTorah
was just as important, and that the State needed both to survive.
Ask the Shadchan
by Mashe Katz There are indications that he did sense this. Not long ago, Peres visited Ponevezh in Bnai Brak
and told skeptical secular journalists, “I am the one who signed the yeshiva-exemption agreement,
98 and I am proud of it; I think the boys who are learning are helping the State of Israel, but only
the ones who are really learning.”
Zapping Zika
by Dr.Yehuda Mond Were these the words of a slick politician? Perhaps. Peres was certainly that. But he was more;
he was a man of substance. Perhaps, as he looked at the sad Judaic bankruptcy of Israeli secu-
106 larism, he realized that, without Yiddishkeit, what exactly is the point of a State of Israel?
A Fruitful Sukkos Certainly, these are matters for serious reflection before Yom Kippur. And when we enter our
by Bracha Shor sukkas, which provide such shaky shelter, we do so with emuna, faith that, despite the look of
things – the insecurity and worsening prognosis for the world – Hashem is protecting us and is
112 fulfilling His ultimate goals for the Jewish people and the world.
Lending Money The WWW wishes everyone a gmar chasima tova and a joyous Sukkos and Simchas Torah.
by Eli Pollock
AD DEADLINE PUBLICATION DATE
116
October 5, 2016 October 31, 2016
Reb. Jungreis Cared
by Freda Goldman November 7, 2016 November 14, 2016
120
Not Retired from Torah
by Margie Pensak
132
Beltway Shmeltway,
Oyvay!
by I. Kinek
See places to go on
Chol Hamoed, page 155
Where Have All the Dear Readers,
Doctors Gone? The death of Israeli leader Shimon Peres yesterday, just before the New Year, is cause for
by Eta Kushner
thoughtful reflection of the times in which we live. The bios and obituaries we leave to others;
44 Peres’ rich and controversial career will inspire many writers, hostile and sympathetic. But we are
thinking in somewhat different terms. The career of Shimon Peres reflects the old truism: a men-
A Tuesday Morning sch tracht und Got lacht, man proposes, G-d disposes.
by Avron Elbaum
If ever there was a loyal, dedicated, and talented servant of the secular Zionist vision of the
52 Jewish future, of a State of Israel that would succeed and replace Orthodox Judaism, it was
Shimon Peres. Indeed, he was Israel’s number-one Ben Gurionist. When he came to power not
Journey to Netanya long after 1948, Peres and his generation were sure “old-fashioned” Judaism was on its way out,
by Shira Bracha to be replaced by something post-religious and better. Indeed, one of the main reasons Ben
Shugarman Gurion and Peres negotiated the historic deal whereby bnai yeshiva were exempted from the mil-
itary draft was that the yeshivos and the world they lived in would soon expire of natural causes.
64
Thing is, it didn’t quite work out that way. As the decades went by, Peres lived to witness an
Advocating for unexpected revival of Orthodox Judaism, and unprecedented growth of yeshivos of all kinds and
Your Child limud Torah on a massive scale.
by Dr. Aviva Weisbord Doubtless, the Shimon Peres who was the disciple of Ben Gurion viewed this unforeseen
development with consternation. Yet, the Shimon Peres who was a great-great grandson of the
70 founder of the modern yeshiva world (R. Chaim of Volozhin), the Shimon Peres who as a child
was taken by his pious grandfather to get a blessing from the Choftez Chaim, that other Shimon
Retooling the Peres, may have viewed the revival of Torah in Eretz Yisrael in an altogether different light.
Diet Mindset
by A. and E. Michelsohn We would like to think so. We would like to think that the Shimon Peres who played such a
crucial role in creating the Israeli military-industrial complex, from Sten-guns to atomic bombs,
82 the one who built the physical defenses of Israel, came to realize that the massive limud haTorah
was just as important, and that the State needed both to survive.
Ask the Shadchan
by Mashe Katz There are indications that he did sense this. Not long ago, Peres visited Ponevezh in Bnai Brak
and told skeptical secular journalists, “I am the one who signed the yeshiva-exemption agreement,
98 and I am proud of it; I think the boys who are learning are helping the State of Israel, but only
the ones who are really learning.”
Zapping Zika
by Dr.Yehuda Mond Were these the words of a slick politician? Perhaps. Peres was certainly that. But he was more;
he was a man of substance. Perhaps, as he looked at the sad Judaic bankruptcy of Israeli secu-
106 larism, he realized that, without Yiddishkeit, what exactly is the point of a State of Israel?
A Fruitful Sukkos Certainly, these are matters for serious reflection before Yom Kippur. And when we enter our
by Bracha Shor sukkas, which provide such shaky shelter, we do so with emuna, faith that, despite the look of
things – the insecurity and worsening prognosis for the world – Hashem is protecting us and is
112 fulfilling His ultimate goals for the Jewish people and the world.
Lending Money The WWW wishes everyone a gmar chasima tova and a joyous Sukkos and Simchas Torah.
by Eli Pollock
AD DEADLINE PUBLICATION DATE
116
October 5, 2016 October 31, 2016
Reb. Jungreis Cared
by Freda Goldman November 7, 2016 November 14, 2016
120
Not Retired from Torah
by Margie Pensak
132
Beltway Shmeltway,
Oyvay!
by I. Kinek
See places to go on
Chol Hamoed, page 155
