Ben Affleck, clueless actor, defends Muslims Video

Ben Affleck, the Oscar-winning actor and director, has launched a ferocious defense of Islam, after becoming involved in a heated argument when he appeared on an American chat show.

Affleck, the star of Good Will Hunting and director of Argo, appeared on HBO’s television show Real Time with Bill Maher to promote his latest film, Gone Girl.

But instead of talking about the film, the 42-year-old found himself in a furious discussion with both Maher and Sam Harris, the author of a series of books on religion.

Maher, an outspoken atheist and critic of Islam, said last week in his show that “vast numbers of Muslims around the world believe that humans deserve to die for merely holding a different idea, or drawing a cartoon, or writing a book, or eloping with the wrong person.”

He said: “Not only does the Muslim world have something  in common with ISIS, it has too much in common with ISIS.”

Mr Harris said: “When you want to talk about the treatment of women and homosexuals and free thinkers and public intellectuals in the Muslim world, I would argue liberals have failed us.

“The crucial point of confusion is we have been sold this meme of Islamaphobia – where every criticism of the doctrine of Islam is conflated with bigotry towards Muslims as people. Which is intellectually ridiculous.”

Affleck was angered by his comments, questioning Harris’ interpretation.

“You are saying that Islamaphobia is not a real thing?” he said. “It’s gross, it’s racist. It’s like saying ‘that shifty Jew’.”

Harris replied: “Ben, we have to be able to criticize bad ideas. And Islam at this moment is the motherload of bad ideas.”

Affleck looked shocked, muttering “Jesus Christ!” under his breath and sitting back in his chair. He then responded, telling Harris: “That’s an ugly thing to say.”

Maher backed up the author, telling Affleck that he was wrong to state that fundamentalist beliefs were only held by “a few bad apples”.

Affleck countered: “How about the more than a billion people who aren't fanatical, who don’t punish women, who just want to go to school, have some sandwiches, and don’t do any of the things you say all Muslims do?”

When Michael Steele, a political analyst, attempted to support Affleck, arguing that many moderate Muslim voices were not given the same amount of coverage as extremist ones, he was shouted down by Maher.

“It’s the only religion that acts like the Mafia. That will ------- kill if you say the wrong thing, draw the wrong picture or write the wrong book,” said Maher.

Affleck replied to his host: “Your argument is, ‘You know, black people, they shoot each other.’” Maher replied: “No it’s not! It’s based on facts!”

After ten minutes of fierce argument, Maher moved on – accepting that the panel would never see eye to eye.

People driving R' Chaim Kanievsky Nuts Motzei Yom Kippur

Here is a "zokin muflig," who fasted all day on Yom Kippur, and so what do the crazy followers do?
They shove an esrog at him to ask him if it's kosher!

I don't get it, don't we have a Shulchan Aruch that states what is a kosher esrog and what isn't? Aren't there countless books with photos depicting Kosher Esrogim and Posil Esrogim? 
They can't give this guy a break? 
Shoving esrogim at him???? 

Motzei Yom Kippur

Klausenberger - Sanz Rebbe looses consciousness during Yom Kippur Davening

The Rebbe of Sanz, a Chassidic dynasty, fainted during davening on the night of Yom Kippur, causing great anxiety among his followers.

Shortly before midnight Friday, his assistants noticed that he had lost consciousness and after he received initial care on the spot, he was evacuated on foot to the hospital.

His followers remained in the beit midrash all night, to say Tehillim for his recovery.

After receiving an IV drip during the night. He was released from hospital and back on his feet by morning, and continued to fast, leading the davening 

Followers of the rebbe estimate that the fainting was caused by the fact that the rebbe slept very little during the “Days of Awe” between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

Gmar Chasima Tova

New Square Bais Din Begs Jews Not to Buy Houses within 1 mile of New Square to keep the "Shtetel" holy

The Bais Din Zedek D'Shikun Square, is requesting Jews to "not purchase any lots within a mile of New Square" to keep the community isolated so that the community stays "completely impervious to outside influences."

The first New Square Rabbi's, (who founded the community,) deepest desire was to have New Square be a "private corner in the world where the founding residents and their future generations would live according to the unique standards established by the Rebbe z"l" 

The Rebbe understood that it would be impossible to retain the same level of adherence to his legacy unless the Kehilla remained a separate entity and therefore he chose to establish his shtetl in such a secluded area. Only then, he felt, would his community remain almost completely secluded by any outside influences.

Because of the explosive growth and spread of the many communities around New Square, the Bais Din asks Jews to please uphold the "holy tzaddik's desire for his kehilla to retain its unique identity in complete isolation."  If the surrounding Jewish communities were to spread even further towards New Square , to the point of reaching the parameters of New Square, the "blurring of our borders would defeat the founding-purpose of the shtetl."

The Bais Din emphasizes that they legally have no right to demand this of anyone, but ask people to respect their wishes! 

  

Satmar Yiddish Newspaper Headlines Blame Zionists for Forbidding them to Beat their Chickens!

Dear readers,
 I'm getting loads of emails complaining about the fact  that I keep knocking the Satmar Yiddish Weeklies and that I'm spreading Loshon Hara  .....

Read the headlines yourself, and if you can't read yiddish, get someone that can. The ones spreading "Loshan Hara" are the Satmar newspapers themselves, I'm just translating and reporting back to you.
Instead of writing about the upcoming Yomim Toivim, they are busy with "pista maasis" bashing the holy State of Israel on every single opportunity!
They are upset that the Chilonie Government is concerned about "Tzaar Baalei Chayim" and they, with the long beards, who chap sherayim from the Rebbe's soup, don't care that chickens are being tortured by their little children and don't give a hoot, that the live chickens are broiling in the sun!

These papers  came out today, Erev Yom Kippur! 

Der Blatt

 The above headline reads: 
"The Evil (dark) Decree from the Heretic Government stop Jewish residents of Eretz Yisroel from carrying out their custom of beating chickens!

Dee Zeitung

 The above Headline reads:
The State of Israel prohibits the custom of Kapporis with the excuse that they (the government) are concerned for the health and pain (of the chickens)

Der Yid

The above Headline reads: 
Zionist Government attempts to stop the Chareidim from carrying out the minhag of "Kapporis" on Eseres Yemei Teshuvah

Now, in great contrast, see the Headlines of the Yated and The Jewish Press! 
So tell me, who are the ones lying, spreading Loshon Hara, and spewing hate on Erev Yom Kippur??? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm?

12 Year Old Eitan Bernath makes it on "Chopped" TV Food Show

While producers at the Food Network touted Tuesday night’s episode of Chopped as groundbreaking because of its pint sized chefs, the September 30th installment of the cable television cooking show also featured what might have been another landmark moment, with possibly the first ever yarmulka-clad chef making an appearance on the show.

While Chopped has featured teen tournaments in the past, all four of the mini-gourmands featured on Tusday’s episode were between ten and eleven years old when the show was filmed last spring

12 year old Eitan Bernath of Teaneck was one of four youngsters selected from thousands of applicants to appear on the popular reality show, an elimination style program which pits a quartet of chefs against each other preparing gourmet food with mystery ingredients, which range from the conventional to the bizarre.

Eitan, currently a seventh grader at Yavneh Academy in Paramus, professed a lifelong love of cooking, an interest that he began cultivating seriously at the age of nine and a half.

Eitan’s Chopped odyssey began last December when his father, Jason, received an email about a casting call for the cooking show.  Eitan and his mother, Sabrina, filled out the application on a whim and after an interview process that took several months, the Bernaths received word in March that Eitan had been selected to appear on the show. 

While the episode was filmed last April, the Bernaths were contractually obligated to remain silent about any and all details of the show until after it aired publicly.

“At first it was a little hard to keep it secret, but over time I just got used to it,” said Eitan 

Eitan consulted with Yavneh principal Rabbi Jonathan Knapp to find out how to deal with any potentially problematic halachic situations that might arise while cooking.

“Basically he told me I just couldn’t cook milk and meat together,” said Eitan. “The people at Chopped were extremely nice and we told them that it would be a problem so they made sure it didn’t happen.”

The episode, titled “Short Order Cooks”, began with the diminutive chefs charged to create an appetizer using the four mystery ingredients:  ground beef, slider buns, tomatoes and cotton candy.

“At first when I opened the basket there was a shadow and I thought I saw a squash,” said Eitan. “But then I realized it was cotton candy.  All I could think of was ‘What am I going to do with that?’”

Chef contestants, Christopher Pappas, Lily Nichols, Mona Ziabari and Eitan Bernath stand together during a judging segment, as seen on Food Network’s Chopped, Season 21.

In fact, the cotton candy turned out to be trickier than anticipated as Eitan tried to transform the wispy treat into a sauce. The first batch of cotton candy burned when heated into what Eitan described on air as “black, gooey disgustingness.”  In Eitan’s second attempt, the cotton candy refused to melt. It was the third try that finally proved to be successful, with Eitan dissolving the cotton candy in simmering orange juice.

While the ground beef sliders, seasons with chili powder and Dijon mustard cooked up problem free, Eitan’s panko-coated deep fried tomato slices were inadvertently left in the fryer, minimizing the “wow-factor” of Eitan’s cuisine.

Eitan did not find his inability to taste his creations to be a setback.

“It wasn’t hard cooking food I couldn’t eat,” said Eitan. “I kept imagining what it would taste like.”

While many Chopped contestants have complained about the time limitations imposed on each course, Eitan found the 30 minutes allotted to the appetizer round to be sufficient.

“I wasn’t rushing, rushing, rushing,” recalled Eitan. “People say it feels like time is flying but to me it just felt like a regular half hour.”

Celebrity chefs Geoffrey Zakarian, Alex Gournaschelli and Scott Conant offered both praise and constructive criticism to Eitan for his dish, which featured mini burgers on slider buns topped with cut up tomato and ketchup, accented with a drizzle of cotton candy sauce.

Eitan, the first chef to be eliminated in the episode, was disappointed but poised as he thanked the judges for what he called “an amazing experience,” shaking hands with the judges and Chopped host Ted Allen.  The winning chef, 11 year old Lily Nichols of Cinnaminson, New Jersey, took home a $10,000 prize, while each of the other three contestants received $500 gift certificates to the Food Network’s online store.

Both Eitan and his mother described Chopped as a wonderful opportunity, with the judges and the crew going out of their way to accommodate the contestants.  Mrs. Bernath noted that at one point the contestants were eating lunch and host Ted Allen noticed that Eitan wasn’t eating. Realizing that Eitan would only eat kosher food, Allen sent someone out to pick up lunch for Eitan.

“He told Eitan that they wanted to make sure he had something to eat also and the two of them sat on the couch eating together,” said Mrs. Bernath.  “Eitan thought it was really cool.”

mom Sabrina, Eitan, brother Yoni, dad Jason

While one of the highlights of Chopped for Eitan was seeing celebrity judges savoring his cooking, for Mrs. Bernath it was seeing Eitan’s behavior throughout the experience, particularly after he was eliminated from the competition.

“Eitan decided that for the rest of the day he was going to be the emcee,” said Mrs. Bernath. “As each one of the contestants was chopped, Eitan was there offering them food and water and consoling the parents.  He was the one cheering everyone on and he made a tremendous impression on everyone there.”

Although Eitan didn’t take home the grand prize on Chopped, he has found himself to be in demand in recent weeks. Over 100 people attended a food demonstration at Grand & Essex in Bergenfield this past Monday night, where Eitan cooked up beef sliders and skirt steak burritos.

His future plans, in addition to his schoolwork and preparing for his Bar Mitzvah in May, include a Chanukah cooking demonstration at Grand & Essex and possible collaborations with the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts, a Teaneck restaurant, an appearance on the Chabad Telethon and another cooking demonstration for a well known men’s clothing store.

According to his English principal, Barbara Rubin, Eitan’s fame has not gone to his head.

“Eitan is a young man who really embodies middos as an individual and truly is someone who will become an asset to klal yisroel,” said Mrs. Rubin. “His studies are important. His development as a ben Torah is important. He is a young man with kavod, who treats everyone with dignity and is very well rounded and grounded at such a young age. This is one unique young man.”

Eitan, whose favorite subject is math, says that he hopes to continue pursuing his passion for cooking, and he plans to follow in the footsteps of Guy Fieri, another Food Network personality.

“I can’t eat most of the food he makes, but I want to be how he is,” said Eitan. “He is always happy and when he is in the room, everyone is smiling.”

White House warns Jews not to build in their very own country!

Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem

What's up with this? Arabs can build anywhere ... be it in Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Jerusalem, but Jews can't! ....

In the USA, you can not discriminate, if a black or a green guy buys land or buys a building anywhere in the USA, you cant stop him, constitutionally, from moving in, but Obama wants Israel to stop Jews from moving into property that they bought fair and square in their very own country.

Where is the Agudah? They put their fingers in a local election in Monsey, but keep their mouths shut when it comes to something as frightening as this.

Where are all the "machers" with their keys, and their GMC's with the darkened windows and flashing lights? 

So what can we shzlubbs do to stop this idiocy? We can can call or email our Senators and Representatives,to have the State Department  BUTT out of this!

My Representatrive in Rockland County is a "lemech" called Eliot Engel, so I called him up and some chickie poo answers the phone.

Me:  "Can I speak to Eliot?" 
Secretary: "What's your name and what is this about?"
Me: " My name is DIN, and I don't know what this about because he called me" (I lied because I figured this is the only way I'll get him on the  phone)
Secretary: 1 Minute...
So sure enough, miracles of miracles, he gets on the phone, and he actually listened to me....
I told him, (what Mordechai told Esther,) maybe the only reason you got elected is to intervene on Israel's behalf and tell the State Department, that Jews will continue to build wherever they want.
He told me that he did in fact call them, I said why don't you get the other big mouth Schumer and make a press conference.. 
Engel: Bla bla bla bla bla 
Bottom line is you have to call or email..

So here is Mayor Nir Barkat's Statement vis a vis the crazy statement from the White House:

“I say this firmly and clearly: building in Jerusalem is not poisonous and harmful – rather, it is essential, important and will continue with full force. I will not freeze construction for anyone in Israel’s capital. Discrimination based on religion, race or gender is illegal in the United States and in any other civilized country.

“2,600 apartments in Givat HaMatos that we approved two years ago will enable more young people from all sectors and religions to live in Jerusalem and build their future here, thereby strengthening the capital of Israel. We will not apologize for that.”

Breaking News! RCC evacuated Bomb Threat!

Bomb threat at Rockland Community College, Building evacuated.

- A bomb threat caused SUNY Rockland Community College in Suffern to be evacuated this morning.

Hundreds of students, staff and administrators are being told to leave campus located on 145 College Road.

School officials say classes have been canceled as a safety precaution, and that no one has been injured.

No further info at this time.

Lady Chassidic Rebbe Will Get a Street Named After Her

The Heiliger Chana Ruchel Webermacher

DIN:
My "Holy" comments after the article! 

From The Jewish Press:
A Jerusalem Municipality decision recently angered Hareidi (Ultra-Orthodox) representatives of the city, according to a report by Tzipi Malcob.

The municipality decided to name a street "HaBetula meLudmir", or in English, "The Virgin from Ludmir".

As you can imagine, using the word "Virgin" in a Jerusalem street name might upset some sensitive religious sensibilities.

But before you decide that the Jerusalem Municipality is trying to upset its Hareidi citizens, here is a little background.

The Virgin of Ludmir was the name given to Chana Rachel Webermacher (1805-1888), born in the town of Ludmir, Volhynia (now the Ukraine).

Webermacher was an unusual person. At one point in her life she decided to take on many of the ritual practices usually reserved for men, such as wearing Talit and T'fillin (possibly even wearing 2 pairs of T'fillin).

Due to community pressure in Ludmir, she got married, but quickly got divorced. She may have even gotten married and quickly divorced a second time.

Webermacher gained the reputation as a holy woman, and in 1860, she made Aliyah and moved to Jerusalem.

But what made her most unusual, is that it appears that Webermacher actually held court in her Meah Shearim home, with her own Hassidim, receiving her followers, handing out blessings and presiding over a regular Shabbos Tish, just like any other Hassidic Admor.

It's also known that Webermacher studied Kababla, taught Torah to women, and prayed with women at the Kotel and at Rachel's Tomb.

In short, the first Hassidic feminist.

She died in 1888, and was buried on the Mount of Olives.

In order to relieve Hareidi displeasure at having the word "Virgin" in the street name, the committee decided to change the name of the street to "The Virgin of Ludmir - Chana Rachel Webermacher".

The Hareidi representatives deemed that a respectable compromise.

What is not yet known is which Jerusalem neighborhood will welcome the Virgin.

DIN:
So my friends, why is it ok for the Torah to write "Besulah" to describe Rivkah (Chayeh Sarah 24:16)? 
Why is it ok to write "Besulah" on the Ketubah?
But it's not ok to write it for a street? I don't get it?

It also seems like that Chareidim are not upset that they are going to name a street after a single lady, that spoke to men, read their kvittlach and ate her sharyim. They are also not upset that she wore Tefillin & Tzizis and davened with women at the Kosel.
So why are we getting bent out of shape, that the Women of the Wall want to do the same thing?
Also did she wear "Vasseh Shtrimp?" 

History of Webermacher from Mishpacha Mag printed on November  5, 2013

On 22 Tammuz/June 11, 2004, a hakamas matzeivahtook place on Har HaZeisim at the newly discovered gravesite of Chana Rochel Webermacher (1806–1888). It was the 116th yahrtzeit of the “Ludmirer Moid,” or Maiden of Ludmir, as she was also known.

The story of the only chassidish female who behaved like a rebbe — fiering tisch, accepting kvittlach, and performing miracles — but didn’t belong to any of the chassidic dynasties, has generated many articles, books, and plays in countries around the world. From these many accounts, it is possible to piece together a picture of one of the most fascinating lives of the last century.

A Rebbe’s Blessing

Chana Rochel’s story begins in the shtetl of Volodymir, Volhynia (then Russia, today northwestern Ukraine). Called Ludmir by its Jewish inhabitants, the shtetl is associated with the Tosfos Yom Tov, Rav Yom Tov Lipman Heller, who served as rav there from 1634–1643, and the Noda B’Yehudah, Rav Yechezkel Landau, who attended yeshivah there in the 18th century. Another prominent citizen of Ludmir was the founder of the Karliner dynasty, Rav Shlomo HaLevi, who settled in the town in 1786.

Munish Webermacher and his wife, a wealthy couple living in Ludmir, had been childless for over ten years when they were given a blessing for children by a chassidishe rebbe. Although all sources agree that Munish was a chassid of the Maggid of Chernoble, Rav Mordechai Twersky, they differ as to which rebbe gave the brachah that produced the Webermachers’ brilliant red-haired daughter. Since there is no documentary evidence regarding this fact — most written accounts were published decades after her birth — some historians of Chassidus, such as Shmuel Abba Horodetzky, a grandson of Rav Aaron of Chernoble, and writers such as Yochanan Twersky, another scion of the Chernobler dynasty and author of a Hebrew novel about the Maiden of Ludmir, attribute the blessing to the Maggid of Chernoble.

On the other hand, writers Menashe Unger, a brother-in-law of the late Bluzhever Rebbe, and Ephraim Taubenhaus, a descendant of the Maggid of Mezeritch, who wrote much about the Maiden of Ludmir, claimed it was the Seer of Lublin who told the Webermachers that he foresaw a child being born to them within the year who was going to have a very lofty soul.

Chana Rochel was unlike other children, who liked to play. She was always hungry for knowledge and begged to learn Torah. Her father hired private tutors for her, but tried to dissuade her from learning Gemara. When she continued to beg him to teach it to her, he finally humored her and permitted her to learn, hoping she would find it too difficult and lose interest. Instead, she became an outstanding student and became renowned as a “talmid chacham.”

The awe-inspiring kavanah she exhibited when she davened three times a day set her apart as an unusually holy girl. When she reached bas mitzvah age, she insisted on putting on two sets of tefillin, those of Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam, in private. Her father, who was very upset with her behavior, took her to his rebbe, hoping the Maggid of Chernoble would dissuade her from behaving like a male.

Bnei Brak woman drugged and raped after meeting a man through a Shadchan

A Bnei Brak woman said that she woke up in a bed naked after being set up on a date through a matchmaker, Israel Police said.

The Petah Tikva Police Department said that they arrested 40-year-old Boaz Aharon on Monday, after being accused of raping the 35-year-old woman at an apartment in Petah Tikva.

During the night, the woman called the police after she woke up in the man’s bed. The woman could not tell police where she was, but officers located her by tracing her cellphone.

Police arrived at the apartment and arrested the man.

He was brought before the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court for a bail hearing where he was remanded into custody for at least 4 days.

According to the police investigation, the woman met the suspect through a matchmaker. When she arrived at his apartment, he asked for sex, and when she refused he offered her a drink.

The woman told investigators that she does not remember what happened to her after she had the drink until she woke up naked in the man’s bed, leading police to believe that she was drugged and raped.

DIN: I have some questions;
1) Why did she meet him at the apartment?
2) After he asked her for sex, why did she accept a drink?

Chareidee Fanatics blame the "wicked" Israeli Government for making them use money instead of Chickens for Kapporis

Anyone visiting Israel during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva, couldn't help but observe the flagrant abuse of chickens, perpetrated by the chareidim, leaving the chickens broiling in the sun, alive.!

So, even though the prohibition of Tzar baalei Chayim is an Issur D'orisah, they insist on using chickens since this is their minhag, a minhag that the Mechaber says should not be practiced, and the Mishna Berura explains and clearly states that the reason the Mechaber doesn't want it practiced  is because it is a "minhag amoirie" a minhag of Ovdei Avoda Zara!

See Mechaber, that explicitly says that this Minhag should not be done. See Mishna Berurah that explains the reason of the mechaber and says that the reason is should not be done is because of "Darkei Hamoirie" The Rama actually says that "Vein Leshanois" that people should not stop shlugging Kaporis, but if the Rama would be alive today, he would prohibit it because of the Issur of "Tzar Baalei Chayim"

Years ago, when I grew up, you went to the market or the butcher and he had chickens for his customers and the chickens looked into the "Bnei Adam" and every one went on the merry way, but now, with bli ayin hara thousands and thousands of chareidim, this minhag of "shlugging kaporis" with chickens, should be totally eradicated...

So the Government cracked down on them, and now they are screaming "fowl"!

Pashkavilim appeared yesterday in the Meah Shearim and Geula areas of Yerushalayim from the Eida Chareidis instructing the tzibur to do kaporos with money this year instead of chickens.

Using the phraseology:
 “Because of the wicked government that has prohibited continuing the minhag of kaporos, a minhag handed down from our fathers…. We are announcing one who is capable of doing kaporos with chickens should do so while others who cannot due to the gezeira of the government, should use money. Each person should use 25 shekels and recite the appropriate nussach”.

The Ministry of Agriculture is being meticulous in enforcing laws pertaining to the transport and handling of chickens, limiting transport to certified vehicles exclusively. In practical terms, this means it is virtually impossible to transport a sufficient number of chickens for kaporos.

While some frum areas have been preparing the traditional areas used annually for kaporos, it is now evident there are no chickens available. Efforts are still continuing but it does appear many if not most areas that usually host kaporos will not be operating this year.

At least one avreich has been arrested after he was found to be transporting chickens illegally. Health officials’ seem to indicate there will be some kaporos stations operating, adding the law will be enforced, including the regulation demanding that the chickens are slaughtered within eight hours of transport.

Ramapo Judge impounds votes on "Ward System" ... No Results until OCT 10

Breaking News:
Too much fraud going on in Ramapo ...so Judge impounds all ballots.... and says no results until Ocober 10..

Amid petitions filed by local activists over absentee ballot deadlines and chaos at multiple polling stations over who was, in fact, allowed to vote, a New York state Supreme Court Justice ordered that all ballots in Tuesday’s referendum election in Ramapo be impounded until the court has had time to sift through legalities.

LOHUD.com (http://lohud.us/1vsbXg7) reports that Justice Margaret Garvey issued the order following a chaotic day in Ramapo that saw a heavy voter turnout in the town in the election that could swing the power and size of the Town Board.

Voters were being asked to decide on whether the Town Board should be increased from 4 to 6 members, and if they were in favor of dividing the town into 6 wards, a proposal that as drawn sharp criticism from the town’s Orthodox Jewish and African American communities.

The controversy began on Monday when it became clear that unregistered voters 18 or older would be allowed to vote as long as they could prove U.S. and local residency.

This action caused local activists Michael Perietti and Robert Romanowski to not only file a petition with the court seeking clarification, but to ask as well that the court clarify the cutoff date for absentee ballots.

Typically, absentee ballots are counted as long as the they are postmarked the day before the election.

In this case, election administrator, Town Clerk Christian Sampson announced prior to the election that only absentee ballots arriving at the Town Clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on Tuesday would be counted.

In accordance with Garvey’s order, all ballots have been transferred to the Rockland County Board of Elections until the court has a chance to rule on the petitions.

Why I fast on Yom Kippur

Mayim Bialik

by Mayim Bialik

Several articles have been posted in the past week discussing the Jewish New Year, with a few focusing specifically on the issue of fasting for Yom Kippur. Many people don’t like the concept of fasting, and many people don’t see any religious or spiritual value in fasting. I happen to be a person who likes the concept, and who sees and reaps a tremendous amount of religious and spiritual value from fasting. I also have fasted throughout two pregnancies and through nursing babies and toddlers on demand all day and all night.

Am I better than you for fasting while nursing and pregnant? No. Do I work hard to accomplish this? Yes. Here’s why I put in the effort:

1) Fasting is an important religious and spiritual exercise. Fasting and “afflicting ourselves” on Yom Kippur is described in the Torah, which is my personal guidebook for life. I have made a commitment to find a way to apply the wisdom of thousands of years of history and tradition to modern life and it works for me.  Praying, singing, chanting, meditating, and spending time away from work and cell phones and cars and electronics is what we Jews have the opportunity to do every week on Shabbat. On Yom Kippur, doing these things while fasting takes it to a different and much more intense level. As it should be: this is the day our year is, in part, determined. It’s a heavy day and fasting sets it apart as intense and meaningful in a special way.

2) Fasting is symbolically important. By peeling away the material parts of our existence through refraining from the sustenance we live by daily, we get to see what’s left over. Without the rhythms of meals, what drives my day? Without snacks to keep my hands busy or to calm my anxiety, what can I do? Look what we think we need, and look what we literally can go without.

3) Fasting makes us angelic. Last Yom Kippur, as the 25th hour of fasting was coming to a close and we were all exhausted and starving and ready to go home, our rabbi said with a huge smile on his face, “I wish this didn’t have to end.” And through my exhaustion and hunger, I felt it too. There is a “high” you get when focusing so much on fasting and praying and just being in your head. Fasting makes us like the angels, they say. We make ourselves literally “above” the need for mortal sustenance. On Yom Kippur, we draw near to a different way of existence and it’s heavenly.

4) Fasting is groovy. While we are discussing the “high” you get from fasting, I want to mention that we have access to different parts of our brains when we refrain from food and drink and it makes your brain a little bit loopy but also very free. Our glucose storage is emptied out by the end of the day, and we are running on adrenaline and a lot of mental strength. It’s a healthy exercise, and it’s one that our Prophets employed to encourage transcendental experiences. A lot of religious observance is about finding what works for you within an ancient framework, and I love that my fasting makes me feel connected to thousands of years of Jews who have fasted too. It’s just plain awesome.

5) Fasting is not going to kill you. If you have medical reasons not to fast which are confirmed by a doctor, of course, don’t fast. We are instructed to live by the Torah, not to die by it. The health of human beings is always valued over and above any religious proscriptions. Rabbis are trained to answer all sorts of questions about fasting, and there is no charge to ask a rabbi a question. Try your local synagogue, JCC, or even a Chabad. They love answering questions!

6) Fasting and nursing can co-exist. If you are nursing, consult with a lactation consultant and your pediatrician about fasting. My personal experience both as a nursing mom and a Certified Lactation Educator Counselor is that during the first three months of nursing, when milk supply is being established, you want to be very careful about supply, and babies will often want to nurse a lot the day AFTER a fast to pull up milk supply that may have dropped from a day of no water and no food. Fasting is so important to me that I put in my best effort to keep it going: I step up my fluids the day before I fast, and I take it super easy: no elaborate walks, no active playing with the kids, and nothing involving too much effort at all. I make simple snacks for my boys and I explain to them that mama is tired and hungry (and grumpy) because she is fasting, so let’s have an easy day. Sometimes a new toy or book helps fasting days go more smoothly. I think it’s important for my kids to hear why I fast so that they can learn the value and see that commitment in action.

7) Fasting can be modified. Depending on your religious proclivities, there are established modifications that allow you to fulfill the obligation to fast, should you so choose it. Traditional guidelines about eating small portions of food (less than something called a kazayis) throughout the day can be explained to you by a rabbi, and it works for a lot of people. The idea behind fasting is to shift your consciousness, to shift your pattern, and to shake your life and head up. I recommend the following suggestion to anyone on the fence or just plain grumpy or skeptical about fasting whether you go to synagogue or not: try your own modification as a self-disciplinary, spiritual journey this year. Try eating smaller portions. Or eat only “simple” foods without sauces or jams or sweets. Skip dessert and decadent foods, or only drink water instead of juice, soda, or coffee.

Judaism is not a cafeteria religion; I am not saying to just pick what you like and leave the rest. But it’s okay to try out aspects of observance – such as fasting – and see if it strikes something in you. Each mitzvah we do is independent of every other mitzvah, and it counts. It counts if we light Shabbat candles even if we go clubbing after. It counts if we bless challah, even if we put bacon on it after we bless it. Every thing we do counts. It does make a difference in this world. We are all “good Jews,” we just practice differently. Just like we are all “good parents,” even if we practice differently.

Every year holds tremendous potential for personal growth, change, and self-discovery. Fasting has the potential to teach you a lot about what you need, what you don’t, and what you can accomplish. Whatever your Yom Kippur looks like, may you have a blessed year full of only what you need and nothing you don't

Monsey Silent Majority wants you to Vote "Yes" to the "Ward System" Defying Agudah who decided to meddle in

by Jacob Kornbluh

A referendum that could decide the future of the Town of Ramapo is turning out to be as heated as the one conducted last week in Scotland.

On Tuesday, September 30th, voters in the town of Ramapo will vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ whether to increase the number of Town Board members from four to six, and whether to separate the town into geographical districts (wards) to elect a Town Board member from each district.

Currently, four Town Board members are elected in a popular vote and don’t represent specific areas of the town. The four board members are representatives supported by the Hasidic community in Monsey, New Square and the surrounding neigbrohoods.

As the vote nears, the Orthodox Jewish community in Rockland County is divided, with both proponents and opponents of the ward system reaching out to the Hasidic community voting bloc.

Opponents of the ward system, said to represent a majority of the Hasidic community, claim the new system would weaken the political influence of Orthodox Jews in the town by permitting them to vote only for candidates from their immediate neighborhood rather than the town as a whole. In that case, only two seats up for grabs would represent the Hasidic community.

Furthermore, they argue that the referendum was put forward solely to target Hasidic Jews by the Preserve Ramapo group. As of such, supporters of the ‘NO’ vote, asserted in several interviews with JP, that while the ward system is generally proposed to help minorities who can’t win townwide or citywide elections, in this case, both the black and Hasidic communities would be concentrated into their own districts – 2 out of 6 seats. This would make it unlikely for either group to retain the same level of representation they enjoy under the current system.

In a statement issued last week, Agudath Israel of America urged the Orthodox Jewish community to vote “no” vote in the upcoming referendums. “This is classic minority vote dilution, only this time the victims are Orthodox Jews. A minority is being intentionally shoved into a small district to limit its ability to affect the outcome of elections in the community at large,” the statement read. “Efforts to inhibit the voting power of any minority group, including Orthodox Jews, are simply intolerable. They must be firmly denounced and resoundingly defeated.”

The Ramapo Republican Committee, Assemblymembers Ellen Jaffee (D-Suffern) and Kenneth Zebrowski (D-New City), as well as Chris Day, the Republican congressional candidate in the 17th District, have already endorsed the ward system.

In a pamphlet distributed over the weekend in Yiddish, and obtained by JP, Hasidic activists urged community members to go against the establishment and vote ‘YES’ in the referendum in an expression of unity and peace.

The brochure, written by activists claiming to be the “silent majority” of the Orthodox Jewish community, urged voters to support the ward system and bring an end” to this irresponsible behavior that only benefits the pockets of a numbered few greedy developers who unfortunately have the money and power to maneuver Rabbis and scare members of our community to come out with the truth.”

“We believe that enforcing the Ward System is the best thing that can happen to this town, and we see it as the only means to the ultimate end, which is to restore the harmony and neighborly peace this blessed corner of the world was once known for,” they write.

Speaking to JP, Spring Valley resident Yoel Falkowitz said, “We’re basically the silent majority. Most people are afraid of the developers who have the money and control our politicians in every way that benefits their agenda. The people of Rockland county are decent people who want peace and quiet. It’s the developers who are making it sound like we’re in a battle.”

“We’re here to say ‘enough is enough, we don’t want to fight. We want to live in peace and have everyone’s needs represented properly,” Falkowtiz added.

The referendum will take place, as noted above, on Tuesday from 6am to 10pm.

Paula Abdul wants you to keep Shabbos