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Wellsprings

A little nosh for the soul compliments of Chabad of the Lehigh Valley.

Summer 2015 / Shavuot 5775 ISSue

What’s the Scoop onShavuot?

Punishments or Gifts?Shavuot RecipesHonoring a Proud TraditionThe Myth ofChabad Outreach

Your Lehigh Valley

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The study of genetics has led to some of the most significant breakthroughs in cancer research, diagnosis and treatment. Through sophisticated genetic testing, specialists can identify the presence of genetic markers that indicate an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer.

Individuals who know they are at greater risk can take steps to significantly increase their chance of survival. They can be screened more frequently to catch cancer when it first appears and is most treatable. They can take medications and have surgical procedures to reduce their risk. For example, a woman not interested in future fertility might opt to have her reproductive organs removed.

Should cancer develop, an oncologist may use information from genetic testing to design a highly effective course of targeted molecular therapy to interfere with specific molecules involved in the growth and spread of cancer.

Individuals with a high prevalence of cancer within their family – one or more immediate family members or several extended family members diagnosed with cancer – should consider genetic counseling. This is especially true if the family members were young when diagnosed. Also, certain ethnic groups have a greater risk of developing cancer. For example, Ashkenazi Jews have a 1 in 40 chance of carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, 10 times greater risk than the non-Jewish population. Individuals with these mutations have a significantly increased chance of developing breast, ovarian and other cancers.

Each individual should be aware of his or her family’s cancer history. If concerned, seek out genetic counseling from a certified genetic counselor who can provide the individual the information needed to make the right decision to pursue testing in order to reduce their cancer risk.

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Genetics and Cancer What do your genes say about you?

Dedicated to the Love and Inspiration of the Lubavitcher Rebbe OB”M

Dear Friends,It’s been said that if you talk to G-d, you’re a religious person; if G-d talks to you, you’re crazy. I suppose that means I must be crazy. I might be arguing with my wife--that same tired argument that we’ve had a hundred times already--when something inside me says: Hey, just a minute. Maybe look at it her way, for a change? Who said that, me? I don’t talk that way to myself! Or I might be walking along a sunny street, thinking my usual thoughts--the balance in my bank account, or what to have for lunch--when I’m struck with a deep sadness, a sudden

yearning for something higher, something more meaningful. Who said that, me? I don’t say things like that--not since I was twenty years old, anyway. Our Sages tell us that every day a Heavenly voice issues forth from Mount Sinai calling for a return to the truth of truths. Asked Chassidism’s founder, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov: What is the purpose of this voice, if no one hears it?  But we all hear it, answered the Baal Shem Tov. Every time that we are struck with an unexpected thought that pushes us in the right direction--that means that our inner ear has picked up an echo of the Divine voice calling from Mount Sinai. Whether or not you make it a habit to talk to G-d, you should listen to Him talk to you. It’ll be the sanest moment of your day.Happy Holiday, with blessings to receive the Torah internally and with joy!

Sincerely,Rabbi Yaacov Halperin

This Wellsprings Magazine ispublished by

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Rabbi Yaacov Halperin

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Tzvi FreemanElana Mizrahi

Devorah HalperinRebecka PuzaGittle GesinaLazer Gurkow

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Wellsprings

The Basics

What’s the Scoop onShavuot?

The Torah was given by G-d to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai 3327 years ago. Every year on the holiday of Shavuot we renew our acceptance of G-d’s gift, and G-d “re-gives” the Torah.

On the first day of Shavuot we read from Exodus chapters 19 and 20.

A summary of the content: G-d proclaimed the Ten Commandments, commanding the people of Israel to believe in G-d, not to worship idols or take G-d’s name in vain, to honor their parents, keep the Shabbat, and not to murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness or covet another’s property. The people cried out to Moses that the revelation is too intense for them to bear, begging him to receive the Torah from G-d and convey it to them.

On the second day of Shavuot we read from Deuteron-omy chapters 14-16 which detail the laws of the three pilgrimage festivals -- Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot -- on which all Jews came “to see and be seen before the face of G-d” in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

The word Shavuot means “weeks.” It marks the comple-tion of the seven-week counting period between Passover and Shavuot.

The giving of the Torah was a far-reaching spiritual event—one that touched the essence of the Jewish soul for all times. Our sages have compared it to a wedding between G-d and the Jewish people. Shavuot also means “oaths,” for on this day G-d swore eternal devotion to us, and we in turn pledged everlasting loyalty to Him.

In ancient times, two wheat loaves would be offered in Holy Temple. It was also at this time that people would begin to bring bikkurim, their first and choicest fruits, to thank G-d for Israel’s bounty.

The holiday of Shavuot is a two-day holiday, beginning at sundown of the 5th of Sivan and lasting until nightfall of the 7th of Sivan. (In Israel it is a one-day holiday, ending at nightfall of the 6th of Sivan.)Women and girls light holiday candles to usher in the holiday, on both the first and second evenings of the hol-idays.

It is customary to stay up all night learning Torah on the first night of Shavuot.

All men, women and children should go to the synagogue on the first day of Shavuot to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments.As on other holidays, special meals are eaten, and no

Harvest Festival

Since Shavuot is also called the “Harvest Festival,” it is customary to adorn the home and synagogue with fruits, flowers and greens. Furthermore, our Sages re-late that although Mount Si-nai was situated in a desert, when the Torah was given the mountain bloomed and sprouted flowers.

The holiday of Shavuot is the day on which we celebrate the great revelation of the giving of the Torah at Mount Si-nai, 3,327 years ago. You stood at the foot of the mountain. Your grandparents and great-grandparents before them. The souls of all Jews, from all times, came to-gether to hear the Ten Commandments from G-d Himself.

Since we all stood at Mount Sinai, we must all reaffirm our commitment. Ba-bies, young children, the elderly, all that are able should attend.

On the first night of Shavuot, Jews throughout the world observe the centuries-old custom of conducting an all-night vigil dedicated to Torah learning and preparation for receiv-ing the Torah anew the next morn-ing. One explanation for this tradi-tion is that the Jewish people did not rise early on the day G-d gave the Torah, and it was necessary for G-d to awaken them. To compensate for their behavior, Jews have accepted upon themselves the custom of re-maining awake all night.

The Ten Commandments Learning at Night

“work” may be performed.

It is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. Among other reasons, this commemorates the fact that upon receiving the Torah, including the kosher laws, the Jewish people could not cook meat in their pots, which had yet to be ren-dered kosher.

On the second day of Shavuot, the Yizkor memorial service is recited.

Some communities read the Book of Ruth publicly, as King David—whose passing occurred on this day—was a de-scendant of Ruth the Moabite.

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Shavuot Crossword ChallengeCandle Lighting Times and Services

Friday, May 22, 2015Light Candles at 8:00 pm Say Blessing 1

All-Night LearnathonSaturday, May 23, 2015

Morning Services: 10:00 amLight Candles* after 9:07 pm

Say Blessings 2 & 3Sunday, May 24, 2015

Morning Services: 10:00 amReading of the Ten Commandments 4:00 pm

Followed by a dairy buffetLight Candles* after 9:08 pm Say Blessings 2 & 3

Monday, May 25, 2015Morning Services: 10:00 am

Yizkor Memorial Services: 11:30 amHoliday Ends: 9:09 pm

*Light only from a pre-existing flame.

BlessingsBlessing for Shabbat candle lighting

1) Baruch a-ta A-do-nay Elo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam a-sher ki-dee-sha-nu bi-mitz-vo-tav vi-tzi-va-noo li-had-leek ner shel Sha-bat Ko-desh.Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the Holy Shabbat

Blessings for the Festivals of  Shavuot2) Bo-ruch a-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ho-olom a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-sov ve-tzi-vo-nu le-had-lik ner shel Yom Tov.Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the light of the Festival Day.The Shehecheyonu blessing:

3) Bo-ruch a-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu me-lech ho-olom she-he-che-ya-nu vi-kee-yi-ma-nu vi-hi-gee-an-u liz-man ha-zeh.Translation: Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has kept us alive and sustained us and let us reach this time.

Safe and Warm Environment to Learn and Play

Give Your Child the Best Start

Across1. It is customary to read this book on Shavuot.3. Two-day holiday, beginning at sundown of the 5th of Sivan6. What type of food is it customary to eat during Shavuot?7. Who received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai?9. Our ______ are our guarantors.10. Another name for Shavuot is Yom ______.Down2. The holiday of Shavuot is also known as the Holiday of the __________.4. What did the Jews receive on Shavuot?5. The period between Passover and Shavuot, is called the Counting of the _______.8. The name of the mountain where the Torah was given.

Test your Shavuot knowledge!Send in your answers to office@chabadlehighvalley.com for your chance to win a prize!

Shavuot Crossword Challenge

Chocolate Cheesecake Supreme

IngredientsCrust

• 1cup ground hazelnuts • 2 teaspoons butter

Cheesecake• 8 ounce packages cream

cheese x3• 1 cup sugar• 2 tablespoons flour• 4 eggs• 2 tablespoons milk• 2 tablespoons coffee

liquor• 1 teaspoon vanilla• 4 ounces of good

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DirectionsCrust-Melt the butter and add to the ground hazelnuts. Place on the bottom of a springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Cake- Blend all ingredients together well and pour over crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

No Cream Cheese Cheesecake

Ingredients• 16 ounces cottage

cheese• 16 ounce sour cream• One and a half cups of

sugar• 3 eggs• 1/3 cup flour• 1 teaspoon vanilla

DirectionsBlend well and pour over a prepared graham cracker pie crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

As our ancestors journeyed across the desert, they were arrayed around the Tabernacle in four equal groups, each group composed of three tribes. What is the significance of there being groups of three, a prominent number in our history and tradition?

Some examples: There were three pa-triarchs. The Torah is sub-divided into three parts—Pentateuch, Prophets and Scriptures. Jews pray three times a day. Many stanzas in our prayers are repeat-ed three times. Abraham was visited by three angels following his circumcision at the age of 99. The Torah was given in the third month of the Jewish calendar by Moses, the third child of his parents.

One and Two

One connotes absolute singularity. G-d is one. There is no room for other gods; there can be only one.

Two introduces distinction. You can only have two when one is different from the other. Differences introduce discord, which in turn gives rise to con-flict. Two is the number of opposites.

Two is also the number of finitude. While one is global—occupying all space because there is no other whose space the one must vacate—two is by definition finite. There is a point at which one ends and the other begins.

In this sense, one represents G-d, and two represents all else, i.e., creation. Indeed, our sages taught that on the

first day of creation G-d was alone in His world. On the sec-ond day, when the f i rmamen t was created to separate the upper waters from the lower, discord was introduced.1

The Third

Three intro-duces a new element: the mediator that dissolves the conflict and creates harmony. With the introduction of the third element, what was formerly perceived as conflict emerges as harmonious.

On the third day, G-d pooled the low-er waters and dry land appeared—sep-arating water from dry land. This act demonstrated that separation is not al-ways negative. Differences can also be catalysts for improvement. In this case, the separation of waters made dry land possible—a result that could not be achieved had land and water remained as they were.

Day two introduced differences, and on the surface appears to conflict with the uniformity of day one; but day three demonstrated that it is sometimes

through separation and distinction that the goals of unity are furthered. Three is thus the number of resolution and reconciliation.

The Mediator

Let us take this to the next level. One represents G-d. Two represents con-flict—or creation itself. Whereas G-d was the only existence before creation, it now appears that He must share space with the universe that He creat-ed, which, if true, would detract from His singularity. He would no longer be completely alone, no longer the only play in town. There is now a universe to reckon with.

What resolves the “conflict” of cre-ation? The Torah. The Torah demon-strates that the world G-d created is not separate from its Creator. All that

The Secret of the Number

By Lazer Gurkow

G-d created, He created for His glory, to serve Him.2 The universe was not intended to be apart from G-d; it was intended to serve G-d’s purpose as out-lined in the Torah, and it is thus an ex-tension of Him. Once we note that the Torah plays the role of mediator, we are not surprised to learn that the Torah was given in the third month.

Resolving Internal Conflict

The resolution between a singular G-d and a multifaceted creation applies on the personal, individual level as well as on the macro level.

Among G-d’s creations, some are per-mitted to us and some are not, some are healthy for us and some are not. In a perfect world, in a world dominated by the number one, we would partake only of those things that are permitted by G-d, and healthy for the human body.

However, we live in a convoluted world dominated by the number two, by the elements that draw us away from that

which is healthy, G-dly and right. Place a pacifier and a flame before an infant, and the child will reach for the fire. Place a carrot and a candy before a toddler, and the child will reach for the candy. Place a book and a Game Boy before a teen, and the kid will opt for the Game Boy. This does not change when we mature. Place a treadmill and a TV before an adult, and watch the grownup reach for the remote.

This is the one versus two, or the sin-gularity versus pluralism, dilemma. In a perfect world, only permissible and healthy things exist. In an imperfect world, temptation also exists. Are the two in conflict?

Our ancestors were arrayed in groups of three, and our tradition centers so prominently around the number three to remind us that this internal conflict can be resolved. G-d did not create the holy and unholy, the healthy and un-healthy, the permissible and forbidden so that they would conflict, but so that they would complement each other.

His purpose in creating the forbidden, un-G-dly and unhealthy was to give us the possibility to find resolution, not in indulgence, but in our ability to turn down an option. If only permissible and holy things existed, our worship would not be of our own volition; what choice would we have? Now that a diz-zying array of choices exists, and what’s more, the unhealthy and the forbidden is more appetizing than the healthy and permitted, we truly have the choice to do what is right.

This is the power of three. It makes the Torah relevant on a personal level and brings the message of the Jewish holi-day of Shavuot to life.

Rabbi Lazer Gurkow is spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Tefilah in Lon-don, Ontario, and a frequent contrib-utor to Chabad.org. Reprinted courtesy of www.chabadlehighvalley.com

Jews have been a part of America since before its founding. From Joachim Gans, who is the first documented Jew to set foot in the New World, to Elias Legarde, who settled in James City, Virginia in 1621, Jews have participated in the “Great Republic Experiment” and have contributed to the establishment, progress, and preservation of these United States all throughout its history.

Contributions to the military and various war efforts have been no exception. The Revolutionary War, America’s fight for independence from the British Crown, saw Jews serve as blockade runners, officers, financiers, and foot soldiers. Jews made up a tiny portion of the population of the American colonies, yet a sizable majority supported the war for independence. Joining the Continental Army meant extreme hardship. The pay ranged from $6 per month for privates to $20 per month for captains. Out of that pay, soldiers were expected to buy their own supplies including uniforms, weapons, and ammunition. Often, a soldier’s family would follow him from camp to camp. These women provided invaluable services for the soldiers in the form of cooking, laundry, sewing, and tending to the sick and wounded.

The winter at Valley Forge was particularly brutal on the Continental Army. Most of the soldiers were with-out warm clothing, shoes, and blankets. Diseases such as typhoid, pneumonia, and smallpox spread through the camp like wildfire, due to cramped living quarters and unsanitary conditions. There was also a shortage of food and hunger was the soldiers’ daily lot. Out of the 10,000 troops that amassed in Valley Forge in the winter of 1777, 2,500 did not survive to see the spring of 1778 and the better conditions that accompanied the change of seasons.

Two of the more famous Revolutionary-era Jews were Jonas Philips and Haym Solomon. Jonas Philips first ar-rived in the colonies as an indentured servant but secured

his freedom within three years, in 1759. In 1778, Philips joined the Revolutionary Army and served in the Phila-delphia militia. Haym Solomon came to the colonies in 1775. In Septem-ber of 1776, he was arrested by the British and accused of espionage based on his membership in the New York branch of the Sons of Liberty. While imprisoned, he was forced to translate for the British to their Hessian allies. Solomon used this opportunity to encourage the Hessians to desert the British cause as well as helping a number of prisoners to escape. He was arrested again in 1778 and sentenced to death, but he managed to escape. Between 1781 to 1784, Solomon, through fundraising and per-sonal lending, raised over $650,000 (about $9 billion by today’s standard) for the war effort. Solomon is person-ally credited with raising $20,000 which was desperately needed by George Washington to conduct the battle

Honoring a Proud TradiTionBy Rebecka Puza

at Yorktown which was the final battle of the Revolution-ary War.

Jews fought for both the Union and the Confederacy during the Civil War. The Civil War saw the appointment of the first official Jewish chaplain in the U.S. Army when Rev. Jacob Frankel took the post on September 18, 1862. On the Union side, about 7,000 Jewish Americans fought to preserve the union. While most Jews fought in reli-giously mixed regiments, two companies were established

that were made up entirely of Jews. Company C was part of the 82nd Regiment of the Illinois Volunteers. Most of its members were recent immigrants from Europe. “Per-kins Rifles” served out of Syracuse, New York. Some notable Jews who served included Brevet General Leop-old Blumenberg, who was severely wounded during the Battle of Antietam. Company C’s commander, Brevet Brigadier General Edward S. Salomon, led his troops in the Battle of Gettysburg and later in the Battle of Atlan-ta. One of his peers, Colonel John Cleveland Robinson said, “I consider Colonel Salomon one of the most de-serving officers. His regiment is deserving of high praise. In a point of discipline it is second to none in the corps.”

On the Confederate side, about 3,000 Jews served in the military. The most notable Jew serving the Confederacy was Judah P. Benjamin who acted as the Confederate At-torney General in 1861, Secretary of War in 1861 and 1862, and the Secretary of State from 1862 to 1865. He was often called “the brains of the Confederacy.” Oth-er Confederate Jews included Colonel Abraham Charles Meyers, who served as the Quartermaster General of the Confederate Army, and Dr. David Camden DeLeon who

Chaplain Alexander D. Goode, was one of the four Chaplains who sacrificed their lives to save other soldiers during the sinking of the USAT Dorchester off the coast of Newfoundland in February 1943. Goode and the three other chap-lains helped to evacuate the ship. When lifejackets ran out, they gave up their own to save more troops. The four sang and prayed as they went down with the ship.

was the Surgeon General.

About 250,000 Jews served in the United States military during World War I. About 3,500 of them were killed in action or died as a result of wounds received in action. First Sergeant Benjamin Kaufman served with bravery and val-or that earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor as well as nine awards for bravery from foreign governments. While fighting in the Argonne Forest, Kaufman and his men were under heavy fire from a German machine gun. With his men being wound-ed, Kaufman advanced on the position alone. He was struck in the right arm by enemy fire, but persevered, throwing hand grenades with his left hand and charged, waving an empty pistol. He even managed to take a pris-oner back to American lines before fainting from the loss of blood. His report on the enemy’s position made it possible for the Americans to move forward and attack.

Sergeant William Sawelson received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthu-mously. He was killed as he crawled through heavy ma-chine gun fire to provide wa-ter to a wounded man who

lay in a hole left by an artillery shell. Major General Mil-ton J. Foreman, already a hero of the Spanish American War, received the Distinguished Cross for bravery. While serving as a colonel in France, his unit came under heavy fire. Foreman crawled through the gunfire, laying down telephone wire as he went. He was then able to provide his own artillery with the gun positions of the enemy troops which handed the Americans the victory. After the war, General Foreman was one of the organizers of the American Legion.

Of Jewish American soldiers, General John J. Pershing said, “When the time came to serve their country under arms, no class of people served with more patriotism or with higher motives than the young Jews who volunteered or were drafted and went overseas with our other young Americans to fight the enemy.”

In 1941, American Jews once again answered the call to serve their country. It is estimated that over 500,000 Jews served in the branches of the United States military.

In 1943, the troop transport Dorchester was torpedoed by a U-Boat. Chaplain Alexander D. Goode, a rabbi, and three other chaplains of mixed denominations, helped

Shavuot prayer service for survivors in the Buchenwald camp Germany, May 18, 1945.

Chanukah party held for Jewish servicemen from the Fleet and the Naval Base, 1952

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evacuate the ship. When the lifejackets ran out, the four men- the “Immortal Chaplains”, gave up their own to save more troops. The four men sang and prayed as they went down with the ship.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rosenthal enlisted in the United States Army on December 8, 1941- a day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. By 1943, he was a pilot and aircraft commander of a B-17 Flying Fortress crew. He flew fifty-three missions and had his planes shot down twice. Each time he was rescued by Allied troops and re-turned to duty as soon as he had recovered from his inju-ries. Rosenthal’s heroism throughout the war earned him sixteen awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Silver Star, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart. He was described as “one of the great figures of the Air Force; a shy, modest, and patriotic gentleman of truly amazing courage and achievement.” After the war, Rosenthal used his pre-war training as a lawyer and served as an assistant to the U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials, where he interrogated Hermann Göring.

Tibor Rubin was a Holocaust survivor. Having lost his family in concentration camps, he emigrated to the Unit-ed States and enlisted in the United States Army to serve in the Korean War. While in Korea, he was captured by the Chinese and confined to a prison camp. During his two and a half years of imprisonment, Rubin drew upon his Holocaust experience and snuck out of the camp near-ly every night to obtain food from a nearby village. Rubin is credited with saving the lives of thirty-five to forty of his

fellow prisoners of war.

The first Jew to die for the Patriot cause was Francis Salva-dor in 1776. Part of the epitaph etched on his tombstone reads, “True to his ancient faith, he gave his life; For new hopes of human liberty and understanding.” Salvador was the first of many Jews to sacrifice their lives for the American way of life. His epitaph is a powerful statement and can be applied to all of those who have served in the American military.

Unfortunately, time and space do not allow for a com-plete listing of Jewish war heroes and patriots, let alone those who haven’t been officially recognized for heroic deeds. But needless to say, American Jews also served in the military during the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. There are Jewish soldiers are present in every branch of the United States military and continue to serve through our modern conflicts, upholding the tradition of bravery, sacrifice, and valor.

So on this Memorial Day, be proud to be a Jewish Amer-ican! We follow in the footsteps of many who have made this country what it is today. We are descended from those who fought and died to preserve this great land. Let us honor their commitment to our nation. Let us remem-ber the lives lost, the blood shed- most without medals, awards, or even recognition. Let us thank them for their service and sacrifice. Let us remember them not only on Memorial Day, but every day.

Punishments or

GiftsBy Gittle Gesina

o, we answer the soul’s call. We learn about our roots, about the heritage bequeathed to us by our ancestors,

and we make the transition to the religious way of life. We begin to observe Shabbat, keep kosher, adhere to the modest style of dress, and participate in the numerous practices of the holidays.

Yet something is amiss. The baggage of the past doesn’t seem to allow us to fully embrace the new life. Fears, anxieties, worries do not leave us so readily, even though we seem to be doing all the right things. Without attempting to make this essay dramatic, I would like to share my insight, which has shed more light on and deepened my relation-ship with my Creator.

I started to believe in G-d in my adolescence. My adher-ence to Jewish practices steadily increased from age 16, and at 20 I undertook complete observance. I started to fulfill the commandments to the best of my knowledge and abilities. All seemed appropriate on the outside. What was on the inside? What about my personal, intimate re-lationship with G-d?

I read numerous accounts on how one is to experience

G-d’s love and care, and I understood intellectually that He is always with us. The subconscious message, however, was different. I perceived G-d as an onlooker to my life. He was dispassionately watching from above as I strug-gled through the daily challenges, waiting for me to slip in order to shoot down the punishment. I constantly feared something terrible happening if I let down my guard. I could not rely on anything, because it could be taken away as a reprimand or a reminder not to be too cocky.

Not only that, but G-d could in-flict pain on me at His whim. On

the outside, intellectually, I accepted the Jewish view of G-d as benevolent, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness and truth; on the in-side, subconsciously, my old view persisted.

During one of my journaling excursions, I attempted to uncover the reasons for my fear of punishment and my shame for thinking that I deserved it. I realized that I was under the heavy influence of pagan ideology, which was further reinforced by the autocratic adult rule during my upbringing. Going against the established practices was wrong, and pain and suffering were self-inflicted by my own disobedience and willfulness. Comfort was possible only if I dutifully complied with the expectations of me.

The spiritual approach offers another explanation to life’s seemingly painful events.

S

To my surprise and relief, I was finally able to reconcile this subconscious indoctrination from childhood with my struggles as an adult.

When people refer to negative occurrences in life as pun-ishments, they operate along materialistic guidelines. Ac-cording to this view, the “bad” thing is anything which stands in the way of a person’s experiencing the pleasures and comforts of life. Losing a job means that there will be less money to get things one wants to have, to do the things one wants to do. An illness spells pain. There is frustration with not being able to enjoy sports, or even to do simple chores at one’s will. There seems to be no answer as to why bad things happen—natural calamities, wars, death. One draws the conclusion that it must be that G-d is a cruel G-d, quick to punishment. This view fills one with anxiety and dread of the future. If it is good now, it means that it will get bad at some point in the future.

The spiritual approach offers another explanation to life’s seemingly painful events. The underlying principle of cre-ation is that G-d made this world for the purpose of serv-ing Him with complete devotion and self-abandonment, making this material existence into a dwelling place for Him. He is the creator, and He causes everything to run according to His will. With every thing that happens to us, whether good or bad, we can learn how to serve Him a little better, how to draw down His presence a little closer. The challenges set in front of us are never greater than we

what can handle. G-d is not only behind us, encouraging and cheering as we muster the strength to keep going, but He is beside us, breathing energy into us, and carrying us in His arms when we are unable to walk by ourselves. He is not out to break us, but to make us. Losing a job, becoming ill, or any other calamity one can think of are not punishments. At first, they cause us to reach deeper and deeper into our own resources, until we realize that we can’t do it without Him. From that, the realization that nothing is possible without Him begins to infiltrate our minds and hearts, changing our frame of reference on the world from self-centered to G-d-centered, exactly as He wants it to be. I cannot perceive a source of greater comfort and security.

In the course of my religious journey, I heard these ex-planations, read them, even spoke about them myself, but they never became a reality for me until I put them against my old, deeply rooted beliefs, which were the cause of all the fear, anxiety and shame. Now, the process of shaking off the distorted childhood views and turn-ing around to face mature reality is just beginning to take place. This slow and gentle process, as it infuses my soul with insights, inspiration, gratitude and humbleness, en-ables me to proclaim that everything will only get better from now on.

“In the course of my religious journey, I heard these explana-tions, read them, even spoke about them myself, but they nev-er became a reality for me until I put them against my old, deep-ly rooted beliefs, which were the cause of all the fear, anxiety and

shame.”

Reprinted courtesy of ChabadLehighValley.com

There are many myths about Chabad. Like the one that Chabad invented Jewish outreach. Don’t believe a word of it. Chabad never did out-reach. The term is antithetical to everything that Chabad and the Rebbe stand for.

Take the case of the rabbi who wrote to the Rebbe boasting that he was involved in out-reach. He used the Hebrew term, kiruv rechokim, which translates as “bringing close those who are distant.” The poor rabbi must have really regretted that letter. The Reb-be wrote back, indignantly:

You call them “distant”?! What gives you the right to say that you are close and they are far? You must approach each one of them as though you are the King’s servant sent with a message to His most precious child!

Others who spoke with the Rebbe on the subject have similarly groped and fallen. One Chabad supporter told the Rebbe about a shabbaton he had sponsored for over forty couples who “had no Jewish background.”

“No what?” the Rebbe responded, as though in shock.

“No Jewish background,” was the hesitant response.

“Tell them that they have a background! Their back-ground is that they are children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!” the Rebbe replied.So I don’t believe that the Rebbe preached outreach, and Chabad, from what I’ve seen, doesn’t practice it. Sure, the

word gets used, but there are days I think we should ban it. We don’t need any more distinctions between Jews.

We certainly don’t need to divide ourselves between those who are on the inside and those who are on the outside. In Chabad, there is one Jewish people, all of us in the same inside of the same boat.

So what do we practice? What is a Chabad House? What is the Mitzvah Campaign? What are all these beards and black hats, sheitls and long skirts doing in the most bizarre places, if not outreach?

Quite simply, we are patching up the boat.

In the Rebbe’s words:

A Jew may say to you, “Why can’t you leave me alone? Why can’t you just go and do your thing and let me do mine? What does it bother you if I drill this little hole in my little boat?”

You must answer him, “There is only one boat and we are all in it together.”

That is and always was the theme behind the mitzvah campaign. Again, in the Rebbe’s words:

The soul of the mitzvah campaign is Ahavat Yisrael -- Love of the Jewish People. And the meaning of that love is that we are all one.

That’s why there was never a campaign that was only meant for “them out there.” Every campaign encompassed and embraced the entire Jewish people. When there was a

The Myth of Chabad Outreach

By Tzvi Freeman

“What does it bother you if I drill this little hole in my little boat?”

tefillin campaign, not only did we run out on the streets to roll up sleeves and apply the “Jewish blood pressure test” -- we took our own tefillin to a scribe to be checked, as well. When the Rebbe initiated the mezuzah campaign, he made sure to discover a cranny of his own office that could use a new mezuzah, as well. When he started a campaign to have a charity box in every Jewish home, he started personally handing out dimes and dollars to children and grownups to give charity.

So if a Chabad House is not an outreach center, what is it?

Chabad is an idea. An idea that is valid no mat-ter where you are and who you think you are. It wasn’t invented yesterday and it’s not going away tomorrow. It is the idea that every person has to use his own mind to awaken his heart and connect with his G-dly soul. A Chabad House is a place that facilitates that. For anybody who wants to make that connection.

So why are we “out there”? Why do we make such a big deal of traveling to the furthest reaches of the world, as long as another Jew might be found there? Aren’t there enough Jews to take care of in Brooklyn and Jerusalem?

Because this is the mandate given us in our time, to “spread the wellsprings to the outside.” As the Rebbe pointed out, not that the water from the wellsprings should spread

to the outside. That would be outreach. The wellsprings themselves should be outside. The “outside” should be-come wellsprings. Every single one of us, without distinc-tion.

There’s a Jew somewhere in the world who imagines he’s “out there.” He doesn’t find in himself -- if he ever stops to look for it -- any connection left with his people. Maybe

he’s far away on the globe, may-be further in ways of life, ways of thinking.

We come to him and tell him, “Really, you are on the inside. Really, you never left. The fact that you find yourself so ‘out there’ -- you were guided to this place, this mindset, so that even

here you would find the Torah and even here you will delight in its living water. Until you yourself will become a wellspring to this part of the world.”

In Chabad, every reach reaches deeper within.

Chabad is an idea. An idea that is valid no matter where you are and who you think you are.

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org. He is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth. Reprinted courtesy of ChabadLehighValley.com

Don’t spend your summer laying around when you can have the greatest summer

ever at Camp Gan Izzy!

www.ganisraelpa.com(610) 351-6511

6/22 6/23 6/24 6/26

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Rascal’s Arcade

Putt U Mini Golf!

Welcome to Camp!

Let’s Get to Know You!

Swimming

Fancy Nancy Magic Balloon

Show

SwimmingDon’t Forget to

Wear Socks!

Grims Orchard & Farm

6/25

Swimming

Swimming

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WednesdayEntertainment

& Swim

ThursdayFull Day Trip!

FridayArts & CraftsShabbos Party

Swim

CeramicsShabbos Party!

Cupcake Decorating

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MakingFrench Fries

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SewingShabbos Party!

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DeSales Theater

7/16

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GardeningShabbos Party!

Iron Pigs GameMartial Arts

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Let’s MakeSushi!

Music and Movement

GoodbyeParty

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Monday Kids N’ The

Kitchen Sports & Swim

Camp Gan Israel 2015

Twin Day!

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Call MeBaby

My son, who, depending on the moment, is already three or only three, has recently asked me to call him a baby. I looked at him carefully when he first asked. It was just af-ter I had told him, “Okay, Avraham Nissim, it’s clean-up time.” He responded, “Call me baby. I’m the baby. Right, Mommy? I’m your baby?”

I looked at him and then at his six-month-old sister and my mind started to analyze the situation. “Did he want me to call him baby because he’s jealous? Is he feeling sad about the end of the school year? Is he afraid to move on from his safe, small pre-school to next school year’s big-ger pre-school? Am I not giving him enough attention? I really don’t want to call him baby; I don’t even call my daughter baby.”

My son, the practical one, brought me back to reality.

“Mommy, call me baby.”

I acted fast. “Okay. Baby, it’s clean up time.” In two sec-onds he cleaned up all of his toys. For whatever reason, he just wanted me to call him baby. And throughout the rest of the afternoon, I called him baby. At times, I slipped up, letting out an occasional “sweetie” or “cutie” but I quickly corrected myself and told him while wrapping him up in a big hug, “Yes, you ARE my baby.” It amazed me how cooperative he was and how happily he went to sleep that night.

The other day, I was sitting in the park and I saw a little girl fall. Her caretaker instantly rushed to her, picking her up. The girl screamed hysterically as the caretaker hugged her and told her, “It’s nothing. Nothing happened.” The girl only wailed louder. I can’t tell you how many times I have been in the same situation. My child falls and all I want to do is say, “It’s nothing. You’re fine.” No one wants to see someone in pain and the easiest way to deal with is it to pretend to make it go away. However every time I refrain from saying those words and instead offer words of empathy such as, “It must hurt so much. Where does

But what about loving and teaching a child to love? Shouldn’t this too be according to the child’s nature? As parents, spouses, relatives,

and friends, all we want to do is give.

By Elana Mizrahi

it hurt, where is it ouch?” I find my child instantly calms down and in two seconds is off running again.

“Teach a child according to his nature” (Mishlei 22:6).

When I first read this wise advice of King Solomon about childrearing, I thought that it only had one meaning: to teach a child knowledge according to their talents or in-clinations. If your child is artistic, teach him with pic-tures, and if he is musical, teach him with song. Teach-ing, however, goes beyond knowledge. If you can teach a visual person the ABC’s with pictures, that’s wonderful. If you can teach math to an active child with measuring cups while baking, then I’m sure the child will learn more arithmetic then if they were sitting at a desk with pen and paper.

But what about loving and teaching a child to love? Shouldn’t this too be according to the child’s nature? As parents, spouses, relatives, and friends, all we want to do

is give. But too often we give what we want to give and how we want to give and not in the way the person the person wants or needs us to give.

King Solomon continues, “Just as water mirrors the face to the face, so does the heart of man to man (ibid 27:19).” One might ask why King Solomon chose to use water as a metaphor for reflection, and not a mirror. I was told it is because when you look at yourself in water, you must bend. In order to reflect the emotions of another and love them in the way they need to be loved, you, at times, are forced to bend and bow down to your own feelings and desires. You’re forced to love according to the other’s na-ture. When they laugh, laugh with them; when they cry, cry with them. When they need to be a baby, baby them.

“But what about loving and teach-ing a child to love?”

Originally from California and a Stanford University graduate, Elana Mizrahi now lives in Jerusalem with her husband and children. She is a doula, writer, and author of Dancing Through Life, a book for Jewish women. Reprinted courtesy of chabadlehighvalley.com

YourLehighValley

We were very busy this year learning about and exploring the holiday of Pesach. In Chabad Hebrew School the children dec-orated their very own Seder plates, had a mock chocolate Seder and even made their own matzah at our model matzah factory alongside TSS Hebrew School!We couldn’t have had a better time with The Friendship Circle at a very special choco-late Seder full of laughs while we played 7 plague charade and dipped strawberries in chocolate!

It was all smiles at our Chocolate Seder with The Friendship Circle.

The Friendship Circle

At the Friendship Circle we are always looking for new friends! To find out how you can make a friend or become

a friend call us at:(610) 351-6511

What’s better than a solid gold Seder plate? A solid chocolate

one!

Your

Chabad at Lehigh was established in 2008 with the dream of creating a “home away from home” for the Lehigh Jewish com-munity. Since then it has grown far beyond the 2,500-square-foot townhouse where it resided. To meet the needs of it’s growing crouds that include 250 shabbat guests, a new house is being built to provide the much-needed space to accommodate and expand the growing programs and events.

LehighValley

Shabbat/Holiday Ends 8:19

embassybank.com

The new house, called the Joachim Schaufeld Center for Jewish Life, will be located near campus at 306 Wyandotte St. It is an 1866 histor-ic mansion that once served as a Lehigh fraternity house.Here Chabad at Le-high will be able to accomodate even more students and enhance their Jewish life on Campus.

Guideline Services

Chabad of the Lehigh Valley4457 Crackersport RoadAllentown, PA 18104www.chabadlehighvalley.com

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Celebrate the receiving of the Torah!

Ice Cream Party!shavuotshavuot

Sunday, May 24 at 4 PM@ Chabad

Sunday, May 24 at 4 PM

For the Entire Family!

Dairy Buffet Dinner!

@ Chabad