An Extraordinary Ordinary Man

Remembering a Crown Heights fixture who synthesized Jewish learning and secular knowledge in a singular way.

In the deepest early morning of March 7, on California’s Pacific Coast Highway, a gold Cadillac driven by a drunk ran a red light, hit a bus and then spun around until it smacked into a white rental car driven by a man named Gedaliah Shaffer. Shaffer had flown into California from Brooklyn that evening, and as an inveterate traveler began the journey to a professional conference with a little sightseeing on one of the country’s more scenic drives.

But when the Cadillac hit him, Shaffer was instantly killed.

Rival: Splenda claim confuses consumers

The marketers of Splenda have made millions by confusing consumers into thinking the yellow packets contain a natural product and not an artificial sweetener, its chief rival told a jury Tuesday in a trial that pits Splenda against its rivals in the $355 million market for sugar substitutes.

Splenda has cornered the $1.5 billion market for sugar substitutes since its 2000 debut through false advertising that implies Splenda contains sugar, the manufacturer of Equal says.

Pesach Terror Attack Narrowly Avoided

Jerusalem, Israel — Recent interrogations of arrested members of Hamas in the West Bank town of Qalqilya produced information that the Islamic organization there was planning imminent terrorist attacks against Israel, including one using a large truck bomb, the Israeli Shin Bet internal security service said Tuesday.

Hamas, which is now the dominant faction in the Palestinian government, has not conducted suicide attacks within Israel since 2004 and has been committed to an Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip since November. People who usually speak for Hamas would not react to the Shin Bet report on Tuesday, apparently in an attempt to not lend the allegations any credence.

Jewish Mezuzahs OK at Lauderdale condo

Fort Lauderdale, FL — Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum gave a Fort Lauderdale condo association until 5 p.m. today to change a policy that prohibited display of a Jewish symbol outside the door of a unit.

Earlier this year, the Port Condo Association told tenant Laurie Richter to remove the mezuzah she had attached to her doorframe. The association told her that she was in violation of its policy that forbids residents from placing anything on the exterior of common property.

NYC’s Letter Carriers to Watch Out for Their Elderly Customers

Click Here for a newscast of this event (NY1)

New York, NY — When mail and newspapers build up at an elderly person’s home, it can be a sign that something is wrong.

Now, the city’s seniors can sign up to have letter carriers keep an extra eye on their mailboxes, and if the bills and magazines are accumulating, emergency contacts are notified so that someone can check on them.

The Carrier Alert program was created decades ago in New York and many other cities nationwide but fizzled out over the years. In some areas, it has experienced a recent resurgence, and now New York is rejoining the initiative, linking it with the city’s 311 telephone information hot line so that carriers have one central place to call.

More in the Extended Article.

OK Kashrus Administrator is Special Guest on Zev Brenner Show

On Monday evening, March 26, Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, CEO and Kashrus Administrator of OK Kosher Certification, along with OK Rabbinic Coordinator, Rabbi Yitzchak Hanoka, appeared as special guests on the Zev Brenner show.

Brenner spoke with Rabbi Levy and Rabbi Hanoka about various kashrus concerns and current events in the kashrus world. One of the main kashrus issues covered by Rabbi Levy is the use of “Kosher Books” for Passover. These “Kosher Books” list household products and food products that do not have a Passover designation on the label, but are permissible for Passover. The “Kosher Books” also discuss cosmetics and medications that are, or are not, acceptable for use during Passover. Rabbi Levy explained the OK’s position on “Kosher Books,” saying he is not in favor of their use. He spoke about his father, Rabbi Berel Levy (ob”m), who was the first Kashrus Administrator to visit factories in the Far East, because he insisted on personally checking out every detail of the facility’s operations, including double-checking all of their ingredients.

Today: First Yohrtziet of Reb Mendel Shemtov A”H

Today, the 13th of Nissan, marks the first Yartzeit of Reb Mendel Shemtov. Reb Mendel’s personality and his message that came through in all his actions, words, and thoughts were dedicated to the Rebbe and his Shluchim. He was not an official Shliach although on many occasions he was given specific missions from the Rebbe. He was a businessman. However, his real business that continuously burned in his soul – was Shluchim, Shlichus and to bring Nachas Ruach to the Rebbe who he loved with every single fiber of his Neshama.

Open Letter from a Member of the Community

To the residents of Crown Heights,
“Where Hashem has commanded His blessing”,

Greetings and Blessings,

Our community has unfortunately experienced numerous tragedies of late; with one calamity closely followed by yet another (may Heaven protect us). Included in the unfortunate string of events have been the deaths of loved ones, honored Chassidim, as well as Shluchim of the Rebbe…

New Song from Avraham Fried

5 new songs were compiled and recorded for the organization ‘Oorah’, from the performers; Avraham Fried, Shloime Daskal, Boruch Levin, Yisroel Williger and Dovid Gabay.

You can listen to the song by clicking them or you can download them by right clicking on them and saving it.

1. Galeh – Avraham Fried
2. Boneh – Shloime Daskal
3. Hatov – Dovid Gabay
4. Ma Ashiv- Yisroel Williger
5. Dovid Melech – Boruch Levin

To listen to a demo of all the songs click the link below
Demo of the CD

A Community of Successful Malcontents

Passover is one of the most involved, consuming holidays on the Jewish calendar. The list of don’ts is long, preparations are arduous, and it’s eight days long. A challenge for any individual, and yet it seems to be one of the most widely observed holidays. What gives?

Some time ago, a group of people appeared in our Chabad Center on a Friday night; they were new faces, always a nice surprise. Together with a friend—one of our regulars—I approached to welcome them.

University Refuses to Grant Chabad Chaplaincy

Princeton, NJ — Following the University’s denial of a request from the Jewish organization Chabad for a chaplaincy position in the Office of Religious Life, a group of students has started a petition asking President Tilghman to reconsider the decision.

“Chabad will continue to be on campus, regardless of what the University decides,” Chabad student board president Arthur Ewenczyk ’09 said. The University cited its policy to recognize only one Jewish chaplain under the Center for Jewish Life (CJL).

Passover Makes Rabbi into Kosher Cop

Bradenton, FL — Rabbi Shalom Adler slips a thin net over his short red hair and black yarmulke. Another over his bushy beard. He pops in bright orange earplugs. A pair of bulky protective goggles cover his wire-framed spectacles.

Inspector Rabbi is now in service.

For the past several weeks, Adler, co-director of the Chabad of Pinellas County, has brought his rabbinical knowledge of Jewish dietary law to the Tropicana plant in Bradenton.

Adler, who works for the Organized Kosher certification company, inspects the production of a special run of kosher-for-Passover orange juice.