Junior Girls Scout Troop Trades Cookies for Matzoh
Junior Girl Scout Troop 5826 led by Michele Major and Beth Kepets collected over 150 pounds of matzoh for Tomchei Shabbos in just three days. The troop is made up of nine fifth graders, and they meet in Teaneck. The girls and their families as well as the troop leaders shared their offer of one box of Girl Scout Cookies for five pounds of matzoh on Facebook. The money that paid for the Girl Scout cookies came out of the troop’s pocket. That money is usually used for a fun activity. However, this year it was decided to use some of the money for tzeddakah. When Tomchei Shabbos announced the need for matzoh on its Facebook page, the girls found their calling.
Keylim Mikvah Awareness Month
The Teaneck Mikvah Association has designated this month as “Keylim Mikvah Awareness Month.” The mikvah recently underwent a full scale renovation and construction project and now includes 18 preparation rooms, 4 Mikvaot, special handicap accessible facilities, an exclusive preparation room for brides and a new Keylim Mikvah. The association is asking each family to donate to the mikvah. The funds will used for the daily operational expenses of the keylim mikvah including insurance costs, supplies, and equipment. Contributions may be made online at teaneckmikvah.com or by mailing a check to 1726 Windsor Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666.
Israeli-Issued Passover Travel Warnings Include Egypt and Turkey
(JNS.org) In its biannual report for Israeli tourists, the Counterterrorism Bureau at the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday warned that after Islamist terror attacks in Belgium, Canada, Australia, Denmark, and France over the past year, there is a possibility of further jihadist attacks against Israeli and Jewish sites in Western nations.
But despite mentioning the “global terror campaign of Iran and Hezbollah” against Jewish and Israeli targets, the Counterterrorism Bureau did not issue specific warnings against travel to any Western country during the upcoming Passover holiday. The report did warn against travel to 41 destinations that are either closed to or considered dangerous for Israelis—a list comprised of mostly Arab or Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The Israeli bureau issued a warning at its highest alert level against travel to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, citing a range of security concerns and emphasizing the risk posed by the Islamic State terror group’s “Sinai Province” branch. Additionally, the bureau warned against non-essential travel to Turkey. In February, an Israeli businessman was arrested and spent three days in a Turkish prison after the Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines accused him of stealing a bag of dry soup mix on a flight from Tel Aviv to Istanbul. Turkish leaders have recently accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of“crimes against humanity” and “state terrorism.”
Dining Out Options on Passover
Hanging around Bergen County for Passover? If so, consider these options for dining out during Chol Hamoed. The Teaneck Doghouse will be open its regular hours. The menu will be limited. Check out their website – www.teaneckdoghouse.com – for details. For those with a sweet tooth or an urge for coffee, Bumbleberry has you covered. Call ahead – (201) 357-4220 – for holiday hours and specific menu offerings.
Moshiach Seudah at Lubavitch on the Palisades
Lubavitch on the Palisades is hosting a Seudas Moshiach on the last day of Passover at 6:30 P.M. The meal includes matzah and four cups of wine that represent the four levels of liberation of the coming of the Moshiach. Chassids believe that the radiance of Moshiach is openly revealed on the final day of Passover. The custom of a Seudas Moshiach comes from the Baal Shem Tov who lived from 1698-1760 and was the founder of the Chassidic Movement. To reserve, visit www.chabadlubavitch.org/moshiachmeal or call 201 871 1152.
Teen Activity for Chol Hamoed
Looking for fun things to do during Chol Hamoed? New Jersey NCSY is going to Six Flags Great Adventure on Monday April 6th. Buses for teens will be leaving at 9 a.m. from B’nei Yeshurun inTeaneck and from AABJ&D in West Orange. The cost for the ticket and bus is $70. The bus will return home at 8pm. Musician Benny Friedman and special guest Mordechai Shapiro will be performing live. Please note the park does not allow any outside food. Kosher for Passover food will be sold inside the park. For more information, call 201.862.0250 or email [email protected]
Brian Morton to Read Excerpts from ‘Florence Gordon’ at Teaneck General Store
Author Brian Morton reads from his new book: “Florence Gordon” 4 p.m., Sunday, April 12, at the Teaneck General Store, 502a Cedar Lane. Brian Morton is an author and former executive director of “Dissent Magazine.” He serves on the faculty of Sarah Lawrence College. He is an accomplished screenwriter and the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgements. Sandee Brawarsky interviewed Dr. Morton for the Jewish Week: What distinguishes a New York novel are not just the streetscapes, but also the pull this great city has on its characters. The eponymous Florence Gordon is one of those fictional New Yorkers who believe that “a life that took place elsewhere couldn’t truly be called life.”
Brian Morton’s “Florence Gordon” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is the story of a feisty feminist icon, now 75, still teaching and writing and alive with ideas, still center stage at any gathering she joins. She is long divorced and living on the Upper West Side in the summer of 2009, when her son and his wife and daughter return to New York City from their home in Seattle.
Dr. Morton hails from Teaneck.
Rashi’s Daughters Author to Present New Book at JCC Palisades
The annual James H. Grossman Memorial Jewish Book Month at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades will feature Maggie Anton, author of the highly-acclaimed historical trilogy Rashi’s Daughters, who will discuss her new book, Enchantress, in a community gathering to celebrate Jewish life and culture. Based on five years of research and characters from the Talmud, Enchantress is a novel that weaves together Talmudic lore, ancient Jewish magic and a timeless love story set in 4th century Babylonia.
Enchantress is part of a new series, Rav Hisda’s Daughter, which placed Maggie Anton as a National Jewish Book Award finalist and earned her the Library Journal’s choice for Best Historical Fiction. A book signing and sale will take place after the presentation. Tickets are $10 for JCC members; $12 general admission. To register online, go to the JCC website at www.jccotp.org. For more information, call Ruth Yung, 201.408.1418.
