Community Magazine November 2008

6 Community Magazine Community Magazine is published monthly by Bnei Aram Soba, 1616 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11223. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY, USPS Number 0021-802 (ISSN 1552-809X). Copyright 2008 by Bnei AramSoba. Domestic subscriptions $18 or $3 when included inmembership dues. International subscriptions $52. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Community Magazine, 1616 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11223. Advertising and sponsorship proceeds are used exclusively for charitable purposes. Advertisements do not necessarily carry the endorsement of the Publisher. Readers should always verify kashrut status independently. Advertisements for Internet and related services are intended only for those who have received a heter from their rabbi for use of such services. This Publication contains messages of Torah and halachot. please handle it appropriately. Heshvan 5769 November 2008 Volume VIII Number 2 (718) 645-4460 Departments 12 Letters 46 It Happened to Me 54 Community Chest 66 Fashion Flash The It Knits, Jennifer Esses 68 Ask Jidoh 74 Insights into Education I Can't Read! , Rifka Schonfeld 76 Dental Health Nitrous Oxide, Dr. Jacques Doueck 80 To Your Health 82 To Junior’s Health 84 Mabrouks 86 The Shaatra Files Household Must Haves, Linda Franco 90 The International Community 91 Israel- At Your Service 94 The Lighter Side 96 Riddles 98 Life in the Big City 102 Kashrut Alerts 104 Classifieds & Real Estate Features 20 I Cannot Tell a Lie, or Can I? Rabbi Eli Mansour Can a person ever be too honest? Does the Torah ever sanction stretching the truth – or even outright dishonesty? The famous story of Yaakov and the blessings offers some surprising answers to these questions. 30 Hacham Rephael Toledano Yehuda Azoulay Faced with a serious criminal charge for fund-raising during wartime, Hacham Rephael Toledano used his faith in Hashem to turn a potential tragedy into an internationally recognized kiddush Hashem (sanctification of Gd’s name). 34 Stop Thief Targeting everything from barbecue grills to motorcycles, a wave of burglaries has swept across some Brooklyn neighborhoods, leaving residents angry and unsettled. The SCF, in conjunction with local law enforcement, offers advice on how to keep your family and your property safe and secure. 38 Home of the Future David silverberg Home automation, or “smart home,” systems, previously the stuff of sci-fi films and The Jetsons, are steadily growing in sophistication – and going down in cost, making them an attractive option for even mainstream American homeowners. 50 Namesake Generation rabbi e. aboud While our forefathers famously named their children based on the circumstances surrounding the child’s birth, today our well entrenched custom is to name our children after our parents. Why has this practice evolved, and what significance does our current custom hold?! t Home of the Future P 38 The Microsoft Home kitchen