Community Magazine August 2017

SALUTE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES It was so nice to read about the achievements and goals of the top students of our community. We should all be proud of these honorees, even if they are not related to us, and even if we do not know them or their family members. These top students are a reflection of our community to the public. I might not know what their future holds, but I can make a few easy predictions. I believe they will continue to excel, continue to contribute to our community, and they will fulfill their responsibilities and goals to the best of their abilities. Even more importantly, these students are likely going to be the future leaders and decision makers of our community. Mabrouk on your graduation and may you all continue to be successful for years to come! Claire A. ------------------------- I strongly disagree with the message of last month’s cover story about recognizing the achievements of the Valedictorians and Salutatorians of our yeshivot. Not to take anything away from them, but what about all of the other high school students that graduated – are they chopped liver? Holding a child as superior to their fellow students because of test scores is just plain wrong. How about celebrating and acknowledging the efforts of the students who succeeded in overcoming challenges? That would be a much greater source of inspiration than just honoring the brightest or most talented kids in the class. I think it’s time to change how schools select their honorees. Each administration should recognize and honor its hardest working students. We need to teach our children that there is much more to life than having a good grade point average. First, be a mensch – then everything else will fall into place. Raymond H. HEALTHY HOMELIFE Last month’s Healthy Homelife column (Going Home Again – For The Summer) was right on target.Many ofmy friends come to Deal for the summer and live with their relatives. Every summer, I hear them complain about the living arrangements and about the difficulties of sharing space with another family. The suggestions that were listed in the article were very insightful and should alleviate many of the issues that families face. I would like to add one other suggestion that I learned from personal experiences years ago: Make sure that everyone pays their way. While you may have all moved in together to save money, everyone should still contribute to the household bills. An unequal balance in money matters can create an unequal balance of power and cause friction. There is an old expression, “When you accept financial support from someone, you then become obligated to consider their opinions in your life.” Vicky R. NOT READY FOR COLLEGE I would like to comment on Jido’s response to the parent who was concerned about sending his son off to college. Although Jido did warn of the dangers that all college students face while attending college, I felt he should have suggested in much stronger terms that the only viable option for his son is to attend a local college while living at home. Most kids are simply not mature enough to dorm at the age of 17 or 18 years of age. The temptations they’ll encounter in college are too overwhelming. There should be no shame in a high school graduate admitting that he is not ready to live away from home. Even for those students who attend college and return home every day, we need to hope and pray that their yeshiva educations and religious upbringings will lead them to make sound and smart decisions. Morris E. FAN MAIL I would like to commend you on producing an incredible magazine that is a blend of Torah, current events, community matters, and more. Every month, my friends and I cannot wait for Community to come out (and not just for the jokes section!). Be’ezrat Hashem , you should be zocheh to many more years of giving the Syrian community the right hashkafah via the publishing of Torah-true literature.  David M. ALookAtCurrentUS-IsraelRelationswithForeignPolicyAnalystMitchellBard > Page38 Tammuz 5777 July2017 Trust theDriver RabbiDavidAshear BackToTheBasics Wordsof RabbiEli J.Mansour SALUTE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL VolumeXVINumber 10 GRADUATES OF 2017 A special feature recognizing theoutstanding achievementsof valedictorians andotherhonorees amongour community’sgraduatesof 2017 JULY 2017 ISSUE Tell us what you really think! Send us a letter! Letters submitted become the property of Community Magazine and will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Letters may be edited and revised for length, style and grammar before publication. All submissions are considered for publication unless otherwise requested. EMAIL: letters@CommunityM.com WEB: www. CommunityM.com FAX: 718-504-4246 POST: Community Magazine 1616 Ocean Pkwy Brooklyn, NY 11223 l tters 14 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE